Chapter 5-155: To the Firezone! (1/2)
Standard gunpowder Weapons were used VERY carefully in this area, as the ammunition attracted hungry attention. Ammunition going off could literally ‘explode’ an Elemental into a size increase, while probably killing the hapless shooter carrying the stuff.
This meant the Firezone had a lot of Powered around, since normal soldiers with guns couldn’t do the job, roving the fringes and looking for Fireborn.
Fireborn intelligent troops were known to carry Firemetals and magical Gear, as well as other precious metals, gems, and jewelry, making them one of the few places in the world where you could fight monsters with loot drops realistically.
Surviving a fight with them and their reinforcements was something different altogether.
As for the undead, they were rarely encountered here.
The corpses of humans and animals killed by the Fireborn were generally fed into lava pools, after which Burning undead of various types would emerge, depending on the power of the dead before they rose. The undead unerringly headed off towards the Shroudzone, ignored by the elementals and other Fireborn, there to join whoever was in command there.
The frustrating thing about it all was naturally that they couldn’t seem to kill off the Fireborn. I’d perused everything Gregorigori could lay his hands on regarding the place, which was considerable, and it was basically agreed that the Fireborn could be killed, but they kept getting recycled, as if this place was their home plane and they were just reforming a body after a year and a day.
We, however, were bringing vivus. When we killed them, they wouldn’t be going back down to that node of fire and making themselves a fresh body. They’d be Fed to the Land, and their infinitesimal fractions of that Fire Node would be dispersed, not looped back in.
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“Lady Traveler, I don’t want to be rude...”
His honesty and caution were commendable. “But you want to know what happened to my son, yes?”
The Paladin looked uncomfortable; The Mick and Helix just looked eager to eavesdrop.
We were coming up on Boulder, Montana, basically the last town before you hit the edge of the Charlands that extended into the plains in the southeast of Montana. From there, everyone was basically on foot or using magic to move around, with Disk Trains being the most popular mode of quick movement, tied to someone with enhanced movement speed or flight.
We’d be doing the same thing. The Aruan church in the town did a lot of business with healing and feeding the Powered teams operating out of there cheaply, doing their part.
“There is no way I’d be able to take care of the boy with what I have to do. The souls caught in the Shroud simply will not let me set aside twenty years and be a proper mother.
“I had Gregorigori looking for and vetting potential parents for him the day after I arrived at Heavenbound Hall. He found a very appropriate couple who were having trouble conceiving, and were ecstatic to adopt a talented halvyr child. I met them in DW, and passed him over.
“He will have a good life with a father and mother who love him, and when he grows up and can stand on his own, he can learn who his birth mother was and doubtless the many enemies I’m going to be making along the way.
“But I’m not going to subject a child to this lifestyle, and I’m not going to do things half-ass, dropping him off and picking him up when he’s convenient.
“He’ll have a good life with good parents who love him, and if someone comes after him, there will be Hell to pay.” I looked at Helix, pointed, and he held up his hands.
“Not telling anyone! Nope, nope, not me!” he spluttered quickly. I hmphed and looked away back out ahead, at the black smear on the grey blanket of the horizon, and he just looked chagrinned.
Sir Pellier thought about it, and nodded slowly to himself. I was looking out for the boy, there was no doubt about it, but I wasn’t abandoning what was surely a monstrously important overquest just for the chance to be a mom.
Perhaps some people would think I should have given all that up to play mom. Mmm. Well, they could think what they liked. I could have done the guy thing and dump it on the other parent and leave, I supposed, but I wasn’t EVER going to do that, so I handled it the best way I could.
Hrn, not like Elrii’s mother AND father had...
I didn’t have the emotional link to the baby that a mother should have, naturally enough. Actually, looking at him forcibly brought to mind that instant of being asked to save him, and all the dancing on the knife’s edge of pain and death that had immediately followed it. It wasn’t that the baby was revolting, or responsible, but I didn’t have many memories of my own, and the living ones started with that set of circumstances.
I wasn’t going to put a child through him reminding me of those circumstances every time I looked at him.
I was, however, a horrendously responsible person, so I would be checking up on him. And if they needed my help, I would be there with my everything...
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There was a group garage underground where we could park our vehicles. We hauled out our Gear, Sergeant Mulligan looking particularly eager to regain the ground he had lost to his friends as we came out of the place.
As for the gemstones in the trunk, they’d all been Itemized and the scroll was being safely carried in The Mick’s coat. He, Sir Pellier, and Helix had been watching me create egg-sized gem after gem of all types and hues from the assorted crap stones he’d had in his trunk, and drop them idly into the box waiting for them after I did so. Any Energizing whatsoever and they were suitable for Infusing; ten goldweight at a time was dropping down next to them once so treated.
Seeing gemstones of such size, cut, and clarity being treated like stones on the beach soon inured them to the sight, while The Mick was very, very happy his investments were coming to fruition. Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching!...
Master Fred was waiting up top. Unlike most vehicles, Sleipner wouldn’t be in any real danger in the Firezone, and could navigate rough terrain no normal vehicle would be able to without any problem with Master Fred around.
Topaz had flarked off, gotten her goldweight in pay, returned the Amulet she didn’t need, and headed back to Chicago to take up her Shvaughn identity once more. She was also very interested in adding Vivic to her Weapon, but had absolutely no confidence in concealing her ability and identity with Sama and Briggs around.
I personally believed Sama would identify her within seconds, go thinking for an explanation, and then, if we were lucky, she’d ask before slaughtering. Best not to even come to that, and Topaz had concurred.