The Deceiver's Path - Chapter 142 -Echoes of the Fallen God (Patreon)

Piper waited for Ophelia to open the door to their quarters before hobbling inside. Her limbs felt heavy with exhaustion, and her hands trembled as she sank down on the edge of her bed. All the while, her friend watched with concern etched on her face.

“Are you alright, Pip?” Ophelia asked, taking half a step toward her.

“I’m fine,” Piper replied, a quaver in her voice. Even after using [Demonic Blood], she could feel the effects of the magical poison lingering. What the heck could defeat both her [Infernal Resistance] and [Demonic Blood]?

Not that her two skills hadn’t been working in overdrive to keep her alive. She’d checked her character sheet and was shocked to see that her [Infernal Resistance] had climbed from 12 to 40. And her [Demonic Blood] had seen a similarly impressive jump, from 46 to 57.

I would have been dead for sure without my demonic skills.

The thought of how close she’d come to dying made her blood run cold. What had happened to the others? Had anyone else died?

“Is Lysander…” she let the name hang in the air, not willing to finish her question.

“He’s fine,” Ophelia replied. “Well, crankier than usual, but fine.”

“What about the others?”

Ophelia’s expression fell. “They all died. Even Asterion.”

Piper hadn’t particularly liked their gruff combat trainer, but the thought of his death flooded her with rage. Someone had tried to kill her and the people whom she cared about. She was going to find them and make them pay.

Yes, the voice rasped in her mind. Now you are beginning to understand what must be done.

Her eyes widened with panic at how clearly the voice resonated in her head. Without hesitation, she reached down the front of her dress and grabbed the medallion. She pulled it out and tossed it across the room. It bounced off the wall and disappeared under Ophelia’s bed.

The young woman’s mouth dropped open. “Why did you do that? Mom gave that to you!”

“It’s a long story,” Piper said wearily. “But apparently there’s an evil god trying to take control of my mind through it.”

Ophelia’s mouth opened and closed several times. Finally, she stammered, “Wait, what?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story. Somehow, I ended up back in the Infernal Realm and my guild told me about Infer… I mean, the fallen one.”

“So, the god we pray to back home…?”

“Yeah… apparently he’s the evil god of vampires or something.”

“I should have known that Infernus was nothing more than a jerk like all the vampires. Mom is going to freak out when she learns the truth.”

“Don’t say his name,” Piper said quickly. “It’s… dangerous.”

“Infernus, Infernus, Infernus,” Ophelia said, grinning. “If he shows up, I’ll kick his butt with my angel sword for trying to take over your mind.”

“What did I just tell you?” Piper replied with growing alarm. “And I have the feeling that you’re going to need something much stronger than an angel sword to beat a giant dragon.”

“Oh, he’s a dragon? That’s even better. Imagine how famous I’ll become in the guild when I slay a dragon. They’ll probably make me the new leader.”

Piper facepalmed. “Why would Niko make you the leader? Do you think he’s going to be so awestruck by your skills that he’ll step down?”

“It could happen,” Ophelia said defensively. “I’d be a dragon-slayer after all.” As her friend spoke, she settled down on the bed across from Piper. Then she gathered up her golden hair and pulled it over her shoulder.

“About the guild,” Piper said slowly. “I think we need to leave. Immediately.”

“But I just started doing quests!”

“A demon I trust in the Infernal Realm told me that we’re in danger here. I think something is coming—maybe even the crazy nuns again.”

Ophelia chewed on her lower lip as she seemed to process the information. Finally, she nodded. “If it means keeping you safe, then I’ll do whatever it takes. Where are we going?”

Shrugging, Piper flopped back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I think the northern kingdoms are a good start. Or maybe the beastmen to the west.”

“Beastmen? Those sound awesome. Do you think they have some dog ones? Oh… maybe some cat ones?”

“I have no idea. But if they do have them, they probably don’t want you petting them. I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

Ophelia scowled. “I was not.”

Piper gave her friend a look.

After squirming for a few seconds, Ophelia finally blurted out, “Fine. I was thinking that. But wouldn’t a dog-kid be so cute?”

“They probably would be,” she admitted. “Still, I doubt they’d want to be petted.”

“So…” Ophelia said as she rose to her feet. She stalked over to the stand holding her armor. “What happened to you out there?”

“They didn’t tell you?”

Ophelia shook her head.

“It wasn’t the most fun trip to the city. For some reason, Selene had to leave before I arrived.”

“That’s too bad. What did you end up doing? I bet you were so bored without me.”

“I was bored out of my mind,” she replied with a smile. “I ended up going to a tavern to buy lunch, but before I could eat, I was attacked by a gang of slavers.”

“You were?” Ophelia hurried over and sat down beside her. “Tell me everything.”

Piper spent the next few minutes detailing her battle against the slavers in the tavern. She told her friend about using her illusions to make one of them think they were melting, and how her [Umbral Terror] spell had made a slaver scream about insects burrowing into his skin.

Ophelia laughed at that. “I’d have so much fun with your spells.”

“And you’d get us discovered after about a day.”

“I would not.”

She stared at her friend sternly.

The young woman finally wilted. “Alright. But there are so many people who deserve to be scared. Speaking of that, did you kill all the slavers?”

Piper shook her head. “No, but I told them never to come back again.”

“Why, in the name of the Abyss, would you let them live? They were slavers! Those are bad people. No one would miss anyone that evil. ”

“What if some of them had been conscripted?”

“Did any of them act like they didn’t want to be there?”

“Well… no,” Piper said slowly. “But I don’t want to kill anyone innocent ever again.”

“They’re probably out there enslaving more people right now. Is that any better?”

Piper opened her mouth to reply, but then shut it again. Her friend was completely right in this situation. After what had happened with Zenos’ sister, she had become far too cautious. There were some people in this world who deserved to be punished for their actions, and by sparing the slavers, she had probably doomed others to death.

“I have no idea what to do sometimes,” Piper said miserably. “Why is everything always so complicated?”

“Only sometimes?” Ophelia giggled. “I thought you never knew what to do.”

“I’m being serious!”

“I know, Pip. You’re a good person. It’s why you need me around to roll people into lava.”

Raising her eyebrows, she pulled the covers over herself. “Are you sure that’s what the Celestial Realm would want you to do?”

“The angels? They’re all a bunch of wusses, anyway. But they’d probably agree that bad people need to be punished.”

“At least I saved everyone at the inn.” Piper yawned and stretched languidly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I want to sleep for about a week.”

“You already slept a week. Isn’t that enough?”

At those words, her half-lidded eyes shot open. “Are you serious?”

Ophelia nodded.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me? Did they catch the people who poisoned the food?”

“I don’t think so. At least if they did, they didn’t tell us aspirants.”

Piper pressed her lips together. She didn’t like the thought of the person who had poisoned her still running around the villa. What other damage had they done while she’d been unconscious? Right now, she wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she needed to find someone who knew what was going on.

“They think you saved a lot of lives,” Ophelia continued. “They were going to serve the pottage for breakfast the next morning. If you hadn’t been delayed and then asked for food, we all would have eaten it.”

“That means it probably wasn’t directed at me.” She had to admit that not being the target for once was a relief. However, she’d still have to keep her guard up.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Piper realized that she hadn’t updated her [Truth Shroud] and quickly cast it to change her classes. She doubted that anyone would be rude enough to use [Identify] on her, but there was no point in taking a chance.

After pulling the blanket up to her neck, she called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s the Emperor,” a familiar voice replied. “Who do you think it is, gravebait?”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Lysander slipped into the room. He looked paler than usual, and his hands trembled as he stood there. “I’m glad to see you alive. Everything is in working order again?”

Piper raised her hand, her trembling mirroring Lysander's. “As much as can be expected, I guess.”

The dark-haired man nodded and crossed his arms. “That was a nasty poison. It took out three of our best adventurers.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said softly.

“At least my streak is unbroken. You’re a lot tougher than you look.”

“How did you… you know?” She trailed off, not willing to ask how he’d survived. The wounds still felt too raw.

“I put a lot of points into Vitality,” he replied. “And we have an amazing healer working here. The mages with their weak physical stats had no chance. Poor Asterion nearly made it, but he succumbed yesterday.”

“Do you have any leads on who did it?”

Lysander scowled and clasped his hands behind his back. “We interrogated the servants using magic, but it looks like none of them were responsible. As it is, three of them died later from inhaling the poison fumes. Until we find out who committed this act, we’re all in danger.”

“Is there any way I can help?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Lysander strode forward and sat down on the opposite bed. “I know that you’re not what you seem. With the loss of the adventurers, I need you to step up. A noblewoman has requested our help later this week, and I want you to escort her to her manor.”

“I was thinking about asking to go back to Kalmyros.”

“Good luck,” Lysander chuckled. “The snowstorms have closed every mountain pass. Nothing is getting through right now, not even the local animals.”

“So, we’re stuck here?”

“At least until a thaw. That might not happen until spring, though.”

Piper chewed on the man’s words. Even though Astaroth had told her to depart, she was stuck here for the near future. Unless, of course, she wanted to summon the Dreadhulk. She doubted that any amount of snow could stop a giant demonic turtle. Then again, it might lose its footing on one of the narrow ledges and send them all plunging to their deaths. She’d have to think of another way to leave this place.

Until then, she would continue to act as an aspirant of the Silver Hippogriffs. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’m glad you’re willing to step up. I bet that you’ll make a great leader someday. At least if you follow my advice on not dying.”

“I think about your advice every day,” she said solemnly before cracking a smile.

“Me too!” Ophelia said. “I’m nothing but cautious now.”

“Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Piper turned toward her friend. “We’ve all seen you rush headlong at enemies. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“I barely ever charge in anymore. Except against that mammoth.”

“And the elementals.”

“That was different—”

Lysander raised his hand to silence them. “Do you want to hear about the quest or not?”

Both of them nodded.

“A young noblewoman returned to Helidros a week ago and sent word for her family to send sleighs from their manor to pick up her cargo. However, neither of the messengers has returned, which makes her think something has gone wrong.

Piper drew her blankets tighter around herself. “What do you think?”

Lysander didn’t reply for a minute. “It’s the mountains, and bad things happen here sometimes. That’s why I want you to lead two other groups of aspirants to escort her to the manor. I don’t want you to hold back this time. Do whatever it takes to make sure everyone comes back alive.”

“You have my word,” Piper said. “I’ll make sure that everyone returns safely.”

Lysander patted her foot under the blanket. “I’m glad to hear that. Now try to get some rest. We’re leaving in a couple of days.”

Piper watched as the man rose and left the room. She sat in silence, the weight of her new responsibilities pressing heavily on her shoulder. But she’d do what Lysander asked—she would do everything in her power to make sure they all returned safely from the quest.

****

“How is she still alive?” Alexios thundered before scowling and lowering his voice. “Are you certain that she left the infirmary?”

Daphne nodded, her full lips turned down into a pout. “I saw it myself a short time ago, Master.”

Alexios paced around the tiny room, his hands behind his back. The fact that Piper had somehow survived the enchanted cockatrice poison filled him with worry. While he’d suspected that the young woman had a false class, this all but confirmed it.

On the ride back to the villa, while he and his thralls wore an illusion to give them the faces of their victims, he watched as the foolish girl leapt off the sleigh to battle a group of powerful redcaps. At least he thought her actions had been foolish.

However, she’d turned up like a bad copper piece hours later, looking no worse for wear. He was starting to think that she was the greatest threat to the undead, and not the adventurers he’d encountered in the valley.

“I suppose we’ll simply have to try something else.”

As it was, her poisoning had been a happy accident. He’d ordered his thrall to poison the oats that the servants used to make pottage in the morning. While it had been annoying that he hadn’t been able to poison the entire villa, at least he’d managed to take out some of the more annoying adventurers.

Daphne brushed up against his side. She ran her hands down his chest and gasped with pleasure. “There is some good news,” she purred. “I’ve been told that we’re accompanying her on a quest later this week.”

“Excellent,” he responded, his desire sharpening for his thrall. While she wore the illusion of the plain-faced aspirant she’d replaced, he could simply dispel it for the evening. No one would discover them in the aspirants’ quarters of the villa.

“How should we kill her?” Daphne asked.

“I’ll devise a devious strategy to end her life during the quest,” he said. “However, I swear by Infernus that this time she won’t get away.”