(11) Precognition
"There's a storm coming! Clouds! The clouds blot out the sun! Dead assail us!" shouts the Verityu standing in the doorway.
Everyone pauses. The previous conversation derailed by this new oddity before them. How can there be two Verityu Estrils?
Before anyone can even speak, the Verityu sitting next to Viscount Estril stands and points at the intruder.
"A fake! That thing's a fake!" He shouts frantically. This Verityu's meek expression contorts in panic and something else.
Confused, the pair of orks take a step toward the Verityu by the doorway and the rest of the room inhabitants take defensive positions against him. Aki does the same, raising her amulet in support. However, a tingling sensation beckons her attention.
The reason becomes clear because the Verityu next to them suddenly pulls out a jagged dagger hidden within his clothes and before everyone has time to react, Viscount Estril has been pulled from his spot and has a dagger plunged in his chest.
"Viscount!" shouts Aki. She raises her amulet and condenses mana into it.
"Mana burst!" She punches at the attacker, sending a stream of power along with her fist at him.
Fake Verityu springs from his spot, easily evading the attack and all but abandoning cover now as he tries to dart past the orks.
Escape eludes the fake for the orks manage to grab hold of his clothes and throw him to the ground. One of the orks, the taller of the two, stabs at him. The attack narrowly misses as the fake displays an incredible level of agility to roll out of the way. Unfortunately for him, he is not fighting a pair of enemies but an entire room.
His dodge saves him from lethal damage but does drive him into the incoming kick Phoebe launched.
Surprisingly, Phoebe packs quite a kick because the fake is sent careening into the wall with a resounding crunch and cry of pain.
Before he recovers, the two orks pin him to the ground and point a blade at his neck.
"Who are you!" demands the barrel-chested ork.
"Your mother!" spits back the fake before changing form into that of a portly ork woman. Still, the ork held him tight despite the rather gross shapeshifting. "Sorry, your sister. They're so fat it's tough to tell 'em apart."
The ork growls, angered by the comments and slams the apparent shapeshifter's face into the tile.
"Still yourself! Keep that changeling restrained!" Verityu says shakely from his spot next to his injured cousin. He raises a bloodied hand in an attempt to be a commanding presence like his cousin.
The orks tentatively obey the order. Meanwhile, the guards that had followed behind Verityu stand at attention. Having their territory lord lying in a pool of blood before them has left an uncertain sentiment settle into their minds.
Aki shakes her head, trying to push out the many feelings threatening to wash over her. She needs to focus on healing. The wound is deep and the damage extensive. Blood practically pours out of the would like some sort of sick, decorative fountain.
Healing an injury like this would be difficult enough on its own with Aki's normal low-level healing spells, but the daggers' odd shape appears to be designed to shred whatever it pierces. Only lunar spells could rightly preserve someone's life from an injury like this.
Or so it would be if Phoebe and Winter weren't with her and pouring in as much healing magic of their own to save the viscount.
"C-can you save him, Acolyte? Can he live?" pleads Verityu. Though he has no support of his own, he tries contributing in his own way by blocking the pouring blood with his hands.
"Uh, master Verityu? M'lord. What should be done with the changeling?" asks the tall ork.
"The guards and soldiers require orders as well," says one of the guards with a red sash and club-like design on their helmet. "With all respects, of course."
"Crazy bastards, my cousin is dying in my arms and you want orders? Business? I don't care, I don't care! This is- I can't do what he can. He is he and I am myself! What do you want from me!"
"Oh boohoo, poor noble me!" laughs the changeling. Their face morphs into Verityu's own as they fake sob. Their body, meanwhile, continues morphing into different shapes and sizes. "How pathetic!"
The changeling mockingly laughs, quickly getting shut up by a smack to the face by the tall ork.
"Apologies for hitting your face, m'lord." The ork says, striking the changeling again.
"Don't call me that! I am not the lord of this city! That's my cousin!" Verityu desperately makes eye contact with Aki. Tears stream down his face as he speaks. "That moon spell you used before. To save my men back then. Can't you do it now? Please save him."
"My amulet- I need moon charged things to use lunar magic." Aki explains. "I can't use lunar magic -"
Verityu cuts off Aki before she can say more.
"Healers! Call for healers! This instant!" He shouts wildly. "Useless Acolyte! Useless adventurers! This city will fall without him!!"
Verityu's desperate face blurs and the world before Aki suddenly sinks away as if everything is rapidly melting.
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[Gift Activated: Precognition]
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A series of images rapidly flash through her mind. Placed before a cloudy, twilight backdrop, she saw it. Scenes of the city of New Pinacca engulfed in flames. Buildings destroyed. The Dead roaming the streets. Corpses of the recently deceased rising again and slaughtering their allies. A gigantic monster. The famous Star Canal dyed red, and most troublingly, the world turned pitch black.
Usually, precognition works as a sort of somewhat vague danger sensor. Only once before did she see actual visions of the near future. At that same time, the world also blackened at the end of the vision. Not because something would blot out the light, but because it means she would die.
Aki grits her teeth and slaps him.
"Wha-" Instinctually, Verityu covers his cheek to prevent another slap.
"Crying won't solve this! Someone needs to be in charge and everyone already decided it's you!" Aki scolds him. Her head is pounding but she continues. "Trust in us. We have him stable. So focus on what's more important right now. Didn't you come in yelling about something?"
"I- yes. Yes, the clouds. The necromancer is attacking with the clouds as cover." Verityu stammers out.
"Then lead! You're in charge for now, not taking over, right? Make sure Viscount Estril has someplace to wake up to."
Verityu rubs his cheek again. Aki can see his thoughts racing and the panicstricken, clouded eyes come back to reason. He closes his eyes, vigorously shakes his head and stands up. A look of determination on his face.
"Y-yes! Of course! It is a noble's duty to protect their people!" With newfound confidence, Verityu points to everyone in order. "Call for more healers. I don't plan on keeping the seat warm for long. Everyone else, prepare for battle. Prioritise rescuing the people before fighting the Dead. As for the changeling, imprison them! I want answers about its motives."
With a salute and bow, the guards execute orders given.
Or so it would be.
The changeling morphs into a chobib at the same moment the ork guards try to cuff them.
Chobibs. An ostrich-like raptor creature often used in place of horses due in part to its fast speeds over short distances and ability to cross even intense terrain. Their omnivorous, scavenger nature also means that it has a pair of arms ending in razor-sharp claws perfect for defensive needs as well as being easier to care for since they do not require a particularly set diet and are able to eat most anything.
Unfortunately, chobibs are also dangerous, intelligent, and notoriously difficult to capture as can be seen by the changeling taking full advantage of the creature's natural abilities.
The changeling lashes at the orks, using its tail to slam into the tall orks' knees and clawing at the barrel-chested orks' face. Now freed, the changeling turns its raptor-like face toward Verityu and the others. Unfortunately for them, there are too many guards remaining in the room to contest with and the changeling decides to instead barrel through the ones blocking the exit and make its escape.
"Tag them, Necra," Winter shouts. A chill settles into the air as a piece of his shadow separates and chases after the retreating chobib changeling.
"By the stars!" curses Verityu. He shudders but one look at Aki has him clear his throat and adjust himself. "Well, what are the rest of you waiting for? The assassin escaped but my orders as temporary lord remain. Get moving!"
Verityu huffs and hurriedly exits the room. At the same time, the maid that was sent to retrieve Aki's clothes and a squad of healers rush in. The maid yelps upon seeing her lord. Aki swipes her clothes away and starts changing, using the large cloak as a curtain of sorts for some privacy.
"The blade he was stabbed with was coated with poison." Aki informs the healers. She shakes a little as she adjusts her clothes. "Don't tell the acting lord. We did our best but none of us have the necessary spells to heal him. Please, do your best."
"Of course, lady Acolyte," says one of the healers.
Immediately they set to work, pushing aside Phoebe and Winter. The aid of the two otherworlders no longer needed.
With the handoff made, Aki runs out of the room, searching for a spot to look out over the city. She hears Phoebe and Winter call after her and give chase but her thoughts are too preoccupied.
She bursts through a pair of double doors to a garden balcony. From this spot, she gets a picturesque view of the city as well as a gorgeous angle of the palatial lord's manor. How funny that such beauty would be overcast by dark grey clouds overhead and the blooming flames of battle down below.
Phoebe runs up beside Aki, Winter right on her tail.
"Aki, what's - woah."
Her eyes widened at the scene. She rests her hand on the rail and tries to cover her mouth but falters. Her stump won't cover much.
"We have to help…" Phoebe says. Her voice wavers and her eyes shake. "I'm gonna… I need my gear. The rest of my party is definitely there."
"And Kokone…" Winter mutters.
"No," Aki's tone is assertive. She stomps her foot and points back at the manor. "Phoebe, can you fight one-handed?"
When Phoebe hesitates to answer, Aki continues. "Verityu is gonna use this place as a safe zone later. You and Winter should stay here and make sure everyone makes it in safely. Help the guards with all that you can."
"But-"
"I am an Acolyte of Mune. I pledged to give sanctuary and protection to all good souls from the great evils of this world. I will not fall so easily."
Aki's words are confident, her expression certain. She however, feels neither and hopes that repeating those words like a mantra will be enough to ease her negative thoughts as well as those around her.
Instead of playing a futile game of verbal reassurances, Aki tightens her cloak and heads for the city, ignoring the sense of doom she feels.