#Mahdriva
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Ghost in the Ashes chapter 25 & epilogue
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Chapter 25
Someday, she knew, she would stop being a Ghost nightfighter.
But not quite yet.
Chapter 25 summary: Following everything, Caina goes home and sleeps for two days. When she wakes up, Corvalis brings her breakfast. He first tells her that everybody is still alive because of her. Well, the named characters, at any rate. Caina tells him about what the keeper asked her about Corvalis. He tells her that he was a tool first for the kindred, and now for Halfdan. His loyalties lie with Caina now, and he'd never betray her. He also tells her that the coffee house is getting repaired. That Tanzir has finished with his negotiations, and was successful with them. And that Mahdriva had her son.
Later, they meet up with Tanzir, and then they go to see Mahdriva and the baby. She says that she named her son Sonyar, after Caina's latest cover, Sonya. Because if it wasn't for her, then none of them would be there. Muravin expresses that he needs to find work to support his daughter and grandson, and Caina says that Halfdan will get them settled somewhere.
As she leaves the foundry with Corvalis, Caina thinks about her future. She thinks about how she's going to reject Jadriga's attempts at further help, and she wants to become a circlemaster to help countless others.
Epilogue
And make the gods themselves pay for their cruelties.
Epilogue summary: Tanzir returns to his home-country, where he has his mother arrested for conspiring to kill him, and for hiring assassins.
Then, we jump over to Jadriga. She's come to the destroyed house where the alchemist battle went down. She's also found a new play-thing, and hopes to put a spirit of somebody else inside of the girl's body. Sicarion shows up and gives Jadriga the rest of the phoenix ashes Caina had gathered, that were left behind. Seems as though Jadriga has use for them...
#Ghosts series#Ghost in the Ashes#Chapter 25#epilogue#Caina#Corvalis Aberon#Tanzir#Mahdriva#Jadriga#Sicarion
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 17 & 18
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Chapter 17
“I’m always careful,” said Caina.
But that was a lie, and they both knew it.
Chapter 17 summary: They go storm the tavern where all of the Kindred and the other band of assassins have been hanging out. And it's honestly getting to the point where these chapter-long fight scenes are so fucking tedious. Just get to the point already.
Anyway, they corner the one guy, who admits that the alchemist Sinan paid to capture three pregnant sisters for that alchemy potion Tanzir mentioned earlier. That it requires the ashes of three unborn babies from sisters. Normally, people just find slaves who are sisters, and ensure that they're pregnant at the same time, but not this guy. He did this... basically because reasons.
However, once the fighting is over, Caina discovers a letter from Sinan asking both bands of assassins to meet in the tavern that night. However, after reading this, they're like “Shit, Mahdriva!” The tavern was nothing more than a cheap distraction so that Sinan could get to Mahdriva.
Chapter 18
Caina stepped into the mirror, and gray mist filled the world.
Chapter 18 summary: They run back to the manor, only to find an odd mist surrounding it, and all of the guards asleep. Seems as though they've filled the area with a sleeping spell. Only Caina is immune with her shadow-cloak that dispels magic.
She goes inside where she overhears Sinan and Tanzir arguing over how Sinan has spent guards in through a mirror and none of them have returned. Obviously Mahdriva is there, bound and gagged.
An immortal catches Caina as she's creeping around, and drags her before Sinan. He brags about what he's been doing, and says that the last ingredient is basically phoenix ashes. That he keeps sending people through a portal to the netherworld he's turned the mirror into, but none have returned. He then has the brilliant idea that he's going to send Caina, since she's obviously a lot smarter than any of the guards. Caina refuses, naturally. But then Sinan starts hurting all of the guards nearby, and threatens to kill Tanzir, too. Caina agrees, and Sinan gives her a flask that'll allow her to carry the ashes back. He also warns that the mind can shape the world over there, and she'll be “attacked” by her memories made real.
#Ghosts series#Ghost in the Ashes#chapter 17#chapter 18#Caina#Corvalis Aberon#Mahdriva#HEADDESKING#Tanzir
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 15 & 16
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Chapter 15
“Then,” said Corvalis, “let’s get started.”
They walked back to the townhouse.
Chapter 15 summary: Caina and Corvalis follow the compass to a super seedy party of town, and to a tavern. The two of them pretend to be brothers who were recently let go of a guarding job, and are looking for work. While Corvalis talks shop with the bartender, Caina looks around and spots more of those assassins with the bola. Honestly, they shouldn't just openly carry their signature weapons like that.
She then makes an excuse of needing to “take a piss”, and slips upstairs, where she hones in on the guy who made the compass. She overhears several of them talking about how the orders are to take the woman and unborn child, but it needs to be fast because Mahdriva could give birth at any time now. None of them asked questions as to why the guy wants these unborn children, and none of them want that answer anyway.
Caina goes back downstairs, where she collects Corvalis. Outside, she tells him what she overheard, and how they can strike to rid the city of these folk quickly.
Chapter 16
But they would stop the Kindred and the Bostaji tonight, one way or another.
Chapter 16 summary: They meet up with Halfdan, who agrees that they need to strike that night. He says that they'll alert the local military force, to have the area surrounded.
As Caina is walking along the halls, she randomly thinks about how Corvalis almost died last night. She knows that this life is going to kill her sooner or later, but now she's thinking about other people. She thinks that she'd like to marry Corvalis and move with him to the country somewhere.
Then she realizes that she's been standing and contemplating Corvalis's mortality, so she hurries on to Mahdriva. The girl is upset with everything that's happened, and continues to mourn for her slain husband and sisters.
Muravin asks Caina that she's moving against the Kindred that night, and asks to be there to help with that. Caina says no, that his daughter needs him more. He reluctantly agrees, and then jokes that since he'll be a ghost, that he'd better get used to taking orders from her and the others.
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 13 & 14
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Chapter 13
At once several mercenaries pointed their crossbows in her direction.
“Nalazar of the Kindred!” she roared in Istarish, using the disguised, rasping tone she employed while wearing her shadow-cloak. “I know what you seek!”
Nalazar scowled and raised his hand, and the mercenaries lowered their crossbows. Caina let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully this would buy enough time for Halfdan and Shaizid to get everyone into the secret tunnel.
“Oh? Is that so?” said Nalazar in Istarish. “And just what do I seek, hmm? Perhaps I simply want a cup of coffee.”
People who want coffee normally just go inside a buy coffee. They don't bring mercenaries and start shooting through all of the windows.
Caina nodded, tucked the compass into her belt pouch, and followed the others into the catacombs’ gloom.
Chapter 13 summary: Later, Caina and Corvalis get ready to go out to try and track down the latest band of assassins. This is 100% skipped over, and we rejoin them as they come back to the cafe. Just as they're reporting about their lack of success to Halfdan, Shaizid comes in to say that the cafe is surrounded by people with weapons. They start to fire in through the windows, and Caina briefly says that she thinks that they tracked them because of Muravin. But Halfdan says that they can lay blame when this is over.
Caina goes out onto a balcony to try and talk to them. They don't want to talk, and only just fire at her. As she's running back inside, she thinks of how much it'll cost to replace the broken windows and the door that they hacked through. She and Corvalis get away using smoke bombs, but are forced to fight in the kitchen. Again, Caina thinks about how long it'll take to clean all of that up.
They retreat through a hidden door in the kitchen, and things seem to be okay for them to get everybody to safety. (It's not just father, daughter, and moronic lord, but also the people who work in the cafe, too.) But then the door falls, and they're forced to fight. Tanzir takes an arrow, but after the fighting is over, Caina is quick to tell him that Mahdriva is handling this better than he is, and that he'll live.
They press on, because there's nothing left to do.
Chapter 14
Caina nodded, and she and Corvalis left the mansion to begin the hunt.
Chapter 14 summary: They manage to get out from the tunnels, and head to where Tanzir was supposed to have been staying. At the door, the ghost contact warns that Sinan pushed his way in, and they thought it was best to just let Halfdan deal with it.
Inside, Halfdan orders the cafe employees to tend to the wounded in the other room. Sinan comes in, and he's like “Lord Tanzir! I'm glad that you are safe!” Tanzir calls Sinan out on his shit, but Sinan is quick with excuses. Caina then bluffs that she's a magi, and she'll curse him or something, and then he leaves.
After he's gone, she pulls a compass she found on the bodies of one of the would-be assassins at the cafe. It's a strange thing, and is pointing towards the south. She follows it, and the thing is targeted to only point to Mahdriva, which they find weird.
Caina and Corvalis go home for the night. In the morning, Caina gets up and examines the compass further. Of course she knows where Mahdriva is hiding right then, but she feels a tingling sensation when she holds the compass and faces another direction. She and Corvalis go to meet Halfdan, and Caina says she thinks that she can use the compass to track the person who created it. And obviously take them down and free Mahdriva from this terror.
#Ghosts series#Ghost in the Ashes#chapter 13#chapter 14#Caina#Halfdan#Shaizid#Corvalis Aberon#Mahdriva
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 7 & 8
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Chapter 7
“Very well,” said Caina. “Come along, then. You’re going to have to dress for a banquet."
Chapter 7 summary: Later that day, Caina goes to the coffee shop to see how the guests are doing. Mahdriva is trying to keep her spirits up by knitting a blanket for the baby. Shaizid reports that Tanya and a doctor visited, as Caina asked. The baby is due any time now.
Muravin takes her into another room, where he expresses that he knows that she's killed somebody recently. Caina grees, and gets to the heart of the matter. She asks what he knows about that alchemist, Ibrahmus Sinan. Muravis says that he's on friendly terms with the man, who is from the same country that he and his daughter fled from. He wants to go talk to the man, to see if he knows anything about who sent the kindred after him, but Caina reminds him of how dangerous it could be.
Muravin then changes tactics, and asks to accompany Caina to this welcome feast for the visitors that night. Caina is surprised, but agrees when he proposes that she disguise him and he could be her guard. It seems like he's still trying to talk to Sinan, but whatever.
Chapter 8
But no Bostaji showed themselves for the rest of the night.
Chapter 8 summary: They go to the party to welcome the others into the city. Halfdan stops for a moment to talk to the guard at the door, who is an undercover ghost. Inside, they mingle for a moment before the emperor gets up to address the audience. Then the visiting lord gets up, and Caina wonders if he's going to trip walking down the stage stairs. His speech is awkward and fumbling.
After that, Sinan comes over to them and asks if Corvalis is the owner of the coffee shop. He then pointedly says that Lord Tanzir would like to visit, and it would be a great shame and dishonor if Tanzir was murdered in the shop. Which is such a weird thing to say, but whatever. There's a brief moment where Sinan almost recognizes Muravis, but Caina says that he's a former slave, who had his tongue cut out. He's useful at keeping secrets.
Then, Tanzir comes over, and expresses how eager he is for coffee. Corvalis mentions some of the bookshops near the coffee shop, and Tanzir gets even more excited at that. Corvalis offers to have Caina show him around to them, since she's more into books than he is. And this works out, so that Caina has an excuse to keep close to him all day. However, Tanzir can't stop staring at Caina's plunging neckline, and she's like “Ew.”
As they continue to mingle, they see a servant who is carrying another bola on his belt. Which seems fucking stupid, but whatever. Caina pretends to be over-tired, and uses that as an excuse to get away with Muravis. The two of them overtake the would-be assassin and kill him before they slip back to the party.
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 21 & 22
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Chapter 21
She heard herself laughing, and could not make herself stop.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes. Quick.”
Chapter 21 summary: With Jadriga by her side, the spirits leave Caina alone. They go until they reach the big house where the phoenix is, where Jadriga cannot enter.
Caina goes in alone, where she comes face to face with herself. However, the thing is quick to introduce itself as “Keeper”, and says that it has to use metaphors in order to talk to humans, since their minds are so simple. She then gives Caina three tasks.
The first is that she literally fights Caina. The fight ends when Caina drops a chandelier on her head. The entire thing is so stupid easy even Caina is surprised by it. The second is that Caina has to walk down a hallway to another room, but all of the side rooms are full of either her memories (her father) or what might happen (getting married to Corvalis and having his baby). But she resists, and when she gets to the end, she notices a pile of bones. The keeper says that they are the people who didn't resist, who got stuck in their memories and literally wasted away.
The third and final test is that the keeper pointedly asks Caina if Corvalis did something to betray her or the ghosts, could Caina kill him? Caina barely thinks about it, but eventually says yes.
She then goes to collect the ashes, and leaves. Jadriga is gone, and so are all of the spirits. But as Caina runs towards the mirror exit back to the real world, she's set upon by more spirits. She makes it through unscathed, where Sinan is surprised to see her.
Chapter 22
Caina snatched a throwing knife from her belt and drew back her arm, ready to fling it at Sinan.
And as she did, the skylights overhead exploded.
Chapter 22 summary: The immortals grab Caina and take the phoenix ash from her. Caina then basically calls Sinan a chicken-shit coward who can't do anything for himself, and he's going to botch the immortality elixir. But she pushes him too far, and he shoots lightning at her chest. When she comes to, she's in a world of pain, but still alive. Sinan tells the immortals to kill her if she tries to escape or to help Mahdriva or Tanzir escape.
Caina goes over to them, where she contemplates throwing a knife to kill Sinan. He gloats and says that Caina brought back so much ash that he can make the elixir for centuries to come. He turns to slice Mahdriva's baby out from her belly, and Caina throws a knife at him... just as somebody bursts in through the skylights.
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 11 & 12
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Chapter 11
Caina whirled and saw an Immortal step towards them, the blue light from the depths of the skull helm painting the smoke with an eerie glow.
“You!” said Tanzir. “Assist us! The Bostaji are attempting to kill…” The Immortal raised his scimitar and advanced at Tanzir, and Caina
remembered Halfdan’s warning about the Alchemists. Tanzir stumbled back in terror, his boot coming down on the hem of his ornamented robe, and that alone saved him. The emir stumbled, and the Immortal’s scimitar blurred through the air his head had occupied an instant earlier.
CURSE YOUR SUDDEN YET INEVITABLE BETRAYAL!
(I really need a meme for this...)
“I do not understand,” said Tanzir. “We are following an opera singer?”
“An opera singer?” said Theodosia, not looking back. “My lord emir, I shall have you know that I am the leading lady of the Grand Imperial Opera, and that I have sung before the Emperor himself upon multiple occasions.”
“Er…yes,” said Tanzir, “but…but I appealed to the Ghosts for help! For protection! Now I am skulking through the darkness with an opera singer…”
“Leading lady,” said Theodosia, stopping before a door.
“And a coffee merchant and his mistress!” said Tanzir. “Do the Ghosts have nothing better to offer?”
“Not really, no,” said Corvalis with a laugh.
“We’ve kept you alive so far,” said Caina. “You can go back and take your chances with the Immortals…or you can come with us. If you come with us, you might die, yes. But if you go back, you will certainly die. So. Which shall it be?”
This guy isn't very bright, is he?
“Get up, my lord emir,” said Caina. “You’re going to need to disappear for a few days.”
Chapter 11 summary: Caina and Corvalis are forced to fight. However, Tanzir is quick to realize that he can't trust anybody, not even the people who had come with him under the guise of being his guards.
Caina takes them up onto the stage, where she cuts a rope that opens up the trap-door, and they fall onto the pillows below. Theodosia finds them, and leads them to a secret wall; all the time, Tanzir is confused over why these seemingly random people are helping him. Caina and Corvalis trek with Tanzir through the city's catacombs, while Theodosia remains behind to deal with the alerted military men to put out the “fire”.
Chapter 12
And the Bostaji had proven themselves to be clever.
“We had better get started,” said Caina.
Chapter 12 summary: They naturally take Tanzir to the coffee shop. While Corvalis and Shaizid go to get some space ready for him, Tanzir tells Caina a little about his own background. It's pretty sad, all things considered. He doesn't say as much, but it was probably abusive. Anyway, he asks about Caina's alter-ego of the Balarigar, and asks if she killed his brother. Caina agrees, and Tanzir is happy when she says that the brother's dead was not a good one.
They talk him down to the safehouse, where he agrees to leave Mahdriva to her peace. He mentions something about an alchemical elixir, but Caina makes him back up and talk about that. He says that in order to become a “master alchemist”, one must make an elixir; it's the thing that makes them live for a really, really long time. It's difficult to make and full of rare ingredients, and apparently sometimes turns the drinker into a literal monster. But once they successfully make and consume this elixir, then they're considered a master. He doesn't know any more info, since they keep it close to the chest.
Halfdan had shown up at this point, and promises that he'll have the local lord spread the rumor that in the commotion, Tanzir hit his head and needs to convalesce. But Halfdan says that it'll buy them a week of peace at the max before people start to get suspicious, so they'd better start trying to track down where those Bostaji are hiding.
#Ghosts series#Ghost in the Ashes#chapter 11#chapter 12#Tanzir#Caina#HEADDESKING#Theodosia (Ghosts)#you are stupid and you deserve to get eaten by zombies#Corvalis Aberon#Halfdan#Shaizid
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 3 & 4
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Chapter 3
“Corvalis, wait here. Caina, please come with me. I think it is the time we got to the bottom of this little mystery.”
Chapter 3 summary: They take the father and pregnant daughter to Ark's foundry, which is well-guarded, considering Ark's true occupation. Inside, Ark isn't exactly happy to see them, given the hour, but invites them in anyway. Caina gives him the short version of events. Tanya fusses over the heavily pregnant Mahdriva, and quickly takes her and her father into the other room to get some food and rest. Once they're alone, Caina gives Ark the full story of what happened. Ark says that since Halfdan will be there in a few hours, the two of them might as well rest there, so Caina and Corvalis fall asleep quickly.
Later, Halfdan shows up, with news over the discovered bodies. Caina tells him what happened. But she goes on to say that she thinks that Mahdriva is pregnant with some lord's bastard child, which might explain why they're so eager to get rid of her... But not why the immortals were sent in to kill one pregnant slave. (This is only just her theory without knowing more info.)
They start talking politics and war, and it's pretty tedious. But Halfdan eventually brings up the coffee shop Caina was going to start at the end of the previous book. It's apparently doing insanely well, if only because there isn't anything like that in their own country. But some lord is coming to the city, and he'll probably visit the coffee shop, which will give them plenty of access to listen to his conversations.
But that's later. For now, they need answers from the two guests, so Halfdan and Caina go to wake up the father.
Chapter 4
“Necromancy,” said Caina at once. “The blood of an unborn child can be used to empower a potent spell. One the Alchemists must have hired the Kindred.”
I feel like there's much easier ways to get unborn children that don't involve chasing pregnant women across multiple cities.
It's mainly just the chasing them down that's bugging me. Like if the only thing they wanted was a pregnant woman, I'm sure there are plenty of them elsewhere.
“Does it have enough room for Mahdriva and Muravin?” said Caina.
Halfdan nodded.
“Then we had better go,” said Caina.
Chapter 4 summary: Caina and Halfdan go further into the foundry's apartments, where they briefly meet Tanya's and Ark's 3 month old baby, Natasha. They continue on into the room where they'd put Muravin for the night, who wakes up as soon as they come in.
He tells them some of his own backstory, which is that he was a slave, who gained honor in the gladiator ring after being freed. He was able to get husbands for all three of his daughters. His wife had passed some time ago. But the night before, his two daughters, their husbands, and their living children were slain, and the babies sliced from their bellies. The only reason why Mahdriva survived was because she was visiting her father, although the Kindred killed her husband. They fled to the city, but were chased down anyway.
Halfdan and Caina go back to the others, and discuss theories. Caina throws out that it's possible that somebody wanted the unborn blood for some kind of sick magic, and they also throw out there that it's weird that they would have gone after three sisters who were pregnant at the same time. They can't rule it out, even if it is kind of out there.
Halfdan goes on to say that it's dangerous to leave the two of them there, so they'll hide the two of them in his merchant's cart, and take them to another safe-house.
#Ghosts series#Ghost in the Ashes#chapter 03#chapter 04#Ark (Ghosts)#Caina#Mahdriva#Corvalis Aberon#Halfdan#do you even know how the world works?#HEADDESKING
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Ghost in the Ashes chapters 1 & 2
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Chapter 1
Caina left the courtyard and headed for the Inn of the Broken Wheel, Corvalis and Mahdriva following.
Chapter 1 summary: The book opens with Caina being awoken by the sound of a distant scream. Corvalis tells her that he didn't hear anything, but that he'll ask the household staff. (They are, as usual, in deep cover, and seem to be awaiting word from Halfdan/Basil.)
However, as Caina stares out the balcony window, she sees a man pretending to be drunk, but his glowing, blue eyes give him away. Caina and Corvalis put on their shadowcloaks, and go to see what's happening. They find a couple of Kindred assassins and a pregnant slave.
They fight and kill the assassins, and Caina has to calm down the pregnant woman, who is hysterical. Corvalis doesn't speak her language, so it's up to Caina to communicate. Caina takes a chance and reveals that she's also a woman, so that the woman would trust her.
She introduces herself as Mahdriva, and says that they killed her sisters. She doesn't know why they want her. She goes on to say that they were hiding at a nearby in, and her father is still there; she's positive that he's still alive. Caina promises to go look for her father, and relays all of this to Corvalis.
Chapter 2
Muravin’s black eyes glittered. “That I understand. Lead on.”
Chapter 2 summary: Since time could be an important factor here, they have no choice but to take Mahdriva to the inn. They find signs of a fight outside, and bodies inside. Caina is surprised that one of the dead is an immortal, and Mahdriva brags that her father is the best fighter in their homeland.
They follow signs of a fight out the other side of the inn, to the street. There, Caina sits Mahdriva down so that she doesn't have to witness what's to come, because it would be even more upsetting than simply coming across her father's corpse.
Caina and Corvalis jump into a fight between a man and two Kindred. The man thanks them, and Caina asks if his daughter is the pregnant Mahdriva. He agrees, and they take him to be reunited with her.
Then, Caina and Corvalis discuss where to hide them for a moment, and decide upon Arc's foundry. Caina knows that Arc is a ghost, so he couldn't possibly be that upset upon midnight guests.
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