The butler

 

I had entered an oasis in the north. Bright green leaves of bizarre, robust plants line the dirt pavement and shoddily made shanties. Above the lamp posts, bright colour flowers blossomed high. Just as strange were the people, many of whom were from the Liu States and some were even of a much darker complexion.

“A lot of foreigners, right?” The stranger named Beiye led Beatrice and me through the muddy streets of Liu Town just outside the south gate. Many eyes stare with suspicion but ease when they see Beiye wave.

“Because of war, there's been an uptick of refugees. But more have poured in after word has gotten out that the revived Duke was a much more tolerant man than that Trak bastard.”

“Trak wasn't well-liked by foreigners, I gather,” I said. My eyes darted around, looking at the coloured plants.

Beiye nodded. “Trak was adamant on keeping out undesirables. But he was just the latest in a long list of arseholes; otherwise, places like Liu Town and Black Shade would not exist. Come, one more turn.”

Past a wall with Raven graffiti, Beiye stopped by an unassuming door. Her knuckle rapped on the door in a code sequence I could remember and a distinctly foreign elderly voice shouted from beyond the door.

“Nobody's here. Leave!”

“Not even for your favourite little girl?”

“Even her! Scram!”

“Even with gold?”

The door swung open, giving my big heart a jolt.

A woman in her fifties with narrow eyes, white hair tied in a bun and traditional green wraps of her homeland poked out of the building. She scanned around, looking for the new visitors. Her eyes halted. She found me and kept looking up until they found my face.

“Why are you so tall? How do your legs get blood to survive…?”

"Grandma, stop being rude to our guests and show them in,” said Beiye with a half smile and sorry to me. Pushing the unruly elder inside, she waved us in.

“Welcome to Grandma Zhi's pill shop, owned by the most trusted doctor in Liu Town.”

The last to enter, I was blown back by the smell of medicine assaulting my senses. Thousands of round clay pots filled the walls, labelled with the block writing of the Liu states.

“What is this…?” I said while opening a pot and finding small round balls. A metal fan hit my hand.

“Don't touch!” The elderly woman shouted.

I closed the pot and the scent of its contents drifted to my nose. “A pain reliever?”

“…How did you know?

“I've been smelling a lot of medicine these days,” I replied as the meridian chart caught my eye. Dots were drawn on the meridian line on the sketch of the human body, each with its own name. Next to it on the left was an eastern artist's rendition of a heart.

“Ah, of course, a warrior would be interested in Qi charts.”

Qi… A different name for Mana?

I looked down at Doctor, her covering her mouth with her fan. “Sorry, but I am not a warrior.”

“Waste.” She patted my arm. “Waste of a good body. So what are you here for?”

“I’m here on behalf of my master. He has an ailment that the medicines of Friedland have been unable to resolve.” I place my books down and take out a bag to hand over to the curious doctor. She opened the tie and instantly recoiled. “Kuwei!” She starts shouting at Beiye in Liuen. The fair foreigner responded in the same manner and the doctor relented, scratching her head with the fan.

“Oh dear… Are you sure they are alive?”

“Of course. He looks well…” Beatrice answered, unsure of her words.

“Looks.” She threw the bag back.

So the frost knight wasn't overly cautious.

“We came here because our master is having trouble progressing with their meditation.”

“Cultivation? Of course, he is. It is a lost cause. If there is nothing to buy, you have no reason to be here. Leave.” The doctor began to withdraw and like a fool, I held her arm.

“Please ma'am! We have gone to countless apothecaries and countless doctors with the same. None other than you have deduced what this medicine was at first glance. Please help-”

The doctor wrapped her hand around my forearm and pinched between my muscles. My arm spasmed as I released my grasp. I kneeled on the ground, feeling a thousand knives stabbing where her thumb poked.

“Interesting. Quite the amount of Qi you have, young one. However, that doesn't mean you can use your power to make me do as you will.” She pinched again.

“AAARGH!”

I searched for Beatrice, who slowly reached for a knife from under her dress. I shook my head.

It's alright. This was my fault.

Shaking from the pain, my teeth shuddered as I spoke. “I am very sorry, ma’am. Impatience has caused me to do careless things. But you must understand. My master must be well for the Ravens to succeed in their mission.”

The agony halted, and my arm flopped to the floor as I gasped for breath. Beiye stood in front of me. “He speaks the truth. My Ravens need my benefactor's help.”

The doctor’s fan tapped her chin.

“Mmm…” The old doctor paced on the store floor on wooden sandals, her eyes on the floor as her mind churned.

“Make up your mind, you old bi-” A swift hit from the fan on the Madam’s head and she cried out in pain.

“Shut up.” Her cold eyes, which have seen many years, weigh down on me. A hidden master, able to bring me to my knees with a touch and a store full of outworld herbs and medicine outside my understanding. I was beyond intrigued.

“Bring him to me to be diagnosed. I need to see the man who moves the flock at his command.”

The Duke

“Did we have to stay there so long? The smell was getting to me.” Joshua crossed his arms as he looked out of the carriage window.

“Well, you destroyed the heart of a well loved member on the community. It would be poor form to leave as if it were a rat extermination.”

“Cursed are but a blight to be exterminated.”

“But the cursed was still a human, with family and loved ones. Who do you think blocked the door? The cursed you slain today was a victim of malign souls tethered to this world. It could have been anyone, but he happened to be weak enough for the spirit to take over and it was too late for the priest to do anything. One day, it could be me. Or it could be you. Won't you want someone to console your mother?”

Joshua grunted under his breath.

There was another reason I stayed. Drinking tea as I listened to stories, I heard of the numerous clashes our ‘gang’ has been having. We had inspired quite a number of people to trash the Horn's establishments, painting a Raven whenever they take over a gambling den or a saloon The Madam’s doing good work. But with more incidents come news of second, third, and even fourth circle me more protection money. To maintain his hold on the area, the horn was spending quite a bit of coin to make coin. But my people won't give up without a fight. And they found their fighter in me.

I listened to all the stories, watching my citizen's eyes beseech me. They see me as a doer. A person who makes things happen. It pained me that I couldn't give them a concrete answer.

All I said to the many who sat with me as I drank tea was, “It will end.”

“Tarion.”

I turn to my brother. His glare gets me to sit straight.

“Is it true? That Trak…”

I saw his digits fidgeting. I knew he understood what this could mean. I asked, “When things turn sideways, who will you side with?”

My brother sat back in his seat.

“I will not kill her.”

His eyes light up -

“Yet.”

Hope shattered in my poor brother's eyes.

“All who have worked with her shall have all they own taken. Their money, jewels, land, people, and then finally their lives.”

I see the driveway of the Greystone Castle come into view.”

“Decide.”

“How… How can I make such a decision?”

“Easy. Do you want our father’s potential killer to face justice?”

“Killer?”

The carriage stopped and Beatrice opened the carriage door. As I crouched to step down, she whispered.

“He agreed.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Now to the next phase.

“Tarion.” Joshua held my arm. “What do you mean by killer?”

I console the confused Greystone by rubbing his hand. “In father’s last days, didn't he have problems using mana? Ah, maybe you were too young then. So many excuses were made. Exhaustion from cursed killing, injury from the war. I don’t know where they came from. But I do know how his disease felt as each symptom came to me one by one.” Joshua let me go and his eyes darken. “Where do you think Davis is?”

“Davis is in on this too!?”

“In on this, part of this, the main culprit.” I shrug. “There has to be a stooge to do the dirty work for someone. Maybe someone close by.”

My words had rocked his world and he stood paralysed with a defeated look.

I stepped out of the carriage with a large smile and turned back to my brother, still in his seat. “Better make your decision fast. Beatrice put the letter back.” With curtsy, she did as I ordered.

Exciting days ahead.

“Tarion?” Her voice washed off the grime from today. I searched for her voice and found a woman running at top speed. She leapt at me, wrangling me in her arms. Her face radiated like the last moments of the sun on a clear afternoon. She brought me close and her kiss on my cheek nearly made my legs buckle.

So this is your angle of attack.

With her in my arms, I noticed maids staring at me with redness on their faces. My brother walked into the foyer with a disgusted look.

She nuzzled her face into my chest and I felt her sweet voice hum on my doublet. “I missed you.”

My heart danced. How evil of her! Trying to trap me. What else can I say? My hand brought her head closer and I bent to her right ear to whisper.

“Missed me? How exactly?” My lip grazed her ear to her neck and she backed away as red as an apple into the building. I chuckled while taking my cloak off, passing it to a footman who glanced at me with newfound respect.

Two can play that game.

2 hours later.

 

Before dinner had begun, Charles had told me of a doctor in Liu Town who was able to recognise the poison used on me. ‘Kuwei’ he said it was called. He told me she brought him down with just a pinch. Andi became interested. Furthermore, he said that she wanted me to be diagnosed by her in person. Could she be a sympathiser for the Ravens? If so this was the second best news of today. There might be a glimmer of hope in getting my fifth circle.

“Tarion, are you okay?” Vanessa asked.

“Yes, just a lot on my mind. Sorry about the early dinner. I am going to be busy tonight and I need the energy.” I said to Vanessa on my left, throwing as much food in my mouth as possible at the dinner table.

“Where are you going?” My brother asked at the far end of the dining table.

“None of your fucking business.” I grinned, taking a bite of the delicious chicken.

“It's ok, haha. I was hungry as well.”

Oh, dear… I thought as I went rigid.

I looked down with a mouth full of roast chicken and found a hand rubbing the inside of my thigh.

AYO!

As fast as the flash, I grabbed her hand before it could reach further than I allowed. I finished chewing, staring at my wife, who tried to smile innocently. I leaned towards her to whisper. “We are eating dinner with family.” Startling me, from under the table, she brought out our holding hands for the maids, footmen, and brother to see. Charles stood still with a tray in his hand, giving me a knowing smile.

Oh… fell for it.

“Eew. Save that nonsense for your bedroom.” Joshua dropped his fork and his face screwed.

“I guess you know a lot about what belongs where.”

“Shut up!” Joshua turned away, giggling.

I felt Vanessa’s thumb rub slowly on the veins on the back of my left hand. "Joshua, I heard you killed a cursed today.”

Joshua side-eyed Vanessa. “Y-Yeah…How did you know?”

“The citizens told me of your bravery. You even gave the corpse back to the victim's family. I am proud of you.” My wife gave him a smile that I thought he didn't deserve.

Joshua continued eating, taking glances at my wife. “It was not a problem. I am a man of the guard; it is my duty,” said Joshua as he blushed. I never knew why jealous men acted like they did when they had a woman by their side. But with a woman like Vanessa… I have the urge to be toxic. To not let a soul other than me lay an eye on her golden hair. To cut any ears who hear her siren voice.

She is making me a fool.

She looked at me and I was a deer in headlights. The Duchess whispered softly into my ears. “Can I bring him along to my inspections?”

“Mm?! Are you sure...?”

“He hasn't bothered me for weeks and I have been seeing changes day by day. I think it would be good for him to fully understand the locals and truly experience this city, without being encased in a vehicle.”

I took another bite of my food as I thought this over.

I shrug. “You’re duchess. Your choice. Plus, Kurt will be there.”

Joshua stopped mid-chew. “What are you looking at me for?”

“Haha, nothing. Enjoy your food.”

“Hmph!”

“I always told you to keep your manners at the dinner table.” I heard a woman croak and saw the homebody, dressed in a frilly black dress. The former duchess's red and grey hair, neatly tied and her make-up done, she strutted with grace to meet her only child. Hatred-filled eyes watched my hand holding Vanessa's and the Dowager sneered at what could have been.

“Son. Can you come with me to the garden on this fine afternoon?”

My brother looked at me for approval.

I gave a slight smile and he understood. His chair screeched on the floor and Joshua left the dinner table with the witch.

A boy of Wolfburn or a man of Greystone. Decide well, brother…

A hand wave made the workers take the empty plates out and leave to get ready to complete their other duties. Finally, alone, and Vanessa's small hand gripping my fingers, she leaned close.

“Where are your Ravens going next?”

I moaned. I like a smart woman but are you fucking kidding me?

“A Man of Action, waiting? It's suspicious.” Vanessa held my left hand tight. “Please be safe out there.”

I pulled her chin to me and euphoria filled my senses as our lips connected. Her body shuddered as we embraced and she clutched onto me as if I would escape. But I pulled back, leaving Vanessa's eyes to flutter open in my absence.

I hung my head down, looking away in shame. “Sorry, it's just…so very hard to bear.”

Vanessa lifted my head and ravenous eyes raised my heartbeat as she got close, resting her knee on my thigh. Her hands run through my long hair.

She pecked me on the mouth and the control I regained started to vanish.

“What is there to bear?”

The thought of losing you. Every kiss is a taste of what I may never have again.

The door slammed open and the ever-serious Headmaid appeared. “Your Grace, we need your final appro…”

We froze in our compromising positions, staring back at the intruder with mouths ajar.

“Apologies!” Beatrice ran back out and we both exploded in laughter. Vanessa’s knee off my leg, she brought me up by my arm. “Hehe, you better get going, people to kill and all. Be safe.” Her eyebrows turned upward from worry.

“Yes, milady.”

After kissing her hand goodbye, I left the dining room in a rush, feeling a tug on me to embrace her till morning came.

“Beatrice.” She stepped out of the shadow.

“Here's the operation plan.” He handed me a notebook.”

I read through it as we walked down the corridors. “Proceed.” At my order, Umbra steps sped her along.

To the docks for another massacre.

 

10 Days until the Ball.