#anrvia

[yunessa]

Owlcatober: Day 10 'Second Chances'

Chapter Two Pathfinder WOTR stuff excerpts from my fanfic for owlcatober. Mild spoilers for the cultist in the Mayr Zacharius graveyard but not really any other ones sans one sentence which I removed.

-

The church the cultist had fled to was an old church undergoing renovations before Kenabres had been attacked. The construction beams and ropes still held it upright, though the workers had long since fled or been killed.

Sosiel had helped find the way around more recently awakened undead and they had climbed up the scaffolding slowly. Yunessa found it stressful to sneak under the undead’s ‘nose’, but when it became completely evident the undead were simply that they breathed a sigh of relief. Sneaking around undead by climbing scaffolding was better than having to see them in battle. The few they did face lay guarding the master who had called them from the grave.

The citizens the cultist had gathered ran free when they met the Necromancer’s minions inside the building. Before he might have had the advantage, but against a gryphon’s talons, Woljif’s daggers, and the aim of Lann or Daeran, he didn't stand a chance.

And when it was only the necromancer it was Sosiel that closed the distance with a furious roar.

“You damned rat! How dare you?” It was like seeing a different person hearing the cleric of Shelyn roar and break the nose of the necromancer. “You scumbag! I remember you! You came to our temple a month ago! Begging for healing! We fed you! We shared our table with you and too you in! Then you… you… I’ll I don’t even know what i’ll do with you!”

“Sosiel.” Yuness raised their voice but the cleric didn’t hear it.

“Stop! I surrender. You-” But Sosiel ignored the necromancer’s cries of pain, punching him in the teeth. “I surrender!” The necromancer held his pale hands up. “I surrendered! Your goddesth demands you spare my lifeth!” Droplets of crimson coloured the dusty stone floor.

“Sosiel!” Yunessa raised their voice again, their tone cold enough hat Sosiel shoved the necromancer away from him. The necromancer hissed, pushing himself upright as he spit blood on the floor. “Before you beat a man to death, I need a explanation!”

“This… this is Roan. The tailor from Kenabres. We healed him after he almost died  after encountering a mugger, then he became a frequent visitor to our temple. He listened attentive to our sermons, studied the Goddess’s teachings, and praised our art…” Sosiel inhaled sharply , gritting his teeth. “Were you lying to our faces the whole time? When we took you in? When you sat at our table and broke bread with us? Were you planning on stabbing us in the back, even then?”

“Stabbing…” The necromancer began hoarsely, “Yes, I did that. Planned, executed, done.” He tried to sneer but a sneeze saw blood spray painfully over the stone floor. The necromancer kept his hand shield out, fingers splayed over the stone to show he was making no movements. “We… are everywhere. Inside, outside, around the corner. Everywhere.You have the…” The necromancer’s shoulders shook before he contained himself. “You- you should have died at the hands of your friends or the elf. It would habeen a good idea. Shame- shame it didn’t work…” 

“Shut up!” Sosiuel snarled, holding his hand  with effort as he looked down at the cultist with an expression of pure hatred.

“Kill me then.” Roan rasped. “Kill me and prove to your goddess how irredeemable I am. Or let me go if you will not commit a sin to Shelyn.” The necromancer’s green eyes watched them all wearily behind greasy black hair.

“Does Shelyn allow you to kill cultist Sosiel or is he trying to get a rise out of us?” With no undead to speak of and the necromancer keeping himself very carefully still Yunessa stepped around the man, watching as he lowered his head, letting his forehead touch the stone.

“He’s telling the truth.” Sosiel began reluctantly. “The eternal Rose is known for her grace. She teaches us to show mercy to anyone who asks for it. It;s one thing to slay a enemy in battle, but a captive-” He broke off, taking a slow breath before he continued. “You have to try and save their soul. To show them the beauty of the world. Persuade them to abandon the path of evil. It’s difficult, but the world is better for it.”

“Kill me.” Roan rasped. The cultist’s face was a bloodied mess. His voice a low pained rasp. “I made your friends return from the beyond. I tried to kill you and the commander with their hands. Kill me. For your friends and Shelyn.” 

“Do you think this cultist deserves a chance at redemption?” The cultist’s green eyes followed Yunessa as the elf stepped around him. He kept his hands splayed out, hid head low to the ground.

“I… I do not know. May Shelyn forgive me, but I haven’t had to struggle with  this burden before.” Sosiel watched  the cultist,the disgust visible in his eyes. “I had no time to try healing the souls of villains. I was always preoccupied with healing the bodies of those they harmed.”

The cultist didn't move. He stayed perfectly still as Sosiel looked to the sky. “Forgive me Eternal Rose. You teach us to be merciful to our enemies and love them but I… I am too weak. I am afraid.  Grant me absolution from this sin, for this love is beyond me.”

“Shelyn said nothing about the cultist losing teeth.” Daeran said.

“No. Enough. He’s defeated and will disturb the dead no longer. Pummeling him further won’t be justice, just revenge.” Sosiel looked down to his fists and wiped the necromancer’s blood off with a grimace. “I had no idea I had so much rage in me. I- it’s a shame. A disgrace, but I admit I enjoyed beating him. Forgive me for letting you see me like this.” Her turned his hands over. “You’re the Commander and he’s your captive. His fate is up to you.”

Yunessa looked to the cultist.  The cultist watched them back, his bright green eyes calm. I probably would have let Sosiel kill you... But you look like you’re expecting death anyway, or even torture. What would be the punishment for you?

“Let’s tie him up. We’ll imprison the cultist and let his deeds be punished to the fullest extent of the law.” Yunessa said finally. Trapped in a cell and unable to use their magic without a chance to see the night sky… they resisted a grimace at that mental image.

“Yes, that’s the right thing to do.” Sosiel breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you.”

-

“You said your name was Silence?” Yunessa watched the cultist. Compared to when they had seen him at the funeral for Sosiel’s friends he looked less like a bruised apple. He was chained to a hitching post, sitting atop re-purposed rubble. His green eyes watched Yunessa, his pale face looking as if the skin was stretched over the bones. Despite the dirt of the road and his chains, he sat with a calm air about him.

“Roan.” He said hoarsely. “I am Roan, Commander.” The manacles that held the necromancer kept him from running or performing his magic. The chains whispered as he turned to fully face Yunessa. “The manacles make it difficult to salute you. Do forgive my lapse in etiquette.” 

“Roan then.” Yunessa nodded. “Don’t worry about the etiquette. I heard you were willing to redeem yourself from Sosiel, Roan. Is that true?” They watched the cultist carefully. “Because if you are then I’ll hold off your trial for a while.”

Roan canted his head curiously. “I said-” he cleared his throat, rubbing at his neck and Yuneessa caught sight of the heavy scarring beneath it. “I said I would perform what was needed as penance. I know what I did. There is no forgiveness to ask for.” His green eyes held no regret in them. No sorrow or cunning gleam. No desperation.“So tell me what you need of me and I shall do so to the best of my abilities.”

  “Allright then Roan. I have a easy task to start you with.” They slid off their leather bag to offer it to the necromancer. “Take this.”

The chain between his manacles nosily protested as Roan took the bag without question, setting it in his lap.

“You’re accomplished enough to raise the dead and I heard before that you had some experience with the dead.” Anevia had told it to Yunessa, delivering her report quietly and with little fanfare, including the details Sosiel had been unaware of.

“I am skilled with what I do, yes.” Roan nodded in agreement with Yunessa’s words.”Once, I prepared them for their rest. Before all of this.”

“Open the bag then.”  Yunessa gestured to it. “And then tell me what you think of what’s inside.”

He reached into the bag, pausing only for a second before he saw what was inside. He paused. Eyed the head. “A head, Commander?” he inquired, the rough rasp of his voice shifting from neutrality to curiosity. 

“Yes, a head. I know it’s strangely well preserved and his cause of death was unnatural.” They didn’t need to state it for Roan was already turning the severed head in the bag to look at it.

“Not done by a normal weapon.” He muttered, moving his finger over the stump of the neck.  Yunessa resisted a grimace and fought down the desire to puke as he touched the eyes, studying the severed head as if it was a puzzle.  

“Don’t.” Yunessa began as he continued. “Studying a severed head in the open. Where everyone can see, is perhaps not ideal.”

“I forget myself Commander. Apologies.”  The necromancer closed the bag, drawing the bag into his arms as easily as if he was holding a child. “What did you want done?”

“For a start, Anevia will be overseeing you.” Yunessa pointed a finger behind them. “If Anevia doesn’t like what you’re doing then she can kill you on the spot. If she says jump, I expect you to jump. If she says stop…” Yunessa trailed off.

“Stop. Yes. I understand.” Roan agreed easily.

“Good. I want you to find everything you can about the head. Anything at all, I want to know about it. You’ll get your mortuary tools and whatever Anevia deems necessary for you to have.”  Yunessa watched Roan nod again. He didn’t look eager but there was a curiosity as if he enjoyed what he was potentially going to do. “If you’re honest about working for the crusade then this shouldn’t be a difficult task for you.”

“I understand. Yes. This- this I can do.” His eyes searched Yunessa’s face. “If there is anything to find then I shall learn of it. How much time do I have, Commander?”

“You have until I come to you again. I hope you’ll find something, Roan.”  Before he could speak, Yunessa held up a finger. “I would hate to send a letter to your son in Absalom if you decide to return to your cultist activities rather than focus on penance.”

Roan went rigid. “My-” He croaked. “My son has nothing to do with what I have done here Commander. Do not-” He broke off and the chains clinked as he started to rise. “I beg you, my son is innocent of his father’s crimes.” He didn’t drop the head, but he clasped his hands together tightly, the pale skin turning a sickly yellow. His hoarse voice, which had been alarmed, began to turn, the tone pleading.

“Stop Roan.” The necromancer’s calm was gone now. His wide green eyes staring at Yunessa as if the bard was a monster. Yunessa held up a hand. “If you focus on what you’re doing now then your son will never see a letter.”

“That- yes.” The necromancer’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you Commander.” Relief filled his words. “I will do whatever you require of me. Just please, please do not…” He trailed off, struggling to push the words past his scarred throat. “Not even if I die. Don’t send him anything.”

“Do your duty and he never will see a letter or your urn.” Yunessa agreed. “Prove that I was right to keep you alive.”

-

“Did he break?” Anevia asked, She leaned against a tent pole, watching the tent the necromancer had been escorted into. 

“He did. Though how you knew he had a kid I’ve no idea Anevia.” Yunessa looked away from the tent to Anevia. She grinned in response to Yunessa’s look and held her hand up, the index finger and thumb forming a circle.

“Did you know a good accountant can find anything? He worked in Kenabres for a while with the mortuary folk. He tried to hide where he was sending money. He might have fooled the other cultists, but his son still shares his last name.”

“How did you find out he was in Absalom?” Yunessa asked, unable to stop themself. “Wouldn’t that take weeks to find and confirm that?”

“Normally. But we can still open a small- very small, mind you- portal for things like letters, if we have a skilled enough mage. It’s expensive but  with the money you gave Beth for the crusade, we could afford to have someone follow the trail. Right to one of Absalom’s universities and there you have it.” Anevia held her hands out, bowing as Yunessa clapped.

“Would never have guessed. Does anything escape your eyes Anevia?” Anevia’s grin widened at Yunessa’s words.

“Don’t go too far. I’m still investigating him. He won’t talk about anything pre-kenabres. But I’ll find it out for you.”  Anevia eyes Yunessa. “Beth said you decided to help out that guy?”

“Yaker? Yes. I’ve got a feeling he’s not a cultist and like Irabeth said- at some point I’ll be leaving Drezen and the army for whatever comes up that needs me to attend to it. While we’re slowly making our way there to Drezen is the best, ah, test to see how it goes.” Yunessa frowned. “Not that I’m not needed here. But you know how a feeling goes.”

As Yunessa gestured, Anevia nodded. “Prior Ramien preached about them. I get them when I’m working too. Just make sure to come back alive, alright? We won’t  manage without you.” 

“I’ll come back.” Yunessa promised. “What would you do without me?”

Anevia chuckled. “Still be stuck in a cave for one.”