Blood Ties, Part 26
You explain to Meska exactly what you need her to do. She listens carefully, her small dark eyes looking up at you from the rodent's face. Then, once you're finished, she nods. "We obey, master incubus," she says. "How long should I wait?"
"Give me a few hours," you say. "Wait until everyone is up and about." With that you leave, slipping back into Janessa's manor, and back into bed with the two fascinating women you fucked last night.
Before long they awaken as well. And for a while, you simply relax there together in silence, drinking in the delight of each other's warmth and presence. Ceriss is more relaxed; it's pretty clear that this is far from the first time she's woken up in a situation like this. Janessa, for her part, looks quite stunned as she recalls, in the quiet light of morning, just what she did last night in the heat of the moment, with the courage of the brandy in her.
You use Niko's simple charm to defuse the worry, both your hands reaching out to take a hand from each woman. "That was... amazing..." you say in an awed voice. "I've never... I mean... to share something like that..." You let your voice trail off.
Ceriss smiles at you, and ruffles your hair, before climbing out of bed. She very deliberately gives both of you a good look at her fit, naked body while she does so, showing it off to good effect as she reaches for her clothes.
Both you and Janessa are quite appreciative.
The three of you head downstairs... and it's at this point that you hear the knock on the door. Opening it, you find Meska standing there. "Oh, hello!" you say, as though this were a great surprise. "Is there something you need from us?"
"I am only needing to convey some knowledge that my people have learned," Meska says, even as you beckon back to Ceriss, and she walks up, intrigued. "You have asked us to be looking out for this mad killer, yes? To be proving that we are no threat?"
"Have you found more information?" Ceriss asks. "We have caught the killer already. But additional evidence would still be appreciated."
"That is what is so troubling to us," says Meska. "It is Lord Hastrik that you are catching, correct? We also have been keeping an eye on him, ever since we are seeing him in the killer's outfit that night. We saw him sneaking into noble garden yesterday. And almost immediately after, we are hearing screams. Shouts. And a crowd is gathering."
"Afterward, we are hearing that the lady of the manor was found stabbed. Raped. But... lady mage... the time between his arrival and the uproar... we are thinking it was not nearly enough for so much to be happening."
Now the ratfolk spy looks pensive. "It was we ratfolk who were part of pointing suspicions in this man's way. And we stand by what we saw that night! But... if that somehow is turning out to be false? And our people are taken to be giving false accusations against one of the city's nobles?" She shudders at the thought. "I do not know what to be making of this. But I am thinking that there is something very strange going on. And I am not wishing for it to make liars of us in the eyes of vengeful big ones."
Ceriss frowns. You can see her pondering this new information. Her previous sense of relief at her victory is slowly ebbing away, as she confronts the possibility that something much more sinister is going on. "But... Lady Kagan identified him as the killer herself..."
Which was probably exactly why—unlike his other victims—the killer left her clinging to life. Out of hope that she might point the finger at Hastrik before she died. Meska, meanwhile, just shrugs helplessly. "I cannot say anything beyond what we were seeing that day," she says. "But please, lady mage. Consider it carefully. The lives of my people are in your hands."
Ceriss nods, chewing her lower lip. Her previous good cheer is now well and truly gone. She's suspicious now. And when the prostitute you talked to last night tells her story later, you're pretty sure that suspicion will increase into outright conviction that she's being played by the killer.
It's a somber mood at breakfast, as Ceriss wrestles with the implications of what she's learned. She explains the broad strokes to Janessa. Though—true to her word to Meska—she refrains from giving any specific details about her source who was doing the observing.
Once breakfast is over, Ceriss wastes little time in saying her goodbyes, then rushing off to her own place, a preoccupied frown still on her features. Not long after that, Janessa turns to you. "So..." she asks. "What are your plans for the day, Niko?"
You affect a thoughtful look for a bit... then shoot her an enticing little grin. "Lady Janessa..." you say. "What would you say to going on a small adventure with me? These new developments... there's someone I heard about, while I was asking around before. He might have the experience to shed some light on these matters."
Convincing her to spend the day with you isn't any difficulty at all. Soon enough, the two of you set out toward the poorer districts. But you've hardly covered any distance at all, before you're approached by a familiar figure. It's General Raxien, flanked by a guard on either side of him as he walks down the street toward you.
"Good day. Lady Janessa. Lord Calwen." His tone is precise and polite, and he offers a short nod to each of you in turn. "I wanted to thank you both for your service in the matter of this murderer. Especially you, Lord Calwen. If not for the race you ran yesterday, Vekmar would have lost a member of one of our most prominent families."
"I just saw a chance to lend a hand to someone who needed help," you say modestly. "Anyone would have done the same."
"Perhaps," Raxien says. "Nevertheless, our nation owes you a great debt. And that is in addition to how you are facilitating your nation's support in our war effort against those green-skinned savages to the south. If there is anything I can do for you in return, please. Do not hesitate to ask."
A favor from the Vekmar general leading their military operations against Kovora! Now that could be useful. Although... the window for any such use will probably be brief. After the promised aid fails to arrive and "Niko" is revealed to be a fraud, you doubt Raxien will feel quite so well-disposed toward you.
Janessa, meanwhile, speaks up. "Sir, you ought to know. We have reason to believe that the case against Lord Hastrik may be more complicated than it appears. Lady Zylnerios has a source of some kind that suggests he may have an alibi for the attack on Lady Kagan, at least. It's possible he may have been framed."
The general frowns. "But what of Lady Kagan's own testimony?"
"Magic, perhaps?" you offer. It's close enough to the truth, at least. "If the killer could cast illusions..."
"That would be... troubling," says General Raxien. "If he is capable of magic—let alone magic of that caliber—then he is no mere common maniac. Let us hope that this new source is simply mistaken. The alternative is... not a pleasant thought."
Of course, you already know that there's no mistake. But unfortunately, for the purposes of convincing Raxien that the threat is not yet over, you're still limited to only what Niko should know. "I think it warrants investigation, sir," you say. "If it is some kind of mad mage—or worse—then that's a danger we can ill afford to leave lurking in the shadows."
"True," the general agrees. "Either way, though, the nightly patrols my men have been running are unlikely to still be necessary. Even if Hastrik is just a dupe, the murderer is not likely to spoil his ruse by killing again. But... he may be preparing to abandon the city entirely, and carry on his depredations elsewhere."
Now the general appears deep in thought. "Instead of patrolling the city, I could have my men increase the guard on the city gates. They could watch for any suspicious figures leaving with large amounts of money or supplies. It's a long shot... but it might give us a lead."
Against a demon, you doubt that will accomplish much. Then again, it couldn't hurt. Depending on how much the killer has accumulated in this city—and how much he wants to take with him—it might even cause him some small degree of inconvenience. Maybe delay him a bit, if you're lucky. Still, even in the best case, if this demonic killer is planning to flee then you probably don't have long to catch him before he does it.
But... is fleeing the city even his plan? There's still too much about your enemy that you just don't know.
"Thank you, sir," is what you end up saying out loud. "I greatly appreciate how much help you've already given us in tracking this bastard down. And I know Ceriss appreciates it too."
The general accepts your gratitude with a nod. "Lady Zylnerios and I may have our differences of opinion regarding the Kovora situation," he says. "But I'm pleased that we can lay that aside and cooperate on a matter like this. Be sure to keep me informed of any new developments."
With that, he turns and leaves. Janessa watches him go, a conflicted expression on her face. "Are you alright?" you ask.
"It's... nothing," she says. "I was just... thinking about what the general just said. And... about what you asked me. When we first met, in that bar. About whether peace with Kovora was possible, after everything that's happened."
You turn to look at Raxien's now-distant form, then offer a speculation. "I remember," you say. "Back then, you said there were generals who wanted to wipe the orcs out completely, down to the last child. I'm guessing Raxien is one of them?"
Janessa nods. "He thinks the heroines are naive to think that any of the greenskins can be spared. He doesn't think there's any reasoning with the orcs, or their queen. He says that if Kovora still exists once the heroines start to age and pass on... then we'll have lost our chance. And history will keep on repeating itself. Until they finally exterminate us."
You realize that, in his own way, the man you were just conversing with so cordially is just as much a threat to your mistress as any of the heroines. Perhaps even more so. Even the fearsome Lady Alicia, for all the stories about her incredible personal power, seems to be constrained by her idealism. It's a lever you can use against her.
But General Raxien, on the other hand...
"I think he's wrong," you say quietly. "I don't think that path leads anywhere but madness and misery."
"He... wasn't always like this," Janessa replies, still watching his back. "I think... the war must have changed him. Or... maybe it was living with the memories, in the years after. What the orc armies did to us. What we did to them. It changed all of us, really, in different ways. He was hailed as a hero, after it was all over. But the fame, the adulation... he wouldn't have any of it. He became reclusive. Barely showing his face in polite society."
Then she sighs. "At least... not until this new war effort began to really gain momentum. But once it did... well. I guess he finally found a cause that he thought was worth using all of that renown and acclaim."
"But what about you?" you ask. "I mean... have you given any more thought to what I asked you before? How you feel about the war? What would you do if you thought there might be a way to stop what happened ten years ago from happening again?"
Janessa hesitates. "I... I don't know," she says at last. "I... It might depend on what kind of a way it was. And how likely I thought it was to work. I... agree that it sounds nice. But... I don't even know how that could happen at this point."
You decide to press a little harder. "I think... the first step is just to believe that it's really possible," you say. "If we keep telling ourselves there's no chance, then we might never notice the opportunity when it comes. Even if it's right in front of us."
Taking hold of Janessa's hand, you look deep into her eyes, playing up Niko's simple kindness for all it's worth. "I want to find a way to stop this war," you insist. "I want to find a way where no one is destroyed. I want to find a way for everyone to be happy. Would you be willing to help me, Janessa? If there was a way like that? Even if it meant going against people like General Raxien?"
Janessa flinches, looking away from the earnest innocence you're radiating. "I... That's... That's a beautiful goal, Niko," she finally says. "I... wish I could believe in it like you do. But... it's... hard. For someone like me. Even if the heroines are right... even if the general is going too far... I just don't see how this can end without any bloodshed at all. Not even Lady Alicia believes that."
Still, you can tell that she's conflicted. You've made progress in chipping away at her certainty. You don't have time to devote the whole day to it—not if you're going to find the dwarf as well—but combined with your talk in the bar, you can tell that she's starting to shift. Much closer now to coming around in full.
The two of you set out through the streets toward the poorer areas of the city, inquiring after Kolfinn's location as you go. You work well together, discussing where next to look, bouncing ideas off each other, while also making small talk as you go.
Eventually you locate Kolfinn himself. The ancient dwarf is sitting at a dingy bar, a pint of ale in front of him. He glances up as the two of you approach him, regarding you with his one good eye, as it sits next to the glass one in his scarred, craggy face.
"Now this is a treat..." he says, his mouth twisting into an amused smirk. "Not often we see such fine ladies and gentlemen—or well, gentle-boys—down here, slummin' it with tha lesser folk. What brings ya to see old Kolfinn, strangers?"
For someone like this, you judge that straightforward, blunt respect is the best approach. "We want to talk about this killer that's been terrorizing the city," you say. "We're working with Lady Ceriss Zylnerios to hunt him down. To do that, we need someone who knows the history of this city's underbelly. We've heard that's you."
Kolfinn frowns. "Well I heard they already caught tha bastard," he says, puzzled, before taking another swig of his ale. "Red-handed, no less. Not sure how yer still huntin' him if that's the case."
"We've since found evidence to believe that it's more complicated than that," you say. "We think the real killer might be framing the man we caught. Possibly using some kind of... illusion magic, or other such trickery to impersonate the man."
"Oh?" The word is said with seeming nonchalance... but you can see the dwarf's hand suddenly grip tight on his mug. You expect the strong similarities between the killings must have already been putting him in mind of the past. But to now hear that there's a shape-shifter involved this time as well... "Ya don't say?"
"Yes," you say. "Which is why we need your experience. If there is a supernatural killer on the loose... a killer who can look like someone he isn't... and who doesn't mind faking his own demise... It occurred to me that this might not be the first time this has happened."
Kolfinn is definitely looking sick now, even as you go in for the finishing blow. "Can you think of any other cases through the years that might fit that pattern? It would really help Lady Zylnerios if she knew what she was dealing with."
The dwarf is no longer facing you, staring deep into his ale instead, his face pale. For a long, long time he says nothing. You can read the anguish in his hunched posture, as he suddenly realizes the long-buried past is coming back to haunt him in a way he never, ever expected to face.
You give him as much time as he needs, waiting in silence. After what seems like an eternity, the dwarf speaks. The words sound like they're being dragged out of him, like stone grating against stone. "It's... not a story that's mine to tell," he forces out. "I'll tell it to Ceriss. No one else."
You pretend confusion, even though you already know the secret he's so desperate to keep from you. Still, you've accomplished what you came here to do. "Then let's go back to her manor and wait for her return," you say. "I have the feeling that time is of the essence."
Kolfinn nods, his gaze still staring off into the past that has so unexpectedly returned to haunt him. He slowly rises to his feet, then follows you numbly out of the bar. All the way to Ceriss' manor, he barely speaks. You don't envy him. He knows the terrible secret that, for her own safety, he'll need to tell the girl he helped raise.
So that she knows what—and who—she's truly pitting herself against.
You arrive at Ceriss' manor before the mage has returned from her court duties. What you do find waiting for you, however, is a surprise that causes your stomach to tense. Even as you approach her home from a distance, you see a magic carpet drop from the clouds and land right in Ceriss' yard. Its rider is small... but the sight of her tiny, gnomish frame makes the hairs on the back of your neck crawl.
Nevati Wrancyne has arrived in Vekmar. To study you.
However... her long-anticipated arrival also coincides with Kolfinn coming to reveal the truth about Ceriss' parentage. Thinking quickly, you realize that this particular coincidence presents you with an interesting choice. Nevati is here to inspect your brand. And given how dangerous Ceriss seemed to think it was, it's likely she will want to have a first look at it as soon as she can.
On one hand, the prospect of learning more about this curse is tempting. And the information you gain could very well prove extremely useful as you juggle the various threats you face. On the other hand... anything you learn, Nevati will learn as well. You don't know what information this will give her about you, or how much extra pressure it might put you under. It's an unknown risk, for an unknown reward.
It's possible that if you stall Nevati until Ceriss returns—and Kolfinn can deliver his bombshell—that the resulting revelations will occupy the rest of the night. Maybe buying you an extra day without being inspected. Is the brief delay worth it to you? Or do you want to get the genius wizard's first impressions on your curse as soon as possible?
You glance down at the glove that hides the brand from sight, wishing you knew more what you were risking. But there's nothing for it. You'll need to make your decision based on what little you do know.
