azazele

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-109-Lane

Lane Macklemore felt like a waste. For all the resources poured into him and the advantages he was given, he’d done disappointingly little with his life.

He didn’t grow up privileged by any means but as the son of a moderately successful hunter, his family had been well off. His father had instilled a strong work ethic in his children, of the firm belief that one needed to work for th...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-108-Mr. Richard

Mr. Richard thought it was about time to make his exit.

One glance at the anxious and, far worse, interested faces surrounding him was enough to tell him there was no salvaging the situation. Either he denied them and invited salacious rumors of all kinds or…nothing. He didn’t have any other options. It was made clear to him that whatever was going on in his basement was the guilds’...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-107-Mr. Richard

He wasn’t intimidated.

As a merchant who’d braved the kingdom’s roads and wilderness for decades, he’d seen far too much to let three women, no matter their reputation or ability, intimidate him. By the saints’ grace, he wouldn’t lose his nerve before the king himself.

That said, Mr. Richard had to admit that closing the distance did nothing to diminish their presence. R...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-106-Mr. Richard

Mr. Richard, and he was Mr. Richard to everyone, including his friends and sometimes to his family, looked over his party with a pleased eye. He wasn’t one for extravagance, being a practical man with few, practical vices, but the party was not a mere exercise in fun. In Harvest, there were all kinds of power and it was hard to rank them, as supremacy was more often than not dictated by circu...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-105

What does one wear to a slaughter?

After a fitful night of sleep, on my part and no one else’s, a small point of embarrassment despite the logical part of my mind insisting there’s nothing wrong with being hesitant over taking lives and that I’m not doing myself any favors comparing my reactions to the temperaments of my unusual lovers, the sun dawns on the fated day.

Saintsda...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-104

“Gather around everyone. No need to be shy, we’re only plotting mass murder.”

“You don’t have to sound so damn happy about it,” Alana grumbles. She doesn’t see how strained my smile is as she raises a towel to wipe the sweat from her brow. I’m not happy at all. The whole situation is aggravating and a little sickening but pretending it’s another crazy adventure, treating...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-103

“It is rare for you to ask me to spar.”

Across from me on the ruined Teppin lawn, Kierra stretches as she prepares for our bout. As for why I have willingly served myself up for my wife’s violent pleasure, I blame the storm of thoughts going through my mind. There was plenty rattling about in my skull before the unexpected arrival of the estrazi but Little Water’s tale has stuffed...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-102

“Tell me about—wait.”

I pause as Fen enters the room pushing a serving cart. The fare on it is simple, as all my servants have been too busy to properly stock the kitchen pantries with anything better. Several platters of sandwiches and pitchers of water. Nothing phenomenal but expertly prepared.

“May we?” Little Water asks.

“It was prepared for you.”

Her t...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-101

“Please, sit down,” I offer as I drop her hand. “You can tell the others to make themselves comfortable. Are you hungry? Of course you are. What do you eat? Do you drink? Alcohol, I mean. Please tell me you do. The lord of the house has a horrible collection of wine we’ll never make our way through but might be appreciated by a, uh, how do I say this. Virgin tongue?” At least to that ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-100

Should I bring a gift?

It occurs to me that despite having no violent intentions toward these estrazi, a human, their age-old enemy, intruding on a secret rendezvous and demanding they surrender might not be taken well. I refuse to bring Lancecain, both to avoid the odd chance they have a plan for such and because I’m not entirely convinced something doesn’t have its fingers in his he...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-99 (Little Water)

Should she kill them?

The longer the two strange females lingered, the more uncomfortable Little Water became. If the encounter was to come to violence, initiative would be valuable. The problem was their confidence. It gave her pause as she knew it wasn’t false, not a hint of fear or anxiety on either of them. That meant they had something to be confident about, despite the situation. ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-98 (Little Water)

Little Water hated the human kingdom.

She knew her journey would be difficult, expected to face hardships that could prove fatal. What she didn’t expect was to be so annoyed and the most unexpected things bothered her the most.

Chief among them was the lack of walls. The estrazi made their homes underground, where space was limited. Exceptions were made for the rooms of females, w...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-97

Lancecain presses his back against the door as I approach him, one hand blindly grasping for the handle. For a moment. Then he lets go, straightens his shoulders, and looks me in the eyes. “Please calm down.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m perfectly calm. We’re just going to have my thrall take a look inside your head, make sure everything is where it needs to be.”

“I won’t...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-96

Having enough gold to afford the best doesn’t guarantee someone has the taste to make the most of that wealth. The Teppin house isn’t a gaudy monstrosity, thank the saints, but it is practically empty by the standards of the capital, with a minimum of furniture, a sensible lack of extravagant waste, and a bland array of colors.

Compared to that, the main bedroom, with its scarlet wall...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-95

[I bring troubling news, my summoner.]

As expected, Geneva returns safe and sound, having successfully completed her errand. With Kiera preoccupied with Lancecain, Yulia distracted catching up with the Stars, Talia monopolizing Fen’s attentions for her studies, Earl busy “educating the Teppins”, and everyone else settling into the estate, I’m alone as the Geneva settles at my feet...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-94

Geneva hasn’t returned by morning.

If it were anyone else, truly anyone, I might bother being concerned. Hells, I would be worried for Kierra, despite how capable she is. Had she failed to return from the same errand, I’d be out there searching for her after nightfall, at the latest.

As it is, my succubus is a highly intelligent, conniving, devious, master physical caster with z...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-93

Thankfully, Kierra knows how to handle horses, swear that elf can do anything. We stop by the Golden Feathers. I wanted to speak with Marcella, but she isn’t there when we arrive. I imagine she’s busy acting on Slaid’s information. Or getting back at the guilds for causing a ruckus in her hotel.

Either way, it’s an uneventful trip to collect the rest of my servants, Jac, and Allen...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-92

“Lady Tome!”

I swear softly and reflexively shut my eyes as a gust of wind blows my hair into my face. A moment later, I remember my ‘films’ and drop one to block the dust being thrown about. Then I look up.

Above me is Mr. Interim, eyes glowing with channeled mana and the air beneath his feet visibly moving to support him as he looks down at us. Staring at him, I can’t he...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-91

Before our imaginations get away from us, I bring my treasure-hungry elf and conspiracy-loving succubus back on track. Namely, figuring out what happened here and if it relates to us or the March. Unearthing any secret treasures or storehouses hidden by the guilds for centuries can wait.

For once, we can’t brute force this problem. Possible guildmasters are guarding the site of the expl...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-90

The roads are a mess as we ride toward the source of fire and fear. The complications are undoubtedly because we are going in the opposite direction of the heavy traffic, who are unilaterally moving away from the problem. The sight reminds me of farmers starting fires to smoke out vermin, rats and snakes fleeing from the promise of death taking the shape of a column of dark smoke.

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-89

“G-g-g-good—”

I smile with a mix of amusement and nostalgia as the youngest Teppin makes a spectacle of herself in the doorway of our stolen bedroom while trying to greet us. I have a feeling that she’s a nervous girl by nature. Being the same room as the women that slaughtered her family’s knights and humiliated said family certainly can’t help that disposition, but I think w...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-88

Unfortunately, we linger too long and miss our opportunity to sneak off. As we whisper to each other in the dark, our guests are shown out and Rey serves tea. All is calm until Alana raises her voice. “What is your problem?”

I turn my gaze back to the parlor and find my lovely knight staring daggers at her sister while Yulia refuses to meet the strong gaze, busying herself with a cup ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-87

In the stories, treachery is always done under the cover of deep shadows and discussed in soft whispers. Never blatantly discussed out in the open, spoken without the obfuscation of code or metaphor.

Slaid’s blunt statement of his devious and, possibly, nefarious intentions prove he isn’t a negotiator, as he claimed. And makes me suspicious of his character. I believe his actions are ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-86

Fear, unease, nerves, tension.

A far cry from the happy atmosphere of my party. I wish all this slaughtering could bring me back to that time of music and bright lights. That’s what I’m fighting for. I tell myself that at the end of all this blood and tedium are more of those carefree nights. It’s the only thing that allows me to keep my calm as I stare at the representative of the ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-85 (Marcella)

“Fuck.”

Marcella was inclined to agree with the quiet exclamation, though not even a hint of disquiet showed on her face. Their journey to the Teppin estate was short and uneventful, a stark contrast to what awaited them. She knew it would be bad when she saw the broken fence that surrounded the property, evidence that Lou’s visit had involved some degree of force. She had underesti...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-84 (Marcella)

In Marcella’s experience, the worst thing in business was not competitors or an unstable market, but surprises. She hated surprises. A loss she could handle. Problems could be turned into opportunities if used properly. But surprises? By their nature, they could not be foreseen, planned for, or managed.

Even what should be a good surprise could be dangerous, disrupting carefully laid pl...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-83

The parents seem dismayed by the actions of their daughter, her mother watching her with poorly repressed horror while her father glares with disapproval. Do they expect her to face death with quiet dignity?

I can understand the romance of going out with pride. When Crowley Cain snatched me from the King’s Road and sacrificed me in vain, I refused to let him see my pain and regret. But,...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-82

If I am a monster playing a being human, the man who opens the door is a rabbit playing at being a stoic servant. He’s an elderly man dressed in a nice white skirt, dark pants, and a half apron instead of a jacket. Dark eyes peer at me from a weathered face with wrinkles made more prominent by a deep frown.

At first glance, the old man looks like a disapproving elder ready to scold the ...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-81

A noble is in charge of every aspect of the land they govern. They are charged with taking stock of the resources of their territory and allocating them to serve the best interests of the people.

That rarely happens.

Most of the time, the people are given just enough to keep them alive and stave off a rebellion while the rest is used to furnish the lavish lifestyles of the rich. A p...

ARC 7-Cursed Fates-80

What is a noble?

That word has a lot of meanings. The most common, I think, references someone born into a position of power, those who are meant to rule by the right of bloodline. They are those that are meant to represent the best of humanity. The elite of the kingdom. This is the view used by both said nobles and the commoners they govern, an idea purposely reinforced by those in power...