Delvers LLC: Welcome to Ludus

by Blaise Corvin

  Mareen looked puzzled, but she and Henry were still not speaking after her outburst. She went back to glaring out the window before they rolled up to the house.

  After they got out of the carriage, Henry noticed that it was mid- to late afternoon. To him it seemed like a lot more time had passed than that, but his day had been rather eventful. Even with his new, ridiculous endurance ability, his body was starting to feel heavy.

  The front doors of the estate opened, and a large jaguar Mo'hali man in flowing pants and a short robe came out flanked by three Mo'hali women--two were jaguar race. One jaguar woman was short with brown hair. Her clothes hid her body, but the way she moved spoke of curves. Her face had smile lines. The other jaguar woman was tall and thin with dark hair. Her sharp facial features were attractive in a severe, bestial way. The last woman looked like a mouse race Mo'hali, not jaguar-like at all. She was petite with dark hair, large ears, and her inquisitive eyes had epicanthic folds.

  All four Mo'hali wore similar clothing in the same shades of black and green.

  Bezzi-ibbi briefly held hands with the mouse race woman and did the same with the taller jaguar woman before nuzzling faces with the short, brown-haired woman. Then the man in the short robe walked up to Bezzi-ibbi and cuffed him on the head hard enough to knock the boy to the ground.

  What the...? Henry thought. Bezzi-ibbi rose from the ground in a crouch, snarling, claws out. He and the man stared at each other without moving for a moment before Bezzi-ibbi slowly turned his head to the side and averted his eyes.

  The man took a quick step forward and enfolded Bezzi-ibbi in a hug. The boy growled happily and hugged the man back. Then the man set him down and said, "Welcome to my home. I am called Hajim-ibbi, and I am the head of the Jaguar Clan. I am Bezzi-ibbi's father. These are my wives." He nodded to the taller jaguar woman, "Henna-ibbi, our Clan Mother." He gestured to the mouse woman and said, "Kinwe-na-ibbi." The last woman bowed as he said, "Banna-ibbi, Bezzi-ibbi's birth-mother."

  Henry was struggling to understand the introduction. He knew the Luda language from his orb, but he still didn't understand Ludus, or specifically Mo'hali culture, very well. For instance, "birth-mother" was one word in Luda, and he knew it was a title, kind of like a Japanese honorific. However, the term didn't directly translate, so he decided to mentally frame it in a way he could understand more easily.

  "Nice to meet you," Henry replied. Three wives? This guy must be a baller. Henry glanced at all three women and noticed they stood very straight and regarded him with restrained, polite interest. The villagers Henry had first met and the regular people he'd seen in the city acted differently. If they were curious about something, they just stared.

  Ah, these people must be aristocrats or something. With a start, Henry realized that his mannerisms from Earth were similar to the Jaguar Clan's. Henry had never thought of himself as particularly polished or confident, but he couldn't deny it. The Jaguar Clan leaders stood straighter, seemed less hesitant than most people he'd met.

  He suddenly wondered if everyone he'd met so far on Ludus thought he and Jason were nobles. Maybe that was why George had been a village leader too. If he saw Jason again, he'd mention it. This was the kind of shit Jason got off on.

  "Thank you for taking care of Bezzi-ibbi," said Hajim-ibbi. "He is very wild. We feared the worst after he didn't come home for a week. Before you arrived, the Guard sent us your account of events via magic messenger bird."

  Banna-ibbi, Bezzi-ibbi's mother, nodded and said, "Yes, it's lucky the criminals didn't know which families were in power in the city, or they would have held Bezzi-ibbi for ransom. His life would have been threatened to force our Family to comply with demands. Thank you for saving our son!" She bowed deeply.

  Henry glanced at Bezzi-ibbi and wondered why the kid was still standing with him instead of with his family. Henry obviously didn't understand Mo'hali culture... like, at all. Bezzi-ibbi's dad had smacked the shit out of him, and nobody else in the family had batted and eye. These people were fucking weird.

  Henry patted his scarred leg, his new nervous habit, and said, "I just did what anyone would have done. What I'm most surprised about is that you all speak perfect Luda while Bezzi just growls a lot."

  "Oh no..." Mareen whispered in horror.

  There was no real warning. The jaguar people all made noises like stepped on cats, and Henna-ibbi, the taller Jaguar woman, sprang forward at Henry. Her teeth were bared, and her claws extended as she went for Henry's throat.

  Henry didn't have time for conscious thought. In a fraction of a second, he used his magic to channel strength from the earth and covered his forearm with glittering steel. He barely managed to block Henna-ibbi's murderous claws as he sprang back.

  In a blur of motion, Bezzi-ibbi body checked Henna-ibbi with his full weight and jumped back next to Henry. Bezzi-ibbi had his claws out now too.

  These people are crazy!

  Bezzi-ibbi howled something, and his whole Family immediately stopped moving.

  What happened next was tense but simple; Henry stood very still as Bezzi-ibbi spoke rapidly to his Family in their own language. Mareen didn't move a muscle either. Henry glanced at his steel-covered arm. His ability to transform so fast and only alter one arm at a time were both new to him. He needed to practice more.

  He noticed the mouse woman, Kinwe-na-ibbi, staring at him, studying his arm in particular. Henry could feel magic emanating from her. He knew without a doubt she was a mage.

  Henry wished he understood what the fuck was going on. This had been a truly horrible day. Above all, he wished he knew whether to relax or get ready to fight for his life again. The emotional yo-yo was exhausting. He was battered, bruised, covered in dried blood, smelled like smoke, and he was almost completely out of magical power.

  When Henna-ibbi had attacked earlier, she almost got him; she was so fast! If the Mo'hali attacked seriously, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the whole Jaguar Clan. Kinwe-na-ibbi was a mage too, and Henry was becoming convinced the mouse Mo'hali woman was probably the strongest mage Henry had seen on Ludus so far. The thought made him feel strangely vulnerable.

  The volume of the Jaguar Clan's argument kept rising, the adults looking increasingly shocked and upset. Bezzi-ibbi's tone was firm and unyielding. His posture was ramrod straight, leaning slightly forward as he stood beside Henry. Henry still had no idea what they were talking about, but the fact nobody had tried to murder him again was probably a good sign. Maybe. Hopefully.

  Bezzi-ibbi's argument finally began to wind down. Banna-ibbi and Henna-ibbi both said something to Hajim-ibbi who looked off into the distance and pondered for a moment. Then he nodded and said something to Bezzi-ibbi, who responded by crouching and putting his head down on the ground. Henna-ibbi took a step forward, bowed stiffly to Henry, and grated, "Excuse me for my actions. I was not aware of the situation. Please honor us by staying as a guest in our home."

  Bezzi-ibbi got up and grinned at Henry. "Don't worry. Everything okay now!" He patted Henry's shoulder and said, "Family." Then the entire Jaguar Clan family headed into the house. Bezzi-ibbi followed and tried to pull Henry along.

  What. The. Fuck? Henry glanced at Mareen for a clue, but she looked confused too. Based on her earlier reaction, she still seemed to know more about the situation than he did, though. Henry felt like he was tap dancing on a cultural minefield.

  He seriously considered just walking away, maybe even running, but he was surrounded by Jaguar Clan guards and had nowhere to go. He was also dead tired, alone, and out of magic energy. Basically, he was out of options. He turned to Bezzi-ibbi and asked, "Is everything okay?"

  Bezzi-ibbi patted his shoulder again. "Safe," he said. "My home. Your home. Family!" The kid's smile showed all his teeth. Henry let his forearm armor disappear, but he held onto his strength from the earth, though. He was going to stay juiced up as long as he could until he knew nobody was going to try tearing out his throat again.

  What a shitty day.


  Names and Nudity

  Jason woke as the wagon jostled to a halt. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, peering around in confusion. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep with Uluula... he glanced down and saw her waking up too. At least she was okay.

  He noticed they were still covered in filth, and the smell hit him a moment later. "Ugh..." He shook his head and resisted the urge to spit. He could wait until they got out; it seemed rude to spit in the wagon... even if he didn't know whose it was or why he was in it.

  The waning, pre-dusk light cast deep shadows outside. He couldn't get a good view of where they were, but none of it would have looked familiar to him anyway. He decided to just accept being unharmed and unbound as positive signs.

  Before long, the rear gate of the wagon was opened by two women in red uniforms. Both women were carrying cudgels on their belts and appeared very athletic. They looked like regular humans to Jason--in fact, they could have fit in anywhere in the US. They were probably Terrans like him.

  One woman was tall with short hair. The other was average height with a pixie bob. They had their sleeves rolled up and wrinkled their noses in distaste after getting a whiff of their passengers.

  "Thank the gods you're awake," said the taller woman. "I may have to burn my uniform after getting the two of you into the wagon."

  The other guard added, "You're lucky you have friends in high places. We were going to take you to jail. Instead, here we are at the Jaguar Clan. Now they can deal with you."

  "Out, out, out!" The first guard tapped her cudgel on the side of the wagon. "We don't have all day. We need to clean this wagon out now. I couldn't even force the puking drunks to sit in this smell later tonight."

  "Damn right," said the shorter woman.

  Jason stared at the guards for half a second, not knowing whether he was more irritated or amused. Uluula interrupted his bemusement by getting up and hopping out of the wagon. Jason followed her. As soon as he was out, the guards secured the gate and handed Jason a cloth bundle. "This was what we found on ya, a few knives and such." The taller woman smirked and said, "You normally wouldn't get these back, but you look like you could use all the help you can get."

  "Plus, the Jaguar Clan told us to treat you as Clan guests," said the shorter woman with the pixie cut. Her taller companion smacked the back of her head, and she snarled, "What the hell was that for, Ladia? It's true."

  "Shhh, quiet!" hissed the taller guard.

  "Thanks, I think," mumbled Jason. The guards ignored him and hopped up onto the wagon, riding off without a backward glance.

  Jason frowned at Uluula, but she just shrugged. He examined his surroundings and saw he was standing behind a huge house. The architecture looked strange to him, but he bet Henry would have known what it was. Henry was always good with random, useless knowledge like that.

  Jason frowned; he suddenly realized he'd left Henry in a burning building with no exit. Hopefully his friend had made it out, but he could already feel guilt setting in. What was more, the little beast boy, Bezzi, had been there too.

  Well, there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He'd just have to hope the little guy was still alive and safe.

  A door to the house opened, and a jaguar Mo'hali woman in a plain blue dress with a green-and-black armband approached them. Suddenly, a small figure darted out from behind her and ran up to Jason. Bezzi-ibbi held out his hands, and without thinking, Jason automatically took them. The boy smiled and said, "Family. Happy alive."

  Jason blinked and noticed more people coming out of the house, including Henry. His friend was wearing the same baggy green-and-black clothing as the Mo'hali. The group walked towards Jason and then took an involuntary step back when they smelled him.

  Henry coughed. "Oh my God, dude! That's fucking nasty. Go take a bath. I was going to talk to you and introduce everyone, but it can wait."

  The female Mo'hali in the blue dress said, "Please come this way, young master. You as well, Areva." She gestured to Uluula. "I will guide you to the baths." Jason concluded she was probably a maid.

  He could seriously smell himself. He also saw the disgusted faces some of the people around him were making. "Ah, yeah. Okay let's go."

  Uluula tilted her head slightly and said, "Lead the way." She stood straight, and her bearing was almost regal. All of the fear she'd had in her eyes when she'd been imprisoned was completely gone. Jason realized it was his first time seeing her normal posture. She looked proud and self-confident. This chick is tough... and her ears are sexy.

  Jason obediently followed Uluula and the maid as she led them into the house. As he passed his friend, Henry stiffly said, "I'm glad you made it out okay."

  "You too." Jason wanted to say more but knew they'd talk later.

  The house was huge. It looked even bigger on the inside than the outside. Long hallways with stone flooring sported attractive, polished wooden doors and the occasional open, airy alcove. The maid led them to a door that looked like all the others to Jason. She opened it to reveal a small room with another door at the far end.

  She turned to Uluula and said, "Madam, please put your clothing in the basket here. What would you like us to do with it?"

  Uluula looked down at herself thoughtfully. She finally said, "It makes me stand out too much. You can dispose of it so long as I am provided with replacements."

  "Very good." She turned to Jason. "You, please come with me."

  Jason followed her down another set of hallways and quickly got lost. She brought him to a room where an older, gentle-looking jaguar man was sitting on a cushion surrounded by weapons and armor. Jason glanced around, interested by all the hardware on the walls, but quickly focused again when he realized the maid was trying to get his attention.

  The man chuckled, "Leave him be, Tita-abbi. He looks," he said while sniffing, "and smells like he's had a long day."

  The maid Tita-abbi smiled indulgently. "Young master, this is Yanno-ibbi. Please hand him your metal or anything else you'd like cleaned and detailed. He specializes in weapons."

  Jason handed over the bag the guard gave him. He hadn't even opened it yet. He knew it probably contained a couple bronze knives covered in dried blood. Why did the City Guard even let me go? Jason glanced around at the beautiful house and had his suspicions.

  Henry had probably pulled through for him again. His friend had not only escaped, he'd probably had the City Guard looking for him too. Jason couldn't imagine how Henry had pulled off attaining the help of such a powerful family. Well, it probably had something to do with Bezzi-ibbi--he could tell that much.

  He was grateful either way.

  However, all the important conversations could definitely wait until after his bath. He regarded the older Mo'hali and asked, "So are you an armorer?"

  Yanno-ibbi smiled. "Armorer, tinker, garden supervisor, and Family historian."

  "Wow! That is quite a list, Yanno! You must be really busy."

  There was a brief silence broken by Tita-abbi hissing. Jason glanced at her. She was staring at the ground, but her whole body was tense. Jason was confused. He could tell he'd made a mistake, but he wasn't sure what he did; he could only conclude it had something to do with shortening Yanno-ibbi's name.

  He glanced back to Yanno-ibbi, but the older man hadn't moved and was still smiling. His eyes twinkled.

  "Jason-ibbi, right? Please use my full name around Family branch members. Some people are going to be slower than others to adjust to you and Henry-ibbi being Family."

  "I see," said Jason. He really didn't. What the hell did Henry do!? He needed to talk to his friend as soon as possible, but he had no idea where he even was anymore. The path of least resistance seemed to be taking a bath.

  Yanno-ibbi hefted himself to his feet and gravely bowed. "Ah, where are my old manners? Excuse me. I'm sure you want to get cleaned up."

  The maid Tita-abbi swept out of the room. She looked back and said, "This way, young master." She wasn't
hissing anymore. That was probably a good sign. Jason wouldn't shorten any more names until he knew more about Mo'hali culture.

  They walked for a ways. Jason thought they might be heading back the way they came, but he couldn't be sure. Tita-abbi opened a door and gestured inside. "You should have everything you need inside. You can drop your clothing and your armor in the basket. What would you like us to do with it?" She wrinkled her nose.

  Jason thought of his HEMA armor fondly. It had saved his life several times, but he really needed something more substantial than training armor. Plus, he rather doubted he'd ever get the smell out of the nylon bits. "You can destroy or discard it."

  "Very well. The bath is through the other doorway."

  In the small room, Jason stripped and found a small, private privy off to the side--a godsend. He discovered the far end of the room was a shower of sorts. Two levers operated the water from the ceiling. One adjusted the flow, and the other increased the temperature. Running water and a heated shower, eh? Not bad.

  It was the first time Jason had been able to thoroughly clean his body in over two weeks. Henry might have been used to roughing it and being a nasty ass, but Jason was not a fan of the experience. He was pleased to find soap and other toiletries in shelves recessed into the wall. Tita-abbi hadn't been kidding; the room was stocked.

  It seemed the process he was expected to follow was like a cross between Japanese and Western bathing customs. After he was done washing himself, Jason could still faintly smell his old clothes in the corner. He decided to leave the shower and check out the bath.

  He opened the door and saw the bath itself. The walls looked like concrete, and the bath was mostly below the level of the floor. Steam hung in the air, and Jason saw the interior of the tub shimmer. He noticed the tub's irregular shape and was reminded of... a shell! Yes, the bath was definitely the lower shell of some enormous creature.