Chapter 44ish
November 22nd, 2022
Nevakko and Zechariah crept closer to the heavy curtain, their softened shoes not making a sound. They could see the dim glow of light creeping out from beneath the curtain, but could see no other light than that. Before they drew too close, Nevakko drew his hand crossbow out from it's strap to his back under his cloak and he gestured for Zechariah and his Lieutenant to do the same. They drew their crossbows and, one at a time with aid from each other, they drew their strings back carefully and so as to not wind the cranks. They loaded their bolts into place, and then resumed their slow, steady and silent approach to the curtain. As they drew closer, Zechariah could hear conversation emanating from within the chamber as Gerb and Sott the Informant discussed his 'mark'.
Reaching the curtain, Nevakko carefully laid his crossbow on the floor, painfully slow, and then pressed his hands against the floor. Muscles bulging, he held himself straight as a plank, and lowered himself down to the floor, so one cheek pressed against the floor as he peered under the curtain.
"So you decided to make the wise choice." Sott said from his bed. It was very dimly lit, with one candle by his side, and one of his guards off to the side of the room was holding a torch. The pallid tone of Sott's skin seemed to glow eerily in the gloomy room, the flickering light dancing across near translucent skin. He was old. Gerb hadn't noticed it so much before as he'd been more shocked by the fact that he was still alive. But now, seeing his prey laying before him, he half pitied the man. Surely he would die soon of age anyway.
"I have." Gerb said softly but determinedly. "Who's the mark?"
Sott studied him closely, doubt written upon his brow. "Why'd you choose to accept my offer?"
Gerb shrugged, trying to look uncaring. "I'm a killer. Always have been, always will be. If one more, or a score, have to die for me, then I don't see any point in losing sleep over it."
"You could have slipped away. Or gone to another friend for aid."
Gerb snorted, his heart beginning to race. Where was Nevakko and Zechariah? If they had been caught or had to abandon mission, then he would have to accept this deal. "As if. You know where my family is, undoubtedly. If I didn't show up, I may never have had the chance to see them again. Now, you know this as well as I do so why are you pretending like I had a choice?"
Sott grinned. "Always did like how terse you were Gerb. To the point, efficient, and logical. Just the way a killer should be."
"As much as I like the idea of you kissing my ass, I'm short on time and patience Sott. Who's the mark?"
"King Selemoss Zulad."
Zechariah felt his heart drop into his stomach, and he felt suddenly out of breath and his mouth felt very dry as a cold sweat starting to creep between his shoulders. King Selemoss Zulad! Zechariah's mind raced as he frantically tried to piece all the parts together, and he looked at Nevakko who looked back at him with equal amounts of shock. This...this could work in Gerb's favor. If he killed Zulad, then the one man who is still hellbent on hunting him down is gone. Sure he would still have to be careful but he could easily live his life with his family, tucked away as Lady Lelia's slaves. Without Zulad vying for his execution, Lelia may have no problems in the courts fighting for his life, and indeed, his removal may give Lelia much greater advantage in the country. A power vacuum of that magnitude would shake the country to it's core, and the Lords would all be fighting amongst themselves to try and fill the void. All thought of Gerb would vanish, and Lelia would find that the nobility would likely be more willing to seek alliances of any sort, even with a lower house like hers.
Nevakko pushed himself up off the ground, and the three of them huddled in close, whispering with lips pressed to each other's ears. "What now?" Zechariah asked. What if Gerb accepted the Mark? What if he refused? If he refused he would likely be cut down where he stood and disposed of. If he accepted, then their whole mission was in danger for they wouldn't likely be able to finish the job without Gerb's assistance. Zechariah felt himself sweating as they crouched just outside the curtain, at any moment running the risk of being discovered and being violently beaten to death.
Nevakko pushed himself up off the ground, and the three of them huddled in close, whispering with lips pressed to each other's ears. "What now?" Zechariah asked. What if Gerb accepted the Mark? What if he refused? If he refused he would likely be cut down where he stood and disposed of. If he accepted, then their whole mission was in danger for they wouldn't likely be able to finish the job without Gerb's assistance. Zechariah felt himself sweating as they crouched just outside the curtain, at any moment running the risk of being discovered and being violently beaten to death.
"If he betrays us," Nevakko whispered, "I'm going to have to kill him and try to finish it."
Zechariah's heart hammered in his chest and he was terrified that the guards on the other side of the curtain would be able to hear it. Nevakko reached out and held his shoulder, squeezing firmly. Zechariah drew in a shaky breath, and closed his eyes. His trembling body began to still. Their mission remained, regardless of Gerb's choice. Zechariah needed Lelia, and though he hated the idea of having to choose between the two, he knew that Gerb would choose what was best for him. If he did that, then Zechariah had to do the same. He prayed a silent prayer to Aleen asking that Gerb not accept the mark, before he opened his eyes and nodded at Nevakko, hoisting up his crossbow.
Nevakko leaned in to the Lieutenant, giving some instructions, then leant in to Zechariah to convey the same. "Three guards at the bed, two either side of the bed, one in front directly ahead. Two guards on either side of this curtain. Two on each side of the room. I'll take the shot at Sott. You take the guard on the right.
"Well?" Sott asked, wrenching Gerb back to the present. "It's not like you to be stunned to silence Gerb."
"Why Selemoss?" Gerb asked instead of answering Sott's question.
"Because he tortured me, and crippled me." Sott answered simply.
However, Gerb shook his head. "There has to be more to it than that. I'm the one responsible for your torture, and you're not one to hold unproductive grudges."
"I don't see as to how it matters." Sott said coldly. "If you die, I have vengeance on you. If he dies, I have vengeance on him. If you refuse, I have vengeance on you. I win no matter the outcome of this. Why I want it done? That's for me to know. Do you accept the contract or not?"
This could solve everything. If this was truly one last mission, he could kill Zulad, and then be done with his history in one fell swoop. Lelia would probably be better off as well. The man who hated him, dead. The man who he owed, paid off in full. He could get his family, and live the rest of his life as slaves in Lelia's house, and his wife would be safe from everyone. His mind raced through the possibilities, and then rested finally on Zechariah. No. He couldn't accept that. He could practically feel Nevakko's crossbow pointed at his head, waiting for the wrong reply. They should have thought this through better. If he refused, he would no doubt be attacked. If he accepted, he would probably get shot in the back.
Setting his jaw, Gerb hopped towards Sott, and the guards tensed. "If I kill King Zulad, you'll wipe all my debts? I'll be a free man?" Gerb asked. The guard at the foot of the bed stepped forward and put a hand against Gerb's chest stopping him from advancing any further.
"You have my word." Sott said.
"Shall we shake on it? Your guard here seems to be rather 'touchy'." Gerb said cracking a smile as he tried to hop to the left side of Sott's bed. Come on Nevakko take the damn shot. He didn't really believe in any of the Gods but he prayed anyway, to any who might hear him.
"No need to shake on it. You know me Gerb. My word is my bond." Sott said as the guard stood in Gerb's way, slowly shaking his head.
"Yeah, I know you Sott. And you know me. I've always touched a little too hard eh?"
Nevakko pulled the center of the curtain back a hairs breadth so he could peek into the chamber, as he saw a guard getting rough with Gerb. Nevakko gripped his crossbow tighter, as Gerb accepted Sott's offer, and sought to shake his hand. He raised the crossbow, but Zechariah raised his hand, beckoning him to wait a moment longer. Nevakko's brow furrowed at Zechariah, and further as he heard Gerb talk about touching a little too hard.
Suddenly, there was a thump as Gerb's hand snapped up and crushed the guards windpipe in a sudden and swift movement. The guard fell back, stumbling into the guard behind, and fell to the floor, gurgling and gasping through his crushed throat. As he fell backwards, Gerb heaved his crutch at the guard standing with the torch, and it caught the man square in the chest. Zechariah was almost as stunned as the guards, but they had been waiting for this attack. Suddenly the curtain was thrown aside as Nevakko and his Lieutenant fired their crossbows, followed only a fraction of a moment later by Zechariah's bolt. As the projectiles flew threw the air, Nevakko and his Lieutenant tossed their crossbows to the ground, and set upon the two guards, drawing their short swords in quick succession.
The two guards on either side of Sott's bed died with crossbow bolts in their chests, but Sott remained unharmed. As the projectile with his name on it came hurtling through the air and under the bed's canopy, there was a sudden flash of light and a small boom that sounded as the projectile was struck by a small burst of lighttight, shattering the bolt and sending it's remains scattering across the old man harmlessly. Sott raised himself up in his bed with his arms and cried out in a language that Nevakko did not know, but recognized all too well. As the old man began an incantation of sorts, the other guards recovered their wits and attacked in short order.
Seeing the bolt shatter in the air, Nevakko cursed as he slashed at the guard on the left hand side of the entryway, but was parried deftly by a hidden dagger from his opponent, and it seemed that his Lieutenant was equally engaged. The clashing of steel was followed by the movements of the remaining four guards currently unengaged. Gerb snarled at a guard as he hurled a dagger at Gerb, who dodged it by throwing himself at Sott.
Gerb's massive fist crushed the old man's jaw before he could finish his incantation. The second blow busted Sott's right eye. As Gerb laid his fists into the old man's face, beating him to death, Zechariah saw a second dagger being hurled at Gerb, flying true. He saw it spin through the air, as time seemed to slow. Unthinking, he took up Lelia's wand and raised it. Without thinking, he opened the floodgates to the Aether as Lelia had instructed him and reached out with his mind to everything in the room. Every object, the bed, the pillows, the table, the desk, the drawers. Everything. The guards, Nevakko, the Lieutenant and even Gerb. Everything in the room. He begged them to give him their energy, as he commanded the dagger to return to where it came from.
All at once, everything in the room floated up off the ground. The guards lost their footing and went tumbling through the air. Nevakko and his Lieutenant looked about wildly as they floated up. Gerb held on to Sott and continued beating him to death as the bed rose into the air. With the combined force of the weight of everything in the room, the dagger didn't only stop, but it reversed direction and hurtled through the air faster than the crossbow bolts they had fired moments before. The dagger surged forward, and struck the guard who had thrown it in the chest, and then it continued onwards. It tore clean through the guard, and with a loud clang stuck itself into the stone wall.
Zechariah felt the surge of Aether pour through his body and the wand immediately sprouted branches, and began to lose it's shape. A leaf appeared, then an ear, then some portion of it fell away into sand, as the wand absorbed the Aetheric fallout. Zechariah however, wasn't left unaffected. He didn't understand what was happening, but he could feel the Aether that poured through him, get stuck within him. Some part of the magic remained in his body doing who knows what.
Whilst the magic poured through him, Zechariah remembered his purpose and spoke the incantation that Lelia had taught him, and pointed at the center of the room, before he released the magic of the dagger. All at once everything in the room came silently crashing down. The bed fell, a leg splintering under the awkward angle and extra weight of Gerb. The dressers came tumbling down spilling their contents all over the floor, and the guards came down as well. Two managed to keep their footing. The Lieutenant didn't managed to stay upright, but he fell upon his opponent blade first, and ran him through the chest as they fell to the floor. Nevakko landed on his feet deftly and made quick work of the guard that lay at his feet. All this had been done while completely silent.
Zechariah looked around. Six guards dead, three still remaining, and Gerb's fists flying bloody on the bed. Not a sound came from the spluttering death of the old man, or the fists that caved in his face. But after a brief moment, Gerb stood to combat the two guards that had managed to keep their footing. One on either side of the bed, as the closed in on him. As Gerb leapt at one of them, Zechariah saw the place where the old man's face once was. It couldn't be called a face any longer. It was caved in, bleeding profusely and the corpse of the old man twitched idly in the last desperate attempts of the body to survive the death throws.
Gerb swung his fists at the guard who deftly dodged the blows and went to exploit Gerb's weakness of only being able to stand on one leg. The guard swiped his leg under Gerb and took his foot out, throwing him to the floor. However, Gerb was indeed adept at hand to hand combat, for as he fell he grabbed the man's garments and, using the momentum gained from being thrown to the floor, pulled the man down and over him, slamming him into the ground. The man tried to recover, but Gerb didn't let go, and wrapped himself around the man, hooking his arm around his neck and choking him out.
The remaining two guards made to end Gerb, but were intercepted by Nevakko who kicked a drawer up at one before lunging at the other with his blade. It bought the Lieutenant enough time to get back to his feet and engage the one who had been battered by the drawer. Wondering what else to do, Zechariah grabbed up a crossbow and reloaded it, getting ready to aim, but by the time he raised the weapon to his shoulder to aim, Nevakko had his opponent thoroughly impaled on his sword, who was still struggling and wrestling to as his body failed him, and the Lieutenant had managed to disarm his opponent and was making quick work of his opponent, stabbing him repeatedly with his own dagger until he stopped moving. Zechariah aimed his crossbow at the man Gerb had in a choke hold, but saw that Gerb was releasing a corpse, and was already gaining his feet.
Gerb stood, with a fire in his eyes, blood and brains dripping from his clothing and hands as he examined the room. Hardly a 'clean' job, but it was done. Nevakko and the Lieutenant withdrew from their engagements, and then, all eyes turned to Zechariah, who lowered his crossbow. Nevakko and the Lieutenant gave him a look of bewilderment, awe and fear, where as Gerb just grinned at him. He said something, but Zechariah couldn't hear it. Remembering that the spell was still up, Zechariah released it, and allowed sound to travel freely again.
"That was impressive Zech." Gerb said cheerily. "I knew you had it in you!"
Zechariah awkwardly scratched his head, laughing uncertainly. "Thanks. I'm...not sure exactly what I did but I guess it worked."
"Lady Sundman can tell you more about it later I'm sure. For now, we need to get Gerb cleaned up. There's no way you're making it out of here quietly looking like that." Nevakko said
Gerb grunted as he looked down at himself, and then promptly began to strip, using what clean parts of his clothes he could find to wipe away the blood. He pulled a sheet off of Sott's corpse and busied himself cleaning off the blood. Zechariah picked up the washing bowl and what water was left in the pitcher, and helped Gerb clean up. "What about the corpses. What are we going to do with them?" Zechariah asked Nevakko.
"Nothing. We won't be able to get them out of here. Hopefully, no one knows we're here except whoever led Gerb in. And if what Lady Sundman says about the priesthood is correct, then when they find this mess, they should have no one to report it too. Hopefully."
"If it isn't, we'll just have to kill them to." Gerb said tossing away the cloths, fully naked. He hopped over to the dresser, and picked out a number of clothes that were loose and baggy, and put them on. Hopefully no one would notice the wardrobe change.
Picking up his crutch, Gerb quickly searched the corpses for whatever valuables that he could find, much to Nevakko's ire. Once he was finished, he gave Zechariah a pat on the shoulder and smiled at him broadly. "You're going placed Zech." He said assuredly, before he made to leave, and begin the long climb out of the Ziggurat. Nevakko, Zechariah and the Lieutenant followed suit, following from a distance and trying to remain unseen. Fortunately, the place was abandoned at this hour of the night, and made their way back to Lelia's manor.
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