Chapter 19
Predicting behavior is easy when you have enough practice and practical examples. Start by assuming the worst, and raise your expectations slightly until you have something more realistic.
Selfishness is generally what you want to focus on.
What does a person stand to gain by doing x? How far are they willing to push their luck before self-preservation kicks in?
Id been muting Headdresss sense of self-preservation with anger and irritation towards the clip-eared bruiser for the last few hours. Now it was time to dial that white noise way back.
Clip-ear was closing in on the dead pack master, his sparse leather armor rippling across canine muscle. Conveniently, he looked angry enough to kill someone.
I made sure Headdress noticed, with images tied to anxiety. If Clip-ear, clearly the strongest of the group, made a play for dominance and won, he would lose his position. Probably be humiliated. And the big gnoll sure seemed to be moving with purpose.
Headdress scurried across the stone floor of the hollowed out castle to catch up. Hes closing too quickly. I extended my arm, using my fingers as guidelines, targeting at his feet. Headdress gnoll tripped at the foot of the stairs, and caught himself with a pained grunt.
I watched as Clip-ear entered the tower. If I was estimating correctly, hed reach the tower a full-thirty seconds before Headdress did. Plenty of time to kill a drunken commanderthough I hoped they were either too stupid or too distracted to notice the kill wasnt fresh.
An eruption of angry barking echoed from the tower. Big-redpreviously staring into the fire alongside the smaller runtsstood up quickly, his back straight and hackles raised.
This was critical. Big-red was the only one I hadnt factored for. The others had exploitable flaws and a natural chafing against the hierarchy. Big-redfor a fantasy creature living in a dungeongave me little to work with. He sparred with relative restraint, didnt take his irritation at Headdress out on the runts, and took frequent naps.
Probably less frequent when I wasnt hereId had to repeatedly distract him with images of his bedroll tagged with drowsiness, as he was the only one who consistently tried to check on the leader.
Loyal, simple, and content. In other words, remarkably well-adjusted. People like that were a problem in this context. They tended to be irritatingly good at defusing things.
My mouth turned downward just thinking about it.
Vanity, maybe?
The Tribal Gnolls were something of a ratty crew. Hair shaved short to avoid mange, yellow teeth, poorly maintained armor. Big-red was the exception. His armor was in poor repair, likely an issue of resources, but the long strands of his vivid red fur had a noticeable sheen. More reminiscent of a fox than hyena. In an environment like this, without access to modern conveniences like conditioner, it had to be a huge pain to keep in that condition.
It would be a shame if something happened to it.
I focused on the fire.
Id learned from both the AC Unit and the flowers that could be focused to achieve a specific result. It seldom happened the way I planned or expected, or it took repeated attempts. I had a few theories why it failed on the Escalade. Either due to User interference, or because I was too panicked to hold anything more specific in my mind than Car go away.
The grunt with the bucket up-ended it on Big-red. There was a sizzling noise that wasnt just the sound of quenching fire. The big gnoll yowled and took a swipe at the grunt.
Taking a step back confused, the grunt shifted enough to see me.
Now I signaled Audrey.
Twin vines struck out from the shadows, wrapping around the grunts legs and whipping him off his feet. Supine, Big-red pushed up on his elbows in alarm. If the damage to his lower body wasnt sufficient, hed be standing soon.
I knew what to do as if Id done it a thousand times before.
I leapt and brought my legs forward, knees colliding with his back, the momentum of the blow driving the air from his lungs in a grunting whoosh followed by a crack as I grabbed his shoulders and rode him down into the stone. gave me a clear target in the form of his oblong, glowing heart. I stabbed down into it and twisted the blade.
After a shudder, Big-red went still. Audrey was enthusiastically digging into the grunt, who was protesting a bit too loudly. I dragged myself up and held my hand-crossbow to his head, ending his suffering.
The violet light in the corner of my vision pinged several times, coinciding with an angry roar.
Fuck. Someone won the fight I started, and I had a feeling it wasnt the caster.
I pressed myself up against the wall behind a pillar, peeking between the gaps. Clip-ear was covered in blood. One of his eyes was nothing but a ruined crater. Something tapped my shoulder and I jumped.
The leafy form of my summon was up above me, hanging on the stone railing of the second floor. A thorned vine extended down to me as a rope.
No choice.
If I stayed here Clip-ear would find me. But this was going to suck.
I raised my right arm and braced. Thorns tore through my palm as Audrey lifted me up to the banister. I left a smear of blood behind as I crawled over.
When I turned back to the central area, I found that the worst possible scenario had come to pass. Whoever, or whatever the prisoner was, had gotten free of his bonds and was fiddling with his blindfold.
Not good. I couldnt let myself be seen. If he was a User, I was screwed if I interfered. If it was some sort of trap, it would reveal itself shortly. But if he was a civilian the system had thrown in here to fuck with me?
Did you learn nothing from Daphne?
Clip-ear headed straight for the prisoner, gladius held in a blood-drenched hand. He roared.
I made a decision.
