The trading month had finally drawn to an end, and the last of the foreign tradesmen had left the city the day before. Mirus had departed for a personal trip a week past, but he was supposed to be back at any time. Unfortunately, that left Laer leading his patrol group while he was gone. As much as Elle hated it, she finally agreed to stay behind with Ingens in the city when both Ingens and Laer had told her he could not lead the group, and actively work to guard her at the same time. Not that she needed it, but neither of them was willing to let it go.
With that being the case, she was stuck wandering the city with Ingens. She might have felt bad for him being stuck with her, but he had been the one to mention getting out. She had jumped to agree, as they both knew she hated being cooped up.
It wasn't until she saw Yeul in one of the larger squares that she realized the girl must have wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather, and get out as well. Both she and Caius were standing near the outdoor stalls of one of the local merchants and perusing the various fruits that had been early bloomers.
Elle started to turn away and find anywhere else to be, but she was shocked when Ingens strode past her and called out to Caius in a harsh voice. "Paddra Sol-Caius, I am here today to challenge you!"
Caius turned to Ingens with a frown and pushed Yeul behind him. It took Elle a few seconds for her brain to catch up with what had just been said. She almost didn't believe it was happening again so fast until she heard Caius speak back in a calm voice. "Ingens, you are not ready for this. I do not want to lose a good Apprentice."
Ingens sneered. "Perhaps, or perhaps you are underestimating me. Your judgment is the thing I question the most. If I die today, then I would consider it a price worth paying. Perhaps then you would see the folly of your attentions."
Caius stiffened under that accusation as his eyes involuntarily flitted to where he knew Elle would be standing. Their eyes only locked for a split second before he was scowling back at his apprentice. "That is something you have no need to give your life for."
Ingens' sneer fell into a worried frown, though it was quickly replaced by a harsh glare. "Perhaps you are blinder than I had considered, but I cannot let this continue."
With that, he pulled his blade from his hip and stalked toward Caius. The sound of the metal leaving the sheath finally jump-started Elle's mind, and she realized the significance of this. Unless the timeline was totally changed by her presence, there was a high probability an unknown enemy was marching toward Paddra at that moment. The thought made her blood freeze. She realized that as much as she didn't want to see Caius harmed, she also did not want to see anything happen to this city she had grown to love and call home.
She started to dart out between the men to stop this before it went too far. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain to them that they had other things to focus on, but she had to try. Even if it was a false alarm, it would be better to be safe. Before she made it more than a few steps, she was pulled to a jerking halt by an arm around her waist and a hand over her mouth.
She struggled against the grip without thought until she felt the cold metal of a blade on her side. She felt white-hot rage fill her as the blade slid through her tunic and across her skin. It was not enough to do any real harm, but whoever held her was obviously not an ally.
Her struggling renewed tenfold, and she finally noted that others had seen her being held, but did not move to help. It wasn't until she heard the voice next to her ear that she understood why. "Cease your struggling. I do not wish to harm you."
Elle froze at the sound of Mirus' voice, but not for long. What the hell did he mean, he didn't want to harm her. If that was the case, why had he sliced her open? When she refused to stop wriggling in his grasp, she heard him growl in frustration. It wasn't until a wave of dizziness passed over her that she began to wonder why he had sliced her and not stabbed her.
Her movements become less frequent and jerkier as she tried to get away, but Mirus had already noticed. His voice was concerned and did not fit at all with his actions. "The more you struggle, the faster the poison will fill your body. It is not meant to kill, merely suppress your power, but I was told it could have unpleasant side-effects. No matter what you might think, I do not wish you permanent harm."
Elle finally stilled as his words filtered into her brain. Poison? He had poisoned her? She had no trouble believing it as her vision started to get fuzzy as well as a tingling that covered her skin. He mentioned suppressing her power, did he mean as a l'cie? She didn't even realize that was possible.
She wasn't given long to consider it as Mirus continued. "Please understand this is not about wanting to harm you, but your presence has shown me that the people that have left Paddra, they are correct. The Goddess Etro must be mad, and continuing to worship her can bring nothing but ill to this city. Why would she send someone that would subvert her very teachings? That is the only answer I could conclude. I cannot let the people continue down this path."
Elle felt like she was going to be sick. It wasn't just her that he was after. Mirus was the one. He was the one behind the attack on the city. It came to her with such stunning clarity that she almost wished she hadn't been sent there in the first place. Still, she could not let this continue. Mirus had moved his arm around both of hers to keep her pinned to his chest, while he still had a hand over her mouth. That made her struggling more effective when she thrashed around, but his grip only tightened almost painfully as he continued.
"Your struggles will do no good. There is no one here to interfere. Laer was taken care of while he was outside the city, and that sword Ingens is using was a gift from me. It was a special gift, just for this occasion. It was not hard to push him into this action, given his doubts about the Guardian."
It was at that point that Elle refocused on the fight despite the pit that had opened in her gut at the news of Laer. She realized with a sickening feeling that the same poison that was running through her veins must now be in Caius as well. His actions were not as fluid or fast as they usually would be, nor was he using any power. He was relying on his strength alone. It might have been enough still if it were not for the other effects of the poison.
Elle managed to turn her head enough to catch Mirus' eye. He shook his head at her. "Do not give me that look. Ingens knows nothing about the poison. Do you think he would have taken the blade knowing what it held? He has far too much honor and is still dedicated to the Seeress. That is something that will change in time, I hope."
Elle wanted to cry at those words. She couldn't tell if it was out of frustration or fear for the city. It wasn't just Caius that was in danger. Ingens was supposed to be killed defending the Seeress. The fact that it was his brother, his twin, that had instigated the attack only made things that much worse.
Her attention was jerked back out to the middle of the square as Mirus continued. "I admire you. You are one of the most proficient warriors that I have ever met, even if you are a woman. That is why I will give you a choice. You can leave the city and go back to where you came from, or you can join your lover."
Elle's eyes widened as Ingens managed to knock Caius down at that point. Her heart froze when she realized this could be the end. His life could be snuffed before her very eyes, and she would never have the opportunity to tell him anything ever again. Nothing. Her vision narrowed to the two men as Ingens raised his blade to finish what he started.
It was at that point that something snapped in Elle, and she viciously bit down on the hand that was covering her mouth. She tasted the coppery tang of blood but ignored it as she jerked her head to the side. Mirus cursed as he flung her away from him and shoved her to the ground. She ignored the wave of pain that rushed through her hip as she spat out the chunk of flesh she had taken and screamed out. "The city is under attack!"
To her relief, Ingens turned to her before he finished his blow. His eyes widened as he took in her position on the ground, the blood on her face, and the rest on her side. Without thought, he dropped his arms and rushed to her side. He looked around for whoever had done this, but Mirus had already disappeared.
When Ingens knelt in front of her, Elle growled at him. "Yeul, they are after the Seeress. They want to kill her."
Ingens didn't even hesitate before he was up and across the square. Elle watched with mixed feelings as he grabbed Yeul's hand and turned to run. All she could do at that moment was hope like hell he had better luck this time than he did in the story she knew.
The crowd scattered as Ingens ran off. By that time, most of them had also noticed the blood on the Emissary. Those that had seen Mirus holding her had fear race through them at the thought of revolution, but most just took off in fright at the sight of blood. Elle couldn't do much about it either way.
She shakily got to her feet as she wiped her sleeve across her face and tried to spit out the taste of blood. She grimaced but was glad to note that the tingling was already leaving her skin, even if she was still unsteady. Maybe that meant the poison was short-lived. She hoped so because they were going to need all the help they could get.
By the time she made it to Caius' side, he was already sitting up. He was glowering in the direction that Ingens went, but his face turned to shock when Elle dropped to her knees next to him. He didn't even think as he reached out a hand to turn her head to try and find the source of the blood.
Elle pushed it away with a grunt. "We don't have time. I was poisoned, and the blade that Ingens used was coated with the same stuff without him knowing. Mirus said it was just to suppress our power, so hopefully, it will pass soon. We have to find Ingens and Yeul. His brother wants to kill the Seeress."
His eyes widened at her words. His voice came out as a growl. "Poison? He poisoned you?"
Elle smacked his hand away once more as she stood and glared at him. "Not now. We have to find Yeul! They will kill them both if we don't."
Something unnamed flashed through Caius' eyes as he stood as well. He gave her an unreadable look before he turned the direction that Ingens had run. "Can you keep up?"
Elle snorted. "That is a stupid question. Your legs are longer, but I'm stubborn as hell."
Despite the atmosphere, Caius' lips tilted up slightly before he turned and ran, or tried to. Elle was just as shaky as she took off after him. They ended up having to lean on each other slightly as they hurriedly made their way toward the complex, as that made the most sense as to where Ingens would have gone.
By the time they made it, both of them were much steadier. Though the quiet streets they had passed through left them feeling unsettled. Had troops already come into the city and spooked everyone, or was it only a matter of panicked citizens fleeing the square where the whole thing started? Either way, they could not stop.
They both felt fear shoot through them as they came up to the top of the path and found the gates to the complex wide open. There were several bodies of the guards lying in the first courtyard, and Elle felt rage shoot through her. This was too much. Mirus claimed to want to protect the city, but this was the wrong way to do it.
She banked her anger as she followed after Caius. He must have an idea of where Yeul would be. They made it through several more doors without running into anyone other than some of the women huddled in corners. At the sight of the two of them, the women started crying, but Elle didn't stop to comfort them. They would have to make do with knowing the Guardian was there to take care of things.
To her surprise, Caius did not lead her to the inner courtyard that Elle knew Yeul liked. Instead, he led her around to a door that was hidden behind a tapestry. Or it would have been hidden if it was not currently hanging open. When Elle realized this must have been some hidden sanctuary, her blood ran cold. Not even this place was safe. She just prayed they would not be too late.
The two of them came to a screeching halt as they ran out of the long hall and into a small room that was only lit by a couple of lamps. There were no other windows or doors beside the one they just came in. What made them halt was the sight of Mirus facing a group of four warriors wearing the usual garb of Paddra, though they were not familiar.
The older Ballad twin was screaming at them with his blade at the one in front. "You weren't supposed to kill him!"
The unknown warrior took a step forward and gestured around. "He killed half my team! I tried not to, but he would not be subdued otherwise!"
Elle then noticed the bodies across the floor, as well as Yeul, huddled in the corner. Elle kept an eye on the drama unfolding as she slowly started around the edge of the room to get to the girl. By that time, Caius had stepped further into the room and sneered at them all. "Cowards! You had to resort to trickery and walking in the shadows to accomplish what?" He then looked directly at Mirus. "Why? You were considered as one to protect her, and you are here to kill her. What are you thinking!"
By that time, the four warriors had fanned out to surround Caius, but Mirus ignored them all as he dropped down next to his brother. His voice was quiet when he responded, though his eyes were glued to Ingens' body. "Nothing was worth this. I wanted him to work with me. I just wanted to protect the city. I wanted what was best for the people."
The man that had been yelling about the loss of his team sneered at Mirus' loss of conviction. "Useless." Before anyone could make a move to stop him, he ran his blade through Mirus' chest.
Elle had nearly made it to Yeul by then, but she could not stop her gasp. The warriors finally noticed her as well, but none of them moved to stop her from gathering Yeul up in her arms. The leader looked at her with a smirk as Mirus slid off his blade to fall over his brother's body. "Don't worry. We'll take care of you both once we deal with the Guardian."
Caius growled at the threat, but Elle stood and stiffened her shoulders as she pushed Yeul behind her. Her eyes flashed, and she returned the man's smirk with a snarl. "You won't live long enough. But even if you do, you won't find an easy target. I'll kill you before you can get close."
The man laughed at her warning. "Oh, feisty. I had heard you liked to play warrior. Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you a pleasurable send-off before I slit your throat. Feel free to fight back. I like it better that way."
Elle growled at him, but she didn't get a chance to do more. Caius' blade had already flashed. The man didn't even have the opportunity to defend himself as the Guardian split his middle with an enraged cry. The other three were only frozen for a moment as their leader dropped to his knees before they all attacked at once.
It was only their bad luck that the poison that had been running through Caius had finally started to loosen its grip. He did not use any spells, but his speed and stamina had both improved once again. Even though he was outnumbered, he made short work of the others.
As soon as the last one dropped, he turned to the two women to check them, but all of their attention was drawn by low laughter. The man that had been the leader of the foreign warriors had not died when he fell. Though it didn't look like he would live much longer. He looked up at them with a smirk as he held his stomach. "You are still dead. All you did was delay the inevitable. Your patrols were all killed, and there are hundreds of warriors marching here as we speak. That fool invited us in thinking to save the city from the Goddess, but that will not be the end. This city has prospered for far too long, safe away from every other danger. Unnaturally protected while the rest of the world has to fight for survival. No more."
He grunted as he fell over finally, but he still managed a choked laugh. "Dead. You're all dead."
His voice fell to silence at that point, and Elle wrapped Yeul up to try and shield her. Not that the girl had not already seen enough. Caius' voice was low as he looked over at the two brothers. "One gave his life for the Seeress when it should have been me. The other had good intentions, even if he executed them poorly. I cannot let their name fall to shame." He looked at Elle and narrowed his eyes before he spoke again. "From this day forward, I will be known as Paddra Ballad-Caius."
Elle gave him a nod. When that was her only reaction, something else flashed through his eyes. He could tell she had been expecting that response. Still, things were far from finished, as their enemy had already stated. She didn't give him a chance to ask the question in his eyes before she spoke. "This may have been a good spot before, but we can't trust it now. We need to get her somewhere safe."
He gave her a nod before he held out a hand to help them both to their feet. Yeul took it with shaking hands, but Elle ignored it in favor of grabbing a sword. She wasn't as proficient with one as she was with a spear, but it would have to work for now. At least until she got her powers back.
She then followed Caius as he led them both out and through the complex once again. She held the sword in one hand and Yeul's hand in the other. She was slightly worried that the girl hadn't said anything, but they didn't have time to stop and worry about it yet. She could try to comfort her once they were safe.
A/N: So close now! This one had my heart racing. I hope it was just as exciting for you all. There are still at least two chapters left, I'll know more when I see where we end with the next one. Thanks for reading!