Born a Monster

Chapter 22: Born A Monster, Chapter 22 – Wait, I’m Sellable?

Born A Monster

Chapter 22

Wait, I’m Sellable?

For two days, there was ceaseless chaos. It wasn’t that bad for me, I just stayed with whatever task I was told to do until the next task came up.

Then Chalcopiye told me, “Come with me. Now.”

“I know that tone.” I said. “What have I done to deserve a beating now?”

She looked sad. “You aren’t getting a beating. Just gather what you own and come.”

.....

Well, it wasn’t as if I had a lot of possessions. A jacket, a belt made from woven bark, and Black Snake’s home. Oh, and the knife in my inventory. There was nothing to gather.

“So where are we going?”

“Foreigner’s Camp.” She said that like it explained anything.

It wasn’t the first or last time I was confused during my life.

We wandered through the camps, and I witnessed the wonders of fire jugglers, synchronized dancing families, and other entertainments. I smelled all manner of mouth-watering foods, saw trade goods from distant lands, heard over a dozen languages (but mostly Achean), and saw dresses bizarre and glorious and simple.

I saw wonders mundane and magical – sunlight woven into clothes, a tiara of silver snakes with jade eyes that moved in synchronization with each other – too many to list, too many to record or remember.

I flagged the System upgrade that would let me record images. I was back up to 22 Development Points, and I needed a goal after I got the achievement for Path of the Polymath.

“I want you to know this wasn’t my idea.” Chalcopiye said.

“Okay, what exactly isn’t your idea?”

“We’re selling your contract to pay our debts to the humans who removed the goblin nest.”

“Wait, you mean my indentured servitude?”

“Yes, it’s the same length of time, just under different people.”

“Well I – I guess I don’t have any say in this?”

She sighed. “If there were any other option, we’d take it. You must know this.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know enough of the world to know what I want to do. I – I will miss the clan.”

“The clan will miss you also, young Rhee.” It was just the sort of lie that comes easily to the lips of those not sworn to the ways of the Truthspeaker.

Why were there tears on my face? These were the slayers of Eihtfuhr. I’d considered leaving them for goblins who wanted to turn me into a necromancer. So why did this feel like anything more personal than a business deal?

My garment was water absorbent, so I used it to wipe my face.

“Who am I being sold to?” I asked.

“Not you, only your contract. If they try to keep you past your time of indenture, remember that humans have laws and systems to enforce them.”

“I’m being sold to HUMANS?”

She shrugged. “They offered the most for you.”

What? Had I been placed on auction without even being present? But then we were at the blue tent, almost as wide and deep as the longhouse was long.

#

The Guild of Guardsmen, Porters, Drovers, and Linkboys lived on contracts. Specifically, they hired out mercenaries, porters, bearers, guides, translators, unskilled laborers, and other support personnel.

Depending on the work I would be performing, I would be paid a wage. Half of that wage (because I was indentured, normal members only pay ten percent) would go to the guild. One fifth of my payment was guild tax; the other four fifths would go toward the cost of buying me from the clan.

In other words, if I made my six and a half remaining years, I was free. If I made a lot of money, somehow, then I was free.

Which would have been exciting if I had more of a concept of what freedom was. Knowing what I did about the world, I had little doubt I’d die on my own.

And, as human coinage was explained, ten seemed to be the number to remember. They counted their thumbs as fingers, and thus claimed to have ten fingers. They also had ten toes, but didn’t use them to count with. Ten tin coins were worth a copper or bronze, depending on region. Ten of those were worth a silver, ten silver a gold, ten gold were worth a moon-infused mithril.

There were trade bars, in thumb, palm, and brick sizes, worth ten, one hundred, and one thousand coins of the same material. These were mainly used by merchants and governments.

Most jewelers would exchange coins for one in ten of the smaller coins. Either eleven coins to stage coinage up, or swap it down for nine cheaper coins. Sounded like a goal of mine could be to open a jewelry store, and just let the coins roll by.

Anyway, it was to my benefit to list all my skills, which I did repeatedly. Unlike the centaurs, they were most intrigued by my Truthspeaker status. They would need a church or fellow Truthspeaker to verify it, but they assured me that such a thing was very valuable to certain of their clientele.

They used devices of sand in pinched glass tubes to time my ability to perform basic tasks.

They had me spar with a wooden sword, and pronounced me unfit for combat roles.

My knowledge of human anatomy was inadequate for medical duty.

My skill at cooking was tolerable, but lack of tier two or above recipes ruled that out.

I couldn’t carry the heavier blocks, which ruled out bearer and porter jobs.

My lack of ability to read limited my use as a scrivener or scribe.

And so on. Eventually, it was determined that I could fill two roles. Either a linkboy, someone who carried a torch or lantern for others so they could have light at night or underground. The other job was valet, basically cleaning up others mess, helping them dress and such, and run other simple errands.

I could use my share of coins to feed and clothe myself, and pay the Guild for tutors to improve my skills.

#

After two days of evaluation, I was loaded up onto a cart with two centaur girls, Ulcantre and Jasmine. Ulcantre had a two-year contract with the Silverlake family, some manner of land-bonded noble. Jasmine was an acrobat with mechanical skills, confident she could get contracts.

We endured the bumping for less than an hour before Jasmine asked to walk. The rest of us decided that would also be easier.

“What sort of contracts?” Ulcantre asked. “I don’t understand how those skills even go together.”

I shrugged. “I’m still trying to get my head wrapped around a centaur acrobat.”

“Don’t try too hard,” Jasmine said. “That’s a real tiny head.”

“Seriously, what sort of contracts?”

“Tomb raider contracts, of course. Acrobatics to avoid traps, and the mechanical abilities to disarm them. And maybe pick a lock or two.”

“So you have Rogue levels? Thief?”

“I figure I can pick up the specific classes as I go. Acrobat and Mechanic are enough to get cantering in the right direction.”

Ulcantre nodded. “Sounds like more fun than being a stablekeep; I wish you luck in your adventures.”

“I’m told I can make my own luck.”

“So... Snakeface, what’s your story?”

Jasmine smiled. “Snakeface.”

“My name is Rhishisikk, or Rhee if you must use the nickname.”

“Or just Snakeface.” Jasmine’s smile widened.

I managed not to roll my eyes. “I’m up for valet and linkboy contracts.”

“Oh, Rhee!”

“Hah! Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

“Tell me what?”

“Coins, fool. I’m worth at least a gold a day, although I’ll have to start at a silver coin initially just to spread knowledge of my skills. Ulcantre, here? She’s worth a silver a day, maybe a gold on a day she delivers a foal.”

She leaned over to pat me on the head. “Your worth is measured in tin coins, maybe copper. On the hills of life, you’re stuck down in a valley.”

“Thank you for your honest assessment.” I said.

“You’re welcome, minion among minions.”

“That is also not my name.”

“Keep going with the jobs you have. It will be.”

My claws could do Lacerating damage, but not much of it. The knife I had returned to the clan.

Honestly, I’m surprised that Malice cultivation didn’t gain XP.

I told myself that neither of us knew our worth in coins.

#

One lone plains-cat is a curiosity, just another animal on one’s travel. A pack was more likely to be predatory.

“If any of you are secretly friends with the animals, now is the chance to talk them down.” Said Nathan, one of our human guides.

.....

Karen began readying her crossbow, a noisy and relatively slow process.

“I think we should get back on the cart.” Said Ulcante.

Jasmine readied a pair of knives. “You two should do that.”

Among the feats I possessed at the time, there was nothing to help me clamber onto the back of a rapidly moving cart.

“Slow down!” Ulcante said, as she was also unable to board.

“Can’t, horses are spooked. They’re about to take off.”

Karen hit her target, which yowled in pain. The horses, as predicted, panicked. My claws slid off the back gate, barely scratching it.

Then it was just the three of us, and four hungry cats.

A plains-cat isn’t a massive creature, weighing in at about a goblin and a half. But they were mean, and quick with claws and jaws.

Our wagon was slowly turning, but was nowhere nearby.

Jasmine lunged at one of the cats as they approached, and it batted back at her. Neither connected.

I saw one moving to her left side, and one to her right.

I tried to project CALM at the cat on the left, but it wasn’t in the mood to receive.

“Hya! Hya!” Jasmine tried stomping to frighten the cats near her. They weren’t receiving that message, either.

I tried to dodge when my cat leapt at me, but its torso impacted my hip, sending me sprawling.

Jasmine cried out in pain, Ulcante in fear.

I raised an arm to block, but it ended up firmly in the plains-cat’s jaws.

[You have taken four points of Lacerating damage.]

Really? I had expected more.

I failed to grapple, and the cat pulled its back paws upward. Even as it raked them down my torso.

[Critical hit! You have taken twelve points of Lacerating damage.]

[You have gained condition: Disemboweled.]

[You have gained condition: Queasy.]

[You have gained condition: Bleeding 4.]

Okay, that was closer to what I feared.

I used my free hand to slow the bleeding, but my vision was already growing dim. I was aware of a feeling of PANIC, but it seemed to be faint, coming from far away.

Swish. Tok. Yowl, and my left arm was suddenly free.

My instincts were to push my intestines back in, no matter how painful that was.

[Pain exceeds remaining health points; you will experience a time of unconsciousness.]

I remember only one dream clearly, that Black Snake had become trapped in her container, unable to open it from the inside. I was able to push my dream finger through the wood and feed her, and her PANIC faded to a wave of concern.

Treated with only a healing potion and a linen wrap, I am told that I became feverish. I am told that I was closer to death than life when the cart rolled into Narrow Valley, which I have no reason to disbelieve.

The Guild had someone sew me up and change my bandages daily.

Once I woke, food was brought in. I was only able to eat small portions at first, in spite of my nutrition meters being at critical levels. But my appetite and health points slowly returned, and I was partly awake when my medic announced that I would live.

They forced me to walk, even when I collapsed. Several times, I fell unconscious soon after standing. I am told this phase lasted a week or so.

Jasmine and Ulcante had both also been wounded, but not severely as I had been. I was told they had both successfully been contracted.

My road to my first contract was a little more eventful.

#

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