Ghee Buttersnaps: Sins of the Saints

Pain. Dreadful, stinging, aching pain.

That was my reintroduction to the world of the living. I didn't know how long I was out for. The smoke from Coniston was vaguely visible on the horizon.

Did Requesta bother to bury any of my family?

Did she bury my father? Surely she gave ritualistic rites to my mother. They were rather close.

And here I was. Shackles adorning my ankles and wrists. At the mercy and whim of my aunt. An aunt who arrived in time to watch me kill my dad's sister, my brother's wife, my mom's brother, and however many consorts and retainers they had brought to execute me.

Though she had also struck down my grandfather under the guise of grabbing for power. Had I created the elements for her to grab power?

"Ghee? Are you okay?" I heard. I glanced in the direction of the voice, only slightly recognizing the individual, though the throbbing in my head refused to identify them. "Ghee?"

"Here I thought I'd get some rest." I grumbled, before realizing I'd spoken out loud.

"It's me, Sibrand." He said, as if that gave me the slightest indication as to who he was. He was a QianHe. Though he was not like Buzz. He wasn't like the other prisoner that was sitting in the cart. He had scales. Draconic scales.

"I thought I told everyone to skip town." I groaned.

"Y-You did. I heard the massive eruption from the town, I decided to head back and see if you'd won."

"That was stupid."

"I suppose I had faith in your abilities."

"You weren't incorrect in your faith." I muttered. "I did defeat the Buttersnaps host."

"But yet we're captured."

"By the Saints." I grunted.

"T-The Sheriff... what happened to him?"

"Shot down by arrows. Dagger stuck in his back."

"Damn." Sibrand grunted. I glanced at him for a moment.

"You're Sol's husband, right?"

"Yes! You recognize me."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I demanded, glaring daggers at him. "They're going to kill you."

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"Wrong place at the wrong time, young man." A woman muttered. I shot a glance at her. She was wearing plate armor. It was banged up, dented, scratched and scathed. "So, what was this about defeating a host?"

"She just got done defending a town."

"Must've not done too good of a job." The woman muttered.

"Only one of the townsfolk died." I replied with a shrug. "Well, besides this idiot. And the town is destroyed."

"Sounds like a terrible job, then."

"It could've been worse." I replied. "What about yourself?"

"Tried to keep my vows as a knight, defend a helpless group of citizens of the realm. Of course the QianHe aren't exactly considered citizens of the realm by our captors."

"Not by the saints." I agreed.

"So, you think we're off to be executed?"

"I don't know." I replied, I glanced towards the front of the carriage. "My captor said she'd be waiting to speak with me at Bridewell."

"Bridewell Citadel." The woman murmured. "Damn."

"Is that place bad?" Sibrand asked.

"It's a fortress." I replied. "Impossible to get out of."

"Not just that, it's in the middle of nowhere. It has a garrison of Saints. It hosts quite a few Buttersnaps aligned hunters. Has official decree to have imperial soldiers there too." The knight grumbled. "If they're not going to execute us, you can be damn well sure they're going to keep us there for quite a while."

"S-So what is the plan to avoid that?" Sibrand asked, looking at me. I narrowed my eyes for a moment. Plan? What did he think, I could perform miracles? Nothing short of divine intervention could get us out of that place.

"Athar, what is the plan?" I asked, hushing my voice as I looked up towards the smog-filled sky. "Of course. No reply."

"It's going to have to be on us to get out of this one, miss." The knight muttered.

"Ghee." I replied.

"Huh?"

"The name is Ghee."

"Ser Stephanie Zenith."

"I'm Sibrand."

"Do you have a plan?" I asked, staring at her.

"Not precisely. I was hoping the resident Huntress had something."

"How did you know she was..." Sibrand started, I glared at him.

"Buttersnaps armor. Has all the insignias."

"Ghee. On the hill." I heard my shackles rattle as the chain demon's voice came into being. I glanced over my shoulder, staring at a woman standing in the tree line.

"Looks like me may be executed after all." Ser Zenith murmured, following my gaze.

"Who is that?" Sibrand asked.

"Doesn't matter." I muttered, I blinked and the woman vanished.