She looked at her sleeping hostage – her face had not changed even whilst unconscious – this showed that shapeshifting was not a skill just an attribute of being a Malform.
I can't believe I had to go find a new body.
She had to knock her out, followed up by tying her. Then she searched for a better corpse. She found an entire grave site near here – a travelling party must have met an unfortunate end, and the survivors buried the departed. Her current body was stronger. She then added more fuel to the fire, sending some sparks flying. She then heard the shifting noises of rope.
"You're up. Glad to have you back."
"where am I… You…!"
"Please don't cause a scene – I'd rather not have to knock you out again."
She struggled a little bit, just enough to assess the strength of the rope. She recognised it was the one she had bought – safely reassuring her, she can't break them. Her legs tied together like a siren, her hands tied behind her, her arms to her side, Hanum had really made sure she was immobile.
The rope had patterns that ware embroidered into it – making it use the strength of the bound to bind them. It had a limit of how high the level it could bind, but it was well above her capabilities and not having been strong enough to learn a power, she truly was bound. This rope reverses skill energy into maintaining itself, so she didn't bother.
Then a sudden ouranquake ran through them, this tremor had not been particularly strong. After it passed, the hostage spoke, alleviating the silence that had followed it.
"I was on my way somewhere important you know that?"
"And don't worry, I'll send you on your way as soon as I get an answer from you."
She then looked away, the fury was still in her eyes, but it was as if she had decided she wasn't worth any of it, taming the raging flame inside her.
"who are you really? If you weren't sent by the assassins, hunters, guild, core units, then who are you and what could motivate you to do this?"
"You make it sound like I don't want to do any of this."
"Earlier…"
"what?"
"when you thanked me for burying her body – it sounded genuine, nothing like a brute."
She laughed… "well, I have long lost any reason for bearing my real name – I once let someone – one I was supposed to give a name to – go to the grave without one. So, I don't know who I am either. I have been inside so many bodies I've forgotten the sensation of my own. I have played so many roles mine was lost to me.
I really do remember why I am doing this, but I really don't think I do anymore. Sure, should I… no, when I eventually fulfil my mission, I will see the fruits of all this labour but sometimes I wonder if I will. My reason is mostly personal, I'm no part of a great plan, or organisation. I just happened to make a deal with someone worse than any demon.
So, I really wouldn't have liked to do this to you. You're not my target. But when I saw you about to leave, my only lead, I guess you could say I panicked. And after such a long time of nothing but this, I guess I got used to it as my default plan. It may not mean much to you, but I am sorry – your mother must be a wonderful person."
She glared at her as she made the apology, and after a bout of silence, she responded.
"I guess, I see what you mean by playing roles – I however haven't played enough to lose myself, but I have watched many of my kin go this way. Who could be worse than a demon? Don't answer, something tells me I'm better off not knowing.
You really played me you know. I was supposed to go see my sister, for the first time in ages – I don't even know if she's alive. But even then, I told myself she could wait – a miraculous lead like this only came once in a lifetime. I really can't understand why you would do any of this – but it better be wonderful reason.
Make no mistake though, I urge you not to. The first thing I'll do once you untie me is try as hard as I can to kill you – because the truth is, I really – really hate you!"
"So, does this mean you'll tell me?"
"Hate to break it to you, but I really am just that, a decoy."
"what do you take me for? I know that I'm not asking for her location, her face, I'm asking for anything you know. I'll ascertain if it's true or false myself."
"In my many years as their decoy, not only have I not seen anything, but I know nothing. Even decoys have decoys who have decoys. The guards, and even that man you saw in the room. No-one knows anything. We live in a world where someone out there could possess a skill or power, that could find you in an instance, so you can guess the lengths some would go through to hide their loved ones."
"You don't expect me to believe that now do you? You know what, it's fine, I guess your sister will have to wait forever, I'm not letting you leave here alive."
She then picked up a knife that 'Yolha' had been using as a weapon. She then walked slowly to her. Yolha then starred at her and smiled slyly.
"You didn't believe that bit about my sister now, did you?"
'Hanum' smiled back at her.
"well played – I actually did."
"You didn't think I'd trust a stranger about a fact about my life, worst of all, a stranger such as yourself? Don't make me laugh – a sister? Why would I give you something for you to threaten me with? You did make it pretty clear that you were willing to do anything for me to talk."
She then laughed – loudly into the night.
"what about your mother?"
"If you can even find her that is. You'd be doing me a huge favour – so go on, look for her. Come back to me once you find her, maybe then I'll be willing to talk. Also, at the very least finding her would make you less of a liar, now wouldn't it."
"I've got to say – you're more put together than I thought you'd be."
"what can I say – being a decoy for as long as I've been, you learn a thing or two."
"So, I guess that means you do know something."
"Gee genius, I thought I'd have to spell it out for you. You think I'd be a decoy and not come away with something to use for negotiations – I already knew they were going to send someone after me. Actually, that's partly why I went with you, confuse yourself, confuse the enemy I say. When you died back there, you really got me convinced you were just a weak assassin, not a monster in human skin."
She bowed in respect, with a pleased smile of her own.
"Okay – now that, we have that cleared, let me rephrase it. I would like to have you part with that information to me – the truth that is. And well, what may I assist you with to that end."
"Ha- Nothing."
"Are they that important to you?"
"Not at all – but if I tell you I lose my leverage now, don't I?"
She went back to sit, having been defeated. She then just churned the fire; it was going out. Then without looking towards her hostage, she broke the silence once more.
"You said you'd rather not know about this being worse than a demon, right? But would you like to meet him?"
"why in the ever-living hell would I want that?"
"well, you see, I haven't made a report to it in quite a while, it's been nonresponsive. And I was thinking this should be right about time I should try again."
A strange ringing noise rang out – it could have been silent, but she wanted Yolha to hear it. The hostage laid there, wondering if she was bluffing or not, and if a being like that truly existed, and knowing that one might, she wondered if she truly made a deal with it.
It won't pick up, but I think it's a good idea to change the mood of the fire, she had been in control. I'll use this to begin the flash bargain – she hasn't seen what I can do yet.
As she smiled internally, she turned her head, and just as she was about to speak, she stopped the call. But then a strange voice echoed, invading both their ears, interrupting her before she even said a word.
[Yes!]
She had not planned for an actual answer, so she was panicking. It didn't help that this voice incited fear and panic into her. The likes she had not prepared for. This sent a rush of memories rushing through her, each as terrible as the last. She even fell out of the body as it collapsed. Trying to escape its reach – but she still heard it.
She was remembering the first time she heard it, in cruelly clear quality. There in the darkness, only torches lighting her path. She lost everything before her very eyes, even losing herself. Her spirit heart ached, tightening up, as she relapsed into that terror, the one she had been suppressing.
She had gotten a bit used to the voice, but she usually had to prepare and steel herself to hear it, so it had made her mind relapse. And one can imagine how much weirder the situation appeared to Yolha.
'She's joking right?'
She watched as the body she had been using collapse, then the voice continued.
[Speak!]
Out of panic, Yolha spoke.
"Yes."
[Report.]
"I- I…"
[…]
The call had been cut. She got back into the body and Yolha spoke to her.
"what was up with that?"
She breathed in heavily trying to calm her nerves. Then she looked at her, and even though this was not her real body, no-one would ever mistake that look of terror in her eyes.
"Don't mind me, I just didn't think it would answer."
…
"It had been fully unresponsive until now."
"Is this some act to get me to speak?"
"… Give me a second…"
This was because the Knight had just broken the second seal – awaking from its slumber earlier than expected. Till just a few hours ago, it had just been sleeping, and even before then, the Knight had been sleeping after the fight with the dragon, so this was the first report she had to make in a while.
She then went silent and issued a full report to the Knight. Having calmed her nerves and braced. She still didn't speak after finishing the report, but her hostage did.
"Let's say I were to believe you, that you somehow made a deal with something worse than my nightmares, why? You seemed so terrified, you scarred me for a minute there."
There was no answer for a while, so they just sat there not uttering a word. But as dawn began, she finally spoke, looking up at the storm clouds forming.
"I wasn't completely lying earlier – but trust me, I really need you to believe me, I would never, even to my most despised and hated of enemies, wish any of them to be involved with that thing. I may not apologise for many things, but do forgive me, I had no intention of putting you even remotely close to that thing. Like I said, I didn't think it would pick up."
Yolha didn't immediately respond.
"Even if this is another ploy, I guess I do believe you there, there's only few people Ive seen make that expression."
…
"Just a simple request though – do you think you could call it again?"