NOVEL NEXT B 2 C 27: No, You Really Can't
B 2 C 27: No, You Really Can’t
I think our family lung capacity has been going up. Between the harrowing events we’ve suffered, and finally living at a place that’s decent for swimming, us otters are at about twenty minutes of held breath. Yes yes, I’m not an otter, but I’m not a human either. I’m more certain of that as I gain access to various changes in my form. I can adopt a form that looks like a slightly masculine-leaning androgynous adult human. But for my base form, my ears have gotten pointier, my features more effeminate, yet angular. My skin is simultaneously rough, yet ridiculously smooth. That part I can’t really figure out how to rationalize. But I can pop back down to the cherubic form I remember at any time. I feel like I look like a teenage mutant ninja elf. Hm, another brain BSOD for a moment there, almost. I think I’m even starting to grow a bit of a tail. But yeah, goblin-human-pixie hybrid is still one of the things I think I look like, the more recent, friendlier goblins, their more attractive depictions, not the older ones. Why do I have so many memories of something that I know how they were depicted in different eras? Yet no memories of a place in that world for me. No people, no names. Those memories don’t matter, they’re fake, like Teuila and Luni said, they know the definitions of words that I bring up, when I bring them up, so that just means we all do. I just have some more weird context for the words. Maybe I was supposed to be spawned as a librarian, which meant I needed more word knowledge.
Sighing, I go back to thinking about our lung capacity. It’s good, but still, I wouldn’t want to be trapped in any of the waterways between exits in the dam, and I wouldn’t want to have to fight in the water. It’s about the only way the beavers might pose a threat to my party, if they just held us under while we suffocated, since their lung capacities are greater. I wish I could figure out how to bottle oxygen to my inventory.
Wait, I know I can claim fire, and water, why not air? What if I already have air in my inventory? What if any empty carrying capacity is filled with air? Hm, trying to expel air just beneath the surface of the river doesn’t net any results though. I suppose fighting under water actually wouldn’t give the beavers that much advantage. I could do some nasty things with my SIP using my FBF style.
Yeah, during the week of idle peace, my party and I decided to dub my icy wind pugilism attacks sub-zero ice punches, easier to just say SIP. They also decided that I should try to develop a style of combat around it, and call it the frostburn fist style. It really does sound like stuff from entertainment in my memories, but it’s easier to subvocalize when internal monologuing during combat. They also workshopped my mobility power, we decided to call it jettison-thrust, jetthrust, or JT for short. They figured that was best since it works by using my space skill to place an object in space near me, jettisoned with momentum aimed towards myself, to thrust me in that direction.
I don’t do radiant copies of equipment anymore, only neutral gray, or umbral copies. My inner circle thinks umbral shot and umbral stab are the best way to describe them. It’s funny since that means my attacks are made of USes. My thermokinesis mana consumptive abilities are pretty easy. Frost javelin, and fireball, pretty classic, easy to remember names. I can also do steam explosions directly from my inventory, I don’t really need to name those. For my cold air barrier, I like the name cold air barrier, but my friends think I should call it my frozen frost shield. I’m still iffy on that one, since the acronym is FFS, which is kinda funny in my messed up memories. Actually, I could totally see myself saying that exasperatedly when I need to block some incoming flames. “Oh FFS.”
I’m thinking all these through because I’m trying to figure out if I can combine any of the abilities that I remember that I have, to be able to keep us safe in water, able to breathe. Especially able to breathe without needing to possibly call a possibly reincarnated Sylphie to us. She died for me, to help save these beavers. I know she didn’t derez, but she definitely died, no two ways about it. I don’t want to throw that sacrifice away and kill these idiots. She easily had enough strength for her and me to escape, we went through several wings before she died.
Is it better to go in armed, or to go in looking unequipped? I don’t really like being deceitful, but I don’t want to start off on a hostile foot either. Maybe it would be a good show of force to equip and unequip in front of them, showing that we’re capable of instantly defending ourselves. Even Teuila, now that she has inventory magic. She barely snagged enough carrying capacity from fishing in the last week for the things she wants to carry, but I’m proud of her regardless. She’s always, always training and improving.
Teuila sends the Shellcracker squee along my mental wavelength, indicating she’s been riding it this entire time. I can’t help but chuckle. I’m glad to have her presence in my brain. Lu appears unequipped, but she carries Valkyrie gear under her dress. Lil will wear the cloak regardless, consequences be darned if any of the beavers are hostile and see two Lils. Teuila and I can go in mostly naked, and make a show of force in equipping ourselves from thin air as we demand an audience.
Still no idea how to help us breathe underwater, but we’ll just have to hope it doesn’t come to that. Alright, let’s do this. We’re going in the front door. Two beaverfolk from each faction, fairly burly looking ones, guard the main entrance. They glare hatefully at me upon approach. Oooh boy do I want to shove a frozen fist down their mugs. Keep it together Reggie. I’d say breathe, but we’re under water, so don’t do that.
Since they recognize me, they know they can’t stop me from entering, instead they enter alongside us as chaperones. It’s a mundane swim through reconstructed dam tunnels, but eventually we’re at the great hall again. Luni has to take over from here for the most part, so I hop a ride on Lil’s senses to be able to understand most of what’s being said.
Huh, Lil, are you on this wavelength? Try taking those invisible goggles to your inventory, then putting them back on. Lil complies, and their senses are completely different with the goggles on. It feels like they somehow enhance vision, visual acuity and accuracy. I bet Lil could land a firebolt dead center on a target at a thousand paces right now. Well, when their fire gains a long enough range to do so.
Lil telepathically exclaims, “Woah partner, I didn’t even notice! Thanks for checking that out for me! This is cool, mega cool, mega mega mega cool!” I can’t help but don a wry grin, which apparently unsettles our guards.
I actually recognize one of these beaverfolk guards from when I was half slumped over in the great hall on the return trip, I could barely move anything other than my eyes. I’m fairly certain I looked psychotic then, so this one probably views any facial expression I make as a ticking time bomb of psychosis.
Anyway, Luni is making our plea to talk to the leaders of the MCF, without calling them that. We demonstrate our ability to equip ourselves instantly, magically, and then we doff the equipment back to our inventories as a show of good faith.
Oh that sneaky mother of, grrr. The one that kept running away with Gae Buidhe is shadowing the room, creeping around. They don’t have it on them at the moment, but I don’t believe for a second that little jerk wouldn’t have been searching for it until they found it. Keep it together Reggie, keep it together, breathe, you can do this. Anger isn’t the right answer right now, breathe.
The leaders of the sane beaver faction essentially say, yeah sure go talk to them. I can tell they basically hope we kill each other off. What a bunch of ruthless dicks. I hate authority figures sometimes. About the only position of power I respect and admire is matron, specifically only our matron Laomati. When I think about the fact that these utter dirtbags captured her, held her, took Mata away from her and brainwashed him, I, I. As my fury boils to the surface I clamp my jaw tightly shut to keep from screaming in rage. I grind my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut as hard as I can. I dig my nails into my palms, drawing blood, begging myself to breathe, to keep it together. You can do this, just keep it together. They have to see that you specifically aren’t a threat. You can give that air.
Then again, as the only being in existence that naturally bleeds, me standing around glaring pure daggers in fury as my palms drip blood all over their floors, with a jaw that looks like it had just bitten the head off something and locked down, is probably not the most convincing air of ‘not dangerous.’
Lil and Teuila are laughing into our shared wavelength at the irony of my intended image versus how I’m coming off. They try to bring levity to help keep my mind off of what enrages me. Lu tries her best to remain diplomatic, to gather as much information about who the leaders of the MCF are. Based on her descriptions, the little sneakthief with Gae Buidhe is one of their lieutenants, or right hand people.
When we’re certain we’re not going to be jerked around, and led to a phony meeting, we allow ourselves to be escorted off to the room with the cervid skull, and large table. We’re made to sit at the entrance of the room, while the MCF beavers take all the seats at the table. Fine, this is fine, keep it together. Specifically they order us to sit with Luni in front, about five or ten paces ahead, me behind her, and Teuila five or ten paces behind me. I think they think they can keep me in check if I have to go through my loved ones to get to them. This thought just enrages me further. Lil is allowed to do whatever they want, I don’t think they understand that Lil is also the dragon who was guarding my family in the prison way back when. Urk, that time, the time that. Ugh. Hate them, so much. So much!
Breathe, breathe, you can do this. Lu trembles as she absorbs as much of my rage as she can handle, and I can hear Lil and Teuila gnashing their teeth. I’m panting, seething with rage. I probably look like a caged animal, and that probably gives them endless satisfaction, thinking that I’m angry because I’m caught between my friends. You idiots have no idea. Focus, focus. Think about anything, anything else, um, redwoods, sequoias, cypress, uh, baobab. Fudge! Why am I thinking about trees? Beavers eat trees! These jerks eat trees! Ugh, okay, ugh, um, Fire Biome, rocks, obelisks.
Wait. Wait, there was an obelisk missing from the landscape. My fury gives way to panic. What do those obelisks do? Are they the nesting grounds of the ptero-creatures? Would they destroy their own nesting grounds by accident? If someone else destroyed one, would they seek revenge on whoever destroyed it? What adventure did I have with Mataalii and Lil when I was on autopilot? Do those obelisks do anything other than act as landmarks? Was Mata taking his fury out on those stone structures? Did he break an obelisk? The lava that rolls up to the pond seems like it’s held back by a spell, since it melts and cools itself without ever piling up. If the obelisks somehow, no, no, just, just don’t even imagine it. It can’t happen.
Lu catches wind of my thought train, and breaks concentration on negotiations to telepathically divert me, “Hey, Reggie, hey, don’t think about that, it’s okay, it’s, that’s not, that’s not something you should be trying to guess about, it’s going to, it’s going to do bad things to you. Neither of us can handle that right now. Right, love?”
Did Lu just call me love instead of offhandedly saying she loved me? Why does that feel familiar. Especially the accent she used. I, huh. I’m not frightened or furious anymore. Lu, just what are you to me? I scratch my head as I gaze at the back of hers. She sends an image of herself blowing a raspberry through our telepathic bond. Finally my breathing calms down and I release the clenching of my jaw.
Six beaverfolk are marched in, three wearing whole suits of Valkyrie armor, two wearing helmets, and that weasel wielding a copy of Gae Buidhe. I almost lose it again seeing this sneaky turd grinning smugly at me. A furious sneer adorns my face and I start panting with rage again. I instinctively armor up with a full set of equipment from my inventory. Minus the spear and bow of course.
Trying to get out of my own head, I listen through Lil’s senses as best I can. Luni is trying to figure out what they want, and they seem to want all beavers of all factions to follow them, and some sort of divine mandate. As was suggested, they want more of our equipment, but they’re willing to bargain for it, instead of holding my family hostage. Though this show of force is pretty much them saying, “Hey we have your equipment so we could totally fight you if you don’t give us more.” It’s an obvious power play, and a fool’s mistake.
Still, I bite my tongue as long as I can, waiting for Lu to try to find a peaceful solution. Lu starts to ask what the divine mandate is.
The largest, eldest, most rotund humanoid beaverfolk answers with some sort of religious fairytale. She describes how her portion of the tribe are the chosen ones, because they were the first followers. As I begin to discern where this might be going, I feel like I might be sick. She says her followers need not have been coerced, they knew the right thing to do was join the mighty deity, this being from beyond. My fury builds to uncontrollable levels, and I barely hold myself from drawing my sword. This elder beaver woman then goes on to describe that her mighty deity can take on any face, read any thought, but the true face of her deity she describes especially viscerally. She says its slimy tentacles that open to supposedly deliver knowledge or take it away are the most pure divinity, that its ability to consume and bestow radiance are the ultimate power. She says that she knows a way to bring its divinity back into one of her own, that she can resurrect it. She means it eats brains, or plants things in brains, like those pulsating globules in the bowl on that day, she must have one saved somewhere.
My sanity snaps, Lu tries her best to stem the flood of negative emotions, Lil and Teuila are carried along with my rage, but they barely maintain their own senses. My tendrils react before I have a chance to stop myself, they reach out and snag the three strongest weapons in the room. They lash forth to strike down the MCF beaver who’s proselytizing for that horrid abomination. Luni screams and tries to stop one tendril, she pushes on it, even though touching it carries pain like a jellyfish nematocysts. Her push and my desire not to hurt her swings the tendril back away from the beaver, towards us, loosing the weapon it had clutched. Gae Buidhe, its point aimed directly at Lu’s neck.
The beaverfolk derezzes, and during the time dilation everything in me freezes, the tendrils disappear, my armor shunts into my inventory. I try to reach Luni, she’s several meters away, I just need to shove her out of the way, I JT forward, but I realize that will just bowl her into the spear sooner. So instead, I JT to the left by ramming my right ribs once again, aggravating an old injury. Wait, if I can JT myself, can I JT Luni? The fraction of a millisecond that’s passing is agonizing as I materialize a slat of wood on Luni’s far side to jetthrust her towards me. Only when Luni’s slamming into my right side do I see that Lil had already leaped in the way of Gae Buidhe.