The conversation was painful, but went better than Richter had hoped. The only negative response was from Amara’s husband. He wept bitterly when he heard of his wife’s death. He cursed Richter and stormed off. Isabella, who was standing nearby, told Richter that she would handle it. Whether she would or not, Richter still received a prompt.
Due to the death of his wife Amara, you lost 15,342 Relationship Points with Rino. Total Relationship Points: -586
Your relationship with Rino has decreased from Admiring to Unfriendly.
The loss of Relationship points was massive, but Richter didn’t blame the man. In all honesty, the only surprise was that their relationship hadn’t dropped all the way to hatred. A cynical part of himself that he despised, but still embraced, made a mental note to keep an eye on the grieving widower from here on out. Even if the man’s sorrow was justified, he could still be a danger. Making eye contact with Randolphus, an unspoken communication passed between them, and Richter knew they were on the same page.
No, Rino’s response was not a surprise. The reaction he obtained from Nitol’s wife, Fopana, was a bit of a shock however. Tears were already running down the woman’s face before Richter broke the bad news. She had easily deduced why she was there after hearing what Richter told Rino. Fopana said afterwards that she had already suspected her husband was gone, because he always made a point to come see her after returning from a hunt. With her cheeks wet and eyes red, she simply asked, “Did he die well?”
Richter took her hand, “He died saving lives and protecting this village. He didn’t suffer.”
She asked one more question, straight and to the point, “What will become of me and my baby?”
Still holding her hand, he said, “You and your child will always have a place here. You will receive the entire year’s salary that Nitol would have earned, and if you wish to leave I will help. I hope that you will stay with us though. I swear that I will do my best by you and your family so long as I am lord here.”
She wiped the tears from her face, and then straightened to her full five feet and five inches of height, “I will stay here, if you promise me one thing. Spill the blood of those who are responsible for my husband’s death.”
Slightly taken aback, Richter still looked her directly in the eye and said, “I have killed the ones who killed your husband, and, very soon, I will kill the ones who sent them.”
She nodded firmly, “Then I am with you, my lord.”
Due to avenging the death of her husband Nitol, and agreeing to bring vengeance upon those who sent his killers, you have gained 1,638 Relationship Points with Fopana. Total Relationship Points: 25,032.
Your relationship with Fopana has increased from Admiring to Trusting.
Richter was at a loss for words. He had never expected to find such strength in a grieving widow and he doubted he could have borne similar news with such grace. The rest of the villagers were gathering though, led by Randolphus, so their shared moment of sorrow and vengeance came to an end. He dropped Fopana’s hand and the two of them walked over to the monument.
Most of the villagers had heard that there had been deaths on the hunt, but they did not know who. More tears fell as Richter spoke a few words. He then placed a hand on the enchanted stone and three more names carved themselves onto the wall of remembrance. Several villagers spoke up, sharing stories of the dead. Pixie children flew through the air above the villagers and filled the night with a soft and sad ode to the dead.
Randolphus had arranged for a grave to be dug. After everyone that wanted to speak had had their say, the bodies were lowered one by one as Sumiko’s biomancers cast the spell, Final Rest. A golden glow surrounded each shrouded corpse and ensured that they would never rise again as undead.
Mist workers filled in the graves. A light rain began to fall and the villagers started to disperse. A rumble in Richter’s stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten. Absently, the chaos seed pulled some hard tack from his bag and ate it while he walked over to stand next to Hisako.
“Thank you for healing my men earlier,” he said.
“Of course,” she said. “I was able to restore both men completely.”
“You were able to fix the eye?” he asked in disbelief.
She smiled faintly, “I am a Life Master, in case you have forgotten.”
Richter smiled broadly and without reservation for the first time since the battle, “Thank you. I am truly blessed to have such an ally.”
She reached up and lightly slapped his cheek, “Do not forget it, young Master.” The playful look fell from her face, “We have much to discuss.”
The chaos seed nodded, “Not here. Come to the catacombs. I can feel my familiar flying closer. She has information that we will need.”
The Hearth Mother nodded and started walking back down to the village. Yoshi followed her, silent as a shadow. Randolphus got everyone else moving. Richter walked up to the freshly turned grave and stood silent vigil as the drizzle continued to fall. A few minutes later, he started walking back towards the village.
Richter took a slight detour to the Dragon’s Cauldron. Finding it empty for once, he restocked some of his potions. He was going to leave, but the sound of the rain soothed him. He closed his eyes, and, for a few minutes, he found peace in hearing the rain fall upon the glass roof. He had always loved the rain. Time passed and his spirit eased. His mind floated to happy and easy times, and, briefly, his cares were washed away.
The chaos seed couldn’t ignore the demands of life for long though. The blinking of a notification icon brought him back to the present. There was information he needed before meeting with Hisako and the others, and there was only one way to get it.
The prompt he was looking at had a clear border that pulsed with light. Richter had been putting off reliving the Witch Doctor’s memory. The remembrances that Alma stole while using Brain Drain could be disturbing, if not outright dangerous. He had also barely had a free moment since the battle that had claimed the Mage’s life. Richter couldn’t put it off any longer, though. If he was going to help with the war council to the best of his ability, the time was now.
Congratulations! You have captured a memory from a Goblin Witch Doctor. This memory can only be accessed for the next eleven hours and twelve minutes before dissolution into the ether. Experiencing this memory will be instantaneous in regards to your timeline. Do you wish to access this memory? Yes or No?
He mentally selected “Yes” and his world swirled down through a pinprick of memory.
CHAPTER 12 – Retained Memory