by Sam Ryan
“Good,” Tara said. “War is supposed to be messy. It is supposed to be up close and bloody. That’s what keeps people from doing it too often. Could you imagine a world where people were able to kill each other from a distance, never even seeing the person they were killing?”
“It still happens far too often for my liking,” Sophia grumbled.
“What would you have us do then?” Tara asked. “Even if we had told them this would happen, you really think it would have changed anything? They would never have believed us.”
“We could have made them believe us,” Sophia stated coldly.
“How? By showing them we can’t be killed? Make them worship us?” Tara glared at Sophia. “We are Immortals, not goddesses. No matter what Jezebel may call us.”
“Are we not?” Sophia snapped her head towards Tara, a serious look on her face. “What is a god but someone with more power and insight than a human?”
“We are not omniscient or infallible for one.” Tara pointed out.
There was a loud crash as the door to their room burst open and an armored soldier came storming in, bloody sword in hand. The soldier smiled as he saw the two women in the room, one wearing nothing but a nightgown that was open in the front, and the other completely naked.
“Don’t try to run,” he ordered, a sneer on his face that did nothing to mask his lustful intentions. He pointed the tip of his sword at both of them threateningly.
“Get out of here,” Tara said, brushing at her short bangs with her fingers, obviously annoyed with the interruption. “We are trying to have a very serious conversation here.”
“Now listen here you bitch-” The second he took a step forward, two knives drove into the gaps in his armor around his throat. The knives had come from two different directions, one from the window where Sophia was sitting and the other from the bed.
The soldier gurgled blood before falling to the ground motionless. Sophia was already up and moving to the soldier. She rolled him over and yanked the knives out of his throat, wiping the blood off on his uniform. She tossed one back to Tara and held on to the other. She quickly glanced outside the door, checking to make sure there were no others, before closing the door once more. She used her foot to push a door stop to the corner of the door to hold it closed. The latch now worthless.
“What you are talking about is not observing from on high,” Tara continued as if nothing had happened, stashing the knife next to the bed where it could be easily reached. “What you are suggesting is forcing our rule over them.”
“And what is so wrong about that?” Sophia asked, lifting the soldier up by the shoulders, being careful to not get his blood on her. She dragged him across the floor towards the open window.
“Because humanity is like a growing child,” Tara said as she watched Sophia lift the body up and toss it out the window onto the small pile of other dead soldiers that lay on the street below. “They make mistakes. And they either learn from them and grow. Or they don’t learn and make the same mistake over and over again until they do.”
“And you’re alright with that?” Sophia popped out her hip and rested a hand on it as she stared down at the woman lying in the bed. “Just watching humans make the same mistakes over and over again and doing nothing about it?”
“That’s how they learn,” she stated. “That’s how we learn too. The only difference between us and them is that we have been doing it longer.”
Sophia was still not satisfied but she could tell there was no point in discussing it further. Tara was never the meddling type. She preferred to stay out of things that did not directly concern her and Sophia doubted she would ever change in that regard.
“Come here,” Tara ordered in a gentle but firm voice. She held out her hand towards Sophia and waited for her to take it. Locking their fingers together, Tara pulled Sophia into bed, drawing her in close as their lips met.
Sophia did not fight it as she squeezed Tara’s hand and let herself melt into the woman.
“I see you got my message,” a voice called out.
Sophia looked up from the coin in her hand to the woman sauntering towards her. She was dressed in a dark brown leather corset and trousers, with a grey petty coat that hung down, nearly touching the ground. She did not wear a shirt under her corset, showing off her cleavage and shoulders. She also wore a set of dirtied goggles on her head that acted as a headband, keeping her long hair out of her face.
“You’re lucky I even got such an obscure reference.” Sophia smiled, flicking Tara the coin with her thumb.
With a smile, Tara cupped her hands together, letting the coin land in her palms and clamping them closed around it. “You were never one to forget a debt that was owed you,” she stated, tucking the coin into a pouch in her belt. “Especially one from another Immortal.”
“Because they have no excuse for not paying it back,” Sophia scoffed, a smile plastered across her face. Despite her rather crisp tone, Sophia was more than a little happy to see Tara. Out of all the Immortals, she would say she got along with Tara the best and not just because their encounters tended to end with them in bed together, though she was sure that helped.
“Shall we go in?” Tara asked, motioning with her hand for Sophia to lead the way. “I’m buying, obviously.”
With a smile still on her face, Sophia pushed herself off from the wall she had been leaning against. “You changed your hair,” Sophia observed, stepping into the pub. “Thought you hated having long hair. Said it was too much effort.”
“Can you just say my hair looks nice like a normal person and just leave it at that?” Tara asked, raising her hand over her head, signaling for someone to bring them a drink. Kicking her laced booted foot over the bench of the table in the middle of the pub and flinging her coat behind her. She sat down, her hands resting on top of the worn wooden table.
“Your hair looks nice,” Sophia said, sitting down across from her, using the bench and the table to lock her cane in place next to her.
“Thank you.” She beamed Sophia a pleased smile. She took off her goggles and gave her head a shake, letting her hair fall around her face. She used her fingers to brush the long bangs out of the way, showing off her bright amber eyes that looked like a burning fire. “I think the long hair with highlights make me look sexy,” she said, twirling the blond highlight around her finger.
Sophia did not say anything. She only sat there, clasping her hands together on top of the table, a grin on her face.
“Shut up.” Tara giggled, letting go of her hair and returning her hand to the table. “Sorry about the covertness of my message. I wasn’t sure who that woman was with you and what all she did or did not know. I didn’t want to introduce myself and ruin something that you were scheming.”
“Scheming?” Sophia scoffed. “I don’t scheme.”
Tara only nodded her head, seemingly unconvinced.
A large mug was placed in front of them with a forceful thud, foam splashing slightly over the top. Tara thanked the barmaid who had delivered the drinks, cupping a gold coin into the woman’s hand and giving it a firm squeeze and a friendly smile.
“And what about you?” Sophia asked, leaning forward slightly against the table, ignoring the foaming pint in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
Tara’s brow furrowed at the question and she cocked her head slightly. “Is it that big of a surprise, given what’s happened?”
Sophia frowned. Was she referring to the Legendary Relic? It was an interesting development, but not something that would necessarily draw Tara’s attention. No, something else had happened. Something big.
“Why?” Sophia asked. “What happened?”
Tara took a deep breath as she leaned back, her frown never leaving her face. “Have you been keeping up with the others by any chance?” she asked.
“Why bother,” Sophia snorted dismissively. “Jezebel is likely off causing trouble for someone or another. Allora and Elena are still locked in their ivor
y tower together. You are impossible to keep track of even if I wanted too. And Stella is-”
“Stella is dead,” Tara finished.
Sophia froze, like the gears in her head had all jammed. The only thing she could do was blink repeatedly. “Huh?” Was all she could stammer out.
“It happened a few years ago from what I hear,” Tara explained. She propped one elbow up on the table and leaned forward. “Allora told me how Stella had helped form Trevelia’s new government.”
“Stella? Really?” Sophia raised an eyebrow.
Stella had made it clear on numerous occasions that Immortals should never involve themselves with governments. She said it was too dangerous for them because of the power their immortality held. She had openly called Allora daft when she proclaimed herself Queen of the Eternal Throne and founded the Eternal Empire. She had also been the hardest to convince when they all finally went after Emperor Arcon. Her working with Trevelia seemed rather suspect. Impossible even.
Tara raised her hands in agreement. “I thought the same thing,” she said. “So I kept an ear out for anything relating to her or to Trevelia. But when I heard that she had been assassinated, I couldn’t get much in the way of details. So I decided to come check it out in person.”
“Alright.” Sophia shrugged not impressed. “Wouldn’t be the first time one of us has faked our own deaths to avoid suspicion. Wouldn’t surprise me if in a few years her ‘daughter’ suddenly showed up.”
“I thought the same thing at first.” Tara nodded, grabbing her pint and taking a quick sip. She used the shoulder of her coat to wipe the foam off her mouth. “But just to satisfy my own curiosity, I went ahead and visited Stella’s mausoleum. After breaking in and dealing with two very surprised groundskeepers, I opened up her casket. Sure enough, there she was. Dead.”
“Could she have just been sleeping?” Sophia asked, far from convinced. “Many drugs still affect us and I know some that can slow down the heart so much the person appears dead.”
“I checked for all of that,” Tara assured. She seemed rather calm for someone telling her that one of them had somehow died. Something that should not have even been possible. “And before you ask, yes it was her. I checked to make sure that it wasn’t a doll or look-alike. I swear to you that it was Stella in that crypt and she was dead.”
“I feel like I have been saying this a lot recently, but that’s impossible,” Sophia said, her head starting to feel dizzy. She had never felt so excited or so scared before. Much less at the same time. The thought that maybe their lives were not so infinite was an exciting prospect, but for the first time ever, Sophia was having to face her own mortality. “I mean, the closest any of us ever came to dying was when Stella fell into that pit of molten metal. And she came out of that fine in the end.”
“I know.” Tara nodded, sharing Sophia’s feelings on how unbelievable this was.
Sophia grew quiet for a moment, looking down at her lap as she let the information fully sink in. She had lost people she had cared about before but this was different. She did not know what to feel. Part of her felt like this was something worth celebrating. While she doubted any one of them was actively seeking death, they likely all longed for it. But the idea that Stella was now gone forever still did not seem real to her. How could it? She was an Immortal after all. She could not die. That was… impossible.
“Any sign of what killed her?” Sophia finally asked. Her voice weak.
“Not that I could see.” She shook her head. “No wounds or puncture marks. Her tongue wasn’t swollen, so it’s unlikely poison was the cause. And her organs were all perfectly healthy.”
“How do you know that?” Sophia’s voice trailed off as she saw the stone cold look on Tara’s face.
“I was very thorough,” Tara said.
A shiver went down Sophia’s body and she suddenly felt like she needed a bath. “Do the others know?”
“You’re the first I’ve seen since I found out,” Tara stated. “If any of them have heard, it hasn’t been from me. I just assumed that you had found out about it from somewhere and that’s why you were in Trevelia.”
“No,” Sophia shook her head. “The Kingdom I happened to be living in ‘asked’ me to come here and investigate a strange explosion that occurred near here. They are convinced that it was caused by a Legendary Relic.”
“You mean from the Arcana Empire?” Tara blinked in surprise. “And you went along with this?”
Sophia shrugged. “I was curious,” she admitted. “If it’s true, then that could mean a lot of different things. The lord who sent me even thinks they might attack Allora with it.”
“Interesting,” Tara said, deep in thought. “And have you determined anything yet?”
“No.” Sophia shook her head. “We should be heading out to the site sometime tomorrow, I imagine.”
Tara smiled as an idea formed in her head. “In that case, you want to get a room tonight? Still my treat.”
“Next time,” Sophia said, rising to her feet. “I had better get back to my companion before she comes looking for me.” Sophia lifted her still untouched mug off the table and downed it all down in one go.
“Alright,” Tara said, not hiding her disappointment. “Then what do you want to do about Stella?”
That was a good question. If someone had really found a way to kill Immortals, then there was a good chance they would be coming after the rest of them eventually. Sophia supposed the first thing they should do was warn the others. Allora and Elena seemed the easiest to find, but they were also probably the safest as well.
Slamming the pint down on the table, Sophia let out a refreshed sigh. “What have you found out about who killed Stella?”
“Almost nothing,” Tara admitted. “Everyone seems to think someone else was responsible and whoever did it left no trace of themselves behind. At least, nothing that I could pick up on several years after the fact.”
Sophia was liking this less and less. Without a solid lead to go on, it made it difficult to know where to go next.
“It’s your investigation,” Sophia stated, deciding to pass it off to her instead. “What’s your next step?”
“Probably head back to the capital,” Tara said. “I only came here because I heard Stella had a home here, but I didn’t find anything there. So I was planning on going back and sneaking into her room at the Palace. Don’t know if there’ll be anything left to find, but at this point I don’t have much else.”
“Then why don’t I meet you there after I finish up with this,” Sophia said. “I just need to go check the site out and say if I think a Relic did it or not.”
“Then why don’t we meet in the Inn that I stayed at last time I was there,” Tara offered. “It’s called the Cat and the Shovel.”
“Pussy hole.” Sophia smiled, shaking her head. “Real clever. That sounds like something Jezebel would come up with.”
“Makes it easy to remember,” Tara beamed. “I’ll wait there for you and if I have to leave for some reason, I’ll leave a note telling you where I am going.”
“Alright then.” Sophia smiled, nodding her head.
Tara stood up from the table and circled around, holding out her hands towards Sophia. Sophia accepted the hug, warmly pressing her cheek into Tara’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe I am saying this.” Sophia pulled back from the hug but did not let go of her shoulders. “But be careful.”
Tara let out a breath, blinking her eyes as she tried to process what she had just heard. “Yeah, that does sound off coming from one of us.” Then her expression lightened and she flashed Sophia a smile. “You take care of yourself too,” she said, squeezing Sophia’s shoulders. “And I’ll see you soon.”
“Promise.” Sophia nodded, letting her hands drop to her side. After col-lecting her cane, she gave Tara one final nod of goodbye then headed out the door. She had only taken a few steps before she saw a very worried looking knight walking towards the pub.
“There you are.” Madilyn let out a sigh of relief. “You were taking so long I thought something might have happened.”
“The person bought me a drink as thanks for returning their coin,” Sophia stated, walking to meet the knight. “I told you that you didn’t have to worry.”
“But I do,” she stated, rather passionately.
“It was just a coin,” Sophia joked, walking past the knight and down the street to where they had been before. “You’re not supposed to be falling for me yet.”
“As if I ever could,” Madilyn snorted, but there was something in her tone that chilled Sophia’s blood. Was she really that mad at her?
Sophia glanced over at Madilyn who immediately looked away. But in that brief moment there was something cold in her stare. Had something happened on her way up here?
“Let’s just get moving,” Madilyn said, pressing forward with long strides. “I’m sure our contact is starting to get worried.”
The two of them walked in silence down the street. There were still plenty of people about, either on foot or in carriages, paying the two no mind as they went about their business. The road slowly sloped down as they made their way down the mountain, drawing ever closer to the large dock at the base of the city.
“The Pub should be over there,” Madilyn said, pointing down a street corner.
“After you,” Sophia smiled. Madilyn did not return the smile, instead she marched forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber as she walked.
Madilyn was not the only armed person in the city, though Sophia noticed that most people carried firearms, not swords. Something Sophia found a bit of a shame. Guns were far more simplistic in the way that they killed. There was very little skill or training that went into their use. It made killing less personal. Less horrific. And in many ways, less heroic.
The Smoke Hat was a far less reputable establishment than the pub Sophia had met Tara in. That was not surprising given its proximity to the docks and the kind of clientele that would attract. The loud voices and vulgar words were one thing. The smell was something else entirely.
