Advent of Eternity - Chapter 109 (Patreon)

Stix folded the papers back up with slow, careful movements before sliding them back into the tube. She drew a breath and let it out through trembling lips, then fitted the cap back on and straightened.

“Is there any chance…”

Knell shook his head.

Stix nodded and wiped her face with the palm of her hand, turning away from them. “Okay. I think I need some time alone. Is… it safe here?”

“As much as anywhere,” Knell said. “Take your time. We’ll be above.”

He and the others ascended the stairs to the floor above silently. Maya sent a glance back at Stix, concern etched into her features, but Knell shook his head and gestured for her to keep walking.

“There’s nothing you can say to make her feel better,” Knell said once they stepped out of the hall. “Let her process her emotions.”

He set his mental clock for an hour. If Stix still hadn’t emerged by then, they’d go down and get her. Time to mourn was important, but he couldn’t afford to waste too much time here.

“It just seems… cold. Shouldn’t someone comfort her?” Maya asked. “That’s what I would have done for my men.”

“I am cold,” Knell said flatly. “People die. Kind words won’t bring them back, and Stix needs to spend time understanding that her brother is gone. This was her reason for traveling the world, and even though she probably knew it was the case, that doesn’t mean she wanted to prove it. If she doesn’t take time to acknowledge that her brother is gone, she’ll spend the rest of her life chasing his ghost.”

A sharp crack rang out as Cyll split large piece of fallen stone beneath his foot. Knell and Maya glanced at him. Cyll grunted.

“Sorry.”

Knell shook his head. “Give her comfort once she’s ready to talk to us again, but let her say goodbye in peace.”

“Understood,” Maya said. “Does this mean our business at Rosewood is done, then?”

“Largely,” Knell replied. “I don’t think it wise to spend much more time in the area. It probably won’t be long before the Ruler discovers I infiltrated his mansion, and if his men are even half competent, they’ll figure out where we’ve gone. Even if they don’t, when the monster fails to show up on the city streets tonight, they’ll know something is up and will come to investigate. The lure of possible riches will call them.”

“Where’s our next course lead to, then?” Cyll asked, leaning against the wall and picking at his fingernails.

“We’ll be looking into a way to deal with Maya’s arm. I need my crew as strong as they can get before we start challenging any truly powerful opponents. Our best course of action will be returning to Melwood to reclaim our ship, then make for Apton to see if Joseph’s information was true.”

Maya blinked in surprise, then nodded. She clearly wasn’t about to refuse the opportunity to fix her path or arm.

“We could lug all the crap below with us and make a tidy sum selling it,” Cyll suggested.

“Only if you’re the one carrying most of it,” Knell said dryly. “I don’t want to break my back lugging ten times my weight in metal. I’ll just be taking anything portable that looks like it might have some value.”

“I’ll carry some extra if you don’t plan to take it yourself,” Maya said. “It would be nice to get some spending money that I can use on less important things.”

“Feel free to,” Knell said with a shrug. “It would be wasted otherwise, and I feel no great need to give any donations to the Adventurer’s Guild or Rosewood’s ruler. The more we take from them, the better.”

“Just as long as you don’t have to carry it, eh?” Cyll asked.

“I’m glad you understand.”

A faint clatter just barely reached Knell’s ears from the floor above them. He paused, cocking his head to the side and raising a finger to his lips. Cyll and Maya snapped their mouths shut and stopped to listen as well.

Another clatter, just barely audible, echoed down the empty dungeon. It happened once more, then faded away as the source of the noise moved away. Cyll hefted his sword into a ready position and Maya drew her own weapon.

“Should we get Stix?” Maya whispered.

“No. It’s too early. We can deal with this on our own,” Knell replied in the same, hushed tone. “If that’s someone heading in our direction, they probably heard us as well. Move to the stairwell. It’ll be harder for them to maneuver on it. Don’t attack until I do.”

They crept up to the stairwell and took up position around it. Knell kept his magic at his fingertips, ready to cast Slow on the intruder at a moment’s notice. Cyll and Maya positioned themselves on either side of the path upward, their weapons at the ready.

Several minutes passed. Faint footfalls grew closer, getting louder as the person above started to make their way down the stairs. A faint scrape echoed as metal caught on stone, and a woman cursed under her breath.

Several steps later, her face appeared in the dark stairwell. A young woman locked eyes with Knell. She stumbled, catching herself on the wall and bringing a pitted sword to bear with her other hand.

“You look familiar,” Knell said. “Are you following me, Lillicent?”

“Mordrigal’s hound,” Lillicent said, her eyes growing wide. “You’re here? How? Why?”

“I believe I walked in through the entrance, much as you did. But why are you here?”

He watched her expression closely. Within a second, several emotions passed over her face. She clearly considered lying for a moment, then let the sword’s tip lower slightly. “Do I have to answer that?”

“Depends if you were following us.”

“I was not. I had no idea you were here.”

“Drop or sheath your sword and walk down with your hands above your head,” Knell said. “There’s no need for bloodshed if you’re speaking the truth.”

Lillicent dropped the blade. It hit the stairs and clattered down to fall before Knell’s feet, its blade vibrating slightly. She slowly lifted her hands and walked down the rest of the stairs. Knell stepped back to give her room, and Lillicent caught sight of Maya and Cyll as she reached the ground.

“You’ve picked up some companions. More Scions?” Lillicent asked, forcing a calm mask over her face.

“Ah. I see Holen didn’t give you a new Boon. Or perhaps you refused it?” Knell guessed.

Lillicent’s mouth curled in a mocking grin. “I’ve been killing his men for the past few weeks. He wouldn’t give me a new Boon now, even if I stripped myself naked and threw myself at his feet begging for one.”

“They weren’t too happy with your loss of his Boon?”

“They were livid. Bastards,” Lillicent said. “They got what was coming to them.”

“Cap, I didn’t know you had history with women,” Cyll said, baring his teeth in a grin. “You should have told me. I was starting to think you didn’t like them.”

“Experience? He stabbed me,” Lillicent said.

“Oh, he really liked you,” Cyll said. “He only stabs his favorite people.”

Lillicent laughed. “You know, getting stabbed was one of the best things that happened to me. Maybe you’re right. I had no idea how much I was slaving away for Holen until after you freed me. What did you end up doing with the Boon?”

“Broke it for a little bit of experience,” Knell replied. “Wasn’t worth the effort.”

Lillicent threw back her head and burst into laughter. Maya sent an inquisitive glance at Knell, who shrugged.

“That’s too good,” Lillicent said, wiping a tear from her eye. “You wasted it? No wonder Holen was so furious. Can’t even recover a spent Boon. Good.”

“So if you’re not following the Cap, why are you here?” Cyll asked. “This dungeon isn’t exactly on the maps.”

“It is on mine,” Lillicent said, patting a bag by her waist. “I was here looking for an artifact, though it looks like you might have beaten me to it.”

“An artifact? You know something about this dungeon?” Knell asked. “Tell us.”

Lillicent shrugged. “Nothing too specific. I did some research and found that the Adventurer’s Guild had shut down the dungeon. Didn’t take a genius to figure out that they don’t get shut down for no reason, so there had to be something good down here.”

“You’re a treasure hunter, then?” Knell asked.

“Artificer,” Lillicent corrected. “And I was going to harvest the artifact. Figured I could make myself something nice with it. With all of Holen’s men that I’ve been killing, it’s starting to get hard to survive them.”

“You’re an Artificer?” Cyll’s eyebrows rose. “Can you make me something?”

Lillicent pierced him with a flat stare. “Do you see any Boons around here? And why would I make you something?”

“Well, from the sounds of it, you owe the Cap a favor,” Cyll drawled.

“I owe Mordrigal’s Scion a favor. Not you.”

“Ouch,” Cyll said. “I don’t she likes me, Cap.”

“Then she has good judgement. Lillicent, I have no quarrel with anyone that opposes the gods, and even less so with an Artificer.”

“As generous as ever, I see,” Lillicent said with a slight smile. “Thank you. What about that artifact?”

Knell smirked. “Not unless you’ve got something to trade for it. I won’t be giving up the rewards of our work for nothing.”

Lillicent grimaced. “Fair enough. I’ve got nothing. Sixteen Seas, what a waste of a trip.”

“Could be worse. You could have died,” Cyll provided helpfully. “Still can, if you want to.”

“I’ll pass,” Lillicent said with a sigh.

“It’s no Boon, but there’s a fair amount of loot in the room below,” Knell said. “Once we take our share, feel free to take whatever you want. Better it goes to you than the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Thanks. If we’re not going to kill each other, mind if I sit down?”

“Help yourself,” Knell said. Maya and Cyll stepped back and Lillicent scooped her sword off the ground, laying it across her lap as she slid down the wall and leaned back against it.

“You don’t seem to care much for the Adventurer’s Guild,” Lillicent. “And I can’t imagine that sparing me was in Mordrigal’s best interests. If you don’t mind the question, what are you playing at? You aren’t helping the Gods. You aren’t even helping Mordrigal, but you’re her Scion.”

“Only in name,” Knell replied. “And I certainly have no love for the Adventurer’s Guild. We are enemies.”

“A pirate, then?”

“For the time being.”

“Explains your crew,” Lillicent said, sending a glance at Cyll. “You should really get him some better fitting clothes.”

“He ruined the last set a few minutes ago,” Knell said. “We’re working on a replacement.”

“Thank the gods,” Lillicent said. “Do you happen to have any Boons? I’ve been in search of ways to grow stronger, and Holen’s men aren’t nearly as useful as some actual artificing would be.”

“Just artifacts, I’m afraid,” Knell said. “And nothing that I want modified. Do you have the ability to determine what artifacts do?”

“Not yet,” Lillicent said, rubbing the back of her head. “I’m pretty new to this path.”

“Unfortunate. But, if you seek us out in the future, I suspect we’ll have a fair number of Boons. I don’t care which Artificer I work with so long as they have talent, so I would not be opposed to working together.”

Lillicent’s eyebrows rose. “Is that a job offer?”

“Take it as you will.”

“I’ll take you up on that when I’m strong enough to be of use, then,” Lillicent said. “Any enemy of the Guild is someone I’m willing to aid. Where can I find you?”

“I doubt it’ll be hard,” Knell said with a dry smile. “In the near future, Apton. After that, just follow the rumors.”