Ch. 4.11

11.

The rest of the building was just as creepy as the foyer. Corpses were stacked like firewood against one wall in the next room, black stitching holding open Y-cuts across their chests. The other walls had animals and the third was filled with a myriad of monsters. Santi looked over the dead humans and saw that their wounds looked consistent with being beaten with blunt objects. The type that the Revenant Warriors had been carrying.

“Naomi,” Santi said calmly, nodding toward the battered corpses. The older woman looked over to them and sighed as she shook her head before looking toward Kristen. The woman was humming to herself as she rustled through a shelf before spinning around with a scalpel in one hand and a thick needle with black thread trailing off of it.

“Dr. Howler will be furious if he sees how backed up we’ve gotten. Can you help me?” Kristen’s eyes were unfocused as she looked straight ahead. 

“Kristen. How did these bodies get here?” Naomi asked gently.

“Hmmm? Oh, my assistants have been bringing them in. I try to keep up with them, it’s just that there’s so many…” she trailed off as Naomi backed away. The moment she left Kristen’s eyesight the woman bent down and began to work on a corpse, slicing it open and beginning to extract organs to put to the side.

“She’s crazy as hell,” Santi said instantly.

“I would agree. She doesn’t seem to be intentionally harmful though,” Naomi said the last part under her breath.

“Doesn’t matter if she’s intentionally dangerous or not. She’s killed people. Lots of people judging by her level.”

“So, what should we do?” Naomi asked as she fixed Santi with a hard look. He could recognize a hard choice when he saw it and a challenge. Naomi was doing both with this.

“Talk it out?”

“I’d advise it. Find trusted advisors and always talk it out, sound out plenty of ideas and options. But when you talk in public be firm and assured and do not allow dissent.” 

“She’s powerful. She’s obviously skilled and a force multiplier. She’s got this entire area locked down without a problem. Issue is it’s not intentional and it’s gotten people killed,” Santi worked it out slowly. Naomi nodded along with him while keeping one eye locked on Kristen.

“Someone that powerful should obviously be kept alive. We need the power,” Santi continued. He looked at the woman and her vacant eyed stare as she cut open a wolf like monster that was covered in porcupine quills. 

“How did you make the decision with Alan?” Santi suddenly asked as he looked at Naomi. A pleased expression crossed her face.

“Rely on your counselors even when they’re not offering their opinion. Yes. I was prepared to kill Alan. He showed enough signs of cognizance that I was willing to risk it. I thought I could keep him grounded long enough to help him re-establish his sanity.” 

“I don’t want to kill her. I’ve done too much killing already and there’s going to be so much more. I say if we can peacefully take her out of here and back home. Yessenia and Mom can keep an eye on her when we leave. Yessenia can prepare a place for her to restrict her damage if she goes crazy and Mom and Torin can be in case of emergency,” Santi said, trying to convince himself. 

“That is a possibility. Are you willing to risk it?” 

“Yes. I am willing to risk it.”

“It won’t be you who pays the price if you’re wrong,” Naomi reminded him. 

“Are you trying to convince me to kill her?”

“Just trying to make sure you are thinking it through. I don’t want you to regret this,” Naomi said.

“I’d regret immediately if I killed her, death is the end of all possibilities. Should I live in fear of what could happen?”Sanit said, trying to convince himself.

“Then act and don’t look back in doubt. Be firm in your decision. Taking her back is going to cause you to lose this contest though,” Naomi said the last part with a quick grin. 

“I’m not going to hear the end of it. At least I get that treasure you owe me,” Santi reflected her smile and then moved toward Kristen.

“Kristen?”

“Hmmm? Have you seen Dr. Howler, he’s late and I just can’t keep up,” the frazzled woman looked around in confusion as Naomi and Santi slowly worked closer to her.

“Dr. Howler sent me to relieve you. It’s time to go home,” Santi said as he edged around the bodies and tentatively offered Kristen his hand. The woman blinked owlishly at him and leaned back.

“I…I can go home? My shifts done?” She spoke with fervent disbelief. 

“Yes. We can escort you home. This place isn’t safe for you, it’s a bit rough out here. Can you ask your assistants to stay here?” 

“Hmmm? Why wouldn’t I?” There was a subtle stirring of mana and a tension in the room flowed away like a sieve. Kristen sagged suddenly, knees buckling, and Santi had to lunge forward to grab her. 

“She must have been stretched thin to have that much of a reaction. Let’s go and get her back to your place,” Naomi said. 

“You going to help me with her?” Santi said as he struggled to get under her shoulder to support her. He was strong enough to bend steel with ease, but it still didn’t help with the awkward positioning of trying to support a woman an inch or two taller than him. 

“Your decision, your consequences. In this case you get to carry her,” Naomi chuckled as they walked out with Kristen nearly draped across him, stumbling as she yawned loudly in his ear.

“Kristen, would it be alright if I just carried you?” Santi asked after only a few minutes of working their way back. Trying to drag the woman over the mounds of broken and rotting corpses was getting frustrating. 

“Can I sleep?”

“Yeah, you can go to sleep,” Santi said as he spun, put his shoulder into her waist and a hand behind her knees and straightened. The weight was negligible and it left his sword arm open in case they came upon anyone.

“You’re polite. I can’t tell you how many would have done that without asking for her permission,” Naomi commented. 

“Sound like dicks.”

“That’s an accurate way of describing them.”

“Who do you think is going to be worse? Alan or Cameron?” Santi asked.

“It’s definitely going to be Alan. The more comfortable he gets the more unbearable he becomes,” Naomi said with a loud laugh.

“Mr. Murtaugh was well known for being competitive. To the point of ruining a few family get togethers.” 

“Oh? How so?”

“The man plays a ruthless Monopoly. Cam doesn’t like to lose. That’s all I’m going to say,” Santi said, shifting Kristen on his shoulder as their fast walk to them off the bridge and back to Oakland. 

“Could never get my girls to play board games. Too rambunctious to stay seated that long. Kept me in shape at least. Was helpful in the early days before me stats made it pointless.”

“Ever think it’s weird that our physiques never change really? I’m stronger than any human who’s ever walked the world and I look like a skinny kid,” Santi said, more to keep talking as he slowly wound down from their hunt.

“You don’t look that out of shape. Just average.” 

“Thanks, I appreciate the compliment,” Santi said dryly as they stepped off the bridge and started to follow the way back. 

“It’s a talent. Also, we’re being watched,” Naomi said it all in one breath without raising or lowering her voice. She still walked completely relaxed with her sword loosely held in one hand.

“Where?” 

“Rooftop down the street. Two of them,” Naomi said.

Being careful not to show that he knew they were being observed, Santi looked to where Naomi had called out. It was much further down the street that he had originally thought, the woman’s perception stat likely higher than his own. She was right, there was a pair of them, and the watchers were hidden in the shadows and partially behind cover as they spied on them.

“Think we finally found the survivors? Or raiders?” Santi said without moving his lips.

“I think we’re going to find out,” Naomi said.