Fantasy Chronicles of Cre' Est

[GojiBean]

Linde nodded and took the box from Whimsey. She fiddled with a tiny gear-based structure on the front, some kind of lock, and it flipped open. Out of the box, she pulled two rather fuzzy pads and handed the box back to Whimsey. Putting the two pads together, one in each hand, she rubbed her hands together furiously for several seconds. The shorter strands of her hair began to slowly stand on end, making her look like a mad scientist out of a story, before she slipped the pads off, and placed both hands on the man's back. A visible jolt of static electricity arced through her fingertips into the man's flesh, causing a small jolt in his body in response.

The nurses all jumped a little, seeing the sudden movement. But Linde put the pads back on, rubbed them together, slipped them off, and applied the jolt again. This time, she didn't remove her hands after the jolt. She only continued massaging his back, this time with her thumbs, and with more pressure. Slowly, as she got lower, his legs began to twitch whenever she reached a certain spot.

"Jessica. Hold his legs, please."

"Of course."

Jessica held his legs in place so the damaged bone's wouldn't separate while Linde continue the massage getting little twitches and jerks out of his lower body the more she focused on the small of his back just above the hips. Finally, Linde's hands lifted off of his and she sighed.

"That should do... Whimsey, please put the box and pads back in my office drawer." She asked.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

As Linde took the objects out of the box and handed it back, she tilted her head a bit out of confusion. They weren’t like anything she had ever seen before, in truth, and she simply watched with a skeptical gaze as she began to rub them together. Her hair starting to move would have made most people realize there was something more than just the rubbing at hand, but it didn’t click to Whimsey.

The jolt of electricity that followed made her jump back a bit, nearly dropping the box entirely. A short gasp followed as she watched Linde continue, before she giggled a moment later. She really never knew what to expect from Linde; the woman was full of so many surprises.

As she handed the pads back, Whimsey simply nodded and did as the woman asked. She was back within just a couple of minutes, clearly still in awe about what she had just watched. “That was... A sight to behold, Doctor Almna.” She stretched her arms out in front of her, once again staring down at the man’s body. “...It’s real unfortunate. He didn’t deserve this.”

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde nodded.

"Most victims who come into this clinic don't deserve whatever fate befell them." She said quietly.

At this point, they were tending to the lesser wounds on his body.

"But Whimsey... There may come a time when someone whom you believe does deserve such a fate may enter seeking treatment. And no matter your feelings for them outside these walls, our oath as doctors and nurses demands that we give every patient equal treatment opportunity, and our best effort. So if you feel someone doesn't deserve treatment, please remember to keep it to yourself. Okay?"

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

“...That’s just how the world is, I guess. It’s never been fair.” Assuming that Linde had things covered, and would call on her if she was in need of any help, she took a step backwards and leaned against the wall of the room. “Never will be, either.” Her voice was bitter as she spoke, her eyes shutting for a moment as she tilted her head down towards the floor.

Her eyes reopened as Linde continued. She listened intently, understanding what Linde was saying and why it applied to her more than most. It was what she signed up for, after all... She couldn’t exactly say no, now, as much as she knew it would be difficult to keep her emotions in check in the future. A quick glance around made her pause, lower her voice, and step closer to Linde. “You’re telling me if a Te’i Sai killer ended up on a bed in front of you, you’d help him?” In her line of logic, it just didn’t make sense. Why take such risks, such pains, to help someone like that?

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde could only slowly nod at Whimsey.

"Yes. Even if someone from Te'i Sai ended up on these beds, it's our duty to heal their wounds. As taught by the Goddess Peur'Tia, all life, no matter how cruel or seemingly wicked, is sacred. But that doesn't mean that the authorities wouldn't be notified so that an arrest would be made once they were safe to be taken in."

Jessica nodded.

"Indeed. Te'i Sai, and other monsters like the Red-Eyed Demon... We can't pick favorites. No matter who comes in, our duty to heal is a sacred one."

Myra and Eileen nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. I can't imagine saving the life of the Red-Eyed Demon. But if it came down to him being in one of our medical beds then... We'd have no choice." Eileen said with Myra nodded solemnly.

"Anyway. That's enough of that for now. This man isn't someone like them. He deserves our care and attention. But for now, I believe he's stable. Let's flip him on his side and help secure him so he's in a more comfortable position."

The others nodded, happy to be off such a morbid subject. They gathered around and helped position the man so he didn't have to lay on his bruised back, and so his wounded leg rested flat on the bed while his other was bent forward so as not to lay on top of it. Once there, he was secured to the bed with straps tightened only just enough to keep him from harming himself in his sleep.

Later that evening, the sun set early and Linde bade goodnight to the others as she headed home. Despite being the owner, she lived off site in a house not far down the road.

"Whimsey. Why don't you take a walk with me for a bit? There's some things I still need to tell you about work." She said as she opened the lobby door leading outside.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

Whimsey went silent for a long moment after Linde finished reaffirming her stance of helping everyone equally. "How noble. I'm... Sorry I brought it up, everyone." The thought continued to stick in her head as they flipped the man once more and got him in a more comfortable position. Would she really help someone like that? On the streets, if she saw a man begging for help, dying or something of the sort, and knew that he was someone terrible like Te'i Sai, she knew she would turn a blind eye and leave him. Here in the clinic though, she knew she would. It was that, or get kicked back to her old life... She'd probably stay silent and try and pretend they were someone else, but she'd force herself to just deal with it. The talk of Peur'Tia made her pause. She had never been taught anything of religion growing up, despite her mother apparently being quite devoted. Even now, she was unsure of her beliefs. Her main gripe laid with the fact of some sort of benevolent goddess allowing a world to be this unjust. Littered with crime and bloodshed... She didn't want a perfect world. Though, she did wish for a better one.

The rest of the day went by far less eventful than earlier in the day had, and she was grateful for it. That had been enough stress for her first day. When people began leaving for the day, she was more than ready to go get something to eat, and crash into bed for the night. As Linde called her name, opening the door for her as she was just getting ready to head out, she simply nodded and followed the woman outside. The air was chilly enough to make her relax a bit; she had always felt far more comfortable in the cold than in the heat. Scalding hot summers made her want to rip her hair out on many occassion.

"Sorry about earlier. I... Didn't want to spoil the mood. You have my word that I won't cause any scenes, should we ever have a patient like that." She didn't look Linde's direction as she apologized, tucking her hands in the pocket of her coat as they walked. "...You don't stay with the other nurses?" After speaking it out loud, she supposed it made sense. It was still a bit surprising, all the same.

GojiBean

​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde, her hair swaying gently behind her with every step, bore a calm smile.

"It's all right, Whimsey."

She carefully checked their surroundings to make sure nobody was out or close enough to listen in, and stepped a little closer to Whimsey as they walked nearly shoulder to shoulder.

"The truth of the matter is that Te'i Sai, much like Shadow, isn't the monster it's made out to be. We discovered that the hard way after Shadow slew the Grandmaster and sent the organization into chaos." She said solemnly. "One in their ranks is a man named Ven. He's a Master Assassin somewhere in his mid to late 40's. And despite being one of their most skilled operatives, he's also one of the kindest and fairest men I've ever met."

She glanced to Whimsey out of the corner of her eye.

"There's a reason Shadow made it out of their fortress headquarters alive after killing the Grandmaster, after all."

She looked ahead, again checking carefully to make sure nobody was listening in on them.

"Ven has a good heart, and a good head on his shoulders. And he's also one of the men who trained Shadow in his formative years. He risked his life to get Shadow out of that fortress. But to the best of my knowledge he also succeeded in protecting his veil of loyalty to them. And now he serves as one of Shadow's informants, and works with him very carefully to track a lot of Te'i Sai's larger and more important missions and projects."

She took a deep breath, giving Whimsey a moment to process everything.

"Manipulation and indoctrination run deep, Whimsey. They take over minds, hearts, and even souls. Many in Te'i Sai believe Shadow truly is a Demon. That he exists only to cause death and misery. And that the only reason the Grandmaster even tolerated him was because he had found a way to control him. This belief was propagated by Te'i Sai's upper ranks at the behest of the Grandmaster himself in secret. He wanted even others within the organization to harbor a fear of Shadow so that they'd stay out of his way and never thought to distract him from his missions or training. The Grandmaster wanted the perfect weapon. And only through careful manipulation and indoctrination of his own assassins was he able to make his vision a reality."

Though Whimsey didn't know since nobody's shown her, they actually reached Linde's home. But Linde continued walking right past it as she continued to talk.

"The reason we know this... Is because of Ven. He was part of it. He helped spread it. But it was also by observing Shadow, especially after Shadow began to change for the better, that Ven opened his eyes to the wickedness of what the Grandmaster was doing. Had it not been for his open mindedness and his willpower to overcome what he was forced to believe and teach for so many years, Shadow would have died that day by Ven's own hand."

She continued leading Whimsey on walk around the town, even as the sun began to set. The stars twinkled overhead, and a gentle breeze caressed their skin which was a nice relief from the warmer daylight temperatures they'd been facing of late.

"There are others in Te'i Sai who are like Ven, too. But they're very, very few in number. For their own safety if they were ever to meet Shadow face to face again they'd be forced to fight him with all of their strength lest the others find out and flee to report it to the organization."

She looked over at Whimsey.

"Shadow was even forced to kill one of them in order to protect their secret. And it continues to haunt him to this day." She whispered sadly.

Finally, they had completed a loop and ended up back at Linde's house where she stopped by the front gate and promptly turned to face Whimsey with a renewed smile.

"Sorry about all the heavy information. I know it's a lot to take in right now given all that's happened to you. But I think it's important that you understand why I said what I did earlier today. I don't say it just to satisfy my oath as a doctor. There are genuinely good people everywhere who are forced to do bad things because they were made to believe a lie. To kill them... Or to refuse them medical treatment is something I can't, and will never do. Otherwise, I'd never have given any help to you."

She opened the gate and stepped inside, gently closing it while leaning over the side towards Whimsey.

"As for my living here instead of at the clinic. Well... There's a reason for that too. But it's one I'm unfortunately going to have to keep to myself for now." She said with a wink.

"Goodnight, Whimsey. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for work, okay?" She said, holding out a fist for an intended fist bump.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

Linde's story about Ven and Shadow made a lot of things click. Mainly the fact that Shadow had been this 'perfect weapon' for Te'i Sai. She had always wondered just how and why Shadow had ties to them, and how he knew so much. Come to think of it, she had never gotten a chance to bug the man about those crazy eyes of his... Something she told herself she'd have to do next time they crossed paths. Despite the heartfelt truth that the story carried, which even Whimsey could acknowledge in a way, she didn't feel pity for either of them.

"Manipulating people's their whole thing." The words came out rough, slightly choked back by the woman who knew it all too well. Somehow, she had managed to be completely under their control, despite not having ever met a member of Te'i Sai directly, and was none the wiser to it. A long sigh escaped Whimsey as Linde continued. "This Grandmaster sounds like a real classy guy." The words were clearly sarcastic, and Whimsey gave a small chuckle to drive the point home. "I never could wrap my head around why they do what they do. I killed to survive. There was nothing else. But those maniacs? ...Yeesh." Rolling her eyes at the truth of the matter, that the world itself was plagued by Te'i Sai.

"Well, good for Ven..." She was about to say that it didn't matter to her, that she wouldn't think any better of him. Sure, he had saved Shadow, which in a weird way, came around fully and saved her... But the man had still murdered so many, or been the cause. That was unforgivable in her eyes, even if she was guilty of the same crimes. She went quiet for the rest of their walk, until they were back in front of Linde's home. As she once again brought up the oath to take care of anyone who needed it, she shut her eyes for a moment.

A deep breath preceded her words. "I suppose we can agree to disagree, then. As I said, I promise I won't cause any problems in the clinic... I'm truly grateful for you doing this, but if our positions were swapped... I can't say I would do the same. ‘Good person’ or not. If they’d done something like that, it’s unforgivable. Killing some maniac out of self-defense, or a man who truly deserved it is one thing... But everyone who’s been in this line of work has an innocent life on their hands. A woman like me, with so much blood on her hands, both of her own volition, and because of Te'i Sai... I don't deserve this kind of charity. That doesn't mean I'm gonna turn you down, of course." A hand drifted up to her neck, rubbing at it for a moment.

"It's a nice place." Whimsey commented on the house quietly, not wanting to pry on the woman's personal life all too much. Part of her assumed it was so Shadow could visit her easier, but she couldn't say for certain. As the woman offered her a fist bump, she nodded and returned the gesture. "Goodnight." With that, she nodded and turned to head back to her room.

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde smiled for the fist bump, but as she walked inside her eyes lowered to the ground as she placed her belongings on a small table.

I guess she's not ready to be so forgiving. She thought.

It was somewhat saddening, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. If she wasn't ready, she wasn't ready. But Linde didn't let that thought keep her down. She made her way to her bathroom and took a nice hot bath. And as the coals heated the bottom of the tub, letting the waters sooth her weary body, Linde wondered what other kinds of similarities Whimsey might share with Shadow.

The thought was almost frightening. She was almost a full head and a half shorter, and ninety to one hundred pounds lighter. But if Linde had gauged Whimsey's musculature correctly from what she had seen in previous visits in her neck and arms, there'd be little she couldn't do if she put her mind to it. And if she'd ever received training from Shadow?... Linde shuddered at the thought.

"Let's let Whimsey be Whimsey." She muttered to herself.

As much as she cared for Shadow, the world didn't need two of him. Whimsey was lucky enough to at least have a more emotive personality. One that shed tears, smiled, laughed, and she was able to hold conversations, albeit somewhat awkward ones for now, with the rest of the nurses on staff. That would go a long way towards helping her recover from an emotional and mental standpoint. Or at least, Linde hoped it would be.

Shadow on the other hand...

Linde couldn't help but smile, although it wasn't really a happy one. "You're a different beast, big guy." She whispered as she let her body sink lower into the water. "I just hope I'm not too late in my attempts to save you."

After her bath, Linde went straight to bed. It hadn't been a particularly stressful day. But she hadn't slept well herself the last few nights. Nothing like Whimsey's situation. But nightmares plagued her too, just as they did anyone else.

"Goodnight Shadow. Wherever you are." She whispered.

Meanwhile, in the Castle of Valkyom...

"My liege, the Royal Guards are ready to begin their mission."

"Very good, Rikoto. Thank you."

"Of course, my liege. With your permission, I'll give the word."

"Granted"

Rikoto bowed, and left the room.

"My love. Do you think they'll be all right?"

"I do. The Royal Guards have trained intensely for this day, and continue to do so every day for the sake of our fair nation and people. I've seen their progress myself. It's quite the wondrous sight to behold."

She placed her hand on his.

"That's not what I meant, my love." She said with a saddened smile.

"What do you-... Ah..." He said quietly as he took her hand in his and turned to face her. "I'm sorry, my dear. Yes. I believe they'll be all right. The men have trained hard and are filled with vigor and determination. They support each other unconditionally. And they speak regularly to one another about what they'll do once the Red-Eyed Demon, or whoever's responsible for these killings, are brought to justice. They plan for the future with great enthusiasm, though there is a healthy dose of nervousness given who their primary target is. But I've yet to see a single one among them speak of true fear or hopelessness. I believe they'll be just fine."

The Queen's smile grew happier and warmer as she leaned in to kiss her beloved husband.

"Thank you, my love." She whispered.

He stroked her hair and pulled her into a tender embrace.

"Your compassion for our most capable forces, and our people in general, never ceases to amaze me my dear." He whispered as he stroked her hair.

"It's only because you allow me to be myself, my love. Were you anyone else I would be forced into a silent and obedient role as Queen, and never allowed to speak my mind."

"Hmph. That was the old way. But we've already ushered in a new one. One that I'm very proud of to share with you." He gently held her to half arm's length so he could look into her eyes. "So long as we never forget where we come from we'll be all right. Our people always come first, and that includes here in the palace walls. You and I? We're people too. Our titles mean nothing without that fact behind them to keep us humble. And so long as you're here to keep me humble, I'll be here to do the same for you."

Her eyes glistened in the moonlight shining through the great windows lining the palace walls. They almost seemed to flicker with energy and love for her husband as she smiled and gazed deeply into his eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled herself up into a long, passionate kiss with her beloved. And when it was over, they needed no further words. They simply walked, the Queen tucked under her husband's protective arm, back to their chambers to retire for the evening.

Outside at the foot of the Palace entrance, the Royal Guards gathered in rows of ten as Rikoto approached and spoke to Commander Oshim. Once they were done speaking quietly, Rikoto re-entered the palace as the Commander stood before the Royal Guards with both hands clasped behind his back.

"Tonight, you begin your quest to rid this most sacred capital city of any who would seek to do her, or her people, any harm. The Red-Eyed Demon is near. I can sense it. His evil permeates the air like a thick fog. The very feeling of it makes me nauseous!" He announced with a wave of his arm. "But no more! Tonight! You turn the hunter into the hunted! Tonight! You turn the tide of this war against villainy and blood thirst! Tonight! You send a message! A message to any and all who would seek to upend the peace our King and Queen have fought so hard to create!"

He stepped forward, practically chest to chest with the Captain of the Royal Guards.

"Captain Zennou Gil Vortaire... You know the kindness of our beloved Royal Family. Their compassion. Their dedication to this nation and her people. Do you not?"

"Yes, Commander! I know their kind hearts well! The Queen insisted on bringing my wife to the palace for the birth of my daughter three months ago, and was present for the birthing to bless her with a hand-carved wooden statue of the Holy Mother Peur'Tia, which she made herself as a gift!"

Commander Oshim nodded and shifted his gaze to look across the faces of each one of the Royal Guards as he took a few steps back.

"I'm certain you are all aware of what lies within the hearts of our Royal Family. Our King and Queen. They live for us. Breathe for us. And they bleed for us. Now, it's time to return their kindness tenfold by ridding this nation, nay, the continent, of the scourge that is the Red-Eyed Demon!" He shouted.

The men, mindful of the noise they'd make, remained silent. But their eyes burned with agreement and a desire to shout their dedication to this pursuit as their fists tightened at their sides.

"Make our Royal Family proud. Cre' Itian Royal Guards!... It's time to begin the hunt! Keep this city, her people, and our Royal Family safe! Go!" He ordered as the gates were opened.

The Royal Guards immediately, and in perfect synchronization and practiced uniformity, jogged forward through the gates as they split into groups of four. Each group had a designated route through the city to search. No two groups ever more than two or three blocks from one another should something go wrong.

And watching all of this from the top of the Central Church's bell tower, was Shadow. From such a height, his eyes, gleaming as they were, were all but invisible as he crouched in the shadow of the bell.

"This could be trouble." He mumbled.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

Her walk home consisted of her mentally beating herself up for what she had said to Linde. Sure, it was what she believed, but was it really so necessary to open her big mouth and tell Linde that? It didn’t take a genius that it probably didn’t do anything positive for Linde’s opinion of her...

Thankfully, the walk back to her new place of living wasn’t a long one. She forgot they kept it locked, and forgot as well that she had a key, simply staring at the handle until it clicked and she fished the keys out of her pocket. As she stepped inside, she didn’t pay any mind to anyone else, if there was anyone in the lobby area. It troubled her as well what the other nurses might think of her. She trusted Linde fully, and knew that the doctor wouldn’t tell them that they were working with a killer, but even so... It was more than clear she was from a troubled background.

Once she was in her room, she shed her coat and changed into the black nightgown she had purchased for herself along with her clothes for work. She never had the space to carry simple luxuries like something like this, and having the ability to do so now was quite foreign to her. Even just seeing herself in a ornate nightgown, meant to make her both comfortable and carry an aura of maturity... She just felt like a child playing dress up. It didn’t feel right.

It took an hour or two of tossing, turning, and fighting with her thoughts about her mother, but she eventually managed to get to sleep without the aid of Linde’s medicine. When morning came and she could hear the other nurses getting up and ready for the day, she forced herself out of bed as well, changing into the same attire she had worn yesterday and headed straight to the clinic, not bothering to eat anything on her way out.

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

And so time crept by.

For five days, Shadow remained hidden within the darkness of Valkyom's shadowy alleyways and now defunct sewage tunnels.

He couldn't risk leaving the city yet. Someone was here. Someone powerful. It could even be a group. But regardless if it were an individual or a group, they were new to the game. Thanks to his questioning of numerous individuals throughout the city, Shadow had learned of a dark presence which moved through the darkness almost as deftly as he did. None had seen the faces or heard any names. They only knew of robed figures who slithered in the dark and hired out any who was willing to help, or whom they knew they could manipulate.

Shadow kept his ear glued to the ground, and his patience paid off. He'd found a lead. A lead which told him that whoever it was slithering around at night would be meeting one of their operatives tonight beneath the Central Church in the sewage tunnels. The abandoned and dried up tunnels served as a mode of transportation for those who knew how to navigate them. But they also made perfect meeting places in the dead of night.

Shadow waited calmly in a smaller tunnel, flattening his body against the wall and closing his eyes to remove the illumination they gave off from the equation as he listened intently for the sounds of human footsteps. Hours ticked by, and the ever fattening moon's light coming through tiny cracks and water drains was no ally to him here. But finally, the sound he'd been waiting for. The steps were coming from his right and in his tunnel. Shadow turned his head to listen. The steps were soft, but they were close. If he didn't move, he'd be spotted by the lantern the individual carried with them. But if he moved, he'd be forced to make noise and run by the light which would give himself away and lead to his prey escaping.

His fists tightened, and the world went silent in his mind.

... Uuuuuuuse iiiiiiiiiiit... Emerged a dark, low, guttural voice in his head.

Shut up. Shadow mentally growled.

If you don't uuuuuuuuse it... You will diiiiiiiiiie.

Shut UP!

The footsteps grew closer, and his time was rapidly running out.

The time has cooooooome.

His fists tightened so much that his fingernails, though fairly short, sliced into the flesh of his palms causing tiny droplets of blood to drip to the floor. Shadow closed his eyes harder and grit his teeth, fists shaking at his sides as he fought the urge.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Closer. Closer. Closer!

He had no choice. Shadow took in a breath. And as he let it out through his nose, a black aura quietly surrounded his body...

The figure, cloaked in gray, reached Shadow's location. His lantern shone throughout the tunnel for around fifteen feet in either direction. More than enough to illuminate the entirety of the walls around him in a perfect circle. Nothing could hide from its light. But as he reached where Shadow had been, all he saw were the drops of blood left behind by Shadow's fists. Taking a second to look around and listen, his search came up empty. Shrugging it off as a simple matter of someone being injured and fleeing down here a short time ago, he continued on. And as he rounded the corner ahead, the black aura reappeared where Shadow had stood previously and vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

Shadow had returned.

A bead of sweat dripped from his temple to the ground as Shadow took another, deeper breath, and wiped the sweat away.

Well doooonnnnnnne.

Shut the FUCK UP!! Shadow screamed inside his head.

Pain arced through his skull from the front of his forehead between his eyes to the base of his skull where it met the spinal cord.

Forget not mortaaaaaal... What you aaaaaaare! The voice growled viciously.

Shadow grabbed his head and fell to his knees, fighting the urge to yell out against both the voice and the pain. He had to keep silent. He had to find out who this person was and who they were with. If he didn't, who knew what would happen!

Finally, the pain subsided and Shadow panted for breath as he realized only then that he'd been holding it since his knees hit the floor. One hand gripped his chest to feel his heart beat, which was now running wild. He took several deep breaths to calm himself before standing and following the one with the lantern. Keeping the light just within view, and always remaining at least one hundred feet behind his target, Shadow trailed him through the passageways of the sewers until they reached the target's destination. If Shadow's memory of the city was accurate, they weren't far from the Almna Apothecary and Clinic. Maybe three or four blocks out.

But the figure stopped and waited in a central junction, hands on a flintlock pistol at his left and the lantern in his right which he set on the floor.

Shadow waited patiently, and once again his patience was rewarded. Not ten minutes later another figure arrived. This one was also cloaked. But they were cloaked in a deep red as opposed to gray. And as the two figures came within ten paces of one another, they both offered a small bow at the waist.

"You're late." Said the gray robed one.

"It's not easy entering this place unnoticed. I'm certain you're aware."

"No excuses. Have you found her?"

"Yes. We've located her."

"Then we're ready?"

"Indeed we are. Presuming you have our pay."

"Hmph. Your pay will be given out when the deed is done. No sooner."

"I'm afraid that's not part of the deal anymore, Cravitz."

"The deal is what I make it. Not the other way around."

"Maybe that's how it was. But no more."

Four figures emerged slowly from the darkness of the other tunnels, all dressed in the same deep red robes and encircling Cravitz.

"What is this?!"

"This is called a negotiation. Though I'm afraid it'll be very one-sided."

Cravitz growled.

"The expected pay is now doubled. And we're going to approach this our way. We all discussed your method and found it too pedestrian for our taste. And it wouldn't help our reputation either if we simply ended things now. We prefer to toy with our prey, you see. And there are very few things in this world we enjoy toying with more than a beautiful woman."

The four other men smiled beneath their hoods, eyes hidden from view, and nodded in their agreement.

"Savages." Cravitz muttered.

"Don't worry, Cravitz. You'll get what you want. But it will take time. We've already finalized our own plans for this process, and the end result will be to your liking."

"If it's not, you get nothing." Cravitz said calmly.

"You'll love it, Cravitz. Trust me."

"After what you've done?"

"Yes. After what I've done. After all, the only thing I've done is tell you there's more money coming our way and that we're going to take our time and enjoy ourselves. But she's a dead woman walking. Don't you worry about that."

"You take things too far, Jurios."

"Do I? Well, clearly you forgot whom you're dealing with."

"I have not."

"Did he forget, gentlemen?"

There were nods of agreement and several chuckles to go around.

Shadow watched calmly from nearby, hidden just around the corner of one pathway yet untouched with his eyes squinted to avoid casting any light that would give him away.

"Oh, sorry Cravitz. I almost forgot something. We expect you to come up with half our pay within the next three days. Otherwise, the deal's off."

"Then consider it off, Jurios! I was content with the woman's death! But whatever you're planning I'll have no part of!"

"Hmph. Very well, Cravitz. I guess we'll just have to take it up with Rathia, won't we?"

"Wh-... How did you-"

"There's nothing we can't find out, Cravitz. And I'm certain Rathia would be pleased to renegotiate the deal on your behalf if we ask nicely. If not, we'll be forced to get rough with her too. And we don't want that... Much."

More chuckles, and Cravitz's shoulders slumped.

"... Fine. Half your pay in three days. I'll leave it for you here in this exact spot to pick up. Just don't expect me to be there waiting for you."

"Fine by us. So long as the money makes it into our hands, we're satisfied and will make good on our end of the deal."

The four men took a couples steps towards Jurios and Cravitz, and all of them sneered wickedly as Jurios took a few steps closer to Cravitz.

"Linde Xe' Almna will meet her end once we've had our fun with her."

Hearing those words, Shadow's temper flared along with the light in his eyes. To prevent them from seeing it, he turned his head away. But even squinting and turning away, a bright red flash illuminated the wall across from him which caught the attention of two of the red robed men who were in positions to see it.

"What was that?!" One of them asked, pointing to where the light had come from.

"I saw it too. A red light flashed back there just now."

"Hmm?"

Jurios turned to look, but saw nothing.

"Whatever it is, I'm done here. Your payment will be here in three day's time. Good day." Cravitz said with finality as he departed down a different tunnel.

Jurios and his men all turned towards the source of the light, and Shadow's fists clenched tight which aggravated the slices his nails had made earlier causing the clotting wounds to break open and bleed freely once again.

"There's only one thing it could be... Shall we investigate?"

All four men, and Jurios himself as well, drew their weapons and sprinted towards Shadow's location. Hearing their approach, Shadow took off down his tunnel. But they were faster than expected, and hot on his trail.

"Look at that! A Demon flees?! What cowardice!" Jurios yelled as he and his men cackled and prepared themselves for battle.

Shadow turned this way and that through the tunnels. His plan was to lead them to a more familiar location to stand his ground. Meanwhile...

Seeeeeet meeeeee freeeeeee... The voice was back, whispering in his ear.

Fuck off!!

Shadow's course led him straight and true, and he skidded to a halt in a junction nearly identical to the one Cravitz met the men in earlier. Drawing both of his orichalcum daggers, Shadow turned and allowed his eyes to shine to their maximum intensity. Jurios and his men jogged to a stop, slowly encircling Shadow who stood motionless with one dagger on either side of himself.

"Look what we have here... A lost, lonely Demon. Come to spy on our business, have you?"

His men snickered.

"Well. We can't have that now, can we? No hard feelings, eh Demon? It's just business. And we can't have anyone, least of all you, walking free if you know what we're planning."

Shadow's daggers slowly rose as his upper body bladed itself to Jurios who was, despite his pompous attitude, inarguably the most threatening and skilled of the bunch. Shadow could tell at a glance he was at least on par with Te'i Sai's Master Assassins in terms of combat skills, which made this fight that much more dangerous for him.

All six men in the juncture lowered their stances as Jurios drew a sword from behind his back beneath his robe.

"Any last words, Demon?"

The light in Shadow's eyes flared. "Pursuing me was your last mistake."

"Was it? Because I think that allowing us to catch up was your last mistake. Now allow us to PROVE IT!"

In an instant all five men rapidly converged on Shadow...

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

"My lord..." Whimsey threw herself on top of one of the benches in the clinic, putting her heads in her hand and taking a moment to breathe. Linde likely still needed her for some end of the night things, but she just needed a second to sit. It was her... Sixth day on the job? Seventh? She couldn't really remember, but she was still inexperienced. Today had been an awfully stressful one, with a number of patients that required full attention from everyone involved. It caught up to her pretty damn quickly, between her normal stress and the work, and by the end of the day, she was absolutely exhausted. Tilting her head back, she let out a deep exhale followed by a sigh. As far as she knew, the rest of the nurses had already left back to their homes, and Linde was the only one.

This was already getting draining to her. This wasn't a career she would last in in the long run. While she was grateful for Linde's help, and the opportunity she had given her... It just wasn't right. While she had always wished for a different life, something away from killing, she had been stuck on it for too long. Even when she was overseeing things with Linde, it was so close to her mind. The people she had killed, the things she had done just to get by... It was driving her mad, not doing something like that, as much as she hated it. She was supposed to be growing, to be moving past that part of her that lived like that... But here she was, trying to fight with those same thoughts that had been clouding her for years. Ones that all stemmed from her mother. She was one simple childhood, one father who had lived long enough to save her, away from being a completely different woman. One that didn't have so much blood on her hands.

Linde was keeping an eye on her, from enemies she wouldn't be able to take care of herself. All of her lamenting was only putting her in a worse mood, as she mentally scolded herself to just stop being such a child about it. In her eyes, she should have just been able to accept the help and move on. She couldn't for the life of her determine why she was having so much trouble with it. She should have just been grateful and dealt with it...

Standing up, she was more than ready to go home and get some rest. Though, at the very least, she had to go and make sure Linde had things handled on her own end. With another sigh escaping her, she walked to the office and knocked, entering a moment later. "Doctor Almna." As it had been since she had started working, her voice stayed bland and monotone. "I apologize for taking so long. I got... Lost in my thoughts. I can take care of tidying up; I know today has been busy for you." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, eyes flicking over to the window for a moment. "Do you... Remember what we discussed on my first day? About treating everyone without question?" A pause from her let the question hang on the air for a moment, before she continued on.

"I thought on it. I'll treat anyone who comes in here, despite any inner grievances, as I told you before... I'd hate to cause trouble. Although... There's one person I wouldn't be able to keep that promise with. If my mother were to ever walk through those doors, I... I'd kill her where she stood." Her eyes shut for a moment as she thought on it, before nodding to herself, as if originally unsure she meant her words. "Even a Te'i Sai member, or someone like Ernest... I could stomach my personal feelings and deal with it. I've never been the emotional type, you know that. But if I ever got my eyes on her..." A hand balled into her fist at her side.

"...That's all I wanted to say. I thought you deserved to know. Anyways, allow me to take care of things here. You deserve some rest."

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde listened calmly, and glanced at the floor for a moment before returning her gaze to Whimsey.

"Hey. Why don't you come over to my house for dinner? We'll call it a celebration of your first week." She offered, holding the door open in case Whimsey decided to come along.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

“Dinner...?” She narrowed her eyes at the gesture, not recalling ever having such a offer given to her. Even now, in the nurses living quarters, any food she got she immediately took back to her room, as opposed to eating with the others. She had no distaste for any of them, it was just what she did and what she was used to.

“I... Suppose that’s alright.” Nodding to Linde, she followed the woman out the door and into the streets. “... I can cook, if you’d like. I’m not an amazing chef, but I’d feel bad having you take care of it.”

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde smiled, and walked through the door with Whimsey.

On the way, Linde casually hummed an old tune her mother taught her when she was young. And as they got closer to Linde's home, she broke out of the humming and looked at Whimsey from the corner of her eye.

"I'm pretty sure I have all the ingredients for a nice stew, if you fancy such a meal." She offered.

Her house came into view, and she opened the gate, holding it for Whimsey, and unlocked the door.

"Hopefully I still have flint to spark the cooking top. Otherwise we'll have to settle for a sala-"

As she stepped inside, Linde threw her arm out across Whimsey's path as he halted in place.

In the center of the room was a tiny pool of blood. And a single drip from the ceiling drew Linde's eyes upwards. On the ceiling, from between the floor boards, was a gathering of blood dripping down slowly from the second floor.

"Dear Gods!" She yelled.

Linde bolted forward to her stairway and raced up to the second floor before throwing the door open to the Guest Room. And lying on the floor face down in a pool of his own blood was none other than Shadow. A chair just behind him smeared with blood along its seat and back suggested he was sitting up until a short time ago. He had collapsed, likely from blood loss and shock from whatever happened.

"Whimsey! Get his legs!" Linde ordered.

Linde grabbed Shadow's shoulders, preparing to turn him onto his back.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

“That... Sounds nice.” Nodding to Linde, she combed a hand through her hair, once again reminding herself how much she liked it short. She often wondered just how Linde kept hers so long and flowing without it driving her insane.

Part of her felt a bit nervous, coming inside Linde’s home, but she simply shook her head and reminded her this was different. She was being invited in, not breaking or sneaking in. Linde and her were close enough to spend time with each other like this.

Though, she quickly walked right into Linde’s arm, stopping and letting out a small gasp. “I-I assumed you lived alo-“ Before she could finish, Linde was booking it up the stairs. Whimsey fished the dagger she kept in her boot out as quick as she could, before following the woman. “Doctor Almna, wait!” Following her into the room, she was shocked to see Shadow laying on her floor with so many injuries.

Without another word, she dropped her knife and hustled over to the man, assisting Linde in turning him over. “Shadow... Stay with us, dammit...” She bit her lip out of worry for the man, glancing to Linde after a moment. “Should we take him to the clinic...?”

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

With Shadow on his back and so many visible slashes and stab wounds in the cloth of his shirt, Linde shook her head.

"No time. I have to treat him here. Help me get him onto the bed."

Together they lifted Shadow and moved him to the bed where Linde set to work cutting away his jacket and shirt and throwing them to the side. With his upper torso now bare, the injuries were much easier to see. There were three stab wounds, all of them thankfully shallow, in his stomach. One in his left side under his ribcage, also shallow. But there was one deep stab which was perilously close to his brachial artery in his clavicle region on the left side. Of the slashes, one was quite deep and lined up perfectly with the gap between his 4th and 5th ribs. He had four slash wounds along his back as well. Two grazed his left side just to the left of the spine, one was across his right side and vertical along the ribcage, and the last was in his upper right trapezius muscle near his neck.

"Shadow! Can you hear me?!" Linde yelled.

Shadow's eyes fluttered open and Linde's hands cupped both sides of his jaw to hold his head up.

"Which wound is deepest?" She asked breathlessly.

Shadow glanced down to his left. Linde followed his eyes to the clavicle stab which was still flowing freely. She gently set his head down while glancing to Whimsey.

"Put something big under his legs and set them on top to keep them elevated! We've got to keep as much blood as possible flowing through his torso." She ordered.

Not having the luxury of time to wait for Whimsey, Linde fetched her tools, which she took with her from work every day for cleaning and maintenance, and brought them over to the bed where she rapidly sifted through its contents to find the things she needed. With all of her tools ready, the first thing she did was grab her scalpel and cut carefully along the length of each end of the stab wound to open the flesh that much further.

"Whimsey. Peel his skin back. I need to see inside." She ordered.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

Whimsey’s eyes stayed stuck on Shadow‘s wounds even as they lifted him onto the bed. Wounds of the sort of real combat, something Whimsey had never truly endured. Every now and then, a target would fight back, and there’d be a struggle. Her injuries from those were never anything this severe... She could imagine how painful it must have been for Shadow in the moment.

A small sigh of frustration escaped her as she watched Shadow glance down to one of his wounds. Just what the hell had happened to him that had him in such a state...?

“Yes, ma’am.” Whimsey nodded and quickly looked around Linde’s room, finding the biggest object, a large suitcase, she set it up on the bed and lifted Shadow’s legs atop it. Linde’s next request made her pause for a beat, before she shook her head at her own indecisiveness and moved closer to comply. While she wasn’t certain just how hard or far she was meant to peel the skin, she looked to Shadow and gave a short nod before lowering her fingers to the wound and separating the skin to the best of your ability.

“You’re gonna pull through, Shadow. Linde’s got you.” While she generally referred to her as ‘Doctor Almna’ out of respect, she believed Shadow would appreciate the sentiment more with her first name. It was what he called her, after all. “Just breathe. Keep those eyes on me or Linde, please.” She gave a nod to the man, hoping to keep him focused on her and some tiny requests like nodding or making eye contact, lest they lose him to shock or anything of the sort. The longer she could keep him awake, the better.

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Shadow's eyes, though half closed and the glow significantly reduced from what it normally was, seemed to gleam with energy despite his condition.

"I'm fine." He mumbled.

"No talking!" Linde barked.

Shadow's gaze shifted to Linde with something of a glare. But Linde paid him no mind as she leaned in to see inside where Whimsey was peeling the flesh away for her.

"The brachial artery was grazed and there's a micro rupture. It's nothing I can't fix. But still..."

This was the same wound that killed the man who came in before. The man whose wife caused a stir. Linde hadn't been able to patch his brachial artery in time to prevent his death. And even if Shadow was the Red-Eyed Demon and tougher than anyone she'd ever met, this was still a fatal wound if left untended.

Linde shook it off and got to work immediately by using a small clamp to pinch the artery about one inch away from the ruptured section. Another clamp to the other side, and the flow of blood to his left arm was cut off along that pathway. Breaking out her C'e Tua paste, Linde slathered a bit of it onto her fingers and applied it to the rupture in the artery. Gently massaging it in and ensuring the tissues stayed still, she counted to thirty in her head before slowly releasing it. The paste had bound itself to the tissue and was holding strong. She un-clamped the far side of the artery first where the blood wasn't flowing. And then, very slowly, she released the primary clamp. The slow release allowed her to control the flow of blood as a test for the stability of the paste.

The clamp came all the way off, and the artery held firm against a regular flow of blood.

Linde let out a sigh and glanced at Shadow who was still glaring at her. And that earned a smirk. Linde then continued working on Shadow's numerous stab and slash wounds. Many of them had already clotted and were no longer bleeding freely. But that was no reason to celebrate. Having lost as much blood as he did, Shadow was in no condition to do much of anything except lay there... Which he hated.

Linde couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how terrible a patient Shadow was. It was almost like a child who hated pain so much he would ignore it just to get back on his feet before he was supposed to. And in doing so, he'd hurt himself that much more. But he seemed to behave himself this time, aside from the glare.

Though it was no surprise to Linde, it may have come as a surprise to Whimsey how little Shadow emoted for the procedure. He was under no anesthetic, no pain killer, and no other soothing salves Linde had at her disposal. Yet he toughed out the arterial repair while fully awake without so much as a single flinch. And as Linde and Whimsey worked on his other injuries, he continued to simply lay there without so much as a single twitch or sound uttered.

The entire procedure to tend all those cuts and stabs took almost a full hour. But once they were finished, Linde took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. Her hands, and Whimsey's too, were covered in blood, as well as their clothes. Who knew saving a life could get so messy? Linde gave Whimsey a smile.

"You did well. Thanks Whimsey." She said as she gave Shadow a pat on his good shoulder.

"Can I get up now?"

"Not a chance. You're officially confined to that bed for the next two days until I can confirm that your flesh has bound properly and that you're in no danger of re-opening that arterial rupture."

"The fuck I am!" He growled.

Linde sat down at his side, placing a hand on his stomach between his sewn wounds.

"Need I sit a bit further over? This spot looks comfy." She said while gently rubbing his deeply toned abdominal muscles.

Shadow snarled at her before letting out a "Hpmh" and turning his head to stare at the wall.

Linde chuckled, stood up, and turned to Whimsey.

"Well... This wasn't what I had in mind when I invited you over for dinner. Sorry about that. There's a bathroom just through that door over there if you want to clean up a bit. I can get you some fresh clothes too to borrow until tomorrow." She said, pointing to a door on the other side of the room.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

“I’m sure you are, Shadow.” Whimsey let out a quiet chuckle, glancing down to the man with a smirk she was trying to hide. In truth, she assumed she would behave quite similarly to Shadow, in his situation. She always had trouble asking for help, and even more trouble receiving it. Even with her hands literally stuck inside the man’s body right now, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the man and giggle.

Linde’s slight uncertainty to taking care of that specific injury made her tilt her head and glance at the woman with a confident smile. “You’ve got this.” Nodding to the woman, she kept doing as she asked for the time being. Before long, both her and the doctor were covered in the man’s blood.

“Yeesh...” Letting out a long yawn, she sat down on the chair Shadow had been in. With it already bloodstained, she didn’t worry too much about adding to the mess. “We aren’t gonna address why he’s covered in wounds...?” She glanced over at Linde and Shadow with curiosity on her face. Though, when she saw the woman running a hand over Shadow’s chest, her eyes immediately shot over to the other wall. Was it a romantic gesture? Or just one of admiration and thankfulness that he was okay...? She didn’t want to dwell or think too hard on it.

She stood up with a small sigh, walking over to the doorway and stopping as Linde called out to her. She turned back, wiping her hands on the front of her coat and crossing her arms awkwardly. “No, no, that’s alright, Doctor Almna... I, uh, wouldn’t want to intrude.” She gave an awkward bow, eyes staying away from Shadow mainly. “I’ll wash up, leave you two be... I can take care of cleaning this up before tomorrow. I’m used to getting blood out of clothing, anyways.” A clearly forced giggle escaped her as she bowed to the woman. “I’m happy to take care of getting the blood out of that chair, the carpet, and all that, as well, Doctor Almna.”

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

Linde smiled.

"It's no trouble. But if you insist, then that's fine."

She glanced to the window where Shadow had clearly made his entrance, stained with blood.

"Would you mind grabbing a bucket of water and some cloth to clean the window and the walls outside? I don't want the scare the neighbors tomorrow morning with blood all over my walls." She giggled.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt you two, now that he’s here. Enjoy your time, the both of you.” Bowing, she simply nodded at the topic of cleaning the blood off of the wall. “I’ll take care of it.” With that, she turned on her heel and shut the door behind her, before rummaging around and finding a bucket for water and some cloths to take care of the blood on the walls.

She shed her coat, hoping to at the very least look a bit more presentable. Her slacks were still bloodied, but at the very least she didn’t have her white coat on that would have made it far more obvious she was covered in blood. It took a few minutes, and some finding a box to stand on to reach a bit higher than her arms could, but she eventually had the walls taken care of. It was far later than she would have liked to have still been up, but it was what it was. Taking everything back inside and washing the cloths, she glanced back up the stairs and raised her voice. “It’s taken care of, Doctor Almna! I’m going!” With that, she walked out and shut the door behind her, realizing only a moment after stepping outside that her knife was still in Linde’s room. No point in disturbing her to get it just for a short walk. Shaking her head and draping her coat over her arm, she started headed back to the clinic so she could wash the blood from her clothes and get some damned sleep already.

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

The moment Whimsey left the room to wash the walls outside, Linde propped up a chair next to the bed. The back of the chair was facing Shadow, and Linde rested her arms flat across its top as she leaned down and put her chin on her forearms.

"I guess now's as good a time to ask the obvious question?"

"There's a new player."

"Come again?"

"It means there's a new individual or group in the Dark World. I've been tracking them for the last couple weeks. And I managed to eavesdrop on a meeting tonight before I came here."

"And during that meeting you got your ass kicked?"

"Aft-... I didn't get my ass kicked."

"What do you call the new red paint job in my house?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"The price of victory. But more importantly your name came up."

She arched an eyebrow.

"I couldn't get all of the details. They didn't speak openly about whatever it is that you interfered with. But regardless, they view you as an obstacle. You did something recently that thwarted something they're trying to do. Some kind of plan or setup for Valkyom. The one who hired Jurios just wanted you dead. But Jurios and his men seem keen on having fun with you."

Linde sat more upright in her chair.

"You know why they're after you, don't you?"

"I might have an idea.

"Enlighten me."

"Two days before Jurios came to my clinic, I was out for a walk when I came across a man in the middle of the road having a seizure. I did my best to ease him out of it, but he died in my arms. And what caught my attention was the presence of a strange discoloration in his saliva I'd never seen before. It was purple-ish, and it reeked like a rotting corpse. I took him to my clinic and performed an autopsy where I discovered some sort of liquid in his blood. It was like oil in water. It didn't mix with the blood. Instead it flowed alongside it like an entirely separate existence. But it flowed all the same. I followed it through his body until I reached the brain where I discovered that the liquid was getting stuck and absorbed by his brain tissue which turned it the same purple-ish color that his saliva was."

"Some kind of drug?"

"One would think. But no. That can't be it. Drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream and permeate the entire body. This liquid specifically targeted his brain tissue."

"Then some kind of poison."

"Drugs are poison. Just like medicine is poison if given in improper doses. No... This was something new. I've no idea what to call it, or even what it is. But I found a way to counteract its effect entirely by accident."

"Which is?"

"Dferia Mint. Ground to a powder and mixed in water. Then stirred together with Veloria. The Dferia Mint breaks down the liquid so it mixes with the bloodstream, and Veloria aids the body's defenses so they can go after the invasive contents. It's got nasty side effects including migraines, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and even hair loss. But the important thing is that it worked."

"And you know this how?"

"I tested it on the next person I encountered suffering from the condition. They were brought to my clinic by a friend of theirs after they 'randomly' fell into the seizure. I saw the purple saliva, and carefully helped them swallow my concoction. It took about five minutes, but the seizure broke and they managed to come back to consciousness."

"So if they're the ones who developed this thing, then you're the only one who knows how to stop them."

"It's just a theory. But it fits."

"Every theory deserves to be tested."

Linde smiled.

At that moment, Whimsey called up that she was finished cleaning. Linde called back a "Thanks Whimsey" before returning her focus to Shadow. And it was at that moment that something seemed to occur to her as her eyes widened slightly.

"Shadow... how long did you say it would take Te'i Sai to figure out who Ernest's associates were?"

"About a week, maybe two."

"... Stay here and rest. I'm going to catch up to Whimsey and escort her back to the clinic."

"You worried they're already on to her?"

"Every theory deserves to be tested. Just stay here, okay?"

Shadow nodded as she went downstairs. On her way, she spied Whimsey's knife and tucked it into her sash behind her back. A little "just in case," though she'd give it back proper when they reached the office. Once out the door, she jogged down the street to catch up to Whimsey.

"Hey!" She called with a wave of her arm.

Jogging a big faster, she stopped when she caught up and heaved a breath.

"Phew! Sorry. I just remembered that I forgot something in my office. So I may as well accompany you back." She giggled.

The two walked along, occasionally engaging in casual banter. But as they neared the clinic, Linde's eyes spotted the faintest flicker of a shadow cast from the rooftops on the ground to her right. Whimsey was at a poor angle to see it since Linde's body was in the way. But Linde caught it. And be it from paranoia or her theory proving true, she paused in the middle of the road.

"Whimsey..."

Linde brought Whimsey's dagger out from behind her back and held it out for Whimsey to take.

"You're going to need this." She said ominously as her eyes trailed upwards to the rooftops behind where Whimsey stood.

And there, on the rooftop, were two Te'i Sai assassins. Both wearing the same dark gray robes with the black stylized wind circling the black wings of a raven on their chests that Whimsey had seen in the sewers when Shadow sent her to learn the truth about Ernest. The pair of them descended from the rooftop to the ground, and walked forward calmly with both of their eyes locked firmly on Whimsey.

"That's the one." The taller of them said.

"Correct." Said the other.

The tall one brought out a wicked curved sword from the sheath at his waist, the blade of which had to be nearly 3/4 of Whimsey's body length. The shorter one brought out a single curved and serrated dagger, glistening with fresh blood from a previous kill.

Linde stepped partially between Whimsey and the assassins, taking a stance and preparing herself with a deep breath and a long exhale.

"If things get too out of control, I want you to run. I don't care where to. Understand?" She said in a low voice over her shoulder.

Mothman

 

[Mothman]

As she started walking back to her room, a voice called out from behind her. Turning around, she was surprised to see Linde walking up behind her with a hustle in her step. "Oh... Doctor Almna." Blinking twice at her, she found it odd that she would run back to the clinic this late at night. After a moment, she simply assumed it had to do with Shadow. Needed some sort of medicine or tool, or something, most likely. So, for the time being, she didn't mind the company in the slightest. Though, as the doctor handed her knife back to her, she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. She tried to reassure herself that Linde just noticed it on her way out, was all. Though, knowing that Linde was familiar with who was after her... It was impossible for her to be so lucky.

"Yes, ma'am." She tucked the knife into her belt, throwing her coat on despite now wanting to be seen in it. If she was right on her hunch, she'd need both her arms free in the coming future. Not even a few moments later, as if on cue, two men descended from the rooftops, landing in front of the two women. Whimsey grit her teeth and immediately pulled her knife back out, holding it in a backhanded grip. "No can do, Doctor Almna..." Shaking her head, she stepped up to besides the woman, twirling the knife in her hand for a short moment. Both men, in truth, scared the hell out of her. That massive sword would cut through her like butter, and the other man looked far more versed in real combat that her. It wasn't like she could just run away and leave Linde here... That woman was far more important to the world. Losing her would be a real problem... People relied on her, needed her.

"...I'm done running." With a nod, she met eyes with the man closer to her height, taking a few steps forward. Did she have any real combat training? Not in the slightest. Was she about to attack this man who was clearly was going to just stab her in the throat and be done with it? Absolutely. With a small breath before doing anything, she dashed forward and aimed her knife right at the man's neck, trying to stay as far as she could from the man. If Linde hadn't been here with her, she honestly would have probably let the two men kill her. Just after her stab, she immediately lurched herself back as much as she could, using her momentum to pivot around and throw a kick towards the assassin. Her aim was at the man's knife, hoping to disarm him if at all possible, but she knew that was far from likely.

GojiBean​

 

[GojiBean]

The assassin with the sword took a few cautious steps toward Linde who remained firmly rooted in her stance with a deadly calm look in her eyes.

"I know you... You're the doctor who owns the clinic just up the way."

"Should I be flattered you recognized me? Or should I call you a stalker?"

"Hmph. You can still walk away from this. We're here for the girl."

"What will killing her really accomplish?"

"She's a loose end. That's all."

"A loose end is still a life. One you have no right to snuff out."

"It's not about rights. It's about consistency and efficiency."

"In other words: You don't give a shit."

"Hmph. Don't say I didn't give you a chance when you meet your precious Goddess."

He lunged for Linde with the sword in both hands, ready to stab through her stomach. Linde's body, activating muscle memory through tens of thousands of repetitions of a move Shadow taught her, slide-stepped forward and left of the blade with one hand above and one hand below. Both slammed down against the man's wrists which caused the joints to buckle as his tendons were pulled back which forced his fingers to open. The sword dropped to the ground, and in his momentary surprise he neglected to block Linde's follow through as she allowed the hand on top to slam into the man's clavicle region at the same moment her right foot stepped behind his rear foot. Her hips slammed into his, causing his body to lurch, and he rose into the air, being pulled over and across her hip, until he kissed the cobblestone floor with the side of his head, shoulder, ribs, hip, and knee.

He let out a grunt of pain. Stars swimming in his vision. Linde took the moment to check on Whimsey and make sure she was all right.

The very instant she tried to look back down, a hand reached up and grabbed her entire face. His fingers and thumb rested on her temples as he began squeezing with all of his might. The pressure against the nerve clusters sent a sharp twinge of pain through her skull as she grabbed his wrist with both hands. Without being able to see, she couldn't aim properly. But with his size, she didn't need to. Holding his arm for leverage, she lifted her lower body off the ground and swung her leg around into his rib cage. The impact sent a "SNAP" through the air, and he grunted and doubled forward though he didn't let his grip on her face go. She tried to kick again with the same leg, only to be met by his elbow in the middle of her shin. Luckily for her, it didn't break her bone. But it did cause a major zing of pain through her leg.

Mothman