The rain of cepheloshark bits brought with it a major influx of mana. Not as much as Prime had dealt with when the human died in her dungeon, but still enough that she began making her third floor just to have something to build.
With the notice that she needed a core defender¡¯s room and a core room before she would be forced to move down her floors, Prime made a single, giant room, populated with cobbled streets and a plethora of buildings. She built out a space about 20 meters square and 4 meters tall before the mana calmed enough for her to pay attention to her above decks again, which was only about ten times the core¡¯s reservoir in mana cost. It was going to take a while to build out the third floor.
The sailors the cepheloshark immobilized had been moved into the ship¡¯s surgery and were being tended to. The ones it had grappled bore sucker bruises and prickle marks where its envenomed splinters had broken off in the sailors. The one that had been trapped under the monster had suffered crushed bones that were being set.
Able bodies sailors, under the direction of the ship¡¯s Cook, dismantled the larger surviving pieces of the cepheloshark, but most of it had been rendered into a slimey gore the lower leveled sailors were now washing off the decks. Some of that gore slime fell down the bilge traps, but most went nicely overboard. Ultimately, not enough monster bits made it to Prime for her to get the creature¡¯s pattern.
By the time dawn broke over her railings, the only evidence of the cepheloshark¡¯s attack were the recovering sailors, a fishy stew, and a handful of the cepheloshark¡¯s toxic barbs sitting in Ship¡¯s Stores.
A¡¯Ferun used the excuse of the creature¡¯s attack to delay the morning delve by a few hours. Rupear Big Nose took that time to go over a few more last minute adjustments to his delving team. For one, he had all the slaves swap out cutlasses for hooked spears, though he and his hirelings kept the cutlasses.
The same slaves from the failed first delve were present for the second. Of the original hirelings, the one who had challenged him was understandably absent. Big Nose took it upon himself to handle the scouts, and the hireling managing the muskin had been changed out. The hireling who had died was not replaced, nor were new slaves brought in for this delve, so the hireling who had lost the first selkie and the second human while trying to get the original brawler¡¯s handler away from the dire snake was also not needed. At six slaves and three handlers, it was still a crowded delving party.
When they did meet up, it was mid morning. Just before entering, Big Nose told the scouts, ¡°Go left. There were four doors and only one key to start with, yeah?¡± The scout slaves nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll see if it¡¯s a choosing puzzle ¡ª and if it is, we go left. If we have to to through all the branches first, we¡¯ll do that, but the goal is to map as much as we can.¡±
Then he sent the scouts in first, again, but instead of Big Nose as their controller following on their heels, he sent the two remaining selkies in as the new brawlers, and then their handler. Then Big Nose entered, followed the muskins¡¯ handler, with the two muskin at the rear of the slavers¡¯ party. A¡¯Ferun and Kinser trailed again, to ensure the slavers did not harm N¡¯kieran.
Shadow rats in the left hand hallway ambushed the controllers and targeted magical equipment. That meant the control rings, but also a few charms the controllers wore. The rings weren¡¯t easy pickings, but Big Nose lost a pendant of protection and the muskins¡¯ handler had a good luck braclet stolen. The smaller muskin¡¯s pen was snatched, too, but by then the brawlers and the scout slaves were making solid progress on killing off the first wave of the rat swarm.
In the chaos of the rats¡¯ ambush, the pit trap in the tunnel activated underneath the muskin¡¯s handler. He dropped a meter into the water, and the bonefish in the bottom of the trap tried a crocodilian move, rolling him under to slam into the shock trap on the floor of the pit.
The handler floated to the surface, despite the bonefish¡¯s best efforts to drown him. When the floating proved too much to overcome, it chomped off the man¡¯s fingers with the control rings and got a chunk of the man¡¯s neck as the fish went for the pendant he was wearing. Then it turned to the soft parts of the man.
Kinser was delayed in helping the man. He had to shove the muskin to the side of the hall as the controls in the slave seals incapacitated them while their controller was being attacked. A¡¯Ferun reached over Kinser, hooking the bonefish and dragging it out of the pit. Kinser put a dagger through the hooked bonefish¡¯s eye, killing it, and then reached into the pit to try to pull the muskin¡¯s controller up and out.
Big Nose swatted away one of the rats attacking him, turning enough to see behind him, and froze in shock. ¡°What the fuck!?¡± he screeched.
¡°Delayed trap,¡± Kinser grunted, not quite managing to get a grip on the muskins¡¯ controller.
A¡¯Ferun ordered, ¡°Up and switch. I have longer arms.¡±
Kinser returned to his feet and took the hooked spear, now free of the dissapating bonefish corpse. A¡¯Ferun caught hold of the man¡¯s shirt and turned that into a hold on his arm, hauling him up onto the untrapped decking, but the man was beyond help at that point, the blood leaking from the wound on his neck.
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The enslaved scouts and brawlers had moved into the first encounter room to clear the rat swarm. The brawlers¡¯ handler went with them. They were making significant progress, if only because the rats seemed more interested in getting at Big Nose than fighting the foe in front of them.
Kinser glanced between the rat swarm and the dead handler, and remarked, ¡°It looks like the dungeon monsters are drawn to magical gear.¡±
¡°It does look like that, doesn¡¯t it?¡± A¡¯Ferun agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll let the scholars know about this.¡±
¡°Did you just let my man die?¡± Big Nose growled more than asked, his face pale and eyes dilated wide with shock.
A¡¯Ferun glared at Big Nose. ¡°Don¡¯t blame your incompetence on me. This is the reason I warned you not to show up if you weren¡¯t ready, and now you¡¯re in the thick of it. Are you ready to turn back now?¡±
Big Nose flushed and the aggression roused by the fight turned to mulish obstinacy. He produced a brassy rod from somewhere about his person and aimed it at the two muskin, starting with the healer. After a moment, the daze from her handler¡¯s death cleared up.
¡°If he¡¯s still alive, fix him up as best you can, but spare some healing,¡± Big Nose ordered, gesturing to the felled hireling. Then he targeted the smaller muskin.
The healer moved to the corpse and began triaging. She soon sat back on her heels, head bowed. ¡°Master, he¡¯s dead. I have no revivification spells.¡±
Big Nose made an inarticulate rage noise, then said, ¡°Leave him then.¡±
The fight in the room was drawing to a close. Big Nose ordered the muskin to follow him and went in to help stomp on some rats. The muskin had no trouble leaping over the pit.
Kinser pocketed the mana stone the bonefish left behind as he and A¡¯Ferun followed.
The mana from the slaver¡¯s death fueled expanding the third floor to an open half acre with five meters of head room. That was about four times the mana Prime got from the cepheloshark. It was going to take a really long time to build up her floors, but Prime figured that was fine.
She intended for the third floor to be a full sized city and she had a rough idea of the city plan she intended to follow. For one, the main thoroughfares would spiral in toward a central keep, where she would house their core while she set about building up her fourth floor. There would be alleyways providing faster ¡ª and more ambush ready ¡ª pathways to the main keep, but navigating them would be as problematic as navigating through any large city¡¯s back streets.
She presently envisioned three city walls with a partial fourth wall. The area between the third and fourth walls would provide space for farming and raising cattle to support her city¡¯s residents. The gateway to the second floor, her imitation docks, would be set in the third wall, and when she was ready to connect the fourth floor, that gate would be across the city.
If any of the slaves she freed wanted to remain as dwellers in her dungeon, she figured the city would be a good place for them, when it was built. Otherwise, she would fill it with her ratlings and lesser naga, and any other defenders who would enjoy life in a more urban setting.
Scale-wise, she intended to make the city at least a square kilometer with another square kilometer for the fields. She wanted the ground layer at least 20 meters deep to allow for cellars and basements and sewers, and a sky at least 70 meters tall for those with some flight spells to enjoy themselves. With there being a little under 250 acres to each square kilometer, and the way her Construct costs were figured, Prime estimated if she wanted to see it built this century, she needed to level up. A lot.
With the first encounter room cleared, Big Nose had the scouts open the loot chest that appeared, then made the small muskin carry the coin bag and the mana stones from the chest.
¡°Search the room. Look for hidden doors,¡± he ordered, keeping a sly eye on A¡¯Ferun and Kinser.
They just watched on, impassive.
The lupikin found the secret alcove, but he failed to spot the trap guarding it. Icy electricity scorched the air as he opened the door, and the lupikin fell back, twitching from shock, frost stiffening his beard. The control ring on Big Nose¡¯s left thumb broke.
¡°Damn it!¡± the merchant growled. Then he sent the felikin in to explore the hidden alcove. ¡°Carefully!¡±
The felikin cautiously opened the hidden chest growing out of the floor planks, and passed over the handful of bronze coins and three more mana stones it contained. The wealth was not worth the sale price of the slave just lost.
¡°That¡¯s two down. How many more will you lose to this foolishness?¡± A¡¯Ferun challenged.
Big Nose just shot him a glare. He ordered the felikin, ¡°Open the puzzle door. We have more rooms to map.¡±
The icon image on this door depicted the Lord of Luck, a challenging smirk daring the onlookers to gamble with the capricious deity.
¡°Go on!¡± Big Nose snapped, and the felikin, his tail fully fluffed to bristling, reluctantly made his way forward, through the illusion.
The selkie brawlers kissed their knuckles in salute to the luck god as they followed, with their handler making the same reverent sign. Then Big Nose led the muskin forward.
It gave Big Nose a great view as the pit trap in this hall responded to the remaining bit of magical gear the hireling wore, a charm against plagues, and dumped him into another water trap with another bonefish guardian.
Big Nose managed to grab hold of his hireling, shouting to the remaining scout, ¡°Get back here!¡±, but the hireling¡¯s shock triggered the safeguards that immobilized the two brawlers. The felikin had to squeeze by the selkies, which gave the shadow kraits waiting in their hidden corners time to strike.
One bit through the merchant¡¯s leather pants while another caught him in the back of his arm. A third bit the hireling even as the bonefish in the trap made a lunging leap and took out a chuck of the hireling¡¯s thigh.
Big Nose screamed and released his hireling to flail at the snake latched onto his arm.
The hireling¡¯s head bounced off the edge of the pit trap before he splashed into the water, dragged under by the bonefish.
The felikin dropped to his knees as the kraits¡¯ venom took effect, and Big Nose toppled over, unconscious.
The two muskin huddled together, unable to retreat.
A¡¯Ferun and Kinser took up a defensive stance, but the snakes released their bites on Big Nose and retreated, and the bonefish never resurfaced.
When Kinser moved to check on Big Nose, a scuffing sound drew the delvers¡¯ attention to the as yet unentered next room.
A ratling, one at least very similar to, if not the same as, the ratling that had spoken for his light before slowly came around the corner.
¡°Ah-live, that one.¡± It pointed to Big Nose. ¡°You take.¡± It gestured to the slaves. ¡°We take. Say-cond flur. Safe.¡± Without seeming to hurry, it was right next to Big Nose, stooping to take the control rod the merchant had slipped back into his pocket. It pointed the rod at the muskin. ¡°You come. Be safe.¡±
Ch. 018
A¡¯Ferun stared at the fallen form of Rupear Big Nose for several drawn out heart beats before he shook his head. He looked to the ratling. ¡°His survival is a threat, and not just to the slaves on this ship. He has ties to the Pimarant clan, and they wouldn¡¯t think twice to strike at the Idahl by seizing the Light of Volmar to control your dungeon.¡±
The ratling cocked its head. Its ears twitched a few times, and it gave off an aura of confusion. Hesitating as if not sure of what it was saying, the ratling spoke. ¡°He an-ger-ee maanz. You zay no, he push yez. He come back.¡± It held the control rod up and looked at it curiously. ¡°Too-moor-oh, zea-el no wuk. Thiz break.¡± As if regaining certainty, the ratling said, ¡°Maker zay an-ger-ee maanz bad. Ah-fair-oun good. Maker truz.¡±
¡°Does your maker still mean for this man to live?¡± A¡¯Ferun asked, unsure what the ratling was trying to convey.
The ratling listened again, needing a shorter time. ¡°Maker muz make when maanz die. Maanz die iz much-much-much! Maanz traan iz good no-much. Maker no gife wurdz when Maker muz make. Zlafe go zay-cond floor, then zafe for Maker muz make. Rat-ty and znek and no-big rat-ty muz make Maker zafe. Maker know Ah-fair-oun good. Znek no-know.¡± It paused, confused again, and sang, ¡°? No-know? Know? No? No-nuh-no nuh-no nuh-no! No-no! ?¡± Then it gave a squeaking giggle. ¡°Wurdz!¡± It shook its head.
A¡¯Ferun thought he understood something of what the ratling was saying. ¡°Do you mean that N¡¯Kieran might lose control of the dungeon¡¯s monsters when a human dies? Because the death overwhelms her? And the monsters may be dangerous to us and the slaves she is freeing?¡±
The ratling¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Rat-ty and znek zee zea-el. No fight. Ah-fair-oun no zea-el. Znek and no-big rat-ty may-be fight. Zay-cond floor, no znek, no no-big rat-ty. Zafe. Furz floor no-zafe.¡±
¡°Then may we escort these slaves to the second floor?¡± he asked.
The ratling listened again and then nodded. ¡°Break zea-el furz. Help moof.¡±
A¡¯Ferun and Kinser helped move the disabled slaves, following the ratlings directions. It led them first to the weakest traps on the way to the core room, and then moved the slaves¡¯ hands to make them trigger the traps. The ratling¡¯s fur stood on end, and it shivered after each such act, but checked the slaves with a weird competence afterward, feeling for their pulses and examining their eyes. After each trap was triggered, the seal on the slave affected immediately lost its magic, and dire rats allowed A¡¯Ferun, Kinser, and the little ratling to load the trap-stunned beast kin onto their backs.
The ratling solved all the puzzles on the way to the core room until the last, hidden door. There it warned, ¡°You make trap no wuk, you no hurt. Trap wuk, you hurt.¡±
Kinser stepped up to disable the trap while A¡¯Ferun and the ratling, with the dire rats and their passengers, ensured they were out of the trap¡¯s blast range.
A¡¯Ferun asked, ¡°How do you get the slaves through without triggering that trap?¡±
The ratling shrugged. ¡°Dun-jawn mah-gick. Bad hoo-maanz ah-lif. No bad maanz, no trap hurt.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± A¡¯Ferun considered this. ¡°Is it the slave seal that N¡¯kieran is using to distinguish bad and, ah, not-bad people?¡±
The ratling nodded. ¡°Now, yez. Thiz trap zea-el break iz good. Zea-el no-break iz bad. Maker no want hurt.¡±
Kinser triggered and then disarmed the trap while A¡¯Ferun parsed that. As they waited, the ratling¡¯s ears twitched and twitched. It led the way forward, ears still flicking like a horse trying to dislodge a fly headed down its ear canal.
¡°Something the matter?¡± A¡¯Ferun asked.
¡°Maker zay be-fore iz hoo-maanz. Name is hoo-maanz. Maker iz now dun-jawn. Maker zay maybe no-name? Name iz wurd?¡± The ratling appeared to address the last question to A¡¯Ferun. Before A¡¯Ferun could sort through all that, the ratling¡¯s ears flicked again and it sagged down onto all fours. ¡°Maker zay Rat-ty zay bad. Iz big think. Rat-ty bad think.¡±
It slunk over to the archway and, once everyone was in the core room, solved the picture puzzle in the base with quick, sure movement. A portal similar to the one that led into the dungeon, but dark, sprang into being within the archway. However, the ratling turned back to the entrance to the core room. ¡°Come,¡± it beckoned, leading the procession of encumbered dire rats through the doorway they had just entered from.
Except it didn¡¯t return them to the boss room. Between one stride and the next, the room they faced became a 2.5 meter square with a door on the wall to their left.
The room looked to be made of worked stone with elemental light stones set in recessed sconces illuminating what little there was to see. The ratling quickly had the door open, showing a similarly lit passageway beyond that led to either side of the door. The dire rats moved through, turning to the left. A¡¯Ferun followed them, with Kinser right behind him, and then the ratling stayed back only long enough to tug the door closed before it scampered to led the way again. It did not speak and gave every sign of being dejected for several minutes worth of walking.
A¡¯Ferun hadn¡¯t slept well from the moment the Idahl had listened through the Bellorian delegation¡¯s proposal for a marriage of state to affirm the treaties between the two nations. The wrongness of everything had been an itch searing his heart, and then finding out about their scheming! The burn in his heart had turned to fear in his gut at that point, and it only grew every day he had spent chasing her ship. The explosion that made the ocean roil for kilometers in every direction had been like divine fertilizer for that fear, and even after finding that at least some part of his light had survived, the fear that it wasn¡¯t really his N¡¯kieran wouldn¡¯t die off.
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After the ratling¡¯s bumbled speech, the fear swelled up with each step where he had only his thoughts to listen to, growing until he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. His voice surprised him by not shaking when he asked, ¡°Is your maker my N¡¯kieran?¡±
The ratling stopped and sat up. Its ears twitched, and a fine tremor took over its body, but something that felt like N¡¯kieran¡¯s calm assurance stared up at him from its gaze and it spoke with the tones of her measured thoughts. ¡°Iz? Hard zay. Waz hoo-maanz. Name iz hoo-maanz. Now iz dun-jawn. Dun-jawn no iz hoo-maanz. Godz make new life. New life iz may-be new name? Maker no-know. Hard zay.¡±
The ratling yawned cutely and scrubbed its face after speaking, then shivered to settle its fur.
The fear eased back enough for A¡¯Ferun to assess things. He thought he understood, but he had to be sure. ¡°Your maker, when she was human, was my N¡¯kieran. But then she got caught up in gods¡¯ magic and became a dungeon? And now doesn¡¯t know if she should claim a new name, because being a dungeon is not the same as being a human?¡±
The ratling listed to the side as it listened before saying, ¡°Yez. Maker no-want iz hoo-maanz. Maker iz dun-jawn. Maker zee world. Maker traan. Maker no make maanz die. Maker traan. Traan maanz. Traan rat-ty. Traan Maker. No zea-el. Zee world.¡±
The fear let go. His light banished it, even hindered as she was by having to speak through a low sapient ratling. His light had always seemed to him to be like a caged hawk, yearning for the sky while forced by the jesses of family expectations and the weight of her obligations to remain hobbled in the courtyard. Could he blame her for seeing a chance to soar in the loss of her human body?
And how could he deny her that?
The ratling waited until he nodded to it and then continued leading them down corridors. Not many more, but A¡¯Ferun had been wrapped up enough in his thoughts and fears and now the bittersweet recognition of the happiness his light was grasping for to pay attention to the turns they had made. He would need to rely on Kinser or their ratling guide to quickly get them back to the portal out.
Two more ratlings came out of rooms and were followed by the four slaves ¡°lost¡± on the prior day¡¯s delve.
They froze, fear widening their eyes. Before anyone could do anything foolish, the ratling spokesman cried, ¡°Peaz! Good maanz! You zafe!¡±
The unsealed slaves bowed to A¡¯Ferun while shooting his guide nervous looks.
A¡¯Ferun assured them, ¡°As the little one says, peace. I¡¯m here to verify your safety, nothing more.¡±
The selkie eyed the slaves being carried by the dire rats. ¡°And them?¡±
¡°The dungeon¡¯s traps break the slave seals. There¡¯s always some kind of feedback from that, no matter who does it,¡± A¡¯Ferun said, assuming the selkie was nervous about the condition of this day¡¯s unsealed slaves.
¡°Help moof!¡± the new ratlings asked, and between those emancipated yesterday, A¡¯Ferun, Kinser, and the three present ratlings, the newly emancipated were brought into more 2.5 meter square rooms and placed into hammocks. The lupikin took over directing the new ratlings in triaging the newly emancipated and beginning to give them basic aid.
A¡¯Ferun waited until the immediate care was seen to, then asked, ¡°What do you need?¡± His gaze was mostly on the unsealed lupikin, but he did include with a glance the other freed slaves and the ratlings.
¡°Healing potions and numbing salves, or the ingredients to make some,¡± the lupikin quickly answered. ¡°These dead seals are a short walk to the hangman¡¯s noose otherwise. After that, just letting us off as freeman is the most I would dare ask.¡±
The ratling spokesman said, ¡°Plantz. Dun-jawn ¡ eat. Haz chanz traan make. Fiz.¡±
¡°Fizz? Like bubbles?¡± Kinser asked.
¡°No! Fiz!¡± It scampered off and returned with small, dead, finger length fish. ¡°Fiz!¡± it shared.
¡°Fish,¡± Kinser corrected.
A¡¯Ferun, looking thoughtful, first flicked a glance toward the emancipated former slaves, and changed his words. He asked, ¡°Does the dungeon have a chance to learn how to make anything brought onto the floors, or just plants and creatures?¡±
¡°Furz,¡± the ratling spokesman confirmed. Then its ears flickered and twitched. ¡°Bad hoo-maanz moof. You take? Make mu-tin-ee? Take all zlafe?¡±
A¡¯Ferun paused. That¡ª. He should have thought of that! ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take him. I did, after all, tell him to turn back, but he pressed on, causing the death of two freeman passengers of the Light of Volmar.¡±
The ratling¡¯s nose wrinkled and it washed its ears while moving its mouth a few times. Then it said, ¡°Hip Zhot. Zhip waz Hip Zhot.¡±
Most of the humans and the awake beast kin stilled. The selkie asked, ¡°Vinard the Ruthless¡¯s ship?¡±
¡°Yez. Bad Fin-ar die. Big boom! Maker zmart. Maker be-come Hip Zhot. Godz gife maker new life. Maker gife we new life. Maker break zea-el. Now iz Rat-ty iz big good. Zea-el hoo-maan life waz bad. Rat-ty no-big re-mem-berz.¡±
?AIDE!? Prime roared down their link.
?What??
?This!? she dragged their attention to the ratling who had been doing most of her talking so far.
?Oh,? Aide said. ?I wonder who they were before. It¡¯s just some ¡ª?
?Aide!? Prime snarled, cutting them off. ?Memories are more than just ¡°personality bits¡±. They are dangerous! How many of the pirates are now ratlings? Are they going to try to seize control of core again? This is a major problem!?
Coolly, Aide said, ?No, it isn¡¯t. All of our constructs have fail safes built into their mana bodies and every sigil that forms their flesh. They¡¯re prevented from going against the core¡¯s orders or seeking to harm the core.?
Prime didn¡¯t see the need to argue whether the problem was a problem. It needed to be fixed, regardless of Aide¡¯s blas¨¦ attitude. ?How do we scrub the memories??
?It¡¯s not necessary,? they said.
Prime stated, ?As the social expert, I¡¯m saying it is. Mechanistically, you may be right.? She conceded that to shut up any further protests down that line of arguments. ?Socially, this could turn us into Major Villains.?
Aide took a moment to weigh that, then let their exasperation fill the bond. ?Fine. You¡¯re going to have to dream through all the memory fragments that the personality bits around the core have clung to, though. I¡¯m just the meta-mana guy.?
Ignoring the passive-aggressive snark, Prime asked, ?When? I haven¡¯t slept yet, so when am I supposed to do this dreaming??
Aide blithely stated, ?The core goes into torpor when it bottoms out on mana. I¡¯ll just queue up the dreams.?
?Then start with the memories of our current defenders,? Prime directed.
She waited until A¡¯Ferun and Kinser had retrieved Rupear Big Nose and hauled him out. Then she pushed out all of the mana she could from their core into expanding the third floor. She had to steel her will to push on when she reached the core¡¯s soft bottom, but she managed it and soon fell into the oblivion of sleep.
Ch. 019
Smells flashed under Prime¡¯s noses, over her scales, around her gills, across her beaks. Each held significance, from the ¡°home¡± smell of sweat and musk through the comfort of liganberry puddings to the successes and failures wrapped up in the scent of blood and shit. Disjointed from the smells came faces, body shapes, scale patterns, and names. Tactile sensations also flitted by, but they were muted, and sounds might as well have been pantomimes for all that they registered.
Gradually, the flashes lengthen to include movements and those movements began to draw the disparate parts together, creating tableaus at first, which became scenes. Scenes connected and became minor narratives, revealing the stories of lives great and small. Thousands of rats and fish lives passed like blips, with the occasional cat, dog, bird, snake, and lizard. Those were simple for Prime to parse and set aside.
Then came the children. Few of those who had served as cabin boys on the Hip Shot had begun from happy homes and circumstances, and fewer still survived to reach adulthood. The children of the Hip Shot¡¯s victims nearly all shared the same fate that Captain Ruthless had visited upon N¡¯Kieran. As far as Prime could tell, for at least as long as the captured core had been bound to the Hip Shot, Captain Ruthless really had ensured there were no survivors to levy accusations of piracy at him. Not all of them had died so swiftly, though.
When she roused from torpor, she felt Aide hovering, concerning radiating through their bond.
?Are you okay?? they asked.
Prime turned the weight of her attention to her partner. The nightmares that the pirates had inflicted upon their victims hadn¡¯t been good by any definition. They also hadn¡¯t been to the levels of the Horror Worlds.
?Prime?? Aide prodded, making Prime realize that her partner was seeking reassurance.
She debated for a moment, then asked, ?How much did we get through??
?All the sub-sapient memory fragments, maybe 15% of what¡¯s gunking up around our core,? Aide quickly shared.
?And you¡¯re nervous, why?? Prime asked.
Aide slowly admitted, ?You triggered Mental Resistance in our Soul Space, and Hyper Processing.?
Those were both resource intensive Perks. ?How much do we need to cultivate to replenish ourselves??
?Let¡¯s not die for at least a decade,? Aide non-answered.
Prime considered that for a moment. ?Does that include the use of Bullet Time, too??
?Well, yes?? Aide felt like they were asking why it wouldn¡¯t.
?And we have a significant amount of sapient memories still to process? Is that factored into your ¡°don¡¯t die¡± analysis?¡±
Aide pushed back. ?I don¡¯t think you should do that again.?
?Then we need to come up with a different way to clean out the memories, because those have to be kept out of our constructs,? Prime declared.
Aide grumped, ?I don¡¯t see why.?
?Ask our Storyteller what happens when personalities hold onto memories as those materia cycle through a Story World. Ask where Breakers spawn. Hells bells, review our own ¡°save the story¡± assignments! Deja vu is a bad thing to let accumulate.?
Aide insisted, ?Memories shouldn¡¯t matter that much!?
?Where does Purpose begin?? Prime asked, trying a different tactic.
?No one¡¯s proven anything!? her partner hotly asserted. ?It¡¯s no reason for you to put yourself through this!?
?Then come up with another way,? Prime told him. ?Because one way or another, we will have to deal with that problem. Either our constructs will remember things that push the PLOT to throw Halos on us, or they will corrupt our core body with thousands upon millions of conflicting reactions if we don¡¯t deal with the memories. If you don¡¯t want me to have to sort the mire, come up with a better solution. Now, how long was I down??
?Just an evening. The slave trader was roused enough for his hirelings to bear witness to him trialed for mutiny, and his hanging death pulled you out of torpor. It also was mostly wasted since you weren¡¯t active in the core to direct the spillage.?
Prime mentally blinked, then felt like face palming. ?The core is my body in this incarnation, not ours. Odd-balls, that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been saying all the building is my job. It¡¯s the Role!?
?You¡¯re just realizing this?? Aide asked, dubious.
That got a chuckle from Prime. ?How much cultivating have I been doing? Using the core feels so much like puppeting a clone on a Cultivation World that I haven¡¯t had the visceral sensation of incarnating.?
?Well, fine. You should at least reset the dungeon and maybe get more stores for our second floor guests,? Aide prompted.
?Right. And what¡¯s A¡¯Ferun doing with the slaves that were still penned up?? Prime asked.
Captain desh Shalante hurried over to the Light of Volmar to witness Rupear Big Nose¡¯s trial and hanging. A¡¯Ferun kept a weather eye upon the man, but he made no protests when Big Nose confirmed under Acting Captain Goryven¡¯s Truth Compulsion that A¡¯Ferun had pressed him to turn back before the second hireling¡¯s death. That was enough to hold him responsible for the death, regardless whether that had been an order or just, as he tried to argue, a question if he was ¡°ready¡±.
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The Scholar Mages watched on with solemn faces, and it didn¡¯t take a Scholar to recognize their own dissatisfaction with the liberties Lusfal¡¯s maritime laws afforded their nobles, liberties that A¡¯Ferun would normally have disdained.
After the guilty verdict was affirmed by the ship¡¯s officers, A¡¯Ferun sent Kinser off to secure Big Nose¡¯s assets, especially his contracts, and ordered the two surviving hirelings to remain to watch the sentencing and subsequent hanging. When he finally released everyon to return to their business, the Wave Breaker¡¯s Captain requested a private word with the stone faced A¡¯Ferun.
A¡¯Ferun had no reason to deny him and a deep curiosity over what the captain intended. Through A¡¯Ferun was technically the highest ranked person between the two ships and the man the captain worked for, the cadets serving as the Light of Volmar¡¯s officers had come from the Wave Breaker. The Captain¡¯s influence was not to be underestimated.
When the cadet acting as Kinser¡¯s Under Steward served the brandy, Captain desh Shalante barely waited for them to be private before commenting, ¡°Your bondsman is unwell?¡±
¡°Occupied with other duties, through I appreciate your concern for Kinser¡¯s health. You wished to speak?¡±
¡°Is your despite of the slave trade so great you had to execute one our passengers over it?¡± the captain asked, his provoking words at odds with his neutral tone.
¡°Captain desh Shalante, it was not despite for slavery that earned Merchant Rupear a rope necklace. It was his despite for sapient lives. Were you aware that he provoked a challenge under the Coward¡¯s Law?¡± A¡¯Ferun was reasonably certain desh Shalante did know that, confirmed by the man¡¯s pursed lips and flat expression, quickly schooled back to neutrality.
¡°That being as it may, we are still left with the need to dispose of the slaves¡ª,¡± Captain desh Shalante began.
A¡¯Ferun cut him off. ¡°Part of what Kinser is doing is ascertaining what contracts Merchant Rupear Big Nose had for the slaves so we know who, if anyone, needs to be notified of the ten he lost in the Volmar Dungeon.¡±
¡°He contracted to have the slaves sent to Pimarantan,¡± the captain pointed out.
¡°And I recall you arguing that the contract shouldn¡¯t be canceled because he paid in advance, so the greater loss for you would be in having to complete the contract, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± A¡¯Ferun pointed out.
¡°Which might be offset for a handling fee, seeing as their handler is unable to complete the transit,¡± Captain desh Shalante rejoined.
¡°That depends on the contracts,¡± A Ferun stated.
There wasn¡¯t much more Captain desh Shalante could say to that, so instead he politely insisted, ¡°You will keep me informed?¡±
¡°Naturally,¡± A¡¯Ferun told the man.
After sending Captain desh Shalante back to his ship, A¡¯Ferun searched out Kinser. His bondsman was at the Steward¡¯s desk, studying the recently executed Merchant Rupear Big Nose¡¯s contracts box.
¡°What is there of note so far?¡± A¡¯Ferun asked.
¡°Spell traces on the box. If the Scholars could be trusted, I¡¯d want Scholar Ep¡¯hram to check it before I open it. Otherwise, he had a box of simple charms, most of low quality, but an uncommon quantity. I haven¡¯t searched through that box yet, but I¡¯m concerned the man was smuggling something in there. There were only coins in his money box, and I found no other stashes of goods within his cabin.¡± Kinser made his report while still studying the contracts box.
¡°I think the execution has made them too wary of my temper,¡± A¡¯Ferun said, grimacing at the consequences of the slaver¡¯s necessary death.
¡°Circumstances have certainly made things difficult,¡± Kinser agreed. ¡°Do you want me to attempt the opening?¡±
A¡¯Ferun debated for a moment, and listened to his gut. His instincts rarely led him wrongly, and they urged him now not to trust the Scholars with all of his secrets. ¡°Do so,¡± he ordered.
Kinser used the merchant¡¯s keys to unlock the contracts box, but he jiggled the key according to an odd rhythm. In fact, the other keys on the ring jangled together in a familiar labor song¡¯s tune.
The lid opened with a mild glow that gently faded to nothing.
¡°I think that was fine,¡± Kinser offered, his tone uncertain, even as he lifted the lid.
On top of the stack of contracts sat a scrying mirror.
¡°Well, shit,¡± A¡¯Ferun sighed.
¡°It might not be that bad,¡± Kinser said. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t get a message out.¡±
A¡¯Ferun didn¡¯t say anything.
Kinser moved the mirror to the side and laid it face down on the desk. He then pulled out the contracts and began to read through them.
After several minutes of sorting the documents, Kinser reported, ¡°These are all proof of origin for the slaves. They¡¯re all certified as war slaves. There¡¯s a letter of intent with the Pimarant Clearing Guild, but no contract for delivery.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll just need to get a writ confirming the seizure of the slaves when we get into port. We¡¯ll also need to get them properly manumitted once the seizure is confirmed. That leaves what to do with the ones that N¡¯Kieran¡¯s already freed. I¡¯m not even sure what legal wrangling may apply to them.¡±
¡°Lord,¡± Kinser spoke up with a soft voice. It was the tone he took when he didn¡¯t really want to say something, but still felt obliged to speak. A¡¯Ferun looked at his bondsman, almost dreading what the man would say, but Kinser didn¡¯t look up from the documents he had removed from the contracts box.
¡°Yes,¡± A¡¯Ferun prompted.
Kinser visibly swallowed, fortified himself with a deep breath, and then asked, ¡°Will the Lady be able to travel once we make port? If we do take her back to the Idahl, even if she weren¡¯t so very ¡ changed, will she have ever be free? And, well, now, can you honestly say that the Idahl would let her leave Lus¡¯Idahl?¡±
A¡¯Ferun sat down. He looked at the documents, not really seeing them as he contemplated those hard questions.
¡°We need to make port, and we were going to hire a new crew anyhow,¡± he said.
Kinser¡¯s expression soured, though he tried to look calm.
¡°You don¡¯t want us to keep on sailing, do you?¡± he asked.
¡°I think your father would be very disappointed in you,¡± Kinser said.
A fierce grin sharpened A¡¯Ferun¡¯s features. ¡°Then we change course and sail to Hiraltan. The crew we pick up there will be far more likely to be loyal, and getting the writ will be less bothersome. The slaves were the only cargo loaded onto the Light of Volmar; desh Shalante will be obliged by contract to continue on to Evanshold. We¡¯ll make arrangements as needed, and we¡¯re in a better position to equip the Light for air travel out of Hiraltan¡¯s port.¡±
Kinser blinked at A¡¯Ferun. ¡°And we¡¯ll justify the change in course how?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll use your own scrying token to report to my father, and he¡¯ll order us to Hiraltan,¡± A¡¯Ferun said.
Kinser flushed. ¡°You, ah, know about that?¡±
A¡¯Ferun gave his bondsman a droll look. ¡°My father isn¡¯t stupid.¡±
Captain desh Shalante did not take the news of the separation well, but Kinser¡¯s oath under the same Truth Ward that had convicted the slaver merchant meant he had no recourse. The orders of a city lord held greater sway than a city clan heir, and that same city clan heir outranked the captain he had hired. The slavers surviving hirelings were given the option to transfer to the Wave Breaker and continue to the city their passage had been booked for, or to remain on the Light of Volmar and sail down to Hiraltan. They opted for continuing to Evanshold.
Captain desh Shalante did request a change of crew, which A¡¯Ferun saw no need to refuse. It was to his benefit that the men most loyal to the captain went with him, but that did leave the Light with a very green crew. After all the crew were switched, they changed course, angling more severely southward.
Going on Hiatus
UPDATE 2023 March 27:
So, the project that derailed my time went on for way too long and has exhausted my brain. Sadly, it''s also got me scattered about where I was going with DCV. I took a rest this last weekend and read some more transmigration novels, which has sluggishly sparked an idea for a "Demon Lord Returns Home" story.
That premise is centered around the weirdness of being a Demon Lord restored to one''s original life, with a twist that the heroes summoned to [Generic Isekai World #23] are actually tricked into becoming pet demon lords until they rebel and another "hero" gets summoned to take their place. There''s more Story World shenanigans involved in the plotting there, which I have given myself permission to turn into stupid levels of fluffy face slapping brainless blah, so I''m letting that mellow my brain for a little, and will hopefully either have a full story arc in that story to share, or bounce enough ideas around to get back to DCV here shortly.
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This is just a note to let you all know that today''s chapter is delayed. I''ve had another project that''s been derailing my time, and the chapter''s not ready to post. Not gonna lie, it''s been weird to be both excited for the work and frustrated for not getting to keep up with my regular writing.
In the meantime, might I suggest taking a look at Dungeon 42?
Synopsis:
Things go awry when the forces of chaos recruit a new Dungeon Master. From underpaid pseudo taxi driver to underground murder labyrinth builder, one young ladies'' life is getting flip turned upside down!
I''ve found it be a fun read, it''s been ongoing for 2 years now, and as of this posting, updated within the last day.