“Val, we don’t have time for this. I’ll explain later, so just do what I ask.” I paused for a moment in consideration. “Marin, your shop isn’t safe anymore. You’ll need to find somewhere else to stay, or preferably, just get out of the city entirely.” Satisfied, I turned back towards the far side of the store. “Lia, with me.”
A cold, gauntleted hand gripped my shoulder. “That is not an acceptable answer. You need to explain yourself, now.” Val’s grip softened in tandem with her voice. “I will be able to help you more efficiently if I understand the situation.”
I whirled on her in a fury. “Don’t be a hypocrite! You just led us halfway across the city for your personal secrets, completely ignoring our original plan, and what explanation did you give us? Absolutely fucking nothing, that’s what. And now that I’m trying to do your damn job and save your damn country, we suddenly have trust issues?” I slapped her hand away from my shoulder. “No. Fuck that. Do what I told you to do.” There was a long moment of silence as I stared through her impassive mask before I turned away. “Lia, now.”
There were no further protests as I stormed away to the shop counter. From behind me, I heard the sound of Lia’s footsteps approaching, and beyond that, Val consoling Marin in a low, gentle voice. I let out a long sigh when Lia reached my side. “If there’s any way we’re going to—”
“No,” Lia interrupted me. “You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
I turned to her, confused. “What?”
“I’m not your soldier to order around,” she whispered sharply. Her jaw was clenched as hard as her brow was furrowed, but her eyes were glassy as though she were about to cry. “I don’t care what’s going on out there; you need to speak to me with respect.” She paused for a moment before continuing with a waver in her voice. “You’re supposed to love me.”
It took me a few seconds to replay the events in my mind and realize how rude I had been. My brain felt split down the middle: half of me was ashamed at how I was acting, and how I had made Lia feel, while the other half continued to scream at me to take action. I was left stunned somewhere in the middle, feeling panicked and guilty.
“Lia, of course I love you. I, uhm, it’s just that…” My throat tightened as I struggled to continue to speak. “I think what’s happening here is the same thing that happened in Hedaat. The same thing that destroyed that world, and...killed me. I have to stop it this time, but I don’t know if it’s already too late. I didn’t mean to—”
“I know you didn’t,” she interrupted again, gentler this time, “but you did.” She reached up and cupped my cheek. “You don’t have to go through this alone this time, but you will if you keep trying to push everyone away. We won’t beat this if you’re all caught up in your fear.”
I nodded weakly, confident that my voice would break if I tried to speak. As much as I wanted to believe I was acting logically and decisively, fueled by rage against my old enemy, I knew it was just the terror of facing the Dominion again driving me forward. A primal part of me replayed the memory of my death in Hedaat on an endless loop in my head in an attempt to get me to prevent it from happening again. “I’m sorry, Lia.”
She pulled my head down to hers and kissed me on the forehead. “I know.” Her hand slid down and found mine as she looked up at me. “That’s why I’m here, right? While you’re saving the world, someone has to be saving you, too.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “Seems like you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” she said with a smile. “It’s worth it.”
There was a flutter in my chest as I looked down at her. The idea of the Dominion forcing me into another life was far too much to consider for my already overloaded brain, so I pushed it down and replaced it with thoughts of how we should immediately proceed. “I guess I should apologize to Val and Marin.”
“Yes, you should,” Lia said, leading me by the hand back towards the front of the store. I noticed that Val and the unconscious guard were both gone upon our return. Marin still stood in the same place we had left her, staring at the small dot of blood on the wall where the guard’s head had impacted. As we approached, she looked back to us with a blank expression, then did a double take as she regained her wits.
“Ah! I’m sorry, I was just, uhm, thinking, is all,” Marin stammered to the floor. “D-did you need something? I have, uhm, food, and drinks, in the back room.”
“No, thank you though,” I said, holding up my hands. “I wanted to apologize for how I just acted. I shouldn’t have been so aggressive towards you and your sister, and then my actions after that...I’ve made a pretty bad first impression, and I hope we can move past that.”
A visible wave of relief washed over her face. “No, I get it! If I was as strong as you, I would’ve thrown them out days ago.” She laughed nervously and put her hands behind her head. “Don’t worry about it, Lux. Everybody’s just a little stressed out, right?”
“Right!” I smiled. “Thanks, Marin. Now, I assume Val took our sleeping friend out to our wagon?”
“Yeah, she told me to stay put while she ‘cleaned up’ outside,” Marin explained with heavy air quotes. “It’s not like I’m some little kid, I can help too! I want these Company jerks gone as much as anybody.”
“As much as it surprises me to say this, I agree with Val on this one,” I said with a light chuckle. “Val, Lia and I aren’t supposed to be in the city; it doesn’t make much of a difference if we get caught walking down the road or hauling unconscious guards around, we’re still in trouble either way. You, on the other hand, are supposed to be here. As long as those two guards don’t wake up, nobody else will know that you were involved in any of this.”
“I guess you’re right…” Marin murmured as she stared at the floor. “I wish there was something I could do, though.”
“You’ve already helped us out a bunch!” Lia chimed in. “Before we talked to you, we hardly knew anything about what was happening in the city. Now we know who is leading the rebels, where the leaders might be, and when the best time to explore the city would be.”
“That’s true,” I followed up with a sly grin, “you already gave us more information than all of King Virram’s scouts and advisors.”
“Really?” Marin asked, beaming. Her chest swelled as she looked back and forth between us. “Oh, I know! I’ll go get you some food before you leave, and I’ll try to think of anything else that could help along the way!” Without waiting for a reply, she turned and dashed away towards the back of the shop. She paused at the counter momentarily to look over the shattered bowl and spilled soup, gave a small disappointed shake of her head, and then disappeared into the back room.
“I’m still finding it hard to believe she’s actually related to Val,” I mused as the sound of clattering cookware and annoyed yells rang out from behind the counter.
Lia giggled. “Oh, I can see it. They’re two sides of the same coin; I bet if we stuck around Val long enough, we’d see flashes of Marin come through. Small flashes, of course.”
I put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against my side, pausing to appreciate the small moment of peace. “Thanks for calming me down,” I said quietly. “I imagine I’ll need your help with that a lot more in the near future.” While it was true that the overwhelming storm of panic and anxiety that was my mental state had calmed to a tolerable roar, I knew it would return stronger than ever at our next inevitable encounter with the Dominion.
“I’ll be there when you need me. I promise,” she replied, looping her arm around my waist. “Whatever happens now, you’re stuck with me. No matter what.”
“That goes both ways, you know. You’re the most important thing to me in the world; no matter what happens tonight, I’m going to keep you safe.”
She looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. “Tonight?”
“Tonight,” I nodded. “If we’re going to save the world, we don’t have any time to waste.”
&n
bsp; “So, you’ve got a plan?”
“Oh, sure, I’ve got dozens of plans. I won’t know which one is best until we get some more intel, but they all lead to the same goal,” I said with conviction. “We’re ending the occupation of Attetsia. Tonight.”
***
12. ONE LAST CALM
I took a bite of the sandwich Marin had prepared for me as I heard the door open at the far side of the store. Since the incident with the guards, I had maintained a constant perimeter with Detection, so Val entering wasn’t surprising; I had watched her load the three guards into the wagon, bind and gag the two men who laid unconscious, make a brief attempt at washing away the bloodstain in the middle of the street, and drive the wagon out behind Marin’s store to the unloading dock, which sat out of sight of the main road.
“I am back,” Val announced as she crossed the room to the counter where the three of us sat. “The guards have been taken care of.”
“Thank you,” I said without turning to face her. While I knew I owed her an apology for my outburst earlier, I hadn’t yet been able to find the words to explain myself.
“I made you a sandwich!” Marin called out, hopping up from her chair to run behind the counter. She produced a similar meal to my own, a small salad and a sandwich of smoked meats, and set it at the empty place setting next to mine.
“Thank you, Marin,” Val said as she sat down, causing the chair to groan in protest under the weight of her armor and shield. Marin returned to her seat, and our lunch continued on in silence, apart from the soft chewing sounds. Eventually, Lia kicked my foot and gave me an expectant look out of the corner of her eye.
“So, I think it’s time we discuss the plan moving forward. Or, the new plan, as our old one has sort of...fallen apart,” I said, pausing to take a bite of my sandwich for emphasis, only to spill most of its filling out onto the plate. After staring at the mess quietly for a moment, I continued. “As beneficial as it would be to continue with our original plan of joining the Unbound to gather intel, new developments have accelerated our timetable enough that we can’t wait that long.”
“What developments are you referring to?” Val asked, looking surprisingly neutral given our last interaction.
“The beasts Marin mentioned, and the guard that I, erm, killed. I’ve had a bad feeling over the course of our journey down here, and this new information unfortunately confirms my fears. This isn’t simply a coup; it’s the beginning of an invasion by a group known as the Dominion.” Marin was the only person to react to the statement, gasping loudly as she leaned in to learn more. Lia, having already learned about the Dominion, simply nodded, and Val watched impassively as ever.
“The Dominion spreads by transforming people into monsters that serve the group unquestioningly. It starts with lies of creating a better world, and ending the suffering and injustice of an oppressed people. If you join, you’re immediately rewarded with gifts of enhanced strength and stamina that seemingly have no consequences, which encourages more people to join up as well. As time goes on, the powers increase, but you begin to lose your sense of self.” The face of the dead guard floated to the forefront of my mind, morphing into the grotesque face of a Thrall. “Your body begins to change, with distended limbs, glowing purple eyes, and pale skin, but by then you don’t remember who you are anymore.”
After I finished speaking, the room fell silent. Marin was quaking in her chair with wide eyes, staring across at Val for some sort of reassurance. “I’ve...s-seen some people that look like that,” she said with a trembling voice. “Uhm, nobody with pale skin or long arms, but...the eyes. They seem meaner than usual, too.”
I nodded. “I believe that means we still have time. If nobody has fully transformed yet, that means the Dominion knows they aren’t strong enough to leave the city. We can stop them now, before things go...too far.”
“Where have you encountered this?” Val finally spoke up. The question sounded nearly apologetic with how soft she spoke.
“In Doram, before I came to Kaldan,” I lied. It was easy enough to put on a convincing face; from what I had heard of Doram, it sounded remarkably similar to Hedaat, with bitter winters, rocky mountains, and a general vibe of untamed wilderness. I got the sense that Val didn’t believe me, but she gave me a small nod and I carried on regardless.
“We need to find their leader as soon as possible. Based on Marin’s information, I still believe the statehouse is our best option.” I paused, considering my next words carefully. “While I understand that it is not the most ideal plan, our only real option is going there tonight. I know, we should gather intel first, but—”
“I agree,” Val interrupted.
I paused as I processed the unexpected response. “You agree?” I echoed in awe, having fully expected her to point out any of the massive tactical flaws in the proposal.
“Yes. Our original mission has not changed. Maintaining the security of Kaldan remains paramount, and if what you say is true, the threat posed by the Dominion must be dealt with before it can cross the Attetsian border,” Val explained. “The longer we wait, the greater that threat grows.”
“O-oh. That’s...great, actually. Thanks, Val,” I said, still in shock. “Any objections, Lia?”
“No, I’m ready,” Lia said confidently.
“Alright then. Tonight it is,” I clapped my hands together. “We can discuss the specifics of our plan later, so for now, I guess we just rest up and prepare. We have a long night ahead of us.” Before anybody had a chance to move, I turned to Val again. “Val, I’d like to talk with you alone, if you have a moment.”
“Of course,” Val nodded, standing up from the counter to move to the opposite side of the room.
I flashed Lia a reassuring smile and, receiving one in return, stood to follow Val. “I need to apologize for how I acted earlier. I wish I didn’t need to keep apologizing for the same thing, but...here we are,” I said when we were out of earshot of the others. “It’s just, the, uhm...I have a history with the Dominion, and...I wasn’t thinking straight.” I silently cursed myself for not preparing my apology ahead of time as I rambled.
“There is no need for you to apologize, Lux,” she replied, saving me from my awkward speech. “You have every right to be upset. You lost your family in Doram, which is also where you encountered the Dominion. Those two incidents are directly related, if I am not mistaken.”
I felt a deep pang of sadness as a dozen memories of Alda flashed through my mind. “That’s right,” I eventually responded, barely loud enough for myself to hear.
“I cannot imagine the pain of losing your family; I have been blessed not to experience that in my life up to this point, but I know the lengths I would go to protect them,” she said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not have to experience that pain again.”
The rare showing of emotion from Val cleared my mind. “I really appreciate that, Val. I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past, but there’s nobody I’d rather have watching my back than you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she replied, matching my smile.
I became acutely aware of how intimate our conversation had become. Chuckling to break the silence, I slid out from beneath her hand on my shoulder. “Well, that’s certainly a load off my mind! I might even be able to get a few hours of sleep before we have to go.”
“That would be wise; it seems likely that we will not be sleeping tonight,” she said. I turned to leave, but she caught me gently by the upper arm. “Lux, I...thank you for the apology. It means a great deal to me.” Our eyes locked for a brief moment before she looked away. “You are a good man.”
“Oh, uh...of course, Val,” I sputtered, my cheeks growing hot. Desperate to inject a bit of levity into the situation, I clapped her on the shoulder. “You’re not so bad yourself.” With a final awkward chuckle, I spun and briskly walked back to where Lia and Marin were chatting at the counter.
“Oh
, Lux!” Lia called out as I approached. “Marin and I were just getting to know each other, and apparently, she knows my father!” She looked back to Marin, and the two shared a laugh. “I still can’t believe it!”
“My dad is a cooper in Yoria,” Marin explained. “He moved to a larger workshop about ten years ago when he got a contract with the royal family, and Marten has been delivering his supplies ever since! I’ve met him tons of times!”
“Fate always seems to have a sense of humor about these things,” I chuckled. “I wonder how Marten would react, knowing that he’s been supplying materials to the family of the famous King’s Shield?”
“Oh, please don’t tell him,” Lia groaned, rolling her eyes. She turned to Marin with an apologetic grin. “My father is a bit starstruck by your sister. I’m not sure he’d be able to handle the idea that he’s been working with her family without knowing it.”
“My sister?” Marin asked incredulously. “I would love to see that meeting. I’m not sure Valandra would understand the concept of having fans.”
“That meeting already happened, and you are entirely correct,” I told her. She looked to Lia for confirmation, who turned away and gave an embarrassed nod. Marin tried to stifle a laugh but was quickly overtaken, and her laughter quickly spread to me as well.
“Alright, alright, it’s not that funny,” Lia said, trying to hide the grimace on her face. She waited patiently for our laughter to die down, then turned to me. “What’s our plan for the day? Scouting? Training?”
“Sleeping, I hope,” I said with a stretch. “We only have a few hours until sundown, so I think the best thing for us is to get some rest. It’s going to be a busy night.”
“Oh,” Lia replied, sounding strangely disappointed. “Okay.”
“If you need a place to sleep, you can use my guest room upstairs,” Marin chimed in. “I’ve never had a chance to let anyone use it before, so this is exciting! It’s not much, but it has a bed, which I guess is all that matters in this case.” She pointed through the door behind the counter. “Just a left through there, first door on your right at the top of the stairs.”
Restart Again: Volume 2 Page 22