M.D.Syl
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Chapter 117 colorless
🕑 Added 2023-11-20 09:23:15 +0000 UTCChapter 117 Gang War II
Don't underestimate the element of surprise.
It is the downfall of many wise individuals.
Nuriss the maiden of war.
"What do you have for me Sharla?" I sit on a small barrel, watching the river currents carrying a small fishing boat into the harbor. Zoe meditating on the earthy ground by my side, and Berthold sits on a wooden barrel, fletching arrows. Ryon is not back yet.
She's still wearing her middle aged woman form, her graying hair fluttering in the breeze with her brown robes. "The Red Spears have more men than the Fishermen. About five hundred from my count, the Fishermen are around three hundred. The Red Spears have less women and children to protect, but they do keep their women and children alive and protected. Those women and children are mostly families of the men who are members of their gang, strangers who are extra mouths to feed are turned away, or accepted in exchange for carnal services. They don't force themselves on the women they accept, those women agree to it, so I do not know if it enters your definition of rape."
I shudder. I really hope this isn't another Luard... "You were there, Sharla, what do you think?"
She doesn't look at me, she focuses on the flowing water, her gray hair fluttering in the wind. "I honestly couldn't care less, Mistress. I do not have the moral obligation you seem to hold toward mortal females who find themselves in dire circumstances. I know your past had been less than fortunate in that regard, but these things are more common than you'd think. Women often offer up their bodies for safety, and men kill in order to stay alive. This is the way of the primal chaotic world of mortals. The more civilized a place become, the less you'll see that phenomena. Although, some women will still pay with their body to get what they want, usually money."
"I... I see..." She's really a cold one... and she's not exactly human... She probably has a different psychology and she mimics human psychology to fit in... It's not like I'm fully human either... but my urges to dominate and manipulate are at least obvious to me and I can try and keep them under control... "What about their weapons?"
She crosses her hands and sits down on the ground. The motion is quite unnatural, I can't imagine a normal human woman who's capable of sitting down so gracefully while her hands are crossed. "Mostly cold iron tipped spears. Some have bronze. Better than the Fishermen."
I raise an eyebrow. "And their leader?"
"A bald thug with a large scar near his eye, he goes by the name of Ovin Bloodspear. He's been isolating himself in a small house and I couldn't get more than a brief look at him."
"Do you think they'll expect a visit from us this evening?"
She shrugs. "I believe they won't be surprised unless we sneak in. They have men watching the streets."
"Do you think we should sneak in?"
She shifts her legs to the side and turns to look at me, her hazel eyes peering into my own. "No. It was hard enough to sneak in on my own, it'll be harder to bring you with me. Even if we will, we'll be surrounded and alone, which will allow Ovin Bloodspear to dictate the terms. Yes you can kill some of his men, and I know that if we surprise them they won't all be ready for a fight, but I don't think you can fight over two hundred men with cold iron on your own, Mistress, no offense."
I smile. "None taken. Let me know when Ryon gets back, I need to know the situation at the gate before we proceed."
"Ah'm here." Ryon's voice comes from the nearby shadow of a building. With his black leathery outfit I didn't even notice he was standing there. "Da gang took da gate, they guard it now. Large gang, more than hundred."
Right... and unless Salik convinces the orcs to fight for him, we're cut off... Assuming this Ovin would want to join us, I could have him and the fishermen fight for the gate... for whatever good that'll do...
He grins and tilts his head, his green eyes giving out a faint catlike reflection of the light. "They wash with da water. They know ya have fire tricks and they wash up with da water against fire tricks. I told them you have da flying trick and you make da daggers fly at them and you have da screaming trick, they laughed at..."
I cut him off, my voice raised by a few pitches. "You told them?! Are you out of your snaking mind?!"
He snorts. "Ya, they laugh. They think I lie. They still wash up. I can go later an' say I told you so and they let me in their gang like a rat."
Right... it's not like knowing what I can do will stop me... and he placed himself in a perfect infiltration position if it's needed... I guess I was too harsh.
"Alright, you did good, Ryon. Let's get Shorr and move out. We really need to wrap this up, I can't imagine what's going on in Green Pear City if this is the mess we have here."
"They'll see us coming," Berthold notes, tugging a loose string out of his gambeson and using it to tie up the feathers to another arrow. "We won't have the element of surprise."
I nod. "I'm aware. But they still expect us in three days, and it'll throw some of them off guard. The element of surprise works with a few layers; Knowledge and expectations for example. Their current knowledge and expectations is that we'll be there in three days. Once we move out, that knowledge will change, true. However, the speed they adapt to a situation they did not expect matters. If we went in three days they'd have all of their five hundred men ready. Now they'll have half of that number. Even if this Ovin manages to bring out all of his men, they'll be too anxious about things going wrong, and that is something I can use to my advantage." Yeah... I'll make them kneel and lick my boots like good dogs... I take a deep breath to center myself. "I hope I won't have to. I'd rather not kill them."
"Why not? They're thugs, right?" Zoe asks. "They hurt the good people of this city."
I shake my head. "They're the people of this city who are forced into fending for themselves or dying. You'd be surprised what good men and women would do once their lives are at risk, once they're starving without food for days... No. I don't think they're thugs. I thought so earlier, but I was wrong. Look at this district, the people here are just trying to survive, they're not thugs. The same can't be said about those Flayers in the palace, or Marvu's raiders. Those are monsters I plan to eliminate without mercy."
"How do you know those Red Spears aren't monsters?" Zoe asks. "They fought with the Fishermen, right? If they want to hurt the Fishermen then I can't think that they're just good people. Otherwise they'd get along, right?"
I sigh. "If only the world worked like that."
Berthold nods. "The less people we kill, the better. I do agree about the Flayers, those people sound too rotten to be left alive."
I stand up and dust my purple skirts. "Come on, we've delayed long enough."
*
We make our way with a group of one hundred Fishermen toward the Red Spears base. As Sharla predicted, a party of them come out to meet us.
“Welcome y’oll. Please have a seat, if I knew you’d be coming today I would’ve prepared a celebration!” A bald man in a dirty brown gambeson leads a group of men with red spear armbands. I recognize him, it's the same man who saw me and ran away when I found out the fighting parties a few hours ago. The man who prodded my crown pool.
He's already scared of me, this is just theatrics... “I’ll pass on your celebration, I come in person as per your request. Now, bend the knee, or die!” Kneel my little dog... kneel!
A surprising amount of his men actually kneel, but the majority raise their weapons in my direction. I smile. I can easily block a hail of arrows or javelins, and even if I missed somehow, my new armor would block the weapons. I have nothing to worry about.
“Woah woah relax, y’oll! We’re not here to fight, are we?” The bald man raises his hands with an unpleasant smile that reaches his brown eyes. “Name’s Ovin, I lead the Red Spears, me and my men are willing to fight for you on two condition!”
“And these are?” I raise my eyebrow.
“The first: Teach me sorcery.”
“Sorcery?” I narrow my eyes at him. That makes an odd sense...
“I have the talent for it.” he gestures with his hand and vines grow out from the muddy street. “Discovered I could do some sorceries when the riots happen. Useful snakes these, but I’m interested in learning better tricks, feel me?”
I frown. “And what exactly are you going to do once you’ve learned better tricks?”
His scar twists with his smirk. “I’ll serve you for a time, then I’ll go conquer mah own city. Get in the game y’oll sorcerers have for yourselves, live the good life with the good worshipers of Jalier following mah word.”
I cross my hands and tap my foot. Yeah... Jerro's predictions are usually accurate, that was way too easy. “You’ll serve me for the next two years or until I release you. If I even sniff an intent at backstabbing, I’ll kill you on the spot.” I state the sting coldly, then add the honey. “After two years I’ll gift you with a city of your own, you can continue your ambitions from there.” I should be leaving the Gray islands by then, assuming the hag won't die.
“You can’t be serious!” Zoe interrupts angrily. “You’re accepting him as an apprentice?! Look at him. He’s a street thug! A bully! Sharla said he forced women to sell themselves for food!”
The man smiles without arguing against her accusations.
You won't challenge my authority openly, little pawn. You won't... Zoe takes a frightened step back. ugh stop!!! STOP! Focus... breathe... answer logically, not some manipulative insane notion of putting her in her place. And if those men see it as a weakness? Then so be it, I refuse to give into my base instincts when it comes to my friends.
I take a deep calming breath. “Do you have a better idea how to bring—oh I don't know—five hundred fighting men under you? Do you want us to fight them and Marvu's Raiders not to mention those Flayers without them? Sure, I can probably kill them all, but what then? Do I rule a city of corpses?” I shake my head. "As I said earlier, most of them should be normal men who found themselves in a bad situation, while I'm sure a few monsters hide within their ranks, we'll root them out once we get this place under proper order."
Zoe gulps and glances nervously between me and Ovin. I ignore her and turn to the bald thug. "Ovin. What's your second condition?"
The scar on his face twists like a red worm when the smile disappears from his face. “Shorr gives me some o’ those fishes he has, mah people are starving for them fishes.”
So you’re desperate… and you only win out of this deal… yet this feels too easy… what am I missing here? “Shorr?”
“When will your food shipments arrive?” The black-bearded man asks me. “There are people who count on this food.”
“If you have a boat, we can send a messenger right now, and I assume it’ll be here within a week or so.”
The black-bearded man nods. “Then I’ll hand over my food when I see these shipments, your men can wait for a week.” Shorr crosses his hands as if the agreement is settled.
“This is not how it works. If you want me to work with y’oll, you’ll give us food!” Ovin steps forward, calling out fiercely. “We ain’t working for free!”
“I can’t risk the lives of my people on words and promises!” Shorr doesn’t back off.
“And I can’t let mah men starve. Y’oll bring mah men food or we take it! Who do you think the sorceress will value more huh?! An apprentice who can do magic? Or a nobo…” Ovin doesn’t finish that sentence, he collapses gurgling with an arrow sticking out of his throat. It’s clear one of Shorr’s men fired it.
Shorr stares dumbfounded, he turns to his man. “You fool! Why…” Another arrow from one of Ovin’s men penetrates Shorr’s temple and he drops.
“Myrsha samir!” <Gravity protects!> The third arrow gets deflected by my defensive orange shield-bubble and drops to the ground. All hell breaks loose.
*~*~*
Interlude 117.1
Grokar
Grokar is a young wolf, healthy and strong. The only wolves he’ll ever fear are chief Balgrum and Second Wolf Agilla, but both of them aren’t here anymore, Grokar is now the strongest!
Grokar earned himself thirty-two new sheep by dueling other wolves. He only lost one of his sheep to the Blessed Rhino, but all the other wolves had lost one sheep to the Blessed Rhino and his weird demands.
Now Grokar has a nice herd of nearly a hundred sheep, he can’t feed them all. He decides to give some to the bitches he likes and some to the wolves who follow him so they’ll follow him longer, and now a new dumb sheep came to present itself to him.
Grokar looks with disdain at the naked human who attacked him with a fruit knife just an hour ago. The human curse as the whip cracks and forces him to run through the broken boneyard again. This is one of the best ways to tame mad sheep. After they are forced to run barefooted on broken bones and rocks three times, they usually become very tame.
But this mad sheep had already made its seventh run and it’s still cursing and swearing in its dog’s language. The boneyard is marred with blood, and the worthless human only stand due to the long whip marks on his back. Looks like there’s no choice, Grokar will have to use him as meat for jaws on his next great hunt; Maybe then this sheep will be tamed.
“Grokar!”
Grokar turns when he hears the echoing voice, the Blessed Rhino is here again. The other wolves cease their laughter and gather around when the armored human walks into their temporary camp. Grokar sneers at the pack of frightened dogs who keep their distance. No, not dogs, kittens and bunnies; Dogs have a bite.
The Blessed Rhino have earned the wolves’ admiration. Although he hides behind his thick metal shell and does not follow the bone chieftess in battle. Strength is strength, and when the wolves saw that each strike of his fist is followed by a flash of light, it became clear that one of the gods had blessed this rhino. Grokar can't wait to see what this Rhino can do with his mighty horn.
“Come fight me again, rhino?” Grokar stands up, reaching for his axe. “You won’t get sheep, law say law!” Grokar hates common gnome twisting tongue, but that’s the only thing the rhino understands. Grokar never understood why some wolves learn the gnome twisting tongue. Grokar himself only caught a few words by listening to sheep talking when he was a child, and Grokar is smart.
“You took one of the city’s residents as your slave. There are witnesses!” The rhino’s echoing voice is aggressive, demanding. It’s a good voice, powerful. Not like other humans, not like the sheep.
Grokar sneers at the scared dogs and sheep humans, they peek from the edge of the small encampment Grokar and his brothers made for sheep taming.
“Mad dog try kill me, his life mine. He sheep.” Grokar explains, making his best to move his jaws in the right way for gnome twisting tongue.
The blessed rhino looks at him from behind his visor, then turns around and shouts toward the edge of the camp. “James. Come here, right now!”
A scrawny dog steps into the camp hesitantly.
“Is this true? Did Moriz attacked the orc first?” The Blessed Rhino demands to know.
“No, milord! The savage grabbed him, Moriz tried to defend himself but…”
“Gragh! Human lie!” Grokar shouts furiously, no one can doubt his honor! No one! Grokar is about to throw his axe at the lying human when the steady rhino’s hand stops him.
“Are you attempting to deceive me?” the rhino asks the human in a threatening voice. “May I remind you that I’m a paladin of Noxi, God of Truth and Justice? I can see lies, no lies shall be uttered in my presence,” he continues.
Grokar relaxes his arm. His honor wasn’t defiled, the rhino is too wise to be deceived by a forked lizard's tongue.
The human stands there, shaking like a leaf, a wet patch appears on his crotch. Grokar sneers when he smells the urine, this mad dog reeks of fear. This one deserves to be kicked in the testicles, he shouldn’t spread his cowardly seed to females. “M-Moriz attacked first, milord… B-But he has a s-sick l-little girl b-back at home, n-no one will t-t-take c-care of her now… m-my wife has t-t-taken her in, and we have t-too many mouths to feed! P-please milord! Have mercy!”
Grokar snorts. Mercy. That’s for weak sheep and dogs. Humans, in other words. If you’re strong and can tame a strong female, you have the right to bear offspring and can protect them. If you’re weak, even if you’re lucky and a strong female tames you, your offspring will only have the female to protect them.
The Blessed Rhino breathes multiple times, the echoing breathes are loud in the silent encampment. Then the rhino steps toward the broken boneyard.
“You can’t take my sheep, Rhino!” Grokar shouts after him in alarm. He knows that the rhino is stronger, and if he truly decides to steal his sheep, Grokar will have to fight him for it. Grokar fears the rhino’s power. At least he’ll have his wolf brothers to help him, a pack of eight wolves fighting one rhino, they have a chance.
“I’m not taking anyone, I need to ask the man a couple of questions.” The echoing reply calms Grokar, the rhino is honorable, he never stoops to deceits like the other mad sheep and dogs.
“Moriz, right?” The rhino asks the sheep. The mad sheep nods, exhausted. “Why did you attack the orc? I need to know if I am to pass a sentence…”
The human stumbles, blood trickling down his scrawny old body. He points his finger at Grokar. “That rotting savage pissed on my son’s tree! My son! I’ve kept silence when the queen invited these savages into our city, when my sons died in her wars… I’ll be damned if I watch this barbarian desecrating my son’s tree! I’d rather die!”
Grokar laughs. Humans are stupid. “Why let tree eat your son? If you eat your son, you hafe his power. You don't hafe to defend tree with your small power. You…” Grokar backs off swiftly when the rhino’s blade touches his throat. “Grrrr… What you doing, Rhino?”
“Let him go, or I swear by Noxi’s name, I will kill you!” The rhino echoes with anger.
Grokar growls, he can’t understand why the rhino got mad at him, he did nothing wrong. But it doesn’t matter, every wolf knows that dogs are mad. Grokar raises his axe, ready to fight this rhino to the death.
His brothers unsheathe their axes, closing in to support him. This isn’t an honorable challenge, the rhino doesn’t have any right to challenge him. They are one pack, one tribe, one clan, and Grokar can use their help fighting him off.
The wolves split into four hunting pairs, circling the rhino from all sides, growling, eager for the blood of the mighty.
“May his light descend!” The rhino calls out. The bright light coming out of his armor stabs Grokar’s eyes.
"Ti-a'ark!" Grokar shouts his warcry and swings his axe forward. A sharp searing pain flashes around his neck, and he flies away, wind flowing on his face.
Why is he so light?
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 79
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 16 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 26 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 19/20 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 39 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 6 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: connected: 84/95 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream. Aria's Increased Voice.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield. Ayla’s Freezing Vapors. Hot Water Conjuration. Boiling Waterjet.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesism. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric Channelb1
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb1x2. Tukado's Pushb1x3. Tukado’s defense IIIb1x4. Imari’s Lesser Flightb2.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison. Brigit’s Skin Restoration.
Focus capability: 18 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Shaman of the Twin Moon Tribe. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Personal Wealth: 1465 Magic Gems. 1420 Golden Peas, 45 Silver Scales, 32 Copper Bits.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
5 potions of Lesser Healing.
4 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Glitter ingredients. (1 bag)
Fresh rose petals, 36g
Fresh lavender petals, 7g
10 empty soul bottles. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 30/100. Locked.
Present Companions:
Zoe
Sharlafyn Nettledew
Berthold
Ryon
Languages:
Toml’a <People’s tongue> Fluent
Sinteo <Speech> Fluent
Myrsha <Gravity> 8/10
Felul <Wind> 1/10
Nim <Water> 1/10
A'arkalu <Wolf Tongue> 3/10
Injuries and scars:
Curses:
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 3836 gold coins. 123 magical gems.
Kingdom’s citizen: 3,881 humans, 1,836 human children. Twin Moon Tribe: 1,158 orcs. 293 orc children. 529 sheep-slaves.
Kingdom's army: 1,1156 Orc Warriors. 324 Footmen. 49 Peacekeeper Knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder.
Jolla SilverQuill.
Talbot Bookkeeper.
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom.
Balgrum Orc Chieftain.
