Cat Core, Chapter 27.

Chapter 27.

Florence squirmed and tried to get out of her bonds. The floor she was lying on was filthy and who knew what sorts of critters were crawling around in the rotten straw that someone had piled in the core to serve as a bed. She was just about to summon a kitty to claw up the ropes binding her when they disappeared. It turned out they were just magical constructs, not real rope, and the spell that conjured them must have run its course. A further inspection of her cell confirmed this was not a place Florence wanted to spend any time in.

“Hey, is anybody out there?” Florence shouted. The door to her cell was thick oak with iron bands reinforcing it, nothing she could break open. At the top was a small metal grate, that let her see the opposite wall. Her cell appeared to be one of many on a long hallway, well, as long of a hallway as her limited field of view through the grate allowed for her to see. The place was dead quiet and completely dark, which made no difference to Florence, she could see in the dark even in her hybrid form. No other prisoners were making noise, and there was no hint of a guard anywhere. Something told Florence that this wasn’t the kind of place that was going to let you talk to a lawyer. Did they even have lawyers on Aerkon?

“So, it appears Falgorne wasn’t entirely mad in his ramblings. You may look like one, but you are definitely not a human, are you?” A voice asked from behind.

“Bah, don’t sneak up on folks like that, it’s rude, you know,” Florence said as she turned to see yet another mage standing in front of her. He must have teleported into her cell and given that he didn’t bring any guards with him, the guy was pretty confident he could handle Florence if things went sideways.

“Does your kind have the concept of proper behavior, or is that just an automated response from your core when you encounter an unknown person?” The man asked.

“I’m not your normal core, buster, and I don’t take kindly to being kidnapped. Even in this primitive world, you got to have laws against that sort of thing,” Florence said.

“Interesting, I’m inclined to believe there is an intelligence guiding this construct, not a core acting on instinct,” the man said.

“Hey, are you talking to someone else that I can’t see. Of course you are, you’re rude and don’t realize that it’s bad manners to leave someone out of a conversation and ignore them,” Florence chided.

“I agree, she is a feisty one, but let me begin the examination,” the mage said, talking again to someone she couldn’t see. Mages were annoying, especially high-level ones with all their tricks and attitudes. Florence felt herself being restrained as the mage cast some kind of spell on her, causing the room to glow with light.

“You’re correct, your majesty, it does appear almost perfectly like an elderly human in odd clothing, but her mannerisms are off, and there is core energy pouring from her. No, I don’t think she’s infected with a piece of a core like Falgorne, this is something different,” the man said, continuing his conversation with someone she couldn’t see or hear.

“As you wish, my liege, but not in person. You, core creature, the king wishes to address you, mind your behavior,” the man said, releasing the restraints that kept her from talking.

“Mind my behavior? You should talk,” Florence mumbled.

“Can it hear me?” A voice that she assumed was the king asked. The image of the man appeared on one wall, the mage’s spell doing a good job at imitating them video chat things she heard about. He looked worn down, like something had drained him, and left him less than he should have been. Florence never had to be in charge of a kingdom, so maybe the stress of the job was in play, after all, the presidents back home all seemed to look a lot older after only a few years in office.

“I can see and hear you, and I’m not an it, I’m Florence Valentine, I’ll have you know,” Florence replied. She realized that she was talking to some big muckety muck, so she tried to restrain from verbal assaults, at least for the time being.

“Amazing, it is like talking with a real person, it even gave itself a name,” the king said.

“Um, standing right here, and yes, I can hear you. Try talking to me instead of at me, king guy,” Florence said.

“Mind your words! This is not king guy, this is royal majesty King Vladimir the First of Fintok,” the mage said, winding his hands up for some kind of spell. If that joker wanted to get into a magic contest, Florence was about to give him a taste of the Kitten Storm ability she had.

“Hold, Stirman, even a king can’t expect deference when he isn’t known and hasn’t acted properly. You may call me Vladimir, or your majesty, or sire, Miss Valentine, I believe that’s what you said your name was, Flowery Valentine?” The king asked.

“Florence, Vlad, it’s Florence. Pleased to meet you, sir,” Florence said. She needed to play their game if she wanted information, so appeasing the king was going to be necessary.

“Vlad, nobody’s called me that in ages, only my childhood friends, and even then, not in public. Given your unique nature, I’m inclined to let you do so, Florence. Tell me, how did you come about?” Vlad asked.

“What do you mean? How I became a core shard, how I became a core, or my life on Earth?” Florence asked.

“Amazing, do you really claim to be another being before becoming a core? That’s a highly debated theory of dungeon core formation,” the mage, who she guessed was named Stirman, asked.

“Hush up, Stirman, me and Vlad are talking,” Florence replied.

“I find you rather amusing Florence Valentine, as to my question let’s start with how you became a core,” the king said.

“I don’t find this whole thing amusing in the least, but I’ll humor you, Vlad. I was a woman, a human woman, that lived on another world called Earth. When I passed on, through no fault of my own, I hope that truck driver that hit me got his license suspended, I never did check on that when I was back. Sorry, I still get worked up over the first time I died and tend to ramble a bit. Well, when I did die, I wasn’t allowed to pass on, and instead, was stuck being a core here in your world. That’s how things started,” Florence said.

“Amazing, she claims to be from another world, and a human at that. So, you became a core, but how did you become this?” Stirman asked.

“Quit interrupting, Stirman, but I figure the king will want to know as well, so I’ll answer you. When my core was destroyed, I didn’t die and was instead given the option of coming back as this to see to some personal business,” Florence replied, not sure how much she wanted to disclose of her mission.

“So, you died in your world, your core was destroyed, and then you became what you are today?” The king asked.

“Yep, but that was the second time my core was destroyed,” Florence replied.

“How many times have you died?” Stirman asked.

“Let’s see, I was killed by a truck and turned into a core. Next, my core was shattered by that evil hound thing. After the hound, I went back to Earth to live the rest of my life. You see, they grabbed me by mistake, I wasn’t supposed to die just yet, so they let me go back to have a second crack at it. When I died of natural causes I came back as a core again, but that stupid lich did some shenanigans to my core and destroyed me. After the lich, I came back like this,” Florence said, summing things up.

“You’ve died four times, that’s horrible?” The king offered, she was beginning to see him warm up a bit, and he seemed amused by her story more than buying that it was true.

“Nope, I died five times, sorry, I forgot about the guy with the axes that killed me in this form. So, yeah, five is the correct number,” Florence added. She wanted to make sure she had it straight. She wasn’t the type of woman to try and confuse folks or leave important bits of a story out.

“Like I said, horrible, but tell me, you mentioned a lich. Did this lich have a name?” The king said, his voice getting very serious all of a sudden. The happy jovial king persona he had shown her disappeared in an instant.

“He certainly did, the lich was named Berikoz, and I was sent back to deal with him,” Florence said. Maybe this king guy was some minion of Berikoz, she supposed she was about to find out.

“That, Florence Valentine, is my exact goal as well. This fiend killed my daughter, abducted her, and carved her up for his inhuman experiments. I’ve spent everything I have, the entire wealth of my kingdom, to bring him to justice, and I will see him, and his ilk destroyed forever or die trying,” the king said. Florence could see the anger that bordered on madness in the king’s face, it was frightening how quickly the change had come over him.

“Well, Vlad, it seems we’ve got the same goal, how about you let me out, and send me to my friends and we’ll take care of this lich problem you have. He’s hurt a lot of people and I’m sorry your daughter ran afoul of him,” Florence offered.

“Perhaps, but for now, I think we need to make very sure that you are who and what you claim to be, Florence Valentine. The adventurer’s guild caught you and I think they are the appropriate ones to confirm your story. Should you prove a potential ally, then perhaps we can work something out. If they prove you are a threat, well, I cannot allow any additional threats to my kingdom. Good day to you, Florence, I hope your story is true and we can speak again,” the king said, ending their little conversation with a smile, a smile that was cold and empty.

“Stirman, what happened to my friends?” Florence tried to ask, but the guy just teleported away without so much as a word. Mages were rude, the lot of them. She stood there in the dark, wondering when this adventurer’s guild would get their act together and figure out that she wasn’t a threat. Florence didn’t have all that much confidence in the guild, most of the ones that she had interacted with were full of themselves and jumped to conclusions.

“Florence Valentine, we have a few questions and tests for you,” Stirman said. At least this time, he made his portal rumble a bit to warn her before he popped into existence.

“Fine, Vlad said you’d need to confirm I was telling the truth,” Stirman said.

“That is correct, and I’ll bring a few of my colleagues to assist with the experiment,” Stirman added.

“Can this be done somewhere else, this cell is just gross, and there’s no reason we can’t speak like civilized folks,” Florence offered. Stirman whispered through the portal to someone else and then, without so much as a warning, Florence was teleported out of her cell.

She found herself standing in a bright meadow, with three others standing next to her. Stirman was there, as well as some younger girl, and a big dude in elaborate plate armor that must have cost a pretty penny. So, she was dealing with two wizards and a melee fighter of some sort. Not good odds for her, given they were likely powerful, so a fight to escape was probably not an option.

“I hope this is to your satisfaction, and I should inform you that there are spells in place blocking any teleportation or translocation magic. You will not be able to escape,” Stirman said.

“So, are you going to introduce me to your little friends?” Florence asked.

“I am Lucinda Kell, a diviner from the adventurer’s guild,” the girl in robes announced.

“Keegon, Captain of the king’s inquisitors,” the big guy in armor grumbled out with his overly deep voice. Given the green tint to his skin and some short tusks poking up from his lips, this guy was a half-orc. He didn’t look like someone you wanted to mess with in a brawl.

“I’m Florence Valentine, pleased to meet y’all. Let’s cut to the chase, what do you need to do to me?” Florence asked.

“I will examine you using magical means, and I’m afraid that Keegan here will need a more physical approach,” Stirman said.

“Magic away, Stirman, but green and mean over here isn’t going to lay a hand on me,” Florence warned.

“I have a job to do, and you’ll not stop me,” Keegon said.

“Perhaps there is a more diplomatic way to resolve this inquisitor?” Lucinda asked.

“What do you suggest,” Keegon replied, looking like he would rather strangle the girl than speak to her.

“What samples do you need, perhaps I can gather them, or Florence herself?” Lucinda asked.

“Hair, blood, flesh, not much a small bit of each. Place them in these vials and my abilities will identify her,” Keegon said, passing over three empty glass vials that glowed with yellow light.

“Florence, would you allow me to do this?” Lucinda asked.

“Okay, just a small bit, but I have to warn you, I don’t know what I’m made of exactly when I’m a hybrid, mostly I just feel like a human but I’m a bit more durable,” Florence replied. It turned out the girl was able to cut a strand of her hair, and cut a small patch of skin, but the samples immediately evaporated away once placed in the vials.

“Keegon, my scrying shows that the body of this person is made of condensed mana, much like that of a dungeon defender,” Stirman said.

“Hmm, that would tend to corroborate her story, but nothing like this has ever been seen before,” Keegon replied.

“I’ve never seen you before, but you apparently exist, right?” Florence argued. Keegon didn’t respond, just growled like an idiot.

“Her mana signature is reminiscent of a core’s energy, but there’s something else there, what’s your take Lucinda?” Stirman asked.

“I can sense a link to the lich,” Lucinda said, a flash of fear and worry appearing on her face as she came to that revelation. The others tensed up and Florence was worried that she was going to be dead again in a few seconds.

“Is she corrupted?” Stirman asked.

“Perhaps, it’s not a strong link, but it is there,” Lucinda offered.

“Even if there’s a small chance that she’s corrupted, we need to eliminate her,” Keegon said.

“Woah, there, let’s stop with the elimination nonsense if you please. I’m not influenced or corrupted by the lich, I’m hunting him, and that link shows me where I need to go,” Florence replied.

“You know where he is?” Stirman asked excitedly.

“Not exactly, but he’s hiding in a core, and I’m tracking them down one by one. Eventually, I’ll get to the one he’s hiding in and deal with threat permanently, but that’ll never happen if you keep me cooped up in a cell,” Florence argued. Stirman waved his hand and a cloud formed around her, blocking the sight and sound of the others. When Florence tried to move, an invisible wall of force blocked her. Florence got the eerie feeling that her fate would be decided in the next few minutes.