Chapter 8: Bell
Abel sat in a stunned silence in the inn's lobby, until Holly found him. After snapping him out of his stupor and gathering the others, Abel relayed the information he received from Vargo.
"So," Lailah began, "Mr. Vargo is using you as… bait?"
"Well, I'm not the bait," Abel replied. "The bait is this fake artifact Vargo says he found."
"Ruthless and efficient. Exactly what I'd expect from a businessman at Vargo's level," Raine said, leaning back in her seat. "I'm surprised he hasn't tried it before now."
"And you're going along with this?" the priestess asked.
Abel averted his gaze. "I don't think I have much of a choice about that." He raised his head. "But, I won't be alone. Vargo said some of his men will be with me."
"What about us? What will we be doing?" Holly asked.
"I… don't know…" Abel confessed. Bringing them along was the most sensible option, but…
"I say we let Blue handle things on his own," Raine said, before standing abruptly. "Well, if that's all you had to say, then I'm going back to sleep while my bed's still warm," she added, walking toward the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Lailah said. "We're in the middle of a discussion here."
"What's left to discuss?" the witch asked in turn. "We know what the plan is. The Ghost doesn't strike two days in a row, and Vargo's trying to lure him to his villa." She stopped, and looked back when she reached the landing of the stairs. "Besides, after what happened last night, I'm sure Blue's itching to smash that thief's face in. It'll look bad for him if he can't get revenge on his own." With that, she continued up the stairs.
Paying the Ghost back was the furthest thing from Abel's mind. But it seemed Lailah felt otherwise. She looked Abel's way, although he could tell that the priestess wasn't looking at him. "Your Grace? I trust you'll watch out for Abel, this time?"
Niel emerged briefly, hands on her hips, and said indignantly, "What do you mean 'this time?' But if it makes you feel better, I give you my solemn vow."
The exchange passed Abel by without his noticing. He was still thinking about what Lailah and the others should be doing. He wasn't sure what he should be doing. He needed some time on his own, to sort out his thoughts. So, he stood up as well. "I think Raine has the right idea. I have a feeling the night after tomorrow is gonna be a long one. So I should try to get some rest while I can."
Abel headed to the stairs as well. Lailah called after him, "Well, don't spend all day sleeping. It's not good for you."
Abel returned to his room without acknowledging the priestess, and threw himself down on his bed. After rolling over and staring up at the ceiling for several moments, he asked aloud, "Niel? …Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"What about?" she asked in turn.
"I… I need advice."
The angel emerged, looking down at the young man. "Well, this is unusual. I don't think you've asked me for advice before now." She fluttered to the headboard, seating herself on it. "But, providing counsel is part of my responsibilities. So, what's bothering you?"
"I…" Abel hesitated. He had so much he felt he needed to say, but he had no idea where to begin.
Niel, however, seemed to already know what he was thinking. "I'm guessing it has something to do with this plan Vargo's put together."
"It does. I…" He sighed. "I don't like it. When we first met, Vargo said I could stop the Ghost by whatever means I saw fit, but… I don't think that's true. I think… I think he wants me to kill her." Abel couldn't help but shudder, after putting his fear into words.
"Is that really a problem?" the angel asked casually. "It isn't like you haven't killed people before now."
"I know. But this… something about it…" Abel knew he had little room to object. As Niel said, he'd taken human lives before. But that was to protect himself, his friends. This didn't feel the same. It felt more like he was… being used. That in killing the Ghost, he was tying off a loose end on Vargo's behalf.
That something more than a human life would be lost.
But what Niel asked next caught him off-guard: "It's because that girl is the Ghost, isn't it?"
Abel bolted upright, looking at the angel in stunned silence. When he found his words, all he could manage was, "But- …how…?"
Niel crossed one leg over the other. "The scarf, the physique, the calluses on the fingertips of her right hand… I know how to spot fine details. Your visit with the satyr just told me that you figured it out for yourself."
Abel had noticed the scarf, but not the other details. And he'd only just made the connection. How long had Niel known? And perhaps more importantly, if he hadn't figured it out, at what point would she have decided to tell him? But he had to brush that thought aside. "There's more to all of this than what we see right now. It feels like… like Vargo's hiding something." He turned his gaze to the window. "When I was tracking the Ghost a few days ago, and she got the drop on me, she told me something. She said that Vargo wasn't the victim in this."
Niel looked at Abel with a decidedly unimpressed expression. "Have you considered the possibility that she might have been lying to manipulate you?" she asked. "There are people in this world that will convince you that they're your ally, use you to achieve whatever goal they seek, and cast you aside the moment you're not useful to them anymore."
People like Vargo? Abel almost asked. But he held his tongue.
"The world can be a cold, uncaring place…" she continued, before looking Abel in the eye. "…But, you already know that."
Abel did. The scar on his side was proof of that, the culmination of sixteen years of the world's indifference to his pain. He winced slightly, as the scar began aching again. But…
He put a hand over his still aching side. "I… don't know why the Ghost… why Seth hates Vargo so much. But if I kill her, or if Vargo's men get to her before me, her reasons die with her. Can't I… can't I at least ask her why? Is that… asking for too much?"
Niel didn't answer.
Abel swung his feet over the side of the bed. "I'm gonna look for her."
"And what exactly are you going to do when you find her?" she asked harshly as he walked to the door. "Are you going to warn her about Vargo's plan?"
Abel stopped, but didn't look back. "If she leaves, if she disappears one day and never comes back… then that should satisfy Mr. Vargo, right? All he said was to stop her from interfering with his guild. She can't do that if she leaves the city."
Niel flapped her wings, and flew across the room, stopping in the air next to Abel. "Did you forget what I told you before we left Hokes? You can't negotiate your way out of every confrontation."
Abel turned to the angel for a moment. "I remember. And, you're probably right." He turned back to the door. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."
Stepping out of his room, Abel focused, letting the faint pull on his amulet direct him. He followed it out of the inn, down Lohan's central thoroughfare, all the way to the harbor, where the smell of salt scraped against the inside of his nostrils like a stiff brush. He'd seen the sea from the Abbey, but up close it seemed far grander: an endless blue plain that melded with the distant horizon, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
And sitting on the end of an empty stone pier, looking out over that vast mirror, her tattered red scarf flowing in the wind, was…
He approached. If she knew he was there, she didn't react. "Seth."
The brown-haired girl finally looked back at him. Her eyes briefly fell on his pendant, which was still pointing at her. "…I see. That's how you managed to track me the other day." She began to stand, her hand drifting up behind her back, as if reaching for a weapon. "So, is this the part where you arrest me? Drag me in front of Vargo and claim my bounty?"
Abel stammered. "No, I- …I didn't come here to fight you."
The thief narrowed her eyes at him. "Then why are you here?"
"I…" The words Abel wanted to say seemed to jam in his throat. Why was this suddenly so difficult? "…why… are you doing all of this? Did… Vargo do something to you? Or someone important to you?"
"Go back to the Temple of Bacchus and take a good long look at Notte," she replied, still glaring. "You'll find all my reasons there."
Notte? Was… Vargo somehow responsible for what happened to her? But he had come here for a reason. "Vargo… is putting out a rumor that he has a valuable artifact at his villa. But it isn't true! It's just-"
"I know."
Abel actually stumbled back, as if struck by the words themselves. "You… you know? Then, you won't go to Vargo's villa… right? I think… I think he's really trying to kill you."
Seth's face set itself in a grim expression. "I'm fully prepared for that outcome. I knew that was a possibility from the very beginning." She then looked away, turning her gaze to the ocean. "Anyway, I have something to say, since you saved me the trouble of looking for you: stay away from the villa. You're not like the rest of Vargo's men. Someone like you is too good to be working under someone like him."
It would be a lie to say that Abel did not consider that possibility. But if he were to defy Vargo, the older man would surely retaliate. Perhaps he would go after Lailah and the others, or the demi-humans at the Farm. Perhaps he would target Abel himself. But whatever form his retribution took, Vargo made it abundantly clear that he would tolerate no defiance against his orders.
So, with a lump of ice in his stomach, Abel replied, "If you know that I'm working for Vargo… then you know I can't do that."
Seth looked back to Abel, giving him another cold glare. "Then this conversation is over." She swiftly walked past him, not sparing even a glance in his direction.
He reached for her, but she darted forward, out of his reach. Abel stood, watching her walk away, still reaching out for her, until she vanished behind a passing wagon. Abel swallowed, before making the long walk back to the inn. He knew better than to try and follow her.
He failed. He had hoped that he could convince Seth, but words had never been his specialty. What should he do now? He could tell Miss Marsya. If he couldn't convince her, then maybe…
But he shook his head. No. What kind of Hero would he be if he relied on others to resolve all the challenges he came across for him? Niel's words after the lizardman hunt echoed in his head: The point of this journey is for Abel to become strong enough to face the Overlord on his own. Raine was right, but not in the way she intended- Abel didn't care about revenge, but he did need to resolve this matter on his own.
Diplomacy had failed.
He could only hope his sword wouldn't.
She thought the two days would drag on forever. But it seemed that in the blink of an eye, she was standing on the roof of a manor house in the inner district, looking down upon Vargo's villa.
Her breaths were short, and shallow. After so many months, after all the preparation and scouting and information collecting, it was almost over. All her efforts had culminated into this moment.
For so many months, she had told herself that no price was too high to see Vargo brought to justice, even her own life. But it seemed that now that the end was in sight, fate felt it necessary to place a stumbling block in her path.
A stumbling block named Abel.
She didn't blame him for opposing her. He didn't know. He couldn't have known. She wondered, and not for the first time, what sort of threat Vargo had hung over his head to ensure his compliance. Whatever it was, he'd still come to warn her of the danger. She'd heard the stories, just like anyone else, but after the raw, unmitigated cruelty she'd seen with her own eyes, at the hands of her own father, her belief in the gods and their Heroes had been shattered forever. Or, so she'd thought. But protecting her, saving Notte, warning her of Vargo's plan… with his every action, he slowly pulled those many fragments of hope back together.
…Disappearing would be a simple affair. The appropriate people had been informed. She could simply back away, here and now, meld into the darkness, and let the flow of justice take its course.
But… she knew better than that. Vargo could argue that the evidence against him had been forged. Or simply throw money at the problem until it was buried and forgotten entirely. So long as there was even the slightest chance that Kamash Vargo could slip away from justice's grasp, the Ghost would have to remain. She would have to remain, casting an inescapable shadow over him.
She shook her head, pushing his deeds from her mind. She couldn't believe that she was letting his words get to her.
She reminded herself that if they crossed paths in that villa, it would be as enemies.
Seth closed her eyes, and put on the mask. When she opened them, she would no longer be Seth, but the Ghost of Lohan.
But it was not the Ghost of Lohan who opened her eyes. It was not the Ghost of Lohan who evaded the guards, unlatched an unguarded window, and slipped into the villa. And it was not the Ghost of Lohan that Kamash Vargo found standing before him, when a scuffling sound drew his attention from the documents he was reviewing in his study.
Just a girl in a mask.
"...I don't know," one of the soldiers said. He had brown hair cropped short, his lip twisted by an old scar. "Ermisian girls are always too stiff for my liking. That's why I left."
"Around the capital, maybe. They get looser the further south you go," a second soldier said. This one was younger, with long golden hair. "Now if you wanna talk about stiff women, Proser… er, folks from Proserpina got some fancy name they call themselves. And their women about as stiff as you can get. Practically have iron rods crammed so far up their arses I'm amazed they can bend over."
A third soldier looked over- his hair was grey, and more than a few of his teeth were missing. "Proségasque. And that you can say that so confidently just shows how little of the world you've actually seen." The man looked Abel's way. "What about you? You ever had a woman?"
"You kidding? Kid probably never even seen a woman before coming to Lohan," the blond soldier said.
"You forget about the four that were hangin' off of him when he first got here?" the scarred soldier said in turn. "Though it looks like he lost one somewhere."
"Would you keep it down? This is supposed to be an ambush." The other soldiers were glared down by a fourth- tall, bald, with many scars over his scalp.
The day after their meeting, at sunset, Abel had come to Vargo's villa as instructed. After being introduced to the men that would assist him, Vargo led him to a small storeroom at one of the corners of the villa. There, the five had waited for the Ghost to fall into their trap. To pass the time, the soldiers boasted about their travels and the various women they'd… "had" across the continent. Abel wasn't quite sure what they meant, but he couldn't help but be reminded of the woodcutters in Seles, who regularly boasted about their plans to visit the Temple of Eros in Lohan and "buy" a woman for a night with their pay.
A ticking device hanging on one of the walls measured the time as it passed: one hour. Then two. Then three.
"This sure is takin' a while," the scarred soldier said. "You don't think the Ghost sniffed us out do you?"
The bald soldier didn't answer. He was looking at the wall, or perhaps, through it, to something only he could see. "No," he finally said. "He's here. I can feel it in my gut." He stood. "Traibe, you stay here in case the Ghost swings by. Galba, Balamb, Hero, we're gonna fan out and search the rest of the villa. Give a shout if you find anything."
Abel and the three soldiers left the storeroom and split up to search the villa. The young man felt very out of place amongst the rich paintings and inscrutable sculptures that lined seemingly every wall. He stopped to inspect one- an image of rolling, grass-covered hills made of seemingly hundreds of broken pieces of tile, set directly into the wall. Was this the kind of thing rich people liked? He had no way to know. No one in Seles could truly be called wealthy.
Abel's meandering thoughts were pulled back to the task at hand when he heard two voices drifting down the hallway from up ahead. They were faint and unintelligible at first, but as he drew closer, the voices became more distinct. Eventually, he heard Vargo ask, "…so why are you here this time? To kill me?"
"No," a gruff girl's voice replied. One Abel recognized. "Killing you is too merciful. Not after what you've done."
"And what, precisely, would that be?"
"You know full well. As do I. And soon, the whole world will know, too."
Abel finally came to a stop in front of a door. The voices were loudest in front of it. And it was slightly ajar. He peered into the crack between the door and its frame: his entire field of view was blocked by a silver-haired figure dressed in black, a bow slung over her back.
"Ah, blackmail," Vargo said from somewhere behind the figure. "So that's what this is about. I've dealt with your kind before. Messily, I should add."
"The only thing I want from you is to see you in chains," the Ghost of Lohan snapped back. "And with the evidence I've gathered, that will become a reality very soon."
Something gripped Abel's shoulder. He jumped, reaching for his sword, when the bald soldier's voice growled, "Hold it." He pushed Abel aside and peered into the crack as well, before saying, "Damn. Can't believe we didn't prepare for this. But we won't let him slip away. On my mark, we'll rush in and take the Ghost down. Got it?" The scarred soldier and the grey-haired soldier replied in the affirmative, and the three stacked behind the door.
Inside the room, Abel heard Vargo say, "Oh really? And whose word do you expect the world to believe? The word of Kamash Vargo, leader of the wealthiest trade guild in Lohan… or the inane ramblings of a dead thief?"
"I'm not dead yet, Vargo. And I think you'll find my words have quite a lot of weight behind them." The Ghost reached up, pulling away her mane of silver hair, exposing much shorter brown hair underneath. She then reached up, and removed her mask.
"Go, now!" the bald soldier ordered.
The other mercenaries burst into the room. "Hold it right the-" the grey haired soldier shouted, before cutting himself off. Then he stammered, "What- Madame Bell!?"
Abel shouldn't have been surprised to see Seth's face beneath the mask as she looked to the door, glaring. Yet, he was surprised all the same. But there was something odd as his gaze darted between her and Vargo. Their eyes, their foreheads, the shape of their noses and jawlines… they looked very similar to each other. Almost like…
"Wait, who's that?" the blonde soldier asked in a low voice.
"That's… Madame Bell, Mr. Vargo's daughter," the bald soldier whispered back. "But I thought she was sent abroad for schooling…"
Daughter? Vargo never said anything about having a daughter. And while he'd passed a few portraits of women while searching the villa, none looked even remotely like Seth.
"This girl is no longer any daughter of mine," Vargo said coldly, rising to his feet. "She has disgraced my house."
"If seeing demi-humans as equals is a disgrace in your eyes then I want no part of your house," Seth replied coldly, never taking her eyes off the mercenaries in front of her.
Vargo turned his back to Seth. "I've already had this debate with you. And I have no interest in repeating it. Men, kill her."
"But sir-" the scarred soldier began.
He glanced back with a withering glare. "Are you going to do the job I paid you to or not?"
The bald soldier quickly drew his sword without a second thought. With some hesitation, the others did the same. Seth raised her bow, eyes darting between the soldiers and a nearby window as she pulled an arrow from a quiver on her belt.
Abel felt his stomach clench. He was right. Vargo really intended to kill the Ghost. The Ghost, who was also Seth, and apparently his own daughter on top of that. He gripped the hilt of his sword, but didn't draw it, beads of cold sweat tracing down his face as his mind scrambled to find a solution.
"Abel," Niel said into his ear. "Do you still want to save that girl?"
"What, Niel?" Abel asked in a low voice.
"It's like you said- if she dies, her reasons for doing all of this die with her. But there is a way to save her."
"How?"
"I have an idea. But you'll owe me for this."
Abel wasn't sure what being indebted to an angel would entail. But that was a question that could be answered another time. "Do whatever you have to."
Niel didn't respond. Instead, a blinding golden light began to shine from behind Abel. Everyone in the room staggered from the light. Abel tried to look at its source. What he saw wasn't the tiny blue-haired woman he knew. In fact, what he saw couldn't even be described as human. Through the light, all he could see was a pair of golden rings, each the size of a wagon wheel, one inside the other, rotating and whirling endlessly.
"Stay your weapons," Niel said. Abel didn't hear the angel's words so much as feel them in his bones- the villa shook down to its foundation with her every word, their meaning imprinting themselves directly into his mind. "I am an angel of Lord Ilias, come to deliver a message from on high."
Everyone froze. Even Abel remained rooted in place. But not Vargo. "What? What trickery is this!?"
But Niel ignored the older man's words. "Hero. Bring the one known as the Ghost of Lohan to the Pioneer's Cathedral. She is to be held in the custody of the Archbishop until the Church may pass its judgment upon her."
Vargo stepped forward, fist raised. "What? This isn't what he agreed to! I want her head!"
"Did you not yourself say that so long as the Ghost can no longer threaten your guild, you would be satisfied regardless of Abel's means?" Niel thundered. Vargo opened his mouth as if to snap back, but said nothing. Several moments of silence passed before Niel spoke again. "The Ghost of Lohan is to be delivered to the cathedral. So decrees Chief God and Celestial Master Lord Ilias. Defy Her at your peril."
Vargo glared at the whirling light that was Niel, before finally turning his gaze to Abel, glaring in silence. Vargo's men, and Seth, looked to him as well, as if expecting Abel to say something. In fairness, he was responsible for this turn of events, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that.
Abel wasn't sure how long he stood, simply waiting for something to happen. Then, through gritted teeth, Vargo finally spoke:
"…Take her, then."
Abel skittered toward Seth, grabbing her by the forearm. "Well you heard the angel. You're coming with me," he said with a shaky voice. He drew his sword, pointing it at the other men in the room as he put himself between them and Niel, before retreating, sword still raised. When he left the room, the golden light Niel emitted finally faded away.
"What do you think you're doing?" Seth asked harshly as Abel led her through the villa. Despite her tone, she didn't try to break out of his grasp.
"I'm trying to save you," Abel replied bluntly.
"I didn't ask to be rescued."
"I could just smite you here and now if you want," Niel said after darting to Abel's side. "I'm sure Vargo wouldn't have any complaints about that."
"Niel…" Abel said harshly, before turning his attention back to Seth. "…Raine was right. Vargo's doing something illegal, isn't he? And you're gonna tell me exactly what that is."
Seth didn't answer as the two passed through the villa's front doors and into the courtyard. A pair of mercenaries were there- they reached for their weapons when they saw Seth, but it seemed they heard Niel's words as well, as they kept their distance. Still, Abel pointed his sword at each of them to ward them away before passing through the villa's outer gate.
Now that they were in the open, Abel turned to face Seth fully. "…well? Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
Seth was silent for several moments. "The cathedral," she finally said. "Bring me there."
"What? No! You're gonna tell me-"
But before Abel could say anything else, Niel fluttered Right up into his face. "Call me crazy, but I really don't think right here is the best time for an interrogation," she said. "Just take her to the cathedral. You can question her all you want once we're out of enemy territory."
Abel looked, seeing the cathedral rising above the line of manors across from Vargo's villa. Though faint, he could see lights inside the stained glass windows- even at this late hour, someone must have been there. So he hurriedly led Seth there, before Vargo had a change of heart and decided capturing her was worth risking an angel's wrath.
Abel climbed the steps leading to the cathedral's entrance, still gripping Seth's forearm tightly. The cathedral may have been a beautiful sight during the day, but in the darkness, it cast an eerie silhouette that loomed menacingly over him, as if he were walking into the open maw of a massive, unknowable beast. Trying his best to push those thoughts aside, he reached up and knocked loudly on the enormous wooden doors. They creaked as one was pulled open a few moments later, but on the other side wasn't Sister Beatrix, or a priest of the Church. Rather, it was a short, silver-haired girl with glasses and a thick, black, long-sleeved shirt that reached her thighs. "Abel?" she asked, before her gaze turned to Seth. "And… who's that?"
Abel blinked in surprise. "Wait, Holly? Why are you here?"
"The Archbishop sent for us. Something happened a few nights ago and she wanted to pass it on to you." The bespectacled girl stepped aside, allowing Abel and Seth to pass. Only once she was through the threshold did he finally let go of her arm.
Just like the outside, the interior of the cathedral had a much more menacing air under the cover of night. Only a handful of lamps around the entrance were lit, shrouding the rest of the building in shadow. But Holly wasn't alone. Lailah and Sister Beatrix were seated in the pews closest to the doors. It seemed almost as if they had been… waiting for Abel to arrive.
The priestess stood and hurried to Abel's side, clad in her blue and white robes rather than her armor. "Abel, there you are." She turned to Seth. "And you're the Ghost of Lohan, I presume?"
Seth folded her arms over her chest and looked away, saying nothing.
Abel took another look around. But his eyes weren't deceiving him- one of his allies was missing. "Where's Raine?"
"She stepped out not long after you left," the priestess replied. "Said it was her way of showing her faith in your ability to get things done." She eyed Seth cautiously. "It seems her faith in you wasn't misplaced."
Sister Beatrix stood and followed the priestess, carrying a lit lamp in her hands. "Lord Abel," she said, before her attention shifted to Seth. "…and, I see you're here as well, Miss Vargo," she asked with unconcealed surprise. "That should save-"
"I told you not to call me that," Seth snapped, interrupting the Archbishop.
All eyes turned to Seth. "So… you really are Vargo's daughter, then," Abel finally said. Despite the resemblance between them, he still didn't quite believe it. But if the Archbishop herself said it was so… "He never mentioned you before…"
Seth sat down at the end of the nearest pew. "I no longer carry the Vargo name. I was disowned and cast out six months ago." With her head hung low, she said, "That's fine with me. He doesn't see me as his family anymore? Well that goes both ways. I don't want anything to do with him, either. Not his household, not his business, not even the name he chose for me." She looked to Abel and the others with cold eyes. "My name is Seth now."
An uncomfortable silence settled for several moments, until it was broken by Lailah. "Um, Your Eminence? I believe you called us here to pass on important information you learned recently. And now that we're all here…"
"Y-Yes, of course," the Archbishop said quickly. "You see, it began two nights ago. I had matters I needed to see to, when Miss- or rather, Seth-" But she was cut off when a firm knock sounded from the cathedral door. She huffed slightly, before approaching the door herself. "I'll answer it. What could it be now?" she asked as pulled the massive wooden door open.
Outside the cathedral door stood an older, silver-haired man, clad in the black leather armor that all Vargo's men wore. "Good evening, Sister," he said in a raspy voice. "We received a report that the Ghost of Lohan is being held here. We'd appreciate it if you would turn her over to us."
Sister Beatrix looked to Seth, then back to the man. "I'm afraid I cannot do that," she replied firmly. "The Ghost has surrendered herself to the Church. So long as she remains inside the cathedral, she is under our custody. And our protection."
"That's a bit of a shame," the silver-haired mercenary said. "See, we all just received an order from Mr. Vargo. All demi-humans in the Farm are to be arrested and detained for harboring a fugitive."
Seth shot up to her feet in an instant. "What?" she said breathlessly.
"Well, that sure got your attention," the mercenary said, looking past the Archbishop. "Come on out, and we won't have to do anything drastic."
Seth turned to the door. But Abel grabbed her arm before she could go. She looked at him, eyes blazing. "Let go."
"No," he replied firmly. "This has to be some kind of trick. There's no way Vargo could do this."
Seth pulled against Abel's grip. "He absolutely would. You don't know him the way I do."
Abel refused to let go. "You can't fight all of Vargo's men by yourself."
"Everything I did was for them. I'm not going to let him destroy everything I worked to protect."
"He'll kill you!"
She finally yanked her wrist out of his grasp. "I already told you," she said. "I'm fully prepared for that outcome." She dashed out the door, easily weaving around the mercenary before he could catch her, and disappeared into the darkness outside the cathedral.
The mercenary looked on after Seth for a moment, before turning back to the door. "Now that wasn't so difficult. And with that I bid you all a good night," he said, before he began following after the thief. There was no urgency to his pursuit. As if he knew that there was no way for her to escape from him.
Abel's feet began carrying him to the door before he realized what he was doing.
"Abel, wait!" Lailah called.
Abel skidded to a halt, and looked back. "Wait for what!?" he snapped. "All I've been doing is waiting! If I don't do something now, then when will I ever?" He turned his back to the priestess. "I'm going. And I'm not letting you stop me!" Before Lailah, or anyone else could stop him, he rushed out of the cathedral, heading to the Farm.
As he ran away from the cathedral, Niel began to say in his head, "Abel, you know-"
"I don't care," he snapped back. The forcefulness in his words surprised even him. "You said yourself the whole point of my journey is to get strong enough to face the Overlord. Well what good is getting stronger if I can't make decisions for myself?"
The angel was silent. If she had a rebuttal, she kept it to herself.
He felt the heat long before seeing the flames, but the glow they put out lit up the night like a little sun. But little could prepare him for the sight waiting for him at the Farm. Angry red flames draped across entire buildings like cloaks, belching columns of smoke that seemed to connect to the black sky overhead like massive, flowing cords. He had to stop- he felt that were he to draw any closer, he'd burst into flames himself. But there had to be something he could do…
"Niel, can you do something about those fires!?" Abel called.
"I think I have something that should work," the angel replied, before darting out of his body and flying high into the air. She held out both hands, and shouted "Aqua Vitae!" A golden ball shot out of her hands and flew into the sky, before bursting, releasing a torrent of water that fell over the city. The fires hissed as the rain fell upon them, and they gradually died away, leaving the Farm in a deep darkness.
"I must admit, I never expected to see you again, especially under circumstances like these," Vargo said.
It didn't take long for Seth to reach the Farm. As she expected, Vargo was there. As were his men. But what she hadn't expected was just how many. There were easily dozens of men, setting homes alight, running down the inhabitants… so it wasn't surprising that she was subdued. Even so, it took five men to hold her down- one for each arm, one on her leg, and two more across her back, and a half-dozen more surrounded them, ready to bar any attempt at escape. But rather than bring a sword across her throat and be done with it, it seemed Vargo had some parting words for his estranged daughter.
"I imagine you have quite a lot to say to me," he said. "And I have a great deal to say to you as well. But in the interest of saving time, let me simply say… thank you."
Seth pushed, but she couldn't overcome the men holding her down. "For what?" she growled.
Vargo looked away, to one of the burning buildings. "This entire experience has taught me something. So long as those like you are there to stand up for them, keeping these animals alive is far more trouble than it's worth. Quite unfortunate- you can't begin to fathom just how profitable they were as a venture." His gaze shifted back to Seth. "But don't worry: once they've been disposed of, you'll be joining them. And I'm certain what losses I incur here can be recouped elsewhere. Redeveloping this district will make a fine start."
Seth bucked against the men holding her down, trying to break their grasp, but to no avail. "I… won't… let you!"
"Dear Bell… you aren't in a position to do anything." Vargo turned. "Be sure to hold her firmly. I want her to see everything that's about to happen."
Suddenly, a scratchy voice rang out over the city: "Aqua Vitae!" There was a flash of golden light, before the district was blanketed by a sudden torrent of rain that quickly smothered the fires and plunged everything into darkness. It was an uproar of confusion among the troops, but it was quickly silenced when Vargo commanded, "Everyone remain calm! This is nothing but a minor setback!"
Footsteps rapidly approached, and Abel skidded to a stop over the slick ground a few feet away from Vargo and Seth. After taking several breaths, he shouted, "What do you think you're doing!?"
Calmly, Vargo wiped the rain out of his face. "Surely, you already heard. The residents of this district are being detained for harboring a known fugitive."
Abel looked around- even with Niel's magic to douse the flames, nearly every building that had once stood in the Farm was reduced to a black husk. But what was even worse were the handful of residents lying motionless in the streets. Even in the dark, and at his distance, he knew that they were dead. At that moment, Niel flitted back to Abel's side. "You have a funny way of arresting people," she said. "I thought the whole point was to bring them in alive."
"They brought that upon themselves by choosing to resist," the older man said firmly. "If they had simply surrendered-"
Abel cut the older man off. "You can't treat them like this!"
"As a matter of fact, I can," the older man replied firmly. "And you'll find that the Church gives me every right to do so." Vargo began to walk forward, as if to pass Abel. "Now be a good boy and stay out of this. And just so you know, you can forget about the reward you were promised." Then he began calling out orders: "Men, get those fires lit again. And make sure that the perimeter-"
Before Vargo could pass, Abel drew his sword, pointing it at the older man.
The older man looked to Abel, eyes blazing in anger. "…And just what do you think you're doing, boy?"
"I'm not letting you do this," Abel said firmly. "You or your men."
Calmly, Vargo walked around Abel's blade. "Your concern should be with the Overlord, boy. Not with a handful of subhumans."
Abel physically stepped into Vargo's path, gritting his teeth. "You too, huh? Another person telling me to mind my own business. Well I'm sick of it!" He stamped his foot in anger. "How can anyone expect me to save the world if they won't let me save people who need help standing right in front of me!?"
Vargo let out a short burst of laughter. "People? You think these animals are people!? They're beneath humanity! A single beggar's life is worth more than every demi-human in this cesspit combined! And you… you would defend them?"
Abel's grip on his sword tightened as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. "From men like you? I would."
Vargo's face contorted with rage, and he stepped back, pointing at Abel. "Fine then! You can die with the rest of these animals! Cut him down!"
The black-clad mercenaries quickly surrounded Abel, weapons drawn- more than a dozen in all. He glared, hands tight on the hilt of his sword, wings of light flickering on his back. Niel remained at his side, light glowing in the palms of her hands. But even so, he was shaking. Even with Niel at his back, he wasn't sure he could win against so many soldiers.
But then, the air was filled with a strange sound. It was quick, but rhythmic and steady, like the pulsing of a massive heart. One of the soldiers in front of Abel looked beyond the young man, his grasp on his sword faltering, and said, "What the hell is that?" The other mercenaries looked in the same direction, instantly becoming wary. Though he was still surrounded, Abel took a risk, and looked back over his shoulder.
Soldiers were marching side-by-side down the street toward them, their formation completely blocking it off. In front were Crusaders in armor of blue and silver, followed by the city watch in their red cloaks. And at the very front of the formation was a brown-haired woman in silver armor, marching alongside a masked woman in robes of black and gold who held a long golden staff in her hands.
"Kamash Vargo!" the Crusader at the front of the formation shouted. "You are to order your men to stand down and disband at once!"
The mercenaries around Abel watched the approaching soldiers, but stood their ground, while Vargo faced them head-on. "What!? Who are you to make demands of me!?"
By the Crusader's order, the formation of soldiers halted. But Sister Beatrix continued on, striding through the circle of mercenaries and up to Vargo swiftly. "By order of the Lord Mayor, Kamash Vargo, I place you under arrest. All under your employ are to stand down and disperse, and all Vargo Group operations within Lohan are hereby suspended."
After a deep breath, Vargo collected himself, and said coolly, "Very well. If you are indeed here to arrest me, then show me your warrant."
"The Lord Mayor himself is currently drafting your warrant as we speak. Until it is complete, he has granted us the authority to detain you," the Archbishop replied, brow furrowed. "I believe this should go without saying, but with your arrest, your authority to apprehend the Ghost of Lohan has also been rescinded."
Vargo paced slightly in front of Beatrix. "I'm afraid that without a warrant, you have no authority over me, Eminence. In any case, what's it to you if a few demi-humans are disposed of? Does the Church itself not say that their condition is divine punishment for the sins of their ancestors? If anything, you should be thanking me." He then smiled at the Archbishop, but it was not a friendly gesture. Abel recognized it, from the boys back in the village, the bandit he'd run into… they smiled at him the same way.
It was the sort of smile a person only made right before hurting someone else.
Sister Beatrix seemed unconvinced. "Stand down, Kamash. You will not be warned again."
Vargo leaned forward, bringing his face close to the Archbishop's. "And if I were to refuse?"
Abel couldn't see her eyes, but he could easily imagine the glare Sister Beatrix was hiding behind her mask. "Men like you don't scare me, Mr. Vargo."
Vargo pulled away, letting out a small laugh. "That's just fine. Because I'm not trying to intimidate you!" Vargo lunged at Sister Beatrix, drawing a short sword hidden within his toga.
What happened next played out so quickly that had Abel blinked, he would have missed it entirely. The Archbishop lashed out her staff, knocking Vargo's feet out from under him. Then, whirling the staff around her wrist, she slammed one end against Vargo's hand, knocking the sword away and pinning him to the ground.
"Mr. Vargo," Sister Beatrix said. "I always assumed you were an intelligent man. So surely, you realize how grave an offense it is to raise a blade against a priestess of the Order, and an archbishop no less. The attempt alone would be enough to warrant an inquiry from the Inquisition. And if they were to find you guilty- an easy matter, considering the number of witnesses here- I assure you that whatever sentence you would receive from the local magistrates would pale in comparison to what the Inquisition would do to you. Now…" Beatrix pressed her staff down on Vargo's hand. "Are you going to come quietly, Mr. Vargo?
"You can't treat me this way! You have no right! And these-" Whatever else Vargo had to say was cut off by a pained cry, as Beatrix pressed the end of her staff against his hand, much harder than before.
"Order your men to stand down, Mr. Vargo," the Archbishop said coldly. "I am quite done being civil."
Vargo took several pained breaths, before saying aloud, "All men… return to your bunkhouses… and await further instruction."
The mercenaries clad in black looked at Vargo, then to each other. But none of them backed down.
The Crusader stepped forward, drawing a very long, very sharp-looking sword from a sheath hanging across her back. "You heard him!" she shouted. "Stand down, or be cut down!"
At this, the black-clad mercenaries finally sheathed their weapons, and released Seth. The Crusader turned and began shouting orders- both the silver-clad knights and the red-cloaked guards moved to comply, surrounding the mercenaries and leading them away. Two Crusaders grabbed Vargo and lifted him off the ground. He gave the Archbishop a withering glare. "This isn't the end, Beatrix. I won't stand by and be slighted like this."
"I do hope you enjoy your villa, Kamash. You won't be leaving it for quite some time," she replied. As the soldiers took Vargo away. Beatrix then turned to the brown-haired Crusader. "Captain, I want soldiers posted at Vargo's villa, and all the mercenaries' barracks. I don't want even a single one of them going anywhere without me and the Lord Mayor knowing about it. …And send word to the Hospitaliers. I want every free hand that we can spare helping the people of this district."
The Crusader saluted. "As you command, Your Eminence."
Niel fluttered away from Abel toward the Archbishop. "You're just about the last person I was expecting," she said. "Why are you here?"
"I'm afraid your charge saw himself out before I could explain the situation, Your Grace," the Archbishop replied. "Now, as I was about to say, two nights ago, both the Lord Mayor and myself were visited by the Ghost of Lohan. However, they did not come to steal something, but to deliver something to us: a number of documents. Documents which detail the extensive list of crimes committed by the Vargo Group, under the direct order of its head, Kamash Vargo."
"What kind of crimes?" Abel asked.
"Men under Vargo's employ have been abducting demi-humans, and shipping them out of Lohan for sale as slaves."
Slaves? Then, Notte was-
"Although demi-humans are not afforded the same protections under the law as the civilized races are, slavery is outlawed in all Order-controlled territories," the Archbishop continued. "Regardless of Lescatie's stance toward demi-humans, even they can't overlook Vargo's actions."
Abel barely heard the Archbishop. Slaves. The word echoed in his mind again and again. He wheeled around to Seth, who was just picking herself up from the ground. "Seth-"
But she cut him off. "Don't."
Abel recoiled, as if he'd touched a hot stove.
She flinched as well, as if not expecting her words to have been so harsh. "Don't… apologize, I mean. You… didn't know. You couldn't have. You wouldn't have believed even if I told you."
You don't know that… is what Abel wanted to say. But, that would have been a lie. He knew Vargo was hiding something, but he sorely underestimated the older man's cruelty. And, just how far he was willing to go to keep his secret.
But Seth had known. She knew.
And he-
"Abel!"
He turned around. Weaving through the soldiers was Lailah and Holly, armor donned and weapons in hand. As soon as she was close, Holly doubled over, breathing heavily. "Sorry…" she said between breaths. "Didn't mean… to be late…"
"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Lailah asked as she looked Abel over. Unlike Holly, she didn't seem like exerted herself at all.
"He's fine," Niel replied before Abel could say anything. "I told you, I wouldn't let anything happen to him…"
Abel looked over to where Seth had been, but in his moment of distraction, she'd already vanished. He supposed he couldn't blame her- she was technically still a wanted criminal. A criminal trying to protect others from an even more vile criminal. He wondered for a moment what would have happened had he actually killed Seth, or turned her over to Vargo. The thought alone turned his stomach.
He had to do something. He had to make things right.
Abel turned to the Archbishop. "How soon will those people you sent for get here?"
"They'll most likely arrive at dawn," Sister Beatrix replied. "Why do you ask, Lord Abel?"
"I wanna help the people here," he replied firmly. "Tell me how I can do that."
On the roof of a building far away from Abel and the others, Raine watched events unfold through her left eye. She sighed in relief, finally releasing the breath she'd been holding for gods-only-knew how long, and tapped her temple, the magnification in her left eye decreasing until it was at normal visual range. Only now did she realize how tightly wound up she was just from watching. Just like before, things could've gone very poorly, but-
A sudden ringing in her left ear made her jump. After cursing to herself, and taking a few breaths to calm her heart, she pressed two fingers behind her left ear and said, "What's up, Vee?"
"Where are you right now?" an older woman's voice in her head asked. "There's so many reports coming in from Lohan that the main lines are completely jammed up. Apparently there's some kind of riot in the demi-human quarter…?"
"I'm on-scene," Raine replied. "And it wasn't a riot."
"What!? Tell me you didn't do something stupid."
Raine looked down at the rifle in her hands. With a mere thought, it folded and shifted, until it had transformed back into a simple, unassuming metal baton. "…Of course not, Vee. You know I don't go looking for trouble."
"Well it has a habit of finding you anyway," Vee replied. "The higher-ups are keeping a closer eye on you. You know that. Anything minor I can cover, but if you get hit with another recallable offense, I can't save you from that." Silence. "…Anyway, since you were there, I'm gonna need a report on the event. And try not to leave anything out this time."
"Yeah, well…" Raine said hesitantly. "You know I'm not much of a writer, Vee. Can't you just spot me again?" Vee didn't answer. "…I have footage from the scene if it helps."
"…you know, you're lucky you're cute. It's all you've got going for you," Vee finally said. "Send the footage."
Raine pulled a small glass slate no larger than her hand from inside her vest. "You of all people should know that our job is all about making us look like something we're not, Vee…"
"…If you knew this whole time, why didn't you say anything?" Lailah asked.
"After being disowned, no one would've believed it," Seth replied, "And if there was even a slight chance someone would, Vargo would've destroyed all the evidence and run. I had to play things close to the chest."
"So, all the places you broke into… they had some evidence you were looking for?" Raine asked.
"Not all of them. Some places were just distractions, so Vargo couldn't figure out what I was really after."
Holly made an uncomfortable noise. "You keep… calling him Vargo. I know what he did was terrible, but he's still your father. …isn't he?"
Seth gave Holly a cold glare. "That man disowned me for daring to think of demi-humans as more than a product to be cultivated and sold. I stopped thinking of him as my father even before he cast me out."
Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of hooves hitting the paved stone street. "Alright ladies, that's enough gossiping," Marsya said. "You said you were going to help us. But I don't see a lot of helping going on right now."
The voices from the others drifted down the stairs to the Temple's cellar, where the scent of sour wine and dry wood were completely smothered by the scent of smoke. It was here that Abel was at work, gathering up ashes that had piled up almost to his shins. He came to the Farm before the sun had risen, to help the residents and the people from the Church rebuild. He'd been working with the Lailah and the rest of his companions on the surface, building a new frame for the Temple, but it seemed like everyone that laid eyes on him came to… thank him. After a while, he just… couldn't take it, and scurried off to find a task that would put him somewhere out of sight.
He felt like an idiot.
He said he'd protect Seth, and Marsya, and the other demi-humans, but they didn't need his protection. If anything, he'd made their situation worse by trying to catch the one who had actually been protecting them. By all rights, that made him the villain of this story.
Just as much as Vargo.
The footsteps continued down the steps, and a voice like silk ran through his ears: "So this is where you've been hiding." Abel looked back, to see Marsya walking toward him. "There's a lot of people looking to thank you, you know."
"But… I didn't do anything," he replied. "Seth's the one who exposed Vargo. And the Archbishop was the one who actually arrested him. They're the ones people should be thanking. Not me."
"But you gave the Archbishop enough time to get here, by standing your ground. I saw you. You were ready to fight all those soldiers on your own. And your angel friend putting out all those fires… a lot of people here in the Farm are alive right now because of you two."
That may have been true. At the same time, they could just have been empty words. Either way, it didn't do much to lift Abel's spirit. So, he tried to distract himself from the issue. "So what'll happen now?"
Marsya wandered through the rows of wine casks, as if inspecting them for damage. "The Archbishop said she'll convince the Lord Mayor to open up Vargo's business ledgers. Based on what Seth found out, the kidnapped demi-humans were sent out along with his guild's regular merchandise. We might not have a paper trail leading to exactly where every one of them ended up, but we'll have somewhere to start searching."
Will you need any help with that? Abel almost asked. But he remembered what the satyr had told him before: We've been looking after ourselves long before you came into the picture. The Archbishop's words also came to him: If you try to chase down a solution to every problem you come across, you will never move forward.
"…I hope you find your missing people," he replied simply.
Marsya looked up from the cask she was inspecting. "I'm sure we will. We're already off to a good start."
It was then that Abel noticed that he and Marsya weren't alone. There was a girl standing in the cellar doorway, with short orange hair, dressed in simple clothes with a blanket draped over her shoulders. A pair of pointed ears rested on the top of her head, and her face was covered with alternating stripes of light and darker skin. A long tail covered in orange fur waved back and forth behind her. It took several moments for Abel to recognize her- the last time he'd seen her, the parts of her face that hadn't been covered in bandages had been so badly bruised and crusted with blood and grime that she barely even looked like a person.
"Hey." Notte said. "You must be Abel. Miss Marsya and Seth told me about you, but it's nice to finally meet you face-to-face."
Abel… didn't say anything in reply. He understood all too well what the blanket draped over her shoulders meant.
With some difficulty, Notte sat on an empty wooden rack where a cask of wine would rest, and looked his way. "Come sit with me for a bit," she said. "I wanna talk to you."
Abel complied, and sat down next to the cat-girl. Though she said she wanted to talk, Notte said nothing. Several moments of uncomfortable silence passed, before Abel found the nerve to break it. "The Archbishop-" he began. "She said… that Vargo was… catching demi-humans and selling them as slaves. Is… is it true?"
She nodded with a solemn expression. "Uh-huh. That's why they took my arms. They were gonna get my legs too, but after my arms were amputated, I got an infection. Vargo figured it was cheaper to just grab another girl off the streets than to treat it, so they dumped me. Must've been down in that sewer for days before you found me."
Abel's stomach clenched. Taking her arms was bad enough, but… "Why would they… why would Vargo do that to you?" He couldn't figure it out. He understood why someone would want a slave, but… a slave without arms or legs? What good would that be?
Notte looked at the floor somberly. "If you can't figure it out on your own… you'd probably be happier not knowing."
Abel pondered for a moment if he should ask Raine about that… before deciding that Notte was probably right. So instead, he asked, "What's gonna happen to you now?"
Notte looked ahead. "Well, Vargo will be put on trial at some point. The Archbishop wants me there as a witness, so I'll be under the Church's protection for a while. So none of Vargo's men can come after me. After his trial… I'm sure Miss Marsya will think of something." She shifted, then made a face, as if remembering something. "Sorry to ask, but you… scratch my face for me? It's… well…"
Abel reached out, rubbing Notte's face with his hand. She couldn't even scratch her own face, something he could do without a second thought. "I…" he said in a low voice, trying to stop from shaking. "I'm sorry… I… I should've done more…"
Notte tilted her head. "You're a strange one, aren't you? You did so much for us already, but you're still asking what more you could have done." She looked down, as if looking at her hands. "Yeah. I lost my arms. But I still have my life, because of you." She looked back to Abel. "I won't ever forget that."
Notte leaned her face towards Abel's, and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened, too surprised to pull away. They were… soft. After what seemed like both an eternity and much too soon, she pulled away.
"I hope you don't forget, either."
Notte then stood, struggling for a moment. "I should let you get back to work. I'd help but… you know. You'll come say goodbye to everyone when you leave Lohan, won't you?" She wandered away before he could answer.
Abel hadn't even heard her words, them becoming lost somewhere in the air before they could reach his ears. With a shaking hand, he touched his lips. Even though nothing was there, he could still feel the sensation of another pair of lips pressing against them. Did she… did she really just…
"'Be true always to thyself, and to thy heart's desires,'" Marsya said. She sat down next to Abel, taking Notte's place. "It's another of Bacchus's teachings. So you'll find that her followers are very open with their feelings."
The satyr's words barely reached Abel. "But… why would…"
The satyr crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I'm sure it was just an impulse, and has nothing to do with the fact that you saved her life, or anything insignificant like that."
…Well when she said it like that, it made him sound like an oblivious buffoon.
Marsya approached, putting a hand on Abel's shoulder. "But she's not the only one grateful to you, you know. I want you to know that, whatever happens, our door will always be open to you. You might not have exposed Vargo and his crimes, but you showed everyone here that there are humans out there who care about us. And I think that's just…" She trailed off. Abel was about to ask what was wrong, when he heard what sounded like a commotion. In an instant, Abel rushed up the stairs out of the cellar, drawing his sword. Seth had said there was a chance Vargo's mercenaries might come after the demi-humans for putting their employer in prison, but he hadn't expected them to come so soon.
But what waited for Abel outside the shell of the Temple of Bacchus was not an army of angry black-clad mercenaries, but Sister Beatrix flanked by two armored Crusaders. She said plainly, "I have come for the one who calls herself 'Seth.'"
Seth stood, facing the Archbishop. "Well you found me. What do you want?"
"I am here to see you answer for the crimes you committed as the Ghost of Lohan," the Archbishop answered sternly. The gathered demi-humans erupted in protests, but they quickly died down when the Crusaders reached for their weapons. Sister Beatrix held out her arm, a silent command for the Crusaders to stay their blades, as she approached the Temple. "Seth, also known as Bell Vargo, also known as… the Ghost of Lohan: you have been accused of the crimes of trespassing, arson, destruction of property, and assault. What say you in your defense?"
Seth folded her arms over her chest, glaring at the Archbishop. "I don't regret what I did. Not for one second. I'd do it all again if I had to."
The Archbishop's brow furrowed. "I see. Then I must find you guilty, on all counts."
Abel stepped forward, clumsily sheathing his sword. "What!? But she did all that to show that Vargo was kidnapping people and selling them as slaves! And you're still gonna arrest her!?"
The Archbishop turned to Abel. "Regardless of her reasons, her offenses cannot be ignored. Furthermore, she shows no remorse for her actions." Her attention shifted back to Seth. Therefore, l sentence you…"
Abel's hands tightened into fists. After all she's done, Seth was still going to be punished? Not if he had anything to say about it.
"…to undertake a quest of penance. You are to travel alongside Lord Abel, and aid him in his journey to defeat the Overlord."
All the anger was drained out of Abel as if someone had pulled a stopper out of his chest. "W-W- Hold on! What's a 'quest of pennants?'"
Niel emerged, and turned to Abel. "At times, those found guilty of a crime are punished by having to complete a challenging ordeal. The Church calls this sentence a quest of penance. Should the questor complete their task, their sentence is considered complete."
"Indeed, Your Grace. But this wasn't my only reason for coming here, Lord Abel," Sister Beatrix said. "Now that the Vargo Group's operations are suspended, I imagine that there are quite a few captains and crews in need of work. I expect finding a ship to take you to Lescatie should be a simple matter. I'll send for you once arrangements are complete."
The Archbishop turned, before glancing back. "Oh, and, the Lord Mayor wishes to express his thanks for your assistance in yesterday's incident."
Raine came up to Seth, and threw an arm over her shoulder. "Ha! Another one! I just don't know how Blue does it." Then, she jabbed a finger into Seth's chest. "But just so we're clear, don't you be getting too friendly with him, alright? I've been rolling with Blue for longer than you, so I get a bigger slice of that pie."
Seth calmly pulled herself out of Raine's grasp. "Really? I've been watching you, you know. You talk a big game, but you haven't gone anywhere with him, have you?"
"What- yeah I have! We've seen each other naked, you know."
"Well I've already kissed him."
"Wait, what!? When did that happen!?"
A faint smile formed on Seth's lips. "Wasn't my card enough of a hint? I only leave those behind when I steal something."
"Why you little- that just means you're too much of a coward to kiss him while he's awake! Hey, get over here, Blue! I need to borrow you for something!" She wheeled around, but Abel… was nowhere in sight. She glanced around, but still didn't see him anywhere. "Eh- Uh, Blue?"
Abel had already returned to the basement of the temple to continue his work alone. A new companion would be joining them. Abel should have been happy- happy that Seth would avoid being punished, if nothing else.
But he wasn't.
Her addition to his party told him one thing: that Sister Beatrix didn't trust him. That she didn't believe he could handle matters on his own.
And what made it worse… she wasn't wrong.
Maybe the others were satisfied. In his eyes, Abel felt he had been little more than a pawn, but maybe, in the eyes of the others, what he'd done was enough for them.
But it wasn't. Not to him.
Something had to change.
…he had to change.
The world was quiet, and the shell of the Temple of Bacchus stood empty. But even so, a hooded figure approached, stepping through the empty frame of the front entrance. She looked around, just in time to see a figure climbing the stairs to the cellar. "Oh, there you are," Marsya said.
"I apologize if I kept you waiting," Beatrix replied as she pulled back her hood and seated herself at one of the stools in front of the bar.
"Eh, don't worry about it," Marsya said. She set out two tankards, before pouring the contents of her flask into each one. "I figured you'd be busy with everything that's happened."
"Indeed. Sorting through the evidence your agent collected has been quite the challenge," Sister Beatrix replied. "But I wouldn't have been able to convince the Lord Mayor to suspend Vargo's operations without it." She gripped the handle of one of the tankards, and took a sip. "Still, to imagine the instigator of all this would be Kamash's own daughter of all people."
The satyr took a swig from her own tankard. "Believe me, I was just as surprised when I found her on my doorstep, saying she wanted help putting her father in irons." Her tone darkened. "Not that he doesn't deserve it, mind you…"
"Once we have the information we need, I'll get in touch with my contacts in the Inquisition. They already track demi-human movement in Order-controlled territory, so finding your missing residents should be a straightforward affair."
Marsya sighed after taking a drink from her own tankard. "Damn. At this rate, I'll be paying off the tab I owe you for the rest of my life, Bea."
"Don't be absurd. I'm not doing this to put you in my debt. The safety of all Lohan's citizens is, and has always been, my main concern."
Marsya set her tankard down. "You really are a breed apart, you know that? You and the kid."
"Lord Abel, you mean? He's certainly an interesting one. I've met many Heroes as part of my duties, but he truly stands apart."
"I'll say. Never met someone who was so willing to stick his neck out for a demi. Aside from you, Sister."
"That compassion could be the reason Lord Bacchus chose him as her champion." The Archbishop tilted her head as he "looked" to the satyr. "Did you tell him?"
"Huh? Oh, no, no, not yet. Lord Bacchus says she'll show herself to him when the time is right." Marsya took another long drink from her tankard. "Anyway, I hope that compassion of his doesn't end up getting him in trouble. When you stick your neck out that far, someone's bound to come along to try and cut your head off." She glanced over. "Is that why you came up with that 'penance quest?'"
"I would be lying if I said that wasn't the case. Though it's just as much for her sake as his. Miss Vargo- or rather, Seth- has brought a great evil to justice, but I fear many will not see it that way. So long as she is undertaking the quest of penance, she will be protected from further retaliation."
Marsya took another long swig. "Gotta admit- if you hadn't told her to go, I would have. The sooner she gets out of this city and the shadow of her father, the better." The satyr smiled. "And if in the course of her travels, she happens to end up in the pants of a certain blue-haired Hero she happens to be fond of… well I'd be just fine with that."
Beatrix allowed a faint smile to slip out. "She may have some competition in that regard."
Marsya smiled broadly in turn. "True. But I think she's up for the challenge. And I can't imagine Abel would complain too much. What boy his age wouldn't want their own private little harem?"
"I did wonder about that," Beatrix said. "Is that Lord Bacchus's doing as well?"
Marsya shrugged. "Could be. Her blessings tend to show themselves in the most unusual ways…"