Carmine (Completed)

Chapter 47

Five walked around striking fear into the rest of the populace, while I was in Artus's house with Valor sitting, watching Artus talk and pace the wooden floor. 

Words that exited his mouth were like the buzzing of mosquitoes, I knew he was speaking, I knew the words, but my mind considered it like the dirt I walked on.

Tiam had a strict and rather overbearing system. To these people, it was akin to slavery. Most accepted those arrangements, because their service to the Tiam government was rewarded with protections in their underground and sheltered mountain cities. Then there were those people under Artus, who did not want to break their back for the empire. They stayed on the dead arid land and made the best of it. 

Food was obtained through hunting. Still, I had to admit their strange farming methods yielded some fruit just not as much as Tiam's advanced sunless agriculture. 

To fill the void of vengeance they raided extra supplies from Tiam’s cities, so Tiam’s officials desired their deaths.

Right now, Artus desired nothing more than my death by his hand. His shouting seemed to be indicating that wholeheartedly. 

“You attack my people, you attack me!” Artus bellowed. The table rested between us, while his wives moved around us like a smooth river around a rock.

Valor averted her eyes, while I shrugged. 

“Be calm, the child is alive. My craft is dangerous to the unfaithful. He never got to see. That is a blessing. You must understand, he is lucky he only got shot with an arrow,” I replied.

Artus twisted his lips and grunted. “So you say.”

“Be still, as a Mother over your town. I will protect you if you protect me. I hope you understand your luck from our earlier arrangement.”

Valor turned to me with a snide smile. 

Artus sighed and threw his arms up in dismay. “You are making it hard for me to believe anything you say. You cannot come here and just gallivant your evil about so emphatically. You need to be more discreet. I am the leader. I am taking the heat here.”

True, but you were the one under my thumb. Should I insult him and remind him of his place? No, that served no purpose. Using him as it was, I kept his pride intact.

I smiled. “I completely understand and will do better to stay in the shadows. Artus, you are a good man. You do so much for your people, I see that.” 

Artus nodded his head and relaxed with my choice of words. Besides, I had better fish to catch. “So I decided I want to help you, Artus. I will kill the person and, I will need eight…” I stared at Valor.

Valor took over from me. “Two babies within one year, three children below the age of ten, unblemished and untouched by any person. Two random sick persons and one pregnant woman.”  

I stiffened. Was that exact, was this real, closing my eyes tight, I breathed out and tried to remember the goal. I had to survive.

Artus grinned. “We have no pregnant woman. I can provide the rest. Though what will I tell them, ah—”

 Valor cut in, “Tell them they will be offered to Fallen, and we are his servants as well. We will be performing a grand ceremony for your God and Savior, If they do it, their fields will be blessed for many years with corn, and coffee.”

Artus said, “She is a witch, no one will believe that."

"They will if you say it.”

I could have requested this through force without all those niceties, but I wanted no begrudged servant, for allies were more powerful to my resolve.