Valkyrie's Shadow

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 14

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ilyshn’ish and Lady Shalltear watched Lady Wagner meander away in a stupor. After she disappeared down the stairs to the Demihuman Quarter, Lady Shalltear brought Ilyshn’ish back into the broom closet again. She closed the door behind them, then looked over Ilyshn’ish with an elbow cradled in hand.

“Maybe that was a bit too successful…” She muttered.

“Should I change back, my lady?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“What?” Lady Shalltear answered, “No, the impact is great – you just have to control it. Just hold off on your abilities unless you need to use them. Hmm…Frost Dragons are ambush predators; doesn’t that mean you’re naturally stealthy too?”

“I haven’t seriously put it to the test as a Human,” Ilyshn’ish replied.

“Well, find out when you’re on your way there,” Lady Shalltear said. “Now, since you seem to have been trained to an acceptable degree, I’m entrusting you with some very important work.”

“Important work? Me?”

“That’s right. Be on your very best behaviour…you do know what I mean by that, yes?”

“I-I’m not sure, my lady…maybe?”

Lady Shalltear peered up at her with a frown.

“Do not break any laws,” she told her, “do not say or do anything that will bring shame upon His Majesty or myself. Do not spread any tales or rumours amongst the population. As my subordinate, your conduct reflects upon me – if you do anything inappropriate, you will not enjoy the consequences…”

Ilyshn’ish swallowed. She had developed a vague idea of what was appropriate and what wasn’t, but it was always the things she didn’t know about that got her in trouble.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Ilyshn’ish said. “What if I do something unintentionally?”

“If you feel that it will be a problem, then keep quiet, be polite, and cooperate with Mare…grr, this would be much easier if Ludmila was available…”

“Who is that?” Ilyshn’ish

“A vassal of mine,” Lady Shalltear answered. “She’s also an Adventurer, so she’d be able to show you around as her junior, and ensure your conduct is appropriate. Unfortunately, she’s seeing to important duties in her territory at the moment.”

Lady Shalltear reached into a strange hole in front of her, withdrawing a pair of items.

“Since she’s not available,” she said, “you’ll just have to make do on your own. Take these.”

Ilyshn’ish looked down at the midnight blue notepad and pen held out to her. The notepad was plain, but the pen seemed valuable.

“What’s this for?”

“Can you write?”

“I’m good at Dwarf – at least the language of the ones that live in the Azerlisia range. There’s Draconic…also I’ve learned a bit of the local language.”

“Good, keep learning,” Lady Shalltear said. “This is to help you keep track of things. Anything you think you’ll have trouble remembering, just write it down in here.”

It would help, as Lady Shalltear said. As her experiences and knowledge expanded, she would need to rely on it less and less as the right connections would more often than not be made, but she should always run into something new once in a while. She tested the pen, watching the black ink flow smoothly onto paper.

“Lady Shalltear…”

“Hm?”

“I thought you were angry at me.”

“I will be angry at you if I have reason to be, just like with any of my subordinates. Since I have you within arm’s reach, is there something you’d like to inform me about so we can get it over with?”

“N-no, my lady,” Ilyshn’ish tensed. “I…I just thought you hated me for some reason.”

“Hate?” Lady Shalltear furrowed her brow, “You’re mistaking me for some other Undead race, I think. I have neither the time, energy nor care to hate perpetually for such unimportant incidents – I reserve my true ire for His Majesty’s enemies. If you do something you should not be doing, then you will be punished. Since I enjoy that sort of thing, I will make you suffer in interesting ways if I can. If you wish to avoid this, then avoid committing any conduct that requires punishment. Simple, no?”

“I feel like punishments are inevitable, the way things are going.”

“Well, that’s just how it is,” Lady Shalltear told her. “Service to His Majesty demands perfection, but everyone eventually makes mistakes. We are fortunate that, in His mercy, He only asks that we learn from them so we may improve ourselves, but it is still proper to offer recompense. Now, get going – Mare should have long arrived by now.”

Ilyshn’ish concealed herself and left the broom closet, sneaking past the queue of customers at the front desk. She made her way along the wall until she reached the southern gatehouse, pondering how she would proceed. In the end, she decided to leap across the busy street to the rooftops. Looking around herself, it appeared that no one had noticed – or cared – not even the Elder Liches patrolling over the city.

She dropped down into the alleys, taking the shortest route to the main plaza. Ilyshn’ish fretted in the shade of a tree standing across the way from the Adventurer Guild. The pleasant mood that came with her new garb and the new insight on Lady Shalltear’s actions faded away and, no matter how much she tried to calm herself, her nerves grew more ragged with every breath.

Adventurers. Mysterious beings who sometimes appeared on the administrative ledgers in Feoh Berkana. Accompanying their entries was always some mark of dead violence: tribes exterminated, monsters slain, long lists of materials brought in from their merciless massacres. It didn’t matter whether one was innocent or not; Adventurers were always willing to hunt you down, for a price. As a Dragon, Ilyshn’ish was keenly aware that her kind was hunted for trophies and materials – hides, meat, horns and other parts of the Frost Dragons who lived in the same area were often on those lists, commanding a high price – so it was always a risk that Adventurers would come after her for her body.

According to her mother, the local Adventurers were especially on the lookout for higher quality equipment – though they all seemed to have a perpetual hunger for this – so an innocent Frost Dragon like Ilyshn’ish would be an irresistible target if they caught her in a vulnerable position. Zu Chiru also mentioned that they wouldn’t die even when they were killed, like some relentless Undead horror that kept rising from the grave no matter how many times it was put down.

Ilyshn’ish reviewed her options for what would most undoubtedly be the most dangerous trial in her all-too-brief life. She had the letter from Master Tian: it was a simple note that marked her as one of the Justice Dragon Dojo’s students, so its role in ensuring her safety would be entirely contingent on his reputation…which appeared flimsy, at best. There was also a certain Mare, who she assumed was the Dark Elf of the same name who sometimes came to the Demihuman Quarter. Establishing contact with him appeared to be the most direct method of gaining protection. If it came down to it, she might also be able to leverage the fact that she worked for Lady Shalltear.

Three lifelines; three chances to stave off a grisly fate if things should go awry and the Adventurers detected the presence of crafting materials in their midst. She took several deep breaths, then scanned her surroundings before sneaking up to the door. Should she knock? No one had come in or out of the building in her memory, so she wasn’t sure what the correct procedure was. She couldn’t find any sort of chain to pull for a bell, so she knocked lightly, just in case. This was supposedly the polite thing to do in this city.

No one answered…maybe she could go back now? If no one was home, then it couldn’t be helped, right? To her dismay, vibrations came from the other side of the door while she was considering retreat: the steady sound of footfalls coming ever closer.

“I don’t think it’s locked, Ishpen…”

A muffled voice came from the other side, and the door opened a crack. Ilyshn’ish swallowed, taking a few steps back.

“Yep, it's not locked…”

The door opened the rest of the way, and a Human female looked up at her, eyes growing wide.

“Oh…oh…ohh…” The woman spun on her heel and hastily withdrew into the depths of the building, “I-Ishpen, b-b-big catch! We got a big one!”

Ilyshn’ish steadied herself against the doorframe, feeling faint. A second set of steps joined the first, rapidly approaching the entrance.

“A big one?” A second voice said, “What do you mean…oh.”

A second Human female appeared, followed by the first. Her lips formed into an ingratiating smile.

“Welcome to the Adventurer Guild,” she said. “There’s no need to knock – please, come in.”

The two women coaxed her into the building, leading her around the stairs inside to a broad counter. Ilyshn’ish looked around nervously, trying to examine everything at once. The two leading her were the only others she could sense so far, which made her nervous over what powerful beings were hidden from her notice.

“So, what brings you to the Adventurer Guild, Miss…”

“Shiver,” Ilyshn’ish replied in a small voice.

“Miss Shiver?” The smile plastered to her face did not fade, “Then, have you come to register?”

“I…”

What was she supposed to be doing here, anyway? Something about representing both Lady Shalltear, the Justice Dragon Dojo, and finding Mare. She needed to be quiet and polite to maximize her safety. She retrieved Master Tian’s letter from her Infinite Haversack, placing it on the counter with a trembling hand. The woman across from her – Ishpen, she assumed – unfolded it and read over the content.

“It says that she’s from a new school for Monks in the city,” Ishpen told the other woman. “Does it mean that they’re trying to use the Adventurer Guild to market themselves?”

“That’s, hm…” The other women paused in thought, “I guess there aren’t any rules about that? It’s happened in the past several times, at least.”

Ishpen turned her attention back to Ilyshn’ish.

“So Shiver is fine?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re representing this ‘Justice Dragon Dojo’,” she muttered as she wrote something down behind the counter.

“And Lady Shalltear,” Ilyshn’ish added.

Ishpen looked up at her with a frown, and Ilyshn’ish took a half-step back. Did she say something wrong?

“Isn’t Lady Shalltear Ludmila’s liege?” The other woman asked.

“She is,” Ishpen nodded. “As I recall, Ludmila was sent here by Lady Shalltear, too.”

“Hum…then which one is it? She can’t be under both, can she?”

Rather than helping to ensure her safety, the information only left the two Humans confused. Ilyshn’ish panicked and desperately played her final card.

“I-I’m supposed to see someone by the name of ‘Mare’, too.”

The two women turned their heads to look at one another.

“Is he still in the back?” Ishpen asked.

“I served him tea about half an hour ago…” The other woman answered.

“Go ahead and let him know, Wina,” Ishpen said. “I’ll get this done quick.”

Wina left the desk, ducking through a curtained frame leading into a back hallway. Ilyshn’ish’s brief sense of reprieve was pushed aside as Ishpen continued with her questions.

“So…what do you do, Shiver?”

“I’m a Bard,” Ilyshn’ish replied.

“Well, I guess that figures, going by your outfit…what sort of Bard are you?”

“I’m training to become a Dancer.”

“A Dancer,” Ishpen raised her eyebrows. “That’s pretty rare…most of them work as members of theatre troupes or as uh…private contractors. Anyways, it’s not something you usually find in any Adventurer Guild.”

“I-is there any particular reason for that?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“I guess you could say it’s difficult to make work,” Ishpen said. “Be it for the Dancer or their party. Now, if you’ll–”

A shadow appeared in the back hallway, and a Dark Elf appeared, accompanied by Wina. Mare rubbed his eyes as he walked out, yawning widely.

“Are…are you the one Shalltear sent?” He asked.

“Yes…yes, that’s right!” Ilyshn’ish nodded energetically.

Was she safe now? She examined Mare carefully – she had only ever seen him from a distance. She couldn’t gauge his strength, which she supposed shouldn’t be a surprise at this point. His garments smelled exquisite – it was the richest scent she had ever experienced. Her gaze wandered over his panoply of astounding equipment until a certain detail raised alarms in her head. It couldn’t be…could it?

“M-mare…”

“Y-yes?”

“Your shirt…what is it made out of?”

“This?” He looked down and pulled lightly on the deep blue leather, “It’s dragonscale.”

“NOOOOOO!!!”

With a cry borne of sheer terror, Ilyshn’ish turned to flee. Lady Shalltear had betrayed her. Tsuare must have gotten to her too…or maybe they were in league with one another from the start? Ilyshn’ish thought that maybe – just maybe – she and Lady Shalltear had started to get along a little bit, but it was all some sick game to them. Maybe she thought it an interesting way to suffer? It was mentioned in passing. Ilyshn’ish had been wrapped up in fancy packaging and delivered as a gift to the Adventurer Guild.

“Um…where are you going?” Mare’s voice said from behind her.

Ilyshn’ish looked back. The Dark Elf had grabbed her wrist. She pulled as hard as she could, but he wouldn’t budge. Not again. It always started like this – no, this was probably the end for her. She whimpered as she pulled in vain: some new and unpleasant sequence of events was surely imminent.

The door to the Adventurer Guild opened, and a pair of shadows stretched past the stairs.

“Mare,” a girl’s voice called, “what’s taking so long? It’s been over thirty minutes already…”

Two female Elves walked around the corner, furrowing their brows at the scene. The taller of the two was fairly strong, though still comfortably below Ilyshn’ish. The shorter one was the same size as Mare, sharing many similarities…including the appearance and value of their equipment. Her eyes threatened to roll out of their sockets when she saw the shirt of red scales.

“Hiiiieeee!!!”

She turned around and darted to Mare, throwing her arms around her only hope.

“Eh?” Lord Mare’s muffled voice rose from her chest.

The two female Elves’ expressions turned aghast, mouths falling open. The shorter of the two pointed a finger at her.

“W-w-what are you doing to my little brother?!”

The taller Elf female sprung into action, leaping forward and grabbing Ilyshn’ish around the waist.

“Unhand Lord Mare, you skank!” She yelled as she pulled, “Hnnnnng! She won’t budge, Lady Aura – this is...she’s in the realm of heroes!”

“Mare! What are you doing? Don’t let her rub herself all over you like that!”

“B-but big sis…”

“Don’t ‘but’ me!” Lady Aura said, “Out of the way, Merry: I’ll handle this…”

The arms around Ilyshn’ish’s waist released themselves, and she stepped around Lord Mare, putting him between herself and the advancing Lady Aura.

“W-wait – you’re Lady Aura?”

“Hah?” The Dark Elf scowled at her, “What about it?”

“Please…please make me your pet!”

A look of disgust flickered over Lady Aura’s face, replaced by a vehement glare.

“Mare…” She said in a deadly calm voice.

“Big sis?”

“Move out of the way – I’m getting rid of this dangerous woman.”

Ilyshn’ish’s knees buckled, and she hung off of Lord Mare’s shoulders weakly.

“W-w-wait!” Lord Mare exclaimed. “She’s here to help us! Why are you trying to get rid of her?”

“She is?” Lady Aura didn’t look convinced at all.

“She is!” Lord Mare nodded.

“I am?” Ilyshn’ish had no idea what she was supposed to be doing.

An exquisite bow materialized in Lady Aura’s hand.

“I-I am!” Ilyshn’ish ducked behind Lord Mare’s shoulder, “I’m here to cooperate!”

“She was sent by Shalltear to help with some things.” Lord Mare explained, “I-I don’t know what happened, but she’s trembling so much…she’s so scared that she’s making me scared!”

“She’s the one that Shalltear sent?” Lady Aura’s voice turned incredulous, “That idiot…hey! How long are you going to hang off of my brother for?”

Ilyshn’ish looked over at Lady Aura fearfully. She still looked quite cross, and Ilyshn’ish let out a helpless whimper.

“I-I’m scared, my lord…”

Despite her admission of fear, the two other Elves bristled at her words. What did they want from her? Everything she did made them angry.

The door to the building opened again, and a Human male appeared. Much like the two elves, he stopped and furrowed his brow as he came around the corner, bushy moustache stirring as he spoke.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“Shalltear sent her to help out, Mister Ainzach,” Lord Mare replied.

“She did?” Mister Ainzach’s expression did not change. “I’m not sure if we need this kind of ‘help’ – why is she clinging to you like that?”

“Um…a-a few things happened?”

Ilyshn’ish felt a light touch on her forearm. Lord Mare peeled her off, despite her clinging onto him with all her might. She felt his hand squeeze hers lightly, and she felt some small comfort through his grip.

“Don’t be afraid,” Lord Mare said. “We’ll head to the back, and I can explain everything there, okay?”