A Fool's Goddess - Chapter Twenty-Five
Ignoring my exhaustion, I ran as hard as I could back to Tresety. Every second mattered now. Any pain I felt tomorrow was worth stopping that bastard today.
I wouldn’t let him take everything from me a second time.
I don’t know why Asa was here, and I didn’t care either. If he came for me, I’d be glad to meet him, chisel in hand. And if he claimed it was just a coincidence, I wouldn’t believe him. He should have gone elsewhere if he wanted to live.
My jaw was clenched with rage as I ran into the village. I glanced around madly, trying to find that one-eyed son of a bitch. People were bustling around, finishing their day’s tasks and heading off to evening recreations. For the first time, I resented how the village had grown. Before, there weren’t enough people to form a crowd. Now foreigners and locals milled about, making it difficult to single a person out.
To my frustration, I saw not a head of red hair nor a single eyepatch. The thought of that bastard being loose in my home was infuriating. No matter what his reason was for being here, he didn’t belong in Tresety. A man like him belonged only in a grave.
I darted from street to street, refusing to give up my search. Some passersby gave me queer looks, but I couldn't be concerned with them. A monster was wandering our village. Even if I wasn’t a hero or a fighter of any kind, I would stop it.
But, to my great disdain, I had somehow lost track of the bastard.
Surely Asa looked suspicious to someone else. Red hair wasn’t common, even with all the travelers we had, and that eyepatch would have caught attention as well. And even if his appearance managed to avoid notice, I knew the moment he opened his mouth would reveal the foul creature he really was. His talk of “cleansings” and “heretics” would get him called out by any decent citizen.
I cursed out loud to myself. I checked and double-checked all the major areas, but he must have slipped past me. I felt like I had seen someone unknowingly eat a poisoned apple, unaware of the toxin that was creeping into their system. A disaster that I was powerless to stop.
I turned on my foot and began running again. Not in a continued pursuit of Asa, but to go speak with Tzofiya. If I couldn’t find him myself, I needed to do everything I could to stop him before catastrophe struck.
That’s right, I’m not completely powerless this time.
He had caught Master Malka and I by surprise back in Dostyn. Even if things didn’t go exactly according to his plans, Asa was able to use the gaps in our awareness. But this time, I saw him, knew who he was and what he could do. I knew the mayor and could warn her. I had the upper hand, the opportunity to stop him before he hurt someone.
He would be the one to lament our next meeting.
Out of breath, I stood before Tzofiya’s home again. Instead of rapping my knuckles like usual, I pounded my fist on the door. Unnecessary maybe, but I needed her to understand how urgent the situation was.
I could hear her hurry to the door. I’d apologize to Jonathan later for rushing his wife, but he’d thank me once he knew what kind of calamity I was working against.
Tzofiya opened the door, scowling until she realized it was me. “Lior! What the hell’s got you in such a tizzy, son?!”
“We’ve got trouble,” I huffed.
“What is it? Something happen to Hed or Libi?”
“No. One of those zealots that attacked Dostyn, the one that killed my master and my friend. He’s here in Tresety.”
“What? How do you know?”
“I saw him enter while I was working on the mountain. I’d never forget that bastard’s face so I recognized him immediately. We need to do something, now.”
“Slow down there, son! I believe you, let’s get that out of the way. But I need you to explain things a bit more.”
“What’s more to explain?!”
“When and where did you see him?” she asked, ignoring my irritation.
“Back at the new roadway, the entrance into the village, almost an hour ago.”
“Was he alone?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
If I wasn’t speaking with Tzofiya, my patience would have been tested.
“Completely sure, but that doesn't matter! He’s a killer and a madman! He has no problem killing people and burning buildings because he thinks the Gods will it. Who knows what he’s planning to do here?!”
“Alright. Describe him to me.”
“He’s got long, red hair and an eyepatch. He had stubble over his face years ago, but I couldn’t see if he still had it or not. He’s got jittery eyes and an arrogant voice. He’s probably twenty-five at most.”
“Good, that’s thorough. Let’s get inside and talk more.”
“No, I need to warn my apprentices once I’m done here,” I said impatiently. “I’m hoping you can help me find him and stop him as soon as possible.”
“I plan to do that, but I need to let you know there ain’t much I can do.”
“You’re the mayor, what the hell’s the problem?!”
“It ain’t a matter of authority, son, it’s a matter of resource.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve only got a handful of mercenaries posing as village guards for our law enforcement. We don’t got a jail either, so we can’t detain him long term,” she explained.
“That’s fine, we just need to get rid of him.”
“Are you planning to kill him?”
She asked me so flatly, as if she knew that’s what I was thinking.
I stared at her, unsure if the truth was best right now. I was boiling over with fury and anxiety, restless now that that murderer was so close. Such hatred had laid dormant in me for years. It wouldn’t allow itself to be so easily hid away again.
“Yes,” I answered. “But…”
“But what?”
“But I know that’s not what you want. So that’s why I’m telling you to catch him before I find him. If I’m given the chance, I don’t think I’ll even try to stop myself.”
TZofiya sighed. “Lior, there are times you shouldn’t be honest.”
“Maybe, but I hope it helps you understand how dangerous Asa is.”
“I understand how dangerous you think he is.”
“…”
“But unfortunately,” she continued, “if you’re willing to kill this guy, I’ll take your word that we need to do something about him.”
I exhaled with relief. “Thank you, Tzofiya.”
“But again, there ain’t much I can do. I’ll let our guards, the shaman, and some other folk know and ask them to keep an eye out and notify the necessary people. I’ll tell them he’s a suspect for murder, since that’s technically the truth.”
“I couldn’t ask for more. Thanks again, I’ll go warn my guys now.” I turned to go run back to my studio.
“Hold on. If I’m doing this for you, you’ve gotta do something for me. That’s always how we’ve operated.”
I grit my teeth, then faced Tzofiya again. “Right. What do you want?”
“I want you to just stop and listen to me for a damned second.”
“I’m stopped and listening.”
“Lior, tell me again why people stopped believing in Tornara.”
I wanted to just turn around and leave. I had a feeling she was going to waste my time, but this was beyond the pale. If this was some attempt at a joke, it was terribly timed.
“Are you serious?”
“Serious as I’ve ever been.”
“Fine, but I’m leaving after this,” I growled. “People fooled themselves into thinking that killing themselves and others would help them gain entry to the afterlife. It was called ‘Tornaran Madness’, and it led to her being removed from the pantheon and almost all records of her existence being destroyed.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“Good. Now, I’m-”
“Not yet. Why did Asa attack your master’s studio?”
I groaned. “Like I said, he did it because he was convinced the Gods willed it. If you’re trying to draw a parallel, I already realized nothing’s changed in centuries. There are still plenty of insane idiots who think the Gods crave death and destruction.”
“Wonderful. Now, I just have one last question.”
“What?”
“Why do you want to kill Asa?”
Tzofiya was clearly trying to get at something, but she needed to realize I didn’t go four years without thinking about what I would do if I ever saw him again. Even if there was something I had missed, it wouldn’t change what I needed to do.
“Isn’t it obvious? He killed my master and my best friend! If I get the chance, I’m going to avenge them!”
“So how would Tornara feel about that?”
“… Don’t you dare use her like that.”
Tzofiya was a dear confidant, but even the closest of friends had boundaries that should never be crossed.
“I’m trying to save you from hurting yourself, son.”
“Tzofiya, I’m warning you. Even you aren’t free to use my love to manipulate me.”
“I know,” she replied, completely unfazed by my barbs. “But I care about you, Lior. That’s why I’m willing to tread on such sensitive territory.”
I should have just left. Hearing Tzofiya express concern severely weakened my aggression. Even as full of rage as I was, I couldn’t bite back at her. My feet were stuck in front of her door, now unwilling to leave things unresolved.
Saying she cared about me… now of all the times…
It was yet another reminder of the last day I spoke with Master Malka.
“… Just say your piece.”
“You said you felt it made Tornara sad to see her followers kill people. I just wanna know why you think you’re exempt.”
“I’m not. But I’m still human. I hate that man, enough that I want to kill him. I… I just can’t sit here and do nothing.”
“I’m not asking you to do nothing. I just want you to rethink your course of action.”
“What, you want me to try and forgive him?”
“Hell no. I don’t think you can or should. But I think killing him will just make you feel worse in the long run.”
“Explain.”
“Even if you got revenge for your friends, you’ll still have to live with knowing you proved Tornara’s followers haven’t changed after all those years. From what you told me, I don’t think you, your friends, or Tornara would want that.”
“This is… different. I wouldn’t be killing him in her name.”
“I don’t think it’s as different as you want it to be,” Tzofiya countered. “Even if it ain’t your intent, your actions will reflect on her. You’re the figurehead for belief in Tornara and the key to reviving her name. If you kill someone who thought he could vouch for the other Gods, how do you think people will perceive that?”
“… Not in a good way.”
“Right. Even if I overlooked you murdering someone and didn’t have you sent to prison, the damage would be done. Getting people to believe in her again would be impossible. Next time someone learned her legacy, they’d see her biggest follower killed a man who was obsessed with the other Gods. They’d see it as a true curse, that ‘Tornaran Madness’ exists and you’re trying to spread it again.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?!” I exclaimed. “Asa’s here, but you expect me to just overlook that and pretend I never saw him?!”
“No, dumbass. I want you to let me or the guards know immediately so we can do something about him.”
“So you can just kick him out?”
“No, we’ll arrest him. He’s a wanted a man for his crimes, right?”
I looked at her with suspicion. “Well, yes, but you can’t just charge him without proof.”
“You’ll testify that he attacked your master’s studio, right? Asa’s group was tried and convicted for their crimes, but he’s somehow free. I’m sure you could find someone in Dostyn to confirm that you were there, hell, they might even be able to provide an account of what happened at your old studio. If we can bring up all that evidence and present Asa to the courts, he’ll have to face the punishment for his actions. And that’s all assuming his identity isn’t already on record with the rest of his group.”
I stood there agape. I was reminded she wasn’t the mayor for nothing. Her sharp mind had already reasoned a way to bring Asa to justice that didn’t involve me committing a crime of my own, all while keeping cool in the face of my anger.
“Lior, I want you to help me,” she continued. “As your friend, I want this bastard to pay for what he did to you. And as the mayor, I won’t tolerate having a wanted man wandering my streets. But more than that, I don’t want you to become the bad guy in all this. So, help me bring him in, and I’ll do everything in my power and then some to make sure he gets what’s coming to him.”
Part of me wanted to say ‘screw that’ and go my own way. But I knew that wouldn’t make anyone happy. Not Tzofiya, not Tornara, not my apprentices, and not me. It might satiate me in the immediate, but destroy the bonds I treasured so much.
And I had vowed to not let Asa destroy everything again.
“… I really hate that about you, Tzofiya. How you make me second guess everything I do and leave me conflicted.”
“It’s what a good mom does. I can’t make you do anything, but I’ll do my damndest to make you rethink your dumber plans.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But yeah, I agree with you. If I see Asa, I’ll let you or the guards know. I’ll keep my hands off him.”
She smiled warmly. “Thank you, Lior. I know it’s ain’t easy to hold your anger back, but, at the very least, I really appreciate it. It would ruin my year to see you sent to prison.”
“Mine too.”
“Of course, if he’s going after you, do whatever it takes to defend yourself. We still don’t know why he came to Tresety, so if it’s out of some fucked up desire to finish the job, no one can fault you for keeping yourself safe.”
“Got it. And don’t worry, I’m not gonna hunt him down and try to say it was self-defense.”
“I didn’t think you would. You’ve always kept your word.”
“And I’m sorry for getting mad at you. Thanks for staying calm through all of this.”
“Well, that’s what a good mayor does,” said Tzofiya. “Besides, you came to me instead of keeping up your own search. That tells me your bigger concern is protecting things, not killing Asa.”
“I suppose. Though, I feel I could protect everything best by simply removing him from the equation.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want to arrest you or overlook your crime. Either way, it looks bad for our village. You and your studio are too important now for things to go unnoticed.”
“Right. Good thing you’re here to look before I leap.”
“That habit of yours would be charming if it didn’t come up so frequently,” she muttered. “But that’s what friends are for, right?”
“Of course.” I slowly released a deep breath. “Thanks again, Tzofiya. I think I’ve mellowed out enough that I can probably speak to my apprentices without forming a mob.”
“Wonderful. When you get to your studio, send Hed over here. I’ll have him help spread the word right away.”
“I’ll send Libi home for the night as well. I don’t want her wandering alone right now, so I’ll have someone collect her tomorrow morning.”
“Alright. Be careful yourself, huh?”
“I’ll be fine. Tornara’s watching over me.”
With that, I finally left Tzofiya’s doorway and hurried back towards my studio.
I really did feel calmer. Not actually calm, per se, but not blind with anger anymore. Maybe it was having a friend support me in this or perhaps Tzofiya just knew how to talk someone down. Either way, she was quite good at her job. As loath as I was to admit it, my earlier bloodlust was greatly dulled. I was too aware of the consequences of my actions now. Too many people would suffer if I acted carelessly.
The best way to ease my hatred was to leave Asa alive. Ironic didn’t cover it.
Of course, today seemed to be bursting with cynical humor.
Half a dozen buildings down the street from my studio stood a man, a red-haired man. His face was covered in stubble and there was a black eyepatch over his right socket. He was standing there, dressed in traveling clothes with a fur cloak cast over himself, staring at me with that remaining, detestable eye.
The man I had just promised not kill, was right in front of me, only a few strides away.
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