Inexorable Altercation [Round V - Saint Arthelais' Hospital]

Chester was alone again.

Hez was gone. He wasn't even on her any more. He could tell that without even opening his eyes; for one thing, the cold stone floor he felt underneath him was a good deal more comfortable than any surface on the ship.

Chester didn't know where he was, but he knew why he was there. Someone wanted to use him again.

There just wasn't another explanation. He didn't know or care what they wanted to use him for; he just knew that the moment he got up, his captor would start explaining the very important task that only Chester could do.

So in an act of defiance, he lay still, his eyes closed. He was through with being used.

"There's no need to be stubborn, I know you're awake now," said a voice. It sounded like a young girl.

That was unexpected, but Chester's curiosity about the speaker was not stronger than his determination. The worst they could do was let him die a free man, after all.

"He's even less cooperative than I expected," another voice said with a sigh. "Not that his cooperation is strictly necessary, but this is not how I would prefer to do things."

Chester suddenly found himself standing upright, his eyes wide open. Before him stood an older man and a young girl. Another man lay on the floor; Chester recognized him.

"He's the one who killed Daddy Ham," Chester said. "At least, I'm pretty sure that thing was..."

"This is Azgard," the older man said, ignoring Chester's words. "As you can see, he is not in the best of shape. We need your help to restore him."

"Restore him? I'm no healer. I'm a datapath. And I'm through taking orders from anyone."

"You don't have a choice," said the girl. "You have to follow the rules now. And the rules say you have to do what Barabbas says. That means fixing Azgard."

"What are you even talking about? I can't fix him, he's a human being!"

"Outwardly, perhaps. But I believe you of all people should know that appearances can be deceiving. Gaze upon Azgard as he truly is."

Before Chester could protest, he found himself connecting to a system. A system he hadn't even realized was there. A system unlike any he had seen before - far more advanced than Hezekiah. Far more beautiful, even, though in a completely different way.

Hezekiah had been the most beautiful woman Chester had ever seen. But this was beyond mortal standards. Chester was looking into the face of a god.

A wounded god, mind. A scarred, dying god, but unmistakeably divine. This was a system beyond anything Chester could have ever imagined.

And he was its last chance.

-------

"So how exactly are we supposed to find this demon?" Loran asked. "If its illusions are as powerful as you say, couldn't it cover all of its tracks?"

"Aye, 'tis a troublesome fiend we face," Parsley agreed. "I know a mere handful of tricks for dealing with illusions, and they've done me little good so far."

"So we're just going to muddle around and hope we find the thing?"

"Nay, we need a different approach entirely. 'Tis useless to treat this as a hunt. Tryin' to keep up with the demon only puts us where he wants us. Rather, we aim to turn that around."

"Get him where we want him?" Loran shook his head. "And how are we supposed to do that?"

"Figure out what he wants, and keep it from him. That's sure to draw him out before long."

"You say that as if we have any way to know what he wants."

Suddenly, there was a loud bell in the distance.

"I've an inkling," Parsley said. "That chime, 'tis a holy sound. Even the demon's darkest magic is powerless to hide it. Were I a gamblin' man, I'd wager good coin that belfry hides something the demon fears."

Loran was skeptical, but it wasn't as if he had any better ideas. He followed the hunter down the halls, unsure what exactly he was trying to do.

-------

"I remember these bells."

Peth stood at the base of the belltower, listening. There was so much he'd forgotten, so much he was starting to recall, now that he was back.

But none of it seemed to mean anything. Every step seemed like one he'd taken before, and yet he had no idea why he'd taken it in the first place.

The bells were no different than any of the half-dozen other hauntingly familiar things he'd seen already. He wasn't sure if he missed this place or simply wanted to leave it.

The chimes faded, and Peth sighed. He turned to leave, unsure of where he was even going.

He might have simply wandered the grounds of St. Arthelais forever if not for one single sudden thought.

Who was ringing the bells?

He hadn't cre-invited anyone in to do that. And his memory was quite insistent that the bells weren't automated in some way - even if they had been, how could the mechanisms last for so long?

Peth reached for the ornate doors of the tower, then instinctively recoiled in fear. Something told him that he couldn't go in there, not alone.

But then he remembered that he didn't have to be alone.

-------

Annaliese wished she could have been alone. At the moment, she was willing to settle for being asleep.

Thankfully, the queen was being quiet, and while it probably wasn't for the sake of making it easier for Annaliese to sleep, she was grateful for the silence all the same.

She might not have felt the same way if she could see the half-Oni the queen wasn't talking to.

So what exactly do you want? the queen silently asked Greyve.

"I'll be honest, I hadn't worked that far ahead," Greyve sighed. "I wasn't sure if contacting you would work at all."

You may as well start from the beginning. The girl's memories show you dying in her presence. Have you been here this entire time?

"No! It's not just me, it's everyone who died in this battle. Only Loran could see us."

So you're claiming to be a hallucination, then.

"Maybe I am. Or a ghost. I don't really care, honestly. What matters is that one of the dead battlers is our old friend Daddy Ham. And true to form, he's locked the rest of us out."

Yet you were able to contact me.

"An Oni trick. Not one I'd tried before. Look, the point is, somehow we're stuck in the room you're all in. And we're trying to get out, maybe find Loran again so he doesn't die and take us all with him."

I do not see how I can aid you in this effort.

"Yeah, me neither. But that was the only thing I could think of..."

There was a loud chime. Greyve grimaced.

"I don't like whatever that was," he muttered. He started to fade.

I will consider your problem alongside all the other matters I am currently considering. I cannot offer you more than that unless you have something to offer me in return.

"Ugh," Greyve groaned. "Yeah, fine, I'll ask Felix to think of something. Maybe a way to get you out of banana girl's head. Don't think I'll be staying here long, either way."

What did you just call her?

"Don't know. It just seemed to fit somehow."

He vanished, and Annaliese woke up.

-------

"What's that noise?" Annaliese mumbled, moments before Will was about to douse her with a large bucket of water.

"Good, I won't need this," he said. "You're a sound sleeper. I had half a mind to pick you up and run, because we can't stay here."

"Why not? Is it another monster? Are there guards again?"

"Loran's gone missing."

Annaliese turned pale.

"Does that mean he's going to-"

"There's no need to jump to conclusions, but I'm certainly not ruling it out." He glanced out the window at the large tower in the courtyard. "This place is so strange. It's more like a monastery than a hospital."

Annaliese didn't know what to say, mostly because she was busy being terrified at the thought of Loran trying to kill them all.

"Anyhow, we need to get out of here. I'm not sure where to go, but staying in one place is no good..."

As if to drive home the point, there was a large crash as an enormous creature burst down the door.

"HERETICS!" Vulm'mram'Vuul declared in a booming voice, knocking Will and Annaliese to the floor. "SUBMIT TO THE DIVINE ARBITER'S WILL OR PERISH IN BLASPHEMOUS SHAME!"