Liron opened his eyes, ignorant to what had happened after waking up. His dreams were nothing but his training and education. Their images lingered, memories he never made. They left, his parents' fate replacing them. A scorching pit in his gut, burning throughout his body like the echo of a collapsed tree sounding in a forest. Loud, but it was devoured by the quietness that had ruled before.
His limbs still felt like things made of iron, too heavy to lift. But talking to Zonis has helped. Liron could stand up from his bed and eat breakfast. He could talk to the others, and follow the conversation without drowning in his thoughts. His heart beat slower, and his mind was like a burned house, the smoke lingering, making it difficult to see and breath. But for the first time since learning of his parents' demise, Liron believed there to be a tomorrow. One without guilt. It was beyond his grasp for now, but he had hope that it might come.
His gut reaction towards Zonis remained the same. The Empire's teaching demanded of him to scourge this tainted abomination, proving himself to Harras. His instincts were a stubborn beast, and Liron knew it to be. He knew the person Zonis was. He was no monster. A Fleshdancer he was. But he was someone Liron would call a friend.
He examined his hand, the same one he had battered against the wall after Emma had told him everything. Thanks to Angin, it appeared normal. The skin flawless, with no scars marking it. But it was a false facade. Hidden underneath, rot and poison lay dormant. No one would notice, not even Liron himself. Only if confronted with something vile. Something that would burst through his skin, waking it up. And once freed, it would pour out of him. Years of suppression released instantly, flooding his entire body with a wrathful ecstasy. It wouldn't stop until it had escaped his mortal body, defiling all in blood. Perhaps there would be relief in its absence. Or it would grow anew, demanding to burst out yet again. Or, more likely, Liron would feel empty, having lost the only thing he had left.
Liron cleared his throat. No, his hand was good.
"Liron," Gabriella said, tapping him on the shoulder.
Liron started. He hadn't heard Gabriella come closer. While deep in thought, she was a ghost. On the wooden floor, her footsteps were easy to miss, as if she weighed as little as a mouse. Gabriella stayed by his side most often. She hoped for trouble to find him but also to honor her promise to him.
"Come, the Alchemist wants to discuss our future course of action."
Liron nodded. "Sure."
Angin and the rest had gathered in Gabriella's father's office. He had a map of Kupferrang, marking every corner of the city. Perfect for them to plan their next moves. Jean greeted him with the same indifference as usual. Zonis was warm. Liron had learned to look at the Qilesh's mouth and not his eyes. Angin watched him, cool and distant. Whatever had happened, it hadn't worn off. The Alchemist still was in the midst of it.
Liron bit his lip. Angin was the closest he had ever come to a real role model. An idol that wanted to see him improve. He couldn't afford to lose that. Liron was a starving man until he had met Angin. His praise was the nourishment he needed. Emma and their parents had encouraged him countless times, but they were his family. Their support was an essential part of something he had been born into. Angin's was something he had earned with who he was. The Alchemist was a stranger. An outsider that could offer the validation his family couldn't. But, as before, Liron had managed to fuck it up. When a good thing happened to him, Liron succeeded in drowning it in his piss.
"There you are," Angin said. "Good. Let's begin. The preparations are underway. We have secured enough Nanium to construct the Machina. We should have enough gold to power it. But, as you all know, Adenius is on our asses. The bastard is preparing a Raven Hunt. The next few days won't be pretty.
"We have to prepare ourselves. For today, I think it's our best course of action to find additional hideouts. Based on what Gabriella has shared with us, we know that there should be several houses standing empty. We need more options to hide from the crowds that will search through the city. So, we should split into three groups."
Angin pointed at each of them, one by one. "Jean, you stay here. You know as much about Nanium as I do. You will continue with constructing the Machina. Zonis and Gabriella, you will search through the western side of Kupferrang for a potential hideout. Liron and I will do the same in the east."
Liron blinked. He had thought the Alchemist would do all in his power to avoid Liron. Perhaps all wasn't lost. Perhaps his master hadn't given up on him yet.
"Why do I stand behind?" Jean asked. No jealousy or annoyance. "You would be better at constructing the Machina."
"Yes," Angin said, "but I know more about the Empire and its assholes. I won't just be looking for hideouts, but I also want to see what's going on in Kupferrang. I still don't know what Adenius is planning. A Raven Hunt is coming, but in what form exactly?"
Jean nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Any more questions?" Angin asked.
Zonis hated Angin's cursing, and Gabriella preferred to stay by Liron's side, but no one had any objections.
Angin clapped his hands. "Great. Then let's fucking go. Time's not on our side."
…
Returning to his highborn costume, Liron gained some of its confidence. But all emotions were damped, a flame kept low and weak. Focusing on his persona, keeping the deceit alive, distracted him from everything. A simple task. Surrounded by death and enemies, Liron missed his forge and work. He hated all the cunts in there, but they were his cunts. Jerks he knew. He just had to shovel his coal and prove himself better than the rest of the youth working there. The truth was Liron missed his petty pleasures. Nothing funnier than fucking with the morons there.
As soon as they had left the house, Liron felt it. The mood of the city was off. As if a stench hovered in the air, inescapable to all who dared to set foot outside. Every person they crossed appeared restless and tired. The celebrations at night had prevented them from finding any sleep. They crouched as they walked, lacking any strength without the Bliss.
"That's what he wants," Angin whispered to Liron. "Adenius wants them exhausted. Easier to manipulate and control. Perfect for a Raven Hunt."
They watched the folk they passed. From rich to poor, all affected the same. An interesting sight to have both groups share something outside their human bodies. And even they differed greatly due to the resources and services one side enjoyed over the other.
Angin scratched his chin and readjusted his hat. Their clothing style was a mixture of Lors and Nord, simplicity with a touch of color. "So, it's been forever since it was just the two of us. I missed our little adventures."
"Yeah," Liron said. "Though I don't miss sleeping in the woods."
Angin grunted. "Preach. My back would be killing me if I could feel the pain. Still feels like shit. Horribly uncomfortable."
"Wait… if you don't feel any pain, how do you feel… uncomfort?"
"Discomfort. But good question, Liron, very good. I disabled my pain, yes. This is to ensure I can fight to my fullest extent. But if I were to feel nothing, my body couldn't warn me about any irregularities. It took a degree of absolute skill, but I isolated… my pain from any other lesser feeling. Drive a spear through my gut; I will be annoyed. Give me a stiff mattress, and I will suffer."
Liron smiled at that. How he had missed that. But his smile didn't come easy to him and left like an unwelcomed guest, driven away after his unannounced arrival.
Angin noticed that. He nudged him with his elbow. "I gotta say, my boy, you have shown your potential. Fighting against a Farn assassin and living to tell the tale, sneaking around with a Qilesh. You're not in this game for that long, and you're already starting to outshine me. In the matter of a year, people will sing your legend."
He had wished for Angin's approval. The Alchemist hadn't given up on him. Liron's fears were extinguished, yet he felt not much different. A shadow was cast upon him. It darkened all. Even the brightest flame appeared only a few shades lighter than black.
A similar presence haunted Angin, too. It bound his tongue, preventing him from saying the right words. "Liron… I… how are you holding up? It's been… a tough few days."
A lie would have been easier, returning the conversation to a lighter topic, but one built on a shallow foundation. "I feel like shit. But I'll manage. Talkin' to Zonis helped. You were right. He's one of the good guys."
"That he is. He always knows what to do and say. Solia knows how he figures it all out. He makes it look easy."
"I'll keep my shit together. I promise."
Angin stared at Liron. The ghost held his tongue again. He clapped Liron on the shoulder. "Sure. You will… all will be good, Liron. Trust me."
Things left unsaid, they continued on. They moved at a slower pace, strolling through Kupferrang. Angin had drawn a map of their route on a piece of paper, glancing at it. He never took it fully out of his pockets. What highborn would have had a map on him?
As they closed in on their first empty house, the people started to move, following a silent call. Angin ground his teeth, pulling Liron closer. "It has started. Adenius is starting the Raven Hunt."
"Should we go back?" Liron asked.
Angin narrowed his eyes, studying the folks trudging towards their destination. "I think they're heading for the marketplace. Where your sister is supposed to be executed. We'll follow. There should be an empty house. We'll watch from there. We need to watch what Adenius is planning."
Angin and Liron mixed into the masses, mimicking their heavy steps. Dozens of people surrounded them, all shackled by the strange effect of the Inquisitor's power. Little separated the people from a Sinner. They had been robbed of their autonomy, their eyes lacking the spark of an active mind behind them.
The walk towards the marketplace stretched on. It would have been faster to run towards Sannara. No guards nearby or agents serving Adenius. Yet Liron lowered his head, fearing searching eyes on him. Plebeians and highborns alike were affected. Every person standing out made themselves suspicious. Should their deceit fail, Adenius would have found them.
But either no one watched them or they blended in. After an agonizing eternity, they reached the marketplace. It was filled with people, a stage at its midst. The one where Emma would burn. The bureau was close by, looming over it. Angin and Liron didn't get close, the masses in front of them blocking their way.
The Alchemist pulled on Liron's clothes, signaling him to follow. Slow and steady at first, faster and more panicked once they knew no one paid any attention, they rushed towards the empty house. All eyes were on the podium standing on the stage. Liron looked around them as Angin transmuted the lock of the empty house into metal sludge, pouring over his fingers.
Liron closed the door behind them, and they rushed up the staircase to the highest floor. Lurking out the window, making sure to stay hidden, they watched the marketplace. Silent as a graveyard, no one talked. As if each spoken word would be punished by Harras Himself, discarding the criminal to Drom's mercy.
Thanks to the silence, Liron heard the faint clicking. A walking stick. The masses passed, moving without a spoken command. And there he was, parting the people like the crushing waves of the ocean. A feat only a man of God would be capable of.
Adenius Klang. The Inquisitor. His parents' murderer.
He looked like Liron had imagined. The black bird mask was one to curse. Nothing outright frightening. It didn't resemble the grimace of a bloodthirsty beast. But its plain appearance, an abundance of simplicity, scratched Liron's spine. This man seemed more like a failed copy of a human. A Qilesh in hiding, having tricked the Empire itself into giving him a position of power.
Liron's body tensed up. He wanted to see and hear what he would do. But what was he thinking? Showing up himself begged for a hasty assassination. After having heard Emma's warning, this might be what he wants. An invitation too tempting to refuse. The mark of all good traps.
"Good day, people of Kupferrang," Adenius said. The mask made his voice louder, distorting it, too. He sounded like three men speaking at the same time. It shifted his tone, his voice resembling one worthy of a king. Or a messenger of Harras.
"It is an honor seeing you on this lovely day," Adenius continued. "My name is Adenius Klang. I am the Inquisitor responsible for this city of ours. I have only served my duty a few years, but I have enjoyed each second of them. Being indebted to you is the second joy of my life. The first, of course, is my work for Harras, our heavenly father."
Liron snorted. "Heavenly father, my ass," he whispered. Angin gave him a look, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"While I am still young, my work has taught me to see what is in front of me. Not the lies but the truth underneath it. And I can say with absolute certainty that you are Harras' best. The ones blessed by Him for His great design."
The crowd roared, waking to life. Adenius' words knocked the exhaustion out of them. They became human again, sharing a passion for the Inquisitor and his holy message.
Adenius raised his hands, silencing the people. "As you know, in two days we will execute the sister of the Ravenspawn. Emma Sturm. A child of the Empire. Young of age, but her sin was given to her with her birth. A sin with the name of Liron Sturm. Harras himself has warned us of them. He has shown what this child of Drom will commit in the years to come. Our dear Emperor and our Empire, laid to ruin.
"The Ravenspawn has proven our worst fears. He has allied himself with the Resistance itself to avoid his holy punishment. His wicked blood drove him into the arms of the heretics. And in this very moment, they are among us, trying to save Emma Sturm and throw our beloved city into bloodshed."
The marketplace rumbled with boos, cursing Liron's name. Ravenson was called with hatred, like it was an insult worthy of killing someone over. Being accused as a child murderer would have been less severe. The crowd didn't spare Emma. The creativity behind their swearing, conveying their bottomless contempt for her, impressed Liron. But it fired up a well-known acquaintance inside of him, too.
Veins popped on Liron's forehead, clutching his fist. If he could, he would have decorated the ground with these assholes' teeth. He would have made what he had done to the wall look like light work compared to their faces.
"It is our responsibility to stop this from happening," Adenius said. "Harras created us out of love but also to fight for Him. To defend the world He gifted us from Drom and all evil. The Ravenspawn wants to bring destruction to our beloved Empire. As Casar Arist, Harras' first Scion, did once before, fighting against the Qilesh, we have to stand and wage war against this old enemy."
Liron could have laughed at this farce. How many of the heroes he once had admired were glorified monsters? A lie given to him by the Empire. So he might throw away his life in Sannara. "Fuckin' liar," Liron said, his voice getting louder. It was drowned in the roars of the crowd, but Angin eyed him, tensing up.
"Liron Sturm is the enemy! He is the Scion of Drom! He was born with the sole purpose of taking what is precious! Look around you! See the innocence! See the pure of heart! This is what he will kill! Graveyards filled with your children! Your loved ones hung high as a promise for the ones yet to taste his blade! He will not stop until all good has been killed!
"The vision and dreams are Harras' greatest gift to us all! Liron Sturm is the herald of death! We all will suffer for his soulless ambition! Men like him don't feel! They don't think of others! You are a sacrificial lamb he will butcher to satiate his cravings! We have to stop him now! Not just for our heavenly father but for our children and the ones that come after!"
Liron's entire life passed in front of his eyes. All doubts and fears. All the insults thrown at him. Adenius had managed to summarize them all in his speech. Baring fangs of black, the same hate stirred when Amor had tortured him. The same that drove his fist into the wall. His reason and thoughts were devoured whole, and his body belonged to it, a puppet in its fingers.
"You fuckin' liar!" Liron screamed. The cheers silenced his yelling. He banged his fist on the window frame, leaning out. They weren't the only ones watching Adenius address the city through a window, but he would be noticed should he continue.
Angin pulled him backwards, putting a hand on Liron's mouth. "Have you lost your mind?" he hissed. "Calm yourself. That's what he wants. This is meant to lure you out."
Liron struggled against Angin's hold, raging. He never stopped screaming, hurling insults into Angin's hand.
"I have not served you and our beloved city for too long, but I regard you all as dear friends. So let us unite in this common goal. Harras wants as such. Together we can put an end to the Ravenspawn before he garners the power to lay all to ruin. My friends, I need your help. Will you serve Harras as I have served you?"
A roar to split the sky, making the house tremble. A passion to put fear into Xeras himself. Hearing them celebrate his parents's murder, Liron embraced his anger. How dared they call him a monster? He had never done anything wrong. He had endured and endured, hoping that one day he might find some acceptance. But all he received back were gazes of contempt. People that should have been beneath him, judging him. How dared they call him a Ravenspawn?
He might call himself such, but when they did it, Liron wished only for one thing.
Liron pulled and thrashed around. Angin, despite his superior height, struggled to keep him in check. An arm came free, and he elbowed Angin into his side hard. The Alchemist felt no pain, but the force drove him back, breaking his hold.
Adenius raised his hands, and the crowd fell silent. Not to hear his next words. There was nothing to come. No, they forget how to speak, a trusted influence digging deeper into their conscience. Deeper than ever before. Adenius controlled it all, all people present at the mercy of his next decision.
Liron cared for none of that. The beast inside wanted to be unleashed. He leaned out of the window and screamed into the silence. "You will burn! You hear me! I will make you and your Empire burn!"
Liron panted, feeling the toll on his body. Without another word, hundreds of eyes looked at him, staring with a shared righteous wrath. Despite wearing a mask, Liron thought Adenius smiled at that moment. Realization dawned on him. Of what he had done.
"There you are," Adenius said. "It is a pleasure meeting you. My dear friends, Liron Sturm."
With that, the people rushed forward. Worse than what Angin had ever expected.
The Raven Hunt had started.