Hunter Or Huntress

Chapter 155: Where am I?

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Well, Saph was at least glad she had fetched Fengi. Things were moving fast, and Tom was clearly completely out of it by now. Essy had taken the time to bring them all up to speed on what was going on as soon as they made it back. There were a fair few people outside the door to the small bedroom, rumors clearly spreading quite quickly that at least something was going on right now.

Tom had apparently managed to get a hold of even more people from his past, not just his father. Saph and the others had slowly been assigned a role one by one, as he thought of more people he wanted to talk to. The human was switching willy nilly between Danish, English, and Draconic, often getting things confused to the detriment of them all, as he got quite angry when they didn’t do as he said.

Saph was apparently playing a bit of a playboy and a bully Tom had known since he was little. To that end, she had been told to sit down on a chair, don’t move, and look pretty essentially. She was not quite sure if it was the strangest Tom related thing she had been part of yet, but it was certainly up there. When neither Joelina nor Paulin had been able to come up with an alternative solution to letting Tom try and work this all out for himself, at least for the moment, they had all obeyed.

While chairs were found for a little half-circle, Saph had gotten away with presenting the idea of using Fengi to try and help to the inquisitor. Joelina seemed rather sceptical of the idea, agreeing with Fengi that there was a real chance of worsening the situation.

So there they were, Tom happily chatting away in Danish with all the people in the room. For some reason Linkosta had to sit on the floor, and he did only allow 6 of them to stay. Dakota, Glazz and Paulin had not been given roles and when all of them refused to leave, Tom had started trying to fight them starting with Glazz, which had been a pitiable sight to say the least. It had soon turned from sad spectacle to rather scary as the man had started shouting and screaming about darklings and knights crawling into a corner like a scared child, clutching his knees and only daring to peek up at the bodyguard, who for her part simply stood there staring at him unmoving, clearly having no idea what to do nor the inclination to move.

“Just get out of sight, all of you,” Joelina had then finally ordered in a rather displeased tone. “Glazz, stand by the door and do your job… he is not much of a threat right now, is he?”

“As you wish, Inquisitor,” the large woman replied stoically, going outside the door and closing it behind her almost robotically as Paulin decided Jacky’s dresser would do the trick and started taking out things carelessly throwing them to the floor to make room as she climbed in.

Jacky for her part did not even seem to notice. She was just sitting on her chair like she had been told, straining her neck trying to look over at where Tom was sitting curled up, a tear in her eye. He had shouted at her very loudly the last two times she had tried to comfort him and had seemingly learned her lesson, sad as it was to watch.

“Dakota, you have to go I think,” Essy pleaded with her old friend. “We’ll be fine I’m sure.”

The gilded huntress threw an almost hateful glance at the inquisitor, who was luckily looking at Tom right now, seeming puzzled by his behaviour more than anything right now.

“No, I am staying. I just hope Jacky didn’t skip on cleaning duty,” Dakota replied, getting down on the floor and crawling under the bed, letting out some noises that suggested that Jacky had in fact skimped on some of her chores, rather unsurprisingly.

The saying ‘out of sight out of mind’ apparently applied here as Tom immediately stopped yammering, looking up and glancing around the room like a kid checking if the adults were gone. “Where did they go? Are they gone?”

“Yes Tom, they are gone. Far far away,” Saph tried in as soothing a tone as she could muster, being rewarded with the human standing up and looking around, fear seemingly gone for now.

“May we commence?” Joelina asked, still staring at the human.

“Yeah yeah, dad’s always so impatient,” Tom responded, going to sit down on the bed cross-legged. He was about to speak when Jacky reached out to touch his shoulder. Tom stopped in his tracks and turned to her, slapping the hand away.

“No, you have to play your role. Morten would never get handsy ever. Even with his wife… probably,” he reprimanded as Jacky recoiled back, holding her hand like it had hurt, which Saph could guess it probably had, just not physically.

Tom had then switched into Danish again and started spouting gibberish as he looked around at all of them, seeming quite content to just ramble along, an actual smile now on his face.

“There must be something we can do, right? Right?” Fengi pleaded, looking to the inquisitor, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed with her head now resting on her fists, staring at the human.

“I do not know… This has never happened before, not with a person at least.”

“It’s almost like he’s not a dragonette or something,” Saph sneered from her chair, staring daggers at the inquisitor.

“Who was it you contacted, or is this a secret?” Dakota asked from under the bed, letting out a grunt as she moved around a bit.

“My old master. The man who taught me how to use my powers.”

“You have a master?” Saph asked, cocking an eyebrow as Tom apparently did a round of introductions around the room.

“Everyone must learn from somewhere. He is my master in terms of skill. Not rank,” Joelina clarified, throwing a glance Saph’s way with just a hint of smugness in it.

“Well…”

“Did he say anything?” Fengi interjected, a desperate hope still in her tone.

“He reminded me of something… I might have seen something like this before, But never in a dragonette.”

“What then?” Saph asked, tilting her head.

“You have mindread something other than Tom and dragonettes?” Linkosta asked, tone heavy with apprehension of what that could mean. Her notebook was out and ready, as always. “Oh dragons, of course. I’m dumb.”

“No. Not a dragon. We don’t train on people… not to start with, at least,” Joelina admitted. “We start on animals. It is easier, even if there is not much to learn.”

“That sounds like animal cruelty if ever I’ve heard of it,” Saph retorted, slightly disgusted. She was a huntress, but a hallmark of the hunter is killing without suffering after all.

“Would you rather we spend a few more criminals, Huntress? Not to mention inquisitorial cadets? Yours is not the only mind in danger when I work my magic.”

“Would you just skip to the useful part!” Jacky let out, holding back tears as she looked at Tom, who seemed utterly oblivious to what they were saying.

“There isn’t one… We never bothered trying to fix a rabbit or a rat for that matter… this merely seems similar to that. We believed it was due to how simple their brains are compared to ours. They would run around confused, seemingly unable to get back to normal after a session. We used to just get another one when it happened.”

“Tom’s mind is anything but simple, I can attest to that,” Linkosta interjected, eyes in her book.

“It would seem there is more to it than that, yes.”

“Fucking spill it, woman! What do we do?!” Jacky protested.

“I don’t know,” Joelina replied, leaning back. “All I can think of is to try and ease him back into the real world. We can see symptoms like this after rough transitions, but they fade, as has been stated many times by now. His, clearly have not.”

“So you want to go back in there in the hope that will make it better?” Saph asked skeptically, looking to Linkosta hopefully.

“You aren’t touching him. None of this would have happened if you just trusted him!” Jacky shouted at the inquisitor, seeming quite ready to tear her apart on the spot.

“Which I could not do under any circumstance.”

“Fuck you! He didn’t lie! None of us have. He didn’t even hate you that bad after what you did. He showed you trust and you shat on it!”

“Jacky, cool it just a bit,” Dakota went in a clearly worried tone from under the bed. “Throwing punches won’t fix anything now.”

“Shut up,” Jacky sneered in reply, putting her head in her hands. “I know.”

“Shush,” Joelina then let out, earning some rather angry stares from around the room as she started looking around curiously. “What on… I hear someone.”

“What do you mean you hear someone?” Saph sighed, shaking her head a bit.

“What a strange noise… No wait, that is Tom’s language.”

“You’re hearing Danish?” Saph asked, glancing at Tom who was still babbling on, looking around to the various people in the room. “Aside from Tom, that is.”

“Oh don’t tell me she’s losing it too” Fengi pleaded, looking more than a little disheartened.

“I am… It is faint… It’s male… I would say an older male… Fascinating.”

“Tom was talking with his dad earlier,” Essy tried cautiously, looking at the clearly concentrating inquisitor.

“Or one of the soldiers. I’m very sure soldat means soldier. He was going on about them before,” Saph added thoughtfully.

“I do not understand a word he is saying,” Joelina grumbled, looking at Tom rather annoyed. “Tell whoever it is to speak Draconic.”

Tom for his part did not react, simply carrying on like he had before, talking with the various people they were apparently playing.

“He can’t hear you okay. You know that!” Jacky half-sobbed, half-sneered as she did her best to stare daggers at the inquisitor.

“I understand that I wa- What the. What is that?!” the inquisitor asked, eyes darting around the room. “That’s music?! How in the heavens is he doing this?!”

“You’re the expert, figure it out,” Jacky snapped at her as she leaned over, trying to take Tom’s hand to hold. Tom just pulled it away sternly and told her something in Danish, Jacky’s shoulders sagging further than Saph thought they could as she sat back down on her chair, staring ahead aimlessly.

“What is going on… my eyes! This isn’t possible!” Joelina protested, holding a hand up in front of herself waving it as she stared blankly ahead, slowly leaning back in her chair, arms flopping to the side as her head lolled back.

“What just happened?!” Essy let out in alarm, staring at the woman next to her, placing a hand on the inquisitor's thigh and shaking gently. “Joelina?”

“Please, not you too,” Fengi squeaked out, looking at the limp inquisitor. “Oh we are gonna be in so much trouble.”

“What is going on in there?” Glazz questioned in an authoritative tone from outside the door.

“No clue, ma’am,” Saph tried with forced calm in her voice.

“I think the inquisitor might be in there with Tom now.”

“You have got to be joking,” The bodyguard retorted, clearly not pleased in the slightest.

“Would you state this is ordinary behavior?” Linkosta tried as she scribbled away. “Has it happened before?”

“No and no,” Glazz responded very pointedly before grabbing at the locked door. “Open at once!”

“What would you do, sit with her?” Dakota countermanded. “If she is talking with him then let her do her job. Not like we are of much help at the moment. Remember your inquisitor’s orders.”

“This is madness,” the bodyguard huffed from outside, though to her credit she did in fact not try to force down the door.

“Yeah, try being me for once!” Jacky shouted at the door, clearly eager to let off some frustration. “Fuck off and do nothing!”

“You will both have faith in Joelina’s ability as an inquisitor. She will set this right, I am sure of it.” It came from the closet where Paulin had been rather quiet till now.

“Really now? So sit here and trust the reason why this all happened?” Jacky snarled, turning to stare at her own dresser.

“You were the one who cut their seance short. Anyone should know that is a dangerous thing to do. She was in his mind at the time.”

“Oh should I now? You don’t tell us anything! How the fuck could I ever know that?!”

“Jacky! Cool it,” Dakota ordered from under the bed. Jackalope stared around the room at them, tears in her eyes before just starting to sob quietly to herself. Saph couldn’t even get up to do anything or Tom would just start shouting at her.

‘This is a fucking shit day.’

And then to make it all that much better the inquisitor started screaming and writhing in her chair.

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Tom’s mother looked rather surprised at the inquisitor, who had just appeared where her husband had been sitting, taking the time to look her over wide-eyed. In fact, everyone was currently staring at the white-skinned draconic figure as if they had just seen a ghost.

Joelina on the other hand was the exact opposite of calm as she sat there eyes darting around at all of them, wearing an expression Tom could best describe as Manic.

“I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THAT STUFF FOR 3 STRAIGHT MONTHS! I counted. WHAT IS IT?!”

“His mum’s playlist, didn’t you like it?” Torben asked mockingly, finding this all rather amusing if he was being perfectly honest.

“Huh… didn’t even think it had been a minute yet,” Tom pondered aloud, staring at the inquisitor. “That really does sound like Geneva wouldn’t be happy with it.”

“Where did Jørgen go? Is he alright?” Vibike asked innocently, looking between the irate inquisitor and Tom. “Do you know, dear?”

“WHO IN THE HEAVEN AND HELLS IS JØRGEN?!” Joelina snapped in reply, clearly not appreciating Vibike’s calm and collected demeanor.

“Shssss be quite!” Tom ordered, trying to keep his voice down as there was a crash at the door. “You’ll draw them in!”

“What in the name of all the gods are you talking about?”

“Some strange soot-covered things that look a bit like you, come to think of it. They are all around the place. Don’t worry, they are dumb as bricks. We’re safe here for now,” Torben chuckled looking her over, clearly amused. “Does that go for you too?”

“You insolent little!”

“Are they zombies then?” Vigo interrupted, turning to look to Tom, leaving the inquisitor hanging mid-sentence.

“Sorta, I guess… They die quite normally though.”

“She’s damn strange looking… is this what we look like?” Morten asked, rubbing his chin, looking over the inquisitor as she quickly glanced around the room, eyes darting from face to face. It likely didn’t help that was the only non-human here and half of said humans were dead with very obvious signs as to how. Not counting Tajs, of course.

“More or less yeah,” Tom confirmed reluctantly. “Not quite sure how she got in here though.”

“Eh, could be worse I guess.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WORSE?! WHO IS JØRGEN!” Joelina demanded, clearly not even halfway to her senses yet.

There was yet another knock at the door, a piece falling away and revealing nothing but darkness outside, a single eye peeking through letting out a horrid screech that certainly got the inquisitor’s attention. The dresser also started bouncing ominously side to side, the doors clattering alarmingly like they were bound to spring open at any moment, the infernal screeching of a dark knight bellowing orders in some dark twisted tongue slipping through the gaps.

Tom just motioned with a hand and the piece flew back into place sealing shut. “Would you please stop that?”

Joelina now seemed more than a little scared, slowly nodding and turning back round in her chair to stare at Tom “What is going on?”

“Oh don’t worry, I don’t know either. But Jørgen is my husband,” Vibike said in her always helpful and kind tone, trained over many years of dealing with small children. “We are having a council to try and help my son Tomas. Tom dear, do you know where Jørgen went?”

“Not a clue really. I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Tom replied with a forced smile, looking to his mother.

“I hope he didn’t go and see your new friends. He’s so bad at first impressions. We need this Jacky to like you.”

“Oh don’t worry, mum. I didn’t do much better.”

This is madness! Let me out of here at once Human!” Joelina demanded, looking at Tom wide-eyed, though she was now keeping her voice down.

“Hey now, be nice. We’re trapped too,” Torben went, cocking his head at the inquisitor.

“Not to mention dead,” Vigo added with a shrug. “You’re the one that fucked him up, right?”

“I am Inquisitor Joelina Hashaw. I have the authority and might of both the church and the crown behind me. I demand you release me from here at once!“ she declared, getting up and looking around at them all, seeming to more be operating on reflex.

“Sit down, woman,” Vigo tried ordering with a bit of an edge to his voice, the inquisitor just turning and pointing a finger at him.

“You do not have the authority to order me about, human!”

“Well, I guess that answers that question,” Morten went with a shrug. “So much for mind controlling her into submission.”

“Joelina, sit down, would you?” Tom went with a wave and flung her back in her chair. “I’m in control here… at least sorta.”

“You little!”

“Ah ah aaah. You fucked me up so bad I don’t even know if you are real or not. Now I am going to need you to promise to help me in whatever way you can. No betraying, no backstabbing, no stupid little schemes. Just fix me and then proceed to help out, okay?”

“Or else?”

“Bitch, you need an ‘or else’ in order to help someone you fucked over?” Torben huffed, looking anything but impressed.

“She’s a nasty piece of work,” Vigo added with a nod.

“Is that how you see me, huh?! I have dedicated my LIFE to serving this kingdom and its people. I have fought things you have never even dreamt of, I have lost friends too just like you, Tom! I bring you materials, workers, and security and you do not trust me. I bend the rules to let you know things you should have never learned and you don’t trust me. What more do you want!”

“A better attitude maybe?” Torben questioned, clearly not sounding impressed. “You seem like a bit of a bitch. I’m dead and I’ve got better manners than you.”

“Fuck man… You know it’s bad when Torben finds you to be an obnoxious arsehole,” Vigo let out, voice heavy with apprehension. “Like geez.”

“She likes to constantly remind us that if we don’t do as we’re told there will be consequences. Think living in China, basically,” Tom added in, not looking at the inquisitor. He quite liked this if he was being honest. What was she gonna do in here? Shout at him? “Also, I did trust you to read my mind, I did not resist. What more do you want?! Huh?” he tried, turning her own words against her, feeling very pleased with himself.

“Oh like the old British commander we had to deal with… what was his name?” Torben questioned, rubbing his chin a little.

“Stanford,” Morten added helpfully. “That man really hated us.”

“Of course he did. We were better than his guys,” Torben laughed, smacking his knee. “And our weapons tend to work.”

“I would say they were less shit. And remember folks, we kinda died,” Vigo interjected “Kinda hard to judge from here.”

“Tom, shut this lot up. They must be figments of your imagination. I will not stand for this,” Joelina demanded, voice still hushed but very hard in tone.

“Hey Tom, the loud, obnoxious, shit stain of a woman wants your attention,” Torben laughed out, clearly finding his joke VERY funny.

“How dare you!” Joelina snapped, looking at the laughing soldier with a hole in his chest.

“Dare what? I’m dead, girl. Not gonna be able to punish me anymore, now are you? Or imaginary, I guess. What’s the damn difference?”

Joelina just snapped back to Tom, rage evident in her gaze.

“What? You want me to apologize for having my dad play music for you? Look what you did to me,” Tom went, gesturing around the room. “Also, why the hell do you expect people to like you? I get why we would obey, but like you? Be nice? Fuck no, they are right. You need to start behaving yourself around here. Everyone hates you and wants you and your goons gone. We’re safe from brigands and such, but now we have to fear you… Between you and the brigands, I’d choose the brigands,” Tom tried in his most diplomatic tone. “We have only been nice to you since you came here. We kinda expect some in return. Minus Edita though, she’s quite nice. Funny even.”

Joelina just stared at him, clearly wanting to shout her lungs out, but instead she did actually contain herself to just staring at him with murderous intent.

“You seem like a troubled woman,” Vibike went, laying a calming hand on Joelina’s thigh, resulting in the inquisitor immediately turning around to stare at the human woman. “It’s okay. Tomas is a good kid. I am sure you can trust him with what it is you need to have made. He has worked on so many important projects over the years. We are all very proud of him.”

“Thanks, mum,” Tom went, putting on a smile for her, trying not to think of all the useless menial work he had spent his time on over the years.

Joelina took a bit, staring at the woman, seeming to glare straight through her before she slowly started to return to her senses, looking down at the hand and tilting her head a little. “Are you Vibike?”

“Yes, that is me. Vibike Hansen.”

“Tomas’s mother?”

“Yes, that is me.”

“Jørgen is your husband.”

Vibike just nodded to that one, keeping a hand on Joelina's thigh.

“He loves you very much to have put up with that abyssal music.”

“Why thank you. I still do not believe it is that bad.”

“Noted…” Joelina went, clearly not agreeing, turning around to look at Tom, her expression having seemingly calmed down just a little, or more likely she had given up trying to shout and order her way out of this shit show. “What is this?”

“You tell me. You’re the mind reader.”

“I know your father now… Everything. Or something… I am not sure.”

“Actually… I think you know my memory of him… I tried to ask him things I didn't know but I knew he did… Didn't work.”

“I see… I made a deal with Sapphire,” Joelina admitted as she looked around at the soldiers with a more inquisitive gaze rather than a lust for blood.

“I know. She told me already. I would probably accept. You know, if I could.”

“Yes… I do feel an apology is in order. This was not supposed to happen.”

“She changed in a mighty hurry,” Morten noted, crossing his arms. “Are you sure, Miss Inquisitor?”

“It has been some long days,” Joelina responded, looking at the half-headless man. “I believe I know you… you were the one whose face was blown off in the ambush.”

“That’s me, yes,” Morten replied, gesturing at where his face used to be.

“I see,” she went with a slight nod. “You are also but a memory… Tom, how do we get out of here? I am not in control right now.”

“If I’m honest, I’m not even sure if you are the real inquisitor or just my memory of you… You are here, right? Like in the bedroom right now, yes?”

“Yes, I am here,” she went with a nod. “I have been for some time.”

“Well in that case I really don’t know… I mean Fengi might be able to fix it. But I think I’ll keep you here till you make that promise… God, I’m too tired for fancy words. You WILL treat people better at the keep or wherever around here. You get the idea. Be nice or leave. Can you do that?”

“I have treated you fairly. More than fairly at times.”

“You have been such a bitch, throwing your weight around like a 5 year old who wants ice cream and we have to give it to you cause if you start crying people start dying. Sorry not sorry, but it’s true,” Tom sighed, not really having the energy to be nice, his headache was bad and it hurt like a motherfucker.

“Well that’s her told,” Torben just chuckled with a wide grin as the other two soldiers just looked at the inquisitor, gauging her reaction, ready to deliver a smackdown if so needed. Tom’s mother just cleared the throat, looking away and seeming a touch embarrassed by it all.

It took a second or two before Joelina decided to respond, though her expression was still calm and collected. “I would not be able to stay for much longer either way. This is why I needed things done in short order. I had a week at most here. I am expected in Bartelion. No time for arguing you see.”

“Don’t need time to be nice, everyone here would do what you wanted either way. But fiiine, order Paulin to be nice and I’ll take that instead, she’s a right piece of work too sometimes.”

“I would ask you to honor the deal struck with Sapphire. If we manage that, I will yield. Then you are Paulin’s problem. At least for now.”

“Bitch, you want to read him more after what the last round did?” Torben asked with a sneer. “And they call me dumb. Hey boys, think they have a bucket of water around here somewhere, we can use my shirt it’s already got blood on it, no one will know.”

“Dude… Quit it,” Vigo tried looking at the rambunctious soldier.

“What? There aren’t any conventions here, and not like anyone can do anything to us, just a little torture to help our boy Tom.”

“Shut the fuck up. You think that’s gonna help?”

“I mean maybe,” Torben just retorted, shrugging as he leaned back again.

Tom just sighed, shaking his head and turning his attention back to the inquisitor, who for her part seemed perfectly unfazed. “You wanna get in my head about everything that has happened from the portal till here, right?”

“Indeed, I want to know, precisely, how this has all come to be. It may be of extreme importance.”

“Or it might tell you nothing, I sure haven’t noticed anything interesting. Aside from how strange and downright fucking wacky it all is.”

“For starters, I want to learn the voice of the voice that sent you. I want to be able to recognize it should I find it again.”

“Okay, that is actually a little smart,” Torben relented, swaying his head side to side a bit. “But that doesn’t explain the rest of it.”

“If I know why he has done everything thus far, I may infer what he will do in the future and why. He has changed much since Afghanistan. I need to know the new him too. That, and I am hoping that chasing his memories all the way till current time would smooth out the transition.”

“Fine fine, I consent. Now what?” Tom asked dejectedly, gesturing around the room. “Not like you can do it now, can you?”

“I do not know… But one can always try. In the interest of trust and openness, I am working off an idea and nothing more,” she replied with a fair touch of passive aggressiveness in her tone. “May I stand up?”

Tom just looked at her a little uncomfortably. “Not sure if that’s better or worse than you hiding everything. You may stand up, sure.”

Getting up and moving to sit on his bedside, reaching a hand over to touch his temple. “As I said, I will try and follow your memories all the way till now if I can. Make the memories become the now, so to speak.”

“Not the dumbest idea ever… sure why not,” Tom agreed with a sigh, not like he had an overabundance of options to choose from after all.

“Hey Tom. Just if it doesn’t work. Being dead doesn’t feel so bad if you ask me,” Torben added with a nod, clearly trying his best to cheer Tom up.

“You are such a fucking moron, Torben,” Vigo just sighed, shaking his head as the inquisitor’s hand descended on Tom’s forehead.

‘Yeah… he really was.’