Hunter Or Huntress

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The following morning. Tom had been left alone as Jacky had gone to get a bite to eat. She had protested at first, wanting to stay, but he had insisted. She needed to talk with people and not just spend days cooped up with him in bed. That, and Tom was hoping the girl's table gossip might filter through and give him a bit of insight on just how things were going.

Kiran was picked up a bit later by Apuma after once more having slept the night. The old man had been keen on at least getting in some lessons, despite the trying times. The fact their loremaster wanted to hold one at all had to mean Nunuk was doing much better which was definitely good.

So Tom laid there alone with his thoughts for a bit, still tired as all hell for some reason. He hadn’t done much except sleep and rest all day, but he still found himself yawning and his eyes falling shut for a bit as he tried to stay awake. His head was feeling clearer for sure, and he felt some relief that at least brain-wise it looked like he should be fine. Maybe he just needed to keep sleeping. It had been working well thus far after all.

He didn’t end up making the choice as he once more felt himself drift into slumber. It was not a restful slumber though, as he soon started dreaming, quite vividly if he was totally honest. A memory of his childhood, running along the beach and being yoinked aloft between his mum and dad. It made sense that it was so vivid; he had relived it only a day or two ago after all. He found himself smiling, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

He was eventually put down and he ran out into the ice-cold water to play, shrieking as it splashed up his legs much to the amusement of his dad, who laughed heartily, pointing at him. Tom turned around to stick his tongue out but stumbled over backward into the icy ocean, his dad bending over and laughing his ass off at Tom’s expense.

Next, a set of unfamiliar hands that should not be there yanked him from the water and he was greeted with a very different scene, a dungeon lit by plenty of warm torches, the ceiling bathed in dancing reds and oranges, the heavy-cut granite stone slick with moisture. Above him an old heavily scarred dragonette immediately began shouting at him as he felt fear run up his spine, he didn’t even manage to make out what they were saying before being pushed back under.

He struggled and fought to make it back out to no avail, the strong set of hands pinning him against the bottom. Tom held his breath till his lungs were burning before finally, he gasped for air, getting nothing but water as he coughed and choked, getting hauled back out of the water.

He was hoisted into the air as he spluttered before getting thrown to the floor, his jaw hitting and throwing his head back. No… not his jaw. His snout? He coughed an alarming amount of water onto the floor as he tried to haul himself onto all fours.

“You will tell me what I need to know. The passphrase! Now!” a booming female voice rang out from behind him as he received a solid kick to the side, being sent flying once more, fetching up against the wall before slumping into a seated position, looking up at his assailant.

They were scarred and marred from head to toe and wearing little but a leather apron and a belt festooned with what he assumed to be torture implements of various kinds. They had only a single eye left and a pair of small metal caps where once horns might have been.

“Never!” he coughed out defiantly as he continued to splutter, getting a glimpse of himself as he did so. He was definitely a dragonette and wearing some sort of pure blue robes, quite dark looking actually, though that might be the dim light.

“Right, next then,” the imposing woman went, picking a strange metallic tool from her belt. It was polished and certainly didn’t look like it would be a pleasant experience, whatever was to come. He didn’t know what it was for, just that he instinctively feared it. He looked frantically from side to side, spying two entrances to the dungeon. Both had a single guard posted dressed in armor, helmets covering their faces and carrying very ornate-looking halberds.

The scarred woman grabbed a hand as he let out a distinctly girly scream… not a very old-sounding one either. He, or she as it might be, fought and struggled, though he felt weak and powerless. Soon the tool was strapped to his forearm and wrist as the woman overpowered him. Only now did he work out what it was for as the five little jaws became apparent.

He screamed and battled as his little finger claws were forced one by one into the jaws, which bit down on them, only getting tighter the more he struggled.

The scarred woman seemed to take pleasure in her work, a wide smile on her face as she forced each and every claw into a jaw on Tom’s right hand. “Now now. It will only hurt a lot. Do you have a favorite?” she chuckled darkly as Tom gave up, slumping against the wall, looking at the device with horror as she got out a wrench and ever so slowly started turning a screw, beginning to stretch Tom’s index finger.

“Or you know… You could talk.”

Tom responded by spitting in their face, receiving a blow to the side of the head with the wrench as he felt his jaw crack and go limp.

“Oops, now where was I?” Tom felt the despair set in as the screws were slowly tightened one by one and he felt his fingers start to get pulled apart. The pain was immense and he screamed between frantic breaths.

The woman just kept going, humming a jaunty little tune as the joints popped one by one, then with a sickening crunch and the sound of ripping tendons a claw came free on his index finger. And he screamed as much as his lungs could muster.

The woman gave pause for a moment, waiting for Tom to run out of air, a smile still plastered on her face as he looked at her through teary eyes.

“So?... The passphrase to get past the guards? I know you have it.”

“DROWN IN HELL!” Tom spat back in defiance sounding a bit stupid on account of the broken jaw. He felt spent and sore, like he had been struggling for days on end and he was definitely crying too when his breath allowed.

“Hmm… Very good then,” the woman replied, putting the wrench back on as Tom’s heart sank at the thought of even more pain. But the wrench was turned the other way, relieving the tension. Slowly, one finger at a time, the tool was released. Tom just stared at it in disbelief, glancing at the woman's belt, trying to work out what might be next.

When finally the tool was removed, the one claw still dangling from its jaws, the woman stood back up, turning around and giving a nod to one of the door guards, who in turn slammed a fist into the door behind him twice.

Tom scooted into a corner, cowering, eyes darting around trying to ascertain what was going on as he clutched his bloody hand. His jaw was still hanging limp on one side and he could taste something. It tasted foul and toxic, making him wonder if he had been drugged too perhaps.

The door opened and an older man stepped out, walking with a hunch, hands clasped behind his back and looking like he needed both a cane and glasses.

“Inquisitor?” Tom let out in a weak and surprised tone, his stomach sinking before he felt anger boil up inside himself. “TRAITOR!”

The old man seemed to pay her no mind, though the guards moved to flank him, lowering their weapons and pointing at Tom.

“How did she do?” the old man, who was apparently an inquisitor, asked the woman who had been torturing him. Her expression had turned from jovial and happy to a far more serious one.

“Acceptable. Decent fighting spirit. Tough to break… But she does scare easier than I would like. She tends to panic when she loses control.”

“I see… Well, there is time to remedy that yet, bring her,” he replied, gesturing for the two guards to snatch her. They both moved up, keeping weapons leveled as Tom cowered in a corner.

“Congratulations, Hashaw. You made the cut. Now quit the jammering and stand up at once. Fenic, claw please.”

“Here you go, sir,” the woman replied, extracting the pulled-out claw from her tool and handing it over. “It’s fresh, so not too much of a hurry.”

“Very good. I’ll take her by a healer. Anything else missing?”

“Nothing aside from that, but I broke some bones, obviously.”

“Yes yes, I’ve done this before. Come on now. We have work to do. Actually, wash her off, would you? I don’t want blood on the carpets.”

“Of course, sir,” the woman went, grabbing a bucket of water and simply hurling it at Tom. He shot awake at the freezing sensation, sitting up in the bed with a start, looking around the room in a panic and hyperventilating like mad, eyes darting, but there was no one. He was all alone.

Completely alone, in fact. He was still in the bedroom, and judging by the light coming in, the sun was noticeably lower in the sky. “Well, at least she’s getting in some good chit-chat… only fair,” Tom sighed, laying back down on the pillow and staring at the ceiling. “Did I just dream about Joelina’s past?... Fuuuuuuuck.”

He shut his ass up as he heard footsteps approach the door outside. ‘Shouldn’t have said that. Should not have said that.’

The handle turned and he stared at the door, expecting Investigator Paulin or maybe someone else he didn’t want to see to burst in. Instead, the door slowly opened, Jacky sticking her snout inside to check if he was awake or not.

“You up?”

“Yup,” Tom replied with a nod and a sigh of relief.

“Ray said you were sleeping, so I brought dinner instead.”

“That wouldn’t have anything to do with you scoring a second round of dinner now, would it?” Tom asked, trying to sound light-hearted.

“Never,” she replied with a smile, slowly stepping inside with the tray and shutting the door behind her. “Sleep well?”

Tom hesitated for a second before shrugging. “A nap is always good. What’s for dinner?”

“Eh, nothing special I’m afraid. But it’s food. And you need to eat up, pretty boy.”

“I thought you wanted me trimmed down for acrobatics.”

“Trim, but not spindly. Don’t want no weakling,” Jacky countered in good humor, going to sit down on the side of the bed and handing him the tray before scooting in under the covers.

“Whatever shall I do then?” Tom chuckled in response, setting the tray down once she had gotten comfortable.

“You’ll listen. I have news,” Jacky replied, leaning in close to his ear and quieting down to a whisper.

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Well, the good news for Saph was that Tom seemed to be in the real world, if rather tired and with a seemingly perpetual headache. Jacky had actually joined them for breakfast before going back up to the stricken human, bringing food with her.

It wasn’t like Saph blamed the poor dude for staying bedridden, nor did they really need Jacky or herself out hunting right now with all the supplies that had been brought in or were apparently coming. The inquisitor had also remained indoors for all of yesterday, despite apparently having regained consciousness at some point in the day according to Kokashi, who had to no one's surprise been keeping an ear out for that room.

It would seem that today Joelina was feeling a little better, as orders had started coming out of the room. Namely that Archeon would be departing, heading for the capital shortly and taking with him what items the keep wished to sell off on her bill. Galaxer would remain for now to assist in ferrying the prisoners when Joelina felt able to make the journey to Bartelion. Both traders would be returning with yet more supplies, which Paulin and Joelina assured them they would be able to order from a distance if needed.

They had all had a little meeting after dinner, Dakota taking them aside down in the armory as per usual for when a secret meeting was in order, even Jacky showed once more, as well as Rachuck and most of his guards. Apparently, both reds were to remain at Joelina’s disposal for now, even if Dakota had been quite sure one or both would be taking Joelina to Bartelion before too long. Tom had spoken about the Inquisitor being on a timetable, and it sounded like it was a tight one.

There were sighs of relief that at least they might be back down to just Paulin. She might be stubborn as a bull, but she was a slightly less scary prospect to deal with as opposed to Joelina. They had all given a little update on how things were moving. Essy and Kokashi had expressed some concerns that Joelina definitely was not at her full senses after the ordeal. If anything she seemed as badly off as Tom, if not worse.

“She’s not babbling about things not there, right?” Saph had questioned at the table.

“I… I am quite convinced I heard her speaking Danish…” Kokashi replied, with a gulp.

“Do you have any idea how bad it might be if an INQUISITOR loses her mind?” Dakota growled, still trying to keep her voice down. Clearly not happy with that piece of information.

“If it helps, I believe Paulin is quite aware,” Essy added in a calm, caring tone, clearly aiming to calm Dakota down a little.

“Great, so the one with delusions of grandeur among the two of them might be giving the orders at the moment… I shall take what she says with skepticism.”

“Probably not a bad idea… I just hope the rule Joelina talked about holds true for her.”

“Rule?” Balethon questioned with a head tilt, clearly trying quite hard to keep up. Poor dude had been out of the loop for months. It was hard to blame him for that.

“That it should only last for a day or two. That is how she thought it would go with Tom, till he started getting worse.”

“Would be some pretty cruel irony if it didn’t,” Herron snickered, seemingly finding that quite funny.

“Oh lords in heaven, I have a wish,” Jacky let out, turning her head skywards. “If Karma is up there, then please. That bitch deserves hell for what she did.”

“Jacky… I don’t think Tom’s gods are up there,” Saph sighed, not sure if she should say anything to the whole ‘calling the inquisitor a bitch’ when it was quite possible they were currently being spied on.

“I know. Maybe they’ll pass it on or something.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dakota declared, clearing her throat and giving Jacky a not-so-kind glance, yet Saph could see the pity shining through it. “Fact of the matter is, we need to just wait it out, until such a time as she is recovered or leaves regardless. Until then, I want you to be on your toes. Just in case Paulin tries something, or maybe Joelina decides we are all darklings or lost family members.”

“What do you propose we do, sister?” Rachuck countered, crossing his arms. “Mother is still weak and in no state to lead, even if she is able to stand once more.”

“Keep your weapons with you, but for the love of the gods don’t draw them unless you have to.”

“You want us to be ready to fight agents of the inquisition?” Balethon questioned skeptically. Saph noted the little lizard sitting on his shoulder looking at them all commandingly, despite having to look up at everyone here. Its tongue slapped up against an eyeball, licking it clean with an expression reserved for creatures of absolute minimal intelligence.

‘Fucking hell that thing looks dumb… if a little bit adorable.’

“Only till calmer heads prevail and whatever delusion or deranged thought passes. Just in case.”

“Understood, ma’am,” Balethon replied, seeming more than a little perturbed.

“Hopefully nothing interesting will happen on that front. Fengi, how long until Yldril may be moved back here?”

“Shouldn’t be very long. I think she might be able to limp the journey already. Glira certainly thinks so, and Kulk has seen to ligaments, joints, and all that.”

“But a few more days would be good?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“With some luck, Joelina is in enough of a hurry that we can send her off before we have to deal with that. Rachuck, what of the prisoners?”

“Don’t know, but I believe they are planning on taking them with the reds. Certainly didn’t sound like they wanted them aboard Arch. But maybe the white guy gets to help out.”

“Right, I guess that camp gets to stay then. Sapphire, your progress?”

“I’m keeping them busy. I’m sure I can keep it that way. I’ll relay questions up to Tom when he feels like it, just so he doesn’t have to deal with them in person,” she replied, giving Jacky a glance. She just nodded, seeming quite relieved with that way of going about it.

“Very good. Best behavior then, people, but ears on swivels. Dismissed.”

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Tom woke with a start once more, looking around the still dimly lit bedroom. “Ahr, morning I guess… Right then.” There was a knock at the door. ‘I guess that’s what woke me up…’ He turned to Jacky to check if she was up just as she let out a little cute snore. Tom couldn’t help but pull a slight smile as a hand under the sheets gave her ass a little pat before he turned his attention back to the door. Once more three equally spaced knocks were heard as he sighed.

“Who is it?”

“May I enter?” the recognizable voice of Paulin responded, though she did not sound like her normal, highly confident self. If anything, she sounded just a touch rattled.

“Fine. But any funny business and I have a gun under the sheets,” Tom lied in response. There was a gun somewhere in here, he was sure. Well, his rifle was leaned against the far wall, and Jacky’s revolver was hanging from the wall beside the bed securely in its holster. He was pretty sure his own was actually in the dresser, but no matter.

The door was opened slowly and meticulously. The investigator stepped inside, seemingly alone, shutting the door after her.

“So… didn’t feel like leaving me alone like you were told? What time is it even?”

“I do not know,” she retorted, seeming quite genuine. He knew better though. This could all easily just be a front or something. No telling what she was actually up to.

“Well, what is it?”

“You are not feeling any ill effects anymore?” she questioned in the same kind of formal tone Tom would expect from a doctor.

“I’m not seeing shit if that is what you mean?” Tom replied flatly, not willing to give more than that. He wasn’t quite sure what he should tell her, but dreams of Joelina’s past were definitely off the table.

“How much do you remember?”

“Of what?” Tom countered, leaving her to explain herself properly for once. He had no patience for her roundabout way of trying to get information out of him right now.

“Of your last session with the inquisitor… Her memory of it is… It doesn’t add up,” Pauling finally yielded, though she did not seem to enjoy it one bit.

“This is the part where you tell me what she remembers so I can see if it matches what I remember,” Tom replied with just a bit of sarcasm, hoping to rub it in a little.

“She talks of torture through music and talking with dead or mutilated humans, only to willingly enter you mind proper or the next layer down whichever it might be. What we saw was her being puppeted as if on strings… I guess my question is did you see her in your visions? Did you and her talk with your deceased friends and family?”

“Yup,” Tom just replied plainly, with a slight nod. “That about sums it up. Then she tried to drag me to the present through my memories here thus far… didn’t quite make it before I crapped out.”

“Crapped out?” Paulin questioned with a very slight head-tilt, not looking like she was sure she wanted to know the meaning of that.

“The last I remember was fighting down in the caves against those big fuck off spider things. After that, it gets too hazy to piece together. Until I started remembering things from the real world that is,” Tom clarified, leaning against Jacky just a bit more, getting a nuzzle in reply.

“I see… Joelina’s memory does not stop there…” Paulin grumbled, looking down a bit, scratching her chin.

“Cards on the table, please. I’m not playing guessing games today.”

Paulin gave him a not-at-all-appreciative glare before straightening back up and sighing a bit. “What came next Joelina described as a ‘Maelstrom of visions, memories, and impossible sights that held no bearing on the world she knows.’ Yes, those were her exact words. She saw stars and massive constructs of metal floating in a dark yet somehow bright void. Massive constructions, buildings that would be impossible. People she had never seen yet somehow knew. Nothing matched up. Clothing, language, location. Even time seemed to hold no meaning. She witnessed people in metal armor carrying swords and shields, what she thought to be but common peasants but human. Some who carried just a sword but in modern colorful clothing like you showed her, soldiers like she witnessed from your past as well as many other people. Armed or not.… Do you have any idea… at all… what she experienced? Any at all?” Paulin’s composure finally broke, seeming genuinely lost as to what to do as she pleaded.

“Oh yeah, those sound like dreams. I’m guessing she got stuck when I fell asleep.” Tom countered after taking just a few seconds to think, savoring the investigator's helpless expression.

“YOUR DREAMS?!” Paulin burst out, clearly not so willing to accept that explanation. Or perhaps just a little taken aback that Tom had known something. Whatever the cause, it certainly woke Jacky back up, the woman turning around in bed a little, eyes blinking open as she raised her head to look at the source of the disturbance.

“The fuck are you doing in my room?”

“The interrogator is interrogating,” Tom responded with a slight chuckle before taking a deep breath as Paulin took a second to compose a presumably more lengthy reply.

“I required clarification on Tom’s side of what has transpired. And what kind of deranged mind dreams of events throughout time?! If our theories of technological progress are to be believed, the prerequisites for making a skyship capable of leaving the world behind would not be possible for thousands of years!”

“Spaceships.”

“A what?”

“A Spaceship,” Tom reiterated, pointing up at the ceiling. “Our word for what lies beyond what’s down here is space. They travel around up there. Always liked them, but no, we don’t quite have anything like what I probably dreamt of.”

“You dream of heaven?”

“Not quite, no… Think what lies up there if you do not go through one of those gates you have. Which we don’t, by the way. There are more worlds out there. The little specks you see in the sky are other suns with other worlds orbiting around them. I know it’s all a bit much, but hey, that’s why I’m here. I’m your expert after all. So maybe the fact that you don’t quite know all that I do should be comforting… Investigator.”

“Good to have you back,” Jacky whispered into his ear as they both leaned back, staring at Paulin who once more needed a second before having an answer for him.

“This is insanity, you must be lying. How could you not be? What would become of you if you lived through such a charade every night? I have had visions of the future in my time, but to suffer them every night!?” Paulin responded sounding almost desperate as she argued, probably as much against herself as Tom.

“Wooo there. I’m human. We work different, I probably remember 1% at best of my dreams, and even then only bits of it. Add to this that I might remember when I wake up pretty well what my last dream was, but ask me a few hours later and it’s probably gone. Changes from person to person, of course.”

“A natural defense mechanism against the horrors of your own mind…” Paulin let out in a flat tone, staring at him, mouth hanging like she just cracked the code to what a human was. “I see… I apologize for the outburst, but you must understan-”

“I get it. My head’s strange to you. For the record, I find rather incredible the whole ‘seeing the future’ thing. Haven’t really heard anyone at the keep say they had visions though, come to think of it?” he questioned, turning to look at Jacky a touch expectantly. “Why is that?”

“I don’t know… I did have one about you once. Waaay back before. Well, you know.”

“Was it a good dream?”

“I couldn’t really tell, to be honest. We were just working together down in the forge with my mother. I felt happy, so I took it as a good omen. Didn’t know… you know.”

“I get it,” Tom replied, giving her a smooch on the side of the snout and turning back to Paulin. “Yes. That, we don’t get that. What Joelina saw is not real and it will not come to pass. It’s all either made up by my mind or things I remember. The spaceships for example were probably from a movie or something.”

“That would explain her insistence on some people seeming like they were drawn or painted,” Paulin responded, clearly deep in thought before nodding. “Thank you, this will prove useful. Now I just have to attempt to explain this to Joelina… Gods preserve her soul.”

“Good luck,” Jacky added, sounding just a touch cocky, throwing a glance at the door.

Paulin paid her no mind, though she did turn and slowly walk out said door, closing it behind her, seemingly more busy with thinking rather than saying goodbye.

“Well then… I guess Shiva was right,” Tom mused once he was confident Paulin was a ways down the corridor.

“About what?” Jacky questioned, pulling him back down under the sheets and pulling him in close for warmth.

“I really did beat an inquisitor at mind games.”

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