Revenant's Resolve Chapter 18

Foreword: Sorry for the gap, it was my birthday last week, as well as my my mother's birthday, so I was busy with things and didn't really find time to write - that said, here story:

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Reznik’s door was left ajar after dinner, and Zarah made it clear that he was allowed to wander freely around the home if he so desired. And so, Reznik took it upon himself to explore the home after the pair had finally gone to bed.

In truth, to call it exploration may have been a bit of an exaggeration, as many doors were still shut, behind handles that Reznik didn’t trust his abilities enough to open.

So he ended up spending the majority of the night simply staring out the window in the second floor study - one of the few doors that had been left open for him - and watching the city streets of Bratsow that never seemed to fully still, even in the wee hours of the morning.

As the sun rose over the looming hills in the distance, so too did the people of the city rise. Horses clopped up and down the street, some with riders and others with carriages - all going about their day to day.

Idly, he wondered what had become of the people in Carcal. Had they been relocated? Did the conflict push further and cause them all to become fodder?

I should ask Zarah about them. She knows enough to make a report to the King of all people, I’m sure she can tell me what happened in the end.

I should ask her next time we have our session.

Reznik heard footsteps treading down the hall behind him but kept staring out the window at the morning light. Particularly, he was rather enjoying the birds that fluttered back and forth from rooftop, to fence, and then back to the rooftops, singing cheery songs that were barely audible through the window.

It wasn’t long before Reznik smelled food, and then heard a second set of feet in the hall behind him.

“Ah, Reznik. You should come downstairs and eat breakfast - we have a big day today, after all.” Zarah invited with an audible smirk to her tone. “I have a gift that I ordered when you first got here that should be arriving soon, and then we can explore the town a bit while I run errands.

“Then tonight, we have a… notable guest for dinner.”

Ah. So I get to stay in the basement all night.

Is that what this is? You’re buttering me up before you lock me away again?

Reznik’s thoughts were tinged with a healthy dose of bemusement and sarcasm, hoping that if Zarah was listening to his thoughts, she would understand that his reply was merely meant to be teasing.

He didn’t actually mind spending a night in the basement.

Especially if he was fed beforehand, a point made clear by the fact that upon the mention of breakfast, he was already in the process of turning around and shambling towards Zarah.

“Believe it or not, the guest is actually interested in seeing you, more than anything else. They wouldn’t be coming here otherwise.” Zarah answered with a hawkish grin before exiting the doorway of the study.

Breakfast was simple, and more than filling for Reznik. Two slabs of pork, a small pile of eggs, and more than enough sausage to feed a medium-sized group of hungry men.

All of it set before him on a platter by Luminita as soon as he managed to cajole his less-than-responsive limbs into actually sitting down.

Something about it tickled at the back of his mind. For the briefest fraction of a second as Luminita had placed the meal in front of him, her face and her smile had been that of someone else - as if reality itself tore and replaced her with another.

It left him with an odd feeling of vertigo and deja vu as he finished his meal.

Before he felt like he’d had enough time to really consider what he was experiencing, a loud knock sounded from the door.

“Ah! Wonderful timing!” Zarah exclaimed with an enthusiastic smile and a small flourish of her hands after setting down her fork. Turning fractionally, Zarah fixed Reznik with a predatory grin. “Reznik, your gift is here.”

“Oh! Is this the-“ Luminita began before Zarah interrupted with a sharp nod and a shush.

“Shh. Yes, it is.”

“Sh-Should I go and hide him?” Luminita glanced nervously at the door as Zarah pushed up from her seat with a soft squeak of wood on wood.

“Nonsense. I rescued Alondra and her family from Espana almost fifty years ago, now. Imagine my surprise when I find they’d put their roots here, back when I decided to settle down.” Zarah waved her hand dismissively as she made her way to the door. “If there’s anyone in this whole nation that I can trust unconditionally, it’s her and her family.”

Huh. Apparently, Zarah’s a bit of a bleeding heart.

Zarah practically flung the door open and extended her arms wide to hug a blonde, diminutive woman who laughed brightly as she embraced the Telepath.

“Ah, is so good to see you, dear!” The woman hugging Zarah greeted warmly, with a thick accent that sent flashes of imagery through Reznik’s mind. Picturesque red-orange shingles, bleached white walls, priests calling their flock to mass with a backdrop of rolling hills.

Worse still, whatever place Reznik associated with her voice left him feeling an odd sense of apprehension and uncertainty - like whatever was happening there might come here very soon.

“You as well, Alondra! Please, come in - I take it you brought my order?” Zarah asked as the embrace broke, stepping aside to bid the young woman in.

Stepping inside, the curvaceous woman briefly flicked her eyes to Reznik with a harsh, appraising stare. Alondra had a deep, knotted scar that went up her cheek, through a milky-white eye, and onto her brow, and finally ended just below her hairline.

She sniffed the air once, then turned back to Zarah as a stout, bearded man followed her through the door with an oddly spiky-looking duffel bag on his shoulder.

“Ah! You look like the kind of man who’d nee-“ The Dwarf saw Reznik and smiled broadly before Alondra slapped a hand to his chest, stopping him mid-stride.

“Wait.” Alondra instructed as a woman with bright red hair followed the Dwarf into the room and stopped, shutting the door behind her. She was missing her right hand, only a stump remaining where it had been.

She tilted her head, the long, rosy curls spilling down over her shoulder as she watched Reznik with a concerned scowl. The Red-haired woman also sniffed the air exploratorily, her eyes narrowed.

Well, shit.

Oh this is going to go south in a hurry, isn’t it?

Neither of them look pleased to see me, and I bet it’s because they know what I am.

Do they have Revenants where they’re from?

“Zarah, I did not realize you’d took up necromancy for fun,” Alondra glared at Zarah with a pointed frown. “Care to explain… this?”

Alondra waved an accusatory hand at Reznik before Luminita stepped up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders, almost protectively.

“Gladly.” Zarah chuckled happily, staring into Alondra’s eyes with glassy ones of her own. After several long moments of silence that in the moment felt like hours, Zarah blinked abruptly, looked to Reznik, and then back to Alondra.

“I take it that explanation was… enough?” Zarah questioned with arched eyebrows.

“Oh.” Was all Alondra had to say in that moment. After a second of clear, open-mouthed thought, she withdrew her hand from the Dwarf’s shoulder and smiled at him. “Go ahead, Marcello, make sure it fits. I thought I smelled something off, and I was wrong.”

“As you wish, my love.” The stocky man beamed up at Alondra with a toothy grin before standing on his tiptoes to give her a quick peck on the cheek. Then, he turned his attention on Reznik.

The other woman continued to stare at Reznik with hostile, almost luminescent green eyes.

“Sister, it’s…” she got out before Alondra interrupted her.

“A cursed one, yes. But he’s alive, in there.” Alondra stepped past her husband as he set down the bag of metal with a powerful, clanging thud, stopping several feet in front of Reznik. “Just look at his eyes, Catia. He’s no more a monster than a scared puppy.

“Now, can you tell me your name?” Alondra asked, smiling broadly at Reznik as Catia looked on with a confused frown that told him that she in no way bought the story of him being safe.

Fuck it.

Alright, now’s the moment.

Reznik!

My name is Reznik!

“He’s Reznik.” Luminita offered with a defensive edge from behind him, squeezing his shoulders gently. “He’s a Revenant who did everything he could to save my town, and even saved me twice.

“He’s not a child.”

Alondra briefly glanced up to Luminita as her smile deepened and changed to something hard to read, then turned back to Catia.

“Rrreezz… Nik.” Reznik’s voice was shaky and hoarse, but he correctly got out the syllables of his name.

Catia let a brief expression of astonishment cross her face before she smirked and nodded at Alondra.

“Interesting.” Catia mused before shrugging absently. “Alright. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. I’ve only seen undead in the control of a necromancer.”

“Undead in custom armor? Heh, now that would be a sight.” Marcello grunted as he abruptly grabbed Reznik’s hand and began to pull, having unloaded the contents of the bag - which happened to be a large set of near-polished metal plates and leather. “Come on, lad, let’s get you fitted. I need to make sure I got the sizing right.

“Ms. Zarah was very particular about not allowing you to come to the shop, so I didn’t get the chance to make sure she got the numbers right.”

“Marcello, you should know by now that I’m far better with numbers than people.” Zarah chuckled as Reznik was pulled to his feet with a surprised, almost-startled wheeze.

Marcello then pulled him over to the laid-out suit of armor, stopping just shy of it before grabbing a chair from the dining table.

“Do you know how many nobles have come screaming into my shop, claiming that I screwed up the numbers that -they- gave me?” Marcello grumped as he drug the chair back beside Reznik. “I’ll trust your numbers when the suit fits.”

Zarah simply rolled her eyes and smirked at Alondra.

Over the next half-hour, Reznik was put into a suit of heavy plate armor, piece by piece. From his neck down, it felt like there wasn’t a single inch that wasn’t covered by leather, chain, or steel. In truth, even though it gave him a feeling of mild claustrophobia, the armor didn’t feel all that heavy.

Each piece of plate was inscribed with odd, flowing sigils and patterns, like the armor itself was made to be as decorative as it was functional.

When the helmet was lowered onto his head, the fitting was done, and it gave Reznik an odd feeling he hadn’t felt in recent memory.

Confidence.

Apparently, even his body agreed. As Marcello jumped off the chair with a resounding thud and waved his hands as if Reznik was a presentation to the women in the room, Reznik rolled his shoulders and moved his arms curiously. Like testing the weight of a new weapon.

The women had long since poured themselves glasses of wine, and were seated around the table, chatting and watching the armor be attached to Reznik.

Blessedly, likely because he’d been fed recently, he hadn’t accidentally lost control and threatened to attack the Dwarf.

Or worse, tried to eat him.

Two things that usually went hand-in-hand.

Reznik had, however, been somewhat of an annoying client, much to his dismay and Marcello’s frustration, as he simply could not remain completely still. This had made Marcello’s job far more difficult, and had earned Reznik several chastising glares.

But after the helm was set on his head and secured with a leather clasp, he caught the stares from the women. Both Catia and Alondra looked proud, most likely directed at Marcello’s handiwork.

Zarah watched him with a smile that looked positively feral, no doubt already imagining all the ways she could put him to work in a duel.

Luminita’s eyes were like saucers, and her smile was brighter than the sun as she watched Reznik.

“He’s… he’s like something out of a storybook.” Luminita said in a breathless tone.

“A literal hero in shining armor for you, I’d imagine.” Zarah chuckled as Luminita suddenly blushed a deep scarlet.

“Alright, I’ll give it to you Zarah, your numbers were right.” Marcello looked at his handiwork with a smirk after huffing loudly. “Plate fits him, and I don’t think any tailoring really needs done.”

Reznik spent most of this time admiring the gauntlets on his arms.

This…

They’re going to have to drop a fucking mountain on me if they want to kill me in this.

“I’m glad I was, Marcello. That being said, your work is always top-notch.” Zarah replied with a small nod and a pleased smile, setting a bag of coins in front of Alondra. Then she stood from her seat and rounded the table to inspect him.

“Oh yes… this will do wonderfully for what I have planned.” Zarah looked Reznik up and down with a wicked smile. “This will be perfect.”

* * *

The borderline frantic pace in which Luminita and even Zarah worked at tidying up their home over the next several hours was odd to Reznik. The only thing he had to connect the rather sudden flurry of activity to was the apparent guest joining them in the evening.

When Reznik tried to send thoughts at Zarah, she apparently wasn’t listening. No reply came, either vocally or mentally.

So, Reznik spent his afternoon getting himself used to the feeling of the heavy armor he’d been “gifted” by Zarah.

Movement in it was far different than he was used to, and he realized that in this, he would lose all semblance of stealth. Not only was the armor shined, but walking around the house simply resulted in an endless thrum of weighty footfalls on floorboards.

Like an ever-present drumbeat wherever Reznik went.

He was sure it would get annoying for the women in time, if it wasn’t already.

He was also fed as the sun set and painted the sky outside a brilliant orange, but only he ate. Zarah told him it was for “insurance” - but he knew what that really meant.

Zarah didn’t want him getting antsy around whatever guest she had over.

Reznik’s meal was simple, as usual - mostly consisting of a pile of meat and eggs.

When he finished, Zarah placed the helm back on Reznik’s head and secured it tightly.

When night finally settled, close to what Reznik would have imagined the women’s bedtime to be, Zarah tilted her head and stood up from the immaculate, artfully decorated dining table.

“Reznik. Listen. The royal guard do not take chances.” Zarah watched him with a pointed stare. “Even with someone as close to the royal family as I am. Whatever happens, they’re not here to hurt us, so please - behave and be calm. The time for explanations comes after they search for anything that could hurt Prince Vezemir, okay?”

Royal guard?

Vezemir?

I…

Oh. Fuck.

Is the surprise guest the FUCKING PRINCE?

Zarah nodded before exhaling a shuddering breath.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the door thudding loudly three times.

Luminita practically scrambled over to it after a brief, startled jump. When she opened it, two men in polished metal breastplates flicked guns upward.

“Hands up, stand against the wall. Dame Bukewicz, you are of course, excluded.” One of the men commanded in a calm, gravelly voice. “Jarod, go, I’ll cover.”

Luminita’s eyes were wide as she backed slowly away from the door with her hands up. The man who spoke remained in the doorway with his weapon pointed slightly downward as his counterpart stepped into the room, his weapon up, but not pointed directly at anyone in particular.

“Face the wall.” The man commanded firmly, but without any hostility in his voice. In fact, he seemed almost bored.

Luminita’s breath caught, and for a brief moment, Reznik saw a glint of something in her eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was hatred or disdain, but it certainly wasn’t joy.

After a second though, she complied, turning to face the wall behind her.

The guard then lowered his weapon and slung it over his shoulder before grabbing her hand and pressing it against the wall.

Quickly, the man patted Luminita’s entire body, clearly searching for anything that could be a threat.

Does he not see the steak knives on the kitchen table?

Thankfully, the man didn’t linger, nor did he spend any unnecessary time investigating Luminita’s feminine assets.

Stepping back from her, the guard turned to Reznik.

“You too, sir. Face the wall.”

Reznik willed his body to turn about and face it with an idle thought of why the man was doing this.

Facing the wall, the man repeated his process, gripping Reznik’s thighs, arms, and chest - making sure to search every crevice that something could reasonably be stored before stepping back.

“He’s clean too. Captain, what about his armor?”

“Mmm. It’s odd, to be sure. Dame Bukewicz, can you explain why your servant is parading around the house in full plate?” the man with the gravelly voice inquired with a mildly confused tone.

“Ah - I just bought the set for him today.” Zarah quipped back in a bright, cheery tone. “He’s still breaking it in and getting used to the feeling. Since wearing it is part of the reason I’ve hired him, I thought it best for my guard to wear it from dawn ‘til dusk, until he’s satisfied with it.”

“Mmm. I get that. Well, since he’s not armed, or carrying any explosives, it’s not illegal, but for future reference - it is highly unusual.” The Captain groused as Reznik turned around. The man had now lowered the small odd-looking rifle in his hands to a less aggressive position. He stared pointedly at Reznik for a moment longer before grunting and waving over his shoulder.

A moment later, Reznik heard a door slam shut.

“Kneel as soon as he enters.” Zarah’s voice rang out in Reznik’s mind, leaving him to wonder if he even would be able to kneel.

Well.

Hell, time to find out.

He’d been fed, so he should reasonably be able to kneel with enough of a mental push behind the idea.

Reznik heard footsteps coming up the cobblestone path to the home, but something about them seemed off. It wasn’t the normal pace of a human, nor did it share the tone of boots on stone.

No, the sound he heard sounded a lot more like the skittering of an insect.

As it turned out, he was right.

Stooping under the door came a hooded figure, with the rear end of a large, five-foot high spider.

Though the front of the person was odd, looking for all intents and purposes like a normal human torso, just superimposed onto the place where the spider’s head should be.

Zarah dropped to a knee and bowed her head, as did Luminita a moment later.

Oh!

Shit!

Right!

Kneel you fuckwit!

Reznik threw the idea at his body with all the force he could muster.

Shakily, he lowered down until the plate on his right shin thudded against the wood floor.

“All may rise.” A calm, boyish voice announced to the room. “Captain, you and your men are to remain outside - this is a conversation between friends.”

“My lord, I mus-“

“Captain Harvish, must we have this same fight every time I meet with friends? I trust the Dame implicitly. Therefore, you do as well.” Reznik looked up, but hadn’t yet decided on standing. The spider boy pulled the hood of his cloak back and revealed the face of a youth that couldn’t have seen more than twenty winters, on the far end.

The boy pushed a pair of glasses into place on his nose and looked at the Captain with a pointed, bemused expression.

“No, your grace.” The Captain replied with a flat expression. “However, this time it is different. If it was just the Dame, I would acquiesce. However, it’s her servants that are cause for concern.

“I’m afraid I must insist that either they leave, or I stay.”

“Hmm, very well, Anato. -You- may remain, the rest of my guard will wait outside, at the ready if we call. Is that an acceptable compromise?” the royal spider watched the Captain with raised brows and a polite but demanding smile.

The “compromise” was in fact, an order.

“Yes, my lord.” The Captain acquiesced with a small snapping noise coming from his heels before waving the guard who had searched Reznik and Luminita out with a pointed finger.

The door closed behind him, leaving Reznik to simply watch the newcomers in a dense silence that could’ve been broken by a pin dropping.

“Auntie Zarah!” Vezemir chuckled brightly and scuttled across the floor to seize the telepathic Elf up into a powerful hug, actually lifting her off the ground several inches. “It’s been too long since I had a chance to come over! Unfortunately my mother takes up all my time, now.”

“Prince Vezemir, it’s good to see you too.” Zarah grunted in a slightly strained tone, before the arachnid set her gingerly back down on the ground. She rolled one of her shoulders and smiled slightly woodenly before adding; “You’ve gotten stronger!”

“I have! Now, why don’t you introduce me to your friends!”  Vezemir smiled and nodded sideways at Reznik and Luminita. “I’m guessing they’re part of the reason your note was so… direct in requesting my attendance.”