“Um, your wound seems to be getting better,” Elise observed in a quiet voice as they walked.
The Overseer stilled for a moment before she continued walking. Had she not expected them to talk on this walk-and-talk excursion? “Y-yes. It is. I am still a few days from a full recovery, however.” The woman tossed her hair over her shoulder with a laugh. “I apologize.”
“Wait—why apologize?”
“Ah, see, I believe I offered you a lesson in using both hands in tandem.” She grinned lecherously. “It will be a bit longer before I’m up for such strenuous activity.”
Elise felt her cheeks warm at the suggestion. “We have only a little time before the Temple’s festival and our attack on them. I wouldn’t want to risk your recovery for something like that.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Elise knew she misspoke. Merylle’s grin fell and the Overseer became quiet. She looked to the ground, seeming to collapse in on herself. Merylle continued to walk forward, but much had changed. Instead of her typical confident stride, the Overseer shuffled her feet and hid her face among hunched shoulders. Elise followed in silence, catching up to her after a moment.
“I, uh, oh, Ydia give me grace, I’m sorry Merylle,” Elise said after the silence stretched between them for a moment past the point of awkwardness. “I didn’t mean to brush you off. I’m not saying I’m not interested, I just—”
“It’s fine,” Merylle said, her tone wooden but even. “You’re right, though.” She sighed and stood upright shook off her awkward sulking. “We can’t fail here. The Temple’s attack made this all too real.”
“Wait—do you still feel responsible?” Elise asked, a frown furrowing her brow.
“Of course. Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Merylle snorted before tipping her head to a passing man. He looked to be a herbalist of some kind, rushing up to the Keep. His arms were full, and Elise wondered if he was delivering something to Athala. She’d have to check in with the wizard after... whatever this was.
“You see, I’m their leader. The Overseers look to me to keep things running smoothly. To keep them paid, of course, but also to feed them and keep them safe. And what have I done?” Merylle sighed, her shoulders slumping once more. “Ever since I was put in charge, I went to war with the Temple.”
“And rightly so,” Elise said carefully. Trying to talk eloquently around the Overseer was like trying to balance a flagon of Jalovan Cave Pepper beer on her nose without spilling a drop. “Even if you hadn’t been wronged—like you were—the guild was growing in power. It was only a matter of time before they stood against you in one form or another.”
“I know that, but I escalated things far above what they should have been.” She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes as if she were tired.
They stopped walking and Merylle turned to face her. She looked crestfallen, tired, and anxious. “We used to have twice our current numbers before I took power. Yes, some left because they didn’t want to go up against the Temple, but those killed since, those fallen to botched raids or the Temple’s counterattacks, those deaths are my responsibility. And if we fail to strike back here, it’s all for nothing.”
“It won’t be,” Elise said as she stepped closer to Merylle and grabbed her hand. The Overseer flinched at the touch, but relaxed almost immediately. “Trust me, Merylle. We’ll make this work, you’ll see.”
The woman ignored her. “I just need this,” Merylle said hollowly. “I need to get my revenge, finally. Not just for myself, and not just for those who have died, but for those who are still under my command.” She shuddered and looked down at their clasped hands. “We need a win to make the Temple think twice.” Merylle squeezed Elise’s hand, gently. “This won’t be the last wave of Conscripts they send at us. As soon as they recover, they’ll be back. We need them afraid of us.”
“And we’ll get you there.” Elise put her free hand to Merylle’s chin and tilted the woman’s face so she could look into her eyes. “We’ll do whatever it takes to get you your revenge. I’ve heard legends upon legends about wizards weaker than Athala, and I may have just thrown him like a sack of grain, but Ermolt is probably one of the strongest fighters in a century. They are committed to making this assault happen. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they’ve come to see the Overseers as an extension of our little family.” Elise smirked slightly. “And that’s not to speak of my own strengths or commitment. Not just for you—although I’m pretty sure we both know I’d do nearly anything to see you smile.”
“Thank you,” Merylle said, searching Elise’s eyes. Elise stilled once more, unaware of what the Overseer would find. This time she didn’t look sullen though. “I just know that so many more will die if I fail. It’s... crushing to think about.”
“Then we won’t fail,” Elise said, straightening her posture so she could stand taller. “I’ve trained an army of sword-wielding thieves for days now, and I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but they did hold off a pretty disastrous attack on a Keep a few days back.” Elise smiled smugly and Merylle laughed in response.
Elise melted. The actual joy on the Overseer’s face was a sight for her sore, tired eyes. Elise slid her hand across Merylle’s cheek, gently rubbing her fingers along the woman’s jawline. “I’d do anything to have you laugh like that for the rest of our lives,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. She didn’t allow herself to analyze the words spoken in passion. There would be plenty of time for that later. So before Merylle could protest or question, Elise leaned in and gingerly kissed the Overseer’s slightly parted lips.
Merylle was like stone beneath her lips and hands, but not for long. Elise released Merylle’s hand to slide her arm around the woman’s waist. She was sure to keep her hand away from where the wound was, but she still crushed the woman against her.
They separated after a moment, each gasping for breath. Elise was pleased to see a lingering flush to the Overseer’s cheeks. Merylle was always the one who was so put together, so it was invigorating to see her flustered.
“I don’t know what to make of you, Conscript,” Merylle said, the last word said with fondness for the first time. There was still a sadness and doubt to the Overseer’s eyes, but her smile was genuine and that was enough for now. “You have been silent about the origins of your patron, and about your intentions once my revenge is realized.” Elise stilled. “But regardless, you are right. With you three on our side, I feel we might have a chance at this assault. I just pray it is enough.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Elise returned to the Keep quickly. She made some excuse of needing to confer with her companions, but it was weak and Merylle knew it. It wasn’t a lie though, so Elise was able to insist on the importance.
The Overseer let her go with barely a remark, and Elise jogged back to the Keep as fast as she felt comfortable in the heat. Even so, she arrived back to the front gate covered in a layer of sticky sweat that made her usually airy clothes cling in uncomfortable ways.
When Elise returned to the makeshift training grounds they’d set up, Ermolt and the Overseers were gone. It was around the eleventh bell of the day, and so likely that they had all gone inside for a bite to eat, but Elise wasn’t too concerned. While there wasn’t much time left, and while every moment of training was incredibly important, an entertainment-starved batch of soldiers would do her no good. She needed the Overseers to remember the good in life as much as she needed them to train and be ready for the assault.
Instead of looking for the barbarian and his students, Elise entered the Keep and went downstairs to Anton’s workshop. She found Athala there in a very familiar state: hunched over a table, scribbling furiously in a notebook. She was surrounded by bundles of fresh herbs, and Elise was certain she knew where they’d come from. It was amazing she hadn’t passed the man on his way back into town, but perhaps he’d found whatever party Ermolt was likely hosting and decided to join in for their mid-day festivities.
“Pleas
e tell me you’re working on plans for the assault,” Elise said, leaning against the frame of the door. Athala looked up and smiled at her with a nod. “Good.” Elise entered the room a few steps. “From what Merylle says, it’s only a matter of time before the Temple makes their next move.” Having worked within the Temple of Ydia, Elise knew Merylle was right. Even after having their host repelled, they would be too hard-headed to let the failure stand. “We may have to consider striking sooner than anticipated, before they have the chance.”
“I actually have some thoughts about that,” Athala said, looking back down at her notes. “I’m just trying to figure out some details here.”
“Is there anything I can do to help speed things along?” The wizard looked up again sharply and Elise waved a hand through the air, dismissing the unspoken anger. “I’m not trying to rush you. I just mean that if the Temple attacks again, even if we fight them off, there will be more casualties.” Elise crossed the room to stand next to Athala at the desk. The room was still littered with half-finished bits of machinery that Elise didn’t understand, but Athala looked comfortable enough being there. “I worry. Even with the three of us, and the defenses of the Keep itself, their superior numbers mean they’ll just grind us down.”
“Agreed. And that’s why my new idea doesn’t depend on the festival. We might be able to get things moving without waiting.” Athala looked over her notes, and Elise could see that her scribblings were accompanied by drawings of the maps they’d seen of the Temple already. “It is more dangerous, though,” she added in a distracted tone. “The Temple’s forces will still be at our backs, and we won’t have an easy way to deal with them if they come after us.”
“Wasn’t that already in the plan?” Elise asked, leaning over the notes and trying to figure out what Athala was planning. There was just no rhyme or reason to the scratching that she could see. She also seemed to be writing in a cipher, likely to keep the plans about the dragon from prying eyes.
“Yes, but our original plans included Anton’s inventions.” Athala gestured to a small device on the floor in the middle of the room. It looked broken. “We were going to use them to cover our escape, but I can’t get anything to work. Without someone with his specific skill set, we have to do without them.” Elise grimaced, but was grateful Athala didn’t repeat that Anton had fallen in the Temple’s attack. How was Athala able to sit here, in the room he died, and continue to work? Elise would have spent most of her time crying unless she found another place to work. “So we need another way.”
“Why can’t you get them to work?” Elise asked, looking back at the broken device on the floor. “Is there something missing?”
Athala sighed. “Yes. Time,” she said, exasperated. “It would take me months to learn how to build these things properly.” She finally set her pencil aside, and began to count on her fingers. Elise noticed they were streaked with soot and charcoal. “His alchemical formulas are different from what I’m used to, so I would need to learn his methods. Then I don’t have the background he did in machinery, so it will take me weeks to get even competent at building his devices. And after that, I still won’t measure up to a lifetime of research and expertise without pouring over every word he wrote here.”
“Right. And time is the one thing we don’t have.” Elise sighed deeply and looked over the notes spread across the table again. “So what have you come up with?”
“A plan,” Athala said confidently, planting her hands on her hips. Elise snorted. The wizard grinned sheepishly. “You know, maybe.” She lowered her hands back to the table and shuffled her papers around. “See, if we move fast, and everything goes right, we could be in and out without having to deal with the Temple Guards at all. If not, we’ll at least get in easily, and there should be enough chaos that any fight should be manageable.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll let you know if something comes up.”
“Excellent.” Elise smiled and put a hand to Athala’s shoulder. “Thank you. I really appreciate your work on this.”
Athala returned the smile. “It’s good to keep busy.” She paused and blinked twice. “Oh, speaking of which, you might be interested to know that Ermolt came by earlier today. While he was having training weapons made for the Overseers, he stopped by somewhere and picked up a few things for our, uh,” Athala paused and conspiratorially looked at the open door, “our own plans.”
“Really?” Elise said with a smirk. “I thought he seemed a little too eager to take care of that task.”
“Yeah, he was pretty convinced of the value of a pilum, like he mentioned, so he found a handful of those.” Athala smiled as she started to gather up her notes. “He couldn’t find a smith in town who even knew what a lohar axe was, but he found a trader from Klav selling cheap junk versions as trinkets. Apparently they exchanged some secret barbarian handshake—” Athala held up a hand at Elise’s confused look. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him. But the trader managed to produce some pieces of genuine quality.” Athala smirked and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, and he also picked up the most ridiculous armor I’ve ever seen, but he insists it will protect him.”
“Good.” Elise chuckled and shook her head. She picked up a small spring from the workshop table and toyed with it for a moment. “Working with the Overseers has made it easy to forget that we had a purpose for being here ourselves. I’m glad you two are still planning for what happens when we get there.”
“I’m sure it’s ‘working’ with the Overseers that has you forgetful.” Athala grinned wide. “How is Merylle doing, anyway?”
“She’s fine,” Elise said, snorting with laughter. “Her wound is recovering, so she should be ready for a fight soon. Or immediately, if we can spare a healing potion. Not that she’ll likely take it.” Elise rolled her eyes. “You and Ermolt call me stubborn, but there is no one like that woman.”
Athala snorted with laughter. “Finally met your match, eh?” Athala added a closed notebook to the top of her pile of notes. “Well, if she’s well enough to talk then we should go and tell her the plan. And probably get Ermolt in, too, so he can get excited about the prospect of fighting another Temple host just to get us out safely.” She collected her notes in her arms and stood from her stool, struggling for a moment to keep the loose papers from falling out of the bottom of the notebook. Elise stepped forward to help, but Athala shook her head. She strode across the room confidently, pausing only for a moment to look at the device on the floor. Or the giant scorched mark near it.
“Hey, uh, Athala?” The wizard stopped in the doorway, looking back at Elise who hadn’t moved another step. “Before... before we tell them about the plan, I just want to know what you think. Could this work? Can we do this and win?”
The wizard’s brow furrowed as she thought for a moment. Silence stretched between them. The pause was long enough for Elise to worry. What had they gotten themselves into? Finally Athala’s lips split in a wide grin that crinkled her eyes.
“I won’t lie—this will be a pretty big challenge.” She paused again and then nodded, slowly “But it will be a fun one.” She nodded a second time, more confidently. “Come. Let’s go tell the others of my plan. If we’re lucky, we might be able to get this all organized before nightfall.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
As the twenty-second bell chimed through the night air, signifying the last bell to be rung for the evening with a long, mournful bong, Ermolt slunk through the streets of Jalova leading a small army. The men and women who followed him were like silent shadows in the moonlight. In comparison, Ermolt was a cacophony of noise. The stones of his specially-crafted armor jangled against one another no matter how little he moved.
As they neared the Temple the group split up in silence, allowing for a more coordinated approach that would take out any posted guards on the outskirts. Hartmut headed one group with most of the Overseers and led them off toward the back of the t
emple. Ibeyar led his own group of men, and they circled off to the north where a tertiary gate stood. Ermolt led a handful of Overseers, Elise, Athala, and Merylle toward the front gate.
Getting to the Temple was easy enough. The grounds themselves were relatively void of guards, much to Ermolt’s surprise. Elise had told him the place had been crawling with them when they first arrived in town. Either they’d injured more of the Temple’s forces than anticipated, or they were arrogantly assuming they’d done too much damage to the Overseers to worry about them continuing their assault.
The guards at the front door to the Temple would have been a joke for Ermolt to push through alone. With the deadly women at his back, it was almost as easy as breathing. The five gathered Temple Guards didn’t even get a chance to cry out before they were unconscious.
Their group slipped quietly into the Temple and waited for the next group to slip in behind them. The massed forces of the Overseers arrived in groups of four or five, until they were all assembled. Along with Elise, Ermolt, and Athala, there were about twenty or so of the Overseers, as well as Ibeyar with a small number of mercenaries. Merylle insisted on calling them ‘contractors’, and always with a smirk.
Ermolt had tried to talk to the man and his hired goons earlier in the day, but none of them seemed interested in anything other than the plan. While he could appreciate being all about business, it made Ermolt nervous. These men and women were going to be responsible for keeping him from being trapped inside the dome after Sirur’s death—how could he trust them if they didn’t even want to give him their names?
When all were assembled, they crept through the entrance as quietly as possible. Ermolt tried to mute his armor with his hands. It didn’t really work, but no one seemed to mind.
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