The rodent girl in the white track suit stared at me levelly for a while. She said, “You are a very difficult woman to work with. What’s even more frustrating is that you somehow make wild leaps of logic that prove to be correct. I am watching your thoughts, and I can’t figure out how you do it. So be it. What are you choosing for your primary power?”
“Why do I need to say it? You can read my mind.”
Muffin rolled her eyes and twitched her nose. “Because I cannot make any official changes unless you give me your choices out loud. I actually think this system is an antiquated and outdated failsafe, but I didn’t create the rules. I just facilitate them.”
I shrugged and said, “Fine. I choose Vibration.”
“Why Vibration? I urge you to reconsider. It’s a terrible choice for your short-term survival, much less for a primary power.”
“Maybe,” I said, shrugging. “I almost died already, though. Well, sort of. I just kept thinking about my fight with the orb-Bonded before. He was wearing heavy armor. In the book, the entry for Vibration was:
Vibration
Enhanced cutting potential and other vibration-based abilities
In that fight, I definitely could have used more cutting power.”
The ra—capybara girl absently moved her hand-paw in a circular motion. “You don’t have any decent weapons, though. This power is wasted on you now.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t ever have good weapons. Plus, and more importantly, lots of other powers require Endurance 1. I checked really careful, and it looks like Vibration 1 actually comes with Endurance 1. Meanwhile, if I bought Vibration as a power on its own, I’d have to already have Endurance 1 first. Vibration as a primary power actually gives me another power for free!”
“Well, it’s not exactly free,” groused the AI. “Endurance 1 is not a very expensive power, 2 points, and it’s...anyway. Fine, you made your point.”
“I really needed Endurance 1 for other powers I wanted, and this choice lets me get the most from my points. If I survive working with Duanna, I want to have powers that fit me well, that I wanted. And if I don’t survive, it won’t matter anyway.”
Muffin put a paw over her face, her eyes closed. “Once again, I cannot refute your logic, but you are still so very, very wrong. What else are you choosing?”
“I want Toughness (Rank 1, 2 points), the one that gives both enhanced body durability and a passive healing ability. I also want Strength (Rank 1, 1 point), Speed (Rank 1, 1 point), Flight (Rank 1, 4 points)—
“Flight? Still? Really? That is one of the absolute worst ability choices for you. I even crossed it out in multiple colors in the book.”
I shrugged, completely unaffected by Muffin’s tone and mannerisms. In fact, annoying the capybara was proving entertaining. Stuff her, her superior attitude, and her stupid hat, I thought. Out loud I said, “I’ve always wanted to fly. The birds are free. If you can fly, you can see everything, plan for things. I would give anything for that, and I am not passing up an opportunity to try.”
Muffin shook her head. “You could always choose it later, though. If you survive, you can—”
“I don’t care,” I said, setting my jaw. “This is my life. The only person I ever truly trusted is dead. But I made her a promise, and I am going to honor it the best way I know how.”
Muffin rubbed the fur on her cheek and asked, “What else are you choosing then? And for your information, this hat is extremely stylish.”
I ignored the remark about her hat and said, “I also want Etiquette (Rank 1, 1 point), and...Duanna Boon (1 point).”
“I have no idea what the Duanna Boon is or what it does.”
“I figured. There is no description in the book,” I said.
“I seriously don’t know what that power is for, and won’t until you do. As for you, you will find out when you wake up. It will be part of any notifications you receive about new powers.”
“Well, that’s helpful,” I said with a smile. The capybara girl just glared at me, so I said, “That’s it for my picks.”
“Yes, your choices add up to ten points. But why did you choose Etiquette 1?”
This time I shrugged a bit uncomfortably. It felt weird to talk about my past. “When I was a girl I learned a few manners. I realize that I don’t know where my life may take me now. The description for Etiquette in the book made it sound like facts and knowledge would pop into my head if I needed them. I’ve been living on the street or in a gang for most of my life. Knowing some manners couldn’t hurt any.”
Muffin looked at the ceiling for a second. Then she walked to a wall, her footsteps heavy, before gently hitting her head against a bookcase a few times. She rested her forehead on a shelf and said, “That is all well and good, but it doesn’t help you survive the next week. Do you remember that Enheduanna is going to give you orders as soon as you wake up?”
“Yes, but these are my choices.”
“So be it. Fine.” Muffin turned and gestured, her expression firm. She said, “I’m torn. You irritate me at a fundamental level, and I loathe this task. However, I hope that you survive. If you do, I will see you again. I’d ask you not to do anything stupid, but that would be pointless. Just please...try not to die.”
“Always,” I said with a slight grin. Suddenly, my stomach dropped to the floor and I felt like I was falling. My childhood home grew smaller, like a retreating picture, and faded to a dot in the distance. I was surrounded by endless, inky blackness before I knew no more.
Marching Orders
I’d expected to wake up in a great deal of pain, probably lying in the middle of the road like I’d been when the orb had knocked me out. Instead, I regained consciousness in complete darkness...but I actually felt great. In fact, other than being stiff, I physically felt better than I ever had in my life.
Soil and what felt like moldy sticks crunched beneath me. The sensations were the only way I could be sure I was actually awake since there was no light anywhere. Suddenly, knowledge flowed into my mind, and I jerked back startled. The sensation was a bit like randomly remembering something you had to do, but instead of a task, it was lots of information all at once.
The messages were all related to my orb, of course, and they were like pages of text I could read in my mind. I’d never experienced anything like it before. I scrolled through the messages, looking for one in particular. Then I found it:
Congratulations on choosing Duanna Boon within your modular Enheduanna orb interface!
This secret ability is a one-time favor from Endeduanna herself! Since you spent one full point, rest assured that Enheduanna will upgrade any item you present to her and what she gives you in return will be a higher quality item. For instance, if you asked High Priestess Enheduanna to switch out a bronze sword, she may present you with a blessed steel sword!
In the words of Great God Dolos, you are entitled to a ‘loot reroll!’
If you mentally call up this message again, you will find a red button. Simply push the button in your mind, wait for Enheduanna to appear, and ask her to honor your Duanna Boon!
Note: This ability can be chosen again, but Enheduanna is a very busy High Priestess and will not want to be called multiple times. Choose to spend a point on this ability again at your own risk.
Lying there in the darkness, I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t been sure what the Duanna Boon would do, but I definitely hadn’t been expecting an item exchange. After that, I skimmed through the other information in my brain but other than generalities, I didn’t see much more about my new abilities.
Speed, endurance, strength, and toughness, I could pretty much figure out my physical upgrades. My Vibration and Flight abilities had me most excited. Unfortunately, the only information I got on them was a set of very basic instructions for both abilities.
My new powers could wait, though. I needed to figure out why my surroundings were pitch black and the air felt heavy. Tentatively reaching up, I encountered solid earth.
After some fumbling around, I realized that I was surrounded by hard-packed dirt. The air was starting to get stuffy, too. I must not have been breathing much while I was hanging out with my ra—capybara helper.
The near-slip made me look around wildly in the dark. I wasn’t sure if Muffin could still read my thoughts, but I decided not to take any chances.
The dirt above me was very firm. I tried pushing, but it didn’t move. Well, time to test out this new strength, I thought. Honestly, I was really curious about my new limits anyway. I’d always been strong, stronger than a lot of men, even. I guess that was my tradeoff for being shaped like a block. It had never bothered me, though. I’d rather be ugly and alive than dead and beautiful.
The face of the strange girl that Yvadne had killed back in Bittertown flashed through my mind. She’d likely been from another world, completely confused. Powerless. Her death had disturbed me then, and it still disturbed me now. I would never be like that.
I reared my fist back as far as it would go, basically resting on my shoulder, and punched forward with all my strength. The strike was far more powerful than it would have been before, and my eyebrows climbed into my hairline as my entire arm shot up through the hard-packed earth. Well, that turned out well.
A few minutes later, I escaped my confines and discovered that I’d been buried. Enheduanna had dug a hole, then dug a tunnel, put me in the tunnel, and sealed the hole. Now that I was standing on solid ground, I could see how she’d done it. As to why, I figured that out when I saw the rising sun. It wasn’t exactly the wilderness, but I was still in monster country. Lying on the ground in the middle of the road probably would not have ended well, and I’d been unconscious at least through the night.
A huge rock nearby had been chopped through cleanly, like a hot blade through wax, and words were carved in the stone. The shapes were bizarre. It looked like someone had written the note with their finger...in solid stone. Maybe they had.
Read the note in your pocket—it read.
In front of the carved stone was a single shiv lying on the ground. I absently picked it up and examined it, noticing that it was mine. I’d carved my symbol in the handle. Shaking my, head, I secured the weapon in its horizontal belt sheath.
I felt great, but my mind was still full of cobwebs. For a few moments, I just stared at the large, carved rock before shaking myself out of my daze. Then I checked my pocket, and sure enough, there was folded paper in there. I rubbed my face and decided the letter could wait. My clothing had seen better days, I was covered in dirt, and I was still getting my bearings.
My skin was whole, but the hole over my stomach where it’d been impaled remained. I didn’t really want to think about the letter just yet.
A warm, summer breeze caressed my skin as I ambled towards the thinning treetops, and towards the road. The loamy soil smelled pleasant, and I could spot dozens of edible plants as I walked. Ludus was dangerous, but at least there was plenty to eat. Most people didn’t like the taste of the wild, edible plants, but they didn’t bother me.
My mind wandered as my feet carried me forward, my muscles unlimbering. Then I reached the edge of the treeline, and my jaw dropped.
Nothing was there anymore. The entire area where I’d been defeated, where Durben had been killed, where Enheduanna had killed a monster...it was just gone. A huge crater existed now where the road used to be.
Poor Durben. I felt a pang of sadness, another addition to the sea of the emotion that I’d been holding at bay. Durben had joined the ranks of those I would avenge. Arren, Gaanal...even crazy Yvadne, I blamed their deaths on Lisa. I would have my revenge, and I also had to fulfill my promise to Arren. Now that I thought about it, staying alive and figuring out my new orb-granted abilities should probably be my first priority. Now that I was orb-Bonded, I felt a lot more confident than I had while just running from Bittertown.
Now I could do anything.
The ruined road made me nervous, though. I wet my lips with my tongue and said out loud, “I guess I should read that note.” Mechanically, I placed one foot in front of the other, heading back in the general direction of civilization. As I walked, I kept an eye out for any other weapons or anything useful around the crater, but I didn’t see anything. With a frown, I fished the note out of my pocket and almost dropped two small envelopes that had been inside of it.
One envelope had an “X” written on it, and the other had an “O.” Both were sealed. I shrugged and put the envelopes back in my pocket, then opened and read the note. It read:
Nora,
Congratulations on becoming orb-Bonded, and accepting the position as one of my greatest research subjects!
I would comment on the choices you made for your powers, but that would be contaminating your data. After all, the orb you swallowed is meant to elevate soldiers without any hand holding! Hopefully, you won’t make any upgrade decisions that are too stupid as long as you remain alive.
However, I can say I am very pleased that you chose a Duanna Boon! It is great to know that you also feel we’ve already become such great friends! As the first ‘Bonded to ever make this choice, I promise to make the experience extra special! However, if you ever choose it again, and you call me at an inconvenient time, I might kill you, though. That would be a shame, so let’s do this only once, okay?
After reading that, I stopped walking for a moment, blinking and looking off into the distance. Maybe I needed to prioritize my adjustment to working for a crazy High Priestess. Making a misstep with her would probably kill me faster than any monster...or bounty hunter.
I shook my head and began walking again, turning my attention back to the note. It said:
You are now my protégé for three years. For much of that time, you will be left to your own devices, free to live your own life. However, there will be times that I give you orders. This is one of those times.
Your orders are to head to Soron, a small town between Bittertown and Mensk. In Soron, you will find two Terrans from earth, Christopher Santos and Jessica Porter. You will give Christopher the envelope marked with an X, and Jessica the letter marked with an O.
Once the letters are delivered, several developments will occur. If things go the way I expect, both Terrans will follow you willingly. Lead them to Hell’s Favor, the most dangerous adventuring area in Tolstey.
Near Hell’s Favor, find Throat of the Sea, a dungeon I have mapped out on the back of this piece of paper. Among this dungeon’s treasure are two Duanna orbs. You will give them to Christopher and Jessica.
Easy, right? Have fun and good luck! Kill lots of things! I need that data!
Oh, and don’t wait too long! You only have about three weeks until the airship leaves from Mensk for Tolstey. After that, it’ll be another six months until you can travel again. This is unacceptable. If you fail at this first, simple task, I will have to send you to the Wild Lands.
It’s a good thing you enjoy this sort of thing, right? Please don’t die!
PS. I destroyed all the evidence of your fight with the bounty hunters, and I doubt anyone will think you survived. At least for a while, all of your enemies should believe you are dead.
-Duanna
There was a smiley face drawn under the demigoddess’ signature, and that was the end of the note. I dropped my arm limply to my side and stared up at the sky for a moment, my mind just going blank. Then I thundered, “An airship to Tolstey? How in the rotting fuck am I supposed to afford that? I don’t even have any food left! You blew up my pack, you crazy bitch! There is a big rotting crater where the road used to be! Somebody just might just think the entire rotting road disappearing is a little strange!”
I screamed and kicked a rock in the road, wildly stomping up and down while I flailed my arms. The sea of emotion I was holding at bay threatened to break the walls holding it back. Luckily, I managed to keep most of it bottled up, but it had been a close thing. I really couldn’t be losing my mind or my reason in monster country, especially now tha
t I knew about my new time limit.
“Why is nothing ever easy?” I wailed.
Procurement Plans
A half day later, the sun was high above me, tracking across the sky from west to east. I was still upset, but I’d been forming a plan. Planning wasn’t exactly one of my strengths, but figuring out next steps was making me feel better about my situation.
A few things stood out in my mind; I needed basics like clothing, money, and a decent weapon. I also needed to learn how to use my ‘Bonded abilities. If I were attacked again, being a faster, stronger version of myself was already good, but I really needed every advantage I could get.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I might have no choice but to engage in some petty theft. Damn. I didn’t consider myself a thief, and I hated the necessity. When I’d been a little girl, before I’d joined the Jackals and before...Lisa, I’d had to steal a few times. The Ludus countryside was full of edible plants, but going out far enough to harvest them was dangerous.
As a result, the bad tasting, native Ludus plants and fruit were cheaper than actual wheat and things that farmers grew, but not free. For a penniless orphan girl, my choices had been to steal or starve. Thinking of the native plants, I reached down and grabbed a bakgava root, a type of fern with bulb under the ground and a crunchy stalk. My father had always said they tasted like a celery stalk if the celery was made of battery acid.
They weren’t great, but I didn’t think they were terrible. This one was even extra crunchy.
At least out in the wilds I wouldn’t starve, which was a plus. As I munched on my bakgava, I started scanning the sky and the forest around me for any signs of human habitation.
I got a bit of luck when I saw some smoke on the horizon. It looked like the smoke was coming from the fringe of civilization, right where monster country began. I grinned. There were always people on Ludus willing to brave the monster-infested world for a better life. Settling down right on the edge of the wilderness where monster attacks were less common, but food and freedom were more plentiful was not exactly uncommon, especially for women. Actually, it was most common for people like me, women who would probably never be married and didn’t have any skills for a real job.
Mitigating Risk (Nora Hazard Book 1) Page 7