Stage 14: Hide and Seek

Looking in the mirror inside a small room, I see how the ouroboros mark on my chest begins to open more and more with each passing day. It's been exactly four months since the curse was placed on me and I was still in that race against time to prevent the apocalypse.

Passing my fingers over my face, I lightly scratch my eyelids trying to clear my tired eyesight, while looking towards a blanket on the floor, where Sandra was wrapped trying to mitigate the cold.

Since our arrival in the town of Litho , fifteen days had passed in which we tried to keep our profile low before any possible henchmen of Asmodeus .

Without money or goods to sell, we wandered the first days taking refuge in the alleys among beggars and rodents, eating leftovers thrown from the restaurants on the main street.

Litho was a town that lived mainly from tourist activity, being visited almost all year round by nobles and burghers from both Casius and Siegfried . Despite that commercial dynamic, poverty was not alien to the streets of that city, being common to find mercenaries who had been disabled or servants abandoned by their masters among the vagabonds.

Enjoying a tundra climate most of the year, Litho was an inhospitable environment to live in unless you had enough money to pay for hotel accommodations, which had magical tools that served as heating against the bitter cold of the ground.

Except for the times when you had to go out and look for food, most of the homeless people gathered around the abandoned buildings where every once in a while some wizards cast heating spells on the structures for five silver coins. Repeating that cycle every fortnight, abusing the need of those who lived forgotten in the streets.

Among the women it was very common for them to engage in prostitution, many others served as entertainment for the noble ladies who tortured them for a paltry payment of 200 copper coins. While, in the case of men, luck was worse; since their jobs could range from serving as beasts of burden for the luggage of the nobles who climbed the mountains and even serving as hunting prey, for a payment of 800 copper coins. Only 200 coins below the fee to reach a silver one.

Due to the incident on the mountain when I was fighting the slug, the damage my body received had pushed my recovery ability to the limit. Making me incapable of mana manipulation, at least until we could get to one of the temples of the goddess Artemis to receive a priest's blessing.

- "Amelia, what time is it?" – Sitting on the ground, Sandra took from a pile of clothes some items that we had received from the other women who lived in the same building as us. Thanks to her beautiful appearance that she had acquired when Asmodeus ' blood curse was broken, the young alchemist spent part of her time serving as a lady-in-waiting for noblewomen.

- "Calm down, the town crier has barely passed by the street announcing that it has dawned . We still have an hour for breakfast." – Dressing myself in a thick deerskin jacket, I adjusted my gloves and mountaineering boots to cover my shift as baggage loader.

Without a graceful appearance in the sight of noble ladies, I had no choice but to take the jobs meant for men. Without my mana flow, the shapeshifter pearl's effect had been stuck with my appearance as Hitomi at the same time that it was impossible for me to communicate with both Faust and the Oracle .

- " Hurry up ladies! That the rations will not wait for you" – Knocking hard on the other side of the door, Ruth, the woman who helped us find that shelter, sounded hurried as she tapped her heels on the wooden floor.

- "I don't know why we have to put up with that old hag? If you would just let me use my alchemy we could create gold to get us a good lodging and a carriage to get out of this city."

- "Don't be silly, Sandra. Have you already forgotten what happened to the guy we saw as soon as we got here? The hotels have alchemy detectors, as much as you say about yourself that you are the best alchemist, believe me, we would be in trouble if they catch us" – In addition to being a tourist town, the Litho region was also known for being one of the headquarters of the order of the knights of the temple. Faithful servants to the priests of the cult of Artemis, the men who proudly carried the goddess's banner were known for their steely determination in hunting down heretics.

Under the orders of Archbishop Philio , the Litho -based detachment served as an enforcement arm of the church. Ministering the work of judge, jury, and executioner, they would take anyone suspected of practicing alchemy and drag them into the base's dungeons. Of which many hearsay witnesses used to comment that no one came out alive from them.

Throwing a tantrum puffing out her cheeks, Sandra finished dressing and together we went down to the first floor where there were some maidens serving the order. Who with a smile served the dishes to those of us who lived in the suburbs, while others preached the teachings of the goddess while the bites stuck in our throats.

Hard rye bread and vegetable soup that barely kept warm, this poor food was worse than the leftovers that restaurants dumped on the streets, but it saved us some money while we struggled to pay the rent.

- "Damn, when they shut up" - A man who muttered as he raised the spoon to his mouth, was subdued by the hand of one of the knights who escorted the maidens of the order. Hitting his face against the plate, while dragging him out of the building to throw him on the cold cobblestone street. Digging his sword into his heart.

- "It's a shame! A stray soul who did not know how to value the mercy of the goddess and her teachings. Let's pray for his memory, so that at least he can achieve forgiveness with his death" – Putting an expression of feigned dismay on her face, the church maid hid that mocking glint in her eyes at the gentleman's actions.

Incapable of true filial love, the cultists of the goddess regarded the lives of the poor and abandoned as mere cannon fodder to spread their false piety. Abusing their positions in the face of the impotence of the people on whom those acts of rotten charity ministered.

- "I'm done, Sandra. I'll see you at night, try not to provoke the ladies this time" – Taking my bag from the bench, I was getting ready to leave when one of the maids took me by the hand in the doorway.

- "I feel sorry for you, poor creature. Having to do those barbarian chores in the mountains. If you wanted to, you could serve me as a lady-in-waiting and avoid mistreating your body in the cold snow" - Putting the fingers of her hand through the cuff of my jacket sleeve, the maiden looked at me with a sinister expression that was inconsistent with that priestly uniform.

- "Don't worry about me, sister. My body is very resistant and I hardly feel fatigue walking on the slopes of the mountain" - Taking her hand off my arm, I walked down the corridor that leads to the street looking at her out of the corner of my eye, appreciating the sinful expression that she did not try to hide on her face .

- "Be careful Amelia, the maiden Nohemi has a very bad reputation and it seems that she has already set her sights on you" - With an appearance that gave the impression of being a bear, strong arms and abundant beard that contrasted with his baldness; Dimael , was an old bodyguard who had lost one of his legs during a raid into the dungeons of Eunice's kingdom.

Abandoned by the house he served, he was fired by his master who cared little for the years of faithful devotion that he gave him by bringing him large loot from his raids.

- "Don't worry Dimael , I know very well how to deal with her. You better tell me which darling we're escorting today."

- " Mmmmm , this time he is the son of Viscount Alcocer. Don't worry, the brat might pee in his pants as soon as we get to the top and return early for dinner" - Giving a loud laugh that resounded in the street, the nobles who were passing by on the sidewalks in front turned around in disgust while shouting insults against us.

Regardless of what they said about us, we continued on our way with that pleasant chat of comrades that served to distract me from the ordeal of having to serve those petulant members of the nobility.

- "Why have they taken so long to arrive? Do you think I'll pay you for slacking off? Hurry to take the luggage of my guests" – With a puny appearance and a prominent nose, blond hair with a fringed hairstyle that looked more like a young lady's; the young Adrián, son of Viscount Edén Alcocer. He was a spoiled boy who liked to brag about his father's fortune, surrounding himself with many noble ladies of lower rank, who only lent themselves to his whims to get some connection that would serve for the growth of their houses.

- "I'm sorry for the delay, my name is Amelia. Today I will be your guide and assistant for the climbing expedition, my lord" – Bowing as soldiers usually show their respects, I pretended to be a mercenary who had previously served the nobility in order to win the favor of my clients.

- "Well, I think this job is right for you! With that cow's body it shouldn't be difficult to carry our luggage up the mountain" – Making fun of my appearance to make the ladies in front of him laugh, I kept my expression calm while biting my cheekbones to restrain myself from giving him a good blow on that one. hideous nose.

Reading the situation, Dimael put his hand on my shoulder trying to calm me down in the face of that taunt, letting out a light sigh as he took his part of the load for the expedition.

- "Calm down, woman. Just remember what I told you when we were on our way here" – Winking at me with a slight smile on his face, Dimael made me feel comforted as we began our climb towards the summit.

Despite being a tourist center, the climbing area also served as a hunting ground, housing some small wolves and foxes to entertain the nobles, making those of us who served as guides have to watch the terrain and warn of any threat against them. the lives of our clients.

Wielding a heavy two-handed axe, Dimael dealt with the wolves that appeared from time to time, while I used my twin daggers to kill the foxes that scuttled between us trying to steal our supplies. All this, while we kept those heavy luggage on our backs.

- "Today they have been more active than usual, don't you think so, Amelia?"

- "You're right, at least I've killed about twenty foxes on the whole journey that we took here. It seems that some hunter must be scaring them and sending them here" – Barely holding my breath with that icy air that burned my cheeks; I looked sideways at my partner, who was already showing signs of fatigue on the prosthesis on his right leg.

- " Dimael , your prosthesis is creaking a lot. Did you pay the sorcerer to cast a thermal charm?"

- "Brat, I could barely raise enough for my rent this month. Plus those bastards have started jacking up the spell fee thinking we're making cash out of these bratty kids. I can't afford to spend a single copper more or I won't have anywhere to go" – With an expression of fatigue on his face, the sweat evaporated on his skin giving off a thick layer of smoke as if he were burning in that frozen place.

Proud of his abilities, Dimael was not a man to be cowed by details like that, as if trying to prove himself worth having been dumped by his former employer.

- "Come on Amelia, it won't be long now" - At the moment he uttered those words, a sound like the detonation of gunpowder shook the silence of the mountain. Making me look ahead to realize the terrible situation in which we found ourselves.

- "You see ladies! This is the new technology that my father has begun to market among the army of Siegfried's kingdom . Military engineers call it a personal cannon, a somewhat crude weapon for the hands of a nobleman, but as you can see, it serves its purposes" - With an expression of pure evil on his face, that boy held that weapon with the barrel pointing in the right direction. to Dimael .

Who was supporting his right hand against the snow, while taking his left hand to cover the impact of the bullet that had pierced him at the height of the right side of the abdomen. Barely containing the flow of blood that bathed the whiteness of the snowy ground, with a crimson hue that became darker and darker.

- "Please, don't shoot! Our contract is supposed to be exclusively as guides and escorts. I never mention that we would serve as attack targets. How does he intend to descend if he kills us?" – When he snapped his fingers, from among the trees that were behind them, two guards appeared bowing to the young nobleman.

- "As you can see, the contract is fulfilled perfectly. Here are my escorts, while where you are, is the entertainment" – Covering their faces with their fans, the mocking glances of the young ladies of the nobility celebrated the unscrupulous acts of that devious boy.

Throwing a leather bag with our payment at my feet, the young man pulled out his pocket watch and began to count to ten so that both Dimael and I were running for our lives.

- "Amelia, leave me. I will not be able to continue with this wound, I will only delay you and you will end up like me"

- "Keep quiet stupid, we have come together and we will leave here together. Trust me, we will survive" – Betting on my bad luck, I made a noise similar to a fox's yelping while throwing a few corpses near where the nobles were.

- "What is Amelia doing?"

- "What does it look like? Buy us time" – Attracted by the sound and strong scent of blood, a pack of wolves appeared after the nobles, who had to use the escorts to fend off the attack while we rolled down the steep snow slope.

- "Get up, man. Do a little on your part" – Taking Dimael by the arm , we began to walk quickly through the snow trying to sneak between the trees while I felt how our pursuers began to follow our heels.

The sounds of the firing pin of that rich boy's gun reverberated through the foliage of the trees, feeling at times the splinters of the bark that flew with the impacts that did not manage to land on the target.

- "Come on Dimael , just a little more. We are already reaching the base of the mountain, stay aware damn it" – With the expression on his pale face, that man had already lost enough blood to leave him with one foot in the grave. Stumbling incoherently while I felt in my heart the desperation for losing his life.

- "Hey, wait a minute. Stop there. Where are your customers? – Standing in front of us when we were about to leave the recreation grounds, the foreman in charge of supervising the guides scolded us for trying to leave the area.

- "Customers? Did those people ever tell you that our contract was to serve as bait for them? Look at us damn unhappy, Dimael needs medical assistance or he will die" - I could not contain my anger, I was so frustrated that I yelled loudly and in a threatening tone to the foreman, who as soon as he saw my determination, backed down while continuing to throw my body against him with rage.

- "Okay, you won! Take that spoil with you, but never set foot in this place again."

- "Perfect! Fuck you !" – Spitting in his face, I left with Dimael on my back walking clumsily through the streets in search of a healer. One by one the offices of the sorcerers we visited closed their doors upon realizing that we were dealing with what they considered undesirable individuals.

20 silver coins, that was the price for saving a man's life. The value of a fragile existence in the eyes of those greedy wizards, which we couldn't cover despite pooling our savings between the two of us.

- "Amelia, what happened to you! Why is Dimael soaked in blood? – Finding Ruth on the way home who was returning from serving as a lady-in-waiting, I felt how my legs lost their strength collapsing next to Dimael 's body .

- "Ruth! It's 20 fucking silver coins that they charge us to save Dimael , but we barely have 10 coins with us. There is not a single sorcerer who wants to help us, no one accepts that we pay them the rest later" – Feeling confident with that woman, I cried bitterly hitting my face on the ground cursing my impotence in the face of the imminent death of my partner.

- "Amelia, have you tried the temple maidens?" – Pausing slightly, Ruth put her hands to her chest, squeezing her fingers with a worried expression as she said those words. Aware that Sister Nohemi was in charge of the maids, Ruth looked at me with concern, trying to regret what she had said just now.

- "You're right, it's the only possibility"

- "No, Amelia! I just said it without thinking, reconsider."

- "Reconsider what? Can't you see that Dimael is dying?"

- "Silly! Don't you know that you will fall into the clutches of a devil if you go with her?" – Gaining strength once more with Dimael on my shoulders, I began to drag my feet along the cobbled street with my face down accepting my misfortune.

Fall into the clutches of a demon? Since I had reincarnated in that world my life had been a constant hell, tormented by the endless tragedy of losing all those who entered my life as if they were dust blowing in the wind.

- "Hold right there, identify yourself" - Blocking my way with their spears, the guards at the main gate of the temple order looked at me menacingly as I took from my bust a small plaque with the effigy of the goddess Artemis.

As soon as they recognized that object, the soldiers immediately knew who that emblem belonged to and why women like me carried it with them.

- "Take the man to the sanctuary chamber and leave him there to be attended to. Afterwards, follow me in silence" – Doing as ordered by the knight of the order, I left Dimael 's dying body in charge of a couple of maidens who placed their hands on his wound while reciting a song that brought down spiritual power.

Walking down the corridor in silence, the fire from the torches glowed on the stained glass windows in an imperturbable dance under the scent of incense and candle wax from the ceremonial altars.

- "Maiden Nohemi , they have come to see you" - Opening the door allowing me to enter the room, sister Nohemi was sitting at her desk writing some documents that she would send to the church headquarters in Alberon .

- " Mmmm , I see that you finally understood and you have come looking for my grace, little lost sheep" - Rising from her chair, the maiden walked up to me, placing her hand behind my neck, running her index finger across my forehead making a religious sign. according to the teachings of the creed of Artemis.

- "I will pay for Dimael's life to be saved "

- "Oh, wow. And how do you plan to pay" – At the moment I took out the bag with the silver coins, I felt a strong slap that made me turn my face. At the same time, sister Nohemi held me by the wrist causing the bag of money to fall to the floor, scattering the coins on the floor.

- "My grace is not as cheap as a few measly pieces of metal. If you really want to pay me, you know what price I'm looking for from you" – Placing her hand on my swollen cheek, the maiden conjured a song that healed my wound, leaving my skin intact once more.

- "Guards! Don't let anyone bother me until the sun comes up. That's an order!" – Nodding with a bow to the maiden's order, the soldiers left, closing the room, leaving us alone under the glow of the candles, which cast our shadows against the walls, drawing our silhouettes that were lost in a corner of that damned place.