Therion wasn't entirely certain where he was going at first, if he was being honest. Ever since hearing that the group was going to be lingering in Quarrycrest for an extra day than they initially expected, Therion had an urge to go out and see what the rest of the city had to offer. He had been to Quarrycrest a few times in the past, but something about this visit felt different. His body felt like it was moving of its own accord with Therion's mind only along for the ride.
Contrary to what he would have expected though, Therion wasn't setting his sights on Aeber's shrine at all. Therion couldn't tell if he was more ready or nervous to go back and talk to Aeber after all that had happened, but there was a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that both guided him onward and kept him as far as he could get from his target. Instead, Therion opted to head for the edges of town, staring out over the winding path that led back to Morlock's mansion.
Therion had been to Quarrycrest before, yes, but he hadn't ever stuck around for too long. He just felt like an asshole even thinking of stealing from people who had already suffered so much under the heel of an apathetic authority figure, and Therion didn't want to get close to Morlock either. As it turned out, that had been a good idea from the outset. Therion didn't know what would have happened if he had gone off to fight the man, but the idea made his stomach churn.
As things currently stood, Therion wanted to fight Morlock. Destroying the stability of Quarrycrest was probably far from being the best move the travelers could have made, and while they didn't have an idea for what to do when they did manage to defeat Morlock, that didn't matter much. The people there were struggling to get by, and their suffering was clear as could be. They couldn't just turn around and pretend they had seen nothing even though they were determined to maintain their own safety. When the blatant concerns of life and death were combined with everything Bartolo had told Ophilia back in Saintsbridge, Therion knew exactly what they were going to do. The least he could do was try to scope out the area near the mansion before the fight inevitably broke out.
The path that wound up to the manse's entrance was desolate and free of even a soul. A few guards were stationed outside the building, but Therion could already tell that they were far from being trained soldiers. Morlock still didn't have professional fighters on his side even after losing the war against Saintsbridge so thoroughly fifteen years prior. To be more accurate, there weren't many people in Quarrycrest who could fight, and those who could at least had enough pride to stay as far away from the leader of the village as they possibly could.
Therion's fingers tightened in their grip against the crags of the Cliftlands. He did his best to not look down even though he knew he was fine. There were no empty holes along the way to Morlock's mansion since the man was enough of a greedy bastard to ensure his own safety even if it came at the cost of the rest of Quarrycrest's occupants. Sure enough, there was nothing there for Therion to fear falling into, but he swallowed anxiously regardless. No matter how much he told himself that he was fine, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it.
At the end of the day, this was a distraction. If the travelers were going to fight Morlock, it wouldn't be until the following day, but there was something Therion could have taken care of then and there that he was simply choosing to procrastinate on. He should have been heading out for Aeber's shrine so that he could hear the truth from the god even though he already knew exactly where that conversation was going to end. Instead, he stood there with procrastination and dread on his mind as he watched the guards exchange shifts outside of Morlock's mansion.
Therion was almost desperate to go through the rest of the motions of being in Quarrycrest so that he could get the hell out of there. He hated being in the Cliftlands even though that was the region he had been raised in. Bolderfall was his favorite settlement within the continent of red bluffs, but Therion still preferred other locales across the continent. Being in the Cliftlands only ever seemed to make his anxiety run high, and as long as thoughts of Aeber were constantly breathing down his neck, that was the last thing Therion needed.
No matter how fast he tried to run though, Therion knew that he wouldn't be able to escape Aeber entirely. Of course he wouldn't be able to get away from a damn god who no doubt held some inconvenient truth that Therion wished he could have forgotten. What was even the point of going to talk to Aeber when Therion already had a perfect idea of what he was going to get in response? He had to for the sake of his own closure, but the nagging thought that he should have just not bothered still clung to the back of his mind like a parasite out for blood. He had to take this chance while he still had it since he wouldn't be able to use the Warp Staff to come back later without arousing suspicion. Therion had no idea if he was ready for this or not, but the universe wasn't exactly giving him the time he needed to think it all through.
Therion sighed heavily and aggressively at the sight of Morlock's guards on the horizon before he forced himself to retreat back to the nearby town. He was going to think it through a bit longer even though that wasn't going to do him any good. He would get around to speaking with Aeber before the group headed out of the town in a few days.
For better or worse, Therion was going to hear the truth, and he could already feel the dread and anxiety sinking in before he could even think of heading out to find Aeber again.
After delivering the news to Cyrus that the group would be staying in Quarrycrest for one more day, Alfyn circled around the city's shops to pick up supplies for his concoctions. The Cliftlands had a few unique ingredients, and he wasn't going to pass up on the chance to grab some as long as he had the chance. Alfyn was far from the best at haggling, especially given that he was traveling with Tressa of all people, but he was still able to negotiate the price down a little bit before claiming a few herbs grown among the rusty stones of the Cliftlands. He was going to experiment with them before the group left town, but before that, he had more important business to attend to.
Alfyn settled down in the primary infirmary of Quarrycrest with his satchel already open where it hung off one shoulder. The people who had escaped the sewers beneath the city had come to the infirmary for medical attention, but Alfyn couldn't just leave them there. He had to do at least something to try and help them, especially since he couldn't reverse everything that Gideon had done. The guilt was gnawing at him from the inside out, and even though Alfyn wasn't guilty of anything, he felt that he hadn't done enough.
Deep down though, Alfyn knew exactly why he felt so guilty, but thinking of Vanessa wasn't going to do anyone a lick of good. He had been trying so hard to not think about her anymore, but after everything he had seen with Gideon beneath the streets of Quarrycrest, he just couldn't avoid it. Gideon had openly experimented on people, but Vanessa could have done something softer but still just as insidious. She clearly had little disregard for the lives of others, so there was a very real chance that she had tried experimental medicine on unwilling and unwitting subjects in the name of progress and money. It was all an assumption on Alfyn's part, but the fear still lingered.
Even if Alfyn was wrong, the fact remained that she didn't care at all for what happened to the people around her. She was more than fine with making people suffer for the sake of boosting her place in the world, and she wasn't exactly subtle about it either. Morlock had left the residents of Quarrycrest to suffer and didn't bother to search for them, and Vanessa was more than happy to abandon people to their deaths if they couldn't pay her enough. They didn't care at all about the people around them as long as it would do something to put money in their pockets. Alfyn didn't know how anyone could be so heartless, but he couldn't stop thinking about it either.
Alfyn wished there was more he could do. Of course there wasn't too much that he would be able to do in order to reverse everything that Vanessa and Gideon had done, but he still wished there was at least something else he could do that would aid those who had suffered so much under their heels. It was one of many reasons that he found himself drawn to the infirmary of the town to begin with. It wasn't much, but if he could at least do a little bit to mitigate the guilt in the pit of his chest by helping people, maybe he would finally be able to escape from all of this. He had thought he didn't need to think about Vanessa anymore. He thought he was alright, but there he was, unsure of everything and without a clue where to start in fixing the damage they had left behind.
Luckily, the victims of Gideon's experimentation weren't in horrible condition. They were still struggling a bit, but that was to be expected after all that they had gone through. None of them were too sick, and Alfyn was easily able to give them small tinctures to ease the pain and give them the time they needed to sleep. They were all exhausted, no doubt because they were constantly on high alert or some sort of drug for the sake of the experimentation. It left Alfyn's stomach twisting from hatred and rage towards Gideon, and he almost wished that he could punch the man at least three more times. If only that was possible.
When Alfyn started to put his supplies away after helping a few of the patients, his hands were still shaking. He swallowed dryly to try and calm himself, but he couldn't quite seem to squish his anxiety in full. It was always still there, always watching him in some way or another. His throat was tight, and he felt sick to his stomach each time he thought about how nervous he was. He knew that he wasn't like Vanessa or Gideon-that he was honest and would never intentionally hurt someone in the name of scientific progress or profit-but he couldn't shake the awful feeling that there was so much more to this.
He wouldn't be able to save everyone, and the thought made Alfyn want to be sick.
"Well, you've certainly had quite the adventure, Primrose."
After what felt like an eternity, Primrose had finally managed to catch up Odette with everything that had happened ever since she joined the rest of the group. She had even started before that, saying that she had lived in Sunshade under the employ of a cruel man who deserved everything that had come to him. Primrose was certain that Odette was already picking up on the depth of Helgenish's horrors, but neither one of them said anything about it, instead dancing around the subject as carefully as they could without making something break. It was too much to handle for their first interaction after so many years.
"I didn't think it was going to end this way," Primrose confessed. "I... I'm not against it though. It's nice to have such amazing people around, but..."
"You don't think you deserve them," Odette finished, already knowing exactly where this was going. Primrose winced at how easily she had been read, and Odette let out a loose huff from her nostrils. "Do you really think that they would still be around if they didn't want to be with you, Primrose?"
"I..." Primrose began, but she knew that she had no real counter for that. Odette was right, and she knew it.
"That's what I thought," Odette hummed. "If they wanted you gone, they would have already gotten rid of you, Primrose. And... It seems like you're happy with them. I was scared that you would never be able to connect with anyone again because of what happened in Noblecourt. House Azelhart fell apart so quickly, and before you knew it, you were on your own with no connections to your old life. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to find anyone else, but... You did. They're good people, Prim, and I think you should let them be there for you every once in a while."
Primrose wished she had a way to respond to that, but instead, all words just seemed to fail and fall apart on her tongue. She opened her mouth a few times to try and squeeze something out, but it always fell short. She wanted to believe that Odette was right and that she truly did deserve them, but the anxiety was always there right out of the corner of her eye. Staying with the other travelers was Primrose's purpose for the time being, the best way for her to keep herself moving forward in the face of all that she had been through, but she still felt strange thinking of it as such. She loved them with all her heart. She really did. Still, it always felt like there was something holding her back.
Fear. That was what it was. She just didn't want to admit it.
"I know how you are," Odette sighed with a shake of her head. "You always wanted to be as independent as possible when you were a child, and that's how you are now too. If you were meant to be alone, you would be. After all the hell that you and your friends have been through, I feel like you're just meant to be together."
"They would have left if they didn't want me around," Primrose concluded, reiterating what she had heard before even though there was some small part of her mind that still didn't believe it. Primrose loved them with everything she had, but at the same time, she didn't know what she was to do with all of that knowledge. There was always some small voice in the back of her mind that reminded her that she couldn't trust anyone. They would only wind up leaving her sooner or later.
No, it wasn't just leaving that she was afraid of. By this point, she had figured out that she wasn't going to be abandoned by the people who had done so much for her. They wouldn't just up and leave her after everything they had seen already. Primrose was much more afraid of them leaving by force.
She was afraid of having to see their deaths. She was absolutely terrified.
Primrose had enough of losing people. First it had been her father, and Yusufa had passed when she was last in Sunshade. Primrose refused to simply sit back and let somebody else close to her die when there was something she could do. If she opened her heart to them, then they could die because of her revenge quest. She was happy to have people like that on her side, people who would support her regardless of what happened next, but she still didn't know what to do about it. What if something bad happened to them because of her? She would never be able to forgive herself.
Odette reached out and let her fingers interlock with Primrose's, and the dancer knew that Odette had picked up on her sudden revelation. "You're going to be fine," she murmured. "You're doing something dangerous, and I know that... Still, it feels like a lot of you are a bit too stubborn to just give up and die so easily."
Primrose couldn't help but laugh at that. It was an uncomfortable but welcome sound in the silence of Odette's home. There was one thing Odette was right about-they were all too stubborn to die. After all they had seen, they were still alive, so they had to be doing at least something right. That counted in some way or another, didn't it?
"Thank you for talking to me, Odette," Primrose said with a small smile. She hadn't realized just how much she needed to hear all of this until she settled down with her sister, and now, she felt more confident than ever. She felt on top of the world, as a matter of fact. This was the exact push of determination she needed, especially after how horrible the earlier stages of the dya had proven themselves to be.
"You're welcome," Odette smiled back. She fell silent for another long moment before glancing up to meet Primrose's eyes. "Well... You said that you took care of the first crow before, right? Back in Stillsnow."
Primrose nodded. "Yes... I did," she replied. "And the next destination... It's Noblecourt. The second crow is in Noblecourt."
"Heading back home then," Odette muttered with a shake of her head. "I've heard that Noblecourt has been struggling as of late. Nobody quite knows what's going on in detail though, so people are all too happy to press on with their ignorance the same as always if it means they don't have to acknowledge the truth around them."
"We went there to get the ruby dragonstone back," Primrose sighed. "It's not at all like what I remember. I felt like there was something deeply wrong even if none of the other travelers quite knew what it was. The Azelhart family doesn't exist anymore, so I already knew that we wouldn't be the ones in charge, but... I don't even know how to describe it. The city just felt wrong."
"But you're going to have to return eventually," Odette frowned. "In other words, you had better prepare yourself to face that strange wrongness as soon as possible."
"I know," Primrose replied. "I don't know what could be going on there, but... I'm not ready to go back quite yet. It just wouldn't be right to me. The others have a lot on their plates as well, and I'm not going to interfere with that."
"You're avoiding it," Odette countered, and Primrose went tense on the spot. "You're afraid of what you're going to find there, so you're deliberately trying to stay away for as long as you can stand it. As long as you're helping the others, you don't need to pursue this."
Primrose let her head fall into her hands. "I know I shouldn't be doing this," she admitted. "I need to do something for the people of Noblecourt if life there really is as off-putting as I've been led to believe. Still... I don't know. I don't understand what to do about any of this."
Odette was quiet for a few beats as she tried to read the dancer before she let her hands fall forward to rest on the table before her. "What are you thinking you'll do once your revenge has been fulfilled?" she questioned. "After the crows are gone, what are you planning on pursuing?"
Primrose hesitated for a long time before shaking her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "My purpose has been to chase revenge for ages now. I know what must be done, but it still... It feels like there's something I'm doing wrong already. I'm missing out on something important, and I already get the feeling that it's a plan for what to do with my life after all of this has been said and done."
"If you ask me, you've already found a good purpose," Odette told her. "You've found a group of people that makes you happy, and you're there for each other. I think that's a good first step."
Primrose couldn't help cracking a smile at that. "I was thinking the same thing," she confessed softly. "I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but now that I'm here with the others... I see that this is the happiest I've been since I had to run from House Azelhart. All of them have stood by me throughout this even if they have their objections to it."
"I think you've got a good group there, Primrose... Even if Cyrus can be a touch oblivious at times," Odette commented, and Primrose snickered at the back half of the sentence. "I just think it's high time you stop living your life in fear of loss. We all lose things at some point or another... That doesn't make them less worth it than others. You can't spend your life in preparation of the bad when there's so much you're going to miss out on when you do that."
Primrose could feel tears starting to fill her eyes before she could even fully process Odette's words. For a long time, all she did was stare down at the table between her and her sister, watching the grain of the wood like it would reveal the truth to her after everything she had worried about so much. She swallowed dryly to try and hold herself back, but she couldn't stem the flow of tears entirely, and the salty water began to filter its way from her eyes down her cheeks. She wanted to say something-anything-that would make this any easier for her and Odette, but the words simply refused to come out.
Luckily for her, Odette wasn't looking for any words to begin with. Odette squeezed her fingers around Primrose's ever so slightly tighter, and the dancer looked up to meet her gaze. Odette offered her a sympathetic smile at that. "You're not fighting the world on your own," she assured Primrose. "You never have. You may not have been able to see it, but the rest of us can. You've got a good heart, Primrose, and there are good people there to help you fulfill your vision. You're the only one getting in your way at this point, and I think it's high time you took a step back from it all. You're worth more than you give yourself credit for. You're not a walking blade."
Primrose tried to find the words to speak, but Odette had more to say. "He told me to carve my own path in life," she said softly. '"It was a long time ago, but I still remember it now. I want to follow the path that he would have wanted for me... The life that would make me happy. If you think that vengeance will make you happy, then that's alright with me. I trust your judgement enough to know that you can handle yourself, Primrose. And... If you think that some other path would be better for you, then you can pursue that as well. I know that you have a good head on your shoulders, and whatever it is that you choose to do from here, you'll handle it with grace."
"Faith shall be your shield," Primrose finally managed to push out. Somehow, the words just felt right to say, and when her chest knotted itself firmly and her throat grew tight, she reached for her dagger. She stared down at the blade, and a few tears dripped onto the dagger before sliding off and falling onto the fabric of her skirt.
"He would have wanted you to follow the path that you want," Odette nodded. "If you want to pursue revenge, then... Okay. If you think some other life is better for you, then that's alright too. Just... Know that you'll always have a place here. I like to think that I have a place in your life too, even after all these years, and you'll always have a place in mine. All you need to do is come by, and I would be happy to help you through it."
Primrose set her dagger down onto the table before letting her hands come up to rub at her eyes. She couldn't hold herself back any longer, and before she knew it, she was crying openly and fully. Odette stood from where she was standing on the other side of the table, and she curled around Primrose's back before wrapping her arms around the dancer. "It's alright," she murmured as she started to run her fingers through the dancer's hair. Odette had never been the most emotional person, but all of that seemed to be thrown right out the window the instant her younger sister began to struggle with something. It was something Primrose was glad for, not that she had the words to properly express how she felt on the matter.
Primrose swallowed dryly, trying her best to stay grounded despite the anxiety and nervousness that was quickly wrapping itself around her chest. "I... I don't know what I want," she confessed. "I have no idea what I should be doing with myself. I want to get revenge on the people who killed our father. I want to take everything away from them after all they did to ruin us. The men of the crow... They disgust me even now."
"Then revenge is the path you'll take for now," Odette nodded. "But that doesn't have to be your only goal in life. Whenever you find your way back to Noblecourt, you're going to have to face the rest of your future as well. I won't push you right now to decide on what to do after the third crow has fallen, but... I'm sure that you'll make the right choice. I wouldn't have this much confidence in you if I didn't think that you would be able to do it."
Primrose let out a wet laugh at that, though it came out more like a sob. She wasn't sure which of those two conclusions-laughing or crying-was more accurate, but she supposed it didn't matter yet. "You know... I think I'm happy where I am," she murmured. "Even if I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after all of this is over... I know that I'm happy here."
"You've got a good group of people there for you, and I'm sure that they're as proud of you as I am," Odette smiled as she continued to comb through Primrose's hair, gently working her way through a tangle when she found it. "I just hope that coming back here for a while is part of your agenda."
"As long as coming back to Noblecourt after I've freed it is on yours," Primrose countered with a small smile. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to return to life as Primrose Azelhart, heir of her house and part of the leading family of Noblecourt, but... I want to do what I can to see my home freed. I hope you'll be able to come and see what I've done after the fact too."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Odette assured her softly. "Just... Try to not get into too much trouble in the meantime, alright? I know how much Cyrus can jump into things without thinking, and you can be just as stubborn sometimes. I trust your judgement, but I don't want you to get too in over your head. Understood?"
"Of course," Primrose nodded. She reached one hand up to try and wipe away her tears, but she had been crying a lot more than she realized. She instead stared down at the dagger sitting on the table before her, the words staring back up at her with surprising force and kindness. She grasped at the hilt before staring at the blade and tucking it back in its sheath.
"No matter what, I have faith in you," Odette went on as Primrose rose to her feet and turned to face her. "That much is never going to change. I promise."
Before Odette could fully process what was happening, Primrose launched herself at her sister, throwing her arms around the older woman's torso. Odette was still for a long while before she allowed herself to smile and pull the dancer in a little bit tighter. She didn't say anything, instead just choosing to rub gentle circles across Primrose's back. This was a gesture Primrose had grown familiar with as a child when Odette came to visit, and on her darkest nights, she still remembered how perfect it had felt. The memory hit her like a tidal wave, and for a few brief moments, Primrose felt like a small child again. Odette was there with her, always ready to assure her that she was going to be alright. Odette had told her time and time again that she was a strong young woman even when she could barely even walk on her own, and those words had pushed Primrose forward more times than she could ever hope to count.
Primrose's tears had started flowing anew, but this time, she made no effort to stop them. Instead, she simply sniffled once. "Could we... Stay like this for a while?" she asked softly. She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt quite like this, and Primrose didn't want it to end.
Odette simply smiled and nodded. "Of course... Stay as long as you'd like."
By the time Primrose left later that afternoon, an eternity had passed, but it felt like no time at all.
Sisters. Just... Sisters.
I really love how this chapter turned out. I don't think I can say that enough. Therion's opening scene of looking at the Morlock mansion, Alfyn's doubts and reminders of Vanessa... Gah. Perfect. I adore all of it, and I hope that you all enjoyed it too. Now that we're getting much deeper into the story with only two chapter twos left, everybody is really starting to hit their stride in terms of characterization, and I love it.
The highlight of this chapter was definitely the scene with Odette and Primrose. In the side quest about Odette's relation to Geoffrey, it mentions how she never visited his grave since he wanted her to carve her own path in life. I thought that would be a perfect contrast for Primrose's decisions. Odette is focused on the future and chooses to move forward while Primrose is still caught in the trauma of the past, and their radically different perspectives on it all make them perfect foils for one another. Odette has faith in Primrose to choose the path that's best for her, and Primrose finally has someone she can trust with the depth of her most complex emotions. God. I just think these two are great, and we were so robbed by not having them interact in the game.
Next week, we'll press right on with the aftermath of Cyrus' chapter two, and if we're lucky, we'll finish up the remaining three scenes in time to start Tressa's chapter two the week after. Woohoo! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital