by Pirateaba
“Be that as it may, I’m still not going north, brother. I’m staying here. I have a friend that might be in trouble and I won’t abandon my party.”
She folded her arms. Ylawes glared at her and blew out his cheeks slowly.
“I could drag you back—”
“No you couldn’t.”
“By all rights I should write to father and have him order you—”
“He can’t order me. This is a matter of honor, Ylawes. I belong with my group. I swore to fight with them. And besides—there’s a teammate of ours who might be alive. From the dungeon.”
“Truly?”
That threw Ylawes. Honor was important to him. It was to all of the Byres family. Yvlon explained about Calruz and saw his stubborn expression change. Ylawes wavered, rubbed at his eyes, and then came to a decision.
“You really won’t come back, will you? I was so sure…”
“No. I won’t.”
Yvlon felt triumphant as she looked at her brother. He was wavering, but he seemed to accept her decision at last. He looked at her with a rueful expression—and then dropped a house on her.
“In that case you won’t be alone. I’m staying too.”
He smiled at Yvlon, a [Knight] in shining armor. She stared at her brother, a famous Gold-rank adventurer, a hero, in horror.
“No. You really don’t have to.”
Ylawes faltered.
“Yvlon, I can’t just leave you—if mother heard, I’d be disowned within the hour. I have to stay and protect you!”
“I’d actually prefer it if you go.”
“Yv—”
“Stop calling me that. And I swear, if you think your team is going to babysit mine—”
Ah, family love. Across the inn, Erin polished her super-special and probably magical mithril coin with a cloth, watching Yvlon and Ylawes talk. They were clearly engaged in a serious debate. It was so nice to have a brother. Or so she assumed. She wondered what it was like.
And what the heck they were talking about.
—-
Around midnight, Yvlon and Ylawes stopped arguing and rejoined the table. By this point, everyone who was awake was sitting around a table. Ceria and Pisces, Falene and Dawil, Jelaqua—Ishkr, Drassi and Lyonette had all been relieved and Erin was filling a few cups, but all was quiet.
Moore and Seborn had already gone to sleep, and Ksmvr had gone up to speak with Bird. About what was anyone’s guess, but the air in the inn was generally convivial.
Generally. Sort of. Ceria and Pisces sat across the table from Falene, and Yvlon and Ylawes glared at each other like true siblings. Erin happily looked around and noticed Ilvriss slumped at his table, his mug cradled in one hand.
Decisions were being made. Ylawes didn’t beat about the bush as he walked over to his two companions.
“We’re staying, at least for now. We’re challenging the dungeon in Liscor. Apparently there might be an adventurer stuck down there and Yvlon won’t leave until he’s found.”
“I won’t leave anyways.”
Yvlon growled under her breath. Falene looked interested and Dawil pulled himself upright. The Dwarf’s breath was practically toxic with alcohol fumes, but then, Jelaqua usually drank that much as well.
“What’s this about an adventurer? Someone got themselves lost in the dungeon?”
“No.”
Ylawes related the possibility of Calruz being alive as Ceria shot Yvlon a silent glance over the table. The armored woman gave Ceria a helpless shrug of her shoulders.
The silence that followed Ylawes’ explanation was long. Erin looked around and recalled a similar scene the time Pisces had broken the news.
Okay, so there was a possibility, however faint, that Calruz could be alive. However, and this was a huge however, if he was alive he could be anywhere in a huge dungeon the size of a city. The odds were that he was dead, and the dungeon had killed everyone but the two Gold-rank teams who’d gone into it. And they had to be very cautious as well. Erin remembered days when Griffon Hunt and the Halfseekers would come back looking beat on, talking about monster ambushes and traps.
“So this Silver-rank team that might be Gold-rank is planning on finding their missing buddy all on their own, are they? You’re right Ylawes; that sounds exactly like the idiocy you’d get us tangled up in!”
Dawil groaned aloud and slapped his forehead. Ylawes glared at him and Ceria cleared her throat for everyone’s attention.
“You don’t have to help. We can’t pay—not anything worth the risk—and there’s no reward in it. This is our companion. We’ll find him. If he’s alive, he’ll stay that way after so long. If not…we’re working on it.”
They’d been taking requests to earn money for potions and so on, gathering experience. Pisces nodded as he played with his mug and Yvlon’s face was set. The Silver Swords looked at each other as Jelaqua glanced at the ground. Erin knew the Selphid hadn’t volunteered her team.
She couldn’t fault Jelaqua on that. That was the sane decision. Which made the Silver Swords’ one all the stranger. Ylawes looked at Falene, who raised her hand palm up, and then at Dawil, who muttered but nodded. He turned to back to Ceria.
“We don’t need payment or a reward, Miss Ceria. The cause itself is enough. Any friend of Yvlon’s is a friend of ours. And if there is truly an adventurer in danger in Liscor’s dungeon, we will do everything we can to help. We, the Silver Swords, champion causes wherever they may be found, regardless of reward or risk!”
He said the words simply, as if they were a fact. He stood proudly as he said them, and his armor glinted in the faint firelight. Everyone else stared at him with open mouths. Slowly, Ceria leaned over and whispered to Pisces very softly.
“Is he…real? Or just completely insane?”
Pisces sniffed.
“Addled from one too many hits to the head is more likely. Or perhaps he suffers from some kind of martyrdom complex. No doubt a sad affliction of the [Knight] class.”
He didn’t bother to lower his voice. Ylawes glared at Pisces.
“Helping others in need is simply common sense, sir. If you saw a traveler on the road who was in trouble, would you help them?”
Pisces frowned.
“Would this be a man or a woman? Human? Drake? How rich are their clothes? Is there any danger nearby? How far am I from civilization? What kind of road is it?”
Ylawes stared at Pisces. The [Necromancer] smirked at him and Ylawes looked away, disgusted. Erin clapped her hands, breaking the silence.
“Good! You’re staying. And you’re helping Yvlon! Yay. Now, are you staying here? I have rooms.”
The Silver Swords looked at each other. Ylawes looked uncomfortable as he bowed slightly to Erin.
“Your apologies, Miss Erin. But I don’t feel at ease sleeping under the same roof as…Goblins. I would like to use your door to find lodgings in Celum.”
“Or you could go all the way back home.”
“Yv…”
“That’s okay. I think the Goblins don’t like you anyways. Sorry, but that’s how it is.”
“Ah—yes. I’m…glad that we can all feel comfortable.”
Ylawes stumbled over his words and turned back to the others as a whole.
“I must apologize for my conduct earlier. I was not aware of the…peculiarities of this inn. However, as Yvlon’s older brother I thank you most sincerely for aiding her. She is of House Byres, and a credit to her family. I hope that you will all continue to aid her in the future.”
Yvlon covered her face with her hands, blushing. Ceria and Pisces exchanged a glance. Jelaqua raised a mug.
“I’ll drink to whatever that was! House Byres, huh? I knew Yvlon came from a rich family, but I didn’t know she was nobility! Fancy that.”
“We’re not a famous House, actually, Jelaqua. Far from it. We’re minor and we don’t get political. Until now.”
Yvlon glared at Ylawes as she spoke. He nodded.
“House Byres has always supported
itself with a healthy business in silver. We have a mine…and several of our family are [Merchants]. Some, like Yvlon and myself follow the family tradition of taking up arms to defend the common people.”
“Wow! You’re like a real [Knight] family, huh?”
Erin looked approvingly at Yvlon. She scowled.
“In decline. Ylawes and my other siblings help provide for the family, but we’re not rich, Erin.”
“True.”
Ylawes frowned.
“In the past our family used to be richer. Alas, there’s less call for quality silver now, which is one of our main exports. In the past of course, we were a household name, but the disappearance of the Vampires has reduced our estates too—”
“Did you say Vampires?”
Erin was at Ylawes’ side so fast she could have teleported. The [Knight] blinked at her.
“Um, yes. Vampires. Indeed. They used to be a scourge on Izril and had several large infestations that were wiped out over the centuries. Our family, House Byres, was famous for rooting them out. And our silver was a key component of their destruction. It used to be said that if you wanted to survive a Vampire attack, you would wear a necklace of Byres silver.”
“Or garlic.”
Pisces muttered under his breath. Ylawes scowled at him. For once, Yvlon seemed to appreciate the [Mage]’s remarks. She shook her head as Erin looked disappointed.
“Vampires are gone, Erin. Or if they’re around, there’s not thousands of them like there were. My family’s well-enough off, even if some of us are more protective than they should be.”
She glared at Ylawes, and Falene smiled. She looked at Erin, one hand resting on her staff.
“That is House Byres for you, Miss Erin. They are rather infamous locally. Honorable, prolific, and stubborn as mules. I believe that’s what’s said behind their back.”
Erin laughed as both Yvlon and Ylawes turned to glare at Falene. She smiled and looked around.
“Well, I guess I have more regulars in the inn, even if you’re not staying here. That’s cool. I’ll show you guys how to get through Celum and back—it’s really easy, but I have to make sure you don’t trip over any of Octavia’s stuff when you go through the first time. She’s an [Alchemist].”
She showed the Silver Swords how to get to Celum as the others went to their beds. It was late—so late that Octavia was asleep, which was lucky. A midnight sales pitch was the last thing Erin wanted. She went to sleep happy, but exhausted, in a silent inn.
[Magical Innkeeper Level 33!]
And then Erin sat up and remembered Ilvriss was still there.
“Darn it, I forgot I spiked his drink!”
She looked around her dark kitchen, wondering if she should wake the Drake up from whatever memory he was seeing. But then she decided it wasn’t worth the effort and went back to sleep.
“A brother coming to rescue her, huh? That’s nice. But I wonder what’s up with Lady Magnolia? And the Goblins? It sounds…not good.”
Erin’s eyes slowly closed. She went to sleep, dreaming of Goblins and silver and flying spaghetti monsters. Because it was a dream after all.
And in the inn, slumped over at his table, Ilvriss spoke one word.
“Periss?”
—-
“Periss?”
He knew he was dreaming. Ilvriss could tell by the little clues. The windowless room, the way there was no real smell, no sense of beginning or end to this place, and the tiny Corusdeer leaping about the table in front of him. He stared at them for a few second before looking up.
There she was. Even if it was a dream, it was the only one he’d ever want to have. Periss, his second-in-command, his secret lover, stood across from him. She was standing over the table, which was in fact, a map.
It was the most realistic map in the world. A little world, the map of Izril surrounded by the ocean, had been replicated in minute detail down to the very trees on the table. Animals too. Ilvriss could see herds of tiny Corusdeer bounding across the melting snowy landscape, and a miniature Hollowstone Deceiver, a Rock Crab, snagged one and tore it apart in a bloody mess as he watched.
The map was in fact a replica of one of the magical map rooms in the Walled City of Salazsar. It was depicting the Goblin Lord’s forces as he moved steadily northwards towards Invrisil. It seemed remarkably accurate for a dream map.
Ilvriss didn’t care. He only had eyes for Periss. But she was studying the map intently, not looking up at him. She brushed a claw over the light blue scales near the spines on her head, a gesture so familiar that Ilvriss could have wept.
“Periss!”
“I heard you Wall Lord, there’s no need to shout.”
Periss looked up with a slight frown. Ilvriss would have run over to her, but he couldn’t move. He was fixed in place on the other side of the map. He stared at her. She was so real! In this place, she was the only thing aside from the map that had any presence. And the dream had copied her down to the last detail. The faint odor of her body, the smell of her armor and the polish applied to it, the sounds her claws made as they faintly rasped against the map.
So real. It was pain, seeing her. Ilvriss would have strained to move, but in this dream, he couldn’t. He couldn’t try. It was a dream rule, and he was powerless. So he spread his arms.
“Periss. Come to me.”
“Not now.”
The Drake woman didn’t look up from the map. She was tracing the path of the Goblin Lord, frowning. Ilvriss raised his voice.
“Periss! Come away from the map! I want to touch you. I want to hold you. It’s been so long—”
“It will have to be longer, Wall Lord. We have business here, or have you forgotten the Goblin Lord?”
“Damn the Goblin Lord. I don’t care about him or the Humans.”
Ilvriss spoke urgently. Periss looked up for a moment and smiled—his heart leapt in his chest.
“Neither do I. But they are potential threats. Just look here.”
She traced a claw along the Goblin Lord’s route. Ilvriss saw black smoke rising from a collection of burnt houses, fresh.
“He’s been destroying villages, one small town…but avoiding all of the cities, even the ones he could take. He’s conserving his forces, trying to move fast. Why? To avoid a Drake army coming from the rear? Or something else?”
“Periss…”
“And here. He’s going to hit Invrisil unless he turns. The Humans are assembling a force to stop him, but will it be enough? Magnolia Reinhart’s not known for her prowess in battle. Whereas Tyrion is assembling a force here, but it won’t be in time to save Invrisil. If the Goblin Lord attacks.”
It was agony seeing Periss standing over the map. Ilvriss tried to move again and failed. She went on, focused, gnawing at a lip as she did when she was thinking hard.
“It could all be open-and-shut if the Goblin Lord is defeated. But what if he’s not? I know there’s a small force coming to defend Liscor and another army coming north. If they’re needed, if the Goblin Lord isn’t stopped by the Humans, we’ll want to be ready.”
“Who cares? Let it all burn. Just come to me and I’ll leave it behind.”
Ilvriss would have damned his home to ash and fire just to reach out for her in that moment. Periss looked up and glared at him.
“Don’t say what you don’t mean. Look, it’s all predictable, unless the Reinhart woman has a trick up her sleeve. Her army might be able to fend off the Goblin Lord, but never destroy his army. Not without a leader. The key is what General Shivertail knows. Why did he disappear? Unless…no, he wouldn’t do that. Would he?”
It didn’t matter. None of it did. Periss was here, but she was ignoring him. Ilvriss collapsed onto the floor. He begged out loud, he who had never begged before.
“Please, Periss! Touch me. Come here. Speak to me!”
He shouted the last words, cursing the dream he was in, this nightmare, this cruel torture. There was only silence in reply. He wept, clutching the m
ap table, feeling the ocean and land crumbling under his claws. And then he heard a voice.
“Oh Ilvriss.”
Periss walked around the table. Disbelieving, Ilvriss looked up. She knelt, and then slapped him.
He gaped. Periss was no weakling. She was a trained warrior and her blow made his head ring. She hit him on the other cheek and Ilvriss reeled.
“Get ahold of yourself!”
She shouted at him. Ilvriss raised his hands to the real, stinging pain in his cheeks. Periss glared at him.
“I’m dead for less than a month and this is what you’re reduced to? You’re not the Drake I chose to follow, the leader I fell in love with! You drink and abandon your duties? Because of me?”
“Periss—”
“Stop saying my name like that.”
She glared at him and Ilvriss recalled that she didn’t like him saying her name, even in private. It was always [Lieutenant], then [Captain], and so on as she rose in rank. She disapproved of flirting before the battle was over, too. It was business while they were in the middle of a battle.
Suddenly, Ilvriss was conscious of how drunk he was, of how dirty his clothes were—clothes, not armor. He’d stopped putting it on. While Periss was in her armor, in the prime of her life, ready for action. He felt ashamed and looked away.
“Ancestors, look at me. Look at how I’ve fallen apart. No wonder you look at me like that. I am worthless.”
He sunk downwards in misery. Of course she hated him. This was what he’d become. Instead of avenging her he’d chased Ryoka this far, failed to stop Az’kerash’s minions from taking two lives, and then given up. The Necromancer. The grief had hit him too hard.
Now he had lost it all. Ilvriss couldn’t look at Periss. He heard her sigh in exasperation, and then felt a touch. He froze as she clumsily drew him towards her. Periss had never been one to hug, and so her embrace was crude, and uncomfortable as he pressed against her armor.
But it was real. Oh, so real.
“I know it was hard after I died. But you can’t keep doing this.”
“I tried.”
“I know. I know you did.”
“I fought Periss. I tried, but—you are gone! Gone and I am alone.”