Hunter Or Huntress

Chapter 156: Rewind

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“I demand you open this door at once!” Glazz ordered from outside the door before there was a thunk like she tried shoulder-checking it. The old sturdy oaken door held though, their home was built to take a pummeling from time to time after all. Saph just thanked her lucky stars the bodyguard hadn’t gotten her hands on a key or thought to try and pick the rudimentary lock.

“Stay your post, Glazz,” Paulin ordered from Jacky’s closet. “Matters of the mind are rarely painless.”

“I am well aware, Investigator. I also know that it is rarely good when Joelina is the one doing the screaming!”

“This is no ordinary procedure. I doubt she is even the one in control at the moment. Resistance is to be… expected.”

“Geez, at least you’re not just cold in regards to us,” Saph let out, throwing a glance back at the closet.

“I am an investigator. It is my job to be thorough yet impartial.”

“Impartial to suffering maybe,” Fengi half-whispered from next to Saph, looking at the floor as Joelina writhed on her chair. Her face contorted and twisted into a vicious snarl, though the screaming did stop, at least for now.

“It does seem to be getting less,” Essy tried in a cautious tone, though speaking loudly enough for Glazz to hear outside the door. “Shsss it’s okay. Just. Do your best, okay?” the kind older woman tried, placing a calming hand on Joelina’s thigh. “Just get him back, okay?”

“What is she doing?” Paulina demanded from the closet, leading to a moment's awkward silence as they all stared at the inquisitor. Her mouth started to jitter almost like she was whispering, or perhaps more accurately talking in her sleep.

“I think she’s talking,” Essy confirmed, head tilted, staring at the inquisitor's face. “I’ve no idea what she might be saying though.”

After that, they all sat just there for a bit staring at the inquisitor as she slowly calmed down, mouth continuing to move slightly. No one found much to say aside from the low sobs of Jacky as she sat miserably in her chair staring at the floor and Linkosta scribbling away on her notes.

Saph kinda wanted to ask just what they should do now, but she stayed her tongue. Not like anyone here had an answer anyway, so she just turned to look at poor Jacky, who wasn’t paying any of them much mind as she sobbed curled up on her chair, clutching her knees.

“Hey, Jacky… It’s gonna be fine I’m sure.”

Jackalope didn’t respond aside from looking up at Sapphire.

“Yeah. Besides, if it’s a fight they are having in there, Tom will whip her ass,” Fengi added with what Saph could easily make out as faked confidence in her voice.

“Now now, I am sure they aren’t fighting. Just talking,” Essy responded in her calm motherly tone. “Look at her. They are simply talking things out. Maybe planning what to do about this whole mess.”

“I still don’t understand how this is possible,” Linkosta added from her spot on the floor, pencil busy scribbling away on page after page. “And for this long? Normally a mind reader touches the target, but this is being done at a distance of several meters. Where is the energy coming from?”

“Perhaps it is more akin to long-range telepathic communication?” Paulin went from inside her closet.

“Like the earrings,” Linkosta agreed, noting something down while nodding. “That could explain it.”

“Maybe leave the technical stuff for later,” Saph let out, clearing her throat a little. “It will be fine, Jacky.”

“He slapped me…” Jacky just let out in a low and very sad tone, the heartache clear as day.

“He has no idea what is going on, Jacky. And I think you are a gruff soldier right now to him.”

“I know… I know,” Jacky replied with a sad sigh, laying her head on her lower legs, neck drooping over her knees. “I wanna smack that inquisitor soo hard.”

Saph could almost feel the breath being drawn inside the dresser. “Cut it, Paulin,” Saph interjected, before the reprimand could come from behind her. “Please.” There was a slight pause followed by a sigh from inside said dresser, but no bitching followed. “Thank you.”

More awkward silence followed as Saph glanced at the inquisitor. Her expression didn’t exactly seem happy, rather she looked just like she always did. Cold indifference was how Saph would describe it. Honestly, she was starting to believe that expression was part of the inquisitorial basic curriculum.

Then after minutes of waiting the inquisitor just stood up, all heads turning to look at her in surprise. Her eyes were still closed as she slowly and shakily waddled up next to the bed like a puppet on half its strings, sitting down on the bedside, her hand going to rest on Tom’s forehead in an all too familiar fashion.

“No no. No, she shouldn’t do that, right?!” Jacky let out in a panicked voice, shooting upright in her chair.

“Uhm… Uhm,” Saph let out, not sure what to say or do. “She and Tom had a chat. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“If you interfere again, huntress, he would most certainly deteriorate,” Paulin let out from her closet in her signature commanding tone. “Let the inquisitor complete her work. I am convinced she will see your friend returned.”

‘You know that might be worth something if we thought you knew what you were talking about,’ Saph snarled under her breath as Jacky sat on her chair looking at the inquisitor, horrified. “Please Jacky just… I guess give him a hug or something. Don't try and stop her. We’ve got no fucking clue what to do anymore.”

Jacky had jumped at the idea, not waiting to let anyone protest as she hopped on the bed just in time to catch Tom as he curled up into a ball, face contorted in agony.

“Shsss. It’s okay, it’s okay. Everything is fine. You’re gonna be fine,” Jacky half-sobbed, half-cried as she clutched him close, rocking the scrunched-up human side to side on the bed. “You’re gonna be fine. Please be fine.”

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“There we go, gently does it,” the somehow gentle voice of Joelina went as Tom felt himself drift off to what felt like sleep.

‘She really is scared shitless,’ Tom thought to himself before realizing she might actually be able to hear him right now and promptly shutting up. He remembered to close his eyes this time around as the swirling colors and strange patterns returned. He braced himself for the headache, and it hit him full force. A migraine to put his methanol hangover to shame washed over him, and he felt his body convulse and curl into a ball. The feeling of his body was slowly replaced by nothing save the piercing migraine and blackness.

“Right… So far so good,” Joelina’s voice rang out entirely into the void, but still entirely too loud for Tom’s sore head.

“Could you keep it down please?” he tried whispering, hoping to whatever god she could hear him.

“Right… apologies,” she actually responded, to his relief in a much lower tone, sounding more like a secretive whisper. “Shall we begin?”

“Might as well, doubt there isn’t a timer on this.”

“Quite. I shall look for your meeting with the strange voice. This will be uncomfortable.”

She was not joking as Tom felt his mind ripped through, memory after memory flashing before his eyes in a furious blur. Like an Asian accountant flipping through pages, Joelina scrolled by literally years of his life in what felt like seconds and an eternity. She briefly stopped on a few for a moment before carrying on at a breakneck speed. The pain was unbearable as he tried to close his eyes or scream to no avail, he could do nothing but follow whatever memory was passing by at the moment.

Finally, she seemed to find what she was after as a blurry image of a computer screen sat in front of him.

“You know, if you really want to live an exciting life you’re gonna need an exciting place to do it.” The familiar voice sounded from behind him and he felt himself jerk around to look at it, feeling his previous suspicion loud and clear. “Come on, you know you don’t want to waste away the few years you have, sitting here, staring at a screen waiting for something interesting to happen!”

“Fascinating,” Joelina interjected in a whisper as Tom looked around the room, trying to find the source of the voice.

‘I’m sure it is,’ Tom whispered as his headache slowly got at least a bit better after all the searching. He felt like he wanted to puke right now, that much was for certain.

“Show yourself! What makes you think you can just come into my house?” the memory of himself demanded, still searching around.

“You were telling the truth,” Joelina whispered as the conversation played out in front of them.

“I do that a lot actually…”

“Will you let me watch the whole interaction?” she asked in what he just assumed to be fake courteousness, no way she would skip this even if he said no, and the slow going was certainly helping his head a bit.

“Sure… but thanks for asking,” he whispered, receiving no reply save for the conversation carrying on between him and the mysterious voice. “Have you heard it before?”

“Sadly not, no… But it is distinctive.”

“Glad you’re happy,” Tom let out as the mini-portal was opened, blasting paper and dust everywhere, his former self staring dumbstruck at the beautiful scene in front of him.

“That was no window,” Joelina let out, clearly taken aback by the display.

“What do you mean? It literally was.”

“I thought you meant a scrying window or something. Not an actual miniature portal,” the inquisitor replied in a slightly sharper, more annoyed tone.

“Well, what’s the difference?” Tom had to ask with a sigh, lowering his voice further, hoping she would follow suit.

“Whoever did this has enough power to spend it this callously… There are very few things who could open a portal to another world, even theoretically.”

“And?”

“There are even fewer who would do it just to argue a damn point.”

“Oh…” Tom just replied as the mini-portal shut and the voice asked its question.

“Do you agree?”

“If I go, will I ever get to return?” his memory replied, staring awestruck at where the portal had been.

“Not until the experiment is complete, but in time... maybe,” came the reply from the voice as Tom shivered a little. ‘I forgot about that clause.’

“What are your terms?”

Tom and Joelina said nothing as the voice listed off what Tom had to do, the time he had, how much he could bring, and so forth till finally the voice simply stopped answering Tom’s questions on things like. “Will there be people?… Are there roads?...” The human fell silent and slumped back into his chair, rubbing his temples, clearly not quite sure what to do now.

“You struck a deal to return home?” Joelina questioned in a rather cautious tone, all things considered.

“Yup… I honestly forgot about that part.”

“And the part where they claim this to be nothing more than an experiment?”

“I did remember that part.”

“Yet you neglected to mention it.”

“Well, what if they’re lying?” Tom protested, still in a calm, quiet tone. “What if they are some evil power or perhaps this really is all just funny to them? What does it matter?”

“Because I was starting to believe you may have been sent by the gods themselves. I have never spoken to the gods myself, and they hold many secrets… But I know people who have.”

“What are you on about?”

“I will be seeking out a high priestess of Lotek… the god of travelers and trade. If it was any god, chances are good it was him.”

“Wait, you are just gonna go ask him if he did it? Don’t you think he would have mentioned it if he did?”

“I do not need his affirmation. Merely the sound of his voice will likely do.”

“Oh… right… Are you’re gonna mind rape a priest then? Sounds heretical.”

“I read minds… Not rape them. And no, not if they comply… Which I feel they might.”

“And if it isn’t the gods?”

“Then I have learned nothing. Shall we continue?”

“Fine. You wanna see my pack next?”

“Indeed.”

“You wanna know how I prep in case I can’t be trusted due to my pick of boots?”

“Would you be surprised if I told you an inquisitor may wish to know how a person from another world would pack for a trip to an unknown world?” the inquisitor whispered, though Tom was actually hearing a hint of sarcasm in her voice, which was certainly new.

“No…” Tom responded, accepting, waiting for things to start hurting again. ‘I guess she liked the voice being more powerful… yay?’

“It narrows down the possibilities,” the inquisitor responded, right back to sounding perfectly unfazed, though she was at least still whispering. Tom just cursed his stupidity as the memories once more started gliding by, though much slower this time.

She stopped from time to time and he diligently answered questions about what he was doing when she was confused. It took a fair bit, but slowly the deadline crept closer as did the note on the table, the drive to get flowers, and finally arriving at the old person's home.

‘Ahr shit…’ Tom admitted to himself, not really caring that she could hear as the door opened to his mother's small apartment in the building.

“Who is it?” the old, frail voice rang out. A stark contrast to the Vibike he had spoken to what felt like mere minutes ago.

“It’s Tom. I’ve got a present for you.”

Tom just stared as the door opened, revealing the old, grey, frail woman his mother had become. He just sighed at what he was seeing as the pleasantries started and his younger self walked inside. “She seems…” Joelina questioned in a low and more careful tone.

“Old?” Tom asked, cutting her off with a sigh as he stared.

“Alive,” the inquisitor let out, sounding deep in thought.

“Huh?” Was all Tom could think to say as he drank the coffee. It was a taste he would have savored if not for everything else right now.

“Yes, she still lives.”

“Only sorta,” Tom relented, slightly surprised by that line of reasoning. “Why would she be dead?”

“You were afraid she would not last much longer in the memories years ago. Remember?”

“Fair… She held on for a very long time… Far longer than she should have.”

“The disease?”

“Dementia, yeah… You will get to see it in full today.”

“Would you rather we move along?” she asked again, much to his surprise, as his mother sat down at the small table she had, pouring him a cup of coffee.

“Nah… this is the last I’ve got of her.”

“Of course,” Joelina replied and she remained silent for the rest of the small talk as Tom felt tears in the eyes of his former self. How it slowly became too much for his mother and she started forgetting faster and faster, soon not even remembering what she was trying to say. Goodbyes were said, and then he left. He left her alone to her fate. All the people around her were strangers to her. He was maybe the last person she could remember. At least the last one alive. And he had left her.

Joelina just let the memory unfold as he drove home, eventually stopping by the side of the road for a bit to cry. There wasn’t much else to do. It wasn’t like this was a fight he could win. He cried together with his old self. It might only have been around half a year, but it hurt. It hurt so bad to see her again. To know what he had done. For all he knew, she was gone by now. She had already hung on longer than the doctors had thought by a long way. But even he could tell she was a spent force.

“Strong of body… weak of mind,” Joelina finally whispered as the old BMW got back on the road heading for home.

“You fucking idiot…” Tom just groaned, unable and unwilling to care. She did not respond as the car drove quietly down the road. “How can you be a mind reader and be such a fucking idiot at the same time?”

“Her mind is broken? Faded away?”

“Yes, and she fought for years against that illness. So did dad, and maybe so shall I,” Tom replied with little more than a hard edge to his tone. He didn’t have the strength to shout. “Some people last months. Some years. She lasted for a fucking decade. Do you understand that?” Tom tried speaking slowly and methodically, like he was talking to a child.

“I understand.”

“Fucking marvelous. Shall we get on with it then?”

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“Is that it?... Is she doing it?” Fengi carefully asked, looking at Tom and Joelina, who now both wore expressions that betrayed they were not having a fun time.

“I think so, yeah,” Saph nodded before turning her head around to look at the dresser. “I think it’s okay to come out now, Investigator.”

It did not even take a second for the investigator to fling open the doors and step out of her hideyhole, taking a deep breath while looking a bit ill. Saph did want to take just a little delight in Paulin’s discomfort, but right now was not the time. She glanced at the door, at the sound of a distinct click and it slowly opened, revealing a mighty pissed-looking Glazz. The burly, cloaked woman stepped inside, looking at the bed. What she saw clearly did not improve her mood as a hand went to rest on her hip under the cover of the cloak.

“Now Glazz. The inquisitor seems to be in control of the situation,” Paulin clarified, clearing her throat a bit as she took in large breaths of fresh air. “All we must do is wait.”

“Understood,” Glazz replied, eyes not leaving the bed save for a quick sweep of the room and all the people in it, which coincided with Dakota emerging from under the bed.

“Be honest with me, Investigator… Is this good or bad?” the gilded huntress asked, still laying on her back, looking up at them.

“I assume the inquisitor has conjured a plan and is attempting to execute it. It is better than what we have managed thus far.”

“Marvelous.”

“Could you not say execute… please,” Fengi pleaded in a low and very meek tone. “Maybe, trying to do it, or something?”

“We are not here to exe-”

“Shush,” Dakota ordered, finally extracting herself fully and getting up dusting herself off. “We have heard that one enough.”

“As you wish,” Paulin retorted, raising her snout a bit. She glanced around the room, eyes landing on the inquisitor on the side of the bed, staring at them for a few seconds as silence reigned.

“Should we go, or?” Fengi let out in a very low tone, looking to the sad sight that was Jacky.

“I believe they could do with some privacy,” Dakota agreed, turning to Paulin with a rather unkind expression on her face.

“I believe this may take time,” the investigator responded, not paying the gilded huntress much mind. “Glazz, you will guard your charge, of course. I believe the rest may return to their duties for now. Fengi, do not leave the keep. We may yet have use of your skills if their condition deteriorates.”

Glazz just nodded her assent, going to a wall and leaning against it, eyes locked on Jacky and the inquisitor. Fengi swallowed once before nodding and getting up, followed by Essy.

“You too, Link. I believe the investigator may have use of your skills and notes,” Dakota added, looking to Linkosta, who was sitting on the floor still working away on her notes.

“Huh wha? oh… right,” the young mage replied, putting some finishing touches on whatever she was writing before closing the book and getting up.

“You’re leaving them alone?” Saph had to ask, doing her best to convey her doubts through expression. She had not gotten up from her chair, and if she was being frankly honest she had no desire to.

“No. I am staying,” Dakota replied, giving Saph a glance before looking back to the investigator. “I am not sure I trust the one that nearly attacked Jacky.”

“After she attacked my charge,” Glazz added flatly, clearly not impressed by Dakota’s posturing.

“Now now. You may stay, Bizmati. We are dealing with your people after all,” Paulin retorted sounding superior as ever. “There should be no need for drawing arms, understood Glazz? Should it come to that, I want everyone involved. Alive. Shouldn’t be too hard, now should it?”

“Understood,” Glazz replied almost reluctantly. Paulin gave Dakota an apologetic look, which Saph guessed was rather fake.

“I guess that will do then,” Dakota grumbled, clearly not pleased in the slightest, before gesturing for Saph to get up. Saph did so with a sigh, going to leave the small bedroom. “Saph…It’s getting late. Go check on Tink and Edita. I would rather the floors not be blown out from under me. Then get some sleep” Dakota continued just as Saph entered the doorway.

Saph just turned back and nodded. “Of course, ma’am… I’ll try.”

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Tom felt his body freeze with the cold of the portal as the burning heat pushed him through into the world he now called home. It was no less comfortable a second time, and he honestly felt relieved as his former self crumbled to the ground and puked in the grass.

“Ohr… that’s the spot,” he sighed as he hurled once more before rolling over onto his back and staring up into the trees, doing his level best to forget where he had come from. ‘Things are better here,’ he agreed with himself, taking a moment to just enjoy the grass despite the headache.

“Even with everything that has happened following your arrival, you find this place more comfortable?” the inquisitor questioned, sounding rather skeptical.

“Yup… Here there is good shit too… Even if I guess minds melting away hasn’t gone away. It still gets me how fucking big those trees are… Yet I haven’t seen any giant squirrels yet,” Tom carried on, not bothering to let her respond.

He could feel the judging eyes of the inquisitor in the back of his head as he slowly stumbled to his feet, swaying as he turned around, still staring at the massive tall trees. He swore he heard the slightest of chuckles as he worked out just how high he could jump here. He had to admit it was not a dignified scene seeing a grown man jumping around on the moss like a kid on a bouncy castle.

“Behold the threat to end all threats,” Tom commented sarcastically, expecting some kind of aloof remark.

“Quite so… hardly a graceful arrival though.”

“And there it is. So are we going to be skipping through some things? Took about a day before I met anyone. If so, you’re looking for when I decided going climbing was a good idea.”

“I believe we can,” Joelina replied, Tom making out a bit of reluctance in her voice as he winced under the spike of pain as she started to sift through, though she was clearly going slowly and methodically, not wishing to miss anything. Curiously, the pain was not as bad as he remembered the last couple times. Maybe he was just so tired that his brain had turned to soup, or he really was getting used to this unique kind of torture.

The inquisitor stopped on a few points he guessed she found interesting. Getting on the move, shooting his first deer, and making camp. She stopped at him tasting the small wild berry though, lingering on the memory.

“You know those are poison, right?”

“I only had a little bit,” Tom protested, not feeling up for any arguments on survival tactics right about now.

What followed he would best describe as a judging silence before she once more moved on, not commenting further. Next, she let the scene of him going climbing play out. The vargulfs came in behind him. Looking back now, he had taken a damn age to see them. The brief panicked fight felt more like an embarrassment to watch now even as he once more saw just how lucky he had gotten that he had chosen the resting spot of a whole ass hunting party to climb up.

“Would have been funny if I made it to the top,” he chuckled a bit as his old self stiffened into a human plank.

“Do you not feel the pain you are in?” Joelina questioned, Tom not really sure what her tone was.

“I mean it stings… Get it? Cause stinger on the tail?”

“I… yes I understand,” Joelina replied flatly, leading to further silence as Tom was carried off.

“I don’t think you do…heh. I’m really having a bat time, ey?”

“Are you alright, Tom?”

“The fuck do you think?”

“Understood… condition deteriorating.”

“I can still hear you,” Tom replied tauntingly. “Not just my thoughts that aren’t private anymore.”

“Then how do you propose we proceed?”

“I don’t fucken know… Take this baby for a ride?”

“Tom… Please.”

“I’m fucking serious. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I haven’t slept in days. I don’t know what this all means. I haven’t had a coffee that wasn’t in a memory for six months. I just had to say goodbye to my dying mother AGAIN! And now I’m the guinea pig of a woman with the emotional depth of a Japanese dad with a son who just failed a math exam.”

“I underst-”

“You don’t even fucking know what Japan is!” Tom cut her off, trying his best to shout as his old self slowly started to move again. “Just get on with it.”

“Very well,” the clearly annoyed woman replied, not like Tom gave a fuck, either this worked or it didn’t and he didn’t feel like thinking right now. In fact, he felt like getting shitfaced once this was all over. First a nap though. He would kill for a nap right about now.

There was no further commentary as the chase played out, the expert marksmanship of the huntresses on full display as vargulfs were downed one by one.

“And here it comes,” Tom sighed as his impromptu transport banked around the big ass oak and hurled him back into the face of the unsuspecting Sapphire.

The hit fucking hurt, but he still found it funny, especially as he started screaming, hanging onto the poor unconscious woman like a scared toddler.

The crash hurt like a bitch, but it was followed by a bit of blissful blackness, leading to staring at Fengi’s drawn bow once he woke up.

Tom tried to let his thoughts lull a bit. Relaxing as much as he could while the girls set to work figuring out just what exactly he was. “So fucking tired.”

There was no reply from the inquisitor as the scene carried on in front of him. How he wished he could close his eyes right now. “Could we skip to a memory of me sleeping or something?”

“No.”

“Fuck you.”

And once more there was no reply. Tom let out an annoyed grumble as he looked at Jacky, who was currently fighting with Essy over the bit of Muesli bar he had given them all to share. She was fucking adorable. In her own way. And he could really do with a nap between those thighs right now.

“Tom… Please control your indecencies,” Joelina let out in a slightly stern tone.

“Oh shut up… I bet you like watching… creep.”

“You will cease this at once human!”

“Or what? You’ll give me another headache? Already got one. And she’ll skin you alive if I don’t get out of here,” Tom chuckled darkly. “And if you kill her the others will have your head. But I think you know that.”

“Then so be it. My failure to return would lead to a full purge of your new home. But I think you know that, let us not rattle swords right now.”

“Joy killer,” Tom grumbled in reply before looking at Dakota’s expression when she took a bite of the sweet confection. It was so fucking funny, this whole trip was supposed to be funny. Instead, it had been more war, death, and struggle with guilty fun moments thrown in here and there.

“What is joyful about having me killed when I am trying to help you?” Joelina protested with clear disdain in her voice now.

“You know the problem with religious types?”

“What does the church now have to do with this?”

“They can’t take a joke without getting stabby,” Tom joked, not even finding it that funny himself.

“Please be quiet, Tom.”

“Nuh-uh! Cause I can’t take a fucking nap!”

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