Valkyrie Black

Chapter 10: Violent Goodbyes

[ Log ]

Shadows identified:

[ Race: Scath ]

[  Lurker Hatchling AKA Watchers *Role: Watcher, influencer. Nearly totally translucent. Hard to detect. minimal threat]

[ Lurker Wrath – Called “Tempters” by members of the Order. *Thread: Minimal direct threat, Significant threat from secondary attacks by influenced beings. Small, minimal threat ]

[ Thrasher – Powerful Scáth with claws that can do physical damage.          Thrasher’s have onyx claws and almost physical scales. Much harder to engage and can deflect rune blade attacks ]

*

Val watched Desmond disappear as he lept from one wall to another and vanished over the rooftop. Val was full of roiling emotions. She had missed the Shadow she had been hunting and now had an empty crystal, but Desmond had given her a glimpse of a life that she could only dream about. She wondered if it would improve her world, or lead her in unexpected directions. The thought that her mother had been a part of the order and that she might find memories of her there lend speed to her steps as she hurried back to Emma.

If she were to go with this Desmond guy to Suria, she might be able to find out about her mother. After all, it sounded like that might have been where her mother had been heading all along. But if she left Emma, would Emma make it? Would she be able to satisfy Vex’s demands for coin?

Perhaps if Maggie could keep Emma on, and not have to split the pay with herself, then perhaps Emma would have a decent life with Maggie. She decided to put it aside until closer to Desmond’s return. No point in railing anyone up before she was ready to leave.

She figured she would use the time to make sure her storage crystals were all full.

Two weeks later, the evening before she was to meet Desmond was an ominously foggy evening. This time of night, Emma would be off the streets but would likely be at the den house with the other street kids for the evening meal.

When she arrived at the inn that the Dock Jackals were using as their base this month, the door guard Borgash nodded as he recognized her and opened the door.

“Dinner is almost over, but the kitchen might have some scraps if you have coin.”

“Thank you, Borgash. Is Vex in his office?”

“He should be counting the day’s haul for a while longer.”

Instead of heading to the dining hall like she normally would, Val headed up the stairs to Vex’s office. She nocked nervously.

“Enter”

She walked in to find Vex in his favorite place, seated behind his wide desk, small mounds of coins on one side and a pile of loose coins on the other.

“You have your day’s dues?” Vex asked, getting straight to business.

Val reluctantly reached into her pouch and pulled out the 50 dret she had set aside for the day and set them on the desk.

“Take a tile, the kitchen will be closing soon. Best hurry.”

“Sir, I-“

“Yes? Something happen?”

“I got a job… I am not going to be around anymore after a fortnight.”

“A job? You know I assign the jobs. The guild is still owned its cut. Who approached you with a job?”

“It's not in town. It's in the west.”

“West? You intending to run? Who will cover your corner?”

“Emma is still around and I am sure the kids will be happy to have my corner.”

“Val, you are one of my best earners. You cannot just leave. And you owe 50% of this job to the guild. You are one of us,” Vex declared, standing up and rounding the desk.

Val had to think fast. This would be dangerous for Emma if she says the wrong thing, but she was also not going to pay Vex for work that had nothing to do with him or his territory.

“I am leaving the guild, vex”

“Is that so? No one leaves this family. Besides, no other guild will have you. you would be branded a traitor.”

“You will not see me after tonight. Goodbye Vex” Val turned and headed for the door, but was flung back toward the desk as Vex yanked on her hair.

“You think you can just walk away from me?” Vex towered over her. she was still young, and his huge frame was terrifying.

His hands tangled in her hair as he slammed his fist on the desk bending her backward and banging her head against the hard wood. His face filled her vision as he leered down at her., “You are mine. You don’t get to just walk out.”

Val panicked and flayed her legs, catching Vex in the groin with her knee. She rolled off the desk and tried to run but vex grabbed her ankle, tripping her.

“Little bitch!”

Val turned over, struggling against Vex’s vice grip on her leg. She kicked hard with her free leg, her heel connecting with Vex’s face. He grunted and released her leg as he moaned in pain, blood slicking his face from his nose.

Valkyrie scrambled for the door and grabbed the handle, pulling herself back to her feet. Just as she yanked on the door, she felt a sting across her cheek. A dagger twanged into the wood of the door a breath away from her eye, sticking point first into the grain of the door.

Val looked over her shoulder at Vex, who was wiping blood from his face, still clutching his groin.

“Run, little bitch. If I catch you back in Dockside, death will be too kind of an end for you.”

 Val fled from the den house, a tear trickling down her cheek, burning as the salty tears crossed the gash from Vex’s dagger. She prayed to the gods that his dagger had not been poisoned.

When Val finally made it back to Maggie’s bakery, the blood was drying on her cheek, but she didn’t want to waste a whole crystal on such a cut. The scar might remind her of a debt she would pay back. Vex would feel her blade someday. She only hoped Desmond would be able to train her as well as he had indicated.

Maggie gasped when she saw Val, and quickly got a rag and began cleaning her face. Emma came in and was the first to ask what had happened.

“Avoid Vex as best you can.” was all she offered.

Val took the evening to explain the opportunity Desmond had offered. Maggie was skeptical but after hearing how Vex had treated Val this evening, she agreed that Val needed to get out of town for a while. Emma just hugged Val. Val knew Emma understood better than most what an opportunity it was to get out of Dockside.