Black Mould - Twenty-Six - Blatant Manipulations of an Open Soul

I eyed Eight-Three-Eleven for a bit, then spun around and walked back into my farm. “Come on in, then,” I said.

The acolyte followed me in, head turning this way and that as she took in the room. My farm wasn’t exactly big. Or even that impressive. It could probably use a bit of tidying up too. I was careful about keeping my workbench clean and putting my few tools away in their place, but I was a lot less careful about letting dirt and such splatter onto the floor.

Maybe I could find a broom and dustpan somewhere… maybe a washcloth too, while I was at it. A lot of the racks were stained and… and I was being self-conscious when I really didn’t need to be. I shoved all of that back for the moment. “It’s not much, but it allows me to grow what I need. I’m experimenting a bit with hybrid mushrooms, and new types as well.”

“Including those poisonous ones,” Eight-Three-Eleven said.

“Poison is relative,” I said. “Some poisons can also be medicines, if you’re careful with the dosages.”

She nodded slowly, then dragged her attention back onto me. “How old are you?” she asked.

“I’m four,” I said. “I’ll be five soon. Why?”

“You speak… well, you have a gutter accent, but the way you’re talking sounds older. Like you’re planning a lot of things.”

I had a gutter accent? I didn’t have anything to compare my accent to. Maybe she was right. This was a rather impoverished area, and those that I met around here didn’t sound like they had an accent to me, which only meant that I shared their speech mannerisms.

I’d have to pay more attention to that. Accents could determine how people would treat you. Eight-Three-Eleven had a bit of a lilt in the way she spoke, I had brushed it off, but maybe she had her own accent.

Anyway, that wasn’t a big concern for the moment. “Thanks. I pride myself on being able to think. But that doesn’t matter. I have questions.”

“You know, I only really came here to satisfy my own curiosity, and because my mentor said it might be a good idea. I do have work to get back to.”

“Ah, only a few questions then,” I said. “Please, won’t you be merciful and teach this poor child a few things?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to use Galen’s teachings to manipulate me?”

“Is it working?”

She shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe my audacity. “Fine. One question. I really don’t have all day. I chose to come here today because it’s a quieter day, but I still have some duties to attend to.”

“Two,” I said.

“Two? Why should I answer two?” she asked.

“Because you showed up at my place with possible ill-intent, unannounced, and I have a lot more questions than you have answers. Two is a nice compromise.”

She shook her head, but I think I had her.

Two questions.

That wasn’t nearly enough. I had a hundred on the tip of my tongue already.

What did I need to know the most then?

I chewed on my lower lip. The problem with that was that often the thing you needed to know the most was something you didn’t know you needed to know. I couldn’t ask about something I didn’t know about, not unless I unlocked a gift for prophecy.

That left a few possibilities. I could ask about magic, but she was an acolyte. I didn’t doubt she knew more than I did, but it wasn’t her speciality as far as I was aware. I could ask about gods and religions. She’d probably go on for a while about that, but then it would be terribly biassed.

That left… the local gangs, and other local things I could ask about. I was still keenly interested in the dungeon.

“Okay,” I said.

“Find a question?” she asked. She sounded amused. I had probably been standing there for half a minute looking like someone trying hard not to pass gas or something, so I couldn’t blame her.

“I found one,” I said before I licked my lips. I hoped this wouldn’t be a waste, but if it was… well, whatever. Teenaged acolytes of some god I didn’t care about were probably a dime a dozen. “What would you do in my situation?”

“That’s your question?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She frowned. “Isn’t that an easy one?”

I shrugged. “Maybe it is.”

Eight-Three-Eleven stared at me for a long moment. “Is this a test?” she asked before glancing around. “Did Five-Oh-One-One put you up to this, because that sounds exactly like the kind of weird, probing test question he’d ask.”

“Maybe he’s just as wise as I am.”

She laughed. “I think it would rather be the other way around. He’s got some decades on you.”

“Will you answer?”

Eight-Three-Eleven crossed her arms and gave it some thought. Or maybe she was just zoning out already. “You know, I don’t know much about you.”

“And you also know a lot of things that I don’t,” I said. “I’ve never been out of the slums. I’ve never set foot in a church or temple. I’ve always been here. Your experiences are vastly different from my own. I want to know what you would do in my shoes, knowing what you know.”

She stared at me some more. “You are a weird child.”

“I gathered as much, yes.”

Eight-Three-Eleven rocked from side to side while humming to herself. I had the impression that this wasn’t part of the professional face she usually put up. “That’s a hard one. I guess I’d go to one of the temples. There are a few that accept people if they’re clever and bright enough. They’d feed me… you, and teach you things. As much as I love Galen, I don’t think he’d be a great fit for you.”

“Is that all?” I asked.

She twisted a bit. “No? I guess I’d try to find my way out of these slums. City Nineteen is mostly just slums next to slums, but there are some parts that are nicer, safer. Good places for a kid to grow up in. Basically… yeah, that’s my answer. I’d rely on the gods and their faithful to help me out of this place, then I’d do what I can to return the favour.”

I nodded. “Thanks,” I said.

“Did I pass?” she asked.

“You do know that it wasn’t actually a test,” I said. “Though I’d love to know more about which gods I can rely on.” I didn’t really care, though maybe a few of those followers would be easily parted from their riches. Back on Earth, religious belief and gullibility tended to go hand-in-hand.

Eight-Three-Eleven chuckled. “Yeah, there are entire university courses dedicated to that. But there are a few that everyone knows you can trust. Galen, Seb, and her followers are nice. Dearil if you’re dealing with undead. Vista Lida for anyone willing to work.”

“Where can I learn more about them?” I asked.

“Show up to sermons. Usually, uh, parents will bring their kids around, though. I can’t recall anyone your age just showing up.”

“Right,” I said.

“Alright, what’s that second question of yours?” she asked. I think her patience was drawing to an end.

I frowned, then asked an easy one. “Know any good places to get mushrooms? Either buying them or just… interesting mushrooms growing somewhere?”

“Buying? Just go to any marketplace, I guess. As for interesting ones, I don’t pay much attention to mushrooms of all things. I guess there’s supposed to be neat ones in the Ditz dungeon?”

“There’s mushrooms in the dungeon?” I asked.

She eyed me. “Yeah. Of course. Sometimes they’re harvested. For medicine, I think. You’d have to ask someone in the right guild to learn about that though. Galen is more about helping people in need, not diving into the dungeon to get rich quick. I’ve heard of some acolytes diving in to give mercy to some people that were stuck in traps or the like, but it’s really uncommon.”

“Thanks,” I said.

The dungeon had just climbed a few rungs on my list of things I needed to check out.

“Why are you so interested in mushrooms anyway?”

“I need money, or I need magic,” I said. “One or the other. As long as it gives me a way to cure things. My dad was injured at work and I’m trying to find a way to fix his hand.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well that’s… kind of you. A big goal for a kid your age. Have you looked into any of the healing churches?”

“Would they heal his hand for free?” I asked.

“Free? No. Not unless he was a long-term member. But they might do it for relatively cheap. You could even try to join in as a healer. Learn the skills and get a class to do it yourself.” She glanced over her shoulder to the door. “On that note. I really do have to go. See you around, alright mushroom kid?” She ruffled my hair, then we exchanged some quick goodbyes.

She left, but I had a lot to think about even after she was off.

***