The Waystation Ch.34 (Patreon)

Chapter 34

Farming, Fighting, and Feelings III

“Six months!” Felicia stormed back and forth in Larry’s Study. “I can’t even talk to them for six months!”

“It is of no importance,” Larry said soothingly, “They are coming. The window would have long passed even without this… complication.” Larry tried very hard to keep a straight face. He had seen the pixie leading his niece around… and would treasure the memory.

“I can’t, and I won’t allow this!” Felicia growled. “I chose! I CHOSE! He doesn’t get to say no, just because he doesn’t want to.” She raged. “I would make him great! I would make him powerful! Why won’t he just do as he’s told?”

“That is not the way of some mortals.”

“So, what do I do?” Felicia deflated, collapsing into a chair.

“You move on-” Larry started to say.

“Never,” She spat in disgust.

“Please do not spit on my floor,” Larry complained.

“Sorry,” She said distractedly.

Larry watched her fume and fidget as she tried to deal with her loss. It was not her fault she was so young, so untrained in the realities of the worlds they watched… he should counsel her to move on.

Felicia wiped a tear from her eye.

Larry sighed….

“There is one other option,” Larry said reluctantly. “It is often seen in their world, and it is remotely possible it might work.”

“What?” She asked eagerly.

“In their culture, a spurned advance can often be overturned by the application of jealousy,” Larry said. “Showing them what they are missing by demonstrating the gifts offered on another party.”

“But he won’t accept my help!” Felicia groaned, “I told you.”

“He won’t,” Larry said patiently, “Another would.”

“But I chose him,” Felicia growled.

“But if he sees another enjoying your patronage and the advantages they have….” Larry trailed off.

“He will want them for himself!” Felicia said joyously. She looked deep in thought.

Larry congratulated himself on his strategy. She would focus on another mortal for six months, earning their praise, and forget about–

“And they can make him jealous AND make them all pay at the same time!” Felicia crowed, leaping from the chair and disappearing before Larry could even open his mouth to argue.

“That may… have been a mistake,” He muttered to himself. His desk drawer creaked and then gave way, hundreds of Bert figurines pouring out.

Larry frowned.

At this rate, he would have to hire a full-time cleaner just for the Berts.

He reached down and grabbed one of the damnable things.

“Ger’off ya moth-faced bastard!” It squeaked.

Larry dropped it and scrambled back in shock. He peered at the figurines suspiciously. He blinked, and they had moved. He knew they had if he could just figure it out… he frowned and twitched his antenna, mist swirling through the room, and the figurines were gone.

He must be tired.

That was it; he was tired…

Everything was fine.

==================

Level Up!

You have 1 Point to assign…

Mind, Body, Spirit?

Recommendation is… Spirit.

You can never have enough luck!

Class Bonus threshold reached +25 all stats!

“Why would I need luck?” Bert asked Bell as she hovered impatiently.

“Who cares? Just go for it!” She snapped. “I can’t believe I didn’t get to kill even one of them.” She buzzed in front of him, “You are so selfish sometimes!”

“Next ones are all yours, I promise!” Bert said defensively.

“Promise?” She said, slightly mollified.

“Promise,” Bert said honestly.

“Luck just makes things go your way,” She shrugged. “If there is an equal chance a good or bad thing happens, Luck shifts the odds your way.”

Bert shrugged and accepted the change. He shivered as the changes rolled through his body.

Stats made a huge difference, but it was mostly a matter of percentages. The first few stats had felt world-changing, doubling his strength in under ten points into the sub-stat. Now twenty-five extra points were under a twenty percent increase. Still huge but nowhere near as hard to adjust to.

Status

Name: Bert J Hudson

Race: Fae-Touched Human

Class: Garbage Man

Class: Holder of the Five Runes

Level: 30

Mind - 11

Body - 13

Spirit - 11

Mind - 11

Intelligence - 140

Perception - 140

Body - 13

Constitution - 160

Strength - 150

Agility - 150

Spirit - 11

Wisdom - 140

Luck - 140

Mana - 1400, Stamina - 1600

Titles:

Prick Boy, Caretaker of the Waystation, Founder

Achievements:

Unbroken, Not Naked, Pothead, Noble’s Bane, Over-balanced

Active Skills:

Basic Analyze, Scrub Vision, Shaper’s Will(class), Freedom!(gear),  Reclaim(class), Reclaim Knowledge(class), Reclaim Flesh(class), Tinker’s Toolkit(gear), Rune: Ebb, Rune: Flow, Rune: Turn, Rune: Heat, Rune Chill

Passive Skills:

Aggro Magnet, Tasty, Bouncy, Pathfinding, Basic Survival Knowledge, Basic Scavenging, Mana Sense.

He smiled at his stat sheet, remembering his first few steps along this path. It was nice to have an actual readout of improvements. Progress in hard numbers and achievements had been a cornerstone of gaming for decades; he wondered how different life on earth would have been if everyone had this kind of stat sheet, even without the superpowers and magic to go with it.

“It’s taking a lot longer to level up now,” Bert told Bell as they stripped the bodies. The corpses quickly vanished into the floor, no doubt reappearing as parts for Scruff to use.

“Of course,” Bell shrugged, “If it didn’t, everyone would be max level in their lifetimes.” She giggled, “Imagine two max-leveled people fighting because their neighbor built their fence too high.”

“They’d flatten the city,” Bert grinned.

“And everyone else would be max level, so….” She chuckled. “Everyone would be so powerful that a single argument would level a continent.”

“So the levels get slower as they go,” Bert sighed. “Makes sense.”

They looked up just in time to see Percy and a detachment of undead soldiers come flying, literally, up the drawbridge.

“Hey, Percy, what’s wrong?” Bert asked.

“We saw the crusaders enter the Waystation. Are you okay?” Percy asked.

“Fine, why?” Bert grinned. He was genuinely touched they had come to the rescue.

“He stole all the kills!” Bell was still a little pissed.

“You killed them yourself?” Percy asked Bert.

“Yup.” Bert shrugged.

“How? Their armor is enchanted, their weapons blessed, and they have two healers for every melee fighter,” Percy spluttered.

“Ah, yeah,” Bert said, embarrassed. “I cheated.”

“How?” Percy looked intrigued.

“Well, the pretty pally was doing this posing thing,” He demonstrated, “So I shot him in the neck and eye, also the priest guy.”

“You just shot him?” Percy tensed. “Bert, they can resurrect! Purity can bring them back to life!”

“Fuck,” Bert growled. “Bell?”

“On it!” Bell blurred and shot off toward the bridge to Trailer One, only to stop and laugh.

By the time Percy and Bert arrived, Scruff was trundling a wheelbarrow over the bridge with a genuinely horrific collection of body parts.

“What’s wrong?” She asked suspiciously.

“The bodies?” Bert asked.

“Oh, did you want them?” She gestured to the pile of flesh, bone, and organs. “I was going to give them to my apprentice to make seeds for the Undead Waystation.”

“No, no. That’s fine.” Bert waved her on. They stood back and watched Bud follow her with another wheelbarrow of assorted parts.

“I’m gonna assume they aren’t coming back from that,” Bert chuckled to himself.

“Are you sure that child is okay?” Percy said.

“Not even a little bit,” Bell giggled. “But she seems happy, which is the important thing.” They headed back to the Bear’s Fall, Percy lagging behind a little.

He hesitated at the door, watching the blood trail left by the wheelbarrows slowly be absorbed by the Waystation.

He was about to bring up the subject again when a runner arrived with a message. Problems, problems, problems. There were always more problems. As his mind moved on to the new issue, he forgot the strange little farmer.

It wasn’t easy, being a lich.

===========

“Delivery!” Scruff called as she walked up to the back door of Nadine’s. She admired the building, which was growing already. It had added a second story overnight, complete with rooms and a large sign offering rooms at an affordable rate.

The back door opened, and her apprentice, Bouncer, ushered her inside.

“How is it going?” Scruff whispered to Bouncer. The young boy had proven to be a great worker and a fast learner. The last thing he needed was a Waystation to work for. Then he could get his class.

“I don’t know.” He practically wailed. “There are so many adult farmers here, she will probably go with them, but she said she wanted to speak to you first.”

“I did,” Nadine said as she came through the swing doors to the back rooms of the Ale House. “And I meant it, young man.”

Bouncer bounced from foot to foot, as he always did when nervous.

“How can I help?” Scruff asked, looking the Banshee in the eye. She was determined not to look away. Bert had told her that faking it was good enough when it came to confidence. She had taken that advice to heart.

“Tell me why I should hire him,” Nadine said levelly, “There are others who have more experience and a farm.”

Scruff hesitated. Swallowing her fear, she answered honestly. “Because he needs it. They don’t, as much.”

“So, what are you suggesting?” She asked, her mouth curling up in a suppressed smile.

“You buy out some land, expand the Waystation maybe, and he farms it for you. You get the farmer you need, and he gets a job he can rely on.” Scruff answered.

“I can do that, far cheaper, with an established farmer.” Nadine shook her head.

“Yeah, but will they stick with you?” Scruff asked, “When other places want the food and the drink and offer more money?” She smiled. “People who owe you nothing owe you nothing.” She nodded to Bouncer, “Help him out now, and he will remember it. Plus, you own the land and, therefore, the produce.”

“He could still go work for someone else on their land.” Nadine shrugged.

“True, but he wants to work here. That should count for something.” Scruff chewed her lip anxiously as she watched Nadine consider it.

“Okay, but I want him to work for the Waystation, full staff post with a salary and everything. But he can’t grow anything for anyone else. Exclusive contract.”

“Deal!” Scruff and Bouncer yelled together.

Nadine laughed.

An hour later, Scruff was sitting at a table in Nadines as she looked at the plans, deeds, and cost breakdowns in front of her. She didn’t understand a word of it, of course. Life as a street kid didn’t include an ‘introduction to business’ course.

One thing was clear, however.

“You already brought the land and got the King to withdraw the city core from the area. You were going to make your own farm anyway!” She said angrily.

“I was,” Nadine laughed, “But I wanted to hear what you had to say anyway.”

“Why?” Scruff grumped.

“Because I wanted to know if you understood why he should work here instead of for someone else,” Nadine said.

“For the class,” Scruff said.

“He could have gotten that working for this place as someone else’s assistant,” Nadine said, “As I’m sure you know.”

“He needs someone to learn from,” Scruff said, “And you seem to have done pretty well for yourself.”

“He’s not the only one who needs someone to learn from,” Nadine said pointedly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scruff said defensively.

“Calm down, will you?” Nadine said. “I’m trying to help you here.”

“Why?” Scruff asked tartly. “What do you care?”

“Because you are like me,” Nadine said. “Or how I used to be. Grew up too fast, in a nasty place, then stumbled onto decent folk and didn’t know what to do about it.” She shrugged. “I made a lot of mistakes; I thought you might be smart enough to avoid them if I warned you.”

“Like what?” Scruff seemed genuinely interested for the first time.

“Well, for a start, stop lying to them.” She held up a hand, “I assume you are because I would have. No judgment. Let them in, and just be honest. What is the worst that can happen?”

“You know I live with Bert and Bell, right?” Scruff said, and Nadine laughed.

“I’m a good judge of people. I had to be. They are… unusual, but they seem to care about you.”

“Why, though?” Scruff asked earnestly. “I can’t figure out why!”

“I don’t think it matters, does it?” Nadine asked.

“Yes!” Scruff leaped to her feet, tears in her eyes. “I’m a monster! I grow plants that kill, plants that are made of dead people! And-and-and I enjoy it!” She paced back and forth, “I feel good, and I love my plants, and I don’t care that they would kill people. They are mine, and I made them, and I feel proud, and I-”

“Feel in control of things for the first time in your life?” Nadine said softly.

“Yes! Exactly.” She leaned forward over the table. “If they know and still care about me… what are they?”

“You aren’t a monster, kid,” Nadine said as she looked Scruff in the eye. “You had to scrabble to survive and found something you love. Do you love killing things?”

“No, but I don’t mind it,” Scruff said.

“Do you enjoy making people suffer?” Nadine asked.

“No, but-”

“Would they care if you did?”

“No, but-” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean that!”

Nadine laughed. “Yes, you did.”

“But I’ve hidden stuff from them, tricked them into giving me a barn.” She shook her head, “They will be so hurt.” She looked up sharply as Nadine laughed. “They will!”

“Scruff, I can sense every inch of this place.” She said as she chuckled.

“Of course, all… Caretakers… can.” Scruff's eyes got wider with every word. She seemed frozen in place, horror written across her face.

“Off you go,” Nadine chuckled. “No time like the present.

Scruff bolted for the door.

As she finally sprinted the last few feet to the drawbridge, the icy grip of fear that had propelled her this far gripped tighter; she froze in place.

What if it was a trap? What if they didn’t know, and she blurted it out, and they hated her?

She paced back and forth for a while, trying to get up the courage to go in or run away. She didn’t know how long she hesitated there; it felt like seconds and years all at once.

Finally, with a deep breath, she strode up the drawbridge and into the Barn.

No one was there.

She tried the Bear’s Fall.

No one was there either.

She found slothy snoring away near the tower, and dread filled her stomach. She dashed over the bridge to Trailer One and saw them. Bert, Bell, and Bud. Her family. They were walking towards the storage sheds at the back of Trailer One. She could hear Bert and Bell bickering from here.

They always bickered. But in a weirdly happy way.

As they cleared the last of her fields, the gentle glow from her barn caught their attention.

Scruff started to run.

“No! Don’t! No!” She yelled with all her might as she sprinted to stop them.

They stopped and turned, Bert’s hand almost on the door handle.

“Please!” She gasped as she collapsed, exhausted.

“Scruff, are you okay?” Bert asked, concerned.

She gasped for breath. That last sprint had done it. She was going to die right here; her heart would explode -boom- and she would just die.

“Breathe, kiddo,” Bell said with a giggle. “We’ll wait.”

Bud was looking suspiciously at the gently glowing Barn.

“Boss, that looks a lot like the glow from those jellyfish things.” He only called Bert ‘boss’ when he was nervous.

“Yeah, we guess she used them to make some weird seeds,” Bert said. “Probably wildly murderous whatever it is.”

“That’s my girl!” Bell cheered.

Scruff looked back and forth between them. They had guessed? And they hadn’t done anything to stop her?

“How-how- how,” She gasped, trying to get the words out. “How long have you known?”

“That you grew something from the jellies? Or that whatever it was needed a whole barn to hide them?” Bell asked.

“Both!” Scruff felt panic rising.

“All along,” Bert laughed, “It is kind of what you do.” He shrugged. “You seem to like them, whatever they are.”

“We figured you’d show them to us at some point!” Bell hinted.

“Is it going to try and eat us?” Bud asked gently.

“Good question,” Bert nodded.

“I don’t think so,” Scruff said. “They don’t try and eat me.”

“Oh, so gentler than most of the things you grow, then?” Bell said sarcastically.

Bert laughed.

“What are you guys doing over here anyway?” Scruff asked as she pulled herself together. “You never come over here.”

“Just checking the stores out,” Bert shrugged. “We’re going to be leaving soon,” He grinned. “There is a lot of world out there to see.”