Pratik slipped out next, also stepping out of the way so that Ky could catch up to Emery. She cringed. "He won't eat me."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"But has he eaten people? What parts of the story are true?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"I mean... yeah," she admitted sheepishly, glancing at Zander. This was not a line of questioning that was going to make him want to continue going along with this. She looked back at Emery. "But it's not like he wants to. He only does it because Builder cursed him. It's not his fault... and we're giving him a deer, so it's fine."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Emery grimaced. "Okay...but couldn't he just eat animals all the time? Or is he like an animal now?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"I mean... I'm not actually sure," Ky admitted. "He did say he was gonna stop eating people now because I reminded him that some people are good." She shrugged. "But he said he only does it when he's very hungry. And he hates it. I--" She cut herself off. None of them needed to know she'd asked him to kill her. "I think he means it. That he'll only go after animals now."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Emery took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, that's good. But he's still hungry? Is that part true, that he'll be hungry forever?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Yeah,” Ky said sourly. “At least until Builder wakes up. He’s going to ask to go be with his wife and son then.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Do you think he'll be allowed?' They exited the Keep. "I'll get us two crossbows," Gaius said. "And a dagger for Ky."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky was a little startled at that proclamation, but nodded. She’d already proven she didn’t have the guts to actually fight anything if it tried to hurt her. Plus a dagger wouldn’t do anything against Ruh even if she tried. But if arming her would make them feel better then she didn’t mind.
“I hope so,” Ky said. “It’s terribly unfair what he’s been through. He deserves to have peace.”
“I’ll go grab the meds from the stables,” Pratik said, striding off in that direction. He was desperately curious to hear more about this fearsome Marrow Man, but the sooner they got set, the sooner they could lure in this enigma. And he couldn’t very well make Zander do it, since Emery would have to follow.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Gaius headed off to the barracks. Emery stayed with Zander and Emery. "This is so weird," Emery went on. "They didn't tell this story in the East but I heard about it when I came here...it's quite disturbing."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Zander looked between Ky and Emery, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. That wasn’t an encouraging statement whatsoever.
“A lot if it is exaggerated,” Ky said simply, shrugging. “He told his story to someone a long time ago, and they lied about it, and now people keep repeating the lies. But it’s not his fault Builder cursed him. He wasn’t like this before, and he doesn’t want to be like it now.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Didn't he eat a forbidden animal?" Emery pointed out. "That's taboo, right? Though...he was starving, I suppose. But still!"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“If you’re a god and care that much about your stupid goat, shouldn’t you be able to keep a better eye on it?” Ky muttered.
Zander raised an eyebrow. Ky had gotten bold indeed, to be criticizing a god. Which was an odd turn of events given she wouldn’t say a single thing that even hinted at a critique of anyone else. Except for Zander himself. Which was frustrating in its own right. But still. Ky insulting a god was something new.
Ky glanced at him, then at Emery, then flushed and looked away. “The punishment doesn’t fit the crime.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"I agree," Emery said warily. "And I only say that because they're all sleeping and they can't smite me. You'd think the god of life would be nicer to his creations."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky nodded in agreement. “You’d think a lot of things.”
Zander also nodded, but he was still more interested in this change in Ky. She used to be as bought in to religiosity as was humanly possible. And now she was actively angry at the gods? He supposed her anger was understandable. But still startling.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
