金瓶梅第2部

Sasarame was much changed since Tycon had last seen her. The beautiful 10-ilm silver snake with a tapered tail had transformed into a short girl with chocolate-colored skin and stark, almost-glowing white hair.

She was lying face-down on the floor, trying to hide underneath a torture table. Her size did not allow it, but she was trying her best.

Tycon crossed his arms and shifted his weight.

It was certainly Sasarame. The System had marked the young girl's name over her head. Tycon hadn't noticed when it had changed, but her name was marked with blue, the color of absolute trust.

« System, inquiry: Target status. »

[System response: Sasarame, Bronze-Rank Snake Oracle]

Tycon narrowed his eyes and turned to Zehr, "You gave her a Class?"

Zehr scratched his cheek, "Champion... why do you first inquire of her Class rather than her form? Ah, no matter... She seems to have gained the Oracle Class when she delved into your memories."

The difference in ability between an Unranked and a Bronze-Ranker was significant. A Bronze-Rank Oracle was capable of casting First-Circle Divine spells. Sasarame was younger than Pale, yet was a more powerful spellcaster. Human mages tended to grow in power more slowly than mages of other species. Further, due to their lifespan, true Third-Circle casters were rare among humans, with Fourth-Circle mages and higher only belonging to elves and other oldbloods.

However, an early Bronze-Ranker could still be killed as easily as a normal person... and the young lady did not appear to be a natural combatant. Initially, Tycon wanted to protect Sasarame out of a decidedly non-snakelike sense of kinship. With her gaining a Class, her abilities could be nurtured to improve Invictus' overall strength.

"Tell me of her rank and form, then." Tycon raised an eyebrow.

"A side-effect from the contact from both my mana signature and yours, it seems," the doppelganger offered.

Tycon knelt down and gently shook the dark-skinned girl, "Sasarame, get up. As you are, you can't hide under that."

Slowly, she got to her feet, standing as tall as Tycon's chest and a bit taller than Taree. Long bleached-white hair fell to below her waist with two long elven ears sticking out almost horizontally. She was nude, but Tycon was neither interested aesthetically nor emotionally. She crossed her arms with chattering teeth.

"Snake god," Tycon addressed Zehr.

Zehr crossed his arms, "Yes, Champion?"

"Give her your cloak."

"...I beg your pardon?"

"You're a god. She's one of yours. It's cold," Tycon rolled his eyes. What an asinine thing to question. If a child is cold, you offer them a coat.

Zehr opened his mouth to argue... but kept quiet. He removed his cloak, revealing a long-sleeved tunic underneath, and wrapped it around the young elf-girl, "There we are, young believer... this is a boon."

She shivered lightly, hugging the material of the cloak, "(Sasarame is unworthy. Sasarame is cursed.)"

Tycon observed Zehr's reaction, "What's this about a curse? Is this your doing?"

"It is not." Zehr grimaced, "Mortals curse their gods at the slightest opportunity. Sometimes, it's fate. Oftentimes, it's blind luck."

"What about the sea god?" Tycon inquired.

Zehr hesitated... "The sea god's been stepping on everyone's tails as of recent. I'm sure he'll be replaced soon enough."

Tycon mentally filed away the new information. Gods could be replaced... and perhaps be killed.

Zehr walked around the young girl, examining her long ears, staring into one of her eyes, and even checking her pulse, "I don't sense any curses or magics on her... She does have the Oracle's ability to see into people's pasts, though."

"Is your ability your curse, Sasarame?" Tycon asked with concern.

She shook her head and pouted.

Zehr placed a hand on Tycon's shoulder, "As one of my believers, I was able to glimpse into her past... It is why she believes as she does..."

Tycon calmly held up a hand, "When she feels ready, she can tell me herself."

Zehr closed his eyes and nodded.

Tycon sighed as he mussed up Sasarame's hair. A fat clump of white hair atop her head stuck up, looking out of place.

He did not fix it.

"The ritual," Tycon stated. He hoped he did not need to clarify.

"Liber did well..." Zehr offered no opinion on the man's murderous ways. Tycon didn't expect him to.

"Can you return the afflicted to normal?"

"While Liber may have sacrificed their minds to me, the process was symbolic." Zehr shook his head, "'Twas by mortal hands that such atrocities have been wrought."

"I'd thought as much," Tycon twisted his lips into a grimace, "One more thing... how much does my mother know?"

The corner of Zehr's mouth curled up, "Ah, dearest Rylania... She has heard word of your exploits... You've made a big mess of things in the Kingdom, taking down House Tavor-- both the Baron and the Duke."

"That will do." Tycon nodded lightly. He'd heard enough, "We'll be going then."

Zehr pointed at the chocolate elf, "Sasarame's faith is strong. I'll be watching your exploits through her eyes, Champion."

"Whatever," Tycon flicked Sasarame's forehead.

As soon as he did, Zehr disappeared as he had never existed. Tycon theorized that the snake god could only appear because of the Oracle's presence. A level of the girl's concentration-- even if involuntary, was necessary to hold the link.

The theory would explain why the snake god's form was so similar to his. Tycon surmised that he held a very high position in Sasarame's subconscious mind-- supplemented by the fact that the System rated her at Trust.

Curiously, the white cloak on Sasarame remained.

She rubbed the welt on her head and pouted as if she'd been wronged.

Tycon poked her soft cheek, "Return to your snake form, Sasarame, and we'll head out."

It would be easier to have Sasarame travel in her snake form, so he wouldn't have to explain why he had a fork-tongued dark elf who only spoke in hisses.

"(Master... how... does Sasarame return to her other form?)"

Tycon sighed.

...

Ignoring the protests of Sasarame's and his empty belly, Tycon and she only emerged from the fort half-a-bell later. By then, he was thoroughly confident in her ability to transform, and just as confident that he could eat a grilled salmon of moderate size.

Thankfully, Sasarame gained the same clothes-melding magic Tycon had. Upon transforming from elf to snake form, her clothes would meld away-- and vice versa. It was far more convenient than the clothes slipping off. Unwelcome questions would be raised if anyone was to discover that Tycon had kept a nude, underage girl hidden from his peers.

For now, Tycon kept the silver snake warm inside his cloak. She traversed his neck and arms with ease. She found a comfortable resting spot, lightly curled against the back of his neck, hidden by his dark hood.

The sun had already set, but it was about dinnertime. Tycon hurried his steps, worried that he and his young charge would miss the evening meal.

As he neared the Sea Wolf camp, the hairs on the back of Tycon's neck stood up. Sasarame stirred, sensing the danger.

There was rarely a dull moment as the leader of Guild Invictus.

He closed his eyes and allowed his other senses to examine his surroundings. He had recovered much of his mana since the fight with Liber-- a pre-meal skirmish was acceptable.

There.

Tycon shot a back kick, accurately striking the assassin's groin with his heel. Hopping up and quickly rotating his body, he snapped a jumping roundhouse at the blue-haired figure's temple.