Avarice Twilight

by R. A Davidson

  I had a feeling she would suggest such an idea. I am against involving ourselves any further if possible.

  "His Majesty didn't explain the details of the contract," she continues. "Aside from telling us that we must quell any strife within the kingdom. There's a good chance that us ignoring this could be a breach of the contract."

  I do not respond to her statement; in fact, I feel myself more amazed by her analysis of the situation.

  "Why do you look so surprised?" she asks.

  "Apologies. I did not expect you to be considering such a thing. I assumed your mind was solely on the fool," I reply.

  She buries her face in the pillow. "I-it's not like he's all I think about, you know," she stammers.

  I grin. "Do you have affectionate feelings for the fool?" I question.

  It is incomprehensible to me how she could feel such a way for the fool, but I am looking forward to listening to my first friend's feelings of love.

  I feel my grin widen as the anticipation makes me giddy.

  "I don't know if I like Aryn or not. I've never experienced a feeling like I have for him," she answers. "In the short time that I've met him, he's saved my life numerous times."

  "Is he not the reason for your life being in danger though?" I ask.

  "He saved me from being raped and killed by a group of men in Avalon. They had already killed a friend of mine when Aryn appeared."

  I do not say anything back… I cannot find any words to say. I had no idea Asteria experienced something like that so prior to our meeting.

  "Then he saved both of us from becoming Headmaster Regin's pawns. He's always putting himself in front of danger, not caring what happens to his own body. I don't know if I like him or admire him. That's why I'm trying so hard not to be afraid of the terrifying power he has," she finishes.

  The fool certainly is an enigma; or maybe it is better to call him a bad omen?

  "I am inexperienced with matters such as that, but I think it would be best if you were to converse with the fool. Perhaps, expressing this to the fool will help you discover what your feelings mean. Though, I am quite sure you do not have love for the fool… who would?"

  Our bonding moment is interrupted by a knocking on our door.

  "I'm opening the door," a voice states; it sounds like Barin.

  The door opens and Barin walks in.

  "Get out; we are in our nightwear!" I exclaim.

  "That's not important. Aryn and Utrix found our horses and our supplies. I've got them out behind the inn," he states.

  That is excellent news. I can finally dress in proper clothing. It would also have been such a shame to have lost such elegant elven gear. Asteria seems overjoyed as well; I am glad that her mother's heirlooms were not lost.

  "Where are Aryn and Mister Utrix?" Asteria asks.

  That is an excellent question. Did the fool go out on his own after demanding that we leave? If so, he has once again overstepped his authority.

  "He took Utrix to go investigate the Senate. Knowing Aryn, he'll just waltz around until he causes enough chaos," Barin replies.

  So, the fool came to the same conclusion Asteria and I did… that we must resolve the matters regarding the Senate. Yet again, he lives up to his foolish nature. To defy the Senate without a plan is lunacy.

  Barin makes his way into our room, not caring that there are two maidens in their nightgowns. "The three of us should plan our course of action from here on. We've had people spying on us too long after entering the city, most likely people under the Senate's employ. I also speculate that there's a divide among the Senate," he states.

  "Why do you think they are not working together?" I ask.

  Barin walks towards the window. "Because we haven't been attacked yet. There must be a group that works around the other to carry out their plans," he explains.

  That would make sense; I too, was wondering why we have yet to experience any conflict. The question is, how long will that balance last… or if the balance has already shifted. I am sure with the fool and Mister Utrix involving themselves, the Senate will take action.

  "They're coming!" Barin exclaims.

  Through the window burst three guards. What are they doing here? Has the balance shifted? Are they here to kill us?

  One of the guards covers Barin's mouth and puts his dagger against Barin's neck. The other two leap on us and clasp our mouths.

  "Can't use any magic without chanting," the one on top of me grins.

  I do not have the physical strength to remove the guard from myself. I doubt that Asteria has the power to break free either. I do not know if Barin has any combat experience; I hope he does.

  "Senator Artuitus wants an audience with you three," the guard holding Barin states.

  "He wants to have some fun with you two lasses, but he didn't say we couldn't have our own fun first," the one on top of Asteria remarks.

  The guard on me licks my face… it is such a vile feeling. Asteria starts screaming, muffled by the guard's hand. I feel my eyes fill with tears as I try to be strong.

  Suddenly, Barin drives his elbow into the stomach of the guard that binds him. Taking the dagger, he throws it into the back of the guard atop of me. He screams in pain and falls onto the ground. The other guard gets off Asteria and lunges at Barin. Barin takes the guard by the wrist and twists towards the floor, causing the guard to follow. He strikes the guard on the side of his head with a knee.

  All three guards are incapacitated. Asteria and I are amazed by the skills that Barin showed.

  "It would appear you are highly skilled in combat as well as the ways of magic," I comment.

  Barin ignores me, instead deciding to gather the guards against the wall.

  "Cedar Cuffs," he chants.

  The wood floor rises around the guards' ankles and wrists, forming into wooden blocks.

  He takes one of the chairs and places it down in front of the three of them.

  "What are you doing?" Asteria asks.

  "Gonna interrogate them… best leave if you don't want to see it," he remarks.

  Asteria and I look at each other; we both seem to have the resolve to see this through. We need to know as much as possible if we must fight back the Senate. Asteria and I get dressed first. We agreed that wearing just our nightgowns was not the most appropriate attire.

  Barin slaps the three guards awake. They go to move, then they realize they are bound.

  "When we get out of these, we'll do terrible things to the three of you," one of the guards states.

  "Won't take long for us to get out, but if you let us out now, it won't be as bad for you," one of the other states.

  "Right, right… that's what they usually say," Barin responds.

  Barin steps in front of the guard furthest to the right and kicks him in the face. The guard falls onto his side. Barin stomps on the guard's head, again, and again. Then begins kicking the guard in the midsection… over and over. He finally stops… the guard's face is barely recognizable.

  "Heal him Asteria," Barin orders.

  Asteria willingly makes her way over the heal the guard. The other two watch in silence as Asteria quickly heals the injured guard.

  "I'll be damned… you have a blessing," one of the guards says, astounded.

  Once the guard is healed, Bain sits him back against the wall.

  "As you have just seen, she can heal any wound before death, and I need information. Now, I'll ask you questions one at a time. You lie to me; I hurt you. You don't follow orders; I hurt you. I'll take you to the brink of death and back as many times as it takes," Barin states. The air around him seems to get heavy, and the room almost feels cold.

  Barin's murderous miasma is drastically different from the fool's. It is like a cold winter's day has set upon you, freezing you to the bone.

  The guards are quiet in response to Barin's words. "Seems we're at an understanding," Barin remarks. "Now, would any of you like to volunteer, or will I have to pick myself?"

&
nbsp; The guards dart their eyes at each other; I doubt they will tell us what we wish to know, even if Barin's threat was eerie. They must have some loyalty to the Senate, whether it is from the same ideology or money.

  "If we talk, we live?" one of the guards asks.

  "It wouldn't hurt your chances," Barin replies.

  The guard sighs. "Ok, I'll tell you all we know," he states.

  Barin leaves the room. Where is he going? Did he not intend to ask them questions?

  Asteria makes her way to my side. "Any ideas as to what Barin is planning?" she asks.

  I do not have the slightest idea what Barin's notion is. I want to trust him and his decision making, though.

  "Hey, girlies," a guard calls. "Let us go, and we promise to take you right to the Senate… unharmed, of course," he states.

  Asteria clenches my sleeve. Glancing at her, I see she seems to be irritated by them. I put my hand on her to reassure her, then gently pull her hand off.

  I make my way over to the guard who made the remark.

  "Gonna listen to me elf?" he asks with a grin.

  I glare at him; he is such a disgusting human. Why are most humans I have met like this? I kick him; he seems more stunned than hurt. I am afraid I do not have the powerful kick that Barin has.

  "You little bitch!" the guard yells.

  I drive the heel of my boot into his eye. As I remove the heel, his eye comes with.

  The door opens.

  "Seems like you're having fun in here, young lady," Mister Jen remarks as he follows Barin in.

  Why is Mister Jen here? Does Barin wish to involve him with the Senate further?

  "Why have you brought Mister Jen," I ask.

  Mister Jen and Barin walk past me and over to the guards. Mister Jen inspects the guards. "This is indeed a fine gift you're giving me, young lad," Mister Jen remarks gleefully. "What do you want in return for this?" he asks.

  What does he mean by gift? Are we giving the guards to Mister Jen?

  "Think of this as a payment for the information you gave us and a sign of mutual friendship," Barin answers.

  The guards start squirming.

  "W-wait, didn't you say we had to talk?" one asks.

  "What's the meaning of this you damn brat!?" another yells.

  "That was a lie," Barin states.

  The guards stop moving, silently looking at Barin, confused. Why would he have to lie to them, and to us as well? They have information that could prove useful, but he gives them to Mister Jen out of friendship.

  "I already had all the information I needed. I know Aryn and Utrix are at the tower in the middle of the city. Mister Jen says it's the Senate's tower. The two of them have yet to return, meaning the Senate has somehow captured them. What they plan on doing with them, I don't know," Barin explains.

  "W-we can tell you where they're being held and what will happen to them!" a guard exclaims.

  "I don't care," Barin replies.

  Once again, the guards are silenced by Barin's cold response. I am shocked by his answer too. Mister Utrix is a comrade, and the fool is his brother. Should we not ascertain their well-being?

  "I have no need to be concerned about Aryn or Utrix. They are both more than capable of getting by on their own," Barin states. He turns to face Asteria and I. "What I'm focusing on now is assuring our safety. After that, I'll infiltrate the tower to get Aryn and Utrix," he says.

  That is much easier said than done. How will we even gain access to the tower. Surely, it is heavily defended at all times?

  Mister Jen joins our circle. "I have information to help with that," he tells us. "Knowing Artuitus's personality, he will hold a fight with the two of them very soon… probably tomorrow night," he explains.

  Hold a fight? Who is this Artuitus person, someone of high standing in the Senate? There is too much that we do not know. That is the reason why we need to interrogate the guards.

  The guards start laughing hysterically, then start crying from the laughter.

  "Good luck with that. Do you think we're the only ones who are coming after you!?" one of the guards exclaims.

  "We just wanted the city guards to get all the credit. Who knows how many mercenaries the Senate has hired to catch you three!?" another yells.

  "Even if we die, you three will suffer a much worse fate!" the last yells.

  They begin laughing again, like crazed maniacs.

  An ice rod flies into one of the guard's leg, and he screams in pain.

  "You three think you will have a quick death? Do you not know who I am… what you did to me?" Mister Jen asks. "The four of us are going somewhere where no one will hear you scream. I'll take these five years of bitter hatred out on you three," he promises.

  Barin takes Asteria and me by our hands and leads us towards the door.

  “I'll leave you to it, Jen," Barin remarks.

  "I hope we can sit down and exchange stories sometime, young lad," Mister Jen replies.

  Barin pushes us through the door, closing it behind him. He walks in front of us. Asteria and I know that means to follow him. As we leave the room, the screams of the guards are heard before becoming muffled.

  We follow Barin down the stairs and into the lobby. He leads us to a door that leads to the back of the inn. The whole time we walk, we remain silent.

  We are met with a group of mercenaries as we open the door.

  "Any chance you can act like you didn't see anything?" Barin asks.

  A man steps from the group; his face carries a weathered expression, though his eyes seem to show compassion… maybe even sympathy.

  "Sorry kid, can't let you go," the mercenary replies.

  "That's a shame. I don't want to kill you if possible," Barin states.

  The mercenary sighs. "I don't want this either. Unfortunately, our circumstances can't allow us to let money like this go. I'm sure you've got your own circumstances. I'm sure we can agree that things are not always easy," the mercenary responds. He sounds remorseful.

  "So, you need money? Is it worth risking your lives for?" Barin questions.

  The mercenary smiles. "For our families, we're more than willing to risk our lives," he responds.

  Barin scratches his head. What are we to do? The only way I see it is that we battle them. Even if we do not kill them, that fate may be worse than death. I almost wish we could help them in some way. I genuinely believe they are obeying the Senate for the good of their families.

  "Hey, Asteria, Isla," Barin calls. "Mind if I use a play from my foolish brother's book?" he asks.

  "What do you mean?" Asteria asks.

  Barin approaches the mercenary. "I don't dislike people with your attitude, so I'd prefer not killing you. I don't have money to give you, but I can give you my word," he states.

  The mercenary chuckles. "And what word is that?" he questions.

  Barin puts his hand on the mercenary's shoulder. "Soon, my brother and I will destroy the Senate. Once that happens, you won't have to worry about the Senate anymore. All of you, take your families and hide somewhere for the time being," he responds.

  The mercenary looks astounded; it is a significant promise to make after all.

  "I can tell by your eyes kid, you think you can pull it off… no, you know you can," the mercenary remarks. He takes Barin's hand. "You know, a deal between men has to be upheld once hands are shook?"

  Barin chuckles. "You can treat me to a beer after it's over," he says.

  The mercenary convinces the group to leave.

  Barin wastes no time climbing into our wagon. "You two get your gear on too. We'll be on the run for a bit… or until most of our pursuers are gone." he orders.

  I despise it when he bosses us around, but his decision is sound.

  We have to be prepared for any attacks, and it makes more sense not to stay in one location. If Barin is the type of man I think he is, he will suggest that we circle the city. As we do so, we will eliminate any adversaries that are pursuing us.

&nbs
p; Asteria and I climb into the wagon to make ourselves ready. I am glad to be able to wear my own clothes. Elven craftsmanship is leagues ahead of any other kingdom’s. I feel much safer in my armor.

  "I‒I'm so glad my mother's heirlooms were not lost," Asteria stammers through tears.

  She looks so happy to be reunited with the armor and sword. I am immensely glad for her. To lose something like that would have been a tremendous burden on her heart. Once we are dressed, we join Barin at the front of the wagon.

  All of the horses have been harnessed to the wagon.

  "Why have you done that? Would it not be more useful to have an independent rider?" I ask Barin.

  "Having the three of us close together will make it easier to defend one another's blind spots. Having the horses together gives us more strength and overall speed. I don't plan on needing maneuverability," he explains.

  Asteria and I take a seat next to him. Barin grabs the reins and we set forth, not knowing what we will encounter.

  19

  ASTERIA

  The wagon begins to move. I feel I should resolve myself to the same degree that Barin and Isla have. I have slowly developed a lot of courage—at least compared to how I used to be. The Basilisk we faced was terrifying, and those assassins were crafty adversaries, but I believe the Senate will be an even greater enemy.

  "Asteria!" Isla yells, waking me from my thoughts. "Are you alright?" she asks.

  "Sorry, I'm just thinking about uncertainties," I reply.

  Isla gives me a reassuring smile.

  I'm glad that I have been able to become friends with her. At first, I was intimidated by her; she is the elven kingdom's princess, but I realized just how much we share in common, after talking to her. She's the only other girl in the group, so having a fellow female's opinion about subjects, or just someone to talk to, has been nice. Isla has yet to open up to the others as she has to me, but I have a feeling she will.

  We make our way down the main street to leave the city. As they were when we entered, the streets are flooded with drugged people. The wagon is having a hard time getting through the crowd, and from the look on Barin's face, he has reached his limit.