“I’m First Sword Roselynn Emberborn,” Roselynn replied simply, taking comfort in the fact she could remember. “I’m glad to meet you, Anna.”
“Roselynn Emberborn… a beautiful name. Do you mind if I call you Rose?” Anna asked, her smile growing gentle as she held one of Roselynn’s hands.
“That’s fine. I… usually don’t like informality, though,” Roselynn admitted. Looking at her wrists, she asked, “Why am I restrained?”
“We need to have a serious discussion, Rose, one which has occasionally caused patients here to react poorly. That’s why you’re restrained,” Anna explained, her smile fading slightly as she continued. “It regards your position.”
“What kind of discussion? I wouldn’t think I’d react badly…” Roselynn replied, growing confused. A part of her was whispering that she should be more upset about being restrained, but that part was tiny and buried.
“We’ll see. Once I’m sure you’re not going to overreact, we’ll let you out, I promise,” Anna assured Roselynn, then asked, “How long have you been in the army?”
“Um, about… two and a half centuries?” Roselynn said, slightly hesitant as she tried to remember exactly how long it had been, but unable to pin down the exact length of time. “Close to that. I don’t keep that close of track.”
“Hm, and you’ve never considered retiring?” Anna asked gently.
“Not really… the military is a family tradition. I’m needed there,” Roselynn replied, feeling like she was on much firmer ground now. “I wield Ember, after all.”
“I see. I was afraid of that,” Anna said, her eyes darkening as she looked at Roselynn sadly.
“Is something wrong?” Roselynn asked, growing a little concerned. “You seem… sad.”
“Our task here in the spire is to help those who’ve been fighting for too long to… find themselves again. That’s why you were sent here, Rose,” Anna explained.
“What do you mean, find myself? I enjoy my position… well, mostly,” Roselynn said, her voice growing uncertain again. She didn’t really understand what Anna was saying fully, but the worry in the back of her mind had grown a little.
“Rose, how long has it been since you weren’t subject to the regulations of the army? Since you could do whatever it was you desired without fear of repercussions?” Anna asked, her voice slow and smooth. “How long has it been since you could truly relax and not have to worry?”
“I… I don’t know,” Roselynn replied, the questions causing her mind to reel in uncertainty, as if she couldn’t quite find her footing. “It’s just what I do.”
“That is why you’re here, Rose. You’ve lost balance in your life. Here in the spire, we help warriors rest, recover, and find the joy that they’ve been missing for so very long,” Anna said, smiling slowly as she spoke, her face radiant. “Your time here is meant to bring you beauty, joy, and peace. If, once your time here is done, you feel the need to return to the battlefield again, you may do so. But until we’re certain that you’ve regained balance, we cannot allow that.”
“I… but…” Roselynn began, then hesitated for a long moment. “But what about my post? I can’t just abandon it.”
“Someone else has taken your place, don’t worry. All you need to worry about is your recovery,” Anna assured Roselynn.
“Very well,” Roselynn conceded, a large part of her mind feeling relieved to let go of the worries that had been plaguing her for a while. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“Of course not, Rose. You’ve lost your balance, and that’s why you need teachers to guide you onto the correct path,” Anna said, smiling as she reached down and unhooked the restraints with a touch. “You’re a beautiful woman, Rose, and you deserve a better life.”
The compliment brought a flush to Roselynn’s face, and as she rubbed her wrists she glanced into the mirror, looking at herself for a moment before shaking her head. “No I’m not. Not in comparison to you, Anna.”
“Ah, but that can be fixed, Rose. Would you like me to show you?” Anna asked, gesturing at the vanity and the items across its surface.
“Um, yes? It’s part of what I’m here for, isn’t it?” Roselynn replied, the tiny resistance she’d been feeling slowly dying.
“Very true. Tina! Come in and help me, would you?” Anna called out, picking up a jar and uncapping it, then picking up a paintbrush. She dipped the tip into the jar and it came out a deep red that matched her own lips.
The door opened and another woman stepped in, but at the sight of her, Roselynn’s eyes went wide. A part of her mind cried out in shock, but the fog and Anna’s presence kept Roselynn from doing anything sudden aside from grabbing the armrests.
A succubus entered the room, her hair raven dark and her skin with a deep pink tinge, as opposed to Anna’s pale skin. The succubus had bat-like wings and a fleshy tail that swayed behind her, and her eyes were like smoldering coals. Coals that caused Roselynn’s heartbeat to quicken, much to her surprise. Even more surprising was that the succubus was wearing clothing that was nearly identical to Anna’s, and she bore the same tattoo, though hers was on her lower right arm.
“What’s… what’s a succubus doing here?” Roselynn asked, staring as the succubus approached, smiling at Roselynn.
“Oh, Tina? She and a number of her sisters gained enlightenment and joined the spire’s numbers years ago,” Anna said, giving a comforting smile. “I promise, they won’t hurt you unless that’s what you desire.”
“It’s true. All we desire is to help you, Ms. Roselynn,” Tina said, a faint, smoky accent to her voice.
Part of Roselynn wanted to run… but a larger part of her thought that Anna’s words were reasonable. Stranger things had happened, though to her knowledge the angelic legions had never accepted a demon into their numbers. Perhaps the Spire of Confession simply wasn’t part of the legions, and the demons had joined it.
“Okay… I’m going to watch you, though,” Roselynn warned, and the gorgeous succubus smiled as Roselynn’s hands relaxed.
“Of course, Ms. Roselynn. Whatever makes you feel better,” Tina replied, her voice growing even more… interesting, somehow. Before Roselynn could put her finger on how it had grown more interesting, Anna spoke.
“Call her Rose, Tina. She seems to like it,” the angel directed. “Now, purse your lips, Rose. Tina is going to be trimming your nails to start with, so hold still.”
Despite her fading misgivings, Roselynn nodded, letting her mind drift in the fog as she followed their instructions. Maybe they were right… maybe she did just need some time to relax away from the frustrations of the Council’s directives.
Chapter 16
Another peaceful day had mostly passed by, and Isalla found herself surprisingly happy with how things had been going. It’d been a week since Kanae had returned with her sword, and despite how it had been covered with congealed sap, Isalla had been thankful beyond words. The sword had been a gift from Roselynn and was one of the few things she owned that served as a reminder of her former beloved. It had taken hours to fully clean the sword, but Isalla had spent the time without hesitation, and only reluctantly had she allowed Kanae to hide it with the rest of her equipment.
Despite the excitement the sword had prompted, Isalla had quickly found things returning to their routine. She was growing stronger day by day, and Kanae continued to perform her usual visits to patients most days. They visited town together once during the week, which gave Isalla mixed feelings, since she’d met a few new demons, including one of the spider demons. The spider demon had left her shaking slightly, since the sight of the demon had caused near-primal terror.
Today, though, they were inside. Isalla was trying to read a book, though the handwriting was nearly indecipherable, while Kanae prepared herbs to be dried in her alchemical lab. It wasn’t too different from their normal routine… at least until there was an abrupt banging at the door.
“Kanae! Lords of fire and earth, I hope you’re the
re!” a man exclaimed, panic obvious in his voice. It took Isalla a moment to recognize the voice of Deka, the town guard.
“Deka, one moment and I’ll be there.” Kanae called out, wiping her hands on her robes to dry them as she moved toward the door.
The door opened to reveal Deka, the guard looking winded and slightly frazzled. He let out a deep breath as he saw Kanae, speaking rapidly. “Fires of Eternity, it’s good to see you! We need your help, Kanae, I don’t know what got into them, but—”
“Deka!” Kanae interrupted sternly, scowling as she continued. “Shut up, take a deep breath, and tell me what’s going on.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Deka said, flushing slightly as he took a moment, then spoke more clearly, his eyes darting back and forth. “It’s Vokal, Urek, and Brialla. They went into the Fungal Abyss this morning.”
“They what?” Kanae demanded, her voice sharper than Isalla had ever heard it, and the angel saw the guard cringe.
“Uban told us. He was going to go with them but backed out at the last minute. He said he saw them go in near the eastern marker,” Deka explained, swallowing hard as he continued. “We’ve sent a few of the hunters into that area, but since they’re not back already, they probably went deeper, and—”
“And none of the hunters are strong enough to survive that deep. Heaven’s blast the young idiots!” Kanae snarled, somewhat to Isalla’s shock. The demoness spun and flat-out ran for her room, vanishing inside it.
“Is… is it really that bad?” Isalla asked, looking at Deka in surprise. “She told me the Abyss is dangerous, but I’ve never seen her react this way before.”
“I don’t dare go beyond the rim of the Abyss,” Deka said simply, rubbing his head in agitation. “Consuming Fires… I don’t know any hunters who go beyond the first tier of the Abyss, for that matter. The only one currently living and in the area who we know can go deeper is Kanae. That’s why we came to her, because anyone else would just be throwing themselves into the meat grinder after them. Young, overconfident idiots.”
“Oh,” Isalla said, swallowing hard. “Well, maybe I could help somehow.”
“Not a chance,” Kanae said, her voice flat. “You’re barely recovered enough to practice with your sword, you wouldn’t last an hour in the Abyss.”
Isalla looked over at the healer and gawked, surprise rippling through her. Kanae looked nothing like her usual self, as she wasn’t wearing her robes, or the trousers and tunic she used when she needed more mobility. Instead, she was wearing black scale armor, the surface reflecting light dully, yet oddly silent despite its construction. The armor covered her from the neck down, with matching gauntlets and boots, and as Isalla watched, Kanae seated a black helm over her head. Even Kanae’s tail was armored, and the tip was razor-sharp. With a sword at her side, Kanae looked deadly, despite the backpack she wore.
“But what if you’re attacked or injured?” Isalla protested weakly, because she knew Kanae was right.
“If something that can take me down comes up out of the depths, the entire town would be in danger, not just me. If they’ve gone that deep, the three imbeciles are dead and we won’t even recover their bodies,” Kanae replied grimly, adjusting her sword-belt and pack. “You can start worrying if I’m not back in three days. As it stands, I won’t be surprised if I’m too late as it is.”
“I… I guess so. I hope you’re going to be safe, though,” Isalla replied, giving up the argument for the moment. She wanted to help, but she wasn’t sure how, and it was obvious that Kanae was in a hurry.
“As safe as I can be. Deka, lead the way,” Kanae said, and flashed Isalla a smile as she said, “Lock up behind me, please. This is going to be a long day. Or two, for that matter.”
“Sure,” Isalla replied, but by the time she’d taken to stand, the two were gone, both moving at a run.
She shut the door behind them and locked it, shocked at how suddenly the day had changed.
“I need my strength back,” Isalla muttered, her determination hardening. She was tired of being viewed as helpless.
“Stupid idiots,” Kanae muttered, her sword leaving its sheath in a flash as the gigantic mushroom opened its maw and tried to bite her. The blade cut straight through the creature’s mouth and caused the cap to topple backward as crimson liquid began spraying upward from the fanged stump she left behind.
The Fungal Abyss wasn’t pleasant at the best of times, and Kanae had followed the youthful imbeciles into the second tier before losing their trail. It’d been obvious that they’d been chased into the deeper tier, but that didn’t stop her from cursing as she looked around the foul place.
The air was filled with a foul stench, not unlike that of a rotting carcass, and the only light was sickly greens and reds shed by different types of fungi. Water slowly dripped from the upper tiers of the Abyss to the lower tiers, turning into a strange, thick sludge that gave the impression of a swamp. The different types of mushrooms and fungi all around her reduced the range of her vision, and Kanae scowled as she saw one of the bulging protrusions begin to ripple.
A mottled red and white fungus erupted in a spray of ichor and fungal flesh, and the creature that emerged let out a warbling cry that hurt Kanae’s ears. It was alien, with three clawed front limbs and a dozen strange, filament-like rear limbs, along with a wide maw with what looked like a tongue lolling out of it. From the look of the interior, Kanae was fairly certain that being swallowed by the creature would be unpleasant and not unlike being run through a grater.
“I hate this place.” Kanae muttered, her sword out as she watched the creature point at her, somehow seeing her despite not having eyes, then it charged.
Kanae waited just a moment, watching the creature come, then dodged to the side. As she anticipated, some of its rear ‘legs’ grabbed on to nearby vegetation to swing it around toward her, its maw wide open. Instead, Kanae ducked and rolled forward through the muck, her blade lashing out to sever one of the clawed legs and nearly half of the rear filaments, while her tail blade cut a long gash down its side.
The creature crashed to the ground with another warbling cry, struggling to turn toward Kanae, and her nose wrinkled at the stench as she almost instinctively lashed out to cut off part of the tongue that’d come after her, the end glistening with a sticky substance. Without waiting for it to attack any further, Kanae gripped the hilt of her sword in both hands and brought it down with a grunt, cutting the foul beast clean in half.
As it twitched behind her, Kanae continued onward, dripping muck and in a foul mood. “If they’re alive, I’m going to give them one hell of a tongue-lashing.”
Another howl of a monster split the air, this time accompanied by a scream. Cursing, Kanae broke into a run. Of course it was on the edge of the third tier.
Isalla woke to the sound of the door slamming open and sobs, curses, and frantic conversation. She rolled out of her bed, wondering what was going on, just as Kanae’s voice cut through the commotion clearly.
“Everyone but Manog, out. You’re just going to be in the way. Deka, go to the alchemy shed and get me the red jar,” Kanae ordered, and before the protests could begin, she spoke even more firmly. “I said out! I barely got to them in time, and I’m not going to let all of you get them killed!”
The commotion died down, and Isalla hesitated before carefully moving to the door and opening it slightly. It took her several moments to make sense of what she was seeing, but what she did see made her wince.
Kanae was in her armor, though she’d removed her gauntlets and helmet, and the grim-looking demoness was caked in layers of what looked like mud and slime that was mottled with red and green. She was washing her hands, and Manog was beside her, the clothing of the bone demon spattered with blood.
On the table were a pair of demons, and what she could see horrified Isalla. One was a young woman, a half-demon human from the look of her, and her skin was unnaturally pale, with a bandage stained red across her stomach and her tail ending halfw
ay down, the stump covered by another red-stained bandage.
The other was a male demon who looked a lot like Deka, save with pinkish-red skin, what she could see of it. His skin was inflamed in several spots, and bandages covered at least three-quarters of his upper body. As Isalla looked at him, the demon groaned, shuddering.
“What do you need me to do, Kanae?” Manog asked, looking concerned. “I’m not versed in injuries this bad.”
“That’s fortunate for you. I need you to help hold Brialla down while I open her stomach. She’s got a gut-wound that needs to be stitched and sealed, that’s why I had Deka get the jar. Keep an eye out for any debris lodged in the wound, because we really don’t want her to get infected,” Kanae ordered. “Other than that, I simply need you to be a spare set of hands. Besides, I might not always be here, Manog, and you might need an idea of how to do this.”
“That idea terrifies me, but I’ll do my best,” Manog said, his face grim.
A moment later, Deka burst into the room, panting as he held up a red jar. “Here it is, Kanae!”
“Set it on the table and get outside. Keep anyone from disturbing us,” Kanae ordered, finishing up her washing.
“Right,” Deka said, looking relieved as he set the jar on the table, then stepped out.
Isalla hesitated, then opened the door more and asked, “Is there something I can do, Kanae?”
“Ah, Isalla. I wondered if you’d wake,” Kanae said, smiling thinly and nodding as she pulled out a pair of short, long-handled knives. It took Isalla a moment to recognize them as something humans used, called scalpels, and she winced. “Yes, actually. Put more water on to boil and pull out the spare washcloths. I’m afraid I’m going to need them.”
“Alright,” Isalla said and winced as she saw the two get to work, prompting a soft cry of pain from the young woman.
She quickly grabbed a pot and went to fill it with water, glad that she wasn’t going to have to help directly. A part of her wondered if Kanae had been forced to do that to her, and Isalla’s stomach lurched at the thought.
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