Delvers LLC: Welcome to Ludus

by Blaise Corvin

  There was a period of silence. Jason really couldn't think of anything Dolos could give him. He was also busy lamenting his luck. He didn't want to fight in some ridiculous war of the gods! His internal protests were interrupted when Henry spoke up, his voice hesitant.

  "I want you to get a message from me to my mother. I want you to heal her if she is still alive. If you do that, I'll do the best I can. If she's already passed away, no deal."

  Dolos looked surprised for a second then grinned. "A message, huh?" He gestured and reached into thin air, pulling out a normal looking pad of paper and a pen. He handed it off, and Henry began writing furiously.

  While his head was bent over his writing, Henry said, "I want proof too. I want proof she is safe and healthy if I am going to do anything for you."

  "You do realize that this will firmly bind you to my wishes? Anything I can heal I can destroy."

  Henry paused for a moment and shrugged. "It's a better chance than she has now. I'm willing to risk it. If you keep your side, I'll keep mine."

  Dolos turned to Jason again and his grin fell. "And then there's you. You're one of those thinking types. I hate mortals like you. I mean, I hate all of you, but I hate you even more."

  "Why do you need us to do this? Why the charade? And if we do need to fight, why not just give us a pile of gear and spirit gems or whatever we need to get stronger?"

  "It's against the rules."

  "Rules? What rules?"

  "Rules are everything." Dolos shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. You're a tiny mortal. All you do is eat and shit and fornicate and spawn and die. Your lives are meaningless, and you are blind to the larger world that surrounds you.

  "It's not like I can't offer any assistance. I will give you some locations of spirit gems, but it will be after your priestess gets here to babysit you. It will also be after I announce orb-Bonded identities to the world. Ah, I should tell you about this.

  "I'm sending all my priestesses out to the most promising individuals or teams. They will offer assistance. I can't help you directly, but they can... sort of."

  Henry asked, "Priestesses? No priests?"

  Dolos looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "As much as it already pained me to admit you are some of the more promising new individuals with orbs, it hurts even more that you are this stupid and unobservant. You've been on this planet for long enough to notice there are more women than men. Yes, Terrans, you get to experience a mortal world run by females, just like the rest of the mortal Universe is. Why would I have priests in my church when it's easier to mirror the average political power structure?

  "I will allow your assigned priestess to reveal information over time... but only after I announce the challenge game for Bonded and Heroes. I'm going to reward anyone who kills a Bonded or Hero with a spirit gem or new orb--one per kill."

  "But that doesn't make any sense," protested Jason. "You said a huge war is coming and you want the world to survive. Why not let all of us get stronger?"

  Dolos smiled and narrowed his eyes. "If I get my data, I don't care if this world crumbles to dust. All of this is a means to an end. Whether you all kill each other or repel Apate's armies, I will wring as much as I can from the data you generate. Winning would be preferable but is irrelevant as long as I can reach my long-term goals."

  Jason asked, "And there are other people you are setting on this task too?"

  "Of course. What, did you think you were chosen or special? You are convenient resources. That is all--just two of many promising candidates. I still hope all of you filthy Terrans die off as long as it's after I get my data. You could still come out on top at this point, but with others hunting you, you will still probably die."

  "Then why give us anything?"

  "No, no, no. I've said too much already. If you want answers, figure them out for yourselves. Now tell me what you want so I can leave."

  Jason was torn. He didn't just suspect he was being used--he was sure of it. He also had a suspicion that Dolos could actually want them to all kill each other off rather than fighting off any supposed invasion. Jason wasn't entirely buying the story Dolos had given them about Apate either.

  But one thing was certain: Henry would do anything to save his mother. He would definitely go along with this psycho mission. Plus, Jason felt like he had unfinished business on Ludus. And while he missed his life on Earth, he didn't have anything back home that couldn't wait for a few years.

  He needed to stand with his friend. And there was also the small fact he couldn't leave Ludus anyway... It was beginning to look like he would have to hide in the woods for the rest of his life just to avoid being murdered for being Bonded. The only alternative he could see was to continue with the original plan--exploring this world and getting stronger.

  He made a decision and hoped he wouldn't live to regret it. "Okay, fine. I'll be your pawn, but I don't want anything right now. My request is that you owe me a favor."

  Dolos smirked. "I am older than your civilization. I precede the invention of war on your planet. I have seen oceans boil and mountains erode away. I was not born yesterday, creature. Be specific about your favor, or you get nothing."

  "Fine. Any one thing, one action, one agreement, or one alteration. Whatever I ask can only affect myself or my environment, and it cannot be sending me home to Earth, at least until after we've accomplished this task."

  Dolos countered, "It can't be anything that requires more than a small use of power, you can't ask for more favors with your favor, you can't ask for things that don't exist, you can't ask me to directly affect this contest, and I have the right to reject whatever favor you ask."

  "Fine, but if I can prove through logic that my request is reasonable based on our agreement, you have to take it seriously."

  Dolos considered for a moment. "I hate agreeing to this, but I've been here too long to begin with. I must drop this shift bubble soon. Fine, we have an accord."

  "Do I have your word? And how will I contact you?"

  "Yes, you have my word," Dolos snarled. "You can contact me through your assigned priestess. Now that everything is taken care of, she will be the one to deal with your disrespectful..."

  Jason had forgotten Bezzi-ibbi was with them until the boy darted forward, saying something in his native language to Dolos. How is he moving? Dolos must have also forgotten he was there too. Bezzi-ibbi got on one knee and repeated what he'd already said but more forcefully.

  Dolos looked surprised at first but then grinned and clapped his hands. He said in English, "Excellent! Sometimes I'm reminded of why I soil myself by coming here. This will be excellent research. You'll get your boon, you little urchin." Dolos said something to Bezzi-ibbi in the Mo'hali language and reached into thin air again. He pulled out a plain silver ring and handed it to the boy, who accepted it carefully and put it in his pocket.

  Henry still had his head down and didn't see what happened, but Jason was concerned. He said in Luda, "Are you sure about whatever it is you're doing?"

  Bezzi-ibbi looked resolute and firmly nodded.

  Dolos made a gesture like he was dusting his hands and stretched. "I'm glad that's done. It galls me to give anything to mortals who will probably die soon anyway." He held out a hand towards Henry and took the writing pad, making it vanish as quickly as it had appeared. "It is difficult being such a generous and kind god."

  The air began to shimmer behind him. "Please keep being good little experiments! Try not to get murdered!" He laughed as he stepped through the portal.

  After Dolos left, the air resumed moving, and Jason realized he could hear the sounds of the household again. The longer Jason thought about what had just happened, the more convinced he was that they'd all just gotten scammed--seriously, profoundly scammed.

  Ring of Truth

  Bezzi-ibbi watched his two friends--no, his two brothers--stare at the wall for a moment after Dolos left. Henry snorted, and the spell of silence broke. "Well, that just happened," said Ja
son in Luda.

  Bezzi-ibbi felt the ring weigh heavily in his pocket. He knew that if Henry saw it, he'd probably be more suspicious about it than Jason. Henry had just learned firsthand that a ring could be more than it seemed on Ludus.

  He felt another surge of pride for his two idiot older brothers. It hadn't even been a day, and they were arguing with a god. He couldn't understand what they said in their language with Dolos, but they'd talked without bending their backs or showing their bellies. He got the idea they hadn't gotten very good news, but that was what Dolos did: he used mortals for his own goals and always got more out of his bargains than he gave. Always.

  Bezzi-ibbi absently patted Jason's arm and said, "Family." It was one of the only Luda words he didn't hate saying. He knew some people assumed that he couldn't speak Luda very well, but they didn't understand. They didn't know he's loathed his old language instructor. Bezzi-ibbi had said he'd never speak Luda again. As he got older, he's realized this vow wasn't very realistic, but he could still speak it badly!

  After Dolos left, Henry and Jason said they needed to catch up and started talking about boring things, like escaping the warehouse and the fire. They were both in the house, and they were still alive. Jason had stunk when he'd arrived, so it was obvious he'd gotten out through a sewer or something, so what more was there to talk about?

  As Henry and Jason kept babbling on, filling each other in about what the other had been doing, Bezzi-ibbi went to find Mareen. He knew there was probably going to be a Clan meeting soon, and he wanted to fetch her while he still could. Henry acted funny when she was around. It was amusing.

  He'd only known these people for a short time, but he already enjoyed being around them. They didn't treat him like most other people did in the city, much less the Jaguar Clan. Henry in particular didn't treat him like he was stupid, powerless, or had to be protected.

  As he walked to the other side of the house, he came across his father. Hajim-ibbi didn't really understand Bezzi-ibbi's reluctance to speak Luda, but he respected it. He said in Panum, "Ah, there you are Bezzi-ibbi. Where are our guests?"

  "They just met with Dolos, and now they're catching up." Bezzi-ibbi spoke Panum too.

  "What?" Outwardly, his father only seemed mildly surprised, but Bezzi-ibbi knew he was shocked down to his toe claws. "Where are they?"

  "They're in the side room of the hallway by the pantry."

  Hajim-ibbi took off at a fast walk, almost a jog. Now Bezzi-ibbi was sure there would be a big meeting. He loved his father, but in Bezzi-ibbi's opinion he was overly fond of meetings.

  As he walked, Bezzi-ibbi reflected on how he'd still been a captive less than a day ago. It was impressive that Henry and Jason were still so lively now after doing most of the fighting during the escape. In fact, Jason had even had energy to get angry at Henry for interrupting his mating ritual.

  Even though Bezzi-ibbi had witnessed both men ruthlessly kill their captors, Bezzi-ibbi couldn't help thinking of them as goofy. Well, goofy older brothers now.

  He smiled and admitted how happy he was that everything was changing. Without everything else going on, he knew people would have been fussing all over him and barely letting him move. He didn't want that. It was his fault he got captured in the first place. He didn't want to be pampered or reminded of his weakness.

  Mareen was in one of the guest bedrooms. She'd gone to take a nap a while ago and asked to be woken up if anything important happened. Bezzi-ibbi figured she would consider a Family meeting important. Then again, she'd probably have considered anything important that Henry was involved in.

  She had it bad. Even Bezzi-ibbi could see that. He personally had not been interested in a specific female yet, but he could understand the attraction. Sometimes when he saw a particularly sleek Mo'hali girl of one of the predator clans, when the light caught her fangs or her tail moved a certain way, it snagged his attention like a hook. He felt almost entranced. It was a curious feeling, and he didn't entirely like it.

  He knew he had to understand matters of the heart eventually. Bezzi-ibbi's dream was to be a warrior poet, a Jaguar troubadour. He couldn't do that if the leaders of his Clan kept trying to lock him away from the outside world, though. He'd never asked to become the heir. But it was irrelevant; everyone knew the best Clan leaders were traveled and wise. How was he going to travel if they never let him leave the house?

  He felt the ring Dolos had given him through the fabric of his pants and sighed. It was still surreal that he possessed such a thing. In any other situation, he wouldn't have been crazy enough to ask Dolos for a boon, much less foolish enough to actually use it. But Bezzi-ibbi knew a chance when he saw one, a chance to reach for his dream. It was worth the risk.

  He wouldn't use it for anything less than an emergency, though. He just wished he wasn't so sure that such a thing would probably happen soon.

  Bezzi-ibbi found Mareen sleeping in the guest bed. She was slightly drooling. Bezii-ibbi chuckled; Terrans were so strange looking. Their ears were so small and useless. In the past, he hadn't understood why so many people were afraid of Terrans... until he saw Henry and Jason fight. They were powerful, ruthless, and efficient. Bezzi-ibbi wanted to learn from them.

  He poked Mareen awake, and she groaned. "Meeting soon," he said. "Big news." Then he left. Mareen would either get up or she wouldn't. Bezzi-ibbi didn't dislike her, but he didn't want to miss any of the coming entertainment either.

  By the time he made it back to Henry and Jason, his father was already calling a meeting together. All Jaguar Clan leaders were required to attend. Hajim-ibbi had probably already talked to Henna-ibbi and planned to make the conversation with Dolos a matter of Clan knowledge.

  Based on Clan politics and tradition, Bezzi-ibbi also suspected the Clan was not going to honor his adoption of Henry and Jason. The Clan Elders would probably require Henry and Jason to prove their worth. This meeting would be where such a thing was announced.

  If things proceeded the way he predicted, he hoped the task wouldn't be too dangerous. If it was, the leaders would be less likely to let him go along. No, they would let him go. He desperately didn't want to use it, but he had a trick behind his claw. How did Terrans say it? Trump card? Trick up their sleeve? Rabbit under a hat? Bezzi-ibbi liked Terrans, but he thought their idioms sounded kind of stupid.

  Everyone crowded into the main meeting room of the house, including the branch member leaders. Some of the older Clan members were grumpy about getting up--it was past their bedtime after all. Bezzi-ibbi had a feeling they'd forget their gripes after hearing that Dolos had visited the Clan house.

  Bezzi-ibbi was still curious what Dolos had said to Henry and Jason. He'd have to find out with everyone else.

  Everyone gathered in record time. In fact, once all the Clan members realized the meeting was probably something important--which meant interesting--lower-ranked Clan members began jockeying to be in the room too. They blocked all the hallways, trying to get a better view of the proceedings.

  Bezzi-ibbi, his father, his mothers, his siblings, and all the other leaders had their own stools. The Ibbo and Abbi branch leaders were all in attendance as well. As was custom, all the wives sat slightly forward of their husbands to lead from the front.

  Henry, Jason, Mareen, and Uluula sat on the side of the room where they'd been placed by servants. Bezzi-ibbi owed Uluula for trying to take care of him while they were imprisoned, but Areva still made him nervous. Uluula in particular was intimidating. Bezzi-ibbi heard stories of what Areva armies had done to Mo'hali worlds in the distant past. After he'd met Uluula, he believed every word.

  If she'd been armed, Bezzi-ibbi knew she would have escaped. He was ashamed that he hadn't been able to help. He was still too young and only had his teeth and claws, not enough against spears and armor.

  He examined his two Terran brothers more closely. They slumped forward like they weren't used to sitting on stools like those the Mo'hali used. Chairs with backs weren't very comforta
ble to sit in for people with tails. Bezzi-ibbi didn't mind chairs with backs, but he knew he cared less about tradition than most of his people.

  That was the real problem he might have tonight, though, wasn't it? Tradition. He grimaced and paid attention to the meeting.

  First, Henna-ibbi called the meeting to order. Hajim-ibbi stood and formally invoked his confidence in his wife's leadership. Henna-ibbi in turn asked for the firsthand account of Dolos' visit.

  Bezzi-ibbi was proud that his brothers would speak in the Clan meeting. He knew these men weren't the quickest to trust, but Banna-ibbi had explained to Henry earlier how much of an honor it was--and how much Bezzi-ibbi risked--to adopt him.

  Bezzi-ibbi recognized that Henry and Jason were somewhat adrift; the stability of being affiliated with the Jaguar Clan would help them a lot. One good deed for another. His hes rekke Henna-ibbi always said, "A smart hunter always knows when to break camp instead of going for the kill." His birth-mother Banna-ibbi said, "Don't get so tired you get stupid and kill yourself." Bezzi-ibbi thought both sayings were wise.

  Henry and Jason stood and told everyone what Dolos had said. Bezzi-ibbi was shocked. Well, he was honestly a little excited too. War! All the greatest Jaguar troubadours experienced war! Intellectually he knew war was terrible, but if war was coming to Ludus, his Clan had to realize they couldn't keep him locked up anymore, right?

  After the men were done speaking, the leaders turned to look at Bezzi-ibbi, seeking his acknowledgment as witness. Had he really seen Dolos? He nodded, and the leaders looked troubled. The fact that such reserved people looked worried meant that with less self-control, they'd probably have been running around, screaming and scratching the walls.

  Still, this was the Jaguar Clan after all, so eventually they calmed and resumed the meeting. The leaders all stared meaningfully at the Clan Chief and Henna-ibbi. She stood and gave Henry and Jason the difficult news. "The Clan Elders have acknowledged that Bezzi-ibbi, the heir of the main branch Clan, has adopted Henry-ibbi and Jason-ibbi as brothers. Such a thing has not been done in over two hundred years. However, you must perform a task to be worthy of this honor."