Three Days to Respond

Agrona contemplated. She had fought hard to get to this place. But now there was no turning back. They gave three days to make the decisions. Rather nice for Devils. She set down the parcel on the table near the door and walked over to her little stone bench. She considered sitting down, but it didn't feel right, so she just kind of kicked the leg and began to pace.

"This is what it's all been coming down to. This is what I asked for. And they answered! I should be honored, right? This is it. This is what we want. What I want. What I want. What I want. This world is a cesspool of death and depravity. We're all out fighting for our own way." Each time she turned her eyes darted at towards the parcel before going back to straight ahead.

"Oh, Hexor, this is useless!" She flumped down on the bench, more comfortable than you might think thanks to the fine Dwarven craftsmanship. "Why would I have second thoughts now?" She let her head hang low between her arms and took some time to clear her head. With a sharp breath in she sat erect and calmed. There was time to figure this out later. For now, let the day pass and do what needs done. She started making dinner and getting the house ready for night.

After she put the shutters in the windows and wards over the doors she turned to go to bed. But the parcel caught her eye. She didn't even know what the item was. A dark blade? Poison? A banana? It could be anything. It would make sense to be a flail, but it didn't look big enough. She could hear the wraiths banging against the house. No one thought it was strange anymore. It had been happening for years. People stopped asking why. It was like the rain. It just happened.

That night she dreamt uneasily. Her dreams jumped from her youth and the exodus of all the men as soldiers then to a king's hall where many young adventurers are given quests and to a tavern full of whores and drunks and vagabonds back to the village as the wraiths assault the houses, looking for a weakness in. The dream ends with a wraith consuming her and her seeing a lightning bolt in its stomach. She awoke gasping, suffocating in the darkness of her house.

She forced herself onto her side and pushed herself onto the floor. Her hair fell around her head, making the dark seem like it was closing in on her worse. She tried to force air, but it was like her body wouldn't take it. Her head was swimming and nothing wanted to work anymore. Her strength was fading and she was panicking. She had to do something. She clamored to pull herself up between the bed and nightstand. Somewhere was a window. Once she was standing she felt along for the shutter. Her ears had pulsing waves of ringing, and she could feel her heart pounding in every part of her body. That familiar cold feeling. She scratched at the shutter, feeling like she would fade before she could get it. Her nail caught the edge and pulled it ajar enough to get a grasp on. It fell with a crash as she pulled herself into the window, the sunlight coming down on her face and a breeze blowing into her face.

Her finger wouldn't stop hurting for the rest of the day. It distracted her no matter what she was doing. Her nail got really messed up when it caught the shutter. After breakfast she left her house and walked around the village. Nothing seemed worse for the wear from last night. As she passed the shine to Heronious, she made sure to spit on it while no one was looking. The people went about their daily business of farming, prayer and sharing rumors. Agrona couldn't help but smile as she walked around.

"Hey Edgrr," she greeted as she came up to the courier kiosk. A large beastefolk stood behind the counter that closest resembled some sort of black and white dog crossed with a Half-Orc.

"Good Morrow Agrona."

"Anything new for me?"

"Didn't you just check yesterday right before night-meal?"

"Yeah. I suppose I did. I was just wondering."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Not many around here sending letters out anymore, so I don't mind the company." He reached down under the counter and felt around a little. "We did get a delivery already this morning. Important things only. Something for the sheriffe and another for Major Kleshme."

"But... They both left."

"Doesn't mean they stop getting letters."

"Hey, I had some trouble with one of my shutters this morning. You're a big, strong guy!" She sort of punches him in his shoulder. "Would you mind coming over and checking on it for me?"

Edgrrr knew Agrona could take care of herself, so he eyed her a little suspiciously. "Alright. I can look at it for you." He walked into the back of the kiosk and struggled to open the back door. While he was facing away from her, Agrona grabbed the letters she could reach under the counter and stuffed them in her waistband and lifted her shirt out over them. "What happened to your finger?"

"Shutter. I told you I had a problem with it."

She walked with him and talked as he checked on her shutters. While he was doing that in another room, she sorted through the letters and set aside the ones she wanted to read. The rest she stuffed back in and rejoined Edgrrr. After they returned to his kiosk she stuffed the letters back under the counter as he opened the door in the back. "Well, have a good day. I'll see you tomorrow."

She returned home and read the letters. The one to the sheriffe was asking if anything strange had been happening in the town. The local baron had been receiving reports from some of the villages about evil spirits, tainted water and even zombies or skeletons. He urged a response, saying that he'd sent several messengers and the next one may carry a formal request for the sheriffe's resignation.

The one to Major Kleshme was from a paladin commander asking for an update on findings of the excavation into a local cave. The letter seemed worn and old already. She searched around for an indication of where it might have been sent from or when it was written. It had been years ago that the men had gone to explore the cave. Did she grab an old one? She could barely remember back that far. It was so long ago now. She remembered seeing them dressed like soldiers with swords and spears, shields and staffs. Major Kleshme was dressed with metal armor. He looked so shiny and brilliant in the morning sun. She never forgot the gleam of that shiny armor as he marched the men out of the village, never to be seen again. She never forgot how angry it made her.

She sifted through the letters a few more times before throwing them aside. Under them was the parcel. She didn't remember picking it up. But it certainly wasn't on the table anymore. It was in her lap. She read through her letter again. Blackguard. Elite. Feared. Powerful. She just needed to sacrifice herself yet and she would be one of them. The soldiers of tyrants. The warriors of the dark gods. Sworn to take what they can, to destroy weakness and do away with petty people. Their armor doesn't gleam in the sun. It spits in its eye and radiates darkness.

Her fingers went for and pulled back from the string still keeping the parcel enclosed. It meant ending her life but getting everything she ever wanted. She was so close...

The rap on the door scared her enough that she dropped the parcel. "One moment." She grabbed the parcel and placed it on her bed.

The man at the door had a kind face. His were very neat and well kept. His skin, eyes and hair were all similar shades, with a copper tan, auburn hair and a glow of amber eyes. He was wearing a wide smile and holding a hat. "Hello. Is this the house of Agrona?"

"Y... Yes. Who are you?"

"May I come in?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

"I don't know who you are or why you're here, so if you don't mind," she begins to grab for her mace that she has resting behind the door, "either explain your presence or get off of my doorstep."

"Ah. I see. I had hoped to talk about this inside. See, I'm here about the offer you have received. In the mail? The, uh, the parcel on your bed?"

She dropped the mace with a thunk. "I didn't expect someone so... Human. Or polite. Or anyone, actually. Come in." She closed the door behind him and began shuttering her windows.

"There's no need for that. They wouldn't come while I'm here. They wouldn't dare." He sat on the stone bench, still holding his hat.

"It's not for the wraiths. I don't want my nosy neighbors to hear."

His smile widened. "It's quite alright. I could help if you wanted."

"Nope," she grunted as she put in another shutter. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. Or haven't I proved that already?"

"Oh, you have. You certainly can take care of yourself. You've proven that you have the drive and the skill to do almost anything you want."

"Good."

"So what do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why haven't you open the parcel yet."

Her eyes averted. She turned and found a wooden chair she could sit in. "I don't know. I just figured I would take some time to consider. The letter said I had three days. I've only used up one. If you're here to pressure me into it, I don't appreciate it."

"I'm not here to pressure you into opening it. I'm here to talk."

Something was off here. "Who are you?"

"You can call me... Nero."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't think you've answered mine."

She shifted in her seat. She didn't know why she hadn't opened it either. "I was about to open it before you knocked. I don’t see the merit in your question because I had decided to open it.”

Nero leaned forward slightly, still fiddling with his hat and sighed. “Alright. Let me put it this way. This is something you’ve worked towards for a long time, right? You’ve been going out of your way to catch the attention of the wrong crowd. And you’ve been doing the sorts of things that any of your neighbors might run in terror from. You have feats that many of them might have died trying to achieve. You’ve dreamed of this opportunity since you were a child. So why have you taken a day to consider it? Why even take an hour or second?”

Argona looked him deadpan in the eye. “I’m not allowed to take it in? As you said, it’s something I’ve been working towards most of my life. So I took some time to soak it in. I don’t know who or even what you are, but if you have dreams or long term goals, have you ever achieved one? Didn’t it take time for it to seem real?”

“I have some dreams. Some long term goals. But no, I’ve never gotten close to obtaining them.”

“Then you don’t know what this is like for me.”

“I know exactly what it’s like.”

“How?”

“Because I know you. Better than you know yourself.”

“Who are you?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because something’s wrong with you. How do you know about the parcel? How do you know about me?”

“Don’t you believe that I’m a servant of the Devils come to convenience you into opening the parcel and finish the contract?”

“No.”

Nero sighed. “Keen eye. Keen mind. Too keen to be Hextor’s bitch. You’re stronger than that. Better than that.”

“Who. Are. You?”

Nero let out a nervous chuckle through an awkward smile as he gripped his hat with white knuckles. “Think about my question. Come see me when you can answer it. I’ll be in town for a little under two days. You don’t need to worry about putting shutters in your windows. You’re a bright young woman. You’ll know where to find me.” Nero stood, bowed slightly, and saw himself out.

Argona left the shutters up that night as she slept, but she left a candle burning in her room. Her sleep was very peaceful.

In the morning, she made some breakfast and decided to walk around the village again. People were going about their normal business as always. Argona crossed through until she found her way to Heronious’ shrine. She took some time to look around. A lot of people were around. She couldn’t show the disrespect she normally would. A glint of light off metal caught her eye. All the houses had their shutters taken down for the day but one, right near the shrine. It brought back the memories of Major Kleshme’s armor. She walked over to the house and knocked on the door.

No answer. She knocked again. “Is everything alright?” Silence. “Your windows are shuttered. I’m worried ab…”

“You’re worried. That’s a fine answer.” Nero opened the door, still holding his hat. “I said you’d be able to find me, didn’t I?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care.”

“Come in and rest your weary soul.” Reluctantly, she entered. The house was different than hers, but she couldn’t put her finger on how. Perhaps the way the sunlight seemed to bounce around the room. Her furniture was a mixture of Dwarven, Gnomish and human craft. Everything in here seemed foreign to her. “Sit anywhere you’d like. My home is your home.”

She scoffed at that as she continued to look around. There was something off about all of this. It bothered her so much that she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Will you answer my question now?”

“Which question?”

“Who are you?”

“You haven’t figured it out? I’m disappointed.”

Exasperated, she turned to him and yelled, “Then give me something to work with! Give me some clues! I’m not you, I don’t just know everything about the person I’m talking to, I work hard for what I have, damn it, and I would appreciate not being treated like I’m incompetent!”

Nero nodded. “I didn’t mean to. I don’t think you’re incompetent. Far from it. I expect a lot from you. You’re exceptional. And I hoped for a language to develop between us first. A connection to fall back on, you know. But I suppose, that’s that. I am the avatar of Heronious, god of war and valor.” Argona spat on him. “And I’m here not to talk you out of becoming a blackguard but to ask you if it’s what you really want.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Why haven’t you opened the parcel?”

She paused and stared at him angrily. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for a weapon she could use before she resigned herself to the rational thought that fighting a god would be useless. Her shoulders slumped and she slid down the wall and sat on the floor. “I don’t know. That’s not true. I’m scared. Yes, I’ve worked my whole life towards this. This is what I want. But that final step, suicide, killing myself, I can’t come back from that. So I have to know that’s the right answer. If that’s the right answer, then the world is a horrible place and only the powerful deserve what they can take from the weak. If that’s not the right answer than my entire life has been wrong. I’ve been leading myself on a path of, of, of useless or, um, futile destruction to an losing end. No matter what choice I make, I prove something horrible. Either the world is hell on earth or my life has been meaningless or worse. How can I make a choice?”

“If you doubt that it is the right choice, then you should not make it. You can still find redemption in this world.”

“What? I don’t want your redemption! I don’t need to be redeemed in your eyes! Not in yours, not in Pelor’s, not in anyone’s!”

“What about your own?”

Again silence as that sunk in. She stood and rubbed her face. Nero continued, “Hexor gave you a time limit to join him. The forces of evil are impatient and unfair. I can’t speak for the other gods, but I would give someone as special as you all the time you needed to make this decision. It’s not like I’m going anywhere any time soon. And neither is he, sadly enough. Well, maybe not so sadly. It’s surprising how important balance is in this world.” He held her chin and looked into her eyes. “I can’t make the decision for you. I’m not even trying to tell you it’s the wrong thing to do. I’m just asking that you don’t do it unless you’re certain. Perhaps you can give the world another chance.”

“What… What happened to Major Kleshme? And the sheriffe and all the men that went off as soldiers?”

He sighed. “They were sent by one of mine to investigate the cavern near here. He was worried that it might be dangerous. He had no idea. When they were killed…” She shoved his hand away and stormed out of the house. The sun hit her right in the eyes which were already sore. She fell onto the ground as her head swam and seemed to collapse in on itself. She had dreams of a dark sphere chasing her and a pair of gates to the celestial and infernal planes and a great battlefield filled with the dead of armored men on both sides, bearing the crests of the many gods and religions. She awoke with a start right into the arms of a young looking pale man with very dark hair. It was nighttime and she could see the stars. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw the stars.

“Well hello there darling. It’s about time you woke up.”

“Who are you?”

“I’ll not play games like my half-brother. I am the avatar of Hextor. I am here to convince you that your path is a righteous one and your life not meaningless. Far from it, even. You are a prime example of the soldier I wish to fight for me. You have drive and the force behind it to back it up. Look up at those stars. You’ll not see much more in this or any other world that rivals their majesty. If you are like some others, if you’re like my half-brother, you believe that everyone has a right to them. That we should bloody ourselves and our land so that no one is able to reach up and pluck the stars out of the sky unless everyone is. But that’s not how the world works.” He took a hold of her hand and reached it towards the sky. “Why should you sully yourself with the concerns of those that cannot pull themselves out of the dirt when you can already hold the heavens in your hands?” He made it look like her hand closed around a star and pulled it back against her chest. “Don’t wait for the world when it’s your time.” He kissed her on the cheek and walked away.

She stayed sitting on the ground, speechless. She opened her hand and the most brilliant light glowed forth from it. She had a star in her grip. It was hers to do with as she pleased. She lifted it back up and replaced it where it was in the sky. She found herself grinning widely. It was such a bittersweet moment. Maybe not everything was wrong with the world, but if she wanted the power to change it for herself she would have to take drastic measures. Her whole body ached from sleeping on the ground the way she had. She pulled herself up and slunk back to her house to change and sleep the rest of the night.

This was her final day.

She sat cross-legged on the floor staring down the parcel. It was time. If she was going to do this or not, it was time to open it. She rocked back and forth, thinking about the implication of even finding what was inside. That would make it real. Only one more step after that. Proving her resolve by killing herself or not. She’d been visited by the avatar of her god and his mortal enemy. She’d been advised not to do it if she second guessed her choice and she’d been shown the power that awaited her if she said yes. But it wasn’t up to them. It was her choice. She had to make it.

She stared it down longer than she thought. The day passed by quickly. Time was running out. Finally she lept at the parcel and ripped it open. Out came a wand and a note. “Wand of greater dispel magic. Break and it will cause a magical explosion, killing you and destroying everything in a ten foot radius. You will feel no physical pain.”

The light was dimming. Time was of the essence. She couldn’t decide. She had to decide. To not decide would be to make a decision. There were two choices, break the wand or don’t. Not knowing which to do could lead to her doing the wrong one. She’d fought to become a blackguard. It was prestigious. They were a few, proud and powerful elite. They served masters but also themselves. They weren’t tied down by strict rules like paladins or knights. They just had to be able to follow their commands. But the rest of the time, the world was theirs for the taking. Damn Heronious! He killed this village, her home! Night was almost upon her. She needed to decide. NOW!

She stomped on the wand and it snapped. The world seemed to stop. Everything turned black and white but negative. A cone of pure magical energy erupted forth up through her and a blast of magical force pulsed outward all around her. She watched as the wards above her doors broke. She listened as the wraiths enveloped the village and destroyed everything. All this she witnessed as her very essence was being stripped apart.

When her eyes opened she couldn’t feel her body. No hot or cold. No pain or comfort. It’s an odd sensation not to have any sensation. Your mind doesn’t really know what to make of it. She tried to move things and couldn’t tell if it worked. She looked down and saw the dark armor of a blackguard. She raised her left hand and in it was a flail. She raised her right and saw a spiked gauntlet. She lifted herself up and saw a reflective pool. Her skin was white, her eyes sunken, her hair limp. She looked dead. She supposed that was fair since she was. She could still hear the screams of terror and wails of delight from the wraiths destruction of her home.

“I made the wrong choice…”

The avatar of Hextor appeared behind her in the reflective pool. “Do not say that now. Traitors are not treated lightly. You are my soldier now. And you will follow my orders.”

She yelled as she swung the mace around and hit the avatar in the head with all her might and then some. But it bounced off. The mace took damage but the man before her did not.

“Shame. So much potential.” The avatar walked away and left the crumpled remnants of Agrona’s corpse behind as he went to find new soldiers to fight in his wars.