“Save your strength,” she said.
He weakly tilted his head and closed his eyes.
She pushed his hair back. She would do anything in her power to see him alive and well, to see the suffering stop.
“Lady Tissis,” the guard captain said.
She looked at him.
“We can’t have you sick as well.” The captain’s voice was soft, knowing how hard it was for her to leave her husband like this.
She merely nodded and grit her teeth. She wanted to nurse him back to health but she had to keep the city going and weather through this.
She walked out of the room, taking some time to calm her emotions as she washed her hands thoroughly. As she did, she fought to control her mind. Seeing her husband like that cleared her mind more.
“If these Black Rags are doing good, make sure to monitor and help them. Make our statement clear: we are willing to help the people of Skalafell; we do not wish for violence. It will allow us to get some control over them in case they start trying to pull something,” she told the guard captain.
“I will see to it,” the guard captain said.
“As for the search for the people who attacked Keze, hold off for now. We need to deal with this crisis first before we break our forces apart.” Tissis’s anger had waned. They needed to survive first; then they could look at dealing with the issues.
The guard captain nodded.
“Go.” She sent him on his way. She moved back to the office, feeling weaker than before but more stubborn as she walked with quick strides.
Night had fallen over the city, though she could see people with torches moving about in the darkness. The halls were lit up with magical devices and candles. She looked out of the office’s windows as a flutter of light took her attention. She saw a pair of golden wings flap in the night sky before they disappeared from sight.
I’m starting to see things, I’m so tired. She laughed to herself and turned up the light in the room as she looked at the reports of food that had been compiled. “Just after winter when our stores are the lightest.” She lifted up the papers to see a black letter.
It stuck out among the other reports and important letters.
She put down her report and turned the letter over in her hands. There was nothing to identify it. With a knife, she opened the letter.
It was of black paper, as well, with silver lettering on it.
“At this time, your husband is probably already at the point of dying. We have a cure, but are you worthy to receive it? If you tell anyone about this letter, you will never hear from us again. We contained the plague within this letter so you have already contracted it as well. Think wisely about your decision. Leave a light on in the northern tower and we will send further instructions about our cooperation. You don’t have much time to wait. If not for your husband, than maybe your daughter. I have heard that it is terrible to lose a child.”
She tore the piece of paper apart and threw it across the desk, letting out a frustrated yell and breathing heavily. She grabbed the letter and threw it in the fire. She ran to wash her hands; she gargled water and spit it out, hoping that it was all a lie.
She wiped her face but there was a conflicted expression on her face.
“Lady Tissis, there is a Commander Tysien from the camp to see you. She’s been sent over to liaise,” a guard said through the door.
“One second!” Tissis tried to compose herself as she looked in the mirror. She wanted to destroy the people who wrote that letter.
What if they really have a cure?
Her heart shook. She knew that her husband would never accept it, but seeing him in so much pain, thinking about Keze catching the plague...
She grabbed her mask and put it over her mouth and nose.
I’ll have to keep her away from me to make sure that she won’t catch it if I have it.
Her mind was a mess as she wondered just how the message had gotten on her desk. It was different from everything else and there were guards on her door, so someone must have snuck it in with the other messages and then got it past the guards somehow.
She shook her head and pulled herself together. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about it.
“Let her in!” she yelled through the door. She walked back to her desk, seeing the fireplace give off a green flame as it burned through the paper.
Chapter: Under My Protection
Tysien entered the room and saw the lady of the city in command. “I am Commander Tysien. I was sent over to see if you have any needs.”
“If you’re not wearing a mask, it means that you intend to stay and you would have come earlier if you really cared about us, which means that something has changed and you’re paying attention to it?” Tissis looked up from her desk, wearing her mask.
She was younger than Tysien but she had a presence and power on her side that made her only pale slightly compared to Jaclu.
Tysien made an awkward expression but didn’t say anything.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re now one of us—the damned of Skalafell—so I hope that your aid is not just empty promises or this city will be once the plague is done with us,” Tissis said.
Tysien gritted her teeth, feeling like she was just tripping over her own feet. “I was wondering if there has been anything strange happening in Skalafell?”
There was a strange look in Tissis’s eyes. Feeling something wrong, Tysien spoke up before Tissis could say anything. “There was a strange human who we believe might have entered the city.”
“Oh, the rumored knight?” Tissis asked.
“Yes,” Tysien said.
“He is going around the city, creating something of a legend, helping people out, I hear—helping to organize people, give them something to do. My people are going to help them out. That way, we can establish control in their ranks and make sure that their goals are aligned with the city’s,” Tissis said.
“That makes sense. These humans can be tricky. I also wish to see the city lord, if that is possible?”
“You are too bold!” Tissis slammed her hand against the desk. “You think because you treat us like rats that we’re going to take it and allow you to walk all over us!”
Tysien gritted her teeth. It was her job to save and help these people but so far they had just stuffed these people in their own city and locked the doors from the outside, letting them fend for themselves. Tysien quickly pulled the bag off her hip. “I want to see if any of these work.”
Tissis was breathing heavily, her mask moving in and out with every breath. She took out a bell and shook it.
A guard came through the door moments later.
“Have these taken to the healer and checked. Then have them administered to one of the willing sick to see if they are effective.”
“Yes!” The guard took the items and then left.
“If one of them works, then we have supplies in the camp that we can give you. We don’t like this situation any more than you but command thinks that this might be a ploy by the enemy to weaken our forces and that it was supposed to hit the camp and not the city. I can’t do anything officially, but we all want to help you.” Tysien thought of the people who the gnome and the elf had already rallied to their side to help the people in the city.
“It seems that the association of the Black Rags has already beaten you to it,” Tissis said.
“Black Rags?”
“That is the group of people who have been organized by this knight and are helping the sick and injured,” Tissis said.
“Oh?”
“Look, tensions are high and people are dying. I’m sorry I got angry with you. We need help and badly. I’m hoping that good will come from the Black Rags but while they mean well now, there’s no knowing what they’ll be like later on,” Tissis said.
“They could take power into their own hands,” Tysien said.
“Very much so,” Tissis said.
There was a knock at the door.
The door opened and a guard came in.
“Count Lemar is here. He’s brought more healers and ingredients from his stores to help the city lord,” the guard said.
Tissis’s face softened. “Take him to see his brother right away and send my thanks. I will see him soon.”
The guard bowed and headed out of the room.
“Count Lemar?”
“He’s my husband’s brother. My husband was adopted into the family and did well with their support but they have always been close,” Tissis said.
Tysien pushed her lips into a smile and nodded.
“What aid can we get from the camp?” Tissis asked.
“Food, mainly. There are people gathering water filtration systems, masks, and soap as well,” Tysien said.
***
“There is something strange going on here.” Anthony sat on the wall of Skalafell, waving his feet in the air. Solomon appeared beside him and Bruce walked out on his arm, only showing his head.
“Shadow says that the guards are starting to help the Black Rags,” Bruce said.
“Good. Make sure that they work well together, watch one another.” Anthony reached into his boot, pulled out a map and looked at it.
Skalafell was shaped like part of a pie cut out, with two sides up against the water and then a third rounded-out wall that contained the city.
On his map, he was tracking all of the cases of the plague.
He had the Black Rags asking when people got affected so that Anthony was able to go back and track the progress of the plague.
He had made another map that looked at the original cases and where they worked or lived.
It created an interesting and strange picture.
“You would think that the nobles would be the last to be affected. From this, though, all of the people who served in the nobles’ houses are the ones who must have spread it through the slums. The nobles are hiding from the people because they’re the sickest, not because they have some kind of cure. Then there is a group going around, trying to incite looting and violence against the nobles, saying that they’re the reason for this plague and that they’re hoarding supplies. When taking a step back, it looks targeted. The next concentration is along the main streets.
“Solomon, give Aila a message. Tell her that what happened to the traders coming here—it might happen to others. I have a feeling that the Agents of Chaos are at work here.” Anthony rolled the maps up and put them in his boot as part of the shadow beside him separated and rushed across the ground and out of the city.
“Now I need to rattle the tree and see what falls out.” Anthony stood and looked over the city.
Solomon appeared and Bruce showed his head once again.
“There is a confrontation at the Mermaid square.”
“Looks like I won’t have to look far.” Anthony jumped off the wall he was on. Dave’s wings appeared as he glided down onto a roof.
He looked through a window and saw a badger kin boy staring at him with wide eyes. Anthony smiled to himself and gave the boy a thumbs-up. The boy smiled so wide it looked as if he were going to split his face as he held his bear and put his thumb up as well.
Anthony ran over the houses, gliding where he could.
It wasn’t long until he reached the square, where there were two groups looking at one another, with Mai consoling a young man with a bloodied face.
“What is the meaning of this!” Mai stared at the group. They held sticks, gardening tools, and other implements, anger written on their faces.
Anthony watched from behind, ready to intervene if needed. This is a good opportunity to observe and get information on this more violent group.
A meerkat kin stood at the front of the group, wearing a red bandanna on his face. He gestured with his length of wood. “Look at you, pawns of the nobles! You’re nothing in their eyes but you’re doing their bidding. How do you have any pride!”
“We’re helping out the city!”
“What has the city done for you! No one cares that you’re trying to help. The nobles are probably rubbing their hands together because you’re doing all the work of the guards!”
“We’re—”
“Even working with them! Why don’t you just say you like being their slaves!” the meerkat yelled over Mai. “Look at you all here. Is there even a knight behind you all? Where is he? Why isn’t he helping out? He’s probably some noble who got all dressed up and wanted to play hero!”
“He’s not!” Mai yelled out.
“Hah! Look at you. You think you’re some kind of leader because you say so? Don’t you know how the people of Skalafell have been pushed down? The nobles are having parties in their homes while you’re out here working! Slave.”
“I’m not a slave,” Mai yelled, balling his fists.
“Look—he has some fight in him!” The meerkat laughed, getting a few laughs from the group behind him.
“Either you help us in fighting the nobles and we take what is ours, or you are simply in our way! Don’t you want to see the truth with your own eyes, to see the riches that they hoard away, the food that they throw away while we starve?”
The crowd behind the meerkat let out noises of agreement, raising their weapons and torches.
“What use will that be?”
“We will force them to help us! Force them to release their healing pills!” the meerkat yelled.
“Who knows if they even exist!” Mai yelled.
The meerkat scoffed at Mai. “What do you know, slave?” The meerkat stepped forward to look down at Mai. “We’re real beasts, standing up for the honor of our people, seeking retribution, not slaves rooting around in the garbage, looking to get others’ approval!”
The meerkat smiled, inviting Mai to punch him.
Anthony clapped his hands together. The sound of metal hitting metal crossed the square easily as they looked at the armored knight sitting on a roof, looking at the two parties.
Mai had a panicked look on his face. His anger dissipated and he touched his wrists.
“You did well, Mai. Now, my meerkat kin friend, what is your name?”
“I didn’t realize it was a human!” the meerkat spat out, looking at all of the Black Rags with disgust.
The Black Rags looked at the human sitting on the roof in his armor in shock. They hadn’t known that he was a human.
“Good, you’ve got eyes. Now I have a few questions for you lot.” Anthony pushed off the building. Dave’s wings grew from his back and people moved away from him, talking about his wings as he landed in front of the meerkat and his group.
“Who put you up to this?” Anthony asked.
“No one did!” one of the people in the crowd said.
“Filthy human! They’re the enemy!”
“Even worse than nobles!” another yelled as the crowd moved forward.
The meerkat moved his head so that he looked down on Anthony, a look of power in his eyes. He sneered at him, letting the crowd rile themselves up.
Anthony let out a laugh. “Wow. You’re just all pissed off, with nowhere to spend that energy in your lives. You ever thought about trying to do something else with your life, something that satisfies you a bit more?”
“You think you’re better than us, human!” An angry older Badger-Kin waved his torch.
“How much did the nobles pay you to poison Skalafell?” the meerkat demanded. His question was like a match to the crowd’s anger as they all started to move forward, murder in their eyes.
There were people in the Black Rags who had that same kind of anger as they looked at Mai and Anthony.
“They always taught me to be patient but I always told them that I wasn’t that good at holding back,” Anthony said.
“What do you have to say for your crimes?” another yelled.
“My crimes?” Anthony let out a low laugh that made people slow in their tracks as they felt something was wrong.
&
nbsp; “What is this?”
“Is this mana?”
The power built around Anthony. The air seemed to crackle with energy as they all looked at him. The meerkat had an uneasy look on his face as he unconsciously stepped back half a step.
“Stop there!” A yell came from a side street. A woman stood atop of her mount, with a halberd at her side.
Anthony’s eyes thinned. He felt a flare of anger from his arm. “Bruce?”
“Seems that this young one has no respect. Will you give me the power to materialize?”
Anthony took a moment. “You’ve got it,” Anthony said.
Bruce let out a grunt in thanks as all of the beast kin around Anthony paused.
“Is this bloodline pressure?”
“Isn’t he a human though?”
Both groups were confused at the pressure that was coming off Anthony as the mana in the area continued to gather around Anthony.
“Human tricks!” the meerkat yelled out, pointing at Anthony. “He wants to kill us all with the plague or enslave us!”
“Shut! Up!” Anthony landed two crisp slaps on the meerkat’s face. “There are people’s lives on the line and you want to incite violence! You wish to cause issues in a city that is under my protection!” Anthony’s voice grew deeper, gaining greater power. The bloodlines within the beast kin boiled as they were forced to kneel.
“You test my patience!”
Bruce materialized above Anthony and looked over those there. Their foreheads slammed into the ground.
Only Tysien was able to stop herself. Her mount was lowered in supplication but she was keeping her head up, looking at the familiar. “Clan spirit.” The words escaped her mouth and her face paled.
“May I deal with this one?” the clan spirit asked Anthony. He was like an emperor standing tall above all others.
“She’s your offspring,” Anthony said.
“She is nothing but a girl, a hypocrite and a shame to my bloodline,” Bruce said. “You accused my friend of crimes he did not commit, were prejudiced toward him because of his race. You came into the city only after he entered to watch him. Instead of trying to stop the fighting here, you watched; we intervened and then you wanted him to get hurt, wanted to see your beliefs fulfilled. What kind of ignorant child are you? Are you so vindictive that you want others to suffer for no other reason but to prove your own misguided beliefs!” Bruce dropped to the ground and grew in size so he was the size of a small house as he looked down at Tysien.
Death Knight Box Set Page 22