The sky shattered like a mirror.
Cracks split across the cloud-face of Patience, fracturing her serenity into sharp-edged fragments that rained down like glass. I didn't flinch. Let the heavens fall.
The river hissed, evaporating around my ankles. The houses on the horizon melted like wax, trees twisting into abstract shapes, the world unmaking itself with every blink.
That meant I was waking up.
But not before a final whisper brushed against my ear. Like she was right next to me.
"The others have strayed from the path. But you... you are right on time"
I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what she meant. But I was already fading away. My dream body disintegrating before my eyes.
As my vision faded, either back to reality or to continue into a dreamless sleep, the scent of tea wafted at my nostrils. It smelled rich. Expensive and ancient.
And the laughter of a child echoed at the edges.
I woke up. For real. I knew because I was back to the smell of earth, the interior of the green tent waving in the cool breeze.
A thin film of sweat clung to my body. The ache in my chest was real this time — no dream logic to wipe it away. My fingers were fists around the sheets, knuckles white.
Pain rattled my body. Not sharp. Dull. I looked over my skin. I was shirtless. Little bandages placed on my skin from the moose attack. The sling on my shoulder from dislocating it in the ruins of Synbard. Ointments that burned my nostrils on the bruises that Tav had inflicted. A cleaner gauze had been wrapped on my Flayed leg.
I was in the healer's tent. It was morning. The little sunlight lit up the inside as dust particles floated about.
The last time I was here was because I had passed out immediately after the Flayer attack. There had been like forty people who had been injured and groaning in pain in the tent. Now, they were barely twelve. They had either run away during the scouts invasion, or they stayed put, had been healed and could now participate normally in the camp's activities.
There was someone, right next to me, snoring softly as his short green hair waved in the breeze.
Tav.
The blood caked on his fingernails. The eyebags bigger and darker than ever before. He had probably been exerting himself. Trying to heal everyone. At least now he was sleeping.
I stood up quietly. Trying not to wake him up or anyone else. My bare feet hit the bare floor.
As I was about to reach the tent flap out, a tired but endearing voice called out.
"Thought you could leave without me noticing?"
Tav. He was getting up into a sitting position on his bed, wearing his sandals to walk with me.
"You look like shit, Tav. Go back to sleep." I told him.
"Ha. Like you look better yourself." He shot back. He stood up, then held out his arms in front of him like he got dizzy. Then he sat back down. "You know, maybe I'll take your advice and go back to sleep. I really am exhausted."
He then looked, no, examined me. His eyes roaming over my body. "I suggest you take your own advice too. Though you've been out for two days, so I'm not entirely sure you need the sleep anymore."
Two whole days. Damn. I had to start moving. The thoughts were rolling through my head. I had a plan I needed to exact to start the process to remove the Virtue Priestesses from this world.
Yes. Including her.
I opened my mouth, but my voice came out a croak. "Scouts?"
"Gone." Kuti's voice, from the corner. I jumped a little because I hadn't noticed her before. I hope she didn't either.
"What are you doing here, Kuti?" I asked, shocked, while she shot me a dirty look. "You're not injured or anything."
"I'm just being here. For support, you know?" She answered defensively, twiddling her thumbs on the rope from the box. "Tav said we're. . . 'Family' now, and from Tav healing everyone nonstop yesterday and the stunt you pulled with the scouts. . ."
"This is just her way of showing she cares." Tav finished for her. 'A lot of people came here while you were sleeping, Bon. Especially Veraque. She was here during the night, watching over you. The other refugees are grateful for what you did with the scouts."
She gave a nervous smile as she sat cross-legged on a stool, Col's box on the floor. "They haven't returned, the scouts, if you were thinking about that. But the Flayers still prowl the tree line at dusk."
Good. The scouts weren't back. Which meant my plan would still have the same effect. I wasn't sure if I could weaponize the Flayers anymore with Kindness' mandate because they might not even come anywhere near humans anymore since they could never get a bite. I would find a workaround.
It was nice that I had the trust of these people now. But that wasn't the most important thing.
"Where's Veraque now?" I asked both of them.
Kuti responded first. "In the central tent. With the few representatives that didn't leave when the scouts came. Why?"
"I have something important to tell her." I said mysteriously as I headed out of the tent, my right leg ringing dully in pain that didn't register. I looked at the white gauze on the leg. Scribbles, most likely from the camp refugees were all over the cast. Most of them along the lines of repeated Bon's. Some even drew me as a skeleton or a weak, old man. And I couldn't blame them.
In the back of my head, I could see Kuti send one of her signature weird looks at my cryptic response and Tav giving a knowing smile as he sank back to sleep.
. . .
By dawn, the remnants of the Haven's leaders gathered in the central tent—what was left of them, anyway.
"You finally woke up, Bon!" The man with the black coat said as he clapped me on the back, almost sending me to the floor with the force. "I don't think I ever introduced myself properly. I'm Gareth. From the Diligence domain."
So that was his name. He treated me differently now. Before the scout confrontation, he had treated me as something disgusting he didn't want to turn into. But now I had stepped up, he treated me with respect. His eyes glinted with pride as he led me into the main camp where Veraque was probably still dealing with the fallout from the Flayer attack and the Humility scouts.
I turned my head around. Fewer tents were sprawled around the place. A lot had been killed, run away or broken. I could still see the diligence in Gareth's actions. The way he moved, how his fingers kept tapping on his black coat as if he was anxious to do something. Before, there was something oppressive in his gaze. Now, there was excitement.
It reminded me of why Tav had joined me to the Haven in the first place. My failed attempt of rebellion sparked defiance in him, and maybe, just maybe, a few other people there.
This was even more reason why I needed to execute my plan.
The central tent was wide, and painted white. We walked in, and the elder in silver robes, who was the only remaining representative sat, talking with Veraque, probably laying plans and deciding what to do next to ensure the safety of the Haven.
Veraque's face lightened up as she saw me. "Bon! You're awake!"
I put my hand on the back of my neck. "Sure I am. Looks like I pushed myself a little too hard, huh?"
The elder in the silver robe chuckled as I said that. Then he stood up, the old joints popping in the motion. He held out his hand to mine and smiled. "You did incredibly well back then. We owe our safety to you, Bon."
"No need to thank me." I said. Truly. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Most people just call me Old Silk." He said with a wink. "Was a silk weaver back when I was in the Patience domain."
So he was from Patience, huh. I could still see her face as clear as day, the cloud face looking down at me in the dream. "Good to know, Silk."
"He's right, you know, Bon." Veraque said, sipping from a cup of tea. "You saved us. The scouts haven't been back since, the Flayer's keep their distance. And most importantly, the people have hope now."
"Yeah, so we decided to make you the new representative of Humility here." Gareth said, giving me another hard pat on the back. "Your healer friend even stepped down to give you the position!"
Classic Tav. Though I doubt he really cared about being a representative. And I didn't either, because it didn't matter. There was more. Bigger plans than the Haven.
"Thank you, thank you everyone." I said graciously. "Now, as the representative of Humility in our new Safe Haven, I have a suggestion. One that will ensure we have uninterrupted peace as we rebuild our lives."
Veraque, Old Silk and Gareth stared at me intently with newfound interest as my pulse quickened, hastening me to make my declaration.
"What are you planning, Bon?" Veraque was the first to speak.
I felt a smile crawl up the corner of my lips. Planning. Yes. That was what I was doing now.Old Reygir never planned. Always rushed forward into action. It was a good thing I got rid of him.
Now I could get closer to achieving my goal. Killing the Virtue Priestesses, and bringing true virtue.
"We're going to reclaim the Humility Domain. And then all the other domains after that." I declared. "We'll bring true peace. Not the destruction the Priestesses brought. But actual peace."
Then I would be satisfied.