Chapter 24

"Oi, Boss! Wakee wakee! Ya can't be sleepin' at a time like dis!"

{Hm?} Blearily, I sat up and yawned, jaw stretching wide and tongue curling to toss away the sleepiness. {Oh. Guess I snoozed a bit. Did you find the Bastion?}

"Yeah, it's dis way." He set off down the street and I followed. "Seriously? Ya just fell asleep in da middle of a war?"

{I was tired! That monster was chasing us and there was fighting and fire and I was tired.} I looked around. {Besides, it was safe enough. I can't hear any fighting nearby.}

"Yeah, dere's like twelve licks ah demons widdin ten blocks ah heah. Dere's even a hazdahem a mile or so dat way." He jerked his thumb off to the left.

"A hazdahem?"

"Legion officah. Usually runs five hunnerd balor, or maybe two-fi'ty malazaheen." He saw my expression of bafflement. "Put it dis way: Dey're about toity feet tall, dey're smart and tough and magic-resistant, dey hit like a truck, and dey use magic."

{Oooh. What's it doing?}

He looked at me as though checking whether I was joking. "Waddya t'ink? It's bustin' down buildin's, killin' people, and lookin' fah da orichalcum."

{Oh.} I thought about that for a few strides. {If it's hurting people, that's bad. After I get healed, we should go kill it.}

"Yeah, right. Wadevah. Now, we're gonna get ya ta da Bastion and healed up, but what den? As ta Marcus, Estelle, and Dickface, ya ain't got no way ta find dem while dey in dat shield room."

{Oh.} That was all true, of course.

"An' don't be sayin' nuttin' about huntin' hazdahem. Ya'd jes get killed."

I lolled my tongue at him. {You do care!}

"Pah. I don't get paid if ya die, dat's all. Okay, enough yappin', let's go dig up dat healer guy and get ya squared away."

{Probably. How much farther to the Bastion?}

"'Bout a mile. Take a left, two blocks, right, go until ya get dere."

{Right!} I shifted up into a trot. {Also, I figured out what to do after I get healed.}

"Yeah? What's dat?"

{I'm going to go hunt hazdahem. And then I'm going to save the city. And have bacon for dinner.}

"What."

o-o-o-o

The Bastion was squat and saved from ugliness only by the elegant columns that straddled its oversized door, and the two giant dog statues out front. Well, I thought they were dogs. They had bigger ruffs than any dog I'd ever seen, and they went most of the way around the neck so they looked almost like a mane.

There were two guards standing out front, dressed in the same blue cloaks that Captain Tom and his team had been wearing when they stopped me and Eugene after the tournament fight. The one on the left had a nametag that said 'Sgt Carpenter' and the other said 'Cpl Goroblatz'. The sergeant was human and the corporal was made of flowers. They were both carrying tridents and standing casually, not at attention like I might have expected, but their eyes kept moving back and forth in search for threats. They watched us come up the steps with bemusement.

"What do you need, imp?" Sergeant Carpenter asked.

Murray looked at me.

"Hello," I said through his translation. "My name is Athos and yes, I'm the dog and yes, I'm intelligent and yes, Murray is translating and not speaking for himself. I'm looking for a healer who I know works here...Life Mage Aerith?"

"No he ain't," Murray said. "He's lookin' fah da Gahd Captain and wants ta know da procedure fah hirin' a champion fer a duel wid dis Aerith guy regardin' violation of contracted soiveces and breach of medical ethics."

{Wait, I'm what?}

The guards were suddenly looking a lot more interested, even alarmed.

"What happened?" Carpenter asked.

"Da boss here got hit wid a nasty attack dat includes a big poimanent debuff. Aerith was hired to heal him but violated da contract and delayed da healing so he could farm da boss fah Attunement."

"That's a serious charge. If you pass that around he's going to challenge you for besmirching his reputation."

{Hang on,} I said. {Murray, what are you doing? I'm not trying to besmirch anyone's reputation, I'm just trying to get him to finish healing me so I can go out and fight.}

"I'm not trying to besmirch anyone's reputation, I'm just trying to get him to finish healing me so I can go out and fight," Murray obediently translated.

Goroblatz, the previously silent Guard, spoke up. "Fight what?" Each word sent a faint citrus smell wafting towards me.

"The monsters," I replied, giving him my best 'duh' look. "They're attacking people. I want to stop them, but I need to be healed for that."

"I'm confused," Carpenter said, shooting a quieting glare at his partner. "Are you looking to hire a champion for a duel or are you looking to be deputized or what?"

I looked at Murray in mute entreaty.

"He'd like ta talk ta da Gahd Captain and sort it out wid him," Murray said.

"The Captain isn't available but Goroblatz can take you to the watch commander." He jerked his head at the junior Guard, who nodded.

"Follow me," he said, striding through the doors. I followed obediently, enjoying the scent trail the flowerman left behind as he walked.

Immediately inside the doors was a large room, floored in marble, with massive columns here and there. A U-shaped desk crouched against the far wall, a human in Guard uniform behind it. On either side of the desk, hallways ran deeper into the building.

Corporal Goroblatz led us over to the desk. "Commander, we got a smart dog who wants...something. Not clear, but involves Aerith. He said that if he gets it then he'll help with the fighting."

The watch commander, a greying man with a belly and wavy purple hair, was wearing a nametag that pronounced him to be 'Cmdr Selb'. He had clearly been in a losing fight at some point. There were bad scars on the left side of his face and his left ear was missing, along with most of the hair around it. The exposed skin was covered in frightening scars. He surveyed me with interest.

"You're pretty big," he said. "Still, it's dangerous out there and the bad guys are mostly demons. We might be able to use you on search and rescue, but I doubt you could handle fighting these things unless you have some relevant Skills."

I thought about that for a moment, then carefully reached out to take Corporal Goroblatz's trident in my mouth. I moved slowly, being careful not to alarm him. He started to pull it away, then shrugged and let me have it.

I bit down on the weapon's haft, effortlessly snapping the inch-thick oak.

"My teeth are spiritual weapons that can kill demons permanently," I said through Murray. I hesitated and then added, "We're pretty sure."

Commander Selb's eyebrows shot up. "Right. What do you need?"

I gave Murray a 'go on' toss of my head and he quickly explained the situation. "He wants to get wid dis Aerith tool and get healed up soes he can go out and kill his fool ass killed."

"Aerith's in the triage center with the other healers," the commander said, riding right on past the rest of Murray's passive-aggressive statement. "There's a lot of wounded. We can—"

Wounded? Healers? "Are they using mana to heal people?" I interrupted. "Because I can help with that. See I have—"

Murray stopped translating mid-sentence and sprouted canine ears and a tail. {you want bark? bark now good? no! bark now bad! dangerbad! bark now, you in dangerbad!}

I rolled my eyes. {Oh, hush. Just tell them.}

He sighed and continued from where he had left off. "—this Skill called Spirit Transference that allows me to move Spirit into someone else in order to refill their mana pool or even to heal them, although it's not very good at that second part."

The watch commander raised one bushy eyebrow. "You're a fighter and a support? Impressive. Still, we've got Spirit injectors to refill the healers, so you're more useful in the field. Hopefully when the demons realize they're in actual danger they'll pull out."

"Neat! Glad to help. Before I can do that, though, I need to have Aerith heal me up. See, I got hit with this attack in the ring that...um...that gave me a condition. He was supposed to fix me but no Boss I ain't saying dat part 'cuz it's wrong. He didn't 'need ta leave town', he screwed you outta da contract 'cuz he wanted ta farm ya fer Attunement."

The Guards both stiffened. "Imp? What are you doing changing the translation?" the watch commander demanded.

"Relax, fellas. I gots a amended contract. Right, Boss?" I nodded. "Standahd translaytion contract but also some guide-an'-advisah stuff. Can't change da translaytion and I can't refuse ta translayte if he ordahs me to, but I gots a little leeway ta advise him about his statements."

Neither Guard looked happy.

"Could we please focus on the part about getting me healed? I'd really like to be healed."

"You said you had a contract with Life Mage Aerith?" the watch commander asked. "And you claim that he violated it."

"Speakin' fah myself heah because Boss is too nice an' trustin': Yeah, dis Aerith guy screwed him. Boss has a bunch ah woims inside him—"

{Murray!} I could feel my nose heating in embarrassment. He didn't have to go giving away such embarrassing secrets!

"Is he translating inaccurately or misrepresenting you?" the Commander demanded.

I huffed a sigh and shook my head.

"T'ank you. Anyway, da deal was dat Schmuckboy would fix da boss heah up. He did a couple ah rounds of it, but when he learned dat da woims regenerate each day and dat he was gettin' a ton of Attunement from healin' 'em, he suddenly needed ta 'go outta town' fah just long enough dat all da woik he'd done would be undone and he'd have ta start ovah."

The Guards were looking serious.

"Is that true, dog?"

"Oi, 'is name is Athos, not 'dog'"

"Is that true, Athos?"

I nodded. It was a little uncharitable but nothing Murray had said was strictly untrue. I didn't think it was fair to ascribe motivations to what Aerith had done—after all, he was a doctor and no doctor would leave a patient alone if there was any risk. The timing was unfortunate, sure, but he had been right that I wasn't going to be hurt by it. Still, that was a little more nuance than I could easily convey.

"You understand that this is a serious accusation that, were you to register an official complaint, would essentially require Aerith to challenge you or lose his reputation and his livelihood?"

Um, what?

"Aerith is a healah, Boss. If it gets around dat he's exploitin' a patient, he's screwed. Ain't no one gonna go ta him anymore."

"Some will," the watch commander said. "He's one of the most powerful healers in the city and there are some things that only he could handle. Still, it would cut out probably 90% of his custom and would lose him his contract with the Guards."

"How would dueling me fix that?"

"If he wins the duel, your accusation is irrelevant," Goroblatz said.

"Wait, what? How does winning a duel make it irrelevant as to whether or not he broke a contract? Doesn't it just mean that he's a better fighter?"

The corporal looked at me like I was an idiot. "Do you have a written contract?"

"Well...no. Not as such."

"If you don't have a written contract then it's your word against his. That means you're measuring who contributes the most value to the city. If you challenge him to a duel and lose then you contribute less combat value and you also lack the wisdom to have known you would lose. You could have gone to a magistrate instead of calling for a duel. If you're both foolish and a poor fighter then why should anyone take your accusations seriously?"

"Oh, right! Magistrates are a thing." I cocked my head in thought. "Estelle said that you go in front of a magistrate if the Guard brings charges against you. Could I take Aerith to a magistrate? I don't really want to hurt him."

"Dis ain't time fah detailed analysis of da legal code," Murray said. "Can we focus on gettin' ya healed, Boss? I wanna get paid a'ready." He looked over at the watch commander. "Our contract says I get an ongoin' fee, but it only stahts once he's healed up."

Both Guards relaxed.

"Do you want to swear out an affidavit right away, or do you want to talk to him first?" the watch commander asked.

"Talk to him," I said firmly. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble."

"Boss, I keep tellin' ya: You is too nice. Ya can't let people push ya around so much."

"Hush, Murray. I'm sure it's a simple mistake and we can get it all sorted out with no trouble."

All three of the others rolled their eyes.

"Should I take them back, Commander?" Goroblatz asked.

"Nah. Hold down the desk, kid. I need to see this."

"Yes, sir."

"This way, you lot." The watch commander waved us along and set off down the right-hand hallway. I followed, Murray flapping above my head.

The corridor was wide enough for me and Commander Selb to walk abreast. The building was surprisingly deep, taking up probably the entire block, so we were walking longer than I expected before I finally asked, "Where are we going?"

"The Assembly Hall. It's being used for a field hospital. It's attached to the south entrance, so it's a step and a bit." He paused and studied me for a moment without breaking stride. "Where you from, dog? We get all kinds around here but you're the first one like you I've ever seen."

"I was patched in," I said, keeping it simple. Estelle had made it clear that I was not supposed to say anything about Epic skills or stuff like that. "I'm trying to find a way home...I've got a deal with Simon but I need to find my friends first and I don't feel good about looking for them while the city is under attack and I could help."

"Simon, the demon with the round mouth?"

"Oh, you know him?"

"Yeah. He's weaselly even for his kind. Be sure you've got the contract nailed down before you trust him."

"...I'll do that, thank you."

"Here we go," he said, pulling open a pair of large double doors and walking through as though he owned the place. I paused in the doorway, taking in the sight.

The Bastion's Assembly Hall was currently set up as a field hospital intended to handle hundreds of patients in case of a city emergency. There were four doors, one on each wall. The one we had come through opened onto a balcony perhaps thirty feet above the room with a four-person staircase leading down. From where I stood I could look out across hundreds of cots, some with curtains around them, set up in neat rows amidst an anthill of organized motion. Stretcher teams carried people in and out at the quickstep, doctors and nurses rushed from patient to patient, and people in Guard uniforms were dotted around managing the traffic. Cries of pain and quiet sobbing filled my ears, the occasional shouted command rising above the background noise.

Murray let out a low whistle. "Yowza. Add a little more fyah, some pitchforks, and dis place would be right homey."

I gave him a doubtful glance and then hurried to catch up to the watch commander, who had not stopped when I had. He was asking directions from a traffic minder as we walked up.

"He's this way," the commander said, leading me off into the warren of curtained-off cots. I could smell blood from behind each of the curtains and people were screaming, whimpering, or gasping in pain all around us. The beds from which no sound came were the most alarming, but I forced myself to walk past all of it with only a few nervous looks.

"Aerith," said Commander Selb, flicking back the curtain encircling bed number 114. "Got something for you."

"Do you mind?!" Aerith snapped. He was wearing a long white apron over durian-yellow and electric-orange robes. He had his left hand on a man's forehead and his right holding the man's stomach closed. Two large male nurses were holding the man's arms and legs down while Aerith did whatever he was doing. The patient was screaming and blood was pumping from his belly despite the pressure Aerith was placing on the wound.

"," Aerith said. ". ."

The screaming patient ran out of air and was reduced to gasping, but the blood had stopped flowing from his belly.

Aerith stood up and wiped his bloody hands on his apron. "Clean this guy up and get him to recovery," he said to the nurses. "He'll be fine in a few hours." He stepped to us and pulled the curtain back around the patient. "What do you lot want?"

"This dog says that you had a contract with him," the watch commander said. "Is that true?"

Aerith paused.

"Ya either answer da question honestly or we announce dat ya cheated us. Announce it loud-like, in front of all dese people," Murray said, gesturing around the room at the hundreds of patients and staff bustling around.

The mage took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, I did some healing for him. Why?"

"He's asserting that you deliberately left the healing incomplete so that you could farm him for Attunement. What is your response?"

He gritted his teeth and glared at me. "I deny that is the case. The healing required was more than my skill level allowed in one day. I was called away before I could complete it but before leaving I verified that it would not cause him permanent harm." He paused. "Also, I can't heal him right now. The required Skill is extremely mana intensive and I'm running low already."

"Da deal was dat ya'd heal him and he'd replace whatevah mana or Spirit ya spent. Gettin' ya mana topped up would be real useful right now, eh? Ya'd get the Attunement fah him and den be able to heal alla dese people too. Seems like ya civic duty."

The watch commander watched in amusement as Aerith took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Of course," Aerith said, his smile forced. He put his hand on my head and said "

Skill 'Enhanced Rapid Recovery' has amplified and sped up your life processes! You recover the equivalent of 981 HP! Benefit is applied towards eliminating the 'Worm Infested' status effect. 9 worms have been destroyed. You are now at a -16 malus to Recovery. Status effect remains.

"Thank you very much," Murray said for me after I checked my character sheet. "I'm afraid that wasn't quite enough. Could you please do it again?"

"."

Skill 'Enhanced Rapid Recovery' has amplified and sped up your life processes! You recover the equivalent of 1084 HP! Benefit is applied towards eliminating the 'Worm Infested' status effect. 10 worms have been destroyed. You are now at a -6 malus to Recovery. Status effect remains.

"," Aerith said again when I shook my head.

Skill 'Enhanced Rapid Recovery' has amplified and sped up your life processes! You recover the equivalent of 1197 HP! Benefit is applied towards eliminating the 'Worm Infested' status effect. 6 worms have been destroyed. 'Worm Infested' status effect removed. Remaining 597 points applied to recovering missing Essence. 5 points recovered. Essence at max. Remaining 97 points applied to hit points. 97 hit points recovered.

"Thank you! Ooh, that feels so much better."

The watch commander was staring at me in amazement. "How badly were you hurt, anyway? I've seen him use that Skill before and it usually does the job in one dose."

I looked away, fidgeting one paw uncomfortably. "Um...it was fairly bad?"

He shook his head. "Whatever. You said you wanted to help with the fighting?"

"Hey," Aerith snapped. "I'm down four Spirit and a refill."

"Oh, right! Sorry. Here you go." I booped him with my nose and transferred five Spirit into him.

"Did...did you just shrink?"

"He does dat," Murray said. "Side effect of da Skill. Oi! Healer boy. Zap him again so he can size back up."

Aerith glowered. "That wasn't part of the deal. I was only supposed to fix the worms."

"Athos," the guard commander asked, "knowing that the city is currently in a state of emergency, do you consent to being deputized into the Guard for the duration of the current emergency, subject to orders from active-duty Guardsmen, and with the full understanding that you will be deployed to potentially life-threatening situations and expected to fight and/or render assistance as ordered by the scene commander?"

"Yup!"

"Do you understand and accept that failure to follow through on this contract will constitute treason against the city and is punishable by death?"

"No problem. I just want to help." Murray rolled his eyes as he translated.

"Given that you are speaking by way of translator, I need to be certain that you are truly consenting. Please tap your right front foot twice to acknowledge that you understand my words and that your imp has faithfully translated your intent."

I tapped twice and stuck my tongue out at him. Tongue-sticking-out was a thing that Cassie always did when people were being silly and wasting time; it seemed appropriate for the situation.

"Very well. In accord with your expressed consent, I deputize you; we'll get you a badge in a minute. Aerith, heal him up. The Guard will recompense your Spirit."

Aerith looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, but he applied another round of his curative ability.

Skill 'Enhanced Rapid Recovery' has amplified and sped up your life processes! You recover the equivalent of 1236 HP! 500 points applied to restore lost Essence. Essence at max. 410 hit points recovered. Hit points at max. 210 mana restored. Mana at max. 116 temporary hit points gained. Temporary hit points will leak away over time.

I felt myself swell back to normal size and even a bit larger. "Ooh," I said, shaking to settle my super floofy fur. "That feels so much better. Thank you, Aerith."

"Whatever," the mage said. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah," the watch commander said. "Thanks. I'll send someone over in a minute with an injector."

"Good. I'll be here, dealing with the next batch of idiots too dumb to run when a lick of demons went stomping through." He turned away and ducked through the curtain of bed 113.

"Okay," Commander Selb said, looking at me with a smile that made me a little nervous, "let's get you a deputy badge, a leader, and out on the streets."