Chapter 221: A Burden Shared

Finn looked up at the man. This one seemed to know about him, unlike the Priest, Shadow Cloud.

“The one and only,” Finn made a half bow with a flourish.

The Paladin stared at him for a beat, then his gaze moved to Jon, who stood off to the side some steps behind. The young man was watching rather blankly, as if he’d been numbed by the repeated shocking developments.

But immediately Jon met the Paladin’s eyes, he suddenly felt groggy and drowsy. His eyes became heavy, and slowly he slumped to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

The Paladin then raised his hands and pressed them to his eyes, as if that small display had strained them.

“So, Arros. You think because you have the support of the Incarnate you can do whatever you want?” He growled under his breath.

Finn raised a brow. “I’d hardly call killing a serial killer ’doing whatever I want.’ The man came to kill me first. What did you expect me to do? Simply allow him to?”

The Paladin didn’t reply to that. Instead he diverted. “Why didn’t you report your presence to the Shadow Temple when you arrived? If you had, this would never have happened.”

“Heh! So the serial killer was truly one of your dogs.” Finn stated it as fact rather than a question, then he waved a hand and became serious. “Look, I don’t really care what you guys are up to. But now that you know who I am, stay out of my way. I won’t ask you for help so don’t meddle in my matters either.”

He started to walk away after that, heading to carry Jon while the Paladin and Priest Shadow Cloud, who stood further back, watched silently.

They said nothing as Finn lifted Jon onto his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and began walking away.

When Finn had walked some steps further, he felt a shift in the air. A subtle change, like stepping through a bubble. It made him realize how no one had been curious about the commotion and short battle that had happened. A barrier of some sort had been set up to divert prying eyes.

The vicinity itself was quiet enough this far from the city. Houses were sparser with more farmland space between them. But still, without that barrier, people would’ve heard the commotion and stepped out.

He continued walking and soon he was at the furthest ends of the Sprawl. Jon’s house and his own came into view.

Finn felt a trace of something like relief — No, not just relief. Something more like solace. A homely feeling. This was the first house he had actually ever bought for himself. Perhaps that was why he felt this way.

The feeling was fleeting though, gone just as quickly as it had come.

A figure stepped out of his compound. Thalia. She stood by the gates, watching him silently as he got closer and headed for Jon’s house first.

Voices of pleasantries, thanks, and laughter soon came from Jon’s house as Finn delivered their son, spinning up believable tales of drinking to stupor — which had actually happened the previous night, but this time he used it as an excuse for Jon’s current state.

Minutes after, he was escorted out by Jon’s mother, Matilda, who thanked Finn repeatedly from the door while he waved back.

Thalia was still standing by the gates when he stepped out of Jon’s family’s property.

Seeing her standing there, Finn sighed, knowing he was about to be scolded. To people like Jon’s parents, who were simple mortals, Finn’s excuse was logical and believable. But to Thalia, he knew he’d have to come clean.

Perhaps she’d even felt the commotion with the Priest from this distance. Finn wouldn’t put it past her. Her senses had indeed sharpened since they arrived here. She’d been practicing with more purpose, more vigor, as if she wanted to raise her Transcendent powers to a level that could stand alongside Divine power.

It was for this same reason that Finn felt she had learned something from Ailin, the Mnemosyne. Something fundamental. But he wasn’t ready yet to push her into speaking about it. For now he’d simply focus on doing what he was here for.

Building lore.

“Hey,” Finn greeted when he got close.

Thalia nodded slightly and said nothing. She only turned her gaze slightly looking through the shadows of the night towards the direction of the city.

“Do you want to do anything about him?” She asked with her eyes focused on a particular section of the darkness.

Finn paused then followed her gaze towards the same section of the dark. “Ah… Him?” He waved a hand and stepped through the gate and into the compound. “Leave him be. He’s simply curious. He won’t do anything rash.”

Thalia stayed a few beats longer, staring at the darkness like she could see through it clearly. Then she turned and entered the compound, closing the gate behind her.

In the darkness some distance away, the Paladin frowned. It had almost felt like the girl was staring at him directly. Those eyes had locked onto his position like a hawk, giving him a sense of danger. If he had moved, he was fairly certain she would have tracked his movements in the same way.

Just who the hell was she? There wasn’t much written about her in the notice their branch had received. The only two the notice said to be watchful of were Arros himself, and the Mnemosyne, who shouldn’t be touched for anything at all. A third person was mentioned, but nothing else had been said about her. Not even her gender.

It seemed he would have to add her to the list too…

.

.

“Your time dwindles, Errant.”

Those were the first words that greeted Finn immediately upon entering the house.

The Mnemosyne stood near the door, staring at him with those ancient eyes that seemed to understand him better than he understood himself.

He paused, then continued in with a shake of his head.

“I know,” he said in response to her statement. “My plan is already in motion. Things will kick off soon.”

He wasn’t sure if Ailin still processed words spoken to her the same way now that she had become the Mnemosyne. But every so often, she would speak, saying something ominous. Sometimes, like now, she was direct. But usually, she was so cryptic he didn’t even bother trying to figure out what she meant.

Finn only nodded at her after replying, then made to enter his room before Thalia would arrive, but she entered just a few steps after he did.

“What are you up to, Arros?” Thalia spoke before he could escape. “You need to let us know so we can help.”

Finn paused, grimacing, then turned to face her. “This journey is supposed to be mine alone. You have no obligation to help. In fact I do not want you to help at all. Let me do me, and when I’m done we can all return home to our world…”

Thalia stared blankly. “Even you don’t believe half of what you’re saying. You know the situation is not as simple as gaining power and returning home. There’s more at play here… probably more than we might imagine.”

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