Rise (War Witch Book 1)

by Cain S. Latrani

  "Not to mention the hundreds, thousands, of souls born into this world, down her line, that will not ever exist now," Zoe told him, her tone sharp and angry. "So, yes, Tiffy, she would've been unhappy, for the good of the world as a whole. Are you content to sacrifice all of that, and more, so one girl can play at living her dreams?"

  "I would have every soul chose their own destiny," Mastiff replied.

  "Yeah, well, that's not how the world works, sweetness," the Troll growled. "The Demon Gods are waging a war, while the High Gods play a match of Masters. They plot and plan, generations in advance, to create heroes that will turn this world into a better place. Sometimes, people have to make sacrifices for that to happen. That's just how it works."

  "Then they can still plan their noble warriors, just by some other line," he snorted.

  "You still aren't getting it," Zoe snapped. "Her bloodline, that was what mattered. Now it's all gone to ruin. They must start from scratch, bringing the right people together, again and again, to bring about the right people."

  The Ogre waved it all away. "Then they must do so. What of it? The end result is the same."

  "Maybe," his companion said. "Maybe not. You can't see the big picture, because you're near sighted. Chara's fate is in flux, and every day she walks around, she sets the fates of everyone she meets into a flux. She's a big-ass stone dropped into a pond, creating ripples everywhere she goes. The whole of the Middle World is now in chaos, every future unset. We don't know what will happen, and cannot know, until her path is set."

  "Metaphysical clap trap," Mastiff muttered.

  "I wish," Zoe shrugged, grabbing the shrimp up again. "That's how it works, though. Nothing is ever set in stone. Alter one thing, and watch it all fall down. Even Terris' Ascended can't be certain what will happen right now.

  "Because she didn't become the brood mare to a butcher’s son?" Mastiff snorted.

  "Exactly," she nodded. "That didn't happen. Someone altered the course of her life."

  Mastiff scowled. "You mean him, don't you?"

  "Rakiss, yes," she nodded. "He's found another."

  "Bloody Hells," Mastiff groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "That damn fool. No mortal can survive what he puts them through! Certainly not a girl of her years. We should interfere this time, Zoe, stop it before it gets as bad as those other three."

  She shrugged and resumed eating. "Can't. All we can do is watch, and deal with the mess when it comes about."

  "Why?" he snapped. "Why must I sit and watch this girl be led down the path of damnation? What has she done to deserve that?"

  Zoe paused, smiling at him. "You like her."

  The Warmaster crossed his arms, scowling. "She has fire in her. I could do much with a pupil such as her."

  "Let's hope you get to," the Troll told him. "But we also have to prepare for the possibility that she will fall. Already, we've gotten signs one of the Demon Gods has noticed her."

  Mastiff stared in shock. "Which one?"

  "Balmor," she said softly.

  "By the might of Heaven," he growled, standing and gathering his hat.

  "Sit down," Zoe snarled.

  Mastiff's butt hit the chair without a thought, followed instantly by a surly look. "I hate that you can do that."

  "It's how I keep you from doing something stupid," she replied. "Like running off and warning her."

  "This isn't right, and you know it, Zoe," he barked.

  She nodded. "You are right. It isn't. Nothing about it's fair. She's so young, with such potential. It's a shame we're going to have to kill her. That is, though, what we do. Clean up the mistakes."

  "I rue the day I met you and learned the Gods capable of fault," he grumbled.

  "I know," she said, giving him a sad smile. "I'm sorry for that, too. I needed you, though. You and the other one."

  Mastiff grimaced at mention of him. "Where is he, anyway?"

  "Tending other matters," she shrugged.

  "What would you have me do then?" he asked.

  "Go to Wylcer, take a room at the Hotnar Inn, and wait till you hear from me again," she said.

  Mastiff scowled at her. "That's it?"

  "That's it," she nodded. "It may be a while, though, so you'll want to pay by the month."

  The Warmaster sighed heavily. "What if that damned fool succeeds?"

  "The girl will become a weapon like no other," Zoe replied. "But from what I saw of her aura, I wouldn't get your hopes up. I see why you like her, but don't let that stay your hand should the need to kill her arrive."

  "I never do," he replied as he stood, dropping his hat on his head.

  "Mastiff," she said before he could leave. "Thank you."

  He nodded slowly. "Take care of yourself, Zoe."

  She nodded in return and watched him go before leaning back, her fingers playing over the leaping Jaguar mark on the palm of her left hand. She certainly hoped Zastra knew what she was doing. She had a feeling her old friend Mastiff would have a hard time taking the girl’s life before she could become a Dark Blessed.

  If she lived that long.

  Unaware of what was happening around her, Chara had marched down the street, snuggled in the giant coat the Ogre had given her. She popped into the first clothing store she passed. The pretty young Halfling minding the counter had asked how she could help, and Chara had simply opened the coat, showing the little lady.

  In retrospect, she wondered if that was rude.

  To her annoyance, the only thing they had in her size was a red and gold bustier styled top and a matching skirt that only made it halfway to her knees. Irritated, she'd demanded to know why, only to learn she had wandered into a Halfling clothing store. Everything else was literally too small.

  Figuring things could be worse, she paid for it, changed in the dressing room, then thought to ask after something to wear under the skirt. The lacy thing the Halfling gave her didn't seem like an improvement over nothing, but she took it anyway. Staring in the mirror, she decided it was still better than what she used to wear back home.

  Wrapping herself in the coat, she'd launched out again, knowing where she needed to go, and what she needed to do when she got there. By the time she arrived at Rayne's however, she felt the street could be polite and stop waving at her like that.

  It didn't even occur to her that she was drunk.

  She pulled on the door a few times, then tried pushing, which worked much better. Staggering in, she cast about for a moment at the ever-dark front room, the rainy day outside doing nothing to help illuminate the place. A little frustrated by that, she began trying to pick her way forward.

  "Rayne? Where are you? I need to talk to, hey, there's something sticky here, and where are you? I need to talk to, ow, what was that? Rayne? Where are you? I need to talk to—why is that thing looking at me? Rayne? Turn the damn lights on already, I can't see a thingy on the shelf looks weird."

  Light flooded the room as Chara bumped into the counter, realized she'd navigated the room, and felt rather proud of that. A moment later, Rayne came down the stairs, yawning, wearing an entirely too see-through nightgown.

  "What's all the noise about?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

  "I knew it," Chara declared, jabbing a finger at her.

  Rayne blinked a few times. "Knew what?"

  "They are pert!"

  "What's pert?"

  "Your boobs," Chara whispered.

  Rayne cocked her head and stared at her in confusion. "Say what?"

  "They're pert," Chara declared again.

  "Heard you the first time," the Half Elf said slowly. "Are you drunk?"

  Chara spluttered in indignation. "I am not! You might be! I can't tell from here, but you smell like it."

  "That's you, sweetie," the Spellweaver said.

  "Oh," the other woman replied, sniffing herself. "I may be drunk."

  "You think?" Rayne asked.

  "Not well at the moment," Chara said, waving a hand about. "Your boobs are pert." />
  Rayne sighed heavily. "Yeah, we covered that."

  "Did we?"

  "Yup."

  "Still true."

  "Thanks."

  "It smells funny in here."

  Hanging her head, the Half Elf drug herself over, slipped an arm around her, and started her toward the stairs. "I think we should get some coffee down you."

  "Weee!" she giggled.

  "Oh, come on," Rayne grimaced.

  Managing to drag the young woman up the steps, Rayne noted that it wasn't just the booze she was smelling coming off her, but something else as well. She didn't really care for it, either. She wasn't sure what was going on, but Chara was definitely not herself.

  Depositing her on the couch, Rayne blew her hair out of her face and nodded. "You stay here. I'm going to go make some coffee. Okay?"

  "Sure," she belched, making a grab for the Half Elf's butt as she turned to go. Yelping, Rayne scooted away quickly, giving the other woman a worried glare as she melted over, landing face down on the seat.

  Heading into the small kitchen, she set her coffeepot up and put it on the stove, jabbing the activation rune as she muttered to herself. "Always ends up the same. I try to make a friend, offer to be there for them, next thing I know, they're passed out drunk on my couch smelling of sex. Anybody ever think I’d like to pass out on a couch smelling of booze and sex? Oh, Hells no. Too busy getting plastered and laid."

  Guido clattered around her feet.

  "I'll have you know that talking to oneself is a sign of great intelligence," she snapped.

  The trash pile shimmied at that.

  "Go check on her," Rayne grouched. "Make sure she hasn't thrown up on the rug or something."

  Guido scooted away, rustling as he went. Rayne sulked in the kitchen as the coffeepot began to perk. Some days, it just didn't pay to go to bed in the morning.

  Once the coffee was ready, she poured a cup, adding a few drops of an elixir she kept on hand for just such an occasion. It would neutralize the alcohol in Chara’s bloodstream, effectively sobering her in a matter of minutes. Of course, she'd have to go through the whole hangover in that space of time, but seeing as how it wasn't her who was drunk, Rayne didn't care much.

  Returning, she found Chara still face down on the couch. Sitting the coffee aside, she levered the young woman up, sat next to her to keep her from falling over again, and offered the brew. Chara stared at it in amazement for a moment.

  "What the Hells were you drinking anyway?" Rayne asked.

  Chara shrugged as she sipped the coffee. "Onation stoop, I think."

  "Onerian Stout?" Rayne exclaimed.

  "That was it," Chara nodded. "I only had three glasses, though, so it's okay. I'm totally fine."

  "Honey, they use that stuff to put down lame horses," the Half Elf replied in awe. "I don't know how you're even standing."

  "I'm not," Chara told her. "I'm sitting."

  Rayne nodded slowly. "Right. Never mind. What were you doing drinking that stuff?"

  "The Ogre gave it to me."

  "What Ogre?"

  "The one I was drinking with, silly," Chara giggled, then reached out to grope her breast. "Pert."

  Rayne groaned in dismay. Then she moved her hand. "Just, drink the coffee. We'll talk in a few minutes."

  "You're pretty," Chara told her. "Can I kiss you?"

  "Normally, I'd say yes, but right now, Hells no," the Spellweaver said, pushing her back as the other woman leaned in, aiming for the air behind Rayne's head.

  "Oh, shit," Chara groaned, leaning over. "I think I'm gonna puke."

  "Not on the rug," Rayne whined.

  "Aw, my head," the young woman whimpered.

  Rayne patted her on the back. "It'll pass in a minute."

  "I'll be dead in a minute!"

  "No, you won't," the Half Elf sighed. "I don't think. Maybe. It's dicey."

  "Gods, something died in my mouth," Chara groaned.

  Rayne rolled her eyes. "Probably."

  Chara leaned back, looked green for a minute, belched, than sagged. "That is some wicked coffee."

  "I do what I can,” Rayne smiled patiently. "Now, what in all the Hells is going on?"

  Chara rubbed her eyes. "That would be a long, strange, story."

  "Well, you woke me up from the first sleep I've had in four days, so you might as well entertain me."

  Looking over at her, Chara offered a weak smile. "Sorry. I didn't know where else to go. I think. Things are kind of hazy after I left the cafe."

  "I can bet," the Spellweaver nodded. "What are you wearing anyway?"

  "I really don't know."

  "Why are you wearing it?"

  "It was the only thing they had in my size."

  Rayne frowned. "Come again?"

  "It was a Halfling fashion shop," Chara told her, waving it off.

  "Why would you... wait, never mind. I'm not sure I want to know."

  Digging around in the bag she'd carried in with her, she held up the shirt she'd been wearing. "Cause I was walking around town in this, that's why."

  "So many questions," the Half Elf mumbled.

  "Long story, like I said," the other woman sighed.

  Rayne stared at her, worry all over her face. Chara groaned as the last of the Ogre whiskey was expelled from her system, looking over at the little Half Elf in appreciation. Guido shuddered on the floor.

  "So, what's going on?" Rayne asked.

  Chara laid her head on the back of the couch. "From the start?"

  "Please."

  "Okay, but I warned you."

  "I'm warned."

  Chara took a deep breath. "So, this morning, Esteban and I got in a fight, cause he wanted to stop helping Ramora, and I do want to help her. We screamed at each other, and he left."

  "Who's Ramora?" Rayne asked.

  "Blessed of Ramor," Chara replied. "Friend of mine. The Cleric I mentioned."

  "Got it," Rayne nodded. "Go on."

  "So, anyway, after he left, I went to talk to Ramora, and she agreed with him! Said I should stay here instead of going with her to hunt down Draco. Can you believe that? After everything we've been through together."

  Rayne held a hand up. "I have no idea what you've been through together, or who Draco is."

  Chara blinked a few times. "Oh. Right. Draco, Dark Blessed, bad man."

  "Ah, okay."

  "Me and Ramora, well, she's mute, but I invented a sign language, and you know what, never mind it, that's a longer story," Chara sighed, waving it off. "Point is, Draco wiped out her village when she was a kid, and I want to help her kill him."

  "I'm with you now," Rayne nodded.

  "So, after that, I got pissed, cause everyone is telling me to run and hide, like I'm a weak little girl, and that's not fair, cause I shot up the inside of that flying citadel, you know?"

  Rayne shook her head.

  "Oh, right," Chara groaned. "Anyway, there was an Ascended there, and we teleported up, and I used the mystic handguns to shoot a bunch of Demon Seed, even longer story, short version, I blew it up."

  "Neat," Rayne applauded.

  "Thank you,” Chara exclaimed. "So, not a dainty little girl that's needs protecting, obviously, right?"

  "Clearly," Rayne agreed.

  "Thank you, again," she nodded. "Anyway, I got pissed and went for a walk, but it was raining, and I wasn't paying attention, cause I'm all mixed up about Ramora and Esteban, and why I'm in love with both of them. Then I ran into Nerec, and next thing I know, we’re having sex."

  "Whoa, what?" Rayne cried. "Nerec?"

  "Yeah, why?"

  "Biggest philanderer in Lansing, honey."

  Chara nodded. "I can see why."

  "Eww."

  "Trust me, no."

  "I don't like penis," Rayne shrugged.

  Chara mulled that a second. "Okay, so eww for you. Anyway, I felt bad about that, so I ran off from there, and ran into this Ogre, who bought me a drink, and this is his coat by the way, and he ma
de things make a lot more sense. So, he gave me some money to buy some dry clothes, and I came here, because I'm a warrior now, and I need your help to kick Demon Seed in the nuts."

  Rayne nodded slowly.

  "What?"

  "That makes no sense at all," the Half Elf replied.

  Chara sighed. "Yeah. I know."

  "Can I ask something?"

  "Sure."

  "What the fuck?"

  "I don't know!" Chara cried. "I don't know anything! It's all so mixed up, I don't know if I'm coming or going. I feel like I'm in love with Esteban, but I don't know why. I feel like I'm in love with Ramora, but I can't be, cause of Esteban. I feel like I'm cheating on her when I'm with him, and if I think of her, I feel like I'm wanting to cheat on him. Then I did, even though I didn't plan to, and I felt better, and worse, all at the same time. Not to mention, when I saw Ramora and Leto together, I felt jealous, then he died, and now I feel bad about that, too!"

  "Actually," Rayne told her, a horrified look on her face. "I meant what the fuck made you drink Ogre whiskey with an Ogre?"

  "Oh," Chara said slowly. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

  "Right."

  Chara covered her face and screamed into her hands. "I just want to not think about any of this for a while. I don't know what I'm supposed to even feel. There's only one thing that's clear, so I'm hanging on to that."

  "What is it?"

  "I don't want to run away and hide," Chara said, staring at the wall sadly. "I don't want to cower. I want to fight. I need to fight. What the Demon Seed do, it's terrible. I need to stand up to it. Even if I do it by myself."

  "That is a spectacularly bad idea," Rayne advised.

  "Which is why I need your help," Chara told her, offering her a weary smile.

  "I'm not much of a fighter, really," Rayne said.

  Chara's expression changed to annoyance. "No, dumbass, I need a sword. I need you to get me a sword."

  "Yeah, you've got those," Rayne said, pointing to the mystic handguns in her bag.

  Chara nodded. "They aren't enough. I need a weapon for when they get in close."

  "Do you know how to use a sword?" Rayne asked.

  "Nope," she admitted "But I can find someone to teach me."

  The Half Elf sighed and nodded. "You've set your mind to this, then?"

  "I have," the other woman nodded. "It's the only thing I am sure about."