Ana heard what the man, most likely the Earthbreaker, said. She understood him. But it was incredibly hard to care when she was close, so very close, to ending this bitch who’d promised to murder Messy horribly. The only thing that made her momentarily relax the pressure closing off the flow of blood to the Iron Warrior’s brain was that she believed him when he’d said that he’d kill the downed Bluesky members, which included Messy. Dealing with a present threat had to trump punishing a neutralized one.
There was only one problem.
“How can I trust you?” Ana asked. “You’re working with Karti. You’re serving the goddamn Sentinel, who wants me dead and the Splinters destroyed. If I release her, what’s stopping you from putting a stone spike through my head and killing everyone anyway?”
“Nothing,” the Earthbreaker admitted. “But…”
Two spikes lanced out of the ground, angled so that whether Ana moved forward or back, one of them would get her somewhere. They moved fast enough that Ana had only disentangled herself from the mage she was choking when they both stopped several inches away from her.
“I could have done that at any time,” the Earthbreaker continued as the Iron Warrior — Aaspiyah, the man had called her — gasped, coughed, and sputtered on the ground. “Now get off my team member and let her join us peacefully, and you can have your people back. I am fed up with this place, and it’s not like we’ll be seeing a tarnished copper of the second half of our fee. Let’s tend to our wounded and then see if we can’t come to some agreement, shall we?”
Ana looked down at the mage underneath her. She was in no state to defend herself. She was focused on getting her breath back; from the way she was twisting, if Ana hadn’t been mounting her she’d be rolling on the ground. It would be so easy to just end her.
But when Ana looked over her shoulder again, she got a clearer picture of her situation. There was one dark shape that Ana assumed to be the Earthbreaker, since he stood in front of the others. There were two others backing him up, one holding the stout shape that Ana assumed to be Marra Falk by the Earthbreaker’s description of her Classes. Another person, barely visible at the slightly greater distance, sat with their back against the Waystone, two people kneeling with their hands on their heads before them. That made four hostiles, presumably all mages. She knew when she was outgunned.
Beside the Waystone and with a hand on it, almost invisible in the gloom, was a shape tall enough that it must be Karti. Anger and loathing filled Ana at the sight of him, but this was not the time. She’d deal with him later.
With a sneer of disgust, Ana got to her feet and stepped away from Aaspiyah, expecting at any moment to have to defend herself against a blast of rocks, a stone spear erupting from beneath her, or the ground simply cracking beneath her feet. But none of those things happened. Instead her bonuses left her, usually a clear sign that she was out of danger. She clenched her jaw as every pain she’d collected over the last few, short minutes made themselves known. Why the hell were human ribs so fragile? And skin! God, her forearms looked like they’d been sand blasted, and they felt like it too. And then there were her goddamn feet. Tiny shards of stone cut into her soles, a handful on each foot, and just staying upright was agony. It was enough to make her want to break this sudden ceasefire just for the relief of her Enhancements kicking in.
Lucky for everyone involved, then, that she’d long since learned to deal with pain, and that she wasn’t a goddamn idiot. In the stillness that followed, she could hear the tears and groans of the injured scattered around the square, some of them sounding dangerously weak. Some, like Messy, would be unconscious already. They’d need aid, and soon, and the only way they’d get that was if things stayed peaceful.
“Fine,” Ana said. Her voice was strong, steady, and calm. It didn’t betray a shred of her pain, nor of her nearly overwhelming urge to go to Messy’s side and check on her. Charisma, and her Acting Skill and its Perk, Inscrutable, really came through for her there. “She’s alive, and she’s free. Give me my people.”
“You heard the woman,” the man said, half turning to speak to his companions. “Release the prisoners. Blueskyers, you’re all free to join her. Just know that I still have enough in me to either kill you or destroy your Waystone if I suspect you’ll break this truce. Aaspiyah, can you walk?”
“I’ll—” the mage on the ground coughed heavily as she pushed herself into a seated position. Then there was a subtle shift in the mana around her, and she moved a little more easily. “I’ll manage.”
“You bastards killed dozens!” Marra spat, stumbling close enough for Ana to recognize her. “Ana! Thank the gods. We’ve got a dozen injured, and— and Tober and Pirta, they’re trapped under the rubble!”
“God dammit!” Ana needed them! Nobody else in the Splinter was as well positioned as them to help her get out of there alive once the cycle ended, along with anyone who wanted to follow her. And even if she hadn’t needed them, she had to admit that of the two she liked and trusted Falk, head cop or not.
She looked at the ruined building, then at the Earthbreaker. The other figures backing him up moved in as she approached him, getting close enough to get something of a look at him. He was on the taller end of average and looked deceptively ordinary for all the misery he’d caused; a square face with a small nose, wide-set eyes, and short hair of some hue darker than his skin. Long, leaf-shaped ears revealed him to be elfin, and his label, when Ana Inspected him, agreed — [Elfin Earthbreaker (37)]. “You’re serious about this truce?” she asked. “About negotiating?”
“I am,” he replied calmly.
“Alright... you’re all Earth-mages, aren’t you? Maybe even Stone? Help us rescue the people I assume you buried, and it’ll go a long way toward buying you some trust.”
“It’s not our trustworthiness you should worry about. We were negotiating in good faith until someone took a shot at me. From the roof of a damn temple, no less.” The man made a disgusted gesture in the direction of the temple. “But so long as you keep your people from doing something equally idiotic again, I suppose we can help in the interest of showing good faith.” He turned to his people. “Well, you heard. The bellicose elf and her minder are presumably under there, somewhere. Let’s get them out. Aaspiyah, are you hurt?”
“Only my pride, Chief, and my heart,” she said, shooting Ana a venomous look, equal parts hate and fear. Her voice was hoarse, and she rubbed gingerly at her throat. “They killed Thomé.”
“I know,” the Earthbreaker said heavily. “And there will be time to mourn, but not now. Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.”
“Then go with the others and help clear that rubble. If there’s anyone alive under there, get them out.” Then he raised his voice so that it carried across the square, fixing his eyes on Ana. “And I expect you to show no mercy if any of these Blueskyers break the truce. Understood?”
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“Yes, chief!” Aaliyah and the two other mages still on their feet chorused, though it was a somewhat grumbled chorus. Ana couldn’t see them well enough to read their body language, but anyone could hear the reluctance in their voices. Still, Ana felt the mana stir as the three began Shaping, even as they walked the short distance around the plinth and to the heaped masses that remained of the once proud administrative building.
“There,” the Earthbreaker said, turning back to Ana, and unlike his people he was close enough to read. The way he held himself spoke of weariness and frustration, but Ana was sure that he was ready to act if provoked. “If that satisfies you,” he continued, “I suggest you take care of your wounded, and I’ll do the same before joining my team. And then, maybe we can put this whole idiotically wasteful exercise behind us. For now, will you guarantee the truce for your side, if I do the same for mine?”
He held out his hand, and Ana watched it for a moment before wordlessly clasping his wrist.
“Good,” the mage said as they shook. He didn’t relax one iota. “Haytham Talleh. I won’t pretend to be pleased to meet you, at least under the circumstances, but I’m glad we understand each other.”
“Anastasia Cole,” Ana said. “Same.”
They separated warily, Talleh walking backward a few steps before turning and going over to the one person sitting with their back against the Waystone. When he turned, Ana did the same, speaking to the three people beside her.
Turning first to the older woman and speaking softly she said, “Marra, I know you want to be near your husband, but people listen to you. Can you run?”
“Jog, perhaps,” Marra said, looking anxiously at the rubble.
“Do you know where Touanne is?”
“I do. At the bathhouse.”
“Good. Bring her, and anyone else who isn’t actively saving lives. Don’t take Touanne into the square yet, but bring her close. And get someone to go to her shop to bring every healing potion they can find, if they haven’t already. Arrange some light, too. Torches, lanterns, mages, whatever. I’ll keep an eye on things here.”
“You’ll make sure my Tober’s safe?” Marra asked, the tremble in her voice and the pleading in her eyes revealing a vulnerability that Ana had never seen in the woman before, even when Captain Falk and his expedition were missing, their fate unknown.
Ana put her hand on Marra’s shoulder. “I won’t let any more harm come to him. I promise.”
“Fine,” Marra said. “I’ll be back with Mistress Touanne as fast as possible.” Then with a last lingering look at the collapsed building, she turned and jogged off toward Duskward Cross Street, limping badly on her right leg.
After making sure that Marra was truly on her way, Ana turned to the two men who’d followed her. She thought she might recognize them, but again, the dim light made it hard. “You two,” she said, “join me in checking on the wounded. You—” She pointed at one, “—start behind the Waystone. You—” She pointed at the other, “—start between the waystone and all those spikes. I can see people down there. If they can be moved, move them onto Duskward Cross Street, where Touanne can tend to them safely. I don’t suppose any of you have any healing potions with you?”
“Afraid not, Marshal,” the second man said. “The mages — our mages, I mean — they were supposed to have one or two each, I think. I’ll check first thing.”
Ana clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man. Alright, get to it!”
As the two took off, Ana finally allowed herself to give in to her worry. She’d been checking in on both her sense of Messy’s condition and her Party roster constantly ever since the fight ended, dreading to see any change. She didn’t even know if either would show anything between unconscious and dead. All she could do was make sure that things stayed peaceful, and that the only person she had ever loved was in range of her Companionship Ability, which should, hopefully, help her stabilize. Goddess only knew if it worked that way, but Ana hoped.
Now she rushed to Messy’s side, and her heart froze at what she saw.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. “No, no, no…”
Two forms lay still close beside each other. When she got close, Ana saw that the other was Rayni, sprawled on her front with her left arm very obviously broken. But she’d have to wait.
Messy lay on her back, legs splayed with the right knee bent, her left arm draped across her body. From a distance Ana hadn’t seen the length of wood protruding from two inches below Messy’s collarbone. That was bad enough, but it wasn’t what horrified her.
Around Messy’s head was a small patch where the space between the cobbles was darker. The world faded around Ana as she knelt beside her girlfriend, reaching down with one hand that felt much too steady to touch the patch. The darkness stuck to her fingers, and when she pressed them together they held just a tiny bit.
For a moment, Ana was back in the forest, kneeling on a stone surface beside the body of a boy she’d promised to protect. He still breathed, but his eyes stared blankly at the starry sky, and he hadn’t reacted at all to anything she did. Not even when she slipped a dagger between his ribs.
With a start, she snapped herself out of the memory. “Babe?” she whispered, and the fear in her voice didn’t bother her. She didn't have space to worry about herself or her image. “Mess?” Then she sniffed, blinking away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Messy wouldn’t react to words. If she could, the noise of the fight would have woken her long ago.
Leaning over Messy’s face, Ana reached down and lifted one eyelid with her thumb, ever so carefully. Her breath left her in a relieved shudder as the lid twitched under her finger. Then she took Messy’s left hand and, using the nail of her index finger, pressed down hard on the tip of Messy’s ring finger, right below the cuticle where the little crescent would be.
Messy’s whole arm jerked, and Ana released the rest of her breath. Unconscious was bad, but Messy responded to the two things Ana could try. She didn’t think she dared move her, but she could at least make herself believe that the head injury wasn’t too bad. Finally she checked Messy’s pulse, and found it strong and regular.
She went practically blind as her sight blurred, robbing her of what little she could see in the moonlight. She didn’t think that Messy was in immediate danger. She wished desperately that she knew for sure or that she could do more, but now she had to wait for Touanne or another Life-mage, and someone to arrive with healing potions. And there were other injured to check on — Rayni lay less than two feet away, and Ana didn’t even know if she was still alive.
“I’ll be right back,” she whispered, giving the hand she still held a gentle squeeze.
Rayni was alive, but in a worse state than Messy. She didn’t have a full 19 points of bonus Vitality. Her breathing was quick and shallow and her pulse thready, but Ana couldn’t say if that was because of the open fracture on her arm, or because she had some internal injury.
She was considering what to do next — move on to the other injured, stay with Messy and Ray in case something happened, or throw caution to the wind, force herself to believe that Talleh the Earthbreaker intended to keep his word, and run off to see if she could get Touanne and those damn potions there any faster, when one of the two men came to her. The guy she’d sent to the spikes.
“Marshal,” he said cautiously. “Sorry, but… it’s Miss Petra. The innkeeper? She’s a friend of yours, right? Ah… she’s hurt bad. Real bad. But she’s awake, and she’s asking for you.”
“Petra?” Ana asked. “She’s here? What am I saying, with my luck—” She looked helplessly at her friend, then at her lover. “Find any potions?”
“No, Marshal,” he said, his voice softening. “I didn’t see the mages yet. They would’ve been on the rubble. But with Miss Petra… I thought you’d want to know. I can check now, if you want?”
A part of Ana bristled at his gentle tone — at the idea that he was pitying her. But that wasn’t it, she told himself. It was sympathy, not pity. People could feel bad for someone without looking down on them. “Yeah,” she said. “Show me to Petra, and then see if you can find the mages.”
It was hard to tear herself away from Messy and Ray, but she did it. She stood, and she followed the man. A memory of a training session came suddenly to the front of her mind. A single morning weeks ago where this man had asked a question, and she’d asked his name before answering. “Thank you, Varinus,” she said as she knelt by Petra.
“I’ll be right back, Marshal,” Varinus said, a note of pride in his voice, before nodding and taking off into the darkness past where the Earth-mages were clearing rubble. “She’ll be fine, alright?”
“Sure,” Ana said. She even made her voice sound like she believed it. She didn’t, but it couldn’t hurt to encourage the man. And in case Petra was conscious and listening, Ana couldn’t very well say what she really thought.
Petra half knelt, half lay back on a long hedge of wicked stone spikes. It looked like she’d fallen or maybe been pushed onto it. The how didn’t matter. What mattered was that nobody with that many things sticking out of their chest was going to be alright. Nobody who’d lost that much blood had any right to still be alive at all. Ana knew that she was; she was breathing in tiny, desperate gasps, and every so often a wheezing groan would escape her. But she wouldn’t be for long.
Petra was dying.
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