“Use it?” I asked, shaking my head. “How? How am I supposed to do this?” I shook my head. “We barely won before, and I’m half sure Nadine let us win. She had us in her grasp too many times—”
“Exactly,” Gabriella said, smiling brightly at me as she put one hand on my arm. “You have a princess who is doing all this because in her messed up way she wants to help you. Just appeal to that. Find something she wants and offer it to her in exchange. Let her feel like she’s getting the better of you and she will leap at it. That is her nature.”
“I don’t know if I can find something like that,” I said, shaking my head as I tried to keep the frustration out of my voice. “She’s been here, what? A day? And now she’s taken my town, my people, everything.”
“Not everything,” Gabriella said. “You still have your sword and your portal gun. You probably still have some people and property at your disposal. The key will be to find out what that is and exploit it.”
“You expect me to stop a hostile takeover against the Princess of Greed?” I asked, already turning my mind to the problem. If what Gabriella had said was true, we needed to hurry. It was clear Mammon liked to work fast. Already she’d forced me into a situation of her design, and I had no doubt, there were more complications to set upon me like ravenous dogs. That meant I had to stop reacting. No, not just that. I had to change the game.
“Yes.” She grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes, and I realized that she truly believed in me. I was pretty sure no one had ever looked at me like that before, and something about it made my cheeks heat up. “I believe you can do anything. You are the legendary Builder. You will defeat the Darkness.” She bounced slightly. “But, as I said before, we mustn’t dally.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding toward her. I wasn’t sure what we had left, but one thing was certain. We needed to get back to Lustnor fast. All my stuff was there, and I had no doubt that if it wasn’t being cataloged as owned by the town now, it would be soon.
Gwen marched out of the door then, looking as pissed off as I’d felt a few moments ago. It was weird. As angry as I’d been, the prospect of going up against Mammon excited me. She might be greed incarnate, but I was the builder, and that was more than I’d ever been before. It was time to behave like the eight hundred pound gorilla I was and do what I damned well wanted.
“Those bitches won’t do anything,” Gwen snapped, giving the guild hall the bird while glaring at it so hard I wondered if it’d combust. It was a very real possibility given the succubus’s mastery of fire magic.
“That means we need to hurry,” I said, nodding to her. “We need to salvage what we can before it’s all lost,” I said, taking a deep breath as I met her eyes. Then I held out my hand. “You in?”
“I suppose,” Gwen said, taking my hand. “You are the builder of legend, and if you can’t figure out a way to rebuild from nothing, I suppose no one can.”
“At worst, I become a traveling peddler, raising people’s stats for coin until we have enough to do something,” I said, trying to ignore how I could only raise the stats of people who had joined me.
“Even if we fail here, it may not matter,” Gabriella said, turning her eyes back to the guild hall. “We still need to find the Armaments to defeat Dred. So even if we cannot thwart Mammon here, we must search for them. Heaven depends on it.”
As she said those words, a new weight seemed to settle upon my shoulders. Given what had just happened, I was relatively sure they weren’t going to help us build the Stairway to Heaven. No matter, I’d just have to think of another way.
After all, there was always plan B. Become so powerful they had to do what I wanted. Dred was fighting the whole host of Heaven, and he didn’t even have them all. If I got them all, I could surely take on a bunch of craftsmen.
8
As we reappeared through the Nexus Gateway, I already knew we were fucked. I could no longer see the orbs over the town, and as we hustled toward the gates, the trepidation in my stomach grew. Sheila stood there, and when she saw us, she smiled.
Clearly, the news hadn’t spread to them yet, but at the same time, she no longer had an orb over her head. It made sense since she was employed by the town to guard it, but that didn’t help me.
“Fuck!” I cried, and my frustration made Sheila look at me in confusion. Then she glanced around, looking for the culprit.
“What’s wrong, Arthur?” she asked, her grip tightening on her spear as she watched me. “Are we under attack?”
“We lost control of the town,” Gwen said, striding toward the gates with her head held high. “A new regent will be appointed shortly.”
“I shouldn’t let you in then.” Sheila’s gaze dropped to the ground. “Be quick. I’ll pretend I didn’t know.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, waving it off. “We’re just here to collect our stuff.” I sighed, gripping the hilt of Clarent. Even still, I couldn’t see the menu for Sheila anymore.
“What are you doing?” Sheila asked as I pulled Clarent free of its sheath and pointed it at her. “You’re not seriously thinking of attacking me, are you?”
“No,” I said as blue light began to cascade off the blade. My heart began to hammer, and blood pounded in my ears, but it didn’t matter. As the runes blazed along the blade, I knew the truth. I’d lost Sheila and likely everyone else inside. Damn.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked, but before I could respond, Gabriella burst in
“He has lost control over the townsfolk as he is no longer in charge.” She pointed at Sheila. “She works for the town. His builder powers will no longer work on her.”
“Oh,” Gwen said, and for a split second, I saw a chink in her resolve. She was thinking what I was. Most of the people inside worked for the town. They wouldn’t be coming with us.
“Hurry,” Sheila said, moving to open the gates. “Get what you can and leave. Quickly.” She gestured at the gates. “Before the new regent arrives.”
“Right,” Gwen said, marching inside ahead of me, but I didn't follow. Instead, I turned to look back at the encroaching Darkness. The horizon popped and spat with lightning, and while we’d pushed it back, who knew when they’d come again, when they’d attack this town. Once that happened, Royal Centre, and its bureaucrats would fall.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriella asked. She was halfway through the gates but had stopped to look at me.
“I’m starting to think we should find a nice place that’s not between Royal Centre and the enemy. Then we can leave them to die.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’d serve them right.”
“If you do that…” Sheila said, taking a long look at me. She didn’t need to finish the sentence. If I did that, my friends in Lustnor would be the first casualties, and dammit, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice them even if they weren’t really my people anymore.
“Fuck!” I cried, gripping Clarent’s hilt so tightly it hurt. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“You can be angry later,” Gwen said, poking her head past the gate. She watched me carefully. “Right now, we need to get everything we can. If there’s anyone not contracted to the town, we need to get them now before they do become contracted to the town.”
“Fine,” I grumbled even though I knew she was right. Part of me recognized I was being a petulant child, but at the same time, I couldn’t believe this was happening.
Still, staying out here wouldn’t help. I dutifully followed Gwen inside, and as I did, Gabriella gripped my arm tightly.
“I know it’s hard,” the archangel said, “But we never deal with anything that does not have the power to make us stronger.” She gestured around us, and I followed her movement, trying to ignore how the orbs that let me see deeply into the stats of the buildings, sculptures, and statues were no longer there as they had been before. No, now they had little more than the generic tooltips that told me what they were.
“This better make us really strong, really fast because otherwise, well,” I turned
and pointed to the all-consuming Darkness just across the horizon, “that isn’t going to stop until we’re all dead.”
“Being on the losing side is never a reason to stop fighting. It’s a reason to get stronger, to rise above and push back the wrongdoers.” Gabriella stared at me, her eyes measuring my face. “Now stand up and be the Builder I came to find, Arthur.” She held out her hand. “Or give me the sword so I may find someone who can do what needs to be done.”
I looked at her hand, and as I did, my heart hurt. Being the Builder was literally the only thing special about me, and without that power, I’d go back to being nothing. I’d refused a similar offer from Nadine, and that would have fulfilled every one of my other dreams. I’d done it because I wanted to feel special because I’d wanted to win.
My current situation didn’t change that, and I would not let it break me. No, I would do as Gabriella said and use it to become so powerful it never happened again. The next time the guilds summoned me and tried to take what was mine, I’d make sure they could not.
“No,” I said, sheathing Clarent. “I am the Builder. I and no other. I will do as you said and become stronger. I will defeat Dred and restore the Heavens, and I won’t let you down.” Gabriella smiled at me, and the sight of it filled me with determination.
“Good, now let’s get what we came for,” she said, moving along the path toward the town center. Only as she did, I saw Gwen marching forward with Buffy, and the goblin merchant still had the ownership orb over her head.
“I found Buffy,” Gwen said, gesturing at the diminutive goblin. “I told her what happened. She’s going to help us.”
“You’re not part of the town,” I said, smiling brightly.
“Of course not,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “I work for you, Arthur. Remember? I joined your party.” She met my eyes. “Guess that doesn’t matter, now. If what you said is correct, we have nearly no time before the new regent shows up. We need to have everything we want out of this town long before then.”
“Well, I guess you had better get to it then,” I said, nodding to her. “Be as quick as you can.”
“On it. I’ll have this town stripped of value faster than you can say ‘locomotive.’” With that, she was gone so fast, she practically left a dust cloud in her wake. I watched her sprint down the pathway to her buggy before turning my eyes on Gwen.
“Who else do we have?” I asked, and she just shrugged at me.
“Only you’ll be able to tell before the regent shows up.” Gwen gestured at my sword. “I’d just be guessing.”
“Great, okay.” I stepped past her and moved toward the center of town. “Can you two help Buffy?”
Gwen and Gabriella nodded in unison, and I smiled at them. “I’m counting on you. I have no idea what’s valuable.”
“Me either!” Gabriela said before flexing her arms. “But I’m good at lifting heavy things.” She grabbed Gwen’s arm. “Come on, let’s go steal stuff.”
“Call me if you need something, Arthur,” Gwen said before turning to Gabriella. “Let’s go, angel. We have lots to do before we rest.”
9
As I took a step forward, intent on finding out who in the town remained with us, the skyline lit up with a silver flash. Lightning arced and thunder crackled. Rain began to fall, spattering across the lands as Mammon appeared before me in a gout of silver flame.
She smiled at me and ran one hand through her short hair, finger-combing it behind one ear. “Hello, Arthur,” she said, sidling toward me, and before I knew it, she was face to face with me. “Fancy seeing you in my new town.”
“Your new town?” I spluttered, taking a step backward in confusion. My heart thudded in my chest as I looked her over, trying to get over the fright her sudden appearance had caused me. Only before I could, rage bubbled up inside me. “Is this all your doing?”
“Well, yes, I suppose, but it isn’t my fault,” she said, flicking a hand to her chest. “See, I thought I would be okay with you keeping your wretched little town, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted it. I tried, Arthur, I really did, but I couldn’t help but think it’d look better if I owned it.” She smiled at me, baring her teeth, and for a split second, I thought she might try to take a bite out of me.
“We need this town to stop the Darkness.” I unconsciously took a step away from her, one hand automatically reaching for Clarent, but before I could pull the weapon free, she seized my wrist.
“I hear you, Arthur. Really, I do.” She pulled my hand up to her face and nuzzled against it like a cat. “So, here’s what I propose.” She smiled again and leaned in until her lips were nearly touching my own. “You work for me.”
“No.” The word left my lips before I could even contemplate her offer.
“No?” she said, furrowing her brows at me. “Are you sure? I offer a wonderful benefits package, and I have resources. Vast resources. I can put them at your disposal. I can give you whatever you want.” Her tongue flicked out, tasting the air like a snake as she spoke. “All you need to do is kneel before me, proclaim me master, and do as I say.” Her eyes sparkled like blood diamonds. “It’s not so much when you think about it. People always bow. I’m just giving you a proper master to do it before.” She clucked her tongue.
“No,” I repeated even though I knew that with her power behind me things would be easier. If I had to admit it to myself, I was getting tired of leading, of making choices when I was out of my depth. People were counting on me, and sometimes I didn’t feel like I was up to the task. If I joined Mammon, she’d take care of that. She could get me the people, the resources I needed.
Only, I knew that was the coward’s way out. If I joined with her, I’d cede control to her, sure, but I’d also lose a bit of myself. My efforts would be turned to serve her best interests. Fighting the Darkness first, but after? After I’d be doing whatever her greedy little heart desired. No, it was easy to see someone like Mammon slip into an endless cycle of greed where she constantly needed to keep taking from the people we needed to protect.
I wouldn’t be a party to that, even if it was easier in the short term.
“I thought you might say that now.” Mammon took a step backward, releasing me. “That’s what makes breaking you so much fun. Every time you refuse me, my desire grows, and when I finally have you…” she did a little squeal. “It will be all the better for it. So run Builder. Try your best and know that all you do is in vain. You do not even know the depths to which I have begun to thwart you.”
“You know, we‘re supposed to be on the same side, Mammon.” I turned and pointed at the darkening horizon. “That’s the real enemy.”
“Oh, I know.” Mammon shrugged. “That is why I know you will join me. Because you cannot win without me. I hold all the cards.” She held her hand out, examining her silver nails. “You, on the other hand, are just the Builder. You can be replaced just by having some other idiot pick up the sword.”
Her words stung because part of me wondered not only if they were true, but if there might be someone better suited for the job. As those thoughts filled my mind, I saw Mammon’s grin expand to Cheshire cat proportions. She was baiting me, playing on my insecurities to get me to join her. She’d taken my town, my people, and she would take more.
And honestly?
I wasn’t sure I could stop her.
But I was damned well going to try. I was going to stand up and try my hardest to defeat her and the Darkness. I’d save my people, rescue the lands. I’d be a goddamned hero. Just the Builder? Fuck her.
“I can see thoughts flitting through your brain like tiny fish,” she said, touching her mouth with one slender finger. “Let me guess, you’re deciding to resist the inevitable. You have some misguided notion you can be a hero.” Her smile became downright predatory. “Then do so, hero. Be who you were destined to be.” She took a step forward then, closing the tiny space between us. “Only do it somewhere else.”
Mamm
on shoved me, and as I fell backward, the whole of my world exploded into silver flame. Pain, unlike anything I’d ever felt, exploded through me, lighting my very nerve endings on fire and slashing my guts with acid.
Then it was over, and I was standing a half mile outside the town’s gates. Silver firecrackers exploded up into the air from within the walls as the sky crackled once more. I watched them arc through the sky for a second before realizing they were starting to fall toward me.
“Fuck,” I cried, ripping Clarent free of its sheath and raising it up. As I did, I summoned the power shield I’d used during the fight Nadine in an attempt to ward off whatever attack Mammon had thrown at me.
Only I needn’t have bothered. As the silver comets hit the ground all around me, and the world came alive with the blinding flash of silver, I realized it wasn’t an attack. No. Not an attack at all.
“What the hell just happened?” Buffy asked, shaking her head as she looked around. Once she spotted me, she took a deep breath. “One minute I was loading my cart, the next I was here.”
“Mammon happened,” I said, looking around at the girls surrounding me. In addition to Buffy, Gabriella, and Gwen, Sally, Crystal, and Annabeth were there too. That was it. Everyone else was gone. Holy fuck we’re we screwed.
“What do you mean Mammon happened?” Gwen asked, looking around and coming to the same realization I had. She didn’t have to say anything though because I was pretty sure everyone else felt similarly.
“She showed up and offered me a chance to become her slave. I refused, she threatened me, and then shoved me out of town.” I shrugged because it was the truth. Part of me was starting to wish I’d taken her up on the offer though.
“She has my cart!” Buffy snarled, whirling around as she looked for it. “That is my property.” The diminutive goblin rolled up one sleeve like she was about to lay the smackdown on someone and began marching back toward Lustnor.
The Builder's Greed (The Legendary Builder Book 2) Page 6
