Chương 79: Chapter 78 - Cory

Atzi was led a bit further into the hideout, and then the heavy metal door slammed shut behind her. The surrounding smell became muted, but was still notably present. She felt Daisy reach up, her fingers brushing against her neck, as she removed Atzi's blindfold. The room wasn't much brighter with the blindfold off, lit by a single flickering lantern in the corner. There were several large metal cages, empty. A single metal chair sat in the center of the room. The stone walls looked old and damp with perspiration.

Coils of rope lay on the floor. From the way they'd come in was the metal door she'd heard. It looked even heavier than it sounded, a big rusted slab with several locks. Right beside it, on the intersecting wall, a rickety wooden door hung ajar. The room was entirely empty besides her and Daisy.

"Um…" Atzi checked the room with the wooden door, just to be sure. There was nothing in there but a bed and a bucket.

"Where's Cory...?"

"Not here yet," Daisy said.

"Oh." Atzi scratched her scales.

"Okay."

"Take a seat." Atzi flopped down on the metal chair. The back was completely open, so she could easily slip her tail through. She tried to think of how to get more information.

"So... you been working with her long?"

"Yeah." Daisy checked her fingernails.

"How much do you know about our operation?"

"Not much. Just that Cory needs that book and I want in. And I can get her it."

"I see." Daisy looked up at her, expression casual.

"Did you know right now, if I killed you, nobody would know?" Atzi looked to her left and right again. Then shrugged.

"Well, yeah."

"You seem so calm about it."

"I mean, you could, but what's the point? You already did the blindfold stuff to take me here. If you were gonna kill me you wouldn't bother."

"Well, that's the thing," Daisy said.

"I'm undecided on if you die or not."

"Oh." Typical. How do I get her not to do that?

"If I die, I can't go get the book, can I?" Atzi winked.

"That book being the sage of Sostra's personal spellbook." Daisy looked down on her.

"We don't let people into our plans easily. It took Cory years to get in our good graces."

"She joined you guys?" Hope for Cory welled inside her.

"So... it's not her plans, it's yours?" Daisy grinned.

"I don't think you know what she's doing here, at all."

"Nope."

"I wonder how you would look at her if you knew. Would you still want to be with her?"

"It's... I know Cory." Daisy squatted in front of her.

"What if I told you we're here to kill people?"

"I've…" Atzi looked to the side.

"I've killed before." Daisy gave a mocking laugh.

"So brave." She patted Atzi's head.

"We're here to kill more than you have."

"To do what?" Atzi asked.

"To start a war."

"We're already at war." Atzi thought for a second.

"A new one?" Daisy hummed in confirmation.

"With Hasen." Atzi thought back to the loop she'd made it to the Godscouncil. There'd been a war starting with Hasen. They'd attacked Mediolanum. She'd heard something similar in the loop she'd gone back home, too. She looked Daisy in the eyes.

"So... wait, wouldn't that start when Hasen invades Mediolanum? What's that gotta do with the capital?" Daisy stared at her for a moment.

"You know more than you've let on..." She stood back up.

"The attempts to get Hasen to attack Sostra, and Sostra to attack Hasen. They are happening at the same time. Only one needs to succeed." So this one doesn't succeed, probably. At least, it didn't before.

"The one in Hasen succeeds."

"And how do you know?"

"I'll... explain that to Cory when she gets here." Daisy shrugged.

"Fine. Stay seated. You get up and you're dead."

"I get it!" Daisy leaned against the wall beside the exit, watching her. Atzi looked away, preferring to not acknowledge she was being watched while she waited. Time passed as several thoughts ran through her mind. Cory, what have you gotten yourself into? Were you tricked into working with them? Did you have a good reason to do it? Will helping you- Eventually, there was the heavy thud of knocking at the door.

"It's us!" came the distinct sound of Alana's voice, muffled. Atzi stayed seated. Daisy unlocked the several locks, and pulled open the door. Alana bounded in, pink hair bouncing with her energetic steps. Then Cory walked in right after, and stared.

"Atzi...?"

"Hi Cory!" Atzi waved. Daisy shut and locked the door again. Cory stared. After a moment, she said, "When I was told a lizard was brought down, I didn't think… What are you doing here?" Atzi grinned.

"I know where the Sage of Sostra's spellbook is."

"You do?"

"Yep!"

"I'm not sure it's worth finding out if she's telling the truth," Daisy said.

"We should just kill her." Alana tapped her chin.

"I dunno, she's kinda cute!" Atzi laughed nervously.

"Thanks..." Though she tried to kill me multiple times in the past…

"Let's try explaining things to her. Atzi is..." Cory trailed off, glancing at her, then back at Daisy.

"Let's talk. Atzi, stay there."

"Okay..." Cory nodded over towards the metal door, before walking over. Alana and Daisy followed her. They huddled together and spoke in hushed tones. Atzi sat there awkwardly. I wonder what they're saying about me. Try as she might, Atzi couldn't hear them. Occasionally, Daisy would glance over at Atzi. At one point, Alana laughed and said "No way," loud enough for Atzi to hear. After a few minutes, they broke the gathering and they all turned towards Atzi again. Cory approached at her with a smile.

There was something in her eyes, as if she was finally looking directly at Atzi for once.

"I told these people we can trust you, Atzi. That's true, right?" Atzi nodded.

"You can trust me. And I… trust you, I just... could you explain it?" she asked.

"I'm no good at politics."

"I already explained the war. But not why. Or how," Daisy said. Atzi raised a claw.

"I would like to know why..." Cory said, "It's because it's the right thing. I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do." Her playful smile dropped.

"Hasen and Sostra are terrible. Hasen regularly murders the natives of the land they occupy. Sostra is an expansionist empire trying to take over the world. They are both evil to their cores. We're going to take them down, using each other." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Atzi fidgeted.

"Oh. Um, does that include Pomaria and Artaxta? I know Sostra's pretty bad... they're lying about the stuff at Novae to go kill everyone in Cthargictha to steal from them..."

"It means making sure the empire is broken up. If Pomaria and Artaxta try to maintain it, then they would be in the way. But this war is just part of it. Just a small part of it."

"And... so who are your friends? You're not with Hasen or Sostra?" Alana bounced up and down.

"Oh, I love this part! Let me, let me!" Then she gripped both legs of her own pants, and ripped them off.

"Wh-what?" Alana's legs were clearly inhuman. They were covered in messy, curling fur, pink like her hair. She stepped out of her shoes, revealing that she had no feet, but rather cloven hooves, like those of a goat.

"I'm a satyr! So's Daisy! We're Pangeans!" Atzi blinked.

"... That's why you're so strong?"

"Yep!" Atzi stared longer at Alana's legs. That's not what I was expecting.

"Woah..."

"Cory came to us to learn blood magic! After years of trying she finally got on our good side and we let her join!" Alana then leaned over and kissed Cory on the cheek. Atzi felt a pang of anger.

"Where's... Pangaea?" Daisy chuckled.

"It's the name for the entire land Hasen is on. But they have claimed so much space, killing so many of our people… That's why they need to be stopped." It made sense to Atzi. Tons of people dying, of course they'd try to fight back. And Cory was helping them because she was a good person! She would have understood if Cory had explained it to her before. She would have helped. But they must have been… really paranoid, to feel they had to kill her in all those previous loops. Cory wouldn't have hurt her otherwise.

"Ahh. I get it, then. That makes sense." Atzi nodded.

"Uh, so... you're letting me live? I'm in on this?" Daisy asked, "So how did you know about our plans? Now that Cory is here."

"I can see visions of the future. Like the invasion that happens. Or you being related to Cory in… some way, but not how. It's how I got the book, too!" Daisy slowly raised an eyebrow. She turned to Cory. Cory shrugged.

"I'm fine with it, if she has the book." Daisy crossed her arms.

"We can't let her just run around by herself, though. And we'll have to ask the boss."

"You've got a boss?" Atzi asked.

"Of course, silly!" Alana nodded rapidly.

"This is a big thing! We couldn't run this without proper help!"

"That makes sense... so, do you have to run off and ask them and I wait here...?"

"Yeah! I'll be- oh wait, my pants. Daisy, you go." Daisy scoffed.

"Idiot." She opened the door out again, before stepping out. Alana closed it behind her, locking it again.

"So... for the last few years, you've been in Pangaea...?" Atzi asked Cory.

"Yeah. I went there to learn more magic. But I found a purpose." Cory stared into Alana's eyes wistfully. Atzi made a strangled noise. That should be me, damnit! She started thinking about how she might be able to suggest all three of them getting together.

'There's a bed right there you know' Don't say that. She coughed.

"I get it. I uh, visited Cthargictha once, it was pretty cool. Cyclopes are really tall." Cory raised an eyebrow "... Okay?" Atzi sat there awkwardly. Cory and Alana started whispering to each other again, and Atzi was stuck unable to hear them, like before. So she just waited until Daisy returned, even though it felt like it took forever, and she desperately wanted to know what was being said about her. When she did, the person who came back with her was someone Atzi recognized.

She'd only ever seen him from afar, getting attention from lots of rich people at a party on her way to V's. He was very tall, with a fancy black outfit draped in red ribbons. He brushed his blonde hair out the way as he looked over at her with blue eyes. I've seen this popular guy before. Wild. She looked down at his pants. If he's a satyr, I can expose him by walking up and ripping his pants off in the middle of a party.

"You're a satyr too?" she asked. She couldn't see any signs.

"Yes," he said.

"My name is Oak."

"Atzi." Daisy probably passed my name along, but can't hurt to say.

"A pleasure to meet you, Atzi." He bowed slightly.

"It would be a simple matter if we wanted to make you choose between life in our service or death at our hands- but nay would that inspire any loyalty." He straightened up.

"We need not those who will listen to our words, but those who will feel them, deep in their hearts." He gripped his shirt over his chest, bunching the fabric.

"Do you feel our plight, Atzi?"

"Hasen are going around killing you guys and taking your homes, right?"

"Brutally so." Oak shook his head sadly.

"I have seen entire villages torched." Atzi felt like she saw the charred husk of Hemm's inn. She nodded, the muscles in her neck tense.

"Yeah. That's unforgivable."

"Make no mistake," Oak said.

"What we are doing is right - but sacrifices will be made. They told you what and why. Let me tell you how." Atzi listened.

"We are summoning demons. Then, when we have enough, setting them loose, along with signs that this was done by Hasen." Oh shit, this is how the demons get summoned? But that plan doesn't even go anywhere. They biff it. Atzi decided to refrain from mentioning that they were gonna biff it.

"All over the city?" Atzi asked.

"Preferably. Though if we obtain the sage's book, we can perform a special ritual to summon an arch-demon. Then we would need to only summon the one." Terra, why does your book have a spell on how to summon an arch-demon, you fucking idiot. Atzi nodded.

"I can get you the book." I have no idea where this plan goes. I was never here when Cory had the book.

"Excellent." Oak smiled. Atzi raised a claw.

"Um... where's the arch-demon gonna be summoned?"

"We are in the sewers right now. This was an old maintenance room we repurposed to our base, and where we shall summon it. Though, can we truly trust you?" Oak asked.

"It won't take long to get the book, Cory can come with me." Oak looked over at Cory, then back at Atzi.

"I'll have Daisy go with you." Atzi's tail slumped.

"... Sure." Daisy grunted. She opened the door.

"C'mon, don't make me wait." Atzi scurried out after her.

"If you try anything shady while we're out, you're dead," Daisy warned.

"I'm not going to!"

"You wouldn't even get a word out, anyway." Atzi grumbled to herself. As they walked through the sewer, Atzi wondered how they got in without having ever gone down a ladder. Her question was answered as they approached the exit - a place she recognized. It was a broken section of the sewers that led into the slums, where nobody built their makeshift houses because of it. The morning sun was already creeping over the horizon.

"We're here? Huh. Alright, it's this way." Atzi turned to head towards Hemm's inn, as the book was in her room. - Hemm waved when Atzi and Daisy entered.

"Hey Atzi. Your friend?"

"Ah. Y-yeah, just brought her over to hang out a little, guests are fine, yeah?" Hemm nodded.

"Of course!"

"Cool." Atzi turned towards Daisy.

"Alright, my room's upstairs." They went up and entered her room. Atzi dug under the loose floorboard and pulled out the book.

"Not bad, huh?" Daisy looked down at it and shrugged.

"I guess." Atzi waved her tail.

"You're not impressed easily..."

"I've seen a lot of shit."

"This is huge, you know?" Atzi pointed at the book.

"This is worth a hundred gold."

"Ah yes, the money of the murderous empire." Atzi lowered the book.

"You don't have money in Pangaea?"

"We have a sane system where we just feed, clothe, and house people. Instead of saying the poor get to starve and die." Atzi felt confused.

"So... how does someone get a bigger house, then? A big fancy place with servants and stuff?"

"They build a bigger house. And we don't have servants."

"Oh," Atzi said, the disappointment she felt present in her voice.

"I guess sometimes we do use money. Our underwater allies want it. So we sometimes steal some from Hasen and give it to them."

"Atlanteans?" Atzi asked.

"Huh? No. Oceanians," Daisy said.

"Atlanteans are the only ones I've met, I guess there's multiple kinds." Atzi coughed.

"Hey, are you hungry? I am."

"... I suppose." Atzi stuffed the book in a sack, and then headed back down with Daisy.

"Hey Hemm, can we get some food?" Hemm smiled.

"Sure, Atzi." Atzi sat down at a table, and Daisy sat across from her. A bit later, Hemm came out with two steaming bowls of soup.

"Enjoy," she said, setting them down on the table. Atzi noticed it was all vegetables. She'd still eat it, but she preferred meat in her diet. Atzi dug in. Daisy looked down at her bowl, like she wasn't sure about eating it. Then she picked the bowl up, ignoring the wooden spoon she'd been given, and sipped directly. She made a surprised noise, and then started drinking with fervor. She finished the bowl in a minute, and then actually licked the bowl clean.

"You like that? Even though it's all vegetables?" Atzi asked. Daisy dropped the bowl, and it clattered against the table.

"Vegetables are the best. Reminds me of home."

"We mostly ate meat back home," Atzi said.

"Bugs and other swamp critters. It was great. Vegetables don't grow well in the swamp, but there's tons of bugs." After they were done, Atzi called after Hemm.

"Daisy says she really liked her meal."

"That's great!" Hemm smiled at Daisy.

"Come back soon, Daisy!"

"Hey, I didn't- ah, whatever." Atzi elbowed her.

"You liked it. C'mon. You have to admit not everyone here is bad." Daisy was silent as they left the inn. Then she turned to Atzi and said, serious, "You like her, too. You're thinking of warning her about the plan."

"Um-""We want the gods to find what we want them to find, not some innkeep talking about how you told her beforehand." Atzi coughed.

"I won't warn her, just... maybe I can come up with an excuse to get her further away from the place it's summoned..." Daisy snorted.

"Good luck with that. If you get in trouble I'm not coming to rescue you. But I will kill you if you let anything slip."

"I'm not gonna do that!"

"Good." They headed back with the book, not speaking from that point.