Advent of Eternity - Chapter 23 (Patreon)

The smell grew stronger and Stix gagged, squeezing her nose shut with two fingers. Mercifully, it eventually abated – though it didn’t disappear entirely – and the alleys they were currently in deposited them on a small cobbled street.

Hay poked out of the back of the ramshackle building before them. Knell’s nose wrinkled as he realized just why the smell of dead fish had faded. It had been replaced by that of manure.

“I hate this place,” Stix declared. “Let’s burn it. The whole thing.”

“Not opposed to the notion,” Cyll said. “I don’t take kindly to humiliation, Cap. I’m starting to side with moon-eyes, and that can’t be a good sign. You best be planning something.”

“I’m working on it,” Knell said. A beggar on the side of the road glanced in their direction, then quickly turned his eyes away when he spotted the blood covering the front of Cyll’s clothing.

“So, where to?” Cyll asked. “Can’t be long before we got little toy soldiers coming after us. Should we find a choke point and kill them off?”

“No,” Knell replied, starting toward the run down building on the other side of the road. “This is why you keep failing. You assume everyone is weak just because you squashed a few bugs. Any pirate worth their weight in copper will have progress in their Path, and that makes things much more difficult, especially considering your strength is capped at that of a mortal man.”

“One that can’t die.”

“Immortality means nothing if you’re chopped into a thousand little pieces. Stix and I do not share your gift.”

Cyll grunted, conceding the point. Knell peered through a slat in the building and nodded at a small, crooked door before them. “In we go.”

“It smells like shit,” Stix said as they filed inside and Cyll pulled the door shut behind them. It was a stable, but not one that had been used recently. The hay was dry and brittle, and there was no sign of any animal life aside from a dozen flies buzzing around the building.

“Can’t imagine why,” Knell said dryly, pushing himself up to one of the windows to peer through it. “Doesn’t look like anyone saw us come in here other than the beggar, and he hasn’t moved. We should have a little time to figure a plan out.”

“Sure we shouldn’t just off the guy?” Cyll asked. “It wouldn’t be hard.”

“Pointless killing is worthless,” Knell replied. “I’ve got no desire to spill blood if it isn’t needed, and killing him would just leave more of a trail. Leave it alone, and I suspect he’ll treat us much the same. Pirates aren’t going to be going around asking beggars for directions until they get really desperate.”

Knell flopped down in a large pile of hay and let out a heavy sigh. Stix crouched across from him while Cyll leaned against the wall, twirling his beard in his hand.

“Well?” Stix asked nasally, gesturing with her free hand. The other one was still tightly clamped on her nose. “Do something smart. I want to kick that bitch’s teeth in so hard they shoot out her ass.”

Cyll snorted. “I take it back. I’m starting to like the moon-eyes. We can keep her.”

“I am not a house cat to keep,” Stix growled.

“You aren’t a full part of the crew yet either,” Cyll said. “And anyone who isn’t part of the crew is nothing to me. You should be happy to be a house cat.”

“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Stix asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Knell, are you sure traveling with this psychopath is a good idea?”

“You understand nothing about us,” Cyll said, studying his fingernails. Despite his nonchalant tone, his eyes glimmered with killing intent. “This is more important than anything you could ever imagine.”

“Cyll, that’s enough,” Knell said. “Forgive the secrecy, Stix, but we can’t be sharing any more than what Cyll has so carelessly spilled. Unless you want to join my crew completely right now, this is where the conversation ends.”

“We’ll see how you handle this,” Stix said with a wave to their surroundings. “If I like it, I’m on board. But if I don’t, I’m out as soon as, well, you know.”

“Scared I’ll do something?” Cyll asked, baring his teeth in a wide grin. “Don’t worry, moon-eyes. I’ve got no interest in the special little rock you keep checking on at night.”

Stix’s eyes widened. “How do you–”

“Enough,” Knell snapped. “I am trying to think, and I prefer to do it without listening to you bicker in the background. I’ve already got a strategy, but the finer details need to be worked out.”

“Spill,” Stix said eagerly. “What are we going to do? Attack Sorfina?”

“Only if we want to die,” Knell said with a laugh. “The amount of respect she commanded shows she has to be one of the bigger captains in Blackfoot Bay. That means she’s pretty far along her Path, so we’re unlikely to stand a chance against her. We need to get stronger before dealing with any captains.”

“So what are we doing?” Cyll asked, cracking his neck.

“Sorfina mentioned something called Mount Bloodwater. She clearly put a lot of importance on it, so we’re going to find out what it is. Then, if it can be stolen, we’re going to steal it.”

“And if it can’t?”

“Then we destroy it,” Knell said. His eyes went narrow and he let out a slow, measured breath. “I will not be disrespected. Not by a god, and certainly not by man.”

“Keep the bold words until after we’ve done something,” Stix said. She tapped her finger on her leg impatiently. “We don’t know anything about this Mount Bloodwater thing.”

“Which is why that will be our first task,” Knell replied. “Unfortunately, I am very recognizable. The city is probably crawling with pirates trying to find us to get on Sorfina’s good side, and we have no way to figure out who would is with or against her. Luckily, I don’t care. We just need to find someone to talk to.”

“I can snatch someone off the street,” Cyll offered.

“Not a bad idea, but you aren’t much less recognizable than I am,” Knell pointed out. “You’re too tall and thin, not to mention that giant beard of yours. Even if you cut it, your height is going to give us away. No, this one is for Stix.”

“How many moon elves do you see around here?” Stix asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“None, so long as you wear your hood and keep your distance,” Knell said. “I’m not asking you to seduce a pirate captain. Go find some random person on the street and either figure out what Mount Bloodwater is or drag them over here.”

Stix clicked her tongue. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do, but don’t blame me if I come back with a horde of crazy bastards on my heels.”

“Don’t,” Knell said flatly.

Stix smirked and pulled her hood up, slipping back out of the stable. Knell chewed his lower lip and turned the staff over in his hands.

“What now?” Cyll asked.

“What else?” Knell replied. “We wait.”