Val awoke as Alexa violently shook her. “Get up and get dressed. Be sure to put on your extra armor.” “What?” Val asked groggily. “What’s going on?” “Gang war. Some time in the night someone killed a whole slew of Razor’s Edge guild members. Their bodies line the banks. We need to find out if the auction is canceled. This city is not safe for us right now so as soon as we locate the statuette, we are out of here.” “What do dead guild members have to do with the auction?” “Do you really think a bunch of rich people are going to hang around a city and have a good time while twenty bodies line the banks? I think not. Many will leave town as soon as they hear the news.” “Its just a bunch of criminals. Think someone is trying to limit the attendance to the auction?” Val offered. Alexa was hastily packing up her belongings but paused and looked at Val, considering. “If I had not personally seen you in bed last night, I would suspect you had something to do with all of this. Come on,
Inside the Auction house, a gentleman in a formal suit took their tickets, stamped each with an ink sigil similar to the house crest and then pointed them to a stair case on the right.“Ladies, up stairs and then to the left. You will be in the second door. There will be an attendant on the landing.”“Thank you sir.”They quickly headed up the stairs, and the attendant let them into their box. Val noted that there were several more guardsmen stationed along the hall.There were several seats and over the next hour, several other people filtered in. Val scanned the room below, and noted several Scath Wrath’s moving through the gathering crowd. Nothing unusual for a place like this.What did startle her was the Thrasher Scath that remained stationary in a corner near the front, as if observing the other Scath. Her hand itched for a blade, but with some many guardsmen about, pulling a blade here would be suicide. Be
Moments later, Liam skidded up to her.“You summoned, Miss Reaper?”Val sighed, these gang members were going to be interesting to deal with. She was about to describe the people she needed tailed when she saw Liam staring at her awkwardly.“What?”“You’re pretty.”“Where did that come from?” She looked at his wide-eyed stare that was clearly not locked on her face. “Hello!” she snapped her fingers in his face. When hes eyes didn’t meet hers she grabbed his chin firmly, pulling his face up to hers, “Eyes up here. Pay attention.”He was paying attention, just not to what I was saying. Val thought darkly.“Ouch. Sorry, miss Reaper.”“It’s not like you have never seen a woman before.” Val said, annoyed at his lack of focus.“Yea but none of them talk to me. I normally only see them for a minute wh
“Val? Are you ok?” came Alexa’s voice from the door.Val shook herself, the vision of the meadow fading into the darkness of her subconscious as light poured in from the door.Alexa entered with a small lantern and set it on the bedside table. “We worried when you didn’t show up in the common room so I came to check on you. You were arched, and staring at the ceiling. Is everything ok?”“Bad dream. I must have fallen asleep. Is there still good downstairs? I am starving.”In truth, Val felt like the dream battle had stolen as much energy as it would have if it had been real. Her back and head ached, which was not a common sensation for her.“I think so. Desmond is down there, and that man eats like there is no tomorrow so I think the kitchen is content to keep him happy so long as he keeps the silver coming,” Alexa offered.Val stood and remembered her clothes were soaked with sweat
As Val and Alexa watched the two guards, a trio of ladies strode up to the guards. While they appeared to be wearing expensive dresses, Val noted that they were displaying a fair bit more of their more feminine assets than was customary for public propriety.“Well, that is one way to distract,” Alexa commented as the ladies positioned themselves in such a way that the two guard’s focus shifted away from the door as they engaged with the women.“Quick, we don’t know how long that will last.”Val darted across the street on silent feet, pulling out a thin wire and sliding it through the frame of the door. a quick yank released the poorly fitted latch, completely bypassing the complex locking mechanism.The two girls slipped inside and closed the door behind them.“Places like this really need to upgrade their locks,” Alexa muttered.“The lock was fine. It is the door installation that was t
[System reboot initiated] [Critical damage sustained] [Multiple organ failure] [Multiple bone fractures] [Internal bleeding detected] [Healing Reinstated] [Remaining scath units: 1] [Critical Life Threatening Damage Repaired] [Insufficient Power for Secondary damage] Valkyrie opened her eyes as bright sunlight poured in through a high window. Her cheek was pressed against a cold metal slap, and her hands were bound with metal cuffs behind her back. Val licked her chapped lips. Her mouth felt like it was full of dry cotton. She tried to sit up, but her legs cramped and seized. She rolled off the metal bench in pain, trying to rub the cramp out, but not able to get a good angle with her wrists cuffed. Where am I? “Ah
Val let one of her hidden blades appear in her hand and she pressed him into a corner, “I have done worse for less. Don’t test me on this. I don’t want to see that man, nor catch wind that his people are looking for me. He disowned me and my mother once, I am not about to give him a second chance.”Reginald gulped and nodded. Val realized belatedly that holding a knife on someone inside a courthouse after just getting off for four murder accusations was likely not helping the public opinion of her.Before Reginald could say more, she slipped out the front doors to find none other than Desmond waiting for her next to a carriage.“Figured you might need a ride, and possibly a change of clothes.” He held out a dress, but then tossed it inside the carriage instead. “You need a bath first. The dress will have to wait. Come on, the inn is not far.”As the sun set that evening, Val made her way down to the common r
Lilith grinned wickedly, “I didn’t survive for nearly 200 years by having weak bones. Your spark will have already begun but over the course of twelve such sessions, I will break your bones one by one, and infuse them with a compound of living metal.”“The grid work of metals will enhance your natural strength and still allow for bend and flex, but the bones will no longer break. It is a long process, but a needed one if you are to face what is to come.”The meadow pulsed with light.“Your time here is coming to an end. Collect Scath units. I will cue your spark so you know what you will need before your next visit to me. Don’t take too long. It sounds like your enemies are closing in.”Light shone through her eye lids and Val awoke to violent shaking“Val? Valkyrie Black!” someone slapped her face and she sat up, a dagger in hand ready to slash her attacker.“Val! It me!&rdqu