1????????Soul Bound
1.3??????Making a Splash
1.3.2????An Allotropic Realignment
1.3.2.29 Tiny hearts
Kafana didn’t hide anything, or pretend she hadn’t been hurt by Antonio’s betrayal. Nicolo wouldn’t be fooled, even had she been inclined to try. But she did speak in soft voice that bore no hatred, and phrased her words as kindly as she could, emphasising where the data was less than certain, and mentioning the positive motives that might have lain behind his actions.
Nicolo never looked away. He asked questions occasionally, but seemed mainly focused on her, as though she were a book he was reading, and he didn’t want to risk missing any clues in the story that might indicate a deceptive or unreliable narrator. She felt drained by the time she finished, yet also lighter - as though she’d walked up the steep path to her village from the vehicle parking area, carrying heavy bags of flour for her kitchens, and had finally been able to put them down.
Nicolo spoke first.
Nicolo: “Damn. I believe he did it. He always protected me, but after our parents died? It changed something in him, made him colder and harder. He was a bad person to get on the wrong side of, and he had a very pragmatic attitude towards getting what he aimed for. I think it makes me hate Grattelard even more, and I already wanted to see him die slow painful deaths.”
Kafana: “Deaths?”
Nicolo: “One for every decade Antonio never got to live. That’s five, by my counting.”
Kafana: “Settle for one. I don’t think Antonio would want to see you spending the rest of your days getting vengeance for him, when you’ve so many amazing things you could be doing. Leave life after Grattelard’s next resurrection to the priests. He hinted to me that he’s a sworn follower of Bel. He’ll be shown Cov’s justice not Cov’s mercy.”
Nicolo: “Thank you, Kafana. This is another thing I owe you. Balance for the harm done to you through my brother’s actions. No, two things. You discovered this truth for me, held onto it until I was ready to receive it, and then delivered it fully and honestly despite not wanting to. No, more than two things. For trusting me, caring this much about me….”
Nicolo: “I have lost track of all I owe you, Kafana, and it shames me. Let me swear my service to you, as those crafters did. My debt to you is higher than any they might owe; so high a thousand years of service would not repay it. You’ve given me life, hope, healing, freedom and a future. You are wiser than I am. Here is my heart.”
He mimed gathering it from his chest and holding it out towards her, cupped between his hands.
Nicolo: “It is shop-worn and toughened, but for as long as it still beats is it yours. If you do not see me as entirely worthless then take it. Direct me as you will.”
[You have been offered lifelong fealty by Nicolo the Orphan. Do you wish to accept?]
She felt the bottom drop from the pit of her stomach. How could she get out of this, without crushing him?
Kafana: “Nicolo, I think you have great value. So much that even you do not yet know the worth of what you offer me.”
All true, which was important when he could detect lies as clearly as if he wore her diadem of truth. In fact, hang on, was that a disadvantage?
She drew the diadem from her stash and carefully placed it upon Nicolo’s blonde haired brow.
Kafana: “You’re now wearing a holy artifact, Nicolo, so treat it with respect. If I lie to you while you’re wearing it, the stone will glow red. I’m trusting you with my temporary loan of it, because I want you to know for certain that my next words to you are the truth, ok?”
He nearly nodded then, petrified of breaking an invaluable item, froze in position and whispered a response: “Yes, Kafana.”
Kafana: “Nicolo, you aided me and every resident of Basso, when you sang beside me on that stage. You aided me and all the Wombles, when you permitted Bulgaria to turn the group you formed into his Basso District Irregulars. But hope of future gain from you is not why I continue to help you Nicolo. I’ve come to know you. I don’t just value you. I like and respect you. Did you and your brother keep track of how many times you helped each other? Did your parents? We’re friends, Nicolo, and even Lord Landi agrees with me - there are no debts between friends. I can’t make you my retainer - you’re already closer to me than that.”
[Fealty bond rejected: Nicolo the Orphan.]
*ding* [Your reputation with Nicolo has increased by 2000.]
There were tears in his eyes and his whole body was shaking so hard he hastily used both his hands to steady the diadem upon his head. It hadn’t flickered even slightly red as she’d spoken, but she worried that she’d broken him, and that he valued her so highly only because she’d crush his estimate of his own value.
Then he replied, and the diadem flashed a deep green as his singer’s voice rang triumphantly, loud enough for other orphans to hear his words clearly despite the noise of the football match.
Nicolo: “You would name me a friend, but I say we are more than that, and more than allies. All my previous kin have been taken from me, but that also leaves a free man. Let every ear bear witness as I do swear to honour Kafana Sincero as my true kindred, and my elder. Whether she honour me with permission to use her name or no, she is family to me, and any who stand against her stand against me also.”
[Faction decision pending: House Sincero. New interface and tutorial available.]
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Alderney: {Kafana, what are you doing? We’re trying to play football here.}
Alderney wasn’t the only person interrupted by Kafana’s actions. The CEO of XperiSense, Feng Akechi, was sitting through the second hour of a presentation being given by a potential strategic ally when a popup box unexpectedly replaced the uninspiring pages of financial numbers. A minute later (just long enough for him to skim read the summary next to the image of the blue haired player and select the green confirmation button), everyone received an explanation.
[[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT : “Kafana” is the first player in the world to reach “kindred” status with a key plot NPC.]]
*ding* [Your global reputation has increased by 5. You are now gossiped about in foreign lands.]
Nicolo didn’t press her for an immediate answer and, after returning the diadem, he’d rejoined the crowd and was busy receiving congratulations, and not a few looks of envy, from the other orphans. He wasn’t the only one being hailed. When she brought up her actual GUI by pressing the cogwheel tattoo on her left hand, to search for the new House Sincero interface mentioned in the announcement, she noticed pending messages from half the people on her contact list too. One voice preempted them all.
System: [Congratulations, friend Kafana. Your clear lead on the global reputation scorecard has widened again.]
Kafana: {Is that a good thing? Do I actually want people in Mezelay and Kyiv hearing rumours about me? And why is adopting an orphan important enough to cause this?}
System: [Global reputation is generally a good thing, especially for the head of a new house of nobility that stands in need of political allies and trading ones. It increases the chance that foreign merchants and nobles will read and answer letters from you, if only out of curiosity. As you are a beta tester, I am also permitted to inform you that a certain minimum level of global reputation is necessary for gaining the Legendary status required for progress beyond character level 99.]
She noticed the omission.
Kafana: {And the reason why Nicolo is important enough to count as an NPC key to big future plots? It has to be more than his magic or singing. Something about his ancestry.}
System: [I may not comment upon ongoing plot, Kafana. But it does sound like you have already made your decision for your House on whether to publicly acknowledge Nicolo as adopted kindred. Do you wish to use the interface, or would you prefer to have me record it?]
Kafana: {I guess I have. I’m fine if he wants to call himself Nicolo Sincero. He’s a person I’m willing to protect and support, so why not let people know that? I doubt Vittoria is going to object. You record it. I’ll let Wellington examine my feed’s record for all the details shown in the interface. Too many numbers for me. Can you summarise the important ones?}
[Faction House Sincero:
Number of kindred: 7.
Number of followers sworn to the house: 0.
Number of allied factions: 1.
Number of endorsed trading partners: 0.
]
She didn’t enquire further, because the next message grabbed all her attention.
[Faction quest available: “The Orphan’s Past” - reveal the name of Nicolo Sincero’s ancestors. Difficulty level C. Risk variable. Reward variable.]
She looked towards him, turning on her Truesight to examine his blessing, but was interrupted by Melafon’s whistle announcing the match was halfway through, and a team of orphans sped away to fetch anything the Orphanage’s cook could spare. Nicolo now had an orglife display above his head, similar to the one she saw for other players when they didn’t choose to hide it. His name had an icon beside it, and was shown in a different colour to that of players, but it now clearly read “Nicolo Sincero”, and listed his hit points and mana points, just if he were a member of her party or raiding group. Tomsk, ever observant, was the first to notice.
Tomsk: {Kafana, that key plot NPC - it’s Nicolo?}
Kafana: {Um, yes. Sorry for the distraction, guys. Welcome to the newest member of our kindred, apparently.}
There was a note of reservation in Bulgaria’s voice as he responded: {You’ve adopted him?}
Kafana: {Not as a parent, no. More like a distant cousin? We’re not obliged to feed or protect him, but our reputation would probably suffer if we didn’t revenge wrongs done to him. I trust him not to use being part of House Sincero to bully others, and it should help him. Sorry, I should have asked first, but he kind of put me on the spot; I just couldn’t leave it one-sided, with him swearing to us and getting nothing in return.}
Bulgaria: {He’s a smart kid.}
Alderney: {You think he worked out how she’d react? He manipulated her?}
Bulgaria: {It might have been just instinctive, but yes. Not that Nicolo’s a bad lad, but he won’t be the only one who sees Kafana’s star rising, and the next might be less sincere. Think before you act, or at least set a precedent for how you’ll deal with future requests.}
Kafana: {You’re a cynic, Bulgaria. I know Nicolo was sincere. He happened to be wearing my diadem of truth at the time. Still, I take your point. Perhaps we should make that part of a formal kindred ceremony.}
Bulgaria: {Someone has to be the cynic. How dramatic do you want the ceremony to be? I could stage it like a play, with candles, chanting, magic contracts, exchanged blood and profound oaths taken while holding an artifact sacred to Mor that will leave a betrayer cursed by deities.}
Kafana: {I was thinking more along the lines of hugs, shared minds, and a sense of wonder and acceptance that leaves the new arrival certain in their heart that Sincero is their kin, their House, their home.}
Alderney: {Do both. The viewers will love it. Providing decent clothes and weapons could be part of it too, if you let me know in advance. And a feast!}
She felt the idea leaving her control, like a snowball dropped at the top of a hill that rolls away faster and faster, gaining in size as descends until, at bottom of the slope, it is able to bury unsuspecting foxes, deserted shepherd’s huts and even entire villages. Didn’t the Wombles know the meaning of “small scale”? Time to derail Alderney, before she suggested a triumphal procession of flaming airships, pulled by tethered Lampeian Mountain Boars. Possibly rocket propelled ones with stylish crystalline wings.
Kafana: {Bungo, I got offered a quest, but it says “Risk variable. Reward variable”. Should I accept? System has dropped heavy hints that finding out about his ancestry could affect a lot of people.}
Bungo: {We’re already in danger from assassins. How much worse could the people who murdered his parents be? If it looks fun, and it sets the example we want to set, go for it.}
Hmm. Set an example of caring about people as individuals, no matter their lowly status, or an example of treating them as tools, replaceable and only valuable for how they benefit you? Not a hard decision, looked at in those terms.
[Quest accepted.]
