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Chapter 71: Good Day
🕑 Added 2023-04-08 23:34:12 +0000 UTCChapter 71: Good Day
/I am Uunrahzil. Dreamweaver, teacher, thinker, ascended. I have been called master of the lo-pac, and named the piercing gaze of that beyond. My people have cried to me as their guardian protector, and my foes have cursed me from behind the very walls I raised in front of them.
But that is a story which has been told already. The grand achievements are the first to be memorized, and yet, they feel as though they are the least significant. For above all of these, more than a thinker or a teacher, or one who weaves, I am a traveller.
Those dreams which are already woven, the web of lo-pac that tangle, string together, and twist apart, is my home now. I have gotten lost so many times before in this endlessly shifting labyrinth, and yet, it is a maze I call my home. One where I do not mind getting lost, one where I do not mind finding the unimportant.
I have seen streams in peaceful forest, and I have seen spires of stone, scratching at the heavens. The lo-pac are a wonderful place, because of this, because they are not limited. I have seen buildings growing from the side of an abyss, I have seen the earth open up to reveal a tide of wolves, and I have seen those very wolves crumble to dust and being blown away be the wind, only to have the dust form into a simple farm.
I have seen fields that stretch further than one can see, and beyond that further than one can imagine. I have been to the deepest places in the ocean, and I have been far beyond what many would consider real. Yet, with every journey, I find answers, and with every journey, I find questions.
Some of those I have been able to answer. I know, to a degree, how to navigate the lo-pac, the great, evershifting web. Yet, some are still locked to me. Such is the nature of the doors. Not the doors in the tunnels, not the gates into other world, not those rips or tears, no. I speak of the doors hidden within one's very own mind, the ones which are locked.
Because through all my travels, I have found myself anew countless times, and I have seen others find their truths as well, yet, those keys I have never found.
And so, as a traveller, I still look for them. Because a question without an answer sometimes is more fun than a question which can be answered./
A fragment of a thread, hidden deep within... somewhere. It was brought about and written down by Narnor the Mad, one of the many scribbles in his archive of chaos, where you find all but what you seek.
- - - - - -
After another day or so of riding the carriage, Mercury and Lucia finally arrived in Polos, the city where they would hopefully find Yvette. She had moved again after bringing the eclipse-survivors to Treyno, apparently, and now had settled down there.
"You got any idea of where exactly we can find her?" Mercury asked Lucia when they were getting off the carriage. She had somehow known where to go, so he hoped she also had a means to contact her.
"Not quite, yet I doubt she will be hard to find," the priestess answered, a sly smile already on her lips. She quickly paid their driver, who accepted with a nod, and began the short ascent from the stables to the city proper. As per the usual, the gate was guarded, yet with how well-known the church of order was, they got in quickly. For once, no one even bothered to ask about Mercury.
"Oh, I was seen as a pet again, wasn't I?"
"Perhaps."
"Fucking damn it I swear to god. I'll get my revenge one day, damn city guards."
"Watch your tongue, if you could. I do not wish to endure such vulgar words," Lucia said, giving Mercury's temper naught but a half-hearted sigh.
"Oh? So you think you know how this feels, huh? Think you can tell me what to say? Think you can-"
"I don't. But I wish to find someone, and you're scaring the people."
"Ugh, you're right. I'll fume in silence," Mercury said. Instead, he decided to take a look around himself.
Lucia had told him some stuff about this place during the ride. It was a city, though not by much. It had fortified stone walls, though the guards there were perhaps a little sparsely spread out, and while there were roads throughout it, only the main one was paved with stones, while most side paths were just compacted dirt instead.
Still, it was quite full of people. They had just entered the lowest district, but just a little ahead there was a small plaza with a couple of stalls, selling all kinds of everyday things. Bread, vegetables, meat, cloaks, shoes, threading and needles, and other general things. Children were running around, one of them holding a live chicken above their head in a poor attempt at flight, and adults were chatting.
Mercury then lifted his gaze and followed the main road upwards, watching it slowly snake towards the hill-fort at the top of the city. The height difference wasn't huge, but it didn't need to be. Just a small amount already worked wonders for a castle with high spires like that one, and from where he was right now, it truly looked monumentous. Respect to whoever stacked those bricks, because man, that would be tough. Maybe he'd read a book on construction sometime soon.
As of right now, they were still in the lowest district of the city, although life wasn't bad even down here. The lord was not perfect, but he was decently fair, and he understood that most of their trade came from farming, so he made sure to treat the people well. The smiths forged blades to cut through the earth, and hammered out hundreds of nails for shoemaking. Of course, they also took care of the occasional requests for bridles and horseshoes, whenever those were needed.
It was simple, but pretty decent. They had enough food to keep themselves well fed, and if there was ever a shortage, they could live off the granary for a bit. Recently, the lord had even invested in some dams for the small rivers outside, and now some farmers were using waterwheels to mill their grain into flour.
After a little while, they got up to the second district, where the richer merchants and the owners of big farms lived. It had a couple inns for travellers, a small theatre, a couple of temples, as well as a crypt, and so on. There was also a small church to the doctrine of Order here, but Lucia paid it very little mind as she continued upwards. Most people avoided her, though some stared a bit and whispered among each other.
Well, it didn't seem to bother her much, so Mercury was sure it was fine. Being famous might be a little annoying, but in the world where he was now, at the very least there were no paparazzi, and famous people weren't dolls that had to put on a show, and instead respected individuals, that most people wouldn't dare approach.
"Do you get to the loft district very often? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you don't."
Well, apparently not all people held their tongue when they passed. Children would keep playing, and some people would continue their bartering, and arrogant bastards would always be arrogant bastards.
"Lucia?"
"Yes Mercury?"
"What do you think of arrogant people?" Mercury asked very casually, throwing a glance at the person who just said those fateful words.
Lucia paused in her walk and rubbed her chin, acting as though she was in deep thought. "Hmmm, I do believe that arrogance is considered a bad trait. Though perhaps that is rather hypocritical of me to say."
"Hypocritical or not, it's still bad, right?" Mercury asked again, wearing a sharp grin.
"Oh, yes, order dictates that one should not be too arrogant," Lucia replied, following Mercury's glance to the man in question, who was still rambling.
"I really worked my way up from the bottom you know? It took years but..."
"Well then, what do you say about spreading this doctrine?" Mercury asked, already cracking his mental knuckles, levitating a blunt, fist sized rock in the air.
"Indeed, as high priestess, peacefully bringing out message to other places is one of my duties. Alas, we also need a local to ask some questions to anyways. Perhaps this is our chance to get two bird with but one very literal stone?" As she spoke, Mercury saw Lucia slowly being wrapped in a heatwave, also cracking her own knuckles.
By then, the entire marketplace had gone silent and was staring at them, especially since heat was now rolling off the priestess in waves, making even the air shimmer like in desert sunlight.
"Heeey, loft district fuckface! Give me a glance of your ugly mug!" Mercury yelled at the merchant, and his words were soon accompanied by mocking snickers from the other passersby.
"What was that?!" Without even a second in between, the man spun around, his expensive cloak billowing. His head sported short stubbles of hair, although not even that could hide its greying. He had dark, hazel eyes, and wore a well-crafted vest as well as polished black boots.
"My dear friend insulted you to your face, I believe," Lucia said calmly, the heatwave around her fists sparking and combusting into fire now. "See, we preach a doctrine of humility. Yet, while you seem well-fed, it appears you have not had a slice of what my friend would refer to as 'humble pie'."
"... What are you fools even saying?!"
"We're gonna kick your ass," Mercury said with a bright smile, tapping the stone he had levitated with his tail. "<Throw>"
Not a second later, the projectile painfully made contact with the man's crotch.
"YOOOOOOOOOWWWWWLLLL!!!"
Instantly, he dropped to his knees, clutching at his crown jewels.
"... Humans can make a sound like that?" Lucia muttered to herself as she glanced at the man, but then shook her head. Now was not the time to be surprised, there was still work to be done.
"You know, I really think we could see eye to eye, you and me," Mercury said to the arrogant bastard in front of him. "Lucia, care to give me a hand?"
"Oh, of course."
And just as swiftly as the man had dropped to his knees, wincing in pain, Lucia appeared behind him, and placed her foot on his back, pushing down until his face was flat on the cobblestone of the street.
"Much better," Mercury said, grinning. "This is a good look on you, the less of your face I see, the less ugly you get."
"What do you want from me?!" the man half howled at Mercury's face, but the cat remained calm and collected.
"You ever heard of an Yvette in this city? Lumineaux?"
"Yes! Yes I have, ugh, she's working as a monster hunter, in the nearby forest!"
"Thanks," Mercury said, patting the man's cheek, where he left a small poke with each of his claws. "We're done here then."
With a glance, he saw Lucia nod, and take her foot off the man's back, and pretty much as soon as he was free, he ran off, under the ridiculing gazes of city guards and laughing children.
"It truly is good to be on the side of justice," Lucia said with a smile, the heat around her already fading.
"Very true," Mercury said. "Well, apparently she's somewhere in the nearby forest. That would take a while to search though, what are we gonna do about it?"
"If she's hunting monsters, there is a good chance someone is paying her to do it. And I do not believe there is too large a crowd of people who could afford her services in this place."
"The lord's keep then?" Mercury asked.
"The lord's keep," Lucia nodded.
When they were leaving, the shopkeeper who had been bothered also quickly threw Lucia an apple as a gesture of thanks, and with that, they were off again.
It had honestly been almost a cathartic experience for Mercury. Letting off some steam, kicking ass, and knocking some arrogant bastard down a peg. He still really couldn't stand arrogant people. Anyone with that "holier than thou" attitude was a no-go.
Lucia certainly had some problems with it, but by now he knew her a little more. The priestess was usually only arrogant with people she didn't know, perhaps as a facade to paint less of a political target on her back. Pretty sensible, if Mercury had to be honest, after all, politics were quite problematic a lot of the time. Especially in these times, with nobles, and lords, and jarls, and councils, and all kinds of different shit.
Good ol' democracy wasn't even invented yet. Maybe Mercury could advise other places to instate a system like that once he had his own nation up and running? Though of curse, he would first have to gather quite a bit of political power before he could actually talk to the heads of other whole nations. Shit, up until now he had still only seen one member of Nevarzahri's council. Though at least Gorm Gorm had seemed like a decent man.
Whoops, he was getting sidetracked again. Right, they still had to meet with the city lord. What was his name again? Lord... Rilfur the Wise or something the like? He did remember that the lord of this city shed their surname when ascending to the position, and instead adopted a title, which was actually chosen by his trusted subordinates, and then approved by a people-appointed council. Sometimes it was also changed after the lord had stepped down again, which would be funny.
Imagine you retire, and instead of "the Wise" you're suddenly "the Ugly" or "the Foolhardy". Rough life, people sure never had it easy anywhere...
"Mercury?" Lucia suddenly asked, ripping him from his thoughts.
"Hm? What? Yeah?"
"We're here," she said, pointing at the door a couple of meters in front of them. Large, and intricate, with plenty of metal reinforcement. It looked very fitting for what was pretty much a slightly less defended castle.
"Oh, thanks."
Lucia just shook her head in response once again, approaching the guards.
"I, Lucia, the Voice of Order, request an audience with Rilfur the Wise. Open up these gates, and let me speak to your master."
"We were not informed of any visitors," one of the guards said coldly.
"I have been pressed for time lately," Lucia calmly replied, "and did not send word of my visit. Yet, I wish but to ask a simple question. Grant us passage or request it for us."
"The lord is currently busy," the same guard answered, a cold, strong voice. Male, maybe in his late twenties. Brave, and dutiful.
Mercury could almost hear Lucia grind her teeth, but to her credit, none of it showed on her face. "I must say it again, this is still a pressing matter," she said, taking another step towards the door, where the two guards crossed their spears.
"Sorry," the other guard said, a woman's voice. "No visitors allowed."
"I believe we have vital information which your lord may wish to hear."
"I believe we informed you, he is busy," the male guard said once again, banging the shaft of his spear against the ground.
"Really?!"
"Really."
For a moment, the two parties stared at each other in silence, when Lucia spoke up again.
"Perhaps I have not yet been clear enough," she said, her voice now icy and sharp. "This is a deeply personal matter of mine. We will be granted passage, one way or another. Open up this door, or wait until I tear it from its hinges."
As she spoke, Mercury could feel the temperature in the air rising. It had been a chilly day, but when Lucia was just done with her sentence, it felt as though he had stepped into a pot of boiling water. Luckily, the priestess was skilled enough to control the heat. He didn't even wanna know what the guards must be feeling.
"We have to request you-"
"You've made your choice," Lucia said, and before the guards could blink, her bow had been summoned, and blasted straight through the door.
"Knock knock," Mercury said calmly, before walking through the gaping hole in the castle. "Man, we're really pissing people off today, Lucia."
"Well, Mercury, I think I can stomach this to get things done."
The hall they entered into was large, with glowing stones attached to pillars lighting up all the interior, and large windows with metal framework letting in some sun. The tables were decked pretty lavishly, and people were eating their fill. Well, they had been, until our duo had so quietly knocked.
As soon as Mercury and Lucia entered, the nobles and aristocrats started mumbling between each other, throwing glances at the person who Mercury presumed to be the lord. A man who was a little plump, though far from fat. His hair was chin-long and slightly greasy, and his clothes were that weird, puffy style, the banquet-fancy type.
"What do you think you're doing?! Guards!!"
But before the soldiers had a moment to react, Mercury used his size, and hopped right on the table, where he stared at the lord from just a meter away.
"Alright, let's deescalate this a bit. We're her ebecause we need to know something important for you, just give us a quick answer and we'll be right out of your hair. Do we understand each other?" he asked, wearing a slight smile.
It helped that Lucia had her bow drawn as well, slowly approaching the ruler.
"This is what you're busy with, lord Rilfur? Such petty drinks and squabbles?" she hissed, leaving charred spots on the wood and the rugs as she walked. "I have told your guards it was urgent, yet I'm turned down, and they refuse to even confer with you on the matter. You may want to keep your soldiers in check!" As she talked, Mercury could hear her build up into half a roar, and when she finished, she smashed the table right next to him in half.
"Whoa there, let's cool it a little. We're all diplomats here," he said, much more politely, trying to calm Lucia more than anyone else, given that most of the guars had now flinched back.
"Father, who are these cretins who dare so rudely interrupt our glorious festivities?"
What was that? Did Mercury smell a whiff of entitled little brat? Oh, he had heard of that guy, and he had never been so excited before. This would be a good day.
"Snotnose, put your ass back on the chair before I make you," Mercury said, sneering. He really couldn't stand entitlement. Respect was always given, universally, but the foundation he gave was a shaky one at best, which people then needed to build on. A misstep at the first impression, and such a brutal one at that? No, this kid deserved to be taught a bit of a lesson.
"You dare...?!" the young noble hissed back. It was a boy, maybe around 22, with chestnut hair, and pale skin. He was thin, but not haggard, and certainly not because he ate too little.
"I dare."
"Lucia, get your beast to stand down!" lord Rilfur ordered. There it was, his fatal flaw. He simply doted on his children too much, raising them to be entitled, instead of negotiators like him.
"Silence," the priestess hissed at him. She put a hand on his shoulder and forced the lord back into his seat. "You will wait, and sit here, lest I burn this castle to the ground."
All muttering had subsided, and everyone's eyes were now on Mercury, as he casually strolled between the platters of food towards the noble. When he got closer, he could see the young man more. Ernil, the lord's second son, a boy held in high regard by his father and his father only. His face had been stained red with anger, and Mercury thought he could see smoke leave his nose.
"Go on," the mopaaw taunted, "hit me."
"You-!!" Ernil didn't need to be told twice. He had been raised in a seat of power, and most of the small diplomats coming to the city bowed to him. He had never had much contact with powerful people, neither physically, nor politically. Without hesitation, he raised his fist, and smashed down at the pest, only to find his hand stopped.
"<Telekinesis>," Mercury said with a smile. He dug his claws into the boy's hand, forcing him to stay still. With his recent Skill, he picked up one of the wooden plates, slowly levitating it towards himself. Then, he tapped it with his tail.
"Be a good boy and let the adults speak, brat. <Throw>."
With the flat side of some tableware to the head, Mercury had taught the second arrogant bastard a lesson today. Rilfur tried to raise form his chair, but Lucia's grip was like an iron vice, and he groaned in pain as she squeezed his shoulder.
"Do not test may patience," she said, the flames in her stomach burning bright enough to be visible through her eyes. "Where is Yvette?"
"She- She'll be back in just a couple of days!!"
"Get her back, now. If she's not here tomorrow midnight, I'll make you regret it."
And with those words, they were off, and the nobles were left with a couple of broken tables, plates, pride, and one less pheasant than they had started with. After all, the food was wasted on the arrogant son, so Mercury simply swiped it.
It was a good day.
