Last time on Chosen of the Void, Ratcatcher hung out in the Labyrinth.

And now…back to Yushuv.

It’s been almost two weeks. He’s been dreaming about wingbeats (and I’ve been ignoring it because going on about “the sound of wings” just reminds me of Death of the Endless and you shouldn’t remind people of things they’d rather read) and then hears them for real and it wakes him up.

A raiton’s harsh croak

Raitons are crows, but bigger. “But bigger” sums up a good half of Exalted’s beastiary. Omen dogs? Like wolves, but bigger. Siaka? Like sharks, but bigger. And so on. Raitons are technically like raven protobirds, since they’ve got fangs and all, but they function exactly like crows in how they’re used, so eh. I mean, I like the idea of raven a archaeopteryx , but they seriously are just big crows with fangs, and everyone just uses them in place of crows.

Yushuv is on edge as he hears the bird fly away. Just when he’s starting to relax he hears a howl.

The sound that had just cut the night was no wolf’s cry, though it was kin to a wolf’s howl in the same way a wolf was kin to a dog.

So…an omen dog? It’s just kind of funny that everyone, this book included, goes for raitons and forgets normal birds exist, but wolves always get used and omen dogs forgotten.

Knowing he’s a protagonist so everything must revolve around him, Yushuv is certain that this creature is specifically hunting him since it’s in his general area.

For some unknown reason, the doggy is traveling in the stream itself, even though it’s apparently hunting by scent. I guess it just likes the extra challenge. It wanders by the tree he’s hiding in. The raiton calls and it yells back, and Yushuv is sure they’re in conflict somehow. Well, he thinks it so it must be.

It goes to the road, smells Yushuv, and comes back snarling. Yuyu gets a good look at it, and it’s a wolf, but bigger. Also glowing slightly, so, there’s that.

He knows it’s a spirit. Presumably that means it’s a wolf god. He tells it to get lost or he’ll shoot. Wolfy laughs and says oh really. Yushuv is somehow surprised that a god can talk people speak, because Yuyu is a dumbass.

“Well enough. I told you, begone. Leave me be. I have no quarrel with you.”

Yuyu, when you open negotiations by saying you’ll shoot someone who, strictly speaking, hasn’t made any aggressive moves at all yet, you really can’t act like you’re the reasonable one.

If you were still a village boy, I’d have no quarrel with you either.”

This is interesting, though I doubt it’s intended. Yuyu is describing the spirit as this horrible wolf monster, but what it’s actually saying is that, by Exalted standards, it’s pretty decent. It doesn’t attack mortals for the hell of it, it’s here specifically for Yushuv and specifically because he’s no mortal.

Then it tries to jump him and its teeth snap just below the branch he’s on, so he climbs higher. This seems to just be toying with him, because Wolfy finds it funny. Wolfy identifies itself as Bonecrack, which is a stupid name.

Yushuv’s response was to send an arrow into the ground hard by Bonecrack‘s left front paw. It stuck there, quivering, and the beast looked at it curiously.
“The next one finds your heart,” Yushuv said calmly.

This is clearly meant to be badass, but it just looks stupid. It’s one thing to do this as an opening move, but Wolfy’s already attacked. The only reason to do this is if Yuyu fucked up the shot and is trying to pretend he meant to do that.

You could say that this is a sign Yushuv is uncomfortable attacking, so he’s trying to bluff and avoid actually shooting at something that talks. That would actually be interesting to see, given how rarely it really comes up for characters. Problem is we’ve seen no sign of that anywhere else, and he’s so emotionally flat otherwise it’s hard to believe.

Wolfy says there’s a price for Yuyu. It’s not particularly clear why or who or how. Most of the gods are pretty damn resentful about the Sidereal murder spree, and even those that work with them generally have better things to do than personally hunt Solars. The other person who’d want him is the Prince of Shadow, and he needs Yuyu alive or at least killed in such a way to ensure a ghost forms, plus gods and undead don’t get along.

Wolfy also says that he’s a kid and his bow is a kid’s bow and he sucks. Yuyu insists it’s totally his dad’s bow. Wolfy continues to not be impressed.

The problem with this is that Wolfy must be here to kill Yuyu for being a Solar – it’s the only reason he’d say Yushuv isn’t just a village kid. But in that case, he shouldn’t be treating Yushv like this will be an easy fight. Even baby Solars are dangerous, especially for a single fighter. There’s a reason the Wyld Hunt is a band of people and not just one really competant individual. With multiple people, a Solar has to focus on defending themself and can’t let lose with attacks. One on one, there’s a good chance that even if the Solar’s weaker they might just get lucky. They’re never so weak you can just dismiss them.

But dismiss them Wolfy does.

Go ahead. Bend your bow. Empty your quiver. I’ll gnaw your bones when you’re done.”

Now, spirits can dematerialize, so physical attacks have limited use against them. But when they are materialized, as Wolfy is here, they can and do take damage. Slaying their material form isn’t quite as deadly as it is for physical creatures, but it shatters them and take them time to reform – and some never do. And then there’s ghost-eating technique, a charm that allows exalts to straight up murder one. It’s unlikely Yushuv would know it, but still an incredible risk. And it’s not like they don’t feel pain.

So in short, no, this makes no sense. It would if Wolfy was saying Yushuv couldn’t hit him, but he’s just insisting he doesn’t care about getting shot.

Anyway, Yushuv finally does something suitably exalted and says why, then, is that a bet?

…and then the book utterly botches it.

Yushuv is trying to get Wolfy to agree to sit there and be shot at until he runs out of arrows, and then get out of it by not bothering to shoot arrows at him. That part’s fine. And he’s quite smug about succeeding:

“Of course, my father taught me always to save one arrow. This quiver will never be empty, Bonecrack. You’ll squat here forever and wait for me, and mountains will turn to dust before you’re free.”

But that’s not the deal he makes.

If you let me fire my arrows at you, I’ll sit here and not struggle when you come for me. After I finish, of course.”
…
“You may proceed, boy. I’ll sit here until your quiver’s empty,” it said,

It’s Wolfy who introduces all the details crucial to trapping him. All Yushuv suggested was the vague promise that he be “let” shoot at it until he “finishes”. I’d say that ignoring Wolfy and walking off certainly counts as finishing shooting, for example. And he also doesn’t say anything that’d require Wolfy to stay in one spot.

This is shitty, shitty writing.

It’s also not particularly setting accurate. Spirits are not bound to their word like this. That’s why the Eclipse caste, who are the diplomats, have the anima power to sanctify deals, because otherwise half of Creation will stab you in the back first chance they get. The only way this works is for Yushuv to be an Eclipse, and not only does their caste mark look nothing like a rising sun, but it’s pretty clear from context he’s supposed to be a Dawn (I mean, when he was marking his way out of the tomb he was drawing a partial sun with rays for no reason). Even if he was an Eclipse he’s got to formally agree to the deal, while here he responds to Wolfy’s offer by immediately crowing that he’s won as if it’s just how things work.

Yushuv then goes on to look even dumber, as well as a return to being a horrible person. He walks over and starts peppering Wolfy with arrows, and jesus christ Yushuv, if you thought that would do any good why the big deal about planning to walk off instead? It also doesn’t occur to him to attack Bonecrack with something other than arrows, because he’s a fucking moron.

“I wonder if this will hurt you. I hope so,” he added conversationally, and then released.
The arrow pierced Bonecrack‘s paw, and punched deep into the earth beneath it. Thick blood gouted from the wound, the same red as the spirit’s gaze. It roared in agony, and Yushuv quickly drew and fired again. The shaft took the spirit in the eye, anda third went down its gullet. Bonecrack‘s cry became a strangled thing, and it thrashed in its agony as best it could.

Not even two weeks old as a Solar and already he’s a sadist. He first says he’s doing this in hopes it’ll cause pain, and he even goes through the trouble of making sure his first arrow is sure to be non-fatal.

Now, it’s true that he was attacked first, but Bonecrack has not actually done anything more than threats at this point, and even had it landed a blow that still doesn’t justify torturing someone just because you can.

This is why the Solars had to be murdered and thrown in a box.

Bonecrack manages to say this won’t be enough to kill it, so Yushuv decides to stop shooting – which is odd, because he seems to have already been assuming that was impossible. Then he uncovers his forehead.

Remember me, Bonecrack. Remember the village boy.” On a whim, he pulled the rag from his forehead and smiled grimly. “Better yet, remember me as I am now.”

He already knows you’re not a village boy you twit! He said he wouldn’t have been trying to kill you if you’d been one! And you’ve proving right now why not being one any longer is good enough reason to attack you!

With that, he strode off into the night in search of a more congenial tree in which to sleep for the remaining hours before sunrise, and of Bonecrack he thought no more.

So in conclusion, you should kill Solars on sight. At this rate it’s not going to be long before Yushuv is going full out Solar with viscera gardens of still-living servants and breeding slave races to scream prettily for his orchestra.