Chapter 11: Ztumblers

It felt as if a switch went off in my head. 

With swift motions I pulled out Silent scream from the skull of the feasting stumbler, and dashed to the next, dodging under its swinging arm and kicking its feet from under it. Before it smashed against the ground, I pounced on the next, stabbing it clean through its eye socket while the noise falling Stumbler distracted it. 

It slumped to the ground without resistance. 

The misericorde slid out of the cavity as easily as it entered. 

I bounced back and crushed the skull of the one still trying to get up after falling with a burst enhanced stomp. I whipped my head around to scan my surroundings, then flashed into the silent parts of the alley. 

The remaining six flew upon their fallen brethren, but didn’t immediately begin feasting like the first had. Their jerking, zombie-like movements made their joints crack. One of them ground its teeth, producing the miserable sound of teeth actually grinding themselves down. 

With feather light steps, I circled around the pack, then snuck up to the one in the back. A quick stab to the dome did the trick. Stomping was much more flashy, but also more noisy, and tiring.  

Humid air filled my lungs. Ever since Sera integrated into me, everything had become so clear. The Weaver’s blessing wasn’t just for conjuring strings; it made me into something more. And it felt fucking amazing. 

I picked up the pace with a mad grin, layering burst over every step. Glass shattered underneath my mad charge. Just before getting in their reach, I jumped and levelled my body horizontally, drop kicking the closest one. The crunch of its ribs sent vibrations throughout my body before the stumbler launched away, barreling into the remaining three. 

They fell into a mess of limbs, clawing and scratching at each other to untangle themselves. 

“Poor bastards,” I muttered and rolled onto my shoulders, springing to my feet. “I’ll make it quick.”

With burst boosting me, I felt nigh unstoppable. It would take a hell of a lot more of the damn Stumblers to give me any problems, that was for damn sure. Maybe the jailor would prove to be an adequate challenge; I grinned. He was strong as hell, and tough. I’m not sure if I could beat one even now, despite having killed one. It was just dumb luck. I must have severed its spine or something. I couldn’t count on pulling something like that off every time. 

With a few quick stabs and slashes, I killed the remaining Stumblers. Stains of dark red covered my hands and new clothes. I looked down at the mess with a sigh, then hollered at Elana, “You can come out now.” 

Glass cracked below her as she made her way through the corpse littered alley, prodding the air in front of her carefully before each step. 

“That was fast,” she commented. 

“Why thank you!” I said and bowed theatrically. 

“But loud,” she added. “We should probably get out of here.”

I clicked my tongue and whispered, “Buzzkill.”

“What was that?” she shot back, brows furrowed. 

She had good hearing. 

“Oh, nothing,” I said sheepishly and scratched my neck; my cheeks burned. I tied the string around her waist again. “So, about those accolades of yours. What have you got?”

“You’ll see,” she laughed. 

“Oh, don’t be like that! I promise I won’t take your favorite.” 

…

It didn’t take us long to reach the library. It was bigger than I imagined. In my naivety, I had assumed it would be like a slightly large bookshop. Yet here it stood, larger than most university buildings. 

It didn’t take more than a few seconds before a man armoured to the teeth ran out to greet us. 

“Elana!” he shouted. 

He wore a breastplate with beautiful floral engravings. A sabre hung sheathed at his waist. Underneath the breastplate, he wore clothes of the same militaristic fashion as I, but had chosen less muted colors. A navy blue shirt and beige trousers, with a modern pair of sneakers. He didn’t look like someone stuck in a hellish city. Instead, he looked put together, with neatly combed blonde hair and a hint of a stubble on his chin. 

“What in God's name happened?!” he continued with worry in his eyes. It all felt too perfect to be true.

He pulled her into his arms.   

“The Slitherstitch got me,” Elana quivered in his embrace. “Can you take me to see Maria?” 

“Yes, of course! Right away,” he said and began leading her away. He turned. “You. Wait here. I’ll make sure someone comes to take care of you in a moment.” His smile shone brilliantly, in a way that only people born into money could. The posh accent was jarring, to say the least. Familiar to a degree that disgusted me. But I swallowed my distaste and smiled amicably back at him without saying a word. I could feel his gaze linger on my black hand. But he didn’t mention it. 

True to his word, it didn’t take long for an armed woman to arrive. 

She wore the same breastplate as the posh guy, but didn’t carry the same air of self inflated importance. A large scar on her jaw made her look menacing. She looked to be of middle age, somewhere around forty, I wagered. 

She looked me up and down with studious eyes. My grandmother surrounded herself with people like her. Intelligent, quiet people. Dangerous people. 

“My name is Anna,” she offered coldly. Her hand never left the hilt of the large sword hanging at her hip. “Thank you for helping Elana. She’s an important member of this group.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I smiled. “I’m Cal.” 

I offered her my hand in a greeting. Her face tensed up at the sight of it.

She pursed her lips and continued without shaking my hand. “Follow me, we’ve got food and a place for you to rest,” she said and turned stiffly. Like a guard at Buckingham palace. She wasn’t much for talking, this Anna. 

I followed her wordlessly and looked at my hand. Is it so ugly? She brushed off the friendly greeting like it was an insult. I shook it off and took in the sights.

Reading tables and books filled the library to the brim. Rows upon rows of them stood stacked neatly in their towering shelves. Wheeled ladders propped up against the walls with their uppermost parts connected to horizontal rails. The domed ceiling was tall enough to accommodate three large shelves stacked on top of each other. 

When the people inside saw me behind Anna, they jerked and whispered. Their eyes followed us wherever we went. Most of them wore armour of some kind, while a few exceptions wore outlandish robes with intricate patterns. I flashed them my most amicable smile, trying my absolute hardest to make a good first impression. These were honest to god people. The first I’d met in weeks.

“How are you guys faring?”

Anna spoke without turning to me, “We’re doing alright.” 

I stifled a sigh as we walked up a spiralling staircase. The hushed voices faded away downstairs. Anna held a door open for me and ushered me inside a lavishly decorated corridor. It was filled with wooden doors, all evenly spaced from each other. 

“This is it,” she said and opened the door farthest inside. “Inside you’ll find a bed and some spare clothes, along with a work desk. It’s not much, but it’s a lot better than nothing. At the opposite end of the hall, there’s a restroom. In the room next to it, we fill up a large basin for bathing there every day. I imagine most have already bathed, so you’ll have to make do with what remains.” 

Normally, I’d shiver at the thought of sharing a small bath with a large group of people, but my stench was one of magnificent proportions. Beggars can’t be choosers. 

“Is there a bathing order?” I asked. 

“First come, first served,” she added flatly. 

I stepped inside the room and took a breath, then plopped down on the bed with a dull thud. 

“Shit,” I exclaimed and rubbed my tailbone. 

“They aren’t as soft as back home,” Anna said with her cheeks twitching. A small hint of a smile crept to her face. 

I uncovered the bedding to see that my ‘bed’ was nothing more than a thin layer of fabrics on top of a wooden frame. 

“Well, I’ll let you get sorted. Dinner has already been served, but I’ll bring you a plate of food. Someone will fetch you when it’s time for breakfast. If you need anything, I’m two rooms down. Just knock,” she said. The smile she tried to restrain won and pulled at her dimples.  

She closed the door carefully, leaving me alone in the room. 

Things weren’t too bad. I had a ‘bed’ of my own and people seemed to be pretty friendly. They were probably just surprised at seeing an outsider for the first time in a while. I reckon outsider’s were about as common as a seeing a shooting star down here.

I slumped down on the squalid bed. It grew on me. Just laying down for the first time in a long time was heavenly. The room had little aside from the bed, the work table, and some spare clothes folded onto said table. Probably because the group had grabbed every valuable item and hoarded them for themselves. 

It was common knowledge that blessed brought valuables back to earth. Things of completely different cultures. Obviously, they fetched an insane price. My grandmother had been one of the first to get into the business. The old hag. 

She might not be worth her penny as far as family went; but she certainly had a nose for good business. That much was obvious from her mansions and boats. 

I rolled to my side and yawned. Falling asleep before giving myself a rinse felt appealing, but also rude. I couldn’t be stinking up the place tomorrow as well. Silent scream solidified from smoke, revealing Sera’s reflection.

“Well, look at you. Making friends,” she smiled. 

I shrugged, “What can I say? I’m a likeable guy.” 

“Be mindful. This place reeks of the Legion.”

I rolled my eyes, “Obviously. They’re all blessed.”

“Not all blessed stink. There is someone who is favored. That means trouble,” she glared at me. 

“Why would that mean trouble? We’re all the same,” I yawned and sat back up to not fall asleep. 

“You are all not the same. Especially you. You are blessed by me,” she leaned in close. 

“All this anger is wholly unnecessary if you don’t explain.” 

“You know I cannot,” she whispered, and went silent. 

Her never saying everything was getting old fast. Just before I could retort and push her, a knock on the door interrupted me.