《Lament of the Lost》 Chapter 1: A visitor to a Nightmare [SLAVE''S WAIL] [PROLOGUE] Two sets of footsteps clattering against the cold, unforgiving stone floor ushered a gut-wrenching silence upon the corner of a rather sizable cellar crammed with tight cells. The never-ending wails of my fellow freaks had fallen silent. Even the faint drip of water from the storm drains running not so deep beneath our feet, a lullaby of sorts for my sleepless nights, seemed to shrink back as if to avoid drawing undue attention to itself. He was coming. The reason I shivered here, the man who had sent a weird-ass bug to tear me from my world - the Alchemist of Potions, as some respectfully called him; Dungreen, as I overheard his occasional guests spitting his name on a few occasions; master to us; my master; or as I prefer to think of him, a deranged asshole - was worming his way over here. His gait, with his toes dragging on the ground, was unmistakably etched in my memory. The same could not be said of whoever was trailing behind him. It sure wasn''t a new slave slapping their bare feet against the stone. No, those steps? Booted, light, deliberate, measured and precise, as if the owner were carefully treading on fragile ground. A visitor, no doubt, meaning only one thing: more pain for one of us. "Not me." "Please, not me." The whispered, desperate plea of the disfigured young man in the cell across the aisle was like a kick to my gut. ''Shut up, shut up, shut up!'' I chanted in my mind, piercing him with my gaze. A mistake, a big mistake. His twisted body inevitably drew my eyes. Patches of dark fur here and there, bull''s hooves instead of hands clutching his knees to his chest, and from between his legs dangling a forearm-sized d... ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'' Blood rushed to my cheeks, my heart racing. ''Not now!'' Alas, the desperate groan didn''t make my heart beat any softer. Instead, no matter what I did, regardless of how hard I pressed my own knees to my chest or tried to find some comfort in the embrace of Sage, my fuzzy tail, it pounded louder and louder through my veins with every step the asshole, our master and whoever it was with him, took. "Her, let it be her." Biting down on my lower lip, I stifled a whimper as a shiver ran down my spine to the tip of my tail at the thought of the fellow freak across the aisle getting his wish. Even worse, mine was not that different from his. Ashamed, I prayed that the asshole would choose anyone but me to test his vile concoctions. "Pardon the... mess. The housemaid doesn''t come down here anymore. I made her more...useful." That cold, methodical voice, laced with undisguised perverse pleasure, cut through the cellar like a whip. Not a real one. In fact, I''d never seen the deranged asshole holding one. Yet his words cut just as deeply. Every wretched freak in these dank cells cowered a little deeper, and of course I did the same. Ignoring the biting grip of the iron collar around my neck took effort, but I tucked my head lower, flattening my oversized ears against my skull. ''Please, anyone but me.'' Two sets of footsteps drew closer. "Tsk, for the work you do, you lack foresight. Even our pig pens are cleaner. Which way?" That was a new voice - a woman''s - not a nice one, cynical, steady, and strangely unnerving. "Right, follow me... and watch your step." Their boots clattered against the worn flagstones, a menacing rhythm that matched the pounding of my heart, screaming doom, as if the two of them were heralds of some long-forgotten god of suffering. Except there were no gods here, not on this cursed planet. My pleas had reached no one but my ears - and my rotten luck. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As they walked closer, their presence cast a shadow over my dwindling hope. "Is that supposed to be her - your best work? That is not what you promised us, Dungreen." The gnashing of our master''s teeth pierced the silence of the cellar. "I am aware, Cognizant Mi..." "Mind your words. I do not share my spouse''s benevolence, nor his patience with you. For the last time, call me ma''am if you must. Or shall I engrave that into your mind?" "That ... won''t be necessary, ma''am." "Tsk, that remains to be seen. Now, why am I not being shown what we were promised and paid you for?" "There... ahem, excuse me... there have been a few hiccups. Combining the extracts from the samples with humans turned out to be..." "Spare me the nonsense. We pay you for results, not excuses. And that..." "If you just look at her," the asshole blurted out, barking: "YOU! Get your sorry ass over here!" As if the nasty feeling on the back of my neck from our master''s piercing gaze wasn''t enough to tell me that he meant me, the runes on the bloody collar on my neck flared up and, alongside the array - a class in a sense, binding my mind, branding me a slave - got to work. Of course, I could have resisted and fought the sickening pull to obey my master''s command. But why would I? Resisting the orders hurt and would only irritate the asshole needlessly when there was still a sliver of hope - the hope that I wouldn''t taste pain today. "See?" our deranged master asked as I stood by the iron bars, my head lowered. "And what am I to see, Dungreen? Another one of your freaks? What''s the difference between this one and the one over there?" What was the difference? Did she really not see that the woman in the cell next to mine had the snout of a wolf and the foot of a bear, while the guy behind her got a wing sticking out of his shoulder? Was she blind?! No, I guess not. To her, we were all freaks - just freaks and nothing more. And she wasn''t wrong. We were freaks, robbed of our freedom, stripped of our humanity. All we had left were names bearing echoes of our past - and pain, a lot of it; a pain that sank deeper than the side effects of that asshole¡¯s concoctions. Every time I thought about who Korra Grey used to be, I couldn''t find enough tears to shed. Yet, despite the soul-crushing sorrow, I couldn''t just forget. It was the only remaining connection I had to my world, the name my parents gave me. So yeah, I stood there as Korra, Korra Grey - a daughter her own parents wouldn''t even recognize now; a collared freak; a slave at the mercy of her deranged master. "YOU!" the asshole in question spat through clenched teeth with such disgust it made my skin crawl. He was pissed. "Spread your... fucking wings and wag that damn tail of yours before I chop it off." There was still hope, a hope that I wouldn''t taste pain today, so I obeyed. "Urg...did she shit herself?!" The woman, an honored guest of our master, sounded like she was about to puke. Not surprising, considering her clean leather boots. Annoyingly, that was all I was allowed to see of her. My shitty array, or rather the skill, a weave as they called it here, the [Master''s Lover] and the slave collar around my neck, barred me from raising my head in the presence of anyone other than my fellow freaks unless told otherwise. So it was either wistfully eyeing the woman''s leather boots, one with brown lace worn down by time, the other with black lace, clearly recently replaced, or staring at my bare feet covered in the stuff that made her nose crinkle. Not so surprising either. The state of my feet, that is. Oh, and the stench that the movement of my wings stirred in general. When a vile concoction was twisting your flesh, keeping the contents of your bowels in was the last thing on your mind. "An unfortunate ...side effect, ma''am. Don''t worry. It should cease to be a problem once I figure out how to prevent tissue mutations. And as you can see, I''m one step closer." "Are you sure your eyes are fine, Dungreen? That - thing doesn''t look any different to me from... the rest of them." "Yes, I am... ma''am. A pair of symmetrical wings, a tail that grows directly from the spine, and two FULLY functional beast ears. I''m sure I managed to stabilize..." "Tss, I thought I made myself clear! Keep your nonsense to yourself and show me the results. Not...this. I - WE didn''t ask to be covered in fur and have fucking horns..." "Antlers ...it''s antlers, ma''am," the asshole cut into the woman''s rant about my grotesque looks, realizing too late that his pedantic insistence on being factual had come back to bite him in the ass. ''A speck of justice, at last.'' "Well, you know, ma''am... antlers from the Mossbears, the beasts you asked me to..." "To get their ability to control nature, not to have ANTLERS sticking out of my head after drinking one of your potions. Seriously, Dungreen, my patience - OUR patience with you - is wearing thin. Your failure to deliver results aside, though, it has come to our attention that these experiments, or whatever you want to call them, have attracted some unwanted attention. In fact, the main reason I came here today instead of my spouse." "H-hold on...does that mean what I think it means?" "Yes, we need to move you to a safer location." "But... but that would mean disposing of all my subjects." The ever-present, annoying drumming of my heart stopped. Disposing of his subjects - that meant me and the rest of the slaves locked in the cells of this nightmare. Daring to steal a glance to my right, I caught others doing the same. Man or woman, old or young, their gazes mirrored mine. In their eyes, the dread of death took a back seat to the glimmer of hope as they dared to dream this nightmare might end. Chapter 2: Waste of Resources "Not much of a loss, is it?" the woman, the herald of death, remarked, not hiding her disgust at the sight of us. If I were back home, on Earth, unrestrained by orders to keep my mouth shut, I would throw her mismatched shoelaces back in her face - so to speak. But I wasn''t there, nor was I free, so I just stood quietly, my heart warming with hope. "Not much of a loss, ma''am? No. No, no, no, no. You have no idea. This would set my research back weeks - months, even." "Either that, or we cut off our tail - if you know what I mean?" It wasn''t hard to imagine the blood draining from the asshole''s otherwise pale face. The tables had turned and now he faced the same plight he himself was putting us through almost every single day. I couldn''t remember, nor did I want to, how many of the poor souls, or the lucky ones as we used to think of them, who hadn''t survived his vile concoctions, I had helped dispose of in the storm drains running under the cellar. "I . . . I do, ma''am," our deranged master stammered, gnashing his teeth. "How much time do I have? The research upstairs . . . it''ll take me at least . . . " "There''s no need to rush. If we were pressed for time, I would not be standing here with you discussing your failures. Think of it as - a precaution." "I see . . . then do you think there might even be time for a few experiments?" ¡®NO!¡¯ If it weren''t for the damn skill and the collar around my neck holding me in place, I would have slumped to the ground, trembling in despair. Instead, I stood there like an animal on parade, arms down along my body, wings spread, tail wagging, just as our deranged master had commanded, all the while the prospect of more pain loomed over me like the scythe of death I so desperately wished would already take my head off. ¡®Please, just say no.'' "Sure." ''Noooo . . . you . . . you bitch!'' "What do you have in mind?" the woman, this - this shoelace bitch, asked, her eyes boring into me. "I sincerely hope your potions can do more than turn a human into . . . this." "Oh, they can, I assure you. But I had something other than a potion planned for this one. What would you say to seeing her with . . . a Beast Core?" "To put one in her? Just a waste of resources, mind you, we provided." ¡°W-well, it¡¯s . . . ¡± ". . . but you have my attention, Dungreen. Seeing her writhing in pain while her body eats itself might lift my mood . . . actually, I can''t wait to see it.¡± ¡®Lift her mood? Screw you, you . . . you twisted BITCH! Go and shove that damn core up your ass!¡¯ Whatever it was, that . . . that damn Beast Core, it didn''t sound any different to me than his vile concoctions. Just another thing to wreak havoc on my body, inflicting more pain and likely robbing me of another chunk of my humanity. ¡°Oh, and imagine if she were to accept the core - wouldn''t that practically make her a beast? My young one would love to train a pet like her." '' . . . what?! A pet?! Me? That bitch couldn''t be serious, could she?'' Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Is it, yes . . . ma''am?" ¡°Tsk, weren''t you listening, yes, let¡¯s go with it.¡± "Excellent. YOU! Out. We have work to do." The keys rattled in the lock of my cell, and my feet moved. The [Master''s Lover], the nastiest skill - or weave as they call it here - of my [Slave] Array forced upon me by the asshole, as well as the slave collar, were doing their accursed work. ''NO! No, I won''t - go!'' Tasting the blood from my bitten lip, I resisted the pull, screaming my mind out. If they thought I would put myself through the torture for their enjoyment without a fight, they were damn wrong. "What . . . is this?!" the deranged asshole yelled when I got no further than the cell door. "I said get out, cunt!" His methodical voice rattled in my head like the sharpest whip and the sweetest melody at the same time, urging me to heed his command. It was so tempting. The easy way out. All I had to do was move. And I did. But once my leg moved, and the crippling headache clouding my sight eased for a brief moment, it gave me a chance to get my shit together. "You dare?! Maybe I should give one of the males the Stud Potion and let them have a round with you, cunt. Get OUT!" "A what?" the shoelace bitch asked, unfazed by my desperate defiance. "Care to tell me more about this - potion, Dungreen?" "Um . . . you see . . . one of my side projects, nothing of importance, ma''am." "Are you sure? Perhaps I should peek into your mind and see for myself what exactly you are using the supplies we have provided you with. Tell me you weren''t stupid enough to contact someone in town?" "No, ma''am. I . . . I only used leftovers, nothing that would limit the research . . . and in my spare time . . . to clear my head." "Oh, that''s something I could help you with. Just say the word, and I will wipe it clean like it never was." The woman''s chuckle was so unnerving that my resistance slipped and I took another step. A mistake, a colossal mistake. While my eyes were still fixed on their footwear, hidden as it was behind the haze of a crippling headache, theirs turned back to me. "You''re out of the cell, huh? Finally, follow me!" Much to the asshole''s infuriation, I didn''t move one bit, hunkering down in my refusal to follow his orders. A painful effort that the World Rune Lattice, or World Lattice for short, but basically some sort of magical System, saw fit to reward. The tingling in my skull, on the brain side, was unmistakable. The Lattice notification, the way the runes binding every creature on this planet communicated. Whatever it had on its calculating runic mind, it engraved directly into your grey matter. Of course. The [Indomitable Will] was the skill solely responsible for my ability to stand up to the asshole''s orders - also, for not going nuts in all that time. For over a year and a half, trapped in this nightmare, cut off from my family, my world - yeah, our so-called master knew very well why he let his slaves have this skill, for all the trouble it brought to his deranged life. "I said, FOLLOW ME!" ''And I - said NO!'' "All right, as pathetically funny as this is, I don''t have all day. Need some help? An array-less Slave is a cinch for me." My ears twitched at the gnashing of the asshole''s teeth. "If you would be so . . . kind . . . please, ma''am." Before I knew it, without so much as a warning, along with the mechanical grip of the slave collar and the calculating embrace of the Lattice, something new touched my mind, something organic, something . . . living. If I didn''t know better, I''d swear the shoelace bitch had her hand inside my skull, her fingers probing my brain, looking for a crack in my defenses. ''GET OUT OF MY HEAD!'' I screamed at the unnerving fingers, which paid less regard to my brain than the runes of a slave collar. "That - won''t - do." Huh? What was that? Did some goddess finally take pity on me and decide to hear me out? If so, why did her voice sound so unnervingly familiar? "Impressive defenses - I might say. Ah, there . . . " Before I could shake off the shock of having another voice in my head, the shoelace bitch''s fingers brute forced their way through my defenses and dug into my mind. What followed was something I knew all too well. The horror of being forced to watch your body do things out of my control. "Shall we?" the shoelace bitch asked casually while I struggled with the consequences of losing the biggest battle of my life. Shivers racked my body, my ears rang, and warm blood trickled down my nose. Quite a lot of it, actually. Chapter 3: The Table "I may have overdone it. Looks like she won''t last much longer," the shoelace bitch remarked as we reached the ground floor and I was still leaving a trail of blood behind me. Unfortunately, while the headache was killing me, the bleeding wasn''t enough to do the job - speaking from experience, I''d rather not have. "Don''t let her trouble you, ma''am. This one won''t go down so easily. Her regeneration is . . . let¡¯s say exceptional," the deranged asshole explained as he scurried around his messy lab in search of his nightmarish tools and who knows what else. "The combined result of the side effects . . . at least that''s my conclusion." "Truly? I don''t recall it being in any of your reports." "No, it was not. I report what I''m sure of, not baseless assumptions." Baseless assumption my ass. He was so impressed with my regeneration so much that I didn''t get a few nights sleep without him coming up with some new way to put it to the test. Once he even brought me to the brink of death to see if I would come through. Regrettably, I did. "Yet, you tend to spout nonsense a lot." Yeah, he did. He especially enjoyed talking about what he was going to do to us - and in great detail. Annoyingly, the asshole gritted his teeth but wisely stayed silent. "Nothing, not a word? Shame. Oh well . . . whatever. Now what?" "Tell her to lie down on the table . . . ma''am." ¡®No! Not the table!¡¯ ¡®RUN!¡¯ ¡®FUCKING MOVE! ¡® ¡®Please . . . ¡¯ I screamed and begged, but no matter how hard I tried to get away from this place before it was too late, my body remained indifferent to my commands. Unlike me, and in fact unlike both my Slave array and the iron collar, the shoelace bitch had a firm hold over it. "Lovely. Now do as the moron says." Once again, her unnerving voice licked at my mind, sending a shiver down my spine and twisting my guts. But instead of throwing up, I did as she asked. Or rather, I watched, horrified, as my body lay on the bloodstained table, the place where the deranged asshole loved to study the side effects of his concoctions. "Seriously, that¡¯s the core? You couldn''t find a bigger one? "I am not doing this for¡­for entertainment.¡± "Sure, delude yourself. But I don''t have to look inside your mind to see your excitement." ¡°Purely a research interest.¡± The lace bitch sneered: ¡°Research interest, my mind! I bet you''re dreaming about these little freaks writhing in pain. What do you think, pet girl? Should I take a peek at his dreams?¡± ¡®SCREW YOU, YOU . . . YOU BITCH!¡¯ If I could, I would have beaten her with my fists until she was all black and blue, but despite how scared shitless I was, desperate even more, all I could do was lie still and keep my eyes on my chest while listening to her pleased sneer from somewhere behind my head. She really did enjoy this. "How much longer?" "I''d rather not rush this..." "How - much - longer, Dungreen?" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "J-just a moment, Cognizant Mir . . . " "NOT a word more!" The fingers of my left hand twitched at the shoelace bitch''s outburst. Sure, nothing to get excited about on a normal day down in the cells; if anything, it was usually a sign of wearing off or developing side effects after taking the asshole''s concoction. But now, that slight movement made my heart pound with joy. It was my doing - of my own free will, not something forced upon me by the shackles placed upon my mind. Mustering all my will, I took my chance and . . . "Just lie still, will you?" Against all orders to keep my mouth shut in the presence of our deranged master, a scream ripped from my throat as the shoelace bitch''s grip on my mind tightened and she shattered all my resistance without even breaking a sweat. I, on the other hand, broke down in that cold, sickly sweat . . . reeking of . . . darkness . . . "Ah, back at last." If the sharp burning in my nose working its claws all the way into my skull was the reason I opened my eyes to the nightmare again, that unnerving voice cleared my mind of whatever dark fog clouded it and sent a cold shiver down my spine, any thought of defying the shoelace bitch gone. "Sniffing salt? You lunatic! Are you . . . ?" "WATCH your fucking tongue, Dungreen! I''ve been more than patient with you. But that patience runs thin. You''d better make good on your promise to entertain me." "I didn''t mean . . . I will . . . but stuff like that could impact the results." "You said the same nonsense about her being out cold. Now, she''s not, so get to work." "And you!" the shoelace bitch spoke, her gaze undoubtedly fixed on me. ¡®Don''t try that again, you understand?¡¯ ¡®I-I won''t.¡¯ Merely a trembling whisper in my mind, given the orders that bound my freedom. But just as I thought, she heard it. "Good girl." Bitch! I was no pet. I was human. I had a name! Korra, Korra Grey . . . I was NOT a pet! Yet all I braved was a fleeting notion of what I really thought of her before swallowing the rest of the insults roaring in my mind, while hot tears welled up in my eyes. The shoelace bitch took away from me the last bit of freedom I had in this damn world. "Don''t move." The sickening joy in our master''s command drove my tear-blurred eyes to his hands and the tool in them. The first time I''d seen it. A nightmarish cross between a dagger, pliers and a bloody big syringe with a tiny white crystal set in the tip. But the absolute horror struck me when his cold fingers began to trace the skin somewhere below my navel. ''G-get your d-damn hands off me!'' "Not that I want to doubt your abilities, Dungreen," the shoelace bitch said with undisguised sarcasm, ignoring my inner voice, "but the beasts have cores in their chests - opposite their hearts." "I am well aware . . . ma¡¯am. But while this one is largely a beast, she''s still human. Her heart would rot within moments. So, no. The next best option is her bowels . . . her womb, to be exact." What? Was he joking? He was just messing with me, wasn''t he? "Here," the bastard said, ignoring my inner panic. His fingers found the spot he was looking for. ''No! No, no, no . . . NO! MOVE! PLEASE FUCKING MOVE!'' But to my horror, regardless of how strongly I pleaded with my body, I remained lying motionless on the table, unable to do anything but watch the asshole shove the nightmarish tool into my gut. Admittedly, not the worst pain I had ever experienced. It hurt like hell, nonetheless. So much, in fact, that the pain pushed me against the commands and I finally moved, arching my back on the table. "Stay still!" the bastard sputtered, his order pushing me to lie back down. Then there was a mechanical click and he yanked the tool out, covered in my blood, but missing the little white crystal. "And . . . that''s it." The sickening edge of excitement in his voice couldn''t have possibly been more at odds with the terror twisting my guts and gripping my heart. Whatever the Beast Core was, it now lay in my body, worse, in my bloody womb, doing who knows what. ¡°Ha, speak of not rushing things, huh?¡± "You were the one . . . ¡° ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . I have to give it to you, though, that was not what I expected. Less bloody, enjoyable nonetheless." ¡®Bitch!¡¯ If it was so much fun, why didn''t she lie down here instead of me? The answer, unfortunately, I already knew, and it terrified me. She didn''t intend to end up with a twisted body like mine. "W-well, I took it that you didn''t want me to squander resources. Besides . . . it would take a long time to prepare a spell to dull the pain and rune enchantment to sterilize the wound?" "Color me impressed. The first time, you don''t talk nonsense. Now, let''s see if this one will impress me, too." Then as if to add salt to my wound the shoelace bitch¡¯s sickening touch brushed against my mind. "Be a good girl, entertain me, and I might consider dulling your pain.¡± Chapter 4: Disappointment ¡®SCREW YOU, BITCH!¡¯ ¡®. . . and the damn core¡¯ If she thought I was going to suffer for her entertainment in exchange for less pain, she was sorely mistaken. ¡®Dulling my pain, my ass!¡¯ The pain was the least of the suffering. It came and went. What remained, however, was a twisted body. So . . . ¡®. . . screw you!¡¯ Yet, regardless of how loud I screamed my mind out, no matter how hard I tried to get off the table and out of this messed-up archaic butchery the deranged asshole called his precious lab; I remained to lie still as a lifeless husk, my lips eerily tight. The hold of the shoelace bitch over my mind was firmer than that of my fucked-up Slave Array or the accursed collar, leaving me with no choice but to beg. And so I did. ¡®Please!¡¯ ¡®Let me go!¡¯ ¡®PLEEEASEEE!¡¯ Hot tears burned my eyes, and snot mixed with the not-yet-dried blood under my nose. But was I ashamed? Not even a little bit. This place taught me the hard way that things like compassion, pride, and dignity were luxuries I better left at home, the place stolen from me. ¡®Please!¡® ¡®I¡¯ll do anything but . . . really, anything but this.¡® ¡®Just . . . just get that thing out of me. Please . . . ¡¯ Much to my despair, my screamed, silent pleas fell on deaf ears, like so many times before. No voice of a god graced my mind with his attention; not even the shoelace bitch bothered to berate me to shut up. ¡°How long is this supposed to take, you know, before . . . ?¡± ¡°If the core was full of mana, beast mana to be precise, the reaction would be practically instant. But to increase the chances . . . ¡± ¡°Spare me the nonsense, Dungreen. How long?¡± The bastard¡¯s irritated grinding of teeth cut into my ears like the excruciating scratching of my fellow freaks¡¯ fingernails on the stone walls down in the cells. ¡°Between now and a few minutes is my best guess.¡± ¡°Tsk, guess? Just say you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t spell weaving. Each Beast Core is unique; every subject is different.¡± ¡°Are you plagued with brain rot? I said I don¡¯t care about the nonsense; I care about the results. Tell me, would it help if I gave the core a little poke?¡± With a sharp jab, she dug her finger into my shoulder, twisting it for emphasis. ¡°Nah. Odds are, I¡¯m afraid, that you would delay rather than speed up the response to the core.¡± ¡°Tss. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have come to this disgusting pigpen. Watching swine rutting back home would be a damn sight more entertaining than this.¡± Bitch. Bitch indeed. Forget being a freak, to her, I was less than an animal; much like the deranged asshole scribbling furiously, lost in his own twisted musings. Was that how this whole damn world looked upon the slaves? If so . . . ¡®Please! Just . . . kill me.¡¯ ¡°That ain¡¯t happening,¡± the damn shoelace bitch, piped up in my mind. ¡°You know, seeing someone scream after taking a Beast Core is - quite something. So . . . would you hurry up? Suffering that moron is such a chore.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡®Screw you!¡¯ ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not the one screwed.¡± Her shrill, grating cackle cut at my mind like the sharpest daggers. However, before I could come up with a retort sharp enough to prick her swollen ego and provoke her to end me, I froze. The damn little crystal in my gut stirred, then again and again. And just when I dared to hope it wouldn¡¯t get worse, it shifted slightly lower, flipped, and started to burn like hot iron. A scream pierced my ears, my scream choked by the grip of my Slave Array and iron collar. I went against orders, the asshole¡¯s orders. The shoelace bitch, on the other hand, eased her hold on my mind. ¡°Oh, at last, some fun.¡± ¡®Fun, my ass!¡¯ I screamed my mind out. The burning intensified, spreading from my guts further into my body like the tentacles of some beast trying to tear itself out. ¡°See those black veins? Rot and decay. The core is rejecting the body. But it is too soon to . . . ¡± His words drowned beneath the swell of my screams, each one scraping against my throat like sandpaper, making every other one rougher and rougher. And then, as those searing tentacles working their way through my bowels touched my heart, a feral roar tore from my lips, primal and savage, as if unleashed by a beast. ¡°Fascinating. None of the subjects have shown this reaction before. The beast part of her must be reacting to the core.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then be a good girl and show me more,¡± the shoelace bitch purred in a whisper after leaning in close to my ear, the joy over my suffering oozing off her tongue. ¡°Then release me!¡± I spat through the pain, startling myself not just by being able to talk but mainly with the sudden craving to rip that foul tongue out of her mouth. If only she would draw nearer, I would gladly show her the consequences of crossing me. Of course, the cowardly bitch didn¡¯t. Instead, she opened her hole again, spewing some bullshit, just like that deranged asshole, both of their voices drowned out by my screams. The searing hot tentacles of that damn core wrapped around my heart, squeezing it. ¡°Oh, what a wonderful roar - be a good girl and sing to me again.¡± ¡°I . . . am not . . . your pet,¡± I snarled, feeling the sting as my tongue grazed against my teeth. Where I had normal canines a moment ago, razor-sharp little fangs stick out. Yet another change forced on me. ¡®Just let me die, you f . . . fuckers!¡¯ ¡°Has the rot reached your brain already? That ain¡¯t happening. No fun in that,¡± the bitch uttered in my mind, just to whisper in my ear: ¡°Nice fangs, by the way.¡± ¡°Fascinating; the core has undoubtedly stirred up the beast part of her. As if . . . ¡± ¡°Are you trying to tell me that she¡¯s actually taking the core?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know . . . most of her mutations show no visible reaction, but beast parts of her seem to . . .¡± ¡°I told you not to spout nonsense. That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Not impossible - just not proven possible yet. Sure, the way the decay spreads from the injection point indicates that her human part rejects it. But . . . maybe if . . . ¡± ¡°If what?¡± ¡°If she were to become more of a beast . . . then maybe . . . ¡± ¡°Oh, you heard that,¡± the shoelace bitch whispered in my ear. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound tempting - you a full beast? A pet.¡± Laughing at my bestial roar, as the words seemed stuck in my throat, the bitch stroked my ear playfully. ¡°What would it take, Dungreen?¡± ¡°P-pardon me, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Oh, for the mind¡¯s sake, didn¡¯t you say it would help turn her into a full beast? That girl is fucked anyway.¡± ¡°Full beast? No, that¡¯s pretty much impossible. There is always going to be the human part . . . ¡± ¡°Tsk, the nonsense again. Would it help or not?¡± ¡°It would, but . . . ¡± ¡°What now? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve grown a conscience? Should I give your mind a little push? What do you think?¡± My pained roar drowned out the asshole¡¯s retort. That damn core¡¯s scorching tentacles, spreading to every nook and cranny of my body, squeezed my heart tighter. ¡° . . . I said there¡¯s nothing left for me to give her.¡± ¡°What are you yapping about? What¡¯s with all the bottles and vials lying around. Just for show? Like all your fucking research?¡± ¡°I beg to differ . . . ma¡¯am! The problem is, she had a taste of all of them. Why do you think I was planning on implanting a core into her? Giving her more of the same won¡¯t have any effect. Just a waste of resources.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I wonder who¡¯s a waste of resources. But speaking of you - then give her some of your botched work. And don¡¯t dare to give me some nonsense like you don¡¯t have any lying around.¡± ¡°The same issue. Her body has already gone through the side effects. It would be pointless.¡± What? That deranged asshole didn¡¯t feel like pouring a concoction down my throat? Was I raving? Was this the end of my suffering? If only. My best guess? He saw more value in using the botched concoctions on new slaves. ¡°Tsk, not the Alchemist I thought you were, huh?¡± the shoelace bitch scowled, and leaned over to whisper in my ear: ¡°Oh, well, looks like I got excited for nothing. Disappointing, really disappointing. Don¡¯t you agree, girl?¡± ¡®No . . . not really.¡¯ As the accursed core took all the fight out of me, I only mustered a faint smile. It felt damn good, though. Actually, thinking about it, I smiled for the first time in months. Chapter 5: Opportunity ¡°There is the Stud Potion...pointless, though¡­it has little effect on women. Some of my old stuff? The Dairy Potion, maybe? No, I ironed out the side effects of it a long time ago,¡± the deranged master of ours muttered to himself in a frantic effort to find a way to deliberately strike me with another mutation, with as many mutations as he could actually, to turn me into a beast before the crystal that he shoved into my guts burned away the last vestiges of my humanity. ¡°There¡¯s only the...no ...no, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡®Yeah, take your time, asshole...,¡¯ and let me finally die. Seeing the disgusting black vein spreading across my chest, it seemed that even my remarkable regeneration wasn¡¯t enough to save me this time around. ¡°Oh, come on, spit it out. What is it? Or do you want me to pull it out of your mind?¡± No doubt the shoelace bitch¡¯s favorite threat. And it was no wonder. Her grip over my mind could get tighter than that of my array or the iron collar. Worse, according to her threats, she seemed to be able to make a mess of one¡¯s mind and pry whatever she wanted out of it. The thought of all the things she could pull out of mine sent a shiver down my spine, a painful one, wrenching a whimper out of me. ¡°I¡¯d rather keep my mind intact...ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± ¡°Sure, you will. I¡¯ve seen the drooling idiots your...kind turns people into when they¡¯re done with them.¡± ¡°They outlived their usefulness,¡± the shoelace bitch replied nonplussed. ¡°Did you?¡± Before the asshole got around to spouting the answer, another whimper escaped my lips as the tendrils bit into my lungs, squeezing my heart even tighter. My breaths grew short and heavy, accompanied by a shitload of pain. ¡°B-but... what you¡¯re asking me to do is use... ¡®that¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡®that¡¯. Fuck... I see. Why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡± ¡°I was told not to mention it to anyone, let alone use it like that without permission from...¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± ¡°Y-you know what could happen, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the shoelace bitch barked back, a hint of concern in her voice for the first time. ¡®That¡¯? What the bloody heck could the ¡®that¡¯ be that made them both reluctant to use it? Not that I minded. Them not using it meant less pain for me and, hopefully, the end of this nightmare. ¡°Actually, this might be an opportunity.¡± ¡®What? No. No, no, no, no. Please, no...¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re moving this - shithole anyway, so...¡± ¡°What about the city? What if...?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°And your... elders? I was told...¡± ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ll explain it to them. You have my permission to use ¡®that¡¯. Good enough?¡± ¡°More than enough,¡± said the asshole, his voice quivered with eagerness that made all my instincts scream at me to run away. He couldn¡¯t help using that high-pitched little boy voice whenever he made us slaves drink his vile concoctions. And this time, both his voice and the concoction screamed especially bad news. But knowing what was to come was one thing, and being able to do something about it was another. Right now, I didn¡¯t even have the strength to scream in my mind, let alone defy my master¡¯s orders, which, to my satisfaction - one had to find joy in the little things - he didn¡¯t realize. ¡°All right, tell her to drink this.¡± ¡°Did you hear that moron? Bottoms up.¡± As soon as her words rang out in my mind, they took hold of my body. Then, when the deranged asshole put the bottle to my lips and poured its surprisingly richly sweet contents into my mouth, I swallowed it without so much as a whiff of struggle. Well done, me. The concoction didn¡¯t even give me a chance to lament over my weakness or hurl a few more curses at this world before it began its vile work. While the pea-sized core burned its way through my body, the liquid ran cold like icy glacier water, freezing my throat. No exaggeration. With the last whimper escaping my lips, I could actually see my breath as if we were in the midst of the winter months. Fascinating as it was, the moment the cold reached my lungs, and with that, the burning hot tentacles, pain unlike anything I¡¯d ever known - and that was saying something - shot through my body. With the life almost drained out of me, all I did was arch up on the table, my mouth wide open in a silent scream. The worst part of it? I didn¡¯t lose consciousness, let alone die - but I guess that would have been too much to ask for and require not having the bitch in my head. I could feel her sickening touch preventing me from drifting off into the nightmares of my dreams. And frankly, those right now sounded like a lovely place to be. Instead, I got to fully taste the fallout of the war between heat and ice, carving its way across my body. In fact, the fight seemed to cluster mostly around my heart, as if the forces saw it as the most crucial stronghold to occupy. The contest raged on and on, for what seemed like an eternity, before the sheet of ice covered my vital organ, claiming its victory. ¡®Finally, some mercy!¡¯ The sharp pain turned into a nice, dull pressure, giving me a chance to take a few breaths, heavy and labored as they were. ¡°Talk! Keeping her awake is a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°It ¡­ it s-seems ...¡± ¡°Tsk, it seems? To me, it seems that the fabled Alchemist of Potions is all talk.¡± ¡°The...the decay has stopped spreading.¡± ¡°For mind¡¯s sake! I can see that myself. Does that mean it worked - or not? Talk!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­the potion took effect, of some kind. But I never used ¡®that¡¯. For all I know, it could be her regeneration getting stronger, some other side effect, or a ton of other things¡­ I won¡¯t be able to tell until I open her up and...¡± Whatever those two argued about next died away in a rumble that echoed in my ears as my heart took its first beat under the ice sheet. Then another, and one more. Beat after beat rang in my ears, each one pounding harder than the last. Once again, my body¡¯s tenacious clinging to life denied me the mercy of death. ¡®Seriously, WHY?! Why couldn¡¯t I just die?¡¯ As usual, no answer came. Instead, another heartbeat rang in my ears, followed by more. Before I knew it, my whole head resonated with the deafening pounding of my heart as if I were standing in a bell tower at high noon. The whole world has shrunk down to my heartbeat. In a steady rhythm, it pounded my sanity away. And just when I thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, my whole skull tingled. Ah, the Lattice and my hateful Slave Array, the cursed runes binding not only my fate. They always seemed to revel in my misery, chiming in at my worst times. Sometimes - well, often actually, I wondered if it simply worked that way or if this whole world just hated me for what I was - an outsider, a foreigner ripped from her own world and brought here to this nightmare. Chapter 6: The First And as it happened with nightmares, they tended to get only worse. CRACK ¡®What the actual f . . . ?!¡¯ That sounded terrible. Even worse, the cracking noise came from my body and was loud enough to cut through the pounding in my skull. No pain came, though. Weird. It sounded damn close to bone-cracking. Not a pleasant thing to experience, not the worst, either. Still, it was impossible to get used to. Even after going through it four times, it still made me shudder. First, there were the wings settling on my lower back. Then there was my tail, an extension of my spine - admittedly, much worse than when I grew antlers. But by far, the worst was when my ears moved higher on my skull. CRACK Ah, that was no bone-cracking. The ice sheet covering my heart was breaking. As if on cue, with the next pulse, my heart broke free and drowned my world in its mighty beats, making me feel like I stuck my head in a ringing bell. ¡®Argg . . . stop! ¡®Stop it.¡¯ ¡®Please.¡¯ ¡°I said STOP!¡± The roar surprised not only me but also the shoelace bitch, and especially the asshole. Along with the roar coming from my throat, the air around me shuddered as if we were on a hot street in the summer months and the two of them staggered. ¡°The fuck . . . !¡± the bitch cursed, breathless. ¡°It . . . it worked. It damn right worked. Her body accepted the potion,¡± our deranged master rejoiced in contrast despite being pale as a sheet, sweat covering his brow. ¡°Who¡¯s the genius here, huh?¡± ¡°Well, genius, then tell me how it is possible that array¡¯less Slave just hit me with the might of a double array beast?¡± ¡®What the heck was she yapping about? A double array beast? A might?¡¯ First time I''ve ever heard those terms. On the other hand, that I was array''less was something I had heard several times. It just meant that I hadn''t completed my array, basically a degrading address from those who did. ¡°Fascinating isn¡¯t it? Anyway . . . I¡¯d say . . . it was the initial outburst.¡± ¡°Cut the nonsense and speak Standard.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Standard, or rather Eleaden Standard, was something I for one, found fascinating. It was apparently a universal language spoken across this world, but it was unlike any I knew or heard. If it weren''t for the skill - well, the weave Eleaden Standard Language the asshole made me take to better understand his commands I was sure I would still struggle to understand a word they were spouting. ¡°How do I put this so that someone like you will understand my genius . . . ¡± the asshole muttered to himself, drunk once more on his own hubris. ¡°It¡¯s the energy in my potions, the kick which starts the whole process, getting out. Of course, it¡¯s more complicated than that. That energy is what¡¯s causing the mutations, but without it it¡¯s not possible to insert the required weave in the subject. Finding the right balance has proven to be a real challenge . . . ¡± ¡°Well, I find it rather challenging not to silence you. Permanently,¡± the shoelace bitch barked back. ¡°Seriously, your nonsense gives me a worse headache than that might pressure from the mutt.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a really fascinating predicament, ma¡¯am. If you would only . . . ¡± ¡°Say one more word, you brainless moron, and I swear . . . ¡± What she threatened him with, I didn¡¯t get to listen. Not that it would be hard to guess. My attention, though, was snatched away once again by my racing heart. Amidst its thundering beats, it began to suffuse my frame with a curious warmth, a sensation so foreign in this wretched hole that it scared the shit out of me. Good things rarely came at no cost, like food. Our deranged master fed us well - if you disregard the lack of variation. He did so, however, only for us to endure his evil concoctions. So, as pleasant as this warmth was, chasing away both the cold and the heat, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it wasn¡¯t right. Seriously, the warmth spreading from my heart? Was there a hole in it leaking blood? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. Knowing better than to think I would finally see death, I pushed my brain to work through the thunderous pounding. There was something strangely foreign, yet familiar about the warmth. Mana! It was freaking mana, the magical substance I had grown up reading about and found sparsely scattered throughout my body after coming into this world. Honestly, if I were at home lying in bed with a book in my hand, I would be beside myself with joy. But being stuck on the butcher¡¯s table, knowing that my heart had never done this before, that it never leaked mana, a shit ton of it at that, I couldn¡¯t help but freak out. This wasn¡¯t normal - even by the bizarre standards of this world. ¡°See that?¡± the deranged asshole asked, ecstatic. ¡°Sure, her tits are back to normal.¡± ¡°What? No, don¡¯t you get what the receding decay means?¡± ¡°Who do you take me for? Of course, I do,¡± the bitch said with such twisted glee that it sent shivers down my spine. ¡°She is the first to accept a Beast Core. I must say, well done, Dungreen, she¡¯s going to make an excellent pet.¡± ¡®Wait, first? I didn¡¯t ask to be first, you assholes!¡¯ Worse, being her pet? ¡®Never!¡¯ ¡°No. No, no, no, she can¡¯t be your pet. T-this needs further research . . . this could change everything, my name could be known across the world as . . . .¡± ¡° . . . the master of freaks.¡± The asshole gritted his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s why I am saying this requires further research. I need her to . . . ¡± ¡°Then make another one. You already know how. This one¡¯s coming with me.¡± ¡°No, why don¡¯t you just get it . . . it¡¯s not even certain she¡¯s accepted the core. All we can say for sure is that her body is not rejecting it.¡± The core. The rotten Beast Core lodged in my belly! If I could, I¡¯d rip it out. The same with the tongue of the shoelace bitch, excited to make a pet for her kid. Seriously, a pet? What did that even mean? Although it might be better than ending up under the knife of that deranged butcher - again. Either way, death would be more merciful. Chapter 7: Awakened from Slumber Unfortunately, that option of merciful death seemed to be out the window. Not that there were any windows in this nightmare that I knew of. A figure of speech, so to speak. A pathetic attempt to distract myself in a brief moment of rare respite from the plight I was in, to put it mildly. I was screwed, so screwed. Instead of getting rid of me like the other slaves downstairs during the relocation of this shithole, they argued over whose clutches I would fall into, each of them seeking their own merits in me. Not even the warmth of the mana rolling slowly through my body was able to chase away the shivers the notion gave me. Or so I thought. The moment the mana touched the core in my guts, a sharp pain tore through my body, ripping a bestial scream from my throat along with the outburst of that might, shaking the room slightly. As swiftly as it came, it went, and with it all the pain. Even the unbearable thunder of my own heartbeat pounding inside my skull had died down to the point where I was able to hear my own thoughts, albeit shrouded by a strange fog wrapped around my mind. It was nothing like the mechanical grip of the iron collar or the calculated urging of my Slave Array. Not even the disgusting touch of that shoelace bitch came anywhere near that. This touch was even more alive, more raw - more primal. ¡°S-she. . . she accepted it. . . impos. . . no, incredible. . . she really accepted the core,¡± stuttered the asshole, his voice noticeably strained but brimming with zeal. ¡°This, this is simply amazing, a breakthrough.¡± ¡°Tsk, breakthrough my ass!¡± the bitch hissed through the pain, the smell of her blood reaching my nose. She was hurt. Why? I didn¡¯t know - didn¡¯t care. ¡°Where do you have the suppressing chains?¡± ¡°Huh. . . what? Chains? No, I need vials to collect samples.¡± ¡°You fucking moron, WHERE?!¡± ¡°Th-there. . . o-on the shelf. What happened? Why do you look so pale? Is it the might? Terrifying, certainly, but I assure you it''s just a result of. . . ¡± ¡°. . . That was no initial outburst. What I saw waking up in there. . . " "Where?" "In her bloody mind, imbecile,¡± the shoelace shrew snapped, to hide her fright, but the quiver in her voice didn''t escape my ears. However, instead of the joy over her pissing her pants, dread gripped my guts. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ''Wh-what did you see? What was s-slumbering inside me?'' Dreadful questions. But I got no answers. Either the bitch deliberately ignored me, or didn''t hear me, downright afraid to peer into my mind. The notion of that clenched my guts even tighter. What the bloody heck could she possibly see? ¡°Oh, her mind, and what did you. . . ?¡± ¡°Tsk, just shut up and tie her down!¡± the shoelace shrew snapped at the asshole, irritatingly depriving me of the answers I so desperately needed, instead tossing him the chains. The metallic clatter jolted me awake and to my horror not just me. ?ME shackled?!? ¡®Shit! Shit, shit, shit!¡¯ That was a growl. A feral growl came out of my throat instead of my voice. No words, just a growl of the same meaning, full of primal rage coming from somewhere deep inside me, uttering things through my lips that I didn''t even want to say. ¡®Like, really, what the bloody heck was that?¡¯ ¡°See! She¡¯s a fucking beast, a beast that needs to be shackled. Now move your ass,¡± the bitch hissed, attaching one end of the chain to the ring embedded in the floor at the base of the table. ?Don¡¯t you dare, humans!? ¡®Humans?¡¯ Why the bloody hell would I say that? Not that what I barked mattered. Neither of them understood my growls, and even if they did, they still wouldn¡¯t listen. ?Get it off me!? I yelped full of anger when my attempt to break free from the bitch¡¯s grasp only ended with my hand in shackles. Pathetic. I was simply too weak, an ordinary girl, a young woman for quite a few years now, schooled in how to take care of flowers, not bitches with a weird mind touch. Weak. I was too weak. The notion just rubbed me the wrong way, more than it normally should. So were the shackles on my wrist. I was not one to be chained down. ?Release me!? The primal rage at these humans, coming from deep within me, took my breath away. This just wasn¡¯t me. Sure, I could be pissed, and I was, but this was something else entirely. But what? Was it the beast they wanted to turn me into? Was I losing the last shreds of my human self? ?Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone. . . ?? Oh, well, that kicked puppy whine sounded more like the city girl I grew up to be. It seemed there were still vestiges of the old me left. Was that all I was, though? Just a wretched freak doomed to be a slave for life, a pet even. ¡®A pet?¡¯ ?You DARE to think of me as a pet?!? I snapped as a sudden rage surged through me, intensified by the following rattling of the chains. This time, it came from my right, the side where that deranged human stood. Once already, he had shackled me to a life behind iron bars. Once before, I let him take my freedom. Now, it was time to take it back. Chapter 8: Stay Put The chains rattled again as the deranged human struggled with their weight. A roar in his face, a little bit of my might, or whatever the thing causing the air to tremble was, and he dropped to the ground, eyes wide, trembling with fear, as he should. The female was next. ?GROWL? ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± the shoelace bitch spat back, annoyingly unfazed by my growl or my might. If anything, the female hastened her work, attaching another chain to the ring on the floor and spewing one curse after another. ¡°You, brain rotten imbecile, when I¡¯m done with the mutt - I¡¯m gonna carve some basic sense into your head. Only a half-wit would have suppressing chains lying on the shelf when dealing with beasts.¡± ¡°B-but I have never . . . they never . . . ¡± ¡°Never what? Ah, whatever. Just - get your shit together and help me chain this beast down.¡± Me, a beast? Well, as much as it pained me to admit it, I guess I was indeed closer to being one than before drinking that icy concoction. It robbed me of my voice and brought out this . . . this primal ferocity in me. It awakened the beast slumbering within me. But was I a beast? No, I was not! ?I am still human!? A rather pathetic roar - a fairly apt reflection of my stubbornness to give up who I was. ¡°Good. Then be a good girl and lie still, will you?¡± ¡®What the heck . . . ?¡¯ After experiencing it a few times, the voice of the hateful female in my head didn¡¯t throw me off as much as the fact that she understood my growl. How? Since when? The answer, however, was always there. Just like her, I guess. She never left my mind, rummaging inside, listening not to my growls, but to my thoughts. And I didn¡¯t even notice. Unlike the pull of both my Slave Array and the collar, weakened as they were by the weird haze of bestiality coming from somewhere deep within me, her touch seemed utterly absent from my mind. Whatever she was doing was away from the sight of the beast she saw. Terrifying. Sly and twisted, but truly terrifying. What else had I missed? Had she searched my mind for my greatest secrets, erasing my most precious memories without my knowledge? Had she left any seeds of thought there that would guarantee my obedience to her once sprouted? Well, judging by her fright, I didn''t think so. Something told me that to do so she would have to go deeper, where the beast lurked. And she feared it, trying to chain the beast before it was too late, before it came out. To be honest, I shared her fear, afraid that once the beast bares its fangs I will lose it all. But the chains terrified me more. Why? Why the utter loathing of a piece of metal? The answer was engraved right there in them in the form of runes. They were not too dissimilar to those on the collar gripping my neck. So no, it was no ordinary iron. Once on, I might never take the shackles off again. Hence, when my ears twitched at the sound of iron scraping against iron I lunged at the female with a roar. ?Don¡¯t touch me!? ¡°You should learn to obey,¡± the twisted female replied with a smug sneer as, instead of hitting her, I merely rolled onto my side, held back, not by orders, but by my own weakness. ¡° . . . But don¡¯t worry. My young one will teach you. She¡¯s good with beasts.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Weak . . . I was weak, a weak beast . . . Those two words echoed in my mind with the force of the brewing thunderstorm, rattling me to the very marrow of my bones, hurting the pride I didn¡¯t know I still had. Was it even mine? I didn''t know anymore, engulfed in rage. Was I some feeble beast cowering in a corner with her tail tucked between her legs? No! These two little humans ought to fear me. ?ROAR? With a bestial outcry devoid of any meaning, a ripple tore through my body and then through the air. The cabinets, their vile contents, and the two people in the room shook under the weight of my might. The slumbering beast deep inside me had awakened fully. ¡°Fuck! You brain-dead half-wit, get off your ass and chain her down before she completely turns.¡± Turn? What was the bitch yapping about . . . ? With my eyes inevitably drawn to my left leg, grabbed by her, and deftly shackled, a horror struck me. My nightmares came true. Eyes wide open, I watched my leg get covered in fur and take on bestial shapes. Worse, it wasn¡¯t just that one leg. The other was changing, too. Another success, as the deranged human would say. After all, it was a symmetrical mutation, which I should be grateful for, considering how some of the others ended up looking. But the thing sowing terror in my heart was, the changes didn¡¯t stop at my legs. My whole body was being covered in a mess of fur and feathers, my hands reshaped into front beast legs. As if I had lost the last shred of humanity, I was turning into a full beast - just like the human bitch said. The realization tore a whimper from my throat and twisted my insides in dreadful despair, more so than the beastly side effects of the vile concoction ravaging my body. ¡®No. Please, No. Stop . . . go back to sleep.¡¯ That desperate plea in an attempt to cling to the remnants of my humanity had only hurt my newfound pride and made me pissed with myself. Sure, I didn¡¯t used to be a badass chick with a black belt in tai chi or whatever, frequenting bars in a rush for brawls. But I never used to be this whiny puppy, unable to wipe her own ass without her master¡¯s approval, either. It was this place. This world. That deranged human and that mind-twisted female who beat the last of the fight out of me and turned me into this. So when it came to resisting that feral urge coming from somewhere deep inside of me, I couldn¡¯t do much but watch myself turn into a beast. Before I knew it, I had paws for hands, a snout full of sharp teeth for a nose, and a flat chest covered with thick fur. The only solace I found in this change was that, unlike previous mutations, it came without pain. Not much of it, at least. There was this little dull strain in my muscles and bones, but more or less, the whole transformation of me into a beast passed as though something natural. Almost as if the beast . . . had been inside me all along, waiting to bare its fangs one day. And I did bare them. The moment the deranged male got his shit together and stood up to put the shackles on me, I growled a warning at him. ?Dare, human!? The smell of his piss hit my nose, and he slumped back to the ground with terror in his eyes. If only the other freaks could see him like that. It was a sight to behold, sending a shudder of satisfaction through my body, stroking my pride. Annoyingly, the moment didn¡¯t last long, broken by a rattle of chains. The female. She was strong willed - of a twisted mind. Foul-smelling, cruel, dangerous. Not as strong as me, though. ?GROWL? Not just a warning, an attempt to rip her throat out. However, much to my irritation, the female swerved away from my fangs in time. Her teeth bared back in a sneer. ¡°If you think I don¡¯t know how to handle a beast, if you think I''m afraid of that thing inside of you, girl, think twice. I¡¯ve trained hundreds of beasts like those. Just wait till I muzzle you, you mutt.¡± ?Why muzzle if not afraid?? Growling back over her blatant lie - the fear was all over her, I could smell it - I prowled for an opportunity to bite off that tongue of hers squirming in her maw. Annoyingly, the female decided to bite first, trying to prove she wasn''t prey. ¡°Fine, have it your way, mutt. Time you learn to behave. STAY PUT!¡± With her words thundering inside my skull, a giant hammer struck my mind. Chapter 9: Nauseating Sight A giant hammer struck my mind. At least, that¡¯s just how it felt to me. One moment, I was baring my teeth at the mind-twisted female; the next, my mind exploded in pain, unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt, ripping a terrifying howl from my lungs. Darkness clouded my eyes; a ringing filled my ears. The whole world turned upside down. Then, the sickening smell of my own vomit mixed with the putrid stench of a concoction the shoelace bitch had downed punched my nose. My guts twisted even tighter, and I barfed again. The nausea hit me hard, harder than anything before. And so, when the mind-twisted female tried to put my free hind leg in shackles again, instead of slitting her throat with my claws after swinging my hand - a paw, all right - at her, I clumsily rolled off the table. Not exactly an elegant demonstration of my predatory grace, but a way to avoid being shackled, nonetheless. Admittedly, though, the dizziness may not have been entirely to blame for my lame display. After living my entire life on two legs, finding myself on all fours was quite an experience. And it wasn¡¯t just my beast legs giving me a hard time getting used to; my whole body was different, longer, beefier, bigger - even worse, if I was not mistaken, still growing. On the bright side, my strength was quickly coming back. Whatever that vile concoction did to my heart, be it the weird connection of it to the Beast Core lodged under my belly or the mana flowing alongside my veins, it was boosting my regeneration to the point that all previous damage to my body seemed to be gone . . . and so did the beast. ¡®Shit. I mean, SHIT! The beast was gone.¡¯ Not gone like me turning back to being human. I guess that would be too much to ask when I owed that regeneration to the beast I had become. No, whether I liked it or not, I was still a beast in body struggling to stand on my own four feet. However, the feral pull from deep within me was gone. There was no one else in my head but me ... and the array, and the collar, and quite possibly even the shoelace bitch. Come to think of it, my brain was quite a frequented place. However, as annoying as I found it, what mattered was that the traffic seemed to be down by one uninvited visitor. Joy swept over my body while terrible nausea shuffled through my guts once more. The stench of half-digested food aside; that mental punch, or whatever the shoelace bitch hit me with, cleared the beast of my mind. Unfortunately, as much as I would have enjoyed rubbing it in the shoelace bitch¡¯s face - the fact she fought off the beast, not the vomit, although the idea was appealing too - getting out of here took priority. The chains rattled again, this time by my doing. Alas, that was all I managed. Much to my annoyance and horror, the shackles held tightly around my legs and the chains even tighter to the floor. Regardless of what that beast pride tried to convince me of, I¡¯d be a fool to think I was anything more than a weak girl who found herself down there in the cells one day. ¡°You brain rotten imbecile; get up. Get the fuck up!¡± ¡°B-but...she¡¯s...a...a beast...,¡± the deranged asshole babbled, pointing his finger at me, trembling like a little rat who finally realized it was standing in front of a cat. The tables had turned. And it was...oddly satisfying. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ?GROWL? ¡°S-stay away from me!¡± What a stupid mistake to bark at him was, no matter how enjoyable, I realized as soon as he yelled the words. Awoken by his command, the slave collar tightened its mechanical grip around my mind while the array pushed me to heed my master. And I did. It was a simple order to follow, after all. Such held the tightest grip over the mind. Yet, for something I should be used to, the force it bound me with took my breath away. Before, just faint echoes at the back of my mind; now the array and the collar kept me away from that deranged asshole with the force I remembered from my first days in this nightmare. Back then, I had no idea where I was, what had been put around my neck, what the Lattice stood for, and what the array the asshole had made me choose meant. Above all, I didn¡¯t have a weave like Indomitable Will to protect my sanity. Back then, my mind was simply defenseless. And much to my horror, it seemed to be the case now, too. The reason? No doubt, the bitch and the way she struck my mind. The nausea was sickening, rendering any effort to muster a resistance an impossible chore. ¡°Oh, excellent. You¡¯ve finally made yourself useful,¡± the shoelace bitch grunted with effort, wiping the blood from under her nose. Annoyingly, the moment of my weakness did not slip by her. ¡°Tell the mutt not to move.¡± ¡°Wh-what...why don¡¯t you do it? Wh-why are you so pale, and what¡¯s with the blood...?¡± ¡°For mind¡¯s sake, shut up and do as I say.¡± The shoelace bitch sounded tired and smelled sickly. Whatever she hit me with, it took a toll on her, too. However, having learned from my previous mistake, instead of barking my glee in her face, aware that this might be my last chance, I forced myself through the nausea, mustered my will once more, and tried to break free of the shackles. My legs moved, but the chains merely rattled. ¡°Come on, you brain-dead imbecile!¡± ¡°S-stop. Do not move.¡± With the command spoken, I froze in place, unable to move a muscle. Yet again, that deranged asshole had deprived me of free will, and worse, this time he wasn¡¯t the only one to do so. Seeing me standing still, the bitch didn¡¯t hesitate to act. Wary of me, far more than before, she shackled my right hind leg in no time, leaving me with only my front paw free. ¡°Where¡¯s the last one?¡± she barked, only to cringe in disgust when her eyes, like mine, fell on the chain lying in the puddle of piss the asshole was sitting in. ¡°Urg...you put that one on her.¡± ¡°M-me? But she...¡± ¡°...is under your command. You have nothing to worry about.¡± A blatant lie. The apprehension of me in her voice was unmistakable. Not even the fear-stricken asshole missed it. ¡°W-won¡¯t it be safer if you control her? I¡¯m not sure if...if the collar and the Slave Array work on beasts...¡± he said, his eyes going wide with each word as the full realization of my transformation sank in, his voice trailing off. ¡°She is a beast. She turned into a real beast!¡± ¡°For mind¡¯s sake, you act like you¡¯ve never seen a shifter take their form before.¡± A shifter? Was that what I was now? Did that mean there were more people like me, like the freaks downstairs? So many questions, no answers. ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t understand. She is a beast...a true beast with a core. I mean, she must have accepted the core, right? Incredible. Can you imagine the possibilities? The mages...¡± ¡°... Certainly won¡¯t be thrilled with the idea that to possess a Beast Core requires becoming a beast. Now, get off your ass and shackle her before...¡± she stopped short, cursing herself under her breath for saying too much. ¡°Before what? Wait, what really happened? W-why is your nose still bleeding?¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± the bitch swore, wiping away the blood, downing another concoction. ¡°Listen carefully, you imbecile, because whatever she¡¯s turned into, it¡¯s not some ordinary fucking beast. That thing...I hit her with enough force to make her a drooling tit for a month. Instead, the beast nearly shredded my mind. So either you get up and shackle her, or I¡¯m getting out of here, and you can do whatever you want with the mutt.¡± ¡®Holy fucking shit.¡¯ The bitch wasn¡¯t just wary of me; she was downright afraid of me, or to be more precise, of the beast that dwelt within me. Chapter 10: Go Away! Shame I wasn¡¯t able to live up to the shoelace bitch¡¯s fear. Whatever she was afraid of was gone; the fierceness blazing in my heart just a little while ago, quenched; what happened, not hard to figure out. The beast awakened within me took the brunt of her attack, shielding my mind from being destroyed, but leaving me weak as a kitten. The irony of it all was sickening. The bitch threatening to turn me into her daughter¡¯s pet basically saved me from succumbing to the feral beast I had feared turning into for over a year and a half, while the beast, whether knowingly or not, protected the last remnants of my humanity. Worse, without its help, I might lose it anyway. Under threat of being left alone with me, the deranged master of ours picked himself up off the ground, wet shackles in hand. ¡°What are you waiting for? For the mutt to recover?¡± The asshole looked at me, gulped, and took a step. ¡°Stay still!¡± ¡®Move!¡¯ I willed my body to defy his command. It didn¡¯t. ¡°Stay still! Stay still! Stay still!¡± He chanted with every breath. ¡®Move, damn it, move!¡¯ Yet, I stayed put, my body oblivious to my cries, bound by the accursed will of the collar and the array. ¡°Stay still!¡± Much to my horror, I did, forced to watch the asshole bend down to my leg, the darn shackles in his hands. The runes engraved in them, dormant as yet, an ominous mockery of what I was and of what I could become. Once on, I might never be myself again. ¡°Stay still!¡± ¡®No! Please, I beg of you, Korra - MOVE!¡¯ But all I did was flinch when the deranged asshole touched my leg. ¡®Shit, shit, shit...p-please...help me...help me, beast.¡¯ ?ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!? As if the beast had waited all this time for me to give in, an ear splitting primal roar ripped from my throat, backed by my might. Breathless, I watched everything around me shake with my rage, be it the humans, or the room. The beast was back and pissed. It pounced from the depths within me and tore through my body with savage ferocity. The wild energy, however, was... strangely liberating. All my fears and worries, however small, shrank to a few basic ones. To break free; to show these two humans whom they were dealing with; to taste their blood. But instead of blood wetting my tongue, the smell of shit pinched my nose, and the scream of the deranged male cut into my ears. Annoyingly, though, despite being seized with fear, the human managed to scramble out of my paw¡¯s reach in time. The pesky shackles. They held me back from tasting revenge. Anger built up in my chest once more. So much of it that it hurt. ?ROOAAAARRR!!!!!? If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A swipe of my free paw, claws out, and the chain binding my left foreleg was cut in two. ¡°D-do something...¡± the deranged human stammered. Male was weak. His own legs failed him. Only with the use of a piece of furniture did he get up. Pathetic. ¡°Now you¡¯re willing to listen, you brainless imbecile?¡± hissed the female, weak as the male. Strong in mind, though. Broken now. Scared, panicking...thinking. A sense of danger. Should kill her, now. ¡®Wait. Kill?¡¯ No. No, no, no, no. What was I even thinking? I was no killer. But if they were not the prey, I was. Unacceptable. They hurt me. Hurt my pack. Had to pay. ¡°Fuck!¡± the female cursed, tossing aside the bottle of concoction she drank. Stupid. Those things vile, smelling bad. Not the female, her smell getting better, healthier. ¡°But she will be mine, you understand, Dungreen?¡± Arrogant. ?I belong to no one!? Both stupid. Male not understanding the growl. Female arrogant, full of herself, self-assured, and no longer in my head. Still dangerous, though. Kill. ¡®No, no killing...please!¡¯ At least maim, then. Deserving. ¡®Well, they ... f-fine.¡¯ Fangs bared. They prey. But must break free first. Swing of the claws and another chain cut in half. ¡°Yes, yes, you can have her, just for fuck¡¯s sake...subdue the beast.¡± The deranged human desperate. Good. The female baring her teeth. ¡®That¡¯s a smirk, damn it.¡¯ Challenge! She confident. Caution. Tools appeared in her hands. Sharp, claw-like. Daggers, but not. ¡°I hate to use these on a mutt like you, but...catch.¡± She quick. Flick of her wrist, and the tools left her hands. Me not slow either. I moved, the claws hitting my wings only. No pain. Just damaged feathers. Good. ¡°Well, fuck me. Nice trick, mutt. But enjoy the sweet dreams.¡± Big runes spoke. Annoying. Go away! Shoo! ¡®No, forget the notification. Focus. That bitch poisoned me.¡¯ I needed to get out of here before...before...shit! Tired. So very tired. Bad sleepiness, though. ¡°Come on, be a good girl, don¡¯t fight it.¡± ?Do not tell me what to do!? With the growl, I shook my head, chasing away the sleepiness. Claws out. Swinging a paw. Last chain cut. Free, again. Fatigue weighed heavily again. Needed to...to...to NOT close my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s pointless; the poison can put bigger beasts than you to sleep.¡± Bigger. Yes, bigger. I too small. Needed to grow. The mana inside me stirred. ?ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!? A mighty roar, my might. The female staggered. Eyes wide. The room shrunk; so did the humans. Annoyingly, the shackles as well, too tight. Paws hurting. Not the collar, though. The runes. The iron adjusted. Glad. Hate it, anyway. Wrong. Messing with the mind. ¡°Oh, fuck me. Determined to prove me wrong, huh? Then how about this, you big mutt?¡± A bottle shattered at my feet. Another vile concoction. Fumes rising. Better not breathe. A few flaps of the wings. The fumes gone, scattered throughout the room. ¡°Stupid mutt, that¡¯s not gonna help you.¡± Big runes spoke, again. My body heavy. Paws hurting bad. Me, drowsy. Mind twisted human fine, though, baring her teeth in a smirk. Not so much the deranged male. He rummaged through cabinets in haste, drinking one vile concoction after another. ¡®An-antidotes.¡¯ An-annoying. Pissed off at being tired. Had enough. The mana within me swirled, chasing away the poison, the fatigue, bristling my fur. ¡®W-wait, what is this?¡¯ The mana strained my skin - my tail the most. The pressure very unpleasant. Building up. ¡°You dull-witted mutt, will you fall asleep already?¡± My fangs bared. Grin. Mind-twisted female wrong. ?You sleep, evermore.? Pressure released. Relief. The room filled with orange fumes. ¡®A-are you shitting me? Did I just fart or what? And...are those apples I smell?¡¯ Chapter 11: Apples and Cinnamon ''Ah, apples and cinnamon.'' Longing struck me hard. Apple pie, a good food. I haven''t tasted it in a long time, though. ''Forget the pie, Korra. A freaking smoke? How, from where?'' As if in response, more came out from under the fur, out of my skin. Confused. Mind muddled by primal ferocity, furious. Out of control. Terrifying. Paws hurting. Humans bewildered, too. "Fuck! Is that...?" the mind twisted female asked, angry, afraid. "You brain rotten imbecile; your reports said nothing about one of your freaks being able to use the poison." "Th-that''s because they never were able to... f-fascinating..." "Fascinating, my ass. If the mutt can wield it..." ''Wield what?'' "...then I''m out of here." ''Again, wield what?'' Stupid? Obvious, the poison. ''What poison?'' The beast, well, me, shifted my wings and the orange cloud surrounding me followed suit. Not stirred up by the flap; stirred up by my command. It swirled around me. Then, along with my might bearing down on the room, a roar ripped from my throat, challenge, threat, a pounce. The cloud listened, surging forward. "Fuck!" The eyes of the mind-twisted woman widened, flashed with panic, then flooded with pain when she failed to avoid it. The poison cloud slammed into her in a heartbeat, sending her flying. Satisfying. Even more so to see her crash into a wall, smashing cabinets with vile concoctions. Should smash all. Despite the sickening notion, time to sink my fangs into her flesh has come. I pounced - and whimpered in pain the very next moment, hitting the ground. Paws hurt bad, every step being torture. The shackles too tight, didn''t grow with me. Annoying, the mind twisted female, so close. Deranged human even closer. Vexing, so vexing. Steps painful, though, the paws hurting too much. Instead of prey, my fangs sank into the iron. They tasted bad, but no other choice. I chewed, I clawed, need to free my paws. Iron tougher than apple pie, though, the chains, even sturdier. Enchanted, I could taste it, my tongue tingled. "C-cognizant M..." "Blast your mind - and you, Dungreen," barked the mind-twisted female, full of rage, hurt but still awake. The poison didn''t kill. ''Wait what? It could kill her?'' A little. If the female weak. ''A little...? No, no killing. You promised.'' Stupid. She dangerous prey, needed to be killed before hurting me. The cloud too scattered, though. Unable to control. More required. Not much of mana left, annoying, me still too weak. I might need it later. But better kill the female, now. Or be ready to kill, wait, prowl, and pounce. With decision made, I mustered the mana inside my body. The tight tension returned to my skin and tail. "H-here, the antidote..." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The female bared her teeth in a sneer at the male''s attempt to save her life, ungrateful, stupid, my poison dangerous. ''Don''t say... wait, even to me? Could it kill me, too?'' Of course not. Safe. "A little late to be helpful, don''t you think?" the female of the twisted mind shooed away by the deranged male''s hand, smashed the bottle of vile liquid, her eyes never leaving me, smart. "I don''t need your fucking potions, imbecile. In fact, for your own sake, you should get out of my sight, or I''ll reconsider whether we need you and your questionable skills." "My s-skills are the finest..." "Tsk, cut the nonsense." The grinding of the deranged male''s teeth against each other bad as the rattle of the chains, ear-jarring. Still, I watched, waited, prowled, weirded out by how easily these beast ways came to me. "B-but you, ma''am, y-you will t-take care of the beast, won''t you?" The female hesitated, burying her gaze in me, weighing her chances. Hers not bad. Annoying. She seemingly unaffected by my poison. I unable to pounce, unable sink my fangs into her flesh. A warning needed. So I growled back, hit the humans with my might, breathless, tiring, let more poison rise from my fur. It worked. The female''s resolve waned, her tail tucked between her legs. "Tsk, your brain must have rotted away. The mutt is your problem now." "D-didn''t you want her as your pet? Y-you can have her. Just..." The female hesitated again, eyeing me, longing in her eyes. My fur bristled. Danger. Her misguided desire to tame me giving her second thoughts. ?Dare,? I growled a challenge, breaking my so-far futile efforts to chew through the shackles. "Don''t be full of yourself, you mutt. If it wasn''t for the beast taking me by surprise, you''d be groveling at my feet with your tongue out, licking my boots." ''And if it weren''t for the damn shackles, I''d rip yours out!'' I lashed out in my mind, horrified by the savagery of my thoughts. Worse, primal ferocity clouded even my judgment. A mistake was spoken, a weakness revealed, the female aware. Or not? Why she just staring? No longer in my mind? Scared. Good. My mind only for me. Still, I let the orange cloud of apple-scented poison hovering around me swirl in warning, ready to pounce if needed. Turn out to be not - wary good, though. "Tsk, I''m not equipped for this," muttered the mind-twisted female, another tool appearing in her hands. A black cube covered in those accursed runes. My fur bristled, a growl escaped my throat. More runes to bind me. "T-that''s...no, you can''t leave me here with...with that beast," the male rasped, eyes wide with fear. "Our deal...you''re meant to keep me safe." Female¡¯s eyes on me, she bared her teeth on male in a sneer. "Not from your failures. Besides, it''s your research we care about, not you." "B-bud...if you...who''s gonna finish the research?" "Someone else. You''re not the only alchemist in the world, nor the only one in our employ, Dungreen. Well - best of luck to you. You''re really gonna need it." "No, wait...take me with you." "The brain rot dug deep, huh? That''s not how Anchors work, and you know it." Cautious, I watched the black cube in her hands. Could be a ruse, the way for me to put my guard down, bind me. Should I pounce with the poison, first? Dangerous, would leave me exposed. Still... "Then...a-are you...are you going to send someone here?" The female bared her teeth once more, runes on the cube glowing blindingly white. "Of course, I will; survive a day, and you''ll meet them." Her gaze then bored into me, eyes glistening with unsettling glee. "And you, mutt, you better wish to be long gone by then." Her words sent a shiver down my spine all the way to the tip of my tail, no false threat. Better not to see the female again. As if still in my mind and to make sure of that, a sharp white light surrounded her, cutting into my eyes, dazzling me. A whimper escaped my throat, panic cut into my heart. The ruse I feared. I willed the cloud of poison to pounce and it surged. Deranged male screamed, Wood creaked, glass shattered, but female silent. Danger, more poison needed, mana in my body sparse, though, me too weak. ''Where the bloody heck is she?'' No sound of her, no steps, no breaths, not even the smell - the air scented too strongly of apples and cinnamon. Foul female lurking around, me prey. Pathetic. Chapter 12: Descent Things not good. Me still a beast, driven by feral instincts. Mana almost gone, the poison dissipating, and the mind-twisted human nowhere to be seen. Even after I got my sight back, I failed to find the female. She just gone. The cube with the runes must take her away. Vexing, but good. She too foul with mind. Dangerous. Unlike deranged human. He still here, cowardly, petrified, staring at the empty place, occasionally daring to glance at me. Weak, prey, mercy to kill. ''No! No, no, no, we talked about this, no killing, please. I¡¯m not¡­I just can¡¯t.'' True, he showed no mercy to me. Better if he suffers. ''N-not really what I had in mind, but... but what he deserves¡­ I guess. Emm¡­.try asking for the keys to the shackles.'' Asking for help irritating, a sign of weakness. ''No time to be stubborn and proud, you ...beast.'' Nothing wrong with being proud. Nevertheless the beast - well, me - stopped chewing on the shackles strangling my left paw, eyes fixed on the deranged male. He noticed, stiffened, eyes wide. ?Release me, human!? The sudden desire to palm my face hit me. The bark came out, too threatening and too far off the point. Not entirely wrong, per say. I wanted to be rid of the shackles, the collar, and the array. I wanted to be released. But it scared deranged human. He shrieked, looking around for place to run, like cornered rat. Much to his horror, all the ground floor windows bricked up, the only door out behind me, guarded by Sage, my tail. A beautiful tail, now surrounded by a faint orange cloud of poison gas. The sight weirdly enchanting. ''Would people out there see it the same way?'' I not naive to believe so. To them, me no different than beast, not human anymore. Sorrow heavy - lost it all. Fault of the male, fury. Horror in his eyes was satisfying, though. The door, not the way out. Irritatingly, deranged human, not so stupid either, concluded the same. His eyes, like mine, fell on the cellar stairs. Unguarded, close to him. Down there the waste hole into the storm drains. The only reasonable way out I could think of, water must have run somewhere. ''What about swimming, though? I mean, I can swim, but...'' Stupid, even pups can swim. ''Oh, true. With shackles on their feet, though?'' Pathetic. I rather drown than stay here. ''What about the freaks? Wait, the freaks!'' My pack! Dread gripped my guts, realization coming to me too late - my pounce, as well. Pain in my paws too agonizing, slowing me down. When my claws reached the spot, male already gone, down the stairs. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ?Don''t you dare, human!? I roared down into the cellar, fearing the worst, making my way after him. Too slow, though, regeneration keeping my paws from getting limp, not from the pain, me ungraceful, clumsy even. Ears twitched, heart dropped - the sound of the key rattling in the lock, coming from the cells. "Out! Protect me!" ''That deranged assho¡­bastard!'' ?GRRRrrrr...? No words came from my throat, just pure rage, chilling to the bones. My pack suffered so much at his paws, and it still not enough for him, scheming to pit them against me. Weasel, coward, should kill when had the chance. ''No. No, what was I even thinking. That wasn¡¯t me. I would never¡­I mean if I did, it would make me no different than¡­a beast.'' Humans weak, pathetic, now my pack would suffer. ¡®I know¡­still, to kill someone¡­¡¯ Need to grow fangs, get stronger, stop being prey. ¡®I¡­I am not a beast. I am not!¡¯ Prey nonetheless. Needed to grow stronger. ¡®But h-how? That is easier said than done.¡¯ ?Getting up a good start.? A growl escaped my maw and I got back on my feet, swallowing a whimper as pain shot through my body. "Don''t let the beast get to me!" deranged human downstairs bellowed, I rushed after him. Annoyingly, my coming down not graceful, paws hurting more and more, tripped and fell down the stairs. No one laughed, though, no one made fun. Instead, fear of my pack weighed heavily in the hateful cellar. ?Release them!? "F-fuck! I said OUT¡­ and protect me!¡± shouted cowardly human, ignoring my demand. He stupid, oblivious. So vexing. My pack member huddled in the corner of his cell, having no choice but to obey. Forced by the iron collar around his neck, he walked out of the cell, joining the others. A dozen and a half of them stood there, eyes wide, full of fear and tears. All of them my pack, made into a shield for the craven. Infuriating. Human despicable. Me helpless. ?Release them!? The growl only made the male back up further, hide deeper behind my pack, press himself against the wall. Like rat backed into a corner, dangerous, could hurt the pack more. Me lost for what to do. ¡®The drains¡­¡¯ My eyes drawn to the hole in the floor, not too far from the stairs. There the way out - may be. Water, storm drains, leading who knows where. Didn''t matter, better there than here. My pack, though. ''I know¡­.but¡­'' Could not leave them here; they coming too. ''H-how? The bastard just won''t let them go.¡¯ Kill cowardly human, he despicable, thinking himself more than prey. Wrong. Prey more honorable. ''Kill¡­I¡­y-you would have to go through the freaks, though...'' ?ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!? Deafening roar rang throughout the cellar, dust falling from the ceiling as my might followed. Pack members fell to their knees, out of fear, though, not out of respect for their alpha. Sad. The human''s fault. Anger, fury. Swallowing the pain, I pounced. "S-stop her!" screamed deranged male, scrambling to hide in one of iron bar boxes. Pesky gutless rat he was, managed to lock himself in before I reached him. My pack slowed me down, driven by the human''s bidding commands. They grabbed my tail, my wing, my legs, wrenching a whimper of hurt from me. Shaking them off did no good, they held firm, in spite of facing a beast sowing their hearts writhing with fear. In turn, sorrow twisted mine - none recognize me. To them me just a beast, no longer one of them, no longer a freak. Dejected growl didn''t even give them pause, accursed collars held their minds. Could weigh them down with my might, tiring though, me exhausted already, pointless too. Torn what to do, but needed to do it fast. "G-good, very good. Hold her down," cowardly rat gloated when seeing my hesitation to hurt my pack. "No, you know w-what... kill her. Y-yes, kill that beast...I don''t need her alive." Silence fell. My pack stunned, me horrified, heart sunk. ''No. No, no, no, take it back...cancel the order!'' ?Let them go, human!? He did not. Instead of finding a sliver of honor and mercy in his rotten heart, he squeaked like weasel at my growl and yelled: "F-fuck! Kill the beast already." ''B-bastard...'' No longer able to resist the mind hold of their collars, my pack pounced. Chapter 13: Helpless It hurt, so much hurt: my paws, my tail, my body, but mostly deep down in my heart. My pack, those who suffered here beside me, the only ones who understood, turned on me. They kicked, they punched, they clawed, they bit, doing their best to kill me. Heartbreaking - yet understandable. Not their fault, not their will. Unlike me, my pack not strong enough to defy. Not when deranged human''s orders enforced through collars on their necks. Much to his fury, his horror, and my puny relief, however, they too weak to satisfy his loathsome command. "W-what are you staring at, y-you . . . you fucking beast?" stammered the despicable rat. Strong when thinking he safe, baring his teeth in smirk, but reeking of fright. I bared mine back, my growl carrying the pain of my pack, my pain and sorrow. He did not understood, though. No mercy in his eyes, just horror, panic, and unease of his twisted mind. "Y-you useless shits. What a-are you doing . . . hurry up and kill her!" It pained me, but if he wouldn''t show my pack mercy, I had to. ''W-wait. No, y-you can''t.'' I must. ''Please, just turn around and . . . go.'' Run? Leave my pack in the hands of deranged rat? No, I not cowardly, nor cruel. ''But, I . . . I can''t, I can''t kill them.'' Better than that, they kill you? Let my pack suffer further at the mercy of him? ''N-no, that''s not what I''m saying . . . just . . . '' Helpless, weak. Needless to say more. ''What? No, no, no, no . . . '' Sorrow-driven rage filled my chest, suffocating me, driving out whatever reason I had left, terrifying me to the very marrow of my bones. Then, when almost impossible to breathe, I released it all out. My shout, bestially rough and primal, bounced off the walls of the cellar in endless echo. Under the pressure of my might, everyone listened to the weight of what I was about to do. Just the thought of it was horrifying, bone-chilling, making me cruel, even despicable. Not something a pack leader should need to do. Necessary, though. Taken aback, however, behind the horror in the eyes of my stunted pack, I found a strange sense of relief, peace even. Their suffering neared the end, and they embraced it. Beast pride of my pack swelled in my chest, the last doubts hushed deep down - not the regrets, those remained. After all, letting them sniff my poison would have been the kindest way to go. But because of my rashness, rage, and fear on the floor above, mana in my body lay pitifully scarce. Me unable to release enough of gas to give them a painless death, let alone cloud sufficiently thick for me to wield and kill the deranged male with - to free them from his control. So vexing, so irritating. Me helpless. And thus, with my reason drowned, suppressed by primal savagery and no other choice but to flee in shame, the beast - well, me - pounced. A swing of a paw and my claws dug into a flesh, deep, to the bone. Before long, the screams, tearing at my ears, at my soul, fell silent, and the smell of blood filled the still-dank air of the cellar. A dozen and a half bodies of my pack lay by my paws, my fur soaked in their blood. The taste of it filled my mouth, bits and pieces of flesh wedged in between my teeth - grief gnawing at my sanity. ''W-what have you made me do? Shit, what have I done . . . ?'' This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. What was necessary - still not enough. My gaze fell on the deranged male, shivering in the cell. His blood, his flesh, the only one I would not mind tasting. In fact, I craved it with every fiber of my being. The hatred for that human ran through my body, thick as blood racing in my veins, palpable, something I swear I could taste on my tongue. Bitter, dreadful, and all-consuming. He wanted to make me a beast, and so the beast he would get. With my every breath heavy and guttural, I snapped a snarl at him, licking the blood from my fangs. ''S-shit . . . I think I swallowed a piece of . . . '' Revulsion rippled through my body, drowned in rage and hatred for the human cowering in his own shit and piss. Eyes wide, he was struck with terror - as he should. Still not nearly enough. One painful step after another, the iron digging into my wrist and ankles, my body struggling to heal the damage, I made my way to the cell. Stupid, foolish, dumb. Smarter to get out of here, right now, before the mind-twisted female returns. But what the male made me do not something my pride would allow me to let slide. I just could not tuck my tail between my legs and run. "G . . . g . . . go away!" the male barked. Rage and hatred for him, though, did not allow his order more than to brush against my mind. I pounced. The bars of cell nothing but plain iron, no enchantment, bent under my mass. Me not as weak, as small, as light as before. "S-stop . . . I order you to stop!" I did not. A lunge after another, ignoring the pain, I managed to bend the bars nearly enough to squeeze through. "F . . . f . . . fuck, STOP, y-you beast, that''s an order . . . an ORDER . . . " One more slam, and I was through, baring my fangs in feverish eagerness to pounce on the human. His frightened squeals a thrill to my ears. Hearing those quenched some of that rage eating away at my reason - but not nearly enough to spare him. So, I pounced. "????????," he screamed. The word was unfamiliar to me; not even my language weave was able to translate it, yet I paused, terrified, every fiber of me screaming to run away. Too late, though. The word was spoken, and weighed heavily on those who heard it, making time seem almost to stand still. Then, as my heart sluggishly took its beat, it dawned on me - the word spoken not a mere word, but a name. The name of the bug that tore me out of my world, the bug I stared at once more. Out of nowhere it fluttered its transparent bug wings between me and the male, unperturbed. Its disregard of me, of my rage, vexing but terrifyingly justified. [???: ?????? sigils] Though the big rune did not say much, small as the creature was, no bigger than my paw, by no means weak. In fact, the bug very, very powerful. Every hair on my body was bristled, my instincts screaming at me to lower my head. I did not. The rage, the hatred at the deranged human, burning within my body, stoked by the sudden appearance of that very creature responsible for all my suffering, did not let me bow to its might. The pressure of it, however, did not allow me more, not so much as a whimper, let alone open my maw in a roar. "Frederic Ambrose Dungreen," the bug spoke each word carefully, its voice high, buzzing, and full of sharp clicks, yet powerful. "The names have been spoken, the trade is due to be made." "T-the trade . . . ?" stammered the deranged human, staring dumbly at the hateful creature, as if unaware of what he had just done. Idiot. The realization soon settled down in his eyes, though. "A-ah, the trade, y-yes . . . " he said, his trembling hand pointing at me. "K-kill her, get rid of that beast." The creature''s wing flaps quickened, buzzing intensified. "The request was stated; the price must be agreed on," the creature spoke, exited, its utter disregard for my existence drawing rage from deep within me. Once already, it had robbed me of my life, and yet it did not even hesitate to do it again. Some price was more important to it. Vexing, but my helplessness infuriating. Once again, me unable to do anything but fall prey to creature''s whims. Well, not quite true. Its might, perhaps in the rapture, seemed to ease up a bit, and I managed to let out a strangled snarl, baring my teeth. Of course, the bug not even bothered to acknowledge my displeasure, my rage. It delighted by my struggle if anything at all. The deranged male, though, flinched. "A-anything . . . I''ll pay anything, j-just kill the beast . . . " "The trade was agreed upon," the bug didn''t hesitate to declare, making an eerie clicking sound that made me shudder. Wrong. Chill seized me, unpleasant pressure on the chest, in it even. Odd. My heartbeat gone. The reason? Likely, the gaping hole in my chest. ''W-what . . . w-w-when . . . how?'' With my mind growing ever more muddled, I managed one last glare at the creature, and the deranged human. He seemed . . . relieved; the bug, on the other hand, very pleased. Just like the last time, back on Earth. And just like back then, its mouthful full of needle-sharp teeth hidden behind big mandibles twisting in a grin of some sort was the last thing I saw before I sank into the bright white light. [END OF THE PROLOGUE] Chapter 14: Not So Bad Dream Waking up was the worst. On that edge between dreams and reality, there was still hope that I would not open my eyes to the nightmare my life had plunged into. Cold, damp cellars, barred cells with slaves screaming in pain that tormented their bodies, vile concoctions twisting mine, and worst of all, my slow decline into being a beast. Wait...the beast. "Shit! I turned into a beast!" My sudden scream startled not only me to sit up but also a flock of birds high in the treetops above me. Their panicked chirping made my ears ring for a moment, drowning out the frantic beating of my heart as memories of yesterday rushed back to me. The shoelace bitch coming to check on the deranged asshole''s work, the core shoved into my guts, the icy concoction, and me losing my last shreds of humanity at the end. ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit.'' A beast. I had turned into a beast, a full beast, one unable to utter anything but growls and roars, driven by its primal instincts. A shudder ran through my body at the thought. The question remained, though. How? Was that really my voice I heard? Fearing that I was still rambling somewhere on the brink of death, hearing the things I wished for, I gave my throat a cautious try: "H-hello...?" ''Oh, bloody f-fucking shit.'' That was my voice, my human voice, the one I dreaded not hearing again. Admittedly, for a woman, I possessed a rather raspy one, not quite melodic, but it was mine, not some bestial growl or bark. I laughed, I laughed my heart out like I hadn''t in a long time, heedless of the dissatisfied cawing of the birds above me. I laughed so loud it hurt. Wait, it hurt? Did dying hurt? ''Are you dumb or what, Korra? Of course it did.'' Wishing for it so many times; never once did I think that death would come to me without pain. But was I really dying? With trembling hands, I slowly reached up to my chest, dreading to touch the gaping hole the hateful bug had pierced through there. Instead, I found nothing but light scars covered by the soft white fur that had been growing between my breasts since I got Sage. Looking down, I confirmed my find. Only the startlingly dark scars peeking through the fur and tons of dried blood spoke of the wound ever being there. ''Forget the wound, you fool. Hands!'' With my eyes wide open, I stared at two human hands, not paws, but real human hands. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Had I turned back from being a beast? Or had I? Following that train of thought, the spark of hope, I scanned my body, finding myself, to my great relief, not so different from before that deranged asshole had shoved the core into my body. Sure, my teeth were sharper but not longer than human ones; the tufts of fur that covered my body here and there before seemed to have grown a tad larger, the one stretching from the root of my tail up my spine surely had, but most importantly I found no other changes, no other mutations to get used to. The snout, the beast legs, the beast body, it was all gone. "Oh, my...n-no way." Even the beast seemed silent, the terrifying primal ferocity that had robbed me of my will nowhere to be found. My mind was as clear as it hadn''t been in over a year and a half. A shiver ran through my body. In a twisted way, it left me feeling...kind of lonely. Was I, though? No. I wasn''t a naive little girl to think that the beast was dead. No doubt, it prowled somewhere deep down inside me, waiting for another chance to pounce like before. ''I won''t give you another chance,'' I vowed, determined, vexed and frustrated. The same could be said of my array and the collar. One command from that deranged asshole, and they''d get to work on my mind again. Where was he, anyway? And where the heck was the collar? Stunned speechless, I frantically palpated my neck, finding nothing but the phantom feeling of having it on. That piece of accursed iron that had been sitting around my neck practically since the moment I set foot in this world was simply gone. A dream, this must have been a dream. Me still alive, being human again, even if only partially, without a collar - yes, definitely a dream, not a nightmare, a true dream. ''Then, could it be...?'' If it was that kind of dream, a good one, what about my array? Was it gone, too? Not troubling myself to ponder any further, I delved deep into my mind to the place the asshole called Grid Forge. My first visit there, under orders from that asshole, scared the shit out of me. One thought, and I found myself on the glassy smooth surface of the lake reflecting the night sky covered with a vast, dense network of interwoven runes instead of stars. Back then, I thought I had gone crazy. I even wished I had. It would explain a lot of things, like the sudden appearance of the fucking bug and my finding myself in a cage in some dungeon. Now I knew better, though. This place was the way people accessed the Lattice, their Grids. This was where I bound myself with that damn array. Speaking of which...well? ''This dream sucks!'' One moment, I had my hopes up; the next, I would have preferred this tormenting nightmare to end. The array, a hexagonal formation of runic lines, still hovered brightly right above me under the lattice-covered sky, branding me as a slave. As if to ensure I would never forget this fact, it was written in the large rune in the array''s very center, with the translation in Eleaden Standard below. [?] [SLAVE] Not even in my dream turned into yet another nightmare could I seem to escape that fate. Was it just a dream, though? It seemed too real. More than a bit disappointed to still have the array, I left Grid Forge and immediately pinched my cheeks, then again, and then once more. But regardless of the pain - and I pinched myself pretty hard - I didn''t turn back into a feral, instinct-driven beast, nor did the collar return to my neck. In fact, as my eyes wandered all over my body, desperately searching for any changes, I found it, unlocked, the runes on it dead, lying in clumps of moss next to me, moss I didn''t remember being in the cellar, moss in which I myself sat. ''Could I be...?'' Not daring to think any further, for fear that this after-all-not-so-bad dream might end if I did, I took a good look at my surroundings for the first time. To my utter awe, instead of being locked behind iron bars and sitting in a dank, fetid cellar, I found myself in the middle of verdant woods. Chapter 15: Earth Standards Towering trees, their gnarled roots snaking across the forest floor like ancient serpents, formed a dense canopy overhead, filtering the sunlight into scattered rays that danced amidst the shadows. Overgrown stones littered the ground, peeking out here and there from the otherwise dense cover of moss that climbed even to a remarkable height on the tree trunks as if bearing silent witness to centuries of nature¡¯s reign. With tears welling up in my eyes, I took a deep breath, savoring every sip. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage, mingled with the sweet scent of flowers blooming all over the blanket of moss. A sob escaped my lips. How long has it been since I smelled something so wonderful? Simply too long. So long, in fact, that I¡¯d forgotten how uplifting the scent of flowers could be. It caressed my soul. Honestly, I lost track of how long I sat there, taking it all in, basking in this moment that, for all I knew, could fade away at any second. As if spellbound, I watched in wonder as vines cascaded down from lofty branches, their tendrils swaying in the light breeze and entwining into a tangled mess of webs that draped the forest in a verdant embrace no different from the moss on which I sat. Birds flitted somewhere among the branches, their songs echoing through the woodland depths, while creatures hidden from my sight rustled in the undergrowth, adding to the symphony of life that thrived within this dream-like wonder. A place with this kind of serenity was rare to find, even back on Earth. Not to mention the undeniable lingering sense of magic. As much as I may not have liked it, my instincts were telling me that despite this place not being so old, every tree, every leaf, and every shadow seemed to emanate this strange sense of ages-old might. It was as if the very soul of these woods stirred with a primal energy, ancient and eternal, waiting to speak to those who dared to listen. But as I strove to glimpse into the secrets this magical place held, one nagging question pressed upon my mind. ¡®How the bloody heck did I get here?¡¯ Undeniably, this was no dream. Rare as they were among my nightmares, they never lasted this long and never were this real, this vivid, this serene. No, this forest was not a figment of my fading mind - I was here, as in really here. ¡®But how?¡¯ The last thing I remembered was that shitty bug-like creature piercing a hole in my chest while clicking its mandibles in undisguised glee. There was, however, no sign of the wound now. Was it some kind of illusion, then? This entire forest, too? If so, a bloody good one. The wound and this place seemed pretty damn real to me. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®Wait...¡¯ There was more. After having my heart pierced, there came that blinding white light. Not really the proverbial white light at the end of the tunnel, but an all-consuming bright glow not so different from...from the light that took the shoelace bitch away. ¡°Shit. Did that weird-ass bug actually did what I think it did? Again!¡± I blurted out in realization, my horrified voice disturbing the serenity of this place, my eyes searching it for clues as to what hellhole I was actually in this time. ¡®This couldn¡¯t be Earth, could it?¡¯ For a moment, I entertained the possibility that a bit of remorse had struck the bug, and after ripping me from my world several months prior, the creature had decided to send me back. While this place wasn¡¯t exactly impossible by Earth standards, sadly, the Lattice¡¯s existence kind of was. At least, that¡¯s what I believed. After all, in all my life on Earth, I had never heard of anything like the World Rune Lattice binding the whole world to its rules - nor about mana actually existing, for that matter. The presence of the first was easy to double-check by delving into my mind and the Grid Forge; the latter, I faintly sensed still flowing within my body. So . . . no, this wasn¡¯t Earth. In a way, the realization came as a relief. While I longed to return to my family, to see my brother, my father, and my grandfather again, to appear at their doorstep looking as I did, I would undoubtedly end up on yet another table under the knife of yet another butcher. No, if I wanted to go back to my old life, I couldn¡¯t come back with wings fluttering on my lower back and a tail wagging behind me. ¡°Damn you, y-you bloody deranged asshole,¡± I growled through my teeth. Because of him and his shitty experiments, I was basically forced to stay here, wherever this place was. ¡°F-fuck me....¡± What escaped my lips was a curse my mother would have scolded me for, a pathetic whimper into the carefree song of the birds high above my beast ears, now sorrowfully downcast, tips almost touching my shoulders. This time, the tears really burned my eyes. Even if this was Eleaden, the planet where I had endured the last year and a half, a place where people possessed incredible abilities, there was no way to tell if there was a way for me to get rid of the side effects of the concoctions, let alone return to Earth without the help of that damn bug. And even if there was a way, which I hoped there was, it could take years. ¡°Tell me, Sage, where do I even begin?¡± I groaned into my tail¡¯s hair as I pressed it to my chest and lamented: ¡°All I know of this world is basically two shitty rooms.¡± As if understanding my hurt, Sage wrapped herself gently around my neck to soothe me. ¡®Huh, apples?¡¯ Baffled, I sniffed my tail a bit more. ¡®...no cinnamon?¡¯ While wondering at the mystery of the scent emanating from my otherwise dirty tail, my skull tingled with a notification. ¡°What the...?¡± Back in the cellar, the poison didn¡¯t... bite me. Why? Why now? What changed? Wait...was it because I was no longer a beast? The beast. A shudder ran through my body at the thought of what I had done under that primal ferocity driving me. My eyes fell on my hands again, the dried blood on them just a gruesome reminder of what I had become - a murderer. No matter what I might do, no matter what excuses I might find, no matter how hard I might turn a blind eye to it, no one could wash the blood from my hands. Pressing Sage closer to my chest, same with my knees, I buried my head deeper into her hair and hid in the embrace of my wings, breaking down in tears. ¡®Good.¡¯ To die by my own hands, who knows where, alone, seemed like a fitting end for someone like me. Chapter 16: Stubborn ''I hate this world,'' I wailed silently into Sage''s hair. No matter what I wished for or did, the world always seemed to find a way to kick me in the guts, determined to make my life a living hell. One moment, my skull was tingling with notifications of my poisoning, bringing forth the hope of the end, and the next, a new notification was rousing me. While my apple poison did its job, the damn world just wouldn''t let me go. What happened wasn''t hard to figure out, though; after taking a short nap with my face buried in Sage''s hair and my head resting on my knees, the beast-like regeneration of mine brought me back among the living. And then a few more times. "Why the bloody hell can''t I die?!" My loud lament - more of a grumble, a whimper - did not meet with a warm response from the birds in the treetops. Honestly, if I didn''t know better, I''d swear they were shrieking at me to shut up. As if that wasn''t weird enough, they fell silent when I whispered an apologetic "Sorry." Once again, the forest fell back to its tranquil state; the ambiance soothing my aching soul and making me feel...well, safe. Quite a rare thing in this world - suspicious, even. But me sitting in the middle of an age-old forest wasn''t what bothered me the most right now. No matter how many times I buried my nose deep in the hair of my tail to inhale the poison in the hope of never waking up again, I didn''t get the justice this murderess deserved. As if infected by the stubbornness with which I so tenaciously held on to the remnants of my freedom and humanity, my regeneration always got my heart beating again. How long did it take, though? Honestly, I had no idea. Telling time by the sun was never my thing, and even if I did know, the burning star this planet orbited was hidden behind the treetops, anyway. It was far more annoying that the Lattice, as convenient as it was, lacked any features that did not involve the weaves, not to mention the fact that instead of a watch, shackles wrapped around my left wrist. So, for all I knew, after the apple poison had done its job, I could have sat there without a heartbeat for merely a few moments or easily all day. Although I was leaning towards the former. Why? Mostly because of my hunger. Not that I wasn''t hungry - quite the opposite. The fault of my regeneration, I suppose. It always took a lot out of me. But I wasn''t as starved as I would have been after several days of sitting in the woods without food. ''Oh, perhaps...'' My stubbornness kicked in, and the thought of trying to starve to death crossed my mind. At some point, my regeneration had to run out of stuff to draw from, right? Thinking about it a bit more, a shudder went through my body. There was no guarantee that it would work. It was more likely that this world would find a new torturous way to beat the shit out of me again. Something changed with me turning into a beast...and back. Before, when the deranged asshole marveled at my ability to heal, he never went so far as to take my life. Sure I would die, he found it, in his own words, to be a waste to kill me, especially since he had other plans for me. ''How did those plans of yours turn out, huh, y-you bastard?!'' I shouted in my mind, mindful not to anger the treetop dwellers again, but broke down in tears again. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He had turned me into a monster, a real monster - a ferocious beast, a killer with her hands drenched in blood. ''What did I do to deserve this?'' As if being a murderess wasn''t enough, to make my inner torment worse, I couldn''t shake the feeling that the monster, not the beast, but the primal ferocity that took away my reason, had been buried deep inside me all along. The vile concoctions gradually turning me into a beast had merely stirred it up, given it a shape, and brought it to the surface. ''...perhaps, I did deserve it.'' Staying alive with the guilt of what I did might be justice in itself, after all. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ The sun, blocked by the treetops, had moved quite a distance in the sky before I came to terms with what I was enough to stop bawling about it and hoping it was all just one of my many nightmares. Mostly, the hunger started getting to me. And unlike in the cellar, I couldn''t sit here all cooped up and wait for that deranged bastard to bring me food, regardless of how convenient it would be. ''The asshole wasn''t around, was he?'' After a quick glance at the surrounding forest and listening to its sounds, my panicked heart calmed down. However, the momentary dread of not finding myself alone here reminded me of something else - something I had been dying to do since I got into this world, and that asshole had put the accursed collar on me. I delved into my mind, entered the Grid Forge again, and tried to swap my array. All it took was a thought, and the options I was previously denied to choose appeared in the sky. [Employee]; [Student]; [Florist]; [Dishwasher]; and much more. There before me were all the things I had ever been and if everything hadn''t gone to shit, could still be. As mundane as they were, I would choose any of them over the Array of Slave I was forced to choose. There were even arrays as plain as [Two-legged Walker], [Woman] or [Daughter]. ''No [Murderess] or anything like that, though?'' Was this world so cruel that washing dishes by hand at home guaranteed me an array, but killing a dozen and a half people elicited no response? Was that a normal thing in this world? As sick as the notion was, a sigh of relief escaped my lips, quickly replaced by the frown creasing my brow. ''Shiiii...fuck! Why? Why, why, why? Why am I not allowed to change it?'' It was so maddening, but no matter what I chose, what I tried, or how intently I stared death at the hexagonal array of runes, the Lattice always came back with the same answer. Once again, I was forced to be, or remain, if you would, a slave, and this time by the world itself. ''This is so...unfair...'' Of course, the whining didn''t help me in any way. As for the last year and a half, all I could do was stare helplessly at the inconceivably complex runic lines forming the hexagon. Actually, not quite true. The weaves - or the skills, as I prefer to think of them. There were six of them, of course, each placed at the peak of the array hexagon, and I hated each and every single one of them in its own way. "You know what, fuck you..." I whispered aloud in the real world with no small amount of satisfaction, taking one last look at my current grid before throwing myself into getting rid of what I could. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): 15 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (General): 108 glyphs - ???? Master''s Toy (Slave): 72 glyphs - ??? Silent Suffering (Slave): 91 glyphs - ??? Faint Presence (Slave): 29 glyphs - ?? Unnatural Regeneration (General): 36 glyphs - ?? Chapter 17: Master-less ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):.....15 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):........................108 glyphs - ????? Master''s Toy (Slave):....................................72 glyphs - ???? Silent Suffering (Slave):...............................91 glyphs - ??? Faint Presence (Slave):................................29 glyphs - ??? Unnatural Regeneration (General):............36 glyphs - ?? ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ To say that I never dreamed of becoming a heroine, getting unique skills, and all that shit would be a lie. Of course, I longed to be beautiful and powerful, admired by all and feared by my enemies. Who didn''t, right? However, never in my life had I imagined that as soon as I would actually get to another world, instead of getting a class like a Princess or a Fencing Swordswoman, I would end up with the Array of Slave. My blood boiled just looking at the name of that shitty array in my Grid, and reading its description was simply suffocating. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Slave With your free will as the cost, being a slave may come off as senseless, however, consider the fact that your possibilities will be endless. While tightly lashed to your master, your limits will know no bounds, you may become anything, his servant, his lover, or one of his hounds. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Whoever wrote that had a strange sense of humor. One might even believe that the Slave was an amazing array. Amazing, my ass. The endless possibilities? In the hands of your master, if he so much as wills it, you wouldn''t even be able to fart without his permission. Just so much in that rhyme cut painfully close to the heart. The leash had been gnawing at my neck for over a year and a half, the ¡®no-bounds¡¯ were limited to only two rooms, mostly just my cell, and yesterday, I almost ended up being the asshole''s hound, a senseless beast. A shudder ran through my body at the thought. Thankfully, and yes, it was irritating to admit, the death at the hands of that shitty bug knocked some sense back into me. Hell, even my Grid claimed that I was still human, although that was up for debate. Yet, for all the changes, my slave status seemed to be something set in stone - or in the runes of the Lattice, to be precise. No matter how much I hated it, I was bound to live with the Slave as my 1st Array and that deranged bastard as my master. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on . . .'' Rubbing my eyes, so to speak - in this mind space I didn''t have either - I stared, at the Grid and the line [Master], stunned. Where the name Frederick Dungreen had been listed just a few hours ago, it now read: None. Did the bastard die? Annoyingly, as much as I wished he had, the more plausible reason seemed to be the loss of the collar lying now in the real world on the moss next to me. That the line for master in my Grid remained was a bit puzzling, though - worrying and unnerving, too. It stood as a constant reminder that I, as a slave, required a master. Thinking a bit more about the galling fact, that ''requirement'' might be a function of my lovely array. It would make sense, kind of. But if so, it begged the question, why was I without a master? Losing the collar shouldn''t matter. ''Unless . . .'' Unless it was the collar that was forcing the bastard on me as my master. And since I never saw him as my master myself, without the collar I was...free. ''Free, I was FREE!'' Wherever the truth lay, my heart leaped for joy. After suffering through so much, living through two birthdays in the cellar, and almost losing myself to a beast, I finally regained what was taken away from me a year and a half ago. The price for my freedom was terrible and quite bloody, though. Trembling, I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to convince myself that it was the beast that killed the freaks and not me. Sure, a blatant lie. Nevertheless, it worked to a degree. Well, for the time being, at least. ''27, huh?'' I grunted with a sigh at the age displayed on my Grid. I was half through my 26th year when that shit-bug turned my world upside down. Ever since then, my age was basically the only way I could tell how much time had passed. Not that it mattered how old I was, anyway. With the way I looked now, my age was the last thing on my mind. ''It really was.'' For example, one of the things that pissed me off far more was the number of sigils engraved on my array. 97 was a hell of a number, that spoke of how well I served my master. Yeah, according to the Lattice, I was a good little slave girl. ''Bullshit.'' From what I could tell, it wasn''t so much the fact that I was bending over backwards to do my master''s bidding and wishes; on the contrary, I was fighting tooth and nail to resist the asshole''s orders, but the fact that after I had down his concoctions the results exceeded his expectations every bloody time. Of course, it took a while for the Lattice to acknowledge his thrill over me, my body. It wasn''t like the deranged bastard took one look at me, and ''yay'' a dozen new sigils got engraved onto my array. It usually took at least a few hours, mostly a day or more. Likely the reason I didn''t get any, not even after successfully accepting the Beast Core, which apparently shouldn''t be possible, and downing the icy potion that turned me into a beast. So, there was still a good chance of me getting a few sigils later, but to be honest, I thoroughly hoped not to get any. If I did get some, it would mean that there was still a connection between that deranged bastard and me. A chill went through my body, and I shuddered. ''No, thank you.'' I''d rather die. Although, that was proving to be quite a challenge. My regeneration was no joke before - for a human. But now...to bring me back from the dead? Seriously? Was it a new circle in the Unnatural Regeneration, my last weave? Well, speaking of my weaves, or skills, did I mention that I loathed every single one of them? The Eleaden Standard Language was the first one I was forced through the collar to choose as soon as the asshole found out I didn''t understand a word he said. That was, of course, after three sigils had been engraved on my array, thus opening the first weave slot. Considering he was pleased with the test subject the shitty bug brought him, getting them didn''t take long at all. And so, through that weave, I was allowed to understand the bastard''s deranged commands. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Eleaden Standard Language General Weave 15 glyphs - ?? ? Shared speech is a way to convey the meaning of your thoughts to each other, whoever it is, a stranger, an enemy, a lover, or your long-lost brother. ?? Speech is not always the most ideal way to get your thoughts conveyed, therefore your ability to read the words that others have engraved. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 18: Shove off ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Eleaden Standard Language General Weave 15 glyphs - ?? ? Shared speech is a way to convey the meaning of your thoughts to each other, whoever it is, a stranger, an enemy, a lover, or your long-lost brother. ?? Speech is not always the most ideal way to get your thoughts conveyed, therefore, your ability to read the words that others have engraved. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Not sure how common a language this Standard was, but every slave in the cellar seemed to speak it. Although it had to be said: We didn¡¯t really get a chance to talk much, let alone read. One of the many things that deranged bastard forbade us to do, and likely why I barely made it past the second circle even though it was the first weave I got. From what I had gathered, the circles, and yes, that¡¯s what the natives called them - glyph circles to be exact - were something of a tier of a weave. The more glyphs you gain, the more circles the weave formed. It was pretty much similar to the way sigils opened the first circles for weaves in arrays. Unlike with those, however, the second circle did not form until the 12th glyph was engraved on the weave. Then, the numbers followed in the same manner: 24, 48, and 96 glyphs for respective circles. ¡®Ninety-six.¡¯ A number, a boundary, true for both the weaves and my array. But while I was having a hard time imagining what it would mean for the array, as there were no more peaks in its hexagon, it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out the necessary number of glyphs to form the next circle. Going by the figures, it should be 192 glyphs. ¡®Quite a number, huh?¡¯ Well, knowing about it and getting there were two completely different things. Even with my strongest weave, I was still barely halfway there. Not that I really cared. Indomitable Will was a weave I loathed no less than any other. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Indomitable Will Array Weave 108 glyphs - ???? ? Your indomitable mind can withstand quite a bit of abuse, with a little time, it will recover, ready to be reused. ?? There is nothing worse than being turned against your master, whoever tries to push you will find they¡¯ve walked into a disaster. ??? You can be as strong as you want, to confront both the dreams and nightmare seas, but there are times when even the strongest of mind needs a bit of ease. ???? Certainly not a trivial task to put back together what was shattered, be it your sanity, memories, reason, or character, it does not matter. ????? Despite how senseless and unfair your suffering so far may appear, it is an experience that will forever be your wall against all forms of fear ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Why the deranged asshole made me choose this weave as soon as the weave reached 6 glyphs was apparent from the description of the first circle. As cryptic as it was, and that was unfortunately the case with all the descriptions, it allowed me to go through and recover from traumas that would drive me crazy under normal circumstances. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡®S-shit . . .¡¯ Chewing on my lower lip, frustrated, I couldn¡¯t help but swear - annoyingly, the main reason I had remained sane so long in that damn cellar was undoubtedly the cause of me sitting here relatively calm, sifting through my weaves, even after killing several people. ¡®Yeah, I was a cold-blooded killer, a heartless waste of humanity.¡¯ Indomitable Will was at fault. Or so I tried to tell myself. In a sense, this weave was no different from the collar or shoelace bitch. It played with my mind. The third circle, for example, could wrap it in a blanket of ease and make me numb to everything - even to the death of others. The feeling was . . . well, sickening. So, unless ordered, I didn¡¯t use it. Regrettably, some parts of this weave were beyond my control. Like the second circle, I never really got to use it. But I would imagine that if someone tried to order me to go against the asshole, either it straight up wouldn¡¯t work, or the weave would push me against them instead. And the fourth circle? Well, it felt like a backup to the first. ¡®Lucky you, what a great weave, huh Korra?¡¯ If it was to keep me sane, I¡¯d rather swap Indomitable Will for Butt Wiping - and yes, it was a General weave I could choose - but vexing as it was, to go without the weave would be too big a risk right now. Losing my mind in the middle of the forest, lying who knows where, didn¡¯t sound like a solid plan. Same with Eleaden Standard Language. Sure, the forest didn¡¯t look like a place frequented by people, but you could never know. Running into someone and not being able to reason with them, only to have it result in a bloody misunderstanding, would . . . well, it would destroy me. On the other hand, the other weaves in my Grid could go fuck themselves for all I cared. Master¡¯s Toy was the worst of them all. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Master¡¯s Toy Array Weave 72 glyphs - ???? ? With your master the only one on your mind, you will be thrilled to fulfill whatever you were assigned. ?? To hear at least once a day your master¡¯s voice, will make carrying out his orders easier and your heart rejoice. ??? To serve often entails to selflessly sacrifice, even to suffer, but one look from your master and your guts will flutter. ???? One touch from your master, whether light, firm, or painful, is something you crave and for which you are grateful. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This weave with the description as spare as any other, wrapped in flowery rhymes, held a sickening power over my mind. While the collar brute forced me to obey that deranged asshole¡¯s orders, the Master¡¯s Toy made me eagerly await them, to want to serve him, and when he seemed unhappy, to wonder what I had done wrong and how I could possibly make things right. Mercifully, for whatever reason, the Slave Array had two skills that essentially worked against each other. Likely, Indomitable Will wasn¡¯t intended to be used to counter Master¡¯s Toy, but without it, I would have been a thoughtless puppet longing to fulfill my master¡¯s every wish. Whenever the urge for a new order became too strong, the desire for the master¡¯s presence hit me hard, or I just started thinking about the asshole in any other way than making him suffer like me, I used Indomitable Will. And since Master¡¯s Toy worked pretty much non-stop, I used Indomitable Will all the time - hence the number of glyphs both skills had. However, that tug-of-war ended right here and now. ¡®Shove off.¡¯ One thought, and Master¡¯s Toy was gone from my array. Breathing a sigh of relief and wiping away the tears of joy running down my cheeks back in the real world, I returned to Grid Forge with renewed determination, eyeing my next prey. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Silent Suffering Array Weave 91 glyphs - ??? ? One moan escaping your lips can ruin your master¡¯s day, luckily, you can choose to remain silent and stay that way. ?? Slave servitude comes with so much, hardship, love, and pain, but better to make your moves quiet than have your master go insane. ??? It is not easy to see others suffer and what they become, yet you find it just as easy to ignore their pain and grow numb. ???? Suffering can take many forms, one more painful than the last, but you are strong willed to stand silent all until they all passed. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 19: Not Perfect ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Silent Suffering Array Weave 91 glyphs - ??? ? One moan escaping your lips can ruin your master¡¯s day, luckily, you can choose to remain silent and stay that way. ?? Slave servitude comes with so much, hardship, love, and pain, but better to make your moves quiet than have your master go insane. ??? It is not easy to see others suffer and what they become, yet you find it just as easy to ignore their pain and grow numb. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ This bloody weave was thoroughly designed to keep the slaves quiet through their suffering. Yet, much to the deranged bastard¡¯s annoyance, the pain from the side effects of his potions twisting the bodies of the slaves, my body, was just too overwhelming most of the time for [Silent Suffering] to muffle our cries. For that reason, I was kind of glad for the third circle of this weave, while hating it the most. Sure, it brought some peace to my heart, but it was just another way this Slave Array twisted my view of reality. ¡®Well...gone it is.¡¯ Basking in another rush of satisfaction and relief at the sight of yet another vacant peak of the hexagonal array, I eagerly pounced on another loathed weave: [Faint Presence]. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Faint Presence Array Weave 29 glyphs - ?? ? While your services will never cease to be needed, so long as you perform them, you may go unheeded. ?? Even when at rest, going unnoticed is best. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Honestly, I had no idea why that bastard made me choose this one. The Slave array had a few that would have made me less of a nuisance to him, like [Odorless Odor] or [Made for Torture], and even one I wished he had ordered me to choose: [Painless Agony]. Not that, unbound by his orders, I would pick the weave now. ¡®No way!¡¯ Among the General weaves, I had some that reduced pain, too. But first things first... ¡®...off you go.¡¯ Now, to get rid of the last one. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unnatural Regeneration General Weave 36 glyphs - ?? ? Any light bruise, damage, or injury to your fragile human frame, you will find unlike your kin healed with regeneration not so lame. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ?? If any of your minor wounds were to go deeper, they will be taken care of by regeneration no weaker. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ To be fair, it wasn¡¯t a bad skill - not one of the Slave array weaves, and neither one that would mess with my mind. However, just the mere thought of keeping it in my Grid sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn¡¯t the weave the bastard had made me take out of the goodness of his heart to help me overcome the side effects of his vile concoctions, but one that allowed him to take the tests of my ¡°natural¡± regeneration further. So, no. It had to go. I had far too many terrible memories related to this weave to keep it. Moreover, even though it had gained a few glyphs since I last checked, and that was way before the icy concoction and the damn beast core shoved into my belly messed up my body, the skill obviously wasn¡¯t behind my miraculous resurrections. If anything... ¡®Wait a minute? Did I, by chance, get a new weave because of that?¡¯ Annoyingly, the Lattice, for whatever reason, did not notify of getting new General weaves. In fact, the lack of any sense in the notifications was yet another gripe I had with it. While the Lattice informed me of my poisoning or my freaking death, the point of which was under normal circumstances rather questionable, it remained mute to the fact that I had been starving or mind controlled by a shitty slave collar. Not that it would be of any help. On the bright side, whatever was once recorded by the Lattice could be found again - like the notification of my first death. Quite a disappointment, to be honest. The same two words I had seen a couple of times already, no mention of that weird bug killing me, and as I expected, no other notification. If I had indeed gained some new skill, which was highly likely, if only in light of the concoction I drank and the core, I had no choice but to dig through dozens and dozens of General Weaves. To be even more annoying to use, the Lattice had no search function, and if there was any sorting at all, it had to be based on the runic names of the weaves, not on their name translations into Standard. ¡®Well, perhaps later...¡¯ Not really keen on finding out what kind of monster I had really turned into, I looked at my handiwork, unable to help but marvel in delight. My Grid was not perfect; far from it, actually. Yet tears welled up in my eyes. While only half empty, the way the Slave runic hexagon looked was as close as I could get it right now to what I¡¯d wanted to see for so long. Bursting with joy, a loud squeal escaped my throat: ¡°Y-yes...¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t go over too well with the birdfolk in the treetops. Well, this time, I couldn¡¯t care less. In fact, I was about to yell at them to shut up when my ears perked up. ¡®What the f...?¡¯ The depths of the woods echoed with an odd noise. My instincts went to override, making me jump to my feet and ready to face - or flee - whatever animal, beast, or monster was forging its way through this so far tranquil place. The screeching birds weren¡¯t making it easy, but after listening for a bit, I picked up a rhythm in the strange clapping, squeaking, and...neighing? ¡®No way...is that...a horse-drawn carriage?¡¯ Here? In the middle of the who-knows-where forest? On this terrain? Impossible. Though covered with soft moss, the tree roots, by the looks of it, were not easy to travel through on foot, let alone drive a carriage across. ¡®Hold on...¡¯ A somewhat ridiculous yet brazen thought crossed my mind. ¡®...Is there a road ahead?¡¯ What if these were not the magical primeval woods untouched by humans I thought they were but instead well-traveled forests? A dread gripped my heart, stopping me from taking a single step towards finding the truth. A road cutting through these roots was something I could get over with; however, a carriage traveling along it meant only one thing: people, locals who, in my experience, saw me as nothing but a slave. ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (2/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):.....15 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (General):........................108 glyphs - ???? ? ? ? ? ©¤¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 20: The Carriage With the noise undoubtedly getting closer, the weight of dread at the pit of my stomach grew. Should I go there or not? Should I risk having the collar placed back around my neck or stay here alone but free? Asked like that, the answer couldn¡¯t be any more obvious. I was better off turning on my heel and pushing my luck at survival in the depths of this forest. But a nagging little thought in the back of my mind screamed at me that a beast would do that. And I was not a beast. ¡®I was NOT!¡¯ No, I was still a human. Yet, the idea of running away was so tempting. ¡®Come on, you don¡¯t have to talk to them, Korra,¡¯ I tried to convince myself to move before it was too late and the carriage would pass by. In the end, all I needed was a peek to satisfy my curiosity - and avoid future regrets. For all I knew, this might be my only chance to find out more about where that damn bug dumped me. Besides, as long as I didn¡¯t get caught, living like a wild forest woman should still be an option. Closing my eyes for a moment and straining my sail-like ears in an effort to make out more of the noise, I bit my lower lip and made my decision. But after barely taking two steps towards the supposed road, I froze again. All my efforts to be as stealthy as possible came to naught the moment the remnants of the chains on my shackles shifted. ¡®Shit!¡¯ With three of them, I might as well have tied a bell around my neck like a stupid cow or screamed my arrival at whoever was driving through the woods. Thinking fast, I took the chain from the shackles on my wrists in my hand, wrapped the one on my right leg with Sage, and tucked the shortest one on my left leg behind the shackle itself. Not the most ideal solution, as the iron bit deeper into my skin, but a bit of moss lining made it bearable. Most importantly, it worked - sort of. Sure, with my huge ears, the rattling of the chains as I walked was still impossible to miss. But I had them on my limbs while whoever was driving through the woods was sitting on a rickety carriage. Banking on that, I carefully and rather awkwardly moved four trees forward, discovering that I hadn¡¯t been sitting far from the road all along. Well, calling it a road was a stretch. If I had no idea what to look for, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed the flat ribbon of moss blanket trailing between the trees. No doubt it was there, though. And so was the carriage. ?Y-you hear that?? It might have still been out of my sight, but the sudden horse neighing scared the shit out of me. Not only did it sound closer than I thought, but I... Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡®...did I just understand the horse? What the bloody hell?¡¯ Confused, I shook my head, sure I must have heard wrong. It had to be the human, a woman, judging by the rather high-pitched voice, and she obviously wasn¡¯t alone. Either that or she was suffering from self-talk. Admittedly, I found that somewhat relatable. When you had no one to talk to... ¡®Damn it, Korra! Focus.¡¯ The carriage was getting closer by the minute, and I was standing there like a fool out in the open. A bit panicked, my heart beating wildly in my chest, and not having this part quite thought out, I rushed my brain for what to do. In the end, I dared not approach within three trees of the road and wisely hid behind a massive trunk - and did so just in time. When I leaned out of my hiding place, I could already see the carriage moving among the trees. ?Heard you.? ?Not me. The weird clanking noise.? ?Look behind your tail. The old wagon is all noisy.? ?You old...? neighed the younger of the horses, a mare, both of them, as I listened to their conversation in utter awe. Had I not known better, I would have thought it was two humans talking to each other. But what reached my ears were not words spoken in any human language. What I heard was the neighing of horses, of which I could understand the meaning. ¡®I mean, what the actual f...¡¯ Was that a normal thing in this world, or just another way the bastard¡¯s concoctions messed me up? Well, since all I could hear from the mice back in the cellar was squeaking, I leaned towards the latter. Either that or the mares weren¡¯t your typical horses. The truth of that notion gave me pause as soon as they came into sight. The mares, or whatever they were, resembled horses in appearance, but all the same, they could not have been more different. Instead of manes, they flaunted long feathers in shades of brown, a finer variation of which covered their necks, backs, and legs to the knees. They still sported hooves, but instead of muzzles, they had beaks. And their tails? Long reptilian-like with the ends feathered with beautiful ample plumage. The sight was truly bizarre. For a moment, I wondered if they were some odd creations of a madman such as myself - and not just animals, perhaps even humans, turned into full beasts. That would explain their ability to speak - or would it? They weren¡¯t really talking, as in using a language. The mares were neighing. But then again, what came out of my throat back in the cellar when my inner ferocity took the reins over me was no less than a bestial growl with a meaning behind it, so... ¡®Could it really be humans who were pulling the carriage?¡¯ Horrified, any remaining thoughts of approaching whoever was driving the carriage left me. I hadn¡¯t escaped the clutches of one madman only to willingly fall into the hands of another. No, I hunkered down in my hiding spot, silent, keeping an eye on the approaching carriage. And wrong I was once again. It was no carriage but a wagon that the two horse-like creatures pulled. In fact, it was a covered wagon with canvas stretched over the circular hoops above the hull, covering whatever was loaded inside. My eyes, however, were not trying to pry into what the wagon was transporting, but were glued to the human seated in the driver¡¯s seat and handling the reins. Though I was too far away for the Lattice to tell me anything useful about him, and yes, it was a man, I could at least tell that he was old. Not ancient like this forest; just aged by time the way humans get. His chin-length hair had long since lost its color; pale, heavy eyebrows shadowed his eyes, and a thick white beard covered his face. The old man looked tired. Chapter 21: No Wonder "Whoa," the old man howled, careful not to be too loud but heard by the mares. To my horror, the wagon stopped not far from me. ''Did he hear the chains rattling too?'' At his age, though? ''Perhaps, like me, he understood his horses.'' However, the likelihood of that being a common ability faded the moment he stretched and grunted: "Argh, here at last." ''The hell? This was his destination?'' Confused, I looked around, careful not to make a sound. This place didn''t seem any different from the rest of the forest: trees everywhere you looked, the ground covered with moss, stones here and there. So, what made it so special for the old man to stop here? Me! I broke out in a cold sweat, ready to bolt at the slightest hint of him eyeing my spot. He did not, though. Instead, the old man stretched out again and slowly climbed down from the driver''s seat. ?Not like it here,? the younger mare whinnied. ?I will pull for you; let''s keep going.? ?Silliness, darkness close. It will soon fall on the woods.? "Calm down, girls," the old man spoke in a low, husky voice, patting the neck of the younger mare. "I don''t like stopping here any more than you do. But as long as we don''t disturb the woods, we''ll be fine." With my ears perked, I listened to every word. Night was coming; this peaceful-looking forest was apparently dangerous, but above all, they didn''t stop here for me. At least it seemed so; the old man did not show any interest in my hiding spot, preferring instead to busy himself with unharnessing the horses. Knowing nothing about it, I found it fascinating to watch him. He made it look very easy. ?T-there! A beast!? neighed the younger mare, tossing her head my way. ''Shit, shit, shit, shit . . .'' Panicked as the mare was, I ducked back behind my tree, ears flattened against my head. ?Where?? ?A-among the trees, behind it.? ''Shi - fuck!'' ?Silly, there no beast.? ?I saw it, big ears.? Of course, my stupidly big ears gave me away. The most sensible thing to do would be to just run away, not looking back. So, why did I not? Why did I stay, hoping the old man wouldn''t pay any attention to the neighing horses? ''Because deep down, I didn''t want to end up living like a beast in the woods.'' "What is it, girl? Something scared you?" the old man asked the mare, his voice soothing. For all my curiosity to see what he was doing and whether he was looking in my direction, I stayed down, still as a rock, merely listening. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Don''t worry; like I said, as long as we don''t do anything to disturb the woods, the big beasts won''t pay any attention to us. And as soon as I make a fire, the little ones won''t come near us, either." ''Fire? Won''t that disturb the forest?'' Contrary to my better judgment and expectations, hearing that seemed to calm the mare down. ?See, Liam knows what he is doing,? the older mare spoke, throwing my mind into a flurry of questions. Did she, an animal, understand him? How? She didn''t used to be a human like I first thought, did she? Was the kind looking old man a deranged lunatic after all? And why the hell did a few words calm the mare down so much? Did he use a weave, some kind of damn mind control? It wouldn''t surprise me - slaves and masters, that was how this world seemed to operate. Alas, while foolishly staying and listening, I got no answers. The old man, Liam, by all accounts, did as he said after unharnessing the mares and tying them to a tree. He found a suitable place among the towering piles of stones and started a fire just as dusk began to fall on the forest. Swallowing a whimper, I couldn''t help but marvel at the sight: ''My first actual evening in this damn world.'' Sure, huddling among the roots of the trees, spying on the old man with two horses, and watching the flickering light of his fire on the trunks around me was kind of lame. Still, the best evening I''ve had in a long, long time. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ With night falling on the forest in full might, fatigue settled over my body. No wonder, so much had happened. I had turned into a beast and back, killed a few people, died several times, and regained my freedom while finding myself in a mossy forest. I had every right to be tired. But still huddled behind a tree, I was swallowing yawn after yawn and fighting off the sleep that was coming to me with an unusual ease. No wonder there either - the forest might have been buzzing with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, but compared to the tortured wails of my fellow freaks, it felt like a beautiful lullaby. To fall asleep, however, would be to risk ending up with a collar around my neck again and a new master ordering me around. And so, while stifling yawns, I kept waiting and waiting until I was damn sure the old man and the mares had fallen asleep. Only then, after ensuring that my chains were secured and would not rattle, did I move from my hiding spot. Did I do the smart thing and run away, though? No, I crept forward toward the old man''s campsite like the biggest fool I was. Every fiber of my body was screaming at me to run away. After all, I knew too well how cruel humans could be to each other. The remnants of that abuse were still evident on my body. So, other than the slim chance that he was not a bad man, I couldn''t even find a good reason for me to act so foolishly. All that drove me forward was this unquenchable, almost painful curiosity - no, not curiosity - the need to know if this world was as twisted as I feared or if I was just that unlucky. And so, bit by bit, as silently as possible, I made my way to the stone wall behind which lay the old man''s camp. ''A wall?'' Squinting in the gloom that my eyes made of the night, I looked at the stones buried under layers of moss. It took me a while, but I recognized the rooms, the doors, and even the openings for what had once been windows. ''How come I didn''t see this before, in the full light of day?¡¯ Baffling, for sure. The ruins of what was obviously already a thing of the past, however, were not why I was sneaking around. Getting my mind back on track, I crept up to the wall and peeked over it. The old man had set up camp in what appeared to once be a rather large room with a fireplace in which the flame of his fire was now dying. Close enough now for the Lattice to tell me more about the man, I glanced at him lying under the blanket, his head resting on a soft-looking pillow. He certainly knew how to make camping more enjoyable. [Merchant: 78 sigils] And no wonder - as a merchant, he had to travel the world, or at least some part of it. I almost laughed out loud as relief settled in my heart. Sure, what the Lattice showed me didn''t rule out the possibility of him being some kind of slave merchant, but at least he didn''t appear to be someone who experimented on others. Speaking of which, my eyes traveled to the two mares lying tied to a tree growing in the corner of the room. They both seemed to be sleeping peacefully, something I never got to enjoy in the cellar. No, unlike me, those two were well taken care of. ''You two are lucky,'' I thought, kind of envious, then looked back at the old man. To my utter horror, his blue eyes were staring right back at me. He was awake, a dagger still partially tucked under the pillow, its blade flashing in the dying firelight, gripped tightly in his hand. This time I didn''t think twice and ran away. Chapter 22: Flipping Through Without caring whatsoever about shame, I tucked my tail between my legs, so to speak, and bolted off into the forest, not mindful of all the racket I was making. I ran as fast as I could, skipping over the roots, glancing over my shoulder from time to time to make sure the old man wasn¡¯t right on my tail - I ran until I was out of breath and my sides hurt. And even then, when I stopped and pressed my back against a tree, the fear that the old merchant, dagger in one hand and collar in the other, might emerge from behind one of the trees at any moment, still gripped my guts. ¡®There!¡¯ No, just a shadow of leaves cast by the moon. ¡®Shit . . . over there!¡¯ Oh, a pine cone - a bloody pine cone, or whatever falling from the tree. ¡®No, not even there . . . ¡¯ No matter how hard I tried to peer through the gloom of the night, no matter how much I strained my ears, no matter how long I waited, he didn¡¯t show up. ¡®You¡¯re stupid, Korra,¡¯ I cursed my foolishness and slumped between the tree¡¯s roots. Why would he chase me through the forest at night? That just didn¡¯t make any sense. It would be way better to track me down in the morning than to break himself on the roots - right? Unless . . . unless he was like me. Honestly, the way I was able to move across the moss-covered roots in the dimness of my mutated nocturnal eyesight left me a bit speechless. One massive tail and a pair of wings in addition to cope with, no shoes on my feet to make the running easier, and yet I flew through the forest like a seasoned trail runner, which I never was, far from it - I didn¡¯t even do the morning jog. On top of all that, I had spent over a dozen of the last months locked up in a small cell. Not exactly a place to stay in shape, however . . . somehow I still was. In fact, I felt great, short of breath, but not the least bit stiff or frail. ¡®Not that I want to complain, but . . . what the bloody heck?¡¯ Well, while my staying fit could be chalked up to my regeneration, not so much the way I moved. It was as if I knew how to travel through this terrain all along. But how could that be when all I knew of this world were two rooms? And that wasn¡¯t the only thing that didn¡¯t make sense. Apparently, I knew all too well how to run like prey. At that thought, a faint growl escaped my throat. Or was it my stomach? ¡®Just wishful thinking.¡¯ Sure, I was starving, but as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, the truth was that the weird-ass bug hadn¡¯t killed the beast. I could feel it still there deep down inside me, perhaps asleep or just biding its time. As vexing as it was, for all that had happened, I was not free of it, and it would be a damn big mistake to turn a blind eye to the fact that I could go feral again at any moment. Especially when those beastly traits were leaking out whether I wanted them to or not. And it wasn¡¯t just the occasional growling; my, let¡¯s call them instincts, were giving me quite a hard time, too. The humiliating shame of running away from someone who clearly wasn¡¯t a threat biting at my conscience was quite crushing. Was the merchant not a threat, though? Who the heck slept with a dagger under their pillow? Besides the obvious answers, like thief or assassin, after thinking it over a bit, I had to say - alone, in the middle of dense forests - any sane person. In a way, it made me the crazy one, running fearlessly through an apparently dangerous forest in the middle of the night, naked, the chain on my leg rattling loudly like a cowbell announcing my presence to all around. But to my utter bewilderment and relief, none - seriously, NONE of the supposedly dangerous forest dwellers seemed interested in me. Straining my ears, I heard nothing but the nightly hum of the forest and my own pounding heart. Even those bestial instincts of mine were silent - no danger nearby. Yet, I listened a little longer. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Who wouldn¡¯t want to make sure nothing eats them or captures them before laying down for the night, right? Well, after doing so and placing a branch in the way I had come from - sadly, my sense of direction was still basically non-existent - I found a comfy spot among the roots and let the forest lullaby rock me to sleep. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ ?ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!? Startled awake by a loud roar rattling my bones, I shot to my feet, in no way ready to face the beast. But no matter how hard I searched the forest, shrouded in the morning mist, for an animal that might consider me its breakfast, I found nothing but a couple of squirrels climbing the trunk of a tree, spoils in the form of nuts in their mouths. ¡®You bloody fool . . . ¡¯ I cursed myself silently as my heart threatened to leap out of my chest. ¡®You scared the shit out of yourself.¡¯ Realizing that one of my many nightmares had just come back to bite me during the not-so-dreamless night, I sat back down to get my shit back together. Was that roar real, or did it belong to the beast I turned into when the old man caught up with me - thankfully only in my dreams? My sore throat suggested that I had indeed let out that roar, perhaps even turned into a full beast and back; the oblivious squirrels, on the other hand, suggested the opposite. ¡®So, did I turn into a beast again? No, I can¡¯t, I just can¡¯t deal with it now . . . ¡¯ Chewing on my lower lip, I swallowed any fear of my inner beast taking the reins and delved into the Grid Forge in search of a weave that would help me survive in this forest. Among those available to me, there was certainly at least one that I knew would be useful to me: the Thrifty Drinker. It appeared among my available General weaves after that deranged asshole forgot about us for three whole bloody days. While it certainly hadn¡¯t been that long since my last sip I was now admittedly no less thirsty and hungry as a starving . . . well, beast. ¡®Come on. Where is it . . . huh, [Moss Eater]?¡¯ Definitely a possibility, but was I that desperate? I could go a bit longer before . . . ¡°Sage, you are an empress? Wait, doesn¡¯t having you make me an empress?¡± While I certainly didn¡¯t feel like one, the weave I came across would suggest so - [Tail of Poison Empress] was definitely a new one. For once, though, it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out where the weave came from, the orange apple cinnamon cloud emanating from beneath my fur, the poison that . . . ¡®Wait, did it kill me during the night?¡¯ Sure enough, when I looked through the records, I found a couple of new notifications. With a shudder running through my body at the thought of how many times my tail, Sage, had already killed me, I put the weave aside and went back to searching for the actually useful ones. ¡®[Quadruple Stride]?¡¯ Nope, I certainly didn¡¯t need that one, and hopefully I never would . . . ¡® . . . the fuck? [Beast]?¡¯ Was the Lattice messing with me? What kind of shitty weave was that? Not in a million years! Never. Not after what that beast made me do. I didn¡¯t give a shit how good a weave it might have been, but they¡¯d have to place a collar around my neck again and force me to put it in my Grid. Fuming, I ignored the weave, found the one I was actually looking for, and thought about all the others I could use right now. [Silent Suffering] and [Faint Presence] would undoubtedly have helped me with my sneaking yesterday, but there was not the slightest regret in my heart for getting rid of them - if anything, the opposite. Speaking of which, I believed I had some variations of those among the General weaves, too. ¡®Hmm, what were they called?¡¯ I thought, while flipping through the weaves. ¡®Not [Hand Washing], neither [Haircare], and certainly not [Never-Dying]. Wait . . . what? [Never-Dying]? That was new - could it be the reason I, well, couldn¡¯t die?¡¯ ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Never-Dying General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? You are far from the most for whom an untimely death entails a somewhat inconvenient life impact, for you can always find a new way to die later as long as your body or your brain is intact. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®Seriously, what the bloody fuck?¡¯ Sure, I knew I couldn¡¯t die, but to have it confirmed . . . ¡®How the heck did I get this weave? And how on earth did it even work? I mean . . . I didn¡¯t actually have it in my Grid, so . . . huh.¡¯ Somehow, the name of the weave, not the one translated into Eleaden Standard, but the two original runes in the description, struck me as familiar. I had seen those lines before. Without even realizing it, my hand went to my chest, fingers tracing the scars, the remnants of the hole the damn bug had punctured in it. Chapter 23: Why the Runes? ¡®That can¡¯t be...¡¯ Eyes wide, I stared down at my chest. The angle made it hard to see, but undoubtedly, there under the fluff were dark scars, tracing the same lines as the runes: Never-Dying. ¡®Shit.¡¯ A shudder ran through my body. More than scars, it suddenly felt like a brand - just another way for that bug to screw with me. The damn creature didn¡¯t want to lose its toy it brought from another world, so it made me unable to die. Did it have fun watching me struggle on? ¡®Actually...¡¯ Doubts put cracks in my rage, choking it down a little bit. Yesterday was the first time I¡¯d seen the bug since I came into this world. As far as I knew, it hadn¡¯t shown any interest in me until that deranged asshole called it, which was rather annoying considering that without it, I¡¯d be happily going about my ordinary life. A bit of a stretch, but by this time, I could have my own little flower shop and maybe a loving husband and child. Instead, I was a freak, running naked through the woods, condemned to live this shitty life, whether I liked it or not. ¡®Why?¡¯ My chewed nails dug into my palms as I clenched my hands into fists in a vain attempt to fight off a surge of fury - and a whole lot of sorrow. Try as I might, the unfairness of it all drew a hushed bestial growl from my throat. ¡®Why me?¡¯ The question I would most likely never know the answer to. And perhaps it was even better that way. What would it change if I did? Nothing, nothing at all. Better to ask, why the runes? Was the bug watching me now from the shadows somewhere, enjoying the show? Somehow, it struck me as much more likely that the damn critter just wanted to make sure that I would languish in this world no matter what. To think that it would do so out of the goodness of its rotten heart sounded simply ridiculous - more likely to fool the bastard. ¡®Yeah, that would actually make some sense...¡¯ No doubt I was alive and kicking, so to speak, but the damn bug killed me, just like the deranged asshole wanted. Admittedly, the notion of him paying for basically nothing was kind of satisfying. Why not bring me back to life just once, though? Why the runes...and the weave, for that matter? Okay, the weave wasn¡¯t hard to figure out. Obviously, I got it because of the runes. And it was the bloody runes on my chest that kept me from dying, not the weave, so... ¡®...well, shit it.¡¯ Whatever the damn bug¡¯s intentions were, they were beyond me. Like, why send me here? Was this a random place, or was the critter hoping something would make dinner out of me in this forest? It couldn¡¯t have known I¡¯d run into the old merchant, could it? Unless...unless the two were in cahoots. Perhaps the old man traded with the bug before, too. Scratching at my hair, I let a growl escape my lips, this time deliberately. There were so many unknowns that it was giving me a headache. Like seriously, what the bloody heck was going on? Was I really just a puppet in that bug¡¯s twisted game? Certainly not something I could find the answer to on my own. Who to ask, though? The old merchant? ¡°I know, Sage. First, the weaves,¡± I remarked with a soft laugh when my tail gave me a slap, a gentle reminder of what mattered and a way to keep my mind off things that would give me nothing but a headache. So, I went back to what I wanted to do in the first place: find some useful weaves. Before long, I had the Grid full again - actually; it took quite a while. Too long, in fact. But yeah, I finally had a Grid that didn¡¯t give me shivers just from looking at it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):___15 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):_______________108 glyphs - ???? Thrifty Drinker (General):__________________0 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General):_____________________0 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General):________________0 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General):__________________0 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Quite the weave set, huh Sage?¡± I said to my tail, which I pressed to my chest, quite pleased with my pick. Sure, none of the skills sounded as powerful as [Never-Dying], but I didn¡¯t really need the weave if I couldn¡¯t die, anyway. At least, that¡¯s how I justified it to myself not to feel so lame. Mostly, it was a caution not to reach for something the bug had its fingers in that kept me from picking it up. Actually, thinking about it, I don¡¯t think it had fingers at all. ¡°I know, I know.¡± Reminded once again by Sage not to dwell on things I could do shit about, I scrambled to my feet, and after checking the branch I had thrown on the ground last night, I gazed towards the ruins, more questions on my mind. Should I go there? With [Thrifty Drinker] and [Hunger Fortitude] among my weaves, I should be able to hold out a little longer now, even without any glyphs engraved on them. Besides, that should change pretty quickly, given my thirst and hunger, so...it was more a question of whether the old man was waiting for me there - in an ambush? Of course, the most sensible - and a little bit cowardly - thing to do would be to avoid the place. But was it? Not going there now would put me at the risk of never finding the ruins again. Unsurprisingly, I didn¡¯t find any weave among the available ones to help me with my sense of direction. On the other hand, [Equilibrium] should help me in escaping through rooty terrain if need be and thanks to [Spatial Domain], I should know in advance about anyone sneaking up on me. And those two should be good weaves, like really good ones. Seriously, while not sounding as powerful as [Never-Dying], those were weaves I acquired through all my mutations. With my wings, I gained access to [Maneuverability], which got replaced by [Great Balance] when I grew Sage. And so on until [Equilibrium] stood among my weaves. Same with [Spatial Domain]; in addition to [Nocturnal Sight], I gained a weave of [Peripheral Vision] with the mutation of my eyes and [Awareness] when my ears sprouted from my head. Actually, [Spatial Domain] was a bit new to me. It certainly wasn¡¯t among my weaves before I turned into a full beast. But unlike [Beast], this one didn¡¯t make me sick just by looking at its name. Anyway, convinced by myself of my readiness, I made the decision: ¡°The ruins it is.¡± ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Thrifty Drinker General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? In a time when every little sip of water counts, you can survive on less throughout the droughts. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Equilibrium General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? You can say goodbye to unwanted falls, unexpected stumbles, and straight out splats, for you can twist like a tumbler, move like a dancer, or land with the grace of stray cats. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hunger Fortitude General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? With hunger striking, you find it less biting. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Spatial Domain General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? You are one with the surrounding space, and in it, you will not miss a single trace. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 24: Ruins Run Honestly, that one, [Spatial Domain], was weird, making me a tad dizzy as I made my way through the forest back to the ruins. Never in my life have I been so aware of my surroundings. Sure, with my sails for ears, I could hear the rats scratching in the walls on the other side of the cellar, but this was on a whole other level. Within five meters of me, the weave made me aware of every leaf, every twig, every fold of bark on the trees - even on the other side of the trunks I sure as heck couldn¡¯t see. As I said, the whole domain thing was weird and quite overwhelming, yet somehow... familiar, for lack of a better word. It was like something I had long forgotten was coming to me, or better yet, like two things had just clicked into place. You know, like when you stop focusing on your steps while dancing and just let the rhythm of the music take you. Not that dancing was my thing. I liked it; I just wasn¡¯t good at it - to put it mildly. All of which, by the way, was quite apt about my running through the forest as well. Seeing where I was stepping and being aware of each root better than ever before certainly helped, but with [Equilibrium] among my weaves, I moved through the trees with an ease that couldn¡¯t compare to my nightly frantic run. Not knowing better, I¡¯d say I was dashing on a well-prepared track with sneakers on my feet. Yeah, the first glyphs were always the easiest ones to get. But reading those notifications was a blast compared to those in my cellar past. ¡®Shit, there already!¡¯ Before long, familiar stone structures appeared out of the rising mist in the forest ahead of me. Stopping behind one of the trees, I rechecked the shackles on my left leg, immediately berating myself for doing so now that I had [Spatial Domain]. Nevertheless, the need to see it with my own eyes aside, the chain was still firmly tucked in behind the iron of the shackles, tearing at my skin. Reassured, a bit nervous, and fighting off a gnawing hunger, I cautiously stepped out of the safety of the tree¡¯s shade. Crouched down, my ears alert for the faintest hint of an ambush, I moved slowly forward, one light step at a time, from one shadow of the tree to the next. Soon I stood at the foot of the old walls, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. So far, no sign of an ambush. In fact, it sounded like the old man was gone, along with his wagon and mares. With the breath caught in my throat, I didn¡¯t let the notion settle - first; I had to see it to believe it. Deftly swinging myself over the old stone windowsill, I stepped into a small room - an empty one, save for the moss-covered rubble. Then I slipped through the door into another and then another. It took me a while, as this building had obviously been no small establishment, but I inspected every half-demolished room I could find before I mustered enough courage to enter the one where the old merchant had camped yesterday. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. And well...he was truly gone. There was nothing left but the remains of his campfire in the old fireplace, some horse dung in the corner, and tracks left in the moss from the wagon. That and a small bundle left on a sizable rock, partially cleaned of moss. ¡®Shit. Shit, shit, shit. So, he did see me... I mean, of course, he did.¡¯ The old man was staring right at me just before I ran off into the forest. So...what the bloody heck did the message mean? There, under the bundle, were words scrawled on by a charred twig: [I¡¯ll be passing through again in three days.] Sure, there was still a tiny chance that the message wasn¡¯t meant for me but for some friend of the old man. After all, I¡¯ve been wrong about this place before, and even if it didn¡¯t look the part, it might be quite frequented. In fact, this acquaintance of his could be passing through here at any moment. Though it begged the question, why not wait for them, or would they not meet halfway? ¡®No, he wrote it for me to read.¡¯ It just didn¡¯t make sense that he would do it for any other reason, and a damn coincidence that his trademark doodled under the text would resemble me. Sure, it was something a five-year-old would draw, but the circle was undoubtedly my head, the three dots inside my eyes and nose, the triangles on the sides my big ears, and the two lines on top my little antlers. ¡®Kind of cute, but...¡¯ The simple execution aside, it was almost frightening all the old man had managed to see and remember in that brief moment under the dim, dying light of his fire. Come to think of it, perhaps it was a quirk of his profession, or more precisely of his array - some kind of weave that enhanced his memory, sight, and sharpness. Either that or the sight of me was so unforgettable. ¡®Not sure if I should be annoyed or flattered.¡¯ Wait... did he see my bare ass running away to the forest, too? Was that why he remembered me? Well, if so, I was glad it was my mug he drew on the rock. Speaking of which, my eyes fell on the bundle placed on top of it. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t big, about the size of an apple. But who would wrap an apple in cloth? No matter how hard I racked my brain, all that came to mind was what could happen if I took the bundle, not what it might actually be. The rag could be poisoned, soaked with a sedative, or the bundle itself could be a trigger, and the moment I picked it up, a net would shoot out of the ground, or a giant rock ball would roll out at me. I blamed all those movies I saw back on Earth and my vivid, imaginative mind craving for more stimulation than the four walls of the cellar. Anyway, the package. After thinking it over and a bit of looking around - no net buried under the moss - I made enough distance and dashed to the stone. A good two meters in front of it, I flapped my wings and took to the air in a leap, taking the bundle on the fly, somewhat literally, and made it to safety, landing in a roll on the ground before any mechanism could catch me. Quite to my disappointment, the rock remained a rock, and I proved to be the skittish fool. Anyway, with who I was annoyingly clarified, it was time to see what the bundle contained. ¡®Was it a gift?¡¯ ¡®Or the trap? A smoke bomb?¡¯ ¡®Maybe just a rock?¡¯ ¡®A prank?¡¯ Well, it turned out to be a sweet bun. Chapter 25: Pastry Naturally, the question of whether it was a poisoned bun immediately came to mind. Why else would the old merchant leave such a tasty looking and mouth watering piece of pastry behind, right? There had to be a catch. My growling stomach, of course, disagreed - or rather, it didn''t care. ''A fair point,'' I silently agreed, nevertheless eyeing the rather sizable bun for a trace of needle marks. While death may not have been the end for me, as rhymed in the description of [Never-Dying], I''d rather avoid being poisoned if I could. ¡¯Oh, shut up, Sage.¡¯ I shooed away my tail, the tip of which, as if in provocation and reminder of its deadlines, brushed under my nose. The thing was, however, that there were far worse poisons than the one killing fast with an apple scent. In a way, even though the Lattice didn''t notify me of the poisoning after downing one, the vile concoctions that deranged asshole made me drink could be considered poisons too. And the consequences of those were, well, not as merciful as death but bestially brutal. So, was it worth the risk to take a bite? The rumbling of my stomach spoke clearly. ''Perhaps just a lick first...that couldn''t hurt, could it?'' After cautiously touching the bun with the tip of my tongue and then brushing it lightly, I gave the pastry a good tongue rub, immediately almost melting away. ''Sooo, sweet.'' Mustering all my will and even using [Indomitable Will] to resist the assault on my tastebuds, I fought off the urge to pounce on the bun and instead tore it in half, revealing the filling inside. Dark in color, with the consistency of jam, it smelled of some sort of fruit - and even tasted like one. No notification, though. I licked a bit more of it and waited. But once again, the Lattice remained silent. As if that was the last straw to break my resolve, I pounced on the bun like a ravenous beast, devouring it in a few heartbeats. At one point, I even bit one of my fingers while licking them clean of the last remnants of the sweet treat. Only then, when there was nothing left of it, did I realize how wicked it was of the old merchant to leave me the bun. While quite sizable, the pastry was just barely enough to stall my hunger. If anything, it just left me craving more. ''Damn you, old man!'' I cursed the sly merchant in my mind, shaking the last crumbs out of the cloth the bun was wrapped in. Couldn''t he have left me one more? Seriously, if this was supposed to be some good gesture, he didn''t give it much thought. Torture, that was what it bloody was. Downcast and, in a way, hungrier than before, I returned the cloth on the rock. Much like the bun, the piece of fabric was nothing more than a tease barely large enough to tie around my wrist, let alone cover my waist. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [I''ll be passing through again in three days.] Staring daggers at the writing on the rock and the drawing of me below it, instead of more anger swelling in my chest, the guilt kicked me in the guts. Thanks to that old merchant, I got to eat what I thought I would never taste again. So I lowered my head in gratitude and whispered softly, "Thank you." With that said, however, it was time to find something to actually fill my stomach with, and above all, water to quench my thirst. Pondering what the unexpected gift might have meant and how to deal with it could wait until later. But after walking only a few steps, I doubled back to get the piece of cloth, tore it in two pieces, and used those to tie the remnants of the shackles chains to my ankles. Finally, I didn''t feel like a cow with a bell wandering through the forest, asking to be eaten. ''Which way to go, though?'' My previous exploration of the ruins had revealed that what had once been a well for this building was now a shallow hole, overgrown with tree roots and moss. Honestly, I must have had the worst luck because neither here nor on my return to this place did I encounter the tiniest stream, just an endless sea of moss-covered roots. ''I could try licking the dew off it,'' I thought to myself while eyeing the green blanket covering the ground around the ruins. This early in the morning, the moss was devoid of its white flowers - the beauties were still tucked away in the green buds waiting for the sun - but covered with tiny shimmering drops of water. The sight was mesmerizing in its own way. Surviving on dew, though? ''I might as well have taken the [Moss Eater] and be done with it.'' No! Getting by on the moss was the last resort. With my mind made up, I licked my dry, cracked lips, picked a random direction, and headed into the forest. Of course, I didn''t take it as some stroll in the neighborhood park. Aware of the danger that might lurk in the depths of the forest, I moved with the finesse of a predator stalking its prey, every now and then tearing moss from the tree trunks to mark my way. My eyes traced the forest for any sign of food while my ears hunted for the sound of running water. Although luck seemed to elude me, yet again. Time went by, and all I got was a torn blister on my foot quickly healed by my regeneration and a bunch of annoying notifications. [Equilibrium] was simply an awesome weave to have, and I was getting used to [Spatial Domain], meaning it didn''t make me dizzy anymore. What I had a beef with were the other two weaves that grew less useful with every breath I took. I know, unfair, considering my deepening thirst wasn''t their fault, but... ''There!'' After what seemed like hours, I finally found a stream - and from the sound of it, not just a wee brook, but quite possibly a strong stream with a waterfall. Caution forgotten, I thirstily rushed forward, darting over tree roots, at times literally gliding. The sound of running water grew louder with each flap of my wings, my heart pounding harder with each stride I took. ''Just a bit further. Only a few trees and...'' I froze in mid-thought the moment I pushed through the bushes and my gaze fell on the source of the noise. It certainly was a stream, a waterfall even, but... ''...what the bloody heck am I looking at?'' [Mossbear: ???? sigils] ''Right, a mossbear.'' Even with the Lattice telling me exactly what stood in front of me, making sense of what I was seeing was a different story altogether. After all, if my eyes weren''t playing tricks on me, there right in front of me loomed a massive fury ass of a beast taking a piss by a tree - and massive meant easily twice my size, if not more. Chapter 26: Mossbear [Mossbear: ???? sigils] The information from the Lattice hung in the forefront of my mind, as did the obviously male parts of the massive beast in front of my eyes. ''How can it be so huge?'' Seriously, how could any animal be that big? Not even elephants grew that size, at least as far as I knew. Granted, the closest I''d been to one was behind a fence in a zoo - no such luck here, though. What I did get was a mind-freezing close-up encounter with the local fauna. By the time I realized I shouldn''t be standing there like a lump of wood, and my instincts started screaming at me to run, the mossbear had finished his business and turned to me. As the name suggested, it was a massive brown-furred bear with its back covered in moss. But what I found most unusual about the beast were the antlers on its head. Of course, mine couldn''t compare with those of the beast. What grew on my head was more akin to a pair of sprouting seedlings, while the male mossbear boasted the likes of which any stag would envy. The grooves on his antlers were deep, with a white coloring appearing here and there on the edges. Mine, by contrast, were dark green all over, with rough ridges at the roots on my head, no deep grooves, only a lighter emerald green at their tips. There was no resemblance between the two I could find, yet I couldn''t take my eyes off the male¡¯s. A mistake, a huge mistake. Instead of being long gone, as my instincts were screaming at me, the beast¡¯s might weighed down on my shoulders, rattling me to the core and rooting my feet to the ground. Not just some figure of speech, the moss shoots did actually wrap around my feet. A bold notion of answering him with a might of my own briefly crossed my mind, only for me to realize I''d have to turn into a beast to be able to use it. At that point, not in the least bit willing to go wild again, my instincts took a complete turn and forced me to drop to my knees with my tail tucked between my legs and my own piss dripping on it. As if that wasn''t enough, a submissive whimper escaped my lips. Before this beast, I was nothing but prey, and to tell myself otherwise would be foolish. No matter how cumbersome the massive bear beast looked, there was no doubt, with my instincts, that I wouldn''t run away from it even if I managed to free my legs from the mossy grip. No, it was either to bend down and hope that the male mossbear would find me uninteresting or become his breakfast. And so, I waited, sweating from head to toe under the mossbear''s might, once more having my fate held in the paws of another. ''Just kill me already . . . !'' I screamed in my head, cursing my shitty luck, as the beast took its sweet time. It stared at me for a good minute before lowering its head, its warm, moss-smelling breath wafting over me, and sniffing me. ?Odd human female, familiar but twisted,? the male growled, disgust in his voice. ?Reeking of blood, yet small, weak, and pathetic.? This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. With that insult to my pride, the male turned and simply walked off into the forest. Watching him leave, however, made me question my eyes. Instead of the male having to forge his path through the trees, they seemed to have moved out of his way. Not to mention that the moment I took my eyes off him, I had trouble finding the massive mossbear again. The way the male managed to blend into the forest was almost terrifying. The same was true with the beast''s further lack of interest in me. Well, rather than terrifying, I found it no less hurtful than its growls - but just as relieving. While a part of me wished the mossbear would put me out of my misery, I almost let out a loud sigh of relief when the male disappeared from my sight. ''Why do I cling so hard to life?'' With tears in my eyes, I questioned myself while still slumped down despite no longer being held by moss shoots. ''Why can''t I just let go?'' Of course, there was no one there to give me an answer. Even Sage, my tail I named after the ferret I got from my mom before she died, stayed as silent as ever. Her soft, if a bit poisonous, embrace, seconded by the [Indomitable Will], however, eventually calmed me down enough to get up off the moss and continue trying to survive yet another day. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ ''The old man had guts.'' Seriously, I had to hand it to him. When he talked about the forest being dangerous, I assumed he meant something like wolves, or . . . or regular bears, not a fricking beast bigger than an elephant, with the might that, if I wasn''t starving for water, would make me piss myself and the number of sigils I couldn''t even see. I had long since understood that the strange runes I saw instead of numbers, and in the case of the damn bug, even instead of its name, were something that, according to the Lattice, was beyond my power to know. In my early days, and I don''t mean the time when I wasn''t able to read anything just because I hadn¡¯t reached the second circle of the [Eleaden Standard Language], I saw the details of all the slaves in the cellar with me in this way. [Slave: ? sigils] [Workhand: ? sigils] Only a few, mostly the younger ones, had so few sigils I could see the numbers. [Maid: 8 sigils] [Cook: 24 sigils] But as I grew as a Slave myself, much to my annoyance, of course, the meaningless runes turned into numbers. Albeit, knowing all that I still couldn''t tell how strong the mossbear actually was. Given the number of my sigils and the four runes in the beast detail, there was no doubt that the male was strong - like really strong. Going by my instincts, I''d say the number of the beast''s sigils was in the hundreds. Annoyingly, that was all I could tell. With nothing but the other slaves, the shitty bug with six runes, and my instincts to compare and go by, all I could come up with was a rough estimate. And well? I would say the beast was at least as strong as four hundred sigils, easily more. Did the old man know? Well, whether he knew or was in the same boat as me, the merchant simply had guts - or a screw loose. Not that a girl running naked through the woods, with the threat of going feral at any moment looming over her head, was the best material to judge someone''s sanity by. For all I knew, the mossbear could have been a common beast that every child in this world knew how to behave around. As the old man said, if undisturbed, you were in no danger. Or rather, I would say, if you knew your place. Anyway, the old man wasn''t making things up, and that earned him some points with me. On the other hand, the fact that someone with almost twenty sigils less on his array than me dared to travel regularly through this forest raised some red flags. Ah, speaking of the red flags, my skull tingled with a more pressing matter than the massive dwellers of this forest. For all the fright the encounter with the mossbear caused me, its piss was the only liquid I had come across in the forest so far. And though thirsty, I wasn''t that desperate. Well, at least, not yet. Chapter 27: Scary Moss ¡®It can¡¯t be,¡¯ I gasped in disbelief as my eyes fell on the clear, shimmering wonder streaming down between the tree roots. Having spent most of the afternoon looking for just a hint of a tiny brook, I hadn¡¯t even hoped to find one anymore. But there it was, in all its wet glory. The sight made my eyes water and my mouth feel even drier. Yet I rein in my horses. After the previous experience, I knew the consequences of letting caution go. And so, straining every sense I had at my disposal, I scanned the area for any signs or sounds of beasts. Apart from a few squirrels scurrying in the branches of a nearby walnut tree, however, I saw none, not even the giant mossbears. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t there somewhere. The way they managed to blend in with the forest was unbelievable. Since none of them, though, was using this brook right now, I couldn¡¯t care less. The key was not to disturb them. With that in mind, my eyes on the forest, and my focus on that flowing nectar, I made my way to the brook. Standing there with bated breath, I then dipped my toe in the water as if it were to disappear before my sight. The brook didn''t go anywhere, though. It wasn''t just some delusion, a daydream conjured up by my thirst - it was real. At that point, my caution broke, and I plunged to the bank, watering my parched throat. ¡®Oh my...that¡¯s it...amazing...¡¯ Embarrassingly, the sounds I was making were nothing to be proud of. One might even think I indulged in more than quenching my thirst, and to be honest, for a moment, I felt like I¡¯d reached new heights. But my only regret I had wasn¡¯t being a bit lewd or unaware of how clean and safe the water was to drink; it was not having anything with me to scoop water into: no bottle, no canteen, no bladder, not even a bowl. The idea of making this trip every day made me think twice about returning to the ruins. On the other hand, it was the only place that held hope for a somewhat normal life for me. No, I wasn¡¯t about to go and live there, pretending the ruins were a perfectly fine house. That would be nuts. What I saw that place as was a connection or a bridge to civilization out there somewhere outside this forest, the beginning of a path I had not yet found the courage to take. Nevertheless, the path I decided to take right now was not back along the trail in the moss I had left behind, but along the brook. With enough time to spare and my thirst quenched, I hoped to find something like a stream this one flowed into, maybe even a fruit tree on its bank. It would be awesome to taste apples instead of just smelling them. But instead of a fruit-laden tree, after a not-so-long walk, I came across a bridge. Well, calling it a bridge was a bit of a stretch. You could have crossed the brook dry-footed without much effort, so all that was needed were a few larger stones to bridge the tiny creek. Not what really mattered, though. That was the road leading over the bridge. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®Seriously, like, what the heck?¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t the road the old merchant drove over be hours of walking somewhere behind my tail? Was this another one crossing this forest? If so, who built them and why? ¡°Guess you don¡¯t know either, huh, Sage?¡± I asked my tail, waving carefree behind me. Of course, as always, Sage chose to wisely remain silent, leaving me to figure it out on my own. ¡®Well, shit it,¡¯ I thought to myself after a short while of following the two ends of the ribbon trailing under the carpet of moss between the trees with my eyes. It wasn¡¯t like knowing who built these roads would have helped me in any way. What I needed to know was where they led and what kind of people I would find there. ¡®Wait, what¡¯s that...?¡¯ Just as I was about to head further along the brook, leaving the road to be just another road, I noticed something unusual at the edge of my domain. There, under a layer of moss like everything else, lay something with edges too fine to be naturally made. My curiosity piqued, I tackled the moss, ripping it away. Slowly, the thing began to take shape under my hands: some sort of chiseled stone. It seemed too big for a mere upturned bollard, though. ¡®Information about the route, perhaps?¡¯ With a rush of excitement, I pounced on the moss and uncovered the first letters under my fingers. [...ome...] ¡®Rome? Just kidding.¡¯ What were the chances of two cities in different worlds having the same name, right? Besides, it was my weave translating the engraved letters for me. I had no way of knowing it wasn¡¯t telling me shit, messing with my mind, like this whole damn world. [Welcome to...] ¡®Oh. Oh...seriously, though?¡¯ Was this some kind of border between the two countries? A dense, impenetrable forest inhabited by bloody strong beasts, a merchant going back and forth - actually, that would make sense. Well, I couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. ....[Welcome].... ..... . [to].... . . [Esulmor Edge Inn] ¡®N-no way...¡¯ Reading the inscription several times, I stared at the road, dumbfounded. Now that I knew what to look for, it wasn¡¯t hard to spot the stone walls where the road disappeared between the trees on one side. It was quite scary how the omnipresent moss could make things blend in with the forest - so scary, in fact, that somehow, I don¡¯t know how; I made it back to where I started from. ¡®H-how, just how?¡¯ It just didn¡¯t make sense. I went in one direction. I was sure of that. Even though the brook flowed more to the right, I didn¡¯t follow it that long, so...HOW? Yet, no matter how much I wished to believe that my sense of direction wasn¡¯t that bad, once I got closer, there was no doubt. This was where Liam, the old merchant, had camped out overnight, the place where he had seen me and where he left that sweet bun for me to enjoy. Although now a little more moss-covered than I remembered, the rock with the old man¡¯s message and the drawing of my mug stood right in front of me. Yep, I was back in the ruins - and unable to help but struggle with the feeling of this whole expedition of mine being pointless. Chapter 28: Cursed ¡°Shit...¡± I growled through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to kick something. No matter how pissed I was at myself and my apparently non-existent sense of direction, it wasn¡¯t worth the pain. Instead, I sat down and hugged Sage to calm myself down. ¡®Yeah, yeah, more like fricking cursed...or something. Don¡¯t you have some weave in there that would help me, oh great Lattice?¡¯ Well, turns out not. If the World Rune Lattice had any, it didn¡¯t feel generous enough to slip them in between my General Weaves. Going through them several times, the closest I came to any that would help me get my bearings were the [Equilibrium] and, in the very tight space around me, [Spatial Domain], both of which I¡¯d already had. ¡°There¡¯s just no helping me, huh?¡± I was a lost cause, no doubt, bound to wander this accursed forest until my last breath - a thought that gave me pause: ¡®W-wait a minute! What if...what if this forest is cursed, like really cursed?¡¯ What if it wasn¡¯t my sense of direction at fault but some magic lying on the forest that made me turn around without me noticing? What if...well, the curse would make sense. The reason the bug sent me here was because this place was like a cell, only way bigger. No matter which way I would go, I would always come back here, the center of the curse. A cold shiver ran through my body as I looked at the crumbling walls around me. Suddenly, this whole place gave off a much more intense, eerie feeling - almost like it was being haunted. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Was that why the old man slept with a knife under his pillow? Did he think I was a ghost? Would a knife do him any good against one? If so, what was the deal with the bun? An offering so that the ghost what - would leave him be the next time he passes by? The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. ¡®Oh, the old man.¡¯ Seriously, how did I not see that? So, stupid. If this forest was cursed, how did he get through it? What trick did he use? Was it an item? While hard to admit, the answer was way simpler than that. There was no curse, and the old merchant had merely traveled along the path through the ordinary forest - well, one full of colossal trees, massive beasts, and the ever-present moss. No, the whole debacle with my expedition for water lay on my shoulders alone. ¡®Pathetic, I know.¡¯ Was it such a disaster, though? I found the water, and even better, closer than I expected. Besides, in my defense, despite knowing about the brook, my ears only picked up the rustle of the treetops high above me and the chirping of birds. Sure, vexing, but that little stream of running water was just out of my earshot. And the mossbear - I ran into the danger that the old man and the mares were talking about and survived. That had to count for something, right? If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Oh, oh, oh a-and...the name, the name of this place. Although, given the state of the ruins around me, it must have been a long time since these moss-covered walls functioned as an inn. ¡®Esulmor Edge,¡¯ I mulled over the words, trying to figure out what they meant. However, that turned out to be as pointless as hoping I¡¯d never lose my direction again. The ruins did not stand on the edge of anything, and the name Esulmor rang no bells. Anyway, seeing at last the silver lining of things, I stopped whining and stood up ready to deal with the ever-growing beast in my stomach. While the further usefulness of the [Thrifty Drinker] now lay in question, the opposite was true of that weave. Quenching my hunger might prove harder than finding the water. Because of the moss growing all over the place, there were no blueberries or raspberries to be found. All I came across in my wanderings through the forest besides moss and heaps of vines were some prickly bushes and a few walnut trees. In fact, the whole forest was eerily empty of any creatures larger than bugs and squirrels. Not that I intended to hunt any. In fact, just the thought of eating raw meat turned my stomach upside down. On reflection, I should have put more effort into cracking the nuts lying under the walnut trees - or at least brought a couple back with me. But again, easier said than done. I had no pockets, and while the fuzzy husks were easy to peel off, getting through the shells with just my fingers and teeth proved to be quite painful, if not outright impossible. ¡®Moss Eater, then?¡¯ Well, I was hungry, but still not hungry enough to taste the green delicacy tickling me between my toes. Instead, I found the wall over which I had spied on the old man and, rather foolishly hoping to find the place where I had spent the night, I set off into the forest again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sage. I got this,¡± I said to my tail as it waggled worriedly in front of my face as if asking if I was sure about this whole new expedition. Of course, I sure was not. But to avoid getting lost again, I marked my way very thoroughly - like stripping off a circle of moss on every tree I passed by. ¡°Ha, what did I tell you, Sage?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snort out triumphantly. Before long, much to my own surprise, a walnut tree came into view. Was that the one I woke up at? Probably not. As much as I¡¯d like to say it was, the place didn¡¯t strike me as familiar. In the end, that didn¡¯t matter. Spurred on by a notification tingling the inner side of my skull, I promptly set out to scour the ground for fallen nuts. There weren¡¯t many, but soon, much thanks to the [Spatial Domain], I had a pile of a dozen nuts peeled from their husks in front of me and the same problem as before to crack. ¡®How do squirrels open them without nutcrackers?¡¯ I whined, throwing the drool-covered nut to the ground in frustration after several failed attempts to open it with my teeth. Of course, that did not crack it open either. However, the rattling of the chains caused by the sudden movement cut into my ears as a mockery of my stupidity. Having no nutcrackers? ¡®Bullshit!¡¯ I had three strapped to my limbs. Not bothering to lament over my lack of sense, I placed one nut on the rather bulky lock of the shackles on my right leg and smacked it with the one on my left hand. The cracking sound of the shell was like music to my ears. ¡®Finally!¡¯ Driven by the hungry beast in my stomach, I devoured the dozen or so collected nuts in no time. A second sweep around the walnut tree area yielded only half of the first, leaving me gazing wistfully at the tree¡¯s laden crown after devouring all the slightly bitter, salty, but otherwise juicy nuts I could find on the ground. There were hundreds of them up there. Chapter 29: Wars Are Nuts Less than two handfuls of nuts was hardly enough to fill me up. But up there on the branches of the walnut trees, there were more than enough of them growing to last me at least a week. The question was how to get them down. The nuts were too high for me to reach, and I couldn''t even remember the last time I had climbed a tree - if ever. ''But wasn''t I . . . ? No!'' I was not a beast, let alone a tree-climbing cat. Still, as much as I didn''t like the notion, it was worth a shot. Who knows, perhaps one of those bestial instincts of mine would kick in, and I would be up there in a heartbeat. But deep down, I couldn''t help but think it ridiculous. If I were a tree climber, I''d know, right? Were the doubts my instincts warning me? Well, perhaps. Either way, I didn''t get more than half a meter up the trunk before I slid back down to the ground. The bark was too smooth, and my hands lacked the squirrels'' claws to latch on with. Annoying, but so were the little buggers watching me with amusement from the treetops. Not one to give up, at least not when it came to food, I tried jumping, even flapping my wings to get higher. But all the lower branches I might grab onto remained out of my reach. ''Shitty tree, move,'' I groaned silently, kicking the trunk in an attempt to shake the tree. None of the nuts fell down, though. All that foolishness got me was a sore, shaky leg and the mocking squeals of squirrels, hurting my pride. ''Just you wait.'' Letting out a low growl, I gave them the middle finger and looked around for something to throw at them. ''Ha!'' Or better yet - throw it into the branches to shake off the nuts. Finally, having what sounded like a solid plan, I gathered a supply of thick dead sticks to throw, and with vengeance on my heart, I hurled the first one into the branches. Not my best throw, but it did the job. The branches shook, and more than a dozen nuts fell to the ground - much to the displeasure of the squirrels, of course. They shrieked, furious, the meaning clear enough: fuck off, this is our tree. Well, I couldn''t care less. There were more than enough nuts for all of us, and I was bloody hungry. So hungry, in fact, that if I had a way to start a fire, I''d dare one of those squirrels to come closer. Luckily for them, not keen on eating raw meat - and not really knowing how I would actually catch one, either - I resumed throwing the sticks. Soon, I was sitting in front of a pile big enough to fill me up for the day. To crack all the nuts open was a hassle, but hunger was a b . . . well, a relentless bitch, and so one by one, I smashed them between my shackles, separating the shells from the surprisingly juicy kernels. Sure, eating only the nuts was . . . nuts, but the more I ate, the more Sage happily wagged behind me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was turning out to be not such a bad day, after all. I had water close by, the beast in my stomach was almost silenced, and I was sitting outside in the middle of a green field sprinkled with little white flowers. What more could you ask for, right? Well, some clothes for starters. Shoes would be good, too - and a bed, with a blanket and a roof over my head. That would be great - so great, almost like being back home. Yeah, home; I would love to get back so much. I would LOVE to hug my dad and my brother and have them hug me back. It would be awesome to be able to play with Sage, my ferret, again, and . . . " . . . yeah, yeah, don''t worry," I said softly to my bushy tail that wrapped around my neck. "I like playing with you too." ''Oh . . . '' The moment the words left my lips, it hit me how awkward that sounded. Luckily for me, there was no one to hear me except the birds high in the treetops, the mossbears somewhere in the forest and the pair of squirrels squeaking from the crown of a walnut tree. ''The bloody heck?'' Looking up into the branches, I counted half a dozen pairs of eyes, giving me a death stare. ''Were there always so many of them?'' Probably. My nut gathering must have brought the others out of their nests. Then why did I get this weird feeling on the back of my neck? The branches rustled slightly, and two more squirrels popped up, just like the rest of them, staring murder at me. Then, two more pairs of eyes appeared. Startled, I pricked up my ears, looking around at the nearby trees. Their branches much higher than those of the walnut, rustling slightly, were full of squirrels hurrying over. Like a swarm of rats, they landed on a tree, a source of food that I dared to take from them. Yet, not a single nut fell from the tree. Impressive - and all the more reason to be cautious of the more than a hundred small creatures and their tiny claws and teeth. With my instincts screaming ''danger'' at me, I kept my eyes on them, and when they all started squealing in chorus, I took a step back, ready to pounce - or flee. Go away! Our tree! Not yours! Get lost! While not as easily understood as in the case of the horses'' neighing, the meaning of their squeals could not be clearer. I was not welcome here. Unfortunately, as much as I''d prefer to, I couldn''t back down. Firstly, my annoying bestial pride wouldn''t let me do that, and secondly, after tasting the nuts, I wasn''t about to live on moss. And so, when their squeaking grew in volume, I growled back in the same manner, standing my ground: ''Scram! Get out of here!'' No, you! Our nuts! Then, without any warning and while I was baffled by the fact that they somehow understood me, the hundred-plus squirrels stormed me. I growled, roared, and screamed, trying to get them off me as they bit and scratched, defending their tree. In a heartbeat, my dinner spot turned into a vicious battlefield, with neither side gaining the upper hand, annoyingly. The squirrels were relentless, and no matter how many I threw away, they always came rushing back. Their courage was remarkable - and vexing, so vexing. I tried hard to fight the urge to really hurt them, to stop the pain of hundreds of claws tearing at my skin by spilling the buggers'' blood. More than enough of it had already stained my hands. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, rage welled up in my chest, suffocating me and giving me shivers. That feral feeling deep inside was all too familiar to me. Panic tightened its grip on my heart. I had to do something, quickly, before . . . The beast snapped. "Enough!" I roared, startling not only the squirrels but myself as well. The bestial might swept through the forest along with my voice. Chapter 30: Squirrels Did I really unleash what I thought I did? The beast might? No, that couldn¡¯t be right. After all, I didn¡¯t turn into a beast. I did NOT. I was still me, a human. Sure, with sails for ears, small antlers on my head, wings, and a tail, that was a stretch to claim, but I was still Korra, not some feral beast out for blood. I simply must have been wrong. However, as much as I tried to deny the truth, the sight of the frozen squirrels spoke for itself. They felt the might of the beast dwelling deep within me, and they feared it as much as I did. The might silenced them, and the entire forest, it seemed. Not even the rustle of a leaf could be heard. It was as if the trees themselves were horrified by me and what I was. Add to that a strange feeling on the back of my neck, and I couldn¡¯t shake the eerie feeling of the entire forest watching me. In a few heartbeats, though, time, seemingly suspended for that odd moment, sped up again, and all the squirrels jumped off me, retreating to the safety of the walnut tree. All but two. Lady. Lady, lady. ¡®Huh?¡¯ The meaning of those two¡¯s squeals left me more than confused. If I were to believe what my bestial side was telling me, which, oddly enough, I trusted more than the translation from the [Eleaden Standard Language], they regarded me as a lady. What I couldn¡¯t tell, though, was what exactly was behind the meaning. Was it just their way of showing respect for someone stronger? Or was there more to it? ¡®Hang on, surely it couldn¡¯t be . . . no, he wouldn¡¯t.¡¯ I dismissed the thought of Dungreen using squirrel extracts for one of his concoctions. In no way was I related to them - that would be just ridiculous. It WOULD! Speaking of the buggers, now that they were on the ground and not attacking me, I took a good look at them. [Esulmor Squirrel: 14 sigils] [Esulmor Squirrel: 11 sigils] Esulmor again. Was that then the name of this forest? Or the whole region? Certainly, a name to remember. The question was what to do with the squirrels. The battle was over, for now at least. And I had won. Well, sort of - I had bloody scratches all over my body, while a pack of squirrels seemed perfectly fine. They might have been weak, but what they lacked in individual strength, they made up for in numbers. Would they dare touch a mossbear, though? I doubted it, but I just as much doubted that the massive beast ate something like nuts. ¡°Eh, a-are we okay?¡± I asked the squirrels, feeling the way they were looking at me - dumb and foolish to talk to them. ¡®Right, the meaning.¡¯ That must have been what mattered - not whether it was a peep, a squeak, a neigh, or my own growl, but the meaning behind all those. That was how I understood the old man¡¯s horses and how pathetic I was in the eyes of the mossbear. That was how I understood squirrels¡¯ squeaks just now. There was just one little problem with knowing all this, though. ¡®How the bloody heck would one put the meaning into words?¡¯ ¡°Hello, I . . . I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± I spoke slowly, focusing with all my might on the happy image of me and the squirrels in my head. ¡°I w-was just hungry.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®Did it work? Ah, shit . . . ¡¯ The squirrels wore the same confused expression. ¡°Th-there¡¯s nothing else in the forest for me to eat,¡± I tried again, this time imagining a walnut tree in the middle of a vast meadow and nothing else around. Moss. Eat moss. ¡®Holy shit!¡¯ Eyes wide, I didn¡¯t know whether to be thrilled that I managed to do it, that it worked, or be pissed by their suggestion. Despite the weave available to me implying the moss was eatable, after tasting the nuts, I wasn¡¯t keen to take the plunge. ¡°No moss,¡± I said with as much emphasis on not wanting to eat it as I could put into the two words. ¡°Is . . . is there something else in the forest? Besides nuts?¡± Having my fingers crossed, I hoped for some berry bushes I had overlooked on my expedition through the forest and the squirrels knew about. The two little creatures looked at each other, squeaking something between themselves and those in the walnut tree that I didn¡¯t quite understand. When they finished their discussion, they turned back to me. Vines. Eat vines. Once again, I had to question whatever my bestial side was making good of the meaning behind their squeals. Vines? Seriously? Hopefully, the vines they meant were somehow different from the ones growing on Earth because I couldn¡¯t imagine eating those. ¡°Can you show me?¡± Yes. Lady, follow. And so, after a bit of hesitation, I ended up chasing a pair of squirrels, with half-healed scratches, into the woods, with more than a hundred of the little creatures trailing behind us through the treetops. Of course, I marked my way as best I could in the rush - the little creatures proved to be surprisingly fast. And, of course, I stayed vigilant in case this whole thing was some kind of ruse. They might have seemed earnest, but who knows what really lay where they were leading me. It could have been the vines or a massive mossbear. Well, much to their credit, it turned out to be the former. While the place certainly wasn¡¯t just a few trees away, the pair of squirrels led me to a spot where the treetops gave way to the sky, and the vines hung almost all the way from their branches to the ground, basking in the sun. Not the first time I had seen a spot like that. On my expedition to find water, I came across a few places like this. But the first time I saw it as anything other than just beautiful scenery. Vines. Eat. ¡°You sure? Those vines?¡± Yes. Eat. Well, I couldn¡¯t help but question the squirrels¡¯ intentions. The vines they were talking about looked not unlike those high up in the treetops and the ones I knew from Earth, a tangled mass of tendrils twisting and turning, covered with leaves. ¡°No fruit,¡± I said, pointing out as strongly as I could that I didn¡¯t see anything I could eat on the vines. No. Vines, lady. Eat vines. ¡®Were they screwing with me?¡¯ Full of doubts, I took on the vines in my hand. The stem was surprisingly soft and flexible despite its rough texture, making me wonder how the vines didn¡¯t snap at their length. But in the end, it didn¡¯t matter if their appearance was deceiving or if they grew more solid higher up. What mattered was whether they were edible. Bite. Vine, bite. ¡°If this is . . . ¡± I said, intending to give the squirrels a warning, but stopped short. If this was just some trick of theirs to make fun of me, I could only blame myself for falling for it. And so, taking a deep breath to ready myself for whatever was about to hit my taste buds, I sunk my teeth into the vine, biting it in half. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡¯ What I more than eagerly pounced on tasted mildly like a cucumber, if a bit tougher to chew. Before I knew it, a whole meter of the bitten-off vine ended up in my stomach, filling me up no less than all the nuts I managed to eat before my battle with the squirrels. Just thinking about it was so vexing. Once again, my previous efforts; the knocking down all those nuts; the cracking them out of their shells, seemed utterly pointless. ¡°Thank you . . . ¡± I said with sincerity to the squirrels but paused, standing with my eyes wide open. The small creatures were nowhere to be seen. Panic bit into my heart, and a flurry of questions stormed my mind. Did they really screw with me? However, no matter how long I waited, alerted, no notification tingled through my skull, no discomfort twisted my insides, and no mossbear came rushing through this odd forest lacking any other animals. The two little creatures simply made good on their promise and returned to guard their tree. And so, with food and water secured, I lived to see the day when Liam, the old merchant, was to ride through the forest again. Chapter 31: Not Pointless [I''ll be passing through again in three days.] Staring at the message, now almost overgrown with moss again, I clutched Sage to my chest, doubts gnawing at my mind. The day had come for the old man to return or, rather, for him to ride back through the forest as he wrote. Of course, I wasn''t stupid enough to think that he was coming back just to help me, that I was the sole reason for his trip back, because if I was . . . well, I could be screwed. For all I knew, he might as well have come back to take me, enslave me, and I don''t know . . . maybe sell me. He was a merchant, after all. What if, what if, what if . . . having no idea of his intentions was killing me. ''Shit it!'' Eventually, as the sun dispersed the morning mist in the forest, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth as I bit down too hard on my lower lip, I cleaned the stone with the old man''s message and added my own version of the adorable me, complete with a smile, underneath his drawing of me. Writing down a simple ''thank you'' would have been more to the point, but I had too few glyphs on the weave of [Eleaden Standard Language] to do so. While I could read Eleaden Standard, writing in it proved to be a futile effort, like hoping to discover my hidden sense of direction. Anyway, since it didn''t seem likely that the old man would be able to read English, I wasn''t left with too many options. Hence, the drawing of the smiling me. Of course, I didn''t sit on my ass all day yesterday, and I certainly wasn''t about to wait for him holed up in the ruins when chances were he wouldn''t arrive until the evening to spend the night like last time, either. There was so much to do - like having breakfast or searching the other end of the brook. Yesterday''s trip downstream might not have turned out the way I''d imagined, again, but that didn''t mean there couldn''t have been a small lake upstream. Well, not too small, big enough for me to take a bath. Sure, the water in the brook was icy cold, and washing off the dirt accumulated over a year and a half would undoubtedly make it undrinkable, but a girl could dream, right? Nevertheless, as expected, and much to my disappointment, the third expedition into the forest turned out to be as pointless as all the previous ones. Hence, annoyingly, as the sun moved across the sky and dipped towards the horizon, I found myself no better prepared to face the old merchant than I was three days ago. "Oh, stop it. I know," I grumbled, pushing Sage away from my face. That I wasn''t any less ready wasn''t quite true. Unlike my first encounter with the old man, I was rested, fed, and, most of all, not bewildered by what was happening. Of course, that didn''t make it any easier. My heart was racing, and restless snakes seemed to nestle in my guts. I struggled with whether to hold it in, throw up, or take a squat behind a tree. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And that was just me, hiding in the ruins, waiting for the sound of a carriage coming down the road. Talk to the old man? Well, for fear of tucking my tail between my legs and running away, I prefer to stay away from any thought of that. Was that an unnecessary worry? Could be, for the night drew near, and the road remained disappointingly empty. But just as I was beginning to question the old man''s written promise my ears perked up. ''There!'' The sound of a horse-drawn carriage cut through the chirping of birds and the noise of waking night creatures echoing across the forest. Not long after that, two horse-like creatures, mares for lack of a better word, appeared among the trees, with a carriage drawn by them close behind. It wasn''t until I recognized the old man in the driver''s seat, though, that I dared to breathe a sigh of relief. All that waiting was not pointless. Of course, I was still ready to run away at the slightest hint of trickery. However, that it was him - the old man by himself - and not someone else arriving drove away quite a lot of the tension running amok in my body. "Whoa!" the old merchant howled just as I remembered, and the wagon stopped in front of the inn''s ruins. ?Still not like it here. We should keep going,? the younger mare whinnied, looking around in search of danger, while the older one, sounding tired, shook her head: ?You speak that every time.? ?Because true. You not smell that? Beast.? ?Forest full of them.? ?One was here, though.? I froze, my breath caught in my throat. The mare knew - she knew I had been around. "Come on, girls, calm down," the old man spoke in his low, husky voice, patting the younger mare''s neck. "Just one night, and we''ll be gone again." This time, his voice soothed more than just the mares. Hearing the old man reminded me I had left my cute little mark on the stone for him to see. Even without the mares alerting him to my stench, he would know about me being here soon enough. Annoyingly, though, he took his sweet time looking at it. Instead of climbing down from the wagon and going straight to check out the rock, he busied himself with unharnessing the horses. Only after he had tied them to a tree in the corner of the former room did his eyes fall on the spot where he had left me the bun. "Tits, ain''t I getting old? How could I forget?" he gasped, running his hand over his beard, eyes fixed on the rock, searching the grounds. "Did that Ter¡¯an girl take the sweet bun that Marlen made?" ?I-it was the beast, I tell you,? neighed the younger of the mares while I watched everything from my hiding place in the ruins. Of course, the old man didn''t understand the mare as well as I did, so ignoring her neighing, he rushed to inspect the now-bun-less rock. Then, after staring at it for a moment, no doubt making sense out of my artwork, he scared the shit out of me and the mares when he laughed out loud. ''Like, what the bloody heck? Wasn''t he worried about disturbing the mossbears?'' Even the older mare thought the old man must have gone mad. But when he turned around to address the mares'' fearful neighing, a broad grin stretched across his face, his eyes darting around the crumbling walls. "Are you there, girl?" ''Shit!'' Once again, I froze. This was a part I hadn''t really thought out. Chapter 32: Not a Night-Mare ¡°Are you there, girl?¡± I sure was, only...shackled down by my own fear. One heartbeat of silence, a second one, and then another, rang in my ears while my mind raced. To answer the old man would be to betray my position away. But not to answer him...well, that would be rude, at the very least. ?H-he calls the beast?? the younger of the mares asked when she got over the merchant¡¯s sudden laughter, horrified. ?Not beast to him.? ?But it is beast. I c-can smell it.? ?Me too, Lyl¡¯ra.? The fact that I smelled like a beast to both mares hurt a little. Though covered from head to toe in months-old filth, I should smell like a human - I was still one. Even the Lattice said so in my Grid. So... Was the smell of my beast side, all those mutations, so strong that it overpowered the scent of my human side? ¡®B-bloody heck, Korra. Not the most pressing issue.¡¯ I berated myself as an old habit of mine kicked in. It was much easier to deal with other things - like what the heck was Lyl¡¯ra? A word my weave couldn¡¯t translate, or the mare¡¯s name - than things I was uncomfortable with and had no idea how to handle. Ashamed of myself, drenched in sweat from head to toe, with bated breath and heart pounding, I shifted my attention back to the old man. He stood there in the middle of the moss-covered ruins of the room, looking around, waiting for my answer - the answer that never came. ¡°If you hear me, then hello, my name is Liam. Liam Scoresby,¡± he said in his low, husky, and oddly soothing voice. Yet, despite my instincts staying silent and nothing brushing against my mind, at least nothing as far as I could tell, my lips remained sealed. There was no way for me to tell that Scoresby wasn¡¯t just a sweet talker. After all, he was a merchant. ¡°Do you live here?¡± ¡®It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to.¡¯ ¡°This is a dangerous place, but I guess you know that...¡± For quite a while, the old man tried to make small talk. And not answering him certainly hurt my heart - he kind of reminded me of my own grandfather. Admittedly, that might have been due to the lack of interaction with other people and the longing for my family. Eventually, though, he figured he wouldn¡¯t get an answer from me: ¡°Well, girl, I¡¯ll be here till morning in case you want to talk.¡± Good to know. I certainly did. Just not now. As he spoke, a plan formed in my head, one involving moss and him falling asleep. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ Well, after a couple of hours and a considerable amount of self-restraint, while watching him dine on something well-cooked in advance, I finally saw my opportunity to make my move. Sure, the old man might have been faking sleep like last time, but I couldn¡¯t really be sure he was out cold unless I gave him a sniff of my tail. Poisoning him was a last resort, though, in case he really wanted to collar me. Instead, tense, cautious, and with all my senses on high alert, I made my way through the inn¡¯s ruins to the sleeping horse-like creatures. My plan was not without its risks, but after finding a good spot, I plucked some moss and threw it on the older mare. ¡®Oh, shut up!¡¯ I barked at the notification tingling in my skull. Seriously, the Lattice could not have picked a worse time to inform me. I almost yelped out loud. On the other hand, having engraved another glyph on the weave I used the most wasn¡¯t bad - only three more, and the first circle would be full, forming the second. Furthermore, the range of my domain increased with each glyph, now creeping up to almost six meters. Sure, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough for my domain to reach the mares, but I wasn¡¯t even close enough for the Lattice to tell me more about them. The reason would be simple. I didn¡¯t want them to smell me, especially the younger one. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡®Okay, here we go again.¡¯ After recovering from the sudden scare, I threw another tuft of moss at the mare. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ The only thing that moved was her tail, rubbing the spot where the moss had hit her. So I threw another tuft, and then another, and another, until the mare pricked up her ears and raised her head, her squinting eyes searching the darkness for the source of the pesky falling moss. Of course, I didn¡¯t stick my head out to scare the shit out of her. Instead, I gathered my courage and whispered: ¡°Um...I¡¯m s-sorry to wake you up, but...¡± ?The beast!? she neighed, panicked. ¡°P-please calm down. I mean no harm,¡± I whispered hurriedly, doing my best to convey my honest intentions. ?Beast?? ¡°I am not a...yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m the one you smell around this place.¡± ?No harm?? ¡°Yes, no harm,¡± I affirmed, damn impressed by the animal¡¯s poise, which I also tried to put into my words. ¡°I merely want to talk.¡± ?Talk about what?? ¡°About you and your...¡± I whispered, pausing, having no idea what the one owning the horse was called. Master? That one gave me the creeps. ¡°...your owner.¡± ?Liam?? ¡°Yes.¡± ?You want to hurt him?? ¡°No, no hurting him. Unless he hurts me.¡± ?He would not...unless you hurt him - or us.? ¡°He cares about you that much?¡± ?Yes, he good human. So, you better not hurt us.? ¡°I will not,¡± I said, again reassuring the mare as best I could, taken aback by her trust in the old man. ¡°Is he - truthfully - a good human?¡± ?He is, takes care of us.? ¡°I see, so you¡¯re not his...slaves?¡± I asked carefully, trying my best to convey what I meant by the word. ?No slaves,? the mare whinnied, not taking kindly to my suggestion that a merchant would consider them such. ?Partners, we work, he takes care of us.? ¡°S-stay calm, please,¡± I whispered urgently, afraid that her neighing would wake the younger mare, especially the old man. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult him. I had a...bad owner. Afraid to meet another human.¡± ?Lots of bad masters, Liam caring, though.? ¡®Oh, that¡¯s why.¡¯ That explained her trust in the man. Before she had ended up in Scoresby¡¯s care, she had her share of shitty owners. Still...just because he was kind to animals didn¡¯t mean the same for his treatment of humans. ¡°T-that¡¯s good; however, I have to ask: He doesn¡¯t...well, own any slaves, human slaves?¡± ?No!? When the mare again took my question as an insult to the old man, quite a weight lifted off my heart. Apparently, the man sleeping nearby was not a slaver, merely a merchant. ¡°I see, and what does he trade in? What are you pulling on that wagon?¡± ?You want to steal?? ¡°No, just curious.¡± ?Human stuff, useless to beast.? I had to give it to her. While still fearing she was talking to a beast, which hurt a little, she tried to dissuade me from stealing their cargo. I wasn¡¯t sure I would be brave enough to do something like that in her place. ¡®Damn, what was I¡­ kidding myself? I wouldn¡¯t be.¡¯ And so, feeling a bit guilty, still full of questions, but having learned what I needed to know, I reasoned there was no point in tormenting the mare any further. ¡°Thank you...for talking to me.¡± ?No harm to us?? ¡°No,¡± I whispered, hurriedly thinking of a way to reassure her of my non-malicious intentions. ¡°I swear on my pride.¡± ?Then, thank you for not eating us.? With that, I disappeared into the forest, certain not to catch a wink of sleep until I spoke to the old man himself. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):....15 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):............................108 glyphs - ????? Thrifty Drinker (General):......................0 ¡ú 3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General):............................0 ¡ú 6 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General):..................0 ¡ú 5 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General):......................0 ¡ú 9 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 33: Korra Grey Just as I thought, the dawn came before sleep could catch up with me. Not the first sleepless night I ever had, and I guess not the last. But man, did I wish I¡¯d overslept. My muscles ached from being tense all night, my eyes burned with fatigue, my heart was pounding so hard in my chest it hurt, a lump was stuck in my throat, and the stench of my sweat stung my nose. I simply wasn¡¯t in any shape to face the old man Scoresby. I had to, though. There was no telling if I would be better off next time or if there would even be a next time. For all I knew, this could have been his once-a-year trip to whatever place lay at the other end of the forest. So I swallowed down my fear, cleaned myself off with clumps of dew-soaked moss - honestly, something that I should have thought of on my first morning here - and sneaked my way back into the ruins of the Esulmor Edge Inn. There, just one wall separating me from the old man warming himself in front of an old fireplace, I pressed myself against the stones, ears pricked, scanning my small domain for any traps while biting down on my lower lip. ¡®You can do it, Korra.¡¯ A foolish dare to give myself courage, yet backed up by [Indomitable Will], it worked wonders. With fear replaced by a bit of courage, I took a deep breath and held Sage out over the collapsed part of the wall. Before long, the wiggling tip of my tail caught the old man¡¯s eye: ¡°Ah, I see we have a guest, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± Fighting off thoughts of running away, I pulled Sage back, pressed her to my chest, and breathed, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Brave of you to show up. Oh, and I very much appreciate the subtlety. Getting scared ain¡¯t good for the heart at my age.¡± ¡°Then...w-why drive through this forest?¡± ¡°Why live in it?¡± Ah, avoiding the question by asking his own - a touchy topic, was it? ¡°Pardon me, miss. I didn¡¯t mean to pry without introducing myself. But, call it an occupational disease, I¡¯d feel better to talk face-to-face, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I would have preferred that too, and in fact, that was my intention; I just couldn¡¯t quite get over him calling me ¡°miss¡±. He certainly meant nothing by it, yet my heart skipped a beat. For the past year, no one had called me anything other but: Hey you, freak, dirty bitch, and, last but not least, beast. On that note, a warning was in order: ¡°I think so too, it¡¯s just...my appearance...might throw you off.¡± ¡°It already did three days ago. Though, I have to say, you don¡¯t look like any Terr¡¯den I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Terr¡¯den? What was that? Were there people who looked like me? Other than the freaks from the cellar? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®Shit. Not now, Korra. Focus.¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to...¡± ¡°Oh, no need to explain, miss. Unless there was an ill intent on your part.¡± ¡°No. No, no, no. There wasn¡¯t...I mean, I wouldn¡¯t...¡± The old man held up his hand to stop me. ¡°Not my intention to put you in a bind; for that, I apologize.¡± Pausing to throw a stick on the fire and probably to collect his thoughts, he smiled warmly at me. ¡°How would you feel about joining me by the fire, miss? The mornings here tend to be quite chilly.¡± ¡®Really?¡¯ Sure, I had to sleep with my tail pressed to my chest and wrapped in my wings, but that was how I used to sleep in the cellar, too. Was I simply used to the cold? Or did the tufts of fur here and there help me resist it better than I thought? Heck, for all I knew, it could have been one of the side effects, one of the mutations that had twisted my body beyond... Swallowing the rage at the deranged asshole and what he did to me, I took a breath to brace myself. Against all my fears, the old man had seen me before, albeit at night, and was still willing to bear with my looks - what more could I ask of anyone? ¡°I...I don¡¯t know about the fire, but...¡± I said and slowly poked my head over the edge of the crumbling wall I was hiding behind. As expected, the old man¡¯s eyes widened, horror replacing the friendly smile. But before the hurt had a chance to bite into my heart, he cleared his throat, smiling even wider than before. ¡°I must say that it has been some time since the sight of a young woman has left me as bewildered as...¡± ?B-Beast!? the young mare neighed in a panic at the sight of me, not letting the old man finish. ?The beast!? ?It right, Lyl¡¯ra,? the older mare whinnied to calm her down. ?Y-y-you blind? The beast here to kill us!? ?It promised not to hurt? ?Wh-what? When?? ?At night. I talked with the beast.? ?The beast here...when I asleep? H-how close?? ?Over there, behind that wall,? said the older mare, at which the younger one staggered, looking like she was going to pass out. ¡°I take it you understand them,¡± the old man spoke, making me shift my attention back to him. ¡®The f-fuck, Korra?!¡¯ This was not the time to be distracted - the reason why I had strained my senses and focused heavily on my domain for any hint of devious trickery the whole time. A slip on my guard like that could be fatal. ¡°Y-yes,¡± I admitted after taking a deep breath. ¡°Is that...something weird?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say weird, but certainly unusual. For a Slave such as yourself, that is.¡± How?! How did he know I was a slave? Did he see my shackles? Was it my looks? Were people like me all enslaved - the Terr¡¯dens he mentioned? However, as the initial fright passed, it struck me that just as I could see his array and number of sigils, the old man could see mine. He saw the mark this world had branded me with. [Merchant: 78 sigils] Yeah, just as I remembered. ¡°So, other people can talk to...animals, too?¡± I asked, trying not to let my brief startle show. ¡°But of course. All you need to have is the right weave like yours, miss. Although, usually, it takes having an array like Animal Caretaker or Beast Handler to get access to one. On the other hand, in my travels, I have met Groomers, Stablers, and Coachmen who understood the animals in their care. To be honest, sometimes I do wonder what those two are talking about, but as you can see, I only have five weaves to work with...oh, forgive my rambling. I tend to talk a lot, but that comes with the trade. Scoresby, Liam Scoresby at your service, miss...?¡± ¡°K-Korra,¡± I stammered out. It had been so long, too long, in fact, since anyone had ever asked me my name. ¡°The world sure is big. You¡¯re the first Korra I¡¯ve ever met. May I be bold and assume it¡¯s just Korra?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Grey, my name is Korra Grey.¡± Chapter 34: Some Advice ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Miss Grey,¡± the old man said with a smile hidden behind his short, thick gray beard, no ill intent I could sense. Yet, for all my previous glee at being called anything other than a freak and treated with a hint of respect, to hear him call me ¡°Miss Grey¡± just didn¡¯t sit right with me. It actually gave me chills and hit me with guilt. ¡°K-Korra, call me just Korra...that is, if it¡¯s okay with you,¡± I stammered and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m no miss.¡± Scoresby raised his thick, grizzled eyebrows, his eyes crinkling with questions, making me realize how wrong that came out. ¡°I-I mean, I am not married or anything. I just...I just don¡¯t think I merit the courtesy...I don¡¯t feel like a...a lady.¡± If anything, I felt more like a savage woman, a beast even. To his credit, the old man let me speak and listened to my babbling, only to nod. ¡°Very well, once again, a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to join me by the fire, Korra?¡± ¡°I...w-well, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I¡¯d rather stay here,¡± behind the wall that separated us and with him a few meters away from me. ¡°All right, just know I don¡¯t mind sharing some of the warmth.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s...nice of you.¡± ¡®Way to bury the talk, Korra,¡¯ I thought to myself as an awkward silence fell between us. Fortunately, the old man didn¡¯t seem to have lied about being used to talking to people. ¡°Forgive my curiosity, but how does one such as you find herself in the midst of this forest? Esulmor is not really a place that people travel through.¡± ¡°Is that what this forest is called? Esulmor?¡± The old man Scoresby looked at me, astounded. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°W-well, I know this place used to be the Esulmor Ege Inn and that the Esulmor Squirrels live around, but that¡¯s about it,¡± I said in a lame effort to keep him from thinking I was an utterly clueless dumbass. ¡°Oh, so you ran into those critters. I hope you didn¡¯t think to touch their trees. They are known to protect them quite fiercely - in fact, I¡¯ve heard of them driving away even dual array folks, and some claim they have the gall to stand up to even a young mossbear...,¡± he said, a frown creasing his brow. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t run into those, either.¡± ¡°Well, I did,¡± I admitted after a brief hesitation. ¡°Although, I followed your advice and it let me go.¡± Well, mostly I followed my instincts, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°My advice? I don¡¯t recall giving you one, Korra?¡± ¡®Oh, shit...¡¯ ¡°Y-you see, I heard you talking to your horses...the last time.¡± ¡°...to my what?¡± ¡°The two mares over there.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean scalehoofs. Well,¡± Scoresby said and paused, smoothing his beard. ¡°I have to say, girl, you¡¯re quite peculiar.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± No doubt I was weird, but didn¡¯t he say I looked like those Terr¡¯dens? ¡°You¡¯re not from around here, are you?¡± ¡°I...w-what...?¡± ¡°Forgive my curiosity, occupational deformation, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you use a weave when you speak.¡± There was not a hint of doubt in his voice or eyes, and thus no reason to deny the fact. ¡°I-is that so obvious?¡± ¡°Kind of; you sound like you¡¯re speaking in a strong dialect, but there¡¯s this off feeling in your words. I apologize; it¡¯s hard to describe and definitely not something to look down on. There are still plenty of people in Sahal using the [Eleaden Standard Language] weave. The thing is, uh...you don¡¯t have many glyphs in it, do you?¡± To stop myself from cursing, I bit down on my lower lip, and a little too hard this time, tasting blood. To Scoresby, I was an open book, while I couldn¡¯t tell a damn shit about him. It was quite vexing, to be honest. ¡°No, not really. I haven¡¯t had much opportunity to talk.¡± ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Scoresby asked, no doubt meaning my life as a slave. There was so much pity in his voice to make me feel even more miserable than I already did. Then his blue eyes flashed with sorrow, and he pointed to the fire crackling in the old fireplace. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t join me? Warmth is good for more than just keeping old bones from getting cold, you know?¡± A tempting offer, still... ¡°No. I mean, thank you, but...¡± Scoresby held up his hand to stop me. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to explain. I have seen many abused slaves in my lifetime - helped a few myself, but some poor souls...well, let me give you some advice, Korra. I know it may be hard. Nevertheless, try not to turn your back on people completely. There are still a lot of good folks out there.¡± ¡°Like...you?¡± The old man chuckled. ¡°Another piece of advice, girl. Don¡¯t believe anyone who tells you they have only good at heart - ask others, make up your own mind about them.¡± The corners of his mouth, hidden behind his beard, twisted upwards. ¡°Although I believe you¡¯re doing well in that regard. Quell my curiosity. What did Sylph¡¯ra tell you about me?¡± Obviously, the old man had been awake during my nightly exchange with the mare. Not so much surprising as embarrassing to have someone listen to me talk to a horse, a scalehoof, that is. Still, I had to give him credit for not intruding on us. ¡°Is that the name of the...what is she, actually? Is she a mare?¡± ¡°Tits, you must have had it awfully hard if you haven¡¯t heard of scalehoofs. Yes, Sylph¡¯ra is a scalehoof mare.¡± Cursing myself for my big mouth, I nodded, silent and glad that with all my freakiness, he didn¡¯t start questioning whether I was from Eleaden at all. Maybe cases like mine were common, or maybe, just maybe, I wasn¡¯t as weird as I thought. Be that as it might, still hidden behind the wall, with only my head sticking out, I glanced at the two mares. The older one, Sylph¡¯ra, watched me warily, with Lyl¡¯ra half hidden behind her, clearly afraid of me. ¡°Is it all right to tell him?¡± ?Yes,? the older mare neighed softly. ¡°Well,¡± I said, shifting my attention back to the old man. ¡°Sylph¡¯ra is happy to have you as a partner. She says that you¡¯re a good man and that you take good care of them both.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned; I¡¯m not sure I deserve such praise,¡± Scoresby said towards the mare. ¡°When we get back home, I¡¯ll give you a good rubdown and an extra helping of fresh hay.¡± Sylph¡¯ra neighed happily, with no meaning behind it except for pure joy. ?I want the rub, too,? the younger of the mares whinnied wistfully, making the old man laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need a weave to understand that. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of you too, Lyl¡¯ra.¡± For a moment, I considered telling Scoresby that it was not the weave that allowed me to talk to animals, that I was only able to do so because of what I was, a freak, but then I pushed the thought away, not wanting to betray all my weirdness to him, when I barely knew the old man. Instead, I looked around at the ruins, the place that had allowed me to meet him and now gave me a way to steer the conversation away from my weirdness and learn more about where that damn bug sent me. ¡°Can you tell me about this...place, Mr. Scoresby?¡± I asked just as the Lattice judged that I had said enough, for another glyph to be engraved on my weave. Chapter 35: Esulmor Edge Inn ¡°About this place? You mean the Esulmor Edge?¡± Scoresby asked and continued without waiting for me to confirm, ¡°It used to be an inn, but you already know that. What you don¡¯t know is that it used to be a great inn. My father would bring me here from time to time when he traveled to Granhill and further east. He was a merchant like me, you see.¡± Hung up on every word leaving his lips, I nodded, bewildered, with dozens of questions on my mind. ¡°It used to be crowded and quite lively. Music, dancers, and lots of drinks. Of course, whereas now I¡¯m too old to prance around on the dance floor, I was too young for that at the time, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the scenery quite a bit. Ah, don¡¯t look at me like that. I wasn¡¯t interested in girls back then, yet. What I meant was the views from the windows and the terraces. The sight of the Granora¡¯s Peaks - and I¡¯m talking about mountains - was beautiful, and on a clear night, you could even see the lights of the Radrood¡¯s Bellowing Windmills further south. But that¡¯s all in the past, as you can see.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, reining in my curiosity as obviously those were sore memories for the old man, something of which I had my fair share of and didn¡¯t want anyone prying into. ¡°Esulmor happened, girl. The forest has slowly swallowed this place.¡± ¡°And...people just abandoned it? I thought you said it was a crowded place?¡± ¡°Oh, folks have tried to keep it going, that¡¯s for sure. And for a time, they even managed, but fighting Esulmor is like trying to stop flood water with your bare hands. You said you met them, didn¡¯t you, Korra - the mossbears, I mean?¡± A shiver went through my body - not the bad kind, but a warm tingle. Hearing him, someone who reminded me so much of my grandfather, call me by my name so naturally, nearly made me cry happy. ¡°Ehm...Korra?¡± ¡®Shit!¡¯ Once again, my focus slipped. ¡°Yeah, I met them...well, only one. Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give yourself so little credit. Most folks would say that¡¯s one more mossbear than they want to see in a lifetime. Anyway, they are not called Forest Caretakers for no reason. Tell me, how old does this forest look to you?¡± Unable to refrain from looking around, my eyes swept over the towering trees all the way to their crowns high above us. ¡°A hundred years, maybe even hundreds of years. But I don¡¯t know...you said they didn¡¯t grow here when you were young.¡± ¡°What a bright young woman - you¡¯re right. Do I look that old to you, though?¡± ¡°No...you look about sixty.¡± ¡°Now you flatter me. I don¡¯t have a second array to make me look younger. Sixty-seven, and I was an eight-year-old kid when the trees took over this place.¡± ¡°Bloody fucking shit...¡± The swear slipped from my lips before I could stop myself. A bit shameful, for sure, but from what Scoresby said, the majestic trees towering around us that could easily rival the sequoias on Earth weren¡¯t even 60 years old. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Tits, I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself,¡± the old man chuckled, unfazed by my swearing, throwing in his own cuss, quite likely to make me feel better. ¡°Well, as I understand it, there was some sort of incident - a disagreement between the Empire and the Lord of the Forest, and he let the trees spread further south all the way to the Granora Peaks, swallowing this inn and the Old Road in the process.¡± ¡®Hold on a minute. Empire? Old Road?¡¯ The old man talked as if I was supposed to know all these things, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. I didn¡¯t know shit and was lost for what to ask first. Like, I did sort of get the Old Road, but the Empire? I was in an empire? In the end, the thing that might endanger me the most right now took priority. ¡°Who...who is this Lord of the Forest?¡± ¡°Oh, have no fear. I don¡¯t believe the mossbear you met was him. He lives deeper in Esulmor.¡± ¡°So, it is a mossbear?¡± ¡°He is, yes, very, very powerful.¡± ¡°A-as in four digits?¡± Scoresby scowled. ¡°Tits, no. If such a beast lived in Esulmor, I¡¯d think twice about stepping foot in here. Wait! It can¡¯t be...was that the mossbear you came across, girl?¡± ¡°No. No, no, no. I mean, I couldn¡¯t see the number of sigils, but I''d say it had about four hundred sigils. The Lattice showed me four of those weird runes.¡± ¡°Good. For a moment there, I thought...never mind. Can you describe it to me?¡± Seeing no reason not to, I did my best to portray the mossbear I came across. ¡°Sounds like an Adult Mossbear to me. You were in luck, then; young ones tend to...play with new ¡°things¡±, if you get what I mean." ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Well, it would most likely rip you apart. An Adult Mossbear would only do that if you were strong, a challenge for them.¡± I would imagine the Young Mossbears to be weaker and smaller than the one I had met, still: ¡®Damn.¡¯ ¡°And you still travel through here?¡± The old man chuckled, shrugged, and gave me a warm smile. ¡°Marlen, my wife, says I¡¯m not in my right mind, but it saves me half a day¡¯s travel compared to going around the Esulmor by the New Road. Besides, how can a day¡¯s travel compare to living here? I can¡¯t wait to tell her about you...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I blurted out and stopped short, realizing that I had taken a step out of my hiding place. Sure, I scurried back just as quickly, but the old man¡¯s expression said it all. He saw everything. He saw me for what I was, a beast to be feared. ¡°W-were...¡± Scoresby stammered and paused, looking at me, bewildered. ¡°Was that a suppression chain?¡± ¡°Huh, w-what?¡± I asked, having a hard time grasping what he was talking about. Didn¡¯t he care what I looked like, who I was? For f-fuck''s sake, that I was naked? ¡°That thing on your wrist, Korra? Was that a suppression chain?¡± Looking down at my hand, I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what they called it.¡± ¡°They? Your master and...forget I asked, girl. Some things are better not to remember. Anyway, if I¡¯m not wrong, I should have some tools in the wagon that should help me get that thing off your hand. Interested?¡± ¡®Hell, yeah!¡¯ After I nodded, rather fiercely, the old man went back to his wagon. That he took his time looking for whatever it was didn¡¯t help much, though. Doubt crept into my heart. What if he was searching for a weapon? Or the fourth shackle put on me? The shoelace bitch said they needed all four to activate them. What if...? ¡°Apologies for the wait. I forgot where I put it,¡± Scoresby said as he returned to the fireplace with a small leather toolkit in his hand. As he unrolled it on the ground in front of him, my eyes fell on a set of more than two dozen what looked like lockpicking tools of various shapes and sizes. ¡°Do you know how to use one of these, Korra?¡± ¡°No, but I do wonder why you have them.¡± The old man chuckled, my thief allusion not lost on him. ¡°You never lost your keys, girl? It happens to me all the time. Now, though...I¡¯m in a little bit of a pickle on how to help get the shackle off your hand with you over there.¡± Chapter 36: Shackles He was in a pickle? What about me, then? What the old man was asking me to do was to trust him, to put my fate in his hands and hope that he doesn¡¯t make my life shittier than it already was. The mere thought of him being my new master sent a shiver down my spine. Yet, looking down at my shackled wrist and ankles, I couldn¡¯t help but be pissed at myself for letting the supposed freedom blind me. No matter how unrestrained I might run in this Esulmor forest, many chains still weigh me down - and not just literally speaking. So, removing at least those three sounded bloody tempting. But was it a good idea? I didn¡¯t believe so. While very irritating to deal with, deep down, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the shackles were the only thing keeping the beast from coming out. The pain caused by them when my feral instincts drove me lay still vividly etched in my memory. If it weren¡¯t for my regeneration, back then, I would have lost my paws for sure. So... ¡®...damn it! What am I kidding myself!¡¯ I growled at the beast slumbering deep inside me, pissed at myself for being so weak. If not for the feral me, it wouldn¡¯t just be the paws I stood to lose. That deranged asshole wanted to cut me to pieces to find out what makes me tick, and that shoelace bitch intended to give me to her kid as a pet. It was the beast that made me whine in front of the mossbear. It was the feral part of me that fought off the army of squirrels, made me understand them and kept me from starving when I struck a deal with them. Besides, who was I to chain another, right? ¡°Um...Mr Scoresby, I...I have to warn you...¡± The old man arched an eyebrow. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Me. I could...I could turn into a beast if you...you know, take off the shackles.¡± ?See, beast. Told you,? Lyl¡¯ra, the younger mare, neighed. ?We better go!? ?Beast here not to hurt us, it promised. Let Liam deal with it. He not fool.? ¡°Interesting. Are you a shifter, Korra?¡± ¡°...maybe?¡± Scoresby smiled knowingly and explained, ¡°That is someone with the due array and ability to shift into various forms. Of course, it¡¯s not the array that matters as much as the weaves to which it gives you access. So, even someone like me, a Merchant, can have such a weave - well, if they find the aptitude for shifting. It¡¯s rare, but I don¡¯t see having it as a problem. You can always ignore the weave or put another one in your grid.¡± ¡®I wish it were that easy.¡¯ ¡°Also,¡± Scoresby grunted, looking absently at the place where I showed myself to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think that shackle is suppressing anything.¡± ¡®What the bloody hell could he know?!¡¯ Did he have a feral beast inside him, too? I didn¡¯t think so. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°What I said. Oh, forgive my bluntness. But...may I ask you to show me your wrist first? Just raise your hand so I can have a look at the shackle.¡± Seeing nothing wrong with that, I lifted my hand over the wall. ¡°Ah, so I saw right. The runes are out,¡± the old man said, pleased with himself. ¡°Glad to tell you that this shackle is inactive, girl. It doesn''t suppress your strength, let alone your weave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that...¡± I said, unsure of what to tell him. ¡°Y-you see, I can shift without a weave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, a natural shifter. No wonder you ended up a Slave.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Ah, forgive this old man, that came out wrong. But your kind, as far as I know, is rare to find, and what is rare is prized, and what is prized is sought after. It makes me feel older than I am, and I am old, but I¡¯ll give you another piece of advice: don¡¯t tell that to anyone unless you¡¯re sure they can keep their mouths shut.¡± ¡°Three can keep a secret when two of them are dead, that sort of thing, r-right?¡± ?See. Beast wants to eat us!? Lyl¡¯ra whinnied, panicked. ?Promised NOT to.? ¡°That¡¯s certainly an interesting way of putting it, but you do get the point. Of course, I have no interest in making a profit off you, Korra - however, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to trust me on that.¡± ¡°Y-yeah...¡± I agreed, biting down on my lower lip. The amount of trust I already placed in the old man didn¡¯t sit well with me. That said, I wasn¡¯t blind. The trust thing went the other way around, too. To him, I had to be a freaky girl with almost twenty sigils more than him running around in the forest where normal people apparently didn¡¯t dare to step into. He couldn¡¯t know if I was just lost or if I intended to rob him or even kill him. ¡°H-here,¡± I stammered after making up my mind, sticking out my hand over the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to turn, but...no promises.¡± ¡°I believe you are underestimating yourself. Like I said, the shackle does not suppress anything. However, it begs the question of why anyone saw a reason to put it on you. Those are used in the taming of hard-to-control beasts, strong beasts,¡± Scoresby said, worry seeping into his voice for the first time. ¡®They surely underestimated me.¡¯ I thought to myself with a smirk, eyeing the remains of the torn chain hanging from the shackle on my wrist. ¡°What kind of beast are you turning into, if I may ask? I mean, you stay in control, right? You don¡¯t go feral?¡± ¡°I...kind of. Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± The truth was, I was aware of everything I was doing and why. I just couldn¡¯t stop myself. Was I feral, though? Pissed off, if anything. ¡°I think...that as long as you won¡¯t want to hurt me, you will be safe.¡± ¡°You think?¡± Scoresby asked, eyebrows raised, but then a smile replaced the frown. ¡°Either way, if anything, I trust my judgment of folks. And you haven¡¯t bitten me yet.¡± Then, to my startle and considerable concern for both my and the old man¡¯s safety, he walked over to my outstretched hand with lock picking tools in his. Honestly, forgotten keys my ass. Sure, for all I knew, being able to handle those tools could have been a common skill in this world, but the old man sure made it look like he had unlocked more than a few locks in his life. In no time, my hand was free of the iron. ¡°See, I told you it did not suppress anything.¡± Lost for words and, most importantly, not turning into a beast, I nodded. Then, spurred on by the prospect of being completely free of the damned chain and reassured by the silence of the beast within me, I wrapped Sage around my waist to cover my privates, lifted my wings to hide my modest chest, and stepped out from behind my hiding place the second time. ¡°D-do you think you could take these off me too?¡± I asked the old man, showing him my shackled ankles. ¡°I see, you¡¯re quite resourceful, Korra,¡± he remarked after staring at me with undisguised wonder for a while, chuckling at my use of the cloth he had wrapped the sweet bun in. Chapter 37: Heavy Breakfast ¡°No buns today, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Scoresby said as he returned from the wagon with his supply of travel food and offered me what looked like dried meat. ¡°Millie, my daughter, she¡¯s not fond of baking like my dear Marlen.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s okay.¡± I replied, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice. That sweet bun was a treat for my starving taste buds and a caress for my hurt soul. ¡®Who doesn¡¯t like sweet stuff, right?¡¯ Yet, my mouth watered just looking at the dried meat in the old man¡¯s hand. And no wonder. For three days, I had nothing but vines and a few nuts - after some bargaining; the squirrels let me take the ones that fell on the ground. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, taking a bite of the offered food even before I had finished speaking. The tang of the salted meat melted on my tongue, sending my taste buds to new heights. If I didn¡¯t have Sage wrapped around my waist, protecting my privates, I¡¯d be wiggling her behind me, happy as ever. Seriously, this was the best morning I had in a long, long time. Good food, no agonizing pain, a fire crackling in the old hearth of the inn warming my body, someone else treating me like a human being and not a test subject to talk to, not to mention this whole place. Sure, it wasn¡¯t a five-star hotel, but neither were the stone walls of a poorly lit cellar, seen through the iron bars of a small, cramped cell. Speaking of iron, nothing was restraining my neck, nor my mind. That damn collar now lay who knows where in the forest. And thanks to Scoresby, the same was true of the suppression chains. Though, I didn¡¯t throw those away. I really, really wanted to. But instead of getting rid of them, I put the shackles away on a crumbling wall, ready to be used as nutcrackers. ¡®Oh, and best of all, I didn¡¯t turn into a beast.¡¯ Simply the best morning I¡¯ve ever had in this world. Another bite of dried meat, and I purred with bliss. ¡®Bloody fucking shit! Did I ¡°speak¡± too soon?¡¯ What came from deep inside me was a purr, a real purr - the kind that cats make when they are happy. ¡°Well, well, I wish all women were that easy to please,¡± Scoresby remarked, amused and clearly blind to my horror. Of all the things I got rid of, the beast was not one of them. Mercifully, though, after waiting a bit while ready to flee at the slightest hint of the urge to pounce on the old man sitting within arm¡¯s reach of me, I threw myself at the rest of the dried meat instead. The beast part of me was just happy, nothing else. ¡°Seeing you, girl, it¡¯s a shame that this is all I can offer you. But lighting a fire here in Esulmor is as far as my courage allows, let alone daring to cook anything.¡± ¡°Lest you disturb the forest, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. Better not to push your luck too hard.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. That the fire wouldn¡¯t disturb the forest still struck me as odd, but I guess when Scoresby talked about it, he was referring to its ¡°caretakers¡±, the mossbears, not the trees. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine then that the smell of food roasting on the fire would attract more than one here - after all, the mere thought of tender roast meat made me drool. ¡°Ehm...about that,¡± I said and, after wiping the drool away and eagerly taking another piece of dried meat from Scoresby. ¡°What do those mossbears actually eat? I haven¡¯t come across any other animals besides the squirrels.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because nothing else lives in this forest.¡± ¡°They hunted down all the animals?¡± If so, it made even less sense that the one I met didn¡¯t eat me. ¡°Well, who knows? For as long as I can remember, Esulmor has always been the domain of the mossbears and nothing else. I mean, what else would want to live here except for critters that the beasts don¡¯t care about, right?¡± With my mouth full, I gave him an awkward shrug. ¡°Oh, forgive me, no offense meant. But I have to ask: Were you planning to live here, Korra?¡± Swallowing a bite, I shrugged again. ¡°Would that be so bad?¡± ¡°That depends,¡± he said, a sorrowful gleam in his eyes. ¡°As a father of a daughter, it would break my heart to know she lives like...like some beast. But I¡¯m not your father, Korra, and if living here makes you happy, then stay here.¡± ¡®Shit. Damn you, old man.¡¯ That hit me so hard that I lost all my appetite. The only solace I could think of was that my father and I were separated by who knows how many light years. It would take a hell of a leap in interstellar travel technology for humanity on Earth, or the bug¡¯s mercy, for him to know how badly his daughter fared. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I wanna stay here. But where else could I go?¡± Scoresby grinned as if that was the question he¡¯d been waiting for all along. ¡°You could come with me to Castiana, girl. It¡¯s a Labyrinth City west of here. While not far from the border with the Kingdom of Arid, I¡¯d say it¡¯s one of the safest cities in Sahal - I know of.¡± ¡°A city?¡± That sounded like a lot of people, strangers the thought of which terrified me - something Scoresby didn¡¯t miss. ¡°What about Granhill, then? It¡¯s a town at the other end of this Old Road, much smaller than Castiana, but garrisoned by Imperial soldiers. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about your safety there, either.¡± ¡®Soldiers?¡¯ On the one hand that sounded tempting, on the other I had no idea about this Empire or whatever. For all I knew, this could have been the very country under whose nose Dungreen carried out his atrocities. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case, there was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t be interested in me - or rather my messed up body. After all, even that bitch thought it was rare for a human to have a beast core in their body. ¡°D-do you happen to know a place with only a few people... and even less soldiers?¡± Scoresby chuckled. ¡°That would be the town where my daughter lives, Brose. A very nice place, north of Grandhill at the foot of the Granora Mountain Range.¡± ¡°But?¡± There was an unmistakable but in his voice. ¡°Well, I kind of understand your caution, BUT if you want to live in Sahal, you can¡¯t do without a Citizen Card. And only a few places in the Egerton Barony are permitted to issue them. Actually, Castiana and Granhill are two of only three.¡± ¡°You know, living here doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Korra. I really am. I wish it were simpler, but these are not easy times. If you want, I could take you to Castiana right now. However, I won¡¯t be passing through Granhill to Brose until next week.¡± Biting down on my lower lip, I pressed my wings closer to my chest. ¡°I see. I think I¡¯ll need...c-could you give me more time to think about it?¡± Chapter 38: Mossy Paradise "Well, Korra, trying to sell you my goods, I''d say take all the time you want. But...," the old man spoke, looking around. "We are not inside Scoresby''s Goods & Wares. This is no place for people to live, and don''t take this the wrong way...you look like you haven''t had a decent meal in days. I''m sure Marlen wouldn''t mind cooking an extra serving." A bit confused, I looked down at myself. Sure, putting on a bit of fat didn''t sound like a bad idea, but it wasn''t like I''d been starving for months. I wasn''t all skin and bones, so...was it the way I pounced on the dried meat? Most definitely. "Th-that sounds good, Mr. Scoresby. Too good, in fact. Though, don''t worry; I have plenty to eat." "Oh, really, do tell?" He didn''t know? I would have thought that as a local... ''Wait, is there something wrong with the vines?'' "S-see, those vines," I said, pointing up into the treetops. From the branches up there, they cascaded down, swaying in the light breeze, never reaching the ground - except in a few rare spots. "You must have been really desperate to try those, girl." "No! I mean, yes, I was hungry, but it was the squirrels who told me about the vines, and in fact they don''t taste bad." "The Esulmor Squirrels?" "Yes, we have come to...some sort of agreement." "An agreement?" Scoresby chuckled with a raised eyebrow, shaking his head. "Beast talkers, unbelievable. Well, seeing as you''re sure you won''t starve here, I won''t try to convince you to come with me. To leave you here otherwise would weigh on my mind. However, I''m afraid that''s what I''ll have to do if you choose to stay. You see, time is not very kind to us merchants - what I buy in one place is best sold as quickly as possible in another. Which is to say, as regrettable as it is, I''m gonna have to head out, Korra." "I...I see..." "Are you sure you don''t want to come with me, girl? Castiana really isn''t such a bad place." Scoresby sounded earnest about it, and I really wanted to believe him - actually, I kind of did. It was just that whenever I imagined myself surrounded by all those people, their eyes on me, my heart would pound like crazy, with dread gripping my guts. "You said two weeks?" Scoresby gave me a somewhat disappointed look, sighting. "Yes, twelve days, and that''s if Marlene doesn''t come with me to see Millie. She wouldn''t go through Esulmor even if she had a knife put to her throat." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. While frustrating, it was understandable. If I were her, I would choose the albeit longer but safer New Road around Esulmor, too. But for me, that would mean waiting here, most likely for another twelve days, maybe more. ''Wait a minute, twelve days?'' Doing some mental gymnastics and a little bit of math, I tried not to sound like a complete idiot. "And if she came with you, when would you pass through here again? Another week after that, like in six days?" "I''m afraid it would take longer. At least another fortnight. I''m a merchant, girl. I got more places to travel to, you see." Pretty sure that the [Eleaden Standard Language] didn''t translate the term ¡°fortnight¡± quite right, given that the old man meant twelve days, or two weeks of six days, I was glad I asked. Twelve days was less than fourteen, and should it come to the worst, I would only have to wait here for twenty-four days. That didn''t sound so bad, right? Just a bloody long break to pull myself together which I so very much deserved. And so, I made my decision. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "Are you sure about this, girl?" the old man asked me for the umpteenth time, already sitting in the driver''s seat with the reins in his hands. ?Leave beast here. Go.? Lyl''ra neighed, harnessed, and more than ready to pull the wagon. ?Go!? Hearing her, I could not help scowling at my own lack of courage. While she was anxious to get out of Esulmor, I was terrified at the thought of leaving the forest. "I wouldn''t say sure, but...I need more time, Mr. Scoresby." "Well, they say that time can heal all wounds. I hope that will be the case for you, Korra." "Me, too." "All right, let''s not drag this out. Best of luck to you. You''re gonna need it." "Thank you...for everything." Scoresby smiled, gave me a parting nod, pulled the collar of his coat up to his neck, snapped the reins, and bellowed not too loudly: "Giddyup." ?Finally,? Lyl''ra cheered and set off without hesitation. Before long, a wagon drawn by two scalehoof mares disappeared among the trees, leaving me there once again alone. ''Well, what now, Korra?'' I asked myself, looking around at the forest and the ruins of the Esulmor Edge Inn. Despite the ceaseless twittering of birds overhead, the crumbling moss-covered walls suddenly seemed eerily quiet. No neighing of mares to listen to, no humans to fear. Exactly what I wished for to get my shit together. Just me and the forest. A forest full of bloody dangerous beasts that saw me below their level to deal with, or little pesky animals that were impossible to have a decent conversation with. ''I mean, I barely talked to the other freaks in the cellar either, so...'' So, it wasn''t like I wasn''t used to not having anyone to talk to. Then why the bloody heck did I already miss being able to speak to someone who saw me as a person? This was supposed to be the perfect place to lick my wounds, so to speak - a mossy paradise, blanketed in white flowers, with fresh water and juicy greens to eat. Bloody heck, just the thought of leaving it all behind when it took me so much trouble to explore this place made me want to cry, YET I couldn''t shake the feeling that if I were to stay here just a few days longer, let alone a month, I would only be heading closer to what I feared becoming the most, a feral beast. "Fuck me and shit it all!" I cursed under my breath, and before I knew it, I found myself running down the road after Scoresby''s wagon, hoping I wasn''t too late. Chapter 39: Wagon Chase Trailing the flat ribbon of moss winding between the majestic trees of Esulmor, I pushed myself as fast as I could. Sure, doubt and dread gnawed at my resolve to catch up to Scoresby''s wagon with every other stride, but the fear of what might come to bite my ass if I stayed alone in this domain of beasts drove me forward. I ran - dashed through the forest, my heart pounding in my chest, my breath ragged. The world around me turned into a blur in my heavy focus on the path ahead, only one goal in my mind - shadowed by a nagging question: ''Where the hell are they?'' Seriously, I was running out of breath, and there was still no sign of the wagon. No squeaking, no neighing of the scalehoofs. Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? The notion was ridiculous, borne out of fear that I''d blown my only chance at a somewhat normal life. The old man made no mention of any other road leading through Esulmor and above all the tracks left in the moss by the wheels of his wagon were plain to see. ''So where the bloody hell were they?'' Just then, as I contemplated daring to call out, my ears perked up at familiar neighing coming from up ahead. ?Hurry up, beast is after us!? If I hadn''t heard the young mare''s fear, I would have laughed as relief washed over me. ?No need, it promised not to hurt.? ?Sylph''ra stupid for trusting beast. Hurry up! I-I''ll give you my hay.? Feeling a bit guilty, I sped up, squeezing out the remaining drops of my strength. ''There they are...'' As the meandering road following the terrain straightened out on the flat part of the forest, my eyes finally fell on the wagon. With my heart skipping a beat, my leg muscles screaming in pain, and completely out of breath, I gave chase. And what a chase it was. Despite the road being unmaintained for decades and with whatever potholes in it hidden under a layer of moss, Scoresby drove the wagon through the woods bloody damn fast. So fast, in fact, that at one point, the dread of not catching up to them bit into my heart. I couldn''t run any faster, let alone yell at them when I could barely catch my breath. Despite pulling a fully loaded wagon, the scalehoof mares were way faster than me. "Whoa." The old man''s command for the mares to stop almost sent me stumbling. He noticed me. Or did he? What if something else happened? What if he was just concerned about the mares...? "Korra? Is that you?" This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. At hearing the old man calling my name, whatever worries I had fled my mind, replaced by the dawning realization that I chased after him with Sage fluttering behind me and wings steadying my stride on the slippery moss. Hastily hiding my bareness with them again, I tried to reply, but no sound came out of my mouth except ponderous gasps. Running without stopping, a little panicked, I waved at the old man, hoping he wouldn''t give in to Lyl''ra''s distressed neighing. "I''ll be damned. It is you," Scoresby said, leaning out of the wagon to see behind it. The joy in his voice at seeing me almost brought tears to my eyes. Although the immense relief washing over me and the excruciating pain in my legs probably had a lot to do with it as well. "May I assume you''ve changed your mind?" the old man asked when I finally reached the driver¡¯s seat he was sitting in. Holding my aching sides, short of breath, with my chest burning and heartbeats ringing in my ears, I nodded. ''That''s right, I decided to come with you.'' Not needing to read my mind, Scoresby smiled back and patted the seat next to him. "Come on, sit next to me." With my legs sore and stiff, that was something easier said than done. Not to mention that I had never hitched a ride on a wagon, any wagon, period. Nevertheless, recalling how the old man got on, I somehow managed. "Take your time," Scoresby said, openly glad that I had joined him, and slammed the reins. "Gyddyup." Not everyone was thrilled to see me, though. Lyl''ra did start to pull the wagon, but her earlier "fervor" was all but gone. The mare couldn''t have made it any clearer that she would rather pull a cart full of manure than me. The reason why my first words after catching my breath were directed at her. "I promise - on my pride - that I mean you NO harm." ?See, told you,? Sylph''ra neighed, in a way, scolding the younger mare. ?Beasts cannot be trusted,? the mare insisted. "So, it was you. I was wondering what got into Lyl''ra." Sighing, I gave him an apologetic glance. "She...considers me a beast. Which isn''t entirely wrong, of course." I added when the younger mare neighed, accusing me of lying. "Damn, girl," Scoresby quipped, his eyebrows raised. "It''s almost unheard of for even a half-Terr''den to admit such a thing. I don''t know what you''ve been through, but you''d do better not to say anything like that in front of your own kind." "O-okay?" Not sure of what to make of it, whether to feel kindred spirits in these Terr''dens or to be wary of them, I figured it would be better to wait and see for myself than to say more. "Anyway, don''t mind Lyl''ra. She''s a bit skittish." "Yeah, I noticed. In fact, I think she''d appreciate it if she never had to go through Esulmor ever again." The mare''s long, scaly ears perked up. "Is that so?" ?Yes. Not again. Please.? Waiting for my nod to confirm what he already assumed, Scoresby frowned. "I''m sorry, Lyl''ra, but you know that driving around Esulmor to Brose is an extra day''s journey. Did she understand me, girl?" "All too well," I said, feeling sorry for the mare, now looking quite crestfallen. Bearing my fair share of stuff I had been forced into, it wasn''t hard to put myself in her hoofs. The two of us couldn''t be more different, though. The forest terrified the mare, while I was okay-ish with living in it. She looked forward to returning to the city, whereas the thought of all those people there made me question my decision to hitch a ride with the three of them. All the gloom of what had been and what was to come my way, however, melted away when the majestic trees gave way to the open grassland, and the warmth of the late morning sun hit my cheeks. Chapter 40: Vast World When I found myself in the woods after months spent in the damp, cold, and shit-smelling cellar, I thought there could be nothing more beautiful than that tranquil place, albeit shaded by the crowns of majestic trees, but I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. Sure enough, the sun warming my still sore leg muscles cut sharply into my eyes, drawing out the tears, yet I couldn¡¯t help staring wide-eyed at the vast world before me. With Esulmor Forest at our backs, the grasslands rose gently before us, stretching all the way to the horizon into the valley between the mountains. And those rock giants were something to behold. To my left, quite in the distance, stretched the smaller of the two mountain ranges. And on my right rose the one under which Esulmor sprawled, its snow-capped peaks so high that I had to bend my head back to look at them. ¡°That¡¯s the Granora Mountain Range,¡± Scoresby said, noticing my awestruck stare at the white peaks glistening in the sun, as if covered with thousands of diamonds. ¡°And...those over there?¡± I pointed to the smaller mountain range, like a curious little girl on a road trip. ¡°Granora¡¯s Tail,¡± the old man replied, if anything amused, not annoyed by my excitement. And when more questions furrowed my brow, he went on to explain without so much as a grunt. ¡°I¡¯m no scholar to tell you the reasons why, but what you see should all be one mountain range. As a matter of fact, we are currently in the basin between those two and Granora Peaks. When we get further from the forest, they should be visible to the south behind us.¡± ¡°Does it have a name, too? The basin I mean?¡± ¡®It should, right? People tended to name everything.¡¯ ¡°Take a guess, girl.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± This time, instead of answering, Scoresby shrugged, the corners of his mouth hidden behind his beard, raised in a wry grin. ¡°Fine,¡± I give in, more than happy to play his game. ¡°Granora¡¯s Bowls?¡± ¡°Good guess, but no.¡± ¡°Then...Granora¡¯s Butt.¡± ¡°A peak in Granora¡¯s Tail is actually called that. Try again...¡± The game lasted us for quite a while, in fact, until we reached the crossroads where the Old and the New Roads parted. Scoresby was right; Granora¡¯s Peaks were now peeking out behind the forest. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that caught my attention when looking back. In the shadow of what looked like a huge boulder in the far distance along the New Road, the roofs of several buildings could be seen. ¡°That¡¯s Beyond Reach,¡± Scoresby replied when I asked him about it. ¡°The inn that replaced Esulmor¡¯s Edge. It¡¯s a nice place, too. Sadly, barely staying afloat. When they finally built it, trade had long since moved to the northern routes...¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®An inn?¡¯ The rest of what the old man said fell on deaf ears as a sudden dread gripped my guts. If it was an inn, then there were people there, a bunch of them. However, knowing better, or so I thought, before the notion of running away could bite into my heart, I swiftly turned my attention back ahead of us to the saddle of the valley between the two mountain ranges, the edge of this basin apparently called Summit¡¯s Embrace. That was where the road we were following led and beyond which horizon lay the city of Castiana. ¡®Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The CITY.¡¯ The wide world around me, and especially Scoresby, had done a good job of distracting me. Now, however, the consequences of my decision to leave the ¡°safety¡± of the forest were beginning to sink in. ¡°H-how much further, Mr. Scoresby?¡± We¡¯d been driving for hours, so for all I knew, Castiana could be just over the hill ahead of us. ¡°Well, I would say,¡± the old man replied, torturing me a little by pausing to think. ¡°...that we¡¯re about halfway there.¡± ¡°Only halfway?¡± The fact that my voice bore no trace of impatience, and instead brimmed with relief, did not escape the old man. ¡°Unfortunate, I know. But because of someone, I left Esulmor Edge later than usual,¡± he said, not angry, if anything amused, teasing me a bit, likely in an attempt to distract me again. Much to my dismay, this time, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I didn¡¯t mean to...to hold you back.¡± ¡°Oh, forgive this old fool for his bad jokes. You didn¡¯t hold me back, Korra. I mean it. The drive from Esulmor Edge takes over half a day, so what¡¯s a few extra minutes, right?¡± ¡®A few minutes?¡¯ Because of me, his breakfast had to be at least an hour longer. He seemed genuinely okay with it, though, so I asked instead, ¡°Is it really that far?¡± Scoresby nodded. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say far. Sure, there are towns closer to Castiana, just half a day¡¯s journey, and you¡¯ll get to Ravenhear. Sure, even if I cut it short through Esulmor, the trip from Castiana to Granhill takes me a day and a half, a full two days to Brose, but the world is much wider, girl. Sometimes, I think it is too wide. Tits, if I wanted to do business in the capital, it would take me more than two weeks to get there - and that¡¯s if I don¡¯t run into trouble on the way.¡± ¡°More than two weeks?¡± Damn. Back on Earth, I could travel the world in two weeks - several times. By no means did the fault with long travel time lie with the mares and the carriage, though. Sure, we weren¡¯t traveling at any highway speeds, but now that we were on a maintained road, our pace picked up. There was no way I would have caught up with the wagon if the mares had raced through the woods as fast as they were now. So, either this world was as vast as Scoresby claimed, or it was very, very sparsely populated. ¡°There, girl. Castiana?¡± The old man¡¯s words snapped me out of my thoughts and sent shivers down my spine. With dread at the pit of my stomach, I lifted my eyes and looked out at the vast world before me. There, nestled in the green grasslands of the sloping land on the other side of the Granora Mountain Range, lay the source of my current fears and hopes for a somewhat normal life. ¡°It¡¯s...it¡¯s a bit different from...from what I imagined.¡± From this far away, it looked nothing like the medieval towns I pictured to find here. It was big, way bigger, for sure, but kind of flat - and hexagonal. There were no towers, every roof of the same height, and so seemed to be the city walls. No buildings stood outside them, no farms sprawled around the city. I might not have been an expert on how cities worked, but this one just didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Scoresby chuckled. ¡°Castiana is, after all, a Labyrinth City. You¡¯ll only find a handful of those around the world.¡± Chapter 41: Esulmor Gate Elias Hakhe had a somewhat routine day at the Southeastern Gate, also known as the Esulmor Gate. The road from the city led, among other places, to the Esulmor Forest, where the mossbears lived, dangerous beasts that a man like him wanted nothing to do with. Fortunately, they had stayed in their forest so far. The only beasts who had ventured near the walls, despite the presence of the Labyrinth, were the packs of Iron-Fanged Wolves now and then, disturbing the otherwise calm flow at the gate. Not today, though. Today seemed to be one of those exceptionally uneventful days. Only a scant two dozen people had passed through the gate since early morning. ¡®Maybe something happened in Esulmor? Was it mating season already?¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be the first time the beast¡¯s roars from the forest had deterred people from traveling further west out of Granhill to Castiana. And only someone brave or utterly insane would dare to take the Old Road in such times. ¡®A damn dangerous venture under normal circumstances that only a fool like old Scoresby would take,¡¯ Elias thought to himself, scanning the horizon for the said merchant. The man should be back by now, but the road was as deserted it had been since that moss-ridden shithole had expanded. Despite the New Road, a longer but safer route that went further south around that forest, the Southeastern Gate remained one of the least used in Castiana. There was simply something haunting about the sight of Esulmor, no matter how far one traveled from it. Not that Elias had ever traveled the road himself. He was a born Castianian and never saw a reason to leave the city. All that was just bits and pieces he picked up from those who did - like old Scoresby. ¡®Seriously, where the fuck is he?¡¯ While Elias Hakhe was glad to be stationed at the Esulmor Gate: no hustle and bustle, no dealing with angry merchants from dawn to dusk, he couldn¡¯t help worrying about the old man. Scoresby wasn¡¯t like those bastards reluctant to let go of a single copper, ever complaining about the state of the roads and always furious when they had to pay the merchants¡¯ entrance fee to the city, a fee which was one of the lowest in the Empire. If it were up to him . . . ¡°Elias?!¡± his fellow gate guard, a Guardswoman, a subordinate, a friend, and occasionally more than that shouted his name for the umpteenth time, only now getting through to him. Not the first time this had happened. He just tended to get lost in thought, while she tended to be a little too chatty. ¡°Yes, Brynn?¡± he asked, unperturbed, after brushing himself off. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re finally listening. Good.¡± ¡°You were saying?¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She scoffed. ¡°I was guessing what bullshit you were thinking so hard about. That blasted forest again? I hope it wasn¡¯t Loreen? Maybe you were about...me?¡± ¡°The first.¡± ¡°Thought so,¡± Brynn grumbled, a little disappointed. ¡°Why bother with the place, though? It¡¯s not like you were planning on going there, is it? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯d shit my pants if I had to.¡± ¡®Me too,¡¯ Elias thought, smirking in disbelief at the gal the old man had to have. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why the Captain insists we keep spare uniforms in the gatehouse.¡± ¡°Asshole!¡± Brynn growled, but stopped short. ¡°You think she¡¯d...send us out there on patrol?¡± ¡°What? Traiana¡¯s tits, no! We¡¯re city guards, not an army to deal with the Wilds. Why would you think that?¡± ¡°You, you fucking dickhead,¡± she snapped at him. A little lost as to what she meant, a lame remark about their night together two days ago came to his mind. Knowing her, however, he kept it to himself. As with the gate, Elias liked peace in his personal life, too. ¡°Eyes on the road, Brynn.¡± ¡°Seriously, sometimes...whatever. Are you going to Drunken Filly tonight? I hear there¡¯s gonna be a new bard. Some guy from the western parts of the Empire.¡± Elias sighed to himself. He couldn¡¯t care less about some snotty brat who thought he could impress the locals. Especially not when they had work to do. ¡°Heads up, Brynn! We have an arrival.¡± The weight of his voice made her jump to attention, spear held exemplary along her body, eyes fixed forward. But then she narrowed her eyes, searching for the said arrival. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? They¡¯re at least an hour away. Besides, that should be Scoresby - not some stuck-up lady.¡± Elias paused, looking further up the road. And sure enough, there in the far distance, he could finally see the familiar wagon. A weight lifted from his shoulders. That the old guy was fine meant less hassle for him: no explaining to Marlen that her husband hadn¡¯t returned, no filing paperwork for a missing person¡¯s report, and half a dozen more papers. ¡°No, I meant the rider,¡± Elias said with a stifled chuckle of relief, nodding to his left, where a man on a scalehoof was riding across the plains. Some bastards who knew their way around Castiana avoided the queues at the other gates, especially those neighboring this Esulmor one, the East and Southwest Gates, by getting off the roads and cutting across the grasslands. ¡°Oh, that dickhead,¡± Brynn grumbled, no less thrilled than he was. Riding through the tall grass like that, one could run into a pack of Iron-Fang Wolves waiting for their prey in an ambush. There were three types of these queue cutters: those with no brains, those with balls, and those with sigils, each spelling nuisance and trouble. Standing at attention, her eyes on the rider, just like his, Brynn allowed herself a brief frown at Elias. ¡°We¡¯re so not done yet.¡± ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ ¡°Am I seeing right?¡± Brynn asked, staring at the oncoming wagon the way he did. There was nothing wrong with the wagon itself, nor with the scalehoofs pulling it - at least at first glance. While more thorough inspection was called for, they seemed fine. But... ¡°I see the half-Terr gal too,¡± Elias said with a sigh. ¡°Guess we are in for some heavy paperwork.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Paperwork? That¡¯s what you care about? What if Scoresby found himself a...wait, you think she¡¯s a refugee? But she¡¯d have to go through Granhill, right? They¡¯d process her there.¡± ¡°Hope you¡¯re right. But knowing the old man...¡± ¡°...knowing him, what?¡± Brynn snapped as Elias tailed off, hoping he was wrong. ¡°Well, did you know that in his heydays, he used to smuggle slaves out of Arid?¡± Chapter 42: Hassle "He used to what?" "Well, yeah, before he had kids, he used to smuggle slaves across the border to Mitta, sometimes driving them all the way to Castiana. All while doing a fair business, of course." "Tits, I would¡¯ve put it past the old man to trade slaves. He seems so . . . nice." "Oh, he wasn''t trading in them. It was the escaped slaves he helped. You know, get past the Arid border guards . . . in his wagon." "With his sigils? Damn, he''s got some balls." Elias smirked and nodded. "Now you know where he gets the galls to ride through Esulmor. Though, I wonder where he picked up the gal." "Her? I rather wonder how he met his wife. Maybe she was one of the slaves; wouldn''t that be something? Him smuggling her in his wagon just for the two of them to . . . wait. We''ve searched that wagon a hundred times. There''s no place for him to hide any slave. Are the Arid''s border guards blind? Are we?" "Don''t get your tits in a twist, Brynn. He quit a long time ago. That''s not the wagon. He sold it - at least, that''s what he told m-me . . . WHAT?" "Nothing, just wondering how you know so much about him? And why the fuck is this the first time I''m hearing all this? Were you one of those slaves too?" "You know my folks." "They could have taken you in. Or . . . or be slaves themselves." ¡°And my sister? You are friends with her.¡± ¡°I don''t know where you got that impression but she doesn¡¯t like me that much. Anyway, same story. Either she was a slave too, or she''s not your sister.¡± "Eli and you are not . . . well, what about my grandparents, then?" "I don''t know," Brynn said with a shrug. "You tell me." Elias couldn''t help but silently curse at his own stupidity. How could he forget? Once Brynn got curious about something, she didn''t rest until she knew all the ins and outs - or found something else to keep her mind busy. Unfortunately, unable to come up with anything to weasel out of answering, he heaved a sigh, knowing all too well that he was digging his own grave. "I kind of . . . dated his daughter for quite a while." The Guardswoman¡¯s wide eyes told him everything, the laid-back day was all but gone. And the gal sitting next to old Scoresby was to blame. "Heads up, Brynn!" Elias barked, all grumpy, as the wagon neared the gate, snapping his colleague out of her shock. In a practiced manner, she straightened and crossed her spear with his. "We''re so-soooo not done yet. STOP!" "Whoa," the old man on the wagon commanded the scalehoofs, pulling lightly on the reins, making the animals stop just shy of their spears. "Good day to you, Sergeant Hakhe. Corporal Velorgan." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Sighing, Elias nodded. "And to you, Mr. Scoresby." Unnecessary pleasantries, perhaps, but if one wanted to do their job well, they couldn''t act like some thug. Those were the words of their captain, and he couldn''t agree more. They were Castiana City Guards, something to be proud of - or at least it used to be. And the old man respected that. "Bit late today, aren''t you?" "You know how things go from time to time." "Tell me about it. This day started out so great, but then it went down the shitter." "Oh, did something happen in the city, boy?" "I wish. Then it wouldn''t be my concern," Elias said with a frown, sighing after taking a look at the half-Terr''den gal. "What are you up to, old man? Back to your old job?" [Merchant: 78 sigils] No change there, of course. Not only was it impossible to change your array before forming the second one, but it would also be incredibly dumb to take one like a Smuggler, for example. You might as well shout out what you are or what you were - like the gal sitting next to the old man. [Slave: 97 sigils] "Damn, full array," Brynn leaned in to whisper, as taken aback as Elias was. And no wonder. When he remembered all he had to do to get his 132 sigils as a Guardsman, he shuddered at the thought of what the young gal had to go through. She didn''t seem much older than Brynn, who had trained with him daily practically since she turned sixteen and just last week had gloated about getting the 112th sigil on her arrays, yet the gal was practically only five sigils away from forming her second array. "Of course not. I''m too old for that, boy," Scoresby laughed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "This is, Korra Grey. I met her, believe it or not, in Esulmor and merely gave her a ride." "H-hello . . . " stammered out the half-Terr''den, obviously nervous as fuck. Elias would dare to say that she was even afraid of them. ''What a hassle,'' he thought to himself, sighed, and put on a smile. "Hello, ma''am, I am Sergeant Elias Hakhe. I assure you, you have nothing to fear." The gal flinched, bared her fangs a little in a failed attempt to smile back, nodded but remained wary, her eyes darting between him, Brynn, the wall, the gate and the city beyond it. Of course, his eyes traveled places as well. Though he tried his best to keep the eye check of her strictly professional. ''Antlers, large ears, body covered with feathers and fur? A lot of skin, though. Definitely a half-Terr. But not the kind I saw in the city before. Well, whatever.'' "As I said, ma''am, you have nothing to fear. However, I must ask you to climb down. You too, Mr. Scoresby." "I know, boy. You have your orders. Well, do your job," said the old man, gesturing to the wagon. "But go easy on the girl. She¡¯s had it rough." ''Who the fuck do you take me for, old man,'' Elias cursed silently and motioned for his fellow gate guard to check the wagon. Of course, Brynn being Brynn, instead of doing her fucking job, took a few steps towards the old man and, unable to remain silent any longer, asked: "Did you really find her in Esulmor? Like on the edge of the forest, or . . . ? Did you perhaps smuggle her out of some slave trading ring?" Startled a bit, the old man raised his eyebrows, looking to Elias for answers. Unfortunately, all he could give him was an apologetic shrug. This was on him, no doubt. If only he had kept his mouth shut . . . he could have saved himself so much hassle. "Well, Corporal Velorgan, I don''t intend to speak for Korra, but as far as I''m concerned, I met her in the ruins of Esulmor Edge. No slave ring operating there, or at least I haven''t noticed." "Is that correct, ma''am? The Esulmor part?" Elias asked as he watched the gal climb down from the wagon seat, only to trip and fall off the steps. Reflexes kicked in, and even though he knew he would be too late, he moved to catch her, almost stumbling himself. "Traiana''s tits!" he gasped as the feathers on her body spread into two wings, and she barely stopped herself from falling flat on her face. ''Definitely, not a half-Terr I ever saw,'' Elias thought to himself, astounded and already picturing all the paperwork. Chapter 43: No Identity "You all right, ma''am?" Of course, Elias Hakhe did not blindly rush over to the sprawled half-Terr''den girl and help her to her feet, as his instincts told him to do. He did so with the caution that their captain had drilled into them. The gal''s clumsy misstep and the fear with which she trembled could, for all he knew, have been an act. Instead of thanks, he could have ended up with a dagger plunged between his ribs or claws ripping open his throat. "I-I am," the gal stammered. The moment her eyes fell on his outstretched hand, her eyes widened in horror as if his fingers were covered in shit, and she promptly scrambled back to her feet, her wings pressed back flat against her body, her face as red as her hair. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤©¤ ''Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Why? Just why?'' Why did I have to bare my girls right in that guard''s face? The worst first impression I could have made. Seriously - if I hadn''t made it this far, all the way from the forest to the city''s gate, I would have tucked my tail between my legs and run away, no matter how embarrassing that would actually be. ''Just why? Why did I trip in the first place?'' The tangled moss-covered tree roots in Esulmor proved no problem for me to dash across, yet a few steps from the wagon seat were beyond my ability to climb down? ''Like what the actual f . . . ?!'' Was it my unease, my fear, that tripped my feet? "You sure you are all right, ma''am?" the man, the gate guard, asked, unperturbed by what he just saw. There was no sign of lust or hostility in his voice and yet, overwhelmed by shame I bared my teeth at him like some cornered beast. Being pissed at myself for acting like that, however, was not the reason I winced when I fell back a step. A sudden pain shot through my body. My butt was more sore than after any spanking I ever got from my parents as a little girl. Heck, my ass hurt almost like . . . ''Shit! Was it really some kind of late mutation? Or was I turning into a beast?'' As my mind raced with one dumber reason for the ache than the other, my eyes eventually fell on the culprit. It was the rickety wagon - or rather, the hard wooden seat. Not even my unusually powerful regeneration could cope with the damage hours of sitting on it had wreaked upon my ass. More embarrassed than ever and fighting the urge to rub my sore bottom, I eased my mind with the [Indomitable Will], gathered my courage, and nodded. "I-I''m fine . . . sir." "Good. That''s good. I would hate to fill out an injury report at the gate." The guardsman said with a strange, tired edge to his otherwise composed, professional tone. "May I assume you intend to enter Castiana, ma''am?" ''Did I?'' A glance at the three-story high walls sent a shiver down my spine. Wasn''t going in like walking into another cage? "Y-yes," I stammered after fighting off another urge to run away. ''Oh, shut up!'' "Excuse me? What did you say?" ''Shit! Did I say that out loud? I didn''t, did I?'' "Um, y-yeah. I''d like to . . . enter the city." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Very well. Then I''ll have to ask you for your Citizen Card - if you have one. You do have one, don''t you?" ''I sure did not.'' Glancing at the old man now engaged in a conversation with the second gate guard, a Guardswoman, for some support, advice, or whatever, I bit down on my lower lip instead of interrupting them, took a deep breath and - much to the Guardsman''s obvious disappointment - shook my head. "Are you sure, ma''am?" "I n-never had one." "Refugee Clearance, then?" "N-no." "Work Permit?" "A-also . . . no." "Trade License?" "No." "Travel Pass?" "Sorry . . . " "Slave Registration?" A chill ran through my body. ''There was such a thing?'' "I''ll take that as a no. How about, Envoy Entry Endorsee?" "Are you serious, Elias?" the gate guard''s colleague barked at him, clearly listening in while she talked to Scoresby. "Does she look like an envoy to you?" "Have you forgotten what Captain told us, Corporal? Never judge a sword by the rust on its blade." "Sure - this has nothing to do with you not wanting to do the paperwork," the woman, Corporal Velorgan, shot back with a sneer. It didn''t take a genius to see that there was something between those two. And so, with instincts kicking in, I eyed her, wondering if her first name was Traiana, the one whose tits the man mentioned and compared mine to. Alas, with her chest hidden behind what was undoubtedly part of the City Guard''s uniform - a blue jacket with white lining and lapels, complete with two rows of large silver buttons - the frustration of not being allowed to see, to compare, rippled through my body. ''Damn! Why would she . . . no. No, no, no. What the actual f-fuck. Seriously, get your shit together, Korra?" This was not the time to dwell on some wounded beast pride. Not to mention that I never cared about that kind of stuff in the first place. That just wasn''t me. "You know, I''ll do it, the papers - if you want, Elias. I mean, Sergeant." "Sure, I''ll let you, and then Captain will have my ass like last time. Nah, you check the wagon, and I''ll take care of this," the gate guard, Sergeant Hakhe, said with a sigh, turning his attention back to me. "Ma''am, do you have any means of proving your identity?" "E-except for my Grit?" I stuttered, still a little distracted by the woman''s obstructing uniform. "Yes, besides your Grit. Kind of hard to read that one without the . . . well, forget it. So, do you?" "No." "Fuck!" "S-sorry . . . " "Apologies, ma''am. In that case, I''ll have to ask you to come with me." "To . . . to where?" "For starters, to the gatehouse. That''s where you''ll fill out some paperwork with me. I''m not authorized to grant you any clearance without verifying your identity. That is if you insist on entering Castiana." Even though the old man told me it would probably turn out this way, panic bit into my already racing heart. This was it, my last chance to run away, to make it easy for myself - and while Sergeant Hakhe would obviously prefer that I didn''t cross the threshold of the gate and my beast side wouldn''t have minded living in the Wilds, as they called the sprawling outback between the settlements, whether it would actually turn out to be an easier life was questionable. No - mustering the last vestiges of courage, I swallowed my doubts and banished all thoughts of turning back. Instead of running away, I nodded wordlessly. "Then . . . please follow me, ma''am," the Guardsman said, motioning for me to fall in step with him. "Don''t worry, Korra. Though gruff at times, Elias is a good man," Scoresby called after me as I took a shaky step towards the city. "And don''t forget to visit once you can." ?No, don''t. Go beast. Be gone,? Lyl''ra neighed, glad to get rid of me and if better not see me again. While not her fault, the mare would have been happy to know that in spite of our prior agreement of Scoresby letting me stay with him for a night or two, a sinking dread of me never seeing the old man again settled in the pit of my stomach. "I won''t . . . I definitely won¡¯t forget," I managed to force a false promise through the lump in my throat and following Sergeant Hakhe I walked through the massive gate into the city of Castiana. Chapter 44: Gatehouse ¡®So, this is Castiana?¡¯ Definitely not what I expected. From a distance, the city looked as if someone had placed a flat hexagon badge in the landscape. However, the street stretching ahead of me in a straight line through the Castiana was anything but one identical building standing next to another. Whoever had a hand in designing the general shape and layout of the city certainly eased the reins when it came to the construction of the buildings within it. The wide cobbled street was flanked on both sides by a mixture of buildings of all shapes; some were timber-framed, some made from stone, and others out of brick from the ground floor to the third - not any higher, though. Yet it was not the sight of the street that took my breath away and made me wince in pain. It was the noise. So many people were down on the street, busy with whatever errands they had, their chattering and bartering mingled with the clatter of hooves as scalehoof-drawn carts and carriages made their way through, so overwhelmingly loud that I had to press my ears to my head. Annoyingly, it didn¡¯t help nearly as much as I¡¯d hoped, forcing a pained whimper from my lips. ¡°Everything all right, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°N-no,¡± I whined in earnest, cursing my sail-like ears. ¡°Born and bred out of the city, huh? This way, please,¡± Sergeant Hakhe said after catching on to my little plight, gesturing to the building on his right just outside the gate, the only structure stuck to the walls, as far as I could see. ¡°It¡¯s much quieter inside.¡± With the urge to correct him on the tip of my tongue - I wasn¡¯t some backwater country girl, nor some wild beast that grew up in the forest - I managed to wisely keep my mouth shut and instead, despite all the terrible memories of the last building I was in, I hurried inside. Well...much to his credit and my relief, the gate guard, Sergeant Hakhe, didn¡¯t lie. Even with the door wide open out onto the street, the noise inside got a whole lot more bearable. ¡°This way, please,¡± the man said as he walked in behind me, gesturing to the hallway leading further into the building. But instead of following his own instructions, he stopped at the stairs. ¡°One moment, ma¡¯am.¡± Fearing he might go get a new collar to put around my neck, I watched him sharp-eyed as he walked to the railing, leaned over it, and shouted up, ¡°Hey, Zarth. Go help Brynn. I have some paperwork to do.¡± ¡°Are you serious, Sarge? I was just about to...Oh, I see, paperwork,¡± said the man appearing on the stairs wearing nothing but gray trousers, winking knowingly at Hakhe. I¡¯d have to be dumb not to get what he was hinting at, but while I only dared to glare at the half-naked man, the sergeant¡¯s anger made all my hair bristle. ¡°Corporal! You¡¯re supposed to be at the ready! Not act like you¡¯re home.¡± ¡°And I am - ready. Look, Sarge,¡± the man said without missing a beat, and over-knee leather boots appeared out of nowhere on his feet, along with a blue jacket atop a gray shirt. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡®Damn...¡¯ Even though I knew about the existence of spatial tools, I couldn¡¯t help but stare open-mouthed. In a heartbeat, the man was in full uniform, and all he had to do was straighten it out a bit. My lack of any clothes aside, at the thought of how much time I would have saved back on Earth by having one of those, a pang of envy struck my heart. ¡°You know exactly what I meant, Corporal. One more time and...¡± ¡°I know; you¡¯ll put me on the report, Sarge. Speaking of,¡± he said, eyeing me from the tip of my antlers to my toes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind making this one instead of you.¡± ¡°Then surely you wouldn¡¯t mind, Corporal, if I made that report on your performance right now.¡± The man grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t, Sarge. That¡¯s just more paperwork. BUT...I bet Brynn feels lonely without you there.¡± With that, the man, a Guardsman with 122 sigils engraved in his array, rushed out of the gatehouse, leaving me there with a clearly worn-down Sergeant Hakhe. ¡°Sorry about that, ma¡¯am,¡± he said after heaving a sigh, gesturing to a nearby door. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡®Well...?¡¯ Honestly, I¡¯d rather follow in that corporal¡¯s footsteps than go in there, but doing so wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere. And so, quite reluctantly, I calmed my fears using the [Indomitable Will] and walked into a rather small room with Sergeant Hakhe on my heels. It wasn¡¯t as cramped as the cells in the cellar by any means, yet being inside gave me chills, and I almost whimpered when he closed the door behind us. I was trapped again. ¡°Please, sit down, ma¡¯am,¡± Hakhe said, pointing to a chair across from the desk as he sat down at the table himself and pulled a pen and paper from the drawer. After a moment¡¯s hesitation and some scowling from him, I tried to sit in the chair, but what followed was quite a rather awkward attempt followed by a pained hiss. Not only had I forgotten about my bruised ass, but it was the first time in a year and a half that I had gotten to use this piece of furniture, the first time ever I had sat on one with my wings and tail, albeit pressed against my body. Sure, one could argue that I had already sat in the seat of Scoresby¡¯s wagon, but that just wasn¡¯t the same. ¡°There¡¯s a stool over there in the corner, if you prefer.¡± A little pissed that he didn¡¯t tell me sooner, but mostly embarrassed as it just brought to mind that I had bared my chest at him just a few moments ago, I immediately switched the stool for the chair. ¡°So,¡± Sergeant Hakhe said after patiently waiting for me to find the least painful position on the seat. ¡°Your name, then, is Korra Grey, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Y-yeah...I mean, yes. Korra Grey, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡®Oh, for f...shit¡¯s sake, shut up already, or he¡¯ll think it¡¯s a made-up name!¡¯ ¡°Alright. Stop me if I get something wrong: female, half-Terr¡¯den, mixed race, late twenties, Array of Slave, ninety-seven sigils...¡± As he went on describing my appearance and how Scoresby found me while writing everything down, all I did was nod even though technically I wasn¡¯t the half-Terr¡¯den everyone thought I was. Even if it was a lie, I figured it was better than them seeing me as the freak I actually was. ¡°Before I send this off, I must ask, again, what is your purpose in visiting Castiana?¡± ¡®So I don¡¯t end up a beast.¡¯ Of course, I didn¡¯t tell him that. After talking my future over with Scoresby during the ride here, I found that there seemed to be only one good answer to that question. ¡°I...I want to live here.¡± Chapter 45: Paperwork ¡°You want to settle down here in Castiana?¡± Sergeant Hakhe asked for clarification, obviously not all too happy with my answer. And honestly, he wasn¡¯t the only one. However, being essentially lost in the world, and knowing shit about how things worked here, I had no choice but to trust Scoresby that this city wasn¡¯t such a bad place to live - even for Slaves like me. So, unless the old man was lying, my plan was to stay here at least until I got a better grasp of this world or, should luck smile on me for once, find my way back to Earth and my family. ¡°Y-yeah. I m-mean, yes. That is...if it is possible?¡± ¡°Sure it is, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s just a matter of what status you want to have while in Castiana and, by extension, in the Sahal Empire. If it¡¯s just a job you¡¯re looking for, a Temporary Work Permit will suffice...¡± ¡°Citizen,¡± I blurted out to stop him. ¡°I w-want to become a citizen...o-of Sahal.¡± According to Scoresby, that was the best option of them all. While other forms of stay had their advantages, only the imperial citizens enjoyed the most guarantees and security. One of them being that you could only become a slave if you fell into heavy debt or committed a serious crime. ¡°All right,¡± the sergeant said with a sigh, took his time to finish the report, wrapped it in a roll, put his seal on it - not a wax one, but instead some kind of magical enchantment - and slid it into the tube that appeared in his hand from thin air. When he screwed the cap back on, the runes covering the tube glowed for a brief moment. Then, after checking that the tube was empty and the report had been sent, he put it back into his spatial storage. ¡°Well, that would be one thing done.¡± ¡°Th...there¡¯s more?¡± Sergeant Hakhe sighed. ¡°I wish it were that simple, too, ma¡¯am. While you are in for a trip to the Castiana City Guards Barracks, I still have a bunch of paperwork to do.¡± ¡®What? Barracks? Oh, the barracks.¡¯ Scoresby said they would likely take me there. It was the only place they could verify my identity. The place where they would most likely find out that I was not the half-Terr¡¯den they thought I was. ¡°Are you all right, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡®Of course I¡¯m not!¡¯ Soon, everyone would know what kind of freak that deranged asshole made me into. Thankfully, I managed to keep my mouth shut and not bark at the man. Instead, I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will]. A tad calmer, but with my heart still pounding in my chest like crazy, I wiped my sweat-stained brow and stammered out a blatant lie: ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Again, I assure you that you have nothing to fear - that is unless you¡¯re hiding something,¡± the sergeant frowned and squinted at me. ¡°Are you hiding something, ma¡¯am?¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°N-no?¡± ¡®Damn it, Korra! You couldn¡¯t have sounded less convincing.¡¯ ¡°Good, very good. Like I said, then you have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°W-wait, is that...you know, it? Aren¡¯t you going to...?¡± ¡°What? Interrogate you?¡± Sergeant Hakhe asked when I paused, the word stuck in my throat. ¡°Not my job, ma¡¯am. The gate guards are there to keep track of who enters and leaves the city. And, if necessary, to prevent the entry of, say, unwanted individuals - which, to my knowledge, you are not.¡± ¡®Great.¡¯ One could only wonder how long that would be the case. Once the truth of what I was made of was out... ¡®Well, a problem for the future Korra, I guess.¡¯ ¡°Soooo...I can go now?¡± ¡°I wish, ma¡¯am. You are unidentified, and as such, I cannot just let you enter the city. No, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to wait here until they come to pick you up.¡± ¡°P-pick me up? Who?¡± ¡°My colleagues, I assume someone patrolling the streets nearby. Now, do you mind if I do the paperwork here, or do you need some space and have me put someone by the door in the hallway?¡± ¡®Neither!¡¯ Both options made it sound like I was a prisoner - in a sense, a caged slave again. I¡¯d much rather wait at the gate, outside the city, than in this small room. But I wasn¡¯t blind, nor scared witless. Even I could see that it would be taking a step back, risking my fears getting the better of me when I was already in the city. So, no. Despite my instincts urging me to run free in the Wilds, I opted to watch the sergeant do his paperwork. If anything, it kept my mind distracted from slipping into dark places. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤©¤ ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here!¡± a woman¡¯s voice boomed through the gatehouse, scaring the shit out of me and causing Sergeant Hakhe to rip a hole in the form he was filling out. ¡°This shitty day just keeps getting worse. Why...why the fuck does it have to be her,¡± he cursed under his breath - but not silently enough for my ears not to pick it up - put down his pen, crumpled the ruined paper, and looked up at the corner of the room where I had taken up residence. ¡°Seems like your escort is here, ma¡¯am.¡± The tired tone of his voice did not sound very reassuring, to be honest. ¡°Are you there, Elias?¡± came from behind the door with a fierce banging. ¡°Yes...Yes, I am, Vara. Come in.¡± With every sense of mine on high alert, I watched as the door opened, and in walked a woman much smaller than her loud voice would suggest. That in no way meant she was short. If I had to guess, she stood at least half a head taller than me, not to mention her stocky stature. Even though she didn¡¯t have a whole lot more sigils than I did, my instincts were telling me that she wasn¡¯t someone I wanted to mess with. [Guardswoman: 124 sigils] The only thing I wasn¡¯t sure about was whether it was because of her strength or something else entirely. At times, the instincts were just weird. ¡°Look, E-l-i-a-s, just because you rank over me now doesn¡¯t mean you can order me around like some slave girl of yours,¡± the Guardswoman huffed as her eyes fell on the sergeant, storming over to him and slamming her hands down on the desk. ¡°Why should I drag myself halfway across the city when you have a gatehouse full of slacking tits with their thumbs up their asses and having no fucking idea what to do all day?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s part of our duty, Vara,¡± came a soft voice from the doorway as another Guardswoman walked in. [Guardswoman: 117 sigils] This one was of a fairer stature, just as tall, but slender. Unlike the loud one¡¯s, her blue eyes found me sitting silently in the corner of the room immediately. ¡°Hello there, I assume you¡¯re the Korra Grey we¡¯re supposed to escort? Is that correct, sir?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Elira...,¡± the loud Guardswoman grunted, running a hand through her short-cropped auburn hair, only to pause in shock as she turned around and her eyes finally fell on me. ¡°Sweet mother of freaking tits!¡± Chapter 46: Blind That was the reaction I expected from everyone: sheer shock at the sight of me, the freak that I was. And while it hurt, it honestly came as a relief. Better they knew what that deranged asshole had turned me into now than later and be pissed about it. ¡°Balls, I almost pissed myself. How long were you there?¡± ¡®W-wait, what? Is that why she was horrified?¡¯ ¡°Take a guess, Vara - the whole time,¡± the other Guardswoman spoke up, obviously used to her colleague¡¯s folly. ¡°Bullshit...I am not blind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the sad part about it.¡± ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Oh, nothing? Well, then maybe it will be nothing if I tell ¡°Sergeant¡± here about your date last night." ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t, and that¡¯s an order,¡± Hakhe chimed in, heaving a sigh. ¡°Just take the gal and get out.¡± ¡°Not until the Miss Perfect City Guard here tells me what she meant.¡± The fairer Guardswoman tucked an unruly strand of golden braided hair behind her ear and rolled her blue eyes. ¡°Nothing, really. Just that when you get a whiff of prey, you¡¯re like a hound and see nothing else.¡± A shiver ran through my body. Those words cut way too close to the heart. And they especially hurt since the sturdier Guardswoman with the short-cropped auburn hair looked nothing like me. She bore no antlers on her head, no huge sail-like ears, just the regular round human ones. From what little I could see of her white skin, not a bit of it was covered in fur or feathers. All in all, she looked like a normal human to me. ¡°So, you take me for a hound?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get all tits up, Elira. I like it.¡± ¡°You do...?¡± ¡°Hear that, Elias? You better watch out for me, or I¡¯ll bite you.¡± Couldn¡¯t they bloody well use any other metaphors? Or was comparing the other to beasts common here? Perhaps because of the Terr¡¯dens? Either way, the more they talked, the more I wished I had stayed in Esulmor. ¡°What you ought to be doing, Corporal, is your damn job and not barking at your superiors,¡± Sergeant Hakhe said, not breaking her stare despite being tired of the woman. That was until he glanced at the other city guard. ¡°Seriously, Eli - take her and go.¡± ¡°You mean Vara or...¡± ¡°Both of them,¡± the man gushed, making no bones about him trying to get us all off his hide. ¡°You have your orders, so follow them.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the blue-eyed Guardswoman saluted and jabbed her elbow into the brown-haired woman¡¯s ribs just as she was about to protest. ¡°Come on, Vara. If we hurry, we could still make lunch at the barracks.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Balls! You¡¯re right,¡± the auburn-haired Guardswoman cursed, stricken with realization. Then, as she fixed her gaze on me, the hairs on the back of my neck bristled. ¡°Grey, was it? Come on, get your ass up.¡± Flinching at her booming command, I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and, after hitting my mind with [Indomitable Will], got to my feet. Doing what she said might have left a bad taste in my mouth, but there was no way out of it for me now. Either I would go all the way with it, or...actually, I didn¡¯t know, and that was the rub. Apart from living like a beast in the forest, there was nothing else I could pin my hopes on. ¡°Good, now out!¡± ¡°Take it easy on the gal, will you, Corporal? If you had read your orders, you¡¯d know you¡¯re not escorting a prisoner.¡± ¡°Fuck you, Elias,¡± the auburn-haired Guardswoman growled, rushing me out. ¡°Sir,¡± saluted the other woman, to which Sergeant Hakhe merely dismissed her with a wave. ¡°Just go, Eli.¡± Thinking, naively, that I was ready, I whimpered as soon as we were back on the street. The noise hit me, arguably even harder than before. ¡°Oh, fuck me. What now, half-Terr?¡± ¡°Vara!¡± the blue-eyed Guardswoman shouted at her colleague from the gatehouse doors. Her voice might have been sweet otherwise, but now it cut into my ears sharper than the street noise. ¡°Oh, sorry, my bad. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Then why the fuck are you yelling?¡± the auburn-haired woman sputtered, wiggling her fingers in her ears. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I called her a half-beast.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your fucking problem? Oh, wait, let me tell you: that you salute to your brother and call him sir.¡± ¡°For the hundredth time, Vara, he¡¯s my superior now, and he¡¯s yours too. But that¡¯s beside the point. Don¡¯t you see her?¡± ¡°Of course, I can see her; I¡¯m NOT blind. Oh! Oh... her fucking ears,¡± the auburn-haired Guardswoman said when she finally noticed me pressing my fury sails to my head. ¡°Damn. I¡¯ve always been a little jealous of Terrs for all they could hear or smell, but... I guess there are two sides to every coin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most sensible thing you¡¯ve said all day,¡± the blue-eyed one remarked, holding out her hand with what looked like earrings. ¡°Here. I use them when I have to sleep in the same room as this buffoon; her name¡¯s Vara, by the way; mine¡¯s Elira.¡± ¡°Not my fault you¡¯re a light sleeper.¡± The blue-eyed Guardswoman, apparently named Elira and Sergeant Hakhe¡¯s sister, rolled her eyes, and ignoring the comment of her colleague Vara, gave me an explanation on the earrings: ¡°Noise mufflers¡ªadjustable, meaning pretty expensive, so I¡¯m gonna want them back once we escort you to the barracks.¡± ¡°Th-thank you,¡± I stammered out and, somewhat puzzled, took the earrings from her. Scoresby was one thing; the old merchant was just plain nice and sadly long gone, but why the bloody heck was she willing to hand me her stuff? Sure, she was only letting me borrow the earrings, yet knowing how I looked: dirty and smelling despite my best attempts to scrub myself with dew-soaked moss - and though it pained me to admit it - like a wild beast, she had to be damn confident I wasn¡¯t going to run off with them. That, or she was stupidly kind - like the old man. Either way, I was left scratching my head, trying to figure out how to put the earrings on. After all, it had been a while since I had lost my human ears. AND there was still the question of whether I should wear them at all. They were covered with runes, much like the shackles and the slave collar. ¡°As great as it is to hear you talk, can you hurry up?¡± the auburn-haired Guardswoman, Vara, said, rushing me to put them on. ¡°Like this, we¡¯ll arrive at the barracks after everyone¡¯s finished eating.¡± ¡®Wasn¡¯t that a good thing? No queues and stuff?¡¯ ¡°Vara¡¯s enjoying lunch at the barracks for all the gossip going around,¡± the blue-eyed Guardswoman, Elira, explained after seeing my confusion. ¡°Do you need help to put them on?¡± ¡°N-no,¡± I blurted out, taking a reflexive step back as she reached out to help me. To prove the point, keep my pride and stricken with a touch of guilt, I took my ear by what could be considered an earlobe and pierced the earring through. The same with the other one. Nothing happened, though. Despite the pain and a few drops of blood, the street noise kept assaulting my eardrums at full force. ¡°Damn, you must have been through some crazy shit. Call me intrigued, Grey.¡± ¡°Give it a break, Vara,¡± Guardswoman Elira grunted at her fellow city guard, reaching up to her earlobes. ¡°Touch the earrings. Both at once.¡± Once again, doing as I was told, I couldn¡¯t help but gasp. As soon as I touched the earrings, the whole world fell into complete silence. Chapter 47: Taste of the City Engrossed in marveling at the glorious silence, I almost jumped out of my skin when Guardswoman Elira placed a hand on my shoulder. Once again, my guard slipped. Pissed, yet having no one but myself to blame, I touched the earrings again as the blue-eyed city guard had gestured me to do and winced. The noise of the street assaulted my eardrums with a ferocity far worse than when I came out of the gatehouse. This time, though, I was ready - sort of. ¡°Y-yes?¡± I asked, biting my lower lip in an effort to endure the noise. ¡°Great, they seem to work on you, too. I wasn¡¯t sure. You adjust the dampening strength by turning the bulbs.¡± ¡°I say a waste of coins,¡± Guardswoman Vara growled as I tested the function of the earrings. ¡°As you can clearly see, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Sure, not useless for the half-Terr. But tell me, Elira, how many times have you used it? Just admit it, you got duped. Just like the time you bought that shiny . . . ¡± ¡°ALL RIGHT! Yes, I got . . . a bit carried away. Happy?¡± ¡°I will be once we finally get going,¡± she grunted back with a grin and glanced at me. ¡°Hey, half-Terr, can we go, or do we have to get you some boots first, too? And I¡¯m telling you upfront; you¡¯re not getting mine.¡± Finally getting the street noise down to a bearable level, I looked down at my bare feet and then at theirs comfortably snug in leather over-knee boots. A mistake as a pang of envy bit into my heart. I couldn¡¯t even remember what it was like to wear one of those - footwear in general. ¡°N-no, I am fine.¡± A blatant lie, but the Guardswoman Vara couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Great, then let¡¯s go.¡± Taking one last look at the now wagon-less gate, the Wilds spreading out behind the backs of the two gate guards; I took a deep breath and headed out into the hustle and bustle of the city, flanked by the two uniformed city guards. The main street was simply unbelievable. The straightness of it aside, the vibrancy, the amount of people and shops with all sorts of goods lining it, was breathtaking. Some of the places I recognized, such as a greengrocer¡¯s or a stationer¡¯s shop, others I could only guess what they had for sale. For one, we passed by a shop with a runic emblem that even [Eleaden Standard Language] couldn¡¯t translate - if it meant anything at all - and a number of similar rune-covered scripts displayed behind the window. Or there was this stone building decorated with carved wood paneling at the corner of the main street and one of the many side ones, having burgundy curtains behind the windows blocking the view inside I had no idea what to make of. The building did not seem to be abandoned; on the contrary, it gave the impression of a renowned restaurant, which I was sure it wasn¡¯t. No smells of food, no menu boards outside. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Not where I¡¯d advise you to work,¡± Guardswoman Vara remarked with a smirk when she noticed where I was looking. ¡°Sure, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to work as a ¡®companion¡¯; I bet even you know how to spread your legs - and it pays well if you have the looks, but . . . speaking of, what¡¯s up with your looks?¡± ¡°I have to admit I¡¯m a little curious myself,¡± the blue-eyed city guard chimed in, now slightly red in the cheeks as we passed what apparently was a legal whore house. ¡°You don¡¯t look like any half-Terr I¡¯ve seen around.¡± ¡°I d-don¡¯t?¡± Not the answer they wanted to hear, but I didn¡¯t really have one. After all, I was half-human, half-beast, not one of those half-Terr¡¯dens moving down the street and giving me strange looks. Though I could see why they mistook me for one. The resemblance between them and me was startling. Seriously, when my eyes fell on the first one walking casually towards us down the street, a man with the ears and antlers of a stag, the panic that I had in fact found myself in the city where that deranged asshole was conducting his twisted experiments gripped my guts. But then I saw a full Terr¡¯den, a woman covered in white fur from head to toe, with a snout instead of a nose and mouth, cat-like eyes, and the ears of some leopard-like animal she resembled. She looked more beast-like than I did, and no one batted an eye. The unease that everyone would look at me like a freak melted away the further into the city we walked. At least as far as the humans were concerned. Oddly enough, it was the Terr¡¯dens, whether fulls or halfs, whose gazes gave me this strange feeling at the back of my neck. Somehow, they knew I wasn¡¯t one of them. Or at least that was the fear eating away at me. ¡°No, you sure don¡¯t. You look like a mix-blood of several,¡± Guardswoman Vara remarked bluntly and gestured to the street to the left of the main one. ¡°This way.¡± Immediately, unease gripped my guts once more. It wasn¡¯t exactly the typical dark side alley; on the contrary, it was no less wide than the main street, but I couldn¡¯t shake the weird notion that they were going to drag me into one of those and . . . ¡®Shit! Get a grip, Korra! If they wanted to put a collar around your neck and sell you as a whore, they would have done it by now!¡¯ ¡°W-what¡¯s there? Why not stay on . . . ¡± I asked after mustering up the courage and, with a shaky hand, pointed ahead on the straight street, cutting through the city. ¡°Because we¡¯re taking you to the barracks, not on a tour of the Labyrinth Square.¡± ¡°What Vara means is that¡¯s where the 3rd Main Street leads to, the Labyrinth Square,¡± Guardwoman Elira added to explain as if that was supposed to tell me something, but I remained as lost as before. ¡°I mean - this is a labyrinth city; where else should the main street lead? Just like all the rest, right to the center of the city, its beating heart, the pearl of West Sahal, or a pain in the ass, as our captain likes to call it. A place best avoided unless you have a business there, which we don¡¯t, or two hundred runes engraved on your arrays, which neither of us does either. So . . . ¡± Guardswoman Vara said, leaning towards me. ¡° . . . Are you going to tell me who your mother hooked up with to make you, or is that a secret?¡± ¡°Well . . . with my father.¡± I know, pretty daring, and I regretted making that remark as soon as it left my lips, but at that moment, I just couldn¡¯t help myself. After all, I couldn¡¯t just tell her I was made by a deranged asshole in a shitty lab. ¡°Ah, fuck me, another smartass,¡± the auburn-haired city guard snorted while the blue-eyed one chuckled. ¡°You might as well jump into bed with Elira.¡± Chapter 48: Gossip ¡°...fuck me sideways. So Elias wasn¡¯t just pulling some bullshit to get you off his back? They really found you in Esulmor?¡± Guardswoman Vara asked, bewildered and a little too loud for my taste. Her booming voice made me glance around at the passers-by as we made our way through the city to the barracks. It wasn¡¯t so much the cold, dirty cobbles on my bare feet that bothered me as the weird feeling on the back of my neck, the stares boring into my hide, gave me. It was just impossible to shake off, and some of the looks, particularly those from Terr¡¯dens, even sent shivers down my spine. ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded, pleading with my eyes for her to keep her voice down and not draw any more attention to us. Alas, the woman either didn¡¯t get the hint or simply wasn¡¯t capable of speaking any less vocally. Be that as it may, when she leaned closer, bumping into me with her shoulder, her voice attracted no less attention than before. ¡°What was it like there? Full of moss? Dangerous, as they say? I heard that even the squirrels over there can rip your face off.¡± ¡®They what?¡¯ ¡°W-well, they s-sure gave me a hard time...¡° ¡°So, you met them? You seem fine to me, though.¡± ¡°I h-healed; besides, they¡¯re not...¡° ¡°Oh, so they did mess you up? How badly? I got into a brawl once, and this one fucker busted out all my front teeth. I even pissed myself...¡° ¡°Could you not go there, Vara? It¡¯s bad enough that I know about all the...lame, dumb shit you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Lame, maybe, but fun. When¡¯s the last time you can say you did something fun, huh?¡± That was a bloody good question. Not directed at me, but still something to think about. When was the last time that I did something fun? No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn¡¯t remember - Eleaden was one big ride of anguish, and my memories of Earth were already shrouded by the mist of oblivion. ¡°Like yesterday I...¡° ¡°No, no, no...not the ¡°lame¡± shit involving me. Something you did on your own, Elira." ¡°Well...¡° The blue-eyed Guardswoman paused, now a little red in the cheeks, frustrated and trying to come up with something. ¡°...not everyone¡¯s idea of fun is to get wasted.¡± ¡°Lame excuses, I say...¡° ¡°Ah, look who graced us with a visit. Vara Fucking Barfly,¡± a man¡¯s voice came from in front of us, cutting off whatever the overly loud Guardswoman sought to say. Snapped out of the maelstrom of my gloomy thoughts, I found myself gawking at a gate with two uniformed men stationed in front of it, no doubt guarding the entrance to the barracks. Wedged between the corners of two massive buildings, one running along the way busier main street than the first one I set foot on in this city, all the way towards another city gate and the other running perpendicular to it, the barrack¡¯s gate together with the set-back surrounding buildings formed a small plaza. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Barfly is not my fucking last name, Vallis,¡± the Guardswoman Vara barked back, not offended, instead enjoying the banter. ¡°Hope you¡¯re going to the Drunken Filly tonight.¡± ¡°Need someone to pay for the drinks? Nah, I had enough yesterday - that is, unless you grew the balls to try and down a Dragon Fart?¡± ¡®Dragon Fart?¡¯ What the bloody hell was that? They couldn¡¯t have meant the actual...fart of a dragon, could they? Sure, there were beasts like mossbears, but...dragons? ¡°Not sure they¡¯d be happy to see me back in the infirmary so soon. What about you, Tal?¡± Following the other man¡¯s thoughtful gaze, my curious eyes found a tavern on the other side of the main street. Not a small building, but not really that eye-catching either. Well, except for the hanging emblem depicting a horse with tangled legs. Nevertheless, despite its lack of prominence on the street, there was no denying that the tavern¡¯s location was more than convenient. ¡°I¡¯ll go - if Elira goes.¡± Put on the spot by the man, the blue-eyed Guardswoman flinched, going on the defensive. ¡°Hey, leave me out of this. I already have my own plans. Fuck you, Vara, don¡¯t give me that look. I can do whatever I want in my spare time.¡± ¡°Sure, but will it be fun?¡± ¡°Not every day has to be fun, Vara.¡± ¡°Says who? You better do crazy shit while you can; that¡¯s what I say. Speaking of,¡± the auburn-haired Guardswoman said, glancing back at the two men. ¡°Anything interesting I should know about? I was hoping to catch some news in the mess hall, but you know how the streets are at midday; they¡¯re as packed as shitters when Paham¡¯s cooking.¡± The one named Tal smirked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him do anything but wash dishes since that little mishap.¡± ¡°And if they have any brains in the kitchen, they won¡¯t let him near the food again,¡± City Guard Vallis growled, his face twisting at the memory of the obviously unpleasant experience. ¡°Anyway, the city - nothing much happened, Vara.¡± ¡°Oh, come on. There¡¯s some shit going on every day. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m never there.¡± ¡°Well,¡± he grumbled, thinking. ¡°Some merchants had a dispute in the Palace District, on Egerton Plaza. And the master guards had to step in to deal with the seekers in Labyrinth Square.¡± ¡°Damn, I wish I could see that.¡± Guardswoman Vara sighed wistfully, to which her friend just rolled her blue eyes tiredly. ¡°Heard there wasn¡¯t much to see. So, like I said, nothing much happened. Except,¡± City Guard Vallis raised his voice, holding up a finger. ¡°...for the two of you being here when you should be patrolling the other side of the city.¡± ¡°Yeah, fucking right,¡± the other one chimed in, his eyes on me. ¡°What¡¯s with the silent half-Terr. Did you arrest her for stealing or something?¡± ¡°I wish.¡± ¡°No,¡± Elira added to another sigh from her colleague. ¡°She is a refugee, seeking citizenship here.¡± ¡°I tell you what...some dickhead saw on the report that she had tits and figured it would be better if someone with tits escorted her. I call that bullshit. I mean, seriously, as if Whitcut and Mokerks wouldn¡¯t do the same job,¡± Guardswoman Vara fumed, still pissed off about having to escort me, but then she put her hand on my shoulder and grinned. ¡°At least she¡¯s an interesting one.¡± ¡°Not one I¡¯ve seen before for sure,¡± City Guard Vallis remarked, the other one nodding with him. ¡°She¡¯s in for quite a wait, though. Not half an hour ago, they brought in a large group of unprocessed refugees from the north, that entered through the Ravenhear Gate.¡± Chapter 49: Waiting Hallway Whatever it was, my fear of ending up with a collar around my neck and a master in control of my life again, or Guardswoman Vara¡¯s efforts to get me out of her hide as quickly as possible, the whole walk through the barracks kind of went in a blur. Before I knew it, I found myself sitting on a bench in the hallway of one of the barracks buildings without earrings to muffle the murmurs of more than a dozen beastmen sitting there with me, waiting to be processed. ¡°You smell her?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s weird... looks like a half, a mix-breed, but...¡± ¡°Mommy, why is she naked?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at her, sweetie. She must be very poor.¡± ¡°Really? She looks like Wierin, though.¡± The woman smiled warmly at her child, almost as if she wished the boy¡¯s words were true. ¡°She¡¯s not, sweetie. She¡¯s not.¡± Unlike humans, the beastmen could tell what I was, or rather what I wasn¡¯t. They knew I wasn¡¯t the half-Terr¡¯den the city guard took me for and saw right through my improvised cover of bare skin. Alas, there was nothing I could do about either, not now, not here. And so, with the blood heating my cheeks, I pressed my ears to my head, wishing I still had Elvira¡¯s earrings, while wondering what the Wierin the boy had mentioned was. A race among the Terr¡¯dens? There were several different beastmen sitting in this hallway alone, three wolf-looking ones, two feathered, a family that resembled some rodents, and... ¡°E-excuse me, is this seat taken?¡± came a loud, bull-like voice from above me. Startled, I looked up and froze, staring at the huge...well, bull. And to say huge didn¡¯t do him justice; he was the biggest - well, man - I had ever seen. With black hide, hooves for feet, a bull¡¯s tail, a shirt hugging his beefy chest, and arms the size of my thighs, he took up a good portion of the hallway towering so high that his horns nearly scraped the ceiling. ¡°A-actually, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll stand,¡± the man blurted out, his voice cracking a bit, the reason too obvious. He noticed my lack of clothing. As more blood rushed to my cheeks, I managed to force a few words through the lump in my throat. ¡°I-it¡¯s okay, I d-d-don¡¯t mind.¡± Well, not quite true. I would have preferred the hallway to be empty, but I couldn¡¯t leave the poor guy standing - I mean, since there weren¡¯t any empty benches left, hard as they were - well, uncomfortable to sit on. ¡®For the shit¡¯s sake, get it together, Korra!¡¯ Frustrated with myself and my body, I pressed my wings closer to my chest and tightened Sage around my waist as the bull-man awkwardly took the seat next to me, making me feel damn small. Even seated, my head barely reached the height of his shoulders. ¡°I am...¡± The bull-man cleared his throat after a moment of awkward silence as a hog-looking woman emerged from the room where the identities were being verified and the rodent family rushed in. ¡°I am Meneurmut Ironhoof.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡®Wait what? Why talk to me? Wasn¡¯t he a beastman, I mean, Terr¡¯den? Shouldn¡¯t he, I don¡¯t know, talk shit about me?¡¯ Once again frustrated with myself, I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will], and a little calmer, I tried to act unfazed by his size and the fact that he was the first beastman, or Terr¡¯den I spoke to. ¡°Kor...Korra, Korra Grey.¡± ¡°N-nice to meet you,¡± he said, pausing. ¡°Forgive me; I tend to... get nervous here.¡± ¡®Hold on a second.¡¯ ¡°You come here... regularly?¡± It did not take a genius to understand that Sahal was a human empire and beastmen like him were refugees it had taken in - from wherever they came from. Did that mean, then, I¡¯d have to check in here every so often just because of how I looked? ¡°Yes, I do, but only o-once a month,¡± said the bull-man, Mr. Ironhoof, confirming my worries. Despite what Mr. Scoresby said, even as a Sahal citizen, I would not enjoy the same freedoms and all because of that shitty bug and that deranged asshole. ¡®Hold on, Korra! Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions.¡¯ Perhaps the reason for the regular check-ups was that the big guy wasn¡¯t a citizen of the empire, that he chose one of the other options, or they just didn¡¯t grant one for some reason. ¡®Shit! He might be dangerous! Perhaps a pimp looking for a chick here to work for him?¡¯ ¡°You s-see, I¡¯m trying to j-join the city guards,¡± the bull-man added quickly, seeing my growing distress. ¡°They...they require me to do this to make sure I don¡¯t pose any risk to the safety of the city. Understandable, reasonable. B-but I do hope that this is the last time.¡± Lifting my head to look at him again, I had to say that for his size, he seemed way more edgy than I was. He reeked of sweat, with his legs doing a little bouncing dance that shook the bench, while constantly shifting his arms from resting on his knees to crossing them over his chest. [Mage: 48 sigils] The breath caught in my throat, and I almost broke into a coughing fit. ¡®He¡¯s a bloody mage?¡¯ Since when did mages look like him? The bull-man should be a swordmaster at the very least, or more likely, wield a hammer, and it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine him smashing enemies¡¯ skulls with his bare hands. And it wasn¡¯t just his array that was baffling. He had basically half of the sigils that I had. When I was being escorted through the city, the strength of the people on the streets was not something I had paid much attention to, but now I couldn¡¯t stop to wonder if maybe I was the odd one out - again. Taking a glance around the hallway at the waiting Terr¡¯dens, my fears only grew. The most sigils of those present, 63 to be exact, had one of the wolf-looking guys, a Hunter. The numbers of the others ranged more or less between thirty and fifty. ¡°Don¡¯t y-you need to be...?¡± I stammered out, pausing at the ridiculousness of what I was about to ask. ¡°...you know, stronger? A-and a Guardsman?¡± The bull-man laughed awkwardly with a hint of hurt in his voice. ¡°One of the reasons I want to join, actually ... to get stronger. W-what about you? You¡¯re here because you want to be a Guardswoman?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Me a city guard? Absurd. I was a Slave. Who would have me guard their city? Not to mention that I never imagined myself as a police officer. ¡°Ah, f-forgive me. I assumed that with the number of sigils you have...¡± he said, stopping short upon seeing my dark expression. I couldn¡¯t help it; the number of sigils in my grid spoke of the suffering I had gone through, and if I could, I would erase them all without hesitation. Chapter 50: Losers ¡°M-my bad, I usually keep quiet w-when I¡¯m nervous, but I was told to try talking instead... so, I tend to end up rambling n-nonsense.¡± The big bull-guy, Mene-something, lowered his head in apology, chuckling awkwardly to make light of it. ¡°I¡¯m g-getting a lot of flack in the clan for that... and for being a mage.¡± Forgetting about the beef with my sigils and my envy of the young Terr¡¯den woman, one of the feathered ones, sitting on the bench to my left closer to the door with her 32 sigils in her Flyer Array, I instead sat there staring at him with my mouth agape. For someone as big as him to be bullied just didn¡¯t make sense. All he had to do was punch them hard. But then, the sad reality of this world dawned on me. Things were not as simple here as they were on Earth. Here, the World Rune Lattice bent the rules, tying people to paths they didn¡¯t necessarily want to walk or didn¡¯t choose to walk in the first place. The arrays were like cattle brands that people couldn¡¯t get rid of and the sigils the rankings always on display. In a way, it was sickening, making people form an impression of you before they¡¯ve even spoken a word to you. So, the first thing they saw when they looked at me was how well I served my master, while the big bull-guy sitting next to me stood out as a weak mage in the eyes of his clan. ¡®Weak my ass! Were they blind?¡¯ Sure, I knew that each sigil made one a little stronger - in all aspects, be it muscle or mind. Back on Earth, I could barely manage to do a few push-ups before collapsing to the ground, and now, without giving in to the mindless workout in my horrendous captivity, I felt like I would have no problem doing a few dozen. But did having twice as many sigils as the bull-guy make me stronger than him? One look at his massive arms, and I banished the thought. ¡®Maybe with the right array and weaves... ¡¯ And that was likely the hardship he faced in his clan. Despite his beefy stature, the Lattice made the others stronger just for the path he chose. Unfair and plain sickening, for sure. But the big Terr¡¯den got to choose that path, unlike me. ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°Oh, s-sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to... to stare,¡± I blurted out, realizing my lame blunder. ¡°It¡¯s just... is being a mage that bad? I know I¡¯d give anything to be one.¡± Not some hollow prattle. There was a time when I wished so hard to be a magical girl and seeing a magic trick always made my day. ¡°F-for a Taurus?¡± The bull-guy cracked a sad smile. ¡°Yes. Yes, it is. My clan made sure I¡¯d regret it the whole time. Not much I can do about it now, can I? Unlike you.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What do you m-mean?¡± ¡°Your s-sigils... just two more, and you can become a mage.¡± Swallowing the remark about the two sigils as a Slave being simply two too many than I could bear, I forced myself to smile back. ¡°You... you talk about the second array, right?¡± To be honest, all I knew about it was that, at some point, people were able to form a second array - the point apparently being the 99 sigils engraved on the first one. ¡°Y-yes, indeed, the 2nd Array... I can¡¯t wait for the day when... ¡± he said, falling silent abruptly as the door to the identification room opened. Out came the rodent family, clearly much happier, while the feathered couple walked in. Slowly but surely, the line thinned. My turn was drawing near. The weight of it silenced me, the same way it had shut the big guy up. And so there we were, sitting side by side, two losers, lost in our own thoughts. The difference between the two of us was that he was trying to do something about his crappy clan situation, to become better, while I fought the urge not to run away. ¡°W-what¡¯s it like in there? Is it - you know, bad?¡± I eventually ventured to ask. ¡°No. N-no, not at all. The men and women under Captain Rayden are upstanding. Do as you¡¯re told, do NOT lie, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡®Do as told, huh?¡¯ That didn¡¯t sit well with me for so many reasons, and I did my best not to, even with a collar around my neck. Worse, I had so many things I was afraid for others to know now. In fact, just sitting here was putting me at risk of ending up who knows where, so... ¡°Am I... am I really gonna be okay?¡± ¡°I am sure you will,¡± the bull-guy replied, much to my horror, as I whispered my thoughts aloud. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the city guards treat anyone unfairly.¡± No doubt, he was their fanboy. Not that it was a bad thing. In fact, a little bit of envy at being able to put so much trust in something or someone bit into my heart. I could only hope that one day I would be able to do so again too. Nevertheless, my distrust aside, much to his credit and that of the city guards, the ones I had met so far didn¡¯t care much about who I was or what I looked like - sure, my freaky looks did pique some curiosity, but not the kind I expected - and instead they were concerned with what I wanted to do in their city. ¡°I hope... I really hope you¡¯re right,¡± I whispered and dropped silent as the doors opened again. The queue in front of me thinned to just a few people. The closer I got to my turn, the heavier my breaths grew. With three in front of me, the beats of my heart rang in my ears like church bells at noon. And when the time came and the last Terr¡¯den disappeared behind the door, I could barely breathe, sweated like crazy, and was sure that my heart would burst out of my chest. ¡°Next!¡± A male voice cut into my ears, and I froze, staring at the open door of the room. ¡®How?! When?! What now?¡¯ ¡°B-best of luck,¡± the bull-guy stammered, in no better shape than I was, snapping me out of my stupor. ¡°NEXT!¡± ¡°T-to you, t-too,¡± I managed to whisper, stood up from the bench, and, dragging my feet, walked into the room before the man inside had to call out for me the third time. Chapter 51: Identity Verification Room ¡®You can do this, Korra.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re gonna be okay.¡¯ ¡®Everyone who went in before you was.¡¯ ¡®...and they came out more than just relieved and happy.¡¯ Great, right? Then why the bloody heck couldn¡¯t I shake the feeling that I would never leave this [Identity Verification Room] again? It wasn¡¯t a small room, I would even say bigger than the one in the gatehouse, and thanks to the wooden lining of the walls, it didn¡¯t feel that unwelcoming. ¡®Was it the windows?¡¯ Or rather, the lack thereof that gave me the creeps? That would make sense. A room without a single window was just weird. But that in no way meant it was gloomy, let alone dark. A chandelier of some kind of magic crystals instead of light bulbs or candles brightened the room with more than enough light. ¡®No!¡¯ The uniformed man sitting behind the desk in the middle of the room must have been the source of my unease - that and the guilt of withholding the truth eating away at me. [Guardsman: ?? sigils] Although his array would suggest so, the man was nothing like the city guards I had so far met. The number of sigils he had earned in his life had far exceeded the scope the Lattice allowed me to see. And judging by the two runes, my own experience, and the knowledge Scoresby had shared with me, by at least ninety-six sigils. Not that I needed the Lattice to tell me how dangerous this man was. My annoying instincts urging me to be on guard did the job just as well. Quite an odd feeling, to be honest, somewhat useful in a way, though. ¡°Please sit down,¡± the man pointed to one of the stools across from the desk. The fact that there were no chairs here spoke volumes about who they were more or less dealing with in this room. Nevertheless, as a shudder ran through my body at the thought of what awaited me here, my eyes scanning the floor for blood, I did as he said and took the seat. ¡°Judging by your appearance and the description in the report,¡± the man said, tapping the paper in front of him. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Korra Grey?¡± ¡®Were there more like me running around the city?¡¯ But of course, I swallowed the sarcastic remark and nodded instead. ¡°Y-yes, I am Korra Grey. Huh? What the...?¡± The words slipped off my tongue a little too easily - as if I couldn¡¯t wait to tell him. ¡®Shit!¡¯ The feeling wrapping my mind was all too familiar. ¡°No need to panic, ma¡¯am,¡± the man spoke, noticing my distress while sounding rather impressed. ¡°What I was going to inform you of before we began is that this room is equipped with rune formations casting soothing and truth fields. In other words, it will calm you down and make you speak the truth. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± While I covered my big mouth with my hands, the corners of the man¡¯s mouth lifted slightly. ¡°Fear not; hardly anyone is. However, I must ask you if you understand what I have said before we proceed.¡± ¡®The bloody heck? I sure did!¡¯ They basically put a slave collar around my neck. The coercion to speak the truth tickling my mind was way too close to what I had been living with for over a year and a half. It made me sick and want to resist it - really, really badly. ¡°Yesss, I did,¡± I growled, failing to get the piss out of my voice. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Good.¡± The man nodded, unperturbed. ¡°I¡¯m Warrant Officer Pinescar and I¡¯m here to verify your identity needed to grant you the citizenship you¡¯re applying for. Anything you wish to tell me before we continue?¡± I¡¯d have to be stupid not to understand what he was getting at. This was the time to spill the beans before he had to pry the truth out of my mouth. Time to tell him what I really was. Annoyingly calming my mind myself with yet another runic shit in the form of my own weave, I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m...I am not half-Terr¡¯den.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°A-actually, I never said I was. I just...went with it.¡± ¡°I see. Care to tell me, then, what you are?¡± ¡°Human. I am human,¡± I said, biting down on my lower lip and anxiously awaiting his reaction. Much to the city guard¡¯s credit and my bewilderment, though, he simply nodded, taking note of it. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡®That was it? No ¡°don¡¯t spout bullshit¡± or ¡°you clearly are not¡±?¡¯ Maybe cases like mine weren¡¯t so rare after all. Yet somehow, I doubted, hoped perhaps, that there were many with my origins. So I shook my head and kept the fact of me not being from Eleaden to myself for now. ¡°Very well. If there is - more, we¡¯ll find out anyway. Now place your hand on the identification station, please.¡± Following the movement of his hand, my eyes fell on what looked like a tablet carved from obsidian and set in an ornate brass frame placed on the desk in front of me. Many runic lines were carved into the black surface and a few more into the brass. ¡°W-what will it do to me?¡± ¡°Nothing, I promise. It will let me read your grid and verify who you are.¡± In other words, he would see that I am truly human and not a beast. With that in mind, I placed my hand on the black surface without hesitation. Instantly, the runes of the identification station beneath my palm lit up, and what could not be better described as a hologram of my grid appeared hovering above it. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ¡­.. 15 ¡ú 18 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): .................................. 108 ¡ú 111 glyphs - ???? Thrifty Drinker (General): .................................................... 3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General):................................................. 6 ¡ú 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General):................................................5 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General):....................................... 9 ¡ú 10 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡®Shit! Shit, shit, shit!¡¯ Despite what I thought he would see, there between us hovered even a listing of my weaves - pathetic as they were. Sure, in the few days in the forest and throughout the trip to Castiana, I picked up a few glyphs here and there, but I haven¡¯t used the [Thrifty Drinker] since I found the brook and the same for the [Hunger Fortitude]. On the other hand, Spatial Domain was only two glyphs away from forming a second circle, and I¡¯ve gotten better at speaking Standard as well. Anyway, sweating buckets, I waited patiently for Warrant Officer Pinescar to take the whole mess in - for him to see that I wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Interesting, truly interesting,¡± he said, a little thoughtful and puzzled, but quickly explained. ¡°A lot of Halfs have the tendency to claim to be human, especially those whose Terr traits are not so prominent. Only a rare few tell the truth, though.¡± ¡°I thought...that I couldn¡¯t lie here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But please refrain from doing so. Not only will you find it very difficult to lie, it won¡¯t do you any good. Now, we will come back to your race, but as there is none listed I have to ask - and I realize this may be hard for you - who was your last master?¡± The breath caught in my throat once more. No doubt, he wanted to know if I had killed that bastard. ¡®I wish I had.¡¯ However, much to my annoyance, the shitty bug stopped me from doing so - a bug that knew the deranged asshole¡¯s full name. ¡°Frederic Ambrose Dungreen.¡± Warrant Officer Pinescar¡¯s eyes widened as the name slowly sank in. ¡°The Alchemist of Potions?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think...I think that¡¯s what they called him.¡± At least, that was the name the shoelace bitch mentioned. ¡°Well, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m afraid I will have to ask you to hold on for a moment. This will require Captain Rayden¡¯s presence.¡± Chapter 52: Warrior ¡®What the actual f...!¡¯ Both unnerved by and glad for the soothing effect of the room, I struggled in horror to imagine what their familiarity with that deranged asshole meant for me. On the one hand, it could be a good thing. In exchange for some info, they might - well, at the very least, let me go. Or it could go horribly wrong. A case of getting locked in a lab and hacked to pieces until they figure out what makes me tick. ¡°All right, she¡¯ll be here in a minute. I¡¯m not going to ask you any more questions until she arrives, so please make yourself comfortable.¡± ¡®Huh? What? When? How?¡¯ Warrant Officer Pinescar didn¡¯t get up from the table or use any magic tool. He just sat there and - kept his eyes on me. What I didn¡¯t miss, though, was that he referred to their captain as a woman. The notion that I might find some sympathy with her because of that vanished the moment the door opened. The hairs on my body bristled while every fiber of my body screamed at me to run away. Of course, I didn¡¯t. Instead, I froze, not daring to take a breath. [Warrior: ?? sigils] ¡®Warrior?¡¯ She certainly was the first female city guard I had seen with a different array than Guardswoman; however, that in no way made me look down on her. By contrast, even with the Lattice telling me the same shit about her as Warrant Officer Pinescar, there was no doubt in my mind that she stood in the upper range of those two runes marking the unknown. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Dodging the woman¡¯s piercing gaze, and making myself small, I flinched as she shut the door behind her. Sizing me up, she took a deep breath, straightened up, and clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°Pinescar, I hope you have a damn good reason for calling me down here.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I hadn¡¯t, Captain.¡± ¡°Then cut to the chase. What¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Korra Grey here claims she used to be a slave of Frederic Dungreen.¡± ¡°Of The Alchemist of Potions?¡± ¡®The bloody heck was it with that name? Was that deranged asshole so famous?¡¯ ¡°Yes. Should I leave the room, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave that up to you, Pinescar. But know that this is something that might be of interest to Imperial agents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. In that case, I will excuse myself, ma¡¯am.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡®Wait, he was leaving? Just like that? Just because she mentioned some agents? Shit! Shit, shit, shit! What have I gotten myself into?¡¯ Just as Warrant Officer Pinescar was closing the door behind him, me wishing I could go with him, a wave of pleasant warmth washed over me, making me feel...at home. It was so lovely, so gentle, so...sickening. A shiver ran down my spine, I actually shivered, doing everything in my power to shake the disgusting feeling off. ¡°Impressive,¡± the woman spoke, eyebrows raised, still standing, hands behind her back. ¡°Not necessary, but impressive. Meant only to calm you down, as there is no reason for you to worry. The Empire is not interested in you, but in your former master.¡± Sure, for now. But the question was whether that would remain the case once they found out what the asshole had done to me. ¡°Let me introduce myself: Castiana City Guards Captain Sanysia Rayden. Now, could you put your hand on the identification station - again - for me.¡± Not really having a choice, I did as the woman said and let her see my Grid in all its glory. ¡°I see. Korra Grey, a Slave, and with a considerable number of sigils at that. Actually, with a number, that would suggest that your escape from your master was no mere luck,¡± she said, paused, and took a breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt: did you kill your former master?¡± ¡®I really, really wish I did.¡¯ Whenever I sniffed my hands, I could have sworn the smell of the blood of those the bastard made me kill still clung to them. The thought made me seethe with a fury threatening to awaken the beast slumbering within me. ¡°N-no, I was close to, but no.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Captain Rayden said, and as her hand went up to rub the bridge of her nose, she sat down across from me, clasping her hands together on the table in front of her. ¡°Then, can you explain how you got free? I have a hard time imagining a man like him just letting you go.¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree with her, thinking hard of the best way to answer. ¡°He...he had me killed and disposed of.¡± ¡°And yet, without any weave giving you the ability to do so, you survived, and on top of that, you made it all the way to¡­ to Esulmor?¡± She raised an eyebrow after reading the report. ¡°Or was it one of those weaves you switched?¡± ¡®Why the bloody hell did she care so much about why I didn¡¯t stay dead?¡¯ ¡°N-no, I just did,¡± I growled, pushing that half-lie through the disgusting urge to blurt it all out hurled at me by the room¡¯s enchantment. ¡°Look, Grey. I¡¯m not your enemy here. But you must understand that Frederic Dungreen is a person of interest to the Empire.¡± ¡°Is he...is he that dangerous?¡± The deranged asshole was certainly crazy, but...one growl from me, and he shit his pants. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s dangerous as opposed to what he does. But I don¡¯t have to tell you about that, do I?¡± ¡®Oh, so they bloody well knew about him doing experiments on humans? And they didn¡¯t do shit about it?!¡¯ Sudden rage swelled within me, pushing a low growl out of my lips. ¡°I was there for over a year and a half!¡± The woman nodded, unfazed by my anger. As a matter of fact, unless I was mistaken, sympathy and understanding flashed through her eyes. ¡°Then you might know something that would help Imperial agents find him - and prevent others from going through what you did. Anything, any small detail about where he might be located might help.¡± ¡®Was she bloody shitting me?!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t those...agents have no idea where he is? When you mentioned them, I thought that they were the ones who got on his tail, that they were the reason why they wanted to move the asshole.¡± ¡°THEY who?¡± ¡°Huh? Well...there was this mind-controlling bitch...¡± That was as far as I got to say. The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy, making the hairs on my body bristle and my instincts screaming at me to keep my mouth shut. For whatever reason, Captain Rayden was burning with fierce rage. Chapter 53: The Truth ¡°My apologies,¡± Captain Rayden said, as her anger subsided as suddenly as it had come. ¡°But I have to ask - and please think carefully - the woman you mentioned, was she a Mind Mage?¡± No doubt the woman fixing her uniform now had a history with them, and not a good one. But even if I wanted to, and I did, there wasn¡¯t much to say. ¡°I...I was forbidden to look.¡± ¡°I see. Unfortunate. Anything else you can tell me about this...woman? You said she was able to control minds, right? Your personal experience?¡± ¡°Yes, and yes. She spoke to me in my mind and...and made me listen to her. She threatened to give me to her daughter as a pet.¡± ¡°Well...that certainly fits with the way they operate. The mind mages and that''s a broad term - they use the beasts they control, the monsters, and the people to fight for them. Not the fate I would wish on anyone; death is more merciful than being their thrall. If she indeed was one of them, and that¡¯s a conclusion better not to rush. You were lucky not to end up in her hands, Grey.¡± Not something I needed to be told. It gave me the creeps just remembering the disgusting voice of that shoelace bitch and her yapping about... ¡°Oh, that assh...I mean Dungreen, called her Cognizant something.¡± My fur bristled anew at Captain Rayden¡¯s rage, but this time, it went no further than the flash in their eyes. ¡°So, Frederic Dungreen works with mind mages - why am I not surprised?¡± ¡°I-if...if I may, it¡¯s actually more like he¡¯s working for them. The bitch...the woman, she mentioned that they¡¯re the ones supplying him with materials for his...experiments. And...and they were the ones keeping him safe. Oh, and she also mentioned other alchemists working for them. If it helps any.¡± Yeah, I spilled out what I could. After experiencing her anger the second time, whatever was keeping me from opening my mouth snapped. If there was anyone who could bring that deranged asshole to justice, it was her - at least, that¡¯s the vibe I got from the woman. ¡°Yes, it definitely will. And while no less disturbing, it explains a lot. Like how he managed to disappear from the Imperial hounds a few years ago,¡± Captain Rayden said more to herself, actually stopping short as her eyes fell back on me. ¡°But it does make me wonder - how come you didn¡¯t end up like that pet you mentioned? Cognizant is a fairly high rank among mind mages. It¡¯s not someone an untrained single array gal like you should be able to put up a fight with.¡± ¡®Shit!¡¯ Here it was, the time to reveal the bloody truth about me. ¡°Well...she was there alone, no beasts.¡± Captain Rayden just smirked at my lame last-ditch attempt to brush it off, to take advantage of what she¡¯d told me about the mind bastards like the bitch. ¡°Even so, you should be her thrall by now.¡± ¡®Shit, shit, shit...shit!¡¯ ¡°Well...you see, what that asshole did to me...made me turn into...into a beast.¡± There, I said it - I was a freak, a feral beast in the skin of a human, and not even that. Anyone could see at a glance what a beast I harbored within me. But instead of disgust, her eyes flashed with interest. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°He made you into a shifter?¡± To hear someone else say, ¡°He made you,¡± sounded wrong in so many ways. Yet, whether I liked it or not, it was the painful truth. ¡°I g-guess so?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sure? I thought you said you turned into a beast?¡± ¡°Well, y-yes. I just haven¡¯t met another shifter, so...¡± ¡°I see. And what kind of beast did you shift into that you were able to escape from a mind mage of the cognizant¡¯s rank, if I may ask?¡± ¡°The dangerous kind she ran away from,¡± I said a little cheekily with undisguised pride, coming from deep within me, and without really thinking through the possible consequences of my answer. It wasn¡¯t until Captain Rayden stared at me in silence for longer than I would have liked that I realized that she was probably considering just how dangerous of a beast I was turning into, whether she could even let me into the city or if I would be better off locked in a cage. ¡°Well,¡± she said, trailing off as if on purpose, making me stress a little longer in anticipation of my sentence. ¡°Call me impressed, Grey. If we weren¡¯t sitting in this room, I¡¯d consider you a liar. Is that how you escaped? In your beast form - run off into the Wilds?¡± ¡®I wish.¡¯ Although it hadn¡¯t turned out so bad so far, the fact that the shitty bug was behind my apparent freedom didn¡¯t sit well with me at all. And while neither did the slight nudge of the room¡¯s runic enchantments in my mind, I didn¡¯t need it prompting me to tell the whole truth when the woman sitting across from me looked like someone could finally tell me what the bloody heck had actually happened to me. ¡°No. No, I didn¡¯t manage to get out.¡± ¡°Care to elaborate? You¡¯re clearly here.¡± ¡°When¡­ when I was about to kill that - kill Dungreen in my beast form, he called, I don¡¯t know, this weird bug? It was a little bigger than my fist, but bloody darn powerful. Like...I couldn¡¯t even see its name, just those weird runes. Dungreen told it to kill me, and it did. Next thing I know, I woke up in the middle of that forest.¡± ¡°Where Merchant Scoresby found you, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, gasping lightly as I blurted it all out in basically one breath. However, once again, instead of giving me an immediate answer and making sense of what had actually happened to me as I had hoped for, Captain Rayden leaned back in her chair, lost herself in thought, leaving me in suspense. To say it was unnerving would be an understatement. While the talk concerned that deranged asshole and shoelace bitch, she had acted so resolutely, but now when it came to that shitty... ¡°The bug? Did it talk?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, it did.¡± I nodded. ¡°It knew the asshole¡¯s name and did a trade with him.¡± ¡°Fuck! And the Obscures? How many?¡± ¡°The what?¡± Either [Eleaden Standard Language] failed to translate to me what she said, or the word had some strange meaning in English. ¡°How many Obscures? The number of the runes you saw on the lattice info on the creature?¡± ¡°Oh, six.¡± ¡°Just as I feared.¡± Rayden sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. ¡°Not only does Frederic Dungreen seem to be involved with mind mages, but he¡¯s also dealing with the Fae.¡± ¡°And Fae is...?¡± ¡°A term for a creature like the one you met, Grey. Spirits that have taken physical form - powerful, really powerful buggers. They are very tricky to deal with and usually, you pay more than you bargained for.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, get it.¡± Captain Rayden leaned closer, her gaze boring into mine, studying me. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve seen the creature - was it, Grey?¡± At that instant, I froze like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to take a breath. ¡®How the bloody heck did she know?¡¯ Searching my memory, I couldn¡¯t find a single moment that might have given her reason to think so. But much to my distraught, lying was not an option. Just by thinking about it, I evoked the truth-telling enchantment of the room. And so, afraid I might say more than I wanted to by opening my mouth, I merely nodded. ¡°As I thought. You¡¯re one of the Lost.¡± Chapter 54: Lost ¡®I was what, now?¡¯ ¡°Lost, or the Lost One,¡± Captain Rayden spoke up to clarify upon seeing my confusion. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one, who the Fae have snatched from their home and dumped who knows where, Grey.¡± ¡°Oh... OH! Th-there are others?¡± She leaned back in her chair, a faint smile on her lips as I basically confirmed her assumption regarding the Fae. ¡°Yes, there are. I must disappoint you, though; as far as I¡¯m aware, there is none in Castiana.¡± But there were some in this world, someone quite possibly from Earth. Alas, it didn¡¯t take long for my zeal to take a plunge and my ears to droop. If there indeed were those like me somewhere out there, snatched from Earth, it could only mean they hadn¡¯t found their way back - or that they didn¡¯t look for it at all. ¡°You w-wouldn¡¯t happen to know how to... send me back, would you? The sad look in Captain Rayden¡¯s eyes told me everything: she didn¡¯t. ¡°Spatial travel is not as simple as the Fae might seem to make it out to be. And even if by some miracle a mage pulled it off, they¡¯d have to know where to send you first.¡± ¡®Shit! Shit, shit, shit! You stupid fool and your big mouth! You couldn¡¯t hold yourself back, could you?¡¯ ¡°I... ¡± Much to my horror, Rayden raised her hand to stop me even before I had a chance to think of an excuse for my Earthly origins. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Grey. Or you can try, but you should find yourself incapable of telling me, anyway.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the Fae are tricky to deal with? They always make sure that the Lost stay lost - in other words, that they won¡¯t be able to tell where they came from.¡± ¡°But... I do know.¡± ¡°Then feel free to tell me, Grey. I¡¯d love to hear it, believe me.¡± ¡®Well, should I or not?¡¯ If I wanted to go back, they would have to know where to send me in the first place, as she said. On the other hand, they wouldn¡¯t be able to send me there, anyway, and telling them outright that I wasn¡¯t from Eleaden, let alone that I hailed from another planet, didn¡¯t sit well with me at all. ¡®What about just my home? Yeah, that might be enough to start with.¡¯ With the decision made, I took a breath, gathered my thoughts, and with a trembling voice, I launched into a description of the place I grew up in. ¡°W-well, I came from... from... a h-house...¡± The more words left my mouth, the less I found myself having to say. All memories predating Eleaden faded from my mind so quickly that a whimper escaped my lips. It was terrifying - in a few heartbeats, my entire life was gone, completely erased. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Don¡¯t get all tits up, Grey. It will come back to you - just give it some time.¡± ¡°Y-you sure? What if I¡¯m not what you say I am, and this is... permanent?¡± ¡°Sorry to tell you, but it¡¯s not. I¡¯ve dealt with a Lost before. Pretty funny fellow, with the runes behind his ears just like yours.¡± Not bothering to feign my prior knowledge of it, my hands shot up to my ears. With all the focus then on my fingertips and domain, I quickly found runes strikingly similar to those on my chest. Hidden beneath the thick hair, fur and a layer of grime, there indeed sat two runes no larger than a pinkie nail - each on one side of my skull - perched above the groove between my ears and my head. ¡°Hard to miss those when you know what to look for, huh? They mean Lost, by the way. However, I¡¯m more curious about the ones on your chest.¡± With the blood rushing to my cheeks, I pulled my wings closer. Not that it mattered. Her perception, undoubtedly similar to the [Spatial Domain], must have been ridiculously better than mine for her to notice the runes. For one thing, even though she was sitting within the range of my weave, I was unable to see past her uniform. ¡°T-that¡¯s where the bug, the Fae, pierced my... well, chest.¡± ¡°And killed you, I see. That might be quite troublesome.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Did she know more about the runes than I did? ¡°Look, Grey. I¡¯m not going to pretend to know all about the Fae. You¡¯ll have to ask others if you want to learn more. But what I can tell you is that, even though it may seem that way, they don¡¯t do anything on a whim. They have a plan for you. And to be honest with you, I¡¯m not sure I want someone like that in the city.¡± Understandable. If I were her, I¡¯d kick myself out, too. Still, even though I had the feeling that the shitty bug wasn¡¯t done with me yet, hearing her say that was like a hard punch in the gut. After going through all the shit to get here, shedding the fear of being seen as nothing but a freak, I was about to be cast out for something I didn¡¯t even know I was. ¡°On the other hand,¡± spoke Captain Rayden after a moment¡¯s thought that felt like hours of torture to me. ¡°It sent you to Esulmor for a reason. And as such, it might be wise to keep you close.¡± ¡®Okay, that somehow sounded even worse than the first option.¡¯ Actually, a shiver ran down my spine at the thought of ending up locked in another cell, never to see the light of day again. ¡°I¡¯ll - I¡¯ll go somewhere else... just let me leave the city... please.¡± Oddly enough, my pathetic, desperate plea seemed to hurt Captain Rayden. ¡°My bad, Grey. Didn¡¯t mean to scare you shitless, let alone give you the impression I¡¯m going to have you chained up or handed over to someone of Dungreen¡¯s mold.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°Of course not. If you want, you¡¯re free to leave the city. Although I¡¯d think twice about it if I were you. You see, the Sahal Empire has seen better days. And you¡¯re, shall we say, far too unique to look at to not pique one¡¯s interest, which is not always a good thing - in fact, in most cases, it¡¯s not. Speaking of which,¡± she said, leaning closer to me, her eyes wandering all over my body. ¡°Could you quell MY intrigue and tell me what exactly Frederic Dungreen made you into? I¡¯d hate to let a shifter into the city only to find out she¡¯s on the verge of going feral.¡± ¡°You... you¡¯re thinking of letting me in?¡± ¡°That depends on what you tell me.¡± ¡°What about the bitch - I mean the mind mages... and the Fae?¡± ¡°The reason I was going to advise you not to leave Castiana until further notice. There are people out there who will want to talk to you about all this.¡± ¡°Those a-agents?¡± ¡°You catch on fast. Good, you¡¯re gonna need that smarts not to get lost around.¡± ¡°Am I not Lost already?¡± A witty remark, for sure, but as the relief of not being thrown out or threatened with arrest settled in, I couldn¡¯t help myself. The Captain¡¯s corners lifted slightly, but her gaze remained stern. ¡°My assumption, at the moment. BUT, if you want to be certain and for me to authorize you for Sahal citizenship, I will need to take a look at your brain and make sure that it¡¯s not just the work of a mind mage, that they haven¡¯t left a trace in your brain. You see, once inside, they tend to leave a back door for themselves, so to speak.¡± Horror replaced the relief. ¡®Shit! They did what now? And what the bloody heck did she mean by looking at my brain?¡¯ Chapter 55: Free The brain check turned out not to be so bad. Well, except for the part where Captain Rayden had to put her hands on my temples. That took a lot of self-control on my part. However, the whole process was quite pleasant. Rather quickly, she erased the ¡°back door¡± the bitch had actually left in my mind, made sure the runes behind my ears were genuine, and that I wasn¡¯t faking my status as Lost - even if unknowingly. Only after all that did she issue me the paper, certifying that I was eligible for Sahal citizenship. ¡°Hold on, Grey.¡± Rayden stopped me as I rose from my stool, more than eager to leave. The windowless room still gave me the creeps; it reminded me too much of the cellar. ¡°With all that mind mage shit, I almost forgot: there are some basic questions I need to go over with you, like your reasons for asking for citizenship, your plans about living here... and maybe a little more about your beast form. For the lack of a better word, I need to make sure you don¡¯t pose a danger to the people of Castiana and the Empire. Do you understand?¡± Not hiding my dismay, I nodded and sat back down. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°On a brighter note, if you¡¯d like, my healers could check you out and see if they could do anything about... what are you calling the... you know?¡± she asked, hinting not so subtly at my body and all its beastly parts. ¡°M-mutations?¡± ¡°Yes, those. My healers are some of the best in the Empire, and that¡¯s not just some empty puff. Of course, I¡¯m not forcing you. It¡¯s up to you, but the consequences of not doing so will fall squarely on your head.¡± ¡®What consequences? Like going wild in my beast form?¡¯ ¡°Is... is that something you offer to all refugees and newcomers?¡± ¡°Basically. Better to have everyone in the city healthy than dealing with an out-of-control lice outbreak every other week. So please, spare me the headache and yourself a hefty debt, and at least get your fur checked out. Now, with that out of the way, let¡¯s get down to the boring part... ¡± ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ There were quite a few questions to answer, some expected, others quite personal. Understandably, though, what interested Captain Rayden more than my non-existent plans to find a job, were my mutations. She even asked me if I could turn or shape-shift in front of her, which I didn¡¯t, of course. Firstly, I had no idea how, and secondly, the thought of it terrified me. Mercifully, she didn¡¯t press me about it, and instead, when I promised her, in all honesty, that I didn¡¯t intend to rip anyone apart, she gave me a broad smile. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me. The city has its fair share of oddballs already, so I think you¡¯ll fit right in, Grey. WELCOME to Castiana.¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t let me go just like that, not without a few reminders. Such as not leaving Castiana for the time being, better not to mention what we talked about here and to be prepared to be called in for further questioning. To be honest, that part gave me shivers and made me question the decision to stay here. On the other hand, the general attitude of the city guards, though sometimes rough, gave me confidence that this might not actually be such a bad place to live, just as Scoresby claimed. And so, with that in my mind, I walked out of the room into the now empty hallway. No Warrant Officer Pinescar or bull-guy there. A bit of a shame; I wanted to wish the man the best of luck in his endeavor to join the Castiana City Guard. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡®Perhaps some other time,¡¯ I thought to myself while my heart danced. There was no one in the hallway to escort me, either. I was on my own - FREE to do whatever I wanted. Or so it might seem. Regardless of who knows how far away from Earth, like any somewhat developed civilization, this one seemed to be plagued by bureaucracy just the same. At one door, they verified your identity; at another, they issued you a card; at another, they did the check-up, and so on. Quite nerve-wracking, at least to a gal for whom it wasn¡¯t her cup of tea long before she ended up isolated from civilization. When approaching the guy who was supposed to issue me the card, I once again questioned whether all this was worth it, and as I walked to the infirmary, I came damn close to tucking my tail between my legs, turning on my heel, and running away. Good thing I didn¡¯t, though. ¡°Hello. My name is Becca Hill, the senior healer assigned to your examination,¡± the short woman said as she entered the small space separated from the rest of the large room of the infirmary by a mere white curtain. ¡°Just a general physical examination for any visible signs of sickness and parasites, is that correct?¡± [Healer: ? sigils] A healer with at least 48 sigils on me - a shudder ran through my body at the thought of what she could do to me. Sure, the woman was a healer, but what did I know what healers here were capable of? For all I knew, she might not have been much different from that deranged asshole. ¡®I know, not really fair of me - couldn¡¯t help it, though.¡¯ If there was anything that made my blood boil more than that asshole, it was hospitals. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that I spent more time in them than in the cellar. Not because I was sick or anything, but because I wanted to be close to my mom, who was. Good old-fashioned cancer. ¡®She may have lost her fight, but what she taught me was not to give up.¡¯ Most likely the reason why I clung to life so stubbornly all this time. Well, be that as it may, the only thing that kept me from running away like a coward was the fact that I was in the barracks and not in the cellar. That and the threat of falling into debt. And so, not wishing to get the collar back on my neck just because of some critters in my fur, I swallowed the dread and nodded. ¡°Y-yes, just the general check-up.¡± ¡°Alright, then, please take off your clothes.¡± Taking a glance at the stool and the stationary coat rack in the corner the healer gestured to, I bit down on my lower lip and, after a fair share of hesitation, pulled the wings off my chest and unwrapped Sage from my waist. ¡®Oh my... s-shit, that hurts!¡¯ The moment I moved the limbs I had held still for so long close to my body, the tension, cramp and stiffness bit into them so hard it took my breath away. And taken back by my spasming limbs, the healer woman didn¡¯t seem to be much better off. But unlike me, she got her shit back together in no time. ¡°You got me there. Well, I won¡¯t need to touch you, but I¡¯ll get close, you understand?¡± the woman asked, and after giving her a nod, she continued. ¡°My hands will glow faintly, and you will feel a slight warmth on your skin. Now - let me see your hands.¡± The entire check-up went as Senior Healer Hill had described, without any discomfort whatsoever - unless you count the sheer embarrassment of being told how filthy you were, that there were fungi growing here and there, or that your fur was infested with ticks. ¡°Alright, that did it,¡± she said after casting some parasite-removing spell and confirming that my feathers and fur were now completely tick-free. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you caught them, but I¡¯d avoid that place if I were you.¡± ¡°W-well, I don¡¯t see myself going back there anytime soon.¡± I stammered out as the only place with a possible tick infestation that came to my mind was Esulmor. ¡°Good. Those suckers can be pretty nasty. Anyway, I¡¯m gonna file a report that you¡¯ve passed your general physical examination, and that you¡¯re clear of disease and parasites. Good? Good. You¡¯re free to go, but if I may, I¡¯d STRONGLY recommend a proper bath.¡± ¡®If only I could take one,¡¯ I thought to myself wistfully, watching the woman leave me alone behind the white screen. All I had on me was the Citizen Card in my hand and nothing else, no clothes, no money, no nothing. I might have become a citizen of Sahal, an officially FREE person, something I had strived for for so long, but the sheer joy of it got overshadowed by new worries and concerns of the life now lying ahead of me. Chapter 56: The Unknown The full extent of what I had achieved, what I had now become, came crashing down on me as soon as the two city guards standing at the barracks gate let me out into the city. They checked my Citizen Card, made a note of my leaving, and wished me good luck. Just like that, I was free to do as I pleased - and do so as a citizen of the Sahal Empire. ''Great, right?'' Then why the bloody heck did I wish to be back in Esulmor so badly? Even with its beasts and apparent tick infestation, the whole forest suddenly seemed more appealing than ever before. ¡®The ticks? Did I get them from the squirrels? It must have been squirrels.¡¯ Still, better them than this unease eating away at my body. Was the constant noise of the hustle and bustle of the city assaulting my ears behind it, or the sheer number of people in it giving me goosebumps? Perhaps the stares of the passers-by, the source of the odd sensation on the back of my neck, were getting to me. Or maybe it was just the fear of the unknown. ''That has to be it!'' I thought to myself, snarling under my breath. As pathetic and irritating as I might have found it, the more I thought about it, the more sure I grew. It was the unknown eating away at me. There was no kind old man to lead me by the hand or city guards to escort me through the city. While surrounded by countless people, no one was there to tell me what to do. Decisions about my life were up to me to make and no one else. No orders loomed over my head to abide by; no iron bound my mind. The only instructions to follow were given to me by the guy issuing the Citizen''s Cards, and I was to heed them only if I so wished. After a long, long time, I was once again the master of my fate. ''Was I, though?'' Being one of the Lost seemed to have a fate laid out by the Fae kind. To claim otherwise would be to lie to myself and turn a blind eye to the truth. The deranged asshole might be the one who asked the shitty bug to fetch him a human, but it was the Fae that picked me out and dragged me into this world. Because of it, I ended up in the middle of the forest with runes covering my body, the runes that I could only hope were doing what I thought and what Captain Rayden said, making me unable to die and say where I came from. Should there be more to it, like some complex, subtle mind control, I might as well just give up. So, no. For my own sanity, it was better not to entertain the dreadful possibility. Yet, to make sure I was not up for any more surprises, standing in the small square in front of the city guards'' barracks, I closed my eyes and delved into my domain, searching my body, every nook and cranny, every piece of my skin, fur, and feathers as thoroughly as ever. If I could miss the runes behind my ears and the ticks in my fur, I might as well have missed a few other runes, too. Much to my disgust, however, all I found were layers of grime in places where one didn''t want them. Honestly, it wouldn''t be surprising if the main reason for the unpleasant stares from Terr''dens was my stench. I was undeniably in dire need of that bath the healer had mentioned. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ''The bath¡­ oh my shitty bare ass, to get into a tub of hot water and just lie there for hours would be a dream. A hot shower would be nice, too.'' But somehow, I doubt I would find one for free here in the city. No one in their right mind would let a girl looking like me use theirs - I wouldn''t. And if I did, I''d have to question their intentions. No, if I really wanted to take one, I needed money. Annoyingly, though, all I had was fur and feathers full of filth, a Citizen Card in my hand, and instructions on where to get the "Aid". ''Fine! Fine, I''ll do it,'' I growled at my inner self, pissed but seeing no other option than listening to what they told me one more time. No matter how much it sucked, I had no idea where to start other than bothering Scoresby. Where did one find a place to sleep, to eat, or take a piss? And what about a job? The only way to find one I could think of was to go around and ask the business owners - stinking and looking like a half-wild beast. No. This wasn''t Earth, and I wasn''t the woman I used to be. Rather than go through that job-hunting hell, I swallowed what little pride I had and headed off as instructed to Seekers Square. Luckily for me, the instructions were not that complicated, let alone requiring a map of the city. All I had to do was backtrack a third of the way I had walked, escorted by the city guards Vara and Elira, and make a one-block detour closer to the city''s center to get there. The Seeker''s Square was surprisingly large, one of the larger ones I had seen of the medieval cities on Earth. And quite crowded. Actually, the amount of people on the streets of Castiana, in general, was quite striking - not so strange if you give it some thought. There were no cars, no telephones, no internet, no public transport, no delivery services; if you wanted something done, you had to get off your ass and walk there. And the City Hall, the place I was looking for, the most prominent building on the square constructed of white stone, seemed to be the destination of most people here, much to my distress. But as with the Esulmor Gate to Castiana, there was no turning back now. One deep breath, and I headed in. What a mistake it was, I found out the moment my bare feet touched the cold marble of the vast entrance hall. The place put the noise of the streets outside into a new perspective. Even pressing my ears to my head didn''t stop the racket from piercing my ears. People were shouting over each other at notice boards or were just arguing in the middle of the hall while the five receptionists dealt with the lines at their desks. The place was crazy, bordering on chaos. But somehow, it all seemed to...just work. ''O-okay, Korra, y-you can do this.'' Biting down on my lower lip, I swallowed a whimper and tried to figure out where to find the place issuing the aid. Was it up the stairs or through the door on the right? Perhaps I should take the one on the left? With no better option than to wander blindly around the building, hoping that by some miracle I would stumble upon the right place, I stood in one of the lines, hoping to get my turn before the noise would get to me. ''Bloody bureaucracy!'' There was no better way to describe my agonizingly slow advance through the line to the least intimidating receptionist, a human woman smaller than me with black hair and a round face. Like the other receptionists, she dressed in a uniform not unlike that of the city guards. However, unlike theirs of reversed colors with a blue shirt and sleeveless jacket - a vest of some sort. ¡°He¡­¡­the City¡­..name¡­How¡­you?¡± "W-what¡­what did you say?!" When my turn finally came, my ears were ringing with the noise in the hall so badly that I could barely hear her. "Hello, and welcome to the City Hall of Castiana!¡± The receptionist raised her voice, nonplussed, as if my suffering was everyday drudgery. ¡°My name is Enola. How can I help you?!" Chapter 57: Eligible "Hi...I mean, hello," I stammered out, pretty sure I was shouting. "I...I just got...I became a citizen of the Sahal Empire and was told¡­!" "May I see the card?!" Rather reluctantly, as it meant letting go of my ear, I handed the receptionist the proof of my claim. She looked at it, turned it over, and handed it back to me with a professional smile. "Take the door on the right, go all the way to the end of the corridor, and turn left! You can read Standard, right?!" "Y-yes!" "Then look for the door on the left marked [Aid Distribution]. Anything else, ma''am?!" ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Was there anything else?'' As if the Fae runes behind my ears kicked in, I find myself unable to come up with a single thing to ask. "N-no!" "Well, have a nice day, then! NEXT!" And with that, I was rudely shoved aside by a plump woman waiting in line behind me. The urge to bare my teeth at the bitch surged through my body, but knowing I had no one to blame but myself for not thinking this one through, I headed off in search of the door before my irritating beastly instincts could get me into any trouble. Thankfully, following the receptionist''s instructions, I arrived at the door in no time, basking in the relative silence that the depths of the City Hall¡¯s corridors offered. [Aid Distribution] Gathering my courage once more before entering the unknown, I knocked on the door, waited for permission to enter, and was left staring at the elf-looking man sitting behind the desk as I walked in. Quite rude, for sure, if not downright hypocritical of me, knowing full well how unpleasant the gawking could be, but I couldn''t help it. There behind the counter, bent over a book, sat the first elf I had run into in the city, the first I had ever seen outside of the movies. But then, the initial shock wore off, and doubts crept in. ''Is he an elf, or something else, though?'' Sure, the man had their pointy ears and even a youthful look, but he kind of lacked the elf-ish vibe, their dignified elegance. Heck, instead of long white locks, he had short-cropped brown hair; his cheeks weren''t sharp the way I had grown to know elves, and even worse, they were covered in short stubble. If it weren''t for those long pointy ears, he would look like any other guy, ordinary and average - simply something I could only envy him for. "Here for the aid?" The maybe-an-elf cleared his throat, obviously annoyed that he was being disturbed while reading. "Yes," I stammered, snapping out of my rude stare. "You see, I...became a citizen of the Sahal Empire and was told to come here." "Of course you were. All right, let me see your card..." The man said, trailing off as he finally looked up from the book. The moment his dark eyes landed on me, a shiver ran through my body, making me feel like prey, weak, desired, and naked. ''Did he see through my lack of clothing as the Terr''dens? Wait, was that what he was?'' A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Please have a seat, ma''am." Oddly enough, the thing giving me the shiver was gone when the not-quite-elf spoke - almost as if he had noticed my unease and reacted to it, hiding his predatory nature. Quite unsettling if true. Even my beastly instincts would have preferred him to ogle me openly than this...unknown. Anyway, once seated again and with my card in his hands, I watched the not-so-quite-elf insert it into a tool resembling an identification station, only smaller. Then he moved the tool over to me, his eyes fixed on mine. "Y-yes?" I asked as we sat there for a moment in awkward silence, him studying me, me trying to figure out what he wanted. "Your hand, please." "Y-you ...you could have said that right away, m-mister¡­?" I said, my eyes following the movement of his hands to the name tag placed unfathomably on the face of the counter, just below the top. "Mr. Welkes." "Could and should have," the maybe-a-Terr''den admitted bluntly with a shrug. "My bad. But you must forgive me. My first time seeing a...fine lady...of your stature." "I...I g-get that a lot." The elf-like man named Welkes was honestly an enigma to me. While my almost-forgotten experience of human interaction would suggest that under the guise of a cheerful, lofty, charming man of my age hid someone sad, depressed, bored, and looking for some distraction, my instincts led me to believe differently. To him, I was prey, but not the kind you hunt down in blood, the kind you have fun with. [Bookkeeper: 53 sigils] ''Shit! Yet another array better than mine.'' "I can only imagine, milady... pardon me, I didn''t catch your name." Not really willing to play his game, whatever it was, and having little inkling of what the tool he had put my Citizen Card in would do, I placed my hand on it as he asked. The runes on the thing lit up, and a magic hologram appeared above the back of my hand. Korra Grey Slave: 97 sigils "Korra Grey, a lovely name for a lovely...dame just a few sigils away from 2nd Array." ''What was that about this "lady, milady, dame" thing?'' Did the elves have beef with the half-Terrd''ens or something? Did he mock me for being a Slave? "Well, your card seems genuine, but may I ask who issued it to you, Miss Grey?" ''Oh, he finally cut the bullshit.'' "I d-don''t know, some guy in the barracks." Welkes, or rather bored-elf-like-man, smirked. "Let me put it another way. Who did your identification?" "Oh-OH, s-sorry, Captain Rayden did." Hearing that, his ears immediately pricked up. "Traiana''s tits! Captain herself? What did you do, Madame Grey?" "I...I am sorry, but...is t-this standard questioning to get the aid? Because I''ve already cleared these things with her." Not to mention that even though Captain Rayden didn''t explicitly forbid it, she had strongly advised me not to talk about what we had discussed behind the closed doors of that windowless room. "Of course you did. You wouldn''t be sitting here otherwise. No, that was, let''s just say, my pure interest to lift the dullness of the day. Not a lot is happening here - except for today. It makes one wonder if another Terr town has been swallowed by the beasts. But don''t worry, I won''t pry - as you said, it''s not my job to question you, although I have to ask if you''d be willing to have a drink with me - to dispel the dullness." "I c-can''t say my last days were...you know, dull." "Tits, not what I meant to imply at all. On the contrary, I thought you might find comfort in sharing your hardship with someone over said drink. Obviously, I misread the situation," Welkes said with an apologetic sigh, his ears drooping. Honestly, the half-elf guy didn''t look bad; in fact, he wasn''t bad-looking at all, and seeing him all crestfallen made him look kind of cute. But if he thought I was some naive, stupid girl from the Wilds whose knickers he could easily get into, he was damn wrong. First of all, I didn''t have any; actually, kind of the reason I was here. And I SURE as fucking shit didn''t struggle for my freedom to end up in bed with the first guy who asked me only to wake up with a collar around my neck. "Well." Welkes clapped his hands together, a mask of renewed energy covering his inner disappointment. "It wouldn''t be me if I didn''t get the hint. I am glad to inform you that you are eligible for the aid, Miss Grey." Chapter 58: Dangers of Convenience The bored-not-quite-elf, Mr. Welkes, took my Citizen Card out of the device and placed it on the table in front of me. Then he stood up and started taking other things out of the cabinet behind him. In a moment, I was looking at the card, a ring, a pouch, and a few coins, all neatly laid out in a row on the counter. ¡®Huh? No clothes? Well, I guess they didn''t expect the refugees to turn up naked. Still¡­¡¯ "The standard package Castiana gives to the new citizens of the Empire like yourself. Nothing beyond the bare minimum set by Sahal, a bit shortsighted on the part of our beloved City Lord, I might add. Ten Imperial Silver Hextes, a coin pouch, and a spatial ring the size of one cubic decimeter so that you have a place to put it all in and keep safe," Welkes explained in a rehearsed manner as if quoting from a manual, spiced with a bit of snark towards this City Lord. Definitely something to keep an ear on, but right now, local politics was something I couldn¡¯t give a shit about. Not when I had no idea if the 10 silver hexagonal coins could buy me some clothes, let alone how to use the spatial ring. Almost as if the not-quite-elf had read my mind, which he hadn''t, I felt no one''s presence in my skull but my own; he pointed wearily at the ring. "You put it on, use a drop of your blood, and let your mana flow through it. The ring¡¯s rune enchantments will bind to you and make you the only one capable of accessing its spatial storage. Simple." ''Shit. Seriously, fuck me and my... whatever. Why did everything have to be so complicated?'' Of course, it had to involve mana, the magical substance capturing the imagination of the people of Earth - mine included. In the year and a half here on Eleaden, I had become aware of it in my body, but that was about it. Becoming the magical girl I used to fantasize about in my youth was as distant a dream as ever. "W-what if... ?" "... you don''t know how to use mana? Well, most people don''t. You''re looking at one. I was actually reading up on some of the basics of mana handling just now," he said, tapping the book I had interrupted him from reading. "Believe it or not, even sword wielding requires some degree of mana proficiency. Anyway, you don''t need to worry; the rune formations should do the trick for you." "Oh, then... then why didn''t you say so?" "Because in the line of my work, I''ve learned not to assume, especially with people with a full array like you. It saves you unnecessary trouble. If you know what I mean." "S-sure, but... is this a dangerous job?" ''I guess working with refugees could get tense at times.'' Bloody heck, if it wasn''t for [Indomitable Will], I''d certainly be a bundle of nerves. "This one? No. I mean, I work with money here, so... kind of. But no, it¡¯s not; if anything, it''s quite dull - this is City Hall. Bookkeeping for merchants and such, on the other hand - that can sometimes get out of hand." "Oh, is t-that why you came to work here?" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The not-quite-elf beamed and leaned closer. "Well, miss, I don''t mind telling you about myself, but I''d rather do it over a drink, not over the counter." "I see, so... you said a drop of blood would do?" "Yes." He laughed, seemingly unruffled by the rejection, and nodded, motioning for me to give it a try. And so I did, taking the ring from the counter, carefully examining its copper surface covered with tiny runic lines before putting it on the ring finger of my left hand. No reason; it just fitted the best on the finger. The blood came next. Not really keen on asking for something to prick my finger with, I worked up my courage and cut my thumbs on my now overly sharp canines. The moment I pressed it to the ring, and the blood spilled onto the rune lines, they lit up and took a sip of my mana. "And it''s done," the maybe-an-elf announced aloud when the runes died out, scaring the shit out of me. "A-are you sure? The ring didn''t take much of my mana." Actually, I barely noticed any motion of it in my body. "What would you want from such a piece of junk? To suck you dry? No, the spatial storage is bound to you now, believe me. Though, if I may strongly recommend, get a better one as soon as you can." "And... will you tell me why?" If this one worked anywhere near what I had seen with Scoresby and the city guards, the spatial ring was something incredibly awesome in my eyes. "The fact that it is a dirty copper alloy should tell you everything... but seeing your expression, it means that the measly storage is the best the ring can do, won''t last long, and only has a few basic protection rune lines." "Wait! T-this thing can break?" "Yes, it can and will. It''s just a matter of time." Looking down at my hand, I couldn''t help but wonder, "A-and what happens if it... breaks?" "You''re on the right track, and yes, you could lose a finger or more. I''ve heard of some losing their whole hands." "... and the stuff in it?" "Tits, not even a wince. You must have been through some crazy shit. Well, if you care that much about your stuff, all the more reason to get a better spatial tool. When this one breaks, everything inside will go with it." "O-okay?" It was nice of him to tell me all this, but I couldn''t help wondering why. It must have been clear to him by now that I had no intention of having that drink with him. ''Or was he that dense? Probably. But there had to be more to it... '' "... are you s-selling spatial tools or something?" Welkes laughed. "I know what you''re getting at, but it''s not in my job description to praise what I hand out. The reason for the aid package is to make it easier for newcomers to familiarize themselves with the way things work in Castiana and Sahal in general. Though... the way I see it as it stands now is that it''s just a scam." "S-so... you are scamming me?" "What? No, not me, the city. It may look like you''re getting a lot, but you''re not. You will barely last a night on these coins. The pouch is kind of pointless when you have a spatial tool, not to mention the ring will last you a few weeks at most, and you can barely put anything in it." "Oh, I... I see... s-sorry." They hooked you on the convenience of having a spatial tool, so when it came down to the crunch, you had no choice but to borrow money to buy a new and better one and quite possibly end up as a debt slave. A sudden disgust at the ring on my finger swept through my guts and left a sour taste in my mouth. ''How could you be so stupid, Korra?!'' Seriously, did all those mutations make me that dumb, a bloody stupid beast? How could I so willingly put another shackle on my hand? All the fancy buildings, and the people dressed in fine CLOTHES roaming the streets must have clouded my reason, making me delusional. ''How could I ever think that I could be one of them?'' Chapter 59: Hard to Read "Miss?" the not-quite-elf asked, his confusion quickly turning to concern as I grew increasingly pissed at myself. "Tits! I said more than I should have. You know what they say... it''s only a scam if you fall for it, right?" That familiar saying, apparently spanning the far reaches of the universe, was a hell of a slap in the face. Sure, it could have been the work of [Eleaden Standard Language] translating whatever he said so that I could make sense of it, but that didn''t change the fact that he was right. "S-sorry, I''m good," I lied after, taking a deep breath and once more, much to my dislike, hitting my mind with the soothing effect of [Indomitable Will]. "Are you sure, because for a moment it looked like... ?" "... like what?" I basically snapped. ''That I''ll turn into a beast and go feral?'' "That you''re gonna rip the ring off along with your finger." ''Huh? What was he babbling about... ?'' Looking down, I froze. Instead of strangling my finger, the copper ring now lay in the palm of my right hand, its engraved intricate runic lines ridiculing my foolishness and giving me a harsh reminder: that was no slave collar, no shackles, just a tool to be used. Embarrassed, I lifted my eyes to Welkes, not really knowing what to say. "S-sorry, bad... experience." "With rings... or get scammed? You know what? I don''t want to know," he added swiftly, likely thinking that it was how I got to be a Slave. But before I could take a single breath, his eyes brightened up, and he leaned closer. "On second thought, I wouldn''t mind listening to you over, say, a drink?" ''How about pants and a shirt instead of a drink?'' Not what rolled off my tongue, though. "Nice try," I snarled back, taken aback by my own rather cocky reaction. Instead of still being pissed at myself, or alarmed that he was so damn interested in me, his insistent attempts to get me to sit down with him, and probably more, made me feel more at ease, more normal. ¡®Like what the actual fuck?¡¯ Captain Rayden herself had warned me that my unusual appearance might attract unwanted attention. And yet here I was, itching to wag my tail. Regardless of the danger, deep down, I wanted to... "Shame, isn¡¯t it?" The not-quite-elf smirked knowingly, as he no doubt noticed the blush on my cheeks and paused. "Wait, you''re not pissed at me, are you? It''s a little hard to get a read on you, you know." ''The what now?'' Was he using a weave on me to have a drink with him? ''No. No, that couldn''t be.¡¯ There was no one else in my mind but me. I was sure of that. But then, what did he mean by reading me? ''Oh no! No, no, no!'' Horrified, I checked myself through the domain, fearing that some bestial urge had seeped into my behavior without me noticing. But it hadn''t; I was acting normal - if you ignore the fact that I was more than aware of my freakish appearance, bareness, and unused to talking to others. ''Wait. Maybe that was it. This not-quite-elf, this clerk, this bookkeeper, this Welkes, was likely just used to talking to more confident and mature women.'' The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. While the notion came as a relief, it did hurt my pride a little. "Seriously, I didn''t mean anything by it. I just like the wild vibe of yours. Are we good?" ''Shit! So, it was my bestial side getting out! Or did he mean my dirty, disheveled look?'' "You see, I would like to avoid you reporting me." "W-wait, I can d-do that?" "Tits! Yes, but please don''t. To be honest with you, which I''ve been all along by the way, it might cost me my job. Sure, it''s a boring job, and the pay doesn''t compare to that of banks, let alone doing the ledgers for merchants or companies, but I don''t have to sit here from dawn to dusk or worry about someone shoving a dagger in my back. You wouldn''t believe the peace of mind it can give you." ''If only he knew.'' Despite how stressful the last few days had been, it couldn''t compare to the fear I felt every minute in that cellar. A shadow on the stairs, a shuffling of feet above, and I huddled in the corner of my cell. "It allows me to focus much more on my training with the instructors here," Welkes continued his don''t-rat-on-me speech. "And, of course, there''s the thing of not having to pay as much for the training... so please be of that kindness and don''t report me." "W-well... " I stammered, trying to digest everything he had just blurted out at me. "I didn''t plan to." "Ah, you didn''t?" "No, I was... I was merely curious about how things work around here. C-could it really cost you your job?" He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Now that I''ve told you that much, I may as well tell you. It wouldn''t be the first complaint made against me. And before you go in there, I don''t ask everyone who walks through that door for a drink. Actually, you''re the first - well, second. There''s just something about you - I don''t know - I''ve never met anyone like you before." "I get that a lot." No matter how much it annoyed me, being seen as a rare half-Terr''den, being ogled for that reason, was something I had to get used to. Far better, actually, than getting used to being seen as a freak or a feral beast. "Yeah, I can imagine. Well, since you''re such an understanding lady, which I find to be an incredibly rare combination, ask anything." ''Some clothes, then?¡¯ As much as I hated to do so, I dismissed the notion. Pointing out to someone who was trying to get into my pants that I didn''t have any didn''t seem wise. "T-then... w-what are the others complaining about?" "Tits!" he swore under his breath, but his smile did not diminish. "Well, if you must know, some people, mostly merchants, traders, companies, thugs, my grandmother, don''t appreciate my efforts to warn newcomers like you of their shady practices." ''Oh, so it wasn''t the new citizens and refugees who complained, but... wait, did he say his grandmother? Well, whatever.'' "A-and those shady practices... could you tell me m-more about them - and what places to avoid in the city?" "Sure, if you promise not to spill the beans on me." "W-why would I do that?" "For coins. Ten silvers isn''t really that much, you know." "I... I''m not one to - to betray the t-trust of another." Not as long as they don''t betray me. "Traiana''s tits! You are so hard to read most of the time, but now... it was like a slap of resolve in my face, wow." ''That again.'' "You m-mentioned it before, the reading thing - what is it?" "Ah, a Bookkeeper thing, a weave. It allows me to gauge what the other person is thinking, what they''re going to do, what their take on things is and if they''re hiding anything - pretty useful when you''re dealing with people generally, especially merchants. But reading your body language is like trying to read several people at once. One minute it''s like I¡¯m reading a beast ready to pounce on me, the next I''d say I''m looking at a stark naked fugitive. Crazy, right?¡± ¡°Y-y-yeah,¡± I somehow managed to stutter. ¡°Would you believe that my weave got a glyph carved while we were talking? Anyway, where do you want me to start? Where to find a decent lodging? Where to eat well? Where to have fun?" "More like what places to avoid and... and what I can afford for the ten - silver coins, was it, right?" ''Hopefully, at least some clothes. Pants and a shirt were all I needed to start with.'' "Imperial Silver Hextes, but hardly anyone calls them that. Silver coins, silvers, generally just coins. All right, the places to avoid. Buckle up because there are quite a few... " Chapter 60: Currency "I think that''s good enough for me," I growled to stop Welkes before a headache could set in. The barrage of information he had just dumped on me was overwhelming and, given my complete lack of familiarity with the city, mostly meaningless. Seriously, how was I supposed to avoid the loan sharks on the corner of Wet and Tight Streets when I had no damn clue where the streets were? Not to mention my nonexistent sense of direction. "Would it be possible for me to buy a map with, let''s say,¡± I said, pausing, doing some math on how many coins I might need for clothes. ¡°... for - for five silver coins?" Granted, in my hands, a map would have been no more useful than a picture of cute kittens, but asking for a smartphone with navigation seemed as pointless as when I begged the deranged asshole to stop his experiments to send me back home. "Five silver pieces? Well, you certainly could," said the not-quite-elf. "Though I wouldn''t trust any map not made by a Cartographer or Mapmaker for less than a gold. If you want to get somewhere, you''re better off hiring a guide¡­ or if you wait till the end of my shift, I can show you around." Knowing that Welkes was walking a fine line with his attempts to get me to go out with him, some of my caution and fear faded away. Instead of a polite refusal, a disgruntled growl escaped my throat. "H-hold on, no strings attached. Take that as an apology for¡­ for misreading you." "No, I''m good." There may not have been any ill intent in his voice that I could hear, or my senses had warned me off, but putting my fate in the hands of a random guy as soon as I gained my freedom rubbed me simply the wrong way. In a sense, it would make all that I was striving for meaningless. ''Brilliant, Korra! Really brilliant,'' I berated myself, realizing the blunder of refusing Welkes'' help. ''How the bloody heck am I supposed to get around the city now, let alone find Scoresby?'' "Did you say something about hiring a guide?" Perhaps if it were someone who did the guiding for money and not out of the "goodness" of their heart, it would make me feel more at ease about putting my fate in their hands. A lie that even I didn''t believe for a moment. But what choice did I have but to wander blindly through the city? Ask people around? No, thank you. "Yes, I did. The City Hall staffs a whole lot of kids." "Kids?" "You know, too young to employ, but smart enough to know the way the world goes around and that they need money to get by. They know the city better than most, so you can''t go wrong by hiring one." That actually didn''t sound too bad. "And¡­ and can I afford to hire one? I still need to buy some stuff." "Sure, ten silver pieces isn''t much, but well," Welkes said, rubbing the tip of his ear in thought. "It used to be eight coppers per hour, but that was years ago. It''s certainly going to be more now." "And eight coppers is - you know - how many silver coins?" "You don''t...? Tits, you really don''t know. Well, whatever, there''s a hundred silvers in one gold and 100 coppers in one silver. Pretty simple, right? It used to be a lot more complicated than that, in fact the entire numerical system used in the Empire or the former Terr''den Federation used to be based on the doubled lattice numbers. Err, based-dozen. Anyway, it happened centuries ago, but there was this guy, by the way, a Bookkeeper like me, named Durwald Gilmoni. Great guy working at the imperial court who saw people struggling with the system. It''s one thing to have your sigils counted by the Lattice or to tally the few people in your group, but converting coins back and forth, let alone keeping accounts in that system, had to be a pain in the ass back then - well, at least for people without the right array." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I s-see, that''s great to know." Seriously, what else was there to say? Given his array and the way he talked about accounting, it was clear that numbers were his thing, but while I knew how to do my math, it sapped the life out of me every time I had to plow through the numbers. So, instead of probing further into the accounting history and the achievements of this Gilmoni guy, I eyed the copper ring on my palm. The tiny runes on it seemed dead, but so did the ones behind my ears. As with the slave collar, one right command from Fae or just a wrong thought, and I might lose everything again. "Even though it''s a piece of junk," Welkes spoke when he saw me hesitating over the use of the ring. "It would be dumb not to take it and walk around with a coin pouch hanging out at your waist or wherever you''d put it. With all the weaves that people have, it would be like asking to be robbed. Anyway, sorry for the rambling before. I grew up in a family of bookkeepers, and¡­ forget it, that''s even more boring. Rather, do you have any other questions?" ''How much do the cheapest clothes cost?¡¯ That was, however, something I could have figured out on my own once I visit a clothing store. Better than embarrassing myself here. "Well, how¡­ how do I put things in the ring?" I asked after slipping the copper tool back on my ring finger with quite a bit of reluctance. "That''s easy. Just touch them and will them move to the storage." And truly, it was as easy as the not-quite-elf said. Testing it on the apparently pointless coin pouch in case I messed something up, it disappeared from my hand the moment I imagined it in the magic storage of the ring. The runes engraved on the copper lit up and it was simply gone. "Damn!" I couldn''t help but be amazed when, after imagining the pouch in my palm, it reappeared there. "You''re quick on the uptake. That''s good - it''d be a shame if the city beat the piss out of you." "Does that happen a lot?" I asked, concerned, while moving the silver coins to spatial storage. Captain Rayden mentioned something similar. "Depends on how you define a lot. It is no easier to end up in debt or under an essentially slave-like contract in Castiana than anywhere else in the Sahal. So if you got the wits not to, that''s a plus." Shuddering at the mention of the slave contract, I gave him a silent nod of understanding. It was easy to blame others, but at the end of the day, it was only you yourself you had only yourself to blame for your own stupidity. ''If only - if only I hadn''t taken the shortcut through the alley that night and stayed on the main street, I might never have met the F...'' KNOCK! KNOCK! "Tits! What is it with today?" Walkes cursed gruffly as someone tapped on the door. "Well, Miss Grey, I''m afraid, as disappointing as it is, our time is up. That is unless you have any further questions about the aid you received." "N-no, n-not really." A blatant lie. So many questions swirled in my mind that I had no idea what to ask first. But with people waiting outside the door, my cellar-honed instincts kicked in. There, if someone was stupid enough to be eager to go first, you let them pass without asking. "Shame. Well, good luck and¡­ if you change your mind about the drink, you know where to find me. Oh, and tell the ones in the hallway to come in on the way out." "I w-will, and thanks - I mean, thank you for making time for me," I stammered with as much gratitude as I could muster. After all, Welkes himself said that talking like this to newcomers had gotten him into trouble more than once already. "Don''t mention it. Seriously, don''t talk about it at all. Besides, I should be the one grateful to have a chance to talk to such an interesting and eye-pleasing lady." With a face as red as my hair, I made sure to leave nothing on the desk, no coin or my card, and rushed out. Chapter 61: Furball ''What? How? There''s no way...'' There in the hallway stood the equally stunned rodent family. ''Did they get lost on their way here? Or did I skip some step on my way to citizenship that I didn''t know about?'' "You!" sputtered the rodent man, the father of the family, as he came out of shock. "How did you get here before us? What...?" ''By foot.'' In the end, whatever the case, the freedom I had was what mattered. There was no reason for me to explain myself. "Y-you can come in," I blurted out, not letting the man finish, and hurried off back into the din of the entrance hall, barely suppressing a whimper when I got there. Even with my hands pressing my sails to my head, my ears were ringing like I had a bell stuck inside my skull. Putting together a coherent thought in that racket was a chore, and leaving seemed the most sensible way. ''What then, though?'' A simple question without an easy answer. Sure, there was the bath I was in dire need of - and clothes. Hell, just a piece of rag big enough to tie around my waist and chest would have been enough if that was all I could afford for the few coins in my spatial storage. And then, of course, there was the promise to Scoresby I would visit him once I was done at the barracks. But having all that on my to-do list meant jack shit when I would be no less lost than before once I stepped back onto the square. ''I need a map. No! Not a map. A guide.'' And so, annoyed by the noise, but with the decision made, I stood to suffer in line in front of the familiar receptionist. "Ah, you. Grey, was it, right?" Enola raised her voice when her gaze fell on me. "Are you here to complain about Welkes? What did he do this time?" "W-what? N-no. No, he didn''t do anything." "Really?" The doubt in the receptionist''s eyes gave me pause, making me think twice about telling her about his attempts to get me to sit down with him for a drink. "He... well, I''m new here - I don''t know the city, and he told me about the guides." "Oh, he did? Well, would you like to hire one?" "It d-depends on how much it costs. Mr. Welkes wasn''t sure of the current prices." "Ten coppers for every hour started, non-negotiable." ''Damn. No blabbering like the not-quite-elf, but straight to the point.'' "O-okay, and they''re kids like he said?" "Mostly. If you prefer an adult, even that can be arranged. However, City Hall vouches for each of their guides. They¡¯re reliable, knowledgeable, and you don''t have to worry about being robbed. If that happens, you can file a complaint with us, and the City Hall will compensate you for your loss - should it be proven true. So, you want to hire one?" Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "I..." Stopping short, I did some math to figure out my financial limits. Two to three hours seemed reasonable. The city was large and covering it on barefoot would take some time, so... "Can you hurry it up?! I don''t have all day." An irritated groan from the man standing behind me snapped me out of my thoughts, sowing unease in my gut and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - more than usual. "Y-yes, sorry," I whispered, looking back at the receptionist. "How do I pay? Now or..." "Depends on the guide you choose. In the case of children, we require you to return with them, therefore you will pay then. But if it were..." "I... I am okay with being guided by kids." ''That didn''t sound awkward, did it?'' "All right, any preferences?" "S-sorry? Preferences?" "Whether you prefer your guide to be a girl or a boy, human or Terr''den. We also have a gnomish boy, but he''s out guiding at the moment." ''Shit! And I was afraid of sounding like a creep.'' She sure made me feel like I was talking to a pimp or a slave trader. "I really don''t mind - Terr''den, perhaps?" ''Sue me, but... '' As soon as she mentioned Terr''den I couldn''t get the image of the cute little munchkin out of my head. "All right, your Citizen Card, please." A little confused, I let the card appear in my hand and handed it to her. "What for?" "So we know who to look for if something happens to our guides." The subtle warning didn''t escape me. Not that it was necessary. Who in their right mind would harm children, right? "And, that''s it. Here." The receptionist handed me back my card and moved to the door behind her, opened it, and yelled, "Ria! You have a client." In no time, a little furball came bursting out of the door, taking my breath away. The little girl was everything the munchkin I had imagined. Well, almost. [Young Kitare] While not having an array, a sigil, or being the cat-like Terr''den I had hoped for, she was still the cutest thing I had ever seen. Not even the height of my chest, the little fox-like girl boasted vibrant silvery fur that covered her from head to toe. The little patches of darker fur on her nose, under her chin, and on her paws only made her cuter. Add to that her fluffy ears, big cat eyes, wagging tail behind her, dark brown harem short pants, light blue overlaid with a little gray version of the receptionist''s vest, a satchel obviously too big for her slung over her shoulder, and my heart almost melted away. "My name is Ria, lady," she introduced herself, offering me her paw. ''Shit, shit, shit!'' Barely able to restrain myself from going for the hug, I gave her a gentle paw shake. ¡®Aw... so adorable.¡¯ "Ko-Korra. Y-you can call me Korra." "All right." The girl nodded, full of energy, and looked at the receptionist. "Can we go, Enola?" "That depends on your customer," the woman replied in a tone that was very different from the one she had used with me: gentle, kind, caring. "Can I note the time of your leaving, or is there more, ma''am?" Despite having about a hundred questions, rushed by the grumbling of the man behind me and seeing the little kitare''s enthusiasm to get to work, I shook my head. "N-no, that would be all." "Then I''ll see you in a few hours." The receptionist gave me a slight, polite bow and winked at Ria, hinting to her that she could start. And the little girl did, immediately looking up at me, eyes big with excitement. "Where do you want to go, Lady Korra?" Not really having it thought out but not willing to say out loud in the middle of a busy hall that I needed a bath and clothes, I blurted out the only thing that came to mind. "M-my friend, Mr. Scoresby. He lives in the city, Crooked Street. Oh, and y-you..." "Oh, that''s not far - follow me," the little kitare beamed, and without giving me a chance to say that she didn''t have to call me Lady, she headed out of the City Hall. Chapter 62: Not all Runes are Bad "Can I ask?" Halfway through the entrance lobby of the City Hall, Ria turned on her heel, walking backward while avoiding everyone inside with more finesse than I, with all of my weaves and senses up. "Sure." "Why do you keep your tail wrapped around your waist?" Red as a tomato, I cast a glance around in hopes that no one was paying attention to us. The increase of uneasiness at the back of my neck, however, told me otherwise. "C-can I tell you outside? It''s too noisy in here." "Is it? My mom says so, too, but I don''t think so," the little kitare spoke her mind and turned to face the exit, quickening her pace. ''Definitely a city girl.'' I thought to myself, and afraid of losing her, I did the same. My fear, however, turned out to be unnecessary. The little munchkin kept her eye on me the whole time, making sure I was on her tail. Simply incredible. And so, while admiring her skills and dedication to her job, I found myself outside, basking in the relative quiet of the Seeker''s Square. No question, the place was incredibly noisy. Yet compared to the inside of the City Hall... "This way." Obviously not one to waste her customer''s time, the little kitare strode confidently across the square, off into the city brimming with joy, even bouncing a little as if untouched by any of the dangers lurking in its streets and the worse of the world out there. Quite a heartwarming thing to see, but in stark contrast to me. As soon as we stepped out of the City Hall, the feeling at the back of my neck got a lot worse. I shuddered all over and almost let out a growl. Someone was watching me, and not in the way like before: a curiosity, a rarity, a wild, dirty woman. No, this feeling was different, more intense, more intentional - for the lack of a better word. "So?" asked Ria, as we exited the square into one of the many streets, doing her backwards walk. "Your tail? Why wrap it around your waist? Is it because it''s dirty?" ''Damn, a child¡¯s honesty really hurts sometimes.'' "My mom says it''s important to keep your tail clean - and your fur. She also says it''s silly to name your tail. You think so, too?" "No," I said truthfully, but regretted it immediately. I wasn''t exactly the shining example of a half-Terr''den that a young girl like her should aspire to. Heck, I didn''t know anything about how to take care of the fur or the tail, let alone know any of their customs. "You don''t?" she beamed, excited, immediately shortening the distance between us, eyeing my tail. "Did you name yours? This is Lia, by the way." "Oh. Nice to meet you, Lia," I responded by waving to her wagging little tail, drawing a giggle out of Ria. Then I motioned for her to give me her ear and whispered: "Keep it a secret, but mine is called Sage." Giggling again, she gave me an understanding grin that quickly turned to confusion. "Why keep her around your waist, though - or your wings on your chest? The aviers I know flap them around all the time." ''Shit!'' The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I guess it was too much to ask that she let the issue go by telling her the name of my tail. Did she really not know the reason, though? Every Terr''den that laid eyes on me seemed to see that I was walking around butt naked. And she saw it too, otherwise she wouldn''t have asked. ''Ah, clever.'' You could see it in her eyes. The munchkin was dying to know why I was walking around in my birthday suit. She just didn''t want to say it out loud, whether it was out of respect for her elders, customs, or me being her client. Instead, she played it smart. ''As curious as any other kid.'' I sighed to myself and eventually admitted the obvious, whispering, of course. "W-well, I have - I have no clothes." "Oh." Ria feigned surprise. "Did you get robbed? I hear it happens a lot outside the city." "No. No, I didn''t." I lied, not really wanting to explain that I had been robbed of my freedom, my life - and actually of my stuff, too. "W-what about Castiana? Should I be afraid of getting mugged?" "Only if you''re not careful - or you wander off to the wrong place. But don''t worry; I know where not to go," she pronounced proudly, in fact, matching what the maybe-elf told me about the city. Despite Captain Rayden and her city guards doing their best, there were places more dangerous than others and people looking to take advantage of you. "What are you looking at, Lady Korra?" "Oh, nothing," I lied again, rubbing the back of my neck. "And please, just Korra. I''m no lady." "All right," she beamed without breaking her stride. I, on the other hand, couldn''t help giving one more glance to the shadows of the streets behind us, the source of the chill in my body. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "This is where we cross the 5th Street," Ria informed me moments before we entered the city¡¯s wide, busy artery. Once again, the vibrancy of it left me in awe, one thing standing out to me more than the others. Two, actually. The disturbing feeling at the back of my neck got less intense and... "Ria? What are those magical signs?" "You mean the diaglyphs? They didn''t have them where you came from?" Back on Earth, every city had an eyesore of billboards and neon signs, but the city glowing with holographic projections remained a work of science fiction. Never did I think I''d see a street where the shops drew the eye with projections of soaring swords, boiling cauldrons, or dancing gowns, here in, for lack of a better word, a "fantasy" world. "N-no, they did not." "And how did you tell the time?" the little kitare asked, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a small metal bracelet. As she touched it, a hologram, well a diaglyph not so different from the dial I knew, at least at first glance, popped up above her wrist. Pretty damn cool, if I might say so. It even made me wish I had one, despite it being another rune-covered circlet. Actually, a bit of a reminder to me: ''Not all runes are bad.'' "Well," I replied, scratching my head, trying to figure out how to explain to her the workings of a mechanical watch, let alone a digital one, without having a clue myself. ". . . by the sun." "The sun?" ''Shit! Did that get translated wrong?'' I didn''t mean to use it as a name, so... what did they actually call their sun? Wait! Was there only one sun? Is that why she was confused? Much like the little kitare, I raised my eyes to the sky. In that cursed cellar, I didn''t get to see daylight at all; in Esulmor, the sky could only be seen in those little patches of vines reaching down to the ground, and when I traveled with Scoresby, I was too overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the world to pay attention to what warmed my cheeks. ''Only one.'' A bit disappointing, but better than none. "I don''t see any time," Ria frowned after a moment, rubbing her sore eyes. Thankfully, not seeing what wasn''t there didn¡¯t ruin her spirit. Remembering her duty as a guide, she straightened up and pointed down the street. "If you want to see more diaglyphs, I can take you to the center of the city. The closer you get to Labyrinth Square, the more of them you''ll see. The whole place literally glows at night." ''The Labyrinth Square again.'' There was no denying - my curiosity was piqued. Chapter 63: Crooked Street ''To go see the Labyrinth Square?¡¯ "No. Not right now." I shook my head at Ria¡¯s question. There were more pressing things to do than satisfy my curiosity. "So, the Crooked Street?" the little kitare asked, taking off as soon as I gave her the nod. "Alright, follow me." "Do you¡­ do you know of any stores on the way where I could buy cheap clothes?" If my crappy budget would allow it, at least a pair of pants and a shirt would be nice to sport. The sheer shame of walking around naked aside, it might get me rid of those annoying stares - at least most of them. I kind of doubted that whoever had been on my tail since the City Hall would just give up. Actually, the prickling feeling at the back of my neck gave me no peace of mind, making me question the decision to see Scoresby. Bringing trouble to his doorstep was the last thing I wanted to do after all he had done for me. "I know of a few," Ria said, thinking. "Not in this part of the city, though. You want me to take you there, Korra? Crooked Street is just around the corner, though." ''Shit! We were already there?'' As if the runes behind my ears lit up, I found myself lost on what to do. Leave Scoresby out of it, or perhaps seek safety with him? Maybe showing whoever was out there that I wasn''t all alone in this city wasn''t a bad idea, either. "The¡­ the Crooked Street, first." I made the decision, saying a silent sorry to the old man as I followed the little kitare. We stopped, just like she said, at the next corner. "Um, do you know where your friend lives exactly, Korra? Crooked Street goes all the way to the wall from here, you know." Trying to catch a glimpse of the city wall in the distance, I annoyingly had to shake my head. "All he told me was that I couldn''t miss it. Scoresby''s Goods & Wares. No number." "What number?" "The house number - wait! The houses aren¡¯t numbered?" "Why should they be?" Ria cocked her head, puzzled. "To find them faster," I said, no less confused. ''How the hell did people here know where to find anything?'' "Why would it be faster?" The little kitare asked, genuinely curious. "Well, if he told me he lived at 8 Crooked Street, I''d know it was the eighth house on this street. Even better if they had the number on the front." ''Seriously, all that magic, and no one thought of that?'' "That''s an amazing idea," Ria beamed, her tail wagging wildly behind her. "But it''s not that hard if you know street corners or the name of the nearest square." "Well, I''m afraid I didn''t think to ask." ''Damn you, old man!'' Seriously, why didn''t he give me a proper address? He had to know. ''No way - did he give me a fake address? To get rid of me? That couldn''t be.'' Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Hmmm...give me a moment." After a brief thought, Ria suddenly blurted out and ran off to the nearest human. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Scoresby''s Goods & Wares?" Horrified, I watched her in awe, doing something I wouldn''t have been able to do. The little kitare fearlessly asked stranger after stranger, some nice, some making me wanna rip their throats out until she found someone to point her in the hopefully right direction. "It''s not that far," she beamed at me, leading the way. "It should be on the corner with Broom Lane." "Oh, great." ''So the place was here.'' Well, perhaps the old man just forgot to mention that little detail. Kind of relieving if true - that and having my little guide back safe and sound. "Ria, that¡­ that was very brave of you." "It''s my job," she said proudly, giggling, and then she took off, tail wagging. Without saying another word, I followed her, trying to remember if the old man had actually mentioned this Broom Lane. But either he hadn¡¯t, I had misheard him, or the old lady on the street had just blurted out the address to get Ria off her back. Thankfully, the latter turned out not to be true. "There," Ria announced cheerfully, pointing to the building ahead of us. And indeed there it was. Not as unmissable as Scoresby had claimed, but the wooden paneling of the brick house, painted a vibrant green that contrasted with the white of the window frames and storefronts, was certainly eye-catching. No diaglyphs, just signs in the same colors: [Scoresby''s Goods & Wares]. "Korra?" Ria raised her voice as I stood frozen in front of the door, distracting my mind by looking at the brick foundation of the house, encrusted with some kind of black stuff. ''Mold, maybe?'' "Korra!" "Y-yes?" "You''re not going in?" ''Well, perhaps I shouldn''t.'' There was still that annoying bite on the back of my neck, so... "... no¡­ I mean, yes, I am; I just..." The doorbell ringing interrupted my train of fearful thought. While I wrestled with the idea of facing the old man again, the little kitare walked in without hesitation. "Oh, my. Look at you. What an adorable little guide," I heard an old woman''s voice - definitely not Scoresby''s - come from inside. "What can I do for you? Are you looking for something?" "Hello, ma''am." Ria giggled. "Not me, but she''s looking for her friend." Cast into the spotlight, I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will] and did what the little kitare did so easily just a moment before: I walked in. The store seemed smaller on the inside, but that was because of how many wares were inside. From frying pans and pots to various tools to a large number of leather straps of all kinds, the reason for the latter being obviously the elderly woman standing behind the counter. [Knacker: 63 sigils] Holding an unfinished leather belt in one hand and some tool in the other, her gaze followed the outstretched hand of the small guide. The moment she found me partially hidden behind one of the shelves at the entrance, her old eyes widened, and a smile grew on her wrinkled face. "Oh my, you must be the half-Terr that Liam told me about. The one from Esulmor. Korra, was it?" "Y-yes. Korra Grey." Despite doing my best, the jitters got the better of me. "And y-you must be Marlen, Mr. Scoresby''s wife?" "That old geezer told you about me?" "Y-yes, he gave me your sweet bun. It was delicious¡­ really. I haven''t had anything that good in years." "A sweet bun?" Ria asked, ears perked, Lia, her tail betraying her thoughts. The old woman pushed her gray hair back from her forehead and smiled at the little guide. "I baked a new batch yesterday. If you want, I can give you some to try. YOU, though - oh my, Liam mentioned that you must have had a hard time, but¡­ I''m not that good a cook to deserve such praise." "N-no. It was delicious. I even cried." "Thank you, that''s sweet of you," Mrs. Scoresby said and paused as I found the courage to step closer, the frown deepening the wrinkles on her forehead. "What that old geezer forgot to mention, though, is your lack of clothes. Did you get robbed on the way here?" "No, I asked. She did not," Ria said helpfully, infuriating the old woman even more. "LIAM!" Chapter 64: Scoresbys Goods & Wares "Yes, dear?" came the familiar voice of the old merchant from the back of the building. Scoresby himself appeared right after, his eyes instantly going wide. "Korra, you found this place." "Only thanks to Ria here." "I see; you have a little guide. Clever. Pleasure to meet you, Ria of...?" "Ria of Haru," the little kitare quickly clarified. "Haru? Then, my deepest condolences. I heard the matriarch Kou was the great woman Haru needed in these hard times." Ears lowered, Ria let out a low whimper. "Grandma''s in a better place now." "Ah, I didn''t mean to sadden you little one, nor you Korra. Forgive this silly old man; sometimes, I open my mouth before giving it a thought." For whatever reason, be it the sorrow of seeing Ria downcast or the memory of my mother, I too find myself stricken with grief. "And sometimes, you seem to forget to mention a few things, Liam," his wife Marlen remarked, much to his bewilderment, still mad at him. "Ah, you mean Korra. She''s the half-Terr girl I met in Esulmor. Korra, this is Marlen, my dear wife," he introduced us, oblivious to the reason for Mrs. Scoresby''s frown, and turned his attention back to me. "Seeing you here, I take it everything went well." "K-kind of. I am a citizen of the Sahal Empire n-now," I said, not sure if I shouldn''t better wait for his wife to say what was on her mind. "See, I told you it would be fine." "What you didn''t tell ME, though, Liam, is that you spent half the day driving next to a naked girl." Well, I wouldn''t call myself a girl, but she wasn''t wrong. More importantly, however, she didn''t seem to fault me. "I didn''t? I could have sworn¡­ oh, come on, Marlen, you know I only have eyes for you. Besides, she was covering herself, just like now." "And that''s fine? What if it had been Millie in her place, covering herself with her hands?" At the thought of his daughter being in my situation, Scoresby immediately paled. "Yeah, you old fool," Mrs. Scoresby grunted, disappointed, then the hairs on the back of my neck bristled as the old woman turned her attention back to me. "And YOU, have you no shame? Did you not think to ask for a piece of clothing?" "I¡­ I d-didn''t mean to bother," I stammered, racing my mind to find the proper explanation. "I h-haven''t had any clothes in over a year, so¡­ I d-didn''t mind." "If you didn''t mind, you wouldn''t have covered yourself," Mrs. Scoresby grumbled right back with a sigh, brushing a stray strand of gray hair out of her face. "What about in the barracks? You were there, weren''t you? Didn''t they offer you anything to wear there, either?" "No." I shook my head. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Did you ask?" "I d-did¡­ not." "For Traiana''s sake! Why not?" "I d-didn''t mean to bother and¡­ and I thought that maybe some Terr''dens didn''t wear clothes, so..." "So you thought that we''re used to seeing folks walking around naked just because their butts are covered with fur? For Traiana''s sake, no. Ask your guide, Ria; even the furriest Terr''dens cover themselves." "Um-hmm," the little kitare nodded. "See. Frankly, I''m a bit disappointed - not with you, Korra; I can understand what you''ve been through, believe me - but that no one had the decency to give you something to cover yourself. Forget my old fool; the city guards, though? If they let you walk around the streets without a piece of clothing, who else are they gonna let flash their skin? Call me old-fashioned, but I don''t want to bump into bare-assed companions when I go to market." No doubt that would be quite awkward. "No. This won''t do. I''ll have to go to the barracks and have a word with them," Mrs. Scoresby declared, her determination to go through with it, taking my breath away. She didn''t hesitate to confront the city guards, someone like Rayden, to stand up for what she believed in. ''If only I could do the same.'' But sadly, I wasn''t like her; I didn''t have the guts. Shit, I didn''t even have a thing to strive for, a goal. With my freedom back, the only thing left of my dream was getting home. But after listening to Captain Rayden, the journey back to Earth now seemed more distant than ever. ''So seriously, what was I supposed to do now?'' For lack of a better word, I was lost - and the irony of it wasn''t "lost" on me. Sure, there were little things, pressing things, like clothes, accommodation, food, work. But then what? Give up trying to get back home? Ignore all the shit and just live as if nothing happened? ''Why? Why did it bother me so much when it was pretty much exactly what I longed for all along? Why wasn''t having a peaceful life good enough for me?¡¯ "Korra?" Torn out of my lament by the sweet voice of the little kitare, I looked down. "Y-yes, Ria?" "Mr. Scoresby asked if you had any problems at the barracks." Did he? Raising my eyes to the old man, I found him standing there alone, giving me a knowing smile, his wife nowhere to be seen. "Long day, huh? Easy to get lost in thought then." "S-sorry." "Ah, it''s nothing to apologize for. It happens to me a lot." "Far too often," came Mrs. Scoresby''s voice from the back of the house. The next moment, she walked back into the shop, handing Ria a small basket and me a pile of clothes. While the little kitare excitedly pounced on the sweet buns, I couldn''t help but stare at the pieces of clothing in my hands. "Wh-what is this?" "Millie''s old clothes." "Our daughter''s," the old man added, as if that should explain everything. It did not. "Y-yes, I know who she is. I mean¡­ what am I supposed to do with them?" Mrs. Scoresby laughed. "To wear, of course. What else?" Holding back tears, I looked at them both. "A-and this is all for me?" "It''s just an old shirt and a skirt," the old woman replied with a nonchalant shrug, standing tall and smiling warmly. "Well-worn but washed and still functional. Better to have someone make use of them than to have them sit in a trunk, right? Go on, try it." She didn''t have to tell me twice. After a quick glance around to make sure there were no changing booths, I slipped behind one of the store¡¯s shelves. "It should fit you. Millie is about your size," Mrs. Scoresby spoke as I moved my stiff wings, and whilst swallowing a whimper, put on the shirt. "You''ll have to buy your own chest wraps. Same with the underwear," she continued as I buttoned up the shirt and unwrapped Sage from my waist. "We have some of her old shoes, but she inherited my tiny feet, so¡­ oh, dear. Those are some big tears." "Is something wrong, Korra?" asked Mr. Scoresby, the worry in his eyes turning to a shock the next moment. When I emerged fully from behind the shelf, my appearance had all three of them, the old merchant, his wife, and my little guide, staring at me wordlessly with their mouths agape. "Ko-Ko-Korra," Ria stammered, her mouth smeared with sweet bun filling. "A-are you Wierin?" Chapter 65: No Longer Bare Wierin. This was the second time someone had mentioned the term. Was I one, though? "I d-don''t know, Ria," I said, my voice quivering as I wiped away the happy, hot tears. Annoyingly, no matter how hard I tried, they didn''t stop flowing. It sure was stupid, but I just couldn''t help myself. After so long of having nothing but dirt covering me, I finally found myself dressed in clothes. For the first time since Earth, I felt like an actual human and not like a beast in a cage. "You don''t know?" the little kitare asked, her eyes wide, the question obvious: How could anyone not know what they were? "I''m sorry, Ria. I really don''t. Perhaps if you tell me what Wierin is...," I breathed, marveling at myself in my domain. The knee-length skirt might not have been my thing, but I couldn''t help loving the piece of fabric covering my legs now. "Everybody knows, though, right?" argued Ria, looking to the Scoresby couple for confirmation. "I''m afraid most humans don''t care about Terr''den legends, little one." The old man smiled sadly, looking me over for the umpteenth time. "But no doubt, Korra is like no Terr''den I have ever seen, and more than anything else, fits what I have heard about Wierin." "Right?" Ria beamed, not giving up hope that I could be this... "Hold on." I tore myself away from admiring my new outfit and the freedom it brought to my wings and tail. "Is Wierin a race? Because my grid says that¡­ that I''m human." For all I knew, Wierin could have been a term for a crossbreed of several species of Terr''den. The confusion with me, a human mutant of seven beasts, would then make sense. "Wierin is Wierin," the little kitare explained after a brief thought. "I don''t think anyone really knows," Scoresby added, scratching his beard in thought. "It''s a legend after all. You look good, by the way." "But it''s going to need some fixing up," Mrs Scoresby pointed out, already circling me and checking out the clothes she had given me. "You can''t wear a skirt like this tied under your tail, girl. Half of your ass is out. And the shirt - either we shorten the whole thing, or I''ll cut holes in the back for the wings." "I¡­ if you..." "Don''t mention it," Mrs. Scoresby retorted, stopping me from saying more. "I work with hides all day; I won''t even break a sweat fixing this. Better tell me if you want a hole in your skirt, too, or if you''ll keep your tail tucked under it." "NO! Don''t hide your tail" Ria blurted out, startling everyone with her horrified plea and the way she clutched Lia to her chest. "It''s awful." ''Was it?'' But there was no need to think hard about the reason for her distress. "I s-see. Thank you, Ria." Unable to help myself, I ruffled her hair, grateful, while disgust at myself ripped through my body. For a moment, I considered locking my loyal friend in the darkness under my skirt. A simple solution requiring no adjustment to the garment from Mrs. Scoresby, but no different from what that deranged asshole did when he locked me in the cellar. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''I''m so sorry, Sage.'' The heartfelt, spontaneous, silent apology to my tail was then the slap in the face I needed. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, I wasn''t just a human anymore. What was I, though? Not a beast, or so I believed. "Ria, w-why do you think I''m this Wierin?" "Oh, oh¡­ because you look like one." "Really?" "Um-hmm." The little kitare nodded eagerly. "My mom read me stories about them. They are beings of great strength and a generous heart. They are beautiful creatures with horns, wings, and tails. They help people. Are you really not one of them, Korra?" "Sorry, Ria, I don''t think so," I said, hating to disappoint the little girl. "I¡¯m neither strong nor beautiful." "You are stronger than you think," Scoresby argued. "I may not know the details, but I can tell you that few Slaves with your number of sigils would stand here as confidently as you do now." ''Me confident? Was he serious?'' "It takes most of them months to get over their distrust of people," Mrs Scoresby agreed, still inspecting my new clothes. "Yes, you are strong." Ria nodded, more than happy the old couple sided with her. "...and beautiful. You are just..." "Filthy," Mrs. Scoresby finished as the little kitsune hesitated, searching for the right word. "You, girl, need a bath real bad." "Y-yeah. I''ve already been told that. Actually, do you know where I could take one? Is there anything like a public bathhouse? A cheap one, though?" "Well, there''s the Willow Waters Bathhouse where Liam and I go," Mrs. Scoresby said thoughtfully. "But that''s six silvers." ''Damn! That was a lot - too much, in fact.'' Not so surprising, though. Welkes had warned me that the ten silver coins now in my spatial storage would last me barely one night. "Oh-oh, I know of a place," Ria chimed in, nibbling on another sweet bun. "They''ll let you wash for two silver coins, but you have to bring your own soap and towel." ''Shi¡­ well, fuck me! So stupid.'' Of course, it wasn''t just clothes I needed to buy if I wanted to lead a somewhat normal life. Soap, towel, comb, fur brush, and a bloody toothbrush - if there was even such a thing. Not to mention food and a place to sleep. ''Things sure were much simpler back in Esulmore.'' "And do you know where to get the stuff cheap¡­ or where I could find a job?" "Yes, I know where you can shop for cheap," the little kitsune beamed, but then lowered her ears. "Not about any work." "That''s not the guides'' job," Mrs Scoresby clarified, looking at her husband. "Liam?" "Yes, yes, I''ll ask around." "Don''t worry, girl. It won''t be that bad. You can stay with us for a few days. Now, take off that skirt." "Huh?" "It''s gonna take less fixing than the shirt." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "You have really nice friends, Korra," Ria chimed, once again doing her backward walk through the busy street. "Y-yeah, I got¡­ lucky." As hard as it was to believe, luck actually appeared to smile on me for once. Thanks to the Scoresbys, I no longer had to walk around bare-assed with no place to lay my head. If it weren''t for that nasty prickle on the back of my neck, I''d think I must be dreaming. Unfortunately, I wasn''t. Making it barely a block on Crooked Street, the tingling got worse, sending a shiver down my spine. "Excuse me, ma''am. Could you give us a moment?" The man to my right addressed me, matching my stride. "You won''t regret it," the Terr''den woman to my left added, doing the same. Chapter 66: Tender Way The joy of luck in the form of the Scoresbys that befell me quickly gave way to dread. The man who approached me was tall, handsome, well-groomed, and well-dressed - so was the Terr''den woman. But what alarmed me the most were their arrays and numbers of sigils. [Talker: 135 sigils] [Charmer: 129 sigils] Whether it was the man, a Talker, or the woman, a Charmer of some feline descent, both of their arrays implied that they were in the business of persuading people. Quite simply, they were the kind of people I did not want to have anything to do with - at least not until I got my bearings in the city and knew how things worked around here, if it was normal to tail people like this. "S-sorry, but I can''t a-afford to waste my t-time," I stammered, hinting that I was paying my little guide to show me around the city. "Yeah, go away," Ria chimed in fearlessly. The man smiled, ignoring the little kitare. "Then would you say that a silver is enough to give us a few moments?" No sooner had he finished speaking than a silver hexte flashed up in the woman''s hand. With an overly enticing wink, she then flipped me the coin. A bit annoyingly, thrown off by my suddenly racing heart, I caught it out of reflex. "No, Korra. Let''s go." Ria tugged at my hand, pulling my attention away from the woman. "Y-yeah. Like I said, sorry." Handing them the coin back, I put up my mental defenses, clearing my mind with [Indomitable Will] just in case. I might not have felt them in my head, but no doubt they did something to mess me up, to agree with them. "Are you sure, ma''am?" "You, love, shouldn''t let this opportunity slip through your fingers." "We offer a job and a good pay." "A rare thing in the city. Unless you''re into killing beasts in the depths beneath our feet, love." ''What the actual fuck was she talking about?'' Beasts? Beneath the city? Did she mean the sewers? Something to ask Ria later, I guess. Now, though, it was time to hear them out. Sure, talking to them, even out here in the open, could have been stupid and risky, but it could just as easily have been a missed opportunity as the woman said. I needed a job. Besides, my instincts weren''t screaming at me to run. As both relieving and unsettling as it was, these two weren''t the ones who gave me the creeps ever since City Hall. "Okay, but I''m not going anywhere," I said as firmly as I could after taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart. Then I looked at the little kitare pulling on my hand. "I''ll just¡­ I''ll just hear them out, Ria." "That''s all we ask, love, just to lend us your lovely ears." "And if a busy street makes you feel better, I don''t see any problem with having the talk here, madam. Quite the contrary, I like your boldness." "In fact, something that, besides your unique look, caught our attention. Few have the guts to walk the streets in all their lovely glory." "Well, let us introduce ourselves." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "We represent the Tender Way, love." They both smiled as the announcement caused a buzz of interest from passersby, curious to hear what was going on. "Did she say Tender Way?" "What a lucky lass." Unlike them, however, I remained cautious. The name might not have rung a bell, but that didn''t mean I had no inkling of what kind of place Tender Way might be. Ria''s bashful expression was telling enough. "A brothel?" "Uh, let''s not use such unpleasant terms, madam." "Tender Way is the best companion house in Castiana." "Four floors of the finest entertainment right in the middle of the city on Labyrinth Square." ''That place again.'' "It''s where one can go on a journey to expand your horizons - or bring their lovely fantasies to life." "The finest place to work, with many benefits." "No danger to your life, love." "Weekly checkups with healers on hand." "The softest beds and the sweetest food." "The richest clientele, madam." "A little work on your lovely looks, and you could earn a few gold pieces - a night." "And that''s with the deduction of the dues Tender Way takes." "Lovely, right? A golden opportunity, you could say." Yeah, it really didn''t sound bad. Working at Tender Way would solve all the problems I had, income, the food and a roof over my head. ''No! No, no, no! Shit! I mean¡­ what the fuck was I even thinking about?'' Me, being a whore? ''Seriously, what the actual fuck?! What did they do to me?'' Hitting my mind once more with [Indomitable Will], I shook my head. "No, I..." "We''re not asking you to decide now, ma''am," the man did not let me finish. "We understand that this is not an easy decision to make. Take your time." ''Damn! That worked too?'' I had assumed that to improve in Standard I needed to talk a lot, but apparently, it was enough to listen to someone who was good, bloody good at it. "But bear in mind, love, that you will hardly find easier work in the city that pays so well. Here¡­ if you change your mind." Somewhat bewildered, I accepted nothing other than a business card from the Terr''den woman. The moment I did, though, the runes on the small velvet plate lit up, popping up diaglyph in my face. At first glance, it depicted a road winding up into the mountains and a traveler wandering along it, but if you looked a while longer, you could see the truth behind it - a naked woman lying on her back and a dick. With blood rushing to my head, I hid the card in my spatial storage before Ria had a chance to see it. Dumb, considering that brothels seemed to be nothing rare in the city and she must have already seen more than that. But I couldn''t help myself. That was just how I grew up, and even the year and a half of my captivity didn''t get the prudence out of me. "The silver is yours, madam. You have earned it." "See you again, love," the Terr''den woman added with a wink, and they both disappeared from my sight - not out of my earshot, though. Pricking up my huge ears like never before, cutting through the noise of the street, I followed their footsteps. Why? In the foolish hope of hearing their honest thoughts, their true intentions with me. "Stubborn, wasn''t she?" the man remarked. "Too many sigils. We should have told Gustl and Ira to handle this one." "And let them reap the finder''s reward? No. They always come. Just give her time to get a taste of the city." "I sure hope you''re right. There was something about her..." "You''re not talking about her fine ass, are you?" "No. There¡­ this odd¡­ exhilarating¡­ she¡­ dangerous..." ''Shit!'' I cursed, clutching my ears in pain. "Korra! Korra, are you alright?" Ria squeaked in fright as I found my hands covered in blood. ''That sure was stupid.'' Not only did I find out absolutely nothing I didn''t already know or suspect, those two weren''t the source of that nagging feeling on the back of my neck, but annoyingly, they got out of my earshot just as it was getting interesting. ''Did that woman think I was dangerous? If so, why?'' I hadn''t done anything to make her think that; at least, I wasn''t aware of it. "Are you hurt, Korra? Do you want me to take you to a healer?" "No. No, Ria. That won''t be necessary. I''ll be fine," I lied to the little kitare. "The street noise - it¡¯s just too much." Chapter 67: A Feathery Talk "That¡¯s the place," Ria said, pointing to a building that didn''t exactly inspire confidence. "Are you sure it''s safe to go in there?" "Um-hmm, my mom took me and my siblings there a few times." ''Probably when they were short on money - like really, really short on money.'' Nevertheless, struck with guilt for doubting her, I looked back at the dilapidated entrance and the sign above it: [Zuzum''s Bathhouse]. "Interesting name," I remarked, unable not to compare the bathhouse to the lavish buildings on the 6th main street we had to cross to get here. ''Only two silvers,'' I reminded myself of why I was standing here within sight of the city walls in an obviously poorer part of Castiana with the backpack I had bought just a block back. With the eight silvers and ten coppers I had left after purchasing just one soap, a towel, and a pair of undies - according to the saleswoman, I could do without the "tit wraps," the local bra alternative - a finer place was simply beyond my means. "It is," the little kitare giggled, then grew serious. "But don''t make fun of it. Mr. Zuzum doesn''t take it kindly." Smiling to myself, I nodded in understanding. "And you''re okay with waiting for me?" "Yes, I often play alone." ''Shit!'' "I''ll be quick," I blurted out, once again feeling guilty, and strode in before I could change my mind. After receiving the silver coin from the Tender Way representatives, I didn''t hesitate so much to waste my little guide''s time. Stupid, for sure. The sensible thing would have been to let Ria guide me around the city first, bring her safely back to City Hall, pay for her work, and then take a bath. There were a lot of issues with that, though. For one, I wasn''t sure I''d find this place again. Then, there was that nasty feeling at the back of my neck. To my annoyance and distress, it didn''t, despite my hopes, go away with getting the Tender Way business card; on the contrary, my rather lewd job offer stepped up the interest of whoever was out there watching my tail. That the smart thing to do would be to report it to the city guards? Sure, if I knew what to actually tell them? ''You see, I have this strange feeling...'' No. They would laugh in my face. ''I needed to take control of my life.'' So, if two pieces of clothing could make me feel human again, being clean might help me gain more confidence and thus discourage anyone from taking a chance on me. Naive maybe, but I had to give it a shot. I just had to. At the very least, it should rid me of the itching all over my body - and the stench. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Anyway, as stupid a decision as it was, I bought the cheapest version of the bath from the bearer of the funny name Zuzum, the stocky man occupying a large part of the reception area, and followed the instructions to a large room simply marked: [Women: Bath 2]. The place was no more fancy than the rest of the building, just six large wooden tubs in a room with quite a few missing parquet floors and fallen plaster. But despite all that, the room seemed clean and free of mold. Moreover, I had the place all to myself. Whatever the reason, be it the state of this bathhouse or just a matter of lucky timing, there was no point in wasting the opportunity by hesitating. And so, choosing the tub farthest from the door, I shed my clothes on the floor and, biting down on my lower lip to prevent unladylike noises escaping my throat, I slipped into the warm water. The bliss seeping through my body was beyond words. ''This¡­ this must be a dream.'' It had to be. There was hardly anything left in my memory to compare it to. Trying to remember, I couldn''t even recall what it was like to feel the rain on my skin, let alone drops of warm shower water at home. It was all stolen from me by that deranged asshole, calling himself the Alchemist of Potions. ''Fuck you, fuck you, and that bitch, and that shitty bug!'' If it weren''t for them... "Shit!" I yelled out loud as the hairs on the back of my neck bristled, and a shiver ran through my spine all the way to the tip of my tail, now submerged in the warm water - the water that made me forget that uneasy feeling chasing me around the city, the water that I had almost drowned in, just now. "Sorry, didn''t mean to scare the shit out of you," a woman taking the tube next to me said. "You seemed asleep, so..." ''Huh? What? I fell asleep? Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Ria!'' "No, no thank you. I..." I stammered out, coughing up water and stopping short, eyes wide. "What? You''ve never seen an avier chick? Or is it these?" the feathered Terr''den woman asked, shamelessly taking her breasts in her hands. "I''m telling you, just an extra weight to fly around with." "N-no, I was...I was looking at your wings." Absolutely true. Unlike mine, hers grew from the shoulder blades and were at least twice the size. No doubt those wings allowed her to fly through the sky. "Ah, thanks, I guess. Actually, I was wondering about yours too," she said, stepping brazenly into the water, and spreading her wings behind her as she lay back in the tub. "Can''t fly with those, huh?" "N-no," I murmured and instinctively hid my so far dry wings in the water, only to have the woman laugh heartily at me. "Don''t ruffle your feathers. Most halfs can''t fly. But most also hate getting their wings wet. It''s really annoying, but," she said, leaning over and peering into my tub. "Judging by the color of the water, something you need to push through. Wings covered in filth can be worse than a bit of water on them." Unfortunately, she was right on both counts. The more the wings soaked up the water, the more this strange, dull pressure built up within them. And then there was the water itself, which took on a noticeable brown hue, even without me using soap so far. "Y-yeah." While I would rather drown in that water than meet the woman''s gaze right now, there was no hiding my reason for being here. I didn''t come here to impress anyone. Like her, I came to the bathhouse to get rid of the grime - I just had a little more of it on me than her. Thus, without saying another word, I reached for the soap and got to work. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but - is this your first time taking a bath?" ''No, it''s not! Why the heck would she think that?'' Nevertheless, I swallowed the bark and instead looked up from Sage I was in the middle of cleaning. "S-sort of. I h-haven''t had one in a long, long time. Why?" "It''s just that I''ve never seen a furry chick be so careless with her ears and the way you''re scrubbing the dirt off that tail of yours - well, don''t ruffle your feathers, but it looks like you''re jerking off in there." "Wh-what?!" Slowly, dreading what I was gonna see, I looked down between my legs at Sage in my hand and the soap in the other, freezing in utter shame. ''Somebody, please kill me.'' Chapter 68: Childish Idea ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ...18 ¡ú 19 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):.................................... 111 glyphs - ???? Thrifty Drinker (General):...................................... 3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General):............................................ 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General):................................. 5 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General):......................... 10 ¡ú 11 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ '' ''I definitely need to make some changes.'' I thought to myself as I took a quick glance at my Grid on my way back to the hustle and bustle of the street. The further usefulness of some of the weaves was more than questionable. But that required time I didn''t have. "Oh, Korra. You''re out," Ria beamed. The little kitare was waiting patiently for me, sitting on the steps in front of Zuzum''s bathhouse, reading what seemed to be a picture book. Lifting her head as soon as she noticed me, her eyes went immediately wide. "You look¡­ is that Sage?" "Yeah, she is." "She''s almost as beautiful as mom''s tail." The little guide''s surprise was quite understandable. I myself couldn''t believe my eyes when I saw how fluffy my tail had become after the bath and drying. The volume of its hair was simply unreal, making it look even bigger than I was. And Sage''s colors were no less stunning. The fur on my lower back gradually changing to the hair of my tail was painted the same distinctive reddish hue on the top. Unlike the rest of the fur on my body, though, the colors were more alike to those of my hair, ranging from fairly dark to almost orange at the border with the white underside of my tail. Unfortunately, I didn''t quite manage to fully clean the white hairs, so they retained a brownish tinge. Regardless of that little beauty blemish and the fact that my tail wasn''t even quite dry, the fluffiness of it was simply divine. "May I¡­ may I touch her?" ''Shit!'' I guess wishing she hadn''t asked that was too much to hope for. Not that the little kitare could be blamed. Even I had to hold back not to hug Sage to my chest. It hurt all the more, though, that I had to deny my little guide her wish. "Sorry, Ria - Sage, she might hurt you." "What? Why?" The hurt in her voice cut deep. "There''s..." I said, glancing around and dropping to a whisper as that uneasy feeling at the back of my neck returned and with even more bite than before. "... there''s poison in Sage''s hair - a dangerous one. Actually, if you ever smell apples, tell me immediately. Do you understand, Ria?" I wasn''t quite sure what I would do if she got a whiff of my poison, but what I did know was that having the blood of another, so to speak, especially of a small child like her, on my hands would crush me - regardless of my weaves and the number of glyphs on them. I simply wouldn''t be able to live with that guilt. ''Maybe buying an antidote wouldn''t be a bad idea.'' The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Although the eight silver coins left in my spatial storage didn''t give me confidence that it was something I could afford. ''Learning to control it, then?'' There had to be a way to stop the poison from leaking out of the pores of my tail skin. "Apples?" ''Oh, fuck me!'' The little kitare''s eyes shone with even deeper curiosity than before. "Y-yes, apples. And no, Ria. I''m serious; you could die." "Really." My little guide startled, her eyes never leaving my tail swaying gently behind me. "But she looks so soft. Can''t you make her not dangerous?" "Sorry, I don''t know how." "Oh," Ria sighed crestfallen, only to have her eyes light up the next moment. "What about the fitchkin? They can make their tails stink, very badly." "Isn''t that the opposite of...?" "They say it''s like farting, so maybe try holding your farts." Sometimes, you just had to envy the children¡¯s innocence. Everything in their world seemed not so complicated, not dangerous, and not awkward. Nevertheless, thinking back to when I was a beast, gut-wrenching as it was, I had to admit that releasing the cloud of poison felt similar to farting. The buildup, the tension, the relief of letting go. "I can¡­ I can try." "Yay," the little kitare squealed with joy. I, on the other hand, a little awkwardly, tried to bring the feeling of holding farts to my tail. ''Bloody fucking...'' It didn''t happen on the first nor the second try, but when the strange tension of holding my farts spread through my tail, it beat in awareness, even that nasty feeling at the back of my neck. It just wasn''t right - or at least, that was my first thought, even the second. After all, I was holding back farts, I mean poison, with my tail - ridiculous. Yet, for whatever reason, the silly, childish idea seemed to work. ''Ah, of course.'' Stopping my skin pores, or whatever was the culprit, from releasing the poison was one thing; airing it out of the fluff of my tail was another. "So...?" "You''ll have to be patient for a bit longer, Ria. It''s still there, but..." I paused to give the little guide a bit of a tease. "...great idea. Seems to be working." "It is? How long, then?" "I don''t actually know. Until it''s safe." "Hmm..." "You know what, Ria? Why don''t you take me to see the Labyrinth Square? Everyone seems to be talking about it, and maybe by the time we get there..." "Oh, OH, all right! This way," the little kitare beamed as if remembering her job. With renewed energy, she took off into the streets, me with a wet towel in my hand, a backpack on my back, and the sick feeling of being watched in her wake. "What kind of place is it, anyway? The square, I mean." "Amazing, you''ll see." ''That little rascal!'' She wanted to tease me back, huh? I guess I deserved it. Too many questions plagued my mind to keep my mouth shut, though. "Why is it called Labyrinth Square?" "Because of the entrance to the Labyrinth." "Okay¡­ and the Labyrinth is?" This time, instead of switching to her backward walk, Ria stopped straight in her tracks, eyes wide. "You don''t know about the Labyrinth, Korra?" Obviously, I should. "N-no..." "Tails!" Ria gasped, cursing even, it seemed, while pressing Lia to her chest. "How can you not know?¡± "B-because I''m not from around here." "But I thought everyone knew about labyrinths." ''There''s more than one?'' Thankfully, before I opened my mouth and made an even bigger fool of myself in the eyes of the little kitare, I remembered Scoresby talking about Castiana as one of the Labyrinth Cities. "I¡­ I had a very bad master." Still not something I found easy to talk about, but necessary to mention for her to understand. And she did. "Oh, you were a slave?" ''Wait...what? Didn''t she see¡­ shit, I''m so stupid.'' How could I not see it when it was right in front of my eyes the whole time. Ria was [Young Kitare]. That was what I saw when I looked at her, what the Lattice showed me. Why only that? Because that was all there was to Ria - in the cold runic eyes of the Lattice at least. Ria didn''t have an array. Not the eye-opening part. Sad as it was, I did see a few people in the cellar without an array. Given their youthful appearance it didn''t take much to figure they were too young to have one. What hadn''t crossed my mind all this time, though, was that they, like Ria, were too young to have the Grid or access to the Lattice through the Grid Forge; she didn''t see what I was forced to be. "Yes. And a bit worse¡­ I have a Slave Array, Ria." Her eyes watered, and she clutched Lia tighter to her chest. "That''s..." "Don''t worry. It''s okay, now." A lie, but there was no need for anyone else to suffer because of that deranged asshole. "R-really?" "Um-hmm." "Then¡­ then what do you want me to tell you about the labyrinths, Korra?" Despite the chills biting harder down my spine, to see her renewed vigor brought a smile to my lips. "Anything you can tell me, I guess." Chapter 69: Beasts Below "Well, I wasn''t there myself, but..." "Wait, you weren''t? I thought the Labyrinth was in Labyrinth Square?" Ria giggled at my silliness. "There''s an entrance to it, but the Labyrinth itself is something the city is built on." ''Huh? What?'' Trying to imagine a labyrinth that cities could stand on, I wasn''t able to come up with anything other than one built out of bales of straw in a field, or the one from Greek legends dug into the rocks to hold the Minotaur. Inevitably, remembering what the woman from Tender Way had said about the beasts in the depths beneath the city, my eyes went down to my bare feet. ''Are they actually keeping a beast or several of them down there?'' Maybe, just maybe, it wasn''t some assholes in the shadows trailing my tail that were giving me the creeps after all, but shitty beasts somewhere beneath my feet. "Yes," Ria beamed as she noticed me testing the strength of the cobblestones with the heel of my foot. "Down there is a very old structure known as the Labyrinth. There are said to be twenty-six of them around the world. Though I''ve only ever seen Fallen''s Cry." ''Damn, twenty-six?'' That was more than I expected. More importantly, though... "Fallen''s Cry?" "Oh, that''s the name of the Labyrinth here in Castiana." "And... you saw it?" ''Didn''t she say she wasn''t there?'' "Just the entrance. Don''t worry, you''ll see it too. It''s in the middle of the square. It''s a big place, a busy place with seekers going in and out all the time." Another unfamiliar term: seekers. I could have kept my mouth shut and pretended to know what the little kitare was talking about to maintain a modicum of pride. After all, it wasn''t hard to piece together that the Seeker''s Square, where City Hall stood, was named after these so-called seekers. But not asking meant staying clueless, not just appearing so. "And these seekers are?" Ria hesitated, thinking. "Some say brave warriors, some say fools. Enola says they''re brave fools and that I¡¯d better dream of a proper job, not like Timmy. He''s a guide like me - two years older, though. All he talks about is how he''s going to become a seeker and tease me for being weak." Seekers, it sounded like there was a prestige to being one. "I see, that''s mean of him." Sad, but unfortunately, nothing unusual. There were always people who felt the need to prove their strength to the weak, and sometimes children could be quite cruel about it too, but unlike the adults not really realizing what they were doing. "Yeah, it is mean," she whimpered, her ears dropped. "Come on, cheer up. Let him be the fool he wants to be," I said and ruffled her hair a bit. "Instead, tell me why it''s not smart to go down there?" The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Her giggle was a caress to the heart - not so much what followed. "Because there are beasts," she snarled, baring her fangs at me, claws flashing on her little paws. To claim I saw through her playful act and didn''t almost pee in my new undies would be a lie. In fact, I jumped back at her sudden scare and bared my fangs back. Of course, seeing my reaction made the little kitare giggle even more. My heart, on the other hand, threatened to burst out of my chest in fright. No doubt the fault of that sickening feeling giving me the creeps all over my body getting the better of me. "Beasts? What do you mean by beasts? So, there''s actually more than one?" I stammered, still a bit thrown off, rubbing the back of my neck while looking around. "Why would there only be one? No, there are dozens, hundreds, and maybe thousands of them," Ria beamed, spreading her arms to show how many of the beasts were somewhere under our feet. While my little guide seemed thrilled about it, the thought only added to the chill crawling up my spine. ''Thousands of mossbear-like beasts trapped beneath our feet? Didn''t Scoresby say that Castiana was one of the safest cities?'' "Don''t be afraid, Korra," the little kitare said, striking a big sister tone. "Only the Enlightened can step in and out of the labyrinths." "You sound pretty sure about that." "It''s how the labyrinths work. Sort of like a rule." "Ah, I see." There was so much wrong with what she said, so much that I could see could go - well, for lack of a better word, wrong. Yet I kept my mouth shut and tried to wrap my head around it. This wasn''t Earth. This was a world twisted by the Lattice. For all I knew, there might actually have been some magical rule keeping the beasts down below from escaping and not just some massive door that someone might forget to close behind them one day. "So, the Seekers are going down to¡­ what? Kill them, the beasts?" "Um-hmm," Ria nodded, unperturbed. Honestly, pretty unnerving to see such a young kid take it as an everyday thing. Not as unnerving as the chills I was getting, though. ''Seriously, what the actual fuck!'' From the moment we left the bathhouse, that itch on the back of my neck was getting worse and worse, and now it was like someone was breathing down my neck. "... but not just to kill them for skin meat and other parts, but the labyrinth floors themselves hold many resources. Actually, did you know that most of the Seeker Companies collect raw materials and do not¡­ Korra? What are you looking at?" Not really paying attention to my little guide and her passionate explanation of things about Fallen''s Cry, I searched every shadow of the surrounding buildings, streets, and back alleys. Without any luck, though. No thug hiding behind crates that I could see, no thief to be too acting inconspicuously in a crowd that I could find. ''Perhaps it wasn''t the stares after all, but the beasts down below.'' Or, it might have been a warning of something much worse to come - the beast waking up. And not just any beast, of which the depths of the underground beneath my feet were apparently full of, but the beast within me. Perhaps it had had enough of sitting in the dark corner of my mind while I was strolling around stranded in a city full of humans and was about to pounce, take control, and run free. That, or I might just be losing it, all the shit I''ve been through getting the better of me and my [Indomitable Will] weave. "... Korra? Are you still frightened? I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to scare you¡­ not that much." The sad whimper of my little guide brought me to look at her. Much to my dismay, I found her with wet eyes full of guilt over something that was not her fault. "It wasn''t y-you, Ria," I said, not sounding too convincing even to myself. Fear seemed to take hold of me and seep into my voice. "It was NOT you, but something else." Something much worse than a little scare. "Really? You¡¯re not mad at me?" ''Shitty beast¡­ or whatever!'' It just hurt another. "Of course not. But..." "But?" "... I think we better find some city guards." Hopefully, they would fare better against whatever was driving my fear than the mind bitch did against the beast. Chapter 70: Out of Breath "City guards? You mean, you want to go to the barracks?" ''Actually, not a bad idea. But...'' "... no. I mean, they do patrol the streets, right?" At least, that''s what I believed the guardswomen Elira and Vara were doing before they were tasked with escorting me. Why them? Well, not the two women in particular, but the city guards in general? They, for sure, were better equipped to deal with whatever was breathing down my neck, be it a thief, a beast, or my sanity, than me or my little guide. "Yes, they do." Ria nodded, looking around, trying to spot what I was having trouble finding. "Have you seen... a bad guy, Korra?" "No," I said earnestly, struggling to find the right words for the little kitare to understand. "It may sound silly. But I have this bad feeling, you see." Her eyes went wide, but instead of doubting me, as I feared she would, she nodded resolutely, grabbed my hand, and took off. "The city guards do patrol the entire city, but our best chance of bumping into them is on a main street." "You¡­ you believe me?" "Why wouldn''t I? Grandma followed her instincts all the time." ''The late matriarch Hou that Scoresby mentioned? Damn!'' I guess she really was a great woman, at least one that I was now grateful for the way she taught her granddaughter. Few would believe me, let alone act based on my bad "gut" feeling. And so, saying no more, I strained my senses and let Ria lead the way, doing my best to keep up with her in the crowd. We rushed through several blocks on the street we were on, judging by the improving condition of the buildings and the glowing diaglyphs in the distance deeper into the city, with the little kitare never ceasing to amaze me. Utterly unfathomable to me, she was able to find a way amidst the people without us bumping into anyone, almost flawlessly, not just for her but for me, too. Almost flawlessly. As the air around us quivered and the hairs all over my body bristled, I failed to avoid a man who stepped between me and Ria. Not my little guide''s fault, though. After all, it''s hard to avoid someone who gets in your way on purpose. "S-so sorry," I gushed out of habit as the kitara¡¯s little paw slipped from my fingers, and I had to take a step to the side to avoid stumbling - exactly what the big guy wanted. Even with half of my focus on the domain, I didn''t notice the man''s movement until too late. His fist hit me in the gut with a force that sent me flying to the side of the street, knocking the wind out of me. Not even a hint of a whimper escaped my throat, nor a defiant growl when two others grabbed me by the arms and started to drag me into the depths of the back alley. No, all I had mustered to do was barely getting enough air into my lungs to keep me from passing out and try to see through a veil of tears that the pain brought to my eyes while kicking around pointlessly. "Pretty feisty one, huh?" one of the men dragging me deeper into the back alley remarked, leaning in closer. "I love twats that are eager to put up a fight." His sick whisper in my ear sent a shiver down my spine and twisted my guts. No doubt it was this man''s gaze that I felt on my back the whole time the most. There was no mistaking the revolting nature that not only his voice gave off. Add to that the earlier blow to my stomach, and I struggled not to throw up. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Shut your mouth, Ravel, and do your fucking job," the other one, a woman, sputtered just as I managed to get some more air into my lungs and thus bring a bit of clarity to my mind. ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'' In a few heartbeats, everything went to shit. ''How?'' I knew something was coming; they shouldn''t have caught me off guard. Yet, they did. ''Just, how? Shouldn''t my instincts kick in or something?'' Finding a reason why I hadn''t noticed them sooner wasn''t the most pressing issue right now, though. ''What the bloody heck did they want from me? And what about Ria?!'' "W-what...?" I didn''t get to finish the rest of the question as a massive hand grabbed me by the throat, lifted me off the ground, and pinned me to the wall with a force that knocked the breath out of me again. "Yara, is that her?" Judging by the size of his hand, this was a man whose fist I had already had the pleasure of dealing with. Even more annoyingly, this massive piece of shit seemed utterly oblivious to my lame attempts to break free of his grip. "Well, she''s definitely the one the Tender Way guys talked to, but let''s see," the bitch muttered, paper rustling in her hands. "For the tit''s sake, give me that," the massive piece of shit grumbled, grabbing the paper out of the woman''s hand and slapping it next to my head. "Runaway slave around ninety-seven sigils, half beast cunt, big ears, antlers, fucking wings - and tail. Well, I''d say, cunts and dickheads, we''ve found ourselves the tit-ass worth two hundred gold." "Yeah! And she''s not dead." "Fuck yes! Shouldn''t they give us even more for a live one?" "Do you have shit for brains, you two?" yet another guy sputtered in a whisper. "Yell louder if you want to get caught, idiots." "Who are you calling an idiot, you impotent failure of a mage? You better be careful I don''t cut your balls off." "For the tit''s sake, Yara! He''s right. Lower your yelp or shut your trap," the massive shithead growled, tightening his grip on my throat and denying me the oxygen my brain so desperately needed. "Stom, how does it look on the street?" "Just like any other day. My illusions are perfect." ''Illusions? What the fuck? What was going on? What was that about the paper, my description, and¡­?'' No! No, that wasn''t what was important right now. I had to get out of here before they could shackle me or, worse, put a collar around my neck. Death would be more merciful than to lose my own will - than to be at the mercy of some shitty master again. "Perfect my ass," spat that sick Ravel guy. "Your illusion almost got me busted last time." "Then you shouldn''t have tried to grope her ass. Argg¡­ fuck it. What am I supposed to do with this kid?" ''Eh? Kid?'' With terror gripping my heart tighter than I thought possible, I pushed past the shithead''s grip on my throat and, and looked at the illusionist through the fog of my teary eyes. He was holding an unconscious Ria by the hem of her shirt. "L-a-e...h-r... al-o-e!" The sheer rage oozing from my choked words startled not only me, but the shithead as well. "What did you just say, cunt?" he snapped in my face, amused but, unlike me, unaware of where the rage was coming from. Had he known, he wouldn''t have loosened his grip on my neck to let me speak. "Leave... her... alone!" "Or?" "...or ...IT... will... kill you ...all." Except for the mage guy, everyone laughed. "Thinking you hit the cunt too hard, Kif." "Or too lightly," the huge shithead growled at the woman''s bitchy remark, and the next thing I knew he slammed his fist into my abdomen again. The pain twisting my insides aside, the yet-again-knocked-out breath turned out to be the least of my worries. "Traiana''s tits! Let go of her, Kif, or she''ll choke on her own vomit!" The mage guy raised his voice for the first time, and much to my relief, the grip on my neck loosened. What followed was not pretty. But as disgusting as the vomit coming even out of my nose was, I feared that what was to come would be even nastier. Along with the vomit, a growl came out of my throat. Chapter 71: In a Bit of a Bind "What the fuck was that?" "The mewing or the growl, you pussy?" The sick, sleazy bastard laughed at the illusionist mage guy as my eyes went to a nearby crate hidden under a layer of junk, home to what appeared to be some unlucky cat-like creature. "I don''t give a shit . . . of fuck you, Ravel." "Looks more like you are the one who never fucked a beast gal. They love to show their fangs and claws, right twat?" The way the bastard said it, right next to my ear, gave me goosebumps all over my body and sent a shiver down my spine. "Don''t you dare touch me or Ria," I growled, spitting out the taste of vomit. "See, what I told you. They love it," the sick bastard sneered, stood up and kicked me in the side with disgusting glee in his eyes. This time, it was a whimper that escaped my throat. Lame and pathetic, but better than lunging for the bastard''s throat like a feral animal. Letting my inner beast have its way, I sure would, and that was scaring the shit out of me. That wild, feral urge I never wanted to experience again was once again tickling my insides, threatening to overwhelm me and turn me into a bloodthirsty murderer. "You¡¯re a sick bastard, Stom," the woman snorted and scowled at the illusionist. "What are you staring at? Tie that brat up. She''s gonna fetch us some coin, too." ''What?!'' That bitch couldn''t be serious, could she? "And you say I''m the sick one, huh? But you''re fucking right. I have hated that brat ever since I laid eyes on her. So why the fuck not make more while we''re at it, right Kif?" "It''s true that the brat got on my nerves. If it weren''t for her, we could''ve busted this cunt a long time ago. So . . . " "Have you lost your fucking marbles?" The illusionist guy shook his head in utter disbelief. "She''s a guide - people will be looking for her, people like the Master Guards or worse, Rayden. Kif, think about it and tell those two that it''s fucking nuts." "Well," the shithead grunted, stomping me to the ground as I regained some strength and tried to sit up. "The thing is . . . " "You''re considering that, too? That¡¯s not what we agreed to." "I don''t remember us agreeing on anything." ''What? No! No, no, no, no. Were they really considering . . . selling Ria to . . . '' Another growl escaped my throat at the thought, and my fangs actually grew in size. No doubt this whole mess was my fault. Because I didn''t stay in the forest, a cheerful kid like Ria was about to suffer. Because of a freak and weakling like me, she was to be branded for the rest of her life - just like me. The guilt made me sick, and I threw up again. "L-let her go, p-please." "Shut up, cunt, I''m trying to think," the shithead barked, pushing me harder to the ground with his leg, making my ribcage creak. "Ravel, tie her up - tie them both up." "With pleasure, boss," the sick, sleazy bastard grinned and held out his hand to the woman. "Rope." "Why the fuck do you think I have a rope? You''re the one into a bind stuff." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Kif? Stom? Seriously, no one? Whatever. Shame about the skirt . . . well, not really," the bastard said, licked his lips, and began to cut my new piece of clothing to shreds. Just two strips of cloth later, and he froze upon touching Sage. "Well, tickle my balls. That''s some good stuff." "The fuck, Ravel? Cut the crap." "I knew you were a sick bastard, but this . . . ?" the bitch sputtered, as tired and disgusted by the bastard''s nonsense as much as the shithead was. Not that it made the sick, sleazy bastard stop; instead, he grinned from behind Sage''s fluffiness. "If you give it a try, you two would shut up. This twat must have been a pleasure slave or something. No wonder they want her back." "For shit''s sake, Ravel, be serious for a moment and do your fucking job," the shithead growled, shifting his weight, lightening a little pressure off my ribs. "My job? Why the fuck is tying the twat my job? Besides, I''m serious. This tail is unlike any I''ve ever held. Maybe I should cut it off and wear it around my neck. What do you think, twat?" ''That you''re a bloody psycho!'' Of course, I didn''t dare spit that in his face when he held a dagger to Sage¡¯s root. That would just be plain stupid, asking to have my tail cut off. Sure, there was a tiny . . . a tiny little chance that I might be able to grow my tail back. But, no. Instead, I lay there on my belly in shock at how hard the idea of losing Sage hit me. It shouldn''t have - I dreamed of getting rid of my mutations. All of them! There was no other way if I wanted to get my life back and be me again. I simply couldn''t go back home to Earth looking like this. Yet here I was, frozen in fear that the bastard would live up to his word and bring me closer to the look I longed for. ''No! No, no, no, please. I don''t know . . . I don''t know if I can grow her back.'' That panic-stricken thought echoing through my skull said so much, reflecting not only how pathetically weak I was already giving up, but also how much my tail had grown on me. Yet another reminder and proof that no matter what I wished and what my Grid said, deep down, I was a beast - and not just any beast. Unlike the human me, a dangerous one, one that I felt was waiting once again for it to pounce. All I had to do was surrender to the wild ferocity now coursing through my veins, demanding to be released. There was blood to be spilled and taste - the need to show these fools who was the hunter and who was the prey. ''Why? Why did it have to be this way?'' Because that was how the world worked. There were those who were strong and those . . . ''Why did I have to be so damn weak?'' "Do you hear me, bitch?" the sick bastard snarled, pulling hard on my tail. "Put your fucking hands behind your back. Or do you want me to go play with that brat over there? I honestly wonder if her tail is anything like yours." "That''s enough, Ravel? Can''t you see she''s scared shitless?" "You''d better mind your own shitty magic, Stom. It wouldn''t do any good to have your illusions shat their pants like you do." The shithead smirked along with the bitch''s cackle and turned to look at the mage. "The illusions? Do they hold?" "Who do you take me for, Kif? Of course, they do. All the folks outside see is a narrow, empty, dirty alley. No, my illusions are not the problem - your prattling is. Can''t you keep it down, for Traiana''s sake?" "The fuck? You can''t blame me for getting a little excited . . . we''re gonna be filthy rich. Here, tie the brat up, will ya?" the sick bastard said, handing the bitch the strips of fabric. "What? It was your idea to sell the brat." ''She''s not a brat!'' "Fucker, you''re enjoying that one too much." "Why shouldn''t I? This twat¡¯s corpse is worth two hundred fucking golds. I''m getting a boner just thinking about what we''ll get for breathing one." "Then keep dreaming and go wank in a corner, you sick asshole. First we have to figure out where to hide her," the illusionist snapped, disgusted, handing the unconscious Ria to the bitch. "Not to mention that there''s not a single mention of her master on that notice. Who do we hand her over to, huh? Did any of you stop for a moment and think about that? No. There''s no one in the city that''ll give us that much for a runaway slave, not even the Tender Way." The helplessness wrenching my guts was sickening. Once again, I was considered nothing more than a thing, a slave. Once again, I could do nothing but watch others get hurt - worse, this time because of me, because of what I was: a freak, a weak-ass freak, a coward scared shitless of the only thing that could stop this madness. Once again, I was being pushed into something that went entirely against my nature - my heart. ''But what other choices did I have?'' Chapter 72: No Choice "I¡­ am¡­ f-free citizen of..." "Shut up and stay down," the giant shithead grunted, completely ignoring what I was trying to tell them, putting more weight on his leg as I squirmed to prevent the sleazy bastard from tying my hands behind my back. Of course, it was as pointless as pushing to scream for help when I could barely draw a breath or utter a few words. "We can ask her that later, Stom." "Like she''s gonna tell you," the illusionist remarked, but letting it go for now. "... I have¡­ citizen..." "Citizen my ass, twat. No one will give a shit about a slave tit like you - except for your former master." "... b-but¡­ in the barracks..." "Just another meat in the grinder. Dozens like you come in daily. Welcome to Castiana, twat. Now, put your fucking hands behind your back, or I''ll break them!" ''Was he right? Was I just another body to be devoured by the streets of the city? Then what about what Scoresby and Rayden said? Wasn''t this one of the safest cities in the Empire?'' It sure didn''t look like it now. But maybe if I yelled loud enough to get the attention of those on the street, then¡­ then someone would... ''No. Why was I kidding myself?'' Even if by some miracle I managed to scream, no one would come to help me and Ria. Why would they? This was a world where I saw with my own eyes people on the street carrying swords, daggers, and who knows what other weapons. Why would anyone confront a guy that could easily throw a fireball in their face? They''d have to be stupid or stupidly brave. Why would anyone risk their life for a gal branded as a slave? There was no glory or reward in it. Why go out of your way to save a stranger''s child when all you risked getting was an early ticket to their grave and a simple thank you? Sad, but the bitter reality. No one in their right mind would go looking for trouble. ''I wouldn''t.'' But I wouldn''t be able to do what the four of them were doing, either. ''Seriously, how could they?'' "How c-can you...?!" I choked out a suffocated hoarse, watching the bitch tie a gag on the little kitare. What used to be my skirt, a gift from the Scoresbys, had now become shackles binding my brave little guide. ''Were they monsters hiding in the skin of men?'' "Not that hard if you get plenty of coins for it," the bitch sneered, satisfied with her disgusting job on Ria, while the sick bastard wrenched my arms behind my back, almost making good on his words. ''They had to be. Monsters, no one else would...'' "... and done. Now for that trap of yours...what would you say to a pair of old socks? Or...?" he trailed off, his hand slipping under the remnants of my skirt. "...maybe you''d prefer your own knickers?" ''But if they were monsters...?'' "For the tit''s sake, Ravel! Stop messing with the cunt and hurry it up." "What the fuck has gotten into you, Kif? Scared shitless like the pussy over there?" ''... I didn''t have to feel bad about killing them.'' "Fuck you, Ravel!" growled back at the illusionist. "Nah, just getting a strange feeling." ''I mean, it would be horrible, unforgivable, make me a murderer. But in all fairness to myself, I already was a killer; the blood of others lay on my hands.'' "Oh, I get a lot of those. Usually, it''s just an itch." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "More like lice," the bitch remarked, disgusted. "Ah, yeah, those too." ''Besides, it wouldn''t be me doing the deed. I was too weak. The beast, on the other hand...'' "Keep that to yourself, for the tit''s sake. Anyway, haven''t you wondered why there''s such a bounty on that cunt''s dead ass?" the big shithead asked out of the blue, looking thoughtfully at the piece of paper in his hand. "She sure has a unique look, but¡­ isn''t that a bit much for info or a rotting corpse?" ''... the beast boiled with fury for them hurting the pup.'' "Now you''re wondering about that?" the mage shouted in a whisper, not believing his ears. "That was my first question when Yara showed us the runaway slave note. And you know what you all told me? To fuck off." The bitch chortled in mock jest. "So, why didn''t you?" ''And for that, I seethed with rage no less. I mean, I didn''t want to do it, but they gave me no choice.'' "You know fucking why. I need money." "Don''t we all?" the shithead growled, his gaze boring into my back. "But I have to say, Stom, these coins are starting to smell a little fishy to me, too." "Finally, someone with a brain. I mean, two hundred gold pieces for her? I could buy ten fine slaves for that." ''If I''d let them have their way with Ria...'' Well, they''re the ones who pushed my hand. "What are you two yapping about? What smell? This lovely golden package just washed herself up for us. Just smell her," sang the sick, sleazy bastard, burying his face in the hair of my tail. It was gross, sending shivers up my spine, but a mistake that he was about to regret for the remainder of his wretched life - shorter and more miserable than he hoped it would be. Letting a bit of that feral fury burning deep inside me flow through my veins, I bided my time like a beast stalking its prey. Watching through my domain, I waited for the right moment to pounce. ''Not yet.'' ''Not yet.'' ''Oh, shit! Shut up!'' ''N-now!'' Just as that sick, sleazy bastard took a deep breath of my tail to prove his point to his pals, I released the withheld poison in one solid fart. "Apples? What the...?!" the bastard froze, his eyes going wide as he broke into a coughing fit. Sadly, my fart wasn''t enough to plunge the narrow alley into a cloud of orange mist like back in the cellar. In fact, you could barely see the faint fog of my poison leaving the hair of my bushy tail. But the orange-colored coughs leaving the bastard''s lips brought a smile to mine. "What the fuck are you playing at now, Ravel?" the shithead, still with one foot on me, pinning me to the ground, growled, annoyed by his pal''s antics. "... the twat¡­ she poisoned me..." "Sure, and this little one bit off my hand." Laughed the bitch, now holding the unconscious kitare by the belt like some kind of sack. ''Just hang on, Ria. That was the bitch''s last laugh.'' The beast itched to make sure of that. "Fuckers¡­ I''m serious¡­ antidote¡­ give me one¡­ quick." "You can stop now. This isn¡¯t funny, Ravel," the shithead growled. The hint of doubt in his voice, however, did not escape my ears. He was getting wary, and therefore more dangerous. ''Not yet, though.'' Just like with that sick, sleazy bastard, I bid my time to pounce, enjoying his increasingly ragged yapping. "Anti.. .ANTIDOTE¡­ you fuckers..." "I think," the shithead said and paused, looking at the bastard clutching at his throat with interest. "To me - it doesn''t look like he''s faking it." "It doesn''t? Don''t you remember the time he faked having a fever - for a whole fucking month?" "Oh, I remember it too well," the illusionist remarked. "The asshole talked a good amount of coins out of me for a potion - coins I haven''t seen till today." "The¡­ ANTI-DO-T-E..." "You got one, Yara?" the shithead asked, apparently the only one who cared a bit about the bastard. "No, why would I? You?" "Nah, too expensive. Stom?" The big guy shook his head, looking at the mage standing further down the alley, keeping an eye on the illusion-shrouded entrance. "Sure, but not for him." "... you son of a¡­ my share¡­ it''s yours..." the sleazy bastard writhing on the ground next to me grunted between heavy breaths, clutching his throat. The mage raised an eyebrow, intrigued, stirring up hope in that batard, but then shrugged. "Won''t I get it if you kick the bucket, anyway?" "... YOU!..." "Stom!" "What? Why would I give that asshole anything? All he ever did was make fun of me." ''Damn. No pity.'' Not that I mind. It just meant that¡­ along with the notification tingling in my skull, a shudder ran through my body. ''Oh, shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit!'' I actually did it; I murdered someone - again. ''... or did I?'' Of course, I did. There was no way that bastard had Fae runes carved on his body like I had. He was dead - as he deserved. Did he, though? Did he actually deserve to die? Wasn''t that a bit too harsh a punishment? ''Fuck, Korra! Get your shit together.'' Of course, he deserved it. If he had just left me alone, all of them, if they hadn''t touched Ria, if I hadn''t been so damned weak, I wouldn''t have had to let the beast out and feel the pride of hunting a prey running through my veins - but strangely enough, that was all that happened. Chapter 73: Eye for an Eye "Come on, Stom. Give it to him," the big guy grunted. "Fuck no. He''s just faking it, like Yara said. Kick him in the balls or something, and you''ll see." Much to my surprise, the shithead didn''t hesitate to do so for too long. Of course, he didn''t kick the dead bastard in the balls as the mage had told him to do. He just booted his side, and not too hard at that. Much to my relief, though, to do so, he lifted his leg off me, allowing me to draw a full breath. "Hey! Ravel! Stop fucking around and get up!" Naturally, the dead bastard didn''t move, his terrified eyes staring somewhere beyond the reach of my domain to see. Gut-wrenching. So much so that instead of pouncing and making them all follow the dead bastard¡¯s example as the beast instincts urged me to, I writhed in disgust at what I had done and vomited up the remaining contents of my stomach. Weak! That''s what I was - and a murderer, a trash of humanity, a disgusting piece of shit like the vomit I was lying in. "He''s not, you know, dead, is he?" the bitch holding the unconscious Ria by the belt like a sack asked, the concern in her voice over the dead bastard nonetheless cutting me deep at heart. To her, he wasn''t the monster I had killed. To her, he was someone she knew, maybe even grown up with, or more. Did they have a family? ''No, fuck no!'' That was just stupid guilt eating away at me. ''If they had a family, kids of their own, they wouldn''t have thought of hurting Ria, let alone selling her for money. Only a monster would do that!'' And that was what they were. ''Monsters!'' I kept repeating in my head to get my shit together. "Tits, he''s dead!" breathed the shithead after bending down to the sleazy bastard and feeling his jugular. "What? You fucking serious, Kif? I mean . . . " For how big he was, the shithead moved surprisingly fast, giving me little chance to dodge when he reached for my throat again. All I managed to do was a weird wiggle - considering that my feet and hands were still firmly tied quite a feat. No matter how hard I tried, the improvised ropes just wouldn''t come loose. A courtesy of Mrs. Scoresby, I guess, who didn''t give me any cheap clothes. ''Maybe if I turned into a beast and grew bigger, stronger, and fiercer, then . . . '' But I didn''t. For whatever reason, even after I let the beast in me have its way, it refused to come out, and I remained human, while having to deal with more savage urges of the beast. "What did you do, cunt?" the shithead spat in my face, pinning me against the wall once again, my feet not touching the ground. " . . . f-farted." "The fuck did you say?" "Th-that I farted." ''If only Ria could hear that.'' I chuckled to myself, actually glad that the little kitsune was still out. What was to come was certainly not going to be pretty. And no, this time, I didn''t mean the beast, which, to my utter bafflement, was refusing to come out. No, instead of pouncing back, I braced myself for the pain. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The shithead''s face twisted with rage at the defiance and mockery oozing from my overly cocky words and the next moment, predictably, came the pain when he punched me in the stomach - then again and again. ''Come on, what are you waiting for?!'' I shouted at the stubborn beast in utter disbelief at what I was saying. In fact, I couldn''t even tell if the tears streaming down my face came from the pain, or from what desperation was forcing me to do. ''Come on! Take me!¡¯ The beast remained stubbornly silent, though, only its fierce fury burning in my veins. "Stop it, Kif! You''re going to kill her!" the illusionist whispered the shout at the big guy. "You spineless son of a bitch. That cunt killed Ravel," the bitch hissed. "I couldn''t care less. More money for the three of us." "We''ll get that even for a dead one." "Sure, but no doubt, she''s worth more alive." "You! If you''d given him the antidote . . . " "That''s enough, Yara. He''s right. Ravel brought this on himself." ''You all did!'' Another bold claim I had nothing to back it up with. The shithead had beaten every last ounce of strength out of me, leaving me as weak as a kitten. Without the beast taking over, the toothless rage was all I could throw at them. ''Why? Why, though? Why didn''t it come out?'' What did I do wrong? It was so easy the last time. Was it because I was weak? Because they beat the shit out of me and not the other way around? Was the beast trying to prove a point to me? ''Okay, I Get it. I''m weak! So do your fucking thing. Make me a monster!'' Yet, to my utter despair, the trio of thugs remained the only monsters in the back alley. "Fine! Fine, you fuckers," the bitch snarled grudgingly, her eyes piercing me with rage. "But I want to see her suffer. How about an eye for an eye?" "No, Yara! She''s a guide." "You really are a spineless son of a bitch, Stom. Grow a pair, for tit''s sake. Just like you didn''t give a shit about Ravel, nobody''s gonna give a fuck about some scrawny brat - except this cunt." A shiver ran down my spine. There was so much bitterness and malice in her voice that I didn''t think for a moment that she wouldn''t follow through with her threat. Because of what I did, Ria was supposed to suffer. ''Don''t you dare to touch her!'' But powerless as I was, left by my inner beast at the mercy of these monsters, there was nothing that I could do to stop her except beg, and so I did. "P-please . . . don''t . . . " The bitch sneered. "Why shouldn¡¯t I, cunt? Let''s see . . . what should I do . . . ?" "Kif, tell her something. This is nuts. We should get the fuck out of here." The shithead, a little less pissed after making a punching bag out of me, growled back, clutching my throat a little tighter. "Just make sure your illusions hold." "Fuck," the mage cursed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck . . . are you guys fucking nuts?!" ¡°Sooner or later . . . " "Shut up, Stom! I''ve got it," the bitch rasped with a smirk on her face, and walked over to me with the unconscious Ria still in her hand. "It was your tail, wasn''t it?" ''What?'' "It was. What do you say we give this brat here a little sniff?" ''She couldn''t be serious, could she?'' Of course, when she reached for Sage to prove to me her insanity, I moved my tail out of the way and then back again. And if it meant keeping Ria out of harm''s way, I''d swing it back and forth till the end of time - were it not for the big guy giving my stomach a massage again. "That''s the look I wanted to see," the bitch snarled, her smile giving me more of a shiver than her grip on my tail. She was really going to do it; that crazy bitch wanted to poison Ria with my own tail. " . . . p-please, don''t." ''PLEASE! Not her. Not like this.'' I was the one who deserved to die, me, a fucking freak, a beast, a murderer, not Ria. But the crazy bitch didn''t seem to care and moved my tail closer to the little kitare. ''Kill me instead! Please.'' ''Not her.'' ''I said LEAVE HER ALONE!'' "Tit''s! Yara, stop!" the shithead shouted, realizing all too late what they had eventually managed to wake up. With the next beat of my heart, all three of them froze in fear under the weight of the beast''s might. Chapter 74: Priorities The back alley, the tight courtyard between the buildings hidden from the eyes of those on the streets, had fallen into complete silence. There was no growl coming along with the might ripping from my body letting everyone know my fury, no roar announcing the arrival of the beast, only a chilling silence. Granted, making a sound when a huge human was crushing your throat was awfully challenging, not to mention painful. But that was hardly the main reason for the silence, nor was it the only difference between now and then, between my first full turn into a beast and this one. And no, it wasn''t the fact that, at the time, I was in the dark, damp cellar in the presence of two lunatics. In fact, in that regard, this place wasn''t that different from Dungreen''s so-called lab - I''d even go so far as to say that the alley was cleaner than that accursed place. No. What gave me pause and kept me silent was my change itself, the beastification, or, as the locals would say, shift into my beast form. You see, instead of turning into a full beast like before, growing in size, and losing my sanity to beastly instincts, I found myself stuck, not even halfway through the shift. Instead of growing a snout, only the fangs in my mouth had grown. The thick fur, mixed with feathers, didn''t cover my entire body; patches of it that I had in my human form merely spread a bit. My hair had grown, and my sense of smell had improved. All in all, small changes, the biggest of which came to my hands and feet, now covered whole in fine fur. In the shift, I grew paws on my human legs, and my bitten nails turned into sharp claws. Thankfully, the shock of the incomplete change only lasted until my beast instincts kicked in. ''Ria!'' ?The pup!? With a strangled roar pushing its way out of my throat, I cut the improvised handcuffs with my claws irritatingly easily and began, as if deprived of my senses, to hack and claw at the shithead''s arm he was holding me with. Whether it was because my beast might had frozen the big guy in place or because he had such a stubborn tolerance for pain was hard to say, but it felt like an eternity to get him to loosen his grip. The moment he did, though, and I fell to the ground, I cut the bindings on my legs, yanked Sage out of the human bitch''s hand, and slashed at the other one she was holding Ria with. Just as I had hoped, the human bitch let go of the little kitare. Ready for that, of course, I caught the pup in my arms before she hit the ground and hid her in the embrace of my wings. Much to my awe and concern, the little pup was still unconscious. Neither the fall, nor the human bitch¡¯s scream, not even my might, which had scared a trio of monsters shitless, woke her up. The pup was alive. I could hear her faint breathing, see through my domain her little chest heaving, yet her eyes remained closed. ?What have you done to her?!? ''Eh . . . ?'' ?What have you . . . ?? ''Shit!'' Despite my half-assed beast shift, my vocal chords turned out to have completely lost the ability to speak the human language. Nothing new. Just unexpected - and rather inconvenient. Unlike the shoelace bitch and her mind tricks, none of the monsters seemed to understand my bestial growls. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Idiots. Stupid as they were, though, they didn''t just stare at me with wide eyes. My growl and especially their bleeding arms brought them out of the shock my might had put them in. The first to react was the human bitch. Despite her injuries being trivial compared to those of the big human whose arm looked like it went through a shredder, her scream cut sharply into my ears, making me twitch in pain. "What the fuck, what the fuck? What the fuck are you, cunt?" Fear dripped from her voice, and I could even smell it oozing from her scent, not to mention the stench of her piss. ?What you wanted me to be,? I snarled back, baring my fangs as the corners of my lips lifted in a grin. Alas, the big human''s frenzied roar didn''t let me enjoy her panic for long. ?Concoction,? A disgusted growl escaped my lips after seeing him finish some sort of potion. Whether it was the liquid''s work or if he used some weave, I didn''t know - but when his hand, scratched by me, stopped bleeding, the hairs on my body bristled and I watched him grow a little taller. In response, I growled back, no meaning, just a warning, letting him know I wasn''t intimidated, just annoyed. ''Shit! Get your priorities straight, you cocky beasts.'' The pup! ''Yeah, Ria.'' The little kitare lay peacefully in my arms, hidden from the monsters by my wings. ''Run, get help!'' That would be the smartest thing to do, but not what the beast - what I hungered for. Those three touched the pup. They didn''t listen to the warnings nor the pleas. Stupid and arrogant they were, no different from feral beasts and mindless monsters. There was no running from those, only chasing them down. ''No! Shit! No! Just run!'' Run away? Stupid. Not necessary. Those three were weak. ''But so am I.'' True enough. Admitting that hurt my pride a bit, in fact, more than it should have. As a slave to that deranged human, I was reminded daily how weak I was, not able to resist any of his bullshit. But that was the human side of me, the pathetic one of the two. The blood of the beasts coursed through my veins now, burning with rage and bloodlust. ''No. No, no, no, what are you doing?'' Being gentle but quick, I laid the pup on an old barrel lid lying by the wall behind me, and as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I hunkered down to avoid the big human''s fist strike. Slipping aside and attacking from the flank would be easy but an option that would put the pup in danger. No, I had no choice but to face the big human head-on, protecting the little one. "I don''t know what trick you pulled, but it won''t work twice, cunt," growled the big human, tossing the vial aside. "But I''ll make sure to beat the shit out of you." ?Do your best, then.? A bit cocky, for sure. Vexing, but the big human wasn''t slow for his size. In fact, when he unleashed a barrage of punches, as if resolved to make good on his word, I had my work cut out for me. Standing my ground and avoiding his fists, while fully aware of the force his blows packed, was a nerve-wracking ride. ?Is that all?? ''The f . . . ? Are you crazy? Shut up, Korra! I mean you..beast! One hit, and . . . shit!'' That was a close one. I could feel his fist brushing against my fur. My fangs bared in a grin, though. The narrow dodge got me behind his balled fists and exposed his defenses - no hesitation, I pounced, launching a flurry of attacks of my own. Chapter 75: Limited My claws tore into the inner part of the human''s arms - into his chest, ripping his skin to shreds. Much to my surprise and above all irritation, though, the wounds I inflicted on him didn''t stay bleeding for long. ''Fucking concoctions!'' ?Weakling!? Whatever potion the big human had drunk earlier must still be working, or my unusual regeneration wasn''t as unusual in this world as the deranged human led me to believe. Whatever the case, the barrage of my strikes didn''t sway the human as much as I had hoped, and when he eventually managed to block my attacks, he didn''t hesitate to punch back. "Fuck! Just hold still for a moment, cunt!" he growled, frustrated, as he failed to land his blows time and time again. On the other hand, I was quick enough to leave a few more scratches on him. Annoyingly, though, that was it. Despite my best efforts - and the beast was really trying, actually quite enjoying the whole thing - I failed to get him further away from the pup, let alone seriously injure him. "I said stay still!" ?Make me!? ''Shit! Do you have to piss him off even more?!'' Sure, it was daring, tickling my stupid beast pride, but dumb as fuck. Why provoke him when things didn''t go exactly as planned? Didn''t the beast realize that I wasn''t in the form that made the mind bitch run away, that I couldn''t handle the big human in a heartbeat without breaking out in a sweat? Well, the scary thing was that it did. As I understood my limits, the limits of this strange partial shift, so did the beast. In fact, the limitations of this twisted form irritated it beyond belief. I could feel it raging deep down inside. It wanted to push further, to turn me into what I was afraid of becoming, but couldn''t, as if shackled by some force. The only consolation in all of this, as annoying as it was, was that the big human male didn''t understand the provocations pouring out of my tongue; in fact, none of the three monsters left did. That by no stretch implied that some of the meaning behind my growl didn''t get across. "As you wish, you fucking feral half-beast cunt!" ?Know your places, stupid human!? Irritated by his taunt, I unleashed another barrage of claw strikes, not giving him a chance to make good on his words. A mistake on my part that he immediately took advantage of. While I sunk my claws into his chest with disgusting glee, he moved lightning-fast and grabbed my hand. The next moment, while holding me in place, his free hand balled into a fist connected with my chest, knocking the breath out of me and, worse, breaking a few ribs. The sound was sickening, sending a shiver down my spine, but the human didn''t even let me howl in pain. No more blows came, though. Instead, my feet lost contact with the ground again. The big human yanked my arm out of his chest, took a step back, and as if I were a mere sack to him, swung me over his head, slamming me into the ground behind him. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Needless to say, it hurt like a bitch. And that was just my pride. The actual pain itself that ripped through my body was not far from the worst I''d ever felt. In fact, I was pretty sure I had broken my right wing, a few more ribs, and quite possibly my ass. And then there was my head. The ringing going wild in my skull was so loud I couldn''t even hear my own thoughts. That was until I saw her. ''What the bloody fuck! When did she...?'' Did I black out? I had to. There was no other explanation because when I blinked, the female was sitting on top of me, two daggers in her hands and a crazy smile on her face. "Let''s see how you like this, cunt," she spat, plunging both daggers deep into my guts, the blades grazing my lower ribs. That bitch didn''t even let the world know my pain, as my pained wail died in her sickening cackle of laughter. "The fuck are you doing, Yara?" "What do you think?!" the female barked back at the illusion-wielding human. "Something we should have done in the first place - make sure the cunt matches the description." "Presuming dead, that''s what the note says." "And? Doesn''t mean she has to stay alive if she¡¯s found breathing, does it?" If only she wasn''t wrong. If only I could truly find peace in death. If only I didn''t cling so hard to life. If only I didn''t have other people''s lives depending on me. If only all this was all just a bad dream and death could wake me up from it - I might smile back and even thank her. But instead, as the female raised her eyes to the big human, I pushed through the pain and clawed at her throat. The instant the first drop of blood hit my face, time in the back alley seemed to stand still for a moment. ''Shit - I did it again.'' Certainly not the thought I shared with the human bitch. Her eyes, like mine, may have gone wide, but while mine held a mixture of horror and disgust at what I had done, hers reflected disbelief and fear. ''No. No, please don''t...'' The female clutched at her bleeding throat, her gaze slipping down to me. Confused, she tried to understand what had happened and, most likely, what I was. When she tried to ask, though, only her own blood came out of her mouth, and before long, she collapsed on top of me, choking. ''Get off me, get off me!'' While the beast made me lick my blood-stained lips and bask in victory, having a dying woman lying on top of me wrenched my guts into a knot. Although the two daggers embedded in my belly, pushed now by the weight of her entire body, might have had a lot to do with that heavy feeling. A few final twitches and my skull tingled with a notification. ''What? She was...no. No, what matters is what she became, a monster.'' Not exactly a comforting thought, as it was a fate I quite possibly might have shared with her. Did she also have her inner beast eating away at her sanity? Doubtful. But she might have had her own Dungreen, Fae, and a fair share of bad luck in life. ''Stop it, Korra! Why the fuck should I care?'' ?Because weak.? That was the bitter truth. Because I was weak, unable to get my head around the fact that I did what was necessary. It was either her or me, either the monster or the pup. ''Shit! Ria!'' As if jolted to life, I looked behind me, finding the little kitare sleeping where I had left her. The same couldn''t be said for the big human. Instead of standing between me and the pup, I found him towering over me, his foot coming down fast. Chapter 76: Weak, But Standing Pissed at myself for forgetting to pay attention to my domain, to what was going on around me, I did the best I could to avoid the big male''s foot coming at my face. As frustrating as it was, though, the bitch turned out to be a pain in the ass, even in death. With her lying on top of me, her two daggers stuck just below my ribs, what I could do at that moment was limited to tilting my head and avoiding the worst. But, of course, that was not enough. The beast''s painful howl ripped through the back alley as the male''s foot hit the ground. "Cunt! Stay still, will you!" ?Fuck you!? ''Seriously, please, get out of my ear!'' I might have avoided having my nose shoved into my face, but I wasn''t so lucky with my sail-like ear. Worse, the big stupid human did not seem intent on moving his shitty foot. Instead, he twisted it like he was putting out the butt of a cigarette, grinding my ear under the sole of his boot. To make matters worse, my ears made me hear everything, every little detail of my skin tearing. Nothing pleasant. In fact, rather shamefully, instead of the defiant growl I had hoped for, a pained whimper came from my throat. It hurt; it hurt so much, far more than the two daggers in my belly. But reminded of those and seeing the shithead going for a kick, I swallowed another whimper and, with tears in my eyes, rolled the corpse of the human bitch off of me. "Fuck!" the stupid male cursed as he kicked his lifeless mate in the head instead of my arm, which he was aiming for, no doubt to break it. Admittedly, a bit satisfying, but not the outcome I had hoped for, either. Instead of stumbling or recoiling in horror at what he had done, the male remained standing firmly on my ear. If anything, should I trust my instincts, it only pissed him off more. ''How could he possibly get..?'' ?Fuck off!!!? Not only did the beast''s roar drown out my stupid question, but it was, in a way, the answer itself. There wasn''t just one kind of rage. One could be furious yet hold back, lash out but be aware of their actions, or let oneself be blinded by the rage. And the stupid male seemed to have just reached the final stage. When I clawed at his leg with both hands, instead of swearing, an unintelligible roar came out of his mouth. While it did the job and I managed to free my ear, seeing him like that and hearing his rage was like another punch in the gut. Was this how I looked like to the others? A senseless feral beast? ''Oh, stop it! Not now, Korra!'' Of course, I didn''t stay lying there to ponder on it; that would be stupid. No, I roared back and, as he graciously lifted his now bleeding leg, I rolled onto my side, jumping to my feet. At least, that was my intention. The two daggers still logged just below my ribs threw a wrench into what was supposed to be a swift and elegant gain of advantage. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Another frustrated, pained, bestial roar ripped from my throat as I, kneeling on one leg, yanked the daggers from my body. The weakness of mine was so vexing. If only this body weren''t so pitifully feeble; if I were to shift fully, all those gutless cowards would be lying at my feet in pools of their own blood. Instead, it was me who was bleeding. ?Cravens!? With frustration vented, I noticed that wasn''t entirely true, though. Whatever concoction the stupidly huge human had drunk earlier seemed to have worn off, or at least the effects had diminished. Unlike my stomach, which bled less and less with each painful breath I took, undoubtedly the work not only of my regeneration but also of my inner mana the beast was swirling around the wounds, the male''s leg did not stop bleeding. ''Good.'' That was really good. How else was I supposed to fight someone who was healing before my eyes, right? Somewhat surprisingly, the stupid human didn''t miss any of that either, so when I bared my fangs at him in a grin and wagged my tail happily, he roared furiously and lunged at me. All the swagger was gone as soon as I tried to move, though. Once again, instead of being proud of my graceful swerve, I was forced to swallow my shame as my legs buckled in weakness, and a whimper left my throat. Sure, it served its purpose as me collapsing like a feeble pup was something not even the big guy expected, but . . . it was simply so annoying. I was supposed to be the beast, baring my teeth at my prey, not the one running away. ?You''ll have to try harder, cowardly craven!? I snarled at the male in a lame attempt to salvage my pride, actually glad he didn''t understand my pointless swagger. Barely dodging his blows, I struck back with the daggers, whimpering once more in pain. Who would have thought that clutching the handles with the claws out wasn''t the most brilliant idea? Forced into another painful roll on the dirt floor of the back alley, I took advantage of the space gained and hurled the daggers at the stupid human. As expected, he stopped and covered his face with his forearms, but much to my frustrated despair, he didn''t have to bother. My first attempt at a dagger throw could not have been more lame. Despite the close distance, one blade missed him completely, and the other bounced harmlessly off his hand after hitting him with the hilt instead of the edge. "Huh? Is that it, cunt?" ''Shit!'' The clarity returned to both his voice and his eyes. ?Far from it!? Once again, baffled by the cockiness of my inner beast, I could do nothing but lament the missed opportunity. "Stom!" the huge, stupid human shouted, sending my heart into fright. The illusion-wielding human! ''Oh no! The fucking mage guy! How could I forget him?'' That brief moment of distraction of me looking for Ria to see whether or not she had ended up in the hands of the fucking illusionist was what made the difference between avoiding a punch and being sent sliding on the ground into the wall with more broken ribs. "That''s it. How do you like that you f . . . ? What the fuck!" The smug smile on the big guy''s face quickly gave way to stunned despair when I got back on my feet. "What the fuck are you, cunt? How are you still standing?" ?Your punches suck.? ''Because I had no other choice.'' There might have been a hole in my ear, and my left wing hanging broken. Every breath I took might have brought tears to my eyes and made me hear my bones crunch and grind against each other, but giving up was not an option. It would mean going through worse - much worse. Not to mention that I wouldn''t be able to bear the guilt of bringing a similar fate upon a little pup. Chapter 77: Turn Seeing me get up, the big, dumb human flinched, his blind rage turning to doubt. He stared at me, baffled and cautious, wondering if another punch would finally take me down or if I''d get up again, baring my fangs at him. "Stom! A little help here!" Like me, the huge male took a quick look around, but the illusions-wielding human was nowhere to be found. However, the urge to laugh in his face at being left in the lurch was quickly replaced by dread. The pup! ''Ria!'' Much to my relief, the little kitare, though still bound by the shreds of my skirt, lay peacefully on the old barrel lid where I had left her. That deceitful male turned out to be the smartest of them all. Not only did he leave the pup alone, he ran away when the opportunity presented itself. "You fucking back-stabbing cowardly son of a bitch!" The big human spewed a torrent of curses as he realized the same I did. He was left here alone with me and the beast. Of course, in his eyes, I must have appeared one and the same, a strange half-Terr turned half-beast, even feral, refusing to go down. A tad hurtful, but a truth I couldn''t deny, not when his hesitation swelled my broken chest with pride. There was fear in his eyes. Was that my win, though? Did he tuck his tail between his legs? No! That would be foolish to think so. Instead of barking with joy, I bared my fangs at him, bracing myself to meet his attacks or even pounce back. ?What are you waiting for?!? A daring challenge, considering the state I was in. But the beast was to blame. It just didn''t let me back down, no matter what. "All right, it looks like it''s just you and me," the big, stupid human grunted instead of running away like his pack mate, fists at the ready. But then, as I strained my senses on him, girding myself for his blows, the male winced and held up his index fingers. "With that cowardly fucker gone, how about we call it a day?" ?Huh?? ''Was he serious?'' After all that, he just wanted to call it quits? Did he expect me to shake hands with him and then go our separate ways? Was it some stupid game for him? Didn''t the lives of his pack mates mean anything to him? Well, since he had no problem treating me like an object and selling me back to my "master", I guess he didn''t give too much of a shit about them either. In the end, it was his life that mattered the most to him. What a cowardly pack leader. ?CRAVEN!? "Is that a yes or a no?" the pride-less male asked, a little too calmly for my taste - my heart was racing, my blood boiling with fury, but not his? "Beast talk is not my thing." ''Come on, what are you waiting for, you beast? Nod.'' Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Sure, it went against all my instincts - I should pounce and show him who''s the hunter and who''s the prey, not acknowledging his strength, putting him on par with me - but I was in no shape to worry about my pride and play a pissing contest with him. ?Craven ... but strong,? I growled, tossing my head at the pup. ''What about Ria?'' He followed my motion to the old barrel lid behind him, his eyes widening slightly upon realization. "Ah, the brat - wasn''t interested in her in the first place. Take her and go." ''Again, just like that?'' I wanted to do so very, very badly, but something just rubbed me the wrong way. Two of his pack mates were lying at our feet, dead, and the third... ''Wait! The illusionist. What if...'' Startled, I looked at the pup again, afraid to find her to be a mere illusion of what I wanted to see. But she was still there, solid as the big male offering me the way out. Was she real, though? How did the illusions work? How could I tell the real from the lie? ?The smell.? ''Illusions had no smell, did they?'' Or so I hoped. Annoyingly, this back alley was not the cleanest. The air was thick with the stench of rotting food, mold, mud, piss, and, last but not least, fresh blood. The smell turned my stomach and harshly reminded me that I now had the blood of two more people on my hands. But that was it, just more guilt, not a way to find out if the pup was still there where I left her. ''Hearing!'' With hope sparked by a sudden idea, I pricked up my good ear and listened. ''Oh, thank goodness it''s Ria,'' I breathed a sigh of relief. There on the top of the barrel lid really lay the pup, or at least a good enough illusion of the little kitare that I could hear her heartbeat, her faint breathing. "Eh, do we have a deal? Although, I gotta admit, you''re a damn tough cunt - I guess worth the money they''re offering for you." ''Who? Who offered it? How did they find me so quickly?'' ?You smell of bullshit. Talk too much.? No matter how much I wanted to find out more, something just didn''t add up, something I couldn''t quite put my finger on. That weird feeling at the back of my neck was back, but there was no one behind me but the wall. "Is that why? I mean, the beastly shit? I hear the Terr''dens go wild when they try to shift." ''What? They do?'' ?Shut up.? I growled back, standing still, sizing up the male, as wary of him as he was of me, if not more so. Was he trying to talk me to death, hoping to drop dead? If so, he was damn mistaken. The longer I stood there, the better I felt. The beast might not have done much in terms of my size, or strength nor did it take much of my sanity, but the mana in my body was swirling around my heart like it did back then, flowing along my veins in quantities that were impossible to ignore, encircling my wounds. I may not have been a mage versed in magic, but I''d have to be dense not to realize that the beast was aiding my regeneration. And the stupid human didn''t seem blind to it either. He saw my bleeding stop; me getting my strength back. So what was his goal? Talk me deaf? ''Shit!'' Immediately, I perked up my good ear once more, turning my focus away from my domain to my hearing. As good as the weave [Spatial Domain] was, I had only just gotten a second circle on it. Bloody heck, I hadn''t even read what it was supposed to allow me to do. On the other hand, my ears - for almost a year and a half, I was forced to listen to the painful cries, squeaks of rats and dripping water in the storm drains beneath my feet. Like everyone else there, I learned to be terrified of the sound of the insane man''s footsteps. So when, along with the noise of the street coming from the back alley exit and the breathing and heartbeat of the stupid loud-mouthed man, cautious footsteps reached my ears, I froze stricken with fear, my eyes fixed on an empty part of the back alley to my right. Chapter 78: Seen Through Tricks "You''re fucking useless, Stom," the pride-less, cowardly human cursed upon seeing me noticing their deceit. Immediately, he gave up on distracting me, and instead of waiting for his deceitful pack mate to get closer unseen, taking me by surprise, he threw his fist at my face - something he should have done in the first place. Having to dodge a punch did a much better job of taking my attention away from the illusion-covered-up male and his careful footsteps than the big human''s talking. ''Righ, left, right.'' The saying, ''You can''t teach an old dog new tricks,'' seemed to be true here, too. The pattern in his strikes was getting easier and easier to read. Not that it made his punches any less dangerous or distracting. Heck, with illusions proving to be beyond the ability of my domain to see through, I even lost track of the hidden, deceitful male for a while at one point. The size of the courtyard between the buildings in the back alley played to his disadvantage though. As soon as he took another step, I found him. "Be a good cunt, and stay still, will ya?" I didn''t, of course. ?Make me!? The overconfident bark aside, after dodging the first half dozen blows, I went for a strike of my own. Seizing the opportunity the gutless craven gave me, I pounced, slashing my claws across his hands. "Fuck! How come you''re still moving?" The question I asked myself and had no better answer than: ''Because of the beast.'' ?Because you''re still here,? I growled back while biting down on my lower lip, a stupid habit that made me swallow blood alongside the pain ravaging my broken body. If it weren''t for that pride-less, cowardly human, if it weren¡¯t for him and his whole pack of twisted monsters relentlessly going for me, if it weren''t for the beast, its fury feeding my resolve, and my almost frightening regeneration, I would no doubt have slumped to the ground long ago. ''The illusionist!'' The inner scream snapped me into focus outside of dodging the cowardly human''s fists. Risky, for sure. But under his illusions, the deceitful male took another step. He got too close to my liking. So when the air to my right rippled, I swiped my hand across the spot. "Aaaa...fuck!'' Along with the blood that splattered the wall that the mage was creeping along, as my claws sunk into the flesh, a pained scream ripped through the alley. It still echoed painfully in my skull when the illusion lifted with the sound of metal hitting stone like a morning mist in the Esulmor and unveiled a terrified male holding his arm, eyes down on the dagger he had dropped. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. And it was a damn familiar dagger. The blade still had my blood on it. Then came my time to scream. Too distracted by the shitty dagger, I failed to dodge a blow from the cowardly human in time. His fist hit my shoulder, sending me spinning to the ground. Of course, I did my best not to stay there for long. Not wanting to give him another chance to pound me when that one punch broke bones and rendered my left arm utterly useless, I rolled to the side over my good shoulder and sprang to my feet. "Fuck this. Sorry, Kif. I''m out," the illusions-wielding human stammered after seeing me get back on my feet and baring my teeth at both of them. "Out my ass," the gutless craven grunted. "Can''t you see she''s almost done?" Annoyingly, he was not that wrong. I could barely stand. Every breath I took hurt like hell. My left arm was useless, and despite all the fury coursing through my veins, fatigue began to eat away at my focus. Nevertheless, as predictable as he turned out to be, I avoided a few more punches from the stupidly big human. Strike with the right hand, followed by a jab with the left and the right again. It wasn''t that hard then to deliver in a claw swipe or two myself - one in this case. Having only one usable arm did a number on the effectiveness of my pounce. "Are y-you fucking blind? So are we." "Don''t you need the money? One hundred gold pieces, both of us," the cowardly human sputtered and tried to hit me again while the other put a few steps of distance between us. "T-then make it two hundred for yourself. I won''t enjoy the coins much if I end up like Ravel or Yara - or in a brig." "They were... dumb," the gutless craven grunted, managing to avoid my pounce this time. "And forget the brig? Your illusions..." "Why the fuck don''t any of you ever listen? They are mere illusions - that''s all. Honestly, with all this racket, I''m surprised that this alley is not swarming with guards. No, Kif, I¡¯m out." "Fucker...just...tss," the big stupid human said, hissing in pain as I managed to sink my claws deep into his side. "...t-take that brat, this cunt won''t dare..." ?Don''t you dare!? ''Touch Ria, and you''re dead!'' "Oh! No, no, no, no...calm down, lady. I''m not suicidal - I didn''t like the idea in the first place." ?Then LEAVE!? I growled, leaving another bleeding gash on the big human while making sure the pup was still there on the barrel lid. "Tits. A bit longer and I''d understand you. Well, I''d like to say it was nice to meet you - but no, it wasn''t," the illusions-wielding male said, swallowing the pain as his hands began to make weird movements in the air. "You fucker! Bail and I..." "Good luck, Kif." With those words, the air around the illusionist shuddered, and he disappeared from my sight. ''Don''t lose him, Korra!'' Having learned my lesson, I pricked up my good ear and followed the male''s footsteps through the back alley until I lost him in the din of the street. Relief hit me so hard at that moment that I lost my rhythm and almost failed to dodge in time. On the other hand, the stupid, cowardly human had lost all his previous confidence and now was glancing towards the exit, no doubt considering following his pack mate''s example. ''Good.'' That meant his focus was gone while he had my full attention - dwindling as it was. And of course I immediately took advantage of it, ducking under his punch, clawing at his body as I shifted into a clumsy, painful dance around him, intent on ending this as quickly as possible. ''Come on, give up.'' ?Run!? As annoying as it was to admit, despite the number of bloody wounds, I was afraid, or rather quite sure, that at this rate, he would outlast me. Chapter 79: Not Entirely Too Late "Why the fuck don''t you..." the pride-less, cowardly human growled, frustrated by his inability to hit me. "...drop dead?!" ?Why don''t you?? I barked back, no less frustrated. My claws tore his skin so many times. He was bleeding all over, and yet I was the one, barely standing, hardly breathing. It was so unfair. Just because he had grown up bigger than me, I was about to be... ''Huh?'' A noise at the mouth of the alley caught my attention. Footsteps and not just one person. ''Has the illusionist returned? With "friends"?'' That brief moment of desperation cost me dearly. I might have dodged the coward''s blow by the skin of my teeth. But even though my [Equilibrium] weave was guiding my steps, I stumbled over the female''s corpse and fell not very gracefully to the filth of the ground. The nastiness of it, however, was the last thing on my mind. Just as my good hand sank into a mess of mud, filth, blood, and whatever, so did my heart and hope. The polar opposite of my opponent. Yes - devious as the male was, he deserved at least that much credit. It sure had nothing to do with my pride not letting me to lose to my prey. With teeth bared in a smile upon seeing me lying between the two dead bodies of his pack mates, he lifted his leg and stomped down hard before I had even a chance to react. The bones in my shin gave way, a piercing pain ripped through my body, and I nearly passed out. My hurt cry, however, got drowned out in another. "STOP!" Looking up through my tears, fearing there was no way out of this for me anymore as the gutless craven''s backup arrived, I found the fierce voice belonging to a man in uniform, a uniform I knew, the uniform of the Castiana City Guards. ''Finally,'' I almost breathed out aloud, relieved. Then dread drenched me in sweat. ''What if...?'' What if the man in the uniform and his colleague standing behind him, representing law and order in the city, were in cahoots with the thugs, those monsters who didn''t shy away from touching the pup? Annoyingly, no matter how hard I might have pricked up my ear, tried to peer through the curtain of tears, or sniffed their scent, I failed to pick up on anything. There was nothing for my instincts to tell me whether the two were here to help me or to collect their bribes. In fact, judging by the pride-less, cowardly human''s smirk, the latter. ?You vile, gutless craven!? I roared as he kicked my broken leg. ''Fucker!'' "I said stop!" boomed the city guard, and before I knew it, a spear appeared in his hand, its blade pointed at the hateful male¡¯s chest. "Or do you have a problem with your ears?" "Not at all, officer. My bad." To my surprise, that despicable human raised his hands and stepped away from me. "You see, this wild half-Terr and her friends almost killed me..." "Did I ask you about that?" "No, Officer. I just..." "Then shut your trap!" the city guard barked, looking around the small square of the back alley. "Do you see this, Grel?" "I sure do, boy. What a mess. Two that look dead, two breathing, and a kid - I''ll be damned - a kid in what looks like a City Hall uniform?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Ha?" the one with the spear in his hand, by the tones of their voices, the younger one of the two, grunted and looked from the cowardly craven to the pup, then me and back at the male. "Which one of you two fuckers was so dumb to touch a guide?" The way he said it, the tone of his voice, the anger behind it - if there was a falsehood, I didn''t pick up on it. These two were true city guards, doing their job, the kind I wished had come a long time ago. ''They came, though.'' They came, and not entirely too late - in the nick of time, I''d say. "Officers, do I look like someone who would hurt a small child? I came to Castiana today, and I hired her to show me around. But when..." ?Bullshit!? ''Lies!'' "See¡­ see. She and her friends - they dragged me in here and then went all wild." "You do realize that we can and will verify all of that?" the man with the spear growled, just when I''d calmed my racing mind enough to give him a good look. [Spearman: 116 sigils] ''Not a Guardsman?'' Not that I was in any way disappointed - if anything, the opposite. The Spearman array sounded more powerful than an array of Guardsman most of his colleagues I met had - at least at the moment. Making the despicable human back away while wielding a large spear, the Spearman looked strong and dominant. ''Oh, come one! Stop it, Korra! Not now - or ever.'' I certainly wasn''t in the best state of mind to judge anyone, not when I had no idea how arrays actually worked, let alone the difference between the two. Not to mention that the other uniformed male had even more sigils engraved on his array. [Guardsman: 125] "I do, officers. I do - I''m telling the honest truth. This feral..." ?You lying craven.? "Come one, see. She..." "Shut up! Speak only when asked. You, half-Terr¡¯den - can you talk Standard?" ''Shit! Of course I could just¡­ how the fuck one shifted back?'' Unfortunately, all I could give the male was a shake of the head. "Oh, but do you understand me?" Nod. "Good. Then listen to me, both of you. This is how we are going to do it. My colleague and I will handcuff you both; we will identify you and take you to the barracks." "But Officer, I''m bleeding out here. I need..." "For the last time, shut your trap! If you''d let me finish, you''d know that we''ll provide you with basic treatment, including a healing potion. If you should require more thorough treatment, which it seems you do, the barracks healers will provide it." ?For free?? "Since we''re making the arrest, yes. You will not be required to pay for it - should you prove innocent." "Damn. I didn''t know you knew the beast talk, boy?" the older uniformed male asked what was on the tip of my tongue. ''How? How did he understand me?'' "Eh? Oh, OH - it''s just, that''s what they always ask. Right? Anyway, are you alright with that? If not..." "Fuck this," the big human growled under his breath, grabbed the spear pointed at his chest, yanked it out of the city guard''s hand, and shoved him aside. Two steps were as far as he got. In a mixture of horror and awe, I watched a sword come out from his back. Damn! One strike and the human I had struggled so much with was dead. Envy struck my heart. Yet when it came to lament how weak I was, the fear of what I saw overshadowed everything. ''Ria.'' ?Pup!? As the older uniformed male drew his sword out of the gutless craven, his hulking body began to slump to the ground, right on top of the unconscious little kitare. Before I knew it, I moved to protect her. So did the older uniformed male. Thus, what I did was pointless, a stupid instinct driven by lofty ideas and urges beyond my control, something that cost me everything. Broken as I was, I merely managed to reach out for the pup before a sharp pain bit into my back. It ripped through my chest, all the way from my shoulder blades to my breast, pulling my gaze down to where the tip of a blade was sticking out. ''So unfair.'' A few painful heartbeats later, my skull tingled with yet another notification, and my world plunged into darkness. Chapter 80: Darkness Chapter 81: Beyond the Reaches "...and then he asked her for a dance," Alayna Murray, one of the many healers in the barracks infirmary, recounted the events of last night at Drunken Filly. "Can you believe that?" "Did she agree?" Becca asked, having a hard time believing that one of her colleagues, not even a senior healer, someone who had recently formed his second array, had the balls to flirt with one of the Master Guards. Those guys were in a league of their own, the best of the Castiana City Guards. "That''s the thing. She did, and they danced for hours." "Wow...do you think they''re... you know, that they fell in love?" Becca''s friend, Meredith Selit, asked, taking a bite out of a cookie she had bought on her way to work this morning. "Nah, what matters is whether they end up in bed together." Why their Chief Healer, Lieutenant Marcus, was sitting at the table with them, listening to their conversation was beyond the understanding of all three women. It wasn''t about flirting. Everyone knew he was married, and to none other than one of the Master Guards. In fact, Becca couldn¡¯t remember him ever hitting on a woman, even though she herself found it pretty hard to say no to his charming smile. The reason he was allowed to sit there with them, to join in their little chat - silly as it was. "I don''t think so, Lieutenant." "Oh, come on, Becca, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Marcus? Besides, why wouldn''t it matter? Either way, it''s gonna be weird between those two for a while now." "True, but..." "MARCUS!" There was no mistaking that firm voice of authority. Becca could only wish that their Captain didn''t shout their Chief Healer''s name every time she came into the infirmary. Understandable, though. The man had an uncanny knack for being unfindable when he wanted to be. "Ah, San, how lovely to see you this early in the morning. Here," Chief Healer raised his voice, cheerful as ever, and waved at her from the table tucked away in the corner of the infirmary along with a sofa and a small kitchen with countless magic tools for those on duty to enjoy a little rest here and there during the day. "Care to join us? We just talked about..." "Cut the crap, Marcus. I heard enough of bullshit yesterday." "The party at Egerton Manor?" "The Spring Labyrinth Ball," she corrected him with enough bitterness to spoil Becca''s morning tea. "That greedy bastard kept me there all afternoon." "Little Egerton? You? And how did he manage to do that? I would have thought that you..." "Money, Marcus. What else?" "Ah, he threatened you to cut our budget again?" "What else?" "You know he''ll find a reason to do it anyway, right?" "Yeah, but every week without budget cuts counts. One night of pointless parading in front of those stuck-up ladies and lords is something I can survive," Captain Rayden sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose, obviously not as unphased by it as she''d like to be. "Anyway, not why I''m here, Marcus. Four bodies were brought in yesterday, right?" "Uh...Becca? You were the one to take them over, weren''t you?" Chief Healer passed the ball to her, making her straighten up. The man might have seemed disinterested in his work, perhaps even bored, but despite that first impression, he had a good grasp of what was going on in the infirmary and the barracks as a whole. "Yes, sir. I was - around four o''clock in the afternoon, they brought back four bodies, two male, two female. Three humans, one female half-Terr''den. She - actually, if I may, ma''am?" "Go on." "It''s a real shame because she just came to the city, the half-Terr''den woman, I mean. I did her initial check-up only a few hours before, ma''am." "I see, that''s truly... maybe better if you take me to see the bodies first." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "And the reason is?" Chief Healer Marcus asked, as intrigued as Becca and everyone else at the table. It wasn''t often that their Captain wanted to go to the morgue in person, let alone for her to appear so unsure of something. Seeing their looks, Rayden sighed under her breath. "Because I was the one who cleared the half-Terr''den woman for citizenship and as such, have reason to believe that she might still be alive." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ How long has it been? A few minutes? Hours? Or days? The oppressive darkness and eerie silence that reigned in this place made it impossible to tell time. Sure, there was my breath to count and more, but my wandering dark thoughts made it a struggle. Not distracting my mind inevitably meant to think about where I was - in the morgue; at least, that was my hope. No, I wasn''t into that kind of stuff; being here, surrounded by corpses, creeped the shit out of me. What scared me evenmore, however, was the possibility of me not seeing daylight again. If this was a crypt and I couldn''t die... Better not to think about it. However, when I inevitably did, it didn''t make much sense. Why would they put a bunch of thugs and nobodies in such a fancy place? It would be cheaper to bury them or burn them. Of course, I was glad they didn''t - hence my hope. It meant that there was a chance that, at some point, someone would walk through the door I found on the other side of the room to check on the corpses here. ''Maybe I should try opening them again?'' Pointless. I had tried to open them twice now, and they hadn''t budged, nor did anyone answer my cries and pounding on them. So here I was, curled up in a ball, Sage pressed against my chest, wings enveloping me in a tight bun, reading the description of [Spatial Domain] for the hundredth time. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Spatial Domain General Weave 12 glyphs - ?? ? You are one with the surrounding space, and in it, you will not miss a single trace. ?? There is more beyond the reaches you claim as your domain, much to discover and see, though limited and not so plain. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The description claimed that I should be able to use my perception to see beyond my current domain, beyond the roughly three meters of the space around me where, if I wanted, no detail remained hidden from me. Did I try, though? Bloody heck no! I didn''t want to see deeper into this room where the darkness only held more dead bodies. Heck, I avoided looking even at the two on the tables next to me. Why would I when just the thought of them being there gave me the creeps? Though, despite my best efforts, every now and then my perception wandered further than I would have liked. ''You are one with the surrounding space...'' I read for the hundredth time, struggling with the urge to get rid of the weave just so I wouldn''t have to face the corpses of those I killed again. Sure, it would be enough not to use my perception. Easy, right? Wrong. Not to see, to be surrounded by utter darkness, at the mercy of what was beyond, was even worse. ''and in it, you will not miss a single trace...'' Maybe I should try to read something else? But then again, I didn''t trust myself not to do something stupid, something that I would surely regret later - like getting rid of [Indomitable Will]. What would keep me sane, then? Sage? Its softness was indeed divine, and the smell of apples well covered the stench of the dead around; regrettably, though, the periods of my death by poisoning were too short to bring me some peace, but...THE DOOR HANDLE! It moved. Silence. Did I imagine it? No. No, someone was at the door - metal rattled in the lock, and then, with a weak creak, the LIGHT cut through the darkness of the morgue. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): . . . 19 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 glyphs - ????? Thrifty Drinker (General): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General): . . . . . . . . . .5 ¡ú 6 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General): . . . . . . . . . 11 ¡ú 12 glyphs - ?? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 82: Not a Tomb A bit shamefully, a pained whimper escaped my lips. Then, trembling with relief, I hid my head behind my knees and my wings. Not the way I wanted to be found. But having the light, if only of magic crystals lining the morgue walls, cut into my eyes after spending who knew how long in total darkness hurt like a bitch. "Oh my tits! She IS alive," the smallest of the silhouettes in the doorway, a woman, said as she rushed towards me. Whatever it was, some residual beast instinct or the fear instilled in me by the oppressive darkness, pulling the ferocity from deep within me, I didn''t know, but as she touched me, I flinched and growled. "No, no, it''s all right, you don''t have to be afraid. I''m here to help. You remember me, right? Becca, Becca Hill, the one . . . " "Y-you got rid of the . . . the ticks in my fur," I stammered, choking back another bark and the horror of the morgue while struggling with the joy of this place not being a tomb. Someone came, just as I had hoped, and not only that, but even someone I knew a little bit. Trembling and with my eyes still unusable, I shifted my focus and expanded my domain just short of reaching the adjacent tables to get a look at the woman at least through my perception. [Healer: ? sigils] ''It is her,'' I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing a short woman in a white uniform, with shoulder length chestnut hair and hazel eyes full of care. "Yes. Yes, the ticks, that was me. I rid you of those nasty suckers," Senior Healer Hill breathed, sounding more relieved than I was. "May I touch you? I need to check you''re fine. Are you hurt? How are you feeling?" "C-cold," I said after a moment''s thought, still huddled behind my tail and wings. "Y-you didn''t have to touch me last time." "That was . . . you see . . . well, the thing is . . . " "She doesn''t want to make a mistake again," spoke the tall man who appeared behind her, obscured, like the Senior Healer Hill, behind the veil of tears that the light brought to my eyes. Like her, though, close enough for me to get a look at him through my perception. The man in the same white uniform as the short woman looked to be in his forties, with a sharp jaw, stubble covering his face, unkempt hair, and a smile that made my heart leap, spiced with a gaze of enchantment with me. "S-sorry, w-what? What mistake?" I asked, startled a bit as, despite my warning growl, Senior Healer Hill placed her hands on my shoulders, and a pleasant, soothing warmth began to spread through my body. "She clearly, and as her superior I apologize for that, judged you dead when you were brought in." "I¡¯m so very sorry, ma''am," Becca Hill blurted out. "I don''t know how, but . . . I''ve never made such a mistake before." "Not that it hasn''t happened before," the tall man remarked. "Weaves allow one to do weird stuff. We had a guy here once who feigned death when his caravan was ambushed. He spent three whole days in this place before his weave let him breathe - almost buried the guy. Actually, the reason we leave the bodies here for two whole weeks. Or the other time . . . " "Marcus. That''s enough." I knew that forthright, strong, almost regal female voice. It would be odd if I didn''t, I spent quite a long time talking to the woman. "C-Captain Rayden?" "Hello, Grey. I was sure I''d see you soon. But . . . not this soon, not like this, and certainly not here," she said, her soothing aura stretching across the space, tingling my skin. "This place gives me the creeps. What do you say we move somewhere else? Somewhere warmer, better lit, and not reeking of corpses?" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''Oh, that sounds good, really good.'' Whether it was the simple joy of not sitting in a tomb, the healer''s warm touch, [Indomitable Will] keeping me from going crazy, Rayden''s calming aura making the hairs on my body bristle, or the combination of it all, it washed away the horror of this place. As if by some magic, instead of cowering in fear, I nodded fiercely, more than eager to get out of here. "Hold on, young lass," the tall man, Marcus apparently, stopped me as I broke out of my cocoon of wings and tail. "Becca, is it all right for her to move?" "It - it is. I mean, I don''t get it, sir. She had so many broken bones and stab wounds when she was brought here, but now . . . " The man touched her shoulder, giving me a knowing smile and making my heart skip a beat. "Exceptional regeneration, lass?" ''T-the heck? How . . . how did he know?'' "Y-yeah." "See, Becca, as I said, weaves allow you to do plenty of crazy stuff - even to bring you back from the brink of death. Saw it happen many times during the wars, right San?" Captain Rayden just nodded back, waiting patiently with her hands behind her back. "But, sir, I am sure she was dead, stabbed through the heart. It was even stated in the report that came with her," Senior Healer Hill insisted, struggling to understand where she had made a mistake. Little did she know that she hadn''t. Feeling slightly light-headed and sorry for the woman, I took a breath to come clean, but Rayden took the wind out of my sails. "Calm down, Sergeant Hill. No one is blaming you. I read the full report; the witness confirmed as much, and Corporal Farshine owned up to it as well. Actually, he''ll be happy to hear that he didn''t kill anybody - at least not permanently. The latrine cleaning duty will do him good anyway." ''What? Report? Witness? Corporal Farshine? Was he the one who killed me?'' "Rather than blame someone, I would prefer to move Grey somewhere where I won''t feel like the dead are watching us?" Okay, now she took the words right out of my mouth. ''Yes, please! I don''t want to be here any longer, either.'' "Hold on, San. Are you saying her regeneration is good enough to bring her back from the dead?" ''Damn, was he a healer? Any empathy?'' "More or less, Marcus." "But that''s a dual-array shit, usually two hundred sigils, typically more." Rayden sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Will it be enough to say she''s one of the Lost?" The man whistled, surprisingly quietly as if mindful of my ears, or not to wake the dead. "Oh, damn. Sorry to hear that, lass. Has its perks, doesn''t it, though?" ''The f . . . k? Perks? Was not being able to die a perk? Well, I guess so, but . . . '' Wait, did the Lost always get some sort of "perk" from the Fae? If so, what did I get the first time? The ability to survive anything that the deranged asshole put into my body? The sudden burst of anger, however, quickly drowned in the ease flooding my body. Instead, feeling close to tipsy, I bared my teeth at the man in a teasing grin. "Y-you mean the prospect of being buried alive, mister . . . ?" "Oh, I like you, lass. It''s Chief Healer Ardaivel¡¯cas, but you can call me Marcus." The man chuckled and tapped Senior Healer Hill on the shoulder. "Is she good to go, Becca?" "Yes, sir. She''s . . . she''s perfectly fine." "Good. Then, it''s time for a cozy chair, a blanket, and a hot chocolate. In my experience, it can do more than a dozen potions." ''Did he say chocolate?'' It wasn''t just some tease, a mistranslation of my [Eleaden Standard Language] weave, was it? The chocolate was real here, right? It had to be. If not, that would be too cruel. "Only, sir . . . " "Yes, Becca?" "There''s something in her belly I can''t get a good read on." ''Oh, no!'' The hope of tasting that divine sweet nectar again instantly turned to dread, tying my guts in a knot. "Her belly?" ''The shitty beast core!'' Chapter 83: Not an Interrogation "Her belly?" "Her womb, to be exact, sir." Senior Healer Hill nodded, her hands still on my shoulders, concern in her voice. She meant well, not wanting to make another mistake but in doing so, she made me want to hide in the darkest corner of the morgue and not come out. Remembering how the deranged asshole and the shoelace bitch acted, there was no doubt that having a beast core was something unheard of - or at least very, very rare. And as Scoresby said, rare was prized and prized was sought after. "You think she''s pregnant?" ''Huh? How the heck...?'' "No! I''m not!" ''Shit! Are you stupid, Korra?'' Why not go with the lie? Why squeal like some teenage girl embarrassed to have others think she got knocked up? I might as well have spilled the beans. "No, sir, she''s not. I checked for signs of rape, and..." "Right, with her regeneration, it''s pointless." ''Rape? What the heck?'' On second thought, it was a fair assumption. I had been ambushed and dragged into a back alley. But was the pregnancy here that swift, or were the healers that good, and able to tell if the girl was knocked up just a few hours after the¡­ act? "All right, Becca, let me see," Chief Healer said, concerned to see the issue my lap held. However, when he noticed Captain Rayden''s disapproving stare, he paused before even touching me. "Right, but first, the hot chocolate. The morgue is no place to address such things. So, lass, what do you say? Are your taste buds ready to explore new flavors?" The prospect of a comfy chair, a blanket, and a sweet treat sounded a lot more bitter now, but with the help of Senior Healer Hill, I climbed down from the stone table, trying to use my rather stiff limbs. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "So, is it good?" Chief Healer asked me, himself sipping on a cup of hot chocolate he had prepared. "My very own recipe. It took me years to perfect it." "Yes," I breathed out, barely able to speak. Not knowing any better, I would think I must have come from hell to heaven, that I woke up from a nightmare in an alley followed by a morgue into a dream of fuzziness and intoxicating sweetness. Curled up under a soft blanket, I sat in the small back room of the infirmary, the Chief Healer''s office, in an incredibly comfortable chair with a mug of hot chocolate that actually tasted like the chocolate I remembered, if only with flavors I couldn''t quite put my finger on. ''I mean - what else could it be but a dream?'' "It''s delicious," I piped, sipping from my mug again. "Glad to hear that." "Don''t look so smug, Marcus." "How could I not?" the Chief Healer countered, unfazed by Captain Rayden, pointing at me. "Look at her ears doing a little happy dance. One mug did more than all our weaves put together." ''Oh, those. Never again.'' No, not the ear thing. Admittedly, though, it was kind of weirdly funny how my ears wiggled all by themselves with my joy. Nevertheless, a shudder ran through my body at the memory of how dazed I had been by the weaves, skills, and abilities thrown at me without my permission. It was sickening. Almost worse than having a collar around my neck and a Slave array binding my mind. No, in my eyes, the Chief Healer deserved to be proud. Not only did his hot chocolate make me feel better than Senior Healer Hill''s touch and Rayden''s aura combined, but it kept my mind clear. "Eh¡­ c-could you not¡­ y-you know, NOT to use the... those things on me again? Please." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Not exactly words overflowing with confidence, more like the plea of a weakling. I couldn''t help it, though. With Senior Healer Hill gone, excused as the involvement of mind mages was a matter beyond her rank; I was the only weakling in the room. Those two were simply strong - like, really, really strong. [Warrior: ?? sigils] [Healer: ?? sigils] The two weird runes - I mean ¡°Obscures¡± both of them, over 96 sigils more than me, the power that the Lattice judged was beyond my ability to read. But the runic lines binding this world were wrong. When I looked at the two, my instincts screamed danger. The stoic woman and the chocolate wizard were more than just a Warrior and a Healer. They had not just one fight under their belts; they were a pack, a strong pack. "What do you mean, Grey?" "The soothing thing. It was..." I paused, searching for a word that wouldn''t offend Rayden. "...too much." The Chief Healer laughed. "Too overwhelming, right? I''ve been telling her that for years. The [Soothing Touch] Becca used would have been enough." "That''s arguable," Rayden said back, unperturbed. "Given the situation, I judged it appropriate. Speaking of which, do you feel fine talking about the said situation and how you got into it, Grey?" Did I? ''No!'' I would prefer to stay tucked under the blanket, oblivious to everything happening outside of it. But as much as I hated it, I eventually had to face the nightmarish reality of my life. "Um-hmm." The half-hearted nod, followed by a sip from the mug, was more than telling of my willingness. "All right, keep in mind that this is not an interrogation; you''re not under any truth-telling enchantments, nor will either of us use weaves to force you to tell the truth. But since this conversation is being witnessed by a Castiana City Guard lieutenant and myself, it will be considered as an official statement that will carry weight." "O-okay," I stammered, giving the room another glance. It certainly looked a lot more cozy than the gloomy, empty place where I first talked to Rayden. Thick carpet on the floor, coffee table in the middle, wide sofa, three comfortable armchairs - there was no desk, nothing giving the place an office vibe. "You should water them," I whispered without thinking at the sorry state of the many potted plants breathing life into the room. "You think so? They look fine to me, lass." "Um-hmm." Watering plants only when they showed signs of withering was like eating when you were already starving. It was a torture. Speaking of which, at the moment only the hot chocolate was holding back the beast in my stomach from growling. Whatever I had eaten before, and it wasn''t much, just the little Scoresby had given me for breakfast in the ruins of the inn in Esulmor, now lay on the ground in this back alley.. "Don''t worry, Grey. It may look like a companion''s hovel, but the walls here have the same enchantments as my office," Captain Rayden said, mistaking my hunger-derived wince for a frown over the room. "No one can hear us here. So, tell me, what happened in that alley?" ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "...and then I reached for Ria - is she really okay?" "Yes, she is," Rayden said with a sigh, massaging the bridge of her nose, tired of my constant questions about Ria. Apparently, the little kitsune was still unconscious when she was brought here - a blow to the back of the head. Nothing serious. A light healing was enough. "She was confused, naturally, but returned safely to the City Hall." "According to the report." "Look, Grey, when we''re done here, you can run over and see her, but now stick to telling me what happened in that alley." "S-sorry," I whispered, pulling back in my armchair a little. "Not much else happened, though. I felt the pain in my back and saw the spear sticking out of my chest. Then¡­ who was that witness you mentioned? Ria?" ''It couldn''t have been her, could it? She was unconscious the whole time.'' "An alley cat." "Oh." ''Wait, what? A cat? A cat was a witness? Was she serious?'' The ridiculousness of it quickly faded away, though, once I remembered my own ability to talk to animals. Actually, taking them on as eyewitnesses was quite a smart move. If Castiana was anything like the cities on Earth, the streets were full of walking CCTVs. "According to our beast talkers, it saw the whole thing. But not what you should be focusing on. You were stabbed, and then?" "T-then the next thing I know, I woke up in the morgue." "I see, thank you." "It wouldn''t be a bad idea to put in some enchantments," the Chief Healer remarked, giving Rayden a hopeful look. "You know, to alert us that there''s someone breathing." "Sure, but don''t tell me; tell our City Lord," she retorted, bitterness at the mention of the nobleman of this city lacing her voice. But then, looking no less bitter, she turned to face me gravely serious. "Look, Grey, I know saying my apologies is pointless. As bad as it sounds, if it wasn''t for you, an innocent life would have been lost. There''s no excuse for that. I take full responsibility for my men, it''s no less my fault than theirs. But what we need to talk about right now is this." There was a lot to talk about and even more that I didn''t want to bring up, ever, but Rayden was right. The piece of paper she placed on the table, with the reward of two hundred gold coins put on my head, raised many questions. Chapter 84: Call "Damn! Two hundred golds?" After picking up the note from the table and giving the paper a look Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas whistled a little louder this time, hurting my ears. "Not bad, lass. Reminds me of the days when we had bounties on our asses, doesn''t it San? How much was it?" "Too much, Marcus, too much. Enough to buy you a noble title and live without worrying about money for the rest of your life." "Yeah, what a time..." ''Huh? Wait a minute. Did they used to be criminals? Was this city run by thugs?'' Horrified, I froze, wondering if I had escaped from street thugs only to fall into the hands of thugs in uniforms. Were they going to sell me? Fund City Guards with the money put on my head? "Are you sure you don''t want me to use my auras, Grey? You look..." "No!" I blurted out, getting the creeps at the thought of her messing with my mind again, even if only with the best of intentions. "I mean, I''m fine." Obviously, neither of them bought my lie, so I did the smartest thing I could think of: I asked a stupid question. "T-that bounty on you? Were you¡­ you know...?" "All right, I''ll stop you there, Grey. This..." Rayden said, pointing to the note in the Chief Healer''s hands. "...is how mind mages operate." "True, lass. They love to get others to do their dirty work for them." "If they can''t get control of you directly, they use your friends, family, acquaintances, neighbors - in this case, anyone who''s desperate enough for money." "Th-that''s..." "Not the worst of it all," Chief Healer cut me off. "People under their sway can be brought to their senses, whatever the bastards put in their heads removed, their minds healed - in time. No, the worst is the mistrust. Once you start doubting those around you, they won." "But..." Rayden held up her hand to stop me. "By no means are we telling you to trust us. Trust is something that has to be earned. Just don''t look for the shadow of a mind mage in everyone you meet. It''ll only drive you crazy - seen it happen more than once. And more than once, the suspicion and distrust cost the Empire a battle." "A battle? Were you...?" "In an army?" Chief Healer cut me a grin. "Yes. We served and fought like many others. Terrible times. An endless stream of the wounded and those mind-fucked flooding the healer''s tents. Let me tell you, lass, that having time to sit in a chair, put your feet up on the table, and enjoy a hot chocolate in peace is a luxury few people appreciate these days." "So, it''s over¡­ those wars, I mean." ''It sounded like they were.'' While I wish I could say that Earth was better in that regard and that resolving conflicts with wars was a thing of the past, sadly, that was not the case. Even in the present day, or at least up to the day of my abduction, various countries were still waging wars as they had in the Middle Ages. That in no way meant that the notion of being closer to the war than ever before left me at ease and feeling like I was back home. Quite the opposite, a shudder ran through my body, and I had to seek solace in a mug of hot chocolate. "You mean, you''ve never heard of Mind Wars?" The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "No," I whispered into a mug, shaking my head. "She''s not from Sahal, Marcus. I granted her citizenship yesterday." "Personally?" "She used to be a slave to the Alchemist of Potions." His eyes widened as he took his feet off the couch, sitting up straight. "Slave to that little shit? Ah, I see¡­ he hasn''t abandoned that asinine idea of his." "No," Captain Rayden affirmed, as the Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas now surveyed me with a renewed interest in his eyes. "And apparently, he''s found a backer. Want to guess who, Marcus?" "Hey, I''m not a hound like Blaine. I''m a healer. How would I know¡­ ah. No, you can''t be serious, San? Those mind fuckers?" "It seems so. Grey here had the pleasure of meeting one of their Cognizants." "Damn!" the Chief Healer whistled with sympathy, his eyes dropping from me to the paper in his hands. "Hang on, San. Are you saying this is a legitimate Hunting Call from those mind fuckers? I thought we were just, you know, reminiscing about old times." "I wish we were - I really do, Marcus. But it looks like we have one of them sneaking around closer than we thought." "It could be just one of their thralls." "You mean, sent here to spread the Call? No, too fast. Without me asking him, Blaine has already done some digging, and it seems to have been posted on notice boards around the city for three days already - counting today." "He takes his job too seriously. We''re not in the military anymore; he''s no longer an intelligence officer." "Not in rank, but¡­ it wouldn''t hurt if you took a cue from him, Marcus." "Maybe he should be the one to take the time to relax a bit. Seriously, though, if what you say is true, then¡­ hold on," Chief Healer said and paused with his gaze falling on little me huddled under a blanket again. "How long has it been since you escaped, lass?" ''Huh? What now? How long?'' A little busy digesting all that I had just heard, it took me a while to understand what he was asking and even longer to count the nights I enjoyed free. The one I spent dead in the morgue made a bit of a mess of things and time in my head. "F-five days? Yeah, I think this is the fifth day since¡­ since I found myself in Esulmor." "In Es¡­ hold on, am I missing something, or did the little shit set up his lab under our asses?" Captain Rayden sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "I said she was Lost, didn''t I? Well..." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "So he might as well be on the other side of the continent," Chief Healer said more to himself, after listening to the summary of what I had gone through. "Damn! I can see now why you''d think one of them must be near Castiana - or even in it." "And if they''re not, they soon will be. Grey is not exactly one to blend in with the crowd. The word will get out - if not already." "S-sorry," I whispered from under my blanket, ears down. "Don''t let it get to you, lass. Not your fault. Instead, you should see it from the bright side. It makes you unique." "Isn''t that the problem?" He chuckled. "I really like you. But tell me, why do people dress differently, wear jewelry, paint their faces, do their hair?" ''To make them feel human?'' Definitely not the answer, but what was on the tip of my tongue, on my heart. "Well, there are actually many reasons for that, though, in a sense, to make yourself or your group unique, different from the others. It does beg the question of what is so unique about you, lass, that it made mind mages want to find you so badly to use open Hunting Call." "My thoughts exactly. I haven''t seen them take such risks since the Wars," Captain Rayden said, leaning toward me, resting her elbows on her knees. "You see Grey, despite what most would like to believe and sadly believe, the Mind Wars aren''t over. We have not defeated the mind mages." "You d-didn''t?" "No. We defeated their armies but managed to kill only some of them. Most went into hiding." "Pretty easy when everyone they look at is basically their friend." Chief Healer added somewhat tartly. "Everyone? C-can no one resist them?" ''I know I did. The beast, that is.'' "Of course there are such people, but the mind-fuckers aren''t stupid and the general population isn''t that strong.¡± ¡°During the Wars it wasn''t hard to convince everyone to take precautions, to train their minds, but now that they''re officially over¡­ look, Grey. I know you didn''t tell me everything, and I respect that. Despite all the shit that¡¯s happened to you, you''ve been truthful with me, so I''ll be straight with you. If you want me to go out of my way to help you, I need to hear why they''re after you." Chapter 85: Trust Has To Be Earned ¡®Why did the mind mages come after me, huh?¡¯ Taking a breath to answer, I stopped myself before I even uttered a word, not really knowing what to say or if I even wanted to say anything in the first place. These two, Rayden and Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas, had a history with the mind mages, no doubt about that. The problem was that I had no way of telling whether the hatred behind their words that made the hairs on my body stand up was genuine or just an act. ''I mean, it felt real.'' Even my instincts were telling me so. Still¡­ there might have been more to it than they were letting me see. Sometimes you had to do things you resented, or work with someone you hated. ''Who else to turn to, though? Scoresby?'' No, I couldn''t ask more of that old man than he had already done for me, let alone put him in danger because of me. ''But could I trust these two?'' They were strong, very strong, no doubt about that. So strong, in fact, that they didn''t need to bother with some convoluted way to fool me. Should they choose to, I wouldn''t be able to escape, not when I was locked in the same room with them. ''No. As Rayden said, trust was something that had to be earned.'' And so far, everything they''ve done has given me no reason not to trust them. If anything, the opposite. ''Okay. Okay, let¡¯s do it! Please don''t let this be a mistake,'' I thought to myself, sipped on my hot chocolate and took a deep breath. "I c-can¡­ I can turn into a beast." "Ah, you''re a shifter, lass? That little shit made you into a natural shifter?" "That''s what you already told me, Grey," Captain Rayden pointed out, hinting that I shouldn''t try to fool them and instead spill the beans. "Hold on, San. If she can keep her sanity and not go wild in her beast form, then..." "No," I blurted out to stop him, only to pause short myself. "S-sorry, sir." "Nah, call me Marcus, everyone does." "Not true," Rayden grunted with a sigh and looked at me. "You were saying Grey?" "When I turn, the beast overwhelms me - kind of. I mean, I am aware of what I''m doing. I''m just...I''m just not in complete control." "But you''re able to come back," Marcus, I mean Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas pointed out, gesturing to me. "Not many who go feral can." ''If only that were true.'' "I''ve turned twice so far, twice I died and found myself - well, back." "Ah, I see. On the bright side, lass, not many can do that either, not even in our sigil range." ''What? I would have thought that...'' "Really?" I asked, looking at them both. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Rayden merely nodded, the weight of her gaze pushing me to give her the answer she was looking for, a contrast to the Chief Healer, who threw me a smile and made it feel like we were just chatting, despite the gravity of the situation. "Usually, when someone dies, it means they''re dead. But there are weaves that allow you to ignore otherwise fatal injuries, let you keep going even when you''re a hair¡¯s breadth away from death, or that heal you instantly. As a healer, I could bring someone back to life if they died before my eyes. Being able to do it without a weave, though, that''s different shit altogether." "It''s not like it''s me. It''s the runes," I blurted out, unconsciously touching the spot on my chest where the Fae had placed them. "Wouldn''t it be enough to - you know, copy them? You could then..." "I''ll stop you there, Grey. Runes like these and the ones behind your ears are not as simple as they first appear. It''s not just some mark on your skin." "San''s right, lass. There''s been no official study, but I''ve heard of cases where they tried to cut out the runes of those Lost and even implant them into another. It didn''t work." "But don''t get confused when you see someone with rune tattoos. These are not rare. I have a few myself," Rayden disclosed, eyeing me sharply; obviously, not a conversation she wanted to have. "Simple stuff, like keeping your hair a certain length, that sort of thing. To place yours requires strength, which humans do not possess, and knowledge they lack. So unless the mind mages find a willing Fae, or someone of equal strength, at which point they wouldn''t need you anymore, the runes can''t be the reason they''re after you." She paused, leaning back in her chair, hands folded in her lap. "Look, Grey. It''s your call, and if you choose not to tell me why the mind mages are so interested in you, I''ll respect that, but don''t expect me to go out of my way to help you when I don''t know why I should." ''Did she just threaten me? She did, didn''t she? Shit! Shit, shit, shit.'' Was she serious? She seemed to be. My instincts were telling me otherwise, though. She was just trying to push me to tell the truth when she had already made up her mind. But so had I. There was no way I could do without help, not after what they told me about mind mages. So once more, I took a sip of hot chocolate, actually finishing the mug, and went out with the truth. "I can, no¡­ I become a beast?" "You already said that..." "No, what I meant was¡­ s-sorry, ma''am." "It''s fine; go ahead, Grey." Rayden motioned for me to continue, glad I had finally found the guts to spill the beans. "What I meant is that¡­ they said, that asshole - Dungreen and that mind mage, Cognizant, that¡­ that only beasts can have a core." ''There, I said it.'' Quite a relief to get it off my chest, actually. But no answer came. Not immediately. Taken aback, it took them a while to process what I had just said. It spoke volumes about how unusual it really was to have a core. "Let me make sure I got that right, lass. When you shift into a beast, you form a core, a beast core?" "No, sir. I..." "It''s Marcus." "For the tits'' sake, let her talk. You were saying, Grey?" "The core. I have it all the time. I have it right now, here," I said, bringing my hand out of the blanket and touching my belly. "Ah, that thing Becca saw?" "Um-hmm." At least, I hoped that was it. Regardless of the reason, anything seemed possible in this world. Being pregnant, though, was the last thing I needed right now. "Balls on tits! San, that''s..." "I know." "If that''s true..." "I know, Marcus." "Can I have a look, lass?" he asked, his eyes sparkling like those of a child in a candy store. In contrast, dread settled in the pit of my stomach. ''Did I want to let him see it? Heck no!'' I didn''t want to see it myself, so why would I let anyone else? Not the answer I gave him, though. ''Trust had to be earned.'' "D-do I have to lie down?" "No, stay seated, lass. Make yourself comfortable. I just want to take a peek, not do a deeper check. Let me just put my hand on your shoulder." When I gave him permission, Marcus, I mean, the Chief Healer didn''t hesitate, moved briskly over to me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. Immediately, a warmth from his palm seeped into my body, spreading rapidly, but unlike in the case of Senior Healer Hill''s check-up, it quickly found its way to my lap. "I''ll be damned! She wasn''t lying, San. The lass has a core." "Well, Grey," Rayden said, taking a breath to take it in. "I''d say that''s a damn good reason for the mind mages to go out of their way to find you. And damn good reason to make sure that doesn''t happen." Chapter 86: Healer or Doctor, One and the Same "S-so . . . you''re g-going to help me?" I asked, unable to keep the hope out of my voice. "That¡¯s without question, Grey," Rayden said as if her not helping me was never a question. "Whenever mind mages show interest in something, it''s not good. If anything, it is in the interest of the Empire not to let them have their way. Even more so when it comes to the beast core in a human. Can you actually use it?" ''Interest of the Empire?'' That didn''t sound good, not good at all. "Damn! Why didn''t I think to ask?" Chief Healer cursed with his hand still on my shoulder, him still scanning my lap. "The core is tiny, but it doesn''t appear to be damaged." "The b . . . the beast knows how?" "The beast?" ''Shit! How do I explain this?'' "It''s this . . . feral fury deep inside that takes over when I shift." "I see - when you go wild. So, the way you are now, you can''t use it, Grey?" "M-more like I don''t know h-how. I m-mean, it''s only been five days since they shoved it in my belly. And ever since then, I''ve just been trying to survive. I haven''t had time to learn how to use the fucking thing!" "Calm down, Grey. I didn''t mean to question you, nor your abilities - I''m merely trying to figure out the severity of this issue. Just because you have a sword doesn''t necessarily mean you know how to use it." "Oh, s-sorry." "It''s fine. But back to what I was saying. Neither does it mean that you shouldn''t be able to use said sword with a little practice. So, you think you would be able to do that? To use the core, if you try?" "I don''t know . . . I mean. I don''t even know what to do with my own mana - I''m not a mage." Besides, I wasn''t even sure I wanted to. It was in my fucking belly, in my womb. What if using it would just make things worse? How bad was it, anyway? ''Did I even want to know?'' Ignorance was bliss, as they say. ''Yeah, perhaps it would be better to not know and just . . . '' "I''m afraid that as a healer, I have to advise against using the core," Chief Healer spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically somber. "At least until we know more about it." ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit - fuck! It was bad. Bad, bad, bad.'' "Marcus?" "This should normally be a matter between healer and patient. But . . . " he said and paused, looking down at me. "If you want, I can just tell San later, but . . . and this is speaking from experience; it''s better to know what''s wrong with your body." ''So, there WAS something wrong.'' Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Of course, there was. I was a freaking half beast. Even my Grid said I was supposed to be human, not having a core like a beast. Actually, why was the core thing exclusive to beasts? Why couldn''t humans have a core? ''Stop it, Korra. Not the most pressing issue.'' Hugging Sage tighter, I buried my head in her long hair and took a breath of apple-scented air to calm my racing heart a little. ''Oh, shut up.'' Not that much calmer, I looked up at the Chief Healer, standing over me, waiting for my answer. But the words stuck in my throat. "If you need more time, lass, you can have it. Maybe another mug of hot chocolate?" "Yes . . . I mean no. Sorry. I . . . I don''t . . . " "Calm down, Grey - or if you want, I can . . . " "No, I''m good," I blurted out to stop her, afraid she might use her soothing aura without my consent. Of course, neither of them bought the blatant lie. I wouldn''t. But right now, I didn''t need to deal with some weird shit affecting my mind. ''Okay, Korra, you can do it! It can''t be worse than having wings growing out of your back and a tail growing out of your ass.'' "S-so, sir . . . mister Ardaivel''cas. H-how bad is it, sir?" Instead of reminding me to call him Marcus again, the Chief Healer merely nodded, unlike his usual self, dreadfully serious. "All right, listen, lass. First of all, it doesn''t appear to be life-threatening. The tissue around the nucleus is stable and does not rot." ''That much I knew.'' After all, that was what the deranged asshole and the shoelace bitch raved about so much. My body accepted the core. "I''ll have to see you in the span of a few days to say for sure that the tissue isn''t growing, though." That didn''t sound good - in fact, it sounded as bad as when I was back on Earth in the hospital listening to the doctor tell me about my mom''s tumor. "Ah, so . . . is it . . . you know . . . cancerous?" "Sorry, lass, cancerous?" ''Shit! Did it get translated wrong? Maybe they just didn''t know the word?'' Swallowing the dread of memories I would rather not have, I tried to explain as best I could. "Whether it''s affecting other parts of the body, if it''s not rotting elsewhere?" "Ah, I see. Well, I hadn''t noticed, but let me check," the Chief Healer said, and once more, I felt his warm touch spread from my shoulder all the way to my lap and onto every part of my body. "No, you can be at ease, lass; your body is otherwise fine. The problem is the tissue around the core. Usually, the core is found in the beast''s ribcage in a tissue capsule opposite the heart, about the thickness of a little finger. Yours is several times that size." ''It''s okay, Korra. It''ll be fine; just stay strong and listen.'' "Um-hmm." I nodded, letting him know to continue while trying not to tremble. "The core itself is the size of a pea, but the tissue capsule around it is a little bigger than my fist." ''His fist?'' Looking at his not-so-small hands, I swallowed dryly. What little hope I had that having the core would be like my other mutations, just another limb, had shrunk to a trickle. "Given the location . . . there''s no better way to put it, but it destroyed your womb, lass. I am sorry." Hearing what I feared said out loud was like having the Fae runes behind my ears do their job. My mind went totally blank. "You mean destroyed as in beyond your power to fix it, Marcus?" Captain Rayden asked, her voice breaking the heavy silence that fell in the room, sparking a little hope in me. ''Perhaps somewhere out there was a healer, or whoever, who could fix my womb, or even me - capable of ridding me of my mutations.'' "Well, I won''t know for sure until I try, but at the moment, it''s beyond my power to do anything about it. I am really sorry, lass. Your ovaries are fine, and you should have no problem enjoying sex, but having children . . . I wouldn''t advise you to take that chance. Actually, I''d recommend you take some birth control measures." ''What? S-sex? Birth control?'' "I-I see." ''No kids, though? Ever?'' It wasn''t like I was planning on having any looking like this, anyway. So why . . . WHY the bloody fuck was I crying like the floodgates had opened? WHY did it hurt so much? Chapter 87: Options "Here." the Chief Healer handed me another mug of hot chocolate and sat back down on the couch across from me. "Like I said, lass. I have to try first, look more thoroughly and even if it were to be...well, there are still options. So don''t drop your ears." "There are?" I asked in a whisper, wiped my tears away, and sipped from the mug. It worked wonders and even drove away hunger a little bit. ''He didn''t mean adoption, did he?'' Not that there was anything wrong with that. Having someone like Ria as part of my family would be amazing. It just... when I thought those bastards had nothing left to take from me but my humanity and my life, they found a way to rob me of that and more. "What are you thinking about, Marcus?" Captain Rayden inquired, deep in thought herself. "Janine?" "Yes, her. She...don''t worry, that''s my wife, lass. A healer like me. No less impressive." ''In other words, she had as much chance of helping me as he did.'' A little too bitter? So what? I had every right to be. "Oh, don''t give me that devastated look. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone else to take a glance at the issue, and it goes away, right San?" "That''s without question." Taking a hint from Marcus - er, Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas to go on, she continued. "I mean, I have people that I trust and talk to about things I have trouble deciding on my own. The general I served under in the Wars consulted with others before making judgments, and even the Emperor himself has his advisors. So..." "I get it." A bit brash, but I stopped her. Even though it might not have looked like it, I was well aware of what they were trying to say. Even the doctors back on Earth were constantly consulting my mom''s results with their colleagues. "There''s still hope, huh?" That was what they used to say. "Yes, there is, lass. And if the two of us fail to find a way to fix you, there''s always our mentor. Actually, I believe we should contact him anyway. What do you think, San?" "Not just him. That core..." Captain Rayden paused, nodding towards my lap. "...sure is going to make a lot of people itchy when the word gets out." "I...I haven''t told anyone." "It would be foolish if you did, and I''m sure the mind mages won''t make that mistake either. In fact, I think they''re going to do everything in their power to keep it under wraps for as long as they can." "Do you think they''ll go that far?" Marcus asked, a bit skeptical. "Actually, even further, they''ve already shown us how valuable she is to them," Rayden pointed out, tapping the note with my description on it, the Hunting Call, as they called it. She then leaned closer, elbows propped on her knees. "Look, Grey. The way I see it, you have two choices. Three if you count getting caught, and they''ll get you, trust me. It might be tomorrow, or it might be a month from now, but eventually, there will be someone like the four yesterday, only successful. You''ll have to watch your back all the time, trusting no one - and like I said, it can drive one crazy." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Given my cellar experience, where every step on the stairs made me shiver in the corner and pray it wasn''t my turn, it wasn''t hard to imagine. "You ...you f-forgot to mention that I''d end up a pet for life, ma''am." "Oh, you wish. They wouldn''t go this far just for some pet. No, you''d end up back in the hands of Frederic Dungreen if he''s still alive." My ears perked up. "Y-you think he isn''t - ma''am?" "Mind mages don''t take failure too well. But given what he has accomplished with you, I''d say they put a tight leash on him. That man aside, though, no doubt they''ll want to make more of you. You know what that means, don''t you, Grey?¡± They would want to find out what makes me so special, why I survived so many concoctions, and eventually accepted the beast core. And even if that deranged asshole was really dead, they had other alchemists who could make my life a living hell - that mind-bitch said as much. "Y-yeah, I do," I whispered, sipping from my mug. "Good. That brings us to the second option, which is to send you to the man Marcus mentioned, his and his wife''s mentor, Lord Wigram." ''L-Lord? A noble man?'' "Why him?" I blurted out, a bit confused. "He''s a healer, right?" If he was their mentor, he had to be. "Not just any healer." Marcus, I mean Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas grinned at me, a touch of pride in his voice. "He¡¯s a healer at the Imperial Court. In fact, he holds one of the highest positions there, the Imperial Chief Healer." "Oh, s-sorry." That truly sounded like something to be proud of. Actually, it sounded like a position that could only be held by the best healer in the Empire. "Wait! You want to send me to the imperial court? I..." Rayden held up a hand to stop me. "I know what you''re thinking, Grey, that I might as well send you into the hands of mind mages. And while there are people in the court who wouldn''t shy away from using similar heinous ways just to find out your secrets, the Imperial Chief Healer is a position on the level of a duke. Only the Emperor and the Empress have the power to order him around." "So if they ordered him...you know, you said having a core was in the Empire''s interest." "No, I said it was in the Empire''s interest not to let the mind mages have their way - have you. Look, Grey, I understand your worry. But the Imperial Chief Healer is a wise man with a heart in the right place. I sincerely believe that being under his wing in Imperial City is the safest place for you to be right now." "O-okay?" There was no hint of deceit in her voice, no falsehood. Rayden truly believed what she said. ''Still...'' What difference did it make to fear every shadow here or to live in dread of the moment when the Imperial Chief Healer would no longer be able to stand up to the Emperor''s decision? "B-but?" There was a but. I mean, Rayden had talked about three options. "Well, here''s the thing. None of that solves the main issue, does it?" ''True.'' Sure, I would either end up in the clutches of mind mages with no will of my own, or be forced to hide from them for the rest of my life - neither an option that sat well with me. Both sounded in their own way, like having a collar put back on my neck. But unlike stupid little me, Marcus seemed to have figured out where Rayden was going with this. He sat up on the sofa, more serious than I''d ever seen him before. "Hang on, San. Are you thinking what I think you''re thinking? You want her to be a bait?" ''Huh? Wait, what? Me a bait? No! No, no, no, that can¡¯t be right!'' Rayden''s serious look, however, dashed all my hopes. "Basically, yes." Chapter 88: Expectations "What do you mean by bait?" Even though I did ask, the answer I feared was not lost on me. "I think you know, Grey. You''re a smart one," Rayden said, as serious as Marcus, obviously hinting for me to say out loud what she was thinking. "Y-you want to lure the mind mages out . . . by using me." "As bad as it sounds, I see this as a golden opportunity to clean house. And before you start barking at me, think about it. Sure, it''s dangerous, but would you rather live in a place where every shadow can hide monsters coming for your throat or where you don''t have to worry about walking down a street?" "The latter." Obviously. I wanted to feel safe, to not have to constantly look over my shoulder, to let my harrowing past be the past. "B-but couldn''t you find them and . . . and get rid of them, you know, without me?" She smirked, while Marcus gave me a sad smile. "Though it doesn''t seem that way right now, that''s what we''ve been trying to do the whole time we''ve been here, lass. However, those mind-fuckers are sly and spineless. You''ll see a horde of their thralls before you see them. I don''t like it any more than you do, but . . . San is right. This is a unique opportunity." "It is. They are interested in getting you. So interested, in fact, that they''ve poked their heads out of their hidey holes in a way they haven''t in years. I don''t want to force you into anything, Grey. But if you help me, I will do everything in my power to help you." ''Shit!'' The hairs on the back of my neck prickled at her words. Not in a bad way, though. The woman was dead serious. ''Could she get me home, though? No, I don''t think so.'' Nor was I naive to think that I could survive in this world without help. Not the way I was right now, a Slave, weak, half-beast gal. "Couldn''t you . . . I don''t know . . . ?" "What? Protect you? Sorry, Grey, I don''t have enough men to babysit your ass twenty-four hours a day just for the sake of it." "Th-then let me work here." I needed a job anyway. "You want to be a city guard?" There was no contempt in her voice, merely a sense of surprise. "Not exactly a city guard, more like . . . I don''t know, cleaning lady. But if that''s what it takes - I know I''m weak, but I''ll train." "I¡¯d rather have you be driven by determination than desperation." "Desperation can make you do many things, but getting far is not one of those," Marcus chimed in before Rayden could say more. "Besides, do you really want to spend the rest of your life locked behind these walls, lass? The barracks are nothing glamorous. It gets boring here pretty fast, trust me. The fun is out there. Quite often, right across the street at the Drunken Filly." "I know," I grumbled back, not entirely sure where he was going with it. I mean, what else could I do? "Then become stronger. So strong that others will think twice about trying anything on you. Look at San." "D-didn''t I say I was going to train?" "You want to train so you can stay here," Sanysia Rayden pointed out. "Yeah, is that . . . wrong?" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "You should train to be able to stay out there." Becoming strong enough to not have to constantly look over my shoulder? To not have to be afraid of every side alley I pass, every shadow I step over, even my own? To not have to tremble in dread of everyone I come across trying to put a collar around my neck? ''That sounded good - really, really good. Too good, actually.'' "Is there a catch?" "Pardon?" Rayden asked, confused by my question, and rightly so. "O-oh, I s-said it out loud? S-sorry." "Well, maybe it''s a good thing you did. Better to voice your doubts now than too late, Grey. So?" "Well . . . this is gonna sound stupid, but will my problems really go away if I become strong?" Rayden smirked. "Ah, you wonder if being strong is a miracle cure for happiness. I hate to break it to you, but it''s not. That''s just something ordinary people think, a dream. Sure, it has its merits, but it won''t get rid you of your enemies or make you rich. That''s something you have to do yourself." In other words, everyone was the maker of their own happiness. But the question was how deep a pool of blood I had to wade through to get mine. How many lives have I had to extinguish to find my peace? "I don''t want to have to kill anyone else." Rayden nodded at my whisper, the corners of her mouth lifting in a faint smile. "And you shouldn''t want to. If you did, I''d think twice about giving you a helping hand in training." Wasn''t killing a way to become stronger, though? ''Dumbass! Of course not, Korra.'' They said they were both in the war, but I couldn''t imagine the Chief Healer getting where he is by killing his patients. And I didn''t get my 97 sigils by killing my fellow freaks, either. I got them by fulfilling that deranged asshole''s fantasy, by being true to my array. ''Shit. Is that how it works?'' Healers heal, Warriors fight, Slaves . . . slave? If so, I was screwed. There was no way I was going to be a slave again, let alone willingly accept a new master. "It''s not that you can''t become strong on your own," the Chief Healer, Marcus, said after seeing me downcast. "Having someone to guide you is a huge help, though. My own experience. Lord Wigram, the Imperial Chief Healer, has been a great mentor to me. Of course, it''s not all roses and dandies. Being under the wing of someone strong has its drawbacks, and so does being strong. It puts some expectations on your shoulders." "What expectations?" ''Will I then be forced to serve the Empire or something?'' "I can''t tell you how many times people have come to me to regrow their severed hand, to make them fertile, to infuse vigor into their grandfather. Not exactly impossible, but you get the gist of it, right?" Did I? Of course I did. I used to be one of those people begging doctors to do the impossible and save my mom. "S-sorry," I whispered under my breath, looking at Rayden, wondering what people could possibly expect of her. "I have to say, it''s pretty refreshing to talk to someone who is so easy to read, but don''t tell me you really have no idea, Grey. You begged for it just a few moments ago." "To . . . " I said, stopping short as a shame hit me. " . . . to protect me." "Yes. People expect me to protect them from any beast that should come, that I''m gonna make the city safe, but you''ve seen for yourself that I and my men can''t always be there." ''Yeah, tasted it first hand.'' Then they didn''t want me to get strong? Because, if anything, it sounded more like an attempt to talk me out of it. ''No. That wasn''t it.'' They wanted me to see what it took to be strong, so I wouldn''t pursue something I would regret later. Or at least that was what I took from it; that being strong came with a price. Actually, when I thought about it and remembered Ria''s expression when she first saw me, her eagerness to know if I was a Wierin, a mythical creature, it wasn''t hard to imagine another Terr''den flocking to me with the same expectation. "I see," I breathed, meaning it. "Good." Rayden smiled, satisfied, her eyes locking with mine. "So, do you still want to stay holed up here in the barracks for the rest of your life or . . . you know . . . ?" " . . . to find your place out there?" Marcus, the Chief Healer, finished instead of her. To find a place for myself in this world? ''No! No, that wasn''t what I wanted. I wanted to find my way back home.'' And that would be hard for me to do if I was shivering in fear in a corner somewhere, whether here or in the Imperial City. "Okay," I said after taking a deep breath and finding my resolve. "What would this bait thing entail? Chapter 89: Bait Me, the bait. ''Why the fuck did I say yes to something like that?'' Did Rayden use some weave on me? ¡®No!¡¯ At least, I didn''t think so. What she used was something far worse: arguments that were impossible to disprove. I didn''t want to end up in the hands of mind mages, looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, or cowering in the barracks or the capital. I wanted to be free - free to go where I pleased, free from fear, free to have fun, and free to eat as much as I felt like. "Another serving?" "Yes, please." I sang back to the cook, standing just a few steps away behind the food counter in the barracks mess hall. Quickly finishing my steak, I licked the bone clean and got up from the table with an empty plate in my hands. "That''ll be the fourth one. Are you sure?" asked the cook, a tall, muscular man in a white kitchen uniform. "Not to question you, but one serving is plenty for much bigger guys than you." "No, I''m sure. There''s still some room," I argued, patting my belly, as that little den for the hunger beast was now purring with satisfaction. "All right, but fair warning: the chef doesn''t like to see unfinished food." "I wouldn''t dare." Practically snatching the plate out of his hand, I wagged my tail back to the table, where Senior Healer Hill was waiting for me, and pounced on the food again. Whatever I was eating was like nothing I''d ever had before. It wasn''t a meat I recognized or a veggies that looked familiar. But I couldn''t care less. Whoever cooked it did a damn good job, and most importantly, this was the first time in a year and a half that I had been allowed to eat till I dropped. And I was going to do exactly that. "You know that overeating isn''t healthy, right?" Becca, sitting across from me, asked. Rayden and Marcus made her my barracks guide; she actually volunteered. My guess? The guilt of sending me to the morgue was eating away at her. "Neither is starving," I argued with my mouth full, swallowed a bite, looked around the empty cafeteria, and burped. "Pardon." Senior Healer Hill smiled softly. "You eat too fast. Nobody''s gonna take that food away from you, Korra. And you should wash those bites down." ''Sure, Mom.'' But the truth was that each new bite was harder and harder to swallow. So, in the end, I had no choice but to follow her advice. Thankfully, when it came to food, all pride, whether human or bestial, went aside, and I wasted no time in taking a sip of juicy, sweet water. Sure, it wasn''t the black, sugar-rich, bubbly liquid that could melt rust I indulged in more often than I should on Earth, but right now, I enjoyed it no less. Actually, now and then, purring rose from my chest. "And done," I announced proudly as I licked the plate clean. "What now, Becca?" "Now, I''m going to take you to the washrooms. And while you''ll be getting rid of all that mud and blood. I''ll see what I can do about your clothes." The remainder of the state of my attire and the reason behind it hurt a little; the blood wasn''t just mine. But otherwise, the plan sounded good, damn good. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Okay, we can go," I said, feeling the fatigue creeping up on me as my body tried to digest all the food. And so, before the sleeper could settle in, I rose from the table to return the used dishes and express my gratitude. "Thank you for the food. It was delicious." "Ah, look at that. Polite one. Well, glad you liked it." The cook smiled, but instead of waving me off, he leaned his elbows on the counter. "Say, we have a little bet with the boys and girls in the kitchen; whose blood is that?" I didn''t have to follow his gaze to know he meant my blood-soaked shirt. My regeneration might have kicked in quickly, but before it stopped the bleeding from the two stab wounds, my shirt had turned red. "Mine mostly," I said, trying not to let what happened in that back alley get to me. Think about it too much and I might throw up - something I''d hate myself for. "So, you lost the fight? Shame, bet on you." Hearing that stroked my pride. "Then you win," I said, baring my teeth at him in a grin, surprised at the confidence with which I was talking to the man. Was it a beast thing? Did he gain my trust because he fed me? Either way, I liked it. I liked not being afraid to talk to someone. "Hold on, are you telling me that you really...?" "Yeah, I beat them." "Sorry, given your looks...I only bet on you because no one else did." ''Of course, I should have known better.'' "Well, you should see the other guys." The cook chuckled. "Sure, and where do I find them?" "In the morgue," Becca, waiting for me to finish chatting, said, surprising not only the cook but me as well. ''Wasn''t that a secret?'' "Come on, Korra. We still have to get the rest of your damages settled." ''Damages settled? Was there anything else besides clothes and a bath?'' However, getting the hint, I gave the cook a tail-swaying goodbye and followed the Senior Healer out of the mess hall. "Why did you tell him?" I asked as soon as I was sure no one was around to hear us. "Why you?" Becca replied back, but then shrugged. "This is the barracks, Korra. By this time, at least half the people here know that they brought in the bodies yesterday. If they don''t already, they''ll soon know that you''re behind it." "Wait, so they''ll know that..." "...that I made a mistake? Yes." Becca didn''t let me finish, telling the story Rayden had instructed her to go with. The woman obviously didn''t mind; the guilt of what had happened forced her to take responsibility. And it wasn''t just me and my fucked-up instincts making me at ease around the woman. The fact that Rayden and Marcus put me in her care spoke volumes about her trustworthiness. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "Oh my tits," Becca gasped in awe as I emerged from the barracks washroom clean and in new clothes. The place wasn''t all that different from Zuzum''s Bathhouse. It was just bigger, with more tubs, metal ones instead of wooden ones, and no plaster coming off the walls. "You''re so...fluffy; your tail is so big." "What? You...?" I said, stopping short, realizing that she had only ever seen me at my worst. "Yeah, big and deadly." Just a reminder of when she bent down to pick up the tool I knocked down with a wing in the infirmary and brushed against my tail, a little warning to keep her from hugging Sage. "I know, I know...still, wow. What a change. I wish I had hair like yours. Without the potion and the rune enchantments, mine hair is just flat. Well, glad to see the clothes seem to fit you." "Yeah, they do. But what''s with the shorts?" "You don''t like them?" "No - I mean, I do like them." ''Actually, I was more comfortable in them than in the skirt.'' "But weren''t you supposed to replace what I lost?" Becca chuckled. "You''d be surprised, but there''s not a single skirt in the entire barracks warehouse." "Nor shoes, it seems," I remarked, hoping she would find the pity to give me a pair. "Sorry, Korra. Regulations. We are obligated to replace or compensate you with an appropriate amount of what you lost, nothing more. Speaking of which, here." My backpack and towel appeared in her hands - to my utmost surprise, as clean as when I bought them. "Thanks, I guess," I said, failing to keep the disappointment out of my voice. Not that surprising, though. After all, I was now the bait and didn''t even have shoes to run in. Chapter 90: Deja vu ''Deja vu.'' There was no other way to describe it. Like yesterday, I left the barracks gates, heading for Seeker''s Square to stop in City Hall. Like yesterday, the stone cobbles chilled my bare feet. Like yesterday...okay, to be fair, that was about it. Unlike yesterday, I was no longer naked, had a backpack on my back, a copper ring with magic storage on my hand, and a city guard watching my tail. Yeah, despite what Captain Rayden said about the lack of funding and people at her disposal, she had sent someone to watch my ass. And not just mine, but Scoresby''s and Ria''s too. At least, that''s how much she promised me when I agreed to be the bait. She assured me that she would ensure those around me would not get hurt - and that at the cost of her own money and favors. As if the hatred in her voice when she spoke of the mind mages wasn''t enough, this determination of hers to get them out of her city no matter what it took, spoke volumes. ''If only I wasn''t her way of doing it.'' As a bait, I was supposed to let them believe that no one in the city suspected what I really was, that the city guards only thought I was a half-Terr gal who had just arrived in Castiana and had bad luck, that my unique look made me desirable. True, in fact, I got an invitation to work at Tender Way, apparently one of the best whorehouses in the city. ''Not a chance. Seriously! I''d rather starve than take the job.'' Sure, Marcus - er, I mean Chief Healer Ardaivel''cas - did say that having sex shouldn''t be an issue for me once I get some birth control stuff. In other words, the way that core messed me up down there wouldn''t hold me back from doing the job. But that wasn''t how I grew up, how my parents raised me, and even though they weren''t here, I wasn''t going to let them or myself down. Besides, right now, just the thought of touching myself was giving me goosebumps, let alone allowing someone else near my body. ''Stop it, Korra! Not the issue at hand.'' And it wasn¡¯t. The core might have been an issue I''d rather have taken care of straight away, but one that could wait. First of all, I needed to make sure Ria was okay. Stupid? That I barely knew the little kitare? Sure. But she was one of the few people I knew in the city and the only one besides Scoresby who had grown on me in that short time I was here. So, yes, that''s why the Seeker''s Square, that''s why I was heading to City Hall, a place I''d rather avoid for the noise, not because Rayden sent me here with a note, but because I wanted to say I was sorry. ''Oh, shit!'' The swear almost slipped from my lips instead of the apology I had been working on in my head on the way. Not that anyone would hear. The main lobby of City Hall was arguably even noisier than I remembered and just as busy. It took me a moment to get my bearings, even though I had come here with a clear intention. When I did, though, I lined up in the queue at the counter behind which stood Enola, the receptionist I''d spoken to yesterday, the one who warned me to bring the little guide back safely. ''And I failed at that.'' Yeah, I was here to face the consequences of not doing so. And the long wait for my turn wasn''t helping, making my mind wade into the muddy waters. Is she gonna yell at me? Rayden said everything should be fine and taken care of. They supposedly paid for little guide''s services as well. Yet... If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''What if Ria won''t even want to see me?'' It would hurt, but I would understand. Sighing to myself, hoping to find forgiveness from the little kitsune, my eyes fell on the notice boards set up in the lobby, surrounded by crowds of people. Unlike my ears, I had to press against my head, and my eyes didn''t become keener with the mutations. At this distance I simply couldn''t make out what was written on the hundreds of notes posted there, whether they were job offers, guidelines or just plain advertising. Frustrating, for sure. Rayden did say it was a matter of more shady places, places dealing with slaves, but I couldn''t help wondering if the Hunting Call on my tail was posted somewhere there after all. ''Won''t they think you know about them? Because of the note, I mean the Call?'' I asked Rayden and Marcus when they explained their plan. A legitimate question, right? It would make the whole bait thing pointless. Well, according to them, it was part of the "game". Just as Rayden had no way of knowing where the mind mages would come from, if at all, they, in turn, had no way of knowing if the Castiana City Guards knew about them or not. Something along the lines of we know that they know that we know...simply a headache. "NEXT!" The receptionist''s shout cut into my ears regardless of how tightly I pressed them to my skull, snapping me out of my thoughts. "M-me, that''s me," I stammered, stepping over to the counter. "Hi, hello, Enola." Sweating bullets I watched the woman adjust her uniform, a frown forming on her forehead as she took a look at me, no doubt gearing up to give me a good piece of her mind. "Hello, Grey." "Oh, y-you remember me?" Honestly, I wish she hadn''t. "Hard to forget someone like you." ''Yeah, someone who got their little guide in harm''s way. Okay, here it was.'' I thought to myself, took a breath, and opened my mouth to say my apology before Enola could say a word more. I didn''t quite make it, though. ""I came to say sorry, I..."" ""Look, I apologize on behalf of..."" We both paused, looking at each other, confused. "You''re not mad at me?" "You took that question rightout of my mouth, Grey. Aren''t you here to complain about Ria?" "W-what? Why would I?" ''Seriously, did I miss something?'' The frown on her face gave way to wonder and then to a smile. "Most people would. Just to confirm, you''re not here to complain about what happened yesterday." "No, not at all." "Thank you, I mean it, Grey. Ria will be happy. She was worried." "I was worried about her too. Is she all right?" Enola chuckled. "I wish I could say she was more worried about losing her job, but no. She''s been asking about you all morning - among other things." ''She has? And she''s here? Wait!'' "She might lose her job?" "We can''t have guides here who have deliberately led the client into danger. That is one of the main rules." "No. No, she didn''t. Those guys..." I said, determined to defend the little kitare, only to pause. "How much do you know about what happened yesterday?" "Just that you were attacked, which shouldn''t have happened. But don''t worry; we always wait for the official report before taking measures with the guides." "You do?" I breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that I died in that alley hadn''t reached them yet, and hopefully never would. "We''ve had several scam cases in the past where our guides have been falsely accused and punished. Wait a minute, will you? I''ll get a colleague to cover for me and bring you to see Ria.¡± ''She wasn''t going to call her here, like last time?'' Not that I minded. "O-okay," I stammered out as the jitters at the prospect of visiting a new place kicked in. Chapter 91: Stupid and Selfish "This way," Enola said, after coming back, motioning for me to follow her as she stepped out from behind the counter, now with some guy in her place. She then led me to the door on the right I had walked through the previous day. But instead of turning left at the end of the corridor to the door marked [Aid Distribution], we turned right. My sense of direction might have been poor, but even I figured that she was leading me towards the staff quarters - to some sort of back entrance. And I wasn''t wrong. The moment she opened one of the doors at the end of the corridor, I was tackled by a little furball. "KORRA!!!" "Yeah, I thought it would be better here than in that crowded lobby," the receptionist hummed under her breath, happy with her decision to bring me here, and closed the door behind her. "I was so worried about you," the little kitare whimpered, hugging me, looking up, tears at the corners of her eyes. If anything could melt the coldest of hearts, it was this moment, her genuine feelings - it would hurt so much to hurt her by telling her the truth. "That''s so sweet of you," I said, ruffling her hair. "But as you can see, I''m fine. Not a scratch." ''The truth.'' The little kitsune let go of me, took a step back, and looked me over from the tip of my ears to the tip of my tail. "You have new clothes." "Yeah, the ones I got from my friends got dirty when they pushed me to the ground." "Replaced in the barracks?" Enola asked, finding a seat on one of the sofas in the room to enjoy her short break. Giving the room a glance, I was sure to say that it wasn''t some kind of employee break room but a place where they received visitors privately. It was by no means a nice place - far from as cozy as Marcus'' office, though. "Yes, in the barracks." I nodded, my attention taken by a small kitare pouting at me. "Really? They just pushed you to the ground? They said there were three bad guys." "Four," I corrected her before I could stop my big mouth. There was no need to make her more worried, yet I did. "Four? But...they only told me about three," Ria whimpered, hurt that the city guards had lied to her, horrified that I had to face more thugs than she thought. "H-how did you get away?" "Actually, I''m kind of curious about that too," Enola piped up from the couch, her voice saying the unspoken. The muggings were hardly ever pretty. "I beat them up," I said, baring my teeth in a grin, flexing my muscles at the little kitare and with great success. The corners of her mouth lifted up, her eyes wide. "You did? You really are like Wierin, Korra." ''Shit! No, no, no, no, I wasn''t Wierin.'' That wasn''t something I wanted her to think of me, to expect of me something I could never live up to. I wasn''t some mythical creature out to save the day - I was just a freak. ''What should I do?'' "N-no, Ria, I''m not," I stammered, looking for a way to clarify the idiotic remark I had made. "I...the thugs...you see..." "Did you really beat them up, Grey?" Enola asked, as if doubtful, but none of it seeped into her voice. Whether it was her experience with similar situations or just dealing with people, she knew I wasn''t kidding. Yet, for Ria''s sake, she decided to help me. "I bet the city guards got there just in time, didn''t they?" "Yeah, I''m sorry Ria. The thugs dragged me into that back alley, threw me on the ground, threatened me, but then two guards showed up. They probably didn''t see the fourth one because he was an illusionist." Sure, my explanation was full of holes, but it was enough for a little kitare. "Oh, but why didn''t they let me see you?" "Well..." I hesitated, racing my mind for a way to avoid saying that I ended up in the morgue. "...I passed out. They probably wanted to let me sleep." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "But..." Ria pouted, thinking. "Did they catch him?" "Who?" "The illusionist man. You said they didn''t see him." ''Bloody heck, she was sharp.'' That was a question I hadn¡¯t asked Rayden until I was standing in the doorway on my way out. Granted, some illusionist was the least of my problems. "Not yet, but they''re looking for him." True. "You see, there was an eyewitness. A cat. She gave them a description, and now they''re looking for him." Also true, as ridiculous as that sounded. The description was simple: To the animal, the bastard was just a human male, controlling illusions and full of scents that didn''t say much to other humans. But it was enough to alert the city gates to be on the lookout in case someone like that wanted to leave Castiana. Of course, when I gave them a little more detailed description, they updated the gates about it. Unfortunately, in the rush of trying to survive and keep my freedom, I didn''t take a good look at the guy. And so, his description had to do without an array or number of sigils he had. "A cat?" Enola raised her eyebrows while Ria''s eyes lit up. "Is that, you know, weird?" I mean, no matter how many times I thought about it, I still found it odd, to say the least. Sure, having a city full of eyes was useful, but kind of creepy. Not to mention that it easily could go both ways. Rayden claimed that the brains of animals and little beasts were too small to hold mind magic for long, but still...I couldn''t shake the feeling that mind mages could have had rats spy on me. "No, not really. I''ve heard wilder stories in my years working here, especially from seekers. It''s just that the city guards usually don''t give much credence to these ¡®eyewitnesses¡¯." "Oh, I see - actually, Captain Rayden told me to give you this." The note I was asked to deliver appeared in my hand. "I mean, not to you specifically, but the City Hall." "Got it, Grey," Enola stopped me, reading the note. ¡°What does it say?¡± Ria promptly asked, to which I pricked up my ears, no less curious. Whatever was in there, Rayden forbade me to read it and so I didn''t. "Not much, just that we won''t be able to get us the report on the mugging until tomorrow.¡± "What?" Was that it? Then why...? Bitch. Was that some kind of test? ¡®Well, whatever.¡¯ "That the report will be delayed. Nothing strange. If I had to guess, it''s probably because of the illusionist." "The one the cat saw. Where is it now, Korra? The cat? Was it fluffy? Like Sage? Can I touch her?" Ria blurted out a bunch of questions, saving me from making up a lie about why, in my case, the city guards went out of their way. "Sorry, Ria. I didn''t actually see it. Though, they said they fed it and let it go." "Excuse me, but who''s Sage? Did you name your tail, Grey?" ''Damn.'' And here I was, hoping she''d overlook Ria''s blunder. Kind of naive, now that I think about it. As a receptionist working the City Hall desks, she had to be sharp, sure not to mishear what clients had to say. Or maybe it was a perk of her array and weaves. Either way, she was forcing me to admit something I wasn''t quite as proud of. "I..." "I don''t mean to judge you, Grey. I was just wondering who Ria was talking about all morning?" Giving the little kitsune a questioning look, her ears drooped. "I''m sorry, I know it was supposed to be a secret. But..." "It''s okay." I meant it. There was no reason to be angry with her now that the truth was out, especially since Enola really didn''t seem to care. Either it wasn''t as taboo for an adult Terr''den to name her tail as Ria''s mother made it out to be, or Enola, as a receptionist, had actually heard and seen weirder stuff than that, just like she said. "So, Korra...can I touch her?" "Wait, let me check. I was holding back my farts," I said to the little kitare''s giggles and swung Sage up to my nose, burying my face in her hair. One breath was usually all it took. No scent of apples this time, though. No notification. "It seems fine." "Hold on. Hold on, you two! What''s this about?" ''Shit! How am I supposed to explain this to her?'' "Korra said there was a poison in her tail," Ria said bluntly, and the hairs on the back of my neck immediately bristled. The source? Enola and her piercing gaze. "Explain, Grey." "Do I have to?" "If you want me to let Ria work for you, you''d better." "Wait, you''d let her be my guide again?" "Why not?" "I thought after all that happend...you know that I''m gonna be blacklisted or something." "You will, unless you tell me more about the poison. I don''t want to have our guide accidentally poisoned." If only she knew. But telling her the whole truth about the mind mages was out of the question. I was the bait, and as such, according to Rayden, I was supposed to act normally. And normally, unaware of mind mages, I would hire a guide again, taking the ambush as just bad luck nipping at my heels. ''Maybe if I hired another guide...? No!'' I couldn''t possibly put another kid in danger. Not when Rayden had promised to keep Ria safe. Not when I now really, really wanted - no, when I needed a bit of normalcy, I needed Ria to comfort my heart. ''Stupid and selfish, I know.'' Yet, I told Enola about my apple-scented poison, hoping that she would allow Ria to be my guide again. Chapter 92: Awed "How far?" I asked my little guide, my eyes darting around the shops lining 5th Main Street. There were so many, each quite different from the last, offering goods and services of all kinds. And then there were the diaglyphs, magical holograms of this world that were hard to miss. The further into the city center we went, the more and more shops used them to catch the attention of customers. As the street grew busier, so did the size and complexity of these rune-light constructs. "Not much further," Ria piped, the disappointment of Enola telling her to wait a little longer to hug Sage all but gone. Instead, she teemed with eagerness to get to Labyrinth Square, a place I didn''t get to see yesterday, a place I had heard so much about and where I had promised her she''d be allowed to hug my tail. ''Not much further, huh?'' Well, it turned out she really knew the city well. Before long, as we walked on, the buildings lining the street gave way to open space. The crowd rushing in and out of the square thinned as the space opened up, and I got my first glimpse of the city''s beating heart. "Labyrinth Square," Ria called out, her arms outstretched, doing her backward walk. Speechless, awed, and a bit freaked out by the size of the place and the number of people in it, I gaped all around, not sure where to look first. One minute, I was counting the hundreds of stalls whose tent roofs towered over everyone''s heads; the next, I was staring at the massive diaglyphs of the surrounding buildings rising above the rooftops. "Are they all seekers?" I asked Ria like some country bumpkin as soon as I recovered from the shock while trying not to shout over the noise that came from the square to my ears. It wasn''t as bad as the City Hall, but bad enough for me to keep my ears down and for them to twitch in pain from time to time. The little kitare shook her head. "There are a lot of merchants and ordinary people, too." "I see." I breathed, not really sure what to say. The place was unbelievable - I actually had a hard time understanding how a city with such a busy downtown had trouble funding its city guards. Castiana should be rich. But I kept that thought to myself. That was my take on it, someone''s who didn''t belong in this world and had little understanding of how things worked here. ''I was a stranger here, an alien actually, no sugar coating that.'' Even after all the suffering I went through, I was still sticking out like a sore thumb, moving through the crowd like an ugly duckling through a swan dance floor. You see, it wasn''t just the little details I missed, unspoken etiquette and all. For instance, it wasn''t until I managed to block the noise destroying my ear canals, to some extent, that I realized what was bothering me about the seekers here in the square. Unlike the ones at City Hall, the seekers walking past me were armed. Sure, that wouldn''t have been strange in itself, since every other person in the city seemed to be carrying some sort of weapon at their waist. But they were armed to the teeth. Seriously, their weapons looked menacing, their armor impenetrable. Even mages wore some instead of linen gowns. Most likely a naive thought, but perhaps if I had one, just a tiny dagger, the thugs would think twice about messing with me. At least, that''s what the sight of the armed and armored seeker on the square made me do. ''I''d have to be stupid to try messing with them.'' And that was without even considering the number of their sigils. There was hardly one among them that was within the range of what the Lattice allowed me to see. Some, the sight of whom sent shivers down my spine, were so strong that all I actually saw was the two Obscures as with Captain Rayden and Marcus. In no way did that mean that they were matching their strength, though. At least Rayden was in a league of her own - so my instincts told me. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ''I better stay on that woman''s good side.'' If there was one good thing to come out of seeing all those seekers, it was that it made me realize how much I underestimated the Captain''s job, the job of the Castiana City Guards. There were so many seekers flashing their weapons and armor. Seriously, if I hadn''t known better, I would have thought the army had taken the day off. And that wasn''t all of them. I didn''t dare guess how many seekers were under my feet right now, in that ancient structure Ria had described to me yesterday, fighting the beasts trapped there. The mere thought of it gave me chills. "You alright?" my little guide piped, noticing my pale face, "It''s quite a lot to take in." "It''s amazing, isn''t it?" ''It sure was something.'' But definitely not the place she saw. Not to me. This wasn''t some glamorous playground to have fun in. What I saw it as was a battlefield. Granted, this was coming from a gal who had never been to one in her life. ''Thankfully.'' Perhaps calling it a showplace of power, strength, and wealth would describe this place better. ''Well, whatever. I was just here to look.'' Observing for a while, I noticed that seekers, and not just them, moved around the square with a goal, some heading to the stalls, others to the shops that lined the square, the square which was the same shape as the city itself, a hexagon with six main streets branching off from its corners. "What do all these shops and stalls sell?" I asked my little guide as I followed one of the seekers with my eyes to enter the building over whose entrance towered a diaglyph of some horned monster''s head. ''Beast parts, perhaps?'' Ears raised in question, Ria looked at me strangely and shook her head, "Those are not shops. Those are the buildings of the companies, their headquarters!" ''The what now?'' Not the first time I had heard of companies operating in the city. The not-quite-elf clerk, Welkes, had mentioned them more than once, and the little kitsune herself had told me about the Seeker Companies. The problem was that, at that point, I wasn''t paying much attention to her anymore. That strange feeling on the back of my neck was to blame. And it was still there - even now. Only unlike yesterday, I knew not to fear the main source of it. Well, kind of. Somewhere out there, from the distance, my tail was being watched by a city guard. ''How did I know it wasn''t another thug?'' Well, that was it. I didn''t - at least not quite. There were so many eyes on me, so many looks that made the hair on the back of my neck bristle. But knowing that would be the case, I made sure to remember the stare, the vibe I was getting from the city guard before leaving the barracks. And as odd as it sounded, there were differences. When I knew what to look for, I could "see" it. Just like with the Tender Way. Looking around at the buildings enclosing Labyrinth Square, their ornate entrances, gables, and diaglyphs showcasing the prestige of the place, my eyes inevitably fell on the one I had seen once before. It depicted a road winding up into the mountains and a traveler wandering along it. However, this diaglyph was much larger than the one on the business card lying in my spatial storage. And it was more detailed - almost too detailed. The lowlands were overgrown with forest; the traveler was wrapped in a hood, hidden under a cap, and peaks in the distance concealed behind a misty haze. "Are you really alright, Korra?" I couldn''t blame the little kitare for worrying. One minute I was as pale as a sheet, the next my face was as red as my fur. "Yeah, I am. It''s just... it''s not just the companies that own the buildings, right?" ''What kind of stupid question was that? I knew that it wasn''t the case.'' Well, I had to take her attention away from my awkwardness somehow, didn''t I? "No, there''s a couple that belong to merchants or craftsmen," Ria beamed, her eyes lighting up. "You want to visit the Hammer and Anvil? They have the best weapons you''ll ever see. Or do you want to see the Gilded Feast? They have the best chefs in all of Castiana. Just the smell wafting from there is...I''ve heard that once you taste their food, you won''t like any other anymore." Sadly, I had to shake my head no matter how good it sounded. Looking as I did, I was sure I wouldn''t be welcome there, let alone be able to afford anything. ''One day, perhaps,'' I thought wistfully, wiping away my drool. Chapter 93: Entrance "No?" Ria asked, a little disappointed. No doubt she wanted to at least pass by the Gilded Feast. "So, you want to go through the stalls? They have everything you can imagine." ''If only.'' Somehow, I doubted I''d find a tool that could send me to Earth or a cell phone that could reach my family, at least to give them a call. "Really?" I asked, nonetheless. "Um-hmm, they belong to the merchants looking to buy labyrinth materials from seekers or to sell them anything useful in delving into the Labyrinth: armor, weapons, potions, food, various tools ..." Ria told me, paused, and giggled. "They even sell magic tools that wipe your bum." ''Huh?'' On second thought, that sounded kind of useful. You only had to carry one tool, and not rolls of toilet paper, which was not a thing here, by the way - so much for finding here everything I could imagine. Still, it couldn''t hurt to take a look, right? ''No, not now!'' I held back my urge to head out to explore the stalls. Reminiscing about the good old days on Earth and its many department stores was something I could do later. "Okay, Ria, I''d love to see the butt-wiping tool, but now, please lead me to the entrance of the Labyrinth." Not what my heart longed so badly to see, but visiting the beating heart of Castiana, Fallen''s Cry, as the Labyrinth was apparently called, was my main reason for suffering the crowds. Rayden said, and Marcus agreed with her, that it was where one can become stronger - quickly. Yes, there were supposed to be beasts, lots of them. Unsurprisingly, then, the seekers'' main goal was to FIGHT them and break through them to the lower floors. Yet the two claimed that it didn''t matter so much what array one had, but how one used it, that all it took was an open mind and one like me, a slave, could become one of the most fearsome warriors. Did I believe that? Well, I really wanted to because the other option was simply unacceptable to me - there was no way I would willingly be a slave again, regardless what the Lattice said. "The entrance?" "Yes, take me there." "Alright!" Ria beamed, a mischief flashing briefly in her eyes. "Korra, Sage, follow me!" she commanded, ignoring the fact that the name was supposed to be a secret. Instead of showing remorse and apologizing, the little kitare turned on her heel and headed for the center of the square. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Honestly, Ria had my admiration for how fearlessly she made her way among the seekers, some of whom were three times her height and so strong that the sight of them gave me goosebumps. However, fearing that I wouldn''t be able to find my way back if I lost sight of Ria - a stupid fear - I kept up with her, looking ahead. Somewhere out there in front of us was an ancient structure, a gate, maybe even a portal. However, nothing of the sort seemed to tower above the heads of those in the square. Instead, I got surprised again when we arrived at the threshold of the entrance. It did not look like anything I had imagined. There was no frame, no doorway to the depths below the city. What I was looking at was a huge hexagonal hole in the ground in front of me. Well, calling it a hole was a bit of a stretch. First of all, it was massive, wide enough to build several houses. Second, the hole wasn''t that deep; it was only two to three meters below the level of the cobbles in the square. Nevertheless, it seemed to be the depth at which Fallen''s Cry, the Labyrinth, the ancient structure, lay. Unlike the pavement up here where Ria and I stood, the bottom of this sinkhole was a monolithic black slab. Stairs ran down the entire length of this hexagon, twenty-four of them to be exact, making me feel like I was standing on the sidelines of a football stadium. Except I''ve never been to one. ''Football was not my favorite sport.'' Though, I would give anything to watch a game on TV with my dad again. ''Or go to the theater with my mom.'' Actually, the place kind of looked like one, a theater of sorts with seekers down there like stage actors busy with their performance. I took a few steps down, descending closer to the show. Seekers were entering the stage in groups of various sizes, only to disappear a moment later in a flash of white light. At times, they disappeared right after their feet touched the black monolith. Occasionally, they''d get almost to the center before stopping and vanishing in the bright white flash. And sometimes, they didn''t disappear at all. Actually, some of the flashes I noticed signaled the return of seekers from the depths beneath the city. Whether there was any order to the chaos down there, I didn''t see. Yet, somehow, it worked. ''Unwritten rules?'' Or maybe they were written somewhere - that would explain why there was no pushing, shoving, or arguing for spots between all those armed people down there. No one was trying to prove their strength. There was just a constant stream of newcomers and returnees entering and leaving the black monolith through the stairs from all six directions. Taking a few more steps down, smelling beast blood on a group walking past me up the square, I noticed there was more to the flashes and that the black monolithic floor wasn''t as simple as I had thought. Its opaque black surface was laced with what could only be runes, thousands of them in patterns that were eerily familiar to me, not the same for sure, but familiar. And they must have been familiar to everyone with access to the Lattice. I saw similar patterns, circles of all shapes, and grids of rune lines every time I delved into my mind, into the Grid Forge. But unlike those, the ones on the black monolith appeared to be dead. That is, until they flared briefly around the seekers standing there before the white flash engulfed them or where the Labyrinth spat them out of its bowels. ''Huh? Was it there the whole time?'' Fascinated by the chaos, I only now noticed a statue standing in the middle of it all. Made of the same material as the monolith, it blended into the background. But now that I knew about it, I couldn''t take my eyes off that dull black piece of finely carved work of art. Chapter 94: Cry The statue stood there motionless, as statues usually did. But my eyes were glued to it. There was something about it that I couldn''t put my finger on. Was it the mere presence of something like a statue on an otherwise flat surface? Or the eerie black material it was carved out of? Maybe it was the size of it? It wasn''t massive, but it wasn''t small either. Estimating its size from this distance was not easy, at least not for me. However, when I compared it to the seekers moving around the statue, it must have been twice the size of a regular human. And that was without any pedestal, which it didn''t have. It didn''t need one, though. ''So majestic...'' It was a statue of a woman brought to her knees in battle. She was wearing armor, damaged from a fight, pierced by several arrows - one broken protruded from her chest, the other three from her back. The blood that gushed from the wounds ran down her armor to the ground, glowing with the same white light as the runes on the black floor into which it seeped into, litting up the hexagonal rune lines around her. She wasn''t dead, though. With her helmet lying at her knees, still holding a sword in her hand, she was crying hard, her tears, glowing the same white color as her blood streamed down her cheeks. The statue of the woman seemed more alive than any statue I had ever seen, almost as if she was real, just frozen in time, a black giant screaming at heaven in grief, but unheard - as I had done so many times before. ''Huh? What the fu..?'' Not knowing for how long, I found myself crying no less hard than the woman down there. Embarrassed, I took a deep breath to soothe my battered heart and wiped away my tears before anyone could see me crying, or at least anyone who hadn''t seen me already. What was it, though? ''Sympathy? Or simply something I just needed to get off my chest?'' No doubt it made me feel better, but I haven''t cried like that since Esulmor. Was the statue to blame, then? Wanting to ask Ria who the woman was, I refocused on my domain and found her right behind me, trying to grab my tail. "Come on, Sage?" the little kitare squealed pleadingly as my tail escaped her grasp. "Just a little hug." She went for another dive, trying to catch her, but instead of my tail, she hugged my waist as I turned. "Aww..." Ria whimpered in disappointment, looking up at me. "You woke up already? I haven''t had time to hug Sage yet." "Wait, you knew that I would...?" I asked, but didn''t finish the sentence. She knew what? That the sight of the statue would make me cry, to feel deep sorrow and unfairness. That sounded ridiculous. Yet when I looked down, Ria avoided my eyes, the guilt written all over her face, "M-maybe..." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Instead of anger at her, though, fear bit into my guts. ''Was it some kind of mental attack? Mind mages?!'' No, it couldn''t have been them. The little rascal brought me here, knowing it would happen. Plus, except for the sudden sorrow, I haven''t noticed anyone else messing with my mind. Still... "Ria, I''m not angry, but please¡­ please, tell me what happened. How did you know I was going to cry?" "Everyone who looks at her will," the little kitsune said, shrugging as if it were an everyday thing. And it likely was. Despite what had happened, when I looked around, hardly anyone was paying me any attention. ''What a clever little rascal,'' I thought to myself, realizing her mischief. She knew what the sight of the statue would do to people, what it would do to me, and despite everything she told me about the city, she deliberately left that part out. Instead, she wanted to use the moment of my cry to hug my tail. I couldn''t blame her, though. If I were her, I''d probably do the same. But unfortunately for her, Sage seemed to have a mind of her own. While I was busy getting the sorrow off my chest, my tail evaded all of her attempts at hugging. As disturbing as it seemed at first, it was likely just my subconscious reacting based on my perception, whether it was through the domain or hearing. The same subconscious that held back my farts without me having to explicitly focus on it. And good thing my subconscious did so. Otherwise, what Ria did would be damn dangerous. "Okay," I said slowly, trying to digest what I had just gone through and what my little guide tried to do without my permission. "Ria, I promised to let you hug Sage, and I will. But first, tell me who that woman is. Why does the sight of her make people cry?" "I don''t know why. That''s what labyrinths do." "All of them?" "Um-hmm." "They all make you cry?" This time, the little kitare shook her head, giggling at my cluelessness. "Some will make you happy, others will make you feel pain, and one is said to make you sing and speak in rhymes. I wish I could see that one." A sudden image of a similar square and a monolithic black slab with a statue and people singing around it popped into my mind. On the one thought, terrifying; on the other, kind of funny. "So, that''s what that woman''s statue is causing all over Eleaden?" Ria gave me a questioning look. "No, there is only one Traiana, here in Castiana." "Oh, I see..." Wait! Traiana, as in the "Traiana''s tits" swear? That Traiana?! I almost asked Ria about it, stopping myself at the last moment from mentioning it in front of her. Stupid, for sure. Everyone seemed to use a variant of the swear. She must have heard it already, yet¡­ Traiana''s tits - what did they look like? Annoyingly, we were too far away for me to get a better look. "If you want, we can go see her," Ria suggested after seeing me ogling that woman''s chest. "W-we can?" Between the statue and us lay one massive problem: the black monolith interweaved with runes taking people away to the depths beneath a city apparently full of beasts. "Is there a safe way to her? Won''t that black floor move us into the Labyrinth?" I had my doubts about my survival inside, about how much the beast could help me in there, or whether I would eventually become one of them, hunted by the seekers, but I was terrified to find what would happen if I showed up there with my little guide. Getting her in danger because of me once was enough; pushing my luck by letting her hug Sage was more than foolish, so risking a walk to the statue just to get a better look at her tits felt like asking for the worst to happen. After all, with my luck, I wouldn''t be surprised if I stumbled on that one-in-a-million chance. Despite my fears, though, Ria shook her head. "You have to be a registered seeker for Fallen''s Cry to let you in. Don''t worry, Korra. Follow me," she beamed and headed down the stairs to the black monolith, a teleportation platform of some sort, and to the statue of Traiana, leaving me with no choice but to follow her. Chapter 95: Traiana "What did you mean by registering as a seeker, Ria?" I asked halfway down the stairs. When Rayden talked about the Labyrinth being the fastest way to become stronger, she didn''t mention anything like that. "To enter Fallen''s Cry, you must obtain the Labyrinth Mark. It''s the teardrop-shaped symbol on their wrist," the little kitare explained as she made her way down, pointing at the passing seekers. And indeed, there were teardrop tattoos on the backs of the hands of those who hadn''t covered them with gloves. The question ''Where do I get one?'' was already on the tip of my tongue when my foot touched the black surface of the monolith, and a shiver ran through my body, making every hair on my body bristling up. It wasn''t just the notion that I was touching something quite possibly thousands of years old with my bare feet, that I was standing on something that was probably so big it made me feel like an ant on an anthill. No, there was this strange energy that rushed through my body, a strange pull, nothing too strong, nothing dangerous. At least not according to my instincts, yet the beast in me stirred, almost as if fighting the energy. Was that normal? Ria didn''t seem to have that problem. But unlike me, she wore shoes on her paw feet, just like the other seekers. Actually, not entirely true. Quite a few Terr''dens, most I''d say, didn''t wear shoes, making my little guide the exception among them. "Come on, Korra," Ria urged me to follow her when she noticed my faltering. Yet, after taking a few more steps, I looked up behind me and shuddered again. Up there, largely hidden behind the edge of the stairs, was an entire city, standing on what I was now touching with my bare feet. "Korra?" "Oh, sorry. I''m coming." This time, I followed Ria across the platform, careful not to get in the way of any seekers. The smart thing to do, since most of them could surely kill us with one swing of their swords. Not the only danger, despite what Ria said, though. Mindful of my steps, I moved while watching the ground closely, expecting the runes engraved in the black monolith to light up at any moment, kidnapping me into the bowels of this ancient structure. Much to my relief, however, that did not happen. I arrived at the statue along with my little guide. "Let me introduce you to Traiana," Ria said playfully, giggling at my efforts not to look directly at the statue of the woman. It turned out that the statue only affected people once an hour, which made me wonder why I didn''t see the little kitare crying and if it was some kind of mind spell - with a cooldown, obviously. Nevertheless, knowing that it was safe for me to look at the statue now, I raised my eyes. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Up close, the woman was much bigger and even more lifelike. Despite kneeling, Traiana''s statue was more than three times my height, not to mention the size of her chest. It might have been hidden behind the armor, but it wasn''t hard to see where the swearing stemmed from. Her tits weren''t what snared my attention the most, though. Standing next to her, I could see her tears running down her cheeks, not unlike real tears except for the white glow. Yet, unlike real tears dripping down as she cried her eyes out, hers never reached the ground. In contrast with her white glowing blood that flowed from the wounds to the ground, seeping into the engraved runes, her tears turned into a mist before reaching the black monolithic floor, taken away by a wind I didn''t feel blowing down here. She almost seemed like a trapped goddess whose blood fed the Labyrinth. That or some perverted fountain. Struck with awe, I walked around the statue, looking for the nameplate, as was the custom with statues on Earth, but found none. A question for my little guide popped into my mind: how did she know the woman''s name? But then, as I opened my mouth to ask, my eyes fell on the helmet at the woman''s knees. There, on the back of it was engraved writing, one word, a name. [Traiana] It was a simple hand engraving without any fancy glow, but one saying a lot. She wanted those who found her body on the battlefield to recognize her no matter what happened to her; that she went into battle ready to die. But now that the battle was over and she was still alive, she shed tears for those who had fallen in her place, for her friends she had failed to protect. How did I know all that? I wish I could tell. It must have been the same magic that made me cry on the stairs earlier. There was no other explanation as I felt nothing in my mind but the feeling of the woman''s last moments, as if they were my own. Even when I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will], the feeling of Traiana''s determination and heartbreak remained. That and two words that kept popping into my mind. It was not like the tingling of the Lattice notification, but more like an echo or a melody you couldn''t get out of your head, two words repeated over and over again. ''Fallen''s Cry'' When I first heard Traiana''s name, I thought of her as a woman, a living woman, the girlfriend of one of the guards to whose large tits they compared mine to. I couldn''t have been more wrong. Same with the name of the Labyrinth I just was standing on. I had it just for the name people gave it, a name associated with something that happened here, or something like that, as was often the case. After all, this beating heart of Castiana was called Labyrinth Square precisely because the entrance to it was located here. But no, Fallen''s Cry was the name of the Labyrinth - it was as simple as that. It was given to it by its builders, whoever they were. ''Did the name mean anything?'' One of the many questions that arose in my mind. Despite giving me so many glimpses of the moment etched in black stone, I was not shown if it was the cry of Traiana herself for the fallen that gave the Labyrinth the name, or the cry of those who fell in the battle she fought alongside. Moreover, what kind of battle merited the construction of such a monument? Not to mention that there were supposed to be twenty-six labyrinths on Eleaden, or so I was told. Did that mean that twenty-six such battles were fought across the planet? How long has it been? How ancient was the structure under my feet? So many questions, but no answers. No one really knew. At least, that''s what Ria told me when I asked - that and that it was time to keep my promise. Chapter 96: Fond Memories "Can I, really?" Ria asked, eyeing Sage like a predator eyeing its prey. Wiggling my tail, I nodded. "Yes. A promise is a promise." "Yay," the little kitare squealed and pounced on my fluffy tail, almost disappearing in its long hair. "Aw¡­ she''s so soft." Ready for a whole new set of feelings - as so far, I had been the only one to touch my tail; not even Dungreen, that deranged asshole bothered to lay a finger on it except to check where it grew from - I still gasped for breath when the little kitare hugged it. She was very gentle, obviously knowing what she was doing. Her hug gave me no discomfort, let alone any pain. If anything, the opposite. As she gently stroked Sage, enjoying the softness of her, the blood rushed to my cheeks, making my heart melt. ''It''s so nice.'' It really was. Not in a weird way. Just nice, like having your hair petted or your mom brushing your hair - maybe a little more intense. "Sage is as soft as my mother''s tail," the little kitare hummed, tangled in my tail. "It is?" "Um-hmm." Innocent, perhaps, but her remark made me wonder if the tail was so significant among the Terr''den that Ria always compared mine to her mother''s. Was it something like a dick-measuring contest, only instead of men''s junks and women''s jugs, tails were compared? Whatever the case, it flattered my pride. ''Was mine perhaps bigger than hers, softer? Ridiculous.'' I chuckled at the thought, which prompted Ria to raise her head from the fluff to ensure everything was fine. But as soon as she saw I wasn''t laughing at her, she turned her attention back to my tail. Honestly, this whole thing kind of reminded me of my own mom. She often told me how she didn''t have time when I was little, that she had to take care of me and my brother while doing other stuff, and that sometimes she could use an extra pair of hands. No doubt that with their tails, the Terr''den mothers had an advantage in that. Smiling to myself at the fond memory, I looked at the kitsune, who was just introducing her tail to mine. "Sage, this is Lia. You can be friends ..." she giggled, wrapping her tail around mine. Just for the fun of it, I did the same, which made Ria laugh even more. Unexpectedly, I found myself in a rare moment of joy, blind to all the people around me, neither ashamed nor embarrassed. But all good moments were bound to come to an end, otherwise, they wouldn''t have become fond memories. "Uh, Ria?" I asked, a tent of some sort in one of the corners of this black monolith catching my eye. "What is that? Is that where you register as a seeker?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She giggled at my silliness. "No, you do that at the City Hall. Tents like those are set up by scholars, mages, and tinkers." "Oh, they are studying this monolith?" "Monolith?" The little kitare gave me a questioning look, but then shook it off. "Yes, they are. They say it''s the way they figured out how to make spatial tools - that they studied runes on a teleportation platform." ''So this was a teleportation platform, good to know.'' "I see. Are there other tools they''ve invented this way?" The one the city guards used to communicate with each other came to mind. My little guide, however, frowned in thought and shook her head. "I''m sorry, Korra. B-but I don''t know." "That''s okay. I was just curious." The tent down here, though, reminded me of those up on the square. "What would you say to browsing the stalls? You mentioned an inn, a cookhouse, or was it a restaurant?" ''Restaurants - was that a thing here?'' "Yes, restaurant, Gilded Feast," she beamed, letting go of Sage a bit reluctantly to straighten out her uniform and satchel, all professional. "I''ll take you there. Follow me, Korra, Sage." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ Well, Gilded Feast turned out to be everything I imagined and Ria made it out to be. A mouth-watering place that was way out of my price range. Actually, all the stalls in the square were, at least the ones I saw. The Labyrinth Square was huge, and although we spent a good two hours going through the stalls, I hardly saw half of them. Nevertheless, there were stalls of all kinds, having almost everything I could imagine, from food to clothing, armor, weapons, art, magic tools, and magical supplies. I saw stalls selling potions to the seeker, beauty products, and things promising safe and intense lovemaking but also stalls buying up what seekers brought from the depths beneath the city, whether it was raw materials or dead beasts. From what little I had heard, as we walked by, there was quite a bit of money in it to be made. ''Should I give it a try?'' A tempting thought. Actually, one that reminded me that I shouldn''t spend my day browsing stalls while paying my guide but looking for a job instead. Sure, you could argue that by being here I was learning what it meant to be a seeker. After all, diving into the depths of the city, as I understood, was an option even for me. However, I wasn''t stupid to go there equipped the way I was. No, I had to earn a few coins first. ''Where, though?'' Of course, there were the message boards at the City Hall. According to Ria, they were used for everything from gathering materials to offering jobs. A good place to start, if only the mere memory of the crowds in front of them and the thought of me pushing my way through them didn¡¯t give me goosebumps. ''Heck, no.'' Annoyingly, though, Rayden refused to take me on as a cleaning lady even after I agreed to be bait. Which didn''t leave me with too many options. I could either look for a job on my own or... "Ria?" "Yes?" "Take me to the Scoresbys." I felt bad for taking advantage of the old man, but it would be stupid not to take the hand offered. Not to mention that I owed them both an explanation for not showing up last night as promised. Well, as it turned out that the old man wasn''t in the shop, so I was left at Mrs. Scoresby''s mercy. As soon as I walked through the door in my new clothes, she asked me what had happened and wouldn''t let me leave until I told her everything - within the bounds of what I was allowed to tell her, of course - and listened to her complaints about the lack of city guards on the streets, the greed of the city lord, and the arrogance of the nobility in general. Only then did she let Ria and me know that her husband was in the stables, tending to their scalehoof mares. Chapter 97: Stables ?I tell you, beast had big eyes - could see everything.? ?And big ears - could hear your heartbeat,? the mare in the stall next to Lyl''ra''s, the first one from the entrance, cut into her neighing. ?Fangs so sharp - could cut through your scales,? whinnied another mare in a mock, tired of hearing the story over and over again. ?We heard you, many times, Lyl. Beast moved silently at night; you wouldn''t know until it bit into your throat. It did not, did it, Slyph?? ?No,? neighed the scalehoof mare, enjoying her owner''s care. ?Beast was true to her word. Curious about our owner, way he takes care of us.? ?Sylph is too trusting; beast was dangerous,? Lyl''ra insisted, frustrated that the others didn''t believe her and made fun of her. ?Very dangerous,? the older mare nodded, much to her surprise, reeling from the rush of pleasure of having the dirt cleaned from all the folds of her scales covering her back. "True to her word, but deceitful." "Sometimes I really wish I understood you," Scoresby laughed, continuing to clean his mare''s scales. "Or not? I hope you''re not bad-mouthing me?" Just a jest, the scalehoofs in the stable knew, but they couldn''t help but pity the humans. The Big Runes didn''t do them well - beast humans and other two-legged creatures, too. The runes spoke a tongue every creature learned to understand, each representing a meaning, an intent - but not the humans. They saw but did not hear. Instead of enriching their tongues with the meaning of the Great Runes, they changed their language in their image, ignoring the intent behind them altogether. Quite ironic, when the Word Tongue they spoke, or the Eleaden Standard as the humans called the language, not a language suited for most beasts, monsters, and animals to voice, was full of intent and therefore allowing it to be understood by all kinds of creatures. Pitiable, it truly was. While the animals, beasts, and most of the monsters, retained their own unique tongues and gained the capacity to understand others, the humans, Terr''dens, and other races lost theirs while remaining deaf to what the rest of the world was telling them. Of course, the humans themselves didn''t regard it as their loss. After all, they weren''t able to talk to the beasts in the first place. Instead, they saw it as a win. The new language allowed them to communicate with other races and even nations of their own race. Naturally, there were exceptions to their inability to hear the meaning. Some, like their stable keeper, learned to listen to the scalehoofs'' tongue; the man learned to understand them. But as with many, it was out of necessity for his work, something the Great Runes granted him and failed like many before him to truly hear. He understood their neighting, but not the meaning behind it. Those who did were truly rare - and at the same time not so much. ?No, we are not,? Sylph''ra whined in response to Scoresby''s question about whether they bad-mouthed him, to which the old man smiled. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "I see, good." While much of it came from her body language, without realizing it, he understood the intent in her whine to some degree. ?I envy you, your owner,? neighed the stallion in the stall across the aisle. ?Mine comes only when there stuff to haul.? ?Better than mine. Her whip bites sharply,? one of the mares remarked. ?Bite of a beast sharper, kills,? Lyl''ra argued. ?Why not ride around forest? Like when Liam''s female rides with us.? ?Shorter, faster,? Sylpha explained for the hundredth time. ?But dangerous. Still feel the presence of the beast. Almost like beast prowling right outside the door.? "W-well," came a low, gruff, yet feminine voice from behind the stable door. "That''s because I''m here." Lyl''ra shook herself from her head to the tip of her tail. ?Swear I can still hear the beast, terrible.? However, none of the present scalehoofs answered her, their eyes and attention fixed on the stable door. "Please don''t be afraid of me," came the female voice again, and this time Lyl''ra froze, realizing it wasn''t just her imagination. "I didn''t come here to hurt you, only to talk to Scoresby; he''s a human; he should be inside. Can I come in?" ?No!? Lyl''ra bellowed, retreating to the back of her stall. ?Show yourself, beast.? ?Let us see you.? At the neighing of the other scalehoofs, the beast emerged from behind the door, staying standing on the threshold, with the young beast-human peeking in curiously from behind it. ?The beast! That the beast!? Lyl''ra''s loud, frightened neighing echoed through the stables'' interior. ?She not lying. Female a beast.? ?Human too.? ?Sharp eyes.? ?Big ears.? ?Show your fangs.? The beast obeyed, revealing its teeth in a grin. ?Not too big. But sharp, dangerous.? ?Truthful, though,? Sylph''ra pointed out. ?If says it won''t hurt, it won''t hurt.? A brief, heated debate ensued among the stabled scalehoofs as to whether to let the beast in. There were many of them, and there was only one beast. That, however, didn''t mean the danger wasn¡¯t there. The beast might be as fast as Lyl''ra described it, too much for the scalehoofs to handle. But just as well, the beast might be truthful as Sylph''ra claimed and had come to speak to the human. ?Tell human talk to beast outside,? one of the stallions suggested, and Lyl''ra immediately agreed. ?Yes, talk outside. Outside the city.? A bit ridiculous, she knew, but the safest way. Sylph''ra was foolish to think otherwise. The beasts could not be trusted. They were cunning, looking only to do harm. Her family was gone because of them, killed on the road, with her the only survivor. No, for the beast not to be dangerous meant to be far from it - as far as possible. ?How make them talk outside?? Silly Sylph''ra argued, but much to her frustration, Lyl''ra had no idea, and neither did the other scalehoofs. Humans didn''t understand them. But little did they realize that the beast did, and it was listening. "Don''t worry. I don''t mind talking outside," the beast spoke, turning her attention to the old human, who was silently watching the reaction of the scalehoffs to the beast with great curiosity the entire time. "G-good morning, Mr. Scoresby. I¡­ can we talk outside? The scalehoofs are not comfortable in my presence." "Yes, I''ve noticed - morning to you too, Korra. Quite a shame, if I may say so, though. The stable keeper said he could use someone else around here who could understand them." Hearing that, Lyl''ra''s legs almost buckled under her. Beasts tend to them? She must have been asleep, having a terrible nightmare. Chapter 98: Stable Master "Were you being serious, Mr. Scoresby?" I asked the old man once we were out of the stable building and out of the earshot of the scalehoofs. "I mean about working here." "That''s not something I would joke about, Korra. Are you interested?" Was I? Taking care of horses, I mean scalehoofs, was not something I had ever dreamed of. They were big animals that could hurt you, unlike flowers. Although, even flowers, if you approached them with ignorance, could give you quite a hard time. "You wouldn''t happen to know of a florist looking for a helping hand, would you?" The old man smiled but shook his head. "I''m sorry, girl. I don''t think there are that many florists in Castiana in the first place, right, little one?" "Um-hmm. I know of four," Ria nodded to my disappointment, thinking hard. "No, I know of five flower shops. I can take you there if you want, Korra." "Only five?" Sure, my little guide didn''t necessarily have to know about all the flower shops, but it was still way too few for such a big city - at least by my modern standards. "There are more useful things to spend coins on than flowers that must be tended to so they don''t wither," Scoresby explained, seeing my confusion and disappointment. "Is that what you were before - you know what? Instead, why don¡¯t you tell me what happened to you yesterday? Marlene and I were waiting for you to show up." He meant well, not wanting me to talk about what were probably painful memories for me. Little did he know that talking about yesterday wasn''t any better. "W-well, you see..." "Thugs ambushed us," Ria blurted out, eager to explain what had happened, even though she didn''t remember any of it herself. And so, she recounted what the city guards and I had told her. "I''m so sorry to hear that, Korra. If I knew..." "It''s okay, Mr. Scoresby. You couldn''t have known. Besides, everything turned out fine in the end." Not quite true. Somewhere out there were mind mages intent on getting me while one of the city guards watched my ass. But he didn''t need to know that - actually, Rayden didn''t want him, or others, to know. "See." To prove my point and stop him from blaming himself, I spread my arms and twisted around to show him I was okay. If anyone should feel guilty, it was me. I was the one taking advantage of his kindness and putting him in danger just by being around him. "Although, you see, if it''s still fine with you, Mr. Scoresby, I''d like to take you up on your offer to spend a few nights at your house." Sure I knew the answer, I still had to ask and get it off my chest for my own peace of mind. "I''ve already spoken to your wife, and she said she was fine with that, but...I wanted you to know. I mean, just for a few days. Until I earn enough to find my own place." "Of course, Korra, I wouldn''t have offered it to you only to tell you no afterward. But speaking of work, what do you think about working here in the stables?" This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Well...I mean, I don''t know anything about it. I don''t even know how to ride a horse, I mean a scalehoof." "It''s not a job that requires having an array for, if that''s what you mean. The stable master would tell you what to do. Look, Korra, I don''t think you''re one to mind dirty work, so..." "No, I''m not," I blurted out, not entirely sure why I was hesitating. This was what I was looking for, a job, a real job, not a fancy one, but still far better than ending up as a whore in Tender Way. "It''s just - would they really hire someone like me?" "That''s up to the stable master. Anyway, as I was going to say, this is a golden opportunity, Korra. With all the Terr''dens coming from the north, finding a job opening is not easy. Especially for Terr''dens and halfs like you." "W-why?" "Some, not all, see you as someone who''s taking jobs away from the locals. There are many places that are looking for workers but won''t hire one with fur and tail." "Is it that bad?" "Um-hmm." Much to my surprise, it was Ria who spoke up, nodding. "My mom says so too, that she and dad are lucky to have at least some jobs." "Is that why you work as a guide?" I mean, I knew she was trying to earn some coins to help her family. But honestly, a kid like her should be in school, not running around the city all day. Again, though, I knew shit about how this world worked, let alone if there were even any schools. "Yes, I''m old enough to work. I want to help them," the little kitare said proudly and confidently, just to frown nonetheless. "Mom lets me keep everything I earn, though." ''Good on her, shame on me.'' Seriously, while the eight-year-old was doing what she could to help, I was hesitant to accept something that didn''t sound like such a bad job. "Okay, Mr. Scoresby. What should I do? Who should I talk to?" The old man smiled broadly. "Don''t worry about that. I''ll take you to see the stable master. The man is always around." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ ?Who are you? Beast? Speak or leave!? A large black dog barked at me, standing guard at the feet of the man fixing the gate to one of the stable buildings. "I''m just here to talk. Not to hurt anyone." I told the dog after a brief hesitation instead of introducing myself to my potential future employer. Awkward, but I didn''t want to have the dog bite my leg. ?Good. Better not even think about it,? the dog growled, lying down on the ground, his eyes on me. "I''ll be damned; I guess this is the gal you were talking about, old man?" asked the stable master, putting down his tools and wiping his hands on his pants. The man, I would guess in his fifties, was neither tall nor muscular, but I still had to raise my eyes to look at him and matching him in strength didn''t even cross my mind. [Stablemaster: 81 sigils] Not only was he a well-built male, but he was also one of the few common folks with such a high number of sigils I saw outside of the barracks or Labyrinth Square. "Name''s Oswyn Hale, yours?" the stable master asked, offering me his hand. "Korra Grey." It took a lot, but I managed to keep my voice steady and even shake his hand properly. "Nice meeting you. Scoresby talked about you understanding scalehoofs, but somehow forgot to mention the other animals," Stable Master Hale said, raising his eyebrows at the old man to which Scoresby just shrugged, grinning. "Better to see it for yourself." "Bullshit, old geezer. You wanted to see her catch me with my pants down - and honestly, she did. Never seen a half-Terr like you, Grey." "Y-yeah, I hear that a lot. And I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean to surprise you." "Not your fault. The old geezer is to blame. Anyway, call me interested. So you''re looking for a job? With a kid? Yours?" "Yes, I mean no," I blurted out, red in the face. "Ria is the guide I hired." "Ah, the uniform - and the job?" "Yes, definitely yes. If you¡¯ll have me." "That we shall see. Scalehoofs are gentle animals; they''re not gonna let just anyone in." "Yeah, I know..." I sighed, not seeing my prospects of getting a job here as very promising. Chapter 99: Job Interview "Have you ever worked with scalehoofs?" the stable master asked me, to which I had to shake my head. "Any other animals?" "N-no, I have no experience." "Beasts then?" "No, neither with those." That was unless you counted the mossbear encounter. "Not a problem; I''m just getting an idea of what to expect from you." "O-oh, I s-see." "Relax, I won''t eat you. I''m just wondering where you learned to understand animals. It took me years just to understand scalehoofs alone." ''Shit! What was I supposed to tell him?'' That I had been through experiments? That I''d rather stay deaf to them if it meant remaining human? "I¡­ I''ve always understood them." "I''ll be damned, natural beast talker. Had a hunch, but... well, damn. And you want to work here?" ''Huh?'' "W-what do you mean?" The stable master gave Scoresby a look. "Surprised he didn''t tell you." "Tell me what?" "That there are places in Castiana that would pay you a lot better than me." Not that I wanted to blame the old man, but I couldn''t help looking at him anyway, seeking an answer. "I don''t think those are places you want to work at, Korra." Presumptive? Perhaps. But there was no hint of ill intent in his eyes or words, if anything, the opposite. He meant well. "I see - and what are these places?" As soon as the question left my lips, I paused, looking at the stable master Hale. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to..." "Don''t sweat it. I''m the one who brought it up. In the Seeker Companies, you could easily get triple what I can give you." "That by no stretch means that it is too little. Oswyn is a fair man. Not like the Seeker''s Companies, at least most of them. Their contracts, Korra¡­ they are not easy or cheap to get out of. I''ve seen many times, slaves like you end up being slaves again because of them." ''Shit. That bad, huh?'' To my surprise, Ria nodded fiercely at Scoresby''s words. "Mom says she''d rather clean sewers than work for companies." "Smart woman, your mother." The stable master nodded, approving. "Is it really that bad to work for them?" I couldn''t help but ask while wondering how there could have been sewers under the city when there was the Labyrinth less than three meters under the cobbles. "They can''t all be bad, can they - the companies?" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "New to the city, aren''t you?" "Didn''t I tell you I brought her here yesterday, Oswyn?" "Yeah, yeah, you did, old man. You also said that some things are better seen with your own eyes." No doubt true. Actually, I might do better to check out the whole situation with the Seeker Companies myself than to believe what they say. But I might as well do that while working here. "And well? What I see is a clueless gal," the stable master continued. "Easy pickings for companies and not just them. I''ll give you some advice, Grey. Think twice before you say yes to anything." "Even to work for you, Mister Hale?" The stable master laughed. "Of course. Knowing myself, if I were you, I would think thrice about working under me." "He doesn''t like slackers," Scoresby explained. "Why should I? I pay people to work, to clean stalls, not their noses." In other words, he might be strict. Not necessarily a bad thing. Plenty of people like him - not all of them, of course - when you met their expectations, they accommodated you when you needed it. "So, young lady, how do you and work get along?" That was a good question. I''d like to say I haven''t shied away from work, but for the past year and a half, I''ve basically done nothing but sit in the corner of my cage. "I..." "Well, we''ll see," stable master Hale said when I hesitated, not really sure what to say. "I''ll give you a week to show me what you''ve got. Ten hours of work a day, ten pieces of silver." "F-for five days of work?" "Traiana''s tits! Who do you take me for? Of course, it''s for a day''s work." "O-oh, sorry. I just don''t know if that''s, you know, good enough or not." ''Damn, that sounded so rude of me!'' But true, nonetheless. It was the amount I got from City Hall, the amount I was told would barely last me one night. "It''s a fair reward, Korra," Scoresby hastened to clarify, only to add, "For someone you don''t know will be suitable for the job." "So...?" "Yes." The stable master nodded, frowning at the old man. "If you prove yourself, we''ll talk about a raise. First of all, though, as I said, it''s necessary that the Scalehoofs accept you. I can''t have someone here they''re afraid of." Understandable. "Something you want to tell me?" the stable master immediately asked as he saw the downcast movement of my ears and wings. "W-well," I said, pausing, wondering what to say. But there was no way around it, just telling the truth. He would find out that the scalehoofs were unhappy with me the moment I walked into the stables. "They, I mean the scalehoofs, see me as a beast. Your dog, too." "Do they? That''s odd." It wouldn''t be if he knew what I was. "Usually they only see Terr''dens that way, not halfs. The reason I don''t employ them." ''Wait, what? I wasn''t the only one?'' There were more like me - as bad as it made me feel, quite relieving to hear. Puzzling at the same time, though. Castiana was full of Terr''dens. Any street you walked down, you were likely to run into at least one. Yet none of the scalehoofs pulling wagons on the streets seemed as frightened of them as Lyl''ra was of me. In fact, come to think of it, I was the only one they looked at with fear. So no, as much as I''d like to believe it, the scalehoofs did not see me the same way they did the Terr''dens. Whatever that deranged asshole had made me into, it wasn''t one of them - that much I was sure of. "Anyway, show me that I can let you into the stables without it turning into a neighing racket, and I''m gonna give you a chance. What do you say, Grey?" ''Well, there was no harm in trying, was there?'' Hope dies last, as they say. There was still a chance that I might be able to convince the scalehoofs. "R-right now? Or...?" "Why wait?" "O-okay, what stables?" I realized what a stupid question that was as soon as it came out of my mouth. Of course I would prefer any stables to the ones where the scalehoof knew me already. "Why not the Building Two? That''s the one where Scoresby''s mares are stabled. They already know you. It should be easy," the stable master said, a grin on his lips, and added, "Or maybe not. We''ll see." Chapter 100: Hooting "Excuse me," I said loud enough for the scalehoofs in the Building Two of the stables to hear me. "It''s me...the one you call beast. I''m going in." Awkward, for sure. Thankfully though, none of the people present laughed at me. And so, gathering my courage, I entered the stable, receiving the reaction I had expected, but not hoped for. ?You beast, go away!? Lyl''ra immediately bellowed, while a good half of the scalehoofs joined in to express their displeasure with me in their home, albeit not as loudly. "Beast talk has always fascinated me," remarked Stable Master Hale, following in my footsteps inside just like his black dog, Scoresby, and Ria. "It sounds like she''s speaking Standard, but the scalehoofs understand her." "Better than your hooting." "Hooting?" Ria asked at Scoresby''s comment, beyond curious. "It''s not hooting, but...watch this, little one," the stable master said, taking a wide stance, puffing his chest. Then, he looked around at the scalehoofs and made a sound that couldn''t be described other than a neigh. As strange as it sounded, it was even weirder that I understood him. ?Take it easy, my friends!? That was what he said. Quite puzzling, actually. ''Didn''t he want me to show him how the scalehoofs accept me? Why was he helping me?'' "Don''t overthink it, girl. Would do that for any newcomer. It shows the animals that I know about you, that you''re here with my approval." ''Fuck me. How did I not notice this before?'' Baffled, I couldn''t help but curse at myself for not noticing until Stable Master Hale neighed. The strange man he was, his words spoken in Standard, were backed by intent. Obviously, the stable master himself didn''t realize that, but the meaning was there, expressing what he wanted to convey, whether it was to animals or humans. ''Was that true of other people?'' Well, if I had to guess, then yes. At least to some extent. When they spoke, they did so with intent, without being aware of it. ''Seriously, how did I miss that?'' That was how I listened to scalehoofs, mossbears, and squirrels; that was how I talked to them by giving meaning to my words. ''Wait! Was what I did unnecessary?'' "You alright, Grey?" the stable master asked, seeing me waver, the meaning now obviously behind his words. His efforts to learn the tongue of scalehoofs, as misguided as they were, strengthened his inner voice as opposed to other people. Nevertheless, weak as their inner voice might have been, it had to be there. ''I wasn''t wrong, was I? That had to be it.'' That was how animals and beasts understood humans while they remained deaf to it. ''Good to know, for sure. Useful, though? Hard to say.'' If anything, it showed me how the meaning behind words was important to the animals and beasts - and to humans, too, for that matter. It wasn''t rare to hear someone say no when they meant yes, and vice versa. ''Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Does that mean that animals and beasts can''t lie?! Was it possible to express in that way something you didn''t mean? Actually, a question the scalehoofs could answer for me and quite possibly the solution to finding my way to them. "Y-yeah, I''m fine, Mr. Hale. I just realized something," I said truthfully, looking at the young mare pressed against the back of her stall. Her look said it all. She''d rather run away than be here with me. "Ah, I see. And what is that? That you don''t want to work here?" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "What? No! No, I...I want to..." "Just messing with you. But seeing the reaction of the scalehoofs - let''s just say you have a lot of convincing to do." "Yeah, I''m aware." "Good. Just so you know, scalehoofs are herd animals. So if you wish to work here, I want to see that mare, your mare old man, not be afraid of you." ''Shit!'' "You mean Lyl''ra?" I asked with the slight hope that I had misunderstood him. "Knowing her name is a good start. But yes. Convince her, and the rest will be a breeze in your undies." ''Should I just give up?'' Seeing the frightened mare, it seemed like an impossible task. But walking away wouldn''t just mean losing a job opportunity. It would be akin to admitting that I was the beast they saw and feared. This was a chance to prove not only to them that they were wrong about me, but also to myself that I was still human, one not to be feared. The question, however, was how to show them that. ''By being sincere.'' Gathering my courage and collecting my thoughts, I approached the mare''s stall. Not all the way, just enough to face her so she could see all of me. "Hello, Lyl''ra." ?Go away, beast! Leave me alone!? ?Yes, leave the young one be,? the other scalehoofs whined. ?Find someone else, Oswyn.? "You know me. I''m Korra, the one you drove to the city. You know I wouldn''t hurt you." Ignoring the other scalehoofs, I tried to put as much sincere meaning into my words as I could. "I promise I won''t hurt you. I wouldn''t hurt any of you." ?You a beast, and beasts cannot be trusted,? Lyl''ra neighed, frightened, stubborn. ''Shit! She''s said that before. Did that mean... that there was a slight flaw in my plan?'' "May I ask you something - all of you?" ?Keep questions to yourself, beast.? ?Not care.? ?Speak.? "Do the beasts lie? Is it possible to lie with the beast tongue?" Silence fell over the stable - a short one. ?No.? ?No, lies.? ?Deception only.? ?Not telling the whole truth.? ?Beasts sneaky.? ?They lurk.? ?Lying in wait.? ?Hidden from sight.? ?Away from the ear.? ?Just like you, beast.? ''Oh. OH. Shit!'' They knew about the beast deep within me. It wasn''t me they were afraid of, but the beast I was afraid of, too. ?Beasts cannot be trusted,? Lyl''ra neighed again, a little calmer now that all the scalehoofs in the stables stood behind her. ?Show yourself, beast.? ?Come out.? ?Let the beast talk.? That was easier said than done. What they wanted me to do was essentially get overwhelmed by the beast, to shift, to give up my free will. ''If so, it was better to give up this job.'' ?Is there no other way?? ?No.? ?Let the beast tell its intentions.? ?I do not know how to do that.? At least not without shifting into my beast form. ?Afraid?? ?Fearing herself?? ''Yeah, I know.'' It was pretty hypocritical of me to ask them to put their trust in me when I couldn''t trust myself. ''I really was better off walking away, wasn''t I?'' I mean, it couldn''t have been as hard to find a job as Scoresby and the others said, right? But the Tender Way business card in my ring storage and the last words of those two recruiters, "They always come. Just give her time to get a taste of the city", were like a harsh reminder of what kind of work awaited me out there. Not necessarily the work of a whore, there must have been other jobs in Castina. But unless I was willing to sign my soul over to the devil in the form of Seeker Companies, I couldn''t expect to find anything much better. ''O-okay!'' "Fine," I said, willing to give it a shot. After all, it was just a matter of letting the beast intent speak through me. Nothing dangerous, right? Yet I felt the need to warn others, nonetheless. "If anything goes wrong, run." "Hold on, Grey. What are you talking about?" "Mr. Scoresby, please promise you will take Ria and run." "Sure, but..." "Hey, geezer, what is this about?" "I don''t know." Not really listening, I tried to reach out to my inner self. Not to shift, of course, but to let that feral urge deep down there bleed into my voice. Stupid? No doubt. I was playing with fire, threatening to hurt those around me, when that was the last thing I wanted to do. For that reason, I almost stopped just as I touched that feral wildness dwelling deep inside me. As I had feared, it was so easy. The beast was waiting there, just like the scalehoof said, ready to pounce as soon as it got the chance. "Look, Grey. This is enough..." The moment Stable Master Hale''s hand touched my shoulder, I shot him a look, bared my teeth, and let out a warning growl. The beast was ready to talk. Chapter 101: True Colors "By all the tits, Grey." The stable master drew back his hand, caution in his eyes, his big black dog alert and snarling back. ?Don''t you dare bite!? Definitely not the reaction I wished for. Yet, what I felt more sorry about, was that my bestial snap scared even Ria. The little kitare hid behind Scoresby, eyeing me now warily. "S-sorry, I didn''t mean to," I whimpered, puzzled at my ability to still speak Standard. Back in that filthy alley, when my inner beast poked its head out of its hiding place, I was unable to utter a single word. Yet now... ''I wasn''t that far gone. I haven''t changed.¡¯ I really hadn''t. The realization hit me with deep relief - and even deeper annoyance. This was what I wanted, to let that feral ferocity seep into my voice and no further. But it wasn''t what made the beast happy, and it let me know. ?Beast!? Lyl''ra neighed in panic, and with her, the other scalehoofs as I spoke with an intent underlain by the feral ferocity. ?Truly a beast.? Some mares and stallions, more seasoned, I guess, took the change in my behavior and voice with more composure. In fact, I''d venture to say that with more composure than me. It was there, stronger than ever, that urge to run free, to change further, to scratch my fur, to chase my tail, to mark my territory, to taste the meat. Was it that simple, though? Was it enough to let the beast have its way? Of course, I wasn''t going to do so. Instead, I broke down in a sweat, trying not to let the beast have its way. Was it necessary, though? That one question weighed heavily on my mind. There in that filthy alley, even though I gave my inner beast free rein, I hadn''t changed all the way through. What stopped the beast from taking over when I was willing? Would the same happen now? ''So many fucking questions and no one to answer them.'' "Will you believe me now if I say I''m not here to hurt you?" I said with as much sincerity as I could squeeze into my voice from the depths of my heart, now beating so hard my ears were ringing. ?Maybe.? ?I listen.? ?No!? ?Still, deceitful.? ?Beast, cannot be trusted.? Of course, Lyl''ra wasn''t convinced at all. But going this far and risking so much, hearing how many scalehoofs still didn''t trust me stung. It was so disheartening that I failed to get the disappointment out of my voice when I spoke again. "But I did what you asked me to do." It sounded more like a whine, underlaid with a frustrated growl. ?Not really,? Sylph''ra, the older of the two Scoresby''s mares, spoke up. ?You being truthful. That the truth.? "But?" ?You showed how much to be afraid.? "Afraid of what?" Stupid question. The answer was obvious. ?Of you, beast.? Yeah, I may have pushed through my fear, but that fear didn''t go away. If anything, I reeked of it more than before. ''Well, I tried.'' I couldn''t ask them to do what I couldn''t do myself - at least not now. "Thank you all for giving me a chance. I mean it. I really do," I said, turning my attention to Lyl''ra. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to terrify you. I''ll go." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ?Yes, go away, beast!? Not what I wanted to hear, and I made it known by growling under my breath, but I wasn''t one to push others to do something they didn''t want to do, not after what I''d been through. ?Wait, Beast,? Sylph''ra neighed, stopping me in my tracks when I turned to leave. ?No. Let the beast go, Silly Sylph.? ?Beast shown us its fear. Stood up to it. So should we.? ?Not fear. We cautious,? argued one of the mares. ?Reason. Beasts dangerous.? ?Better if gone.? Hard to blame them. It hurt anyway. People thought I was a half-Terr''den; animals regarded me as a beast. Only I saw myself as human. ''Was I the one to be wrong, then?'' The feral rage and pride coursing through my veins right now would say so. ''Actually, no. I wasn''t the only one who thought I was human.'' Despite what others said, how I felt, and my own doubts, the Lattice still considered me human. It said so in my Grid. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ¡­.19 ¡ú 20 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­........¡­¡­¡­.111 glyphs - ????? Thrifty Drinker (General): ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.......¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General): ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.........¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General): ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­......¡­¡­¡­¡­. 6 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General): ¡­¡­¡­¡­......¡­¡­... 12 ¡ú 13 glyphs - ?? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''Yeah, I was still human.'' Even letting the ferocity inside me have its way didn''t change that. It did make me wonder, though, what it would say if I fully shifted into the beast. Would it still say I was human, or would it recognize me as a beast? ''Not that I plan on finding out anytime soon.'' Looking at my Grid, though, I was reminded of another issue. Hovering over me like dark clouds, ready to rain, was the decision about my weaves. The longer I put it off, the more I was hurting myself. If I had made my choice back in the woods, I could have had all my weaves halfway to the second circle. My indecision, however, presented me with an opportunity. ''Perhaps there was a weave that could help me now.'' A thought I immediately dismissed. The point of letting my inner beast come to the surface was to show the scalehoofs my true colors, not to deceive them by using a weave. ?Show us who you truly are, beast.? Sylph''ra neighed after a heated debate with the other animals in the stables - even the stable master''s dog joined in, while the two humans and little Terr''den just watched in silence. "What do you mean? I already did." ?No. Still holding back beast,? the mare argued, and most of the other scalehoofs agreed with her. ?Beast still hidden.? ''They knew? How?'' Seriously. How could they tell something that only I should know? Was everything really so strongly echoed by the intent in the words, or were their animal instincts behind it? Instincts of prey? Whatever the case, there was no denying they were right. ''People have seriously underestimated how much animals knew and what they were capable of sensing,'' I thought to myself, frustrated with what they wanted me to do and even more so with myself and what I had become. "You want me to shift into a beast here?" One thing I really liked about the beast talk was the lack of need to explain what I meant by things like "shifting". Their answers, however, were not so clear. ?Yes.? ?No.? ?Absolutely not.? ?Reveal yourself.? ?Go away!? At one point, the cacophony of neighing and whining became so loud that I had to press my ears to my head. ''Damn! Couldn''t they agree on one thing? All they had to do was say the word, and I''d be gone.'' Pathetic - both, them as well as me. They were dumb, unable to make a decision, therefore prey. I, on the other hand, was a disgrace to the hunters, tucking my tail between my legs in front of my prey. ?Not welcome.? ?Be gone.? ?Let beast talk.? Was that really the best I could do? What I wanted to do - to run away? What guaranteed that if I ran from a problem today, I wouldn''t run from another one tomorrow? Before I knew it, I could find myself running for the rest of my life - the exact opposite of why I agreed to be the stupid bait. So no, if I wanted to stop being afraid of my own shadow, I had to stop running. ?Look, beast angry.? ?Baring its fangs.? ?Showing its true colors.? ?Told you, not to be trusted.? ?Dangerous.? "For tit''s sake, can you shut up for a moment?!" I growled, my words dripping with a fury that alone sent shivers down my spine. And much to my horror, that wasn''t the only thing that came from deep within me. Along with my words, my beast might swept through the stable building, plunging it into the silence I wished for. Chapter 102: More Than Meets the Eye ''What have I done?!'' The question rang in my head like a never-ending echo of my worst nightmares, gripping my heart with dread. Instead of showing the scalehoofs that they had nothing to fear from me, the beast me just bared its fangs at them, suppressing them with its might. ''How was that even possible? I haven''t changed, have I?'' Startled, I looked down at my hands and scanned my domain for signs of me shifting, but found none. Unlike in that accursed cellar, and the back alley, I was still me - the weird human chick. "G-girl? W-what... what was that?" Scoresby asked me, his voice shaking, his eyes wide, his forehead covered with sweat. ''The beast has screwed me. NO! I blew it.'' If I had just not given in to the neighing of the scalehoofs none of this would have happened. Sure, I wouldn''t have gotten the job - which I didn''t see getting now anyway - but I wouldn''t make the only people in the city who gave a damn about me scared shitless. Scoresby would have to be crazy to want someone like me under his roof, and even though hidden behind the old man where I couldn''t see her, it wasn''t hard to imagine Ria shaking with fear. After all, my might gave even someone like that mind bitch pause and made the deranged asshole piss himself. ''Huh?'' Despite what I did, the pungent smell of piss didn''t hit my nose, nor did I see anyone trembling with fear. Building number two of the stables was silent, everyone inside, be it human, Terr''den, or animal, wore a look of shock, but none of them seemed outright afraid of me. ?L-Lady?? one of the scalehoofs asked right after Scoresby voiced his question, and others followed as if awakened from a dream. ?You are Lady?? ?Lady here?? ''That thing again.'' Once more, I felt like living through deja vu. Only instead of the squirrels just a moment ago hell-bent on biting me to death, it was the scalehoofs whose approach to me took a complete turn with them having a taste of my might. ?B-beast, Lady?? Lyl''ra stuttered, confused. ?You were Lady?? Sylph''ra asked, confused no less, horrified at the way she had treated me. ?Why not tell? Why hid it?? ''Because I had no bloody idea what it meant. I still haven''t.'' Though the truth and what I wanted to reply to Sylph''ra, it was not what left my lips. "I didn''t know I was one." ?You not know you Lady?? Scoresby''s mare asked, finding it unthinkable. ''Was that so weird?'' Even here on Eleaden there must have been a lot of people, and not just them, who grew up without knowing who they really were, without their parents, one or both of them. And while I knew mine, I had no idea what that deranged asshole had made me into. Did he use squirrels and scalehoofs in his experiments on me? ''I don''t think so.'' When I fully shifted, I had fangs and not the massive front teeth of squirrels. Instead of the urge to bite into nuts, I was driven by the urge to bite into meat and piss on tree, not to find one to defend. Similarly, my feet turned into paws and not hooves, not to mention Sage. My tail was unlike any of those animals. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''So, no.'' Whatever Dungreen tried to make me into, he didn''t use animals like squirrels and scalehoofs to do it. He used animals, beasts to be precise - that much I could tell - which were rare to find, were proud and bowed to none. ''Wait! That sounds like...Was that what he tried to make me into? This lady - whatever that meant?'' "N-no, I didn''t know," I growled my words in Standard at Sylph''ra. "How could I when I don''t know what it means?" As with the squirrels, behind the word "lady" even scalehoofs expressed their respect for me, but that was it. There was nothing to tell me what being the Lady actually meant to them. ?She not know?? ?Dumb?? ?Stupid?? Despite how it might appear at first hearing, there was no malice or mockery in their neighing, only wonder and concern. ?Too young, maybe?? ?Or too weak.? ?Yes, too young and weak.? ?Grow stronger.? ''Huh?'' Were the scalehoofs really now telling me to get stronger? I had to hold myself back from laughing or growling at the absurdity of them daring to call me weak. For the respect they suddenly had for me, they weren''t afraid to insult my pride - and it did hurt, especially because it was true. ''I was weak.'' [Scalehoof: 34 sigils] Maybe not compared to the mares and stallions in the stables whose sigils ranged from 15 to almost 50, but compared to the people who had the right to call me out on it, like Rayden or Marcus - compared to the ones who tried to get my ass. "D-don''t worry. I''m planning to do just that. I want to get stronger." I really did; it just wasn''t something you could do overnight. ?Good.? ?Lady, should be stronger.? ''So they knew what a Lady was?'' "Why? Why are you calling me Lady? What does it mean?" ?Lady, is Lady.? ?Lady just is.? As with the squirrels, much to my frustration, I couldn''t get a straight answer out of them. Either they didn''t really know themselves, or it was as obvious as they made it out to be, and I just didn''t see it. Not that odd. I wasn''t an animal like them. I wasn''t even a beast - I just had one inside me. ''Perhaps I should ask my inner self, then.'' A thought I immediately banished. It reeked of a split personality. No. Instead, another question came to my mind, one stemming from my conversation with Rayden and Marcus. "Am I expected to do anything?" Either my fear of taking on the expectations of others, even if they were just animals, was so strong it seeped into my voice, or the Lady thing wasn''t as complicated as I thought. ?No.? ?Just be Lady.? ?... and listen.? ''That was it?'' That didn''t sound bad; with my big ears, it was something I was already doing anyway. ?Speak to others.? ''Huh?'' "What do you mean?" ?On our behalf.? ?To humans.? ?To that old grumpy dog.? ?He always barking at us.? ?Because you stupid, too slow.? growled back the dog in question from his master''s feet where he stood. And that was when it clicked - sort of. ''Was the Lady something like a mediator? Between the species?'' The question I didn''t get to ask as the growling of the dog brought Stable Master Hale out of his stupor. "Damn, Grey. You''re more than meets the eye. I''ll give you that. Almost pissed my pants, when..." he said and paused, not really knowing how to describe what happened. "We''ll talk later about what that was." "Y-you''re not - you know - pissed off? Not afraid of me?" I asked, doing my best to suppress the beast when talking to him. "Oh, you certainly scared the shit out of me, but more importantly - look around you. I''ve never seen a scalehoofs be so excited to talk to anyone." "They are...?" ''Damn, how come I didn''t see that?'' Looking back at the animals, I couldn''t help but feel like I had been blind until now. All scalehoofs but Lyl''ra stood pressed against their stall doors, looking at me, full of excitement and expectation. Chapter 103: Not so Simple "Y-Yeah..." I said, stopping short, not really knowing what to say to Mr. Hale. The Scalehoofs were excited. Only, there just had to be a ¡°but¡±. This world has always found some way to mess with me. "I d-didn''t mean to¡­ force them, you know." A bit defensive and pretty stupid to point out my errors like that. I just didn''t want there to be any misunderstanding. First of all, it wasn''t how I was brought up, and secondly, my stupid beast pride wouldn''t allow it. After letting the beast''s voice out, I could feel it ruffling my feathers every time something came up that challenged my honor. "Don''t sweat it, Grey, I know. I heard them - well, not all of it. Seriously, I have no idea how you can make sense out of all this neighing, but I guess it''s a natural beast talker thing. In fact, I''m stoked to have you here." ''Shit! Of course, he heard. He heard the scalehoofs calling me Lady and...'' "Wait, what? You''re hiring me?" Stable Master Hale chuckled, pointing to the stall in which Lyl''ra stood, no longer afraid of me - if anything, very confused. "I gave you an assignment, and you exceeded my expectations. I''d have to be a fool not to take my chances with you." ''Was he serious?'' "R-really?" "You didn''t have very high hopes, huh? Well, you should learn not to underestimate yourself. Not anyone that young can get 96 sigils on their array." "Oh, that." If only he knew. It only took me a year and a half to get where I was. "Yes, just that," the stable master said, a little taken aback at my lack of appreciation for his praise. But before I could even react, explain myself, he laughed heartily at me to see the number of sigils that most people could only dream of as something trivial or even annoying. "Good, very good. Can you come tomorrow at dawn?" "Tomorrow? You don''t want me to start right away?" "Ah, eager to get to work. I like that. But I have to get the paperwork ready first, and someone to show you the ropes. You said you had no experience working in stables, right?" "Y-yeah, I don''t." I stammered, not really knowing what to say. On the one hand, I wanted to thank the man, but on the other, dread and jitters were making my guts a mess, a sign of weakness. In other words, it only made the beast more irate. "Then tomorrow, Grey," the stable master said, a broad smile plastered on his face, motioning for his dog to follow him. "Come on, Buster. We have to finish the door before dark." ?Good to meet you, Lady,? growled the big black dog, wagging his tail happily as he followed his master out of the building. And just like that, I was left there facing the old man and the little kitare. The eyes of both were wide with wonder. But while Scoresby seemed to be regretting his decision to let me stay at his place, Ria''s eyes shone bright. "I know there''s a lot of explaining to do..." "I knew it. You are Wierin, Korra," the little kitare beamed, unable to contain her excitement any longer, and rushed to me. "No, Ria. I''m not," I said, well aware of how pointless it was this time. "But of course you are, Korra. You''re exactly what they say you are." "A-aren¡¯t they supposed to be creatures of great strength?" "You are strong. I felt it, and so did Mr. Scoresby. Didn''t you, Mr. Scoresby?" "Yes," the old man breathed. "Was it...you know, the beast you spoke of in Esulmor? The one you said you could turn into?" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ''Of course, he remembered.'' "Yeah. That one." "Glad I wasn''t wrong about the shackles, then." "I am truly sorry, Mr. Scoresby. I didn''t mean to lie to you. It''s just..." "And you didn''t," he stopped me, stroking his beard, a way to calm himself down, it seemed. "You''ve been straight with me - in your own way." ?Lady, truthful, I said so,? Sylph''ra neighed, proud that she was not mistaken about me. "I should have just listened to you better, I suppose," the old man said, glancing over the scalehoofs in the stable. They all still had their heads poking out of their stalls, some trying to get my attention. "What actually happened, Korra? Why did I feel like I was standing in the presence of a three hundred sigil beast?" "That''s because she''s strong, like Wierin," the little kitare beamed even before I had a chance to gather my thoughts to answer. "Not me, Ria. It''s not me who is strong. It''s the beast sleeping within me." Not some stupid lie. That was just the way it was. It was my inner beast who got me out of that cellar, negotiated the parley with the squirrels, fought off the thugs in the back alley, and now got me a job. Thinking about it, I seemed kind of useless, a burden to the beast. No doubt it would have been much better off without me, if I hadn''t held it back. ?Lady too young.? Well, there was no denying that there was something to it. I have been in this world for a much shorter time than Ria. I was basically a toddler when it came to living here. "Sooo," the little kitare sang, thinking hard. "You need to wake up fully." "W-what?" That was definitely not what I expected her to say. "You...you said that the strong you is asleep, so maybe to become Wierin - you have to wake up." "Ria, I told you, I''m not Wierin." If there really was such a creature, it certainly wasn''t some mutant chick like me. "But...but you look like one, and they are said to understand everyone, just like you." ''Oh, was that why she was so excited and convinced that I was one?'' With a heavy heart, I crouched down to her. "Ria, I don''t understand everyone - animals and beasts, maybe. But if I didn''t use [Eleaden Standard Language], I wouldn''t understand you." "You wouldn''t?" she asked, taken aback, the disappointment in her voice hitting me like a fist to the gut. "No, I wouldn¡¯t." "T-Then maybe when you learn - and wake up?" "I''m sorry, I..." I said, stopping short of saying for the third time that I was not Wierin. ''What if the lady thing was somehow related to the creature of Terr''den¡¯s legend?'' A thought I would have liked to dismiss straight away, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed possible. "Let it be, little one," Scoresby spoke up. "We don''t get to choose how we are born into this world. Quite often, we don''t even get to choose who to be, like Korra - or me." "You?" I couldn''t help but wonder, as did the little kitsune. "Do you think I chose to be a Merchant like my father? No, my father forced me to choose it - or rather, he didn''t leave me much of a choice. Don''t worry. I learned to love my job, but it took time." Damn, I thought of him as a loving son, following in the family footsteps, but I guess nothing was as simple as it first appeared. "So, Mr. Scoresby, you are saying that with time, Korra might become Wierin?" "Well, I was trying to say I wouldn''t want to push anyone into something they don''t want to be, but yes. One day, she might become whatever you wish her to be, little one. However, let her get there of her own free will." Mouthing a silent ¡°thank you¡±, I couldn''t stop wondering if one day I would really grow up to be that legendary creature. Apparently, I had the look. Becoming stronger was already part of my plan, and learning to speak Eleaden Standard myself was only a matter of common sense. After all, I had no illusions about returning to Earth any time soon. As such, if I wanted to survive here, I needed to use every weave at my disposal. Speaking of which, it was high time to choose weaves that were a little more useful than [Thrifty Drinker] and [Hunger Fortitude]. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ............. 20 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ...................................... 111 glyphs - ????? Thrifty Drinker (General): ........................................3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General): ............................................. 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General): .................................. 6 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General): ..................................... 13 glyphs -?? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 104: Choice ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ............. 20 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ...................................... 111 glyphs - ????? Thrifty Drinker (General): ........................................3 glyphs - ? Equilibrium (General): ............................................. 7 glyphs - ? Hunger Fortitude (General): .................................. 6 glyphs - ? Spatial Domain (General): ..................................... 13 glyphs -?? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Thrifty Drinker General Weave 3 glyphs - ? ? In a time when every little sip of water counts, you can survive on less throughout the droughts. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hunger Fortitude General Weave 6 glyphs - ? ? With hunger striking, you find it less biting. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I may not have been able to spend coins wastefully, but neither of the two weaves seemed helpful to me anymore. Thanks to the old man, I was now employed. So, getting food here in Castiana was a matter of keeping that job and finding a stall or tavern not selling at exorbitant prices. Something my little guide helped me with on the way back to City Hall, which we lengthened by walking down the Crooked Streed past Scoresby''s Goods & Wares for me to get a better sense of the city before I relieved Ria of her services. Eight hours of guiding me, 10 coppers an hour. Granted, it took a pretty big chunk out of my current budget, but knowing that I''d be making ten times more than her tomorrow put her earnings in a whole new light. Not to mention that I would be working in the safety of the stables while she risked her life on the city streets. It seemed a bit unfair, to say the least. Of course, I told Enola as much. Sadly, all the receptionist could do was take note of my complaint and make sure it reached the ears of her superiors. Sure, the chances of it making a difference were slim. Sometimes, though, it did take that one step to change things - even if by just a bit. ''So, the weaves. High time to make a decision, take that step.'' Yet, just as I feared, picking a replacement for those two weaves was not easy at all. Even after staring at my options for hours, I was nowhere near making a decision. Although, in part, my new room was to blame. ''Yes, I had my own room.'' After making my way back to Scoresby''s Goods & Wares, which was a feat I was proud of, the old couple showed me the place they had prepared for me. Instead of the small, dark, former broom closet I was expecting, they led me to an amazing undercroft room. A bit embarrassingly, I didn''t manage to keep my emotions in check and tearfully thanked them. I couldn''t help it. The room was several times larger than my cell, dry compared to the cellar, and the large window was letting in the warm sunlight that made the cold darkness of the morgue just a bad memory. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The moss in Esulmor may have been soft, but it couldn''t compare to the bed and blankets I immediately snuggled into. Not even the small downside of the noise coming through the window from the street outside could ruin my thrill of the room. After all, in the forest I was falling asleep to the sounds of the night creatures, as silence there was a thing unheard of. Nothing could beat the morgue in that regard - but the same could be said for the coziness of this room, MY room. Besides the bed, I had at my disposal a wardrobe, a chest, two shelves, a table, a chair, and a small cast-iron stove in case it gets cold, all straight out of a medieval fairy tale. If I were to change anything to make it perfect, it would just be adding a few flower pots. ''Shit! Shit, shit, SHIT! I don''t deserve this.'' If only the room wasn''t so perfect - maybe then the guilt wouldn''t eat away at me so much. A naive thought, for sure. After all they had done for me, it would gall me not to tell the Scoresbys how much danger I was putting them in by staying here, even if they housed me in the outhouse. My only solace was knowing that somewhere out there was a city guard watching my tail, and another one keeping an eye on those two incredibly kind people. Strange as it was, I also found in this guilt the motivation to push forward. The sooner I became stronger, the more self-reliant, the sooner I could get out of Scoresby''s hair. And I was on my way there. First step? Done. I had a job. Step two? ''Decide on fucking weaves.'' There were so many, though. Some weren''t worth a second thought; others were kind of meh, neither bad nor good. And a few General weaves made me question the Lattice itself - and myself, too. Seriously, why would anyone have and take a weave like [Pissing Maiden] or [Naturally Naked]? Likewise, there were some General weaves that gave me the same shivers as my Slave Array weaves. Only someone insane would choose [Slave''s Will] or [Subject of Master]. Nor was I going to put [Malleable Body] or [Mistress of Mutations] in my Grid. I''d rather pick a weave like [Big Tits] than that. Alas, and understandably, no matter how hard I searched the rune sky of Grid Forge, I found no such weave among those available to me. In fact, surprisingly, despite there being dozens, maybe even hundreds of weaves, I only found a few worth considering. One of them being the one whose runes were carved on my chest by the shitty Fae. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Never-Dying General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? You are far from most for whom an untimely death entails a somewhat inconvenient life impact, for you can always find a new way to die later as long as your body or your brain is intact. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Taking this weave might have sounded dumb at first. After all, thanks to the runes, I "enjoyed" the effects of the first circle, even without the weave itself. It was because of the runes I was still here and got to see the morgue. Yet I couldn''t help but wonder about the other circles of the weave. Rayden and Marcus claimed that the runes left by the Fae were never as simple as they first appeared, that my ability to overcome death was unheard of in people of my strength. Without a doubt, [Never-Dying] was an excellent weave to have - one, however, that would make me play into the Fae''s hands, making me their dutiful puppet. The reason I was still hesitant to take the weave. Funnily enough, my reasons for hesitating over my second choice weren''t all that different. If I were to choose [Beast], I might as well become a puppet of my instincts, of that feral savagery dwelling within me. Yet, after everything that happened, I wasn''t stupid to think I could pretend the beast inside me didn''t exist. It was there, always ready to pounce or save my ass, whether I liked it or not. ''Still...'' Perhaps it would be wiser to explore my body''s other capabilities before taking the plunge and take weaves like [Flight] or [Poison Empress''s Tail] instead. Or I could go an even safer route and choose [Bear Strength] and [Feline Nimbleness]. ''Why the fuck is it so hard?'' I almost screamed out loud, frustrated with myself, blaming that deranged asshole for making me like this - this indecisive. He was the one who took everything away from me, my free will, and denied me of any choice for so long. ''Get your shit together, Korra! He''s not here to make decisions for you anymore.'' I reminded myself, biting down on my lower lip. ''The choice is mine to make, mine alone.'' ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Flight General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? Some are bound to walk the earth all their lives, dream of flying, but only see the skies with their eyes, you broke out of those bonds, and dream no longer as the heights above you are yours to raise. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Tail of Poison Empress General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? Death awaits everyone, but for some, it comes earlier in the form of a blazing orange cloud, may your prey find solace in knowing that the sweet scent is something in which to be proud. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Beast General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? No matter what anyone says or claims, the beast dwells in the hearts of all, a simple truth worth admitting rather than seeking ignorance leading to a fall. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 105: Flights and Farts ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Flight General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? Some are bound to walk the earth all their lives, dream of flying, but only see the skies with their eyes, you broke out of those bonds, and dream no longer as the heights above you are yours to raise. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''Who wouldn''t want to be able to fly, right?'' It would be so cool to be able to soar through the sky. But no matter what the weave description said, I knew I wasn''t able to - at least not the way I was just now. No, I didn''t try to rise to the ceiling in my room; it was too small for that, nor did I jump out the window. Dungreen, the deranged asshole, made me try the [Flight] weave the moment he saw me grow symmetrical wings. Dishearteningly, and much to Dungreen''s great disappointment - the asshole expected much better results - my wings were too small and placed in the wrong spot. Even with the extra lift given to me by the weave, it only threw me off balance when I flapped my wings. BUT if it allowed me at least that much right from the start, with only one glyph engraved on the weave, who was to say I wouldn''t eventually be able to fly? ''Even little birds had to learn to fly first, right?'' So, yeah, taking [Flight] as my weave was very tempting. And that was despite the fact that with my luck, I would likely run into a pigeon strong enough to beat my ass on the first flight. What bothered me the most, however, was that I didn''t actually see any flyers soaring over the streets of Castiana. The more I thought about it, the more sure I was that there had to be more to it. Flying seemed too convenient not to take advantage of. Was it regulated or even banned? If so, how would I learn to fly and train my weave then? Not a problem I''d have if I took the other weaves. Yet even those were not without challenges of their own. With [Beast], for example, I wasn''t sure if letting the feral ferocity deep inside me out like I did in the stables would be enough to give me any sigil - not to mention the danger of simply having the weave. Wouldn''t that be like asking to be taken over by my inner beast? ''It would, wouldn''t it?'' Even taking [Never-Dying], the path the Fae laid out for me, seemed more acceptable than that. While there was a threat that I would lose my freedom, in a sense, I would not lose myself. Besides, having the weave didn''t sound that complicated. I would imagine [Never-Dying] would require me to - well, just die, an easy job for Sage. All I had to do was hug my tail at night and let the weave do its thing. In theory, at least. But speaking of poison - I was at my fart-holding limits. As simple as it turned out to be, Ria''s solution was crude and did not address the root of the problem - the creation of the poison itself. As far as I could tell, it was a minuscule amount, but holding it in all day accumulated enough of it to give me a very unpleasant sensation across my entire tail. The glands were full. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. When I looked at my faithful, wagging companion through my domain, I could see them bulging under the long hair of my tail. So much so, in fact, that I was afraid to touch Sage for fear of releasing the poison. Would taking [Tail of Poison Empress] as my weave solve the problem, though? I didn''t believe so. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Tail of Poison Empress General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? Death awaits everyone, but for some, it comes earlier in the form of a blazing orange cloud, may your prey find solace in knowing that the sweet scent is something in which to be proud. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The description of the weave spoke only of what I could already do, not of what I was able to do with the poison like a beast back in the cellar - wield it. Terrible memories as they were, I remembered the beast actually commanding that orange cloud, letting it slam into that shoelace bitch. And that would be a cool ability to have for sure, useful too. I wouldn''t have to worry about filling my room with poison once I let it out. All I''d have to do would be to open the window and order the poison out and up to the sky. But this way, I was worried it might fall down on the street, poisoning the unsuspecting people, thus sending me back behind bars. "If only I could fly," I whispered, burying my head in the pillow in frustration. Seriously, it would be so easy. I''d just fly high above the rooftops and fart up there. This way, I had no choice but to plunge my room into an orange cloud for who knows how long, try to release the poison under the covers, and hope it stayed there or... ''Would that work, though?'' The more I thought about it, the more doubts I had about the idea of shoving my tail into the cast-iron stove and letting the poison go up the chimney. For one, it would leave my tail full of soot and me unable to lie down in that heavenly bed today unless I took another bath. Not to mention, I wasn''t sure the poison would go up the chimney like smoke. What if it had instead spread down through other heaters connected to the chimney to other rooms? ''No, I couldn''t risk killing the Scoresbys.'' Seeing no other option and really, really wanting to release the poison, I opened the window, just in case, and shoved Sage under the covers. Then, for the umpteenth time, making sure all the nooks and crannies of the blanket were tightly sealed - I farted. ''Ah... finally...'' If you put aside all the worries around and the dangers that come with it, one of the best feelings ever. The relief, incredible - it was like when you really have to pee but you can''t, only to make it to the toilet at the last second. My moment of unimaginable relief didn''t last long, though. ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'' Despite my best efforts, an orange mist began to seep from beneath the folds and through the blanket itself. ''Stay there,'' I pleaded, trying to blow at it, with little success. The poison haze shivered slightly, as if in mockery of me, and continued escaping into the room. It was only then, in that strange position, sitting on the bed above my tail trapped under the blanket, that I remembered my wings. Without hesitation, I dove into my Grid Forge, took [Flight] instead of [Hunger Fortitude] for that extra lift, and flapped my wings, dispersing the escaped poison around the room and out the window. Like that, I sat there for a good hour, flapping my wings from time to time, releasing Sage only when I was sure there were no orange clouds left under the covers, just a faint apple aroma. ''Yeah, yeah,'' I dismissed the Lattice notification, stroking my tail gently. ''Sorry Sage, I promise I''ll find a better way.'' Relief had not yet settled in my heart when the scraping on the frame of the open window reached my ears. With bated breath, I turned around, finding a cat sitting there. ?Hello, Lady. For you,? the cat said, running her claws over the note tied around her neck. Chapter 106: Note "H-hello," I stammered instead of untying the note from the cat''s neck, staring at her, baffled. ''What did she just call me? Lady? Why? I never saw the cat.'' That was how it worked, wasn''t it? The animals had to have a taste of my presence to know I was¡­ well, this lady thing. That was how it worked with both squirrels and scalehoofs. Or were some animals more sensitive to that stuff than others? ?Lady?? "Have we met before?" ''This is nuts.'' No matter how many times I spoke to an animal, it still made me feel crazy. ''And maybe I was.'' Maybe I went nuts, and this was all an imagination of my decaying mind while I was locked up somewhere on Earth, strapped in the white straitjacket. It would explain all the craziness I had to go through. Heck, just a moment ago, I was holding my tail under the covers to contain my poisonous farts. ?Yes. Yes, we seen.? "We did? Where? In the stables?" It wouldn''t be weird if there was a cat like the one sitting on my windowsill. ?Stables?? the feline cocked her head, confused. ?No, alley, box. My home. You fought there, protecting kitten.? ''Holy fucking shit! The eyewitness!'' "You''re the one who was there. Thank you." ?Why?? the feline asked, confused once more. Not her fault. Even I didn''t know exactly what I was thanking her for. "For¡­ for speaking up for me." Not everyone would do that, preferring to mind their own business. ?Shouldn''t, Lady?? "No. I mean, I''m glad you did. If there''s anything I can do for you..." Sure, right now, I was having trouble taking care of myself, but even if it meant sharing what little I had, I wasn''t gonna let that cat back on the streets. ?Take human writing,? the feline interrupted my train of thought. "Ah, yeah. S-sorry. I was thinking more like food or something," I clarified the meaning of my vague words while untying the message from the cat''s neck. ?Humans guarding the city came. They gave food. Place to stay.? "They did?" I thought they had interrogated the cat, and after giving it some food, they released it back into the streets. ?Yes. Good humans,? the cat meowed, stretching on the windowsill now that her neck was free. I, on the other hand, rushed to unwrap the little scroll, more than curious about its contents. ''Was this how Rayden wanted to communicate with me?'' Why not give me the fancy messaging tool I saw at the city gate? That would be way less noticeable. Or was the tool not as simple as I thought? Most likely. If anything, it must have been expensive. Anyway, Rayden''s stinginess aside, I had to admire how much the message writer managed to fit on that small piece of paper. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ©¦Quite a stunt you put on in the stables. ©¦Not low profile, but not necessarily bad. ©¦Might speed things up. We need to talk. ©¦Tomorrow, stables, lunch break. ©¦Excuse yourself for needing to use the shitters. No signature, nothing to tell me who sent me the message. However, that first line spoke clearly, twisting my insides into a knot. Whoever wrote the note saw what happened in the stables, most likely even me using my might. A few came to mind. Obviously those who were in the stables at the time. But I might as well have ruled out the scalehoofs, the stable master''s dog, and any other animal that might have been there, as none of them knew how to write. The old man, Ria, and Mr. Hale had no reason to send me such a message, which narrowed the options down to some future colleague of mine, whoever was watching my tail, and last but not least, the mind mages. ''Were they the ones who sent the cat? They would be able to do that, wouldn''t they?'' "W-who wrote this? Who sent you to me?" ?Male. Good Human. He gave home.? As much as I''d like to, that didn''t rule out mind mages. "Is he...?" I said and stopped short, realizing I should watch my tongue when talking to animals. It wasn''t just them who understood what I was saying. If that message was sent by the one I hoped it was, I might give away more than I wanted to by saying something unnecessary. Actually, I might already have. ?Lady?? "Sorry. I...so he''s a good man?" I asked, placing emphasis on whether he was one of the people guarding the city. ?Yes,? meowed the cat, basically confirming that whoever wrote that message was the one watching my ass, hopefully. There was still the possibility that the mind mages were taking good care of this cat, or at least making her think so. Either way, the animal wasn''t to blame. ''Besides, I can just ignore the message.'' "Thank you." Scratching the cat behind the ear, I chuckled when she purred. ?Glad to help,? the feline meowed, stretched again, and with one last look jumped from the windowsill onto the roof and ran away, leaving me there with nothing but a note in my hand and another problem to worry about as if sorting out my weaves wasn''t enough. ''Shit!'' With a curse almost slipping from my lips, I quickly put the note away, realizing I was standing there in the open window with it in my hand like a fool. ''Being bait sucks!'' It really did. Acting normal might have seemed easy, and it might as well have been. Not for me, though, not when I knew what was at stake. In fact, the note now in my pocket more than illustrated what Rayden was talking about and what a dark time it must have been during the Mind Wars. Just now, I had suspected a cat of working for mind mages. ''Crazy, right?'' Terrifying, in fact. So, no. If I had any doubts about being the bait or becoming stronger, they were gone. Never in my life did I want to suspect old Scoresby or Ria of the same thing. Or to be afraid that the mind-mages'' hounds were watching me from the shadows. And for that, I needed weaves with the number of glyphs matching the number of my array sigils. ¡®For the shit''s sake! I need to make up my mind.'' [Flight]; [Never-Dying]; [Beast]; [Tail of Poison Empress] or some other General Weave? Each choice had its pros and cons; each had its consequences. Should I take the risk, I could lose everything. But a safe way entailed the risk of never reaching my goal and possibly remaining stuck here on Eleaden. ''Fuck it. Just one night.'' I thought and swapped [Flight] and [Thrifty Drinker] for [Never-Dying] and [Tail of Poison Empress]. While none of the first circles of weaves brought me anything new - I truly didn''t feel any change after taking them - I was more than curious about what their other circles held. I could only hope for a way to better control the creation of poison in my tail or a regeneration that would restore me to my former self. But to be more moderate in my hopes, it would be enough to see if the two weaves interacted with each other - that my apple-scented death would trigger my bloody resurrection. ''The night will tell, I guess.'' Chapter 107: Wake-up Call KNOCK! KNOCK! "A few more minutes," I whimpered into the pillow, enjoying the comfort of my new bed. ¡®MY NEW BED!¡¯ The realization took my breath away. As the nightmare of my life rushed to recall itself to my mind, I shot out of the bed towards the window, one thought echoing in my skull: ''Did I oversleep? On my first day on the job?'' Mercifully, when I opened the curtains, the rays of the morning sun did not cut into my eyes, nor did they light up my new attic room. It was still dark outside - at least as dark as it could be in the city. Even at this hour, many of the windows were already lit up with magic light, and the same was true of the main streets, where street lamps defended them against the darkness. And then, of course, there were the diaglyphs, which made the city center shine the most. "Korra? Are you up?" Mrs. Scoresby''s voice came from behind the door. "Y-yeah. I mean, yes, I am. Come on in. It''s not locked," I blurted out, my voice more raspy than I would have liked, close to the snarl of an upset beast. Nothing unusual, though. That''s just how I felt in the mornings - and about locking the door, apparently. It wasn''t that they didn''t give me a key, but when it came to locking the door last night, I couldn''t do it. I just couldn''t shut myself in the room, even though there was a window I knew I could possibly escape through. "Good morning, my dear," Mrs. Scoresby said as she opened the door but remained standing in the hallway. "I''m sorry to have woken you; nothing I want you to get used to, dear. Although Liam and I know how hard it can be for people like you to adjust." "N-no. No, it''s all right. I''m grateful to you. I''d hate to oversleep." The old woman chuckled. "Oh, so you slept well?" "Shouldn''t I?" "You definitely should, and I''m glad to hear that you did. But you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones." "Why?" ''I mean, I sure lucked out running into Scoresby, but that wasn''t what she meant.'' "Many people who have suffered the same fate as you have trouble finding sleep in a place like this..." she said, gesturing to my room. "I found more than one huddled in the corner of the room after a sleepless night." "Oh, I see. Then I''m really lucky. I was dead to the world all night." Not just empty words. A quick dive into my mind revealed a number of Lattice notifications. ''Good job, Sage,'' I thought towards my tail, my murderer, now casually swaying behind me. But as I began to wonder how many glyphs my new weaves had acquired, something Mrs. Scoresby said stood out in my mind. "You had other slaves here?" "Liam didn''t tell you?" The old woman wondered, only to shake her head. "That''s just like him. He never liked to talk about it. But it''s something that will be better said at breakfast, don''t you think?" My ears perked up. "Breakfast?" Mrs. Scoresby laughed. "Yes, dear. Did you think I would let you leave on an empty stomach? Clean yourself up and come downstairs before the bacon gets cold." ''B-b-bacon?'' If I hadn''t known Mrs. Scoresby would find it unseemly, I would have run down the stairs as I was. But instead, I made my bed and went through the usual morning business in record time before having the best breakfast ever. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ Well, it turns out that Mr. and Mrs. Scoresby, in their prime, helped more than one slave get back on their feet. More than a dozen like me had slept in that room alone before me. Did that weird me out? Not at all. I had stayed in hotels whose beds had seen more visitors than that. But what I couldn''t get out of my head as I walked from Scoresby''s Goods & Wares to the stables lying in the shadow of the city walls were the fates of those who had slept in mine. ''How did they fare?'' Had they managed to escape the life their masters had thrown them into, or had they slipped back into being slaves? All Scoresby told me was that some fared well, others worse. Only a few kept in touch with him, and even fewer returned his kindness. ''My case!'' No matter what, as soon as I had the ability, I was determined to show them my gratitude - to repay my dues. And honestly, I owed them more than they knew. But I was already working on removing the threat from their lives, and mine - or I should say, others were on it, while I did my worst to act as normal as I possibly could. Even my morning trip to my first job in this world raised a few eyebrows when I sniffed my tail now and then. Sure, it made me tired, for a moment, yet I couldn''t help myself. After all, in one night, my [Tail of Poison Empress] weave got a whopping six glyphs. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): ¡­.¡­.... 20 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ................................... 111 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General): ...................................13 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General): ........................................... 7 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General): .................................. 1 ¡ú 4 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General): ............... 1 ¡ú 7 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ To add to my joy, the work of the Fae runes on my chest counted as an accomplishment of [Never-Dying]. Or was it the work of the weave alone, now that I had it? ¡®I guess something akin to the millennia-old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?¡¯ Of course, by sniffing my tail, I wasn''t trying to drop dead in the street - the three glyphs added to the weave were more than enough for one night, in my opinion. I only wanted to see if it was the level of poisoning that mattered with [Tail of Poison Empress] or actually poisoning your prey to death - something hinted at in the description of the weave. Well, it turns out that the walk to the stables was too short for me to figure it out. No new glyph got engraved on my weave. Was I disappointed? No, not really. After all, I made it to the stables without a guide. ''You''re not quite a lost cause yet, Korra,'' I thought to myself, wiping my sweaty hands on my shorts as I stood in front of the entrance to the stables, simply named [Stables], looking up. The first rays of the morning sun had just hit the tops of the roofs. ''Just on time.'' Relief, however, quickly gave way to unease. While knowing what could have been in store for me during my work in the stables, there were still things that would be out of my hands - so to speak. There was no telling how the scalehoofs would react to me today, or those in the other buildings who had not tasted my beast might. Honestly, I wouldn''t be surprised if Stable Master Hale changed his mind about hiring me, and if he didn¡¯t, I couldn''t help wondering who might be the one under whose wing I would be entrusted. Will it be a male or female, human or someone of another race? So many questions weighed on my mind, not to mention the note. It burned in the back of my brain like hot coals in my pocket - so to speak. Of course I didn''t keep it in my pocket, even though I had them now. However, having it in my spatial ring brought me no more ease. ''Seriously, I should have gotten rid of that piece of paper and forgotten all about it.'' In fact, I still could. Yet I left the note where it was, and instead of destroying it, I took a deep breath and made my way to what I assumed were the offices, following in the footsteps of several people entering the stables. Chapter 108: Theres Nothing Like Work "That''s so fucking weird," remarked Moira, the stable girl under whose wing Mr. Hale had entrusted me when I asked a scalehoof to come out of his cubicle so we could clean it up, and the stallion listened without hesitation, walking out by himself. "Pan''ren doesn''t listen to me at all. I usually have to pull him out by force." "Really?" A question directed at the stallion rather than the woman of fairly strong build. ?Fun,? the stallion neighed, not ashamed, seeing it as a way to brighten his day. A bit mean? Sure. But it wasn''t hard for me to put myself in his hooves. The changes in my body, the cold, and the constant screaming of the other slaves were not the only things that threatened to break my mind back there in that cellar. The lack of any other ¡°stimulus¡± was no less crushing. Unsurprisingly, in that regard, the stallion was not the only scalehoof troubled by boredom, nor was it the only problem the animals had. Some complained about the lack of grain, others about the freshness of the water. Many scalehoofs were tormented by annoying itches between their scales; others had back pain or hoove issues. "Look, Grey. That''s not up to me to decide. I''ll have to talk to the stable master," Moira said, more than thrown off by the behavior of the animals around me all morning. "Replacing horseshoes is not something we can do without the owner''s consent, but relocating the scalehoof is at the stable master''s discretion. Are you sure they''d feel better?" "Lyl''ra?" It was Scoresby''s mare who shyly brought up the fact after I asked if anything was bothering her. ?Y-yes, would feel better in back, L-Lady.? She obviously still didn''t feel comfortable talking to me, or at least was confused about it, but to my relief, she was at least no longer scared of me. "Yes, Moira. I''m sure." Usually, on my first day of work, I kept my head down, nodding and trying to do as I was told. I certainly would never dare tell my employer he was doing his job wrong - as that was what I was essentially saying right now. But I couldn''t shake the feeling that I was indebted to the scalehoofs, especially to Lyl''ra. If only for the fact that all that talking to the animals had an impact on my weave. "Alright, I''ll go get the stable master. In the meantime, you go clean out the next stall." "I will, and thanks, Moira." The woman smirked back. "It''s your ass that gets fired, not mine, if it pisses off the stable master. Now, get to work." The work - cleaning of the stalls. So far, it wasn''t as demanding a job as I thought it would be. Sure, today was a sort of orientation day to get my bearings - a lot of explaining and showing how to do things and all that, which Moira, despite her tough exterior, handled more than well, if I may say so myself. But as far as the work itself was concerned, the manual labor - well, I didn''t break much of a sweat. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ''Seriously, has it always been this easy?'' No! No, absolutely not. I wasn''t naive enough to think so. The Beast Tongue may have given me an advantage in handling the scalehoofs, but scooping the dirty straw bedding with a pitchfork into a wheelbarrow was the same back-breaking, stinking work as on Earth. I should be lamenting, maybe even thinking about taking a job at Tender Way, yet here I was, shoveling manure without much trouble, just a bit sweaty. ''The Lattice.'' Whether I liked it or not, the runes enveloping this world in their rules had changed me. Maybe not as much as Dungreen''s experiments, but the runes sure did. Or, more precisely, my "dedicated" service to that deranged asshole was at fault. The more sigils I had, the stronger I was supposed to get - that much I knew - be it muscle or in mind. I just didn''t expect it to make such a noticeable difference. ''I simply didn''t know my limits.'' Hard to gauge your strength when you''re locked in a small cell, though. ?Lady happy?? Asked the mare whose shit mixed with the straw I was just shoveling out of her stall. A strange thing to be happy about, for sure, but she was right. I was happy, wagging my tail like I was having the best day ever. And honestly, in a way, I had - I woke up in bed, had breakfast, went to work, met new colleagues. "Yes, I am. This is the first day in an awfully long time I feel like a normal person." ?But Lady not like others.? As painful as it was, it was no less true. A normal person wouldn''t be able to talk to animals. Not to mention that with lunch break drawing near, my normal day was about to come to an end. Sure, I didn''t have to follow the instructions on the note. In fact, it seemed like the rational thing to do. Informing Rayden would have been much wiser. But the more and more I thought about it, running to her with every little problem wasn''t the smartest thing to do either. I was supposed to be the bait, act normal - as normal as possible - and not draw attention to my cooperation with the city guards. ''Seriously, what was I supposed to do?!'' "Not what I expected you to do," came a familiar voice of the stable master from the door, followed by a bark. ?Hey, Lady.? Admittedly, my massive ears had their advantages. Hearing them coming from miles away, they didn''t scare the shit out of me. "You mean the moving of the scalehoofs, Mr. Hale?" I asked to be sure, not daring to lean on my pitchfork even though I had the urge. "It''s just..." He held up his hand to stop me. "Not only that. Moira told me about the complaints the scalehoofs have." "O-okay?" That wasn''t something he could blame me for, was it? "Sad, isn''t it?" "W-what do you mean?" "That some people don''t wanna hear that their animals need more care." "Oh, that. Yes. Wait, they don''t?" The man smiled, walked over to the stallion on the left side of the stables and stroked his neck. "I am trying to reason with the owner of Osi''ren here every week to not put so much strain on him; he is getting on in years, for a scalehoof. But money is much more important to the owner. Same with horseshoes and feeding. As long as it''s enough, it''s good." "But..." "I know, Grey. It pisses me off, too. Unfortunately, there''s not much I can do. This isn''t a charity; I run a business." There was so much bitterness in his voice at this that even the scalehoofs responded with sad neighs. I did understand the man, though. It would be like expecting the parking lot owner you paid to park your car to refuel, buff, and repair it for you without paying anything extra. "I see..." "Good. That''s why I''m more than happy to know that I can at least do something for these animals. So, Grey, which ones want to be moved?" Chapter 109: Shitty Meet-up "I''ll be damned." The stable master gaped in disbelief at scalehoofs, moving obediently from one stall to another. ¡°I can get them to move out, but this...¡± "Weird, right, Mr. Hale?" Moira nodded, no less stunned despite seeing mares and stallions follow my words earlier. "Yeah, I''ve seen it before, but¡­ what can I say? That''s a natural beast talker for you." "Would you go by something some random chick uttered? It seems more than that to me." "It could be," the stable master said, but to my relief, that was all he had to say about it. "Anyway, Grey. When you''re done here, would you take a look at the other two buildings?" "Of course, Mr. Hale. Only..." "Yes?" "I''m not sure if they''ll accept me the way they did here. You know..." ?Let me come, Lady. I will explain.? Hearing Scoresby''s older mare, the stable master burst out laughing. "Ready to jump in to help you. Unbelievable. Alright, I don''t see any problem with that. Take Sylph''ra with you. Just so you know, Building Three houses privately owned scalehoofs like here, but Building One houses my scalehoofs." "A-are you saying they''ll be more knit together?" "Exactly," he gushed, his smile betraying his delight that I remembered what he told me yesterday about scalehoofs being herd animals. "Glad to see you''ve got the smarts. Not everyone does." A remark that stroked my pride, but also raised a few questions. If the standard of one''s body increased with each sigil in one''s array, didn''t that mean that even a fool picking their nose could become a renowned scholar? If so, having the Lattice didn''t sound so bad. But what the stable master said suggested otherwise. Even with the runes giving everyone the opportunity to be something more, there were still fools. Of course, one could argue that even a born genius could be a fool, but with the Lattice around¡­ well, I guess it took more than a hundred sigils to make a difference. After all, though stronger, I didn''t feel any smarter than before. ''Come to think of it, I didn''t know I was stronger until I put myself through the hard work. So maybe some kind of mind challenge?'' But no matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn''t come up with anything to compare my wits with. Outside of basic calculus, advanced math seemed the same unknown to me as on Earth, so goodbye to the notion that I could enrich the folks here with derivations, integrals, or something even more ridiculous. Then, there were crossword puzzles I used to do with my grandfather sometimes. Finding those here, however, seemed as futile as finding my way back - that or common sense. It continued to elude me as well. ''Seriously, it did.'' There was no other way I could explain my stupid decision to follow the note I received from the cat last evening. Sure, I found plenty of reasons to justify it, but it didn''t change the fact that it was stupid. ''You should know better, Korra!'' After what happened the last time I followed my reason and cut my way home through a dark alley, I really should have learned my lesson. Yet here I was, walking to the outhouses instead of having a midday meal, risking everything I got back just on a hunch I might meet my tail - so to speak. At least, that was what I got from the note and the feeling on the back of my neck. Whoever was watching my ass was close, closer than ever before. ©¦ Quite a stunt you put on in the stables. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.©¦ Not low profile, but not necessarily bad. ©¦ Might speed things up. We need to talk. ©¦ Tomorrow, stables, lunch break. ©¦ Excuse yourself for a need to use the shitters. The toilets, or more precisely the outhouses, or as the note said and many people call them, the shitters, were placed up against the outer wall between buildings two and three, as far away from the main building as possible due to the smell. Surprisingly, Moira had a lot to say about that - it was almost weird. From her, I learned that the outhouses were as ordinary as they could be. Just ordinary wooden shacks. There were no anti-odor runes like in the indoor toilets of fancy houses, and no runes to suppress noise. ''So here I am. What now?'' I thought to myself, with a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach and bated breath. Although it reminded me heavily of the stench in the cellar, not the reason I stood in front of three small wooden sheds, gripped with jitters and afraid to even breathe lest I make a sound. ''What am I supposed to do? Knock?'' Glancing over the three outhouses, I found it, much to my frustration, hard to tell whether they were occupied or not. There was no hole to peek through, no signs either. Only when I pricked up my ears - fearful of what I might hear - did I find them empty. ''Seriously, what was that bastard waiting for?'' I could feel the city guards'' gaze on the back of my neck, closer than ever before. ''Was there a password? Two short taps, one long, or anything like that?¡¯ No. There was nothing about that in the note, nothing about what I was supposed to do once I got here. ''Was he waiting for me to get into one? Or¡­ shit! What if it wasn''t the city guard who sent me the note after all¡­?'' But before I could get any further with the dreadful thought, the sound of footsteps caught my attention. With a jolt, I turned around and froze. There, walking down the alley between the buildings, was a tall, stocky man. One glance from him, and I knew he wasn''t my watchguard. Still... ''Have I seen him around?'' I wondered, unable to shake the feeling that this wasn''t the first time I''d met him. ''Oh no! That couldn''t have been...'' Frozen with fear, I stared at the man approaching me, trying to remember if he was one of Dungreen''s visitors, if I had seen him in the cellar before. "Ah, I wondered who it was. You must be the new lass. Grey, right?" "Y-yeah," I stammered out, relieved beyond belief. ''How could I forget?'' He was one of Mr. Hale''s staff. I had seen him this morning when Moira was giving me a quick tour of the facility - all too quick, coming to think of it. That I didn''t remember him right away wasn''t surprising at all. "Korra Grey, sir." "Turoc. I''d say it''s nice to meet you, but not really." ''Huh? Did I make a bad impression?'' "Don''t get your tits in a twist. I just didn''t expect to see anyone here." "What do you mean, sir?" "That you''ve been played for a fool, newbie. Nobody''s used this shitter in years. That''s why I like them. It''s quiet." "Nobody uses them? But..." "Behind the administrative building. That''s where you''ll find the new ones." ''Shit.'' After all the worrying, it turned out that I was in the wrong place - and that was only because they wanted to pull a prank on me. "Thank you, sir," I blurted out and ran off, hearing Turoc grumble in disbelief behind me. "I didn''t take her for a sissy arse. If she was in such a hurry, she could have used these. Well, whatever." Not letting the man''s remarks get to me, I found the new outhouses where he told me. Two stalls, noticeably nicer, no smell. And unoccupied as well. There was just that uncomfortable feeling at the back of my neck and no one else. ''Was I in the wrong place again?'' The more and more I thought about it, the more it seemed stupid to meet here, especially if it was supposed to be a secret meeting. You couldn''t know when someone would show up to use the place. ''But where else...?'' I didn''t get to finish the thought as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and the second time, in just a few moments, I found myself facing a man outside the outhouses. But this one came unheard, almost as if he had emerged from the shadows. [Swordmaster: ?? sigils] There was no need for the Lattice to tell me that the man was strong. My instincts screamed it at me more than clearly. That, and that this was the man overseeing my safety. That sharp, penetrating gaze was unmistakable. "Hello, Grey. Name''s Blaine." Chapter 110: Set in Motion Though not very tall for a man, actually about my height, the Swordmaster was strong, easily on a par with Rayden, according to my instincts. Did he work for her, though? He certainly didn''t make it easy for me to tell. Not by his looks, at least. Dressed not in the uniform of the city guards, but in black, covered by a cloak from the shoulders down, shaved, short-cut hair, he bore a sharp look. A look that wasn''t so unfamiliar to me. In fact, it was a look that had been digging into my back since yesterday, the one I made sure to remember before I left the barracks. "D-did you send the...?" I didn''t finish the sentence, not really wanting to give away more until absolutely sure about who he was. His lips curved into a smile. "The cat? I call her Alley." ''Huh? Alley? Like...like the back alley, where they found her, where I fought for my freedom?'' "T-That''s not very original," I stuttered out, unable to hide my unease, but a bit relieved. He was the one who sent the note, that was for sure. Whether he was working for Rayden was something I was still on the fence about, though. The man shrugged. "Practical. Anyway, good you showed up - kind of stupid, but good and, well, necessary." ''Was he serious? He''s the one who wrote me to come.'' Not that he wasn''t right. Coming here was stupid, no doubt. "I a-almost didn''t - went to the wrong place the first time." "No. You were in the right spot. Only the man was - well, an unplanned variability. My bad." "Oh..." ''Wait! He knew they''d send me to the old unused outhouses?'' "Look, Grey, let''s skip the niceties. We don''t have much time. As I suspected, your stunt yesterday got things moving. As a matter of fact, so should we." "Huh? Y-you want to go somewhere? I have a job, you know." It was only a brief moment for which he closed his eyes, sighing under his breath, but more than telling that this was not what he wanted to hear. "Quite an inconvenient job. Anyway, I meant just get out of sight," the man said, motioning to a spot behind the outhouses further along the wall of the main building, some kind of recess intended for a purpose long forgotten. A glance into the shadows and a shiver ran through my body. It looked no different from the back alley. "I see," the man observed, noting my reaction. "The second option, then. You take one, I''ll take the other." "Y-you mean the stalls?" "Is that a problem, too?" "N-no, it''s just..." ''It was simply weird - like something out of an old spy movie.'' "Couldn''t we have talked somewhere in the corner of the stables?" "Too many eyes, too many ears, if you know what I mean. Please." Of course, I knew - animals, Moira maybe. Still, the stalls? "Won''t they hear us, anyway?" "That''s taken care of," he said, as if that explained everything. ¡°Just don''t lift the lid.¡± "What lid?" "Come on, Grey. Let''s not make this any more obvious." ''Fuck you. I''m not a bloody spy.'' I thought to myself, gritting my teeth. Nevertheless, weirded out by the whole thing, baffled and wary, I decided to trust my instincts about the man and plucked up the courage to take one of the stalls. Stupid? No doubt. But if this man, Blaine, was who my instincts were telling me he was, it was in my best interest to hear him out. Besides, so far, I had found no malice in his words, no falsehood. Of course, as I learned from scalehoofs, that didn''t necessarily mean he was telling me the whole truth. But I wouldn''t expect him to. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Alright, ten minutes, tops," came a man''s voice from the next stall even before I could find a place to sit. There was an obvious spot covered by a LID. ''What would happen if I removed it?¡¯ The obvious - the runes would activate and I wouldn''t hear shit from the other stall. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, Lieutenant Blaine Ardaivel''cas." "K-Korra Grey," I said, finally finding a position to sit on the toilet lid. ''This is so weird. Why couldn''t we just¡­ hold on!'' "Did you say Ardaivel''cas?" "Yes." "Are you Marcus''s brother?" "In a sense. It''s a surname given to orphans here in Castiana." "Oh. Oh, shit. I didn''t know¡­ s-sorry." "Don''t sweat it, Grey. Not your fault. It happened in the past. What matters is the presence. And your presence in the city has set things in motion. Finally, if I may add." "Y-you wanted this to happen?" Whatever "this" meant. "Having mind mages in the city, quite possibly more to come? No. Did I live under the illusion that they didn''t have their fingers here, though? No, I did not. There are too many places for them to hide in Castiana, and even more minds in which to dwell." A chill went down my spine at those last words. "Declaring an end to the Mind Wars was very short-sighted of the Emperor. What people wanted to hear at the time for sure, but what played into the hands of the mind mages as well. Restrictions were lifted, and the bastards moved in. And once they''re in, it''s hard to get rid of them until they pop their heads out on their own. Which brings us to you, Grey." ''Here we go.'' "I didn''t think anything could surprise me anymore, but you proved me wrong yesterday. I almost slashed my blade at your neck." ''What?! Did I hear him right?'' "Y-you did?" "It''s my duty to protect the city." "I s-see." At that moment yesterday in the stables, I was a wild beast to him, one that needed to be put down before it hurt anyone in the city. Terrifyingly enough, though, I didn''t recall feeling nothing out of place - except for the obvious shock of everyone present at my beast might - no murderous intent at the time. He could easily live up to his words if the man wanted to. Further proof of how weak I was. Quite frustrating, but just the way it was. "Unsurprisingly, the stunt also caught the attention of many." ''Many?'' "H-how far did my might reach?" "Barely outside the walls of Building Two. But it doesn''t matter; the word got out. There were already two snoopers in the stables last night, and no doubt more will come to check out the rumors tonight." "Wait, w-what rumors?" "About you, the beast talker, with the presence of a mighty beast." ''Was he serious? He was, wasn''t he? I didn''t hear him wrong because of the two wooden walls separating us, did I?'' Suppressing the urge to barge into his stall and demand an answer, I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will.] "That''s bad, isn''t it?" It was supposed to be just the mind mages. At least, that was what Rayden, Marcus, and I discussed when I agreed to be the bait. The whole thing wasn''t supposed to involve anyone else, and yet... "Not ideal, but an opportunity nonetheless. If the bastards are as interested in you as it seems, they''ll have to act fast before anyone else makes a move." "Someone else? Like who?" "Seeker Companies. No doubt many will want to acquire your talents." ''Shit, shit, shit!'' "I s-see." "Then, of course, there''s us, Castiana Cty Guards, and therefore the Empire - which should be the main driver for the bastards. Hence, my urgent need to talk to you. Beware of strange behavior in animals; with your talent, you should be able to tell better than anyone." "Wait, you think they''ll use scalehoofs?" "Under normal circumstances, they wouldn''t. The scalehoofs don''t last long under their spells. To use them would give away their involvement, but now? They''ll need to act fast and using animals to gather information is - well, easier." "So you''re telling me that from now on, I should suspect every animal in the stables and worry that what¡­? That might die?" "Believe it or not, Grey, not the ugliest side of Mind Wars. In my book, better animals than humans." ''Was it - better?'' The thought twisted my guts. Unless you count my fight with squirrels, I had yet to meet an animal that was downright nasty to me. The same could not be said of the people I run into. "Well, time''s up. Do your best, Grey. And remember, you''re not alone." "What? Wait. No. No, no, no. I have so many questions." However, instead of an answer, the faint creaking of the door of the next outhouse reached my ears. When I rushed out, there was no sign of Lieutenant Blaine ever being there. What came back, though, was the sense of his eyes on the back of my neck. Chapter 111: Card Collecting ''Shit, I shouldn''t have gone!'' Ever since meeting Lieutenant Blaine, the one whose gaze gave me chills down the back of my neck all day long, I couldn''t help being wary of the others in the stables, whether it was animals or humans. For all I knew, Moira, laughing at me when she heard about me running into Turoc at the old outhouses, could be working for the mind mages. Without her knowledge, of course. ''Or not?'' As far as I understood the whole messed-up business, it took a mind mage to create a thrall, a brainwashed human. And the last time I spoke to Rayden, which was only yesterday, she claimed there should be none within the walls. ''But again, she wasn''t completely sure about that.'' One of those mind bastards could be here right now, doing their vile work, twisting people''s minds. A shudder ran through my body at the thought. Getting a taste of this "suspecting everyone" mindset, I couldn''t even imagine what it must have been like during the Mind Wars. Sickening to the core. And so, despite my best efforts not to get it to me, I failed to keep the caution out of my voice. The scalehoofs noticed my wariness of them. They asked, questioned and inquired what was wrong, whether it was something on their side that they did. ''Bit of a hitch in my job.'' And so I told them - I told them about my fear of strange people sneaking around, even hurting them. Not the whole truth, but absolutely sincere. The same was echoed in the intent behind my words, and as such, it did reassure the scalehoofs - not just the ones in Building Two. That wasn''t a feat I could attribute entirely to myself, though. If it weren''t for Sylph''ra, the scalehoofs from the other buildings would never have accepted me. ''I mean, to some extent.'' At the end of the day, they might not have treated me with the respect of the Lady, but what mattered was that they weren''t afraid of me like some kind of deceitful beast. Thanks to that, I was able to help them, if only a little. And that was how my first day of work went. I learned to clean stable stalls, met new people, and was made fun of, was warned off, and I got paid off. Unlike what I was used to on Earth, where my salary came to my account only after a whole month of work, here I received the coins in my hand at the end of the working day. Ten pieces of silver as agreed with Stable Master Hale - nothing extra for a job well done, but he did spare a word of praise, stroking my pride. ''Time to appease a different kind of beast,'' I thought to myself, standing at the entrance to the [Stables]. Thoughtless as I was, not knowing how things worked here, used to having food thrown in front of me, I hadn''t brought any. What was worse, instead of going into the city on my lunch break to get some food like the other workers, I spent it in the outhouse. A mistake that my stomach was pretty vocal about not tolerating again. ''Which way was it?'' Trying to remember the way to the places Ria had shown me yesterday, I hit the streets. Of course, if it were within my means, I wouldn''t have to go far for food. Just a few houses away from the stables was the Blue Chair, a tavern, and a little further on, the Happy Goblet restaurant. Neither fancy places. The latter, however, a place that some of the stable staff were talking about eating in. Alas, since I was just starting out in the city and basically only had what I was wearing, I headed deeper into the city to the Thunder Square. It was a place Ria showed me yesterday. A place, though not as large as the Labyrinth Square nor as fancy, just as lively. What mattered most, however, was that in the stalls in that square, I could get a decent meal at a decent price. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. And I did. ''Sooo good...'' I literally purred as I bit into something that, in many ways, resembled a kebab. As such, it didn''t go without me having a second helping. Even so, it cost me less than a regular meal at most establishments in Castiana. At least, according to Ria. ''Better not think about what kind of meat it is,'' I thought, remembering a movie I watched with my whole family as a kid: Demolition Man. There, people were making hamburgers out of rat meat. ''Wait, were burgers a thing here?'' It might be worth considering starting a business here. ''McGrey, perhaps?'' Though who knows how far apart, even here on Eleaden, people seemed to be in a constant hurry to get somewhere, just like on Earth. A fast food place like that would definitely find its use here. ''Nah. Dumb idea.'' First of all, I wasn''t the business type. Second of all, the streets were already full of food vendors like this "kebab." It would be hard to break through with something new, especially when I didn''t have the necessary array. Even this kebab street vendor was a Cook. Far from implying that they all were, but still... "That''s quite a thoughtful expression," spoke the handsome man just sitting down across from me in the seating area, a kebab in his hand. "Maybe hearing me out might help with whatever problem you''re having, Miss...?" [Glavewielder: 142 sigils] Neither his array, number of sigils, nor neat appearance suited this humble place. A man like him wouldn''t come here for no reason, and I would have to be stupid not to figure out I was the reason. Not immediately a cause for panic. It came down to his reason for seeking me out. For all I knew, even if it was unlikely, he might find me attractive. More likely, though, he had heard the rumors Lieutenant Blaine had mentioned, or he worked for mind mages. Either way, swallowing the dread, I did my best not to let him ruin my meal time completely. "S-so you''re going to help me start a fast-food chain?" I asked cheekily, after taking a bite and hitting my mind with [Indomitable Will]. Granted, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth as I had been abusing that Slave Array weave for the past few days more than I liked. But without it, dealing with people, not just him, would be hell for me. "Sorry, the what?" "A bunch of restaurants," I explained with my mouth full, at which the man smiled. "Ah, big dreams, huh? Then I have good news for you. The Delvers is the place to make those dreams come true," he said proudly, pointing to his vest specifically what I assumed was the crest of his Seeker Company. ''Was he one of the ones snooping around the stables at night?'' "Oh, o-okay. Why me?" "Straight to the point, huh? Well, we''ve heard about your talent, and we could use someone like you. Double the coins they give you at Stables, for starters. That doesn''t sound bad, does it?" "It doesn''t." At least the salary part, not so much the way he said they could use me. However, sticking to the advice I was given, I promised him nothing more than to think his proposal through and thus I got another card added to my spatial storage. Not the first, and not the last either. Before I retreated to the safety of my room at Scoresby''s Goods & Wares as evening approached, I received two more rune-emblazoned business cards - one from another Seeker Company, the other from apparently competing stables in the city. And so I hit the bed dead tired. No kidding. Dealing with those people trying to convince me to work for them while fearing their true intentions was more tiring than working the whole day with the animals in the stables. "Hopefully, tomorrow would be better," I whispered into the darkness of my room as the scent of apples and the cosiness of Sage¡¯s hair pressed against my chest began to take me away, knowing full well it was a forlorn hope. Chapter 112: Breakfast ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): .... 20 ¡ú 22 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ....................................... 111 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General): .......................................13 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General): .............................................. 7 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General): ..................................... 4 ¡ú 6 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General): ................. 7 ¡ú 11 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The second night in my new attic room above Scoresby''s Goods & Wares went like the first one. I was dead to the world. To my disappointment, though, it didn''t have that much of an impact on my weaves like on my first night. Instead of reading what new things the second circle of [Tail of Poison Empress] had brought me, I chewed down on my lower lip in frustration. Yesterday, I promised Sage that I would find another way to take care of the poison release issue, yet now I was shy of one glyph doing just that. Of course, the second circle of the weave did not guarantee that I would learn something that would help me with the problem. In fact, there was a good chance that it might make things worse. For all I knew, the poison might have become more lethal, or my tail might have started creating more of it. ''A girl could hope though, couldn''t she?'' The only other option I had was to not hold back the poison and instead focus the hell on my domain, making sure no one accidentally sniffed my tail. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. Sure, it would mean no tail hugs for Ria. That way, though, I would be forced to train [Spatial Domain] - unfortunately, something sorely needed. Despite my best efforts to make looking at the world through it my second nature, my focus kept slipping away. Much to my frustration, [Equilibrium] was even harder to get another glyph in. In the forest, where the ground was a tangle of roots covered in slippery moss, it was a challenge to traverse, but here in the city where the streets were paved with cobblestones the only challenge was to avoid the occasional dung left there by scalehoofs. The weave seemed almost useless to have in the city. Getting rid of it, however, might be rash. With all those extra limbs, it gave me the coordination I wouldn''t have had otherwise. ''Fucking Dungreen!'' If only that deranged asshole had let me move around more instead of keeping me locked in a cell, I could have gotten a better grip on my body and the coordination of my arms, legs, tail, and wings long ago. ''Coordination! Dancing, perhaps? Was that even a thing here?'' "Are there any dance schools here?" I asked without thinking at breakfast with the Scoresbys, my mouth full. "Where did that come from, girl?" wondered the old man. "Hush, fool. If she wants to learn to dance, let her." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "What did I say wrong? We were talking about yesterday and..." "Yes, there are dancing schools, dear," Mrs. Scoreby did not let her husband finish. Mouthing a silent "Sorry" to the old man, I took another bite, my ears pricked up to hear what his wife had to say. "It comes down to what kind of dancing you''re interested in and how much you''re willing to pay for it." ''Yeah, right, the money. As always, it was all about the money.'' "Is this such a deal for you?" The old man asked as my ears drooped. "You didn''t strike me as the dancing type." "Huh? Oh, no. I - there''s this weave I have. A movement weave, and I was thinking how to¡­ how to get better at it." "I see, dear. Good thinking, but maybe you should think about whether you need that weave. There are only so many weaves you can have. One can learn to dance without one, you know." Mrs. Scoresby meant it well, in a way, reminding me that this wasn''t a game. To the people here, weaves were something extremely important, not something to be wasted on your hobbies. With her 63 sigils, she only had access to five as opposed to my six. And I saw a lot of people in their later years with fewer sigils than her. "True," her husband agreed. "I''m not saying you should choose weaves to help you in the stables. But you might want to give some thought to what you''d like to do in the future, Korra." ''Yeah, what did I want to do?'' Becoming stronger, not having to look over my shoulder, or find my way back, wasn''t exactly the most telling of the path I should take. "I should, shouldn''t I?" I said a bit absentmindedly, shoving a spoonful of scrambled eggs into my mouth. "But I have no idea - except for those Seeker Companies and..." "Don''t be too hasty about that," Mr. Scoresby cut me off. "I don''t mean to be rude, but you''re not the youngest Korra. You don''t have years to waste." ''Damn, the old man really didn''t beat around the bush.'' "I know - I was just wondering if one can become a seeker without signing up with one of those companies?" "You can do that, dear. But I don''t think it''s any better." "Why? I wouldn''t be bound by a contract, would I?" "Marlen''s right, Korra. Working your ass off isn''t the only reason for the tight, even slavish contracts. The companies want to make sure you don''t run away after they''ve invested in you." "The Labyrinth is not a place you can just go unprepared, and untrained, dear. Most of those who do die." ''If only they knew,'' I thought to myself and back to my nightly deaths. Nevertheless, I would have to be stupid not to see the difference between dying in the safety of a warm bed and somewhere in the depths beneath the city full of monsters and beasts. "Sure, it''s a business where you can make a lot of money," Scoresby went on, finishing his breakfast. "But to see the coins, you have to stay alive, girl. I don''t doubt your bravery. Not many people would have the guts to spend the night in Esulmor. Down there, though, if you want to make money, you have to fight the beasts, not just avoid them." "I could talk to them," I suggested in a bit of a jest, but the old man gave me a sad, understanding look. "Many have tried, Korra." "They did?" ''Of course they did. The question was, where the ¡°but¡± was.'' "Yes, those beasts down there, though, they aren''t like the ones up here, girl. From what I hear, there''s no talking with them." ''Huh?'' "Then why are the Seeker Companies interested in me?" "Well, certainly not because you''re a natural beast talker, if that''s what you''re asking." "Oh, shit! My beast might! S-sorry, I didn''t mean to say that out loud." Mrs. Scoresby chuckled, taking the empty plates from the table. "It''s good that you know such language doesn''t belong at the table, dear. Not something to worry about now, though. Look at the time, you should better go so you''re not late." ''Huh? Time? Shi...Oh no! I have so many questions.'' Mrs. Scoresby was right, though. I didn''t need her magic diaglyph watch to see that dawn was breaking, meaning I had a place to be. So, thanking her for breakfast and promising to pay them back, I got up from the table, ready to go to work. "I hope you don''t mind if I join you this morning, girl?" the old man spoke, getting up from his chair. "You''re going to the Stables?" Stupid question. That was where his mares were. "Yes. I''d like to be in Mitta before dark." ''Damn, how could I forget his business trips?'' That was how I met him in the first place. "Mitta?" No matter how hard I racked my brain, the name didn''t ring a bell. "A Sahal town on the border to the Kingdom of Arid. If you want, I''ll tell you more about it on the way." "Sure, I''d love to..." I said, trailing off as my thoughts took me in a completely different direction. Rayden had promised me that she would put someone to watch over their safety, but did that apply to Scoresby''s business travels? What if they get to him when he''s out of the city? Chapter 113: Walk to Work "Are you truly considering becoming a seeker, girl?" the old merchant asked as we walked down the streets to the stables, the city walls slowly rising on the horizon. ''Did I want to be one? Did I want to fight beasts in the depths beneath the city?'' The thought terrified me, but excited my inner beast. "I don''t know, Mr. Scoresby." "If it''s just about money, it''s only a matter of time before..." "No," I gushed, interrupting the old man. "I mean - I need the money. Just look at my feet." Third day in Castiana and I was still walking barefoot on the cobblestone streets. To be fair, though, sort of by my own choice. No, the coldness of the stone cobbles biting into my feet was not something I particularly enjoyed. In fact, yesterday on my way home from work, I stopped at a couple of shoe stores - granted, they may not have been the cheapest in the city, I would have to ask Ria or the old man about that - but the cheapest footwear I found were some sandals for five pieces of silver. The cheapest thing I would consider a decent pair of shoes then cost 32 silver coins. Way out of my current budget. Price wise, the choice was obvious. But why would I spend five silver coins now when I knew I would get better shoes as soon as I could? That would be insane. At least, that was what I told myself when I left the shops still barefoot. ''Just a few more days.'' "I didn''t realize it was bothering you that much. Kids run around barefoot all the time." "I''m not a kid." "Apologies, I didn''t mean to..." "And I didn''t mean to snap at you, Mr. Scoresby," I apologized, collecting my thoughts. "No, my lack of shoes is not the problem. Well, it is. But - you see, I want to get stronger, and I don''t think the stables are the place where I''m gonna achieve that." ''Shit! That came out wrong.'' "Don''t get me wrong. I''m incredibly grateful that you got me a job with Mr. Hale just..." "It''s not a place where you can achieve your dreams," the old man finished for me, stroking his beard absently. "You don''t have to feel bad leaving that place, Korra. I just wanted to help you get started in the city." "I know, and I can''t tell you how grateful I am." Scoresby nodded, his smile shifting quickly into a frown. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Take your time. Rushing things never leads to anything good." "Yeah," I breathed, remembering my stupid decision to take the shortcut home. ¡®The shortcut - thinking about it¡­¡¯ "Why do you drive through Esulmor, then?¡± "Thought out trade decisions," Scoresby said, laughing. "And not rushing the DECISIONS is what I''m talking about, not about hurrying. You should really think about whether a strength is really what you want. And if so, what kind of strength." One look at me was all it took for him to know that I had no idea what he was talking about. ''What kind of strength?'' The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "It''s not always about muscles, Korra. If you find the talent in yourself, you can follow the path of a mage. Scholars are respected wherever they go; fine master artists get invited to the courts of the nobility; and many are seeking to get into the good graces of wealthy merchants. And before you ask, that was never what I aspired to. I''m happy with where I am." That was obvious to see - and something to envy. I could only wish I had his inner peace, self-satisfaction, and composure. "Thank you, Mr. Scoresby, but - I don''t see myself achieving any of that. I have no knack for business or art." "Not everyone does. What about magic?" "I''m not sure - I''ve never tried." After all, I had lived all my life in a world where magic was only a figment of the imagination. On the other hand, almost as if in mockery of that, I now felt my body overflowing with mana. But having it and being able to use it were two completely different things. Heck, I didn''t even find any magically based General Weave I could choose. Whether I liked it or not, I was still the magically inept earthling I had been before my Fae abduction. "Here you go, something to strive for." ''Me a mage?'' There was no denying that it sounded good. Better than trying to get in tune with my inner beast or sinking claws and fangs into my enemies. Actually, being a mage would fulfill one of my childhood dreams - to be a magical princess. A bit lame, I know, but who hasn''t dreamed of wielding magic or being of royal lineage, right? In fact, even as an adult, seeing magic tricks made me excited, even though I knew they were nothing more than tricks, not a real magic. "Is it easy to learn magic?" To be honest, even the magic tricks were beyond me. And I did try to learn a few. "The basics are simple. At least from what I''ve heard," Scoresby said, scratching his beard awkwardly. "Compared to more complex stuff. But they say that''s the magic that takes years to learn... and costs a fortune." ''So he was telling me to either become a half-assed mage or go into debt. No thank you.'' Naturally, I knew not everything would come free. The reason I got a job. However, it seemed that if I really wanted not to have to worry about every shadow, I needed a job that paid more than the stables. A bit ungrateful? Certainly. Yesterday was my first day working there. Scoresby said it himself, though. I needed to be clear about what to strive for. And while I wasn''t fully clear on how to achieve the obvious - getting stronger - I was pretty confident I would need money to do so, a lot of money. But since stealing was out of the question, that left me with only three options: Become an independent seeker and risk my life down in the depths below the city on my own, give up my freedom and join a seeker company, or accept Tender Way''s offer and forget my dignity. "I see what you''re fretting about, girl. But many of those I have helped have bittem off more than they could chew. Rather than trying to take big leaps, how about taking it in baby steps? You said you had [Eleaden Standard Language] weave, right?" "Y-yeah?" "How about you learn to speak Standard yourself first and make way for a more useful weave? Who knows, maybe by then, you''ll have a better idea of what path to take." ''Well, not a bad idea, actually.'' Even [Never-Dying] and [Tail of Poison Empress] were weaves taken to see what they were all about. So, starting to learn to speak the local language while I figured out the weaves I wanted to settle with sounded like a step in the right direction. After all, whether I liked it or not, it looked like I was going to be here for a while. So relying on the help of [Eleaden Standard Language] all the time sounded foolish. And not just in terms of wasted weave slot. If I learned anything when selling flowers, it was that learning the language of my foreign customers, even if only a few words, could open doors to the hearts of many. And right now, I was kind of deceiving everyone around me. "Thank you. That sounds¡­well, reasonable, Mr. Scoresby. Is there something like a school in Castiana?" I asked, meeting his puzzled look. "You know, a place where children learn - where I could learn Standard?" "Ah, you mean an academy. No less expensive than the magic institutions. Most kids learn from their parents." ''And here goes the idea.'' "Don''t lower your ears, Korra. I wouldn''t suggest it if I knew it wasn''t possible. If I were you, I''d start at City Hall. They have a lot of instructors working for them. Maybe one of them would be willing to help you with Standard. Or you could put up a notice. Someone sure would pick it up." ''So, paying a private tutor? That sounded expensive, too.'' "And then I''d try the library. I mean, you can read, right? They have lots of books there. Who knows, maybe you''ll find one that helps you. I know I did. But well, that''s a long story I''ll have to tell you another time, it seems," Scoresby said, lookin up. We reached [Stables]. Chapter 114: Grooming I wish I could have talked to Mr. Scoresby some more, but despite starting my workday in the same building where he harnessed his mares, Sylph''ra and Lyl''ra, I really didn''t get the chance. "And this is how you comb the fur of scalehoofs," Moira explained to me the ins and outs of grooming these beautiful animals, while she demonstrated how to use the brush to clean areas of the animal not covered with scales or feathers. Those, of course, required different kinds of care and different tools. "Not so easy, huh?" Moira smiled smugly as I finished grooming my first scalehoof under her supervision, my hands all sore, sweat covering my brow. She wasn''t wrong. I actually wouldn''t be surprised if cleaning scalehoofs was where she gained her muscle. However, I wouldn''t say it was more demanding than stall cleaning - it was just a different kind of movement, one I wasn''t used to. "Yeah," I agreed nonetheless, wiping the sweat from my brow. "Ready to move on to the next one, Grey?" "W-wait a minute. Next one? This isn''t something the owners pay for?" Moira smirked. "Of course it is. But the stable master makes it mandatory to pay for one grooming per week. If not, a lot of those bastards wouldn''t bother with their scalehoofs at all. I don''t have to tell you what it would look like here then, right?" Uncared for and unwashed animals, locked under one roof? No, it wasn''t hard to imagine the spread of disease or various pests. "What about people like Mr. Scoresby? He takes care of his mares." "And thank the tits, the man''s not the only one. But even folks like him pay. One never knows what will happen. I once got Mouse Pox and was unable to work for two fucking weeks - nearly starved to death. Or you can get mugged and beaten up. No matter how safe Castiana is, that shit still happens all the time. Just the other day, I heard about a half-Terr chick who almost got beaten to death." ''Shit! She wasn''t talking about me, was she?'' "I s-see," I stammered, failing to pretend it didn''t concern me. "Anyway, if the owner takes care of their scalehoofs, the stable master will give them their money back - or rather deduct the coins from the next payment. But since it''s the end of the week, we ought to do what we''ve been paid for." ''It was the end of the week? Did that mean a weekend, then?'' Those two days at the end of the week used to be what I looked forward to the most. But somehow, even though it was by no means a modern concept, I had a hard time imagining that they would shave a non-working day out of the six-day week. Not that I was looking forward to the day off. I had my fill of days like those in the last year and a half - and they sucked. No, I was here to work and make a living. "So, which scalehoof do you want to take on?" Moira asked and flinched with alarm as a neighing of scalehoofs swept through the building, giving me no chance to ask about days off. ?Me!? ?No, me!? ?Forget them, pick me!? ?Here, Lady!? ?No, my turn!? "Tits! You sure are something else, Grey," Moira muttered, shaking her head in disbelief at the sight of the excited scalehoofs. "They tend to get excited when it comes to grooming day, but I''ve never seen them this excited." That was it, though. Just like yesterday, instead of prying into my shit, she went about her business. "I''ll take Osi''ren, you... well, start wherever you want. You now know what to do." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. True, I did, but seeing the scalehoofs clamoring for my attention, I wished I didn''t. ''How am I supposed to choose one over the other?'' ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "So, no strangers came to the stables?" I asked scalehoofs to be sure as soon as I rarely found myself alone in the stable. "Nobody unusual?" Of course, I backed it up with the appropriate intent behind my words. ?None.? ?No, Lady.? ?Noise outside.? ?Not here.? "I see." Someone was sneaking around outside at night, but they didn''t go inside the stables. Good. However, that didn''t mean they didn''t visit the other two buildings - something I would have to ask the scalehoofs there when I get a chance. ''When I get a chance.'' Those words echoed in my skull with the force of a tolling bell, throwing my guts into a tailspin. ''Scoresby!'' What if he - or anyone else, to be honest - driving out of the city was the chance the mind mages had been waiting for? I just couldn''t shake the fear. Seriously, how hard then could it have been for them to ambush an unsuspecting merchant somewhere along the way, only for him to return to Castiana brainwashed? ''The bastards are in a hurry,'' I had to remind myself to calm down. Doing something like that would eat up at least two days - as far as Scoresby''s trip to Mitta was concerned, one day there, one day back. Unless they wanted to arouse suspicion, of course. ¡®What about the others traveling to and from Castiana, though?¡¯ "How often do new scalehoofs come here?" I asked thoughtlessly, thinking that mind mages could take advantage of anyone who came to the city, had an animal to ride, and was in need of stabling them. ?Not often.? ?Rarely.? "Really, that''s..." "Still talking to them I see," Moria remarked, laughing, amused, when I, despite my all too good hearing, failed to notice her coming to check on me. "Didn''t mean to jump you, but just so you know, Building Two is where the stable master stables the scalehoofs of his regular customers. If you want to chat with the new animals, you have to go to Building Three. Anyway, are you ready? It''s lunchtime." "Oh, yeah. Just finishing," I gushed, smoothing the stallion''s feathers one last time. "Good, are you coming with us to the Blue Chair, or...?" The unspoken couldn''t be more obvious: whether I''m gonna ditch them again? Honestly, ¡°no¡± was already on the tip of my tongue. Going with them meant postponing my plans to buy new shoes for another day. Not to mention that to associate with me right now meant putting yourself in danger. But not going was akin to staying locked in my little cell - out of everyone else''s reach, cut off from the world. "Y-yeah, I''ll go." "Perky tits, you will?! Splendid. Naeryn keeps bugging me with questions about you." ''Mr. Hale''s accountant?'' "S-she is?" I asked, concern seeping into my voice. ''Was she the one? The brainwashed one, told to find out as much as she could about me?'' "Ah, that look. Don''t stress, she''s like that all the time. Let her get close, and she''ll want to know what hand you''re wiping your ass with." That didn''t really help. On the contrary, someone like that seemed an ideal candidate for brainwashing. ''Or was she?'' On second thought, it might just be all the worse - more noticeable - if such a person suddenly changed. Someone withdrawn and not very talkative might have been a better candidate. ''Shit! I hate this, I hate this, I hate this mind-fucking shit!'' "You fine? Look, if...?" "N-no. No, I''m fine. Just - this is the first time, you know..." I hinted at having never gone out to lunch with my coworkers. Not quite true, technically. There have been countless such sit-downs under my belt. Not one since I came into this world, though. "Don''t pinch your tits, Grey. You''re going to lunch, not to war." Chapter 115: Quandary To be honest, apart from the higher price of the food, the lunch with my new colleagues wasn''t all that bad. The Blue Chair was a lovely-looking tavern, the kind I imagined when reading fantasy books. The quality of the food matched the price, and the curiosity of my new colleagues, especially Naeryn''s as Moira had warned me, echoed my worry. "Where are you from?¡± "How did you become a slave?" "Did they make you take the array?¡± "Are you half Terr''den?" "What kind?" "Is that why you can talk to animals?" "Mr. Hale''s tight-lipped about it, but... I hear you can throw out a presence, a powerful one.¡± Yeah, the rumors had reached their ears, like so many seeker companies in the city. Have the mind mages reached my new colleagues, too, though? Annoyingly, I wasn''t able to tell. Their curiosity seemed logical, and I knew them too little to be able to tell if they acted out of their way. As such, that left me with no choice but to do my best to quench their curiosity while not giving too much away. And that was more exhausting than the whole morning''s work - nerve-wracking, too. Seriously, instead of being happy with having a full stomach, I returned to the stables more drained and suspicious of others than before. Of course, that lunch with my new co-workers wasn''t just a chore. There were moments when I completely forgot all my worries and felt - well, like a mere human being and not a hunted beast. ''Why can''t the mind bastards just come and be done with it?!'' A stupid thought that I couldn''t shake off, constantly popping into my mind as if planted by the mind mages themselves to destroy my mental health. ?Lady, worry too much.? ?No strangers here.? ?You safe.? It wasn''t the least bit funny how the tables had turned. Just two days ago, I had been the one assuring the scalehoofs that they were in no danger - from me. Now, despite my best efforts not to let it show in my voice, they were the ones feeling the need to calm my fears. Sweet and frustrating at the same time. Not only was I putting them in danger by being here, but being cared for by animals, something that should be my prey, simply rubbed my beast pride the wrong way. I should be out there, stalking my prey, not sitting around with my thumbs up my ass waiting to become one. ''I am NOT the prey, but the bait!'' The truth to calm my inner beast, one that I had to remind myself of more and more often, knowing well that the line between the two was really thin. And just like that, wearing me down with dread and suspicion, my second day of work came to an end. Unfortunately, not the threat of mind mages. My only solace when I hit the streets of Castiana was the ten pieces of silver I got from Stable Master Hill, the knowledge that Lieutenant Blaine was out there somewhere, and that my plan for Sage had worked. To be more specific, my attempt to force myself to focus more on my domain by not bothering to hold my farts back. It happened just as I was on my way to collect my coins, swerving in the corridor to avoid Moira, making sure she didn''t brush against my tail, that the inner side of my skull tingled with the Lattice notification. ''One small step forward.''This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The downside of not holding back my poison farts came to light the moment the first recruiter from another Seeker Company approached me. "Hello, miss. Would you mind having a word with me? I''m from Azure Bond, and I have an offer for you," a tall, beautiful woman in a lovely dress asked me in the middle of the street. At that moment, I realized it wasn''t a bad thing to have the ability to release a cloud of apple-scented poison at hand, just in case. In fact, it put me in quite a quandary. ''To hold back my farts, or not to hold back my farts?'' Well, there wasn''t much I could do about it right away, so I listened to the woman, while paying close attention to any hint that she might be a thrall sent to speak to me by mind mages. Paranoia? Honestly, it was starting to feel that way. ''What am I actually searching for?'' Despite looking through my domain, all I found was how her clothes were better tailored than mine and how flawless her skin was. Obviously, it would have been too much to ask to see the sign [Brainwashed] hovering over her head, but I didn''t notice any lies in her words either. She believed what she was saying, which made me wonder if Azure Bond was one of the more honest seeker companies. That, and whether a thrall could even be discerned that way. Would the lies put into thrall''s heads by the mind mages seep into the intent behind the words and become their truth, or would the true meaning of their words reveal the lies? Something to ask Rayden the next chance I get. Nonetheless, her offer of 50 silver a week, the opportunity to train with experts, and the support in the Labyrinth while delving didn''t sound bad at all. The same could not be said about the price for it, though. They wanted to explore the possibility of using my "mighty" talent. ''Big no to that!'' While I would like to find out more about the beast might, maybe even learn to control it, the thought of doing so under the supervision of who knows who and who knows where while unable to say no gave me the creeps. Stupid in a way, for sure. Unless I figure it out on my own, I would have to ask someone for guidance at some point and let them teach me how to do it, anyway. ''But it will be on my terms, not theirs.'' In fact, the reason I was heading to City Hall before the woman from Azure Bond stopped me - to find my language teacher there, to free myself from my dependence on the Lattice''s translation. As always, however, life saw it differently. Before I could make it one block closer to my destination, having thanked the woman and taken her business card with the promise to consider her offer, a familiar meow reached my ears. ?Lady, here.? Alley, the cat that had found a home with Lieutenant Blaine, was basking on one of the windowsills of the houses lining 1st Main Street. There was no way I could just walk by, and so, pretty sure I was about as stealthy about it as a fox in a henhouse, I made my way over to her. "Hi, little one," I greeted and petted her, trying to convey my "inconspicuous" intentions of being the bait. ?Paper.? Of course, Alley wasn''t there just for a scratch behind the ear. As before, there was a note tied to her neck. However, I couldn''t help but admire Lieutenant Blaine''s work. If I hadn''t known what to look for, I would have missed it. That said, having learned from my previous blunder of standing at an open window reading a note, I untied it, ¡°pretending¡± to scratch a cat under the chin, and shoved it in my pocket; one question on my mind: ''Where should I read it?'' Finding a back alley was out of the question, for obvious reasons, and waiting until the evening when I would be alone in the room might not be a good idea. Lieutenant Blaine saw fit to give me the message now for a reason. ''Perhaps, hide in some shop?'' I thought as Alley stretched under my stroking. ?Nice day, Lady,? the cat meowed, jumped off the windowsill, and disappeared into the crowd. A bit stumped, I tried to follow her through my domain, only to realize that might be the way to go. While my outer domain allowed me to perceive a decent seven and a half meters of unobstructed space around me, it was not in the details and colours that I perceived the world through the inner domain. Never did I try to read through it, though. ''Was it possible?'' Spurred on by the thought, I unrolled the note in my pocket and focused. As easy as one would think it would be, it wasn''t. All those folds and twists of fabric protecting my modesty kept drawing my attention away. The fact that I got moving so I wouldn''t stand there like a fool didn''t help either. ''Come one, just a bit more...'' Just as I made my way to Seeker''s Square, where the City Hall lay, the words on the note sprang up before my eyes. ©¦City Hall. Ask for an instructor to evaluate your fighting skills. ©¦Don''t worry about the coins. All taken care of. Will be given back. ''What the fu...?'' However, before I could finish my inner thoughts, they were interrupted by yet another tingle of the Lattice notification. Chapter 116: Arranged ''How?'' Well, that was a stupid question. How else could I possibly get another glyph in [Spatial Domain] so soon after the fourteenth one? Because I used that damn weave, challenged myself, and went beyond the limits of what I could do before. All that was left was to do the same with the other weaves. ''Easy peasy, right?'' Well, before jumping into the whole why it wasn''t that simple issue, I glanced again at the note from Lieutenant Blain in my pocket. ©¦City Hall. Ask for an instructor to evaluate your fighting skills. ©¦Don''t worry about the coins. All taken care of. Will be given back. ''Again, why? What was the point? I mean... I wasn''t one to turn down something for free, and I needed to learn how to fight. Still...'' This couldn''t have been Rayden''s way of teaching me some self-defense. It just didn''t feel quite right. There had to be more to it. However, no matter how much I racked my brain, the real reason eluded me. "What the fuck are you standing there for, bitch?!" the guy who bumped into me snarled. In my brooding, hand in the pocket on the note, I completely forgot that I was standing under the stairs outside the entrance to City Hall. "Fucking Terr''s! The city would be better off without them." ''Fuck you too!'' or ''Watch where you''re going'' were the brazen replies that came to mind. Neither, however, rolled off my tongue. I wasn''t here to argue, much less fight. The reason I came here was to learn those two things - apparently. And so, fixing my shirt and pressing my ears to my head, knowing what was waiting for me inside, I ventured forth. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "Ah, Grey. I was wondering if you''d show up here again?" Enola asked me as soon as it was my turn at the reception desk. ''Huh?'' "W-why wouldn''t I?" "Well, you got your aid package; our guide showed you the city; I heard you found a job." "You did? From Ria?" "Who else? She talked about it all day yesterday." ''Oh no! Did she tell everyone about me being Wierin?'' "What exactly did she tell you?" Enola raised an eyebrow at my cautious question. "Was being a beast talker supposed to be a secret? Because if it was, I''m going to have to talk to her..." "N-no!" I stopped her. "No, it wasn''t. I mean, I''d rather no one knew, but it seems like half the city knows already." "Ah, I was wondering why the recruiters from The Arbiters are eyeing you so hard." "Who?" I asked, looking around like a fool. "The two guys standing at the third column from the entrance," Enola clarified, chuckling at my reaction. "Anyway, most people like you shouldn''t have a reason to be here outside of wanting to put something on a notice board, be a seeker, or complain. So, which is it?" "Neither, actually."If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Really?" she asked, doubtful. "See, I was wondering if Ria would be willing to teach me Standard." "Ah, not happy with using the weave, are you?" "Y-you knew?" "I talk to dozens of people every day, Grey," Enola said as if that explains everything. And it actually did. The fact that I''d rather for everyone to shut up aside, it was not hard even for me to distinguish several dialects echoing from different corners of the hall. "I see, s-so would it be possible? For Ria to teach me?" "Well, it''s certainly an unusual request - usually people ask for a more experienced teacher, in which case, I''d tell you to put it on the NOTICE BOARD. But since you''re asking one of our employees directly, I''ll ask her when she gets back." "Oh, she''s not here?" "You must have just missed her." ''Did I? Maybe if I hadn''t been standing outside the entrance so long lost in my thoughts... oh, well, no use crying over spilled milk.'' "The woman asked for her directly - it was a tad odd, but not unusual. As much as it doesn''t seem like it, being a guide comes with a reputation," Enola dismissed the matter. But my ears perked up. "O-odd, how odd?" "Ria doesn''t guide as much as the others, so few people ask for her, not without prior experience with her. Actually, this was the first time. Hang on, Grey. Something''s wrong?" ''Was there?'' On the one hand, I wanted to run into the city to find the little kitare. On the other, I shouldn''t have to. Someone like Blaine was keeping an eye on her - Rayden had promised me as much. Besides, the mind mages wouldn''t be so stupid to approach her directly, would they? "No," I lied. Not very well, I might add. "I was just hoping to see her." "And Ria you. She''ll be sad BUT excited to hear you want her to teach you. Is that all you wanted, by the way?" Enola asked, not-so-subtly implying that I''d been keeping people behind me for more than a little while. "S-sorry," I lied again, this time to those standing behind me, and turned back to Enola. "Actually, I was hoping Ria could show me where the library is. My friend told me about it, but didn''t have time to show me." "It''s in Imperial Square," Enola said promptly, smiling. "But I guess you have no idea where it is. Well, in that case, I suggest you hire a guide. We do employ others than Ria, you know?" Of course, I knew. Yet, my first impulse was to forget about the whole library for today and wait until Ria''s back. The thought of putting my trust in someone else just didn''t sit well with me. Not to mention the whole mind-mage thing. I''d be putting another kid in danger. On the other hand, what was stopping the bastards from using someone other than Ria? What if that other kid was already under the influence of mind mages? Perhaps Enola was too, recommending that very one? ''Stop it, Korra!'' These doubts were exactly what the bastards wanted. At least, according to Rayden. Still... "I''ll think about it." "Sure, but..." Enola said, nodding again behind me at the growing line. "I know, I know. Sorry. There''s one other thing." ''What did the note say again?'' Scanning the slip in my pocket through my domain, I re-read the instructions. ©¦City Hall. Ask for a trainer to evaluate your fighting skills. ©¦Don''t worry about the coins. All taken care of. Will be given back. "I-I''m considering learning to fight. But first, I would like to have a trainer evaluate my fighting skills. Is that possible?" For a moment Enola just stood there staring at me before a sad smile spread across her face. "Honestly, when Ria told me you''d found a job, I thought you''d avoided the lure of the Labyrinth. Don''t get me wrong, I know how hard it is. But I also know how many of those who got tempted don''t come back." "Enola, I..." "Don''t worry, Grey. It''s not my job to tell you what to do and what not - you know what I mean. All I can do is to inform you that diving into Fallen''s Cry is something you should think very carefully about. Here." She pulled a leaflet of some sort from under the counter, placing it in front of me. "Basic information and recommendations. Read it thoroughly." "O-okay. I will. But Enola, I... I really only want to know where I stand in terms of fighting." "If you say so. At least you''re not rushing down there. Well, let me see¡­," she said, shifting to the large book on the desk to her right and flipping through it. Her frown deepened with each turn of the page. "Yes, as I thought, all the instructors are full for today... huh? He''s out of the Labyrinth?" "Something wrong?" I asked, failing to hide my unease. Lieutenant Blaine wrote in a note that everything was arranged. The problem was that I had no idea what the "all" entailed. "Well," Enola breathed, looking up from her book. "It depends. There''s a spot open available today, but that one''s not cheap. Thirty silver coins an hour.¡± ''Arranged my ass!'' That was actually more than I currently had. Chapter 117: Available Spot ''Thirty silver freaking coins!'' It was nice of Blaine to inform me that my money would be "refunded", but I didn''t have that much to pay in the first place. No matter how much I willed my copper-ish spatial ring to spit more coins into my pocket so no one would see, my entire fortune seemed short of just twenty-five pieces of silver. "A-and¡­ and I would be obliged to pay when? Like with Ria after the work is done?" If so, and everything was taken care of, as Lieutenant Blaine claimed, the coins should not be a problem. Of course, it depended on whether the instructor was really the one the lieutenant wanted to send me to - for whatever reason. If not, I could quickly end up in debt. "Yes and no," Enola said, running her eyes down the pages of the book to make sure she didn''t see wrong. "You see, the instructors are not our full-time employees. They''re former soldiers, seekers, and city guards making a little extra money this way." ''I wouldn''t say that thirty silver coins an hour was little - it was damn well three times what I earned IN A DAY.'' "I know what you''re thinking, Grey," the receptionist said, an understanding smile on her lips. "But for a seeker like this one, thirty silver pieces is nothing. Down there in Fallen''s Cry, he can make several times more - while RISKING his life, though.¡± Enola''s emphasis on the last words did not escape me. Still, I couldn''t help but think, "Why do this, then?" ''Why waste time on someone like me when he could have spent it much more fruitfully down there?'' "Each of the instructors has their reasons. For some, it''s money; others want to pass on their experience, and some want to help aspiring seekers. Don''t worry, just like with the guides, City Hall guarantees the instructors. You won''t be ripped off." "Oh, okay. And the payment, then?" "To make sure their time is not wasted, you pay a third in advance when booking a time. The rest after the lesson." "I s-see," I stammered, trying in vain to hide my relief. Now, the message on the note made more sense. "So?" Enola asked, eyeing the book again only to frown. "How this one isn''t taken is beyond me. There should - well, whatever. Look, Grey, I''m going to go against my word on this one, and I''m gonna recommend you take this chance." ''Huh? After all that effort to talk me out of going the way of the seeker?'' "Is he that good?" "Yes, he is." ''Damn!'' The certainty with which she said it made the hairs on the back of my neck bristle. ''Who was that guy?'' Seriously, who was he? And why was Enola so obviously reluctant to tell me his name? "At what time?" Not that it mattered much. Apart from visiting the library, my only plan was to figure out my weaves. If he was that good, I might as well get some advice from him on that, too. "It''s an evening lesson. Nine o''clock." "Oh, that late?" By that time last night, I was drifting off into dreamland - the fault of early rising and hard work. "Yes. Look..." "No, it''s okay. I''ll take it." Honestly, even without a note from Lieutenant Blaine telling me to do so, Enola had piqued my interest in the lesson. "How does it actually work? I want to have my fighting skills evaluated, you know." "So you said, and as such, I''ll write it down here so he knows what to prepare for. Don''t worry; it is only when it comes to the types of combat that specific instructors are needed. Besides, this one''s good at that sort of thing. He used to be an army drill sergeant..."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Balls on tits! Are you talking about Deckard?" a man''s voice boomed from behind me. "He has an available spot?" At that moment, the hairs all over my body bristled almost as if a wave of energy - this weird tension - swept through the entrance hall, and in the next breath the murmurs of those present cut into my ears. "Deckard?" "He''s instructing?" "When did he come back?" "I''ll take the spot!" The first one to shout out blurted out again, jumping the line of people behind me and rushing up to the desk. Unlike me, though, Enola didn''t let that throw her off. "Sir, you know our rules. No cutting the line. Besides, I already signed her in." "I''ll pay double." "Triple," another, a woman, joined in. "Fuck off, bitch. I was here first. One gold." One bloody gold coin, ten days¡¯ worth of work for me, something Ria could only dream of as a guide, and these people here were willing to spend it on a one-hour lesson with this Deckard? Simply ridiculous. But that''s just the way the world was, no matter which one. The rich could always buy their way through life, while the poor picked up the crumbs left behind. "Again, no CUTTING the line!" Enola raised her voice, much to the anguish of my already suffering ears. It did work, though. Despite those who came to fight for a place in the lesson with Deckard having noticeably more sigils than her, they fell silent. [Warrior: ? sigils] [Master Archer: ?? sigils] [Hunter: ? sigils] The receptionist''s ability to remain calm was more than admirable. Surrounded by these noisy people, I was sweating all the way down to my arse, itching to get out of here. Unfortunately, the silence didn''t last long. With my hair bristling again as a new wave of tension swept through those present, their determination to take my spot flared again. "This is bullshit!" "I want to talk to the Chief Administrator." "Some half-Terr can''t..." "That''s enough!" shouted Enola. "If you want to talk to the Chief Administrator, you''ll have to wait. He should be in the palace right now, holding talks with the City Lord." "What, again?" "Talks my ass!" "As such, until he returns, I must ask you to leave this desk and follow the rules. If you do not, I will be forced to call the guards. Do you understand?!" "Balls!" "Tss..." "As if that oughta stop me." "Fuck the guards." Seeing that the growing group had no intention of dispersing, a small bell appeared in Enola''s hand, its jingle, seemingly unheard by those present, tickling my ears. Shortly thereafter, a man in a city guard uniform appeared in my domain, my instincts loudly warning me not to make an enemy of him. [Spear Master: ?? sigils] "Is there a problem, Enola?" he asked in a calm, unruffled voice, yet commanding the respect of others - at least most of them. "Fucking Master Guards," cursed one of those present under his breath, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the guardsman and getting his attention. "I see; someone doesn''t know their limits." "Yes, Brandt. They refuse to follow the rules of the City Hall." "Are they, now? Well, maybe they need a little education on the barracks premises." Posted as a conversation between him and Enola, an obvious threat of arrest if they didn''t stop. And they did. "Thank you," Enola breathed in relief, showing for the first time in all that time a hint of weakness. "So, Grey. That''ll be ten pieces of silver..." Whatever she said next, I didn''t register as the strange tension brushed against my fur again, this time making even my inner beast uncomfortable. "You felt it, too, huh?" the Master Guard muttered, his gaze sweeping the crowd, searching for something. My attention, however, was on the few whose gaze was now fixed on me. "YOU! The gold is yours if you give me your spot." "Bitch, you should know better. Give it to me." "Fucking waste of time on someone like you. Deckard should be mentoring me." "Surely he will choose me as his apprentice. So fuck off!" When my fur bristled again, I knew the Master Guard was behind it this time. His presence silenced the bastards, stirring my inner beast. How did I know that he was the one behind the presence? Well, it was hard to describe. The best I could do was liken it to a voice imbued with intent; it was just unique to one. "Should I arrest you for harassing a Sahal citizen?" "I''m a fucking Sahal citizen." "You can''t do that." "I can, and I will!" That threat finally put an end to the whole thing with people demanding my spot with this instructor Deckard. Reluctantly, some a little confused, they all walked away, leaving me there to finish my business with Enola in relative peace. ''So why the heck can''t I shake the feeling that this is far from over?'' Chapter 118: Deep Below "Hello, ma''am. My name is Timmy, and I''ll be happy to show you around," my new guide, a wolfkin of about ten, introduced himself to me with a small bow. Although only two years older than Ria, my rough guess, he was quite a bit taller and more of an adult than her. The little kitare couldn''t hide the fact that she was still a child, no matter how professional she tried to act. He, however, was not a little wolfkin anymore, but a young one. "You don''t mind only showing me the way to the library?" "Why would I mind, ma''am?" ''Yeah, yeah, I know. A stupid question.'' Of course, he didn''t mind when he was getting paid for every hour he started. Speaking of money, though, I paid a deposit of ten pieces of silver, worth a full day''s work, for an hour''s lesson with a guy named Deckard, praying that it would be worthwhile, and of course, got my money back, as Lieutenant Blaine wrote. Only then did I head out into the city, following my new guide. "Do you really only want to see the library, ma''am?" ''Clever young wolfkin.'' Certainly a strange request, but the tone of his voice betrayed his desire to see more money, to make me let him guide me longer. "Well, that depends on how far away the library is." After getting his work done, I was obliged to return to the City Hall with him - that was the rule. Kind of inconvenient, considering I wanted to go to the library without having to worry about the time I would have to pay for my guide just waiting for me to read a book. It meant making a trip there, going back, and making another trip there again while hoping my poor sense of direction didn''t come back to bite me in the ass. "Alright," beamed the young wolfkin, seemingly undaunted. In fact, much to his credit, despite knowing he wasn''t going to make much money with me, he didn''t drag his feet and led me briskly through the city. "Timmy, is there just one library, or are there others?" I asked as we made our way from the 5th District, where the City Hall lay, through the 4th District and crossed the 3rd Main Street, the first main street I ever walked down in Castiana, to the 3rd District. "There''s a new one in the City Lord''s estate, but they won''t let anyone who isn''t noble in there. The Imperial Library, on the other hand, is open to everyone." "Oh, I see." "May I ask a question too, ma''am?" A heavy feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach, the feeling I was trying not to get to me. ''Was it just childish curiosity or something worse lurking beneath the surface?'' "S-sure." "Is your tail really dangerous?" ''Huh? Was he trying to gauge my strength or something?'' "It¡¯s not, is it? I thought so." ''Wait! Don''t tell me this was about Ria?'' "You want to hug it? Because if you do, I can''t let you." I wasn''t holding back my farts. "No, I don''t. I am not a kid. But you say she wasn''t lying?" "Who?" Even though he was just a kid, regardless of what he claimed, it was safer to pretend I didn''t know what he was talking about and see what he knew. "Ria, you know, the other guide you hired. No doubt it''s you, ma''am - she won''t stop talking about you." Timmy explained, adding under his breath, "It''s really annoying." "Oh, I see. Yeah, Ria can get quite excited, can''t she?" Hopefully, the name of my tail remained between her, Enola, and me. The same thing with me being this Wierin in her eyes, some kind of Terr''den creature of legends. It was enough that rumors of my beast might spread through the city.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "More like stupid," Timmy made a rather unkind remark. Was I surprised, though? No. It just proved that Ria wasn''t lying to me about the other guides not liking her. "Well, I think Ria is very bright - she''s just very young." It wasn''t hard to imagine that once they both reached their teens, this boy would be head over heels for her. That is, assuming there were no taboos about inter-racial mixing among the Terr''dens. "I didn''t mean to..." he started, a little alarmed, but I raised my tail to stop him. "Just don''t be so mean to her, okay?" "I''ll try, ma''am." That didn''t sound very convincing. However, I hadn''t hired him to scold him about how he should treat Ria. "Some other question? Because I have one of my own, Timmy." The young wolfkin pondered. "One, actually. Can you really talk to animals?" "Yes. Yes, I can." "And the beasts?" "Them too." "So she was telling the truth about that too," he mumbled more to himself, making me really wonder what all Ria had told the other guides about me. "Well, when I grow up. I won''t be talking to the beasts; I''ll be slaying them." "I see. Ria was talking about your wish to become a seeker. Actually, that''s what I was going to ask you." "You want to be one, too?" Timmy blurted out, his eyes suddenly sparkling with excitement. "Well, that''s something I''m not sure about. Enola gave me this leaflet," I said, showing him a piece of paper I hadn''t had a chance to study yet. "But I was hoping you could tell me more." "Ah, there are only recommendations on that. Like which level of strength is appropriate for which floor, what weapons, group composition, useful weaves, and such. The information about the beasts you will face there is what is important, but the leaflet only mentions the Horned Rabbits. It''s the only beast you''ll encounter until floor eleven." ''Floor eleven? Just Horned Rabbits?'' There in the square, I had seen stalls selling parts of so many different species of beasts. Definitely not just one. ''So, did that mean...?'' "Hold on, Timmy? How deep is the Labyrinth, actually?" The young wolfkin grinned. "No one really knows, ma''am." "What?!" ''How does that make sense?'' "No one has reached the bottom yet, so... no one really knows." ''Holy fucking shit!'' I knew the tunnels under the city had to be deep after seeing the number of seekers in Labyrinth Square, but this exceeded my wildest expectations. "The deepest anyone has ever gone in Fallen''s Cry is floor 162, but the deepest floor anyone has ever reached is 255 in Vanquished¡¯s Pride." ''What the actual fuck?! Two hundred and fifty-five floors below and still haven''t reached the bottom?'' The thought that I was just now walking on something so deep sent shivers down my spine. "W-why is that?", I asked, trying to maintain my composure. "I mean, is it that hard?" "Yes, ma''am, it is. The deeper you dive, the stronger the beasts you encounter. It says so in the leaflet, too. Let me see - here." And it certainly did. Below the picture and description of the basic information of the beast, the Horned Rabbit, which only resembled the rabbits I knew in general shape - seriously, it was a beast the size of a black bear, with bulging muscles, sharp teeth, and two short horns on his head - was a listing of the number of sigils beasts in the first ten floors had and the recommended numbers for seekers to enter that floor. ©¦Floor 1 - Horned Rabbit: 30-45 sigils - recommendation: 50 sigils for group - 75 sigils for solo ©¦Floor 2 - Horned Rabbit: 32-47 sigils - recommendation: 53 sigils for group - 78 sigils for solo ©¦Floor 3 - Horned Rabbit: 34-49 sigils - recommendation: 56 sigils for group - 81 sigils for solo And so forth and so on. "Solo? Is that possible?" From what I had gathered so far, I was under the impression that it was tantamount to suicide. If not, I may... "Sure it is. Haven''t you heard of Deckard?" As soon as he said the name, I almost froze in my tracks. "J-just a name and well... that he is instructing at the City Hall." "He does, but very rarely. I wish I could get a lesson from him. I''m saving up for it, you know." "Is he that good?" "Deckard is the best. He was the first to conquer the 100th floor of Fallen''s Cry alone and is currently trying to get to floor one hundred and thirty-three. Awesome, right?" "Y-yeah..." That was all I managed to utter; one thought echoing through my mind, ''Who the fuck was I meant to have a lesson with in just a few hours?!'' Chapter 119: Not As Imagined "Ma¡¯am?" the young wolfkin asked, worried he had said something wrong when I suddenly fell silent, lost in thought. "Oh, sorry, Timmy. So, this Deckard, he''s really strong, isn¡¯t he?" "One of the strongest seekers in Castiana," beamed my guide, nodding as he motioned for us to take the street to the right. "They say he''s even one of the strongest in the Sahal." ''Damn! Why did Lieutenant Blaine want me to meet this guy?'' Naturally, the only answer to my inner question was the man''s gaze giving me chills at the back of my neck. While annoying, not a complaint. Actually, it was kind of reassuring that he was still there somewhere, watching my ass. Ever since that weird shit at City Hall, I couldn''t shake a bad feeling. And no, it wasn''t the blatant "coincidence" that got me to have a lesson with this Deckard. ''Seriously, what was Blaine, or Raiden for that matter, up to?'' Well, whatever the reason was, I was sure I would find out in a few hours when I met the man, a matter I tried not to think about too much. The unease would kill me. He was powerful, obviously famous, while I was just a regular mutant chick who... ''Shit! Why the bloody fuck didn''t I ask?'' "Err, Timmy?" "Yes, ma¡¯am?" "Where should one go after reserving time with an instructor?" "Oh, you did? What''s the lesson? Sword fighting? Or with a shield?" "Just to have my fighting skills evaluated." "That makes sense," Timmy muttered, nodding approvingly. "By whom? Is it Rezso? He''s a wolfkin like me. Or did you get lucky and get a spot with Nile Tenderfire? She teaches a lot of new seekers." Cursing myself for asking, I raced my brain to come up with an answer. Seeing the young wolfkin''s enthusiasm, knowledge of instructors and all regarding seekers, I couldn''t tell him I was supposed to be taught by Deckard. That would be like telling Ria that I was actually Wierin. ''Some random name? John Rambo?'' No, I dismissed that idea immediately. He''d know I was making it up. Well, since I had no idea how tight the relationships between the various Terr''den races were, I decided to go with the safest option, Nila Tenderfire. "Well, I guess you can say I was lucky..." "Sorry to interrupt," a woman approaching us on the street cut me off. "You see, my employer sent me to pick up a supply, and I got a little lost. But then I saw you. You''re a city guide, right?" "Yes, ma''am. However, I am currently in the service of..." "I know," the woman cut him off, her eyes meeting mine. "I don''t mean to take up your precious time, miss. If you could just point me in the direction of Gem Lane - I would be most grateful." "W-well," the young wolfkin said, hesitating to answer, only giving one when I nodded that it was okay. "You''re going in the wrong direction. You need to turn back and take a right at the third intersection, then a left at the next, and that''s it."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Oh, thank you so much," the woman breathed in relief, petting Timmy on the head. "I knew I wouldn''t make a mistake by asking a city guide." "What a weirdo," muttered the young wolfkin when the woman was out of earshot, fixing his hair. "Why do you say that?" I couldn''t help but be curious since he had been quite respectful so far, and she seemed like a regular woman - if only a little rude. "Everyone knows where to find Gem Lane - it''s the place to get good but cheap cores to power magic tools. Besides, she smelled funny. And did you see her boots?" "No, but I wish I had a pair," I said more to myself, daydreaming of footwear. "Quite expensive ones. I mean, if she could afford those, why didn''t she buy the same laces, right?" the young wolfkin went on, stopping short only when he realized I had mentioned my need for shoes. "There is a shoe shop nearby. They sell cheap but good quality shoes. I''ll take you there, ma¡¯am." "That''s nice of you, but no, not now." "Why not? It won''t take more than ten minutes." Finding something cheaper than the 32 silver shoes I currently had my sights on was indeed tempting, but we hadn''t even made it to Imperial Square, where the library was supposed to be. For all I knew, it could still have been quite a walk. "Maybe on the way back." "But..." "Timmy, I want to see the library first." Raising my voice at him gave me the creeps, but his apparent persistence in prolonging his service didn''t sit well with me even more. "S-sorry, ma¡¯am," the young wolf said, shaking his head as if to shake something off. "I don''t know what I was..." "That''s all right. Just take me there. In the meantime, you can tell me about this Nila Tenderfire." Life returned to his eyes. "Ah, she''s amazing. Did you know...?" ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ The rest of the walk to the Imperial Library wasn''t short, but it was still not long enough for him to tell me all about this apparently brilliant instructor. Of course, I took everything with a grain of salt - there''s a reason they say you should never meet your heroes - but even if only half of what the young wolfkin said was true, Nila Tendefire deserved respect. Shortly after acquiring her array, she was forced to join the defense of her town at the end of the Mind Wars. This set off her career as a mercenary, which she did until she ended up as a seeker in Castiana. And not just any seeker; she and her company were currently on floor 154, just a few floors up from the deepest ever reached in Fallen''s cry. And why was I actually listening if Tenderfire wasn''t supposed to be my instructor? Because this Deckard guy was supposed to be a seeker like her and apparently no less famous, if not more. Hearing about her helped me get a better picture of seekers, if only a little. "Here we are, ma¡¯am. Imperial Square. That''s the library," the young wolfkin said, pointing to a much smaller building than I had expected. When I heard about the IMPERIAL library, a picture of a magnificent building with towers of several wings came to my mind. However, what I was looking at was a not-too-distinctive building sandwiched between others on one side of the square. With a ground floor and three floors above ground, like most buildings in Castiana. Not even the stone walls were anything out of the ordinary. The only thing that stood out was a large wooden door in the middle with a few steps leading up to it and the lack of windows on the first three floors. Frankly, more than a library, it gave the impression of an impregnable bank or prison. "Is it really the library? I mean, I see the sign, but..." The modern ones I knew were full of windows that let in light so you could see the pages clearly and not hurt your eyes while reading. "It sure is, ma¡¯am. I''m a Castiana guide; I wouldn''t mislead you." "Oh, I didn''t mean to doubt you, Timmy. It''s just... well, I pictured it differently. Anyway, thank you. It is way further than I expected, but if you show me the landmarks to navigate by again on the way back, I think I''ll have no trouble finding it. Okay, let''s go back to City Hall." In the worst-case scenario, as much as I hated to think about it, I could ask someone for directions like that woman. ''Speaking of her, why couldn''t I get her out of my mind? Was it her or something Timmy said?'' Chapter 120: Back and Back Again "Why go straight to City Hall, ma''am? I could show you the shoe shop on the way." To be honest, it sounded tempting; no denying that, even if it meant paying Timmy ten coppers more as a result. I may have been far from being rich myself, but knowing how little the guides earned, I couldn''t blame the little wolfkin for trying to drag out his services. He was just trying to survive. ¡®Just like me.¡¯ So, no! Although too forced for my taste, paying him extra wasn''t the problem. The issue was time and - well, money. "Can I find a pair of shoes for fifteen pieces of silver there, Timmy?" That was basically my entire fortune after paying the advance for the lesson with Instructor Deckard. "Yes, you can. So, you want me to take you there? Follow me." ¡®Shit! Couldn''t he just say no and let it go?¡¯ "Wait, Timmy! I mean decent shoes. Not some slippers or made of linen, but leather boots that will last me a while." "Th-that, I''m not sure," said the young wolfkin, scratching behind his ear. "But it''s possible they have one. We won''t find out unless we look." ''True.'' However, there was still the question of the time it would take. Not to mention how the whole thing of him forcing me to go there was rubbing me the wrong way. I was done doing as others told me. ''Yeah, I know. A fucking lie.'' How long has it been since I followed instructions on a mere piece of paper? Not even an hour. That was part of my job as bait, though, something I willingly agreed to. It may not sit well with me, which it definitely didn''t, but I wasn''t doing it to indulge my shoe craving. No, my freedom and sanity were at stake. "Maybe next time, Timmy," I said, making my decision. Not having to go barefoot would be nice, no doubt, but it might as well ruin my plan to find some books to read, hence learning to speak Standard, thus freeing up space for a more useful weave. Actually.... "I''d appreciate it more if you''d tell me how much it costs to borrow books. Is there a registration fee?" "But..." "Timmy!" "Y-yes, ma''am?" "I don''t want to go there. Do you understand?" "Y-y-yes," the young wolfkin stammered, obviously a little confused. I, on the other hand, was pissed with myself. I never intended to raise my voice like that at the kid. It was just... there was just something wrong with his insistence. "Let''s return to City Hall, okay?" "I''m sorry, ma''am. I don''t know what..." "It''s all right. Just... just tell me again what landmarks to navigate by along the way - and about those library fees." "Uh, what fees?" Well, it turned out that there were no fees at the library, neither for registering nor for borrowing books. In fact, as far as the young wolfkin knew, one could not take books home. If you wanted to read one, you had to do so in the library. A bit of a setback in my plan, but not exactly the end of the world. If true, it just meant all the more that I couldn''t waste my time strolling the streets of Castiana and visiting its shops.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "See that ivy-covered house, ma''am? You must have it on your left when you pass by," the young wolfkin pointed out one of the landmarks for me to remember. "I see - to have the house on my left," I repeated to engrave it in my memory. No easy feat when there was already so much to remember, like a strange bollard at the corner of two streets whose names I had already forgotten, a house with round windows, and an alehouse named [Donkey Dick]. ''Seriously, who in their right mind would name their business like that? On second thought, it stood out.'' The sudden bristling of my hair, however, broke my train of thought. Instead of walking on, my young guide paused, pointing the opposite way from the ivy-covered house. "Actually, if we took that street, we''d get to that shoe store I was talking about, ma''am. It wouldn''t take us that much longer to get to City Hall if we..." ''That again. Seriously, what the fuck?'' Was that how all the guides were? Because my experience with Ria was a bit different. Yes, along the way, she talked about all the interesting things we had passed or could have seen if we had taken this street or that road. But she never pushed me to go somewhere I didn''t want to - not once. ''Was it me?'' After all, whether I liked it or not, I was weak. But did he think I was some kind of pushover? "...if we go that way..." "That''s enough, Timmy," I cut him off. "I''ll give you the extra ten coppers as long as you let it go." "But ma''am, going barefoot... huh? You will? I mean, it''s not necessary for you to pay for - for s-something... I..." "Are you okay? You look a little pale." Oddly enough,despite being covered in brown fur from head to toe, he looked - well, pale. It was weird, maybe a beast thing; however, I could tell he was unwell. Mostly, it was his eyes. They had this glossy tint to them. "N-no. I... a-apologies, ma''am. I think... I think you''re right. We should head right back." And this time, much to my relief, we did - with no further interruptions along the way. Did I complain to Enola, then? No, there was no reason to make life harder for the young wolfkin when he was clearly feeling under the weather. On the contrary, I paid for two hours of his service, even though, according to the receptionist''s watch, we managed to get there and back within an hour against all odds. It helped that I didn''t have to wait in line with my guide for who knows how long, but could go straight to the desk. The whole City Hall matter was actually a quick in and out. There was no need to push my luck and stay there any longer than I had to, only to have to deal with people wanting my spot in training with Instructor Deckard. ''And more importantly, Ria wasn''t back yet.'' Thus, the only place I lingered was the steps outside the entrance on my way out to make sure Lieutenant Blaine was still out there. Unable to shake this strange feeling that something was just not right, I simply wanted to make sure that if something DID go wrong, I would not be left to fend for myself like last time - and the time before that - and prior to that, too. ¡®Yeah, life sucked.¡¯ Anyway, the lieutenant? ''Still there. Good.'' While ever annoying to have someone watching my ass all day long, feeling that familiar look on the back of my neck came as a relief. Even so, the walk back through the streets of Castiana to Imperial Square was more nerve-wracking than any before. So much so in fact that when two guys, at first glance from some seeker company, approached me, I just ran away. Only at the square in front of the Imperial Library did I stop to catch my breath. ¡®I hate this mind fuck shit!¡¯ I breathed a sigh of relief at finding my way without having to ask for directions like the woman did. ''Her again! Why? Was it because I might find myself lost like her? Was that what was eating at me? Fucking stupid!¡¯ Imperial Square lay before me. I wasn''t like her. Proven when I found myself hesitating. ''Will it be as crowded as City Hall?'' I wondered, eyeing the quiet square - by local standards - and the entrance to the library. Unlike at Seeker Square, no one seemed to be rushing in or out of the main entrance. In fact, none of the people milling about Imperial Square seemed at all interested in the library. It was as if someone had cast an invisible spell over the entire building. A bit unfair to the locals, I know. Even back on Earth, libraries weren''t exactly hotspots, still - it would be nice to see I wasn''t about to walk into some abandoned haunted library. ''Just a peek. At worst, all I have to do is ask about the books on the Eleaden Standard,'' I reminded myself as I stood at the front door of the library, took another deep breath, reassured myself of Lieutenant Blaine''s presence, straightened my clothes, and grabbed the door handle. Chapter 121: Library The door, large and solid wood, opened easily and silently when pushed. What lay behind it, however, was far more breathtaking. The library. It wasn''t its size, which was neither too small nor too large, matching what I had seen of the library outside that made me gape in awe. Nor was it the style resembling those centuries-old libraries on Earth, maybe a little closer to a fantasy depiction of those given the magical crystals lighting up the aisles between the bookshelves that blew my mind. No. What took my breath away was the silence prevailing in the library. No shouts of people assaulting my ears, no noise of hundreds of feet on the cobblestones thundering in my skull. Even the nagging feeling at the back of my neck was gone. It was as if the door was a portal to a whole other world, an oasis of silence. "I have not seen anyone enter my library with such astonishment on their face for a long time." The words, spoken with deliberate care, and having a slight tremor, hinting at the many years spent sharing stories and wisdom, belonged to an old man sitting in the leather chair with the book in his hand under the light of a magic lamp not far from the entrance. [Librarian: 71 sigils] Of a gentle figure, with silver-white hair and a neatly trimmed beard framing a face etched with time and countless smiles, he bore warm, knowing hazel eyes framed by round glasses perched on his sharp-nose. No doubt, the librarian knew I was looking at his Lattice info. Yet all he did was put down a bookmark between the pages he was reading, closed the book, and set it down on the table beside the chair. When I finally came out of my daze and moved to help him up, he raised his hand to stop me. "I may not have the sigils to cheat death, but I''m not yet old enough to need help from a lady as lovely as you," the old librarian said as he stood up and straightened, his voice, soft and soothing, wrapping around me like a comforting story, filled with wisdom and kindness. "I''ve been simply sitting for far too long. Sometimes I get too immersed in books and lose track of time. Bad habit of mine. But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I''m librarian Alfred Sandoval. What can I do for you, Miss?" Dressed in simple, earth-toned robes, carrying the scent of old parchment with him, he gave me a slight polite nod of his head. "H-hello, Mr. Sandoval. My name is Korra Grey. I came here to... I came looking for knowledge." A bit of strange phrasing, but after hearing him speak I couldn''t help being swept away by his demeanor and the ambiance of the place. Mr. Sandoval nodded, approvingly. "Well-mannered and with the right intentions to come here, that is rarely seen nowadays. All the more sorry to see what a fate has fallen upon you, miss. That by no means implies that I dare claim I know what happened to you, but in my eyes, no one with a Slave array deserved it. Everyone, no matter what fate they were born into, should have the right to choose who they want to be, even though sixteen years is, the way I see it, too early to have a clear idea about our future life. Ah... my apologies, Miss Grey. What rude words to say when we have just met. However, you caught me reading The Birth of the Sahal Empire written by Elowen Quillshade, and those times weren''t particularly kind to people like yourself. But while something that in my opinion everyone should know, I''m sure not the knowledge you''ve come to seek. You''re looking for a book, I suppose, something in particular?" "N-no. I m-mean, I don''t know the specific book, nor whether you''ll have one I''m looking for." "We won''t know until you tell me what knowledge you want to enrich your mind with, will we?" ''Enrich my mind with?'' That was one way of putting it.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Well, I came to see if I could find books that would help me understand Eleaden Standard. See I... I use a weave." "Indeed, I noticed. [Eleaden Standard Language], [Standard: Language of Eleaden], or [Standard: Eleaden Language], if I may ask? Not that it matters much. There''s not that big a difference between the three." ''Gold mine!'' I sure have stumbled upon a gold mine of knowledge. "T-the first," I stammered, seeing no reason to hide when I was here looking for help. "How... how is it different from the other two?" I just couldn''t help wondering if I didn''t get a worse version of another weave. "Like I said, not big. It would be like saying that one will let you use Standard to speak, while the other will allow you to speak Standard. The same thing you could say, yet it is not. You see, while things happen as they do, you''d be hard-pressed to find two pairs of eyes that saw it happen the same way. Some deemed the warlord Urus as a bloodthirsty conqueror, others as a liberator, and some as a great leader," the librarian tried to explain something I failed to see. And he didn''t miss my confusion. "Take this library and you, Miss Grey, for example. Most of the Castianians don''t even know where it lies, hailing it as pointless while others, like young Lord Egerton, would tear it down in a heartbeat, but you - and I don''t mean to be presumptuous - but you like it, don''t you?" That I liked the library was an understatement. "You don''t even know how much I love the quiet here. These ears are just a nuisance out there," I beamed, pointing to the sails on my head while I enjoyed the silence. "So much better than the morgue, too." It really was. First of all, I wasn''t surrounded by corpses. Second, the silence there was downright eerie, but here... the silence caressed the soul. "The morgue?" The old librarian asked, stroking his beard, his brows furrowed. "My library has been compared to many things, worse things, mind you, but not to the morgue." ''Shit! No. No, no, no.'' I finally found one place in this city I felt actually at peace and I immediately screwed up. "T-that''s not what I meant, Mr. Sandoval. That place was awful. This library, on the other hand, is... I can''t find the right words." "Sometimes words aren''t even necessary - neither is your distress," said the old man, smiling kindly. "I saw how much you fell in love with my library as soon as you entered. The way your ears dropped, your wings and tail fell dead, while you stared with your mouth open warmed my heart. Besides, if I took offense every time someone called my library - pardon my words - a bookworm-infested shithole, I would have died of a heart attack a long time ago. No, I''m more interested in how you got to know the morgue?" He asked, stopping short as realization crossed his eyes. "Apologies, I didn''t mean to veer into a painful subject." ''Painful subject?'' It certainly wasn''t anything fun to talk about, but why would¡­ OH. "No. No, it''s nothing painful to talk about. It''s... it''s a long story." "Ah, I love stories and certainly wouldn''t mind listening to this one, Miss Grey. Of course, if you are willing to share it with me." ''Telling him how I got into the morgue?'' "I don''t mean to be rude, but I don''t know if I have that much time." Besides, I didn''t feel comfortable talking about it with someone I''d just met. Not with the threat of the mind mages on my tail. "I think there''s always time for a cup of jartine tea." ''Huh? Jartine tea? Never had one, and never even heard of it, either.'' "I-I''m sorry, Mr. Sandoval. I came by today just to see if you had any books that would help me learn Standard." It didn''t feel right to refuse the old man, but... "So you said, Miss Grey. But did you know that you already have the best tool for learning the language?" "I d-do?" ''Did he mean the weave?'' "I think you''re on the right track. Would you be willing to hear more?" he asked after seeing my apparently blatant mannerisms, clearing his throat. "Apologies. People with manners and an open mind to listening don''t come here often." "I-I see. I would love to but..." "Of course, you cannot have tea without cookies." My ears perked up. ''Did he say cookies?'' Chapter 122: Sweet to Sour The cookies, of course, were not the reason I eventually accepted the old librarian''s invitation to tea. He seemed to know a lot and, more importantly, was willing to talk about it. "How is the tea, Miss Grey?" He asked, sipping from his cup. "I find the jartine tea very soothing." Whether it was the tea, the silence, or the lack of stares sending chills down my spine, I had no idea. However, sitting there at the table under some sort of enchanted window, I found myself in an unusual peace. "It is. The cookies are delicious, too," I said, nibbling on one - savoring the delicate balance of sweetness and spice, with a hint of honey and a whisper of vanilla - while my eyes traveled the vista outside the window. Instead of some side street between the library and the building next door, as I would have expected, I found myself looking at a meadow under a mountain with snowy peaks. It wasn''t some cheap painting pasted on the wall outside the window - the grass in the meadow waved in the breeze, butterflies fluttered on the flowers, and birds moved across the sky. The sight seemed so real that while sitting there one might easily forget they were sitting in the middle of a bustling city. "Fascinating, isn''t it?" "That''s an understatement. Is it some kind of magic?" "Enchantment, runes carved and maintained over the years. One of the many prides of this library, gifted by Emperor Sahal VI himself." "O-oh." ''I mean, what could one say to that?'' Obviously it was a big deal, but I had no idea whether Sahal VI was the current Emperor or his great-great-great-grandfather. So, instead, I focused on something I knew I wouldn''t offend the librarian with. "Is it - is it some kind of recording or a live feed? I mean, if what we''re looking at is real?" "Are you interested in magic tools, Miss Grey?" "No. Well, yes. They can do so many things. But if you''re asking if I''m interested in how they work, then no." As cool as it would be to know how the spatial ring worked - after all, it might as well move me closer to finding my way back home - I was under no illusions that the rune rings making that enchantment were something beyond my capacity to understand, ever. "I''m glad to hear that because if you were, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be much help. My interest lies in the obvious," he said, hinting towards the library and the books. "And I assure you there are books on those shelves meant to teach you how to master Standard. The question is, what exactly do you want to learn, Miss Grey." "What do you mean?" I asked, sipping from my cup of jartine tea and reaching for another cookie.They were delicious. "Well, if it''s just to talk, I think you have a better chance of learning by listening and talking to those around you. I have seen some enchantments that made books talk, but it was as impractical as it was ridiculous." "But how can I listen to someone speak Standard when weave translates everything into the speech I understand?" "How indeed? I wonder, though, isn''t it obvious?" To be honest, whether it was the intent in his words or not, what he was implying was kind of obvious. "Are you telling me to get rid of the weave?" "Terrifying, isn''t it?" ''Was it?'' To some extent, yes. The mere thought of not understanding a word he was saying sent a chill down my spine. But the thing was, how else did I expect to learn to speak Standard? The whole point of me learning to speak the local language was to get rid of the weave. "While that fear is not without justification - after all, with the loss of the weave you lose years of your efforts - however hear my words. You see, as I got older, I began to wonder if I had put the effort into Lattice or myself, for that matter." "I''m sorry, but I don''t follow."Stolen story; please report. "Nothing to hold against you. The musings of a man nearing the end of his life. For the love of the Emperor, I cannot ask of you what I myself was incapable of. Though gifted with an adventurous mind, my heart is of the opposite nature. And so all my adventures take place on the pages of books." "O-oh, I see... wish I could say the same," I stammered, once again having no idea where this old librarian was going with this, what his love of books had to do with learning Standard. "My apologies, Miss Grey. I did not mean to imply that all adventures are as glorious as those depicted in books. I just meant to say that I don''t have the brave heart to, let''s say, verify my assumptions myself." ''Hold on a minute.'' Did the sweet librarian offer me tea and cookies to talk me into letting him experiment on me? ''NEVER!'' "Sorry, Mr. Sandoval," I spoke, my voice laced with the growl of the beast. "But I didn''t come here to be used to verify some assumption." "Please soothe your anger. I ask you for nothing but an open mind. You have come to enrich your knowledge, to learn how to speak Standard - and may I assume, wondering how to achieve that, when your weave lets you do just that. Please tell me, am I wrong?" "N-no, you are not?" "At some point, you''re going to have to get rid of that weave. But have you asked yourself when that will be? After your weave reaches the second circle, the third circle, or higher? Instead of that, you should be asking how you''re going to reach those. Do you know, Miss Grey?" Not really what I was aiming for. I had no desire to reach another circle with [Eleaden Standard Language], but an interesting question nonetheless. ''What would I have to do to accomplish that?'' The recent engraving of the 15th rune on [Spatial Domain] came immediately to mind. "I''d have to push myself further, learn more of Standard, and perhaps write with it." "Exactly," beamed the old librarian, more than thrilled that I came up with the apparently right answer. "You will have to "learn" more. Actually, talking to you like this makes me believe that you already did." "Did what?" "But of course, learned to speak Standard." "W-wait a minute, Mr. Sandoval. Are you telling me that if I get rid of my weave, I''ll be able to talk with you as if I still had it? Because when I got rid of my Slave weaves, I lost those... well, abilities." The old librarian smiled wryly, a shadow of sadness in his eyes. "If that were the case, we would not be having this conversation. What I do believe, however, is that should you get rid of your weave, you will find yourself not entirely without knowledge of Standard. After all, to get to where you are, you had to listen and talk." My first reaction was to dismiss the idea and growl, "Bullshit." Given my own experience and everyone''s seeming insistence on having the right arrays and weaves - the benefits of which were undeniable - it just didn''t quite add up for me. However, giving it a thought, other things quickly came to mind. I remembered Mrs. Scoresby''s words about how I didn''t need a weave to learn to dance, and especially those nights when I farted under the covers. There was no need to have a weave in order for Sage to form poison. Actually, as a beast, I was able to control the orange cloud without one. Hell, I turned into a beast without a weave - not to mention my ability to talk to animals and give off bestial might. All that without any weave. "W-wait!" I blurted out as excitement gave way quickly to a chilling realization. "Does that mean I''ll never lose what I had learned with a weave?" "I guess it depends on what you actually learned while having the weave and how long has it been since you had it, but yes... that''s what I believe, Miss Grey. An unpopular view for sure. It''s mentioned across the books, yet you¡¯d be hard pressed to find anyone talking about it. I guess it''s easier, and I''m guilty of that myself, just to..." "M-my... my Slave array weaves," I managed to stutter out, dread gripping me. "D-does that mean that I still... still... will be eager to serve that deranged asshole?" "Ehm. I imagine you mean your former master?¡± A nod and a beastly growl escaping my throat were my answers. ¡°W-well, Miss, Grey, that depends..." The rest of the librarian''s words got lost to my raging thoughts, remembering the descriptions of those hateful weaves carved into my memory - especially that of [Master''s Toy]. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Master''s Toy Array Weave [72] glyphs - ??? ? With your master the only one on your mind, you will be thrilled to fulfill whatever you were assigned. ?? To hear at least once a day your master''s voice, will make carrying out his orders easier and your heart rejoice. ??? To serve often entails to selflessly sacrifice, even to suffer, but one look from your master and your guts will flutter. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 123: Slave Array "I didn''t mean to upset you, Miss Grey," the librarian blurted out, a little panicked, not knowing how to calm me down. "Take... take a sip of tea and have a cookie." ''Yes, cookie.... no! No, forget some stupid cookies, Korra.'' If what the librarian said was true - and whether I liked it or not, I saw some truth in it myself - I had a serious problem. Worse, considering the mess I was already dealing with, I was in some seriously deep shit. ''What if that deranged asshole showed up now? Would my heart flutter? Would I be struck with the urge to run to him to serve him?'' Sure, like in the cellar, I should be able to resist it with [Indomitable Will], to some degree, yet the idea was gut-wrenching. ''Will I never stop being a fucking slave?!'' "... Miss Grey! MISS!" "Y-yeah?" I asked, lifting my eyes from my hands as the old librarian''s voice finally broke through my lament. "Presumption on my part entirely, for which I apologize, but I dare say I know what is troubling you. As such, let me say that there is no reason to panic." ''There wasn''t? Only someone like him, not a slave, could say that!'' "A-and what do you think is troubling me?" I growled, perhaps a little too offensively. "Weaves like [Lover of Master], [Master''s Toy], [Servant to Master], or one similar to those. Or am I mistaken? Please don''t get upset. It brings no joy to be right, not in this case. You see, as it is the case with arrays, the Slave array includes a number of weaves, weaves that, shall we say, are meant to bind the Slave to their master, to make their service easier." "Easier?!" ''Was he serious? There was nothing easy about being a slave.'' The librarian raised a hand to stop me, with the other stroking his beard. "Poor choice of words, but true nonetheless. Those weaves have one thing in common, though. Do you know what it is?" "I guess you don''t mean that they''re Slave array weaves, do you?" I asked, hitting my mind with [Indomitable Will], and taking a deep breath to calm down and think about it rationally. I''d have to be deaf not to hear that the librarian meant well by his words. "No, all these weaves work with the assumption that you have a master. But do you have one?" ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General): .... 22 ¡ú 23 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave): ........................................111 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General): ..............................13 ¡ú 15 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General):............................................... 7 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General): ............................................. 6 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General): ........................ 11 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Despite seeing "Master: none" written in my Grid countless times, I had to look at it again to make sure. "Not according to my Grid. But that deranged asshole should still be alive - or was the last time I saw him."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "I see, quite a colorful way of addressing your¡­ well, nevertheless, what I thought." "W-what do you mean?" "Only, Miss Grey, you are not the only Slave who, having gained her freedom, found herself without a master. You see, there''s a reason that even those with your array are forced to wear slave collars. Terrible as magical tools those are, they force on you an allegiance to a given master. Arrays are not meant to tie you down without your will - in all my years of reading, I''ve never come across a mention of one." ''How could that be?'' That damned array of mine couldn''t have been the only one - I couldn''t have been that unlucky, could I? "You really didn''t, Mr. Sandoval?" Seeing that he had my attention, and that I had calmed down a bit, the old librarian sipped his tea, nodding. "Indeed. By all means, you could argue otherwise, as there are weaves that tie a farmer to a piece of land, a druid to a tree, a tamer to a beast, or a lover to their beloved. All, however, under free will. There are conditions to be met, as in the case of Slave and their master. Tell me, do you know what I''m talking about, Miss Grey?" ''That ol¡­ fart! Couldn''t he just tell me?'' Nevertheless, I''d have to be stupid not to see what he was trying to do. It was one thing to listen to another''s words and take them at face value, and another to arrive at the truth yourself. And so, as much as I hate to, I thought about the master issue and the conditions the librarian mentioned. "Is it¡­ is it that I must see this person as my master?" "I couldn''t have said it better, Miss Grey. That is indeed the case. Of your own free will, that person must be a master to you. A well-documented fact and well-known among those working with slaves. Thus, the need for slave collars. Hardly any slaves harbor genuine warm feelings for the one who holds the whip over them. Or did you...?" "Never!" I blurted out, almost barked. "See. As such, you don''t have to worry about your old weaves." "Because I don''t have a master to wag my tail over," I breathed in realization, clutching Sage to my chest in relief, mumbling. "I see no one as my master - so it says in my Grid. And if I remember correctly, every [Master''s Toy] circle mentions a master, so..." Ignoring the notification, I looked at the old librarian. "I''m so sorry, Mr. Sandoval. I..." He held up his hand to stop me. "If anyone is to blame, it''s me. If I had restrained my eagerness to talk to someone willing to listen and was more considerate, you wouldn''t be sitting here tormented by distress." "No. No, if you hadn''t brought it up, I''d be... I''d be living in the dark, hating those weaves - I mean, I still hate them - but now I know I don''t have to fear them." The old librarian smiled. "Who knew that the Emperor would bless me with meeting someone as bright as you today? Truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Grey." "O-oh, l-likewise," I stammered, not really sure how to respond to that. Especially when my mind has already wandered off to think about the possible lingering effects of the weaves I so happily discarded. Could I still go unheeded as [Faint Presence]¡¯s description said, or be silent while my body threatened to break under another mutation as [Silent Suffering] had forced me to so many times before? But more importantly, could I ever get another sigil on my array without having a master? "Mr. Sandoval? M-may I ask you something else?" "Certainly. What''s on your mind, Miss Grey?" "Is it possible to change your array? I mean, I tried, but¡­ maybe I was just doing it wrong." "Don''t feel ashamed about it. You are neither the first nor the last to ask this question. In fact, I don''t think you''ll find a single person who hasn''t at least once in their life questioned the choice they made when they were coming of age. I''m no exception myself. Some regret their decision their whole lives. That''s why I say sixteen is too early to make such a decision. Alas, that''s how the Lattice works." "So... there''s no way?" I asked, hoping to hear that I was wrong. "Unless you reach the formation of the second array, I''m afraid not." "Shit...!" I cursed, burying my head in Sage''s soft hair. Assuming something was quite different from having it confirmed by another. ''Wait, did I say that out loud? I did, didn''t I? Shit, shit, shit!'' "I''m so sorry, Mr. Sandoval. I didn''t mean to swear, not out loud." "I appreciate your honesty, but don''t worry. I''ve heard a lot worse over the years. Moreover, you put it quite well. The inability to change one¡¯s array even at the cost of losing one¡¯s sigils, as it is with weaves, is a big limitation of the Lattice. Not even the freedom to choose from an immeasurable number of General Weaves cannot outweigh that." "How so? If I fill all the slots with General Weave - oh. OH." "Indeed. First, you have to get those slots, that is, get the sigils engraved on your array. Something hard to do when - take me, for example. I''m a Librarian. Certainly, I could try being a seeker. But do you think killing beasts down there in Fallen''s Cry would contribute to my array in any way?" "No." "Common sense would say so, wouldn''t it? And that is true for most librarians. Yet in my library, you would find many mentions of librarians accomplishing just that." "Huh? How?" "They found a unique means to use their array in other ways. Eldric Quillshade, for example, bashed his enemies over their heads with books." "Oh¡­ wait, you mean?" "Yes. There are ways for Slaves to move forward without having to be slaves. In fact, due to its nature, it is one of the best documented arrays there is. Would you like to hear some examples?" The hope in my heart, almost extinguished, flared up again. "Yes, please," I beamed without hesitation, taking another cookie to nibble on. Chapter 124: Time Flies "So, you say I have to see someone as my master, Mr. Sandoval?" I asked to make sure because that was how all the ways to get just one more sigil as a Slave the old librarian listed sounded to me. "Not master exactly. Just as someone akin to your master. Like I said, it could be someone you work for, or it could be someone you''re fulfilling a request taken from a notice board for. It all depends on how you see the person." ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'' That was a lot to take in. If what he was saying was true, which it seemed to be as he backed it up with quotes from various books, then basically, Stable Master Hale could serve as a replacement for my master. All I had to do was continue to work in the stables. Of course, it was much more complicated than putting in the hours. To get those sigils actually engraved on my blasted array, I would need Mr. Hale to be reasonably satisfied with my work - the same could be said of Blaine and, for that matter, Rayden. I followed the lieutenant''s notes and did the bait the way the Captain wanted. There was only one catch. My stupid Slave array required me to see them as no different from my master - even if only temporarily. ''Was it worth it? Did I really need to get stronger?'' Hearing that there was no other way around the master-thing, at least not according to the librarian, doubts began to gnaw at my resolve. After all, I wasn''t doing so badly right now. At the stables, I had a job I enjoyed, my boss was reasonable, my coworkers weren''t terrible, and the pay seemed high enough to get by. Better yet, for the time being, I was staying with an old couple who were nicer to me than I deserved. And then there was Ria and¡­ ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Thinking back to the little kitare, all the bad shit that had happened to me since I came to the city came rushing back to me. ''Not her fault, absolutely not.'' But there was the alley she was with me at, and then the weird tension over at City Hall where she worked and Timmy, another guide. ''I don''t know, things were just weird. As if... Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'' The constant suspicion of everyone working for the mind mages was the worst part. Hell, at some point, I even suspected Alley, a cat, scalehoofs, and my coworkers. So no, getting stronger was not some lofty idea, but a necessity. As much as it rubbed me the wrong way, I had to swallow the notion of seeing someone as my master and get those last... "How many sigils does one actually need to create a second array, Mr. Sandoval?" The old librarian smiled warmly, obviously pleased to see I had made up my mind. "At ninety-six sigils one reaches the full first array, but only gets the opportunity to form the second when one hundred and two sigils are carved on their array. There are several interesting theories as to why that is so, but that''s a matter that would take us all day to wade through, I''m afraid." Yeah, not something I was particularly interested in right now, and neither had time for. Something he said, however, caught my attention. "I get an opportunity and not form the second array right away?" "Indeed, that is so, Miss Grey. While I unfortunately can''t speak from personal experience, with a hundred and two sigils, you should get three choices. Overwrite the existing array with a new one, advance the old array, or create a second array next to the old one. Most choose the latter for obvious reasons." ''Obvious reasons my ass.'' The way I saw it, the first option was just asking me to choose it. The librarian''s chuckle, however, stopped me from speaking my mind out loud.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "It''s so refreshing to talk to someone not hiding their intentions behind a facade. Let me tell you, Miss Grey, choosing to rewrite the array is the worst option." "W-what? Why? D-do I lose the sigils? Because I don''t care." "No, you don''t lose any, and that''s the issue. Imagine yourself suddenly becoming a carpenter. To advance further, you would have to do the same deeds as someone who grew up a carpenter. It could take you the rest of your life to get your weaves to a level where you can get another sigil on your array." "But I wouldn''t be a Slave." "That is undeniable. However, for the sake of my better conscience, I must appeal to you to consider forming a second array. While advancing your current array has its advantages, I can see why it would be an unacceptable choice for you." Having only a rough idea of what this "advancing one''s array" entailed, I nodded. "Yeah - so, why the second array?" "Isn''t it obvious? Because you get to avail of the benefits of two arrays. Please... don''t give me that look. I know you''re brighter than that, Miss Grey." "W-well, it''s just..." I trailed off, not really knowing how to validate my disgust with my current array. "Tell me, is it better to have one book or two, even though you may not like the cover of one? Both contain knowledge that can enrich your mind." "I know what you''re trying to say. Still..." I had been dreaming of getting rid of that accursed Slave array for so damn long. "That''s all right, Miss Grey. As long as you don''t just dismiss the idea at the drop of a hat. You still have plenty of time to think about it, so..." the librarian said, stopping mid-sentence, his eyes going to the main door just as my ears perked up - someone entered the library. "Hey, there''s no one here. Didn''t you say the old man usually sits in the chair by the door?" "Doesn''t mean he has to be there all day, does it? We''ll just have to wait until..." "Are you fucking kidding me? Why don''t we just... where the hell is the bell?" "This is a library, not a butcher shop, Vara." "Don''t be a smart-ass with me. Just because I don''t read books..." "As ill-timed as this is, let me excuse myself for a moment, Miss Grey," spoke the old librarian, getting up from his chair, drawing my attention back to him. "O-of course," I stammered, my gaze falling on the magical window and the view from it. While it wasn''t a static image, nothing much had changed. The meadow below the mountains was still getting hit by the seemingly morning sun - the few shadows that were there had not moved since I sat down, and I had been sitting here for a while, no doubt. "Actually," I blurted out, getting up in a hurry shortly after the librarian pushed his chair back to the table. "I think I''ve taken more than enough of your time, Mr. Sandoval. I... I still have somewhere to be, and I really wouldn''t want to be late." Not when I had already paid ten silver coins, which I was hoping to get back in my nine o''clock lesson. The old librarian paused in mid stride, pulling out what looked like a pocket watch with a chain. Unlike the timepieces I knew from historical films, the diaglyph of clock hands lit up over these in a breath, similar to the diaglyph over the bracelet Ria had. "Time really flies with good conversation. Though we have strayed considerably from the reason for your visit, haven''t we?" "Yeah." I nodded, a chuckle escaping my lips, quickly replaced by panic. "But I don''t mind. I''ve learned so much more, for which I am deeply grateful, Mr. Sandoval." "And I to you for listening to this old man. It was a pleasure, Miss Grey. Now..." "I''m s-sorry, if you don''t mind me asking?" I rudely cut him off, seeing him giving the pocket watch away. "What time is it?" "Fourteen minutes until eight o''clock. I hope I didn''t keep you too long, Miss Grey." "No. Not at all. Actually, I''d say we talked just long enough." "That''s good to hear. I feel that today''s young people are always in a hurry and never find time for a good cup of jartine tea. Very well, let''s see what those two ladies in uniform want. The noisier one is getting quite restless and I don''t wish to have a bull trampling between my bookshelves." He was right. I didn''t even need my big ears to hear Guardswoman Vara growling at her friend from halfway across the library. "Seriously, where is he? Did he have to take a shit or something?" "Can''t you keep your voice down? We''re in the library." "Who came up with that stupid rule? It had to be quite a whack job, because the silence is getting under my skin. It''s not normal." "Enchantments." "I know, I''m not stupid, El. Seriously, though, why us? Couldn''t they have sent someone else for that half-Terr chick?" "So, you''d rather just patrol the streets?" "At least there is something going on there. But here... if she doesn''t show up in a minute, I''m gonna go look for her." Chapter 125: Silence in the Library "Ah, there you are. I was about to...ouch..." Guardswoman Vara spoke as soon as she noticed the librarian and me, only to be cut off by an elbow jab from her colleague, Elira. "I''m sorry, sir. She doesn''t know how to speak quietly." "Indeed, I have noticed. However, it would be rude of me not to admit that my tardiness is partly to blame. Apologies, but I had a conversation with this nice lady," he said, gesturing to me, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure, Miss Grey, and I shall look forward to seeing you again." An obvious farewell and a polite suggestion that I could go while he tends to the two guardswomen. "M-me, too, Mr. Sandoval," I stammered, wanting to head for the door, but to the librarian''s confusion, instead of leaving, feeling that the two women weren''t here to borrow some books, I gave them a wave. "H-hi." "You know each other?" "W-we met when I got into the city," I explained hastily, not wanting the two to say anything the old man didn''t need to hear about me, like the fact that back then, I walked the streets basically naked. "I see. So, maybe a story for next time," said the old librarian, stroking his beard. Then, likely finding it rude to pry further, he turned his attention back to the two guardswomen. "What can I do for you ladies? It''s been over a year since Captain Rayden sent someone to look up information in the books. Or are you here privately, Miss Hakhe? If so, I regret to inform you that the book you are interested in has not yet arrived." "N-no! No, that''s not why I''m here. We''re here for..." "Hang on a minute. A book, Elira? I know you read, but... OH, fuck my tits! Your evening strolls! You lying bitch, I thought you were seeing someone, you know, to have fun with, but - you come here to read fucking books?" "T-that is what you assumed, I just..." "Yeah, right, it''s my fault that my best friend didn''t tell me the truth." "I didn''t tell you because I knew you''d react this way," Guardswoman Elira said, clenching her fists, barely holding the frustration shadowing her blue eyes out of her voice. "Please, Vara. Can we discuss this elsewhere?" Apparently having no qualms about raising her voice in the library, the tall, auburn-haired guardswoman crossed her arms over her chest, giving her colleague a death stare, obviously pissed. A breath later, however, she huffed more hurt than angry: "Sure. But don''t think I''m just gonna let it go. For tits'' sake, I was happy that you finally found someone, El." The blue-eyed guardswoman''s cheeks flushed, upon which she covered her face with her hand and took a breath, giving both her colleague and the old librarian an apologetic look. "I''m so sorry that you had to hear that, Mr. Sandoval. If I knew..." she trailed off with a sigh. "Well, I suppose knowing where the mistakes were made is what matters," the old librarian said, smiling warmly, his gaze falling on Guardswoman Vara. "To broaden your knowledge, young lady. Silence within my library and others, for that matter, is not solicited to annoy you but to keep you from annoying others while they read. It is highly galling when you are engrossed in the heat of the story written on the pages of a book or study a complex matter demanding your full focus, and someone''s voice jolts you out of it. Now you know, and I expect you to act accordingly next time."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Sure, sure. Not that I''m planning on coming again. In fact, if they hadn''t sent us here, I wouldn''t be here at all," grunted the auburn-haired guardswoman, this time keeping her voice down. "You will certainly not be the first or the last to do so. However, you''ve made me more curious about the reason for your visit. Captain Rayden is not the kind of person who would send someone with no appreciation for books to my library." "Well, that''s..." "You''re right, sir," Guardswoman Elira cut her colleague off before she could say anything else. "We were sent here for Grey." ''Shit! Just as I thought.'' The question was why, though. Why did Rayden send for me, if the whole point of being bait was to make me look as mundane as possible, and especially not to let the mind mages get a whiff of me working for the city guards? "To arrest her?" Mr. Sandoval asked, no doubt wondering if I was a criminal. It hurt, not just a little. Nevertheless, I had to admit that taking me in for some made-up crime would make sense. "No, sir," the blue-eyed guardswoman dismissed the librarian''s concerns, much to my surprise and relief. "Just for questioning." "Q-questioning?" I couldn''t help but ask. "Sorry, Grey, that''s all I know." "My guess is the mugging," Guardswoman Vara butted in, her disregard for the silence in the library back. "Something I want to hear more about, by the way. Clay was strangely tight-lipped about it." ''The city guard who speared me?'' Well, no wonder. I wouldn''t feel like talking about killing someone by accident, either. "Don''t worry, sir. She was the victim," the blue-eyed guardswoman quickly added to clarify for the librarian before a misunderstanding could arise. And for that, I was grateful. "Ha, a victim? I heard that..." "Vara!" Guardswoman Elira shouted in a whisper at her fellow guardswoman, again with a look of apology to the old librarian. "It happens all the time, sir. Stolen items are found, more things need to be cleared up, or just to see if the person in question has remembered more details." "Thank you for the clarification, Miss Hakhe. You see, despite my age, I haven''t had the experience of being mugged. Thank the emperor for that. Although my not very frequent trips to the city could be to blame," said the old librarian, obviously amused by his own words. However, seeing no one laughing, he cleared his throat and looked at me. "Well, I hope this doesn''t disrupt your plans, Miss Grey. As it is, I won''t keep you any longer. I wish you good luck in mastering Standard and will look forward to your next visit." "Me too, Mr. Sandoval. I learned so much more than I came here for." Seeing that we were finally done here, the tall auburn-haired guardswoman didn''t hesitate to leave, almost as if she might catch something contagious from the wisdom stored in the books here. In contrast, apologizing once more for her colleague, Elira waited for me to exit before following me out. "Tits!" Guardswoman Vara roared, stretching. "I feel like I''ve aged five years inside there." "She doesn''t like old places - or talking to old people." The blue-eyed guardswoman''s whispered clarification, however, did not escape her colleague. "Fuck you, El. I say you''re the weird ones. Just imagine ending up like that old man one day... damn, it gives me the creeps." "Then why are you slacking off on our daily practice? Or your job, for that matter?" "Because there''s no fucking point. As if I would ever reach the third array. Nah, better to enjoy the youth the second array gave me while I can, and when the time comes, I''ll swap my weaves for ones that keep me from being all wrinkly, stinky, and pissing my pants." ''Third array? Youth?'' "The arrays will keep you from aging?" Without a doubt, a stupid question that slipped out of my mouth while a much more pressing one was burning in my mind. ''Where the bloody hell was Blaine? Chapter 126: Under Arrest? ''Where the fuck was Blaine?'' "You don''t know?" Guardswoman Vara looked at me like I was stupid. "Sure it does." ¡®Huh? What was she talking about? The lieutenant?¡¯ "Rather than arrays, it is the sigils that will prolong your life," her colleague, Elira, clarified. "There¡¯s a reason why powerful beasts live for hundreds or even thousands of years." ¡®Oh, the aging thing. Damn it, focus, Korra.¡¯ "I-I see," I said absentmindedly, a completely different matter than the impending wrinkles weighing heavy on my mind. ''Seriously, where was he?'' The annoying feeling of someone watching my ass may have hit the back of my neck as soon as we stepped onto Imperial Square, but none of the stares directed at me belonged to Lieutenant Blaine. I was sure of that. As far as I could tell, most of it came from people in the square curious about who had just come out of the library accompanied by two city guards, but the rest¡­ wait. ''These two women - were they the reason the lieutenant decided to take time off? Did he trust them that much?'' [Guardswoman: 124 sigils] [Guardswoman: 117 sigils] Just like I remembered - the arrays and sigils I could only envy, but nothing had changed in the four days I hadn''t seen them. Unless they were somehow hiding their info from the Lattice, they were just two ordinary guardswomen. ''No offense meant. Not relying on my inner beast, they would surely beat my ass in a heartbeat. However, could they stand up to a mind mage?'' I''d love to think so. For all I knew, [Guardswoman] could have been an array that gave its owner a strong will. In a way, it would make sense. Their job was to protect the city, no matter the situation. If they shit their pants at the first sign of a fight or run away, it wouldn''t make much sense to have them as city guards. ''Still...'' "Grey! Hey Grey, are you listening?!" the tall auburn-haired guardswoman bellowed, making me twitch in pain. "Y-yeah. Yeah, I am," I blurted out to stop her from shouting again, rubbing my ears. "I am now. S-sorry, got lost in thoughts - what did you ask, Guardswoman Vara?" "Guardswoman Vara. That has a nice ring to it, doesn''t it?" "Oh no, don''t let that go to her head. It''s fine to call her Vara. I''m Elira, by the way." "Smooth..." Guards...er, Vara laughed. "Anyway, Vara is fine. Even the street brats call me that - ungrateful bastards." "W-well, call me Korra, then," I stammered, putting forward my first name, feeling bad not to when they did. "No, that won''t do, Grey. Not when we''re on duty." "Oh, shush, Elira. You don''t have to be so uptight all the time." "I am not..." "S-so, what did you say before?" I asked, the uneasiness of Lieutenant Blaine''s absence getting the better of me. "Well..." "That we should go," Elira gushed, throwing a deadly glare at her fellow. "Oh - OH. So, you''re taking me to the barracks? I have to be at City Hall by nine, you know." The barracks weren''t that far from Seeker Square, and I already knew the way, so if it was just a matter of answering a few questions, it shouldn''t be a problem. ''Besides, Lieutenant Blaine handled everything; this was part of his plan. It was, wasn''t it?'' "Don''t let El fool you, Korra," Guardswoman Vara - well, just Vara - ignored my question. "She was wondering where you got the wings and the tail. Whether you were naked when we escorted you all the way from the gate to the barracks?" "That is NOT what I said at all!" "It is - in a sense. Besides, I''m curious, too. So, how was it?"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ''Huh? Were they serious?'' "Y-you didn''t notice?" Ria noticed right away. "I mean, you asked me about my looks, that I don''t look like any Terr''den you''ve ever seen." "We did?" Vara wondered, brushing back a stray strand of auburn hair as she glanced at her colleague, only to shrug. "Well, you definitely don''t look like any I know, and you didn''t then either - feathered chest, a hairy butt, big ass ears, and antlers. Who has that, right El?" "Definitely rare to see," Elira nodded, eyeing me from head to toe, cheeks slightly red. ''Shit!'' The curse almost slipped from my lips as a shudder ran from the back of my neck down my spine all the way to the tip of my tail. It wasn''t one of the bad vibes mostly haunting my nape, though. This one was - well, oddly pleasant. Like, when you''re cold and come to a fire, that kind of feeling. "W-well," I said, shaking away the bristled hair her look gave me. "I had nothing when I came to Castiana." While Elira blushed a little more, Vara gave her a chuckle. "Guess your brother did not follow protocols and did not give her a pat-down. Damn, I can''t wait to tell him - the look on his face. Is he gonna be as red as you, El?" "Fuck you, Vara. Let''s just move." "You Hakhes are sure fun to be around. But, you are right. The back alley awaits." "W-wait! Hold on! What back alley?!" "That one where you got mugged, duh," replied Vara, nudging me to get moving. "Why there? Why not the barracks?" "Don''t ask me. We just got orders to take you there. Come on, move." "Orders from who?" I asked, yielding to another nudge, albeit moving slowly. This whole thing just didn''t sit right with me. In fact, it didn''t make any sense. "Who else? From "Sergeant" Elias Hakhe himself." "My brother. You met him at the gate. Look, Grey, it''s nothing unusual. The crime scene can help you remember something you otherwise wouldn''t. Like I said, it''s just a questioning thing." ''Make me remember my ass. What about the trauma it will remind me of?'' Seriously, just thinking about that place gave me goosebumps, let alone wanting to go near it. "Can''t you just take me to the barracks? I''ll answer any questions they want me to answer there." "Sorry, Grey. Not our orders," Vara said, pointing to one of the many alleyways leading out of the Imperial Square. "That way." "Well, we could take her there if she wants." "Tits! What''s up with you today, El? First, the books instead of shagging, and now you''re willing to flout orders? You should be the responsible one, not me. Fuck! No. No barracks. I can''t risk your brother complaining to the Captain about me again and getting another pay cut this week, El. You know it." Elira closed her eyes for a moment, sighing. "You should have thought of that before you put the laxative potion in his ale." "The look on his face was worth it," Vara beamed, chuckling at the memory. I, on the other hand, couldn''t believe what I was hearing. She was reluctant to budge and take me to barracks just because she fucked up? What stupid reason was that? "T-Then¡­ then say you didn''t find me. I will go to the barracks tomorrow, right after work." I didn''t need to see the look Vara gave me to know how lame that sounded. "If I got a copper each time I heard that, I''d be rich." "It wouldn''t add up as much as to a silver coin, Vara," Elira remarked. "Killjoy! I just wanted to say it at least once." "S-sorry, I don''t mean to, but... am I under arrest? Because if not, I must be somewhere else." Another lame excuse, although justified. But so what? Fuck it! I didn''t want to go anywhere near that alley. "Nine o''clock at the City Hall, right?" Elira asked, showing her fine memory. "Yeah, I already paid the deposit for the lesson with an instructor," I said, hesitating to reveal the man''s name. It wasn''t hard to imagine them not believing me. ''How could an ordinary chick like me get a lesson with the famous Deckard?'' On that note, though... well, it was definitely worth a shot. "I''ll demand the City Guards pay me back if I miss it." Hearing that, Vara stopped in her tracks so suddenly, I almost bumped into her. "How much?" "T-ten silvers." "Tits! I mean, it''s not much, but Travis will definitely have my ass." "W-who''s Travis?" "Captain Rayden''s assistant. Warrant Officer Travis Seamane," Elira explained. "He''s in charge of a lot, including the finances of the entire Castiana City Guards. By the way, who are you taking lessons from? There are more expensive instructors, but ten pieces of silver as an advance payment isn''t a little either." "Like that matters," Vara grumbled before I had a chance to answer. "Look Grey, I get you. I don''t like going back to the place I fucked before, either. But could you do me a favor and tell them it''s not my - well, our fault? I mean, you might even make it. The alley isn''t too far." Elira nodded. "True. And if we..." "What do you mean, not too far? That alley is on the other side of the city. In the First District." "Look, Grey, if you''re trying to tell me some bullshit..." "No, I''m telling the truth." "Are you sure, Grey? You''re new to Castiana. Maybe you got it wrong," Elira suggested, trying to think about it logically. "Ask at the barracks. They must have it written down there." My sense of direction may have been bad, but my memory was not. "I got mugged walking from Zuzum''s Bathhouse in the northern part of the city, not down here in the Third District." "Zuzum''s Bathhouse? That shithole?" "Yes," I said, nodding to Vara without a hint of shame, if anything, glad she knew that place. "But if what you say is true, why would they send us here? Elias wouldn''t..." "That fucking dickhead! I bet that''s his payback for the potion. When I see him, I''m gonna... huh? What is it, Grey? What are you staring at?" Following my gaze, both guardswomen looked down the street to our left. But unlike me, they failed to see what I did. An ivy-covered house and the street Timmy led me down. Things began to fall into place... Chapter 127: Nightfall in the Streets Although I didn''t realize it right away as we took a different street out of Imperial Square than the one I came in, this was undoubtedly the street Timmy wanted to take me to the shoe shop. Coincidence? Could be, but there were too many things that didn''t add up. Lieutenant Blaine picked the worst time to take a time off. Seriously, the guy''s gaze usually didn''t break even when I went to the outhouse. And then there was the whole thing with Vara and Elira taking me to see a back alley I''d never seen in my life. ''Why would anyone give them such orders?'' The answer to that question sent a shiver down my spine. ''Because no one did. Because these two either worked for the mind mages or the bastards got to them and shackled their minds.'' The two guardswomen most likely weren''t even aware of it. ''Was that why they were so friendly with me? Introducing themselves and such... but then what was the whole gateguard thing all about?¡¯ ¡®Was it the gateguard, then? Did they get to him like they got to Timmy?¡¯ ¡®Timmy! Shit!¡¯ No doubt in my mind now, the young guide was under the influence of mind mages urged to get me to the alley, or more likely somewhere out of sight. ¡®Since when though? He seemed fine at City Hall and most of the way. Only after¡­ shit! Shit, shit, shit! That lost bitch. She¡­¡¯ Timmy''s remark about her boots ¡®Why didn''t she buy the same laces?¡¯ sprung to mind, and I broke out in a cold sweat. ''It couldn''t have been her, could it? It couldn''t have been the shoelace bitch, could it? I''d recognise her. I''m sure.'' "What''s the matter with you, Grey? You look like you''ve seen a dragon," Vara said, taking one last look at the lane leading to the ivy-covered house. "There''s nothing there. Speaking of, if there''s nothing in that alley, I''m really gonna rip Elias'' balls off." "I''m telling you, Vara, Elias wouldn''t do this. He takes his job seriously." "And I''m telling you, you got some serious brother issues. Tits, El, the way you always jump in to defend his ass is..." "W-why?" They both looked at me, confused. "Why, what, Grey? Why is El like that? Let me tell you why..." "N-no! No, why him?¡± I asked, unable to stop my voice from shaking, doing my best to think about it rationally. ¡°Why was he the one who sent you those orders? He is a gate guard, isn''t he? He shouldn''t have anything to do with the investigation of my mugging." "Oh, that. That''s... actually a good question. El?" "He''s a sergeant, ranked above us. He..." Elira tried to explain, failing. Either she really didn''t know, or the lies planted in her head by the mind mages started to crumble. "What are you trying to say, Grey?" ''Yeah, what did I? Uh, you might be brainwashed. Or: Sorry, but your brother may work for mind mages?'' Neither of them would believe me, and saying that could only make things worse. ''Think, Korra, think...!'' "J-just that... that he may not have been the one who sent you the order." The blue-eyed guardswoman frowned, not liking at all what I was implying. "And who else would send it? It was written in his hand, branded with his seal." ''Shit! So it was him.'' Whether he worked for the mind bitch willingly or not didn''t matter that much right now. "I d-don''t know," I stammered truthfully, racking my brain desperately on how to convince the two not to take me to the alley - that was what mattered. "Just, just take me to the barracks. Arrest me, but take me there, please. I''ll tell them whatever you want. That you did a good job, treated me nicely, but take me there." That as bait, I should not give away my cooperation with the city guards? Fuck that. I couldn''t care less about acting as normal as possible. Not to mention that in my books, it was quite alright for a frightened citizen to seek safety with the city guards. And I was very frightened. "That''s a first," Vara said, thinking about it - much to my relief. "If we play it right, they might cancel the pay cut. Look, Grey, would you be willing to..."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "I''ll go to the gate," Elira declared out of the blue. "Huh? What? El, that''s..." "What if something happened there, Vara?" They both looked towards the Esulmor Gate, and I followed their gaze, praying that I was wrong, that my fears were unfounded. At first glance, it seemed so. There was no smoke billowing over the roofs of the houses, nor was there any shouting or sounds of fighting coming from that direction. "See, nothing," Vara said with a smirk, finding Elira''s concern for her brother ridiculous. "Yeah, I see that," Elira breathed, her concerns about her brother obviously not allayed. "But that doesn''t mean..." "Oh, come on, El. You know better than I do what he''s like; he''d raise the alarm at the first sign of trouble. Besides, everyone knows that nothing ever happens at the Esulmor Gate. The reason why Elias had himself reassigned there, no?" ''A damn good reason to pick this exact gate to attack,'' flashed through my mind, but I swallowed the words rushing to my tongue. As much as I wanted to, saying that the mind mages were after my tail might do more harm than good. To them, I was just an ordinary half-Terr chick, albeit a bit unusual looking - someone who should raise the attention of a few horny dudes at most, as opposed to the mind mages who were a thing of the past in most people''s minds. "Still..." Elira spoke, her gaze drifting once more to a gate somewhere in the distance. "C-can we go, please?" I asked, unable to put as much urgency in my voice as I''d like as a whimper almost escaped my lips. Right now, I''d rather be anywhere else than here, and worse, I couldn''t put my finger on why. ''Was it knowing that mind mages were out there somewhere, coming after me? Or was it the stares piercing my back?'' "For tits'' sake, stop it, you two!" growled Vara, nudging Elira in the shoulder and giving me a little smack on the head. "Hear a little more of your whining, and I''ll start to think the thralls are going to come rushing out of these empty streets at us." ''Thralls!'' Hearing that word sent a shiver down my spine. The auburn-haired guardswoman had no idea how close she was to the truth. It wasn''t, however, what caught my attention. ''Empty streets?'' "You and your obsession with the thralls," Elira snorted, some of that previous worry of her brother gone. "You never met one." "I''ve heard enough stories from those who have. And I''m telling you, it''s not an obsession, but a healthy fear. They say the motherfuckers won''t stop until they''re dead." "Good thing then that we are so far from the southern border..." "I...s-sorry, but..." I stammered, pressing my wings to my body. "Is it normal for the streets to be this empty?" Sure, we weren''t on one of the six main streets, yet I had never seen the streets of Castiana as soulless as the streets around us. My beast instincts might have been silent, but I simply couldn''t shake the feeling that it wasn''t natural. After all, I could still hear the bustle coming from a few blocks away. Worse yet, someone''s gaze kept boring into my back. ''Where is it coming from? Is it her? Please don''t let it be her.'' "It''s getting late, and the lamps should light any moment now, but..." Elira said, looking around, obviously not liking what she was seeing. "Fu¡­ fine, barracks it is. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can report this and - and get to Esulmor Gate." "Oh, fuck you two! Now I''m about to piss my undies, too." Not exactly what one wants to hear from the city''s protectors in a situation like this, nevertheless, we finally got moving - towards the barracks, and not the alley, nonetheless. "Thank you." The words of gratitude slipped from my lips as the guardswomen''s decisions came as more of a relief than I thought. The reason was simple. The fact that they didn''t insist on obeying this dubious order meant that they weren''t actually under the influence of the mages - they were just caught in their web of devious plans, like me. The web that I couldn''t shake the feeling of closing in around us. As such, I pushed to step up our stride and hold back my farts just in case. A little late, unfortunately, but better late than never. "All right, now I''m getting goosebumps," Vara muttered, looking around in unease as the emptiness of the streets seemed to haunt us. "I know I complain a lot that nothing exciting ever happens to me on street patrols, but this is not what I had in mind as fun. And don''t give me that ¡®I told you so¡¯ bullshit, El." "I didn''t even intend to." "Sure, you did. If I were you, I''d be dying to rub it in my face." "But I am not you..." ''What was that? Was it her? The shoelace bitch?! Her thralls?'' We all froze in our tracks as a strange whine broke the eerie stillness of the night the second time. In an instant, spears appeared in the hands of the two guardswomen, just like me, ready for an attack, looking around. The streets were as empty as before, though. Then, just as Vara dropped her fighting stance, my ears perked up at a scratching sound high above me. When I lifted my head to look, a furball landed in my face, almost making me stumble. "What the fuck...?!" "Don''t move, Grey," Elira shouted, her intent way too obvious. As such, I did the opposite of what she wanted me to do and got in the way of her spear, barking: "It''s just a cat." ''Not just any cat, though,'' I thought to myself, my heart sinking as I scanned the blood-stained Alley through my domain. Obviously, it wasn''t her blood, but there was a lot of it, staining both my face and the hands I was now holding the cat in. Not the worst, though. My own blood ran cold as she dropped a small scroll from her mouth into my palm, and I gleaned its contents via my domain. ©¦Bait taken. ©¦Run. Chapter 128: Not the Right Place To Be ©¦Bait taken. ©¦Run. "What the actual fuck, Grey?" Elira took the words out of my mouth. ''This can''t be real,'' I thought, hoping I had just misread the note, that the red thing on my hands wasn''t blood - the lieutenant''s blood, at least. ''This isn''t how it was supposed to go!'' The moment the mind mages were about to take the bait, I was to be pulled to safety, no harm coming my way. Instead, he now wanted me to fend for myself, with Rayden and her Master Guards nowhere in sight. ''How could I have been so stupid?'' However, before I could go any further in my self-flagellation, Alley moved in my hands, wiggling out of my grasp. ?Run, Lady,? she mewed and disappeared into the thickening gloom of the streets. "Fuck my tits! That almost gave me a heart attack..." Vara breathed out in relief. "I thought it was a fucking thrall." "And if it was - what were you thinking, Grey?" Elira hissed at me, not happy at all with the way I had put myself between her spear and the cat. Understandably, her job was to protect the citizens, including me. Unfortunately, there was no time for explanation. "W-we need to get out of here," I whispered at first, my brain trying to make sense of things. ''How did it come to this?'' In the last few days, despite my paranoia growing stronger, I foolishly hoped that I had found my place here, my peace, and my way forward. Hell, just a little while ago, I found out there was a way to live with my array without being a slave. But now it all threatened to be taken from me again. "We have to leave!" "Not that I disagree with you, but calm down your tits. We have this," Vara assured me, her voice unusually firm. If it weren''t for my ears and my ability to pick up the intent behind the words, I might even have found it reassuring. However, her uneasiness, and even fear, were unmistakable to me. "We have this," the guardswoman repeated. "Right, El?" "Glad to see you remember at least some of the training," Elira growled, one eye on the street, the other on me. "Is that blood on your face, Grey? The cat''s?" "No. The cat was fine," I breathed, racking my brain for what to do. Part of me wanted to tuck my tail between my legs and just run, the other part wanted to stay with the guardswomen. There was more strength in the pack. "I know this must sound strange, but please, we have to get out of here. We have to go to the barracks." "What aren''t you telling us, Grey?" Elira growled, her voice a mix of emotions: worry, anger, fear - her mind sharp, nevertheless. "I-I''ll tell you everything, but please believe me - we need to get to the barracks. NOW." "You¡­ if my brother¡­ fine. But you better hope nothing happens to Elias." "Hey, El," Vara raised her voice, motioning for me to follow her, which I did without hesitation. My only complaint? We walked too slowly. ''We should be running.''Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Yeah?" "I''m not against calling it in." ''Call it in? Shit! Fuck me! How could I have been so stupid?'' The communication tool they used to receive orders! "Yes, do it. NO! Wait! Actually, no. Let''s just go." If sending a message meant stopping to actually write it on a piece of paper, roll it up and put it in a magic tool, we were better off just running. "Misuse of the Distress Cry is heavily punished," Elira reminded Vara, ignoring me, as if reading the rules. If I had to guess, that was her way of keeping her cool. "Right now, I couldn''t give two shits about that. Besides, you have to admit that this whole situation is..." "Yeah, I know. All right, all right, I''m calling it in." ''No! No, no, no¡­ we have to run!'' However, before I could put my panicked thoughts into a voice, one not mine stopped the blue-eyed guardswoman from using the tool. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, Elira." That booming, raw male voice sent shivers down my spine and stopped us all in our tracks. The power behind it was incredible, making all my hair stand on end, my inner beast growl, and my instincts screaming at me to run. Judging by the reactions of the two guardswomen as they both assumed fighting stances, spears pointed at the source of the voice, they weren''t much better off. Unlike me, however, they had training and weaves with the appropriate number of engraved glyphs to fall back on - furthermore, unlike me, they now stood clad in armor which, in a heartbeat had replaced their uniforms. All I could do was bare my teeth as the air before us rippled and a burly man stepped out into the street just as the magic lamps lit up. "Illusion..." I hissed, remembering the bastard from the back alley who got away. This was definitely not him, though. [Master Fire Mage: ?? sigils] "Did you learn new tricks, Harcon?" "Good to see you, too, Vara. I do, however, wish it were under different circumstances," he said, his expression hardening as he held out his hand, little flames dancing on his fingertips. "Don''t, Elira. Give me the ring before someone gets hurt. You too, Vara." ''They knew each other? A ring? What ring? What the fuck was going on?'' Instead of getting answers, the blast of a small explosion hit my ears, followed by Elira''s scream. Not letting go of her spear, the guardswoman pressed her right hand to her body, bleeding. "What the fuck did you do, you bastard?" "I did warn you, didn''t I? Now, Vara, the ring. Or if you want to lose your fingers, be my guest and send the signal, but I assure you no one will hear it," the man said casually, holding out his hand for the ring. Vara didn''t heed his words, though, and rightly so. If he was so adamant about the ring, assuming one alerting the other city guards, it meant that the "signal" jamming or whatever they were doing wasn''t something they could do indefinitely. "Look, you two. It took a lot of convincing to be able to talk to you two like this. So do me a favor, and fucking listen before someone gets hurt - more than that," he added with a glance at the bleeding Elira. Then his eyes fell on me. "This is just about the girl. So, if you lower your weapons, you have my word that nothing will happen to you." "You want me to put down my spear? Have you grown a tit? Take a step and..." "Elira, you''ve always been the more reasonable of the two of you. This doesn''t have to go any further. All you have to do is listen to me. Actually, if you had followed your orders in the first place..." "What did you do to Elias?!" the blue-eyed guardswoman barked, the pain of her injury forgotten, replaced by anger and worry. "Nothing. Nothing, really." "You expect me to believe that?" Elira snarled, teeth clenched, spear aimed at the mage. "Elias would never work with someone like you." "Yeah," the man nodded, smiling with a mixture of amusement, sadness and envy to himself under his breath. "You Hakhes have always been upright. Perhaps, a bit too upright - for better or worse." "What did you do to him? Talk! Did you¡­ if he''s..." Elira growled, her voice filled with pain, breaking at the thought that her brother might be dead. "No, he shouldn''t be - though maybe wishing he was. Look, like I said, it''s just about the girl. If you just..." "Enough of this bullshit!" another voice cut through the unnatural silence of the streets. Though higher in the pitch, it belonged to a man as well as a mage appearing out of thin air and with him, half a dozen thugs all around us, blocking all three streets at the intersection of where we stood. "You had your chance, Harcon. Now it''s time to do it the old-fashioned way. You lot, show them their place." Chapter 129: On Fire "Run the first chance you get," Elira said, hushed, knowing full well that the new arrivals emerging from all directions must have heard her. Vara certainly did, giving her friend a nod, determined to stand by her side and do her duty. Seeing that sure bolstered my faith in the city guards. But it was utterly annoying at the same time. ''How could they ask me to leave the pack?'' A small disgruntled growl escaped my throat as my beast pride made its displeasure with the idea known. Stupid. Both the notion and the growl. Running away while the two stall the thugs seemed only logical - not so much doable, though. [Master Fire Mage: ?? sigils] Albeit quite a bit stronger than those two, if it was just the Harcon guy, then maybe. But there were five others, if you didn''t count the little round man who ordered his goons to deal with us, to be mindful of. Worse, they were by no means weak. [Bouncer: 89 sigils] [Workhand: 84 sigils] [Fighter: 101 sigils] Even the one with the bald head and whip in his hand, whose look was giving me pretty nasty goosebumps, had so many sigils I didn''t even want to imagine how many lives he ruined to get them. [Slaver: 95 sigils] The main problem, however, besides the mage guy, was Bruiser. I had to look twice to make sure the hulking figure with short-cropped hair belonged to a woman. But it did. [Bruiser: ? sigils] Despite the rough facial lines, no doubt the result of her life as a bruiser, and the muscles making her feminine curves almost indistinguishable, when my growl drew all the thug''s attention to me, her feminine voice confirmed my assumption. "Is that the bitch? I expected a little... more." "Same. Disappointing, a lot. Had quite a few finer ones pass through my hands over the years." The shudder that Slaver''s comment sent down my spine drowned out any displeasure with the attack at my prowess as a female; the following crack of the whip then made me wince in pain. "None of them was worth as much as her, though," Fighter argued. "True. Makes one wonder, doesn''t it?" "Vara, Elira, please," the mage guy growled, ignoring the thugs, his plea unexpectedly sincere. "It''s just about the chick. Put down your weapons, and I promise..." "Do you realize what you are about to do?" Elira raised her voice instead, so that everyone could hear. "Attacking the Castiana City Guards is the same as attacking a soldier of the Sahal Empire..." "...and therefore attacking the Empire itself," the Master Fire Mage finished for her. "Yeah, I know, WE know, but the Empire leaves me no other choice - you leave me no choice..." "Enough!" yelled a little round man, standing out of reach for the Lattice to tell me the info on him. "Bring me the wench!"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. At his command, the five thugs moved. The first was Fighter who, with a few quick steps, crossed the distance between him and Elira, swinging his sword. Though wounded, the blue-eyed guardswoman parried his attack, following it up with a quick lunge of her spear, screaming, "Now, Grey!" ''To flee or not to flee?!'' Despite seeing that there was no way those two could make it out of this with or without my help and my instincts screaming at me to run away like everyone was telling me to, from Alley, the cat, the guardswomen, to Lieutenant Blaine, my stupid beast pride wouldn''t let me. There was no way I could abandon someone who was trying to help me; I simply couldn''t leave the pack behind. Yet, just as that huge bruiser woman slammed into Vara, my resolve took a complete turn. For in the little round male''s hand, an all-too-familiar object flashed under the magical light of the street lamps. ''Slave collar.'' Seeing the damn thing, something inside me broke. Before realizing it, I turned on my heel, finding myself running to the gap between Workhand and Bouncer, hoping to escape through the street behind them. "Don''t let her escape, you idiots!" yelled the little round man, as if those two were not already trying to get in my way and stop me from escaping. Not a foolish hope. There was still a chance; I was fast and nimble, while the two were slow and clumsy. ''You can do this, Korra!'' My hopes, however, were snuffed out when a wall of fire blazed between me and them. ''Shit! No, no, no...'' If it hadn''t been for my wings, the flapping of which fanned the flames, I would have rushed right into it. A stupid reaction, considering that in my domain, the wall of fire seemed to be no more than half a meter thick. That was something I could jump through - albeit with singed feathers and fur. ''Why the hell did my instincts stop me from doing so?'' I didn''t have to look hard for the answer when it was burning right in front of my cheeks. The flames, not much different in appearance from those over the campfire, had little in common with those. They burned hotter, fueled by magic. "Go!" My ears twitched at the shout of Elira, who, after fending off Fighter, threw her spear at the fire mage with all her might. It may have broken his concentration and forced him to defend himself, but it left her just as vulnerable to an attack from the Slaver''s whip. With dying flames, the tip of it wrapped around her leg. One yank from Slaver and she went tumbling to the ground. I, on the other hand, jumped over the vanishing firewall, slipped past Bouncer, and ran in the opposite direction from Master Fire Mage without looking back. At least, that was the plan. I barely made it two steps before Workhand literally tripped, falling in front of me and making me stumble as well. Not even my beast instincts nor [Equilibrium] managed to keep me on my feet at the sudden tripping. On the bright side, I did a somersault that would put experienced gymnasts to shame and jumped right back to my feet. Unfortunately, it didn''t matter that much, as the small delay gave Bouncer a chance to catch up with me. "Stop¡­ fucking¡­ still, bitch!" the man shouted, throwing himself at me. Of course, not stupid enough to pause for a heartbeat, I fairly easily managed to avoid him. And thus, instead of gripping me in his massive arms, he ended up on the ground, splattering scalehoof shit under his chest. "Balls! You incompetent idiots?!" Although now much further away, the shrill voice of the little round man still stung at my ears. Much worse was the familiar undertone behind it - the way he saw me as nothing more than an object to be used to achieve his ends. "For fuck¡¯s sake! Stop staring at me, Harcon, and get her!" "Then make sure she doesn''t die. Neither of them." "Huh? The guard wenches? Fuck! Sure, Brenwen will keep an eye on them. Now, go!" While it was a relief to hear that the guardswomen were still alive, albeit guarded by the bruiser female, the mage''s stare burning into my back sent a shiver down my spine so strong I almost tripped. His full attention was on me now. ''No! No, no, no!'' Panicking, I put all the strength I could muster into my legs. Irritatingly, something Master Fire Mage didn''t need to do. All he had to do was raise his hand, and I found myself facing a wall of fire again. ''No, I can''t... I can''t let them put the collar back on me!'' Having that thought echoing through my mind with the force of thunder, I didn''t stop this time, and with my hands covering my face, I jumped into the flames. Chapter 130: Smokin Hot I thought I was ready, as ready as one can be, to jump through the flames - I was not. When I emerged on the other side, a painful bestial scream escaped my throat. In that brief moment, the magical flames managed to burn my fur and scorch my skin in numerous places all over my body. Did it stop me, though? NO! Smoldering like a dying campfire, especially poor Sage, I took off running. Or at least I wanted to. ''How? This is impossible! I''m sure....'' Not believing my eyes, I found myself at a dead end with my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach. "Nowhere to run, huh, bitch?!" Bouncer growled from behind me, blatant mockery dripping from his voice. Turning, I found him, along with Workhand, walking through the dying wall of flame, both of them eyeing me, ready. But ready for what? Well, for a cornered beast biting back. ''And they bloody well should be!'' Not as reluctant as I had been back there in the alley, I swallowed my human pride and reached into my inner self where the beast slumbered. The feral roar ripping from my throat as I gave in to the ferocity gave both males pause. Honestly, it could have been because of my shift, too. As before, much to my relief but also dismay, instead of turning into a full beast, growing in size, and losing my sanity to my animal urges, I found myself stuck, not even halfway through the shift. Patches of my fur and feathers that I had in my human form spread a bit. My hair had grown, and my sense of smell had improved. But above all, the biggest change came to my hands and feet, now covered wholly in fine fur. I grew paws on my human legs, and my bitten nails turned into sharp claws. ?Leave me alone!? I snarled, licking my too-long and sharp fangs. "Balls, a shifter?" the big human wondered. "And I think she lost it." "Boss, she''s a shifter!" shouted Workhand, quite a young male now that I had seen him up close. Not that it mattered. They came to hurt. They wanted to take everything from me, tie me up, and put a collar around my neck. ''Never! Never again!'' ?Try!? I roared, baring my fangs in warning. "I couldn''t care less if she''s a fucking shifter or some noble wench, Tate. Just hurry up and tie her down," shouted the little fat human male, keeping his distance like a gutless weakling. "Harcon! What the fuck are you waiting for? For Stom to do your fucking job?" ''Stom? Why did the name sound familiar?'' No time to think about where I had heard the name, though. Cornered, I raced my mind and my instincts for a way out. Should I use my beast might? I could. It would certainly help me get past the two thugs. The fire-wielding male, though? Annoying - so annoying. But I doubted he would stay surprised for long, if at all. I was too weak to stand up to someone like him. ''No, I have to run!'' ?Dare to come closer, weaklings!? I growled again as the two males took a step closer, caution and fear reeking of them. There was a gap between them - one I could take. That was, however, when the hairs on my body bristled.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Stand back, you two," the fire-wielding male bellowed, and a heartbeat later, I was surrounded by flames. The magic-fueled inferno enclosed me on all sides, trapped me, giving me no room to move. ''Was that his plan? Trap me like that deranged asshole in a cage so they can put a collar on me? Never again!'' ?Craven!? Unfortunately, that defiant roar did nothing to improve my situation. In fact, the opposite. Puzzling over why the two males just stood there behind the flames like prey waiting to be hunted, a haze swept over my mind, forcing me to steady myself. ''Mind mage?! INDOMITABLE WILL!'' Even though I reacted quickly, it only got worse, my mind growing hazier - and me gasping for breath. ''Air!'' That fire mage bastard was trying to deprive me of air. And stupid as I was, I was only helping him with my roaring. ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Think Korra, think! Indomitable Will?'' However, hitting my mind with the weave again didn''t have quite the effect I had hoped for. It did calm me down, especially my mind, but not my breathing. "How much longer, Harcon?!" The small fat male''s shrieking voice cut through the roar of the flames and my racing heart pounding in my ears. "We don''t have all night." "Unless you want me to turn her into a piece of charcoal... a minute." ''One minute?! Fuck! Fuck me,'' The ring of flames surrounding me was as thick as the wall I had jumped through earlier, the flames just as hot, if not hotter, and I was standing there like a caught prey waiting for the hunter to sink its fangs into my flesh. ''I am not prey!'' ?You damned cravens!? I roared, my lungs burning more and more from the lack of oxygen. And so, having no other choice, bracing myself for a great deal of pain, I jumped into the flames with a flap of my wings, propelling me forward. Stupid idea? Absolutely. One driven by desperation, though. If my previous attempt had hurt like hell - this one seemed like I had gone through one. Where the flames bit into my fur directly, they burned it to the roots, with only the spines left of the feathers, and where the flames licked my skin, blisters popped out along with the exposed flesh underneath. As such, I emerged out of the circle of flames, screaming like the wounded beast I was. One, however, that didn''t hesitate to bite the first one in her path. Smoldering, parts of my body still ablaze, I lunged at the surprised big male, Bouncer according to the big runes, digging my claws into his arms, sinking my fangs into his neck. "Bitch! Get off me!" he yelled, choked, his fist slamming into my stomach. Painful, but not nearly as painful as the burns. As such, I dug my claws in deeper and bit down harder, to make sure he won''t be a threat, all the time wary of the younger one. "Get her the fuck OFF me, Tate!" Of course, the young human male tried. But to the distress of both humans, I managed to deftly dodge his attempt to rip me off the big male by grabbing me by the wing, pressing it closer to my body. That, however, was when my rotten luck kicked in. As the young human male did not manage to get hold of my wing as he intended, he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Not bad in itself. Only, somehow, in an attempt to stop himself from falling, he was able to seize hold of Sage. If I didn''t know better, I''d swear that the scream tearing out of my throat was followed by my might. It swept through the street with such force that it gave everyone there pause and made my ears ring so hard that all the noise and shouting around was drowned out by it. Much worse, however, was the pain shooting up my spine. It was so fierce that, for a moment, the street lamps seemed to dim, sending my world into darkness. It hurt so much that the punch I got from the bouncer male in my daze, sending me flying a few meters away from him, felt like a mere nudge. "Fuckin'' bitch, shut up and die!" A few curses of my own have clawed their way to my tongue. None of them left it, though. ''What the...?'' Either the pain of having my tail yanked messed with my brain so much, or I hit the ground too hard, because what I was staring at was my whole arm up to my shoulder now embedded in the wall of the house. ''How...?'' With the haze of my mind replaced by panic, I flinched back, much to my surprise, having no problem pulling my hand out of the stone foundations. In fact, the wall of the house rippled like the surface of a lake upon being hit by a stone. ''I-Illusion!'' Chapter 131: Behind the Veil ''This whole building is a fucking illusion.'' The realization hit me so hard that the tears I had so far managed to keep in check despite all the pain rushed to my eyes. The thugs hadn''t backed me into a corner; I hadn''t run into a dead end, I... which one of those bastards was it? Wait, what was the name the little fat male used before? ''Stom! That was him, wasn''t it?'' That was the name of the illusionist, the one who got out of that damn alley. ''Wasn''t it enough that he tried to kidnap me once?'' ?You fucking weasel!? I growl, trying to get up and use my might. Right there, beyond the illusion, was my way out. All I had to do was stall the humans for a moment, to strike fear into their hearts for a few breaths. None of that happened, though. For whatever reason, despite all my desperation and rage, not an ounce of my beast might fell on the street, nor did I get back on my feet. Instead, I threw up and watched in utter helpless horror as both humans, Bouncer and Workhand, landed on me, pinning me to the ground. ?Get off me!? I screamed in pain and despair, doing my best to get out from under them, but their weight and my burns were too much. "S-stop str-ruggling, cu-nt!" the big human growled, clearly pissed, smelling of shit, still bleeding and having trouble speaking. All the scratches and bites I gave him weren''t enough to make him understand that he shouldn''t mess with me. "Yeah, stop, miss. We don''t want to hurt you," the younger added, the sincerity in his voice quite startling. ''Was he serious?'' ?Then let me the fuck go!? Of course, they didn''t understand my snarl. The least of my problems, though. "I s-said st-top!" the big stupid human barked, pounding his fist into my back, nearly knocking the wind out of me. "Bo-oss, we g-got her." "Yeah, boss." "Fucking finally," the fat little male growled, his squeaky voice drawing my attention to him and especially the accursed thing in his hand, glittering as if the light of the magic lamps itself were drawn to it. Just my imagination, for sure. Seeing him approaching, however, with the collar - well, something primal shifted within me, and it wasn''t the beast. ''No! No, no, no, no! Please!'' Fear. A fear so powerful flooded my body that I wouldn''t have minded turning into a full beast right now. Even for good. Better than having that collar around my neck again. ?No! No, leave me alone!? Yet, no matter how much I struggled back, my fangs and claws stayed out of reach of the two human males lying on top of me. ''Come ON! Please!'' ?Come out, you stupid beast!? But not even the roar made my inner ferocity take over. Instead, like before, my stomach turned upside down, and I barfed a little. "Ba-lls! Wha-t a sten-nch... can y-you hurr-rry up, boss."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ''Why? Fucking why?'' "Don''t fucking tell me what to do!" shrieked the little fat human male, almost tripping over his chubby little legs in his rage. "Or is that little wench too much for you?" ''Was it the tail? The way the young male yanked me by it?'' "No, b-boss. Just..." ''Sage?'' Once the realization hit me, I didn''t wait a second. Even though it hurt, the aftermath of that yank and burns, I shifted my tail up along my back to the heads of the two humans and farted. My tail glands may not have released as much of the poison as they did after holding back my farts all day, but it was enough to engulf me and the two of them in an apple-scented orange cloud. "Wh-what t-the...?" "Apples? Poisoned?" "Fucking idiot, take the antidote," the big male growled at the young one, the vial of liquid, what I could only assume was the antidote appearing in his hand. My chance had come. The moment he raised his hand to his mouth to uncork the bottle with his teeth and the same bottle appeared in the hand of the young human, I slammed my mind with [Indomitable Will] to keep myself from throwing up and mustered all my remaining strength to wriggle out of their grasp. ?Yes!? I squealed when, to my great relief, it worked like a charm. Better, actually. In my painful defiance, I practically shoved the bottle of antidote into the workhand''s mouth, making him choke on it, and knocked out the one in the big human''s hand without a drop wetting his lips. "You cun-nt...!" He shouted before abruptly going silent, his hands shooting up to his neck, which I slashed with my claws. For a heartbeat, the urge to finish the deed came over me, to make sure he didn''t take another breath, but as the young one rolled off me, coughing out the antidote he''d inhaled instead of swallowed, I jumped to my feet and without a second thought ran against the wall. ''Illusion.'' As I thought, I didn''t hit the bricks face first. Instead, the whole house, or to be exact, the illusion of a house, rippled like a water surface and I found myself on the street I wanted to run away down in the first place. ?You!? My growl carried so much hatred that it caught me off guard, let alone the illusionist standing there. Already pale from the effort it took to keep up the illusion, he turned even paler when he saw me growl. Rightfully so. My blood boiled with rage. ''It was him. The illusions-wielding human from back then!'' All of this was his fault. He was the one who kept the streets empty; he was the one who stopped me from escaping. ''If only I hadn''t let him get away then.'' ?ROOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!? No meaning behind the bestial roar, just pure rage coming from the very depths of me, the depths I remembered from my escape to freedom, a freedom I now stood to lose because of him. Misplaced rage? Perhaps. But one that pushed aside whatever was keeping me from shifting further. Instead of puking in my rush at him, I could feel my body embracing bestial change, my mind giving way to the ferocity slumbering within me. "Tits! Hey! Hey, guys!" the human mage shouted, hastily releasing his magic and trying to hide behind it. "Don''t let her near me!" Of course, even though taken with rage, I wasn''t stupid enough to stop just to kill him. Not when I had a bunch of thugs on my tail. That didn''t mean I couldn''t give him a few life-threatening grazes running past. Unfortunately, I didn''t get to do that at all. Just a few steps away from him, his legs already hidden by the illusion, mine shifted knee-high in bestial ones, the hairs on my entire body bristled, and I instinctively jumped aside with all my might. Had I done so a heartbeat later I would have tasted the scorching heat of fire once more. A ball of fire exploded where I stood. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! I''m on fire, you dickhead!" wailed the illusions-wielding human, trying to extinguish his clothes. But my attention was on the fire-wielding human, moving incredibly fast, cutting off my escape route, his hands on fire. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean for it to come to this. If only you all..." ?Fuck you!? "...just listened." When he finished his words, he moved again. Instead of the magic I expected to come, however, he appeared by me, his fist striking me in the face before I could even react. A hurt whimper escaped my lips as the searing pain seemed to penetrate all the way into my skull. Thankfully, my mind was taken by the darkness as he punched me again. Chapter 132: From Dream to Nightmare "H...y wa...e up!" A shrill voice pierced the darkness of my tired mind, followed by pain shooting through my body as something struck my side hard. "C...me on, get the fuck up!" The familiar tentacles wrapping my mind swamped me with the urge to leave the warm embrace of my nightmares. And what a nightmare it was this time. I dreamt of how I escaped from this cursed place full of suffering, pain, and screaming. I dreamed of turning into a beast, running through a forest full of them, and even freedom gained in a city full of humans and beastmen. As always, however, that beautiful dream, full of joy and hope, turned into a nightmare. "I said, get the fuck up, wench!" Urged by the tendrils pressed against my mind by the collar around my neck and the compulsion of my own array to obey my master, I moved. It wouldn''t be hard to resist such a simple command, but there was no reason to make it harder on myself when I might need that strength later, whether in enduring through another mutation or defying another order. ''Tss¡­ that fucking asshole!'' Of course, I was too slow, and another kick landed on my body, this time on my thigh. The pain, however, was nothing compared to the pain the rest of my body was in. It wasn''t the worst pain, some of the vile concoctions the deranged asshole made me drink caused worse; still... half my body felt like it was on fire, while the left side of my face as if it melted away. "Oh, she seems to be awake, boss." "Idiot. I can see that myself, Tate!" ''Boss? Tate?'' Those weren''t words I ever heard in the cellar; in fact, come to think of it, that deranged asshole Dungreen never came inside my cell. All the kicks he gave me were after I exited the cage under his commands. ''Seriously, what the fuck was...?'' A piercing pain hit my mind, and I whimpered, holding my head. "What''s wrong with her, boss?!" "The better question is what''s not," someone, a woman, remarked as my dream began to take on greater clarity, cutting through the quagmire of darkness plaguing my mind. "Harcon fucked her up worse than I busted that guardswoman cunt." ''Guardswoman. Library. Empty streets. Lieutenant Blaine. Fire! Lots of fire!'' It all flashed back to me. Gasping and howling in pain, I burst into a sit-up. That wasn''t just a dream, nor one of my nightmares. The full weight of it came over me as I forced my eyes open, or rather one eye, as my left seemed to refuse to listen, and looked around. Seeing the thugs surrounding me, I found, much to my horror, a familiar collar back on my neck. ''No! No, no, no!'' Wishing so hard it wasn''t true, I dove into my Grid Forge, only to be hit by a notification not unlike one of the first I received in this world. ''No, please, no. Don''t let this be true.'' ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 1st Array: Slave Master: Arlo Rutledge Sigils: 97 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ "Is she crying?" "They all cry in the end," remarked one of the thugs, bemused. "Shut your traps, all of you!" shouted the man I knew was my new... my new master. Yes, master. The thought was terrifying - devastating even. So much so that when he asked, "I''m your master, bitch. Do you understand?" I just nodded dumbly, without so much as a hint of defiance, and utterly numb to all the pain. "Good. Very good. Get up; we need to get out of here," the little round man, Arlo Rutledge, my new master, growled at his thugs, pointing somewhere behind me. "That goes for you two, too." ''Why? What have I done so wrong in my life to deserve this? Was all my effort pointless to begin with?'' With thoughts of desperation echoing in my mind, I looked behind me to where he was pointing. There, sitting on the ground like me, tied up were two guardswomen. Unlike me, though, they didn''t have slave collars around their necks. Vara seemed barely conscious; Elira was pale as a sheet, her face covered in sweat. "What''s that supposed to mean?" Master Fire Mage growled. "You want to take them with us?" "You didn''t think we''d leave them here, did you, Harcon?" "That''s not what we agreed to." "No, it fucking isn''t," the fat little bastard barked back. "For that, you''d have to keep your end of the deal. Besides, I don''t know why you ever thought we''d just let them go - they''d run straight to fucking Rayden, and we can''t afford that." "Y-You..." Master Mage growled, his clenched fists catching fire. Seeing that, a spark of hope flared up in my heart along with the fear at the memory of tasting the power of those. As much as I''d like to rip that mage''s throat out for making me go through all that shit, all the pain he caused me, if he killed that...that... [Slave Trader: 114 sigils] ...that fucking Slave Trader, I wouldn''t mind mating with him. ''The fuck?! The beast!'' Fighting off that untamed yearning for a strong mate, I looked down at my hands, finding them surprisingly human again. ''Where did it come from then?'' The follow-up check through my domain, however, literally left me speechless - and disgusted. No, I hadn¡¯t shifted into some half-beast with human hands, I was back to being human, as much human as I was before. Nor did I grow another tail, a leg, or another pair of eyes on the back of my head. I wasn''t in Dungreen''s hands after all, at least not yet. It wasn''t the burns inflicted by leaping through the fire, some muscle-deep, that made my heart clench with terror, either. It was the state of my face. What I thought were burning swellings giving a dull ache after being punched repeatedly in the face by a burly guy with several times the sigils on his array than me, turned out to be burns so severe that I could see my teeth exposed, as well as my cheekbones and empty eye socket. ''Shit...urg...'' My stomach turned at the sight of it, but nothing came out of my mouth. In fact, looking at myself again, I noticed that nothing leaked from my wounds either - no pus or blood. ''Regeneration. My regeneration,'' the thought flashed through my mind as my initial shock wore off, hope replacing it. With time, my face should... ''Wouldn''t it be better to die?'' Stupid question and the shitty clinging to life. It would, it would be so much better if I died. Anything was better than being this, a slave. But to do that, I couldn''t have the fucking Fae runes carved on my chest. Even if I were to bite my tongue now, it would accomplish absolutely nothing. ''Wait! Fae! Was all this the fucking bug''s plan, too?'' Desperation was biting off more of my will to live, bite by bite. No one seemed to mind except me, though. Everyone''s attention was elsewhere. Understandably. "Go on, Harcon," the little fat Slave Trader stood up to Master Fire Mage, challenging him to punch him. "BUT burn a single hair on my head, and I guarantee you''ll regret it for the rest of your life." For someone who was barely half the level of a fire mage, the bastard was pretty damn sure of his words. What could a dead man possibly do? Yet despite my desire to see the bastard burn, his face melted as mine, Master Fire Mage, gritted his teeth and put out his fire. "My biggest regret is ever meeting you, Arlo." The bastard shrugged. "You''re the one who came to me, remember? Now, do your fucking job. We don''t have all night." Sighing, the fire mage crouched down beside the two guardswomen and held out his hand. "The ring, Vara." Chapter 133: Thats an Order! "The ring," Master Fire Mage repeated. Vara breathed heavily and blinked in an attempt to focus through the pain of likely broken ribs, failing. "Can''t you see, she..." "Yes, I do. Here," the mage bastard cut Elira off, a potion vial popping up in his hand along with a small flame appearing on the other¡¯s index finger, a larger one burning through the blue-eyed guardswoman''s restraints with an ease that made me wish he had burned the collar on my neck. "Take it." "What the fuck are you doing, you motherfucker?!" shouted one of the thugs, Slaver. "Trying to free them?" ''Was he?'' As much as I wanted to, I wasn''t getting that vibe from him and his attitude - at least not towards me. Vara and Elira, on the other hand... "And if I do, then what? Are you going to stop me?" that bald-headed bastard gritted his teeth while twisting his whip feverishly in his hands, his gaze drifting to his boss for guidance. "That''s what I thought, so fuck off. I just want to make sure they don''t die," the fire mage remarked with a smirk, pushing the potion into Elira''s free hands. "Give it to her." "She needs more than just a potion. She needs a healer. So does Grey. Seriously, how could you..." Elira''s voice broke as she looked at me and my disfigured face. Pity, wonder, and questions in her eyes: With injuries like that, why isn''t she freaking out? And I honestly wish I would have, but no matter how much it pissed me off, frightened even, I still remembered how much it annoyed my master when I screamed in pain in his presence. My body then just acted on instinct, quietly enduring the pain. Besides, I may have been ¡®lucky¡¯ with my mutations, but in that cellar, I saw my cellmates end up worse than I looked now. "The girl? You don''t know much about her, do you? She''s already regenerating," the fire bastard said, unfazed, removing the Distress Cry ring from Vara''s hand himself. At his words, Elira''s gaze bore into me while mine into him. ''How could he know? What else did he know?'' The mind mage''s Hunting Call didn''t say anything about my abilities. "Did you think I wouldn''t notice? I''ve seen more than a few burns in my life, girl," he replied to my one-eyed stare, turning to the blue-eyed guardswoman, "Give Vara the potion, Elira. It''s of much better quality than you''re issued by City Guards. Real shame Rayden can''t afford to give you better stuff, you know. This wouldn''t have happened if she could." As if to make a point, he clutched the Distress Cry ring he was playing with between his fingers in his hand and set it ablaze. In one breath, molten metal began to drip from his hand. "I won''t hold back next time, girl," he added before getting up, his eyes boring into mine, the threat clear. As stupid as it was and despite my desperation, a bit of defiance flared in my heart, urging me to stand up to him and bark something along the lines of, "Didn''t feel like you were holding back," but my instincts and reason made me just nod like an obedient slave. The man was strong, much stronger than me. To provoke him and suffer more for the sake of my pride would be stupid - that much I had learned as a slave. "The fuck, Harcon?" growled the fat little bastard, Arlo Rutledge, when it became clear that was all Master Fire Mage was going to do - break one ring. "No wonder you got fired by the city bastards. Strip them off, you lot." "AFTER she drinks the potion!" Master Fire Mage raised his voice, pressure similar to a beast might but not quite there, brushing against my fur and stopping the thugs in their tracks - except for the bruiser woman. "Did you fuck them back then or something, Harcon? Haven''t seen you care about another bitch that much," she remarked to provoke him, unfazed by his pressure, her arms crossed on her muscular chest. "We used to be colleagues. That''s something you wouldn''t understand, Brenwen." With that said, he motioned for Elira to hurry up, to which she had Vara drink the healing potion, herself, gulping down one issued to her before the thugs pounced on them, stripping them of everything but their underwear. It was a little surprising, given the rage and lust in the eyes of some, but relieving nonetheless. "Get up, you ugly bitch," growled the fat little bastard at me, and immediately I felt pressure in my head to obey him, laced with a hint of desire to grant him his wish. Sickening as it was, despite the fact that I didn''t have the accursed weaves in my Grid, my body still remembered what I had learned during the time in the cellar, just like librarian Sandoval had told me. Immediately hitting my mind with [Indomitable Will], I pushed away the disgusting feeling and did as the fat little bastard asked, hissing in pain as the movement stretched the burns all over my body. Of course, he was pleased to see that.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Everything but your underwear, off. I don''t need to see your ass," the bastard ordered, but much to his annoyance, I remained standing still. "Didn''t you hear me?! That''s an order." It was, and the slave collar around my neck was no doubt trying to do its vile job. The problem, much to my pleasure, was that his command was contradictory - in a way. "I don''t have any." "What did you say, you ugly wench?" "That I don''t have any - underwear." Sure, I could have resisted, kept the fact to myself until asked, and enjoyed his rage while he tried to figure out why I disobeyed his order, but what would be the point? Only more punishment would follow. "Is she a slave or a whore?" Fighter remarked, laughing. "She might be both," the bald Slaver said, rolling his whip for the umpteenth time. "Fuck!" cursed the fat little bastard, annoyed. "Why they''re so interested in you is beyond me. Anything magical, give it to me. That''s an order!" This time, the vile magic of the slave collar made me reach for my copper spatial ring. There I hesitated, though. It wasn''t because of the money in there or the numerous business cards I got in the few days. I defied the order because of the proof of my freedom there - my Citizen Card. Sure, stupid to cling to something like that when the card couldn''t rid me of the collar, nor summon help, but I couldn''t help myself. In a way, if you didn''t count the food from old man Scoresby, it was the first thing I''d ever been given since I''d arrived in this damned world, something tangible and proving who I was. That''s why I took a risk and decided to take the card out of spatial storage before giving it to the fat little bastard. Of course, I didn''t just let it pop in my hand; that would have been as dumb as pointless. In a hurry, I tried a few places where they might not notice the card, at least not right away, like between the feathers of my wings, the thicket of hair of my tail, or my head, but also in my armpits, or between my thighs. None of it worked, though. ''Shit! Fuck¡­ not there either?! Fuck, fuck, fuck.'' If I had to guess, the ring was of such shoddy quality that it couldn''t materialize the objects stored in it any further than my palm. Or maybe it was just a function of the spatial rings. Whatever the case, I flicked poor Sage, still smoldering in places, momentarily covering my hands with her, and pressed them to my stomach, letting the card appear tucked behind the waistband of my shorts. With Sage then wrapped around my waist, and under the pretense of slapping her smoldering hair, I took the spatial ring off my hand and handed it to the short, fat bastard. Again, stupid - incredibly stupid and pointless. The card was useless to me, other than giving me a bit of solace. Yet pride and satisfaction swelled my chest, allowing me to still hope. "Finally," the short, fat Slave Trader grumbled, scowling at the sight of the ring. "That''s it? This piece of shit?" "Y-yes." "You don''t have any other magical tools or items?" "No." "Good. Very good. From now on, keep your mouth shut, you understand? Good. Stom... fuck! Where is that fucker...?" "Yes, sir?" "...oh, there you are. Great job with the illusions. I had my doubts about you, but... anyway, cast some kind of illusion on these three." "Why?" asked the illusionist bastard, obviously very exhausted and drenched in sweat. "Can''t we keep using - you know, the... the thing they gave you to drive people away?" "Too risky. Just do as I say." "But..." "Didn''t you hear me? If you want your debt erased, make them invisible." "I can cast that on myself, but on them while we''re moving, that''s... b-but don''t worry, I could make them look like sacks." "Now you''re proving your worth. Do it," the fat little bastard ordered, turning to the bruiser woman, "Brenwen, you take the guard wenches over your shoulders. And you, Rick, the half-beast wench!" The bouncer tried to say something. What came out of his mouth, however, was just a hoarse wheeze. Despite my best efforts, the big thug was still alive and kicking, his neck bandaged, blood seeping through the cloth. The damage my claws and fangs dealt him was more than any healing potion could apparently mend in a few moments. Eventually, he gave up trying to talk and just nodded to his boss, giving me a death stare. Then, just as the bruiser woman was draping Vara and Elira over her shoulders like they were babies, and the bleeding throat guy was about to do the same with me, the whip bastard asked: "What about her weaves, boss?" Hearing that, I froze in terror. ''What about my weaves?'' Dreading of what even that deranged asshole Dungreen didn''t make me do - get rid of [Indomitable Will] - I braced myself for the worst, to defy orders. "No one said anything about her weaves, right? Wouldn''t it be safer to have her replace them?" ''Shit! Here we go.'' I thought to myself, bracing to defy the order. Chapter 134: Against the Law Having a slave switch all their weaves was not an uncommon practice of slave traders. However, unless the person was a war slave or a convicted felon sentenced to slavery, it was illegal. That is, as far as the Sahal Empire was concerned. Of course, being so close to the border of the Kingdom of Arid, the slavers were getting around it by taking slaves across the border, where they temporarily put them in the hands of Arid masters, only to take them back "clean". Unfortunately, despite knowing about it, there wasn''t much the city guards could do about the practice except to keep a closer eye on those who did so and be strict with their other law violations. Never in her life, however, would Elira Hakhe have thought that the slavers would so openly discuss doing such a thing in her city, right in front of her. "You can''t do that; that''s against the law," she snapped from the shoulder of the big bruiser of a woman. If the others in the guard corps saw her being so helpless and treated like the sack of potatoes she looked like thanks to the pathetic-looking mage, yet demanding the law be upheld, they would laugh their asses off just like the thugs. Especially her friend Vara, now bound and half-naked like her, barely conscious. But in spite of her own situation, worried about her friend and especially her brother, Elira could not stay silent when one of the most heinous crimes was to be committed on one. "Oh, shut the fuck up, or I''ll shove those laws up your ass," the bald guy, the slaver always playing with his whip to keep his hands occupied, growled at her. The bastard was the one to suggest such a terrible deed, and no doubt he wouldn''t hesitate to order her to do the same if she had a slave collar around her neck like Grey. A bit of luck on her side. Whether it was because of Harcon, or just because the slavers hadn''t lost all their minds, she and Vara ended up only bound by ropes. Terrible in itself, the helplessness, the shame, but it was the thought of losing a lifetime of hard work that shook Elira''s body to the core. "Boss? Nobody said anything about her weaves." "I heard you the first time. You have a point, though. It would be..." "Harcon, tell them something!" "You should be more concerned with yourself, Elira," the former Master Guard replied. How someone like him could end up like this was beyond her. As a Master Guard, he had status, respect, and even his wage was nothing to scoff at. Frustrating as it was, however, she had to admit he was right. ''Will they try to sell us into slavery?'' More than ever, she was glad for her array. No one in their right mind would want a Guardswoman as a slave, at least no one sane in Castiana or Sahal. That, however, didn''t rule out the possibility that they might try to get them across the border. But to do so, they had to get through one of the city gates first. ''The gate! Elias!'' "What happened to E...?" "Before you let her get rid of her weaves, Arlo, maybe you should let her regenerate," Harcon cut her off, kind of taking her breath away. There was still something of the city guard he used to be in him, and he quickly found an angle to convince the slave trader not to take Grey¡¯s weaves. "From what I''ve seen, she can make a full recovery. And fairly quickly." "Is that why you messed her up so badly?" asked the guy, a Fighter, with whom Elira had exchanged a few blows before - before everything went to shit. "Pent-up anger? Maybe I can have a round with her too..." "Shut the fuck up, or I''ll fix your ugly mug, too, Jareth."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Did I hit your nerve or something?" "Stupid asshole, you have no idea what you''re talking about. If I let her..." Harcon didn''t finish his sentence, visibly shuddering, making Elira wonder: ''If he''d let Grey do what?'' "...forget it. I knew she could take it. The same can''t be said for you, so..." "That''s enough, you two," the slave trader growled. The little round man, Arlo Rutledge, was not a complete unknown to Elira. Given his profession, the Castiana City Guards kept tabs on him as well as others who traded in slaves. To her knowledge, however, he was by no means an influential trader with connections allowing him to go up against the city guards, let alone the Sahal Empire. Despite the lack of funding, only a few Seeker Companies could afford to trade blows with the Castiana City Guards, and not for very long at that. That was, unless... "Harcon has a point," Rutledge interrupted Elira''s train of thought about the cooperation of several Seeker Companies. Obviously tired of his goons bickering and pissed off that things didn''t go quite according to their plan, he wiped his sweaty forehead, frowning. "Besides, no one may have said anything about it, but if we''re going to get all the money, it''s safer to let the wench keep her weaves." "Then at least forbid her to use them, boss," the slaver said, obviously thinking it was a mistake. "And how will she heal?" Harcon reminded them. "Afraid they''ll get your ass for the way you messed her up, huh? Not my problem." "Shut up and let me think!" Rutledge growled, pacing back and forth a few times before fixing his eyes on Grey. "You, I forbid you to use any weaves except the ones to fix you. That should do it." A twitch of her ears and, above all, a slight smirk from Grey did not escape Elira, but her thoughts were elsewhere than worry about what the half-Terr''den woman found amusing. ''They? Who were they?'' As a city guard, she couldn''t help but wonder who they were talking about, who had hired them for this job, and above all, what was so special about Grey that she was worth going up against the Castiana City Guards? Sure, they were underfunded, short of people, and their equipment obviously not up to par, but even so, most of the Seeker Companies in the city didn''t venture beyond a few brawls here and there. After all, doing so was like writing their own death warrant. The best they could do was to flee across the border, or hope to end up as slaves themselves. ''Why? Why are they doing this?'' The thugs didn''t seem haggard, desperate, or overconfident, at least most of them, as far as Elira was able to observe. Neither did a case of sheer stupidity seem likely to her. Arlo Rutledge seemed rather thoughtful, and they had Harcon with them. Mages didn''t reach his caliber unless they had their wits together. ''It must be Grey.'' Elira concluded, unable to help but chide herself. ''Of course it''s her.'' Harcon told them from the very beginning that it was all about her. ''But what was so special about her? Who could she be worth so much to that they were willing to go to such lengths?'' No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn''t think of anyone. If the "Collectors", slave owners who were buying slaves for their unique looks and abilities, wanted to show off their collections, it was in their interest to acquire slaves in accordance with the law. The same was true for various brothels and even Seeker Companies. Slave-like as their contracts may have been, such a method of recruiting new seekers would nullify any contract in the eyes of the law and their captain. ''Just who? Who was so interested in Grey?'' Whether it was her city guard nature to get to the truth or just the sheer desperation of the situation pushing her to make sense of it, she failed to get an answer before things got moving. "All right, you lot. Let''s wrap it up here," Rutledge growled, looking around sharply. "Have you left anything that could lead the guard bastards to us?" "Needless worry, Arlo. I''ve swept the whole place. Burned all the blood. What they''ll find are just a few sooty smudges. They won''t track us down," Harcon spoke, his eyes meeting Elira''s piercing gaze. "At least not right away." "Good. Very good. Then let''s go, you lot!" Chapter 135: Gag em "H-how can you do this, Harcon?" Elira couldn''t help but ask as soon as they got moving through her domain, watching the slave trader Ratledge as he took some sort of magic tool from the illusionist mage, switching it off, her eyes fixed on the former Master Guard. If she saw any way out, it was to convince Harcon to help them. "Shut up," the bruiser woman carrying her snapped, her massive shoulder digging into Elira''s stomach. But half-naked as she was, the guardswoman ignored her. "If you..." "Don''t try to preach to me here, Elira. It''s too late for that," Harcon cut her off. She, however, couldn''t let it go. Her life depended on it - hers, Vara''s, Grey''s, and quite possibly that of her brother Elias and the others at the Esulmor Gate. "You used to be a Master Guard, Harcon. How can you...?" "I said shut up," the bruiser growled, pressing Elira''s waist to make her point so hard it squeezed the breath out of her. "...d-do you at l-least know what happened to Elias? Please tell me!" "I wish I had a sister like you, Elira," Harcon remarked wistfully. "Mine doesn''t give two shits about me or our old folks. The bitch borrowed a shitload of money in their name and simply left." "I..." she said, stopping short as she remembered hearing something about it. Back then, a lot of gossip went around about the reason why he had quit as a Master Guard. The fact that Vara loved gossip certainly didn''t help, but in between all the gossip about Harcon being in love with Captain Rayden, or that he had killed someone, she mentioned that his family had fallen into a debt that the Master Guard''s salary couldn''t cover. "W-well, your sister. I mean, couldn''t Captain Ray...?" Once again, Elira stopped in mid-sentence as a finger landed in front of her eyes. "One more word and I''ll have you and the other wench fitted with collars like the Slave." "No need, Arlo," Harcon remarked, as if unfazed by the fact that Elira, which to the outside world was supposed to look like a sack of potatoes, might draw unwanted attention. One shout, one cry for help, and they could have a whole squad of city guards on their asses in minutes. A bit of a naive hope, and Elira knew it, but seeing the first Castiana citizens, obviously no longer kept out of their sight by that magic tool, appearing on the evening street, she hoped to wait for the right opportunity. With Harcon around to call out to the first one they met would be akin to condemning the poor fellow to the same fate as theirs - or worse. Moreover, sad as it was, from her experience patrolling the streets, most people didn''t like to get involved in other people''s business - not unless they got something out of it. So no, the most logical thing to do was to shut up as the thugs wanted and wait until they were on a busier street. Hope was that among those present there might be one of her colleagues or at least someone with enough guts and sense to let the city guards know what was going on - something she''d like to know herself. "What, Harcon? You guarantee that the wench won''t open her mouth again?" the little round slave trader said with a snort. "You also insisted they would follow orders, and how did that turn out? And you lot... didn''t any of you think to gag them?" "I thought of that, boss," the workhand, a young man barely a few years from coming of age as far as Elira could tell, said, raising his hand. "Ah, you did, Tate? Then why the fuck I''m not seeing the gags in their mouths?"If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Because you didn''t say anything, boss." "And you said something?" "No, boss. You always tell me to keep my dumb ideas to myself." "Traiana, help me," Rutledge muttered under his breath. "If it weren''t for the promise to your mother, I would... damn it, stop staring at me, boy. Gag ''em." "I told you it isn''t necessary, Arlo." "And I that I don''t give a shit about what you say." "Eh, boss? What should I use as a gag?" "Nothing!" Harcon snarled, obviously struggling to hold back. "How many times do I have to say it''s not necessary. Didn''t any of you notice that I conjured a Silencing Spell around us?" The thugs all looked at each other. Even Elira couldn''t help glancing around, piercing the former Master Guard''s gaze as it shattered all her plans and hopes. "I did, Mr. Werley," the workhand raised his hand again, stopping his search for a suitable gag for a moment. "Of course you did," Rutledge muttered under his breath, clearly tired of having the young man around. "Anyway, I''ll be more at ease if they''re gagged. Nothing like a good old honest job." "Then why have me around?" Harcon growled, pointing at the illusionist walking behind them. "Or him? You know what? Forget it, Arlo. Put them to sleep, for all I care." "Boss?" the young workhand asked after a moment, unsure of what to do. "Should I put them to sleep?" "Do you have the means? Because I don''t." Not surprising. After all, why would a trader dealing with slaves of 40 sigils or less have potions and tools that could put someone with nearly 120 sigils to sleep? That would be a waste of money. Of course, being unprepared when they knew they were going to be dealing with someone like Grey, and potentially her and Vara, was just stupid. However, slavers were notorious for over-reliance on slave collars. Not surprising. Why buy expensive potions, restraints, and who knows what else when all you had to do was give the slave a command? In situations like this, though... ''Luck didn''t seem to have completely forsaken me''. Being knocked out would be the worst thing that could happen to them right now. No way of knowing what''s going on around, no chance of calling for help or escaping. As such, Elira didn''t resist too much when the young workhand eventually stuffed a piece of old rag into her mouth and tied it with a piece of rope that bound her hands and feet. Certainly no ordinary rope, as it could hold her strength and definitely wasteful to use for a gag. Something Rutledge let the young workhand know when he found out. After that, however, all she could do was watch helplessly as they traveled through the city from the Third District to the Fourth, with the people in the streets oblivious to their plight, fright slowly gripping her heart. The slavers weren''t stupid. They took their time, trying not to attract too much attention, even avoiding people with too many sigils, just in case they could see through the illusions cast on them. One look might be what it would take. ''Two half-naked Guardswomen, bound and gagged. That would have to raise a few eyebrows.'' Unfortunately, unless someone took a direct look at them with the intention of seeing their info, there was no chance that the Lattice would just inform anyone the three sacks on the shoulders of Rutledge''s goons were, in fact, women. As such, they arrived at the notorious corner of Wet and Tight Streets, without her noticing anyone so much as raising an eyebrow, let alone the alarm. "You''re late!" hissed a woman standing there, leaning against the wall at the entrance to one of the houses. [Shadowcoin Holdings] read on a sign above the door, while a blackboard next door proclaimed: ¡®You are one step away from fulfilling your dreams¡¯. Elira, however, couldn''t give a shit what the loan sharks baited people with, not when all her attention was on the woman who was piercing her back with her gaze. "Way too late and with undue weight. Ward won''t like that." ''Ward? It can''t be that Ward, can it?'' "Is he inside?" Rutledge asked, failing to feign nonchalance over her remark, to which the woman chuckled. "He is - waiting." ''Shadowcoin Holdings? Was this Ward¡¯s business, too?'' "A-all right," Rutledge breathed, nodding more to himself. He then turned to his goons. "You lot, take the wenches to the wagon and get ready to roll up. I''ll..." "No, no, no." The woman held up a finger, stopping them. "Ward''s gonna want to see you all. Not everything went according to plan." Chapter 136: Pray Tell Hearing that not everything had gone according to plan for the thugs sparked hope in Elira''s heart. It probably meant someone somewhere was doing their job. ''Hopefully, Captain?'' In any case, knowing such types, she didn''t dare let her smirk cross her face. Instead, she looked at the bruiser woman''s other shoulder where she had draped Vara. Much to Elira''s relief, her friend returned the look, her gaze no longer as clouded as before. The pain was still there, though, a lot of it. No wonder. When they clashed, the mountain of muscle that carried them didn''t seem to hold back. As it was, Vara ended up with at least a couple of broken ribs. ''Looks like Harcon wasn''t lying,'' she thought, as his potion seemed to be doing a pretty fine job. Elira wasn''t a healer, though. For all she knew, Vara could have been far worse off - damaged internal organs, internal bleeding. However, with nothing more she could do to help her friend right now, her gaze turned to Grey, the half-Terr''den they first had met a week ago. As their drill sergeant had said back when they were rookies in the Castiana City Guards: "Knowing you were looking at an illusion is the first step to seeing through it." As such, leaning on years of training and her weaves, it wasn''t that hard for her to see the young woman surrendered to her fate instead of a sack of potatoes slung over the shoulder of the bouncer. Grey surprised her in more ways than one. The way she was able to shake off her slavery experience in a matter of days was impressive. There, in the Imperial Library, she was a completely different woman from the one they had picked up at the Esulmor Gate. ''The gate! Elias!'' Elira''s heart clenched at the thought of her brother, and her eyes darted in the direction of the Southeast Gate. But the settling darkness covered by the light of the street lamps made it impossible for her to see any hint of trouble at the gate. In fact, not knowing better, it seemed like any other night. ''Elias...'' She breathed her brother¡¯s name into the gag as the sight of the evening city disappeared when they entered the building, barely managing to catch a glimpse of the woman standing guard at the entrance. [Swordstress: ?? sigils] ''Fuck! At least two hundred and fifteen sigils. Was it really that Ward who was behind all of this shit?'' If true, then her odds of escaping along with Vara and Grey, while slim before, had now dropped to zero. As such, her thoughts turned back to Grey, the source of all the trouble. ''She''s cute, but... Is she really just half-Terr''den?'' The ferocity with which she tried to escape the slavers - it was like watching a wild beast. Few people with her sigil or more would have gone to such lengths. All the more puzzling was then the complete lack of any defiance on her side when they put the collar on her. As a city guard, Elira has seen a few people get collared after falling into debt they were unable to pay back or being sentenced to slavery for crimes. Nothing pleasant, but the vast majority of them resisted the magic of the collar as long as they could. Not Grey, though. It was like something had broken inside her. ''What happened to you, Korra?'' Elira couldn''t help wondering as she looked over the half-Terr''den''s nasty burns. Harcon''s magic did a number on her, but the man was right; she was obviously able to take it and better than anyone she knew with her number of sigils. In fact, her regeneration seemed so good that in that short time, her burns visibly healed. ''Just who are you?'' "Korra Grey. Finally," a man''s voice snapped Elira out of her reverie. Spreading her domain across the room as she now faced him with her arse from the bruiser''s shoulder, she found him sitting comfortably stretched out on the leather couch placed in the middle of the room. Another man stood with his arms crossed on his chest, leaning in the corner of the room, watching everyone. The one on the couch sported dark stubble on his cheek and short hair. He was dressed in dark gray pants, a gray shirt, and a black ankle-length coat that he had slung over his shoulders. Waiting for everyone to file into the room, he grabbed the brim of his fedora hat and bowed his head slightly. "Forgive my rudeness, ladies and gentlemen, greetings to you as well. But you must understand my delight to see the one we are all here for." ''Damn, that almost sounded like they were rescuing some kidnapped princess. Was Grey a prin...NO.'' Elira pushed the thought away, focusing on the fact that behind all the shit truly stood Bastian Ward, leader of the Shadowbreaker Seeker Company. She had her doubts when she heard the swordstress outside mention his name - after all, the Shadowbreakers weren''t some little Seeker Company. On the contrary, they were one of the most influential companies in Castiana, with many businesses like this one, apparently, owned across the city. Albeit it was a company with one of the worst reputations. The death rate of their rookies in Fallen''s Cry was... ''Hold on! That couldn''t be it, right?! They wouldn''t risk everything just because Captain Rayden kept a close eye on them for that, would they?'' After all, Shadowbreakers wasn''t the only Seeker Company that their captain was trying to push into following the law.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Mr. Ward," Rutledge greeted the leader of the Shadowbreakers, unable to hide his unease. "I like your presentation, Arlo. But why do I see two more arses than I should? What''s more, belonging to the ladies of the city guards." "You see, there were complications," he said, sweating his head to explain the reason for bringing Elira and Vara with them. "These two, they didn''t do what we expected." "Ah, I see. Unfortunately, that seems to be something all city guards, whether active or former, have in common." "M-Mr. Ward?" "Turns out the Master Guards weren''t as deep in the floor of Fallen''s Cry as we thought. But don''t worry, Arlo. My men are keeping them busy for now. Time''s getting short, though." "Yes, I understand, sir." "No, I do not think you do, Arlo," Wards said bluntly, rising from the couch. "Anyway, put her on her feet, all of them. I want to see what''s so special about her." ''Wait! He didn''t know!'' As hard as she tried, Elira failed to imagine who someone like Ward might be willing to work for. ''Was some new criminal organization in the city, or Sahal? Was it the Kingdom of Arid?'' While Vara hissed in pain as they were brought to their feet, Elira hurried to see if it was really Bastian Ward they were talking to. [Master Shadow Mage: ?? sigils] ''Fuck! It''s him.'' [Shadow Thief: lvl ?? sigils] ¡®And his Shadowbrakers,¡¯ she thought at the info the Lattice showed her as she glanced at the not-very-striking man standing in the corner of the room. Given the swordstress standing outside, and who knows how many others still out there somewhere, Ward seemed to bring along the very best. Quite surprising when he claimed his people were facing Master Guards in the city. "Hmm, Slave, 97 sigils, mixed half-Terr''den," Ward said, thoughtfully assessing Grey''s appearance. "Definitely a unique look, but not something that can''t be found - by the way, your work, Harcon?" "Yes, sir. She..." "I need no explanation. Her regeneration seems certainly remarkable. Yet, not unique - not even to someone with her number of sigils,¡± Ward said, leaning closer to Grey. "Pray tell me why the interest in you?" "She, she poisoned us, sir," the young workhand blurted out helpfully when Grey remained silent. "...with her tail." "Did she? Interesting." "She is also a shifter, sir." "For Traiana''s sake, shut up, Tate!" Rutledge growled, clearly on edge. "Oh, let the young man talk, Arlo. So then, the half-Terr''den shifter who didn''t go wild. That certainly has some value, but... not nearly as much as I was promised, so..." Much to his annoyance, Grey remained silent, the slight swaying of her tail betraying that she was even enjoying it. ''Has her spirit returned? Good, that¡¯s good.'' That was one less worry if they were to escape. "I see," said Ward after a moment, straightening his hat. "Arlo, did you order her to keep quiet?" "Yes, Mr. Ward. That''s standard¡­ oh. Sorry. Hey, you - you have permission to speak." "Excellent," Smiling like this was all a game to him, Ward cut a small bow off his head. "Allow me to introduce myself, Bastian Ward, leader of the Shadowbreaker Seeker Company." "Korra Grey," Grey rasped after a moment''s hesitation. "I have to say I was hoping for a little more - words. Such as an explanation of why...?" "Bastian!" the shadow thief barked at him sharply, moving unnoticed by everyone in the room, now standing with his arms braced against the couch. "Yes, Draven?" "Isn''t part of our contract to - not to ask?" "Unfortunately, you''re right. Curiosity got the better of me. How could it not, when we are paid so generously and Miss Grey here has even caught the attention of Deckard?" "Deckard?!" Harcon''s outcry, and not just his, matched Elira''s yell into a gag. ''For tit''s sake, what was going on?! What does Grey have to do with Deckard, the Deckard?'' "You mean the former lieutenant of the Castiana City Guards?" "None other, Harcon. Pray tell me why would he be willing to leave Fallen''s Cry to teach someone like her at City Hall?" "What?" As confused as the others, the former Master Guard looked at Grey. "He wouldn''t. Not unless... unless he saw her as his potential apprentice." ''Deckard''s apprentice? Grey? That didn''t make any sense at all.'' Everyone in the city who''s ever heard of Deckard knew that he was looking for one, but also that he hadn''t shown any effort to do so, let alone show any interest in anyone. Sure, he showed up at City Hall from time to time, but never for anyone in particular. "That''s what I thought," Ward said, nodding his head. "Which brings us back to you, Miss Grey. I''m willing to make this whole thing a lot more bearable for you if you satisfy my curiosity. Pray tell what caught Deckard''s interest?" At that moment, silence fell over the room, everyone clinging tensely to Grey''s lips. And as if she knew it, she took her time thinking about it. "W-why... why would I say that to someone working for mind mages?" ''M-mind mages? What? Did she mean it as an insult? She had to. Poor one, it wasn''t even remotely funny.'' Dread, however, seized Elira, as Ward did not seem keen to deny the fact. "Interesting. You seem to be more aware of your situation than I thought." ''No. Tits NO! Mind mages - in Castiana? No. No, that can''t be true,'' Elira tried to deny what she had just heard. If true, the implications of that would be horrendous. The city, the people. ''How many were brainwashed? How many became thralls?'' She dared not even think that her brother had become one, instead turning her thoughts back to Grey. ''Deckard? Mind mages? Just what are you, Korra?'' Chapter 137: Cognizant "W-why... why would I say that to someone working for mind mages?" The words tumbled out of my lips, hanging in the air like a collar tightening around my throat. That daring retort could have cost me dearly. My pulse hammered in my ears, my heart a wild thing caged in my chest. Even as I soothed my thoughts with [Indomitable Will], the weave barely kept the panic at bay. Sweat slicked my hands, and my stomach twisted into painful knots. Yet, I had to ask. I had to hear it. I wanted - no, needed - this man, Bastian Ward, to dismiss the gnawing fear clawing at my mind, to tell me I was wrong. That somewhere out there, she wasn''t waiting. The mind mage bitch. The Cognizant. Mir-something. ''Please, just say you don''t know what I''m talking about.'' "Interesting. You seem to be more aware of your situation than I expected," Ward replied with unsettling calm, the hint of amusement in his voice free of malice. My breath hitched. He didn''t deny it. A fresh wave of dread surged through me, threatening to choke me, yet I had to push further, had to know. "Is it her?" The question slipped from my lips, betraying the fear I had tried to conceal. "Oh. Who might you be referring to, Miss Grey?" ''Was that a smile playing on his lips? Was he mocking me?'' The air grew heavier, colder somehow, as if the very walls were listening, waiting. ''Was he playing dumb now, or...? Was there more than one mind mage in the city?'' "T-the... the Cognizant?" I stammered, the word twisting on my tongue like a curse. "Hold on, Ward. The woman is a Cognizant?" The sharp voice that broke the silence wasn''t Ward''s but Master Fire Mage Harcon''s. "You said..." "I said what I had to so you wouldn''t freak out. But, honestly, Harcon, does it matter if the mind mage is a mere Cerebrant, a Cognitum, or even a Cogniarch? Let me answer for you: no, it doesn''t." "The fuck it does!" Harcon snapped, his voice sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "If she''s a Cognizant, she can make thralls out of half the people in this room in the blink of an eye!" "A bit of an exaggeration, don''t you think?" Ward replied smoothly, but there was no denying the cold truth behind Harcon''s words. She could. "Maybe the reason she was so adamant about me working with Arlo and his crew. Oh, don''t give me that look. We both know you wouldn''t care if they ended up mind-fucked. You, though - I could use someone of your talent." "NO! Harcon is working for me!" The little fat slave trader, my ''master'', barked. His voice cracked, betraying his own fear of becoming a thrall. "He has a debt to repay to me." "A debt I''m more than willing to pay," Ward countered coolly, as if he were bartering for livestock. "No strings attached - other than working for me, naturally. Same deal for you, Branwen," Ward added, casting a glance at the bruiser woman standing to his left, keeping an eye out over Elira and Vara. She said nothing, her silence more ominous than any protest could have been. The room grew unbearably still, thick with tension and unspoken threats of death - or worse - should they refuse. Finally, Ward shrugged, unfazed by the silence. "Plenty of time to mull it over once we''re out of Castiana." ''Out of Castiana?'' My heart sank. "Speaking of, shouldn''t we already know more about the situation at the Southwest Gate, Draven?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Draven, the shadow thief, perched on the back of the couch, grunted and nodded. "We should." "And?" "We don''t." "Well, thanks for stating the obvious." A crack formed in Ward''s calm, but he pressed on. "Like you said, not everything''s going to plan. As such, it''s better if we stop bickering over a small detail like whether our client is Cognizant when we all knew..." "I didn''t, Mr. Ward," piped up Tate, the workhand, raising his hand. "Pretty sure Mr. Rutledge forgot to mention it." "Did he now?" Ward arched a brow at the slave trader, who shifted uncomfortably, sweat beading on his temple. "... Anyway,¡± the leader of the Shadowbreaker Company resumed, ¡°we all knew what we were getting into when we agreed to work for a mind mage." Well, I had no idea about the other mind mages, but if the one they were dealing with was truly the shoelace bitch, the flurry of grunts and nods that swept through those present was a wholly inadequate response. That bitch was crazy... and powerful. ''She is dangerous, truly dangerous.'' I thought, a shiver running through my body at the thought of having her in my head again. "Yeah, we can kiss the Empire goodbye - unless we wish to end up behind bars." Ward checked his timepiece and then locked eyes with me. "Your appointment with Deckard''s coming up, Miss Grey. A somewhat unfortunate choice of instructor, if you ask me. If it were anyone else, this would''ve played out far more¡­ civilized." He likely expected a reaction, something - anything - but all he got was disappointment. I shrugged, not really having much to say. For starters, I didn''t pick Deckard as my INSTRUCTOR. That was all Lieutenant Blaine, acting under Captain Rayden''s orders - or so I assumed. And secondly: ''What the fuck were they babbling about? Me, his apprentice? I''ve never even met the guy, much less agreed to anything.'' Not that I hadn''t the faintest clue what was going on. The mind mages were in a bind. The longer I roamed free, the greater the chance someone - the Empire - would catch wind of my ''talents.'' As such, it was only a matter of time before they made their move. Rayden just wasn''t going to let them make it on their terms. She had to force their hand, and her way of doing that? Throwing me into the mix with Deckard. Clever, really. Worked like a charm. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder - what kind of man was Deckard that half the people lit up at his name, while the rest looked ready to crap themselves? Ward''s voice intruded on my thoughts again, sharp and a bit more urgent now. "Apologies, Miss Grey, you won''t be making the meeting," he said, throwing a glance at the shadow thief who had been lurking in the corner, half-swallowed by the dim light. "What''s the situation? Has he come out of Fallen''s Cry yet?" "Not yet. If he''s meant to be at City Hall by nine, though..." Ward cursed under his breath, his mask of control slipping. "I get it; we can''t wait. What about the Southwest Gate?" "Nothing. If I had to make a guess..." "The gate''s a bust!" The swordstress, who had been guarding the entrance until now, burst through the doorway, dragging a bloodied man with her. [Master Fighter: ? sigils] Weaker than Ward, Harcon, and the others, the guy was no pushover. Tall, well-built, and handsome - if you could ignore the blood - his eyes carried a glint that chilled me to the bone. Something deeply unnatural lurked in them. "Out with it! What happened?" Ward snapped, his usual calm crumbling. "What''s the situation?" "Diversion failed. Mistress was unable to secure the gate." ""Mistress?"" The word echoed through the group, and in the silence that followed, a cold shiver crawled down my spine. It wasn''t just me who shuddered at the affectionate tone with which he addressed that shoelace bitch. "She made him a fucking thrall. I told you this would happen..." the fire mage¡¯s voice tightened, strained with frustration. "Not the time, Harcon," Ward growled, his gaze drilling into the thrall. "What about my men? The rest?" "They''re holding their ground, for now. However, Mistress says the way west is no longer feasible. She will meet you at..." "I know." "She expects you to show up with the girl." "Of course she does." "Otherwise..." "Rhea." Without a word more, the swordstress moved like a shadow, her blade flashing in the dim light. The man''s throat opened in a spray of blood, but no sound escaped his lips, just a soft gurgle as he crumpled to the ground. I should''ve felt relief, but all I could feel was the tightening grip of fear - an unseen noose drawing tighter. That could soon be me, a dog wagging her tail at the feet of my new mistress. "Tits. Ward, that was one of your men." "No, Harcon. That was her thrall. You said so yourself." Ward''s voice cut like cold steel, though a trace of sorrow seeped through. "Don''t give me that look. This is better." He shifted, shaking it off. "What are you waiting for? Put the three on the wagon. We''re moving for the Esulmor Gate." Chapter 138: Please, Not Again At first, I wondered why they bothered to put us on the wagon. Surely, throwing us over the shoulders of the big guys like before and running out of Castiana would have been faster. Still, thinking it over, it made sense. Hauling us on their shoulders would restrict their warriors if they needed to fight, not to mention that, according to them, they had no choice but to leave the Sahal Empire. That meant that unless something happened, Elira, Vara, and I would be in for a long ride. "Move it, bitch," Bouncer growled, shoving me when I dragged my feet leaving the room. Obviously, stalling for time when the bastards were in a hurry wasn''t just my idea. Vara and Elira were doing the same, with the same result. They pushed us all into the hallway we came from. But instead of going back out the main entrance onto the street, we headed deeper into the house - toward the back entrance. ¡®The fuck is that¡­¡¯ The moment my eyes fell on the wagon stationed there, the cage mounted atop it, panic crashed into me, sharp as claws, cold as death. ''No, no, no¡­ please, no¡­'' Obeying my "master''s" orders to make it easy on myself and save my strength for the right opportunity was one thing, but being locked in a cage was another. A cage meant no freedom, no movement, no fight - just submission. Once inside, there was no getting out until someone opened the lock - no escape, no hope. ''Even if I turn into a full beast...'' The thought tore through me like ice. A shudder ran through me at the memory of the shackles that had almost taken my hands and feet. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen if I shifted while locked up with Vara and Elira in the same cage. Blood, bones... madness. ''No, this is my last chance to do something,'' I thought just a few steps from the threshold leading to the backyard of the moneylender''s house. My heart raced, every beat echoing louder, faster - a caged animal itself, trapped beneath my ribs. As slim as my chances were, this was my last opportunity to fight to get my freedom back. ''It had to be, didn''t it?'' Chances were, I could only make it worse for myself. ''What could be worse, though?'' Well, I didn''t have to think long about the answer. Death would be a mercy compared to what awaited me if I failed and got to the meeting point with the mind-bitch. Just thinking about having her back in my head twisted my thoughts into a knot of panic¡­ "I said, move it!" The snarl jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. Another shove from the bouncer almost sent me stumbling out the door into the courtyard where the two guardswomen were being hustled by a bruiser woman towards the wagon and the cage on it. "She looks like she wants to kill someone," the slaver chortled when a growl escaped my throat, unaware of how close he was to the truth. My fingers twitched, dread gnawing at my mind. I couldn''t breathe. The air seemed thick as a soup, suffocating me. Deep in my heart, I hoped I''d never have to do this again. Yet, when the bouncer went for another shove, something inside me - something dark and savage, snapped. It all happened in a flash - instinct took over, the beast in me rising, ravenous and untamed. I moved out of the way with the grace of a predator. Then, spinning on my heel, almost instinctively, my claws slashed out - hungry and unforgiving - ripping across the big male¡¯s bandaged throat. Everything stopped. My breath. His. The world. The man stared at me in disbelief, trying to make sense of what had just happened. So did the slaver standing behind him, trying to squeeze past the hulking man now unfathomably blocking the door. "What the fuck, man?" He did not, however, get an answer. Instead, when the bouncer''s mind caught up with what had happened, his hands shot to his throat, his face twisting in a horrible, choking gasp. Blood gurgled from the wound, hot and thick, flooding his mouth. No potion could save him this time, or so I hoped as I watched him fall to his knees, his gargling breath almost drowned out by the pounding in my ears. The blood soaked into my claws, still half-shifted, still... foreign, disgusting. The ease of the shift was baffling - terrifying. The silence was suffocating, the weight of what I''d done crushing down on me, wrapping around my chest like iron chains. I couldn¡¯t undo it. Couldn¡¯t take it back. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "The fuck?" Bewildered for entirely different reasons, the slaver had no idea what to make of what had happened. "Boss, are you crazy? Why did you order her to...?" His words trailed off, unfinished. As I had hoped, since I didn''t use any of my weaves, the collar on my neck remained silent, not hindering me in any way from moving again. "...y-you..." I didn''t even think. Thinking was for humans. This? This was something else - some bestial instincts or experience I''d rather not have. Again, my claws found the prey¡¯s throat, a flash of brutal precision. Slaver''s hands went up. Not fast enough, though. Blood sprayed, painting the walls in dark streaks, splattering on my face - warm, metallic, gut wrenching. Like his bouncer packmate, he slumped to the ground, choking on his own blood. ''The illusions wielding one...?'' The urge to tear him apart gnawed at me, growing by the second, but I pushed it down. Not now. Not yet. The beast wanted to show him the price for messing with us twice, but I couldn¡¯t afford to waste my time with him, not with others like Ward and his goons - and the fire-wielder - around. Even the beast recoiled from the thought of him and the pain he caused us. No, no matter how much it went against my pride, it was time to tuck my tail between my legs and run - to get out of here before that fat little bastard would get his wits together and decide to shout some orders. ''Not alone, though.'' Once before, I had been forced to leave those who suffered in slavery with me, my pack, behind. ''Never again.'' Turning sharply, I flapped my wings and surged toward the massive bruiser, now having trouble with the two guardswoman. While Elira pretended to stumble and then from the ground kicked the woman in the crotch with all her strength, Vara slammed into her. As if they''d done this many times before, Elira, still on the ground, timed it perfectly - hooking the bruiser¡¯s legs, sending her toppling with no chance of regaining balance. The large female holding her crotch went down with a groan while the painful screams of Vara pierced my ears. The scuffle with the bruiser was too much for her battered body and her legs buckled beneath her. "No! Go!" Elira yelled into her gag, seeing me rushing towards them. It didn¡¯t stop me. As such, she rolled over to Vara. Just in time for me not to have to jump between them to cut their restraints. No sooner had the pieces of rope hit the ground than we were on our feet, Elira and I on each side supporting Vara and heading for the carriage gateway out of the courtyard. Of course, before we even reached it, two Shadowbreakers, the swordstress and shadow thief, were already standing in the gateway. Their sneering expressions saying it all: "Did you really think you could get away?" I could smell their arrogance - no, I could taste it. Slick, cold, it made my teeth grind as the beast within clawed at my ribs, itching for a fight. Not to be cornered. Too late. In less than two breaths, my muscles locked as my ''master''s'' command hissed in my ears. "Stop, wench." The words slithered into my mind, coiling around my will, strangling it. I didn''t even need to look through my domain to know that the rest of the goons were now standing behind us. ''Well, not all of them. Not anymore.'' "Don''t you dare move, you..." Rutledge barked, his voice trembling, gasping for breath, which a short run had robbed him of. "Stop breathing. That''s an order!" Unlike the heartbeat, breathing was something a human was able to control and as such, hearing my ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ words, my chest tightened, the air in my lungs suddenly feeling like poison, thick and choking. Even that deranged asshole Dungreen never gave me such a vile order. ¡®You¡­ f-fucking¡­ bastard¡­!¡¯ The world seemed to narrow, the edges of my vision blurring as panic clawed at my mind. But beneath the panic, something darker stirred - the beast within me bared its teeth. It wouldn¡¯t die like this. We wouldn¡¯t die like this. "No need, Arlo," said the male with a funny floral scent, Ward, placing a hand on the slave trader''s shoulder. His voice was calm - unnervingly calm, like he wasn''t standing in the middle of a bloodbath, like he wasn¡¯t deciding how to punish me. "Please." "Y-Yes, Mr. Ward," Rutledge stammered. "You listen, I''m canceling my last order." Relief didn¡¯t come. I sucked in a breath, but the feeling of Ward¡¯s gaze digging into my skin remained, cold and unyielding. "Excellent. I assume you''ve barred her from using her weaves." "Yes. Except for the ones for her to heal herself. If..." "That won''t be necessary. Anyway, I see that when it comes to slaves you know your stuff, Arlo," Ward cut a not-too-sincere compliment to Rutledge, his eyes never leaving me. "A natural half-Terr''den shifter. That''s definitely worth a good deal of money. Still a far cry from what I should be getting for you, Miss Grey, but I can understand now what caught Deckard''s eye. They say actions are worth a thousand words and I have to agree. Few would have the guts - or the instincts - to do what you did in your situation." A snarl bubbled at the back of my throat, the beast within me stirring, pacing against the bars of my ribcage. The notification hit me like a hammer to the chest. "Boss! Stone is dead. She killed him, too," the young workhand yelled, the loss of his packmates evident in his voice. "And I certainly like your style. Under different circumstances, I would have loved you working for me, but..." Whatever the floral-smelling male said next I didn''t hear as my knees nearly buckled with yet notification echoing through my skull. Chapter 139: Broken Chapter 140: Caged Again "Giddyup." The voice from outside the cage, followed by the snap of the reins, belonged to a young male, Tate. At his command, the carriage jolted into motion. ?Finally,? neighed one of the scalehoofs, sounding relieved. ?I''d rather lie down.? ?Better to pull than stand all night.? ?Depends where you stand.? ?True. Not this place.? ?This place bad. Reaks of blood.? ?Like the beast.? ?Dangerous beast.? ?Caged now, though.? "What''s up with them?" grumbled my so-called master, no doubt sitting on the driver''s bench with the young human. "Shut your beaks, stupid animals." ?Stupid human.? "It''s not the animals'' fault, Arlo," said the flower-scented male, Ward. To my surprise, instead of scolding them, he seemed to pat them. Though, I could have been wrong. My domain couldn¡¯t pierce the tarp draped over the cage. All I could see was the inside of the cage, now plunged into darkness. "However, it would do no harm, young man, to hurry the scalehoofs. We are in a bit of a hurry and have no reason to be cautious any longer." "Yes, Mr. Ward." ?Stupid to rush at night.? ?Humans stupid,? remarked one of the scalehoofs, and they both quickened their pace when the young human slammed the reins again. ?Stupid like beast.? ?Should have killed them, not get caught.? What followed could only be described as scalehoof laughter. It was bizarre, humiliating - terrifying. A chill ran through me at their cruel joke. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the shoelace bitch, or her daughter, sending me to tear someone apart like their attack dog. ?Grrrr!? "Grey?" Elira''s voice, sharp with fear and thick with caution, snapped me back to the dark interior of the cage and the two human females trapped inside with me. They huddled in the farthest corner, as far away from me as they could get¡ªwhich, given the size of the cage, was barely a meter. Their eyes flickered with the primal fear that every creature feels when cornered¡ªsomething I knew all too well. "It''s... it''s still you, right?" With their hands and feet free of the ropes, thanks to my claws, they had managed to remove their gags as well. ?Yeah, don''t worry...? ''Shit - I forgot.'' Instead of words, only a deep, guttural growl escaped my throat. "I¡¯ll take that as a yes?" I nodded. "Sorry, but I have to ask - you''re not going to attack us, are you?" Hearing Elira - blue-eyed and one of my own pack - think that hurt as much as it tickled my pride. She, both of them, were afraid of me. Of my strength.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ?Never.? I shook my head, though part of me wondered if I was lying to myself. The beast had its own hunger. "Damn," Vara hissed, her voice strained. "I was about to piss my knickers. The way you took down those bastards... you seemed to... lose it. Went feral, y''know? Then you came charging at us and..." She winced, breaking into a coughing fit. "I won''t die, El, don¡¯t worry." "You don¡¯t know that. You need a healer, not just a potion." "Not going to argue that, but..." Another cough, harsher this time. "Yeah, I know," Elira said, her voice somber. "When we stop, I''ll try to convince Ward. He¡¯s bound to have a healer among his people." "That son of a bitch..." "Save your breath, Vara," Elira said as the other female coughed again, wheezing in pain. "He''s not worth it." "Sure he is. How can he... does he really work for... you know, mind mages, Korra?" ?Yeah. I mean...? ''Shit. This inability to speak is really annoying.'' "A-Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Can¡¯t you shift back?" A good question from Elira. Could I? Every time I¡¯d shifted into the beast, I didn¡¯t remember coming back. The first time, I was killed by the Fae. The second, a guardsman pierced my heart. The third time, I let the beast loose and a fire-wielding mage pummeled me unconscious. "Of course, if there''s a reason you can''t or won''t, you don''t have to," the blue-eyed human female, Elira, added quickly. "There aren''t many shifters, but I''ve heard that in the beast form their regeneration can be quite... well, better. Your burns... and the wing - I don''t think it should bend that way." ?Grrr¡­ thanks for reminding me,? I growled, now keenly more aware of the broken wing than before. Every twitch of it sent spikes of agony through me. Keeping it still helped, not so much the nerve-rattling jostle of the wagon on the cobblestone streets of Castiana. ''Could it be true, though?'' Looking down at my bloodied paws, a wave of disgust - and fear - washed over me. I couldn''t help but think back to the moment when I first shifted. Only thanks to my regeneration and the magic in my body did I not lose my paws. ''Would it be possible to do the same...?'' The idea was ridiculous. I wasn''t a mage or a healer. Being aware of the mana in my body was all I could do, let alone be able to control it. ''Beast could, though.'' "Grey?" The confusion in Elira''s voice was justified. After all, with no way to give them an explanation, I moved to the furthest corner from them, just in case, settling down cross-legged, Sage in my lap. If I was going to face that mind-bitch again, I needed to be at full strength. ''One try. Just one try.'' I reminded myself, as I couldn''t afford to sit here on my ass for hours. "I think we''re on Main Street," the auburn-haired female, Vara, stated, probably based on a change in the rhythm of the rattling of the car, confirming what I thought. Just a few minutes and we would be out of the city. ''Come on, you''ve helped so many times. Do it again.'' Ever since I got my first mutation, I had never thought I would ever be okay with my beast side, let alone ask for help from it. But that was life. You never knew what it might throw at you. So, closing my eyes, I focused on what I wanted the beast to do. Heal me. ''Please, I need your help.'' "W-What happened?" Elira asked when she saw my ears droop. ''Nothing.'' At least that''s what I was about to growl when I felt the mana in my body stir. It was like a storm awakening, a beast pacing inside me, clawing for release. Then, along with the bestial roar ripping from my throat, my body exploded. Not literally. But the runes on my chest glowed and then the mana stored in my body, especially my core, burst loose, wild and uncontrollable, surging to my burns, bruises, and broken wing. There was so much of the mana bursting from the core I could feel my body burning hotter than when jumping through the firewall. I was burning. The beast howled within, primal and fierce, as though it relished the pain. I did not. However, the pain was a fair price to pay. The wing bones snapped back into place, and through my domain, I watched getting my eye back and injuries heal in moments. All the while the notifications I had so far ignored, fervently tickled the inner side of my skull. Of course, the miracle didn¡¯t go unnoticed. No sooner my mana-boosted regeneration had done its job than the tarp draped over the cage rustled as the fire-wielding man pulled it back. "The fuck was that?!" he barked, demanding an answer. However, seeing the two guardian females staring wide-eyed at me, his gaze bored into me. "What did YOU do?" ''Wish I knew.'' ?Like I¡¯d tell you, spineless human.? I growled, barely able to catch my breath after losing almost all of my mana. Chapter 141: Trap ?Like I told you, spineless human.? My growl gave the fire-wielding human a pause, his eyebrows arching. "Did... did she lose it?" "No, I..." stammered the blue-eyed female - Elira. "... I think she just can''t talk." "Oh. Then you tell me. What did she do?" "... s-she healed herself," Vara, the auburn-haired female, coughed out, the disbelief oozing from her voice more than the pain. "Tits, I could use some of her regeneration." If I could, I would share it. At the same time, however, she couldn''t be further from the truth. It wasn''t me - it was the beast. My merits in this were akin to pressing the STAR button on a microwave. The machine¡¯s magic was beyond me; all I knew was that it heated the food, and in this case, it fixed me. "What? She healed...?" the fire-wielding mage asked, confused. Then, his eyes widened, mirroring Vara¡¯s and Elira¡¯s. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame him - or them. Even I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. And I was seeing it with both my eyes. Every trace of my injuries had vanished. "Damn, that''s - your regeneration is more impressive than I thought. Was that the mana I felt?" ?Y-Yeah.? I nodded to make it crystal clear, still trying to catch my breath. "Well, it better be just that," the man muttered. "Listen, all of you. Drawing attention to yourself is - well, pointless. Rayden no doubt already knows where we''re headed. It would be strange if she didn''t. However, like her, you two," he pointed at Vara and Elira, his hand jutting through the bars and wavering for a moment. "... you two must know that the city wall is where her and the city guard''s authority ends. Once we are out of the city, we will be out of their reach." "You still have to get through the gate first," Elira shot back, her voice sharp. Though, I couldn''t help wondering why it was necessary to go through the gates. Like those bastards she hadn''t even considered them trying to escape over the city walls. Sure, they were tall, rising to the gutters of the houses in Castiana. But with all the weaves the people here on Eleaden wielded and the magic at their disposal, it couldn''t have been such a big deal. Unless, of course, there was something about those walls I didn¡¯t know. And that was likely. ''The gate, though.'' Elira¡¯s fear for her brother was so strong, it overpowered the stench of sweat and soot clinging to me. It was sad and understandable. If it were my little brother, I would feel the same. In fact, I would have to hold back from trying to rip the human''s throat out. ?No messing with my pack!? ''I couldn''t have said it better.'' For once, I agreed with my inner beast, though dread gnawed at me. Since her brother at Esulmor Gate had sent them the false orders, I feared no city guards would be waiting to stop these bastards from breaking through. "I wonder how much of the human in you is left," the fire-wielding male remarked at my threatening growl, glancing back at Elira. "Yes, you¡¯re right. We must go through the gate, and we will." "Elias?" Her voice trembled as she spoke, the words barely holding together. "Don''t know. He should..." "Harcon?! What the bloody fuck are you doing? Pull down the tarp! We''re almost at the gate," growled the short, fat human from the driver''s seat. The fire-wielding male let out a weary sigh and offered a sad smile. "I¡¯ll find out how he is and tell you. You have my word, Elira."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "As if your word is worth anything," Vara snapped, but Elira cut her off, locking eyes with the man. "Please¡­ I''d be grateful." Without another word, the male stepped away, letting the tarp drape back over the cage. "The fuck, El?!" Vara lashed out, her voice sharp despite the pain it cost her. "You can''t trust that bastard." "I know." "That son of a bitch is the reason we''re in this mess." "I know." "Then what in the name of all the tits..." "Because he could be our way out of this mess," Elira whispered, opening her palm. There, in its center, glittered a ring. ''The Distress Cry ring?'' ?Cowards''s piece of metal?? "Is that...?" Vara trailed off, not finishing her question - her wide eyes said enough. My ears perked up too. "What was that about, Harcon?" The voice was unmistakable - Ward, the shadow-wielding human, the one who always smelled faintly of flowers. "The mana burst?" "What else?" "The half-Terr chick healed herself - completely." "Did she?" The next moment the tarp went up again, with Ward peering inside the cage, inspecting me. "I''ll be damned. Impressive, Miss Grey. Truly impressive." No more words followed. He let go of the tarp, disappearing out of my earshot. Still, I listened for a while to make sure. ''Good. Looks like he''s gone.'' ?He''s gone.? Thankfully, the meaning of my growl seemed to carry over. Both guard females breathed a sigh of relief, Elira carefully taking the ring in the three remaining fingers of her right hand. ?Can''t they see you?? I blurted out, gesturing what I meant. I may not be able to see through the tarp with my domain, but that didn''t necessarily mean they couldn''t. ''Did it, though?'' If they could, why would they need to pull it off to check what was happening inside? "The tarp is enchanted. They can''t see in," Elira confirmed my guess, smiling. "... and thanks to Harcon, they can''t even hear anything." ?The silencing magic?? ''But he cast it on the cage... to stop anyone from hearing us cry for help. Was that his plan all along?'' Sure, if he hadn''t cast that magic, my so-called master would have ordered me to keep quiet and likely had the guard females properly tied up and gagged. But what was the point of us being able to talk when no one outside the cage could hear us? Were we supposed to find comfort in speaking to each other? ?Stupid.? ''I love you too,'' I growled back at the beast. Still, it didn¡¯t add up. Why give us the ring he had tried so hard to destroy? No, he didn''t want to leave any chance for anyone to find out about the ring - or that he had given it to us. "Are you sure?" The brown-haired female asked, pointing to the ring in the other''s palm. "Do we have many other options?" she retorted, slipping the metal piece onto her good hand with trembling fingers. Covering my ears for a possible cry coming from the ring, I watched Elira anxiously, claws ready to slice off her finger if necessary. For all I knew, the fire-wielding male was toying with us, and this ring was a trap. And for a moment, it looked that way. Her eyes lost focus and she stared off into space. Since Vara remained unfazed, however, I held myself back and remained sitting in my corner. That didn''t mean it left me unfazed. I was on the edge, the beast ready to pounce. As such, I almost pissed myself when Elira¡¯s blue eyes suddenly snapped back to me. "He wants to talk to you." ''Huh?'' ?What do you mean?? My confusion must have been evident because Elira launched into an explanation. "This is a Union Ring. It''ll let you speak through your mind to whoever holds the other one." ''Okay? And who has the other ring?'' ?Stupid.? ''Ah, Harcon?'' ?What the bastard wants?? "Are you sure this is going to work?" Vara asked, the doubt in her voice obviously hinting at my inability to speak Standard. Elira shrugged. "Hopefully. Just put it on. It''s a pretty expensive one, so you don''t have to do much. Just focus your thoughts on the ring. Enchantments will do the rest." Not hiding my doubts, I took the piece of metal from her. It was too small for most of my shifted furry fingers, so I put it on the only one I could see that would fit on - my pinky. The moment I did, I froze. Chapter 142: Split Personality "Do you hear me?" The words echoed in my head like the words of a god. "If you can hear me, think of the answer and keep your mind on the ring." It was so... strange. Like hearing someone sitting right across the table from you. Yet what actually reached my ears was the ragged breathing and heartbeat of the two females caged beside me and the rattling of the wagon on the cobblestones as the thugs sped it down the street - no voice. Or rather, it felt like I was listening to my own thoughts, my inner voice. ''Why did it sound male, though?'' Males were usually stronger, meant to protect the pack or the herd. ''Was the beast in me male, then?'' Weird as that might be, it would make sense. That deranged bastard would use the strongest beasts he could get his hands on for his vile concoctions, and most of the time, the strongest beasts were male. "Hey, say something!" If I didn''t know any better, I''d think I''d developed a split personality. Frightening, yes, but not entirely surprising. In a way, that''s exactly how it felt when I battled my inner beast. When I shifted, another side of me took control. "Tits! You totally lost it, huh?" This was different, though. When the beast took over, I could still feel my urges, my desires - twisted, yes, but still mine, warped to suit the beast within. Now, there was only the irritation in that voice, no overwhelming drive. ¡®But was it the voice of a god?¡¯ If it was, it sounded eerily similar to the fire-wielding male - the one who was trying to talk to me through a piece of metal on my finger. "Traiana¡¯s tits! Fine, have it your way..." Panic gripped my chest, my mind scrambling for something to say. "I-I hear you. Is it... working? Please work," I thought to the ring, just as Elira had instructed. "Oh, so you still have your wits. Good." "Y-Yeah," I replied, feeling stupid for my lack of words. Wasn''t that exactly how the stupid beast would react? "I just... can''t talk, Standard, the shift shifts my vocal cords." "Whatever. Look, I need to know... is that woman, that mind mage, really of the Cognizant rank?" ''Was that such a big deal?'' Rayden raised an eyebrow when I mentioned that I''d managed to escape that mind-bitch. She didn''t elaborate on why she had so many doubts about my claim, though. It was my own fault for not asking, not hers. Still, didn''t the number of sigils matter more than some rank? After all, it wasn''t the rank of captain that made Rayden strong - or the title of Master Guard that made him a good candidate for a mate. ''Oh, shut up!'' I grumbled, revolted by my bestial cravings. "Y-Yes, the bitch is." "How do you know?" "My... My former master worked for mind mages. That was how he addressed her." "I see. That doesn''t mean it''s her." No, it did not. But did it truly matter? Like the flower-scented man said, even if it wasn''t her, she was still a mind mage. Unfortunately... "It is her, I''m sure." "And why is that so?" the former city protector asked. Despite everything, there was still a hint of that in the male. He wanted to protect the city, or rather, he didn''t want to see it destroyed. So, instead of calling me a liar, he wanted to know where my certainty came from.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "I met her. In the city." "You did? Then why the hell all this fuss? If she is what you say she is, you should be drooling at her feet like that Ward''s man." "Yeah, I should." Even now, I couldn¡¯t shake the thought. If back then she had put the urge to go into that alley in my head and not Timmy¡¯s, it might have ended long ago. ''Would it, though?'' Lieutenant Blaine had been keeping an eye on my tail. Maybe... "I think - I think she was being cautious." "Of what? You?" ''Yes!'' Although I thought there was something to it, thinking that out loud would sound too cocky. Besides, he used to be a Master Guard. ''Surely he will understand...'' "Captain Rayden, she knew they would come after me, and had Lieutenant Blaine keep an eye on me." "Blaine, huh? Tits, so he was the one they..." the voice in my head belonging to the fire-wielding man trailed off just as my ears perked up. "Halt!" a man''s voice boomed from somewhere in front, and the young workhand stopped the wagon. "Where are you heading at this hour?" "That''s Zarth," Elira blurted out, the name dragging back the memory of the man I''d met out of uniform on my first day here. Her disappointment at not hearing her brother''s voice was clear, but what stood out even more was the absence of the gate guard''s disgusting devotion to his mistress. "Don''t even think about it!" rang out in my head as soon as I realized that these gate guards weren''t completely under the influence of that mind-bitch. "The moment they notice something is wrong, they are dead. So if you don''t want to be responsible for their deaths... fuck. Give the ring back to Elira." ''Huh? What did he mean...? Shit!'' Whatever reason they had to bother with this charade, the gate guards were lucky they did. It wasn''t hard to imagine bastards like the flower-scented male and his shadow pack slaughtering them all. ?Killing''s a lot easier,? the beast growled as I promptly handed the Union Ring to Elira. "What''s¡­ What¡¯s going on?" Vara demanded, pain lacing her voice. Unable to answer her in the Standard, it was up to Elira to fill her in, and she did. "Those motherfuckers! They''re basically holding them hostage!" "I don''t like it either, but... but Harcon is right, Vara." "Tits, I know," she muttered, her helplessness simmering into anger. And she wasn''t the only one. Another growl escaped my throat as I wrestled with the urge to find a way out of this, without killing anyone in the process - anyone who wasn''t involved. "Beyond Reach Inn? That''s almost half a day''s journey," said the gate guard outside, whose voice I didn''t know, his tone doubtful as my so-called master elaborated on the purpose of their journey. "You''ll get there just a few hours before sunrise." "I know, but like I said, I''m in a hurry. Business, you know." "To sell slaves in... Wagon''brei?" "Yes, Imperial City, sir. Exclusive offer. Surely you can understand that for a small trader like myself, this is an opportunity I can''t let slip through my fingers." The lies dripping from that bastard''s lips made my skin crawl, but what was more unsettling was the way he handled himself with the guards. Was it the eerie calm around the gate, despite the chaos in the city, that gave him this newfound confidence? Or was it just knowing that the guards were under that mind-bitch''s control? If they were, then why all this show? Why not just ride through the gate? "Harcon says they''re not thralls," Elira said, echoing my thoughts. "Probably just nudges planted in their minds." ''Oh, like Timmy.'' I thought. That young wolfkin wasn''t entirely controlled either; the mind-bitch only nudged him into leading me somewhere. On the one hand, relieving, on the other, his eagerness to comply was... unsettling. "Makes sense," Vara muttered, ears perked to what was going on outside, just like me. "The gates are layered with enchantments, dozens of them." ''What kind of enchantments?'' I wondered, but the answer had to wait as the guards outside turned their attention to us - to me and my pack. "So, according to your papers, a mercenary escort - nine strong. A bit excessive, don''t you think?" "I hear the roads are dangerous, lately." ¡°I only see seven, Zarth.¡± ¡°There are only seven. As you said, sir. Nine was a bit excessive.¡± "You could do with three," remarked the gate guard, turning the page. ¡°Goods transported: three slaves, women? Is that right?" "Yes, sir." I held my breath, my body tense with anticipation. Would the guards demand a closer look under the tarp? Would they check if the number of slaves matched the documents, if the women listed were truly slaves? "Well, it looks all good to me," the gate guard, Zarth, said after what seemed like an eternity, shattering my hopes. "You are free to go. Good luck with your business in Wagon''brei." Chapter 143: Cry for Help "You are free to go. Good luck with your business in Wagon''brei." Hearing the gate guard''s words sent a jolt of terror through me, setting my mind racing. Sure, we were warned against doing anything - but there had to be something we could do, anything. ''Should I use my might?'' ?Yes.? It might catch everyone off guard, might even work, yet it would also mean condemning the city guards outside to death. That was a price I couldn¡¯t pay in good conscience. The same was true of putting my hands through bars and otherwise drawing attention to myself and my pack. Not only were the gate guards compelled to look the other way and let the wagon pass without a proper inspection I wouldn''t have achieved anything by doing so. I''d still be locked in this damn cage. ''Was there really nothing I could do, nothing I could use?'' No, there wasn''t. Just the bars and the cold metal floor I was sitting on. They robbed me of everything. All I had on were torn shirts and shorts, smelling of sweat and soot and... well, dung. Yeah, scalehoof dung. When the big guy, the now dead bouncer, landed on me, he smeared a lot of it from his chest all over my back. Not the worst smell, honestly. Human shit smelled a lot worse. Still... ''Damn it, Korra! Stop it! Not the time!'' ?The card!? Remembering again the piece of metal still tucked under my waistband, I immediately reached for it. "What are you doing... huh, Citizen Card?" Elira asked, lifting her blue eyes from the card into mine, a ton of worry, a bit of ruth, and frustration in them. "Sorry, Grey, even though many people think so, there''s no tracking enchantment on it." "Yeah, there better not be," Vara remarked, hissing and coughing in pain, and promptly added: "Don''t get me... wrong. It would - It would be great... c-cough... if there was one placed on it, right now. But... I don''t want someone tracking my ass all the time." ''Yeah, not the best feeling.'' That was until you needed help from the male watching your tail. And now I really, really needed that help. The only problem was, he could be anywhere - bleeding in a dark alley or worse, dead. Of course, I didn¡¯t tell my pack any of that. Not only I couldn''t, but my time to do something was running out. "Thank you, sir. Have a nice night," my so-called master said, his words sickeningly sweet, throwing me into a panic. ''Should I - should I roar after all? Use my might?'' Even if it means having the blood of others on my hands. ?Blood, yes!? ''Blood!'' While the beast hungered for blood, to show those who dared to put me in a cage what a mistake it was, the idea sparked in my mind - finally. I stabbed my index finger with the claw of my other hand and paused. ''What should I write on the card?'' They did mention the Beyond Reach Inn and Wagon''brei, but I highly doubted that either was our actual destination. After all, they wanted to use a completely different gate at first. "Come on, Tate. What are you waiting for?" "On your orders. Mr. Rutledge." "Traiana, help me. Get the wagon moving." "Yes, Mr. Rutledge," the young male sitting in the driver''s seat said meekly and slammed the reins. "Gyddyup."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ''Fuck it!'' I thought in a panic as the car started to move. Quickly, I scribbled HELP on the card. Through the gap between the planks of the wagon floor, hidden under the tarp yet visible through my domain outside the cage, I slipped the only evidence of my freedom. "A-are you crazy...?" Elira blurted out in a whisper, stopped by a jab to her shoulder from Vara. "I''d say she''s a genius." "You too? What if...? They could kill the others. Elias." The auburn-haired female could only manage, "Only if they notice." So, the three of us held our breath, waiting to see what would come next. Would the gate guards notice my Citizen Card and halt the wagon? Or would the slavers punish me for such a reckless act? Much to our collective relief, none of that came to pass. The wagon rolled on, undisturbed. "Move it! Faster!" the slave trader snarled at the young driver as the steady clatter of wheels on cobblestones shifted to the rattling of dirt and gravel. "That was risky. Damn risky," Elira hissed, her fists clenched. "You could have¡­" "Still... tss... you have to admit, pretty brilliant too, El." ''Was it?'' It was the only thing I could think of to do. A stupid, cowardly cry for help. By this time, it must have been obvious to Captain Rayden and the others that I was in trouble, that mind mages were on the move. "Yeah, it was," sighed Elira, agreeing with her friend. ''It was? What the fuck did I do?'' My confusion must have been obvious. Both of them chuckled. "Maybe not so brilliant as a stroke of luck. Look, Grey. No doubt they''ll be covering our tracks," Elira went on to explain. "Ward and his Shadowbreakers are good at that. If they weren''t, they''d be behind bars long ago. They will do everything in their power to throw anyone who tries to follow us off the trail." "But blood... tss - cough... that''s one of the hardest things to get rid of." ''Was it? The fire-wielding mage made it disappear easily enough out there in the streets.'' "I know what you''re thinking, Grey. Harcon, he can''t burn everything behind us. His magic would have left an even stronger trace. Same with any other magic." ''Then why did he say that the city guards won''t find anything? And more importantly how the bloody fuck were they going to cover their tracks, then?'' "The old-fashioned way," Vara said with a lot of pain in her voice, as if reading my mind. It was so strange that I couldn''t resist looking at her fingers and mine for the presence of a Union Ring. "... and a little magic, of course. What are you looking at? Ah. You know... when I started thinking of you as a wild beast, it became pretty easy to read you." ''Me, a wild beast?!'' ?You want a taste of my claws?? "See... hang on, I... stay in your corner." Of course, I stayed. Hurting my packmates was unthinkable. Still, better safe than sorry. After all, there were times when the bloodlust got the better of me. "They have to use as little magic as they can," Elira blurted out, obviously trying to get my attention and calm me down. Not necessary, but clever. She spoke of my feat, whatever it was, stroking my pride. "Your blood... surely some of it must have stuck in the crack." ?The crack in the floorboards?? "Yes. Maybe if you dabbed a little more blood in there to..." She didn''t have to say more. More blood will leave a stronger scent trail behind us for hounds to follow. Pride and shame hit me at the same time. Pride over her. She was thinking like a true predator. Shame on me for not thinking of it myself. That didn''t stop some of my instincts from kicking in, though. As far as my scent went, I had more than enough to offer. ''Sorry Sage,'' I said, apologizing to my tail as once more I used my claws, this time to cut off a few tufts of hair - hair soaked in my apple-scented poison and sweat. To give it a little more bite, I smeared the hair with my blood. "Excellent idea, but don''t overdo it," Elira warned, her voice trembling with caution. "Too much at once, and they might notice." Elira''s fear was unnecessary. It was impossible to push much hair through the gap between the boards at once in the first place. But once they were through, they scattered in the wind. At least as far as I could tell. "El?" Vara asked as Blue Eyes froze, herself swallowing a painful howl. "W-What''s wrong?" "Sorry, nothing. Just that Harcon is back in range of the ring." ''She could tell?'' "So, what about Elias?" "I... I''ll ask..." Elira stammered, her fear and worry radiating from her like a stench. "G-give me a moment... While her gaze went blank, Vara looked at me. "By the way, Korra... tits that hurts... What did you write on that card? I... cough... quite couldn''t read it." ?Help,? I said bluntly, horror hitting me as soon as the growl left my lips. ''How could I be so stupid?'' Without realizing it, in my panic, I wrote the cry for help in English. Chapter 144: Way Out "...Mr. Rutledge, if I go any faster, I won''t spot the rocks on the road in time." ?That one not so stupid.? Remarked one of the scalehoofs. "Idiot. If you want to end up behind bars, get off!" growled my so-called master, only to stop short. "You know what, just shut up and do what I tell you. Your mother would kill me." ''His mother again. Who was she? One of the thugs?'' "May I at least light the lamps, Mr. Rutledge?" "I swear, if it weren''t..." What he wanted to say he didn''t finish as the wagon jolted wildly. "See, Mr. Rutledge. Rocks." "Just drive. The sooner we get Castiana out of sight the better." "I''d say the sooner we get out of Sahal the better," corrected him the fire-wielding male, just as he ran up to the wagon. "Ah, Harcon. Where the fuck did you go... for a moment I thought..." "I was just watching to see if the guards would raise the alarm or not. Unlike some people, I have no problem catching up with the wagon." ''Huh? Did he mean those thugs gasping for air or me?'' He couldn''t have known about how I''d barely caught up with Scoresby in Esulmore, could he? Unless... they captured him and made him spill everything he knew about me. "A-About that," the gasp of the shitty illusionist sounded from behind a wagon somewhere. That deceitful bastard was barely able to catch his breath. Quite a relief and gratifying. First, it was he of whom the fire-holding male spoke and not me; second, to hear him suffer, if only from a short breath, made me bare my fangs in a grin. "...how much f-farther we''re gonna run? Are there any scalehoofs ready s-somewhere? Because I don''t think I can run for much longer." "You will," barked the big female that battered Vara so badly. Even her voice betrayed her lack of breath. She wasn''t as winded as the illusionist, though, not yet. "N-not sure about t-that." "You should, Mr. Phantor - be sure, I mean," chimed in the flower-scented male, Ward. "Surely you will understand that we cannot leave someone in your, shall we say, position behind..." Perhaps not fully stated, but the threat was clear to all. There was no way out of this but death. "I... I d-do. But the scalehoofs..." "Ready," the floral-scented male cut him off, his voice a mix of aloof and irritation. "But on a different road, I''m afraid. My men will pick them up once they get out of the city. Until then, you¡¯ll need to use your legs, same as the rest of us." "W-What about..." the illusion-wielding man stammered out, falling silent for a moment. "What about the... the wagon? Why d-don''t we ride it?" "Be my guest, Mr. Phantor, but a word of warning. The only way you''re riding on that wagon is inside the cage." "What? But... with that beast?" The flower-scented man chuckled, I could have sworn without a hint of any shortness of breath. "If I were you, I''d be more worried about my neck than Miss Grey." "My neck? Wait! You would...?" "Excellent. I see you understand." So did I. Easy enough to picture the illusion guy reaching for his throat. Unlike me, though, he didn¡¯t have a collar around his neck - not yet, anyway.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Harcon says," Elira spoke out of the blue, whispering even though she didn''t have to. Relief softened both her voice and her blue eyes. "... that as far as he could tell, none of the guards were made into thralls. The - the mind mage obviously got to them, but... they just put simple commands into their heads." "Oh, th-thank the... cough... tits. Wait!" Vara sighed, the relief catching in her breath before she stopped short. "Are you sure he wasn''t lying?" "No. Hold on! Do you wish him to lie? For Elias to be brainwashed?" "What? For tits no, El. Elias... cough... he is a moron, but he is our moron. You... you know I wouldn''t wish him any harm. Well... cough... I would. Not this, though. For the love of... cough... you know how I dig war stories about thralls," Vara spoke her mind through the pain gripping her ribs. "I wouldn''t wish being brainwashed by a mind mage on anyone - except Ward and his entire Shadowbreakers, that is. Th... those fuckers deserve a lot worse - like having their tits and balls cut off..." "That''s enough, Vara. I get it," Elira stopped her, regret in both her voice and her eyes. "Sorry, I''m just worried about him - and us. I''m scared, Vara." "Good. That makes two of us." Vara laughed, making her ribs ache even more, then looked at me. "H-How about you, Korra? Scared, too?" ''Of course I am. You have no idea how much.'' ?Fear? That''s for prey.? Somehow, they understood - or maybe they didn¡¯t at all. Either way, they found it amusing, and I laughed along with them. Why resist? There was no point. They meant no ill will. Besides, I found my bestial urge to cling to my pride just as ridiculous, and even the beasts knew that shared hardships forged the pack stronger. No doubt, that laughter represented our hardship, our pain, and the hopelessness of the situation. Yet, it was a good laugh. One that I needed - to stay strong. "Harcon wants to talk to you, Grey," Elira said after a moment, handing me the Union Ring. "You there?" Just like before, I froze. Having someone else''s voice in my head was just too weird - unnerving. "Y-Yes?" "We didn''t get to finish our talk. The mind mage, the Cognizant, You said your former master worked for them, right?" "Yes, he did." "Who are ''they''?" ''Huh? What did he mean? Who else...?'' "The mind mages?" "Fuck! So there''s more of them? Have you met them?" "Err... one more. Her mate. B-but she threatened to give me as a pet to her daughter. And she promised that deranged asshole, I mean my former master, that she would send more to help him when she ran away." "Fuck me! That''s what I was afraid of when I heard the title. They still function as an organization." "I... guess. I mean, they were supplying the bastard with materials and slaves. She also mentioned that they have other alchemists working for them," I blurted out, straining my memory for any other details I could recall. The fire wielder didn¡¯t seem to like the idea of a mind-mage organization. Good. He needed to know how things really stood. "I see," he said, then paused for a moment. "And I assume Rayden knows all this." "Yes." "She used you as bait?" He really used to be a former Master Guard. "Yes." "And you knew about it? Agreed to it?" "Yes." "Damn. You got guts. Not everyone would be willing to do that." "What choice did I have when I had mind mages on my tail. Wait for them to catch me?" "Good point. Which brings us back to the real question - why are they after you? What''s so damn special about you? What made Deckard interested in you... ah, just a ruse, wasn''t it? Rayden trying to push us. Clever move." ''Shit!'' For whatever reason, I felt a little safer when they were afraid of the guy. "I HAD arranged a lesson with him, you know." "Of course you did. Otherwise, it wouldn''t work. I wouldn''t be surprised if he''s still down in Fallen''s Cry." ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Did that mean no one was coming?'' "On second thought, it''s more likely that the ruse wasn''t a ruse at all. Fuck! So that''s her plan. She can''t leave the city, so she sends her right hand after us." ''Right hand? What the fuck did that mean? And why was he telling me all this?'' "All the more curious to know what''s so special about you?" "A-and why the hell should I tell you?" "Hell?¡± he paused at my choice of words. ¡°Whatever - you want to know why? Because I don''t fancy ending up a puppet of mind mages, brainwashed or not. If what you say is true - who am I kidding, we''ve already fallen into their game. Anyway, depending on what you tell me, I might be willing to help you." ''Oh, my G... what was it Vara always said? Ah, yeah - fuck my tits! It worked, I convinced him.'' Elira was right all along. He really might have been our way out. 🎉Happy New Year 🎉 I wish you all a happy new year! No announcement, just me popping up, being alive, hoping you survived the festivities. Well, maybe a little announcement after all - the way I see it, I''d like to release one chapter on Monday, January 6. See you then. The rest to meet the minimum number of words for releasing a post. Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year! 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Happy new year! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Chapter 145: Way Back ''The male could be lying, couldn''t he?.'' Actually, him trying to pry as much as he could out of me was more likely than him helping us. In fact, telling the fire-wielding male all my secrets could make things worse - much worse. ''Could it, though?'' The mind mages he and the other bastards worked for knew what I was made of. There was nothing to hide from them - except that I wasn''t actually from Eleaden. ''But if the thugs knew what lay slumbering within me, perhaps it would sow some discord between them.'' Just the thought brought a twisted smile to my lips. It was when Rayden heard about the Beast Core hidden in my belly that she made her decision to ensure I wouldn''t fall into the hands of the mind mages. Not that she had lived up to her promise yet. Did I regret my choice to act as bait? Yes, and no - or rather, I wish there''d been another way. There never was, though. Refusing her offer would have meant ending up in a similar cage long ago, with no prospect of rescue. ''So, does that mean I should tell him?¡¯ I had no bloody idea! "C-Could you... could I ask Elira first?" The stupidity of my question was not lost on me. It felt like a sheep asking a wolf if she could check with the other sheep to see how juicy she looked. Ridiculous, I know, but I had to ask. I had to know... "You''re wondering if you can trust me? Sure. Trust has to be earned, right? That''s what Rayden always said, isn''t it?" ''Yeah, that''s exactly what she said.'' "Oh, okay then - just..." "Yes?" "I need to shift back first, and... that might take a while." Like, really, really long. The real question was if I could even pull it off. "Well, we''ve got several hours of travel ahead. I''d say you''ve got plenty of time to try." I wasn''t sure about that. Still, if I hoped to get out of this mess, I had to act - I needed to be able to communicate with others. "The sooner, the better," he added, pausing for a moment. "Actually, better if you give the ring to Elira for now. Unless, of course, you have something else to say to me." After mulling it over for a while, but unable to think of anything more related to mind magic, I passed the Union Ring back to Elira. The confusion in her blue eyes was obvious, but she soon got her answers - which only deepened her confusion. "You want to shift back, but don''t know how?" How much the fire-wielding male could pick up from my words - thoughts - was daunting. But all I could do was nod at her question - it was true. "Huh? What the¡­? You don''t know how to shift back?" Vara''s voice was full of disbelief. "Isn''t that the first thing shifters learn? You know... how to change back and forth." That might very well have been true - for most. Only, I wasn¡¯t a shifter. Not in the way they imagined, anyway. To make her understand, I pointed to the accursed collar around my neck. Her eyes lit up. "Ah, I see. Your bastard of a master didn''t let you." ''What? No! I mean, yes - it was that deranged asshole''s fault. But¡­ whatever.¡¯ It seemed like a good enough explanation, so I gave a single nod. "Son of a bitch," Vara growled,half out of pain, making me grunt in agreement. ?Yeah, he should die.? "I wish I could help you, but... c-cough I don''t know much about shifters. I had one once, and... tss... let me tell you, it was a wild night, but... what, El? Do you have more experience with them?" "Of course not," Elira barked back in a whisper, red in the face. "S-Sorry, Grey. Maybe some weaves?"The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "She''s a natural shifter." "I know, but still. You know how General Weaves are." Vara smirked, wincing in pain. "True, you can get a weave... tss... for pretty much anything. For whatever reason... c-cough... I even have two... fuck, talking hurts... about taking a dump. I''ve never tried them, of course, but... what? Seriously, El, you can''t get awkward... cough... over everything. Not when everyone has to..." "Not everyone is as open about it as you are," Elira replied, taking a deep breath, trying to force the blush from her cheeks. "Look, Grey, I''m just saying you might want to consider finding some General Weave to help with that." "But she''d have to swap it for one," Vara pointed out. "The main reason I never tried those..." "Yeah, me neither, and probably neither did everyone else. Loss of weave - is usually a bit too much. Look, it''s up to you, Grey." ''Yeah, I know.'' ?Thanks.? Even my inner beast seemed oddly grateful they cared. With a nod of appreciation, I sank into the depths of my mind. The Grid Forge appeared before me, unchanged. The night sky of my mind stretched endlessly, a vast, intricate network of interwoven runes glowing in place of the stars. The Lattice - I assumed - a question I still had for Mr. Sandoval, if I ever got the chance to see him again. The array, a hexagonal formation of runic lines, hovered above me, its brightness undiminished under the lattice-covered sky, branding me as a slave. And in the very center of the array, large runes stood etched with unwavering clarity, bearing the word that haunted me, with its translation into the Eleaden Standard right below. [?] [SLAVE] At each point of the hexagon, one of my weaves was then placed. A thought and information about me, written in both runic script and Standard, appeared floating to the left of my array. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: Arlo Rutledge Sigils: 97 ¡ú 98 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):.... 23 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):.................111 ¡ú 112 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General): .................15 ¡ú 19 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General):............................7 ¡ú 9 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General): ........................6 ¡ú 11 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General): .............11 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''Not much has changed.'' Wishful thinking - a fucking lie and I knew it. Sure, I was still Korra Grey, 27 years old, supposedly human, and a fucking slave. But that was it - that was where life decided to kick me in the guts and throw my life back into the gutter. I had a fucking master again, and one more sigil on my accursed array. ¡®Oh, blessed me.¡¯ On the bright side, most of my weaves had gained one or more glyphs as well. ''A busy day.'' The irony of my thoughts tore at my heart. I would trade it all for a normal day, to be back on Earth. With a reluctant sigh, gathering my resolve again. ''No time to growl about it.'' I know, not a particularly funny remark. Not when I was trying to stop growling instead of talking. But I couldn¡¯t help making light of my plight, taking a jab at the beast slumbering inside me to see if it could reach me here. You see, here in Grid Forge under the Lattice sky, my mind seemed unusually free of my bestial instincts. Something I hadn''t noticed before - probably because I had never wandered in here while in my beast form. ''Hello.'' ''You there?'' No reply came. So, with a clarity that still felt strange, I went back to my Grid. Gazing at my weaves - especially [Eleaden], [Never-Dying], and [Tail of Poison Empress] - I could help but wonder, if they were stuck at some sort of threshold of forming another ring, a threshold far from simple to cross. ''No time to ponder on that, Korra.'' Of all the weaves I possessed, only [Equilibrium] and [Never-Dying] seemed eligible for swapping. The first was the weave I had the least glyphs in and the second could easily be replaced by the runes on my chest - or at least, I hoped. Another thought and I found myself surrounded by floating General Weaves. However, the only one that seemed to have anything to do with my shifting into a beast was¡­ well, [Beast]. ''Shit. Fuck me!'' No matter how hard I looked, I couldn''t find any other. Sure, after all the shit I''ve been through, I should have no problem with such a weave. Yet the thought of taking it made my insides writhe. ''What if, instead of shifting back, I lose the last shred of my humanity?'' No, I couldn''t risk that. Resigned, I saw no choice but to try it the old-fashioned way. I needed to get comfortable - as comfortable as I could be on a wagon speeding down a rocky road while locked in a cage with a collar around my neck - to calm my mind, steady my heart, and bring back the human side of me. Chapter 146: Hoofs! POV: Meneurmut Ironhoof Just like every other evening, Meneurmut Ironhoof found this one quite miserable. Instead of enjoying food and drink with his Taurus clan, he was out in the cold, running errands that could''ve been done during the day. In fact, it would have been smarter to do it then, as over half the businesses were already closed, and the ones still open had owners and employees itching to go home. Yet here he was, trudging through the streets of Castiana, banished from the warmth of the fires they made him tend. "Better than looking at your cowardly mug." "You should be glad you can do something for the clan." Meneurmut had heard those kinds of comments countless times. It hadn''t always been like this, though. There was a time when he was just another young Taurus, one without an array. Array-less. Everything changed when he reached adulthood and chose his array. Magic had always fascinated him - what other clans could do with it, even the humans, was amazing. But not for the Taurus clans. Those were clans of stubborn warriors, warriors who had lost their pride when they were forced to leave the Terr''den Federation, trying to reclaim it in the depths of Fallen''s Cry. "Pride my hoof!" he cursed under his breath. ''It killed so many.'' Meneurmut had attempted to explain this to his clan time and time again, but ever since he became an Ember Mage, he had felt that he had lost all his honor and worth. In a way, he was like a cripple now. Hardly anyone from the clan wanted to associate with him. "If only they''d give me a chance," he grumbled as he walked through the magic-lit streets of Castiana. The clan¡¯s escape here was a double-edged sword - a blessing and a curse. In the Terr''den Federation, he would have had to leave the Taurus clans, hoping to find acceptance among other Terr''den clans. Now, in the Sahal Empire, he had no choice but to lean on his clan for help. It felt even worse. On the flip side, the humans didn¡¯t care that he was a Taurus mage; all they cared about was how skilled he was. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Meneurmut Ironhoof Race: Taurus Gender: Male Age: 34 1st Array: Ember Mage Sigils: 48 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t much of a mage. The Ironhoof clan never cared enough to help him improve; their support always went solely to the clan warriors. Because of this, his peers had long since formed their second array, while he was still struggling, stuck halfway to the second array. "Ugh, it''s so unfair." He sighed deeply, staring at the list from the clan, his eyes landing on the last item: beads from Kade''s Baubles & Gems shop. To the unaware, it might have seemed odd for a clan of warriors to want that. To an outsider, it might seem strange for a clan of warriors to want something like that. Yet, for the Taurus, beads weren¡¯t just women''s trinkets; it was a tradition. They hung them on long threads in their doorways, a makeshift curtain instead of a door. "No doubt they''ll be closed - huh? Wh-What was that?" He nearly jumped out of his skin at the noise a couple of streets over. Sure, Tauruses might be all muscle and not exactly known for their sharp hearing, but he wasn''t deaf enough to miss that. Sounded like a scuffle.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ''What''s going on? A tavern brawl?'' Nights in Castiana usually got quieter as they wore on. Sure, there were spots that never really slept - places like Labyrinth Square or the Velvet Streets of the 1st District. But, for most folks, it was more about catching some sleep before the next day, or - as seemed to be the case here - hitting up the alehouses, raising their spirits a bit, and eventually throwing a punch or two. ''Maybe I could...?'' Being a Taurus, Meneurmut was no stranger to stuff like that. Even though he was a mage, not a warrior, the thought of a brawl alone got his blood boiling - that was just the way Tauruses were. So, instead of dragging himself over to Kade''s Baubles & Gems for some beads, Meneurmut found himself chasing after the noise. ''Maybe I wouldn''t have to stand by and watch this time.'' But as soon as he turned the corner of the street, the noise from the brawl just died out, leaving Castiana back in the quiet of the night - a stillness that felt off. His disappointment at losing the one bit of action in this dull night twisted into a sense of unease. ''T-This... something isn''t right.'' Brawls never just stopped cold like that. Didn¡¯t matter who came out on top - there was always bragging, always a few cheers from the crowd. ''Is someone in trouble? A mugging?'' That dead silence made more sense. Too much noise, and the city guards might show up - the same men and women he¡¯d been busting his back to join for months. His heart kicked up a notch. ''Could be a chance to see them at work... or even a chance to prove myself.'' Remembering where the noise originated, he picked up his pace. Yet, with each step closer, his unease only grew. ''Will I be there in time? What if someone¡¯s injured?'' Like any other mage of his sigil count, Meneurmut didn''t know any healing spells. That was the domain of healers. ''Hooves! What if... What if I''m not strong enough to... to help?'' Doubt pierced his heart, making him stumble. He didn¡¯t fall, but the loud clack of his hooves on the stone pavement grated on him. Living in the city had its drawbacks; Tauruses belonged on the plains. ''No! No, if I don''t want to keep living like this, I have to...'' "Move it, cowhead!" Just as he steeled himself, Meneurmut''s hooves took him onto 3rd Main Street, connecting Labyrinth Square to the Esulmor Gate. Typically, the quietest of the main streets, now plunged into utter chaos. "Didn''t you hear?!" the man, a human, barked at him again, his sword slicing through the air too quickly for him to react. There was nowhere to duck and no spell he could cast in time to protect himself. All he could do was lament his rotten fate. After all, even in his last moments, instead of the memories of his wretched life flooding his mind, one thought stuck with him: no one in the clan would even notice he was gone. Yet, to his surprise, no pain came. No death awaited him. "Why the fuck are you just standing there?" an armored man snapped, stepping in beside Meneurmut. His sword met the enemy¡¯s blow with a sharp clang. "Get the fuck out of here!" But Meneurmut just blinked, his eyes widening in shock. [Sword Master: ?? sigils] ''That man is a Master Guard.'' The words nearly slipped from his lips as he watched in disbelief the fight between the man in the Castiana City Guards¡¯ armor and the one in black. But it wasn¡¯t just those two going at it. The main street was filled with city guards - dozens, maybe a hundred of them alone. Meneurmut would even dare to say most if not all the Master Guards, plus the best regulars Captain Rayden had. And of course, you¡¯d have to be blind not to spot Lieutenant Rhys; his stature could rival even the burliest of Tauruses. [Warden Master: ??? sigils] As Meneurmut watched him forge ahead like a relentless behemoth, a flood of questions hit him. ''Who were the city guards up against? Who was brave enough to challenge them? And why did the seekers just hang back?'' While he failed to find any clues about the identity of the black-clad individuals as the fight pushed closer to the Esulmor Gate, he sure as hoof noticed all those eyes. They were everywhere - lurking in the alleys, staring down from the rooftops of the nearby houses. Announcement: not a chapter unfortunately Hey, guys. Well, I was planning on releasing a chapter today on Patreon and hence here, but... I set about writing that chapter with an idea in my head of how I wanted to start it. And while the first few lines went as I''d imagined, the rest didn''t go in the direction I''d like. It could be that this week has been busier than I expected and I have a lot on my mind. In particular, though, as I''ve mentioned many times, I''m not an author who has everything carefully planned out, I''m discovering the story with you. This time my writing style took me to places I didn''t see as good for the ending of the first book. That doesn''t mean what I''ve written is bad, certainly things I would have seen play out in an epilogue, but it does mean I pretty much have to rewrite the chapter from scratch. I''ve already started working on it and so far I like what I have BUT it''s not something I can release yet. Actually, with the way the week''s going, I''d like to ask for a little more patience. Not to rush things, I want to give myself a little more breathing room and say that I won''t release the next chapter until Friday. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Really sorry about that. And what I''m also very regretful about is that I didn''t respond to your comments on the previous chapter. I meant to, reading your comments is awesome, and I enjoy replying to them, but I didn''t have time to do it right away. I didn''t find the time to do so the next day either and before I knew it three days were gone and I found it just awkward. Maybe it''s not, maybe you wouldn''t mind if I responded so late, but that''s how I feel about it. Anyway, thank you for putting up with me. Chapter 147: Brush with Death "That mage, who does he belong to?" a woman''s voice came from somewhere behind him, almost scaring the hooves out of him. Dread, however, gripped his guts. ''Was it them? Did the city guards overlook someone? Are they gonna kill me?'' The reasonable thing to do would have been to run away, to shout at the advancing city guards, for help, to warn them. Yet his hooves remained rooted to the spot, his throat tight, words refusing to escape. "I bet he''s a passerby. Look, you almost made him piss himself," a man snorted, igniting Meneurmut''s anger at his own weakness. But no matter how much it grated on him, that brush with death rattled him more than he ever thought it could. He had heard hundreds of such tales from clan warriors over the years. All of them swore they faced death with pride. Or so they said. Only they themselves and those who were there with them knew the truth. Who¡¯s to say? Maybe staring death in the face knocked the fight out of plenty of them, same as it did him. "What do you mean by that? Is it my voice? It¡¯s not my fault it¡¯s this damn high." "Jeez, calm your tits. Not what I meant at all. How many times do I gotta tell you I think your voice is kinda... innocent, cute.¡± "Should I show you how cute I can be?" the woman grunted, as unbothered as the man by the chaos of the bloody fight tearing up the 3rd Main Street. "Maybe later," the man said, laughing. "We should do our part and take care of this one first." ''Here goes,'' Meneurmut thought, grateful he could at least face his death head-on. His eyes stayed wide, though, fixed on the pair. Their armor, clearly worth a small fortune, carried the marks of the Lion''s Roar, the Seeker Company operating in all three labyrinths of the Empire. A name known in the Terr''den Federation, too. ''Are they insane? Why would they go against the Sahal Empire?'' Lost for words and struggling with the lingering fear of death, he could only watch as the two walked towards him. "Hey, big guy, which company do you work for?" The woman halted, just shy of a few steps away. "Or did the clan send you here?" [Master Hunter: ?? sigils] Startled by the number of her sigils, Meneurmut couldn''t help but stare. "Hey, did you hear me?" "I''m telling you - you are scaring him witless." [Master Water Mage: ?? sigils] Of course, Meneurmut knew that [Master Water Mage] was the name the Lattice showed him because of his lack of sigils and glyphs. To know a man''s exact array, he would have to match his sigil count and have the appropriate weave. Still, this mage was everything he hoped to become someday. Well, except for the whole going-against-the-Empire thing. "I''m telling you, it''s not me. Hey, big guy, tell him it''s not me." ''C-come on, stop being such a coward! Find some damn pride!'' he thought, refusing to let his last moments be as pitiful as his life had been since he came of age. "I-It''s not y-you, ma''am.'' "Oh, he knows how to talk." "See, I told you it''s not me."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "He might be scared to admit it to you." The woman clenched her fists, a low growl escaping her. "Youuu..." "N-no, it''s not that, sir. Before... one of those... black-clad men nearly killed me," Meneurmut stuttered, blurting out, "I-I got saved by a guard, yeah, one of the city guards." Desperate, he hoped that knowing this might dissuade them from killing him. "Tits," the man swore. "Rayden is going to give us a fucking earful on this one." ''Huh? They expected to get an earful and not end up in jail after this?'' It made no sense to Meneurmut, not unless... "S-sir?" "Ah, sorry, lad. Lion''s Roar is responsible for this part of the cleanup." ¡®Cleanup?¡¯ "We are here to make sure that no citizen gets caught up in the..." "Sorry to cut you off, Nirry, but it seems some kids don¡¯t know when to hit the sack. Back in a bit," the man butted in, cutting the woman off. Before Meneurmut could even register, he was already gone, just a trace of steam lingering behind. "Like I said, as part of the Seeker Companies'' agreement with the city, we''re here to make sure no one gets hurt," the woman explained. Taking the remaining few steps to Meneurmut and an extra one to peek out of the side street onto the main one. ¡°The Shadowbreakers are really going all out, huh?¡± she said, her eyes fixed on the fierce battle happening a block away. No fear colored her voice - only pure, unfiltered curiosity. "T-those are the Shadowbreakers?" "You didn''t know? No way. Are you really just a city guy? I thought that as a mage..." This was his moment, reckless as it felt. "N-no, ma''am. The clan sent me." That was the truth, in a way. "Ironhoof clan. J-just, I don''t know much." The woman smiled, clearly relieved. "Don¡¯t we all?" ''What did she mean?'' "Come on, we should get moving,¡± she urged, stepping forward in the wake of the fight. Easier said than done, but not really in a position to refuse, not to mention his curiosity to find out what was going on, he forced himself to move. To his surprise, it wasn¡¯t as hard as he¡¯d feared. In fact, while talking to the woman, the fear of death seemed to have lost its hold on him - or at least the tightest grip. He walked with unsteady steps, the clatter of hooves on the pavement echoing louder than Scalehoof''s horseshoed ones. He felt like a newborn calf just learning to walk, especially next to the woman, whose step was as elegant as a dancer''s, even in her armor. "Don''t worry. Shadowbreakers seem to be retreating," the woman from Lion¡¯s Roar commented, watching him scan the untouched buildings and side streets nervously. Only the cobblestones of the main street showed signs of the chaos, with some cracks so deep they revealed the ceiling of the labyrinth upon which the city was built. "Why... why don''t you help the city guards?" Meneurmut finally mustered enough courage to ask. That the Seeker Companies were required to help Castiana in an emergency was common knowledge. "Because no one asked us. Or did you hear the warning bells ringing over the rooftops?" she replied, gracefully hopping over the hole and sliding into the ditch where a woman in black, one of the Shadowbreakers, lay. After a quick check, she flipped her onto her stomach and cuffed her arms and legs with practiced efficiency. "Is she...?" Meneurumut failed to finish the question, staring at the gaping wound in the Shadobreaker woman''s side. "Oh, she is. But one can never be too sure. Someone with my - or her - number of sigils is not so easy to kill." She winked at him, then continued her stroll, seemingly unfazed by the chaos of the ongoing battle. "Why didn''t they raise the alarm?" Meneurumut asked as he caught up with her. "That, I do not know. I can only assume Rayden wants to handle this on her own. She can be pretty prideful at times." ''She can?'' He may never have met her, but that wasn¡¯t the impression he got. He did catch a glimpse of her once at the barracks range during his regular review. She was talking to her troops, and her speech was really inspiring. "Then w-why are you here? I mean Lion''s Roar." "I suppose for the same reason as everyone else," she said, flinging her hand at the other spectators, either walking headlong down the street like them, hiding in side alleys or on the roofs of houses. "We were curious what was behind all the ruckus in the city. Isn''t that why you''re here, after all?" ¡°Y-yes,¡± Meneurmut stammered, his mind racing at the thought of what would happen if his true purpose for being there came to light. ¡°B-But deeper in the city, y-you can barely hear anything... and the buildings around...¡± "Wow, no offense, but what was your clan thinking sending a rookie like you here? There are barriers, obviously. I know people don¡¯t think highly of us seekers, but we live here too. Castiana is our city as much as anyone else''s - and we don''t want to see it destroyed, either." Chapter 148: Misunderstanding "Hey, Nirry, can I crash your date? Or would you rather keep it just you and the lad?" the Master Water Mage asked, stepping out of the mist. Irritation tinged with a hint of tease colored his voice. "I''d hate to be a third wheel." Blood rushed to Meneurmut''s cheeks - and, well, other places - while a frown took shape on the woman''s forehead. "Your jokes go too far, Dunlan. Or do you really take me for such an easy skank?" Meneurmut¡¯s breath hitched as he met the mage¡¯s piercing gaze. "Of course not, Nirry." Master Water Mage¡¯s voice didn¡¯t show it, but he was furious. "It¡¯s just that seeing you two wandering around at night - forget it, bad joke. Anyway, I spoke to a couple of guys - guess who they saw leave Fallen''s Cry." "How am I supposed to know? There are hundreds of seekers down there... hold on." She stiffened, her gaze snapping to the battle unfolding in the shadows of the Esulmor Gate. "You are saying Rayden called Deckard out?" "It would be a bloody big coincidence that he came out right now, don''t you think?" Nirry''s eyes narrowed. "They managed to subdue the Shadowbreakers pretty easily even without him, though." "I wouldn''t say easily. Besides, I haven''t seen Ward and his two shadows anywhere." "No one has seen Rayden either. Do you think they... they''ve duked it out somewhere else?" "I wouldn''t be surprised. The fighting has broken out in several places in Castiana. However, all the Shadowbreakers eventually pulled back here. Not, him, though." "There¡¯s got to be more to this than what we see," Nirry of Lion¡¯s Roar muttered, narrowing her eyes at the brawl at the gate. "Obviously." "Asshole," she scoffed. "Ward may be an arrogant prick, but he''s no fool. He has to know that after this he''ll have to leave Sahal." "If he is still alive." "I bet he is. Like I said, he''s no fool. He wouldn''t confront Rayden head-on." "And what do you call this?" "You know what I mean." "Sure, sure - he would make sure to occupy our esteemed captain in some other way." While the two from Lion''s Roar were enjoying a casual conversation, taking in the battle at the Esulmor Gate like it was a dance show, Meneurmut could barely keep his cool - or even stay on his hooves. What they were talking about was beyond belief. Did Captain Rayden actually fight Ward, the leader of the Shadowbreakers? And what about Deckard? He was a seeker that many Taurus warriors looked up to for his strength and courage - himself included. Was he really out there with the city guards? Meneurmut couldn¡¯t help scanning the crowd of city guards at the Esulmor Gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. That guy was basically the reason he wanted to join the Castiana City Guards. Sure, he knew Deckard had retired long ago, so it was unlikely he would ever see him at the barracks. But it was Deckard¡¯s decision to leave that had inspired Meneurmut to apply. He saw no future in the clan, no way to earn any respect while being stuck there. If Deckard could leave and make a difference, why couldn¡¯t he?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. So, like him, he was ready to step out, find his own way, and prove all those who made fun of him wrong. Reality, however, was proving to be a lot tougher. He just didn¡¯t have Deckard¡¯s guts, the courage to jump into Fallen''s Cry alone, and joining a company was tantamount to gambling for Terr''den. You could hit the jackpot or end up being treated like a slave. But being a city guard? Now that¡¯s a respectable job. He could work on his magic without worrying about being used or belittled. With Rayden as captain, he was sure of it. Sure, the city guards didn¡¯t have any Terr''dens, but the way they treated other races was pretty much the same as how they treated humans. Yet despite all his efforts, the path to becoming one had been repeatedly denied to him. "Hooray!" Sudden triumphant cheers from the city guards pulled Meneurmut out of his thoughts. The fight had come to a close, at least the one happening near the gate. The archers and mages on the walls were still going strong, their shots and spells brightening the night sky as they targeted the fleeing Shadowbreakers. "Stay sharp. Secure the area, tend to the wounded," Lieutenant Rhys, Warden Master, boomed. His words were short and to the point, but his voice had a strength that commanded respect. "And collar all these mongrels." Meneurmut froze. ''Did he just order them to put the collars on...?'' The horror sank in, twisting his stomach, but then it hit him. ''They''re basically war criminals, now,'' he realized, recalling the laws he had tried to memorize in his pursuit of becoming one of the men and women he now watched following the orders. "Stand further back!" "Where we can see you!" "You there, identify yourself!" The city guards moved like a finely tuned magic tool, restoring order with practiced ease. "Ah, Lion''s Roar - thanks for the assist." A familiar voice snapped Meneurmut''s focus to the armored man talking to a woman and the guy he came with. ''Warrant Officer Pinescar?'' It took him a moment to recognize him, especially the helmet made it hard, but it was undoubtedly him. The man who had questioned him numerous times for his motives for joining the city guards, only to always tell him: "I''m sorry, but we''re not hiring right now." "Yeah, that goes without saying," Master Water Mage Dunlan said, forcing a grin. Nirry chimed in, "It''s what we¡¯re supposed to do." "Good, at least someone hasn''t lost their fucking mind," Sergeant Pinescar remarked, only to take a moment to rub his tired eyes. "My bad - this night¡¯s been a lot. Again, your help is appreciated. I¡¯m sure Captain Rayden will have a word with your leader about this mess later." "She''d better," Dunlan said with a smirk. "Is that a threat?" "Oh, no. No, no, no Warrant Officer. Just a bad joke on his part. Nevertheless, we''d just appreciate knowing what led the Shadowbreakers to... this. Someone..." Nirry said, shooting a sharp look towards her colleague. "... might have come to a misunderstanding. And no one would want that, right?" Warrant Officer Pinescar took a moment to size her up. ¡°Right, having a misunderstanding right now would be most unfortunate. That''s why I''d appreciate it if you''d step back. The same goes for you," he said towards Meneurmut, freezing. "You joined Lion''s Roar?" "Oh, you two know each other?" Nirry chimed in, sounding all curious, like a kid. "Yeah, you could say that," Warrant Officer Pinescar replied. "So...?" "The lad''s too weak, a scaredy-cat. Not fit for the Lion''s Roar. We caught him cowering in some alley, practically wetting himself." "Well, that¡¯s not how I¡¯d say it, but it¡¯s pretty much spot on," the Master Hunter woman nodded. "Clan Ironhoof of Taurus sent him here. We simply made sure he would be able to report back." ¡°Ah, so the Clan of Taurus sent you, did they?¡± Sergeant Pinescar said, giving Meneurmut a look that made it clear he didn''t believe any of it. "Well, good thinking, you two. Again, the city guards appreciate your help, Lion''s Roar. Having a dispute with the Taurus, or any Terr''dens, would be most unfortunate, right now. NOW, like I said, please step back and let us do our job. That goes for everyone!" His voice rose, adding to the noise of all the shouting around them. After shooting one last glance at the Lion''s Roar duo, his gaze lingered on Meneurmut for a beat before he turned to the other onlookers, clearly ignoring the guards¡¯ orders. is our city as much as anyone else''s - and we don''t want to see it destroyed, either." Chapter 149: Bad Forgery Not looking to stir up more trouble with the city guards, Meneurmut stepped aside, pressing his back against the wall of the first building you would see when coming into Castiana from Esulmor. Or, depending on the direction you were traveling, the last one you would pass. Probably why there was a general store on the ground floor. Not that it mattered. The shop was closed, the lights out, nobody there. A stark contrast to the rest of the building. Upstairs, lights blazed on all three residential floors, shadows of people moving around. Same with every building along 3rd Main Street he could see. Like him, the residents were watching, trying to get a clue about what was going on - whether out of curiosity or just plain fear. He kept his eyes on the city guards as they sorted things out quickly - tending to the wounded, locking up prisoners, and hauling off the dead. For all the mess and chaos the battle had brought, there weren¡¯t as many bodies as he had expected - both the dead and those taken prisoner. The fingers of his hands would be enough to count them. But as for the dead guards? Not even a single finger needed. Sure, some looked pretty beat up, faces swollen, bruises fresh, bleeding wounds, but that only lit a fire in him, a craving to be among them. They had earned their scars, proved themselves in the thick of it. Better yet, they were still breathing to tell the tale around the campfires. ''What could be better?'' Meneurmut didn''t have to think long for an answer. ''To actually join them. But how can I...'' Just as he was about to rack his brains for the umpteenth time on how to make them accept him into the city guards, the whole atmosphere around the Esulmor Gate shifted. Guards, whether Master Guards or regular guardsmen, snapped to attention. "Ma''am." "Captain." "Ma''am. Ma''am." The moment he laid eyes on the woman whose mere presence radiated authority, he stood up a bit straighter on instinct. Captain Rayden had arrived, and she didn''t look happy at all. Much to his - and everyone else¡¯s - frustration, he couldn''t make out a word of her conversation with Lieutenant Rhys and the other officers. Whether they were using some tool or magic spell to keep their conversation private, he had no clue - but whatever the case, not a single word reached his ears. ''This could be my chance. Hoof! No, that''s just dumb. I''d just end up being a nuisance. What could I possibly do?'' His desire to prove himself clashed with his learnt habit of keeping his head down, of not getting in anyone¡¯s way. That was how he had survived in the clan. But right now, he was alone here, with his clan on the other side of the city. ''What if, though...?'' Racing his brain for how to approach them, what to say, a flicker of light caught Meneurmut¡¯s attention. It wasn''t a magic lamp crystal burning out - which, considering what went down here, wouldn¡¯t be too surprising - but something on the ground catching their light. ''Anyone seen that?'' All eyes, both guards and seekers alike, were locked on Captain Rayden. As such, he edged away, slipped down into a knee-deep pit left from the clash between the guards and the Shadowbreakers, and bent down to retrieve something metallic almost entirely covered by dirt. ''Citizen Card?'' Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He had zero doubts about what he''d stumbled across. Every citizen of the Sahal Empire had one. What struck him odd was its presence here - and the blood on it. People usually kept theirs tucked away in spatial storage. ''Did it belong to one of the Shadowbreakers?'' Unlikely. Spatial tools don''t just spill their contents when their owners die. Not unless they were busted, and even then, the enchantments would more likely wreck the stuff inside. ''Maybe someone just lost it? That must be it.'' Feeling a bit let down by what he found, Meneurmut wiped the dirt off the card, along with most of the blood, to see who had been so careless. Turned out, it belonged to a woman, someone with a fate even worse than his. ©¦Name: Korra Grey ©¦Race: human/half-Terr''den ©¦Gender: Female ©¦Array: Slave ''Slave.'' That was an array that he would not wish on anyone. Yet, his own array often seemed no different, making him essentially a slave to the Ironhoof clan. What really puzzled him, though, was the race listed on the card. Usually, for half-Terr''dens, it was listed as ''half-Terr''den'' first, followed by their other lineage: half-Terr''den - human/Taurus. ''Is this a forgery? If so, it''s a very bad one.'' Even a guy like him - who wasn¡¯t a city guard yet - thought it seemed off. Anyone who would use this would have to be dumb. ''Maybe the reason they threw it away? The name, though... it sounds so familiar.'' Meneurmut couldn¡¯t shake it off. Korra Grey. He was pretty sure no one in the Ironhoof clan or any Taurus clan had that name. ¡®Did I run into her in the city? Couldn¡¯t have been one of the guards... oh! The guards - the barracks! That naked young woman with the antlers!¡¯ As he recalled sitting next to her in the hallway outside the [Identity Verification Room], his cheeks flushed all over again. Not the most professional reaction, but he couldn''t help it. Besides, more important than the growing tightness in his pants was the fact that he was sure this Citizen Card belonged to her. The young woman was, though cute, an odd half-Terr''den, Slave, and most importantly she introduced herself to him as Korra Grey. ''Did she lose her card? Or did something happen to her?'' Meneurmut''s eyes fell to the ditch below, a chill running down his spine. ''The blood on the card. What if she''s...'' But seeing no blood, let alone body parts, he banished the thought. Instead, he steeled his heart. As a Terr''den, he knew how difficult life could be for newcomers to the Sahal Empire. Every possible crook was trying to take advantage of your ignorance and a miserable situation. ''Did she fall in with the Shadowbreakers?'' Whatever it was, reporting it seemed like the right move. So, Meneurmut, ignoring the city guards'' orders to stay put, made his way toward them. "Traiana¡¯s tits, look. Another one," sighed a guardsman complaining to his colleague, tired. "Look, I don''t care who sent you, or which Seeker Company you''re affiliated with. We have nothing to say to you right now. Just go back and wait like everyone else." "N-no, sir. I..." Meneur stammered, at a loss for where to start. "What? Spit it out." "I-I found a Citizen Card in - in the ditch over there. I''m afraid that the woman..." "Isn''t that more of a case for Lost and Found?" his colleague, a woman, pointed out. "We''re kinda busy right now, unless you actually know this woman..." "Th-There''s blood on the card," Meneurmut interrupted, his heart racing with the risk he was taking. The two city guards finally met his gaze, forced to look up because of his height. Then their eyes fell on the card in his hand. "May I see it?" The man asked, taking the card carefully from him. "Where did you find it, again?" "O-Over there, in that ditch leading to the house." "All right, and do you know this... this Korra Grey?" "Well..." He had barely finished the first word when all the hairs on his body stood on end, words dying in his throat. Captain Rayden¡¯s sudden appearance beside them hit like a punch. "Did you say Korra Grey?" Chapter 150: Good Job! "Yes, ma''am," the city guard replied, shaking off the shock. "This citizen..." He stopped, clearly expecting Meneurmut to introduce himself. But when Meneurmut opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out of his mouth. "... well, he found Korra Grey''s Citizen Card - in the ditch over there, allegedly." "I see," she said, taking the card from the man, her eyes sweeping over Meneurmut from head to hoof. Yet, the moment her gaze fell on the card, a faint smile crept onto her lips. "That crafty vixen. She¡¯s got more smarts than she shows." Despite the rough edge in her words, there wasn¡¯t a hint of spite in Captain Rayden''s tone; if anything, she seemed delighted. "Rhys," she called out, and in a heartbeat, the Warden Master, whom Meneurmut had admired in street combat not long ago, showed up. Seeing him this close, the lieutenant looked even more massive. So big that even though Meneurmut was a Taurus, he had to tilt his head up to meet his gaze. But as soon as the Warden Master caught on, his eyes went right back down to his hooves. "Yes, San? A problem?" "Quite the opposite. Tell the trackers from Hunter''s Mark that I have the trace they''ve been asking for - one that should let them break through all the scents left behind by the Shadowbreakers when they scattered into the night," said Captain Rayden, showing him the Citizen Card. "It belongs to the kidnapped woman, considering how enchantments on these work, stained with her blood." "Ah, good. That should shut them up - and stop Deckard from killing them," Lieutenant Rhys remarked, taking the card from Captain Rayden and storming off. ''Deckard? He''s here?'' Meneurmut¡¯s heart thudded hard, eyes locked on the broad-shouldered figure of the Warden Master in a chance to see the man whose tale had given him the courage to change his life. Much to his disappointment, however, Lieutenant Rhys headed right out past the Esulmor Gate, out of sight. "What is your name? What clan are you from?" Captain Rayden''s question, punctuated by her piercing gaze, pulled his attention back to her. "M-M-Meneurmut Ironhoof, ma''am," he stammered, standing a bit taller. If he didn¡¯t know that some of the guards might think he was mocking them, he would have thrown in a salute, too. "Ah, the one who wants to join the Castiana City Guards." "Y-Yes, ma''am," Meneurmut breathed out, shocked that she knew about him. "Warrant Officer Pinescar speaks highly of you and now I see why. What you lack in confidence, you make up for in determination. I hope it lasts - after tonight." "M-Ma''am?" He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Why would what he saw make him back down? If anything, the display of their strength had only fueled a new fire in him. "Being a city guard is a dangerous job, especially in Castiana. Many were wounded today, and we lost some good men and women," she said, the sorrow clear in her tone. ¡°So, who knows? You might get your wish after all.¡± ''What? No! No, that was not my wish. I never wanted to replace another guardsman - certainly not at the cost of their deaths.'' A sudden warm feeling surged through his body, calming his mind. At first, it threw him off, even frightened him. He had never experienced anything like it - so calm, comfortable, relaxed - so foreign. Overwhelmed to fight it, though, he let it take over. "I admit," Captain Rayden said, her voice gentler now, ¡°I should have chosen my words more carefully. I did not mean for you to replace those who gave their lives today to protect Castiana. They did so with the utmost honor."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Meneurmut followed her sad stare over to the Esulmor Gate, thinking, ''Did some city guard fall there? One of the gate guards, maybe?'' He had been keeping an eye on things since the fighting wrapped up, and other than a couple of dead Shadowbreakers, he hadn¡¯t seen anyone else being hauled away. "What I hope is that this night will finally open Egerton''s eyes," she said, anger filling her words as she uttered the City Lord''s name. "If we could hire more recruits - ones like you - and train them properly, the same goes for the maintenance of the walls,¡± she said, frustration edging her voice. ¡°Tits! If only half the enchantments on the gate worked, none of this would happen." He blinked, surprised. ''Did she just curse?'' The woman in front of him was nothing like the dignified captain he remembered from the training grounds. Strangely, he found that... refreshing. She wasn¡¯t some unapproachable icon; she was real, flesh and blood, just a regular person. Like the best warriors of his clan, she too was struck by the loss of her men, her guard mates, her friends, and maybe more. Unlike his clan, though, she wasn''t looking down on him. Not because she couldn''t literally - she was tall for a human woman, yet he still towered over her - but because she judged him not for his array, but for who he was. Taking a deep breath, Captain Rayden rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Apologies for that - I might¡¯ve said too much." She patted his shoulder, a flicker of a smile crossing her face. "Anyway, good job. You might have saved that woman¡¯s - and two others¡¯ - lives. I could definitely use more people like you!" Pride welled up in his chest, strong and unfamiliar after all these years. That was definitely a captain he wouldn''t mind serving under. "I can''t promise you anything yet..." she said, taking a moment to think. "Come to the barracks in a week - or rather, two. By then, most things should be worked out." "Y-yes, ma''am. Thank you," Meneurmut blurted, struggling to contain the thrill bubbling within him. Captain Rayden herself had actually asked him to come to the barracks. ''Is this real?'' Fearing he might be dreaming, he dared hope no further. "No, I should thank you. Now, however, if you''ll excuse me - I have a seeker demanding my attention." ''A seeker? One of the Lion''s Roar?'' Captain Rayden, however, didn¡¯t head toward the seekers watching them; instead, she slipped through the gate beyond the walls. Just then, with the two moons of Eleaden peeking through the clouds, he caught sight of him. Deckard. ''Best. Night. Ever!'' ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ POV: Vara ¡°¡­man, it¡¯s just so damn weird,¡± Vara grumbled, biting back a whimper with each jolt as the wagon sped along the road. "What do you mean? Grey?" her friend asked, a blush creeping across her cheeks as she cast a glance at the young half-Terr''den, cross-legged in the corner of the cage. "Nah, well, yes, she''s a bit... off, in a good way. But it''s Ward and the Shadowbreakers I don''t get. Why bother with all this?" Tears started to well up in her friend¡¯s eyes, and that sent Vara into a panic. "What the fuck, El? Did I say¡­ tss¡­ something wrong?" ¡°No, just... I¡¯m happy you¡¯re feeling well enough to think about it.¡± "I wouldn¡¯t say... ugh, tits," Vara hissed as the wagon bounced again. "I''m not dying, all right? Besides, what else am I supposed to do?" Wherever they were taking them, it was nowhere near Castiana. They had plenty of time to ponder. "Yeah." Elira let out a shaky chuckle, wiping at her tears. "I''ve been thinking about this since Ward showed up. Why not just get the Shadowbreakers out of Castiana first? Why start a fight in the city? And why brainwash the gate guards? He had to know that it could trigger the enchantments on them." "Feels like he was - well, is..." Vara''s sentence broke off with another bone-rattling jolt from the wagon. "... brainwashed. Tits, that hurt!" "Right? And he doesn¡¯t even realize..." Elira¡¯s words trailed off as they both zeroed in on the half-Terrden, the source of all this mess. After hours of trying to shift back, a little whimper escaped her, and her beast features faded - well, at least the ones she didn¡¯t usually have. Chapter 151: Not Funny "Hi," I said, the word coming out in Standard instead of a growl or snarl. Finally! "Hey," Vara replied, her eyes as fixed on me as Elira''s. "You back?" "I-It seems so." "You''re not sure, Grey?" Elira might find it odd, but I really wasn''t. I didn''t change any of my weaves. In fact, I haven''t really done anything different to shift back from what I had been trying to do basically since we left Castiana - to calm my mind, ease my heart, and sit in a way that didn¡¯t make my ass sore. ''Seriously! With all the magic and magic tools, hasn''t anyone invented suspension?'' Given the pickle I was in, not really something I should be hung up on - but somehow, it was what led me back to being human-ish again. Not the sore ass, no. It was this dumb thought about how I never thought I would actually miss the hard seats on public transport. Or even just the boring routine of riding it to work, chatting with coworkers, grabbing lunch, and then crashing on the couch at night to binge-watch my favorite shows. I pushed so hard to picture myself as human again, even that half-beast I¡¯d turned into on Eleaden - yet what brought me back were those mundane, everyday memories that made me feel human again. ''Did it work the other way around as well?'' Actually, in a way, yes. When turning, I gave in to the beast inside me - or at least that''s how I looked at it, when in fact I was leaning back on my beastly instincts - something that made me feel like a beast. "Grey? Hey, Grey?! You sure you''re... you know, back to yourself?" Elira asked, her voice full of doubt and worry. "Y-Yeah. I mean, t-this is the first time I''ve shifted back, so..." I muttered, staring - well, focusing through the domain - down at my hands. Then panic hit me, hard. It wasn''t because of the blood dried on them, or the lives I took with those hands - again. Of course, that thought alone made my stomach do flips. "I-I can¡¯t cut Sage¡¯s hair without my claws." "Whose hair?" "Wait, no way¡­ tss," Vara winced, that grin of hers not slipping. "You gave your tail a name?" ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Me and my big mouth!'' Why keep it a secret? Why be awkward about it when I spouted it to everyone I met? I know, not true - and a bit exaggerated. It wasn''t a secret that could get me killed - or kidnapped. Not like the thing in my belly. "Y-Yeah, I know, a bit childish, but - I didn''t have anyone else in that cellar, so... so yeah, I named my tail, Sage." As soon as the name left my lips, Vara cracked up, laughter spilling out of her. She paid for it, though, choking on her own breath and letting out these pitiful little whimpers. But that didn''t stop the awkwardness from creeping into my face. "Cut it out, Vara," Elira snapped, her cheeks burning even redder. "It''s not funny." "That''s not¡­ that''s not..." She tried to stop, if only for the pain the laugh was causing her. "...can you imagine if that was the thing why the mind mages are after you, Korra? ''Tell us the name of your tail, or...,''" she said, putting on a deep, rough voice before breaking character. "I know, stupid." "Yes, really stupid, Vara. She had a good reason to name her tail." "Hey, I said...tss... that''s not what made me laugh. Besides, what''s the deal?" "What do you mean?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ''Yeah, what did she mean by that?'' It was definitely relieving to hear that the name of my tail wasn''t what made her laugh, but was it common? From Ria, I got the impression it wasn''t. "A lot of people name their... well, body parts. I can''t tell you the names of all the guys I''ve slept with, but I can name you the dicks of those who have named them." "P-Please, don''t." "Oh, come on, El. It''s not like guys are the only ones who do that. It''s fun." She grinned and gave her boobs a little squeeze. "Y-you named yours...?" Elira said, her voice trailing off, clearly more flustered than I was. ¡°You never mentioned that!¡± ¡°Sure did! Joy and Delight." "Wait, I thought that those were your friends you hang out with - you know, when you hit the night streets." Vara flashed a grin. "That¡¯s not wrong." "Ugh! If you weren¡¯t hurt..." Elira huffed, her cheeks flushing as she balled her fists. "Honestly, it was better when the pain kept your mouth shut." Her next breath, however, was a deep, calming one. "Speaking of - are you really all right, Grey? Besides, you know..." Apart from having a slave collar on my neck and being locked in a cage on top of a wagon hurtling who knows where? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± "No more growling?" Vara asked, wincing back when her friend gave her a look. "What? El, it was freaky! You saw how she took down those thugs!" "Y-Yeah, I won¡¯t growl anymore," I reassured her. "It''s just when I shift - my vocal cords shift too - I think." "Good, good. Because now¡­ cough¡­ you can finally tell us what the fuck is going on!" "Vara!" "What? Don''t tell me you don''t want to know what got us into this shit?" "I do, it''s just..." "It''s fine. A-Actually, it is something I want to talk with you about." "You''d better, or else..." Vara shook her fist at me, swallowing her pain. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go around blabbing about your tail.¡± "As if you wouldn''t otherwise," Elira remarked, but her eyes were locked on me. ¡°So, is it true what you said earlier, Grey? That the mind mage pulling the strings is actually a Cognizant?¡± ''Did everyone know about the mind mage ranks?'' Once again, I was taken aback by how much that word, that title, scared the hell out of people. That shoelace bitch was certainly strong, dangerous, capable of messing with my mind, but... well, the beast in me caught her off guard. So I guess I didn''t face the worst she could do. Before I spilled anything, though, I couldn''t help but look around the cage. "Are you sure they can''t hear us?" Vara grinned. "If they did, I''d look a lot worse now, don''t you think?" "Yeah, right." It was tough to keep my focus with her unleashing a storm of colorful insults on everyone - Ward, Harcon, their families, and even the scalehoofs pulling the wagon. Seriously, they¡¯d need to be saints with the patience of a rock not to snap back. With the bit of reassurance, I steadied myself and shared my story with those two - about the nightmares I¡¯d been through, my brush with the shoelace bitch, the escape, and some stuff that happened in Castiana. I kept some things to myself, but just like Harcon, they pieced together some of it on their own. "Fuck my tits! A Hunting Call? In Castiana, seriously?" ¡°Why didn¡¯t Captain Rayden say anything to us?¡± Elira said, just as stunned as her friend, heart even. "I mean, I can see why, but... if she did. Elias and the others... There''s more, isn''t there, Grey? There must be. She wouldn''t risk so much just for a half-Terr''den that can shift without going wild." "She is NOT a Terr''den, according to what she told us," Vara pointed out, correctly. "I know, I know. It''s just - it just doesn''t make sense. Ward himself said they were working for a mind mage, but why would they go to such lengths for - for you?" Funny enough, Captain Rayden was wondering the same thing before she found out I had a beast core in my belly. That was when she decided it would be better if I didn''t fall into the hands of mind mages. Even Harcon was the same. His decision to help us hinged on revealing one thing about me that really made me sick to my cor¡­ bones. I had to do it, though. I needed to tell them, to ask what to do, and whether to trust him. So, after a couple of deep breaths, a few worried looks, and hitting my mind with [Indomitable Will], I slid over to them and whispered, "D-Dungreen, that asshole, you see, he put - he put a beast core in my belly." ''There, I said it.'' Getting it off my chest felt like a huge weight lifted, and the next words came out way easier. "I have a beast core - and I can use it, sort of." Chapter 152: What To War For "Hold on, Grey," Elira whispered, her face showing she was having a hard time wrapping her head around what I had just said, while Vara looked even more lost. "When you say beast core, you mean... like, an actual beast core?" "Y-Yeah." "The core that only beasts have?" "Yeah." "And you can use it?" "Yeah. Well, sort of. I''m still learning." A bit of a lie, as I didn''t have time or thought to do anything with the damn thing that destroyed my womb. The beast knew how to do it, though. "Traiana''s tits!" Elira swore, not like her at all, eyes locked on my belly as if she might catch a glimpse of that core. "And you have it - there? Beasts usually have it in the chest, opposite the heart." "I know. The mind bitch said so, too." "The one that wants to get you - as a pet for her daughter?" "Yeah - or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. Now, I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s even about that anymore." Truth be told, I feared she had something far worse in store for me. "Anyway, as for why I have it in... well, t-that bastard, Dungreen, was afraid it might rot my heart too quickly, so..." "I see," Elira said in a whisper as my voice broke and I found myself unable to say more. "Not a mage myself, but I have read that anyone who has messed with beast cores has not ended well." "T-That''s what I picked up, too. Lucky me, right?" The irony in my words was not lost on those two. They both gave me a sympathetic smile. Behind Vara''s, however, there was confusion - mixed with curiosity. "So, you said he put it in your... tsk... belly. Did he, like, put it in your...you know, pu..." "Vara!" Elira whispered sharply, her face heating up to her ears as she cut off her friend before she could finish what she had in mind. "Oh, grow up, El. You''re not array''less anymore. If I were... tsk... If I were you, I''d worry about your nights being awfully lonely from now on," she said, wiggling the fingers of her right hand over her face. It was a pretty obvious jab at Elira''s missing fingers, which only made the woman blush even more - and me too. "When we get out of this, I''m going to have them grow back." "That''s possible?" I couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued. Back on Earth, unless the fingers were cut clean off, which they weren''t, and the person in question had them with her, which she didn''t, something like that was impossible. But hey, I was basically a walking miracle myself. "Figures you wouldn¡¯t know, not with your fancy regeneration," Vara grunted, grimacing through the pain. "Fuck my tits! Right now, I could use it - any way you can share it?" "If I could, I would, I swear." "Thanks, but no need to get all tits up. I was joking. No one can, as far as I know." "Sorry, Grey, she... that''s just Vara being Vara," Elira said, half-annoyed at her friend, yet half-relieved to have her back. "What she''s trying to say is, for a decent healer, fixing a few fingers is nothing. Marcus - Lieutenant Marcus - he can grow back an entire arm." "Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes once. It took him hours, but the guy got his leg back. On that note - what about your regeneration?" Good question. "I don''t know, I''ve never lost a leg - and I don''t intend to." According to Never-Dying''s description, though, I should be able to grow anything as long as my brain remains intact. Not that I want to test that either.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Of course, you don''t," Elira said, thoughtful. "I''m wondering, though. Is your regeneration really the reason you''re still alive? I mean, those mages must have thought of something like that ages ago - regeneration, healing, recovery. Yet..." Yeah, all of them apparently ended up dead. "Ugh, I''m probably gonna look like an idiot saying this, but what''s so great about the core?" Vara muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, every magic tool out there uses them. Sure, the big ones can go for tens of golds, but... you can find them in every market." Elira, thankfully, chimed in. "Those are used through enchantments." "And?" "Well, the tools might not care what kind of mana they use, but people do. In fact, a mage cannot use another mage''s mana without some nasty consequences." "Sorry, still don''t follow. What''s it got to do with the cores?" "Really, Vara? You don''t know anything about magic?" "Only what I need to." "And what is that? You know what... I don''t want to know?" Elira added quickly, realizing that Vara''s magic knowledge would likely have something to do with bed activities. But even as she brushed off her friend, her brain was working overtime, and suddenly it hit her like a slap. "If a mage wants to use a beast core as a mana reserve, they have to convert theirs to beast mana first. Then convert that mana back into theirs before using it. Which Grey with her own core doesn''t have to... fuck! So that''s why." "Why what, El?" "For fuck''s sake, you''re the one obsessed with war stories. Don''t you see how terrifying that would be - the mind mages with their own beast cores? They''d have a mana reserve they wouldn''t have to worry about using." "I get that part," Vara grumbled. "I just still don''t see why it''s such a big deal. They''ve got plenty of ways to refill their mana besides..." She jabbed a finger at my stomach. "... some core. Tools, pills, potions, even damn weaves. So why the fuck go to war with Sahal over this?" "Wait what? A war?!" My throat went dry. I didn''t want to be the reason for a war. Not that I had much say in it, but still... "There won''t be a war," Elira hissed at Vara, then muttered even softer, "At least, I really hope not." "Say what you want, but talk to anyone who¡¯s fought... tsk... and they will tell you that the Mind Wars are far from over." Elira frowned at her friend. "I don''t get it. I thought you didn''t buy into that crap? That you only listen to those war timers for stories about thralls and stuff?" "Well, yeah. But getting mauled and kidnapped by the mind mage''s goons will change your mind." With that, Elira couldn''t help but agree. "Then you must understand that the mind mages are looking for an edge to help them gain the upper hand." "And you think it''s the core?" "Mages have been craving it for centuries. There are many stories in the library about how they turned evil in pursuit of it. I wouldn''t be surprised if a lot of mages joined the mind mage side just to get the core once the word gets out - tits!" "What now, El?" "What if... what if that''s why Ward agreed to work with them? He''s a mage." That stopped me cold. Ward was a mage. So was Harcon. "You think... tits that hurt... he''d risk the whole Shadowbreakers for that?" "Yes. Would make sense," Elira agreed. "Unless he''s brainwashed, what else would be worthwhile for him to go so far? It couldn''t be the money." "True. They say... tsk, for tits''s sake! Can''t they go a bit slower?! Fuckers! Anyway, word is, he¡¯s got enough gold to buy the entire Egerton Manor." "But, he..." I trailed off, thinking back to the first time I met him. "...he didn''t seem to know the reason they wanted me?" "Could¡¯ve just been an act all along," Vara remarked, hissing again in pain as the wagon jumped. "That bastard''s been playing everyone his whole life." "True." Elira nodded. "He even fooled Captain Rayden a couple of times." "T-Then, what a-about..." I stammered, straining my senses, ears twitching for the slightest sign of someone eavesdropping. "What about Harcon?" "What about that bastard?" Vara spat, her words dripping with anger and pain. "He''s a mage, too." Understanding flashed in Elira''s blue eyes. "He asked you to tell him?" "Um-hmm. He said that depending on what I tell him, he might help us." "Tell him," Elira blurted out, startling not only me but also Vara. "Definitely tell him." "Are you...?" "I know what you think, Vara, but he used to be a Master Guard. This is what Captain Rayden trained them for - he''ll know the right thing to do. Besides, what else do we have to lose?" Chapter 153: Nothing to Lose ''What else do WE have to lose? Well, they, unlike me, NOTHING!'' At least those were the words on the tip of my tongue. This time, thankfully, my brain was faster than my mouth, stopping me before I could say something I would regret. Sure, Ward, his Shadowbreakers, and those damn mind mages were all after me, eager to have their own cores. Yet Elira and Vara? They weren¡¯t much better off. Sure, there was a slim chance they might let them go because they would fear Rayden and the empire - albeit with, shall we say, altered memories. Odds were, however, they¡¯d get killed just to shut them up, turned into slaves like me, or even worse, made into thralls. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t put it past those mind bastards to have those two assist them in their efforts to figure out what made me tick and accept the beast core. The thought sent a shiver through me, so I pulled Sage closer and tucked us deeper into my wings. "Grey?" ''Elira? Did she have anything else to say to convince me to tell Harcon about my core?'' Well, there was no need. My mind was already made up. She trusted Harcon to make the right decision, and I found no lies in her words. Vara had her doubts - but mostly because she couldn¡¯t forgive the guy for walking out on the Castiana City Guards. Can¡¯t say I was much better off; the pain from his fire was still seared into my memory. Yet, spilling the truth about the core felt like our only shot. "Yeah, I know. I just..." As usual, doubt chipped away at my resolve, forcing me to stall. "... please, just call me Korra." Yeah, stupid, I know. Like, who cares if she uses my first or last name? But considering the shit we were in, together, it just didn¡¯t sit right. "Oh, um, alright." Definitely not what she expected to hear. "Way too quick on this one," Vara joked with a strained laugh, catching the blush on her friend''s face. "Took her weeks just to call me by my name." "Don''t listen to her, Gre¡ªuh, K-Korra," Elira stammered, quickly correcting herself. "Anyway, you should..." "I know, Harcon." "That too, but I was talking about your hair," she whispered, nodding toward Sage. ''Oh, right, the scent trail.'' To be honest, I doubted the usefulness of it considering the wagon seemed to stick to the road so far. Anyone tracking us, if there were any, just needed to stay on the main route. Still, to be on the safe side, I took a deep breath, then, since I didn¡¯t have claws, yanked out a few strands of hair from the tufts of fur around my wrist. Like hell was I going to do that to Sage. I already felt crappy about shredding her hair with my claws before, plus her hair was too long to use, anyway. Not gonna lie - I wish I could say I didn¡¯t make a sound, but damn, it hurt like a bitch. The fur clung to my skin like it belonged there, way more stubborn than any other hair I have got. Then, eyes watering, I bit into my fingertip, let the blood soak the hair, and, keeping an ear out for the right moment, slipped it through the crack in the floor. With that done, I took a deep breath and stretched my hand out to Elira. "Pass me the ring, please." "Y-You still there?" As an experienced Union Ring user, I focused my question on the metal tool now on my finger. Then, being the ball of nerves I was, I braced myself for the answer, dreading it. "Of course I am," Harcon replied, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. "Or were you hoping I''d end up like Stom?" ''Huh?'' "The i-illusionist?" I perked up, listening hard. But with the wagon rumbling, hooves thudding on the road, and half a dozen breathless gasps, finding the one belonging to him proved beyond me.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Yeah, haven''t you noticed he''s missing?" "N-No... I guess he didn''t run away?" "Rather, he wasn''t able to run any further. Ward''s people took care of him. I''m guessing they used his body to throw the ¡®hounds¡¯ off our trail." ''So he''s dead.'' I couldn''t say I felt sorry for him. If anything, I felt a bit of warmth in my chest. It kind of ticked me off too - I wanted to be the one to settle my score with him. Nevertheless, not what I wanted to talk to him about. "Well, that''s... unfortunate," I said, failing to get the sarcasm out of my inner voice. "I-Is... Is what you said still true?" "That depending on what the reason is for the mind mages going after you so hard, I''ll decide what to do?" ''Fucker!'' "That you''ll help us." "Again, it depends on the reason. But yes. Look, despite what you may think, I keep my word." "O-Okay¡­ s-so, you know what mages desire and beasts have?" I can''t say I was proud to go with the riddles, but I just couldn''t bring myself to tell him directly about the core. "Funny, are you telling me you have a beast core?" "Y-Yeah, in my belly." "Hold on. You are actually serious?" "Yeah, I''m. I have it. Dungreen shoved it in there while the bitch was watching." "...and you survived it?" "Obviously." "Ha ha ha. B-But that... that¡­ Fuck! That makes so much sense now. All those years in hiding, yeah, this is definitely worth sticking their heads out for. Hold on, surviving the beast core is one thing, but... can you use it?" His earlier bravado vanished; now, his inner voice shook with a mix of fear and excitement. "Kind of." "What does that mean? Can you or not?" "I¡¯ve barely had it for two weeks. Haven¡¯t really had the chance or the desire to learn how to use it. Plus, I''m not a mage - I can''t control my mana." "I see..." Harcon replied, not hiding his disappointment. "B-But when I shift, the beast - well, instinctively I know how and I can. I''ve used it," I said, on edge, waiting for him to respond. "I see. Make sense," he said, his voice surprisingly chilly as he stopped mid-sentence. "Traiana''s tits! I''m such an idiot. Ward, that bastard! He swore he didn¡¯t know why mind mages were interested in you, saying they forbade him to dig into it. Tons of money and a noble title in Arid, my ass! He wants the beast core!" Right, that¡¯s what Elira and Vara figured out too. "W-What about... What about you?" "That''s the question, isn''t it?" he said, his inner voice dripping with uncertainty. "I could try sucking up to him, and who knows? I might get a core for myself." ''Shit! Guess Elira misjudged him.'' "BUT... judging by their desperation to get you, you were definitely a one-hit wonder. They need you to figure out what they did right. It could take them years." Just the thought of spending years locked up in some dark cell, likely strapped to an operating table, made me shudder so hard that a whimper slipped out. My mind raced, though. I needed to come up with something - anything - to convince him to keep me from falling into their hands. "If... if they ever figure it out." "What do you mean?" "Fae, a Fae was involved." "Fae? Tits! You¡¯re one of the Lost, aren''t you?" "Y-Yeah." "Fucking Fae! If they have their hands in it, then it might just remain a pipe dream." ''Huh? Really? Was it that impossible?'' "They obviously don''t think so." ''The bloody hell, Korra?! Shut up! Don''t you want him to help you escape?'' "No, they don''t," Harcon agreed. "Quite terrifying - I mean, the thought of a mind mage with their own core. How big is yours?" "Like... like a pea." "Pretty small - but if they figure out how to implant a bigger one, or make it grow - Sahal might not make it this time. Look, I¡¯ve already given it some thought, and I can''t face them straight on alone. As such, our best chance is Esulmor." ''Did he say Esulmor? We are going to Esulmor?'' The question was already dancing on my tongue when the realization hit me hard. "S-So, you''re going to help us?" "If that''s the way you want to look at it, yes - what I intend to do is do my best to ensure you don''t fall into the hands of mind mages. Stupid as it sounds, I don''t blame the Empire or Rayden; I hate my sister, but mind mages are right behind her on the list. NOW; how much do you know about mossbears and the Lord of the Forest?" Chapter 154: Betting On ''How much did I know about the mossbears?'' I saw one quite close up and Mr. Scoresby told me about how the Lord of the Forest once had a disagreement with the Empire and had the forest expanded. It swallowed up the inn he and his father used to go to on his trade trips... "A bit, yeah. They are crazy huge and powerful." Meeting that one really stuck with me. That obviously male mossbear was at least four hundred sigils strong. "I know what you''re thinking." ''Shit! Did he?'' I was under the impression that the ring didn¡¯t project thoughts unless I focused on them. "Why the fuck going there, right?" ''Oh. That.'' "Yeah." Didn''t they need to get across the border as quickly as possible? "Ward isn''t very forthcoming about his plans, as you may have gathered, especially to anyone outside his Shadowbreakers. If you ask me, since his main plan flopped, he¡¯s planning to lie low in there. Wait for things to blow over and then slip away when everyone''s looking the other way." "B-But won''t they know he''s in Esulmor?" "Not unless they find out he is actually there." Took me a minute to get what Harcon was hinting at. He meant the Shadowbreakers doing their best to cover our tracks, even though we were obviously still on the only road around. "A-and the mind bit... I mean mind mage?" "Believe it or not, Esulmor is actually a smart place for the handover. Mossbears are sharp to what happens in their forest. They''ll let you go as far as you don''t make a mess and I reckon that¡¯s what he was betting on. Whether it was mind mages or the empire, no one was crazy enough to storm in there, throwing magic around. BUT that''s what I''m betting on." "That they will, what - make a mess?" That didn''t make sense. He said it himself. Ward and his people had chosen this place for a reason. "No, if they''re not stupid, they won''t. WE will - or rather me.¡± Ah, that made sense. A small campfire was as far as Mr. Scoresby dared to go, but with a Master Fire Mage like him unleashing his power¡­? ¡°That is unless you have a way of drawing mossbears'' attention to yourself." My beast might came to mind right away, but so did that little feud I had with the local squirrels. I used my might back then, and it didn''t lead to anything other than an accord with them. No mossbear came running out of the woods pissed off at what I dared to do. On second thought, I wasn''t trying to piss them off. All I wanted at that moment was to stop the squirrels from gnawing on me. "I might have a way," I admitted after a moment''s hesitation. "Might''ve? Better than nothing, I guess. Anyway, how confident are you to resist the mind mage getting into your head?" ''The bloody hell?!'' That was a question out of the blue. A fair one, though, when I really thought about it. Whatever plan we might have made here could have easily ended up in tatters the moment the mind mage got into my head - or his. "Captain Rayden... she cleared my mind of whatever ''backdoor'' mind mages left in there, but..." It was so weird to think about it, let alone talk about it. "I don''t know. I mean, when I was fully shifted into the beast, I was able to keep her off my mind." Easier said than done. Ever since then, I was unable to fully shift even though I wanted to. Of course I didn''t tell him that. He might call the whole thing off. ''Hopefully, my half-assed shift will do.'' "Alright, hand the ring to Elira. We were almost at the fork of the New and Old Esulmor Roads, and I don''t know what Ward''s planning to do with the wagon."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "W-What do you mean?" "That he may intend to send it along the New Road as a diversion, so this may very well be our last chance to talk freely." ''Wait! Did they expect us to walk with them on foot willingly? What if I refuse? Are they going to get rid of me just like they got rid of the illusionist?'' I could only hope. Nevertheless, despite having a ton of questions, I handed the ring to Elira as Harcon asked. Of course, it rubbed me the wrong way - listening to him like that when it wasn''t just my beast side that wanted to pay him back for the pain he caused me. In a way, it was his fault I was locked in this stupid cage. But all I could do was bite my tongue; he was the only way I could see to get out of this without ending up as a pet of some mind mage - at best. Anyway, the fire bastard talked to Elira the whole time until we got to the fork. Turned out, there were six Shadowbreakers waiting for us, all set with the scalehoofs that the illusionist had been dying to see but never laid eyes on. "Mr. Ward," one of them called out, probably the leader. "Forgive me for saying this, but I was hoping not to see you here." "That makes two of us, Raldod." "Things didn¡¯t go as planned in Castiana, I assume?" "Depends on how you look at it. We''re here as planned," Ward threw out there, sounding pretty nonchalant. "So are all of you, and I assume you know what to do next." "Of course, Mr. Ward." "Excellent, but before you go, you should know that we have more than one half-Terr in the cage." "Sir?" "Two guardswomen were too keen to do their duty." "I see. Are you saying we should take them with us and load them up with the half-Terr we have?" When I heard that, I froze - as did Elira and Vara. Not only were these Shadowbreakers waiting here ready with scalehoofs, but a wagon and a cage with some poor woman locked up inside. Once again, I had dragged another innocent into my messes. ''Perhaps it would be better if I just went with the mind mages and let them do their worst.'' Of course, I knew that wasn''t a solution; a short-sighted one, at best. If they managed to crack the secret to getting a beast core because of me, a lot more folks would end up suffering. "Probably a slave they bought," Elira said, seeing right through me. Her qualms, however, clearly lay elsewhere. "El, if they split us..." "I know." "Our chances..." "I know, Vara." As weird as it sounded, even I could see that they had a better shot at getting out of this mess by sticking with me. Sure, we were about to meet a mind mage, but better than being taken to who knows where quite possibly sold to another slave trader, well aware of what they were buying. For what it was worth, here, meaning staying in this cage with me meant they had Harcon on their side. ''That is, as long as he doesn''t change his mind, or he wasn''t lying all along.'' "I like your idea," Ward said, making our stomachs drop. "If it was anyone other than Deckard on our tail, I''d go along with it, but no... he''s after the girl. So I''d rather have those two with me when he finds her." "You think this is pointless, sir?" "Not at all, Raldod. If I did, I wouldn''t bother with putting up this decoy. But someone like him? He¡¯d catch on sooner or later. Hopefully, by then, it¡¯ll be too late. Who knows, maybe you''ll meet him." "I''d rather not see his mug, sir." Ward laughed. "That makes two of us." "Any orders if we do - see him, Mr. Ward?" "I like your attitude. You think you have any chance against him? Be honest, Raldod." "If we set a trap, and he''s alone... there are six of us." "Excellent. Then do as you see fit." Instead of answering, the man just smirked loudly, almost snorting like a pig. "Just make sure that two of you sit on the wagon, Raldod." ''Huh? Why?'' Oh, because of the weight of Elira and Vara. "We''re not greenhorns, Mr. Ward." "I know. That''s why I gave you this job. Good luck and I''ll see you later - hopefully as planned." After that, no one said much. What did reach my ears was a lot of fabric rustling as people were moving and the grumbling of scalehoofs - the two pulling the wagon were complaining to the others about how they had to travel fast at night. "Mr. Ward, may I ask a question?" the man asked, the source of his voice much higher now, so by the looks of it sitting on one of the scalehoofs. "That depends on the nature of the question." "Do you know anything about the rest of our people?" "Ah - no more than you do, I''m afraid." "I see," the Shadowbreaker said with obvious grim understanding, ordering the rest to get moving. "What are you waiting for, Arlo?" Ward asked, by the sounds of it, swinging up into the saddle of a scalehoof. "Don''t tell me you''d rather go with them?" "I... no, of course not, Mr. Ward," my so-called master lied, blatantly. "It''s just... are we really going to Esulmor?" "What? Surely you don''t take everything they say about the forest seriously?" Ward laughed, just to get serious himself. "Though I would advise you to avoid agitating the local fauna." Chapter 155: Know Your Body The way from the road fork to Esulmor Forest could not be more different from my first one in the opposite direction. Sure, even then my body was writhing in fear, but the rush of seeing the outside world completely overwhelmed any worries I had. Sitting there next to Mr. Scoresby, I had felt hopeful for the first time in a year and a half in this world. Now? That hope was slipping away, ready to vanish any second. The only thing keeping it alive was the thought that maybe - just maybe - not everything was gone yet. ''Surely, Rayden will send someone for me. Probably that Deckard, just like the Shadowbreakers feared. She promised to keep me safe.'' A slim hope to cling to, for sure. All I had was the word of a woman who didn¡¯t have to give a damn about what happened to me now. Castiana was free of mind mages, just the way she wanted. ''Shit! I''m fucked, aren''t I?'' The thought sent a chill racing down my spine to the tip of my tail, making Sage wriggle in my arms. But it wasn''t just the thought that had me rattled. With every step closer to Esulmor, to that shoelace bitch, my nightmare, the knot in my stomach twisted tighter. ''Vara and Elira!'' Reminding myself that I wasn¡¯t in this alone made it a bit easier. Even if dragging those two along weighed on me. And then, well, there was Harcon, former city guard, Master Guard even, now in the service of my so-called master. Just as Elira had hoped, he didn''t seem comfortable with the idea of mind mages gaining their own beast core through me. The downside? There was no way of knowing if he would actually go along with what he said, and the fact that he was willing to kill me in order to keep me out of their hands. Honestly, terrifying and relieving at the same time. For sure, better dead than ending up on an operating table somewhere, unable to die because of what the shitty Fae had made of me. Lost - and more than that. ''Fuck you, you bloody, fucking buggers!'' If only I had the guts to shout it out loud. That would help - somewhat. It might even get a chuckle out of the guardswomen, especially Vara, caged up with me on this rattling wagon. But it wouldn''t have made a lick of difference to my quagmire. The darkness under the tarp would still gnaw at my nerves, and the rumbling of the wagon would continue to overpower my regeneration. Seriously, how that worked was one big mystery to me. Even without pouring mana into it, my regeneration could stop the bleeding in just a few breaths. But for some damn reason, it couldn¡¯t do a thing about the bruises on my ass - just like last time. ''Does riding a wagon require some weave?'' A question I got an answer to without even asking. "Fuck my tits! My ass hurts more than my ribs right now," Vara groaned, shifting around to find a more comfortable position to sit in. "If I''d known... tsk... If I''d known I was getting kidnapped and hauled around on a wagon for hours, I would''ve picked [Rider''s Rear] as one of my weaves." "No, you wouldn''t," Elira retorted, shifting her position as well. "What else would you do with that weave? City guards don''t ride scalehoofs." "Well, I hear the weave makes some grown-up stuff way more fun." "What grown-up stuff?" Elira asked, clueless, looking completely lost, while my hands found their way to my butt, my cheeks burning. "Do you really want to know?" Seeing her friend''s look, Elira figured it was something better left unsaid, shaking her head.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "I thought so," Vara smirked. "What about you, Korra? That awesome regeneration of yours isn¡¯t really helping, huh?" "Yeah..." I didn''t really know what to say, worried that anything I said would set Vara up for another lewd comment. The same, however, seemed to be the case with Elira, who immediately took up the explanation, more than happy to change the topic. "It''s nothing unusual. There are plenty of exceptions to what regeneration based weaves can handle." "There''s more than the¡­ you know?" Ever since I had learned about what the runes engraved on my chest could do, I had considered them basically a double-edge cheat. "Well, yes, if you set aside that they''re usually unable to regenerate entire limbs or bring you back from the dead, then the most common problem is calluses - or bad eyesight. They''re things you don''t normally see as - well, damage." ''Hold on, what about the fucking core? Didn¡¯t that count as damage to my body?¡¯ "Bullshit," Vara argued. "It will heal your... cough... sore tired muscles from a day''s worth of heavy toil, but not the calluses? I call it the Lattice shit-fuckery. There''s plenty of that in every weave." "That¡¯s just you not understanding your own weaves, Vara." "Are you calling me stupid?" she fired back, her tone light and teasing, with no trace of anger. "No, I''m just saying it takes understanding your own weaves for them to do what you want." It wasn''t hard to understand what she was saying, but I had my doubts. According to Mr. Sandoval, I should be able to understand Standard, albeit poorly, without the weave. Even before I had [Equilibrium] among my weaves, I was able to move, though clumsily because of all my new limbs, and while I wasn''t sure about my spatial perception without my [Spatial Domain] weave, I knew that Sage wouldn''t lose her apple scent if I were to choose to swap [Tail of Poison Empress] for something else. My regeneration then was a case in itself. With the Fae runes carved on my chest, I wouldn''t lose it, no matter what. As such... "Err... r-rather than knowing your weaves,¡± I said, struggling with how to put it. "...isn''t it more about knowing your body?" "You mean get to know your arse better?" Vara burst out laughing, and honestly, she was spot on. The whole idea was absurd. Still, there might have been some truth in it - if I hadn¡¯t shut myself off from the core and had made an effort to understand it and my own womb, maybe my regeneration would have sorted everything out. Who knows? Maybe it would drive the core out of my body, treating it as the foreign object it was. "But talk about knowing your body..." Vara said, suddenly unusually serious. "I''m at my limit." "What?" Elira blurted, fear written all over her. "Is the pain that bad? Hold on, I¡¯ll ask Harcon if he has another potion.¡± "For tits'' sake, I''m not dying, El," Vara stopped her. ¡°But can you ask him to pull over? I really need a break - like right now. I¡¯m about to piss myself. What? Don¡¯t tell me you two don¡¯t need to go! We¡¯ve been on the road for ages. And with all the rattling and pain... I''m honestly surprised I held out this long." "Thanks for the reminder, Vara." Elira broke the awkward silence that had ensued. "Now I won¡¯t be able to stop thinking about it. Anyway, I''ll ask..." ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ Unsurprisingly, no stopping. Still, in a way, it caught me off guard. The Shadowbreakers went to great lengths to throw anyone off our scent, yet they didn¡¯t seem to care that it now smelled of piss under the tarp on the wagon. In the end, not even Elira was able to hold it back. Nothing I could hold against the two; but pressing my ears to my head in the corner of the cage, trying to block them out, took me back to Dungreen¡¯s cellar. Not the worst of the things that happened there, still... "Are you alright, Korra?" Elira asked, as another shiver crawled down my spine. "If you need to go too..." "No. No, I''m fine. It''s just... it''s the forest. It gives me the chills." Not a lie. Even though I couldn''t see outside the cage, for whatever reason, I could feel the forest getting closer. It was like a shadow growing in the setting sun, reaching for me. So when we halted for the second time since Castiana, I didn¡¯t need the tense whinnies from the scalehoofs or my so-called master''s grumbling to know we had reached the edge of Esulmor. Chapter 156: Back Among Beasts "I assume everyone knows what to do?" Ward asked, his tone holding a clear threat. "Or better yet, what not to do out here in these woods?" Grunts of agreement came from around the wagon. Everyone understood, except the wagon driver - the young workhand, Tate. ¡°What¡¯re we not supposed to do, boss?¡± he whispered to my so-called master, sitting right beside him. ¡°Seriously, I swear...!¡± ¡°Arlo, something wrong?¡± Ward asked, obviously catching their low exchange. With all the sigils he and his people had, it wasn¡¯t exactly surprising. "N-No, Mr. Ward. I just forgot that this boy is..." "Then you''d better rectify that. And you, Harcon," Ward said, making my breath hitch. ''Did he find out?'' "You better make sure your silencing magic is up all the time." "Hasn''t it been so far?" "Not what I meant to imply. It would just be very unfortunate to have those three making trouble. I¡¯d be left with no choice but to shut them down another way." I would have to be stupid not to understand that the last sentence wasn''t so much meant for Harcon as it was for Vara, Elira, and me. Given that he had bothered to haul those two all the way here, I was pretty sure he wouldn''t have them killed. There were, however, plenty of other ways he could have made good on his threat. From gags and shackles to cursed slave collars and sleeping potions - none of which we needed right now. "Got it," Harcon said, keeping his cool. Honestly, I had to hand it to the guy. If I were in his shoes, I would be a bundle of nerves. Hell, they would have realized something was amiss with me long ago. "Good. Then let''s go," Ward said, urging his scalehoof forward. "Boss, what were we not allowed to do in the forest?" Workhand whispered again, slamming the reins. The wagon lurched forward. "For the love of Traiana, just keep your head down, your mouth shut, and drive." "Ah, yes. I can do that, Boss." While the nights on Eleaden at this time of year - honestly, I had no idea if this planet even went through any seasons at all - were just warm enough to avoid wearing long pants and a sweater, as soon as the Esulmor treetops closed in above us, the air turned noticeably colder. The damp air and the scent of rotting leaves and moss coming through the cracks and mixing with the stale stench of piss lingering in the cage under the tarp almost confirmed it. Add to that the nightly hum of the forest dwellers, that sounded like a sleeping beast, and I was sure. ''I''m back!'' It wasn¡¯t really the memories of this place that gave me chills. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t have that terrible of a time here. Sure, I was running around naked, starving, thirsty, and completely lost. I fought off squirrels and even stared down a mossbear. But this was also where I met Mr. Scoresby. Thanks to him, I found the guts to connect with people instead of becoming just another wild beast in this forest. ''Was that it? The thing that actually gave me chills? I guess so.''This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. There was no denying it. This place reminded me too much of what I could become by now. Not to mention that somewhere around here, I was supposed to meet that mind bitch again. A growl escaped my throat at the memory of her, and the arrogance with which she talked in my head about making me her pet and letting me lick her boots. Killing people made me sick to my bones, but with her, I was ready to make an exception. ''That fucking - stupid, mind bitch!'' I hated her so much. Back on Earth, it was unimaginable for me to even entertain the thought of such a thing. Sure, like everyone else I had people I hated and wished the worst on - but never death, let alone me being the one to kill someone, be the one to sink my claws and fangs into them. Because of her, though... ''She wasn''t giving me much choice.'' It was to give in to my beastly urges just this once, or turn into a full-blown one and get treated like one for the rest of my days. Almost as if everyone had the same thoughts haunting them, neither Vara and Elira nor those outside the cage said so much as a word the whole way through the forest. A few of them even seemed to forget how to breathe, and I couldn¡¯t blame them - I myself found it difficult at times, too. The same could not be said of scalehoofs. They were the only ones who weren¡¯t completely shy about sharing their disapproval. Their soft, uneasy neighs showed just how much they hated the whole thing. ?Humans stupid to go here.? ?Stinks of beasts.? Surprisingly enough, for all the scalehoofs here, not one was as jumpy as Scoresby''s mare, Lyl''ra. A few were even calming the others down, trusting in the strength of the humans who rode on their backs. From the way they talked, though, none could really be called a warhorse. Some just had more experience, having ridden through places like this all over Eleaden. Listening to them was actually interesting, and weirdly calming. ''How many such forests were there on Eleaden? Was it just forests? Caves, maybe? What about lakes?'' As terrifying as those questions were, they only served to distract my mind. All that changed when one of the scalehoofs let out a sharp neigh: ?Old human buildings.? My heart stopped dead. ''Esulmor Edge Inn. I''m really back.'' And the worst part? We weren¡¯t just passing through. "Seems like we''re the first ones here," Ward said, to my horror. "Draven, Rhea, secure the area. Report to me as soon as you see anyone." Shadow Thief and Swordstress slipped away with barely a sound, leaving Ward stuck with just my so-called master''s crew - what was left of them, anyway. Besides Harcon, it was just the fighter and the beefy bruiser, Branwen. And it looked like I wasn¡¯t the only one to put two and two together. "Come on, El. Tell him," Vara whispered, nudging her friend to use the Union Ring and get in touch with Harcon. "Now is the best time." And Elira did, her face growing paler with every shaky breath. "That stupid, dumb idiot," she hissed, barely keeping herself from taking off the ring and throwing it away. I was too choked up to speak, but Vara wasn¡¯t. "I knew it. That spineless piece of shit screwed us over, didn¡¯t he?" "No, he didn''t," Elira blurted out, clearly fumbling for the right words as she surprisingly rushed to Harcon''s defense. "He... he doesn''t want to waste his life for a couple of thugs and Ward." ''Huh? What does that mean?'' "He can make all the excuses he wants, but it doesn''t change anything...he''s a coward that..." "N-No, Vara. He might be an idiot doing this, but not a coward." "What? How can you defend him?" Elira hissed, keeping her voice low. "I hate this as much as you do. But he knows if he follows through, he''s not getting out. Tits, none of us are." "What the...?!" ¡°Even you had to put it together, Vara. If he attracts the mossbears, our chances aren''t great. Anyway, as such, he¡¯s dead set on bringing down as many Shadowbreakers as he can, especially the mind mage,¡± Elira said, locking her blue eyes on mine. ¡°And he wants to make sure you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Honestly, I was torn between crying and laughing. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe me - it was dumb to think otherwise. But after talking to him, I thought he was smarter than to confront the mind bitch directly. ''Is he that confident that she won''t get inside his head? I sure as hell wasn''t.'' Actually, if I wasn¡¯t stuck under that damn tarp blocking my senses, I would bite the bullet and unleash my might. Unfortunately, chances were it would have blocked it, or at least dampened it as well. So all I could do was hug Sage tightly, hide in my wings, and wait, terrified. Chapter 157: Handover "Draven?" After what felt like forever in tense silence, Ward¡¯s sudden question stabbed through me, sharp and cold as that guard¡¯s spear in the alley. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± said the Shadow Thief, voice low and tense. ''They? Was it her?!'' "I see, good." Much to my dismay, neither of them said more and whoever was coming didn''t make too much noise. Sure, the forest hummed with nightlife, but not so loud I shouldn''t hear them arriving. Yet, all I heard was the frightened thundering of my heartbeat and the grumpy snorts of the scalehoofs outside - the Shadowbreakers skimped on decent feed for them. As a pang of jealousy over their simple problem hit, I slammed my mind with [Indomitable Will], to calm myself - and just in case, to build up my defenses. If it was that bitch, there was no telling when she would try to get inside my head. Better to be prepared and be ready to shift than sorry. Vara and Elira were no less on edge. "Ah, Isaac. Great to see you," Ward greeted the group, by the sound of it, of well over half a dozen people, with fake cheer and nonchalance. His pretense aside, however, I was unable to get a clear count of them, much less tell if that damn mind-bitch was among them. "Harcon says it''s eight Shadowbreakers," Elira quipped, her voice betraying her unease. "No mind mage." "Mr. Ward," the man, Isaac, replied, his voice heavy with anger. "I know. Not everything went according to plan in Castiana," Ward said, shrugging off the man¡¯s tone. "The City Guards proved to be more capable than I judged. But look at the bright side, we''re here and with our prize - as planned." "I don''t give a shit about that half-beast chick and we¡¯re sure as fuck not here because of you." Internal strife among the Shadowbreakers? A flicker of hope flared in my chest. "Think again, Isaac," Ward retorted, his voice losing its nonchalance. "Without me, we''d still be rotting in Castiana, just waiting for Rayden to come up with a reason to lock us up. As such, you better be very much concerned about that young woman on the wagon, because without her, you won''t have any money and no foothold in the Arid." The bone-chilling sound of the man¡¯s teeth grinding carried over the night hum of the forest. "Tell that to those we had to leave in Castiana." "How many?" "Like you care!" Just three words, and yet the tension in the clearing at the Esulmor Edge Inn ruins spiked. "Boss, w-what should we do?" Tate, the workhand, whispered, just like my so-called master still lingering around the wagon. Most likely because of me, that fucking slave trader''s lifeline, the one thing keeping him alive. Not to mention the wagon was also the place his thugs stuck close, too: the fighter, that bruiser woman, and, of course, Harcon. "For tits'' sake! If only you had as much brains as you have luck! Didn''t I tell you to keep your head down and your trap shut?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "You did, Boss. S-Sorry, Boss." "Careful, Isaac," Ward warned, voice low. "I get it; blood runs hot in a fight, but my tolerance for insubordination has its limits. Take that hand off your sword." "And how many of us do you plan to let die before you hit those ''limits''? If you even have ''em!" "Trust me, I do. They just happen to be flexible." "Call it what you want, Ward. But the only one you''ve ever cared about is yourself." "Don''t pretend you''re any different, Isaac," Ward didn''t deny it. "Why the sudden concern for others, anyway? Your way up in the Shadowbreakers is paved with corpses." "You-know-nothing!" the man spat, his words barely cold before a metallic clang split the air. "Watch your mana and aura, Draven!" Ward barked as the fight between Shadow Thief and the newly arrived Shadowbreaker kicked off. A Perfect opportunity to kick off our plan, I would say. "Elira?" ¡°What¡¯s Harcon waiting for now?¡± Vara asked, her voice just as urgent as mine. "He... he says he can''t see the mind mage?" She interpreted her communication through the Union Ring with him. "He also says something''s off..." "Off, my ass! El, if he doesn''t take advantage of this..." "He¡­ he also says there¡¯s just one Shadowbreaker up against Ward¡¯s thief goon. The others are just watching." "I couldn¡¯t care less if they''re just watching or taking a dump. This is..." Vara trailed off as the fight outside came to a close. The guy¡¯s death rattle was swallowed by silence, followed by a thud that I could only imagine was his body hitting the ground. "Anyone else found a conscience?" Ward growled, obviously ticked off. "No? Good!" "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a shame. Maybe I could help them with that." Hearing that voice - cynical, steady, and really unsettling - made me freeze on the spot, sending chills down my spine. "That''s her!" I whispered to Vara and Elira, panic gripping me as I concentrated on [Indomitable Will] like never before. "The - the mind mage?" Vara asked while Elira was busy letting Harcon know. All I could manage was a nod. "That won''t be necessary," Ward said, his tone completely different with the mind mage around. "Are you sure? I quite enjoyed the spectacle." While Ward''s choice to ally with mind mages cast doubt on his intelligence, he caught on immediately. "Your work? You turned him into one of yours?" "No, not at all. I just pulled out what was already there. He really cared about the Shadowbreakers deep down, you know?" the mind bitch giggled like a kid. "Sure. And what about the rest of my men?" "Heading for the Kingdom of Arid, just like you planned." "I meant them," Ward said, and I could just picture him pointing at the seven Shadowbreakers left. "Oh, that''s a no-brainer, right? They are all ''mine'', of course.¡± She sounded amused. ¡°Apologies, but I wanted to ensure our business here goes smoothly - as planned." It was a real shame I couldn''t see Ward''s face right now. But at the same time, I was glad the shoelace bitch''s attention was on him. In fact, if they''d forgotten about me altogether, I wouldn''t have minded at all. Unfortunately, I didn''t get my wish. Instead, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and a shiver crept down my spine. Just like that, as if she could read my mind, she turned her attention to me. "I see you wrapped her up for me. How thoughtful of you, Bastian." "About that," Ward said, clearly having trouble regaining his cool. "This deal? It cost me way more than I thought it would." "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are you trying to pry more out of me?" "Not at all," replied Ward. "Just wanna make sure I get what I paid for." "Sure, sure. If that tarp hides the woman I¡¯m looking for, then yes, a deal¡¯s a deal. Mind if I check?" "By all means. Arlo, you heard the lady! Pull the tarp off!" "Did you hear him, boy? Take off the tarp," my so-called master growled, his voice shaking like a leaf in front of that mind bitch. Nothing to laugh at him for, though. I myself was freaking out, stuck between shifting or staying put, wondering what the bloody fuck the fire bastard was waiting for. No doubt, that was the mind mage I had warned him about. But with no attack coming, betrayal hitting me hard, I braced my mind for the worst. Just in time. As the workhand yanked the tarp off the cage, my eyes met those of that mind-bitch. Chapter 158: Nostalgic Despite the woman I remembered meeting while Timmy was guiding me - and I was damn sure she was her - being not much older than me, the mind bitch turned out to be a woman in her forties, or close to that age - at least according to her looks. But in this weird world full of beasts and magic? There was no way to tell how much her sigils and weaves had shaved off her real age? [Master Mind Mage: ?? sigils] The Lattice didn¡¯t tell me much I didn¡¯t already know; she had over two hundred sigils carved into her sinister array. Tall, slender, and graceful as she was - and yeah, beautiful too, if you only looked once - the twisted nature of her array reflected in her eyes - eyes whose gaze pierced me like the blade of a dagger. I was shaking hard, couldn¡¯t hide it, expecting her to start messing with my head any second. She didn''t, though. Instead, her grin quickly twisted into disgust. "Tsk. What''s that stench?" "Piss, madam," the young workhand piped up when everyone else kept quiet. "Been on the road for hours, no stops. Even I had to relieve myself while driving." "Did you?" she asked, glancing around with a smirk, her eyes lingering a moment on Rutledge - my so-called master. The short, round man looked like he had seen a ghost, sweating bullets, probably cursing the workhand for flapping his mouth. "Well, then, young man, care to tell me what those two guardswomen are doing in that cage? Not that I mind. I can think of a few uses for them." "They were protecting your runaway slave when we nabbed her, so we took ¡¯em too." "Oh my, it¡¯s not every day you meet someone with such a pure mind. Thank you, young man," the bitch said, her arrogance practically oozing and testing everyone¡¯s patience. Especially Ward''s, who suddenly wasn''t the ones in charge. Right now, though, none of them mattered to her. She wasn''t here for them. Her dark green eyes locked onto mine. "Nostalgic don''t you think, mutt?" she said, stepping closer. "Darkness, stench, and you on the other side of the bars locked in with other freaks." While the urge to bark at her not to dare mention the other slaves from the cellar simmered in my chest, I stayed silent, fully focused on [Indomitable Will]. "That too. Back then you didn''t talk much either. But don''t worry, we''ll have plenty of time to catch up. I honestly can''t wait. We have so much to talk about - don''t you think?" "Um..." Ward cleared his throat, breaking the oppressive tension and allowing me to take a breath as the bitch''s focus slipped away from me. ¡°Can I presume it''s her?¡± ''Please say no!'' A vain wish for sure, but one never knew. Maybe - just maybe - the mind-bitch won''t see me as the one she was looking for. "Oh, she is. Good work, Bastian. Though I have to say if you¡¯d messed this up after I basically pointed her out to you, I wouldn¡¯t think much of you.¡± "To them. You point her out to them, not to me," Ward corrected her, gesturing to Rutledge and his thugs. "Why did you choose to work with them, anyway? The Shadowbreakers could have done the job just as well, if not better." "Isn''t it more fun this way?" ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so.¡± "Oh, come on, Bastian. Don¡¯t you see? You¡¯re curious why it¡¯s them and not you. They¡¯re stressing over the big job that landed in their laps, while other crews in the city are itching for a piece of it, and the city guards are just trying to keep things under control, clueless about whom to trust. You can¡¯t tell me you are not having fun with this."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. From the look on Ward''s face, one that the bitch seemed to find fun, he didn''t think so. Actually, except for her, no one did. Instead, they were, most likely like me, reminded of what some likely wanted to forget and others had only heard about; mind mages and their atrocities during the Mind Wars. Captain Rayden and Lieutenant Marcus themselves had filled me in on how those bastards thrived on spreading doubt and mistrust among the people. Ward sighed, keeping his temper in check. "I have to say that our view of today''s events is not exactly aligned," he said, holding back any words he might regret. "Anyway, if it''s her, she''s yours, just like we agreed. Now it''s your turn to hold up your end of the deal." Treated as nothing more than a thing. Again. Despite my irritation with it and the dread coursing through my body sapping my strength, I had to hold back from speaking and drawing attention back to myself. "Oh, don''t worry, Bastian. We will hold up to it. A nice mansion and the Lord title are waiting for you in Arid. The King doesn''t care if you turn your Shadowbreakers into a knight order either - well, the ones you have left." Of course, money was still involved. Nevertheless, it was just a ruse to hide the real reason for my kidnapping. Not just an assumption, as it turns out. "And the thing?" Ward asked, jaw tight, definitely meaning the core. "When it¡¯s ready. Told you that already, didn¡¯t I? We need to get a look at the woman first. Speaking of¡­" She shifted her gaze to Rutledge. "Mind getting her out of the cage? I got a little present for her." ''A present for me?'' That sounded bad - real bad. No matter what I came up with, it always ended up a nightmare for me. "You - stay put!" ordered my so-called master as hauled himself onto and approached the cage. "And you two. Don¡¯t even think about it; it''s pointless." He may have been trying to sound confident, but the stench of fear was all over him. His hands were shaking so much that he almost dropped the key trying to get the cage open. "I''m ordering you, wench. Get out of the wagon!" he spat, hiding his own incompetence behind all that anger. Back on Earth, I would have laughed in his face. But that damn collar around my neck was forcing me to obey. Of course, getting up, I couldn''t help but glance at Elira and Vara, hoping for any sign of what to do. ''Should I resist? What about Harcon?! Why isn''t he doing anything?!'' They just stared back, clueless and helpless, looking as lost for what to do as I was. "Did you make friends?" the mind-bitch sneered, watching me hop down from the wagon. "Guess those two might end up being more fun than I thought." ¡°Move it!¡± The fat bastard shoved me the second I hit the ground and stopped. If he actually thought I would go beyond his orders like an obedient slave and walked up to that mind bitch without him telling me to, he had to be an idiot. I wasn¡¯t some masochist begging to have my brain - or my guts - torn apart. "You know, it''s strangely fortuitous how this one reminds me of your former master, don''t you think?" The bitch asked playfully, watching me stop a couple of paces in front of her, after half a dozen nudges and commands from the bastard. Her remark about Rutledge, though? It threw me off just as much as the bastard himself. ''She chose him for the job because he reminded her of Dungreen? How?'' Rutledge was shorter than the deranged asshole and also much fatter. The only things they had in common were no morals and the stupidity to work for mind mages. "I see you noticed the resemblance. Do you appreciate it? Well, I''ll find out later. Not the gift I was talking about, though." She smirked, waving the three shackles in front of me, her grin spreading wide. "Color me surprised when I found these on the wall over there. Remember?" They were the same shackles she had put on me herself in Dungreen''s workshop, the three that Mr. Scoresby had taken off me. With the memory of them on my hand and feet gnawing at me, I followed her finger through the familiar inn ruins to one of the worn, mossy walls nearby. Sure enough, there it was, the wall where I had actually thoughtlessly put them away - thinking I would never see these accursed things again. ''She did find them. These were really the ones!'' The beast roared, urging me to pounce - this was the moment! Every instinct screamed for blood, yet a whisper of doubt slipped past my defenses. ¡®Had she found the collar too?'' No, impossible. Even I had no clue where I had tossed the damn thing. Chapter 159: Sit and Lick! "I think they''ll look lovely on you," the mind-bitch sneered, rattling the shackles to get under my skin. I held still, though, not giving her the satisfaction - even if more out of fear than bravery. "Let''s put these on you," she said, taking a step closer. That was when the beast in me came out, teeth bared, a growl rolling from deep in my chest. Her reaction caught me off guard, and it sure wasn''t just me; everyone in the ruins of Esulmor Edge Inn couldn''t help but stare. The great mind mage, Cognizant or whatever she called herself, having everyone here in her grasp, squealed like a little girl and jumped back. ''She''s afraid of me!'' Or rather, of the beast. Whatever it did to her the last time she tried to take over my mind had her scared shitless. ''So that''s why!'' No wonder I hadn¡¯t heard that grating, arrogant voice in my head yet. She didn¡¯t have the guts to try. Honestly, I didn''t know whether to bark at her again or to laugh. "You filthy mutt!" she spat, her voice anything but the usual sneer. "But don''t worry. You''ll learn. And before long, you''ll be begging me to lick my boots! Frederic, your old master, can¡¯t wait to rip you open. And I''ve got some beasts waiting, ready to breed with you, mutt." I had to force myself not to shudder at her words, not to show her the weakness she was hunting for. And that pissed her off even more. "You think I''m lying? Better think twice!" the bitch hissed, throwing a sharp gesture toward the forest across from the crumbling inn. For a beat, everything stilled - just an uneasy silence gnawed at the nerves of those gathered in the clearing by the mossy ruins. But then, my ears twitched at the noise coming from the forest. "Mossbears are heading our way," the Shadow Thief emerged from the shadows beside Ward, his voice tight with alarm. ¡°Two of ¡®em¡± "Are you sure they''re headed this way? We didn''t do anything..." "Don''t twist your little minds," the bitch creaked. "They¡¯re mine." Right then, two massive creatures lumbered out from the trees - huge, brown-furred bears with moss-covered backs and antlers crowning their heads. [Mossbear: ??? sigils] [Mossbear: ??? sigils] Three Obscures, both of them. Not that I needed the Lattice to see that these two weren¡¯t as strong as the male I had met in this forest.They were smaller at a glance, though still massive, their backs towered at least half my height above me. What grabbed me, however, much as it had with the bigger male before, was their antlers. Unlike his, the antlers of these two were smaller - and more akin to mine - dark green all over, with rough ridges at the roots on my head, no deep grooves, only a lighter emerald green at the tips. "Have you lost your mind!" Ward growled, keeping a wary eye on the beasts, even though they just stood there, watching. "Oh, I''m pretty sure I haven¡¯t. You, on the other hand, Bastian, should keep your thoughts closer to yourself," she shot back, grinning in a way that made him hesitate. Just a few words, a hint of threat, and doubt wormed its way in. ¡®Did she get in or not?¡¯ No doubt such questions were now on his mind; and not his alone. "You worry for nothing. I¡¯ve trained with beasts since I was little and have quite a few like those two back home. The little bit of mana I used on them won''t alert others, let alone him." "T-They¡¯re not gonna turn on us, are they, boss?" the young workhand whispered, but not softly enough to escape my ears - or hers. "For the love of Traiana, shut it, Tate!" "Oh, but why should he? The young man is asking the right questions - questions I don''t need to read your minds to know that all of you are asking." With a wicked grin, she continued, ¡°And yes, they¡¯ll attack if I give the order. Sit!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Those two massive beasts didn¡¯t even growl. They just dropped onto their hind legs, listening to her like obedient pups - just like the way that shoelace-bitch wanted to train me. ¡®Shoelaces!¡¯ Nothing to give more thought to, yet my eyes slid to her shoes. Just like back then, or earlier today in Castiana when Timmy guided me, she wore them tied with mismatched laces. "Ah, already thinking about licking my shoes. Good, very good," the bitch said, flashing the worst grin I have ever seen. "But there''s so much you have to learn first. Like not growling at your master. You, young man, put these on her," she ordered the workhand, handing him the three suppressing shackles and then the fourth. "They wouldn''t work otherwise. I can¡¯t afford to let you run away again. Those little brainless pieces of shits - you have no idea what it cost me to find you." ''Hold on! Did she actually make a deal with the Fae to find me? And they told her? Then why the bloody heck send me here in the first place?!¡¯ "Young man?!" "Uh. Yes, madam," the workhand stammered, but as soon as he took the stuff from her, a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him. Thank G - well, Traiana; I could finally catch my breath. "Before that," Harcon spoke, his voice firm. "I''d like to hear about that ''thing'' you mentioned." "What are you doing, Harcon?" Ward growled, his tone warning him to back off. But it was more than that; there was a flicker of fear. "That''s not something you should be concerned about." ¡°Is that so? The way I see it, I have every right to know why I''m putting my neck on the line. And you don''t seem to have told us everything." "I told you what you needed to know," Ward said, adjusting his fedora hat. "Look, if it were my call, I wouldn¡¯t be dealing with you at all. But part of my deal was to make a deal with Arlo, and that''s all you have to concern yourself with." Harcon nodded slowly. ¡°So, what¡¯s stopping me from cutting my own deal?¡± "I already made you one, remember? Become a Shadowbreaker, but more than that - no.¡± "I didn''t mean with you, Ward. I was talking about making a deal with you," Harcon said to the mind-mage bitch. Not really sure where he was going with this, I pulled my wings in tight, breath stuck in my throat. "Oh, how intriguing. Not many are willing - of their own will. So tell me, what do you have in mind?" "I''ll be blunt. What would it cost me to get my own core?" My heart went cold. The bastard got tempted like any other mage. Here I was again, all alone. ''Not true!'' I had to remind myself of Vara and Elira, still locked in the cage, to keep myself from panicking. Nonetheless, it didn''t change the fact that if I wanted to get out of this, my own strength was all I could count on. "Bastian?" the bitch asked, raising her eyebrows at Ward. "I''m not stupid. I did NOT tell him." "Someone else might," she muttered, turning her gaze back to the former Master Guard. "Alright, you have my full attention. Harcon was it, wasn''t it? Tell me how you know about her core? And if I don¡¯t like your answer, mind you, I¡¯ll rip it straight from your head. In fact, maybe I should do that straight away." "You can try," Harcon replied, seemingly unfazed by her threat. They locked eyes for a moment. Whether they were battling it out or not, I had no clue. "Tsk. Alright, go on." "I''m a mage, just like Ward." "And?" "Unlike him, I grew stronger fighting the beast down in the Labyrinth of Castiana. It''s what I do - I look for the core locations in the beasts I face. And I did just that when she tried to get away." "Oh, she''s a pretty slippery mutt, isn¡¯t she?" The bitch said, tapping her lips in mock musing. "But I do wonder, is that really the truth? If so, you''ll be able to tell me where she has it, right?" ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! I never told him that.'' It took all my strength not to show my panic, let alone confusion about why I was panicking in the first place. I should have been glad he was about to get found out - right? "Right in her belly," Harcon responded almost instantly, much to my surprise. ''Did he really have a way of sensing the beasts'' cores?'' Nah, Elira must have told him on the fly, which meant he was still with us. ¡°A pretty strange spot for a core, I gotta admit, but if it''s a requirement, I don''t mind." "That..." the bitch said, her voice low, pausing like she was trying to pry open his thoughts. "...remains to be seen." "So, it''s still in development?" "Obviously. I have no interest in turning into a mutt just to have a core, but if you''re willing... maybe that could be your price to pay. What do you think?" Harcon¡¯s gaze slid over me, sweeping his gaze from the top of my antlers to my toes. "She doesn¡¯t look half bad. But, I wonder¡­ the fact that I¡¯m not one of the Lost - is that gonna be an issue?" "What?!" Ward blurted out, obviously hearing about the involvement of Fae for the first time. On the other hand, the mind-bitch didn¡¯t look too pleased that Harcon had let that slip. Chapter 160: Cornered Harcon''s face broke into a smirk. "You didn''t know, Ward?" "Is that true?" snapped the Shadowbreakers'' leader, clearly hoping that Harcon was making things up. "You didn''t mention that she''s one of the Lost." "Irrelevant detail, but tell me, former city guard - how do you know?" Her voice dripped with sugar and venom, the suspicion clear as day. Made sense, though; he knew things about me Ward didn¡¯t, things she wasn¡¯t keen to let slip. "You serious? Seems like you just answered your own question, mind mage," Harkon said, unfazed as ever, her jab rolling right off him. My respect for him kept growing, though I still had no idea which side he was playing for. "Occupational disease, always on the lookout for any details. Spotted the runes behind her ears - just before my fist melted half her face off." "Is that true, boy?" she barked at the young workhand. "Is that what happened?" "Y-Yes, ma''am," he stammered. "That¡­ that''s how we caught her." "Did you?" the mind-bitch sneered, making it painfully obvious she didn¡¯t believe a word the young workhand said, her gaze piercing him. "D-Did you, j-just...?" stuttered my so-called master, covered in sweat and backing away from the workhand - a potential thrall. "Don¡¯t stress your mind, slave trader. His is so open I didn¡¯t have to do more than peek." "Forget Arlo! He''s irrelevant," Ward cut in. "Unlike the fact that the half-Terr is one of the Lost. Mind telling when you were going to tell me?" ''Damn. He didn''t even know I wasn''t really half-Terrden.¡¯ It almost made me feel sorry for him - almost. In fact, if it weren''t for the collar and its efforts to keep me still, I might¡¯ve cracked a grin. Not the problem that bitch had. A bit annoyed by this, she smirked. "I think you know, Bastian." "Tits!" Ward cursed, pulling his fedora down over his eyes, only to bring it back up a breath later, a shade calmer. ¡°You realize those bugs would have messed with her, right?" "Of course. Who do you take us for? Mindless fools?" "And you still think that''s not an issue?" "If we did, I wouldn''t be here, would I?" ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Just... damn it all!" Ward was supposed to be furious. Better even, attack the mind mage if things panned out. But I guess it was too much to wish for. After all, he had burned his bridges with the Sahal Empire and thrown in his lot with the mind mages. Without them, he was screwed. "That... makes sense. Just¡­ I''d appreciate it if you''d be more forthright next time." Ward muttered, letting his irritation seep through. He hated being the one to be outplayed. The mind-bitch¡¯s lips curled into a nasty smile. "We wouldn''t be here if I were, would we? But sure, I¡¯ll play nice for business¡¯ sake." I may not have had who knows what experience with mind mages, but you¡¯d have to be insane to trust her. Or desperate - like Ward was. Quite pleased, her attention turned from him back to Harcon. "Talk about deals. What about you, former city guard? You came out to me knowing all that. Shall I assume you''re still interested?" "What about my debt to Rutledge?" Harcon asked instead of answering her. "To that slave trader?" she scoffed, raising her eyebrows, peering at my so-called master. The little fat man nearly wobbled over, retreating to hide behind the bruiser woman as if that would help shield his mind from intrusion. "Not really my issue," she shrugged. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Ward stepped in. "I¡¯ve already offered to pay your debt, and the same goes for you, Branwen. All you need to do is join the Shadowbreakers. The offer still stands, sweetened by the fact that you would become knights. Sounds good, doesn''t it?" "Oh, Bastian. You trying to bring in new recruits now that I¡¯ve taken your toys? Be my guest, it won¡¯t change much," the bitch said, her confidence making my skin crawl. Either she was off her rocker, or she genuinely believed Ward couldn¡¯t touch her, even with Harcon and Branwen backing him up. Sure, she had seven brainwashed Shadowbreakers and two massive mossbears on her side - not exactly great odds for Ward. That wasn''t the only party in play, though. No, I didn''t mean my so-called master and his thugs. Unlike him, his fighter may have had the guts to speak up, but not the strength to turn the tables. "What about us?" There was still Harcon''s plan, though he may have been hesitant to go through with it - the forest and its inhabitants. "Do not trouble your mind with that. We can find a use for everyone." The bitch didn''t even bother to tone down from her voice the fact that the ¡®use¡¯ she was talking about might not always be to everyone''s liking. Instead, she enjoyed the growing panic on the faces of the fighter and his boss, the bastard whose words held sway over my mind. Unlike the two, the workhand just stood there, aloof, probably clueless as to what was going on and what was at stake. Can¡¯t lie. I felt a bit jealous of his ignorance. Unlike him, though, I was all too aware, unable to forget what I had been through, and unwilling to accept that I should go back to that nightmare. So, when I saw everything heading toward some sort of agreement instead of conflict, I panicked. Vara and Elira were still locked in the cage, while Harcon was surrounded by people he had no chance to stand against - not for long. We needed a miracle to get out of this mess, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to rely on the Fae to bail me out a second time. No! No, as much as I hated it, and crazy as it sounded, it was time to embrace once again what that deranged asshole had made of me, call the residents of this forest, and hope for the best. ''Y-You can do it, Korra!'' I tried to pump myself up before letting go of the reins I was holding over the beast inside me, just enough to put me on the edge of the shift. Right then, the urge to sink my fangs into that mind-bitch hit me hard, eliciting a low growl from my throat, much to my annoyance - and horror. Of course, she caught it, worry lighting up her eyes. "Did I not tell you to strap her down, workhand?!" "Y-Yeah, you did, madam." "Then just do it, or I swear I''ll make you!" "Yes, madam. R-R-Right away," the young workhand blurted out, the rattling shackles in his hands sounding like thunder, threatening to unleash the beast. Pride, my ass! It was as scared of those restraints as I was. "Don''t you dare!" I barked as he stepped closer to me with those hateful things. If they thought I¡¯d let them put those on me without a fight, they were dead wrong. "What the fuck are you waiting for, Tate? Hurry up," my so-called master urged, his eyes darting between him, me, and the mind-bitch. "But boss, she..." "Don''t worry, that wench can''t do anything to you. I got her under control. I do." Too trusting for his own good, the young workhand made another step closer. With more caution this time, but still... "Try it, and I''ll kill you!" Not an empty threat. I might have felt disgusted at the idea of taking another life, but if that¡¯s what it took to avoid becoming a lab pet, I was desperate enough to go through with it. "Shut your trap, wench! I order you not to move. Tate!" "C-C-Couldn''t someone else do it, boss?" "For the love of..." Rutledge swore, stopping mid-sentence as his eyes widened at the mind bitch. ¡°N-No, t-t-that won¡¯t be necessary, ma¡¯am. You don¡¯t need to send one of your people,¡± he mumbled out loud. No doubt the bitch was talking in his head. "I-I h-have it under control." "Then why aren''t the restraints on her already?!" she spat, her voice sharp. "She''s a one-off," Ward spoke up, unabashedly enjoying the mind-bitch alarm. "Got some claws, for sure. But aren''t those suppressing shackles a bit overkill?" The mind-bitch''s eyes twitched. "For the one you see, sure. But I suppose you haven''t had the pleasure of meeting the real mutt she is, Bastian." "Interesting. Is it the core?" Ward asked, his interest piqued. ¡°That¡­¡± the bitch said, her eyes locking onto mine. ¡°¡­we¡¯ll have to find out.¡± ''Like I''d let you!'' I growled in my head, ready to attack anyone who approached me despite the collar on my neck doing its best to keep me still and silent. The cornered beasts always bite back, and they sure cornered me - again. Chapter 161: Do Your Worst "Ronan, shackle her," my so-called master growled at the fighter, one of the few thugs he still had. "Why the fuck don¡¯t you get Branwen or Harcon to do it¡­ boss? You saw how that bitch took out Stone and Rurik, even with a collar around her neck." The man¡¯s voice had a bite, but he kept his distance from me, staying cautious like the workhand. Good to see. They rightly feared me, or rather the beast inside me. I feared it too, though not as much as I feared those suppression shackles in the hands of the workhand. And then there was her. How could I ever forget that bitch? In that way, she had gotten into my head a long time ago. ''For fuck''s sake, stop thinking about her, Korra!'' The thought that this could be a way for her to actually get inside my head hit me hard, forcing me to double-check that my mental defenses were holding up - well, as much as I could, which basically meant making sure I was using [Indomitable Will] and praying that I was using it right. I managed the first one, but not the second. "Give me the damn shackles, you pussies. I¡¯ll put them on her myself." Fed up with her useless crew, the hulking woman stepped in, yanking the suppression shackles from the workhand¡¯s fumbling fingers. ''Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Fight or flight?'' Neither seemed like a good option. [Bruiser: ? sigils] With the strength she had, I would be just asking to end up like Vara, not to mention the others in the clearing at the Esulmor Edge Inn. There was no fighting my way out alone, and running wouldn¡¯t do much good either. Even if, by some miracle, I lost them in the woods, I couldn¡¯t just leave. Not with those two women locked up in that cage. ''No! Not again!'' With a quick glance at the two of them, I made up my mind, unlike Harcon, who either changed his or couldn''t decide on the right moment to strike. Sure, I wish I had the leeway to choose like he did, but I didn''t. Between the shackles and the beasts, even though they both suppressed me in their way, I would take the beasts any time - at least there was a kind of freedom in that. With the bruiser woman just a step away and the beast clawing at the edges of my mind, I let it loose. As many times before, twice, instead of turning into a full beast, growing in size, and losing my sanity to my beastly urges, I remained stuck not even halfway through the shift. The patches of my fur and feathers that I had in my human form spread a bit. My hair had grown, and my sense of smell had improved. But above all, the biggest change came to my hands and feet, now covered wholly in fine fur. I grew paws on my human legs, and my bitten nails turned into sharp claws once more. Not a very impressive change, if I were to be honest, but one that gave the bruiser female pause and me enough time to suck in a breath and roar at the top of my lungs, knowing full well that the volume of my shout didn''t really matter so much as opposed to my intentions. So I put my whole heart into it, calling out to the beasts, daring them to come for me. ?ROAR!!!? ?Beast!? ?Another beast!? neighted the panicked scalehoofs. "You brainless idiots! Shut that mutt up!" barked the mind-bitch, but to her horror and the horror of the others, the deed was done. Despite my roar coming out of my throat bare of my might, the forest responded. Only a few - no more than half a dozen, as far as I could tell - but the mossbears¡¯ roars filled the clearing, striking fear into the hearts of those gathered here, mine included. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ?M-M-More beasts!? "Tsk. Why are they all so fucking brain-dead," the mind-bitch, her hand cutting through the air. The seven brainwashed Shadowbreakers moved in sync, the two mossbears lumbering with them, forming a tight ring around her. Her glare bored into me, sharp as any spear. Yes, that bitch had finally found the guts, or maybe it was desperation, to attack my mind. Of course, I wish she hadn''t. Ready as I was, her pressure pushing on my mental defenses was overwhelming. But there was no talking myself out of this. With a whimper escaping my throat and the Lattice notification tickling in my skull, I hit the ground on my knees, ignoring the so-called master barking at me to stay still. Then, the bruiser¡¯s huge massive hand clamped around my throat, and the next thing I knew, I was up off my feet, legs flailing uselessly. "Finally, someone with a brain," the bitch barked, pleased, still scraping around for a way inside my head. "Now put those shackles on her before she... Rotten brain! Who cleaned your mind, mutt?! Who taught you?!" she snapped, frustrated with what Rayden did and my efforts to keep her out of my mind. I had to admit, I was kinda proud; must have been doing something right. Unfortunately, with my lungs strangled for air, my focus started rapidly slipping. ''What the bloody hell is Harcon waiting for?!'' Did the bastard want to see me in shackles, or see the bitch make me her thrall? ¡®Over my dead body!¡¯ Pretty sure my claws wouldn''t do the hulking female much harm, not in time, I drew the little bit of breath I could, knowing full well what would follow. ''Come on, beast. Do your worst!'' No need for words. Whether I liked it or not, the beast was now a part of me. As such, it knew very well what it had to do. My body surged with raw ferocity as the beast sprang from the deepest parts of me, its roar drowning out any thought I had and pushing the bitch away from my mind. "No! No, stop her!" she screamed, panic taking over. But it was too late. With the next heartbeat, my beast might ripped out of me, rattling everyone in the clearing to their bones - well, except maybe for the two mossbears. Most just stood there, frozen. Some reached for their weapons, while others held their breath, more than afraid of me of what might come. The smell of my so-called master''s piss filled the air and the clang of shackles hitting the ground broke the stillness that fell on the clearing. My wheezing breaths followed. The big female let go of my neck and dropped everything she was holding, taking a few steps back to get into a defensive stance. I, on the other hand, fell on all fours, struggling to suck in the air I desperately needed. The choking aside, the sheer force I had just unleashed, had left me completely breathless. "Fuck! You two, grab her," the mind-bitch snapped, barking orders at her Shadowbreakers while she scrambled onto the back of one of the mossbears. "What in the world was that?!" Ward growled, demanding an answer. "And what the fuck are you doing?" "What do you think? I''m getting out of here. Soon..." She didn¡¯t get to finish as the woods around us erupted with the roars of its beasts, reacting to my might. "Tsk. Look, Bastian. If you were half the leader you pretend to be, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Your plans lack a brain." "The fuck? How is this my fault when you''re the one messing up my plans while basically forcing me to have my hands tied behind my back? If you''d tell me what she is capable of..." Out of nowhere, an explosion cut off Ward¡¯s argument with the bitch, lighting up the clearing. A pained roar of two Shadowbreakers she sent after me, now in flames, followed along with the neighing of confused scalehoofs who finally shook off the shock of my might. ?Beast a Lady?? ?Lady, here?? ¡°Harcon?! Are you out of your mind?!" Ward bellowed, beside himself and oblivious to the scalehoofs. But honestly, I couldn''t care less, for I was no longer alone. The former Master Guard stood there in a fighting stance, his left hand blazing with fire, his right gripping a staff. More and more flames gathered around him as he cast spell after spell. Just watching him gave me chills. I knew just how hot those flames could burn. Yet I found myself baring my teeth in a grin back at the male, as he glanced at me, sorry for taking so much time written all over his face. Chapter 162: Forest (or) Fire "To be honest, Ward," Harcon stammered, his words nearly drowned out by the crackling flames. ¡°My mind¡¯s as clear as it¡¯s ever been. Tits, I haven¡¯t been this sure about anything in ages.¡± "What the fuck are you talking about, you lunatic? The core? You made your deal with the dame, so knock it off or you''ll bring the whole damned forest down on us!" A grin spread across my face. ''That¡¯s the idea.'' I hauled myself to my feet, ready for another mind strike that never came. "Pretty sure, I didn''t agree to any such deal...t-tits..." "Tsk! H-How? How can a mere city guard have such mental defenses," the mind-twisting bitch muttered under her breath, bewildered that she didn''t get inside Harcon''s head as easily as she thought. "Was it you who taught the mutt?" "Well, no," Harcon grinned, sending a fireball in her direction while quite easily deflecting two arrows fired at him by the Shadowbreakers under her control. "But I guess we had the same teacher." Captain Rayden. I wasn¡¯t some clueless rabbit not to realize he meant her. Insulting, though. My proofs were hard-earned. But whatever. He had no way of knowing that the only teacher I had was myself - or in a way, my accursed array and collar around my neck. A collar put on me. Again. "Kill him! Kill that brain rotten imbecile!" the mind-bitch barked, hunkered on the mossbear¡¯s back, safe from the blaze. Ward, mostly throwing up defenses with his magic - likely still wary of excessive use of mana, bellowed similar orders. "Draven, Rhea! Stop the bastard before it''s too late!" One man against nearly a dozen and a massive beast. No wonder Harcon was hesitant to go with this madness. There was no way he could get out of this alive, short of a miracle - or the beasts. ''Where were they, anyway? What was taking them so long? Wasn''t my might enough?'' While I racked my mind for what to do, the seven brainwashed Shadowbreakers, yes all seven, as the two previously lit on fire recovered from their burns, threw everything they had against the fiery wall, surrounding the former Master Guard. The mind-twisting bitch obviously wanted to end this just as quickly as Ward did. Yet, despite comparable strength to the fire-wielding male according to the Lattice, they did not fare with the ease their numerical advantage would suggest. Guess brute strength alone wasn''t everything. Lattice, Arrays, Weaves - none of that had been able to replace experience, and Harcon, that fire-wielding bastard, clearly had plenty of it to back up his strength. ''Is that why I was able to resist that bitch''s attack? Even if it''s just for a little while.'' The number of sigils on her array was undoubtedly close to three hundred sigils, and mine? It barely scraped up a hundred. [Indomitable Will] was a bit better off in this regard. Even so, the difference between her weaves and mine must have been staggering. But unlike me, she didn¡¯t have to fend off someone else clawing at her mind, day in and day out, for a year and a half straight. Sure, she had years of experience and would no doubt get in my head, eventually. But that was where the beast came into play. It seemed to pull from experiences not just mine but its own too - likely stretching back decades, maybe centuries. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Not that any of that would do me a damn bit of good if they slapped suppression shackles on my paws. As such, while Harcon seemed to have stopped Ward''s swordstress in her tracks and gave pause to the mossbears to approach his blazing flames, the heat of which was quickly turning the clearing into an inferno, I dashed for the shackles lying on the ground. It went against the fat human''s orders to stay still - the collar¡¯s unseen tentacles in my mind twisted, tightening to force the will of that craven. Just plain irritating, that¡¯s what it was, making my moves clumsy. Didn¡¯t stop me, though. I grabbed the shackles and... ''W-What should I do with them?'' My stomach dropped - I hadn¡¯t planned this far ahead. There was no chance I would be able to break the shackles. Back when I was fully turned, I had clawed at that metal and barely left a mark. ''The spatial ring?'' No, I didn¡¯t have it on me - not that it was big enough to stash the shackles, anyway. ''Maybe I could dig a hole and...'' ?Stupid! Easier to throw away.? The beastly side of me had a point. The only question was... where? Forest or fire? Neither seemed like it would do the trick. The fire, blazing as it was, certainly didn''t burn hot enough to destroy these things. ''Forest then?'' I might as well have left them where I picked them up. ?Trees!? ''Good thinking.'' Pressed for time, I didn¡¯t waste a second and chucked the first shackle into the treetops with all I had. To my relief, the chain that had been nothing but trouble when I first got here hooked around a branch, just as I had hoped, and stayed there. The other three quickly followed, each flying off in a different direction. Two snagged in the branches; one tumbled down. Dumb? Waste of time? Sure, but worth it. ''Where the bloody fuck are they?'' Scanning the clearing''s edge for any sign of mossbears I found nothing. The same, though, could be said of the little fat human''s pack. The big female, just a moment ago holding me by the neck, was nowhere to be seen, nor was the male with the sword, the fighter. ?Pack!? My pack! Those cravens may have tucked their tails between their legs and ran, but my pack could not. Vara and Elira were still locked in the cage, watching their former colleague''s brave stand with terror in their eyes. As such, irritating as it was, I needed that craven. I needed his keys. ''Where to look, though?¡¯ Fortunately, all it took to find the little fat rat was strain my ears and grit my teeth through the din of battle and the raging flames rapidly eating away at the greenery. He was perched on one of the scalehoofs, squealing like the rat he was, while the young male pushed the animal from behind. "Come on, you stupid fucking mule! Move it!" "Boss, I-I don''t think this is gonna work. They..." "Just shut up and push!" Honestly, I couldn¡¯t believe the scalehoofs weren¡¯t freaking out, trying to escape the ropes tied to the trees. Well, I got my answer as soon as I closed in on them. ?It is Lady.? ?Lady is here.? ?I told you she come.? They all stayed because of me. ''But why?'' ?Hil''ren, stay.? ?Beast in the trees, Lady here.? ?Do not let the humans draw you away.? ?Lady, help, Hil''ren,? one scalehoof neighed over the other, plainly worried about the only one not tied up, now a bit deeper in the woods with that spineless rat on his back. Refusal danced on the tip of my tongue. This stupid prey didn''t give a shit about me when I was in the cage and now they wanted my help? The nerve! They were in luck, though. I needed that little fat craven dead, and¡­ ''Not dead!¡¯ ?Stupid not to kill!? I growled, doing my best to keep my focus locked on the keys. That was what I needed. Not to have some craven''s blood on my hands. Chapter 163: Keys The heat from the clearing slammed into my back as I charged at that cowardly rat, my so-called master. "B-Boss, it''s her!" the young human male shouted, giving up on getting the stallion to budge. "She''s running over here!" "Who? Branwen? Took her fuckin'' time..." spat the rat, stopping dead when he saw it was me, not her, storming in. "M-move¡­ move, you useless animal!" Hil''ren, the scalehoof, didn¡¯t so much as twitch, standing solid despite the fat little man¡¯s angry and a bit desperate kicks to make him move. Only as I got closer, the stallion reared up and tossed that cowardly rat right off his back. ?Well done!? ?Deserved it!? The other scalehoofs cheered while the fat human squirmed on the ground, whining. "You...don''t you dare!" he snarled, his eyes locking onto me as I closed the gap. "D-Don¡¯t you dare lay a finger on me! That¡¯s an order!" ?Craven!? A growl escaped my throat as the collar¡¯s magic worked its nasty spell on me. The urge to obey slammed into me hard. "I-I order you not to move, wench!" Annoyed, I stopped dead. Fresh commands were always the hardest to resist; the old ones faded with time, right along with memories. "Tate! For tits'' sake, Tate!" croaked the short fat human, thrashing around in the moss, darting glances everywhere. "Y-Yes, boss?" "What¡¯re you waiting for? Get me the fuck up!" ?Leave him be!? I barked at the young guy as he moved to help his pack leader. It may have been easier for me to stay put and not resist those pesky orders, but that didn''t mean all I could do was stand by helplessly. "I think¡­ I think I''ll wait here, boss." "What? Get your ass over here!" squeaked the little fat human, struggling to get back on his feet. Not very successfully. Looked like his strength had bailed on him - along with his courage. "I have the wench under control. I DO!" "Don''t think so, boss." "Y-You..." ?Keys!? My growl made him cover his face like it was worth anything. Like any human, though, dumb as a rock, he didn¡¯t get it. To him, it was just a growl. "I said don''t you dare touch me, y-you hear me!" ?Keys, you craven,? I growled at him, not bothering to acknowledge his orders. The time for playing the obedient slave was over. Or... was it? Why couldn¡¯t I hear the mossbear crashing into the clearing? "If¡­ if you think I''m going to take your collar off, you''re wrong," the sniveling rat snarled. Embarrassingly, it hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind when I stormed up to him. But as much as I would have loved him to do that, I had to admit that he would have to be beyond stupid if he did release me. There would be nothing but my conscience to stop me from sinking my fangs into his flesh and he knew it. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ?Keys!? I growled, stepping closer. "What the fuck do you want from me, you wench?" ?Keys, CRAVEN.? To make him understand, I made an exaggerated motion like I was unlocking something. "Th-these?" His greasy smile stretched wide. "Then go get them!" Giving me no chance to react, he tossed them into the woods. Of course, he didn¡¯t have much strength, so they didn¡¯t go far, but it was annoying enough. And I let him know how much it pissed me off with a growl before I bolted off to find the keys. While following his order as I went along was highly irritating, the order itself was somewhat liberating. The moment I found the keys lying in the moss and clutched them in my paw, I was free from any restriction to move. The last order nullified the previous ones, and he didn¡¯t give me any other to follow. Free of the collar''s pull, at least as long as I would remain silent, I headed straight for the cage. ?Keys.? I growled, holding up my prize for the two women to see. "Fucking awesome," Vara grinned, grabbing the keys from me and immediately rushing to unlock the cage. "Forget about us, Korra. We''ll take care of ourselves. Here." Elira shoved the Union Ring into my paw. "Help, Harcon!" Glancing at the inferno in the clearing, I found the former Master Guard in the center of it, using his staff to deflect both Swordstress¡¯ and Shadow Thief¡¯s attacks while continuing to cast spells to keep others off him. Honestly, I had never seen anything so impressive. Even the beast in me purred with approval. ''Are all Master Guards that good?'' He was a mage, yet somehow, he held his own against two blade-wielders. Not to mention all the others. Of course, I wasn''t blind. Doing that was taking its toll on him. ''Where the bloody fuck are they?'' Their forest was ablaze; they heard me, and yet... "Harcon, the mossbears aren''t coming," I sent my thoughts through the ring, clueless on how to actually help him. Everyone else out there had twice as many sigils as I did, if not more. "They... are... there..." His voice was a faint echo in my mind. He didn¡¯t ask how I got the ring, didn¡¯t grumble about his fate, didn¡¯t beg for help. That male knew what he was doing, what fate he had chosen. So I didn''t say any more about it either. ''The mossbears? I mean everyone in the clearing heard their roars; I could feel their presence on the back of my neck, yet...'' No matter how hard I tried to find them among the trees, I didn''t see a single one. The battle was loud, the fire¡¯s roar even louder, drowning out everything else, while the dancing flames made a mess of my dusk vision. But if they were really there... ''What are they waiting for? When their forest burns?'' Seeing that with each breath the fight in the clearing neared its end, and knowing I had no choice but to venture into the depths of the forest to find the mossbear, I braced myself for paying the price, took a deep breath, and let out my challenge. ?ROAR!!!!? Come, you cowards! Come and fight me or your forest will burn! Once again, I put everything I had into my roar and more. My beast might ripped out of me, its pressure bearing down on the surroundings, challenging the mossbears and taking more of me than ever before. I collapsed, feeling like I¡¯d just run a marathon twice over. My body ached, muscles on fire, lungs barely working. Yet I lay there, listening. Then it came. The mossbear¡¯s roar echoed back, even louder this time, full of rage. The fury at my boldness came through, clear as day. ''I don''t care!'' ?Come!? Better to end up as some beast''s midnight snack than a mind mage¡¯s next experiment. "Well done," crackled through the ring, barely a breath before the first mossbear stormed into the clearing. I was too far off to gauge its strength through the Lattice, but by the look of its body and antlers, it couldn¡¯t have been much older than the ones the bitch was controlling. ''Where was she, anyway?'' A scream ripped out from the middle of the inferno, pulling my mind off her for the moment. The shadow-thieving male had broken through Harcon''s guard, sinking his dagger right into his side. Unable to move or form a single thought, I watched in horror. Like a balloon, pierced, he exploded. Flames surged across the clearing and through the inn''s ruin, tossing aside all those he had fought. Chapter 164: Weirdly Dangling Gasping for air, sapped of the strength my beast might have robbed me of, I pressed myself to the ground, letting the flames roll right over me. My hair, fur, feathers - singed, but nothing to cry about. Not when it could have been a lot worse. The blast threw aside everyone within a few steps of the fire-wielding male and knocked those further back off their feet. Even the trees lining the clearing around the ruins shook, their crowns ablaze - so was the wagon I was brought here in, now tipped on its side. ?My pack!? My horrified snarl got lost in the roars of the mossbears now charging in from every direction, crashing through the blaze burning the edge of the clearing. There weren''t many of them, only five. All not much stronger than the first one I saw break through the tree line under the control of that mind-twisting bitch. But it didn''t matter; they came. ¡®Finally!¡¯ ?Now, my pack.? As cold as it was, the beast was right. I had done my part. The fire-wielding male, Harcon, got his help. Sure, I had my pride, but not the strength to back it up - irritatingly. Believe me, if I could, I would throw myself into the fight to help him. Plenty out there who deserved to die. Nevertheless¡­ ''NO! Just the bitch!'' ?Stupid!? They came to hurt, knowing full well what they were doing. Except perhaps the young workhand - too trusting of his pack leader. As one myself, though, I had my own pack to worry about. They were stuck in a burning wagon, moments from death. So, mustering up every bit of strength I had, I dragged myself back to the cage - only to find it open, empty. My pack was gone. "Tits! A little warning next time," noticing me, Vara growled from behind the broken-down wall she and Elira were crouched behind. Funny enough, that was the exact wall I had hidden behind when I first ran into Mr. Scoresby. "Seriously, Korra. I felt like a beast was breathing down my back. Almost shit myself." "Vara!" "What? It''s true." "No, that''s not... whatever. You alright, Korra?" Elira looked me over, taking in how spent I was. ''Was I alright? Hardly.'' Maybe it was because I wasn¡¯t in my full beast form, but dropping my might twice in a row had taken more out of me than I thought it would. ?Yeah, okay. Need to catch my breath.? "Oh, you meant her walking on all fours," not understanding my growl, Vara realized, eyebrows shooting up. "Thought it was some beast thing, like part of her shifting..." "Korra! Watch out!" Elira cried out, her voice sharp with alarm as a hulking mossbear crashed through the crumbling walls of the human dwelling, sending debris everywhere. "There you are, you mutt!" came a hiss from its back. Cynical, steady, and really unsettling, I would recognize that voice any day. The mind-twisting bitch. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''She found me!'' Scrambling to throw up my mental defenses, I looked up. "Crawling at my feet, are you? Fitting," the bitch hissed, her smile cold and hollow. Yet, for all her haughty airs, Harcon''s fire reached even her, leaving her disheveled despite her high perch. "Shame I can''t enjoy it right now, all because of you. Get her! We''re getting out of here." At her command, the mossbear bared its teeth and lunged. I didn¡¯t just sit there waiting, of course - I tried to roll clear. But it didn¡¯t matter. My pathetic attempt failed, and in a flash, the beast had me pinned, pressing its huge paw into my chest and letting out a fierce growl in my face. [Mossbear: ?? sigils] ''Rotten leaves?'' Thank god¡­err, Traiana, its breath didn¡¯t smell like rotten meat. There was a chance that the beast was not a carnivore. Its fangs spoke otherwise, though. Those weren¡¯t the teeth of something running from a fight - they were made for hunting. And way too close for comfort. The bitch¡¯s scream tore through the air, snapping me out of my fearful daze. "You brain-rotted cunts!" she spat, clutching her head as blood seeped between her fingers. ¡°Nice throw, Vara,¡± Elira praised her packmate. It really was. Whatever she threw at her made the bitch mad - so mad her rage froze the mossbear for a second. Not being one to wait for it to bite me, I raked my claws across its snout. It reeled back, giving me just enough time to try to roll away. "No, you don''t!" hissed the bitch sitting on the beast¡¯s back. It lunged, and before I could even scramble out of reach, its paw slammed into my spine, making my ribs groan. But that was nothing compared to the agony of its teeth sinking into my flesh. The mossbear¡¯s growl rumbled in his chest, its broken beast speech barely understandable as he clamped down on my leg, right below the knee. ?Got. Human.? "You''re not runnin'' from me tonight, mutt." A stupid beastly pride and defiance stirred in me. "I''m not the one who ran away last time." A needless provocation that could only make things worse for me. In fact, as the female''s face twisted with anger, I braced for my leg to be ripped off. But when another mossbear emerged from the woods nearby, one clearly not under her control, she simply ordered: "Go!" That it would be better to have the leg bitten off, I realized as soon as the massive beast took off running. Weirdly dangling from its mouth, it dragged me along the ground. Every damn root and stone, even the soft moss, felt like a hard punch. And my leg? Tits, losing it would''ve hurt less. I swear, it was like I shoved it right into a shredder that was trying to twist it off my knee. ?What. You. Did. Human?? While behind us the new mossbear roared, asking what that bitch did to his sibling, only a painful whimper escaped my throat. And then another instead of a warning to Vara and Elira as I hit a root hard. The young mossbear chasing after us plowed through the ruins right where they were hiding. Much to my relief, before I got hit hard enough to lose focus, I saw them, stones in hand, still breathing. But that was the last I saw of them. After that, my world turned quite disorienting. All I could basically see was a blur of treetops lit by flames, the mossy forest floor - real close up - and a whole lot of fur, white fur, belly fur. ''A weak spot?'' Even if it meant twisting my knee at an angle it shouldn''t, using the mossbear''s fur to help me, I dug my claws into the fur below its neck. It was thick, thicker than mine. Took a couple tries, but eventually, I sank my claws in deep enough to make it bleed. Didn¡¯t even flinch, though. I mean, no wonder. With its size, my scratches were nothing. And that fat underneath? Probably helped. "There!" the mind-bitch screamed, and the mossbear barreled through the brush. Not the thorny kind, but the sort I had been hunting for on my hungry expeditions out here. Full of berries I could now taste in my mouth, sweet as hell. "Tsk. Rotten Brain!" The bitch cursed, and before I even had the chance to lick my lips from the mixture of berries, leaves, moss, and dirt, we abruptly changed direction. Why? Well, I had to twist around, struggling to see what made her so damn scared, but when my eyes landed on the biggest mossbear I had ever seen, standing tall between the trees, I froze. My mouth went dry, heart pounding. Scared, just like her. [Mother Mossbear: ???? sigils] Chapter 165: Herded [Mother Mossbear: ???? sigils] The beast was massive - easily three human tall, maybe more. Its antlers, covered thick with moss and vines, stretched even higher, looking like tree branches. Its fur, somewhere between brown and gray, was almost buried under all that moss clinging to it. The weight of this beast¡¯s presence pressed down hard, making my fur and feathers bristle and my lungs struggle for air. The last time, when I came face-to-face with that huge mossbear, my instincts screamed at me to run. But now? My whole body was telling me to lie back, belly up, and just leave myself to its mercy. And I would if I could. Instead, the shock of seeing the beast made me lose my grip on the mossbear¡¯s fur, and I dropped right onto my face, eating dirt - still dangling by my foot out of its mouth. Even down there, dragged along the ground like a piece of rag, something caught my attention - the mother mossbear didn¡¯t chase us. The massive beast just gave a low grunt, obviously displeased with the behavior and weakness of her cubs. Her growl - no words needed - made her feelings clear. Her cub, the one who was chewing on my leg and dragging me along behind him, however, ignored her, forced by that bitch sitting on its back. ''Let me go, you stupid beast!'' I screamed my mind out, the agony in my limb driving tears to my eyes. You better believe I would love to tear that mossbear apart right now - with my bare teeth. ?Fight me!? I growled, digging my claws into its hide - though mostly for the grip. ¡®Or at least kill me.¡¯ Better dead than this - if only for a while. Nevertheless, despite my hatred for young mossbear, the truth was that I knew the helplessness - that sickening way of your body not listening to you and having your feelings twisted to your master''s liking. Well, at least the mind-twisting bitch got a taste of her own helplessness. It wasn''t long before, just a few breaths in, and we crossed pathswith another mother mossbear in the woods, no weaker than the last one. Of course, that threw the bitch off, much to my delight. Annoyingly, though, without a second thought, she urged the young mossbear to change direction. When we ran into a mother mossbear for the third time, she finally got the hint - we weren''t just walking out of these woods. Not now that the beasts had heard my call. We were being herded. Knowing that and actually being able to do something about it, though? Two very different things. She tried hard, making the mossbear she was riding tear around the clearing in a wild loop. But this wasn¡¯t her backyard to show off in, like she¡¯d bragged. This was their home turf, and we? Mere trespassers. Heck, maybe even pests in their eyes. ?Accord!? ¡°Shut up, mutt!¡± ''Fuck you, too! Anyway, YES. Accord. The best chance to get out of this was to strike an accord with them.'' Beasts and animals weren''t all that unreasonable. Even though I was basically stealing from squirrels, they had agreed to help me. Unlike her, though, I hadn''t gone messing with their heads and was actually able to talk to them. On that note, ever since Mr. Scoresby told me about the mossbears, I couldn''t help but wonder why the Sahal Empire didn¡¯t just wipe them out. Yeah, I get there was this Lord of the Forest, but that was only one beast. Surely they must have been able to deal with it somehow, even at the cost of casualties. No one would want that kind of danger sitting right in the middle of their empire, right? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Well, it made more sense to me now. The Lord of the Forest wasn''t the only powerful beast around. So far I had seen five mother mossbears, and I was quite sure that wasn''t all of them. How many were there? Even the thought of half a dozen of them, led by the Lord of the Forest, was terrifying. Hence the accord. A wise decision on the part of the Empire, as far as I could tell. My decisions, though? Not so much. If I hadn¡¯t cut through that damn alley just to save a few minutes getting home, I wouldn¡¯t have run into the Fae. If I hadn''t done this and that, I wouldn¡¯t have my leg stuck in the jaws of some beast bigger than any bear on Earth. If, if, if....I didn''t need to be able to read minds to know the same thing was on the bitch''s mind right now. Despite her best efforts and growing desperation, we found ourselves right back where it all started - in front of the ruins of a human dwelling. "You brainless, mutt!" the bitch yelled at me, for the umpteenth time. "This is all your fault!" ?Fuck you, too!? I growled back, flashing a grin, showing my teeth. Sure, a bit odd to smile like that when my right leg was basically in shreds, but at some point the pain just dulled. Now it just felt like I had been sitting on it for too long. ''Should probably freak out more.'' But just like with everything else - pain, the mutations, whatever - you eventually grow numb to it. There was also [Indomitable Will], soothing my mind, among other things. And a lot of my peace of mind came from my regeneration. It was able to fix my face, so... A rustling sound from the bushes, just a few steps away, caught my ear. It turned out to be Ward and his two Shadowbreaker packmembers, all looking like they had been dragged through the mud - especially him. His usual elegance and confidence? Gone. Floral scent, too. "I take it you didn¡¯t get a choice either," the male remarked, sympathizing with her frustration. "Mother mossbears or the adult ones?" The thoughts-twisting bitch shot him a venomous look. "Shut up! When my father hears of this..." ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be furious,¡± Ward muttered, waving her off. "I certainly am, but I think we have a bigger problem." He nodded toward the heart of the fire. ?Just¡­ move your bloody head!? ¡®PLEASE!!!¡¯ With some coaxing of the young mossbear and a painful twist of my neck, I spotted what he meant - or who. There, in the clearing, now a field of ash with flames licking at the forest''s edge, stood a group of people, surrounded by beasts. No, they weren''t the brainwashed Shadowbreakers. Their group, now numbering only six, stood their ground not far away, fighting with two young mossbears. It was my pack, Vara and Elira. The foul-mouthed knelt over Harcon, the fire-wielder, while the shy one stood guard, armored up now, spear in hand. How she had gotten that gear was plain enough. Along with her there stood a male. One I had never seen before. Like her, clad in armor, unlike her, without a weapon. Didn¡¯t seem like he needed one, though. When one of the young mossbears braved too close, he leapt faster than I could blink and kicked it hard enough to send it crashing to the ground. "Deckard, I suppose," the mind-twisting bitch spat, her teeth clenched tight as she sized him up for the first time, too. "Indeed," the not-flower-scented male replied with a nod, fixing his burned head cover. "Believe it or not, the man has earned his reputation. How he got here so fast, though, that is a mystery to me." "I would say the opposite. Your incompetence seems to know no bounds." "Just like your arrogance," Ward shot back. "Might as well have been you who brought him here." "Tsk. Mind your place, Bastian," she sneered, her mind working. "We don¡¯t need to waste time on him. We just have to make our way through." "I don''t think he''ll let us." "You''re letting yourself get blinded by talk of..." She stopped, the words cut off as Deckard''s eyes locked on the group. In a matter of a few strides, he covered the distance that would take dozens, appearing a few steps away. He may not have been young as the workhand or me, or tall as Ward, nor was he as buff as the big human female, but he was strong, stronger than any of them. [Master Fighter: ??? sigils] He threw a lazy glance at the human bastards, then his eyes locked with mine. A teasing grin curled up on his lips. "You must be Korra Grey. Came to find out why you''re so damn late to training." Chapter 166: Down to Business ''Training? I only wanted to have my fighting skills evaluated - that¡¯s all.'' Not the brightest thing to dwell on, but with the man¡¯s easy, almost lazy manner, I simply couldn''t help myself. His calm expression, framed by a short, thick beard, and those warm, deep eyes shaded under heavy brows gave me a strange sense of security - or maybe it was just the relief of him being here. After all, my leg was still clamped tight in the beast''s maw. Whatever the case, his attitude - and especially his strength - made me believe that not all was lost. [Master Fighter: ??? sigils] This male was strong, stronger than Captain Rayden, stronger than anyone here - well, except the beasts. I didn''t think for a moment that he would be able to stand up to one of the mother mossbears. It wasn¡¯t just his odd bits of gear or the fact he was unarmed. Those beasts were simply too powerful. "Evaluated and pointed out your weaknesses and strengths - in my books, still training." When that scratchy yet oddly pleasant voice echoed in my mind, I froze, fear twisting in my gut. ''Did I imagine it, or...was there another mind mage, a male?'' "Union Ring. Harcon handed it to me - smart of him to use it, but dangerous. The name''s Deckard, by the way.¡± "K-Korra Grey. What do you mean, dangerous?" "Back in the wars, mind mages used them to hitch a ride on the link and get inside your head." ''Shit!'' The fire-wielding male never mentioned a thing about that. "Don''t get your tail in a twist, girl." ''Seriously, how in blazes did he know what I was thinking?'' I thought I knew how to use the rings. "First off, I¡¯ve met plenty of Terr''dens, so I¡¯m able to read between the ears, if you get me. Second, these rings have an enchantment that¡­" He paused, eyes narrowing. "Give me a moment." In a heartbeat, he was gone. To be more precise, in just a few laws of physics-breaking strides, he returned to fire-wielder, Elira, and Vara. One of the young mossbears in the clearing decided to take advantage of his absence and pounce on them. Unfortunately, the no-longer-flower-smelling male and the mind-twisting female had drawn the same blasted conclusion. "One''s that way, the other''s over there," she said, jabbing her finger toward where we ran into the mother mossbears. "You and your people in front. I will follow." "Why don¡¯t YOU lead this time," the male grunted, readjusting his head covering. Just because they had reached the same conclusion didn¡¯t mean they saw eye to eye. Two pack leaders, each clawing for the top. "Your ways have already cost me more than enough men." "Tsk. And your stupidity will cost you even more. FINE!" She gritted her teeth, and the beast gnawing on my leg jerked forward. However, it barely took four steps before freezing. The strong male - Deckard - stood right in their path. "Leaving already?" "Be reasonable, Deckard,¡± the no-longer-floral-smelling male immediately growled back. ¡°This is none of your business. So if you¡¯d just..." "None of my business, Ward?" Deckard cut in, his voice hard as stone. "Yes, let''s be real. That half-Terr''den being your apprentice is just bullshit. So please spare us the pretense. You might as well stop playing soldier, guard, or whatever, you''re neither. Or did you forget?" ?Irritating.? It really was. As far as I knew, Ward was right. More irritating, though, was that my ''rescuer'' was more keen on talking than rescuing. ''Seriously, didn''t he see that I had my leg in the beast''s maw?'' Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As if to irritate me further, Deckard put on a smile, his hand slipping out of his pocket to ruffle his dark, ragged hair - barely longer than the length of a pinky. "Of course not. BUT just because I took off my uniform doesn''t mean I sold my mind - unlike you. I gotta say, you''ve grown some balls since the last time I saw you, Ward. On the other hand, I never thought you''d fall so low as to work with a mind mage." The no-longer-flower-scented male shot back, "Your beloved Rayden drove me to it." Deckard raised an eyebrow. "Funny. I heard it was your greed." "Libel and slander. They just offered me more." "Sure they did. Always do. Tell you exactly what you want to hear. Isn''t that right, mind mage? You offer sweet words, then leave nothing but hollow minds." "Bold words for a mere seeker," the mind-bending bitch sneered. "But I¡¯ve broken the minds of those stronger than you." "If you have, then they weren''t stronger, mind mage," Deckard shot back, dismissing her with a look of utter disdain. "You sure you want to test that claim, seeker?" "Are you daft, or just plain rotten in the head? I wouldn''t be standing here if I feared your twisted magic, mind mage." That sure struck a nerve. I could feel her anger, raw and unrestrained, gnawing at my mind''s defenses. ?Stupid!? "Why do you provoke her?" I pushed my thoughts through the onslaught. "It''s way too easy. Besides, pissed-off people don''t think straight. Mind mages especially." ''Oh, so it wasn''t just some small talk.'' ?Smart.? "Let¡¯s agree this ain¡¯t the time, Deckard?" The no-longer-floral-scented male cut in. "Look, I don''t know how you got here, but there are..." "You mean the mother mossbears? They let me pass through." "Bullshit!" spat the shadow-thieving male. "Why the fuck would they?" "Ease up, Draven. He''s just messing with you. Probably slipped past ''em before they even showed up," the sword-wielding female chipped in. Deckard''s laugh rang out, harsh and mocking. "You lot sure are a pack of brain-dead fools." "YOU...!" the mind-twisting bitch spat, stopping when she caught the smirk on his face. Just as she knew what strings to pull with people to steer them where she wanted them to go, he knew exactly how to get under her skin. Or rather, he knew her kind too well. The same with the mossbears, so it seemed. "Have none of you realized that they are taking this as a chance to teach their young? Just a moment." Once again, he vanished, off to assist Elira and Vara. "Traiana''s tits, this is fucked up," swore the shadow-thieving male. "I told you, he¡¯s only messing with us, Draven." "Get your shit together, Draven. Rhea''s right. He''s just full of crap." ¡®Was he though?¡¯ As far as I could tell, there was no lie in his words. "How do you know that? He knows the beasts." "For tits''s sake, just don''t let him get into your head." ¡°That''s what you told the others about her, Ward. And look at them," the shadow-thieving barked, motioning to the six Shadowbreakers fighting in the clearing with mossbears, brainwashed. "Have you forgotten that in his early army days, he was stationed in the garrison at Gran Hill? He KNOWS the beasts." "That''s why I''m telling you he''s only messing with us," the sword-wielding female insisted. "It''s just well-thought-out crap." "Tsk. That brain rotten piece of a seeker! I''m afraid that ''crap'' may be true," the twisted bitch muttered from the top of the beast¡¯s back, its tongue now licking my leg. "You were able to read his mind?" "No, not his, Bastian. The beast''s." ''What?'' I pause in my efforts to get the beast to stop. The licking was just odd... unnervingly ticklish. That aside, though, what the bitch said didn''t make any sense. The last time she was in my head she only understood me because I was still thinking as a human. She didn''t speak beast talk. ''Did she learn that in those few days?'' "Oh, reminds me of that Fae shit. How long were you gonna keep it a secret that you understood them? Till they eat us all?" "Your incompetence is making me more and more inclined to that idea, Bastian. But no. Beasts are not human. All I can get are images. And as it turned out, if this one wasn''t under my control, it would treat this as a game. Quite ironic, don''t you think?" "Ironic? Enlighten me." "Before this mutt messed everything up, it was a pretty fun game, wasn''t it?" ?Fuck you!? I growled in sync with my beast and Ward''s gnashing of teeth. "For your own good, shut your trap, mutt. First the Fae, now this. They told me to bring you back whole, with your mind intact, but I do not share my spouse''s benevolence, nor his patience. We''ll learn a lot, even from a sniveling imbecile, I''m sure. So unless you want me to tear your mind apart..." "Are you talking about the girl?" the deep, scratchy voice cut through. Deckard was back. "If you are, I can''t allow you to do that. You see, it''s hard to teach a drooling idiot. In fact, as much as I enjoyed our little talk, I''m going to have your mossbear let go of the girl, mind mage." ''Fucking finally!'' Chapter 167: Numb "Or what? Are you going to fight all of us?" the male with the head cover sneered, his usual floral scent muddled now with smoke, moss, and... concern. "If I have to." "After you left the city guards, I took you for a more reasonable man, Deckard. If what you¡¯re saying is true, shouldn¡¯t we be working together to get out of here? These beasts¡­," he said, nodding to the young mossbears roaming the edge of the burning clearing, two fighting the brainwashed Shadowbrakers, one licking my leg, another under the control of the bitch sneaking around. "They¡¯re easy enough to handle. But those in the woods - those are a different story. Together, though, we might stand a chance¡­." "I would think that as a mage, you wouldn''t underestimate them so much, Ward," the strong male, Deckard, cut him off. "Do I need to spell it out? This is their forest." "How¡¯re you holding up, girl?" Deckard''s voice rang out in my head. "All is great. I''m just hanging out here, you know... anyway, what do you mean by that this is their forest? What does this have to do with mages?" "I know the Lost ones can be odd, but I''d still think you''d be more concerned about your leg." "Been numb a while now." "I like you, girl. Still,¡± he said, pausing for a moment, wary of the movements of the others. ¡°Well, if you want to know, what I meant was that this is a place tied to their magic, actually created by their magic. In a sense, they''re nature mages. Just like fire mages thrive in lava fields or on a blazing summer day, or shadow mages like Ward at this time of the day, and mind mages in a frightened crowd. A mossy forest is about the worst place you¡¯d want to go up against mossbears. That''s a free lesson for you, girl." That actually made a lot of sense. Except I hadn''t seen the mossbear do anything magical so far. "You sure talk big for someone who''s as trapped as we are, seeker," the mind-twisting bitch hissed from atop the back of her controlled mossbear. Then her voice softened, smooth as honey. "But we could use someone with your skills... and knowledge. Name your price and I¡¯ll make you a deal." Deckard laughed, hands deep in his pockets. "Mind mages, masters of minds, my ass. Thick as bricks, the lot of you." "YOU brain rotten half-wit!" she spat, sending her mossbear, the other one controlled by her, charging straight for Deckard from the thickets of the forest. While I held my breath, he barely blinked. In fact, he seemed more wary of Ward and his two packmates joining the fray. Rightly so. When the beast lunged, he simply sidestepped, smooth as anything. It looked easy, but I knew better - there was so much to it that I shuddered all over. "Rhea, Draven!" shouted the no-longer flower-scented male, and, just as I had feared, the three of them attacked him. The sword-wielding female, quite bravely took him on directly, the shadow-thieving male disappeared into the darkness of the trees, while the smell of shadow surrounded Ward. Yes, even the shadows had a smell. His shadows, anyway. Stolen novel; please report. "Watch out!" I yelled through the ring. He was dodging every strike with his hands in his pockets, barely even noticing the shadows rippling beneath him - too focused on the female swordwielder, the shadow-thieving male and the mossbear. My warning, however, I realized immediately, only seemed to break his focus, an unwanted distraction. Fortunately, not fatal. Right as the shadows wielded by the no-longer-flower-smelling male were to rise, a heavy stomp from Deckard broke the spell''s hold, scattering the shadows before it could fully take shape. Of course, that didn¡¯t stop the shadow-wielding mage; he just shifted his tactics. A shadowy crescent, like a slice of the moon, flew from his hand, then a second one. Neither, however, hit their target. If anything, they gave more trouble to those trying to kill Deckard. One crescent even struck the controlled mossbear. Didn¡¯t kill it, but it cut deep. Unfortunately, not deep enough to break the mossbear out of that bitch''s control. The beast just let out a low growl before attacking again. Frustratingly, focused as she was, the bitch sat too far from the reach of my claws - claws that seemed utterly useless against the mossbear. There was no way I could make it move and distract her to help Deckard. Or... was there? Spurred on by the idea, I took a breath and did what I was good at. ?ROAR!!!? Everyone flinched - everyone but Deckard, who flashed me a grin. "You''re growing on me, girl. Smart call." "You brainless mutt! When will you learn to shut your maw!" spat the bitch, wrestling the two mossbears back under her control. Naturally, my roar bare of my might wasn¡¯t enough to break her hold. That would be too much to wish. But it did stir up a spark of ferocity in their hearts - and in mine. Pity the surprise didn¡¯t last even a heartbeat. Actually, much to my horror, it seemed that both beast and human had joined the battle with even greater ferocity. My meddling had stripped Deckard of his laid-back attitude. Pressed on all sides by three humans, one mossbear, and the minds-twisting bitch trying to worm into his mind, it was only a matter of time before he would make a mistake. And then... Barely a moment after my roar, a pressure wave surged through the air. Deckard, unable to dodge the sword-wielding woman¡¯s strikes any longer, was forced to meet her blade - using nothing but his foot. Balanced on a single leg, a stance that would¡¯ve sent me sprawling and likely pulling a muscle, he spun on his heel with a speed I couldn¡¯t even track. The next moment, the female crashed into a tree, flung like a rag-doll. His fighting style was certainly unique... just kicks. Simple, yet... he had honed them to levels I had never imagined. Strong, very strong. A fine prospect for a mate. ''What? Mate? NO, no, no, no, no!'' However, before I could reprimand my inner lustful beast any further, a loud roar split the air. A young mossbear, its mind free of any meddling, had joined the battle, rushing toward the shadow-wielding male. The mage reacted swiftly, sending a barrage of shadow blades. Though a few missed, the rest found their mark, tearing into the mossbear¡¯s flesh. The beast, a young hunter, howled in pain, its body crumpling to the ground before it could reach its prey. ?Bold try.? "Traiana''s tits! Are you trying to kill it?!" The shadow-thieving male¡¯s voice came from the dark of the forest, sharp with anger and fright. "You think I meant to," his pack leader sputtered. "The ones Deckard took down look alive, but..." "I know!" "We must be careful not to kill more than..." "I fucking know, Draven!" "©¦Kill one mossbear, and you can call it a success. ©¦After killing two, you should be distressed. ©¦Killing three might as well be the end for you, ©¦as the next beast you will face will be Esu." Deckard¡¯s voice rose in a nursery rhyme of sorts, though one far too grisly for young ears. He sang on, indifferent, unlike the rest. Well, save for the bitch and myself. "Who is Esu?" Chapter 168: Daydreams I know, not the best time to address this, but... ''Who was Esu, seriously? Some kind of bogeyman? Esu, Esu, Esu...no, doesn¡¯t ring any bells.'' Whoever this Esu was, no one so far had seemed to see any reason to tell me about them. "Esu is the name of the Lord of the Forest." Deckard answered, barely sparing me a glance as he fended off a shadow-thieving male that lunged at him from the darkness. ''Oh, the Lord of the Forest. OH, shit, that makes so much sense. Esu, Esulmor.'' "So, is he named after the forest?" My question, foolish as it was, threw Deckard off for just a heartbeat, enough to put him in a tight spot. All three members of the Shadowbreaker pack, along with the mossbear and that wretched bitch, pounced on the chance without hesitation. "Girl, you¡¯d best get your priorities in line," he snapped once he''d wrestled back a sliver of breathing room. "S-Sorry," I whimpered through the Union Ring connection, genuinely ashamed. I was every bit as irritated with myself. "I think... I think it''s my mental defense skill. It calms me down - a little too much, I guess." "If that''s the only drawback - keep using it.That bitch is relentless - and for a Cognizant, she¡¯s damn good. Great job keeping her out of your head this long." Well, to be honest, it was more her fear of the beast inside me that kept her out of my head, but¡­ ''Did he just call her a bitch? Like I did? And¡­ was that praise?'' Pride flared in my chest, and my tail gave a wag. Of course, perched on the back of her mossbear as she was, the bitch didn¡¯t miss it. "What are you so happy about, mutt?!" ?None of your business!? "Tsk. Go on, yap while you can. Once we¡¯re done here, you¡¯re getting a muzzle!" Showing her any weakness was the last thing I wanted, yet the thought sent a chill down my spine. Me, locked in a beast''s body for good, silenced with a muzzle, collared, leashed like some dog. "Don''t let her get under your skin." Deckard''s voice rang in my head, dispelling the chill of my future that the bitch imagined for me. "That''s what they do. They talk big; they gnaw at your confidence, looking for a crack to get in. Just brush it off - that''s the best you can do." ''Is that where his laid-back attitude comes from?'' Marcus, the alpha health caregiver over at the human training ground, had a similar way of looking at things now that he thought about it. Even Blaine and Captain Rayden didn''t seem overly bothered by the mind mages - well, except for the obvious spite at them. Unfortunately, the trio of the Shadowbreaker pack, the mossbear, and the mind mage seemed too much for the potential mate to keep acting unfazed. The longer the fight went on, the more they adjusted to his style, adapting with every move. "Listen up, girl," he said, sidestepping the sword-wielding woman¡¯s strike, only to twist away from the young mossbear¡¯s leap. "I''ve been told that your healing¡¯s up there with the best double array healers. True?¡± Watching him brush off the shadow magic that surged around him with a single step, I narrowed my eyes. "Could be. I wouldn¡¯t know. I mean, I never compared the two." "Good. So you¡¯d be able to regrow, say¡­ a leg?" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Going by the [Never-Dying]''s description, I should be able to, but¡­ "Good," he said, "looks like those galls are struggling a bit, so¡­ sorry in advance." Before I could do a thing, he parried the shadow-thieving male¡¯s strike and, in two strides that defied reason, he closed the gap between us. "NO! Don¡¯t let him¡­!" the mind-twisting female screeched, sure he was after her. Couldn¡¯t be more wrong. His boot swung straight for the young mossbear she was perched on. With only a second to brace, I squeezed my eyes shut, clenched my teeth, and then - PAIN! ?ROAR!!!? To be fair, what escaped my throat was closer to a miserable whine than a roar. Didn¡¯t matter, though. He kicked the mossbear¡¯s snout hard enough to bring it crashing to the ground and clamped down on my leg. The bite was brutal - my bones snapped under the force. And just like that, the damn beast bit my leg off. "Brains! Get up you stupid¡­ NO! Stop him!" the bitch screamed. ''Stop him from what? My leg''s already gone! What more¡­?'' Before I could even finish cursing, his arms wrapped around me. And gods, did it feel good. For the first time in ages, I felt safe - truly safe - held by him. He lifted me without a hint of struggle, my weight nothing to him. It was like being swept up by the prince from all those daydreams I had when I was younger. I blamed my beast urges and [Indomitable Will] for the thinking. More and more, I was certain I was riding high on it. After all, in those fantasies, I wasn''t a one-legged princess wagging her tail, ready to jump the prince. "Hold on to me, girl." He didn¡¯t need to say it twice. Without a second thought, I threw my arms around his neck, my wings wrapping tight around his waist. The moment I did so, he took a step. And what a step it was. Instead of speed pressing my body against his I had expected, the whole world seemed to move around us. It was a strange feeling, surreal - much like when the Fae took me from my world. Worse, just like then, when we stopped, my stomach turned upside down. But unlike that time, I managed not to barf. "Take care of her," he ordered, easing me down next to the fire wielder, then stepped away to deal with the mossbear Elira was struggling with. The poor female fought like mad to keep the beast occupied, trying to keep it away from her packmates and not die in the process. "Well done, Guardswoman Hakhe," Deckard praised Elira, stepping in beside her. In a few quick moves, he brought the beast down, the one she¡¯d been fighting for her life. "Don''t kill it. That would unnecessarily complicate things." "Korra! Hey, can you hear me?! Eyes here!" Vara¡¯s voice reached me, cutting through the haze. Slowly, I focused on her. ?Y-Yes?? "Fuck! I forgot you can''t talk," Vara cursed under her breath at the sound of my growl, thinking fast. "Nods and shakes, then. Got it?" I gave a nod. "Good. Your leg. You think you need a potion?" ''I mean, it couldn''t hurt, right?'' "Say no, girl. With regeneration like yours, a potion might mess things up," Deckard¡¯s voice echoed in my head. Where he had gone to, I had no idea. Shake. "Alright, look, I¡¯m not great at this... but don¡¯t worry about your leg. Even if your regeneration... well, Marcus can make it grow back, like I said. You understand?" I nodded. "Good. Then lie down and don¡¯t stick your head out. If you''re outclassed in a fight, it¡¯s better to stay out of the way and trust your fellow fighters." Vara said, almost as if reminding herself. "At least that''s something Rayden said once or twice. Tits! Should¡¯ve paid more attention. Anyway, with Deckard here, we¡¯ve still got a chance." ''Should I nod or shake my head? I mean, I believed that, so...'' Elira¡¯s arrival broke my thoughts. She didn¡¯t fall in with the rest of us. Instead, she stood guard, firm, keeping watch. Brave, considering most of those out there had nearly double the sigils she did. "You good?" Another quick nod. "I swear, losing a leg would seriously freak me out." Vara said, grimacing. "Tits, seeing Korra lose hers gave me the chills. I mean, picturing that beast eating her leg now..." "Vara! I wasn''t asking you." Elira snapped, but too late - her words had already sunk in. The thought, one I hadn''t even considered before, was enough to turn my insides. "Ignore that idiot, K-Korra. Stay focused on what matters: getting out of here." "Hey, I''m not an idiot. The ones who killed the mossbears are," Vara shot back, eyes narrowing as she caught the question in the tilt of my ears. "Those shitheads from Shadowbreakers killed one. And the idiot lying next to you did too. You know the saying, right?" I nodded. ©¦Kill one mossbear, and you can call it a success. ©¦After killing two, you should be distressed. ©¦Killing three might as well be the end for you, ©¦as the next beast you will face will be Esu. Chapter 169: Unlocked ©¦Kill one mossbear, and you can call it a success. ©¦After killing two, you should be distressed. ©¦Killing three might as well be the end for you, ©¦as the next beast you will face will be Esu. Was there any truth to the numbers in the rhyme, or was it just a tale to keep people from stirring up trouble in Esulmor? Everyone around me, at least those in the know, acted like it was the real deal. So, did that mean one more dead mossbear, and Esu, the Lord of the Forest, would appear? ?Better not.? ''Yeah, I agree.'' My inner beast wasn¡¯t wrong. This wasn¡¯t simply a suicide mission to avoid falling into the hands of the mind mages anymore. There was a real chance we would make it out alive - a chance brought by... "What did you say, Korra?" Vara asked, obviously much better off than she had been in the cage, while checking the fire-wielder¡¯s wounds. The male fought valiantly but paid dearly for challenging too many. I may not have seen what happened after the shadow-thieving male managed to slip through his guard and drove a metal claw into his side, but the wounds spoke plenty. He hadn¡¯t lost a limb like I had, though some of his cuts went deep, one so nasty it showed his guts. He was still breathing, and so was the rest of my pack. Now, all that mattered was keeping it that way. "Oops. My bad. Only yes and no. Um... Korra?" Vara froze, eyes fixed on my neck, with Elira staring just as hard. "Your slave collar. It¡¯s... unlocked." Maybe not with my own eyes, but through my domain I was staring too. The collar, not unlike the one I hadn''t been able to take off for a year and a half, simply unlocked. Rutledge - that little fat rat''s name came immediately to my mind. Why, though? Why did it unlock? Even if by some stroke of luck he did make it out of Esulmor, it shouldn''t matter. That wasn¡¯t how these collars worked. Wherever you were in this forsaken world, if you had the collar, you had a ''master.'' ''Did the slave trader have a change of heart?'' I found that hard to believe. No, seemed more likely he had met a fate not unlike my leg¡¯s - a fitting end, if I may say so. ?Roar!!!? It might have taken a while for it to fully sink in that I was once again free, but as it did, I grabbed that cursed piece of metal, ripped it off my neck, and hurled it away as far as I could. Then, to make sure, I cast a quick look at my Grid. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 98 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):.....23 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):.................112 ¡ú 113 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General):..................19 ¡ú 21 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General):................................... 9 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General):.................................11 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General):..............11 glyphs - ? Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ After all I had gone through today, there wasn¡¯t much to show for it. Far more importantly though, where the bastard''s name had previously been listed was now written NONE. I had no master, no one to hold their sway over my mind. ?ROAR!!!? A triumphant roar burst out of me, startling my pack. "Traiana''s tits, I told you to warn me!" "Are you trying to call more mossbears, Grey - I mean Korra?" I grinned, shaking my head at Elira¡¯s question and unable to really answer her, wiggled my butt to show her my wagging tail. ?Happy.? In fact, this regained freedom had lit something fierce in me, filling me with wild energy, and now I was all but itching to sink my teeth into something, or someone. "Actually, K-Korra," Elira said, shaking her head at my actions, concern evident in her eyes. "I don''t think that would be a bad idea." ''What wouldn''t be a bad idea? Bite someone?'' Once again, a little annoyingly, my thoughts wormed their way into my body language and she was able to pick up on my confusion. "I meant you calling more mossbears, Korra. Deckard - he''s good, really good. But there are limits to what one man can do..." A high-pitched scream, still unmistakably male to my ears, pierced the air, cutting her words short. Without hesitation, she dropped into a guarded stance, prepared for whatever was coming. Vara followed her lead, and I joined them - pride wouldn¡¯t let me hide behind my pack when I still had the strength to fight. Though my leg had been lost below the knee, I leapt to my feet-foot, only to freeze, caught in the same dumbfounded gaze as the others. Out of a blazing fire at the edge of the clearing burst the young male, the workhand, or Tate, as my no longer master called him. Right on his heels, a mossbear followed, its fur smoking. "Please, don''t eat me! Please, don''t eat me! Please, don''t eat me ...!" The young male''s words tumbled from his lips, panic in each breath. He ran just a few paces from where we stood, and the mossbear followed blindly, completely ignoring us. Whatever had happened between them had left the beast seething. Watching them rush through the clearing, though, it became clear to me what Elira had been trying to tell me. Despite the higher number of sigils, their size, and brute strength, the young mossbears were not as much of a threat to humans as I had first thought. The six surviving brainwashed members of the Shadowbreaker pack had already taken down one of them, and now half of them were engaged in combat with my potential mate. ''Deckard, for the love of... just Deckard!'' Even so, I couldn''t deny that the sight of his might was... well, thrilling. Though he faced fewer opponents than the fire-wielder might, none of them seemed to be holding back. What excited me most, though, was that he did not rely on magic. He fought them face-to-face, up close, the way one should if they truly meant to end a life. Yes. The sight of him was thrilling, yet what neither of us wished to witness was clear. His strength could not overcome them all. That no-longer-floral-smelling male¡¯s pack knew how to work together - even those whose minds had been twisted by the bitch. When Deckard sent one flying away with a kick, another took their place, denying their prey the chance to unleash its full might. ?Good pack.? ''How can you say that?!'' I railed at my inner beast. The truth however was unfolding before my eyes, they worked well together. "What did you say? N-Never mind." Elira asked, her gaze sharp, her worry thick enough I could smell it. "Do you think... Do you believe you could unleash that beast might, again¡­ Korra?" "Hold on," Vara said, her voice rising in panic. "If you¡¯re planning to do that, say so first. I''d hate to get a heart attack, or worse - shit myself." "You should get your priorities straight, Vara," Elira chided, though her tone was far softer than whenever she was awkward with her bluntness. Instead, she gave ME the look. "Korra?" ''My beast might, huh?'' All I could give her was a shrug. The truth was, I had no fucking clue. Mana wasn¡¯t the issue. The big chunk of it that I used for my healing while on the road had largely been replenished. The real issue was my strength - it wasn''t my might that I was letting out, but the might of a beast or maybe even of several beasts that the deranged asshole put into me. The strain it had placed on my body lingered, still aching deep in my muscles and bones. Did that mean I couldn¡¯t do it? No, it didn¡¯t. I just had no fucking idea what it would cost me. ''Shit! Fuck it!'' Yeah, I was dreading it. But every breath of hesitation threatened that the mind-twisting bitch and the no-longer-flower-scented human and his pack would have their way. That would mean my brief freedom would slip away again. Simply put, I had no choice, even if it were to cost me my life. ''Vara!'' ?Foul-mouthed one!? "Oh, tits! You¡¯re actually going through with it." With a nod back to Vara, I hopped up on my one leg to get a better balance and actually dropped to all fours, preferring to do it now in a controlled manner rather than when all the strength leaves me. Then I drew my breath and¡­ well, froze. Chapter 170: Breathless and Spent "Leave me alone, you crazy animal!" The desperate voice belonged to a young human, the workhand, Tate. He burst through the smoke rising from the scorched moss in the clearing, much like the shadow-thieving male could emerge from the forest''s dark depths. The mossbear charged after him, relentless. Blinded by fear, the young human ran - straight at us. Only when he was a few steps away did he spot Elira, standing guard. Then his eyes landed on me, ready to howl. As if he saw the devil himself, or whatever the equivalent of that was here, he shrieked in fright and tripped, slamming face-first into the dirt. Kind of funny. But the smile left my face right away. The young but still massive mossbear chasing the human tried to stop and get its prey, but its own bulk betrayed it. Instead of sinking claws into that fool on the ground, it thundered right over him. Good thing I reacted fast, wings flapping, rolling clear - else it would have flattened me. ?My pack!? The young mossbear barreled uncontrollably through where the foul-mouthed female had stood just a heartbeat ago and tumbled wildly, kicking up earth where the fire-wielder lay. A chill bit into my heart. ¡®What if...?¡¯ "Vara?!" the shy one cried, no less worried about her packmate than I was. She seemed untouched, not needing to shift even a step as the beast careened by. The others, though, weren¡¯t so lucky. The fire-wielder lay directly in its path, and where Vara had stood, only a haze of dust and smoke remained. My chest hammered - until, as the haze thinned, a wave of relief steadied my racing heart. "Fuck my tits! Did you see that? Say you did!" the foul-mouthed packmate yelled, half-hidden behind one of the sprawling roots weaving through the clearing. The one beside the fire-wielder seemed to have saved him from worse. ?Grrrr!!!? The young mossbear wasn¡¯t nearly as thrilled as Vara. Its growl came out low and sharp, filled with annoyance at failing to catch its prey - a feeble little thing, weak as... some little rodent. Shaking itself off, the young mossbear scrambled to its feet and sought out its prey, ready to prove its skills as a hunter. Without a glance our way, it headed straight for the young human. Not wasting a second, he scrambled to his feet and took off, screaming, "Why me? What does this animal have against me?" "Seriously, did you see that?" Vara came up, holding her sore ribs, breathless. "One moment I thought I was a goner; the next I¡¯m hanging on to that beast¡¯s fur! When it rolled, I got launched into the air, and - ouch - Elira?" She stopped, startled, as her packmate pulled her into a hug. "I thought you really were a goner, you idiot." She grinned, hugging her back. "You won''t get rid of me that easily." "I sure hope not," Elira said, swiping at her tears. Touching, pack-tightening, foolish, clinging to each other when death waited just around the bend. ?Ready yourself!? I barked, dropping to all fours and forcing a breath into my lungs. ?ROAR!!!? The beast might ripped out of me along with my roar. ''Come, send more to play, prove themself!'' I dared, though I couldn¡¯t say how far the challenge carried. As soon as it left my lips, darkness surged, and I felt my mind slipping. Breathless and spent, I collapsed, every bit of strength drained, agony spreading like wildfire through my veins. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ "Korra!" Elira¡¯s voice sliced through the silence, anchoring me in its hold. That Lattice notification greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes again. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Thanks the tits, she''s breathing," Vara cried out, her voice stabbing into my ears. "Y-You''re right, she is," Elira stammered, half in disbelief. My lips curled into a smile - a small movement that hurt worse than having a leg bitten-off. "I-I am." Talking hurt even worse, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. I had to know. "H-How long?" "Just a few breaths," Elira said, making sense of my hoarse, shaky voice. A groan slipped out from the depths of my chest. ''Why on Earth couldn''t I have woken up when it was all over?!'' "You basically died, you know," Vara said, still struggling to believe what had happened. ¡°Your heart actually stopped. You weren¡¯t breathing at all.¡± "Well,¡± I said, coughing. ¡°That''s what happens when you die." Bloody heck, I sure wish I had stayed dead. My regeneration was doing its thing, I could even feel the mana swirling through my body, repairing the worst of the damage, but every movement, every breath I took was so heavy, so painful. "So, you really did die, K-Korra?" "A-According to the Lattice, yeah," I growled, coughing up blood - actual blood. It wasn¡¯t until I looked at Elira, her concern written plain as day, that I realized my error. ''Didn''t I tell them I basically can''t die? Shit! I didn''t, didn''t I?'' In my defense, I had a damn good reason. The less people knew, the better. "How can you be so calm about it?" "W-Well..." "Yeah, I''d be over the moons," Vara cut me off, glancing back toward the distant sound of mossbear grunts. Elira did the same, her eyes narrowing. "D-Did it work?" "Yes, it worked - a few more mossbears came rushing in." "And thank the tits, they¡¯ve all ignored us." I coughed up, remembering back to what Deckard said and the frustration of the mossbear that chased the workhand. "We are too weak to be worthy as prey." "Well, I''m not one to complain when I have no desire to end up as a snack," Vara remarked, halting as her eyes lingered on the stump of my leg. "Ah, tits. I did not mean to... How are you holding up? I mean, I know your regeneration is damn good, but... I had no idea it was that good. Can it still be considered just regeneration? Not any healer can..." "I''ll live." Unfortunately. Not much choice in the matter. "That much we gathered," Elira growled, a hint of hurt in her voice. "Did you know?" "W-What? That using my might again could kill me?" "Yes!" "Yeah. I did." "Traiana''s tits, I don''t know if I''d have the balls - on second thought if I knew that my weave can bring me back - how many times have you actually died?" A damn good question. One I had no answer for, save a shrug. "I¡¯ve lost count." Elira¡¯s disbelief was clear as she tore her gaze from the battle. "What? Lost count? How can you lose count of something like that?" "To be fair, it¡¯s not so difficult.¡± Vara took the words off the tip of my tongue. "I¡¯ve lost track of how many guys I''ve slept with myself." Not quite the comparison I would have made, and Elira seemed to share my sentiment, her brow furrowing. Yet she swallowed her frustration with her friend, shifting her attention back to the clearing as the conflict raged on. "Usually, not something pretty to remember¡­" I said, my voice trailing off as Vara gave me a helping hand to get up. I had hands, human hands, not paws. With my death, I shifted back once more. No bestial urge for blood and strong mate, no growls in place of words. "Well, not my case. Usually it''s something to remember - you okay, Korra?" Vara asked, finally noticing my shock of being human again. "I shifted back. Why didn''t you tell me?" "You didn''t know?" "You spoke to us so naturally,¡± Elira also wondered, making ME feel stupid for not noticing. Honestly, I should have, it just¡­ my thoughts cut short, my attention as well as the attention of the two drawn again by the noise of battle. "Unless something changes, no adding to my guy tally," Vara muttered, her voice dark at the sight of the fight. Though the clearing was teeming with at least half a dozen young mossbears, they lacked the strength to do anything more than stall the Shadowbreakers for a few breaths. My roar had been useless. My death, pointless. Death. They were still alive, all of them. After all that fighting, Deckard had failed to strike down even one. Or had he? Something inside me whispered that he had done it by choice, that he had steered clear of the final blow, though I couldn¡¯t say why. Chapter 171: Still... Seriously, was he holding back on purpose? From what I could see, Deckard had plenty of chances to take their lives. His steps defied the laws of physics, yet somehow, they didn¡¯t so much as crack a bone. It didn¡¯t make a lick of sense. Nevertheless, having learned from past blunders, I dared not let my curiosity wander through the Union Ring link. One slip of his focus might doom us all. Still... "T-There¡¯s got to be something we can do, right?" "Unless you have another trick up your sleeve, then¡­" Vara answered my plea, her voice laced with faint hope that I hid another secret from them. Well, she wasn''t wrong. There was so much I didn''t say. But those secrets were more awkward than helpful. What did it matter that I could talk to beasts and fart venom when he was fighting people twice the number of sigils and more than me? "... then I''m afraid not." ¡®Hold on, I could talk to the beasts. What if¡­¡¯ "T-Then what... what if we took down a mossbear?" Bold words, considering the shape I was in. But if slaying three mossbears could bring down on us Esu, the Lord of the Forest, it was worth the risk. A long shot, by any measure. No telling if he would even care to listen to me. Still¡­ "Deckard was clear - no killing any, no matter what," Elira protested, but her tone betrayed her doubt. With a bit of persuasion, she wouldn''t be opposed to the idea. Still, if he had gone out of his way to say it, he must have had a solid reason. No killing mossbears then. The workhand didn¡¯t seem to get that memo, though. "Die, you stupid animal!" Just as I was struggling to get my aching brain to come up with something useful, his voice cut through the air. Somehow, against all odds, he was still alive. And not only that, but the young mossbear chasing him looked worn out, barely able to keep up. Long-distance hunts clearly weren¡¯t these beasts¡¯ strength. Dumbstruck, just like Vara and Elira, I watched the thug chuck anything within reach at the beast - rocks, sticks, even clumps of smouldering moss. "See, I told you not to mess with me, you..." His words choked off as the young mossbear growled, and down he went, stumbling hard. Yet when he rose again, a sword gleamed in his grip. My breath hitched, fear knotting in my chest despite what I suggested we do a moment ago. ¡®Did he really intend to¡­?¡¯ I stopped myself, actually hoping he would succeed, and instead painfully craned my neck to spot where the blade came from. Swords didn¡¯t just sprout from the ground, and if he had it in his spatial storage, he would have used it long ago. His luck, though - he had landed by a dead Shadowbreaker. Not one of the brainwashed lot but the guy swayed by that bitch, unhappy with where Ward¡¯s decisions had taken the Shadowbreakers, killed by the swordstress. Not that it mattered all that much who the blade belonged to. It was now in the hands of a fool who clearly thought swinging it about made him a warrior. "Surely he¡¯s not..." Vara whispered, her voice tight with disbelief. No wonder. Even without the training she and Elira had, I could see he didn''t know how to wield a sword. More than anything else, his efforts resembled swatting away flies. Neither of us foresaw what came next. "No!" Elira¡¯s shout ripped from her throat too late and too far to do anything. One had to pity the beast for its bad luck. Just as it mustered the strength to lunge at its prey, the lad stumbled, his sword dragging him down he tumbled into the beast''s attack, plunging the blade deep into its eye. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. For a breathless moment, it looked like the beast was going to just brush it off. The sword was pitifully small compared to its bulk. But then, in the span of a few pounding heartbeats, its strength gave out, and the young mossbear crashed to the ground, lifeless. The stillness that followed was deafening. The mossbears still left standing turned their eyes to their fallen sibling. Even Deckard and the Shadowbreakers froze where they stood, knowing full well this marked the third death. The tension hung thick as they waited, dreading what might come next. The workhand, on the other hand, oblivious as ever, let loose the moment the Lattice confirmed his kill. "YES! You shouldn''t have messed with me, you stupid animal!" he shouted, loud enough to shake the air. And the fool didn¡¯t stop there - he broke into a dance atop the mossbear¡¯s body, drunk on his own success. But the forest stayed still, ignoring his disrespectful behavior. For a moment, at least. As doubts about the nursery rhyme¡¯s truth barely took root in the minds of those in the clearing, a mournful wail of the mother mossbears rang out from beyond the flames of the forest. They grieved for their young, yet pride echoed through their sorrow. ''Was it joy over them returning to the forest?'' The wails were complex, some parts slipping past my understanding, but they struck a chill deep in my bones, nonetheless. "Don''t try anything stupid," Deckard warned, his sudden appearance beside us nearly sending my heart into my throat. "You can speak with beasts, can''t you, girl?" "W-Why?" I stammered, choking on the words. Was he hoping I could talk us out of it? Sure enough, the thought crossed my mind when I was thinking about killing a mossbear myself. That didn''t mean I had the confidence to actually do it. ?She, Lady.? ?Lady, talk.? ?Lady will protect.? If I hadn''t known it would hurt like hell, I would have laughed. All the Scalehoofs, more than a dozen of them, gathered around us. Even the two who were pulling the wagon with the cage, still harnessed to the yoke that had broken off it, came in the hope that I would somehow get them out of this mess. "Fuck my tits, are you some kind of animal whisperer?" gushed Vara, her eyes wide as the animals circled us. Elira stood close, her cheeks tinged pink as she glanced at me. ¡°You truly understand them?¡± ¡°Um-hmm.¡± ¡°Awesome, BUT - is it a good idea?¡± Vara whispered, her voice dropping low to keep it from the scalehoofs'' ears. ¡°Won''t this look like a feast to the beasts?" The scalehoofs, clearly hearing her and annoyed, shot back with disgruntled neighs. ?You feast!? ?Stupid human.? Deckard flashed me a grin, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You truly are one in the world, girl. I''m very much looking forward to our lesson,¡± he said, his attention shifting to Vara. ¡°And for your information, guardswoman Truthorb, mossbears don''t like Scalehoof meat very much." "What about human meat?" "Do you see any feasting on the corpses?" The answer was no. The corpses of the two Shadowbreakers lay on the ground untouched. "Don''t get your hopes up, though. They''ll find a use for our corpses when it comes down to it." "Hold on. What do you mean by that...?" Her voice broke off as the howl of the mother mossbears ended. The trees, far and wide, groaned beneath the weight of their combined might. The fires that had raged across the woods died out, and so did all the noises of the nocturnal creatures disturbed by the fight. Oddly, none of the might fell on our shoulders. Then the earth trembled beneath our feet. The mother mossbears were coming. I watched the tree line, tense like the others in the clearing, when a sudden headache struck, tearing through my skull and bringing tears to my eyes, my body locking up. "At last, you brainless mutt." The cynical, steady, and really unsettling voice in my head made me panic. I rushed to put up my mental defenses, to use [Indomitable Will], something I realized with horror I forgot to do after I woke up from my death. Too late, though. She was inside, already there, and I could do nothing to rid myself of her, except¡­ "No, you don''t!" She stopped me cold, even from shifting when I let go of the reins of my beast. "Now, for once, be the good mutt you are and do exactly what I say..." Chapter 172: Fuddled Thoughts "...do you understand, mutt?" A pointless question when I couldn¡¯t so much as blink without her say-so. Why she even bothered explaining was beyond me. She could¡¯ve made me do it with a mere thought. But whatever her reason for doing so, be it making it easier on them when the object of their control knew what to do, or just her perversion, she made a mistake. She wanted a yes, and like a good little mutt, I gave her one. "Yes." Just as I had hoped, when I directed my answer to the Union Ring, Deckard picked up on it too. "Girl?" "Now!" the mind bitch screeched, her voice rattling in my skull, forcing me to move, and I did. That was, however, where she made the second mistake, or rather, failed to notice that I was barely standing. That was where I miscalculated, though. Despite the pain my body was in, the lack of strength, and my missing leg, I didn''t fall flat on my ass, but instead broke into a surprisingly fast, if odd, three-limbed run. ?Lady?? ?Where you off to?? Neighed the confused animals I slipped past. Obviously, I was more capable than I thought - whether it was due to my bestial linage, regeneration, or weaves like [Equilibrium]. Not that any of it got me far. One step and Deckard stood by me, hoisting me up by the waist like I was nothing more than a wayward pup. A pathetic little whine of relief escaped my lips before the mind-bitch''s magic stopped me. Honestly, I had no idea what she was thinking. That I could just slip through a herd of scalehoofs without anyone noticing - while missing a leg? "Brainrot have you, seeker!" the bitch shrieked, perched high on her mossbear¡¯s back. "Like I said, brain-dead fools," he shot back a grin. "Let me guess? You wanted to have her use a Labyrinth Anchor?¡± ''Damn, how did he know?'' That was exactly her plan. Once I was close enough, she was going to throw me whatever this anchor thing was and had me pour mana into it. "Tsk," she clicked her tongue, her gaze, like everyone else¡¯s, snapping to the treeline skirting the clearing. One by one, mother mossbears emerged from the trees, slow and lumbering - or rather, the trees moved out of the way of these majestic creatures. There were five of them, the same number I had seen hauled across the ground by the young mossbear. And they were every bit as colossal as I remembered. Three humans tall, maybe more. Their antlers, covered thick with moss and vines, stretched even higher, looking like tree branches. Their fur, somewhere between brown and gray, was almost buried under all that moss clinging to them. Their eyes swept the clearing, pausing on the young - fallen, dead, and alive. Most of all, they lingered on the two trapped under the bitch''s control. ?Thought Fuddler!? grunted one of the mother mossbears. ?How dare you muddle their thoughts!? One didn''t need to know the beast talk to catch the fury in her growl - that went for the mind-bitch too - or rather the ''Thought Fuddler''. A fitting name for one like her. I could almost see the gears turning in the bitch¡¯s head as she weighed her options - her chances, the pros and cons. No doubt, pretty much everyone in the clearing had to be doing the same. But it was when glowing green strands appeared briefly on mother mossbears'' antlers and Thought Fuddler lost control of the two beasts, that she understood that not even today she would have her way. Forced to jump off the back of the young mossbear she was riding, she spat a curse, shooting daggers at me and Deckard. "Curse you, mutt!" A black cube etched with runes, not unlike the one I had seen her use back then in that cursed lab, appeared in their hands. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ''She wants to run away!'' I tried to warn Deckard, but still held in her thrall, my tongue didn''t move at all, nor did my thoughts reach the ring. Instead, a crushing force slammed into my mind, threatening to tear my skull apart. "Have fun teaching her not to piss her knickers, seeker," the bitch spat with a sharp grin. The runes on the cube lit up white-hot and with a blinding flash like those on Labyrinth Square''s platform, she was gone. ©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤¡ó©¤ POV: Deckard "You¡¯re getting old, fool!" Deckard swore under his breath, as the young woman he held by the waistband of her shorts twisted and sank her teeth into his hand. He should have seen it coming. No, not the bite, but the bitch''s mind attack. Her kind thrived on leaving ruin in their wake, like letting people have their sanity slowly stripped away by taking care of those whose minds the bastards decided to destroy. The woman he came to pick up, however, was far too lively to be a mere hollow husk. ¡®Did the Cognizant mess up?¡¯ "Are you there, girl?" He spoke through the link of the Union Ring. But instead of replying, she lunged at his hand, scratching at it like a wild animal. ''Has she turned into one?'' Given what San had shared of her nature, it wouldn''t surprise him. ¡®Wouldn''t be the weirdest thing I''ve ever seen, but¡­¡¯ "Should¡¯ve asked for more," Ward muttered as the mother mossbears voiced their displeasure at the mind mage¡¯s cowardly escape and another anchor had appeared in his hand, much like it had in the Cognizant¡¯s. Although, it could teleport its user back to the main platform of the labyrinth, no matter where they were - a rare one-time use thing, that, and by no means a cheap one. Few could afford it, save for the heads of the seeker companies like Ward. His gaze shifted back to his men, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Draven, Rhea. If you get out of this, a favor¡¯s yours." "The fuck, Ward?! I know you have more than one anchor!" "And¡­?" "No, no, no, no... you fucking piece of shit!" Shadow Thief howled, his hand passing through nothing but white dazzling light instead of grasping his leader. ''Really disappointing,'' thought Deckard. ¡®The guy was a bastard who deserved to rot in jail, but¡­¡¯ He never thought he would sink so low. "How can you just stand there, Rhea?!" Shadow Thief snapped, his boot striking the extinguished Labyrinth Anchor now laying cold on the ground. It shattered into fine dust. "What would you have me do?" "I don''t know, be a little fucking pissed!" "I am - but throwing a tantrum isn''t going to help us get out of here, is it?" "Then what the fuck¡­?" The ground quaked as one of the mother mossbears took a step, her growl shaking the very marrow in his bones. ''Fool, you should know better than to wish it wouldn''t come to this.'' Deckard sighed, a bead of sweat tracing the length of his spine under the piercing gaze of the beast. ?Growl!? ''If only I knew what you want,'' he thought, his mind racing through his options. Were it just him and the girl, he could simply run away, but he wasn''t Ward. The death of two guardswomen would weigh heavily on his mind. ¡®Is she even worth saving?¡¯ At present, she resembled a wild animal more than anything else. As if to prove him right, the girl hissed, teeth bared, and a billow of orange gas erupted from her tail. "Don''t move!" Deckard managed to shout to the others, his words barely out before the massive moss shoots surged from the earth, the moss swelling beneath his feet to the height of his knees, all around him and the girl. In barely more than a handful of apple-scented breaths, the shoots and mainly the moss itself absorbed the cloud. "You sure are full of surprises, girl." Barely finishing that thought, not at all concerned about the poison, he watched the moss shoots coil tightly around the girl, pulling her to the ground into a blanket of moss. ?Grrrl!? The mossbear¡¯s voice cut through the air, its warning halting his movement. Instincts honed by years in the army - one just didn''t watch a fellow soldier or civilian being eaten by a beast or plant. As such, the urge to act burned inside him, even though he knew it wasn''t necessarily the end of the girl. She thrashed beneath the vines, hissing and growling as moss crept up her limbs - the question was whether to heal her or¡­ Chapter 173: Dog or Not? ''Huh? What was I doing? Why am I flat on the ground? And covered in moss?'' It was everywhere, clinging to me from head to toe. Even though there was a small opening around my mouth enough for me to breathe, panic bit into my heart. ''What happened? Was I left behind? Buried? Think I was dead? Wait - who were they? And... how did I even die?'' The memories came back to me sluggishly, like something dragged through deep mud. Every thought felt so heavy and veiled by a thick fog. I saw flashes - me, on all fours, growling, yowling, wagging a tail. ''Was I¡­ a dog?'' No. That didn¡¯t feel right. I had been talking to people, hadn¡¯t I? Real, living people. Dogs didn¡¯t do that. Dogs didn¡¯t talk to people - or did they? Why did I remember talking to a dog, too? ''Oh, stop it!'' I jerked, or tried to. The tickle of moss crawled to the level where I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I tried to move, shove it off, but I couldn¡¯t. Not even a little. Ropes - or something like them - bound me tight. My heart pounded hard enough to hurt. ''Did they really bury me? Tied up? Why? And who the hell were THEY?'' Shapes pushed through the fog in my mind, growing clearer with each step - faces, bodies, all moving closer. ''Was this a dream?'' My family stood there, but so did a fox girl, small and cute, and a massive minotaur man. More and more figures crowded my head, most of them dressed like they had stepped out of some medieval tale. ''I said stop it!'' What appeared to be tiny moss roots pricked and tickled my entire scalp, a sharp reminder that I lay buried under the green stuff. I pulled hard at the ropes, desperate to shift, but they refused to budge. My breath came fast, but the earlier panic had thinned, just like the fog weighing on my mind. Truth be told, under all the itching, the moss was oddly comforting, cozy even, and warm - almost too warm. ''FIRE!!!'' I remembered fire, a lot of it. Fire on my face, fire on the street, fire tearing through the forest. Even the moss burned. Wait - moss? ''Was the moss I was buried under on fire?'' Didn¡¯t make sense. ''Who buries someone in moss and then lights it up?'' Besides, I could breathe just fine. ''Oh, no, no, no, no... not there!!!'' The way too dangerous tickling, mercifully, quickly fled my crotch and crept down my right leg, stopping at the stump below my knee. My leg! The mossbear had bitten it clean off. The memories stormed back - the forest, the clearing by the ruins of the Esulmor Edge Inn, the fight. The whole bloody mess. I was a HUMAN - or at least I used to be. ''Mutt!'' That¡¯s what the mind mage called me. The bitch thought she could make me her pet. I fought back, called for mossbears, but I slipped up. She crawled into my head, stole my will, and... the rest was a blur. Deckard stopped me - that much I knew. But no matter how hard I wracked my brain, I couldn¡¯t remember who tied me up or how I ended up under that cursed moss. It wrapped around me, smothering every sense, locking me in my own head. I couldn¡¯t see or hear a thing. Even the blasted [Spatial Domain] couldn¡¯t break through, save for the sliver of space near my mouth. For a heartbeat, I dared to hope. That hope didn¡¯t last. All I could make out was the air above me - empty as my head just a few breaths ago. My body, though¡­ I could still feel it, somehow. And what I saw? It couldn¡¯t be real. The haze in my mind had lifted. I knew I had lost a leg. Yet there it was, whole and solid. Both of them were. What I didn¡¯t have anymore, though, were my clothes. Sure, after the fight in the city, Harcon''s flames, and dragging through the forest, they had been nothing but shreds. Still, they were mine, and better than nothing. ''Did they strip me before burying me? What for? Some local tradition?'' Once again, I fought to squirm out of the ropes, twisting and straining, but they didn¡¯t give. In an effort to save myself from panic, I let my attention drift - and it landed on the only thing I still had: the ring on my finger. "H-Hello?" I croaked, fear tightening in my chest. Had they really thought I was dead? Left me here? ¡°Is a-anyone there?¡± No, that made no sense. Elira and Vara knew better - they knew I could come back. My thoughts, however, got no further¡­ This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Girl?" ''Deckard?'' That was him. His voice. He still had the ring. And that I could hear him meant only one thing: he was close. He didn''t abandon me. ''Why bury me under the moss, then?'' "Y-Yes, it''s me," I cried, struggling to hold back the sobs, trying not to sound like some tearful fool. "For a moment I thought we''d lost you," he said, his tone elated and relieved but there was a shadow of hesitation and doubt. "Are you able to tell me your name?" ''Huh? What?'' "It¡¯s Korra, K-Korra Grey. W-What h-happened? Why am I..." I stopped, turning my thoughts away from the union ring: ''Why am I tied up, buried under moss, and naked?'' "The cognizant, the mind mage woman, mind blasted your brain," he explained slowly - for which I was grateful. "S-She did what?" "Basically fry your brain - nasty trick they do when things don¡¯t go their way," he said, his voice dropping with a hint of guilt. "I can''t apologize enough for that, girl. I should have seen it coming - I should have acted. But..." "But?" "Even if I saw it coming - well, if I moved, I''d risk getting us all killed." What? How did helping me and stopping that bitch, that thought fuddler, from messing with my brain relate to¡­? So much rage swelled in my chest. "Girl? Are you alright?" "N-No, I don''t get it," I said, something breaking inside me. "Why not help me? Why tie me down instead? Why bury me under all this moss?" Deckard let out a long breath, his voice calm after I had vented. "That was all the mother mossbears," he said. "Wanted to stop them, but¡­ look, feel free to hate me, but you couldn''t ask to be in the hands of better healers." "H-Healers?" And I thought I was the one having her brain blasted into oblivion. "Believe it or not, yes. They did put your mind back together, didn''t they?" My first impulse was to argue, to tell him it was my regeneration, my weaves - like [Indomitable Will] - that had fixed me. But something in my chest tightened, and I held my tongue. Deep down, I knew it wasn¡¯t the same. The feeling was different. Where my own healing had been raw and demanding, this... this was tender, almost soothing. Comforting, even. Yet... ©¦???? ©¦Certainly not a trivial task to put back together what was shattered, ©¦be it your sanity, memories, reason, or character, it does not matter. A phrase from the description of [Indomitable Will] came to mind. By all means, I should be able to recover on my own, given time. "It¡­ it hasn¡¯t been that long, has it?" I asked, Deckard confirming my suspicion. "No, hardly a few moments, but..." "B-But?" I inquired when he fell quiet. "The mother mossbear, the one healing you, seemed angry about something. Any idea why?" ''How the fuck would I know?'' Did he forget that I was buried under all this moss? "N-No, I don''t. Why not ask her?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, girl. But as far as I know, the only beast talker around here is you. On that note, we could really use your talents here." Seriously, had he lost his eyes? ¡°H-How am I supposed to help? I¡¯m tied up, and¡­¡± ¡°Use your tongue, girl.¡± ''Oh. I guess I could do that.'' ¡°But what am I supposed to say? ¡®Let me out of this moss¡¯?¡± "No, I wouldn''t do that," Deckard said, clearly considering his words. "Tell her you''ll explain everything once she''s done healing you." "That''s it? No thanks?" "From what I understand, the beasts prefer straightforward answers." Rather than that, no deceptions and lies. Honesty mattered. It didn''t change the fact that he was right in a way. "O-Okay, I''ll try..." I stopped myself, realization rushing blood to my cheeks. "Do you¡­ do you have any clothes I could borrow?" "You''re the third chick to ask today,¡± he said through the ring, chuckling out loud. "You don''t mind wearing drawers, do you?" Chapter 174: Absurd ''Did I mind? Ha, if only he knew,'' I snorted quietly, the memory of Castiana flashing in my mind - me wandering about with just fur and feathers to hide my skin. Back then, I would have taken any scrap of cloth, so as long as his drawers wouldn¡¯t be caked in filth or reeking I would be happy to wear them. "No, I don''t mind..." "Great, then I got you covered," Deckard said, not bothering to hide the pun - or the tension in his voice. "But now, could you talk to her? I don''t think that scalehoofs are doing a very good job of explaining things." ''Scalehoofs? Oh, shit.'' It wasn''t hard to imagine them doing just a mess of things. To the Scalehoofs, I was the Lady, and the mossbears the beasts they feared. So still blind under the moss, I wrestled my scattered thoughts into order, inhaling slowly before speaking. "G_Great mother mossbear, I-I don¡¯t know what has brought you anger, b-but I will do all in my power to lift your confusion once..." I faltered, not really knowing how to go about this without making it sound like a condition. "...once you¡¯ve completed healing me - which I deeply, truly appreciate." Of course, the words weren¡¯t what mattered to the beasts; it was the intent. I made sure mine was as genuine as I could manage. "D-Deckard?" "Good job, girl. I''d even say she looks a little taken aback." I would love to say relief washed over me, but that would be a lie. Jitters twisted my guts instead. Funny how I had dreaded being buried alive, yet now I didn¡¯t want to leave the strange, cozy clutch of moss. It didn¡¯t last, though. The moss slithered back, like it had a will of its own, leaving me bare to the chill of the night - and the prying eyes of others. Sure, I could have cursed Deckard for only tossing me clothes after the mother mossbear released me from the hold of what I thought to be ropes, but still... ?SPEAK!? Her growl struck like a thunderclap, rattling my bones and nearly sending me sprawling as I fumbled with Deckard¡¯s too-tight drawers - in other words, boxers. His frantic push to have me face her now made sense, though. Her patience hung by a thread, and it was fraying fast. With just the drawers on, I whined and dropped to my knees, my head sinking low as my tail curled tight under me. The thought of covering myself further had fled before I even knew it. "Girl, what in the depths are you doing?" A fair question. I didn¡¯t look up, didn¡¯t move - didn¡¯t dare. "I-I-Instincts!" "F-F-Forgive me, g-great mother. What i-is it you wish to know?" ?WHAT ARE YOU?? ''M-Me?'' My heart stopped cold. Her confusion, her fury - both pointed at me, or rather, at what that deranged asshole had twisted me into: some accursed hybrid, neither human nor beast. "I-I do not k-know, great mother." ?Half-truths! Lies! Speak plainly - what are you?!? A flood of answers surged through my mind, one worse than the other. ¡°A h-human, touched by the¡­ the blood of beasts.¡± The silence that followed was worse than any roar. I could only pray the intent behind my words would be a good enough explanation and that she would find it in herself to understand. ?Blood of Esu.? ''Huh?'' My thoughts scattered for a moment, slipping into the same thick fog that bitch earlier had shoved me into. Processing what I had just heard felt like trying to wade through tar. The mossbears in the clearing didn¡¯t seem to take it any better. Growls rumbled low and constant, the place turned into a snarling standoff the moment the Lord of the Forest¡¯s spawn was mentioned - me, apparently. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ?Human? Blood of Esu?? ?Unacceptable!? ?Too small, too weak.? ?Smells like him, though.? ''Did I?'' Thinking on it, the first mossbear I met had said something similar. Resisting the urge to sniff myself, however, I tore through my thoughts, desperate for something - anything - to explain this. But when I finally worked up the nerve to lift my head, my gaze landed on their antlers - and just like that, the memory hit me. Was it the mind-witch messing with my head? The mossbears¡¯ healing? I couldn¡¯t tell what brought back that memory. But it was there all along, buried under the horrors - the core shoved into my belly, the beast I became, the cellmates I butchered, the Fae I faced. And then there was him: Dungreen, his voice dripping horrors, talking about mossbear antlers. My antlers. That bastard used parts of them to make me. No wonder they were disgusted. They had every right. "Girl. Talk to me." The alarm in Deckard¡¯s inner voice was understandable. "What just happened?" I hesitated, unsure how much to say - after all, I barely knew the man. Yet Captain Rayden had placed his trust in him, and the woman had kept her word in the end. She had kept me safe from mind mages, so there was that. Not sure I would agree to be bait if I knew it would involve beasts like the one I was kneeling in front of, though. "A-Apparently," I stammered, trying to find the words, though none seemed right. "They... don¡¯t like that I¡¯m part mossbear." His silence gnawed at my heart, unsettling, like the low growls of the mother mossbears sending tremors through the bones. ''He wasn''t sure how to feel about it, either.'' ?She human.? ?Not one of us.? ?Smells like a cub.? ?Weak.? ?She should return to the forest.? ?Yes. Mercy for the cub.? ?She not a cub!? Better not to understand them. That way, I would be spared knowing they were considering killing me, thinking it would put me out of my misery. There was no malice in their growls. As with their three dead young, they saw a honor in returning to the forest - even in my case. In other words, I should be glad to become fertilizer for the trees. In truth, it seemed a better fate than becoming a lab rat cursed with immortality. Even so, it was still terrifying. Despite everything this damn world had put me through, I didn''t want to die. In fact, deep down, I found myself hurt by their dismissal of me as one of them, longing for them to acknowledge me. The same was true of Deckard. If even the humans turned their backs on me, I would be lost with nowhere to belong. "What the fuck is going on, Deckard?!" Shadow Thief''s voice was low, edged with anger, fear, and frustration. "Look, let''s put our grudges aside and..." "Draven, right?" Deckard cut him off. "Listen, unless you''ve got tricks up your sleeve like Ward, which I don''t think you have, or can talk to beasts like the girl, which I don''t imagine you can, I advise you to shut up and keep still." "Y-You''re not disgusted with¡­ what I am?" I dared to ask, barely holding my hope in check. ¡°Why would I be? I knew what you were before I ever saw you,¡± His words rang in my skull with a relief that choked a whimper from my throat. ¡°But you being part mossbear - well, that could be a double-edged sword. Mossbears are pack beasts. The way I see it, they''ll either accept you, banish you from the Esulmor, or..." "Or I become part of the forest," I finished for him, a lump rising in my throat. Elira, standing a few paces behind me, whispered, unaware of my conversation with Deckard, ¡°What about the two of us? Shouldn¡¯t we be on our knees, like - you know - Korra?¡± ¡°Not a terrible idea,¡± Vara said. ¡°My legs are growing weak with all this growling.¡± Deckard¡¯s answer surprised more than just me. ¡°Not the best guy to ask. Back in the day, we never bent a knee. Better ask the girl." A chill crawled down my spine as the gazes of everyone present pressed into my back. ''What in the world was he thinking?¡¯ I knew even less about mossbears than he did, and all I had acted upon were instincts. ¡®OH!¡¯ "I-I b-believe the strong should s-stand their ground," I stammered, head still low, my eyes never leaving the ground, patiently awaiting the decision of the mother mossbears. "And the weak should show respect." "Respect? To them?" Vara asked, her eyes going up to meet those of the beasts. "All right, no problem.¡± "L-Like this?" the workhand asked, bending his knees faster than the guardswoman and, for whatever reason, doing so in her shadow. "This is absurd. They''re nothing more than stupid beasts," Shadow Thief muttered, paying no mind to Deckard¡¯s previous warning. "We should..." "They can understand you. Y-You know that, r-right?" I said, daring to raise my voice, quite enjoying the bastard''s horrified silence. ¡°She¡¯s full of shit, Draven. She¡¯s playing with us like Deckard," Swordstress snapped, her voice drowned by the deep growl of the mother mossbear before us. ?Cub or not, Esu will know.? Chapter 175: Call ''What? Esu, the Lord of the Forest?'' "I-I''m not s-sure I understand, g-great mother." A half-truth. My head swirled with questions, and my confusion wasn''t feigned. ¡®Why couldn''t they decide? Why calling¡­¡¯ "What''s wrong, girl? Talk to me." "D-Deckard, I think¡­I think they want to call the Lord of the Forest." He nodded, low and slow, humming like he had been waiting for this, even letting out a relieved sigh. ''Had he gone mad, or had I missed something?'' ?Esu will know your fate.? The mother mossbear rumbled again, her voice like thunder rolling through my bones. ?He will know the fate of humans.? "T-They want him to decide what to do with me and what to do with all of you," I hastily translated, my voice shaky, the thought of facing an even more powerful beast tying knots in my chest. "Keep it together, girl. Believe it or not, dealing with Esu is the better option." "S-Seriously?" "Seeker¡¯s honor.¡± That didn''t sound very convincing. But Deckard quickly continued, ¡°Of course, I would prefer to avoid this whole mess, but old as they are, these mother mossbears tend to be quick to make their judgment. Traiana forbids you to tell them. The Lord of the Forest, on the other hand, is not a Lord of the Forest for no reason. He is much older, much stronger and a lot more willing to listen." "He is? Oh, o-okay." The thought of meeting an old, sensible, kindly beast was easier to bear. But before I could settle into that thought, the mother mossbear left me breathless. ?You call him. Let him hear who you are.? ''Huh? What? No! No, no, no, no. No, Way! I must have heard wrong!'' ?M-M-Me?? "D-Deckard, they¡­ they want me to call him." "Can you?" "No! I¡¯ve already tried! H-He didn¡¯t come. T-They did." "Then tell them. Tell them you¡¯re weak. Just for the love of Traiana, don''t try to do something you know you can''t do. They''d think you are stupid, useless - I''ve seen it happen. Show them that you know your worth - wasn''t that the point of what you said before?" ''B-Before?'' Ah, the kneeling. Right. There was nothing wrong with having pride, but one should know her limits and act accordingly. ?Yes, you.? "I-I¡­ I¡¯m too w-weak, great mother. My v-voice will not reach him. I have tried." "Him? What the FUCK are you talking about, wench?" Shadow Thief barked in a whisper, his gaze sharp on the beasts. "Deckard! What¡¯s she going on about?" ?You are, indeed. Will help you.? My ears twitched as confusion clawed at me. ''Help me? How? With what? Howling?'' Before I could ask, the moss shifted, rising like a tide to wrap around my legs, creeping up my back, and curling over my head. To say it scared the shit out of me, how creepy it was, would be an understatement. "B-Brace yourself, Vara," I managed to choke out to the guardswoman just before a surge of the strangest sensation ripped through me, stealing my breath. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "What, why? Oh, fuck my tits, not again," Vara groaned, catching on fast. So did Elira. As for me, I couldn¡¯t help but raise my head, sitting up, my back arching against the rush. It was unlike anything I had ever known. Like I was... connected to the forest itself. There was no better way to put it. Much like how I could perceive the world around me through my domain, I could feel every plant in the forest, far and wide. Not the whole forest, of course, and I certainly couldn''t see everything that was going on under the treetops as in my domain. But still, it was overwhelming. Incredible. ''Is this how all the mossbears saw the forest?'' If so, why did I even bother with my might? No, there had to be some kind of limit - something stopping them from using it whenever they pleased. Otherwise, why bother with me calling the Lord of the Forest? It just wouldn''t make sense. ?You see woods?? "Y-Yes," I breathed, my eyes darting about as I struggled to digest what I was seeing. There was so much, every corner of the forest, though bare to the eye, teeming with life. Even this scorched earth around us was still holding some. ?Then get ready to call.? ¡®Shit! Shit, shit shit!¡¯ "Deckard, I need to shift," I told him through the ring and gave in to the wildness slumbering within me. Patches of my fur and feathers spread a bit. My hair had grown in length, my hands covered a fine fur wholly, and my feet turned into paws. But the real change wasn¡¯t what I looked like. It was the forest - it hummed through me, alive and waiting. I could see farther, and... I knew I could bend nature to my will with a single thought. The pull to test it burned in me, but the revulsion burned hotter, holding me back from doing something I sure would regret. ''Was this how the thought fuddlers felt? Unable to resist the urge to shape the minds of others to their will?'' Even if they were, I couldn¡¯t care. No excuse could forgive what they did - vile, every last bit of it. Unforgivable. ¡®What about mossbears, then?¡¯ some small voice nagged, ¡®aren¡¯t they just as bad, shaping plants like they do?¡¯ ?You smell more like a cub now,? the mother mossbear grunted, her breath warm and earthy as it brushed over me. The doubts I had clung to slipped away, smothered by the weight of the task lying before me. ?Prepared to call?? "Y-Yes, great mother," I said, failing to get the dread out of my voice. ?Then call.? Even braced as I was, I didn¡¯t expect the surge of energy flooding into me. It came from everywhere, crashing through my body. The connection to the forest¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t just a mere connection - it was a fire, waking my beast side in ways I couldn¡¯t control. I felt¡­ unstoppable. More alive than I had ever been, even as a human. Every part of me screamed to run, to tear through the woods and feel the earth beneath my feet. And the pride - tits, the pride. It swelled in me, so fierce, so big, it made my chest ache. I wanted to roar, to show everyone who I was. ?CALL! Call Esu!? The growl of the mother mossbear shook my bones, pushing me past the breaking point. Without thinking, I bellowed, my voice rising in a single mighty roar. ?ROAR!!!!? ''Esu, come and see me!'' The roar carried it all - my struggles, my joy, my yearning for home, for family. It tore out of my throat with a force like never before, so wild and so untamed. It felt as if I had become the beast itself. And my might? Where before it felt like my body was turning inside out, the energy draining out of me, now I was vast, my energy expanding outward without end. The very air trembled around me, the earth shifting beneath my feet. Even my pack groaned in protest as the weight of it bore down on them. "W-What the FUCK is she?" hissed the shadow-thieving male, his voice trembling with fear and disbelief. He wasn¡¯t alone in his shock. Every human, animal and even the young mossbears had grown wary of me. Well, everyone except Deckard - truly a man deserving of being my mate. ''Oh, for fuck''s sake stop it!'' "You sure are growing on me, girl," he said through the link of human tools, his tone casual, yet laced with awe - a spark that made my chest swell with pride. "I swear, for a moment you felt like a five hundred sigil beast." ¡®F-Five hundred? That¡¯s¡­ Shit! Not now Sage!¡¯ I screamed at my tail, daring to leave the safety of my legs and wagging happily behind me. ?Good call.? Much to my relief, the mother mossbear didn''t seem to mind. In fact, oddly enough, I found her praise even more gratifying. ?Esu will hear.? ''Will he?'' Despite the breathtaking might of my roar, I couldn''t help but doubt. Just because he heard me didn''t mean he was going to answer. Yet such doubts melted away with the next beat of my heart. With my voice still echoing among the trees in the distance, a new roar rose out from the heart of the forest in response. ?ROooooaaarrrrrRRR!!!? There were no words, no might, yet, like a wave, it surged through Esulmor, shaking the trees with its force. All who heard it understood: the Lord of the Forest had acknowledged my call. He was coming. Chapter 176: Lord of the Forest He was coming. That much was clear to all. Not everyone was as excited about it as the mother mossbears, though. While most stood frozen in terror, barely daring to breathe, the shadow-thieving male slipped away without a sound, vanishing into the dark. His pack-mate, the sword-wielding woman, didn¡¯t hesitate and followed. She dashed to the forest¡¯s edge, aiming for the gap between the two mother mossbears. Foolish, really - both clearly underestimated the mothers¡¯ might and the sway they held over the forest. Even I, with forest sight not my own, felt every step of the female and could see the male moving through the shadows under the moss. No wonder, then, that when the mother mossbears gave a low grunt, the same shoots binding me earlier burst from the earth beneath their feet. To his obvious surprise, the shoots dragged the male right out of his shadowy refuge. The female wasn¡¯t any lucky either, though she hacked at the shoots with everything she had. In the end, both were trapped, tangled so tight they couldn¡¯t even cry for help. ?Foolishness,? the words rumbled from my throat, echoed by the mother mossbear''s approving grunt. ?Esu will decide.? ''Who''s the bigger fool here, me or them?'' The question came unbidden as I perked my ears. He really was coming - no mistaking it now. The treetops shivered with his approach, and the ground soon followed, trembling under his steps. A dozen pointless thoughts raced through my mind: putting on the shirt Deckard was holding and I hadn¡¯t had a chance to put on, maybe asking for trousers. Not the question I asked at the end. Awkward as it was to be bare again, putting on clothes wouldn¡¯t help. If anything, they would only make things worse. The Lord of the Forest, a mighty beast, was coming to judge ME, my mutations, NOT clothes. Whether to kill me, or¡­? Well, with some ideas straight out of your nightmares, I couldn¡¯t begin to guess. And truth be told? That wasn''t the only thing I was lost on. Did I want him to call me human? Or to claim me as one of his own? Perhaps it might even be better if he just put me out of my misery. "H-Have you ever met him? The¡­the Lord of the Forest I mean." "Once or twice," Deckard said, his gaze locked on the heart of Esulmor, like everyone else¡¯s. "Never spoke to him, though. That¡¯s what the others were for." "Beast talkers?" His chuckle lingered in my mind, rough and faint. "No, no. The Emperor and the Dukes. The Lord of the Forest doesn¡¯t need anyone to speak for him - he speaks Standard just fine." "What?" Understanding beast talk was one thing. Despite that, what I actually still heard was the growls, the neighs, the barks and the meows. My brain just made sense of it. But a beast speaking in plain human words? That was weird, even to think about. "H-how¡­ how am I supposed to talk to him, then?" "Think, girl. You already know." ''Do I? Yeah I do.'' Not only did I not know how to really speak Standard in my human form - using a weave was basically lying - he was coming, not to hear my words, but to see me. The beast me. ''And I couldn''t say a word in Standard in this form. So¡­ beast talk it was.'' Not that clarifying that would give me any peace of mind. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The closer his footsteps got, the louder my heart pounded in my chest. And then when the trees shifted aside to let him through, I forgot to breathe altogether. It wasn''t just me. Even the mother mossbears went silent, as if the whole forest held its breath. Before long, through the rising smoke at the edge of the blackened clearing, he stepped into view. I might have been too far away for the Lattice to tell me more, but I knew right away - that had to be the Lord of the Forest. In those first breathless moments, I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I was looking at. That wasn¡¯t just some giant beast - it was a walking hillside, covered in moss, grass, flowers, and full-grown trees. Never in my life had I dreamed something like that could exist. I had read about dragons, yeah, and seen paintings of other monsters and dinosaurs. But nothing - nothing - could¡¯ve prepared me to stand before something so impossibly massive¡­ and alive. ''Maybe if I stood¡­? NO! Definitely not!¡¯ Without a second thought, I shook the stupid idea out of my head. It wouldn''t make any difference even if I stood on my toes. The Lord of the Forest loomed, dwarfing the mother mossbears, four times my height - no closer to five. As my heart made its first cautious beats and I drew in some air, my initial shock began to loosen its hold. Not my fear, though. Not the respect. No one could stand before that beast and feel anything less. To the Lord of the Forest, I was nothing. Less than nothing - just an ant. At last, with some air in my lungs, my mind, slow as it was, began dragging itself up to speed with what I was seeing. The Lord of the Forest was massive, like a living hill draped in moss so thick you couldn¡¯t even see his fur. I would swear critters had made burrows in it. And those antlers - tits above - they shot up past the treetops, wider and grander than anything growing around. Not like mine, oh no. Mine were a joke in comparison. His started white as bone at the base, splitting again and again into endless tines, each one tangled with moss so thick it looked like a forest crown. Vines hung down from them, long enough to brush the ground. For fuck¡¯s sake, birds had nests up there, and squirrels were having a grand chase through it all, as if they didn¡¯t care a whit about the giant they were racing on - his presence. And what a presence it was. No doubt, this beast was far stronger than the mother mossbears. If I were to trust my instincts, he was ten times stronger than me. Yes, next to him, I truly was nothing but a scrawny little mouse - and there was no shame in that. He was so mighty that his strength was all my instincts were telling me. I was neither overcome by the urge to flee, nor to lie flat on my back and hope for the Lord of the Forest''s mercy. ''Come on, what am I supposed to do?'' But no matter how much I urged them for guidance, my instincts remained silent. Never had that happened before, and it made my blood run cold. Not only was I clueless about what to do in the presence of such a beast, I realized how much I relied on my instincts. ''Was it stupid? No.'' Sitting on my heels doing nothing - that was stupid. So, I did the first thing I could think of: bowed low, my head striking the dirt. Still tied to the forest, I then watched the Lord of the Forest study the clearing, his eyes sweeping over everything and everyone. Considering the way I perceive my surroundings right now, I assumed just a force of habit. Unsurprisingly, though, his gaze lingered on the corpses of his progeny. ?I. See.? His growl rumbled deep, shaking me to the core. There wasn¡¯t anger in it, though - only sadness. Seeing them dead, it weighed on him, heavy and bitter. Clearly, excellent healers that the mossbears were, death was something even they were powerless to surmount. It made me question my ability, or rather the might of the Fae and their decision to engrave the Never-Dying runes on my chest. ?They. Returned. To the. Forest.? He spoke with the weight of centuries, his words slow, each one measured, every pause deliberate. The behemoth was old, older than I dared guess. And still, for all the pain he must have carried, his tone softened when he spoke of his young. Then, when the hairs all over my body bristled, I braved a glance up. The Lord of the Forest''s eyes burned bright emerald, his antlers gleaming with the same light. Then, in what couldn''t have been any longer than a heartbeat, that glow traveled from the very top of his antlers, down his legs to the ground, spreading out into the wide forest. The ground beneath me warmed with his power, and I whimpered, awe-struck as the scorched clearing blossomed into a lush, living Eden. ?Now. They. Are. With. The forest.? Chapter 177: Feeble and Twisted The clearing''s transformation was both wondrous and dreadful. Through my mossy link to the forest, I watched the three young mossbears crumble to nothing. Their bodies withered away in a few heartbeats, gone completely. The forest reclaimed them, and through them, it took back what rightfully belonged to it. Frightening, sure. Yet there was an eerie beauty in it, too. "You don''t see this every day," Deckard said, his tone just as stunned as I felt. "I once saw a nature mage pull off something like this. Took him ages to prep and drained him dry." ''Why is he telling me this?'' As if I didn¡¯t know the Lord of the Forest¡¯s might. I felt it - the tidal wave of power he casually pushed into the ground. Not to mention... ''Shit!'' I had been watched before - too many damn times to count - but his stare? It was different. It felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. Like he could see straight through me - right into my soul. ?Is. That. The. One?? ?Yes, Esu,? answered the mother mossbear, still holding the thread that tied me to the forest. Why she hadn¡¯t cut it yet became painfully obvious in the next moment. ?Weak,? growled the Lord of the Forest, his energy surging through the thick moss now carpeting the clearing, stopping at the patch clinging to my back. If it went further, I wasn¡¯t sure I would hold it together. The tingling of his might across my skin was already too much. ?Weak. Twisted. Mixed breed.? ''Y-Yeah, I know. I''m a freak.'' "That doesn''t sound bad," Deckard remarked casually, way too casually. ''Seriously, how could he be so calm? Was he using some sort of weave like me, or just naturally fearless?¡¯ Either way, the ease in his tone worked. Gave me a steadying hand, even if it was only words. Clever move. Appreciated. Besides, he wasn''t wrong. The Lord of the Forest¡¯s words, sharp though they were, weren¡¯t cruel. Just the plain truth of what stood before him. Not a judgment - at least, not yet. Still, the thought of what could come next clawed at my resolve, threatening to shatter it. Maybe it was his age, or something else, but he moved like a crumbling mountain. The endless waiting nearly broke me. The mighty beast towering above me growled at last, its voice rattling through my bones. ?Strange. Indeed.? A second growl followed, harsher than the first, rooted me to the spot. ?Come.? ''H-He w-wanted me to come to him?'' Dozens of scenarios stormed through my head - many ending with me in the jaws of the behemoth. There was no choice, though. But both my inner beast and I agreed. Submission was the only way. Me and my pack couldn¡¯t hope to stand against him and his. And so I plucked up my courage and slowly lifted my head from the ground. Straightening up, I pushed free from the moss¡¯s damp clutch. Even the mother mossbear¡¯s link with the forest¡¯s whispers gave way without a fight. Up and out I rose, the weight of that connection lingering for a moment longer. "Want the shirt, girl?" my potential mate asked, offering me a piece of cloth I hadn''t had time to put on. He cut me a grin, all calm on the outside, even teasing me for my bare chest, but his eyes betrayed him, darting to the beasts. Most of his focus was on the one I edged toward. ''Why does he have to stand so far away?'' I wailed, as I took another shaky step, staggering through the mossy cover hiding treacherous roots. I may have had both my legs back now, but the beast''s stare had stripped me of any real control over them. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Then, when the mother mossbear I had been speaking with lowered her head and growled, ?Faster,? her hot breath washing over me, my knees gave out, and I hit the ground hard. ?Feeble,? another mossbear mother growled as she lay herself beside the Lord of the Forest. Of course, I shot to my feet without a second thought. The shame - it burned cold, cutting deeper with every step. That beast, that behemoth of unfathomable might, waited ahead to judge me. And what had I shown him? A stumbling, weak fool. Useless. No might rolled off him, not a hint of it. Yet every step closer made my legs heavier, the air harder to breathe. Sweat ran in sharp little rivers down my spine. [Esu: ????? sigils] ¡®Figures.¡¯ One more Obscure than mother mossbears. By Lattice''s logic, the beast had over 768 sigils more than me. That would make the Lord of the Forest at least 866 sigils strong. Still, if I were to trust my gut - which failed me on his sheer might - I would wager my new leg he had more. A lot more engraved on his... ''Did the beasts have Grids and arrays?'' A stupid thought to keep my mind busy. Whether they had or not, the might of the beast before me was undeniable. Hell, even the Lattice had his name up for me to see. ¡®Esu.¡¯ That alone was proof enough of his strength. "You alright there, girl?" Deckard asked when I stumbled again, nearly hitting the ground. "No, not really." Seriously, who would be? Might as well be marching to my own funeral. "Well, you''re holding up better than some of the others back here." ''Was he talking about my pack?'' My head turned before I could stop it - Vara, Elira. Nearly tripped again. Stupid. Focus! Yet sharp turned dull the moment one of the mothers let out a growl that shook my bones. ?Pitiful.? That one word sent me sprawling, flat out on the ground. ¡®How close did he expect me to get?'' I was already under his shadow. The Lord of the Forest loomed overhead, antlers spread wide, hiding the stars that dared peek above the clearing. ?Enough,? he grunted as I pushed myself up. Instead of losing my strength, however, fear locked me in place, like prey caught in a trap. My eyes widened in terror as the rock wall seemed crashing toward me. I knew better, knew that''s not what was happening, yet my heart raced, my breath stuck in my chest. Every inch of me screamed to run, but I couldn¡¯t. My legs were like lead. If the fear hadn¡¯t kept me planted, I would have fallen. Instead, it was the Lord of the Forest¡¯s head that touched the ground, right in front of me. If his size hadn¡¯t hit me before, it sure did now. His nose, right in front of me, was huge - bigger than my head, bigger than my chest. And beyond that, two emerald eyes, so deep they almost pulled me in. For a moment, I forgot where I was, like I was staring into the vastness of the universe. All I had to do was find my home in them. Before I even had a chance to pull myself together, the Lord of the Forest took a deep breath, sniffing me. And it was a sniff like no other. It washed over me, a gust of wind that nearly knocked me off my feet. ?Twisted. Magic,? he hummed, disgust lacing his voice. But not what struck me the most. The force of his growl up this close made me feel like I had fallen into a landslide and was being crushed between the stones. ?You. Are. Full. Of it.? ''He didn''t have to tell me that.'' A snide remark I didn''t dare utter out loud. To see what a freak I was, all I had to do was look at my furry hands, the claws on them. ?What. You. Are. However. Remains. Hidden.? ''Shit!'' Before I met my end, I was hoping something other than that one word would cross my mind. Sure, considering the number of my deaths, I should know better by this time. Yet, when the Lord of the Forest opened his maw wide, the only thing I could think about was how monstrous his teeth looked. I just couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from them. All I could do was curse this damn world for putting me through it. ¡®Come on! What the hell are you waiting for?¡¯ I screamed my head off. But death didn¡¯t come. Instead, his breath brushed against me, thick and hot, and before I could even flinch, my body shifted. The beast inside me took over, and did so in the space of a few heartbeats. Chapter 178: Scrawny Fox This shift into a full beast was worlds apart from the first, except I didn''t get to choose again. Back then, they shoved that core into. It hurt - felt like my body was tearing itself apart, eating itself alive from the inside. But now? I didn''t feel a thing. The Lord of the Forest''s hot breath swept over me and blew away my human form. At least that''s what it felt like. ''I-Is it for good?'' The thought made my blood run cold. But unless I tried to shift back, a dare I didn''t have the guts to try, I couldn''t be sure. The only thing I could hold onto was a slim thread of hope that I wasn¡¯t stuck like this forever. Hope that wasn¡¯t shared by Deckard¡¯s drawers, though. That bit of cloth? Gone without a trace. Once again, I was naked. Free. Covered in nothing but my fur and feathers. The only thing that had survived the Lord of the Forest¡¯s breath was a tiny metal tool clinging to my finger.Was it unbreakable, like the accursed collars, or had the beast let it stay? Whatever it was, the last of my worries. That rapid shift may have been as smooth as butter, but going from being a human to a beast within the bounds of a few breaths sure messed with my inner balance. My vision swam, my head spun, and whatever was left in my gut threatened to heave itself out. On top of that, I found myself standing on my hind legs. Something natural to humans now seemed so unnatural to me. I struggled for a while, only to collapse forward, landing on all fours. ?Now. Revealed,? hummed the Lord of the Forest, making things only worse for me. Swallowing my pride, I gave up. Letting out a weak whine, I slumped to the ground, laying my head on my paws. Comfortable. Soothing. Should have done this sooner. But the main problem lay elsewhere. ''Revealed? Yeah, I sure was.'' Every beast could see what I was - or rather, what I wasn¡¯t. Fur or no fur, from nose to tail, I didn¡¯t belong. I couldn¡¯t look less like a mossbear if I tried. They were bears - massive ones, nothing like me. Sure, I had grown, but at best, I looked like a small scrawny fox. Their fur was brown and matted with moss; mine was red, feathered, with wings pushing out from my lower back. Their tails were short and stubby, while Sage matched me in length and I would venture to say she was bulkier than me. As for ears, theirs were small, fitting for their bear-like heads, but my sails of ears could nearly rival those of the mother mossbears. There wasn¡¯t a single thing about me that matched them - not the shape of my body, my head, my legs, or my paws. Nothing. Well, except for the antlers. ''Yeah, those annoying antlers.'' They gave me no end of grief. Lost count of how many times I slammed them into the cell doorframe, not to mention how hard it was to get used to sleeping with them. But those were the problems I struggled with all the mutations. Even with my tail, Sage. The Lord of the Forest leaned in, sniffing at me again, slow and deliberate. His silence weighed more than any words, my fate teetering on the edge of that drawn-out moment. The Big Runes, always with their perfect timing. Annoying. Yes, my weave was certainly part of the reason I wasn''t just a nervous wreck in the face of death, but there was also the beast me. Ever since I shifted, I had felt this odd acceptance in my chest. It was natural. The strong lived, the weak didn¡¯t. The Lord of the Forest gave a low hum, lost in thought. ''Wasn''t there something I could do¡­ or say?'' The only reasonable thing I could think of was to beg for mercy. Pathetic. Instead, I stayed flat on the ground, my breath shallow, waiting for the mighty beast to decide my fate. The others waited too - my pack, humans, young mossbears, even mothers. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ?Weak. Twisted. Mixed breed,? The mighty beast growled after what felt like an eternity, his voice slow and deliberate, dragging out each word like they weighed a stone. Same words as before. Same truth. To him, I was what I thought I was, a freak. The rumble in his throat deepened before he added, ?Full. Of. Twisted. Magic. But. Still. My. Spawn.? My ears perked up, my head leaving my paws. ''What did he say? That I''m his spawn?'' It took quite a bit of my willpower to refrain from wagging my tail like a pup or prancing around like a fool. ''It meant he wouldn''t kill me, right?'' RIGHT?!'' ?Esu wise.? ?She our cub then.? The mother mossbears¡¯ growls rumbled through the clearing, most of them gruffly agreeing with the Lord of the Forest¡¯s ruling. But their voices weren¡¯t without bitterness. They weren¡¯t thrilled with the decision - or rather; they weren''t happy with me. I was... ?Cub is weak, though.? ?Pathetic.? ?Better returned to the forest.? ''What? No. No, no, no, no. Not that!'' My inner voice cracked. They may not have meant it in a bad way., but it didn¡¯t matter - no matter how you turned it, it spelled death. My death. ?I-I don''t want to r-return to the forest.? It was barely a whisper, more whimper than grunt. A weakling¡¯s plea. "Stupid cub," came the harsh retort. ?You should know better,? I basically got yelled at by one of the mother mossbears for my foolishness. Unfair. Unreasonable. They were old - and foolish. ?I''ll¡­ I¡¯ll g-go find a den outside the forest. Let me l-live!? I whimpered, desperate not to give in. Why would I? ''Huh?'' Weird. Only moments ago, I was resigned to submitting to the mightier one, and now... despite facing a beast that wouldn''t even have to chew me up to eat me, I found some fight in me. ''That¡¯s normal, right? Not wanting to die - even for beasts.'' Still, confusion hit me. After all, when the stronger decide, there¡¯s not much you can do. And the mother mossbears seemed to agree with my beast half. ?Cub so foolish.? ?Should stay quiet.? ?Listen.? But the hum of the Lord of the Forest,deep and shaking my very bones, settled them quiet. ?Foolish. Indeed,? He spoke. My plea seemed to fall on deaf ears. Desperate, I raced my brain for something - anything. ?P-Please, Lord of the Forest, s-spare me.? ?You dare!? The mother mossbear, lying close to the mossbear pack leader, bellowed. Her fury rattled me, deeper than I expected, and left me even more confused. Was it my daring to speak back that angered her or...? ?Esu is Esu!? ''Esu is¡­? Ah, I really am stupid!'' For them, Esu was... well, Esu. The Lord of the Forest was a title given to him by humans. ?F-F-Forgive my l-lack of knowing, great mothers,? I whimpered as sincerely as I could, trying to show my gratitude for setting me straight. Much to my surprise, Esu hummed with pride. ?Lost. Cub. To us. But. Brave.? ?Brave and foolish.? Not exactly a rare combination, I''d say, but - did he just call me lost? Sure, I grew up away from their pack, but that growl¡­ there was more to it. ''Did he know about the runes behind my ears? Did he know about the Fae? SHIT! That was no fluke, was it?'' The Fae didn¡¯t send me to Esulmor on a whim. They¡¯d meant for me to meet the mossbears - or maybe even Esu himself. What if they dragged me here from Earth for the same damn thing? ''Shit! Shit shit shit! How bloody long have I been a pawn in their fucking game? How long was I going to be?'' "You having fun, you little bug bastards?" I nearly roared, rage at the Fae burning through me. The humming of Esu, though, stopped me cold. ?Fault. Does not. Lie. With. Cub,? he spoke, his huge emerald eyes fixed on me. ?Grew. Outside. Stolen.? ''Shit.'' Yes, he sure knew about Fae. A thousand thoughts flooded my head. ''If he knows them, maybe he knows a way to send me back...'' ?As. Such. Cub. Has. To. Prove. It. Belong.? ''Wait, what?! Prove? Me? That I''m one of them? I was screwed, wasn''t I?'' Chapter 179: Opportune Situation ''Prove? How was I supposed to prove myself?'' For all the mutations making me a beast, the claws, the tail, the ears, I was no mossbear. I could never be like them. ?H-How?? Esu took his time answering, his silence stretching across a dozen heartbeats. Each one made my gut twist tighter. ?Needs ... to grow ... stronger. Weak ¡­ cubs ... do not ... survive.? ''Oh, sure, no problem. Just needed a few hundred sigils to match a mossbear. Piece of cake, right? RIGHT?!¡¯ Well, actually, I almost hit a hundred in a year and a half. So, if I poured every waking moment into training, maybe - maybe - I could get there in a couple of years. ?Before ¡­ next ¡­ full ... purple ... moon.? Esu¡¯s growl shattered my little daydream, dragging me back to the cold, harsh reality. ''Purple moon? What the bloody fuck was that supposed to mean?'' From the way he said it, he sure meant a full purple moon - the one up in the sky. Only, I couldn¡¯t recall seeing such a thing. In fact, I couldn¡¯t recall seeing any moon at all. ¡®Did this world even have one, or was I just keeping my head down all the time?¡¯ ?If ¡­ still ... weak. You ¡­ are ¡­ NOT ¡­ my ¡­ cub.? ?Esu wise.? ?Kind.? While the mother mossbears were singing praises to Esu, I lay there frozen, drenched in cold sweat. ''How much time had I really been given?'' "D-Deckard?" My gaze dropped to the piece of metal, the awkward human tool, still clinging to my paw. My potential mate might know. Chances were, however, he was standing too far away. "C-Can you h-hear me?" "Still here, girl," his voice rumbled softly in my thoughts, easing the tight knot in my chest. "Although I have to say I''m having a pretty hard time making sense of what''s happening. Did the Lord of the Forest do this to you or is that your¡­you know, beast form?" ¡°Both.¡± That was just how it was - the truth. "I can''t shift fully," I admitted, shame clawing at my heart. "He made me - helped." Talking more about that wasn¡¯t happening, so I jumped to a more pressing issue. "Anyway - do you know anything about the purple moon?" "Now you''re making me wonder where the Fae actually dragged you from, girl." ''Oh shit! Idiot! That was stupid - so stupid.'' There was no taking it back now, though. "Please!" "Hard to ignore a woman''s plea. Well, Eleaden¡¯s got two moons, even if you can¡¯t see them right now - blue and purple, some say, because of their colors. Why?" "Esu wants me stronger by the next full purple moon." "Then I wouldn''t be getting your tail in a knot. It only comes once a year, and one was due some three weeks ago. That''s plenty of time to get a few sigils. The real question is, how strong does he expect you to get?" "Strong enough to match the cubs - the young mossbears." "Tits. Well, that could be a problem." My ears drooped so low they touched the moss I lay on. "So it¡¯s hopeless." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "I didn''t say that. Look, those young mossbears may look intimidating, the sheer size and number of sigils, but that''s all there is to them. Most of their weaves are going to match yours in glyph count or will be at most double that." I had my doubts about that. Seriously, except for [Indomitable Will], all my weaves only had around 12 glyphs. ¡°That is, if they''re actually young,¡± he added, barely pausing before continuing, ¡°It''s doable, just¡­needs the right kind of Opportune Situation." ¡°The what now?¡± ¡°An Opportune Situation. Perfect conditions for your array and weaves to grow. Like mages stumbling into a mana-rich field, or swordmasters swinging a blade a thousand times without breaking a sweat. That kind of thing.¡± That made more sense than I had expected. ¡°So, where do I find one?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. It¡¯s not called Opportune for nothing - it finds you.¡± ¡°Great. So it IS hopeless,¡± I mumbled, my voice shaking as a faint whimper slipped free. ?Are you already ceding?? one of the mothers snorted, her disapproval plain as day. Esu¡¯s decision clearly didn¡¯t sit well with her, with any of them, and I couldn¡¯t blame them. While my beast-self bristled at their judgment, the truth was, I wasn¡¯t one of their own. I wasn¡¯t their young. ?No,? I blurted out, afraid they would want to return me to the forest right away if I said otherwise. ?It''s just - not a lot of time.? ?Plenty to grow stronger,? another mother snapped, unhappy with my audacity to question Esu''s decision. Despite her words, I somehow doubted she had gotten her number of sigils in just a few years. No matter how I looked at the mothers, and Esu too, they were all old, ancient even. ?You ¡­ can ¡­ hone ¡­ your ¡­ strength ¡­ with ¡­ other ¡­ cubs. They ¡­ are ¡­ eager to ¡­. hone ¡­ theirs.? Daring to look behind me, at the young mossbears sprawled on the ground, despite my current size still huge compared to me, I couldn''t help but think Esu must have been joking. There was no way I could fight them - not a chance. ?I-I''m too weak. They''ll... they''ll kill me,? I said, as blunt as I could. Shameful, sure, but no point in pretending otherwise. ?They ¡­ will ¡­ NOT!? Esu''s growl rumbled through the air, so loud that I could feel my core resonating in my guts. His words weren¡¯t meant just for me, though - they were for any mossbear in earshot, too. ?But...? I said, my bones still rattling. ?T-They¡¯ll tear me apart.? It might¡¯ve sounded pitiful, but what I was really trying to say was that the young mossbears would leave me in pieces, unable to keep fighting. To say that fear wasn''t behind it would be a lie. Mostly, though, it was the fear that I wouldn''t live up to Esu''s expectations and - well, end up like those dead mossbears, fertilizer for the forest. ?We will heal,? one of the mothers said, the others grunting their agreement. If they were human, I wouldn¡¯t trust a word from them, not after their previous scorn. But these weren¡¯t humans - they were beasts, and they spoke those words with Esu himself standing there. ?T-T-Thank you, great mothers,? was all I could manage, still trying to make sense of it all. This was definitely not how I had imagined meeting Esu would go. ?If ¡­ will ¡­ to prove ¡­ yourself¡­ true. Better ¡­ not waste ¡­ your ¡­ time.? Hearing him talk about wasting time when it took him so long to get a word out was kind of amusing. Not so much what he said. ?Cubs ¡­ are ¡­ restless to ¡­ play.? ?So are the adults,? one of the mothers pointed out, and with that, Esu¡¯s gaze moved away from me. For how heavy it was, it left me gasping for more and shivering with cold. It was a strange feeling. "Girl, you need me to ask?" "N-No? Esu wants me to train with young mossbears. Wants me to fight them." "Not what it feels like right now." "Mothers will heal me if¡­ you know, if they are gonna mess me up." "Then you¡¯re a lucky one. Sounds like your Opportune Situation to me. Grab it." "But¡­" ¡°It may be opportune, but comes free, girl. Now tell me, why¡¯s the Lord of the Woods staring at us?¡± ''Oh. Good question.'' One that I didn''t have the answer to. "I don''t know. We talked about me, then the mothers brought up adults and..." Even in the gravity of the moment, the chuckle of Deckard''s inner voice rang through my skull. "You''re the first beast talker I hear talking about meeting Esu as if she had a tea party with him." "What? No! That¡¯s¡­ my bones are jumping out of my body every time he hums." "Not hard to imagine. You''re the first I¡¯ve seen get this close to him and live through it - so far. Anyway, I guess it''s our time to pass his judgment. Any chance you could... maybe put in a good word for us?" "I c-can try." Even though I said that, I had no idea how to convince Esu not to eat my potential mate, and my pack. Wait, my pack! That might be the answer. "Humans," Esu spoke, interrupting my train of thought. "Speak! Why ¡­ are ¡­ you ¡­ here?" A stunned silence followed. Even I needed a moment, despite Deckard telling me about it, to get my head around the fact that the massive beast that Esu was had spoken in Standard - albeit still rather slowly and deliberately. Chapter 180: (Un)challenged "Speak ¡­ humans!" Esu growled, his tone heavy with irritation, his patience wearing thin. When he asked, he expected an answer. "L-Look, we just came here to spend the night," the shadow-thieving human male spewed, now able to do so, as the moss shoots wrapping him and the female backed away from their mouths so they could talk. "It was them - they started it! They fought in your forest, set it ablaze - we only defended ourselves, Lord of the Forest.¡± As I expected, the mother mossbears let out a string of grunts, all of them disapproving. "Call him Esu!" I snapped through the human tool, my words aimed at my potential mate. "Esu is Esu. He... he has earned that name." Or so I gathered. It wasn¡¯t just some fancy he had taken to, unlike the human title slapped on him. "Good to know," Deckard said back, his praise sparking a warmth in my chest. "I mean it. I don''t remember the Imperial Beast Talkers mentioning this - but it''s been more than a few years, and I was more or less just muscles back then." "Speak the truth, Deckard. No falsehoods." ¡®Falsehood? Seriously, Korra? Who talks like that?¡¯ The answer was simple; beasts. "Got it, girl." "Esu," Deckard spoke as the growling subsided, drawing the immediate attention of all the mossbears. "I came to save the girl. Those two and seven over there took her." Not a word about the young man who had worked for the fat little rat - now likely dead. Was it a slip? Hardly. The male, however, was admittedly unimportant. "Cub ¡­ indeed ¡­ weak." "Yes. Yes, she is." "Needs to ¡­ grow ¡­ stronger." "I can help her with that. That¡¯s why I came - to help her grow." Startlingly, not a lie. He really did mean it. ?Human is telling the truth.? ?He could teach her the human ways.? ?This one interesting. Strong - for a human.? It was hard not to marvel at how my potential mate got the mothers¡¯ approval so easily. A few words, and they were all nodding along. Sure, my advice had a lot to do with it, but still... "Interesting... indeed." "No, no, no. No, it was them! They torched your forest and slaughtered your young!" bellowed the shadow-thieving male, his gaze darting to Deckard and back to the beasts. If looks could stab, he would already have done the deed. "Say it, Rhea! Tell ''em!" "Speak ... human ... female. The¡­ truth." Esu grunted as she cleverly remained mute to the urgings of her packmate. "I followed my leader. I did no harm to your forest or to any mossbears." Her words rang steady, no waver to betray a lie. Much as I hated it, she was telling the truth. Thinking back, her blade truly never touched a mossbear, and she only did as her packleader commanded. But the female wasn¡¯t done. Her eyes slid over to my pack, cold and cutting. "The man lying there set fire to your forest and killed one of your own. So did that boy." ''Bitch!'' The curse bit out before I could stop it, beasts adding its spin to it as the growl rolled low in my throat. ?Vixen!? My body tensed as she threw a smirk in my direction. ''Did she understand me? Nonsense.'' I was just stupid to growl out loud. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "I ¡­ see. Human ¡­ male ¡­ smells of ¡­ flame ¡­ and ¡­ ash," Esu spoke, his eyes sliding from the fire-wielder to the young workhand, Tate, bowing low beside my packmates, his forehead pressed to the dirt. "Speak ¡­ human. You ... killed ¡­ one of ... mine?" My packmates quivered under Esu''s gaze, their fear for everyone to see, yet the boy stayed still. Impressive. He had more grit than I gave him credit for. "Oi, boy. He¡¯s talking to you," my potential mate snapped. The young male turned to look at him, blinking like a startled prey. "Me, Mr. Deckard, sir? You mean me?" "Who else? Yes, you. Esu is talking to you. So¡­" Not strong, this one. Dim-witted, unaware of Esu''s gaze. Blind to what it meant. In some ways, enviable. "Him? Oh I¡­sir¡­ Esu, sir. I¡­ w-what were you asking?" The nerve. Yet the anger that fell heavily on the clearing was not Esu''s; it came from the mothers. The Lord of these woods patiently repeated his question. "Did ... you ¡­ kill ¡­ one of ¡­ mine ¡­ human?" Blank confusion again. "K-Killed who? Mr. Deckard, sir - I don¡¯t understand." "That mossbear, boy." At that, his eyes lit up. He sat straighter, meeting the Lord of the Forest with a puffed chest. "Yes, sir Esu. I slew the beast alone. No one aided me." Even in beast form, I wanted to groan and smack my forehead. Was it too much to ask for him to show a little less excitement? Did he even grasp who he was facing or the danger breathing down his neck? Apparently not. "Dull ... mind. Brave ... heart," Esu rumbled, switching to the beast talk. ?How ... well ... the human ¡­ fought?? The mothers didn¡¯t hold back their disappointment in the human male¡¯s skills. Still, they were honest, recounting the fight in detail, and Esu listened closely. "You ... were ... challenged ... and ... won," the Lord of these woods grumbled, nodding his head to the pile of moss that used to be the mossbear the young human male had slain. "She ... now ... returned to ¡­ forest. You are ... free .... to leave." Esu''s words didn''t only take my breath away. ''The workhand... free to leave? Just like that? What the bloody hell was going on?'' Those thoughts ran through everyone¡¯s mind, including mine - well, everyone¡¯s but the workhand, who stood there looking as confused as ever. Damn annoying. It was like he had all the luck in the world, while I had to claw for every bit of it. How was that fair? "M-Mr. Deckard, sir?" "Didn''t you hear him? You''re free to leave. Go!" The young human blinked, glancing towards the edge of the clearing, where the path to the human nesting place wound. ¡°B-But sir¡­¡± "What? Him? Just ''cause he killed one of those b..." the shadow-thieving male snapped, stopping himself from saying something he¡¯d regret. "I want to be challenged too." "And ... you ¡­ will. By ... those ... who are¡­ eager ... to challenge." A cold shudder ran through me. "Deckard! Esu means the adult mossbears." "Felt a bit too easy," he said, giving me a smile. "I wanna fight. Now. Get these fucking lianas off us and let¡¯s finish this already," the shadow-thieving human male growled, seemingly oblivious to the growing anger of mothers. "Ain''t that right, Rhea? Rhea?!" "Only if we must," the female poised a little more level-headed, though the moss shoots wrapped around her were as thick as a man¡¯s arm. "I mean. I don''t mean to trespass your forest any longer than necessary." "What? Are you serious, Rhea?! Do you think that..." "Trespassed ... unchallenged ... and ... challenged ... none ... of my ... pack. Free ... to pass." "You¡¯ve gotta be joking. Look, I didn¡¯t challenge anyone either." The shadow-thieving male wasn''t the only one taken aback by Esu''s decision. Not only did it stir the mothers¡¯ wrath, but the thought of her running around somewhere sent shivers down my spine. "No. No, no, no. Deckard, you have to stop her." "How? I''d hate to piss off Esu, you know." "Just... just tell him about the thought fuddler." "Who?" ''Damn it!'' The proper human word for that bitch seems to have left my mind. Right, Mind! "Mind mage! That the two of them worked for a mind mage." "Why don''t you tell him that? I mean, he might take it a little more seriously from some like you, than¡­" Stupid. I was so stupid. He was right. Still, I couldn¡¯t shake the hesitation, wondering why none of the mothers had spoken of the mind mages. ''Did I miss something?¡¯ I thought they were outraged by that bitch fuddling with the minds of their young? However, not having much time to think about it, I gathered my courage and told him. ?Thought¡­ fuddler!?? Esu¡¯s roar rattled me so hard, I collapsed back down, my bones trembling. ?Yes ... their ¡­ thoughts ... are ¡­ indeed ¡­ fuddled.? His words weren¡¯t aimed at the two tangled in the moss shoots, but the Shadowbrakers pack standing off to the side, silent as shadows. His gaze brushed over them for a moment, then snapped back to the pair. The mothers¡¯ glares, however, were locked on me - clearly displeased I had told him about the mind mage at all. "You ... in pack ... with ... thought ¡­ fuddler?!" Chapter 181: Blossom Patch "You ... in ¡­ pack ... with ... thought ¡­ fuddler?!" "Thought fuddler? What the fuck? What did you say to him, you bi...!" "Draven!" The sword-wielding female shouted at the shadow-thieving male, likely thinking that insulting me could only make things worse for them. I wasn''t so sure about that, though. Right now I was sweating under the oppressive stares of the mother mossbears, not really knowing what I did so wrong. Was it so bad to mention the thought fuddler to Esu? ''I mean, I could see that he was furious. But...'' "Don''t yap at me, Rhea! Can''t you see that she set him on us?" The sword-wielding female clenched her jaw, eyes darting from me toward Esu. "My a-apologies. I don''t know w-what this thought fuddler is, but..." "Mind mage," Deckard chimed in, robbing the female of words. Her eyes widened as the realization struck. "I... I just¡­ I just followed my leader." Certainly not words to soothe Esu. "Bad ... pack-leader. Choice ... yours ... to follow ¡­ Where ... is ¡­ he?" "H-He¡­ he fled." "J-Just like that fucking mind mage! The... the thought fuddler," blurted out the shadow-thieving male, mistakenly believing it would appease Esu. "They''re both gone, bastards. If I ever get my hands..." "Cravens ¡­ indeed!!! Always ... were. Always ... will ... be." The weight of Esu¡¯s words was lost on no one, save maybe the foolhardy young human male. Esu¡¯s history with thought fuddlers, it seemed, ran dark and deep. "Did you know, Deckard?" "That he can''t stand mind mages?" "No, that I can turn into a beast. YES, that." I didn''t intend to snap at him, but the disapproving looks from the mothers were getting to me. "I did, but I think there''s more to it than that. The Empire tried to take advantage of that and recruit mossbears for the war, but he refused. As much as he hates them, he''s afraid of them." "What?!" Esu? Afraid? A mighty beast like him? It sounded ridiculous. If anything, others should quake at the sight of him. "It happens. I¡¯ve seen hardened warriors break down over a bit of water or fire. Usually, it¡¯s some old wound, a memory that cuts deep." My first instinct was to snap at him again. How could he compare the fear of frail humans to that of mighty beasts? Then he mentioned fire, and the memory hit me - how the fire-wielder¡¯s fist had burned, how my face had felt like it was melting clean off. While I wouldn''t say I suffered from a fear of fire, I did see it with a new respect. No, if anything struck fear into my heart, it was the slave collar. Just an ordinary, harmless-looking human tool, yet the thought of having it on my neck again sent a shiver through my body. And it was at that moment, as I was shaking off the shivers, that a chilling thought struck me. "Hold on, Deckard. Is that why you wanted me to tell him?" "No, not really. I mean - no offense, your beast form looks great. I sure haven''t seen any shifters like you, but you ARE now a beast and I just thought..." "That he''ll take it better from me?" Annoying - he should have said something. Clever, still. More importantly, though, did he really like my beast form? His words carried no lie. "You ... will be ¡­ challenged ... together ... with ... others." Esu¡¯s verdict came, his anger less blazing now. Was it because he knew the thought fuddler fled? That the bitch was no longer around? A question I didn¡¯t dare chase. Instead, my eyes shifted to my pack. ¡®Others? Did he mean Elira and Vara too?¡¯ ?E-Even my pack, great Esu?? His gaze turned on me, stealing the air from my lungs, but I didn¡¯t back away. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ?Your ... pack? Speak ... cub.? ?T-the¡­the two human females. Taken too. They did nothing but try to protect me.? ?Weak.? ?Yes, they are weak - the reason the fire-wielder fought for us. He¡¯s strong, took on all the humans, fought with the thought fuddler. Hates them too.? Truth be told, I didn¡¯t know why I was sticking up for the male. I owed him nothing. Sure, he wasn¡¯t the only reason they caught me, but he didn¡¯t help my odds either. The fact that he helped me here only served to pay back that. And yet, I couldn¡¯t shake the nagging thought - I couldn¡¯t leave him behind. ?I ¡­ see. Not ... weak." Esu¡¯s words rumbled, his gaze distant, while the mother mossbears recounted the events. "He ¡­ will be ¡­ challenged ... nevertheless. Not ... the ... females.? ?B-But he is wounded.? Fair point, I would say. Yet despite what I told him, all the hairs on my body bristled when he took action without further word. His antlers shined with emerald green once more. The power he wielded¡­ simply staggering. Not a breath later, that dazzling energy plunged downward through his body, slamming into the ground. Though he stayed still, it felt like a giant had stomped on a pond. Moss surged like a wave, rising to the height of a man''s head and crashing over the humans, engulfing them. "Deckard?!" "It''s all right, girl,¡± he reassured me, steady as ever. ¡°He''s just healing us." "He is?" Relief slipped in, and with it, a grin I couldn¡¯t quite hold back. They were getting a taste of that ticklish hell. Annoyingly, theirs didn''t last half as long as mine. In just a few moments, the moss shrank back to its usual size, revealing humans¡¯ stunned faces. "Tits, that was awful! Hold on - my ribs - they don¡¯t hurt," Vara rasped, testing her movements. Elira, meanwhile, drifted toward the fire-wielder. "Hakhe? You''re out of the cage?" He stared at her, his confusion plain. "What the fuck happened? I thought I..." The fire-wielder trailed off, lost. He wasn¡¯t alone in his muddle, though. Esu, in his unfathomable mercy, had freed the seven members of the Shadowbraker pack from their brainwashing. I knew I shouldn''t feel sorry for them. Even so, as they stumbled through their own fractured memories, I couldn¡¯t help but see shadows of myself in them. I remembered how it felt to have my own will stolen, forced into horrors I couldn¡¯t control. Against my better judgment, I pitied them. Not the case with the two abandoned by their pack leader - no pity for them, anger only. Esu, for reasons of his own, released them from the moss shoots¡¯ grasp. Sensibly, neither dared to move. "Those ¡­ of you ¡­ in blossom ... patch ... will be ¡­ challenged ... to fight ... for the ... right to ¡­ leave the ... forest." Like the rest, I scoured the ground beneath me. But unlike many, I found nothing but green moss devoid of any blossom patch. ¡°Fine then. Bring it. Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± snarled the shadow-thieving male, his eagerness sharp as his blades. The others were a little more reluctant - or even confused. "D-Deckard?" the fire-wielder called after he got up and scanned the area, a nod following the name. They knew each other, old pack mates. "Harcon," my potential mate replied, offering him a hand. He took it, slow at first but with obvious relief. "Look, I... Fuck. What''s the situation?" "That''s right - let''s save that crap for later. Better to focus on what matters. Think you can fight?" "Surprisingly, yes. What are we facing? Not him, I hope?" ''Wait, "We" as in both of them?'' Lifting my head to see the moss beneath my potential mate''s feet, I found him standing in a clump of white flowers, just like the Shadowbreaker pack. ?Great Esu, the strong male - he has to fight too?? ?You ¡­ need ¡­ strong ¡­ teacher ¡­, cub.? There was no need for him to say more. I understood. "Deckard, Esu - he wants to see if you''re strong enough to teach me. I-I can tell him..." "Don¡¯t. Wouldn''t it make me a liar if I went back on my word? Don''t worry, girl. I''m confident I can convince him." "Sorry, Harcon. Was talking to the girl," he said out loud, hinting at the human tool on his finger. ¡°No. We''re not gonna fight him. It wouldn''t be much of a fight, would it? His young." "Those?" The fire-wielder motioned toward the mossbear cubs lying on the ground just as the scalehoofs silently observing the scene. "That¡¯s more manageable." "I''m afraid not them, either. That would prove nothing." "Tits. Adults then?" "Yeah." "Was that you? You struck a deal with him? Not that I¡¯m complainin¡¯. I should be dead by now." "You know me, Harcon. I may know how to fight, but negotiating? No, it was the girl." "Her? Where is she, by the way?" With my potential mate nodding towards me, the fire-wielder squinted, eyes darting behind me, then the realization hit. "The foxy beast yapping at the Lord of the Forest? That''s her?" ¡°Esu!¡± I hollered through the human tool to correct him, only to bare my teeth in a grin, letting Deckard speak my words. "She says she did her best, but only Vara and Elira don''t have to earn their right to leave the forest." The fire-wielder bared his teeth back. "Sounds like a fair deal. Much better odds than before. Well done. Now, where''s Ward and the Cognizant bitch?" The strange calm, a brief time for humans to catch their breath under the watchful gaze of the mossbears, didn¡¯t last. It wasn¡¯t Esu who broke it, but the mother mossbears. Their calls rumbled through the clearing, spreading through the forest, summoning the adults who longed to test their strength. And many answered the call. Chapter 182: Back to the Roots Didn¡¯t take long for the first one to lumber into the clearing. "Adult mossbear." Or rather just [Mossbears] as the Lattice called them. "You''ve had the pleasure, girl?" my potential mate responded, picking up on my stray thoughts bleeding through the human tool. "When the Fae dumped me here. I... I had a pissing contest with one of them." He laughed - not aloud, of course. "Let me get this straight: You made a Cognizant run away, caught the Fae¡¯s attention, had a pissing contest with a mossbear, turned Castiana upside down, and the animals seemed to adore you.¡± "Then," he continued, still chuckling, ¡°you waltz up to a beast that would make anyone shit their pants and even convince him to adopt you as his own and train you. Girl, I swear, I¡¯m smitten." "I''d rather the Fae leave me be, and it''s not my fault that - wait, what?" As my brain caught up with what he said, my heart went wild, my head burning as blood rushed to my face. Did he just say...? ''For fuck''s sake, stop it, Sage!'' "What''s up with the wagging tale?" "Um, nothing," I said quickly, lying, forcing Sage underneath me so that I could sit on her. I had gone along with my beast urges so far, mostly because I had bigger things to worry about, but this fervor about my potential mate''s interest was pushing the limits. "You sure, girl? Anyway, how long has it been since you ran away? Two weeks?" "Yeah. But it''s not like I wanted to..." "Listen, I''ve trained hundreds of girls and boys into soldiers. I''d have to be blind not to see the diamond in the making. You''re a rough one, for sure, but... Look, it''s not the best time to ask this, I know, but what do you say to being my apprentice?" Of course, that was what he meant by saying he was smitten. The sting of disappointment was sharp. He didn¡¯t see me as a mate, and why should he? Weak as I was, no one would. But if I trained under him¡­ well, maybe then... ''Seriously, can''t you just drop it? Now¡¯s not the time for a partner.'' On the contrary, it was the best time - or so my beast self believed. Times like these showed what someone was truly made of - quite literally, in my case. Cowards fled. He stayed, ready to fight. The thought of him going head-to-head with one of those adult mossbears sent a shiver of anticipation through me. And there were plenty to choose from. The clearing grew more crowded by the second, mossbears pouring in, turning the forest''s edge into a writhing wall of fur, flesh, and moss. Rather unnerving sight, to say the least. The Sacalehoofs huddled together so tightly it was hard to see where one animal ended and another began, and the young human, left free to go, huddled up to them too. Vara and Elira fared no better, kneeling on the ground just a few steps away from them, clinging to each other while cautiously peering around. Even those who stood on their feet, deemed to fight, could not help being intimidated by the sight. Some more, some¡­ less. "No! No, fuck this!" growled the shadow-thieving male, eyes narrowing as he watched nearly a dozen adult mossbears, one of them his challenger, came to the clearing. Without another thought, he simply disappeared into the shadows. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ?You¡­ dare?!? roared Esu in beast talk, his fury rumbling like thunder at the human''s insolence. Arguably, being this close to Esu was worse than the mind attack of that thought fuddler. It rattled me whole. Honestly, I was surprised I hadn''t passed out - and regretted not doing so a heartbeat later. At the clearing¡¯s far edge, where the ruins of a human dwelling stood, its crumbling walls leaving a gap in the wall of mossbears, once more moss shoots had sprouted from the ground. Same as before, maybe even faster, they pulled the male out of the shadows. And to my surprise, he wasn''t the only one to end up tangled in shoots. The same happened just a few steps away, where a woman appeared in the magic light of a setting sun, trapped just like the shadow-thieving male. And then there was a third spot, a little closer to the middle of the clearing. Like the female, a male, one of the Shadowbreaker pack, no longer brainwashed, got caught in the moss shoots during his cowardly escape. ''What were they thinking?'' Or maybe they weren¡¯t thinking at all. Maybe it was pure instinct - just like I had done so many times before. They ran, no plan, just desperation. Whatever their reasons, it didn¡¯t matter. I stood with the others, frozen, horror etched into every face. We watched, silent, as humans with a number of sigils more than twice mine were helpless against the moss slowly covering them. They fought back, giving it everything they had, but it wasn¡¯t enough; shadow magic, whatever light magic the woman used, daggers, sword, skills, nothing worked. The moss just kept spreading, covering them inch by inch. The woman¡¯s defenses were the first to break. Her scream shattered the tense silence, piercing through me, grating on my nerves. And when I thought it couldn''t get any worse, she started sinking, her body dragged down like quicksand had her. The worst part, she wasn''t sinking - the moss was eating her alive. Just as in the case of those dead mossbears, the unassuming green plant was making her into nothing more than a fertilizer for the forest. A terrifying realization. Like many others, I couldn¡¯t help but peer down at the mossy floor, wondering if it would claim me, too. Back on Earth, moss was harmless, just a nuisance if it got you wet. Now? I saw it in a whole new light. ''Remarkable, and those black flowers on it - beautiful.'' No, I had no hidden sadistic tendencies. I didn¡¯t enjoy watching her die such a horrible death. Quite the opposite. If anything, my mind was scrambling to shield itself, latching onto something it knew, something safe. Something that didn¡¯t make me want to claw my own eyes and ears off. Worse still, the female had not yet stopped screaming, and her packmate followed, their voices twisting together in a dreadful chorus. The last to lose his battle with the man-eating moss was the shadow-thieving male. But in the end, the moss claimed him, just the same. Glancing up at Esu¡¯s antlers, I found them glowing again, but my eyes went straight to the flowers in his mossy crown. White, vibrant, full of life, nothing like the black ones on the man-eating moss. Was it a different kind of moss? What about the one on his back - I didn''t see any flowers? Questions I didn''t dare ask. For all I knew, all the moss I saw could be one and the same, ordinary moss, and it was the mossbear who had the knack for shaping it. Their name would suggest so. [Man-Eating Moss]. Sounded like a powerful weave - one I didn¡¯t recall seeing among those at my disposal. Not that it would make much difference even if I had just overlooked it. I was under no illusions that it would take years before it reached the same horrific gluttony as the moss under Esu''s command. No, with my rotten luck, I would be fortunate if mine managed to choke down a ladybug. Not that I wanted to be able to bring such a horrible death on my adversary in the first place - it was a gruesome thing to witness. Even the mossbear in me, savage as it was, preferred the honor of claws over something so¡­ distant. Yet, it didn¡¯t lessen Esu in my eyes. To him, those people were no more than ants. And truth be told, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about ants either. The screaming, though - it tore through me, grating on my nerves. It was far too familiar, not unlike what I used to hear locked in that cellar as the mutations twisted the bodies of my cellmates. Fortunately, it didn''t take anywhere near as long. The female¡¯s voice was the first to fail, followed by the male¡¯s. The shadow-thieving one held out the longest, but he, too, fell silent in the end. Then came the stillness, thick and eerie, smothering the clearing. Eyes flicked down to the moss, fear bubbling up, everyone wondering if it might rise to gnaw at their toes. No one dared to make a sound, let alone speak, no one except the Lord of these woods himself. His voice rumbled, slow and final: ¡°Cowardly¡­ and¡­ week. Now... they... belong... to... the... forest.¡± Chapter 183: Boiling Cauldron No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn''t - what I had just seen and heard was impossible to erase from my memory. ''If only my brain worked like a hard drive.'' And to be fair, in a way, it already did - with the array, the weaves, and the notifications, it was like having a video game wired into my brain. There was no DELETE button, though. That horrible memory? That was one to stay - one more to add to my collection of nightmares. Shaking off a shudder, and with the dying cries of three people still echoing in my mind, I tore my eyes away from the distant moss piles full of blooming flowers, now turned white, and scanned the clearing. The air hung heavy, silenced by Esu¡¯s display of power. None dared to move or speak, myself included. In fact, the clearing may seem almost like a place of tranquillity right now, but beneath that serene facade was a boiling cauldron of emotions waiting to explode and turn this clearing into a bloodbath at any moment. At first, Esu¡¯s slow, deliberate growls made it seem like he was in no rush, almost as if he would let the intruders grow old and die before making a move. Every rumble and word came with purpose, fitting my idea of him as a wise, ancient creature. He didn¡¯t attack, only listened. That all changed with the thought-fuddler. His response to people''s stupid, perhaps instinctive decision wasn¡¯t measured or wise - it was savage. Without so much as a blink, he turned three unlucky fools into fertilizer in one of the most horrific ways I had ever seen. And no matter how I looked at it, sooner or later, others would meet such a fate in their battles with adult mossbears. Some, like my potential mate, put their faith in raw strength, while others, like the fire-wielder, seemed to have made peace with the idea of dying, smiling like death was an old friend he had invited for tea - calm on the outside, at least. Then there were the calm and sharp-minded, like the sword-wielding female, her focus all business despite being saddled with a piss-poor pack leader. And, of course, the "We are fucked!" group. They couldn¡¯t keep still, their eyes darting from Esu to their feet, then to the moss beneath them. Their weapons shook in white-knuckled grips, the leather squealing under the strain. And there I was, not sure where I fit in all this. I was a bit of everything. Scared out of my wits being this close to a massive, powerful beast. Lost about the cub thing. Glad death wasn¡¯t breathing down my neck, but already dreading my upcoming training session with the mossbears. ¡®Mossbears!¡¯ Of course one could not forget the mossbears themselves, especially the adults, getting sick of waiting. Every breath made them more restless, their claws twitching for action. Esu, as usual, wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He just stood there, dragging out the moment, like it didn¡¯t matter a lick. Calling it nerve-wracking didn¡¯t even come close. This place felt like a boiling pot about to spill over. Tension hung thick in the air, so real it might as well have been smoke choking my lungs. Time dragged - each heartbeat stretched to a lifetime, sweat sliding down my neck slow as a knife carving into flesh. Torture. Who would break first? Someone would. That much was certain. Would the mossbears defy their pack leader and make a move? Or maybe one of the remaining humans would be stupid enough to try their luck at escaping - although I had my doubts about that. Who would be first, if any? Who will be so stupid? Would the adult mossbears dare to go against their pack leader and attack? Will another human try to escape? Honestly, I believed it would be Esu, that he would speak up before anything happened. Wrong. So wrong. When my ears twitched at the voice cutting through the silence of the clearing, it belonged to none other than the young male, Tate. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Sir, Esu. Sir, I...?" The human stuttered, biting his tongue as he broke the silence no one else dared to. I couldn¡¯t help it this time - I facepalmed. Or, well, facetailed, since it was Sage¡¯s doing the work. A light, soft swat, with the tip of my tail peeking out from underneath me, leaving the faint smell of apples in its wake. ''How could I forget him?'' Though it seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one who had. My potential mate stood there, clearly struck by his... courage. The fire-wielder, on the other hand, was barely containing a grin, shaking his head, clearly amused by the whole thing. NNeither of them seemed eager to stop the young fool - and I couldn¡¯t really blame them. It was his mistake to make, and now he had to face it, just like the rest of us. "Sir," he stammered again, addressing Esu. "Y-You said I could leave the forest. Could I... leave now?" ?Truly... dull... mind. Brave... heart," Esu muttered with what could not be described as anything but a smirk, with quite a bit of amusement. "Yes... you... are... free... to... go... human." "T-Thank you, Esu, sir," the young male blurted out, scrambling to his feet, though he froze when his eyes landed on the trail winding through the woods. "C-Can I take one of the Scalehoofs?" A heavy sigh slipped from my lips - I couldn¡¯t help it. Every single one of those animals raised their heads, their eyes locked onto me, full of silent pleading. Though they wisely stayed silent, what was on their hearts was clear as day to me. They didn¡¯t say a word, but their hearts screamed the same message: they all wanted to be chosen. They wanted to be the one Esu picked, desperate to leave this place. And they wanted me to be the one to tell him. For herd animals, they sure were selfish. Still, I couldn¡¯t blame them. Self-preservation ran deep. That¡¯s why I found the nerve to speak up to the beast towering over me. If I refused to help them and they lived through this... well, I didn¡¯t even want to think about what I would have had to listen to from them. And God forbid the other scalehoofs in Castiana should hear that I didn''t even try to do anything. ?G-Great Esu, could you¡­could you let all the animals go with him?? The stupid animals¡¯ eyes on me grew sharper, followed by the weight of Esu¡¯s gaze. ''Shit! I should have kept my mouth shut. This wasn''t worth it.¡¯ Too late for regrets, though. ?Why... should... I?? There was no hint in his growl that he didn''t feel like doing so, if anything there was curiosity. ?I promised them help,? I growled back, reluctant to say more. ?They see me... as a Lady.? As the word left my tongue, the whole hill that was Esu trembled with a slow, rumbling chuckle. ''Was I really that foolish? Damn it, I knew the whole Lady thing was bullshit!'' But once more, I¡¯d been dead wrong. ?I... heard... about... a... Lady... in... my... woods... stealing... nuts. You... cub?? Shocked, my eyes immediately shot to his antlers, where squirrels were running around. Was it them? The ones I had battled for nuts with and eventually struck an accord with? Seeing me, Esu laughed again. ?Every... squirrel... in... woods... has... been... warned... to... beware... of... you¡­, Nuts-Stealing¡­ Lady.? ''What? The little bastards.'' Hearing that those nut-eating rats from back then were running around the woods, warning the other squirrels, I couldn''t help but lower my ears and whine. "I''m so sorry, Great Esu. I didn''t mean to make a disturbance in your forest." ?You... did... not. They... gossip... every... day. Not... wrong... they... were..., though. You... got... the... making... of... Lady.? ''Bloody hell. He saw me as one, too - he knew what it meant.'' And it didn¡¯t seem to impress him much. Or rather, being a Lady was nothing to wag your tail over. Thankfully, I never did. Still, a hundred questions were stuck in my throat. Esu didn¡¯t let me voice them, though. "Very... well, human," he spoke to the young human male. "Take... all... of... the... animals... with... you. The... cub''s... pack... may... go... too." ''The cub''s pack? Okay, shit¡­ that required a little explanation,'' and I quickly gave it to my potential mate through the human tool. "Damn, girl,you''re a better dealmaker than the Imperials. All right, I''ll tell them," he said, clearly very impressed - and glad. With Vara and Elira gone, he would only have me to worry about. Chapter 184: Ugly Truth ¡°We¡¯ll be at the forest¡¯s edge waiting,¡± Elira whispered, her words soft but heavy as she sat astride a scalehoof. Beside her, Vara and the young, lucky male sat on their mounts, the creatures jittering with impatience, eager to leave. The sorrow in Elira¡¯s voice hung like a shadow; she knew, as did Vara, that this might be the last time we¡¯d see each other. Even so, no farewells were spoken. ¡°When it¡¯s over, I want to hear it all - every word, Korra, you hear me?¡± ?Just go already,? I groaned, even though I knew she couldn¡¯t understand a word. She grinned at me anyway, nudging her scalehoof onward. The other two followed her lead, the herd flowing after them like a restless tide. Not a single human, myself included, could have watched them leave without a pang of envy. Before long, the clearing was left with less to worry about. My eyes, in unspoken accord with the others, found the adult mossbears. Many of them were now pushing each other, snapping at one another. "Poor bastards," remarked my potential - no, my quite possibly mentor aloud, voice low as he watched the snarling beasts. It didn¡¯t take much to realize he wasn¡¯t speaking of scalehoofs, their riders - or anyone standing here. "W-Who do you mean?" "My years in the army just came back to me," he replied, like that explained everything. "Won¡¯t be long now till these adult beasts leave the nest. When they do, the Empire will send troops to deal with them. I was one of the poor sods they sent after ''em more times than I care to remember," he reminisced, a bitter shadow crossing his face. "As punishment," he added sourly. "It''s a shitty job. We had to track them down and kill them before they settled elsewhere." "Wait, are you saying that there are more places like this? Like Esulmor?" My throat tightened. What if every forest was home to beasts like the mossbears? It was a chilling thought. "Not in Sahal. At least, not that I know of," he said. "The Empire has been thorough. They don¡¯t want another Esulmor in their backyard." I gave a slow nod, but my mind stuck on the mossbears. They lived under Esu¡¯s protection, but the moment they left, they were hunted down. Killed. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. No wonder that when the opportunity arose, Esu took it - wanting them to gain experience in fighting humans. Still¡­ "And he''s okay with that?" I nodded towards the massive beast towering above me as always taking his time with whatever he was planning next. Truth be told, the waiting was hell on my nerves, but I figured he was stalling to give my pack and animals more time to get clear. It was not hard to imagine that the coming battles would be - ugly. My quite-possibly mentor gave a lazy shrug. "Esu would eventually kill the males anyway, and the same goes for the females. Mothers would get rid of them if they didn''t leave the woods." ¡®Oh, well¡­¡¯ As sad as it was, it made sense. Watching Esu¡¯s growing impatience with the adults, I figured there could only ever be one male pack leader in the territory. Did it work the same for the females? Was there a final number? I didn¡¯t know. But I couldn¡¯t help wondering if Esu had been driven from his nest the same way. And what about his home? Did it even exist anymore? Chances were, the thought fuddlers had destroyed it long, long ago. My potential mentor¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you ready, girl?" "R-Ready for what?" I asked, glancing around in a rush of nerves. While the adult mossbears fought among themselves more than a moment ago, thankfully, none still dared to challenge the humans - or rather go against Esu. "For your training. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much longer.¡± "No," I didn¡¯t hesitate, shaking my head. His grin was all teeth. "Right answer." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "W-What? Really?" ¡°Don¡¯t ever think you¡¯re ready. Stay sharp. Expect the unexpected." "That doesn''t make sense," I argued. How were you supposed to prepare for something you couldn¡¯t even guess at? "Does it make sense that Esu claims you as his cub?" It made plenty of sense to me, but I bit my tongue. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Without knowing about my mutations, it would have to be the last thing one would expect. Still... "But if you know..." "And that''s the problem," he cut me off. "You never know what might happen. You never know what you''ll face. One moment, you¡¯re set to march against mind mages, and the next, you¡¯re knee-deep in some tits-forsaken swamp with leeches the size of my hand chomping your ass because someone can''t read maps." ''Eh? Was he hinting at my poor sense of direction, or...? No, there was no way for him to know. Besides, that sounded too personal.'' Knowing better than to dig deeper, I simply nodded. "Right, I get it. B-But considering what I''m about to face, I''d rather hear some actual advice?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "You have some balls, I''ll give you that," he said, grinning like a fool with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Alright. You see the moss on their backs? Rip it off, and you''re halfway there. They use it to defend, to strike, even to heal and eat when they have to. But to do that, you need skills you don''t have. So you''re gonna have to beat it the old-fashioned way." I asked, ¡°And that is?¡± though I already had a pretty good idea of what he would say. ¡°My way,¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°Punches and kicks. Lots of ¡®em. Looking at you, maybe add a few scratches and bites to the mix.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for me to respond to his snark. His face turned serious, then. ¡°Eyes, nose, ears, belly - balls if it''s a male. The usual spots. They¡¯re huge. Don¡¯t get caught under them.¡± Finally, some real advice I so desperately needed. It made me all the more disheartened when, according to him, I had no other way to win the upcoming struggle, that was my training, other than by beating the mossbear to a pulp. Worse, the weak points he mentioned - eyes, ears, nose, crotch - were all things I had already known about before. They were the weak spots every damn mammal seemed to have. "What about the throat?" I asked, trying to think of something new while keeping my eye on the young mossbears in the clearing and my ear sharp for Esu¡¯s next growl. "Good thinking. But do you think you can get past the fat?" ''Shit!'' I''d forgotten about that. No matter how hard I tried to get the bitch-controlled mossbear to let me go, my claws didn''t penetrate deep enough. "No. Got any other ideas?" I asked, practically begging. He paused, shuddered, and let out a deep sigh. "There¡¯s a spot on their bodies..." "Oh, which one? Where?" I pressed, eager to hear it. "One that even humans shouldn''t forget to protect," he said, not offering much more than that, leaving me to figure it out on my own. Annoying. We might have been just a few breaths away from a potentially deadly fight and he insisted on teaching me. Yet just when I was about to snap, my thoughts snapped into place. The anger I had felt shifted to understanding, then quickly turned to embarrassment as my focus to where my tail met my back. My basically-mentor smirked. "Not a pleasant thought, is it?" I felt my face turn red, shaking my head without thinking. No, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant thought. Getting attacked there? Cowardly, if anything. He turned his gaze to Esu, his voice calm. "It''s on you, girl. You don¡¯t have to go for that spot - or even beat your opponent. The big guy wants to train you, to experience the actual fight. Do that, fight, train, learn, and remember that most creatures have the same weaknesses, including you." "But..." I hesitated, wanting to argue that this didn''t seem like good training to me, even though I knew it wasn''t true. It was an amazing opportunity for someone like me who has basically zero fighting experience - especially in my beast form. "Protect your floppy ears, guard your throat, don''t forget the moss on its back. The shoots can gouge your eyes out in a second. Seen it happen many times." The moss shoots - didn''t need him reminding me of those. Sure, the moss shoots weren''t what killed the three humans, but I was certain that their deaths would be etched in my mind for a long time to come. "Be wary of shoots, got it!" "Good. Don''t know what else to tell you. Be quick, be sharp. Don''t get caught." ''Don''t get caught.'' That one stung deep. I intended to never get caught again. Yet it proved easier said than done - even for someone like Rayden. The female had promised me it wouldn¡¯t happen, and yet it did. Chapter 185: Prepared Looking up at the dark sky, curious to catch a glimpse of at least one of the moons, I thought about what my not-quite-mentor-yet told me. ¡®Be faster, be smarter, be prepared for the unexpected.'' Not really knowing how else to prepare, I took the opportunity the departure of my pack and those stupid animals gave us, the short breathing room before the bloodbath, to look at the Big Runes. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Name: Korra Grey Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 27 1st Array: Slave Master: None Sigils: 98 - ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Weaves: 1st Array (6/6) Eleaden Standard Language (General):.....23 glyphs - ?? Indomitable Will (Slave):.................113 ¡ú 115 glyphs - ????? Spatial Domain (General):..................21 ¡ú 22 glyphs - ?? Equilibrium (General):...........................9 ¡ú 10 glyphs - ? Never-Dying (General):.................................11 glyphs - ? Tail of Poison Empress (General):..............11 glyphs - ? ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Was there really a weave that could help me more than the current ones I had? Unless I wanted to become a full beast, it didn''t seem so. Sure, Mr. Sandoval assured me that even if I took off [Eleaden Standard Language], I would be able to understand people - albeit more poorly - but right now one misunderstood word could lead to disaster. No, I needed to be able to communicate with both beasts and humans. Even though it was hailing from my Slave Array, any reservations I had towards [Indomitable Will] disappeared after my second encounter with that thought-fuddler bitch. There was no way I was ever going to get rid of that weave. As for the others? [Spatial Domain] kept proving itself, and [Equilibrium] looked like it had real potential to shine in my upcoming training. That left me with [Never-Dying] and [Tail of Poison Empress] to figure out. While I was curious what the second circle of [Never-Dying] would bring, it was a weave I basically couldn''t lose, thanks to the runes on my chest. Not to mention the fact that as good as the skill placed on me by Fae was, it didn''t compare to the healing of mossbears - if you ignore the getting up from the dead thing. [Tail of Poison Empress] on the other hand - I wanted to see first how effective my poison would be against the mossbears. Changing out the weave wasn¡¯t an issue; I could do that any time. The question was what to replace the two weaves with. The real question was what to use in place of the two weaves - but none of them looked like a true game-changer. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Beast General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? No matter what anyone says or claims, the beast dwells in the hearts of all, a simple truth worth admitting rather than seeking ignorance leading to a fall. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ''Yeah, no shit.'' If anyone was proof, that there was a beast in all of us, it was me. But an even less useful weave than [Never-Dying], at least now that I was in my full beast form. Although it did make me wonder if it would help me change back. I haven''t come across any [Human] weave. Actually, I didn''t find too many beasts related weaves either. Only [Beast] itself... and [Pounce]. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Pounce General Weave 0 glyphs - ? ? Lazy those who only know how to chase their tails all day, but only true hunters know how to pounce on their prey. ©¤¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I knew how to pounce; I was a hunter. ''Would this help me pounce better?'' The thought wouldn¡¯t let go, tugging at me until I gave in and traded [Never-Dying] for the weave. I wanted to go through the general weaves again, just to be sure I hadn¡¯t overlooked something. But before I could, a beast¡¯s frustrated roar dragged me out of the Great Run sky. It ripped through the clearing, smashing the tense stillness to pieces. Then came another roar, and another, each one more impatient than the last. Those weren¡¯t Esu¡¯s cries. No, those were adult mossbears, fed up with all the waiting. After a few more roars, Esu answered with one of his own. If there was a meaning behind it, it was simple: shut up! And for a moment, they obeyed. But the truth loomed heavy, impossible to ignore. Without stepping in harder, without a fight, there was no way he¡¯d hold them off for long. "Humans," Esu growled, each word dripping with intent. "The ... time to ... be challenged ... is nigh." The clearing still rang with his words when the first beast broke from the forest line. An adult, broad and massive, locked eyes with Esu, grunted, then surged forward in a thunderous charge. Dirt and moss sprayed as it ground to a stop, looming a few strides from the Shadowbraker pack. ?Who dares, puny humans?? There was no call for translation. The meaning carried well enough for every human to grasp. "Oi, Rhea," a big human male, hefting a massive two-handed sword, bellowed across the clearing to the sword-wielding woman. ¡°If that bastard Ward crosses your path, tell him I hope he''d rot like a thrall for the rest of his life." "Will do," she called back, her nod sharp and grim. They both knew he wasn¡¯t likely to make it. "Come then, you fucking beast! Show me what you got!" The adult mossbear growled back, its body taut, every sinew ready to explode into motion. ?Not here!? One of the mothers snapped, moss shoots sprouting between the adult and the human ?Follow.? I could''ve stayed quiet, let the mossbears get riled up at the human''s confusion, watch him squirm under their watchful eyes. They deserved that much. But there was still some pity I couldn¡¯t shake. ¡®Plus, that I¡¯m better than them.¡¯ So, I told my future mentor what to relay. The adult mossbears wasted no time in issuing their challenges, interestingly enough, each one picking out the humans from the remaining five Shadowbreaker pack members. Only when the first echoes of battle reached us from the forest did one of the beasts set its sights on the sword-wielding woman. Although the Lattice showed me the same as with the previous ones, this one was obviously much stronger - older. ''Why didn''t the mossbear put its challenge first?'' That would make a lot more sense to me. The strong had the right to choose first, always. But it seemed like that rule didn¡¯t hold with mossbears. Even though they were bored, the stronger ones let the weaker ones go first. Looking back, it was the young mossbears that charged into the clearing after the fire-wielder set it ablaze - not the adults. Just as Esu had intended with me, they wanted the younger ones to gain the experience. Without so much as a word, she gave my mentor a nod, barely a glance in my direction, then followed her challenger deeper into the woods.Now, it was the fire-wielder''s turn. And his challenger was no weaker than that of the sword-wielding female. "What a beast, eh?" "Do your best, Harcon. I''d like to have a few words with you later." "Sure," He grinned, his eyes meeting mine for a moment followed by a slight bow of his head. "I wish we''d met under better circumstances. Good luck." With that, he followed his challenger deeper into the forest, just like the others. The next roar, however, didn''t come from my mentor''s challenger, but from Esu. ''What did Esu want? Wait! That can''t be¡­!'' I quickly pushed the thought away. It would be ridiculous for Esu to face him himself. Most importantly, just a breath later, from the greatly thinned ranks of mossbear came the answer to Esu¡¯s roar. My relief, however, was short lived. As the challenger of my mentor stepped from the shadows, a cold shiver ran down my spine. [Mossbear: ???? sigils] The Lattice proved as useless as ever. There was simply too much of a gap between four and five Obscures. Still, this mossbear, a female, was the strongest adult I had seen to date. She might not have been on the same level as the mothers, but¡­ thoughts that my apprenticeship might have been short-lived crept into my mind. "Don''t worry about me, girl," my mentor¡¯s voice echoed in my mind, as if he sensed the unease rising in me. "Worry about yourself and no one else. Like I told you, take this chance and give it all you¡¯ve got. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got to prove I¡¯m capable of teaching you - never thought I''d have to do that.¡± ¡°Be prepared for the unexpected?¡± ¡°Ah, you''re a fast learner. Good. Anyway, see you later, girl." With that, I was the only one left to be challenged. Chapter 186: The Unexpected The sounds of battle now came from every direction, terrible sounds - mossbears bellowing, people screaming, the crashing of trees, the rumble of explosions. The world around me seemed to be falling into chaos, while I alone was left on a piece of land untouched by it. Worse than the noise, however, was the knowing. Knowing that hoping it would stay that way was nothing but foolishness, that something just like that was coming for me. Sure enough, fear sank its teeth into me, dragging with it a mess of questions. Was my mentor still alive? What about the fire wielder? But equally, I remembered the advice I got. Their battles weren¡¯t mine, though. I had my own survival to worry about. Even so, all the steel in my spine crumbled when Esu bent low, his growl sharp as claws. ?Your ... turn ... to ... learn, cub.? ?I u-understand,? I forced out, my eyes darting over the clearing. "W-With whom?" ?The ... other ... young.? Undeniably hearing that made me feel relieved. Sure, it was what he''d said earlier, but still, for whatever reason, I half-expected him to throw me against a full-grown mossbear. Not that it really answered my question. ?W-Which one, great Esu?? ?You ... challenge. Fight ... the ... first ... one ... who ... accepts.? ''Shit!'' So much for hoping he would just choose one for me. Well, I had to get on my feet at one point. Better now than when the mossbear rushes me. My knees wobbled like a newborn fawn¡¯s, but I wasn¡¯t about to let that stop me. ''Challenge, challenge - how am I supposed to go about that?'' Not really wanting to fuck it up, and refusing to ask Esu for help, I did the only thing I could and mimicked the adult mossbear. ?Rawr!? The sound barely passed for a roar, more like a strained squeak, but it was enough to get their attention and the meaning across. Most of the young mossbears, unlike the adults waiting patiently, raised their heads in my way. Not one of them showed the faintest interest in fighting me, though. For a fleeting moment, I dared to hope that I could weasel my way out of this training. That hope didn¡¯t last long, though. Shame hit me like a claw to the belly. So weak, so useless - they couldn¡¯t even be bothered. ''What if... what if Esu decides to ditch me? Abandon me as his cub?''Maybe the mother mossbears were right. Maybe I belonged back in the forest. But before I could sink too far into that dark pit of moss, one of the young mossbears shifted, rising to stand. ?Roarrr!? the challenge was accepted. "Well ... done. Train ... cubs," Esu purred with approval, his voice warm, like a father¡¯s pride. ''Huh? What? How? Why? I didn''t have a collar?¡¯ To say that the tingling of the Great Runes notification in my skull caught me completely off guard would be an understatement. My mind was in total disarray - but the mossbear didn¡¯t care. It couldn''t give two shits that my legs still shook beneath me, barely holding steady. It started toward me. A runt compared to the adults running wild through the woods, its steps didn¡¯t thunder, but it was still a creature three times my size and a mountain heavier than me. ''What should I do? What should I do?'' The young mossbear didn''t seem to mind that I was standing in the shadow of Esu and charged forward with no sign of slowing down. There was no way I could face a beast like that - or was there? ''Think, Korra! Think - be smarter, be faster.'' The beast was nearly on me when my mentor¡¯s words hit me¡ªalong with the memory of how the young human male had outsmarted his enemy. These creatures weren¡¯t built for endurance. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. I turned and bolted away, putting as much ground between us as I could. It worked. Barely. My legs almost buckled, and I came far too close to the mossbear¡¯s fangs for comfort, but I managed. Just in time. Not that wearing the thing down was my goal. Sure, the thought was tempting - easy to picture, really - but Esu wouldn¡¯t have it. He wanted his cubs to fight, to learn, and he considered me one of his. ''Wait, is that it? Nah - no way.'' It shouldn''t matter if he saw me as his cub or not. The old librarian made it clear that for [Slaves] like me, it was how we saw others¡­ ?Rawr!? The young mossbear''s frustrated roar as I nimbly got out of its reach for the umpteenth time stopped me from the urge to look at Esu. Even if I was right and behind that 99th sigil was my bestial self, which it saw Esu as someone to listen to, it would just mean I should try that much harder to live up to his expectations. Thankfully, it seemed like it wouldn''t be as much of a problem as I had initially thought. The more I weaved through the roots and moss, the steadier my legs felt. The fear still coiled in my chest and churned in my gut, but every dodge and step made me believe - just a little - that maybe I could do this. Each step, each heartbeat, made the fight seem less impossible. With every breath, my courage swelled, drawing me closer to the mossbear. Each escape became sharper, tighter. The thrill of it hooked me, setting my heart pounding. Before I knew it, I was yelping and wagging my tail like an overeager pup. [Mossbear: lvl ??] Sure, my joy was spoiled a bit by the fact that this was the weakest mossbear I have met so far. But weak or not, it gave me a chance - a chance to stand my ground and maybe learn more than just how to dodge or take a hit. ''Should I? Should I go for the pounce?'' The bold thought made my tail twitch. Up till now, I¡¯d done nothing but dart and weave, dancing around the beast. ''Yeah, let¡¯s see what happens.'' With every breath, my confidence grew. The moment I saw my chance, I lunged in, claws flashing, and raked them across the mossbear¡¯s flank. The sickening tear of its flesh made my stomach churn, but I couldn¡¯t deny the grim satisfaction of feeling my claws sink in. Not that it did much, anyway. The wounds weren¡¯t much - just faint, bleeding streaks along its hind leg. It hardly slowed the beast, and if anything, it looked angrier than before. Its growl thundered through me, but I met it with a snarl of my own, a grin tugging at my lips. I was enjoying this far too much. With that small victory, the unease that had coiled in my chest unraveled. I felt lighter, quicker - more eager to strike than just dart around like prey. ''The best defense is offense - isn''t that how it goes?'' When the mossbear lunged again, I dodged, close enough that its rough fur brushed my tail. My chance came. This time, my claws dug deep, tearing a sharp cry from the beast. Pride flooded through me, warm and wild. Maybe this fight wasn¡¯t so hopeless after all. Emboldened, I pounced. And again. The bloody Big Runes thundered in my skull, enough to trip my footing. That single misstep was all the mossbear needed. Its claws found their mark, tearing into my side. The pain was searing, blinding - like a flame fist in the face except burning across my ribs. I reeled, choking down a whimper as I ducked clear of its reach, my side aflame with pain. ''Stupid! That was so stupid! What the fuck was I thinking?!'' No, this wasn¡¯t on me. The Great Runes - they¡¯d done this. Thrown me off, made me stumble. ''Be prepared for the unexpected.'' The words of my mentor, now also out there somewhere in the woods facing his opponent, came to mind. I hadn¡¯t taken those words seriously before, not really - they just didn''t make much sense. Now, they hit differently. You couldn¡¯t plan for every twist. The trick was not to be caught off guard when things spiraled. Lesson learned, or so I hoped. Either way, I pushed past the pain, and not taking my eyes off my opponent, more cautious, heart pounding, muscles tense, and hopefully ready for the unexpected, I circled the beast, looking for my next chance to pounce.