Roa of the Wildlands--once an advisor to Kazor Nict--had authored an exhaustive list of just about every [Blood Magic] spell in Fanrae. While most of his knowledge had been carelessly inked out by the Church of the Golden Dragon, what remained was still incredibly enlightening. One technique in particular--a spell known as [Blood Barrier], caught Lieze's attention immediately when she settled down to study the grimoire for a few hours. As her gaze scanned then rescanned the paragraphs detailing its casting, she could feel the same sensation drilling her skull--the flux of uncanny knowledge seeping into her mind.
Technique Studied (+10%)
Technique Studied (+10%)
Technique Studied (+10%)
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Technique Learned!
Type: [Spell] Name: [Blood Barrier]
Description - Manipulate a nearby source of blood (within 3m), transforming it into a barrier capable of deflecting blows. Barrier strength and mana required are dependent on the amount of blood used. 1 Litre of blood is capable of absorbing up to [50] HP damage from [Physical] damage types, or half as much from [Magical] damage types.
The hours passed by quickly, and by the end of her study session, Lieze had learned yet another [Blood Magic] spell. The speed at which she could comprehend new techniques was staggering. As the daylight seeping into the hideout deepened to a stunning amber, she could hear the wailing of thralls in the upper chamber being drained of their essence. The time for her ambush was drawing near.
As she wandered up through the caverns, Drayya was overseeing the efforts of Marché and his followers sorting the thralls into those who would serve as alchemic reagents and those which would be used as foot soldiers. The ground surrounding the barrel had been thoroughly splattered with blood. The pungent scent of iron was rich in the air.
"Lieze." Drayya kept her gaze on the hooded band of necromancers, "Tonight is the night we kill Helmach."
"Yes…" She muttered, "Ridding ourselves of the Acolytes' leader will scatter the organisation, with any luck. It will be the first stepping stone to our victory."
"That other woman still bothers me. The nun." Drayya replied, "She and Helmach know one-another. Moreover, she was knowledgeable enough about current affairs to recognise me, and seemed like quite a powerful sorceress."
"We need to take this one step at a time."
"I know that." A beat passed between them, "...I know that. But she has me worrying about just how powerful the priesthood is. No matter how tight of a leash you have on Ricta, there are some enemies we can't hope to stall."
"Come, now. Wasn't it you who wanted us to take a stand?"
"That's true. But, Lieze…" Drayya unfolded her arms, "-To say the odds are against us would be the understatement of the century. I'll be quite frank--neither of us are powerful enough to topple Tonberg."
"I appreciate the candour." Lieze replied, "Perhaps we aren't now. But given enough time, we can gather our strength. The two of us are only going to become more powerful as time goes on."
"Hm." She exhaled, "I never could have imagined the day when you of all people would be reassuring me."
Normally, those words would have been dripping with hate, but Drayya sounded almost relieved that she had someone to rely on. Remnants of Lieze's hate for the girl still remained, but those feelings were quickly becoming unfounded as they continued to work together. There was no questioning it anymore--the two of them were allies.
"Gather the thralls." Lieze placed a hand on her shoulder, "The sun will have fallen by the time we reach the city. I'd like an hour or two to plan our attack thoroughly."
"Fill that bag of yours with some blood before you go. You never know when you might need it…" Drayya recommended, "Go on ahead afterwards. I'll meet you by the tavern when you're ready."
The sunset walk towards Tonberg was picturesque. Stalks of grain along the country's last remaining farms turned golden in the twilight. The world was so much more beautiful, Lieze thought, without the whims of mortal men tarring its image with blood and fury. Her mind drifted towards the untamed forests of the Wildlands, where humans lived in harmony with nature. Kazor Nict--long ago her father's master--was once a child of the far south himself.
But even coexistence with the natural world would not alleviate the inherent suffering of life. In order to achieve enlightenment, there was only a single path forward--to become one with the architects of their coil and abandon mortality. The dogmatic priesthood was antithetical to that belief. As she wandered through the southern gates, Lieze couldn't help but pity those who continued to elongate their suffering by defending a country on its last legs.
Helmach would presumably be following the same path towards the chapel that night. Lieze's plan was simple: find a dark spot to hide along the way, and launch a surprise attack. It would need to be exceptionally quick. The guards patrolling that night would hear the ruckus and quickly overwhelm them.
"The Wraith kills by immobilisation, followed by asphyxiation…" As she wandered the streets, Lieze conducted a plan of attack, "Even if it doesn't have the strength to kill Helmach, I could use [Blood Spike] to attack him while he's incapable of moving…"
She had (with great difficulty) managed to coax 2 litres of blood into her Bag of Holding. It almost certainly wouldn't be enough to kill Helmach, but she at least had a method of defending herself if push came to shove.
"I still haven't been able to see Helmach's level…" She thought, "What causes that? Alistair was the same… perhaps it has something to do with-"
"Oh my." From behind her, a feminine voice spoke, "Am I interrupting something?"
Lieze turned around, and as she did so, her eyes widened.
Furainé Morgan
Level ??? Abjurator (!???!)
HP - ???/??? MP - ???/???
BODY - 4 MIND - 12 SOUL - 18
The woman was tall, with fair skin, dark hair, and a motherly face. A single mole resided beneath her smile which seemed much too welcoming. It was the first time either of them had met, but Lieze could interpret from her ambiguous nameplate that caution was to be exercised.
"I'm sorry." She tried to hide her surprise, "Am I in your way?"
"Oh, not at all." The woman answered, "I was just a little surprised to run into you at this hour."
Lieze tilted her head, "Forgive me if I'm being rude, but… have we met before?"
"No, no. Not face-to-face, at least." Her hands folded together, "-But I did run into a friend of yours last night. Margoh Drayya?"
Quest 'Playing Field' Completed!
Reward - 1,100xp
Level Up!
You are now level [16]
HP+25 MP+30
All pretences of politeness fell from Lieze's expression in an instant.
"...That's very funny." She replied humorlessly, "Have you been following me?"
"No? I was telling the truth just then." The woman named Furainé didn't change her tone. If anything, the smile on her face only grew wider, "Might I ask you a question?"
"No."
"Whereabouts do you hail from?" Ignoring the response, she continued, "I would consider myself quite the expert when it comes to matters of biology, but I've never seen anyone with such beautiful white hair."
"When I spoke to your king, he also claimed to be an expert on such matters."
"Well, of course. His Majesty's bloodline can be traced back to the indigenous dwellers of this country. It's only natural that he should be capable of discerning race at a glance."
"He 'discerned' that I wasn't particularly pure, albeit in quite condescending terms." Lieze replied, "Is this a trend within the priesthood? Racial supremacy?"
"How could we expect to foster a domain of intellect if our masters were southern-belt Riverwardens or Paledwellers?" Furainé's smile was eternal. Lieze could have stabbed her and the expression would remain, "Certainly, those of lower breeding will always be welcome as labourers, but it would be asking for trouble placing them in positions of leadership."
"I've heard enough of this." Waving a hand, Lieze dismissed the topic, "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. Is there a reason why we're having this conversation?"
Furainé took a step forward. Her strength was completely unknown. She was an anomaly--just like Helmach or Alistair. But Lieze couldn't afford to show any weakness. Furainé's smile came deadly close to fading as she watched Lieze close the distance between them, placing the two mere paces from one-another.
"I'm sick to death of hearing impassioned speeches." She spat, "Say what you're here to say and let's be done with this farce. I have flies to catch."
"My, how forward." Furainé taunted, "Are you planning to catch Helmach off-guard?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Not at all. I think it may do him some good, actually." For an instant, she allowed something resembling pensiveness to cross her face, "Ever since Noma's disappearance, he's begun to crack. The man beneath his carefully-maintained shell is beginning to seep out like miasma."
"There's a surprise--the Church's dogs are all putting on brave faces." Lieze retorted.
"Oh, Lieze…" Her name escaped Furainé's lips like a curse, "I have to ask you not to push him over the edge. Not after all the Church has done to help him."
Lieze allowed her posture to relax. She could sense the tension in the air disappearing. There wasn't going to be an altercation between them--at least, not on that occasion, "You make him sound like some stray pup you've managed to clean up."
"Oh, if the truth was even half as heartwarming as that…" Furainé paused, "But no. Helmach is no pup. He is a delicate little flower bud, you see."
"...A flower bud?" Lieze cringed at the lovingly-drawled nickname.
"Indeed. A wonderful, secretive bud." She continued, "And through slow, tender cultivation, one may witness his petals blossoming. Petals bathed in the screaming might of fire and blood, unfurling to reveal a whirlwind of crazed, uncontrollable colours."
Lieze blinked, "He's insane. I already know that."
"Insane? No…" Furainé sounded offended by the accusation, "But he is a troubled soul. Yes… very troubled indeed."
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
"Oh, let me think…" She fell silent, "I can't imagine young Drayya is very pleased with me?"
"She'll be very upset to hear that I didn't try to kill you." Lieze replied honestly, "-But there's no need to worry about that. Once Helmach is dead, I can't imagine you'll be much further down the list."
"How terrifying!" The threat was almost enough to make her grin, "I could very easily report you to the Church after saying such terrible things, you know?"
"That wouldn't bother me in the slightest." Lieze replied, "You're just like Helmach. So consumed by your own pride that mere victory is never enough. You need to gut, and maim, and dominate, before you can be satisfied. But the truth is that you're helpless."
"Helpless?" She tilted her head.
"I know you can't do anything to me without making a fuss. You're dying for an opportunity to lash out, but the Church has you on a tight leash. You act the firebrand, but your confidence is unfounded and pitiful. I can't help but feel sorry for one so trapped within their own mind."
There was nothing else that needed to be said. Furainé didn't lift a finger to stop Lieze as she wandered straight past her.
"Troublesome child…" There was no longer a smile in her voice.
Drayya was waiting patiently at the entrance to the Golden Flagon, rubbing her shoulders for warmth under a curling street lamp. A wicked cold lingered in the air. Further down the road, the line of caravans forming at the city gates was only growing in size. Drayya managed a dignified smile as Lieze approached. She was eager to get going.
"Tonight is the night." She declared.
There was some kind of celebration happening in the tavern. Beneath roars of joy and song, the two of them were like a pair of scheming thieves in the night. Lieze took a breath in before replying.
"I met the nun." She revealed, "Furainé is her name. Furainé Morgan."
It wasn't what Drayya had expected to hear, and neither could Lieze discern whether the news was welcome or better left undeclared. Blood ran to Drayya's head. She contained every reaction--fury and grief; desperation--poorly, and eventually settled on looking somewhat sorry for herself.
"I see." She looked towards the ground for a better answer. There was no need to ask if Lieze had killed her, for she already knew the answer.
"I thought you would want to know." Lieze said, "At the same time, I don't-"
"I know. I know." Drayya interrupted, "It's not so important to me, Lieze. I won't let it distract me."
"Is that the truth?"
"No." She admitted, "-But I'm not a fool. Tonight, we kill Helmach. Tomorrow, perhaps… or the day after that…"
"Have you brought everything we need?"
"Mhm. The Wraith is nearby, as I'm sure you can tell." She gladly took the opportunity to divert the conversation elsewhere, "Fleshbags, too. Six of them. They're weak, but…"
"Anything to make our lives easier." Lieze finished, "This won't be easy."
"I'm not expecting it to be. Marché has informed me that this isn't the first time an attempt has been made on Helmach's life." Drayya replied, "In fact, he seemed convinced that the two of us are almost certainly going to die."
"Do you believe that?"
"Of course not." She insisted, "-Though, I will admit that I feel somewhat naked without a legion of obedient thralls to protect me."
"One day." Lieze vowed, "-But until then, we stick to the shadows."
With nothing left to discuss, Drayya stepped out of the lamplight onto the road. From the back, her sable hair and cloak made her seem almost imperceptible.
"Let's be on our way. It's freezing." She began, "I hope you've found a suitable spot along Helmach's nightly route to hide?"
"I have." Lieze replied.
"Well then-" She turned around, "-What are we waiting for?"