Chương 26: Omnimancer 21: Garbage Day

With the prisoner decisions made and his traumatizing little misunderstanding cleared—for Tala, of course, but also himself—Jax's first order of business was dealing with the smugglers he'd slated for 'disposal'. They'd be waking soon, and they needed to be dealt with. While he could just shackle them with subjugation collars, Jax absolutely hated the thought of doing that to anyone, enemies or not. Just because he had power now didn't mean he was about to go against every moral sensibility he had.

If what Tala said was true—and he had no reason to think it wasn't with how she thought that lying would cost her life, to say nothing of how subjugation collars would compel her to tell the truth anyway—then Jax was in a bit of a predicament. If he turned the smugglers in, the 'authorities' would just set them free, with the goons undoubtedly blabbing about everything he'd done here to the so-called powers that be, as Tala had called them.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked his rodent-shifting friend as she went around their unconscious forms, feeling them up and down.

"Looting them?" Tala said before coming to some realization.

"I'll give you everything, obviously. Wouldn't dream of swiping any for myself or anything."

"Of course," Jax said, giving her a wry smile. He didn't know what surprised him more. That she was stealing their things so casually, or that her mind had immediately jumped to her stealing his share. He hadn't even thought of that, of course. Just as he hadn't thought of looting from them. Count on Tala to capitalize on every opportunity.

"Don't really get it. Why not just kill them and be done with it?" she asked as she efficiently swiped everything of value from body after body. Which wasn't much aside from some spare change. Not like the Dead Hands' henchmen were especially well off.

"Because killing unarmed hostages would leave a sour taste in my mouth?" Jax replied, answering her question.

"Let me ask you this. Have you killed anyone before?""'Course not!" Tala replied, shaking her head.

"There you go," Jax replied.

"Besides, what's the point of having all this power if I have to live with their blood on my hands? Dunno about you, but I wouldn't get much sleep if I did that, and I like my sleep." Jax had never killed anyone in his life, and he didn't plan to start. Well, not when he had a choice, anyway. Still, that didn't mean he was about to let them off scot-free, and he sure as hell wasn't about to let loose ends come back to bite him.

"What, then?" Tala asked, as suspicious as she was curious.

"Tala, tell me. Is there any way for people to rapidly cross vast distances on Wakanya? Say, air travel or magic below Tier III?"

"Uh, no?" Tala replied, blinking.

"Never even heard of magic that lets you do that 'till I saw you. And people have tried to tame avian beasts for riding, but nobody's ever managed it. None of the Lesser Races, anyway."

"Good. Good," he replied, a plan forming in his head. Jax happened to have a third option. One available only to him. A door that his unique powers opened. Muttering the absurdly long incantation, he opened a Farcaster portal, but this time he didn't connect it to any place he'd visited before. When he'd experimented with the spell, he learned that doing so created gateways to random locations across the mortal plane.

And while he couldn't tell exactly where they were, [Farcaster] did allow him to get a general feel of the distance. He opened and closed a few until he found what he was looking for. A spot deep inside a forest with a river in the distance and no settlements anywhere nearby—something Jax confirmed after entering and aerially scouting the place. Importantly, it was somewhere far. Much farther than one could ever travel on Earth, which spoke to Wakanya's ludicrous size.

It could've been tens of thousands of miles for all he knew. Far enough to kill any hope of them ever returning, if they even bothered to try. They'd have water and game to hunt, and with their mix of magical abilities, Jax doubted surviving would be an issue. Not unless they were especially incompetent. Tala had been gazing through the Gate the whole time, transfixed, and for a moment Jax wondered if she'd just stay that way. But then she slapped her cheeks and turned towards him.

"They could still die, you know?"

"They can." Jax shrugged.

"I'm fully aware of the hypocrisy here. But I have another reason for keeping them alive beyond my own selfish desires."

"Ah," Tala said, eyes widening in comprehension.

"That's actually real smart. Especially when the other factions start moving against you." She's certainly quick on the uptake, Jax thought.

"Corpses make for pretty poor bargaining chips, after all," he replied with a mischievous smile that was mirrored by Tala. And if they failed to survive despite the hospitable environment? Well, Jax was no saint. He wanted to do right by the needy, sure, but these people were part of an organization that had sent hitmen after him. He doubted they'd have been nearly as accommodating were they in his shoes.

After tossing their unconscious bodies through the Gate with Tala's help, Jax threw in a dagger with a folded-up note skewered onto the end that just said 'I'm watching you'. Tala's idea. Insurance, lest those thugs get any ideas later. Smart. Happy to be rid of the smugglers, Jax closed the portal behind them, sealing them away for good. Next was Hakan, and he had something special in store for the ringleader.

"Oi, wake up," Jax said, slapping the unconscious man a few times, earning him a choked-back giggle from Tala as he did.

"What… where am I?" Hakan asked after blearily coming to.

"Your Den. Well, it's my Den now."

"You!" Hakan cried, trying to scramble to his feet.

"Yes, me," Jax replied deadpan, watching the crimelord try and fail to scramble away. Hard to move when your hands and feet were bound. The man seemed to realize that a moment later and quit squirming.

"What will you do with me?" he asked, sounding every bit as terrified as he ought to be.

"Tsk tsk," Jax replied, shaking his head.

"Not 'where are my men?' Or 'Take my life to spare them?'" Hakan spat.

"You can have that rabble if you want. Just let me go."

"Spoken like a fine bastard," Jax said, slow clapping.

"Don't worry, I've got plans for you," he said, beginning the long chant for Farcaster once again. Hakan fell silent when the chant kept going... and going. The Gate opened, and this time, Jax struck gold. On the other side was a wind-swept tundra even farther from Takora than the place he'd sent the rest to. With trees and frozen ponds of water granted, but far from pleasant.

"That's where you're headed, friend," Jax said, pointing to the other side.

"T-that's… no, it can't be," Hakan muttered.

"That's Spatiomancy!"

"Spatiotemporal, actually," Jax corrected with a smirk that Hakan had no hope of seeing under burlap sack he wore over his head. Hakan's eyes bulged.

"Impossible. No human could possibly wield such magic?"

"Oh? And who said I was human?" Jax asked, and the man's reaction was pretty much exactly what he'd hoped it would be. Unfortunately, that also made Tala's eyes bulge, and Jax didn't even want to begin to guess at the delusions running through her brain.

"Please, great one! Please, spare me!" Hakan pleaded, falling to his knees.

"Believe me, I am," Jax snarled, advancing on Hakan, who scrambled backward… right through the portal.

"I've survived in spots worse than that without magic of any kind. I think you can manage."

"No!" Hakan replied, desperately glancing around him.

"No, I'll die here! Slit my throat now, and be done with it!"

"Do it yourself, if you like," Jax said, tossing him a rusted dagger, as he'd just done with his men.

"As a great man once said, I don't have to kill you. But I don't have to save you, either. Best of luck, Hakan. Oh, and here." Jax tossed a used stick of flint and steel in front of him.

"You're gonna need it." With one last look at Hakan's horrified expression, Jax closed the Gate, banishing the crimelord to his fate.

"Thought you didn't want their blood on your hands?" Tala asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know he probably won't survive there, yeah? Besides, he's probably the best blackmail material of them all." Jax pulled off his mask and stared at the spot the Gate had just been.

"A guy like that doesn't rise to where he is if he breaks that easily. I wouldn't write him off just yet. And if he does croak, well, that's blood I do think I can live with." Jax turned and walked away, trying to ignore the looks Tala kept throwing his way as he returned to Hakan's office, which he'd claimed as his room. He had noticed that she seemed especially fond of staring at him, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't weird him out a little.

"What… what now?" Tala asked, twiddling her thumbs when Jax returned her gaze. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He almost averted his eyes. Just looking at the girl filled him with pity. Her clothes were torn and filthy. She stank, her hair probably hadn't been washed in a month, if ever, and her bare feet were covered in dirt. She was every bit a sewer rat. And yet, despite appearances, she was surprisingly sharp.

Once he started mining her for information, Jax was taken aback at how much she knew about the city. From the names of the factions and their general locations to important people to even where to get the best deals on various goods. She really knew far more than she gave herself credit for, and Jax was suddenly thankful he hadn't knocked her out and tossed her through the portal with the rest. What he needed most right now was a guide.

Someone to fill him in on the common sense of this world, and Tala seemed the perfect candidate. Moreover, with his cover, he had carte blanche to ask her all manner of stupid questions without raising suspicion. That alone was worth its weight in gold. Or copper, if you were Nimashi.

"First," Jax said, holding up a finger, "we get you cleaned up. And clothes that aren't halfway to hell."

"Why? What's wrong with the way I am?" she said defensively.

"Because you're filthy, that's why," Jax said bluntly.

"And if we're going to be spending time together, I'd rather do it with someone who doesn't stink." He winced a little at the look of hurt on her face. What he really wanted to say was that she didn't need to fear mistreatment anymore, but he somehow doubted she'd believe him.

"Are there bathing facilities in this place?" Jax asked. Tala nodded and pointed down the hallway.

"There's a cold wash barrel in the room down there. A luxury most of us never got to use."

"Wait," Jax said.

"Did you live here?"

"If you can call sleeping in the hallways 'living,'" Tala snorted. Jax blinked. She wasn't kidding when she said these people had treated her like garbage. Racism, it seemed, existed in every world, and h is blood boiled at the thought. The ability to transform into an animal that could go nearly anywhere was an unbelievable power. How blind was Hakan to not see the incredible value in that? Or maybe he did, Jax thought darkly. Maybe that was why he treated her that way.

"Say," Jax asked, "can you take any form? Or just a rat?" Tala shook her head.

"Just that. That's why I'm Rat. Lowest of the Skinwalkers. My [Skinwalk] spell only lets me shift into a rat and I only get a 5% boost to Vitality and a 10% boost to senses other than sight from my Gift. Most of our clan can shift into several forms, and they get much better boosts, usually. The stronger of our kind can shift into ash wolves, demijackals, void hyenas… even sunbears in rare cases. Those are terrifying," she said holding her arms and shuddering. Sunbears? Yeah, he had some experience with those guys.

If they could even morph into those monstrosities, then terrifying was absolutely the right word. Jax thought about the one he'd send tumbling. Maybe he'd return one day to settle the score with that guy.

"It's why our mountain hasn't been invaded in centuries," Tala continued." Your mountain?" Jax asked.

"Pumasillo, a Sixteener," she beamed with just a hint of little pride.

"Only one that bestows the Skinwalker Gift. Just... I ended up a Tier I. But I guess I at least got a Gift. Some just get a spell shard, which is worse... though not by much, I guess," Her pride seemed to fade slightly at that.

"Anyway, that's why my kind is so feared and respected. Oh, and I'm level 6, by the way," she said, before her eyes went suddenly and she waved her hands in front of her.

"Not that I'm asking for yours or anything! That would be rude! I, uh, just thought you should know."

"Thanks, Tala," Jax replied with a smile.

"I very much appreciate it." More than you could know, Jax thought. For a whole slew of reasons, really. First off, the name of that peak sounded vaguely familiar to Jax, though he couldn't quite place it. For another, that Tala still seemed to talk warmly of her people despite the way they treated her told Jax that she wasn't quite the cutthroat she made herself out to be. As for the other thing she said, that was news too. Jax had no idea mountains bestowed specific Gifts. Was that the case for all peaks?

Or a quirk of just some? The fact that hers was a higher mountain than Takora was not lost on Jax. From what he'd learned, that meant higher Gift rarity and better spells. Jax thought briefly about mentioning details of his power but dismissed the idea almost immediately. No need to volunteer that information until they got to know each other better.

"What happens if you get injured in that state?" he asked instead.

"Do the wounds carry over to your human form? What if you die like that?" Tala nodded again.

"Not something we usually tell outsiders, but yeah. Wounds we get in our shifted form transfer back. Actually works out for me since I only turn into a rodent. Anything that's lethal to a rat is usually pretty minor for an unshifted Walker. Then again, I can die a lot easier as a rat than as a Walker, so…" Tala cleared her throat.

"The strongest of my clan actually have the opposite problem. They can't shift back if they get too hurt. What isn't lethal to a bear might definitely be to a human. Oh, and don't believe the rumors. We don't eat people like some might have you believe. That's just gross."

"Right," Jax said with an awkward smile.

"Still, that's all very fascinating. Now go get cleaned up. I'll guard our new friends in the meantime. We can talk about what comes next after." Tala sniffed herself before narrowing her eyes and darting off, having clearly come to the same conclusion he had. Shaking his head, Jax went to guard the three unconscious bodies they'd dumped into the jail cell in the dungeon. Donning his angry face sack, he took in the compound on his way there.

Spanning three underground levels, the place was far larger than he'd initially thought, though the bottom level seemed to be dedicated entirely to storerooms. Along with the prison, there was a bunkhouse, a mess hall, a few rooms that looked like offices, and a few more Jax couldn't immediately guess the use of. He walked through the rubble of the door he'd destroyed a few days earlier and sat on a wooden chair that had somehow avoided the mayhem.

He was mulling through one of a dozen ideas for the place when Tala rejoined him about half an hour later after her bath… and Jax honestly couldn't believe the transformation. She almost gave him a jump scare, and it was little wonder why. Clean-faced and with combed hair, wearing respectable, if simple pants and a button shirt, she looked like a completely different person. Was it his imagination, or did she almost seem regal now? Maybe she'd always been that way.

It was hard to tell what she really looked like under all that grime. Where a scruffy, sewer-reeking street rat had stood earlier, there was now a surprisingly pretty woman in what he thought was her late teens or early twenties, though with her unusual features, it was difficult to say. What he'd mistaken as tangled auburn hair was actually long, straight, and started a mid-brown at her scalp before turning a rich red, darkening into a deep crimson at the tips, flowing almost to her mid-back.

And only now did Jax notice her ears—slightly pointed in an almost elven way, but with soft fur tufts instead of cartilage. That, plus her angular facial features and freckled face gave her quite an exotic look, and not in a bad way. Still a hamster. But a nice hamster.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing," Jax said with a sad smile.

"Just thinking what a shame it is to hide that face under all that dirt."

"Wh—what?" Tala stared at him with her mouth hanging open.

"What're you… what are you saying?" She really must not get many compliments. That realization made him unreasonably sad.

"Anyway," he said, "you feel better?"

"Best thing ever!" she said brightly, giving him a big, friendly smile that suited her face perfectly.

"So, uh, what now?" she asked.

"And what are we gonna do with those guys?"

"Well, for starters, I don't exactly have a home in this city. I could go buy a place, I guess, but why waste copper when we've got a perfectly good one right here?" Tala's eyes nearly popped out.

"The… Dead Hands' den? You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Jax asked.

"The other factions in the city, of course! They'll come for you! They'll know someone took down the Dead Hands! They'll retaliate, and this is the first place they'll come! And if that's not enough, Takora's just one of the Dead Hands' branches. They'll mop you up when they find out! Not like taking out this branch is gonna do anything."

"Oh? Will they now?" Jax asked calmly.

"See, I've been wondering about that. You said I was strong, right?"

"Uh, yeah? You're stupid powerful," she muttered, looking suddenly scared as she recalled their prior encounters.

"Er…" Jax mulled over whether to give her his real name, but figured he might as well. He'd be working alongside her for the foreseeable future and it wasn't like his real name had any meaning in this world. Not to mention how his name was the least of what she knew about him.

"The name's Jax," he said.

"Jacks…" she repeated, sounding it out.

"Jacks."

"How strong, exactly?" Jax pressed. Tala narrowed her eyes.

"Stronger than any human I've ever heard of. Stronger than some Higher Races too… not that I'm an expert on that. I just know Skinwalkers. We're considered Lowers, too, just higher than humans." Jax was honestly surprised and not totally convinced. He'd seen what those old Biomancers, as he'd learned they were called, could do. Sure, he had a pretty easy time taking them down, but if they got ahold of him?

While more durable than any regular human by a fair margin, Jax couldn't hope to compete against strength like that. It'd be like an adult going up against a child.

"Is it conceivable that one person could take down the Dead Hands in their own base?" Jax asked. Tala frowned, crossing her arms.

"It's not like the Dead Hands are the strongest around. They're smugglers, not Mancers, y'know? But even then… with all the Tier I and II's they had? No way. Definitely not. Don't think anyone could pull that off. Unless you were a Manitou or a Horned Serpent or something. But they can't exactly turn into Lessers, now, can they?"

"Right," he said, wondering what old Nimashi was up to. Probably brooding over his pile of copper, the poor guy.

"Um…" Jax cleared his throat.

"Which means, this could only have been done by another gang." Tala's eyes widened.

"And now that I have you," Jax continued, "we can make that case even stronger. If we can find some cartel or faction from outside the city—someone who might want to mess with Takora's affairs…" Tala nodded quickly.

"I can think of a couple. Yeah, this might actually work. It won't hold forever, y'know, but it'll definitely work for now."

"Go on."

"If I get word out that we're Moonfire Circle," she said, "and I spread word that the Circle sent a raiding party to take out the Dead Hands and move in… even Bidzi is gonna think twice before attacking. Oh, he's the Hearthguard chief. At least, he won't for some time. Not until it's confirmed. The Circle's not exactly on the best terms with Takora. It'll take some time for them to be willing to talk."

"Tell me about this Bidzi," Jax said, crossing his arms.

"What's he like?"

"The Bear?" Tala snorted.

"He didn't pick that name, let me put it that way. He's vicious. Brutal. But not stupid. He may seem like a brute, but he's cunning. Real cunning. And he's a Trimancer of the Second Tier." She paused, likely expecting Jax to react.

"He's a Biomancer," she stressed, still getting no reaction.

"And an Electro and Pyromancer on top of all that! He's… a beast."

"Don't get into a brawl with Mr. Bear," Jax quipped.

"Got it. You'll have to tell me about the others I oughta know about some time.

"Fine!" Tala shook her head in exasperation.

"But for now, I say we pretend we're Moonfire. Among all the leaders in Takora, Bidzi's the most likely to favor attacking, but not even he would move against them. Not until he knows for certain."

"You seem pretty confident about this," Jax remarked.

"As I said, he's not stupid. I've sold him information before. Well, indirectly, anyway. Never actually met him, thank Lux."

"Good," Jax said, making a note to drill Tala for details on the Circle later.

"Then that's the plan. In the meantime, we'll see if you're right about taking down this cartel not changing anything in Takora."

"You don't believe me…" she said softly.

"More like I don't want to believe you," Jax admitted.

"It'd sure be nice if we saw at least some effect from an operation as big as this going down."

"Well… you'll see," she said.

"No shortage of people lickin' their lips to take over."

"I suppose we will," Jax said, stretching his back.

"In the meantime, I'm gonna go heal some people and you're going to teach me everything I need to know about this city. Its people, its factions, how things work. Everything." Tala groaned and ruffled her hair.

"That's gonna take a while." Jax gestured to the surroundings.

"We've got time. Oh, and we definitely need to furnish this place." He wrinkled his nose at the bare walls.

"No home I'm living in is gonna look like a fucking dungeon." Tala's eyes lit up with what Jax could only see as greed.

"Does… does that mean I get a bed?"

"Tala, my friend, it means you get a room. Any one you want." The look of pure glee that lit up the Skinwalker's face made Jax's day.