Glimpses 15 + 16

Brix- 15

Brix, in his official capacity, observed Billups making a fool out of himself.    

“How does it feel to bring shame to your kingdom by being one of the first two eliminated in the Ascendant Games?” Asked a Local reporter, not even evolved, throwing a blunt strike to gain professional experience.

“I was cheated. You saw it dump me in the middle of the woods naked to face those gold-furred hyperweasels. Then, when I got back to camp hauling their corpses, those bumpkins had the temerity to ask me to get working on a shelter!”

Alpat certainly didn’t send its best to this competition. But Billups was just a special kind of stupid. The third son of a minor noble, picked for favors rather than skill, because surely it would be easy to defeat what comes out of the twin cities.

“And which bumpkins are you referring to?” The newsman asked snidely.

This time, the boy realized he’d taken the bait and shut up.

“What are your opinions on this, master Brix?” He asked, trying a new target

The pivot was expected. Inwardly, Brix rolled his eyes while outwardly, a calm, relaxed smile graced his face. Now cue the slightly disappointed sigh. “Shame? We’ll be lucky this year if the evolved kingdoms notice. Sadly, Alpat and many other kingdoms declined the cost to receive the projection of the games due to the cost set by the queen’s court.”

It really was disappointing. Only the Broken Isles paid the fee. A few dungeon towns and cities skipped the cost, and the dungeon clubs that tapped into such things when possible. Restricting information in or out wasn’t unexpected from this isolated little dictatorship. The charter could only do so much. Shaping media was only part of the goal today.

“And you feel like this will harm the event?” The man pressed, anxiously ready to get his quote.

The social skill the man used was an annoying buzz demanding honesty.

“It's not my place to say. My report will influence future participation from my kingdom. While Billups here wasn't prepared for the unknown aspects, Alpat competitor Owlsley Wurrick is shining.”

“She's in Lady Night's tribe. Do you think they'll become friends?”

The scrying from the Games focused more on action and drama than development. That woman, though, the way she'd forced him to act in their little spar. It was almost like he was back at his old job of training little elites instead of this lousy side trip.

“I think they already are.” That was one woman to watch. The charter will be in play here, too; it won’t take too many strings to maintain a connection to the promising young woman. “I guarantee it.”

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Bea Again-16

The necklace was insulting. She was not livestock. Ambrosia had insisted she wear it for the trip into Hazeldown on the off chance someone recognized what she was. So, a tag was made, placed on a silver chain, and now rested between Bea’s sculpted breasts.

There was a distinct impression that the woman wouldn’t be too upset if Bea didn’t return, even though she was a good worker. Just yesterday, she swallowed twelve gnomes. It was always interesting how their mass just disappeared as their life was snuffed out. One of their skills [Dig] transferred over. Now she had a total of four to choose from.

She’d only swallowed so many because she needed the energy to step over onto Old Bones' domain. The dungeon spirit’s presence in the town was suffocating. How had her savior managed to live and grow here for all those years?  Gustov would be the perfect window into understanding her Lady. Fortune had it that she was assigned to dive with the boy.

The Viridian gym welcomed all of House White since they were one of the first to acknowledge her greatness. They were to meet in one of the gym’s rooms before heading into the dungeon. Could she cross that threshold? Fear was there. So many spirits fled here and to the Deadwoods because they couldn’t withstand the energy and claim.  Who would hold more sway over her, Haz’el Ri or the Savior Harmony White?

Insulting as it was, Bea’s hand went to the silver livestock tag. It showed who she belonged to.  

That didn’t mean each step didn’t take extreme effort. The Viridian attendant waited with that slightly overly attentive look many living gave her when staring at the face Harmony had given her. “I’m here for the House White group. We’re to run the first two floors of the dungeon.”

“The others are waiting in room twenty-two. I can have someone escort you if you’d like.”

“I’m fine.“ She hadn’t gone into this blind. After some stumbling over words, the boys who worked night shift explained how this worked. For a shallow run like this, one Viridian escort, usually a Dig Boy, they were proud of their relationship with House White, would shadow four members for a training and advancement run.

Room twenty-two, Bea stepped inside.  Gustov waited nervously. Tess stood like a statue in armor, holding a helmet in her hand, and one of the newest servants, Grohl, banged his batons on the table as if to announce her arrival. “About time. Let’s get this delve completed.” The man half sang out.

Their escort looked like he was already done with the party. “I’m Cole. We don’t have much time to make it to Old Bones for our spot. If you don’t mind, Miss Bea, we’ll head out now.”

Rather than the slow walk through the city, Bea found herself straining to keep up with the pace.

“Are you feeling okay?” Gustov asked.

The young necromancer. Ambrosia was more concerned with keeping her undead self away from Threnody than this one after Bea reported interacting with him.  “My choice doesn’t align well with this city.” That was a lie. This body had made a choice, though many of those memories were lost. She no longer had a choice or true future choices. Now she merely existed and occupied what Lady White had made. “How is it being a necromancer in Hazeldown. I hear many from Naewauld avoid this town?”

“Weaker. I have to fight for the power to use my skills since everything here belongs to the dungeon. In Naewauld, I’m practically given control over powers relating to the dead as the city doesn’t want it. Here, when I am able to use my skill, it’s impressive.  On my first run, I [Buried] three shamblers. It took a moment to wrestle the energy into it, but it was fast when it actually activated.”

Bea shivered. When he named his skill, it tickled her enough that the idea of cold earth was comforting. Perhaps a bath with the mud harvested from a mossifant. “I see.”

Cole deposited coins with the attendant, and down they went.

Bea felt as her foot crossed into the dungeon’s domain. The howl of a dog echoed in the walls.  Have you come to challenge or join me, tiny spirit?

The voice echoed in her soul. Here was a power greater than her savior, and she was in his house. He could do much for her. He could do much for her. Bea clutched her tag. I belong to Savior Harmony White.

Interesting. You may pass.

“Come, Bea, you’re falling behind,” Gustov called. The necromancer had not even noticed the interaction.

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