Chapter 143 – Back to the Murdergrove

Aki

I wasn’t back at full strength, but felt good enough to participate in the briefing Lilyth gave us in Bergia's house. My neck still felt stiff, and I had to watch out for sudden movements, but it was getting better by the minute.

Caei mentioned the previous evening that Deirdee and Taros were here, so I was very excited to meet them. Vae looked nothing like vaer mom, being a cute lizard, but it turned out to just be camouflage, just like Lilyth's elf form. Her decision to stop using it for the time being was something I was both happy about since she took another step on her journey to regain her confidence, but I also absolutely hated it, because it meant I owed Caei money. Combined with the fact that she won our cover bet thanks to my attack… yeah… this would be expensive.

Our little salon could barely fit in the seven people who gathered for Lilyth's briefing, but we did not have a better location to meet. Lilyth's walking around in her kitsune form in full armour caused enough of a scene as it was. While my foxy cutie’s discoveries were fascinating, I wasn't sure whether I was buying her arguments, though.

‘But what about weird sensations Dhelmir and others reported?’ I asked, trying to prove my point.

‘That is a hole in my argument, yes,’ Lilyth admitted.

‘Not necessarily,’ Ren shook her head. ‘If you aren't used to them, pockets of quiet can be overwhelming. Particularly, ones of ill repute.’

‘Also,’ Lilyth stressed, ‘Don’t think I am discounting the possibility of this being magic-related all along, just that in isolation it doesn't seem to be.’

‘I concur,’ Ren nodded. ‘This is what my old… organisation would do. Particularly the murders.’

Deirdee simply nodded along. While I knew Bergia wasn't happy that one of my friends was a pardoned criminal overlord, but begrudgingly accepted her presence, the reveal that one of my other friends was a former assassin from another world would probably be too much. For her or for anyone really. There was a real stigma associated with the profession, I found, so we kept that information to our inner circle.

Add to that the fact that she knew I was from another version of Dwynveia, Bergia was able to figure it out pretty quickly, as apparently, my relationships were quickly becoming a major headache for her. I did my best to conceal myself from not being her Aki, but she saw through that almost immediately. Even without the metal arm, there were enough differences in my mannerisms and other small things to make her suspicious. Those were small things that only the family would notice, but well… Bergia was family.

‘This only makes it an even greater imperative that we go there,’ Taros replied to Ren and Lilyth. ‘As I see it, we have two options here - either the events in Murdergrove have mundane causes and someone is using them to mask their actions again, or… all of this is a result of something magical and its effects are ramping up.’

Bergia sighed heavily.

‘I hate to ask this of you, especially you, Aki, but I think I speak in the name of the whole village that we would be forever grateful if you looked into this.’

None of my companions seemed perturbed by my being singled out there.

She’s my mom after all.

‘We’ll do this,’ I said, and everybody nodded along.

Look at us! I smiled internally as I led our small group towards the Murdergrove. We are a proper adventuring party now. I mean, we were one before, but now there are seven of us! Maybe nine if the other members of the A-Gang were game.

I knew Lilyth had doubts about our non-Tenebral order friends, but I wasn't sure I shared her concerns. I just couldn't imagine Ser Arcarius or Anika turning down a request for his help when the situation really called for it.

‘Just remember that what you consider important and what others do may differ,’ I heard Irmen say.

Good point.

This was what my training from Irmen looked like. Rather than giving me classes, she would mention flaws in my reasoning and then let me draw my own conclusions from that.

This one seemed somewhat straightforward - I might have to convince people to assist me. It almost felt too obvious.

So, where is the catch?

Something occurred to me after briefly thinking it over.

It goes the other way around, too. I won’t always focus on the right issue to solve, so I should keep an open mind for advice and alternative plans.

‘This one may prove difficult. Pride is very insidious. Just look at what happened to Lilyth.’

That comment made me angry.

So what… she is just a cautionary tale now? She doesn't deserve that.

‘Love is another poison. Never forget that learning from the mistakes of others can be as enlightening as learning from one's own. Even if you love the one who makes them.’

The link went dark as Irmen left me to mull the conversation over. I felt this was another test. If I rejected Irmen's advice, here I would be doing so out of pride or love? Or was compassion the correct choice here? Were those contradictory to begin with?

The Painter

Her slumber was interrupted again. She had hoped her latest actions would keep interlopers away, but no such luck, it seemed. It was the same group as before, too.

No… There were more of them.

Truth be told, the exact number didn't matter. All intruders would meet the same fate… and as for the returning ones… this time she wouldn't be so lenient. Her Lady’s directive had to be obeyed: no intruders were allowed to get close to the pillar. This bunch just reeked of other gods, so their removal was of utmost importance.

Yes… she thought. Their entrails will make for fine pigment.

Lendaria, once a common farmgirl, but now a being known as the Painter of Misery, began emerging from her creche.

Aki

The Murdergrove felt intensely oppressive the moment we stepped into it. The malice in the air just screamed that I wasn't welcome here, and it was my last chance to turn around and leave.

‘Something isn't happy we are here,’ I muttered, feeling a cold pit open in my stomach.

‘There is an insane amount of magic in the air,’ Taros winced. ‘I haven't seen anything like this since leaving home.’

‘Yeah…’ Ren agreed. ‘What I saw her previously… It was nothing like this. The web is clear as day.’

‘Can you find the centre of it?’ I asked.

‘Probably,’ she nodded.

I turned towards Lilyth and saw that she was standing a small distance away from what we thought to be the border of the pocket of quiet. She was trembling.

Lilyth’s afraid, I realised. Her previous reaction was bad… and based on what we’ve all noticed here so far… My poor Jelly.

I walked up to her and took her hand into mine. Together, we crossed into the Murdergrove.

It took Lilyth maybe half an hour to get used to the psychic feedback she was getting from the trees. I held her in my embrace the entire time.

‘Thank you,’ she finally muttered. ‘You have no idea how much I appreciate this.’

She looked incredibly haggard, but there was some degree of strength back in her eyes.

Taros approached us and said:

‘I am sorry, Lilyth. I didn't know this would be this heavy on you. I will make it up to you.’

Vae wanted to touch Lilyth on the shoulder in a reassuring gesture but was met with an angry snarl and the most feral look from my Jelly I have ever seen. At that point, she seemed more like a wild animal than anything else - her eyes narrowed to a sliver, her ears flattened, and, while it could have been an illusion, it seemed that her canines grew longer.

‘Don’t you fucking touch me,’ she growled and Taros quickly retreated.

‘Noted,’ vae sighed.

Transcript of intercepted transmission ASC/Z5721733/02

ASCCOM: X2-01, L2 has heard unconfirmed reports of a group from Dan-Hem bound for RB-08-R.

X2-01: Roger that, Command. Abandoning secondary directive. Should we intercept or leave some surprises for them?

[REDACTED] notes: Two minutes of silence. Lead hypothesis - ASCCOM Radio Operator confirming the orders with ASCCOM Actual.

ASCCOM: Negative, X2-01. L2 is moving up to monitor for now. Maintain cover and head for the primary objective.

X2-01: Copy that, command. Ignoring the interlopers for now. Moving on to the primary objective.

[REDACTED] notes: This order proved to be unpopular among the members of ASCST X2. The general nature of complaints centred around the fairly understandable fear of leaving themselves open for a potential ambush. While it is unlikely anyone in Dan-Hem could pose a significant threat to a member of any of the ASCST, the risk always remained.

Below is a transcript of one such conversation. It is important to note that per SOP, the members of ASCST would likely be maintaining at least two-metre intervals between each soldier, meaning that it was faster and more secure to contact each other via the squad internal communication system.

Transcript of intercepted transmission ASC/Z5721733/02b.

X2-04: El-Tee, should I at least set up monitoring?

X2-01: You heard our orders, Meril - no traces of our presence.

X2-04: Aye aye, ma’am.

[REDACTED] notes: Ten seconds of silence.

X2-04(almost inaudible): Fucking bitch.

[REDACTED] notes: X2-04 was conclusively identified as Specialist Wylf Meril. As the channel was closed immediately after the disparaging comment with no sign of flustering on his end or any reaction from X2-01, Lieutenant Junior Grade Veryke Dar-Til, it is speculated that Specialist Meril deliberately left the channel open. The outburst also seems to be unusual given his previously distinguished service record. Whether it was the result of the mission stress mixed with the detrimental psychological effects caused by

RB-08-R or some otherwise unrecorded conflict between the two remains unknown.