Fell Champions

There weren’t many things that could anger Sami. She normally had too much control for that. She kept a lid on that kind of thing, made sure it was contained. Something ingrained in her from childhood, and while she’d been quick to abandon many of her father’s lessons, this one had always been etched into her soul and difficult to let go. It was just part of her character.

But one of the few things that could invoke Sami’s ire was standing before her. And unluckily for Il-Su, she had a sword in hand.

She cleared the weapon from its scabbard and took one step towards him before a hand on her shoulder brought her up short. Otter wasn’t gentle about it, hauling Sami backwards, and when Sami struggled, still trying to get at the miscreant, a second hand joined the first, fingers digging into her flesh, and pulled. 

“Sami! Down girl!” Otter said. There was a bit of a joke to her tone, but also an edge. An edge of understanding, but also command. 

“Yes. Be a good attack dog and listen to orders,” Il-Su said, a smirk on his face. 

She knew it was bait. He wanted a response. For her to make a scene. How many times had he done the exact same thing live on stream after their break up? She knew better than to let him goad her into it.

She did it anyway.

“Weird seeing you at the funeral of someone you killed, surrounded by women who have bigger dicks than you.” She gave him a polite smile. “But we both know that you could be alone at a petting zoo and still have the smallest cock out of everything present.”

He gave her a confused look. “Are you implying that I’d have a smaller dick than myself?”

“No, she’s saying it’s smaller than whatever small cuddly animals are at the zoo,” Otter said. “She needs to leave the quipping to me, but I can see how someone with a brain as small as his dick might get confused when she starts talking.”

His gaze went a little flinty. “It must have left an impression if I was the one to dump her, and not the reverse.”

“I thought you had something to make up for it in personality,” Sami said. “Unfortunately, as we all know, I am a poor judge of character.”

“As poor a judge as you are a leader.”

That one stung, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she called out to the crowd, “Oh, look, everyone, it’s Il-Su, the man who killed Juala.”

There was a buzz, and while people turned to look – those who hadn’t already been doing so anyway – no one made a move. A few hands inched towards weapons, but no one raced to violence like Sami had hoped.

That smirk of Il-Su’s widened.

“He is here at the invitation of tradition,” came a voice from behind.

Sami didn’t recognize the voice, but when she turned to see the woman, she could identify her easily enough. Both from description provided, and from having her pointed out during the festivities. Sureya Asuega, Burden of Culture, and the de facto ruler of the Silayan Islands. 

Sureya looked as if she’d eaten something that hadn’t agreed with her, maybe a bowl full of lemons, and she spat to the side as if to rid herself of the taste. Her face was a thundercloud of emotion. Which, for a politician, would mean one of two things. She was legitimately angry and had dropped her guard, or she was putting on an act for an audience. 

“So he’s your guest?” Otter said. “In that case, make him go away, I can smell the piss in his drawers at the thought of me kicking his ass again.”

Sami grunted. “No, by all means, let him stay.”

“He will,” Sureya said. “And will remain… unmolested while he is here. Tradition assures his place here, loathe though I am to allow it.”

There was a disturbance as someone pushed through the crowd, and Akai all but launched himself at Il-Su as he was allowed by. Two people caught him by the arms, holding him back, as he screamed in anger, his face red. Reyna, who was behind him, joined them as he struggled all the harder.

“You will not touch my sister!” he howled. “This cannot be allowed!”

“What’s he talking about?” Otter asked. “What’s everyone talking about? What fuckery most foul is going on here?”

“The Rite of the Soul,” Sureya said. “It is what the Criobani called it. During the Occupation, they held many members of the Sunset Council hostage, and forced them to sign into law one of their own traditions. It dictates that if someone kills a person, they are legally entitled to their soul crystal. And not only that, all recourse would be taken to facilitate its delivery to the killer.”

“Oh fuck that,” Otter said. “The fuck is that still a law?”

“Because the Resistance exploited it,” Sureya said coolly. “To claim soul crystals of those they killed during the Occupation. The Criobani allowed it, because it is a wartime tradition of theirs they’ve long honoured in their wars against both Virtuere and Deresh. If they did not follow through, word might get back to their enemies there, and similar battlefield agreements would collapse.”

“So, what, the Silayans kept it on the books because of the good memories of all the Criobani soul crystals they got while trying to liberate their home?”

“And in the event the Criobani ever invaded again, yes,” Sureya said.

“He can’t have it!” Akai said. “She’s my sister! I won’t give what’s left of her to her murderer!”

Was that really what this was all about? Trying to get a soul crystal? Was that really the only petty reason that Il-Su was at this funeral? No, there had to be something else going on, Sami was sure of it. 

She couldn’t allow this to descend to violence. Not without knowing what was going on. She could be playing into someone’s hands, but she wasn’t sure whose, or why. But at the moment, a fight served no one but her own ego. 

She slammed her sword home into its scabbard.

Otter let go of her, apparently content with the simple action that she wasn’t going to skewer Il-Su. Even if Sami still wanted to. 

Akai looked about to say something else, some new demand to not let Il-Su near his sister, but Reyna was whispering something into his ear. Sami could almost hear it. But there were too many people, too many hushed conversations going on, too many heartbeats in the crowd. A few more points into Awareness, and Sami was certain she’d be able to pick out individual conversations spoken in whispers, but for now, she could only hope for the best that Reyna wasn’t about to do something insanely stupid. 

Whatever it was, Akai looked back at her, his expression changing from one of fury to surprise. He nodded once, and Reyna clapped him once on the shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance, and then disappeared back into the crowd.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Il-Su said, condescension heavy in his voice. He even looked at Sami’s now sheathed sword, and smiled all the wider.

“Maybe there’s nothing they can do,” a familiar voice said, pushing their way through the crowd, “but we both know there’s something I can do.”

Kir stepped forward, the murder in her eyes rivaled only by Sami. 

“Heel,” she said, pointing to the sands.

Il-Su looked as if he had swallowed a bug, going stiff, and then slowly descended to the ground before him.

And then stopped. And looked Kir directly in the eyes and smirked. “No, I think I’m good.”

Confusion hit Kir, and Sami heard her heart skip two beats before going into a panicked overdrive. “I said heel.”

“Oh, I heard you. But I don’t feel like it.” Il-Su buffed his nails on the front of his leather breastplate. “Looks like your Pact has some holes in it. I’m out of your control now.”

“So… anyone else have a plan?” Otter said.

“Where’s Rua?” Sami asked. “And our healer?”

“Rua’s coming. She feels that something’s annoying the crap out of me, so she’s on her way to investigate. Vex is securing a secondary objective.”

That would be Leilynn. Well, better to have eyes on her if the Silayans were letting eels like Il-Su into this event. She really wanted the people in the woods to have been keeping an eye out for this thing, and wished they’d blocked his entry. What were they even around for, if not for keeping would-be assassins at bay?

Sami’s fingers drummed along the hilt of her sword as she thought about it. And then stopped.

 Sami pinched at the bridge of her nose. Of course.

You couldn’t have a Red Wedding if you didn’t have soldiers at bay just out of sight awaiting orders to start killing the undesirables. 

The question was, whose soldiers were they?

Did it even matter at this point? As far as she was concerned, everyone at this event was a hostile outside of her own entourage. Well, she just had to get the various people she actually gave a damn about out of the area and…

And someone started playing the fucking Rains of Castamere on some kind of string instrument.

Sami’s glare shot instantly at Il-Su.

Somehow, that insufferable smirk of his widened even further.

“You didn’t,” she hissed.

“Took me a full two days to teach it to him,” Il-Su said. “I thought it fitting.”

Sami drew her sword, and Il-Su rolled his eyes.

“Relax. I’m not actually pulling a Red Wedding on you. I just thought it’d be funny.”

She fell into stance. “Draw your weapons.”

That smirk of his evaporated. “What?”

“What can I say? I never had much of a sense of humor.” She gave him a small – tiny really – smile, and then to the crowd said, “My name is Samishii Yamamoto. I declare this man, Il-Su Kwan, to be a coward, and a traitor to every cause and ally he has ever associated with. He has betrayed me as both a soldier and as a lover, and I have sworn vengeance upon him.”

Otter made a strangled noise, “What are you doing?”

“I stand as her second,” Kir said, standing beside Sami. “Though I do not know her own grievance with Il-Su, I can vouchsafe his treacherous nature. If she does not cut him down, here and now, I will.”

Il-Su paled a little bit, looking between the two of them. And then, for a fraction of a second, he slipped. Sami would never have caught it if not for her soul power distributed as it was.

But for a very small moment, Il-Su’s eyes had flicked to Sureya, as if to ask her for help, guidance, or salvation. 

Sami smiled. Perhaps this funeral wouldn’t be as tedious as she’d feared.

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