Chapter 25: Dinner

Mustache grimaced in response to Feathers comment. “Look, I get it. But there isn’t anything else available that is going to get us to Big Bay. Well, not with pay and not for a week or more.”

The pair of scruffies were not particularly involved as they were each taking turns between holding buns filled with grilled meat to their mouths, munching on fried potatoes or quaffing from tankards slightly smaller than their heads.

“It isn’t a needed risk, Roy! We have enough to rest here for weeks, and the baths are amazing! Buy a private for 2 dollars a day and bring a willing friend for some fun. The jacuzzi settings are invigorating. Another merchant will be along soon, and we can get an escort gig back. Or maybe see if another task comes up. The Circle and Stick here has 4 floors! Just… I don’t want to escort a Syssy unless it’s the only way, okay?” Feathers seemed distressed, and thinking about the tone of her voice, and the slight flush on her freckles and suntanned skin, it didn’t seem anything but genuine.

Mustache, apparently actually named Roy, relaxed as he took a sip from his own cup that was much smaller than the tankards the scruffies were using. “Okay. Jazmine, are you officially requesting a delay and willing to compensate the three of us for doing so?” Feathers, or Jazmine, held up 3 fingers. “Up to a 3 day break, but if a good job comes up we will be ready to bail before then. No long term plans here, right? No broken hearts, God’s Bath is a place I plan to be back to.”

Even though I couldn’t see her at the moment, Ann’s voice tickled me. “Milk, Juice or Tea?” I said I wanted juice and hoped my voice would carry back to her. I wasn’t sure if there was a reason she didn’t offer water or alcohol, but the latter was something I certainly didn’t want.

The scruffies had just nodded in agreement, and Jazmine seemed to relax, taking a nibble of her own grilled meat sandwich. Though I wasn’t sure it would go well, I felt compelled to ask, “Excuse me, I am sorry to interrupt your meal. My name is Monday March and I was curious if there Is a particular reason that you would rather not work with or travel with a System User?”

Jazmine locked eyes with her plate and seemed to be very focused on her meal. Mustache, I mean Roy, glanced over with eyes flickering between me and the feather haired woman before he responded. “Hi Monday March, I’m Roy. So, there are plenty of stories that just being a System User can generate trouble, and that trouble can spill over to those around the Syssy. It may just be a story, but some stories are based in fact, I suppose.”

“Hmm, I’ve only met a few, and I’m not sure I know exactly what you mean, but thank you for the answer Roy. I hope you have a good evening.” Rather than push for an answer, it seemed smarter to simply step back and ask Bluebird about it tomorrow.

As I glanced towards the swinging doors to the kitchen, I noticed Roy glance at Jazmine and Jazmine’s face scrunch up tight. She set her food down and looked over at me. “Look, Monday March is it? Isn’t anything wrong with Syssies. They’re just people. But the System? The System feeds on experience, and experience comes from growth and conflict. All 4 of my grandparents were System Users, and not one lived past 25. My Dad was a Syssy, and he didn’t make it to 30 either. Mom said strange things happened to and around the lot of them. Said to take care when a Syssy was about, especially when in less safe spots.” Taking a drink from a mid sized wooden cup she sighed.

“I’m Jazmine Vangee, Monday March. I’ve no issue with the System, but I want to see my Ma again and get back to Big Bay. Best if I do what’s worked for me and avoid trouble I don’t need. Probably just a superstition, but it’s worked for me so far.”

I thought about their words for a few seconds, and just nodded. “Thank you Jazmine Vangee, thank you again Roy. I hope you find your way back safe. Also, I heard the Blueberry pie is fresh today.” I spoke with a slightly tighter smile than the one I’d tried to give to Ann before. It seemed as if I’d have more questions for Bluebird depending on what the rest of the notebook contained.

Ann returned with a plate of food for me and two wooden cups. A cup of juice, a cup of water and a plate of stew with a flakey pastry crust on top. Thinking back to my efforts earlier in the pantry and kitchen, I‘d seen Bernie draping a large sheet of dough over the top of a massive pan of fillings. Probably some kind of giant meat pie that I was now about to enjoy.

The tender meat and flakey pastry crust were melting in my mouth as I heard Roy attempting to bargain with Ann about an extra night and possibly more.

I couldn’t hear Ann’s voice, which likely meant her words weren’t for me. ‘Nice trick that,’ I thought.

The four departed the table as I enjoyed the flavors in front of me, licking the last of it off my thumb as I had run that grey digit over a remaining dollop of gravy. As I placed my fork down Billie appeared, took my plate, and deposited a slice of Blueberry pie drizzled in cream in front of me.

“Ann said you earned dessert, Em. I warmed it up for you.” With a wink, The dark haired girl spun about carrying my now empty plate and returned through the swinging kitchen doors.

The ceramic plate was warm, the pie was warm and tart and the cream was sweet and cool. It was lovely, but not quite tasty enough to distract me from the thoughts of Billie being up to something. Not that I knew her well, but she was showing me attention differently than anyone else so far. A wink and teasing about my name, okay the Granny at the bath teased me, but Billie seemed happy to interact, not attacking me somehow. Seeing my annoyingly grey fingers I remembered that I also didn’t have any rings on my hands, or arms, or anything.

‘Well, if she is flirting, I guess I can ask about exceptions to the ring system?’ I thought to myself. Running my fork across the bottom of the ceramic plate I scraped up a last bit of cream and pastry fragments, savoring the residue before setting the utensil down and straightening.

I briefly pondered going to my room to read and then realized that the fireplace had flames dancing within, and while there were a few folks present, the couch had an empty spot.

Once again I placed my pack in my lap as I sat on the couch, bare feet extended towards the warm flames in the hearth and wiggled my toes to stretch them. I noted that they were not very clean, but I also didn’t have shoes or slippers yet. With a quick glance I noticed that no one else seemed bothered by me, nor paying any attention. Three people in conversation about the weather, two talking about structured vs freeform rituals, and two simply sipping on drinks as they looked at the fire.

Pulling out the notebook, I returned to a study of the information which Bluebird had provided. ‘Ah, right, the tragedy and threat of the feral goblins,’ I thought.

Apparently those unfortunates were not something that were resolved, even now. Feral goblins were a threat which could spring forth even in secure places, devastating small settlements or neighborhoods in larger strongholds.

With the continuing potential internal threats such as the feral goblins, as well as the constant pressure from outside the settlements, stronger defenses were continuously under development. Even now, heightened caution is the byword of security to prevent infiltration. Unanswered threats invite destruction in God’s Bath and other places in Cecal.

Discomfort washed through me as I read those words. In themselves they made perfect sense, heightened caution isn’t harmful. Something in the words triggered a discomfort that weighed down on me, but I couldn’t decide if it was that strange system impulse, something in my core personality, or another cue I was picking up on which made me uncomfortable.

Reading further gave me a bit of insight. While I was already aware that bloodlines existed, and once established as such they could breed true, but there are additional ways to acquire them. Not very surprising, or new ones would be incredibly unlikely aside from the system. Any person that acquired ‘too many’ attunements and bloodlines might transform and become system defined as a goblin.

Unfortunately this becomes a pejorative for those that this has happened to through no fault of their own. Sadly this prejudice, while unfounded for many tagged with a goblin identification, has stuck. In part this is because with an accumulation of too many attunements or bloodlines a willingness to consume additional powerful modifications has shown up in some individuals over the years. The most distressing aspect is that some lose control of themselves and go feral.

‘Yeah, Feral Goblins are people.’ I thought. ‘That's just horrible.’