Chapter 109 The Follies of Pride.
Pride and abundancy is survival biggest enemy.
Pride leads to overconfident and death.
Abundancy leads to complacency and decay.
Do not let your ego be the price of your life.
Do not let your riches be the rot of your family.
Tonisha, the Lady of Ventures.
No! Until this very moment, I didn’t realize how important Balgrum is to me. He isn’t Lezere, but he’s her family, her father. Losing him is almost like losing Lezere all over again.
I stare dumbfounded at the bulge in the snake’s body, hoping for Balgrum to break out of there like the heroes from the stories who tear the monster out from the inside. But the bulge slides down the serpent’s throat. The snake hisses and looks at the orcs from above, letting out its forked tongue to smell the air. Pleased with itself.
*Woooosh!*
An arrow lodges itself in the snake’s violet eye, it goes all the way through, and only the feathers stick out. The serpent stiffens, then collapses with a loud thud. Berthold instinctively fixes another arrow on his string, the expression on his face tells me he’s surprised it was this easy. It’s always like this, want to kill all these scary magical beasts? Hit them in the eye, get to their brains, and they’re done for. Why aren’t the eyes protected by the same magic? Maybe because they aren’t covered in scales? Or maybe because it’s near the mouth that has the opposite effect?
"Balgrum!" I call out and float down near the serpent's dead face. "Get him out of there!" I command the dumbfounded orcs who are still looking at Berthold with awe.
The pair nods and pry the snake's mouth open. I let out a relieved sigh when I spot a movement inside. I push my hand into the mouth. "Take my hand!"
Balgrum's tugs my hand and almost pull me inside the dead beast. He climbs out when of the orcs offer him a second hand. “Graaaaahh! al a’ark oko kreka luska!” he yells with open hands, covered in a slimy saliva. The orcs break into a violent laughter, and one of them shows Balgrum the arrow in the serpent’s eye.
The well-built orc looks at the arrow timidly. I never thought I’d see Balgrum uncomfortable about anything, but it looks like anything can happen. He covers his face with both of his hand for a short moment, the motion reminds me of Lezere in a way that makes my heart hurt. While the orcs pushes him around between them and laugh.
I get near Berthold. “Amazing job, Berthold!” I pat on his back. Thank you for making that shot.
Berthold puts the arrow back in his quiver and flexes his muscles in a way that makes me wince and laugh at the same time. “Best archer in the world!” he exclaims. It’s good to have the old Berthold back… the one that’s not afraid of me…
Afraid or not, he is a damn good shot. “Oh, Berthold. Your archery knows no bound! Your arrows are like snakes in my heart! There’s no man I’d rather be with!” I giggle as his face turns red.
“And the maiden's face is a bloody sight again,” he quips.
He has a point… I wipe the blood off my eyes and nose. Casting spells of low affinity elements is a rotten pain, I hoped the necklace would let me bypass the affinity issue...
Balgrum approaches me and Berthold. “Head hunter claims the kill,” he says in Sinteo, gesturing at the snake behind them. The orcs howl, cheer, and circle Berthold, leading him toward the serpents’ corpse.
Agilla stands between the group of orcs and the serpent, her axe drawn. “Kreko a’ari no ria’ari! A’ark oko Ja’ak krek!” <____ weak and coward! Wolf chief ___ hunt!> She exclaims, her voice sounds quite hostile. “Kreka’ak no kolh’ak! Al no kreko!”
She is issuing a challenge for a duel. I glance at Balgrum, thinking that she’s challenging him for leading the tribe, since she did mention ‘wolf chief’. But soon enough, I notice that the orcs are all glaring at Berthold.
The orcs form a circle, and Balgrum takes my wrist, dragging me to join their circle. That leaves Agilla and Berthold in the middle. Agilla is challenging my hunter to a duel.
“Head hunter, a challenge has been issued for your position as a head hunter of this tribe, fight!” Balgrum declares.
Agilla charges forward, waving her axe at Berthold. Berthold draws his bow to a full moon with a frown, aiming at the charging orc.
I release my hand from Balgrum’s grip and step between the two with my hands aimed to both sides. “Stop!” I can’t let Berthold die here. I am not sure whether I consider him a friend or a subordinate, and it doesn't matter whether he's my pawn or my friend. I can't let my friend die to a stupid orcish duel, and I can't lose my talented pawn for the dumb orcish honor.
Agilla stops her face twisted in a snarl. “Shaman can’t intervene, it’s a battle to death!”
“Yes I can, and I will! I don’t need any of you killing each other over this, and I don’t care who claims the kill. Balgrum can claim it. Berthold doesn’t live by your tribe’s laws, the least you can do is ask if he accepts this challenge or it's not a challenge. I don’t think he even wants this claim, or the hunterhead position. Stop this nonsense at once!”
“Headhunter weak! Agilla take his place,” the orc protests, speaking of herself in third person.
“You can be head hunter then, I never said Berthold is the head hunter,” I say angrily. I’m not letting you kill him over some dubious honor!
“Grrrr, shaman say weak-dog lead hunt. If weak-dog is not head-hunter, why he lead hunt?” Agilla asks she eyes Berthold’s throat and runs her tongue on her sharp teeth.
“Because he knows a lot about magical beasts, about the prey. It’s not about strength, it’s about knowledge and wisdom. He’s smart.” From the corner of my eye I notice Berthold's red face and grin.
“What a smart?” Agilla asks with frown, scratching her head in the definition of idiocy.
“Shuka’a,” Baglrum translates, “A’arj shuka’a.”
“Like old wolf Gorlor?” she asks. “Weak, old, but knows many prey?”
“Yes!” I call out in relief. “I’m bringing him because he knows many prey.”
She puts her axe back in her belt. “Pah. I don’t fight old weak! He no head hunter, I be head hunter!”
“Ok,” I nod. “You’re the head hunter, but he’s still going to help me hunt.”
She snorts and joins the orcs who disperse and surround the massive dead serpent by now.
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“I had her, you know!” Berthold says, putting the arrow back in his quiver. “My arrows are faster.”
“You’re both my subordinates, and this is a stupid reason to kill one another.” I reply dryly as I fill my glass bottles with the snake’s ectoplasm. I smile. I just filled seven whole bottles of ectoplasm. I even need to empty one of the bottles with Luard’s soul for this and fill half of the eighth bottle. Six and half ectoplasm bottles for me… that’s a whole lot! It’ll take a while to absorb…
“I’m not afraid of them, and I’m not weak. You don’t have to protect me,” Berthold insists.
I roll my eyes. “I’m all too aware that you can defend yourself, Berthold, but I need your skills to hunt magical beasts, ok? I’m thinking about my own benefits here. And Agilla is a good fighter, I could use her axe to fight for me. Why lose one of you over a dubious honor that doesn’t really matter? Why fight over such a thing? What’s the point?”
“But I’m not weak!”
“I never said you are. I’ve seen you fight a Trinag and attract its attention to you. Agilla would’ve just gotten herself killed in your shoes. I don’t think you’re weak nor a coward. I think you’re brave, but cautious. And if that orc wants to think that you’re weak, let her. Why does it matter what she thinks? The facts are what matters. The facts are that you can handle yourself in a fight, and you don’t take unnecessary risks, which I actually prefer over that reckless group…”
“So you don’t think I’m weak?”
I shake my head. “No. If you were weak you’d still be hiding with your mother and sister in Axero City. Instead, you got out on your own and you’re trying to raise money for their cure. That’s admirable and strong. Not weak. You simply know how to choose your battles, you know which risks to take and which aren’t worth it. Frankly you were right about this serpent. I might’ve been able to take it down eventually if I pushed my magic. But that has a cost, and using it too much might've done permanent damage to myself.” I wipe my nose bleed. I really should not overdo it with elements I’m weaker at… that was what? 1 spell and a few cantrips of light and fire? It’s annoying. I have the mental capability to cast these things, I have the mana with my necklace, but not the physical capability. Why do I always lack at my physical capability?!
“Even the orcs were outmatched, but they seem to like being outmatched,” I finish.
“I…” He stammers as his cheeks flush crimson, and scratches the back of his head awkwardly. He alternates between looking at me and averting his gaze. “What we had back at Numilla… I… I snowed it up, didn’t I? Did you really had feelings for me back then?”
I can feel the heat on my face. “No… I was just in a very bad place. I felt too lonely, and you were there. Not my proudest moment. It wasn’t fair to you, and I’m sorry for hurting you.”
He nods, biting his lower lip, then goes toward the gigantic dead snake.
I sigh. Not going to lie to him. Enough. Let’s bring this snake back to camp, I need the heart for Salik’s potion, and I want to make an armor from its skin.
This skin isn’t iron, and an armor capable of repelling incoming attacks while not hindering my magic would be invaluable to me. As for the soul of the snake, I have to use one ectoplasm bottle and the heart for an attempt at making glitter. But the rest of the soul is mine to consume, and this snake has plenty of meat to offer.
“Why does Salik needs these potions anyway?” Berthold asks as we help tie the snake up for dragging.
“It’s not my secret to tell, ask him…” I reply quietly.
He throws the rope over the snake. “Oh come on! I killed the damn thing, I deserve to know that much!”
I sigh and choose my words in a way that won’t give away too much. “He’s got a health condition, this potion will fix it. He needs to take one every month, and the main ingredient is a heart of a heavy magical beast… Does that satisfy your curiosity?” I push the rope under the snake as a pair of orcs lift it. Other orcs spread around the snake's long body to tie it up in groups of four.
Berthold tugs the rope from the other side. “What health condition?”
“Berthold… it’s his health condition, not mine. Go ask him yourself!” Why do you have to be so annoying about it? At least he’s no longer scared of me…
“He won’t find out that you told me.” He throws the rope over the snake again.
“I don’t care if he finds out. It’s common decency to respect his privacy.” It just feels wrong to talk about it…
“You owe me one!” he shouts from behind the snake.
I roll my eyes and push the rope under the snake again. “Fair. I do owe you one. Now, do you really want to waste a favor from me to learn something that won’t help you in any real way?”
He tugs the rope. “Now that you put it like that, I guess you have a point. I’m keeping that favor though!”
“Sure.” I chuckle.
I watch as the orcs put on the ground wooden logs they’ve just chopped. They drag the snake on the logs using ropes to roll it over. It’s dusk when we finally arrive at our camp near the forest. Fatigued and covered in sweat.
*~*~*
Interlude 109.1
Salik.
"Did you think about it? About us?" Zoe enters his tent dressed like a zephyr. Her skirt barely covers her knees, and the low cleavage shows plenty of her ample chest. She definitely did something to her hair, gods help him if he knows what women do to their hair to make it look like that. Of course, he knows that if he confronts her about it she'll fault the heat or say that she dressed like that for herself.
But Salik is no fool, he knows she dressed like that to seduce him, and fates help him, it's working. Salik sighs, trying to look into her eyes instead of the valley between her breasts. "Listen, Tulips. I only like you because you look like a woman I loved once." That'll send her away, women like to feel special for their man in their own right, they don't like being a replacement for another woman.
"So you finally admit that you like me?" The girl preens at him, brown eyes sparkling.
Salik gulps and tries again. "I loved a woman once. You look a lot like her."
She draws closer and Salik takes a step back. "Huh huh."
"Listen, Tulips, it's not like..." He doesn't finish that sentence, her lips meet his and he can't help but return the kiss, embracing her. What is he doing?!
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 79
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 16 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 26 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 19/20 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 39 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 6 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 13 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: connected: 91/95 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield. Ayla’s Freezing Vapors.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric Channelb1
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb1x2. Imari’s Lesser Flightb2.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison. Brigit’s Skin Restoration.
Focus capability: 18 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Shaman of the Twin Moon Tribe. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Personal Wealth: 1465 Magic Gems. 1420 Golden Peas, 45 Silver Scales, 32 Copper Bits.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
5 potions of Lesser Healing.
5 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Glitter ingredients. (1 bag)
Fresh rose petals, 37g
Fresh lavender petals, 7g
7.5 Marili Serpent Soul shards. 2 Luard's soul shards. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 27/100
Present Companions:
Salik
Sharlafyn Nettledew
Jerro
Berthold
Loyal
Ryon
Zoe
Balgrum
Languages:
Toml’a
Sinteo
Myrsha
Felul
Nim
A'arkalu
Injuries and scars: Nosebleed.
Curses:
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 3836 gold coins. 123 magical gems.
Kingdom’s citizen: 3,881 humans, 1,836 human children. Twin Moon Tribe: 1,158 orcs. 293 orc children. 529 sheep-slaves.
Kingdom's army: 1,156 Orc Warriors. 324 Footmen. 49 Peacekeeper Knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder.
Jolla SilverQuill.
Talbot Bookkeeper.
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom.
Balgrum Orc Chieftain.