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And another day over. I must say, not my best. In fact, one of the worst but even so, I’m still happy of that day! After all, I’m not dead, we find the real murder and it was not Cynv! ... Well, technically she did kill Sortor, but It was earned! Therefor no murder properly speaking... Anyway, I’m glade this nightmare is all finally over. I and Cynv are finally on the road to Abastram Port, money in our pocket ready for the next adventure! I still had to give a visit to the well after all, but I may go with her to her village. I’m in no rush after all, but maybe I should ask her first before making a plan like that... I do that tomorrow! Now I want to write this day on my book. It’s an interesting one after all, not my most shinny, but important nonetheless.

The day started like any other day since the argument between Sortor and Cynv. Me on the couch in the basement, “watching” Cynv that was locked in her room will the other where ... somewhere upstairs. Don’t really know where everyone were at that point, everyone was stressed about everyone, so there were a lot of moving place in the last few days.
Consequently, that morning was the best one for us, as it was our last day in the manor with the other. As Sorda said that we were leaving as soon as the temperature will allow it and today, it was a beautiful sunny day. For us, it was clear that today was the day. We were finally free from the rest of the group, and I was going to get paid, maybe getting a share for Cynv too. The best part of any contract. The pay!
Will Cynv was going to get the other, I took the time to gather my things and prepare them for the long journey we had to make to the port of Abastram. I tied my sleeping bag to my travelling backpack and filled it with all my belongings that were lying around the basement... That what happen when you stay in the same place for too long, you start to treat it like home and put all your stuff everywhere... Anyway, I decide to take Irla's (†) makeshift sled with us in our journey. Kinda don’t care if the other wants it or not. She builds it for me, so I’m keeping it. The other can do what they want, I just want my gold and finally leave this place. But to get back to the sledge, I later put supplies of water, food and wood on the sled, leaving some for the other of course. I don't like them, but I don’t want them to die either...

When I had finally finished preparing everything well. I wanted to check on my own what the other were doing. Cynv was supposed to tell the other we were leaving but since she went to see. I haven't seen her and neither Sorda, who I thought would be preparing his departure just like me, I decide to check by myself how everyone was doing. I started with the living room, but there were only Sorda still in his sleeping bag and Serenna stuff still in her corner. I was about to leave and let him sleep when I smell something strange in the air. Something ... Metallic, yet unique. A smell that I sadly know too well. The smell of fresh blood... I still shiver as I write it, this smell. I hate it so much... consequently, I already news what I was going to find. But I had to see to be sure. So I got close, like really close. The smell was worse, sickening even. His face was emotionless. Eye close and all, it really looks like he was sleeping, but when I open is sleeping bag, that when I saw the horror. The blood, it was blood and a lot of it. In fact, there were so much blood in it that it pour out like an open bottle, making a little puddle of it around Sorda when I open his sleeping bag. I did get a little sick when I saw it, as the body wasn’t in a good state. He’s corps was filled with a small hole. Like he was stabbed a hundred time with something like an ice pick and that’s when it hit me. It didn’t take long to understand that magic was involved in this and that when all the dot finally connect in my head. It was the work of the bracer, Sorda did have a golden bracer with a sapphire on it. I didn’t connect the dot earlier, but now it’s clear. He as stole it and wear that cursed thing which as make him crazy just like the Lady of the house. Cursed item are never a toy! He should have known that! But never mind. He used the ability to change the weather to kill Irlen, maybe trying to charge the damn thing. It then tries to do the same thing with Cynv, but he couldn’t succeed, so now he as taken is madness Sorda and killed him with multiple ray of frost. A spell easy to learn, especially for a magic welder like him, another sacrifice to the cold or to the bracer. For me, that was the last straw. It needed to stop, and it needed to stop right now, so I did the stupidest thing I could have ever done in this situation! I went straight to him and confronted him about it! After all, the brightest thing to say to a murder is that you know everything about what he as done. That he is a heartless murderer and that he is going to pay for the life is as take. Yes Vix, do that. It a sooo well thought plan, it’s going to go sooo well! ... So that what I did and surprise surprise! It didn’t go well at ALL! ... In true, he didn’t bother to answer, to lie or whatever. All he did was a little smirk as he quickly threw one of those stupid ice picks at me, which went directly into my right shoulder, passing my cloth and chain-mail like it was nothing. Goodness those things hurt, and there are so cold! It's likes having ice directly in you... Which is not to fare from the truth... To continue my good idea, I didn’t have my weapon out when I spoke to him, so I shove him to create a space between me and him, also to give me some time to draw my sword, but even if it did give me some time to get out my own weapon it also gives him another good shot that hit my leg... This one did hurt, but I think the one in my shoulder was worse as it was my good shoulder, but anyway. I could finally strike him, and struck him I did! With all my might! But even on the ground, I was not able to hit him. Some field of force surrounds him. Blocking my attack like I just struck a big rock, but once again, this let him get a third shot on me, that pierce my chain mail and plunge directly in my pectoral, making it much harder to handle and struck with my sword. Wounded and out of idea, I retreat further to catch my breath, but he took this moment to get up on the stair and built himself a small fortress of ice that was practically impenetrable from my point of view. At this point, I didn’t know what I could do. He was practically untouchable, his only weakness being his back. There were nothing I could do. Every time I was in the open, he would shoot me with is ice pick. If I was to get to close enough to struck, he would simply move the ice to block me. After my third try to get a good hit on him without success, I was about to call it a quit. After all, I was wounded, he was well fortified, and I was getting tired of running and dodging around. It was not a fight I could win, but just after my last try, when I was about to let him win, I heard Cynv's voice echoing loudly behind him.

Hey, you flea bag! Remember me? I’m here to collect my dept!

I think we were both surprised as we both turn our attention to the top of the steps, where Cynv was holding a large sword tightly in her hand, her fangs showing in a wide carnivorous smile, that show a mixture of satisfaction and hatred. But for Sortor, she was nothing more than another contestant in a battle. A contestant that had the advantage of surprise as she leaps towards him, raising her sword above her head to strike him down with all her might! Which was a good plan... At first, until he moved one of his icy wall to protect him from her, causing her weapon to unfortunately get stuck in the ice as she strikes it. With Cynv still hanging on, his hind claws sliding against the ice as she tried to get up the icy wall. He had played well, I must give him that. Cynv could not reach him, but that plan as a weakness. Sortor move a piece of ice that was initially blocking me from attacking him. But at his moment, I had a clear line and I took It! I took the opportunity to jump over the lowest part of the ice wall and strike him with my sword, which pass his magical protection and make a deep cut on his back. The blow made him let out a long scream of pain, taking his bloody shoulder in one hand to shoot a final spike that hit me in my lower abdomen, making me recoil and inevitably slide on the wall of ice, falling back on the ground... That one, this wound, was the worst. I don’t know why it hurt so bad, but it did. My vision was starting to fade a bit. I was falling dizzy and weak but worse of all. I was now very vulnerable. No protection, no hiding place, and in no position to run. It didn’t take long for Sorda to notice it. As I was... trying to get up, he shoots me with one is spike. I was able to block it with my sword, but the weight of it was starting to be too much for me, so the impact rip it off my hand. He then shoots me a ray, and an another... and another... I don’t exactly know how many or where they land on me, Every part of my body was hurting at that point. It was so painful, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t defend myself. He wanted to finish the job... And, there were nothing I could have done about it, if it wasn’t that in the heat of the fight he had forgotten an important element that cost him dearly. Cynv had manage to dislodge her weapon from its ice prison and climb the small wall that had initially blocked her attack. Once again, she was in a good posture over him and decide to leap once again toward him, let out a very loud and powerful scream as she does so, which make Sortor turn around just in time to receive this powerful blow that lodged itself directly in the ferret's shoulder, nearly cutting it off clean. He let out a long, gruesome scream of pain as he fell to the ground, putting his hand on the blade that was now stuck in his unusable shoulder. But for Cynv, it was far from over. As I was laying on the ground, she then put a foot on Sortor's body, keeping him pinned in place as she yanked the blade out, letting a gush of blood flow from the ferret's fatal wound... True be told. The fight could have ended there. After all, this wound was fatal. Even in my weakest stat I could see it, there were no doubt about it, but I think Cynv didn't find it satisfactory enough to simply leave him to die in this way. She wanted revenge, so which Sortor still on the ground, she gently bent his head in the opposit direction of her.

That what happen when you try to kill me!

As Sortor held his shattered shoulder, clenching his fangs to help with the pain that must have been barely bearable, she raised her two-handed blade for one last time, letting a final scream as she delivered a powerful final blow that strike directly in his neck... The blade just… Went true, cutting it deep. So deep in fact that she had to keep his head again the floor to remove the blade from it... It was gruesome to see and a bit sickening, but I can’t argue that It was effective. After that, he emitted only a few very small wet sounds, as an abundance of blood went down the stairs. It didn't take him long to die afterward. Only a few seconds and that was it for him, his eyes empty of life and his victims were finally avenged... Even if the job is done, I don’t feel well about it, I would have preferred if all of this could have been more peaceful but something blood call for blood. There were nothing I could do to stop it… At least, it’s finally over.

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See you in the abyss, you dirty bastard!

Said the vixen before walking away from Sortor's mutilated corpse, finally going to Vix who was still at the bottom of the stairs, his back against the ground as he was slowly catching up his breath.

You have no idea how much I was looking forward to kill that bastard.

Reaching the fox, she dropped Sortor's old bag on the floor close to him. She quickly rummaged through it, then pulled out a red potion to handed it to Vix

Drink up, you need it.

Recognize the concoction, he gave a weak smile.

... Thank you... Cynv… For your help...

He left his arm, but it falls back on the ground as he let a wince of pain. Breathing quickly. Seeing that he was in no shape to drink it, she lifts his head a bid, and hold the bottle to help him drink the potion slowly. Sip after sip, the ice spikes melted very fast, leaving wounds that, a few seconds later, closed as well. Leaving as the only trace of battle, he clothes full of holes and drying blood on his fur. Once the potion was done, he was totally healed, but the fox look still weak.

No need to thank me, I had to. You saved me after all. I just wanted to repay my debt to you, that’s all.

She put her hand on his shoulder before finally getting up. Putting the bag back on her shoulders

Now that you're healed, let’s go finish getting ready. We're leaving this place in half an hour, I don't want to stay another minute in this cursed place

He slowly got up. His head still spinning for a few second before he was finally able to get back on his feet. In the meantime, Cynvia have already left for the upper floor, stepping over Sortor's body as she went. At the top, she went to the left and disappeared from Vix's view, but one could still hear the sound of drawers being opened again and again and some metallic objects clashing again each other.

Not in a state or desire to do think its own way, the fox listened to what Cynvia said and went back down to the basement to put on warmer clothes and also putting the rest of the food and wood on the sledge. Pulling it forward so that it was in position for their departure. Ready to leave, he finally went back inside to warn Cynvia that he was ready to go. At that moment, he saw her lifted Sorda's body, dropping him to the ground just before she stowed a large purse in her bag.

What were you doing here?

Collecting our money

Our money? That's a lot more than was in my contract.

Sure, but there aren't many people around to collect it now, and we did a heck more of what was required. Something like that deserve a bonus, don't you think?

He smiles a little

That's a good point. Did you fill up on... Tradable goods?

Cynv chuckles as she shakes the bag hanging on her shoulder. The sound of metal banging together was coming out of it.

Perfect, also, you didn’t take the gold bracer on... his body, did you?

You mean the cursed bracer on Sortor body? Oh, course not! Don’t even want to touch this kind of crap!

Good, I've already filled the sled with all the food and wood I was able to get, it's waiting at the front of the manor. You can put the Sorda’s bag... I mean, your bag and we can leave.

Should we set the manor on fire?

Vix squints, a little uncertain.

Why would we do that?

To cover our tracks, of course

Nobody knows we were here. I wasn't part of the original group, and I picked you up on the way. We should be okay.

She shrugs her shoulders, obviously indifferent to his answer.

As you wish, Vix. Come on, let's go

The two of them finally leave the manor after spending an interminable day there. The sun was finally out, no trace of storm or wind.

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