NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 19: Faces of Evil
Gil watched as Father Donavich prayed over Ismark for a moment. A flash of warm sunlight enveloped the young man, and his wounds were mended instantly. The middle aged priest, with his stained robes and poorly shaved face, didn't look like a miracle worker. Perhaps uncharitably, Gil assumed that the ability to use healing magic must be common in this world if this man could do it.
That seemed useful, but he sincerely doubted that a man of the cloth would abandon his duties lightly. Even more so if this Doru person was as dangerous as Ireena implied. The siblings didn't press him, allowing him to rest for a time. After all, they had a funeral to hold and a grave to dig. Gil was very glad that his new bodies were at least always young; he was able to bounce back fairly quickly.
He shuffled to the front of the chapel, where he sat upon the stone steps and enjoyed a commanding view of the street leading to Barovia's town square. He waited for Granny Morgan to appear, peddling drugs from door to door. He needed to steal a dream pie, not buy one, so he hoped that she wouldn't be watching too closely.
His patience was rewarded with the opportunity to stagger to his feet and creep up on an old lady. He was still covered in sweat and his body protested at every step, but he would have time to rest when he was back on the skyblock for a week.
Morgan was a bent over old woman with frizzy white hair and a few layers of clothes. She left her cart a few feet behind her as she knocked on each door. The pies weren't fresh; that much was obvious at a glance. They seemed to be greasy little things in a variety of flavors; he recognized apple pies among them. Good old apples; it seemed so strange to him that they somehow showed up in substantially more settings than magic.
Gil wasn't as artful as he might have been in some worlds, but he could still snatch something and shove it into his pocket as he walked past. It was surprisingly easy.
"Oh hello dearie!" Morgan called out to him when she noted his presence. "Care for a pie? They'll give you sweet dreams!"
"No thank you, ma'am." He called back, already turning down an alley so he could circle back. "I haven't the money!"
Gil didn't see the ugly smirk on Granny Morgan's face as she briefly broke character. After all, she was alone on the street.
"Oh that's alright dearie." She chuckled to herself. "There are other ways you can pay."
••••••••••
Gil checked his tablet on the way back to the chapel. Just a quick check to confirm that he'd successfully stolen the dream pastry, and a confirmation of the time. 15 hours. He used his tablet as a lantern as he made his way back to the purported safety of holy ground.
Unfortunately, the church grounds had only one gate, and a tall, thin man was standing there. He tried to turn and duck into an alley, but the sharp eyed man had already started to walk towards Gil with long, confident strides.
"A moment, good sir." He called. "My lord has need of you. You will speak to me, or there will be most unpleasant consequences."
Gil briefly considered using his Evac ability on the spot, but doing so had a high opportunity cost. He'd be down one redhead and a couple weeks worth of groceries if he left now and couldn't get back in contact with the siblings. Grudgingly, he turned to face the tall, pale man.
Dark hair, dark eyes, a leather chest piece, and a white fur cloak. Obviously a man of wealth. He was an elf, judging by his pointed ears, though you could never really be sure. At times it felt like baseline humans were the only beings in the multiverse that reliably had round ears.
"Greetings." Gil said, "to what do I owe the honor? Am I speaking to the Count?"
"No," the man said, "merely his most humble servant. I am Rahadin. I am here with a message for lady Ireena Kolyana. I would ask that you deliver it and ensure that she reads it."
"Any particular reason you aren't delivering it yourself?" Gil ventured, "she's around back, I believe."
"Burying her esteemed father, yes." Rahadeem said smoothly, pulling a folded envelope from his jacket pocket. "My master would never dream of intruding upon her grief. Only to provide her with his condolences, once she has finished crying. You will hold it until she is ready to receive it."
"Seems reasonable." Gil said. "Any chance that I might receive payment for services rendered?"
"Of course." Rahadin said, his face perfectly neutral. "My master shall part the mists of Ravenloft, and allow you to return to whence you came. More immediately, you will be allowed to see the next sunrise."
"An excellent and generous offer I will gladly take you up on." Gil said, bowing. "It would be an honor."
Rahadin stepped forward, holding out the letter to Gil. As he drew close, Gil heard whispers in the air, which grew into screams of horror and anguish. At the corner of his eyes, he saw visions of this man slaying people with his twin blades. Each and every vision ended abruptly as the vision's Rahadin turned towards Gil and lunged. The real Rahadin paid the illusions no mind, if he saw them at all.
Gil took the letter, and the visions faded in moments once Rahadin turned away. He pocketed the envelope, fully intending to ditch it at the earliest opportunity. Best case scenario it was exactly what Rahadin claimed; condolences from her father's murderer. Worst case, it was some kind of tracking device or trapped with magical knock out gas. Don't laugh; Gil had no idea what this world's magic system allowed for.
••••••••••
Gil watched from afar as Ismark and Ireena dug the grave together. He settled down to check his tablet more thoroughly; after all, he had a new mission.
Steal the standing harp from Durst Manor.
Reward: 2 credits, unlock Money Changer for purchase.
Money Changer (2 credit cost): A skyblock extension which includes a counter where you can change currency from one type to another with minimal loss of value. This is based on a complex set of calculations to assess the relative buying power of the currency in its native setting. As such, currency from a world with plentiful and easily purchased resources is typically worth more. You may also convert credits from one type to another, at a loss.
Hopefully this job is as easy as it looks. Gil thought to himself. I kinda want to see what a skyblock extension is. If Durst Manor is in town, I can try to grab the harp before I have to go.
Gil curled up under his cloak and took a nap. He suspected that he'd end up very stiff when he woke up, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He shoved a pinch of healing leaf under his lip, hoping that it would help. As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered if he could exercise and heal to rapidly build muscle. That worked, sometimes.
••••••••••
The rats led Snow a short distance from the edge of town, into the forest of Barovia. She was starting to wonder if she'd gone too far afield when the rats scattered and she heard growling.
Reflective eyes peered at her from the shadows like bright golden lanterns. Her heart started to pound. She was not welcome here. Whatever the rats may have thought, this was no place for Snow White to be stumbling about. They saw her as an intruder.
Well! A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet. Snow only wanted to have a pleasant moonlit stroll after all, she didn't intend to damage anything. She drew herself up and started talking.
"Why hello there! You're wolves, yes?" Snow asked, "I think so, but I can't really see you very well. Would you mind coming out into the light?"
The snarling beast that stepped out of the underbrush was no friendly pup. It was not agreeing to her request; it was reiterating it's own command for her to leave. Even Snow could tell that much, and quietly plucked the red and white ball from her belt. Just in case. She took a few steps back.
"I understand if this is your land and you don't want intruders." She said nervously. "I was just hoping I might introduce myself. That way I won't be an intruder anymore."
One of the younger wolves, full of vigor and nervous energy, lunged forward. His alpha hadn't commanded him to kill, as she didn't look like a particularly good meal, but this stupid girl needed to learn her place. He snapped his jaws only a few inches away from her leg, and she screamed.
As she started to run Snow White threw the white and red ball onto the wolf with frankly abysmal technique. The force and aim were both completely off, but spiking a ball into a large target at point blank range is fairly easy. The wolf dissolved into red light and vanished into the ball.
The rest of the pack could have easily caught up to Snow and killed her, but the alpha stopped them. None of them wanted to be disintegrated like the pup. They left, territory defended successfully.
The ball bounced around wildly, trying to subdue a creature that had no intention of submitting. The wolf's spirit slammed against the inside of the pokeball for a full fifteen seconds, almost escaping several times. Ultimately, it failed.