Chapter 10: Chapter 9 – Eve

Unfortunately we were given no time to talk more. Hiei entered the room and told us that while the boss is recovering, he will be handling the transactions. Apparently anyone can do it. All he did was count the money with some nameless looking mercenaries, put black cloths over our heads from the nose and above, then drop us off at some camp that is filled with tents and basic necessities.
"You'll all be staying here while the guild is informed of your location. They will be the ones to remove your bracelets, with master here you should be able to fend off any monster attacks even with those bracelets. It won't take the guild long to reach you anyways." Hiei said.
I thought it was odd how Hiei never commented on what happened back there. I know Hera had informed him that I killed Siv (not about the monster part), but right at the last moment before leaving he turned to me, glancing at my empty wrists, and merely said "Drogo says thanks" before walking back to his carriage.
"He's thankful too, probably too shy to admit it." Hera whispered to me.
Watching the carriage slowly roll away I couldn't help but wonder why no one here is tracking them. They didn't put bracelets on me again either, are they positive they won't be followed? I guess walking around out here in these dead woods might be risky. I need to ask the others, but first there is something else I'm curious about.
"Do you know him Hera? Drogo and Benedict for that matter too."
"I do know Hiei and Benedict, but not Drogo. Hiei is a criminal now but would you believe it? He wanted to be a monster hunter when he was a boy! He use to be such a sweet kid who dreamed of adventuring to other moons to discover what else is out there. His dream may have come true before everything went to hell, even the great migration got scrapped. Well no, it's been 'delayed'." Hera scoffed. "Do not misunderstand though, I will kill him when we find their hideout. Something obviously needs to be done about all the veterans getting their benefits removed, but that doesn't mean I'm going to look the other way while they kidnap people and sell them. This group got off easy because of their status, but the rest will be sold to the merchant guild WHO SWEARS up and down that they don't use slaves. Meanwhile if you go to one of their outposts deep in the woods you'll find a bunch of unregistered male workers while the women are sent to hidden locations where they're used for labor and 'entertainment'."
..... The merchants guild huh? Hera is turning around to walk somewhere else, I guess she thinks this conversation is over but I really need to hear the rest of that.
"Wait Hera, can you please tell me what you know of the places those women are sent to?"
Hera stared at me for a good 20 seconds. "Why are you interested?"
"What we were going to talk about before Hiei interrupted us back at... whatever that place is. It's related to that."
Hera paused for a moment. "Hmm... we're going to be here for a few days. You continue with your story during that time, and depending on what you say, I may tell you what I know."
"Wait, I don't know if that's a good idea... what about the other nobles here? That girl is here too and she's been staring at me almost the entire time." The twins were part of six other nobles who paid there ransom (only one couldn't pay, who knows what's going to happen to that guy).
"Miss Perla right? Yeah she's a bit... um, you should be okay. Rumors are just rumors, yep."
This time she really did leave, off to gather sticks it looks like. There is plenty of wood here though... Oh, obviously they have to light a fire like villagers do instead of just using fire magic, they all still have their bracelets on. I can remove those but then I'll have to do the other nobles and I'm not showing that side of myself to more people I know nothing about.
What she said concerning the girl (who is still staring at me), didn't help me much. What rumors did she skip out on telling me? This Perla girl is unbelievably beautiful so normally this would be a wonderful position to be in. If she wants what I think she wants, then I'm way too tired to be giving her that right now.
I guess for now I'll pick a tent to pass out in later. I slept the entire way here on the carriage, no doubt I'll be out for days again here too. As soon as I absorbed Siv I've been feeling extremely tired all the time, which reminds me of what happened after I absorbed Steward and the others. While I slept about seventy-five percent of the time in the jail, I still needed a lot more after it seems. That sleeping gas was the perfect time for my body to shut down, which led to... I'll have to ask master. I have a pretty good idea of what's happening, but I'd rather talk it out with someone.
As I near a tent I can't help but notice that 'Perla' has followed me.
"Um, do you need something Miss Perla?"
"Just Perla is fine. If anything, I'd vastly prefer you called me by my name. As for why I'm here, I'm picking out a tent with you of course! Us girls need to stick together right?" Perla replied with a smile. The same fake smile that never seems to leave her face, while her eyes tell a whole different story. Behind her I could see her brother shaking his head before heading into another tent. Looks like the boys have picked the two on the right, closest to the trail.

"Eve, we're setting up a watch, what time slot do you want?" Jasper came over with a man and a woman I didn't recognize at all. Thank you for getting me out of this conversation Jasper, but a watch for me is going to be impossible.
"That's... hard to answer. Remember the state you saw me in inside the cell Jasper? It's going to be like that again very soon. I can try and fight it but there's a risk I'll straight up pass out and that's the last thing you want from someone on watch."
"Explain that to us later, I'm still very interested in that hibernation of yours. For now it's fine, we do owe you for killing Siv anyways. Who knows what that man would have done with us not having access to our ether."
"This girl killed Lord Siv?! But she's so young! Furthermore, how would she even learn the spells required to take him down when she's..." The female cut in, clearly unconvinced.
What he's implying is obvious and actually a reasonable point. Most commoners are only taught spells for their time in the mountains. I know fire is one of them since they're fighting monsters made of ice, not sure what the rest is. But they are given instructions as a group on how to cast those specific spells, they are never taught how to create their own mental palace or create their own unique magic etc. There is always a couple of rookies who try creating spells in the training camps, ending their own lives in the process. They make for good examples to the other commoners who may have had considered doing the same thing.
This was probably the most common story I heard in the compound. Both the men and women customers there loved bragging to the prostitutes about all the amazing spells they could create, what the previous lovers in their lives could never accomplish no matter how hard they tried. At first I thought it was hilarious. I would laugh to myself when it was time to sleep, thinking about how the girls were pretending to be amazed for the nobles benefit. But eventually a day came when I realized that almost all of them truly were fascinated... I can't believe how many of them loved living with a boot on their throat. Why was I the only one who wanted to leave?
"I believe Jasper when he says she killed Siv." Perla cut in.
"O-of course... if Perla says so then I will also believe Jasper is telling the truth." The women replied.
With how quickly she folded, Perla must be of a higher rank? Not that I care if these people believe I killed Siv. Actually... won't it just invite problems for me if it spreads that some commoner girl killed Siv? I don't know why Jasper revealed it here but I'm too tired for this. I keep yawning and it's only getting worse.
"Go to sleep Eve, your eyes keep drooping and it's hard to watch. We'll wake you up when the carriage arrives." Jasper walks off with the two nobles towards Master who is stacking up logs in the pit.
I headed into the closest tent that was apparently left for the few girls here before a voice from behind stopped me. "So you lied about your first name too?"
Oh right, she wanted my name back when we met and I said Eris. At the time the idea of using my real name didn't even occur to me. Also it's weird but for some reason I'm feeling really guilty about changing my name. As far as I can tell, I killed Eris. Taking away her name and replacing it with my own feels like I truly erased her... it's hurting my heart more than I thought it would. One more topic to bring up with the others, I'm curious what their thoughts on it are.
"Sorry about that Perla, there were reasons for why I gave that name. As strange as it sounds, I wasn't actually lying at the time. Technically I'm still not... apologies, but I'm extremely tired and need to rest. We'll talk more after I wake up."
I severely doubt I'll wake up before it's time to leave though. This was also not a lie, but not entirely fair either.
Surprisingly she had nothing more to say on the matter, allowing me to enter the tent to find a place to sleep. The surprises didn't stop there, these tents had not only very soft matting, but nice blankets and pillows too. I guess with the money the nobles dish out for the ransom, a couple of nice blankets won't hurt your bottom line too much. The amount of gold coins, verium coins, and crystals (I assume the objects from the caravan?) changing hands was ridiculous. I've only seen verium a handful of times in the compound. It's such a beautiful blue color that's somehow solid and transparent at the same time (it depends on what angle the light is hitting it).
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Not long after waking up I immediately realized just how amazing I felt. I have finally acquired the long uninterrupted sleep that I needed it seems.
... The matting of the tent was soft, but it wasn't this soft. Realizing something was wrong I opened my eyes to find an unfamiliar ceiling... Ceiling?!
Jumping out of the strange bed I was sleeping in and taking a cursory look around, I found absolutely nothing worth being worried about. Ahh I think I know what happened. A certain idiot was stuck in hibernation so someone had to lift her up and take her with them. I assume it's master but if it was Perla that might not be so bad either now that I'm feeling refreshed.
Outside the door I can hear what sounds like a very noisy kitchen. Between that and the bed this is obviously an Inn. Might as well go down and find out how long it's been since I fell asleep.
Upon opening the door I almost jumped back and assumed a defensive pose. I didn't even know doors could be this loud... god it sounded like I had activated some type of trap magic imbued with lightning.
From down the stairs I heard a booming voice, "She's finally awake! EVE GET DOWN HERE!" Yes master I planned on doing that already. The only place to go is there or out the windows anyways.
As I reach the halfway point down the stairs I catch a glimpse of who is waiting.
"Any longer and we were going to have to leave you here Eve. Do you have any idea of how long you were out this time?" Jasper said.
"No idea but this is the most refreshed I've felt since I was in my original body. I never realized just how exhausted I felt this entire time." I replied while walking up to the table. Master, Jasper, and Hera are all that remains it seems. How does she always wear those ceremonial clothes and somehow keep them looking brand new?

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Hera noticed me staring at her and smirked up at me, "Original body huh? Good thing I came back today or I'd miss out on the most interesting story I've heard in a long time."
"Getting to the crux of the matter before even sitting down! Well let's hear the rest then Eve, we already ordered breakfast so you came at the perfect time. You must be starving right?" Master added in while gesturing towards the massive pile of food on the table. Being around people with a lot of money sure is nice.
"Somehow I'm not starving but I'm definitely hungry." I replied while sitting down.
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He said we could talk while eating but I really just wanted to eat. They were patient while I ate as fast as I possibly could, which made Jasper remind me that he was a noble for the first time in awhile. I forgot how important manners were to them. The higher in status a person is, the more things like manners seem to matter. Maybe there's a good reason for it but it feels like the less a person struggles to acquire the things they need to live, the more pointless things like manners start to matter to them. They inversely balance each other out. Are they just looking for meaning or what? I'll never personally understand unless I live that kind of life, which will never happen unless I die and reincarnate again this time into a noble's body.
... I didn't even think about that till now, could it happen again if I die as Eris? I still don't know the cause behind it but it has to be whatever made me a monster. My instinct is telling me it's the Raven's fault, but that theory is always blocked by the fact that I was having these monster feelings long before he showed up.
"Alright one question before I continue. What day and year is it?"
"373 A.R. March 17th" Jasper answered.
"Hmm I really should have tried learning that earlier when I woke up, but everything was so..." I trailed off and stopped talking for a few seconds. I really was just doing chores every day because I had no idea of what I should've been doing. "Anyways, that means I was only dead for about two months before I became Eris. Hera, remember back at the camp how I was interested in those female slaves the merchant guild buys?"
"I do. It was strange but it's not like anything about you is normal." She replied.
"Well I was one of those and I think my parents sold me? That's what my sister said anyways, I honestly can't remember much of the time since I was only six at the time pretty sure. I weaved for them for sixteen years before suddenly one day I woke up on a stone platform in the lake area where we all bathed. I was in an extreme amount of pain, and by extreme I mean that's the strongest possible term I can think of using. Yet it feels wrong, even that word is too little for what I was feeling. Anyways, I heard two monster screams from back in the compound area, turns out it was one monster eating the other one. They weren't regular monsters by the way, both were at least 35 feet tall... possibly more. One was the tree with hundreds of eyes all over it that had been in that cave as long as I had been there. While the other was the Raven-looking monster that had shown up and killed everyone before I woke up on that platform." Been awhile since I talked that much in one go. Actually, have I ever said that much before? I went months without uttering a single word many times in the compound.
"Now that, was a loaded statement. Just so you know I'm listening to this under the presumption that you're not lying. The way you pass out for weeks at a time is one of a few reasons I can assume you need help. That's why you took Master Godwin's offer correct?" Hera nodded towards Godwin (It really was presumptuous of me to call him Bear).
"Right as always, Hera. Yes, I need help and there are a myriad of different reasons why. First and foremost is that I think I'm evolving into something else. Which leads to the second major issue that I'm not sure how you could even begin to help me. If I go too long without eating, I become increasingly more hungry, which is what leads to situations like Steward and Siv. Steward I was in complete hunter mode, very little would have stopped me from eating him. However for Siv I was only hungry for a couple of days beforehand, so it was like a mix of both me and the other me that needs to eat. I'm not one hundred percent positive on all of this, but I'm in this cycle of always needing to eat which is in turn evolving me into something else. I never use to have claws or the ability to sense souls. After waking up this time I can feel something is different again but I'm not sure what it is yet."
Jasper raised a hand cutting in, "Thanks for telling us Eve but we'll come back to that later. For now can you go back to the two gods that were in your slave area? I say god because those were no regular monsters. Only gods are that large."
"Of course Jasper. There isn't really much more to say on the matter though? I tried running for it which led to the tree launching out a limb at me like a spear, but the Raven killed me with a wind spell first. He killed most of the others in the compound with wind magic too. Well, some of them he crushed with the staff he was carrying around."
Now it was Godwin's turn to cut in, "Two things young Eve. The 'Raven' killing you when it was in the process of dying is very strange, what was the purpose? Denying the tree one little meal sounds very unlikely. It's not like your body was going to disappear... unless...." Master Godwin stopped talking there, apparently lost in thought.
Hera grew tired of waiting and followed up, "The Raven, please describe him Eve. The actions of the tree as you call it, are actions we've seen from certain gods before. Some of them mostly eat other gods and very rarely eat people too. If they do, it's always one person. This Raven gods actions are... intriguing. You say he carried a staff?"
"Yes a massive staff that looked like it was crafted and not just something he picked up? It was well sanded I think. Also he wore armor and jewelry here and there, don't ask me what kind of jewelry because I've never seen anything like it before."
"Armor and Jewelry?! On a god??" Jasper exclaimed while all three of them shared a look.
"Eve, gods don't use weapons, they don't wear clothes, and they sure as hell don't wear accessories". Hera stated with a weird look on her face.
I looked to Master Godwin, "Is this true master...? I swear that's what I saw. It was dark the few times I had eyes on him, with the second time was when he had roots wrapped around him everywhere obscuring most of him but... I know what I saw. It was strangely humanoid too. It walked around on its talons the same way a person would. I know birds walk on their feet but the way it carried itself was more like a hunchbacked human. Its fingers had claws on them but his hands acted way more like human hands. It swung that staff around with ease at a very high speed. Also I keep saying Raven, but that's just the closest appearance I can think of that vaguely resembles the monster. I couldn't describe it even if I wanted to."
"It is true disciple. Now, whether this is good or bad news for you I am not certain, but I have a theory on why it killed you before the other god killed you. I want you two to tell me your thoughts on this as well." The other two at the table immediately nodded.
"I believe it killed you, because it knew you would reincarnate somewhere else. We always wondered if the gods who attacked one another were absorbing their souls, but if that's the case then the Raven wanted to prevent you from getting absorbed." Godwin stated matter-of-factly.
Jasper was silent for a few moments before responding, "Master that sounds like a good theory, but is also purely a guess. At the end of the day we'll never know unless we ask the God himself, which is impossible now that he's dead."
Hera nodded, "It's a shame but there's really nothing we could discern from here. But on the bright side, I know for a fact that Eve is telling the truth now."
"Oh? Do tell." Godwin motioned for her to continue.
"While you were all getting captured, a sad but interesting piece of news had reached the guild. Apparently the merchants guild had lost one of their secret hideouts. Our spy informed us that everyone there was dead, smashed or cut into pieces." As Hera finished speaking she looked over at me.
Well that settles it, it's all real. There was still a chance that it was all the dream of a girl named Eris... but not anymore.
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After that I needed some time to myself so I could gather my thoughts. I need to find Yurie... no matter what I need to find her soon. I want to know if my sister loved me at all. It seems so stupid to care about at this point, but now that I know for a fact she was real and had died to some... god. Something about calling them gods really bugs me, it just sounds wrong. I had spent most of the day just wandering around this town aimlessly, unable to fully enjoy the sights of my first visit to a town. Before I knew it the bells were ringing which meant it was time for bed. I was all too happy to get back into bed and put this day behind me. Even after sleeping that much I still need my 8 hours it seems.
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Ahh there it is again, that unfamiliar ceiling. Getting up and heading to the door I don't jump at all this time when the door almost pops my right eardrum. From down the stairs I heard a booming voice, "She's finally awake! EVE GET DOWN HERE!"
... Is he going to say that every time I wake up after them?
As I reach the halfway point down the stairs I hear something that starts to set alarm bells off inside my head.
"Any longer and we were going to have to leave you here Eve. Do you have any idea of how long you were out this time?" Jasper said.
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"Um... no idea, but I feel really refreshed for the first time since being in my original body?"
I think that's what I said last time. They're either playing a prank on me, or...
Hera noticed me staring at her and smirked at me again, "Original body huh? Good thing I came back today or I'd miss out on the most interesting story I've heard in a long time."
"Getting to the crux of the matter before even sitting down! Well let's hear the rest then Eve, we already ordered breakfast so you came at the perfect time. You must be starving right?" Master added in while gesturing towards the massive pile of food on the table.
... Alright, what the hell is this?

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