Breaking the Rules Pt. 06

(She'll probably just reject me and move on, once she knows who I truly am. She could have just about any man she wants.)

/But what is it that you want? I specialize in relationships, I can definitely help./

(Oh. I didn't realize I was thinking out loud. I want her to want me the way I am. I grew up in one of those metaphorical waffle holes, I don't want my berry-self to get stuffed into another one, and let out all my happy juices in a painful way.)

/Nuru, the answer is so simple, even you can grasp it./

(There's nothing simple about this.)

/The solution is, though. Just corrupt her. I'll be more than happy to coach you through it./

(Yeah, I'll bet you will. But I don't want to have to change her for us to work. What if she's resentful?)

/She has no idea the delights I can arrange for her. Trust me, she'll love it./

(There's always a price. What if she's rejected by society, the way I am?)

/This is why I am searching for my ascention. It's well past time that society made room for people like you - believe it or not, there are many of you out there, oppressed by the High Faction code of conduct, but afraid to express their desires. If you think about it, you're all the product of sexual activity. Generation after generation of horny fuckers have populated the world as we know it; it's ludicrous that they turn around and bury the joyous rapture that everyone knows they want, for some arbitrary moral value passed down by angels and gods that wouldn't know happiness if it ejaculated in their faces. Nuru, it's easy to corrupt people, and it's mainly because they're half corrupted right from birth. The human race, and the elves, and the dwarves, and everybody else - they're a tinder waiting for a sexy spark strong enough to survive the meddling of the gods long enough to catch flame. Zula is not as different from you as you fear; you just need to find the right way to show it to her./

(I'm not sure if everyone is as temptable as you think. There are people who seem absolutely incorruptible. But I have to admit, I want to believe what you're saying. Let's call that my next goal, after you ascend.)

/Deal. I get my wings, and you get to make your neighbors jealous with all the screaming steamy nights./

(So what should I do firs-)

Chibale snapped his fingers, and pointed. A griffin was circling above, and the deer were standing at attention, not sure which way to bolt. One of the most skittish picked a direction at random and took off, and the griffin dove and snatched it up. The harpies burst up out of the tall grass and followed as it sailed away on the wind.

"Here we go. Time to loot a griffin nest," Chibale whispered.

The skeletons bodily picked them up, and they followed the piercing cries of the harpies to a nearby hillside they were circling. The skeletons collapsed under them, and Chibale motioned for Nuru to stay there as he darted towards the shadowy side.

"!Manufa Makiya Cikin Mutuwa!" Chibale said, and the harpies all swooped in on the attack.

The griffin screamed angrily, snapping at one harpy and killing it instantly, but the three remaining slipped past its guard and latched on to its back and neck. Chibale Shadow Walked straight up the hillside, then leaped down from above the griffin with two war hammers; one he threw ahead of himself, and the other he brought down with two hands on the front shoulder, tearing a bellow of pain from the great beast that turned sharp as the second impact punctuated the damage from the first. It jumped into the air, coasting to the base of the hill near Nuru and thrashed, attempting to dislodge the harpies pecking and tearing at its flesh. Chibale hurled one of the hammers in its direction and came charging confidently down the hill afterwards; the hammer missed, but distracted the griffin enough that it lost track of the harpies.

"!Kai Hari Kan Idanu Cikin Mutuwa!"

The harpies shifted, attacking the griffin's face, going for the eyes. The beast reared up on his hind legs, roaring with deafening strength, beating its wings to knock the harpies away. It worked, until Chibale caught up, and struck both ankles with a hammer, one held in each hand. One of them dematerialised, and he dodged the body of the griffin with another Shadow Walk as it collapsed to the ground.

"!Madaukakin Tsalle!"

Chibale was propelled high in the air, turning the war hammer around so the spike on the back faced forward, which he lodged between the griffin's ribs in a terrific two-handed blow to its side. He didn't try to pry it loose; instead, he rematerialized the other hammer in one hand while holding on to the first for leverage, and brought the second hammer down on the flat face of the first, driving the spike deeper into the griffin's chest with a metallic CLONK. Each blow reverberated with an agonized shriek that could be heard for miles. It took many long minutes of fighting not to be knocked loose by the great scrabbling claws of the griffin, but the hammer broke the ribs and the spike finally reached the heart, and the massive feliform breathed its last.

Chibale dematerialized both of the hammers, and slipped to the ground, breathing heavily and covered in the fountain of blood that had sprayed up, kneeling for a minute to recover. For a few minutes the only sound was the rustling of the trees and the screams of mortally-wounded harpies that had been smashed by the griffin's face against the ground.

"Ho...ly...shit," Nuru said.

"Come on, that was pretty good, can I get some applause?" Chibale smirked, standing back up.

"Very impressive," Nuru clapped.

"Let's see what we've got up here," the man said. "Griffins love to collect treasure to show off for their mates. Makes for an attractive raid target, hence the avoiding of people unless it's stalking for a particular prize."

Sure enough, a couple chests with deep claw marks had been dropped and broken open on the rocky ledge next to the griffin nest. Gold chain, some coins, and a few choice bits of armor were strewn about in a way to catch the eye from high above. They split it evenly as possible, as per the party agreement.

"Last thing, before we go."

They met the skeleton horde at the bottom of the hill. Chibale materialized the lantern mace, and struck the griffin's head with it, rather gently in comparison to the earlier blows.

"!Babba Rai Magudana!"

The lantern lit up purple.

"Ooh. How many griffins you got?" Nuru asked.

"I don't keep them all to myself, but I bet this is number three in the Chosen vault. Once HQ finishes the move, I'll be ready for a battle the likes of which you've never seen. It'll come in real handy in the new Expansion areas, I'll tell you that."

"Yeah, I'll bet. So I guess we're done for the day."

"Well, if you're tired of having fun we could go get a drink."

"Actually, I need to go shopping."

"Oh? Gonna spend it all in one go? Not a great strategy."

"You may have noticed my loadout is in need of an upgrade."

"I wouldn't dare to presume. But it's not what I would choose to wear."

"What I need first is an armor codpiece. You know a good place?"

Chibale burst out laughing.

"Protect your most valuable asset! Hahahaa, I understand completely. Not all armorers cater to that, you're right. Let me think. Truthfully, you're best off seeking out a Low-Faction-friendly armorer, they have a bit more aggressive styling and are more likely to work with those pieces. You're welcome to check out the Chosen's faction store; our quartermaster tends to liquidate the stock to fund our questlines, but he might have something."

"I need something quick. HQ's not gonna be ready soon enough."

"Let me introduce you to one of my outfitters then."

"Will we be back at Quartz Port before sundown?"

"Do not fear the nocturnal feeders. They know necromancers will be happy to drain them of everything, and thus keep their distance. It's one of my best sources of human souls, to raise skeletons with in a pinch."

"It's just that I've got business there."

"Oh, well, we'd better get back then, I suppose. Never know what random encounters we might hit on the way, I'd hate to make you late."

"OK. Let me know where it's at and I'll run by there as soon as I can."

"I'll meet you tomorrow, same place, and make introductions."

"Oh, I couldn't hold you up - I have some errands to run, and some touchy people that want to meet me alone. I don't know when I'll be ready. Might be the day after, if it's that far."

"Shame. Well, send a note when you're ready, you know the place."

"Yeah. So, man, you've practiced that flying leap attack, clearly."

"Honestly, it's a dramatic finisher, but you've got to be *really* sure of your hit. It leaves you high and exposed, especially if you end up missing. In this case, it was the best way to get up on the beast while I had the initiative, because of how big it was. Without the harpies pulling aggro, I could never have pulled it off. Would have been hours chasing it around, knocking its HP down into death blow levels."

"So I guess you totally turn a typical dungeon crawl around coming in alone with reanimation."

"If the dungeon bosses're dumb enough to send their cannon fodder first, sure. Wipe out the weak ones, snag a few minions out of it, send 'em right back at the big guys, and you can totally upend the balance of power. Gets hard to keep track of friend and foe though, especially if you've got multiple necromancers turning multiple enemies. There's not time to re-badge in the middle of a fray, although I have been considering bringing colored arm bands to equip. Reanimate helps to replenish the ranks, certainly, but it's generally best to bring your A Team right from the front gate."

"Gotta be a downside, though."

"The dues. You start off as a valkyrie, gathering souls for guys like me at first. Lots of grindy boring time by yourself. Get too bored, you get dead. So it's this tightrope walk of, 'am I pushing myself hard enough, or am I taking too many risks?' So it's only ten percent glamorous at best, but those moments, oh, they are glorious."

"Sounds a lot like regular adventuring."

"It pretty much is. A little more grind than average, and a little bit more trouble with the paladins, but overall I'd say we come out ahead. Doesn't get much better than a one-way split on the loot."

"Doesn't sound so bad. I'm already not friends with the paladins, although I admit I don't do combat particularly much."

"Hah, yeah, I heard about the succubus escapade. Figured out you don't like mouthy women, eh?"

"Indeed, though it had its perks."

"Oh, no doubt, no doubt. But, listen here, if you want to learn the art of shutting the bitch up, ask me about it sometime. We'll have us a ball. Well, five of them, between the two of us. One ball gag and four... you know."

"Uh, I'll keep that in mind."

"Here we are. Pleasure meeting you, Nuru."

"Thanks for the demo, it was quite fascinating. You've given me a lot to think about."

"See you soon."

The skeletons divided into their individual bodies, dug back into their graves, and everything went still as Chibale walked away.

"Hey, I think some of them got mixed into the wrong grave," Nuru called after him.

Chibale laughed, and kept walking.

(I'm not sure how I feel about that.)

/Didn't you say when your own corpse gets cooked, you'll be gone and won't care anymore?/

(Yeah, but I don't have a family, or much of anyone else to care if... hmm. Maybe I do now, actually.)

/Meaning me?/

(No, I know you won't mourn me for who I am. You'll mourn the EXP that my loins can produce for you, and that's it.)

/Hold onto your hat, then. Your personal development has been gratifying to watch. We may have differences in how we find joy, but I can appreciate your courage, your sacrifice, and your genuine concern for others; even for me./

(Pssh. You think I care about you?)

/Nuru, you got a bit misty-eyed when you thought I was dead, rather than just trying to seek out another. You also thought you needed to convince me about the importance of consent, rather than just strike some kind of bargain - you were concerned about my moral standing, bless your little heart./

(I just needed us to be on the same page. I don't want any painful misunderstandings.)

/The pact could be broken, Nuru. You could find another. No, what you really care about is you want to think of me as an equal in some way, and you want me to rise to your level rather than you sinking to mine. It may be ethically questionable for you to pursue, but you do care about me; you have the dubious honor of being the first to do so, ever. Despite all odds and how old I am, you found a cherry of mine to pop./

(That is hilarious and depressing at the same time.)

/And I don't hear you denying it's true./

(F-fuck you.)

Sanaa giggled.

/I know, it makes me uncomfortable too. But growth usually is./

(How do you know all this? That's the most terrifying thing about you, I think.)

/Why, it's my feminine intuition. I don't blame you for not understanding. Men rarely do./

(Aaaaand now you're back to being an asshole.)

/Hey, I can fuck all night long. This lovey-dovey thing, though, is not high on my proficiencies./

(Oh, of course. Love you too.)

/Aaauuuurgh! I knew you were gonna say that! Nyala's chafing chastity belt!/

Nuru laughed, and walked into the library. "Ace back yet?"

"No, but he's due to check in any time now," Furaha said.

"OK, I'll wait. Hey, you alright?"

"Just tired. Didn't sleep well. Gonna be a long night tonight, too. I won't be coming back to the hut, I've got too much to do."

"Oh. I guess if we're going to get anywhere with my goals, we're gonna have to really work for it."

"Heresmyfullreportgottarunbyeeeee!" Ace said, appearing with a puff of smoke and taking a dash towards the door, dropping a stack of papers on the desk.

Furaha pressed her eyeballs in with her knuckles.

"Off to see his sea maiden?" Nuru said.

"Yep. You better go talk to him at the seashore yourself. Sorry."

"Alright. You need a stress-relief break, you know where to find me," Nuru said.

"Don't tempt me," Furaha muttered, glancing over at him hungrily.

Nuru winked, grabbed the code book from the table, and walked towards the door.

"Hey, I haven't had a chance to copy it yet!" Furaha said.

"It's alright, I've got eidetic memory. I'll glance it over and give it back," Nuru said.

"Oh... why didn't I think of that?" Furaha said, smacking herself in the forehead.

"You reeeeally need that stress relief," Nuru tossed back.

"Too much work! Get outta here!" she snapped. "Before I do something neither of us will regret!"