Cricket

19

Burdens

Patches led Jeshu to the flooded portion of the lower shell, where she hopped across the black water to her stash. She moved a small chunk of debris with her tail, dug a bit with her paw, then stooped low and reappeared with a diamond-shaped pendant in her teeth.

The mouseling hurried back across to the druid, running along a floating log that barely wobbled under her weight, and dropped the pendant at the Jeshu's feet.

"Ah, yes," he said, stooping to wrap his gnarled fingers around the cold chain. "This is it."

"It's not friendly, so I had to bury it a little."

"No, it is not... friendly," the druid repeated as the diamond-shaped charm dangled before his knit brows. "The curse is stronger than I expected. How long have you had this?"

"I got it in the spider temple, when you went to get the red rocks," the mouseling said.

Jeshu nodded. "How did you bear it for so long?" Without waiting for an answer, he asked, "Couldn't you tell it was cursed?"

Patches nodded and thought. "Because it's supposed to be mine."

Jeshu sat and placed the gem on the ground before him. He placed a hand above it, palm down, and closed his eyes, concentrating. Despite a pained expression, he smiled. "It's not malicious. It was a protection placed over the dead and her belongings by a loved one. He opened his eyes. "Think of it as a loyal hound barking at a stranger. It does mean us harm, but only because—" the druid winced. His hand trembled. "A moment, please..."

Patches waited patiently at first, but eventually reached out to touch the gemstone.

Jeshu shook his head, and she pulled her paw back.

"I don't feel like it's my place to remove this enchantment. It ought to be returned," Jeshu said. "But I don't know when we'll get the chance. Are you alright for now?"

The mouseling nodded, but said "No."

Jeshu sighed. "I will dispel it, if you relinquish it to my care. I don't want to incur any further wrath from the spirits, and I believe they trust my intentions."

"Do they trust me?" Patches asked, shyly.

Jeshu simply patted her on the head. "Do we have a deal?"

Patches nodded again, giving a pained look at her prize. "But tell them I'm nice."

"Then it is done. I will not release it all at once, or the bauble may crack, which would be an act of desecration."

Patches looked a bit confused.

"Suffice it to say, it will weaken over time so long as it is in my care. But if you try to take it back, I may not be able to protect you."

"When will Pip forgive me?"

"Pip isn't mad at you. I know you may not believe me, but only your perception was tainted. Regardless, those feelings should be greatly diminished. I saw him in the portal room."

"Can we go get him together?" the mouseling asked, nervously.

"Yes, of course. But I promised Oydd I would drop by first."

"Can I ride on your shoulder," Patches asked, uncharacteristically.

Jeshu held out his hand, and the mouseling scrambled up to a perch beneath his branches.

On the return trip, Jeshu found Cricket still sleeping. He smiled reassuringly at the mouseling. "If he wakes while we're gone, I don't think he'll be able to get back. Can I carry him across?"

The mouseling nodded. She hopped straight to the ground and took off across the bridge, pausing to wait on the far side.

Jeshu scooped up the insect and laid him belly-down on his shoulder. He took one last glance behind before trudging back across the weathered planks.

About halfway across, the jostling woke Cricket up. He groaned, groggily, then almost immediately threw up.

"I'm sorry," he said, wiping his mandibles with his wrist.

"Did you get any on me?"

Jeshu felt Cricket stretch to look down the back of his legs. "Er... you know..."

"It's alright. I'll clean up later." Jeshu set him down next to the mouseling, but still supported him as Cricket got his footing.

"Did we do the thing?"

"Yes, Cricket."

"Good. Patches, you're feeling better?"

Patches shook her head.

"Do you mean yes? You look better."

Patches thought a moment and nodded.

"Good! We're just going to the lab, right?"

"I am," Jeshu replied. "Are you coming?"

"Sure, why not. Oh, I had the strangest dream, Jesh. I had a full head of hair, like Bax."

"Bax does not have a full head of hair."

"Well, I looked like Bax, with a mustache and everything. Except mine was black."

"You dream that quickly after drifting off?" Jeshu asked. He held out a hand for the mouseling to climb back up to his shoulder.

"You don't?

"Oh, I think my dreams are a bit different than yours. They're more about the feelings."

"No pictures?" Cricket asked, shocked.

"No pictures," Jeshu confirmed. "I don't know if I have much of an imagination."

"That's crazy! Is that a dryad thing? Like, because you're... boring isn't the word..."

"No it's not a dryad thing. Just me. Even my memories are a bit hazy. Like I said, more about feelings than images."

Jeshu found the door to Oydd's lab open, but he rapped on the door anyway to get the rudra's attention. Nearby, Bale's dismembered tail floated upright in a vat filled with yellow liquid.

"Aw, that looks smaller than I remember."

Oydd turned at the sound of Cricket's voice. "Hmm, that was quick. Come in." Despite his welcoming tone, he looked somewhat taken aback by the druid's company. He returned to his patient, the female ratling from Agoth. "Do you mind?" he asked, indicating Patches and Cricket.

"I don't care," the ratling said with a tone that hinted otherwise.

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Oydd continued regardless. "Jeshu, have you met Spindle and Pike?" The rudra gestured toward the salamander on her shoulder.

Cricket answered first. "Oh, Pike? So you did change it."

"Not really," Spindle answered. "It used to be Pike, but the kobolds asked me to change it, because one of them was already named Pike. I just changed it back."

Surprisingly, the ratling's tone grew much softer as she spoke about her pet.

Jeshu addressed Oydd. "We did not meet formally, to answer your question, though I did tend to her wounds briefly. I'm surprised to see the gangrene has already cleared."

"That's partly why I called you here."

"Is it some sort of regenerative magic? Those were dead cells," Jeshu said, impressed.

"Not regenerative! Recombinative!"

The druid raised a dusty brow.

"What's the difference?" Cricket blurted.

At this, the rudra turned again to Spindle. "You're certain it's alright if they all know?"

Spindle nodded, but Jeshu already had a knowing look, and answered the insect's question. "She didn't regenerate. She adjusted the cells she already had." Then, at Cricket's vacant look, he added. "Which means she's not a ratling at all."

Oydd confirmed this information with a slight nod and clarified, "She's a changeling. She has gone by many names and taken many forms, but wishes to continue using Spindle for now."

Spindle interrupted. "I don't mind if you call me a ratling."

"But what do you prefer?" Jeshu asked, and the changeling shrugged, indifferently.

Cricket still looked confused, discernable mostly by the bend of his antennae. "You lived with kobolds?"

Spindle gave him a suspicious look.

"It's all right," Jeshu responded. "We don't mean you any harm. He's just curious. I can even share my thoughts with you if it might help."

"How do I know it's not just a spell of deception, like the rudran clerics use?"

Cricket attempted to ease the awkwardness. "Nothing wrong with kobolds. Well, I mean, some try to kill you and some don't, but in general..."

"Can I go?" The changeling looked up at Oydd, and he sputtered a moment.

"Uh, yes, certainly."

Spindle hopped down from her chair and headed for the door.

When she was nearly gone, the rudra whispered to the druid. "Do we have the necessary supplies to treat a changeling?"

"I'm not sure," Jeshu confessed. "Changelings are rare on the surface. How fast does she actually heal?"

"For now, about as fast as a ratling. But she's slowly changing, so who can say?"

"Changing into what?" Cricket asked excitedly.

Oydd shrugged. "An azaeri, I imagine. But that could take months. She's worried if she stays here, her fur will start to fall out as she develops scales, and it will be a bit of an awkward phase."

"Kind of like when I molt. I get it." Cricket listened to the changelings retreating footsteps. "Thought she was a bit big for a ratling. Though I don't really see a lot of female ratlings."

"I'm a girl," Patches whispered.

"Oh, well, yeah..." Cricket laughed. "I suppose. I actually forget you're a ratling sometimes. Anyway, you're more like one of the guys." He grabbed the patch of skin between her ears and ruffled the fur. Patches whimpered.

"I suppose it is a bit like molting," Oydd said. "Cricket, I'm actually glad you're here. How are your shadows doing?"

"Well, I can't make any more. Really, I'm not trying, because I don't want the current ones to fade."

"But you're not having any trouble sustaining them?"

"What? No, not really. But if they were all gone, I don't think I could make ten again. I feel like maybe five or six. It's hard to say."

"Then we'll need to take one or two of the existing clones."

"Take them where?"

"To Sheol," Oydd replied.

"Really? Are we really going this time? Because you said that ages ago, but—"

"Yes. It's time. I have made even more preparations than I intended, considering we now have Bale's brain."

"Is it... in?" Jeshu asked.

The rudra laughed. "Yes. The glow is a bit dim, at present. I thought you might be able to see it anyway. I have not yet fully adjusted, but that should only take a few hours. I already feel like I could lift a handful of trolls."

"What's that?" Cricket asked, mulling over the math in his head. "Like two ogres to a troll? Weightwise, I mean."

"I'm certain I don't know. Do you know who would be best to bring? What's the name of that one who dated the azaeri girl?"

"Cuddlebug," Jeshu said, and the rudra grimaced.

"Oh, about that," Cricket said. "I know I called him that earlier, but I remembered he wants to change it to... you have to understand he's been going through some things, and he kind of sees himself as a poet now..."

"What's the new name, Cricket?" Oydd asked.

"He wants to go by 'Whispered Sorrow'. And... I want to be affirming, but... that's just so many syllables. Cuddlebug was already way too long. I tried shortening it to Whisp, but the closest the guards could do was 'Rip' or 'Ris'. It's just a disaster all around."

"So you don't want to bring him?" Jeshu asked.

"Well, no. But it's unrelated. The reason I don't want to bring him is that he is kind of depressing to be around right now..."

"Then who would you recommend?" Oydd asked.

"Of the nine? Probably Brihicket."

"Oh, god, which one is that?"

"The bill hook guy. He's been eager to... look I can tell you don't like the name, but we already had Hricket in charge of halberds, and Bricket in charge of bows. But I do have good news. He likes to go by Bill."

"Then bring Bill and maybe one other. I'll leave it to you to sort out," the rudra finished with a dismissive tone.

"Oh, all right. Probably not Bricket," he said to himself as he wandered off. "Because the azaeri are better aims..."

Oydd looked down sadly, then said to Jesh. "I really wanted to bring Lech'ti. He reminded me of Ty'lek."

"Me too!" Jeshu replied. "Odd. Out of nearly a hundred azaeri, that we both thought of Lech'ti. But..."

"I know."

"I actually have some preparations to make, myself," Jeshu said. "When do we leave?"

"Soon. Not tomorrow, but the next morning. You may take your leave."

"Well, first..." Jeshu reached into his bag and pulled out a long object, folded in cloth. He placed in on the desk next to the rudra.

Oydd hesitated before he unfolded the cloth, revealing Bale's horns.

"I made a decision, and I'm returning them."

"I see. Though I'm not certain I understand."

Jeshu mulled over his thoughts. "I lost... a connection when I resorted to black magic. But, I also... I felt like I wasn't myself. I just can't... I can't..."

Oydd gave the druid time to decide upon his words.

"I can't imagine giving a part of myself over to Bale. I won't... rely on him."

"When you rely on me, you rely on Bale."

"But I don't want to alter myself," Jesh said.

"Or your goddess will abandon you?"

"No. It's not like that. She is not vindictive. She's not... punitive. I drew away. I was no longer attuned to her. My mind was clouded, but I couldn't even tell until the cloud left, and now it even frightens me a bit. How do I know if my judgement is still clouded? I wouldn't. But it's clear now that it was, I'm sure."

Oydd sighed. "Very well."

"Can we go?" Patches asked softly.

Jeshu jumped, forgetting the mouseling on his own shoulder. "What?"

"You said you'd take me to get Pip."

"That I did."

"Mouseling, where is Bale's eye?"

"I don't have it."

"But you know where it is?"

"You said I could have it."

"I did not."

"You said to make a totem of the fat rudra."

"He's not fat," Oydd argued.

"You said he was. And he had Bale's brain, so the totem wouldn't work without... a part."

"You used it in the casting? That's brilliant, actually. I wondered how the curse gripped him so well."

"And then you told me to leave it on the ground in the training room. So I left it there when I went to see Licephus, but I didn't know that's where I was going."

"Why do you keep telling me what I said, when I know I didn't say it?"

Patches' eyes teared up, and the rudra took a deep breath to calm down.

"Is that where it is now? Bale's eye is sitting exposed on the floor of the training room."

Patches nodded anxiously.

Oydd placed his palms together and rested his beak on the tip of his fingers. "Fine. I'll retrieve it momentarily."

Patches closed her eyes and hid her face against the druid's neck as he studied the hallways, trying to remember the way to the portal room.