Chapter 99: Defer a Consequence
Straight from the seventh-mile drill yard, Encrid returned to the training ground where he usually practiced.
The moment he was away from the crowd, he began removing the armour.
Sweat had soaked through his clothes beneath the oversized plates, and by the time he pulled the breastplate free, it was running down his sides. He removed the straw cushions one by one, untied the cords, and finally took out the object he had deliberately hidden among them.
The Pillow of the Sleeping God.
Encrid held it up and looked at the ugly thing for a moment.
"It would be difficult to use you again anytime soon."
He set it down beside him.
The pillow was a Divine Artifact that had once belonged to the Sleeping God.
According to the story, the Sleeping God had created it using all his power for one very particular reason: he wanted to sleep without worry. The Martial God had apparently come knocking on his door several times to challenge him to a duel, and the Sleeping God had no interest in getting out of bed to deal with it.
Encrid had always thought the story sounded ridiculous.
But the artifact itself was not.
The Pillow of the Sleeping God possessed only one ability.
It could defer a consequence.
It did not matter what kind of consequence the user was facing. The pillow did not judge the danger, distinguish between physical and otherwise, or decide whether the consequence was reasonable.
It simply made the user temporarily exempt from it.
A sword could cut Encrid, and the consequence of that cut could be deferred.
He could fall from a tower and be crushed when he reached the ground, and that consequence could be deferred as well.
Broken bones, burns, poison, blood loss, mutilation, even death itself could theoretically be placed beyond the present moment.
But the pillow did not erase anything.
That was the first condition.
Whatever consequence had been deferred had to be experienced eventually.
There was no time limit on when that happened. The consequence could remain deferred for a day, a month, or perhaps much longer.
That sounded almost like immortality until one considered the second condition.
The pillow could hold only one deferred consequence at a time.
Once a consequence had been deferred, the pillow could not be used again until that consequence had been experienced.
That was the limitation Encrid had been most concerned about from the beginning.
It was also the reason he had spent so much time testing the artifact before taking Ysolde’s strike.
He had not made himself immune to her attack.
He had simply postponed the result.
And now the result was waiting for him.
Encrid glanced down at his chest.
He could still remember the moment her sword had come toward him.
The pressure of her aura.
The killing intent.
The red blade of power that had been capable of cutting him in half.
Even now, remembering it sent a chill through him.
He had known, intellectually, that Ysolde Marr was far stronger than him.
Standing in front of her had been something else entirely.
He had survived because of the pillow.
Nothing more.
If he wanted to use the artifact again, he first had to endure whatever consequence he had deferred from that strike.
Encrid picked up the pillow once more.
"Well," he murmured, "I don’t think I can take that attack anytime soon."
He was not even sure when he would be able to.
The thought was unpleasant enough that he decided not to dwell on it.
For now, the pillow had done exactly what he needed it to do.
He placed it carefully to one side.
"Thank you, Sleeping God."
Then he reached for the wooden sword resting against the wall.
Whatever had happened at the seventh mile drill yard, there was nothing he could do about it now.
The deferred strike could wait.
His training could not.
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Encrid had just finished his training when he saw Rael waiting outside his quarters.
He was returning with Gus, both of them carrying the remnants of the evening’s training with them. Encrid’s shirt was damp with sweat beneath his coat, while Gus had his practice sword tucked beneath one arm and was still rubbing at one of his shoulders.
Rael was sitting on the low stone ledge opposite the door.
He stood when they approached.
Encrid stopped a few paces away.
"I did not expect to find the forest hunter waiting outside my quarters."
Rael gave him a tired look.
"I have been called worse."
"I am sure you have."
Encrid unlocked the door.
"Come in."
Rael took a step forward, but Encrid paused a second after.
He looked down at himself, then at Rael.
"...I have just finished training."
Rael stared at him.
"I can tell."
Encrid frowned.
"Is it that obvious?"
"You smell like you fought the Wall for four days."
"I suppose that is one way to put it."
"You should wash."
"I was planning to."
"I mean before inviting people inside."
Encrid considered that.
"That would have been more sensible."
Rael almost smiled.
Encrid opened the door wider.
"Come in anyway."
Rael shook his head and followed them inside.
"Gus, could you bring us something to eat? Enough for three."
Gus nodded and disappeared down the corridor.
Encrid removed his coat and hung it beside the door before sitting down at the small table. Rael took the chair opposite him.
For a moment neither said anything.
Then Rael said.
"I found out about the roster."
Encrid looked at him.
"Which roster?"
"My people."
Rael leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.
"Sixty-three names. All of them entered into the Quartermastery records. Food has been going to them for the past several days. Regular allocations. Enough for everyone under my care."
Encrid nodded.
"I see."
"And there is no charge."
"Must be great then."
Rael studied him.
He had expected an explanation. Perhaps a demand. Maybe even some reminder that nothing on the Wall came without a price. Instead, Encrid simply sat there as though they were discussing an ordinary entry in a ledger.
Rael still couldn’t tell what the man was thinking.
Even after making it clear that he knew about the roster, the food, and who had arranged it, Encrid said nothing.
Finally, Rael asked directly,
"Why?"
Encrid looked at him.
"Why would you help them?"
✦ ✦ ✦