Chương 65: Tongue-Bite

I came back to pain. But not burning-to-death fire pain — more like cooking-slowly-in-a-cauldron pain. This… this was manageable pain. When I opened my eyes, I was in a small bed in a tiny, cramped room. Alas, it wasn't Marguerite's cave. I looked out the window to try and gauge the time by the angle of the sun, but I only saw a dense cluster of small houses and a solid cave wall. I was somewhere in the lower city. I shifted my dress to look at my thigh, right where they had inserted the bone.

The wound was already completely closed, leaving only a round, pitch-black spot marring the skin. I tried to touch it…

"AH!" It hurt like mad. I sat back on my bed. I was hot and dizzy, and the ache was a persistent, lingering presence, but… I thought I was okay. The door to my room suddenly creaked open, and I tensed. I reached instinctively for my pistol belt, but it wasn't on me. Should I attack? Should I jump through the window? But the figure that entered was just a small human girl, maybe six years old. She wore a nightgown and hugged a Beelzebun plushie tightly to her chest.

"We need one more for Tongue-Bite," she said matter-of-factly. She trotted over, grabbed my hand in both of hers, and tugged.

"Come now, you are awake. You should play with us."

"To… to play with you?" I asked. I was thoroughly confused by now, but I got out of bed and let her tow me along.

"Yes," she said. Then she stopped and looked at me suspiciously.

"Aunty said you are nice. Are you not?"

"I… I am," I admitted.

"Your dress is pretty," she added, after some consideration. I looked down, to be horribly reminded that I looked like a strumpet. But I was happy for the compliment.

"Thank you." We stepped out into a cozy little living room, bathed in the faint glow of red crystal lights embedded in the walls. The space was snug, centered around a sturdy low table and a thick carpet. Standing in the room was a boy of about eight, his arms crossed and his expression somewhat angry. And on the table was a large purple skull with three long red tongues sprawling out of its mouth. On the end of each tongue sat a small blue marble. This thing… was this the game?

"Can we start already?" the boy asked, impatient.

"But we need to explain her the rules," the girl said.

"Aunty said she is not from here."

"It's really simple," the boy huffed, wielding very little patience.

"You only need to take the pearl from the tongue facing you before the skull bites you. Every turn, another pearl will appear, but each time the tongue gets shorter, making it harder to avoid the bite. The one with the most pearls wins."

"And if the skull bites you," added the girl with a large smile, "it's sooo funny!"

"Oh. Very well," I said, and sat down. It was surreal. Lamb, the black bone, these children. I had no idea what was going on. But I had some guesses.

"This Aunty of yours," I asked the girl.

"Is her name Za'rynn?"

"Yep," she said.

"Aunty Za'rynn." So I guess she brought me here after I lost consciousness…

"I'll go first," said the boy. He went very slowly toward the tongue, then plucked the pearl quick as a blink. The tongue curled back into the mouth and came out again with a new pearl — notably shorter this time.

"It doesn't always bite," explained the girl.

"That's the fun part. You never know." Now it was my turn. I took the pearl quickly; the tongue curled, and returned with a new pearl. No bite. Then it was the girl. She took her pearl, the tongue curled — and this time the jaw came forward so fast I hardly saw it move, the teeth clacking shut a hair from her fingers. She snatched her hand back just in time, and giggled endlessly.

"I don't think this is a children's game!" I scoffed.

"It isn't safe at all!"

"Don't be such a sissy," the boy told me, and took his pearl. This time the skull tried to bite too, but he moved quickly and it wasn't all that close. These children had no manners. When it was my turn again, I took the pearl, and the skull bit. I snatched my hand back — and then the maw spat, a thin spray of something green, and it caught the back of my hand.

"Ah!" I shouted as the acid burned. I hurriedly wiped my hand clean on my skirt.

"That hurts! That's it! This is definitely not a children's game, and we are stopping this nonsense right now!"

"Oh, you're no fun, miss!" scoffed the girl.

"Yes," the boy said, crossing his arms and squeezing his eyes at me.

"She's just a normal annoying no-fun grown-up."

"Hey!" I scoffed. Grown-up sounded… old! The other door opened, and a well-rounded woman with short hair came in, and with the open door came the smell of cooking, and I discovered I was very hungry. Extremely so.

"You are awake!" The woman rushed toward me.

"Za'rynn carried you in fast asleep and didn't tell us a thing. Are you feeling all right? Oh, I hope Za'rynn didn't give you too much trouble, that girl can be a bit much!"

"I'm fine, thank you," I said, and got to my feet.

"Is… is she here?"

"Yes, come, come." She waved me after her.

"Dinner is almost ready as it is." I followed her into another small room, a dining room barely bigger than the table inside it, where Za'rynn sat talking with a lean, good-looking young man with black hair and sharp features.

"There," said the woman.

"You can join them while I finish preparing the food. Oh, by the way, I'm Hélène." She gestured to the young man.

"My little brother, Jacques. My children you've met, Aline and Mathieu."

"It's nice to meet you all," I said, and then squinted my eyes at Za'rynn. Oh, I was so angry with her. But after all I had been through, for some strange reason I was happy to see her too.

"My belt?" I demanded of her. She reached down beside her chair and produced it, the two holstered pistols and the knife.

"It just looked awfully uncomfortable to sleep in that thing," she said.

"I'm always comfortable with it," I answered, buckling it back on, and feeling better for it.

"So," Za'rynn said, looking somewhat wary, "are you… well, feeling all right? Did the children wake you?" I was burning, but not entirely in a bad way. I didn't want to share that.

"I'm fine," I said.

"And the children — they were playing this awful game with a biting skull!" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"Ah, Tongue-bite!" Za'rynn smiled happily.

"It was me who bought it for them! It's very trendy nowadays. Did you know this is the children's version? There's a grown-up model too, where the skull actually spits acid from time to time!" I pushed back my sleeve and showed her the small burn on the back of my hand.

"This one spits acid," I said flatly. Za'rynn's eyes went wide.

"Oops!" She stood up and hurried out of the room, and I was left alone with Jacques.

"You're Drizella, correct?" He offered his hand, and I took it.

"Za'rynn only said you were a friend, but I've heard the rumours. You're rather famous."

"Oh, in the lower city too?" I asked warily. I didn't like that at all.

"Yes," he said.

"For killing Napoleon and upsetting heaven. But also for giving Azearothiel a hard time finding you, and then for helping a lower city urchin. Some think you're on our side, some curse you for provoking heaven and bringing the extermination down on us all the sooner, and some simply think you're Azearothiel's dog. It's rather a controversial matter." He smiled at me.

"You're a rather interesting figure."

"So now only half of them will throw sticks and stones at me?" I asked flatly.

"In a Justicier uniform?" he chuckled.

"I'd say two-thirds. But that's still much better than most Justiciers fare."

"I see," I said, feeling strangely complimented. I decided to change the subject before he could dissect my reputation further.

"So, what is it that you do?"

"I manage a large blue crystal mine," he said.

"I was just working through the final details of a big contract with Za'rynn. Once it's signed it will bring in much needed funds, and help a great many families in the lower city."

"How… nice," I said. Oh, so this was the deal my assignment was all about. Eulalie simply hadn't realized that Za'rynn and the mine manager were old friends, and that a Justicier's appearance was practically unnecessary. Za'rynn came back into the room, scoffing.

"They said I was a bad aunty for taking their game away!" she said.

"Children these days. I had to promise to buy them the Guillotine-Gamble when I come to visit next."

"Why can't you buy them normal children's games?" I said.

"Spinning tops — ah, I know, you must have Diabolo here!"

"Those games leave children bloody," said Za'rynn, looking at me as though I were the strange one.

"Their mother would kill me! Guillotine-Gamble is honestly the safer option." I was about to argue, but then the smells from the kitchen drifted in and mixed together, and suddenly it was unmistakable. I knew exactly what was coming, and I could barely stop myself from drooling right there on the rug. A few moments later, Hélène brought in bowls of steaming plump helmet soup, arranging them on the table alongside a basket of thick, crusty bread. The children came running in and took their seats eagerly.

I took a spoonful. It was absolutely delightful—every bit as rich and comforting as Estelle's soup back at Marguerite's cave. It was so good I almost wanted to cry.

"Do you not like the soup?" Hélène asked, noticing my intense expression.

"I love it," I managed.

"So much. Thank you." And I had a second bowl, and a third, until I felt like a well-rounded woman myself. After we ate, Za'rynn and Jacques kept talking, closing the last threads of their deal — tonnage by the month, shipment dates, who would pay for the haulage and the escort, and what became of the price if a seam ran dry. Then Za'rynn said we were finished here and should go back to the upper city.

I didn't know the time, or how long I had slept, but if it was late I didn't know what Eulalie would make of it, and even Henriette and Ur might be worried. When we got to the door to leave, Jacques and Hélène came over to see me off.

"Drizella," Hélène said to me, "I want you to know that every friend of Za'rynn's is a friend of ours too. And you are always welcome here."

"Thank you," I said.

"I'm serious," Hélène continued, with a firm pat on my arm.

"Next time you're down here, visit — and there will be more of that plump helmet soup for you!"

"I'll definitely visit," I said, smiling. I liked this family. And I would have to bring Henriette. She'd love to be reminded of Estelle's soup! Once Za'rynn and I were out alone on the street, it was time to address the elephant in the room.

"I will kill you," I murmured, without much conviction. For all her deceit and trickery, I simply couldn't find the anger anywhere.

"What did you think of him?" she asked.

"Of Lamb?"

"Boring and stupid," I said, before suddenly remembering exactly what he had done to me.

"And also mean! I don't like him, nor that stupid rebellion of yours. I am still loyal to Azearothiel, as annoying as he is."

"Really?" Za'rynn looked honestly surprised.

"Disappointing. But… if your talk went south, I do wonder why he chose to bestow such a rare gift on you."

"I don't know," I said honestly.

"I told him to his face that his ideals were dumb and that he was a coward. And that gift! I felt as though my whole blood had been set on fire! And it was so painful I was rendered unconscious! Just imagine me, sprawled helplessly in that stupid strumpet dress, among all those vile lizards…" I was panting now.

"Calm down." Za'rynn was smiling at me, amused for some reason.

"You got really lucky. You simply don't know it yet."

"How am I lucky?" I said.

"What does that stupid cursed bone even do?"

"That is, well…" Za'rynn looked to the side, uncertain.

"Oh, don't tell me you don't know!" I threw up my hands.

"But listen," she said, tugging my dress aside to peek at the black spot on my leg.

"You mustn't tell anyone about it. Not Azearothiel, not another Justicier, not your friends, and don't let anyone see that black spot either. If it becomes known, you could be executed, or sent to die on the front line in some dark place."

"Oh, splendid. That part is simply delightful," I pouted.

"And it will be entirely your fault."

"It's called a Lash'ar bone," she said, "and it's supposed to bring strange power. But… let me look into it for a couple of days. I'll surely find out and let you know."

"And whatever you find out, that's a bit late now, isn't it!" I protested.

"It could be doing all manner of awful things to me!"

"It will give you power, in some form." Za'rynn brushed the hair back from my face and looked me in the eyes.

"You want power, don't you? You don't want to feel helpless ever again." There was something in the way she said it. It was true. I wanted power.

"But what if… you know… something strange happens to me?" I asked.

"Will I grow horns now?" Za'rynn chuckled.

"Of course you will." She smiled as though I were dumb.

"You're of a bloodline. You started growing horns the moment you set foot in hell, regardless of the black bone. See — come over here." She took my head in her hands and tipped it down. Za'rynn searched my scalp with her fingers, moving my hair aside.

"There," she said happily.

"Here, and here. Two small bulges."

"Liar!" I cried — but I felt my scalp after her, and there they were.

"This… I think I bumped my head a while ago. It's simply swollen."

"You bumped your head at two perfectly symmetrical points that just happen to be the common placement for horns? Not likely." I gasped, feeling them again.

"But what… how will they look?"

"It depends on the bloodline," she said.

"Yours is rare. Try looking for some pictures in the library books. Maybe they will be special — curly and pretty! Oh, but it will hurt quite a bit when they break through the skin in a couple of weeks. Mine grew when I was six, and I cried for days!" Oh, I didn't know what to think about that at all. And how would my husband react? Ah — he would probably have horns too. I suppose it didn't matter very much. The black bone was the more urgent matter, and about that too there was little I could do.

And I was still hot all over. Well — perhaps there was some advantage to wearing Za'rynn's breezy strumpet dress after all.

"Well, this is your elevator up," Za'rynn said, pointing at a rickety cabin of a thing swaying in its shaft. She looked me up and down.

"I'm sorry that… well. I wasn't always honest with you. But—" She hugged me then. I said nothing.

"I truly think you may be important for… well, we'll see. And I do like you."

"Hmph," I grunted. Not always honest was a tremendous understatement. But despite it all, I couldn't really hate Za'rynn. And somewhere deep inside me, maybe, just a little, I considered her a friend.

"Oh, and an elevator crystal." She shoved the small green thing into my hand and was already walking away.

"Bye!" I fed the crystal into its slot, and the thing shuddered and began to climb. When I stepped out into the upper city, I was incredibly relieved to see the sky bathed in the golden hues of late evening. It wasn't completely dark yet, so it wouldn't seem terribly late. I also wasn't that far from the Justicier headquarters, so I headed there first. When I came in, Lizzy simply gaped at me, but I was too tired to wonder what that was about.

"Hello, Lizzy," I murmured, and continued up. There I found Augustin, Eulalie and Eugène, and they gaped at me too, with their mouths open! What now…? I looked down. Oh no!

"You look rather—" Eugène began.

"Don't you dare, Eugène!" I pointed a threatening finger at him. I spun on my heel, marched straight back down to Lizzy, and urgently demanded a fresh set of uniform clothing. Lizzy agreed, but only on the condition that I let her borrow the dress from time to time. After I had changed back into my normal, utterly modest uniform, I practically threw the wretched dress at her. I couldn't believe Augustin had seen me looking like that! It was so incredibly embarrassing.

I walked back up the stairs to my superiors, keeping my stare firmly and stubbornly fixed on the floorboards. Then I went straight into briefing Augustin and Eulalie about the day's mission. I spoke of the successful contract meeting, not neglecting to blame Za'rynn for the enormous waste of time, and for the fact that I had probably not been needed at all. They took it well, and said such things were common enough in Justicier work, and asked no further questions. So I didn't actually have to lie about anything.

After that, Eulalie told me to sit with her and discuss tomorrow's operation.

"Tomorrow," she started, "we will be attending a high society event. Many important guests, high lords, and even Azearothiel will attend."

"Oh, I see," I said. I had been waiting for this exact kind of work.

"What kind of event?"

"A wedding," she said flatly.

"Oh, I simply love weddings!" I exclaimed. Finally, a nice job! The food would be phenomenal, I was sure of it, and everyone would be dressed beautifully, with dancing and music and spectacular floral arrangements!

"It's your wedding," Eulalie said.

"It's… it's…" I mumbled. I swallowed hard, and my breath hitched.

"…Oh. How… lovely."