Chapter: 215 - First Raid (Patreon)

<Contains content which may be considered grimdark>
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Tala walked through the streets of Platoiri alone.

Well, Terry was on her shoulder, but the rest of her strike group were already moving into position.

Kit was back in the House of Blood’s hold, being outfitted by a host of servants and craftsmen. It had been nearly a week since Tala had placed Kit within the captured hold, and her dimensional storage had long since finished melding with it.

She was still marginally uncomfortable with the realization that Kit was actually a creature of some kind, but really, it didn’t matter that much, except that Tala, herself, would need to be much more powerful before she would risk a soul-bond with her storage.

But that was all a distraction. She was on a mission.

This is ridiculous. This would never work in a human city. The city defenses and defenders would never allow it.

-This isn’t a human city, and these aren’t humans.-

I know, I know. In truth, she was a bit torn with the whole thing. Succeeding would bring her one step closer to the possibility of returning home without having to fight her way free. But succeeding would also allow her kidnapper to become more powerful. Still, the decision was made.

-I still think you should pass this off to Tali.-

When we get there. I don’t want to be her more than I need to be. Tali was still the better fighter, Tala knew that, but she didn’t like how it felt, being Tali. She didn’t particularly like killing sapient beings either, but she was willing to do both things if it was required for her to achieve her goals.

-As you wish.- Alat had argued the point enough by then that she likely knew it was futile to try again.

Tala walked through a loosely populated square. Several restaurants and other eateries were doing a brisk business in the early autumn chill, and many of their customers were sitting outside, scattered through this space, at cast-iron tables and chairs.

She ignored the people, for the most part. The tail they’d put on her target had indicated that he would still be in the shop. That was the best place to strike.

Quick in and out, take the weapon, leave the candidate Eskau behind. It was merciful and effective in more ways than one.

It should minimize collateral damage, too.

Her eyes swept across the signs until she found the one that she was looking for. She’d known the name, but not the iconography used along with it.

What she saw startled her. It was largely an eerily lifelike depiction of some sort of unknowable horror.

A highly detailed croissant was central on the sign. Behind it, and surrounding the pastry was a tangle of limbs and two staring eyes. Somehow the static image was conveyed with haunting clarity that left the impression that the eyes followed Tala as she walked and the limbs moved if she glanced away for even an instant.

What the rust. Who would design something like that? Who would eat there?

The ‘Many-Fold Bakery’ was one of the best pastry establishments in the city, for those who were willing to shop there. Though, at that moment, Tala’s target should be the lone customer within.

Tali had never visited. Of course, she didn’t. She never visited any bakeries.

-What lost opportunities.- Alat conveyed the feeling of a sad shaking of her head.

Apparently, one of the candidates for Eskau of the House of the Rising Sun frequented this establishment, and as word hadn’t spread through the opposing houses about the House of Blood’s new Pillar, it was agreed that they should take this target of opportunity, first.

Because after our first raid, people like this will be more careful, or come with guards.

Nearly a dozen armsmen of the House of Blood, lightly armed and not in house colors, were scattered around the small square, ready to prevent interference with Tala’s task. There were members of the House of the Rising Sun around as well, but they seemed to be there in unofficial capacity. This was somewhat close to their hold, after all.

Be-thric had remained in the House of Blood’s hold. His presence wasn’t necessary for this task, and he would have drawn unneeded attention.

Tala took a deep breath as she crossed the courtyard and pushed open the door. Terry hopped off of her shoulder, as they’d agreed. He would wait just outside the bakery, off to one side.

As the door opened at her pull, she was hit by a wave of warm, comforting air.

The scents wafting through the gust were enchanting, and Tala found herself taking another long inhale. Though, this time it was purely for the enjoyment of the smells.

Tala hadn’t even realized that she’d closed her eyes to enjoy the experience more fully until she heard someone address her.

“It’s pretty fantastic, isn’t it?”

Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the Eskau candidate standing before the display cabinet, looking her way. Her target was, indeed, here.

He was about Tala’s own height and a cat-folk male. His fur was short and a sleek, well-cared-for gray. His fingers were long, resembling human fingers more than a cat’s paws. His eyes were a dull green around feline slits.

Tala was not wearing her uniform as an Eskau of the House of Blood, so he didn’t immediately recognize her as a threat. She was glowing with magical patterns, but that wasn’t that unusual, though the extent of her magic was likely notable.

That might be why he addressed me. Funnily enough, closing her eyes upon entry had likely helped lower his guard. After all, what sort of fool would close their eyes when faced with an enemy?

-Huh, Tali might have messed this up after all. At least the start. You should still let her fight.-

Tala ignored Alat. Instead, she smiled and responded to the cat, “It is indeed.”

Her eyes scanned the inside of the shop. There was very little room within the shop for customers. A large, glass, display case ran the width of the place, presenting the various wares offered by this bakery.

Finally, Tala flicked her gaze behind that case and froze.

A man stood there, slightly hunched, with dark hair hanging forward, mostly obscuring his face.

His skin was a sickly white with a texture that her enhanced vision showed to be incredibly minute scales.

He was tall, taller than Tala by a good two feet, though with his forward hunch his head would barely be above hers, and he was whip thin.

His eyes were locked on her, unblinking.

If Tala was being honest, she felt like a mouse looking upon a snake that it had let get too close. She felt like prey more completely than she could ever remember.

The candidate gave a half-smile, drawing her attention partially away from the attendant. “Don’t mind him. Yamather is an amazing baker, but not very good with people.”

Tala swallowed, forcing her gaze off the oddly still baker. She saw the ripples of magic flexing behind Yamanther, and what looked like limbs extending from his back, seemingly working to staff the entire kitchen by himself.

How—?

-Shapeshifting? Seems to actually be his limbs, and they are coming into being and being pulled back into his body with seemingly little effort.-

No human could do that. The inscriptions would be distorting everywhere.

-No one without this magic, innately, could do this.-

She shook her head and refocused on her target. He’d spoken again, while she was distracted. “I’m sorry, what?”

“What were you thinking of getting?”

Her eyes dropped to his arm, which hung near the display case. There, strapped around his forearm, was his protian weapon. As a weapon of the House of the Rising Sun, it wouldn’t be morphic, but it would be able to generate items of light and fire for use by the candidate.

Take that arm, above the elbow, and take it fast.

-Tali?-

…fine. “I think I know what I want.” She smiled even as Alat ticked control over to Tali.

*      *      *

Tali launched herself forward, pulling her weapon into her hand with an act of will and a tug on the soul-bond, even as her bloodstars, sphere, rod, and discs snapped up from their holders into their standard places around her.

The cat’s eyes widened, but he didn’t have time to react.

She had him dead to rights. The mission was an unmitigated success with this first action.

Then, somehow, Tali’s arm stopped, her blade just barely pressing against the sleeve of the target’s arm.

A swirl of air washed over her from behind, more than should have been stirred up by her movement.

A pale, scaled hand was locked around her wrist, and her bloodstar perception showed a lanky shape looming over her from behind.

“Nnnnot. Innnn. Mmmmy. Shhhhop.” The baker’s voice was barely above a whisper but still seemed to have no trouble filling the space.

With a blur of movement, Tali found herself and her target tossed from bakery.

“Come back when you are done and cleaned up.” His whisper filled the courtyard, and while the words were still drawn out to some extent, it was not nearly as much as his first utterance had been.

As Tali slammed into and then slid across the ground, having been perfectly aimed to land between tables, the square erupted into chaos.

Bystanders fled.

Members of the House of the Rising Sun stood in shock, most beginning to move towards the candidate from their house.

Members of the House of Blood struck at them from behind, or from the side, taking them by surprise and felling many in the first instants.

Cut and drain me. Tali cursed internally.

+Wow… that did not go as we planned.+

-Did you get a read on the baker’s rank?-

+…no. How did I miss that?+

-I don’t know. I didn’t notice either, and I can’t pin down his rank based on our memories.-

+We can find out after the fight.+

Tali vaulted to her feet even as most people were just beginning to react. I should have been building the gravity in a stone.

-Yeah, that would have been wise.-

+I didn’t think it would be necessary.+

Tali’s eyes flicked down, and she saw a pebble off to one side. She immediately targeted it and began an untargeted ramp-up.

As her quarry came to his feet, landing in a low crouch, she tried to lock onto him as well.

Unfortunately, it failed.

She briefly tried to lock onto his gear as well, but he had his aura extended enough to make that impossible.

That would have been too easy.

Her weapon morphed into a sword, and she pushed power through her garments, enforcing their defensive magics.

She popped two ending-seeds into her cheeks. She had six with her.

She hadn’t used them in the fight with the other House of Blood candidates, because their protian weapons might have been damaged by the use of such powers. The House of the Rising Sun conjured items and dissolving those wouldn’t harm the enemy weapon at all.

This isn’t a display to bring honor to my Pillar; this is a harvest.

With three heavy footfalls, Tali crossed the space between them and brought her weapon forward in a precise thrust.

Her bloodstar-embedded defenses were kept in a warding pattern, against possible interference.

They hadn’t planned on killing the cat, simply taking his arm. There was no call to escalate hostilities too quickly, after all. A severed limb could be healed, even if he would never be an Eskau with the loss of his weapon.

Now, such mercies weren’t prudent.

Her sword slammed into a translucent round-shield even as it was called into being, skittering across the magical construct.

Her sword left a deep cut in the magically solidified light.

She pressed her aura outward to further gain ground on her opponent. Doing so would also help her to ward off any other attacks that might come for her.

Her strike team was now fully engaged with the few House of the Rising Sun members who were still standing.

Her new terror-bird pet simply waited off to one side, watching intently. She wasn’t sure why she liked the little guy so much, but she felt a smile tug at her lips, even though she wasn’t looking at him with her eyes. He’s pretty neat.

+See, even murder Tala likes Terry.+

-...you know that she’s the most likely to be drawn to a terror bird, right?-

+Fair…+

Fire blazed out of her opponent’s shield in a focused blast, but even as it was generated Tali assaulted the working with her aura-control, breaking the cat’s hold on the magics and letting the heat disperse instead of remaining tightly focused.

Even so, it was blisteringly hot, and Tali felt her inscriptions flaring with magic to keep her body intact. The ending-berry power she’d integrated into her inscriptions helped to maintain full-body cohesion.

She cracked a seed between her teeth while she endured.

As the blast trailed off, Tali stepped forward and exhaled across her quarry’s shield.

The ending-power swept over it, dissolving and dispersing the working like flour before a strong wind.

Tali pulled her weapon sideways in a savage back-cut, even as her opponent’s eyes widened in surprise and fear.

Unfortunately, the cat-man was quick.

He jerked back enough to save himself from losing the arm entirely, but Tali still cut his bicep deeply, seeming to disable the limb.

A hissing curse flew her way from between his teeth, even as a tight beam of light flicked her way.

Again, Tali broke his hold over it as it entered her aura. She couldn’t control it, but her breaking of his control caused it to weaken, rendering it an inconvenience but not a true threat.

It raked across her face, passing through her armor, which wasn’t intended to block light.

Her skin burned away in a flash of heat and pain, but her bone held with ease under the dispersed power.

The attack passed in a blink, even though one of her eyes couldn’t do that at the moment.

Her weapon shifted into a glaive and she thrust forward, driving the cat onto the defensive. As she continued her advance, she felt her skin regrow. Her ruined eye was reabsorbed and then replaced. The new flesh itched as it grew, then tingled like it was asleep before buzzing as if shocked. Finally, it calmed, and simply was once more.

All the while, she struck against his defenses, weaving her attacks around his awkward attempts to keep her at bay.

He was clearly not used to fighting with a single arm.

Pallaun would be disgusted with such a glaring weakness.

Another light beam lanced out, but this time it struck a table beside her, melting the legs and causing it to fall into her path. It was an obvious attempt to trip her up or slow her down.

It did buy her prey a moment.

The cat seemed to be getting desperate as he took advantage of the extra seconds to jump to the side and hurl a javelin of conjured light her way.

Tali contemptuously slapped the javelin out of the air with her weapon, but instead of being deflected, the projectile exploded.

Tali’s sight was coming from three perspectives and as such, the flash was even more disorienting than  it was designed to be.

Her sight returned just in time for her to see her quarry, striking for her chest with his right hand, claws of light and fire blazing around his natural ones.

Tali jerked to the right, twisting in an attempt to spoil the attack.

The move worked, and the blow skittered across her magical defenses.

The cat hissed and twisted, whipping his limp forearm upward with the movement, along with the muscles in his shoulder and upper arm.

The hand slapped Tali across the face. More accurately, it smeared across the protective field guarding her face. Even so, it left behind something akin to luminescent paint, temporarily blinding her again.

She cracked the second seed.

Her aura control shattered the working, even as she blindly dodged the follow-up attack that she knew was coming.

She guessed wrong.

The cat’s attack hit her dead on, his magics clashing with her defenses, each canceling out the other.

His claws and natural magics tore through her clothing, and his enhanced strength let him punch through her skin and into her abdomen.

Tali gave a tight-lipped grimace against the pain, her head involuntarily tilting up and back. The agony almost blinded her in a totally different manner than she had been previously.

Her target was clawing up through her torso, reaching for her heart.

No. She dropped her head forward once more and exhaled.

The cat-man’s eyes widened as he took a face full of ending power.

His innate magical resistance held up for a flickering instant, burning through fully half of the seed’s magic before his defenses crumbled.

His head fell in on itself, reduced to fine powder in a silent wave.

As the body slumped to the ground, his arm slid out of Tali’s guts and her magics began repairing her mangled insides.

+Well, rust. That was brutal.+

-Yeah. There wasn’t much finesse, there. You might have been fine.-

+You’re not very nice to me.+

Tali turned, taking in her surroundings one more time and verifying that there were no remaining threats still standing.

She coughed once. “Strip the bodies of their gear. Any survivors?”

One of the members of her strike team shook his head. “We drove some off, and they are likely going for aid. Their hold is close, but not that close. We have twenty minutes at most, probably closer to ten.”

*      *      *

Tala staggered slightly as she took control of her body once more. The pain which she’d been experiencing second hand slammed into her and almost caused her to lose consciousness.

That would have been embarrassing.

-Indeed.-

“Thank you for the assessment.”

The ‘Many-Fold Bakery’ door swung open, the proprietor taking in the scene. “My customers are gone because of you.”

Everyone froze.

His voice was still a whisper but filled the yard.

Tala still couldn’t pin down his rank, though that could have been due to him keeping his power incredibly tightly controlled or because he had an item that hid it. She just had no way of knowing.

“I won’t sell any more today.” Those predatory eyes fell on Tala.

Tala swallowed and stepped forward. She felt the need to placate this…man. “We’ll buy what you can have ready in five minutes.”

A haunting smile broke across the pale face, as Yamanther produced a half-dozen wrapped bundles.

Tala glanced past the man and saw that the display case was already empty.

“Will you be paying in coin, or should I bill the House of Blood, directly?”

“Directly, please.” The courtesy came out as a purely instinctual reaction. The prey would do anything to appease a predator.

Well, it seems like our affiliation is obvious.

Less than five minutes later Tala was moving back towards the House of Blood’s hold with her strike team around her.

Terry sat on her shoulder, unusually still and silent.

Each person had a large parcel of pastries in their own dimensional storage, along with the gear looted from the fallen.

They hadn’t lost a single person, though there were a few injuries.

More than anything, however, their steps were quick, and they didn’t look back, none willing to meet the gaze of the still watching pastry chef.

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