Branch 10: Hitomi

---D-Day+55, Glenic 26th---

"It saw me."

Hitomi the Shadow whispers to herself in the early dawn light.

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"Explains why all the bandits and goblins are gone." "Shat myself when I heard that dragon." "Kept the fighting to the palace."

Using a combination of makeup and magic, Hitomi Chigusa has transformed into Elma Antus Strenger.  The fabricated daughter of a fictitious high ranking merchant in the Mordeca Trade Company.

Her raven hair is now brunette and eyes no longer angle upward.  Even her skin now has a more olive tint.

Sitting in a cart with the Raelera branch manager as an escort.  Since a girl her age would never be allowed to travel alone.  This week?  One with an older male chaperone is considered just another Stormgarde hopeful.  And, of course, a commoner.

No noble girl would be allowed to rent a seat on a public wagon.  So the people around her feel comfortable speaking their mind. An intelligence field day for a spy.

"Lord Barton is the Beast?" "Course he is." "He's no northern barbarian." "Wizzers just won't admit it."

Hitomi really can't believe her ears.  She keeps thinking.  'Why aren't they scared?'  Witnessed an aerial assault completely overwhelm their defenses.  The entire city could have fallen in one night.

They should be scared witless.

Instead?  Its like they are sharing neighborhood gossip.  Fortunately the manager picked up on what his boss was questioning.

"Apologies sirs.  I'm new from Aquecia.  That was the scariest thing I've ever seen.  Why aren't you afraid?"

The four who have been the most talkative go quiet and look at each other.  Then burst out laughing.

The first chatterbox says.  "Haha!  Sorry friend.  Don't mean to laugh at ya, but if you were raelerian?  You'd know last night was coming soon."

"Overdue even."  The second retorts.

"Overdue?"  Branch manager puts on a confused face.

First explains.  "Yep.  A month ago, the great count's youngest daughter came home.  With a husband he didn't approve of."  Suggestive laughter from several.

"She was already a spinster but that wizzer fool still tried to break them up."  Second replies.

Third continues.  "He failed.  Badly.  Turns out?  Her new husband is a demon killer whose been adopted by the Marquis Lianlaf himself."  Scoffs.  "That wizzer picked a fight with the Lion Marquis.  Everyone's been waiting for the axe to fall ever since."

"But I heard it was undead that attacked?"  Merchant continues looking confused.

First answers.  "Yep.  Lady Edelys's husband?  The supposed northern marauder?  Is a necromancer."

"Supposed?"  Branch manager tilts his head.

Fourth speaks.  "Been a new cult spreading fast.  Don't worship heroes from another world like you aquecians.  Worship a monster from another world.  Call it, the Beast."

"Beast?"  Another question from Hitomi's escort.

First says.  "How does that go?  Judgement and wrath.  Rage and blood.  Thunder and death.  Salvation and damnation.  Scourge of gods.  The Beast."  Shrug.  "Something like that."

"Where did you hear that?"  Second asks.

Yes, where?  The shadow mistress thinks.  She was not aware his cult had spread so much and so fast.

First asserts.  "You know Fil?  Yeah, he's been saying stuff like that ever since his son was healed.  Poor thing couldn't even stand.  Then one morning he is up and about right as rain."  Nods  "Fil swears a cultist came by and spent hours casting.  No way Fil could have ever afforded that."

"So they get the kid now?"  Third ponders.

First declares.  "Nope.  Fil claims they didn't ask for nothing.  Say they just doing what the Beast wants them to do.  So, Fil's a believer now."

Hitomi shares a look with the Raelera manager.  He nods.  Shades will start investigating and monitoring the cult.

Fourth states.  "Same with the Blue Lady.  Remember how she disappeared few months back?  Heard she got leprosy."  Several pained grunts.  "Right.  Nicest wizzer ever born.  Gods ain't fair.  Welp she was holed up in Lions Keep waiting to die."

...

"And?"  From first.

Fourth affirms.  "Eh?  Oh.  Yeah.  Lord Barton shows up in Lions Keep and the next day?  The Blue Lady is right as rain again."

The shinobi's thoughts freeze.  Healing leprosy?  Not even Umeka can do that.  So Maki has been planning to develop antibiotics.  Maybe the Beast already new how to make them?

"Heard she's better than right again."  Third comments.

"Eh?"  From second.

Third replies.  "She's a sparker now."

"Wha?!" "No way!" "How?"

Third continues.  "Got a niece who cleans the keep.  She swears the whole place lit up like the gods came down.  Saw the angels and devils carrying the Blue Lady and Lord Barton right passed her.  Next day?  That fine lady is a sparker."

Angels and devils?  The japanese girl knows from Umeka that there is no way the two would be together without immediately trying to kill each other.  This niece must be hallucinating.  Or fooled by the Beast's [Slavery magic].

"That's..." "Bon, really?" "By the pit."

Third nods.  "That niece?  Still prays to Amadee everyday but, also adds a prayer to the Beast every now and again."

The merchant looks genuinely confused now.  "Pardon me please but what is a, sparker?"

First states.  "Sorry again aquecian.  A sparker is a mage.  One with a lot of power.  The Blue Lady was a mana-less since the day she was born.  Barely a drop in her."

Hitomi's grip on her escort's sleeve suddenly becomes a death grip while her downcast eyes bulge in shock.  She knows it can't be.  Slavery magic, necromancy, healing, and now able to create mages?  Impossible.  Has to be impossible.  Right?

But...  He raised a dragon.  Not just a bone dragon like the Lich Kings.  No.  It was undead but, still had its soul.  It still could think.  Could feel.  It saw her and actually started speaking to her with that booming voiceless voice.  If he truly has that much power?

And that Beast's terrifying aura.  Just remembering it sends shivers up the shinobi's spine.

"Truly?"  The merchant is confused, and a bit scared now too.

First affirms.  "As true as Metia's mounds."

"..."  The merchant doesn't know what to say.

First turns back to his friends.  "Get this.  Fil also says a vampire lady has been visiting him.  And they are doing it."

"Ha! Now I know he's lying." "Gotta be using brain weed."

First shrugs.  "I don't know.  Fil claims she said the Beast won't let them kill or turn, but they can feed if they find someone willing."

Even vampires?  The high schooler has fought them before and they are notoriously arrogant.  There is no way they would bow to anothers wishes unless they were much much stronger than them.

"Come on.  That's a joke.  Right?"  Second disbelieves.

First asks.  "You seen Fil lately?  Guy's happy as a noble on tax day and his kid is working as a runner again."  Quieter now.  "He also showed me the wounds.  They aren't bad but...  Sure looks like something has been biting on him regular like."

"Poor guy was a ruin after Adel left him to be a wizzers toy.  To be stabbed in the back by your childhood sweetheart like that?"  Second sighs.  "I meet Fil's bloodsucker?  I'll probably thank her."

Fourth states.  "Damn.  By the pit undead scare the piss outta me.  Still, everything is so fucked right now.  Would be really nice to have a magus on our side, for once.  Even if its a necromancer."

The wagon gets quiet for a while and all that's heard are hooves and wheels.

First notices the merchant again.  "Oh, sorry imperial.  Where was I?  Right.  So, you've got a cult worshiping a Beast with power over the life and death.  Then our Count picks a fight with a new lord of Lianlaf.  Next, our wizzer gets slaughtered by zombies and ghosts?"

"Even a dockside whore can figure out who the new lord must really be."  Second states.

Fourth muses out loud.  "Who could imagine another other worlder would end up in Lions Keep."

Hitomi again does not believe her ears.  Undeath is revolting and can make some empty their stomachs just by seeing it.  Why does everyone in this carriage seem barely phased by it?  Is it that cult's influence?  The Beast's?

This isn't just a potential enemy.  He might change the the natural order of this world.

"Another?"  Her merchant escort asks.

First replies.  "Yeah, remember?  Centuries ago Lions Keep was Saint Sanriel's home."

"She was a Swordmage too."  Second states

First continues.  "Yep, just like the..."

As the conversation goes on. The japanese student quietly worries about the future and breathes another quiet whisper.

"It saw me."