Chương 9: Chapter 6 - The Prisoner 2/2

"Begin?" Karina asked.

"Well, the best way to begin is by beginning," Volrick said.

"How much ya remember about your old life?"

"Almost nothing."

"That fresh? Dad said he knew most of it by the end, but then again, haven't talked to him since he got skewered when I was five, so. You know how it goes." He looked.

"Your turn."

"What's up between you and Alyssia?"

"Me and her? Oh, she fucking hates me. Doesn't like the way I talk, or dress, or flirt with her. Think it's because she was stationed outside of my door for a couple weeks and–Well, I'm a bit of a chatty Cathy." Karina cocked her head. That felt like something out of place in–"Yeah, picked that one up from my dad," he said.

"Okay," Karina said.

"Do you think you can work with–""Hey, wait a moment. It's my turn. You asked a question," Volrick said. He switched from leaning on the bars to gripping them with his right hand, his fingernails, like his teeth, either filed to points or naturally sharp.

"In fact, you kind of asked two questions if you count the implied one."

"I asked one." Karina crossed her arms.

"Okay. Okay. She can play," Volrick said.

"What's your class?"

"Didn't you see Alyssia shake her head?" Karina said while matching the motion.

"I did, and that was just rather dubious. Was hoping you could be more honest with me than–" Karina snapped her fingers, and a spark swelled to flame across her palm. The red glow lingered in Volrick's yellow eyes, flashing golden. Those same eyes flicked down as he caught the edges of her fingers charring.

"Fire. My class is fire."

"So it would seem that's a spellcasting class?" Karina shook the fire off her hand and then hid her charred fingers in her jacket pocket.

"You've already asked a question."

"She can be taught," he said.

"Shoot, what you got for me?" Karina took a moment to consider her options, and the chill of being underground began to set into her skin. It was hard to tell whether it was because she was actually cold, or if it was just in contrast to the heat of her fire.

"What's your class?" Karina echoed.

"High Priestess."

"Doesn't it ruin the game if you lie?"

"Is it that much of a lie if the lie is part of the answer?" he said before once again smiling at how clever he was.

"My class is Con-Weaver, and if you weren't fresh out of the Summoning Circle, your next question would be how I have a class that's barred from native-bound souls. To which I would say that my father was a hero, and I inherited that side of destiny."

"Interesting father," Karina said.

"You still haven't asked about my mother," he said. He glanced toward the door.

"But we've probably tested the priestess's patience enough." He reached between the bars, offering his hand.

"I was wondering if you and I could reach an accord." Karina glanced down at the hand, but didn't uncross her arms.

"Yeah, smart thing. Don't shake without knowing what's going on," he said.

"But I'm going to open this all up by being candid, because one–it seems like you like that, and two, I want to make this the foundation of a special relationship between us."

"Go ahead."

"Okay, get that candor out of the way first. There is a chance that I agree to come with you, even if you say no to this. I mean, you're breaking me out of prison, right?"

"Sure."

"But I'm still going to ask for the favor. I'm still hoping you say y—" He cut himself off with a 'hm.'

"Actually, it's two favours."

"Not three?"

"No. No. Two should cut it," Volrick said.

"Okay, phase the first, really easy one: to the south of here, which is in the wrong direction from going back to the protected borders, there is an old destroyed town called Whiteshackle." He pulled back his hand so he could continue talking with it.

"I would like you to bring me there."

"Making sure I'm clear here," Karina said.

"The first thing you're asking from me is that we go in the wrong direction." He shrugged.

"Yeah."

"And why would I do that?"

"Well, in the first place, I think it'd be fun. And that's gotta count for something. Think of how much Alyssia could squirm," he said. When Karina didn't laugh at his comment, he pivoted.

"Answer: That's where my mom and dad lived before everything went to shit, and I believe my father had some information there about my class." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Your class?"

"It's a hero class, but I'm not a hero, which means that the Church doesn't allow me into any of their archives," he said.

"I'm hoping he left something I can use." Hoping. So he didn't know whether there was anything left, much less whether it would help him. Still, an account written by someone who'd been summoned might answer questions the priests hadn't.

"How far south?"

"Interested?"

"Wondering how much trouble you're asking us to walk into." She glanced at the bars.

"You're a Con-Weaver. Why not just con your way into the—""Did she tell you that my original charge for ending up in here was forgery?" he asked.

"If you put two and two together–""She also told me that you keep–""Stealing things? Got to progress my fate somehow. They're not exactly giving me many opportunities to get better at Con-Weaving alone in a prison."

"So you want to go to Whiteshackle," she said.

"And if you don't, you're not coming along?"

"I'd have to think about it," he said. He turned away and walked back toward the bed. Karina watched him settle beside the heap of blankets. She couldn't tell whether mentioning his father had hurt or whether he wanted her to think it had. She left the silence alone until he squirmed.

"What's the second thing?"

"The second one," he began without turning back to her, "is a teensy bit of–I acknowledge that I'm pushing it here," he said as he turned back to her.

"But if you spent a bit of time upstairs, you may have noticed those black bracer things that the mages are wearing upstairs." She already didn't like where this was going.

"Mm-hmm."

"What I've got here–" He bent over and rolled up his left pant leg, revealing a tarnished silver-looking anklet.

"–isbasically the opposite of that. It dampens skills."

"Why would they give me a companion with dampened skills?"

"Because a hero can turn the dampening off. Their enchantments are made to help you form a party, so…" He rolled one hand, inviting Karina to finish the thought.

"And turn it back on?"

"Which brings me to the favour." He tapped the anklet.

"You can also take it off." Karina looked from the tarnished metal to his face.

"And you want it removed before we leave?"

"Wouldn't you?" Probably. She also wouldn't want someone she had just met using an unknown skill on her.

"What exactly does it stop you from doing?"

"Some things," he said with an overly casual shrug.

"Not others."

"So it doesn't stop everything, and you won't tell me what works."

"I didn't say I wouldn't."

"You haven't." Volrick looked down at the anklet.

"And you want me to remove it before you explain."

"Hey, I'm asking it as a favor," he said.

"And if we're going to trust each other, this would be a very good place to start." Karina looked back toward the door. Alyssia was on the other side, possibly listening, certainly annoyed at all of this.

"More questions before I answer."

"Sure," Volrick said.

"Ask away."

"You said the experience divide gets messed up if you don't consent to joining the party," Karina said.

"Explain."

"You're fresh off the circle. Do you need me to explain experience, or…"

"The divide. I also saw the tithe before."

"Oh, so you did something worth experience then," he said. Karina took the part of her that wanted to brag about killing the Karash and strangled it for the time being. At least until it wouldn't interrupt an answer she wanted to hear from someone other than a worshipper.

"Yes, I did."

"Good for you," Volrick said before shaking his hair out of his eyes.

"Okay, so the experience tithes are what the gods take. Apparently they use it to empower the barriers that keep the demons back."

"Okay. And the divide?"

"Right, in a normal party following a hero, everyone pays less of that tithe. The gods know you're helping them, so you don't need to pay as much into the pool. Right?"

"Sure." He nodded.

"If everyone's a consenting party member, you get the full discount. If someone isn't a consenting party member, you're paying extra tithe." It was Karina's turn to nod.

"So it's not a divide; it's that it ruins the discount."

"No, see, the kicker is that extra experience goes to the non-consenting party member," he said.

"Which is why you really don't want one tagging along, and is certainly the only reason that Alyssia gave me an audience with you." He leaned to the side to shout past Karina.

"Isn't that right?"

"Are you two going to be a problem together?"

"Her to me? Maybe, but pretty sure she's too by the book to bring up anything other than a couple snide remarks," he said.

"Me to her? If I held a grudge against everyone who…had a strong opinion about me, I'd need to carry extra bags."

"Hm." Karina crossed her arms.

"So those are the two requests. Break off the—""Remove! You don't gotta break it."

"Remove the dampener and take you to Whiteshackle."

"Uh-huh." Volrick crossed his legs on the bed-slab.

"So go the wrong way and break my own leverage?" Karina said, rewording it. Volrick scratched just above his ear, his fingernails catching on the raised ridges of his amber tattoos.

"You know, when you put it like that, it sounds like a lot."

"It is." He stood up and sighed.

"You aren't gonna do both. Are you?" Karina shook her head.

"I'm fresh out of the circle." She borrowed his wording.

"But I've made a deal or two in my life."

"You think," Volrick suggested. She shrugged. He had her there.

"I'll argue for Whiteshackle once you've shown us the route. You still haven't told me how far it is."

"And the anklet?"

"Stays on. We can discuss removing it when you've explained what it suppresses and I've seen you work." Volrick considered her.

"You'll actually hear me out about the town?"

"Yes. That's what I'm offering."

"Good enough for me."

"That's it?" Karina asked.

"No haggling?"

"Don't have much of a leg to stand on, and I plan to impress," he said as he stretched and rolled both of his shoulders.

"Now, can you convince her to get me outta here? I had big plans for these beds, but I never wanna see them again." He'd accepted quickly. Perhaps freedom was enough. Perhaps he expected to talk her into the rest once they were outside. Karina wanted to see his father's records. That was reason enough to be careful about believing they existed. She turned and banged on the door, telling Alyssia to come back in. She took her sweet time answering.

"I assume you're bringing him along?" she said. She couldn't have been more clear that she wished the answer was no if she'd spelled it out.

"He's coming with us."

"What did he ask for?"

"To visit Whiteshackle. And to have the dampener removed." Alyssia looked past Karina at Volrick.

"Of course."

"The dampener stays. I said we'd hear him out about the route."

"We have orders to return to the protected lands."

"I know. I haven't promised to take him there." Alyssia looked back at her.

"Then we discuss it before anyone changes direction."

"Yes."

"And your class?"

"He knows I use fire. That's all."

"That's right. Let me outta here. Time to get this show on the—""Another guard will be back with the keys," Alyssia said. She bit her lip as she said it, struggling not to smile.

"You didn't bring them?" Volrick said.

"Alyssia? Come on. It was one time and…" Alyssia was already heading up the stairs. Karina followed. When they were almost out of earshot, she spoke up.

"Didn't know you had that in you."

"I have the keys," she said.

"I'll hand them off to someone."

"Even more petty than I—""If he's coming along with us, he needs to understand his place in the hierarchy," she said.

"You're the hero. I am below you as your aide. He is a simple companion." There was something more lingering on her tongue.

"And?"

"And he's an asshole who enjoyed watching me leave," she said.

"I agreed to speak to him alone."

"Yes, Hero. I noticed." Alyssia closed her hand around the keys.

"Someone will let him out. We'll get you equipped for the journey."