Chapter 138: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Scramble

Serin and Altria had both drawn their weapons almost as fast as Lisa and dived across the desk towards Lisa. I just held my breath as her sword crashed down into the desk. She had missed the relic by millimetres. The relic rolled to the side of the desk as she easily side stepped both Altria and Serin.

Lisa picked it up once more before it fell off the edge and begun laughing. “Well, with a reaction like that, I can say at least you believe what you’re telling me. I doubt you could fake it that convincingly.”

Serin was still clutching her rapier and ready to pounce.  “You were just testing us?”

“I had to be sure. You can put those away now.” Lisa said pointing to their drawn weapons.

 Serin lowered her blade. “That could have gone seriously wrong you know!”

“I know. I wasn’t expecting you to react quite so violently. Well, I can tell you are a tightly knit party at least.”

Lisa stepped around the desk and walked over to where I was sat on the sofa, relic in hand.  “Here Theo. I’m sorry I had to do that.” She said passing me back the relic.

I took it from her hand. “I thought I was a goner for a moment then… But I had a feeling you needed to do it, if you were going to believe us.”

“I did.”

“Does that mean that you believe us now?”

“Well, it’s a lot to take in and I think there is more I need explaining to me before I take everything at your word. I don’t think you were lying about the relic. You and the others believe your life is linked to it, that much is clear.”

Altria interrupted. “You could have just believed us from the beginning!”

“I have to be sure. Then there’s this business about Lillia. I’m not sure I can believe she was being mind controlled…”

“Something was definitely up!”

“You’re starting to sound a little like your mother now.”

Altria pouted at the mention. “I am not! Just because you two know each other.”

“Lillia was acting strange, Altria is right. She didn’t seem to be in control of herself.” I said trying to lend weight to the argument.

“Perhaps. Lillia has always been loyal to her father. I can’t recall a time she has disobeyed an order. Are you sure you aren’t overestimating your importance to her?”

“No… Maybe. No, it’s not just me, she was crying. I felt she was trying to hold back. Maybe she hasn’t disobeyed before for the same reasons.”

Lisa scratched her head. “Mind control, linked to the summoning ritual?”

“That’s our only lead, but we aren’t the first to think that.”

“No Altria’s mother has mentioned it to me before. To be honest I thought she was joking about taking any of that seriously, but this situation we’re in now means that she wasn’t. I still can’t say I believe it, but if she’s willing to risk war withdrawing from the alliance, then she must be serious.”

“We need to find more out about the relics. We need to speak to Liz.”

She tilted her head quizzically. “Liz? You mean the half elf from the potion shop?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Hmm, I’m not surprised she knows something of this. If you want to speak with her, you’ll need to be quick. That’s if she’s still in town.”

“Why wouldn’t she be here?”

“Didn’t you notice when you passed through town? Most of the elf population have left or are leaving already. I suppose they don’t feel it will be safe for them to stay here. I doubt that it is any different for a half elf.”

I quickly got to my feet. “We should go now!”

“Hold on. I’ll send someone to call her here.” Lisa said pulling on a cord next to her desk. “I still feel there is information I’m missing from you. I’d like you to fill me in on everything you’ve found out before I let you go.”

“Hmm, okay if you say so.”

“We can, but I’m still not happy about what you did earlier. That was a cruel test!” Complained Serin.

“I’m sorry. Look, I’ll make it up to you. We’re all on the same page now.”

“Does the mean you’re going to side with the catkin?” Asked Altria.

“Yes…”

As Lisa spoke there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.” Answered Lisa.

The door slowly opened.

“You called for assistance?” Asked the girl who had been downstairs at the front desk with Jules earlier.

“Yes, I need you to find someone and request their presence here.”

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“Of course, who is it?”

“Liz, that runs the potion shop. Do you know who she is?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then please find her and tell her that I would like to speak to her with Theo’s party. Tell her it’s urgent.”

“Right, I’ll head there right away.”

“Thanks.”

The girl left the room and closed the door behind her.

I looked toward Lisa. “You know, this isn’t exactly my party.”

She shrugged. “That may be, but I have a feeling that if your name is mentioned she is more likely to come to my call…”

“I’m not so sure.”

“We’ll soon see.”

“Have you had many dealings with Liz before, Lisa?” Asked Serin.

“No, not really. Obviously, many of our adventurers frequent her potion shop, but I have surprisingly little information on her. It’s strange for someone that has been in town for so long. She is quite mysterious. I know nothing of what she did before she came here and not because I haven’t enquired.”

It wasn’t just me that Lisa had looked into. She seemed to be the kind of person that like to look into every person that she had dealings with, at least professionally. I suppose that was part of her job.

Serin seemed to think it over for a moment. “She definitely is mysterious. I suppose I’ve been buying potions from her for years, yet I know very little about her. I definitely didn’t know she was an expert in these matters like Theo suggests.”

I realised I needed to explain something before she arrived. “Yeah, about that. It might be for the best if you don’t mention that I’ve told you much when she arrives. She wasn’t too pleased when she found that I’d shared information with Lillia before.”

Serin nodded. “Right, we’ll let you and Lisa ask the questions then.”  

Lisa poured herself another glass of whatever it was she was drinking. “Can I offer you a glass?” She asked as she pulled out extra glasses from her desk and placed them on the table.

After the panic from before I felt like accepting. “I suppose I could have a drink.”

“Yes, and while we wait, you can all tell me everything that might relate in any way to this situation we’ve found ourselves in.”

Serin and Altria both accepted Lisa’s offer of a drink and the three of us sat there and discussed everything we knew about the relics, while we waited. I even told Lisa about the missing information from our report of the run in with the demon woman back in Lintz and my own guesses about the relics and the hero system.

I explained it should all be taken with a pinch of salt, and they were all big assumptions on my part. I just hoped that Liz might be able to shine some light on the situation. We had been sat there talking away for about forty minutes when there was another knock on the door.

Lisa answered. “Yes?”

It was Jules who responded from the other side of the door. “I’ve brought someone to see you. I believe you requested their presence.”

“Ah, Liz. Please send her in.”

Jules opened the door and sent Liz inside before turning back and heading out once again. I could tell Liz was wondering why she had been called her. She glanced across the room taking stock of who was here. She immediately picked up that it was just the three of us and Lisa.

Lisa waved towards the empty seat. “Liz, thanks for coming on short notice. Please take a seat with the others. We were hoping you might be able to help us, so I hope we aren’t troubling you to close the shop in the day.”

Liz crossed the room and took the empty seat. “I’ve barely had a single customer since news about the incident in the capital got about. Seems not many are willing to deal even with a half elf. So, I have time.”

“Great… It’s actually related to that incident that I’ve called you here. Theo thought you might help explain some of our questions as to what is happening.”

Liz turned and shot me a glare. I knew she would be upset if she felt I had mentioned her research to the others.  

It didn’t go unnoticed by Lisa. “Ah, you see he didn’t explain much, let alone tell us why you might be able to help. He simply suggested that you might.” Lisa said trying to assure her.

“I see. So, what is that you would like to know? The elf isn’t here. Can I assume that she was involved somehow?”

She didn’t miss anything.

“Right, that. Perhaps we should start by explaining what has happened and bring you up to speed, before we ask you any questions.”

“I’d certainly appreciate it.”

“Should we really be telling her all of that stuff?” Asked Altria.

“We want her to help us, don’t we? We’re going to be asking her things soon. If we want her to share with us, it’s only fair if we tell her what we know first.” I answered.

“I suppose so.”

After agreement from Altria, we begun another round of explanations. This time it was filling Liz on everything that had happened in the capital and afterwards.

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