{"id":87,"date":"2017-09-22T13:47:44","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T13:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=87"},"modified":"2017-09-22T13:47:44","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T13:47:44","slug":"nineteen-evil-and-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/22\/nineteen-evil-and-escape\/","title":{"rendered":"Nineteen: Evil and Escape"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cFor people who know about this thing\u2014\u201d the Diamond Raven warned. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor people to know about it is truth! \u00a0Is all of us who rotted for the Tzar laid to rest! \u00a0Is everything that went wrong put better!\u201d \u00a0The deserter was foaming at the mouth. \u00a0Raizel took a step back. \u00a0He only spoke louder. \u00a0\u201cThis is the thing that makes it all better! \u00a0Do you understand? \u00a0This is the truth that I deserted for!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut what <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> it?\u201d Raizel asked for the third time. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is a spell so dark your eyes cannot comprehend it. \u00a0It is a spell so nasty that your mind will shy from it. \u00a0It says that the Tzar who won the Seventh War did so with the darkest of magics. \u00a0It says that he bled his own people\u2019s souls to do so, and did so knowingly. \u00a0It may shake the foundations of your world. \u00a0It may change everything. \u00a0It may change nothing, save that people will know exactly how far their Tzars will go to hold on to this Empire<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Raizel shuddered. \u00a0To either side of her, the deserter and the Diamond Raven twitched and shuddered as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2026\u201d asked the Diamond Raven carefull, \u201cWas that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the spectre that gave me three questions in return for destroying something for it.\u201d \u00a0Raizel couldn\u2019t help but feel a little smug. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d \u00a0She bowed to the deserter. \u00a0\u201cI can\u2019t. \u00a0I can\u2019t post this for you, I can\u2019t let people know. \u00a0It\u2019s too dark. \u00a0It could hurt too many people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to! \u00a0I gave up everything for this!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be someone else.\u201d \u00a0She felt bad. \u00a0\u201cThere will. \u00a0But I can\u2019t – I can\u2019t risk what\u2019s going to happen. \u00a0Besides, we really have to get to to the train station.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I?\u201d \u00a0The Diamond Raven looked, she thought, nauseous. <\/span><\/p>\n

She shouldn\u2019t have agreed without knowing what he wanted to <\/span>may<\/span><\/i>, but the echoed shudder of the spectre\u2019s voice in her mind was making her twitch. \u00a0\u201cSure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He put his hand on the deserter\u2019s forehead, just above the big D brand, and murmured a couple quiet words. \u00a0The deserter fell to the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you-\u201d \u00a0She stared at the crumpled man, horrified.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s sleeping. \u00a0I know, <\/span>no rest for the deserter,<\/span><\/i> but he\u2019s been carrying that burden a long time. \u00a0Let\u2019s go before the curse wakes him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel started walking at a quick clip, having no problem with that idea. \u00a0\u201cDo you think I should have taken it? \u00a0Posted it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. \u00a0No, oh, that didn\u2019t last long, here.\u201d \u00a0He grabbed a gate door and ushered her inside. \u00a0\u201cNo. \u00a0I don\u2019t think you could have touched it without taint.\u201d \u00a0He shut the door and ran his hands in a complicated gesture over it. \u201cNow shh, wander through this garden and breathe it in. Think about the flowers, look, this one could be pretty behind your ear. Here.\u201d \u00a0He plucked a flower, an orange one with streaks of red and yellow, and slid it behind Raizel\u2019s ear. \u00a0\u201cThere you go. \u00a0Smell this fruit. \u00a0It can be used as a spell component in a long, complicate spell, and it can also be used to make a very nice juice. \u00a0There, and this one-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His voice was completely different than normal as he explained various plants to Raizel, meandering with her down the paved paths of this little garden. \u00a0It was made to seem much bigger than it was, she realized, by the use of screening plants, curving paths, and random wide spaces to let in sunlight. \u00a0It was quite clever, if done almost entirely for show. She tried not to gawk. \u00a0She didn\u2019t want the Diamond Raven to think she was some sort of – well, some sort of mountain person. \u00a0She found herself smiling, almost laughing at herself. \u00a0\u201cAnd this one?\u201d \u00a0She brushed her fingers over a midnight-hued blossom. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat one will take your fingers off if you touch it again, missy.\u201d \u00a0The voice came from directly behind them. \u00a0\u201cAnd what are you doing here in the garden of the Mayor?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mayor\u2026!\u201d \u00a0Raizel glared at the Raven. \u00a0He shrugged apologetically and they both turned around slowly, carefully. \u00a0Gardeners\u2019 tools could be deadly to more than just weeds. <\/span><\/p>\n

The gardener – Raizel assumed it was a gardener – standing before them was wielding a rake but did not, for all that, look all that threatening. \u00a0She was a short woman, coming up to Raizel\u2019s chin, and although she had a fierce glare, it did not look like an accustomed expression for her. \u00a0Three of her pockets were wriggling, which just added to her strangeness.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFor people who know about this thing\u2014\u201d the Diamond Raven warned. \u201cFor people to know about it is truth! \u00a0Is all of us who rotted for the Tzar laid to rest! \u00a0Is everything that went wrong put better!\u201d \u00a0The deserter was foaming at the mouth. \u00a0Raizel took a step back. \u00a0He only spoke louder. \u00a0\u201cThis… Continue reading Nineteen: Evil and Escape<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest Nineteen: Evil and Escape\r\n\ud83c\udfe1\r\nRaizel just keeps getting deeper into this\u2026\r\n\ud83c\udfe1\r\n#freefiction #amwriting","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-1p","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":82,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/06\/eighteen-treason-and-heresy\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":0},"title":"Eighteen: Treason and Heresy","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"September 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNo!!\u201d The deserter shook his head, more as if to clear a bug from his ear than to negate a thought. \u201cNot for me. \u00a0\u2018No aid for deserters,\u2019 I know so well. \u00a0Do it for the nation, then.\u201d \u00a0He pulled a tattered old piece of paper from an inner pocket.\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/06\/eighteen-treason-and-heresy\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":1},"title":"Twenty-Two: Lost and Found","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWhy her?\u201d The Diamond Raven shifted so he was standing almost between Raizel and the Left Hand. \u00a0\u201cWhy this stranger on the street?\u201d \u201cBecause she\u2019s not a stranger, is she? \u00a0She\u2019s the one that everyone\u2019s been muttering about. \u00a0She\u2019s got you, which is interesting in and of itself. \u00a0She\u2019s made\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/08\/three-the-black-missive\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":2},"title":"Three: The Black Missive","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The walk to the strange man\u2019s cave was only an hour because of the rolling limp that affected his walk, and, it seemed, his speech patterns. \u00a0He would go up and down, up and down with his tales as they walked, telling Raizel all about the Empire\u2019s plans to read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/06\/chapter-2-taking-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":3},"title":"Two: Taking Off","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Raizel walked down the hill, past the Hoanian house, waving at Younger Hoanian, who was outside with a weaving loom taking advantage of the sun and air. \u00a0She walked past the Ferruna house, where Madam Ferruna waved at her and reminded her to hurry, hurry: Amos Farruna had started the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":72,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/08\/22\/sixteen-the-arrow-pulled\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":4},"title":"Sixteen: the Arrow Pulled","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"August 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Tzarin and his people wanted to leave slow and late the next day, so Raizel and the Diamond\u00a0Raven left them behind, not without some relief. The Raven was quiet as they walked, which suited Raizel. \u00a0It was early, the sun was low and rising lazily, and she wanted to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/25\/eleven-the-diamond-raven\/","url_meta":{"origin":87,"position":5},"title":"Eleven: The Diamond Raven","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Esteronzerai was the biggest town Raizel had been in yet, and it was where the carriage\u2019s route diverged from Raizel\u2019s, whether or not she had been stopping to lasso a wizard. \u00a0She bowed to the driver and, her grandfather\u2019s words in her mind, tipped him, although she had not been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}