Day 50

(I had a headache as I wrote the last chapter, if you noticed: the days are out of order... hence the corrected date here. Also I rushed the ending so to clarify; all FOUR characters are still present. Mainly to give little rat an idea of where to return to if things go really badly and to resupply.)

We set off, now with fresh supplies collected by Niala to insert slave girl Chanti and her current owner Tirmin into the heart of a militaristic empire. Perhaps I should explain something that has been bothering me for a while: how I made the geas. I don't quite know HOW. Only that I could. I mean technically it is a weapon, a suicide switch-like mystical effect. The weird part is that the payment required wasn't resources, it was [hatred].

As a result I find myself slightly apathetic. I can only assume it literally drained that emotion. It does still seem to exist, but dampened temporarily. Weird. By that logic there are alternate creations that can be accomplished that bypass modification points and resources but instead drain or take permanently from my person? Dangerous stuff. I could lose myself.

We return toward the main route the merchants used from our cul-de-sac. I mockingly call our new home the crystal 'palace'. It is very Spartan at the moment.

Thankfully none of the near rooms have a bad scent. The tunnels are long, main passages once we reach the rough rock room which is where the caravan ended up. There are signs of further visitors. Scents of many people. A routine patrol perhaps. Sometime in the last few hours. Upwards of twenty people.

Hrm. I delay our approach and loiter with our iron on the cliff ledge for a day. Last thing I need is to be spotted and have more links to the scene of the attack. Well, if they search for me as a suspect they'll only find hundreds of ignorant rats. I doubt they'll commit to that kind of effort for a few lost peasants and worthless ore. They got the golem already, why would I kill men that delivered a payment? Or so far from home. They can't even guess at the tangled events from this scene.

Day 51

We journey once more. I had to keep Niala's attention distracted, as she was plotting to throw Chanti from the ledge as soon as I fell asleep, too bad for her I don't sleep any more. Hmm. My sister's attitude is getting worse. I'm going to have to sit her down and spell it out to her at some point. Later when we're alone.

Niala is becoming a headache with this constant murder-boner for Chanti. Even I'm having a hard time justifying that hatred I held, aside from the theft and multiple attempts at killing me... the really funny thing is if Chanti had asked me I'd have freed her from the mistaken slavery she was under... until she turned on us. Now, I have nothing but contempt for her. She does have uses, so I'm not going to cut her loose now. She owes us for a very rough few days. In the future... who knows. If she acts in good faith I suppose I can forgive, but I certainly won't forget.

Day 52

We passed several ordinary seeming rooms. A herb garden, a sandy plain, a baking desert, a tarpit, a dust storm and a beach with everything but seawater. I can even smell the sea. We crossed paths with the river again... seriously where does it begin and end?!

Finally we reach a point that even Chanti recalls. We managed to skirt the majority of the monsters in the rooms, aside from a largish black and red wasp-thing the size of my fist in the herb garden. I had to grab it before it landed on my little friend. The sting was nothing much; barely more than a burning sensation, with a healing hug on hand. It did possess chitin armor equivalent to stone in hardness. It was soft inside, like all invertebrates. I crushed the shell with both claws. It's buzzing was like the idling of a chainsaw as I squeezed the life from it. This is the first weaker monster I've been concerned by. Wasps occasionally coordinate. One or two of these were nothing much but a swarm? We'd be stung to death. Must remember to concoct insect repellent and/or poison. Ants, bees and such are all viable threats in these rooms and narrow tunnels with limited places to go and no safe bodies of water to hide in. I doubt my gravity cube will do more than mildly disorient them either. Especially if they can fly. Just because I haven't met them yet doesn't mean they don't exist in some horrible form. Knowing this place a little; they'll be way bigger than the Earth originals, aggressive and numberless. Thinking about killer bees, hornets and army ants scares me.

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In fact the unknown 'death' room inhabitant from the Abyss scares me even more. It collects equipment and iron ore. It might be my natural enemy... It might seek me out specifically, it does have a couple hundred steel weapons I made as well, with my scent on 'em. It's a nightmare I'll be planning for.

That, plus making a fortress and attempting to overthrow a nation? I haven't left myself much me time. On the plus side, if you can call it that, no internet. I have far too much time on my hands and I do get bored easily if my hands aren't busy.

So here we are at the mouth of the enemy nation.

I give little rat a few pieces of advice for his masquerade as a slave. I also made sure Chanti got the hint that if she turned on him it would result in automatic death. If she has any sense she'll coach him on proper slave behavior.

I slip him a small pouch of gold dust, one of the few valuables I still have on my person from the good old days (I'm still wearing my belt). It should help him in situations where words fail. Gold opens all doors as the saying goes.

Chanti gets to keep her steel knife; if only so that she can hold it for Tirmin. After all he can't be armed and not appear intensely suspicious.

Finally they leave after a final hug for the little guy from Niala.

I'm not too worried. Even if he is tied to me by military people as a spy he is innocent looking enough to fool all but the most hardened of interrogators. He also intends to play dumb, so they don't realize he knows the language. Spies from inside the labyrinth aren't common, after all traveling through the wilder areas is quite dangerous. We are an exception to the rule, as we are from nearby. Most would originate from the surface empires. None would be posing as slave to one of them. There are a few free people from other races in the city both freed slaves and migrants from the layrinth, but none are treated well regardless of wealth.

Day 53

The walk home is actually quite fun. Niala seems blissful, so we chat and pass the time as we walk. However whether it is a rat thing or a labyrinth resident thing, we remain alert to threats through the happy, seemingly distracted conversation.

I'm alerted by the scent first. Something ahead of us on the path. As it is the only way we know toward home we have to go that way. Dammit.

Herb garden again. This place seems like a hotspot for trouble.

Niala noticed at the same time. She put a hand on her hidden curved dagger and arms the dart launching bracer. She loaded the thing with wasp venom but it is easily inferior to the previous spider venom.

I calm her down and carefully we walk seemingly nonchalantly talking, in reality noting anything out of the ordinary out loud in our rat language. The stranger probably doesn't know it, assuming this isn't a dumb monster.

However one thing quickly jumps out at me as we walk down the middle of the room: a brass jaw trap hidden in leaves sparks my weapon identification skill warning me accidentally.

The scent is remarkably indeterminate; there could be a hundred or just one. The trap indicates intelligence. I pretend to step on it, crying out as I step next to it, then falling to a squat.

Not having a good angle most can't see I didn't trigger the trap. Five figures come out running. Two others come out slowly, because they saw my act for what it was. Seven. Not bad odds. They are only carrying clubs made from the trees around us.

They slow to a halt fairly quickly as a slow one hisses that the ambush failed.

The clothes are fairly ragged. They aren't apes.

One then points at Niala and they all stop. Niala too notices.

“The ones I freed.” [Niala]

...holy crap... cat-people. Real nekomimi! Hell yes!

What we learned:

Not all bandits mean harm.

Chanti and Tirmin will have their own spin off episodes.

Rat meets cat.