Chapter 30: The Wolf in the Arena, Part 4

Just before List could snag a torch off a nearby post to start committing arson, the girls were both alerted to the sound of footsteps approaching. Immediately, both of them ducked behind the nearest cover they could find—a water barrel in List's case, and an army banner in Valerie's—and held their breath, hoping whoever they heard would go somewhere else.

They weren't so lucky.

"There you are," came the voice of a male soldier, and Valerie felt her heart stop. "I was looking all over for you."

Just before she or List could take off in a panicked sprint, a coquettish woman's voice answered. "Really? I could have sworn I told you not to wait up for me."

The voices were familiar, but Valerie struggled to place it at first. Racking her brain, her mind settled on two figures, and the memory of them shouting to the crowded streets of Shadefall. The elite and the bard from the parade. It was them.

"I take it you had a busy night?"

"Mm. You could say that. A lot of afterparties in town tonight. Took a while to suss out which ones were worth my time."

"Anything interesting?"

"Nothing actionable. Zaman's not popular, obviously, but no one's been dumb enough to let anything truly objectionable slip. The lizard's still around, but he's staying tucked away in his tavern. Seems content to stay out of trouble, which is probably a good thing, since I hear his name around town more than Shen's."

Valerie's heart began to pound in her chest, and it wasn't from the fear of being discovered. Zaman. That was the name of the King's Chosen in the Lochmire province. They were talking about the Chosen, and, unless Valerie missed her guess, about whether Samira Shen or Egon might cause trouble for him.

She still didn't fully grasp Xykesh's politics, but from Kiva's story about what happened to her mother, she knew enough to know causing trouble for the Chosen could only end badly.

"He's that popular?"

"Are you kidding? He's practically a town spirit. But you can relax. Like I said, he's keeping his head down. If I were your boss, I'd be more worried about Shen than him."

"What did you hear?"

"Just that she's one of the only town heads to actually decline urks. I know most heads don't get them anyway, but it's still weird to say no to them. The bastards are handy if nothing else. Makes me wonder why she's saying no."

"I can't just recommend ousting a town head on a wonder."

"I didn't say you should. Honestly, you want to talk things worth paying attention to, forget Zaman's rebellion paranoia. Did you know the Pavers cleared out of Shadefall?"

"What?"

"Apparently, some outsiders rolled into town, kicked in their front doors, and set their house on fire for good measure. I give it an even fifty-fifty between the Pavers having all of them gutted and just burning down this whole town in retribution."

"And they were outsiders? You're sure?"

"That's the word around town. They've been hiring themselves out to Shen as monster hunters ever since. Between that and them giving away all the loot they got from the Pavers, they're quite the local gossip fodder. Not everyone likes them, but everyone's got something to say about them. Actually, two of them even fought in the Dragon's Dance today."

Every fiber of Valerie was screaming that they needed to leave now, but the elite and the bard were still so close. Only a thin sheet of wool separated her from being spotted by them. If they took even a few steps in the wrong direction, they'd spot the top of List's head.

Valerie made eye contact with her friend, silently ask if she had any ideas. List pointed to the nearby post holding up a set of torches, and pantomimed shooting a bow at it. Valerie shook her head, making a pulling motion over the top of her wristbow, before pointing first to its locking mechanism and then her ear.

List stared at her for a few seconds, blinking with incomprehension. Then, with the body language equivalent of muttering "Fuck it," she drew a knife from her new thigh sheaths, charged the blade with red lightning, and threw.

The dagger sliced clean through the torch's mount, sending the flame tumbling through the air before landing against the closest canvas tent. The elite and bard immediately stopped talking, and the elite swore as the tent caught fire.

Valerie and List slinked off in the other direction as the elite shouted for the fire to be put out. Nearby urks rushed to the scene, already slapping at the flames. It would be taken care of in seconds. But the diversion had given List time to grab another torch. And this time, she didn't stop with one tent.

---

Arden knew it was time to make his move when everything caught fire. Not wasting a moment, he fired a beam of divine energy straight through the lock on Slaughter's cage. The brilliant beam drew the attention of every urk guarding the cage, but before any of them could react, the cage door itself burst open, and Slaughter leapt free.

For an instant, Arden worried the werewolf would kill the urks in spite of his warning. But he was pleasantly surprised. The werewolf batted the urks aside with its massive arms, but it held off from using its teeth or claws, and every urk was still breathing by the time Slaughter finished barreling through them.

"This way!" Arden shouted, immediately taking the lead away from the camp. The guard's own shouts joined the chorus of those already raising alarm over the spreading fire, and there was little in the way of pursuit.

With superhuman speed, Slaughter broke into a run on all fours, rapidly leaving the camp behind as Arden did his best to keep up, using a prayer to strengthen his body and enhance his own stride. In seconds, they were gone, the burning camp far behind them.

It was some time before they slowed down enough for Arden to try reasoning with Slaughter and convincing the werewolf to follow, but eventually, he complied, and Arden took charge, guiding them to the forest north of the town. It was safely clear of Shadefall's outer limits, but close enough that, say, two young women also fleeing the camp could eventually meet up with him before daybreak.

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"We should be safe here," Arden said. "A few minutes of your time, and you're free to do as you wish."

"I am always . . . free to do as I wish," Slaughter responded.

"Perhaps it's better to say I won't stop you from leaving then."

Slaughter nodded. "You . . . freed me . . . Hunter. Ask . . . your questions."

Arden straightened his posture, staring directly at the silver badge on Slaughter's armor. "That badge. Where did you get it?"

"It was given . . . by my master."

"Another Hunter?"

Slaughter nodded.

"Who?" 

"Aurelia . . . Siren."

Arden's face became impossibly still, betraying absolutely no emotion. When he next spoke, he kept his voice even in spite of the tremble he felt threatening to creep into his body. "What happened to her?"

"I was not always . . . like this. She was . . . outsider. But she care . . . for Xykesh. Made new Hunters. Chose me. Chose . . . others. Protected Xykesh . . . from monsters. From . . . dead man. Then . . . in Trandore. Fight dead man. Hunters . . . slaughtered. Taken. Dead man . . . changed me. Changed others."

"Someone turned you into this?"

Slaughter nodded again. "Tried . . . to keep mind. But beast . . . strong. Lost mind before. You . . . quiet. Mind . . . come back."

"Perhaps I was a bit hasty, telling you to leave," Arden said. "If you wanted, you could come back with me. I could try to find a way to reverse your condition."

Slaughter shook his head. "Beast . . . strong. Will not stay gone. Safer . . . to leave."

"I understand," Arden said. "Your master. Was she . . . changed?"

Slaughter again shook his head. "She escaped. Left Trandore. Followed dead man."

Before he could say more, Slaughter's nostrils flared, and his back arched in agitation. His fangs bared as he let out a vicious growl directed behind Arden. When Arden turned, he found Valerie and List, frozen in anticipation of a fight.

"It's alright!" Arden said to both sides. Focusing on Slaughter, he clarified. "They're with me."

"She smells . . . of dead man," Slaughter growled, glowering at List.

"I haven't killed anyone!" List protested, before actually thinking about it. "Besides the goblins. And the bugbears. And the werewolf. But no men . . . that I can remember. Unless the werewolf counts."

Arden shook his head.  "This dead man you keep talking about. Who is he?"

Slaughter gave another sharp growl. "Pray to your god . . . you do not find out."

And then the werewolf was gone, bounding off into the forest before anyone could stop him. Arden resisted the urge to curse. He'd had more questions for the werewolf, but whatever he smelled on List, he didn't want to be anywhere near it.

"Well, fuck him I suppose," List said. "Was it worth it? Talking to that thing?"

Arden's face remained stoic. He hadn't gotten answers to every question he had, no. And there was no telling what repercussions would come out of setting a Royal Army base on fire. But now, he had a heading. Wherever Trandore was—he'd have to ask List or Egon later—it was where he could start his search for the real reason he'd come to Xykesh.

Arden adjusted his hat to make sure it was secure on his head. The hat was one of his last memories of Aurelia. He wasn't going to part with it. Not until he saw her again. 

"I believe it was."

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