"Blah" – Talking "Blah" – Thinking "Blah" – Written
~I do not own Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2, both are the property of NCsoft and Arenanet~
Chapter 5: Order Neophyte
Stepping out from behind Logan in a materialization of liquid sparkling purple magic Jai gasped as gravity regained its hold on her. The asura gate's magic a now welcome whining ring after the brief second of complete disconnection from all her senses as they traveled through the gate from Divinity's Reach to Lion's Arch. "Whoa, careful there."
Shooting a glare at Logan; who appeared to be completely unperturbed by the journey, she huffed before straightening up causing the man to chuckle, "You don't like any asuran transport, do you?"
"I'm fine," She retorted automatically, and she would be once her stomach settled.
Rolling his eyes but with a small fond smile Logan ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh as he looked over to the large lion fountain nearby. "Thanks again for accompanying me; I'm not sure I trust Caithe's motives. It's…been a while since we last talked and we didn't exactly part on good terms."
Raising a brow under her hood Jai placed one hand on the hilt of a blade as her mind drifted back to her own bitter parting with now long dead friends. "If this is an ambush I have your back. And don't worry, I'll try not to kill them if it comes to that." She teased lightly, her skewed humor rearing its head.
Logan shook his head but didn't say anything, instead walking across the wooden bridge to the central courtyard. As he approached so did four other figures, each of a different race as Jai's eyes darted first to the tall red-headed norn and her hulking soot grey wolf. Following were the short bald asura garbed in glowing technomagical armor and a strange plant woman in varying shades of pale and dark green. Finally was the massive figure stalking over with heavy warboots and claws scraping on the stone, his deep russet fur with a mane of blood red between two large arching horns as a smaller pair guarded four elongated ears. Upon seeing the massive fearsome feline Jai blinked back slight shock, "Charr, oh damn I forgot that they were native to Tyria." The only charr she had really met was Garfaz Steelfur in the Realm after he and his warband were sent there by the Titans, he had been the only survivor after being damned however, his fellows taken and were either devoured and their souls assimilated into a titan, twisted into demons themselves or dragged away and never found again. Recalling what she knew about charr from Garfaz when they worked together Jai recognized the irritation in the warrior before her as his tail started thrashing erratically and his ears pressed themselves against his neck.
The entire group had arranged themselves in a lose circle by the time Jai's observations were finished, the sylvari woman spreading her arms out. "Welcome, fellow members of Destiny's Edge. We must speak of the threat of the Elder Dragons."
Her voice was smooth, and reminded Jai of the Echovald Forest; elegant, mysterious and tragic. Silently stepping up to just behind Logan the assassin watched silently as he bristled and jabbed a finger at the charr across from him. "When I agreed to come, I didn't know you'd be inviting this charr."
Both eyebrows raised Jai shot him a measuring look, she didn't like that tone. It reminded her of how the Ministry of Purity would talk of the Tengu, and oftentimes how unfriendlies would speak of her. Tensing slightly Jai decided to give it a few minutes, wondering if the dislike was personal rather than directed at race in general. The charr for whom she still didn't have a name growled low in his throat with fangs bared, his voice like gravel "I could say the same for you, human. Finally crawling back for forgiveness, Logan?" he mocked.
Logan glared heatedly, "I've done nothing that needs to be forgiven."
The two looked ready to go at each other again when the norn stepped forward, "Logan! Rytlock! Enough of your squabbling." Her tone matching a scolding mother, "Caithe, I doubt that we can unite again. Not after our last mistake." She sighed, looking to the sylvari.
"So, sylvari is Caithe, charr is Rytlock, Caithe, Rytlock, Caithe, Rytlock…I hope I remember that." Jai thought. Then the asura crossed her arms as she spoke up, her voice sounding young to the assassin's ears. "The norn's right. When Eir Stegalkin makes mistakes, people die." The end of her statement was pointed, direct and accusatory.
The norn –Stegalkin- recoiled as if struck, "Is that what you think, Zojja? That what happened was my fault?" She asked mournfully.
Narrowing her eyes Jai's mouth twisted into a grimace, "And these the supposed 'Legendary Heroes' I read about? They're squabbling like children, for Grenth's sake even the Luxons and Kurzicks worked together after centuries of war. But these people?" Her hand tightening its grip on the pommel of a blade the assassin clenched her jaw. Zojja's comment striking a chord deep within her as she empathized with Stegalkin, whom had clearly been the one in charge. "Just like when Jurah came to us; save Kormir or stop The Drought and gain passage to Vabbi, I had to make a call and saving one woman when so much was at stake… Dunkoro, Koss and Meloni never did quite treat me the same after that."
"Please, all of you. Our time has come. We must help the Orders. We've fought the Elder Dragons before." Caithe tried again.
"And lost." The charr rumbled, "Because someone couldn't keep up with us."
"You have something to say, say it to my face!" Logan nearly yelled.
"I would, if you weren't always running away! I should gut you and be done with it!" he growled,
Recognizing the threat Jai stepped forward protectively, an arm already pushing lightly against Logan's chest ready to get him out of pouncing range.
Scoffing Logan rolled his eyes, "Gut me? With what? That human-made sword you looted from Ascalon? I've had enough! C'mon Jai, we're done here."
"Running away again?" his grey slitted eyes shifting over to Jai's hooded form, "And too much of a coward to even face us without some lackey to back you up? Who are you anyway human?"
Logan made to comment but Jai beat him to it, one hand still tightly wrapped around the pommel of one of her blades, "I am a friend of Logan's." She answered in a clipped tone, not wanting to divulge anything else to someone so hostile. Her eyes narrowed as the charr scoffed.
"Rytlock! You're just making it worse." Stegalkin complained, placing a name to the charr at last.
"Hah! Look who's talking." Zojja pipped up, "Logan's right, for once. I have more important things to do. I'm done with this." And with a back handed wave she marched off towards a large metal golem.
Rytlock's tail thrashed angrily, "And I refuse to waste my efforts on cowards and fools. Good-bye, Caithe."
"It's all of you who are the cowards and fools." Jai mentally hissed, and while a part of her was sorely tempted to give each a verbal lashing, a much larger part of her was screaming to just let it go, to just slink back to the shadows where she belonged. Biting her tongue the assassin kept quiet as she seethed, "This is what I damnned my soul for? This is what I and everyone else suffered for? Petty arguments and fighting like children? What did you think was going to happen? Everyone coming home nice and safe every night? That things would never get hard? These are what Tyria calls heroes?!" her mental tirade peaked. "The bloody damn fools! The lot of them, Logan included."
"Let's go Jai," Looking over to Logan the assassin inclined her head before trailing after him in the direction of a large stone-walled fort. It was as they were crossing the wooden bridge that the Seraph Captain let out a sigh, "Well, that went worse than expected."
Shooting him a sidelong glance Jai stayed silent, not trusting her voice given her still foul mood.
"I just- Rytlock just doesn't-" Groaning in frustration Logan dragged his hand over his face, "I regret what happened, but I didn't have a choice… not really anyway. My friends or the woman I loved?"
"And now things are beginning to make sense," Jai mused, "Things are never easy…"
"Eir had a plan, we were all waiting for Kralkatorrik but Jennah was in danger…" He trailed off before adding quietly, "…And my brother was with her. I had to go."
Jai took a deep breath of her own, forcing her anger away, "Why are you telling me?"
Looking up at her in surprise Logan seemed to actually contemplate her words for a bit, "I- I guess I just-" he sighed, "You're my friend, one of the few I have really since you've seen what the other friends I had think of me now. And you always seem so confident, like you always have a goal or like everything is going to plan. Rytlock was like a brother to me and he's just become so, so- …was I wrong?" he whispered at the end.
Grimacing Jai looked out over the harbor as she organized her thoughts, she was never the best with comforting others but now Logan was looking to her for reassurance about something that was clearly still eating at him even if it was far too late to change or do anything about it. She wanted terribly to say "You fucked up, now learn from it and keep fighting." Because it was what she had told herself for so long but she knew it wouldn't do him any good.
"I'm the wrong person to ask Logan. I don't know where you got that idea of me but it couldn't be more wrong." She eventually started, her sudden words after such a long silence startling the man beside her as he refocused on her, "I've made so many mistakes. So, so many mistakes." Closing her eyes Jai saw the faces of each person she once held dear, "What do you even want me to say? That you made the 'right' choice?" She let out a mirthless bitter laugh, "There is never a right choice. It's just, which consequences can you live with."
Eyes darting over to Logan only to see him staring at her wide eyed she decided to give him one more tiny bit of information, "I've lost everyone dear to me Logan, and I have no one to blame but myself." Shrugging she added, "So Rytlock has cut all ties, what of the others? Find new comrades, or go solo. Doesn't matter, so long as you move on and keep fighting."
"It's not that easy though," Logan said quietly. Unsure of what to say Jai just shrugged.
Looking back to the Captain Jai squirmed as he stared at her, copper gaze so intent on her the assassin almost feared he was trying to read her mind. "How do you do it?"
"Hmm?"
"Keep fighting? From the sounds of it you've lost everything more than once, we both know you don't have that amnesia the healer thought you did all those weeks ago, how can you just leave it all behind and keep going? You're off to join the Vigil for Dwayna's sake; you just never seem to stop."
Pursing her lips Jai replied honestly, "I guess I just don't know how to stop." Looking back out at the sun the assassin realized it was getting close to noon, she'd have to report to the Vigil in a few hours and she'd rather not be late.
Placing a hand on Logan's shoulder she said her farewell, "Good luck Logan, and stay safe. Please." And with that she reached into her rune of holding and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie, "Cookie?"
Jai was caught completely off guard as she was pulled into a tight hug. Stiffening in surprise and restraining herself from instinctively pushing him away the assassin dropped her proffered cookie as Logan softly murmured, "Thank you Jai. You're a good friend."
Swallowing thickly she awkwardly patted his back with a hand as he squeezed her tighter before pulling back and chuckling at the stunned expression still on her face prompting Jai to flush in embarrassment. "I should be the one saying that…" She muttered.
"You're secretive enough to put the whole Order of Whispers to shame but you're a good person." He smiled warmly, "Keep in touch okay?"
Jai gave him a crooked grin of her own before they parted.
Walking through Fort Marriner was a strange experience. Watching as the black, white and grey clad soldiers trained Jai couldn't help but compare it to the armies she had seen in her past. The Sunspears had been a broken force when she guided them in Koruna, their regiments and formations broken when Warmaster Varesh Ossa had summoned her demonic armies in Gandara. From there it had been her guerilla tactics that had evacuated the wounded, and kept what forces were left alive. And before that were similar tactics used by the Luxons and Kurzicks, small strike forces or raiding groups. But this? Darting to the side as a formation of soldiers marched past her all in step with one another as they followed the crescendo of the drilling commander Jai couldn't help but question her choice. "I feel so out of place..."
With that cheerful encouragement Jai spied the building she had been directed to in her recruitment letter and quickly made her way over to it. As she approached she caught the tail end of a debate, several armored seraph around what the assassin assumed was a noble.
"Thank you for the warning, General Soulkeeper. I will make sure Queen Jennah receives your news, but I cannot make any promises. The Ebonhawke treaty is Kryta's only hope for peace with the charr. We cannot withdraw our negotiators, no matter the risk." She said diplomatically as a massive armored norn came into view standing beside a charr with greying fur. The norn himself looked to be entering his winter years as well since his hair had gone completely grey but Jai doubted his age would hold him back from the way the massive warrior held himself.
Arms crossed the norn snorted, "With all due respect, Ambassador, that's a damn fool decision."
Eyebrow raising Jai couldn't help but feel a small smirk tug at her lips. She liked this norn already.
The charr- General Soulkeeper Jai realized with a jolt- on the other hand reprimanded him, "That's enough, Warmaster. Thank you, Lady Versa. The Vigil will do our best to keep everyone safe."
With that the noble and her escort bowed and left, allowing Jai an opening to approach the two. Quickly catching the General's attention Jai stood patiently and waited to be addressed, "Who might you be, soldier?"
Bowing at the waist to her future superior Jai introduced herself, "I am Jai of Divinity's Reach, I was told to report here."
Straightening after her introduction the assassin could feel the assessing gazes of both charr and norn on her but she stood firm and refused to be intimidated, instead meeting Soulkeeper's tawny gaze with her own. "I've stared down a mad god and countless demonic horrors, at least now I know which pair of eyes to stare back at."
Eventually the General seemed to find what she was looking for as with a nod she started speaking once more, "Six years ago, a dragon rose in Ascalon. It flew south, killing and corrupting everything in its path. I stood beneath the dragon as it passed overhead. I survived where others did not. All across Tyria, I found others who told of destruction caused by the dragons. Humans and sylvari, battling undead that swarmed their shores. Asura, driven from their underground cities. Joining together, we gave birth to a mighty organization: the Vigil."
"As you may have gathered, I founded this order. I'm its general, until I die in battle or they find someone better." Walking back to the war table she shifted through a few papers until plucking one from a pile and bringing it back while continuing her speech, "Crusader Hiroki sent me a letter saying that you were the best they'd ever seen. I look forward to seeing you prove that."
Jai inclined her head; there wasn't much she could say to that really.
"Quiet one hmm? I've assigned you to Warmaster Forgal Kernsson for training. One of our finest soldiers, and the most stalwart norn I know."
At this point the norn stepped forward, and when he opened his mouth Jai was certain he was Forgal. And also apparently her new superior. "Look here, young one. I don't care what you've done in the past. The Vigil needs heroes, not tale-tellers. It's what you do today, not yesterday, that matters to me. Understood?" He stated briskly, giving her a reprimanding stink-eye at the end.
He probably expected her to protest, to say that she'd already proven herself in battle or some other shit. But Jai could only feel a wide grin stretch over her face at his words, she wanted to leave her past as far behind her as she could and here was a golden opportunity.
Bowing respectfully Jai quickly responded with a crisp, "Yes, Warmaster!" Her grin just widened as her superior just groaned about teaching her how to salute as soon as possible because the bowing 'had to stop'.
General Soulkeeper huffed out a laugh, "If you give each other a chance, I think you'll get along just fine. Now, to business. Renegades are threatening the treaty negotiations between Kryta and the Iron Legion. The Vigil needs to ensure that the treaty goes through. Those two nations need to be fighting the dragons, not each other. You'll be dealing with Commander Samuelsson, leader of the Ebon Vanguard and avid treaty supporter. Head to Ebonhawke, and stop those Renegades."
Frowning slightly Jai spoke up, "Permission to speak freely General?"
"Granted."
"Why am I being sent into the field?" She asked bluntly, "I am a new recruit, shouldn't I have been sent through some form of basic training?" Jai gestured vaguely behind her at the still drilling soldiers.
Kerrnson crossed his arms, opening his mouth only to be cut off by Soulkeeper, "The reason I'm assigning you to Warmaster Forgal is because of Crusader Hiroki's review." Tapping the letter with a claw the charr went on, "In it she described how you took command of the situation, found an alternative method for completing your objective while minimizing casualties and took a high-risk role for yourself." Jai was pinned under slitted amber eyes, "She also described how you handled multiple abominations and other undead by yourself, and gave a brief description of your exploits under Logan Thackeray's command."
Jai tilted her head slightly in confusion, "Aaaand…?"
"What she means is that it'd be a waste to put you through the basic training to learn tactics or how to use a weapon when you're already skilled enough." Her new superior summarized. "That and Hiroki said you fight like an experienced Whispers agent, the combat training would be wasted on you."
Letting out a soft "Oh," the assassin swallowed nervously; she never liked when others had high expectations of her, she always felt like she'd fail them. "I- I'll try to live up to such expectations." She replied shakily.
"Right then, enough standing around." Warmaster Kernsson stated, "We need to take a gate to Divinity's Reach before hopping to the one that leads to Ebonhawke."
Turning around as her new superior strode past her Jai made to follow him only to be called back. "Recruit, a word in private please."
Torn between following Kernsson and obeying her new General Jai looked between the two before standing expectantly beside the charr as her superior turned back with a deep scowl aimed at her when he noticed she wasn't following.
"I assigned you as Forgal's partner, as well as his subordinate for this mission." Soulkeeper stated. "You'd do well to listen to him. He's a wise old cuss, the best of us, and I have a great deal of respect for him. But many years ago in the norn lands, Jormag's minions slaughtered Forgal's family. He came to us to protect others from that fate... and to try and forget."
Inhaling sharply Jai's eyes flickered over to the waiting norn before returning to Soulkeeper, her mouth went dry as she processed the implications of what she was just told. "Oh damn…"
"Now, I may be an old warhammer of a charr." The general continued, "And I'm trusting you with this information. But I see things, and I read in between the lines. I want you to look after him; I have a gut feeling that you two are more alike than you know."
"Oh Torment and Anguish." Jai moaned in her mind as she nodded, remembering when she left Cantha after she had lost everything for the first time. She'd wanted to just forget back then too, signing up for the closest and first war she heard of to lose herself in the fighting and hoping things would just go numb. Then Gandara hit and she had to take command, get involved once more, and drag herself out of just existing passively in the world.
"I'll look after him General. Even though I honestly doubt he needs it."
Jogging to catch up with the norn Jai fell into step beside him, a thick awkward silence descending between them. Instead of trying to strike up conversation Jai just let it last, it wasn't as if she knew what to say anyway. Letting her gaze wander the assassin just drank in the appearance of Lion's Arch, the rustic wood and nautical theme appealing to her more than what she was told of the large stone structures of old when Mhenlo and the others told her of when they came back to Cantha. She became so engrossed with studying the town that Jai actually startled when Kernsson's gruff voice sounded above her as they waited behind a merchant trying to pass his goods through the gate they too needed. "I can handle myself."
Blinking bewilderedly up at the grumpy norn Jai waited for him to elaborate, but she had a pretty good idea what he already meant. "I'm sure Almorra told you something along the lines of looking after me, but I'm damn well old enough not to need a minder. And I won't appreciate any questions if she happened to tell you anything about me. She's a dear friend but damn if it isn't annoying when she dumps every promising new recruit on me before I send them running because they can't keep up."
Dropping her gaze Jai sighed, "Twice in a single day I've had to deal with emotional stuff, I almost miss the Realm. It was easier there; see demon, kill demon, then repeat."
"I agree." Sneaking a glance to see a mildly surprised look on his face Jai continued with a shrug, "But yes, she did tell me of why you joined the Vigil and asked me to look out for you." Ahead of them the human merchant was complaining about fees quite loudly, taking the opportunity she lowered her voice just enough so that only Kernsson would hear her. "I- well- Oh damn it all. Look, I'll be blunt. You gave me the opportunity to leave my past behind me so I'll give you the same. Tit-for-tat, I joined because I have nowhere else to go, everyone I cared for is dead- except Logan but I only met him a month ago- and all I know how to do is fight. So I'll help the one way I know how and… because I'm afraid." She whispered at the end, "Afraid of getting close to people, afraid of being used, afraid of being persecuted because I'm now a demon, afraid of humans."
They both fell silent for a bit, the merchant finally going through the gate with all his merchandise. But just after they both paid the travel fee to the asura manning the gate Kernsson admitted, "I may have misjudged you."
There was a cynical half-grin on her face as everything went purple and the world disconnected for a few seconds. Emerging from the gate with a woozy wobble Jai was straightened by a large gauntleted hand. Looking up with the grin still on her face Jai teased, "That's fine, it happens a lot."
And with that it seemed the ice had been broken.
While they walked to Ruikton District the Warmaster and assassin exchanged simple questions, neither going into the other's personal history and staying mostly with the other's usual weapons, tactics and how they'd work together in a fight. "What do you look like under that hood?"
"Uh," Squinting, Jai brushed her hood off, the sudden light stabbing her vision and making her eyes water. "I'm…sensitive to bright light. Even a typical sunny day like this is usually too much for me. I can see better in the dark though."
She couldn't make out her superior's expression in the glare of the sun but figured she had her hood off long enough for him to make out enough of her appearance besides her eyes which were still squinted nearly shut. Sweeping her hood back on with a sigh of relief she crossed her arms as she felt slightly self-conscious, she was surprised though that he didn't ask about her features like Logan had. "You're curious." She stated.
"Yes, but I said I wouldn't ask."
"… Thank you." And she meant it. Another awkward silence descended upon the duo, but this time for once she wasn't the one who didn't know what to say.
Passing through the gate in Ruikton Kernsson helped steady her again as he gestured to their surroundings after clearing his throat. "Welcome to Ebonhawke, Recruit. I—by Raven's wings! What in the Mists is happening here?"
As soon as they had exited the gate Jai could hear yelling and the sounds of fighting. Quickly looking around for any hostile actions she tensed as a tanned man with short shaved hair ran up to them, his heavy plate armor clanging. "It's the Vigil! Thank Balthazar, you're just in time. I'm Samuelsson. Wade Samuelsson, Commander of Ascalon."
Recognizing the name as the person they had been sent to help Jai relaxed her grip on her blades. She still remained taunt and ready however as the sounds of fighting outside their little room grew louder.
Kernsson's large hand removed itself from her shoulder, "I'm Warmaster Kernsson, and this is my new recruit. Give me a status report!"
Samuelsson snapped to attention, "Here's the problem. A bunch of charr Renegades smuggled explosives into the city. They were trying to blow up one of the outer walls. The Ebon Vanguard stopped the demolition team, but Renegade forces are attacking everywhere from here to the central plaza."
"Always something, isn't it." Jai thought sardonically as her superior groaned, "That sounds like a blood-covered mess, Commander. How can we help?"
"We have to get to the city's central plaza. Turn right, head down the road and through the crossing. You'll see a big statue at the center of the square." Samuelsson explained, "Once we take the square, the Vanguard can do the rest. But without a rallying point, we're falling apart."
Nodding to show she understood Jai drew her blades as Kernsson did the same with his own. "We'll capture the plaza, Commander, and teach a lesson to any Renegades we find along the way. Ready, Recruit? Move out!"
"Ebonhawke, fall? The hell it will. The hell it will, while I'm here." Kernsson growled out under his breath, causing Jai to look up at him with a feral grin, "Not while we are here. Let's send the bastards to the Mists."
With that the small group that had rallied to the gate room charged out onto the streets alongside Jai and the Warmaster. As soon as they left the shelter of the room the group was met with snarling charr, ducking under one that leaped towards her with claws outstretched only to be gutted by Kernsson Jai asked, "Which charr are on our side!?"
Samuelsson shouted out an answer over his own battle, "The ones wearing a hawk emblem!"
Pivoting on one foot Jai crossed her blades and blocked a strike from another charr, its weapon was a massive rifle with an axe blade attached to the bottom of the barrel. Kicking out she caught her opponent in the gut just under the ribcage, following up with a shove against the rifle-axe and finishing with a slash to the throat Jai quickly sought out Kernsson. Spotting him taking on two charr with a third aiming a rifle some distance away the assassin decided it was time to start living up to her profession. Quickly stealthing herself Jai shadowstepped directly behind the charr aiming at her superior, a quick downwards stab into the base of the skull dropped him as she vanished into smoke with her next target in mind.
The fight quickly turned in their favor as the Renegades began to get paranoid as Jai flitted in and out of the shadows. Sometimes they'd turn around thinking she was going to appear only to get a knife in the back as she emerged when they turned. Other times she appeared mid-leap and jumped onto the massive backs of her foes and tackled them to the ground before finishing them. She always made sure to keep track of which charr had a stylized hawk stitched onto their armor.
As the last Renegade fell Samuelsson called out, "The road is secure! Vanguard, form up and hold this area. We'll advance toward the crossing."
With that they proceeded to fight their way to the central plaza, Jai's agility and shadow magics allowing for her to cover the soldiers under her protection by eliminating the ranged Renegades and any spellcasters before either group even met up. Each time she'd pause to regain her equilibrium after a series of jumps through the shadows though she would catch her superior watching her and giving her an encouraging nod each time their eyes met. The gesture surprised Jai; he could have just been assessing her on the battlefield, but the way he'd cover her each time she needed to pause to regain her mana or scan the field made her think otherwise. She felt oddly touched that the norn would look out for her when they'd literally met not even a full hour ago.
In short time they made it to the square, finding the leader of this group of Renegades as he pointed to Samuelsson before shouting "I will slaughter you like a pig. Kill the traitors!" The following fight didn't last long, especially after Kernsson easily over powered the Renegade leader and cut him down before challenging those left, "Who's next?"
After dealing with the last of the Renegades Jai saw the Warmaster waving her over with Samuelsson beside him. Quickly shifting the wounded Ebonhawkesoldier she had been helping to the nearest medic over to another soldier who was nearby the assassin walked over.
"Your timing was perfect, Warmaster Kernsson. I can't thank you enough." Samuelsson grinned, "And your new recruit managed to keep the shooters off my men. We have a few injured but a lot less casualties than I was expecting. The Renegades are getting bolder though. This is the first time they've ever tried to bomb the fortress from the inside."
Kernsson hummed thoughtfully, "New tactics may signify a new leader. You think they finally found a shot-caller with half a brain?"
Snorting in amusement Jai grinned.
Samuelsson also snorted, but his was more disgruntled, "Think it? I know it. He's a charr named Ajax Anvilburn, and that rotter's a thorn in my side."
"Do you know where we could find him?" Jai asked with a frown, "With permission I could try to infiltrate his base and kill him with minimal risk to your men."
"You mean assassinate him?" Samuelsson asked her with surprise, "Didn't figure you Vigil types for such, thought that was Order of Whispers stuff. Scouts tell us the Renegades have a camp outside Ebonhawke, but my troops are tied up defending the treaty location. The Ebon Vanguard hasn't had a chance to check it, but if I had to guess, I'd say he's either there or his soldiers are."
Feeling Kernsson's gaze on her Jai shrugged, "I was trained in such before joining the Vigil." "Assassinated quite a few Jade Brotherhood during my time in the Am Fah, followed by various bounties for the Zaishan order after being taken in by the Shing Jea Monastery and even assassinated Minister Reiko herself- even if I had a bit of help killing her." She felt like she could handle a charr camp, couldn't be harder than infiltrating a margonite fortress.
"We'll take a look, Commander. Ill-disciplined thugs like these should be easy to find." Kernsson stated.
Nodding in agreement Jai mentally concurred, "Yeah, if the Am Fa didn't know the sewers and the undercity as well as they did and if the Jade Brotherhood didn't have all that corruption in the Ministry supporting them, the Imperial Guard would have been able to rout both gangs long ago. Luckily for us though the treaty is still new, so these Renegades haven't had the time it takes to get as established as the Kaineng gangs did."
The two were then quickly given instructions on where to find the Renegade camp. An Ebonhawke scout even marked the location on Kernsson's map and gave them an estimated arrival time of after nightfall. Jai adjusted her hood nervously as she and Kernsson passed through the massive hawk wing gates, both of them walking down the pockmarked entrance with only the sound of gravel under their feet. It was as they began walking through the forest that conversation started back up. "So, an assassin huh?"
Letting out a sigh Jai decided to go with it, "I prefer the term 'tahkayun' actually. But essentially yes."
"Sounds foreign."
"It is."
"Ah." They both fell silent again, "Sheesh this is becoming awkward." Jai mused, but she could tell that the Warmaster was trying not to encroach on her past. She hadn't even known him for a day and already she was becoming fond of the old grump, not that she had any right to call him old considering her own age. He had a good sense of humor and wasn't shy in calling out stupidity, but he also didn't press her for answers like Logan had which was a guilty relief.
Deciding to extend a figurative open hand Jai spoke up, "We need to establish a system. We're going to be working with each other a lot from now on and while I appreciate you not digging into my past I understand that you'll have to ask questions." She shrugged, "You won't offend me by asking, and I won't lie. If I don't want to answer I'll tell you."
Kernsson snorted, "You're as blunt as a norn."
"I'll take that as a complement." Jai responded with a wry grin as they both chuckled.
"So…" "That was fast." "…Why didn't you join the Order of Whispers?" her superior asked, staring down at her with a raised brow.
Kicking out a pebble that was on their path Jai followed it as it rolled away from her. "A lot of people seem to be asking that. A lot of reasons really, hard to pick just one but if I had to…" She sighed, "My recruiter told me they know everything that happens in Tyria. I asked 'what could they do about it?' There are some things you can't blackmail, coerce or infiltrate, the dragons are one example." "Abbadon was another; today's Order's methods wouldn't do anything against the margonites. But my Order could fight, and they did." "As cliché as it sounds I can't just sit on my ass and hope someone fixes the problems I find. I grab my blades and I do what I can, no matter how hopeless the situation seems."
Loosing herself to her memories as she walked on Jai was startled when a weight settled on her head. Blinking bewilderedly she looked up and saw Kernsson's hand resting on her head, he had an odd look on his face that she couldn't entirely decipher but she almost thought she could see approval. "Wha-?"
She froze as she felt his hand move as if ruffling her hair despite the hood; the gesture was slightly hesitant and cautious, as if to make sure it didn't dislodge her hood. Countless questions whirled in her mind but Jai silenced them all as Kernsson's hand dropped and his face closed off before continuing down the path.
With a strange spark of warmth in her heart Jai couldn't help but ponder at just how easy it was to talk with her superior. Reaching up to touch the top of her head where his large hand once was a soft smile overtook her face, a part of her was worried at how quickly her barriers were lowering around him. But this time her cautious side was outweighed by hope. "He acts like I'm…normal. That's not quite the word but what else could I call it? No pressure to answer questions, no constant attempts at subtle probing, he just lets things go. And why did he rub my head? …I- I didn't mind it though."
They didn't talk until the camp was well within sight and the moon nearly directly above them.
"Ready to fight kid?"
"Kid? Really?" Having swept back her hood when the sun had set Jai was free to give the norn her blandest deadpan expression and have him see it. "No. I left my weapon at home, can I go back and get it?" the sarcasm was practically dripping from her mouth.
Smothering a laugh Kernsson shot her a toothy grin. "Haha! Got some spark in you, eh, Recruit? Good to see. We'll need it if we're gonna stamp out these Renegades. Get ready to move, and keep your voice low. If we're lucky, we can catch these bootjacks sleeping. And stick close."
Rolling her eyes Jai muttered, "I'm never that lucky. With my luck they'll be ready to ambush us."
"Kid, we both know that kind of luck doesn't exist." Kernsson grunted, ignoring Jai's muttered "Wanna bet?" he continued, "Still, try to take prisoners if you can. We'll need them to give us information if Anvilburn isn't there."
Eyes opening with surprise Jai stared at him, "You seriously think they'd actually tell us? What are we to do? Charge in and exchange gossip over tea and cookies? I could sneak in and kill a few in the tents while they sleep, even grab a few intelligence reports before we eliminate them."
"Look here, whelp." Kernsson ordered, "There's a time for strategy, and there's a time for kicking the door down. We don't need tactics against this rabble. We just need force, and I'm not sending you in alone."
She didn't quite agree with that plan, from what she remembered of Garfaz and what he told her of the charr's fanatical loyalty to their gods Jai highly doubted any charr soldier would give up info on a cause they were loyal too. But she wasn't the one in charge, and it had been a long while since Garfaz's time. "Yes Warmaster."
Kernsson nodded, "Right, then. Don't worry about the tea and cookies, just skip straight to "surrender or die." Now move out and stay close."
With that the massive armor clad norn emerged from the bushes they had been hiding behind and ran into the camp leaving an incredulous and gaping assassin behind. "What the bloody torment is that fool thinking?! He's fucking outnumbered to all Anguish!"
Quickly leaping after him Jai caught up just as he was grabbing a plank from a campfire and throwing it at the nearest tent before reaching for another. "By the Spirits, is this some kind of kiddie playground?" He bellowed, "Wake up out there!"
Jai gave him a look she dearly hoped expressed just how much of an idiot she through he was.
"It's the Vigil! Get 'em!"
The look's intensity just went up.
"Whoever trained you must be crying right now. You best run." Her superior kept yelling, by now over half the tents were aflame and the charr were getting within melee range. Most of them had forgone armor, and a few were still scrabbling for weapons. Suddenly one leapt at Kernsson from behind a flaming tent with a massive greatsword raised.
Smoothly pivoting the Warmaster just punched the charr in the mouth, several teeth flying from its snaggle-toothed maw as he flew back from the force of the blow and didn't get back up.
Cracking his knuckles Kernsson challenged, "That's all you've got? Come on, you mangy runts!"
All chaos broke loose.
Kernsson was a terror in a fight. His larger size was proportionate to his strength and each swing of his sword was devastating, Jai stayed to his back and covered the skilled warrior. Her own smaller size making her a target for the hulking charr who were naturally bigger than her but that didn't deter the assassin. She had gotten used to fighting those bigger than her in the Realm after all and remembering all the times Garfaz had been killed rather quickly by demons she knew exactly where to strike for the most crippling damage as her blades once more were coated in a hexing poison. While her superior plowed his way through the Renegades brave enough to engage him Jai didn't just wait for them to come within reach of her blades, taking full advantage of their soulbound properties she threw her offhand blade at any approaching foe and summoning the blade back to her hand when it dropped its target.
"You're the worst-trained, most cowardly loustabouts I've ever seen!" Kernsson taunted from behind her, prompting the assassin to yell back as she kicked another corpse off her blades. "You. Are. Insane! And if I'm the one saying it then you've damn well lost your bloody mind!"
The norn had the gall to laugh at her.
Eventually the dust settled and the two were surrounded by bodies, Jai idly kicking one over to check if it was alive but getting no response. Shaking her head to clear the ringing in her ears that had resulted from one Renegade's fondness of explosives she ambled back to her superior who was holding said Renegade up by his collar and shaking him. It only emphasized the norn's size how not even the Renegade's fluffy tail tip touched the ground. "You shuck-brained cur! Where's Ajax Anvilburn? We know he's behind the attack on Ebonhawke. Spill!"
To Jai's surprise the charr actually answered instead of spitting in Kernsson's face like she expected, "Y-you just missed him. He left this morning. He's on his way to kill some worthless human named Duran. They're settin' an ambush at Summit Peak. They'll kill Duran, and then leave the bloody knife with ol' Steelcrusher. We're killing two peace-lovers with one trap!"
The charr fell to the ground with a muffled curse and a thump as he was dropped, "Ashes and snow, he means Minster Kent Duran, the Krytan ambassador. I bet Steelcrusher's the ambassador for the High Legions." Kernsson realized.
"You're Vigil, aren't you?" The Renegade asked- quite redundantly in Jai's opinion as one of his soldiers had shouted about Vigil during the fight- "Ha! Ajax'll be sorry he missed killing you. Tell his human-loving mother, Almorra, that one day we'll spit on her grave!"
Jai's jaw clenched as her breath caught in her throat. Kernsson however shot her a sharp glance and quickly clipped out an order, "That's above your pay grade, Recruit. Forget you heard about it."
She had a quip about having not heard anything at all but understood the sensitivity of the situation; instead she just nodded her head. Jai did feel slightly miffed though that Kernsson actually looked surprised by her easy compliance, "Oh, surely he's learned that I appreciate people's privacy by now…come now you knuckle-head what did I tell you, hmm?"
Scrubbing his face with a hand the Warmaster relented, "We'll talk about it later. Right now we have to evac before more Renegades show up." Glaring down at the Renegade Kernsson gave him a harsh kick, "Leave this coward to rot and die alone. Let's get back to Ebonhawke and warn Samuelsson about Ajax's plan."
"Yes sir."
Jai watched as Kernsson turned and made his way back to the path that lead to Ebonhawke, she started to follow him but the sound of shifting dirt caught her attention. Twisting just in time to see the Renegade coil into a pounce and spring at Kernsson with claws flashing in the fire light she barely had time to shout out a warning before vanishing into shadow. "Watch out!"
She only caught a glimpse of Kernsson surprised face before she reappeared from her shadowstep bowling into the charr. The two of them colliding in mid-air with the crunch of grinding bone, her blades digging their way between ribs as they bounced and rolled across the ground. Gritting her teeth as Jai felt long sharp claws scoring bloody marks down her arms she barely heard her name being shouted over the charr's snarls the assassin kept one blade in his side, twisting it ruthlessly and drawing a yelp of pain from the charr who by now had her on her back as he began trying to maul her. Jerking her head to the side to avoid it being bit down on, the assassin narrowed her eyes and ripped one blade from the charr. Deep red blood spraying all over her before she quickly thrust it where the neck met the lower jaw.
The Renegade went limp as the tip of her blade emerged from between his horns. Both blades were nearly yanked out of her hands as the body was thrown off her by Kernsson, the struggle having only lasted the few seconds it took for him to run over to them. "Kid!"
Coughing from the dust that had gotten into her lungs Jai waved him off, "I'm fine."
"You're bleeding. That's not 'fine'." The Warmaster scolded,
Shooting him a lopsided grin Jai repeated, "Nope, I'm fine." "Still got all my limbs, that's always a plus."
Kernsson rolled his eyes before getting some bandages and poultices from a pack. "Damnit kid, you should have let me handle that bastard. I'm the one with real armor, not that leather crap."
Jai just snorted derisively, "I'm fine." She repeated as large hands checked her head for any bumps. The Norn just huffed at her. "Show me your arms." Rolling her eyes the assassin froze. "Oh shit!"
Suddenly self-conscious of what wounds would mean with her physiology she shot a quick glance at Kernsson, his firm expression brooking no argument. Complying hesitantly she extended her arms, ink-black blood on display as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She knew there was no point in hiding it, as she had told him before they would be fighting together quite a bit from now on and it would be inevitable that he find out at the very least she wasn't human anymore.
Surprisingly Kernsson only paused for a brief second at the sight, shooting her a glance as she looked away before he started cleaning the wounds as if there was nothing wrong with them. "This isn't the time or place to discuss it, but yes, Ajax is Almorra's son. She's aware of the complication, and the mission is still 'go'."
Jai frowned softly as sympathy welled up in her for the strong general she had met the previous day. "I shouldn't have been so sharp with you earlier." Kernsson continued as he wrapped bandages around the few unhealed wounds she had, her blades' magic making most of the damage superficial. "A few recruits overheard Almorra and I when we discussed the likelihood of this situation happening. They didn't quite agree when she told them she'd kill Ajax herself if it meant securing the treaty."
Sighing as she stood up Jai stated, "She has my empathy, the choice is her own. I understand somewhat though my situation is reversed, there's a reason I don't use my family name."
"Of course there is." Kernsson groaned before asking, "Will you be alright?"
"Hmm?"
He gestured at her bandages, "I may not be human, but I know they don't bleed black." Jai started drawing away from the norn, wrapping her arms around herself in shame. "I'm not asking- I don't think you'd tell me anything anyway- but just let me know if there's anything you need to keep yourself healthy alright?"
Giving the norn a skeptical look she couldn't help but ask, "That's it?"
Kernsson seemed affronted by her question, "Of course 'that's it', what do you think we've been talking about all day? What? Did you expect me to start shouting accusations or something-?" His face suddenly drained of all color as realization spread over it instead. "-Oh Spirits, you said you joined the Vigil because you were afraid…" Jai was mentally cursing a blue streak when she realized that he had apparently heard that. "…you don't want to remember your past not just because it's painful, do you? You're afraid of persecution."
Flinching back Jai hid her face under her bangs and looked away only to be forcibly turned to face Kernsson as he grabbed her shoulders. "Kid- Jai- tell me honestly…would you be persecuted because of what you are?"
Sighing as a leaden weight settled over her chest Jai shrugged, "I don't know how the other races would react, but yes I do believe I'd be hunted if exposed to humans. It's happened before." She stated bitterly. "I'm such a damned fool for thinking I could blend in. Barely two months and I've been found out twice. At this rate I might as well just go fight alone…"
"No!" Kernsson almost shouted, prompting her to look up at him. "You are a soldier of the Vigil, we look after our own. You aren't going to march to your death fighting the dragons alone." He told her firmly.
Gaping at him Jai blurted out, "You just met me toda- yesterday! Why-?"
"Why?" He asked, "You took a hit for me already." "-I wasn't in any danger-" "Bullshit, you're willing to fight against the dragons even with this, situation. You aren't some hot-shot arrogant whelp, you know exactly what's at risk and you're doing it anyway."
Jai swallowed nervously, unable to deny what he was saying. He wasn't wrong; she couldn't die through any physical attack but by her nature if she were hit with a strong enough blast of holy magic or… assimilated into some other stronger demon then she would simply fade from existence. It was only her own strength of will that kept the latter from happening while she fought Mallyx.
"You're my subordinate, but we're also supposed to be partners." The hands on her shoulders tightened, "Tyria needs all the help it can get, if you're willing then the Vigil is glad to have you. And at the very least I'm damn glad to have you."
Her eyes burned with hot tears as her vision swam, "Don't say that…" She whispered, "Don't say that when you don't know…"
"I read your reports." She heard Kernsson rumble as he tightened his grip on her, Jai tensing so much it almost hurt. "And if even half of what they say is true then that's all I need to know. Whatever you are; you aren't evil, evil doesn't rescue hostages from bandit dens, evil doesn't save burning orphanages, evil doesn't risk capture in the middle of centaur war camps just to rescue a few slaves. Evil doesn't do all of that for those it's afraid of." He sighed before whispering, "What happened to you kid?"
Jai squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the Warmaster's rant. The grump of a norn had completely blindsided her. He may have misjudged her but she did for him as well, "First Genzhou, now Kernsson. Could I trust him? Genzhou took it so well; could it just be humans that are so against me? Even Garfaz and the Forgotten were unfazed by what I am now. I'm such a fool but..maybe,"
But more than that it was his last few words that truly struck a deep chord in her heart, "What happened to you?" Her eyes burned as she swallowed thickly trying not to start crying, nobody had thought her a victim, but wasn't that what she was? She may have chosen to stay behind in the Realm, but she only truly chose to stay behind alone, no matter what she was condemned to the Realm because of what she went through in Elona during Nightfall. Her thoughts were so disjointed and unformed as they buzzed through her head she knew she could never come up with a coherent sentence on the subject, so she did what she knew best when it came to something that unnerved her so much. She put it aside, but she didn't forget it.
"Let's go." She said as she roughly rubbed her eyes, "We have an assassination plot to stop sir. Can't be wasting time on me eh?"
Kernsson gave her a piercing stare before nodding, a small grin on his face as he got her intent. "Right, let's head to the Summit."
"Maybe I can trust him, just with a bit more time…"
ooo
The two ran into an Ebonhawke courier early the next morning. Both Jai and Kernsson had camped the rest of the night. The assassin had kept watch for the rest of the night, forgoing sleep for herself and waving off Kernsson's concern when he woke up, stating that she was used to not sleeping.
Jai yawned as they met up with the curly brown-haired woman dressed in Ebon Vanguard plate; she was feeling tired but not tired enough to impair her abilities, she couldn't afford to slow down anyway. "Who are you people?" She demanded with sword drawn, "Commander Samuelsson didn't mention an escort, and you certainly don't look like the Vanguard!"
Kernsson spoke up, "We're with the Vigil. We know about an attack planned for Minister Duran. We'd like to accompany you if you're heading to the Summit.
"Accompany me?" She snorted while sheathing her blade, "I'm Sergeant Eilye Jeyne, a soldier of the Ebon Vanguard. I don't need babysitters."
Rolling his eyes Kernsson shot back, "We're not babysitters, we're tourists. Traveling the same road, taking in the same scenery, and beating the ever-living crap out of the same idiots as you." Jai snorted out a laugh, not even bothering to cover it with a cough. Her superior shot her a conspiratorial grin, "You look like a fine sergeant. Are you really going to tell us where we can't go and who we can't beat up on such a nice day?"
Jeyne frowned, "I have to get a message to the minister. I don't have time for this. Just keep up, or I leave you behind. Head out for Summit Peak, and don't slow me down." She stomped off, muttering just loud enough for the other two to hear, "So Vigil's my escort? Fine. Just don't tell the rest of the Vanguard. I'll never hear the end of it."
"If I'd had a daughter, she'd be a lot like Jeyne...except smarter, stubborner, and better-lookin'." Kernsson grumbled, and once more Jai had to smother her chuckles.
The three made quick progress. They were occasionally set upon by small raiding bands of Renegades but Jai was always spotting them before they came and easily alerted the two warriors each time. Eventually though they came across a Vanguard archer lying wounded in the trees, Kernsson being the first to spot him. "I see a survivor. Stand the line, we have to help him!
Sergeant Jeyne shook her head, "No, we can't risk it! If what you said is true and the ambassador is killed, many more lives will be lost."
Kernsson quickly turned on her, "You'd abandon your own soldiers?" He asked, disapproval ringing from every word causing Jai to slow down and look at him, remembering what he told her the previous night about the Vigil looking after its own.
"We all knew the risk when we joined the Vanguard." Jeyne responded coldly, "Duty first."
Jai's eyes narrowed, she knew how it felt to be left behind even when knowing the consequences. "You go on ahead then; I'll help him back to Ebonhawke and catch up to you."
"Are you sure?" the Warmaster asked.
Nodding her head the assassin stated, "I'm the fastest. Just mark where the Summit is on the map and lend it to me. I'll meet you there."
"He's probably already dead rookie." Jeyne admonished, "You shouldn't risk yourself."
Casting a glance to Kernsson Jai decided to drop him a hint; she had spent much of the night thinking about him and his reactions to her so far. In the end she settled on deciding to tell him small bits and pieces, half-statements about herself to test the waters on just how much he would accept about her. "I know what it's like to be left behind. And it's worth the risk to me." She stated evenly, and as she said it the assassin saw Kernsson's shoulders shift ever so slightly under his pauldrons as they tensed. Had she not been watching him so closely she would have missed it.
Map in pocket Jai veered off to help the wounded archer, approaching him just as the other two went out of sight she was ambushed by two Renegades. Rolling her eyes the assassin wasted no time in killing one and knocking the other out cold. After quickly checking the archer's pulse and finding it still present despite him being badly wounded the assassin healed him using her blades and the Renegade she left alive though he didn't stay that way for long. She managed to heal the Vanguard archer enough for him to wake up for a second and seal his wound but it was clear he was still slightly out of awareness from a concussion and blood loss. Hefting the larger man onto her back Jai ran back to Ebonhawke with another yawn as she started up a steady pace, shadow stepping when she could to cut down on the time it took to reach her destination.
It was nearly three hours later when Jai arrived at the Summit, or rather she ran into a squad of soldiers from Ebonhawke mixed with a few charr wearing a gear emblem headed by an older charr, Jeyne and Kernsson on the road.
"Recruit!" Kernsson called out to her enthusiastically, although Jai could hear some ire in his voice she could tell it wasn't directed at her. "At least, I hope it isn't."
Approaching her superior Jai gave a quick bow, "The soldier was returned to the guards outside the gates of Ebonhawke, I was told it looked likely he would live." She reported.
"What did I tell you about bowing kid?" Kernsson grumped.
Pretending to think Jai tapped a finger to her lower lip, "To do it more often?" she asked with faux innocence only to hold back a grin as the Warmaster rolled his eyes.
"Kids these days…" he muttered, "…no respect for their elders."
Jai was glad her hood hid her face otherwise she was sure he'd see the smile she had to bite her cheek to hold back. "One of these days I'm going to be labeled mad for laughing at an inside joke no one else would know."
While the older charr with dulled horns and greying fur walking alongside them chuckled Jeyne scoffed in disdain. "If your recruit isn't going to take this seriously she should just be sent back to camp Warmaster. Not like we'd need her anyway, we've got more than enough soldiers as it is to put down this little gang."
Kernsson's half-hearted mutters cut off as he glared down at the woman, "Now see here-"
"She couldn't even handle sticking to the mission, you had time-sensitive intel and she abandoned that to save someone who might not have even been alive." The woman cast a baleful glare at Jai, "She's too naïve. Soldiers die in war, you can't save everybody."
Falling silent Jai kept her face blank, faded images of Sunspears being dismembered by demons as the streets of Gandara were soaked in blood, of mutilated bodies and grotesquely mutated monsters that stalked the allies of Kainang. Blinking away the past Jai thought bitterly, "Naïve am I? Maybe so; I've seen the worst Tyria's had to offer and yet here I am, still trying to help." Her eyes drifted to Kernsson, "Still willing to chance trust."
Receiving no answer from the quiet assassin Jeyne dropped back to her men and began discussing the plan for when they reached the Renegade camp. Kernsson however cast her one more heated glare before gently nudging Jai from her thoughts, "Kid?"
"Hmm?"
"Why didn't you argue back?" He asked flatly, to which Jai just shrugged, "She'll believe what she wants to believe about me. It doesn't matter really,"
"So you're just going to let people walk all over you?" A new voice chimed in.
Tilting her head towards the elderly charr; who still marched without any strain testifying to his strength despite his age, Jai shrugged her shoulders again.
The squadron of soldiers arrived at the camp shortly after noon, stopping just far enough that they were still out of sight behind a few hills as they ate a small lunch of rations. Having finished her own meager meal Jai approached her superior when she heard him begin arguing with Jeyne again. "For the love of—Recruit! Talk some sense into this woman! She's more stubborn than a goat shaman."
Sergeant Jeyne looked just as exasperated as the norn, "Forgal, these are Renegades. They're nothing but an unruly mob, and they're trapped in a cave with only one exit. If you seriously think this'll be a fight, then maybe you should start thinking about retiring, old man. You're being overcautious. We could take this with half the soldiers in half the time."
Jai raised an eyebrow as Kernsson looked down his nose at the woman. "Watch it, soldier, or I'll 'old man' you into the ground." He growled, reminding Jai of when she saw another norn transform into a bear, "Those are charr, and they know we're coming. They've chosen a defensible point, and they've have had time to fortify. If you go in recklessly, you're just going to die."
Deciding to join in the assassin added, "A wise man taught me there's a time for strategy, and there's a time for kicking the door down. I'd listen to him if I were you; he's rightfully cautions because he knows just how badly things can go wrong."
Kernsson turned to her with slight surprise. "Looks like you learn quickly recruit. Good." He praised before turning back to Jeyne, "Now listen here, Sergeant. We're going to stick together as a unit so we aren't picked off one by one. We go in slow and careful, and watch out for surprises. Recruit, I'm putting you on point. Tell me when you're ready to advance."
Nodding Jai made to walk off before half turning and asking, "Do we have any mesmers? Or better yet mesmers and necromancers?"
The assassin just got two pairs of eyes staring at her blankly, "Why would we need them?" Jeyne asked skeptically.
Gesturing to Kernsson Jai elaborated, "Like the Warmaster said, we're fighting an opponent with a defensible position. From what I've seen of the Renegades so far they seem to favor those guns and explosives of theirs. Only one exit means only one entrance, and it'd be the perfect place for a bottleneck." She paused and let the information sink in, Kernsson's proud grin caught her off guard though.
"Not only that; we're fighting charr, their senses are better than ours and those four ears aren't just for show." She continued, remembering all the times Garfaz warned of an ambush he had heard coming. "We could have the mesmers send in an illusion of our men charging in to trigger any traps but if it's just an image it won't make any sound, if there is a necromancer then we have fodder that could mimic footsteps." Jai trailed off as awkwardly as she waited for how her idea would be received.
A solitary clap from behind nearly made Jai jump as the older charr from before stepped closer to the group. "Now that's what I call a plan! Forgal, you sure this kid's just a new recruit?"
The norn had a bemused smile as he crossed his arms, "Just joined yesterday in fact."
"Seriously?" The charr asked, turning from his scrutiny of Jai in his surprise.
The assassin in question just tilted her head, "I wasn't grown from a garden in the Vigil's back yard." She drawled, "I did do other things before I joined."
"Like what?"
"That's enough ambassador Steelcrusher." Kernsson cut in abruptly, "We have an ambush to spring."
The charr ambassador rolled his eyes, "Fine fine, I'll go see if any of the soldiers I got with me are Ash Legion. I know at least one of them is lurking around as 'protective detail', that legion's the most likely to have any necromancers."
Jeyne sighed, "I'll ask the men I've brought if they know any mesmer tricks." She stared suspiciously at Jai though, "Just who are you?"
Mouth quirking into a crooked grin Jai replied, "Me? I'm nobody important, just a lost sewer rat."
As the others walked away Jai watched as a shadow fell over her, looking up at her superior she gave him a quiet "Thank you."
"You just keep surprising me kid. And 'nobody important'? I think we both know that's a lie."
Her lopsided grin still present Jai couldn't help but tease, "Oh? Do tell how I surprised you this time? And it wasn't a lie; I'm not the type of person you'd find in the history books." It was technically true, she had checked.
The older norn shot her a grin of his own, "Pfft, didn't you once say that I've- what was it again, oh yes- 'damn well lost my bloody mind?' Yet there you were defending my opinion, agreeing with it even."
Barking out a short laugh Jai shook her head as she sighed dramatically, "I suppose you have your brief moments of sanity and besides, I also mentioned that if I was the one saying it then it must be true." She shot him a cheeky crooked grin, "It takes one to know one after all. Don't worry, you're just as mad as I am."
"Oi!" Kernsson cried out in mock offence as he grabbed her in a headlock and began rubbing his knuckles against her scalp, "You calling me senile?"
As she struggled out of the large norn's hold Jai felt carefree laughter bubble up and out of her. When she finally pulled free her short hair was a static-y frizzy mess under her wrinkled hood, a few strands even escaping its confines just to stand straight out in defiance of gravity.
"Are you done acting like children?" A voice asked dryly.
Turning to see Jeyne standing before them with her hands on her hips and disapproval rolling off her in waves the disgruntled Sargent didn't give them a chance to respond, "We've got one mesmer who agreed to try your plan, but no necromancers."
Pursing her lips Jai considered it. "We could try the plan anyway, and I could shadow step in right after the first traps are triggered to start killing the Renegades manning any traps or devices." She suggested. Jai didn't know the extent of what technology she'd be up against but she figured a good blast of corrosive magic would be enough to at least disable anything she'd find. At the very least she could kill the charr operating whatever contraptions she would find.
"Absolutely not."
Brows furrowing in confusion the assassin turned back to Kernsson who was looking down at her with his massive arms crossed and a disapproving frown etched deep onto his face. "The whole point of this ruse was to avoid risking people. So why for Bear's fuzzy behind would you put yourself at risk like that?"
"Uh-" Jai started before closing her mouth with an audible click as she thought about it. It wasn't really a risk for her, the assassin's previous encounter with the giant Kol proved to her that she still was immune to physical death. While she wouldn't reform from the spawning shrines like in the Realm like other demons and her self-resurrection would leave her too exhausted to even stand if she didn't have a constant battle to feed herself with energy via her blades, Jai knew that the only real risk from a fatal wound was exposure. Stabbed? Crushed? Any other type of physical violence? She'd bounce back with enough of a temper to put down whatever tried to put her down. Being discovered for what she was and being smote with highly concentrated holy magic on the other hand, that would end her.
"I was planning on shadow stepping past the traps after they'd activated, that way I could disable any Renegades operating the defenses to make sure the others make it in after the initial ruse." She reasoned, it made sense to her and Jai planned on making sure she didn't get wounded at all. Her blood alone was hard to explain away.
She could tell Kernsson still wasn't pleased with the risk she was taking but she refused to budge. "I'll be fine Warmaster. I fight better in the dark anyway."
Seeing a bushy grey eyebrow raised speculatively Jai wasn't surprised when the norn accused, "You have more planned than what you're telling us?"
Mirroring his expression she retorted, "Not really, just planning on popping in, generally fucking shit up and killing Renegades. Oh, and trying not to get stabbed, or shot." She bit out sarcastically before huffing, "Trust me Kernsson." She asked, "I trusted you at that camp, so trust me when I say I can handle this. I'll be fine."
Kernsson rolled his eyes before an assessing look crossed his face, "Fine, this is your show recruit. You take command and let's see how you do."
Ignoring Jeyne's protests Jai vowed, "You won't regret it." surprising even herself with how much she actually wanted to prove that vow true.
Her face going blank Jai fell into the role of someone in charge with all the ease of her two and a half centuries of experience. Pivoting on one heel with a crunch of gravel Jai began barking orders, "Soldiers! I want everyone in formation! Mesmer! Conjure up an Ebonhawke strike team and send it in when everyone is ready. I want archers at the sides of the entrance and everyone to stay just off to the side, we don't know what those Renegades will be blasting out at us so stay out of the danger zone!"
She was met with a chorus of "Yes, sir!" as the hodgepodge team of charr and humans quickly organized themselves as she commanded. Ignoring the near palatable air of surprise behind her the assassin continued, "Once the illusion triggers whatever is waiting for us, I'll be going in to start sabotaging anything I can get my daggers into. Once you hear my signal I want our fighters to come in with archers supplying cover."
Jai looked over her motley crew, she could tell they weren't used to working together but the humans were nodding along to her words and the charr had all their ears pricked towards her showing clear attention being given to the assassin. Leveling her gaze onto the human spellcaster standing apart from the others she asked, "Are you ready?"
The mesmer snapped into a salute, "Ma'am, yes ma'am!"
Smothering the amusement that came from being called 'ma'am' the assassin nodded and ordered everyone to approach the cave and get into formation. Once ready she and everyone else watched as the mesmer focused and began muttering under his breath. Ethereal fuchsia butterflies blinked into existence before flocking together into a believable manifestation of Ebonhawke soldiers. With a slight sheen of sweat now on his brow the mesmer gave a twitch of his wand and the illusionary squad began marching into the entrance of the cave.
Almost instantly massive spheres of metal began shooting out of the cave entrance accompanied with deafening concussive blasts. Beside her Jeyne was wide eyed as she watched the illusion waver like rippled water as the projectiles passed through it. "You were right," She breathed, "The Renegades are ready for us."
Sharp eyes watching for a break in the fire, when an opening was spotted Jai burst into a flurry of movement before she could hear her superior's response. Quickly diving into the shadows the assassin chained her shadow steps together; darting from side to side in the cave entrance she steeled herself against the vertigo of constantly entering from one wall to the other and having to readjust her spatial awareness on the drop of a coin. There was one close call, a projectile from their strange large ground-mounted guns missed her by a mere few inches and she could feel the sheer force with which it moved nearly knocking her off course before she dove back into the shadows. Finally appearing behind one of the charr operating the ground-gun Jai lashed out with one blade.
As the charr dropped to the ground with a deep gouge in her throat the other ground-gun operators turned to look in Jai's direction. Reaching back with her open hand open as though clutching something in a clawed grasp it was quickly filled with a writhing mass of darkness before her arm snapped forward and the unnatural darkness erupted in the room. Normal assassins were capable of launching shadows at their foes to blind them, but Jai's shadow magics had been exposed to the Ravenheart Gloom. Her shroud of darkness was an impenetrable abyss of pure black that none could see through, but Jai was used to fighting in such darkness.
Her pupil-less eyes darting around as Jai silently conjured her war scythe the demoness easily located her nearest target. The Renegade was panicking, his breath coming out loudly as he tried to find her through smell. Shadowstepping behind him the Renegade only had the time to turn around after hearing her sudden arrival behind him before he was cut open. Making out the rough silhouette of the ground-gun lying next to the body Jai merely swung at the barrel with as much strength as she could muster after infusing her scythe with raw magic. The torment slash ripped its way across the ground-gun, corroding the metal it touched and continuing on to hit a weapon stand caught in the crossfire.
An unseen feral grin overcame Jai's face as she panted from the sudden drop in her magic reserves. As much as she resented what becoming a demon represented, she the few tricks she picked up in the Realm. It also seemed that the taint-restrained torment magic she used against Ulgoth was not a fluke; although it did take a lot out of her. At least this time she wasn't recovering from dying.
And with the shroud of darkness still present she could risk a few more demonic skills and abilities.
Quickly and efficiently working her way from Renegade to Renegade caught in her cloud of darkness Jai made to cut down as many as she could with her scythe before it faded. Distantly she could hear a deep voice call out, "Open fire! My mother sends assassins!"
Assuming the voice to be Ajax; Jai couldn't hold back the cold chuckle as she quickly dismissed her scythe and drew her blades just as the blackness vanished, leaving her in the center of a row of corpses. Around her she could see several Renegades with their guns aimed at her but Jai only had eyes on the obvious leader. "Just one?!" he snarled. "Kill her!"
Cocking her head to one side Jai decided to give her signal, "NOW!"
A massive blast of a war horn sounded from the cave entrance accompanied by a roar of charr and human alike as her squad charged into the fray. The charr warriors easily swinging their massive greatswords and cutting down any that stood in their way as the human archers picked off any Renegades at a distance. Kernsson himself had a war horn still in hand as he threw himself into the fight, quickly cutting his way over to Jai. "Good work with the cannons, though you nearly gave me a heart attack disappearing like that." He told her.
Nodding with a jerk of her head Jai refocused on the leader, "Surrender or die." She stated.
Ajax however just growled at her, "Whipped dogs. I shall never bend my knee!"
"…So be it."
And with that she pounced; one second she was by Kernsson's side and the next she was behind Ajax blades raised, the charr was ready for her however. Twisting around with surprising quickness considering the muscle bound form of the charr warrior Jai was unprepared for the massive armored elbow that hit her directly in the chest. Sent back several feet and wheezing the assassin was dazed as she clumsily tried to get back to her feet before Ajax attacked her again. She had just rolled onto her back when she saw a massive broadsword rapidly approaching her.
Eyes going wide Jai pushed against the dirt below her and rolled over just in time as the massive blade cut deep into the ground where she had been moments before. Quickly pivoting on an elbow Jai managed to get into a crouch before having to jerk her head back to avoid a swipe of claws. Clenching her jaw in frustration at the relentless assault that persisted from Ajax even as the charr worked to pull his massive blade from where it had gotten stuck in the ground Jai decided to go on the offence.
Dropping one blade and reaching out to hold the arm that had lashed out at her with his claws Jai held it in an outstretched position. She caught a brief look of surprise on Ajax's face as she held firm against the charr's strength the assassin's other blade flared a bloody red as she saturated it with her favored corrosive poison hex and stabbed it directly into the exposed gap in Ajax's armor where his armpit was. The charr let out a blood curdling yowl as Jai ripped the blade out causing blood to begin pouring freely from the wound as she followed it up with a wild kick to the ribs. The force of her blow paired with the pain of the wound and poison made Ajax's grip on his blade lax, and he lost his grip on it as he was sent an arm's length from Jai.
Blowing a few loose strands of hair out of her eyes Jai stood up. "Tell Almorra she's a coward who cannot face her own blood in battle." She heard Ajax growl at her, blood bubbling from his lips as the charr coiled in on himself before springing towards Jai with claws outstretched.
The assassin had seen that coming though. She knew how to read muscle movements on even the most grotesquely shaped monstrosities, and Jai could see Ajax's pounce before it ever happened. Ducking under the claws Jai held on to the one blade she still had with both hands and thrust it up as hard as she could. The magical steel punctured through Ajax's armor like a hot knife through butter as it pierced his heart. The charr was dead before he even hit the ground with a heavy thud, Jai's blade still lodged in his chest up to its hilt.
Around her Jai could hear the sounds of fighting winding down, she did jump slightly when a large hand settled onto her head. Looking up to see a grim faced Kernsson Jai stated blandly, "Hey."
"Glad to see you still in one piece." Her superior praised before casting a critical eye over her, "You okay?"
Pushing the norn's large hand off her head and ignoring the small pang of disappointment as the warmth faded Jai mumbled, "M'm fine."
Kernsson opened his mouth to say something but another voice chimed in, "I suppose I should thank you."
Turning her head to the new voice Jai gave Jeyne a curious look which prompted the woman to continue, "They were ready for us, had cannons and everything." She looked over to the milling soldiers as they began patching each other up, "Instead of only minor injuries I'm sure we would have had a few casualties if it weren't for the Vigil."
Beside her Jai heard Kernsson let out a rumbling chuckled, "No. They just thought they were ready for us. They couldn't stand against the Vigil."
"Especially you recruit." Kernsson said suddenly with a few heavy handed pats on her back, each one pushing Jai forward slightly as she stared at him in bug-eyed surprise, "You did well, recruit. You learn quickly, you adapt, and you know when to put hammer to steel. I'll admit, Almorra kinda twisted my arm to take you on. Said you were special." He chuckled, a warm smile on his face, "And damned if you didn't live up to every word she said and then some. You aren't like the rest of these young'uns hanging around the order. I'm field-promoting you to Crusader... but don't let it go to your head."
Jai just gaped, "Wha-?" and then what he said finally clicked, "No! no no no no no nonononono." She babbled, "After just one mission?! Are you mad? –Don't answer that." She sighed, rubbing her temples to stave of the headache now making itself known. Her exhaustion was finally setting in, having skipped sleeping the previous night and now this current fight Jai could feel her body losing its fight to stay active and it was making her snappish, "It's only my second day in the Vigil, not only that but you trust me already with a position like that? And after just one mission?!"
"Jai," the sound of her name made the assassin's eyes snap open, "Remember when you asked why you skipped basic? It's the same reason. You've commanded troops before; you've faced adverse odds enough to come up with a plan to overcome it as easy as breathing. Pair that with everything else I've learned about you these past two days… you deserve this promotion."
"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly, "I don't want this, I don't want any spotlight, but… if I get promoted won't I also get reassigned? I just started liking you, you old grump."
"I'm very sure."
Sighing once more Jai gave in, "Very well then Warmaster, I accept." And then, just to get her own slight petty revenge for springing the promotion on her Jai shot Kernsson a cheeky lopsided grin, "Be careful with the praise though Kernsson, people might start thinking we're friends."
The swat on the back of her head came quick and sharp, "Worth it~!" "Don't get cheeky with me kid, what I mean is- good work. And call me Forgal; none of this 'Kernsson' business, I think you've earned it."
"Thank you, Forgal." She said, and honestly meant it. "I'd actually miss you if I get reassigned."
"Bah," Forgal suddenly burst out, shaking his head, "Enough gooey crap, let's get back to Fort Marriner and report to Almorra. I need a drink."
"Yeah," Jai said with a wide yawn, "I'm ready to drop like a potato sack." And with that she started walking out the cave. "Not surprising really," she thought to herself, "Soon as I don't have a reason to stay awake suddenly my lack of sleep all catches up with me. Looks like last night was the final straw after a series of sleepless nights full of nightmares. I suppose that habit won't leave me."
"Kid? You alright?"
Jai waved him off, "M'm fine." But her feet were dragging.
The assassin snapped back to awareness when her feet suddenly left the ground, she had her blades in her hands and had jerked back from whatever had a hold on her waist when she realized it was just Forgal. Jai had gone stiff as a plank of wood as the large norn hoisted her up and over his shoulder, "Get some sleep kid. I forgot you kept watch all night last night." She could almost feel the frown, "I should have made sure you got some rest before we went after those Renegades. But you just kept going…"
"Not your fault," She muttered, "I never sleep well anyway. I have nightmares, bad ones."
The hand on her back tightened slightly before relaxing, "You're safe now kid so catch some shut eye. Sometimes I'd swear you're more of a veteran than I."
The irony of what Forgal just said was too much; a slightly unhinged giggle escaped her.
"There's an inside joke in that demented giggle, I just know it."
She giggled even more before she let herself succumb to sleep.
ooo
It was noisy.
That was Jai's only real thought as she sat at a table in a corner at the bar located in Fort Marriner. Forgal had carried her all the way back to the fort and dropped her off at a barracks cot to sleep off her exhaustion while he went to report to the general. She was honestly surprised to wake up later that night with a note under her pillow letting her know that she had some leave time as a reward for her good work, and despite the late hour Jai was too awake to go back to sleep. So she had gone looking for Forgal, he was the only one she knew in all of Lion's Arch and hoped he could give her something to do or at least help her find a library.
Instead she was found wandering aimlessly by a few recruits who then proceeded to drag her off to the bar under the pretense of "Surviving Forgal" and "Initiation" as they called it. They had grabbed a table and introduced her to the other Vigil soldiers and patrons as the latest victim of Warmaster Forgal and a mug of ale was pressed into her limp hands. Jai still didn't know how she ended up at the table with drunk unconscious recruits she still didn't know the names of all around her. Looking down at the single cup she had held onto for the duration of the fiasco only to see it still filled to the brim she grimaced.
"I'm surprised to see you up and about."
Head jerking up to see her superior standing before her Jai stumbled out of her seat with a hasty bow. "Warmaster."
Forgal's lips twitched with a grin, "At ease kid. And what did I tell you about that bowing?"
Grinning at the banter she responded, "To do it more often, sir."
The old norn just rolled his eyes at her reply, but from his still present grin Jai knew he hadn't really expected any other answer. "So what are you doing with all these slobs?"
"Honestly?" She stated with a scrunched nose, "I have no idea, they just dragged me here to congratulate me on 'surviving a mission with the 'Old Grump'."
"'Old Grump' eh? I think a nice early morning run will do their hangovers good, don't you?"
Jai's grin turned a bit vindictive, "Oh yes and perhaps a nice loud horn call to wake them up, in the same room they sleep in. And make sure they run past the market district, I hear that loud noises help hangovers."
Her words were met with loud guffaws, "Kid, that's one hellish vindictive streak in you."
"You have no idea sir." She teased, "So what brings you here?"
"Looking for you actually. Want to go somewhere quieter?" he said with a nod at the door.
Nodding along Jai picked up her cup and followed the norn out the door and even out the fort as they walked in silence toward a short ledge. Approaching the edge of the wall Forgal sat down with his legs dangling over the edge and motioned for her to join him. For a moment they just sat in silence, Jai staring up at the stars as she idly fiddled with her mug. "So where am I getting assigned?"
"Hmm?"
Jai cast a sidelong glance to the old Warmaster who was taking a drink of his own mug. "I got promoted, it stands to reason that I'd be reassigned somewhere that'd make me useful."
Forgal slowly lowered his mug, "About that." He shifted, "I requested that we be permanently assigned together."
Her fingers stopped tracing the rim of her mug.
"I don't have time to break in anyone else and... All right, I admit it. We work well together." He said in a rush, "If you don't want to be partners I understand-"
"No!" Jai blurted out, "I don't- I- I want to stay partners." She sighed, "I like working with you. It's just-"
Tightening her grip on her mug Jai had to take a deep breath, three days, just three days and the norn beside her was destroying all her expectations, all her walls and it confused her so much. Jai thought it'd be easier to just forget her past, to bury it and forget it ever happened. "I couldn't have been more wrong."
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do." She said frustrated, "For all my life I've had a goal, I had something to go after. Then I was sent here and told to just live? I don't know what I was thinking, keep my head low, and just hope people don't bother me? I don't even know why I'm fighting, I just keep doing it because I have no damn clue how to do anything else." Jai took a deep breath, "I shouldn't be here, I don't belong. Not in Tyria, not in- not back home, not wherever. I just shouldn't be here."
Jai was tired. She had been hiding ever since she could remember, hiding her roots as Am Fah, and hiding what she had done in Cantha. Those she worked with in the Realm knew of her, or rather who she was related to and what she had done during Nightfall. But she never told anyone, anyone who knew was either there when it happened or was told by someone other than her. She wanted someone she could finally just trust. Jai wanted to be the one to confide in someone, she had done it a bit with Genzhou but it wasn't everything.
"I- I don't even know how to explain…everything. It's just- so difficult, and I'm so afraid." She whispered as a shudder wracked her frame. "I want to trust but I just don't know."
"What I'm trying to say is I want to trust you. But can I?" Jai asked rhetorically, "A large part of me is screaming 'no!', that I can't trust someone I've known for barely three days –three!- when people I have known for years turned on me just for finding out whom I'm related to, never mind that I had just found out myself." Jai felt her eyes begin burning as she thought of her classmates from Shing Jea, many of whom she was loosely affiliated with only due to intersecting classes but others, Danika, Lucas, Nika, they had all immediately distanced themselves from her after she killed Shiro the first time. They never got back in contact before Jai was lost to the Realm. "And my cursed bloodline pales in comparison to…this." She gestured vaguely to herself.
Wiping her eyes on her gloves Jai swallowed thickly, "You said I destroyed your expectations, well you fucking blew mine out of the water. Nobody ever asked 'what happened' to me, it was always 'what did you do', that I somehow deserved what happened." She looked up to Forgal, stared right into his eyes, "You were the first to say that I was a victim as well."
Sniffling Jai looked back down at her ale, still untouched. Taking a deep chug and coughing as it burned down her throat Jai continued, "Ask me anything, if it's a yes or no question I'll answer honestly. No deflection, no half-truths." Cocking her head to one side she carefully studied Forgal's blank face, "Deal?"
The norn looked down at his half-drunk mug of ale and with a pensive face finished it off. "I'm getting too old for this." He muttered, "This…this is big, or deep, or- bah. If you don't know how to explain it then damn if I can. You remind me of my daughter." He sighed, "She'd would have been about your age by now, and you both have that fire in you. That drive to see things though with your own two hands, that stubbornness in face of any consequences." Forgal let out an empty chuckle, "Raven's wings, you both even have the same cheeky grin!"
"Sometimes I could swear you were my cub back from the Mists. And sometimes you feel just as insubstantial as a ghost, like if I say one wrong word you'll vanish into those shadows you're so fond of and just never come back out."
Jai shifted uncomfortably, the norn's words striking too close to the truth and also unsure of how to react to the apparent similarities she had with his daughter. "You're not wrong…" She admitted softly.
Forgal leaned forward on his knees, cradling his head in his hands. "Raven grant me wisdom. I want to say you can trust me, we're partners now for Bear's sake! But I understand why you're cautious, and to think what happened to you could happen to someone else-"
"No," Jai growled out, "I made sure that it stopped."
Her superior paused, "Good, just wish I had a crack at them myself."
Jai huffed, "No you don't, or shouldn't. I wouldn't wish my fate on anyone."
"So something did happen to you." Forgal sighed as he leaned back. "At this rate I don't know if I even want to know."
She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, "Well, you're already smarter than I was. If-" Jai hesitated, "If you don't want to know, I can go. I can just leave, you'll never see me again and you can pretend I never existed."
Forgal's large hand reached out to her with lightning quickness, he latched on to her arm so fast that she couldn't help but just stare at it in surprise, "I didn't mean it like that."
"He's trying to stop me from possibly shadow stepping away…" Jai realized.
"Whatever happened to you was big wasn't it? Just knowing what I do now has changed my thinking on some things and the more I find out the more I won't be able to look at the world the same way will I?" He asked.
Seriously considering it Jai hung her head, "Yeah, you probably wouldn't."
They both fell silent, the only sound were the crickets chirping.
"That deal still open?"
Looking up at the norn with her jaw open Jai closed it with a loud snap. "Ye-yeah."
"Okay then, are you going to finish that?" he asked, pointing at her still mostly full mug of ale.
With a cheeky grin on her face Jai just offered it to the norn who finished it off. "I really needed that."
"Are you human?"
"No."
"Were you once human?"
A very soft, very small grin appeared on her face, "Yes."
"Does the term 'Inquest' mean anything to you?" Forgal asked hesitantly.
Frowning Jai searched through her memory, "No, never even heard of them."
The sudden relieved sigh Forgal let out made her curious but she didn't ask. "You're taking this quite well." She prompted.
"It's the ale. Although at this rate I'm going to need a whole lot more." He cast a disappointed look at the empty mug in his hand, "What do you think about Dolyaks?"
Humming thoughtfully Jai retorted, "That's not a yes or no question."
Forgal cuffed her over the head, "Cheeky whelp, do you like dolyaks?"
Laughing at the question Jai asked back, "Dunno, never really encountered them."
"Blasphemy! As the son of the last Dolyak shaman I must correct that." Forgal teased.
A massive weight lifted off Jai's heart. It took everything she had not to just stare and marvel at the norn beside her.
"Do you like grawl?"
Jai laughed, feeling freer than she had in centuries.
April 19, 2016
Words: 16,401
Pages: 32
AN:
-Hey! So sorry for such a late chapter but college was a sucker punch to the gut this semester, and added to that I got a job. Plus I got involved in Diablo III and well….let's not go down that rabbit hole shall we?
- P.S. Please please please review, it makes my heart and soul sing with joy. Seriously, review, I'd love to hear what you think will happen, what you think of my OC, and how I'm doing. Have any head-cannons with Jai? Share them!
