Beginner's Luck: Critical Mass 5

The Librarian was mentally exhausted from the emotional trauma of the day. He gritted his teeth realizing that they were not about to execute the beast in front of him. What was it that the golem had called it? A Derboul? Knowing the name of the Outsiders didn't make them any less despicable. His body was also exhausted and the number of places across his being that began to scream at him increased by the minute as his adrenaline wore off. As much as he hated the idea of keeping the invader alive, he had to admit it was a genius idea: Use the enemy as combat training for the golem Q and for the boy Fluke. It was a good idea, but he didn't have to like the idea no matter how good it was.

"I need to cross the waters Fluke and collect the bodies of our fallen." Fluke's smile disappeared and the moment he was having with his new guardian sudden turned serious. His response surprised the old hermit.

"I can go. I'll take Q and we can retrieve them. Besides, you are still injured." Fluke gestured with a head nod at the Librarian's broken ribs. The Librarian nodded slowly and let out a slow breath.

"Very well. I will watch over our captive until you come back. Bring back the masks if you can find them, and brace yourself for what you are about to see... It has always been... shocking, in the past." The Librarian found a rock to lean against, making sure to not put himself in a compromised situation if the Outsider decided to try and break free.

"We will return shortly. When we get back, I will have Q watch over the prisoner, and we will get you resting and healing properly." Fluke looked at his mentor with concern, then turned and ordered his golem to follow, stopping only to gather his magical bag near the hunter's lodge.

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When Fluke and Q reached the water's edge they both stopped and looked across the horizon searching for their destination. With Q's extra height over Fluke, he spoke first.

"I have acquired our destination. How would you like to proceed?" Q turned his gaze downward to look at his principal.

Fluke looked up placing a hand over his brow to shield his eyes from the sun. "As fast as possible, Q!" Upon finishing his request, the giant golem reached down and place the boy on his 'shoulders', leaving him nothing to hold onto but the floating head of the automaton. Then without warning the sentinel burst forward at alarming speed, blasting across the water with a flash, leaving a split wake behind them as they went. The only sound besides the magical roar of the golem's powers, was the shrill screams of Fluke.

The panting and shocked young man was set on the sand near the first village a few moments later. The rush of traveling at breakneck speeds subsided when the world reminded them of their solemn task. A breeze coming from the village carried the strong smell of iron, telling grim tales of what they were about to find.

Fluke covered his face with his shirt and tried to set his stomach, but it was in vain, for when they found the dismembered parts of the villagers, he found himself dizzy. The gore in front of him was overwhelming, a grim testament of the destruction unleashed upon them by their oppressors. Occasionally, his own mind would sabotage him, sending images flashing through his mind of the Outsider that died by his hands. Steadying himself on Q and focusing on his breathing, he forced himself to stare at the carnage. When he felt himself normalize, he moved forward to the body with a white mask next to it. Reverently, Fluke gathered the mask and placed it inside his magical bag. When the mask disappeared from his sight, he turned to begin the gruesome work of gathering the remains of the non-sentients. To his amazement they all slowly began to turn to dust. It was as if the destruction was waiting for the mask to be recovered so they could be set free. Turning to the lieutenant's corpse, Fluke expected the body to disappear as well, but it did not. Carefully again, Fluke laid his bag with its flap open, and with instructions, Q and Fluke guided the body into his bag. About halfway through, the body disappeared into his inventory.

The second village went very much the same. Fluke wondered why the remains of the non-sentients seemed to wait for the retrieval of their former guardian. Fluke felt perhaps that even though they weren't sentient in life, in death their remains refused to move on out of a reverent respect. When he asked Q why they didn't disappear until the mask was recovered the automaton gave him a less spiritual answer.

"The rift dictates when the resources are recovered." Q said it like it was a memorized fact and gave no further explanation.

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When Fluke and Q returned to the Librarian, they found not much had changed. The Derboul was still bound in the sand, not even hinting at giving a form of resistance. The Librarian however, had prepared two graves for his fallen brothers and stood waiting by the two maws in the soil, clearly heavy laden with emotion behind his mask. When Fluke reached into his bag and retrieved the first body, the remains of the man known as Trueno, he let out an audible gasp. The body popped into existence in the first grave. He was no longer in his battle garb and instead was now only covered with white cloth pants down to his knees. The blood and grime had been removed, leaving a now resting man with his only arm resting by his side. Out of curiosity, Fluke checked the bag and found the rest of his belongings were in Fluke's bag. When Kwernoss was retrieved, the same treatment had been bestowed upon the man as well. It was as if the bag had prepared them both for their burial.

The Librarian worked in silence, and Fluke said nothing that might ruin the reverence of the moment. Feeling compelled to help, Fluke did what he could to help cover the bodies. They both slowly worked to cover each body in the soil and mark each grave with a stone. When it was all finished, they silently stood for a few minutes, when finally, the Librarian spoke.

"Thank you our goddess Suerta. I know it was your magic that had them cleaned for their final resting place."

Fluke, who was standing at the foot of the graves, looked up from bowing his head through tears at his mentor. The Librarian stood with his back to Fluke, standing in between the markers. The tall man had his head bowed silently sobbing alone. For a brief instant, Fluke saw the goddess with her hand on the Librarian's shoulder. The sight brought hope and joy into the boy, and when he blinked to clear the tears to get a clear image of them in that moment, she was gone. Looking around for their goddess is when he noticed that around each grave were fully bloomed white carnations.

"Thank you, Lady luck." Fluke whispered through a small tearful smile.