Remnant 2 -ch3- (Patreon)

Scratching at his cheek, Steve stared down at the knee deep water below him. The water wasn’t deep enough to have made creep witches unfortunately.

They’d simply become corpses and remained there.

It was unfortunate, but in the same breath, he didn’t have a way to control them if he made them creep witches.

The positive he could give to this one was he’d learned something.

To make a creep witch, they have to be completely submerged.

Nodding his head, Steve stood up and stretched out his back.

Last night had been different. He’d ended up spending it with Jaina when she got back. Kassandra had gotten bashful and declined his offer. Apparently the fact that there was a number of unwed women nearby was too much for her.

It wasn’t for Jaina however.

Ever since their frank discussion outside of Filch, she’d never turned him away, not for any reason.

Even if it was in front of a dozen other people, she’d welcomed him eagerly to couple with her.

Pushing his fists into his back he got a satisfying crack, and then bent at the waist in the other direction.

“That was a good one,” Steve muttered. Grabbing his wagon he left the corpses and slowly melting Creeps in the water. He had more trees to fell. Both for the cabin and for the eventual palisade.

“Jaina and Ina will be working on the western wall. Adding stone again,” Kassandra said as she slid up to him. It was always interesting to Steve to watch her propel herself along.

“Pity I can’t hook you up to a wagon. I bet you can pull a lot more than I could,” Steve said.

“I… sincerely doubt that. You’re incredibly strong, Steve,” Kassandra said. “Though I do plan on joining you today. Our pet project will be starting. It’ll be a good opportunity to see what she does.”

“You’re not afraid of her running? Or trying to help the others run?” Steve asked, dragging his wagon along behind him as he walked to the trees.

“No. Jaina buried a wall a little ways out from the camp,” Kassandra said. “If any of them cross it, they’ll… ah, she said ‘big, big boom’ so I assume they’ll explode.”

“Hm. Alright,” Steve said. “Think they’ll try?”

“No, I think Nancy is looking for a safe place to land,” Kassandra. “Though I think they might try to overpower her or one might break-free on their own. She’ll need to be able to handle herself if she wants to be a taskmaster.”

Steve didn’t felt a mite squeamish at what he was doing to the people he’d taken prisoner.

“By law, they’ll be put to death in any and every city they visit forever going forward,” Kassandra. “Murder isn’t a forgivable crime. While mating and having children with humans is definitely a problem, it doesn’t merit and instantaneous death sentence. Murder does.

“You could always execute them and dump their bodies without anyone caring. You’d actually receive prestige for it. I’m sure you already did for killing the big one, in fact. Putting them to work rather than killing them is a blessing.”

Steve only grunted at that. He wasn’t about to debate the laws of the land with an inhabitant. As far as he could tell he didn’t belong here. Everything always felt strange and slightly off beat to him.

“I’d like to go hunting for their villages later. It sounds as if their entire population is flagged appropriately for prestige. If we were to round them all up, we’d have a good chance to become nationally acclaimed by executing them,” Kassandra said. “So long as we did it as a group we’d all get credit. It’d be very good for us.”

“You want to… go bounty hunting?” Steve asked, trudging along. It was an odd idea, but he wasn’t against it either. If they were singled out for death, who was he to say no to a reward for doing the work.

“I do. Even as deeply as we’ve fallen into religious anathema, we’ve done nothing that would garner us a death sentence,” Kassandra said. “As much as everyone would make out Lamals to be a puppet nation for the priests, we do have our own laws.”

“Mm. Definitely something to consider,” Steve said. It had an appeal to him he couldn’t deny. “What exactly would prestige do for us?”

“Well, with enough of it, you could claim hero status. You could easily petition for anything from there. Become a mayor, counselor, ambassador, anything that was a position someone could hold without being born to it,” Kassandra.

“Like a citadel commander?” Steve asked.

“That’d be one position that would be open, certainly,” Kassandra said. “Especialy with a hero title. It would be hard for anyone to disregard that.”

I like this idea much more now. If we had enough prestige, we could challenge Linne Lynn for the citadel. And from there… from there I could wage a war for humanity.

For everyone in the pig-pens. Male and female alike.

Taking a step further… couldn’t I change some policies? Couldn’t I make this place better?

Nicky made it sound like this nation was a step away from being destroyed by their neighbors. Could I go outside for assistance? Could I stage a coup?

Would I want to?

“My Little Snake, I want to ask you a question. One that you can’t discuss with anyone else,” Steve said.

Kassandra turned her eyes his way, looking to him with undisguised curiosity.

“Can you swear that?” Steve asked, giving her a sidelong glance.

“Of course. I’m your Little Snake, and swear to tell no one of what you’re about to speak of,” Kassandra said.

“You remember that I named Linne, right?” Steve asked.

“Yes. She violated an oath to you and was threatening you accordingly. You named her as is your right as a citizen,” Kassandra said.

“I can name anyone anything at any time,” Steve said. He’d been testing it out on corpses, creep monsters, and zombies. Anything that he could see and was close enough to, he could title or name.

“You can… you can what?” Kassandra asked.

“I can title or name anything I want. Here, watch,” Steve said, then he turned to look at Kassandra fully. He put his entire attention to her. “I name you Little Snake the Punished.”

Kassandra practically flinched away from something in front of herself.

“My… my name is now Little Snake the Punished. Kassandra is… it’s just a nick name,” she said, her eyes scanning back and forth across the screen only she could see.

“I remove my formal naming,” Steve said, doing the same thing as earlier.

“It’s gone,” Kassandra whispered. 

“Yeah. In other words, if I wanted to name you ‘head bed-warmer’ that’d be your name and that’d be the end of it,” Steve said. “It isn’t just because Linne violated her oath. And I don’t know what that means really.”

“Only Citadel Commanders really have that… right,” Kassandra said softly. “A few others do but it’s fairly uncommon. But… Nikki said you couldn’t do it. She said you tried.”

“I did try. I didn’t do it right, I guess,” Steve said. “Because now… now I can do it. It’s as easy as swinging an axe to me anymore.”

“Name… name me head wife,” Kassandra said.

“I name you head wife,” Steve said with a flippant hand gesture.

“I’m your head wife,” Kassandra said, her tone almost listless. “I don’t… name me Queen of Lamals.”

“I remove your status as head wife, and name you Queen of Lamals,” Steve said, still walking along. He wasn’t far off from the trees now and would be getting to work shortly.

“That didn’t work,” Kassandra said.

“Mm. Seems I need to have some type of claim or personal right to do what I’m doing,” Steve said. “I wasn’t able to name myself King either, if it makes you feel better. I name you lead bed warmer and personal snake.”

“I’m… I’m exactly that, now,” Kassandra said, her voice growing soft.

“I formally remove your status, and return you to normal,” Steve said, reversing what he’d just done.

“Were… you able to name yourself a citadel commander?” Kassandra asked.

“No,” Steve said letting go of his wagon. Picking up his axe he looked down at the head of it. He’d tried a number of things. “But for all I know, I tried to name myself incorrectly. Maybe there’s a specific title or attachment to it that I need. No idea. And no support or help to be found either, obviously.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Kassandra said. Turning around she rose up high off the ground, looking back the way they’d come from. “Nancy seems to be getting everyone into their teams. Doesn’t seem like anyone is fighting her.”

“And you don’t think they can see us from this distance?” Steve asked pulling his axe back. Then he whipped it forward with a smooth swish.

With a thunk, the back of the tree where he struck exploded into a shower of woodchips. The tree began toppling over immediately.

“A few might be able to, but it’s unlikely. None of them are actually… made… for combat,” Kassandra said. “They’re farm girls. Their species are all the types that live in the fringe cities, villages, and towns. Not really in the bigger locations.

“Someone like Nancy wouldn’t really be welcome in a big city.”

“Awfully great looking for someone who wouldn’t be welcome in a big city,” Steve said. “I thought mother’s went to big cities to have their girls prettied up. Like you.”

“Yes, well, I would wager Nancy is a bit more like Gwendolin,” Kassandra said. “Naturally pretty, with some hedge-wizard or witch work done out in the middle of nowhere. They’re a very similar species you realize. They just differ slightly in how they survive.”

“What d’ya mean?” Steve asked walking next to the downed tree. Lifting his axe he brought it down and cut the tree into a manageable section he could get on his wagon.

“Gwendolin is a parasite race. She eats food and drinks water like anyone else, but to her… the attention of a man is something she craves. Much as I crave warmth and heat. We all have our little things that make us very not human.

“Nancy is similar to Gwendolin, and feeds off despair and suffering.”

“Like how Nikki can’t help herself and starts baahing sometimes in bed?” Steve asked, bringing his axe down again.

“I… yes. That works, too,” she said.

“Goodie. Let’s see if we can’t find a nearby village,” Steve said. “Might be interesting to see if we could raid it of everyone with a murderer tag.”

“Yes. I think we could manage that. I’ll head back for now and see what I can arrange,” Kassandra said. “That and check in on Nancy. See how she’s doing in her task.”

***

“They’re down there,” Jaina whispered softly in his ear.

In the end, Jaina had been chosen to go with him to see what they could. Kassandra remained in the camp with Ina to watch over things. There was no telling when another village patrol might stumble across their outpost after all.

Ina by herself could probably wreck half the group before they even got close enough to shout at her.

“Many, many of them,” Jain said, her lips brushing his earlobe.

Steve grit his teeth. He couldn’t see as well as Jaina could. He was starting to really hate the limitations of his race here.

Only thing we’re good for is breeding damnit.

Thankfully, Steve’s foes seemed rather confident with their camp and defense. They’d lit torches and had them at various parts around their settlement. They also had a decent wall with a barricade of outward facing spikes all along it.

There was no moat though and nothing to keep out the creep.

Then again, we haven’t seen much of it since we knocked the wall down into that gap.

Zombies, and those bitten, and a bit of the creep itself, but nothing like it used to be.

In fact, now that I think about it, is that why I couldn’t turn those women who’d died into creep witches?

There wasn’t enough creep to convert them over?

“Everyone I’ve checked is a murderer or a murderer and a robber,” Jaina said as she began to rub her face into Steve’s neck. “They’re all valid targets.”

Jaina never failed to get affectionate if they were alone or somewhere quiet. She’d never turn away his affections, but it was obvious she preferred privacy.

“Should we take one? Kill them and get the nice, nice, rewards, just to see?” Jaina asked.

“Probably not a terrible idea,” Steve said. He wanted to see if what Kassandra said was true. He’d tried to look backward as he’d done before, but there’d been too many things happening since then. There’d been no record to find.

“Got anyone in mind?” Steve asked.

“Yes, yes. There’s a murder just outside the gates in a tower. We’ve already seen their guards move in rotations. They changed their duties twice already,” Jaina said. They’d been hiding here for the better part of the afternoon and evening, watching. “She should be changing out soon. We can grab her then and make her end fast. Once she’s dead, we can run quick, quick away.”

Steve nodded his head at that. It was a solid plan. Certainly better than one he’d come up with.

Jaina suddenly nipped at his neck, her teeth sliding over his skin. There was even some light pressure followed immediately by several licks. Then she stood up in a low crouch.

Been getting more and more bitey. Must be a Kobold thing.

Getting to his feet Steve grabbed Jaina at the base of her tail. It was something easy to hold on to, and she swore up and down it didn’t bother her in the least.

If Steve had to guess, she actually rather liked it.

Moving forward the Kobold began leading him through the brush and dense undergrowth. What little light Steve had been able to see by was gone immediately.

To Steve, the world was as dark as if someone put his head into the ground.

Much to his joy however, Jaina kept them to something he could only vaguely discern as what might be a path. His feet didn’t seem to slip and slide out from under him as if he were walking on roots and rocks.

In all honesty though, he had no way of truly knowing considering he couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face.

Almost as quickly as it felt like they’d entered the forest of ultimate darkness and spiders waiting to crawl into your hair, they came out to the edge of it.

Moving to the side, Jaina grabbed him and stuffed him down into a low crouch. Right into a bush that practically ate him.

She didn’t move away though, she got down in front of him on all fours. She eased her head out of the brush and was clearly peering around at their surroundings.

Looking around himself, Steve couldn’t really see much of what was going on. He got the distinct impression the guard tower was directly out ahead of them. Looming above them in the darkness, just waiting for someone to walk out and be spotted.

That or it was security theater.

Wait, what? Security… theater?

Shaking his head lightly, Steve wanted to punch Shitty Steve for his lack of memories. Repeatedly.

Until Shitty Steve was Steve the Stain.

Taking in a breath Steve looked down to Jaina’s rear end.

Smirking to himself he pushed down on her with the hand holding onto her tail. Jaina was an honest girl and responded with sincerity.

As if some internal switch was flicked at the pressure his hand put on her, Jaina’s rear end shot upward and her shoulders hit the dirt. Putting herself in a very natural and obvious pose.

One of her hands came back into view and gently swatted at his wrist, her body going back into the crouch it’d been earlier.

Poor thing. She’s more animal than human isn’t she?

Then her hand quickly patted his wrist. Interpreting that as the signal to let go of her tail he did so.

Jaina was off in a flash, scurrying off into the darkness ahead of him.

There was a squeak in the dark out ahead of him.

Jaina came back with a much larger woman tossed over her shoulder. She was clearly bound in purple magic ties from the creep witch’s magic.

“Go. Time to go, go,” Jaina said, pushing her rear end into Steve’s hand. “Grab my tail.”

Grabbing it he had only a second to get moving before she was hurrying along.

Taking them right back into the woods of blackness and snakes probably waiting to bite you as you walked along, Jaina kept them moving.

“Here is good,” she said after a few minutes of walking fast. “I will rest. She’s bound and gagged. She’ll not struggler. Check her panel and then take her life. After that, check your own status. Then we’ll go.”

Tossing the struggling woman to one side, Jaina flopped down on the grass and laid there, panting hard.

“Good work, Jaina. You’re a… you’re a good girl,” Steve said, feeling incredibly awkward.

“Yes. Yes I am. Thank you, Steve. Thank you,” Jaina said sounding incredibly pleased with herself.

Looking to the woman struggling on the ground, Steve tried to see into her for more information.

Heather Bissell

Human

Father: Living

Mother: Living

Murderer- Killed someone illegally.

Purist- Married her own kind.

Traitorous- Slept with a man outside her marriage.

Divorced- No longer married to her spouse.

Unable to see her face, and thankful for that, Steve shrugged his shoulders.

This had been the plan. This was someone who was marked for death if they ever encountered a soldier, officer of the law, or just someone who wanted prestige for the bounty.

Pulling the bronze knife at his hip Steve grabbed the woman by her short hair and rammed the blade home into her throat.

Working the blade to one side and then the other, he tried to make the kill as quick and clean as possible.

Just the same way I take care of the rabbits. Right? Same way Nikki does.

Or Jaina the deer.

Just like that… it’s humane it’s quick.

Steve grimaced. He wasn’t afraid of violence or hurting others. He’d killed people.

This was a person specifically marked to die. If he didn’t take her life, it was very likely someone else would for the same reason.

It was just strange to him to butcher the woman as if she were little more than cattle.

Steve checked her status and found that she was indeed already quite dead. It’d only taken seconds it seemed.

Though her body was still quivering and making strange gasping noises.

Something not right here… then again, what is right here?

Looking to his own status, Steve called up where he was hopping to find a new notification.

Log:

Bounty collected.

Coin to be collected (12s) at a government sponsored fine, tax, and levy station.

Steve has gained prestige for enforcing a cardinal law of the Lamals.

Steve has gained the title “Bounty Hunter” for his continued actions.

“That worked,” Steve muttered.

“Good,” Jaina said, still panting. Then she whined and got up to her feet. “Check her pockets. Then we go. We must be swift, swift.”

Nodding his head, Steve checked the dead woman’s pockets for anything.

“Be sure to check her undergarments for purses,” Jaina said stretching herself out.

Steve did so.

And found several coins.