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20. Basil - Asked and Answered
🕑 Added 2025-07-05 23:37:22 +0000 UTC
Chapter 20
Asked and Answered
It didn’t take long for us to encounter more undead as we traveled the enemy occupied hallways. There were skeletons and zombies – actual skeletons and zombies, not summoned Souls – the same as those who guarded us in the ballroom. The distinction was easy to tell since their bones and rotting flesh lacked the extra vibrancy of cards but also because my Mindtrap didn’t activate when my attention fell upon them.
The creatures shuffled about, the zombies moaning occasionally, but none of them tried to bar our way. In fact, they moved aside as best they could, their ancient joints creaking as we strode past. I could only imagine that they somehow sensed the presence of the Lich I traveled with. That, or perhaps it was easier to instill commands in the still living undead – a paradoxical phrase to be sure – than in Common Souls.
Seeing the desiccated but rather numerous rabble made me wonder how Hull had made it all the way to the ballroom unmolested. True, he could have smashed his way there – he was powerful enough to do that now – but such a stratagem would have surely resulted in an uproar. No, he must have used the education he had gained from his time on the streets to slink past such guards. I had no doubt that his upbringing in the Lows had been challenging, more so than I would probably ever understand, but they had certainly given him some useful skills, and I appreciated him using them on my behalf.
We headed toward a fork in the path, and my steps slowed for the first time in this journey. I had only visited the Palace a handful of times, and even if the massive abode had been my home, I had no way to know which of the countless wings the vampires would be using for their residence, let alone which would be the staging grounds for their gathering. Getting away from Felstrife had fed much of my initial momentum, but I found myself wishing I had found out more details before departing. It was not as if I could ask directions from a passing skeleton. For all their deference to Emerus the Lich, I didn’t imagine they knew such details or could communicate them if they did.
However… the Legendary Soul might. Reaching the fork, I looked up at Emerus. “Do you happen –”
The Lich answered my question by never breaking his stride, angling to the right.
“Apparently you do,” I said, following in his wake, my Bodyguard matching my steps with precision.
From that point on, I thought Emerus would take me like a homing kestrel straight to the celebration, so I was surprised when two forks later he came to a sudden halt. The only reason I could tell for our unexpected pause was the presence of a wight in rusted armor. The distinction between the different classes of undead was much easier for me now after spending time with Corbin, who Geb had enjoyed. Unlike bony skeletons, or zombies whose flesh was in the process of rotting away, Wights were still covered in their skin, just as I was. Their flesh was greyish and sickly to be sure, and sucked so close to the bone it might seem like it was all but gone, but it was most certainly there if one looked close enough. Also, both skeletons and zombies had almost no sense of life left in their eyes, but at certain angles, wights’ burned with an inner blue light.
“Show…him…your…cards,” Emerus commanded the undead, sounding twice as dead as Felstrife did.
The wight looked from the Lich to me, one of the brittle long hairs that still adorned its skull snapping off as it moved its head. It then began rummaging in its Mind Home. I raised an eyebrow at the unforeseen development. It seemed that Emerus wasn’t just to be my protector and guide, but also the enforcer of the plan I had proposed to Felstrife. I had every intention of following through with it on my own, but to have a Legendary asking on my behalf should certainly make the process simpler.
The creature had only two cards, but I still took the time to look at them, Emerus observing like some dutiful chaperone.
The Skeleton I was more than familiar with but the Wraith was an interesting find. I didn’t bother thanking the creature, marching past him when I was sure I had memorized the cards. My Master Shieldbearer matched my pace and Emerus wasn’t far behind.
“What else did Felstrife command of you?” I asked the Legendary to which he gave no answer. Such a reply was to be expected from one such as he, especially to a question that posed a potential conflict of interest. “Is there something you wish for on this journey? I see no reason why this trip can’t serve both our needs.” Such a line of inquiry had worked well for my own Souls, even if I had done a poor job of delivering on it. Again, Emerus met my inquiry with silence. No matter. The Legendary was a treasure-trove of information I was sure – the reason I had wanted him as my guardian instead of Sliver – and I would find a way to get it out of him before this night was over, one way or another.
Emerus stopped two more wights along the way, speaking to them even if he wouldn’t to me, but neither had anything I hadn’t seen before. He even cornered an errant demon, who angrily refused the request. The many-toothed creature foolishly struck Emerus, and the Lich struck back, as any Soul with attack would. The demon was killed instantly, the 5 damage Emerus was capable of snapping its head to the side.
I checked behind its nubby ear after that, as well as in its mouth, but it only had a few shards that I pocketed. I felt no remorse at its death or disgust to have saliva drenched crystals in my pocket – such concerns had no place in my world anymore.
One hall later, I did feel a sucking lurch in my chest that stumbled me sideways, and I would have fallen if not for the steading hands of my Master Shieldbearer.
“You alright, lad?”
“Fine,” I said, righting myself. The mysterious pull was fading quickly, like the last moments of a sunset, leaving me all the more mystified. Besides some oil paintings depicting the early founders of Treledyne, there was no one else in this hall, so I didn’t think I had been attacked by a Spell or Ability. And if I had, it should have gone through my Bodyguard first.
We had barely started up again when I heard a voice, so quiet I questioned whether it was there at all.
“Basil,” I thought it said. Then again, more insistent, “Basil.” It was clearer the second time, letting me know it was not just the imaginings of my mind, which was a small relief after the strange chest pain. “The King’s card is being broken down in the Throne Room,” the voice said, speaking long and loud enough for me to recognize it as belonging to Azure. “You can still save it.”
A caught a shimmer in the air to my left, but it was here and gone faster than I could track. So, now that I was finally free of Felstrife, the Secret Keeper had come to call on me, using another of their Hands no doubt as a go-between.
“Was that you before?” I demanded. “What did you do?”
“Destroy that undead creature and escape,” Azure said, commanding me like Emerus had his lessers.
I worked my jaw the same way I had seen Hull do so many times. I was growing extremely tired of people not answering me.
“Now, Basil. Time is against us.”
I glanced at Emerus, but the Lich seemed no more concerned about this exchange than he had my threats against the necromancer woman. He stood there, motionless as a statue, his robes draped around him, making no move toward me or the place we were headed.
“You can defeat the one who guards the King,” Azure continued on, talking like Hestorus was still alive. “You must defeat her.”
Surely if the task was as simple as spiriting a card away, the Secret Keeper could have accomplished it on their own. Either the person who was watching over the King’s Soul was more powerful than they were saying, or Azure’s helpers didn’t have cards of their own to protect themselves with. Perhaps their hands melted off when reaching into the solution I had seen Felstrife’s memories use time and again. Whichever it was, the truth was I didn’t care. What would getting the King’s card gain me? A target on my back, which I could ill afford when the threads of my plan were finally weaving together.
“Basil,” the Secret Keeper whispered, “rally yourself. Serve Treledyne, as you must, as we all must.”
I closed my eyes, taking a long breath. Always, everyone pushing at me in every direction except the one I wished to go.
“No,” I said, opening my eyes. “The King had his chance and made his choice. Now it is time for mine.” I put boots to flagstone, walking faster than I had before, and Emerus joined me without a word.
“I have let you live until now,” Azure’s voice drifted around me. “If you refuse to do what is your duty, that will change.”
“You call trying to murder me, letting me live?” I scoffed, remembering the feel of tight fingers on my throat before Geb came to my rescue.
The Secret Keeper was silent for a time before saying, “It amounted to much the same.”
I halted in my tracks. “Go on then. Kill me if you can.” I still had Fluid Grace active, making me feel nimble even when standing rod straight. My Bodyguard tensed beside me, my burnished helmet sitting atop her brow and my linked Chainmail gracing her shoulders and chest. Ever since I had regained access to my deck, I resummoned the lower rarity Spells and Relics whenever they dissipated.
I stood there, waiting, my fingers ready to twitch cards into my hand should the need arise. Waiting for the responsibilities I’d felt weighing down on me my entire life to crush me; young, gullible Basil had always believed they would if he dared resist too much, if he dared want too much.
I waited and there was no answer.
“I thought so,” I said, starting up again. And this time, I didn’t stop.
Comments
Test Test
Which is probably what he wants
Scarred Ragdoll
That's some super basic gaslighting Azure. I expected better from a supposed spymaster.
iridium248
Lol, Azure is being super-optimistic. How's Basil supposed to defeat the Lich without making a fuss? That's tantamount to suicide.
