Chapter Thirty-seven

  Krissintha Arlonet Dar-Ghelain muttered a silent curse. She sat on a bed, on a straw filled mattress, looking down at the floor, struggling to hold her tears back. The two sailors — sitting on the other bed on the opposite side of the room — were silent, watching her, offering no comfort or distraction for the moment. Krissintha had nothing to do but to wait and to curse the fate she had created for herself.

  All she had wanted was to learn how to wield a sword so she could defend herself if Kevin was … otherwise occupied. She had felt offended by Toavarn Ento calling her useless, but she knew he was right. She didn’t want to be useless. Or defenceless. Asking for a little training had seemed like a good idea at the time.

  ‘My lady,’ Quenta said out of a sudden. ‘Are you sure about this? Training as … a ranger or whattchacallit?’

  ‘No, Quenta, I’m absolutely not sure about this,’ Krissintha wailed, burying her face in her palms, forsaking her mask of confidence and superiority that she’d been wearing in front of the sailors ever since they’d met. ‘Fenirig Arte is planning to murder me, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘Oh, I see!’ Tommi exclaimed. ‘So … it’s like an accident during trainin’ sort of plot, isn’t it?’

  ‘Not helping, Tommi, not helping!’ Krissintha sobbed, her face still buried in her hands.

  ‘I wouldn’t be worryin’ too much if I were you, my lady,’ Quenta said, ‘From what I seen, these rangers are a well organised military. That scarred fella ain’t gonna be able to put an outsider into it just on a whim. I’m sure they got rules and regulations. And if he wanted us dead, we’d be sleepin’ in a shallow grave already.’

  Kenta’s got a point, Krissy. Kevin said.

  ‘You think so?’ Krissintha asked, looking up at the sailors.

  ‘Yeah.’ Quenta said.

  ‘Yeah.’ Tommi said.

  Yeah. Kevin said.

  ‘Listen, my lady,’ Quenta said in a suspiciously calming tone. ‘We’ve been waitin’ ‘ere for a while now. It’s late, it’s been a long fukken’ day, let’s get some shut-eye. We can go thinkin’ ‘bout this tomorrow.’

  ‘Alright,’ Krissy said, rubbing her eyes. ‘Sleep. That’s good.’

  ‘Kevin? Watch duty as always?’ Quenta asked, looking somewhere above Krissintha.

  Aye-aye captain! Kevin said.

  ‘Yeah, he’ll keep watch,’ Krissintha said.

  Someone knocked on the door. Everyone froze.

  It’s Tovaron Ento. Kevin informed Krissintha.

  ‘Tommi,’ Krissintha said, panic returning to her in a hurry.

  The younger sailor jumped up to open the door.

  The elf walked in. Krissintha’s stomach shrunk and lurched, half expecting the man to announce that her training under the dreaded Master Fenirig Arte is to begin immediately and without delay. Tovaron Ento stopped in front of Krissintha. She stood up, her legs trembling.

  ‘I need you to come with me, Misery,’ the elf said.

  Krissintha felt like the room was spinning and swirling around her, the cold, steel-grey eyes of the elf the only thing not moving, boring into her as if mocking her and laughing at her impending doom.

  ‘W… why?’ she asked, almost stuttering.

  ‘The women, Kitala Iwani,’ Tovaron Ento said. ‘She woke up, and … we can’t calm her down. She’s demanding to see you.’

  ‘Me?’ Krissintha asked, not understanding for a moment what she had to do with the elf woman.

  ‘Well, “the masked bitch who killed her familiar”. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say she means you,’ the elf explained.

  Krissintha breathed out long and slow, closed her eyes, thanking all the gods, shrines, spirits and even the lords of hell. Then she opened her eyes and said,

  ‘Alright, let’s go.’

  ***

  Krissintha left the house with the elf, leaving Quenta and Tommi in the room. At least the two of them would get to sleep a little, Krissintha thought, a little jealous of them now. But she couldn’t really complain: having to talk to the ex-spiritualist wasn’t as bad a prospect as crawling in the mud under the hateful, rage-filled gaze of the scarred elf, wondering when a fatal accident would accidentally happen, killing her by accident. She really hated the word accident all of a sudden.

  It took them half a minute to walk to another house a few dozen paces away. Tovaron Ento knocked, and a ranger opened the door. Krissintha followed the elf inside.

  Two rangers, a man and a woman, stood guard near the door. Tovaron Ento nodded his head to them, and the two relaxed a little.

  Kitala Iwani sat quietly on a settee at the opposite end of the room, near the stairway leading to the upstairs corridor. The woman lifted her head, her eyes snapping to look at Krissintha.

  ‘Well, I brought her.’ Tovaron Ento said to her.

  Unlike before, Krissintha got to have a good, calm look at the woman now. She suspected Kitala Iwani was considered to be a rare beauty even amongst the elves. And she was probably the owner of the most menacing death-glare, too — her pale, green eyes, glowering at Krissintha from beneath her untied hair, promised nothing but murder.

  ‘A human?’ Kitala Iwani asked, her voice coarse and raspy, the exact opposite of what Krissintha remembered it to be.

  ‘Yes. A human. She’s the one who …’ Tovaron Ento began to explain, but didn’t get to finish.

  Krissintha’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest as Kitala Iwani sprung up. She didn’t even have the time to blink or to flinch — with two impossible leaps the elf woman was in front of her, her arms reaching for her neck. From the corner of her eye Krissintha saw the rangers move, but they’d been caught just as off guard as she had been. But not Kevin.

  Blue flashes of power slammed into the attacking elf — one moment she was an inch away from grabbing her throat, the next she was flung across the room, against the wall behind the settee she’d been sitting on. But she didn’t fall down: Kitala Iwani stayed there, pressed against the wall paces above the ground, as if held up by invisible arms.

  For a moment Krissintha saw momentary flashes of Kevin’s power painting a vague outline in front of her. It looked like … tentacles. Tentacles coiling around the elf woman's limbs, pressing her against the wall. It had only been a split second, but Krissintha was sure that’s what she had seen.

  Kitala Iwani squirmed, stuck to the wall and unable to free herself from Kevin's invisible grasp. The guards as well as Tovaron Ento halted and gawked at the spectacle of the floating woman.

  Huh! Thanks, Kevin. That scared me. Krissintha sent a thought of thanks to the spirit.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I got your back, Krissy, don’t you worry! The reply came.

  ‘What in the fuck?’ Tovaron Ento almost yelled, stepping forward, looking back and forth between Krissintha and the other woman. The two guards looked just as confused as he was, their hands on the hilts of their swords, unsure if they should draw them.

  ‘I told you. It’s an evil spirit. She’s got an evil spirit,’ Kitala Iwani screamed. ‘What have you done with my familiar?’

  ‘Is it really an evil spirit?’ Tovaron Ento demanded, pointing at Kitala Iwani. ‘How is your familiar doing that? This isn’t normal.’

  Oh no, she blabbered, didn’t she? Kevin wailed.

  ‘Do you really think I could make an evil spirit my familiar?’ Krissintha asked the elf.

  ‘I don’t know. Can you?’ Tovaron Ento said. ‘Is your familiar an evil spirit?’

  Krissintha took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. She had to say something, there was no other choice. Lie? An outright lie might be enough for Toven, but not for the crazed, screaming woman, trying to free herself from Kevin’s … tentacles.

  Krissintha’s father had always said the best lies had a little bit of truth sprinkled on them, and if you could sneak in some insults as well, then you had a winner. Krissintha opened her eyes and glared at the woman shaped wall ornament, then turned to Tovaron Ento.

  ‘She’s not … wrong, in a way,’ she began to say.

  Oi, Krissy, what are you doing? Kevin’s panicked thoughts echoed in her mind.

  ‘You know spirits can see each other, right?’ she asked the elf, ignoring Kevin.

  ‘I’m aware,’ Tovaron Ento said, squinting at her.

  ‘Well, that woman’s familiar has seen mine. They even talked with each other,’ Krissintha continued. ‘It’s not the first time a familiar or a spiritualist panicked a little. You see, my familiar is more powerful than most. You’ve seen that yourself already, haven’t you? And apparently he’s also … ugly.’

  ‘Ugly?’ Tovaron Ento said, his eyebrows shooting up.

  Ugly? Kevin demanded, his thoughts sounding … not happy at all.

  ‘Yes. Ugly. I mean … offensively so. That’s what I’ve been told, and thank the gods you and I can’t see him,’ Krissintha said ignoring the spirit. ‘Most spiritualists we came across treat us with respect,’ she said, then glared at Kitala Iwani before continuing. ‘I never would have thought there are idiots who would attack us on account of not meeting their beauty standards. I mean … would you insult me, or attack me, because I’m not as pretty as … an elven woman?’

  Tovaron Ento looked Krissintha up and down, then glanced over at Kitala Iwani, then he shook his head.

  ‘No,’ he said.

  Krissintha scowled at him.

  ‘See? Same thing,’ she said. ‘And on that note, you could at least reassure me that I’m pretty enough for a human,’ she grumbled.

  ‘Oh, uh … yes, you are,’ the elf said, suddenly flustered.

  ‘Thanks, Toven,’ Krissintha said with a smile, deliberately calling him by what seemed to be the casual, informal way to say elven names.

  It was always good to sneak mundanity and familiarity into arguments, throwing your opponent at least a little off balance.

  That was mean, Krissy. Kevin complained.

  It’s better if they think you’re just ugly instead of evil. Krissintha argued.

  Yeah, that too, but I meant Kitala Iwani. He said.

  What do you mean? She asked, not understanding what the spirit was getting at.

  Look, the woman just lost all her friends to an evil spirit, and we took her familiar away from her right after. I’m not an expert or a psychologist, but she isn’t in her right mind, is she?’

  Krissintha glanced at the woman, still up on the wall, struggling against Kevin’s invisible tentacles in vain. Setting aside whatever a saikologist was, she wasn’t convinced. She glanced at Tovaron Ento.

  Toven lost people, too, and he’s taking it quite well. She argued.

  Toven is a trained soldier … or ranger, or whatever. The woman is probably just being bossed around by Sivera the same way we are by Wensah. Kevin said.

  That may be so, but … what do you want me to do? Krissintha asked.

  Be nice. Ask her if she wants her familiar back. Kevin suggested.

  Be nice? That’s rich coming from a spirit-kraken who eats souls and is holding the woman in his tentacles! Krissy retorted.

  At least try! I feel bad for her. Kevin pleaded.

  Is it because she is the most beautiful woman either of us had ever seen? She asked, making sure her thoughts carried a good deal of scorn.

  Uhm … partly. Yes. But, she really could use some … I don’t know. Comforting? Also I don’t think anyone else here will be willing to take Tilry, so she’s our best chance if we don’t want to leave that whiny spirit to rot there for all eternity Maybe she’ll have her back. Kevin said.

  Krissintha took a deep breath, then looked at the elf woman. Kitala Iwani had stopped struggling, and it looked like she was done hurling her rage-filled insults at her, quietly sobbing instead. Maybe Kevin was right.

  ‘I’ll release her and … talk to her, if you don’t mind, Toven,’ Krissintha said.

  ‘That’s fine,’ the elf said, then he spoke a few words in the elven tongue, some to the guards, some to Kitala Iwani.

  Alright, Kevin, bring her down, please. Krissintha said.

  ***

  Kitala Iwani sat on the settee once again. Krissintha pulled a chair and sat down facing her. Tovaron Ento and the two rangers stood slightly behind Krissintha, this time ready to react and intervene if anything happened, but Krissintha was sure the elven woman wasn’t keen to feel Kevin’s cold touch on her again, so she wasn’t worried.

  Krissintha thought about how to start this whole “comforting” business with the elven woman — it wasn’t really her forte. It would have been much easier if she could just tell her what’s what and be done with it, but … Kevin had asked her to be nice. Whatever that meant. Compromise it was.

  ‘Listen, Kitala Iwani,’ she started, addressing her using her full name. ‘You have my sympathy. Losing comrades and friends is … a tragedy.’ she said, meaning the words. ‘It was a particularly powerful evil spirit, not often seen,’ she continued, trying her best to make it sound like she wasn’t just guessing. ‘But it’s gone now. As to your familiar … well, it was trying to kill you, so I asked my familiar to break the pact before it could consume your soul.’

  ‘Consume my soul? Evil spirits consume souls. Not familiars,’ Kitala Iwani growled, spitting the words. ‘You and your spirit had no right to kill mine.’

  Krissintha just shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to explain to her the finer points of soul-based dining — as Kevin had put it once — and even if she wanted to, she didn’t know that much about it. So, she decided to get to the point.

  ‘We didn’t kill your familiar. If you want her back, she is alive and well, waiting where we left her,’ she said to the elf woman.

  Kitala Iwani almost jumped up from the settee. Krissintha could easily guess what thoughts flashed through the woman’s mind as she stared at her with her eyes wide and mouth hung open.

  ‘Her?’ the elf finally asked.

  ‘Yeah, sort of. Her name is Tilry,’ she said. ‘And before you ask how I know: my familiar spoke with yours, and he told me. Tilry … has calmed down and she doesn’t want to be left alone. So, if you want her back, all you need to do is to go see her. Maybe the two of you can have a chat.’

  ‘Familiars don’t talk to …’ Kitala Iwani started to argue, but Krissintha cut her short.

  ‘They do. Monks, for instance, converse with them all the time. I’m something like that,’ she lied. ‘And I’m sure Tilry will be willing to at least apologise for trying to eat your soul.’

  Kitala Iwani stared at her without blinking, seemingly at a loss for words.

  ‘Well, I’ll leave you to think about it,’ Krissintha said as she stood up. ‘If you have any questions, you can ask. I probably don’t have the answers.’

  Kitala Iwani didn’t say a word, and Krissintha walked to the door.

  That went well. A little blunt and not very comforting, but it went well. Kevin commented.

  What did you expect? That I lay her down and give her a belly-rub? Krissintha sent the thought, adding a mental scoff.

  ***

  Krissintha followed Tovaron Ento back to the house that had been assigned to them as their lodgings. She didn’t know how long they were going to stay here — no-one had told her anything about what she could expect to happen tomorrow, or after that. All she knew was that she had managed to dig her own grave by asking Fenirig Arte for a favour, and now that Kitala Iwani was out of her mind, the dread had been quick to return.

  Tovaron Ento hadn’t said anything on the way back to their lodging — no complaints, no questions, no demands. They reached the door, the elf knocked on it, and the armed ranger who was staying downstairs — presumably to keep an eye on the humans by pretending to guard them — opened the door.

  Tovaron Ento waved good-bye and was about to turn to leave, but Krissintha called out to him.

  ‘Toven, listen,’ she said, then it occurred to her that while she had called him Toven a couple of times already, it might not have been appropriate. ‘Is calling you Toven … alright, or is it impolite?’

  ‘It’s fine. Casual, but fine,’ he said, turning back to face her. ‘Is there anything you need?’

  Krissintha narrowed her eyes, studying the elf’s admittedly handsome face. He seemed colder or stiffer than before, and it certainly didn’t look like he was up for banter, not this time.

  ‘I want to say two things,’ Krissintha said. ‘Firstly, I understand why you find us suspicious. I don’t really care, to be honest, but I want you to know that we don’t want to force anything on any of you. Not shrines, not familiars, not anything else.’

  ‘Alright,’ the elf said, looking at her almost blankly. Krissintha had got used to the elf either smiling or frowning, and his expressionless face and cold demeanor was disconcerting. ‘What’s the other thing?’

  ‘Well, it’s about Master Fenirig Arte, and …’

  ‘Oh, the ranger training?’ he asked, and Krissintha was almost happy to see the man’s mouth twitching upward, even if she knew it was a sign of some sort of glee at her potential death at the scarred elf’s hands.

  ‘Yeah. That,’ she said. ‘All I wanted was to learn swordsmanship. I’ve never fought with a sword, or … at all. I just …’

  ‘Well, don’t worry too much,’ Tovaron Ento said. ‘Even Master Fenar won’t be able to go against regulations. There is no way he can put a human spiritualist into ranger training on a whim, no matter how much he wants to torment you.’

  ‘Huh! That’s a relief,’ she said, sighing.

  ‘Is there anything else, Misery?’ he asked.

  ‘Uhm, no. That’s all,’

  ‘Good night then,’ the elf said and walked away.