Black Hole: The Book of Iratus, Episode 55

Chapter 541

Iratus was surprised at just how few gray masks were left, with only five that tried to jump past the spear wall and were impaled by the spears. The enemy group, the folk and not the monsters, fired off a volley of bolts from their crossbows at the party, who were mostly unharmed, though somehow a bolt stuck into Iratus's leg.

Iratus tried moving and found his leg in pain, so he ripped out the bolt and saw the blood on it.

Iratus: "By silver."

Victoria fired off her own bolt at the enemy group and nailed one who was looking away, reloading. The enemies started to retreat behind some of the other buildings, and Iratus started to move forward. He looked behind to make sure everyone was unarmed, and when he was finished, he told Aestus to guard the door and headed to surround one of the buildings with everyone else.

The group quickly got around one of the cabins, passing the angry mousefolk that Victoria shot.

Iratus: "Stay down!"

With that, the angry enemy mouseman continued trying to pull out the arrow but was mostly still on the ground.

Ignis: "Unless you have bandages nearby, I suggest you leave that with you."

Around the corner was a scene of gray masks, including the yellow-clad conduit, the four remaining bandits, and the other two party members, Confodere and Fuligo. There was a tense pause as everyone was stuck looking at each other.

Lead Bandit: "Procella!"

Confodere: "Hold it there, buddy."

Then Deficio raised his shotgun, which made the felinefolk pause, his black fur standing at an end.

Conduit: "He is out of ammo; don't worry."

Iratus: "Hey, hold on, and who are you supposed to be?"

The conduit pulled down his hook and removed his mask, which revealed a slightly skinny hyena man with short black hair, dusty brown fur, black spots, and light blue eyes.

Iratus looked around and saw how no one was in an advantageous position. His mind was trying to come up with a battle plan, but it came up with nothing.

Conduit: "Hey, Confodere."

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Chapter 542

Confodere: "Eh? Distorsio? You've got to be pulling my collar."

This new hyena man smiled and casually spoke to Confodere.

Distorsio: "Yeah, it was pretty crazy that I got to see you again way over here, wherever here is. Now then, I was saying to Malignitas that I was given a giant mansion that I will be using to throw the greatest parties ever, and I'd like to invite you too!"

Confodere: "Distorsio, dude, this isn't the place or time to throw parties. It's like the apocalypse here!"

Distorsio: "Bro, I got connections now, and I'm getting a fricken giga mansion! Screw the land of the living; we got all the gold and drugs here!"

Victoria: "Technically, this is the land of the living; we are just brought back to life."

Distorsio: "Whatever. So Confodere, Distorsio, and Group, how about it? Come with me and let's party till we die again!"

Confodere let out an exhaustive sigh, like he'd seen something like this before, while Malignitas, the leader of the bandit-like group, stared dumbfounded with his one brown eye open the whole time. The other remaining bandits, a light brown-furred bovinefolk, a brown-furred squirrelfolk, and the only female among them, a skinny but still tall blue-skinned sharkfolk, and finally the dirty blonde-furred mousefolk man with an arrow in his torso, started to mummer.

Sharkfolk: "Is this some sort of trap?"

Distorsio: "First off, I'm a person like any of you and not some mindless zombie conduit because the boss of the gray masks has always held up all of their deals. Their next deal is to fight with me and retire in all the luxury this world has to offer."

Confodere: "Oh, now you're all ready to do a job?"

The hyena man turned to his comrade with almost a glint in his eye.

Distorsio: "For all the money! This is the dream, and it's time for us to get what we deserve."

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Chapter 543

Confodere: "And just what is the job?"

Distorsio: "To remove the Lionheart house from this area."

Iratus: "More like kill us."

Distorsio: "It's kind of hard to have these monsters not kill anyone, but now that we have a chance to talk, I...I kind of need you to not live in this tower anymore and, like, go somewhere else."

Iratus's discipline was shining through as he continued to stand calmly as the others from the tower were slowly getting an angry look on their faces.

Iratus: "You couldn't ask first instead of sending a giant lizard at us?"

Distorsio: "And who in all the hells just stands and fights a dinosaur? Besides, folk are not part of their diet; it wouldn't have eaten you until you threw fire at it."

Iratus: "And you would just let us go?"

Distorsio: "My job is just to tear down the tower, nothing else."

Iratus: "Yeah...well, I am going to have to say that I'm not leaving my home."

Distorsio: "Hence why my boys are being rough with you."

Iratus: "You are really starting to anger me. You're here threatening me and trying to destroy my home with nothing but a stupid grin on your face."

Distorsio: "I said, I can't stop my guys from going all out; we need you gone, and I'm getting my mansion."

Iratus: "You sound like a kid."

Confodere and Fuligo got in line with the tower folk with the mouse man, using part of his own torn shirt as a makeshift bandage, walked over to his group, and finally the remaining gray masks lined up and started to head to the open entrance of the area.

Confodere: "He never did grow up."

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Chapter 544

Distorsio: "Not cool, bro." He said it flippantly. "I don't mean for all of this to end up so crazy, but these guys need to go, and if I have to hurt them, I will."

Then he turned and gave a pleading look to Confodere.

Distorsio: "This is our chance to live in wealth. Everything is everything, and it is within our grasp."

Confodere: "And this is insane. Also, why do you look like that? Did you die young?"

Distorsio: "Another gift from my benefactor. I will never be dying from old age!"

The tower people started to take better positions, and the gray masks, including Distorsio, were slowly backing out.

Distorsio: "We were working side by side a moment ago, Malignitas; how about we do it again?"

Malignitas: "I did think that was strange. Regardless, now that I know it was just some guy behind the mask, I'm passed."

Distorsio: "Is...that a no?"

Malignitas: "You do whatever you want; I'm here to kill the badger woman."

Procella gave an angry scowl.

Squirrelfolk: "Hold on, are we talking about eternal youth, a large mansion, and a ton of amenities?"

Distorsio slowly speaking: "E-lec-tricity."

The other bandits started to eye around, and with that, the gray masks stopped retreating, with the tower folk getting their spears ready.

Confodere: "Buddy, don't do this."

Distorsio: "Man, what happened to you? You used to be the guy by my side when we partied. Then you just upped and ghosted me, never to be seen again."

Confodere: "I grew up. Anytime I called you up, it was just parties, and I couldn't take it anymore. You are the one who lost it; look at what you are doing."

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Chapter 545

Distorsio: "Excuse me? I've been walking around hungry, thirsty, and tired in this hell hole! I'm just some dude; how am I supposed to survive out there? Everyone was an asshole, and no one would protect me from the monsters, so when someone comes along to provide me with whatever I want, I'll do whatever they ask."

Victoria: "Could you not find any animals?"

Ignis: "Did he say no one would protect him? Like, no one is under any obligation to do so."

Studium: "In this environment, avoiding people or using caution would have greatly helped you."

Fuligo: "Is it that easy to buy you? Don't you ever ask questions?"

Iratus: "Without civilization, we see who this person really is."

Bellum: "I still think the gray masks are doing something with him because there is no way someone can be a conduit without being dead or something."

Procella: "And why these losers?"

Malignitas: "Hey!"

Deficio: "I am truly sorry that you had to live that way. If you could turn away from your employer, you will find us very welcoming."

Confodere: "You can believe that these religious types are really big on redemption."

The bandits stopped and began to think and then look back at Malignitas, but after a few seconds, he exploded in anger.

Distorsio: "No. I'm not having this right now. You and your gods can burn." He turned to the bandits. "Do or die; I offer everything you could ever want, and all you have to do is remove these people from here. Dead or alive!"

The bandits were back to thinking when their leader spoke up.

Malignitas: "I clearly should not have walked side by side with your kind. We are out."

Distorsio: "What seems to be the problem?"

Malignitas: "I...shut up! We are out of here."

Distorsio: "It looks like the others say otherwise."

Malignitas: "They work for me, and I say we are out!"

Bovinefolk: "Hold on, sir. This is a series payout."

---

Chapter 546

Malignitas trying to remain collected: "No. We are not here to fight a war." He glanced back at Procella, who gestured, I can't believe what you just said. "This time."

Squirrelfolk: "What's the difference between what we were just doing and now?"

Malignitas: "It just is."

Iratus thoughts: "Why is he dodging the question? I wonder if he made some sort of mistake and is trying to get out of this situation."

He looked over to the gray masks, and then his eyes opened wide when he saw Distorsio start scratching furiously at his face. Distorsio placed his mask back on as the bandits started to get upset.

Mousefolk: "I think I'd rather join these guys, sir." He finished distastefully.

Distorsio: "Time to choose." His voice was slightly distorted.

The four rebellious bandits walked over to the gray masks, and then more gray masks started to fill in from the entrance. There were still only a few gray masks, but now there were enough that the tower folk started to back up. Malignitas was trying to move to the side, so defeated that his own men switched sides on him, but then the conduit lazily pointed at him.

Distorsio: "Get rid of him too."

Malignitas: "Hey now, what? You can't do this!"

The feline started to back up into the tower's ranks as the gray masks continued forward. At the door, everyone got into a spar wall while Malignitas was pushed out, and he started to make his way to the ladder for the scaffolding on the walls. Iratus and Victoria fired their shots at the enemy, who then charged in, and while the gray masks simply killed themselves on the wall, it gave an opening for the four bandits to dive in with their own side arms, and they managed to crack the wall.

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Chapter 547

First was the bovinefolk with his two-handed axe, which came down on Deficio, which would have broken or even cleaved a normal arm off, but the axe only sparked and clanged off the metal part of the shoulder.

Bovinefolk confusingly: "What?"

The priest's bandages burst apart to reveal his robotic left arm and arm gun inside. The opened hand pointed at the bandit, and several gunshots fired off, making everyone shocked by the sound blasting apart their ears. Even some of the gray masks nearby stopped for a second.

Distorsio: "Cyborg, retreat!"

Another shot, and this time the mouse man was shot and, just like the bovine, dropped to the ground. Iratus was starting to shake, some from the gunshots but also because people—real people, not monsters—were dying around him. Victoria shook Iratus, and he got his mind back into the moment. A loud and ugly clang could be heard as Deficio's arm stopped firing and went limp.

Deficio: "And that's that."

Victoria and Iratus fired more shots, and one of Victoria's bolts landed on the female bandit, who stabbed Bellum with a rapier. Gray Masks pulled out their wounded allies and retreated with the people at the tower, finishing off the foes who stayed behind. Iratus fired off one more shot, which stabbed the lower part of the shark man's neck, and while he and the rest of the bandits were clearly still alive, Iratus was shaken again that the man he shot might not live much longer.

Iratus and the girls were tired enough to let their foes go, but Deficio was brutal enough to force everyone forward to expel the gray masks faster, slaying more as the monsters retreated.

Behind the tower, they found Malignitas on the ground, beaten, bruised, and bleeding from several injuries.

Malignitas: "You abandoned me again, you b-"

And Procella came in, kicking his face.

Procella: "Why would we help the enemy?"

---

Chapter 548

Many people were injured from the siege, and while most people were getting bandaged, a few people were outside with Malignitas.

Iratus: "What do we do with him?"

Victoria: "Kill him."

Resonantia: "Now that's just too cruel. Okay, I wasn't out here with the rest of you, but can we not just waste life?"

Venatio: "Since when did you value enemy lives so much?"

Procella: "I can forgive such a stupid man. Just let him go, and I'll beat his face in if I see him again."

Deficio: "I am glad that you remember the good word and the importance of forgiveness."

Malignitas: "I don't need your pity, priest."

The weasel girl grabbed the feline.

Procella: "You rotten child, do you not know the position you are in? You tried to kill people, and we are not returning the favor. Actions have consequences, you stupid retarded rot face!"

And then she threw him to the ground.

Procella: "You are so stupid that cracking your face still wouldn't help you figure out that trying to kill someone is a serious decision! Get out of here!"

Malignitas stood back up and covered his face as he held back tears, his eyes watering, and walked as fast as he could to the entrance and left the area.

Victoria: "Are you sure this is for the best?"

Procella: "This is what it means to believe in something. Something I think all of you are well aware of."

---

Chapter 549

Three days later, things were slowly going back to normal because, even if there is an army of monsters outside, people still need to eat and work. Procella took all the cloaks and weaponry from the slain gray masks, though one of the crossbows from the bandits was taken by the tower folk.

In the afternoon, Iratus and Confodere headed for the farm, with the place looking just fine on their arrival. Procella, Iter, and Abrasione, the hyena wife of Commercium, greeted the pair.

Abrasione: "Good to see you two again. Everything okay?"

Iratus: "Absolutely nothing. Since we are dealing with living people, they should have a base of operations."

Procella: "Unless they got medical attention immediately, they might be dead. Those were some deadly shots we put in them."

Iratus: "Don't remind me." Turning back to the others. "Any monsters around here?"

Iter: "Nope. It has been all quite over here."

Abrasione: "Maybe you should try looking in places you have not been before."

Confodere: "Then let's take a look around the road and head back then. You guys ever check back the ship or hospital?"

Iratus: "Nothing at either of those places. We may have to explore to find new areas."

Iter: "How about I come over tomorrow to see if you guys get attacked again?"

Iratus: "Considering they keep going for my family, I think I'd like the backup."

The group would talk for some time before moving out, exploring around the road and older locations that they had visited long ago. With nothing else, the pair returned to the tower, where, at the table, Aestus told the two she had found something.

Aestus: "That bandit guy; he is staying at the train. What if it is because the others took his spot?"

Iratus: "Doesn't help with where Distorsio has been, but this is news, and I think it is time to raise the militia."

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Chapter 550

At the site, Iratus and several of the others were looking around at the mouth of the cave. Iratus looked at the many bloodstains around the tents, and he saw the mess the campsite was in. He looked through several chests he didn't remember being here last time and saw inside clay.

Venatio: "C4. They are explosives."

Iratus: "Demolitions."

Salvos was around, but he was doing very little work so that his neck wound didn't open back up.

Salvos: "Let's take the stuff then."

Iratus headed deeper inside, with Venatio following him. They traveled to the pit, to the dark tunnel where the spiders still were, and finally they went all the way to the cold tunnel. Iratus was about to turn around when Venatio took a closer look around. She shoved her face into the stone and took a deep whiff.

Venatio: "It has been washed, but they bled here."

Iratus: "The cold tunnels? The summoners tower?"

Venatio: "We will have to delve into it to find out, unless you want to go through the tunnels."

Iratus: "Let's go from the top then, because I think everyone hates going through that cold tunnel."

Venatio: "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to the bandit guy first; maybe he has some information."

Iratus: "Malignitas. Yeah, poor guy. I don't like how bratty he is, especially for an adult, but I feel like he has been getting the worst life has to offer and has been going a little crazy."

Venatio: "Brats die; he is just lucky he was powerless when he was at our mercy. I don't know if I'd have let him go otherwise."

Iratus: "Now that's just rude."

They were walking back to the others.

Venatio: "People who don't know what responsibility or consequences for actions deserve what they get, that's all."

Iratus: "Not everyone needs to have discipline burned into their heads. Everyone may need it, but empathy and a bit of love go a long way. I see Malignitas like me in several ways."

Venatio: "Oh, right, the both of you are children of wrath. Yeah, maybe we do need a...light touch."

---

EPISDOE 55: END

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Episode 55 End Character Sheet
Name: Iratus Lionheart
Species: Mousefolk
Age: 15
Coverings: blonde fur, white gambeson (many repairs, some leather patchwork), leather gloves, tactical vest, tailorcraft backpack, leather plate helmet, delicate gold chain with a small pendant shaped like a lion's glare, flashlight, bronze breastplate
Weapons: long sword, 3 knifes, short sword, hammer, 1 dagger
Equipment: belt, belt bag, water skin, leathercraft backpack, 2 bags, 5 copper coins, 1 small silver bricks, 20 silver coins, 30 gold coins

Wounds: none

Relevant Community Stash: a fire starter, whetstone, several leather items, 2 glass jar, 12 bottles, 1 fish net, primitive sewing kit, a bunch of small wooden figures, wooden dice, metal scrap, lots of rusted metal, several small fish nets, sextant, some bedrolls, a tent, a large barrel, writing material, 68 cloaks and other clothing materials, some fabrics, 4 carts, 4 stitched tents, skin drum, beautiful arts of tropical scenery, floatation devices, wildlife figures, lots of tropical clothing, ancient era hyenafolk clothes, gas generator, four flood lights

Armory: 40 short swords, 34 knifes, 19 daggers, 26 metal spears, 4 arming swords, 4 long swords, 2 extra gambeson, semi-automatic rifle (no ammo), 3 hunting traps, 6 snares, 12 backpacks, 3 katanas, 3 short katanas, crossbow
Aestus: gambeson, bronze breastplate, leather helmet, metal spear, 2 knives, short sword, bronze long sword.
Victoria: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, short sword, crossbow, 2 daggers, flashlight
Resonanita: steel breastplate, gambeson, metal helmet, metal spear, short sword, 1 knife, compound bow, flashlight
Ignis: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, crowbar, 1 knife

Treasure: 13 copper coins, 2 silver coins 12 iron coins, a tarnished silver brooch, a small ornamental figurine, a few antfolk tapestries, some antfolk art, bronze lantern, bronze idol, some jeweled trinkets, iron lantern

Home Base, Tower: Large Storage Area (many crates, clay pots, and wooden chests), Basic Workshop Area (lots of tools, woodcarving tools, glue, sandpaper), Kitchen Area (many tools, many cutlery items, pots&pans, makeshift grill), Library, Armory, Infirmary Room (surgery tools, first aid kit, plenty of medicine and equipment), Children's Quarters, Master Bedroom (proper bedding, sensual antfolk sculpture), Six Bedrooms (proper bedding)

Outside Base: Butchering Hut (modern butchery kit, smoking rack), Tannery Hut, Underground Storage Area, Garden Area (fenced in), Tool Shed (fishing gear and supplies, trowel, woodcutting axe, woodworking tools, lots of rope, rope ladder, plows, hoes, sickles, rakes, shovels, scythes, chisels, anvils), Wooden Wall, Small Cabin (Venatio), Large Cabin (Winter Winds), Large Cabin (Dark Sky Family), Gravestone

Books: 3x woodworking books, weathered leather-bound journal, war game booklet, sketch book (from warband), Bathhouse Reviewers (entire 80 book series), cards, Fractura's Notes, Tempestas's Notes, 12 survival guides, 3 technical manuals, 46 fiction novels, 11 encyclopedias, 4 dictionaries, 22 cookbooks, 2 gardening guides, 3 crafting books, 20 educational textbooks, 5 religious texts, 4 diaries

Year 2, Day 11

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TOWER FOLK:
Iratus of House Lionheart
mouse, male, blonde fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'6, age: 16, b day 350
-
Victoria Mother of House Lionheart
raccoon, female, gray fur, black hair, brown eyes, 6'3, age: 16, b day: 5
-
Aestus of clan Riversinger
otter, female, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'1, age: 15, b day: 99, (preg 16 days)
-
Ignis Yang
red panda, female, reddish-brown/white fur, black hair, golden eye, 6'4, age: 16, b day: 344
-
Resonantia Diamond Heart Steel
shark, female, blue-gray hue skin, white hair, blue eyes, 6'5, age: 16, b day: 2, (preg 45 days)
---

CHILDREN:
Negligere Lionheart
shark, male, steel gray skin, white hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 2
-
Ruina Lionheart
otter, female, orange fur, vibrant orange hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 330
-
Gula Lionheart
red panda, male, brown fur, dark brown hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 340
-
Tenacitas Lionheart
raccoon, female, silver fur, dark blonde hair, amber eyes, age: 1, b day: 345

Frustra Lionheart
raccoon, male, gray fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 0, b day: 338

---

NEIGHBORS:
Venatio of Wise Storms, Mother of House Black Jewel
fox, female, red fur, red hair, brown eyes, 6'6, age: 72, b day 299
---

WINTER WINDS CLAN:
Studium of Winter Winds
fox, male, gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, 5'8, age 13, b.day 190

Fuligo Leaf Shadow
otter, female, black fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'6, age 13, b.day 245

Bellum of House War Knuckles
cheetah, female, blonde fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'11, age 14, b day: 91
---

DARK SKY FAMILY:
Salvos Dark Sky
wolf, male, black fur, white hair, copper eyes, 6'8, age 26, b day: 66

Leitmotif Schlange
snake, female, yellow and red scales, naga bodied, gold  eyes, age 24, b day: 229, (preg 60 days)

---

(farm)
UMBRA OCEAN FAMILY:
Procella Ocean Drinker
weasel , female, blonde fur, black hair, green eyes, 6'5, age 22, b day: 207

Iter of Sanguinem Umbra
goat, male, white fur, blonde hair, brown eyes, 6'7, age 20, b day: 334
---

(farm)
THE COBALTS:
Commercium Jade Blue Cobalt
rabbit, male, white fur, black hair, gray eyes, 6'8, age: 25, b.day 221

-
Abrasione
hyena, female, tan fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'5, age: 20, b.day 4, (preg 99 days)

-
Kuxatura
hyena, male, tan fur, black hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 284

---

LAST MISTAKE
Deficio
lion, male, gray fur, rich gray hair, green eyes, 6'6, age: 46, b day 111

Confodere Oculi Acuti
hyena, male, dark brown fur, black hair, gold eyes, 6'9, age 26, b day: 239