Chapter 4: Chapter 3 – Grassroute

Julie

"Please every Leaf counts!" Julie howled, shaking a bell, watching as men and women made their way past her, she had gotten used to the undead walking around. Though she still flinched at the sight each time one of those forsaken souls made their way past her.

What she would never get used to was the treatment of the legna, chroniclers they called themselves, used the poor creatures to put on shows to entertain the masses. One of them stood across from her, he made the legna run around like some horrid puppeteer, pulled by unseen strings. He 'entertained' the crowd with a tale about the perils of rescuing a child. Leave it too the children of the Philistine to warn against helping people, what got to her more was how many people he was able too draw in. /Aborted glamour./

No matter how much she attempted to pay it no mind, she couldn't keep from hearing more with each telling. He had finished his story once again, the entire city crumbled because the protagonist rescued a child.

The chronicler's show ended with a ring of applause from the crowd, Julie attempted to not let it bother her. The fact he had triple the amount of handouts she had was bothersome enough. /Their are still people here, you can help them./ She reminded herself.

Another man made his way past, placing a pit, the weird tokens they used for currency, into her collection plate, "Ma-, May the aspects bless you." She said, proud at using the proper thanks this time.

"What's this here?" A girl asked, her pretty green eyes the first thing to grab Julie's attention her snow-white hair the next, though she would never admit it out loud, the feather clan always had such lovely hair.

"Oh, I'm gathering donations for the less fortunate," She said, lifting her eyebrows, conveying a smile through a rebreather was one of the first talents you learned on this job.

"Aren't you afraid the Magus will get angry if he found you here?" She asked with a sense of worry, it was always refreshing to see heartless who had broken past their conditioning.

Julie merely shook her head and kept her smile. "You're too kind, but no need to worry, the Magus here is more than willing to help those in need." Working within the borders of the Feather clan, you learn a thing or two about who's town you should look for assistance, you stayed away from places looked after by the red-eyed Barons. Luckily the magus who was in charge of this was merely an amber eyed apostate.

"What's the cause anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The money goes to children in need of food, water, and shelter."

"Lion Children?" She asked, slipping a handful of leaves in the plate, her skin was so pale. She almost looked like a porcelain marionette that had stood at the center of the monastery, Julie had always wanted to play with when she was a child.

"Yes, they are helped but we attempt to help anyone and everyone no matter what land they come from." Julie had already learned to suppress shock at such mindset, some people couldn't help but see those they considered others, as enemies.

"And what children do you aim to assist?"

"Harmony attempts to help all people in need be they men, women, or child. My chapter is focused around helping children who have lost their parents and loved ones."

"Orphans?" She said the word with no hesitation, it was the second lesson Julie learned working past the borderlands, never say the O word if you wanted to engender any sort of goodwill.

"Yes, one of Harmony's many missions is to take in those who have found themselves displaced because of loss, abandonment, hunger, or-"

"War..." Julie could feel the woman's disdain as the words escaped her lips.

"Y-yes, we also help children of war." She responded, bracing herself for what usually happened next. The heartless had convinced themselves that all of this was the fault of her kinsmen. /Complete rubbish./

Instead the woman threw her for a loop, "I was wondering, do you help..." She looked left and right, before lowering her posture, "Older children?" She asked almost conspiratorially, matron could she possibly be asking what Julie thought she was, or was she being overly optimistic?

"We help children until they reach adulthood, after that we help them find a sustainable life."

"That's good to know," She said, her voice trailing, she looked left and right, before leaning forward, "But what about... older children?" There was no doubt what she was talking about now... But was she genuine...?

"Are you looking for a path?" No, hesitation was wrong, if she didn't help foster those who wanted to help, if she didn't believe in the innate good she claimed existed then what was the point of coming out here? Matron she was taking a huge risk, but if she could really find someone who could help with liberating the gentry, it would be worth it.

"I don't walk the Grassroute, but I wish to help fund it." She revealed a large roll of leaves, it alone would make up 10 percent of what she had collected the whole month!

"Th-thank you..." Julie said attempting to wipe the tears building at the corner of her eyes.

...

It was bizarre seeing people laugh and enjoy themselves, she still never expected this from the heartless, people who had to scrounge and fight for every morsel they could get for the next day. But here, they were genuinely enjoying the company of one another, Julie could have been convinced she was attending a celebration back home. It was almost normal.

Julie took a break from her shift, she had not only made a sizeable amount to help the Grassroute, she also found a new friend. Lahyn sat across her, a corpse making her way towards them, placing the plate on the table.

It was almost normal... If she ignored the undead acting as wait staff, they made their way attending to customers who brandished dried hearts to get their attention. It was the same way Lahyn got them into the building, brandishing the heart at the wall had opened it like a door, and allowed the two of them inside. For some reason the feather clan preferred not having doors.

The only comfort Julie could take from Lahyn casually possessing a beating heart was it was proof her friend wasn't a necromancer, not in the complete sense, using such a heart was beneath any who had 'enlightened.'

One of the risen placed a plate in front of Lahyn, some kind of apple pastry, "You don't want anything?" Lahyn asked, taking one of the sliced apples and eating it, Julie fought the natural urge to recoil, no way eating anything that thing handled could have been sanitary.

"No thanks." How could anyone accept a meal offered by such a creature? Julie took another look at the walking corpse as it walked away. There was an obviousness to her being dead, the establishment did not hide the fact she was a corpse, despite all the makeup they lathered her in. She was well preserved, looking like a poppet more than a body. Julie could have sworn she smelled some sort of perfume on the corpse.

She also wore a waitress uniform, the tight kind, that put assets on display. If the original owner of the body could be brought back and see herself now, would she have approved of being used in such a way?

"Are you certain? I assure you it's well within my budget." She said with a smile. It was another weird factor she had to get used too out here. There was no community one could join and work along, and be provided for in turn. No out here each person had to look after themselves trusting only their family implicitly. What would have happened to Julie if she was born out here?

Orphanages existed out here, she was certain of it, but what happened when they came of age? What did they do without facilitators to help them find a place and foster their talents? Would she have been a beggar like some of the ones she had seen in her travels? Waiting for some necromancer to claim her?

She still couldn't believe they needed to pay for essentials everyday or go without them. Unfortunately she had seen far too many people go without within the feather clan...

"Oh no, this is fine." She pressed the cask against the side of her rebreather and let it locked in place. Lahyn watched with a renewed interest as it went to work, with a bit of pressure placed on the side she was able too drink of it's contents. "Are you certain you want to hang out with me? I kind of have a reputation."

"For helping people?" Lahyn asked in a enviable shock. Taking one of the cut apples, and crunching on it with a gluttonous glee.

"You'd be surprised." Julie replied with a sigh, "Most people see I'm from the Lion clan and have trouble looking past that." Not to mention the complete disdain, if not hatred of the gentry, she remembered the last time she attempted to advocate for the gentry within the featherlands. How she was chased out of the town, it was the first time she truly felt for her life. Now she kept them entirely out of her speeches, focusing more on 'helping people' it's not like it was lying.

"Is it really better where you come from?" Lahyn asked with a tone that Julie knew well, a longing, a need to know that at least somewhere the mistreated were granted at least some respect.

"It really is! And it will get better here two, with people like us I know it will!" Julie reached across the table to embrace Lahyn's hand, looking her in her emerald green eyes.

"W-when you c-conquer us?" She asked, looking at the table, avoiding eye contact.

"Conquer? I can assure you, we aren't-,"

"You send armies to subjugate us, with your lott and your, your," She swallowed and Julie gave the girl all the time she needed to get her idea out. "Jinn." She said the word like a curse.

"It is merely an exodus." When Lahyn looked at her waiting for more explanation, "A group that makes their way to help people like you, learn that their is a better way than all of this!" She gestured around the overall area.

"What if the people refuse to change, what if they happen to enjoy their life?"

"Do you enjoy your lot in life?" Julie noticed Lahyn looked away, her hands clenching tightly, "Wouldn't it be great not to fear your magus taking a bad day out on you, or your family?"

Lahyn didn't respond instead taking a sip of her drink.

"You could come with me, we could always use more helpful people."

"I can't join the Route, are you crazy?" She whispered, looking around the make sure no one was listening, Julie couldn't help but feel for the girl's overall skittishness, fear was a constant companion for most of the heartless, why couldn't Julie's comrades understand this? Not every one of them harvested legna, betrayed the loa, or feasted on gentry souls.

"No, of course not, I would never ask you," She shouldn't have to ask, "It wouldn't be fair." For you to experience a modicum of what the matron's children have to go through most of their lives.

Her hand ran against her clear white hair, "I-I don't even know if I would be a suitable fit for the," She stopped, looking left and right making sure no one would hear her, Julie would have been lying if she said the whole sight wasn't adorable. "Route?"

"I'm sure you'd make a wonderful member, you seem to care about the needs of everyone, and that's our key tenant." Julie was rewarded with a soft smile from her companion, who was fighting from biting at her fingers. "You could always volunteer and help the rest of us at harmony."

"Can I get you anything else hun?" A small mote of light whisked towards the table, taking a humanoid shape just as tall as Julie's hand. A legna reshaped and bound to the inn, made to act like some aborted hostess.

Lahyn giggled, and brushed her finger against the legna's cheek, which preened like an trained hound. Bile formed at the pit of Julie's guts, she had learned not to long ago, not to even broach this subject. Unlike the gentry which only invited anger bringing up the abuse of the legna only brought amused looks and condescending responses, like she was a child.

"No thank you," Lahyn said gently, "Now get going." She said, as if shooing a child! Julie fought back her irritation, Lahyn was still a good person, her ignorance could be corrected through cultivation. Julie was certain if she knew what a legna really was she would have never accepted this treatment of them. "H-how do you k-keep the necromancers from harming you?" Poor girl...

Julie shook her head, "The necromancers keep away from us, treaties with the Mouse clan, besides we have the Wardens," Julie's mouth went dry once she realized what she had done, what was she thinking bringing them of all people up here!?

When Lahyn responded with confusion instead of the revulsion Julie expected, thankfully that slipup hadn't cost her new friendship. It was odd, she knew of the jinn but not the wardens?

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How did one explain the wardens? "Umm... our necromancers," Matron forgive her for that comparison. "At our backs."

"Oh..." She deflated, "I guess trading one master for another is not unwarranted so far as the new one is kinder." Julie just wanted to pull the girl in for an embrace and let her know everything was going to be alright. The girl could not comprehend those with power without abusing it.

"Believe me, our leadership is fair and kind."

"Was it your kind and fair leaders who came up with poaching funds from the magus or was that plan made behind their backs?" Julie felt a chill, who was this woman? She was obviously more knowledgeable than the average citizen.

"Fair point, but a few rules should be broken if it means doing the right thing, wouldn't you agree?"

"No," She said before taking a long sip of her beverage, "I get what you're saying, but how can you tell you are doing the right thing?" That question made Julie relax a bit, she merely had trouble figuring out right and wrong, a reasonable problem considering where she had been raised. "I'm sorry, you tend to be a stickler for the rules when you work as a scribe."

"A scribe huh?" Julie hoped her tone conveyed curiosity instead of the mild panic hammering at her nerves. It was all beginning to click into place, of course she was literate! Poor girl, her eyes opened to the whispers of the Philistine.

"Just minor administrational work," She said waving her hands dismissively, "Nothing too important."

"Clearly important enough to make a difference," Julie complemented looking towards the leaves in her plate, then drew her gaze to Lahyn's meal.

To say it would have been decadent back home would be an understatement, some multiwrapped pastry, lathered in multiple types of melted chocolates and syrups Julie had never heard of before. Julie would have been lying if she had said the aroma wasn't tantalizing.

But it didn't compare to the rush she felt at the thought of one of the Lich Lord's willing slaves making an active effort to strike out against her masters. Maybe if she played her cards right, she could find a way to convince her to escape her cage and make a new life on her own, free from the Philistines' grasp. "How about just visiting our abby, I'm sure you'd love it."

"A-are you sure they would welcome me?" Was she kidding, a cute girl struggling to help those around her, she was practically the Lion ideal.

"You have my word, man and woman would fall on their knees to help you through your growing pains."

"I-I don't know, m-my brother wouldn't enjoy that idea..." Julie struggled to hold back a scoff.

"Maybe you can bring him out with you, I'm sur-"

"No! nonononnono." She said holding her hands out as if she was about to hit a wall.

"Hey Lahyn... is your brother a necromancer?" The girl did not say a word, she merely nodded, Julie felt her insides twist.

"You can't let his choices dictate your life!" Julie slammed her hands against the table, the momentum tossing her to her feet, it was just like those cowards, binding those who would rise up by sinking their claws in the necks of their weaker kin.

She forced herself to calm down when she noticed Lahyn pulling away like a frightened animal, not the mention the eyes of the other patrons. "At... At least consider it for me." Julie said as softly as she could.

"I thank I will." Lahyn said, looking back up to meet Julie's gaze, the blood in Julie's veins ran ice cold. Her soft inviting smile replaced with that wry amusement of authority, it put the magus she had talked with to shame. But what frightened Julie worst of all were her eyes, which were now a bright amber.

"Now tell me, why are you here." Lahyn ordered crossing her arms, Julie felt a mouse in the paws of a cat.

Julie lost to her flight instinct, jumping over a ramp, running towards the exit, before she could make her escape the one undead that had served them earlier had placed itself between her and her exit, it was the single hesitation needed for another to grab her by the shoulder.

"Now, now, I thought the route would love a person like me." Matron how could she have been fooled by someone like this!? "Now sit we still have much to talk about." Julie complied she knew her life was now measured by mere moments as she talked with one of the Philistine's chosen.

"Now about my children question," Lahyn loosed a smile, resting her chin on her hand, Julie felt a grip against her chest.

"C-children?" Julie repeated dryly, matron she had just admitted she worked with the Route, matron she had invited this monster to join her!

"Yes, the orphans you said this money would be helping, is really going to them right? Or was children just a more... liberal term?"

"N-no ma'am," Julie answered, holding on the the vein hope that this woman at least had some care for those who suffered loss. "A good amount goes to help the children..."

"You were smart not to lie to me, I don't like being lied too." She was so smug, Julie kept silent, even as Lahyn reached towards her, only breaking when the necromancer reached for her collection plate.

"No!" She howled, before lowering her head, "P-please, great one..."

"Just quit with the whimpering..." Lahyn said, lounging backwards, waving her hand, "When will you lions learn, false praise is far worse than blatant honest hatred." She spoke so casually as she robbed money from a collection plate. Julie looked around, the other patrons turning their heads and making certain to pay them no mind, she was all alone. Her heart beating hard enough she could feel it in her ear.

"Please, that money was going to help a lot of people, without it many will die, many will-"

"How were these children made orphans?" She asked with faux concern her fingers placed against her lips. "Was it abandonment? Must be a trait you lions share with your matron."

Julie ignored the jab at her goddess, avoiding eye contact, she knew the answer the necromancer was looking for, she answered, "You..." instead.

At that the necromancer went silent, before laughing, genuinely, "You have guts! I like guts! Oh calm down, not like that."

"I can not speak how responsible I have been for severing your children from their parents. You are correct, your little war, and yes it is a war, is the reason they had to suffer such a fate." She said, counting the Leaves she took from the plate.

How dare she! How dare she blames all the suffering on them, "You murder, bind, and abuse her children, and expect us to sit ideally as you continue!?!" What logic was that, one does not just let an abuser go about his merry way, just because ousting him would be unpleasant!

"Yes, that would stop a lot of the needless death you claimed to have a problem with." She said with a smile, as if she had just solved a problem that had stumped generations. "But common sense was never a lion virtue."

"I will not have someone who sold their souls away talk about common sense!" Lahyn made a overexaggerated roll of her eyes, it was perfectly clear she had heard this accusation before.

"You still expect us to pay for the care of your children." Was that all it was about?

"Are you really going to deprive those in need because of where they were born?" Julie watched Lahyn ball her fist, not so easy to look at the realities of your action huh?

"I have a few children who have lost their homes, would you take them in?" Julie sat silent, not because she was considering, It was how she asked, their appeared to be a genuineness to the question... Did a necromancer actually care about the well being of others?

"O-of course, I would!"

"And they would be treated like any others?"

"As if they were of the Lion clan themselves!"

"Meaning they would grow up to be thrown in the grinder?"

Julie felt a chill, Lahyn was never going to talk with her in good faith. "I will take your silence as a yes." She said, pocketing the vast amount of a week's work of fund raising.

"Oh don't give me that look," What look was she suppose to give a person who just robbed from those in need, no less. "This money will be going to a good place."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe you."

Lahyn let out a sigh, holding her hand out, her phantom manifesting at the end of the table, her hands cupped together generating an orb between her palms.

Julie jumped back, fearing the necromancer was about to use the enslaved creature to slit her throat. Was she going to die? She glanced over to the waitress, was that to be her fate? A mindless body pushed around by her murderers?

"I, Nylah ex Blacklake," At that Julie went pail, the Blacklake? Was the Ender of Hope nearby? Bile filled at her chest at the thought of being in the same town as him, let alone the same building. "With this pact, promise that the funds I acquire from you will be used for sole benefit of youths unfortunate enough to have lost their parents, on pain of Mornoth's life." She had heard that name before, realizing she was offering the magus' life!

"Satisfied?" Blacklake said her arms crossed, her phantom fading away.

Julie was not, "You put your friends life on the line? How could I trust you?"

Blacklake merely shook her head, "I'm trusting him to allocate the resources after all." She said making her leave only to stop for a second. Her phantom appearing above her once again.

Her heart skipped a beat, the creature was like a marble statue brought to life, sculpted in a set of elegant armor. A helm broken at the back to allow her ethereal hair to flow freely, covered the top of her face. The half-helm kept the phantom's eyes hidden, though Julie already knew she had no eyes. A loa needed them plucked free if an apostate wished for an obedient slave.

Pity overwhelmed her as she watched the creature, move by the unseen cords of her master's will. She like most of her kin, the loa, had once sacrificed themselves to rescue all mortals, heartless included, only for that kindness to be rewarded by such betrayal.

The eyeless mockery of a Legna smiled as she placed a leaf and a few pits in her hand. ["Make sure you get out of here safely, and do not come back again, my maven will not stay her hand on a second attempt."] With that she faded away, leaving Julie with the Blacklake. Fear fought with fury, how could anyone condemn such a majestic creature and not realize how monstrous they were?

After that the Blacklake walked away, leaving Julie to herself, she sat silently waiting for a while, something else had to happen. When she finally built enough nerve to act, she looked at the funds she had been handed, just enough to make it all the way back to Cazmagar.

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