Bound in Spirals Ch. 14

"She'll have to get over it, and she owes me a favor. I figure I can convince her to make the stuff if I have to. Although... she still really likes you, so... I might not even have to use up my favor." He replied with an unashamed shrug.

"You really are a devious little widdel shite at times." Hennel said with a dark chuckle. "But, if you weren't, I suppose you wouldn't have gotten so far as you have."

"This coming from the prince of stone widdels?!" Deredd adopted a good approximation of a nobleman's more lilting accent, "I dare say I feel offended, my prince!"

Hennel stifled a laugh, glancing around at the noble women with their men passing them by. "Shh! Don't do that around here, they might hear you."

"What are they going to do? Try to make me duel them?"

"No, but they might say something to their wives."

"Oh blight... I forgot that." Deredd said, trying to cover his laughter with a cough. "Are we going the right way?"

"Yes, it's just ahead."

A minute later, Hennel found himself standing at the front door of Aivvena's shop. He reached up and rapped on it with a shaky hand. He felt more than a little trepidation at seeing her again, but his hands were trembling more and more due to his steadily increasing pain. Deredd started to fidget when she didn't answer right away. He knocked a few seconds later.

The pair jumped slightly when the door opened suddenly, streaming out with bright white light. A shadow stood in the doorway, indistinct through his squinting eyes.

———

Darrel sat alone on the bench, his fingers entwined behind his lowered head. The utter darkness around the beautiful park was enough to make him virtually invisible, the way he preferred it. He'd spent several hours sitting there, barely registering the day become night. He just sat there, thinking about the commitment he'd made earlier.

A voice spoke into his mind, 'Samson sought me out.' Rentell said. When Darrel did not reply immediately he went on. 'We had no chance to speak, his saint was in trouble and he had to go...'

Darrel still did not reply.

'Why are you silent? Did something happen while I was away?' Rentell sifted through his memories when he continued his unmoving silence. 'I understand... This will be good for you, you know. You'll have to get over it eventually.'

Darrel's face, unseeable in the dark, twisted into an expression of such indescribable rage. "FUCK YOU!" He shouted, the seething anger rippling out with his words. "My wife, my little daughter, my baby son! They were raped and murdered because of my existence. And you tell me to get over it?! You expect me to just sleep with another woman now?!"

'Darrel, you can barely remember their faces. It has been over a hundred years.' He paused, waiting for a response, but Darrel had already smothered his emotions again and reseated himself.

'Leave me be.' The captain said, retreating back behind his mask, his shield.

'Very well...' The god left him to his silence.

—————

Thus ends Chapter 14. Hope you enjoyed!