1 Comely women

The sun is setting low above the sea. Your nostrils are filled with the scent of salt, or more likely, the scent of sweat. You wished to find another job than helping sailors moving boxes through all the day, but you are low in Dain. Well, it never retained you from stealing from two or three inns, but you still need some money; your current life is almost miserable, although, it is better than nothing to have a place to stay. You sigh out of tiredness and decide to set down and watch the scenery before you. Hopefully, you just have to reach the waterfront and sit there. You fix your eyes on the horizon and think back of your life.

How could things become like this, you think with slight melancholy.

Through your meditation, you remember your brother's sword. You pull your eyes away from the reddened sky and place them on the sword's sheathe which is hanging on your belt. You slightly stroke it while the memories of your dear brother come back.

'Really, how could things end like this,' you think again.

This time, you dismiss all your thoughts and carry on once more contemplating your surroundings. At last, you notice a lone ship which, you suppose, is the last one coming. There are people on the deck, meaning that this one is a cruise ship. The ship is not that far from the harbor; it should land here upon five minutes or so. Anyway, you still continue to watch the sea in silence.

Upon five minutes or so, as you expected, the ship is indeed here. Intrigued, you discreetly peer at the people coming out of it. Many are wearing refined clothes and have pointy ears. You are hesitant whether these are elves from Faellum or Vendas, but after hearing them talking, you are almost sure that these are High elves; after all, you studied languages since you were five, so you must be right.

This ship must have departed of Faellum, you note in your mind.

Gradually, all the people are taking their leaves, while you watch them as wondering where they are going. Finally, everyone seems out of the ship. But you were wrong.

A young man emerges on the deck and head towards the waterfront. You notice only that it is actually a young woman when she lands her boots on the cobblestone. That error was due to her short dark hair attached in a ponytail. She looks like a feminine young man and has a stern face. You also notice that she is a High elf from her ear. But her most striking feature is the uniform that she is wearing. You would recognize this one even half-blind. It is the uniform of the Emperor Medis' men. Everyone knows the color on it; a black that reflects almost no light and a red that strikes fear in the enemies' heart. However, her uniform is more than well-sewn and is made of some sort of a leather of a quality that you have never seen before, unlike the regular ones that are only made out of the cheapest cloth. Actually, you have already seen and wore uniforms like this one; that was when you were one of the Seven Hands of the Empire. Your fears become true when you see the yellow medal shaped as a heart on her chest.

Now you recognize that young woman; Theodicy, the wielder of Galdyr's Spear and also one of the Seven Hands of the Empire. Well, you have never met her but you recognize her medal. Soon, you meet her gaze and as rapidly as your eyes met, you pull them away. You feel uneasy, so you drag your hood closer to your face; you also fear that she might recognize you. But after all no one seemed to recognize you. However, your mind yells you to prepare yourself in order to run away.

Theodicy quickly carries on staring at you before she begins to walk toward your direction. You become more and more anxious as you hear her footsteps. Now you are sweating and swearing in your mind. Finally, she is at the same level as you, but she hopefully continues walking. You let out a sigh of relief, although before you could breathe normally, she abruptly stops. Your heart begins once more to tighten itself. Theodicy then calmly but coldly tells you:

"You thought that I wouldn't distinguish Galdyr's Sword from an ordinary one, Alberich?"

As hearing your name, your entire body tenses and feels as though you were burning. You have two choices left; fight, or run away. Of course, you could fight, but the last time you fought against one of the Seven Hands of the Empire, it did not end well. So, you have an unique choice.

"Phenim ignitoeph!" you shout.

Suddenly, you let out ashes from your mouth while hoping to blind your opponent, and then, as rapidly as possible, you run. You rush through the city's street while looking behind you; Theodicy is really fast, no wonder why she is among the most powerful persons of the Empire. You were one of them, but as a wizard, not a warrior; you only have slightly above-the-average physical abilities, and that is only thanks to what your brother and you used to do as kids. As usual, the streets are filled with stalls and people yelling. The scent of fish is a little bit sickening but you are determined to escape and ignore the stench. You force your way through five or six person, but it really does not help; soon, Theodicy will catch you if you continue with this pace.

You decide to climb up on the roofs to escape her, and so, with your momentum, you jump on a window and climb. She may be fast, but you travelled and climbed on rooftops since you were a little kid, and you know the city's rooftops more than anyone else. However, once on the roof, you remember an awful fact; High elves can fly! And Theodicy is not any regular High elf; she is also the wielder of Galdyr's Spear! You now remember the tales about her on the battlefield, flying up high as a goddess surrounded by her thousand spears; Galdyr's Spear allows its user to summon and control magical spears, regardless of the number. It is told that she received it from the god of war Galdyr when she was eleven; she slayed one of the god's dragons, but instead of getting mad, he was amused by her strength and decided to gift her for that prowess.

Anyway, now is not the time to remember that but escape. You think that it actually might have been safer down in the streets when you see her in the sky with her floating spears. Her wings looks like large reddish sigils shaped as wings, and while you are frozen as seeing her, you see two glowing reddish horns on her forehead. It is due to the Devourer's blood in her; you heard as well that her father is a devourer, not the ones from the north who has a unique horn, but the ones from the devourers' plane, which explains why she has two horns.

In her cool voice, she shouts from above:

"Alberich Siegfried, murderer of Albrecht Siegfried, surrender and I shan't harm you!"

"If all of you actually listened to me, you'd know that I was only defending myself!" you shout back, annoyed by the title 'murderer'.

"Are these your last words?" she rhetorically asks as raising her hand up in the air.

You sigh and think that everything is in vain. You know that Theodicy is about to throw her spears at you, so you ready yourself to chant. As she lowers her hand to throw the spear, you rapidly chant:

"Imir sapht!"

Your body becomes mist, literally, and the spears only pierce through nothing. The spears disappear, and you regain your physical body. You cannot maintain alterations on your body for very long, since you are already tired. You finally notice that Theodicy has already landed, holding a spear in her hand. Her wings have disappeared, but not her horns; she is still ready to fight.

'Oh no, close combat is the weakness of every wizard,' you think.

She indeed has the intention of fighting close against you. You rapidly unsheathe your brother's sword, and only seeing its crimson blade fills you with contempt. Theodicy rushes at you and you parry her spear with Galdyr's sword. You then remember that your sword can slay anything, so you swing it, and Theodicy's spear vanishes. As rapidly as it vanished, she summons another shaft and throws it at you. You barely miss it, although, it is coming back at you!

I need to stop her quickly if I want to escape, you think as dodging once more the spear which comes again at you.

This time, Theodicy is also about to attack you. Overwhelm by incoming threats, you are hesitant about what to do. Then, you decide to rely once more on magic.

"Velim saen!"

As finishing this sentence, you feel coldness in your hands and gesture towards Theodicy's feet. Ice wraps her lower body and she is stuck. You dodge the flying spear and make it disappear with your brother's sword, and before that she could summon another shaft, you freeze her until the shoulders. You quickly write the nullifying sigil on the ice, and she is now imprisoned, powerless. But she is strong, strong enough to break the ice. Before she could do so, you try to reason with her:

"You'll soon be free, but I beg you to listen to what I have to say. I appeal to your sense of justice!" you ask in your most pious voice.

"The Emperors orders are absolute: he wants you dead," she replies in a cold tone, as chunks of ice begin to fall.

"That's what his daughter wants! I'm of course directly responsible for my brother's death but I had to defend myself too."

"Lies," she replies in the same tone, now almost fully free.

"What if I told you that he was a member of the Cult of Stirnel then?" you say.

You did not want to tarnish your brother's name, but there is no other way to prove your "innocence". Of course, even if the Emperor himself cared to listen to you, his daughter, who was your brother's betrothed, will never do so. 'She needs a culprit to inflict her wrath,' you suppose. And your proof about your brother being part of the Cult could incriminate you of another misdeed; that is, heresy.

You hear a loud crack, and Theodicy is free. You prepare to fight, but oddly enough, she does not summon anymore spears and her horns disappear. She hisses:

"The Cult of Stirnel! Isn't that other lies?"

"And yet, you are merciful," you reply. "How about this? I tell you what happened, you judge whether you should spare me or not."

You know that Theodicy is known for her great sense of justice, so you might use that. Indeed, she is considering your proposition; her eyes are down, thoughtful. Then, she raises her eyes and stares straight at yours.

"I give you ten minutes," she replies.

"Make an oath, on Galdyr's Spear," you say without thinking. That might annoy her.

"I, Theodicy of Sillasinth, pledge to you by Galdyr's Spear, Alberich Siegfried, to listen and judge whether I should spare you or not," she surprisingly reply at once. "What about you?"

"I should make an oath?" you skeptically retort.

"Swear it on Galdyr's Sword that you won't try to escape if you're guilty," she replies sharply.

"Very well," you sigh, but hoping that she will spare you. "I, Alberich Siegfried, pledge to you by Galdyr's Sword, Theodicy of Sillasinth, to not escape."

"Good. Now, explain yourself."

"How about we sit down first, I'm more than tired," you suggest.

"Make it quick," she sighs.

'Either she believes my words or knows about divine artifacts' properties such as making unbreakable oath to allow that,' you think.

"If you'd be kind enough to follow me," you add.

She nods, and you start travelling across the rooftops. For the six last months, you have been hiding in an abandoned house. You do not really stay inside, rather, you settled down on its roof balcony. The night sky is beautiful in Asturias, and the fresh air helps you sleeping. You managed to put a campfire and some mattresses and cushions there to make it more comfortable. You reach the place, and you see everything as you left it. The small table with bread and dry meat on eat is as you left it the morning. The cushions are well-placed and comfy as ever.

You rapidly light the fire and invite Theodicy to sit before it:

"Take a seat," you say as handing her some ale that you stole from an inn.

She seems a little bit confused about the way you arranged the balcony, so she sits awkwardly as surveying her surroundings. She then says:

"Was this your hideout? To say that one of the greatest wizards of the world is now living on a abandoned balcony," she teases.

It is the first time that you hear her say a joke, although she still has the same stern voice and face.

"You'd be then surprised to know that Asturias is a roamer as I am right now," you reply.

"Asturias? The first wizard from a millennium ago?" she asks skeptically, but with a slight surprised tone.

"Believe me or not, I met her more than once. Anyway, you're here to hear me," you say whereupon you drink some ale. Theodicy still has not drunk hers yet.

"Indeed. Speak then."

"Back at Othar's ruins, my brother showed me this," you say as taking a piece of gold out of your pocket. You always keep this one with you.

"And what might that be?" she says. You discern some impatience in her voice.

"That's one of Goreas' 72 children," you reply as observing her eyes, peering anxiousness in her gaze. She only frowns as seeing the artifact.

"Explain faster before I arrest you for heresy," she adds with an annoyed face.

"Alright. The Cult of Stirnel worships chaos. And what is the best way to chaos than chaos itself? That is to say, the children of Goreas the Chaotic. They collected a fair amount of these pieces."

"That is hardly a proof that your brother was part of the Cult," she hisses.

"Here comes true heresy; this one can show you the past," you say as making the coin glistening.

"You want to summon it?" she says as slightly raising her voice and widening her eyes.

"You pledged to hear what I had to say," you retort.

Theodicy does not answer back; she just lets out another sigh. Supposing that she is willing to let you continue, you whisper the name of the devourer. Suddenly, the gold piece begins to glisten and you lay it near of the campfire. Then, you hear a really high-pitched tone while your surroundings become white. As abruptly, you regain your sight before seeing a very large man. Actually, it looks like a man; however, its head is a lion's. And although its unusual face, you can easily tell that he is furious. He wears very refined clothed, and his belonging to the bourgeoisie is attested by his golden crown. A viper is wrapped around his right arm. He then yells in a furious tone:

"Who has summoned me, Vine, King and Earl of the Devourers' Plane?"

"I was the one," you reply in a slight shaky voice. You have already done this before, but it always makes you uneasy.

"Why is that?" he continues with the same intonation.

"I require your help to show the past."

"Then, come closer, and imagine what I must show," he says.

You do so and as joining the devourer, Theodicy catches your sleeve in the way. You stop whereupon you turn to look at her, and you see some concern in her gaze. She is indeed worried; she even summoned a spear in her hand. She lets go tour sleeve, so you get closer to Vine. You stop your pace and Vine raises his hand above your head. So, you close your eyes and imagine back that ominous day, the day where you killed your brother.

It was as any other day; your brother and you were visiting your mother. At some point, your brother oddly wanted to speak with you, so he asked you to come to Othar's ruins. You were often there with him as a child, playing and exploring the vestiges of the First Age. During the small trip leading to the place, your brother was awfully quiet. And only once there, you decided to ask:

"Why did you need me here?"

"I'll be straight. The Cult wants your death," said Albrecht.

"The Cult?" you replied, a bit confused.

"The Cult of Stirnel."

"What? Isn't that just an urban legend?" you tease.

"In other words," interrupted your brother, "I'm here to kill you."

Your heart stopped as hearing Albrecht uttering these words. For an instant, you were speechless, and only after another instant, you replied:

"What with that crappy joke?" you said with an uneasy grin, hoping that it really was a joke.

"I thought you knew me better to distinguish my jokes from my serious statements?" he said as showing from a distance the golden piece.

You are speechless once more. You recognized that piece, it is one of Goreas' Children.

"Why are you telling me this then?" you asked as readying to fight.

"There is another way. Join the Cult."

"To join some chaos worshippers? Tsk, you know me better than this; I hate those things."

"But chaos precedes order," replied your brother. "The Cult wishes only the many's well-being."

You kept quiet, as sign of resignation. You brother understood, so he sighed and put his hand on his sword.

"I wished the other way, but the ones among the Seven Hands of the Empire are nothing but threats to our cause, he said as unsheathing his sword."

At that time, the sword was not yet crimson, its color comes from your brother blood. You heard, however, that when its wielder was killed by it, it becomes crimson as a mark of strengthening. Anyway, when your brother unsheathed his sword, you tried to convince him once more. He also did same, but none of you were really listening to the other. The fight then began, but unexpectedly, you won. You were sure of your loss, but you were smarter than your brother, so you tricked him and took his sword. Only, then, when he rushed to you, you accidentally stabbed him. It really was an accident, a dumb accident, but no matter what, he died. His betrothed, the Emperor Medis' daughter, was all too mad to hear even a word from your mouth. The Emperor removed your titled of one of The Seven Hands of the Empire, quite a downfall, considering that the Emperor labeled you as one of the most powerful criminal of the Empire. That is basically how you became a renegade.

Coming back to the present, you open your eyes and expectedly you are still on your small balcony. Vine is standing before you, with his arm raised, while Theodicy is about five or so feet from you. Vine then speaks:

"To whom shall I show this past?"

You point your hand toward Theodicy and the devourer steps there with a heavy and large pace. You are somehow intimidated by Vine, but you can do nothing that just watch. As joining Theodicy, the devourer raises his hand, and a slight white aura wraps the woman. She widens her eyes and Vine stops whatever he was doing. You decide to take back the piece as fast as possible, and Vine vanishes; you sent him back to the Devourers' Plane. You sigh in relief and turn your sight towards Theodicy: she has an amazed face. And her amazed face amuses you a bit; she is far from her normal self, stern and stoic. You say to her:

"Now, are you convinced?"

"I suppose," she mutters. "I'll leave you alone for now."

"Come on, at least finish your ale," you say. You have barely spoken to anyone during the last months, let alone a woman, so you try to keep the company.

She sighs once more and retrieves her seat before the fire. You are a little bit relieved as seeing that she will not leave soon. She sips some ale while you watch her.

"The Cult of Stirnel sounds like a lot of trouble," she says in a low voice, as if talking to herself.

"They're hunting the Seven Hands of the Empire. What will you do?" you ask.

"I should be the one asking; you both have the Empire and the Cult are tailing you."

"That's why I'm at least staying away from the Empire, here in Asturias."

"But your head sure is expensive."

At her remark, you show some disdain on your face. True, the Emperor put a large reward on your head. Even if you are in Asturias, one of the only places where the Empire is not present, bounty hunters have all the rights to hunt you.

"Curse the gods!" you swear. "What a troublesome situation."

"So, what will you do for now?"

"Who knows, I'll probably rot on this balcony until my death," you sigh.

"I might speak to the Emperor about your situation," she says. You are somehow surprised by the kindness in her words.

"That's kind, but will his daughter listen?"

"I'm trying to help you, you know?" she harshly replies.

"My excuses then," you say as laying on a cushion, facing towards the Heavenly Vault. "The sky in Asturias really is beautiful."

"I agree," she replies as lifting her head.

You both stay silent before this scenery. Soon, you say:

"Allow me to show you something amazing as a repayment for the time you're spending here."

"What is it?"

"Close your eyes," you say as getting closer to her.

"I swear if you try something weird I'll stab you with a spear," she coldly warns.

"I shan't, just close your eyes," you reply.

She hesitantly compels and you put your hand right before her eyes. It is one of the few spells that Asturias learnt you and you keep it for yourself. It is basically the Divine Sight but much wider.

"Beltyr magi alt. Raise your head and open your eyes, you say."

Theodicy compels once more, and as she opens her eyes, true amazement invades her face. You never suspected that she could make that kind of face; she has an almost idiotic expression. Then, her opened mouth becomes a smile, a warm smile. You just casted on her a spell which allows her to see the Heavenly Vault's magic. You tried it more than once on yourself; the night sky became suddenly alive, making a beautiful spectacle for contemplation. Thousands of colors were fluctuating through the stars; some colors were even unknown to you. You easily understand Theodicy's joy.

"What a grandiose sky!" exclaims Theodicy.

"Asturias told me that if there is one thing that the gods really wished to have, it would be our sky."

Theodicy merely keeps quiet with a sweet grin before the lovely landscape. You tell her the names of some stars, and she seems curious, so you continue into a full astronomy lecture. Only after an hour, you remember to ask:

"Shouldn't you leave already?" I kept you for another hour.

"It's no big deal. At least, my time wasn't wasted," she replies as finally turning her sight towards you.

"Glad that you're enjoying it," you casually say.

"But you're right; it really is late so I should leave."

"Shall I escort you?" you tease.

"I'm more than able to defend myself," she says in the cold tone that was absent before that. "But," she softly adds, "why not?"

You are a surprised by her reaction, but you can really deny something you proposed.

"However, don't misunderstand me; I need someone to show the way around town," she defiantly adds.

"Alright, let's go," you say.

Theodicy simply jumps to the ground, leaving you a little bit confused about how strong she is; the balcony sure is high, about ten feet. Anyway, you quickly climb down to join Theodicy and you see her waiting before a street lamp. Hopefully, the town is well-lit, but "well" would be an exaggeration: the light is usually dim and many places are yet imbedded with darkness, but there are enough lamps to safely stroll, that is if you know the shady alleys.

Theodicy looks up at you and she asks:

"Do you know any good inns to stay?"

"Good inns? Perhaps," you mutter as thinking, "the Sailor's Hollow. I know the innkeeper and he owes me."

"Then, lead the way," she says as gesturing towards the cobblestone path.

The Sailor's Hollow is a place where you often wander, in search of a quest or a gig in order to pay your meal. It is also a well-known tavern, a place where sailors and foreigners can satisfy their thirst; you often worked there as a translator for these foreigners. Well, from time to time, the innkeeper did not pay you, supposedly because you sometimes forgot to pay your drink, but anyway, you were stealthy enough to rob some ale (or rather he was too carefree or stupid), so you did not really care.

You walk through the alleys of the town, Theodicy next to you, while your footsteps are echoing through the place. There are many fireflies, and the sound of mosquitos flying resonates through the air. You hear the wind brushing against the olive trees as well. It still amazes you that flowers are everywhere in town and even more that the latter are well-kept. The houses are also, and surprisingly, well-kept and its architecture is somehow fine. You were surprised because it is a common belief that Asturias is a place filled with renegades and criminals such as yourself, but it has some order.

Theodicy closely observes the streets while you continue walking. She seems curious about the architecture, so you tell her:

"Did you know that the houses here, and most of those all around the Common Plane, are barely different from those of the First Age?"

"Our ancestors were brilliant," she comment.

"Of course, the minor alterations are due to each region's culture; since the Great Conquest, many architectural examples from other regions have come to light."

"You're quite a scholar. I see that the homes in Faellum aren't that different from those here. Anyway, shouldn't you put on your hood?"

Now that she mentions it, you have not put back your hood since you were on the roofs. You peer around to confirm someone's presence, but you are reassured to see no one in your surroundings.

"Don't worry about that, it's quite late and we're in middle of the week, which means fewer drunks and more people sleeping early to go work."

"I do think that you should put that on," she insists as frowning.

"Come on, there's no one."

"I'll personally deal with you if it's otherwise," she reply as letting out a sigh.

You both keep quiet until reaching the inn, and upon a minutes or so, you are there. The Sailor's Hollow is a small open-terrace attached to a house whose ground floor serves as bar while its first story serves as rooms for customers. There are only three clients now, two are drunk, the other one is a bard. Before being exposed to the bar's light, you put on your wood and walk toward the barkeeper, a dwarf wiping a mug. As expected from a dwarf, he has a beard and he is short, wearing a stained apron. As seeing you, he shouts:

"Ah! The fool who speaks all the tongues!" This is the title he gave you.

"Howdy, I brought you a client," you say as pointing at Theodicy.

"And what are ye looking for, lad?"

"Lass," she sharply retorts.

"Teh! My bad, miss," sheepishly replies the dwarf. You can feel an intimidating aura from Theodicy.

"I need a room for the night," she says, calming down and dissipating the threating atmosphere.

"That would be 20 Dains."

Theodicy takes some pieces out of one of her pocket and slaps them on the counter. The dwarf happily put the pieces in his hands and put them in his purse, whereupon he gives a key to Theodicy.

"If ye would follow me," he says as going out of the bar.

"I'll have a small discussion with him first."

"Welp, I'll be waiting at the stairs, miss," he adds as leaving.

"You have a discussion with me?" you butt in.

"More of a warning; the Cult and the Empire are seeking your head, try to be careful."

"My, it's nice to have someone worrying for you," you tease, although with some sincerity.

"Don't tempt my nerve," she replies. "On that, good night."

"See you," you say as watching her leaving.

That was a nice way to kill time, but it eventually ended. You are left alone now on the bar, so you decide to leave, but before that, you very quickly check the quest and gig board. You will always need Dains to live. There is nothing quite interesting on the board; someone who needs some herbs from the local forest, another who needs help with building a house… these kind of things. Hopefully, there are new quests every day, so you might come back tomorrow.

But your heart stops as seeing your bounty; there is a detailed portrait of yourself, and the reward is more than appealing: 100.000 Dains! That's enough for a nice and modest house. You wonder since when it was there, hoping that no one recognized you. You leave the bounty alone and hurry up to your balcony. On the way back, you are very concerned about what you saw earlier. You might have stayed too long in this town. Finally, you reached your place and you climb the building. The fire is still burning, your ale is still unfinished. You drink the beverage rapidly as thoughtfully gazing at the flames, and tired of working, fighting and worrying, you call it a day and rush on a mattress whereupon you wrap yourself in some sheets that were put around. At last, you close your eyes and sleep.

The next day, you wake up as wondering what to do for the day. You begin to chew some dried meat as watching the sea, and after taking this modest breakfast, you decide to head over the Sailor's Hollow. Your first motive is to meet once more the cold Theodicy, since you find it entertaining to tease her. Your other motive is to drink some ale, and possibly order a much proper breakfast. Ordering food reminds you that the sailors you helped yesterday before being chased still owe you some Dains. You decide to head to the waterfront before going anywhere.

You quickly stretch your limbs, and you are now travelling across the town's roofs. You jump from a roof to another one, peering at the same time the town's alley. The streets sure are lovely, quite a contrast of the eve's streets; you can clearly hear some conversation, sometimes leaving you curious. You decide to not eavesdrop and you carry on reaching the waterfront. Upon five minutes, you reach the place so you come down, careful to not be seen. The sailors are there, already working long enough to sweat, charging boxes and goods on a ship. You go see the one who proposed the gig and you explain him the reason of your arrival; of course, your explanation is fully a lie. Anyway, the sailor does not even hear you until the end since he is obviously busy, so he just hand you the pieces and everybody is glad.

You quickly climb once more on the roof and you head over the Sailor's Hollow. Another fifteen minutes passes before you arrive there. During daylight, not many people are there, but when night falls, it sure is a different story. You have no worries to find a place to sit. A serving wench comes at your table and you order some ale with some bread and cheese. You also inquire her to ask the dwarfish innkeeper in which room is the woman you brought the eve and whether she is in her room or away. The serving wench compels and you watch her joining the bar.

You see her talking with the dwarf, then she gestures at you, and finally she comes back with the food your ordered. As putting these on your table, she tells you that Theodicy is in the fifth room, however she leaved early but has not given back the key to her room, which means that she did not leave the town, but only went to an errand or something like that. You decide to wait for her. You wait, as eating and drinking, and wait, but after three hours or so, you decide to give up. You pay the wench and leave the Sailor's Hollow. For the rest of the day, you stay on your balcony as reading a book you bought on the way home. Then, night comes and after eating, you decide to sleep early.

Another day comes, and you are oddly woken by footsteps. First, you do not mind it, but then you remember that it possibly means nothing good, so you open your eyes. As soon as you see, a spear nearly pierces your head! Fear invades you as you see a furious Theodicy walking towards you with another spear in her hand. She is not in her uniform, rather she seems like a well-dressed young man. She also have a large bag with her. Her footsteps are heavy and intimidating, it makes you lean back. You rapidly analyze your situation, but there seems nothing to understand.

"By the gods, you promised to not kill me!"

"I warned you Alberich, but of course you are stubborn, she says in her usual cool tone."

"What do you mean?" you say as preparing to run away.

"Remember our nightly stroll? Apparently someone saw you and recognized your face," she says, her tone is getting more and more harsh and cold.

"Curse the gods!" you swear. "Now I have to leave the town quickly."

"And same goes for me," she interrupts. "Now I'm labeled as renegade for "helping" you."

It seems somehow impossible; someone saw you, and a day after, the Emperor knows your location. Something definitely is not right, but anyway, you have to escape quickly. Last time such incident occurred, bounty hunters were already in the same town as you within half a day. Bounty hunters should also not be underestimated; a lot of powerful individuals are in the job, and there are some records of hunters who became members of the Seven Hands of the Empire.

"Anyway, they are coming for me so—"

"For us," she interrupts sharply. "You're the one who put me in this troublesome situation, so at least take responsibility."

"You sound like a pregnant woman who needs money for the kid," you tease as preparing a bag.

At your joke, Theodicy hits your head very hard, and it sure is painful. However, you cannot deny the fact that she is right; if you were not so carefree, she would not be a criminal today. You feel somehow guilty.

"Alright, follow me then," you sigh. "At least I've some company now," you add.

"I really should have arrested you," she retorts. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Find a place where outlaws rule," you joke, but that is one of the few options.

"Could you be serious for once? Having a whole empire before your back isn't a slight joke."

"My bad then. I've only been escaping for now, and I think it's the only way," you reply at once.

"At least there's a way," she sighs. "Shall we go?"

Theodicy as calmed down and you are relieved to not feel a murderous atmosphere anymore. The plan now is to travel across the roofs until the town's border. You hope that nothing will go wrong. Theodicy flies while you jump, she is close to you, unwilling to draw attention. You both keep quiet until the last building, at the town outskirt. Once there, Theodicy dismisses her wings and you both peer at the surroundings. There seems to be no guard, and after further inspection, still no one. You decide to come down and Theodicy reluctantly does the same.

But as soon as you set your feet on land, a dozen of guards appear. You have no time to see from where they were hidden since they quickly surround both of you. They have spears and shields, they are well-armored too. You see what might be three wizards beyond the circle of soldier; you are in trouble. Theodicy has a slight puzzled look in her eyes, and you probably have the same look.

"Alberich Siegfried, Theodicy of Sillasinth, the Countess Eileen of Tyrsten arrests you," announces a guard.

Theodicy looks at you with concern, and you give her a hopeless gaze. Soon, she understands and sighs. There nothing more to do, the only way to avoid bloodshed is to compel and put yourselves in jail. At the moment, you still find it odd that the Countess wants to arrest you, and not just kill you. Anyway, the guards lead the both of you to the dungeon. Of course, they put nullifying chains on your hands. There is no more escape.

The dungeon is somewhere at the west of the city, near of the bourgeoisie's district. Your group passes through empty streets, avoiding attention from anyone. You sometimes give a glance to Theodicy, but she is seemingly thinking too much to pay attention to her surroundings. You finally arrive before the guards keep, and you pass the edifice to head over the dungeon. It not what we could commonly see as a dungeon, rather, it is simply a building filled with cells, nothing more. The place is moderately well-kept, and there is also a moderate amount of prisoners. They take Theodicy's and your belongings and you are put in a cell to rot. You wonder now what is going to happen next.

"That was an ambush," you say to Theodicy.

"They were clearly hidden," she adds. "And more than well, since I didn't notice them."

"There's definitely something odd going on; first your incrimination and then this ambush."

"What do you mean?"

"It's unnaturally fast, and how did they know where to arrest us?"

Theodicy shows a new emotion on her face; it's something between perplexity, concern and fear. Such scene makes you feel guiltier.

"Really, I'm sorry for all this. Forgive me, Theodicy…" you timidly beg.

She does not reply, she only disappointedly looks at you whereupon she sighs. Her disappointed look really stings your heart.

"Did you know that an old count of Tyrsten died from laughing because he heard that an assassin died as testing the poison he should have used for killing the count himself?"

You hear an amused puff from Theodicy. You turn to look at her, letting you apperceive a slight smile from her; she is visibly forcing herself to keep her composure.

"At least you can laugh," you continue.

"What with that story? Did you invent that?" she replies.

"No single lies. If you look up the Tyrsten family's genealogy, you'll encounter that story. Anyway, my point is that you shouldn't have such face; we're far from dead."

"But even though they don't kill me and I escape this cursed place, what then?" she retorts. You distinctly hear doubt and fear in her voice.

She is right, like you, she never asked to become a criminal. You understand her fear and it is indeed your responsibility now.

"Then I'll get out of my torpid and find a way to save our ass, even if I have to dissolve the whole Empire," you say, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"I'll have to stop you if you do that," she replies the same slight smile. "But I'm glad to hear that you'll stop being a lazybones."

"Not entirely, being lazy has some benefits too," you say.

"You sounded so chivalrous, but now the respect I had for you disappeared," she retorts with a sigh.

You cannot help than laugh as hearing her; you still find it amusing to tease her.

"Anyway, we're supposed to wait for now; they clearly don't wish our death, rather, they have ulterior motives that are yet unknown. Do you want to play cards while waiting?"

"I guess there's nothing left to do," she sighs.

You shout to a guard to bring some cards, and unexpectedly, he gives you what you asked upon just a minute or so. You begin to play together, tricking Theodicy to lose, which she does not really appreciate; after ten matches, you are no longer as careful, so she see through your artifices. She hits your head very hard and you are left with a painful feeling. You continue to play, but this time fairly, and time passes. Soon, the guards bring the supper, some bread and soup; at least, this meal is better than the ones you used to have. Upon eating, you still have nothing to do, so you ask some folk tales from Theodicy. As a child, you wrap yourself in your couchette for the bed time story. She only sighs at your attics and start to sing a story. It surprises you that she knows High elfish, since only a minority knows the tongue; a millennium ago, during the Great Conquest, the Empire took over Faellum and imposed the Common tongue. Nevertheless, being one of the greatest wizards of the world you are also one of the greatest scholars on the Common Plane.

Her story ends, and you go to sleep. Theodicy seems to have insomnia, but you cannot help her. You simply leave her in her corner while you keep your eyes open as well; you think that perhaps your company would help. You stay awake for a while, hearing the dungeon's quietness, until you begin to hear footsteps. You deduce that there is five or six people, and they are getting closer. Theodicy also noticed it, she is no longer laying on her couchette; she looks at you with suspicion and concern. Then, there are five men before your cell, holding torches and a set of keys. One of them opens the cell.

"Follow us," he orders.

You rapidly compel, and so do Theodicy, and after putting nullifying chains on you, you are both out of the dungeon. The streets are silent, lit by the same as old lamps. The men are around you, two at your front, and three behind. You are walking through the bourgeoisie's district, but no one has properly told you where you are headed. Furthermore, they whisper between themselves, but you cannot hear well. Since they are distracted enough, Theodicy whispers to you:

"Where are they leading us?"

"Probably our doom," you tease.

"By the gods, can't you be serious?" she replies in a hiss.

"My bad. But we're in the bourgeoisie's district, so it's unlikely our death."

"That's more reassuring, but you don't know either, huh," she replies.

You keep quiet for the rest of the trip, which is not so long since soon enough, you stop at the gate of a gigantic villa. You are amazed by its wideness and its architecture, so much that you actually wonder who can be rich enough for this. Only a name comes in your mind: Eileen of Tyrsten. Although she is called countess, she is at the head of a city-state, which would be nearer to a queen such as the ones during the First Age.

"We're in the Countess' dwelling," you tell Theodicy.

"Eileen of Tyrsten?" she asks whereupon you nod.

"We don't know what lies beyond this gate, safety should be prioritized."

"Agreed," she says.

After talking to some guards at the gate, the men bring you inside. You pass by a magnificent garden, with a small pound and a mighty tree which is unknown to you; it is more than easy to tell that the Countess is fond of the First Age's style. Anyway, Theodicy and you go inside the house, and expectedly the inner villa is as beautiful. However, you do not have enough time to admire, since the men quickly lead you to the first story. Afterwards, you are standing before a large door, and one of them knock on the door. You hear a woman saying 'Come in' and the men lead you in.

It is a large study room, with a wide desk in the center of it and a hearth before it. There are a lot of shells, books and sheets of paper, especially on the desk. There are also sculptures and paintings as ornaments, as well as upholsteries. At the left of the room, there is an opened door leading towards a balcony, letting some fresh air in which sways the curtains. You are put standing near of the desk, and the men exit the room. Only you and Theodicy are left in the room, although you did hear a woman earlier.

There is indeed a third person in the room; the woman comes from the balcony. The first thing that you notice is her noble figure and her long ginger hair. Then, you look at her clothes; she wears a light white robe, and you ignore why, but her robe is perfectly fit for the adjective aerial. You also note her silver diadem and her pendent; it is a four-pointed star made of opal. She is no only cute or pretty, she is a real beauty, like an almost perfect statue. She has polite smile, which seems almost natural.

"Chaos precedes order," she says as walking towards the seat before the desk.

Your heart nearly stops as hearing those words, you begin to sweat, and Theodicy also understands the situation; these were among the last words of your brother. And when he uttered these words, he was talking about the Cult.

"You're a member of the Cult of Stirnel," you defiantly say.

"Indeed. But allow me to properly introduce myself; I'm Eileen of Tyrsten, Countess of Tyrsten, and as you said, a member of the Cult," she replies, with the same grin on the face.

"You don't wish our death, so why are we here?" continues Theodicy.

"I don't wish your death, but it's a different story for Alberich," she retorts, and although she is smiling, you cannot help but feel uneasy.

You stay silent and Eileen joins her seat.

"But, I'll postpone that. I might even cancel it," carries on Eileen. "For now, I'll tell you a secret; I was the one who caused all your troubles since two days ago."

You do not understand very well, but then, the odd events come again in your mind. You still keep quiet.

"I was the one who sent an urgent message to the Emperor about your complicity with Alberich," she tells Theodicy, "and I watched your movements to capture you two."

The events become clear; she was the mastermind behind all this. But two questions come in your mind.

"How? And why?"

"You know, you're lucky enough that having you killed won't simply satisfy me," she says with some malice in her eyes. "I knew about your presence on the roofs."

"So why hasn't you arrested me?" you ask.

"I decided to postpone my wrath, patience is a virtue and it seemed to have paid. And I postpone it once more now, so hear what I have to say."

"Carry on the explanations first," interrupts Theodicy.

"Indeed. I also heard about your arrival in my town, Theodicy. Ergo, a plan came in my mind; Theodicy listens to Alberich, she spares him, so I decide to send some people to witness that, and you are both criminals under my custody.

"I'm quite sure that no one saw us though," comments Theodicy.

"You know that the Cult has some of Goreas' children, right? These being can do amazing feats, such as making people perfectly invisible," she says as showing you a golden piece. "Are these enough explications?"

"Then why?" you ask.

"I propose you a deal; the Cult needs all sorts of powerful allies, so join us, and I'll spare you. Even better, I'll offer you a place to stay and new identities."

"Then we'll die," says Theodicy. "We'll never join chaos worshippers."

You are very slightly upset that Theodicy also referred to you, but she is not wrong, you will not join them.

"Chaos worshippers, a terrible name," she says with a fake apologetic face. "That might what we've been, but our cause is greater than chaos; it's order. We're fighting against tyrants, injustices, we're the many's force."

"Aren't these big words?" you tease.

"Stirnel is a god of chaos, but chaos also means liberty. Of course, we're not wishing that degree of liberty, but at least something better. Our goal is to destroy the Empire once and for all. You've seen it, the Empire is decaying; the Emperor's daughter is a fine example."

Eileen definitely has some points, but you still do not entirely believe her.

"And I'm particularly sparing your life Alberich, since you killed my beloved," she adds as patting her pendent.

"My brother? He was two-timing?"

"Call it as you wish. Putting that aside, join the Cult and I won't kill you or deliver you to the Empire."

At this point, you must compel; Theodicy fears a confrontation with the Empire, and you fear your death or worse. Furthermore, Eileen said that killing you will not simply satisfy her.

"Could I have a minute with Theodicy?" you ask.

"Be brief."

You turn your back at Eileen and so does Theodicy.

"What do we do?" she whispers.

"Well, you don't want to meet with the Empire and I don't want this woman's wrath."

"We're supposed to accept then?"

"I'm sorry but yes."

Theodicy only sighs; you know her well enough to tell that that means she is reluctantly agreeing.

"We agree then, you sigh."

"A wise choice," she replies. "For now, all those who join the Cult must be marked."

"Marked?" asks Theodicy.

"Don't worry, it won't leave a trace. The Cult knows a very special sigil, give me your forearms."

You do as she said, and she takes out a pen. She begins to draw the sigil, however, they are unknown to you, which is odd considering that you are one knowledgeable wizard. As soon as she finishes drawing, the ink on your arm begins to glisten, and then, there is nothing on your arm; the sigil just disappeared. Eileen does the same to Theodicy, and everything goes as it did with you.

"And now, let us form a contract," she says as holding your hand and Theodicy's. "Chaos precedes order," she says, whereupon the same sigil glistens again on your arm. "I, Eileen of Tyrsten, promise to you, Theodicy of Sillasinth and Alberich Siegfried, to spare you and to not deliver you to the Empire if you do some tasks on my behalf. Do you agree?"

"We agree," you say.

Then, the sigil stops to glisten and Eileen regains her seat.

"What was that?" asks Theodicy.

"A divine contract. And if you happen to break it, death shall fall upon you," she replies, as especially looking at you. "Every member from one with another, you only have to chant 'Chaos precedes order'."

"So we'll die if we don't do your errands?" you ask.

"Indeed. Few know that the Divine Rules are permitted only by this sigil; even the gods couldn't escape it."

"Just how many other secrets does the Cult have?" you say.

"You'll see," she replies with another grin. "At last, our discussion is over. I'll allow you to stay in my dwelling for the night," she adds as leaving her seat and reaching the door.

You both exit the room and the men that brought you remove your chains. Then, Eileen whispers something to one of them.

"They'll bring you to your room. Have a good night," she adds with a slight bow. "Oh," she turns at you, "I seem kind now but remember that I still have things to settle with you," she says, the eyes filled with something wicked.

She is frightening; not even Theodicy is that frightening. You do not know how powerful she is, but you do not want to fight her. You thank the gods that the Cult needs you. Anyway, she closes the door and Theodicy and you are asked to follow the men. You are lead to another door, and once there, the men leave you alone. This is certainly your room, so you open, and a very nice room is before you. It is as refined as the whole house; there a balcony, a hearth, a table filled with delicateness, paintings, a small statue, upholsteries… Many furniture have gold or silver on them, and you think that the couches are made with silk and high-quality leather. There is also a shelf with classical literature, historical treatise and such. The only problem is that there is only a single bed. And of course, you will not sleep with Theodicy.

At first, you are confused, and you want another room for yourself, so you try to find someone. However, Eileen's villa is unfamiliar to you, plus, you could easily be lost. Theodicy seems to have not noticed yet the fact that there is only a bed; she is too focused on the landscape from the balcony. After another minute, someone knocks on your door and you are relieved to see that it is one of Eileen's man. He carries your sword, your bag, and Theodicy's belongings.

"Sir, the Countess ask me to give you these," he says as you let him in. He put your belongings and Theodicy's on a chair. "Then, if you'll excuse me, good night."

"Before that, could I have another chamber?" you ask.

"Unfortunately, we do not have any other guest rooms," he apologizes (or rather lies given the superficies of Eileen's dwelling). "It's quite late Sir, I have to rest as well."

At his words, you resign and let him go; you do not want to trouble another person. But now, you guess that you will sleep on the couch; at least, you will not sleep on the floor. When you sit on it, Theodicy comes back in the room and finally notices.

"There's only a bed," she mutters.

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on here," you reply as patting your seat. "Anyway, how are you doing? I mean, you visibly didn't sleep because of our situation back in the cell."

"I... I'm a bit scared," she confesses as sitting on the other side of the couch.

"It's funny to hear that from you," you tease.

"Oh shut up… Aren't you afraid?"

"Of course, I could pee in my pants! But I try to not worry about things beyond my control. And what are you scared of anyway? The Countess said that even my death won't satisfy her, but on the other hand, what about you?"

"Well, I lost everything; my title, my home, my friends, the right to see my family… I'm alone, and from now on I'll have to hide like you, I'll not be able to see the ones I love."

She is right; you must hide, and you fear an encounter with your mother. Albrecht was her son, but she also adopted you. You fear that killing her son would anger her, but you fear worse the sorrow in her eyes as seeing her sons fighting to death.

"Then, at least you can count on me," you reply. "You said it; I must take responsibility, and so I'll stay with you."

Theodicy raises her gaze at you, and she intensely looks at you with surprise. Her cheeks are slightly red.

"You shouldn't say things like that to a woman," she timidly replies.

"Are you hitting on me?" you tease.

"Of course not," she firmly says, regaining her usual self.

"Meh, too bad then," you tease once more.

"But, Alberich, I'm happy to not be alone, thanks," she says, with the same sweet smile she had back on your balcony.

"And so am I," you say, hiding your embarrassment; you never thought that she could be that lovely. "Anyway, we should probably sleep, and I hope that you can sleep now."

"I'm slightly relieved. Have a good night," she bids you.

"Good night."

"Oh, I'll take off some of my clothes for sleeping, so if you ever try to peek, I'll stab you with one of my spear," she adds as narrowing her eyes.

"I won't," you reassure her. Now go to sleep.

Upon her words, Theodicy goes to change herself behind a partition, and you try to not peek. Of course, being a man, you find it is extremely tempting. You are also wondering how Theodicy looks like under her clothes; so far, you have seen her in her uniform and dressed as a young man. At last, your curiosity wins and you carefully look at the partition; you can see her shadow, and she surprisingly has feminine curves. Now that you are satisfied, you look at the hearth as pretending that you were doing nothing and Theodicy goes to bed. This time, she easily sleeps, but you are not; you are still worried about Eileen. Hopefully, as ever, you become tired of concern and decide to sleep.