Chapter 17 - Proof

They went back to the inn. Despite her distaste, Atzi still ate the roast chicken Hemm made. Why’s it gotta be so delicious… She shuddered and had another bite.

As she devoured the silly bird, she considered how she should handle Cory. Should I do stuff differently at the meeting? Do I tell Cory? How do I tell her…

Done eating, she went back up to take another nap, just a quick eight hours. After, she finally she felt normal, her head no longer pounding.

What should I do to kill time until tomorrow? Hmmm. Oh, what if Alana is still at the party. Maybe we could even get together this time! Sure, last time she’d said no, but last time it had also been the evening - this time she was going at night!

Atzi got dressed and headed out. As the Star's processions approached, she gazed briefly into the distance. Even if nobody else believes me, I know I’m not crazy.

She shook her head and continued on, passing by a pair of jolly drunks.

“...went crazy. The chef was chasing it with a knife.”

“No way!”

“Ran by this guy who tripped over it, sent an entire table of food flying, right into the chef’s face!”

They laughed.

Where are all the rumors leading me to wealth and women? Bah.

Atzi entered the residential district, wandering along to where she thought Alana would be. She saw someone being tossed several feet in the air. That’s it!

She ran over excited, slipping her way through the crowd to get a close spot. The pink-haired woman, exactly as curvy as Atzi remembered her, spun a girl away from her, into the waiting arms of jealous friends.

“Who’s next?”

Atzi rushed forward before anyone else could take the spot. “Is your name Alana?”

Alana looked at her for a second, then smiled. “Yeah!”

I take every complaint back, these visions are the best. Atzi waved her tail. “Cool. Let’s dance!”

Someone loudly said, “What a weirdo.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

Hey! I’m a normal lizard! Atzi turned her head to complain, and realized they weren’t talking about her - the crowd separated to reveal a man with a balding head and large gut, delivering drunken dance moves so vile and violent they should be criminalized.

Braun.

He looked up at Atzi. His dancing slowed as his eyes took several seconds to focus on her, his face contorting through several stages of confusion, before settling on a placid recognition. Then he lit up. “Atzi! Dance with me!”

Oh gods. Atzi turned back to Alana, only to see that she had moved with the rest of the migrating group. So Atzi hurried over to Braun. “Wh-why are you dancing like that? It’s scaring people off!”

“Wha? They’re just in awe at my dance moves.” He performed the opposite of a groove. “I still got it.”

“You definitely never had it.”

Just then, Atzi had an idea. This guy is rich. So… “I know who’s gonna win at the arena tomorrow. Maybe you could bet some and gimme a little piece of the winnings for being so nice and telling you?”

“What?!” he shouted, stumbling closer and reaching out for Atzi.

Atzi ducked under his grasp. He stumbled past her, before ‘recovering’ back into a ‘dance’.

“Fine, forget it!” Atzi left him to himself.

“Goodbye, Atzi!” he waved goodbye to her, grinning.

At least he looks happy, he was a real sad sack last time. It’s so annoying when people are sad all the time! It’s almost as bad as when they’re religious all the time!

Atzi rejoined Alana’s group and danced the rest of the night away, but still didn’t manage to get anywhere with the bubbly woman.

Shame there won’t be a next time, because I can definitely tell this is real and not a vision. As she broke off from the group, she yawned. Visions sure do take a lot out of you, huh?

She went back to the inn.

===

Atzi woke up in the afternoon once more, putting on her clothes. I wonder if Marco will be making the same food, too?

She headed downstairs and saw Hemm at the counter.

“...Hemm?”

“Are you feeling any better? Do you need to go back to the temple?” Hemm asked. “Or just more food?”

“Uh, just more food, thanks. I feel… fine.” Atzi sat down. “Why are you here and not Marco?”

Hemm looked at her, confused. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”

“Because last time… are you here because he’s not, or is he not here because you are?”

Hemm blinked her one big eye. She didn’t respond, going over to the wood burning stove to prepare lunch.

She still thinks I’m nuts…

“He said he had to go out,” Hemm finally responded.

Atzi slapped the table. “So you’re here because he’s not!”

“Yes?”

“Did you say something to him?” I know she did, but I can’t say I was eavesdropping during that conversation yesterday.

“No?” Hemm simply looked confused.

“Oh. Well… maybe just something about Vance getting brought up made him head out. I mean, everything else happened the way I remember.”

“He wasn’t specific, but-”

“I even remembered someone’s name despite meeting her for the first time. My visions are definitely real. Anyway, let’s go gambling!”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“No. I’m not going gambling with you.”

Atzi’s tail drooped. “But- fine. Fine. What’s for lunch?”

Hemm looked relieved at the change in topic, and happily explained to Atzi all the ingredients. Atzi didn’t really care about any of that, but she was glad Hemm wasn’t treating her like a madwoman.

‘-and on top, crushed dried jewel beetles.”

Atzi nearly fell off her chair. “Where did you even… nevermind. Can you skip those?”

“Do you not like them?”

Atzi held her stomach. “Not anymore.”

-

Atzi took it easy until it was time to head over to the arena. She trodded up to the bookie slash announcer and set down her sack of sixty five bronze. “I wanna bet all this on the newcomer.” She pointed at the board at the correct match. “Do you do bonus bets for like, guessing how long it’ll take, anything like that?”

The announcer opened up the pouch and started counting out the bronze. “Side bets aren’t protected but I do know some guys who do ‘em.”

No way, they’d definitely find an excuse to keep my money if I won big with them. “Just the normal bet, then.”

“Big spender, here ya go!” He handed Atzi her ticket, which stated she’d get one gold and ninety five bronze if she won.

Atzi went up to a seat - she arrived a little earlier, so got a better one. Someone passed by selling beetle kebabs, and she raised her hand for one. He came over, she reached for her money, and- “Nevermind, I wasn’t really hungry anyway…”

I totally wasn’t! She silently pleaded towards the judging stare she received. I just need something to do while I wait. Waiting’s so boring!

Nonetheless, she was forced to. The strange statue person's fight wasn't up yet. First, there was the big guy from Tarsus versus the totally outclassed ‘slammer’.

Atzi watched the big guy throw a spear - and miss.

Wait, why’s it different? He hit her shield in the vision.

The rest of the fight was pretty much the same though, a literal stomp. That’s so weird. At least with Hemm and Marco I can guess why it was different.

Atzi twisted her claws as she waited for the next fight, worried over if she might not actually win. There’s no way, right?

When the ‘carver’ stepped out into the arena, Atzi realized she was about to watch him die again. Should I have done something to prevent this? She put her full brainpower to the question. No. There’s nothing I could have done. Besides, I need the money.

The statue person walked out. Atzi covered her eyes from watching the fight. A few moments later, she knew from everyone’s reaction that she’d won.

Atzi ran back down as quickly as she could, first in line to turn in her ticket.

“Lucky winner!” The announcer paid her in three stacks of sixty five bronze each, pushing them all into three pouches, a performance for the people waiting to place their bets.

Think of how rich I’d be if everyone was smart enough to bet with me!

Atzi took her money and left the arena, making her way towards the rich district for the meeting. Wait, I totally should have done a rolling bet! Well, it wouldn’t have been that much more, but still…

Then, she got an idea. I know Cory will try to take my money, so what if I used that? She took all three pouches and dumped them into the bags wrapped around the base of her tail, before grabbing a few rocks and tossing them in a then empty pouch. Now I just need some paper.

She skittered around for some posters, before finding some on a wall. Out of curiosity, she finally took a closer look at the one about the missing spellbook.

‘Reward: 100 gold’

‘Owner: Sage of Sostra’

Atzi’s eyes widened. I had a hundred gold in my claw? And it’s the Sage’s? She’d heard people mention the Sage before. Apparently a really powerful mage from the academy who knew a bunch of magic paths, like fire and earth and nature and blood. Most mages only knew one or two.

It suddenly made a whole lot more sense to Atzi why Cory would want the book so badly. But still not enough to kill me, right? I would never betray her! She knows that!

Atzi tore off a section of the poster, licked a claw, dipped it into nearby dirt, and wrote, ‘Told you, Cory!’

She stuffed it in with the rocks and tied the pouch to her belt.

Now for the meeting…

-

Atzi stood outside V’s mansion, grumbling as V’s guards checked through the rocks.

“What’s the purpose of these?”

“You’ve never lived in the slums, have you? I’m not keeping my money in the most obvious place! That’s asking to be robbed!”

The steel-clad private guard pulled out the note. “And this?”

“A surprise for my maybe girlfriend.”

She could have sworn she heard a muffled laugh as the pouch was returned to her.

Laugh it up! I have future knowledge!

Atzi went in. Before going through the second set of doors into the dining room, she put on her best oblivious idiot expression.

Atzi pushed open the door, careful to not look in Cory’s direction as she scanned over the room…

…and felt the pouch of rocks lifted from her. Atzi spun around.

She still almost drooled. “Cory!”

“Coraline.”

Atzi pointed towards the sack of rocks. “U-um, that’s-”

“Mine now.”

What did I say next? Atzi wondered, but in the gap in the conversation, Cory already went to sit down. Augh!

Atzi quickly took her seat at the large dining room table. “This is everyone, right?”

V stared at Atzi for a long moment before speaking. “Yes. We shall now begin.”

The meeting covered the same details about the job, but Atzi found the actual conversations were totally different. Nobody seemed to repeat any exact wordings that Atzi remembered. When Paulina yelled at her, she still flinched, no acting needed.

Even when Cory flung insults at V, they were all different. Atzi focused herself, as she knew she had to respond soon.

Cory finished her string of insults, then said, “C’mon, tell them, Atzi!”

Last time I stuck up for her… if I don’t this time, will she trust me? Atzi looked up at Cory, not quite sure how she’d worded herself last time. “Uhh… yeah, it wasn’t Cory’s fault.”

“Then should I blame you for it?” V asked, ignoring Cory entirely.

“U-um, can we just think about the job?”

V spoke, “Very well. But-” and threatened Atzi and Cory with less payout, once more.

The meeting continued like this. While most ways people worded stuff were different, Atzi found it strange Aelia said the exact same words, “...is there anything else?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you don’t really need us for this kind of thing. You probably have better people you could work with now. And we haven’t done anything together in ages, not to mention the… internal issues.” She looked towards Atzi.

Hey! I’m not an internal issue! Atzi looked back.

Aelia broke the gaze first, looking towards V. “Is there something going on you’re not telling about? Another aspect to the job?”

“If you do not trust the job is real, then you may leave. There shall be no repercussions for leaving, save no further work from me.”

I’m not even going to pretend like I know why some things are exactly the same and others change a bunch.

Finally, the meeting got to the important part. “-the blood harvest-”

Atzi looked at Cory expectantly, doing her best to appear as pleading as possible, just like last time.

Cory glanced her way. “Atzi, then.”

Yes!

-

After the meeting, Fence approached Atzi.

Huh? What does Fence want?

“Hey Atzi-”

“Sorry Fence, don’t really have time right now, gotta talk with Cory.” It’s completely true!

Fence mumbled something Atzi didn’t hear as she hurried after her ‘maybe girlfriend’.

They were once more walking side by side through the rich district backstreets, dimly lit by torches mounted atop metal poles. Atzi looked over at Cory, appreciating the way the shadows played across her face.

“It’s good to see you again,” Atzi said. Even if you… no, you didn’t. That was just a vision. And they’re not even true sometimes!

“Yeah,” Cory replied.

Why does she seem so distant? “What will you do with your gold?”

Cory shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“But you love gold!” I think that’s what I said.

Cory gave Atzi a strange look, before shaking her head. “Do you trust me?”

Atzi clapped. “I'm gonna say something and it's gonna sound weird and maybe like I'm making it up, or gone crazy, but it's true…”

This is it. I have so much proof. You have to believe me, Cory!

Atzi said, “...I had a dream about the future.”