Chapter Twelve

Ariya flopped down onto the bed of the inn room she would be sharing with Lusya. There was only one bead, but it was more than large enough to fit both of them. Ariya curled up, her head on the pillow, and her breathing began to slow. Her eyelids drooped and fluttered as she struggled to keep them open, and her body was tense despite lying down.

“You may sleep, child,” Lusya said.

Ariya let out a yawn and gave a weak shake of her head. “But it’s so early still.”

“I fail to see why that matters,” Lusya replied. “There is no reason for you not to sleep if you are tired.”

“Okay,” Ariya replied.

She wriggled the covers out from under her and pulled them up to her chin. Only then did she seem to surrender herself to exhaustion and relax, her head sinking into the pillow and wetting its casing. Her hair was still damp from bathing, despite her best efforts to dry it. The innkeeper had expressed concern this would get her sick, but she would likely be fine. The room was warm, and she was bundled up under the bedding.

Lusya had considered drying Ariya’s hair by vaporizing the moisture with Miudofay, but that would have been pointless at best, and more likely harmful. Ignoring the risk to their surroundings, Lusya did not think her pragmatic concern for the child’s safety would be enough to save her from Miudofay’s flames.

It was often said that the strongest of Demon Blades did not burn what its wielder did not wish it to, but that was inaccurate. It spared that which its wielder specifically and emphatically wished it to, not anything they favored or were indifferent to.

Either way, the child would be fine for the time being. They had selected an out of the way inn. As long as the child stayed asleep and in bed, there was little chance any harm would come to her.

“Good. Do not leave the room while I am away,” Lusya said.

Before she could even start for the door, however, Ariya flung off her bedding and sprang out of the bed. She fixed Lusya with wide eyes, her hands held to her chest as though in a guard.

“Where are you going?” Ariya asked.

“I need to get new clothes for you,” Lusya said.

Ariya bounded closer, until she had to crane her neck to meet Lusya’s gaze. “Take me with you. It’s better if the person you’re buying for is there.” She cast her eyes down to the floor. “And I don’t wanna be alone. What if more bad people show up?”

“There is little risk of that,” Lusya said. “You will be safe so long as you stay here, and I have other business to attend to. I do not think you would be interested in accompanying me on it.”

Ariya looked back up with a scowl and stomped a foot. “You don’t know! Maybe I would.” Her expression softened. “Please, can I go?”

“You will stay here,” Lusya said. “That is not negotiable.”

Ariya sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Okay. Can you at least stay with me until I fall asleep?”

Lusya blinked and, after a moment’s consideration, nodded. “I will wait ten minutes. If you are not sleeping by then, I will leave regardless.”

“I guess that’s fair.”

Lusya grabbed one of the novels she had bought and sat in the wooden chair at the foot of the bed while Ariya crawled back into bed. Lusya scarcely had time to make it through a single chapter of her book. In just over five minutes, Ariya had fallen fast asleep.

It was fortunate that Ariya had become tired so early. The sun had not even set yet. Perhaps the city and her brush with danger had sapped her energy. Whatever the case, it left Lusya with plenty of time to complete her two tasks and get some rest herself.

With careful, deliberate motions, she slung on her pack and made her way to the door and out of the room.

#

A bell hanging over the door let out a gentle ring as Lusya walked into the clothing shop. The room’s sole other occupant, who she presumed to be the tailor, looked up from some kind of journal or ledger he had been scribbling in and smiled.

Lusya would have preferred to handle this task second, but there was not much she could have done about that. Businesses would not stay open all night, after all. She could have stolen what she needed after dark, but it would be wise to keep her crimes to a minimum. Too many too close together could turn into a trail leading back to her.

The tailor stood and walked around the counter he was seated behind to approach her. He was a diminutive, scrawny man. At almost the same height as Lusya, he was over half a foot below average height for a human man and maybe even an inch or so shorter than the average woman. His wrinkled skin and graying hair suggested he was on the older side. With his hair combed into a neat style and his apparent cleanliness, he gave the impression of being well-groomed, if nothing else.

“Not often I get a customer this late in the evening,” he said. “I was just thinking I might as well close up early.”

“I apologize for keeping you,” she said. She believed that was the appropriate thing to say in this situation, though in truth she did not care that she had held him up.

He chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. “You can keep me all night, if you pay enough.”

“I do not think that will be necessary.”

He let out another laugh, more strangled than the last. “Yes, well, it was a joke, miss. I’m sure you could stay up all night, but you get to my age and you need your sleep.”

She nodded. “I see.”

Whether he had meant that part literally or not, he was correct to some degree. Unlike most demons, she did need sleep, but she could get by on less than most mortals and one night without would be little issue.

“So, what are you looking for?” he asked. “Here for a fitting? I have a few orders ahead of you, but I can have yours done within the week, depending on what it is.”

“That will not be necessary,” she said, pointing at the racks of already done clothing. “Those will do.”

He hummed in thought and rubbed his chin as he looked her up and down. “That does limit your options a bit.”

“That is fine,” she said.

She had familiarized herself with how merchants operated. This one was making buying one of those articles sound worse than it likely was because he would make more money off her ordering something new. She was aware that, whether it came to sizes or styles, most tailors did not stock a great variety of premade clothing, but it would suffice for the child. There was little need to be picky about her clothing, after all. As long as it fit on her body without causing any pain, it would be fine.

He frowned and nodded. “If you say so. In the market for some casual wear or something fancy? Maybe something to impress a gentleman friend? I’m sure a lady like yourself is quite popular.”

“It is not for me,” she said. “The clothing is for a child.”

For the time being, Lusya herself would continue to make do with her two outfits. Ariya just needed something that fit well enough to wear. If it was a bit too large or small, it would matter little. On the other hand, clothing that did not fit could be problematic for Lusya in a fight or other crisis. Since she did not have time for a custom fit, she would stick with what she had rather than take her chances on premade clothing. In the past, she had often found it a bit tight around the chest, and compensating made it too loose instead.

The tailor’s eyes widened in realization and he nodded. “Ah, I understand now. It would be better if the child was here, in that case. With how quick they grow, their sizes can be a bit finicky.”

“I am sure I will be able to tell if something will fit or not,” Lusya replied.

“If you say so,” he said. “If you want to search through my wares, go ahead. I might be able to help you find something if you describe the child to me.”

Lusya glanced out the window. The sky had turned a striking mix of its usual blue, a dark violet, and various shades of red and orange as the sun dipped below the horizon. She still had some time before it was night and she could begin her second task. Even so, it would not hurt to finish this one quicker and she knew little about clothing.

“The child is a seven-year-old girl,” she said. “About this tall and this wide.” She held her hands a bit under four feet and a bit under one foot apart, respectively, to indicate those measurements. She was less confident in the latter. While she was more-or-less accurate in her estimates of height, she had never had much need to assess other bodily measurements. “I believe she weighs about forty pounds as well.”

The tailor gave a bemused smirk and laughed again. Lusya was unsure what had been funny, as she so often was. She would have asked, but in the past, she had found people often dodged such questions. Perhaps it would have behooved her to study humor in the future.

“I think I can work with that,” he said. “Follow me.”

He led her over to the premade clothing until he stopped before a particular shelf and started rifling through the piles there.

“Here, and here, and…here,” he said as he plucked dresses from the piles. “How much were you looking to buy, miss?”

“I believe three outfits will be sufficient. Perhaps a set of undergarments as well,” Lusya said. “It does not matter whether the outfits take the form of dresses or disparate parts. I will take whatever is cheapest and I will be displeased if you attempt to deceive me in that regard.”

The tailor shook his head and laughed. “I can’t say I’d never do something like that, but any tradesman worth his salt learns real quick how to tell apart a customer he shouldn’t lie to.”

“I see. That is a useful skill.” She did not share his confidence in its universal nature, but there was wisdom in the statement.

He led her to another part of the shop, where pairs of underpants were stacked up on a table. He searched through them until he seemed satisfied and grabbed one.

“There we go, I think I’ve got what you need,” he said. “Underwear’s harder to get right without precise measurements, so no promises it’ll fit.”

“I will make do until next time if it does not.”

He held up three dresses for her, one in one hand and two overlapping in the other, along with a pair of white underpants in the former. Lusya pushed aside one of the latter dresses to get a better look. Two were different shades of brown while the last was a dark gray.

While they were not made of poor-quality fabric, it was clear that they were a far cry from the likes of fine silks. All three were solid in color, which would also keep the cost down. Varied colors or ornamentation translated to high prices.

“They seem a bit large, but I think they will suffice,” she said.

“That’s on purpose, miss,” the tailor said. “You give a seven-year old something that fits and one week later it’s too small.”

That description of growth seemed hyperbolic, but the sentiment made sense. Lusya had thought that Ariya’s current clothing seemed a bit large on her. Perhaps it had been made with the same idea in mind.

“I appreciate that accommodation,” Lusya said. It would have been quite inconvenient to need to make frequent replacements of the child’s clothing.

The tailor shrugged. “I figure if I save you a bit of coin down the road, you’ll be happier to throw some my way next time you’re in Gavamir.”

“I see. That tactic holds merit.”

“It’s worked before,” he said. “I have a few travelers who stop in once or twice a year. Might not be a lot, but business is business.”

Lusya had to admit it was smart. Even as someone who rarely felt compelled to act upon gratitude, she would be inclined to stop here if she ever needed clothing in Gavamir again. It simply made sense to check where she had gotten a good deal and sound advice on her previous visit.

“Now, is this all you’ll be buying?” he asked.

She nodded.

“All right, let’s see then. For these three and the underwear…sixty copper seems fair, no?”

“It does,” Lusya said.

She had expected more. Perhaps this was another tactic aimed at getting her to return. Of course, if she did ever return to Gavamir, it may well have been to raze or conquer it with Father. Somehow, she thought Father would take this transaction under consideration when doing so.

She paid for the clothes, put them in her pack, and left to begin her next task.

#

Lusya walked into the Gebrilo District of Gavamir with casual ease. Although it contained the homes or secondary residences of many wealthy merchants and a few of the nobility in the area, the district itself had little security to speak of.

There were more members of the city watch about than elsewhere in the city, but they were still few and far between enough to avoid. The individual homes were blocked off by walls or gates and often had their own guards as well, some from the city and some seemingly privately hired. She assumed which was which depended on who a given home belonged to.

Lusya was not the only one here. Though the crowd was not as large or as dense as elsewhere in the city, it was still sizable. Between residents out for a stroll, servants bustling about, or citizens from elsewhere passing through, it was simple enough for Lusya to blend in as she surveyed the manors she walked past.

She paid particular attention to the windows. Those would be her ideal point of entry. Lunera could connect obstructed spaces. It was not a requirement, but being able to see where she was going changed it from doable to downright trivial.

That did not make them all equal, however. Many of the windows did not afford a clear view of where she would end up if she used them. The less she needed to hunt through the house, the better. Others were tinted too dark to see through or covered by thick curtains. Those she dismissed outright. Though she could still go through them, it would be more worth her time to find something else.

It was near the end of the district that she found her target. It was a small house by the standards of the area, but a palace by most others. At three stories tall and wide enough to fit over a dozen copies of Ariya’s old home, it was unmistakable as the home of someone wealthy. Who, Lusya did not know. She knew little about specific human figures or territories below the national level. The particulars of which noble or merchant held influence where had never seemed important. Knowing what was happening was important—though her ability to gain up-to-date information on such was limited—but knowing who was behind it was not often pressing.

At the southwest corner of the house was a large window, through which Lusya could see hints of a bed frame. With that, she could get right to her destination. It was possible that room belonged to a child or a servant, but she was confident she could still make that work.

With her decision made, she passed out of the district like so many others, never arousing notice or suspicion. Anyone who saw her would have marked her as just another passerby and forgotten about her.

Once she had left the manors behind, she found a nearby tavern, paid for a drink and some soup, and waited at the bar. She watched out one of the tavern’s tiny square windows as the sun fell below the horizon and the last vestiges of its light vanished from the sky. The black of night and the twinkling of stars took its place before long. She waited another couple hours still.

Some of the tavern’s patrons tried to engage her in conversation. She did not spurn them and responded when they spoke, but many of them gave up and left before long. When Lusya was convinced enough time had passed, she stood and looked to the owner.

“Thank you, the soup was fairly good,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow and gave an odd smile. “Glad you liked it.”

She nodded and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, a young man rushed over from a nearby table. He looked to be about her age, though he could have been a bit older, with shaggy brown hair and a smattering of stubble along his jaw. The other men who had been sitting at his table appeared to be of similar age.

“Hold on there, missy,” he said. He leaned against the bar in front of her and grinned. “It can be dangerous out there at night. What do you say I walk you home, eh? While we’re at it, I might as well keep you warm for the rest of this cold night.”

It had occurred to Lusya that most of the men and one of the women who had approached her during the evening may have been trying to bed her. Though she could not be certain, they behaved in a similar manner to the reltus sacred knight who, according to his companion, had been trying to do the same. This man was much less subtle.

“You are not unattractive, and your directness is appreciated,” she said. “However, I do not wish to have sexual relations tonight. Best of luck in finding a mate.”

She started to go around the man, but he moved into her path.

She cocked her head. “If you continue obstructing me, I will remove you. It will not be pleasant.”

“Wait!” he exclaimed. He cast a glance at his table, where his companions were watching and snickering to each other, then leaned close and lowered his voice. “Okay, you want direct? I made a bet with those guys I could get you into bed. We’ve been watching you turn down people all night.”

“You are the first the person I have rejected.”

“The point is,” the man continued, emphasizing each word with emphatic hand gestures, “can you do me a favor and help me win? I’ll even give you half.”

That was a tempting proposal. It would be a less risky way of obtaining funds. There were issues to resolve—for starters, if they used her room, they would disturb the child, so they would need to rent another or return to the man’s dwelling—but Lusya was sure she could figure out a way to make it work.

“How much was the bet?” she asked.

The man hesitated and glanced at his friends again. “Ten copper.”

“I decline your offer,” she said. “Do not try to stop me again.”

The man hung his head with a sigh and slunk over to his table, where his companions greeted him with laughter and gibes.

Lusya made her way out of the tavern at last and returned to the Gebrilo District. At this time of night, it was near-abandoned. If not for the hints of candlelight glowing behind some of the windows, one could almost be convinced nobody even lived here.

Though Gavamir had a nightlife, this was not one of its sites. The residents were tucked away in their homes or gone out to one of the entertainment or red-light districts. Much the same could be said for the rest of the city, reducing foot traffic to almost nothing. There was a guard holding a lantern ahead of Lusya, but he had his back to her and was walking away, his lantern clinking against itself with each step.

She stopped in front of her mark and reached out a hand.

“Lunera,” she whispered under her breath.

The sword materialized and she grabbed hold of it. Saying a Blade’s name was required to summon it, though, there was evidence that, if one was gagged or otherwise unable to speak, attempting to say the name was sufficient. Of course, she had no idea what she was saying, nor did anyone else. Although anyone had instinctive knowledge of their Blade’s name from the moment they became capable of summoning it, they were all in a language that—if anyone had ever spoken it—had long since been lost to the ages.

She sliced through the air and transported herself into the room she had identified. With the angle she had, she ended up a couple feet in the air and dropped to the ground to land in a crouch. Her boots made a soft thud on the floor, which seemed to be wood with a rug laid over most of it. She stood and dismissed Lunera.

Someone groaned and turned in the bed, perhaps due to the noise, but they did not wake. Based on the voice and shape in the bed, it seemed to be a grown man, with a woman sleeping beside him. That did not necessarily eliminate the possibility that it was one of the owner’s older children and a wife or mistress. For that matter, one or both of them could have been a servant.

What was important was that Lusya could find what she needed, and this seemed a fine place to start. The room was dark, but between starlight and the light of the streetlamps filtering in through the window, she could make out enough to complete her task.

It was a large, spacious room. To her left was the bed, itself with enough space to allow four adults a comfortable sleep. More if they were willing to make a tight fit. It dominated much of the wall it was set against, with an end table on one side and a wardrobe on the other taking up most of the rest.

To her right was a door. It was the only one she could see, but there was no way to tell if it led into the hallway, a sitting room, or something else. Another wardrobe was against that wall as well, spaced out from the door.

A glance behind revealed that space was clear, perhaps to allow easier access to the window. Lusya did not think the view was exceptional by any means—the only thing it afforded clear sight of was a similar home across the street—but maybe the home’s owners thought different.

Straight ahead was a long dressing table, with a handful of boxes, bags, and purses strewn across the top. That would be where Lusya would find what she sought. She made her way across the room with care to make as little sound as possible.

She ignored the boxes and chests. While she could sell the valuables that were likely within, she did not know what would fetch the best prices and she would have preferred to avoid extra steps. As such, what appeared to be coin purses were her best bet. She opened one up and looked through the contents. It was filled to the brim with gold kolar coins.

In theory, one of those would keep herself and Ariya supplied and fed for months, even in the West where eastern currencies were less valued. However, they were useless to her in practice. She would need to exchange them for smaller coins to get the most use out of them.

Most merchants would not be able to break them—gold coins were, for the most part, confined to large transactions among the wealthy—so she would need to visit a dedicated coin exchange. At that point, she was not saving any time or effort compared to stealing some jewelry.

She grabbed another, this one filled with silver. The wealthy did still need to make smaller purchases at times, after all. Silver could still be unwieldy at times, so she searched through another two before finding one with copper. Both that and the silver went into her pack. She would have taken all four, but she needed to be conscious of storage space as well.

As it stood, between the two she had claimed, she could make it to the next major city at least. If she needed to, she could always find someone else to get more from. In the worst-case scenario, she could find some work to do for a short period.

She walked back toward the window. A few steps away, a board creaked under her feet.

“Huh?” the man in the bed said.

He sat up and looked right at her. All that effort to stay hidden, foiled by faulty flooring. She did not think he would get a good look at her if she left now, but she did not want to take that chance. Humans could surprise at times and even a vague descriptor could lead back to her. She supposed she would just have to kill him.

The man’s mouth opened to shout, but she was upon him before he could make a sound. She clamped her hand over his mouth and shoved him back down to the bed. He squirmed and pried at her hand, letting out strangled, muffled screams, but her grip did not budge.

“I bare you no ill will, and I apologize,” she said. “It is because of my carelessness that you must die.”

He wailed into her hand and flailed wildly. He tried to wrench away her arm with one hand while the other struck at and tried to push her away. Neither had any more effect than before. She drew her dagger and plunged it through his eye and into his brain. With one last gasp, his intact eye glazed over and he went limp.

One arm flopped down onto the woman beside him, who stirred and glanced over at him. Her eyes shot open and fixed on Lusya. Before she could scream, Lusya slashed the woman’s throat. The building cry turned into a wet, strangled gurgle as blood flowed from the wound and filled the woman’s mouth. Lusya finished her in the same way as the man.

Lusya cleaned her dagger off on the bed covers and returned to the window. She was not concerned with the evidence she had left behind. It did not link to her in any way. There were no witnesses and news would take time to propagate in a city this size. It was possible she would not hear of their deaths before leaving the city.

Once she was sure there was no one outside who would see her appear, she summoned Lunera and warped to the street below.