The Infinite Bk. 04 Ch. 01

The partying continued long into the evening, and Alexis and Sophia, despite having just finished a year of harsh training at the knight academy, were utterly exhausted when their work shift ended. They were given a room in the corner of the top floor, offering them some manner of isolation from the debauchery happening in the rest of the brothel.

Laying atop their mattress, too tired to get undressed or even extinguish the nearby candle, there was nothing Alexis and Sophia could do but listen to the sounds of fornication. In every room, courtesans moaned, and clients grunted atop creaky beds.

It wasn't just physical exhaustion that plagued them. This day had been an emotional torrent, starting with the knighting ceremony, and leading to arrests and interrogation in the dungeon. Now they were lying together in a brothel, while a girl down the hall loudly described how she was being sodomized with perverse and sickening detail.

Alexis raised her hand and stared at her finger, the finger where her knight ring had sat for just a few hours, before being confiscated, along with her official sword, enchanted bow, her title, and her happiness. Her despair was not lost on Sophia.

"Don't worry, this is only temporary."

"I had it. For one glorious moment, I had it. I was a knight of Uther, a warrior recognized by superiors and trusted to protect this nation and its interests. Then it was immediately taken away. I didn't even get to wear my ring long enough for a mark to form on my finger. And it's all because of Noah."

"It's not that bad. This is something we'll look back on and laugh."

"Sophia, we're working in a brothel. Our neighbor in the next room has a stranger's cock in her mouth. Cyrilo said we wouldn't be working on our backs, but how long can that last? How long will it be until we're expected, pressured, and even forced to whore ourselves to drunk fools? I don't want to be staring at this ceiling, wishing I had never been born while some fat bastard climbs on top of me."

Sophia rolled over and looked at her. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it happen to you, and you won't let it happen to me. Besides, I think we can trust Cyrilo. And if things go wrong, we'll head for the hills. Maybe we'll hide with your family or mine, or maybe we can just start our lives together in the countryside. Maybe instead of knights, we can turn to a life of crime. Alexis and Sophia, the Bandit Queens. They'll tell stories about us."

Alexis gave a tired chuckle. "Why aren't you as angry about this as I am? You can't tell me this is your ideal version of our lives."

"At the moment, it is."

"You can't be serious."

"I mean it. If I was told I would be butchering animals or shoveling sewage, ending every day covered in filth, I would lose my nerve, but if you were right there with me the whole time, it would be paradise. We would spend each day sharing gripes, jokes, gossip, plans, dreams... we would have so much fun. And that's what we'll do here. We're currently working in a brothel, but that doesn't mean we can't make fond memories and funny stories for later."

Alexis gave another laugh. "That's why I love you. Only you could make working in a brothel sound like fun."

Sophia kissed her. "Well, I am a healer. I have to help the mind as well as the body."

Fatigued by the long day, the two women put out the candle and went to bed. Though their situation was not ideal, they could finally sleep side by side. Holding each other tight, not even the moans and cries throughout the building could disturb them.

----------

Fire, it was all around her, and it was all she could see, a ring of flames surrounding her under a black sky. Alexis, lying on the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood. She could barely move, robbed of her strength by pain, and stricken with broken bones and torn flesh. Noah stood over her, his eyes devoid of humanity.

"You brought this on yourself. How could I have been any clearer as to what would happen to those who oppose me?"

"Noah, please, stop," Alexis murmured.

Noah grabbed her by the throat and held her off the ground. "I'm never going to stop. I will keep hurting you until you beg your death, and then I will hurt you even worse. Then I'll leave you alive just enough so you can watch what I do to Sophia. You brought this on yourself when you made me your enemy and got in my way."

"We're supposed to be friends..." she gasped, struggling to breathe.

"You really think I'd consider an insignificant bug like you to be my friend? You're a tool for me to use until you break, and Sophia exists as my plaything until she, too, is no longer useful. You, your lover, your friends, your family, your country, your world, will all suffer simply because I decide so." His grip on her throat tightened. "And your suffering has only just begun."

"Alexis!"

Sophia's voice shook her from her nightmare. She bolted up, swinging at an enemy that wasn't there, and instead finding herself in bed at the Knight's Sheath.

"Alexis, what's wrong?" Sophia asked worriedly, caressing her cheek.

"Just a bad dream," Alexis murmured, gasping for air as though she could still feel fingers around her throat.

"You were saying Noah's name in your sleep. This is because of yesterday, isn't it? We haven't had a chance to talk about what happened. I was told that Noah beat up Seraph and that you were there to watch it. Is it true?"

Alexis sighed and sat up with her. "Noah didn't beat up Seraph; he literally tortured him. It started out as a fight, but Noah wasn't going to let it end like one. He'd beat Seraph half the death, heal him, and do it again, all while saying things that chilled my blood. Even when Seraph couldn't fight back, the pain didn't stop. Finally, Noah took out a plum and told Seraph that if he ate it, it would poison him, and he'd escape further torment by Noah through death.

I watched Seraph drag himself with a broken back and fingers, sobbing, and end his own life. I watched Noah force a man to commit suicide. The plum didn't actually kill him, but that's because Noah wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life. There are times when Noah has disgusted me, horrified me, and infuriated me, but that... that was the first time I actually feared him.

I know it was vengeance for the Knight's Sheath, and I know that Seraph deserved to be punished for everything he's done, but still, I didn't want to believe that Noah was capable of that. What if by befriending Noah, we were just playing with fire? Now we've been burned, and next time, we'll be incinerated."

"Listen to me. Do you know what one of my greatest fears is? Is that if something were to happen to me, you would do the exact same thing he did. I know you had a thousand different plans on how to torture Galvin every time he gave me a bruise. If something were to happen to you, I don't want to know what my anger would drive me to do. Don't be afraid of Noah because he's human enough to want vengeance. Things didn't go how you wanted them to, but that doesn't mean we made a mistake.

Now come on, the sun is up. Let's start the day!"

Alexis smiled as she watched Sophia get dressed. She was like the sun, and her light and warmth had comforted Alexis for as long as she could remember. After getting dressed and eating, they were ready for work. Alexis joined Lucius behind the counter and sighed in relief at the morning's tranquility. There were still countless men sitting at the tables, but they were quiet and listless after the festivities of Knight's Day.

"This tea is delicious," said Alexis, drinking from her cup after pouring for several customers.

"It's a special blend for nursing hangovers."

"And what about this?" Alexis asked as she picked up a box of tea leaves.

"That keeps the girls from getting pregnant; all the brothels use it. It's called Whore's Root. We brew a LOT of that." Alexis sighed, something that Lucius noticed. "Not the life you expected when you got out of the academy, is it?"

Alexis looked out the window. "I should be out there, fighting, making a difference."

"Just doing one doesn't necessarily mean you're doing the other. Believe me, I know."

"Were you in the knighthood?"

"No, but I was a soldier for many years, fighting the country's enemies both within and beyond its borders. I've done good things... and bad things, often while trying to do good things. When you join the military, knight or otherwise, you tell yourself that what you're doing is right because you were ordered to do so, even when it's something you're not proud of. You dig yourself in even deeper and devote yourself to the cause, because you think something will happen that will make it all worth it, that will reveal why all the bad stuff was necessary."

"And does it?"

"It can. Sometimes the work pays off, and you can sleep knowing that lives were made better because you swallowed your conscience. Other times, things go wrong, friends die, innocent blood on your hands, and you have to pray that the gods have some kind of plan in the works, because you realize the men up top don't."

"I'm loyal to Uther, but I didn't join the knighthood to simply follow orders. I did it because I wanted to change things from the inside. I want to improve this country for the people who are dismissed and stepped on."

"And what happens when you're ordered to dismiss and step on people?"

"I guess... I'll have to pray that the gods have a plan in the works, just like you said."

"Well, don't waste your life waiting for the plan to make sense. I did."

As Alexis and Lucius manned the counter, Sophia was with Madam Cyrilo in her study. "What is all this?" she asked, looking over a pile of documents.

"This is a project Noah and I started after the old Knight's Sheath burned down," said Cyrilo, sitting on her desk in feline form. "While working on various tools and instruments of pleasure, he would recite information from his world, and I would write it down to make up for all my lost research. He made sure to reimburse me financially, emotionally, and intellectually."

Sophia smiled. "He and I did the same thing. He taught me so much about medicine and the human body, I was able to develop my own special healing magic."

"Well, that lecture he gave inspired me, and I realized that knowledge is to be shared, not hoarded for one's personal research. I want to compile this information into books, copy them, and sell them to the masses. I understand that you're a healer, meaning you've received training at the church, and one of their practices is copying scripture, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Perfect. Then you have the calligraphy skills I need. Unfortunately, my hand isn't steady enough."

"I don't understand."

Cyrilo then reverted back to her human form, a withered old woman, shocking Sophia.

"What you see is the result of a curse I fell victim to while searching for immortality. I experience a full life cycle each day, but in reverse. I'm a decrepit hag at dawn, and I'm spry as a doe once night falls. As you can imagine, such rapid de-aging can cause certain coordination and dexterity problems."

"I see, so both you and Noah are cursed."

"Ah, so he told you about that?"

"You knew?"

"I learned early on that Noah and Daniel were from another world, but I had no idea Noah's case was so much more... extensive. Days ago, he consulted me and revealed the true nature of his affliction. When he told me how he had been relying on my research to break his curse, I honestly felt sorry for him. I wish I could have helped him, but what he described was far beyond my knowledge."

"But do you think it's possible for him to break his curse?"

"Possible? Certainly. But he's going to have his work cut out for him."

"I just hope I get to see him again. I don't want him to break his curse and disappear without giving me the chance to say goodbye."

"You have a good heart. I'm sure he'll wander back through my doors soon enough. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I want to give you a test." She looked through the paper stack and pulled out a handful of pages. "These are notes pertaining to sexual health, such as what Noah described in his lecture. I want you to write a brochure of this information that we can sell directly to customers here at the Knight's Sheath. Your handwriting must be clear, distinct, and readable. There are also diagrams that I would like you to copy. I've prepared the materials for you."

She was given a quill, a bottle of ink, and a parchment booklet of ten pages. "Yes, Madam, right away."

"Come find me when you're done."

Sophia took the notes and stationery into the parlor, where she could set herself up at the bar next to Alexis.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Knowledge. Sweet, beautiful knowledge," Sophia replied giddily.

She dove into her work with a steaming mug of tea beside her. Her intellectual hunger gave her fast eyes, swallowing up the information, and then with perfect calligraphy, she summarized it onto the parchment. As Cyrilo deduced, Sophia had undergone much training at the church during her childhood, and copying scripture was a common practice. She remembered it as dull, tedious, and unpleasant, but now, she was all smiles.

More than simple knowledge, this came from Noah, making it a priceless treasure for her. It was the same way with her own compiled research. She cherished every page like a prized religious text. She didn't know where Noah was and when or if she would ever get to see him again, but reading through these notes made her feel like he was still with her.

It also helped that the knowledge was deliciously taboo. She had already heard much of it in Noah's lecture and experienced it first-hand, but reading and writing it still reddened her cheeks. Copying the diagrams was even more intense. Even though she was in a brothel, she looked around nervously, afraid of getting caught doing something sinful.

It took a few hours, but she eventually finished the booklet and presented it to Cyrilo. "Oh, this is marvelous, dear, marvelous!"

"Really?"

"It's perfect. Now we can start making more."

"I can probably make another three today."

"That won't be necessary, dear. I have a better method. It's something that Noah and I came up with."

She took out a scroll and unrolled it across her desk, revealing long lines of alchemic formulas, or at least the start. Unfortunately, most of the lines weren't even half-done, several were missing, and the various magic diagrams still awaited drawing.

"What is this?" Sophia asked.

"The idea is to use alchemy to directly copy objects, arranging and shaping the raw materials into perfect duplicates. Noah claimed a similar process existed in his world, called "Three-Dimensional Printing." Imagine your booklet here on one end, and on the other end, a stack of parchment and ink. They're made of the same materials, so all we have to do is find a way to rearrange the matter.

Unfortunately, he departed before we could make any real progress, but he left me plenty of notes and knowledge on the field of study known as "chemistry," and I'm sure we can crack the code together. You helped him with a lot of his alchemy work, correct?" Sophia tried to answer, but all that came out was a squeal of excitement. "I'll take that as a yes."

----------

Over the coming days, Alexis and Sophia settled into the Knight's Sheath and got used to their jobs. Sophia continued working on coalescing all of the knowledge Noah left behind into readable books, and helped Cyrilo develop the alchemic printing technique.

Alexis assisted Lucius with much of his work, from pouring drinks to dealing with rowdy customers and assisting the servant girls in cleaning and other chores. Initially, she had worried that working behind a bar would lead to her getting soft, but the physical requirements of this job reminded her of training at the academy. It was no wonder Lucius needed a helping hand.

However, not everything was going well outside of the brothel. Despite the kingdom's best attempts at concealing Noah's fight with Seraph, the story inevitably got out, with more and more details leaking with every passing day.

Though everyone heard Noah grievously wounded Galvin, it was treated mainly as a rumor, as there were no witnesses. Besides, they were more interested in his public fornication with Duchess Herald. The incident with Seraph was different. Plenty of knights witnessed the prince getting ground into the mud and pushed to madness. They could attest to Noah's cruelty and strength.

Not only that, but Seraph was a real contender for the throne and was recognized for his incredible talent and power. Galvin was simply a bastard prince, the spare of a spare. Seraph was supposed to be a cornerstone for the new age, even if it was Lupin who became king. His horrific and humiliating loss and resulting incapacitation were a heavy blow to the country.

While serving drinks, Alexis would overhear people's conversations, and many of them were frightful. Two of the three princes were good as dead, and the royal bloodline was in jeopardy. Was Prince Lupin next to meet Noah's wrath? This fear and speculation were damaging the economy, riling up the church, and hindering Uther's position on the world stage.

At the same time, Noah's name was growing in infamy. His skill was on par with Valia Zodiac. He had defeated, cucked, blinded, and castrated Prince Galvin. He'd given a sex lecture at the old Knight's Sheath and fucked Duchess Herald on stage at the new one. He'd collected a mountain of severed heads during the Red Revelry, then crushed and tortured Prince Seraph. All these events came together to make him someone who invoked awe, respect, and terror.

At a young age, he had accrued more recognition than most gold-ranked knights. He'd even received a nickname from his words spoken while fighting Seraph. On wanted posters, he was referred to as the Wandering Spirit.

At the Knight's Sheath, he was being spun as a hero. The guilty parties in the original brothel's razing had been revealed, and Noah's actions were understood as well-earned vengeance. Daniel, as the Bard of Rock, decided to make lemonade.

"And as the sun came on down,

All the revelers gathered around,

They gnashed their teeth and stomped the ground,

For the king's ransom had been found.

A hundred coins of solid gold,

That was the bounty they were told,

For the treasure, their lives were sold,

Now in the ground, they lay cold.

The man with whom the duchess laid,

On this stage, with toys they played,

Her son's debt was lewdly paid,

Birthing a memory that would never fade.

With swords and knives, they entered the city,

Ready to get down into the nitty-gritty,

They expected pure simplicity,

Unaware they'd receive no pity.

Under cover of darkness, deep in the night,

They circled Noah, ready to fight,

Like hungry rats about to bite,

And he put them down with all his might.

Noah cut their throats with sharpened steel,

Ending their lives so they could no longer feel,

Coming here, their fates were sealed,

Feeding the soil a bloody meal.

A hundred lives were painted red,

A hundred wives, waiting in bed,

A hundred decaps' is what he said,

It was the night of a hundred heads."

Up on stage, he sang his tale to a nonexistent crowd. It was the slow part of the day, the perfect time for trying new and forgotten songs. Down below him sat Lucius, listening and nodding with his arms crossed.

"So that's what I got so far. What do you think?"

"Well, the bones are there, but you should add more detail. I think... it also needs one repeating line that people will hum to themselves all day."

"Ooh, yeah, that's a good idea."