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masterghandalf) wrote2025-01-20 08:14 am
masterghandalf) wrote2025-01-20 08:14 am
The Scrolls of the Ancients: Chapter Thirteen and Chapter Fourteen
This is a repost from Das_Sporking2. Previous installments of this spork may be found here.
Warning: These chapters contain discussion of potentially triggering content, including slavery.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Robert Newcomb’s The Scrolls of the Ancients! Last time, we got some backstory by Wulfgar and then Janus showed up and tossed Wulfgar a sex slave; we also got some backstory on Krassus and Grizelda and saw how Grizelda’s attempts to scry for the remaining Scroll aren’t working. Today, sigh, it’s time to check in with Wigg as he and Faegan do some research and figure out what comes next, and we also find out just what Wulfgar is going to end up doing with the woman Janus “gave” him. Joining us today will be Ash and Irinali!
Chapter Thirteen
Ash: …goddess help me, I am not looking forward to this. And so, we open with… target practice.
Twin azure bolts, so strong and brilliant that they could barely be looked upon, seared across the expanse of the courtyard and smashed into the upright marble column with an earsplitting explosion. The ground shook from their impact. Once again the target had been destroyed, rent in two by the sheer force of the magic. As the smoke and dust cleared, it could be seen that the two huge chunks of marble had been thrown several meters apart. Many smaller fragments lay nearby, their shattered ends still smoldering from the heat.
Ash: And then, sigh, someone starts speaking and it’s Wigg complimenting his “student” (Celeste, we know it’s Celeste, you don’t have to hide it, Newcomb!) on her progress but telling her she can manage more fine control, including manipulating the size and shape of the bolts. Once you have mastered this stage, it will serve as the foundation for the finer applications of your gift, such as slicing through an object, manipulating an object, or even actually grasping something and lifting it into the air. *flatly* You can do all of that with one spell. Amazing. Also, weren’t these bolts a power given to Celeste by the forestallments her mother put on her after she was born? Why does Wigg think they’ll necessarily behave like the sorts of bolts he can use, even if they look similar? We also learn that he’s privately amazed by Celeste’s progress, but he doesn’t say it outright. Bastard.
Irinali: Indeed. Positive reinforcement is a valuable teaching tool, so long as you apply it properly. Wigg then has Celeste try again, aiming for a smaller target this time.
“And this time,” he continued, “use only one hand. Fold the thumb and last fingers of your right hand inward, and point only the remaining three. Using those three fingers alone, try to sustain the life of the bolts and slice the marble column into three equal segments, rather than simply destroying it. Remember,” he added, “almost anyone trained in the craft can use the bolts to destroy. But only a master can employ them in a useful way, to create something that was not there before.”
Irinali: Oh, shut up. When was the last time you created something of worth, Wigg?
Ash: *muttering* When did you?
Irinali: Oh, please. Just because I work in flesh and bone rather than some more mundane medium, everyone is always so quick to cast aspersions upon my art, when a properly animated skeleton warrior is useful for so many things! Moving on, we learn that Wigg and Celeste are practicing in the palace courtyard; Celeste is getting tired, but Wigg thinks that’s an important part of the learning experience (unless you exhaust her to the point she faints, I suppose…). But Celeste makes the gesture as Wigg instructs, shoot the bolts and hits the targets. She then makes the bolts move around in precise ways to slice up the target, but finally her exhaustion wins out and she loses control, shattering the target instead. See, Wigg? Shailiha then walks over, her giant butterfly perched on her arm, and tells Celeste she almost got it, and she’s sure she will soon. Celeste, exhausted, thinks it doesn’t feel that way; she then checks her hands and finds them red and sore, though Wigg assures her that will fade with practice. I would not take his word on that!
Ash: Wigg then takes Celeste aside, thinking about how important it is to teach Celeste to control her powers and how worried all of them are for Tristan. When Wigg and Celeste had learned of Tristan’s capture, their shock had given way to tears, their tears then pushed aside by anger and frustration. And you’re really making me feel that emotion. Great job, Newcomb! /s We learn that when Faegan and Shailiha escaped Farpoint and found the Minions, Ox nearly went wild with grief, begging to be allowed to take his warriors to fly to the town and rescue Tristan, though Faegan refused because of how badly the Minions would be outnumbered by Krassus and his demonslavers, and how they had no time to catch up to the ships before they sailed. And, uh, okay… I think Newcomb just did a better job of selling me on the idea that Ox has feelings for Tristan than that Celeste does! Which I doubt is what he meant, but it’s how it feels. So, the Minions ended up flying everyone back to the Redoubt, where they met up with Wigg and Celeste, met Abbey, and everyone shared their stories and Minions were dispatched to collect what’s left of Abbey’s books and stores and bring them to the Redoubt.
Irinali: *flatly* How riveting. Anyway, the next course of action is to find Tristan. Abbey wants to scry for him, but she doesn’t have enough of the herbs she needs to prepare a fire for that purpose, so she and Faegan are trying to figure out an alternative solution. Meanwhile, the group has wondered about sending the Minions out to look for Tristan, but they’re not sure how they’d be able to find him on a specific ship if he’s being kept belowdecks, and they don’t know the name of the ship Tristan’s on anyway. And they don’t want to risk the Minions scaring Eutracian seafarers and provoking a confrontation. *beat* You know, if you’d actually been bothering to behave like royalty and court wizards and issued proclamations that the Minions had switched sides and were now protecting Eutracia and actually done things for Eutracia so that message carried weight, you could have avoided this. Such a pity. However, Ox was insistent, so Wigg and Faegan finally agreed to let him take some Minions out to search, but so far, they’ve had no luck.
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 32
Ash: We are thankfully interrupted from all of this by the arrival of the gnome, Shannon the Small (Dark Maiden watch over me, what kind of name is that?) who announces that Faegan and Abbey want to see them in the Hall of Blood Records. We then get a description of Shannon:
Wigg took in the gnome’s red hair, matching beard, and dark eyes. Shannon was dressed, as always, in his red shirt, blue bibs, and upturned shoes. A black watch cap sat atop his head, and his ever-present ale jug was firmly clamped in one hand. Shannon took a deep, irreverent slug of his brew, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Despite his outward courtesy, there was always a hint of comic disrespect on the little one’s face—especially where Wigg was concerned. Ever since the lead wizard had met Shannon, there had never been any question that the gnome accepted none but Faegan as his master.
Ash: …and of course he can’t be a free gnome, he needs a human wizard as his master. *she buries her face in her hands* I think I’ll stay with my goddess, who fights for the right of freedom and dignity for all peoples, thank you. That said, I think “disrespect for Wigg” is an entirely understandable position to take, especially as the narration goes on that Wigg isn’t found of gnomes (racist…) though he’s grudgingly come to admit they’re valuable allies. Shannon repeats that it’s important; Wigg thinks about how Faegan and Abbey have been researching herbs over the past few days that might work as replacements in her gazing fires, and that they need Abbey’s abilities desperately and hope they’re going to get good news, as the scene ends.
Blood Matters: 76
Protagonist-Centered Morality: 32
Irinali: We then cut to everyone arriving at the Hall of Blood Records (sigh…) where Faegan and Abbey are deep in conversation. We learn that Faegan is sitting at the table in a new wheeled chair, while the table itself is buried in Abbey’s books, notes and herb samples along with, of course, numerous blood signature documents. Apparently, Faegan and Abbey are so engrossed in conversation they don’t even notice the new arrivals, which annoys Wigg (not that Faegan is much better, but more people should ignore Wigg; I think it would be good for him to experience that, and amusing for me); seems he’d always wondered what would happen if he put Abbey and Faegan in the same room, and now he's learned, to his exasperation. Wigg clears his throat loudly, but they pay him no mind and keep debating.
“And I’m telling you that blossom of sintrinium is no substitute for nectar of oleaster!” Abbey shouted. She threw her hands into the air. “It just won’t work, no matter how much you’d like it to! If any substitutions are made, then either the gazing flame will burn too hot, thereby clouding the view, or there will be nothing to see at all! Trust me; I know what I’m talking about! These are time-honored formulas, and they must be respected! Half of the palace could go up with your tinkering!”
Blood Matters: 77
Irinali: Ah, I do love the thought of someone who actually knows what they’re talking about calling Wigg and Faegan out, though I fear it won’t last long… Faegan just tells Abbey that she’s wrong, since Abbey’s own charts say that sintrinium and oleaster are similar. Abbey, rightly, points out that “similar” is not “identical,” and for this purpose, one can’t be substituted for the other. We’re igniting a gazing flame, you old fool, not making rabbits scurry out from under your robes! *she sighs contentedly* Ah, I know it won’t last, but for now, I’m just going to bask in the light of someone’s actual expertise! Wigg finally manages to get a word in edgewise, asking Abbey to come sit down, as she does, she whispers that she can’t believe she thought he was difficult. And at that moment, Faegan butts in as if determined to prove her right about how insufferable he is.
“Indeed,” Faegan answered. “It seems your herbmistress is being uncooperative regarding my proposed substitution of certain ingredients needed for igniting her gazing flame. After careful review, it seems we do not possess all of the required elements. I was only trying to save us a trip back to Shadowood, where my selection of such goods is far greater. And I need remind none of you that time is not on our side.”
Ash: *looking uncomfortable* Okay, once again, this isn’t the sort of magic I do – thank the Dark Maiden – but still, this is incredibly uncomfortable watching this pompous creep blathering on about a topic in which he clearly knows nothing next to someone who does. Wigg, for once in his life, makes the right decision and asks Abbey if there’s any merit to Faegan’s suggestions. She says she can see why he thinks that way, but he’s still wrong. To both conjure the image and sustain the flame long enough to see something useful, the formula has to be exactly right, and any deviation can mess it up – and if Abbey needs to perform the ritual regularly, she’s going to need a lot of these ingredients. And so, it sounds like the only option to get all she needs, in sufficient amounts, is to go to Shadowood. Shailiha is worried that this will mean it will take even longer to find Tristan and is clearly distressed by the idea (he’s not impressed me too much so far, but he is her brother, so I can see why she’d think differently). And then Wigg breaks in with this.
Shailiha had always been strong-willed, but until the recent past there had been very little reason for her to display that trait. Now, especially with Tristan missing, things were vastly different. First had come the awakening of her Forestallment allowing her to communicate with the fliers of the fields. Then she had accompanied Tristan and Faegan to Farpoint, fighting alongside them as well as any man could have. She had taken her first lives, and Wigg suspected sadly that they would not be her last.
Ash: Because clearly, being kidnapped and brainwashed by an evil cult after watching her family get slaughtered in front of her wouldn’t bring this hard edge out in her or anything. *headdesk* Newcomb, I can tell when you’re trying to cover for what you’d previously written. It’s really obvious. Anyway, Shailiha says she’s sick of all this talking (finally someone in these books is!) and she thinks that if they need to go to Shadowood, they’d better do it. But first she wants some answers. No, I thought you were sick of all the exposition!
Exposition Intrusion: 68
Gender Wars: 19 (okay, this one may be a bit of a stretch, but it still seems like the implication is that Shailiha can only show her strength when her brother isn’t around)
Irinali: Faegan says he’ll do his best (not looking forward to this…) and Shailiha starts off by asking about the brands the slavers were using in Farpoint. From what Faegan can see, he thinks that the brands read talis and r’talis, meaning “unendowed” and “endowed” in Old Eutracian, and that they were sorting the slaves into those categories – and that the robed men overseeing the process were the traitor consuls, and the woman with Krassus was his partial adept. *rolling her eyes* So, more telling us things we already know, lovely. The other tools the consuls were using were to measure the power of endowed blood, and Wigg and Faegan conveniently prove that they happen to have a set of their own stored right here in this very chamber by taking it out and showing everyone.
Wigg pointed to the frame holding the hourglass and the vial. “This is called a blood criterion. Its purpose is to assay the quality of endowed blood. The lower the assay number, the higher the quality of the blood that is being examined. The plans for this device were found in the Tome of the Paragon during Faegan’s first reading of it. The Ones Who Came Before, through their dictates in the Tome, ordered us to construct it and assay your blood immediately following your births. Just like the azure glow surrounding your deliveries, your blood ratings were further proof to the Directorate that you and Tristan were indeed the Chosen Ones.”
“It’s really quite simple,” Wigg explained. “First, the criterion is placed upon a piece of parchment. Then a drop of the subject’s blood is placed on the parchment a specific distance from the criterion. The hourglass is turned over at the exact moment a single drop of cave water is released from the vial and lands on the parchment. As you have already been taught, endowed blood and water from the Caves immediately attract, but to varying degrees, depending upon the quality of the blood. The stronger the blood, the faster the two seek each other out and join to form a signature. The number of spheres that drop in the time it takes for the two fluids to meet equates to the number of the blood quality.”
Blood Matters: 80
Exposition Intrusion: 72
Irinali: *rolls her eyes* Blood, blood and blood. All that any of these people ever think about. I know a great many uses for blood, as it happens… but I’ll have you know that when it comes to my own magical abilities, I earned them through decades of study and practice. And I’ll match myself against any of these cretins whose power was only “earned” by an accident of birth. Now, where were we? Celeste, of course, says that this is all ingenious (you’re only trying to get your father’s approval by expressing interest in his interests, aren’t you?) and then Wigg points out another, simpler device.
“The plans for it were also found in the Tome. Called a signature scope, it is used to determine whether the blood signature on the parchment beneath it leans to the left or the right, and to what degree. A high blood quality rating, coupled with a severe degree of lean one way or the other, results in a person of very great potential power, indeed.”
Ash: Because everything about a person, even their moral alignment, comes down to blood in this universe. Once again, I’m quite certain Wigg and Faegan are the sorts of people who’d think I was cursed from birth because my father was drow. So, forgive me if I’m not overly awed. But Shailiha examines one of the blood signatures on the table with a signature scope and notes its lean; Wigg then confirms that her and Tristan’s signatures are both strongly right-leaning, that Wulfgar’s is strongly left-leaning, and that his blood quality is equal to hers and only slightly below Tristan’s (they’re twins, why is their blood quality different?). At Shailiha’s request, Wigg then takes out a copy of Wulfgar’s blood signature, which also includes, for some reason, a lock of his hair. Apparently, Morganna took a clipping of it the day she gave him up, and later asked the wizards to store it with his signature. Shailiha guesses that the slavers are searching for Wulfgar and that’s why they’re testing peoples’ blood; Wigg agrees and thinks it’s very likely they’ve already found him (while you all sat around for months doing nothing…).
Blood Matters: 82
Exposition Intrusion: 75
Gender Wars: 20
Irinali: Celeste then wonders why they’re taking the unendowed too (because they want labor? That’s the usual reason for taking slaves, that or to sell them to someone else, which Krassus and Janus don’t seem to be doing. And sacrifices for the Necrophagians, of course…). Faegan only guesses they must have some reason, but he doesn’t know what it is (that… was not helpful at all) and Shailiha wonders why Farpoint. Wigg can only guess that Nicholas must have told Krassus to start in that part of the country before he died (the fact that Krassus needed a port for his ships and was probably better off starting in part of the country away from the capital and the wizards, doesn’t seem to occur to him at all). Celeste wonders where the demonslavers came from; Faegan had never seen or heard of such creatures before the fight at Farpoint, but he guesses they were probably created by magic, like the Minions. But he has no idea how they were created, if they used to be Consuls or if they’re something else (beg pardon, but weren’t the Consuls who refused to serve Nicholas turned into zombies? While the ones who served him willingly… are still serving Krassus? So, the slavers, presumably, come from somewhere else, especially since Krassus seems to have them in large numbers).
Blood Matters: 83
Exposition Intrusion: 78
Ash: Celeste then wonders if Abbey can find Wulfgar, since if he’s already been captured, they may be taking him and Tristan to the same place and Abbey could find both of them at once. That’s… remarkably clever for a character in these books. Thank you, Shailiha! Wigg is also impressed and asks Abbey if the lock of Wulfgar’s hair and/or his blood signature give her enough to work with to scry him. Abbey asks how old the samples are; when Wigg confirms that they’re thirty-five years old, she’s not sure, but willing to give it a try. She thinks the hair is more likely to work as a focus than the blood – ha, for once blood isn’t the most important thing! …and then she kind of ruins it by exchanging a flirty look with Wigg. No. In any case, they’re still back to the problem of needing the right components for her ritual, and so someone has to go to Shadowood. Shailiha also wants to lead a company of Minions to Farpoint and search the whole city on the off-chance Tristan is still there. Wigg and Faegan, it seems, aren’t happy about this. For one, now that Tristan might be dead, it’s even more important to keep Shailiha, their last Chosen One, out of harms’ way, and for another, they can’t risk giving Krassus a chance to capture her. *rolls her eyes* I’m so glad that’s all this woman Wigg was practically an honorary uncle to is worth to him… just another piece on his sava* board. What a wonderful man.
*MG’s Note: Sava=drow chess
Contrivances and Coincidences: 16 (for them just happening to have a lock of Wulfgar’s hair on hand)
Exposition Intrusion: 80
Protagonist Centered Morality: 33
Irinali: Well, Wigg calmly explains to Shailiha why he won’t let her do this, and he can feel her getting more and more angry as he does (understandably so!); finally, Shailiha agrees not to go to Farpoint, but refuses to sit idle while her brother is in danger, and so offers to be the one to go to Shadowood and fetch the ingredients, if Abbey gives her a list of everything she needs. She’s already been there, the gnomes know her, and it’s not too dangerous (because Newcomb has already forgotten the man-and-gnome eating monsters infesting the forest, apparently – have they even been alluded too since the first book?). Celeste says she’ll go, too. And Wigg… blows his top. I’m not kidding. “Absolutely not!” Wigg thundered. He glared at the two women as if they were completely mad. The telltale vein in his right temple had begun to throb again. *sweetly* What is it, Wigg? Does it make you angry that two women have plans to accomplish something without you holding their hands the whole way? I think it does! Celeste says she can use her powers to protect them, they can take Faegan’s portal and won’t be gone long, and now that Wigg has Abbey to keep him occupied he won’t even miss them (oh, Celeste, I didn’t know you had it in you!). Wigg says Celeste doesn’t know how to use her gift effectively; she points out she saved his life with it. Faegan actually agrees with Shailiha and Celeste – he’ll send a letter with them to his house’s caretaker, Lionel the Little (why…) explaining what they need and that they’re there with his permission. He explains that for this purpose they’ll need dried herbs rather than fresh ones, but Lionel can tell them all about why and where to find everything.
“Very well,” Wigg said reluctantly. “But this little errand of yours should take no more than a single day. If the two of you do not come home on the appointed hour, I am coming to Shadowood myself to get you. Understood?”
Irinali: …Shailiha is over thirty years old, which I believe is easily an adult, by human standards. Celeste is over three hundred, which ought to be an adult by anyone’s standards. Why are you treating them like misbehaving adolescents? Oh, I think I can guess… But he sits back in his chair and sighs in resignation as the chapter comes to an end.
MG: And since the next chapter is fairly short, we’ll be continuing on for today!
Exposition Intrusion: 82
Gender Wars: 21 (you can be sure Wigg wouldn’t be treating, say, Tristan and Traax like this, if they were the ones who wanted to go…)
Protagonist Centered Morality: 34 (why are we supposed to like Wigg, here?)
Chapter Fourteen
Ash: And so, we open with Wulfgar, picking up directly from the last time we saw him as the so-far-nameless female slave Janus brought in looks up at him with hate, and defiantly tells him to do his worst and get it over with. Huh; I almost like her already. I wonder how long it’ll take Newcomb to ruin her?
Wulfgar looked at her. Despite the fact that her sea voyage had made her thin, she remained beautiful. Dark ringlets curled down over her breasts. Her taffeta gown—no doubt supplied by Janus—was stunning, and the yellow complemented her deep blue eyes. Given her situation, he might have expected her to cower before him. But she did not. Only anger showed. He immediately found himself respecting her for it, and wanting to know more about her.
Ash: …but of course, the first thing we have to establish is that she’s still hot, even after all she’s been through. *facepalm* Anyway, Wulfgar tells her he’s a slave too, and won’t hurt her; he pulls down the sleeve of his robe, and though she initially recoils, he’s just showing her the brand on his shoulder, just like she has. He promises her that they don’t have to act like slaves with each other and offers her some of the food Janus brought. She’s clearly hungry but suspicious, so he rolls the cart out to the balcony, sits down next to it, and tells her she can come eat if he wants. Apparently, he thinks she’ll feel less threatened out here – since she’s clearly still wary of him, I’d think a better solution would be to go to the other side of the room or something and let her eat by herself, though with all Wulfgar’s been through himself lately, I’m not surprised he’s not thinking that through.
Irinali: So, the woman does join Wulfgar on the balcony; she spends a while staring west over the ocean, towards Eutracia, and then Wulfgar fixes her a generous plate of food – what sort of food, exactly? – from the cart and offers her some. As can be expected from a woman who’s spent the last several weeks presumably being starved, she snatches it away and eats ravenously. Wulfgar waits until she’s mostly done and then asks her name. “I am Serena,” she answered cautiously. Another bite of roll went quickly into her waiting mouth. “Of the House of Winslow.” Ah, and so we have a name at last! Hmm; we now have a Shailiha, a Serena, and a Celeste (not to mention the now deceased Succiu). I think Newcomb is fond of female names that start with a sibilant. Serena confirms that she’s from Farpoint, and Wulfgar asks if she’s related to Simon Winslow, the animal healer (wait, is this the first time that Newcomb has used a surname just as part of the name, not as in “house of”?) and she confirms that’s her father. It turns out that Wulfgar knows Simon well, since he frequently does business with Wulfgar’s family’s stables, and Wulfgar describes where he lives and his apparently very high reputation in his trade to prove he’s being honest. Serena is surprised that Wulfgar’s family own the Merrick Stables, and then realizes that her father has mentioned him, and apparently holds him in high regard. Beg pardon, but Wulfgar has done business with Serena’s father, Serena knows about Wulfgar from her father… but Wulfgar has never heard of Serena? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds rather… improbable?
Contrivances and Coincidences: 17
Ash: Suddenly, Wulfgar is struck by a dark thought and runs to get Janus’ hourglass so he knows when the painted freak (sigh…) will be back. When Serena sees it, she wants to know what’s going on and why Wulfgar is being treated so much more luxuriously than everyone else. Wulfgar admits he doesn’t know – a rare quality, in a Newcomb character! – but that everyone got very excited when they tested his blood, and now he’s been put here to wait until someone called Krassus shows up to explain more. He asks Serena if she’s seen any more of the building and if she’s spotted any way they might escape.
“I’m sorry, but I saw no exits,” she answered honestly. “And I viewed little, compared to the gigantic size of this place. I have heard some of the slavers refer to this structure as the ‘Citadel.’ All of us with this R’talis mark, the men and women alike, are kept in gigantic cages. They give us just enough food and water to keep us alive. New R’talis prisoners arrive every day. We have no idea where the people with the other kind of brand are being held, or even if they still live. Every morning Janus and his slavers come and take a different selection of us away. Those taken never return. It is all very strange.”
Blood Matters: 85
Ash: *boggles* Just how big is this operation if more slaves arrive every day? How many slave ships does Krassus have? And how is it that our supposed heroes never noticed until Krassus himself decided to bring it to their attention? Serena then continues her story:
“Janus came to us early. I now know that it was to select one of the women for you,” she said ashamedly. “But none of us knew that then. We thought that he was simply taking more of us away. When he chose me, I was terrified. He had me taken to other quarters, rather like these. This gown was laid out on the bed, and there was a room for bathing.” Then her face lowered. “He watched the entire time as I bathed myself and changed into this dress,” she whispered. “All the while he was smiling, and clinking those strange spheres of his in one hand. It sent shivers down my spine. Then he and his slavers brought me here. Along the way I saw many dark hallways, lit by torches, and a very large, open courtyard. But most of the time was spent navigating stairways. The walk was very long, and hundreds of demonslavers filed by us in the halls. I also saw a few of the men in the dark blue robes. I can tell you that this place, this Citadel as they call it, is very well guarded.”
Ash: …of course Janus was creeping on her, Newcomb can’t write a villain with any depth or subtlety at all, can he? Serena then describes one other thing she noticed as she was being brought here – screaming. Horrible, insane screaming, from men and women alike - why is that the important thing here? Would it have made more sense if Janus was torturing women or men, but not both? – coming from behind a certain door they passed, though Janus barely seemed to notice or care.
Dastardly Deeds: 45
Gratuitous Grimdark: 16
Irinali: *shrugs* I suppose he’s simply gotten used to it. It happens. *she notices Ash giving her a dark look* What? Anyway, Wulfgar and Serena talk a bit more about Farpoint, and then Wulfgar notices that the hourglass has almost run out and asks Serena if she trusts him. She hesitates, then admits she does (she barely knows him! Then again, this is the only person who’s been even vaguely nice to her during this whole ordeal, that we know of, so that probably helps). He tells her she was brought here to please him, and that Janus will punish her if he thinks she hasn’t. He then leads her back into the bedroom and pushes her gently onto the bed, before returning the food cart and hourglass to their original spots. He goes back to Serena, tells her to get back up and that if she’s going to survive she has to do what he says (why did you make her lie down first, then?). He takes a moment to mess up the bed, then has her turn around.
To her surprise, he quickly began unlacing the back of her gown. After it was partially undone, he whirled her around to face him. Then he grasped the bodice of her gown with both hands and tore it down the front, partially exposing her breasts. Ordering her to lift first one foot then the other, he removed both her slippers and tossed them aside. He ran his hands through her ringlets, making a mess of them. Then he did something even more unexpected. Reaching down, he quickly captured her right hand tightly in his. Then, before she could protest, he placed her fingernails hard against his left cheek and scratched himself. Drops of blood began running from the three scrapes, and he purposely did not wipe them away.
Irinali: Well. I think I can see what Wulfgar’s doing, but perhaps he should have explained to Serena first? Unless he thinks they’re being watched, but in that case his little deception is doomed from the start. She’s staring at him in horror; he grabs her by the shoulders, which predictably frightens her even more and she goes limp in his hands, but he tells her that when Janus comes in, he’s going to kiss her and she needs to kiss him back, and make it look like she means it, and then go along with everything he says afterwards, no matter how strange. Ah, so clearly, I was right. Wulfgar, being a man with standards and what is commonly referred to as “decency,” doesn’t want to take advantage of Serena, but he also doesn’t want to just send her away, which might lead Janus to blame her for “disappointing” him and hurt or kill her. So, he needs to fake that they had sex, and he enjoyed it, so she’ll be spared. Simple enough. Except… he didn’t bother to explain to Serena why he was doing all of this, so the poor girl is probably terrified out of her mind right now, convinced that she might be raped at any time. *applauds sarcastically* Well done, Wulfgar! Hopefully your attempts to save Serena don’t end up giving her a heart attack instead – but if they do, remember, I warned you!
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 35
Ash: *sighing in resignation* What she said. Well, Serena finally gets the hint (that Wulfgar should have told her outright before starting this mess…); he lets his robe fall open and kisses her, and she kisses him back as the hourglass runs out and then a moment later the door opens and Janus and his slavers come marching in, just in time to see what appears to be Wulfgar and Serena in a passionate embrace. The painted freak – seriously, stop it – calls out congratulations to Wulfgar and the two then separate, as though irritated to be interrupted. Janus notices the scratches on Wulfgar’s cheek and makes a crack about how he’s clearly “tamed” Serena - *with a hand on her sword* say that again, and I’ll show you tame, pig – asks if it was good (the fact he had to ask suggests the deception isn’t quite as effective as hoped…). Wulfgar says it was good enough for him to want more, and implies he had a bit of trouble with Serena but she’s willing now, complete with a crack about “breaking horses” which is disgusting, but clearly for Janus’s benefit rather than something Wulfgar genuinely thinks. Janus suddenly looks Serena over and wonders why she’s dressed again if Wulfgar wanted to “take” her *shudders* again; Wulfgar remembers Serena talking about how Janus watched her get dressed, and says he likes to watch; Janus agrees that he does, too and tells the slavers to take the trollop back where she came from.
Dastardly Deeds: 47 (for more of Janus being an equal opportunity perv)
Irinali: Well, as the slavers reach for Serena, Wulfgar tells them to stop, since he wants to see her again in a day or two. He also asks for her to be given more to eat, though he’s worried that the painted freak will get suspicious at this; indeed, Janus gets up close to Wulfgar and then prowls around Serena, clanking his bolas ominously. He tells Wulfgar he’s in no position to make demands, but he respects his brashness, so he’ll go along with it, for now. Well, that was fortuitous, wasn’t it? Janus and the slavers then haul Serena out of the room, though she gives Wulfgar a thankful look through her tears as she goes (she had best hope Janus doesn’t plan to “accidentally” slit her throat as soon as she’s out of earshot, though…). Once she’s gone, Wulfgar is left alone and exhausted, with only the faint smell of her perfume remaining. He then takes a sip from the teacup she drank from and finds it still warm. He’s left disgusted with himself for what he just said and did – he thinks he was necessary, but realizes he has no idea if he helped her or not, or if he’ll ever see her again. As he looks out over the sea, he sees the sails of two more slave ships on the horizon, and the chapter comes to an end.
MG: So, spoilers, Serena is going to survive, and she’s going to be Wulfgar’s love interest going forward. Shocking, I know. Unfortunately, she’s also going to be one of the worst-done-by characters in this whole saga, alongside Celeste and Wulfgar himself… but we’ll have more to say about that later, when we get there. Anyway, this scene here is something I’m of two minds about. On the one hand, yes, Newcomb still wants us to like and sympathize with Wulfgar, and does understand that raping a slave woman would be a bad thing, so he makes sure that Wulfgar doesn’t actually do it or want to. And he makes sure that Wulfgar is able to navigate his way out of the situation without giving away to Janus that he didn’t take advantage of Serena, and spare Serena further punishment. On the other hand… I really don’t think Newcomb thought through at all how Wulfgar’s initial behavior would read to a woman in Serena’s position, who has been brought to a strange man specifically to service him sexually, and then to have that man, after initially being surprisingly friendly and respectful, start acting in such erratic and threatening ways. It makes parts of the scene come off as creepy and menacing in ways I don’t think Newcomb intended or expected it to be read, and could have been avoided entirely if Wulfgar had just explained to Serena in detail what he wanted to do and why she needed to cooperate first, so she knew exactly what was going on and why and that she wasn’t in danger (from him).
Chapter Thirteen was also a mixed bag, with some plot progression but also a lot of infodumping, mostly about things we already knew, Faegan being a pompous insufferable twit who won’t admit he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and Wigg almost comically melting down at the mere thought of the woman doing something important without him. Like, it almost felt like Newcomb was parodying himself there, except Newcomb doesn’t seem to have that much self-awareness or sense of humor so I can only assume it was meant to be taken at face value; it’s kind of baffling. Anyway, that’s all for today. Next time, we check back in on Tristan and Krassus, and Shailiha and Celeste begin their mission to Shadowood. We’ll see you then! Our counts stand at:
Blood Matters: 85
Contrivances and Coincidences: 17
Dastardly Deeds: 48
Exposition Intrusion: 82
Gender Wars: 21
Gratuitous Grimdark: 16
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 35
Protagonist-Centered Morality: 33
Retcons and Revelations: 16
Warning: These chapters contain discussion of potentially triggering content, including slavery.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Robert Newcomb’s The Scrolls of the Ancients! Last time, we got some backstory by Wulfgar and then Janus showed up and tossed Wulfgar a sex slave; we also got some backstory on Krassus and Grizelda and saw how Grizelda’s attempts to scry for the remaining Scroll aren’t working. Today, sigh, it’s time to check in with Wigg as he and Faegan do some research and figure out what comes next, and we also find out just what Wulfgar is going to end up doing with the woman Janus “gave” him. Joining us today will be Ash and Irinali!
Chapter Thirteen
Ash: …goddess help me, I am not looking forward to this. And so, we open with… target practice.
Twin azure bolts, so strong and brilliant that they could barely be looked upon, seared across the expanse of the courtyard and smashed into the upright marble column with an earsplitting explosion. The ground shook from their impact. Once again the target had been destroyed, rent in two by the sheer force of the magic. As the smoke and dust cleared, it could be seen that the two huge chunks of marble had been thrown several meters apart. Many smaller fragments lay nearby, their shattered ends still smoldering from the heat.
Ash: And then, sigh, someone starts speaking and it’s Wigg complimenting his “student” (Celeste, we know it’s Celeste, you don’t have to hide it, Newcomb!) on her progress but telling her she can manage more fine control, including manipulating the size and shape of the bolts. Once you have mastered this stage, it will serve as the foundation for the finer applications of your gift, such as slicing through an object, manipulating an object, or even actually grasping something and lifting it into the air. *flatly* You can do all of that with one spell. Amazing. Also, weren’t these bolts a power given to Celeste by the forestallments her mother put on her after she was born? Why does Wigg think they’ll necessarily behave like the sorts of bolts he can use, even if they look similar? We also learn that he’s privately amazed by Celeste’s progress, but he doesn’t say it outright. Bastard.
Irinali: Indeed. Positive reinforcement is a valuable teaching tool, so long as you apply it properly. Wigg then has Celeste try again, aiming for a smaller target this time.
“And this time,” he continued, “use only one hand. Fold the thumb and last fingers of your right hand inward, and point only the remaining three. Using those three fingers alone, try to sustain the life of the bolts and slice the marble column into three equal segments, rather than simply destroying it. Remember,” he added, “almost anyone trained in the craft can use the bolts to destroy. But only a master can employ them in a useful way, to create something that was not there before.”
Irinali: Oh, shut up. When was the last time you created something of worth, Wigg?
Ash: *muttering* When did you?
Irinali: Oh, please. Just because I work in flesh and bone rather than some more mundane medium, everyone is always so quick to cast aspersions upon my art, when a properly animated skeleton warrior is useful for so many things! Moving on, we learn that Wigg and Celeste are practicing in the palace courtyard; Celeste is getting tired, but Wigg thinks that’s an important part of the learning experience (unless you exhaust her to the point she faints, I suppose…). But Celeste makes the gesture as Wigg instructs, shoot the bolts and hits the targets. She then makes the bolts move around in precise ways to slice up the target, but finally her exhaustion wins out and she loses control, shattering the target instead. See, Wigg? Shailiha then walks over, her giant butterfly perched on her arm, and tells Celeste she almost got it, and she’s sure she will soon. Celeste, exhausted, thinks it doesn’t feel that way; she then checks her hands and finds them red and sore, though Wigg assures her that will fade with practice. I would not take his word on that!
Ash: Wigg then takes Celeste aside, thinking about how important it is to teach Celeste to control her powers and how worried all of them are for Tristan. When Wigg and Celeste had learned of Tristan’s capture, their shock had given way to tears, their tears then pushed aside by anger and frustration. And you’re really making me feel that emotion. Great job, Newcomb! /s We learn that when Faegan and Shailiha escaped Farpoint and found the Minions, Ox nearly went wild with grief, begging to be allowed to take his warriors to fly to the town and rescue Tristan, though Faegan refused because of how badly the Minions would be outnumbered by Krassus and his demonslavers, and how they had no time to catch up to the ships before they sailed. And, uh, okay… I think Newcomb just did a better job of selling me on the idea that Ox has feelings for Tristan than that Celeste does! Which I doubt is what he meant, but it’s how it feels. So, the Minions ended up flying everyone back to the Redoubt, where they met up with Wigg and Celeste, met Abbey, and everyone shared their stories and Minions were dispatched to collect what’s left of Abbey’s books and stores and bring them to the Redoubt.
Irinali: *flatly* How riveting. Anyway, the next course of action is to find Tristan. Abbey wants to scry for him, but she doesn’t have enough of the herbs she needs to prepare a fire for that purpose, so she and Faegan are trying to figure out an alternative solution. Meanwhile, the group has wondered about sending the Minions out to look for Tristan, but they’re not sure how they’d be able to find him on a specific ship if he’s being kept belowdecks, and they don’t know the name of the ship Tristan’s on anyway. And they don’t want to risk the Minions scaring Eutracian seafarers and provoking a confrontation. *beat* You know, if you’d actually been bothering to behave like royalty and court wizards and issued proclamations that the Minions had switched sides and were now protecting Eutracia and actually done things for Eutracia so that message carried weight, you could have avoided this. Such a pity. However, Ox was insistent, so Wigg and Faegan finally agreed to let him take some Minions out to search, but so far, they’ve had no luck.
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 32
Ash: We are thankfully interrupted from all of this by the arrival of the gnome, Shannon the Small (Dark Maiden watch over me, what kind of name is that?) who announces that Faegan and Abbey want to see them in the Hall of Blood Records. We then get a description of Shannon:
Wigg took in the gnome’s red hair, matching beard, and dark eyes. Shannon was dressed, as always, in his red shirt, blue bibs, and upturned shoes. A black watch cap sat atop his head, and his ever-present ale jug was firmly clamped in one hand. Shannon took a deep, irreverent slug of his brew, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Despite his outward courtesy, there was always a hint of comic disrespect on the little one’s face—especially where Wigg was concerned. Ever since the lead wizard had met Shannon, there had never been any question that the gnome accepted none but Faegan as his master.
Ash: …and of course he can’t be a free gnome, he needs a human wizard as his master. *she buries her face in her hands* I think I’ll stay with my goddess, who fights for the right of freedom and dignity for all peoples, thank you. That said, I think “disrespect for Wigg” is an entirely understandable position to take, especially as the narration goes on that Wigg isn’t found of gnomes (racist…) though he’s grudgingly come to admit they’re valuable allies. Shannon repeats that it’s important; Wigg thinks about how Faegan and Abbey have been researching herbs over the past few days that might work as replacements in her gazing fires, and that they need Abbey’s abilities desperately and hope they’re going to get good news, as the scene ends.
Blood Matters: 76
Protagonist-Centered Morality: 32
Irinali: We then cut to everyone arriving at the Hall of Blood Records (sigh…) where Faegan and Abbey are deep in conversation. We learn that Faegan is sitting at the table in a new wheeled chair, while the table itself is buried in Abbey’s books, notes and herb samples along with, of course, numerous blood signature documents. Apparently, Faegan and Abbey are so engrossed in conversation they don’t even notice the new arrivals, which annoys Wigg (not that Faegan is much better, but more people should ignore Wigg; I think it would be good for him to experience that, and amusing for me); seems he’d always wondered what would happen if he put Abbey and Faegan in the same room, and now he's learned, to his exasperation. Wigg clears his throat loudly, but they pay him no mind and keep debating.
“And I’m telling you that blossom of sintrinium is no substitute for nectar of oleaster!” Abbey shouted. She threw her hands into the air. “It just won’t work, no matter how much you’d like it to! If any substitutions are made, then either the gazing flame will burn too hot, thereby clouding the view, or there will be nothing to see at all! Trust me; I know what I’m talking about! These are time-honored formulas, and they must be respected! Half of the palace could go up with your tinkering!”
Blood Matters: 77
Irinali: Ah, I do love the thought of someone who actually knows what they’re talking about calling Wigg and Faegan out, though I fear it won’t last long… Faegan just tells Abbey that she’s wrong, since Abbey’s own charts say that sintrinium and oleaster are similar. Abbey, rightly, points out that “similar” is not “identical,” and for this purpose, one can’t be substituted for the other. We’re igniting a gazing flame, you old fool, not making rabbits scurry out from under your robes! *she sighs contentedly* Ah, I know it won’t last, but for now, I’m just going to bask in the light of someone’s actual expertise! Wigg finally manages to get a word in edgewise, asking Abbey to come sit down, as she does, she whispers that she can’t believe she thought he was difficult. And at that moment, Faegan butts in as if determined to prove her right about how insufferable he is.
“Indeed,” Faegan answered. “It seems your herbmistress is being uncooperative regarding my proposed substitution of certain ingredients needed for igniting her gazing flame. After careful review, it seems we do not possess all of the required elements. I was only trying to save us a trip back to Shadowood, where my selection of such goods is far greater. And I need remind none of you that time is not on our side.”
Ash: *looking uncomfortable* Okay, once again, this isn’t the sort of magic I do – thank the Dark Maiden – but still, this is incredibly uncomfortable watching this pompous creep blathering on about a topic in which he clearly knows nothing next to someone who does. Wigg, for once in his life, makes the right decision and asks Abbey if there’s any merit to Faegan’s suggestions. She says she can see why he thinks that way, but he’s still wrong. To both conjure the image and sustain the flame long enough to see something useful, the formula has to be exactly right, and any deviation can mess it up – and if Abbey needs to perform the ritual regularly, she’s going to need a lot of these ingredients. And so, it sounds like the only option to get all she needs, in sufficient amounts, is to go to Shadowood. Shailiha is worried that this will mean it will take even longer to find Tristan and is clearly distressed by the idea (he’s not impressed me too much so far, but he is her brother, so I can see why she’d think differently). And then Wigg breaks in with this.
Shailiha had always been strong-willed, but until the recent past there had been very little reason for her to display that trait. Now, especially with Tristan missing, things were vastly different. First had come the awakening of her Forestallment allowing her to communicate with the fliers of the fields. Then she had accompanied Tristan and Faegan to Farpoint, fighting alongside them as well as any man could have. She had taken her first lives, and Wigg suspected sadly that they would not be her last.
Ash: Because clearly, being kidnapped and brainwashed by an evil cult after watching her family get slaughtered in front of her wouldn’t bring this hard edge out in her or anything. *headdesk* Newcomb, I can tell when you’re trying to cover for what you’d previously written. It’s really obvious. Anyway, Shailiha says she’s sick of all this talking (finally someone in these books is!) and she thinks that if they need to go to Shadowood, they’d better do it. But first she wants some answers. No, I thought you were sick of all the exposition!
Exposition Intrusion: 68
Gender Wars: 19 (okay, this one may be a bit of a stretch, but it still seems like the implication is that Shailiha can only show her strength when her brother isn’t around)
Irinali: Faegan says he’ll do his best (not looking forward to this…) and Shailiha starts off by asking about the brands the slavers were using in Farpoint. From what Faegan can see, he thinks that the brands read talis and r’talis, meaning “unendowed” and “endowed” in Old Eutracian, and that they were sorting the slaves into those categories – and that the robed men overseeing the process were the traitor consuls, and the woman with Krassus was his partial adept. *rolling her eyes* So, more telling us things we already know, lovely. The other tools the consuls were using were to measure the power of endowed blood, and Wigg and Faegan conveniently prove that they happen to have a set of their own stored right here in this very chamber by taking it out and showing everyone.
Wigg pointed to the frame holding the hourglass and the vial. “This is called a blood criterion. Its purpose is to assay the quality of endowed blood. The lower the assay number, the higher the quality of the blood that is being examined. The plans for this device were found in the Tome of the Paragon during Faegan’s first reading of it. The Ones Who Came Before, through their dictates in the Tome, ordered us to construct it and assay your blood immediately following your births. Just like the azure glow surrounding your deliveries, your blood ratings were further proof to the Directorate that you and Tristan were indeed the Chosen Ones.”
“It’s really quite simple,” Wigg explained. “First, the criterion is placed upon a piece of parchment. Then a drop of the subject’s blood is placed on the parchment a specific distance from the criterion. The hourglass is turned over at the exact moment a single drop of cave water is released from the vial and lands on the parchment. As you have already been taught, endowed blood and water from the Caves immediately attract, but to varying degrees, depending upon the quality of the blood. The stronger the blood, the faster the two seek each other out and join to form a signature. The number of spheres that drop in the time it takes for the two fluids to meet equates to the number of the blood quality.”
Blood Matters: 80
Exposition Intrusion: 72
Irinali: *rolls her eyes* Blood, blood and blood. All that any of these people ever think about. I know a great many uses for blood, as it happens… but I’ll have you know that when it comes to my own magical abilities, I earned them through decades of study and practice. And I’ll match myself against any of these cretins whose power was only “earned” by an accident of birth. Now, where were we? Celeste, of course, says that this is all ingenious (you’re only trying to get your father’s approval by expressing interest in his interests, aren’t you?) and then Wigg points out another, simpler device.
“The plans for it were also found in the Tome. Called a signature scope, it is used to determine whether the blood signature on the parchment beneath it leans to the left or the right, and to what degree. A high blood quality rating, coupled with a severe degree of lean one way or the other, results in a person of very great potential power, indeed.”
Ash: Because everything about a person, even their moral alignment, comes down to blood in this universe. Once again, I’m quite certain Wigg and Faegan are the sorts of people who’d think I was cursed from birth because my father was drow. So, forgive me if I’m not overly awed. But Shailiha examines one of the blood signatures on the table with a signature scope and notes its lean; Wigg then confirms that her and Tristan’s signatures are both strongly right-leaning, that Wulfgar’s is strongly left-leaning, and that his blood quality is equal to hers and only slightly below Tristan’s (they’re twins, why is their blood quality different?). At Shailiha’s request, Wigg then takes out a copy of Wulfgar’s blood signature, which also includes, for some reason, a lock of his hair. Apparently, Morganna took a clipping of it the day she gave him up, and later asked the wizards to store it with his signature. Shailiha guesses that the slavers are searching for Wulfgar and that’s why they’re testing peoples’ blood; Wigg agrees and thinks it’s very likely they’ve already found him (while you all sat around for months doing nothing…).
Blood Matters: 82
Exposition Intrusion: 75
Gender Wars: 20
Irinali: Celeste then wonders why they’re taking the unendowed too (because they want labor? That’s the usual reason for taking slaves, that or to sell them to someone else, which Krassus and Janus don’t seem to be doing. And sacrifices for the Necrophagians, of course…). Faegan only guesses they must have some reason, but he doesn’t know what it is (that… was not helpful at all) and Shailiha wonders why Farpoint. Wigg can only guess that Nicholas must have told Krassus to start in that part of the country before he died (the fact that Krassus needed a port for his ships and was probably better off starting in part of the country away from the capital and the wizards, doesn’t seem to occur to him at all). Celeste wonders where the demonslavers came from; Faegan had never seen or heard of such creatures before the fight at Farpoint, but he guesses they were probably created by magic, like the Minions. But he has no idea how they were created, if they used to be Consuls or if they’re something else (beg pardon, but weren’t the Consuls who refused to serve Nicholas turned into zombies? While the ones who served him willingly… are still serving Krassus? So, the slavers, presumably, come from somewhere else, especially since Krassus seems to have them in large numbers).
Blood Matters: 83
Exposition Intrusion: 78
Ash: Celeste then wonders if Abbey can find Wulfgar, since if he’s already been captured, they may be taking him and Tristan to the same place and Abbey could find both of them at once. That’s… remarkably clever for a character in these books. Thank you, Shailiha! Wigg is also impressed and asks Abbey if the lock of Wulfgar’s hair and/or his blood signature give her enough to work with to scry him. Abbey asks how old the samples are; when Wigg confirms that they’re thirty-five years old, she’s not sure, but willing to give it a try. She thinks the hair is more likely to work as a focus than the blood – ha, for once blood isn’t the most important thing! …and then she kind of ruins it by exchanging a flirty look with Wigg. No. In any case, they’re still back to the problem of needing the right components for her ritual, and so someone has to go to Shadowood. Shailiha also wants to lead a company of Minions to Farpoint and search the whole city on the off-chance Tristan is still there. Wigg and Faegan, it seems, aren’t happy about this. For one, now that Tristan might be dead, it’s even more important to keep Shailiha, their last Chosen One, out of harms’ way, and for another, they can’t risk giving Krassus a chance to capture her. *rolls her eyes* I’m so glad that’s all this woman Wigg was practically an honorary uncle to is worth to him… just another piece on his sava* board. What a wonderful man.
*MG’s Note: Sava=drow chess
Contrivances and Coincidences: 16 (for them just happening to have a lock of Wulfgar’s hair on hand)
Exposition Intrusion: 80
Protagonist Centered Morality: 33
Irinali: Well, Wigg calmly explains to Shailiha why he won’t let her do this, and he can feel her getting more and more angry as he does (understandably so!); finally, Shailiha agrees not to go to Farpoint, but refuses to sit idle while her brother is in danger, and so offers to be the one to go to Shadowood and fetch the ingredients, if Abbey gives her a list of everything she needs. She’s already been there, the gnomes know her, and it’s not too dangerous (because Newcomb has already forgotten the man-and-gnome eating monsters infesting the forest, apparently – have they even been alluded too since the first book?). Celeste says she’ll go, too. And Wigg… blows his top. I’m not kidding. “Absolutely not!” Wigg thundered. He glared at the two women as if they were completely mad. The telltale vein in his right temple had begun to throb again. *sweetly* What is it, Wigg? Does it make you angry that two women have plans to accomplish something without you holding their hands the whole way? I think it does! Celeste says she can use her powers to protect them, they can take Faegan’s portal and won’t be gone long, and now that Wigg has Abbey to keep him occupied he won’t even miss them (oh, Celeste, I didn’t know you had it in you!). Wigg says Celeste doesn’t know how to use her gift effectively; she points out she saved his life with it. Faegan actually agrees with Shailiha and Celeste – he’ll send a letter with them to his house’s caretaker, Lionel the Little (why…) explaining what they need and that they’re there with his permission. He explains that for this purpose they’ll need dried herbs rather than fresh ones, but Lionel can tell them all about why and where to find everything.
“Very well,” Wigg said reluctantly. “But this little errand of yours should take no more than a single day. If the two of you do not come home on the appointed hour, I am coming to Shadowood myself to get you. Understood?”
Irinali: …Shailiha is over thirty years old, which I believe is easily an adult, by human standards. Celeste is over three hundred, which ought to be an adult by anyone’s standards. Why are you treating them like misbehaving adolescents? Oh, I think I can guess… But he sits back in his chair and sighs in resignation as the chapter comes to an end.
MG: And since the next chapter is fairly short, we’ll be continuing on for today!
Exposition Intrusion: 82
Gender Wars: 21 (you can be sure Wigg wouldn’t be treating, say, Tristan and Traax like this, if they were the ones who wanted to go…)
Protagonist Centered Morality: 34 (why are we supposed to like Wigg, here?)
Chapter Fourteen
Ash: And so, we open with Wulfgar, picking up directly from the last time we saw him as the so-far-nameless female slave Janus brought in looks up at him with hate, and defiantly tells him to do his worst and get it over with. Huh; I almost like her already. I wonder how long it’ll take Newcomb to ruin her?
Wulfgar looked at her. Despite the fact that her sea voyage had made her thin, she remained beautiful. Dark ringlets curled down over her breasts. Her taffeta gown—no doubt supplied by Janus—was stunning, and the yellow complemented her deep blue eyes. Given her situation, he might have expected her to cower before him. But she did not. Only anger showed. He immediately found himself respecting her for it, and wanting to know more about her.
Ash: …but of course, the first thing we have to establish is that she’s still hot, even after all she’s been through. *facepalm* Anyway, Wulfgar tells her he’s a slave too, and won’t hurt her; he pulls down the sleeve of his robe, and though she initially recoils, he’s just showing her the brand on his shoulder, just like she has. He promises her that they don’t have to act like slaves with each other and offers her some of the food Janus brought. She’s clearly hungry but suspicious, so he rolls the cart out to the balcony, sits down next to it, and tells her she can come eat if he wants. Apparently, he thinks she’ll feel less threatened out here – since she’s clearly still wary of him, I’d think a better solution would be to go to the other side of the room or something and let her eat by herself, though with all Wulfgar’s been through himself lately, I’m not surprised he’s not thinking that through.
Irinali: So, the woman does join Wulfgar on the balcony; she spends a while staring west over the ocean, towards Eutracia, and then Wulfgar fixes her a generous plate of food – what sort of food, exactly? – from the cart and offers her some. As can be expected from a woman who’s spent the last several weeks presumably being starved, she snatches it away and eats ravenously. Wulfgar waits until she’s mostly done and then asks her name. “I am Serena,” she answered cautiously. Another bite of roll went quickly into her waiting mouth. “Of the House of Winslow.” Ah, and so we have a name at last! Hmm; we now have a Shailiha, a Serena, and a Celeste (not to mention the now deceased Succiu). I think Newcomb is fond of female names that start with a sibilant. Serena confirms that she’s from Farpoint, and Wulfgar asks if she’s related to Simon Winslow, the animal healer (wait, is this the first time that Newcomb has used a surname just as part of the name, not as in “house of”?) and she confirms that’s her father. It turns out that Wulfgar knows Simon well, since he frequently does business with Wulfgar’s family’s stables, and Wulfgar describes where he lives and his apparently very high reputation in his trade to prove he’s being honest. Serena is surprised that Wulfgar’s family own the Merrick Stables, and then realizes that her father has mentioned him, and apparently holds him in high regard. Beg pardon, but Wulfgar has done business with Serena’s father, Serena knows about Wulfgar from her father… but Wulfgar has never heard of Serena? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds rather… improbable?
Contrivances and Coincidences: 17
Ash: Suddenly, Wulfgar is struck by a dark thought and runs to get Janus’ hourglass so he knows when the painted freak (sigh…) will be back. When Serena sees it, she wants to know what’s going on and why Wulfgar is being treated so much more luxuriously than everyone else. Wulfgar admits he doesn’t know – a rare quality, in a Newcomb character! – but that everyone got very excited when they tested his blood, and now he’s been put here to wait until someone called Krassus shows up to explain more. He asks Serena if she’s seen any more of the building and if she’s spotted any way they might escape.
“I’m sorry, but I saw no exits,” she answered honestly. “And I viewed little, compared to the gigantic size of this place. I have heard some of the slavers refer to this structure as the ‘Citadel.’ All of us with this R’talis mark, the men and women alike, are kept in gigantic cages. They give us just enough food and water to keep us alive. New R’talis prisoners arrive every day. We have no idea where the people with the other kind of brand are being held, or even if they still live. Every morning Janus and his slavers come and take a different selection of us away. Those taken never return. It is all very strange.”
Blood Matters: 85
Ash: *boggles* Just how big is this operation if more slaves arrive every day? How many slave ships does Krassus have? And how is it that our supposed heroes never noticed until Krassus himself decided to bring it to their attention? Serena then continues her story:
“Janus came to us early. I now know that it was to select one of the women for you,” she said ashamedly. “But none of us knew that then. We thought that he was simply taking more of us away. When he chose me, I was terrified. He had me taken to other quarters, rather like these. This gown was laid out on the bed, and there was a room for bathing.” Then her face lowered. “He watched the entire time as I bathed myself and changed into this dress,” she whispered. “All the while he was smiling, and clinking those strange spheres of his in one hand. It sent shivers down my spine. Then he and his slavers brought me here. Along the way I saw many dark hallways, lit by torches, and a very large, open courtyard. But most of the time was spent navigating stairways. The walk was very long, and hundreds of demonslavers filed by us in the halls. I also saw a few of the men in the dark blue robes. I can tell you that this place, this Citadel as they call it, is very well guarded.”
Ash: …of course Janus was creeping on her, Newcomb can’t write a villain with any depth or subtlety at all, can he? Serena then describes one other thing she noticed as she was being brought here – screaming. Horrible, insane screaming, from men and women alike - why is that the important thing here? Would it have made more sense if Janus was torturing women or men, but not both? – coming from behind a certain door they passed, though Janus barely seemed to notice or care.
Dastardly Deeds: 45
Gratuitous Grimdark: 16
Irinali: *shrugs* I suppose he’s simply gotten used to it. It happens. *she notices Ash giving her a dark look* What? Anyway, Wulfgar and Serena talk a bit more about Farpoint, and then Wulfgar notices that the hourglass has almost run out and asks Serena if she trusts him. She hesitates, then admits she does (she barely knows him! Then again, this is the only person who’s been even vaguely nice to her during this whole ordeal, that we know of, so that probably helps). He tells her she was brought here to please him, and that Janus will punish her if he thinks she hasn’t. He then leads her back into the bedroom and pushes her gently onto the bed, before returning the food cart and hourglass to their original spots. He goes back to Serena, tells her to get back up and that if she’s going to survive she has to do what he says (why did you make her lie down first, then?). He takes a moment to mess up the bed, then has her turn around.
To her surprise, he quickly began unlacing the back of her gown. After it was partially undone, he whirled her around to face him. Then he grasped the bodice of her gown with both hands and tore it down the front, partially exposing her breasts. Ordering her to lift first one foot then the other, he removed both her slippers and tossed them aside. He ran his hands through her ringlets, making a mess of them. Then he did something even more unexpected. Reaching down, he quickly captured her right hand tightly in his. Then, before she could protest, he placed her fingernails hard against his left cheek and scratched himself. Drops of blood began running from the three scrapes, and he purposely did not wipe them away.
Irinali: Well. I think I can see what Wulfgar’s doing, but perhaps he should have explained to Serena first? Unless he thinks they’re being watched, but in that case his little deception is doomed from the start. She’s staring at him in horror; he grabs her by the shoulders, which predictably frightens her even more and she goes limp in his hands, but he tells her that when Janus comes in, he’s going to kiss her and she needs to kiss him back, and make it look like she means it, and then go along with everything he says afterwards, no matter how strange. Ah, so clearly, I was right. Wulfgar, being a man with standards and what is commonly referred to as “decency,” doesn’t want to take advantage of Serena, but he also doesn’t want to just send her away, which might lead Janus to blame her for “disappointing” him and hurt or kill her. So, he needs to fake that they had sex, and he enjoyed it, so she’ll be spared. Simple enough. Except… he didn’t bother to explain to Serena why he was doing all of this, so the poor girl is probably terrified out of her mind right now, convinced that she might be raped at any time. *applauds sarcastically* Well done, Wulfgar! Hopefully your attempts to save Serena don’t end up giving her a heart attack instead – but if they do, remember, I warned you!
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 35
Ash: *sighing in resignation* What she said. Well, Serena finally gets the hint (that Wulfgar should have told her outright before starting this mess…); he lets his robe fall open and kisses her, and she kisses him back as the hourglass runs out and then a moment later the door opens and Janus and his slavers come marching in, just in time to see what appears to be Wulfgar and Serena in a passionate embrace. The painted freak – seriously, stop it – calls out congratulations to Wulfgar and the two then separate, as though irritated to be interrupted. Janus notices the scratches on Wulfgar’s cheek and makes a crack about how he’s clearly “tamed” Serena - *with a hand on her sword* say that again, and I’ll show you tame, pig – asks if it was good (the fact he had to ask suggests the deception isn’t quite as effective as hoped…). Wulfgar says it was good enough for him to want more, and implies he had a bit of trouble with Serena but she’s willing now, complete with a crack about “breaking horses” which is disgusting, but clearly for Janus’s benefit rather than something Wulfgar genuinely thinks. Janus suddenly looks Serena over and wonders why she’s dressed again if Wulfgar wanted to “take” her *shudders* again; Wulfgar remembers Serena talking about how Janus watched her get dressed, and says he likes to watch; Janus agrees that he does, too and tells the slavers to take the trollop back where she came from.
Dastardly Deeds: 47 (for more of Janus being an equal opportunity perv)
Irinali: Well, as the slavers reach for Serena, Wulfgar tells them to stop, since he wants to see her again in a day or two. He also asks for her to be given more to eat, though he’s worried that the painted freak will get suspicious at this; indeed, Janus gets up close to Wulfgar and then prowls around Serena, clanking his bolas ominously. He tells Wulfgar he’s in no position to make demands, but he respects his brashness, so he’ll go along with it, for now. Well, that was fortuitous, wasn’t it? Janus and the slavers then haul Serena out of the room, though she gives Wulfgar a thankful look through her tears as she goes (she had best hope Janus doesn’t plan to “accidentally” slit her throat as soon as she’s out of earshot, though…). Once she’s gone, Wulfgar is left alone and exhausted, with only the faint smell of her perfume remaining. He then takes a sip from the teacup she drank from and finds it still warm. He’s left disgusted with himself for what he just said and did – he thinks he was necessary, but realizes he has no idea if he helped her or not, or if he’ll ever see her again. As he looks out over the sea, he sees the sails of two more slave ships on the horizon, and the chapter comes to an end.
MG: So, spoilers, Serena is going to survive, and she’s going to be Wulfgar’s love interest going forward. Shocking, I know. Unfortunately, she’s also going to be one of the worst-done-by characters in this whole saga, alongside Celeste and Wulfgar himself… but we’ll have more to say about that later, when we get there. Anyway, this scene here is something I’m of two minds about. On the one hand, yes, Newcomb still wants us to like and sympathize with Wulfgar, and does understand that raping a slave woman would be a bad thing, so he makes sure that Wulfgar doesn’t actually do it or want to. And he makes sure that Wulfgar is able to navigate his way out of the situation without giving away to Janus that he didn’t take advantage of Serena, and spare Serena further punishment. On the other hand… I really don’t think Newcomb thought through at all how Wulfgar’s initial behavior would read to a woman in Serena’s position, who has been brought to a strange man specifically to service him sexually, and then to have that man, after initially being surprisingly friendly and respectful, start acting in such erratic and threatening ways. It makes parts of the scene come off as creepy and menacing in ways I don’t think Newcomb intended or expected it to be read, and could have been avoided entirely if Wulfgar had just explained to Serena in detail what he wanted to do and why she needed to cooperate first, so she knew exactly what was going on and why and that she wasn’t in danger (from him).
Chapter Thirteen was also a mixed bag, with some plot progression but also a lot of infodumping, mostly about things we already knew, Faegan being a pompous insufferable twit who won’t admit he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and Wigg almost comically melting down at the mere thought of the woman doing something important without him. Like, it almost felt like Newcomb was parodying himself there, except Newcomb doesn’t seem to have that much self-awareness or sense of humor so I can only assume it was meant to be taken at face value; it’s kind of baffling. Anyway, that’s all for today. Next time, we check back in on Tristan and Krassus, and Shailiha and Celeste begin their mission to Shadowood. We’ll see you then! Our counts stand at:
Blood Matters: 85
Contrivances and Coincidences: 17
Dastardly Deeds: 48
Exposition Intrusion: 82
Gender Wars: 21
Gratuitous Grimdark: 16
Plot-Induced Stupidity: 35
Protagonist-Centered Morality: 33
Retcons and Revelations: 16