Wretch opened his eyes and stretched, his tail slithered for the nightstand, searching for the clock. 07:14Sixteen minutes earlier than he needed.
He got dressed, pulling on his fresh gloves and the sunglasses. A weight shifted the floorboards above, a twitch ran down his claws.
He was still for a moment, then shook his head. For better or worse, they were safe here.
The door creaked open, and he walked down to the lobby, forcing down a yawn. Intricate furniture filled the space, carpets discolored from bleach, sofas clean but frayed at the seams. An employee behind the counter welcomed him with a slight bow. She glanced curiously at his gloved hands and sunglasses, eyes lingering on the tail swiping behind him.
“Good morning,” Wretch said, returning the bow. “Have you seen a giant red-haired woman? Nasty behavior, violent too!”
The female employee blinked. “A tall redheaded woman headed down to the basement just ten minutes ago. Though she was polite, perhaps not the person you’re looking for?”
“Oh no, that’s her alright and thank the Saint,” Wretch said with a chuckle. “ She must be in a good mood today.” Wretch continued, already walking past.
He descended the stairs while limbering up his shoulders.“You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” he said before he even turned the corner to the chamber.
A large hall filled with pillars and arches opened before him. What it had been used for in ancient times was unknown, but now it had been reduced to a storage room. Stacks of sacks, boxes, and barrels lined the walls. In the middle, a panting Elenya stood in black pants and a white shirt, hands wrapped around the cleaver.
She swung in broad arcs, the hulking piece of metal whistling through the air.“Are rats lazy by nature?” she said without looking up. I thought you’d take training seriously after seeing a hunter die.”
“The girl at the counter said a pleasant redhead came down here.” Wretch said leaning on the doorway. “I feared an imposter, glad to hear that wasn’t the case.”
She gave him a quick smile, and he returned a toothy half-smile.
“How is it?” Wretch asked, nodding towards the weapon.
“Heavy.”
“But you’re strong.”
Elenya smirked. "Can't argue with that.”
“Can I touch it, barely got a glimpse yesterday?”
“Ratty! You can’t ask a lady that.” Elenya said.
“You’re not a lady,” Wretch said, taking a step forward and pulling off his white glove.
The Cleaver itself was almost as tall as him, a solid piece of metal, sharpened into a curved blade. Its silver hue was streaked with red, as if the alloy itself had drunk blood. The handle was so thick that Wretch couldn’t even grip it, and even if he could, its weight was beyond what he could lift. Yet, Elenya wielded it with ease, even if the muscles strained under the fabric of her shirt.
He brushed against its surface, and information flooded his mind.
Umbilical Cleaver.Expend flame to empower the next cut. Increasing the sharpness and speed.
With each empowered cut, a wound will form on the wielder regardless of whether the strike lands true.
“That’s decent,” Wretch said, pulling back and jumping up to sit on a barrel littered with cobwebs. “Its previous wielder is crouched by flame.”
Elenya only chuckled and spun into motion. Using the weight of the weapon to lead each cut into the next. Every step and movement she made was deliberate, like a dance that promised death. He had become used to seeing her with the halberd, a weapon she wielded with methodical cuts, strikes, and stabs. This weapon was different, demanding inhuman strength in exchange for uncompromising brutality.
For a split second her eyes lit with fire and the cleaver snapped downwards, whistling through the air in a blur too fast to follow. A line of red stained her white shirt.
That is going to be hard to dodge, he thought.
He watched for a minute, then shook his head.“Keep it, I can’t use it as I am now.”
“Sure, but you can change,” Elenya said, continuing her deadly dance. “I have seen it.”
Wretch thought for a moment, rubbing his chin.“And when I do, it’ll be a surprise.”
In those few words, they had come to an agreement.
“You must be close to Fireling by now?” Wretch said, drawing his Blinking Blade to inspect his reflection on its surface.
“Twelve times kindled and still nothing, bloody annoying.”
“Did your flame move during the last fight?” Wretch said, throwing the blade into the air with a spin, catching it on the way down.
Elenya stopped her movement.
She turned to him with scrutinizing eyes, her red hair falling across her face.
“It did…”
“That happened to me right before I ascended to Fireling.”
A wicked grin spread across her face. His gaze caught hers and just as quickly, it distorted back into her usual look. She cleared her throat, walking up to a water skin and doused her head, hair clinging to her neck.
“How you holding up after Gulner?” She asked.
Wretch spun the dagger in his hand. “We did the right calls, and even then, we lost a man. The outside’s just that dangerous.”
“What if I died?” Elenya said, letting the Umbilical Cleaver rest against her shoulders.“I wouldn’t let that happen.”
She turned and squinted her eyes at him with an amused look. “You wouldn’t let that happen?”
“No,” Wretch said, juggling the Blinking blade between his hands and tail, refusing to meet her eyes.
“What if we're up against something strong, there are things out there that would crush us.”
“No.”
“No?” Elenya answered.
Wretch caught the Blinking blade in his palm. A shadow passed over his face, then a shudder, starting from his neck and traveling down to his claws.
He shook his head and his expression lightened. “Are we going to spar or not?” he said, jumping down from the barrel.
“My bad,” Elenya said, leaning the weapon against a pillar. “Whatever happens, happens. But no weapons or powers.”
She cracked her knuckles. “We’ll wreck the place.”
_________________________________________________________________________
An hour later, they gathered in the hotel lobby, a modest assortment of bread, sausages and canned ham acted as a buffet for the handful of guests. The Richter’s had claimed a corner for themselves. Dalynja and what remained of her crew sat a few tables away, her eyes on a thick report.
The price of losing a Blessed.
Astrid pushed oatmeal around in her bowl. Across from her, Wretch was gulping down a mountain of food at alarming speed.
“It’s alright Astrid.” Edmund said. “That feeling will come to pass.”
She sighed and sipped coffee from a chipped cup. “The world outside the wall wasn’t what I expected.”
“I knew it’d be bad. But that mist… I hesitate even pouring milk in my coffee.”
“Eye opening, though!” Wretch said through a mouth full of food. “I wonder what kind of other horrors are out there.”
Elenya kicked his shin under the table. He flinched.
“Chew, swallow, speak. In that order.” She said.
Edmund didn’t seem to notice their bickering, or he pretended not to. “I have seen places outside the walls to the east. Dangerous. Filled with ruins, curses and beasts. But once, that land was ours, I’ll fight to take it back.”
Astrid gave a faint nod, and Wretch patted her shoulder as the captain continued.
“Gulner died a hunter’s death, fighting so others could live. He will rest with the other, on a spire back home.”
Astrid shook her head. “Is the flame a blessing? Or a curse?”
“What do you mean?” Wretch said, tearing into a slice of ham.
“People would die for it. Then once they get it, they seem to do just that.”
“It’s a fair price,” Elenya answered, and Wretch nodded along.
Astrid reluctantly forced a spoonful of oatmeal to her mouth, letting the cutlery rest between her lips as she spoke. “Now it isn’t even just the creatures from beyond the walls we fight, but also the Gulschaks, humans. The more I learn about the world, the more it seems… mad.”
“That reminds me, what happened to that letter?” Elenya said, pointing a fork at Wretch.
“From the Professor, just taunts. I will kill him next time we meet and show his head to the other survivors.”
Elenya laughed and twirled the fork beside her temple. “Boy got a screw loose, Astrid, don’t mind him.”
Astrid squinted at him. “But how did it end up out there? In the pocket of the only slain Gulschak?”
Edmund cleared his throat. “It’s been sent back to Central via telegram, then burned along with the other letters, it could prove a boon in rooting out the other saboteurs, but you’d do well to let those thoughts go for now.”
He gave a yawn before continuing.“Speaking of that. A survey train inspected the tracks back to Stonemourn yesterday. Clear, no sign of the dog-like creatures or that giant in the mist.” Edmund said.
“Thank the Saint!” Astrid exclaimed.
“The standing officer wants to meet us after lunch, but other than that, our mission’s done. A train is leaving in the afternoon, and a hundred and fifty pounds each is waiting for us at Nov Yanosk.” Edmund said and his expression grew uncomfortably kind as he turned to Elenya.
“Then we’ll have to make arrangements for your new weapon. It was acquired on an official mission after all, but I am sure we can come to a suitable payment plan.”
The giant woman groaned.
“We are leaving for the city already? I was hoping to try out the new cleaver and maybe catch up to Fireling. Perhaps they have a horror in the sewers that needs killing?” Elenya said bitterly.
“I wouldn’t be too worried.” Wretch said. “Trouble seems to find us.” His tail slithering up from under the table and snatching a half-eaten sandwich from Elenya’s plate.
Elenya’s hand shot out and caught it.
“Oh, you are about to find trouble alright.” Elenya answered with a furrowed brown. She yanked the tail and Wretch disappeared under the table with a yelp.
“Saint almighty,” Edmund said, rubbing his forehead. “You two are like peas in a pod.”
Elenya stood up. Holding Wretch upside down by his tail, thrashing and dangling.
“What? Look at this overgrown rat. We’re nothing alike!”
“Yeah!” Wretch joined in with crossed arms, still swaying upside down. “Not alike at all!”
Astrid muffled a look of disbelief, and Edmund pushed his hat down.The Captain and his healer would have preferred an uneventful trip back to Nov Yanosk, but elsewhere in Sternthal, cogs were turning.