Carmine

Five walked around striking fear into the rest of the populace, while I was in Artus's house with Valor sitting, watching Artus talk and pace the wooden floor.

Words that exited his mouth were like the buzzing of mosquitoes, I knew he was speaking, I knew the words, but my mind considered it like the dirt I walked on.

Tiam had a strict and rather overbearing system. To these people, it was akin to slavery. Most accepted those arrangements, because their service to the Tiam government was rewarded with protections in their underground and sheltered mountain cities. Then there were those people under Artus, who did not want to break their back for the empire. They stayed on the dead arid land and made the best of it.

Food was obtained through hunting. Still, I had to admit their strange farming methods yielded some fruit just not as much as Tiam's advanced sunless agriculture.

To fill the void of vengeance they raided extra supplies from Tiam’s cities, so Tiam’s officials desired their deaths.

Right now, Artus desired nothing more than my death by his hand. His shouting seemed to be indicating that wholeheartedly.

“You attack my people, you attack me!” Artus bellowed. The table rested between us, while his wives moved around us like a smooth river around a rock.

Valor averted her eyes, while I shrugged.

“Be calm, the child is alive. My craft is dangerous to the unfaithful. He never got to see. That is a blessing. You must understand, he is lucky he only got shot with an arrow,” I replied.

Artus twisted his lips and grunted. “So you say.”

“Be still, as a Mother over your town. I will protect you if you protect me. I hope you understand your luck from our earlier arrangement.”

Valor turned to me with a snide smile.

Artus sighed and threw his arms up in dismay. “You are making it hard for me to believe anything you say. You cannot come here and just gallivant your evil about so emphatically. You need to be more discreet. I am the leader. I am taking the heat here.”

True, but you were the one under my thumb. Should I insult him and remind him of his place? No, that served no purpose. Using him as it was, I kept his pride intact.

I smiled. “I completely understand and will do better to stay in the shadows. Artus, you are a good man. You do so much for your people, I see that.”

Artus nodded his head and relaxed with my choice of words. Besides, I had better fish to catch. “So I decided I want to help you, Artus. I will kill the person and, I will need eight…” I stared at Valor.

Valor took over from me. “Two babies within one year, three children below the age of ten, unblemished and untouched by any person. Two random sick persons and one pregnant woman.”

I stiffened. Was that exact, was this real, closing my eyes tight, I breathed out and tried to remember the goal. I had to survive.

Artus grinned. “We have no pregnant woman. I can provide the rest. Though what will I tell them, ah—”

Valor cut in, “Tell them they will be offered to Fallen, and we are his servants as well. We will be performing a grand ceremony for your God and Savior, If they do it, their fields will be blessed for many years with corn, and coffee.”

Artus said, “She is a witch, no one will believe that."

"They will if you say it.”

I could have requested this through force without all those niceties, but I wanted no begrudged servant, for allies were more powerful to my resolve.

Slaves rebelled, allies worked to be a part of the kingdom and protected it, as if it was they who built it.

Valor looked at me. I feigned disappointment and replied, “I can do that in my sleep. This town will prosper if you serve me well.”

Artus said, “Thank you. That is good.”

I replied, “That will do for now. The victim, where?”

“Cin, he lives in the parish town for the city region of Deagonu. Here." A painting on parchment was given to us, showing his uneventful face. "I have confirmed he lives in the Sconall District. He is protected, but I am sure you can deal with that."

"Sure."

"Get rid of him and I will be happy."

I was sure you would be.

Valor got up and Artus stood up just as quickly. Artus took Valor’s hand, a neat kiss was laid on the top side of her hand. Artus moved closer and whispered something into her ear. She nodded and smiled at him before following me out. They exchanged glances that inspired dreams.

When we reached twenty feet from Artus's house, I said, “He likes you.”

The tree's leaves shivered and broke the sun's glare. We stopped some distance from the main throughway of the village.

Valor smirked and shrugged. “This is why I don't like being a woman. I prefer to do the chasing.”

I groaned at that naughty comment. “Please go back into your old body seeing you like this is still weird for me.”

Valor nodded then smiled wider. “Oh, you like my old shell?”

I made a disgusted sound and turned away. “Do not flatter yourself. I just prefer you looking like you can kill a village. I need a bodyguard, not a confidant.”

Valor motioned her hands over her chest. “Why, because I have breast?”

I grimaced at her. “Do not refer to yourself in such a vulgar manner.”

Valor frowned and rolled her eyes. “You forget, you can kill a village too. You act like you are not a dangerous entity, yourself.”

I flicked my hand in her face. “You forget even more that your body is taller, stronger, and better than mine. You and me are not in the same class.”

Valor grinned. “True, but just because you are defined as lowly, does not mean you are.” She stepped close to me and the scent of lilac accented my nose, with her height making me feel oppressed in an intoxicating way. “One thing I love about you is that you always keep trying to dig yourself out of the earth.”

Her head lowered close to the top of my head, and I controlled the urge to show my shaking.

“What a lovely grave they are digging for me.” I turned my head upward and she fluttered her eyes wide as she stiffened at the closeness of our faces. “What about you?”

Her lips curved so high into her cheeks, that her eyelids squeezed together. “What if I like the hole I am in?”

“Lies. Do you enjoy being a rudimentary assassin? I heard from Five, you were a legendary champion of the house of Casnick. Why—“

“Not everything at the top is wonderful.”

“Says one at the bottom.”

Valor's eyes widened, her lips tilted apart slowly as her eyes drank me in. “Efficient are you? Well, I get that.” She pulled away from me.

I wagged my head at her.

She said, “Lying that you are a witch? Oh, you are good lassie. You are one of a kind.”

I ignored her snarky comment. “Can you get an encoder? You know for my glove and these rings.”

Valor groaned and twirled her head in annoyance. “Encoders. I know one, but—he is a dangerous one.”

“Humor me.”

She sighed. “He lives in the forest of Divol and he like many sages outside Elam do not like random visitors.”

“You know him.”

“Know of him, I do not know him personally. He might kill us trying to talk to him.”

“There are five of us. So maybe that will make us safer.”

“Five of us?”

“Sandream.”

Valor grabbed her hair on the right side. “Who?”

“A witch that was protecting Canus. When Canus died, she was given to me on his death. Granted she does not listen to me, but she is around in case I need her.”

I sighed and looked at all those people, with their families, their lives gentle and repetitive in ignorant bliss. It was so enticing to me now, but the reality for me was that, I ran in madness and was being chased by it steadily with a fierce drive.

“Royalties are heavily protected by the, Gods.” She snickered. “Can you trust her, she might still be attached to her God?”

I clutched my fist. “No, she helped me kill Benedict’s men. Benedict desired all of us dead, I do not think she will be walking back to kiss his feet.”

“Throwing away their allies like rubbish. The Elamnites at their finest,” Valor replied with a shake of the head.

“You can leave if you fear or—"

“Arrrrrgh!” Valor and I looked down at the kid from before. What was his name again? Regardless, he had his wooden sword aimed at me. My eyes drifted to the bandaged leg. This boy had a passion for danger.

Valor grabbed the sword out of his grasp. He reached and tried to grab it back, but Valor raised it. Valor said, “Carmine I came here knowing all that. Don't lose faith in me so easily.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Valor nodded his head. “Come.”

I was about to retort, but she let her hand down, the boy grabbed the wooden sword, swiftly hobbled to the side, stopped, and looked up at Valor with an angry puffed-up face.

“That is the child,” I said. Valor looked at me with wide eyes then back at the child. I shouted, “Go home son!”

The boy bowed at me, but before he ran off he gave Valor a sticking out of his tongue. Valor snickered as the kid left our presence.