CHAPTER 269 – COMMUNICATION PAIN
The presumed member of the healing race continued to act like a rock as Tom approached. He was impressed.
It had to know it had been discovered, but it wasn’t moving even slightly. Behind him, Everlyn had shifted to ensure she had a line of sight on the creature he was approaching. The arrow she had strung glowed brightly with magic. With that much energy packed into it, he was sure it would hurt the creature. This was Everlyn he was thinking about. With her high levels of identification, she would know the strengths and weaknesses of the creature he was heading toward.
More and more details became apparent as he closed the distance. It was more lazing crocodile than slime, or possibly a sleeping slug. Its anatomy was alien to Earth, a singular mass without limbs, fins or anything that indicated movement. Even snakes had an aerodynamic head. This had nothing. The description of a slug or a vegetable was the best he could come up with. Maybe it could move by elongation, but Tom doubted that was the case. Most likely it was like that massive whale type creature he destroyed with his meteorites. Something that had evolved in a magical world and developed nothing extra to aid its locomotion. Apart from its skin that had distinct patches that resembled finger nail sized scales, it had no features other than a long slit that he interpreted to be a mouth. There were no ears, eyes, antennae present, just the same strange skin.
He continued to walk.
Twenty metres away, it reacted.
Tom froze as it lifted off the ground. Not be a lot, but it still rose ten centimetres and there were no limbs visible. It had done it with magic as he had expected.
The air hummed. “Strange one. Salutations to you, I mean no mischief.”
Tom regarded the creature and considered how to respond. He remembered snatches of his True Dream. “Will you take me to a larger one?”
“No.” The word was said with absolute finality.
He licked his lips. He had known this was coming, but there was honestly little he could do to prepare himself. The healing race was so alien to him that there was no way for his brain to know how to phrase his questions to not give offense. The other races were less of an issue in that regard. They were all far more likely to kill him, but Tom understood how they thought, at least at some levels. The person in front of him not so much. He was both more lost and safer when talking to this species. “We’ve completed the zone quest on your behalf.”
“Strange one. We welcome your courtesy.”
“We?” Tom asked sceptically.
“The ‘we’ was a majestic plural, strange one.”
It had not said those specific words. The royal we concept had to be exclusive to earth royalty. He couldn’t imagine it being used in other cultures, especially one that was partially communal. He was certain that what the alien had said, on a literal level, was quite different from what he had heard. However, there was no way for him to tell. The system had translated, and there was no independent method to verify it was accurate. It was better to trust in the simple fact that it had no reason to lie to him. Briefly he considered asking it if it was royalty, but then discarded the idea. He would look like an idiot once the translations were done.
There was an awkward silence. Tom cleared his throat. “You should ally with us because you won’t make it through the trial without aid.”
“Mysterious one. I hold a superior rank. If you thrive, then I will too.”
He snorted at that. “This is not about strength. I know your religious or core beliefs, or whatever the term was, stopped you from completing the kill quest in this zone. They will stop you in future zones as well.”
“Obstinate one. What a bizarre declaration. We have only recently joined in dialogue. There has been no opportunity to draw philosophical insights. I forgive your presumptions and can assure you that there is no edict, or geas which could prevent me from finishing the zones.”
The words were delivered with absolute conviction. They as a race might find killing sapients or near sapients abhorrent, but they clearly had no edicts about lying. The sapient opposite him had been doing so since the, we slip up.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Tom.” He tapped his chest. “And I possess a skill that informed me of your plight. We crossed six zones to get here and save you before the layer collapses.”
“Strange one. The intention is honoured, but it was unnecessary.”
“It was required,” Tom interrupted. “You and I both know it, even if you wish me to believe otherwise. You’re getting us off on the wrong foot.” Briefly, he wondered how the system would translate that idiom to a race that didn’t have the concept of limbs. It wouldn’t be able to be decoded literally because he suspected they physically lacked the words. Would the other person be hearing something like accidentally dripping slime? And if it did, would that have the same intended meaning? Or did the system translate the intent of what he was trying to convey? Tom decided that he would refrain from using them in the future.
“Bizarre one. Are we not at odds? Are you not a competitor race? Shouldn’t you be killing me rather than prying me for carefully kept secrets?”
“I’m not going to do that. I won’t kill you or any of your kind.”
The creature he was talking to rose higher in response to his words.
“Interesting one, why not?”
Tom mentally raised an eyebrow at his change in title. “Just because the GODs pit us against each other doesn’t mean we need to resort to barbaric behaviour. We can compete for ranking points without killing each other. I want to make sure you live through this trial.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
It sunk towards the ground until it was barely levitating.
“Strange one, that was your first lie and a bad one to be caught on.”
Tom winced. Did he want them to live? He guessed he didn’t care that much. He would be happy if they survived, but he wouldn’t really care if they died. In some ways, all of them dying would be a relief as it made it more likely humans would get a high position on the ladder. “Only half a lie,” he clarified. “I’ll be happy if you make it through. I also believe your survival is necessary for humans to be successful in this trial. Additionally, I have no desire to kill any of the good or balanced competitor races. The terror races.” His eyes hardened. “I’ll do everything I can to stop them from leaving this place. The sooner they die, the better.”
The strange creature rose to its previous height, about a metre off the ground. If he hadn’t seen the whale monster having a similar ability, Tom would have been shocked by the casual display of magic. Instead, he envisaged it like it was a hot-air balloon that was capable of lifting things. He didn’t need to know anymore about it.
“Strange one, I won’t condone the destruction of sapient races.”
“I know,” he scratched his head. “And sorry for raising it. I know the conviction your race has. We won’t kill any sapients near you. In fact, none of us will ask you guys to kill at all. We’ll shepherd you through the zones that you can’t clear yourself.”
“Odd one. You’re claimed understanding of our species is lacking. We’re fine with killing, providing the sentience level is below a certain point.”
“We won’t try to force you to kill anything you’re uncomfortable with. Listen, I know there is more than one of you.” Tom watched, and it lowered slightly before returning to the same level as before. Apparently, it trusted him. “I’m also aware that theoretically we have half a day before this ring collapses, but I would like to leave well before then. Can we collect the rest of your group and leave?”
It hummed. “Strange Tom, it is done. They have been summoned. Now I need to…” Its attention was no longer on him.
With a burst of some magic, it shot around him and toward the others. It went from standstill to Usain Bolt full blooded sprint instantly. “Don’t attack it.” Tom yelled at them as he raced after the suddenly incredibly fast healer.
He was way too slow. It reached the others before he had taken three strides. Tom tensed for everything to go to hell, but it didn’t. The weird creature stopped in front of Keikain.
“Dying one. What happened to you?”
Keikain froze and threw Tom a look.
“Splintered soul, cursed being. How did this happen to you?”
“It was a mistake.” The earth mage admitted.
“Dying one, this is not an error, it is an abomination. How are your companions still alive? How are you functioning in this state?”
Keikain swallowed hard. “It’s not that critical.”
“Cursed being, how?” The humming sound in the air conveyed immense sadness.
Abruptly, others of the healers appeared. The one he had been speaking to was mid-sized. There were five its size, three significantly larger, more like a hippo than a cow, and two that appeared to be children. Tom did not assume that was the case. He knew one of the bigger ones was a spiritual counsellor from the dreams, but he had no understanding of their life cycle. They might get big and then tiny and the small creatures might be the leaders.
He had seen stranger things in the tutorial.
The largest of them moved to in front of the one Tom had been speaking too. “Smaller one, your instincts do you credit. What the dying one suffers is a gift and a curse from the GODs. A terrible infliction no matter how you spin it.”
“I can’t get rid of it,” Keikain said hurriedly. “I’m unable to remove it, no matter how much I try. Clare is affected too.”
“Dying one, did you infect her or she you?” The creature Tom had been initially chatting with inquired.
“Neither, this was applied by a GOD.”
“Cursed dying soul. It is pleasurable to hear that the problem is not spreading. It is not up to this one to judge a deity’s actions.”
“You are healers. Can you fix this?” Tom asked.
A purring noise filled the area as they all communicated together. On one level, the automatic translation should have worked. Practically having been exposed to these creatures via his dreams, Tom knew that wouldn’t be possible. The method utilised was so advanced, the minds so comfortable with multitasking, with the number of ideas being exchanged so massive that he wouldn’t have been able to understand it. Even if it was all done in English.
Minutes passed as none of the humans said anything. They were clearly debating the Keikain and Clare issue as the pitch and tone changed. There was protocol around the placement of their bodies. Before one started humming, it would move closer to another of their kind.
The noise that had been making the hairs on the back of his arm rise ceased abruptly.
The largest of the creatures moved closer to Tom, positioning itself dead in front of him. “Clear speaking Tom, we appreciate the honesty of your address and we recognise your desire to heal your soul damaged companions, but the infliction they suffer has been woven in with the essence of who they are. There are bloodlines that might be able to suppress the curse, but we do not have access to anything like that. For the time being, the continued sane life of your buddies requires the regular death of other sapients to be maintained.”
“It would be unfortunate if they died.” Tom stated, choosing his words carefully.
“Compassionate Tom, we agree. But to save them will require the consumption of a tier eight or higher blood line.”
“Is there a way other that what I already know to buy us time?” Tom asked.
The humming started up and once more they did the strange dance of continual repositioning to communicate their view point. When it was over, the one that had greeted him moved away from the rest, vibrating contentedly.
“Manipulative Tom.” Tom flinched at the title it had given him. “There is a spell we can enact to achieve this. However, it will take time to prepare. Our smaller one will be leading the spell.” The huge mass shifted and repositioned to face the one that had separated from the others. Then it returned to be in front of Tom once more. “It will be penance for the smaller one’s previous actions.”
Tom glanced at the creature in question. It was happily humming. “Penance?”
“Leader Tom, I did not misspeak. The smaller one must make amends for past thoughts and actions. Do not stress the solution will buy your dying ones months, during which time the descent of madness will be pushed away. Now shall we depart this layer?”
“Um, certainly, but can I ask some questions?”
“Inquisitive Tom, please ask, but try to request only that which can be answered with brevity.”
“Do you have names?”
“Inquisitive Tom. We do not, but your culture does. You may call our race SANATIO’S Chosen. As for your need for individual titles, we do not possess them. You can refer to me as Elder and…” he shifted to be positioned in front of the second largest of the Sanatio’s Chosen. “Second elder,” he moved again. “Third elder, smallest. Nearly smallest.”
He stopped. None of the others were named. “The middles should not have any need to speak to you and if they have to, then they will nominate their own term of address.”
“Middle, second middle, third…?”
There was a noise his brain interpreted as a chuckle even though it was almost too high pitched for him to hear. The translator program was weird. He had to admit that. “Funny Tom, that is exactly what their names will be. I understand other competitors and natives appreciate a personalised name which might be random or related to their profession. Santio’s chosen do not. Now let us be off to the next zone.”
“Fighting,” Tom interrupted. “Can you help us?”
The elder paused. “Practical Tom, we will aid you unless you are fighting sapient monsters. Our aid will include shields and healing. If the monsters lack any form of sapience or high levelled sentience, then we will contribute more directly with damage spells. Do not underrate the value of our contributions. We are a force multiplier against the armies of the brain dead.”
“Well then Elder, largest one. Welcome to the team.”