Chapter 21: Advanced and Sinister Brainwashing Techniques

Everyone stared with disbelief at Hammer.

“If you are going after that baghead, why did you have your pilldog chase us?” Habi called out to Hammer.

Monochrome suppressed a laugh.

“You got chased by a pilldog? Those things are harmless!” Davis criticized Golbassy.

Gemmask Jee, or Gilgamush or whoever he was laughed, like the clinking of ill-gotten gems.

“My little turnip, can you not sense the ferocious presence from that humble animal? It is clearly a battlehound of great measure!” he declared.

Davis looked at Madog closely. Madog was this point thinking of sausages, and how Hammer was going to give her one of the special ones with the really chewy fat. Her tongue was out lolling and her tail was wagging furiously. Madog was sure that she was a good dog.

What she didn’t know was that her failure when she was chasing Golbassy and Habi had bumped the special sausage down to a regular bacon twist.

“I don’t buy it” Davis said.

“I’ve never seen such a fine hunting hound” Gordon declared.

“It makes me nervous” Ramaros admitted.

“My dog Madog is a great dudette! I trained her myself” Hammer said, glowing with pride… well it wasn’t really with pride, he had just taken the time to eat a pill from Madog and was glowing brown.

Everyone paused at the thought of an explodahead trained dog… did he use explosions to train her? No matter how you looked at it, that was what explodaheads generally tried to use for most issues.

“I have to admit, she’s a fine hound, but that wasn’t at all what I was asking about ” Habi objected.

Hammer’s head was in his hoopstick, he swung his hammer around a bit.

“Hmm, what was it, they said something about you being bait, and hey they were right, it did draw out a top class killer dude, Last Sight Ramaros!”

Ramaros hissed in displeasure at his name being revealed to everyone.

Habi tried to say something, likely to ask who ‘they’ were. but was cut off by a gasp from Monochrome.

“Last Sight Ramaros! I’ve heard about him, he’s a cruel hunter who enjoys being the last thing his victims see!” Monochrome exposited.

“That’s a pretty distasteful habit” Davis admitted.

“Quite rude” Gemmask Jee concurred.

“Disrespectful to the prey” Gordon affirmed, giving Ramaros a disapproving stare.

Gordon frowned, he got the feeling he was forgetting something big.

“AHHHH” He exclaimed.

“Woah dude, you alright, not having body problems or something? I hear you more fragile beings get those” Hammer said.

Gordon pointed a finger at Gemmask Jee, who was just standing around with a smug look on his now maskless face.

“Gilgamush, what are you doing here?!?”

“Yes, explain yourself!” Golbassy added.

Gemmask Jee flicked back his hair.

“I own this place, been here a while, and I’m not exactly Gilgamush, or at least, I’m not anymore.” he said causally.

“Why do you speak in riddles man, speak clearly!” said a frustrated Gordon.

“I don’t think that counts as a riddle Gordon” Golbassy disagreed.

Gordon groaned. “Please not another one of your lectures, Ok, it was wasn’t a riddle, it was just really confusing, now explain yourself clearly Gilgamush, without any riddles, demi-riddles and not actually riddles!”

Ramaros took this distraction to lunge at an opening he saw in Golbassy and Habi’s defence. He really should have accounted for the presence of Gemmask Jee, Monochrome and Davis, but he was unsettled and off balance from the strange situation, that and he didn’t want to stick around for an explodahead’s attempt at capturing him.

Gordon and Hammer of course took action at the same time, running forwards to Ramaros and Golbassy. Hammer flinging his head from his hoopstick and Gordon firing a bolt. Hammer detonated his head as soon as he felt the bolt knock him off course from his target, Ramaros.

This detonation turned one of the game circles in the den into a blazing inferno, and denizens scrabbled to get out of the way.

While that happened, Davis accidentally protected Golbassy he jerked back in surprise at Gordon and Hammer attacking causing his club to jab into the advancing Ramaros’ stomach, Gemmask Jee then put out a small leg and tripped Ramaros backwards.

Ramaros hit the ground and rolled upwards, spears held in a defensive stance. He found himself in a traditional Korundian standoff.

In the hot lands of Korund, which is one of four lands that one could reach directly through the tunnels between dimensions, standoffs are kind of a thing. The traditional Korundian standoff requires that combatants be ready to attack everyone around them but nobody is ready to make the first move, but it also requires that another denizen is present in the middle of the standoff that nobody is quite sure about.

Gemmask Jee was in the middle, and in a circle around him were Golbassy and Habi, Ramaros, Gordon, Davis and Hammer. Ramaros had his deadly hooked spears at the ready, Gordon his worn and trusty crossbow loaded and in one hand and a crossbow bolt that seemed more like a dagger in the other. Golbassy had a book in each hand, and Habi fluttered on her body. Davis had hefted his club upwards, he was struggling to keep it up, usually he tried not to hold it up for long. Hammer was an explodahead.

Everyone had forgotten about Monochrome and Madog. Monochrome, not really being a fighter was huddled beneath the wreckage of the main barcounter. Madog had sniffed her out, finding her familiar and remembering her as being a person that was easy to get belly rubs out of.

“What’s your angle Gilgamush!?!” Gordon shouted at Gemmask Jee.

“Why do you want Ramaros!?!” Habi asked Hammer.

“I’m not Gilgamush and I was planning on leaving Cozzlanga, do try to keep up Gordon.”

“Why do I want Ramaros, Dudette? Well…” Hammer began.

“Leaving? Was this whole mess your doing Gilgamush? Why, why would you do that, why brother!” Gordon implored.

Monochrome carefully stood up and frantically waved and shook her head at Hammer.

“…I’m getting paid, that and the guy who brought the job to me is an old friend” Hammer said, having not once noticed Monochrome.

Monochrome sighed in relief, she got the result she wanted, though she didn’t know that it was because Hammer had completely forgotten why he was supposed to capture Ramaros, or more particularly a top class killer after Golbassy’s life.

“Look here, I’ve told you I’m not Gilgamush, I’ll get tired of saying it. You have your own Gilgamush!” Gemmask Jee explained again.

Ramaros tried again to make a move, this time to escape from the disadvantageous situation he was in. Ramaros was an expert in ambushes and sneak attacks, he wasn’t terribly strong in direct combat.

He tumbled backwards, and everyone apart from Gemmask Jee attacked him. Gemmask Jee was just watching. Gemmask Jee was really having the time of his life.

“Behold! Through my advanced and sinister brainwashing techniques I have turned friend into foe!”

Ramaros cried out.

At this cry a number of people leapt out from among the denizens. A frying pan batted Hammer’s head away and took the explosion’s force. A metal shod wing took the brunt of Gordon’s bolts, A few punches from rubarb rock boxing gloves drove Golbassy to the defensive and Something red and mean burst through the ground raised by Davis’ earthbeating.

*Neighhhh*

It was Eadam, B2T, Sachs, Heed, Hood, Mobby and Alfreed.

Monochrome gasped.

“He just offered you a whole load of treasure didn’t he?” Davis said flatly.

“Yeah, he kinda did” B2T said.

“He even offered benefits!” Mobby growled brightly, being in the more fierce form rebcubres have.

*Neiiiighhh*

“A magical charm against dandruff!” Eadam declared.

“One of those little rust eating thingys, they leave armour all shiny and stuff” Alfreed said.

“I’m just going along with this because I’m sure it’ll lead to something hilarious” Sachs admitted.

“He fixed our crossbow!” Heed said.

“It actually works better now” Hood said.

“Wasn’t it his fault that it was broken?” Sachs pointed out.

“Would you all just shut up!” Ramaros shouted. “I wanted to be all dramatic and ominous, but you’ve ruined everything, you just couldn’t give me the moment, could you?!”

“You are a real bad dude, aren’t you?” Hammer said, voice quivering.

Everyone turned to look at a quivering Hammer.

“Messing with people’s heads, that’s real evil stuff! Don’t worry you miniondudes, I’ll save you! Just you wait Last Sight Ramaros! I’ll defeat you, evil sorcerer!” He shouted.

“Well, that is pretty adorable” Sachs said.

“I’ll save you with my explosions!” Hammer fist clenched.

“I don’t want to be saved!” Alfreed wailed.

“Sure that isn’t the brainwashing speaking?” Davis said maliciously.

Ramaros, during all this, tried to escape.

Gemmask Jee however, what not having any of that.

“Come, my golems!” he shouted.

The two golems which had been outside rushed inside, blocking Ramaros’ way out.

“I call upon the circles of this place, raise a barrier which none can escape from, contain this place!”

The bowls of the spinning top lit up and glowed blue with magical power. A whisper ran from them and ascended into a roar and with a pop a simmering blue covering spread out from the ceiling down to the floor.

Gemmask Jee, for one reason or another had trapped everyone inside his gambling den.