12 - Fics I Read 2.0

FanFiction.Net

Just In

Community

Forum

Just As Planned (Catalog SI, Worm Start) by Throwaway1971

Books » Private Rated: M, English, Parody & Romance, Words: 154k+, Favs: 136, Follows: 154, Published: Aug 6, 2024 Updated: Dec 3, 2024

3Chapter 12: Worm 12

Ellisburg loomed ahead, a great wall that dominated the skyline. The main gate was situated next to the river, great vault doors attached to the filtration system that prevented anything from infiltrating (or exfiltrating) through the water. Those doors, I knew, would lead to winding security tunnels and checkpoints, heavy guard outposts and defensive emplacements.

Which was exactly why we wouldn't be taking them. Instead, we'd simply be jumping the wall.

The defenses of Ellisburg weren't designed to be impenetrable – not from the outside. They were intended to heavily dissuade anyone from entering and potentially setting off Nilbog in some way, but there wasn't a good method of preventing anything from entering the town at all. The vast majority of defenses were designed to stop Nilbog from breaking out if he suddenly were to decide to do so.

But it would have been far too many resources spent to make it impregnable when very few people would ever try to enter in the first place. So, guided by Saena, we skimmed across the ground on our approach. High enough that the cameras pointed at the ground wouldn't spot us, and low enough that we'd barely register on the aerial cameras – by the time anyone noticed, we'd already be inside.

Riley's arms were wrapped around my neck as I supported her from below in a bridal carry. It probably made for an adorable sight – in my opinion, at least. Other people would probably be worried about minor details like her status as ex-Bonesaw, or the way Saena flanked us to the right.

{Ascend.}

In unison, we tilted upwards, rapidly scaling the height of the wall. We flicked over the top of it in between guard shifts, then dove straight down to the ground again.

I could feel eyes on us as we descended, but I couldn't quite pinpoint where. Even when our feet had touched the ground, I wasn't certain where our watchers were. I set Riley down, dusted my hands off, and held them out to my sides, palms up.

"We are here peacefully, subjects of the Goblin King. I wish to speak to your liege, to offer him a gift – and to converse as equals."

For a long moment, there was no response. Then, slowly, things began to creep out of the ruined homes. A small thing that looked like a cross between a dilophosaurus and a child, mouth slightly open and long fangs exposed. A lumbering giant that was nearly square, with feet the size of my torso. A little girl with a head too big for her body and eyes too big for her head – she reminded me of Dobby. She reached us first, reaching into Riley's pockets, frisking her. When she found nothing, she turned to us, eyes flicking only momentarily over Saena's nude form and the bag that floated alongside her.

I held my hands out. "I am armed only with my own power, little one."

She moved to the bag, which Saena lowered to the ground and allowed her to inspect. If there was one less piece of organic tissue when she pulled her head back out of the sack, I made no comment on it. Seemingly satisfied, the little thing scampered back towards the town, and the other figures stood aside, watching us silently.

{Advance.}

I gently touched Riley's arm and led us forward. As we walked deeper into Ellisburg, the ruined houses became...both more and less ruined. Overgrown with vines and plants, with windows broken...but with crudely constructed furniture inside and collections of Nilbog's 'children' huddling inside in a parody of family groupings.

Or perhaps not so much a parody after all, considering some of what I saw happening in those buildings.

In roughly the center of town, Nilbog's form became visible. Sitting on a hodgepodge throne, immensely fat with at least three chins, bloated beyond reason...but it was a fake. That, I already knew. The true Nilbog was connected to it, certainly, but it was a clever distraction.

Nilbog was mad, not stupid.

I placed a hand over my heart and bowed my head slightly. "O' king of Ellisburg, thank you for allowing us this audience. I apologize for our unannounced entry, but we had to seize the opportunity to sneak past the guards atop your walls."

Nilbog waved a hand in the air dismissively. "I will forgive you this trespass, if you introduce yourself. I am not familiar with you."

"I am called Majesty; I am he who bound the Queen of Sky and Song, Saena." From her position at my right, Saena inclined her head and spread her hands. "This is Riley, my surgeon and fleshsmith – she has heard tales of your children, and wished to see them for herself."

Riley sketched a curtsey.

"Oh? And what do you think, Riley the fleshsmith?"

"They're beautiful! I never imagined there were so many...and so varied! I've seen at least twelve different subsets since we arrived." Riley visibly pursed her lips to stop gushing, but Nilbog only chuckled at her.

"And did you come just to see my children, then?" His voice had all the joy of a child showing off his toys. But...I had to play this a bit carefully. Drag it out too long, and he was likely to become unstable. Best to strike quickly and be done with things.

I'd hate to have to let Saena dismantle all of this – it would be wasteful, for a start, and Nilbog's creations didn't necessarily deserve to be genocided because their creator was insane.

"Not only, Nilbog. Before that, though, perhaps they mentioned our gift to you?" Saena allowed the sack to touch the ground, and the creatures swarmed it immediately...but, contrary to appearances, the first ones there actually began passing out the contents rather than gorging themselves first. They must be starving, to treat even basic organic tissue as a delicacy. "This small offering is the true point of our visit."

"You came all this way simply to feed my children? You are too kind, Majesty." I actually couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or if he was truly that naive. I wanted to say he wasn't, but...

"I came this way to offer you a solution, god-king. A...treaty, of sorts, from my realm to yours. You see...Riley is truly gifted. When she works, there is almost nothing she cannot forge – but, like any craftsman, she is limited by her materials." I gestured to the already empty sack. "All that I possess...is what you have seen. Functional...but hollow. Yet I can find no source of greater flesh for her to work her crafts upon."

Nilbog was listening with rapt attention – and, slightly unnervingly, so were his creatures. They were beginning to gather in a great circle around us, even ones that hadn't been present when we began speaking. "But is it not the way of things that when a land cannot find what it needs, it looks to its neighbors? That it extends hands to search, either in peace or in violence?"

Nilbog's puppet put a hand to its first chin, nodding slowly, fat rippling with the motion. "Indeed. And you chose peace – wise of you. I'll suffer no harm to my children."

"Indeed. That, I knew already – they say to know a king, one must simply look at his subjects. Are they hungry? Are they happy? Do they cry, or sing? Do they lament, or rejoice? Answer these questions and you know their king."

"Wise words." Nilbog's eyes flicked over Saena and Riley both for a moment before coming back to me. "So you have come to remedy your own troubles."

"To find a solution for us both. Your children are happy, this is obvious – but that they are hungry is equally obvious. It must be difficult, to provide for them while isolated. That you've done so well for so long speaks much of your character as king."

"And what solution do you seek from me, Lord Majesty?"

"I will give you the protein your people require. They may feed on it, or you may use it as you see fit. In exchange..." I took a breath. Here's the finish line. Almost there. "Your children...they are recycled, when their time comes. I would ask you to let us take up that duty. Your ailing, your ancient and your fallen – let them be given over to us, and Riley shall work them into wonders beyond imagining."

Nilbog's puppet drew back, eyes wide. "You ask me to sell you my children? You dare!?"

I spread my hands out again. "I ask you, as one king to another, to let your children help my subjects, as I help them. Is it truly so different, these fates?"

"It is. It is! Instead of my children returning to me to be reborn, you would have me send them to a foreign hell to be reforged? I –" He trailed off suddenly, as a thin, leathery thing broke through the ring of creatures around us.

Four feet tall and frighteningly skinny, with legs and arms like sticks and a face that vaguely reminded me of a bat, large ears drooping down and framing its face. It walked forward, peering up at me before turning to look at Riley. It reached out for her, and she gently took its hand in both of hers. She gently prodded at its skin with her thumbs.

"You're dying," she said simply.

"Dumbo?" Nilbog said, his voice soft and suddenly gentle.

"I have lived for four long years," the bat-elephant – Dumbo – said in a coarse voice. "You...can feed my siblings? My children?" It looked up at me.

"I can," I answered simply.

It turned to Riley, peering up into her face. "This body. You can...make it useful?"

"Absolutely. I can already see...so many possibilities." Her eyes sparkled slightly.

Dumbo stared at her. Then he released her hand, turning and walking closer to Nilbog before he knelt and pressed his head to the ground. "Please, lord. Let me do this thing. For all of us."

"Dumbo," Nilbog said, voice thick as though he were about to cry.

He truly does love his creations, doesn't he?

More of his creatures slowly ambled their way forward, kneeling before his throne and repeating the same words, over and over.

Finally, he raised a hand. "...Very well. I...will take this devil's bargain. Lord Majesty...I, Nilbog, God-king of Ellisburg, will enter this pact with you. Feed my children, and...I shall grant you what remains, after."

I bowed my head in respect. "Then it shall be done. You shall have all you need, and when it is time we shall come to collect."

Nilbog nodded tiredly. "Then...leave me with my children. I must speak with them in private."

"As you wish."

With that, we strode for the portal near the center of Ellisburg...and a moment later, we were gone.

Chapter 42 - 12