The two faces stared at me, tied against the chairs. After their initial outburst, I remained silent. The wife was crying, and the husband’s angry, expletive words showed they were still being too emotional for this situation.

  “Jhan-Koor-Astrani… Atla-sa-tea?”

  The couple immediately went quiet, swallowing and trying to compose themselves. I shook my head at the pair and waved them off. They watched with confusion as I turned my back on them to look at Laertes and Wizex.

  “Of course, Harvester,” Wizex immediately stated. “I do fear the cups here are of very, very low quality. May I ask – “

  “Kasa-Fa-Din. Okan-Lart.”

  Wizex paused, and bowed deeply. He turned to Laertes. “Find our Mistress some bones. I’ll make… Chamomile. I believe everyone needs to relax.”

  I nodded approvingly at Wizex, who grinned. I was glad he didn’t feel the need to ask me what type of tea I preferred. I hoped he would realize soon enough I did trust him. He began to get to work.

  “Chamomile? What?” the wife finally asked.

  I turned to face the two. “I am here to perform an audit. I can not perform it if you two are not thinking rationally. And… between you and I, you had called me ‘The Enemy’. That is not I.”

  My face was concealed underneath the veil, and as my words left my lips, they split into the two tones.

  I must have sounded monstrous. The couple shivered each time I talked, and silent sobs still came from the eight children bound on the floor. I regarded them again for a moment, and figured I’d deal with this later.

  Right now, I have work to do.

  “If you subject yourself to my audit, we will both leave here accomplished. If you refuse, only I and my companions will leave. If you make this harder or… insult me again, only I will leave. Do I make myself clear?” I turned my head to Wizex at the last threat, who pulled out one of his rusted daggers and stabbed the wall.

  Wizex really knew how to drive my point for me.

  “Yes!” the wife immediately shouted, and turned to her husband. “Xaiver, just apologize for spitting on it!”

  Wizex immediately sneered. “Aye? Tha’ an insult too, Missus?” His hand immediately shot up to cover his mouth, but I shook my head. I motioned for him to lower his hands.

  “Astra, Ka-Vat.”

  “Got it. Gotta say, love when the missus lets me be.” he responded, leaning against the wall. I couldn’t help but give a quick laugh.

  “Janati Elora-ki Ma?”

  “Askin’ if I want my ol’ ball and chain to be Death’s Daughter Herse–”

  “DEATH’S DAUGHTER?” the wife immediately shouted, and pushed against her husband. “Honey! Apologize! Now!”

  His mouth opened up and he tried to speak. No words came out. I clicked my tongue and just approached. They both shirked back, pushing themselves as far as they could go into their wooden chairs. They trembled, bodies shaking.

  “You are forgiven. Think nothing of it. I too do not like audits, but it is a necessary part of life. I do humbly request you not spit at me again though. However, I am impartial to your choice of wordage. It, she, Harvester, Auditor… all fine.” I said, and put my hand atop of the man’s skull. I softly caressed his head, and he began to weep!

  It had the opposite effect of what I was intending to do. Strange, I even offered them forgiveness and simple terms.

  The water boiled, and Laertes returned with… several dead rabbits. He had been gone for less than five minutes.

  “Hrta-manka mange. Ovit larna-til fin.”

  Laertes’ face was unreadable besides the passive fury. He nodded though. “I obey, Harvester.” He then turned to Wizex. “I… do not know how to cook.”

  “Aight. Serve the tea ‘en. I’ll whip up somethin’ the longlegs like.” Wizex immediately responded. He handed the kettle to Laertes. Wizex quickly degloved the rabbits and tore the meat from flesh. He pushed the bones towards me, and I looked at the knives he was using.

  “Rot, Astra.”

  “Rot, Missus?” Wizex said, pulling up the grimey, rusted blades dripping with fresh blood.

  I groaned, and looked at the first rabbit. The long legs were enough as I broke it free from the body and simply weaved it into two ghost-steel daggers. I guided the daggers to his hands, as he eagerly took hold.

  “Kam-Le, voot. Ji-ta-paar”

  Wizex stared at the dirty daggers, and put them in his inventory. Fine, as long as he wasn’t carving meat with that. We would get sick. He just left the meat of the first rabbit alone, and began to carve out the next ones proper.

  I weaved the remaining bones into several cups, and Laertes came and poured tea into each of them.

  “Serve them first, my dear child. Oh, how rude of me.” I turned around to face the children. “Would any of you care for some tea and something to eat?”

  The children did not respond, still staring dumbly ahead. When I had children, I would have to teach them proper manners!

  I shook it off, and returned my gaze to the couple. Laertes’ hand unbound their hands at this point to give them the cup. They held onto it for dear life, bodies still trembling.

  Laertes then gave me a cup of tea, and I nodded. “Thank you, my dear child.”

  “I serve, Harvester.”

  “Just say you’re welcome.”

  “...You’re welcome, Harvester?”

  “I appreciate it.”

  I raised the chamomile tea to my lips and slid it underneath the veil. It was hot and warm, and the herbal taste really did come off as flowers.

  I passively observed them. Their hearts were racing, and their minds were filled with fear. But I had learned this from Noel. Anxiety and fear gave way to boredom, and eventually, the meal would cook.

  Whatever thoughts they had before would be replaced with… ‘let’s get on with this’.

  Noel did it for me, and it was very comforting. They needed the help for what I needed from them.

  30 minutes later, and I had finished three cups of tea. Wizex had added potatoes and carrots to the stew he was making. The husband and wife finished one, and their heart rates were finally calm. Laertes was allowed outside, having gotten bored of doing nothing.

  So I instructed him to keep the tribe busy and this area clear.

  The husband finally said, “Okay… Ms… Death’s Daughter – “

  “– You may call me Ms. – “ I began.

  “No they may not, missus.” Wizex corrected. “It is Harvester, Death’s Daughter, or some sign of reverence. Auditor?”

  I turned to Wizex, who watched me. I nodded. “Anata.” I turned my gaze back to the couple. “Auditor. I am performing a function.”

  The husband trembled, and then swallowed. “Okay… Ms… Auditor. What do you want?”

  I nodded and put my tea cup on the ground. “I am here to perform an Audit.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “With all due respect, Lady Auditor… you already said that. What does that mean?!” the wife squeaked out.

  “Oh.” I stood up. “I need to remove the excess from the fields. I can see both of your hearts racing again, so, I would highly recommend you take a deep breath, hold it to four, then release. I am a do–” I stopped myself there. I didn’t continue.

  The couple stared at me, but did not do as I asked. I shrugged.

  “So be it. I will be culling half of you. However! Please, do not cry,” I immediately said, but it was too late.

  The wife broke down into tears, with deep, heavy sobs. The husband glared at me, and wrapped his arms around his wife.

  “I will be paying you for your investment. Think of it like... a return on investment,” I quickly said, which caused Wizex to look at me.

  “Missus?”

  “Yes?”

  “Payin’?”

  “Oh. Right. Wizex. I’ll need some gold from your tribe. I’ll need… 500 gold pieces. 100 per head.”

  “Is this some kind of joke, you daft bit-” the husband began, but the wife immediately cupped his mouth.

  “Begging your pardon, Lady Harvester! He means no offense, we’ll listen! Please!” She immediately tried to bargain.

  I raised my hand and shook it off. “No offense taken. I too do not like discussing taxes. It is a necessary evil.”

  Wizex snorted. “Same price as a mule… I’ll get your gold, harvester.” He let the cauldron boil, before walking out.

  The two sobbed, and I took another sip of tea. “Whenever you’re ready. Recall the outcomes, if you would. If you do not wish to participate, I will cull you all. I think that is a vast overcorrection. So, with all due respect, I will need a decision.”

  The two began to talk to each other, frantically screaming and whispering and turning intelligent talk into noisy squealing. There was too much crying, arguing, and whispered discussions. Finally, the husband raised his hand up.

  “Ms. Harvester, would you give my wife and I some time to discuss?”

  I looked at my empty tea cup, and then the empty kettle. “You may do so. I will return in 15 minutes.”

  “Thank you! Thank you! I promise, we won't run or do anything to insult you…” the wife tried to plead. I raised my hand to silence her.

  “I am aware you would not. Besides, I can see your heart beat. Where do you think you’d go? Please take care of the cauldron, It would not do for your meal to ruin.”

  I stepped out, and looked at Wizex collecting coins from the goblins. Laertes had approached the flaming boat, staring at it with fascination.

  Wizex came towards me. “The gold, as you requested, Missus. The group in there didn’ insult you nothin’ did they?”

  “No. They are discussing the audit.”

  “I was under the impression you were to kill them all, Lady Ha—Harvester.” Wizex corrected.

  “I was too. What game is this?” Laertes stated, approaching us.

  “No game. I do not need to cull an entire herd to manage the cycle. While I was taught in slugs and weeds, it is a balancing of the ledger. I do not need to make one side zero. I just need to make it equal.”

  “An’ the gold, missus?”

  “It would be a bad auditor that does not return the resources spent. A peasant’s life is worth 100 gold pieces.”

  The two regarded me, and Laertes broke the silence. “I do not understand. Half the family? The ledger is not balanced. It is arbitrary."

  “That is the small view. Only the living can send messages. I need you both to do something for me.”

  They nodded, so I continued. “Create an attraction here to get the Authorities attention. Wizex, that will be you. I want them all here within the hour. Laertes’, I will need you to write a message for me in blood.”

  Wizex grinned, his rickety teeth on full display. He hollered something in goblin to his tribe, who raised their scrap weapons to the air in response. They slowly departed.

  “What message, Harvester?” Laertes’ asked.

  “Mother comes, Arbiter.” I responded. “Blocky. Visible. I want it so clear that even I will have heard about it come morning.”

  “As you command.” Laertes nodded, his eyes scanning around. He lumbered off, getting ready to work.

  I stepped back inside.

  The door creaked open, and inside, I had seen the children split into two groups. Each group was completely blindfolded, gagged, and had their ears covered. Tears soaked into their clothes, and snot poured out of their nostrils.

  The wife was weeping and the husband stroked her back.

  I also counted four children on each side. I didn’t have to activate my sight to see what they had decided; the youngest four were on the left, and the oldest four remained on the right.

  I looked back up at the pair. “And the final one?”

  The wife hiccupped and her tears deepened. The husband moved forward. “Final one…? We… divided and picked, Lady Harvester…”

  “Of the children, yes. Which one of you two will be audited?”

  The pair looked at each other and quickly began to talk.

  “Is she insane..?” the wife immediately asked, but her husband pulled her in close.

  “I’ll take the hit, Sophie. They need their mother. I was already gone for most of it in the city, and with that much gold, you can live a good life!”

  “No, Xavier! I’m just a [Housewife]. I won’t be able to provide, and even the money won’t let me move about. You can take care of them, and besides, it’s easier for men to remarry… no one would want a [Housewife] with four kids.”

  “The kids would! I haven’t been around as much! You can comfort them, and… besides, you can go back to your family. The authorities will know, and everyone will take care of you!”

  “With Pity! And Fear! The Enemy targeted us. It has to be you, so you can –”

  “Excuse me, are you both offering.. Yourselves?” I interrupted.

  They turned to me, anger and hate in their eyes. “Of course!” the wife shouted. “We’re… just peasants. It would have been better if you just killed us all - You Amaril Damned Bitch. What are we going to do after?”

  “After?” I repeated.

  “To take the shattered pieces of our lives! I know for you folks you can make it back in the day…” she continued screaming, but her husband hushed her. His body trembled, but he stepped forward.

  “Forgive her words, Lady Harvester - Please, take me as the fi–”

  “Be quiet.”

  They both shut their mouths, but tears and weeping escaped.

  “You were saying - ‘you folks can make it back in the day’. Continue.”

  The wife looked around, then pointed at herself. My voice snapped into a shout. “YES. YOU.”

  She squeaked, and opened her mouth, but I cut her off. “I asked you a question and if you do not answer it, I will leave.”

  She took a breath, and held it to four. “...500 gold is more than I've ever seen at once in my life. To throw it at us as payment after taking everything else… How could you expect us to make that decision? What do I do after? To pay for my child's lives? Their futures?”

  I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes.

  1000 gold was not much for my friends. It was a lot for me. Sure, Jasmine and my group casually could give me the payments for my carrots… but I was acquiring them from being…

  Someone else.

  Not a [Farm Girl].

  I wasn’t a peasant anymore.

  I looked down at the floor.

  “Your request for exemption has been noted, and thus accepted. I will remove the debt from your ledgers, but pay you the return. Your gold is waiting for you outside, and there are no monsters in the night. Flowers-By-The-River is 4 Kilometres’ North-East. If you and your children you have chosen to spare do not feel safe crossing, inform Laertes and he will escort you – safely. This hut will be burned down.”

  The two looked at each other. They embraced, but did not move. The wife opened her mouth again.

  Needless.

  The scythe appeared in my hand as I slammed it against the wall.

  “MOVE.”

  They immediately shot up, and picked the oldest children. No comfort, no chance for them to relax. Scampering away.

  I turned to the four remaining.

  I didn’t wait for the bodies to hit the floor. I couldn’t stomach it, even with my compartmentalization.

  I stepped outside to see them huddled together, while the husband slunk beside Laertes. Laertes looked at me, and I nodded.

  I approached the wife.

  “I need you to do one more thing for me.”

  “...Yes, Lady Auditor,” she muttered, bowing her head in reverence. She hit her children’s head too, who immediately did the same.

  “When the Inquisitors ask what happened, because they will - tell them this. The Dark Mother wishes for her Arbiter to return to the flock. She will forgive her. Otherwise, the Dark Mother’s Sweetest Daughter will balance the Ledgers, and the Arbiter can earn her forgiveness below.”

  The wife stared at me with confusion. “...I understand. I will not ask who any of those are.”

  I nodded, and waved her off to Laertes’ who would walk them off.

  I then turned around, my duty done.

  I wanted to go home.

  duality: the conflict between the Farm Girl and the Necromancer. This transition is not a fun power fantasy; it is a tragedy.

  Sophie's Choice—not for sensationalism, but to test the absolute limit of Ashley's pragmatic logic. Please understand that the narrative function of Ashley Hart is not redemption. This is a corruption arc, akin to Breaking Bad, where every competent choice she makes pushes her further from the life she wants and closer to the life she must lead. She is committed to her path, and that requires dark choices. I appreciate the loyalty of those who remain.