Chapter 15
At the Brightwood Gates
As we drew close to massive gates in the enormous stone wall that surrounded Brightwood, the size of the place really sank in. I had caught on to the fact that it was way bigger than I expected from pretty far away. But Brightwood was definitely not what I expected when I thought of a border town. The walls had to be a hundred feet high, and they stretched for miles. It made me wonder what a big city looked like in this world.
That I could make out men on the top of the wall who had their bows drawn, and aimed at me, was a testament to my new level of perception. It also worried me quite a bit. I struggled to prevent myself from reacting to the threat. Any response my instincts suggested would lead to a rather extreme failure of my contract.
I tensed up when I heard someone shout for the captain from just beyond the gates. The sound was muffled but I could just barely understand their words. I listened intently as they gave a run down of everyone in the cart. Apparently, they had someone with a very good inspection ability. They knew the names, levels, and class of everyone in the cart, incidentally Hoyt was a Traveling Merchant. The bandits were actually apparently Brigands, given the nature of the System, I'd lay odds on the distinction between the two actually being important.
They had also identified me as a Spirit Beast, which was less than ideal. I heard the word monster tossed around a few times, prompting me to repress a growl. A man with a voice that screamed of authority told everyone to calm down. He said he would take point, and told the others to be ready, but to keep their weapons sheathed, and avoid sudden movements. Which struck me as good advice. He also said that I could probably hear them. Which points for that guy, he was definitely well informed. That made me laugh, startling Hoyt. I quietly told him what they knew about us, and to be ready.
When it seemed like the fine folks in the guardhouse were actually ready to head out to meet the big scary cat monster. I reached out to the life mana that was still clinging to the Brigands, keeping them asleep for me. I sent the idea of allowing the men a slow groggy return to wakefulness. They were just beginning to stir when five guards dressed in a well maintained mix of plate and leather walked up to the cart looking ready to draw steel at a moment's notice, all of them had their eyes locked on me. They stank of fear. My tail stiffened, I held myself perfectly still, fighting the urge to see them as prey.
One man in the group drew my attention away from the prey, or as I repeatedly reminded myself, frightened young men. He had armor that was clearly a step above the rest. He walked slowly, but with confidence. He kept his hands still, and visible, he watched me without making direct eye contact. He definitely noticed how still and tense I had gotten.
He smelled mildly of alcohol and tobacco, but not like they had been consumed recently. I smelled ink and paper. Leather and oil. I smelled old sweat. I smelled floral soap. I also realized that I was focused enough on learning information about him that I had cracked my lips open a bit. At this point I knew his last three meals, his bathroom habits, and if I ran into his family I'd recognize them by smell. I snapped my mouth shut. The one thing I did not smell from him, was fear.
Fighting instincts that absolutely screamed against the action. I closed my eyes, and focused on my forehead, where Belua's mark sat. It was invisible most of the time, I wanted these men to see it. I put my mind on the feeling of needing to show it to the town guard. The mana inside the mark stirred, and heard gasps. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and opened my eyes, continuing to hold myself absolutely still.
The captain's eyes widened as he took in the glowing mark. He stared at it, like he didn't believe what he was seeing. He pursed his lips, and seemed to come to a conclusion before pulling his eyes off of me, and focusing on Hoyt.
In a calm voice that brooked no argument the captain said, "Sir, for your safety I need you to come away from the cart. Make no sudden movements."
Hoyt looked at the man, then at me, and clicked his tongue. He spoke quietly as he did as the captain asked. "If yer worried 'bout the cat, I wouldn't. Fella's been good company for this old soul ."
Sadly no one in the area seemed to resonate with the words. The captain looked faintly annoyed with my merchant friend. Hoyt shrugged, and whispered, "I tried." quietly enough that I was probably the only one to hear it.
The old merchant followed the captain's orders, keeping his hands visible, as he slowly dismounted from the driver's seat. Once Hoyt was away from the cart. The captain looked back at me. He seemed to be weighing his options.
Before he could decide on what to do with me. There was a shout of pain from one of the Brigands, along with the scent of blood. Everyone's eyes snapped to the man who had apparently grabbed my staff, which I had thoughtlessly left leaning on the bench next to me. I had been so focused on the captain that I hadn't even noticed him moving.
I looked at the man who had gotten quite a significantly better grip on the staff than he bargained for. My weapon's thorns were fully extended. I could see blood running from the back of the thief's where the tips of the curved claw like thorns had exited. He seemed to be attempting to drop the stick, but it was very firmly attached to him, and vibrating slightly, the wounds on his hand were widening by the second.
I stared at my bonded weapon sternly. I understood from the faint feelings coming from it, that it saw the touch of anyone but me as a violation. It felt furious that the man was still touching it, it wanted him to let go. It didn't seem to realize that it was making that action impossible.
I clicked my tongue, and tried to send it the idea that if it wanted the bad man to stop touching it, it needed to remove its claws. I also tried to give it the idea that it should pretend to be dead wood for a while.
The thorns suddenly retracted, doing even more damage to the brigand's hand on their way out, and my staff clattered to the ground.
I shook my head ruefully. Then I looked at the captain. "Sir, I would like to remove the temptation to touch what's mine from those Brigands. But I would hate to scare your fine companions more than I already have."
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With every word, his face registered more and more surprise. I think, by the end of it, the shock from my speech had rendered him mute. Because he just stood there gaping like a fish. I suppose he expected me to have ever so slightly less of a grasp on language. I wondered if I should have pretended to have trouble, but I decided that I would be as honest with the people around me as my contract allowed.
I shrugged, and said in a voice meant to carry. "I'm going to retrieve my walking stick now, please don't be alarmed. I mean no harm." I made sure to move slowly, as I reached down, and picked up the staff, the blood that had streamed down it from the ne'er-do-well's hand seemed to have been absorbed into the wood. The Brigand sat clutching his wounded extremity with a shaky arm that had showed signs that it had been broken. It seemed that the life mana that I had used to keep him asleep had done a little extra work on the man without me telling it to. He was staring at me like he was trying to set me on fire with his eyes. The thorns had really mangled his right hand, it was bleeding quite profusely. I was tempted to call the life mana to keep him from bleeding all over my friend's cart, but I decided that using mana right then would be a bad decision.
The other two brigands had also woken up at some point. One had managed to sit up, and was openly watching everything that was going on. He looked, and smelled scared out of his wits. The last was trying to fake still being unconscious, but I could definitely tell he was awake.
I decided to see if I could rattle something loose in the captain. It was kind of a shame that the young men under his command couldn't see his face. I slowly moved my staff to my left hand, and held my right out towards the shocked man.
"Hoyt tells me that a handshake is only proper when you introduce yourself. I am Angel. Belua has sent me to work with your people."
The guard captain who had come across as such a strong, stoic man, just stared at the offered appendage for a moment. I think I saw his brain crash and reboot.
My mark flared, and I heard an ethereal female voice in my head, bidding me to repeat some words. They were true, so I saw no reason to argue.
As I spoke the words, I felt them connect with my soul contract. The connection lent them power, and conveyed to everyone in earshot including myself that they were a true oath, and would be enforced by the power of both goddess and System.
"I swear on my mark that I will not intentionally bring harm upon any who I have not judged to intend to do harm to me or mine. I further swear to follow the laws of man, so long as they do not hinder my freedom to act in furtherance of my mission from the goddess."
After the oath I slumped against the side of the cart. My extended hand dropped limply. My staff would likely have slipped from my hand, but it subtly kept itself from falling. The power that had flowed through me from the mark and contract into my words, had taken a toll.
Everyone seemed to take the oath in with reverence. Three of the four young guards dropped to their knees. The guard captain bowed his head, and spoke, the words sounded official, and prescribed.
"The oath has been heard, the goddess's power felt. Welcome to the city, may the goddess's mission be unhindered." He sighed, taking on the expression of a man who had just been handed an unexpected and unwanted burden.
"I believe we will have much to discuss before you venture into the city." The beleaguered man said, before turning his attention to his subordinates.
"Get up, men, we've still got work to do. Worship can come later. There's some garbage in the back of that wagon that needs to be dealt with." His eyes flicked to the two men who froze like prey, and the third who seemed to double down on his efforts to pretend to sleep. His act was not very effective considering how visibly tense his muscles had become.
I stayed put, still leaning on the side of the cart. I felt exhausted, my own mana had been drained thoroughly for the oath without me even noticing. I wasn't quite starving, but it was close. I dared not pull too hard on the surrounding mana. Not knowing how the guards would react. I got the feeling that they would take the oath as Law. But I doubt that would make them feel any less intimidated by the strange talking cat monster.
While I was fairly unresponsive, the guard captain told me he was sending his men to retrieve the human baggage we had brought with us.
The man with the bloody hand attempted to bolt. I heard a twang from the top of the wall, and felt something fly by. The Brigand clutched the arrow in his neck with his mangled hand for a moment before falling to the ground beside the cart, dead.
The captain looked at the two remaining criminals and he began to speak. His words exuded authority, and seemed to hold the power to enforce his proclamation. "For possession of a criminal class, as a duly appointed member of the Brightwood city guard, I declare the two of you under arrest . As your levels have yet to breach 20, you will be offered a meeting with our classed Rehabilitation specialist. That you may receive classes capable of being productive members of society."
When he finished speaking, I saw an energy flow from him that resembled mana, the energy surrounded the Brigands. I watched as the tension fled from them, their faces held blank expressions, they robotically stood and climbed out of the cart. The captain gestured to two of the guards. They offered no resistance as they were led into the city.
I looked at the captain, and wondered if he could do that to me. Fear spiked in my heart, it seemed like there were just so many instances of mind control in this damned System.
The fear must have shown. Because the man spoke to me in a soothing tone. "That is the rule of law. It is only effective on criminals, and only when the System judges them to be already captive. An officer of the law has no real power over law abiding citizens."
He looked at Hoyt. "Sir I would like to request that you follow one of my men, and answer a few questions about how you came by such interesting passengers. Your cart will, of course be watched over while you are occupied."
Hoyt looked mildly annoyed, but he nodded, and waved goodbye to me as he followed the guard.
I barely heard him whisper a final message for me. "Remember to come see me in a couple days if you can, I'll set up shop in the market. I'm sure you'll have questions."
The captain looked unconcerned about only having one visible person remaining for backup. As he gazed somewhat pityingly at my exhausted, slumped form, there was little reason to wonder why.
When he spoke to me again, his voice made me feel comfortable, like he was a friend I had never met. But always known. "You said you are named Angel, correct? Can you stand? Powerful oaths like the one you gave are grave things. The goddess must feel your mission is worthy."
I groaned, and pushed myself up. I felt like I weighed five hundred pounds. I let out a chuckle at the possible accuracy of that statement. The captain was suddenly at my side. Taking some of my weight. "Come on there, stay with it. Let's get you a place to rest shall we? There we go, up and over. Good man."
He half carried, half led me into his office in the guardhouse, and apologized for the lack of accommodations.
"We'll have a good long talk when you have recovered from that oath. For now, just do what you need to do to recover. You may use the mana as you please, so long as you control yourself, and keep to your oath." He ushered me onto a large couch. Large for a human anyway, I heard the thing creak worryingly under my weight. The moment I was seated I decided to take him at his word, and began to consume and circulate mana like a man who found water after being lost in the desert.