The Night After [Unedited] (Patreon)

I left Hal in a bit of stupor, but he’ll be okay. He’s gonna be pretty pissed when he finds out his little book is gone. I’d feel bad for him, but he really shouldn’t have been shooting his drunk mouth off about it. Worse still, he just had it sitting there on his desk. I’m no Master Scholar, but that’s really fucking stupid if you ask me; and you know what they say; ‘Stupidity should never go unpunished.’ So I stole the damn book. Gave him a great night to remember as payment too. Sunk my dick in that thick ass of his and made him moan on it. It may not be the fairest of trades, but it’s better than nothing.

Now that the book was mine, what was next? The package didn’t have to be delivered to the client for another day. They promised me twenty platinum kellings for it. One platinum kelling was enough to buy me a nice little villa on the hill. Twenty, well that’d make me a rich bitch... Which made me wonder; just what the book’s was worth? I’d looked through it a bunch of times. It was just a dusty, old, smith’s journal. 

Now I’m no smith. I haven’t got a damn clue whether or not the notes were worth anything; but I know if someone was trying to pay me that much for it, it must be worth more to someone else. So I thought yeah, maybe I’d hold on to the book if that was the case. Maybe see what someone else would pay for it. This shit ain’t alchemy. A freaking feral could figure this kind of shit out; and since I was smart enough to pinch the damn thing, I was sure I was smart enough to find the best deal. And if there was a better deal to be had, I knew just where to go to find out; Cherry Street, in Fuli.

Now you’re not gonna find the Cherry Street Market on any map. You ask one of the common kin about it and they’ll probably look at you funny. Not many people ‘in the know’, know about Cherry Street. That’s because the Cherry Street Market is run by the Consortium. If you don’t know who or what that is, then you’ve probably led a good and honest life. How boring of you. Those of us who are interesting know that the Consortium is a group of shady merchants, mages, and thieves who deal in all kinds of shit. You can find anything at a Consortium Black Market. Arcane artifacts, forbidden tomes... hell, I hear tell once they auctioned off a bound succubus as a sex slave. If it can be had, it can be bought and sold and the Consortium can provide it. If anyone knew what Hal’s Master’s journal was worth, it’d have been them.

After a stop in the Inn I’d been staying in to take a long nap and change out of my ridiculous dancer’s guise back into something less frilly, I left Rhumari for Fuli. I’d slept all day because the market would only be open at night. When I awoke, I made sure to slip out the back in case anyone was looking for me. Poor Hal must have been livid and I didn’t want to have to hurt him if he confronted me. Cause seriously, I would. But no one paid me any mind as I made my way out of town. I even flirted with the city guards for a while at the southern gate just to kill time. When the moon rose high in the sky and the dead of night set in, I knew the getting was good and made my way.

It wasn’t a long trip, just about five miles down the mountain. Fuli is one of those small, quaint, villages that you see littered around the capital. Where as the capital is pretty diverse with different cultures and all that, borrowing heavily from the Kheyara, Bharat, Huaxia and Wakoku influence of Pandorica’s ancestors; Fuli was decisively of the Kheyara culture. Lots of vibrant colors and happy, religious, red pandas who take that temple shit seriously. Not the kind of place I’d normally hang out, but the perfect place to hide a den of thieves, cut throats and kinlings of ill repute. The locals are too busy putting prayers up to the Goddess to notice anything.

I made my way down the main road, ignoring the few passers by. This late, the few pandas walking the street were hurrying home and had no time for chitchat. No streetwalkers, working girls or night owls in Fuli. So when I made my way down to the two huge cherry trees that marked the beginning of Cherry Street, I wasn’t surprised to find it empty.

Cherry Street Market is located near the end of the street, in the only building that looks like it was built in the last century. I’m not sure when the consortium had it built, but it certainly stuck out amongst the other architecture. New and of a different style than the Kheyara influenced architecture around it; you couldn’t mistake the damn building for anything else. I approached the modest clay walls and passed the first of three guards on my way to the entrance in the back. There was an incline wrapping around the building that lead into a covered alleyway that housed the door. A familiar face was guarding it.

‘Here comes trouble,’ he said upon seeing me. He tried to pass it off as a joke, but I could see it in his eyes; he wasn’t kidding. Apparently I’d left an impression on him last time we’d met. His name was Hisen,a handsome young wah who I knew for a fact did not live in Fuli. He was from Hisari, one of the villages closer to Rhumari. Hisen was a red panda of the Wakoku culture. 

The Wakoku isn’t historically ailuridae. Hisen’s people date back a bit to the Age of Uncertainty, when red pandas were dying out and breeding with any and everyone to keep themselves from going extinct. The mujina and the tanuki of Kendoka had offered shelter and protection to the red pandas who travelled with them to the new world here in Theria. About a thousand years later; tanuki and mujina badgers are rare in the mainlands, but there culture remains strong.

A lot of Wakoku red panda trace their heritage back to Easteria and the great migration. They take pride in the long and storied traditions of their ancestors. It’s why a lot of them are pretty stiff and boring most times; but they have their outliers. 

Their delinquents have always had that special brand of wild that I liked. Hisen was certainly one of those. A career lackey, when we’d first met he was working as a guard for a brothel. I’d been having some rough fun with the talent and the madam took offense. After a little commotion, he got to watch me emptying my balls in her mouth. I ended up having him and one of his fellows that night as well... good times.

‘You know I can’t let you in...’ he said apologetically. I knew. I wasn’t on the list that night and I wasn’t particularly well liked by the folks who ran the place. I’ve had my share of altercations there in the past. But I needed to get in and Hisen was going to let me. 

‘I’ve got a hot item I need appraised... let me see the assayer.’ I said, trying my best to sound inviting. Hisen knew my tricks, but it couldn’t hurt to try. He was firm though, pointing out that it’d be his ass on the line. I smiled kindly and place my hand on his cheek.

‘Your ass is on the line right now.’ I warned. 

Now I’m no brute. I wasn’t going to beat him down, but if he didn’t open that door and let me in, I might’ve broke a finger or two. A cleric can heal that kinda thing right up. Wisely, he decided to acquiesce. I grabbed him by his long, shiny, black hair and pulled his head back; planting an aggressive kiss on his lips. A little tongue, a little bite on the lip, a little blood. Hisen liked it rough as I recalled and I was just showing my appreciation. 

‘Thanks,’ I whispered as I let him go. He grumbled something about not having much of a choice and I sauntered off to let him sulk in peace, he’ll be fine. I’ll probably be more friendly with him next time. That time however, I didn’t really have time to play with him.

Now, the first two floors of the Market are the window dressings of a beautiful young maiden’s manor; whose name is somehow less important than she is. She’s an adept with some serious clerical skills. She goes about healing and donating money to the less fortunate; which here in Pandorica ain’t many. The commonkin love her, but she’s just a front. Bitch has the best job in all the Kingdom. The Consortium pays her to act pure and holy. She’s the public face of the manor and the locals wouldn’t dream of questioning her or the illicit activities rumored to take place in the bowels of her home. 

I met her once before. She may have the mojo to work miracles as a cleric, but she ain’t no saint. Girl’s had more cock in her than a hen house. But she’s one of the prettiest little things I’ve ever seen. Albino white fur with dark markings on her chest and neck, all the way down to her crotch. For a red panda, the only red on her is on the accents of her fur and her tail. She’s got a bit on her face, with the markings that flank her cheeks, but they aren’t that promininate. I think it’s her piercing red eyes that does it for me though, she’s absolutely stunning.

She could have been a goddess or something, but I hear the higher ups use her like a high priced cum dumpster. Currently, she’s doing her thing as the hostess of the market. She greeted me kindly as I entered and I gave her a smile. I could see her shiver a bit as she tried not to look embarrassed. I was happy to see she remembered me from last time. I’d been in quite a big brawl. In all the commotion I’d been thrown into a lavish back room. I gotta good look at how much her superiors respected her, as she laid their getting soaked in semen. At least the girl still had some dignity. Both now and then she had the decency to look embarrassed.

‘Take me to the big man,’ I ordered. Pretty as she was, I knew ‘what’ she was. You don’t waste niceties on people like her. She’d sold her pride away for a life of comfort and I wasn’t about to pretend like I respected her ass. She nodded and turned, leading me down into the market proper, swishing that long tail of hers back at me. She definitely was used to people watching her walk away. I took a glance at that perfect ass of hers, but my eyes didn’t linger. Instead I took in the very finely made outfit she was wearing. A very nice sharee that was sheer in some interesting places. It was adorned with lavender jewels and intricate patterns. Looked just as expensive as she did. 

I made no comment and I didn’t think she saw me admiring her attire, but she stopped a moment and said ‘Thank you.’ in that voice you hear from dancers and prostitutes who are used to being ogled. I almost stopped to comment that I wasn’t ‘really’ checking her out, but she then started talking about the dress. Who made it, what it was made out of and what it cost. I smiled and nodded like it wasn’t all a foreign language to me. She told me she could get me one like it in the market, but I declined. It looked well enough on her, but wasn’t something I could see for myself now that I wasn’t pretending to be a dancer.

The market was what you’d expect; Artifacts, trinkets, and exotic creatures for sale. I caught eye of magic weapons, shields and even someone claiming to have a Raven Knight’s Mana Brand. An impressive lot to say the least. Standing in the corner, all huddled together and shivering, were a group of about five kobolds. Cute little things. Three males and two females. They got a sort of androgynous feel to them and no breasts, so it ain’t always easy to tell ’em apart. But since they were stark naked, there was no mystery there. 

‘Slaves?’ I asked, trying to sound like it wasn’t a big concern. I mean, it wasn’t my business, but that’s just fucked up. 

‘No, they are the indentured. Highly trained and highly sought after as servants. They’ve sold themselves for quite a lot I hear, though I think the coin goes to their families.’ the sexy wah answered. I shrugged. To each their own I guess. It’s a fucked up way to live, but who am I to judge.

After walking through the bazaar of treasures and oddities, I was lead to a dusty old room with a big desk covered in books, artifacts and trinkets. Behind it sat a large, old panda bear, with thinning fur and even thinner hair. He huffed, but did not look up.

“Thank you my dear, I will deal with this monster from here.” he groaned. My guide bowed and took leave of us. I notice the old man watch her leave out of the corner of his eye. He was discreet, but he was certainly eyeing her. She must have knew it too. She giggled like a schoolgirl and shot him a wink before hustling out.

‘You ever get a piece of that action?’ I asked the old man. He groaned and feigned to not know what I was talking about. 

‘As uncouth as ever my darling. No, I am content with my wife, thank you.’ he huffed. I don’t know any man who spends all their time working who is content with their wife, but I let it pass. I didn’t want to agitate the great panda.

‘I’m very busy and have little time for the musings of an elderian beast.’ He groaned. I took offense, but didn’t let it show. I’d been called that and some other colorful things for the better part of my life. To be honest, I’m not sure what I am and that’s not relevant. Not yet anyway. What was more important was that the old panda didn’t know what I was and it made him uneasy.

‘C’mon old man,’ I said playfully.

‘I got something for you.’ I added handing him the book. He looked at it with obvious disinterest in his eyes.

‘An old Githarian Journal. Good make. Hard binding. Old as all hell. It’s a proper antique, about two hundred years old. Got a crest on here... hammers and fire. Eh... I’ll give you a platinum kelling for it.’ he muttered. 

I just rolled my eyes. I knew it was worth more than that, but I couldn’t say nothing about it. I didn’t wanna show my hand. Absently, he opened the journal and began to look through it.

‘As I thought, a Master smith’s journal. Very old techniques and some interesting history here. Definitely got some... wait...’ he stopped mid sentence when he got half way through. Quietly he started to go through the pages with a deeper interest. His fingers traced the parchment as he got more and more excited.

‘Girl, you’ve got something here!’ he exclaimed. I was sure I did and I told him so. He just waved me off and opened to a new page. He then looked concerned and shot me a curious expression.

‘You didn’t just walk this in here at your side did you?’ he asked cautiously. I nodded and replied;

‘Yeah, so…?’ His face sunk as he closed the book before sliding it across back to me.

‘A shame. It’s a good find, but it’s more trouble than it’s worth.’ he concluded.

I demanded to know what the problem was and the great panda was all too willing to tell me. The book was a Tome of something called the ‘Book of Blades’. It was one of a set of eight. Handwritten and passed down to the hands of the Masters Blade Smiths of Theria, which apparently Hal’s master had been one of. Each apparently recorded secrets and techniques for smithing powerful weapons and spells that aided in forging. 

It seemed like quite a useful thing, so why didn’t the old man want it?

‘So what’s got you spooked old man?’ I questioned. He shook his head and answered,

‘That book belonged to the Queen’s smith, Kalu. It is rumored to have the secrets of sharpening, tempering and even repairing a very famous sword.’ The suspense was not killing me. I sighed and waited for the elderkin to get on with it.

‘Asi, the ‘Lotus Blade’...’ he whispered with reverence in his voice.

At that moment I shrugged. I had no idea what an Asi was and the Lotus Blade sounded like some corny shit that a blade dancer would name their sword. The old man seemed a bit miffed by my indifference and walked over to his shelf and grabbed a little statue.

‘Catch,’ he warned before tossing it to me. I took it with one hand and held it up. I’d seen the effigy before. Queen Ithica Aeon, warrior queen and one of the heroes of the Baptism of Fire. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know who she was in Pandorica. I didn’t know much about her, but the one thing everyone knew was that she lost her fancy sword slaying dragons. One of the Queen’s Blades. A pretty powerful and widely known legendary talisman. 

It took me a bit to put the square peg in the hole, but I eventually got it. Asi was the name of the Queen’s Blade and that book could help find the damn thing somehow. The sword was more than just a powerful weapon or artifact, it was a fucking cultural icon. I remember smiling to myself, cause I knew for sure then that someone would pay a lot more than twenty platinum kellings for a damn Queen’s Blade. But then why wasn’t the old panda interested in it? And what was that bit about me walking with it at my side?

‘Fuck!’ I growled as it dawned on me. The great panda nodded and sat back in his chair.

‘You just walked through a market with a ton of kinlings with the knowledge and education to know what that book is and maybe what it contains.’ He cautioned. Didn’t I know it. While I was checking out the wares, who had been checking me out? I’d told Hisen I had a hot item. He’d certainly tell that to his superiors to justify letting me in and I walked it right to the old panda. If he didn’t want to bother with it, knowing what it was, it meant that someone was definitely going to want it bad enough to try to take it.

‘Aww... and you guys just cleaned up from last time I was down here.’ I chided. He didn’t look amused. Instead he just sat back in his chair and huffed.

‘When you are attacked, and you will be, it won’t be here. I can assure you.’ he declared. 

‘My suggestion, get out of Kuli as fast as you can and avoid the main roads. Words gonna spread like wildfire.’ he added.

I’m not one to back down from a fight, but I’m not an idiot either. After kindly asking for a satchel to hide the book, I thanked the old bastard and made my way out. 

Already, I could see the eyes of interest locked on me. Before, I hadn’t paid it much attention. I just thought everyone was keeping an eye on me. Maybe even checking me out, I’m a sexy bitch, afterall. It’s been known to happen, but now I know better. Plans were being made, gears were turning... the old panda was right; there would be violence tonight.

It was easy to tell something was amiss. The darling hostess looked a bit grim as I passed. She looked at me as if to say something, but the look on her face said she shouldn’t. That at least told me one of the higher ups was going to be the one to take a shot at me. That made it interesting. It wouldn’t be amateurs, you can bet cold coin on that. 

As I exited the place Hisen gave me a curious look and slipped me something discreetly. He did not say anything, but his eyes told me all I needed to know, but I read his note anyway. It said simply,

‘They’re after you.’ Short and sweet. The guy didn’t mince words. Or more likely, he didn’t have all that much time to write something.

I decided then that a confrontation would be unavoidable. In situations like this, you gotta know what you’re going to do when it happens. You have to control the conflict. I decided like I always did that if a fight’s on, I’m gonna pick where it happens. So I booked it out of town the long way. I avoided any back alleys or unlit streets, until i made it to the outskirts. Toward the flatlands. This time of year the trees and shrubbery were in full bloomage. There were so many places to hide. If I were to ambush someone, that’s where I’d have done it.

I wasn’t wrong either. To their credit the assassins that came for me were talented at their craft. I noticed the first one to my left a little late, taking my attention away from two more hiding among the foliage on either side of the path. I was lucky as shit they weren’t blade dancers or nothing special like that. I’d have been in trouble then. A blade dancer would have went for the head and struck multiple times. These bastards thought impaling me with their knives would do the trick.

The one on the left stabbed me deep in the stomach. I felt the blade slide through flesh and knock on bone. The pain was fucking intense. His damn kukri knife went right through my abdomen and I yelped as he pulled up trying to gut me. The other had hacked down over my left breast, aiming for my heart. The blade sunk in deep, but didn’t penetrate the thick bones of my ribs. All and all, the former did more damage than the later, and the excruciating pain welled up for a moment before giving way to white, hot, rage!

It always begins like that. The rage, the fury. I know a wound like that would be fatal for a kinling, but as the old panda liked to remind me; I wasn’t a kinling. I was of the illustrious species of ‘other’. A mystery for me to be sure, but bad news for those poor saps.

My mind was overcome with an unyielding fury. I roared like a wild thing and my body reacted on it’s own. Quick as I could, I retaliated; slamming the hard edge of the book into the assassins windpipe. I felt a satisfying ‘gak!’ as his throat collapsed and the muscles in his neck caved in. I swatted him down like a fly and I felt his neck snap under the force of the blow. My blood boiled and everything went red.

They all came out the woodwork then, bout five of them total; minus the dead one. Red panda’s one and all. Kukri wielding assassins wearing dark blue robes and clever veils. Each had the Kheyaran character for silence painted of the front and there eyes glowed with eerie light. They’d been warned about me. Someone had given them some kind of elixir or potion to enhance their physical abilities. I’d have wondered about it at the time, but thinking ain’t really my strong suit when the rage takes over.

I’m not fully sure what exactly happens to me or what I’m capable of. I know my claws grow and my fangs get so heavy it’s hard to close my mouth. I taste copper and my blood boils. I feel no pain, no anxiety or stress. It’s like I’m not even there really, just a passive observer in my own life. My muscles become denser, my reflexes sharpen. My senses are more acute and my power becomes frightening, even to me, but it’s like it’s not real. Like I’m just floating and watching my body move; trapped behind my own eyes.

The show is always spectacular. The assassins moved about in odd formations, trying to press their tactical advantage. They struck from each side, giving me little room to evade. I didn’t even bother. I simply pushed forward to the quickest of them, taking the kukri’s blade through my hand, barely flinching as it impaled me. I gripped down on their fist, feeling my claws dig in and the bones in his knuckles as they shattered. I flung the bastard into the next closest and watched him topple over.

I took another knife to the back then and roared for the pain I could barely feel. The sound was so loud it shook the trees and startled my would be murderer. He’d have tried to drive his knife into me with all his strength, but he was struck in the face by a spurt of my blood. When I go berserk like that, everything inside changes. My blood becomes a thick, black, viscous fluid. It sticks to to everything, even my fur; and burns like wildfire.

The assassins howl was almost as loud as my own, but pained and distressed. I could smell it melting his face and mask as it ate into him. It didn’t take long for enough of the air to interact with my blood for it to catch fire. He screamed in horror, as I kicked the little shit in the face and sent him to the ground. 

The blood about my body and all around caught fire at the same time. The assassins that were still on their feet dodged and retreated as I whirled around, my bleeding hand throwing black ichor about myself. There was fire in the grass, in the trees and all about my body. I growled in the night like a feral thing as I cleared the immediate area. 

With my attackers unsure of what to do next, I turned my attention to the knife in my back. The blow had been close to my spine, about a few inches off; but the blade hadn’t gone deep enough to do any damage. My muscles were so dense by then that he could barely get a few inches of the blade in me. His masters should have given him a better weapon, or better yet, sent an adept. Someone who could infused their blade with mana would definitely have fared better. 

Pulling the blade out, the subtle hint of pain upset me. I turned to visit retribution on my fallen foe, he was still screaming and burning. My blood dripped down on him as I hovered above, causing him to cry out anew. His anguish was eventually silenced as I gleefully hacked him to pieces with his own knife.

I tried, you know, to pull away. I knew at least two or three of those bastards were still in fighting shape and that I would have to deal with them. But the thought was in the back of my mind, buried under anger, sadistic glee and instinct. I couldn’t help but giggle insanely as I turned the wah’s body into pulp. I watched as he went from a person, to a corpse, to meat; burning as my blood dripped down over what was left of him.

The next thing I felt was a piercing pain through my neck. I had little time to figure out what was going on before I was hauled back. I hit the ground with an thud and looked up just in time to see the shine of the killers blade in the moonlight. I instinctively grabbed it with my bare hands, stopping the panda from driving it into my face. He looked surprised and tried desperately to force the blade down. He was certain that I had to be weakening now. I wanted to laugh at him, but found it difficult and painful. Reaching up to my throat, I felt the metal of a speared grapple protruding from my neck. They’d got me good, another wound that might of been fatal for anyone else. 

I felt the blood well up in my neck and throat. My mouth tasted of iron and sulfur as the sticky goo filled my mouth. When the air hit the blood, it began to burn giving me the most curious notion. A wicked grin drew itself across my face as dark thoughts consumed my mind. The hapless assassin saw the dark flames growing in my maw and knew immediately what was coming; but he was too slow to save himself. Doing my best dragon impression, I spat fire in his face.

Globs of blood ignited in the air, as the thick fluid covered his face and shoulder. He fell away howling as pieces of cloth fused to flesh, and both melted away. He thrashed about violently trying to claw the flames away; but to no avail. It wasn’t long before his screams turned to murmurs and gave way to silence. The only thing to be heard was the crackling of flames as it ate away at his corpse.

At that point, the tugging on the grappling hook in my neck got tiresome. Though unable to voice my outrage, the look of fiery death in my eyes must have been enough to spook one of the would be assassins. He dropped the rope and moved to flee before his partner managed to berate him into finding his nerve. Even through the haze of berserker rage it was an interesting sight as neither spoke, they just communicated in gestures and body movement. Sad for them, their brief delay was all the opening I required.

Rolling to my feet, I pulled some slack away from the rope. Gripping the hook in my neck with one hand and the tether in the other, I heaved, drawing one of the assassins to me. He stumbled forward trying to get his footing, but could not find purchase. I pounced on him like a predator to her prey, viciously biting flesh and fur. Ripping divots of meat and bone out of his head. He didn’t cry out like the others. Silent to the end. The most dedicated to whatever order or rule these kinlings had for themselves. Or perhaps it was because I sunk my teeth into his jugular and ripped out his throat, could have been either.

It may surprise you to know that the last one did manage to find his nerve. He rushed me with his kukri and tried to take off my head. Bout time someone tried that. I’m not sure, but I think something like that would be enough to put me down. Sad for him, my reflexes were extreme during my berserker rage, but he had been more clever than I anticipated. 

When I dodged, he grabbed the rope and tied it about his waist, whilst he jumped back with all his weight. It was enough to pull me forward by the neck and knock me off balance. Clever bastard had gotten the edge on me and was quick enough to capitalize before I recovered. I felt his weight on my body as he landed blow after blow on my back. Was he trying to pummel me?

No. What I originally mistook for heavy punches were actually stabs.

He just went crazy back there trying his best to do me in. It was a serious effort. If he’d have managed to try to stab at my head or a vital organ or two he might of got me. As it was, he was just stabbing wildly, hoping it’d do the trick. To his credit, it almost did. I’d definitely be feeling it when the rage subsided and I wasn’t sure my preternatural ability to heal would be enough to overcome this much damage. 

I must have looked like quite the spectacle, on the ground, bleeding and burning. The kin who meant to murder me ignored the flames, but I could hear the pain in his grunts of exertion. He was burning himself with every splurt of ichor. I decided then that if I wanted to live, I’d best get to doing something about him. 

With all the might I could still muster, I rolled over. He rode me like some kind of steed, moving and positioning to stay atop me. We faced each other and I could look into his eyes. There was nothing but panic and fear in them. He tried thrusting down into my face, but I managed to knock the blade away before he could. His surprise made him vulnerable and I made my move. Toppling him over and pinning him down. I’m not ashamed to say I tore him apart like a feral monster. Scratch, biting, gnawing and ripping. I disemboweled the poor bastard and was bathed in his blood. I’d have cried out in triumph if hadn’t already lost too much blood.

Despite my rage, despite my victory and indifferent to the danger; my body began to betray me. I’d lost a lot of blood and my rage was not enough to sustain me. It ebbed away and was replaced with pain so intense I saw white. I had a second to make a decision, so I ripped the hook from my neck and tried to drag myself to the long bushes to hide. I didn’t make it. My world went dark and I couldn’t help but wonder if I had seen my last night on this planet.

I awoke several days later. It was mid morning and the chirping birds disturbed my healing slumber. My eyes cracked open to the different scenery than I’d witnessed just before I passed out. It didn’t take long to notice that there was another kinling there with me. Startled, I shocked awake and tried to move. That turned out to be a terrible idea, my body wasn’t even close to fully healed and it’s roaring protests to my actions immobilized me. 

“I wouldn’t move if I were you beast. You ain’t healing so well, dear.’” she cooed to me. I could tell who it was right away, though I couldn’t move to see her clearly.

She walked up to me and kneeled down. I got a good look into the cold blue eyes of a particularly beautiful snow leopardess. Her hair was shiny and black, with flecks of white and grey about them. She wore a curious cloak that hid whatever she was wearing under it, but I could tell she’d been geared for combat. She held the book in one gloved hand. From the tone of her voice, I knew she was not happy with me.

“Where...” I managed to grown out. She smiled looking around the area. 

“A little grove I know well. You’ll be safe here til you can move about.” she assured. Placing the book into her satchel she tsked at me.

“My dear, you weren’t very loyal to me. You did a naughty and look where it got you.” she teased. I wanted to growl or protest, but she was right and I knew it. Besides, she could have just finished me off and stolen the book, but instead she saved my life. I wasn’t such a bitch that I wasn’t grateful. Who knows what would have happened if she’d left me out in the open to rot.

“My mistake... I’ll own that.” I groaned.

My apparently benevolent benefactor giggled again like a child. The sound was not comforting. Despite her looks and her apparent demeanor, I knew a thing or two about her. The emblem on her cape, the winter rose, was one I’d seen before. It belonged to a special unit within the Valdinian knighthood; ‘Ice Reapers’ they called them. I’d been on the wrong end of one of them once. They live up to their name. The fact that her rose had a skeleton at its center indicated that she’d killed more than three hundred people in her career. In my condition, I was not about to do anything to piss her off.

Smiling she patted me on my head.

“I’ve got the book. All is forgiven.” she assured me. Reaching into her pack she grabbed a small bag. I could tell it was full of coin by the way it jingled.

“You’ll understand why I’ve halved your compensation my dear?” she asked placing the bag next to my head.

“Unprofessional behavior should never be rewarded... but you did get me the book. So ten platinum kellings. I think it’s a generous offer, all things considered.” the leopardess added. I wasn't in a position to argue or negotiate. I simply nodded and tried desperately not to give in to the pain. Clapping her hands together she chuckled;

“Very good then! Our business has concluded. I’ll leave you to your well earned rest.” I scoffed at her humor, but could do nothing. 

To my surprise she told me she’d be in touch and that hopefully I was sufficiently educated on why not to break faith with an employer. I shrugged and watched her leave as best I could. She moved like something wicked in the night, sultry and dangerous. I had to admire it.

I’m sure there is a lesson in here somewhere. Something about hubris and greed. Perhaps about fulfilling your debts or biting off more than you can chew. All good lessons I guess, but not what I’d learned. I’d learned that someone thought I was useful enough to keep around. Perhaps the Valdinian had a plan for me, she certainly had a plan for that book. Was she after the Queen’s Blade or did she have other aims.

Down, broken and in more than a lot of pain, I had nothing but time to ponder on it. I was sure this business was not done and neither was my part in it. Gears in the dark were moving and I was one of the cogs in the machine. That didn’t bother me none, as long as there was coin to be made, I was game. Afterall, now I’m about ten platinum short and that just won’t do.