Born a Monster

485 No Crown Rests Easy

“So...” I asked Bigni, “In a camp full of armed warriors, most of whom don’t like our boss...”

“Our captain.” Bigni said.

“Our captain,” I continued, “how do we know which ones to pay attention to?”

He grunted. “How are you doing with your help files?”

“I fail to see...”

“How?” he asked.

“It’s still like reading code; I’m able to find some sections I can read, but I’d estimate I’ve only encountered one in eight of the languages. Actually, that estimate may be high.”

“I see. So how do you know which languages to prioritize for unlock?”

“I just pull on loose words, and unlock the whole group. But...”

.....

“That soldier.” he pointed. “No thinking, threat, or not?”

“Not unless he can throw that axe head; it’s loose, and the axe is badly in need of maintenance.”

“How do you know he doesn’t have a knife ready to draw from his inventory?”

“He wouldn’t need that one on his belt if he had.” I said.

Bigni sighed, and Ragnal stepped in.

“It’s not all about weapons, Bigni.” he said. “What badges were on that soldier’s chest?”

I shrugged. “He’s a first private of the Moray Eel company. So far as I know, they’ve no particular enmity for the captaine.”

“Captain.” Bigni said.

Oh, shit. I was one question away from having to admit I had been to the Shining Isles, or possibly to Furdia. And THAT...

“Sorry.” I said. “Captain.”

“However,” Ragnal said, “They are also marines. How do you know there isn’t some long standing feud from before the current war?”

“I have no answer to that.” I said. “How would any of us Acheans know that?”

Then, I squinted at the Eel. “He’s not a threat because he’s ignoring us. If there IS a unit to unit hostility, it doesn’t extend to him.”

Bigni let out an expulsion of air. “THAT is finally good logic and insight. So what about THAT one?”

He selected one who WAS glaring at us.

“Wolf howl.” I said. “Heavy casualties from last night’s raid. If he blames the captain, then he could be a threat. Or possibly not even then.”

“Don’t be wishy washy.” Ragnal said. “Either he’s a threat, or he’s not.”

“Not.” I said.

“Idiot.” Ragnal scolded me.

“How do you figure that?” Bigni asked.

“That one is a second sergeant.” I said. “Also, his uniform is freshly cleaned and creased. His sense of military duty is strong. Not the type to risk their career to attack someone with bodyguards.”

Bigni spat. “Young soldier, that only means that he might come at her with poison or with soldiers of his own.”

I snorted. “The two of you are more than just soldiers.”

Ragnal chuckled. “What gave THAT away?”

“Your skill levels, for one.” I said. “For my ability rating, my Shield Block skill is above what I can currently use. If you were surprised attacking me granted XP, then your rating is higher. That, and your’s is high enough that even with warriors all around, you don’t gain XP from sparring with them. So five plus three, your skill rating with your staff is eight or higher.”

Ragnal smiled at me. “Black Narwhal, we train our skills in the sea tides.”

“Trained.” Bigni said.

“Tell your mom to shove some butter up your ass.” Ragnal said, “That stick has GOT to come out. It’s just not healthy.”

“I don’t understand.” I said.

“You don’t need to.” Ragnal said. “Just know that most of the good members died, the weaker ones retired, and so far as I know, I’m second ranked among the four remaining properly trained Black Narwhals.”

Four remaining? How did...

“The riots?” I asked.

“Makura uprising, just after.” he said. “Dullest Vengarm sent us into the water channels to suppress them. It was... we never stood a chance.”

“He means Durst. Durst Vengarm.” Bigni said.

“I mean Dullest.” Ragnal said. “Sure, we were elite, and the water was our element, but there are a LOT of Makura in the waterways. Sending us in without backup? I don’t know what else he expected.”

“Do you think that was intentional?” I asked. “Perhaps he regarded your unit as an enemy?”

Ragnal shook his head. “So far as I know, we’ve never had a traitor in our ranks. More than most units can say.”

Bigni shrugged. “Most units have spawned more than one traitor.” he said. “And not all of us get to choose our units.”

“Whatever.” Ragnal said. “No, kid. We had a reputation, and Dullest counted on that reputation more than he did on basic strategy. One Makura, on land, is hard enough to deal with. A mess of them? In the water? Might as well fight any other force of nature.”

“That one.” Bigni said.

“The bowman atop the tent?” I asked.

“No, I mean the... ah, crap!”

This exclamation was probably due to the arrow he fired at us. Specifically, at Brittani. He loosed two more arrows before the first one arrived, and jumped down on the other side of the tent.

I have good reflexes, and I’m not the slowest soldier by a rating point or two, but I wasn’t fast enough. Between them, Bigni and Ragnal caught all three arrows; none of them were on a trajectory low enough for me to even try.

Brittani blinked. “What in Loki’s bearded bum just happened?”

Ragnar shrugged, lowering his shield. “Another novice.” he said.

“We need to get you out of the lanes.” Bigni said, “That was a second rank archer talent.”

“Only second?” she snapped. “I’m offended... oof!”

This last was because her bodyguards had seized her shoulders, and were moving her along at a brisk jog. For all of eight paces, anyway.

“GET OFF!” she hollered, throwing off the grasp of first Bigni and then Ragnal. “Unless you see ANY indication of another assassin, we shall WALK to cover.”

“Uhm.” Bigni said.

“If those words in ANY way include ‘your father’, you had best leave them unsaid.” she warned him.

“Perhaps a brisk walk?” Bigni said.

She adjusted her sword belt, exaggerating the movement of her hips.

No, not exaggerating. Stretching.

Did she WANT to fight off assassins?

Or perhaps my humiliation(s) at the hands of Tarantula Sangre had left me with an understanding of what the Assassin class was truly capable of.

In any event, we walked. Quickly, and with a purpose, but yes, we walked.

She was smiling by the time we reached her command tent. “Get inside, medical slave. If I must hide my radiant smile from my soldiers, we might as well get these medical treatments done.”

“Begun, captain.” I said, “There will be many treatments over the course of several months.”

She ran her right hand through her hair, her left over her scars. “Ugh. I want my ear back on that side, slave. Can you make that happen?”

“I’m uncertain at the current time.” I said, “But I am eager to find out, one way or the other.”

She sighed. “I don’t know whether that makes you more or less honest.” she said, sweeping her hair out of the way. “Be about it.”

With an incantation, I started the miko light. “I will want some time to brew a potion tonight.”

She glanced at me, lips pressed thin against her teeth. “AFTER your other duties are done.”

“I have other duties now?” I asked.

“Ragnal feels you’re ready, and I trust his instincts on such things. You’ll never be one of the Blessed.” she said, “But you are too useful to leave on the sidelines.”

“All right.” I said. “What are to be my new duties?”

She squinted, but did not turn to face me. Her voice, when she spoke, was perhaps two degrees cooler. “You have but two duties, slave. That will NEVER change while we both live. Your first duty is to do everything your master... that would be me... commands of you. The second follows from the first, which is to do everything in your ability which you think I would command of you.”

“And if I don’t accept that I am a slave just because you come from different bloodlines?”

“Don’t be stupid.” she said. “You are clearly an exceptional human, but you. Are. Human. I am from the Blessed, and an exceptional Blessed at that. I am clearly the better, and if you dispute that...”

She smiled, baring most of her pointed teeth.

.....

“IF you dispute that, then I shall have to discipline you until you part with such notions.”

She waited two breaths. “It is your turn to speak.”

I inhaled, exhaled, telling myself that not all truths need to be spoken.

“Bloodline alone cannot be the only measure of social status.” I said.

“Heh.” she said. “Wait until we are victorious over your fellows. When this war is over, tell me what you think then.”

“If we both live that long.” I said.

“I will live that long.” she said. “You? Perhaps not.”

He meant the actual Archer class, not other bow using classes, such as Hunter. Hunter abilities focus more on bringing beasts down with single well placed shots from ambush. But go ahead, confirm with your own System; both are common enough classes.