Published at 12th of November 2026 9:18 am

Chapter 186: Infections

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As youve likely guessed, the Daemons presence is centred around the pact breaker the islands governor, Baron Remhal.

Howd a baron get such an important governorship?

She leans back against the wall and shrugs. Mostly a combination of ambition and the very pact that caused all this mess.

I snort. I didnt think the Empress would be so incompetent as to promote someone foolish enough to breach a major contract. Its irritating to think that as much damage as the whole insurgency might be done to them just from the loss to shipping by pure accident.

Not pure accident, nor complete foolishness. The god who made the contract included a hidden contradiction which only became evident after the Baron gained his desired power. Something that only someone very well versed in such things would spot, and of course, the god lured them into a sense of security with the lesser contracts leading up to it. Creating cause to send a Daemon was always their plan.

Which god?

She shrugs, again indifferent to the absurdity shes about to say. Milficus.

I wince. Most people dont consider the god of the Silver Mountain to be a dark god, if only because theyre too obscure to make the list. Well, that and because suggesting their placement would no doubt earn the gods eternal enmity.

I dont know much about them. Theyre associated with ambition like Anar, but a more specific one. Rather than being about the ambition of individuals (though my understanding is that it does entail that), the ideology is more about an ambition to their societal vision. I dont know the details of it, given the obscurity and minority of the god, but I wouldnt say that the current state of the island is a shining representation. Rather, I would guess that its a specific facet of their vision which theyve found a way to weaponize.

Doubt creeps in as to whether Im actually going to do this. After all, why should I help the empire? To save myself? Im uncertain that I could cause enough harm to equal whats already happening. To save Terry? Is he worth it? He must be if I keep on risking myself, and my mission, for him, even though I know he cant be. She seems to want me to save the people here for their own sake, but we never did that in Caethlon; so why do that for the enemy?

My mind whirls, trying to decide. I need more information. Why hasnt the empress dealt with this situation yet? If the only reason I can kill this thing is because I have her dagger, surely she could have defeated the daemon herself.

She shrugs. Why did she let Caethlon go on for so long?

Thats not really an answer, except it is. Is she saying that theyre studying the effect? Trying to replicate it somehow? I suppose thats a good enough reason for me to act. Even if its not true, letting things go on for so long does suggest it benefits them somehow, and its usually good to do what your enemy doesnt want.

And yet You want me to care about the people here more than their own sovereign does.

Yeah, it would be a start at least.

A start towards what?

She shrugs. Didnt it move you when you saw that man get dragged away? To not know that some ill fate must await him as he screamed in terror?

It frightened me a little.

Hmm I suppose a shared fear is a start. Did you imagine steely grips taking you away too?

Not really. I focused on the others in the room, sensing whether they were about to make a move on me. I didnt think theyd attack in the same way, since it wouldnt be a good way to deal with me.

Hm, Im sure You should imagine it, though, from his perspective. Try to feel his terror, being hemmed in like that. Knowing that theres nothing he can do.

Why? What does that have to do with killing this thing?

She smiles, suddenly tired. The domineering energy has gone away now that weve gotten to planning, replaced with an immense fatigue. Like it took something out of her to express such hostility, even though it was genuine. It doesnt. Or rather, its the other way around Anyways, just killing the governor wont do it, at least not fast enough. The daemon has glutted itself on the people here minds and souls. It has enough power stored up to linger for a long time. At least a month. To speed this along, we have this. She produces a scroll which I hesitantly grab. Theres a texture to it, a weight. It feels familiar.

I open the thing and stare at a complicated ritual. Various ingredients, with one standing out the Empresss dagger. I see the importance of me killing the thing. Its supposed to strengthen the alleged bond to my dagger for the mysterious goal you people have for me, isnt it?

Yeah, she immediately admits. Anyways, this ritual wont just stop the flow, but corrupt the power it already stockpiled. Still, itll likely take more than a day for the thing to die on its own. Thats when itll be the most dangerous to the people here. Itll consume everything it can to try to fight the rot. So, you must kill it quickly the Barrons blood still fresh on the blade, which will act as a poison to it.

But why? I ask, bewildered that she thinks I would just do what she wants.

What do you mean?

Well, it seems I have the opportunity to achieve both goals. I can stop any study the empire is making of the mental effect, and by letting the daemon linger, it can cause all the destruction to the empire I want. Malsas is one of the most major ports in the empire after all, with a third of long-distance trade going through it cutting the normal distance in half in many cases. Its destruction would be a major blow against the empire. And save your threats. This level of damage would be well worth my mission.

Silence as she seethes, the only sound being her deep breathing. Suddenly she closes her eyes and goes still, with her breathing slowing down much more drastically than if she were merely calming down. Her eyes dart about with her lids still closed, as some occasionally do while theyre sleeping, but more intensely. After what must be a minute, halfway into which she stops breathing entirely, she opens her eyes again with a deep, wheezing breath and nods.

Do as you will, she gasps, just know that it will be easiest to kill when your blade is still wet with the barons blood.

That was alarmingly easy. I may have told her to save her threats, but I didnt really expect her to. You wont retaliate then?

We will, she says curtly. Though we know that wont stop you. Rather than being punishment, though, it will be more well, changing your assets around to make things easier later. I hope you find your own reason to kill it quickly, but I wont force you at least not on this.

Right, I say, more uneasy than if she beat me again and yelled.

Anyways, well take a short break. Heal yourself; itll be easier to talk if youre not in pain.

She steps into the next room and I hear a window open followed by a deep breath. I do as she says and quickly heal my broken ribs, at least to the point that it no longer hurts every time I breathe. Moving would risk undoing the mending, but its healed enough that I can move on to my hand.

Hands are complicated. Lots of tiny little bones and tendons to be damaged, and she shattered most of them. Fortunately, the way Anars healing works means that it will be restored to how it was even without complex intervention. It would likely take weeks or even months to do so with my passive boons, but it can work together with my healing spell. Even so, it will take hours to repair the damage, and even then it wont be fully back to normal. Maybe a whole day of sustaining the spell before I get my full dexterity back.

Meaning I need to do some surgery to speed things along. My left hand isnt as good as my right, but with all my boons its mor than good enough, though I do cast my buff spells to help. I take a wrist knife (being the sharpest short blade that I have) and cut into my hand, looking for the biggest bones to fix first. I grit my teeth in the pain, but force through it.

Ive had worse many times. Tallows spell comes to mind, though I dont really count it. The nature of the spell was definitionally more pain than one can bear. Meaning, however much one can take, the spell would cause more. Its not physiological, so its not really comparable Actually, if that doesnt count, I mostly take it back. The only time Ive had worse was when my spine was injured.

Of course, Im not just blithely cutting, trying to find the bone fragments and put some back together. Admittedly, my knowledge of anatomy is focused more on major organs, and the hand is very complicated. Still, using what I remember, I manage to find some pieces without too much unnecessary cutting, then press them together before casting healing on them. I dont need to get them all, and it doesnt need to be aligned perfectly, as Anars healing will gradually shift things back into place. But just mushing some of it back together should take hours off the healing time.

Once Im done with the first bone, I shift the healing to close the incision, then move onto the next, doing each of the metacarpals in turn. The allegedly favoured knight comes in while Im doing this and stares in fascinated horror.

I suppose thats one way of doing that.

I shrug. Its faster You didnt see that I would use this method?

She grins derisively with her too wide mouth. What? Probing me as you probe your hand? Draw whatever conclusions that you want.

I nod and continue, finishing after another ten minutes with her watching. It still hurts, but maybe only half as much (if pain can be quantized so easily). The smaller bones are still broken, but my knowledge of them is foggy, so I just apply the spell on the general area and wait.

Youre done? She asks.

No, I reply, holding up the hand very stiffly. I still have no mobility in the wrist and can barely move the fingers, but its less distracting now. You can continue, though. I can sustain the spell without attention to it now.

Right where were we then?

I need to find the baron and kill him.

Ahyes. Hell be hard to find.

He wont just be in the governors palace?

She shakes her head with a slight grin. If he was, this would all be over already. The archmages cratered it early into things. You may have seen it on the way down.

I did, though I didnt know what it was. Just that one of the black blotches was more expansive than the others, though the crater was hard to make out with all the ash covering it. I see and what about the orb? Can you tell where thats at?

She shakes her head. Its in its nature to hide from deities, and the daemon is actively countering divinations.

Can you tell me where Terry and the others are then?

Im afraid not.

Alright, I let my annoyance show, then what about Vincents people? You said you want me to give the orb to him. Does that mean he has people here?

He does. Youll encounter them soon enough with the tokens youve left.

But you wont tell me where they are?

No.

Sigh, what an impotent prescience. It seems that its only use is spying on me and popping out of nowhere. But when something important happens, you cant tell me anything.

She grins, rousing some of her initial energy, grinning to show her predatory teeth. My gods powers are not there for your convenience. Well, she finally admitted to the category of power at least. But I can tell you a few things. The daemon is amorphous normally just a vague presence spread throughout the city. It will need to coalesce partially when you finish the ritual. I do not know what itll look like when it does, just that it will be big, full of sharp things and likely have too many eyes. Attack with caution, using whatever of your normal trickery you can muster, as even weakened it would be more dangerous than a group of knights Oh, and itll be immune to your liquifying beam and dont throw the athame. Any wound by it must be while it is in your hand.

What a wonderful set of contrary instructions, I say with obvious irony, but she carries on without heed.

Second, the Daemon is aware of the orb. In fact, part of the reason for its presence is because of it, as it inhibits the ability of the other gods to intervene. Being a partially divine being, it cannot inhabit its space without weakening, but it will be guarding where its stored. Very likely, the Baron will be nearby to save resources in protecting them both. But you should locate it before you kill the Baron. Its presence will rapidly weaken the Daemon, so it may act as a sanctuary.

Finally, youre like an infection in this place. The entity is not consciously aware of you yet. You prompted an automatic immune response earlier, but that will die down soon, provided you dont draw more attention. I know it may seem like a lot to ask, but just act like a normal person and youll be fine. She grins sardonically, then tilts her head as if hearing something faint. Oh, and no magic, or rather nothing obvious. Disguises are fine, and, in fact, recommended, but no lighting people on fire. All the citys knights and mages are either dead or allocated to vital locations, so youll stand out.

I see, I say after its clear that shes done. She seems impatient to give me all the information. Like she cant stand another moment of my presence, and will leave the first moment she can. I dont have much time to ask follow ups. Okay suppose I do kill this thing quickly like you want. Will the Barons blood act as a poison only on the athame, or can I coat my other weapons with it too?

She blinks her eyes shut, rapidly moving them as before, then nods. It wont be as potent, but it will work.

And what about my poison retaining blades? Will their enchantment work to keep and augment the blood?

She raises an amused eyebrow. That would be stretching the metaphor a bit, dont you think?

Alright will my other poisons work on it then?

She closes her eyes again, and jerks them open again after a brief moment of contemplation, breathing slightly intensified. After a little thought, she hands me a sheet of blank paper. List what you have, and Ill mark which will have an effect. A small effect, mind you, but it might give you the needed edge. However, nothing will work until you expose it to the blood first. Though I guess you can throw another knife with it. Just make sure you wound with the athame at least once the deeper the better.

Good to know.

That should cover what you need to know. If theres anything else, ask me now, as I dont know when I can stomach seeing you again.

I come up with a few minor questions, which she answers quickly and without so much of a shadow of her initial vigour. Like her aggression towards me hollowed her out, leaving only a tired shell. As we near her departure, a seed of an unrelated question takes root, though I struggle to articulate it. It wont help me survive this place, but it seems vital all the same.

I I still dont know if Ill kill this thing as quickly and cleanly as you want, but I have this sense that you want something of me. I dont mean whatever your group wants, but you personally. Like Im disappointing you that its not intuitive for me. So, what is it then? This thing you want of me.

She looks at me with pained eyes and laughs. Redemption.

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