Born a Monster

347 Out of the Frying Pan

Plotline: Main

Type: Social

It seems that the event at ... not my ... house was not isolated. Throughout the day, more and more people were brought in. Some with injuries, others not, usually in ones and twos. Some complained, some wept, some protested their innocence, and others were just sullen.

I’d only had four bandages when I came in, and I was down to zero.

“I know you have another bandage.” a woman said. “Give it to me, my daughter needs it.”

“Mama, I don’t want a bandage.” her daughter protested. She had a raised welt on her head that said otherwise.

“If I had a bandage, I’d gladly apply one to her, but I don’t. If you want,...”

“Guard!” she screamed, “the monster has a weapon! Guard!”

She had to repeat herself three times before one appeared, then again when the guard asked what the ruckus was.

.....

“Little lizard, do you have a weapon?”

“I have a weapon and two shields.” I said, “I’d like to keep them, if I may.”

“Of course you do. Miss, all prisoners are frisked before they go into those cells, just like you were. The evil thing is playing a joke on you. He literally cannot have a weapon.”

“He just said he did! And he’s been providing bandages to people.”

“Uh-huh. Who got a bandage from the lizard?”

Nobody waved, nobody met the guard’s eyes. Four people moved limbs out of the guard’s line of sight. She HAD to see them, even in the dim twilight.

“That’s what I thought. Quit causing a ruckus, or daughter or no daughter, you’ll spend a night in the stocks outside. I should mention, it’s not likely to rain tonight. Not the best way to get a second daughter.”

She shut up. “This isn’t over.” she told me.

Only it was. When the guard came back downstairs, Yu De, Elder Shu’s apprentice, was with her.

“That one.” he said, pointing directly at me.

“You,” the guard said, “move near to the door.”

“What’s going on?” the imprisoned woman from earlier asked.

“Everyone who comes out of this door this time is getting sacrificed for mana.” the guard said.

I sighed, but moved to the door.

When she opened the door, nobody else moved through it.

“You promise not to cause problems for the boy?” the guard asked.

“I promise not to resist going with Yu De.” I said.

“And you ARE a Truthspeaker?” she asked. Then, “Let me hear it.”

“I am a Truthspeaker. I literally cannot lie to you.”

“Good enough for me.” guard said. “Go. Die well.”

“Why does he get trusted at his word?” the mother asked.

“The lizard is known both as a Truthspeaker and brain damaged. You’re just arrogant and think you actually have rights here.”

“That’s actually a rumor.” I said. “My brain...”

[You have taken six points of Bludgeoning damage. After armor, no points have been received.]

She whacked me across the head. “You shut up.” she said.

I shut up, followed Yu De upstairs, and then out into the vacant night streets.

“We’re not actually going to sacrifice you.” he said. “But the cellar is your new home. Elder Shu says she owns you now.”

“I believe that she said that.” I said. “So are there special wards being put in place?”

He shrugged. “I don’t actually know. I don’t understand why we’re still doing any of this. Lord Zaodong is dead. Doesn’t that mean we’ve won?”

“I heard that Lord Tang Mu had taken over as the Liberation Army leader?” I asked.

“How?” he asked. “I’ve heard nothing like that.”

It was my turn to shrug. “I may have heard wrong.”

she sent back sleepily.

I replied.

As it turns out, Fate already had plans to help me.

“I notice we have changed direction, Yu De.”

“Yes, so sorry, but I need some time in the water closet. I will be right out.”

[I will not resist going with Yu De. Promise fulfilled.]

It was night, after curfew, and I had full charges on Fleet of Foot.

I made for the Rice Gate, but did not arrive. Some helpful soul had two the siege ladders on the inside, and had even made banners, easy to read in moonlight. Up. Down.

I made my way up, crossed the rampart to the machicolation, and descended the wall. Although I passed evidence that the soldiers on that section of the wall didn’t practice the best of sanitation, nothing fell on me from above.

I sent,

And she muted the channel. It made sense that you could do that, but I was learning things. Systems, regardless of their particulars, all had some things in common.

I wondered if the legendary weapons had the same default functionality, and startled a pika rodent by walking distracted. What in the seven hells had THAT been doing alive, here, after all that had happened?

And THAT line of thought lasted me until the cliff. Lying on my belly with my head over the side, I tried to find the best way down, to include ledges to stop and rest. How was it that a natural cliff side had so few of them? It was as though...

As though some diligent worker, perhaps in a rope harness, had been lowered specifically to remove such conveniences. Possibly generations of such, each working to a more specific standard.

I knew where there was a fragment of a remaining ledge, but wasn’t about to fight the crab at the base of that section.

It took eighteen minutes, but I found a place I could just stand or hang from, and then I was headed down.

I nearly lost my grip once, where a wet spot had allowed some manner of algae to survive. All this climbing, all this risk. I was tired of it.

The first of many rowboats reached the cliff almost directly below me, and the sound of mountaineering tools began rising from the base.

What manner of? I swiveled my head around, taking stock of the situation. About eight ships had anchored off the side of the cliff, loaded with soldiers. Those soldiers, even though they thought themselves stealthy and clever, were doubtless going to die.

I moved to my right for twenty minutes or so before descending again.

They were disciplined; when one of them fell, they did so silently. But at almost regular intervals, they did.

When I was most at risk of being spotted, I could see that the advance teams were hammering in rope for those behind them. But their attention was directed mostly upward, and I made it to the water without raising a hue and cry.

What had begun as organized waves of boats had become a procession. I had been hoping to find the ships with skeleton crews, but men and women still swarmed the sides facing the cliffs, to the degree that all the ships listed somewhat inland.

I almost swam out that way anyway, before remembering. They were going to kill me. The guards, the inmates, it made no difference. There were over a hundred thousand souls on that island, and I realized most of them wanted me dead.

Well, maybe not the supernatural minority. I did still want to slay Fu Dog Kumanchu, but found it wasn’t an urgent need.

I didn’t engage my Titanic Swimming, not until I’d decided to turn back. The champions of the Rice Gate had treated with me fairly. Although they’d probably be fine, I wasn’t comfortable with probably.

The ships were lined up diagonally, and I made for the largest. I had my suspicions, and the state of the rudder confirmed it. The Sea King’s Blue Beard.

There were new runes toward the backside, clearly radiating aversion. Specifically warding the rudder. I found similar markings on the next smaller vessel.

Crap. Well, there wouldn’t be much of a surprise attack.

None of the vessels trailed nets over the side; none were dragging nets in the night.

I didn’t much care for my odds climbing an anchor chain, but the larger vessels had anchors on the side away from all the attention.

And I was right; the crew was alert for even small irregularities, and I dove back into the water while they raised a hue and cry. And dropped bombs over the side.

For my part, I was away to the north again.

The inmates might have burned the northern docks, but I was willing to bet there was still something underneath the surface.

Possibly something defensible.

.....