Chapter 241 – A Princess, a Scholar and a Werewolf Walk Into a Bar…

Ren - Day 4 of the Serrezht Crisis

I missed being a crime boss so much, I thought when Savri finished introducing our visitors. I mean, the skillset is the same.

Of the three, the Vukodlak was of greatest interest to me and, all in all, she wasn't that bad-looking with her grey fur with white streaks where her hair should have been, black ear fur, red eyes, a fluffy tail, though I had to note it wasn't nearly as majestic as Lilyth's and an adorable snout. She was dressed surprisingly normal in white linen pants and a blue cotton shirt, over which she wore a suit of leather armour. I had no idea how she could wear it in that heat, especially since, unlike our resident furball, Izartiel’s entire body was covered in fur.

She must be hella sweaty under there… Wait… Can she even sweat?

I was about to welcome them to my “office,” but Nevahl decided to break the ice and protocol by addressing Lilyth, who was standing to my left, directly.

‘I see you have received some… upgrades, Your Majesty.’

What the fuck.

Aki, who was on my right, shifted nervously. Caeileera and Phosi also seemed absolutely incredulous. Hell, you could think Nevahl killed the vengeful spirit’s favourite pet judging by her expression.

Then again, she is a noble born and raised.

Sav and Persephone, the last of our group in the tent, seemed vaguely amused, likely fully anticipating the meeting to only go downhill from then on.

‘What can I say, Ser Nevahl?’ Lilyth replied, crossing her arms. ‘I was running around with a pair of really sharp scissors, fell down some stairs, and here we are. As for the “Your Majesty” bit, I have stepped down. Any diplomatic inquiries should be directed to Queen Ren.’

She pointed towards me.

Okay, maybe we can salvage this.

‘Why?’ Zaevi blurted out.

Fuck. Why are they doing their best to torpedo this meeting?

‘Would you trust someone running around with scissors, Princess?’ Despite the pleasant tone, you could tell how angry Lilyth was getting by the way her ears began to twitch.

‘So I gather you are still uninterested in cooperating with us,’ Nevahl said dryly.

Wait… does he seriously expect us to reveal all our secrets? Or is he bitching about Lilyth not being nice enough? Somehow, she is on her best behaviour. Hell, she didn't use the word fuck once.

‘Not up to me, good ser. You are just inquiring about matters that are, and I am going to use technical language here, none of your fucking business.’

That's still surprisingly polite of her.

‘I wouldn't necessarily agree, my lady. We have come here to request your aid. If your group is too injured to be of use, then it is an important thing to take into consideration.’

‘“Of use?” I repeated. ‘Don’t you mean “of help,” good sir?’

‘That was a poor choice of words, I’ll admit, your Majesty,’ Nevahl bowed. ‘However, I think my point stands.’

‘Does it now? While it was not my decision, our previous stance was not to assist you, something we have clearly expressed. Yet you approach us again and go about it in an… unconventional way. So, enlighten me please, Ser Nevahl, why do you think we would want to accept your request for aid?’

Nevahl began to answer, but Zaevi cut him off.

‘I apologise for our lack of manners, Your Majesty; it has been a long few days for all of us, I think.’

You have no idea.

‘I realise that since we find ourselves in the middle of an unprecedented disaster, tempers may be fraying a bit.’

‘Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. To answer your question: even despite our… less than ideal first meeting, I have maintained, and still maintain, that securing your group’s aid is one of the best possibilities I have of saving my kingdom. So, while we were travelling, we have been making inquiries and discovered that our paths may be aligned.’

Now… that is interesting. I am not surprised we left a trail, but I was hoping it would be more difficult to piece together. If Nevahl and Zaevi could track us, so can assassins. In fact…

‘Before we continue, could you tell us how you fit into the picture, Izartiel of the Endless of Forest?’ I turned to the Vukodlak.

‘Oh, I met Zaevi and Nevahl a few days ago on the road,’ she answered. ‘Sorry… Princess Zaevi. I didn't know she was one until today. A princess, I mean. Umm… Your Majesty. I apologise, I am not used to dealing with nobility.’

‘That’s okay. You aren't a local, so I wouldn't expect you to be that familiar with our customs and protocols. Still, it is an interesting coincidence you found yourself here at the same time as Princess Zaevi and us. Right in the middle of a disaster. Wearing a suit of armour and carrying a sword.’

‘I guess,’ there is no use hiding it,’ Izartiel replied. ‘I am a bounty hunter. I imagine you can guess who I was after.’

Lilyth, whose attention was fully focused on Nevahl, turned towards the Vukodlak with an annoyed expression on her face. Her eyes briefly flashed with a cold violet light, and a loud crack sounded from the scabbard of Izartiel's sword, followed by the sound of metal scraping on metal. Then the weapon's hilt dropped to the ground with a loud thump.

The Vukodlak looked at her now broken weapon with a mix of shock and sadness.

‘I’ll fix it for you later,’ Lilyth said in a neutral tone and returned her gaze to Nevahl.

‘What made you abandon your… venture?’ I asked.

‘I was heading towards the Imperial compound you were looking for along with some of my business partners. Then the weird storm happened and reminded me of the warning an Air Fae friend of mine gave me about not pursuing this bounty. Then the Sprouting began, and all my companions succumbed to it. I decided to call it quits then.’

‘I see,’ I nodded and turned my attention back to Zaevi.

‘Wait… that's it?’ Iza sounded incredulous.

Why is she so angry we are letting her get away scot-free?

‘Listen, sister,’ Lilyth sighed. ‘You are in a tent full of people who can incinerate you with a flick of their wrist. Just be happy we don't consider you a threat.’

‘I wish I was afforded this level of indifference,’ Nevahl sighed.

‘Izartiel came clean immediately,’ Lilyth shrugged. ‘You remain a mystery.’

‘Or I can just be who I claim to be.’

If only there was a way to verify that.

Wait.

There is a way.

I remembered an ability Ere once tried to teach me, but I refused because it felt… wrong to use.

That moment I fully understood the dilemma Lilyth had faced.

If I do this, I will be crossing a line. But… I have to know… Our safety depends on it.

Then another thought struck me.

Does it though? I could always kick them out. That was the plan anyway. Just… be nice about it. Still, I can check one thing.

I activated [Leysight] and began examining our guests.

There was nothing special about Izartiel and Zaevi. Their magical auras weren't that different from what I would have expected. Nevahl, though… the man shone with multicoloured light so bright it hurt my eyes. Not even the auras of Lilyth and Persephone, two of the strongest mages I knew, were that overwhelming.

Fuck. That decides it. But how do I do it?

‘Just examine him like you would an item,’ Nyx reminded me with a soft voice.

Are you mad at me?

‘Why would I be? If anything, I admire that you held out so long. Most mortals would not have shown such restraint, I assure you.’

I needed some more guidance from Nyxie, but eventually I did get a reading.

Name: Rene Vehlor

Race: Appears Human (Requires Verification)

Level: ???

Dominant Arcana: Unknown

That's surprisingly unhelpful.

Before fully dismissing the ability as completely useless, I examined the other two members of Princess’s party.

Name: Zaevi

Race: Krimnid

Level: 0

Dominant Arcana: None

Name: Izartiel

Race: Vukodlak

Level: 1

Dominant Arcana: None

Final check. I hope Lilyth won't mind.

Name: Lilyth Geist

Race: Kitsune/Hellborn (Terran Origin)

Level: 37

Dominant Arcana: Air/Shadow

Interesting… I am almost level thirty-one. So is Nevahl’s… Rene’s level is much higher than Lilyth’s, or does his being a powerful caster fuck with the ability? No matter. It only makes the decision easier to make.

Zaevi -Day 4 of the Serrezht Crisis

The way Queen Ren looked at her with her glowing eyes made the Princess feel naked, as if the half-harpy was examining her very soul. Iza also shifted nervously under the monarch’s gaze, though Nevahl seemed mostly unaffected.

I wonder why?

‘Then Nevahl's answer makes ours much easier,’ Queen Ren finally made a ruling. ‘While our stance regarding an alliance didn't change, I cannot in good conscience even entertain the possibility of it changing if our team does not trust one of you.’

Each word felt like a dagger being driven into Zaevi’s heart. There really was no hope.

‘But we share a goal!’ she meekly protested.

‘No, we share an enemy, and that's not the same, Little Princess,’ the blue-skinned Water elf creature corrected her. ‘In fact, I don't think it even goes that far. If I remember correctly and as barbaric as it is, only men can inherit the throne of Mavigan, so unless you have some plan how to bypass that issue you might as well not bother.’

Zaevi had no answer to that. Their plan was to “just improvise”, which wasn't the greatest sales pitch; she had to agree.

‘Didn’t the Princess have a brother she wanted us to rescue?’ Persephone asked.

‘He’s dead,’ Zaevi answered in a dead monotone.

A weird expression crept up on Lilyth's face. As if she was trying to hide her lack of surprise. But how would she know Dennic was dead?

‘You have my deepest condolences, Your Highness,’ Ren said in an even tone ‘However, I have to ask: how do you know that?’

‘Nevahl hired some men who infiltrated the prison colony and discovered he was killed a week into his imprisonment.’

‘Can those men be trusted?’ Lilyth asked with the faintest hint of satisfaction in her voice. ‘I mean… I can't imagine a lot of people would be willing to infiltrate a prison, and it is not like you can verify whether they are telling the truth.’

‘I have worked with those men many times in the past,’ Nevahl answered carefully. ‘They have never cheated me in the past. Sure, they haven't always delivered, but that's life. Sometimes the circumstances are outside your control.’

‘Yes,’ Zaevi came to Nevahl's defence. ‘I spoke with th-’

‘Watch out!’ Ren suddenly shouted.

Before Zaevi could react, there was a blinding flash of light; she felt sharp pain in her neck followed by a brief sensation of flight.

The next thing she knew, she was standing on a white disk suspended in the middle of nothing