*/*/*


Unrelenting Savagery

Chain links made contact with the hanging bag, creating a solid whap! "Again." The action repeated. "Again." Vesli had been at this all day. Damn, he actually missed Face's training right now. The Guild trainers were on a whole new level of sadism. Vesli was betting tentacles had something to do with it. He was about 97% sure of that guess as the trainer continued making Vesli use his screaming muscles. Face at least knew that breaks and water were required things for proper training! His throat was a desert and even Rir's vision was getting hazy from heat exhaustion. "Enough!" Vesli staggered, panting and swaying. "You have completed the level training for today. Go." He was only too happy to oblige. Vesli was positive hey took 'level of skill' far too seriously at the Guild. Especially since he was walking like a drunk, eyes scanning desperately for the nearest source of acceptably clean water. Hell, at this rate, Vesli was willing to bend the rules on what he normally considered acceptable.

"Spirits, you look horrible," Aela's voice came from three directions at once and the fuzzy image of a water skin was forced under his nose. Vesli drained it. Feeling slightly more human now, he looked up at the Hellion who was apparently simply standing in front of him. "Heir's required training classes?"

"Yes," he growled looking back over his shoulder at the Guild.

"I completed mine a few suns ago," a slight shudder and a scowl across Aela's face "That place is full of malice and evil spirits."

"In that we are complete agreement," Vesli sheepishly returned the empty water skin. "What are you doing here?"

"Today is the day the team sent to kill the Hag is to return. I want to know if they live," the Hellion gestured towards what Vesli had dubbed the 'gate of no return' through which all parties embarked on their errands for the ever-impatient Heir.

"That so?" Vesli hadn't forgotten them. But perhaps the reprieve from the Holy duo had been a little too welcome. The man acknowledge that wishing them ill was both human and very bad of him. "Mind if I go with you? I actually have a question. And before you ask it is NOT about sex."

"That's a shame," Aela grinned, but allowed him to walk with her anyways,

"Your beliefs and culture are very... different compared to many in the Hamlet," Vesli hoped he was being as polite as possible. It was a difficult task given what could be a touchy subject. Aela just gave a loud barking laugh.

"The people of this 'church' of yours call me heathen, if that's what you're referring to," she was amused at his attempted delicacy.

"I myself have found little problem with it. My relationship with faith is complicated best. Who am I to say who is right or wrong about such matters?" Vesli shrugged.

"Perhaps I will tell you of the Spirits and see if they suit you better!"

"Perhaps later. I met someone similar to you, actually." Why must this conversation only get more difficult as it continued?

"You met one of my tribal sisters?"

"Another Abomination."

"I had heard of a second beast-walker joining," Aela's gaze flicked to Vesli. "The Spirits around you are agitated. You are not pleased?"

"Not as much as I feel I should be," Vesli sighed. "His ways and mannerisms are more like yours than mine. And something about that makes me…"

"Angry?"

"Uncomfortable," he admitted.

"You question yourself," the Hellion wanted to ensure understanding.

"Yes. You I call my friend. Your differences are what makes you you. Even your Light-cursed obsession with sex. But with him, it's like seeing a green sky, or a waterfall flowing up."

"Wrong."

"Yes."

Aela settled in on a fence rail to wait for the Hag team to return. Or to find out there would be no return at all. "You believe this is a fault on your part."

"Yes," Vesli made himself meet her gaze.

"Would you befriend someone that killed children?"

"I should hope not."

"Difference is not always a positive trait. It may be you. It might as easily be him." Aela shrugged. "If the Spirits are warning you, it is best to listen."

"I feel like I should still try." Rir snarled in Vesli's mind. The Hellion shrugged once more, not going to stop him, and deciding to end the conversation. Vesli stood next to her perch, mulling over her words though he remained firm in his course of action. There was commotion as figures started to appear on the path to the Hamlet. First one, then two. Eventually four figures were gaining more definition as they returned.

"Well. They're not dead," Aela commented, "but were they successful?"

"They're dragging something," Vesli narrowed his eyes at the thin lines coming from each figure that resolved themselves into ropes.

"Is that… a giant pot?" Aela stood on her toes attempting to get a better view.

"That's a cauldron. The proof of a job completed successfully," Vesli answered as the cart rolled to a stop inside the Hamlet. The Heir of course was quite satisfied with the cauldron and accompanying Hag head.

"That hunk of accursed metal must be of some use. Let all the Occultists know that they may experiment on it as they wish," the Heir had no desire to lug the cauldron any further.

"Caillot is going to be ecstatic" sarcasm dripped from Vesli's every word.

"Let's tell him before anyone else does," Aela sighed.

*/*/*

They found Caillot sharing a drink with a Houndmaster. The two were chuckling over some scholarly joke or another that while Vesli knew what the actual words they said meant, he couldn't understand what was so amusing about it. "Caillot, who's your friend?" Aela gave the unsuspecting man a feral grin.

"This is Darcy. The canine companion is Alis," Caillot sipped his drink.

Darcy for his part seemed unperturbed by Aela's smile of invitation. "A pleasure to meet you both. Caillot has mentioned you."

"As Face has mentioned you, though I only managed to get your actual name out of him once," Velsi liked the Houndmaster's relaxed aura. It didn't make his current task any easier however. "Caillot, the Heir has assigned… a task."

"That tone is not a comforting one, Vesli," the Occultist frowned.

"The Heir wants you and your fellow dark spirit whisperers to meddle with even darker spirits," Aela sat down roughly, joining the two men at their table. Vesli was more polite with his own claiming of a seat.

"Meaning?" Darcy seemed concerned.

"That the team that killed the Hag brought back the cauldron too and who knows what evil is in that pot," Vesli answered "The Occultists of the Hamlet are to… test it and experiment. To see if it can be made useful."

"Is the Heir trying to get us all killed?" Caillot scowled, actually angry for once "The Magik I and others like me wields is tied to an unknowable fickle beast from beyond the stars! And we're supposed to mix that with whatever some blighted hedge witch has done to a cauldron?!"

"Yes," Vesli winced at his own words.

The Occultist sighed, refining his scowl into that of a disapproving professor. "I will see if I cannot managing to talk sense into my fellows. Perhaps we can turn horror into good. Or at least dispose of it. Let us hope that they are reasonable beings."

"And if they aren't?" Darcy again, a frown on his face.

"Then we shall find out exactly whom the Beast favors," Caillot's words were dark enough to make the other three shudder.

*/*/*

"I am displeased," the Heir slammed the paper down on the desk. "Both the crusader and the Vestal apparently got themselves injured enough that they are on extended medical care."

"How inconsiderate of them," the Caretaker responded, pouring a glass of what was supposed to be soothing tea. It certainly didn't look like any tea a normal person would consider drinking, let alone call soothing.

"There is an important task in the Cove I needed their group to accomplish. And now I am stuck with finding someone else!"

"At least the Highwayman and Plague Doctor are fit for the job," the old man reassured.

"Tch. Send the more experienced Abomination and that Arbalest instead."

"Of course."

"And get me updates on the Occultists' progress with the cauldron."

"Certainly."

*/*/*

"You are angry," Bird's voice was perhaps one of the few Vesli would welcome at the moment.

"The Heir in all their righteousness has decided that since the Holy duo are out of commission me and the resident Arbalest get to go help fetch some Ancestral Relics from the Cove," he growled. "I guess this is just a casual reminder of who holds the leash."

"Stressed. Irritated. Muscles tight and hurting from clenching too much," Bird's lenses flashed as she gave him a cursory visual examination. "In most situations, I believe it is appropriate to offer a hug in response."

Vesli considered. He finally gave her a stilted one-armed hug that he admitted was a little pathetic. It made him feel better all the same. "Thank you." Bird just patted his arm. It was a few hours after that that the Abomination found himself waving over his shoulder at his team as he and these three relative strangers made their way out of the Hamlet and towards the Cove.

Vesli missed the fourth person in audience to their departure, though the other three memebers of his team noted the Antiquarian. "Oh d-dear. I hope they'll b-be okay." Brix went to find Braund, whom Vesli called Face for unknown reasons. "B-braund. C-courci and Vesli have gone with D-dismas and Tirel to the Cove."

"Aye, I am aware o' that," the old veteran answered.

"I worry f-for them." At that, Braund looked up at her, studying her features.

"You an' I both know that Courci can hold her own inna fight. And tha Whelp has been improvin' significantly."

"S-still…"

"Why all this concern? Ya didna mind before when Courci got drafted ta other teams."

"I-I…" Brix stumbled.

"Ah. I see. Not Courci yer worrin' over. Hm. The Whelp is a good lad. An' ya got a bit o' a crush on 'im. But I'll tell ya now ya might not be getting' much more than that outta him. He's got his own probl'ms. If he's one fer romance, it won' be a fast process, even if tha right person comes 'long and hits 'im over tha head with a stick."

"That's… oddly s-specific."

"Hasna happened yet if tha's what yer askin'."

*/*/*

Omake – Complex Morals

Rir was getting a headache. Which meant Vesli was getting a headache. Rir was trying to understand weak prey-thing 'morals'. Rir was failing. But Rir was determined! Rir would know! Vesli though the beast was simply too stubborn for their own good. Rir demanded that Vesli explain it again.

"Alright. Only one more time! There's the concept of 'good'. There are things that society and others praise. These are the things you want to do. Like saving kittens from getting eaten."

Rir could then eat the kittens? Vesli hadn't let Rir eat the new vibrating-pest.

"No! No eating kittens!"

Rir was disappointed.

"Eating kittens falls under what we 'prey-things' call 'bad'. These actions get scolding. Punishments. Like robbing a bank."

Why would Rir want useless shiny prey-thing possessions? Rir would rather raid what Vesli called a butcher. Rir drooled a bit thinking about all the meat.

"You are missing the entire point!"

Rir snapped out of it.

"Finally," there was an agitated sigh, "We have 'grey'. These are things in the middle. Neither bad nor good. Like stealing coin so that a child can afford to eat."

If Rir was so invested in a pup he'd just hunt them down a meal. Why would Rir bother getting it from someone else?

"This is hopeless."

Rir would never understand weak prey-things. They were too complicated.