Revenant's Resolve Chapter 8

No matter how much Reznik tried to cajole his body into opening the trunks, bags, or even just searching the corpse of the lone soldier, he couldn’t manage to get his body to do anything beyond eat and wander aimlessly around the small camp.

You know, I’ll grant it to you. We’re quite effective in a fight.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t just for the sake of killing them like it was with the bandits.

Gods, I’m an idiot, believing I could somehow convince you to actually search a bag.

As usual, his body simply ignored any of his criticisms, preferring to gnaw curiously at the index finger of the soldier’s right hand.

Reznik had gotten ahead of himself in his own estimation, it seemed.

Of course he couldn’t search a camp, he was still a Revenant.

And without the Elven telepath’s help, likely always would be.

There’s nothing I can do… is there?

I can’t even walk up to the gates and point in a direction, let alone waltz up like a knight in shining armor.

‘Ho the wall!’ -psh- imagine that. Just walk up with whatever information may or may not be in these crates and tell them all about a possible incursion, or even just someone they aught to know about.

Like some kind of heroic scout, or ranger.

Someone with a name like… gods, what do people even name their children these days?

Do people even name their kids the same?

I don’t remember whether or not there even were Elves, gnomes, and all the others before I became… this.

Perhaps the culture has shifted.

Somehow I still speak the language though, or at least understand it.

So it must be roughly what I spoke before I was Revenant-ified.

Reznik partially returned to the safety of the box within his mind as he considered how he would go about notifying the village of “hey, more weird people. You should do something.”

As his body crunched down on an index finger experimentally, Reznik initially had a small sense of frustration and disgust before a new idea came to mind.

Reznik had been trying to solve the issue like a human.

For worse more than better, Reznik was not a human.

Not anymore.

How would a Revenant solve this problem?

You listen to me, and understand vaguely, I think.

We should get going before more people traipse in and interrupt out meal, yes?

Grab him by the leg, and let’s take him somewhere better. Look, you can even pull off an arm and eat while walking!

It will be fun!

Reznik’s body grunted once, smacked its lips, and wrenched the hand it had been gnawing at off the wrist of the dead man with a sickening squelch of tearing sinew. Then, it let go of the arm and grabbed the foot of the dead man before trudging off back in the direction Reznik had come from.

As it walked, bumbling between Reznik’s no’s to change direction, it munched away at the disembodied hand in a way that felt almost content. Like a child enjoying a snack on the walk home from school.

Reznik had a different plan in mind, however.

He would march his body back to the main road, and then to the gates, ordering his body to drop the corpse and inevitably fleeing.

Hopefully the Riverguard commanded by Sir Botezatu, or even the regular town guard for however little Reznik trusted them would be able to identify what the corpse was, and follow the clear, somewhat blood-smeared trail back to the camp.

It was the only real way Reznik could come up with to notify them. Part of him wondered if he even -should- be informing them of the unfamiliar military presence.

It wasn’t like he owed them anything, in fact -they- owed him for dealing with the bandits the prior week.

I did good work with them, after all.

It would be a shame for whatever nonsense they’re playing at to hurt the town and undo all my hard work.

By the time Reznik made it to the main road, dawn was already beginning to paint the skies around the tops of the trees a faint blue.

Gotta hurry if I want to actually be able to disappear back into the trees.

Now, how close is right for me to leave this guy?

Ideally, I would want to put it in view of the gates, but I don’t want to risk them shooting me.

Reznik could heal unnaturally quickly, and was very resistant to damage, but would likely feel the need to eat again after getting shot or stabbed.

His body always got hungry after an injury.

Though…

I wonder if I could approach the gates without them attacking, given how dark it is?

We look human enough from a distance.

Could use it to show them that I’m not a threat to -them- if I play my cards right.

Reznik came upon the gates of the town a short while later, rising out of the ground some distance away. The sky above lighter than he would like, but the road was still more or less dark enough for him to be confident in dropping the corpse and leaving without issue.

I think this is close enough.

Once the sunrise comes, they’ll be able to see this body easily.

A small rustle on a tree branch ahead of Reznik shook him from his thoughts. A crow was perched on a low branch, watching him with a cocked head. It rolled to the other side before cawing loudly once, then twice at him.

Be quiet! I don’t want to be seen, bird.

We’re already too close, but fuck it.

We should drop the body here.

The crow squawked loudly another time, hopped closer to the road, and made a small, strangled grunting sound.

Apparently you agree with me, friend.

Alright, so drop the corpse now, body. No, no, bad.

Leave the corpse here.

No corpse.

Reznik’s body made a small, huffing whine followed by a grumble that sounded almost frustrated in nature. Then, as if resigning itself to its fate, Reznik’s body released the corpse onto the road.

Good. Now, let’s… we should get inside the city. See how they react when dawn breaks, and if we can learn anything.

Think of it this way, friend, the more we learn, the easier we can find more food.

As much as it sickens me, I don’t worry about you chowing down on a bandit or two.

Imagine all the lovely things we might hear in the city, though we’ll have to be extra sneaky, since dawn approaches.

Internally, Reznik began plotting a course out through the treeline, around the side of the palisade wall, then over.

Blessedly, his body complied with his desire, turning sharply to the left and sprinting into the trees. Through the dense foliage and underbrush he went, his body running like it was on the hunt. It responded to his small tweaks and suggestions, dodging low branches, leaping over bushes, and slowly arcing around the city in the dim morning light.

There was a small part of Reznik that enjoyed this, being able to move as fast and agile as he could, not to mention the distance that he could leap should he desire.

If it weren’t for him being what he was, he could imagine a life full of adventure, and friends.

I miss having someone to talk to that actually talks back.

As Reznik rounded to the eastern side of the treeline, his body darted out from the forest, running at full tilt across the open plain devoid of trees. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite devoid of the stumps yet, and they were oft covered by the high grass. Even with his ability to see quite clearly in the dark, they were hard to notice.

Thankfully, he only stumbled into one while crossing, and had just enough time to right himself before taking a running leap up and over the wall, his rear end passing uncomfortably close to the sharp spikes atop the palisade.

Unfortunately for him, however, he wasn’t expecting the ground inside to be muddy.

So when his feet found purchase, then immediately lost said purchase, Reznik momentarily mentally locked up.

With a wet splut, Reznik landed directly on his rear end and proceeded to careen into a small ditch.

Sniffing the air, Reznik recoiled internally.

Gods, is this… is this piss?

Fuck.

Pushing himself up to his feet, Reznik realized his miscalculation, having landed himself squarely in the latrine ditch, surrounded by the waste of what was surely a large portion of the town’s population.

Of course.

Because it was going too well.

Shaking himself out like a wet dog and then scrambling up to the top of the short ditch, Reznik debated where the best place to set himself up would be.

It wouldn’t do for him to be meandering around town, listening in like an actual person.

Wherever he went, it would have to be hidden, and well hidden.

Not a lot of shadowy nooks enough to really be out of the way.

Should probably get on a rooftop somewhere.

Most likely the big concrete building in the center of town, by the square.

It looked like it had a flat roof.

Peek over and listen closely, watch what the guards do with the corpse.

Reznik gave himself a mental nod at his own plan and then instructed his body to leap onto a nearby roof. On top of the single-story dwelling, he spied the central building, got his bearing, and plotted out a course in his head.

Rooftop to rooftop he would go, until he got to the square. From there, he would cross under the gallows, then scramble up the side of the big building.

It seemed a good enough plan.

He landed atop the second roof, quickly crossing it before leaping onto a third with a soft pat of his feet.

At the last roof before the square, Reznik lurched to a halt, coming to a full and complete stop and hunching low to the thatch.

Not only were there more guards in the square this time, but it appeared someone had already come to his idea long before him.

A guard was posted on the roof of the three-story concrete building.

Thankfully, he seemed far more focused on watching over the gate and field beyond, but Reznik knew he couldn’t sneak his way up there.

Nor could he reasonably think of killing the man.

This man was supposed to be there, and clearly didn’t pose a threat to the people of the town.

Fuck.

Okay new plan.

Find a place to watch where I won’t be discovered, and hopefully can watch the guard.

Where would that be?

Reznik looked to each of the buildings around the central square in turn, immediately disregarding any homes.

However, two of the shop fronts were also large, two-story rectangular buildings.

More importantly, one of them had what Reznik believed was a parapet wall, as well as a front-facing facade that would give Reznik enough room to hide behind.

Hide behind, watch, and listen.

Reznik’s body slowly, quietly, and carefully stalked backwards off the roof and onto the shadowed street beneath.

Creeping along the sides of each building, Reznik would pause at every deep shadow to watch and listen for patrolling guards. As Reznik leapt up to the second floor window of the building he wanted, he froze stock-still, hearing voice come his way.

“Sorry about the double shifts, lad,” a torch-carrying guard said as he loudly crunched his way down the alley, turning into Reznik’s street just below him.

The team of three guards turned sharply, walking underneath Reznik’s not-so-hidden hiding place.

“You know how it is, the Baron hears one word about bandits and now there’s some monster lurking in the shadows. I imagine we’re gonna be up to our necks in shifts for the next few weeks until the man calms down and realizes this isn’t some secret ploy from Zerbajia to take another chunk of land away from us.” The rotund older guard in the lead said with a heavy sigh, seeming bored by everything. “Besides, I don’t really believe all the nonsense. Bandits come every winter, and I’m sure the old shopkeep just saw that bear that got killed the other day. Makes sense, really, if you think about it.

“River guard takes their duty seriously, and if there was an undead incursion, all the alarm bells would be raised. We need to worry more about those Null cultists from the north than anything across the Dan.”

“Are you sure, Sergeant?” a younger guard walking abreast of the Sergeant countered, sounding incredibly doubtful of the older man’s calm demeanor. “I’ve been with the guard a year now, and I’ve only seen double shifts once. That was when Drobeta got conquered by Zer-”

“Eh, nothin’ to worry about, boy. Just be glad for the extra pay and meal. I’ve seen this happen a hundred times before, and each time it just ends up being rubbish that don’t concern us none.”

Reznik breathed an internal sigh of relief as the guards passed beneath him completely unawares.

If they had turned out from one street over, I would’ve had to make a quick exit.

Maybe taking a stroll around town was the wrong idea after all.

Reznik waited until the guards were out of earshot, braced his feet on the wall, and leapt up to the parapet wall. As soon as his hands found their grip, his body was already in the process of pulling itself up and over.

He stalked over the back side of the front facade, as it was taller than the parapet wall by at least two feet and crouched down.

And now, friend, we wait and listen. Wait and listen…

* * *

Reznik took in a deep breath and listened to the din of conversation all around him.

This town a surprising amount of bustle, given its proximity to the undead lands to the south. People went about their days, talking amicably amongst one another as Reznik eavesdropped.

In just the morning hours, he had learned much.

There were several farms to the west that had all been attacked, supposedly by bandits. Their owners had been found dead, along with their livestock.

Thankfully, the people and guards he’d heard all attributed the attacks to banditry, and not him. He did find himself internally proud whenever he caught a hushed whisper about the “beast of the wood”, a rumor that was more than likely caused by him.

Most people that brought it up did so in the alleys to either side of the shop he hit atop, talking in hushed whispers that he could just barely make out over the city sounds.

And the rumors were remarkably positive.

That the old gods of the land had returned, and unleashed a curse upon the banditry, a horrible monster that sought out evil and consumed it whole.

More amusing than anything were some of the conversations he’d heard from inside the shop itself. This was apparently Geralt’s shop, a general goods store where all manner of thing could be bought and sold. If someone needed it for daily life, it seemed to be here.

People had come in several times to ask Geralt and Luminita how they were faring after the bandit attack. That question inevitably gave way to what, exactly, it was that saved him.

Geralt seemed to have a rather humorous streak, and answered with something different every time.

Ah, so I’m a ten-foot tall bird this time. Ooh, with horns too?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of something like that.

Chuckling inside his own head, Reznik moved his thoughts back to how the guard had reacted early in the day when they’d discovered Reznik’s leftovers on the long road into town.

As soon as one of the men working to trim back the forest had discovered it and called the guard, it was like a feeding frenzy.

It seemed the entire town guard, along with Sir Botezatu and his men had gone rushing out the gates and brought the sheet-covered corpse inside the wall, and then straight into the three-story building across the square.

Most of the guards had returned to patrolling, but notably, Reznik hadn’t seen or heard any of the men he believed were in charge exit the building since.

Reznik hoped this meant that he’d done the right thing.

That the man he’d killed was actually someone dangerous to these people, that at some level, they’d deserved it.

“Luminita!” Reznik heard the muffled voice of Geralt call barely louder than the noise of the streets. “Can you go check the-“

Reznik lost what was said as a horse-drawn cart pulled by the front of the shop. Or at least that’s what it sounded like to him.

Reznik stood to his feet and peeked over the facade on the front of the building, reveling in the novel feeling of only a seconds-long delay between his thoughts and his body’s comply.

The square was busy, full of people.

The concrete building beyond was surprisingly lifeless, and from the little that Reznik had seen, seldom few that weren’t part of the town guard actually entered.

Large green flags hung across the front of the building, and with the way Sir Botezatu and others had hastily hurried into it, Reznik had a strong suspicion that it was likely the seat of power in the town. Perhaps it was where the Baron lived, or at least carried out his duties administrating the city.

Reznik pursed his lips as he watched a young man run down the front steps, leap on a horse, and take off at a fast trot through town.

Even as people darted out of the way, the town guards made no effort to stop the man.

Messenger, maybe?

That would make sense. Especially if the body was someone they didn’t want here. Someone like those Zerbajians those guards were talking about.

I wonder if they’ll be as loose-lipped tonight when they believe everyone asleep.

I don’t think I’ll be able to do much about it if it is something like that, but it’s not like we’ve much else to do.

The pretty Elf is likely long since gone, returned to wherever she came from. And we can’t even track her here.

It’s not like I can just drop down and head to the local bar to start asking about a pretty psychic Elf, we can’t even pronounce our own name properly, let alone ask a meaningful line of questions.

I’ll just do my best here, and hope I can get on the townspeople’s good side.

If I can do that, keep ambushing bandits and the like, along with you not getting bitey, we might be able to cause enough of a positive ruckus to draw her attention back here.

She said she was coming back, and she might be happy to not have to cross the undead lands to find us.

Reznik crouched back down again, closing his eyes and opening his ears, hoping to hear anything of note.