Triple Strength

264. Freedoms End: Wiremu

We finished the day’s travel with minimal issues. I don’t know how Tabitha got Moja back in line, but I assume it was her usual half-truths combined with bribery. She might have pulled out the Countess card.

Nelson kept his people in line. It would be extremely difficult for him to do anything unnoticed with Rodion's dogs roaming everywhere. They are also watching our comings and goings carefully. I did catch sight of a bird I thought might be his bond, but it was too quick and too far away to confirm. I think we are looking for a common Raven. It is a very intelligent and versatile bird, and they are worldwide, so that they wouldn’t stand out anywhere.

I am missing Kelda again. Liten would be ideal for scouting and discovering where these slaves are, but she is not here. I wonder how she is and whether she has got her sight back. I hope so.

The Trading Post and Courier Waystation are one and the same. It is a log building with a stable out the back and a bunkhouse. The owner/manager and family live upstairs, and several courier horses are grazing in a paddock. There is a well out front and several marked spaces for Wagons and camps for the passing caravans. The sign says, “Freedoms End: Last stop before the desert.” I guess this is also the border to the Free Republic. I didn’t know that.

We were the only caravan there at this time, so we picked a camp area and set up. A courier came through at speed, but she didn’t stop for more than a drink and to swap horses before galloping on. I caught Tabitha eyeing her enviously. Carefree riding. Personally, I think she would be bored after the first week. Or less.

Once both camps were set up, everybody gathered at a central spot ready for the removal of the Slave Class. Nelson was adamant he had his full protection detail present. Ruku was Umreti’s Master, so he had to be there as we refused to transfer him to Nelson to fulfil both roles, even though he claimed it was easier.

Everybody was gathered around from both groups. Mayakku and I had discussed this. She is best with Sprirtal flows and will concentrate on the strength, flow and flavour that Nelson uses in the ritual. I am the Bond specialist and will concentrate on what happens to the Slave Bond and, with my Apprentice Interrogate Status Skill, what happens with the Slave Class. Mayakku had four Spiritual collectors ready. We spread them around the area discreetly.

Umreti stripped to a loin cloth and donated a bowl of blood under the watchful eye of Astrid. Nelson stepped forward and had Umreti sit on a stump, and he produced a small paintbrush and writing stick that he dipped in the blood and started drawing the runes on Umreti’s hands and feet. The runes were quite simple. The basic pattern is a spiral where the centre would be pierced during the ritual.

Tāoke was patrolling the perimeter with Rodion’s pack when he smelled something unusual. I felt him head off to investigate. It was late afternoon, and the sun was about to set, and the shadows were long. We had the ritual area well-lit with lanterns and a fire.

The runes over the head and heart were much more complicated. Nelson started on the heart. He was about halfway through when he was interrupted.

“That’s wrong!” Mayakku announced.

Nelson stopped and looked at her, “What would a Catkin know about this ritual for Slave Taskmasters?”

Shit, he did it on purpose to test how much we know.

“This catkin knows enough.” she flicked up a very sharp claw at him. “There is a knowledge absorption skill I use, which you are obviously unaware of. It is called reading.”

“Those books are not available to most people.”

“Open your eyes, idiot. Do they look like ‘most people’ to you?” Mayakku pointed to Tabitha and me.

“I don’t know what book you read, but this is a common variation used in the Empire. We are the experts here.”

My Truth Sensing Skill was telling me he was straight-up lying. Do I challenge him and, therefore, confirm I have the skill? He will definitely already expect it.

“You’re a liar,” Mayakku said, beating me to it.

“What did you call me?” Nelson said threateningly.

“I said you are a liar,” she repeated. “I expected your hearing to be better with you having a fox bond in all. Maybe you lied about that, too.”

“I am not…”

“Oh shut up, old man. Any apprentice rune crafting practitioner knows orienting that part of the rune in that direction will disburse the spiritual flow over the outside of the body instead of going into the active part of the rune and into the body as it is supposed to.”

Nelson stood up and looked at me and Tabitha. “So what is actually going on here?”

Tabitha said, “You are removing the slave class from Umreti.”

“But that is not really what is going on here, is it? Nobody pays two Cargonite to free one slave. This catkin has intimate knowledge of the Release Ritual, and she is obviously an expert at runes and spiritual flow. And don’t think I can't sense the items sucking in Spiritual Energy. What is really happening here?”

Tabitha stepped forward and placed the second Cargonite next to Umreti. “People do pay two Cargonite to release a slave, especially if they want it done without annoying questions.” She emphasised the last three words pointedly.

“But I am here for information.”

“Not this information, and you are being paid.” Tabitha pointed to the coin.

“And yet you get nothing unless I perform the Ritual.”

We won’t tell him we are already getting a feel for his Spirituality, and comparing it to Barbra’s has clarified our initial conclusions.

“And you think we will let you walk away with the information you have and not perform the task given to you?” Tabitha asked in a flat tone.

“Oh, I will definitely perform the Ritual for you, but I want to know why.”

My Truth Sensing came out strongly that he was being truthful and doing what he said. I gave a very subtle hand signal that this was true. Tabitha was standing in front of me, and I had my hand behind my back, knowing Tabitha and her Spatial Awareness would see it.

“And if we don’t want you to know why?” Tabitha was unrelenting.

“All of this,” and he indicated all of us and our caravan, “is unique. Two elemental bonds, at least three affinity users. You are up to something.”

“Of course, we are up to something,” Tabitha said. “But that does not mean we trust you, or your guards, with that knowledge. A very strong argument has been made for not letting you live with what you already know.”

That stirred up the guards.

“Our agreement was that I do the job and be able to ride away afterwards.”

“That was our agreement, but you appear to be in the middle of renegotiating it. How about you do the job, and we can then discuss an additional agreement, or you can ride away without being attacked.”

“Fair enough. I will do this now, and tomorrow morning, we will see if we can re-negotiate, or I will ride away.” At Tabitha’s nod, he turned back to Umreti, wiped the partially drawn rune off and started again.

Tāoke had located his slaves, and they had come quite close in anticipation of trouble. There were obviously no trackers amongst them, or they would have approached from downwind. They were all geared up for a fight. Tāoke would track them, and he marked them with his Hunters Marks. Because our bond was at the Master level, I had a general idea of their direction but not distance.

The Raven was close, and I could sense the bond. I assume it was waiting for a signal from Nelson. I had already pointed it out to Tabitha, and she was ready to grab it with her shadows if necessary. There was no sign of the fox; had he lied about it? My Truth Sensing didn’t think so.

Nelson was just finishing when Umreti started a mild seizure. Nelson stepped back quickly.

“What is happening?” he asked.

Ruku replied, “He has been having seizures. We think it is a result of the mental attacks and drugs he was subjected to make him accept the slave class.”

I saw Nelson frown slightly. He stepped forward, placed a hand on Umreti’s head and concentrated for a minute. He frowned again, “Who?”

I wonder what Skill that was. I glanced at Ruku, being the Slave Master, and he just shrugged. I decided to speak, “It was the person you were rushing to Almaeadin to work for.”

“Lord Ibrahim?”

“If he is the City Lord, yes. More specifically, one of his lackeys. They were both there when I killed them.”

“You killed them? Half the city is burned to the ground!” He sounded shocked. He looked at Tabitha and then back to me. “Definitely, brother and sister.”

“Can you do anything to help him?” I asked.

“Wait a minute,” he said and put his hand on Umreti’s head again. The seizure was ending. “I might be able to help better if I took over the slave bond,” then he glanced at the reception that received and continued, “But that is not happening, and there is probably little I can do anyway. The damage is probably permanent. In addition to the seizures, there is probably some memory loss. To be honest, the best thing for him is what we are doing. Removing the Slave Class will restore his Mental Attributes, reduce the seizures and start the healing process. Even with a Mental Healer Specialist, there will always be damage.”

“You are not a specialist, but you have some skills in the area,” Tabitha said.

“No comment.”

“There is no true freedom from slavery,” I said. “The effects will always be with you.”