Chapter 12: Journey of a Knight
Annabeth's body ached. It didn't hurt, exactly, but she didn't quite feel good either.
"...enough to last... buy a little extra..."
A voice. Who was that?
"Could probably get some cleaning in..."
She was resting on something soft. A step up from that cot, at least.
"Urgh..." Annabeth groaned, forcing her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, but she could tell that she was in some sort of room, larger than that abandoned apartment. Sunlight poured through a window to the side and illuminated everything, including a still-blurry figure sitting at a table. Said figure was holding... something. A gun?
"Zazie..." Annabeth muttered, blinking for a moment as she tried to sit up, only for the aching across her body to intensify around her chest. "Ugh... it hurts..."
"Whoa, easy. You're pretty fucked up, so I wouldn't move around if I were you," the blurry figure said, quickly making her way over to the bed. Not Zazie's voice. Annabeth closed and opened her eyes before rubbing them with her hands, then looked back up at the person. It was a girl about her age. Lighter skin than Zazie, with short brown hair and a matching jacket. "I cleaned your wounds and redid your bandages, but from what I can tell, whatever got you into this state didn't hold back. You probably need to rest for a bit before you'll be going anywhere."
"Who... who are you?" Annabeth asked. Her gaze shifted from the girl to the window, then to the door. The last thing she remembered was Zazie telling her the truth back in that abandoned apartment. She had tried to stop her, but she injected something into her neck, and then... "How did I get here?"
"I'm just a passing mercenary. Someone was shouting for help, so I took a look and found you passed out in some back alley apartment," the girl explained. "Figured it was better not to leave your injured self lying there, so I dragged you to the nearest inn and set you down in a room."
"So that's how..." Annabeth started to say before trailing off. She remembered Zazie saying that she'd make sure someone would come find Annabeth. It seemed she wasn't lying about that, at least. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," the mercenary girl said. "I'm kinda curious, though. What happened? I found you passed out in some abandoned apartment. My first thought would've been that you had too much to drink, but the shitty state of your body tells me another story."
"No. No, I wasn't drunk. It was..."
Annabeth had been beaten down. Punched. Kicked. Shot. Nearly killed. Then, Zazie came in and saved her. Like she had saved her many times before, back in their old world. Only all this time, she had been the cause of all the pain, all that had happened since... nearly the beginning of their journey. Zazie had led Annabeth along like a puppet on strings, and she had been none the wiser. How could she have been so stupid? How had she not noticed sooner? She didn't know who to blame. Zazie, or herself. She started sobbing, bringing her arms up and burying her face in her hands.
I... I thought that I... if I just noticed sooner, then I... she would have..." Annabeth muttered between sniffles and sobs. "Why didn't I... I was so stupid..."
"Relationship issues?"
"Huh?" Annabeth's sobbing slowed to a stop as she looked up at the mercenary girl with tears still in her eyes. "What... what do you mean?"
"Did you get dumped by your girlfriend or something?" The mercenary girl asked. "Sounds kinda like that."
"No, I... no, it's nothing like that," Annabeth said, sniffling slightly. "Sorry, I think I might need some time to myself."
"Sounds like you need a drink, too. Maybe a few," the mercenary girl said as she stood up and headed to the door. "I'll see if they've got anything down at the front. You've got the room to yourself while I'm gone."
"Th... thank you," Annabeth said as the mercenary girl made her way out of the room. Looking down, she saw that the mercenary girl had indeed replaced her bandages with fresh ones. She had also undressed her down to her undergarments, though Annabeth assumed that was to check and care for her injuries rather than any desire to see her body. Laying by the bed was her sword, as well her armor. Her chestplate had been caved in and shattered during her fight with the Black Hand assassins, but the rest of it seemed relatively intact, from the back to the arms and everything below the stomach. While it wasn't the ideal protection, it was still usable, and better than nothing. Beside the armor was the tunic she wore underneath, neatly folded and presumably washed judging by the lack of blood staining it.
I'll have to thank her later, Annabeth thought as she brought her hand up to her chest, channeling magic energy into her fingers and running them over the injured parts of her body. She couldn't completely heal her injuries, at least without taking a lot of time, but applying some healing magic now would do a lot to get her up and about again. Before long, the aching pains around her body had dulled enough for her to make her way off the bed and onto her feet.
"I might as well be presentable if we'll be drinking together," Annabeth muttered to herself as she grabbed her tunic and slipped it on. She hadn't enjoyed alcohol much in the old world, but perhaps this world's drinks were better. At least, she hoped they were.
As it turned out, they weren't.
"I'm guessing you don't drink often?" the mercenary girl asked. Annabeth watched her from across the table as she brought her glass up and drank. Meanwhile, the mug on Annabeth's side of the table had barely been touched. It had only taken a few sips for her to figure out that beer didn't change much between worlds.
""I've tried alcohol once or twice, but it was never really to my taste. Neither my mouth nor my stomach agreed with it," Annabeth explained, looking down at the drink in her glass. "It seems that hasn't changed in this land, either."
"This land? You're not from Vale, then?"
"You could say that, yes," Annabeth said. It was the truth, just... more true than the mercenary girl probably realized. "I apologize for not being able to repay you for your hospitality. I... don't have any money."
"Don't worry about it. I would've rented this room for the night anyways, so it's only really the drink, and that ain't much," the mercenary girl said, setting her glass down on the table. "But man, you're hardier than you look. Didn't think you'd already be up and walking about by the time I came back."
"It's a, uh... my Semblance," Annabeth said, looking away for a moment. That made sense, right? From what Annabeth had seen, Semblances were essentially singular applications of certain magics, and healing fit that well enough. "I can heal myself quickly, at least for superficial wounds."
"Seems convenient."
"It is."
"You know, I'm kinda curious," the mercenary girl said. She paused, bringing her glass back up and took another gulp from her drink. "What had you crying like that, if it's not relationship stuff?"
Annabeth paused. Was it right to tell her? The mercenary girl seemed friendly and helpful already, but - "
"Alright, maybe it's a sensitive subject," the mercenary girl said, interrupting Annabeth's thoughts. "Guess it's got something to do with you laying battered in that abandoned apartment?"
"That's correct," Annabeth said after a long pause. Her mind rewinded back to the abandoned apartment. Zazie telling her everything. Zazie leaving. "My... partner. She left me behind. That's how I ended up there."
"Partner, huh? Thought you said you didn't get dumped. That mean you a Huntress or something?"
"A Huntress?" Annabeth paused for a moment. Zazie had mentioned Huntsmen and Huntresses before. People who... fought against the Grimm and helped protect civilians. Like knights. Like her. "No, I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"
"Well, they've usually got partners, and you got a sword and armor, so I assumed," the mercenary girl said. That made sense to Annabeth; working with others was often safer and more effective than working alone. But was everyone armed supposed to be a Huntsman or a Huntress? No, that probably wasn't it. "But nevermind that. What do you mean, left you? She ditch you or something?"
"I... I'm not sure. She did do that, but..." Annabeth started to say. She stopped. What did she think of Zazie? She had been dragging her along, but also helping her. Putting her in danger, but saving her. Leaving her, but only because she didn't want her in danger. Annabeth wasn't sure what to think. She brought her glass up, taking a swig of beer to help clear her thoughts.
Okay, bad idea. The alcohol burned her mouth and throat, and she couldn't keep it down. She coughed, sputtering droplets of alcohol across the table.
"Whoa, you okay?" the mercenary girl asked. "Thought you didn't like drinking."
"I don't. I just needed something to clear my head," Annabeth said, looking down into her glass. "I was... naive. My partner was lying to me, using me, putting me in danger. I believed she was something she wasn't, and she used that to pull me along, to do what she wanted me to do. In hindsight, it was obvious. All the lies she said, all the stories she made up, I should've seen right through them. But... I was too willing to believe in her. Willing enough to ignore the signs."
"Oof. Sounds like you got it rough from whoever that was. She the one who got you all fucked up like that?" the mercenary girl asked. "Guess it's good that she ditched you, in a way."
"No, she didn't do this. In fact, it's the opposite. She saved my life. Many times, in fact. Without her help and guidance through this place, I wouldn't be alive. She pointed the way for me, helped me with things I was unfamiliar with," Annabeth said. She remembered that look in Zazie's eyes as she left. "She was using me, but... I think she was still worried about me, all this time."
"What do you mean? Didn't you just say she put you in danger and all that? And then just left you after that?" the mercenary girl asked. Annabeth watched as she brought her glass up and downed another gulp of beer. "If she cared about you, why ain't she here?"
"She did put me in danger, but... I understand why she did it. She had her reasons, however selfish. And she left me precisely because she cares about me, I suppose."
"That doesn't make sense."
"She's going to do something dangerous. Something she might not come back alive from. I tried to follow her, even in my current state, but..." Annabeth paused for a moment. Right now, Zazie was on her way to the Black Hand. To her own father. And she was facing them alone. "She didn't let me. She knocked me out, left me in that apartment, and I'm sure you're aware of the rest."
"Huh. Can't say I understand what's going on here, but lemme see if I got this straight. So she used you, but also cares about you or some shit, and suddenly she's developed some sorta conscious and decided to leave you for your own safety? Am I getting that right?" the mercenary girl asked. Annabeth nodded. It was quite an oversimplification, and maybe a little inaccurate, but the idea was there. "Damn. You really do have a complicated relationship with whoever your partner is."
"I... suppose that's correct."
The two girls went quiet. The mercenary girl gulped down some more alcohol. It would be rude to not follow, right? After all, she was treating Annabeth to a drink. It would be bad manners to not accept a gift. She brought her mug up, imitating the mercenary girl and gulping down the beer in her mug.
Nope. Bad idea again. She coughed and sputtered up the alcohol once more, spraying the table yet again.
"You don't gotta drink it if you don't like it."
"Sorry, I..." Annabeth started to say. She stopped to wipe the alcohol and spittle from her mouth and chin. "I thought it would be impolite not to."
"A lot more impolite to go spraying on the table like that. Lemme see if I got anything else," the mercenary girl said, reaching over and rummaging through her pack. She came up with some sort of transparent bottle, which she threw to Annabeth. "Here. Keep yourself hydrated."
"Thank you," Annabeth said, catching the bottle. The material felt oddly smooth, but not slippery. Some sort of paper label was printed around the bottle, with surprisingly intricate art and fancy script printed on it. Then again, considering what else she had seen, this was probably the standard for -
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing," Annabeth said, shaking her head. She reached up, grabbed the top of the bottle and pulled. Nothing. Was it stuck? No, maybe twisting it would work. There we go. The cap twisted off the top of the bottle. "Ah, so that's how it works."
"Uh... yeah," the mercenary girl muttered as Annabeth started drinking. The fresh water was much more agreeable to her mouth and stomach than the alcohol had been. Across the table, the mercenary girl went back to her drink for a moment, then stopped. "So, what's next for you?"
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, putting the bottle down on the table.
"Do you have a plan? A way forward?" the mercenary girl asked. "You said your partner was pointing the way for you all this time, but she ain't here now. Means you're on your own. So what's next?"
"I... don't know," Annabeth said. For so long, both in the old world and here, it was Zazie who led the way for her. What now? It's not like she knew anyone in this world. Anyone except her. "Like I said, my partner was the one who always pointed the way forward. That was the way it was for us. Until..."
"Until now, since you're alone," the mercenary girl said, finishing Annabeth's sentence. "You know, I had someone close to me leave me as well. Kinda for the same reason, too. She was involved in something dangerous and didn't want me to get hurt. A lot of the surrounding stuff was probably different, though. Like, she didn't use me and get me into danger or all that stuff that happened to you."
Annabeth understood that the mercenary girl was trying to relate to her, but that was a pretty big difference.
"She said she was gonna come back for me, but she never did. The years passed, and she never showed up. I had no idea why. Part of me insisted that she still cared, that she was still fighting to keep me safe. But there was a little nagging thought that she'd abandoned me, gone on to live her life without me," the mercenary girl explained. "I didn't know which was right. So, that put me on a fork in the road."
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.
"I had two paths. First, I could go on and live my life. If she comes back, that's all dandy. If she doesn't, I'd eventually forget about her, like she probably forgot about me. That was the easy way out," the mercenary girl said, leaning back in her chair. "The other path was to go and find her. Get some answers. Help her if she was still in danger. Punch her in the face if she actually did abandon me. It was a lot harder of a path, considering I had no idea where she was."
Annabeth nodded. While the circumstances were definitely different, the paths she mentioned were the same. While she had little familiarity in this world, she was quite strong and capable; no doubt she could find a way to make a living for herself if she decided to go and do her own thing. Maybe even try to become one of those Huntresses she had heard of. Those protectors of the people.
And the other path was to go after Zazie.
"Now, the way I see it, you've got the same choice. Are you gonna go off on your own and forget about the partner that you said betrayed you?" The mercenary girl asked. "Or are you gonna go after her? Get some answers? Help her out of whatever she's got herself into? Only if you think she deserves that, of course."
"I..." Annabeth paused. Looked down. Did she really have to put her on the spot like that? "I don't know."
"Alright, then tell me something you might actually know. You said that your partner ditched you, right? Used you, put you in danger, all that stuff, while you blindly followed her. That sound about right?"
That was about right. Annabeth nodded.
"But she also helped you out when you needed it. Made sure you weren't lonely. Helped you get on your feet. You said you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her?"
That was also true. Another nod.
"Do you think she's a bad person?"
Was she?
"No. I'm not completely sure, but... I don't think so, no."
"And now, she's gone off to someplace dangerous, maybe deadly. She might be in trouble."
Annabeth nodded.
"Do you think you'd be able to help her? If you were there with her, I mean?"
That, Annabeth was more sure of. She had fought off several assassins already. A few more wouldn't hurt.
"I think so, yes."
"And do you think she deserves that help?" the mercenary girl asked.
Did she?
"Alright, lemme put it another way," the mercenary girl said, pausing for a moment. "Do you think that you'd be able to walk away right now and forget about her? Leave her to whatever danger she's going into?"
Annabeth thought about it. Walking away, leaving Zazie on her own. To go against the rest of the Black Hand alone. To go against her father alone. She remembered Zazie caring for her when she had first found Annabeth in the snow. Showing her all the strange things this new world had. Annabeth remembered the look in her eyes as she left her behind. The image of her bloodied corpse flashed into Annabeth's mind, and it left just as fast as she shook her head.
"I... don't think so."
"Why not? She used you and ditched you, right?"
"Yes, but through it all..." Annabeth paused. "I know a part of her cared about me. Worried about me. I saw her eyes as she left me. She hated herself for what she had done, what she had put me through. I guess she wanted to go off by herself to set me free, to make things right. Even if it meant that she'd be going into danger alone."
"So you don't think you can just go off and forget about her. That leaves one option, right?"
"I suppose it does," Annabeth said, looking up at the mercenary girl. She was surprisingly insightful, despite her age and rough demeanor. "Thank you. Not just for bringing me here and taking care of me, but also for helping me through this."
"No problem. Just make sure you do what you gotta do," the mercenary girl said. "So, when are you going after her?"
"As soon as possible. She might be in danger right now," Annabeth said. She stood up, only for a wave of light-headedness to wash over her and make her stumble. She reached out, catching herself on the back of the chair before she could topple over.
"Whoa, you okay?" the mercenary girl asked.
"Yes, I'm... I'm fine," Annabeth said, righting herself. "My partner knocked me out with some sort of drug, so there might be some lingering effects."
"You got drugged? Shit, maybe I shouldn't have given you a beer then," the mercenary girl said. What did that have to do with anything? Annabeth wasn't sure. The mercenary girl pulled a map out of her pocket and put it on the table. "Here, I grabbed this from the front desk. If your friend went into the mountains, you might wanna study up on the local geography before you head out. Make sure you're heading the right way."
"Once again, thank you," Annabeth said, unfurling the map and laying it out over the table. A quick glance over it showed an intricately-drawn representation of the landscape around the town, with features such as terrain and elevation drawn down to the finest detail. "Wow... this is quite detailed. The local area is captured in such precision... and printed so cheaply as well, if they're just handing this out. It's amazing what this world's technology can do."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Um, nothing."
"Alright, if you say so," the mercenary girl said, shrugging her shoulders. Annabeth went back to the map, looking over the mountains north of where she was. While Valus may have been a lie, the Black Hand's headquarters were supposedly located in a similar location. She just needed to find someplace that looked like it might work for such a place. From what the map said, the mountains were mostly barren of man-made features, but there were few smaller-looking paths that led up to... something. It didn't look quite big enough to be a town, or even a village, but there was some sort of man-made settlement.
"Excuse me, could you tell me what this is?" Annabeth asked the mercenary girl, pointing out the spot on the map. She seemed knowledgeable enough; maybe she'd know.
"What? Lemme see," the mercenary girl muttered, leaning over as she took a look. "Looks like some sort of abandoned military outpost or base. My guess is the guys up in Vale tried to set this up to protect settlements down south here, but it ended up being too difficult to maintain or defend or something. Must've been abandoned for a long time, considering I ain't heard of it before."
"I see. Thank you," Annabeth said. An abandoned military base. Annabeth wasn't sure why it had been abandoned, but if its previous residents had vacated, it would be a good spot for the Black Hand to take over. Far enough out of reach to not be noticed, but still accessible. It would take a bit of a hike, but it was definitely accessible by foot, and that's probably how Zazie was going up there.
That's where she needed to go.
"...and here's some money for the road, in case you need it," the mercenary girl said, handing Annabeth a few of the brightly-colored cards that this world used as money, as well as a pack of assorted food from fruit to bread to some things she didn't quite recognize. "I doubt you'll find any grocery stores or pubs up there in the mountains, so I rounded up some stuff in case you get hungry up there. I also left the map somewhere in there."
"I... I can't accept this," Annabeth said, looking down at the items and back up at the mercenary girl. How much was all of this worth? "You've already done so much for me. I wouldn't be able to repay - "
"Just take it," the mercenary girl grumbled as she shoved everything into Annabeth's hands. "You look determined to help your partner. Don't wanna see that fire go to waste cause you pass out from hunger or something. Besides, it ain't like I'm poor or anything, and you... well, you said you didn't have any money, so you're flat broke."
"If you're sure," Annabeth said, reluctantly taking the cards and the pack of food. It wasn't like the mercenary girl was wrong; Annabeth didn't have anything to her name other than her sword, the clothes off her back, and what remained of her armor. She reached down into her armor, slipping the money into a pocket in her tunic before slinging the pack over her shoulder.. "Thank you, once again. You showed me more kindness than you needed to. More than I deserve."
"Eh, you're running into danger to help a friend. You deserve at least a little kindness, probably," the mercenary girl said, looking up and down Annabeth's body. "But you sure you're ready to go? You were pretty fucked up before."
"I'm fine. As I said before, my... Semblance, it allows me to heal quickly," Annabeth said. She hadn't fully healed herself yet; her ribs still felt sore, as did the leg where she had been shot. But she felt well enough to head out and catch up to Zazie.
"If you say so. Just make sure to keep your stomach full, cause I'm guessing a Semblance like that takes a lotta energy. I'd come and help you, but I dunno how long your trek into the mountains is gonna last, and I got a ride to catch tomorrow," the mercenary girl said. "By the way, if your friend's actually in danger, you should probably get going so you can catch up to her sooner rather than later."
"That would be a good idea," Annabeth said, making her way to the door. Just before she opened it, she stopped. "I actually have one more question, if you don't mind."
"Go for it."
"You said before that you were in this situation long ago. That you had two paths ahead of you," Annabeth said, turning to the mercenary girl. "Which did you choose?"
"Same as you."
"I see." Knowing that she had done the same thing Annabeth was about to do reassured her slightly. "Did you find her? Did you get your answers?"
"Not yet. But I think I'm close."
"I'm glad to hear it," Annabeth said with a smile. "Then I hope you get there soon."
"Same to you."
"Hopefully, if we meet again, we'll both have succeeded in that," Annabeth said, turning back to the door and pulling it open. "But for now, farewell. Thank you for everything, and good luck on your travels."
"Yup. Good luck to you too."
Annabeth closed the door behind herself and made her way down a hallway, down a flight of stairs, and out the front door of the inn. The sun was high in the sky now, and the streets were a fair bit busier than when she had first arrived in town with Zazie. Pulling out the map the mercenary girl had given her, she turned, orienting herself towards the abandoned base that she had seen on the map. She made her down the road, past the edge of town, and onto one of the many paths leading into the mountains.
I'm coming for you, Zazie, Annabeth thought. There was a slight rumbling in her stomach, and she realized that she hadn't eaten since... when? Had she even eaten breakfast this morning? Probably not. She reached into the pack the mercenary girl had given her and pulled out a fresh apple, polishing it off with her tunic before biting into it. That mercenary girl being the one to stumble upon Annabeth while she was unconscious had turned out to be quite a blessing in many ways. She hoped she could repay her someday.
Huh. What was that mercenary's name again?
Annabeth couldn't recall. Had she even asked about it? Perhaps not. It was unfortunate, but maybe it didn't matter quite so much. If they ever encountered each other again, Annabeth would take the time to ask properly. But for now, she had more pressing matters to attend to.
And so, Annabeth hiked on into the mountains to chase after the one girl she knew in this world.
A/N: And that's chapter 12! Annabeth has herself a chance encounter with a surprisingly helpful mercenary. Like most on Remnant, she's a stranger to Annabeth, but maybe not to those who have read my other stories...
Thanks to Fatswordsman and That Boris Guy for the reviews! Regarding timelines, it's probably apparent after this chapter if you've read Journeys of a Mercenary, but this story takes place shortly before the start of volume 1 of the show, maybe one or a few months prior. I'm glad both of you are enjoying the story so far!
Anyways, thanks to you all for reading, and if you've got anything to say, please leave a review. Have a nice day!