Chapter 149: Reminiscing and Planning (1/2)

Sadly nothing big had seemed to have happened to the city or the field. Ilea returned and joined the working people outside Ravenhall. Several holes with burning corpses were spread around the country side and the imperial company had joined the cleanup. Ilea overheard someone grumbling about priests and blessing the city and the field.

She tried to continue her ash training but found the process of moving corpses incredibly slow compared to just chucking them into the holes. So she combined it and moved around the battlefield, falling into a sort of trance as she moved corpse after corpse. Still a mass of ash whirled around her at all times, at least pushing and tumbling the corpses towards the nearest hole as she grabbed and threw them into the pits of fire. Her Embered Body Heat worked overtime as well, now that she didn’t have to keep all the fighting skills active and with State of Azarinth losing its usual cost, she could work on it with a little more focus.

The stink was bad, even with her reduced senses and a cloth bound over her nose. At least the monsters didn’t have a lot of hair usually. That might’ve been a completely different beast to bear.

It took the good part of an afternoon to clean up just a part of the field. Ilea decided to pause for a while and flew to the city to eat. Smoke was still rising in some places and rubble covered many streets. The path of destruction left behind by the whale was a big reminder of what had happened here. More imperial soldiers were strewn around in the city itself, moving corpses and rubble away just like the ones outside the walls.

Ilea received nods from both soldiers and mercenaries as she made her way to the central square, where both the officers of the Scout company and the Shadow’s Hand remained. Fires were burning in the square and several groups of people were eating, talking or sparring. Ilea passed tables with card games going on and bets were placed on two warriors fighting with their firsts, perhaps something to join later.

“The architecture was marvelous, vast. Not something you’d see even in the capital. What did you say you called them? Old ones right?” Trian explained with an interested voice.

“Ah there she is, I’d probably still be there if it weren’t for this reckless fucker. Not sure if I should thank or curse you for that.” the man said and waved towards her.

“You’d be dead and a demon by now Sparkly.” Ilea said as she sat down on the table with Claire, Kyrian and Weavy.

“Ilea, you have returned. We heard you have saved Claire.” Weavy said as he awkwardly lifted his mug of ale.

“Why was I the only one still cleaning up outside?” she asked and shook her head.

“You actually get paid for that you know, I think that’s why so many of the Hand are still out there.” Trian said.

“Really? I just thought I’d help out.” Ilea said and took the meal Trian graciously summoned from his storage ring and handed to her. The man used his ring like a status symbol. The steaming soup was exactly what Ilea needed right now as she removed the cloth from around her mouth.

“Vihal was attacked as well, the reports are still unclear but it seems like a lot of towns and cities have been attacked by demons, not few of them falling.” Claire said as she played with a runed stone, scratching into it with a small knife.

“Creating more demons in the process. I just hope this can be cleaned up without completely destroying Lys...” Trian commented, summoning a notebook.

“Not just Lys, they’ve gone further as well. The impact will be less severe but we probably have the strongest military here, I don’t think the response in Kroll or Baralia came close to what the imperial army managed to do. And with the refugees coming from the west...” Claire stopped talking when Trian showed her the contents of his notebook.

“Are those?…,” she asked and took the book. Ilea recognized the design of the runes.

“From the demon realm?” Ilea asked and looked at Trian who nodded.

“Yea, we sketched most of them down as well as we could. Maybe you can find out something, especially with everything left behind in Eregar’s Haven.” Trian said.

“No, these are different. Intricate, yet simple. I’ll study them, what do you want for this book?” Claire asked as she looked at Trian.

“Take it, it has little use to me.” he simply said as she stared at him, opening her mouth before she shrugged.

“Thanks, it means a lot.” the rune mage said and made the book vanish, getting a raised eyebrow from Trian and a chuckle from Ilea.

“We’re advancing, soon we’ll all be noble families Trian...” Ilea said with a mocking tone and touched his hand.

“Oh god no.” the man said and leaned back. “Speaking of, I’ll go back to my family now that Ravenhall has been retaken. The Hand thing was a nice experience but it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter. You’re all welcome to visit me, even Eve…” the man said.

“Yea, where is she anyway?” Ilea asked and shook her head. “You don’t think she died?”

“That one? No.” Trian said and chuckled.

“I don’t think so, she probably vanished to avoid paying back the Hand.” Claire said in a quiet voice.

“Yea, that sounds like her. Well I guess she’s gone then one way or the other. Guess I’ll visit her at some point.” Ilea said and finished her soup with a slurp, the look on Trian’s face bringing her the crystallized version of joy in its purest form.

“What are you guys going to do now?” Kyrian asked, speaking his first words in the past minutes.

Claire sighed and leaned back a little on the bench. “I’ll stay with the Hand, permanently if possible. Do you guys know the mage and librarian who seem to have taken the lead?”

“I do, both of them. Don’t worry about it.” Ilea said, ready to put in a good word for her companion. The woman was capable after all, if she desired a position in the Hand’s administration or even leadership, that definitely wasn’t outside of her capabilities.

“Me and Kyrian will be at my house for a while and then who knows? Run more jobs for the Hand for a while and maybe go somewhere new. Anywhere dangerous with high level monsters you know of?” Ilea asked.

“Typical. Well if you stay with the Hand I’ll gladly manage your missions.” Claire said. “Randomly dangerous? The north is good, north of the Navali forest and over the Naraza mountain chain. Expeditions try to break through now and then, maybe you can join one. You’re sure to find danger there.” Claire explained.

“I hear none of the ships going east have ever returned.” Kyrian said, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Wait, you and Kyrian? Are you a thing?” Trian asked and chuckled. Ilea just looked at him before the man punched Kyrian. “Good job, if she remains unchained for much longer the nobles will soon appoint their daughters for succession.” he joked.

‘We’ll see who will be in chains...’ Ilea thought and looked at Kyrian who just gulped.

“You know women are in charge already in some provinces of the empire and the northern kingdoms have a long standing history of matriarchy.” Claire pointed out as Trian groaned.

“He was joking Claire, the guy isn’t a tenth the noble asshole he pretends to be.” Ilea said, not getting a response from the man.

“So that’s it then, the team breaks up already…,” Ilea said, leaning back. “I must say it was fun.”

“Well we’ll all be around.” Claire said. “It’s just safer for me and my mother to stay here. As soon as… maybe I’ll think about adventuring again.”

“I think you fit in perfectly here, don’t forget to hone your skills though, you’re falling behind.” Ilea joked and roughly grabbed the woman’s shoulder. Ilea suddenly froze.

“Oh shit, speaking of staying here. Kyrian I really didn’t plan on taking care of a kid.” Ilea suddenly said.

“You’re already pregnant? That was fast.” Trian said, summoning a mug of ale. “Congratulations.”