Chapter 109: Chapter One Hundred Nine

We didn't find anything on our list when we searched the cloaked  guys, and when we set off their beacons they all got picked up quick as  could be, so we headed back to the hatchery with our spoils. Spoils  which included the Humminbird Blossoms and a fairly rare golden pear  called a Calamity Fruit, that was at the very least worth money given how rare it was. The  thing looked delicious too, but I was warned against eating it by my  girlfriend.

She plucked it out of my hand when I found it  before I even got a good look. "Careful. That's a Calamity Fruit.  Staring into them too long can cause hysteria, and eating them causes  delirium. Still, bet it's worth a pretty penny. Plus if run we across someone else with a stockpile who has it on their list we might be able to trade for it." That had been something I hadn't considered, so I  stashed it for later, and once we got back we checked in with Jessie  about the missing two members of the cloak brigade.

Our  enthusiastic overwatch was excited to see us as always. "Hey guys!  You're back pretty quick, it's only been an hour or two. I don't really  have any new info for you. That last raven hasn't found anything yet.  Well, no other people anyway, there was a weird building I was going to  report." She was sitting on the floor, playing cards with Cassidy, who  based on the large pile of acorns in front of her, was cleaning up in  their friendly game, not that Jessie seemed to care.

Callie  was fighting down a smile as Cass slammed down a full house with a  cheer and scooped up another pile of acorns, but she shook off her  amusement to focus. "Not a problem. We wanted to check in on the cloaked  pair you were watching. We ran into some of their friends. Also what do  you mean a weird building? What kind of building? We're in the middle  of the forest, there shouldn't be any buildings around here." She  paused, looking around. "Well, current location excepted anyway."

She  looked up from her most recent hand, accidentally showing her cards to  the nine year old in a way I somehow doubted was a surprise to the  smirking kid as she turned to us cheerfully. "Oh! Those guys freaked out  about thirty minutes ago. They've been running non stop towards some  random spot, but they haven't gotten there yet. I followed them and  figured I'd tell you where they ended up. As for the building, it's  pretty weird. It's like an old crypt or something. It's in the middle of  this huge empty field of black grass full of graves though. Seemed  weird and out of place."

My eyes widened and I turned to  Callie, who had hurriedly pulled our list out and was searching through  it. She finally shouted with excitement when she reached a specific  entry. "Hundred year old corpse eating grass! Plus a Bone Goblet that  might be in the mausoleum! That biome is probably crawling with valuable  materials we can stock up on too, either to sell or trade! Agria, where  did you see this place? Also, were there any bodies around it?  Skeletons? Really pale people with fangs?"

That brought me  up short. "Wait, are you asking about vampires? Those are a thing?"  Like Skeletons I get, that's power shit, but how the hell does someone  become a vampire?" I knew about fae and devils, but the revelation that  vampires existed was just...weird. Like I guessed it made sense, but at  the same time it just didn't fit with my worldview. What was next?  Werewolves?

Zeke's voice cut in from behind me. I hadn't  even noticed him there, though given he was guarding Cass I should have  expected him. He was lying on a couch I knew hadn't been there before,  eyes closed. "There are no vampires here. They do exist, but they're  stupidly rare. They're all descended from an absolutely terrifying S  ranker named Morgan Lark. The Vampire is considered the most likely  candidate to ascend to godhood next, and his clan is usually treated as  the next best thing to their own faction. No vampire would be caught  dead on this hellhole."

That news was disturbing and  relieving all at the same time, but I didn't necessarily share his  confidence. "And you're sure there isn't one here? The Black Sorrow Cult  aren't exactly all over the place, but we've met a few of them? What's  to say there isn't some distant vampire cousin around here snacking on  people? If Nightstrike is bringing them up they have to exist here in  some form?"

Zeke snorted, opening one eye. "No. The  Vampire and Unity aren't fans of each other. They've fought several  times, and The Vampire has managed to get away every time, and usually  gives the youngest god a run for his money. His spawn steer clear of the  conglomerate for that reason though. Regardless, she wasn't talking  about vampires. She was talking about ghouls. THOSE are fairly common  actually. The fangs aren't for sucking, they're for chewing, think  shark. It's a racial trait, though with more in common with devils than  fae."

Callie nodded. "Yeah, I've heard about ghouls in  cemeteries a few times. They're known to be kind of a menace. They're  pretty Might heavy. But the place Agria saw sounds like a Necropolis.  They extend a ways underground. Usually pop up in graveyards, but if  there's one in the area the Academy must have taken it into account.  There's probably some seriously useful materials there." She turned to  Zeke. "Don't suppose you can tell us anything useful about them?"

He  just shrugged. "The Vampire and his clan fall in the category of 'so  far above your paygrade it's not covered under my geas' random graveyard  monsters very much do not for the most part. If you want info then do  your research. I'll stick with the kid like I said, so it's not like I'd  be along for the ride to ask anyway. Freebie though, take the firebug,  his kind are usually useful in death traps. Same with the churchie."  Then he rolled over and faced the couch, clearly no longer willing or  maybe even able to talk.

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With that  information Callie decided it would be easier to involve everyone. "Ok,  Cass, Agria, go get the others please? I think we know our next move but  I want to get everyone's input here." She wanted feedback before  sending out a bigger party, which made sense, so I settled in to wait  for the others as Cassidy and Jessie bounded off to collect everyone  from who knew where.

As  I waited though I took in the changes to the hatchery. I didn't know if  Benny had been inventing stuff or if one of the others was a crafter or  if Zeke just traveled with a whole furnished house on his person but  someone had scattered furniture all over this place. Aside from the  raven baskets which were mostly still full of eggs, the back half of the  building farther from the open side exposed to the clearing was mostly  just empty space and wooden floors. It seemed ever bigger than the other  floors, and it took me a bit to realize it was, they'd just moved some  of the egg baskets closer together to make space.

The  empty section was all wooden floors and rock walls just like the rest  of the building, set back into the cliff to provide some room. Aside  from Zeke's couch there was two big ass chairs and a love seat scattered  around to create a nice homey atmosphere, and I ended up slumping in  one of the chairs to wait as I watched the treeline out the open side of  the building. Even at this angle it was a beautiful view, and once  again I basked in being in the outdoors. Letting off some steam in that  fight and talking to Callie last night had helped me a ton.

I  wasn't magically feeling fine now or anything, but a bit of that  pressure taken off let me focus on the good a bit more. The other stuff I  could unpack little bits at a time instead of wallowing in it for ages.  I'd always been like that. The kind to repress and then let off steam  in little bursts instead of blowing my lid when I had a problem, and it  had been working out for me so far.

After  a few minutes of staring out into the wide open wilderness I heard  sounds and everyone came filing up the steps. Benny looked noticeably  annoyed even with his mask in the way, and I guessed he'd been talking  to Celine, who was as blank faced as ever. I genuinely couldn't read  that girl, Perception or not, and it made me wonder if she had some  noble skill for keeping a straight face. Still, whatever the case might  be I hoped Jessie and Cass didn't invite her to their card game unless  they were ok with losing some serious acorn.

My  best friend scowled over at my girlfriend. "Weren't you guys supposed  to be out...doing something." He sounded frustrated, but more grumpy  than actually mad. I thought I detected a slight twitch at the corner of  Celine's mouth. Apparently he was making her smile, or her version of  it, which seemed like a good sign to me. Callie just rolled her eyes and  ignored him for the moment as Martin and Sarah made their way up behind  them.

Callie  gestured over to Jessie. "Now, Agria has informed me there's a  necropolis nearby, and we have some death related materials on our list.  I was planning a trip down there, both for the things we need and for  whatever else we find and can sell. Given the area I think this should  be safe to bring Grimmengap along for this trip, which is good because  Sarah's holy hand skill will probably come in handy. Tony, we were  hoping you would come along as well, if you're willing to be backup on  this?"

She  directed that at Cark, who had followed the others up here when Cass and  Jessie called them. He just shrugged. "Yeah, I stayed so I could help.  Zombie's or heros, doesn't matter much to me. Hell, if anything this  works better. I don't have to hold back and worry about burning some  school kid, I can just burn the bastards to ash." He paused. "I...can  just burn zombies to ash right? They're not like...sentient or  something? Because I don't know how that would even work but it seems  awful any way I can picture it."

Sarah,  surprisingly, was the one to answer that. "Not at all. Zombie's are  animated remains brought to a semblance of life by necromancy. They have  no consciousness aside from the crafted spirits the necromancers can  imbue them with at higher levels. Unlike some other variations of undead  that are transformed from former living people like Ghouls or Liches  there is no moral questionability to destroying a zombie. Same with  skeletons." We all turned to stare at her and she blushed. "The church  is often called to deal with the undead, so learning the particulars of  their existence is one of the first tasks for Initiate clergy."

Callie  just nodded dumbly. "Ok, well it seems like we found our resident  expert, discounting Zeke who can't come with us because he's going to be  staying with Cass." I felt a surge or gratitude to her for heading off  any complaints by reminding everyone he was on guard duty. Zeke was  unable to help but I knew that wasn't by choice. It meant a lot to me  that she took his feelings into account. "With that out of the way I  guess it's time for us to head out. Who's ready to go destroy some  undead?"

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