Triple Strength

255. Killing Mood: Tabitha.

I don’t know who the people were who had these tents, but the most valuable thing they owned was the camels. If they were bandits, they were not very good ones. If they were simple nomads, they were merely subsisting. Modrica seems to have taken over the management of Umreti and instructed him to sleep in one of the tents. He seems willing to follow her instructions even though she is not his master. I guess it was part of the instructions Wirimu gave him.

I was also resting in a tent when my Spatial Awareness detected something strange with Umreti. He was asleep by then and started shaking like he was having a seizure. I grabbed Modrica, and we went to check on him. It seemed to be a bad one, and he bit on his tongue. My spatial awareness could see right through his body, but I didn’t have healer training, so I had no real knowledge, but there didn’t seem to be anything physically wrong that I could tell. We would need to get him back to Astrid to check over. Modrica stayed with him to check he didn’t choke on anything, but the seizure didn’t last that long.

Ruku’s two hours came and went, so I sent Nyx to go and check on them. They were probably another hour or more away. I guess Ruku underestimated how slow and useless Wiremu is at swimming.

When Ruku and Wiremu finally emerged from the pond, I could tell something was wrong with Wiremu. He was fine physically, but something wasn’t right. We had spent years together by this time, and I knew him better than anyone.

“Don’t saddle the camels yet,” Ruku told Rodion. “We will rest her for a while first.”

Something is not right, and Ruku has also picked up on it. Ruku has decades of experience leading warriors. His experience is invaluable.

“Are you OK, bro?” I asked him. He nodded, but I didn’t believe him. “That tent is free if you want to rest a bit, and there is food in the saddlebag.”

“Thanks.” I also got a hiss and a nod from Tāoke in greeting. Wiremu went into the tent. My senses followed him as he took some bits of food and lay down.

I raised an eyebrow at Ruku, and he nodded away from the tent. We walked away, and then I engaged Shadows Embrace. We all know how strong Wirimu’s Hearing Aid is.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked without hesitation.

“Mental trauma and mental fatigue, I think. He told me a bit about what happened, and he was tortured and attacked Mentally. He thinks he rebuffed the attacks, but I am not so sure.”

“I will fucking level that city.”

“Don’t. He already levelled the palace and killed the city lord and a lot of other people, from what I gather. He is conflicted about how many innocents he killed. I heard him mutter about Kelda not being happy with him. I think his connection to Umreti is also part of the issue. He has resisted slavery so many times, including just now, and now he is a slave master. It is something he is going to have to work through.”

“Can you help? How do we help?”

“I have some experience with battle fatigue and trauma but a lot he will just need time to work through I think.”

“Does the Free Republic have Mental Healers?”

“Probably, but we are three weeks away at our pace. I think the travel will be good for him if we can keep it restful.”

“He likes to go hunting,” I said. Ruku nodded. “Umreti has problems as well. Seizures. I think it is Mental Trauma.”

“We are not equipped for this.”

“No,” I agreed, “and Modrica is in a murdering mood as well.”

“You look after Modrica. Getting eyes on Wiremu’s destruction might help calm her. Rodion and I will take Wiremu back to the wagons. We will slow the wagon speed down.”

“What about Umreti?”

“It is up to Wiremu whether he keeps the bond or not. I could take it. I had to have slaves getting away from Northport.”

“I wonder if Modrica would take the bond. She has taken charge of his care in the role of Matriarch.”

“That is way outside my experience,” Ruku said.

“Yeah, mine too. It is really up to Modrica.”

I shut down the Shadow skill, and we headed back. I needed to talk to Modrica.

I sat down beside Modrica, who was still with a sleeping Umreti. “We don’t think Wiremu should keep holding Umreti’s slave bond, but somebody has to have it until we can get the class off. You are the Matriarch. The decision is yours. Wiremu will keep it if you want him to.”

There was a prolonged silence as she thought, then she grunted, “You?”

“If you want me to. Ruku might be the better choice as he has a lot of experience in leading people.”

There was more silence before she nodded and grunted ascent.

“I will talk to Ruku and arrange it when Wiremu awakes.” That turned out easier than it could have.

A couple of hours later, Wiremu released Umreti’s bond, and Ruku picked it up. The difference was subtle, but it was as if some of the weight had left Wiremu. Then Modrica mounted one of the Camels, and I mounted Dusk, and we headed back to Almaeadin. The four boys would head for the Caravan with the remaining Camels and the tents.

It was mid-afternoon the next day when we came over a rise and saw the smoke mixed with a heat haze hanging over the city. We approached the gate, and the guards asked some routine questions, obviously not really caring.

“What is all the smoke?” I asked.

“The City Lord was attacked and killed by raiders. They burned the palace down. Hundreds are dead or missing.”

“Wow, so who is in charge?”

The guards looked around to see who was near, then said, “The Lord’s first hatchling is claiming to be in charge, but,” he paused, “The guard captain is backing the third hatchling, so things are undecided. The Avions are not supporting either hatchling, and the Áoxiáng Nest is making a play to rule.”

“I see. The Guard captain is…?

“Captain Hussain.”

“Ah yes, I remember him. Is there a quiet place we can stay? Away from the trouble.”

“Merchant district should be fine. Just stay out of the city centre.”

I thanked him and gave him a large thank-you gift as we moved into the city.

We found a stable for the mounts and headed to the city centre on foot. Many shops were closed, and some were boarded up as well. It was late afternoon, but this was usually a busy time as the main heat of the day had passed. Foot traffic was reduced to armend and intimidating thugs—some of them in guard uniforms. I also noted a lot of archers on the rooftops. An Avion nest vying for the throne will mean air defences.

We were stopped before long. They approached me as Modrica towered over me, and everybody assumed she was my bodyguard. It is useful as it has let me be underestimated a lot.

One of the uniform-wearing thugs stepped forward and addressed me. “You are in Lady Asra’s territory. What is your business here.”

Modrica stepped forward and got in his face. “Looking for Hussain and Zikr,” she growled.

The guard stepped back and looked at me as if to say, “Control your bodyguard.” I ignored him and let Modrica do what she wanted. She was in charge, I was the bodyguard. The other thugs in uniform stepped up beside the leader. He rallied himself and said, “State your business!”

“Hussain and Zikr,” repeated Modrica.

“Zikr is dead, but I will definitely take you to see Guard Captain Hussain.” He drew his sword, and the others followed his lead. He then commanded, “Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your back.”

Modrica looked at him like he was a bug, then simply said, “No.”

I looked around. The shadows were lengthening as the sun went down. We were standing on a paved road. That is not good for Modrica and her Earth affinity. This whole desert is not great for her, being all rock and sand. We have been working on some skills together. I guess we are about to see how they work.

The guard was momentarily confused at the simple answer he got, but the thug to the left stepped in to strike Modrica on the head with his baton. The impression I got was that he was an over-enthusiastic junior who was trying to impress his senior. Modrica just raised her arm to block the strike and then punched him in the face. I don’t think the baton even left a bruise from her Armoured Skin and Earth Bones. She also didn’t use any skills in her punch, so the kid was probably still alive. I have seen Modrica kill with one punch. They were much higher level than this kid as well, and it was before she got her affinity. She was a Master of Unarmed Combat and a veteran of the Jern fighting pits.

The kid going down triggered all the others to attack. As they moved forward, they all stumbled, and then Modrica was in the middle of them. It was a very precise application of Earthquake. I was very pleased as we had worked on precision rather than brute strength. Modrica was making short work of them. She hadn’t even drawn a weapon, just demonstrating one of her Master level skills. Being her bodyguard is a boring job.

Two of the thugs came for me. One of them tripped over his own trousers. The other missed her strike as she couldn’t see where she was going. I clouted her with the hilt of my Blacksteel knife, and she was out. I went to the other and put him to sleep as well. How embarrassing to have a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a fight. His belt was sliced clean through. I was pleased to see my Shadow Puppet Skill level to mid-Journeyman. I used to use it extensively in our performances, but there are many other uses for the skill. The Puppet was best operating within my Spaitial Awareness range, but that was quite large now. It was also strong enough to wield sharp objects, and the small glass knife I had since Obalno was ideal. The Puppet handed me two coin purses and went to search the others that were down.

I moved fast, activating a new skill. The arrow heading for Modrica was a Powershot. There was no way Shadow Shield would stop it, but combined with my Skill Parry, I can deflect it slightly. The arrow slammed into the building wall rather than Modrica. It wasn’t as difficult to deflect as Wiremu’s arrows. I figured shadows were strong enough to stand on briefly with Shadow Step, then they can act to stop other things as well. Diving birds were the inspiration, and deflection is the key to using Shadow Shield. I didn’t have a ranged option to strike back at archers, but Nyx poked their eyes out for me. Maybe I did have a Ranged option.

I walked toward Modrica, who wasn’t even breathing hard. She had a thug pinned against a wall. “Where, Hussain,” she demanded.

“Ah … at Asra’s estate.”

“Where!” she shook him again and slammed him back against the wall.

“Ah… corner of Fifth and Noble.”

“I know where that is,” I interjected.

Modrica grunted and slammed her fist into his stomach, then let him go, and he dropped to the ground retching. She kicked him in the head, and he lay still.

We set off toward Fifth Avenue. The route took us past the palace gate, which was open. We stopped for a look, and it was a smouldering heap of rubble. Wiremu, Tāoke and Puia certainly didn’t hold back. Modrica just grunted in satisfaction. Maybe Ruku was right, and this is good for Modrica.

Noble Boulevard was a wide street that basically circled the Palace. Fifth Avenue was like one of the wheel spokes that radiated out from the palace at the centre. Barricades were blocking both streets. While Modrica stomped up to the barricade, I slipped through the shadows around it.

“State your business.” was yelled at Modrica.

She growled, “Hussain.”

“What is your business with Guard Captain Hussain?”

Modrica growled that low, rumbling growl that only orcs could do, and then she yelled, “Hussain!” and it shook window panes. There was movement from the mansion, and a guard lieutenant came out.

“What is the problem here,” she asked.

Modrica repeated her request, and I think it was louder than before.

Hussain looked at Modrica and then said, “Kill her.”