Teuthida

My lungs were starting to burn. This fight was going on too long without any progress being made. I kept lunging forward, forcing myself to use up all of my energy, but Flaviana was just too fast- it was like she knew all of my moves, which was fair. I was hardly advanced with my technique.

At least Duran had left. I had told him to run, and then been very distracted as Flaviana had come at me with her sword again. The next time I’d checked, he’d disappeared from the room. Presumably he’d gone to get help.

The armor was helping a little. She had to dart in and poke me with the end of her rapier, which did very little damage. We were just wearing each other out, running around the cavern. The real risk was Herminius and Durandus the first. They kept lunging in at me, trying to trip me. I was having flashbacks to when Aemelia had thrown furniture at me. I was doing my best just trying to keep track of everyone.

If I could only slice one of them with the edge of the blade, it would release them and I would have someone else on my side. But even that seemed to be out of my abilities as I lunged forward again and only cut the air. Flaviana poked at my ribs with the rapier and darted to the side.

“Thinking about your choices again?”

“I didn’t ask for this!”

I readied myself with the blade. I had done worse. Much worse. I had dealt with dinner service at rush hour. I had made roast chicken for the beetle. I’d even been attacked by a squid. Surely one woman and a few ghost-possessed lackies wouldn’t be the end of me.

I ducked, then rolled. Flaviana stepped over me and leveled her rapier at my neck. “I think that’s a sign that you’ve lost,” she said.

I reached up and grabbed the blade, then pulled down. I might have been slower than her, but I was also heavier. She hadn’t expected that! With a yelp, she fell forward. I launched up as she fell forward, kicking her down and slicing her against the arm.

She didn’t change. Unfortunate. It seemed she wasn’t possessed. She was just like this.

I rotated and sliced wide, trying to create an area of space. Herminius stepped back, but Durandus the first ducked under the blade and popped up after it was gone. Before I could lift it back up, he stepped into my space and lifted up a foot. I stepped back in panic, but it was too late.

He’d lifted up a foot and kicked me in the chest. It hit like a full cart. I was flying back, toward the wall, before I knew any better.

I should have hit the back of my head against the wall so hard I saw the realm of the gods. Instead, I only felt a soft cushion.

You’re welcome, said Andrena. The hilt was searingly hot under my hand again. I slid down the wall and glanced back for a moment. I could see a massive cushion of flowers wilting and pulling back into the dirt again. That one’s on the house, she added. Let’s win this fight, shall we? And no more of this pretending to betray me.

On the house? Was she charging me for the other magic?

I decided I didn’t have enough time to ask these questions. I slid behind the Voice of Teuthida, using her as a human shield, and readied my blade.

“Now that’s interesting,” said Flaviana. She hadn’t moved, or lunged in, even though she had a perfect opening. “How long have you been possessed by godly power?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, don’t be shy.” She was walking forward now, but slowly. Like she was hunting me. I glanced to my left, then to my right. Herminius was moving to my right, and Durandus the first was on the left. It was a pincer movement. I still had a little time to dart forward, but what would that accomplish? It was still a tiny room. “Be proud. The gods don’t infuse themselves into just any mortal body. You must be very special. I would never have expected it of you.”

I leveled the blade towards her. “That was an insult.”

Underneath me, the Voice of Teuthida twitched and let out a little moan. She wasn’t even conscious. I stared down at her, then up at Flaviana.

The manacles, now that I was close, didn’t look normal. They were inscribed with more of those strange runes. They even glowed a little. Like they were summoning something.

I had a very bad feeling about this. I thought I knew what was going on, but I didn’t like it. All of Andrena’s comments. Any god can possess a willing mortal. Or trapping something. The halls of the gods, empty….I leaned forward. “Uh, I might be crazy, but…are you Teuthida?”

The Voice of Teuthida’s head moved in a way that was definitely not human. Her eyes snapped open as soon as she was facing me. Still glowing that aquamarine.

“Instrument of Andrena,” she said. “I see she’s finally noticed our plight. Always the last to know. Good luck. She will join us in our failure soon enough.”

Then, on that cheerful note, her eyes slipped closed again.

Andrena, I thought, I think I know what’s-

I know, she replied, before I could finish the thought. I am present. I have noticed.

Any thoughts on this?

I reiterate. You need to win. I swept the blade, keeping Herminius back. There was a sound a little like a godly clearing of a throat. Please.

Well, that was reassuring.

I ducked under a punch from Durandus the First and tried to get him with the blade, but he dodged it easily. Why did I have to be stuck with such a slow and heavy weapon? It was extremely easy to dodge.

“AAAAAAH!”

The scream was so loud all of us briefly stopped moving. In the silence, Duran swept in, throwing what looked like…. Rocks?

“Get away from Madame Elysia!”

He went for the shins of Herminius, pockets bulging with additional rocks. He must have gone for additional weapons instead, then, since he didn’t have his knives.

I would have been annoyed, but at this point, I needed whatever backup I had. I took advantage of the distraction and swiped forward with the blade. This time I made contact. The glowing green eyes of Herminius widened for a moment before the light left and he collapsed.

He looked like he was still breathing, but he wasn’t getting up. I wondered what Flaviana had meant by lasting damage. I turned to Durandus the first, but he was moving towards Flaviana instead. “I’m defending you,” he said. “It’s my job. Defense.”

“That’s not what-” she snapped, but clearly gave up as she readied her sword. A rock flew by, hitting her in the shoulder, but she ignored it and advanced upon me. She had pulled something out of her cloak and was holding it in her other hand. A second pair of manacles. “This is actually turning out better than expected,” she told me. “Your sort are very rare, these days.”

I went for her with the sword. As she dodged, Duran launched for her waist, yelling some sort of battle cry. Her eyes widened, but even though she saw him coming she seemed to be unwilling to hurt him.

In the end, it was our position in the room that did it. She was standing on the edge of the pond. With a splash, she and Duran both tipped over the side, disappearing into the deep water with a plop.

Durandus the first went for me, but I sliced at him. He seemed to have lost enthusiasm without Flaviana there to instruct him. This time it made contact.

Unlike Herminius, he kept consciousness. We both stumbled over to the edge and stared into the water.

One moment passed. Then another. What if they both drowned? “He’s a good swimmer,” I offered. “Um-”

“That squid’s in there,” said Durandus.

I glanced over my shoulder. The Voice of Teuthida was still manacled and glaring at us. “I don’t suppose you could-”

“I have nothing left,” she said. “They have stolen it from me. It will take years to regain what I was, my strength, my triumph. I shall certainly not start with the squid!”

I gulped. I could swim, but not that well.

Another bubble hit the surface. One more, and then with a splash, two figures emerged. Duran flopped out onto the surface, beaming. Next to him was an alien creature with a strange bronze helmet on.

It was only once he took off the helmet and pulled himself up onto the stone that I realized who it was. As I ran forward and helped them onto the shore, Apis pointed to the Voice of Teuthida. “Is she on our side? Did you win?”