Chapter 79 – Prewar Festivities.

Jack, for the second time in as many weeks, found himself at another prewar festival. Judging by how his last one went, this one could only be worse. He took another long pull from his cup.

Jack sat at a feast table with Onem and Gurthok, sipping on the most delicious mead he had ever tasted. It was like drinking golden honey that had been lit on fire. A warm, pleasant tingle radiated throughout Jack’s body as he watched the two brothers argue. He had all but forgotten he was supposed to be killing Gurthok.

The ‘meeting’ and discussion of war terms felt large in part like a huge waste of time. Gurthok had drawn a line in the sand. Either he died, or everyone else would, leaving little room for negotiations. Jack found himself agreeing to every single one of the berserker king's demands, just wanting the meeting to be over so he could drink. Seeing as the only way he was going to escape the dungeon was by killing Gurthok, he had little trouble agreeing to fight a war that would end in either Gurthok’s death, or his. The queen seemed on board with the plan as well, agreeing with ease to hold a war between the draugr armies in several days’ time. The only one who had any issue with this was Onem.

Jack eyed the draugr sitting there arguing with his brother. He still couldn’t figure out what his gambit was.

“The only life worth living is one baptized in combat, ending in glorious death.” Gurthok said for the hundredth time that evening.

“For you, maybe, but did you ever bother to ask your subjects if that’s what they wanted? Did you ever ask me? What about your beloved queen? Do you truly believe this is what she wants?”

“If they didn’t want war, then why do they serve under me?” Gurthok said, slamming down his cup on the table.

“Because you left them little choice. You're blinded by your own madness and it’s poisoned everyone around you. How you fail to see this is beyond me. I want our people to have a better life than the one you’ve given. If they choose your eternal war, so be it, but at least that is their choice. As things are now, they have no option but eternal servitude. Is that what you really want?” Onem asked, the alcohol giving him a sincere confidence.

Jack had been listening to this argument go on for the past hour. It felt old, their words having a practiced cadence of two people who have been making the same arguments for a millenia. As far as Jack could figure, this Onem wanted out of the game, or at least to be king himself. While he was a warrior himself, he seemed to not share his brothers… zest and ambition for war that Gurthok did. Once again Jack found himself thinking that Onem might not be such a bad dude, if only he hadn’t enslaved Jack, and then sub-sequentially left him for dead in the middle of a draugr army.

“You know, Onem,” Jack said from behind his cup of mead. “The last time we had one of these prewar festivities, I ended up killing one of your commanders. I wonder what’s going to happen this time.”

Both Gurthok and Onem turned to Jack. Gurthok’s eyes going curious, mischievous even. Onem’s eyes going dark and angry.

“A trap I won’t fall for twice.” Onem spat.

“Wanna bet?” Jack said, wiggling his eyebrows. He had a problem with Onem in that he very much wanted to kill the draugr. More so than Gurthok, even. He looked over at the berserker king, who seemed very interested in the conversation. Jack found himself liking the guy. The man just wanted to fight, fight, and fight some more. He waxed poetics about dying in glorious combat. Jack could relate. Aside from the dying part, that is.

“So tell me about this lifeforce thing.” Jack said, pulling out the vial that Gurthok had thrown his way from before. Hannah told him not to drink it. He gave it an inspection.

Weak Lifeforce Potion

Type: Potion

Tier: Rare

Description:

A potion designed to help negate the effects of drawing upon one's lifeforce. While lost life force cannot be regained, it can be redistributed so you may be made complete once again.

For those who have overdrawn themselves.

He still had no idea what lifeforce was, but he was curious to find out. He still felt off in a way he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Like a piece of him was missing.

“Ahhh, lifeforce abilities. It’s either simple, or quite complicated really.” Gurthok said with a knowing nod towards the vial Jack was holding. “Lifeforce abilities are things that draw on not your mana, but your very life.” Gurthok said matter of fact.

“Buddy, I’m like three drinks in. I’m going to need simpler terms.”

“Lifeforce abilities are abilities so powerful that mana isn’t enough to sustain them. They need something far more powerful, far more mystical, something beyond the grasp of us simple fools. The price of using a lifeforce ability is life itself.” Gurthok said, his voice taking a reverent tone.

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“So what? My life gets shortened or something?”

“Yes, and no.” Gurthok said “How does one measure a life?” he asked “A life can be so much, but also so little. Should you have great potential, your lifeforce will be strong, deep, vast. But maybe you’re… insignificant,” Gurthok said, weighing his hands back and forth. “Be that the case, a lifeforce technique will take so much more from you. You may find yourself wanting, and dying an early death, aging far before your time.”

“Huh.” Jack said, not really getting it at all. “So it’s like a fate or destiny thing? If the universe has big plans for me, then I can use lifeforce abilities?”

“Maybe.” Gurthok shrugged. “But if you use up too much, then you become insignificant. Your life becomes worth little. You age. You die. Things like one’s fate are impossible to gauge and foolish to measure. My advice, as you seem to have developed a lifeforce ability – and don’t deny it, I can see the signs – use it sparingly. You don’t want to out spend your life, your fate, and find yourself owing a debt you cannot hope to pay. You may find yourself needing it.” Gurthok said, a rueful glint to his eyes.

Jack inspected the potion again and then popped off the top and dropped it into his cup of mead before tapping the cup on the table and slamming it back in one go. He chewed on his tongue, trying to mull over the information. He was hoping for a more matter of fact answer. The static overdrive ability was ridiculous, and he had plans to keep using it, but what would that do to his future?

Who cares? Came an unbidden voice from the back of his head. Jack found himself agreeing. He would just let future Jack worry about that shit. Future Jack was a needy asshole anyways. Screw that guy.

“Tell me.” Jack said, scanning the table for another drink. “Do you know any good drinking games?”

Gurthok let loose a large smile.

“Follow me.”

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[Hannah]

Hannah sat at a table opposite Jack and Gurthok, quietly staring down the group of men as they argued amongst each other. She had been half listening to their conversation, trying to pick up any clues, any weakness Gurthok might have for the upcoming battle.

This whole situation is fucked. Hannah thought to herself, eyes scanning out the makeshift pre-war festival. Both the blue eyed and red-eyed draugr alike seemed to be partying like it was the end of the world. It was odd. She wasn’t sure if they were doing it because they wanted to or if the queen and Gurthok had commanded them to. She felt as though she was caught up in some sort of play. For the thousandth time she wished she had come in here with a full blown team and could just kill everything in sight instead of having to placate to the whimsies of the dungeon bosses.

The negotiations for war had been awkward and entirely pointless. It quickly became apparent that Gurthok was just bored and wanted to talk to people. Jack just went and agreed to every single one of his demands, no interest in actually having a discussion with Gurthok. It wasn’t like Hannah had any room to negotiate anything herself, for her and Jack it was kill Gurthok or bust. In fact, that seemed to be the game plan for both Queen Geildana and Onem. She glanced over at the queen who was sipping primly from a mug, a hard look on her face. She cocked an eyebrow noticing Hannah.

“I suppose you must think this all strange. Dining with the enemy, celebrating as though we are friends.” The queen said, setting her cup down and fixing her all knowing gaze on Hannah.

“Something like that…” Hannah trailed off, still trying to listen in on Jack’s conversation with Gurthok. There was no way in hell he was sober enough to remember the information on lifeforce abilities.

When the hell did he even learn something like that? Hannah wondered.

“Gurthok is a simple man, really. He wants to die an honourable death in a glorious war.” She stared. “Sadly, there is no one quite up to the task. He became too powerful, too strong, conquering everything he set his sights on. Eventually, no one could challenge him at all. So he went to them, wiping out all competition until there was none left. When finally death came to challenge him, he beat that too. If it wasn’t at the hands of an opponent, then he would not give himself over to the eternal tree, despite his unending accomplishments. The man simply refuses to die.” Geildana finished, a hint of loneliness in her voice.

“Is that why you’re playing along?” Hannah asked. “You seemed hell bent on killing him but the second he shows up you turned fair maiden in love.”

“Because I am in love.” The queen said, eyes turning angry. “That man has my heart and soul completely. I would do anything for him… It’s just now what needs to be done is rather difficult for me to accomplish.”

“Killing him?”

“Just so.” The queen nodded. “My original plan was to bring all the draugr under my control. Give them all an honorable death at the hands of their king, and when he is weakened from war, slaying him myself. Now though, no thanks to your friend, I find myself in a far more difficult position.”

“Do you think we can win?” Hannah asked.

“No.” the queen said matter of fact. “I know he may not seem it, but there is not a single person who can hold a candle to Gurthok’s raging red flames.”

Hannah just nodded, squinting at Jack as he, Gurthok, and Onem stood up, leaving the festival and disappearing into the encampment.

“I could say the same thing about Jack.” She said more to herself, absentmindedly taking a drink from her cup.

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[Onem]

Onem followed his brother and Jack, the king of fools as they argued back and forth like children who weren’t about to kill each other on the merits of who had the best drinking game.

He watched as the two stood apart from each other. His fingers twitched as Jack pulled out his daggers.

He’s finally going to make his move. Onem though, waiting for the moment the fool did something idiotic like attack Gurthok in the middle of the camp.

“This one is yours. The goal is to throw the dagger between my feet. First one to chicken out loses.” Jack said, flipping his dagger in his hand.

“When do we drink?” Gurthok asked.

“How about after every successful throw?”

Gurthok nodded along at that. Jack flipped his dagger in his hand one more time, and then cranked his arm back, launching his dagger at Gurthok. Onem watched as the dagger pierced straight through Gurthoks foot.

“Whoops.” Jack shrugged innocently.

Gurthok let loose a wicked smile, unbothered by the fact he was now pinned to the ground by Jack's dagger.

“My turn.” He growled, throwing his dagger at Jack’s feet, piercing straight through his foot. Onem’s eyes shot up in surprise at Jack’s obvious effort to suppress the pain.

“Should have seen that one coming.” Jack said through gritted teeth.

“Let’s go again,” Gurthok said, flashing a dangerous smile.