146. Choices: Ruku.

It turns out Gwaed doesn't have a lot of her Liquid Fire left. She apparently burned down the stone Inquisitor Building. I swung by for a look, and it was a gutted mess. The adjacent Patroller building also burnt down. I don't know if that was deliberate or not.

She has a small barrel along with several bottles of her Exploding Cocktail. She suggested Esgyn could fire bomb the fort on the cliff to provide a distraction, but it wouldn't do much damage as he couldn't carry much. She also said her disease would be spreading in the base, so the more time we left it, the more gaps in the patrols there would be.

That raises the question of what happens if the enchanters get the disease. “It is not going to be worth saving the enchanters if they just die of the disease,” I said to her. “It will also be difficult if we have to run if they are suffering from it.”

“I suppose,” she said. “The thing with the Slave class, though, is that they get a boost to the Physical and Spiritual Attributes. Only the Mental Attributes are reduced in compensation. The Physical boost will help the slaves resist the disease.”

“But not completely, and there are two who are not slaves,” I responded.

“You really want to save them?”

“If I can,” I said.

“You don’t really have much chance of success,” Gwaed replied.

“I know. I was told at the start this was a suicide mission. Even if we all die trying, it will hinder the empire, and there is a chance.” I was becoming quite fatalistic about this mission. Gwaed’s attitude has left me adrift and without backup that I can rely on.

“I am not going down with your ship,” Gwaed stated.

That just proved my point. She wasn’t with me and thought this was not survivable either. “Some vaccines and a distraction at the fort will be enough.”

“Very well, I have four vaccines left, but the slaves probably only need a partial dose.” She handed me the vials. “You will need to get the vaccine into them as soon as possible. When do you want the distraction?”

“If I go in tonight with the vaccines, then we will do it tomorrow night if I survive. I will let you know after tonight. I am going to need to make contact with the Captian and organise the boat.” With that, I left the apartment. I am going to need more distractions than just the fort. There was a tavern by the dock where I could leave word for the Captian, but the waitress contact was not there when I visited. I would come back.

I would need some equipment. Waterproof bags, more weapons, food and supplies. As I wandered the Dock and Fisherman District shops, I saw first-hand the effect of Gwaed’s disease. A lot of shops weren’t open because of “The Sickness.” Others were stopping you at the door, and you would tell them what you wanted and leave the coin, stepping back. They would replace the coin with the goods, and then you could step forward to pick it up. Some shops were operating normally. There were a lot of fishing boats docked instead of out fishing. That was the Sickness at work as well. In most places, there were signs up that they were short-staffed because of “The Sickness.” If this were also happening at the navy base, then maybe there would be enough confusion to let me in.

I packed everything into waterproof bags, including the books. I did give the slavery one a skim, and it seemed to be what Gwaed had said. To be a Slave Taskmaster, you had to be Journeyman level in your base class before you could specialise, like every other specialisation. The basic classes were Overseer, Administrator, Manager, Custodian and a few others of similar types. To specialise, you had to have owned and managed multiple slaves, and then, unusually, there was a ritual to perform. The ritual seemed to be because the Slave Taskmaster specialisation applied an advanced class to the potential slaves. To level Slave Taskmaster, you obviously had to use it, and it was only at Journeyman Level, if your Attributes were high enough, that you could get the Skill to perform the ritual to remove the Slave Class.

The Taskmaster had the ability to make slaves from the start and to break a slave bond with their owner, but this didn’t remove the Class. This breaking of the bond could be forced if the Taskmaster’s attributes were high enough. This was all new to me. I had never known anyone with an advanced class. Obviously, none of this was possible in the Kingdom, where slavery was illegal. I would scan the other two books in advanced classes later. I was a bit concerned that Gwaed had the book on Alchemy Advanced Classes.

I was taking everything with me because there was a high chance of something going wrong. If I had to run, I wanted to be able to take the supplies and equipment I would need. The books were a luxury, but I wanted to keep them if I could. I swam back out to sea and then into the end wharf with the Seabreeze tied to it. I had to swim to the sea floor once and hide in the rocks there while waiting for a patrol boat to pass. It is unlikely they had a person with Sonar, but they will have some sort of detection equipment. I secured all but one of the waterproof bags to the bottom of a wharf pile. They would be fine for a few days and in easy reach. I then swam to the cliffs under the fort.

The tide was mostly out, so there were more rocks at the base of the cliff than before. There was a fence where the base started, and that was where the patrols went to. I was on the outside of the fence, submerged in water and thinking. I needed a skill to hide me while I changed into a uniform. Camouflage is Journeyman level, but the movement will break the skill. Stealth will help, but I could do with better movement as my Stealth was only just Journeyman as well.

I tried activating both and my water affinity. I have a Refreshing Mist Skill, mists hide things, or they can. I tried using that. I got the impression I needed to boost my Spiritual Strenght and Agility, and I had enough points to get them to 45 each. After that, it didn’t take that long before Concealing Mists clicked into place. The area I could affect was a function of my Spiritual Strength, and the effectiveness was a function of my Spiritual Agility. At level 1, with my Spiritual Strenght, I could cover just over four meters squared, which is a square 2m x 2m. At the Apprentice level, I could cover an area 4.6m on each side and Journeyman Level of 6.5m. I could alter the shape and the colours to blend in from the Apprentice Level. The higher the Spiritual Perception, the more likely it would be seen through. Combining it with Stealth and Camouflage for personal use shows a lot of synergies. I was never going to hide a whole ship, but if we were being chased, I might be able to hide the rear from being seen.

I swam around the fence carefully, looking for traps. Underwater traps are a bitch. I engaged Stealth and Concealing Mists and crept up against the cliff. I opened the one bag I had bought and changed into the Tracker’s Squad Leaders Uniform. I pocketed the vaccines and crept closer to the blacksmith forge along the cliff. It was night and just after dinner time. Now was not the time for Stealth. Now was the time for boldness. I stopped all stealth Skills, straightened my shoulders and marched with a purposeful stride to the front door of the building.

I saluted the soldier at the door. He saluted back, “Sir! Patrol Leader Williams is in there setting out the next work schedule. He said not to be disturbed, Sir.”

“He’s the one I must speak with,” I said while opening the door. The soldier didn't stop me, although my Sonar picked up his head, looking at the strange direction I came from. I could hear an irate voice coming from the dining area. I marched down the hall and entered the room without hesitation. This was the moment of truth. Abigail would recognise me, or she should. If she were working with the Imperials, she would out me to the Patrol Leader. If she did, the plan was to fight and run, setting as much on fire on the way as I could. Plan A, in other words.

As I swept into the room, my Sonar located everybody. The Patrol Leader was standing at the head of the room, and there was a soldier standing by the door I entered. I marched up to the front, and two heads turned to look at me, the two non-slaves. Abigail and the blacksmith. I was two strides in when Abigail recognised me, and her jaw opened in shock. I was four strides in, and the Patrol Leader was turning to me in irritation at the interruption. Abigail had not outed me, so either she was still in shock or was not here voluntarily. She could be dumb enough to think I now worked for the imperials. Maybe. There would be no doubt soon.

“Why the fuck are you interrupting me, and who the hell are you?” The Patrol Leader seemed to not worry about being polite to the people under him when he was annoyed.

“New Transfer because of the Sickness,” I said, giving me time to reach the front of the room. “Message from the Base Commander, Sir!”

I obviously said something wrong, as his expression started changing, but I was now within reach. I spun behind the Patrol Leader and threw my Poisoned Knife at the unsuspecting soldier by the door. My aim was a little low, and instead of his throat, it hit his upper chest just above his armour. I really didn’t want any noise to alert the other guards, and my hands were now busy with the Patrol Leader. The soldier collapsed with his hands grabbing at the knife, but he wasn’t done.

I had grabbed the Patrol Leader from behind with one hand, and my other hand covered his mouth and nose. He was starting to struggle, so from my hand over his face, I pumped his lungs full of Poisoned Water. He can’t speak if he has no air. I let him collapse to the ground pulling another knife for the soldier at the door, as he is the biggest threat of raising the alarm. I got a feeling from Wai that he would handle that, and I got a glimpse of his tail disappearing down the soldier's throat with a poisoned Whirlpool Shield active.

A wooden spike from the wooden floor then pierced through my foot. Was Abigail working for the Imperials after all? I changed the target for my knife. Just then, the Patrol Leader at my feet shuddered, and my Sonar picked up a wooden spike piercing through his temple. I saw Abigail’s focus was on the Patrol Leader.

“Nobody move!” I said in my most commanding voice. I pulled my foot off the Spike, and blood started spreading. It had gone through some bones. My knife was still poised to throw at Abigail.

“He had a Wood Affinity,” she said nervously. That actually made sense. How else would they manage her wood affinity but with another affinity user? Checking she didn’t sabotage something.

“You two,” I said, pointing to Abigail and the Dwarf, “move over there.” I indicated an empty area at the front. They moved. They could both see my knife poised to throw. What they couldn’t see was that my high-pressure Water Surge was also ready, which would strip paint off walls and eat into rock with enough time. The slaves just sat there. That was good. They didn’t have any suicidal commands given to them.

“What’s going …” Abigail started to say.

“Quiet!” I commanded again. I had Enhanced my Physical Perception, and that and my Ocean Sense were trying to determine if there was any disturbance going on outside. I wish I had a Hearing Skill. All seemed quiet.

I figured I had no real option but to trust Abigail. “Is there a First aid Kit here?” I asked.

She nodded and went behind the serving counter and pulled it out. While she did that, I looked at the dwarven blacksmith, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“Master Blacksmith Thorsson, also a Journeyman Engineer. Specialisations in Armour and Spiritual Blacksmithing,” Thorsson replied.

“Do you want to stay here, Thorsson?” I asked.

“Hell no.”

“Even though we don’t have much chance of surviving?” Abigail had returned with the First Aid kit, and she glanced at me quite worried at that statement.

“I was supposed to be here on a one-year contract. That was five years ago, and I am basically a slave,” he replied.

“Why aren’t you a slave?” I asked.

“Because slaves lose their Mental Attributes and there is no problem solving, creativity or inspiration. Just drones. They need my problem-solving, and it is the same with the lass,” he replied.

The First Aid kit didn’t have any healing potions, but it did have a herbal healing paste and some bandages. Abigail got to work on my foot without being asked.

“That Schooner out there able to sail?” I asked.

“Better than that. The fancy Locomotion Engine out there can be working in a couple of hours. Problem-solving also means the ability for problem-creating,” he winked at me.

“What about them?” I said, pointing to the slaves.

“My parents need to be free,” Abigail said.

“They all do, but we don’t have the Class or Skills to do that,” I said.

“Those two,” Thorsson said, pointing at two of the dwarves, “and that lass,” he pointed to a human female, “are enchanters. It would be more efficient if I took over their bonds to get the engine working and to keep it powered.”

“Keep it powered?”

“It needs Spiritual Energy,” Thorsson replied.

I looked at Abigail, “And the other five?”

“My parents,” she pointed to two older people, “and other crew that used to sail with them.”

The question was, did I trust Thorsson, and not just with the slaves, but with our exit attempt? I probably didn’t have a lot of choices. The ship will probably end up being sunk anyway.

“Ok, You that the enchanters, I will take the sailors,” I said.

“I need to bond my Mum and Dad,” Abigail said.

“Absolutely not,” I replied. “Not only will it ruin any ongoing relationship, as slaves remember everything, but I need to be making decisions without going through a second person.” She started to argue, but I pushed on, “Some of those decisions will be dangerous and may end up in death, which you will try to argue about. We will have no chance if I can’t just act.”

She wasn’t happy, and she never would be. I pushed on and did it anyway.