Mimi

The others woke up when I stirred, it was early in the morning. Cynthia explained the deals, while I pretended to confirm what happened with Beru. Naturally not remembering anything since I was supposedly drunk last night. I ate breakfast with the three, while Raul waited for me outside. He was eating alone in the dark. I got Cynthia to promise that she would keep track of the coin coming in from the deals. She was allowed to use it as she wanted, even loaning it to her grandfather if needed. She deserved my trust by this point, and I still had quite a bit left over from Oswald's family and my Underground adventures.

After we finished eating, I slipped into the shadows, bringing Raul a little bit of left overs. He thanked me, before going over the plan in detail. Killing a noble of any kind, especially behind the innermost walls, was a big deal. One that typically got the elite guards and heralds involved. Which meant that Raul had to have a very good reason, and evidence to support his revenge. This was going to raise a few eyebrows, and Raul would lose his status as noble, since he should go through the courts. Though it was his revenge, and Richard did say that sometimes it was needed to clear one's head. My goal was to stop him before the actual murder takes place.

Raul clearly didn't sleep last night, as he rambled about everything and how we were to do it. He was tired, but determination kept him going. If nothing else, he wanted to know why his wife had to die. He wanted to entire truth, he couldn't move on until he knew it. That obsession was something I decided to never follow. He was potentially throwing everything away, risking his happiness, just for something lost in the past.

Raul moved into the shadows, while I followed behind him. We made our way to the innermost walls, lingering while we waited for his butler to distract the guards with a wagon of luxury goods moving past them. If nothing else, this was to be clean and efficient. The perfect crime, if all went well. I let Raul rest while my escort filtered out to give me a perfect view of the gate we were to enter. I couldn't take them with me, but I wanted a connection outside in case we needed to flee.

Hours passed, with Raul resting while I kept watch. Finally I nudged him gently, letting him know the wagon was nearby. I gave him a nod, when the wagon entered the shadow of a tall building close by. Raul moved there, entering the wagon's shadow seamlessly. A few minutes passed, and I did the same. The butler came outside while the guards checked the contents of the wagon itself. I followed Raul's lead, to stay away from the light crystals they used to scan the shadows of the wagon.

With that out of the way, we were inside the innermost wall. We stayed inside the wagon's shadow, lingering until we were inside the warehouse where workers unloaded the goods. Most of it was useless perfume, crates of preserved meat, and a couple of cheese wheels. The butler hopped off, walking towards the front to tip the driver for letting him ride into the warehouse. We discreetly moved into his shadow, letting him walk us into the shade of a nearby building.

We popped out, not taking the chance that a shadow user might have noticed us. I couldn't sense any magic nearby, save for the constant runes in all of the houses. The butler smiled warmly, "It is a grand thing to see you again, lady Mimi."

I nodded to him, "Indeed, I do apologize for asking this from both of you. It just doesn't feel right coming through the gates. I stick out like a swollen nose, and I need to make sure nothing has been stolen."

The butler laughed, "Of course, the Manfred family had many homes, and you liquidated all but one. To catch them in the act of ransacking your home, that would be the final blow, would it not?"

I nodded along, with the fabricated reasoning. Raul was paranoid that someone might have seen us, and if the Heralds did use time magic or fortune tellers to divine our path. Then they'd only hear this conversation. "I truly do plan on moving within these walls one day after all. The less enemies I have, the better. I am grateful towards the allies I do have in this moment however."

Raul smiled a little, "It is no issue, since they will likely pay us coin if they find out about this. The less holes the better, for the safety of the other nobles."

I gave a nod, "We should continue sneaking about however. I'm curious if they'll even look twice at my home being cleaned. I mean, I had to hear about this through rumors of all things." Oswald's family did have quite a few different homes, and I kept one of them just in case I needed to get through the innerwall with Richard for some reason. Technically it meant I was a lower noble, since it was owned by me, but the one outside in the orchid was just nicer since it had my Hive.

We walked through the alleys, Raul moving ahead through the shadows. We didn't want to risk being seen, and so we continued after the man. Finally we came upon the house I owned. I chose to keep it, since it was out of the way, where others wouldn't really notice it. A place I could be left alone, despite it being a smaller building. Unfortunately, it appeared that the church, and some nobles wanted to make an enemy out of me. The stairs were caked with filth, rather hurtful graffiti was carved onto the walls or pillars on the front porch. Windows were broken, as it became more clear that the place was ransacked maybe a week or two ago.

I was honestly more upset about the things I stored here, being taken away. That was a few coins I no longer had. The words were easily ignored since they were put there by cowards, but the house itself had been violated. It was supposed to be a backup in the absolute worst case. Very few individuals would have known about this home, which meant Oswald's sister likely arranged all of this with the church from the looks of it.

It truly was a shame, since I had planned on letting them survive. I'll have to pay more attention to the rumors, and have Cynthia move the nobles on our side as needed. These cowards will be dealt with in time.

Raul, The Whispering Shadow

I was shocked by the scene before me, an unthinkable sight right before my own eyes. Since when had the nobles fallen so far? This kind of display was unheard of. I watched lady Mimi approach the sight herself, Avery stopping in shock. "My word..."

I shook my head, listening to the lady's shadow. |"Frustration, annoyance."| I could hear those confused words coming from the darkness under her. It was almost like two voices mixed into one, unsure of how it should act of feel at all times. Lady Mimi was always a complicated one, and her intentions and motives changed as readily as the wind. Looking at her, I could tell she dismissed the outside, and was more concerned about what might be inside.

I turned to Avery, "My friend, I believe we have need of a fresh coat of paint. Perhaps a few cleaning supplies as well?"

Avery nodded quietly, "Of course, master Raul. I shall go acquire the supplies right away. There is quite a bit of work to do here."

I pulled out a few coins, handing them to my dearest friend. "Thank you." I whispered to him, as he smiled back. His shadow whispered his own gratitude at the thanks. Avery never could forget his place, and found happiness in his position. Truly he was a great man.

Lady Mimi walked forward, entering the house without hesitation. I followed behind, listening to echos of the past, when these shadows were born. So many people gathered at once, most of them spouting about how monsters shouldn't be allowed inside the city at all. Others threatening to burn the place down, while a couple of people spoke out over them. The inside was much worse than the outside, the walls smeared with all manner of refuse. Paintings torn from their frames, furniture stolen, or left in tatters. There were a few spots that were burned, but that was probably put out with urine by the zealots.

Truly, even the slums had more standards than our supposed nobles these days. I really shouldn't be surprised, considering they would attack a man's family while he was on a mission. My blood boiled inside my veins, as any love I still had for this kingdom left me. Oddly enough, lady Mimi didn't seem too bothered by this scene. Her shadow still whispered its frustration, but it hadn't grown. She had no intention on taking revenge, at least right now anyway.

All of this just made our alibi stronger, since this kind of mess would take a day to properly clean. I even heard the voice of my prey in the whispers of the shadows. Lady Mimi finally spoke, "This is still similar to your own home, is it not?"

I looked around, the hatred apparent. The pain and grief this might cause a normal person apparent. The place was a hollow shell of the glory it could hold. The neglect... no that wasn't right. The lady's words were sharp, and I knew better than to take them at face value. She usually had some deeper meaning behind them, so I naturally started to reflect on how our homes were similar. I lowered my head, "No, my house is devoid of anything other than grief and hatred."

"Still the foundation is the same, is it not? With that intact, we can rebuild something even better." She always got like this whenever we were alone. Speaking idle words, while focusing on her task. Her shadow whispering no malice, only curiosity at how I might react.

I nodded slowly, "I suppose, but a few things will have to be stripped. Boards need to be replaced, a new coat of paint, and even then some parts have to be scrubbed. If you had the money, I might suggest buying a new house..."

She laughed softly, "Anything worth keeping, requires work put towards it. Besides, this spot will be perfect whenever I get permission to put a hive here."

"Perfect for what exactly? What are your plans when you move here?" I looked her over, as she contemplated telling me.

She came to some conclusion, deciding to indulge me. "This is supposed to be a safehouse of sorts, at least it was meant to be one. Now I'll probably sell it to people I trust. Let the ones that did this, think they won, before finding out the names of my enemies. We should probably put a selling sign out front, so we don't have to do any clean up again."

I thought about the implications, realizing that she came up with a way to keep the house, and protect it without conflict. She would elevate some lucky individual to the status of lord or lady, while keeping her hands clean. The monster nobles might even take a bit pity on her, and find another home in their section. I nodded slowly, "That is a wise decision. Should I ask who you plan on selling it to?"

The lady shrugged, "Cynthia would have been best, but considering the golden church is behind this, I'd say that is asking for trouble. It has to be somebody I can trust completely, while also not raising any brows. On another note, did you know that homunculus bodies are very malleable?"

I blinked at the sudden topic change, but shook my head. "I'm afraid that I did not know that. I just know they are very hard to detect, unless you have someone look for their crystal. I've had to hunt a few individuals that felt such creatures were perfect look alikes. It was annoying to the point I had to make certain I got the right guy."

The lady gently smiled, "Thank you for sharing. Sadly I do not have the means inside of Eclipse itself. Though I might make a homunculus just for this purpose, when I can."

She must have found some tomes or a teacher of some kind. She was curious, and wanted to make her own little work force. There was nothing wrong with that, but nodded slowly. Avery returned a bit later with the supplies. We set to work with Mimi cleaning the inside, while I tended the outside. I had Avery take a few more strolls to bring a couple more things that were suggested. He was getting on in years, so I didn't want him to do anything too taxing.

I listened to the shadows while I worked, keeping my attention focused on not being seen by anyone. If the elites had noticed us, then they should come before night falls to question us. If they do not, then it means we were not noticed, and could proceed with the next phase. Avery returned with food and drink, as well as more supplies now and then. He seemed to enjoy the strolls he was taking, which was a far cry from his months spent trapped in that room with Sarah.

Truly, I owed lady Mimi a profound debt. If she needed someone disposed of, she only needs to utter their name and how. My little girl is alive, and happy. She is safe, and protected. Tonight, I will finally free myself of the past, and live once again. That bastard will suffer for what he did to my family.

The hours passed by, the day fading, and giving way to night. The house itself was clean enough, and freshly painted. We put a few last touches on it, while Avery retired for the night. Not one elite made their way towards us, which meant our plan will more than likely succeed. We moved to the house of the bastard, creeping along the shadows. It was a wonderfully cloudy night, perfect for moving unnoticed. The manor of the noble loomed before us, very few private guards moving about the place.

This manor was that of a decently respected coward, that did not deserve their title as a noble. The fat mass of scum was one of the few that kept other nobles from rising up. He would always do whatever was needed, to drag families down, and topple lower nobles to keep his position safe. The only real difference between this manor and those of the lower nobles, was that it had a walkway for private guards to patrol. It was a display of wealth, since it showed they could just waste coin on such a thing.

We waited for a cloud to creep over the walls, making our way inside the courtyard, then the manor itself. I followed the shadows, listening to their whispers. Naturally there were hardly any guards inside, but there were plenty of maids. We moved slowly, while I listened to their whispers. We had an entire night to spend, there was no need to rush. Death comes on its own time after all.

Minutes turned into hours as we hid along the walls, and moved with the shadows. Lady Mimi silently informed me about the next patch of clouds coming, that we could use to make our escape. We reached the room of the disgusting bastard. Soft music was playing while the fat oaf sat at his desk. Across from him was a smaller shadow, with whispers of fear coming from it. I could hear the oaf's shadow whisper its desire. There was no lust here, only the disgusting satisfaction of forcing another to submit.

The bastard wasn't far now, we just needed the little one to leave. Seconds ticked by, as the fearful shadow was forced to sing. The bastard spinning the handle of a music box. I whispered to the shadows, helping them grow darker under the abuser. We only had to bring him into the shadows, and whisk him away. There were many shadow users, and if anyone looked into the past they would only see the man falling into darkness. This was the pivotal moment of the plan, all we needed was a few more moments.

I crept around the edges of the shadows, leaving the lady's larger form by the threshold. I slid under the desk, unnoticed, whispering more and more to the shadows. Naturally the oaf's attention was focused on the small shadow's song and dance. My attention settled on my task, just a couple more minutes now. Then the bastard got up, walking towards the shadow. Their silhouettes cast onto the wall, as he put a hand on the little one's shoulder.

I still couldn't feel any lust, or whispers of undue desires. Just smug satisfaction from the oath for forcing a lesser to do something they didn't want. The shadows continued to whisper, and I continued to prepare my trap. He just had to sit back down at his desk. Then the unthinkable happened, lady Mimi emerged from the shadows attacking them both.

I immediately moved out, to take the scene in. A stinger in a crimson dark elf child, and the one I was going to kill. She held the bastard by the throat, while muffling the screams of the child between her wings, and lower hands. The life of the child wasn't in danger, as their eyes slowly closed. The shadows screamed, before everything became silent, and still.

I felt lady Mimi attempting to connect with me, while the bastard's eyes closed as well. I allowed it, |"What did you do!?"| I whispered harshly, the plan thrown out completely.

|"From my point of view, it appeared he was about to take advantage of this child. Even young slaves are protected in Eclipse, one of the 'Fuck the Fire Lord' clauses. Specifically written into the law to make Eclipse more 'civilized' than the fire kingdom. Neither of them are dead, only sleeping."|

I glared at her, feeling a deep mix of emotion, that conflicted with each other. I took a slow breath, realizing the target likely sent word to not be disturbed during this. A part of me felt it was just another slave, who would care if the target let their guard down while taking advantage of them? Another part was proud she wouldn't let Sarah or any other child be used to gain an advantage. I steadied myself again, knowing that she was full of surprises. |"Do you have some way to salvage this? If we leave, our chances diminish. They will know who to look for if we kill him next time."|

We had to keep our voices silent, so an outside observer looking on this moment would only see us staring intently at each other. Lady Mimi lowered her head a little, |"Yes, and I have already put it into motion. I will leave with this child, and when I feel you are ready, you may follow."|

I raised a brow, unsure of what she was saying. |"Before you go, why did you do this?"| I gestured at the little dark elf she cradled. The oaf dropping to the floor, |"How many times have you done this?"|

A thoughtful expression crossed features, |"It is both an excuse, and a principle I suppose. I don't like those with power using such to force others into doing things they do not wish to do. Children are just more vulnerable, and sympathetic. No 'good' person bothers asking questions if you move to save a child. I get free bodies, and allies since I can keep the children under my protection. I have maybe a hundred of them strewn in orphanages in the Underground. Specifically ones I control through smaller gangs, and with different individuals."|

My jaw dropped at that, |"A hundred! How are you keeping them fed? When did you have the time?"|

|"I had plenty of time while Richard was licking his wounds after the ball, and then more were freed after I dealt with the Fiend's Eye. Food isn't much of an issue lately. I'm not alone, so I didn't free every individual. I keep them fed and happy, and in time I will have an army of individuals loyal to my Hive. A work force that I will supply, so that I can ensure the safety and protection of everything and everyone important to me."|

I felt goosebumps, upon the realization. There was no compassion in her actions here, merely another body that could work for her as it grows. I felt betrayed, that she would so casually dismiss my revenge for her own benefit. I swallowed hard, looking at the fat beast on the ground before me. He was so defenseless, so easily slain right here. I looked down, |"Promise me, that you'll never use my daughter."| She was more important to me than this.

I felt a warm smile fall on me, as she spoke out loud. "I will let her do what she wants with her life, and provide her the tools for doing such. Just as I will provide you with the tools you need." I was shocked that she started saying these words to me, but she continued. "This bastard, as you call him, is trapped within a room, much like you are. I am breaking down the man's mind, and converting him into an alley."

I blinked, "What?"

She gestured to the person on the ground, as he started to get up with a confused look. "W-what? Where am I?"

"This is his original personality, and you can torture him to your heart's content Raul. You made the right choice in realizing that your selfish revenge was worth less than your daughter's well being. Do whatever you wish, and I will let you out when you are satisfied. Torture him until you find out why he did what he did. Kill him as many times as you need, and do not worry about time, you can spend a hundred years here with only a few seconds passing outside."

The bastard looked at Mimi, "You!? You're the butcher's pet! I haven't done anything to cross you, why are you here with him!?" He pointed at me, as I took in everything she said. The bastard shuddered while I called shadows over my arm, it felt so natural I thought it was real. Then I realized the whispers were gone, this was why they screamed. "Whatever he's paying you, I can double it! No triple it! You don't know who..."

His disgusting blubbering was cut short by my blade piercing into his lungs from behind. I started to cry, because it felt so real. If lady Mimi declared herself a goddess as she walked away, I would have believed her. I could hear the shadows whispering, but every fourth they reminded me this wasn't real.

I made the man suffer for what he did to my wife. I lashed out at him, for every second of misery I had endured because of him. I truly wanted to hurt him, but satisfied myself with the fact that my lady would make him suffer far more than I ever could. If this was her reward for me, then I'd hate to see just what happens to someone that truly earns her ire. I wasn't sure when, but I started laughing.

I tortured the man, finding out every secret he held. I was surprised by the depth of his sins, and who he was allied with. I made him suffer, until I finally found out why he did this to me. The piece of shit I had once considered a friend, had betrayed me because he was afraid of my growth. All the support he gave me in my early days meant nothing, and I would have killed for him before he took my happiness away. Now, this was simply the only way I could cope with the bitterness left behind. This pig left me with so little people I could truly trust, but it wasn't just about me anymore.