With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
2nd May
01:50 GMT -5

"This is a maggot pit."

It's a maggot pit.

Well, they certainly don't lack for imagination, certainly. Also: Ick.

A hundred and thirty three Sheeda maggots writhe at the bottom of a steep-walled pit at a local youth throws the chopped entrails of various local animals down to them. The maggots orientate on them at once, squirming towards them. The youth has skin of a shade of deep pink that I've never seen on a human, and his fangs are so pronounced that they jut out from his mouth top and bottom. He's also really thin, though I'm not sure if that's a mutation or just his build.

Or malnutrition.

Why not any two, or all three combined? This isn't the best life for anyone, I suspect. We've already heard about those who want a better life than they have...

"What happens when they reach maturity?"

"They don't." He raises his right hand, a witch-sign glimmering between his fingers. He swipes it over the rim of the maggot-pit, and as it swings I see the invisible signs branded on the 'foreheads' of each of the maggots illuminated by its ethereal light. "We bind them to this form as we in turn are bound."

Sensible. Gods only know what they'd turn into, except that it'd be nasty.

"And what do you get out of them?"

"Maggot milk."

...Cows aren't an option? Or even goats?

I blink. "And you..? Drink it?"

He looks at me like I'm an idiot. "No, good sir. It's a resin. We use it to keep the water from our homes and out boat."

Ah. Well, I suppose 'milk' is as good a name for it... Wonder how it does as a sealant...

I nod and.. look away from the maggot pile as they pull the offal into their mouths. Aside from the other four pits I can't see any other pastoral areas. They're tried to keep as much of the tree cover from the surrounding areas as possible, and the sloped sides of the gully we're in create a canopy of greenery which will probably make this place dim even in the day.

"Mistress Butler mentioned other farm animals?"

Wonder what, since it's unlikely they have cattle or sheep.

"We let them roam. We couldn't feed the live ones close to the village, and the dead ones we keep for times of direst need."

I look at the giant undead cricket-spider that's staring off towards the village edge. I suppose that being hunted by the Sheeda is a pretty good example of a dire emergency.

...What would it even eat? And what the hell does it taste like?

"Do the maggots react to the intruders?"

"No reaction I could ken. Though they are maggots, sirrah."

Yeah, maggots aren't really known for their responsiveness to stimuli, beyond 'eat it' or 'flee it'.

Fair point. Not like they're about to start singing. Still, I can scan them and their undead fellow Sheeda creatures without difficulty, and I've found something jolly interesting. There are segments of their genetic material which are shared, completely identical between each type of Sheeda creature and the warlock-breed but not the Columbians. But I'm not completely sure what it actually does. It looks like it creates a protein which absorbs contaminants in the blood stream so aid the liver in filtering them out into the waste system… But the physiology of a maggot is radically different to the physiology of a giant insect. I'd assume that it's engineered in, but there are several ways to create something that would be better at the job. And they also share chunks of non-coding DNA whose purpose I can't decipher.

A trace of whatever genetic modification created the Sheeda in the first place? And interesting that it was done that way rather than easier methods. Evidently whoever created it wasn't concerned with efficiency.

I suppose if Melmoth was just breeding naturally… Or raping the women in his power for the fun of it, he wouldn't check which parts were transmitted due to a lack of genetic technology or a lack of desire. But they're active in all warlock-kind, whatever their physical mutations.

"Tell me, to the physical changes you possess relate to those of your parents?"

"My mother shared my teeth, sirrah. But if there's a pattern beyond that, I see it not."

Interesting. While they're born with mutations, they're not entirely hereditary. Perhaps whatever's managing these mutations is glitched out, causing random changes.

They don't run in families, but there are definite commonalities of style. The same things are mutated, and in only so many ways. They're not just getting animal parts randomly grafted on or having their bodies twisted like there were plasticine in the hands of a cruel child. There's some purpose at work here.

I sign inwardly. But I think it's a purpose that requires a team of biomancers to understand.

One for the Atlantean teams. And that's if they can ever set up trading.

"Did you grow up around here?"

"Somewhat close to here. Then the witch-hunters came, and their.. fire."

Explains why he spoke of his mother in the past tense...

Ah.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He snorts a humourless laugh. "'Tis our lot in life. Neither our mannish forebears nor our Sheeda forebears have any love for us, and most warlocks don't either."

So they don't consider themselves amongst the Warlocks proper? Merle their offcasts and byblows, then?

"I'm-." I frown. "People like yourself, or first generation warlocks?"

"Both. I have only seen a warlock once, and he and his grundymen hurried through here without stopping. They felt only contempt for us. I could taste it."

Uh, do you mean...

"Literally or metaphorically?"

"Literally, though his scowl made his mind plain." He shrugs. "I taste it with my eyes."

...I don't even know what to say to that.

"By spell, or an innate ability?"

Another shrug. "I don't use witch-sign, but maybe there is some other kind of magic? May I take my leave, sirrah?"

Huh. Man, these people have some strange traits. It's like the mutants in Marvel universes, manifesting all manner of odd powers, many of which are entirely useless.

"Oh. Of course."

He turns and strides away, which-. He's been feeling my avarice. That… Must be uncomfortable. And if he's just feeling that it's there, he might not see what it is that I want.

Let's hope he didn't take OL's curiosity as something more venal...

I give him time to get away, then walk away from the pit and back towards Mistress Butler's home. Two rooms and a dirt floor, though the glyphs around the wall work to keep out moisture. Along with the maggot milk, presumably. There's a saw propped up against the outside wall, and it isn't made of metal. It couldn't be; they have no way to mine iron or copper and trade with the Columbians isn't possible. And stealing would be entirely too risky. Instead, this saw is made from part of a macro-insectoid's body. A foreleg, I think, with glyphs carved into it to extend its lifespan.

I shudder at what the insect it came from would need a saw-like limb for... Carving bark off toughened plants to feed on sap, maybe? Or one hell of a combative adaption...

The door is open so I wander inside, where Abednego, Mistress Butler and Leonid are looking over a crude map. They look around as they hear me approach.

"We need actual researchers. I think there's something revealing going on, but I don't have the skills to study it."

Unfortunately, delegation will have to wait until you can leave...

Abednego raises his eyebrows very slightly. "Oh?"

"I'm not a magician. I can recognise some things based on what I've studied, but it someone's done something genuinely original there's no direct way for me to study it. Unless someone wants to go warlock while I watch so I can see exactly what happens."

I don't think anyone will want to volunteer for that, given the stigma it has... Even if he can guarantee his ability to undo the changes.

"What is it that you have found?"

"There are certain characteristics of the body common to warlock-breed and all Sheeda creatures that I've been able to examine. It's not in people like yourself, or completely Sheeda-free humans like Starfire or me."

So something not present in all Columbians, but rather introduced by the effects of the broken oath? Strange. Very strange...

"Be it in the grundymen?"

I nod. "Yes. It's probably why branding works. Have you ever tried to brand a warlock?"

I rather suspect they'd not stand still for the attempt to be made, given the time it takes. I doubt it's all too pleasant.

"No. Pistol shot is my preference for such as they."

"Do you know if it works?"

He shakes his head. "It has not occurred to any who would put it to paper to try. And I'll not be expecting the warlock-breed to volunteer for such treatment any more than I would turn myself warlock to assuage your curiosity."

Yeah, that's likely to be a dead end for investigation. Unless OL can get really lucky.

I nod. "Mistress Butler, would your people mind our magicians coming here?"

"Now?"

"No, not right away. We only brought one with us and he's busy at the moment. It will be several months from now. And in the mean time… Would you like me to do some work on your town?"

Like fabrication of useful tools, and reinforcing structural supports in the buildings? Maybe even making proper housing, maybe...

Good to see OL getting data, and trying to win hearts and minds. And a fascinating glimpse at the sort of processes the Warlock-breed use to get by out here...

...from our homes and out boat.

...from our homes and our boat.

They're tried to keep as much of the tree cover...

They've tried to keep as much of the tree cover...

...like there were plasticine in the hands...

...like they were plasticine in the hands...

moralrelativity · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
but it someone's

it -> if

iamnuff · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
Would you like me to do some work on your town?"

I was wondering if he'd offer.

Then again, he did offer to relocate them entirely, so it might be more sensible to just move them first, then build them proper stone/brick houses after the move.

Prognostic Hannya · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"No, not right away. We only brought one with us and he's busy at the moment. It will be several months from now. And in the mean time… Would you like me to do some work on your town?"

Will never get tired of "cheerfully helpful in the middle of a world-ending crisis" Paul

"Oh, the Sheeda are coming to destroy our world and yours? That's crazy. Want me to fix up the pipes in your house?"

ChiChi · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
"Tell me, to the physical changes you possess relate to those of your parents?"

do the physical?

Mr Zoat said:
I sign inwardly. But I think it's a purpose that requires a team of biomancers to understand.

I sigh inwardly?

Still enjoying the story keep up the great work

Fellow · Aug 20, 2020

Stsword said:
For anyone curious, Sheeda Maggots don't really look much like maggots...

The hell is going on in the top panel? Are they eating them? Why are most of them in the same position?

Someguy Somewhere · Aug 20, 2020

So....Not Present in Colombians, but present in Witchbreed and Sheeda derived critters. And since Witchbreed were formerly Colombians, and they're all Sheeda derived humans. The change when a Colombian breaks the oaths. But not gifted down family lines.

Magical Epigenetics?
Epigenetics, is where physiological changes occur without alteration to the DNA, but instead are environmental triggers that alter the DNA structures shape rather then the DNA itself, changing how it expresses aspects without changing the underlying information.

Imagine an old vinyl record, music is stored on it in the grooves cut into it. Now if I heated it up a bit and bend and pull it out of shape, I haven't destroyed or directly altered the grooves, but rather how they'd sound during playback on the distorted disk.

Now picture a yarn ball of DNA helix's that get pushed and twisted similarly by changes in the chemistry around them....the underlying DNA stays the same, but its bending in new shapes.

The issue is that the genetic traits that show up the same between witchbreed and sheeda aren't in Colombians, that's a bit of a problem.

Either the Colombians are actively suppressing the Sheeda DNA for mutations with the oaths/magics, or the Witchbreed are activating dormant sheeda traits with something after they leave. Could be something in the air, landscape, food, or maybe magic?

If they're eating sheeda like creatures, there could be some sort of RNA or Prion transfer (an infectious protein). A good reason not to cannibalize stuff so closely related to you, as with real world examples it's a source of a number of issues, like Mad Cow. Would also explain why so many of them would go crazy, as most Prion illnesses effect the brain.

This one really does seem to be for the Atlantian biomancers, since honestly it sounds distantly related to the animal splicing of their water breathing alterations.

Mr Zoat · Aug 20, 2020

Darko said:
'as a local'
'to aid'
'do the'
'if someone'

Chojin Patriarch said:
...from our homes and our boat.
They've tried to keep as much of the tree cover...
...like they were plasticine in the hands...

ChiChi said:
I sigh inwardly?

Thank you, corrected.

Stsword · Aug 20, 2020

Fellow said:
The hell is going on in the top panel? Are they eating them? Why are most of them in the same position?

They seemed to be latching on like a vampire. I think they like a drink before getting to the main course.

As for the last question, telepath boy had mind control powers, so like lambs to the slaughter.

FourthPear · Aug 20, 2020

Stsword said:
For anyone curious, Sheeda Maggots don't really look much like maggots...

Still better than Zouken's Crest Worms...

Darko · Aug 20, 2020

FourthPear said:
Still better than Zouken's Crest Worms...

Admittedly a lot of things are better than...that.

Mr Zoat · Aug 20, 2020

FourthPear said:
Still better than Zouken's Crest Worms...

I'm sorry, I just tried googling that. Are those..? Phallus Dentata?

Darko · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
I'm sorry, I just tried googling that. Are those..? Phallus Dentata?

Well the fans tend to just call them Rape Worms.

...

A pretty accurate description.

FourthPear · Aug 20, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
I'm sorry, I just tried googling that. Are those..? Phallus Dentata?

Literal hell-beasts with an inborn desire to violate woman and cause pain.

Yes, they are in fact rapacious penis-worms.

Assblaster5000 · Aug 20, 2020

FourthPear said:
Still better than Zouken's Crest Worms...

How dare you make me look at those... things with my own two ocular organs.

infinityDivided · Aug 20, 2020

Okay, I just looked those up. Those images has reaffirmed my stance of never touching Fate, TYPE-MOON, or Nasu with a 20-foot pole. I mean, what the fuck!? You want a immortal villain made out of worms with teeth? Great, good for you. BUT WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE GENITALIA!? WHY!?

Darko · Aug 20, 2020

Dragonriderjh said:
Okay, I just looked those up. Those images has reaffirmed my stance of never touching Fate, TYPE-MOON, or Nasu with a 20-foot pole. I mean, what the fuck!? You want a immortal villain made out of worms with teeth? Great, good for you. BUT WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE GENITALIA!? WHY!?

To add an even more disturbing twist to an already disturbing villain.

If you're interested you could watch some of the Abridged series, like Fate Cero and UBW Abridged.

I really recommend the UBW one, the interactions between EMIYA and Shirou are just hilarious.

They even made Rin be more Rin than she was in the anime.

OrigamiPhoenix · Aug 20, 2020

Stsword said:
For anyone curious, Sheeda Maggots don't really look much like maggots...

Thanks, I hate it.

FourthPear said:
Still better than Zouken's Crest Worms...

But you! No thanks! I abhor this!

FourthPear · Aug 20, 2020

Dragonriderjh said:
Okay, I just looked those up. Those images has reaffirmed my stance of never touching Fate, TYPE-MOON, or Nasu with a 20-foot pole. I mean, what the fuck!? You want a immortal villain made out of worms with teeth? Great, good for you. BUT WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE GENITALIA!? WHY!?

The better to violently assault literal toddlers with. *cries tears of blood from sheer pants-shitting rage*

Darko · Aug 20, 2020

FourthPear said:
The better to violently assault literal toddlers with. *cries tears of blood from sheer pants-shitting rage*

This is...quite possibly an accurate description on why Zouken did what he did, and why he chose to make them into penis shaped bugs.

FourthPear · Aug 20, 2020

Darko said:
This is...quite possibly an accurate description on why Zouken did what he did, and why he chose to make them into penis shaped bugs.

But he didn't *make* them that way. He summoned literal demons from hell, and they just happened to be dick-shaped rape worms.

...and then he designed an entire magic system around them and turned himself into a lich with a body made of rapist demon penis-worms.

Darko · Aug 20, 2020

FourthPear said:
But he didn't *make* them that way. He summoned literal demons from hell, and they just happened to be dick-shaped rape worms.

...and then he designed an entire magic system around them and turned himself into a lich with a body made of rapist demon penis-worms.

I didn't know that.

I also didn't want to know it, but now I do.

Assblaster5000 · Aug 20, 2020

Darko said:
I didn't know that.

I also didn't want to know it, but now I do.

None of us wanted to friend, but take what small solace you can in the fact that now we all do. Our pain is unified, and so is our desire for the nearest gun.

LZB1285 · Aug 20, 2020

All I'm going to say about the afore-mentioned worms, is that dispite this being QQ, this thread is NOT in the NSFW section of the site. [/shudders]

So can we please drop the subject? [puppydogeyes.gif]

NightmareWarden · Aug 21, 2020

So here's a possible explanation for the Sheeda, though it doesn't cover everything they have going on. Instead of being traditional individuals pure Sheeda are hive or colony creatures, perhaps a gestalt. They aren't like nanomachine amalgamations, but rather gestalts created by sticking together a set number of "organ" subspecies that can communicate. Perhaps Sheeda at the top of the hierarchy use more impressive breeds, more comprehensive combinations, or just flat-out more organs.

If they can factory-produce individuals, especially individuals with built-in technological or magical experience, then it becomes easier to understand how these descendants are breaking down.

Stsword · Aug 21, 2020

Although now I'm picturing alt.Gravy in Fate.

Zouken and his rape worms would really not like the New God soul tech Zoat gave New Gods.

Snip snip, and that Worm that Walks would go bye bye.

Darko · Aug 21, 2020

Stsword said:
Although now I'm picturing alt.Gravy in Fate.

Zouken and his rape worms would really not like the New God soul tech Zoat gave New Gods.

Snip snip, and that Worm that Walks would go bye bye.

Paragon on the other hand I can see him either assimilating him, or destroying his mind like how he destroyed that gluttony thing in the Oceanus episode.

Mr Zoat · Aug 21, 2020

2nd May
02:23 GMT -5

"Wards still alright?"

Mistress Butler cautiously nods as she taps her right foot on the tarmac which now covers the village's main road.

"What be this made of?"

"Concrete, bitumen and small stones. It'll hold up to repeated impacts and water no problem."

Once it became clear that Mistress Butler wasn't fleeing a war party, most of the locals went back to sleep. Right up until the village around them turned orange.

I know it's more efficient for me to badger people into doing research that will improve our knowledge of the universe and open up new technological possibilities, but there's something I find really satisfying about building things. It's like how I always tried to capture buildings in Command and Conquer even when it wasn't efficient to do so. It's not a good idea for me to spend my time like this, but it's… Nice, when I get the opportunity to do so.

Mr. Yao smiles as I lower my rings. "If you are finished, we have our next objective."

I nod. "The original settlement or the Sheeda-ites?"

"The Sheeda-ites. The identity of our attackers is a more urgent concern than studying their history."

I nod. "Right you are. Are we getting back on the cart, or can we fly now?"

He turns away. "Get in the cart, Orange Lantern."

I stride after him. "How about if I fly straight up and then straight down again? The spells can't confuse my mind if I don't use it."

"What would happen if someone tried that to get to Themyscira?"

"The spells around Themyscira obscure it from detection until you're right on top of it. If you get close anyway they generate a sudden storm, but if you tough that out you can get there safely. That's how Herakles managed it."

"These spells were put in place by the gods of Themyscira?"

"By the five goddesses who are their patrons, yes. And yes, I know that they're going to work better than thousands of badly maintained spells put in place by badly trained humans, but that's why I think I can probably bypass them."

"And warn our targets that you have that ability."

I raise my hands. "You're in charge, Physician. If you want to travel by cart, we're travelling by cart." I walk towards-. "Oh. Mistress Butler, you haven't had anyone who wants to risk me altering them to human physiological norms, have you?"

"No, I have not. And having heard you say that you know naught of magic, I doubt that folk will be."

"Alright, but remember that the offer was made."

"Yes." She looks around at her reformatted village. "I think I will be long forgetting this."

The cart rocks slightly as Leonid lands, while I just float over the side and land lightly. Mr. Yao climbs in from the rear while Mistress Butler and Abednego take position at the front. I could improve the village as long as I left anything with a glyph on it unchanged, but this whole cart is covered in them. I couldn't even add tyres. I mean, it's got leaf springs, so it's not as bad as what the Amazons use, but it's not exactly an easy or comfortable ride.

"Onwards, my boys."

Abednego doesn't bother with the reins this time. The horses clop forward, apparently untroubled by the novel road surface or the fact that I was performing transmutations directly in front of them. But I suppose that they were raised in a society of magic users.

Leonid leans forward. "Mistress Butler? How much contact have you had with the people we are visiting?"

"Nothing for eight years. Five years ago a warlock came though here and asked for directions, but we have seen neither hide nor hair of him since."

"What.. part of the year five years ago?"

We exit the town and.. our surroundings begin blurring again.

"What import is it?"

"Given that warlocks are uncommon, I imagine that he'd just become a warlock and other people had been aware of it. Particularly given that he had functioning grundymen with him."

Abednego glances back at me before returning his attention to the pathway.

"That does not necessarily follow. Between here and the land to which Melmoth brought us there are like as not a great many unhallowed bodies."

Leonid frowns. "That was five hundred years ago. Should they not have rotted by now?"

"No. Our bodies do not decay, but rather ripen after our deaths. Our grundymen have far greater strength in death than they did in life."

"I assumed that was…" He looks at me. "I don't know the English. Hysterical strength?"

"Hysterical strength."

"Yes, hysterical strength."

"I be not certain what that is, but I be confident that is not what it is."

"Yes, those Sheeda traits that Columbians don't have in life become active in death." Ugh. "Maybe I could ask Natasa to come here to study the process? I don't know any pure non-sacred necromancers."

"Sacred necromancers?"

"Not Christian-sacred. Pagan-sacred." I frown. "I mean, I do know some Christian magicians… But one's a papist and the other's a werewolf."

Who surprisingly got in touch with me via the Justice League to find out if I knew where John Constantine had gotten to. Given what Brother Chalice did to him during that whole Nameless Beast mess I was surprised that he cared. I mean, yes, werewolf battle monk. If he'd been seriously annoyed he'd probably have eaten John…

"And neither of them are necromancers."

"In Russia, we have werebears."

And that goes on the slate. Along with finding Cyrus Gold's corpse and seeing if he's got Sheeda blood in him.

Mr. Yao looks thoughtful. "Mister Abednego, will you need to conceal yourself when we arrive? If they study forbidden magic and harbour warlocks, they will not welcome you."

"Nay, Physician. My dress is not so outlandish that they would comment, unless I brandish my pistols. If they ask, tell them that I am a guide."

"As you will. Mistress Butler, please tell us what you can of their people and home."

Darko · Aug 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
carts rocks

maybe just 'cart rocks', as they're going in just one cart.

Mr Zoat said:
if covered on them

'is covered with them'

Mr Zoat said:
have rotten

'rotted'

Chojin Patriarch · Aug 21, 2020

Mr Zoat said:
2nd May
02:23 GMT -5

"Wards still alright?"

Mistress Butler cautiously nods as she taps her right foot on the tarmac which now covers the village's main road.

Methinks that upgrade will be quite welcome come the next rainy season... No tramping through ankle-deep mud to visit the neighbours...

"What be this made of?"

"Concrete, bitumen and small stones. It'll hold up to repeated impacts and water no problem."

Assuming she knows what those things are, given the poor state of the Warlock-breeds' culture. Still, none of those things are exactly new to western culture.

Once it became clear that Mistress Butler wasn't fleeing a war party, most of the locals went back to sleep. Right up until the village around them turned orange.

I know it's more efficient for me to badger people into doing research that will improve our knowledge of the universe and open up new technological possibilities, but there's something I find really satisfying about building things. It's like how I always tried to capture buildings in Command and Conquer even when it wasn't efficient to do so. It's not a good idea for me to spend my time like this, but it's… Nice, when I get the opportunity to do so.

It's the simple things, eh? A little break from the complicated mess your life has become these last couple of years.

Mr. Tao smiles as I lower my rings. "If you are finished, we have our next objective."

I nod. "The original settlement or the Sheeda-ites?"

"The Sheeda-ites. The identity of our attackers is a more urgent concern than studying their history."

Especially if they're abducting people for nefarious purposes. Let's hope they haven't gone through too much pain and suffering... Then again, Sheeda.

I nod. "Right you are. Are we getting back on the cart, or can we fly now?"

He turns away. "Get in the cart, Orange Lantern."

Honestly, OL... You just want to get into orbit and get a good look at this place, don't you?

I stride after him. "How about if I fly straight up and then straight down again? The spells can't confuse my mind if I don't use it."

"What would happen if someone tried that to get to Themyscira?"

"The spells around Themyscira obscure it from detection until you're right on top of it. If you get close anyway they generate a sudden storm, but if you tough that out you can get there safely. That's how Herakles managed it."

Though any men following him might not have had as much fun with the trip...

"These spells were put in place by the gods of Themyscira?"

"By the five goddesses who are their patrons, yes. And yes, I know that they're going to work better than thousands of badly maintained spells put in place by badly trained humans, but that's why I think I can probably bypass them."

I doubt they extend too far from the surface, anyway. Maybe only as far as the edge of the atmosphere. After all, magic works by intent, and I doubt the casters knew about orbital trajectories and the like.

"And warn our targets that you have that ability."

I raise my hands. "You're in charge, Physician. If you want to travel by cart, we're travelling by cart." I walk towards-. "Oh. Mistress Butler, you haven't had anyone who wants to risk me altering them to human physiological norms, have you?"

Bet some would consider that cheating their redemption for their sins... And others would quietly judge the volunteers for it.

"No, I have not. And having heard you say that you know aught of magic, I doubt that folk will be."

"Alright, but remember that the offer was made."

"Yes." She looks around at her reformatted village. "I think I will be long forgetting this."

That's the best kind of visit. One you'll always remember.

The carts rocks slightly as Leonid lands, while I just float over the side and land lightly. Mr. Yao climbs in from the rear while Mistress Butler and Abednego take position at the front. I could improve the village as long as I left anything with a glyph on it unchanged, but this whole cart if covered on them. I couldn't even add tyres. I mean, it's got leaf springs, so it's not as bad as what the Amazons use, but it's not exactly a easy or comfortable ride.

What, you can't just casually float a few centimetres above the seat, and hold your position relative to the cart? That's how I'd do it...

"Onwards, my boys."

Abednego doesn't bother with the reins this time. The horse clop forward, apparently untroubled by the novel road surface or the fact that I was performing transmutations directly in front of them. But I suppose that they were raised in a society of magic users.

Methinks they've seen some shit in their time.

Leonid leans forward. "Mistress Butler? How much contact have you had with the people we are visiting?"

"Nothing for eight years. Five years ago a warlock came though here and asked for directions, but we have seen neither hide nor hair of him since."

That's quite a while. But in this level of development, such things would be memorable...

"What.. part of the year five years ago?"

We exit the town and.. our surroundings begin blurring again.

"What import is it?"

Indeed, where are you going with this, OL?

"Given that warlocks are uncommon, I imagine that if he'd just become a warlock and other people had been aware of it. Particularly given that he had functioning grundymen with him."

Abednego glances back at me before returning his attention to the pathway.

"That does not necessarily follow. Between here and the land to which Melmoth brought us there are like as not a great many unhallowed bodies."

That's a lot of potential Grundeymen, if someone can muster the mystical chops to raise and brand all of them, especially all at once...

Leonid frowns. "That was five hundred years ago. Should they not have rotten by now?"

"No. Our bodies do not decay, but rather ripen after our deaths. Our grundymen have far greater strength in death than they did in life."

Almost like some kind of artificial genetic augmentation kicks in. Fascinating.

"I assumed that was…" He looks at me. "I don't know the English. Hysterical strength?"

"Hysterical strength."

"Yes, hysterical strength."

"No, Who's on first." Really feels comedic there...

"I be not certain what that is, but I be confident that is not what it is."

"Yes, those Sheeda traits that Columbians don't have in life become active in death." Ugh. "Maybe I could ask Natasa to come here to study the process? I don't know any pure non-sacred necromancers."

Yet more things to delegate for later. I assume that's an Amazon...

"Sacred necromancers?"

"Not Christian-sacred. Pagan-sacred." I frown. "I mean, I do know some Christian magicians… But one's a papist and the other's a werewolf."

And thus neither is likely to be welcome. OL really has to expand his magical contact list.

Who surprisingly got in touch with me via the Justice League to find out if I knew where John Constantine had gotten to. Given what Brother Chalice did to him during that whole Nameless Beast mess I was surprised that he cared. I mean, yes, werewolf battle monk. If he'd been seriously annoyed he'd probably have eaten John…

"And neither of them are necromancers."

That would also be a problem for researching post-mortem augmentation of Grundeymen...

"In Russia, we have werebears."

And that goes on the slate. Along with finding Cyrus Gold's corpse and seeing if he's got Sheeda blood in him.

Indeed... It's been a long time, have we even seen Solomon Grundy here? Up to and including 'locked up in Belle Reve'?

Mr. Tao looks thoughtful. "Mister Abednego, will you need to conceal yourself when we arrive? If they study forbidden magic and harbour warlocks, they will not welcome you."

"Nay, Physician. My dress is not so outlandish that they would comment, unless to brandished my pistols. If they ask, tell them that I am a guide."

"As you will. Mistress Butler, please tell us what you can of their people and home."

It'll probably not be much, given the lack of contact. For all anyone knows, the next community is already gone...

Looks like OL is getting a little frustrated with the slow pace of this little expedition. And throwing up so many ideas for research in future. Hopefully they run into more Sheeda raiders for him to work those frustrations out on..

...but it's not exactly a easy or comfortable ride.

...but it's not exactly an easy or comfortable ride.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

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