Born a Monster

Chapter 62

Lost in Vengeance

Remember when Madonna warned me about Gamilla being too close to my finances? Madonna sure did.

Remember when I actually hit Madonna for the cost of three dresses? Madonna sure did.

Remember when I didn’t get a full accounting of where our funds were going? Actually, I remember several late nights of figuring exactly that out.

“The largest single investment of our coin is in Neo Esteban, the Sea-Sprite’s Outrage.” I said. “She might not make a mad dash for it, but she’ll want to be there for winter.”

.....

“Or before winter.” Madonna said. “If she can get the ship mobile, she can literally outrun us.”

I sighed. “While I live, the loan is in my name. She won’t risk going to jail over this.”

“Rhishi,” Kismet said, “You don’t understand. She took everything, including your copy of the diplomacy papers.”

“That shouldn’t be possible.” I said, checking my System. “But, I verify that’s what’s happened.”

I dodged Madonna’s swipe at my head. “No secrets?” she asked.

“Blackfur doesn’t understand why coins have value to us.”

“Greed.” Madonna told her, “Human greed is beyond measure. Just knowing other people want those coins gives them value.”

I sent to her.

She snuffled, and wandered off.

I sent.

“All right, why? She had all the power, anyway, without the responsibility.”

“We, uhm...” Kismet looked away, “We may have thought you were dying.”

“I can understand that,” I said, “I’ve got mental and emotional injuries, some of which seem to be caused by NOT having been slain.”

“And there were things you said.” Madonna reminded me.

“What DID I say that set her off?”

“Ha!”

“Donna, no, it’s too soon.” Kismet said.

Madonna ignored her. “If I could, I’d give up my other arm to save Narces, or to bring him back. I’d do the same for you.”

“I think it was kinda noble.” Kismet said.

“I think it was a show of weakness.” Madonna said. “I’d have left if I weren’t bound to you by...”

“Do you want to dissolve the contract between us?”

“What? No! I need... You ass. No, I’m not letting you go that easily, husband. You’re stuck with me.”

“Kismet, do you...”

“Finish that sentence. I know you can fricking grow back eyeballs.”

“Well, then. Madonna, do you have a bond to Dimmihammas?”

“He’s not dead, if that’s what you’re asking. But no. That... a few days ago, that broke my contract with him. He’s free and loose in the mortal world, now.”

“Is he hostile? Should we be prepared to exorcise him?”

Madonna poked the campfire for a bit.

“I don’t know.” She said. “It depends how he behaves, or perhaps how he doesn’t behave.”

“Okay, that’s something we won’t know until we head back.”

“Why are we heading back?” Kismet asked.

“Not THIS again.” Madonna said.

“What this again?” I asked.

“Well...” she tapped her fingertips together. “People here just suck. We’ve just lost our warriors, or those the Norvik would see as warriors. The rest of us aren’t even regarded as adults, here.”

I scratched my nose (after an attempt with the right hand I no longer had), and the scales split with a barely audible crack.

“Oh. Awug. THAT feels so much better...”

Madonna was staring at me. “That looks agonizing.”

“Nah, he goes through that every spring that I’ve known him.”

Not all truths need to be spoken. Honestly, it seemed that I’d known Kismet for... well, I guess I had known her more than half my life, at that point.

“So what solution are you proposing, Kismet?”

“I mean, we should be out here making wooden traps and otherwise arranging hunting accidents. It’s only a matter of time until they...”

[Goal achieved! Slay Sindre Eriksen, five quest points have been added to your quest award. Complete the quest to receive quest points.]

“..organize... WHAT THE HELL?”

Madonna snorted. “I would guess someone said or did something they weren’t supposed to.”

“Oh, gods. Kismet, was she out of emotional control?”

“Maaybee...”

I blinked.

“Okay! We were all on or past the emotional ropes. Bad decisions were made. Nobody is to blame.”

“I still blame you.” Madonna said to me.

“Donna!”

I raised my stump, tried waving my non-existent hand. “It’s nothing I haven’t considered.” I said. “I have more than my fair share of guilt associated with what happened.”

“We all feel that way.” Kismet said.

“Guilt is over-rated.” Madonna said. “I’m done with it for now.”

Kismet did a reasonable impersonation of Madonna’s voice. “Oh husband, don’t die. You can still flog me with your off hand. Your soul has so very many more sins to bathe in before it’s tempered enough for my purposes.” She batted her eyes at me.

Madonna turned her head and spat, as though to ward off bad luck. “I was emotionally distraught. Clearly I didn’t know WHAT I was saying.”

“I’m sorry that I made everyone go through Narces’ funeral without me.”

“Did you at least get to say goodbye in your dreams?” Kismet asked.

“I don’t remember. I don’t think it works that way. My mind is bent around itself right now.”

Actually, most of my mana meters were resting at below half. I needed a day to just go around and pull energies into myself.

“I’ve got... a bit of time before I can even start regrowing my limb. I’d need to just... actually, I could do it with just grass, but I’d rather not. Any way we go about it, there’s a lot of eating involved.”

“Sure, let’s talk about hunting.” I said.

“I nominate our classed Hunter.” Madonna said. “All who agree, raise one hand. People who object, raise two.”

“I have a knife and a wood axe. My Flavian seems to have gone missing.”

Kismet muttered something under her breath.

“But I can make basic traps, and teach both of you how to set and check them.”

A little later, I added. “Blackfur would like for us to use the area of the woods she has set up for what she calls the playful hunt.”

“Rhishi, how long until you can make a basic shortbow?”

“A while.” I admitted. “It really depends how much wood there is... and my missing hand isn’t helping any. How close are you to gaining Swordswoman?”

“It’s in the early forties. Most stuff I do to gain that class ends up gaining XP for Brawler.”

Well, I had the same problem with Pankratios stealing warrior-type XP, I was only 16/100 of the way to first level Swordsman. And my Axeman was 2/100, so ... yeah, not counting on getting a new warrior class any time soon.

“I want a crossbow, even if it’s all wood and bone.” Madonna said.

“I should be mostly healed by the time we’re ready for that.”

.....

In the dirt, we drew up plans, sorted priority lists, and generally confused and bewildered Blackfur.

“Oh, and you need to get better at brewing healing potions.” Madonna said. “For that matter, learn a few healing SPELLS. Haven’t you unlocked second tier magics, yet?”

“Uh... nah, let’s focus on food first. How much do eight Fenris cubs eat?”

“She says they’ll eat about enough for three adults.”

“Well, that’s not helpful.” Madonna said. “How much does an adult Fenris eat?”

We were all surprised by the answer.

“Oh.” Said Kismet. “So... we’re near the ocean, any chance we can weave fishing nets from the fibers found under bark?”

“Oh, no.” Madonna said, “This is sounding like entirely too much work.”

“Surviving in the wild is a lot of work.” I said. “So be prepared for a fifteen to twenty five percent increase in the nutrition you need, and fifty percent on a hard day.”

“THOSE are gonna come more frequently than I like.” Kismet grumbled.

“I repeat the obvious statement that this is a dumb plan.” Madonna said.

“You prefer living in an orphanage?” I asked. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t end up as slaves.”

“I could do a lot of damage to this society from inside an orphanage.” Madonna said. “Less so as a slave. So how do we avoid that?”

“First,” I said, “We finish our plans for overthrowing the current Jarl.”

Madonna smiled. “I like how you think.”

#