Advent of Eternity - Chapter 96 (Patreon)

Blood spilled across her chest and she choked, a hand rising to the wound. Her mace blurred, catching Cyll in the shoulder and shattering bone. He just smirked and drove his forehead into her nose, shattering it.

Maven staggered back and Cyll grabbed her mace hand, bringing his knee up and snapping the arm as he ripped the weapon from her hands.

“Nice to meet you as well. The name’s Cyll,” Cyll growled, spitting blood onto the ground as blood poured out of Maven’s throat. “And don’t address my crew until you’ve finished up with me.”

Red light flared behind Maven’s eyes and the wound sealed shut. Her arm snapped back into position as a bloody grin stretched across her face. “Oh, now that is marvelous. Give me my mace back, boy.”

Cyll whistled. “I like my women bossy, but you’ve got to earn it if you want me to listen. Come get it.”

Maven snapped her fingers and Cyll’s sword flipped through the air, flying into her hands. She spun it, then dashed at him, swinging at his side. Cyll took the blow, not even bothering to block it, and whipped Maven’s own mace into her head.

Blood sprayed across the clearing as both of them inflicted a fatal wound on each other. They staggered back, both of their bodies knitting themselves back together in instants. Maven licked the blood from her lips.

“Cyll, was it?”

Cyll threw Maven’s mace at her. She twitched her head to the side, but it still clipped the side of her head. He stepped in, grabbing his sword and twisting his body violently, ripping the weapon out of her grip.

Maven reached out and her mace flew into her hand. Once more, they both swung their weapons. Maya winced as blood splattered and two more fatal wounds were shrugged off as if they’d never happened.

“What in the Sixteen Seas is going on?” Maya asked, aghast.

“Just watch,” Knell said wearily. He could see it on both Cyll and Maven’s faces – they were having fun. Now he’d have to explain Cyll’s powers to Maya. He’d been hoping to avoid that for a little longer, but since she was likely joining his crew, it probably wasn’t the worst case outcome.

“What Path do you follow, Cyll?” Maven asked, extracting herself from his sword and bringing her mace crashing down into his head.

Cyll’s head reformed and grabbed her by the collar, throwing the woman into a tree. “I don’t follow a Path. This is all me.”

Her neck popped, realigning itself as she rose back to her feet. A shudder ran down her spine. “Oh, you’ve really got me going now. I want more.”

Red tendrils of light ran under her skin like veins and she exhaled a puff of pink mist. The air around Maven started to simmer, turning hazy as the ground smoldered beneath her feet. Her mace vibrated in her hand, as if eager for blood.

A sudden, loud crack ripped through the forest and a chill washed over all of them, instantly dropping the temperature several degrees. Maven let out a groan and the air around her turned to normal as her skin lost its ruddy hue.

“Oh, come on. I was enjoying myself, you ornery old bastard.”

There was no response. Maven spat on the ground and flipped her mace around, tucking it back into its holster. “Sorry, Cyll. I’m not supposed to wreck the forest right now.”

Cyll glanced at Knell, then sighed. “Does that mean we’re done? I was just getting started myself.”

“Unfortunately,” Maven said. She followed Cyll’s gaze to Knell. “You’re a curious one. I’m surprised you didn’t interfere more than you did.”

Knell shrugged. “I could tell you were holding back. Cyll seemed to be enjoying himself, although you have wasted one minute and thirty six seconds of my time. Can’t say I’m pleased about that.”

Maven snorted. “He said you were like this. How boring.”

“He?” Knell questioned.

“The Ferryman,” Maven said. “You’ve met, right?”

“Joseph,” Knell said flatly. “Yes, we have. What does he have to do with this?”

“Just checking in on you,” Maven replied. “He’s currently got his hands full, so he asked me to drop by.”

“I like Maven better than Joseph,” Cyll said, walking over toward them. “Joseph and his weird bell thing can both screw off.”

“That’s what I told him,” Maven said. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t often take no for an answer. I owed him a favor, and he said I’d have fun doing this one. I have to admit, he was right. But, what I really want to know – Knell, right? Why was Joseph so firm that I not attack you?”

Knell shrugged. “No idea. I know nothing about Joseph – or you. Care to share?”

Maven smirked. “Nope. If he hasn’t told you, then I’m certainly not going to. I’ll be taking my leave, then. Is Cyll taken?”

“He’s part of my crew,” Knell said, narrowing his eyes. “If Joseph wants to take any of my men, we’re going to find ourselves at odds, and I was under the impression he wanted to remain neutral.”

“Bah. That’s not what I meant, but it still answered my question,” Maven said. She strode over to Cyll and leaned in, pressing her lips to his before pulling away with a cackle. “Be seeing you around, Cyll. Make sure you don’t get distracted by someone else.”

A black portal split open behind Maven and she stepped through it, vanishing as it closed around her. Cyll rubbed his chin, then let out a thoughtful hum.

“Fun lady. You think I’ve got a shot with her, Cap?”

“You have serious issues,” Maya said. “How in the Sixteen Seas are you alive? What was all of that? Did I get hit on the head or something?”

“Not here,” Knell said wearily. He nudged one of the men that Cyll had killed. “Get something to prove we killed these guys from all of them. We’ve spent too much time in the forest, and we need to get out before their reinforcements arrive.”

“Their daggers are marked with Vorgen’s symbol,” Cyll said, pulling the blade from one man’s sheath. Stix went around to the others, collecting their daggers. Maya repressed her questions with an obvious show of will and the four of them left the forest quickly.

“Can I please get an explanation?” Maya half-begged as they walked back toward the city.

“Soon,” Knell replied, rubbing his forehead. Maven had just significantly complicated everything. He and Joseph were going to need to have a talk very soon. Knell did not appreciate people that made his life more difficult than it already was.

The guard at the entrance nearly choked on his own saliva as they approached. “By the gods, did you bathe in blood?”

Knell glanced at Cyll. The man was completely soaked red in blood. “It’s not his.”

“We brought in some bounties,” Stix said cheerfully, displaying the daggers they’d taken.

The guard swallowed. “What did you do with their bodies?”

“Does it matter?” Cyll asked, studying his blood-soaked hand. “Just give us the money, yeah?”

“For three of them,” Knell put in. “We’re keeping one as a trophy.”

“Shit, do what you want,” the guard said. “Saving us money, really. That’s three, then? Go to the guardhouse right on the inside of the walls and hand the daggers in. Leave your bloody friend outside, or they might think you’re attacking them.”

Knell shrugged, and they all walked inside Golden River. One quick trip through the guardhouse later, Knell walked out three hundred gold richer. Cyll’s appearance had gathered a small crowd of gawkers – although none of them dared to get very close.

“Come on,” Knell said curtly. “We’re getting rooms at an inn.”

***

After a brief conversation with an understandably uncomfortable innkeeper, Knell purchased two rooms and a large bath for Cyll. They retreated to their temporary lodgings and gathered in the one with the bath.

“This is bad,” Knell said, rubbing his forehead.

“What part of it? Because I can think of several things that are bad,” Maya muttered.

“Maven, mostly,” Knell replied. He drummed his fingers on his staff and pressed his lips together. “She and Joseph know each other, and I’m confident they’re both incredibly powerful. Probably some of the strongest people we’ve ran into. How are they involved with this?”

“This?” Maya asked. “I really feel like something’s going on here that I don’t understand.”

“There is,” Knell said, turning his gaze to Cyll. He pointed at the large tub of water. “Cyll, for the love of all the gods, go wash off. You’re starting to smell like carrion. I hate it. You might as well get in with your clothes – they’re filthy as well.”

Cyll shrugged and stepped into the bath, slipping down and splashing water over the ground as he dunked his head under it. He scrubbed for a few moments, then came back up slightly less bloody.

“Right then,” Knell said. “To my annoyance, Maya, it looks like you’ve seen some things I would have preferred to keep from you for a little longer.”

“Is this the speech you give me right before Stix puts a dagger into my back?”

“I’d do it myself if that were the case,” Knell said. “You pose no threat to me.”

Maya winced. “Thanks. I think. Actually, I’m pretty sure that was an insult.”

“At least you aren’t about to die,” Knell said dryly. “But now I find my hand forced by Maven and Joseph. I would have preferred to wait a little longer before asking, but I think I’ve got a grasp of your character. Do you want to join the crew? Permanently.”

Maya blinked. “I kind of assumed I was going to at this rate.”

“Assumptions mean nothing,” Knell replied. “Choose. It would have been best to wait a few more weeks so you could come to understand us better, but we don’t have that liberty any longer.”

Maya studied him for a moment, but it didn’t take her long to nod. “Yes. I don’t know what else I would do at this point, and I feel like you’re wrapped up in something big. If you are, I want in. Maybe I’ll find a way to get power.”

“Very well,” Knell said. “Then – first order of business. Cyll is immortal.”

Maya’s eye twitched. “What?”

“Can’t die,” Cyll said cheerfully. “Not to anything.”

“When you say immortal,” Maya said slowly. “do you mean he’s got a Path ability that lets him come back from fatal wounds or the like?”

“No. He is quite literally immortal, and there are no caveats that we have found. Nothing can kill him.”

“Sixteen Seas,” Maya muttered. “Okay, that’s… a lot. That’s what you’re keeping secret?”

“No. That’s just to answer your questions about how he fought Maven and didn’t die. Our goal is to kill the gods.”

Maya stared at him. When it became apparent that Knell wasn’t joking, she swallowed. “Well, there’s a statement. You’re serious?”

“Deadly. I am going to kill every single one of their Shards,” Knell said. “That is our purpose. Cyll shares my goal, and Stix has thrown in for her own reasons.”

“Well, damn,” Maya said. She considered his words, then set her jaw. “Can’t say they ever did anything for me. The world would probably be better off without ‘em. I had some folk on my crew that thought the gods watched over them, but it didn’t take any of them too far, did it? If that’s your goal, then I’ll do what I can to help. I just don’t know what a cripple can do.”

“I’m taking that as an insult,” Knell said flatly, but a flicker of amusement danced through his eyes. “I’d love to welcome you to the crew more properly, but we need to figure out what to do about Joseph and Maven. They’re a third party that I did not account for, and it looks like they’re going to be getting involved in our business.”

“I could stab him,” Cyll offered.

“Somehow, I don’t think that would work very well. We saw how stabbing Maven worked, and Joseph is more powerful than she is.”

“Maybe you could kiss him.” Stix snickered.

“What if he likes it?”

“Don’t start,” Knell said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’ll think on this. For now, we’ll continue operating as normal. Tomorrow, Vorgen’s men should know that some of their number died. They’ll be mad about that, and we’ll use their anger to deal with both of our targets at once.”

“This explains why you’re targeting Scions,” Maya said. “Are you going to tell us exactly how we’re going to kill two at the same time, though? Are you really that strong?”

“I’ll explain the details once more pieces have come into play,” Knell replied. “For now, go get some rest or train – whichever you prefer. As for you, Cyll, you failed.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You were supposed to fight like a mortal.” Knell crossed his arms. “You took a mortal blow– what, five or six times? More?”

“Hey, that isn’t my fault! She was seriously strong,” Cyll protested. “I haven’t had a good slugfest like that in literal ages.”

“You purposely chose to take several of her blows,” Knell said. “I can excuse the blows she got over you with skill, but don’t lie and say that every mortal wound you took couldn’t have been avoided.”

Cyll cleared his throat. “Okay, I might have gotten a bit carried away.”

“Stix, he lost your bet. Figure out some way to punish him so he doesn’t get carried away next time.”

An eager grin crossed the moon elf’s lips as Cyll sank lower in his bath, grumbling under the water.

“And, for the sake of equality – buy a new bow and practice with it. If you miss shots on normal targets, Cyll is going to be getting the same opportunity for you.” Knell dropped his pouch of gold in Stix’s lap. “I’m going to go meditate on what we’ve learned.”