Bone Diggers - Chapter Thirty One

Loading... Chapter Thirty One

"Do you want to come with me?" Abel asked, clearly looking for a volunteer on his solo mission. Why risk yourself when you could risk others?

"Busy today, sorry," Daniel said.

"Your loss." Abel shrugged before leaving to do his own work. Since Daniel had been all business as of late, they'd been getting along better than ever. It was easy to make friends when you did their work.

Daniel watched Abel carry on down the road that would lead to the thieves guild. That's the direction he should go, and yet...he glanced down another way, a path that would take him where he really desired.

He was like the ocean, a force that could be guided until it swells and becomes uncontrollable. Inside the training hall of a very different faction, Daniel walked onto a mezzanine.

"Knights, hear me," Daniel called, as he stepped up onto the railing. He stood gathering as much attention as possible. "I warn thee well. No bloodier spirit between heaven and hell. I'll give you a choice, unlike what I was given. Talk to me, or talk to your god."

Once he jumped down, he was met with a wave untalkative folks. Blood spilled over his sword as he dispatched them all with a cold urgency. Except for one, who ran.

Daniel's boots scraped against the floor as he came to a stop. The man hadn't gone far. He ended up stuck, huddled in a corner. "Please, I'll tell you anything," the guard pleaded.

"I'm looking for your leader, Ambrogio Spinola," Daniel said dryly. "Tell me where he is and I'll let you leave."

The look the man gave Daniel was similar to the look he'd seen Lance give him before. One that silently asked still? This is still your main concern? Despite the look, the man answered. "Most rumors claim he left with his men on a boat, but I heard whispers that he is visiting with the Archbishop. That's all I know."

"I'm a man of my word. Begone."

The guard looked up, blinking at the choice he didn't think he'd actually be given.

Daniel carried on without a glance back. Moving deeper into this labyrinth to areas his original warning likely wasn't ever heard. Based on how quick some of the men attacked, it didn't seem like they wanted to talk anyway.

They were all faceless people until one spoke. Daniel wouldn't have recognized the executioner if the man hadn't. "I remember you," he said. The man paced in a half circle around Daniel with his ax resting against his shoulder. "It was a shame I couldn't chop that pretty little girl's head off. Maybe I can get yours instead."

The man swung the ax high and wide, managing to cut off Daniel's reply. The thief ducked and moved in close with his dagger. The executioner caught Daniel's arm as he continued to push for the kill before he was shoved to the ground.

This time, the executioner swung towards the floor. Daniel rolled away and sprung back up to his feet as the ax wedged itself into the wood paneling. A thief's speed compared to the powerful, but slow, swings turned out to be the man's downfall. Daniel caught him square in the chest with his dagger.

The man wheezed unable to breathe with metal in his lung. His weapon dropped as Daniel helped him to the ground. Any final words the NPC had were lost through the hole in his chest.

"I hope you were able to bully your last victim, or follada your wife. Whatever it takes for you to feel better about yourself. As you lay here, ask yourself, was killing her worth it?" Daniel stood up from the warm body of the man he just killed. His head was dizzy with anger. Hunting him down had helped, but it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be until he held everyone accountable.

Exploring the base only provided one more man for his folly. He was tucked close to the wall, not out of fear, but to work on a series of pulleys. When the bloodstained thief walked in, the man dropped his tools in fright.

"Tell me where your boss is," Daniel ordered.

"Excuse me, señor?"

Daniel let out a small growl and grabbed the man by the collar. "Don Ambrogio? The man you work for? Where is he?"

The man let out a laugh from fear. "I don't know. I'm not told such things."

Daniel silently judged if he was telling the truth. The man stared back, growing fearful at the harsh glint he witnessed in Daniel. He noticed the eyes of a killer a few seconds before Daniel's words confirmed it.

"I don't suffer the useless."

With a flick of Daniel's wrist, the man eyes went wide. He stumbled and grabbed Daniel's shoulder for support. Blood spilled over Daniel's blade, his hand, everywhere.

This was wrong. He had crossed a line killing him, brought harm to someone who didn't deserve wrath. And realized it all too late. "I...I'm sorry," Daniel said near whisper, looking as confused at the man whose blood he now wore. A long forgotten feeling washed over him, one that he had not known in many years after a kill. Guilt.

There was a choking sound before the light left the man's eyes. Carefully, Daniel laid him down, brushing a clean hand over the man's eyelids. His own eyes started to well up as he sat there on the dusty floor. Daniel wondered if he would ever get the will to stand again, but fear was quick to remedy this.

Daniel fled, realizing that there'd be no protection under the sun after this. Where could he even go? Any mercy the guild had for him would evaporate with this news.

A group of girls walked by, their dresses a riot of color that sparked an idea. There might be someone who would still help.

Lily was outside tending a small garden. "Hello there, dear," she said, momentarily distracted by the flowers. "Daniel? Mi dios, what happened?" He didn't look like much to fear, all dirtied and shaken.

"I'm not sure where else to turn right now."

Lily looked at him with uncertainty on her face. Hiding people that made themselves targets only brought trouble down on her girls. Yet, friendship wasn't meaningless. "Come quick, before anyone sees you."

After getting changed into clean clothes, Daniel ended up telling Lily everything. About traveling to Santiago with Amilia, about saving each other in more ways than the usual, and about the troubles they faced on their way home. As he got closer to the end, his words slowed. It was hard to say, even to himself, let alone honestly with someone else.

"Wow. That is an impressive story my friend," Lily said, and dipped a rag into a bowl. She allowed herself a moment to soak in more than just the water. Lily took Daniel's hand and gently scrubbed the blood off his knuckles. He didn't resist. After running off hate and pain for days, he was on empty, and couldn't fight the kindness he didn't deserve. "I might not know a lot of things," Lily continued, "But I know people. We have our reasons for doing the things we do. And I can tell you this, it's not all that usual to love someone and not want them around."

Daniel looked at her, trying to see if she knew something he didn't. Her eyes didn't hold guilt. Maybe just a story he didn't know. She moved up from his hands, cleaning various other scratches that littered his skin. When Lily first saw Daniel, she thought he was on the edge of death. After inspection, it became clear. The real wound was somewhere that couldn't be cleaned with water. "Let it go, love. Even if you figure it out, it won't make you feel better."

Lily dabbed a fresh cloth on his lip, and he cringed at the sharp pain. "You are going to be lucky if this doesn't scar," Lily mused, changing the subject before she did more harm than good. She got up, glancing at him as if she wanted to say something more.

He felt a kiss, not on his lips, but on his forehead. She started to pull away before Daniel caught her hand. "Thank you," he said and let go, hoping those two words could explain everything he meant.

She smiled. "I need to check on other things now. I wouldn't suggest roaming the house, but you may if you wish."

As always when one of them is lost, Lance came around a few days later. However, he was stuck outside, as Lily refused to let him in. "If you don't have business here, then leave!"

"Fine, how about you and I go a round?" Lance's rough tone made it hard to pinpoint it as a threat or not. "Afterward, I'll tear through the rest of the place."

"Oh, so you do have business for us?" Lily said, with false sweetness. She reached up to touch a curl by his ear, but Lance slapped her hand away before she got there.

"Stop messing around. I know Daniel is in there. You are his only friend left in town, and the only one with enough power to hide him. I hear you officially run this house now. Was this your first act of business? Hiding a fugitive?"

"Is that what he is to you?"

"You know better than that," Lance growled. He wasn't getting anywhere, so he took a deep breath and tried a new way. "He isn't himself. You must know this."

Lily paused, but only for a second. "I don't know where he is. If we hear anything, we'll let you know."

Lance balled his fists, resisted the urge to just force her out of the way. "If I get proof, expect me on your doorstep."

"I await that surely joyous day," Lily said, with the same mixed tone.

Lance had been right about almost everything. Lily's new job title wasn't official, but it might as well be. The lady of the house was almost always doing other things across Spain. Something Lily didn't understand. The people here were her family, why would anyone want to leave them? Lily swore to protect everyone here, and that included Daniel now. She headed back inside and grabbed some food as she went up to Daniel's room.

She sighed at the state of things. Plates of food from the day before sat untouched. A rat would have nibbled more away. "Man can't live off wine until kingdom come. You need to eat something."

Daniel looked up from the book in his hand. A small stack was piled next to where he sat. Lily held out a glass of wine, knowing far too well that men could actually live off the stuff. For a little while, at least. She placed the fresh meal down by the old one. "You know, if food isn't doing the trick, maybe I could help in other ways."

Daniel didn't flinch as he stared up at her, wearing the expression of a wounded animal who wanted to be left alone.

"Fine then," she said, a bit more annoyed than she meant. Lily gathered up the old plates, finding another in a different corner of the room. She was a bit louder then she needed to be, but the action was completely ignored. It seemed like he wanted to shut her out, too. Lily thought about storming out, but stopped at the door. "You know, there are people still around who love you," Lily said. This finally got his attention even though he looked confused. "Lance stopped by."

Time passed, although it was harder to track how much, before Lily and Lance found themselves outside debating the merit of his visit once again.

"I know Daniel is here, Lil."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Rumor has it there is a man staying here. Who doesn't partake in any of the girls. So unless you have opened up to service new clientele, he is here."

"Why? Are you interested?" Her eyebrows rose with her joke. Lance, however, was not amused, and stared until she became serious again. "Fine! Fine, I can't get through to him anyways. Maybe you will have more luck. I'll bring you to him."

Lance followed her upstairs, spotting one of the courtesans on his way up. She likely didn't have a clue what was actually going on. From the context clues, she would have thought something suggestive.

Daniel looked up, expecting Lily again, but found Lance in the doorway. "I'm not very good at hiding, am I?" he asked, and closed his book.

"No, not from me." Lance quickly glanced around the room, but the most notable thing was Daniel. He would have sworn his friend was thinner than the last time they laid eyes on each other. "You look...well."

Daniel sat back in the chair, doubting that was the word Lance really wanted to use. Lance pulled over a chair and sat down. "Your father and I, we've been making sure you still had a place to come back to."

"Come back?" What did he have to return to? Amilia had been able to open him up a bit. Now that she was gone, he'd shut down. An overcorrection he didn't want to fix. He didn't want to go back. It was too much responsibility.

"When you are ready," Lance added. "We don't have to talk about this right now."

"How is he?" Daniel asked. "My father."

"He's well. That man is strong as a bull," Lance smiled. "We've been working together a lot lately, hunting down the aegis."

Daniel's jaw started to drop before he reeled back his reaction. He didn't like the idea of his retired father working again. But what say did he have when he wanted no part of it himself?

"We are making a lot of progress thanks to the book you found."

"That's...good," Daniel said, but didn't sound like he meant it. The whole thing made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin.

Lance didn't push. Talking about something related to Amilia would have been hard to handle on a good day. Many now believed the aegis was part of what got Amilia killed. There were even whispers that she was still alive. No one seriously believed the ghost stories, and he definitely wasn't going to tell Daniel about them. There'd be no better way to mess with his head.

Lance simply changed the subject. Talked about lighter things. A copy of Don Quixote was sitting nearby, so Lance mentioned letters with his friend Chloe who was reading Shakespeare. Citing that while the stories weren't translated from English yet, she claimed they were quite good.

A comfortable silence fell between them. Lance didn't think he was going to get anything more out of Daniel today. Which was fine. Daniel was alive, and having him of sound mind was a huge plus. Lance had feared when he found Daniel he'd have to pick him off the floor. One could work with this.

"I just..." Daniel said, to Lance's surprise, "...can't believe someone who I've known for so little nested so deep in my head. How did I let this happen?"

So, he did want to talk about it. "The thing about you is that you always know what you want, and waste very little time getting it. Hell, you asked me to move to Spain the first day I met you. It is not a surprise that when you fell for Amilia, you became swept up in it." Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but Lance continued. "Sometimes life just carries us places like that. Now, I'm asking you to please come home."