Triple Strength

77. Pain Resistance: Wiremu

I don’t know how long it was before I awoke. The first thing I saw was Lavaman’s dead eyes staring at me. I was still naked and trapped under the steel plate. Tāoke was coiled up by my head, still in his 4m long form. His body had burns and was missing scales, and I could see where his form wasn’t consistent, indicating broken bones. He was alive, and I was alive.

As soon as I tried to move, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alive. The pain was excruciating, and I was in a much worse state than Tāoke. I tried to move out from under the steel plate. One of my hands was still chained to it, so it wasn’t easy, and I only partially succeeded. I managed to look around the cave before the world started spinning again. The Archer was lying near the entrance with a broken neck and fang marks. I think Tāoke finished her before he tackled Lavaman. She was the easy prey.

There was no immediate danger, and even if there was, there was not much I could do about it. I lay back and rested in a haze of pain. I might have passed out again. When I woke up next, it was dark. I figured I needed to get my hand out from this chain, but I didn’t have any energy. Tāoke was still in the same place, I assume, regenerating like me.

Hearing Aid then picked up hoof beats from outside the cave. I still had a dart I hadn’t used, and I palmed it. Then I heard voices and relaxed. The cavalry had arrived to save the day.

I heard Ört whisper, “The trail ends there.” He has the highest tracking Skill of the Canine Queens, especially paired with Kryddor.

Skavt whispered, “Najprej, you and I first.”

Tabitha said, “Let me get closer, and I can sense what is in there.” I heard the heavy footsteps of Skavt and Najprej with shields walking closer. Then Tabitha spoke loudly, “Ört, we need the first aid kit. Wiremu and Tāoke are alive but badly injured. Nobody else is alive in there.” And the footsteps became a run.

Tabitha arrived first, and she and Skavt finished lifting the steel plate off me. Najprej pried open the cuff holding me to the plate, and then the pain lessened when Ört arrived as his Aura adjusted our Pain Resistance. Maybe the Pain Resistance was working even though it didn’t feel like it. He passed a potion to Tabitha, who fed it to me. Ört fed one to Tāoke. I almost passed out again when Ört splintered and strapped my broken legs. They strapped my shoulder and burns with some sort of paste, and Tāoke got the same treatment and was told not to change size till Ört cleared him too.

Ilaiya was there, hovering in the background. It turns out he is more responsible than I was at his age. He made it back to his father, who got word to Modrica, and she alerted everybody. Ilaiya had led them back to where we had been attacked, and Ört and Kryddor took it from there. The devastation at the fight scene and Rocky’s body worried them all. Ilaiya didn’t come into the cave. I think the dead Archer at the entrance was the first dead sentient he had seen up close, and it shocked him. I doubt he will be allowed to go fishing with me again for a very long time.

They had brought a stretcher and carried Tāoke and me to a temporary camp by a small stream. We settled in for the remainder of the night. I got given a blanket with Scavt saying this was so they didn’t have to look at my ugly arse. Anyway, my beautiful arse is covered in bandages, as I had burns everywhere.

In the morning, they looted the cave. They did not find much. The Archer had my bow, and Lavaman had one of my knives, but everything else, including their gear, seemed to be buried under piles of still scorching rock. I knew my armour had been burned off, but nothing was salvageable, including all the gear Rocky had been carrying. I was reduced to a bow and a knife. I am still amazed at the amount of energy Lava must have taken and how much energy Lavaman must have had.

It took three long slow days of trekking to get back to Jern. After the first day, Tabitha took Ilaiya and went on ahead. When we got there, I was told I would be in bed for another week, or possibly two, for my bones to knit back together. Tāoke’s bones were in a similar state, although they would heal sooner, in Ört’s opinion.

Ört borrowed caravan space from the Catkin to stay in, so he was around full-time. The Cathkin had two sleeping wagons, but usually, all slept together in one of them unless someone was sick or one of the ladies was in heat. Ört started to teach me Sentient Lore while I was bedridden, and Tabitha brought me some of the simpler armour repair jobs from the Leatherworker to keep me occupied. Being stuck in bed was boring.

I had a few skill increases in the fight, but it was mostly Regeneration, which hit Journeyman Level, and my Pain, Heat and Fire Resistances increased the most. All in all, very few gains and no rewards. Rocky was a big loss. I am not going to rush out and get another horse. I think I just need time to process things for a bit.

Tāoke was pretty much up and about after the first week. My burns and shoulder were 90% healed, but Granite Bones will take longer. Auction week and my big payday came and went with me in bed, reading a book on the different sentient races. Tabitha said we made more than expected as the bidding was intense over much of the material. Once I get up, I must go shopping for more weapons and armour. Late the second week, I was up and moving gently around the cottage and yard. It will probably be another two weeks before I am back to sparring.

I spend a lot of my time outside doing my leather repair and chatting with the Catkin and the entertainment troupe, Comedic Rhythm. The Catkin have signed with Elemental Traders until we get to Kirghiz City. The Canine Queens have also signed on as far as Kirghiz for now. Tabitha is planning to take the high road to the coastal city of Obalno and then the coastal road south to Kirghiz. It will keep us away from Hrothgar and the border with the Empire, and there are a good number of mid-sized towns along the base of the mountain range and one larger coastal city along with the associated villages.

The head of Comedic Rhythm, Zabavno, is having second thoughts about joining us. He was keen for Tabbitha, or Skygge as he knows her, to join their show. Then he found out she was a deadly fighter with a “Krvne Sestre” or Blood Sister relationship with Modrica, has ties to the criminal underworld, and owns Elemental Traders. Then he finds out high-level Imperial Bounty Hunters are hunting her brother. As an Orc, he knows the whole meaning of what it takes to become a Blood Brother or Sister. He has the regular Orc hatred for the empire, but he also saw the state I was brought back in. He is not a violent man. He has spent his life learning to entertain people, which is his passion. So you can see why he is having second thoughts. I have spent some time with him and his number two, the human Manus, to try and settle them down. I am not sure how successful I was. I know both Tabitha and I could use some entertainment in our lives. The last twelve months have been very intense.

Tabbitha and Tāttā are rushing around organising wagons, beasts and goods. So far, there are six wagons for general trading goods, one Healer Wagon, one for the Canine Queens and one for Tabitha and me. The Catkin have four wagons, but they are already set up and ready to go. If the Comedic Rhythm joins us, that will be two more wagons. Thirteen, maybe fifteen, wagons means thirty to thirty-five horses. We will need nine or ten wagon drivers and a specialist to look after the animals. Then Tabitha learns we will need an additional two wagons just for supplies for people and animals. The usual ratio is one guard per wagon, so we will need another eight to ten guards. We will have over forty people by the time she is done. I am not sure she knew what she was getting into.

When I talked to Tabitha that night, she and Tāttā had managed to hire an experienced Caravan Master who had been on the route before and had two experienced guards and a scout with her. She had several good references, including some time working for the Sølv Emporium. This has taken the load off Tabitha, and she can concentrate on being the Master merchant.

I am planning to go shopping tomorrow for some gear. I am walking OK now, but Tabitha insisted Modrica accompany me as she was busy. I know I will never get armour as good as the Troll hide, but I have some ideas, depending on what I can find.

I ended up with two sets of moderate-weight leather armour. To beef it up, I bought a chainmail vest and some steel greaves and cuisses that can strap onto the shins and thighs, respectively. Mayakku, the enchanter from the Catkin, has offered me an excellent price to add some basic enchantments to the armour, including a basic self-repair on the main sections. I am not sure about that after all the effort I went to learn Repair Leather Armour. I got some backup knives, spear shafts and Tāoke and I are ready to go.