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New Reality: 21 March 2025, The Balkans
One of the advantages of his enhanced stats was that Ardent could shrug off hangovers like they were nothing. Martin had forced the youngster to drink alongside him, all night, yet, now in the morning, his mind was fresh like after a good sleep.
The first thing he did after extracting himself from under the table was to wash in the river. There was a wooden tub outside their house but he enjoyed the cold running water.
"You're married to me, not my father," Myrtle's voice startled him. "I had plans for last night…"
"You know how Martin is, can't take no for an answer. Do you have any rezz… I mean some Fate Points?" he changed the subject.
"Lemme check… one, yes, from yesterday," she creased her nose. "You want me to transform it into something else?"
"Keep it for now, Rezzes feed on that. I'll give you another one as a gift, click accept when you see something like: Ardent wants to trade with you."
Getting out of the river, he accompanied the present with a kiss. She kissed him back, not minding her clothes were getting soaked by his body, and read the notifications, furrowing her right and left eyebrow in turn. "This thing, the System… is powerful…"
"I know," he nodded, starting to dress in new clothes. "Now, come sit near me," he sat on his buttocks and patted the grass, "I want to ask you something important."
Now both her brow and nose were wrinkled, but she did sit down, scrutinizing him. She had quite thick eyebrows, Ardent noticed. A first, because until then, what he cared about in women was an overall pretty face and a buxomy bosom.
She's very cute nevertheless… At least, she doesn't have a beard like Popa Martin, he joked but kept it to himself. "Before I left to… you know… make money to raise a family together— Ouch!" he whined, massaging his right cheek, where she had slapped him.
"That's a lie, you wanted to dump me!" she yelled. "Papa, come, let's kill him together."
Twenty yards farther, Father Martin raised his wobbling head, looking at the two with injected eyes. "Fuck your mother in the ass," he shouted, giving a thumb up, then returned to snoring.
"Sweetie, how can you say such a thing?" Ardent protested, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her head to his shoulder, because now she was crying.
"When you s-said t-that. Y-you felt guilty," she sobbed. "I r-read it in your eyes… huuuu…."
Her wails were like a wolf's, but that pleased Ardent's ears. It reminded him why he fell in love with her. She was a wild creature, one that had clawed his heart into submission. Guilt washed over him; the truth was that his departure, six months earlier, had not been caused either by a desire to earn money for a family or leaving his wife. He just needed some space. Martin and Myrtle were a handful…
Shaking his head, Ardent chased away his thoughts and pecked a short kiss on Myrtle's temple. "I love you," he said in his simplest tone, the one that couldn't lie.
"I love you too," she whispered back, and they kissed. A second later, she was back to her wild self and shook him violently, grabbing his shoulders. "Tell me the truth, have you been with another woman while you were away? Look into my eyes. Prostitutes don't count."
"Ah, good… No, of course not!" he blurted. "Look, Myrtle honey, this is important," he pleaded. "When we slept together, before, you told me you used some herb pills to... you know… don't get pregnant…"
"Don't worry, we never killed any little morlaki," Myrtle waved her hand. "It's about controlling the timing. We girls have some specific periods of the month… you don't have to know. Just come to bed when I tell you to come… Wait! You want babies?" her eyes lightened.
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"Sure. Maybe just not now, let's wait for things to calm down," he nodded, then added. "Maybe next year?" because her attitude suggested a clear schedule question. "This is about magic and quests. You told me a witch made them. Who? Is she still around? I thought it was worth checking if she has real powers—"
"Tanti Ana? She lives over that hill, maybe five miles away," Myrtle pointed. "Close to the next village."
"Let's pay her a visit."
Getting on his feet, Ardent pulled her up by an arm. She wrapped him in a warm hug. "Next year!" she whispered.
"It's a promise," he said. "Now… err… Hi, Francis. What are you doing here?"
The king was standing ten feet away, fretting on his feet. "Couldn't help but hear you… Congrats on your decision… By the way, Myrtle, I wanted to give him one of my daughters as wife, but he refused, he told me he's already married and loves his wife with all his heart." Francis winked at Ardent, as Myrtle couldn't see him, busy hugging her husband again. Ardent winked back, a silent thank you. The truth was he had never mentioned Myrtle to anyone before. He wasn't ashamed of her, but Popa Martin's reputation was widespread.
"OK, let's go," he patted Myrtle's back. "Rengi, take care of the camp while we're away," he yelled, receiving a nod and a wave of hand in reply. "I guess the Turks will send a small probing force later today, they won't believe the reports. Text me if you have problems. Come, Dragon," he called his horse. The steed abandoned his grazing and approached fast, neighing happily.
"Can I come?" the king asked. "I'd like a little ride."
"Suit yourself."
After offering the animal a small treat in the form of a biscuit, Ardent mounted it, without bothering to saddle him, the distance was negligible. He helped Myrtle get behind him. Francis's horse was already ready, and they entered the forest five minutes later.
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After a stroll of about an hour, they exited the trees, atop a high and wide hill. A meadow full of flowers stretched in front of them, still going up, in a wide arch, bending to the left after a couple hundred yards.
"Her hut is on the top of the hill," Myrtle said. "We better leave the horses here, Tanti Ana is suspicious of unannounced visitors."
"Tanti means Auntie," Ardent explained, proud to share information from his culture. "It's a polite form of addressing a middle-aged woman."
"Middle-aged, like Milfs or Cougars?" the King asked, showing sudden interest, while tying his horse to a bush.
"I sincerely never thought about that," Ardent sighed. He let Dragon graze freely, he and Myrtle had ridden him together, and the horse looked a little tired.
"This is unusually hot for this time of the year," Myrtle said, waving her hand in front of her face, like a fan.
"It's the Mana beginning to influence stuff," Ardent said. "I read that warmer weather is typical of an awakened world."
With his wife showing the way, they proceeded uphill. A hundred feet after the bend and the top of the small mountain, the clearing ended near the next part of the forest. A hut, large for a cabin but small for a house, was constructed on the northern side, facing south, their way.
"Tanti Ana, it's me, Myrtle!" the young woman yelled. "And Ardent and a friend."
There was a pause of silence, and then a shadow detached itself from other shadows, projected by the walls of the hut. A tall, wiry woman, in her mid-forties, her hair still black, holding a long weapon in hand. "Come slowly, no sudden gestures."
"That's a top-notch musket model," Francis said. "Better than my regular troops have. You guys are well-armed here."
"Part of the culture," Ardent said in a low voice, hiding his words behind a smile. "A musket won't make any difference against a group of marauders, though."
"Trust me, Ana has her ways," Myrtle sussured back. "Good morning, Tanti Ana," she raised her voice. "This is my husband, Pussy—"
"Means cat," Ardent added.
"And our friend, Francis."
"The King of France," the man added, taking his hat off, bowing, and offering his hand. Hurrying to put the musket down and wipe her fingers on a thick working apron, stained with colored spots that suggested blood and crushed vegetables, the woman accepted the handshake. Francis profited to raise her hand at eye level, deposing a long kiss on it. "It's my pleasure and honor to meet a strong and independent woman," he added, keeping eye contact.
"Well, thank you," Ana blushed and curtsied. "Sit down… Out here," she added in a hurry, showing them an outdoor wooden table and stools. "Inside it's a mess… it's my laboratory, and bedroom at the same time. Some herbal tea?"
Without waiting for their answer, the woman rushed inside the house. "It's already done, just to pour it," she yelled.
"Manners," Francis elbowed Ardent, who was about to sit first, inviting Myrtle to pick her stool with an elegant gesture. "Your friend is gorgeous," he added toward the young woman, which made Ardent let out a gasp.
Is he blind, or what? She's old, all skin and bones… or maybe muscles and bones… Her arms look like made of ropes…
"Here," Ana returned with a tray, carrying an assortment of mismatched clay goblets.
A pleasant aroma reached the visitors' nostrils, thyme, and other herbs. "It's delicious," Francis exclaimed, after taking a sip.
"Very good," Ardent nodded.
"Uhuh," Myrtle approved, drinking her tea in one go.
"Gah!" Francis added, trashing the air and falling on his back, immobile in the grass. The next second, Ardent and Myrtle followed.
"Don't worry, dear, I won't hurt you or the prince," Ana said, her deadpanned voice carrying a frightening cold color. "But him, I will kill," she added, pulling a long butcher knife from behind her back, turning around the table, and approaching Ardent.
You are poisoned, the blue notification superimposed over the clear, blue, beautiful sky, and he lost consciousness.