Chapter 141: 141: Coward Bad

Learner’s notes: day 15

cow·ard

/ˈkou(ə)rd/

noun

noun: coward; plural noun: cowards. A person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things.

Example: Ryan, who left his caste-mandated superior yet physically weaker, lumpy hooter behind is a coward. And an asshole.

…But I already knew that.

I’ve heard hooters call each other names and have achieved a rough understanding of derogative terms, enough so that while some derogatory terms are used as terms of endearment, the word ‘coward’ has always led to a fistfight between flat hooters. It seems to imply a lack of emotional or mental strength. The mental equivalent of calling someone weak, and flat hooters do not like being called weak.

No they do not.

 They also highly prize flat hooters who defend the physically weaker lumpy ones. Seeing Ryan leave his tamer behind was a rather harsh turn from the behavior I’ve come to expect from flat hooters, and likely the reason behind the ‘asshole’ label.

The creature appears to be natural to this plane, despite showing signs of mutation, as it’s appearance blended quite seamlessly into the flabby lumpy hooter with rags category, a section of the hooter demographic that no one seems to have any caution toward.

Interesting choice. I probably would have chosen to present differently to take advantage of hooter social instincts, but I can understand the reasoning for prioritizing dropping hooter’s guards when intending to hunt them rather than assimilate.

It also appears to be as strong or stronger than a Legend, as it destroyed Nadia’s physical form in a fraction of a second.

Or perhaps there was something more at play?

Requires more study.

 

***Magenta***

Waste not, want not.

Another stupid folk saying reverberated through Magenta’s head as the quiet female wriggled in her grasp, face turning red as Magenta’s grip cut off her breathing.

All it would take was a twitch, and she could deploy the claw hidden in her wrist, and she would sever the female’s pine and be done with it.

The urge to do so was nearly overpowering, as close contact with a live human was unnerving, and she’d already determined the source of the Vessel’s unbelievable Bent regeneration.

Take out one more female, then there’s one less in the world for him to draw off of. But…the female was standing close by when the male mentioned ‘the Pit,’ which from context, was a place to gain Breaks with minimal effort.

Magenta sighed.

The things I do for love of killing Calvin.

She raised the wriggling female to eye level, and opened her mouth in a smile. The mask of the frail old woman split apart along her jaw, revealing the gaping maw to the panicking woman.

“Do you know where ‘The Pit’ he spoke of is?”

The woman nodded, her eyes bulging beneath Magenta’s grip.

“Good. Take me there.”

A woman stumbled out of the nearby room, covering herself and running for the exit.

Magenta broke into a grin as she watched the slow female make her way to the front of the brothel. That reminded her that there were plenty of other Bent batteries that she could remove from the equation.

Good things come to those who wait.

Get outta my head, folk sayings!

***Ryan***

Ryan sprinted down the street like a dervish, bypassing carriage that was moving far too slow. He had to get out of town. He couldn’t trust that Kala bitch to not throw the book at him when everything was said and done. She thought Ryan was some kind of monster, and this was all she’d need to justify having some thugs cut his head off.

Well, not today. I’m a goddamn Legend. I’ll make it across the desert before they I.D. the body. I’ll move to Boles, captain of the guard with a solid paycheck. I might have to learn a couple words in the Bolesian, and possibly marry some slant-eyed bitch, but that’s life.

Ryan’s mood was starting to improve as he approached the archway leading out to the desert. He’d almost made it when he had a sudden attack of conscience.

His stomach ached as though it had been stuffed with hot coals as he passed underneath the gate, and he stumbled to a halt, holding his arms around himself.

“Ugh,” he grunted, dropping to his knees and curling into a fetal position. The sudden wrenching pain pulled him out of his plans and back into the moment.

Dara was gone. Never coming back. And he’d been the one to kill her.

Goddamnit, He thought, hot tears pouring out of his eyes and dropping onto the sandy, glass-covered road.

He’d known Dara since before they’d been thrown into the pit together. He’d always come visit her and tell her stories about all the amazing things he was going to accomplish once he was a Legend, and she’d listen, wide eyed and hopeful.

He’d never particularly intended to follow through and steal her away from her life as a comfort woman, but when he was chased by the police a month ago, he’d been able to think of no one better to hide him.

They found him anyway, and then they’d both been thrown in the pit. Ryan felt a little Guilt about getting Dara thrown in the pit, but what a blessing in disguise. He was finally a Legend, and at least able to keep her as his own.

Then he’d gone and thrown her at a monster like a coward. Hiding behind a woman, again. Even though she’d continued following him after all the shit he’d fucked up…

DAMNIT! Fucking coward!

“Get out of the road, jackass,” the carriage driver shouted with a tired voice.

Ryan pushed himself to his knees, panting as he crawled out of the way of the carriage. When he turned back toward the city, the ache in his stomach receded.

This is the right path, his nerves eased as he pushed himself to his feet, decision made. Her stared down the road. There’s a chance, a small chance, that Dara is still alive, and I’m going to prove to her that I’m not a goddamned coward…

But first I’ll get some backup. That thing was pretending to be human! It could speak! Ryan shuddered. Everyone knew the horror stories about thinking monsters. Ones that could speak.

Creatures just like that had disappeared entire towns and triggered hunts that spanned entire countries.

Definitely get backup.

***Kala***

His palms were rough as he slid them down Amanda’s collar, the discomfort vanishingly small compared to the fire that grew in her loins, overriding her sense of propriety.

Those heavy hands settled on her shoulders, heavy, mounting pressure that gradually drove her to her knees. She willingly surrendered, humbling herself in front of Marcus’s stony figure.

She knew what he wanted, as the heat barely contained in his trousers radiated outward, warming her face. She didn’t shy away from it any longer, eyes lingering on his body as she ran her fingers up her master’s legs, hesitating ever so slightly as her hands approached his manhood, the blood beating through its length in time with her own frantic heartbeat.

He wanted to claim her mouth.

This was what she had been trained for. All that discomfort, for the sake of surrendering her body to this man, pleasing him in every way imaginable. Her fingers curled around the edge of the soft underclothes, dragging them slowly down, angling to free her prize from it’s tight confines.

“What’s this?” A cold voice spoke from the doorway.

Mrs. Hollander!

Amanda tried to hide, tried to flinch away from the woman’s gaze and the enmity it bore, but Marcus’s rough hands held her as firmly in place as they ever had.

Amanda turned her gaze away from the older woman’s piercing eyes, unwilling to risk any further disciplining from her mistress.

“Now, now,” the woman’s voice tickled her ear as she felt her body kneel down behind her. Mrs. Hollander’s breasts brushed against Amanda’s back, the unexpected contact sending shivers up and down her spine in waves, concentrating on the warmth radiating through her center.

“I can’t very well let you do this without the proper guidance,” Mrs. Hollander said, her fingers sliding through Amanda’s hair until she grasped the teen tightly by the back of the head.

“It’s my job to ensure you get the right Skill for your master on your Forming Day.”

Kala blinked, turning the page. Okay, now I’m interested. She was halfway through the next paragraph, when things were really starting to get good, when someone said something addressed at her.

Kala effortlessly made the switch to pristine princess and glanced up at the ruling council of Uleis.

“Apologies, I was reviewing the city’s history.” Kala lied, closing the book whose cover she’d switched specifically to survive the dry meetings of state.

“My lord would like to speak with the two of us in private.” Kurawe, said glancing at the other members of the city council.

Murak waved him off, nose deep in paperwork and happy to be there. the rest of the men around the table looked more than happy to call it a day.

“I believe we’ve covered enough ground today to afford a short recess.” The crown prince of Uleis said, organizing his papers into an orderly stack. They grey haired man stood and cracked his back while the other bureaucrats followed his lead, pushing themselves away from the table with a sigh. One of them even pulled out a sandwich.

The fat giant gestured toward the door, and Kala followed, body tensed. She knew on the surface that the man was a zealous worshipper of Calvin, but she could never bring herself to fully trust him. Not after he’d led the cultists who’d thrown them to their deaths.

“What’s this about?” Kala whispered as they headed toward the door.

Kurawe held up a hand, a frown on his face showing he was listening to Calvin’s words from miles away.

I wish I could hear Calvin’s voice whenever I wanted…

“One moment.”

He opened the door for her, and they stepped outside the warded room. The hallway was just as soundproofed as the rest of the council chambers, but Kurawe felt the need to whisper.

“Two Nadia have been killed by something in the city. I’ve been asked to provide him additional support, and you…”

Kala winced.

“He asked you to figure out what’s going on.”

Oh, thank the gods. Kala didn’t want to seem squeamish, but she was vehemently against the idea of sharing her Bent in that way with anyone but Calvin.

Especially when he’s a giant fat old man that I’m half afraid of.

Gods, that’s the direction my life was going without Calvin creating absolute chaos everywhere he goes. Were it not for Calvin, she might wind up betrothed to someone just like the giant oligarch standing in front of her.

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“I’ll get right on it.”

“Make excuses for me if they ask,” Kurawe said with a nod before power-walking away, his tent-like clothes fluttering in the wind behind him.

Alright, Kala thought, I need to track this problem down, and quickly. If I get to the top of the palace tower and take a few puffs, I might be able to spot whatever’s doing the damage as the world around me begins to fade away.

Seer was quite powerful, and if there was something really bad happening in the city that would uncover it quickly.

The doors in the hall burst open in front of Ryan as he skidded to a halt, panting and sweaty. Behind him were several Veteran palace guards raising the alarm and chasing after him.

“A monster killed Nadia and it’s got Dara!” He said between gasps, clutching his stomach and pointing down the hall. “Down at the Easy Peach.”

Well…Sometimes the answer just falls into your lap, no mind-altering drugs required.

Kala stepped in front of Ryan and held her hand up in front of the palace guards storming in after him.

“He’s one of ours, Gentlemen.” Kala said, stopping the soldiers in their tracks. “He’s reporting to me.”

They left reluctantly, spurred on by a royal glare. Once the men had filed out of the room, she turned to Ryan. “Where is it?” She asked.

“I just said, the Easy Peach.”

“Yes, but do you know where it was going?”

“Ummm….” Ryan squinted like he was thinking really hard, then winced. “It overheard me talking about The Pit, asked where it was, but I didn’t tell it anything. I got right out of there.”

“You said it had Dara.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So she knows where The Pit is, doesn’t she?” Kala asked, raising a brow.

“Oh. Yeah, I guess she does.”

“And how did it get Dara?”

“The creature went straight for her, like it had a purpose.” Ryan lied. Kala could see the slight shifts in his behavior and expressions that gave away the lie. He’d left her there, with the monster.

“Alright, let’s go.” Kala said, marching toward the exit. They didn’t have a whole lot of time.

“Aren’t we gonna get more people? The thing spoke, princess.”

“If you’re a Legend, act like one.” Kala said, restraining a growl as she snatched a sword out of the sheath of a nearby guardsman, tossing it to Ryan as she ran. “We’ll get help on the way there.”

“R-right. I haven’t had a lot of official training, but I know how to hold my own in a fight. I even – ”

“Shut up.” Kala said as they sprinted down the halls.

***Magenta***

The Warp gradually grew stronger as they made their way down the tunnel buried underneath the inauspicious building, pressing invisibly against Magenta’s skin. It was clear they were on the right track, but Magenta wasn’t interested in killing her captive just yet. There might be some kind of trick to entering that the mute female was withholding.

They came across an underground labyrinth of pleasure-rooms, for the sickening purpose of allowing these apes to fornicate with greater comfort. In other rooms were cells with bands or iron attached to the walls, thick and designed to hold humans with greater than average strength.

The rooms had splotches of dried blood all over them, where torture and sadistic games must have taken place.

The implied violence against her least favorite species almost brought a smile to her face.

The mute female led her through the winding passageways, the only clue they were going the right direction was the rapidly thickening Warp in the air.

Finally they came to a thick wooden door with a hand carved on it. The mute woman quietly opened the door, and Magenta was taken aback by the wash of Warp that engulfed her, radiating outward from a pitch black hole in the ground.

So this is where the Vessel achieved his current level of strength. Just standing above the hole she could feel the saturation of Warp in her body reaching a critical level. She would Mutate again soon.

Magenta had to either control The Pit, or destroy it. Controlling it was better. A Siphon at One’s disposal on this continent would drastically improve the amount of power he could bring to bear in a short time.

Magenta knew exactly how to do it too…

It just hurts my cloaca every frigging time.

“Thank you for your help, You’re free to go.”

As the female relaxed in her grip, Magenta drove her arm-talon through the mute’s spine, rendering her floppy and boneless. The woman’s eyes widened in surprise, and glazed over in a matter of seconds as she bled out through the massive rent in her neck.

Magenta tossed aside the corpse and got started doing her business.

She hiked up the shawl covering her hunch and her inhuman legs, and popped a squat at the side of the hole.

I like to sing familiar songs, like my ABC’s while I drop a deuce, it helps me relax.

Stupid memory bits.

With so much information torn out of human brains, there was a little bit of non-essential fluff that had made its way into her head. Mostly that took the form of folk wisdom relevant to her thoughts.

Magenta didn’t really have any familiar songs that might help her relax and pass the new polyp, so she decided to make one up on the spot.

“♪ Kill the Vessel… Kill the vessel…”

Why does this stretching have to hurt so damned much!? A design flaw if I’ve ever seen one.

“♪ Kill the Vessal…Kick him in his…diiiick!”

Hey, whaddya know, it’s working!

Plop.

The new brain polyp landed on the ground as Magenta heaved a gasp of air, happy to have finally passed the damn thing.

It was right then, in that moment of relief, that four humans kicked down the door. staring in stupid ape silence at Magenta squatting over the pulsing red lump of brain slowly putting mycelium through the mute’s corpse.

“Can’t you see I’m busy here!?” Magenta demanded.

“Dara!” the one in the middle of the pack, the black-haired one that’d run away from her earlier, charged forward, sword raised high.

Magenta extended her arm outward to catch the man’s swing before it began, then backhanded him across the room.

Four blades whipped out of the sheaths adorning the biggest human’s body, and they shot toward her, hissing through the air as the other two made to attack.

Oh look, another of my targets came to me, Magenta thought as she compressed her body and dodged out of the way of the swords. She reached out and grabbed one of their handles, wrenching herself off to the side before flooding her palms with her magenta aura.

There was a brittle crack, and the force directing the sword was disconnected, allowing her to carry the blade with her as she flew through the air to the other side of the room, landing closest to her prey.

Obligingly, Nadia reacted quickly, leaping towards Magenta with her blade held ready while the grey haired one mourned the loss of his sword, wincing with his hand on his temples.

Magenta parried and brought the sword-lock in close, aiming to put her palm across the target’s face, but the girl ducked out of the way with lithe grace far beyond her appearance, and tried to knock Magenta’s feet out from under her with a leg sweep.

Good enough, Magenta thought with a mental shrug as the summon touched her, unraveling into a burst of green smoke. Now the summon knew touching her was a sure way to get banished, fighting them would become harder.

“Uh, Grant, what the Abyss was that?”

“No idea.”

One down. Three to go.

The slender one in the silk attacked with…some kind of bong.

That’s new, Magenta thought as she fought off the slender girl and her long blue pipe, bouncing around the room faster than they could keep up thanks to her inhuman design.

The most dangerous one was the grey-haired one with the swords, so Magenta methodically seized them out of the air one at a time, allowing the final sword to hit her just below the heart to force the human to commit to it.

Once she disconnected the final blade from the man’s control and tossed it into the pit, she finally saw what she’d been looking for: Fear.

“I’ve got some holdout blades,” ‘Grant’ said, scowling. “But it’s not going to buy a whole lot of time. Get some backup, princess.”

“I don’t think that’s an option.” The slender female said, matching Magenta’s stare.

“I’ll go get help!” the coward shouted, running for a door.

Magenta was about to cut him off when he groaned, his feet coming to a halt as he clasped his stomach.

“Oh, gods, what’s going on?” he muttered, staring down at his legs.

What the hell am I looking at? Magenta wondered as the man’s legs turned back toward her, half-bent and shaking, as though against his limbs were no longer his to control.

“Aghh…It hurts…I Can’t breathe!”

The black-haired male desperately gasped as he stepped forward, until his knees buckled, finally collapsing him to the ground between Magenta and her opponents.

“Nng!” A fountain of blood sprayed out of the human’s mouth as a hand pushed the skin of his chest outward, followed by another, and a knee, and…

The male exploded, his innards spilling outward as a young female climbed out of his body. Her form was covered in blood, but she looked strikingly similar to the slender girl with the battle-bong.

She even gave the wide-eyed girl a shy wave. “Coward bad,” She said. “Help you bitches so make good thinkings of me.”

The underground chamber was eerily silent for a moment.

“Did I miss something?” Magenta asked, raising a brow.

Macronomicon

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