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The OP MC 7 chapter 7
🕑 Added 2021-05-24 14:00:06 +0000 UTCI was back in the enchanter’s shop, and I had yet to trace the sigils on the daggers to infuse them with the dual properties of the feather and talon. Carleone could be going up in flames at that very moment, but I wanted to finish my current task before preparing to leave town.
It looked like dinner would have to be rescheduled.
After I applied the shimmering mixture to the two daggers, I scooped them up and turned to the door just in time to predict Torya’s arrival. Abrin shot me an awestruck glance, but the innkeeper merely giggled.
“Oh, Bash,” Torya chuckled. “You’re always one step ahead of the rest of us, aren’t you?”
“All part of being the God of Time,” I pointed out with a cocky grin. “But unfortunately, I’ll have to skip dinner tonight.”
“Oh, no!” Torya gave me a worried frown. “What happened?”
“Carleone is on fire,” I informed her as I raked a hand through my hair. “A runner will come before we even sit down to eat.”
“What should we do?” The innkeeper’s eyes widened, and she hurried to the door. “How can I help?”
“We should get as many people on horseback as we can,” I instructed. “I’m sure Carleone will need all the help they can get. I’ll go tell my wives and Caelia, and I’m sure we can reschedule our dinner for another night.”
“A fire, you say?” Abrin muttered as he moved to one of the shelves in his shop. “I might have just the thing.”
“Do you have a water wand?” I asked as excitement coursed through my veins.
Enchanters always had some good shit laying around.
“I believe I do!” Abrin nodded, and he retrieved the item he’d sought before he handed the wooden stick to me. “I am probably too old to race across the countryside on the back of a horse, but please, take this with you.”
The wand was roughly a foot long, and a smooth spot in the bark worked as a handle. It was fairly nondescript, and if I hadn’t known it possessed magical abilities, I would have assumed it was a normal enough piece of wood. I pressed my finger against the pointy tip of the wooden stick to activate the stats, and I grinned when I saw the text pop up into the air.
Durability - 100%
Weight - .5 lbs
Quality - Good
Magical Aspect - Water
Magical Ability - 20x Downpour
“Thanks, Abrin,” I said. “I know some water spells that will work as well, but this wand will work perfectly for when I start to run out of steam.”
“You are most welcome, Your Grace,” Abrin replied with a dip of his head. “I only wish I could do more.”
“We will keep you busy around here, trust me,” I assured the older man.
“Shall I run to Stryker’s to call for volunteers?” Torya asked suddenly, and I realized I’d forgotten she was standing in the doorway while Abrin and I talked about the wand.
“That’s a great idea.” I nodded. “I’m going to run home and explain what’s happening. Tell everyone to meet at the stables as soon as they’re ready.”
“Yes, Bash.” Torya grinned. “Carleone is lucky to have a god on its side.”
I waved goodbye to Abrin and watched Torya hurry toward the tavern, and then I dashed down the street as fast as I could. Every minute wasted could be another life lost in Carleone, but I knew getting the wand would be worth the extra time I’d spent in the enchanter’s shop.
I trotted up the steps of my porch and inside my house without pausing, and I nearly knocked Elissa and Caelia over as I sped into the hallway.
“Bash!” my red-haired wife gasped as I skidded to a halt before her. “What’s wrong?”
“Carleone is on fire,” I panted out as I caught my breath. I’d gotten a lot more fit since I’d come to this medieval fantasy world, so it only took me a moment to regain my composure. “A runner is on the way with the news.”
“You’re amazing.” Caelia shook her head in awe. “I didn’t know you could predict the future.”
“All part of being a god,” I said in a cheerful tone. “I sent Torya to the tavern to gather volunteers.”
“Volunteers fer what?” Jax growled as he strode out of the living room. “What’s happened, Bash?”
“Carleone is on fire,” I repeated. “I’m grabbing my gear then heading to the stables. With any luck, we’ll meet the runner on the road and save him some time as well as some lives.”
“I’m right behind ye.” Jax nodded curtly. “Gonna run by my shop, and I’ll meet ya at the stables.”
“Perfect.” I grinned. “Thanks, Jax.”
“Carleone is in trouble?” Elrin asked as a worried frown creased his brow. “Oh, dear… Carlisle must be in dire straits to send a runner this far for aid.”
“Precisely why I need to hurry,” I said as I moved to the stairs. “Sorry, but dinner will have to be rescheduled.”
“I overheard,” Mahini said as she popped out of the bedroom door ahead of me. “I have your armor and weapons.”
Eva stepped out an instant later, and both of my women were dressed for a fight. I was surprised at the speed and efficiency they had changed with, but there was no time for compliments.
“You’re amazing.” I accepted the bundle of gear and weapons from the desert goddess, and then I headed back down the stairs.
“I want to help,” Elissa said as she stepped in front of my path.
“Think about the baby,” I said with a worried frown. “I’m not sure if you should ride as fast as we need to.”
“What about me?” Mahini flashed me a penetrating look, but I merely shook my head in response. The desert goddess sighed and crossed her arms, but she didn’t argue as she stepped out of my way.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” I promised as I placed a kiss upon each of their foreheads.
Eva and Caelia followed behind me, and the two beauties kept pace with me as we ran at full speed to the stables. There was already a sizable crowd gathered in front of the horse stalls, but then Corvis stepped out of the structure leading an already saddled Goliath.
“Here, boss,” the horse master said with a serious expression. “I was in the tavern when Torya came in. I’d like to help.”
“We could use the extra hands.” I grinned. “Thanks, Corvis. Get you a horse saddled while I wait for some more volunteers to show up.”
I turned to speak to the people gathered around, and I scanned over the familiar faces. Stryker, Niconor, and Willihard stood with their arms crossed over their chests, and Riondale stood with a stiff necked posture a short distance away from the three Bastianville residents. Bron and the new blacksmith named Miller were also in the front of the crowd, but behind the two newcomers was Kylor, Isak, and Asher.
“Alright, listen up, everyone,” I said in a voice loud enough for all to hear. “Carleone is on fire, and we need to get over there as quickly as we can. It’s less than a day’s travel, but there’s little chance we’ll get there before the sun sets, so make sure you have warm clothes and torches with you.”
“We’re ready for anything, Bash,” Kylor said with a determined lift of his chin.
“Good.” I nodded. “Everyone go get a horse saddled. I want to be on the road within the hour.”
The crowd immediately dispersed as everyone leapt into action, and a short while later, my group of firefighting volunteers were riding out of the gates of Bastianville with the sun sliding toward the western horizon behind us. The fading light urged me onward at a breakneck pace, but no one complained or had any trouble keeping up.
I kept a close eye on the women and less experienced riders in the group, but no one seemed to be having any trouble with the pace I set, so I returned my focus back to getting to Carleone as quickly as possible.
Carleone was the first town beside Bastianville I’d visited in this world, and it had recently been added to my territory when I became the Archduke, so it was my responsibility. I wasn’t about to let my people down, but I only wished I had made my save point further back in time to give myself a better advantage. I’d take what I could get, though, and as it was, we’d covered a great deal of distance before we ran into the runner from the burning town.
“Ahoy, there!” I pulled Goliath to a halt, and the warhorse tossed his head as he danced in place. “You’re coming from Carleone?”
“Yes, sir!” The runner eyed the large group of people on horseback as he pulled his stead to a stop. “It’s on fire!”
“I know.” I frowned. “That’s where we are headed.”
“Oh, bless you, stranger!” the runner said as relief washed across his face. “I was on my way to request the God of Time’s aid. He resides in Bastianville.”
“Yeah, that’s me,” I chuckled. “I came as soon as I could.”
“B-B-But how did you know?” The runner’s jaw dropped open as he realized who I was. “Y-Your Grace, my apologies, I don’t mean to question your power.”
“It’s fine,” I said with an incline of my head. “Carleone is the priority right now, so we must get going. Tell me, though, did everyone get away from the fire to safety?”
“Yes, Great One,” the man affirmed. “It started in the early morning, so almost everyone was out and about already.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Let’s go save the town.”
“Thank you, Great One!” the runner gushed. “I’ll lead the way!”
With that, the man pulled his reins until he maneuvered his horse’s head in the direction he’d come from, but he quickly fell into pace with our group as we galloped down the road.
The light grew more dim by the moment, and a short while later, we were cast into the long shadows of twilight. The white rocks of the road glowed softly which made it easier to see the path, but after a while, we had to resort to lighting the torches. It was a couple of hours after sunset when the acrid stench of smoke pierced my nostrils, and I frowned.
We were getting closer.
The crackling sounds of the roaring flames greeted my ears a little while later, and then we rounded the corner to see the blaze consuming the town of Carleone. The walls stood between us and the fire, but I could feel the intensity of the heat as we approached the gate.
The town was cradled between two mountain slopes, with walls closing the village off from either side of the road, so I knew the fire was contained within the small valley. The blaze had spread to multiple structures, if the strength of the sound and the intensity of the heat were any indication, and the gate hung wide open.
“Let’s go!” I shouted over my shoulder as I led the way through the gate, and the rest of my people were right on my horse’s tail.
The heat of the blaze smacked me in the face like a ton of bricks, and Goliath reared when we crossed into the town. I pulled on his reins to turn him away from the flames, and I swung my leg over his neck in the same instant.
I was on the ground and trotting over to the closest burning building in my next breath, and I held out the palms of both of my hands as I gathered my will power.
“Chs!” I yelled to add a little bit of oomph to my spell, and the ice rained out of my hands like a blizzard.
The ice spell barely put a dent in the blaze, so I switched to the other water spells I knew, and I began to drench the building in liquid. The others went about looking for the closest water source, and then residents of Carleone returned to the battle against the flames.
I eyed the other structures being consumed by the fire, but many of them looked too far gone. The roofs were made of thatch or wood, so the fire seemed to hop across some in favor of others.
What had caused the fire?
Did everyone get out safely?
I needed answers, but first I wanted to stabilize the blaze before it turned into a deadly inferno and consumed the entire town. As it was, roughly a quarter of Carleone was on fire, but my followers joined the residents of the mountain village in a bucket line. I wasn’t sure where they were getting the water from, but it was good to have help since the flames had spread so much.
I poured water from the palms of my hands while I chanted the words of power over and over again, and sweat quickly drenched my entire body. I stepped closer and closer to the burning structure as the flames abated, and then I stood on the porch of a business I no longer recognized.
I was less familiar with the layout of Carleone than I was Bastianville, but even if I’d remembered what had previously stood in this spot, there would be no identifying it now that it was a pile of smoldering timber.
“Doin’ alright there, Bash?” Jax hollered from behind me, and I turned to see the blacksmith dump a waterskin over his head.
“Yep.” I clenched my teeth and returned to my task.
The job was far from over.
A little while later, I had rescued the remains of the business from the flames, and I took a quick break before chasing the fire even further away. Jax handed me the waterskin before I could even think about my own thirst, but I drank the refreshing liquid gratefully.
I’d be no use to anyone if I passed out from overheating.
My people and I worked together to section off the burning part of town, and residents tossed buckets of water onto their thatched roofs in an effort to prevent the flames from spreading even more. The sun had set while I’d been distracted by the blaze, but the town was more than illuminated.
It glowed.
The smoke grew thicker in the air as more and more of the flames succumbed to the water, and then the sound of people coughing reached my ears. I was careful not to inhale too much of the toxic air, but it was quickly growing impossible to avoid it.
“Cover your mouths and noses,” I advised the people coughing as I passed by them.
“Thank you, Great One!” the residents of Carleone cheered as I walked down the street toward the worst of the blaze, and I nodded to them with a serious expression on my face.
We could celebrate when the fire was extinguished.
I finally pulled out Abrin’s water wand when I started to pull in my breath in heavy pants, but I was sure the smoke wasn’t helping my oxygen intake. The wooden stick felt comforting in my grasp as I flicked my wrist to activate the magic, and the current of liquid poured from the tip like a water hose. I aimed for the brightest, hottest spots of the inferno, and steam joined the smoke in the air to create thick clouds.
My eyes narrowed as I peered into the steam, and my hair was damp where it clung to my forehead. While Carleone was filling up with steam, I was running out of it, and after a short while, I flicked my wrist again to cease the spell. I only had twenty uses of the wand before it would need to be recharged, but by then I would have regained enough stamina to cast my own spells.
“The fires are extinguished on the western side of town, sir,” Riondale reported with a crisp salute.
“Thanks, Ri-guy,” I responded, and then I jerked my chin toward the fire I fought. “Care to lend a hand? This one is growing by the minute.”
“Absolutely, sir,” Riondale answered. “You should take a break, if you don’t mind me saying so. You’ll be no good to anyone if you’re exhausted.”
“You’re right,” I sighed, and I stuck the water wand into my hip pouch.
“Here,” my general said as he handed me a waterskin.
“Thanks again.” I grinned, but then I drank my fill.
The heat of the fire roasted my skin, and sweat poured down my back beneath my layers of armor. My gear was enchanted with fire resistance, though, so I imagined it would be even worse without it. I was grateful I acquired it when I did, and even though my first thought was to use it in any future fights against a fire breathing dragon, it was perfect for my current situation.
Had a dragon caused this blaze?
If it had, it was way too close to my homebase for my comfort, but I had stolen the egg from a male dragon.
Was there a momma fire breather out there still?
I shook my head to dispel my racing thoughts, and I handed the waterskin back to my general before I returned to the task of battling the blaze. I’d saved multiple structures already, but I wasn’t going to stop until Carleone burned no more.
“You think a dragon came through here?” Riondale asked in a hesitant tone from behind me as if he could read my mind.
I didn’t want to show any lack of knowledge, so I merely flashed him a sideways smile.
“Let’s just focus on putting out the flames for right now,” I instructed, and I allowed amusement to seep into my voice. “Then we’ll discuss what caused it.”
“Yes, sir,” the younger man replied, but the crease between his eyebrows lessened slightly.
It took a couple more hours of hard work, but at long last, every single flame was extinguished by my tireless crew and I. Then everyone sank into the ground with exhausted sighs, and waterskins were passed between hands.
“Everyone went above and beyond the call of duty tonight,” I declared loud enough for everyone to hear. “I am proud to name you all among my followers.”
“Three cheers for the Archduke of Bastianville!” Carlisle shouted, and he pumped his fist in the air while everyone whooped and hollered.
After the chants subsided, I approached the leader of Carleone with a solemn, tight-lipped smile. Carlisle was an old friend of Elrin and Elissa’s, and by extension of marriage, me. He’d been a grumpy drunk when I first met him, but with a little help from the God of Time, his attitude had flipped completely.
He was a good man, and a good leader.
“Mayor Carlisle.” I grasped the mayor of Carleone’s hand in a firm shake, and then I jerked my head toward the smoldering remains of the buildings around us. “What can you tell me about this fire?”
“Not much.” Carlisle shook his head with an apologetic smile. “It was first spotted from the market, and we moved to evacuate before I got the chance to investigate. The inferno grew out of control, and it was all I could do to keep it cornered over here.”
“Take me to where it was first burning,” I instructed.
“Do you suspect foul play?” The mayor’s eyebrows twitched upward, but I could tell he was trying not to display his emotions.
“Do you?” I countered instead of giving away that I couldn’t actually predict the future.
“I require more information before making that call,” the mayor answered with a thoughtful frown.
The people of Carleone were watching us both closely, so we had to remain calm, cool, and collected at all times. Carlisle brought me to the market square, and a few business owners were sifting through the remains of their stores. It was a sad sight, and I made a silent vow to myself to rebuild the town as quickly as I could.
Many hands would make for light work, though, so I just had to get enough volunteers, and I was sure the people who’d come to help already would stay to pitch in.
After looking around the market square for a while, I decided I had no idea what I was looking at, and I would need to investigate some more before I declared the cause. Carlisle offered to compile a list of any witnesses for me to interview, and then we adjourned to the smoke-damaged tavern.
The structure was still intact, and the integrity hadn’t been compromised by the flames, but some smoke stains covered one wall where the blaze had attempted to spread. Fortunately, we’d managed to save the building, so I had a place to set up a homebase while I investigated the cause of the fire.
“I’ll hobble Goliath outside the walls of town,” Riondale offered as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Seems that is the closest access to any grazing.”
“I’m off to demo the ruined buildings,” Jax announced. “Pisses me off to see a good town go up in flames, so I need to get some of my anger out on somethin’.”
“Sounds good, sorry to drag you away from home,” I said as I nodded to both of my friends, but I was grateful they’d come with me since they were more familiar with how things worked in this world.
Riondale shrugged silently, and Jax waved a dismissive hand, but then the two went about their separate tasks and left me alone in the tavern with Carlisle.
I helped the people of Carleone clear away the burned remains of their homes as they searched for anything worthy of keeping, but a few people had lost everything. It would certainly be hard for the small town to bounce back from something like this if I wasn’t around, and I made mental notes about ways I could make the town even better while rebuilding.
“Are you hungry, Your Grace?” A young girl around the age of twelve skipped up to me with a basket hooked over her elbow. She had light-brown hair hanging to her shoulders, and her amber eyes were full of the innocence of youth. “They sent me out to the fields when the fire came, and I found some blackberries.”
“Thank you,” I said with a grateful smile, and I accepted the double handful she scooped into my palms. I had to bend my mouth down to meet my hands because they were so full, and the little girl giggled.
“My ma says you’re a god,” she informed me with huge, curious eyes.
“She’s right.” I smirked. “How about you?”
“Oh, I’m awfully human,” the little girl insisted with a shake of her head. “There’s nothing special about me.”
“I beg to differ,” I chuckled, and I tweaked her nose. “You should get back to your ma. This part of town is dangerous right now.”
“Alright, Your Grace.” The brunette adolescent dropped into a respectful curtsey. Then she took off at a quick run, and her hair flapped behind her as she shouted over her shoulder. “Thank you for saving Carleone!”
“You’re welcome!” I called at her disappearing back, and I laughed to myself as she slid from my view.
Being the God of Time definitely had its perks.
Like freshly picked blackberries being hand delivered by bundles of adorableness.
My thoughts turned to my own growing family as I headed back to the smoke-stained tavern, but I was sure Elissa and Mahini were well taken care of back in Bastianville, so I situated myself at a table and proceeded to interview the residents of Carleone.
I considered making a new save point now that the flames engulfing Carleone were extinguished, but I also didn’t want to eliminate the possibility of riding into town already knowing how the fire started. It would take a lot of work, and then I’d have to redo the enchantments on my daggers for what felt like the millionth time, but it would be worth it.
With my mind made up, I motioned for the first person in line to speak with me, and I began to talk to person after person until I saw the sun begin to rise through the window. I listened to tale after tale about the prior day, and after the first few stories, I was able to pinpoint roughly the time the fire began.
Midday.
The market had been busy at that time, with noon traffic at its zenith, but many people remembered hearing a couple arguing in a house on the western side of the square. This was the area most people said the fire started in, so I decided I would need to go look at the spot myself.
“Oh, boy, what a night!” I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, and Carlisle chuckled as he approached.
“You’ve put in a full day’s work before the sun rose,” the mayor observed. “Perhaps you’d enjoy a rest?”
“I’ll rest when I figure out what happened here,” I countered with a sideways smile.
“What have you learned from your conversations with the townspeople?” The mayor arched one eyebrow in a questioning manner. “Are you any closer to solving the mystery?”
“Well, Nelly told me she saw the fire start at a house on the western edge of the market square.” I frowned. “Other people corroborated this information, so I figured I’d go over there and look around after I get something to eat.”
“Do not overexert yourself on our account,” Carlisle insisted.
“Carleone is in my territory now,” I pointed out with a shrug. “If I’m not looking out for you guys, who will?”
“True,” Carlisle said, but he seemed pleased with my response.
I ate a quick meal of an open-faced beef sandwich, and then I crossed the market square to investigate the origins of the fire that had spread throughout the town. The structure was burnt to a crisp, and there was little evidence of what it had previously been, but a man stood staring at the smoldering remains with a dejected expression.
“Hello,” I said in a friendly tone. “Is this your house?”
“Was,” came the gloomy reply. “It’s nothin’ now.”
“Witnesses claim the fire started near here,” I informed him, but I made sure to keep my voice and demeanor casual. I had yet to determine if the fire was caused by accident or not, so I was hesitant to give out too much information.
“Aye,” the man sighed, and he finally turned to face me.
His clothes were covered in ash and soot, and his face was streaked with black marks. His brown hair was disheveled, but the look of pain in his eyes nearly broke my heart. Then he held out his hand, and I noticed the burned skin along his wrist and forearm.
“Are you okay?” I asked as my eyebrows shot up in alarm. “Have you seen a healer for your burns?”
“No, and I’m not going to.” The man’s chin quivered as he struggled to hold back tears. “I deserve the pain after what I did.”
“What did you do?” I asked as trepidation filled my veins.
Was I about to get a confession?
“It’s my fault,” the man cried. “I am the reason so many people lost their homes…”
“You started the fire?” I gave the man a hard stare, and he squirmed beneath my gaze.
“No!” he argued, and he held up the palms of his hand in the universal gesture of surrender. “No, I would never do something like this on purpose!”
“Then what?” I pressed, and I stepped toward the man.
“My wife!” he cried out as he shrunk away from me, and his eyes were full of terror. “It’s her fault!”
“Talk,” I growled as I grabbed the man by the front of his shirt.
“Alright, alright!” the man muttered. “We were arguing, and she threw a candle. It was an accident, I swear!”
“Your wife is the one who started the fire?” I clarified while I arched an eyebrow, but the man merely nodded.
“Oh, Great One, I am so sorry for keeping the truth from you, I didn’t know you would find me,” the man began to blubber, and big snot bubbles formed in his nostrils.
“Okay, man, jeez.” I grimaced in disgust. “Control yourself.”
“What are you going to do to me?” A look of sheer terror crossed his face. “Are you going to kill me?”
“You’re not the only one responsible,” I pointed out. “Where’s your wife?”
“She fled!” The man shook his head. “I don’t know where she went. She ran out of the house, and I haven’t seen her since. Oh, gods, do you think she succumbed to the fires?”
“We’ll find her,” I promised, but I wasn’t entirely sure where to start looking.
It seemed as though the cause of the fire was an accident, but that didn’t mean the people responsible weren’t going to face the consequences of their actions.
“So, am I free to go?” A guilty expression entered his eyes, and his gaze flicked down the street behind me.
“Come on.” I grasped the man by the elbow and turned toward the tavern. “We’re going to go tell Carlisle exactly what you told me.”
I half-dragged, half-pulled the slow moving man down the street to my base of operations while in Carleone, and I jerked him up the steps of the tavern as I shot him a glare.
“The more you fight,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “The more trouble you’ll be in.”
“I’m sorry, Great One,” the man blubbered. “I don’t want to die!”
I rolled my eyes and ignored his pleas for release, but a moment later, we were standing before the mayor of Carleone, and the man repeated his tale.
“Lydia is the one responsible, then?” Carlisle confirmed.
“Yes, sir.” The man swallowed hard. “What about me?”
“Jon, you are not free of guilt,” the mayor sighed, but then he turned to me. “What should we do, Your Grace? We will follow your lead.”
“We need to find Lydia first and foremost,” I said. “She’s the main culprit here.”
“She’s gone,” Jon said with a shake of his head, but something in his voice made me think otherwise.
“Jon, if you’re protecting her,” I began, but the man shook his head even harder.
“No, Your Grace,” Jon said. “After the mean things she spat at me yesterday, there’s no way I’d save her ass.”
“What were you fighting about?” I asked out of curiosity.
The more information I gathered during this run through, the more time I could save later by already knowing everything.
“I… I cheated, sir,” Jon admitted, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “With the tavern wench, Gislain.”
“What?” I scoffed. “Half the town burnt because you snuck a little pussy on the side?”
“It’s her fault!” Jon insisted.
“Enough!” Carlisle snapped, and the cheating husband fell silent. The mayor rubbed his face in his hands and then took a deep, steadying breath. “Now, where was the last place you saw Lydia, and when?”
“At the house, sir,” Jon said.
“When?” Carlisle pressed in an oddly calm voice.
I was amazed at the mayor’s patience with the pathetic excuse for a husband, but I wanted to meet his wife before I made any rash judgments about his character.
“Just after sunset, sir,” Jon said, and he let out a dejected sigh.
“We’ll form a search party,” Carlisle told me with a determined glint in his eyes. “I know she has relatives in town, so I’ll check with them personally. We shall find her, Your Grace.”
“I have utter faith in you.” I grinned as I clapped the older man on the shoulder. “I’ll help in any way I can.”
“I had hoped you would already know all about the start of the fire,” Carlisle said, but he avoided my gaze.
“Soon,” I chuckled, but this merely earned me a confused look from both men.
A few hours passed while the residents of Carleone searched for the arsonist, but she was discovered sooner than I expected. Lydia was brought to the tavern by a handful of angry looking people, and the tension in the air could have been cut with a butter knife. Their hate-filled glares were directed at the source of their recent setbacks, and they weren’t going to let her forget it.
“Punish her, Great One!” the crowd demanded, and several people even shook their fists angrily in the air.
“Alright, alright, settle down,” I shouted as I motioned for silence, and all voices ceased instantly. I looked from the angry mob to the terrified woman on the floor at my feet, and I let out a deep exhale when I saw how scared Lydia was of me.
Jon’s wife Lydia wasn’t exactly the kind of enemy I wanted to strike fear into the heart of, but she’d committed a crime, and she did deserve some form of punishment.
Then the woman scrambled to her feet and began to shove her way through the crowd toward the door of the tavern, and everyone screamed in rage as they chased her down. She was tackled to the floor in the next instant, and I shook my head in awe at her stupidity.
“Lydia, Lydia, Lydia.” I tutted my tongue against my teeth. “You were almost going to get off easy, but now I have to go harsh on you.”
“What are you going to do to me?” Lydia looked up at me beneath her auburn bangs, and tears spilled over the edge of her eyes to streak her soot-stained face.
“I’m not going to kill you,” I said with a sideways smile, and I watched relief flood her face. “But you are going to face consequences for your actions. You can’t just set half the town on fire and get away with it.”
“I know!” Lydia wailed, and she threw herself on my feet. Her arms wrapped around my ankles, and she pressed rapid kisses against my boots. “I’m so sorry, Great One! Please forgive me!”
“Stop that,” I said as I nudged her off my boots. “Stand up, and face your judgement with honor.”
“Yes, Great One.” Lydia’s lower lip quivered, but she followed my command.
I frowned as I finally managed to get a good look at her. Lydia’s hair was knotted and mangled, and snot clung to her black-smeared cheeks. She looked just as pathetic as her husband, and I wondered how a couple like them had managed to get a house so close to the square since it was prime real estate.
But what to do with them?
It didn’t really matter what I chose to do during this run through, but I wanted to test out the crowd’s reaction to a couple of different punishments before I reset back to my save point.
Then I would ride into town the all-knowing god everyone saw me as.
“You are to work off your crime with ten years of hard labor,” I announced experimentally, and the crowd began to mutter to each other, but then the whispers turned to arguments. The voices grew louder and more chaotic until I could no longer hear myself think, and I had to shout above the din in order to be heard. “Nevermind! I changed my mind!”
The decision making system would work.
I threw out a couple other ideas until I finally got the crowd to settle on a fair judgment, but as soon as it was decided, I reset back to my save point to do it all over again.
Chime.
I was back in Abrin’s shop before my dinner, and it was hours prior to the arrival of the runner from Carleone. Bastianville’s neighbor had already been burning for a while, but the sooner I got there, the more buildings I could save. I went through the enchanting process yet again, but I didn’t bother to check the stats of the daggers this time. Then I crossed the room to the water wand, and I shot Abrin a questioning look as I lifted it from the shelf.
“I’m going to need this in a bit,” I said. “Mind if I borrow it?”
“Anything for you, Your Grace,” the enchanter said, but his eyebrows rose in surprise. “Whatever do you need it for?”
“Hey, Torya,” I said as the innkeeper arrived right on cue. “I’m sorry, but I have to reschedule dinner. Carleone needs help.”
A short while later, I was riding out of the gates with my volunteers behind me, and we’d managed to get even closer to our neighboring town before we encountered the runner sent to request our help. It was only a little bit after sunset when we arrived at the burning village, but I guided Goliath past the flaming structures to where the blaze had begun.
Sure enough, there was Lydia running down the street in the opposite direction of the fires. I tapped my heels against Goliath’s flanks, and we chased her down, but I didn’t want to hurt her, so I pulled my warhorse around to cut off her path.
“Halt, Lydia!” I commanded. “I know this fire is your fault.”
“H-H-How did you know it was me?” Lydia’s eyes darted every which way in search of an escape, but then they returned to my face filled with rage. “That cheating bastard! He told you!”
“I know all things, Lydia,” I explained in a godly voice.
I pulled the woman and her husband before the mayor of Carleone, and he kept a close eye on the miserable couple while the rest of us went to work combating the blaze.
There was no fooling the God of Time.
