{"id":179,"date":"2026-02-28T21:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/?page_id=179"},"modified":"2026-09-03T03:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T03:07:18","slug":"elementor-179","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/?page_id=179","title":{"rendered":"1-Sanctuary For a Night"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sanctuary for a Night\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cBless the stars… Blay Bughunter!\u201d A spry grin cracked Zefymi\u2019s lips as Blay strode into the light. Water fell from Blay’s hair, a tangled white mess, as rivuletes crawled along his armour, dripping on the hardwood floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see you.\u201d He bowed to the huge innkeeper, hobbling through the din of gathered guests to join Zefymi at her table. The table stood proud and lonely, at the core of the great drinking hall. The warm lantern light seemed dazzling through Blay\u2019s green goggles. Blinking, he tried to adjust his senses to the overwhelming. Blaring noise and blaring light. Jumbled faces moving all around. Hundreds of strange smells. Zefymi sat across, waiting, letting him the time he needed to adjust. \u201cIt\u2019s about time I came here,\u201d Blay finally said. \u201cThe wastes and woods left me famished.\u201d
\u201cOh, I\u2019m sure\u2026\u201d Zefymi\u2019s voice sounded full of understanding. \u201cBut you\u2019re back in the right place!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Inkeeper\u2019s assistant perched dutifully by his matron\u2019s side, across the table from Blay. Giri, a freckle-cheeked lad of thirteen years, straightened proudly as Blay looked him over.
\u201cDo you remember who I am?\u201d Blay asked him.
\u201cOh, I never forget a face,\u201d the lad replied, smiling like it was his birthday.
\u201cEven one that became this frail?\u201d
\u201cPerhaps your pallor has changed some, but your deeds remain.\u201d Giri turned to his matron. \u201cCan I get the Bughunter started with a drink?\u201d
\u201cMay I!\u201d Zefymi corrected. \u201cAnd he must eat as well. Didn\u2019t you hear the hero? The woods and wastes left him famished.\u201d
Giri opened his mouth, but Blay spoke over him. \u201cI\u2019ll have two bowls of stew, two loaves of bread, and boiled water. Double of each!\u201d
\u201cAye, you shall,\u201d Giri sung. \u201cTwo and two and two, I\u2019ll give to you. Big, and steaming. Would you be liking any mead, or perhaps some cider to soothe your sorrows?\u201d
\u201cNo!\u201d Zefymi cut in. \u201cHe just listed what he\u2019d like. Why make this weary man endure the temptations of your dumb tongue?\u201d Zefymi turned swiftly from the boy. \u201cSorry, Blay.\u201d
\u201cNo need to be,\u201d said Blay.
\u201cMy sincerest apologies for my rudeness.\u201d Giri hung his head, bowing.
\u201cAlright,\u201d Zefymi released him with a word. He spun, and scurried into the depths of the smoky kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiri Brayflame.\u201d Zefymi spat the name. \u201cThe boy shall not shine as bright as his father.\u201d
\u201cPerhaps. Yet few have ever shined half as brightly as Hale Brayflame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blay loosened the straps of his green goggles, and lifted them to rest against his forehead. His face felt lighter as the pressure released, and the pink grooves carved around his eyes revealed.
\u201cNear every inn in Deepthicket ravaged,\u201d said Zefymi, tucking strands of oily orange hair behind her ears. \u201cWith windows shuttered and scouts stationed. Pitchforks near every hand.\u201d Quietly, she continued, \u201cNot near enough. The cursed bugs sense the liveliness within the walls. They hunger to ruin it. Every inn down the Daggar Road, ravaged, save our Storm\u2019s Eye. Oh\u2026 I\u2019ve prepared plenty of weapons. Sixty pitchforks from the farms.\u201d
\u201cSharpened tines sound like a better start. Better than these dull dinner forks.\u201d
\u201cAye!\u201d Zefymi laughed. \u201cMy guests and I never touch them, though. I\u2019ve many more useless weapons growing beards of rust down in the dark, lined up in rows against my basement walls.\u201d
\u201cWhy aren\u2019t they getting touched?\u201d
\u201cYou, of all folk must know my answer. Drink and sharpened tines mix about as well as coal in a keg of Yellow Dust. But fear not for us. We lucky few who call Stoneymill our home… thank the Bughunter\u2019s blessing every night as we fall asleep. And now, we must be double-blessed!\u201d She rose from her seat and thudded down with glee, making the cutlery shake and rattle.
\u201cBughunter\u2019s blessing?\u201d Blay chuckled. \u201cThe Storm\u2019s Eye was our favourite\u2026\u201d he admitted. \u201cMany of us were even born here, but it matters not. You must prepare now. Gather your Stoneyfolk to practice with pitchforks before they\u2019ve grown too drunk. No one in Stoneymill holds more power than you. You must lead them now. Prepare people each morning. And after dusk, expect yourselves to be attacked.\u201d
Zefymi gave a loud snort. \u201cPrepare to hide and hope, you mean? We blessed Stoneyfolk lack the talents to fight the bugs. Perhaps Brayflame has the bravery to fight, but stars know he\u2019d be useless against one of them. Even if he could wield his father\u2019s sword. So no, Blay. Without the Bughunter\u2019s protection, blessings are all we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t have to necessarily be true,\u201d Blay said. \u201cI\u2019ll sail to Tyr. I’ll purchase a keg of Yellow Dust for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYellow Dust is it now?\u201d Her buggish eyes went wild. \u201cHah! I hate the freakish beasts more than anyone, but not near enough to blow my inn to bits for hope of wounding one.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay sighed, wondering how many of her guests might be watching. Had they recognized him? If not his face, his armour? Or perhaps they\u2019d been too absorbed into their own drunken dramas to see him. \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to break a siege here,\u201d he said at last. \u201cI\u2019ll divide the powder into portions. You\u2019d need no more than\u2026 half a handful.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat little?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe flash and great loud bang that half a handful of yellow dust makes when it is lit, will save your inn some night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI already said-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, more. It could save your village. Stoneymill would be dead without the brightness and liveliness of the Storm\u2019s Eye. You know I speak the truth, Zef.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zefymi leaned slowly back, making him wait as she pondered. At last, she shook her head. \u201cNot a chance for that, I\u2019m afraid. I can count too many reasons against your idea.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay felt a surge of fire flare up in him. Has she truly turned so cold since I last visited?<\/em> But as he breathed cooling breaths, his answer slowly settled. He knew the woman\u2019s mind well\u2026 a shrewd intelligence, yearning for sober debate. She wanted a sparring partner. \u201cMany reasons have you?\u201d he jabbed.
\u201cAye!\u201d Zefymi\u2019s buggish eyes squinted down at him, barely concealing her mounting glee. Blay gave her a puzzling glare, not speaking, but allowing her giant mind time to brew the inevitable speech.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bughunters\u2026\u201d she began, \u201cas all Stoneyfolk know, were quite well funded. Quite well funded by our sweet, and lovely, and generous little queen. So, I might forgive you, Bughunter, for not already knowing the reasons of my reluctance. Might!\u201d Her voice seemed steeped in wildness. \u201cYellow Dust, you say. From Tyr, the island with a thousand leaders. Millions of allegiances more tumultuous than the sea itself! Yet you speak of it like it were a village just down the Daggar Road. Its rarest product, like it were simply salt.\u201d
\u201cZefymi, did you know that I\u2019ve had the honour of meeting Lady Yellow? All Stoneyfolk know she is the richest of Tyrish lords, second only to our beloved queen. She doesn\u2019t want my gold. She\u2019ll be glad to gift me with a keg of Yellow Dust, because see, you must see now, Zef. In her golden eyes, a story with Yellow Dust is worth-\u201d
\u201cA story?\u201d Zefymi cut him off. \u201cOh, we all remember mad Maggie, the great Bughunter. Biggest and bravest of you all. One night, she blew a bug to bits using nothing but a candle, some string, and ten fortunes in yellow dust. All while the rest of you boulder-footed Bughunters were hiking up a hill to join her! By the time you reached her, there was nothing left for you but yellow smoke, and gooey pieces of shell dripping from the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll true. Lady Yellow invested fortunes in us. But by preparing Maggie, she gained another kind of fortune. A folk story full of yellow dust. Now, every time Maggie\u2019s story is told, her yellow recipe becomes the stuff of legend.\u201d
\u201cWe Stoneyfolk do love stories. It\u2019s a rare traveller who leaves my inn without them. But a story is not a thing in your hand.\u201d
\u201cExactly right. A story is not a thing in your hand. Take me, for example. I\u2019m a man, made by the stars like all else. But in the eyes of some who\u2019ve never met me, I\u2019m more. Folk believe Bughunter stories that simply aren\u2019t true, and doubly they believe in Blackdaggar. Note the great distance between here and there. In Blackdaggar, they believe things about us that could not be true, and yet believe the more.\u201d He caught a of flash of annoyance on Zefymi\u2019s twitching lip, as wet yellow beads crawled down her ruddy face. She was not smiling anymore.
\u201cI speak for all Stoneyfolk,\u201d she said. \u201cIn our eyes, Yellow Dust is dangerous. Fire, compressed. Some say it\u2019s unnatural, to steal so from the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we questioned all the Stoneyfolk gathered here in your drinking hall, how many do you think would dare say they\u2019ve stepped inside the Blackfort\u2019s observatory tower?\u201d
\u201cCounting the liars? Oh, aye. We may not have seen the stars as you have. But what we see is terrible: chemistry, chaos, and stolen light.\u201d
\u201cYou see only that?\u201d
\u201cOf course not! But I\u2019m their inkeeper, and all Stoneyfolk know, Yellow Dust is far too pricey without the queen\u2019s coin.\u201d She swept a suspcious gaze over her huddled guests. Leaning closer to Blay, her lips curled into a snarl, revealing rows of huge, gravestone teeth. One tooth, at the back of her lower row, was a rotted shade of dead brown.<\/p>\n

\u201cBughunter…\u201d she rumbled, \u201cSome of the dirty mutants, or nomads as you kindly call them, are cursed with extra sets of ears. If they heard that I was in possession of such a precious thing, well\u2026 We could expect them and their cousins visiting that very night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue,\u201d said Blay, leaning back as the stench of rot wafted from deep inside her giant mouth. \u201cBut a Bughunter\u2019s blessing? I\u2019ve never taken you, of all folk, for a believer in such things. To think you\u2019d trust the lives of everyone in Stoneymill to superstition. I must have had you wrong all this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one said you had to believe it! What\u2019s your point?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not quite sure what it is,\u201d he spoke softly, feeling the heat as it poured from her sweaty skin. \u201cIt\u2019s simply strange to me. To be met with such defiance, when all I\u2019m doing here is to protect you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you are,\u201d Zefymi said softly. She sighed, settling back in her seat and using the moss-green sleeve of her dress to dry her brow. \u201cAnd yet,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019ve enough fears to keep me up at night, without need of volcanic explosions lying dormantly beneath my bed. Yellow pregnancy, we may call it. A fear too many, I\u2019m afraid.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ve nursed many fears.\u201d Nodding in sympathy, Blay abruptly slammed his gauntleted fist upon the table. \u201cImagine it!\u201d he said. \u201cLate at night, you open the front door, and find an eye looking back. Sagging flesh fills the doorway. In the eye, a throbbing scarlet pupil. Huge enough, you could sink your fist into it, if only the draysk didn\u2019t pluck your hand off from the stem like picking a berry from a bush.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Zefymi put a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to quiet. <\/span>She\u2019s desperate to keep them feeling protected by the \u2018blessing,\u2019<\/span><\/i> he observed. \u201cCan you imagine your Stoneyfolk?\u201d he continued. \u201cDeep at night, when you hear the sounds of something above. Thumping on the rafters. Trying to get in. When that wretched night arrives, you\u2019ll lose all memory of a Bughunter\u2019s blessing, and reach instead for my gift. You\u2019ll reach for a bag of Yellow Dust, and nothing will have ever felt so safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAye, be in your debt forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoney won\u2019t matter when a bug comes. But don\u2019t insult me with accusations. Zefymi, I promise, I\u2019ll give you a keg of Yellow dust if you simply promise me you\u2019ll prepare the Stoneyfolk, and defend your inn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Zefymi huffed, nervous fingers tapping the table.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could try to hide,\u201d he said. \u201cOr pay the price for their lives in stink and smoke. I need an answer.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBlay\u2026\u201d she purred. \u201cWhy must you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cZefymi, I don\u2019t believe in blessings,\u201d he spoke clearly, not hushing himself even as he saw the look of worry in Zefymi\u2019s eyes. \u201cI believe Stoneymill is worth defending!\u201d With every word his voice grew harder. \u201cThese good Stoneyfolk, trusting you with-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlright!\u201d She said frantically, \u201cNow you hush.\u201d Zefymi huffed, wild eyes darting from face to face, slowly settling again as the din of her guests continued on. \u201cLook,\u201d she hissed, rocking the table as she bore forward on her elbows. \u201cIf you trade in Tyr, word of it will reach the nomads.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Blay nodded. \u201cHadn\u2019t thought of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all,\u201d she smirked, settling back down and smoothing some of the creases in her dress. \u201cSo, here is what I\u2019ll do. I\u2019ll send someone lesser known than you to Tyr, and give them my coin to pay in secret. If any ask, you tell them what you told me. The Storm\u2019s Eye was your favourite. Aye? The Bughunter\u2019s favourite.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen my inn is blessed. They\u2019re subtle about it, or I\u2019d be showing them the way to leave, with a pitchfork\u2026 but many of my guests have already noticed you. Once you\u2019re gone, they\u2019ll whisper of this night. They\u2019ll praise the Bughunter\u2019s blessing, and sleep at night thinking of its protection.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWill you truly do as you\u2019ve said?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy word is as good as yours. If you want to help us, don\u2019t sail to Tyr. You\u2019ve already done more than enough for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVery good, then. Indeed, old friend.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d she said, grinning playfully. For a moment, he wondered if the ordeal she’d put him through had simply been for sport, but her brow hardened again when she saw her servant coming. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Giri came bearing bread and stew, but before he could place their water, his matron stopped him with a word. \u201cWait! You\u2019ve kept us waiting, haven\u2019t you? Enjoying a little freedom in the kitchen. Peering out of the window again? Is that steam I sense billowing from my flagon?\u201d She beckoned the boy closer, to hold her face over the brass flagon of water tucked in the crook of Giri\u2019s arm. Cheeks darkening, she recoiled. \u201cBoiled does not mean boiling!\u201d She bellowed. \u201cI ought to make you drink it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d Giri stammered, straining to hold himself still as the heavy flagon slowly slipped down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Holding back anger, Blay put a gentle hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYou got my order right.\u201d Swiftly, he took the flagon and set it down before Zefymi could object. Zefymi huffed and glared at her servant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was great service,\u201d she said at last. \u201cVery great. I see you\u2019ve swiftly served my other guests as well. But we grown-ups have matters to discuss, so go get the scrubbing started.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we do?\u201d asked Blay. \u201cJust now, I\u2019d rather fill my mouth with food than words. I say he\u2019s welcome to join our table.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smiling sheepishly, Giri began to sit, but Zefymi set her hand flat on the boy\u2019s seat, cocking her head toward the kitchen. Giri sprang back up, as if the fingers splayed across his seat were rods of scorching metal. \u201cWell, please enjoy your supper,\u201d he said, honouring Blay with a long bow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay lifted a finger, telling him to wait. \u201cBefore you go\u2026\u201d Blay flicked his wrist and something sparkled through the air. Giri caught it deftly, opening his hand to reveal a golden coin. \u201cA tip,\u201d said Blay. \u201cIn case I don\u2019t see you again.\u201d Giri\u2019s eyes widened as he played the coin swiftly through his fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0For a moment, Blay revelled in the boy\u2019s marveling, but the boy’s marvel winked away when he turned to face his matron. \u201cMay I keep it?\u201d Giri asked in a stoney voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, aye,\u201d she answered. \u201cAnd in my kitchen, keep your eyes pointed inside the pot!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re spoiling him,\u201d grumbled Zefymi, the moment Giri was gone. \u201cSoon he\u2019ll start begging me for a wage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think he should have it.\u201d Blay tore off a piece of bread and began chewing, focusing his senses on the stew. The stew was thick and green and smelled of fresh summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh!\u201d Zefymi grinned. \u201cYou arrived just in time to savour my last batch of sprout stew. You lucky lad! Those delicious sprouts you\u2019re smelling are from the final crop of summer\u2019s harvest. You\u2019ll discover my stew is seasoned with the finest of Tyrish spices. Quite a compliment to the nose, isn’t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blay swallowed his last bit of loaf and took a great swig of water. The water tasted vaguely of cider. Scalding hot, almost boiling. Without hesitation, he drank it down,\u00a0<\/span>belching a cloud of steam as he set down his empty cup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Zefymi chuckled as Blay carefully lifted the first bowl of stew to his cracked lips. \u201cI offer more of everything, as much as you like. Just tell the boy and he’ll bring what you desire, steaming fresh from my kitchen. Even… water, as you like.” She chuckled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay soon set down an empty bowl. \u201cAh\u2026\u201d He sighed in bliss. \u201cI\u2019ll admit it feels like lifetimes since I could really rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s been far too long,\u201d Zefymi agreed. \u201cYou\u2019ll be sleeping here tonight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I will. My stomach loves this place.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour safe return deserves to be celebrated. You haven\u2019t stayed here since you were with the Expedition!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAye. That was the last time I could…\u201d he sighed heavily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe last time you could really rest, you mean?\u201d Zefymi gave a playful swat. \u201cYou flatter me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It\u2019s the truth.\u201d Blay paused, holding the second bowl of stew halfway to his mouth. \u201cMy head hasn’t felt the softness of a pillow since my last Storm\u2019s Eye bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut that was weeks ago.\u201d The cheer fell from Zefymi\u2019s face as knots of worry took hold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay set down the bowl and crunched into a hard, burnt corner of bread. The stench of stew tasted sickly sweet to him. He shoved the bowl away, and washed his throat with scalding water. \u201cHold on\u2026 Don\u2019t dare tell me. \u201d Zefymi\u2019s voice went dark. \u201cHave you been hunting?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As he nodded, Blay was acutely aware of the folk surrounding them. He squeezed the table\u2019s edge. Gripping hard, turning his attention to the sensations of mounting pressure in his fingers, forcing air down his burnt throat. \u201cNothing\u2019s changed,\u201d he growled. Purpling fingertips felt the bumps of old candlewax stuck to the underside of the table. Numb fingers traced the seams of old scratches.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe only difference now is I\u2019m alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zefymi leaned away, twisting a lock of her orange hair with thick, callused fingers. \u201cNothing\u2019s changed\u2026?\u201d she echoed. Blay tore off more of his second loaf, crunching and chewing as Zefymi sighed, again and again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0At last, the great woman bore forward, rocking the table and forcing him to sit back. \u201cHunting alone isn\u2019t nothing, Blay. It changes everything!” The surrounding din dropped low, as nearby guests paused with drinks halfway to lips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you trying so hard to sway me?\u201d Blay whispered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? Oh why. Because I\u2019m apparently the only person here who cares whether you continue living.\u201d She was standing now, like a great monolith towering over him. Her green dress billowed as someone stepped inside, letting in a gust of wind, yet she would not shiver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay took a massive bite and chewed. He tasted nothing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to die, is that it?\u201d Zefymi said. \u201cYou want to lie rotting on the Thicket floor with the rest of the Bughunters?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what I want.\u201d Blay swallowed, swishing his tongue across his teeth to clear them of the bitter black flakes. \u201cMy hunt\u2019s been fruitless. The last time I met a draysk was the day the swarm attacked. I have not since then found even a single draysk path.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen I dare say you\u2019ve been lucky. Recall that you came to me after that same swarm attacked. Your first thought was of the Storm\u2019s Eye. Your first thought, of home! That was one good judgment of you. One! If you told me then, in the wake of their doom, that you meant to keep hunting\u2026\u201d Zefymi gave a haughty huff. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to say, but I would have kept you here. In chains, if needed.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would not have let you,\u201d Said Blay. \u201cAfter the attack, I had but one wish. To find each of our attackers, and end them.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“End?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Tear the wings off, then the heads. Or cut the abdomens, it matters not.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The table groaned, bringing Blay\u2019s awareness to his gripping fingers, clamped around the edge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d pleaded Zefymi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay inhaled slowly, watching the innkeeper\u2019s thick, ringed fingers quiver.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeepthicket,\u201d he answered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course!\u201d She let burst. \u201cDeepthicket is all around us. I\u2019ll wait for the story.\u201d She stepped back, just out of striking distance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…Okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blay willed his mind to return to Deepthicket…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Darkness. Pressed in from every side by spear-tip branches, and itchy, infested bramble. All was jumbled. It seemed impossible to separate threads of time from the dark drone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever the truth, Zefymi left<\/span> no choice. He had to try. Try to describe something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI tried following our final path,\u201d he started. \u201cBut\u2026 we\u2019d… diverged from it. We\u2019d gone deep that day. The swarm found us far from any path.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeep going.\u201d Zefymi had a rare quiet about her, poised.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to bury them.” His voice cracked. “Reclaim their belongings – relics to the families. I tried to retread our every step. But\u2026 I couldn\u2019t find them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d Zefymi sighed. \u201cIf <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> couldn\u2019t find the fateful place, it\u2019s lost. I dare say good. Better we remember them alive and hearty, riding, victory upon victory… and let that bloody graveyard remain imaginary to us.\u201d<\/span>
<\/span>\u201cPerhaps.\u201d Blay heard himself distantly. The inn surrounding his body was just noise. He was inside again. Inside the Deepthicket, nearing his companions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHey there.\u201d Zefymi reached over and squeezed his hand in hers. The clutch of her massive hand enclosed him. Even in tenderness, he felt the matron\u2019s domineering strength. \u201cCome back to me,\u201d she coaxed. \u201cI have better questions to ask.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He nodded. Zefymi kept holding. Heat was pouring from her hot blood, flowing into and warming his blood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d She asked. \u201cWhy come home now, if you prefer hunting bugs out in the dark? <\/span>Why?\u201d She whispered. \u201cDid you mereley come for a night\u2019s rest for the sake of hunting better tommorow?\u201d
\u201cYou have me figured.\u201d<\/p>\n


\u201cInstanity,\u201d she growled. She pulled away, wiping her sweaty palms thoroughly on her billowy green dress.
\u201cMy mind is made,\u201d Blay said. \u201cBut go on if if you wish. I can hear your reasoning.\u201d
\u201cRight then. Shall we examine the facts? You numbered twenty-two before the swarm. Twenty-two young Bughunters, with weapons fresh from the forges, edges sharper than my tongue. Great copper nets,\u201d she plowed. \u201cDraysk bolts hard enough to trim my toenails. Yellow Dust, and other Tyrish things. Secrets from Lady Yellow which I never mention to others. But you lost. You\u2019re finished, forever.\u201d She exhaled, releasing a breeze of bitter rot. \u201cNow how do you estimate your odds? Friendless. Weary and half-starved, with nothing but a dull sword and platemail that might as well be putty in their freakish fingers.\u201d Zefymi lingered, puffing bitter cider breath and squinting down.
\u201cMy odds are not high,\u201d he answered. \u201cThough you should know I still keep my sword quite sharp.\u201d
\u201cCorrect. You could still live a life, if only you weren\u2019t so set on self-sacrifice.\u201d
\u201cI appreciate these concerns.\u201d Blay placed his hand on Zefymi\u2019s. \u201cBut this is my choice. You\u2019ve done all you can. I won\u2019t belittle you with false promises.\u201d
Zefymi\u2019s lip curled, but she sat back into her chair, then excused herself from the table, leaving Blay alone.<\/p>\n

\u2018Finished forever.\u2019 Her dark words rung inside him. Hadn\u2019t the Bughunters been more than twenty-two brave hearts? More than their sum of training? My companions may be gone, but Hale\u2019s son has reminded me of something. Our deeds yet live. Our fame is alive. Perhaps Queen Layla still sees usefulness in that. Would she give me her coin to me a second time? If I pleaded well, would she resurrect us?<\/em><\/p>\n

The Bughunters resurrected. For a few dazzling moments, he saw it. Twenty-one souls, brave and bright, plus one veteran of old: their leader.
But the vision drowned to nothing. For even with Queen Layla\u2019s coin to furnish them, the Bughunters were all dead.<\/p>\n

Zefymi returned with a mug of cider. The smell, sour-bitter, wafted to Blay\u2019s nose. \u201cI have no wish to tempt you,\u201d said Zefymi. \u201cBut I can see our conversation darkening the more.\u201d She took a great swig and set down her mug, then slowly raised it to her lips again.<\/p>\n

A white flash through the windows illuminated clouds of pale smoke, which hung over the huddled guests. Thunder followed, rattling the windowpanes as the drinking hall fell dim. Sheets of rain slapped against the inn\u2019s paint-chipped outer walls of white. Blay found himself lulled by the pleasing, senseless noise. His worries released into the comforting din of downpour. He gave a huge yawn, bones aching with the need to rest. The moments merged into a single stillness.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blay bolted up as big knuckles knocked against his breastplate. Instinctively, he grabbed his scabbard, palm to hilt of sword, fingers wrapping, drawing the blade.
\u201cAwake!\u201d The Inkeeper snapped her fingers in his face.
Blay jolted. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to drift off,\u201d he said, fingers relaxing as his let his sword slide back inside the scabbard. \u201cReally. I\u2019m sorry. It\u2019s been long since I could let my guard down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNone harmed,\u201d she chuckled. \u201cSometimes, a wink of sleep is enough to clean your mind. On a night like this, there\u2019s nowhere better in the world than an inn.\u201d Zefymi downed the last of her mug, raising a thick finger to hold her turn in conversation. \u201cWell,\u201d she said, \u201cPerhaps, one may argue, in the arms of a lover!\u201d She pondered him with merry eyes, exploring the weathered armour fitted around his body like cold skin. \u201cBut you couldn\u2019t feel it, could you? Stars be dark if you\u2019d know even the first thing. Hint: You can\u2019t keep armour on in bed.\u201d Upon noticing Blay\u2019s grim look, she finished laughing. \u201cBut no, no. No inn in the world endures the tides of time like this!\u201d She gave the table a hard, proud knock. \u201cThat\u2019s why we Stoneyfolk named it Storm\u2019s Eye. Your home, Blay Bughunter, is a true sanctuary for survivors.\u201d
\u201cI can believe that,\u201d said Blay, casting his gaze over the motley gatherings of guests. \u201cThis place\u2026 is where the homeless come to huddle.\u201d
\u201cWell now,\u201d Zefymi gathered herself. \u201cAfter a restful sleep, and a hot, hardy breakfast, you\u2019ll begin finding more reasons to stay.\u201d
Blay snorted. \u201cYour vagrants don\u2019t interest me. I\u2019m here to rest.\u201d
\u201cBards would pay just to share a mug of cider with you. Not share, but. Oh, come. Don\u2019t be ignorant. Your pride is worth nothing, as if the bards don’t sing your stories already.\u201d
\u201cThey sing our stories?\u201d
\u201cOh, aye. There\u2019s \u2018Morgan\u2019s Swarm,\u2019 \u2018The Final Battle of the Bughunters,\u2019, \u2018The Dark Revenge of-\u201d
\u201cEnough!\u201d Spit sprayed with the word as Blay fought the urge to rise. Hands shaking, he forced himself quiet. \u201cLet us speak of something else now. Is your Storm’s Eye still profitable?”<\/p>\n

“Oh, Aye,” Zefymi huffed. “Much more since your last visit, in fact. Night after lively night. Giri can hardly grow back the skin on his little fingers before he rubs them raw. People flock here to my light when the dark out there is strange and uncertain. I see them, Blay. They huddle around my tables discussing rumours, or hatching their own. They mix lies with truth until the common story is so diluted that it ceases to be report, and turns instead into a fable, describing only the persuasions and opinions of those who made it. Oh, I see everything and more. Of late it’s grown much worse.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Why? What’s happened?”<\/p>\n

“Well besides the obvious, you’ve heard the terrible news haven’t you?”\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The swarm appeared?”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zefymi frowned. “Our queen, Blay.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Ah! Queen Layla’s finally picked a husband, has she? Let me guess…”<\/p>\n

“She’s gone.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

“What? How?” Blay wondered if he’d misheard the woman. “A voyage?”<\/p>\n

“No, dead.”<\/p>\n

Blay was stunned. “How…?”<\/p>\n

“Oh,\u00a0how…\u00a0<\/em>the question with seven thousand answers, each more onerously concocted than the last. I’ll answer straight. No Stoneyfolk truly knows.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere must be something.\u201d Blay frowned, feeling an old itch tickling inside his belly. \u201cWe must know her cause of death, at least. Or has she disappeared? Perhaps she could still be alive somewhere\u2026\u201d
The huge woman took a sombre swig.
\u201cZef, please. There must be a common thread from all the tales you\u2019ve heard. Or tell me it isn\u2019t true. One of your jests, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n


\u201cSee how eager you all are? For it to make sense.\u201d
\u201cAye,” he said, feeling humbled. “You could say anything next, and I would believe the same.\u201d
\u201cThen believe this, Blay. I pity you. Another one of your loved ones lost. I don\u2019t blame you for wanting to understand. Just\u2026\u201d Slowly, she offered him her hand, but he withdrew.
\u201cJust answer me,\u201d he said.
\u201cAlright.\u201d Zefymi downed the last of her mug, releasing a great sigh.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“As the story goes, Layla was alone in her bed chamber. Many think she must\u2019ve tipped over her bedlamp, but alas. She caught aflame somehow. Her Mahersguard, stationed in the watchtowers, noticed a red glow coming through the curtains. But they were watching the wall below her window, and saw no one try to climb it.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Guardsmen inside the Blackfort must\u2019ve ran when they heard her shrieks.\u201d
\u201cExcept she made no noise. The first sign of something wrong inside the Blackfort was a smell like burning coal. Her Guardsmen rushed to the bedchamber, and saw smoke creeping from the crack beneath her door. A crowd gathered as they were trying to get inside, and when the Gaurdsmen broke down her door, they found her body smouldering inside. Curled up by the bedside. She could only be identified by the rings she bore, melded with the flesh of her fingers.\u201d
\u201cBy the stars. A fire that strong must\u2019ve burned the Blackfort empty.\u201d
Zefymi shook her head. \u201cNothing was burnt but the body.\u201d
\u201cWell she had a dark end. But no one, not even Queen Layla, is immune to simple luck.\u201d
Zefymi laughed. \u201cOf every explanation\u2026 we Stoneyfolk convereged on the idea she sacrificed a sick woman. A powerless criminal, without nobility, but of Layla\u2019s shape and size. Burned wearing the queen’s rings.\u201d
\u201cWhy say it? Why invent such-\u201d
\u201cThey say she wanted to escape the pressure to marry.\u201d
\u201cIt has some sense, that theory. Many women would willingly volunteer, in exchange for Layla\u2019s favour. And wouldn\u2019t her bedsheets be ashes? Unless the corpse was plaaced there after. But this doesn\u2019t sound like Layla\u2019s work at all. But what do you think, Zefymi?\u201d
\u201cI think tales are living things. They grow. In my years, I\u2019ve come to see the plain and simple ones tend closer to the truth. I believe our queen suffered a strange accident. Rare, surely, but no more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blay looked up. A grey-faced man had risen from his table and stumbled over to them, eavesdropping on their conversation. As Zefymi finished speaking, she turned to see him creeping from behind.\u00a0 Pressing a steadying hand to the back of Zefymi’s chair, the grey-faced man spoke in a gravel-throated voice. \u201cAye,\u201d he said, \u201cand when they buried her four nights later, her corpse was smoking. Even now, our queen still smoulders.” His wide eyes met Blay\u2019s. Dark and watery, they were full of drunken awe. Blay met the grey gaze with a crystalline eyes, making his face of stone.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shaking in anger, Zefymi rose to bellow, \u201cGiri!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChapter Finish<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sanctuary for a Night\u00a0 \u201cBless the stars… Blay Bughunter!\u201d A spry grin cracked Zefymi\u2019s lips as Blay strode into the light. Water fell from Blay’s hair, a tangled white mess, as rivuletes crawled along his armour, dripping on the hardwood floor. \u201cGood to see you.\u201d He bowed to the huge innkeeper, hobbling through the din […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-179","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=179"}],"version-history":[{"count":313,"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1709,"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/179\/revisions\/1709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifested.one\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}