Shadowborn

Chapter Six: The Accords

I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. I had Rhallani walk in front of me so I could use a tendril of shadow to cover our tracks as best I could. If they had anyone with half decent tracking skills it would be a moot point, but it was better than nothing. Rhallani was silent during the trip, and I found myself constantly wishing I knew what to say.

That she was torn up by what had happened was a given. She may not have killed the man herself, but she’d given the order to attack him. She’d watched him bleed out and die. That wasn’t the kind of thing she’d get over in a night. What tortured me was thinking of the litany of other things that could have been bothering her. They’d made it clear what they wanted from her, and I could only imagine that was a hard thing to hear. She knew I’d been low level, so I couldn’t even blame her if she’d doubted our victory. Hells, I hadn’t even been sure we’d come out on top.

But the one thought that kept coming up no matter how hard I tried to stamp it out was whether she saw me differently now. I’d spent my life fighting enemies stronger than me. Armies with larger numbers than mine. I’d reached a point where I almost didn’t know how to fight someone weaker than I was. My class seemed designed to win unwinnable battles, and it had shaped how I fought. I knew that, when outnumbered like we were, the best course was to hit so hard and so fast that the enemy doubted their advantage. Take out the biggest threats while I was stat boosted and shock the weaker ones with brutality so that I stood a chance.

It had gotten me out of more scrapes than I could count, but I’d been told before that the way I fought was unnerving. I’d heard the phrase “cornered animal” more times than I could count, but that had never bothered me. Not until I had a wonderful girl that I was quickly growing more and more attached to watching me end lives. I’d never been proud of what I was, but today I was surprised to find that I felt ashamed.

Rhallani hardly said a word when I told her we’d be spending the night without a fire. It bothered me that she didn’t ask why. That she hadn’t so much as asked me a question since the fight. I found us a recently sheltered area and we got ready to bed down. I summoned the golem and had her set it to guard us while we slept before giving her pack to her. When I pulled my bedroll out, she eyed it and chewed her lip.

I smiled as best I could. “If you want to share, all you have to do is ask.”

She jumped, then flushed. “Um, in that case, mine is probably comfier.”

With a laugh, I banished the bedroll. It would be a cold night, and the thought of having her warm body snuggled into me was more than a little appealing. Before I knew it, I had her back pressed into my chest and my arms wrapped around her. Only when she’d settled into my arms did she finally seem to relax.

Just when I figured she’d nodded off, she spoke.

“Ren? Can I ask you something personal?”

“I can’t promise I’ll answer, but sure.”

“Does killing get easier?”

I closed my eyes. Not something I wanted to talk about, but definitely something we needed to. “I’m the wrong person to ask that, I’m afraid.”

She hesitated. “Why?”

There was no answer I could think of that wouldn’t make her hate me, but I didn’t want to dodge the question either. “I never had the chance to see life like that. I’ve been surrounded by death for as long as I can remember. Kill or be killed was my life for a long, long time.”

“Then killing those men didn’t bother you?” I could feel the reluctance in her tone. She wanted to ask about as much as I wanted to answer.

Not really. Especially not after what they’d said. After what they’d threatened. “Yes and no. It bothers me that it didn’t bother me.”

“I don’t understand.”

Neither did I, honestly. “I’ve known men like that. If we didn’t kill them, they’d have hurt someone else. I gave them an out, but the moment they didn’t take it I had no other choice.”

“My sister says that we always have a choice.”

“And she’s right. Unfortunately, sometimes that choice is live or die. If I had let up even a little and they’d gotten a hit in, if they’d come out on top, then they’d have hurt you.” I tightened my arms around her. “I’ve seen the people I care about suffer too many times. So long as I have a say, I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

She made a humming noise and I realized she was almost asleep. Just when I’d started to drift off finally, she said in a half-asleep voice, “A combat class. I want a magic based combat class for my secondary. I’ve been pouring points into Arcane because of it.”

I frowned. That was hardly something to be ashamed of. “Why should that bother me?”

Her response was so quiet I nearly missed it. “Good celestials aren’t supposed to want to be strong. I want a strong class so I can show people we aren’t the monsters they think. I was afraid you’d hate me for it.”

“Oh, Rhallani,” I kissed the top of her head. “At this point, I don’t think I could ever hate you.”

If she heard me, she didn’t show any sign of it. Her breathing evened out and I knew she’d fallen asleep. I made my decision then and there that, whatever the future held, I was going to help her with that goal. I fell asleep thinking of ways I could do it.

# # #

The next morning she made no mention of our conversation the night before, and I didn’t bring it up either. Not when she almost seemed to be the energetic Rhallani I knew from before the fight. She spent the first half of the day telling me about her family. About her older sister, Xara, who acted protector their entire lives. Xara, it seemed, had gotten it in her head to be a soldier. She’d spent the years before her sixteenth birthday sneaking out and training with practice swords so she could get a fighter class, and it had driven their father up the wall.

He’d apparently been determined to make at least one of them into a decent housemaid. He had allies in high places and apparently that was one of the safer career choices, but Xara had missed no opportunity to sneak books to Rhallani at every opportunity. When she’d gotten her scholar class, her father had resigned himself to his fate. Any time Rhallani talked about Xara, she practically glowed. It made me want to meet the woman very much.

According to Rhallani, we could make Listone by dark if we didn’t stop for a midday meal. I could tell she was getting tired, but if she was willing to push through then I wasn’t going to stop her. The sooner we got out of these woods the better. A town where we could hide among the populace would make me feel a hell of a lot safer.

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As we neared Listone, however, I could feel her retreating into herself. Finally, with a sigh, she pulled off the bracer that allowed her to control the golem and held it out to me. “Here,” she said, and the sadness in her tone was unmistakable.

I frowned. “No, you more than earned that. It’s yours.”

But she shook her head. “I can’t. It’s against the law.”

“The law? What law?”

She slowed to a stop. “You know, the Accord?”

Ah, shit. Sounds like I was missing something I would have known if I hadn’t spent the last three decades napping. “Rhallani, if I tell you a secret, will you promise to keep it?”

Her eyes widened. She lowered the bracer, but didn’t put it on. “Of course.”

“I’m…” Fuck. How the hell do I say that I was actually one of the seven heroes who killed the legendary Grimsbane and then made a deal with a goddess to sleep for thirty years in exchange for the reincarnation of all my friends? She’d think I was insane. Hells, I thought I was insane most of the time.

Baby steps. I just needed to give her enough of the truth until I figured out a less crazy way of breaking it to her. “I’m not from around here,” I ended up saying. Not technically untrue. “In fact, where I come from is very different from the things you’ve told me.” Also not untrue. I’d lived in a time of war and tyranny. “I don’t know what the Accords are or what it entails. Sorry.”

Her hands fell to her sides and she stared at me. For a moment, I was worried she’d forgotten how to blink. “Not…from around here?” she asked finally.

I scratched the back of my head. “Yeah. People are pretty different where I’m from, too. If it’s not too much trouble, though, I’d like if you could explain the basics to me.”

She started chewing on the inside of her mouth. She crossed one arm and brought the other to her chin. She turned and started walking towards Listone again. “You know about the war against Grimsbane, but not the Accords?” she asked finally.

So they were related. I knew Rolar and the others had been negotiating all kinds of things when I bowed out, but I hadn’t exactly stayed to see the outcome. I hadn’t been planning on sticking around long enough to see the world I’d saved.

“That’s right, as strange as it sounds.”

“Well, the Accords were a set of agreements that set restrictions on the various races of demi-humans.”

That made me stumble. “Restrictions? What the hell for?”

Her confusion only seemed to grow. “The Abyssal King used armies comprised completely of demi-humans. He couldn’t have become such a tyrant and enslaved the continent without them. After his death, restrictions were put in place to ensure the races couldn’t help another like him to power.”

I could feel my blood boiling. “Hang on, most of them didn’t have any choice! He combined his classes with forbidden ancient magics to enslave entire bloodlines at a time!”

“And like I said before,” she explained, “there’s no way to prove that. After the war, it was impossible to tell those who were enslaved from those who served willingly, but they all claimed innocence. Most of the human populace had been beaten down by the demi-humans that served under Grimsbane. Many called for widespread executions, but the Seven managed to talk them down to the restrictions laid out in the Accords.”

Suddenly, tracking down my former allies found its way much higher on the list. I needed some answers from them about this fuckery, but none of that was Rhallani’s fault. I calmed myself with some effort. “Alright, so what restrictions are we talking?”

She glanced at me uncertainly. “Well, each race was given different restrictions based on their level of involvement. Racial features were taken into account as well in some cases.”

“Celestials, then, since it’s pertinent.”

“Well, the reason I can’t have the bracelet is that I can’t carry magical items without a special permit. I only have the spectacles because my father pulled some strings and Pierce was my chaperone.”

I grit my teeth. “I’m guessing that’s not all.”

She shook her head. “We aren’t allowed to own property either, and we can’t work jobs that involve fighting, crafting, or magic unless we’re bound to a Patron. Celestials with classes considered dangerous must have a Patron as well. It also spells out circumstances in which we can become indebted.”

“Indebted?”

“Forcefully beholden to a city or Patron as their servant for a disclosed amount of time until whatever debt we’ve incurred is paid off,” she said quietly. “If an adventurer or lawman came across me with this bracer, they could turn me in for a reward. Then, if my father didn’t receive word quick enough, any eligible Patron could claim me from the prison.”

I had to put my hands into my pockets to keep from hitting something. It was no wonder she was so skittish, she was worried I’d turn her in. And rightfully so, it seemed. “Let me get this straight, the celestial races lost pretty much all their rights as a punishment for being enslaved?”

She seemed surprised by the barely contained anger in my voice. “If you look at it that way, then I suppose you’re right.”

The resignation in her voice was too much for me. Forget Allura. Forget this outsider god. Nobody deserved to have all those restrictions put on them for something the previous generation had done. For something they’d been forced into doing. I was going to Amesseria, then I was going to tear it down brick by brick until I erased these Accords from existence. I wanted to ask about the other races, but I was afraid I might lose my shit if she kept going.

“We’ll need to find a way for you to hold onto that bracelet. Fuck the Accords, and fuck anyone who enforces them.” Her eyes went wide. “You mentioned Patrons a few times. Elaborate on that please.”

“A Patron can either claim indebted demi-humans or take them on as voluntary servants. My sister voluntarily went into servitude so she could fight in the army.” She didn’t sound like she was particularly happy about that, but now wasn’t the time to dig into that. “Technically speaking, anybody who owns property in one of the major cities can be a Patron, but status comes into play when determining how many servants you can take. A blacksmith who owns their forge could take a few demi-humans as apprentices, but he couldn’t take in enough to form an army.”

I stopped walking. “Wait, so all you need to do is own property in one of the cities?”
Her look became cautious. “Yes, but for that reason those with the means try to hoard the properties where they’re able. Sometimes entire cities are owned by a handful, and they rent out the spaces. If we’re using the blacksmith example again, a noble might own his forge, so the servants would technically be owned by the noble. The blacksmith is just borrowing them. Getting a property that fits the requirements would be costly and time consuming.” She held the bracer out again. “Which means you’ll need to hold onto this if we go into any cities.”

But, for once, I already had the solution to the problem. “And if I already owned some property?”

She froze in disbelief. “But you said you weren’t from around here.”

I shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s been in the family for a few years.”

The resignation I’d seen so far seemed to battle with something new. Something dangerous. Hope. “I don’t suppose you have proof, do you? If not, we’d have to wait until you got some.”

I pulled the watertight tube from my storage and opened it, depositing the scroll inside into my hand. Had Allura known about these laws when she left it for me? I handed it to her and she unrolled it with trembling fingers. When she read it, her brows disappeared into her hairline.

I felt a hint of fear when she looked at me next, and I immediately realized my mistake. My name was on the damn thing, and a scholar like her was bound to recognize it. “Please tell me you didn’t steal this.”
Ouch. “I give you my word that the paper in your hands is completely legitimate. It’s bound to me and everything.”

“Zaren Nocht…” I felt a jolt at hearing my name come from her lips. I bet Rolar still thought he was funny for deciding on that to be my last name since I’d had none at the time. I still wanted to kick Sandrel in the jewels for coming up with it. He thought he was clever. “As his son, then legally the property would go to you. But you told me you weren’t a lord!”

Son? I’m not his…ah. Honestly, it was the only thing that made sense. I was physically twenty, so it was the only logical leap her mind could have made. I chose not to correct her on that for now even though I was positive it would come back to haunt me. “In my defense, it had slipped my mind at the time. I’m technically a lord, I guess, but I don’t have a drop of noble blood in me.”

She stared at the scroll for a bit longer, then gave it back to me. I banished it and she clasped her hands in front of her. “Ah, um… Does that mean that… I mean, are you…” She rubbed her thighs together.

I sighed. It was really unfair that she was too cute to be angry at. “Rhallani, would you like me to be your Pat—”

She didn’t even let me finish before she jumped me. Literally. Her lips mashed into mine and her ankles locked behind my waist. I barely reacted in time to catch her, my fingers sinking into the soft flesh of her thighs. One of my hands slid up her back to keep her steady while our tongues wrestled and fought. Hers explored my mouth with a frantic thoroughness that made me chuckle into her. Finally, she had to come up for breath. She stared at me, flush, but made no move to escape my hold.

I chuckled. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. Then she dove back in.

When I started straining against my pants, I forced myself to pull back. “As much as I’m enjoying this, if we don’t get a move on we won’t make it to Listone.”

Her breath still came hard, and her gaze kept flitting between my eyes and my mouth. “I wouldn’t mind sharing a bedroll again tonight.”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “Neither would I, but I’d much rather share a bed.”

Her nostrils flared. “Promise?”

“Depends,” I set her down, “on if we can make it before nightfall or not.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” She grabbed my hand and started dragging me, then paused. She turned and pushed the bracer into my palm. When I tried to protest, she silenced me with a kiss. “Just until we make it official.”

For the first time since we’d left the tower behind, I could fully see the Rhallani that had captured my heart, so I didn’t argue.

Listone turned out to be a decently sized town. Thatch roofed houses sat in neat little rows, and from the hill that overlooked the town I could clearly tell which of the buildings was the inn. It was the only structure that was more than two stories. Now that Rhallani was no longer dreading returning, I could barely keep up with her. She practically dragged me to the local Adventurer’s Guild.

She stopped us outside the building, all business. “Alright, there’s a good chance that there isn’t anyone who can oversee an official servant’s contract, and I know you don’t want to wait the weeks it’ll take for them to send one out.” She stared into my eyes so that I could see how serious she was. “You’ll need to indebt me.”

Anger rose immediately. “Not a chance. I’m not—”

She silenced me by putting a finger to my lips and I raised a brow. Where had timid and shy Rhallani gone? “It’s the best way, and if you’re the one to both turn me in and claim the debt, then we’ll be fine. Just set the term for a few months, and by the end of it we’ll be somewhere I can join you willingly.”

I could see the logic in her argument, but I’d spent most of my life without freedom. The idea that I’d be taking away what little she had, even if she was telling me to do it, rubbed me the wrong way. “And if you decide in a month that you regret it? Rhallani, this is servitude we’re talking about.”

“I know, Ren. I’ve made up my mind.”

I really didn’t want to say what I knew I had to. “And if there are things I haven’t told you? Things about my past and my goals that could very well make you regret ever making this decision? I’m not saying you’re making a mistake, but I can’t help but feel guilty that you don’t have all the information.

Only after grabbing my hands in hers and stepping so that we were chest to chest did she speak. “Ren, I’ve felt more happiness in the last few days than the rest of my life. You make me feel like nobody ever has before, and the thought of going back to my father’s estate now after what I’ve shared with you so far makes me want to curl up and cry until I’m out of tears.” She twisted her palms so she could lace her fingers with mine. “I never thought I’d find a Patron I wanted to serve, much less one that would want me for something other than my body or what I could do for them. Please?”

She stuck her bottom lip out and hit me with wide, wet eyes, and I knew I’d lost. Dear gods, what have I gotten myself into? “Fine, you win.”

Her pout vanished and she beamed at me. “Now we just need to come up with something worthy of indebting. If I admit to it, then they’ll barely ask any questions.”

“Well, you did stab me,” I pointed out.

She pulled one hand free to smack me in the chest. “On accident!”

“And now you’ve assaulted me. Will that be enough?”

Her eyes glittered. She nodded, and allowed me to lead her in. The sun was beginning to set, so there weren’t many people in the Guild. Those that were hardly paid any attention to us. We approached the desk and the receptionist looked up. She smiled at me, then her eyes flicked to Rhallani and her expression faltered.

“How can I help you today, sir?”

My mouth suddenly felt very dry, but I’d spent my life bluffing through situations. This would be nothing. “I’m here to indebt this Arelim.”

The woman winced. “And what infraction did she commit?”

“She, uh, stabbed me.”

“Stabbed you.”

“That’s correct.”

The woman looked at me with clear disbelief. She turned her eyes towards Rhallani. “Is that true?”

“Yes ma’am,” Rhallani said miserably. “It’s as he says. I’m here to accept punishment.”

The receptionist shot me a look that I couldn’t quite interpret. “Very well. Stay here and I’ll have a runner sent to grab a guard. They’ll take her to the Pens.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I said quickly. “I plan to claim her as well.”

Her brows shot up. “I assume you have some proof of status to do so?”

I handed over the deed and her face went pale. “Apologies, sir. I’ll need to verify this.” She pulled out a small golden square with raised edges and a needle in the center. “Would you be so kind as to prick your thumb here? We’ll need the blood for the verification.”

I did as she asked and she disappeared. I glanced at Rhallani, who was doing her best to look miserable. I could see the excitement in her eyes, though. “You and punishment,” I said quietly. I leaned in close. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you wanted to be punished.”

I could see her pupils dilate, then her thighs began rubbing together. Before she could answer, though, the receptionist had returned. She hastily gave me back the deed and sat. “Standard indebted servitude for assault is six months to five years.”

“The minimum is fine,” I said quickly.

The receptionist nodded, and I couldn’t help but think she looked a little relieved. “We don’t have any servants on record for you, so how would you like your claim to be shown? We have piercings and collars on premises, but for tattoo or brand you’ll have to wait till morning.”

Fighting back the nausea at the thought of marking someone as mine with the latter two options, I glared at Rhallani. She hadn’t told me that part. She looked back, and I swore I could see the corner of her mouth twitch upward. I had half a mind to choose the piercing. “Collar is fine.”

“Yes, sir.” She left again, and when she came back she had a long golden plate with a collar attached. It had a similar formation on one end to the device she’d used for verification a moment ago. “We’ve already keyed the Patron side of the collar to you, we just need her information.”

Rhallani stepped forward and pressed her thumb to the spike, and I felt a pulse of magic travel through the collar. The receptionist looked at the plate. “Rhallani Venetia. I’ve got next of kin as Xana Venetia. Is that correct?”

Rhallani sucked in her breath, but said, “yes ma’am.”

She nodded. “We’ll send them a missive so they know where you’ve gone and how long you’ll be gone for.” She lifted the collar off the plate and handed it to me. It was a simple black leather with a clasp. “The collar is bound to both of you, but only you’ll be able to put it on or take it off, sir.”

Trying to ignore the second wave of nausea, I put the collar around Rhallani’s neck. The only silver lining was the glow I could see in her eyes. She bit her lip, and I could see her clenching her hands. She was trying very hard to hold back her emotions right now, and I wasn’t much better. The clasp clicked into place, and there was no turning back.

“Will there be anything else, sir?” the receptionist asked.

As badly as I wanted to get to the inn, the responsible part of me knew I couldn’t just yet. “I’m looking to head for Amesseria as soon as possible. You wouldn’t happen to know if any caravans or groups are headed that way anytime soon, would you?”

She frowned, then checked her notes. “It looks like Korey’s set to leave in the morning, but he’s probably full up already. Havershaw’s caravan is set to leave in a few days, and I’m sure they’d have room for two more if you can afford it. I can leave a message that you’re interested. I assume you’ll be at the inn?”

“That’s correct.”

“Very well. Have a wonderful night, sir.” She bowed, and we took our leave.

Rhallani didn’t leap at me like I figured she might, but she did snake her hand into mine and grip it as tightly as she could. When I glanced at her, she’d reached up to rest the tips of her fingers on her new collar, and her lips were pressed so tightly together to keep from smiling I worried she’d hurt herself. I squeezed her hand back and her cheeks flushed, but the corners of her mouth crept upward.

“So, to the inn?” I asked her.

Her only answer was a very enthusiastic nod.