Chapter 19: El Paso (VI)
The door to the room closed quietly, with the only sound present being those slow, dejected footsteps on the wooden floor. She walked listlessly, simply making her way to the bed where she proceeded to sit on the edge of the mattress, staring blankly into nothingness. Out of the corner of her eye she could catch a glimpse of something, and when she turned to look she saw that it was her reflection in the mirror. There she could see her face, garbled by all the makeup she was wearing, looking more like an abomination of nature than the attractive woman she wished to be. She had never put on makeup, as she had never had reason to do so, so inexperience combined with nervousness led her to make the mess that now occupied her face.
Unable to bear what this reflection showed her, she hastily wiped her face with a nearby cloth. She scrubbed hard, and when she looked in the mirror again, what she found was no better: her makeup now smeared, and tears streaming from her eyes. It had been the first and only time someone had cared enough to ask her out on a date, and the result had been that she had been stood up. For hours she waited impatiently, excited at the prospect of experiencing something she thought she would never have the chance to do, only to end up hurt and disappointed when he never showed up.
Had the man played a cruel joke on her? Could it be that he was joking when he asked her out and she took him seriously? Maybe he had seen her from a distance and backed out after observing her hideous appearance? Whatever the reason, the damage to her self-esteem would take years to repair. To make matters worse, not only did she have to endure the humiliation of being stood up, but answering Saphirette's questions made her relive the painful memory of the disappearance of Richard, her only friend.
She was simply exhausted.
"Tomorrow will be another day," she whispered as she lay down.
Not even bothering to take off the old dress before going to sleep, Colette laid her head back on the pillow. It was already very late, so she would probably only get a few hours of sleep before she had to repeat her daily routine early in the morning. However, before she could close her eyes and allow herself a few hours of rest, something bright caught her attention.
"Huh?"
In front of her she saw a handful of bright pink berries, so lustrous that they looked almost like precious stones. They were heart-shaped and gave off a deliciously sweet aroma that whetted the appetite. They were fruits she had never seen before, possibly not native to the area. The only explanation she could think of was that they were a gift from her father, who might have picked them up from other traders on his travels.
Colette gave a faint smile. It was typical of her father to try to comfort her with food when she was feeling down. After all, they both shared a deep love of food, especially sweets. Not surprisingly, some of her happiest memories were of her father bringing home exotic foods and recipes from his travels, which motivated her to strive to perfect her cooking.
Gently, she picked up one of the small fruits, pausing to admire its beautiful sheen before taking a bite. Suddenly, an exquisite, sweet taste spread through her mouth; it was something she had never experienced before, more delicious than any fruit or even dessert she had ever eaten in her life. Not content with just one, the redhead devoured the rest of the berries with the voracity of a hungry animal, enjoying the exquisite and addictive taste.
So enraptured was she by the sweet and wonderful taste that spread not only through her mouth, but through her whole being, that she soon fell asleep; a small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips.
"What are you doing now?" the AI asked in an exasperated tone.
"I'm lookin' for somethin' to drink, I'm parched," the Courier replied as he rummaged through the old cooler.
"Why do you need centuries-old liquids when you have water in your canteen?"
There was a brief silence from the Courier, who seemed to hesitate whether to answer truthfully or not.
"Well, there might be some sarsaparilla left over, don't you think?" he finally replied.
"...even if there were, the beverage would be centuries old and probably toxic by now," the AI said.
"Honey, I've drunk Montana tap water in the past, I think I can handle anything," the Courier replied jovially.
"I've seen him drink toilet water before, his endurance is second to none," the suit said with a hint of pride in her electronic voice.
"Babydoll, please, no need to mention that. Besides, that only happened because of a bet with Sink during a drunken night out," the Courier clarified.
"Actually, no. In fact, she begged you not to," the suit replied.
This prompted the Courier to pull his head out of the old, battered cooler.
"Then who the hell bet that I couldn't drink out of a Pre-War toilet?"
"I don't know, and I don't care," interjected the AI, whose patience had reached its limit. "Focus on the objective, troglodyte."
"Would it kill you to relax a little, gal? Christ."
Having failed to find the coveted beverage, the resigned Courier closed the door of the dilapidated refrigerator. He looked around at what must have been a dining room, now so destroyed by the passage of time that it barely resembled a place meant for human habitation. Tables and chairs littered the floor, many of them corroded by the passage of time. The walls were filthy from the mold and vermin that had made that hovel their home, and the few lights that miraculously still worked flickered constantly, casting shadows over various parts of the place, where every possible creature could hide and lurk.
"Just like home," the Courier whispered with a small smile on his lips, feeling homesick for the Mojave again.
Quietly, he left that wretched place and wandered through the long, dark, neglected corridors. In contrast to Polove's Vault, which despite its antiquity still maintained a certain level of order and functionality, that place had been completely destroyed. What had once been defensive systems were reduced to useless scrap, the turrets on the walls lay in disarray, some even having fallen to the ground, now covered by piles of dust and dirt. However, there was one thing that both vaults had in common, and that was evidence that they had once been inhabited by humans, but for some reason, no evidence of them remained. There were no skeletons or visible remains, as if their inhabitants had vanished into thin air.
"Say, gal, you say you have no memory of what happened to your 'master,' right?" he asked aloud as he walked.
The AI inside the Pip-Boy was silent at that question, as if hesitating whether or not to answer.
"Before he suspended me, my Master ordered me to guard the Battery," she finally replied. "All I know is that he and his companions had to leave, but he promised to return. I was to wait for him and make sure the Battery was still working when he returned."
"And when was he supposed to return?"
Again there was silence from her, as if the act of answering that question was too much. The Courier did not inquire further, but simply followed the path into the depths of the Vault, guided more by his curiosity than anything else.
"I don't know," the AI said, trying to hide the pain in her voice. "I have waited for him for centuries, but I really don't know when he will return. Now that the Battery has been rendered useless, all I'm left with is to search for him on the surface."
"Gal, I don't know if you're aware, but if he's been missing for centuries, then I doubt he's still—"
"Don't you dare even say it," she hastened to say. "Master is still alive, I know it."
After that, an awkward silence filled the air, as none of the three dared to speak after that somber statement. The Courier had entered a corridor whose lights had long since stopped working, and had to use the light of the Pip-Boy to guide him. The deeper he went, the more he saw the passageways of the facility and the cavern begin to merge, as if nature itself were forcibly reclaiming the place.
He made his way to what appeared to be some sort of special room, though the dirt and weeds that had invaded the place had obliterated any charm it might have had. Numerous pipes lined the floor and walls, and several gears of various sizes lay motionless on the walls, too corroded to function. What stood out the most, however, was the marble pedestal in the middle of the room that held what looked like a fission battery.
As he approached, he could see that of the several wires that once powered that object, only one remained connected, though by all accounts it provided such a pitiful amount of power that it hardly made a difference. It was a pitiful scene, so much so that even the Courier, lacking the context of what the whole process entailed, could not help but sense a certain melancholy in the air.
"It's... dead. This Battery has failed," the AI said in a tone that betrayed her bewilderment.
The Courier took the object in his hand and pulled it out without much effort. He looked at it for a few seconds before placing it in his pocket.
"Well, we got the thing. Are you happy now, gal?" he asked as he raised his arm to look directly at the screen of the Pip-Boy.
"We have to... we have to look for the mainframe, we have to look for the control room," she replied immediately in a desperate tone.
"I'm not taking another goddamn step until you give me a good explanation once and for all. What the hell is this place? And while we're on the subject, what was that place in Polove? You've been dodging all my questions since you started livin' free in my Pip-Boy, so if you want me to run more errands for you, you'd better answer my questions."
"Just...please do it. I need to know as soon as possible what happened to this facility, what happened to this Battery. Please, I beg you," she pleaded, her digital voice denoting genuine distress.
"She seems so desperate… it would be very cruel to refuse," the suit said.
"Oh, you've got to be shittin' me, now you're taking her side, babydoll? Just a few hours ago, you were—"
The Courier didn't have time to finish speaking as his instincts quickly warned him of a threat. He ducked swiftly, narrowly avoiding a large boulder that shot in his direction, flew past him, and crashed into the other side of the room. Already having a vague idea of what might have caused it, the Courier turned to find the mutant from earlier. She was leaning against the wall, trying to stay still, her right hand raised in the air.
"Well, look who's awake," he said as he rose from the floor, his hand at his hip, preparing to draw his weapon. "Did you enjoy your beauty sleep, gorgeous?"
The mutant did not deign to respond to that mocking comment, but instead raised her other hand, causing small pieces of rock to float across the room. She quickly waved her hand, causing the small rocks to quickly fly like projectiles in his direction.
He sighed. "Just my luck."
Paula hummed a happy tune as she walked, showing impressive cheerfulness for someone who had just recovered from having had a ceiling collapse on her. Even the fact that it was so early that the sun hadn't even risen yet didn't affect her mood; in fact, she was thrilled to be up so early because it meant she would be one of the first to eat breakfast.
"I hope she makes those delicious scrambled eggs!" Paula exclaimed excitedly.
Such was the enthusiasm for breakfast that Paula hadn't even bothered to change after getting out of bed, still wearing the long borrowed nightgown worthy of a woman in her twilight years. With a jaunty step she made her way to the dining room, which was still in poor condition due to the collapse of part of the ceiling, but was still relatively functional for those who were hungry - or desperate enough - to eat there.
"Morning!" she said cheerfully as she walked through the dining room door.
In response, Paula received only silence, which was to be expected since most were still curled up in their beds at such an early hour. However, as she approached one of the tables, she could see a person who appeared to be unconscious, face buried in one of the many books that flooded the table.
"Hey, wake up, hey!" said Paula as she patted the unconscious person's head.
The person did not seem to respond, no matter how much Paula insisted. She paused for a moment and began to think of another tactic, and like a bolt of lightning, a childhood memory came to her as an answer. She remembered the way her grandmother used to wake her up and how effective it was, so she decided to try it.
"Wake up, you useless maggot!" she shouted loudly into the person's ear.
The effect was immediate, as the person suddenly sat up, dazed and frightened, but awake. Paula got a good look at her face and saw that it was Saphirette, the kind scholar who had kept her company during her recovery.
"Ah, it is you, Glassies. Good morning!" she said brightly as she sat down next to her. "Did you also come to be the first to have breakfast?"
The woman did not respond, just stared for a few seconds as her tired mind began to function again. She rubbed her eyes and put on the glasses on the table, finally coming to her senses.
"M-Miss Paula," she began to say, still a little stunned. "I, uh…"
She seemed conflicted about what to say, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking again.
"W-was it necessary to yell in my ear?" she finally said.
"Hey, it worked!" replied Paula innocently.
Saphirette sighed heavily and began to organize the many books and documents scattered across the table. This caught the attention of Paula, who moved a little closer to get a better look.
"Why are you reading so early?" she asked curiously.
"I have been reading since last night. I think I fell asleep when I closed my eyes to rest," Saphirette replied with a yawn.
"Have you been up all night reading books? Why?"
"Because I think I have finally found a pattern in relation to the disappearances," Saphirette said, pointing her finger at one of the documents. "I read the census records for the last ten years and carefully analyzed and compared each resident of Ironpost for each year. Every time a resident died or emigrated, there was a record and an explanation for their subsequent absence. But it was only five years ago that the first unexplained disappearance occurred."
Paula raised her hand. "Question!"
This came as a surprise to Saphirette, and caused her to flinch once more at the intensity with which the musketeer had spoken.
"Y-yes? W-what is it?"
"What is a census?" Paula asked.
"... I will explain later, it is not important now. Like I said, five years ago—"
"Another question!" Paula exclaimed again.
Saphirette flinched again at Paula's intense voice.
"W-what is it now?!" she said in exasperation.
"Where did you get all those books?" she asked. "I think the booksellers are not awake at this hour, how did you get them so fast?"
Saphirette seemed nervous at the question and quickly averted her eyes.
"I-I borrowed them," she said hastily, showing a slight nervous sweat. "Th-those are unimportant details, it does not matter."
"They lent it to you? How nice of them!" said Paula with a cheerful smile.
Saphirette breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.
"I see you two very active for so early in the morning," said another female voice.
They both turned their attention to where they had heard the voice coming from, and saw a woman walking toward their table, carrying a strange metallic sphere in her arms.
"Miss Anne!" said Saphirette. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I could ask you both the same thing," she replied. "But what I really have a question about is what you had to say, Saphirette, about a disappearance five years ago."
"Y-you heard me?"
"It was hard not to, the voices of the two of you echoed through the halls."
Saphirette let out a small sigh of embarrassment.
"Y-yes, as I was saying, the first disappearance happened five years ago," she said as she opened one of the books and pointed to one of the pages with her finger. "Richard Holden, orphaned at a very young age and who worked tending cattle, a relatively normal young man who one day disappeared without a trace. He simply vanished into thin air on the seventh day of the Month of Verdure."
"And no one has any idea where he might have gone?" Anne asked.
"Hardly anyone was close enough to him to have any idea. The only friend he had was Colette, but she says she last saw him the night before he disappeared, and he had not said anything or acted strangely, so she has no idea either," Saphirette explained. "But the strange thing is that the date of his disappearance coincides with the date of the first disappearance of this year. The first to disappear was Charlotte, the daughter of a local merchant who was engaged to a Lescatie merchant. She disappeared from nowhere on the seventh of the Month of Verdure, and a few days later the second disappearance occurred."
Saphirette reached out to grab a piece of paper that was tossed between several books, quickly brought it over, and began to read it.
"Charlotte, Rosalinda, Stephany, Alessa, Amy, Abigail, Adeline, Amelia, Marianne, Sophia, Emily, and Isabella. In all, twelve women have disappeared since the seventh of this month, an exorbitant number for such a quiet town that had suffered only one disappearance in an entire decade. This cannot be a coincidence," Saphirette declared. "I think you two may already have an idea of what I have begun to theorize."
"Richard died and his vengeful spirit returned to the town to claim victims!" Paula said abruptly.
That statement earned her the silent stares of the two women. Neither deigned to even attempt a response; the way they looked at her let her know what they thought of her theory. Paula laughed in embarrassment to alleviate the discomfort that flooded the atmosphere, even turning her eyes away so as not to have to see the looks of those women any longer, for she could feel them piercing her soul.
"A-anyway, like I said," Saphirette continued, now focusing her attention solely on the other woman.
The two women continued their conversation, with Paula staring at the ceiling, wishing she could be swallowed by the earth to escape the embarrassment. This went on for a while until she heard a plate being served in front of her, forcing her to turn her attention to what was in front of her. There, she saw what looked like a gift from the Chief God himself: a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon, and sausage, all accompanied by a generous mug of frothy beer to wash it down. Paula's eyes sparkled at the delicacy before her, and without much hesitation, she grabbed her silverware and began to devour.
"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Paula with her mouth full.
"My pleasure," answered a voice she knew to be Colette.
"Come and eat with me!" said Paula as she lifted her head from her plate.
The excitement and happiness vanished from Paula's face as soon as she saw the woman in front of her, replaced by confusion. That voice was undoubtedly that of Colette, the innkeeper's daughter and the one responsible for preparing all the delicious meals she had tasted during her stay at the inn, but Colette was a plump girl with a chubby face that she remembered very well, while the woman in front of her was quite the opposite, with a slimmer figure and a thinner face. Not only that, but she also seemed to radiate something that she had trouble deciphering, but it was something that made her truly alluring, so much so that she almost seemed to shimmer.
"Who… who are you?" Paula asked confused. "Where is Colette, the usual girl?"
The redhead gave her a quizzical look, as if she had just said something that was absolutely stupid.
"I am Colette," she answered. "Are you feeling well, Miss Paula? Maybe you need to rest a little more."
That answer only confused the musketeer more. Although that woman had the same hair color, clothes, and even freckles as Colette, her body shape was radically different from the girl she knew. Wanting to confirm that she had not lost her mind, Paula turned to look at Saphirette, and to her relief, she could see that the elementalist was staring at the woman in utter amazement and disbelief.
"C-cousin Colette?" she said as she rose from her chair. "W-what happened to you?"
The woman sitting next to Saphirette also looked at the redhead with surprise, but Paula noticed something else about her. She was looking puzzled and, though very covertly, frightened. It was as if she saw something else that they did not, something that disturbed her.
"Watch out, a projectile made of mineral aggregate!" the suit warned.
"That's called a fucking rock, babydoll!" shouted the Courier as he ducked to avoid the huge boulder flying in his direction.
That huge rock flew into one of the gear walls, and the impact was such that most of them shattered instantly. The battle had lasted only a few minutes, but the place, already in ruins, had been shattered by the constant use of these rocks as projectiles; the Courier dodged as best he could, suspecting that a direct hit from them could easily result in broken bones.
"That savage is destroying the facility, do something!" the Pip-Boy AI urged.
The Courier moved from side to side, dodging the small rocks that flew at him like bullets, some coming close to scratching part of his face. Several times he had tried to shoot at the mutant, but every bullet he fired was intercepted by sudden walls of rock that seemed to react on their own to defend the mutant. Seeing that continuing to shoot would only be a waste of ammunition, the best he could do was to dodge and wait for the right moment to attack, although seeing how that was dragging on, he feared that those rock projectiles would eventually hit him.
The situation was becoming desperate, as he would eventually tire and slow down, making him easy prey. He was racing against the clock to find a way to end the fight quickly.
"I think I've got it," the Courier said quietly. "Babydoll, I'm going to try something. If I fail, you get the Med-X ready, comprende?"
"Comprendido!"
The Courier took a deep breath, waited a few short seconds while he calmed down, and then lunged forward in a strong rush. Now that he wasn't dodging, several of the small stones managed to hit him directly, some so sharp that they managed to pierce through the suit and penetrate his skin, but he kept going. The mutant backed up at such a sudden action, and in an attempt to gain some distance, she began to walk backwards while raising both hands in front of her, causing several pieces of rock to begin to coalesce and merge, forming what would be the largest projectile yet in an act of desperation.
He calculated the distance between them and the size of the huge rock, cursing under his breath when he saw that both factors were less than ideal as predicted, but he had no choice. Pulling out Thump-Thump, his ever-reliable grenade rifle, the courier aimed at the center of the rock and fired, firing a 40mm grenade that exploded with tremendous force as it reached its target. Not even daring to stop, the Courier continued running, stepping into the black smoke caused by the explosion and soon finding the mutant, wounded and dazed, barely surviving thanks to the fact that the huge rock had absorbed most of the blast. Without a second's hesitation, the courier delivered an uppercut to the mutant, knocking her to the ground, taking the opportunity to unsheathe Blood-Nap and bring the blade to the woman's throat.
Having been closer to the blast radius than he should have been, the courier was slightly dazed, affected by the explosion. His vision was blurred and the smoke around him made it difficult to breathe, but he stood his ground, knowing that giving the mutant the slightest chance could easily turn the situation around.
"I have to say it, gorgeous. You're as tough as you are beautiful," he said between coughs, still feeling the pain from the small stones embedded in his skin. "If this were any other situation, I'd be happy to buy you a drink. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, I think our conversation from now on will be anything but social."
Gradually, the smoke cleared, allowing the Courier to get a better look at the woman he had captured. He expected to see her badly injured, given the proximity of the explosion, but to his surprise and amazement, he could see the mutant's wounded face in the process of regenerating. He quickly turned his gaze to the mutant's shoulder, where the now bloodstained cloth was tied. He quickly removed it, revealing that the bullet wound had completely disappeared. Now that he realized it, when he had first examined it, he had noticed that the bullet had not touched any bone or blood vessel, but his mind, so altered by the fall and near drowning, was not lucid enough to realize that this was not possible. The wound was bleeding even though no vein had been injured, for there were no veins; the body of the woman seemed to be made more of earth than of flesh and bone.
"...why are you doing this to us?" the mutant finally spoke. "You invade us, you make our caves your base, you threaten us, and you force me to cultivate. Will you not rest until we join your accursed kingdom?"
That was not what he expected to hear, and instead of answering any doubts, it only raised more questions in him.
"I think I'm missin' a lot of context here," he said. "Let's start with the basics: who are you, gorgeous?"
"You know very well who I am," she replied aggressively, tears of frustration beginning to well up in her eyes. "You forced me to cultivate, you threatened my mother, you took everything from us. I thought if I could catch one of you, I could somehow negotiate the release of my mother, but..."
She simply turned her face away, already resigned.
"Just do what you have to do and end this!" she cried out in a heartbreaking manner.
There was no response from the Courier, who just looked at her thoughtfully. He remained that way for almost a full minute, until another voice intervened.
"Annihilate her," the AI ordered. "She destroyed this facility, and it is likely that those of her kind were responsible for the failure of this Battery. A savage cannot destroy the property of my Master's people and escape punishment."
Ignoring the AI's aggressive request, he just stared at the mutant a little longer before deciding to speak.
"Say, gorgeous. "You wouldn't be responsible for the disappearance of the women in the town above, would you?" he asked.
She gave him a puzzled look at that question. "What?"
"Answer me, yes or no, and I will judge your sincerity."
"But... you are the ones who kidnapped those poor humans!" she claimed. "You... you are part of the Royal Demon Realm group, are you not?"
It was not the answer he was expecting, although it was an interesting one. Her tone of voice, her facial expression, and other details let him know that she wasn't trying to make up a lie to try to save herself.
"Well," he began to say as he pulled the knife away from the mutant's neck. "Looks like we have a confusion on our hands. Let's discuss this in a more civilized manner, shall we, gorgeous?"
"Tell me, what is your opinion of her?" Sofiva asked as she discreetly watched Colette, who was the object of interest of several men trying to court her.
The scholar put down the tankard and had to wipe the foam from his lips before he could speak.
"To be frank, while the barmaid may be very pleasing to the eyes, she is not my cup of tea," he said, seemingly calmly, but clearly choosing his words carefully as he stood under the prying eyes of the fairy hidden under a hat on the tabletop. "Why do you ask such a question?"
"That... is not what I meant," she said with a palpable disappointment in her voice. "She did not look like this yesterday. I remember it well. Overnight her body underwent a change that should not be possible under normal circumstances."
Sofiva stopped talking and motioned for the scholar to come closer. She was about to say something that, if heard by the wrong person, could easily put them in danger.
"I also sense a faint trace of demonic energy in her," she whispered in the scholar's ear. "It is very slight, barely perceptible, but part of her being is now permeated with demonic energy."
Surprised by this revelation, the scholar quickly cast an unguarded glance at Colette, curiosity flooding his face.
"Are you telling me that the barmaid is in the process of being corrupted by demonic energy and becoming a mamono?" he asked, his voice betraying the enthusiasm that now gripped him. "This is the first time that I have had the privilege of witnessing the corruption process in person, I have to write it down! I should interview her too, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that may never be repeated."
"Do not even think about it," Sofiva hastened to stop him, going so far as to put her hand on his shoulder to keep him from getting up. "We do not know if she has any knowledge of what is happening to her, let alone the circumstances that have led to it. I do not detect the scent of another mamono nearby, but it is not worth the risk of exposing ourselves to the possible culprit."
Before she could speak further, the scholar raised his hand, indicating his intention to speak.
"Forgive me for interrupting, Miss Sofiva, but I have a question," said the scholar. "Why are you telling me this? If the collar around my neck is a sign of anything, it is that you distrust me. Know that I do not blame you or hold it against you, but with that in mind, I am puzzled that you would choose to tell me despite the risks. Are you not concerned that I might be responsible for this?"
"I certainly do not trust you. Moreover, if it were not for the collar you wear, I would not even dare to be alone with you," she said matter-of-factly. "But you have something that could prove vital to solving this mystery, so I will have to put aside my reservations for the moment. Besides, the way you reacted when I told you about the situation was genuine, I could not detect any hint of dishonesty in your being, so I know that you are not responsible for this, or that you at least had prior knowledge."
Hearing this, the fairy lifted the hat she was hiding in, fed up with what she was hearing and determined to make her opinion heard.
"You have a lot of nerve to say that!" protested the fairy. "We have been polite and courteous to you, but you and your brutish companion have done nothing but antagonize us! If perchance you intend us to help you with whatever it is you have in mind, forget it!"
"I am aware that it will not be easy to ask for your help. Therefore, I am willing to make an offer that I am sure you will not be able to refuse."
"Well, whatever you have in mind, it will not—"
"A direct interview with Grognak. I will arrange for him to answer all your questions and you will have permission to add all the information gathered to your encyclopedia," Sofiva said immediately. "What do you think?"
"We have a deal!" the scholar replied enthusiastically, much to the dismay of his fairy companion. "All my resources are at your disposal, just tell me what you need!"
Satisfied that her first offer had been successful, Sofiva rose from the table, still holding ED-E in her arms. She didn't know if the metallic sphere needed to sleep, or he was capable of sleeping, but she liked to think of him asleep, curled up in her arms like a cuddly baby. It was the best she could think of, for the sphere no longer made those incessant squeaks when she held him, remaining motionless and inert. She liked to think that maybe he had gotten used to her.
"In that case, come outside with me," she said.
The two left the inn, looking around carefully to make sure no one was following them. They walked a long way until they reached what seemed to be a remote part of the city, where no one seemed to be. Not wanting to take any chances, Sofiva began to prepare a powerful illusion spell that would surround them with a protective field in which no one outside could see or hear them, effectively making them disappear as if they did not exist as long as she maintained the spell.
With all the preparations ready, she conjured the spell, resulting in the two of them being isolated in that small space where no one from the outside could intrude on the subject they were about to discuss. With that ready, she faced him.
"Call Runya Runya," she ordered. "Call her and ask her if she knows of any activity by Druella in this area."
"Are you... are you sure?" he asked. "Given your reaction when I showed you the Projector Mirror, I thought the last thing you wanted was for me to contact Miss Runya Runya. Do you not think that would be a risk?"
"You said you would put all your resources at my disposal, so that is what I am asking you to do. Call her and try to find out if she knows of any activity by Druella in this region," she insisted.
The scholar seemed to hesitate for a few brief seconds as to whether this was a good idea. Finally, he relented and bent down to open his case and pull out the Projector Mirror. He gazed into the dark glass of the mirror for a few seconds before beginning to speak.
"Let me contact Runya Runya," he ordered.
The black mirror began to glow brightly as soon as he said the command. From the mirror came strange, arcane sounds that continued until they were finally silenced. The light from the mirror illuminated the face of the scholar, who looked down expectantly.
"Hello…?" mused a soft female voice, accompanied by the sound of a yawn.
"Blessed day, Miss Runya Runya," the scholar greeted. "I hope I am not disturbing you."
"Oh... it is you," the voice in the mirror replied, along with another yawn. "I was in the middle of my… third nap."
It was a sweet but sleepy voice, so soft that Sofiva found it easy to forget that the speaker was one of the most powerful figures in the Royal Demon Realm. Even though she was not the one speaking, the owl mage could not help but feel slightly nervous; previous experiences with baphomets had taught her that these creatures were not only physically and magically powerful, but also eerily cunning. The slightest mistake on the part of the scholar could easily arouse the baphomet's suspicions, and the last thing she needed was a Sabbath leader on her tail.
"Oh, sorry for the inconvenience," he said. "I just wanted to contact you to ask you a quick question, I promise it will be quick and you will be back to your dream in no time."
"What do you... need?" she asked along with another yawn. "Is it something about... your encyclopedia?"
"You could say that I am. I am currently in Ironpost, in the Tronmail region. I was in the middle of researching the legends of the trolls of the mines, but there have been a number of mysterious occurrences that seem to be demonic in origin. I wanted to ask you if you know of any activity by the Fourth Princess in the region, as I do not wish to interfere in matters that might jeopardize my neutrality and my research."
The baphomet fell into a brief silence that seemed to last forever. Both Sofiva and the Scholar tried to remain calm, but the silence was so tense that they began to fear having somehow messed up.
"This is... sensitive information," she said as she yawned. "It is not something I can share... freely. If you want me to answer, you will have to give me something... in return."
It was something she feared. At the moment, they had nothing that carried enough weight for a negotiation, let alone when it came to confidential information. She had hoped that the scholar's friendly relationship with the baphomet would be enough to make an exception, but apparently that gamble had failed. Now they had to come up with something to offer, and fast.
"Well, the daughter of the innkeeper makes a wonderful cheesecake. I can ask her for the recipe and give it to you," the scholar suggested.
Sofiva had to use all her willpower not to raise her voice and reproach the scholar for such an abrupt and stupid offer. All she could do was give him a look of disbelief, unable to understand how he could think this was a good idea.
"Cheesecake...?" she mused with interest. "And does it… taste good?"
"Yes, it tastes divine, the best dessert I have ever tasted in my life!" he replied immediately.
"... then I accept."
To the owl mage's incredulity, it had worked. Something as simple as a dessert had been enough to gain access to the confidential knowledge of one of the most important figures in the Royal Demon Realm.
"I will tell Astrid ... to bring me the documents," she said, yawning again, but this time more prolonged. Soon, however, her voice took on a more serious tone. "Tell me, is everything... okay?"
"What... what do you mean?" he asked.
"I notice something... strange about you," the baphomet said in such a serious tone that it made them both nervous. "Is there something you... want to tell me?"
As she had suspected, things had gone too well to be true. The baphomet had managed to realize something, and now they were in danger of being discovered. If she found out what they were doing, they would have the full attention of the Royal Demon Realm. Grognak and she would become targets, and worst of all, her family would know her whereabouts. She knew that it was not a possibility but a fact that the Bhancri would be the first to know that a rogue family member was involved in matters detrimental to the family's honor, and she knew full well the consequences if she were caught.
"I, uh, I-I have no idea what you mean, Miss Runya Runya," he replied, barely able to hide his nervousness.
"You know... using the mirror as a medium and your essence as a signal, I could transport myself to where you are... and see with my own eyes that you are well."
That sounded almost like a threat, one that made Sofiva's heart stop for a brief moment. The situation was getting worse and there were few options left. If he ceased communicating at that moment, it would only arouse more suspicion, and the mirror would still serve as a means for possible teleportation. Any excuse would not do, as the scholar was already agitated and visibly nervous. It seemed that the only option left was to make the scholar's essence and the mirror disappear simultaneously, and there was only one way, one that Sofiva did not see herself capable of.
"Answer me now with the truth, do you have… anything to tell me? If I go there and find that there is ... I will be angry," the Baphomet gave an ultimatum.
"I-I, the truth is... uh..." he whispered hesitantly, going so far as to shoot a glance at Sofiva, indicating with it that he wasn't sure he could go through with the lie. "The truth is..."
It seemed that the scholar was about to give in to the pressure, and that would be her undoing. She discreetly shifted her gaze to her left hand, where she held the device Grognak had given her, a device that, when activated, would explode the collar around the scholar's neck, ending his life instantly. She was only supposed to use it in an extreme situation where he threatened her life, something she hoped would never happen. She felt incapable of ending a life, but if she didn't do something soon, they would be at the mercy of the Baphomet.
In those tense moments, she could only ask herself one question: was she capable of pressing that device?
"That is it, if you are not going to say it, then I will!" exclaimed the fairy as she flew in front of the mirror to face the baphomet. "He is not well, and I will tell you why. You see, he... he was staring at a beautiful waitress this morning! He has been so obsessed with her that he has not been able to have a clear head!"
Everyone was stunned by the fairy's sudden and impromptu explanation. No one dared to speak, so silence reigned for what seemed like an agonizing eternity.
"...I see," Runya Runya said, finally breaking the silence. "It is rude to look at other women...when you are in the company of one...you know?"
The scholar was taken aback and had to give a brief sigh before speaking. "I-I understand, I will not do it again."
"You... better," she said, her serious tone disappearing. "Ah, right... the documents... give me a moment."
Sofiva could hardly believe that it had worked. Her legs were still shaking from the tension they had been through, but now all that tension had been replaced by relief. The fairy noticed and gave her a smug look, as if to let her know that she was the reason they had been saved.
They hadn't been caught, and more importantly, she hadn't been forced to make a decision that would haunt her for the rest of her days. Even better, they were about to get information that would not only confirm their theory of what was going on in this city, but also give them an advantage.
It was as Grognak always said, the so-called Lady Luck was smiling upon them.
"Here, gal, this'll help calm your nerves," the courier said as he handed the mutant his trusty Vault 13 canteen. He noticed that she looked askance at the canteen, probably still suspicious of his intentions. "Come on, I'm not going to poison you or anythin', it's just water, fresh and delicious."
To prove that he was not lying, the courier took a small sip from the canteen to demonstrate that it was safe. Then he offered it again to the mutant, who, after a few moments of hesitation, finally accepted and took a long drink of water.
"Now, let me recap and see if I can keep track of you," the Courier said as he leaned his back against the wall. "Your mother is being held captive by the same people who are responsible for kidnapping the women of the town above, and to keep her safe you have to grow fruit, right?"
The mutant nodded her head.
"And you said that the people responsible were ... what, the demonic agents of the realm or somethin'?
"Agents of the Royal Demon Realm," she corrected.
"Lovely."
The Courier stretched a little to relax his body before continuing.
"What do you gals think?" he asked as he lifted the Pip-Boy.
"In my opinion, you should have annihilated that savage when I ordered you to," the Pip-Boy AI said dryly. "I'm not willing to believe what comes out of the mouth of someone who is responsible for causing damage to this facility."
"I'm only programmed with English language skills and a bit of Spanish, so I have no idea what she's saying," said the AI in the stealth suit. "What's more, a moment ago, when you spoke to her, you spoke in a very strange language. Are you all right in the head? Do you need a dose of Med-x?"
"My bad. I'll explain the situation in more detail later," he said as he patted his own suit-covered shoulder.
He had completely overlooked the fact that they didn't speak English in this world, and that he was apparently able to speak and understand the local language thanks to Sofiva. He had gotten so used to it that he had forgotten for a few seconds that this was not Earth, but a completely different place in another dimension.
"I'll be honest with you, gal. I don't understand much of what you're telling me, but if you know where the kidnapped women are, we can make a mutually beneficial deal," he said as he crouched down to face the mutant who was lying on the ground. "I'll help you rescue your mother from whoever is holding her hostage, and you in turn will take me to where the kidnapped women are, is that okay with you?
"And how do I know I can trust you?" she retorted. "You attacked me and almost killed me, how do I know you will keep your word?
"That's the key word, I almost killed you. I could have easily left you to drown at the bottom of the lake, or finished you off when you were unconscious or after I defeated you, but here you are, breathing. As you can see, you're still alive because I chose to," he replied crudely to the mutant's shock. "If I wanted to fuck you over, I would have done it already. Besides, you don't have much of a choice now, do you?
The mutant seemed to want to respond, but instead remained silent. She looked to her sides in conflict, hesitating before giving an answer.
"If you decide to betray me, have no doubt that I will crush you," she said as she reached out to shake his hand.
"A woman with attitude and a willingness to kick my ass? Just my type," he said with a smirk as he shook the mutant's hand.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're getting very affectionate with her. Just because I'm willing to share you with that other computer doesn't mean you can start looking for more women!" the stealth suit protested.
The Courier laughed at the AI's tantrum, only to be interrupted by the voice coming from his Pip-Boy.
"If you're not going to destroy this savage, at least use it and ask it if it knows anything about the facility it helped destroy," the Pip-Boy AI indicated. "We still need to find the mainframe and recover the data that explains what happened to the Battery and what caused it to fail."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."
He turned his attention back to the mutant, who looked at him in confusion, not understanding the conversation he was having with the AIs.
"Say, gal, wouldn't you happen to know what happened to this place?"
"I... I have no idea," she mumbled. "I did not even know this place could be opened. My mother knows better, she helped seal it sixty years ago when the tragedy happened."
When he heard that, he was reminded of the words of the old drunk at the bar, about an alleged accident that had happened sixty years ago.
"Sixty years?" he repeated in a curious tone. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be a 'troll', would you?"
"I am," she replied quickly. "My mother and I are the last trolls left in these mines. That is why we were targeted."
That aroused the curiosity of the Courier, who was left wanting to ask more, but he had to leave that for later, because soon he could feel the presence of someone else in that place, and his instinct told him that it was not someone friendly.
"Enemy nearby!" the suit warned.
The Courier quickly snapped to attention, picked up Thump-Thump, and readied himself. He looked sideways, pointing the grenade rifle where he thought the enemy might be, but to no avail. No matter where he looked, he could find no trace of the supposed enemy.
"Above you!" the troll yelled.
After that warning, he looked up and to his surprise, saw a winged figure on the ceiling coming at him at full speed.
SLASH
He felt a sharp blade slice across his back, not enough to sever his body, but enough to force him to the ground from the impact.
"I was wondering where you were, I was even worried, thinking maybe something had happened to you, and look how I found you, flirting with a man," a female voice said in a teasing tone. "If you wanted love so much, you could have accepted my husband's invitation to join his harem."
"How could I love a man who holds my mother hostage?!" the troll retorted angrily, trying to rise from the ground, but still too affected by the previous battle to be in condition.
" We have already told you a thousand times, silly. Your mother is not a hostage, she is our special guest. My husband is so kind that he has decided to provide her with the finest luxuries while you do us a favor, is it not obvious?"
"That is a lie and you know it!" she shouted as she tried to raise her hand, but to no avail due to the weak state of her body.
"I see you are in a bad mood, is it because of that man?" she asked as she approached the Courier. "Honestly, he is nothing compared to my husband. And from what I sense in you, you have no feelings for him, is he a nuisance to you?"
She crouched down in front of him, allowing him to get a better look at her. She was a strange woman with long purple hair, bat-like wings, horns coming out of her head, and a long thin black tail behind her. She was like the strange winged mutant from Polove, except that her skin was not blue, but a normal human color.
She smiled as soon as their eyes met. "Perhaps he could be of use if I sent him as a gift to Lady Druella. Surely she would know what to do with him."
The Courier looked at her with what seemed like resignation, but was quickly replaced by a sneer.
"You're right where I wanted you, honey."
BANG
The winged woman was pushed back by the shot. So stunned was she by the attack that she barely registered the pain of the gunshot, taking a few brief seconds of uncertainty until she finally screamed in agony.
"Wh-what? H-how?!" she cried out.
"I have to admit that hurt, like pulling out your hangnails, but on a larger scale," he said as he got up from the floor with the gun in his hand. "Though I must say it was a good excuse for you to get cocky and come at me."
As he stood, drops of blood could be seen dripping from the wound on his back, a sight that horrified and confused the winged woman in equal measure.
"Are you bleeding? But it cannot be, demon silver should not hurt you!"
The Courier brought his hand to his back, touched the wound, and then brought his hand to his front for a look. There he could see his bloodstained palm.
"Looks like the first round was a draw. You made me bleed, I made you bleed," he said as he bent down to pick up the strange sword with his free hand, lifting it off the ground and admiring it curiously. When he was done looking at it, he pointed it at the winged woman. "Ready for round two, darling?"
A/N: Good morning everyone. A new chapter and also a new sketch, this time of Saphirette, the shy and socially anxious elementalist of the group. You can see it in the Ao3 and SpaceBattles versions of this story.
This is another illustration by my friend Squirrel Queen, who not only did the sketches for this story, but also the covers for Distant Lands: Shock and AAA by djpj7652 and Wasteland Soul by quentin3655. Check them out, they are good stories.
See you in the next chapter. Tchau.