I drink down Cane’s spirit, at least whatever remains of it in Honey’s dew.

Empowerment:

Companion / Behemoth spirit acquired

Ability unlocked: Blood Mass

Passive unlocked: Barn Flesh

Improved abilities:

Tame Greater Cattle 23/50 (Iron)

Cattle Senses 18/20 (Ash)

Searing Blade 27/50 (Iron)

Enraged Mist 29/50 (Iron)

Mirrored Image 15/20 (Ash)

Mark of Fear 11/20 (Ash)

Blood Mass 1/10

Barn Flesh 1/10

Attributes increased:

Ordo 23/50 (Iron)

Neuo - 35/50 (Iron)

Chao - 34/50 (Iron)

Ordo advancement has unlocked additional information.

I could finally see detailed explanations about my classes and abilities. By focusing on the runes in my peripheral, more menus opened up just like my storage space. This meant I could use my class to its full potential. Along with the Blackroots spirit I’d collected from the battle.

I had returned to my prime. Mentally I was still bleeding from the loss. More shame had swept in when I’d taken Cane’s spirit. But now I was beginning to see it as a final gift. For a while, I had stalled on unlocking new abilities.

Only my attributes and the associated power had grown. But versatility and adaptability are everything to survival. I need to grow, just as my flock does. With that realisation, I asked for Suzie's assistance. Sending her to the Zoo to collect several key essentials for the auction in the coming day. She’d left without a word, trusting me and knowing some distance was needed in a moment of loss.

Russ was the opposite. He leans against the sewer's curving walls and pulls on another ebony, watching me. They’d found me in a mess under the hole in the street, taken me in and cared for my needs. He’d only asked one question. “How the hell did you survive?”

I wanted to bury the truth. Which seems ridiculous considering how many people I’ve hurt and killed. But some sins are hard to admit. This one would make me a monster, even in these lands.

“You can tell me, Seth. We’re brothers of fate now.” He said softly.

“I… I was done. If it wasn’t for Cane shielding me, I’d be pieces by now. But… I have an ability that lets me heal. I had to do it. I couldn’t let them get away with this. I had to eat that person.” I whispered with tears in my eyes.

He nodded with understanding. Promising me that those responsible won’t leave the auction.

So we assembled and discussed the plan. Arranged the final details. I had wasted a spirit feeding Russ with the honeydew, hoping to empower him as well. But it didn't work. Through all his travel, the only creature he knew that could distil spirit was the Phae. The strange dugong creatures enslaved by the Reavers. That topic quickly died down, our mutual understanding of the threat they posed was evident. Regardless, we had almost everything in place. But with the tribe in reach and the elites of York assembling in one place, we needed more.

His ebony butt explodes in a shower of embers off the low ceiling. “That shop has been abandoned for a long time. You confident?”

“I know the owner.”

We arrive before the boarded building. Deep in Bleakwater, a district known for a miserable stream that funnels the city's sewage away. Now the stink was mixed with rot. The plague had finally hit and emptied the area. Which made breaking through the front door far easier. I go to kick the door down, only for my boot to go straight through. A warm light shone out of the hole.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Knew it.” I wink at Russ who looks flabbergasted.

“How the fuck.” He mutters.

I’m about to try again when the door whips open. “Good evening gentlemen. Please come inside before you catch your death.” Tranqit elegantly waves us through. Attempting to bow, but only moving slightly in his heavy plate armour.

“Thank you, Sir Knight. Welcome to Livingston’s Emporium, Russ.” I walk through the surprisingly minimal shop. “I see you have been doing some redecorating.”

Tranqit steps from behind an oversized chest ahead of us (Fast and silent as ever I see).

“Just the junk.” He blinks at me with his now exposed eye, or was that a wink?

“Junk!” Livingston cries, his long figure rises from behind the red oak counter like he is riding an elevator. “Precious heirlooms, artefacts. The lot, wasted by that bitch nature.” He was chugging from a vial that seemed to be continuously boiling. The merchant, like his drink, was on the edge of spilling over. “Half my life. Trading. Dealing. Building an empire, only for some bloody water to ruin it all.” He shatters his drink against the floor.

He looks through us and straight at Tranqit. “Stop dilly-daddling and clean that mess, can’t you see we have customers? And what is that atrocious smell?” He looks around with concern.

“That’ll be York,” I answer.

“Ghastly place with the bad cream smothering the simple milk. You would assume the Yorktons built the place the way they waltz in their halls. I know the truth!” He shouts at the ceiling. “Pillagers and criminals the lot of them. The only aristocracy left are those vile Scale hounds. Also stolen from the Windsors, I might add-”

I slam the Blackroot mask on the table, cutting him off.

“We are here to trade.”

He smooths his suit, pulls up his gloves and offers the magically resistant metal before the arranged jars on the till.

“Are those Rareus toads?” Russ asks as a purple light blooms in his eye.

“Yes, give me everything you are willing to part with.” I placed a shopping list on the counter. “I know your stock has taken a hit, but these are the kinda things we need.”

“My my gentleman, quite the adventure you are planning. This will be costly?” He inspects the list.

The clang of metal rattles through the emporium as masks, armour and weapons pour from my inventory.

“Also can you make alterations?”

Livingston sobers as the wealth appears.

“We certainly can. What do you have in mind?”

Suzie slams the trapdoor. “Streets clear grey heads. Stop stressing.”

We glare at her casualness considering our current position.

“Rut off. It was your brilliant idea to camp beneath the jaws, a blind spot or whatever.” She was right and so far we hadn’t heard a peep from above. Tarak-Son had given me the idea after he called us rats. Why not live in the abandoned section of Blacktree? The Bastards have been here for weeks clearing the debris and tunnelling a path. We’d know by now if they made regular visits.

She tosses a sack onto the floor with a wet slap. “You owe me 13 shillings, Seth.”

I rummage through my inventory and pass her a handful of shrapnel.

She makes a comment about my bad math, but I don’t hear it. I was concentrating on what covered the table before me. We had secured a design of the Blacktree, this world’s version of blueprints was an interactive parchment. Pressing the key in the corner allowed us to cycle through each floor. It was impossible to memorise with our limited time, but a wrong turn could lead to a grim end. I had to try.

Cluck, cluck, bakaww.

“Silence,” I commanded the flock.

Russ huffs on another ebony. He was breathing more smoke than air these days, his anxiety plain to see. “Fuck me. I’m so sick of waiting for someone to hear these feathery shits that I actually am looking forward to starting the ascent.”

“Do you want to go over the plan one last time?” I ask them both.

They both moan a no.

I silently go over it one last time to myself. Pulling Honey from my storage space to suck on some normal dew as I do. I’d wish I had kept some spirit or had more time to build up a supply. Now that my abilities had advanced, I could store her away. Unfortunately, my Barn flesh was very low and therefore limited.

I pull the hard shell from Suzie’s bag, yellow ichor drips off in fat globules. Perfect.

There’s a creak at the door as Bastards start to shuffle in from the street. An old barrel of wine, found during the excavation, was cracked open and mugs were handed out. I wasn’t about to deny them a last drink. Stoat crawls up my leg and wraps around my neck like a Victorian fashion piece. Russ passes me a smoke before I address my flock.

“It’s time. We all know our jobs. If anyone wants to drop out now, this is your chance. I won’t hold it against, self-preservation is only natural and what we’re heading into could be a moshpit with demi-Gods.” I wait to see if anyone walks away. But the hardy orphans smirk at each other with evil grins. Their whole lives up to this moment had been about scrambling on the edge. Cast out and hungry. Now I was feeding them with purpose. Plus they were sold on the idea of having a loving Mother.

Suzie looks around with pride before giving me a reassuring nod to continue.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. But I don’t want to see any heroes jumping in front of spells or onto swords. You get caught, you get out. You fuck up, you get out. Okay?” They grumble replys and rude comments. Nervous laughter followed.

“We will get the tribe out, but I won’t lose any of my family along the way,” I say.

“I’m not calling you Daddy.” Phils shouts out.

I stand up and quiet the Bastards before they can boo him. A small space separates as they single out the scrawny boy.

I offer him my hand. “Call me brother.”

The boos came anyway but in light jest. Others cheer as the outcast of the lot is finally accepted back. Russ starts to freak out, trying to quiet the rowdy bunch.

Suzie, standing on the barrel, sinks her drink and shatters the mug on the floor.

“Bastards! Move out before our balls drop!” She yells as they follow suit, smashing drinks and cups.

Russ clenches his fists, turns and heads for the stairs.