Control

13,337 words. Not even intentional.

Reading previous entries is recommended but hopefully not necessary. Not based on any particular gaming franchise or storyline.

*****

Nuru slept poorly, then went to the inn. Mesi came over, but seemed less excited than Nuru would have hoped for.

"I have a-" Mesi started.

"Can you-" Nuru started at the same time.

"You go first," Nuru said.

"No, you."

"Are you going to see Dayo on break? Tell... them... I can't come with them today. Gods, that pronoun is so hard to wrap my head around."

"Oh. I was supposed to pass a message. She- they- left a note on our door too, but I'm supposed to tell you they isn't going out today. Aren't going out today; whatever. They have enough... whatever it is to complete their quest, and they have to do the ritual now."

"Oh. I don't feel so bad now, I guess. We had such a good time yesterday. I take it you don't approve."

Mesi frowned.

"Dayo can make decisions without my approval. But I heard what you did yesterday and... no, I don't like it. I don't want either of you getting hurt."

"All of life is a risk. Just walking outside your door..."

Nuru thought about the assassination spell that had almost gotten him. Walking out the door in itself was literally perilous at times.

"Well... take care of yourself. I don't want to lose a new friend," Mesi said, getting misty-eyed.

She stepped over and hugged Nuru. He wasn't sure who was more surprised; himself, or Baako who caught sight of it from the kitchen. He managed to return the hug without awkwardness.

"Oh, he's never seen me touch anyone voluntarily before, definitely not so soon after meeting," Mesi said, giggling as she noticed. "That gives me an idea. Watch this."

Mesi straightened her face, made as if to pick up a dropped piece of silverware by the table, then dashed on all fours as if she'd been made for it all the way across the room under and behind the line of tables and benches out of Baako's line of sight. She stood up against the wall, quickly dusted off her hands, then swung on the kitchen doorframe to plant a kiss on Baako's cheek. He jerked, spluttered, tripped on himself and fell over, causing a ruckus of pots and pans as he went down.

"Going on break now!" she called over her shoulder and, with a wide-eyed guilty-but-not-sorry look with her lips tucked into her mouth, quickly walked out the other door.

Baako got up, cursing and yelling and ran after her. Nuru held his laughter in just long enough to slip outside.

*****

"Spare a moment?" he heard from behind.

He whirled, suddenly forgetting his cheery mood.

"Where did you come from?" Nuru asked.

"My, my. Jumpy, are we? I suppose I would be too with zero MP. I'd be feeling rather vulnerable."

He looked her up and down. She had a slim build, but something about the way she stood indicated strength, too.

"Look, I've got places to be. What do you want?"

"A few things, one of which I've already done, which is confirm the rumor. There really is a zero-MAG, Level... oh. It was supposed to be a Level One or Two, but you're Level Four. I guess it's still you, though I'm surprised at how far you've gotten that way."

"And the rest?"

Her hair was cut short, but still in a style that indicated a fair of amount of attention to aesthetics.

"I have a job for you, if you're interested. Limited-time offer."

"No thanks. I have no interest in being anyone's party trick."

"You misunderstand," she said, confidently approaching him and running her fingers across his shoulders. "I have need of someone in your... particular condition, and I'd be all the happier if no one ever knew."

"Details, woman." He shrugged her off.

She sighed.

"So young, so jaded already. You haven't even seen the world. I can help you with that, you know. This is a proper quest, full EXP reward. A bit of cash too, but mostly EXP."

"Quit with the hard sell already. What. Is. Your. Name."

"Call me Katlego. I have the details of course, but I think it best we talk away from prying eyes. Shall we picnic? It's on me."

"...very well."

Nuru did not mind eying her up and down as she led him out to an empty space, ironically not far from his home. Her slacks and blouse were tight-fitted, and she had half-finger gloves tucked into her belt, as well as a few blades subtly tucked here and there. All in all, an intriguing figure, but almost certainly a thief. Between that and his recent brush with death, he had less patience than he might otherwise. She opened a blanket and they sat facing each other in the shade.

"I must apologize for my manner. It's been only a short while since I too was trapped in this town, though it feels ages ago. But out beyond that gate, things are a bit different. People are... more formal, at times. It is refreshing to talk with someone who is straight to business, but I'm afraid I could not accomodate in the middle of the city street. So, I will give you a little background. There is an item I desperately desire - a quest only good for a short time. This deadline I'm afraid I cannot budge on, you'll have to take it on immediately. However, I do appreciate a job well done and, depending on the circumstances of your success, there may be a greater reward than what I offer you explicitly in the quest contract."

"What's the item?"

"Inquire if you wish at the end, though I suspect the details will bore you. More importantly, you'll be travelling to Gretland."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you already. I can't travel to Gretland."

"Not with that attitude, you can't."

"I won't waste your time."

"Wait, listen, Nuru. Yes, I know your name, I've done my homework. I know you can't tell this, but I'm level Twenty-One. Do you think I would offer a quest you had no hope of completing? I'd be on the hook for that EXP, never able to spend it, until you turned in the failure, which I doubt if you'd bother to do. That's just irresponsible of me."

"Then you know I'm only Level Four, and I can't travel through that gate."

"As plain as the nose on your face. But there are other ways to reach Gretland."

"Don't play me for a fool. I've looked at a map, they showed it to us in school. There's no path from here to there which does not pass through that gate."

"As the crow flies, perhaps. But some paths are not so linear."

"Now you're talking nonsense - unless you have word of an Expansion that will produce new land, but that's not exepected for another year at the earliest."

"Let us postulate, for the moment, that I can get you there. How does fify currency down, and four-fifty on delivery strike you?"

"...and real EXP, you say?"

"Ten thousand. In multiple installments, if you like. I'll write up the contract in multiple milestones with EXP attached, and you just turn them in as you're ready, but delivery of the box has to be the first. Good for a limited time though, as I said. I won't be in town long once you bring me the item."

"So what am I looking for then?"

"It's a small box with a crow emblem engraved in the lid. Doesn't look like much. It'll have this symbol on it as well."

Katlego pulled a small scroll from a sleeve pocket and unrolled it to show a glyph.

"It's runed, so don't try to open it yourself."

"I see. And how would I find this box?"

Katlego offered him the contract. "Sign this first, please. It's a rather sensitive matter, I'm afraid I can't tell you those details until you've accepted."

Nuru read it over. Since he was taking cash down, there was a penalty for egregious failure - ten times the amount down if he accepted a counter-quest from the witches or another party. If he simply couldn't get the box, he'd keep the fifty and be liable for nothing, although he would get no EXP whatsoever. If he got the box and opened it, the reward - in both EXP and currency, would be half. Bonus contingent on not setting off any traps or wards. Bonus amount contingent on... "style points," whatever that meant.

"So how does this work?"

"Step one, I loan you fifty currency."

"I thought that was my money down."

"It is; but it's just so we have a debt on record in case you don't return and never try to complete the quest. You get fifty now; once you come back to go to Gretland, that loan is forgiven and the money is yours. If you don't come back, I sell the debt to the bounty hunters and you become their problem. It's nothing personal, just the way business is done out there."

"I see. And then?"

"Step two, when you're ready I transport you to Gretland away from the main gate. Steps three through N are up to you. Step N-plus-one, you meet me at the same location and I transport you back here."

"You know I can't go through that gate. If you're not there, I'm trapped in a very hostile land."

"I'll be there, ready to transport you back immediately. It's in the contract. And you better not get yourself killed, because I have to stand out there for up to a week under standard terms, or until I verify your status, whichever comes first. After that, I declare you dead and notify your next of kin to send someone to find your body. I could make it less than a week, but the quest reward would have to be astronomical."

"How dangerous is this, really?"

"For you? Not so much. For me, plenty. It's all relative, of course, depending on what you know about Gretland."

"How does that work?"

"Are you in? Sign and I'll give you the details."

He mulled it over.

"How do I know I can trust you? You're a thief, right?"

"Tch. And here I thought we were just getting to be on polite terms. You are young, but I believe you've probably heard of the Hand of Nyala."

"Yeah, sure. I thought they were all paladins."

"That is the public face of it, yes. But behind the scenes, the Hand has Five Rings. I belong to the Order of the Topaz."

She twisted a ring on her finger, exposing a circular brown gemstone. "As you can see, we're anything but square."

She winked. Nuru raised an eyebrow.

"Tough crowd," she pouted. "But let me assure you, I have people watching me closely. I have my own code I must follow. Crossing you is simply not an option."

"Don't you have a tattoo?" Nuru said, thinking back.

She swatted the air at him playfully, then started unbuttoning her shirt.

"Shouldn't *you* be showing *me* something? I'm the one that bought lunch."

He laughed. She pulled open her shirt slowly, teasing him with it. She pulled it open quickly, then closed it again.

"That's all you get!" she giggled.

He closed his eyes and rolled back through his memory. It was a tattoo of a hand on her chest, although the fingers had been cut off from full visibility behind the shirt.

"Hmm... third finger is it?"

It had been a round gemstone, indeed. That had been the only finger of the tattoo with a ring on it, with the gem on the palm side of the hand; he assumed that was symbolic.

"Hmm, very perceptive. Pity you're too green for Eidetic Memory, this would be so much easier."

"Am I, do you think?" he said, smirking.

"Yes, you... no. No! You wouldn't have given a MAG point for that!"

"I thought you did your homework."

"Nyala's mercy. How many daggers am I carrying?"

"I suspect I could strip you naked and still miss a few. Hmm."

He stared intently at her, as much undressing her with his eyes as looking for knife handles. Then he sent his mind rolling backwards to those moments of watching her tight ass as she walked in front of him. Back further still to when she'd passed him, turned to the side...

"...six, visible. Probably double that, total, right?"

"Close. A lady's got to keep her secrets."

"Are you a lady, though?"

"Why, I should think so! I am the very image of discretion!" She winked again.

"I'm not sure that's quite what it means to be a lady," Nuru said.

"In my experience, it's exactly what it means. Nearly everyone has their vice, one has but to search hard enough to find it; a lady is a woman who can keep her secrets hidden from public view. Be that as it may, I suspect you are either being truthful, or your memory is simply sharp enough to pass for it; I doubt if your Bluff skill is high enough to fool me. Either way, a clear asset to our goal. So, are you in then? You bring me that box off the armoir by this time tomorrow, I'll show you the rest of the tattoo in as much detail as you like. And any others you can find!"

"Lady, now you're speaking my language," he said.

She laughed quietly, like the glug of a honeyed wine from a bottle. She held out the contract. He signed.

"Excellent! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! If you live, of course," she said, beaming.

"Yeah, about that..."

"Yes, yes. The witches, you might recall, are cannibals; it's the only meat they consume. There's a full coven of them in Gretland, and they are very protective of their land. However, they do not believe in cutting down trees or digging up rocks from the ground to make a fortress. They instead rely on wards to protect the area, which are laid so thick that there is a mesh of them overlapping as you get close to the house. This is where you come in."

"Me? I can't break a ward to save my life."

"The good news is, you don't have to. The great majority of these runes are passive; they trigger and feed on the MP of any would-be trespasser. The stronger you are, they stronger their defenses, you see. A high level adventurer, without an army and a lot of time, couldn't hope to come anywhere near the house. With zero MP, the wards won't even trigger for you, however. I had thought to use small mana wafers to trigger and disarm them all, but if you can pass without even setting them off it will be faster and quieter. Even trace amounts regenerated by your INT would set them off, this will only work at true zero."

"The majority, you say. Not all of them."

"No, there are some wards they actively feed with power. Those you will need to avoid; I have spent a great deal of time making a map of their locations."

Katlego pulled out an old, well-worn map, all but shaded in with black dots surrounding the symbols she had used for the doorways to the house; mixed in here and there were dots of other colors. Nuru studied it carefully, then nodded.

"So that's it, then? Walk carefully and don't trigger the active wards?"

"Alas, not quite so. The witches themselves are out, constantly checking and building more wards, converting some of them from passive to active. Even with twelve people they have only so much power, but it grows every day. The other good news is that they mostly come out at night; early in the day you will have the field nearly to yourself."

"So... watch for the witches, and any changes to the wards."

"Yes. Proceed with caution above all else. Do not bring any scrolls with you, either; even the small magics in them will set off the wards."

"This sounds like a suicide mission! Maybe I should just refund your loan."

"I predict an 80% chance of your survival, and a 60% chance of full success with your memory. Care to examine my figures?"

"As much as I like how your figure looks, I think that examination of it does not improve my odds whatsoever."

"Sweet talker. I'm going to be so put out if you refuse now."

"I don't care if you put out, I still get nothing if I fail."

She grinned. He grinned. Then she got serious again.

"What is it that concerns you?" she said.

"This box you want me to get. It's in a bedroom, no?"

"What makes you say that?"

" 'On an armoir,' you said. If they're all asleep, they're in the bedroom, right where I'm going to be. I have good DEX, but sneaking past a full dozen people..."

"Ah, yes, but they do not use armoirs as you and I would do. They wear simple robes, and share them liberally. The armoir is in a common area, where any may take them and swap out as they become dirty. Or where they put them all while they do their midnight rituals, skyclad as they say."

"Mmm. Interesting."

"Don't be foolish. There's not a full moon coming up for weeks. Besides, then you really would be in danger of getting caught. Identifying the wards in the dark is nigh impossible. And I cannot offer you a charm they use in order not to trigger the wards themselves. I can, however, offer you this."

She pulled out a wooden disk with tiny gemstones embedded in the rim.

"What's this?"

"It shows MP sources. Active wards, or the witches themselves, will light the crystals on it. I rather prefer you didn't use it; keep your eyes down too much and you'll miss a step. There's a currency bonus if you return it, and an EXP bonus as well if you don't take it at all. Contingent on your success, of course."

She spun the wheel, and a gleam that almost could have been a reflection of the sun appeared in the tiny gems as they pointed towards her. Where Nuru was, they had only the tiniest glimmer.

"You see. The scrolls are the only thing that appear here, otherwise you would be completely invisible. Try it."

Nuru shucked his scrolls and dropped them to the side. The light followed them; he was indeed invisible to it.

"Gods above, why waste the inventory on such pitiful scrolls? You couldn't pay me to take those. Nevermind, it's your business."

"Alright, let me see if I've got this," Nuru said, fighting to keep annoyance at the insult out of his voice. "A wooden box, with that symbol on it, is on top of an armoir in a common area. I need to weave my way through the wards, avoiding the active ones, sneak into the house, steal the box, and return to the place where we enter Gretland, and you will be waiting for me. What will you be doing while I am risking my life?"

"There will be a watch posted while most of them sleep. I will draw their attention to myself, keep them busy while you do your part."

"And how will you be there to take me back if you're engaged with them in battle or whatever?"

"This is the trick of my role. It will be far from easy; I must watch carefully for you and move to meet you at the appointed place, while avoiding the wards that are extremely dangerous to me, as well as the witches themselves, who know me and most of my best tricks already. Trust me when I say that the risk to myself is far greater than for you."

"Anything else I should know?"

"I will give you a cloak of magic suppression when we arrive there. It too is passive and will protect you from perhaps a single spell, and hide you from casual identification. You may be mistaken for one of the witches themselves at a distance. Oh, and don't take any boxes with other symbols; they're traps."

He thought carefully. That wheel might be useful, but it would almost certainly stand out to anyone paying attention. With his memory, he was probably better off without it.

"Keep your disk, unless I come back for it. Let's begin."

"Do you need to buy anything before we set off?"

"I can't think of anything that will help. But I do need to unload my inventory. Where shall I meet you?"

"Very well, here is your fifty down. You can meet me nearly anywhere, here if you like."

He put the money away.

"How about behind the temple?"

"There's a new tourist attraction there. I don't recommend it."

"The far side, away from that?"

"Mmm... very well."

He went home and dropped off all of his scrolls, then went to meet her at the temple. Indeed, many people were gathered around the new antler tree of black stone protruding from the ground, but the far side of the grounds were unoccupied. He looked around for a moment, seeing nothing, then the woman threw off her hood and stepped away from the wall, revealing an impressive Hide in Daylight skill. She stepped close, and dropped a small stone, which burst into a rising cloud of smoke that engulfed both of them. Nuru blinked as it cleared, more surprised by the woman's mouth on his than he was at the change of scenery. Reluctantly he stepped away; she was a very good kisser.