Chapter 23 - Land Of Confusion

Taia swept into Euryale’s office.

“Ah! Taia!”

Euryale’s head had been on her desk. She had long lost any sense of how much time she had spent like that. Probably since she had gotten back yesterday from…

“Well, hello to you too Euryale.” Taia responded wryly as she sat across from the frazzled demon. “We need to talk.”

“What? Now? About what!?” The panicked look in her eyes was unmistakable.

Taia narrowed her own eyes. “You alright?”

Euryale thought Taia actually sounded genuinely concerned for once.

“Oh…uh…didn’t really sleep…”. Her words were mumbles.

“Alright. Well, you should get some rest. After we talk.” She leaned her head in closer to the green skinned demon. “I need to discuss yesterday’s attack.”

“AH! You know?!?” True fear shone in her eyes as she watched the white haired woman across from her.

“Of course I know! It was my patrol who came across the attack and caught the prisoner! The extra security was your idea, wasn’t it?!”

“Your patrol? Prisoner? What prisoner? I thought no one else was there!”

Taia looked at her confused. “You sure you’re awake? I came to tell you that your idea for extra security was a good one. But we were too late. Someone had already attacked and burned the envoy’s carriage.”

“Burned? Did you say burned?”

I am so confused right now. What is Taia talking about?

“Burned. When my security patrol arrived the carriage was already gone completely. And we never found the driver or the passenger. Not even the horse.”

“What?! Not even pieces of them?” Euryale asked sincerely.

“Pieces? Gross way to put it, but no.” She grimaced, perplexed by Euryale’s turn of phrase. “Nothing except some kind of white residue. No clue what it is but it burned one of the soldiers pretty badly when he touched it, like some kind of acid.”

“Acid?!”

What did you do Mr. Witt? I don’t know how to respond to her.

“Whatever it is, I sent some egghead from the castle’s research division to check it out. Hopefully they’ll figure out what happened?”

Euryale spoke so tentatively it was hard to hear her. “And…do you think…they’ll figure it out?”

“They had better. It’s too important.”

A thought occurred to Euryale. “Wait, did…didn’t you tell me it was just some accountant coming to help with our finances? Why would that be a big deal? I’m sure there are plenty more...”

Does she not know who was in that carriage?

Taia was lost in thought for a moment, struggling on how to respond. Before she could formulate a suitable reply the door was loudly kicked open.

“You!”

A very large, ash skinned demon barged into the room.

“And a hello to you.” Taia waved casually despite his obviously hostile tone. “Does no one know how to greet properly anymore?” She asked to no one in particular.

“Greetings be damned!” Xorn fumed. “You told me you were going to train a patrol. Instead I find out you left the city, got attacked, and came back with an injured soldier!”

He stood to the side of both of the two women, hands on Euryale’s desk as he stared down Taia.

“I did give them training dear. Actual combat experience and everything! Euryale here,” she flicked her hand towards the woman across the desk from her as she continued to respond calmly despite his ire, “needed some help with a visitor. And it looks like she was right! You should be thanking her for the idea!”

“Thanking her?! Why wasn’t I told!?”

“Well, um, you see, you’ve been so busy Mr. Xorn. And last time you yelled…so loud…about having too few soldiers…” She glanced at the indentation still in the top of her desk from last time he was here. Taia didn’t miss the glance. “And Taia was so kind…she offered to go make sure the envoy was safe.”

Xorn turned to look at Taia. “And yet you still used my soldiers…”

“Oh really Xorn. They all volunteered to work a little overtime. All I had to do was ask nicely.” She smiled a cheshire cat smile.

“I’m sure.” He grumbled, but not without giving her body a once over as he considered why the men volunteered. “And the injury?”

“Oh that? He wasn’t hurt in any fighting. Your silly soldier touched some goo or something on the ground near the site of the attack. I brought him to the doctor and gave the little puppy a good head pat. He’ll be fine. Probably.”

Xorn sighed. “Who even was coming to visit? I received no notice.”

“You know, funny you should mention it but I don’t think any formal notice came. You see anything Eury?”

Euryale shook her head back and forth quickly.

“But a, uh, information broker in town told me someone was coming. And he was right!” Euryale added.

“And who was it?”

“The broker? I don’t know who he is really. I think they said his name is Orpheus.”

Taia piped in. “It is dear. I’ve met him too. He’s not very fun but he does seem to have some usefulness.”

“Not the broker! The visitor!” Xorn was clearly exasperated.

“Oh! Well, uh, we were just talking about that. Taia here seemed to think it was someone coming to help with the castle’s finances after the counting house was burned.”

“Why should I care about a dead human accountant?” Xorn paused, then asked more discreetly. “He is dead, right?”

“That’s the fascinating thing my good captain. We actually don’t know! When I arrived the carriage was burned and there were no bodies. Just some weird spots on the ground. I sent someone to look into things.”

“Strange. But I haven’t the time to worry about a ‘maybe not even dead’ human. I have to keep trying to track down this…Warlock.” The word came out like a snarl.

“Oh, well then you should play nice with me Xorn.” Taia smirked. “Because I captured a mage who works for Warlock. If you ask nicely I may even let you help out with the interrogation.”

“What?! You have a prisoner?! Why aren’t we talking to him now?” Xorn stood at his full height.

“Because he’s still a little loopy. I had to get creative to stop him from turning your soldiers into charcoal. Well, they probably would have killed him first, but that would have been a waste.”

“Get me when he is ready.” Xorn bared his fangs as he spoke, eager for the opportunity.

“Sure, sure. But do remember you’ll have to ask nicely.” Taia lazily waved at him as he left the room. She turned back to Euryale. “Well, he seems in a better mood now. And I should go take care of a few things before my prisoner wakes up.” Taia stood and left with a wave.

“What is going on!?” Euryale spoke to herself, alone in her office. “Warlock? A fight? A prisoner? Missing bodies? Fires? Acid? What did you do Mr. Witt?!”

She slumped back onto her desk, just as collapsed as she had been when Taia first arrived.