Charity's Lie
Lord Tsunran Lowland of the Deepwood Duchy stained his silken hose with ash by kneeling. Wreathed by the flames spouting from the mansion behind him was a cloaked figure thoroughly soaked in shadows. The Lord demanded, “Great Prophet! Tell me! What do the gods require?” A cracked fingernail extended from the frayed sleeve to rest against Tsunran's throat. Taking the wrinkled hand in both of his, the Lord roared, “Speak, curse you! Tell me what I can do to soothe those flames!”
Turning its head slowly, the prophet looked towards the great mansion behind him. Blue flames ran alone much of the stone and wood. With its free hand, the Prophet produced a curved dagger as he rasped, “Your life.”
“P-please, anything else! My family is in there! I can provide you endless money! Lands! Please!” Sobbed the Lord as a chunk of burning debris blocked the main entrance. A window erupted in glass and flame. In it, a silhouette of a woman flickered across for an instant. Snapping up the dagger, the Lord stared at the edge.
“Swear to me, you will save my family!” The Lord said as he aimed the point at his throat. The prophet suddenly moved in a flurry of motion to drive his palm against the dagger. Driving the weapon into Tsunran's throat, he gurgled in shock. His wide eyes stared at the prophet as his body stilled. Reaching up, the prophet pulled the tattered robe he wore off to reveal a man with dark hair in red clothing. The prophet snapped its fingers and everything about the burning home vanished, the illusion was dispelled.
Reaching under his shirt, the Prophet produced a small gem and held it over the corpse. It blinked several times before a translucent version of the Lord appeared. Floating above his body, Tsunran looked around in bewilderment. Returning the gem to his shirt, the Prophet bowed at the waist saying, “I know it's a bit late but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Ouira, an agent of the Blue Phoenix Mercenary company.”
“W-what is happening? Those mercenaries?” Tsunran stuttered.
“Yes, we dispatched a unit on your behalf and we lost thirty six of our brethren due to your greed,” Ouira said through a soft smile, “As such, I am here to collect our debt from you.”
“T-Then it was you who burned my home?”
Ouira made a wide sweep of his arm towards the undamaged home behind him, “As you can see, your home is quite intact. The flames and everything you saw were illusions. Conjured by myself, of course.” Ouira turned to the side, letting the Lord see four bushy tails extend from his lower back.
“What are you?”
Ouira smiled softly, “You've probably never heard of us, but I am a Kitsune, one in the employ of a Dragon whom, incidentally, shall be deciding how you shall repay your debts to us for the lives we lost.”
“W-what, preposterous! Your people failed to see those goods through! It is their fault they were so inept, not mine!” Tsunran sputtered.
Ouira giggled, bringing a hand to hide his mouth, “Do you not realize your situation? We heard the reports from our dead men. You sent them into an ambush of nearly three hundred. They never stood a chance. So, you shall work off your debt to us, or maybe he'll just sell you into the abyss? After all, they pay by the weight of sin in a soul and yours seems quite heavy.”
“No, no, no!” Wailed the ghost before he was banished by a wave of Ouira's hand. Leaning over, Ouira placed a scroll on the corpse, it was sealed with the crest of a Blue Phoenix.
Ouira said to himself, “This family is fortunate. Dragons are always willing to be paid in installments so they won't go bankrupt. And I got to have fun playing a doomsayer. People really do expect the gods to speak through madmen for free, don't they?” Letting his hips sway widely, the Kitsune walked away from the mansion and began humming to himself. He vanished into the shadows after a few steps, his work done.
Turning its head slowly, the prophet looked towards the great mansion behind him. Blue flames ran alone much of the stone and wood. With its free hand, the Prophet produced a curved dagger as he rasped, “Your life.”
“P-please, anything else! My family is in there! I can provide you endless money! Lands! Please!” Sobbed the Lord as a chunk of burning debris blocked the main entrance. A window erupted in glass and flame. In it, a silhouette of a woman flickered across for an instant. Snapping up the dagger, the Lord stared at the edge.
“Swear to me, you will save my family!” The Lord said as he aimed the point at his throat. The prophet suddenly moved in a flurry of motion to drive his palm against the dagger. Driving the weapon into Tsunran's throat, he gurgled in shock. His wide eyes stared at the prophet as his body stilled. Reaching up, the prophet pulled the tattered robe he wore off to reveal a man with dark hair in red clothing. The prophet snapped its fingers and everything about the burning home vanished, the illusion was dispelled.
Reaching under his shirt, the Prophet produced a small gem and held it over the corpse. It blinked several times before a translucent version of the Lord appeared. Floating above his body, Tsunran looked around in bewilderment. Returning the gem to his shirt, the Prophet bowed at the waist saying, “I know it's a bit late but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Ouira, an agent of the Blue Phoenix Mercenary company.”
“W-what is happening? Those mercenaries?” Tsunran stuttered.
“Yes, we dispatched a unit on your behalf and we lost thirty six of our brethren due to your greed,” Ouira said through a soft smile, “As such, I am here to collect our debt from you.”
“T-Then it was you who burned my home?”
Ouira made a wide sweep of his arm towards the undamaged home behind him, “As you can see, your home is quite intact. The flames and everything you saw were illusions. Conjured by myself, of course.” Ouira turned to the side, letting the Lord see four bushy tails extend from his lower back.
“What are you?”
Ouira smiled softly, “You've probably never heard of us, but I am a Kitsune, one in the employ of a Dragon whom, incidentally, shall be deciding how you shall repay your debts to us for the lives we lost.”
“W-what, preposterous! Your people failed to see those goods through! It is their fault they were so inept, not mine!” Tsunran sputtered.
Ouira giggled, bringing a hand to hide his mouth, “Do you not realize your situation? We heard the reports from our dead men. You sent them into an ambush of nearly three hundred. They never stood a chance. So, you shall work off your debt to us, or maybe he'll just sell you into the abyss? After all, they pay by the weight of sin in a soul and yours seems quite heavy.”
“No, no, no!” Wailed the ghost before he was banished by a wave of Ouira's hand. Leaning over, Ouira placed a scroll on the corpse, it was sealed with the crest of a Blue Phoenix.
Ouira said to himself, “This family is fortunate. Dragons are always willing to be paid in installments so they won't go bankrupt. And I got to have fun playing a doomsayer. People really do expect the gods to speak through madmen for free, don't they?” Letting his hips sway widely, the Kitsune walked away from the mansion and began humming to himself. He vanished into the shadows after a few steps, his work done.