Dokeshi March: Chapter 54 (Patreon)

Chapter 54

When Grant opened the door to the stall, he was surprised to see six people standing there, not four.  Two of them weren’t wearing shoes, which explained Sarge’s difficulty in hearing them.  Feet wrapped in rags were always extremely quiet.

“Do you want me to wash my hands first?”  Grant looked to Cuddles, who had his scepter in one hand, and his massive hammer in the other.  “Is that a no?  Because that’s pretty gross, even for your crazy self.”  Grant pushed past the people trying to block his way and started washing his hands.  “Besides, did you all forget?  The system won’t let you fight me while I am still in the tournament.  All you lot can do is stand here and look stupid.  Which, I mean, good job.  You really are nailing it.”

“I think you are forgetting one very important thing, Grant Monday.”  Cuddles held up his scepter, and the gem let out a brilliant light.  “Deactivate the system in my presence.”

<Well, that’s new.>

The lack of screens popping up to acknowledge the order caused a slight delay in their reactions, and Grant was more than happy to use it.

“Time is Space.”  He said the name of the spell under his breath, so it was a complete surprise to the man standing behind him when his Uchigatana appeared in his guts.  Grant tore it free as he kicked the knee of the man standing next to his left, forcing him to fall in the way of Cuddles.  The clown smacked the man out of the way with the side of his hammer, pulverizing him into man-burger.

“Apprentis Repair.”  His next spell forced the sheath and dagger of the man to his right to meld together, making it impossible to pull it free.  Grant smashed the hilt of his sword against the man’s temple, dropping the ambusher to his knees.

“What are you fools doing?  Kill him!”  Cuddles shouted at the last two men, trying to get them to close with Grant as he lifted his hammer for a killing blow.  If they could flush him to Cuddles, Grant would be easily dispatched.

Instead, Grant rushed them.  He was fully under the control of the rage coursing through his body, and the pressure in his chest was enough to make him want to double over in pain.

The high guard position of Kenjutsu flowed into the low guard, and his glowing blade passed through the two men like they were nothing but the wind.  Grant spun just in time to deflect a hammerblow aimed at his head, this time his blade passing through the solid metal shaft of the handle like it was water.  The hammerhead spun off behind him, shattering a porcelain sink.

“You know, I think I like it better this way.”  Cuddles took a step back, and chains sprang up from the ground, wrapping around Grant before he could even use his blade to deflect them.  “Doing things yourself is so much more… satisfying.”  The weight of the chains wrapped around Grant doubled, and he was driven to his knees.  “I knew the first time I saw you that it was going to end this way.  You tried to change your fate, but the world doesn’t work like that.  This is how it always ends with the strong ones.”  Cuddles turned to go and pick up the hammerhead.  It still had a foot of handle attached to it, more than enough to do the job.  “I’m glad we got to know one another, Grant Monday, but it is time for you to meet your ancestors.”

The entire time Cuddles had been talking, the pressure in Grant’s chest had been building.  It was coalescing into a point next to his heart that was no bigger than the nail on his pinky, but it seemed to weigh more than the chains slowly squeezing the life out of him.

When the Prime Vassal said the words ‘change your fate,’ it was like a door he didn’t even know existed opened in his mind.  Everything within himself seemed to settle down for an impossibly long moment, and Grant finally understood.

The Dao Seed of Change formed in his dantain, and Grant stood up, the weight of the chains nothing in comparison to the weight of the universe that now had an anchor in his soul.  He called his Uchigatana to his hand, the tool he now knew to be the catalyst for change unlike this realm had seen in a thousand years.  Grant felt right.  Maybe for the first time in his life, Grant was completely aware of his place within the cosmos.

“What are you doing?  How can you even stand up right now?”  Cuddles was backing up now, for the first time since Grant had seen him, there was no insanity in his eyes.

“I’m here to change things.”  Grant raised his sword, and placed it against the chest of the clown, who was now backed up against the row of smashed sinks.  It was perfectly clear to the clown what was about to happen, and Grant watched as hoped died in his bloodshot eyes.  A quick shove, and those eyes dimmed.  “Change things, for the better this time.”

He didn’t know how long he stood there, but when he came back to his senses, Grant felt completely normal.  His chest didn’t ache, but he could still feel the kernel of something solid resting next to his beating heart.

<Finally!  Grant, can you hear me?>  Sarge’s voice caused Grant to shake his head, clearing it of the cobwebs.  <It has been seventeen minutes.  You are already late.  Clean off the blood, and get out there!>

“But, what about the Dao Seed?  What should I do?”  Grant was automatically cleaning the blood off his face with the water spraying from the broken fixtures.

<There is no time!  Get out there, before they drain you of all your chips!>

Scrambling, Grant rushed out of the bathroom, hurriedly locking the door and flipping the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’.  He had to elbow his way through the crowd, who slowly let him through once they realized he was one of the players.  When he finally plopped down in his chair, Grant wasn’t the least bit surprised that no one was happy to see him.

“Ah, Lord Grant, so nice of you to join us.  You have already forfeited twenty chips from a big blind.  It is now your turn for the small blind.”  Dokeshi March’s eyes kept drifting back to where Grant had come from, a frown twisting his mouth.

“He isn’t coming.  And you might want to get someone to clean up that bathroom.  Someone left quite a mess.”  Grant watched carefully, but Dokeshi March didn’t give anything away.

They got back into the rhythm of playing poker, and somehow Dokeshi March seemed to keep piling up the chips.  Every time he would bet, the itch in Grant’s lower back would only get worse.

“Woot woot!  Hey guys, check this out!”  When the player to Grant’s right got down to just a single stack of chips, several people in the crowd started shouting, tossing things, and even flashing a very bright glow orb.

“I’ll take that!”  The man to his right scooped up the chips, finally bringing his pile back to three full stacks of ten.  Unfortunately, most of those had come from Grant.  He was now the person down to a single stack of ten.

<The people in the crowd are causing a distraction, which is allowing the man to cheat.  And I’m pretty certain that Dokeshi March is allowing it to happen.>

This time, Grant paid close attention, and when the lights flashed in his eyes this time, Grant snatched the player’s wrist.  He was caught with a third card in his hand, and immediately jeered by the crowd.

“So sorry, Lord Monday.”  Dokeshi’s tone did not sound like he was sorry.  “It looks like your father gets to stay in my little dungeon, and now you are just… Monday.”  The man was led away by a pair of guards, and his chips were divided between the last three players: The woman wanting justice for her father, Dokeshi March, and Grant.

<At least you can meet the blinds now.>

Now that there were only a few players left, the blinds had already been raised to ten and twenty.  Grant had twenty-two chips left.

“I believe the big blind is Lord Grant?”  Dokeshi smirked at him, forcing Grant to grit his teeth.  He shoved all of his chips in, making the Jester’s smile only grow larger.  Grant was so irritated that he finally gave in and loosened the straps on his armor, just so he could finally scratch the itch that was driving him mad.  Which was when it all clicked.

“All in.”  Grant smiled, this time making Dokeshi March feel a little uncomfortable.  As the cards were dealt, Grant didn’t even bother looking at his cards.  Dokeshi immediately folded, and the woman matched his bet.

“Winner, Lord Grant, with two pair, sixes and sevens.”  The dealer pushed the chips to Grant, and he scooped them into a pile one-handed.  The woman seemed more surprised than angry, and looked questioningly at Dokeshi March.  He simply ignored her, and put in his big blind as Grant put in his small.

This time, Grant folded, not liking his hand.  That put him down to thirty-four chips, just in time for the blinds to raise to thirty and fifteen.

“All in.”  Once again, Grant shoved his pile into the middle of the table, still using just one hand.

“Fine.  I’ll see if lightning strikes twice.”  The woman pushed in her own pile of chips, coming up two short from matching Grant.

“I’ll spot you, my dear.”  Dokeshi March slid two of his own chips into the pot, this time not even bothering to hide that the two of them were working together against him.  “I’m sure you’re good for it.”

Once again, Grant didn’t even touch his cards.  He just maintained eye contact with the ruler of the District and waited for the dealer to announce the winner.

“Winner, Lord Grant, with a Queen high flush.”  The woman was instantly mad, jumping from her seat and pointing a shaking finger at Dokeshi March.

“You told me this would be the last time!  You said you would tell me who killed him!  I know you know who it is!  Tell me!  We had a deal, you have to tell me!”  Her shrieks, or Grant’s stare, must have finally unnerved the man.

“I had him killed, you insufferable woman!  Your father was a cheat and a con man, and he tried not to play by the rules.  Now begone, before you join him in a shallow grave!”  Dokeshi March was breathing hard, practically panting in anger.  For the first time, the crowd was completely silent, and he didn’t like it.  He turned to the dealer, and tossed the cards still on the table in his face.  “Do your job, and deal the cards!”

Now that Grant had sixty-eight chips, he was finally in a position to fold when he had the small blind.  Which he did, immediately.  Since it was just the two of them, they had to rotate the big blind and small blind each hand.  The next hand, Grant had fifty-three chips remaining, and the big blind was now forty.  He pushed his whole pile in the middle, giving his fate to chance.

“All in.”  When Grant didn’t touch his cards again, Dokeshi March seemed to become just a little bit more insane.

“You aren’t even going to look?”  The Jester quickly glanced at his own cards, before matching Grant’s bet.  “Do you truly have so much faith in your luck?”

“I have faith in the universe’s demand for a change in leadership.”  The collective intake of breath from the spectators was noticeable, and it only incensed Dokeshi March even further.

“Winner, Lord Grant, with a King through nine straight.”  If looks could cause a heart to stop, the poor dealer’s would have turned to stone after the look Dokeshi March gave him.

“That’s it.  You must be cheating.”  This time, there was an outright gasp at Dokeshi’s words.  “There is no other explanation.  The rule is, The House Always Wins, and I am the House, Grant Monday!  Do you hear me?!  I. Am. The. House!”  Now he was full-blown ranting, and his face had gone straight past red and into purple.  “Guards!  Take this man away.  He is a cheater, and therefore forfeits the game.”

“Dokeshi March, you must prove Grant Monday is a cheater.  That is the rule.”  Grant turned to look at who had spoken.  It was Koshin Friday, and Grant could have kissed him.  “You are the one who made that rule, Dokeshi March.  Even you have to follow your own rules.”

“I know the rules!”  Dokeshi stood, his hands throttling his scepter like he wished it was the neck of every person who had ever crossed him.  “I made the rules, and no one knows them like me.”  He plopped down in his chair after unsuccessfully trying to stare down Koshin Friday.  “I tire of this game, Grant Monday.  What say you to one final hand, winner takes all.”

“That’s basically the game I’ve been playing the last several hands.”  Grant shoved his chips in the center of the table.  “It makes no difference to me.  Change is on the wind, and I like my chances.”

“Yes, let’s see about this change.”  Dokeshi March shoved his pile of chips into the center, his much larger pile covering Grant’s like an avalanche.

The cards were dealt, and the entire building seemed to hold its breath.  Five cards were laid out, none of them higher than the number nine.  Grant chose this moment to finally reveal what he had been holding ever since loosening his armor.  The chess piece, who’s static field meant to display troop movements, that didn’t allow for illusion spells to form within its range.  A necessary precaution for a general planning troop movements involving the lives of thousands.  Grant found it fitting that it would serve in a different type of battle, with thousands of lives still in the balance.

“Winner, Lord Grant, with Jack high.”  The crowd still held its breath, as Dokeshi March stood on his chair, pointing his scepter like it was a crossbow.

“You!  It isn’t supposed to be like this!  You cheated!”  Dokeshi March kept trying to make his scepter obey his commands, but it wasn’t working.  He had lost.

“No, Dokeshi.  I didn’t cheat.  I just brought a tool that repelled your weak illusion spells.  We have only been getting the cards dealt to us.  The real cards dealt to us.”  Grant’s vision was flooded with notifications, and his sword started to get hot in its sheath.  He drew it slowly, letting the light from the blade wash over the people witnessing the end of the rule of the Mad Jester.

Do you, Grant Monday, wish to absorb the power of March 1: Mind over Matter? Accepting Mind over Matter will override any previous Wielded Weapon power absorbed in the current monthly series. If not overridden by another weapon of the same month, this ability will return to its current Wielded Weapon at the end of the year, unless the quest ‘Heal The World’ has been successfully completed.

Accept / Decline

“Yes.” Grant agreed to the notification solemnly, and his sword flashed for a bare instant.

Mind over Matter: Set a binding rule, as well as the punishment for breaking that rule. The harsher the requirements of the rule, the harsher the punishment may be.

• If you are the only target of the rule, you may make any rule and any punishment for breaking it.
• If you and another entity are bound by the same rule, the punishment for breaking the rule must be mutually agreed upon for maximum effect, else the punishment will be halved for the unwilling target.
• If another entity is the only target of the rule, the punishment for breaking the rule can only be pain. If the rule is deemed to be predatory, there is an 80% chance of backlash upon the Wielder making the rule.

Violet fireworks erupted from the Dokeshi as the Fragment chose that moment to begin moving to its new owner, soon the explosions were floating above him… then flowing into him.

Quest Update: Heal the World (Legendary)

Congratulations, Grant Monday, you have defeated the Lady of the Month, Lady March, and have been granted her Fragment. As the new Lord March-

Resonance detected!

You are the Lord of January, February, and March!

The Januarian Fragment of Life, Februarian Fragment of Vibrancy, and Marchurian Fragment of Festivity are resonating!

Power flooded through Grant as the Fragments began to rotate around each other, bands of pink, brown, and violet connecting and intertwining. When the process completed, Grant stared at something completely different from the fragments he had seen to this point. It was a set of three stars that slowly rotated around him, casting his form in a trio of soft, beautiful lights.

You have reassembled the Spring Constellation.

1) You have inherited the power of the Februarian Fragment of Vibrancy, the ability to restore your energy and mana to full whenever the month you are a Lord of is in its ascendency.

2) You have gained the ability to open the boundary separating any of the Spring Districts, as well as the boundary to April.

3) You have gained the ability to send a message to anyone within the Spring Districts.

4) You can now step through space and arrive anywhere within the Spring Districts so long as you are within a Spring District.

5) You have the power to name a regent for any District you are the lord of, granting them access to a single Fragment’s power.

6) You are always ready to take part in festivities: you no longer suffer negative effects from lack of sleep.

7) You have the ability to switch your name from Grant Monday to Earl Spring at will.

“These are… stars?” Grant murmured at the mesmerizing lights that swirled around him for another moment before vanishing. “Like… actual stars? How powerful were the Leap sorcerers?”

“No. No, no, nonononono!”  Dokeshi was whipping his head back and forth, causing his long hair to fly in his face.  “Fine!  If this is how you want it, then so be it! We can all die together!”

Grant was still coming down from the euphoria of becoming Earl Spring. He barely had time to look up and see Dokeshi pulling two black orbs from a hidden pocket.  Grant instantly recognized them as a larger version of the bombs some of his Vassals had carried.

As Dokeshi charged, Grant held his sword vertically, and planted the blade into the ground.  He could feel the world around him bending to his will, as Grant declared his first rule for District March.

“No attacking. Punishment: Pain.”