Wild Wastes 4 -Ch7- (Patreon)

Walking into the bar, Vince wasn’t quite sure if this was the best move.

In the end, they hadn’t really been able to figure out which way to go, or what to do. Most of the city spoke or wrote in their own language.

There was no real way of telling what was going on without talking to someone.

In the back of Vince’s head, that meant going somewhere travelers would go to talk. Where other’s might talk.

People love to talk when drinking.

Blue was right beside him as they came through the door.

Inside was a common room that he’d seen a number of times before back home. This one was just decorated and laid out by whatever local custom was.

It being early afternoon meant that there wasn’t a huge number of people here, but there was more than enough to talk to.

Walking right up to the bar and the bartender that stood behind it, Vince nodded his head at the man. Leaning up onto the bar, just as he used to back home, Vince coughed once and shook his head.

“New to the city,” he said by way of introduction. It would also let the man know he didn’t speak the local language.

Given that the sign out front had actually contained the word “bar” written in the bottom corner, Vince was hopeful that he’d be understood. Or at least tolerated.

There was no way of telling how much or little this city would be wary of outsiders.

His personal experience back home was that if you didn’t speak the language, you might as well have been a waster.

“Well, you managed to find the right place then,” murmured the barman, meeting Vince’s gaze. He had a wide smile on his face now that looked tired and forced to Vince. As if the man were living the mask he’d forced himself to put on so often that the mask was now the life.

His brown eyes were flat and reflected a weariness that had invaded his soul. He had short brown hair and looked fairly mundane otherwise.

“That’s wonderful,” Blue added and pushed up to the bar as well. “Can I get a beer? Anything or whatever you’ve got?

“Actually, first… do you take all coin here? We’re from really far. Beyond the north-east and to the far, far east.”

Blue had already pulled the coin out before asking her question. Setting down the standard in front of them she gave the barman a helpless smile.

“Not sure if we can use our currency here or melt it down at a jeweler,” she offered up to the man.

“We get a lot of foreign coin in Iberis. Looks kinda like a lesser Franc,” said the bartender, picking up the coin. He gave his head a slow shake and tapped it on the bartop. “Can’t really take it cause I don’t know what the hell’s in it, but I’ll trade you. You let me keep this one, I’ll give you four beers for it. Two bottle, two tap.”

“That’s about what it’d be worth so that’s fine,” Blue chirped happily. “What other coins do you get a lot of? Is there any we should be wary of? We’ve… only really dealt with our own and we’re a long way from home.”

The barman had pocketed the coin and came back up with two mugs and two bottles. He chuckled even as he poured a golden-brown liquid into the two mugs from a wooden barrel behind him.

“Well, wouldn’t take any kings. Looks just like a lageneral. Has the old royal family arms on the front, crown on the back,” advised the barman. “Get yourself mistaken for a royalist if you do. Get your head struck off like that poor bastard today. He was actually guilty though.

“Not that I blame him. More than once I’ve thought about breaking my contract and fleeing. Getting right out of here.”

Hm. Alright.

Two opposing factions.

A royalist faction and something else. We can assume it’s an upstart noble family, random warlord, or elected type of leader.

That means we can play one off the other. Take the royalist faction in and turn them into a puppet state. Another duchy for Yosemite.

All while absolutely crushing this place.

“-mean by contract?” Blue asked curiously, taking a sip from the mug the man had presented her. “By the way, I’m Blue Campbell. Nice to meet you. This is my husband, Vince.”

Laughing, the barman leaned against the bartop behind him and folded his arms in front of himself.

“You really are completely new here. I’m Chris. Chris Merkle,” answered the barman. “Contract… ah… I’m supposed to stay here in Coruna. I rent my home from the local lord and I can’t leave. Mine’s actually pretty good. Don’t have to work land or do anything like that. Pretty blessed, actually.

“A lot of people don’t have a good contract. Can get bought and sold as the land-owner wants.”

“Ah,” Vince said, then realized he’d actually need to find a suitable response if he wanted more. Blue had already spoken more than enough to make this subject move along. If she did more it’d look weird. “What about this… uh… royalist… group. What’s the difference between them and the government?

“Not trying to find them or anything just… want to know what the divide is. Stay clear of it and not get involved.”

“Who’s in control, really,” Chris answered with a shrug. “Otherwise they probably have the same policies.

Right. So… they’d probably do the same thing to the Dryads.

Same awfulness, different name.

Sounds like this whole country needs to get bulldozed to the ground and handed to a Dryad. They can turn the breeding cities into seats of power.

Back it up with Yosemite might while pushing the whole thing forward.

I can do this.

“- slaves? Or is that not a thing here,” Blue questioned.

“Slaves? No, not really. Though depending on your contract to your land-lord, it might as well be. Some of them can buy and sell the land to others and that’d include you if your contract went that way.

“Some even have limitations in their contracts that say that they can’t marry without permission from their contract holder. Just all depends on the contract you got. Most of those are set up by your parents when you’re born.”

“I could theoretically purchase land and get all the people on it?” pressed Vince.

“Uh, yeah. You’d have to buy it from the city-lord. He’s kind of an ass though,” complained Chris with a shake of his head. “Won’t sell any of his Dryads to anyone but friends or lords. Even if you do manage to get one from him, he’ll just make them pull out their own guts so they can’t have kids.”

Vince gave Chris a cold smile at that, doing his best to not go on a killing spree.

“Let’s talk more about the city-lord. I figure I’m going to have to learn the ins and outs here if I want to survive,” Vince said and pulled out two standards from a pocket. He put it on the counter top. “Call it a tip for tips and them I’m appreciative to your words.”

***

Vince and Blue exited the city just before the sunset.

They’d stopped over to fill the poor grove-mistress once again after speaking to Chris for a while, then left. There was nothing left for them to learn or ferret out here.

Walking down the road leading back out of Corunda, Vince had Blue’s hand in his own.

“Vince, why don’t you get your left hand fixed? I think… our friend from above would have done it for cheap. Even Felix could do it technically now,” asked Blue.

“Hm? Oh. Eh,” Vince profoundly expanded upon. He lifted up his left hand in front of himself. He had a glove on right now, but he gave his fingers a twitch.

The bottom portion of his hand and a couple fingers were gone entirely. Lost in a foolish incident that nearly cost Daphne her life.

She wore a scar that’d never truly fade because of him.

“Because it wouldn’t be fair to Daphne. My Dryad nearly gave her life for me,” Vince informed her. “She bears the scar she earned for me. I’ll bear the loss I paid as well. It’s a reminder to trust in those who trust in me.

“That and to rely on my Dryads in all things. I love my Fes. Love my Elves. But… my Dryads… my Dryads are my true source of power.”

Letting his hand fall back down to his side he looked to Blue.

“We… we know,” she whispered, gazing up at him with slightly widened eyes. “We know you treasure us all. You resist more wives, but always take on more Dryads. You struggle to remember our names and children, but you do your best. You memorize all that you can.

“We know you love us all. That you… want us exactly as we are. We’re a special existence in Yosemite now. Looking at Flora and her daughters… it’s… it’s hard to even think that just six years ago Dryads in our homelands experienced very similar issues.”

Vince nodded his head. He couldn’t deny what Blue said.

As Fes pushed for more wives, Meliae just brought him ever more Dryads. He never denied her and would complain about it, but did his best by them.

“How many Dryad wives do I have now, Blue? I lost count a while back… I try to show them all I care but… it feels like there’s so many.”

“You… I… mmm… we try not to talk about it but… you have eighty-six Dryad wives. All who love you desperately,” confessed Blue. “We’re trying to be extremely picky now with who we invite in. Meliae regrets pulling in so many but she wanted to empower you.”

With a snort Vince couldn’t doubt the words. There was no hesitation in him whatsoever to admit the power given to him was what he needed. He wouldn’t be here now without what’d been forced on him.

“None of them… feel… left out? I know I don’t see some of them except once or twice a month and —”

There was a presence behind him. Lurking at the edge of his awareness.

It felt similar to when Red was hunting him, but it lacked all subtlety and ability. There were people following them from the city itself.

“Not at all!” Blue promised him. She squeezed his hand between hers tightly. “We all know you care, worry, and fret over us. I promise that not one of us thinks you’re doing poorly by any means.

“We’re all very happy and feel cared for. I admit some of us get a little lonely but that’s why we have grove-wives. It helps us balance out when you’re busy. It’s also how we can get invited into three ways when you visit us or our grove wives. Then we just— oh, we have company, don’t we?

“You have that excited look on your face you get when you corner one of the Dryads and we’re not expecting it.”

Vince couldn’t deny he did love catching Dryads unaware.

“Feels like a group. Either want you, our possessions, or both,” he answered. “Contemplating when and where to kill them.”

“Uhm,” said Blue helpfully. She looked to a somewhat stunted tree they slowly walked by. “Oh! Thank you.

“She said that there’s a small gully off the trail up ahead. Most people avoid it because it’s hard to get out of once you get in. A few people have even gotten trapped at the bottom of it and had to have help.”

“Perfect. That’s… where we’ll bury them,” murmured Vince. “Guide us, my beautiful Blue. Then you’ll be helping me with Red tonight. I’m afraid I’m going to need to work off some frustration and she’ll want to be fed.”

“How delightful,” purred Blue. Pulling at his arm she started to move them forward a little quicker. She got them to where the road turned off and she went to the left instead. Pulling them into some brush and beyond.

It didn’t take long for them to find the entrance to the canyon. It wasn’t very large, but certainly more than large enough to be a problem for people.

Especially given that the drop off from the ledge leading into it had to at least be six feet off the ground. That alone would give pause.

Blue stepped right off with a little hop and landed at the bottom.

Stepping off after her Vince found that there was a small overhang here. Looking at it he saw that he could likely wedge himself into it and use it as a means to surprise their pursuers.

“Go forward. Make a small camp that’s visible from the entrance here. Try to make it look like I’m laying down. Don’t unpack or anything, just make it look like it’s where we decided to stop,” Vince said and then pulled off his pack. He handed it over to the Dryad who took it with one hand.

He often forgot how strong she was compared to how she looked.

Dryads are amazing.

Pulling out his pistol Vince checked the safety, pulled the slide to confirm it was chambered, then pushed up to the wall. Holstering his pistol he unsheathed his sword and held it to the side. Then he unholstered the pistol again with his offhand.

Hiding there, he was ready for anyone to come down. If he could manage it without firing a shot he would. There was always the possibility of someone hearing the shot, of course.

Blue wrinkled her nose, smiled at him, shook her head, then went off. Deeper into the canyon.

She didn’t go too far but she also made sure the location wasn’t perfectly visible. She chose a position that would shield her from anyone above Vince, but that they’d know where she was.

Smart woman there. I didn’t even think of it but they could just as easily shoot at her from up here, rather than confront her.

Standing there, Vince breathed slowly. He kept his thoughts on the situation and did his best to not let himself lose himself.

Unfortunately he could feel his anger rising.

An anger at what was being done to the poor Dryads. That someone would abuse them so terribly.

A red haze began to creep in at the edges of his vision. One that threatened to over-run him and send him rushing toward the enemy. To kill them violently and painfully.

He heard a quiet voice then. Someone speaking in the language of the area above him. Another person responded, followed by a question.

There was a response, followed by someone dropping down into the canyon.

“Uhm? Hello?” called Blue. The sound of the drop had been loud enough that she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t heard it.

In front of Vince was a man wearing what looked like a uniform of sorts. It was yellow, with black as it’s accent color. The man held a rifle with a bayonet affixed to it.

It was unlike any firearm Vince had ever seen before.

Something akin to the rifles of his home, but not quite either. It looked heavily modified, or even manufactured.

Did they keep making guns and ammo here? That’s disconcerting. I didn’t see any firearms on any of the guards we spotted.

Does that mean that these people are actually far more than just the city guard?

They’re not rabble looking to rob us?

Could they be from the city-lord?

Frowning, Vince wasn’t sure how to proceed now.

They’d clearly been followed here and these people were looking for him. If he took the wrong course of action here, it’d leave lasting repercussions.

Whatever. They can all die.

Everyone in this shit hole can be dumped in a shit-pit.

Six more of these men had dropped down into the canyon. They were all looking toward where Blue clearly was but said nothing. No one responded to her call.

“I’m sorry, we… don’t want anything to do with you. We’re just simple travelers and—”

One of the soldiers checked their weapon, than worked a handle. Cycling what looked like a bolt to put a chamber into the round.

They were most definitely not here to talk.

Vince could practically feel the cold and empty feeling of death on these people.

They can all die.

Spare the officer, get information, then kill him.

Lifting the pistol with a smile, Vince lined it up on the back of the closest man’s head.

Stepping forward with his right foot, Vince threw out a slash at the second closest man’s neck. The blade slipped through the flesh, bone, and muscle neatly and without too much resistance.

The man Vince had been aiming at hadn’t even noticed.

Pivoting, Vince brought the sword around and then slammed the tip of it through the back of the man’s skull. There was a wet-crunching noise followed by him sloshing to one side, then dropping to the ground.

Letting the fall pull his blade down and to the side, Vince took a step forward. It’d let him pull his arm back without any issue, and prep the swing he was about to throw out.

Coming out at a low angle moving to high it caught the next soldier just under the ear and exited the top right of his skull. Part of his head bounced off to the left as the rest of him fell to the right.

The remaining three soldiers had now turned to face Vince and looked very surprised.

Blue dashed forward in that instant, her iron-shod staff coming out like a spear. The tip of it smashed home into the back of a man’s neck. There was an ugly crunch and it looked like the strike had broken his neck outright.

Vince had raised his blade in a defensive position, causing all three men to focus on him even as one died. Blue took a step to the left, bent her body with the attack, and lashed out horizontally.

The staff zipped through the air and caught the next soldier on the jaw. His jaw, cheek, and part of his face looked to collapse under the weight of the blow.

Along with the entirety of his head bending at a strange angle.

The last soldier standing, the officer, glanced back to Blue and seemed surprised to find he now stood alone. His hands were frozen on his weapon as he thought on the situation.

Vince took a step back to increase the distance between himself and the man and put the sights of the weapon between his brows. He was at a distance where he couldn’t miss, as well as at the point that the man couldn’t make a silly “wannabe hero” move on the weapon.

“Good evening,” Vince said with a dark smile. “Let’s talk about the city-lord, the Dryads, and what the hell is going on, shall we?”

Blue had moved backward and to the side several steps. From behind her had sprung a small pistol. It looked to be well maintained and provided to her by Legion.

Which was obvious by the Legion symbol on the side of the barrel, right next to the word “Dryad”.

Oh, Felix. You even armed my Dryads personally?

The officer let out a slow breath and looked to the ground.

“You kill me. I talk, you kill me. I don’t talk, you kill me,” murmured the officer with a shake of his head. “Knew order bad. Bad order from… urgh… from… boss? Boss. Bad order.

“Go get pretty woman. Bring back. Get special bounty.”

There was no remorse in the man. No regret for this action.

Only anger for being caught.

Boy… they’re just making this easy for me.

Though… ah… Blue forgot to adjust her face-covering after the bar.

She’s very noticeable if someone saw her.

“Let’s talk about your boss,” prompted Vince as Blue realized the issue at the same time. One of her hands had gone up to her covering to discover it was around her shoulders. “Oh, and while we’re at it… whatever problem you might have with casters. Like a mage, or sorcerer. After that, why a necromancer or warlock is hunky dory.”