Chapter 25: Betrayal (Patreon)

“Wait, Elana!” Odenna called suddenly.

I didn’t stop.

“Please,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

I hesitated, then turned around. Had she had a change of heart? Would she tell me what I wanted to know?

But all she asked was, “What are your plans now?”

I stared at her stonily, unable to keep my disappointment from showing. “I intend to join the Raccoons and help them rid the poor quarter of the Devils.”

Eoman had as much as promised to let me do so if only I spoke to Odenna. Which I had. I wasn’t sure what the Raccoon ganglord had expected to come out from the meeting, but I was sure it was not this: a big nothing. Still, Eoman didn’t strike me as the type to break his word.

“You should leave the city,” Odenna said. “You’ll be safer that way.”

I snorted. “Once Cantos and his ilk are dead, I’ll be safe enough in Mesina.”

She shook her head. “You won’t. As long as you’re in Mesina, they’ll never stop hunting you.”

A frown flickered across my face. “Who?”

“Arinna’s people. Her followers.”

I stared at her, hardly able to credit her words. Was this just another lie? Another way to get me to comply with her wishes? “And why would the goddess’ people care about a lone player like me?”

“She’s too ignorant,” Odenna muttered under her breath. “It was never meant to be like this. What do I do now, Pen?”

I wasn’t sure if Odenna meant me to overhear, but I did. Ignoring the passing insult, I focused on what as important. Who’s Pen?

Inhaling deeply, the old elf met my eyes. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you everything, and I do mean everything—anything you want to know about Shanasyn, the Game, your family, Arinna—if you do one thing.”

“Go on, I’m listening.”

“Leave the city.”

I stared at her woodenly.

She held up her hand for patience. “My  request is not… frivolous. There are reasons. Chief amongst them is the consequence of you getting caught by the wrong people.”

My brows furrowed. “I’m not sure what that means?”

“There is good reason for my secrecy, Elana. Trust me on that. If I tell you everything and you get caught, they will extract everything I shared with you. Everything. And before you insist you won’t talk, believe me, you will. There are Game abilities that can make you spill your deepest secrets to your interrogator. And if that happens the consequence will be dire.”

I opened my mouth.

Holding up a hand, she stopped me. “It is not just you who will feel the consequences. Everyone who knows, who ever knew you, will feel them too. Soren. Eoman. And a whole host of other people you know nothing off. People will die in droves. Thousands.” Seeing the look on my face, she added, “I do not exaggerate, Elana.”

She seemed sincere and I wanted to believe her, but could I?

“Perhaps it will be wiser to leave the city,” Adalinda said, intruding for the first time. “If only for a time. We could always come back later.”

“Perhaps.” I opened my mouth, a decision on the tip of my tongue.

That’s when Odenna surged to her feet. “What was that?”

For a moment, I thought she’d overheard Adalinda, but no that was impossible.

It was the sound of the demanding knock on the front door she meant. “Open up! It’s the Watch. We’ve orders to search the premises.”

Odenna turned to me, her face angry. “Who knew?” she demanded. “Who knew you were coming here?”

“Uhm.” I rubbed my chin, thinking fast. Vigil’s words about the Raccoons’ headquarters came back to me.

There are many eyes and ears in the headquarters.

“A lot of people knew or could know,” I admitted. “Eoman mentioned your name while I was at his base.”

“Damn that idiotic man,” she cursed, hurrying past me. “You must go. I’ll delay them at the stairs. Go out through the back window in my room. You’ll find a ladder waiting there. Return to the poor quarter for now. You’ll be safer there.”

Safer in the poor quarter? “Won’t it be more suspicious if I’m caught fleeing?”

“Better you risk that, than be seen here. You won’t be able to resist the questioners they’ll bring.”

Implying that she could?  “But—”

“No arguments, Elana. I can take care of myself. And trust me, it will go better for both of us if you’re not found here. And for now, it’s only the Watch. We should be thankful for that. They won’t hurt me, not if they don’t find anything. They won’t dare.”

“Alright,” I said, nodding jerkily. “I’ll go. But one more thing. Do you know a merchant I can trust for Game items?”

“Try Tommin the alchemist,” she said, disappearing down the stairs. “His shop is at the southern end of the street.”

“Thanks,” I said, silently wishing her luck as I slipped out the back window and into the night.

✵ ✵ ✵

“What did you think of all that?” I asked.

“It was certainly strange,” Adalinda said. “There is a lot more going on here than we thought.”

“I agree.” I paused, thinking about the knock on the front door. “Do you think she’ll be fine?”

“She seemed confident,” the celestial offered.

“She did, didn’t,” I muttered.

“Well, at least she gave you the name of a merchant,” the celestial added. “And he’s an alchemist too. He’s sure to have health potions then.”

“True,” I hesitated, then said, “But I think we should just head back to the poor quarter for now. We can come back in the morning when things settle down here.”

The interruption at Odenna’s house and what the elf thought it implied had me on edge.

Betrayal was an ugly word. But it happened—unhappily often. And it wouldn’t surprise me if someone had sold my name or Odenna’s to the Watch.

In that case, it made more sense to head somewhere safe and try to wait things out. Emerging from the bushes and reentering the street, I turned south, back to the sewer entrance.

I glanced behind me multiple times but spotted no one following or wearing the garb of the City Watch. Shaking off my nerves, I scanned the individual houses as I passed by. It was still dark, but the streets’ magelights had come on, leaving it bright enough to find my way.

Odenna’s shop was on the upper side of her street, which meant that I would pass by the house of the shopkeeper she mentioned, and I wanted to at least make note of its location for when I returned tomorrow.

Reaching the t-junction at the end of the street, I scrutinized the nearby houses and quickly spotted a sign that read, Tommin’s Apothecary.

I grinned to myself. That’s it then, I thought and turned right into the next street, heading on my way.

But I had barely advanced a dozen yards when I heard a loud shout.

“Now!”

I spun around, fearing an attack from the rear—only to be struck from the other side.

You have failed to evade the attack of an unknown entity. You are dazed. Duration: 3 seconds.

How… did... do that? I wondered as my vision turned fuzzy and my thoughts grew sluggish.

“El?” Adalinda shouted growing alarmed. “What’s happening?”

“I… you…”

I sensed another figure approach from the left or was that the same one from before? I couldn’t tell. I threw up hands, trying to stall him—them.

It didn’t work.

Something hard collided with my head again.

An unknow hostile has injured you.

My feet gave way listlessly, and I sank to the floor, clutching futilely at the dark shape in front of me.

“S-stop…” I began.

A kick to my gut silenced me.

“Ada… mani—”

A second kick followed. Then a third. And finally, another blow landed on the back of the head.

An unknown hostile has knocked you unconscious.