Penitent

Chapter 240 Book 4 Ch 21: Stragglers

After he was done healing brands and speaking with the other Takers for some time, Michael went to find Shreve. He knocked on the door to the diplomats quarters and was let in by one of Captain Ramsay's men. A half dozen of them had been assigned to protect the ambassador while Michael and the others were off gathering the takers. Michael thanked the sailor and walked toward the parlor where he found Shreve in the midst of tea with Viscountess Nyda.

When they noticed him they both stood and bowed.

"Count Mann," said Shreve.

Michael frowned. "I'm going to have to get used to that."

Countess Nyda chuckled. "It's probably best that you don't. A bit of awkwardness around your power is more suitable for a holy man, I think." She curtsied to him, then Shreve. "I think I'll take my leave. I look forward to continuing our discussion in the morning."

With that she walked out gracefully.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Shreve shook his head and gestured to the now empty chair across from him. "Don't trouble yourself over it. We actually weren't having a discussion of any import at all. Probably the most worthless discussion I've had since we got here."

"Sounds incredibly pleasant."

"By all of your gods, it absolutely was," said Shreve with a tired smile. "But, what can I do for you? Last I heard Ollie should be arriving sometime tomorrow with the last group of takers."

Michael knew that. Ollie was now close enough that he could sense him with his Eyes of Love.

"I just wanted to know how things were looking logistically? And if we've gotten any messages from Hume," his rest had given him enough energy to worry over Gabriel again.

"Once Ollie arrives and you heal the takers and their brands we can start sending ships over, starting with the Pride of Hume which will have you, Ollie, Marcus, and Pyotr as well as several of the diviners promised to us and a handful of the takers. Alongside us will be several merchant ships that will be compensated for moving people rather than cargo back to Hume. We should be able to get everyone except for the volunteer knights and a few of the diviners that they owe us. I presume it's Bayle dragging his feet on them as he underestimated their value here."

"And any news from Hume itself?"

"Rift activity is increasing again in the south near the old capital. It's being contained, but growing every day. Scouts that reached the ruins of the Old Capital itself say there is a rift that seems to have enveloped all of it, though they saw nothing actually emerging from it."

Michael nodded. He'd been sensing the new rifts as they appeared, but luckily they were being closed very quickly, not giving the Empire of Chitin the time it needed to build up a standing army again. The way things were progressing it would be all or nothing once the major rift itself opened.

Michael frowned.

Shreve frowned over his teacup. "If there's something specific you want to know? It may be best if you simply ask."

"You're right. I was wondering if you'd heard anything regarding Hume trying to mediate the coming conflict between Burndan and Swandia?"

He nodded. "Yes. It seems very foolish on the surface. Burndan is an unstoppable Juggernaut and Swandia has been weakened by rift activity for months. If it was Marlo's father I'd assume that this was all just a way to play pretend that Hume is what it once was, but as it's him I imagine there must be some other benefit. An opportunity to court Burndan as an ally perhaps?" he shook his head. "I must confess sometimes the young King's plans are a bit beyond me."

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"Has the mediation been agreed to?"

"Last I heard the indications were that it was being looked at favorably by all sides… Can I ask why you're interested?"

"I will be one of the people sent to the mediation…To make sure everything stays peaceful."

"Ah. Well you don't have to worry about making it there. You should be in Hume by the end of the week."

Michael let out a sigh of relief and said a brief thanks to the gods. He'd been worried the time he'd taken to personally make sure that the Stent takers arrived back safely would've pushed back his plans to meet Gabriel, but it seemed that things had lined up in his favor. That was good, he'd been due for a bit of luck.

Michael drank some tea and managed some light conversation with Shreve before he returned to the building with the takers. The atmosphere was still lively, but dimmed a bit as he entered. The group was mostly women, since they were far more likely to survive their roles than the men sent to the front were. Michael went to tell Pyotr and Marcus what he'd heard from Shreve. Once that was done he spent the rest of the afternoon telling everyone about the gods or explaining his own situation and story. It drew a pretty substantial crowd, and every time someone said that something that happened was unbelievable Pyotr and Marcus would chime in that they thought Michael was just being modest.

The next day Ollie arrived with the majority of the takers that had been at the front. Michael rode to meet them outside the city walls. They looked tired and wary. Michael went to Ollie first and they shared a brief embrace.

"You did good," said Michael looking over the group of armed and armored men.

"Was there ever a doubt?" asked Ollie with a smile.

"There's the man that saved my hand," said Ogun from amidst the group, pushing his way through to Michael.

"Ogun!" he said as they clasped hands. "I had hoped you were alive."

"How could you doubt?" He said offended. "You know I never once doubted that you were alive somewhere." He shook his head. "The disrespect."

Michael laughed. "I apologize. I should never have even considered it a possibility."

"Exactly!" He wrapped an arm around Michael and drew him in close. "You know, I am a little cautious about getting onto a white man's boat given how that's gone historically. Are you sure these people in Hume will be better to us?"

"I am."

He patted Michael's back. "That is all I needed to hear."

"I told you the same thing," said Ollie, offended.

"Ah, but with you I cannot tell when you are joking or serious. Michael is not funny."

"...I'm funny."

Ogun held out a hand and wiggled it a bit while making an, "ehhh," sound.

"Anyway," said Ogun, turning around and pushing his hair off his neck to reveal his brand. "Get rid of this damned thing will you?"

Michael shook his head. "I want to wait until we're in the capital with the others. The group I was with was ambushed outside the walls and I don't want to be exposed out here longer than we need to be."

"Bah! Fine!" He said, shaking his head. "Let's get moving."

Michael nodded and looked out at the others in the group. Most were unfamiliar to him, but he saw maybe three or four faces from his time at the Academy. That was slim considering how many there'd been at the start.

They moved toward the walls and were let inside. There was no fanfare, as it was a bad idea to draw too much attention to themselves. Unfortunately enough locals figured out what they were based on the marks on their armor and hurled abuse at them, or even spat in their direction. Michael kept a low-level barrier up around all of them to block bits of trash that were thrown. When they made it to the building where the other takers were quartered the group was incredibly tense. Once they opened the doors and went inside where they heard people speaking myriad Earth languages though, the tension among them seemed to fade away.

Michael sighed. "They thought they were being led to slaughter."

Ollie nodded. "Yeah. I did what I could to reassure them, but they never stopped thinking they were fucked. Can't blame them."

Michael nodded. "I can't either."

Ollie was quiet for a few moments. "You know this isn't good enough right?" he asked. "Just freeing the other takers I mean. What some of these people have been through. I thought we had it bad."

"You're right, but this is the best we can do for now… Once the world's no longer ending, then we can come back and bring the gods' judgement."

Ollie nodded.

"Alright!" yelled Michael, just loud enough to get everyone's attention. "Those who still have their brands please line up in front of me. I'll heal them, as well as anything else that needs healing." He began to channel divine energy into his hand, bringing forth the golden glow of the divine.