Arc 9-47
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Nomad has the power to share the perpetual bags under his eyes.
We find Khan laid out on his bed, but one look is all it takes to know he didn’t get any sleep, and he likely hasn’t been sleeping well for some time. Red eyes snap to us as we walk through the door, though the rest of him stays completely still. He reminds me of a rabbit, the way he freezes in the face of danger. No wonder the man doesn’t fight; that’s a terrible reflex.
Lucky him. He won’t have to concern himself with that for long.
“Get up.”
He doesn’t move. “To what do I owe your presence, Lady Tome?”
“Don’t.” When he still refuses to move, I flick my fingers. Geneva steps forward and drags him to his feet, the sight of the diminutive elemental manhandling a man over a head in height somewhat comical. His pout doesn’t make it better.
“Is it time for my execution?”
“No.” She shoves him toward me and I catch him by the shoulder. “You know I don’t want to kill you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have the guts to test me.”
“I don’t fear death!”
“Of course you do, idiot. Otherwise, you’d be dead already, trying to prove yourself.”
He scowls, but doesn’t refute the claim. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Unfortunately. And saints’ shiny asses, I don’t understand why. “Let me explain what’s going to happen. I can’t trust you. As much as I don’t want to kill you, I can’t have you destroying our relationship with the north. I can’t have you fucking up Alana’s future.” Because it’s obvious she wants the north. “So, since you can’t be trusted, you’re going to have a guardian. Someone that will accompany you every second of every day to make sure you make smart decisions. Congratulations. This is quite the boon.”
His expression doesn’t reflect the gratitude he should be showering me with. “How long am I meant to suffer a minder?”
“The rest of your life.”
I meet his glare with one of my own, willing him to feel my resolve. “That is an extreme, by any standard.”
“Tough.”
“Who is willing to sacrifice a lifetime babysitting a grown man?” he asks with understandable disbelief.
“Someone who respects a contract. And someone who has no problem working within one.”
“This is ridiculous. I was doing what you wanted! I was leaving.”
“Where were you going?”
“I don’t know.”
“No, you don’t. You just ran away, thinking it’d all work out. Proof you’re reckless and stupid. You left without saying anything to me or one of my servants. That’s proof that you don’t consider me. If you’re a reckless idiot with no concern for me, then why wouldn’t you go home?”
“You can’t chain me for my entire life. I’d rather be dead—”
My hand cuts him off, lips twisting in a scowl as his saliva wets my palm. I do a fabulous impersonation of a statue; no matter how much he squirms, I’m unmovable. Eventually, he runs out of strength and settles, weary eyes weakly glaring at me over my fingers. The perfect state to listen.
“Don’t say you’d rather be dead,” I whisper, the words too heavy for my voice to be any louder. “I don’t care how bad things are, you don’t want your head being sent to your mother in a box. You—” Wait. Why am I wasting words on him? This isn’t something that can be expressed. He has to feel it.
He sucks in a sharp breath as my hand leaves his mouth, ready to say something ridiculous, but my fingers closing around his neck cut him off. I slowly squeeze; his eyes remain defiant as he chokes. I wait for him to flinch; he doesn’t, even as I feel his strength ebbing.
Suppose he’s more than just words.
This isn’t going to work.
I throw him away, mind racing as he coughs and sucks down air. The idea strikes me suddenly, a flash of dark inspiration. I don’t wait to question whether it’s a good idea because it’s too poetic not to be perfect.
Khan curses as I grab him by the back of his shirt and drag him out of the room. “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”
I don’t bother responding as I pull him through the estate. The memory of Alana pulling me aside after my father’s death burns in my thoughts. He’s not afraid of death? Ridiculous. He only thinks he isn’t afraid of death because he thinks he has nothing to lose. He thinks he’s ready to give it all up? We’ll see.
Bell!
The imp scampers out the estate right after us. I follow my nose to my gardener; Gajin has his back to us, planting small white trees in a circle. He fondles a thin branch before turning to our heavy footsteps. Hm. He’s looking scruffier than usual; one of Anna’s little fluff balls could live in his beard. Maybe two.
His jacket is caked in dirt and the plants growing from the pockets have grown large enough that they wrap around his torso. At a casual glance, any reasonable person would think him madman. But his dark eyes are bright and intelligence. He’s a far cry from the bandit I met on the King’s Road, begging for his life. That pitiful creature has been imbued with power, strange knowledge, and most importantly, the confidence of someone who is exactly where he wants to be, doing exactly what he’s meant to be doing.
“My lady,” he greets with a bowed head. I wonder if there’s anything I could do to make the loyalty of my servants waver.
“Morning, Gajin. What’s all this?”
“A sitting area.” He gestures to the empty circle. “When the trees grow, they will provide ample shade and a stunning view. Towering white trunks lit by a circular fire pit. Perhaps a quiet night with the mistress of the house?”
Didn’t take him for a romantic. And once more, this is the saints’ guidance. “Sounds great. I’ve just got one addition.”
I yank Khan forward, drawing Gajin’s attention to him. It’s amazing; my gardener may as well be looking at dirt. No, I’m sure he thinks less of Khan the soil that grows his precious flowers.
“What should we do with him?”
“Bury him.”
“What?”
We ignore Khan’s frantic question and the follow-ups as I drag him into the middle of the field. Bell ruby eyes glow with channeled mana as she moves the earth, the dirt flowing upwards like a reverse fountain. Khan starts to fight but he may as well be a pebble trying to move a mountain.
The succubus adjusts the hole as my plan solidifies, dirt changing course to make it shallower and the width constricting. I throw the wanderer inside, stomping his fingers when he tries climb over the side. I crouch by the edge, staring into his panicked eyes.
“What do you think happens when you die?”
“You twisted—”
“Do you think this is a situation that will be helped by insulting me?”
He wisely bites back his next comment.
“What do you think happens when you die?” I repeat.
“…depends.”
“Going to need more than that.”
“If you die after honoring the north, supporting the war and slaying many enemies, than death is rest in a place where the sun doesn’t rise but is always warm. Cowards and betrayers spend the afterlife wandering the north, eternally freezing.”
It says so much about them that their Paradise is just a release from their bloody traditions. I assumed they would have a concept similar to the Abyss but I’d have never guessed they consider it a reward. Whatever. This works out just as well, if not better.
“You think you’re ready to die? Fine. Enjoy death.”
“Wait! You can’t—this is insane! You’re insane!”
“Bell.”
“Coo!” The imp smiles viciously as the unsettled earth surrounding his resting place shifts. Khan sputters as dirt lands in his open mouth. His eyes glow with channeled mana; idiot should have save his strength. He can’t dream of overpowering a virtue with centuries more experience. His little efforts doesn’t even slow her down.
“Lou! Stop! I understand!”
“No, you don’t. But you will.”
I watch with cold eyes as the earth completely covers him then hardens to stone, cutting off his screams. He can breathe, right?
“Coo~” {Yes, Master Lou, there are discrete breathing holes. He has also been immobilized.}
And he’ll survive?
{There should be no complications for the next 48 hours.}
That should be long enough.
Off to the side, Gajin waits patiently, unfazed by the scene. “Try to keep anything with toxic roots away from him and keep in mind we’ll be coming to get him soon.”
“Understood. One question, if I may?”
“Sure.”
“Could Lady Bell assist me with furniture? I was going to make them from the branches of the trees once they matured, but I think dark stone might be better.”
“Uh, go ahead.”