(Vol 2) Chapter 41: Making the Grade

Jacka related that he was a pooka and there were three others that lived nearby in the forest, surviving off of the tree’s mana energy as well as general foraging and some limited farming. The latter was mostly conducted by a dryad, sometimes with the aid of two pixies.

A couple of satyrs were regulars in the fall and winter, and others were more occasional. Sometimes a leprechaun would come to trade, but wasn’t one to linger long and did not want anyone to know where he lived. A traveling elf would visit the dryad every few years.

The pooka otherwise had some clandestine relations with certain farms and other individuals to ‘sate their hunger’ for human specialties. The farmers believed some offerings left out during harvests blessed their fields. Jacka said that was reasonably true — rather than supernatural, they’d help take care of pests and didn’t steal. Much.

Sammy listened to the summary with interest and gave an offering in a couple of muffins she’d brought and forgotten about. Jacka devoured them greedily and with his eyes rolling into the back of his head, drooling down on the ground. He even did a little happy hop.

“I’m surprised you didn’t eat those apples that were left,” Sammy mused. “Who did so, by the way?”

Jacka froze at the question mid-nibble (upon crumbs out of his beard-like chin fur). His eyes shifted from side to side. “Who? No one.”

“Come on, now, Jacka! It was clearly someone. An offering to the tree?”

The pooka’s ears drooped as he sagged. “Please don’t make me give these details… he is very dangerous. Indeed, no one disturbs the apples because he leaves them for the tree. He left a heap of other goodies for us pookas, though. That is the extent of interaction… thankfully…”

“Dangerous? How so? Does he come often?”

Jacka’s mouth opened a few times. He appeared rather miserable and frightful to continue answering. “Occasional… please, Your Majesty, I beg you, no more…”

“Sorry. It’s alright… you don’t have to continue.”

Taking a deep breath, the pooka nodded and soon brightened once more, ears coming back up. He continued picking off crumbs to consume and even bent down to sniff the ground, in case there were more muffin bits dropped or trying to hide from him.

Interesting that he feels a compulsion toward obedience to me, even as a free entity. It has been the case with mortals, but not to this degree. I wonder how widespread that is…

“You’ll tell the others about me, then, Jacka?” Samantha asked. “And they’ll be fine about this agreement? I’d really like to meet the dryad and the pixies…”

“Of course I will — of course they’ll be! Peace is supreme! Who would want fighting out here? We shun and chase off any sort so inclined — another service to the community, I might add! As for the pooka, well, they may take time to warm up. Time or food.” His eyes shifted away and he began drooling a bit, clearly thinking about food. “Yes… that would do it. Bring food, definitely! Anything but meat will do. Perhaps more of those muffins…”

Smirking, Sammy nodded. “I will bring food. What about the dryad?”

“Hmm? Oh — bah! She will be beside herself, and the pixies clutching each other with doom and gloom and synchronized histrionics… then they’ll calm down and realize they don’t have to run and leave and they’ll gradually begin getting excited about a new guest. You do know pixies love cuteness, beauty, royalty, girly stuff, yes? Yes. And then Shai will be running around for days cleaning her domicile…” He trailed off, frowning and shaking his head.

“I can distract the pixies indefinitely, Sam Sam,” Dart said, then in a puff of smoke, became a ridiculously adorable blue and white cabbit, which proceeded to hop up onto Sammy and climb to the top of her head. In a more cutesy version of his voice, he exclaimed, “Behold, the crown of the Fuck Wizard!”

Jacka watched curiously and stroked his beard, eventually nodding appreciatively. “A noble sacrifice it would be, friend.”

Sammy sighed grandly, an eye squinting as hair was pushed into it by a foot. “At least you’d be cute while being your annoying self. Anyway… I look forward to the visit. I guess I’ll allow a little time. Oh — what about the leprechaun?”

The pooka snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t count on even seeing that sourpuss. There’s no chance that a loner like him wants anything to do with a dangerous stranger! I might suspect he’d up and move out of paranoia, but my suspicions are that he is very entrenched here.”

“I see. Oh well. Perhaps one day, then. Uh. One other question… do all spirits… notice each other’s nature upon eye contact?”

“Not exactly… but the eyes are the window to the soul. I’m skilled at discernment and seeing through seemings and glamours. I find and keep what’s hidden. But when the eyes of spirits meet, it can happen. Or maybe it doesn’t. Or there is just a vague feeling for most, probably. Who can know until it happens? The System, I suppose!”

“A comparison test, then. You’re just particularly skilled. For most, there are less details. Hopefully, that is.”

“Sounds like sound human logicality! Not that I’m any expert to grade it.”

“Well, Jacka, I’m going to head off. I’ll return at some point. A day or two, I suppose. How do I communicate?”

“From the tree, a crow’s call, thrice, and I will come. If I’m around, that is. Shai and them are more up during the day. I nap and lounge then, and come and go more in the nighttime.”

“Very well, then. It was an honor.”

“Likewise, Your Majesty!” He transformed into a raven and flew off toward the forest immediately.

“A nice find, this tree,” cabbit-Dart said.

“Quite so. System! Give me progress on those grades for the quest.”

Acknowledged, User Sammy.

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Spirit Faction Relationship Grades

Redberry — 8

Zadkiel — 5

Great Oak Community — 2

Lake Yura Naiads — 1

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Ah, Redberry putting in the good word already got me a grade, cool beans. Need to find three more… hmm. This is kind of dangerous to pursue. The fucking System tempting me toward greater exposure! Other fae would be the best bet due to the mutual desire for secrecy. It’s not like a bunch of the slaughtered and oppressed are going to go to the Dominion about me.

Sammy grabbed a few more pieces of the fallen wood, while instructing Dart to turn into something that could be mounted yet move decently through the forest. She mostly just didn’t want to spend an invisibility use for flight, but charting a bit of a path by land seemed smart, too.

She noted a few mirrors some distance away — probably the dryad home — and made note of it for further ease of tracking.

Dart opted for a big dire wolf form, complete with a saddle. She hopped on and they trounced off through the thick forest, aiming for Brackenhome.

Along the way, Sammy checked in on her realm and the progress of her Servitors. On the war front, things still remained too fresh on the Dominion’s response, showing how utterly asleep they were to the dangers rampaging across the frontier. Jeeves noted they may in fact be aware, but their own intelligence vectors weren’t deep enough to see the initial signs. If they were, though, the next day would likely indicate the beginning of a response.

There was in fact a reaction to the Pine Coast incident, as signs of battle involving wizards were noted in the capital city of Gelepaust. It was mostly on fire, though the central castle was still held by rebels (if damaged) and would require a siege and men. Bits of evidence (such as the gruesome sight of mass graves for slain nobility) showed that it was going to be a lot more complicated than one city anyway, as the region was very rural and fortress-heavy.

Already working to drain resources, then. They had to have pulled teleportation shenanigans to get terrorist wizards in the mix so quickly. Or are they counter-terrorist wizards? Whatever they are, it’s all scary. And teleporting is known to be costly, which is why there isn’t an army there, yet.

Meanwhile, Zadkiel was consolidating more territory between Heimus and Kenstrom after crushing another army in the field and taking numerous towns as well as two castles by apparent bloodless surrender. There was little doubt news was going to spread at that point by runner or perhaps by some mystical means, however that he controlled any messages by air.

Duke Kenstrom somehow figured out his city was occupied, as it was seen he was on the march back to liberate it, perhaps not fully aware of how close Zadkiel was advancing from the south. In addition, some massive force was coming from the north, apparently all mercenary companies, and flying no particular flag. It was noted passing through a town along the way to the capital.

“What the hell is that, Jeeves?” Sammy asked through the mirror, puzzled.

The butler shrugged. “Suspiciousness, certainly, Madam. What talk I’ve heard is that it is from northern territories and likely Burnstire, in general support against the ‘raiders.’ They haven’t been stopped, in any case. Naturally, these townsfolk have no clue what is going on. But you might recall the alliance between Kenstrom and Burnstire.”

Samantha laughed. “So their backhanded support to their ‘allies’ is sending a crapton of mercs by land? I think nobles tend to hold their noses up about such regiments. And the two dukes didn’t really seem the biggest fans of each other.”

“That all seems likely to be the case, Madam. They’d probably be treated as the cannon fodder if you’ll excuse the expression.”

“Exactly, Jeeves. I guess I have something to report to Zaddy, then. I’m nervous about doing it while distracted in an Avatar form, though, so it’ll have to wait.”

“Quite sensible, Madam. Cheerio, then — and safe travels.”

He said ‘cheerio!’ My butler is so awesome!

Constance reported her information-gathering was going well, as she’d grilled Azure, Aedis, Tashome, Canmore, Bamm, and a couple of other crew members on various matters related to Geirkos. This helped her to understand the subtler elements of the culture, the Who’s Who, and so on. She indicated she’d like to pose as a common traveler and hit up the inns, to get a feel for things in person. Sammy promised she would get the chance quite soon.

Next to report was Dick — Sammy was shocked to hear he’d arranged to be summoned by Orswyth directly to Geirkos so he could ‘do his job.’ Through a combination of mirrors and effectively flying around as an intangible, invisible ghost, he’d recently tracked the distinctive masked man down right before he got into a carriage, changed into another carriage in a cloak, and then proceeded to a massive, gated mansion residence within the city.

“Unfortunately, the damned walls of the joint are warded,” Dick related from a black-and-white film noir pastiche scene in the mirror, that of a city street with him under a roof, smoking with the rain falling nearby. It was certainly not Geirkos. “Can’t fly over, can’t go under those wards, either. No gettin’ in, dollface, not without an army of knuckle-draggin' sorts. Place is locked up tighter than a camel’s ass in a sandstorm.”

“That’s incredible, though!” Exclaimed excitedly. “We don’t need to get in! Great work, Dick. Are you sure you’re okay? And not in danger? Rather bold of you to do what you did. I guess I should’ve expected it of someone so driven, but still.”

Dick puffed on his cigarette and shrugged in cool nonchalance. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, angel. Don’t you worry about Dick — he’s been doing this so long he talks about himself in third person.”

“I literally created you like less than a d- you know what? Nevermind. I want you to keep staking the place out, but it’s going to be difficult tracking everyone leaving out, I bet. So I’ll have Belvedere help out in support. Utilize him as best you see fit.”

Dick frowned and took a final drag on the cigarette before flicking it off into a puddle. After breathing out the smoke he said, “I work alone, Madam.”

“Well, not for this. You’ll just have to get used to the group effort. It’s better to have others watching your back, hmm?”

Dick stared off into the middle distance as a slow zoom began, and a voiceover resounded, “I knew I was going to get sent a disaster waiting to happen, but I always took my licks like a good ole boy does. I figured, maybe if I just kept him out of the way, he could watch. Watch and learn… get a little taste of the city’s side he only knew about from the dressed-up stories and the la dee da’s.

“And — maybe — he’d learn enough to get the hell out while he still could.”

Sammy just listened patiently to the tirade with her head cocked and her eyes cast off, smirking.

Dick is so melodramatic, yeesh!

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Random Comment: Dick is abusing the voiceover system for passive-aggressive hot takes. :P