A Choice

I stared at the creak separating me from the camp. Time was ticking away and Oathkeeper didn't share my trepidation. Before I was ready, he'd already placed a hoof into the flowing stream. Water rushed by carrying with it chunks of ice large enough to throw a man off his feet. Seeing the creak reminded me of death itself.

My fears were irrational in my data, in my qi, and even in the big juicy brain between my ears as Gwen would call it, I knew the fear was irrational. That didn't change the way mere rushing waters made me break into a cold sweat. It didn't keep my mind from hijacking my processes and simulating scenarios of my own death. The parameters were impossible, and they superseded the water running down the muddy creak with the metaphoric waters of death.

With every splash of Oathkeepers hooves he drove me deeper in the waters. Once we were surrounded and the water splashed my boots, my heart calmed in my chest. This wasn��t as bad as I thought. I'd never trust a creak, river, or ocean but this wasn't terrible.

Oathkeeper didn't care about my fears and despite my own terror, he trotted through the stream quickly. As we left the stream behind my heartbeat returned to normal.

"Did someone drown you?" Mahina asked. If I allowed her to live how long before she found a water mage to test my fears. She wouldn't have to turn them against me, she could pick a fight and claim me as an ally. I'd have to conquer my fears eventually.

If I was really going to farm, then a source of water was needed. Crops, livestock, and people can't live without a source of water. Conquering my fear wasn't possible, I knew that. It wasn't the lakes or the rivers that I was afraid of, it was the waters themselves.

I needed something to protect myself even in death. There had to be a way. If they could carry me out of death itself, then there should be a way to save myself. What I needed was a boat capable of ferrying me through the ocean of death. No, I needed something more, I needed something like a death star. What I wanted was a vast instillation capable of protecting my soul from death.

To defeat my fear, nothing short of defeating death itself would do. I wanted to build something to defeat the waters of death. It had to be possible, but how. Maybe, I could start by backing up my memories. To do that I needed to build a device to hold my memories beyond death. It wasn't full proof, but it was a plan.

Ping!

Quest: Immortality

Reward: +10,000 to all stats.

"Yes, someone drowned me a long time ago. I can't even learn to swim, being in water petrifies me." I said.

"I can relate. Without a host we can't cross water." I felt an odd kinship with her.

We stumbled into camp just as the camp started waking up. I nudged Janus awake. The groggy eyed boy's eyes widened when he saw the abominable bear hide in the wagon.

Janus sat up then winced. "How, I thought you were crazy?" Janus said.

I sighed and tossed his training sword beside him. The tool slammed down heavily beside him. Janus gulped and slowly crawled from his sleeping bag. I tapped him and refilled his aura. "Try to get at least half an hour of training in. If you expected bear meat for breakfast, I had to leave it behind." I said.

Gwen giggled, leapt atop the wagon, and hugged the bear pelt. I heard the familiar buzz of a psyblade and turned to see Doppel. Her blade rested against Mahina's throat.

"What is this parasite doing here?" Doppel asked. Janus put down his blade and pulled a silver dagger from his waist.

I raised my hand to block Janus's path. "Get back to training." Janus looked about ready to mutiny. So, I decided to throw him a bone. "She's a bound monster, don't get close to her, drink after her, or speak to her if you can help it." I said.

The sound of a very distinctive crackle filled my ears. "There is nothing like a good crack rock in the morning to wake me up. Janus do you want some, it'll put some pep in your step." I turned to the boy and shook my head vehemently.

Janus gulped. "No thank you Lord Inquisitor." Janus said.

Lewis looked a little put off. "A shame, crack should be shared but not with monsters. If she's a wolf, then a little swapped saliva could turn you next full moon. You won't become a wolf; you'll just go mad. Some call those infected the moon crazed. If she's a magos, then she'll be an easy lay. They loved pouring their worms down some poor fool's cock." Lewis pulled up his pants and gave Janus a look. "In a few hours those worms will start wiggling in your brain." Lewis took another drag from his pipe. "Father Margos not to be confused with your magos filled werewolf monster you brought back will be glad you survived." I assumed the wards told him what she was. Did he know what I was or was I too unique for wards to detect?

I patted Oathkeeper's neck. "She'll ride this guy. That should limit her ability to infect humans." Doppel didn't look convinced.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing. We should kill her now." Doppel suggested. I stared at the ground. Killing Mahina was the right thing to do. Morally, it was in the grey. Killing her would weaken my manpower. Being swayed by Doppel's logic to kill her would weaken my authority. Following a monster's advice would weaken my position among the other humans as well. Showing weakness in such a way was morally wrong. It would put me in a disadvantage position and it Doppel was right once she might be right again and soon Gwen and Star would follow Doppel instead of me. If Mahina lived she could cause chaos and problems with other human settlements. Rumors could spill out about her presence and taint the reputation of my future farm.

Did Doppel know what position she put me in? She was Gwen's instincts and Mind Flayers were natural politicians. It was possible she knew and wanted to use this to test me. At the time that wasn't what I was thinking. Mahina was my newest investment. She carried a lot of risks and I couldn't see any rewards for keeping her alive.

I had planned to dump a bunch of monsters on her to make a kaiju.

Gwen looked up from her snuggling with the bear skin and gave me a look. This was to be expected. Leaving Mahina alive in front of them would be a mistake. I'd lose all the good will I had with them if a did.

I turned to Mahina. "No, I've been loyal up until now." My blade flashed. Before she could transform, summon her aura, or draw her bow, Diabla impaled her. I raised my hand, "Creeping Flames," I called, and flames charged down my blade and lit Mahina up. Flames burst from the creature's eyes. She screamed as a hundred thousand worms burned to death inside of her.

Lewis clapped me on the back. "It isn't easy doing Sol's work. Sometimes the most terrible monsters look the most human. We'll salt the ground to dry out any of the eggs inside of her." I nodded slowly.

Mahina would have been a great test subject. She had an interesting version of immortality. The worms acted as an infinitely growing hard drive. Some data might be lost but if they linked together information could be transferred and stored. If even a few of the worms survived, then Mahina could come back. It was a good thing this was her only body.

I pointed my sword at Mahina's ashes and glared at Doppel. "If you ever give me an order or try to force my hand with politics again, you'll be next." I said through our mental connection. My reply was a sensual moan. To this day I don't want to understand why she's like that.

We loaded up once more and prepared to leave. I mounted Oathkeeper after Lewis salted the ground where I burned Mahina alive. Despite her nature it felt wrong to just kill something useful to me. The chances of her ruining my future business ventures or worse my reputation was too high. I couldn't be seen allowing a magos to live in my presence. Having monsters under my control seemed to be pushing it already.

In the low light of the campfire, I watched Janus stumble and occasionally gain a step. I dunked the bear skin in some brine and stretched the hide out. In a few short days it would be fully treated. Sid sat beside me and passed me a bowl of soup.

"I've known a few young men like you." Sid said while I stretched out the hide.

So far it held up well to the tanning. Not a hair had fallen out throughout the process and the hide was sturdy. It would make Doppel and Gwen a warm blanket. The women would like it when we settled on whatever land I laid claim to.

When I said nothing, he kept going. "This world killed them to the last man before they ever reached their full potential. You were better prepared than most and you seem to be clever. I'd advise you to take fewer chances at least until you have some sons to carry on your name. We can't afford to lose men as powerful as you." I drank the soup while Sid spoke. "How did you kill the bear?"

"I used magic, speed, and superior maneuverability to snap the bear's spine and then I throttled it. Before, I'd thought about using some spider silk to make a noose for it. Its claws might have cut the noose. At the end of the day, I leapt from a tree club in hand and caught it by surprise. With its back broken it couldn't stop me from throttling it." I said. He went silent while I drank the soup.