Curselock

Chapter 57: Goat

Lady Onryo sat with her legs crossed in a dimly lit room. She kept one hand slowly tapping on against the wood grain table, the other jostling a glass of deep red wine. She felt like she was wearing bright neon clothing, the kind meant to entertain children for birthdays because of the stolen glances she was receiving.

Was this really all her fault? She asked herself, knowing their survival to be severely limited. With every sip, however, the question faded just a little bit. She had done what she must, she had protected herself and her children. She protected her House, she protected the future.

Still, the guilt was too much, especially once Alkin and Mavi grew restless. They moved about the small confines of the village inn, lighting candles or trying to figure out how to use the old charred stove. Eventually the gall of the situation brought them back to the room with their mother.

It was Boor’s statue-like posture, Lady Onryo knew, that caused the children to act out. The butler’s frozen form looked out the inn’s window toward Shoutwell. It was the hope Boor held, the hope that she had already dismissed.

They were dead, caught up in some half-baked plan by a renegade Royal Inquisitor. The city would fall, the citizens would be swept up into whatever the cult planned for them.

And Lady Onryo would have to deal with the fallout for the rest of her life. Her children would hate her, they’d leave as soon as they could stand on their own two feet. Which, seeing how Alkin glared at her, would only be a few weeks. But at least they were alive.

Boor, on the other hand, would remain by her side, albeit at arm’s length. The boys had left an impression on the old man, their deaths would not sit idle in his locked away forgotten memories…

“I—” she said, her voice breaking.

The children looked at her carefully, even Boor found her in the corner of his eye. They all waited, which somehow made the words fail her once again. At some point Lady Onryo lost herself in thought, sending away her audiences’ looks while exacerbating their tempers.

Alkin excused himself, finding the company of an abandoned lobby more comfortable. Mavi removed ink and paper and began elegantly creating loops and lines – drafts for royal stipends in accordance with their ruined city. Boor simply looked out the window, again.

With a grumbled deep breath, Lady Onryo suddenly found importance in refilling her glass. The bottle of wine was empty, thus sending her feet through the inn’s hallways and down toward the cellar. The scared cries of abandoned farm animals and a cold abandoned wind met her as she stepped out outside.

Who’s going to take care of them? she asked herself, finding a pairing of chickens pecking at the bugs hiding in the grass.

Or him? she sighed, finding a single skinny goat bleating at the full moon.

Her presence stirred something in the animal, and soon she found herself guarding against a fearful headbutt. The goat, even when pushed away, kept to her side, following her to the call of alcohol and the darkness of the cellar.

Abandoned, the word kept coming back to her. Abandoned, abandoned, abandoned. The goat was abandoned by the ones who were supposed to take care of it. Now it was left alone, only the company of a few other abandoned farm animals to keep it company.

She let it follow her into the inn and up the many wooden stairs. They walked past a somber eye from Alkin, they ignored the curt question from Mavi. Boor didn’t speak, but his look didn’t exactly tell Lady Onryo he wasn’t confused.

Still, she ignored them and poured another glass all the while feeding the goat crackers and dried meat. It just felt like the right thing to do.

As the moon raised fully overhead and dropped to the comfortable horizon, the red rays of the sun peaked from beyond the ocean. It was then Boor felt the change. It was subtle, like the smell of flowers downwind, but something had changed. Something had disappeared.

“It’s gone,” he said, breaking the hours long silence. His eyes magnetized to the dirt and gravel path leading toward the city.

Still empty.

“What’s gone?” Mavi asked.

“The presence of the Sightless King.”

That stirred Lady Onryo and soon both Ladies were standing behind their butler looking through the window. And there they were, walking against the day’s early light. Three boys, moving shoulder to shoulder down a long, narrow path. They pushed a trolley carrying a seated woman.

Mavi let out a shriek, rushing out of the room to gather her brother. Soon they passed under the inn’s window, running to meet the boys.

Boor stood and gathered his vested jacket, carefully unfolding the pressed cloth and donning the uniform of his position. As he did, he spoke to his Lady who was stuck at the window.

“Take this,” he said, holding out a folded handkerchief. “Don’t let them see your tears.”

“Wha— I’m not—” But she was. Tears fell down her cheeks, like anvils falling from the sky.

“Take your time,” Boor continued. “They are still some minutes away.”

“I thought- I condemned their—”

Her tears redoubled, each holding guilt and sorrow. She was so cold, so very cold. Her heart ached, her body shuddered. Like treading water for hours, she finally gave up and accepted her weakness.

She was a coward.

Boor patted her shoulder carefully, eventually pulling Lady Onryo to her feet and wrapping a coat around her shoulders. They slowly walked through the inn and out the door – the goat following the entire time.

Three tired young adventurers met their eyes, each holding various levels of the same smile. A completed one, one of glorious success.

“I take it the city has been saved,” Boor stated with a smile of his own.

“Indeed it has no thanks to—”

“Jude!” Leland snapped. “We talked about this.”

The Legacy of the Berserker rolled his eyes and stepped away, finding intrigue in the chickens a few paces away.

The Huntress, who was sitting in a cart with thick green jelly across her bare skin and under wrappings, spoke up, “The avatar and main cultist have been defeated. I can’t be certain that all of the cult is gone but those from the underbelly were hunting on the surface.”

Boor frowned at the mention of the illegal portion of his city but held his tongue on the matter. Instead he said, “A battle well fought, I hope?”

“Yes,” the Inquisitor said, her eyes transferring over to the House owner. “We could have used your help.”

“Ah, yes—”

“It's fine Boor,” Lady Onryo said stepping forward. “My actions and decisions were mine alone. There is no reason for you create conflict like this.”

The Huntress cracked an eyebrow. “Conflict?”

“You are trying to get my butler to leave my services. Maybe have him join the Inquisitors.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Lady Onryo held lifting her nose. “Regardless. Shoutwell owes you and the boys. I owe you and the boys.”

Nodding along, the Huntress said, “It is a part of my job. No ‘owing’ necessary.” They shared a smile before she added, “Officially that is.”

Lady Onryo’s small smile fell. “Of course. If it is in my power—”

“Nothing like that. My request is purely for your advantage. I want you to reflect on—”

“Allow me to stop you right there,” Lady Onryo said, holding up her hands. “I abandoned the city like a coward, yes. I did it in the name of my family but that is a lie. Frankly I was scared. For my children, yes, but also for my House and myself.”

Alkin and Mavi’s eyes raised.

“And, well, I kept my most powerful advantage,” she motioned to Boor, “locked away. For that, I apologize to all four of you. I… I have a lot to think about in the coming days.”

Leland squinted at that. He shared a quick look with Isobel before saying, “Apology accepted. But there is no point in apologizing to us. We are nothing but fighting tools to be armed, pointed, and fired. Insteadyou need to apologize to your citizens.”

Before the Lady could respond, the Huntress stepped in. “That’s right. My investigation of the Sightless Cult may be ending, and, well, my time is not worthy of investigating politics, but the Inquisitors who are set to arrive in a few days will conduct their own investigations. Specifically into you, the guard, and…” She looked at the boys, trailing off.

“Of course,” was all Lady Onryo said.

“Good,” the Huntress said. “There will be more time for this conversation later. As you can see,” she gestured to herself, “I have sustained significant injury and wish to sleep. The city is safe for the most part, return if you wish, start rebuilding, call meetings, and get the frightened citizens from their homes. Do whatever you want. I’m going to bed.”

Leland and the others agreed with that and everyone stepped inside, either gathering their things or gathering pillows and blankets. Before those native to Shoutwell left, Jude had a question.

“What’s with the goat?” he asked, pointing at the animal following the Lady around.

Lady Onryo looked at the forgotten animal. “I think our city could be livened up by such a gentle creature.”

It headbutted into her leg, bleating right after.