Born a Monster

Chapter 512

512 Shiny and New

Because dream logic, Anansi was now a dark-skinned human, in formal attire and smoking using one of those long wooden cigar holders. “Ah, now what were we going to talk about?”

“There’s my new nemesis.” I said.

“No, she’s just going to kill you when you ascend. Or she’ll imbue a champion to do it for you. The hate sex if you last to adulthood though, that will be epic.”

“Wait.” I said. “Hate sex is REAL? I thought Black Madonna was just making it up to watch me squirm.”

“Eh-ha-ha!” he chuckled. “If that bothers you, just wait until you discover... Hm, but no, we aren’t here to discuss sex, either.”

“I’m here to thank my dream guardian.” I said, “And perhaps Sobek, if he’s willing to see me.”

“Oh you fool.” she took off the Mask of Anansi, and was again the hungry woman, complete with three fourths of her fruit. “No actual god has time for you. Even their angels are too busy. We, the messenger spirits, are the ones who speak to you. If you even merit that much attention. Spirit actors and Spook Show, that’s more likely who’s speaking to you.”

I shrugged. “Still doesn’t tell me what Anansi wants us to talk about.”

“Well, for starters, he wants you to not be so stupid. Especially at your rank of Insight.”

.....

“My Insight is only...” Well, I’d TRIED to say it.

She rubbed her serpent eyelids with a single hand. “One of the two of us was just recently reborn. Have you checked your statistics since then?”

“Of course not.” I said. “Why would I check...”

[Your Insight is rating six.]

“No, that can’t be right.”

“Why not?” she asked. “How many different Traits have you activated?”

“Well, but... some of them were sold back.” I said.

As Anansi, she took an inhale of her pipe. “And tell me,” he said, “What if your System didn’t know what to keep and what not to?”

[Inherent Longevity: 12]

“It seems to be prone to keeping things rather than throwing them away.” I said.

“As if the workings of your internal self were of any interest to me.” Puff. “I am, after all, a god.”

“Okaaay.” I said. “So I need to go over my System again. That’ll only take about two weeks or so.”

He chuckled out a string of smoke rings. “Again, not the point. Even if you had only a rating two, I’d tell you to stop being stupid.”

“How is it possible to be otherwise with a rating six? Isn’t that better than the smartest human?”

“Is it?” he asked. “Have you actually used your insight score? Most smart people still spend a lot of their time doing dumb things. Don’t they?”

“Okay.” I said. “They do.”

Inhale, and a slight puff out the nose. He began pacing back and forth, twirling the pipe as though it were a walking stick. “Ah, but you know who doesn’t? I’ll give you a hint; it starts with Gods and ends with Gods. It’s unavoidable, really. Given the levels of power we contest each other at, a single mistake is potentially our end. Probably, even.”

“Okay.” I said. “But I don’t usually fight Gods.”

He puffed out the smoke dismissively. “Obviously, for you are not dead. But your... nemesis? She is much closer to actual godhood than you yourself are. And, unless something drastic happens, she will continue to remain above you on the scales of power. While you are mortal, she cannot strike you directly. But were you to transcend mortal power limits without a plan to handle her... that would be stupid, and worse, foolish.” He inhaled on the cigar stick. “I just want us to be clear that you are not to do so before I get the eight years I am owed.”

I blinked. “It’s possible to ascend to godhood in less than twenty years?”

He coughed. “That would be a feat worth talking about, were it to happen. So no, I’m not expecting anything like that. But, a warning not to transcend the limits of mortality is worth mentioning.”

“And to remind me to use my statistics to my advantage?” I asked.

“You know how little those numbers mean.” he said, tapping an end of ash off his cigar. “Honestly, if Systems worked that way, I’d have plans to rip your System out of you and give it to someone with more creativity. A sub-statistic, by the way, of Insight.”

I scratched at the itchy spot of my right jaw. Except that it no longer itched. “It can’t be as easy as just raising System statistics.” I said. “If it were, then humans would all have maxed Insight, and might not behave so...”

I had to stop. Not because of my oath, but rather because he was doubled over with laughter.

It took him longer than two minutes to stop, leaking water from both eyes, his smile so wide that it looked like his cheeks might burst.

“Oh.” he said, eventually. “Oh my, but that was priceless.”

He formed his lips into a circle, and popped them with the palm of his left hand. “But yes, that is exactly the sort of narrow thinking that you must avoid. You, young one, have enemies. And... mmm... some people not your enemies who are still trying to kill you, anyway.”

I yawned. “That is hardly news.”

“No.” he said. “Not news. Knowledge. What is the Daurian saying? Knowledge does not change.”

“Again, this is something I have learned.”

“Have you?” he asked, “Learned? Is that why you have a visibly weak aura? Do you think you’re the only champion or above rated being with a reticule?”

“Well no, of course I... Oh.” I said. “You mean that others have better reticule powers than I do.”

He sighed, leaving a serpent of cigar smoke wafting on the non-breeze of the dreamscape. “As you look about your mortal world, you’ll begin to realize that there are many people who are better than you at most things. It would be good, for example, to be able to deal with different types of threats. To have a way past any merely heroic challenge.”

He raised a hand to stop me from talking. “Any. Challenge. Develop your strengths, yes, but also improve upon your weaknesses. For example, that thing you project from your hands is all well and fine against normal spirits. But you need so much more.”

“Fine. I’m young and small and inept. I get it.”

“Clearly you don’t.” He flipped the pipe, and held just the cigar, upon which he drew a deep breath. “Before you were zero years old, you were six?”

“What of it?”

“Surely, at least once, you’ve said to yourself: How many other six year olds can boast of this much accomplishment?”

“More than once.” I admitted.

“Idiot.” he said.

“I’m not sure I understand.” I said. “Why...”

He breathed out the smoke, into a small wall. No, a small mirror. I could see myself, and her, and Anansi, and...

Horrors. Multiple horrors, each one unique.

A thing of tentacles and lobster claws, around a maw that would do a giant shark justice.

Here, a winged shadow, like a dragon, but not one. The legs of a panther, the head of a bear, covered with fur through which poked bristles. Her face distorted by not one, but two trunks resembling those of an oliphant.

A creature mostly ram, but with the ears of a hound, the eyes and wings of an eagle. It was devouring a frost bear. Such a waste. I wanted to nibble on a frost bear.

Chained beneath the earth...

“Vashathan!” I said. “So these are all...”

“Titanspawn, each of them. Brothers and sisters, born within days of you. Each a Lord or Lady of their chosen realm. Each of them greater than you.”

I looked; I saw; I noticed. And then I smiled.

“I know that smile.” Anansi said. “It is mine. If you know what’s good for you, then both give it back, and share the joke.”

“I’ll give it back when I’m done with it.” I said. “And you, great one, are trying to trick me.”

“Am I?”

“Beyond a doubt, great one. I know that this one” I tapped on my brother Vashathan, “Is not dominant above me on every single point.” But there was more. “And, impressive as each of these appears, I’d guess that I have something I do better than each of these. Possibly different somethings, but always something.”

Gods! I pray that my smile looked nothing like the one spreading on his face.

“Indeed. So how would you fight... hmm... this one?”

“I wouldn’t.” I said. “That’s lava she’s swimming through.”

“He, in fact. And yes, you’ve fallen into a lava stream in front of him, and he’s seen you. How do you defeat him?”

“I don’t.” I said. “Lava does enough damage that I’m dead before I can get out of it. I’m dead before he can reach me.”

“And what does that tell you about your Thermal armor?” he asked.

I shook my head. “It’s rating twelve damage. To exist in a lava flow, I’d need twelve or more Thermal resistance.”

He coughed into a fist, and the mirror of smoke broke apart, quickly blowing away on the desert winds.

“Any. Challenge.” he said.