《The elf from Shaylet》


 It begins..

    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* went my hammer as I pounded the molten metal in front of me causing sparks to fly as I shape my new blade. The blade that I spent months saving up to buy the ore for. I spend hours hammering the metal watching as it takes shape into a beautiful sword. My pointed ears get a little itchy from the cloth I have wrapped around my head to catch the sweat.


    It''s finally complete, I think about the time it took to get to this point as I look at my new blade. Slim, black, double edged sword with runes in the forbidden language running up and down the blade with a slight glow. The hilt I made out of a black tree I found at the edge of the forest surrounding this village. Since I already broke the laws of mages by using the forbidden language, I decided what the hell and carved some more of it on the handle. As I carved the odd words I chant protection spells making sure it is absorbed by the words on the handle. When I finished I looked over my masterpiece making sure it was loaded with enough enchantments and magic to make a human magician sick and began to sharpen it.


    Afterwards, I chant one last spell on the blade, surrounding it with a thick layer of magic and condensing it over and over until the magic aura from the weapon is barely noticeable. Happy with my work I finally sheath the blade and leave the workshop. Outside I take a deep breath and stretch deeply enjoying the new weight on my hip. This village is part of the kingdom of Shaylet, one on the very edge of the kingdom. Recently they have had a large problem with goblins, so they sent a request through a travelling merchant to the closest adventurers guild. So I was sent here, that bastard guild supervisor practically blackmailed me into coming. At least they had a hut an old blacksmith used to live in. I was able to finally create my baby.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I start my morning patrol of the village, boring as always. Only slowing down around the open windows of the houses with the most beautiful maidens in them. To make sure they were safe of course. Oddly, I didn''t see anyone. I''ve been here for months and have yet to see anything green other than the local Flora. Im only giving this village one more week if I don''t see a goblin, I''m gone. Thinking about my room at the inn back at the Capitol, I wander around the village. I stop when I realize something...... no one is here. The people in this village are usually up and giving me annoying glances by now. I stop by the village chief''s house and look in his windows. Dread fills my mind as I see the amount of blood soaking his sheets.


    SHIT!


    I burst through the door, ripping it off of it''s hinges and looking for any clue as to what did this. I check the whole house and find nothing but blood. Cursing my luck I bolt around to the other houses looking for anyone. I find no one, not a living soul is left in this village. The only thing left are the large blood stains in all the beds. After kicking in almost every door in the village I see something moving. Ducking behind the house just left of me, I try to see what it is. I sneak a little closer to it, staying hidden behind houses and barrels and anything big enough for me to hide behind. As I get closer I see, what appears to be a weird ball of meat with strange twisted sticks poking out of it. My stomach turns inside out when I get close enough and see that those sticks, were actually the limbs of the villagers. I follow the creature, determined to not completely fail my mission and at least determine who or what killed the villagers.

 The limb-meatball

    I followed the wierd creature through the forest surrounding the village. I got quite familiar with the area during my stay at the village and was quite confident that there was nothing in this direction for days. But old caves and an old hunting ground.


    Where the hell is it going? I wonder.


    Not long after I had that thought, the ball stopped. I ducked behind the nearest tree, trying to make as little sound as possible. It had stopped in a small clearing that was surrounded on all sides by wierd black trees. I started to wonder if it got stuck, as it was just sitting there without any movement. I was going to move closer to investigate but then I felt a vibration in the ground. It got more and more violent during the next couple seconds. I looked at the ball and my eyes widen in amazement as I see it start to sink into the ground. The many arms sticking out of it were folding inward, almost like they were trying to hug the ball. I can only watch as it sinks away. Before the ball can completely sink away I remember that there is an old cave nearby and I hoped that''s where it was sinking to.


    I leave as fast and as quietly as I can and head in the direction of the cave entrance. I was in this area last week hoping to find something to sell and found this cave. Of course when I get there it seems to have gotten a really creepy makeover. There were skeletons crushed and spread around. Patterns smeared in blood and what I hope is pigskin, sitting on an altar with a statue of a weird imp with what appears to be a wooden club between his legs. I didn''t really want to know so I didn''t inspect it any closer. I chant some detection spells on myself to check for any traps or alarms set up, and found a couple. They were created with some really corrupted Mana so for most people it would be impossible to dispell it. Unless you had some real expensive crystal to absorb it. I am broke so I obviously didn''t have any crystal. However, what most people don''t know is that corrupted spells have to be extremely specific. They can only do exactly what you tell them to.


    The corrupted spell on the cave entrance was set to alert the people inside about any human intruders. So, me being an elf can just walk right in. The fact that this spell is here though gives me a bad feeling. Only the mad guild uses corrupted magic, and them being here is bad news. The mad guild used to be a guild of researchers called the ivy scholars. They focused on trying to find ways to enhance themselves using magic. They had found some promising spells that were meant to evenly spread mana around their bodies and improve their ability to cast spells. But after they cast the spell the mana surged through them, corrupting them. Changing them into something no longer human. They went on a rampage destroying everything around them, eventually being killed off by the king''s army. They didn''t find the bodies though.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As I go deeper in the cave I wonder why they came here? Then I remembered the villagers and I feared the worst. What if they are trying to summon a demon. Demons were eradicated before I was born as they are extremely aggressive and hate humans, but will kill anyone. If they brought the demons back there''s no telling how many people will die. And if they figure out it''s my fault I WONT GET PAID. The fact that I could lose my entire reward on this job was enough to bring tears to my eyes.


    I unsheath my sword And keep it ready.


    As I walk I start to hear a slow chanting in what couldn''t possibly be a language. In front of me is a large opening in the cave, obviously hollowed out with magic. The walls are saturated with gross, black and gray looking mana. Almost thick enough to see with the naked eye. In the large room were around 40 robed figures all chanting that nonesense, situated around something which I can only describe as a hole. It wasn''t a pit, it didn''t seem to go anywhere. It was just a pitch black hole. I didn''t know what they were doing and I didn''t want to know. I just needed to stop it, but my normal spells won''t do anything against this many people.


    I reach into my pack and pull out the most expensive thing I own. Cost me more than I spent on my sword, a tiny orange marble. I regretted it but I needed to use this. I put it on the ground and filled it with my mana. When I thought it had enough I stopped and picked it up. I brought my arm back and aimed, then tossed the small marble with all my might at the center of the circle. The marble floated in the middle of the group and then flashed and crumbled and fell into the dark hole on the ground. None of them even seemed to notice as I cursed my guildmaster name in every language I knew.


    THAT BASTARD TOOK MY DAMN GOLD COINS AND GAVE ME A CHILDRENS TOY!!!


    Oops. I inadvertantly shouted.


    Every single one of their heads turned and looked at me.

 The summoning

    As I run with all my might, the air is filled with the sound of angry spell casting and my boots hitting the cave floor. Heat and bolts of reddish goo wiz past my head as I try my best to dodge their evil magic. My legs scream in protest, while I sprint through the cave.


    Where the hell is the exit? How did I get lost?


    The more I run the less sense the cave starts to make. At first it was a normal looking cave, twisting and turning, splitting and such. But now it''s like one long slightly curved hallway.


    Wait a minute.... It¡¯s quiet.


    The screams and chants that had been following me we''re nowhere to be found. Stopping to catch a breath I look behind me. Nothing? There was nothing, the cave just ended.


    That''s impossible.


    In front of me there was a slight glow and seeing as how the path behind me is missing, I moved on.


    A sigh escapes my lips as I wander into the room that I had left before with the hole in the floor. At least the robed guys aren''t here anymore. Deciding to look for anything of value I rummaged around making sure I give anything I sense magic from a wide berth.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Spotting a small pouch on the floor next to the portal thing my greed got the best of me. I snatched the pouch up and poured the contents into my hand.


    Out came 12 gold coins and a black horn. As soon as the coins hit my hand I couldn''t contain my smile. The black horn was cracked and covered in burns, it wouldn''t sell at all, so I tossed it away.


    The black horn flew into the cave wall and bounced off at a weird angle. It went back towards me and flew into the portal narrowly missing my head.


    Too focused on my new wealth to care about the flying horn I decided that I''ve spent enough time here and turn to find an exit. Suddenly I feel something tugging on my clothes. The tugging turns into pulling, then it starts ripping at me. The hole behind me started growing and sucking anything and everything in. Grabbing part of the cave wall, my knuckles popped, and my muscles strained as I struggled not to let go. Loose rocks and books and whatever other crap that the guild brought to this cave flew past me. They flew past and towards the thing that was now spinning and surrounded in rings of black. The feeling in my arms is pretty much gone by now. But my attention is purely focused on that portal. It keeps growing more and more intense, spinning faster and faster. So fast it no longer looks like it''s moving anymore.


    A shape appears in the middle.


    A human like shape fell from the portal, and instantly the portal closed. I landed on my side, almost cracking a rib as the pulling suddenly stopped. Checking to see if I broke anything, I stand up and see the figure on the floor.


    It''s....... A female Minotaur?

 The escape

    The minotaur girl was about 5 feet tall and covered in a weird cloth that ended at her lower thighs. She had tiny black horns that were partially covered by her short black hair. Her horns seemed to glow slightly in the gloom of the candlelight. Most of her looked human except that she had the legs of a bovine, covered in black fur.


    I couldn''t help but stare, this made no sense to me.


    Why would they summon a minotaur? They could simply just go to your nearest dungeon or to a deep mountain cave and capture one.


    Not to mention how they are an all-male race. No one has ever found a female. This could be a huge discovery!


    I''m gonna be rich!


    Stowing all my loot, I picked the girl up off the floor and left the room. The cave seems to have gone back to normal, the walls stayed where they were supposed to this time. I come across a door that I haven''t seen on the way in. I feel like I might not have had enough loot yet, so I set down the girl and peer through the keyhole. Several lumps of cloth were in the corner. Weird, thought I saw one shiver.


    "Detect trap"


    Releasing the Mana from my hand it went through the keyhole, sliding its self through the door like thread through a needle eye. Scanning the entire room beyond the door with an invisible light and then returning to my hand. Instantly I knew there were no traps and begin to pick the lock. Took about a minute before I was able to coax a soft click out of it.


    "Damn, I''m out of practice" I muttered to myself while opening the door.


    The floor in front of the door was covered in runes that I recognized as smell absorbing and noise cancelling spells. I realized why they were there as soon as I walked past the door.


    There was a pit of blood and body parts embedded in the floor on the other side of the room and for some reason there was some fruit mixed in there amongst the gore. The smell was so sickening I emptied my stomach right there on the floor.


    The sound of me puking up my guts made the cloth sacks I saw through the keyhole move and shift around. Large metal bars stood between me and the moving cloth sacks.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Oi, Show yourself or I''ll leave you here to rot" I say thinking maybe it''s another discovery which means more profit. The sacks shifted until two furry ears popped out, then a head. My enthusiasm faded as I realized oh, it''s just a beastkin.


    "Are you here to rescue me?"


    "That depends, how rich is your family?"


    She was silent for a second as if considering if I would rescue her or not.


    "My name is Vylet Faye"


    Oh fuck, she is a noble.


    "Finch the elf at your service" I said as I pick the lock for the cage. Almost drooling at the thought of a reward for returning her.


    The walk out was a little shorter than I thought it would be, but I was happy to finally be out of that cave. I wasn''t in there for long, but I already never want to go back


    Vylet seems to feel the same as she breathes deeply of the fresh air. I can''t imagine what that room must have smelled like to a beastkin with their heightened sense of smell. Now that we are in the sunlight I can get a better look at her face.


    She has the trademark ears of the beastkin sticking out of her fiery red waist length hair. A small scar on her cheek close to her short muzzle and a thin layer of hair covering her entire body. The only thing she is wearing is the thin cloth sack I found her under. I cut out armholes and fashioned it into a makeshift shirt until I can get her some actual clothes. I forgot to cut a hole for her tail, but she didn''t seem to mind it.


    She kept glancing at the girl I was carrying. I don''t know why it took me this long to realize, but the girl on my shoulder...


    wasn''t wearing any underwear.


    I immediately headed back to the village to get these girls some clothes. Before I get misunderstood by some passing adventurer.


    We travelled back to the village and I broke into the house of the woman with the most children and raided her closets for clothing for the girls. I set the minotaur girl down on one of the beds and brought out some of the clothes I thought would fit her. I left Vylet to choose what she wanted to wear. I had found a dress for her to wear because pants didn''t seem to agree with most that didn''t have human legs.


    Putting underwear on her had been a chore, her hooves kept getting in the way and tearing the cloth. I was close to giving up and hoping she doesn''t like to kick very high, when I noticed Vylet standing in the doorway giving me a dirty look.


    "What?" I asked without realizing I had an almost naked girl in the bed next to a pile of ripped underwear with a fresh pair in my hand and the girls legs up.


    "Oh.... this isn''t what it looks like"


    My face turned red as I tried to assure the girl that I have no interest in kids. She tilted her head and looked directly into my eyes.


    "Good, otherwise I would have to use these"


    She brought up her left hand and showed me the eight knives in her hand.


    "My aim is quite good, my father used to teach me while we went peasent hunting"


    A lump rose in my throat "Please tell me you mean birds"


    Her only reply was a smile that gave me the feeling that this trip would be far from pleasent.

 Nightmares

    I gave up trying to get the minotaur dressed so Vylet took over and dressed her. I searched around for travel supplies, any preserved food and pots that I can shove in a bag. I found nothing in the house so I went next door. In the room next to the entrance I found a big sack under the bed, i picked it up and emptied it on the bed. The sack was filled with various climbing tools, leather pouches willed with dried meat, a loaf of hard bread, some rope and a cheap dagger in a wooden sheath.


    The sack isn''t really useful, it was tearing in multiple places and had a hole near the bottom. I looked around the house for a new bag and found a worn merchants pack. I checked the contents to find it filled with mostly medicinal herbs and other plants I don''t know the uses of. I dumped out everything but the herbs, those I put in a pocket on the side of the bag, and took it back to the other room and started packing everything I thought was useful.


    We had several days worth of food and I also had a stash of wine I stole from the village head, hidden at the hut I lived in. The merchants bag had some space left in it even with everything I put in there. I picked up the bag and walked out of the house.


    On my way out I noticed one of the floor boards sticking up at a weird angle. I took out that cheap dagger I found and started to pry it up. The board came up with a small creak, revealing a small space filled with a book, a necklace with a weird symbol on it and a dirty vial.


    I examine the book to see if it might be worth something. It was a worn old ratty book, the binding torn in many places. But it might be worth something on the underground market if it''s a banned book. Opening it to the first page I looked as the blood drained from my face, the words are written in blood...


    And in daemon language.


    The world immediately started spinning, the words echoing off the page in a voice that came from everywhere. A voice deeper than anything possible by a living being, speaking a language that twisted my thoughts with every syllable. My hands seem to fuse with the book as everything twisted and turned grotesque. I couldn''t breathe, my muscles growing weaker and weaker as what seemed like days pass.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Then It all ended. The world stopped spinning, the feeling in my muscles coming back to me. My hands shaking and empty in front of my face as I try to recover from what just happened. A hand enters the edge of my vision and touches the side of my face. I turn my head to see a beautiful young girl in a green dress looking at me with a worried expression on her face. A wave of exhaustion hits me and I pass out.


    Horrifying images filled my mind as I slept. creatures, weird combinations of daemon and rusted metal tearing and ripping flesh from any who got too close. Deafening screams and the sounds of torture make up the world in my dreams.


    There was a voice that cut through the screams. Filled with desperation, a hoarse yet feminine voice cried out.


    "Please, save my daughter"


    The pain in my head woke me, my hands still shaking as I try to sit up. A cup of what smelled like alcohol appeared before me held by small hands.


    "Thank you" I said accepting the cup and chugged it greedily. I didn''t realize how thirsty I was. Handing the cup back I finally get a good look at the owner of the hands. It was the minotaur girl, apparently she had woken up and heard screams her and vylet found me clutching a book and randomly switching between laughing maniacally and crying. As she told me she seemed really worried. I was curious why she would worry so much about someone she had never met before. My curiosity disappeared when I saw she was holding the book in her other hand.


    "Give me that book and for the love of all that is holy don''t open it"


    "Why? Can you read it?"


    "Gods no I can''t read it! Give me the damn book! It''s filled with curses and evil shit that will rot your mind"


    She gave me a look one would give a small child and chuckled as she gave me the book.


    "Relax, it''s just daemon tongue, it''s one of the first languages I learned. Not as hard as what you humans call the forbidden language but it''s better for mental attacks"


    I couldn''t believe what this kid was saying


    "Kid....what is your name?"


    "You can call me malady, also I''m not a kid"


    "Malady? Funny, you have the same name as the-"


    "The evil goddess? Yeah she''s my mother but she doesn''t like that title."


    A demi-god.......shit.

 Back towards home

    Demi-gods are not birthed, they are chosen. It is forbidden amongst the gods to have children, mostly because they would get too powerful. Around 200 years ago the world was filled with godspawn, the children of the gods and the demi-gods, empowered by the gods that didn''t want children. They were everywhere, some became heroes while others became evil and got drunk with power. Destroying countries and whole races just because they had the power to. The mortals did what they could to survive but it wasn''t easy, being surrounded by such powerful beings.


    It didn''t take long for some of the godspawn to start antagonizing some of the lesser deities. Wanting to be full gods they stole the thrones of some of the lesser ones. They killed every one of their followers they could find and defiled their temples. Trying their best to erase the name of the one whose throne they wanted, weakening them and killing them for their power. Deities and Gods can be killed only if they are cut off from their worshippers. They gain immortality through their followers, every prayer to them converts a small amount of Mana into divinity. Which is the source of their divine powers and their lifespan. Every temple or shrine boosts the conversion rate, changing massive amounts of Mana into divinity with every prayer.


    The lesser deities appealed to the gods, begging them to do something about their children before they wiped out their followers and destroyed their temples. Some of the gods agreed to help, stopping their children from attacking the lesser deities. But others saw the deities as weak and inferior and didnt care about their source of prayers being destroyed. This created a huge rift between most of the major gods and the minor deities. A rift that gave rise to a war that spread from the gods realm into the mortal realm. Almost all of the godspawn and demi-gods fought each other, causing massive damage to the mortal realm. Kingdoms disappeared overnight, towns were encased in ice and shattered. Many mortals lost faith in the gods, the war destroying all they had held dear. Causing the gods to lose their main income of divinity. Most beleive this is the only reason the war stopped, well that and the fact the godspawn population dropped to a 10th of what it had been. Since then the gods all agreed to a pact to not have anymore children, demi-gods were still allowed as they were not as powerful as godspawn and could be easily controlled. But as demi-gods were simply mortals that had a power up, they were not very appealing to the major gods.


    So meeting a demi-gods is very rare, especially one with the same name as the goddess she was chosen by. As that could be very bad for a lesser god, given the fact that their name is the source of their power. If the demi-gods with their name gained an unfavorable reputation that could hinder their followers belief in them.


    Why did a goddess of evil chose a monster girl as a demi-god? It didn''t make sense to me. She had way more intelligence than normal minotaurs, and she was female which was always thought to be impossible. Whatever, none of these thoughts are going to get me any coin.


    Dusting myself off, I get off the floor. Malady got out of the chair she had pulled next to me and started to walk towards the door.


    I couldn''t let her just leave after dropping that on me. I needed to get some answers.


    "Wait? Why are you here? Did the godess send you with a quest or something? Is a calamity coming?"


    Malady, who was halfway out the door stopped and turned her head to me.


    "She chose to make me a demi-god, to save my life. I have no goal other than to live."


    Leaving the door open behind her as she left, I wondered what she meant by that. Realizing I was still holding that accursed book I bound it with a leather strap tightly and packed it at the bottom of the merchants pack. Checking to see if I had packed everything I closed the bag and headed back to Vylet and malady.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Vylet had chosn to wear a pair of pants she had found with a hole In the back that she cut for her tail. She was also wearing leather boots and a shirt that had been sown from many bits of random cloth. Somehow she had found a pair of expensive gloves that no one in this village should have been able to afford and had cut them into fingerless gloves.


    Damn kids, those gloves could have been worth a handful of silver if she didn''t ruin them.


    Other than the green dress she was wearing, malady had found a cap and was wearing it over her horns. She looked like a young noble, as long as you didn''t see the hooves under her dress. They both had crude sacks stuffed to the brim with things they had found in the empty houses. A small pile of books were behind them, without saying a word to them I muttered a spell while walking straight past them. Feeling the Mana gather in my palm, I willed it into a fireball and tossed it onto the pile of books. I''m not dealing with more than one of these.


    "Where in the hells did you find these books?"


    Vylet was the one to answer first.


    "Every house had one hidden in it somewhere. Under the floors, behind paintings or hidden behind false walls."


    This whole damn village is part of the cult!


    "We need to get out of here"


    The girls simply nodded and grabbed their bags.


    We left the cultist village and started heading to the next town. It was a couple days from here but we had tents and I knew some wards to keep animals away so I think we will be alright. Keeping to the road we travelled farther south, deeper into the kingdom. The road was not very well kept. At times it simply became a path of cleared trees. Can''t really be helped seeing as we are on the edge of the kingdom. After only a couple hours of walking the sun had start to sink below the horizon and we stopped to set up camp. We stopped right before the beginning of a large forest. It would be two days through this forest to the town of mest on the other side.


    Vylet was in charge of finding dry wood for the fire. Malady wanted to try and set up the tents, so I let her and started getting the place ready for the fire. I cut the grass around the area and put some rocks in a circle to prevent the fire from spreading. I look at malady to see how she was doing.


    *SNAP!*


    She had fell on the tent snapping the supports. Her hat had fell off of her head and her horn caught the cloth and ripped it. Sighing, I set up the other tent and told her I''d sleep outside. This was going to be a long trip. Vylet returned and noticed the wreck of a tent next to the sad looking malady and guessed what happened. She gave the dry wood she found to me and went to console malady.


    She doesn''t act like a demi-god I thought and chuckled to myself. Placing the wood in area I prepared, i gathered a small spark of Mana. Sent it to the tip of my finger, I lightly poke my finger into the base of the sticks and simply imagine a fire. A small flame pops out of my finger and spreads to the wood around it. Malady and vylet seem to be getting along great, they are sitting in the grass talking to each other.


    Then Vylet jumped to her feet, ears twitching she stared at the forest. She heard it seconds before I did.


    *BOOM*


    I pull out my sword and summon some Mana into my left hand to use at any moment. My and vylet were staring at the forest, malady didn''t seem to know what was going on. Looking thouroughly confused and a little worried she sat behind Vylet, clutching a small knife in her hand.


    I heard something coming toward us. It sounded like a strong wind. Realization dawned on me. I sheath my sword and dash towards Vylet and malady. Molding the Mana in my hand as I go, muttering in the forbidden language to strengthen it. I spread the Mana into a shield as soon as I was close to Vylet and malady. The light blue force in a dome shape around us.


    Vylet looked at me


    "What the hell are you doing?!"


    I said nothing and just prepared myself for what was coming.


    In the distance, what looked like a wall of flying trees, boulders and debree were heading straight for us.


    "That" I said while pointing.


    She and malady''s jaws dropped at the sight. The fear clearly visible in their eyes.


    I poured my Mana into the shield, willing it to get stronger and stronger till the wall was upon us.

 Back towards home 2

    The first thing to hit us was the wind. A strong and loud wind that threatened to take us to the skies if I lost control of my protective Mana shield. Roaring through the nearby branches whipping them around, ripping some off only to break on my shield. Our camp was completely wiped away at this point. As if the world itself wiped it off with a cloth, like one would a bit of food on their cheek. Even animals were not spared as they thrashed in the wind trying to ground themselves and get away. A couple unlucky animals flew into my shield and burst, spreading viscera and chunks of bone everywhere. A couple minutes after the wind had started, a wall of mana smashed into us. Malady cried out and crumpled on the ground convulsing. Vylet was chanting simple protection spells and using as much of the surrounding Mana she could. Purifying and channeling some into my shield and casting random spells to try and lessen the burden on malady. Malady may have been smart, but technically she was still a monster. Minotaurs had a sensitivity to Mana usage near them, so you never take an inexperienced mage to hunt them. The newbie mage would undoubtedly leak mana unconsciously and alert the minotaur to their presence long before they reach it. Being surrounded by it was overwhelming to a young minotaur. To Vylet and I it was more of a nuisance, causing mild hallucinations and tingling. My focus was centered on channelling mana into the shield and using the mana that Vylet sent to me to strengthen the shield. However in the passing moments the hallucinations started affecting me, I started to see fish swimming outside my shield. The light glistening on their scales, fish of all sizes swam around us. I almost felt the sand beneath my feet, soft and filled with shells.


    The sea of mana surrounding us ended as suddenly as it began. Leaving behind a slight blue tinge in the air and an empty plain where the forest used to be. The mana had caused a weird reaction in the surrounding land. The long road through the forest was gone, as was the forest itself. In it''s place was a large area filled with grass, some remains of trees and scattered groups of confused looking animals. The mana seemed to have accelerated the growth of the grass and create some new types. There were random patches of blue and orange grasses with some small plants of the same color in them. From the direction of the explosion stood a crystal, taller than the tallest tree in the forest that used to stand here. I cancelled my shield and sat down to absorb some mana back into my body. Vylet had sat malady up and was trying to help her deal with the mana sickness by absorbing some of the excess mana nearby to lessen the load on her senses. The crystal was black, seemingly absorbing all light and slowly pushing out a weird energy. I couldn''t recognize it but it didn''t give me a good feeling. After I feel like I have replenished enough mana, I got up and looked for any gear that survived the wind. The tents were gone, as well as the blankets and extra clothes. Thankfully malady had one of the bags near her, so it was protected by my shield and we still had some supplies. I looked in the bag and was happy to find we still had some food and a large blanket. The bag with the book in it was gone but I didn''t care all that much, that book gave me the creeps anyway.


    Since the forest is gone we should be able to get to a town alot faster. Hopefully the town will still be there when we arrive. The sun had set a while ago but we could still see, the grass in the area was glowing with a blue-greenish light. I start to set up camp again and vylet noticing my actions calls to me


    "A huge Mana explosion nearly kills us and you just set up camp again? What if there is another explosion?!"


    "I doubt it, the amount of mana that was released was the equivalent of a hundred thousand magicians exhausting all of their magic at the same time. Even if that is what happened they would need a long time to do it again."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She frowned at my answer and looked around.


    "It''s not just that, the animals are acting weird. Have you noticed that they have been moving oddly and gathering in groups?"


    I look in the direction of her gaze and see a small group of animals. A couple rabbits and deer, a skunk, and a handful of squirrels. The rabbits are what I noticed first, their legs being way to long and their seemed to be something sharp along the length of their ears. After the rabbits I saw the deer had lost their antlers and grew a long thin bone coming out of their forehead. Their legs were bursting with muscle to the point where it looked like the skin would tear if it tried to run. The skunks fur was flat against it''s body, its tail had shortened and seemed to be on fire. The flames didn''t seem to bother it or the other animals at all. The squirrels we''re the weirdest of all. They stood upright, their faces had changed to that of goblins. Their arms were thin and ended in sharp clawed hands. Their bodies were brown and their fur was all gone except for their tails.


    The exposure to that massive amount of mana must have altered them. I didn''t want to even think about what it would''ve done to us. I picked up the only surviving bag and started to slowly move away from the animals and I motioned for the girls to do the same. Malady seemed to have recovered enough to walk and vylet was next to her to help out if she needed it. The wall of mana that hit us was blue which meant it was mana that puts out force but has a short range. So the wind went farther than the mana did. There are 5 different types of mana. Red mana can increase power so it is used in body enhancement magic or to enhance other spells. Blue mana controls force and can be used inmany ways from wind magic to force fields. Depending on how talented you are at manipulating mana it can even be used to cause enough friction to start a fire or to crush rocks. Green mana governs over life and can be used in healing magic or controlling plants. All living things have green mana within them and that mana is one of the most difficult to manipulate. Then there is black mana which governs over death, used in necromancy and curses. Black mana is rarely used and is even banned in some kingdoms, plus it was never really popular as the curses had a large possibility of backfiring if you don''t know what you are doing. Lastly there is white mana which is the least used because the only use anyone has ever found for it was that it can be used to erase black mana based spells and curses. It takes years to be able to use any type of mana with any accuracy for most races, but elves have an innate abiliy to use green and red mana easily as soon as they are born. Making elven babies very dangerous. Elves are also one of the only races that can clearly see mana.


    Luckily we seemed to be near the edge of the area effected by the mana. The animals simply stared at us, none of them moving a muscle. It really creeped me out how they didn''t even blink, following every movement with their empty eyes. We were nearing the edge, the animals haven''t moved at all. I looked at the group I saw first and something was off. I wasnt sure what it was.


    Then it hit me, the deer was gone.


    I drew my sword as fast as I could, I heard Vylet ready a spell after she saw me. Blue mana flowing around her hands. Malady pulled out a small blade from somewhere and held it ready. All of us scanning the surroundings looking for danger. Then it struck, the deer came out of nowhere. Running at a speed that seemed impossible it almost impaled me on it''s horn. I dodged out of it''s way at the last second, only suffering a scratch on my right arm. I spun around to attack it but it was already gone. I told the girls to run when I signal, I will try to injure the deer and slow it down.


    I stood, waiting with my sword held ready to strike. Straining my ears to try and hear it approach. My eyes scanning for any sign of the beast. How it could hide in a field such as this bewildered me. A minute passes with nothing happening. Strong wind passes to my side and I hear a scream. Behind me I see the deer, with its horn buried in malady''s stomach.

 Back towards home 3

    Malady didn''t even have time to scream. One second she was fine then the next, she had a horn in her gut. After piercing her, the deer spun it''s head to dislodge the burden on it''s horn. Vylet was frozen, still processing what just happened. Seeing malady thrown off the deers horn snapped me back into reality and i summoned some green mana. Willing the grass beneath the deer to grow into vines and wrap around the deers legs. I also summoned some more mana and willed the earth to get soft beneath its legs and make it sink. Barely a moment has passed and I was able to immobilize the monster. It thrashed wildly, unable to free itself from the ground. I jogged up next to it and brought my sword down on its neck. My new and barely used sword barely cut halfway through, even with the enchantments. The creature screetched and thrashed about with even more enthusiasm than before. I swung the sword down again, harder this time. It''s head hit the ground and it''s body shivered but with most of it in the ground and bound by vines, it couldn''t fall over.


    Vylet had moved to malady and was trying to stop her bleeding. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet. I ran to the other side of malady, cloaking my hands in green mana I slowly let it soak into her wound. I sense the damage to her organs and focused on them. Directing the mana to her injuries, willing the mana to replace damaged flesh and bone. Im not the best at manipulating green mana but I can at least save her life.


    More noise coming towards us, Vylet readied her knives as more animals were on their way. Her expression showing fear and then terror as they got closer to us. My focus on the mana working inside malady''s body kept me from seeing the awful sight approaching our group.


    The creatures were charging at us. Sweat dripped from vylets face, her tail still and her fur was standing as if she was hit with lightning. The things running at us were running at a ridiculous pace, trampeling anything and everything in the way. Even each other. I stopped malady''s bleeding but i couldn''t completely fix the wound. I dressed it as well as I could and I started muttering in the forbidden language. Channeling what''s left of my mana into the words, a light red glow appeared around my legs. A warmth entered my legs, they felt stronger. Malady felt increasingly lighter as the effect spread around my calves.


    "Vylet"


    "Y-yes?" She said while trying her best to hide her fear.


    "Run"


    My heartbeat is the only thing I hear as I run with everything I have. Malady''s limp form on my shoulders. Vylet right beside me. Her speed is amazing, one of the gifts from her heritage I guess. With this speed it''s a miracle that cult could catch her at all. My feet were nothing but numb attatchments to my legs, as the feeling left them long ago.


    I kept running until my legs gave out. Rolling so i dont injure Malady, I fell into the dirt. Looking around to make sure we were not still in danger, i realize that in my haste to escape i didn''t notice the change in scenery. Instead of plains, we were now surrounded by rolling hills. Remnants of wooden walls and huts scattered around broken trees that are probablly from that forest we left. Vylet was lying on the ground nearby, sweat dripping off her forhead. Her hair matted with dirt and her clothes torn, revealing scratches and bruises on her legs and arms. Malady was passed out next to my head, the smell of blood and my own sweat was strong in the air.


    I need to get her to a healer soon or she will die.


    I only managed to stop her bleeding and repair some of her organs. If she doesnt get someone experienced to heal her, she wont last long. I force myself up despite the pain in my legs and walk over to the exhausted beast girl. Opening my bag i pull out a water skin and gulp it down, feeling the slightly cool liquid go down my throat was almost addicting in my state of exhaustion, i had to stop myself from drinking all of it.


    I hand the water skin to Vylet, who accepted it happily. Draining most of its contents, she hands it back to me.


    "what are those monsters? i''ve never seen anything like them. Father''s never mentioned anything about them on his hunts and none of the books ive read describe anything like them."


    "I dont know. I''ve never seen their like either. But exposure to pure mana like that can change anything. Ive heard of an experiment where a group of mages released pure mana on a flower they had taken from the nearby woods."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I pause to take another sip of water, put it back in my bag and walk to Malady.


    " After a couple seconds the flower was no longer any of the recognized breeds of flower. As the experiment continued the plant got farther and farther from anything that can be called a flower. The pure mana changed it.


    Twisted it.


    By the end of the experiment the flower''s petals had turned black and it was walking around trying to attach its self to the mages close to it."


    Vylet shiverred, but got up and dusted herself off. She walked over to help me with Malady.


    "The village we were going isnt really far from here. Hopefully the people there are still alive.... and still people."


    Vylet nodded


    She helped me pick up Malady and we head in the direction that i beleived the town was in.


    **************************************************************************************************


    "VOLD!!!"


    A manor not far from where Finch''s group is, a young fat noble is yelling himself hoarse.


    "VOLD!!!! YOU USELESS SHIT GET IN HERE AND HELP ME!!!!"


    *creak* the door to the noble''s study opens and a thin, wirey man in an immaculate suit walks in. His short gray hair, had been arranged to hide his bald spot, although poorly. The suit he was wearing wasperfectly fitted and well kept, but was by no means expensive.


    "VOLD!! you..


    YOU IDIOT!


    WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!"


    The fat nobles words were practically dripping with malice. Spittle flew in Vold''s direction with almost every word, luckily Vold was not within distance.


    Vold bowed slowly and deeply,


    "Sorry young master, i apologize for the delay."


    "Well? EXPLAIN!


    What is more important than to come when your betters call?"


    The butler raised his head and looked at the young noble. The noble boy was not yet ten years of age but already rotten. His young face that used to filled with nothing but smiles was now sporting only scowls and a double chin. A crop of yellowish hair slithering off his head, and into his shirt. Which was made of cloth so expensive it could pay a peasents wage for 2 years. His pants were just as expensive and went to his bloated calves. His father had been too engrossed in his work to notice the boy. The mother wasnt any better, she encouraged his attitude and hatred for those not of noble blood. She wholeheartedly beleived that nobles were better than everyone else, specifically her family.


    " The master called me so i answered his call."


    "Father called you?" His pudgy face twisted into a grimace for a moment, then returned to his usual scowl.


    " Well, no matter. You still should''ve hurried"


    "My apologies, young master. What might i help you with?"


    Vold had been serving this family from a young age and hated every moment of it. The family he served was responsible for a large peice of land with two towns and a small valley. His parents had sold him to them so that they buy food. This family was a trash heap of corruption, not one member of this family was uninvolved with their nefarious dealings. The father, a war criminal and a tyrant. The mother is a racist, peasent hating, sadist. The son, a fat, idiotic waste of skin and his sister who i beleive has gotten into the illegal slave market.


    The fat noble raised a stubby arm and pointed a sausage like finger at a small huddled figure in the corner of the room.


    "This servant maliciously pulled a hair out of my head as i was getting my daily brushing. I want him flogged and fed to the dogs."


    Vold looked at the poor servant. A skinny shrivelled man, covered in scars and old tattered clothing.


    "I shall see it done."


    The servant looked terrified. Vold called in a couple of other servants and had them take him away.


    "anything else, sir?"


    The noble thought it over.


    "have a maid bring me some tea and cake."


    "very well"


    Vold turned around and left the young noble. Telling the closest maid to bring the fatass his snacks, he left in the direction the servants took that man. Down the stairs and into the basement, he went. Dodging servants hurrying to their many destinations, he went down another set of stairs into the dungeon. The servants had bound the man''s hands together and were leading him into a small cell in the wall. The dungeon wasnt used by most of the family, mostly only the mother and daughter used it to help with their "activities". So most of the unfourtunates left down here are abandoned and left to rot. The only reason they were putting him down here is because the dogs had already ate, so they had to wait till tomorrow to kill him.


    The servants led him into the cell, removed his bindings and left. The man seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. His face burried in his hands and he sat on the floor and sobbed softly. As soon as the servants left and no one else was around, Vold opened the cell. The mans sobbing stopped immediately and looked up at me. All the sadness on his face had disappeared, replaced by a crooked smile.


    "i know, i know. The plan was for tommorow night, but thebastard kept moving and complaining about me being too rough with hisDelicatehair. He pulled away and the brush must''ve caught a strand of hair."


    "well, at least no one figured anything out. Is everyone at least in place?"


    "yes, i made sure just in case."


    "good. here."


    Vold took out a small key and handed it to the man who took it and hid it in a small pocket on his blouse.


    "that key is for your cell, you know what to do. tommorow when they bring you food. we will begin."


    "for the people."


    "for the people"


    Vold left and locked the cell, as he walked down the hall he could hear the soft sobbing once more.


    Tommorow. we will begin.

 Into Town

    It has been almost two days since we left those monsters behind. Malady is barely clinging to life, her breaths coming out shallow. The only reason she is still alive is because of my treating her with my green mana. Vylet has been growing more and more irratable with each passing hour. She had snapped at me many times, most of which were for things that i think were her fault but i said nothing. I couldnt be mad at her, she was only stressed because of being captured and then rescued to only run for her life from some new monsters. Also she seemed to have a weird affection for malady even though they have only seemed to know each other for a short amount of time. Maybe that also was effecting her mood, as her friend was in pain.


    I can finally see the edge of the town we desperately needed to rest at. I beleive its name was Elders rest, which i thought was odd because when i passed through on my way to that village all i saw were young people. We walked until we saw the entrance, guarded by two men and a shabby metal gate. I didnt want to risk malady being discovered as im not sure how people would react to a being thought to be impossible. So i kept out of sight from the guards, heading to the left of the gate until the guards were out of earshot. Looking around, i dont see any witnesses around.


    "vylet, can you get over the wall?"


    "easy"


    She walked up to the stone and placed a hand on it. Her claws turning red as she filled them with red mana. strengthening her claws to that of the strongest steel. The red aura spread from her claws to just past her wrists, then once it stopped she thrust her handinto the stone. Her claws sinking deep into the wall, she did the same with her other hand. Slowly making her way up the wall, each hand bringing her closer to her goal. I channeled some blue mana under my feet, letting it soak into a small area. When the saturated area was enough, I cast a spell. Directing the force of the mana upwards. When vylet was clear of the wall and i saw her wave from the top of the wall, signalling that there werent any guards. I released the mana and launched myself up. Using small amounts of blue mana to control my decent, I land on the top of the wall.


    Vylet gave me a look


    "why couldnt you have done that for me?"


    I didnt even bother to look at her.


    "Im tired, use your own mana."


    She scoffed at me and started down the other side.


    I ignored her and did the same.


    At the bottom of the wall was a small area, seperated from the entrance gate by a stone wall and a small wooden door. It was mostly empty,except for the scuff marks in the dirt and the fenced off area with training dummies. On the other side of the area was another door, but this one led to the inside of the city. Vylet peeked through the door to the city, waved that it was ok, and headed through.


    The first thing we saw, was an inn. It was almost right next to the entrance and a very welcome sight. We were all exhausted and needed baths and a bed. But we had to heal malady first, one of our problems was finding a healer that wont ask too many questions. As we walked through the streets i noticed that no one was looking at us. I thought we would get some attention because we looked ragged and dirty, also because i was carrying a girl in fancy clothes that have been all manner of soiled. But no one seemed to care.Whateveri thought to myselfIt''s probably a good thing, at least this way no one will recognize us.Weaving through the streets we saw the buildings start to shrink. Getting smaller and smaller and poorly built as we went along.Must be heading to the slums.


    The slums were havens for most adventurers. The adventurers guild doesnt offer healing services, but they helped outlaw all healers other than the ones they approved of. The ones that supported the guild were allowed, anyone else that supported the nobles, or even the neutral ones were run out of buisness. The adventurers guild had a monopoly on almost all services adventurers needed. They also cranked up the prices, so most of the official stores were way too pricy for new or poor adventurers. While the guild and the nobles are at odds, they used to support each other. The nobles would post quests for adventurers because it was cheaper than hiring mercenaries. The guild would send out the adventurers and notify the noble when the quest was completed. But the king grew weary of the adventurers. They were getting too strong and there were too many of them. There were almost more adventurers than there were soldiers in the royal army. So the king took control of the adventurers guild and set up this monopoly to bring more money to the crown, but also to take power away from the nobles and adventurers. He raised the prices to lower the amount of adventurers that survive missions due to lack of equipment, as well as to lower the amount of adventurers that can afford to be part of the guild. Thats why the illegal buisnesses that hide in the slums are perfect for adventurers, also that is why the guild uses people like me. They found me in a nobles basement after the noble had been executed for crimes against the crown. A couple adventurers wandered into the mansion just after the noble had been hanged, and were searching for anything left behind. They found me in the lowest level of the house, tied to another that had died earlier that day. They brought me to the guild master, and he had an idea. He would raise me as his son, giving me exemption from the guilds yearly fee. At an early age he started training me. When he thought i was ready he sent me to do his more, illegal jobs. Around this time i learned that he was only the guild master to fool the king. He was actually part of the noble faction. The nobles paid him for information and asked him for some ''help'' with things they needed taken care of quitely. I was a pretty much back to being a slave for the nobles, working under the adventurers guild to hide my activities. Anything that needed to be done with no witnesses or set up as an accident, he sent me. Sending me to the outskirts of the kingdom was his way of giving me a break. Some break this turned out to be.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    We walked through the slums for a while, vylet had her hands on her knives. Eyes scanning for any sign of trouble. I was looking around too, but for a different reason. I was looking for something, and not a moment later i found it. The underground market was hidden, marked with two barrels, side by side. One has a red box on top of it, the other has a black one. The red box marked the way to the market, normally it moves every couple days. The guild tips them off about the royal guards, so they are always ahead of the royals. I guess the royals have been slacking lately, so they have stayed a little longer than normal.


    We walk through the alleys, following the red marker boxes. Until we reach a small red gate, with two rough looking men standing nearby. One was a full fox-man, the other was a half ox. The fox man carried a short sword and the half ox, an ax. As we approached they visibly stiffened, the fox man stared at us while the ox man seemed to barely care. His hands idly cleaning his ax with a stained cloth.


    "Blessed are those infernal"


    The fox man said in a voice a lot higher pitched than i wouldve expected.


    "May the angels cry eternal"


    I finished.


    There were several codes that they used. Most were things that royalists could or would never say. There was even one that got lots of laughs from the younger visitors about the king blowing over a castle of cards with his farts.


    The fox man nodded and knocked on the red gate.


    *KNOCK*


    -pause-


    *KNOCK*


    *KNOCK*


    -pause-


    *SCRATCH*


    *SCRATCH*


    He stepped out of the way and the gate opened to reveal an almost absurd amount of shops.


    How in the hell do they keep this hidden?


    The entire street had been taken over, hovels and buildings being repurposed and turned into shops for almost everything. Blacksmiths, Armorers, Fletchers, Magic shops, Fourtune tellers, tinkerers, even bakers and some resturaunts. Anyone was welcome to sell as long as they swear to respect the rules and the secrecy of the market. Those that betrayed the market were publicly tortured and then dissappeared. Sometimes even their families were punished as well. The group that runs the market do not have mercy toward those that threaten their buiness. This group was made up of people that dared spit in the face of the king. They had no fear of death nor imprisonment, some of them even send the king the heads of his spies covered in horse shit and wrapped in a ribbon. Made up of old nobles and even some of royal bloodline that have been cut off from the royal family, removed from the family for some reason and sentenced to be excecuted, which they escaped and ended up here.


    It was almost impossible to find what you are looking for quickly. The arrangement of shops were a mess, they simply set up in any available spot. We wandered through the shops trying to find a healer. I noticed a small white sign, almost hidden behind one of the many stands that littered the area. A white sign with a green snake slithering up a potion bottle, the sign for a healers shop. I rushed into the store with vylet close behind. A small man behind the counter was scribbling something on a sheet of paper. Seeing us barge in with a girl on my shoulders he quickly shoved it into a drawer and pointed to one of the beds in the back of the shop. I jog over and put malady down on the bed, pulling up her blouse and undoing the bandages so the doctor can see the wound. The small man hurried over with a couple of foul smelling jars and a handful of cloths. The man started working immediately. Using metal tools to cut away dead flesh and dipping some cloth into one of the jars and using it to clean what looked like an infection. The entire time he was doing this he was also muttering spells and releasing a fair amount of green mana into her wounds. I may be able to control mana better than most humans from birth, but my skills in actually applying spells was horrible compared to this man. His hands were Impossible not to watch, going back and forth with a sort of elegance. Cutting flesh and weaving it back together like he was in a trance. His hands not stopping till he had finished.


    Malady''s breath had returned to normal, her wound completely gone other than a small pink line going up her stomach. Vylet was watching from a chair in the corner the whole time, her eyes wide in amazement. I was behind the doctor, mezmerized at his skill. The old man sighed, looking over his work he pulled the girls blouse back down and moved back behind the counter. He took out a fresh piece of paper and began scribbling on it. Two minutes of scribbling and he handed it to me. I realized it was instructions on what she could eat and drink for the next couple of days. He also handed me two jars of paste that i assumed was the food mentioned on the paper.


    "Thank you healer, how much do i owe?"


    The small man looked up at me and smiled.


    "Five silver and a moment of your time."


    I couldnt beleive it.


    That wasCHEAP.


    Most healings were at least 20- 50 silver.


    During my thoughts about the low price he had moved towards the door and locked it. Pulling the curtains closed, the only light was from the candles around his counter.


    A little wary of the old man after his locking of the door, i take out five silver ask him what he needs my time for.


    "I want to talk to you about your female minotaur."


    Vylet wrapped her hand around her knife ready to draw it at a moments notice.


    I gestured at vylet to calm down.


    "What about her?"


    The old man still smiling, looked straight into my eyes. I dont know how i didnt notice his eyes until now, they were a weird shade of yellow. He reached behind his head with both hands. I backed away a couple steps and rested my hand on my sword. I heard a couple soft clicking sounds, then he touched his face. I hear a sickly sucking sound and then his face falls off to reveal that of a demons.


    Crimson skin and dark yellow eyes, his horns had been flattened against his head and sanded so the mask wouldnt have odd portrusions.


    Vylet immediatley pulled out her knives and was about to jump at him when i stopped her.


    "Wait vylet, He is no threat to us. Or anyone to that matter."


    Vylet looked at me like i had just told her i had ate the sun for breakfast.


    "How could you possibly know that?! He is aDemon!! They have always been a threat to everyone!"


    "Shh, stop yelling. He is no threat because most of the demons power resides in their horns. To the demons, altering your horns in any way is treason and only done to criminals."


    The old man looked shocked


    "how do you know so much about us young man? Most of the worldkin dont bother to learn of us."


    Vylet looked confused


    "worldkin?"


    "thats what the demons call us. Anyone that isnt from the same place as them is worldkin."


    I responded.


    I looked back to the old demon.


    "now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

 Into town 2

    "First i have a question." The old demon gestured at me to sit down on a chair behind his counter.


    He waited for me to sit down and then asked "How is it you know so much about us demons? I didnt think any of you worldkin wouldve spent enough time around a demon to learn about us."


    I sighed, Thinking back to mychildhood as a slave to that damn noble. Beaten just for fun, and tortured as a game for his sick friends. My thoughts were interupted when I noticed that the demon was staring at me.What the hell, ill tell him.


    "When i was a kid my parents sold me into slavery. After being passed around from owner to owner, I was given as a gift to a noble that was famous for his ''parties''. Weird torture fetish parties he would host and invite all manner of crooked people. He also had a collection of slaves, most were from different species. Almost none of them were human. We were all grouped up in pairs, each one was to assume responsibility for the other. If one of us messed up, we were both punished. I had been there a couple months before I had gotten a partner, It seems there were an odd number of slaves. My partner was a small demon child, at first we were very wary of each other. But after a while we became freinds and he told me his name was Arnen. We talked, mostly cause there was nothing else to do between the beatings and the ''parties''. He eventually started telling me about his people and their customs."


    I paused, trying to supress my anguish at how this story ended. With my escape attempt. Out of the corner of my eye I could see vylet sitting still on a stool. Hands still ready to draw her blades, but her eyes were soft and watery.


    The old demon looked very curious after i mentioned the demon child.


    "What happened to the child?" He asked.


    "Not long after, we started to plan an escape. I knew that the noble would display us at his parties for his sick games. Also demons are still very much hated in this kingdom, I had no doubt that Arnen would not survive the first round of games. So i asked him to escape with me, he seemed hopeful at the thought of escape. We heard the guards mention that the next party was to be held at the end of the week. So we had until then to escape."


    The old demon handed me a cup ofwarm liquid that smelled like fruit. I took a sip to find it was a fruit tea. I thanked him and continued my story.


    "We watched the guards and memorized their routines, Burning the routes into our heads. We were locked in what looked like cellar that had been converted into a slave prison. The cells were all new, even the straw bedding was new. I guess he ran out of space in his basement to keep his slaves so he renovated this place. However it seemed that the renovations had cost a fourtune so he went cheap when he got guards. They were stupid, and i mean really dumb. They seemed to be a group of mercenaries that were known for being all muscle, no brains. This was easy money for them so they took it. Arnen and me took turns trying to convince some of the dumber ones that we were actually noble children and that we would reward them on our safe return home. It took a couple days but we found one guard that beleived us and took us up on our offer. He snuck us the keys to our cell when the other guards were asleep. On our way out ididnt see Arnen grab a knife off of a nearby table we passed. The guard lead us up the stairs and through the door to the surface. We took deep breaths of fresh air and were getting excited at how close we were to freedom. The guard started to lead us out of the nobles yard, when he stopped moving. He looked left and right and then he whistled.


    It was a trick.


    More and more guards came out of the nearby bushes and from out of the celler. They had been pretending to sleep.


    The captain of their group had heard ofus trying to convince the guards ofour nobility and came up with a plan. He tricked us into this escape, so he had a reason to beat us into submission. It was supposed to end at a beating, but Arnen was too close to being free. He pulled out the knife he stole and Stabbed the guard in the back. Bolting past him, he probably thought that the other guards would stop to see to their comrade. But they ran past him and grabbed arnen. Leaving the other guard to bleed. I however was rooted to the spot in fear, unmoving as they captured arnen and bound his arms and legs with rope. They started to approach me and i tried to run but they quickly surrounded me, binding my arms and legs too. I thought they would just beat us and then drag us back to our cell. Apparently they thought it would be more fun to beat one of us while the other watched. They chose arnen. They beat him till they were tired and then switched and beat him some more. By the time we were back in our cell he was more bruise than boy. I saw how injured he was and tryed to help him, sadly there was nothing i could do. They crushed most of the bones in his arms and legs, whipped him till his back looked like raw meat. He was going to die. My only friend and he was dying, I was helpless. I stayed awake as long as i could, trying to help arnen and keep him warm. The lack of food and water got to me and i passed out. When i woke up, arnen had already died.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Two days after that we were found by the adventurers guild."


    Pointing a finger at malady he asked her name and how we met. His eyes lit up when i told him.


    The old demon scratched his chin, looking back and forth between me and malady. After a moment of silence he spoke.


    "Do you know who that girl is to us?"


    I shrugged


    "To you? no, not at all. But i do know she is a demi-god."


    The old demon chuckled, a weird dry and scratchy sounding laugh.


    "No, elf. She isnt a demi-god, she is more like a half god, half demon."


    "Bullshit, the gods cant have children"


    The demon laughed


    "This one did, you know the origin of malady''s name?"


    "Yeah, its the same name as the evil goddess." I said.


    He frowned when i said that.


    "To us she is known as just ''The Goddess'' . To us she is our creator, The one who gave us our world. She is the one who ripped flesh from her breast, to create us. The one who-"


    "Yes, yes, I get it. Please spare me your sermon and explain what this has to do with malady."


    I was getting tired of this and just wanted to lie down in a bed. With none of those monsters chasing me. He gave me an annoyed look.


    "This is important."


    I sighed.


    "Fine."


    "As i was saying she ripped flesh from her breast to create us and she gave of her heart to create our world."


    Now this, I didnt know. I was taught that demons were always here. Living in the far away reaches of the southern continent. It was always said that they were barbarians, who''s god demanded the subjugation of all other kingdoms. At least thats what the guild master that raised me said. Of course now that I am older, I just think that the surrounding kingdoms got greedy and wanted the demons lands. So they made up all that and usedit to trick their subjects into supporting a genocide. Some of the smarter kingdoms waited for others to shift alot of their resources into taking the demons land and then they attacked the other kingdoms. Was a hellish time to be in the adventurers guild. Due to the turmoil, the adventurers weren''t allowed to leave the kingdom.


    He paused a moment and then continued.


    "She watched over her creation for millenia, her prescence bringing light and her breath bringing mana throughout our world. She was elated at seeing her creations grow and flourish brought joy to her heart. She settled next to her creation falling into a deep slumber. But her dreams were assaulted with nightmares of terrible things. Creatures twisted beyond recognition invading her realm and destroying her creation. Tainting the mana and weakening her. In her tortured slumber she inadvertantly tore a hole in her realm and her mana started being sucked through. Taking with it some of her creations. Which included the demon race, almost all of us were taken through the rift and brought here."


    He took a sip of some tea he had poured for himself and continued.


    " The goddess woke to find her mana almost gone. She started to panic and tryed to seal the rift, only afterwards did she realize she sealed some of herself on the other side. That peice of her reacted with the foreign mana on this side of the rift. One of the demons that had been sucked through got too close and was absorbed by the piece. Anything that got too close to it was absorbed and became a part of it.


    We had been brought to this world. But not all the way, we were stuck just on the other side of this realm. Until we were brought through by humans."


    My eyes widened. TheHUMANS were responsible for the war? They are the reason an entire continent was almost destroyed?


    I could feel myself tense in anger. My hands were already in fists, clenched almost hard enough to draw blood. I had to confirm this information. However he still has not told me what this has to do with malady.


    "You still havent told me what this had to do with malady."


    "I can sense the energy from our godess in her. I beleive her to be the piece of our godess given form."


    Fuck. I shouldve left her in the cave where i found her.

 Into town 3

    I couldnt enjoy the soft bed of the inn because my thoughts were filled with the mess i find myself in. After the demon had dropped that story on us vylet helped me take Malady to a nearby inn. I got us a single room with two beds, Malady and vylet on one. Me on the other one. The inn was pretty cheap but the beds were soft and the sheets weren''t scratchy. Which made this one of the best inns ive ever stayed in. Yet i couldn''t relax, My mind was in overdrive. Trying to find a way to survive this mess. Evevntually my exhaustion got the best of me and I fell asleep.


    No dreams disturbed my sleep yetI still woke covered in sweat. I look at the other bed and see two people sized lumps rising and falling slowly. I get up and go to wash myself of sweat. I leave through the back of the inn to the small yard behind it. The slightly warm night air whistles past my ears. I open one of the barrels near the back entrance to the inn and grabbed a bucket filling it with water. I walk over to one of the areas blocked by cloth and enter. Peeling off my wet clothes and setting them aside I channel some mana into my hand and release it next to me. A mixture of red and blue mana. The red mana formed a small ball about the size of my fist and I used the blue mana to ignite it. I Brought it over to the cloth wall and let it float near my clothes to dry them off faster. As I was cleaning myself with the water I was thinking of a way to get out of this.


    Maybe i can pass it off to the church?


    No, they think demons are evil and will just kill her.


    Wait.... IGOT IT.


    Ill take her to the demons. After I bring Vylet home and hopefully collect a nice ''reward'' I can take Malady to the demons! They worship her mother so they have to know what to do.


    I felt a wave of confidence wash over me as I thought about this. The curtains shook slightly in the breeze, enough to give a passing inn resident a full view. I didnt notice until i heard her giggle, to which I quickly covered myself. Trying my hardest not to blush I dried off and got dressed. When I went back into the inn the woman that saw me was no where to be found. So i just went back to my room and sat on the bed, I couldnt really sleep and the sun was rising anyway so i decided to see what we have left.


    The results were a little depressing. We barely had any money, enough for two more days at the inn but not much else. Some of the food in our bags had gotten wet somehow and started getting moldy and rotting. Even some of the loot that I managed to keep, was ruined. Our money situation is abysmal, we are poor as hell. Only some of these things are worth anything anymore.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Maybe I can go hunting?


    Immediately after i thought that, images of those twisted mana saturated monsters filled my mind and i banished that from my head. I kept thinking of ways to make some money to fund our trip to the capital but I came up with nothing.


    well, guess im robbing some nobles.


    I chuckled evilly, robbing nobles was my favorite pastime after I was adopted by the master of the Shaylet adventurers guild. Today I will go scout for nobles to rob, and tonight I will have some fun.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vold was in his room, Scribbling a note on a small piece of paper. It was a large room that came with a servant of his own which was dismissed a while ago and a fireplace. Much better than most servants but he had served the lord for so long that he was given this for his service. He was sitting at a desk near the window, a small bird was sleeping in a cage next to him. His plan was going well, Most of his people were in place and the noble he serves is arriving in some town he governs. As soon as he arrives in town, the spy there will send Vold a signal through a enchanted talisman. Then the revolt will begin and the nobles will die. Vold chuckled at the thought of strangling the noble''s fat son with the whip he liked to torture slaves with. He stopped chuckling as he heard a knock at the door. The note he was scribbling was quickly shoved in a pocket.


    "Yes?"


    "We are ready and waiting" The servant just outside the door whispered.


    "Its almost time, Where is the lord now?" Vold responded in a voice that was barely audiable.


    "He stopped at a town just before the set location."


    "Excelent, we can begin as soon as he leaves that town."


    Vold heard the servant walking away and pulled out a map. His finger traced upon a route that was marked on the map and he stopped when he reached a town just before a big ''x'' on the map.


    hmm, Elders rest? He must be at his house in the noble district.


    He fished the note out of his pocket and resumed writing on it.


    The nobles have treated us like dirt for soo long, we are ready to strike. We just need the right moment, maybe we can even strike before he leaves the town. Elders rest has been filled with our supporters for a while now. We have gotten support from the servants and subjects of almost all the nobles. We have less support from the people who have been serving the somewhat fairer of the nobles, but we wil deal with them in due time. The entire noble faction will dissappear by the end of the month. Afterwards, the king shall fall. Vold folded the note and attached it to the birds foot and released it into the sky. He looked at the rising sun with anticapation and excitement.


    His plan begins today.

 Only a little rebellion

    I left the room before the sun rose completely to start scouting for my target. First things first, I start heading toward the noble district. It wasnt hard to find, this town was built like a big circle with a cross and some circles in the middle. The cross and circles being the roads. In the center is where the nobles live, the road was built this way so that the nobleshave togo past the shops on the north end of the town before getting home. The noble that owns this town gets a percentage of earnings from the shops in the north and in return he lets them run their buinesses any way they like. The nobles always avoided going through the slums at the south, so they would come in through the nothern or the western entrance. Thus increasing the income of the shops, as well as the lord. Before i made it even close to the noble district I passed through several flea markets and a party. I dont want anyone to see me walking so i can remain anonymous, cause i am planning a theft. However the first market I came up to I walked through, one of the stalls was selling handmade hooded jackets and i needed something to hide my face. I walked up to the stand next to it and pretend to look at their wares. The person running the stall gave me a weird look but didnt say anything. The person selling the jackets started talking to a potential customer so I turned and snatched a jacket before anyone noticed. I walked into an alley and put it on, adjusting it till it covered my face. But i still needed something to make sure no one knows my face. I walk through the alley until I come out a little farther down the market. All sorts of things were being sold, all handmade and crappy. However there were some good ones hidden around.


    After searching for a couple minutes I find a stand that is selling these weird masks. They had a weird texture and were apparently made from drying out a monster called a ''slime''. A rare monster for hunters, but not ones that live in squalor. The slimes thrive on filth and tend to propogate in sewers and near civilization. Apparently we have better filth than the wild. Most hunters and adventurers just labeled them as rare, but they also never lived in a slum so they dont know the truth. No one bothers to tell them either, cause then there would be people coming into the slums to find slimes and making things worse for those that live there. Of course its to also protect their profits, only they sell it so they can hike up the price if they want. Some of the masks were only big enough to hide your eyes, but i needed one to hide my face completely. I start to walk past them when I notice that on the other side of the stand were bigger masks that were painted. They even had an adhesive on them to keep them situated on your face.


    Stealing one of these was a bit harder, as the owner was vigilantly watching everyone from behind his table. Eyes scanning for customers and troublemakers alike. I conjure a tiny amount of blue mana and shoot it at one of the masks on the other side of the stand. Knocking it to the ground, the man was startled by the sound. He just looked at it for a second before getting up to put it back where it was. Once his rear end left contact with the stool he was sitting on, I had a mask and had hidden it in my jacket. Walking away at a fast pace, looking around to make sure there werent any witnesses. Confident that there were none I once again entered the alley and put on the mask. I also took out a adventurers guild crest and stuck it to my chest. With this people will most likely assume that im an adventurer whose face was ruined on a mission. Well, if im lucky thats what they would assume. The mask was ugly enough anyway. I think it was based on some legend about a short creature who always said he ''knew the way'' but never responded when asked '' the way to where?''. Everyone kept trying to just forget him but whenever he was about to fade into obscurity he would come back and just repeat that one thing. The legend ends with the creature being killed and thrown into a volcano. Not a very fun story, also very unpopular.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Walking towards the center of the city I finally arrive at the noble''s part of town. It was blocked off by a large gate that was built into a large brick wall. The wall was covered in a beautiful mural of what i assume to be a male god, the gate was located where his mouth would be. For some reason groups of people were scattered around chatting, some where even setting up stands to sell food.


    Maybe they want to try and sell stuff to the guards. Not a bad idea honestly.


    There were two guards on either side of the gate, four guards in total. A small guard house sat nearby so that the guards never had to go too far to change shifts. I slowed down and blended in with the nearby people. Watching the guards and looking for a way in. I saw a couple of guards on patrol nearby, chatting as they walked through the crowd. I slip into a nearby alley and wait for them to pass. Getting behind them was easy, but hearing them through the chatter of the crowd was hard. I could only pick up bits and pieces.


    "He came yesterday...arguing.......so busy.......cant....lunch?"


    The other guards nodded and that gave me an idea. I took out some of the rotting food I forgot to get rid of and had some evil thoughts.he he he


    The guards walked up to a nearby stall where a small man was roasting food on a grill. I was busy picking out the most decayed bits of food and mixing them together with some paste I found on my shoe. I ripped it into bits small enough to go unnoticed and covered it with the paste until it was a ball. The guards were insulting the poor man, telling him to give them some food or they will beat him. They are making this really easy for me. The old man was angry at the guards, but he couldnt fight back or they will probably beat him senseless and then take his stuff. They have been known to even mark people for the other guards, telling them to beat or hassle this person till they never come around this area again.


    The guards had sat down on a nearby bench to wait for their food. Chatting happily and not paying any attention to the man they just threatened. The man was fuming, I could almost see fire coming out of his mouth. I approached him, he barely spared me a glance till i was right next to him.


    "Hello, i''d like you to help me with something. I need those guards to get sick."


    I also held up a copper coin. The old man simply nodded and smiled. I handed him the rotting food and paste balls and he covered them in batter and fried them for me. I handed him the coin and walked away, looking to make sure the guards didnt notice our ''exchange''. I walked a small distance away and watched. The old man finished with their food, added a powder to the top of it and waved them over. They came and snatched their plates from him and before they left i saw him hand them another plate, undoubtedly with my suprise on it. They greedily took it and walked back to the bench to devour their free food. I saw the old man quickly packing up to leave before the fun starts. The guards where too focused on their food to notice. They finished quickly and were about to leave when they remembered their ''dessert''. They each took a couple and stuffed them into their mouths. I dont even think they tasted it.


    About 10 minutes later I heard a commotion. A guard was running full speed towards the gate. He was yelling something about a guard collapsing after puking and complaining about sea turtles being too loud. The other guards were up in a frenzy asking questions as they followed him to the other guard. Only one guard was left at the gate, luckily he looked new. I was thinking of just knocking the last guard out but I can probably trick him.


    Yeah, i can trick him. Im so very charming, I almost laughed at the thought.

 Only a little rebellion 2

    The guard looked really young, around 20-25. Being a guard for the nobles is a really cushy job, he must be the son of someone important to be there at this age. I straightened my jacket and made sure my badge was visible, then walked towards the guard.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Carle was new to the noble guardsmen but he already could tell that everyone outside the noble part of town hates them. Whether is was an old lady spitting at him as he passed, or the child that was so terrified after bumping into me he wet himself and ran away. His father was the captain of the guard so he was expected to become a guard even though he would much rather do anything else. Plus it was one of the most boring jobs in this town. The most exciting thing to happen for weeks just happened. One of the senior guards, whose name i can never remember, apparently got sick out of nowhere and started hallucinating and puking everywhere during his rounds. I wanted to go and check it out with them, cause standing here sucks. But they said that since i was the new guy i had to stay and guard the gate. They must be bored too and this was the closest thing to excitement they would probably get.


    A couple minutes after the guards left, a man started walking towards me. He wasnt very tall, but he wasnt short either. He had a jacket covering his head and I think i see a mask on his face under the hood. I raised my weapon as he apporached and prepared to say the usual but a sparkle on his chest catches my attention. Its a guild badge! those are only given to the best in the guild. The ones that have proven that they can handle almost anything. Why is he here? this town doesnt really have much to offer the adventurers.


    I realized i was staring at his badge and straightened my posture.


    "Good morn sir, What buisness have you with the nobles?"


    A quiet and raspy voice responded to me which was a little suprising. But i didnt let it show on my face.


    "Urgent buisness...Summoned by.....the earl."


    I could feel the blood drain out of my face. I hate that name, That man terrifies me. Of those who have met himnone have talked to him face to face. Everyone only knows him as the earl. Of all the nobles he is the one that no one knows anything about other than that name. Everyone thinks he is involved in some very dark and nefarious things, but no one can prove it. His identity is one of his closest guarded secrets.


    "I-I-I didnt know h-he was here sir. Please go in."


    I bowed like an idiot and let him through the gate. I dont want anything to do with the earl. Growing up as the son of the captain, ive heard stories about how people who have messed with him have a bad habit of losing their families to tragic ''accidents''. Those stories always stuck with me as a kid and when i learned that he was real. I had nightmares for weeks.


    **************************************************************************************************


    That was a lot easier than i thought it was going to be. Well this guild badge I stole probably helped.


    The nobles part of town was beautiful, The street was paved neatly. The buildings were all built well, with plenty of space between them. Most of them had small yards but the farther in I walked the larger the houses and the yards got. I could practically hear the servants bustling about, doing their many duties in service of their respective masters. Extravagant carriages could be seen parked near the houses, some were probably worth more than all of their servants wages combined. None of these seemed to be good targets. They were all flashy, but none of them were flashy enough. Probably some minor nobles or some high ranked official that barely was able to get a house here. None of them seemed like they would have anything of value that I can stealand sell in a hurry.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Every now and then a passing noble on a stroll would glance in my direction but one glance at my badge and they ignored me. Thinking I was just an adventurer here to try and sell my services to some noble. My aimless walking took me to the center of the noble district, where the houses were massive. Way too big in my opinion, no one needs that much space. Unless they were hiding something, i thought to myself. The sun was fully out by now, but it wasn''t hot yet. Which was good cause this jacket wasnt meant for this weather or time of day, neither was this mask. If I start sweating too much I was afraid my mask would fall off.


    My aim was a house with tons of decorations. A noble that likes to show off his wealth will have lots of goodies around his home. My search took me to the biggest house with the biggest yard. There seem to be people getting into carriages and leaving. They must have had some sort of party that just ended and are now leaving. Not everyone was in a hurry to leave though and some were hanging around chatting. This seemed like a perfect opportunity, the host would be here sure. But he would have his guard down as he is surrounded by his friends and neighbors. I cant wait till tonight. This has to happen now.


    I walked fast cloaking myself in a thin but strong layer of black mana, as long as i didnt give it a function all it would do is cover me in a weird cloudy shadow. Hopefully im the only one to figure this out, most people just avoid using black mana seeing it as bad luck. Since the sun was out and shining, lots of nice dark shadows sprung up everywhere and being cloaked in shadow made it almost impossible to see me. I dodged from shadow to shadow, getting closer and closer to the house. Crossing the front yard took a while but it was worth it. I reached a side entrance to the mansion, the door was locked obviously so i forced the tumblers to move with a little blue mana. I slowly opened the door and peeked around. All the guards were busy in the foyer watching the guests. They moved with the party goers so all I have to do is avoid the party guests and the servents and I can steal as much as i can carry without looking weird. I walked down the hall in the opposite direction as the foyer. I was straining my ears just in case of a servant coming but I heard nothing. The halls were covered in beautiful paintings and many decorations but none of them were worth taking even though they were no doubt expesive.I openedeveryunlocked door and peeking inside until i find something interesting. I continued until I found a secondary staircase for the servants to use. On the second floor everything was different. The decorations were priceless up here. He must only invite important people or people he wants to impress up here.


    I wandered around keeping wary of anyone not at the party. Walking down the hallway my stroll was interrupted when i heard footsteps. I ducked into a nearby door closing it slowly so I dont make any noise. I crack the door to peek through as the foot steps approach. They pass and I see what has to be a giant. How it can fit in the hall i dont know. Its hands drag along the floor and it had to bend its head in order to not break the ceiling. Other than its size it looked normal. It was dressed in a fancy suit so I assumed it must be a guest at the party that decided to wander around. None of my buisness so I just ignored him and looked around the room I was hiding in. Turns out i decided to hide in some sort of office. An office that was the victim of a tornado and an explosion. Papers were thrown everywhere. Trash cans were overflowing with spreadsheets and official looking documents. I thought maybe there would be something in one of the drawers. I begun searchig throught the papers on the desk before i went for the drawers. They were nothing super interesting. Just some financial reports and notes on some people he wanted his subordinates to keep an eye on.


    I started opening the drawers, but they were all locked. I just forced the locks with mana like before. I want to leave as little evidence as possible. The top drawer only had some sort of metal weapon and some old mail. The second one was a little more interesting as it contained a couple little bags of gold. I put those in my pocket and worked on the third drawer. Which was the best one of the three. It had more little bags, but these were filled with gems and large crystals.


    This was a good idea.

 Not a robin hood

    I wish I had bigger pockets, there was barely enough space for all the gems i found in the drawer. I cant fill anything bigger than my pockets or else escaping will be harder. So I settled for filling all my pockets to the brim and also taking some documents that looked interesting. Now that my pants were loaded with my new traveling fund, it was time to escape. I open the door a tiny bit and look into the hall. No one was there. I made it back to the stairwell without any distubances which i thought was weird. I got to the bottom floor, walking softly so my loot doesnt move around in my pockets too much.


    I was creeping through the halls, getting closer to the exit but I heard a large group coming around the corner. There were no doors to hide in nearby so I ran back down the hall to the staircase and waited behind it. Shrouding myself in black mana and shadow. Doing my best to not be seen, I waited for the group to arrive. The footsteps and chatter got closer and I was able to make out who they were. The servants were coming back from the foyer. The guests must have left, so most of the servants had nothing to do and were going back to their posts or their rooms. None of them were very interested in the surroundings as they were happily chatting, apparently they were all releived to finally be able to get away from the guests of the party. Most of them went up the stairs, but a small group of them turned down the other hall. I waited till i couldnt hear either anymore and left quickly toward the exit. As i reached the door I stopped and ducked behind a potted plant.


    There was a guard at the door. Looks like he was taking a break and eating some leftovers he must have stole from the party. I needed to leave before the master of the house notices the robbery so I didnt try to come up with any clever tricks or anything. I released some blue mana into my hand and condensed it. Repeatedly until it was like a palm sized rock in my hand. I also put some red mana between my hand and the blue mana stone. When I was sure of my aim, I launched the blue transparent stone at the guards head with the red mana strenghthening my throw. The stone smacked him in the head hard enough to seriously dent his helmet. He went limp and his head hit the wall before his body crumpled into a heap on the floor. The metal helmet he was wearing fell off his head and clanged loudly on the floor. I cringed as I wasnt able to catch it before it hit the floor. So I bolted through the door, Ive got to get as far away as possible before the guards find the body.


    I ran as fast as i could through the large yard. A cart was being pulled by some weird lizard looking things that i dont recognize. The carriage was really long and tall with alot of weird metal decorations on the back of it. With the sun out and the oversized yards there was no where to hide so I headed for the carriage. I could hear loud yelling from the mansion i just robbed. Looking behind me I saw guards coming out of the house and a large man in the middle of them yelling loudly and pointing in what looked like random directions. The carriage was starting to speed up, I had to use some blue mana under my feet in order to keep up with it. I got close enough to grab the metal decorations on the back and I hoisted myself up and hung onto the back of the carriage. Flattening myself against it and hoping no one saw me attach myself to it especially the driver.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The guards at the house were running around in all directions searching for the thief with no success. I would laugh at them but then the driver or the passengers would probably hear me. The carriage took me far from the mansion and when I was about to hop off they suddenly sped up. The carriage was going faster than any other carriage i have ever seen. I had to use some red mana to strengthen my muscles or i would have fell off as soon as they sped up. If i jumped off now id probably break something. All i could do is hold on with all my strength as the road and everything around me started to blur. I couldnt understand how a carriage could go this fast without falling apart.


    As the carriage shot down the road only one thing was on my mind as I held on.


    Who''s freakin carriage is this?


    Ive never seen or even heard of anyone having a carriage this fast. This thing is rediculous and so are those lizard things attactched to the front. I dont even know where it is taking me, Ive lost all sense of direction as this thing is just too fast. I have no idea where I am however im pretty sure its not the nobles district anymore.


    How in the hell did we get past the gate without being stopped?


    After about what was probably ten minutes we finally started slowing down. As we slowed I shifted my attention to the surroundings. We had arrived on the northern side of the nobles area, at the largest house. The carriage pulled Into aparking space that was marked by a sign and a fenced in small garden. Once it stopped The ground welcomed my face as my extremeties were not responding to me at the moment. My hands and feet were numb and I know im going to have some bad blisters later. The driver got out of the carriage and opened the door for the passengers. Which were of a race ive never seen before. They had hard scales all over their bodies, but they were less noticable on what could only be the females. The males had what looked like ridges on their spines and the females had smaller almost unnoticable ridges on their spines and oddly their knuckles as well. All of them have small but very sharp looking claws attached to thin fingers. There were two females in the carriage and three males. The two females where dressed in fitted clothing and leather armor and shortswords on their hips. Two of the males were dressed in very regal and expensive looking clothing. One had a normal sword while the other had nothing that i could see on him. The last male was the most out of place as he looked very young. He was shorter than all the others and his scales had bright colors.


    I tried to get under the carriage before they noticed me. I crawled until i was completely under it and tried to be as quiet as possible. Apparently that didnt really do anything because a scaled arm reached under the carriage and grabbed my leg. Pulling me out into the open.


    I put on my best smile as i looked up at their scaley faces.


    "Uhh hi?"

 Not a robin hood 2

    My scaley captors stared at me for a long while, discussing what I could only assume was what they wanted to do with me. They weren''t speaking in any language i recognized, a weird song of hissing and guttural growls, one of what i assume to be the females was even making some weird chirping sounds. I tried crawling away while they were distracted but i was caught by one of the males, who hissed at me and pulled me back in the middle of their group again. Their debate only ended when a man approached them from the main building and they shifted their attention to him. They kept giving me weird looks and curious gazes. Sometimes they even looked confused or worried.


    He walked up to the group and then he noticed me. He asked them something in their weird language while pointing at me. One of the males answered him and shrugged. I tried talking to them but i dont think they understand me. All i could do was sit there on the ground and wait for a chance to escape. The man talked to them for a little while, then he turned his attention to me. He was looking at me like he was trying to summon some sort of blue window that tells him my name. But that didnt happen, instead he took a couple steps toward me and spoke.


    "Who are you and why were you attached to their carriage?"


    I looked a him for a second before i replied.


    "No one of importance, I have no knowledge of these beings or any intention of interfering with their buisness."


    I tried to change my voice as much as i could without magic. His eyes narrowed and he started looking me over. His eyes froze when he noticed the badge i was wearing. I completely forgot i was still in my disguise. That must be why they looked at me with such confused expressions. However I still must protect my identity, so i made sure to keep it on. I need to get back to the inn and convert my loot into good old gold coins, then we can leave and finally head to the capital. But first I need to get away from whoever these people are. Now that I have some of the feeling back into my arms, I dug a small hole in the dirt behind me. I also spread some blue mana around the red and formed it into a small bubble. The red mana would strengthen the blue mana and cause a wave of force to shoot outward. I shoved the bubble into the hole and used some more blue mana to force it deeper into the ground. I kept my eyes focused on the group in front of me to make sure that they could not see my actions.


    They were talking to the man in that language of theirs again, so i decided that the time was perfect. I rolled under the carriage and hid behind the other side as i activated the bubble. An explosion shook the grounds as the area I used to be at turned into a small crater. Dirt and grass and plants flew everywhere covering the carriage and anyone else that happened to be nearby. I could hear them screaming and shouting things at people, trying to get organized. Except for the people that were in the carriage, they had shoved one of the females into the carriage and stood around with their weapons drawn. I was quite far away from the carriage by now, my escape starting as soon as the explosion started. I got to a small wooden building sitting on a small hill next to a stream. I jumped behind the building and looked back towards the mansion. I could sort of see alot of them still freaking out about the explosion. But the smarter ones had calmed down and started assessing the damage. Trying to figure out what was going on. I feel bad for the owner of the mansion, If there was a real attack he would be screwed.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I need some way to get out of here fast. But there is nothing here, this building i found is practically empty. I cant really see anything helpful in there, just some dusty chairs. Also I just realized that I dont know where the hell i am. That carriage moved too fast for me to try and retrace the route it took. Plus this area is huge, I feel like im not even in Elders rest anymore. I channeled some red mana into me legs and jumped onto the roof. I looked all around and sighed in relief. Over a couple of hills I could see the city and its walls. I kept the flow of red mana to my legs going and started running. After a couple strides I started leaping, the red mana in my legs allowing me to cross huge distances. Travelling by myself is soo much easier, I dont have to pay attention to anyone but myself and where im going. In a couple of hours I will be back at the inn.


    **************************************************************************************************


    "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!" Shouted Slythik while pointing a clawed hand at the human servant nearby.


    " IF OUR PRINCESS WAS HURT YOU AND ALL YOU LOVE WILL SUFFER, I WILL RIP OFF YOUR SKIN AND EAT IT!!" He shouted as loud as he could at the man next to him.


    " I WILL-" He was interrupted with a loud smack to the back of his head. He turned and was about to start yelling at the one who hit him but when he saw who it was he stopped.


    "Apologies princess, I am only angry for your safety-"


    She raised a scaled hand and cut him off.


    "I understand Slythik, that will be all." Her words were sharp and her voice carried no warmth. She looked at the human that Slythik was yelling at. He was terrified, not only of them but of how close they were to war with a country that has a far greater military. Her eyes were cold but she didnt seem angry. She stared at him for a little bit before she finally spoke.


    "We found that man on the back of our carriage, he was wearing a mask and a hooded jacket. But i expect him to be found soon. Understand?" She about to walk away but she seemed to remember something and turned back around.


    "Oh, and he had a funny little badge on his chest. I think he was part of the adventurers guild."

 Not a robin hood 3

    My arrival at my inn room was met with angry screaming from Vylet for leaving them by themselves all day. Showing her my haul of gems and valuables didnt even calm her down. I waited for her yelling to subside and then I asked about malady.


    "She is a lot better now, she woke up a couple hours ago but she got tired and went back to sleep. I dont beleive that old demon guy. She really doesnt seem like a godess to me."


    "Remember she is only a piece of the godess, maybe she is the lazy part of her?"


    Vylet chuckled at that.


    "Whatever she is, we can worry about that later. Right now I need to go sell these and get some gold. So we can get the hell out of here."


    Vylet gave me a weird look.


    "As long as you dont ditch us here all day again."


    I smirked and shrugged as I walked out of the room. I could hear her sigh before i closed the door.


    Well, its back to the underground market.


    I ditched the coat and mask outside of the city as i dont need them anymore and they would only tie me to the crimes I commited. So i was back in my normal clothes, a normal pair of pants and a shirt covered partially by a dark green vest. I started walking towards the slums again, hoping that someone will buy my stuff. I got to the place where we found theboxes last timebut they were gone. They must have moved their location again so I have to wander around till i find the boxes again. It didnt take me long to find it because they leave markers scattered all over the slums. They seemed to have changed from boxes to strips of cloth hanging from the roof. I followed these markers down several alleys and back streets till i arrived at a door with a poorly made hole in it for people to look through. I knocked on the door and waited to be asked for the code. It took a few minutes andsome shuffling from the other side of the door and then i was finally greeted with the beggening of the code.


    "Blessed are those infernal"


    "May the angels cry eternal" I replied.


    They opened the door and I was welcomed by the embaressed looking guards. Their clothes were disheveled and they looked like they just finished wrestling. It wasnt hard to guess what they had been doing. I just passed them and went on with my buisness. I guess they werent expecting anyone to come around this time. This area was a bit smaller than before, however they somehow still managed to get all the shops in here. The area wasnt bigger than before but there were slightly taller buildings. I looked around for a shop that dealt in gems and precious metals. But it isnt very easy to find. Not everybody is literate so most of the signs for the stores are just pictures. None of the signs i have seen have anything valuable depicted on them. There was alot of people here now that the sun was starting to set. Most of their buisness came after dark, when visibility was low. The current location was just a simple street with some slightly tall buildings. As usual, stalls were set up all over the road with a small space to let people walk through.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    There were signs hanging above some of the doorways showing that they are open for buisness. One sign caught my eye, as it was simply a box next to an arrow that was pointing to a bag of money. I entered the building and followed the signs till i reached the third floor. The signs led me to a door that also had the same sign on it. Inside was simply a small room with a gated window on one side. Behind it was a woman in loose clothes with huge bags under her eyes. She looked very bored and was staring at a young man that had put some sort of bracelet on the counter and pushed it under the bars so she could look at it. She picked it up and inspected it for a couple minutes, before she snorted and threw it back at him.


    "Its fake"


    He looked angry as he tried to assure her it was real. The man looked desperate and was starting to make me nervous.


    "I assure you this is real! It is a priceless family heirloom that has been passed down in my family for generations! and all you offer me for it is a lousy 17 gold?!?!"


    He reached for something in his pocket but before he could pull it out a huge person appeared out of seemingly no where and grabbed his arm, Squeezing it soo hard I could hear bones crack. The object he was grabbing in his pocket fell out of his now useless hand and started rolling on the floor. It was a small talisman, I dont know what it was meant to do but it gave me a weird feeling as i could feel some mana coming off of it. The woman from behind the counter had come out into the room when I wasnt paying attention. She picked up the talisman and gave it a look before handing it to the giant person, who took it and stuffed it into its pocket. The man was blabbering and crying, trying to apologize. The woman merely stated "Any attack on any store in the market is an offense to the owners of the market itself and will be dealt with accordingly. You knew the rules, yet you broke them."


    The man was terrified at her words, he started trying to bribe them and promise them riches. They obviously didnt beleive them because if he had so much money, why did he seem so desperate when trying to sell the bracelet. Also he did just try to kill her. The ''guard'' Walked away while dragging the man by his ruined arm into a door that was hidden behind a curtain. His crying and yelling didnt stop even after the door closed i could still hear it as it faded away. The woman was already back behind the bars with a bored expression, she looked up and saw me standing there and with a small smile, only said one word.


    "Next"

 Time to go

    I walked up to the window, pulled one of the bags out of my pocket and gently pushed it under the bars for her to examine. She slid a hand into the bag and pulled out a mid-sized gem.


    "Im here to sell these gems, I have more than these to sell if you are interested."


    She stared at the gem, I thought she might start drooling at any moment. When I told her i had more her bored expression had dissappeared and been replaced with an empty, buisnesslike one. Although i could see the greed in her eyes as she kept looking at the gems hungrily.


    "For this bag I could give you....150 gold coins. If the others have gems of the same quality then I can buy the rest for the same price."


    Thats a big rip off but its plenty for what i need. Ill just sell some of the gems and keep the rest. Maybe i can get more for the rest somewhere else.


    "Deal"


    I pull three other bags out of my pockets and shove them under the bars. She snatched them up and inspected each bag to make sure that the gems were not of inferior quality. When she was satisfied she put them in a drawer that was hidden underneath the counter while picking up a box that was on the floor. She opened the box and pulled out 6 platinum coins, sliding them into a small pouch. She tied the pouch closed with a small peice of string and gave it to me through the bars. Every coin in this kingdom was worth 100 of the next coin up. So Iron coins are worth 100 copper and 100 iron coins are worth one gold. Gold to platinum and platinum to mithril.


    With my new wealth of 6 platinum coins I left the shop and started shopping for supplies for the trip. I bought 3 bags and filled each with preserved food, a large water skin and a small knife. Ill let them decide what else they want to bring before we leave. The sun was starting to set so I returned to the room at the inn and went to sleep.


    Malady was the one to wake me up, waving a plate with some food on it in front of my face. I accepted it and asked how she was feeling.


    "Much better now thanks  to you two."


    She smiled at me and ate some sausage off of a plate that was next to her.


    "Also we need to talk about what that old demon said."


    Her smile dissapeared and was replaced with a somber expression.


    "I think he was right. I dont really remember anything before you found me. I just feel like he is right. Also for some time now ive felt like im getting stronger. "The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She motioned towards a vase that was sitting in the corner with a pitiful looking plant in it and snapped her fingers. The vase broke into hundreds of tiny peices and release a bowlful of water everywhere. But before any of it hit the floor she snapped again and it froze. All of the pieces were frozen in place, even the water wasnt moving. It was simply frozen in time, until she snapped her fingers a third time and it reversed. The water went back where it was and the pieces of the vase reassembled themselves into their original form. In but a moment the vase was broken, frozen and repaired as i watched with my eyes wide open. I couldnt beleive my eyes, there was nothing. No mana, no incantation. Just her snapping her fingers caused something that shouldnt be possible.


    "And the scary thing, is that i can feel myself getting stronger and stronger."


    This doesnt make sense, you cant randomly get more powerful. You have to train and expend massive amounts of effort in order to improve your strength. She saw the worried expression on my face and tried to smile although i could see worry on her face as well. This was when Vylet returned to the room, with the plates covered in food that she had in her hands i assumed she was the one who brought breakfast and then left to get more. She came in to see us with solemn expressions and just walked to the bed that she and malady slept on and put the plates down. Based on the look on her face and how silent she was I think she knew what malady had just told me.


    This just made our trip all the more important, we needed to get to the capital. There i can get some help from someone more knowledgable about the gods than me. That dream i had when i was under the influence of those messed up books also came to mind. ''Please save my daughter'' Maybe malady is getting stronger because the source of her power, the evil godess is trying to come to our realm. But if she was coming here, then what would her daughter need saving from? These thoughts kept rattling around in my head, but all it did was give me a headache and make me more confused. What we need to do now is get on our way.


    "Well first, we need to leave this city. I recently came into some money-"


    Vylet held in a laugh when i tried to make it sound innocent.


    " And I bought you two some provisions, tommorow we will get some other things then we will be on our way."


    Malady nodded while Vylet simply gave me a mock salute.


    "Get some sleep you two we need to get up early tommorow."


    "Why so early?" wondered Vylet " Will there be some trouble?" Vylet asked as she absentmindedly rubbed her hand along the handle of one of her daggers.


    I gave her and malady a sly smile. "Only the trouble im going to make"


    Vylet and malady both rolled their eyes and started ignoring me. Chatting happily about things I''d rather not listen to and getting ready for bed. I decided to get some mana manipulation practice in before i fell asleep. I have been falling behind in my practice and that will be a big problem in the future. I have a bad feeling about this whole thing and lately it has only been getting worse. Something big is coming, I think im right about malady''s mother coming for a visit. Its the only thing that makes sense to me and the only reason i can think of for her growing powers. But those words ''please save my daughter''  were stuck in my head. Who was i supposed to save? And from what?

 Time to go 2

    The next day I was the one to wake up first. I stretched and then brought some extra clothes downstairs with me. I wanted to wash before i left as im not really sure when ill be able to again. As i reached the bottom floor I saw a young girl head out the back door with a bucket. When i got outside I saw that she was actually going to collect the laundry. The area I had thought was the bathing area, with areas seperated by cloth for privacy was actually just sheets from the inn that were being hung out to dry. I felt so stupid my ears turned red. The girl noticed me looking at her and chuckled while smiling at me, her face was a pale shade of red as she seemed to remember something.


    She must have been the one that saw me that night. how embarressing.


    I felt really dumb, too dumb to actually look for where the bathing area was. So i just filled a bucket with water and wiped myself off with a cloth in my room while the other two were still asleep. I decided to get things ready for when they woke up. My wealth was enough for us to travel but not enough to make it to the capital in a carriage. The trip is too far to hire a carriage. The demons that i need to talk to about this would either be in the capital or on the other side of it. While everyone in this kingdom hated demons the war between them was over, so you could find demons everywhere. Although there werent a large number of them, they were still there. Maybe they would have some idea on what to do about this.


    I decided to steal a carriage, cause most problems can be fixed with theft, Right? The city has two places for carriages, one on the outer edges of the city where most people store their carriages. The other was for the nobles to park their rediculously extravagant carriages. Only the one for the nobles was under heavy guard. While the outer area was guarded, it was not guarded as fiercely or by as many guards as the nobles one. So that one was my target, I needed acarriage without any markings or company names on it. I left a note that told them to meet me outside the city near a large hill that had 3 trees. We passed it on our way into the city and it had a nice little flat spot on the other side of it that looked like it had been used as a camping spot by weary travellers waiting to get into the city. Also the note said to buy what they want or need before they leave. I took out some gold and placed it in a small stack next to the note. It should be plenty for whatever they are going to get.


    I left the inn after having a small breakfast of sausage and a weird sort of stew that this inn was apparently famous for. It didnt take me long to get to the outer edge of the city, it was early and most of the people were still asleep or setting up their stalls to prepare for the day. So I got through the streets without any hassle. The carriage parking area was about as big as one of the nobles yards and filled withcarriages of all shapes and sizes. It was blocked off by a large gate that surrounded the entire yard. The yard had two entrances, one on each side and both with at least a couple guards. I walked to theside of the yard to avoid the guards and look at the different typs of carriages. Most of them had a long bench for the driver to sit on the front and were covered with a big tarp. There were even some of the more expensive carriages that were pretty much a large room on wheels. Even the drivers were protected by a roof, that was the one i wanted. It was really nicely designed but didnt stick out too much. There were no markings on the sides and it was painted a nice dark green.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    From here i could see some reinforcing on the wheels and on the windows as well. It was a little poorly done so i dont think that whoevers carriage it was had much wealth and did it themselves to make the carriage last longer. I couldnt get over the gate as it was too high so I had another idea. I just wrapped some red mana around my arms and grabbed the bars of the gate. Pulling with all my strength until i opened a gap big enough for me to get through. I got through and headed for my new carriage. I didnt make it halfway there before I was hit in the gut with a fist almost as big as my head. I clutched my stomach in pain and tried to see who attacked me but my eyes were watering too much from the pain. He must have something on his hand because that hurt way more than it should have. When my vision cleared a little bit i was able to make out who it was that hit me. It was that person i saw at that mansion i robbed while i was hiding in that room upstairs. The one that barely fit in the hall with his hands dragging on the floor. But now he was standing at his full height and he was dressed in dark clothes that only made him look bigger and taller.


    I thought he was going to call for the guards but he just raised another fist and threw it at me. I wasnt going to just let him hit me. I pulled out my sword and held it up to block his punch. His punch collided with my sword and pushed me back a couple feet. I didnt wait for him to attack again, I jumped behind a nearby carriage and ran to the other side of it. He didnt even flinch after punching my sword, I havent used it that much yet but im pretty sure it is a solid sword and he punched it with his fist. I walkedquickly but silentlybehind the carraige and tried to sneak up on him and bash him on the head or something. I dont really care much but I dont really want to kill everyone that gets in my way. That just isnt who i want to be. I peeked around the front of the cart and saw him walking to where i just was. Something was off about this guy, his skin was kinda pale and he walked like he had all the time in the world. But whatever, I need to get a carriage and this guy was in the way of that. I Jumped out behind him and smacked him with the flat of my sword. Which did nothing, his head moved slightly but that was the only effect it had on him. What was up with this guy? He is like a statue made out of flesh, not even a wound was left on his head. He barely even reacted to my attack, or thats what i thought until I saw one of his oversized hands swinging at me. I jumped back a couple feet but i still had to duck as his reach had somehow extended.


    I have to finish this fast, the guards will notice us if we keep fighting here. I might have to kill this guy. But still something about this guy is creeping me out.

 Time to go 3

    This guy was slow but but very powerful. He threw a punch that barely missed me and hit a nearby carriage, ripping a huge chunk out of it. The mans fist didnt even stop after hitting it, it just kept goin until he steadied himself. This guy was beggining to scare me, he just punched through a carriage without even stopping or getting injured. I whipped my sword around and aimed for his head, him destroying that carriage was loud. It wont be long before the guards notice us and come to see whats going on. My sword sliced sraight through his head, not meeting any resistance. The top of his head hit the ground with a wet sounding slap, spreading brain matter and blood everywhere. His body stopped moving but seemed to refuse to fall down. Just froze in place, holding his fist in the air ready to hit something. I wiped my sword on his jacket and was going to leave because this already delayed my plans quite a bit. I turned around to leave but before I made it two steps I felt a dull pain on my back and I found myself flying through almost three carriages before the fourth managed to stop me.


    Three of my ribs were broken and one of my legs was facing the wrong way. I forced some green mana to circulate around my body fixing all my internal injuries and then moving to the external ones. I clenched my teeth while the pain spread around my body, My eyes were watery yet i could see the shape of the man walking towards me. He was not human, I cut off his damn head and yet here he is lumbering towards me. He doesnt even seem to care that most of his head is missing, each step letting more of whats left of his brain fall out. He was getting closer and my leg was only just staring to twist back into its proper position. The guards have to have heard my trip through the side of the carriage and this human shaped thing was ridiculously hard to deal with.


    I watched as he lumbered over to me with his painfully slow walk and was thinking of a wayout of this. As soon as i heard the guards shouting and running over it came to me. I slowed the circulation of green mana and kept only enough to stop the pain. My leg was still pointing the wrong way and I ripped my clothes more to look even more like a frightened passerby who was atttacked. I sheathed my sword and made sure it wasnt visible by anyone looking into the carriage and started screaming.


    "HELP HELP IM BEING ATTACKED BY SOME SORT OF CREATURE!! GUARDS! GUARRDS!!"


    I could hear the guards approaching and yelling at each other, swords unsheathing loudly as they saw the man with part of his head missing.


    "What is that thing?!"


    "GET HIM!"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I heard many different things coming from the guards but the majority was yelling this. I havent heard of any creatures that look like normal looking yet oversized humans. Before the guards could see me i made sure to hide my ears and my face. I started fake crying and playing the victim, overreacting about my wounds. When they got close enough to see me all they see was a injured man with a broken leg. They immediately ignored me and started surrounding the monster, raising their weapons and surrounding it. It''s only reaction to them was that it stopped moving and gave a low grumble. As soon as they stopped paying attention to me I focused all the green mana into my leg and healed it as fast as possible so i could move again. I crawled out of the other side of the carriage and made my way to the one saw earlier. When i looked back i saw some of the guards getting sent flying and the others were slashing at it, trying to wound it. But it showed no reaction to their attacks or anything, it just kept swiping and punching at them.


    They were cutting off bits and peices of this thing but it didnt care. They seemed to be focusing on its legs, trying to just keep it here until someone who knows what to do gets here. I saw a couple guards run off to inform their superiors of this creature. I finally got to my new carraige and started getting it ready. I worked as fast as i could with my still healing injuries. I made sure it was in working order and pulled the blocks keeping the carriage in place away. The carriage was just above a steep hill so i was planning on just riding it out of here with some clever manipulation of my blue mana. I attached some blue mana to certain parts of the wagon and condensed it till it was like a solid object. I hopped into the drivers seat and stretched the mana tendrils with me till it was like a rope. Now I could steer it even without anything pulling it. I looked over to see how the guards were doing, turns out some of their superiors showed up and started throwing spells at the thing. I noticed that the only spell that seemed to be working on it were fire spells.


    Other than that they werent having much luck, but that was good for me because they werent paying attention to me. So I made one last check and made sure my path was clear, there was path out between the many carraiges as long as I drive well. Getting through the gate however... I''ll figure it out when i get there. I used some red and blue mana to force the wheels to turn forward. Using this much mana at once is difficult but I really want this carriage. Once I got some speed I stopped using mana on the wheels and concentrated on steering. The hills incline was starting to drop and I was picking up tons of speed. I managed to steer through the other carriages only getting a few scrapes and damaging a few other carts and carraiges. I realize I didnt think this whole thing through, my speed keeps growing and growing. Its getting harder to steer and im reaching the edge of the property. I can see the gate coming up and the guards seemed to notice something was wrong and had turned around. They realized I was heading straight towards them and they looked terrified. Which they should be, I am too because im not sure how the hell im going to get out of here.

 Try not to crash

    The carriage sped down the hill while i put my steering skills to the test. Dodging people and other carriages as I got ever closer to the gate. The carraige''s wheels started vibrating and the whole thing started to shake as we gained speed. I had no choice but to do something stupid and hope the carraige holds together. Channeling lots of red and blue mana under the carriage until i couldnt summon any more. I was scraping and hitting a lot more carriages since most of my attention was on manipulating the mana. I kept coiling it tighter and tighter like a spring and got it ready because the gate was almost right in front of me.


    The guards on station at the gate were freaking out shouting at me to stop and trying to get out of the way. There were people around the gate looking in to see what was going on, but they started running as soon as they saw what was coming. The gate was coming up fast and I had the mana spring ready, I was just waiting for the right moment to release it. Hopefully this will launch me right over the gate and if im lucky ill fly over the outer wall too.


    Its time, either I do it now or ill never get this thing out of here.


    I released the mana and braced myself, the mana shot down and launched the carriage high into the air. Higher than the tallest building in the city. I was tired from the heavy usage of mana but I didnt want to die so I created wings out of mana to stabilize my flight. I wanted to try and make them flap, but when i tried I got a horrible headache. So i gave up and just used them to glide. The carriage parking area was very close to the outerwall so it didnt take me long to glide over it. I could see some people below me looking up at the mysterious flying carriage, either pointing with their mouths open or trying to figure out how someone could afford such a wonderful flying carriage. I even saw some nobles looking at the carriage greedily and telling their servants to find out where to get one of their own.


    I laughed cause this was the most fun I have ever had stealing something and im flying a carraige! That has never been done before in any kingdom ive heard of. It was exhilerating flying over everything, the wind felt great on my face and neck. I had long passed over the outer gates and was looking for the hill I told Malady and Vylet about. I was so high up I found it in a matter of minutes and I angled the wings to start my descent. I wish i had more practice with my mana manipulation, then I could do this all the time. When I was a slave I heard some of the guards mention the elves special ability to directly manipulate mana and that some elves were so good at it that they could use mana continuosly and not be affected by it. These elves had the ability to destroy entire continents, but they were really rare and most of them were killed in the war between elves and humans.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    If I had practiced more this would be nothing and It would be easy to use lots of mana. The more mana you use daily, the easier it flows through your body. But if you dont use it enough or if you dont have the ability to use it, then your body becomes closed off and after a while it will be impossible to use. I keep angling the wings to land as softly as possible as I want to minimize the damage to it. The closer I got to the ground the more blue mana I used to push on the front to slow myself down. I saw Malady and Vylet sitting at the camping spot on an big rock and tried to land next to them. Which kind of went well, until one of the wheels came off and rolled into the campsite scaring the crap out of them. Luckily the wheel stopped as it fell in a small ditch not too far away. Malady and Vylet had jumped up when the wheel crashed through the camp spot, each holding some sort of weapon. Malady had a big stick that I assume she found on her way out of here and Vylet had her daggers of course. When they saw me on the carriage that was currently crashing into the dirt next to them they were suprised. They knew I was getting some sort of transportation, but they didnt know that i would be crashing it next to them.


    The carriage was really messed up, the sides of the carriage were all scratched up and dented. When it landed it flipped on its side after the wheel came off. Some of the windows were broken and all the stuff that was left in the storage compartment of the carriage was on the ground around it. But not everything was bad, as it seems that there was a secret compartment on the Inside of the carriage that broke open during the crash. Malady was the first one to notice this as she walked past one of the broken windows to try and find me the driver of this wreck. She ignored it for now and kept walking till she saw me on the ground with a slight green aura covering my body. I was smiling like an idiot cause I was the first person in history to fly a carriage. Vylet had went to get the wheel that had rolled off and bring it back to the carriage. I dont think it was broken, but the bolt that held it onto the carriage was missing. Most carraiges nowadays had an extra wheel or two and some tools hiding somewhere, for some on-the-road repairs. As I was on the ground, healing my injuries, I could only hope that we could fix it and get the hell away from this city.

 And you crashed...

    Vylet was having trouble holding back her laughter. I could see the muscles in her face straining as she fought to keep from smiling. It worked.... For a while, until she couldnt hold it back anymore and burst out laughing at me. Joining me in looking stupid as we both laughed at the absurdity of what i just did. Not only did I steal a carriage, I flew it and crashed it not far from where we were supposed to meet. Malady didnt join in as she didnt understand why we were laughing. But she didnt want to spoil the mood so she just kept silent and kept looking around to see if the carraige was fixable. She thought that it was in pretty bad shape but not impossible to fix.


    What are they still laughing about? I swear I will never get mortals.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vold''s plan has been put into action. One of his spies had confirmed seeing the target''s secondary carriage leaving the city. He must have taken that one in order to avoid attention, although it was odd. My spy said that he had heard people saying that the carraige had left by flying over the walls of the city.


    what rubbish, probably hired a nearby magician distract people while he left. No matter, time to start this rebellion.


    He immediately left his room and headed for the stables. Not even sparing the stablemaster a glance, he took a horse and rode for Elders rest. Certain that his people are already taking over the city and capturing any nobles that are there. Especially his master Ternnen, one of the worst nobles in this kingdom. Vold had a terrifying smile on his face as he left his soon-to-be ex-master''s estate. He felt happier than he has ever felt, knowing that he will soon get to kill his master with his own hands.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vylet and I had stopped laughing and begun fixing up the carriage. Malady was keeping lookout towards the city, making sure the guards didnt come to look for the carriage. Vylet had helped me put the wheel back on and secure it to the axle. Then she left to get something to pull the thing. Im not sure where she was planning to get something strong enough to pull this but she seemed confident that she could. So I just let her go. I found some reins in the storage and got the harnesses ready for whatever Vylet was bringing. I also made sure the carriage could still roll properly. I didnt know what to do about the broken windows, so for now I just covered some cloth in some wax to waterproof it and fastened it to the frame. At least that would keep the rain out. Inside the carriage was actually very roomy and had plenty of room to sleep. It even had a bed hidden in the wall and various travelling needs like blankets, rope, lanterns, flint and steel, and even some sacks to use as pillows when you fill them with something soft. It didnt look like much from the outside, but inside it was amazing.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Makes me kinda wonder whose carriage I stole. This keeps happening to me, I need to pay more attention to who im stealing from. Vylet was taking a bit so I decided to sit in the grass and improve my mana manipulation. I walked over to a patch of grass and sat down cross-legged and tried to meditate. I focused on circulating the green mana through my body. Allowing it to flow freely and explore my body. I could feel it moving around my body, the green energy healing injuries I didnt realize I had gotten and strenthening the areas where I had gotten them. Even some old scars dissappeared without a trace. The green energy''s influence spread to outside my body, causing plants to bloom and grass to grow near me. Malady kept looking at me from where she was sitting on top of the carraige. She was keeping her eyes out for Vylet and for anyone coming from the city, but she also couldnt help but look at the green aura that was eminating from me. I stayed like that for half and hour before I stopped. Something is wrong, Someone should have at least left the city to investigate. Even the guards werent there and the gate was left wide open. I asked malady if she saw anyone coming out or going in and she said no one had entered or left since I crashed here.


    Something is wrong in the city and i dont want to find out what it is. I walked back to the carraige but stopped at where i was meditating. There was a small plant that was familiar to me, It looked simply like a single berry on a stem. But this plant was none other than a lake berry, a sacred plant to elves. To the elves it was a plant to protect, to nurture. It was one of the rarest plants in the forest and was rarely seen anywhere else. Any elf seen eating this berry was excecuted or punished in another severe way. I walked over and crouched next to it. I plucked the berry and ate it, I was always curious what it tasted like. Im pretty sure its not poisionous and I never understood why it was sacred anyway. As soon as the berry hit my toungue it burst and filled my mouth with its juice. The flavor was unimaginianbly sweet, and in seconds the rest of the berry dissolved. Not long after I swallowed the berry and its juice did I realize why this berry was not supposed to be eaten. I looked around yet, the ground moved with my head. The carraige was driving itself in circles and jumping every now and then. The ground grew a face and winked at me, I layed on the ground as I couldnt understand what I was seeing. I shouldnt have eaten that berry, I dont understand what is happeneing. Almost everything had a face now and I couldnt balance myself, the world was leaning the wrong way and I couldnt stop myself from rolling and running into the carraige. Then the world tilted the other way and I started rolling away and gravity malfuntioned as everything went straight up and jiggled like wet noodles.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Malady sat there watching as Finch picked up a berry and ate it. Then he layed down on the ground and started rolling around with his eyes wide open and his ears twitching.


    Did he really just eat a berry he found on the ground? What the hell is he doing?


    I got up and tried to stop him from rolling. After he rolled into the carriage he started rolling in the oposite direction and went down the hill. I sighed and begun chasing the hallucinating elf down the hill.

 And you crashed...2

    I woke up lying on the bed in the carraige, covered with a blanket. A note was left next to my head on the bed. Before I started reading it I looked around at the drastic change to the inside of the carriage. There were animal skins and meat drying in the corner next to one of the unbroken windows. On the other side of that I saw herbs and other plants wrapped in cloth sitting in a chair that slid out of the wall. There were even a couple decorations made from bone that were hung up around the carriage. I didnt really like them as they gave off a weird feeling. It creeped me out yet it also oddly made me feel safe. Which confused me a little bit.


    The design is like nothing I have ever seen before. The inside is roomy but a bit bland and  it had no decorations of any kind. However there are furniture and many other things that have been hidden in the walls with some expert craftsmanship. Like this carriage was meant to cross large distances without ever stopping. I remember even seeing some weird metal pipes underneath the carraige.


    *BUMP*


    The carraige jumped up a bit as we went over a small hole in the road. Wait, we are moving! They must have fixed the carriage up while I was out. I wonder what they got to pull it. My eyes fall back onto the note.


    " Druggy elf man, I found something to pull the cart and as long as you dont attack them we probably dont even need to stop and let them rest. I found them rather quickly, so I even had time to do some hunting. I thought it would help offset the costs of this trip. But then I return to find my ''savior'' rolling around in the dirt groaning about some sort of gremlins and malady trying to stop you from rolling down the hill. Malady and I have already fixed the carraige to a workable condition and are heading in the direction of the capital. We will be stopping before it gets dark to sleep and since you have gotten plenty of sleep you will be driving through the night."


    She seems to like ordering people around. But whatever, I did eat that berry and had a weird trip so Ill drive tonight.


    I looked out the window to see the sun was almost about to set and I feel pretty well rested. So I started meditating, This time circulating red mana throughout my body. Feeling the strength build in my arms and legs. This mana felt more like a strong tingling sensation, but not irritating. If one isnt careful one can get addicted to using red mana, the feeling of power is unresistable to some. There were even some elves that went mad with it. Keeping a constant flow of thick red mana in their body. Till they were barely recognizable any more, their muscles and body grew to the point where they were just a mass of muscles and blood. They couldnt move or speak anymore yet they never stopped letting the red mana flow. After a while they couldnt stop the flow and it just keeps growing with their muscles until they die. But doing this training is necessary as it strengthens the body as well as the willpower of whoever uses it. You have to resist the temptation of power, but accept it into your body at the same time. The red mana coursing through my veins started settling in pockets around my body. I had to focus to keep it moving around and strengthening my body evenly. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    This amount of concentration isnt easy to keep up so I only got in about an hour of training before I had to stop. Drinking some water out of a waterskin that was next to the note and wiping off my sweat before going back to my meditating. This time I decided to try something different. I tried to let a little white mana flow in my body. I had no idea what effect this would have on me since no one really did this because no one knew what white mana was for other than to stop black mana. I let a little white mana flow down my left arm to my hand. I was a little confused as I didnt feel anything, yet I am positive that I converted the mana properly. I opened my eyes slightly and I was suprised. I couldnt feel the mana but I could see it. My left hand was glowing with a pure white light, it was bright enough to light up the entire area. I tried to let it flow back up my arm, across my chest and into my right arm. But it stopped halfway across my chest and wouldnt go any farther. I couldnt move it to the right side of my body. Even when I try to release some white mana into the right side of my body it just wont work. It just immediately goes to the left side of my body. So I tried a little dark mana and it worked, yet the dark mana wouldnt go to the left side of my  body and only stayed on the right side. The black mana was just like the white, I couldnt feel it but I could see it. Although it was more like it absorbed light, making my hand look like I was holding a ball of darkness.


    This was really weird, I still dont know what to do with this but at least ive learned something new about these types of mana. Maybe I should record my experimentation.


    Hmm...


    Ill look for a notebook next town or city we come across. I was done experimenting with these two types of mana for now so I tried to reabsorb it as pure mana. But instead it went straight to my chest and combined there, swirling around each other. Mixing but staying seperate at the same time. I couldnt beleive what I was seeing, There was a slight glow on my chest and a slight darkness spinning around each other then they both slowly faded till they couldnt be seen anymore. But now I could feel them, the two energies swirling around in my chest. I could feel it but it was shrinking and getting smaller by the second. Until I could barely feel it anymore, but i knew it was still there. Im really confused but I felt pretty good. Im certain that creating that weird thing im my chest made me a little stronger. Ill mess with it some more another time. Right now its my turn to drive because the carriage is stopping and I could hear malady''s hooves and Vylets boots leaving the front compartment. I put on my jacket that was sitting on the floor next to the bed and prepared myself to drive all night. Opening the door to the crisp and cold night air made my ears twitch. I pulled up my hood to keep my ears warm and let Malady and Vylet into the rear compartment.


    "Did you read the note we left you?" Vylet said with a little ice in her tone.


    "Yeah yeah I get it. Hurry up its cold."


    She snorted at me and hopped into the carriage. Right behind her was Malady but something looks off about her.


    Maybe its just me, but she looks a little older now.

 Onward! To the place

    I shut the door behind malady, her change in appearence still on my mind. I walked to the front compartment and opened the door. The drivers compartment was actually more than I was expecting. The seats were cushioned and there was a cubby in the back of the seat that had blankets in it. The font compartment was open to the front however I could see hinges that would allow it to be closed off. There was even space for the reins to be used with the compartment closed. With small hooks so you could tie the reins there if you were to stop for a bit. The bottom part of the front window could even be removed so that you could use the reins better. You would be mostly protected from the weather, and would still be able to drive. This is amazing, no commoner could afford this kind of cart. What was it doing in the commoner''s parking area? Ive never heard of a renowned craftsman in this area. I got in and closed the door behind me, still in awe at the skill of whoever created this thing. Its a wonderful thing, its pretty sturdy as it survived my little crash landing and it has things ive never seen on other carriages.


    I was torn out of my state of awe when I saw what Vylet found to pull the carriage. They were big and Muscled creatures, they barely moved except turning their heads.


    Also, they were undead.


    There were giant bloody holes in its body, with bones coming out of a couple of them. They both had huge horns coming out of their mouths and made a weird grunting sound every now and then.


    Where the hell did she get these?!


    What the hell are they?


    I was speechless, these things could tear us all apart at any moment. They looked very powerful, yet for some reason are calm and docile. I tried urging them on like I would horses and it kind of worked. They grunted and started walking forward slowly.


    It took a little while but I managed to get the hang of it. We were travelling at a moderate speed towards the capital. I got used to driving and got bored so I tried to circulate a little mana while I was at it. I think circulating mana got easier since I accidentally made that mana sphere thing in my chest. The mana was flowing through my body a lot faster than before. It soaked into my muscles, increasing my strength and speed. It was working so well I got a little distracted and almost went off the road. I realized it before we went into a ditch so I was able to turn and avoid it.


    Well, this is going to take a while. I tried not to space out as I stared at the long road ahead.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


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    Slythik and Shealia had arrived back in to the Salthein kingdom. They were walking towards the royal palace, to tell their king about the events that took place in the kingdom of  Shaylet. The guards moved out of the way as they approached, instantly recognizing them as royalty. They made their way the the main chamber where the king would most likely be as he is always there. They arrived at the towering doors that led to the main hall, a servant that was standing next to the door noticed them and immediatley went in to announce their presence. Not long after the servant entered the doors opened and they walked in. Both of them walked up to the throne and bowed before Steruzelth, their king.


    He nodded at the people he was talking to, they bowed and left.


    "Welcome back home, yet your scales are still dry. You came straight here because something went wrong?"


    The kings voice was scratchy but filled with authority.


    Shealia was the first to answer. "Yes, father. We arrived at the house of the noble we have been in contact with, however when we arrived we found a weird man stuck to the back of our carraige. We were deciding on what to do with him when we were attacked. The nobles servants were useless as they were flailing about like younglings trying to walk. After they stopped screaming at each other they assured us that they had nothing to do with it. I am not sure what to make of this incident."


    Steruzelth was quiet, his head resting on his clawed hand as he was lost in thought.


    "Are you sure it was an attack? If so this cannot be taken lightly."


    Slythik decided it was time for him to speak up.


    "King, may I speak?"


    Steruzelth nodded.


    "I beleive it was merely a coincidence, however with the nature of our visit it is very conveinent for a random encounter such as that to have happened. I beleive that there may have been a spy trying to steal information about us. Maybe he was hired by another noble to undermine our efforts."


    The king became silent, once more deep in thought.


    "This matters very little, by the time our noble friend gives us what we want. No other nobles will be able to do anything or retaliate in any way. However we do need to be more careful just in case we do have a spy."


    The king waved at one of the guards and the guard approached him and kneeled.


    "Attacks on the royal family however cannot be permitted. Inform our little assasin we have a mission for him. He is to find the man who attacked my daughter and bring him to me at any cost."


    The guard saluted and went to fulfill his task.


    "Now then, go take some time to relax from your trip. Get your scales wet and get some food. You both look dried out."


    "Thank you father."


    "Thank you my king"


    The king nodded and they left.


    As soon as they left the hall Shealia turned to Slythik and pouted.


    "why had you not discussed this with me before you brought it to father?"


    "Sorry Sheal, I had only thought of it when we were waiting for an audience with him."


    She hissed slightly and walked to her chambers.


    Slythik watched her go.


    He really would try to marry her, if she only wasnt already in love with the head maid of the castle. He sighed and went to go for a swim. The dryness of the Shaylet kingdom was making his scales itch.

 Onward! To the place 2

    I drove until the sun came up and then switched back with Malady and Vylet. I have to admit they were better than me at driving this thing. The ride was alot smoother with them in the front. I took this time to continue meditating and practicing my mana control. Mixing some more black and white mana as well, feeding it to the small pebble in my chest. I could feel it absorbing the mixed mana hungrily and grow slightly in size.


    After mixing mana a couple times and feeding it to that ''core'', I felt the exhaustion from last night and decided to rest.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Malady was changing. She could feel it herself. Her body was growing faster and her powers were growing terrifyingly fast. Yet something inside her made her feel that it was a good thing. Even new knowledge kept popping up in her head every now and then. She kept talking with Vylet like she always did however, Vylet was also noticing this change. How could she not, they spent most of their time since they met together. At first it was because she didnt trust Finch and thought that them together could escape should he try something. The man seemed a bit odd and naive despite the fact he was an elf, a race known for its racism and severe distrust of anything non-elven. Malady also found him a bit odd but decided to trust him. He could have just left her in that cave to die or for more of those men to find her but he didnt. Vylets distrust of Finch made her get closer to Malady and in time they became freinds. Malady enjoyed her company very much, she couldnt remember much from before she was summoned. But she knew she felt lonely, having Vylet next to her made her happy. But Malady knew this wouldnt last long. Something is coming and Malady didnt know if she or Finch would be strong enough to survive it. She had confidence in Vylet surviving, as the young beast girl was not going to be travelling with them for too much longer.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vylet was happily talking with malady, although malady doesnt remember much about her past she was still very smart and had plenty of knowledge of many things from herbs to languages. They would talk about what Vylet used to do at her fathers manor and what she did with her family. Sometimes they would play a game where Vylet would point at a plant and see if Malady could identify it. She almost always knew what it was though and Vylet gave up but secretly kept looking to find some new plants. Vylet was excited to be able to talk with malady, most of the people her age that she was allowed to talk to were just the children of other nobles. They mostly were forced to talk to her to try and get closer to her, some of their parents were even trying to marry off one of their sons to her. They were all liars and were just after his power. Most of them actually hated the beast-men but they were still there trying to butter him up and take his wealth and power one way or another. But there was none of that with Malady, she was interested in her as a person and not her backing. Vylet was driving the carriage at the time and she was rather good at it. She was taught many things after she turned 10, driving was one of them. Malady took over sometimes but mostly she let Vylet drive as she enjoyed it. The carriage was going pretty fast and the creatures she found to pull the carriage were smarter than she thought. They almost drove themselves and never left the road, Finch said he drifted for a bit last night but that was a little hard to beleive as they were staying on the road by themselves. Maybe they cant see very well at night. They were speeding through the country and at this pace they could make it to the next city in less than a day. They had made it to a dense forest with a huge cliff in the middle, no one lived here or nearby because this forest was said the be the home of a fierce god that hated humans and forbid them to settle here. However that didnt stop people from going through it, there was even a road. It wasnt paved but worn down by carriages and carts going through over time. It was relitively straight and only curved to go around hills or a particularly dense area of trees.


    Vylet was pretty skilled at navigating these turns, even at the speed they were going. She went into one such turn now, it went to the left for a bit then shot back to the right and continued back towards the other side of the forest. She didnt even slow down at all and that made her almost crash when a fat pink thing had ran into the road and she swerved to avoid it. There was also a downed tree in the road but she was going too fast and already swerved to avoid the pink thing so she braced herself to hit it. But the creatures pulling the cart just ran right through the tree. Breaking it in half with enough space for the carriage to fit through. She was suprised at this but still slowed and stopped the carriage to see what she almost hit.


    **************************************************************************************************


    I was having an amazing dream until I was woken by a weird scream and the sound of a tree breaking with a loud crunch. I hopped up grabbed my sword and jumped out of the carriage. Malady and Vylet were already out of the carriage and were walking back towards the tree. I ran to catch up with them.


    "Whats going on? What happened?"


    I asked only slightly out of breath.


    "Some thing jumped out in front of me in the road but when I tried to avoid it I hit the tree."


    Quite the understatement, as the tree was litterally smashed into tiny bits in the middle.


    "What was the thing you almost hit?"


    "I dont know, it looked like a little fat, pink child."


    She kept walking, while looking around and sniffing the air trying to catch its scent. Not far past the tree she found something, turns out the thing passed out on the side of the road when she almost hit it. We had to get a bit closer before I recognized it.


    "Its a Pigmet!"


    I declared. I was kind of excited as these little guys were thought of as extinct. Mostly because they were delicious and there was a noble that almost hunted them to extinction because he was addicted to their meat. Funny thing is no one was actually able to stop him and he only stopped when he died of a heart attack because he only ate Pigmet meat. No one say any after that so it was assumed that he ate them all. They were pretty freindly creatures, although they werent very smart, they werent dumb either.


    I used some green mana to check for injuries. I didnt find any so I think it just passed out from fear. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Can you two watch the carraige? Im going to take this guy back to his people. It should be too long."


    Both malady and vylet looked at each other and then back at me.


    "Why do you care? arent they just monsters? we could just leave him here. His people will probably find him soon anyway."


    Vylet was eager to get back on the road as she didnt really like being in the middle of a forest like this. Passing through was no problem but staying there made her nervous.


    "I like pigmets, they are weird and funny little creatures. I used to have one as a pet till a noble ate him. Just let me do this, it wont take long."


    That was obviously not the answer they were expecting as they looked at me weird. But they turned and headed back to the carriage anyway. I picked him up and carried him into the trees. The pigmets werent stupid enough to go far from their villages so I assumed it wasnt far and just walked in the direction it came from. Didnt take long till I found some tracks and signs of a pigmet village nearby. They have this weird habit of making these talismans and they hang them in the trees nearby. I think its sort of a protection charm, I do feel a slight energy coming from them. I think it might be enough to keep certain dangerous animals away but thats about it.


    I kept walking till I heard screaming and could smell fire. I ducked down and walked slowly, I reached a steep hill, put the pigmet down gently and peeked over it. Their village was under attack by those weird monstrocities we found near that mana explosion. I saw a squirrell with three arms and another arm for a tail, It shot fire out its mouth and set some of their buildings on fire. There was also a wolf-thing that looked like it had been cut in half but started healing again and stopped halfway. It had four more heads coming out of the wound and it appeared to be launching them at the pigmets.


    I felt like I could take them on now that Ive started training again. I made sure the little pigmet next to me was hidden and prepared myself. I was kinda high up so I can use some small mana wings to glide down and suprise them. Catching them off guard and then using my sword and magic to finish them off. I dont really use spells since I was terrible at remembering the incantations and I can directly manipulate mana anyway so I just use that. I used blue mana on my back and shaped them into wings just like I did with the carriage, only this time they were smaller so it was less taxing on my mind. Also I released some blue mana into my hand and ignited it using red mana to make it stronger.


    I made sure I was ready and then launched myself off of the hill. I dived towards the village while aiming my fireball. I aimed for the wolf thing since I thought the squirrel had some immunity to fire since it was attacking with it. I waited till I was closer then I threw it with all I had at the wolf. The fireball sped through the air colliding with the wolfs main head. It gave out a weird shriek and rolled itself on the ground, trying to put the fire out but only suceeding in filling some of its mouths with dirt. I was close to the ground now so I angled my wings to glide and pulled out my sword. I pointed myself at the flaming wolf and held my sword ready. As soon as I was in range I swung my sword upwards towards the main head and severed it clean off its body.


    Now for the squirrel.


    I tilted the wings and tried to get a little lift and find the squirrel when a fireball the size of my fist smashed into my wings. Completely destroying one, which made me lose control and run into a pigmets hut. Smashing into the hut hurt, but my left shoulder where the fireball hit me, was also on fire. Quickly putting it out and using green mana to deal with the pain, I readied my sword and looked out the hole I made in the hut. The squirrel was running towards me drooling fire and for the first time I realized that its eye sockets were empty.


    how can it see me?


    Whatever now is not the time to worry about such things. I jumped throught the hole, while pumping red mana into my legs. As soon as I landed I launched myself at the squirrel, it wasnt expecting that and tried to shoot a fireball at me but I was too close. I was about to shove my sword down its throat, but I was hit from the side. Something ran into me and was biting me. I couldnt see what it was as it was stuck on my lower back. I made a blue mana bubble there and made it expand rapidly. Forcing the jaws of whatever was biting me to open and let go. I hear it hit the ground with a thud and I could finally see it.


    It was a wolf''s head!


    That damn thing isnt dead?!?


    I looked around and the squirrel was running at me again this time it was just going to shoot fireballs at me before it got close. I sheilded myself with a wall of blue mana when I noticed the wolf throwing more heads at me. Apparently I have to kill all the heads.


    There were four more along its back and each of them were spitting more heads at me. I guess they wont run out of ammo anytime soon because they just create more.


    The pigmets were hiding in their huts but some of them started throwing rocks at the enemies. Their aim was terrible but they managed to distract them both for a little bit. I didnt want to miss this chance and launched myself at the squirrel trying to stab it again with my sword. I reached it in a second, ramming my sword down its tiny throat practiacally cutting it in half horizantally. I rolled to deal with my momentum and started heading towards the wolf.


    Which recovered from its suprise and resumed spitting heads at me. I cut down all the heads before they could bite me. Which only angered the wolf which spat more and more heads. Making them bigger and more evil looking. The distance between us was shrinking fast, but the heads it was spitting kept getting bigger and more ferocious looking.


    I had to stop my charge and focus on defending.


    I cant get close enough to kill it. How do I get closer?


    The wolf was only getting more angry as it couldnt injure me with its attack. It had stopped running at me and focused solely on attacking me.


    My arms were getting tired, so I tried using red mana to boost my arms so I can last a little longer. This wasnt getting anywhere, I need to gain the upper hand somehow.


    Suddenly the wolf stopped attacking, It seems to have gotten tired of this and wanted to end it. It spat out a head but didnt shoot it at me. It kept strenghtening it and making it bigger. It was already bigger than one of the pigments huts.


    Shit, if it shoots that off it will destroy the village.


    Then I got an idea, if I kill it now the attack will most likely just explode and kill us all. So I condensed some red mana untill it was a small marble. Then wrapped it in blue mana and condensed that as well. The wolf was getting ready to unleash its attack. The giant head it was creating was huge now. Almost as big as the village itself. I couldnt wait any longer so I threw the ball under the wolf and activated it. It expanded at an ridiculous rate, and shot the wolf straight up. It wasnt expecting something like this but it still wanted to kill, so it spat the giant head straight down at the village. I wasnt going to wait and get blown up so I quickly conjured a fireball, wrapped it in blue mana to increase its effect.


    I hope this works


    I Strengthened my arms with red mana and threw it as hard as i possibly could. Aiming straight at the giant head. Some of the pigmets had come out during the fight and were staring in awe.


    "GET BACK! HIDE! ITS GOING TO EXPLODE!!"


    They heard me and ran in all directions scrambling to get indoors and hide. I also ran for the forest to protect the pigmet child. He was hidden but he wouldnt survive the blast. I ran as fast as I could but I knew I wasnt going to make it. I was angry but there was nothing I could do, the child was too far away. I was angry, but I put a barrier between the village and the exposion. I tried to put another barrier near where the child was but Im not sure if that will protect him.


    I looked up and the fireball had already collided with the giant head. The fireball went straight into it without any resistance. But the head started twisting and expanding and morphing. I could tell it was about to explode and strengthened the sheilds as much as possible.


    Here it is...

 Onward! to the place 3

    The giant wolf head grew to about twice the size it was and kept morphing and twisting. It had a terrifyingly angry looking expression as it opened its mouth wide for a huge roar. But no sounds came out of it. Instead a there was a light that kept getting brighter and brighter until the head finally exploded.


    The explosion was far above the village yet it still did tons of damage. Huts were flattened or broken by the force. I could almost hear the pigmets screaming over the explosion, some of them were in the huts that were destroyed and were crushed by debree. Others were hiding under whatever sturdy things they could find. I was doing my best to maintain the blue mana shield above the village, but its difficult to evenly spread mana to something this big. Especially with how ive only started training again recently.


    I could see cracks and holes in my shield, letting some of the flames through. I was already reaching my limit maintaining both the shields at once. I couldnt do much but try and reinforce them with more blue mana.


    The explosion ended a couple seconds later and I tried to absorb some of the mana to recuperate a little. That attack probably killed the wolf when it exploded. At least those things are dead now, I sheathed my sword and focused on restoring my body and healing with green mana. The pigmets are still hiding, but some of them had come out to see why its so quiet. When they only say me and the dead body of the squirell next to me they started cheering and making sure everyone else was ok. While I was meditating and absorbing mana, I could feel the pigmets moving around me. The energy in their bodies were becoming visible, Even with my eyes closed I could tell where some of them are. This sense didnt seem to go that far however I have never seen this type of energy before. Maybe its part of the reason they are so different from us, The energy their bodies is made up of is something we are not familiar with.


    I spent about an hour in that trance and none of them bothered me really. Some of them did put something in front of me and left. but none of them said anything or disturbed me. I cycled some green mana through my body one more time to make sure I healed everything and opened my eyes. There was a small group of pigmet children sitting on some debree and rocks in front of me. They were staring at me like I was made out of gold and jewels. As soon as I opened my eyes they ran off and hid behind some of the bigger pigmets that I assumed were their parents. I was about to get up when I noticed a small bark plate in front of me with what looked like dumplings on it. I picked one up and smelled it, It smelled like onions and vegetables. I took a small bite and it was delicious, it was somehow spicy and refreshing with crisp vegetables, onions and some other herbs and plants mixed in. I ended up shoving the other ones in my mouth they were soo good, forgetting any sort of manners I didnt stop until I had finished them. I could hear some of the pigmets speaking, I didnt understand what they were saying but they stopped when they noticed me looking.


    Im starting to feel like alot of the stuff I learned was wrong. I was taught that the pigmets were a very simple and lived in tribes. They didnt have a language and only communicated with grunts or hand signals or something. They were a menace and liked to raid villages, stealing their crops and aanything else they could get their hands on. These guys are amazing, in the short time I spent meditating they had already fixed up some of the huts and started helping out their wounded. Mixing and grinding up herbs and dressing wounds with clean bandages. They clearly are more advanced than I was lead to beleive.


    is anything the guildmaster told me of monsters true?


    I didnt notice before but the hut I crashed into earlier even had a stove inside. With pots and pans on the walls and even a small bed and a chest. One of the pigmets noticed me looking around and walked over to me. He looked like the elder of the village, just going by the fact that he was the oldest looking one here and he seemed to be ordering others around. He would be about as tall as my stomach if I were standing up and he was wearing some handmade clothes. The clothes he was wearing didnt look that bad to be honest, they must have been made by someone of some skill. He walked up to me and bowed, i looked at him confused.


    Is this a custom of theirs?


    I was about to get up to bow as well, but when I started to he twitched and had a worried look on his face. I relaxed and sat back down, I dont really want to scare them. My intention was just to return the child and leave but I ended up saving their village. When I sat down he looked releived and waved over at two people that were carrying a large thing wrapped in some sort of cloth that looked like it was made from tightly woven plant fibers. They saw him and immediately brought what they were carrying and brought it to him. He also waved over what I think was a female pigmet that was hiding behind a damaged hut and looking at me. She also had something wapped in cloth but it was much smaller as she held it in one of her hands.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She reluctantly left her hiding spot and walked quickly to him, standing just behind him facing me. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply gesturing that both of them were to offer what they were carrying to me. The two pigmets carrying the big cloth wrapped thing, walked in front of me and sofltly put it down and the female one did the same, although reluctantly.


    I wasnt entirely sure what this was so I waited until they had both moved back to behind the pigmet that was still bowing. I unwrapped the big one first as I was curious. I pulled off the cloth and was horrified to find one of their dead, I looked at them. The main one was still bowing, but the other two were looking away.


    Do they think im here to eat them? damn that noble, his deeds have even reached this far.


    I reached over and tapped the bowing pigmet on the sholder. He twitched at my touch but he raised his head and slowly looked at me. His eyes avoided looking at his dead brethren as he raised his head and looked at me. I wrapped the small body back up in the cloth and gave it back to the two that were carrying it. While shaking my head, making sure he understood that I have no interest in eating them. He looked confused like he didnt understand, the female pigmet said something to him and the other two. The main one nodded and the two behind him gave me a curious look and picked up their comrade to bury him, running off to where they were taking their other dead. The female pigmet looked less afraid now, as she also had a curious expression on her face. I unwrapped the other one hoping its not something saddening like the other one.


    It was a huge gem surrounded by other valuables, it was such a huge score I could hardly contain myself. I heard one of the young pigmets crying and looked up. Three pigmets were pulling a dead body out of the wreckage of a hut. There was a child crying pitifully, while a female tryed to calm him down.


    These guys just lost their village, I cant take this from them. This might be all they have.


    I set the box down and only took some of the smaller, less valuable ones and left the bigger ones for them to keep. I wrapped it back up and handed it back to the woman. Who was a little nervous, but accepted it back anyway. Both of the pigmets stared at me, unsure of how to feel about this. The woman looked at the box and back at me and gave me a deep bow, before leaving to put the box back wherever they hid it. Their behaviour was a little weird, they seemed to see me as more than a savior to them.


    I should probably leave before they start worshipping me.


    I laughed to myself and got up to leave. Waving goodbye to the bowing pigmet and the others that were watching me. I made it to the edge of the village before i was stopped by a small tug on my pants. I wasnt expecting a child to chase after me. The small pigmet had chased after me to the point that he was almost out of breath. I gave him a second to calm down and he said something in his language and gave me a small medallion. I picked it up and looked at it and before I could even think of giving it back the child was gone. No matter where I looked I couldnt find him, he just dissappeared.


    Weird.


    I didnt think much of it and started walking back towards the carriage. It took me a couple seconds to realize that the kid that gave me the medallion was the kid that I left passed out on the cliff.


    Oh, well at least the child is alive. Maybe his family survived.


    I payed it no mind and walked back towards the carriage. I made sure to pick up some herbs and edible plants on the way. I found a quick path up the ciff and soon made it past the spot I left the kid at earlier. I passed it by without much thought, just looking forward to laying on the bed for a little while. I walked on back to the carriage, ignoring the questions of Malady and Vylet as I told them I would explain later and just crawled into the bed.


    **************************************************************************************************


    The village that finch just saved had been fixed for a couple weeks now, and they had started working on improving them on the inside to prevent collapse. There was a small hut at the back of the village that sat against the cliff. This hut was actually hiding a wide array of tunnels they had hidden in the cliff. They knew that other races found them tasty, so they hid most of their population underground. They may not be a smart race all together, however they are definitley not stupid. This mass of tunnels spread very far and they were now prepared if they came under attack again in the future. One of the tunnels led to a large room that held a large statue. The room was filled with pigmets all worshipping this statue, bowing deeply and making offerings of energy and mana to it. They didnt know the name of the one they worshipped, but the statue had wings coming out of its back and held a fireball in one hand,


    its head also had some really pointy ears and a black sword.

 Dreams of grandeur

    The last thing I remember was falling asleep in the carriage. Surrounded by the smell of meat and spices, trying not to get hungry and fall asleep. Where the hell am I now?


    The place I wake to find myself in is empty. More than just empty there was nothing, no walls no ceiling, no furniture. Yet somehow I could tell I was in a room, something was telling me that I was in a room. I tried to move but my body wasnt responding. I started panicing, I couldnt feel anything nor see anything but white in any direction. I wanted to look down to make sure my body was still there, but I couldnt do that either. I focused on moving my head, trying to look down or anywhere and it worked! My vision started shifting downward slowly and I was happy I managed to move something. Till I realized I didnt actually have a body.


    There was nothing below me or above me, my body was just, not there. I tried to calm down and think.


    If the last thing I remember is falling asleep, then this  must be a dream right?


    y - yeah, This has got to be a dream.


    Convincing myself this was a dream was pretty easy. I didnt have a body and I could move by focusing on a spot and willing myself to go there. I even managed to create some small objects by imagining them, which was the final thing I needed to beleive that this is a dream. It was very empty in here so I decided to fill it with things.


    First I created walls, I made a small room for myself and then built around it. I liked the was the carriage was designed but id rather have everything out in the open for now, since I dont think im limited on space. I made long corridors that conected to my room out of smooth metal. I created lots of empty rooms, none really had an intended purpose yet but I would come back and alter it later.


    After I was satisfied and had a nice little base going with tons of space and lots of empty rooms. I went back to my room and started adding furniture. First I made it alot bigger, then I added a forge in the corner. One of those fancy forges I saw at a nobles house once. It had the bellows built into the forge itself so it was easier to use. I made sure it was fully stocked with various metals before I moved on. I created a low wall around it and moved to the oposite side of the room. There I made a bed and a table with some chairs. I made the bed really soft and squishy, not too much to be uncomfortable though. I put blood red sheets on it and added a canopy over it for decoration. I added a small fountain in the middle of the room, it was big enough so why not. The sound of water is kind of soothing anyway.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    In another empty corner of the room I added a large wardrobe and some chests for storage. Im not entirely sure what kind of clothes to put into the wardrobe so I just add some random robes and clothes ive seen or worn.


    Im feeling pretty good about the room so far. Near the forge I made sure the floor was stone but the rest of the room was covered in laqured wood flooring. With a large rug under the bed and the wardrobe. I made the walls out of a warm colored stone, decorated with paintings I have seen before. Some I just used some of my memories and imprinted them in a picture frame. They seemed alive somehow, but I liked it.


    Next to the wardrobe I made a door into the room next to my bedroom and made that room my library. Every book ive ever read that I can remember I stored here. Needless to say there werent that many, which made the library look a bit pitiful. So I added blank books to make it seem like I actually had a large collection.


    I had it two stories high with a spiral staircase going to the second floor. I saw a painting once with this design in it, It always stuck with me. It was a very nice design, I even added some windows. But windows to white space are kind of boring, showing other rooms would be boring too so I had a different idea. I made it so that it looked like the library was in an ancient castle with a constant rainstorm outside. I added some lights around, just some bright crystals mounted in metal sockets around the place. I dont really think I need to put lights around, everything looks well lit to me.


    After that I got kind of bored and just made lots of random rooms like a huge heated bath and a large pool. For fun I made a door that opened up on a large vessel in an endless sea. But when I tried to make fish I ran into some problems. I imagined a fish as clearly as I could and focused on what I knew about them. But I only suceeded In creating an empty fish. It had no organs or bones it was just skin. It was a little creepy, I just threw it into the sea and gave up on trying to create living things. Maybe I need to know more about them or something.


    The place I had created was amazing, there were long hallways with doors leading to all kinds of places. One led deep inside a jungle, another led to the top of a huge mountain. One even led to an underground cave system. I spread out some light crystals evenly down the hall. I didnt want the hallways to look boring so I added some decorations to the hall. The smooth metal walls now had solfty glowing engravings. All this creating is fun, but after a while I get bored. For a dream this is taking a while. I want to wake up now.


    I tried focusing on that thought, willing it to happen. But nothing changed, im still in my floaty dream form. I sighed and tried saying it.


    "I want to wake up."


    As soon as the words were spoken I found myself back in the carriage. Which was bumping all over the place. I get up and poke my head out a window to see what was going on. I look in front of us and see nothing but a poorly maintained road, which explained why it was soo bumpy. I turn and look behind us to see a large group of bandits riding horses chasing after us.


    I conjure up some blue mana and get ready.


    Time for some fancy shootin''

 Under attack... Again

    I concentrate on condensing blue mana into a solid ball and strengthen my arm with red mana. Im tired of being chased and attacked, I need to get stronger.


    I aimed for the closest one of our pursuers and launched my attack at his head. The blue ball of mana soared through the air but just as it was about to hit him he whipped out his sword and smacked it away.


    Dammit, these arent just some dumb bandits. At least the guy in the front has some skill.


    I summoned up some more blue mana and this time I didnt bother to condense it. I dropped the blob of blue mana onto the road. Waiting till one of the bandits was just about to run over it and then I used it to create pure force shooting the bandit and the horse straight up. Apparently my control of mana is still a little rusty as the horse was sent up spinning and not shot straight up. Not exactly a bad thing as I saw the horse landed on top of him, crushing him. Also some of the other guys couldnt slow down in time as they were in full gallop, causing a massive pile of bandits and horses squirming on the ground.


    The lead bandit was still hot on our backs, with a couple men who managed to avoid crashing somehow. I dropped another blob of blue mana on the ground. They didnt just rush in blindly this time though, instead they went to the edges of the road so the trap wouldnt do anything to them.


    I didnt think it would work twice.


    I pulled myself back in from the window and looked around for something I could use. Other than blue mana and using red mana to reinforce my body for physical attacks Im not very good at much else. I only know about the five basic types of mana and can use blue mana to attack with force but that is the only one I can use to attack.


    I spend a couple minutes looking for anything I can use to fight them but I couldnt find anything.


    *THUD*


    *TINK TINK*


    *THUD*


    I stick my head back out the window to see that the bandits had taken out some crossbows and were shooting at us. Some of the arrows had embedded themselves into the carriage next to the window, giving me an idea. I pulled out one of the arrows, trying to keep it intact as I did. I collected a couple of them and went back into the carriage. Checked the arrows to make sure that they could still be used.


    Two were unusable but there were at least 3 that I could use. I decided to try out something. I leaned back out the window and held an arrow in my left hand as I held onto the carriage with my right. I let the arrow rest in my palm and closed my hand around it, leaving some space for the arrow to pass through it. I tried to aim and let a bunch of blue mana settle behind the arrow. Letting the energy build and build behind the arrow, building pressure and force until I unleash it.


    I saw the bandits looking at me curiously, I probably look kind of stupid right now  but they wont be laughing much longer. I angled the arrow to aim at the leader and used a little red mana to activate the blue. Letting all that force and energy flow through my hand, shooting the arrow faster than I was expecting. Burying itself in his chest before passing through the other side. Well, Parts of it came out the other side. I think the force that the arrow traveled at must have cause the arrow to shatter when it pierced him. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The leader''s body flew off of his horse and hit the ground, the horse still running for a bit before slowing down. The other two look terrified and suprised.


    Heh, I bet they have never seen an arrow fly that fast.


    I pulled myself in and almost collapsed on the ground as I got very dizzy. I had to fight to keep myself from emptying my stomach everywhere. Maybe I used too much mana at once, I really need to practice more.


    There where two more to deal with, I had to keep fighting. I Looked back out the window and they were gone. I guess they left after I took out their boss. Well, that makes things so much easier.


    I turned towards the front of the carriage and yelled.


    "The bandits are gone! you can slow down now!"


    I saw Vylet poke her head out of the front compartment and look at me with a confused expression.


    "What bandits?! I let Malady drive, apparently she really like to go fast."


    I almost slapped myself in the face.


    Are you fucking kidding me?


    I give up.


    I pulled myself back in and sat on the bed. Absorbing more mana to replace what I lost and meditating. My control on mana is a bit worse than I thought it was. Using mana in complicated ways is way harder on the mind than just throwing it. Once I was done I added more black and white mana into the core, it made me feel stronger before so maybe making it bigger with help even more.


    I was doing that for a while, right before I was going to stop, I noticed something a little weird about the core. There were strands of gold wrapped around it now. Even the area around it was covered in a soft golden light. There was also a small light floating around it. A single golden speck that flickered with gold light every now and then.


    It was weird but it felt good, looking at it made me feel warm. Like I was being hugged with a warm furry blanket, near a fireplace. When I focused on that speck I felt tired and everything went black. Moments later I opened my eyes again to find out I was back in that weird place that I filled with rooms again.


    Maybe that speck that I saw was acutally this place? All I have to do is concentrate on it and I can come back here. Lets test it.


    "I want to wake up" Just like last time, as soon as I said those words I wake up on the bed in the carriage. I look outside and the sun is in the same position, so I wasnt even in there that long.


    Im  not really sure what to do with that place, but hey I guess I can go there when im bored and mess with it. Maybe if I make that place bigger, then the outside will grow as well. I can try it I guess.


    I lay down and close my eyes, focusing on the speck that was orbiting the core. Once more entering what im just going to call my base, not really sure what else to call it. Going to work on expanding it outward. I thought that just having corridors and a bunch of empty rooms would be boring so I made it seem like the whole base was underground. I even made one of the corridors open up to a nice little patio in front of a large endless looking chasm. For warmth and light I made another cave wall far enough away so that the lava wouldnt be too close and made some holes in it. Making them leak lava into the chasm.


    I changed my mind and instead of making it an endless chasm, I just made it a pool of lava far below. I also added a couple more cave walls with streams of lava coming out of them.


    I kept on adding things while checking on the size of the speck every now and then. But no matter how much I added, the size of the speck never changed.


    I gave up after a short while and just went back to working on my mana control. Conjuring little bubbles of each type of mana and trying to mix them together. While circulating mana through my body at the same time. It was difficult and very hard on my mind but, It was to improve my control while also experimenting with better ways to use my mana. I had to do it to get stronger so I can stop running from things and face them head on.

 My base

    Malady was still driving the carraige. I could tell because when I look out one of the windows I can see the blurs of trees and such passing by. I kept training with my mana, attempting to mix together red and blue mana this time. It took time before it mixed without rejecting each other. Making a deep purple mana, with no ideas on how to use it I start experimenting. I lean out the window and throw a small amount at the ground to see if it will explode. It doesnt, what it does do is spread out like a fog and stick to the carraige. With the speed we were going the spot I hit was far away from us by now, yet the little bit that touched the carriage stuck to it.


    Well, its sticky I guess.


    I learned something about it at least, not enough to make it useful though. It didnt seem to damage anything though, so I continued my experiments inside the carriage. I try to condense it, but that just makes it like a thicker fog. I cant make it solid or do much with it. I just dropped the glob of fog onto the floor, sighing and thinking about why this mana wasnt doing anything. Absentmindedly I poked it with my foot, watching it stick to my boots.


    I layed back down on the bed and realized I cant pull my foot up. The mist was holding on to my foot, I could see small tendrils of smoke wrapping around my foot.


    Turns out this could be usefull after all.


    It wasnt just holding onto my foot anymore, now it was pulling at me. Trying to get me deeper into its fog, I can even feel it absorbing some mana. I release some blue mana and it almost immediatley gets sucked into the purple fog, which gets a little denser afterwords.


    This is going to be very usefull


    A little happy finding a use for the new type of mana, I go back to meditating. I start trying to circulate the purple mana through my body. Which was a very bad idea, as soon as I had released some in my body I realized that. It stopped moving and grew, absorbing everything and blocking the stream of mana in my body. Once it grew to cover the entire passage and not let any more mana through, I felt a intense pain in that area. My hand flew to my chest, as the pain ripped through it. I slowed the flow of mana so it wouldnt grow anymore and lessened the pain a bit. Which helped me concentrate on getting rid of the purple mana and clearing it up.


    That was horrible and couldve killed or at least crippled someone stronger than me, the flow of mana would have been like a raging river and the purple mana wouldve grown faster than they probably could have stopped it. Then again these mana passages in the elves gets large the more powerful you are, but that purple stuff grows fast. If I didnt stop it, it might have burst the passage. I focus on circulating some green mana to fix the damage I had caused before I moved on.


    I decided to try something else stupid. Pure mana without any attribute is extremely dangerous as it is unpredictable and could cause anything to happen. Thats why humans use their spells to shape the mana or make it behave in a  very specific way. Elves just manipulate mana directly to make what they want happen, letting the mana into their bodies and letting it change them. To make them stronger, or more resilient.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    I let a tiny amount of pure mana flow around my body. Keeping a close eye on what it reacted with and what it changed. It honestly didnt do anything until it reached my head, I felt my hair grow longer and when I looked at it the color was slightly different. It was now a darker shade of green and it now reached to my shoulders. I didnt really mind it getting a little longer so I kept focusing on the pure mana. It moved around my head and went back down to my chest, where it started heading to the weird core in my chest. It got sucked into the small speck. It was weird seeing something so tiny absorb something that looked twice its size. I was not expecting that at all, but maybe using pure mana will make it bigger? I test this out by letting it absorb a little more pure mana. Which didnt do much, so I added some more and more until after a couple of tries it finally grew. It grew from being almost as small as a shiny speck of dust to a small pebble almost three times smaller than my thumb.


    I wonder if that affected my base at all


    Focusing on the glowing pebble I entered my base once again. I open my eyes to find myself in my room. I try to float forward and go out into the hall and fall flat on my face.


    I have a body now?


    I raise my arms and look at them. Picking myself up and walking around, im pretty sure if someone else was here I would look really stupid as I test my body. Jumping and running in circles. I only stop when I remember why I came here. I leave the room only to duck back into the room and alter the entrance to be a large reinforced double door with a metal bar holding it closed.


    However all this didnt stop the thing I saw in the hall from simply walking through the door like it wasnt there. It just floated through and looked at me with its weird blank eyes.


    It was a transparent creature, almost black everywhere but its eyes. It was vaguely humanoid with arms and legs but that is where the similarities stop. It just floated there, staring at me with empty white eyes.


    Maybe I overreacted. It doesnt seem to be hostile, I guess.


    I returned the door back to its original state since it didnt do anything anyway and look back at the transparent thingy.


    It seemed to just be watching me, and waiting for something. I ignore it for now and walk into the room across from my bedroom. It was one of the empty rooms I was trying to think of a purpose for. I thought that since I made a forge I would make a room dedicated to other crafts. First I made the room a bit bigger and then added a loom, a spinning wheel, a carpenters workplace complete with saws and woodworking tools and tons of other tools. Even a pottery wheel and some shelves. The thing watching me started looking at the spinning wheel intently. I was curious so I created a pile of cotton in a basket and handed it to the ghost-like thing. It quickly took the basket and started spinning it into thread.


    It was apparently very skilled at it as it got started in no time. I have no idea what this thing is or why its here, but it seems to be harmless. Not really sure what to do with what its making but maybe it will have an idea.


    Well, might as well give you a name. Hmmm........


    Mervin. Good enough.


    "From now on your name is mervin"


    "But my name is kevin sir"


    "Shit! you can talk?"

 My base 2

    The transparent creature stopped working the spinning wheel and looked at me.


    "Well, to be perfectly honest I can do more than that sir. Also may I ask a question?"


    I nodded, stil in shock that there is a living, sentient ghost-like thing in my base.


    "Why do you have these tools and such everywhere, but you have not made anything or anyone to use them?"


    "I tried making living creatures before but I just got a headache and I ended up creating empty sacks of skin."


    He seemed to wince when I said empty sacks of skin. Maybe he doesnt like the thought of beings like him being created wrong.


    "Sir? Did you try to create the full creature with the insides too? You only need to have a clear image of the living creature, you dont need to go into the details of inner workings and such. As long as you can imagine them when they were alive."


    That only gave me more questions. Mostly about himself and the actual purpose of this place. Also it is nice that he is being polite and all but im not really used to being talked to like a superior.


    "I have some questions too, I stumbled on this place by accident. I have no idea what its actual purpose is and what im supposed to be doing here."


    He looked really suprised.


    "Are you not trying to become a god?"


    It was my turn to be suprised. Become a god? I didnt think such a thing was possible. I mean yes, I know that there are some people who have gotten extremely powerful and are thought to be gods. But to actually become one is thought to be impossible without being a demi-god.


    "I..did not think becoming a god was possible without becoming a demi-god first."


    "You are right. But I didnt know that you wouldnt have realized it yet."


    I felt sweat on my forehead as i think I know what he is about to say.


    "You are a demi-god, you have been chosen a long time ago. I dont know how you have gotten this far without realizing that."


    I cannot beleive it. Im a demi-god? What god chose me? Why me? This has got to be some god''s sick game. This doesnt make any sense. The only gods I know the names of are the goddess of darkness and some of those weird gods that my people worship.


    "Who chose me?"


    Kevin stared at me for a second,


    "I dont know sir, But it isnt hard to find out."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He got up and walked to a wall. He raised one of his arms and thrust it into the wall, I thought he was about to break his arm but it passed through with no resistance. He moved with arm through the wall like it was a pool of water, I could even see ripples around his arm. After a few seconds he found what he was looking for and pulled his arm back into the room.


    His arm was now covered in a weird darkness that dripped off his arm slowly like a thick syrup.


    "The energy that surrounds the outer walls of your inner world normally has the trait of the god or gods that chose you. This black sludge is a mark of Malady the godess. Has she spoke to you? or sent you a message sir?"


    Oh dammit. I guess that message I got during that nightmare was about malady. What the hell does she need saving from though. At the rate her powers are growing, nothing is going to be able to hurt her.


    Kevin seemed to notice that I was worried.


    "What did she say sir?"


    I sighed, might as well tell him.


    "she told me to save her daughter."


    **************************************************************************************************


    The city of Elders rest is on fire.


    Most of the guards were busy trying to put out the fires and get the civilians out of the way. Except for the noble guards who couldnt care less as long as the fire stayed away from the noble''s area. Which was perfect for the rebellion. The soldiers ran up to the guards and killed them before they could react. Slicing open their throats or just decapitating them and moving on to the next guards. They broke through the gate and were on to wrecking houses and killing any nobles they saw. They were rampaging across the city, there were soldiers everywhere. Even some of the people that escaped the slums noticed the soldiers killing guards and joined in. They hated the guardsmen and were bullied by them all the time. They were happy to finally be able to get some payback.


    Vold had arrived in the city just in time to see the fire blazing through. He practically walked throught the gates, the guards barely even looked at him as the fire had even reached the gates. He ignored them and just headed for the center of the city. To his old master''s mansion. All the soldiers ignore Vold as they know he is their leader.


    He looked really out of place walking at a leisurely pace as people around him screamed and were frantically putting out fires and trying to keep it from spreading. He kept his calm demeaner and walked through the open gates to the nobles area. Stepping over the dead guards, barely sparing a glance at the nobles that have been excecuted on their own lawns. He made sure to tell his men to spare some of the more important nobles. He wanted to keep them hostage to prevent the king or another noble from attacking. He was pleased they were following his orders as he saw some of the nobles tied up in the grass, surrounded by a couple soldiers.


    Moments later he was opening the front door and letting himself in. The soldiers guarding the building saluted him as he passed. Taking himself to his former master''s office and opening the door.


    He smiled at the sight of Ternnen and his wife both tied up on the floor. Of course as soon as they saw the guards treating him with respect they knew he was behind this. Ternnens wife even started yelling obsceneties at Vold, threatening his family and freinds. She obviously knows nothing about him as he has no family left alive. As for his friends, they were part of the rebellion and knew the risks. He trusted them to protect themselves and serve the rebellion.


    "lock them in the dungeon he has hidden in his basement. Make sure his wife is alone in her cell, but put him in with...his favorite. hehehe"


    Tennen''s eyes widen in horror.


    "Not that thing no, This is a DEATH SENTENCE. With what I have put that man through he will most assuredly not let me live. YOU CANNOT DO THIS!!!"


    His wife started crying still yelling at the soldiers promising them whatever she could if they would spare her the indecency of being locked in a cage. She didnt even bother begging for her husbands life.


    so much for their marriage


    Vold chuckled to himself as he sat in Ternenn''s chair.


    I wonder how long he will last against that thing.

 My base 3

    Kevin didnt really react much to that news, at least on the outside. He raised a hand to his chin and started pacing the room muttering something about ''tropes'' and ''bad endings''


    What is a trope?


    How does a creature inside a speck in my chest know more words and concepts than I do?


    "Also you never really explained what this place is or what you are. Also you dont have to be so formal with me you can just call me Finch if you want."


    He looked up at me and gave me what I assumed was a smile. Its hard to tell when his face is mostly see-through.


    "Thanks man, the last guy I had to help was really uptight and kept threatening to kill me. He was a real asshat"


    I was amazed at how much he changed, he even seemed more relaxed now. Im just going to ignore the words he says that I dont understand. I may not know what it means really but I can tell that ''asshat'' is not a compliment.


    "You were in someone else''s ''inner world''?"


    "yeah, thats what I think my job is. I just woke up in someones inner world and I had a bunch of knowledge about it and their situation. After I helped them and they evolved to the next level I woke up in someone elses inner world."


    "Sounds awfull."


    "Its not that bad, sometimes I meet cool people and learn some new things."


    "Ok, so back to what this place is and what it is for?"


    I really wanted an explination on this whole thing.


    "Oh yeah, This place is called your inner world. It appears after you take one of the first steps towards becoming a god. The first step is different for most people. Sometimes its killing a moster that is many times more powerful than you. It can also be getting a small group to worship you or fear you. It can be any matter of things that show your power and intent to get stronger. Once that is done this place shows up in the chest and grows according to your strength. This place can interact with the outside world in many ways and it is technically a byproduct of divinity. So it doesnt really have a purpose it kind of just... is. Most that I have met used it for meditation, others used it to capture creatures for research. There was even one man who simply used it to garden and grow rare plants and stuff. In order to make it to the next level and gather more divinity you need to train yourself. Once you get an inner world it starts generating divinity. Anything you do in here adds to how much is generated. You can even store stuff here if you want to."


    "Is divinity the only way to grow this place? because I was adding some pure mana into it to experiment and it went from being a speck to a pebble."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Dont do that anymore, it may look bigger but its just swollen. As it...uh, ''Digests'' the mana it will shrink back to its normal size. Im glad you didnt add too much, otherwise this place could have exploded."


    "Exploded?"


    "Yes, as I said this place can influence the real world. So if it explodes, it would probably make a nice sized hole in your chest."


    "I am curious, can you alter this space as well?"


    His eyes widened quite a bit before they returned to normal and he gave me another smile.


    "I can, but only if given permission to. Most people would never even consider that because this place directly effects your strength."


    "I know but you seem ok and you have lots of experience with this kind of place so I feel like I can trust you to make it better."


    His smile grew.


    "Thanks man, dont you worry. Ill have this place up and running in no time. But I will have to completely recreate it, that okay with you?"


    "sure, I only made this place cause I was bored. I wasnt really expecting it to have a function."


    "Sweet, When you come back tommorow I will have plenty for you to see dude."


    "Alright, ill be back tommorow then. Wake up!"


    I opened my eyes to see...nothing. It was just complete darkness. I felt something soft on my face so I pulled it off. The sun was just rising over the horizon. I must have slept through my turn to drive.


    oops


    I looked around the carriage and saw Malady changing into a different dress. I couldnt help but notice that she had grown again. Im not a pervert, so I closed my eyes and rolled over to give her some privacy.


    I guess now I know why that cloth was on my face. But she couldve just waited till I was driving to change.


    My mind started to cloud with thoughts of what I had just learned and I was deep in thought.


    I am a demi-god. What god chose me? Why. I dont understand and all this crap is happening to me one after the other. I have to save Malady from something I dont know anything about. Im apparently a demi-god and can become a god at some point and I still have to get Vylet home.


    Also I feel like im forgetting something...


    **************************************************************************************************


    Several blurs ripped through the forest. Never stopping for anything other than to check that they were going in the right direction. They were following a carraige that had passed through not too long ago. They had reached a spot where the carraige stopped for a bit and they could see footprints heading off into the trees. Now they could be seen properly. There were four of them, all wearing dark clothing and masks to obscure their faces. Each of them also had scaley tails barely hidden by their coats. Following this trail first led to a clearing at the top of a cliff overlooking a village of little pig creatures. The clearing was almost burnt to a crisp, amazingly the fire didnt spread past the clearing. Two of them branched off and went to investigate the village while the other two stayed and investigated the burnt clearing. The were told to follow and watch their actions while gathering as much information on their identities as possible. They wandered around the clearing, pausing at the top of the cliff where there was a pile of stones stacked straight up. Behind a nearby tree the biggest one of the four had found a small skeleton charred and nibbled on by small rodents. It was in a weird position, almost like it had been incinerated while it was sleeping.


    Leaving the bones where they found them, they regrouped with the others in their group. After a short report they moved on, back to following the carriage. Once again they were blurs passing through the forest.

 Becoming a god with no name

    I sat up and mumbled a good morning to Malady, trying to act like I had just woke up. She jumped slightly and hid something behind her back, giving me a soft "Good morning". I wasnt able to see what it was she was hiding but to be honest I didnt really care that much. I just want to find the demons and hand her over so its their problem. The capital should be near there so I can drop off her too. Then I can deal with this whole ''Demi-God'' mess.


    I got off the bed and put on my boots while Malady still hid whatever it was behind her back and said nothing. She seemed to be avoiding my gaze. I would be lying if I said I wasnt curious, but my head was too full of thoughts about the situation to say anything. I poked my head out of a window to see where we are.


    We were now on a gravel road that winded around soft hills. Covered in shrubbery and medium length grass, small animals could also be seen grazing. I was looking at a particularly large animal that was nibbling something around a small bush. It was plump with a flat head and tail. Its body was large and covered in thick but short brownish-gray fur and its legs were a bit like stubs with claws.


    I was wondering what the name of that thing was when an arrow shot from the front of the carriage and hit it between the eyes. The carriage slowed down and stopped immediatley after and Vylet hopped out of the drivers compartment and ran to the dead animal. Picking it up and running straight back.


    She opened the door and put the carcass inside.


    "Perfect! Your awake, you can prepare dinner today."


    She smiled at me and then asked Malady if she wanted to drive.


    "Sure, I have nothing else to do at the moment."


    She got up and left, whatever she was hiding seemed to have dissappeared as it was no longer behind her. I sighed and just started preparing the animal. I assumed she wanted to find somewhere to camp tonight, because the sun was going down. She proved me right when she pulled off the road to a small area that was obviously used for camping. The remains of campfires were everywhere, I could even see the bones of some small animals scattered around. I was letting the body bleed while I helped set up camp, I was getting a little tired of dried meat and plants they had found. I wanted to make some stew, or at least a thick soup.


    After we set up camp I left the animal to bleed some more and looked for wild vegetables and things I can add to the soup. I found a couple rabbits which I caught, they arent that big so theyre easy to prepare and I love meat. I could never understand that weird vegetarian thing most elves do. I think they just do it to appear close to nature, kind of makes me want to eat a perfectly seasoned steak in front of one. He he he.


    I also came across some wild onions and other edible plants that I gathered and brought them back to camp. I passed a river on the way back to the camp spot so I stopped to wash off the plants I found. I made sure I remember the way back to the river as I walked back to camp. When I arrived I noticed that they had already gathered wood for  a fire and had a kettle out. Malady had some leaves in her hand that she was ripping into smaller pieces and putting into a cloth. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    It smelled sweet, and tangy. I wonder what kind of leaves those are.


    "They are tea leaves I found in a drawer in the carriage. They smelled nice so I thought I would prepare some tea."


    What the hell? Is she a mind reader?


    "No, I simply guessed what you were going to say."


    "Oh, ok that makes sense."


    I was preoccupied with my collection of meat and wild plants to ask any more questions. I went back to preparing the food. I found a large pot in the carriage and a stand, I also pulled out a couple buckets. I took them to the river to get water. After I got back I set up the cooking stand and put the pot on it, filling it with some water. I put one of the buckets next to Vylet who had one of her knives out and was preparing some of the plants and stuff I had brought back.


    She had also skinned all the animals that we had gotten including the one she shot earlier. All I had to do was cook.


    Her father was a smart man to teach her all these skills. If she escaped on her own she probably wouldnt even need me to help her get home. Malady however is starting to make me worried. She has started acting different, not only is she growing fast. But she is starting to act older too, like her mind is aging with her body.


    She noticed me looking at her and winked at me. Giving me a smile that made me shiver a bit. I looked away and went back to cooking. I started cutting some of the vegetable I had found while I was out and adding them to the pot. I Washed the meat off with some of the water in the bucket before seasoning it with stuff I found in the storage. At some point Malady had come over and put the kettle on the cooking stand. She also pulled out a pan and took some of the meat I had already seasoned and started frying it.


    I guess we are cooking together then.


    I took out some dried noodles from the storage and added them to the pot with the vegetables. I was just going to put the meat in there with the vegetables but Malady started frying them so Ill improvise.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vold felt happier than he has ever felt. He spent some of his time in the dungeon below his former master''s house watching him with his new roommate. He laughed everytime Ternnen''s favorite slave broke one of Ternnen''s bones or ripped off a limb. He just sent in a healer to fix him up and then left him to be beaten senseless again. All to the tune of his wife crying and pleading in the cell next to theirs, not for Ternnen''s life. But for her own. She even offered her self to Vold if he let her go.


    He almost laughed at the thought. He used to imagine himself with her when he was new to their service. Before he found out what they did to his parents he liked being there. Now she was offering up what he used to dream about. But now all it did was disgust him, he almost considered throwing her into the cell with her husband and that thing. Just to see what would happen. Right now Vold was in his new office, organizing his control over this city before he moved onto recruitment and then invasion. He wanted more than just one city, he wanted them all and with how the nobles and even the royalty treat peasents in this kingdom. He had all the soldiers he could possibly want, he was more of a quantity over quality guy and there were plenty of peasents that wanted to get back at the nobles or the kingdom. With each city he captured he thought he could at least convert 60-70 percent of the peasents there to soldiers, as long as he promised that they could keep what they loot. They could even keep some nobles as slaves if they wanted to. Vold didnt care, he would take the kingdom in the end.

 Becoming a god with no name 2

    The girls both helped me make dinner afterwards we talked for a good while. I didnt realize that I havent really taken the time to talk to them lately. We talked about all sorts of things for a while until we got tired. I was going to let them get some sleep first but Malady wanted to stay up for a bit longer, so Vylet went to sleep in the carraige. Malady sat next to me in silence for a short while, both of us just watching the fire before she spoke up.


    "You should have left me in that cave Finch."


    Of all the things she couldve said this wasnt one I expected. But I could kind of understand why she said it. She thinks that she got us caught up in her problem and regrets it.


    "You know malady, even if I never met you I would probably still be in trouble. Ive been in trouble most of my life, almost all of it was caused by me one way or another. When I was still a slave, I saw another elf once. When he saw me he mentioned how he was sick of seeing elven slaves. That if the people at his village were here they wouldnt let this happen. I was excited when I heard this, I thought I might have a place to go and that night. I ran away. I had heard the elf mention where his village was while he was in the tavern with his party, it wasnt even that far. So I went there. I almost died many times from bandits, animals and many other things. But I made it, I was so happy to finally be among my people. But I didnt get the welcome I expected. I got ridiculed and beaten, treated like I was a filthy, dirty thing. Not even my own people accepted me and kicked me out. I drifted around for a little while and was eventually captured again. I was so depressed I didnt even fight back. When I was taken back I saw all the other slaves that were with me before I escaped were there. They were beaten badly, some werent moving anymore. It was my fault and nothing even came from it. "


    I paused, she was looking at me looking sad and guilty. With her hands placed in her lap holding a long stick she was using to poke the fire.


    "My point is, you arent responsible for this. None of this is your fault. Besides, it was my choice to take you out of that cave. You cant blame yourself for something like this, also from what ive heard this whole thing is an accident anyway."


    "I still feel like its my fault though and the more time that passes the feeling gets worse. My body keeps growing and I can feel energy flowing into my mind. Sometimes I feel like im going to explode. My mother is coming, I can feel it but I dont know why. Sometimes I get memories of doing things that I know ive never done before and I dont understand it. I even remember sending you a message to ''save my daughter'' but I cant remember what it means."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What if those are your mothers memories? and if what the demon in that shop told me is true and you are a part of her. Then you are getting stronger because she is getting closer. The closer you get to her the more like her you will become. Im only guessing but this makes sense to me."


    She was nodding and seemed deep in thought after what I had said. She absentmindedly poured herself some tea and sipped it. I was thristy from talking so much so I poured some for myself as well.


    We sat in silence for some time. Both of us thinking about sad things.


    "Oh before I forget" I had to tell her before I forget, maybe she knows something about it.


    "I apparently am a demi-god. I was chosen but I dont know who chose me and I also started on the path to godhood but I have no idea how."


    She jsut looked at me with her mouth open. I guess it was a litttle much to drop on her all at once. But I couldnt just keep it to myself.


    "You... are a demi-god now?"


    She looked suprised that those words even came out her mouth.


    "Yep, When I was in my inner world I just thought I was dreaming and built everything randomly. But not long ago someone appeared there and offered to help me build it. He is in there rebuilding everything to make it more efficient right now."


    Her expression changed instantly, the sadness and such dissappeared replaced by amazement.


    "You already have an inner world and have built in it?!"


    I didnt expect her to start yelling.


    "yeah, wha-"


    "THATS IMPOSSIBLE, it takes years and years with countless journeys and trials to get an inner world and you got one by ACCIDENT!?"


    She was starting at me with her eyes wide open. I almost thought she was going to punch me.


    "Building an inner world is supposed to be one of the hardest trials to become a god. It takes Superior concentration and weeks before even one building should be complete. Whatever god chose you is CHEATING!!"


    She was screaming in anger at this point.


    "THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!"


    Spit flew out of her mouth and she was shaking her head side to side. I couldnt do anything but stare at her. I didnt know what else to do. Luckily she stopped shortly after, I was getting ready to just try and knock her out. But I didnt have to as she passed out after the screaming ended. That had only added more questions, What the hell is going on?


    I carried her into the carriage and set her down on the bed next to Vylet. I puled the covers over her and was about to leave when I noticed a small black mark on her neck. It was a tiny curl that looked like a black vein almost like a tattoo.


    Ill ask her about it when she wakes up tommorow. Right now I need to get back to the campfire and guard for the night. I notice we didnt use all the meat and I started making jerky to pass the time. Staying close to the fire cause it was freezing after the sun had set. Although I was busy, my mind was filled with what just happened. What caused her to get so angry?


    I has to have something to do with her new memories. Maybe I shouldnt bring my inner world up around her anymore. Dont want her to actually try and hit me next time, with her growing strength who knows what will happen.

 Becoming a god with no name 3

    The rest of the night was uneventful, other than a couple of squirells fighting and some deer running past. All was quiet and peaceful. But instead of enjoying the peacefulness of it, It just made me think of the events that are coming. I tried going back into my inner world but when I concentrated on it, I just felt like I was pushing my head against a wall. When I stopped trying I got a weird message from kevin,


    "Sorry, the world you are trying to enter is not available at this time, Please try again at your earliest conveinence."


    The voice sounded feminine and made me irratated for some reason, which made me wonder just what kevin was doing in there. Hopefully he was doing what he promised and not just having fun with girls. I gave up and focused on training my mana. Strengthening my body with it first then working on controlling it. Ever since that core showed up and my inner world formed, my mana control was getting better gradually. Right now though, I was having some trouble circulating mana around my body. It kept getting sucked into my inner world, I tested it to make sure by spreading some mana near it. It flew into the small pebble very fast. I guess whatever he is doing in there is consuming alot of mana. I let more mana flow nearby thinking it might help his endeavors when the pebble flew into the core. Absorbing it entirely and scaring the hell out of me. I thought I was dying as I felt empty, like all the energy in my body was sucked out in an instant.


    My mind went blank and I passed out.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vylet was sitting next to Malady, watching the blurry scenery pass by. Malady was driving so Vylet was trying to get comfortable being in a cart going so fast. She had never gone this fast before and was trying not to puke everywhere. Her gaze lazily dragged across the scenery watching the creatures pulling the carriage move their blurry limbs. She was bored to the point of not caring about the speed anymore. Anything was better than sitting in silence.


    "What do you think these creatures are called Malady?"


    "They are called Drilds, a long time ago they were used as beasts of burden. Almost all of them were bred in captivity for this. They were bred to be fertile and strong. After a while some escaped and became feral, causing massive problems as they bred until they were a massive herd of aggresive animals. They were pretty much hunted to extinction after that, the ones we have here are undead. Probably forgotten by some irresponsible necromancer."


    She wasnt expecting an exact answer like that.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Oh"


    They sat in silence for an hour, neither of them tried to start a conversation. Vylet was afraid for her new friend, the minotaur girl was the only of her kind so vylet had no frame of reference. But she was sure that her growth and new knowledge was not normal.


    The sky that was once clear was now filled with dark and foreboding clouds, heavy and threatening to let it rain at any moment.


    "Im going to pull over, this storm is going to be bad."


    She nodded at Malady, looking ahead for a good spot. But no matter where she looked she didnt see any good camping spots.


    Malady noticed her looking around and smiled softly.


    "Dont worry vylet, there may not be any good spots to camp but we can just stay in the carriage. Its built for things like this you know."


    Vylet didnt even bother asking her how she knew this and just nodded again. Watching silently as Malady pulled the carriage over to the side of the road. Hiding it in some bushes next to the road that were just taller than the carriage itself. Both of them got out of the driver compartment and got into the main part of the carriage. Vylet was happy they werent on the road anymore, her stomach had finally stopped churning and settled. She sat down and wrapped herself in her jacket to keep warm. Malady had walked to the center and opened a small compartment in the floor, pulling a large cylinder out of it. The bottom of it was made out of rock and from what vylet could see it was hollow. Malady went back outside and filled the cylinder with dry wood, making it back inside just before the rain started.


    "What is that thing you pulled out?"


    She responded, but she kept working instead of looking at Vylet.


    "It is a small fire pit for indoor use. This thing was built by dwarves for the royalty of another kingdom. A very specific dwarf, that had ideas no one really understood. One of them was the ability to make camp without leaving the carriage."


    She demonstrated by pushing on the roof, opening another small compartment that looked like a metal box with several windows in it.


    "This is to let the smoke out so we dont suffocate. Something about a gas he called...umm. Carbon Dioxide?"


    Vylet was unfamiliar with this gas.


    "What is carbon dioxide?"


    She paused for a bit, thinking about how to answer.


    "Lets just say it is a poison if you breath too much of it."


    "That dwarf was smart"


    Malady laughed.


    "Not really Vylet, He was an ok inventer, he only started making amazing things after he met someone called....Kevin I think."


    Malady had set some of the wood she had collected aside and started a fire in the small cylinder. Vylet noticed that Finch was passed out on the bed. Thinking very rude thoughts about the lazy elf, she pushed him over to the side of the bed. Giving her and Malady enough space to lie down on the bed together.


    She dropped herself on the bed and looked at the fire. Malady put down some meat and bread in front of her and walked away to make herself one.


    "fank- You" She said through a mouthfull of bread.


    "No prof-blen" She said through a mouthful of meat.


    They both giggled at each other and warmed themselfs with the fire. Eventually they got tired and got into bed, falling into the soft embrace of sleep.


    A single small snowflake fell on the carriage that night. Signalling the beggining of winter.

 Harsh winter ahead

    My ears were being crushed was how I woke to the first day of winter. I was uncomfortable, hot, and I felt really heavy. I couldnt even remember what happened before I went to sleep. I need to get up, I feel like im suffocating here. My arms were trapped under something soft, It took me longer than id like to admit to figure out that I was underneath the girls.


    How long was I out?  I thought they would wake me before we made camp and why the hell are they on top of me?!


    It took me ten long minutes to escape from the two wrestling sleepers. Vylets fur was making it hot and malady was really freaking heavy. Of course I wasnt going to tell her that, with her powers growing and that little episode she had I need to pay more attention to how I treat her. I heard some crackling and tried to find the source. There was a fire in a little cylinder bin. I just thought it was another hidden thing in the carriage that the girls had found. They were both still sound asleep in a heap on the bed so I grabbed some of the jerky and bread I saw on the table and had a small breakfast. The sound of both the girls snoring was the only thing I could hear, outside was silent.


    It took one look out the window to find out why. It had snowed last night,  the area around the carriage was covered in a blanket of snow. The carriage was still hidden because the bushes around it were covered in snow. You would have to walk around them to be able to see anything. I walked a short distance from the carriage and tripped on something under the snow.


    "ughhnn"


    what the fuck? There is a person frozen in the snow!


    Immediately I started digging in the snow to get them out. They wont be alive for long laying around in the snow like this. I freed the head and found out its a very pale little girl, the paleness of her skin made me think she was about to freeze to death so I dug faster. I managed to free her chest then her arms, stomach and waist. The only thing she was wearing was a small jacket and some torn gloves.


    Why the hell do I keep finding children?


    I complained mentally but kept digging the snow off of her. I gave up after her waist and just picked her up from under her arms and pulled her to the carraige. The fire will warm her up. She was oddly heavy for a small child and I felt like she was dragging something behind her but I just focused on getting her into the carriage. She will die soon if she doesnt warm up. I opened the carriage door and pulled her in setting her near the fire, I pushed the door closed to keep the heat in. But it hit something and wouldnt close, I looked down and I see a large snake''s tail. It went from outside the carriage and ended just below the little girl''s waist.


    Why the hell do I keep finding Demi-human children?!


    Seriously, where the HELL ARE THEIR PARENTS?!


    I couldnt help but curse inwardly. This girl was a lamia, a snake woman. They story was they would capture and rape men from human villages to increase their population. After the men couldnt give them children anymore they were sacrificed and eaten by the lamia''s clan. But that was just what the humans said, Ive seen what lies their stories have been lately. I think they just get a bad reputation, like everything else in the human kingdom that isnt human.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suffering children always reminds me of my demon friend when I was a slave. I hate seeing children suffer, so ill help this girl and hope the stories are just full of shit like the other ones. I pulled her tail in and closed the door, putting as much of her snake body near the fire as I could. It was freezing outside and I dug her out without any gloves so I sat next to the fire as well. She was a very small girl, with small freckles dotting her cheeks and a deep brown hair. She wore a small tattered gray jacket with ripped gloves that exposed some of her fingers. The jacket was small, but it was extended to go lower by sewing other cloth to the bottom to make it longer.


    A couple minutes by the fire had passed and she started moving. I thought she had woken up but, it turns out she was just unconciously moving closer to the warmth. I didnt want her to get burned though so when she got too close to the fire I moved her back a little. I put a blanket on her when that got annoying, maybe that will stop her from moving so much.


    Malady and Vylet were starting to wake up, I can tell because they said good morning to each other and had started talking to each other about yesterday and the things they saw. Completely oblivious that I was sitting on the floor with a lamia girl.


    I was kind of feeling left out, I just ignored the feeling and waited for the lamia girl to wake up. Didnt take long for that to happen. I saw her open her eyes and look at the fire, then around the carriage till she saw me. She immediately escaped to the other side of the fire and hissed at me. The two on the bed finally noticed us after they heard the noise and sat up looking at me and the girl on the floor.


    "Who have you kidnapped now?"


    Vylet said with a smirk, not taking the situation seriously at all. Malady didnt seem to either and was simply looking at the lamia with an interested expression. I didnt even bother to answer vylets question and instead tried to talk to the girl.


    "relax, we arent going to hurt you. I found you outside asleep in the snow-"


    "Snow? How can there be snow it wasnt that cold yesterday" Vylet hopped off the bed and looked out one of the windows at the blank white ground outside.


    "Wow"


    "As I was saying" Turning my attention back to the scared lamia girl." I found you outside sleeping in the snow, I thought you had passed out or something and didnt want to leave you to die out there. So I brought you inside and put you next to the fire."


    "Yousssave Lammisss?" She asked looking geniunely confused at this. "But Lammisss wasss taught alll hatesss lamiasssss."


    "Ive learned to keep an open mind lately. Malady over there is a minotaur."


    She waved at the girl, giving her a smile and showing off her hooves at the same time.


    "And the loud girl at the window is a Demi-human"  I gestured at her, choosing to ignore the glare she shot me for calling her loud.


    Lamis looked at us with her head tilted slightly, trying to process this.


    "Also we arent far from where I found you, so you can probably find your way home." I added. But her eyes widened at this and she started crying. Im not very good with children so, im not sure how to handle this.


    "Lamissss is aloness. Sisssterss wents huntingss, I tried to followss but got lossstsss."


    I sighed, yet another problem added to the list. At least this one shouldnt be too hard to solve.


    "Alright we will help you find your sisters." I said, getting a weird look from malady. I couldnt tell if she was proud or annoyed. Vylet ran over to Lamis giving her a hug and trying to stop her sobbing.


    Already the lonely noble girl tries to make another friend.


    That was fast, she doesnt pass up a chance to make a new friend. Lamis stops crying and Vylet gives her a cloth to wipe her face. I open the door and gesture for her to come so we can find her village. The lamia girl gets 3 feet away from the door before collapsing again.


    I had to resist the urge to facepalm and picked up the lamia girl and put her back into the carriage. This is going to be more difficult than I thought.

 Harsh winter ahead 2

    We ended up driving the carriage slowly down the road. Which drove Malady mad, I could see her shifting in her seat looking at the reins. She really must like driving fast. Lamis was in the drivers compartment bundled in blankets so she doesnt pass out again. She was directing Vylet, showing her the path she took from her village. From what she told us she and her sisters lived in a large cave that stayed reasonably warm all year. The cave was hidden from outsiders by a large wall of shrubbery and plant life, and some small but wide trees that helped keep the place warm.


    No humans lived nearby so they could go wherever they wanted to. Well, at least they could during the warm months. Lamis said warm alot and whenever she said it she had a peaceful and calm expression. Like she was at peace with the world. Made me wonder if her sisters were like her, I almost laughed at the thought of a bunch of grown lamias, wide eyed and chanting warm with dopey expressions.


    I was in the back because there wasnt much space for me in the front with all three of the girls in there. I could hear them through the wall though. It was a little distorted however I was sitting with my back against the wall so I could still hear them pretty well. I wanted to know where she was taking us so I was eavesdropping, but she wasnt really sure of the location. She just knew the route she followed to get there, so thats where we went. We ended up going off the main road and into the fields for a while. Until we came to yet another forested area, except this forest was thick and the trees were close together with thick arm-like vines spread out in the branches.


    The snow stopped just before the forest, leaving a clear line showing where the forest began. It was odd because once we passed the line the temperature changed to a pleasant warmth. The windows in the carriage immediately fogged up. I took off my jacket and opened some of the windows to let the warm air in. The air rushing in created a nice warm breeze. I can tell why the lamias like this place, It was consistantly warm and moist, which I think is good for their scales. The carriage stopped just outside the treeline, I heard the front compartment open and them get out. So I got out too, making sure to take my sword and some jerky with me.


    Malady and Vylet were stretching from the long drive while Lamis was doing a weird little spin on her snake body. I couldnt help but smile at her happy face and almost burst out in laughter at the little dance she did. She was fully enjoying being back in the warmth her home provided. She stopped doing that little dance once she noticed us looking at her. Lamis starting looking very sheepish and embarressed now. Hiding her face behind her tail and looking away from us.


    After embarressing her enough I wanted to move on.


    "Ok, so where is your village from here? do you remember how to get there?"


    She still hid her face behind her tail but pointed at a particular part of the treeline. Malady and Vylet were also trying not to laugh at the Lamia girls dance, but were having lots of trouble stifling themselves. So they went ahead first, heading to the part of the forest she had pointed too. I noticed that the bushes and vines in this area were trimmed so that they are easy to pass but not enough so that you can notice it from far away.


    Lamis took the lead after we passed the bushes and she recovered from her embarressment. She slithered happily through the forest dodging trees, bushes, ditches and some traps that she pointed out for us. Apparently the location of the traps is one of the first things that they are taught once they are old enough to wander around the forest. She told us lots about her sisters, they were honestly pretty advanced and alot of them were dedicated to science and medicines. Most of them were terrible at almost all magic so, they focused on science. One of the only magics they could use properly were ones that had to do with finding a mate, which they just naturally excelled at.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    They mostly grew their own food, hunting on occasion. Their knowledge of science helped them even develop new crops that grew fast and large plus with the temperature being warm all the time like this, they pretty much always had extra food. They even managed to find a way to communicate with monsters that were thought to not have languages. The lamias have their own language, but as a precaution they always learn the common language of the area they live in.


    I need to start recording this stuff, I could publish a book on all the stuff I have learned so far and still get rich.


    I need to find a notebook at some point and record all the things ive found. On my way to that village on the outskirts of the kingdom i never experienced any of this. I kept changing carts and carriages on the way there and kept to a pretty straight route. The route we are taking back to the capital is a little bit different because we keep stopping and making small detours like this one. I dont really mind though because im about to see a lamia village, and hopefully not be attacked by them. Something no one has ever done before, well there were soldiers that went around destroying them. Obviously they never bothered to look around and just broke and killed everything they saw.


    We kept walking through the forest for a good hour before she found an guard outpost. I didnt see anything but a large tree, she told us to stop while she explains things to the guard. She slithered forward to a large tree that looked just like all the other ones and tugged on a vine that was wrapped around a low branch. A couple seconds later three heavily armored lamias dropped down from unseen hiding places, surrounding us and holding their weapons ready.


    "WAITSSS, they are freindssss. The elfsss sssavedsss me, the othersss are hissss companionssss."


    Lamis put herself between the guards and us, holding up her arms. The guards looked unsure of what to do until one of them stepped forward and spoke.


    "Elf, Is this true? Did you save this child?"


    I was suprised, I thought they all spoke with that hiss but she spoke clearly and eloquently.


    "Uhh, yes. She was sleeping in the snow and I found her and brought her near a fire."


    The guard looked at Lamis with a disapproving stare. Lamis shyed away, all confidence from a second ago was gone.


    "Sleeping in the snow huh?"


    She then made some loud hissing sounds at Lamis, who made some back. I assumed this was their language, I dont think its something I can learn though. There doesnt seem to be any pattern to it, It just sounds like loud hissing to me.


    Lamis looked like she was about to cry when they stopped hissing at each other. The Guard that stepped forward introduced herself as Laskia and started leading us to her village. Leaving the others to resume their guard duty, It was weird watching snake women slide up the trees and disappear. Laskia noticed my stare and adopted a smug look on her face. She obviously thought the lamias were superior and was laughing at my amazement.


    I made a note to remember her attitude for later, just in case.


    Lamis was looking really depressed at this point, she was slowly slithering along behind us. Vylet was with her trying to cheer her up and Malady was just looking around at all the plant life.


    Not much longer till we reached a cave entrance that was covered in thick vines and bushes and so much growth that I wouldnt know it was there if Laskia didnt tell me. She walked up to it and told us to just follow it until we reach the end.


    "Also, take this." She tossed a small metal symbol at me. "Tell the guards that I sent you and they will let you through"


    "Thanks" I said while shoving it in my pocket. She nodded and headed back in the direction of the guard post. I looked at the others and headed in to the cave with the three girls following me. I was kind of excited because of what Lamis has told me about their village.


    A village of snake women that have advanced themselves through science? Whats not to be excited about?

 Harsh winter ahead 3

    The cave was getting gradually warmer and more humid the farther we got. Malady had undone some of the top buttons on her dress and Vylet had taken off her jacket and tied it around her waist. I had already left my jacket in the carraige so the only thing I could take off was my shirt. Which earned me some weird looks from the girls so, I left it on and just tried to deal with the humidity.


    The downward incline got worse at one point which made me wonder how the lamias got out of here with no legs. But then I remember how good they were at climbing the trees and saw some handholds carved in the cave wall. Along with an oddly flat path that followed the cave wall, looked almost like very long and curved stairs. I looked back to see how Lamis was doing and she was going off the stairs, sliding for a bit on the steep cave floor, then going back onto the stairs. Using the cave wall to slow herself so she doesnt go too fast. Im not sure if this is how they all go down these things or if thats just her trying to cheer herself up by playing a bit.


    "Isss notss much fartherss." Lamis said when she caught up with me. She slithered ahead when the cave flattened out. She slithered right up to a giant door that had been built into the solid rock of the cave wall. The door was designed to look like just another part of the cave. The only reason I could tell its a door is because it was slightly open right now, with two guards standing in front of it. I pulled out the metal symbol that Laskia had given me and held it up so they could see it. Once they saw the symbol and the small lamia girl with us they stepped aside and watched us as we passed.


    Nothing I have seen so far could prepare me for what I am seeing now. This was no village, It was a huge city built in a massive cavern underground. It was filled with all kinds of sounds and smells that assaulted me without mercy. Buildings and houses were built out of wood they must have gotten out of the forest or just carved right into the cave walls. The roads were bustling and busy with unimaginable amounts of people and even some monsters walking around, going about their buisness. I could even see some small markets scattered around.


    The city spread off into the distance, even though there were lights everywhere I could only see a portion of the city. The rest was simply too far away to see.


    How many live here? How long has this been here?


    This city was amazing, I thought I was just about to see the city of the lamias. But this has all kinds of races, even some that I have never seen before.


    I stood there for what felt like an hour, just staring in awe at this city. Until a small lamia girl with glasses slid up and tapped me on the shoulder, startling me.


    "Oops sorry about that, didnt mean to frighten you. Is this your first time to the city?"


    I simply nodded, the suprise of seeing this place still hasnt worn off yet.


    "Well, then id like you to come with me for orientation please." she gestured for us to follow and left towards a small building that was next to the entrance to the city. The building was made out of wood and stone, with a small garden around it and a large sign over the door that said "ORIENTATION"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She led us inside and to a large room with chairs all facing a small stage. There were some other people there in the chairs patiently waiting for whatever this was. We took a seat nearby, far from anyone else and waited with them. Vylet and Malady passed the time by asking Lamis questions about the city. I was looking around at some of the other people here. I was amazed at the creatures they allowed into the city. Just looking around I could see many beings that almost everyone from Shaylet would kill on sight. I saw succubi, death knights, slimes, ghouls there was even a skeleton!


    It just sat there unmoving, If I couldnt sense the mana coming out of it I wouldve just assumed it was just part of the decorations. No one but our group was talking, they were all just sitting there quietly. The lamia girl had left the room a while ago to deal with her other duties I assume. So the only ones here were the ones sitting in the chairs and some huge looking people in armor that were eyeing us suspiciously.


    The lamia girl walked back in with a goat beastman and a demon woman. She led them both to their seats and then walked onto the stage. she coiled her snake body under her when she reached the middle of the stage and had a bright smile on her face.


    "Hello everyone, The reason we have brought you to this room is that you are all new to the city of Harendia. This city was built to be a safe haven for all intellegent beings to be able to live together without the fear of human persecution."


    She paused to give everone a little time to absorb that information before continuing.


    "It was a small settlement before but has grown into the large community you see here today. It was started by us, the lamias and is now run by a council that is composed of people that have been chosen to lead the city into the future. As you are all new to the city, you have yet to be informed of the most important rule. You all must make a blood pact to the leaders of the city in order to be allowed to leave but-"


    One of the people sitting in the back had stood up at this.


    "You cant be serious! A blood pact is a very serious magical contract and Im not making such a contract with someone ive never met before you must be crazy to expect people to agree to such a thing!"


    He was right that it was a serious contract that when broken would cripple ones magic and leave them half dead. They would recover eventually but could never use magic again. This is why it was rarely practiced, as no one would want to accept such a deal. If it was worded improperly, it could cripple or even kill you.


    The man was skinny and dressed in all black. Based on his pale and almost transparent skin coupled with his clearly visible fangs I assumed he was a vampire.


    "Sir, the contract is simply to insure that no one causes harm to the city and informs the kingdom of our location. we would rather not have to fight a kingdom but we will defend ourselves." The lamia girl on the stage stated, still smiling.


    "I dont care im leaving, im not going along with this lunacy."


    He walked to the door and tried to leave but was grabbed by one of the guards.


    The lamia on the stage turned to him and asked him.


    "Are you sure? as I said you must agree to this if you are going to be allowed to leave."


    He spat on the guards arm and cursed at them.


    "Yes! and there is nothing you and your guards can do to stop me! I am a VAMPIRE! The lord of-"


    He was cut off as there was now an arm sticking out of his chest. The guard had shoved and entire arm through the chest of the vampire while he was squirming and yelling and had ripped his still beating heart out of his chest. His body went limp and turned into a black sludge that quickly dried and shriveled up into an ash-like grime on the floor and the armor of the guard.


    The lamia on the stage had turned back towards us and asked one question with that smile still on her face.


    "Now then, will there be anymore interruptions?"


    Needless to say, everyone shook their heads and let her continue.

 The metropolis of Harendia

    The rest of her speech went on without interruption. No one dared to speak up after that, the only sounds in the room were the lamias voice and the sounds of a maid cleaning up the remains of the vampire. The scary thing is she looked bored, as if this kind of thing happens all the time here.


    The rest of the presentation was just her giving more history on the city, explaining things about how the many races ended up becoming a part of their community. She also talked about how races no one has even heard of started showing up and joining them. Even beings of pure energy showed up and became a part of their society.


    She ended the speech with an explination on the blood pact and asked us to line up in front of a door in order to make the contract. We were then called in one at a time, while the lamia girl assured us it is perfectly safe and is only in place to protect the city. After a few people went in, it was my turn. Lamis was next to the door so I assumed that since she lived here she had already taken the pact. Or didnt need it because she would want to protect her home.


    I walked into the door and it was shut behind me. The room smelled musty and stale yet only had an old man and a desk. Next to some piles of paper and an old cabinet. The walls were gray and devoid of any decoration, other than another door behind the old man leading to the outside. The old man was looking at me with a small sharp looking dagger in his right hand. In his left he had a small sigil painted on a piece of paper in what looked like his own blood. The old man was covered in scars but they looked really old and his body looked frail and weak. But the prescence he gave off mixed with the distinct smell of blood coming from him made me feel otherwise. He gestured to the chair in front of him, obviously telling me to sit. So I take my seat in front of him and we sat there staring at each other for a second before he sighed and spoke in a tired voice.


    "Give me your hand, I will make a small cut and add your blood to this sigil. It will then bind to you and then I will read you the terms of the contract. You then state whether you agree or not and then the contract will be complete."


    I nodded and gave him my left hand. He made a tiny cut on the tip of my pointer finger and wiped my finger on the sigil. The sigil then started glowing with a ominous dark red light and he read me the terms of the contract that he had apparently memorized.


    "This contract is bound in blood and recognized by Xcarcia the godess of blood.


    To not tell any humans of the location of this wonderful city,


    To not share any information on the innerworkings of this city on the outside,The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    and finally to not show the location of this city to anyone who harbors ill will towards the city itself or its inhabitants.


    Do you accept these terms?"


    This is what that vampire died opposing? What a stupid thing to die for. Or maybe he knew something about it that I dont, after all the vampires are very knowledgable about blood.


    "I accept"


    The sigil on the paper peeled itself off and floated gently onto the back of my left hand. Burning itself into my flesh, It hurt like hell but the old man held my hand down with strength I would never have expected from someone as frail looking as him. It ended in seconds and didnt smell like burning flesh like I thought it would. In fact It smelled musty like the room did when I walked in.


    Well that explains the smell.


    I quickly left the room to escape that creepy old man and the musty smell of his magic. The door opened up to an alley filled to the brim with shops that were obviously here to entice any newcomers and releive them of their money. Delicious smells and loud clanging sounds came from all around as all manners of people went about their buisness shopping or runnning their buisnesses. I waited by the door for malady and vylet to come through which didnt take long as they were next in line after me. Lamis came through immediately after Vylet, It was as I thought and she didnt go through the ritual. The skin on her hand wasnt irritated and she didnt have that musty smell on her either. Both Malady and Vylet were rubbing the backs of their hands, there was no mark left but the skin was clearly red and itchy.


    Lamis looked really happy to be back in her city, she was all smiles and giggles again. Slithering around everywhere, greeting some people while moving shop to shop. Even the guards seem to know her as she slid into one giving her a huge hug and saying something in that hissing language of theirs.


    Malady and Vylet were visiting all the shops leaving me alone to follow Lamis. I could still see them but they were being very slow and checking out each store thouroughly. Lamis was with the guard so I jogged back to them and told them to meet me at the tallest building nearby in three hours. I caught back up to Lamis just as she was done talking with the guard. She noticed my return and immediately grabbed my hand, dragging me in front of the guard.


    "Siisishiiisithin. slighthis hsissss shhssssssisnsss." She said to the guard. Who turned to me and wrapped me in a sudden bear hug, almost crushing me with her strength.


    "Shsiis shisssis ssissssss shiis"


    Lamis smiled and translated for her.


    "Shess saidss Thankss youss for savingssss me ands that ssshe likesss yourss smellsss" She giggled softly.


    "Oh.....well tell her thanks, and it was no problem."


    Lamistranslated my message to her and she finally released me from her crushing hug with a big smile. She said something else to Lamis and left after blowing me a kiss.


    "What did she say?"


    Although I had a feeling I knew what she was saying I still wanted confirmation. Lamis giggled again and played her tail, I could see a deep blush on her cheeks despite her attempt to hide.


    "Shesssaid to.....meetss her atsss hers innss if you wantssss to matess."


    Ive only just got to this city and I got hit on by a Lamia guard. Not bad, I think im going to like this place.

 The metropolis of Harendia 2

    Lamis took me around the city, showing me all her favorite places around the entrance to the city. She was apparently the sister of the lamia that was the representative of the lamias in the Harendian Court. So most people recognized her and gave her free treats, some even gave me some free food because she was with me. While we walked around she told me more about the city''s inhabitants. Most of the undead stayed at the darkest part of the city, which was the farthest away from the entrance. That part of town may be very dark, however it was in no way desolate or scary. They cultivated a special type of moss that emitted a soft glow and spread it around their part of town. The glow it gave off was enough for most people to see, yet it didnt aggrivate the senses of those sensitive to light. They also kept the city very clean and performed most of the maintenence as they never tired or really cared about time of day now that they didnt have to avoid the sun.


    Her people, the lamias, mostly lived near the entrance to the city and in the council district as they normally took the manager jobs in the surrounding areas. Most of the lamia however were devoted to science and a large chunk of the area the Lamias lived in was covered in labratories and small factories with other facilities scattered around. This area began just to the right of the entrance and was seperated from the rest of the city by a large wall and strong looking gate. More than once they have had to repair portions of the city due to an experiment gone wrong, so they learned from this and built a wall to keep the rest of the city safe.


    There was a small section of the city devoted to refugees of other countries that stumbled upon this city and decided to stay. This part of the city was directly behind the lamia''s section and was filled with Dwarves, Arachnids, centars and many other beings that she couldnt seem to remember the names of. There was even a small group of humans, that were apparently ''Sacrificed'' to the forest when they were children. Their time living among so many other races has changed them in many ways, through intermarrying and such so now, most of them are not completely human anymore.


    Still there are some here who bear ill will towards any living humans, so they have to be careful when they leave their part of the city. The refugee section was guarded, to keep them safe from those that would mean them harm. But also to protect the people from the refugees, should the need arise.


    There was even a part of the city where nothing but those that were worshipped in one way or another live. Lamis told me that most of them are forgotten gods or religious figures that lost their power for some reason and ended up here. She raised her arm and pointed at a part of the city that was almost entirely made out of stone, with decorations carved into most of the exposed stone. The walls were covered in what looked like heroes fighting with viscious monsters and stopping terrible calamities while the gods stood over them watching. Looking at that part of the city gave me a viscious headache until I looked away. I decided to stay away from that part of the city. I could feel something bad will happen if I go there.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Lamis kept leading me around by the hand, nearby people either smiled when they saw her, scowled at me or talked to her while completely ignoring me. She never stopped talking about the city unless someone else said something to her. Lamis would respond to them and then return to giving me the ''grand tour''. She led me through the city for a couple hours before she started to head home. She wanted me to meet her sister so I tagged along, she didnt really ask me, she just said she was going to her house now and wouldnt let go of my hand.


    Lamis took me into the lamias district, past the guards that were posted on the inside of the gate and into the part of the area they lived in. The floor of the entire fenced in area was smooth and flat with some patches of dirt that had some weird subterrean plants growing randomly. The lamias area was split in half the houses were on the right of the gate while the labratories were on the left. The houses werent what I expected, They were tall flat buildings made out of some sort of black reflective material. There were many balconies and some of them even had weird machines on them, hissing or thumping with an odd rhythm. The tall buildings were all clumped together leaving very little space in between. Some of the buildings went through the cave ceiling. The others just had supports sticking out of them and going deep into the cave walls.


    She led me into the tallest of the buildings, this one bearing the letter "L". We passed all sorts of lamias doing all sorts of things. Some were tending to some plants and others appeared to be doing maintenence on some of the many machines that were everywhere. Even as we entered the lobby the number of machines around grew. I had no idea what most of them were for, or why they were here. Lamis pulled me into a box at the other end of the lobby and pushed a button on the wall. The doors closed and we started moving up, the see-through back of the box gave a clear view of the outside and made it clear that we were moving. This was amazing, this technology was unheard of anywhere else in Shaylet. Ive never even heard of any other countries having anything like this. I wonder what kind of stone they used for this. I was feeling around the room, trying to figure out something about this moving box when we stopped and I heard a bell. Lamis proceeded to drag me away from the box and down the hall.


    I was lost in thought as she led me through the halls. Trying to comprehend everything that has happened today as we passed through two large doors. Only after we passed through did I realize we were at the top of the building. The room we were currently in was empty except a staircase on either side of the wall, one wall was entirely transparent and showed the rocky ceiling outside above the rest of the city. At the top of the staircase was a fully grown Lamia holding a glass of a viscous red liquid and looked very very angry.

 The metropolis of Harendia 3

    Lamis''s sister looked pissed but still welcomed me kindly, Im pretty sure her anger was directed at her sister for leaving the city without telling anyone. She told me her name was impossible to pronounce in the common language and most people had trouble with it so she just goes by Lari. She led us to a cozy room with a fireplace and very soft looking sofa. The room had very little in decoration but was still warm and had plenty of furniture. There was a table with odd looking chairs and a cabinet that was built into the wall next to some bookshelves that were mostly empty. A small window in the corner let in some light from the city below. Lari led us to this room and hissed something down the hall before entering the room with us. We all sat down on the sofa and were promtly bombarded with questions about how we met.


    Most of the questions were directed at lamis who shrunk away from her sister and answered honestly and as quickly as she could with that hissing of theirs.


    "Speak in the common tongue sister, do not be rude to our guest." She gestured at me when saying this.


    Lamis nodded and apologized to me before continuing. She explained that she only left because she saw Lari leaving through the front gate with several other Lamia. She followed them for a while but got lost. She tried to climb up a tree to get her bearings but accidentaly crushed a fairy''s den and pissed of a fairy, who temperarily blinded her as punishment. She wanered around blind for a while before it got really cold which made her feel really bad, She managed to keep moving but eventually passed out. That was about when I found her.


    Lari was very angry at her sister, dragging her out of the room after excusing herself and her sister. All I heard was loud and angry hissing on the other side of the door. I tried to ignore it by looking out of the window at the scenery below.


    When the hissing stopped they came back in, Lamis was looking very sad as she just got chewed out by her sister. Lari still looked angry but not as much as earlier, she seemed kinda releived. They came back in an sat down where they did before.


    "I apologize for that, I was simply angry that my sister left the city as she couldve gotten herself hurt."


    I nodded at her, I never had any siblings but I could understand that feeling as I have seen it many times at the adventurers guild. Loud conversations about how their sibling was off fighting in some army somewhere or off adventuring in another country.


    I continued telling her about what we did after I found Lamis. Which was kind of boring as we just came straight here. She listened and asked questions about Malady and Vylet. She asked about the cariage as well, probably because I kept mentioning how much I liked the thing. I finished the story just as the door opened to reveal a very short and slender woman pushing a cart. She was wearing a maids outfit and had tiny horns growing out of her forehead. She looked very young to be working as a maid, she was barely taller than the cart she was pushing.


    Lari noticed me looking at her and explained.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "This is my maid, Nerie. She was abandoned by her parents and I had no other way to take care of her."


    Lamis cheered up as soon as the little demon girl entered the room. Nerie saw Lamis and ran over to her.


    "Lamis you are okay! I was so sad when I couldnt find you. Dont leave me alone like that again okay?" She was almost in tears holding lamis very tightly. Lamis was just as upset, almost crying while holding her friend tightly.


    "Okayss, Lamissss isss sorrysss"


    Lari and me were watching this whole thing happen. She was smiling at the two kids, I was still curious why Lamis was the only one that spoke the common tounge with that hiss.


    "Why Is lamis the only one that speaks with that hiss when she talks in the common tounge, none of the other lamias I have met here do that."


    Lamis was the first to answer. She turned her head to me and said.


    "Becausess Lamisssss hasss disssss"


    She stuck both her fingers in her mouth and pulled her cheeks open while sticking out her tongue. Which was split down the middle. The two sides of her tounge looked like thick worms in her mouth and she wiggled them at me. I also noticed she lacked teeth. No thats not right, I could see little marks where her teeth would be. They might just be retractable. Thats very weird, I found myself staring at her mouth. I turned my head away from the weird stare Lari was giving me for staring at her sisters mouth.


    "wow" was all I could say. I looked at Lari and she stuck her tounge out at me as well. Her tounge was human-like but had a very deep crease in the middle. She chuckled and asked me if I had a place to stay yet.


    "No I just arrived at the city with Lamis and the other two."


    "Wonderful, you can stay here as long as you like as thanks for saving my sister."


    I smiled and thanked her. That would be a big help now that we dont have to look for a place to stay. I told her I would go find my friends and bring them here.


    "Okay, but dont be too long. I was already making dinner when you arrived. It should be done shortly." I nodded and headed out to go find the girls.


    It took me a bit to figure out how to use the box at the end of the hall. A passing lamia explained it to me and told me it was called an elevator. She was going down too so she showed me how it worked as we went down. I thanked her when we reached the bottom floor and left, going through the lobby and heading outside.


    I told them to meet me at the tallest building, we couldnt see the lamias buildings from the entrance so they should be going to that pointy building straight from the entrance. It was the tallest building that was visible from where we were standing so I hope they will go there.


    I started jogging in the direction of the tall building.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Laskia was doing her usual rounds around the forest. Looking for signs of dangerous beasts or invaders nearby. She slithered around at a fast speed, her eyes looking around for any signs of someone or something passing through here. She found nothing but tracks that she recognized to be from the other guards. She would need to drill them on ''stealth'' again. They had gotten complacent since we have never suffered an attack before. But Laskia was always prepared, which made her feel worse that Lamis got passed her and all the other guards somehow.


    She finished her rounds and started heading back towards the guard post when she heard somthing. A faint whisltling in the air high above her. She climbed a thick tree as fast as she could, spinning around when she reached the top looking for any signs of danger. But once she reached the top, the whistling stopped. It made her very nervous and she waited there for a little bit before she left. She needed to get back and report this, so she rushed back towards the city. She slithered so fast she failed to notice a small reptilian scale sitting in the grass near the tree she climbed.

 Our fair city

    I reached the tallest building to find a small crowd gathering around two people doing some sort of act. They were demonstrating amazing amounts of skill and controll over their spellcasting by throwing fireballs at each other and catching them. Tossing them between each other and juggling them before they disperse into smoke over the crowd. I was looking for the girls so I didnt stay too long, just long enough for one of them to ''miss'' and hit the other in the face with smoke getting a laugh from the crowd. It was obvious to me they intended to do that, I can tell he dispersed the fireball early so his friend would be unharmed. Their skill at casting spells is amazing, they cant manipulate mana like we elves can but their prowess has surpassed what most manage in their lifetimes.


    Malady and vylet are probably waiting for me so I pull my attention away from the performers and focus on trying to find them. They were sitting on the steps to the tall building, talking to a small boy with almost pitch black skin and tiny little horns on his head. He also had a arrowhead tipped tail that swished back and forth absentmindedly and two small bat wings growing out of his back. I think These creatures are called... an Incubus, they are a type of demon that I was told preyed on women just like the succubi do on men. All the other things I was taught were wrong so surely this one is too right?


    I got close enough to hear what the boy was saying to them and notice their less than amused faces.


    "I could show you pleasure the likes of which you have never dreamed of."


    I guess some things they told me were true. I put my hand on the kids shoulder and he turned to me looking annoid and then scared as he saw I was quite bigger than he was and adopted a sheepish grin. His voice even changed from the somewhat deep one he was using with the girls to one of a small boy who lost his way.


    "Sorry sir, just asking for directions bye!"


    He ran off down the nearest alleyway to escape. The girls both thanked me for saving them from that boy, he wouldnt leave them alone and kept following them. I told them that we were invited to dinner and have a place to stay now and they both smiled. I didnt notice how tired they looked when I saw them at first.


    "Come on, its not too far from here."


    I started heading back towards Lari''s place.


    **************************************************************************************************This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Loud blaring music spread throughout the empty space as Kevin worked. He had reset the entire world in here and only had one room built at the moment. It was a large room with many consoles on the walls and gray carpet covering the floor. A large glass tube went from the ceiling to the floor and had a lumninescent blue fluid flowing through it. There was only one floor but it was filled with consoles, most of them did nothing and were just there for decoration. Only the ones near the tube actually had a purpose and functioned. But kevin hated wasting space so he put other consoles around to fill the gaps and made it so they could have functions added later. The whole room really gave off that ''trekkie'' vibe.


    Kevin was on the floor underneath one of the consoles with a weird tool, working on the panel inside the console. He was humming along to the music unaware of anything except his work. The liquid in the big glass tube wasnt just something he made up. It was actually the core that Finch had created in his chest. Kevin had absorbed it into the inner world and was using it as a tool to generate energy. He was trying to get the liquid to move around, flowing through the systems and then back into the tube generating power. This was an inner world of Finch but power still needed to be generated for things to function properly in here. In order to gain divinity something has to happen in this place. Anything really, the creation of objects or energy was a good way to start generating it. But later, better means of getting divinity need to be developed.


    He finally finished with the console and put the cover back over the panel. He approached the large glass tube and frowned. He had forgotten something. He created a small rounded console that went around the tube for about a couple feet in each direction. Then he entered a couple commands into the console and muttered something under his breath.


    "engage"


    He tried starting it up again and stared at the blue liquid in the tube almost as if he was trying to move it with his mind. A deep humm starting growing inside the tube, spreading to just below it. It wasnt very loud or unpleasent, something you can get used to over time and not hate it. As the humm grew the liquid started moving faster and faster, getting a little brighter.


    "Yes!! Thank the engineers it works!!"  Even though when he said this he had a specific engineer with head ridges in mind.


    He was spinning and dancing to the blaring music around him. Happy that his experiment had finally worked. He checked the console and he was generating rediculous amounts of power. A while ago he had gotten annoid at having to create something to check the levels of energy he was creating or losing at any given moment. So he gave himself a heads up display that was practically a holographic computer in front of his face, that had many functions other than showing him the current amounts of divinity he was generating at any given moment. He could add as many functions as he wanted to it. But whenever he had to scratch that trekkie itch he used the consoles and pretended to be ordering various people around. Which is what he was doing at this very moment, the console showed he was generating both energy and divinity. However the divinity was generating at a very low but constant rate. This was the most fun he has ever had since he found himself being a divinity guide. He could never have this much fun back on earth before he died.

 Our fair city 2

    The girls followed me to lari''s building, both of them looked really drained. I wonder if talking was the only thing that boy was doing to them. Maybe they just need some food and rest, Im in dire need of some food as well. We made it to the building and I got to show off my second-hand knowledge of working the elevator, which got a satisfying response from both the girls and I couldnt help but grin smugly. We got to the top without a problem but then I realized I didnt actually know how to get to her room. All I know is that her room had the biggest doors, all the hallways looked alike with the painted rock walls and random potted plants.


    I was saved from wandering around like an idiot when Lamis slithered down the hall and wrapped Vylet and Malady in a hug. I didnt even have time to feel left out as Lari was right behind her.


    "Lamis wanted to greet you at the elevator and she realized she didnt tell you how to find us. See these markings?"


    She raised a slender arm and pointed at a large door nearby. It had a piece of metal attached to it in the shape of a large cheetah with 5 large fangs above it.


    "Each door is marked with an animal and a number of fangs. If the number of fangs is increasing you are getting to our door. Also ours is the only door with a coiled snake on it and no fangs. It is a special room reserved for the Lamias representative."


    She led us down the hall and I made sure to pay attention to the doors this time. Each one did have an animal and a number of fangs, but some of them had decorations on the animal. There was one door that had a hawk and they had put real feathers on it, with cheap gems for eyes. There was another that had a lion and the lion had a little hat on it with what looked like black glasses. Malady laughed at that one, I didnt really get why it was funny.


    We got back to her room and were welcomed by a thick, delicious smell in the air as soon as she opened the door. It smelled like roasted vegetables and heavily seasoned meat which cause me to salivate immediately. This intense smell only intensified as we got closer to the dining room where nerie was waiting next to a table loaded with all kinds of dishes.


    "We normally dont eat like this but today is a special occasion." Lari stated. I dont think anyone was really listening though as all eyes were glued onto the table. She noticed this and smiled, only Lamis and Nerie has been there to appreciate her cooking for a long time.


    "Well go ahead, enjoy yourselves." She said with a big smile on her face as she took her seat at the head of the table. Each of us followed her footsteps and found a seat at the table. Nerie started serving us but we took Laris words to heart and just loaded our own plates. She looked confused but Lari just chuckled at her and told her to sit down and join them. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vold was upset. His taking over this town and gloating over Ternnen made him happy at first. But as soon as he started making plans to take the next town his spies told him that the royal army was investigating something nearby. So he had to lay low for a while, he couldnt start something with the royal army so close by. The royal army had no love for the nobles but those cities and towns were still part of the kingdom and they had a duty to protect them. He grumbled curses and insults at whatever brought them here and headed down to look at Ternnen. Seeing the broken man and his wife Isa always cheered him up a bit, once it stops making him feel better he would immeadiately get rid of them. The dungeon was pretty quiet today, all the crying, screaming and threatening had finally died down as they realized that no one cared. Vold looked at all the captive nobles as he passed them. None of them bothered to even say anything anymore, all of their pleading and begging only made him laugh in their faces. As he got closer to his favorite captive he heard weird moans coming from that direction.


    As he arrived at his destination he started stupified at the cause of the sound. The slave that had been tortured in so many ways by Ternnen had mounted him. The slave had Ternnen pinned to the floor with his face to the ground ravashing him furiously. Looking at how broken and bruised Ternnen was, vold guessed he was bored of beating him. Ternnen''s wife was staring at him, her eyes wide open. Vold thought she was in shock as he was, but then he noticed one of her hands was moving furiously underneath her filthy dress. He was thoroughly disgusted at this and left as fast as he could. Knowing Ternnen was that slaves plaything made him happy, but that doesnt mean he wanted to see that. He went back to his office and started organizing the finances of the city he had taken. Eventually he would hire someone to run the city, but at the moment he didnt have anyone he trusted enough to run things so he did it himself until the royal army leaves. Then he would find someone.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin had finished with the power generation for now so he focused on ways to generate more divinity. He decided to start by making a factory but instead of creating a product, this factory would modify mana intself and create divinity. Generating more divinity as a by-product of the production itself!


    Kevin almost patted himself of the back for such a great idea. But now that he had the idea, he still had to find a way to do it. Turning mana into divinity is hard as they are two completely different types of energy. The fact that no matter what he does it will generate divinity as long as it is happening in Finch''s inner world made him feel a little better. But he still wanted to do it this way, because if he succeded then he would be creating divinity at a large rate. He would also be able to duplicate it as many times as the inner world can handle to create as much divinity in a day that most gods spend lifetimes to aquire. He cracked his neck and created a small empty hallway with a door opposite of the power generation room that he labeled ''Engineering''. The other door led to a small dusty workshop filled with books and weird creatures in cages that he imagined. He sat down at a desk and conjured up some paper and pencils to start planning the factory. He also started plans for some helpers, he would need some help to run a factory after all.

 Our fair city 3

    Dinner was actually pretty fun, Lari told us stories from her childhood and Lamis told us about some of her ''adventures'' with her friends in the undead district. Nerie even spoke up and shared, mostly things she has done with Lamis though. Malady shared her experiences so far, which was a little embarressing for me when she descibed my encounter with the lake berry. She left out the bits about her being a piece of the demon goddess.


    SHIT, I forgot I was supposed to be finding demons to help me with her problem. There should be plenty here, Ill go ask some tommorow.


    Having a goal in sight made me feel better about this journey. Hopefully the demons would be able to help, which would let me focus on my little divinity problem. Which reminds me, I still havent been able to get into my inner world. Ill try again tonight and see what he has been doing. My inner world has been pulsing and emitting a warmth for a while now, I ignored it because I assumed that means that what he is doing has been working. Although I am very curious as to what he has been doing this whole time.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin was surrounded by nothing but girls. Each one had distict differences but were all unmistakeably women. There were catgirls, doggirls, female knights, robotgirls and every other stereotype from japanese anime except for elf girls. Kevin felt that would be a little weird seeing as how he was inside an elf''s chest at the moment. Which didnt stop him trying at first, but the face of every elf girl he tried to create just looked like finch. He ended up just excluding elf girls from his little ''party'' at the moment. I mean, everyone need a break every now and then right?


    **************************************************************************************************


    We had all eaten our fill and had shared stories till the lights in the city started to get dim. Then Lari showed us all to some empty rooms that Nerie had prepared after I had left and left for her room. I took off everything but my pants and flopped on the bed. The room had a pleasent temperature so I didnt need blankets, I just closed my eyes and passed out.


    I was immediately sucked into my inner world and welcomed by the sight of a massive pile of naked girls of all shapes and sizes with kevin in the middle of them. Who saw me and immediately dismissed the massive pile of girls into smoke and changed the room into an old dingy office room complete with piles of old papers scattered around and a desk in the middle of it all. Kevin was now wearing a large black coat and a hat with a large rim, he was smoking an oversized pipe and was trying to hide the embarressed look on his face.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "You shtartled me shun, now what can I do for you. I got a big case cookin'' in the pot and its broilin''BROILIN''I tell yah" He spoke with a weird accent and I dont know what he is talking about and what this room is but it feels like he just mashed something up really fast to hide the fact he was having a massive fucking orgy inside of me. I just sighed, tried to forget what I walked in on and moved on.


    "So, Whatelse have you been doing while inside my chest then? Something productive I hope."


    His embarressed expression was replaced by a wide grin.


    "Of course, I was just taking a little break."


    The room started melting and morphing back into its original form which was a heavily used workshop. There were tools, unfinished projects and hand drawn diagrams everywhere. I picked up one of the diagrams and looked at it, but I couldnt understand any of it. It just looked like weird squiggles and boxes drawn all over the page. It honestly was just giving me a headache looking at the complicated plans, so I put it down and just looked around some more.


    "This is just the workshop I made so I have a place to organize my thoughts and make prototypes. I only made four rooms so far, Ill show you!" He put on a cheerful smile and walked out the door with me following along, eager to see what he has done soo far.


    The first room he showed me was the power generator. He said he got the idea from one of his favorite tv shows, He didnt bother explaining what that was and I didnt ask. Sometimes he would use words that I dont understand but Im much more interested in what he built than to ask what the word means.


    The hall was slightly curved and gave off a soft light as we walked. The door we left closed with a soft hiss when we left, even though in the workshop I couldve sworn the door was simple and opened outward. We passed by some more girls heading down the hall to the workshop.


    "What are these girls doing here? Other than helping you on your...break?"


    He chuckled and ignored my remark.


    "They are the helpers I designed to work here, I can build things but I cant run them all by myself."


    We continued down the hall passing various beastgirls doing various tasks that I didnt entirely understand. We reached engineering and walked in to see every console being worked on, adjusted or used by someone. For some reason kevin seemed suprised that they were in here, I asked him about it and he gave me a really worrying answer.


    "I didnt tell them to come in here or how to use the machines. I have no idea how they are doing this."


    "Is it a bad thing?"


    He scratched his head.


    "Well, they are working and it looks like they found a way to improve the machines so....I guess not?"


    "Good, show me the other rooms then."


    He shook the suprised look on his face and continued with the tour.

 Our fair city 4

    The knowledge that the people kevin created are doing things on their own now is a bit creepy, but they are working very well and they are very competent. Some even popped up to give kevin progress reports that he didnt ask for, informing him on everything they were working on and how it was working out. The place he designed was very orderly, kind of gave off a feeling of discipline and respect. With how the girls started acting, it seems that whatever people or creatures you create in here will adapt personalities based on the design of the surroundings. Something kevin apparently didnt know about.


    I guess he wont be having anymore ''breaks'' with these girls.


    Some of the girls even recognized me as the one who owns this inner world and treated me as such. I didnt realize but now, my body was completely solid and visible. I looked just like I do on the outside. One of them even started following us around and instructing us on anything we didnt understand. Kevin even had to ask some questions as they had started adding rooms on their own and building things in the factory to help them build.


    How long was kevin taking his break? He didnt seem to know any of this was going on.


    The only rooms kevin had made were the factory, the workshop and engineering. They had started building a whole new floor and were adding bedrooms for themselves. The factory was churning out tools and materials, which were immediately put to use. A new room was even connected to the factory, Kevin and I saw people going in and out constantly and we got curious.


    The girl that had been following us called herself Rala. She explained that the room was used as a lab of sorts, and was used to create better and more advanced tools.


    "We had to start from scratch because the only tools we had were from the captain''s workshop. We borrowed those and made our own tools. Captain kevin has yet to choose a second in command so, I was elected as a representative until one is chosen." Kevin was at a complete loss for words.


    "Did...did you just call me captain?"


    "Yes sir, should I not adress you as captain?"


    His eyes started tearing up and I thought he was about to start crying.


    "Thank you" He said with an extremely happy look on his face.


    Rala was confused but didnt question it, like a good subordinate.


    "Your welcome sir?"


    We moved out of the factory and took a look at what they had been doing. I was about to ask where they got the metals and supplies to use in the factory but as we turned a corner my question was answered for me. The hallway ended at a large door labled ''MINE''.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This was our next destination. The three of us walked through the door and stood in awe, well me and kevin stood in awe, Rala walked off and started helping some miners who were having trouble with their gear. The room was huge and filled with miners in full gear pushing minecarts, some were empty and others were full of rocks and minerals. The room was bustling with activity, the miners were loading into a large train that went off around a large curve that spiraled down a huge hole that was on the other side of the room. Next to the train platform were large metal cages ,that I recognized as elevators, that were ferrying miners up and down throughout the mine.


    I looked at the miners that were pushing full carts and they were emptying the carts into a chute that was marked ''Refinery''. Seeing this large mining operation and remembering that we are currently inside my body made me worried.


    "Kevin?" I turned towards him "What exactly are they mining?"


    It took him a second to realize that I was talking to him.


    "Oh, remember that I told you the space outside what you create here is just energy? well, they are mining that energy. As soon as they mine it, it will turn into a material they can use. Now what  I dont understand is the energy itself. It was black so I assumed it was dark energy, but if it was dark energy then what they would be mining would be dark crystal and black minerals. But what they have been mining just look normal, like if you were chosen by a god of nature or something like that- Oh wait, there is some."


    He pointed at a dwarf girl who was pushing a cart twice her size that was filled with a deep black rock.


    "Its still weird that there isnt more of it."


    Rala had finished helping the group with their gear and was currently talking to someone who looked like they were running the mining operations. It looked like they were having a small arguement over something. She looked very angry and was almost yelling at the dirty girl who was yelling while gesturing at a map just as angrily. Rala seemed to have given up and walked back over to us, instantly hiding her anger behind a smile when she noticed me looking at her.


    She led us out of there and continued the tour like she was the one giving it in the first place. She led us all around, showing us things that I didnt understand how they came up with it. There was a room dedicated to sewage, apparently they just created water with leftover energy from engineering. They did have a water reclimation system in place just incase but they just used it to suppliment the water creation. Rala described the system to me even though I didnt ask. She explained it in such a simple way that even I understood how it worked to some extent.


    She led around through several more rooms showing us what they have done in such a short time. Some of the rooms were small and under furnished, Rala told us that they started with small rooms to get things moving and will extend and improve upon them in time. The final room in the tour was the captain''s office.


    Kevin could obviosly not contain his excitement at getting his own office built by beastgirls. I dont understand why its so exciting so I just left him to explore his new office. Rala left with me, as soon as he entered the office he started screaming as loud as he could and running around, she closed the door and sighed, leading me away from the excited screams of a nerd fulfilling his dream.

 Our fair city 5

    Rala led me through the halls but she was being oddly silent. She led me to an area that was almost completely empty, there were many doors and hallways but there was no one but us in them. She then walked up to a blank wall and drew a symbol on it after looking to make sure we were the only ones around. The symbol she drew glowed on the wall in a dull red and the lights around us went dim. A small door opened out of the seemingly solid wall. She looked at my suprised face and gestured for me to enter silently.


    I followed her inside and the door immediately went back to being a wall as soon as we passed by. She had led me into a short hidden hallway that led into an empty chamber. The hallway we were in turned into a platform that crossed the entire room and went into another doorway on the other side, leaving about a foot of space between the platform and the floor.


    "This room" Rala explained "is the only room in this entire place that can only be altered by you the creator. Only I know about this place and now, so do you. If you ever feel the need you can command me to forget about this place, as this is your domain and I am merely a lifelike representation of your inner energy any order you give will be followed. Even if you tell me to forget." She looked a little sad when she said that but continued talking.


    "This room can be considered the actual physical space of what you see in your chest. If this room changes, so does the shape on the outside. The purpose of this room is actually to hold and control your amassed divinity." She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to me. It looked like a small flat piece of wood covered in information that was constantly changing.


    "No matter what happens, the information on this tablet is always true. It will only work in here and can only be used by you. This tablet will also make it easier for you to add functions to this room and use them. Because this room is actually part of the physical world you can use it to see what is happening around you while you are in here. It can show you general information about the area you are in and anything you know about or have gotten into contact with will be marked accordingly."


    I looked at the tablet and I noticed that it was telling me exactly how much mana was being used and how much divinity was being generated there was also a button labelled MAP. I pressed it and the wall in front of me lit up and displayed a map of the city I was in. A big green dot marked where I was, I just looked at it and knew that is what it means. There was also a couple more green dots on the map that marked where Malady and Vylet were, Even Lari and Lamis were marked too.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I wonder if this can show me energy too.


    As soon as I thought that the map started showing masses of swirling clouds all over the city with small thin strands spread out.


    "What you are looking at now is the loose mana in the city- um, sir?"


    I looked at her and noticed the worried expression on her face.


    "See that cloud there?" She pointed at a cloud of black and purple that seemed to be a little distorted.


    "That is a large cloud of corrupted mana and it is directly over the undead district."


    **************************************************************************************************


    The undead district was constantly busy, the people there never sleeped so they were always doing something. Some of the best craftsmen in the city were in the undead district, they had all the time they wanted to polish their skills and improve their craft. With the constant activity going by it was the perfect place to hide in plain sight. Five people in deep black robes were sitting in an old warehouse on the edge of the undead district, this part of the district was seldom used as it was filled with the more reclusive of the undead. Those that didnt mingle well with others but had no other place to go. The five were silently chanting while sitting in chairs made of dark wood.


    They were all in a circle and in the middle was a small bound incubus boy. His legs were broken and his wings were cut. His face was stained with tears but he was silent as he was gagged with an leather mouthpiece that was enchanted to not let the one wearing it speak yet kept his mouth open. One of the people in the circle held a large goblet filled with a thick viscous black liquid and he was mumbling into it. He stood up with the goblet and held it over the boy, two of the other people stood up as well and held the boy up and pointed his head upwards. The man tilted the goblet and let the dark ooze fall into the incubus''s open mouth. Immediately after the ooze touched the boy''s tongue his eyes went blank, symbols of their corrupted magic appeared on the floor around them and on his skin. The boy''s eyes started turning to a cloudy black and his skin started withering away first in patches then all at once, he crumbled and crumbled until he was reduced to nothing but a pile of black goo and a moist powder on the floor.


    The last two of the group got up, still chanting, and started picking up the remains. They scooped what was left of the boy into a bucket and poured it into a huge cauldron that was almost completely full of the same damp powder. They only needed 3 more people and then they would be ready to begin.

 The Helpful Undead

    I was currently running full speed through the city, as soon as Rala told me about the cloud of tainted mana I exited my inner world and ran despite her yelling after me about something. Tainted mana can only mean the mad guild is here. Whatever those bastards are doing in the city cant be good. Images from that village flashed through my head and made me wonder what they were planning here. It didnt take me long to get out of the lamia''s area and into the rest of the city. Even though it isnt the undead district there is still activity in the city, there were still some stores open and people running stalls. It was easy to pass through the city towards the undead district, every now and then I found a small map posted on a board that showed me where I was which made navigating the city extremely easy.


    I misjudged how far the undead district was, I ran till I was out of breath and I wasnt even half way. I stopped to rest on a bench next to the map.


    How the hell did these people get around this place, its huge.


    So I rested till I could breath again and decided to just jog and try to get farther this time. There were no straight roads through the city although it looked like they were building one. There were even some undead working on the road right now. My legs were starting to feel like noodles so I decided to ask one of them how they got around the city. I walked up to the nearest undead which was a female zombie with a hardhat on, it looked like she was directing the others and showing them exactly where to mine and were to just smooth out the stone. I waited till she was done talking and then asked her.


    "Excuse me, im new to this city and Im trying to figure out how you guys get around? This city is huge, ive been running and jogging for about 20 minutes and I havent even reached the middle of the city."


    She looked at me and frowned.


    "Did they not cover that in orientation?"


    "No she simply told us about the city and the rules"


    The zombie woman cursed under her breath, something about a ''dumb lamia girl changing the script again''.


    "Sorry, the girl that runs orientation likes to change what she says every time she does orientation and forgets to add important things like that. We use the skyrail, Its like a metal box that runs along that rail embedded in the rock." She pointed at a huge system of metal bars coming out of the rock wall, there was actually some running and I saw them moving along the ceiling. It was like she said, just a metal box that carried people around, I could see some people sitting behind the window of one.


    After she was sure I saw that she continued.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "We also use an underground train, if we are going to opposite sides of the city. once we finish this road we are building we will be able to use vehicles of all kinds to move cargo all over the city. But for now you can use the underground train, it is always running." She pointed at a stairway that was marked by long metal sign sticking straight up.


    "Thank you for your help" She nodded and smiled, going back to work.


    I went down the stairway to the bottom, down a short hall and into an open room with a large track going through it. Several other people were here as well sitting on benches or leaning on stone support pillars. The room just looked like a smoothed out cave with support pillars and benches spread around. I guess whatever this train is isnt here yet, so I sat down on one of the empty benches and waited with the rest of them. It was only a couple minutes before people got up and started moving, I didnt hear anything so I looked around and I saw the train. It was almost completely silent and extremely shiny, the metal was flat and smooth with windows all thoughout. Small stones embedded in the metal gave off light and also seemed to give off a fresh scent, like being in the forest. When the people stood in front of it the doors on the side opened and they poured in. There was a sign on the front that said ''Undead District'' so this was probably the train I needed to take. As soon as I took one step onto the train I felt strong magic coming from it. The feeling was coming from the floor and the front of the train, when the doors closed the feeling grew immensly stronger.


    I sat down and we shot off, we were going soo fast that before I knew it we were already in the undead district. It was alittle disorienting going that fast but I got over it. I need to find out what the mad guild is doing here and stop them. Im actually starting to like this city and I dont want it to end up like the village I was stationed at. I walked because the train and all that running made me nauseous. I was in the undead district so, I just needed to find the highest concentration of the tainted mana to find out where they are. I found a nearby bench and meditated, entering my inner world to find Rala still standing in the secret chamber. She had a small piece of wood and I think she was drawing on it. She noticed I was back and immediately started talking.


    "Sir, there are many more functions of this room that I think you should know before you leave, however since this seems important I will only tell you about the ones that will be useful for you in this situation. You can summon the map in your mind when you are not in here, however it will not be as detailed but should still be able to point you in the right direction. Although I should warn you, the inner world is something that should be created and run by you. Since Kevin was the one designing and running it, it will clash with your body in some way."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Its different for everyone, but this world is meant to represent your power. You didnt design it so as your power grows, you might end up getting powers and abilities you cant comprehend or cant use. This isnt the only world with this system so its designed to give you powers based on your imagination and the inner workings of this place. What you do and create in this room will have a large impact on your growth as well."


    That sounded bad, however I kinda like what he has done with the place. Itll probably be fine.


    "Oh and I should mention, your body might change in unexpected ways too so watch out for that."


    She left the room before I could ask any questions. Maybe that was payback for ignoring her and leaving earlier. I dont know, but I wonder what she means my body will change.

 The Helpful Undead 2

    After Rala left I changed the layout of the room a bit. I found out I cant make it bigger, so I just made it look like a small throne room. It kind of felt like one anyway so I made it look like one. I stretched the room slightly and added a couple pillars, a long red carpet and some tall windows. I plan on changing it again later but this is fine for now. I was about to leave when I realized I forgot to put in a place to show the map. So I added a large map on the wall behind the throne. The map was of a world that I had made up, I had never really seen a full map of the world so I just improvised. I also made it so the map would change into the functional one when I need it.


    Satisfied with my work I left and stood up, closed my eyes and focused. In about a second I could see a map. It was a little hard to read because it looked like it was just burned into my eyes, like I had looked at the sun. But I could see it well enough to know that I was facing the right direction. I opened my eyes and the map was gone, so I headed in the direction of the tainted mana cloud.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Malady had tried to fall asleep but her mind was still changing and she was simply unable to fall unconscious. She did however manage to get into a meditative like state. It was at this point that she figured out just how screwed she was. Her mind was fragmenting and falling to pieces. She could even see just how bad it was, the only good thing about this is that she now knew why this was happening. Her newly aquired memories and looking at her fragmented mind helped her figure out that it was the summoning that brought her here in the first place.


    The body she has now was only created for her by the summoning, before that she was just a piece of the goddess. Like a puddle of energy floating in nothingness. But the body they had made cannot hold a god''s power. The more time passes and the closer the godess gets to this dimension, the more likely that she would die. But what scared her more is what would happen if she didnt die. Her mind would break and she would essentially be just a super powerfull shell with the mental capacity of a bucket of dirt. She would slowly corrupt the area around her because she wouldnt be able to control her power and her powers could activate randomly.


    She had thought about this for a while and came to a decision. That she would die before it got to that point, She had grown fond of what little she has experienced so far. Even if she was created by accident, she was happy. She had friends and had experienced many things since being summoned. Tears streamed down her face as she remembered the time she has spent with Vylet and Finch. She may not have talked to him much, but she still appreciated what he had done for her. She spent the next hour reminiscing over the past couple of months, until she finally managed to slip into a dreamless sleep.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin was in his new office going through the reports he got from Rala and checking to make sure divinity was being generated properly. There was a little screen built into the desk that displayed information about current production. They were generating enough divinity to start actually using it outside of the inner world. So he started drawing up plans and called in Rala to help him figure out what things would be useful for the elf. Now that they had a nice little stockpile of divinity they could create Finch''s first power. The way that it worked was that they release the divinity into finch''s body which strengthens it and rewires it till it gains a new power. They cannot choose the power that is created but they can at least make it a strong one by offering up more divinity than is needed. Kevin also had to wait for Finch to be inactive in order to start or else he will just pass out randomly.


    Rala seemed to know more about this kind of thing then Kevin did and it made him kind of nervous. He had been a guide for a while yet he didnt have the extensive knowledge this girl had. In fact he doesnt even remember creating her.


    **************************************************************************************************


    I ran through the undead district following the map till I found myself at an old warehouse. The whole building had a weird aura around it. Made me want to just turn around and forget about this place. Thats probably the reason no one has noticed the tainted mana seeping out of the building. The air was thick with it and it became harder to breath the closer I got to the building. I made a small bubble of green mana around my mouth and used it as a filter that only let breathable air in. No one could possibly sense anything in mana this thick, plus with the stench of rot filling this place their senses have probably been dulled. The building was in extreme disrepair, it seems the mad guild has been here for a while keeping people away because this building needed some major work. There were holes in the walls, big dents all over the place like some monster had a fistfight with the wall. There was broken glass and rotting wood everywhere. I walked over to one of the doors but it was locked, unsuprisingly. So I walked around till I found a hole big enough for me to squeeze in to. It was behind some rotting crates that appeared to have been full of food at one point but now just had old tainted fruits and dead vermin in them.


    I stuck my head in to make sure there was no one nearby and then climbed in. The corrupted mana was extremely thick in here, it made it darker than it was outside despite the lights from the many broken windows. I was in a small unused office in the back of the warehouse. They were obviously using it for storage as there were all kinds of mad guild crap in here. Extra robes and sacrificial knives, more of those damn books and a large jar labled ''Poison for religious use only''. Nothing else in here was really worth mentioning except the large number of weapons they had in racks around the room. Then I thought of something.


    This is a warehouse isnt it?


    Why are they using this small office for storage then? What are they using all that other space for?

 The Helpful Undead 3

    I made my way out of the office and through another small room filled with empty shelves. At the other end of this room was a door that led out into the warehouse. The door was open slightly with thick corruption seeping through, I strengthened my green mana mask and squinted my eyes through the doorway.


    It was almost completely pitch black in there, I couldnt see anything other than the door I was hiding behind. Well, ive gotten this far and I need something to prove that the guild is actually here so I walked into the darkness. I didnt want to trip over something so I tried spreading some white mana over the tip of my index finger to use as a light. It seemed to work, and after using it for a couple seconds I noticed the corrupted mana around me was thinning. It looks like the white mana was actually purifying the corruption and absorbing it making my finger glow brighter.


    I could see clearly in my immediate area and this place was disgusting. There were slaughtered animals in the corner next to the door I just used with blood stains all over the floor. There was rotting food thrown about like some kid had a tantrum. Small bits of the building that had fallen off or rotted away were laying on the ground. I kept walking while avoiding all the mess on the ground. I expanded my mana mask to cover my nose since this smell was unbearable. I kept walking through the filth until I stepped on something that didnt feel like the floor. I pointed my finger-light down and saw that I was stepping on what looked like a huge yellow fang. I started wondering what creature this came from when I heard a deep snore coming from nearby. I pointed my light around trying to find the source when I saw more teeth next to the one I was standing on. There was a huge fucking mouth coming out of the floor and I was standing on its teeth. I got away from it as fast as I could without making any noise. If it had opened its mouth I wouldve been dead. I still needed something to prove that they are here so I kept walking around the room, giving the floor-mouth a wide berth.


    As I walked further into the place the floor was no longer covered in just blood and debris. Now it also had entrails and shit smeared on the floor and piled along the walls. This place was so disgusting all I wanted to do was burn it down and then set the ashes on fire. I tried my best to avoid stepping in anything while making my way through this place. I heard something like metal links clinking together and immediately shoved my lit up hand in my pocket to hide the light and crouched in the darkness. Straining my eyes to see in this darkness and listening to see if I can find out which direction it came from.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK*


    There!


    It was coming from about 20 feet in front of me. I pulled my hand out of my pocket and covered it with my jacket so the light would be focused in front of me. I looked in the direction of the sounds and saw, a large fist chained to the ground. My eyes went from the massive fist to the muscled arm, then across the broad shoulders with black wings that seemed to produce the corrupted mana. Down to its lower back with had been chained to the floor as well as its legs which were covered in thick hair. I looked back up at its head to see that it was staring at me. I shoved my hand back into my pocket and got the hell out of there. As soon as I started running I could hear it roar like it was screaming ''INTRUDER'' at the top of its lungs. I dashed through the building almost slipping on the entrails a couple times and bumping into something that im pretty sure wasnt there before and I made it too the door. I smashed through it and got into the office, pulling the shelves over behind me as I went.


    Running into the office I closed the door and pulled a bunch of stuff in front of it. Grabbed one of the books and extra cloaks as evidence and crawled through the hole to the outside. I ran as far away from that place as I could before stopping and releasing the mana I had been using. Once I had calmed down I wrapped the book in the cloak to hide it and walked through the undead market for a bit. My clothes had been stained with the tainted mana and my pants and boots were covered in some of the trash and filth that was on the floor. I needed new ones before I left and the only place to get stuff was the undead market nearby. Hopefully no one would ask any questions about what I was doing to get this filthy.


    I made my way towards the lights and activity in the undead district, ignoring the looks i was getting from people I passed by. I bought some cheap pants and a shirt from the first stall I passed. The stall next to that one had a pair of boots that looked like they would fit me so I bought those too. I went to a nearby alleyway and changed, I put my old clothes in a small broken bucket that was just thrown back here and set it on fire. I desided to bathe when I get back, Lari showed me the bath she had in her place and I havent gotten to try it out yet. It looked amazing like all the other stuff she had. I waited till the fire went out then made my way back to Lari''s place. Ive also got to warn her about the huge ass thing chained up in that warehouse.

 The Helpful Undead 4

    Lari''s house was still dark and quiet when I got back. The smell of dinner was still in the air as I found my way back to my room. I entered the room as quietly as I could and got ready for bed again. I think its almost daytime anyway, I can get a little sleep before I tell them that a psycho group of murderous cultists are here in her city in a disgusting old warehouse. Plus for some reason my chest feels warm and im really, really tired. I have to see what kevin is up to while im resting.


    I slipped into bed which was softer thanit was earlier and entered my inner world. Making sure to leave my body relaxed as my conciousness slipped into the other world. But this time it was different, instead of just appearing there like before I had a weird sense of being moved somewhere. I tried to open my eyes but all I could see is black and it just made me feel incrediblely nauseous. It was only a couple seconds of this before I felt myself being shoved forward and falling flat on my face in kevin''s office. Startling kevin making him spill whatever he was drinking all over his desk, ruining several papers and documents and the shirt he was currently wearing.


    I got off the floor and looked at him. His body looked completely solid now and showed no signs of transparency. He was now very pale and looked kind of frail with thin arms and legs. At the moment he was frantically wiping off his desk and trying to save some of the paperwork he had spilled on. The doors on the other side of the office opened to reveal a maid pushing a small cart into the office. She was dressed like a maid but she had an angry air about her, like she was really really upset about something. She saw the mess Kevin had made and that seemed to have pushed her over the edge.


    "You fukin'' serious? You spilled this shit again? Next time Imma take that fukin'' glass and ramm it up your arse!" She said while angrily stomping over to him with two towels, throwing one in his face and then attempting to try and help him save some of the documents. I didnt really feel like helping so while they were busy I snuck out of the office and down the hall before they noticed me. My escape was almost cut short when I almost tripped over Rala as she was making her way to Kevin''s office. I pulled her around the corner with me so Kevin and the maid couldnt see. Peeking around the corner to make sure that Kevin was still in there distracted by the maid I whispered to Rala and explained why I was hiding. She stifled a giggle and nodded, walking with me following her away from the office.


    We went to a small room that was not far down the hall yet had a large door. Inside was a pretty normal looking bedroom, if an elephant stormed through after taking a large pink shit and smearing it around. The room was a complete mess. Books and papers were thrown about and clothes covered the floor. Bits and peices of metal that were partially assembled into something were sitting on a makeshift desk in the corner. Everthing in here looks like it was handmade. Even the room itself was carved instead of just wished up by me or Kevin.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Rala?" I asked.


    "Yes?"


    "You know if you wanted something you couldve just asked me or kevin to make it for you, it wouldve taken like two seconds to make your room if you wanted. Why did you make all of this yourself?"


    Rala smiled and told me.


    "I like the feeling of creating something with my own hands, as you can see im not very good at it yet. But it is still extremely satisfying."


    I nodded at her as I could understand how she feels, images of my black sword came into mind. The feeling I had when crafting it, molding the metal into that form and sharpening it. It was unlike anything else, to create something for yourself and use it. Also something was really bugging me about Rala. She seemed to know alot more than kevin did about this whole thing and Kevin was supposed to be my guide to this. I think its time for me to ask.


    "Rala, what are you really?"


    She cleaned off a spot for us to sit and froze when I asked that question. She looked at me with a sad smile and gestured for me to sit.


    "That, is kind of a long story."


    "Well, I have all night." I replied.


    She sat down on the edge of her bed and I sat down on a chair she pulled out for me. She sighed and erased the door to the room.


    "Just in case someone was eavesdropping, I have sealed the room and moved it to the edge of your domain."


    Just the fact that she could do something like that made me feel like she wasnt just something that Kevin thought up. I nodded, if she wanted me dead there were most likely many easier ways to do it than this so I decided to trust her for now.


    She took another deep breath and started talking.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Lari had a bad habit of sleepwalking (Slithering)and often Lamis would wake up in bed and find her sister tightly wrapped onto her tail. She recently thought that she had that under control as it has not happened for a while. But the presence of guests had interfered with her efforts. At the time finch had returned to bed and entered his inner world, she was slithering around the room stacking things. Neither Lari nor Lamis could figure out why she did this and none of the professionals she saw about it could help her. So she normally ended up tieing herself to her bed, but this night she had forgotten. She managed to open her door and wander down the hall into the room Finch was currently in. She started stacking everything she could find and leaving little piles everywhere. She even stacked the ''evidence'' that Finch had recovered tonight. But when she was stacking the folded robes, a certain book fell out and opened itself on the floor. Leaking an ominous aura into the room. Lari ran out of things to stack and left the room, leaving the open book on the floor.

 The Helpful Undead 5

    Lari slithered around the house still asleep until she ran straight into a wall startling her and waking her up immediately. She fell on the floor flailing for a couple seconds before she realized what had happened. She grunted angrily and got up to start un-stacking the apartment. She went around the house looking for things she had stacked and started unstacking in her room. She finished and moved on to see what else she had sleepily stacked when she saw one of the doors was open slightly. She peeked in to see Finch passed out on the bed next to a large lump in the sheets. She also noticed things in this room were stacked as well so she came in to clean up when she saw the book on the floor. She recognized it immediately as a book used and spread by the mad guild. She also noticed the robe from the mad guild sitting on the dresser. Lari immediately closed the book, taking it and the robe to hide it away. Being an official in this city she was privy to many things the city''s council had gotten rid of and the evidence they had buried. The mad guild was a big problem they had dealt with years ago and she had no intention of letting it happen again.


    She felt bad but she would have to report her guest to the council. Lari went back into his room and finished unstacking things after leaving the robe and book on her bed. She noticed the lump in the bed next to finch started moving and pulled back the blankets to reveal a Lamis that was giggling in her sleep. She must be going through what all lamia go through at around that age. A weird period of growth where our snakey instincts run wild, we almost unconsiously seek warmth and taste the air with our tounges. She had gotten the lisp a little early but that was normal in some lamia girls. Their tongues grow long and they have trouble talking with it at first, but as their body grows they learn how to control their tongues better. At least that better be the reason she was in his bed, or Lari would show him just how much like snakes the lamia''s really are. She unhinged her jaw almost unconsiously like she was making a point.


    Lari carried her little sister back into her room after resituating her jaw and tucked her in. Afterwards she went back into her own room and collected the robe and book, slithered into the living room and set them down on the table. She then picked up a smooth object from the table and sat down on the couch. The smooth object looked like a polished rock that was shaped like a flat shoe with no hole for the foot. One side had rubber buttons arranged in a small grid with holes above and below the buttons. She took one last look at the book and robe to make absolutely sure and then she pressed the rubber buttons and raised it to her left ear. It only took a couple of seconds before someone answered with a very high pitched voice and happy tone.


    "Hello! you have reached the office of the council of Harendia how may I help you?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lari rolled her eyes at the happy tone of the receptionist at the office. She was the only harpy that worked in the office and she was always sickeningly happy. Lari didnt actually dislike her, she just tried to avoid talking to the harpy girl because she would always try to rope you into a conversation that would devolve into the harpy simply talking at you while you stand there and nod.


    "Hi Pinea its me, Lari. I need an investigator and some guards at my place. I found some evidence of the dark guild being here again."


    "OH that sounds AWEFULL, Ill get them over there right away! anything else I can do for you Lari?"


    "no thats it, thank you Pinea."


    "OKI-Dokies, Ill get that done in a jiffy just like that last time-"


    "Ok, Ive gotta go thank you Pinea"


    "Oh ok bye" She said, then she hung up. She almost got caught up in Pinea''s hourlong conversations and was glad that this was a phone call because it was considerably harder to escape it in person.


    Lari sighed and waited for the investigatorto show up with the guards. Lamis seemed to like the elf and she had so few friends, she seemed to have very little interest in other children her age and spent little time with others. Lari was very worried about her sister, especially when she disappeared the other day. But when she came back she seemed happy and she actually showed interest in other people for once. Vylet seemed to be about the same age and Lamis got along really well with her. Hopefully they will still be friends even after Finch is arrested.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Rala had started by telling me that she was also a guide which I immediately called bullshit on. She knew too much about too many things to be just another guide. She looked at me for a second before sighing and continuing.


    "Fine, you seem to have guessed who I am so I might as well tell you."


    I had no idea what she was talking about, I just didnt think she was another guide but I let her continue because I want to know who she is.


    "I.....I am the god that chose you." She said while staring straight at the floor. Something is telling me that isnt the whole story.


    "That isnt everything is it?"


    She shook her head and closed her eyes. She looked like she was about to burst into tears but I had to know what she was hiding. She opened her watery eyes and looked directly into mine.


    "I am your real mother."


    I stared at her and she stared right back at me.


    "You do realize that I am an elf right? And that you are not an elf?"


    Even though I said this the look on her face didnt change. She was dead serious about what she had just said.


    "I am a god, when I met your father and had you I...Wasan elf."


    This was rediculous. First I find out that im not just an elf, im a chosen of the gods demigod and I have a living world inside my chest. Now Im the direct descendant of a god. This is too much. I buried my face in my hands. Im sick of this, all this is starting to piss me off. I need an explination of what the hell I am and what the fuck is going onNOW.

 What am I?

    All of this was really starting to piss me off. I dont know who or what I am anymore and this Rala in front of me was making it worse. I needed an answer and she was going to give me one.


    "Ok, explain. Everything. I am tired of randomly finding out im actually something else. I need to know what is going on."


    She nodded.


    "Okay, well I guess ill tell you now that Ralenshiksha is my real name but you can keep calling me Rala if you wish. I used to be known as the goddess of art and craftmenship. As you can see I am no longer as powerful as I used to be. There used to be a powerful race that worshipped me that called themselves the People of the tide, everyone else had taken to just calling them the Tide men. They were a race of fairy-like beings with short lifespans but they also had a very high birthrate which made them a very powerful race that spread themselves all over the continent. They had an insatiable wanderlust and invented many wonderful ways to travel all over, even to other worlds. The tide men travelled everywhere and built many wonderous things spreading their crafts and arts as they went. The people they shared their crafts with would sometimes convert and start worshipping me as well, leaving behind their old faith which angered the other gods. The others didnt really like how I was the only one that the tide men worshipped and wanted some of them to convert to their religions. They grew jealous as my religion was growing at a fast rate and didnt seem to be stopping any time soon. They started forcing their followers to outlaw my religion in major cities, but that didnt stop its growth.


    At the time I was in my elf form living in a small elven village on the outskirts of what is now this kingdom. I had fallen in love with a young elf man, I knew it was forbidden for gods to have children but I didnt care. I loved that man soo much and wanted to have a child with him, a family. The other gods knew as soon as you were born though and they were very angry. They started a war that ended up wiping out the TideMen and my entire religion. I hid you the only way I could, by giving you up. I hid you so that they would never find you with a couple I thought I could trust. Turns out a couple months after I left they had sold you to a slaver. After losing all my power and then losing you, I couldnt maintain my physical for anymore so I returned to the realm of the gods and I tricked one of the gods to make me a guide specifically meant for you. I knew at some point you would unlock your heritage and I would appear. But for some reason you already had a guide and It took me a little longer to enter your inner world. Ive kind of been living here since, hiding from the gods while trying to help you ascend to godhood. When the other gods find out that you are still alive then they will come for you. So I wanted to at least give you the power to defend yourself."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She stopped for a bit as she has been talking for a while. I didnt know what to say so we just sat there in silence.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Lari waited patiently on the couch till she heard a stiff knock at the door. She opened it to see a short man with tiny horns sticking out of a small black beret. He was dressed in a thick jacket and long black pants that almost hid his shiny black shoes. He was accompanied by two tall and thick soldiers dressed in solid but thin metal armor, that just made him look even smaller by comparison.


    "come in, I have something I need you to look at on the table."


    The small man nodded and walked into the room with the guards right behind him. He walked over to the couch and inspected the items on the table. Taking long looks at the robe and the book making sure that they were authentic. Once he was done with that he looked at Lari.


    "They are authentic, Who had them? We must take them in for questioning."


    Lari looked down at the ground and said "A young elf man who arrived at this city with my sister. He saved her life, but we cannot have the mad guild here again. He is sleeping in the room on the left side of that hall." Lari said while pointing the room out to them. She looked away as they took the unconsious elf out of her home, taking all his possesions with them.


    **************************************************************************************************


    The warehouse was swimming with activity as the mad guild prepared to finish its ritual. One of them was standing and watching the others, he was clearly aggrivated and was making it obvious to everyone around him that he wasnt happy. He was leaning heavily on a cane he held in a malformed hand as one side of his body looked like it had melted Which was a side effect of being surrounded by corrupted mana all the time. He had spent years in the thick fog working to reach his goals. Almost everyone in the mad guild has been altered in some way due to their prolonged exposure, although his was one of the worst. Their hideout had been discovered and they were completely unprepared, He had spent so much time instructing them on how to keep their operation a secret and now they had to speed up their plans because someone found us and escaped.


    They needed only 2 more sacrifices and they had to get them as soon as possible. The time has come to begin the final phase of the plan.

 What am I? 2

    Five people in dark robes ran through the streets at high speeds. Their task must be completed before the city wakes up and the streets are filled with people. They were running around looking for targets to fulfill their final sacrifice. In four short minutes of running they found the perfect subjects. Two children were making their way through the streets. They looked like orphans making their way home from whatever the orphanage makes them do during the night. The two were walking along talking while holding a basket filled with some sort of pastry.


    They were paying very little attention to their suroundings which made it easy to grab them, tie them up and stuff them into an almost child-size sack to take back to their base. They didnt even realize what happened until they were already in the bags. Now all they could see was a bag that smelled like rotting flesh and old cheese. They could see through the fibers the bag was made of but their eyes were closed shut. The first thing they saw through the bags was the faces of the ones that caught them and that was more terrifying than what they were going through. As soon as they saw that face and realized the situation they were in, the two kids already considered themselves dead. As they were taking back through the alleys and to their doom, all they could do was cry softly into the cloth sacks that held them.


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    I woke up in a cell with nothing but my pants on surrounded by dull stone walls and solid iron bars that im pretty sure were enchanted. I could hear a slight buzzing coming from them that gave me the impression that touching them would be a bad idea. After Rala told me her story I left her room and walked around to gather my thoughts. If I am a god and other gods are going to be coming after me, then I need to get stronger as fast as I can. I need to get powers. Rala said everything I build in that chamber in my inner world will react with the divinity I have accumulated. Maybe that will do.....something. I dont know, but sitting in this cell waiting for something to happen isnt any better than trying to give myself powers.


    With my back on the stone wall I got as comfortable as I could and slipped back into the inner world. I didnt want to startle kevin again but I dont know how to choose where I appear. I tried focusing on the secret chamber as I appeared in the inner world and it was awful, I could already see kevin''s office in front of me but as I focused on the secret chamber the world shifted and spun and I found myself being thrown into the secret chamber at high speed. Ramming myself into a pillar and almost completely knocking it over. I thought this wasnt actually real but I guess it is, cause that fucking hurt. I got up off of the floor and leaned on the pillar to steady myself before starting my work. I completely emptied the room and reshaped it into the bedroom I made when I first found this place. I need to make something in here, so I just started with what I knew. I started making a mana cycler, a very simple device that simply cycles mana around it. It is the first thing you are taught to make when training to become an enchanter. So I start by ''borrowing'' some of the metal that they used in the factory and got to work shaping it into a form I can use.


    After heating the metal to a sufficient temperature I started shaping it to a form that can cycle mana properly. Mainly it just looked like a metal tube that had a piece missing like it was cut open. Once I got the shape down I cooled it off and started enchanting it, I didnt need to do anything fancy with it cause im just practicing and I just wanted something I can carve things in to. I used the forbidden language because why the hell not, and carved the symbols into the middle of the object. Injecting mana into the symbol as I went along and as soon as I finished, I cut off the supply of mana and set it down. I waited a couple seconds and then poked it, paying attention to the mana in the immediate vicinity. For a little while nothing happened, so I injected a tiny amount of mana to get it going and it started working. I could feel the mana being pulled from one side and coming out the other. A small flaw is that I cant really turn it off but it didnt do anything other than move mana around so I just left it on. I even made a shelf in the corner and left it on there as my first creation in here.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I took some time to practice with mana for a little bit to give myself an idea on what to make next. I spun it around and wrapped some blue mana around some red mana and I saw a spark. It gave me an idea, I created a thin sheet of blue mana in front of me and forced some red mana through the middle of it. Bright sparks started shooting out the other end almost catching the table in front of me on fire. I took out my first experiment and started modifying the symbols on it. I added some more symbols and modifyed the ones I had put there already. It now required mana to work but it was such an insignifigant amount that it could work on the ambient mana in a room. I added a small switch on the side so I can turn it on and off. This time there was a small sheet of blue mana hovering in the middle of the tube. When activated it would shoot a small but constant amount of red mana through the blue mana causing sparks to shoot out the other end. I altered the switch so that the intensity would change depending on how far the switch was pushed. I pushed the switch all the way and watch as the whole side of the room was bathed in a beautiful shower of sparks. After putting out a couple fires I set it back on the shelf happy at my first invention. Although I had no idea how this was actually going to help me in the long run, I was happy to at least make some progress. I was thinking how I could use this outside with my actuall body when a part of the wall changed to a picture of my anatomy.


    I got up and looked at it, it was a perfect picture of my body. I picked up my invention off the shelf again and tried to imagine how I would use it.


    I guess if the sparks shot out my hand it would be pretty cool. As well as a pretty good distraction in a fight.


    As these thoughts swam in my mind, my invention flew into the picture and floated above my arm. I unconsiously raised my arm and touched it which caused it to moved with my hand. I dragged it onto my hand and a window popped up.


    "Would you like to use this device in your hand?"


    "Umm, yes?"


    The drawing of the device shrank and reshaped itself. Now it looked like a small cylinder about the length of my pinky and the drawing of my invention slowly started embedding itself into the drawing of my hand. As it did so I reflectively winced, yet I felt no pain or anything really. Just a slight warm sensation in my hand. When it was done, I could feel it. Like I could feel that there was something in my hand, but it wasnt uncomfortable or itchy or anything. I immediately exited my inner world to check my body.


    After waking up to the dull prison cell again, I looked down at my hand and I couldnt tell anything was different, but I could feel it. I raised my hand and imagined myself pushing the switch on the side of the device. A small stream of sparks shot out of the palm of my hands.


    just call me, Sir. Sparklefingers.


    I shook off that weird thought in my head and realized exactly what this means I could do.

 What am I? 3

    I immediately went back into my inner world and started modifying the device. Which took me a while because I had to figure out how to get it out of the drawing on the wall. Which was pretty much that same thing as putting it in there. I just pressed on the device and dragged it out of my hand, it reverted back to its original shape and popped out of the drawing.


    I was curious to see if the size of the device mattered and since I had just made this one I could copy it and just create it with my mind. So I made one that was three times its size and walked up to the drawing, which absorbed it without any effort. I dragged it back to my hand and it shrank down to the same size as before, this means I could add some really complicated enchantments and spells to it. This was making me really excited, something like this means I wont have to keep running all the time. Once I get out of whatever prison im in, im going to go back to that warehouse and burning it down and spread white mana all over the ashes. It seems to purify that mana smog and I dont want to take any chances.


    Lets see, The device I made first just shoots out sparks. I need something that can actually be used to do some damage. I took a couple minutes to think, when I think of the weakness of most living things, fire. I raided the supplies of the factory, making sure no one saw me take the materials back to my room. I started with some normal Iron and mithril. Mithril had a small amplification effect on magic so I thought it would help with my idea. I made a tube of the mithril that was large enough for me to be able to carve spells into it easily. I was going to write in the forbidden language as that would also increase the power of the spells. I started by writing the spell for ''fire spout'' all around one end of the tube. Fire spout just shot a stream of fire in one direction but it was rather short range and it wasnt very powerful. So I needed to increase the range and power of the spell. The mithril and the forbidden language should increase the power quite a bit, but I still had to fix the range. I made a cap for the pipe and made sure to cut large holes into it, leaving just enough space for an enchantment. I made the cap use blue mana to push everything down the tube away from the cap. So the cap would push the flames without smothering them down the tube and out the other end. I attached the cap to the side of the pipe I carved the fire spells into.


    On the other side I enchanted it to cycle purple mana, but only on the outer rim of the pipe. So the blue mana would force the fire down the pipe and the purple mana would pull the fire out as well, shooting the fire in one direction. I added a trigger and tested it. It worked but the fire was still not strong enough, it was dissapating before it got more than a couple inches away  from the pipe. I took off the cap and added an enchantment to the fire spells, this enchantment would channel red mana into the fire spells while the trigger was held. Amplifying their power even more, but also making the mana cost shoot up. I could only use it for two minutes before my mana would run out. I had an abundace of divinity that I didnt really know what to do with at the moment so I decided to try that. I carved some grooves into the outside of the pipe and filled them with a small amount of divinity. As soon as it settled I felt a distinct change in the flow of mana throughout the weapon. It seemed calmer, smoother and more efficient. I summoned a brick wall and tested the flamethrower on it. When the trigger was pulled the grooves on the outside lit up bright blue and the flamethrower shot out a huge torrent of flames that looked way too big for the opening of the pipe. I added a switch to the side so I could control the intensity of the flames just in case.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I was very satisfied with my creation and added it to the diagram on the wall immediately. I felt the same warm feeling in my hand as the now shrunken device settled into my flesh. I left the inner world and decided to test it out here. I opened my eyes and was looking for a place to test it on when I noticed I was no longer alone in my cell. In the cell with me was a man laying face down on the floor. He did not look healthy in anyway, his eyes were leaking some kind of pus, his skin looked like beef and almost all of his limbs were bent the wrong way. All his fingers and toes were also broken and swolen. I could see he was breathing but that was the only movement I saw from him, but if I was that fucked up I probably wouldnt be moving either. I wonder what happened to this poor bastard, I am pretty sure I see tears mixed in with the pus but I dont think he is conscious.


    I didnt see anyone else around and my cellmate was unaware so I just tested my new weapon on the wall next to me. I set the switch for the lowest intensity and pointed my open palm at the wall, then pulled the trigger in my mind. A small purple jet of flame came out of my palm, I played with the intensity and I found out I could go from the small jet to a huge spout of flame. I ended up burning my fingers and had to cut off the flame, cursing to myself. I had to figure out a way to deal with the heat and still be able to use the flamethrower.

 What am I? 4

    The man next to me in my cell was starting to smell really bad, the only thing that showed me he was alive was his shallow and pained breathing. I feel kind of bad for the guy but I dont know why he was in here. I wanted to help him breathe better at least, but I really didnt want to touch him. So I got a little closer and released some green mana out my hand onto his throat. It slowly floated towards him but right before it touched his skin it was dispersed, like a strong wind came and blew the green mist away. This was very weird, I dont think this was a normal sickness. When someone is sick their body naturally absorbs green mana from their surroundings as a way to fight it. Although they can only absorb small amounts normally it helps their body fight sickness very well. But this man''s body immediately and forcefully rejected it. I tried again and it was the same thing, right before touching his body it dissappeared.


    Maybe its a curse?


    If its a curse maybe some white mana will work. I tried to give him some white mana, releasing it above his chest this time and waited. I watched as the mist settled on his body, it wasnt being rejected like the green but it wasnt being accepted either. It just floated around his body, I guess this isnt enough, I have to inject it directly into his body. I used my least favorite finger just in case and poked his arm, sensing the mana flow inside his body. It was chaotic, all the mana just violently flailed around in his body which is no doubt the cause for his ailment. White mana wasnt going to fix anything, I need to actually fix his mana flow. Something like this cannot just happen, someone did this to him. At least I know its not a disease, although his hamburger like skin and rotting smell makes it seem like it.


    This kind of mana disruption is normally lethal. Im suprised he has survived this long despite the pain he must be going through. I placed both my hands on his skin and concentrated on the flow of mana in his body. Directing small amounts of it at a time I made it flow slowly and in the correct direction around his body. I could feel his breathing calm down slightly so I know its working. I kept working on his mana flow for about an hour, making sure to first slow it all down and then direct it to the proper points in his body. I was covered in sweat as all my concentration was focused on helping this man. I took a break as I was exhausted and leaned on the wall to calm my breathing. Looking at him now I can see his skin heal slightly, he no longer looked like ground meat. He now looked more like ham that was beaten thoroughly, and left to sit out in the sun for a couple days. Which honestly isnt as bad as he looked before, at least he wasnt leaking pus anymore and he wasnt crying. It looked like he was in a very deep slumber now, as his breathing was very calm and he had even started snoring softly. I think it would be at least another hour before I can fix him completely but at least he isnt in any more pain. Once I caught my breath I started working on him again, checking his mana, slowing it down and making it flow the right way.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As I was working I heard the cell door open and someone walk in. I wasnt finished helping him and if I stopped right now I might actually cause more damage.


    "Give me a moment, I cant stop right now or it might hurt him. Im almost done."


    I heard the person shift slightly but otherwise they just stood there. I finished up and sat back feeling very tired and sweaty. The man in front of me was completely fixed, I made sure to leave some green mana in his body to accelerate his healing. It might take some time for his body to comepletely get back to normal but at least he is cured and no longer in pain. I looked up to see that our visitor was a woman in military dress and she was staring at the man on the floor. He was obviously better, even if he did still look a little gross. She took a couple more steps towards him and seemed to be checking his breathing. After she was satisfied she stood and turned to me.


    "How did you cure him?" She asked with an oddly soothing voice that didnt really match the stern look on her face.


    "Someone fucked with his mana flow, accelerating the hell out of it and sending it out of whack. I just slowed it down and directed it back to where it was supposed to go. Thats all."


    I was very tired and didnt want to explain more than that. Luckily she accepted that and nodded, then promptly left the cell closing the door behind her.


    Was that all? Why did she even come in here?


    That was a little wierd but I put it out of my mind and focused on resting. I got a good hour of rest before she came back and took me out of the cell. Her and two large guards took me to a room not far from the cells and sat me in a small uncomfortable metal chair in front of a small table. The room was pretty bare other than the table, chairs, a large mirror and the door. The two men left but the woman stayed and sat down in the chair on the other side of the table. She had put down a bag that I didnt notice she was carrying and pulled some papers out of it. Sorting them neatly on the table in front of her. One of them I saw was a report dated months ago but I had trouble reading the details, the handwriting was small and the paper was upside down. There were some other reports that she put on the table but the thing that practically told me why I was here was when she took out the book and the robe and placed them on the table.


    I found myself blurting out the words, "Uhh, those are...not mine" before I could stop myself. The only reaction I got from her was a small smile, she just kept organizing the papers in front of her. A couple minutes later she finished and looked up at me, still sporting that tiny smile on her face.


    "You are here because we have evidence connecting you to the dark guild. You will not be allowed to leave until you are either proven innocent or excecuted."


    Shit.

 What am I? 5

    The room we were in was tiny and im pretty sure its getting warmer even though we were the only two in here. She has been staring directly into my eyes for the past 10 minutes as I tried to explain everything that has happened to me over the past couple months. Of course I omitted the parts about the gods and my divinity, making sure to leave Malady out of it too. She stared at me with a look that told me she didnt beleive a word I was saying.


    I finally finished and she still had that look on her face, But then she looked to the side for a second in thought.


    "You said as you fled the warehouse it was on fire?" She asked.


    "Yeah, it was on fire and this big ass thing was screaming behind me."


    She moved around some papers that were in front of her and pulled out what looks like a report. She read the details then passed it to me.


    "Is this the warehouse that you were in?"


    I looked at the paper which was a drawing of a warehouse with some writing underneath that stated where it was exactly and the details on its use. Apparently it was abandoned years ago because of some affliction that affected everyone that entered the building. Eventually they just stopped using it and left the goods inside to rot. This was definitely the same warehouse.


    "Yep, thats it."


    She immediately sat up and left the room. I could hear someone yelling from the other side of the door and boots stomping about. Maybe she beleived me after all and just had a bad case of resting bitch face. The yelling didnt stop even when she came back into the room. She sat back down and started asking more questions which didnt stop until a couple hours later. She finally stood up and gathered the papers together, leaving me alone in the room which was now about as hot as a sauna. The woman that was questioning me wasnt sweating or reacting to it in anyways so it must be some sort of interrogation thing. It wasnt ten minutes later that someone else came in the room with guards and took me back to the cell. The man with the guards told me that they would verify my story and then if I was telling the truth then they would let me go. As he left I overheard him telling the guards to get ready because they were about to got alot more prisoners.


    I made sure to tell them about the big ass creature that was there so they should prepare accordingly. They wouldnt be stupid enough to attack without considering that. Right?The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


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    Lamis woke up in her bed, sweating. She sat up and looked around her room, it was really hot in here. She looked over the side of the bed and checked the small switch on the side. The heater that was built into the bed was turned on, Lamis never turns this heater on because it makes the room too hot. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash the sweat off. She passed by Finch''s room, but noticed that the door was slightly open and she could taste something odd in the air. She looked into the room to see her sister in the bed tightly hugging the blankets. Lamis knows that when her sister is not sleeping in her bed she goes around stacking stuff. But she also knows that she shouldnt be sneaking into her guests beds while they are sleeping. So Lamis opened the door completely to see that Finch and all his stuff was gone. The little lamia girl checked the other rooms but Malady and Vylet was still there. Why would Finch leave without them?


    She was very curious but then she realized she could taste her own sweat and continued to the bathroom to wash herself. She would ask them and her sister about it when they woke up.


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    The warehouse was buzzing with activity as they prepared their final sacrifices. Securing them to the floor on either side of a large cauldron, all of which was inside a massive circle drawn in blood on the floor. The members of the mad guild were busy reinforcing the doors and blocking any holes in the wall. They knew they were going to be under attack soon and were preparing to last as long as they could, they needed this ritual to be completed. If this ritual was completed they might finally be free. They were almost ready to start and they could not afford to be interupted so they were taking extra precautions. They had even caught some extra people as hostages when they need them. The oldest of them was sitting and preparing something, he was pushing all of his mana into a small crystal. He stopped when he started feeling sick, absorbed some more mana and started injecting it again.


    He did this many times before he was satisfied and got up with his now cloudy gray crystal. He walking over to the monstrocity chained to the floor and looked into its eyes. That made it angry, it roared at him and he just tossed the crystal into its mouth. It was caught unaware and ended up swallowing it, which ended up angering it more. The man just chuckled and walked away. His mutated body creaking as he walked through his rushing subordinates which gave him a wide berth. Last time one of them bumped into him they ended up impaling themselves on a growth from his abdomen. You cant really tell through his robes but he actually had really sharp growths and out of place bones that could kill someone if he ever tried to give someone a hug, not like he ever would though.


    After a long time their plans were coming to fruition, this ritual is something they have been researching and preparing for since they became the mad guild. They werent going to let anyone stop them.

 Ouch

    After the interrogation of the elven suspect Captain Lucy Faegrens made arrangements for an assault on the warehouse. She had her report filled out and was heading back up the stairs towards the requisitions office, like she has hundreds of times before. Almost all of the guards in the undead district reported to her, so anything they would need she would have to bring their request to requisitions and there was alot they would need. The undead district was pretty tame, however that didnt stop criminals from other districts trying to smuggle things in through there. With the constant activity from the undead it was almost impossible to differenciate between shipments from there. One of the guards even came into contact with one of the most popular drugs here without knowing. It was a waxy substance called ''twis'' which was extremely addictive and extremely flammable. The guard almost set his foot on fire hours after stepping on what he thought was a fruit that fell from a passing cart.


    The guard in question was of course investigated but he was cleared of suspicion for lack of evidence and the abscence of any behavior and markings that were the telltale signs of twis use. The use of the drug would leave thin burn lines on your mouth and throat that were pretty easy to hide but were very itchy but scratching made them buldge out of your skin.


    Lucy had entered the office and handed her signed forms to the officer in charge who took them, gave them a quick look and then filed them away. He then made a few calls through a metal pipe system built into the walls that carried his voice down to the main office. She then left and made her way down to the main office to report to her boss before leaving. The main office was where all the actual work happened in the building, Lucy herself had an office here even though she was mostly out on the streets working with her subordinates. She was never one for deskwork and enjoyed being outside making sure everything went smoothly within her jurisdiction. She had to dodge three carts loaded with papers and coffee being pushed around by secretaries rushing from desk to desk. This place was a battlefield complete with papers flying around and people yelling over each other. This office was responsible for managing the security of the entire city. Each district has its own central guard building that organizes the local guards, this building happened to be the main one that controls all of the other guard buildings.


    Lucy had been here for about four years and she has almost never left the undead district since she got here. She loved everything about this part of the city. She loved how the shops over here never closed and the craftsmenship was amazing. The undead havent really been here all that long, people were uncomfortable with them at first but they quickly warmed up to them as they were rediculously hard workers. When they first arrived here they started out helping with construction and they were such good workers the construction that was expected to take weeks, they finished in 4 days. The craftsmen over here have been working on perfecting their art non stop, so they have reached rediculous levels and have invented many wondorous things.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Lucy knocked on her bosses office door and waited patiently for an answer, which she didnt have to wait long for.


    "Come in!" He yelled over the loud offices and cubicles surrounding his office. She entered and closed the door behind her, dulling the noise from behind her. She stopped right in front of his desk and made her report. Only getting the occasional nod and grunt in response. When she was finished she stated she was mounting an assualt and with his permission she was ready to set out immediately. Her boss was notorious for his haste in dispatching guards for anything above a minor theft. He was a man that honestly beleived you can never have too many guards respond to one problem. So he obviously agreed and sent her on her way with two more teams of guards than she asked for. She was actually pretty happy about this development as it would make it alot easier to subdue the mad guild, especially if they were to take very few prisoners. She was now in the armory with her men getting their weapons ready, there were soo many of them they could barely fit in the building and had to line up to receive their weapons. She thought that given the nature of how the mad guild likes to throw spells and avoid physical conflict a single group of enchanted sheild bearers should suffice, they would use their enchanted sheilds to block the spells while they gain ground and they would be supported by archers and spearmen. This was the standard tactic they used when dealing with groups of wizards and it has worked soo far. It should be fine.


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    Lamis was bored. She tried to ask about Finch when her sister woke but she wouldnt answer her and kept changing the subject. Lamis heard the others get up but before she could bother them Lari sent her to go pick up some meat for breakfast. Something was up, she knew her sister and Lari was acting really weird this morning. But Lamis was a good girl and did what her sister said. Most of the time. Lari''s instructions were to go to a market just outside the lamia district. Something that wouldve taken her a while because of the morning traffic. But there was a little known butchers shop hidden behind a small lab on the corner that Lamis liked to go to. She first wandered in there by accident and the owner gave her a small piece of jerky for visiting. Now she visits all the time because that was the best jerky she has ever had. Sometimes she will go there and the old lamia that runs the shop will cook some of the meat for her to try. Lamis has gone there many times since then, she has bought meat from there instead of the market her sister goes to. Its closer and the meat tastes better, its also built on the back of the lab across the street from our building. Sometimes the owner comes out with some more tasty meat, Lamis wonders if she is using the lab as storage for her meats. But whatever, she was here for breakfast not questions.

 Ouch 2

    For the first time since its creation, the undead district was empty. A messenger from the guardsmen had come through and cleared everyone out, because of escaped experiments from the lamia''s district. Everyone of course cleared the streets immediately because the last time they thought it wouldnt effect them at all, they were immediately proven wrong when they were assaulted with dozens of flying monkeys with chainsaws that spat fire. Now the residents of the undead district are all inside preparing to repair any damage the lamia''s experiments would wreak this time. Captian Lucy was currently leading her troops into the district, all of them armed to the teeth with all manner of weapons. 200 Of the guards finest going towards the warehouse where their enemies were lying in wait.


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    The warehouse was dead silent, nothing and no one moved and the entire place was pitch black inside. The corrupted mana was even thicker than before and it spread to just outside the building now. The only people doing anything in here was the five cultists in five chairs chanting. They were arranged in a semi circle around the massive cauldron and two sacrifices. Two of the five were holding large knives and were painting symbols on them with their blood. The two secured to the floor have given up on all hope of rescue when they were brought here, they knew these people were serious and only wanted to kill them. They had succumed to the thick corruption long ago and were no longer conscious. The cultists didnt care though, because all they needed was their lives.


    **************************************************************************************************


    I was finally released from the prison and I immediately went back to Lari''s place to make sure Malady and Vylet are okay. The guards gave me my stuff back, I checked and everything was returned to me except of course the book and the robe that got me here in the first place. The walk back to the lamia district was uneventful and boring, something I havent had much of lately. Although, there was a sort of tense feeling in the city. Everyone I passed seemed antsy or nervous about something. Maybe the news of the mad guild being here had spread and people are afraid of whats going to happen. I want to go see what their going to do to the guild. Im having a bad feeling about this whole mess and I want to try and do something.


    I went back to Lari''s place to find her having breakfast with everyone and when she saw me she took me into the other room and apologized profusely. I cant really hold it against her, I am honestly not angry. I wouldve done the exact same thing in her position. I had to promise her that I wasnt angry before she stopped and we went back to the table and sat down. She gave me some breakfast as well and we all ate in silence. Lamis kept trying to start a conversation but her attempts kept falling flat. After breakfast I put my stuff back in the room Lari lent me, grabbed my sword, made sure my hand was still working and then I left. Heading back towards the undead district to make sure they get all of the cultists.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    After I figured out their subway, travelling across the city was easy and fast. I arrived in the undead district in less than an hour after I left and ran towards the warehouse. The empty streets makes this extremely easy even though in their haste to leave the people seemed to have left trash everywhere. Broken mugs and bent silverware were coveringsome of the street with some crushed fruits and vegetables mixed in. They would probably just clean it up later, after the danger has passed and they come out from hiding. My path to the warehouse was pretty clear despite having to jump over a damaged fruit stand and dodge through some toppled tables. They must have really been in a hurry because last time I was here this place was spotless. Five minutes later and I made it to the warehouse. Which was odd because there was no one here. No guards, no mad guild, nothing. I took a walk around the building to my earlier infiltration spot but it was sealed so I went back to the front and looked around.


    The ground was scuffed and stomped with boot prints and claw marks everywhere, just no bodies or blood. I tried to open the front entrance but it was rusted shut. So I used a bit more force and the door handle broke off, I dropped the now useless doorknob and looked through the hole in the door. I couldnt see anything which wasnt very suprising. But the lack of corrupted mana was suprising, the air was suprisingly clear and easy to breathe in there. But it was still really dark and dead silent, which didnt make sense. I know they sent some guards here, so where are they?


    I gave up on being quiet and just kicked the door until the hinges broke and the door fell onto the ground letting in some small amount of light. The warehouse was empty, or at least that is what I thought before I tried to walk in and ran into something. I massaged my nose, glad it wasnt broken and looked into the building. There was still nothing there, I reached out my hand and leaned forward. Whatever is in front of me is flat and is made entirely out of magic. This is a barrier spell, tightly woven too. They must be maintaining this from the other side, luckily I have a way to get through this. I placed both my hands on the barrier and focused on the flow of mana. Barrier spells arent really just solid walls of mana because if they were, they would shatter almost immediately. They are actualy more like a blanket, tightly woven threads of mana that need a constant flow of mana to exist. All I need to do is unravel them a little, just enough to make a hole big enough for me to get through. Which isnt all that hard, the real problem with it is that someone could be waiting on the other side and just stab me while im concentrating. So I made sure to keep one eye open while I undo the barrier.


    A small hole appeared and I sighed in releif when I saw no one on the other side. But standing here like this was making me nervous so I just forced it open the rest of the way and jumped in before the barrier repaired itself. Once I was inside I held my ears tightly against my head, the noise was deafening. Screaming, explosions, roars and steel smashing against steel was all I could hear. At least I found them.

 Ouch 3

    Down a very short hallway was a smashed door which was where the noise was coming from. I was getting a little used to the noise so I walked closer after pulling out my sword. Through the remains of the door was something that would give me nightmares for years to come. There were ripped off limbs all over the place next to bodies stomped into mulch and spread all over the floor. However none of them seemed to belong to the mad guild as all of them had some sort of marking that labeled them as one of the guardsmen like a badge or a torn part of their telltale brown armor. There was no way they killed this many guards without suffering some casualties, but where are the bodies?


    I looked towards the sounds and saw the fight. There was a couple groups of about 10 guards each fighting against only 12 culstists, I dont understand how they could be losing. I can even see the woman that interrogated me, she is heavilly wounded but still holding her own with a couple cultists throwing spells at her. She was weilding a two handed axe with precision and strength that I did not expect from someone like her. Her own men were giving her a wide berth as she swung her axe around cleaving one of the cultists in half. A cultist to her left threw a electric bolt at her before she could recover from her swing. She reacted by blocking it with her arm, I thought that was stupid and she would still get shocked but the spell bounced off her armor and flew straight back into the face of the cultist that threw it. Liquifying his face and causing him to spasm horrifically into his comrades, spreading his melting face onto their robes as he fell. Her armor was enchanted, which made sense considering they were fighting a guild of crazy spell slingers. At a closer look all of the guards wore enchanted armor, I guess it couldnt stop the crushing power of that demon that is currently smashing through their ranks without care. It was obvious that they were losing, I told them about the giant demon yet they didnt bring anyone or anything that could stand up to it. I ran into the fray to help them out, getting my hand ready to dish out some divinity charged flames.


    I stayed away from the big ass demon as it would crush me flat in a moment and I dont know its weakness yet. I rammed my sword into the back of a distracted cultist, twisting it until I crushed his heart and then ripping my sword back out adding his blood to what was already on the floor. But instead of falling over he just turned around and threw a punch at my head, I blocked it with my sword but the strength behind the punch was unnatual and threw me back a couple feet making me land on my ass. The cultist didnt stop there though and sped off after me, launching himself onto me and clawing at my face. I got my feet onto his chest and shoved as hard as I could, launching him off. He made a disgusting cracking sound when he landed but he just got right back up, his head hanging on his head at a weird angle. These guys were fucking undead! no wonder they just keep getting back up no matter how much damage they absorb. Even though his head was barely hanging onto his head he was still coming after me. I got off my ass just in time to dodge a punch aimed at my chest. I slid to the side and swung my sword up severing his arm, letting it fall onto the floor. The cultist responding by simply using his other arm to try and grab me, I heard him chanting spells so I cut off this arm as well and shoved my sword down his throat. Stopping his chanting and leaving him nothing but a torso and legs.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Which unfortunately still didnt stop him as he was still trying to claw at me with weird hand claws on his feet. I Pointed my right hand at it and set the intensity to maximum. Frying what shouldve been a corpse and causing a high pitched screetch to emit from it as it turned to ash. These guys were obviously not human anymore but this goes way past being normal undead. This is like they forcefully bound themselves to their flesh, something incredibly stupid. This means that no matter what happens to their bodies, they will not die. They can be chopped up, smashed and even diced but they will still be alive and feeling everything. The only thing that would actually be able to destroy them would be flames or to turn them into a paste and use them as fertilizer. But luckily I have plenty of fire to kill them with. Plus I could just chop them up so they cant attack or chant spells anymore.


    I snuck up behind a cultist that was currently laughing while smashing a guard into the ground repeatedly. I cut off his head from just above his lower jaw and while he was disoriented from his vision being shifted from his body, I got in front of him and sliced off his arms. I set his robe on fire and then moved in to help the guard. I grabbed his armor and pulled him out of the way of the other soldiers. His body was almost completely broken with bones sticking out in awkward places. In places his armor was torn and some of it was piercing his own skin pulling on his wounds with every movement. I couldnt really do much for a man this broken but I did what I could. I bound his wounds with a medkit I found on a nearby deceased soldier and I injected him with a generous amount of green mana to help with his healing. It most likely wouldnt keep him alive for long though, the man knew this but he thanked me anyway. He pulled out a crossbow and started loading it. I just nodded and continued the fight.

 Ouch 4

    The floor was a mess of blood and internal organs that only grew as the battle went on. The guards were losing badly and I cant just start using my flamethrower on full charge, I could end up roasting the guardsmen too. Also after I killed a couple of them they started seeing me as a threat and started attacking me seriously. But that meant they had to ease up on the guardsmen which allowed them to see how I was fighting. Some of them took out small vials of foul smelling liquid and poured them on their swords, then lighting them with the still burning corpses of the cultists. I barely had time to notice this as three cultists grew thick tentacles and were wipping them at me, while another started throwing spells at me. It was way too much for me to block with just a sword, I ran back through the warehouse leading them away from the rest. Then I turned around and turned my flamethrower up to full blast, roasting them with a smile on my face. There was something hard under my foot so I looked down and realized I was standing on a small shield. This would help with their tentacle-whip attacks so I picked it up and strapped it to my arm before heading back into battle.


    Avoiding the pile of smoldering bodies I ran back to the fight. The guardsmen were starting to turn this battle around, their flaming swords making short work of the cultists. Now the only problem was the demon that was still stomping around. I ran towards the demon shooting streams of flame at its head to disorient it, the guardsmen surrounding it saw this and backed away. Which was a really smart thing to do, because with the flames blocking its vision it flailed wildly in all directions. I got closer and actually managed to set its head on fire, but that just pissed it off. I stopped and immediately started running away from it as it angrily chased the cause of its new ''hairdo''. I made sure to stay away from any stray guards so they dont get crushed. I kept looking behind me only to shoot more flame at it and keep it focused on me. We reached the edge of the warehouse and I aimed at its face and shot a constant stream of fire at it, blinding it. At the last moment I dodged out of the way and it ran straight into the wall.


    This whole time I never stopped covering it with flames. Pissing it off immensely and disfiguring it as its flesh melted and burned. But it looked like I wasnt doing enough damage, It just got back up and tried attacking me again. I realized I have tried adding any divinity to the attack yet. Just after dodging another swing from the pissed off demon I added a small stream of divinity to my flamethrower, opening my hand wide so my fingers wont get burned. As soon as the small amount of divinity was added, the flame turned dark blue and I could feel the skin on my hand burning but I couldnt stop. The demon was screetching in pain, rolling on the floor trying in vain to put the fire out. The divine flames were consuming the creature completely, its flesh was almost completely gone so its muscles and some bones were visible. The pain in my hand was immense but it was almost dead, I had to keep going. The whole warehouse sounded quiet compared to the deafening screams of the demon in front of me.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    It took five whole minutes to die, screetching in pain the entire time. I cut off the flame and started channeling green mana as fast as I could in order to heal my hand. I still have to find a way to keep my hand from burning while using that thing. Nothing but a large pile of ashes was left in front of me, with small pieces of bone left. I turned around and apparently it wasnt just the loud screams that made it seem quiet, the sounds of battle have actually been dying down. I went as fast as I could back to the fight and looked around. The guards had won, smoldering bodies were everywhere and the guards were going around making sure they were dead. Some of the guards were treating the wounded and collecting the dead. I walked around looking at the aftermath when I noticed something that didnt look right. There was a space in the middle of the warehouse that was clear of everything. There were no bodies, no blood, no debree, nothing. There was even a body right next to it in a puddle of blood, but the blood dissappeared when it got close to that space. I walked closer and tried to see if I can feel anything, trying to sense any spells or mana.


    I got close enough to touch it and yet I didnt feel anything. Which was weird, every place in the world has a small ambient mana flow. But here in this space there was nothing at all, made it kind of obvious to me that something is here. A passing guard was carrying some enchanted armor from  a fallen guard and I walked over and took a gauntlet, ignoring his protests and threw it at the spot. It flew for a moment and then smashed into something with a loud clang and landed on the floor, sliding for moment before stopping before the guard I took it from. He wasnt the only guard watching and they realized what I was doing. More of them gather around and started feeling around the area. I was a weird sight, watching trained men feel around in the air like they were blind. I would laugh if this wasnt serious. I was staring at the space and the guard that interrigated me walked up and started chanting a spell to disrupt any illusions and barriers. She finished the spell and raised her hand releasing a strong pulse that collided with the barrier making a terrible sound as it disrupted and destroyed the barrier spell, revealing what was hidden within.

 Ouch 5

    The barrier crumbled to reveal the already completed sacrifice and the cultists leader chanting while on his knees next to a large cauldron that was pulsating with energy. A thick green paste was seeping out of it with angry red pulsating vains throughout it. Captain Lucy ordered him bound and gagged and then proceeded to try and identify the obcene ritual that took place here. I on the other hand walked closer to the cauldron and climbed up the side to look in.


    Even though stuff was dripping over the lid the cauldron was far from full. The contents were just as green and slimy as what was dripping out of it. They were also rising slowly, but steadily with large lumps forming in the gross soup. I jumped down to get away from that stuff, whatever it is it isnt good.


    "Hey!, Captain lady!" I yelled trying to get her attention over the orders she was barking at everyone else. She heard me and looked at me with a annoyed expression.


    "This this is filling itself up with some sort of corrupted liquid, I think the ritual he completed has something to do with this."


    I watched as her eyes widened and she ran over, climbing up the side of the cauldren to see for herself. Once she confirmed it for herself she dropped off the side and ordered the fastest one of them there to go inform the higher ups. Then she turned back to me.


    "You, elf."


    "My name is finch."


    "Whatever" she said with a dismisive wave. "I saw you fighting earlier and you have some sort of flame spell right?"


    "Yeah, what about it? I dont think it will be very effective at destroying this goo."


    "Not the goo, we have lots of metal sheilds here, we can make a lid and seal it if we hurry."


    That kind of makes sense, I dont have any better ideas so I help her with that. She had a bunch of men gather together the shields that have no wood reinforcements in them and pile them together. Me and the captain were arranging them together and I adjusted my flame to be smaller and alot hotter, so that I can weld the shields together and make a seal. There were a couple gaps, but we filled those by just melting some unenchanted gauntlets till they were flat and used them to seal the holes. She was suprised at first when she saw the flame coming out of my hand without a chant and constant, but she didnt ask me about it. We were too busy for me to answer anyway, the liquid was just about to reach the top of the cauldron and we were almost done. A couple more sheilds and gauntlets later and we finished, a small group helped us lift the makeshift lid onto the cauldron and I welded it down to secure it. We made sure it was completely sealed before we stepped back and looked at it.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    For extra safety I burned some runes into the lid as we made it, to strengthen the metal and make it last longer. But I knew it wouldnt last very long. We have to get it out of the city, I dont know how we would move it though. Then I remembered something.


    "Hey, I have an idea. What If we use those roads the zombies are building to get this out of the city? Then whatever happens we can deal with it outside."


    She nodded as it seemed that she liked the idea and agreed with it.


    She told me that while the road isnt finished, we can probably still use it as they completed enough of it for at least one wagon to get through at a time if they are careful. What she didnt tell me is what she meant by ''wagon''. The biggest guards she had were told to lug the big cauldron over to a cart that was sitting in front of the warehouse that one of them had found. The cart was then pulled towards the road and loaded into Lucy''s ''wagon''. Which was a large canopy wagon with some sort of huge metal box in the front of it. The metal box had pipes going from the front of the wagon to the back just above the wheels. The back of the wagon was just a large platform which was where they put the cauldron. I made sure to set the warehouse on fire again before I left, there were some guards stationed there for a while to make sure they didnt leave any suprises behind. So I trusted them to not let the fire spread too far.


    The cauldron was secured to the platform and we got going, we dont want this thing leaking on the way outside. The metal box roared to life as one of the guardsmen got into the front, I was riding on the back with Lucy and the cauldron. The wagon shot forward pulling us through the town, it wasnt as fast as their subway but it would get us out of the city quickly. The guards shouted ahead at anyone who was in the way, because his orders were to not slow down at any cost and those were the kind of orders he loved. He weaved through the dividers and the construction materials and machines so expertly I feel like this wasnt the first time he has done this. Well, at least we are making great time. From what I can tell we are already almost halfway across the city. It kind of makes me curious about what it in that metal box, Ill ask about it later. Maybe lari will know something about it? It seems the lamias are the ones to invent most of the technology they use in this place. Maybe when this is over I can get some ideas on more things to build in my inner palace.

 Evacuation

    The wagon sped along as we made our way through the city. Our driver seemed to be succumbing to the urgency as he no longer tried to dodge the pedestrians and only made himself as loud as possible. Honking a loud horn and yelling out the window as we sped past the now busy streets. We were almost to the edge of the city, which brought up another problem. The road was unfinished and didnt reach all the way to the entrance. So we had to get off the road and drive through the city. This guy''s driving was starting to scare me, yet Lucy seemed used to it as she had secured herself to the wagon with a thick rope and just looked worried about the cauldron which was making creaking noises instead of the crazy driving. He suddenly turned off of the road and into the city''s streets as the road ahead was not built yet and there was no way to pass without crashing into materials and unsmoothed cave floor.


    He almost had the horn going constantly as there were people coming from everywhere as the city woke up. People running and jumping out of the way of us as we sped through. I looked and I could see the entrance to the city, there were people gathered around the entrance and I could see some guards trying to calm them down. I guess people noticed what happened in the warehouse and the news spread already. One of the guards seemed to notice us coming and immediately started yelling at the people nearby trying to get them out of the way. Some of the people in the crowd noticed us and started screaming. Then the crowd split and started running away from us opening a clear path for us through the exit. Lucy had untied herself and stood, making herself visible to the guards at the gate and waved. They moved out of the way to let us through and we shot through the entrance.


    On our way up we were joined by a couple more wagons behind us, from what I could tell they were filled with soldiers and some sort of metal equipment. We made it through the tunnel without a hitch but the cauldron was creaking loudly, I could almost see the metal warping and bending in my mind. The exit of the cave was right in front of us, we were almost outside.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin was looking through the paperwork that was currently on his desk. They were mostly reports on their progress with the mining operation and their additions to the factory. He didnt understand how they could be this advanced when they were just supposed to be mindless workers. Rala was the weirdest of them all, she seemed the most conscious of them all. She even started organizing the others to create more than just materials that they needed and started researching new things. All of which without his orders, he kept asking himself why they even bothered to inform him about this if they just kept doing stuff on their own. He kept shuffling papers around on his desk and organizing the reports until he came across something that caught his eye. It wasnt a report but a letter that was adressed to him.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    This was the first letter he has gotten so he opened it and started reading. The signature at the end made it obvious that it was from Rala yet the tone was not from anyone that considered themselves a subordinate. The letter pretty much explained everything that she told Finch earlier except there were some threats in there as well. Threats that she could very much make happen if the rest of the letter was to be beleived. She told him to make sure that he didnt cripple her child and helped him grow stronger. She had never heard of these methods of generating divinity however they seem to be working and Finch should break through the first level soon. She also stated that this world has become more than it was supposed to be and he would help her find out whats going on and how to fix it.


    He leaned back and sighed, all this weirdness was building up around him and to be honest it was freaking him out. This was soo much easier with the others, even if they were rude and never let him do anything which made him rediculously bored. They were still immensely easier to deal with and help. He took a sip from the mug on his desk and sat there in deep thought. He considered knocking over his mug so that his ''maid'' would yell at him again, but he doubted even that would cheer him up right now. He decided to take a walk around the factory and see what they were up to. He needed to take a break from spreadsheets and forms for a little while. He walked through the machines watching everyone work while trying to work through everything that was in the letter. Kevin wasnt entirely sure about what she meant about this place being more than it was supposed to be but he was sure he would find out eventually.


    He wanted to talk to Rala and ask her many questions but the thought of approaching a god like that made him feel a little awkward. Especially after what he had tried to do with her after she appeared, luckily she declined otherwise this might be alot weirder then it couldve been. He shuddered at the thought, at least he could still have some fun with some of the other figments of his imaginition. As long as they arent the ones he created a while ago, they gave him their respect as their boss but that was where their consideration ended. He almost found himself longing for the first days here, when he had free reign to do whatever he pleased. But he felt this was better, for him and for Finch. This way Finch''s power will grow steadily, and if what the others proposed actually works out then he will end up being the youngest god ive ever seen.

 Evacuation 2

    Our wagon flew out of the cave entrance, smashing into a tree just outside of the cave mouth. Which ended up launching the cauldron far away, probably clearing the forest and landing just outside. Which meant we need to hurry, the seal has most likely broken and we still dont know what that stuff was supposed to do. Crashing into a tree is obviously not the most pleasent way to stop so me and lucy were flung into the forest along with the driver. Who was thrown out of the front and smashed through a bunch of branches before landing in a bush not far from us. I broke a couple of fingers on my fall but it didnt really hurt that much as I was channeling green mana as soon as we hit the tree. I ignored my fingers as they twisted back into place with gross cracks and got up to look for Lucy and the driver.


    Lucy actually wasnt very far from me, she was stuck in a bush with a broken arm and twisted ankle. Her armor was punctured by a branch that went all the way through her shoulder. I gave her a large helping of green mana and called some other soldiers over to help her. She was awake and trying to hide the amount of pain she was in, but I could still tell. The green mana was starting to help though and I could see her pained expression soften a little and she started ordering them to follow the cauldron and prepare for anything. I went with them, leaving her in the capable hands of the guardsmen''s healer. I got into one of the wagons with the other soldiers and we left in the direction of the flying cauldron. Before we left the vicinity of the cave mouth I saw some guards pulling what looked like the driver out of a tree. He didnt look dead so I put it out of my mind and focused on the cauldron, trying to figure out what the ritual could be.


    This driver was alot more calm driving than the last one, it also helped that these wagons were designed to carry people instead of cargo so I was on the inside this time. He calmly but swiftly drove through the trees and navigated the uneven terrain with ease. Dodging large roots and ditches at high speed without breaking a sweat. The guards that were seated around me just looked bored, like they had done this all before. All except for a couple more experienced guardsmen who actually looked a little nervous about this whole situation, they probably were paying attention to the event at the warehouse and are expecting the worst. I cant really blame them, what happened there was pretty bad. The ride was honestly pretty smooth, I looked through the tiny window on the side and could see the trees passing by. The wagon was smashing through bushes and branches without slowing down in the least.


    Other than looking out of the window I was busy filling my sword with mana. I still had it sheathed, so I was using the handle to fill it with pure mana. Just enough to give me an edge in battle, I dont really know what to expect so im trying to be prepared. Some of the others noticed what I was doing to my sword and asked me about it, I just told them that it was an enchantment. Turns out there was an enchanter in the group and he called me out on it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Thats not an enchantment, I can tell because there aint no spell in it. Thats just pure mana, I been enchantin'' fer years now and I gotta feelin'' fer these kinda'' things."


    "Fine, you got me. I dont really know what were dealing with here so in order to be prepared im injecting pure mana into my sword to deal more damage. Just in case it turns into a fight with something that takes very little damage from normal swords."


    The guardsmen seemed to think about that for a second before asking me to do the same to their swords. I agreed but I could only do a couple of their swords. The enchanter agreed to help me and put some temperary enchantments on some more weapons. I''d say our survivability just went up a little bit more with the enchanted weapons. Some of their armor was enchanted but based on what happened in the last fight, I dont think that would be very helpful. I think their enchantements are more suited to fighting other people and not monsters. Me and the other guy finished up our enchantments right around the time the wagon stopped moving. I climbed out with the other soldiers and jogged to the cauldron, that was currently leaking its goo all over the dirt it landed in. The goo seemed to disappear as soon as it touched the dirt instead of pooling. That cant be a good sign.


    I pulled out my sword and held it ready, a couple guards saw me and followed suit. Some of them started trying to surrounding the cauldron like it was going to get up and sprout tentacles to attack us with. I told them to get back, if something is going to attack us, it probably wont be the cauldron. I was proven correct by a deep rumbling that shook the whole area, causing a couple of the trees that were farther away from the forest to topple over. The cauldron in front of us started rising, creating a small pillar of dirt as it rose. A small amount of undead started ripping out of the dirt and coming at us as the pillar rose higher. I gripped my sword tighter and got ready to fight once again.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin was watching as the girls build something he understood very little of. Apparently Rala had an idea on how to combine what she knew about generating divinity and Kevin''s knowledge of weird machinery to directly increase the flow of divinity. It was a weird machine with a huge transparent compartment at the top sprouting tubes that spiraled around and connected to other compartments in the machine. It wasnt complete yet and still had some exposed bits of machinery, but to kevin none of it made any sense. It didnt look like it would do anything and it didnt feed to anywhere. It would probably just cycle a liquid around and then back into the big compartment at the top again. Rala assured him that it would work and when he asked about how she simply smiled and said he wouldnt understand. He was sure he wouldnt, but wouldve still appreciated it if she had tried to explain it.

 Evacuation 3

    I was swinging my sword like a madman, decapitating undead after undead. Smashing skeletons with the flat of my blade and crushing the rest with my boots. The guardsmen were doing the same but at a faster pace, they were in formation and started hacking away at the growing army of hostile undead. The undead in the city were much different than this. These guys were all born from that stuff in the cauldron and were covered in the thick corrupted ooze. There were some undead in the guardsmen that were fighting as well. I wondered if they had a problem fighting their own kind like this. A quick look at them told me no, they were fighting just as ferociously as the rest of them. Wielding large weapons made for crushing and destroying all of their corrupted brethren while doing their best to avoid being touched by the goo, just in case it could corrupt them too. We were making our way closer to the now tall pillar of dirt still rising from the ground. We had to do something about that cauldron, this cant be all that it does. If they wanted to overrun the city with undead they didnt need tons of sacrifices like this. They probably couldve just made do with summoning a bunch of those big guys and let them rampage around.


    Two skeletons popped up in front of me and swung at me with a sword and a large axe in an arc to try and split me in half. I dodged to the side and kicked hard at the ankles of the nearest skeleton, cracking the bone and toppleing the skeleton. The other one recovered from its swing and tried to attack me again this time swinging horizontally. Fighting skeletons is pretty easy as they are very stiff and slow, it also helps that their bones are very brittle. Yet they have immense strength, meaning as long as you are paying attention you wont get hit and can survive pretty easily. The problem is we arent just fighting skeletons, which I was made painfully aware of when a zombie wolf ran into me from the side sinking its teeth deep into the flesh on my arm. Knocking me on my ass and trying its best to rip my arm off and devour it. As pain surged through my arm I punched and clawed at the wolf, trying to dislodge it when I noticed the skeleton had taken another swing at me. I rolled and immediately held the wolf in the axe''s path so the wolf''s head was severed by the skeleton''s axe.


    Without most of its body it couldnt put any weight behind its bite and I just used my sword to pry its teeth out of me. Green mana washed through my body, reinvigorating me and healing my bite wounds. I dodged yet another swing from the skeleton and sliced a leg off at the knee. Jumping on its skull and ending its existence with a satisfying crunch I went back to the battle. The guardsmen were holding their own pretty well, but they didnt have infinite stamina. This wouldnt end until we got to the cauldron and did something. I called out to the guards and told them I was going ahead. Then I launched myself up into the air using blue mana and tried to reach the top of the pillar. My first jump wasnt high enough so I used more blue mana and jumped a second time and a third. By the fourth jump I had reached the top, mostly because it had stopped growing. The pillar stopped its vertical climb and sat still, I could see the cauldron now leaking unhindered into the ground which seemed to be greedily drinking it up. I got closer and tried to incinerate it with my hand, spreading the flames all over the cauldron. Just to be safe I added some divinity to the flame to make it stronger, I wanted to be sure I destroyed this stuff.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The now brilliantly blue flame spread all over the metal of the cauldron, even catching the goo on fire. Turning it from a deep green to a diahrea brown wherever the flames touched. I made sure all of it was burning before I cut off the flame and watched it burn. It was quite satisfying to be honest, ruining the ritual that had taken so many lives for the sole purpose of taking more lives. I looked off the side of the platform I was on and could barely make out the sight of battle below. It didnt look like any more of the corrupted undead were appearing so i assumed I stopped it. Just before I jumped down though, there was a loud sound. Kind of like metal crunching and popping coming from the direction of the cauldron. I turned around just in time to see the diahrrea brown goo absorb the melting metal of the cauldron and start growing up. I watched as it formed into some sort of creature with empty eye sockets and a deep black hole where its mouth would be. The rest of it simply looked like a vaguely humanoid like creature with brown goop for flesh, still dripping from random parts of its body like it was unstable.


    Something felt off, I could feel all the mana in the area getting sucked into it. Its mouth was opening wider and I could see light forming in front of it. I rolled to the side just as it launched its attack, a thick beam of pure mana shot past my head singing my hair. I ran over to it to try and slice it, but it just shot another yet smaller beam at me. This went on for a little while, as I tried to figure out how to deal with it. It only seemed to have that one attack, that was the only one it used even if I got close to it. But it could fire it quite often and quickly as well. I decided to try and use fire to blind it and run around and try to hit it again. I shot a stream of fire at what I thought was its face and sprinted around it, swinging at it with my sword. As soon as my mana charged sword touched its goo, it sizzled and screetched. I shot some more fire at it, but that didnt seem to be doing much, so I just charged my sword with more mana as I swung it at the creature. Ignoring its screetching and flailing, still dodging its attacks as it shot more beams at me. I still wasnt doing enough damage, so I decided to take a risk.


    I stabbed my sword into the creature, as deep as it could go and then started injecting it with pure mana. The sizzling intensified many times over as its entire body boiled and flailed irratically. It screetched and shot beams in every direction as it died, it almost hit me a couple times but I just adjusted myself so the beam would miss and only singe my clothes. I didnt stop until it was just a puddle on the ground, which I burned and injected pure mana into until it was just a gross stain in the dirt. I took a second to rest and make sure I got it all but then I felt the rumbling again and loud cracking. I looked all around till I realized the sound was coming from below me. The pillar was crumbling and the guardsmen were still underneath it.

 Evacuation 4

    The guardsmen noticed the crumbling tower of dirt and stone and started running back towards the city. The problem being that the dirt was falling the same way, collapsing faster than some of them could escape. I jumped down, propelling myself faster with controlled bursts of blue mana and controlling my descent with the mana wings I used before. I was still too high up to help but I could see some of the guardsmen getting crushed by debree and rubble from the death raining down on them. I knocked some of the larger bits of rock away from them by throwing mana at it, changing their trajectory to fly out of the way. I could hear the screams of panic and fear clearly now, the battle long over even though their were still some corrupted undead around which were quickly getting disposed of by tons of rock and dirt crushing them. It felt like forever till I got close enough to help them, I had to watch them get crushed and attacked by the undead as they retreated. But now I can do something, I went into a steep dive before pulling up at the last second grabbing a guard on the way just before he got crushed by a large boulder.


    I dropped him off at the tree line and looked back, getting one guard at a time isnt going to cut it. There are just too many of them scrambling around. I launched myself back and quickly started knocking as many boulders and rocks away as I could. Even managing to crush some of the corrupted undead while I was at it. I blasted rock after rock until finally the last rock fell. The last of the guardsmen had made it to the forest just as the last boulder fell, crushing the last of the corrupted undead as it landed. We all looked at the devestation in front of us, thanking whatever we beleived in that we survived. We gathered whatever dead we could find and went back to the city.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Vold was taking another stroll around his mansion, walking through the garden watching the new servants he hired work. He was in a much better mood as of late, the royal army had left for some time and his rebelion had grown. It now spanned over three near by cities and countless villages. He rubbed a flower petal absentmindedly as he went over his plans in his head.


    Taking a deep breath he walked deeper into the lush garden, ignoring the servants as they passed by. Barely returning their greetings with a wave or an almost unintelligible "good morning". Vold was enjoying his peaceful morning, something that is relatively new to him but something he liked immensely. From behind he could hear loud boots stomping on the cobblestone pathway and knew his peaceful morning was over. Spinning around not even bothering to hide his annoyance at being disturbed he came face to face with a young messenger boy. He gave a deep bow before handing him a small bundle of letters and documents, the whole time avoiding eye contact. He snatched the bundle and shooed the boy away, walking back to his office as soon as the boy was out of view.


    He looked at the amount of work he had ahead and sighed, at least he was able to enjoy the morning a little before life came to bother him.


    He plopped down in his soft cushioned chair and unwrapped the letters first. Most of them just being reports from the other cities in the rebellion. The other cities had taken over without involving the peasents, unlike the one vold had captured first. He knew the people in this city were angry and he took advantage of it, also by keeping the peasents out of it in other towns he could hide the news of the rebellion as long as possible. Until it was too late for anyone to do anything about it. There was one letter detailing a weird event that they heard about happening near a village that was near one of the other cities. The village has been there for a long time without being disturbed by bandits or monsters or anything other than a slight famine over the years. But recently they had noticed a large earthquake that no one in the surrounding area has noticed and when they went to check it out they had found a large amount of rocks and dirt piled around. They also found lots of footprints heading into the nearby forest that the village describes as a forrbidden place that is the home to an angry deity that curses anyone who enters his domain.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Vold put that aside for now and went through the other reports and documents before coming back to answer that letter. He wrote orders detailing the search of that forest, just in case there is something there he wanted it to be investigated. He doubted that there was a deity there but there was always some truth to legends. Who knows maybe there are some nobles that escaped the city that were hiding out in the forest. He would find out eventually.


    **************************************************************************************************


    King Steruzelth was relaxing in the large heated mud pool he had built in the courtyard of his home. His spies were due to return today, bringing news of whoever was responsible for the attack on his daughter. He had already dealt with the matters of state and it was late in the day, he often liked soaking in the mud of his homeland at the end of a stressful day. The mud was actually brought from his birthplace, he had servants bring it here in buckets to fill this pool up. It had taken weeks but they had done it, with only a couple of them dying in the process which makes them very good workers. He would definitely use them again when he wanted something done.


    His soak was interrupted by his newest slave a pudgey boy the used to be called Renlen. He used to be a noble and was quite prideful at first but that behavior was quickly and easily beaten out of him. Now the king just calls him pudgey, the king found this amusing. Pudgey walked towards the edge of the pool and waited to be awknowledged by the king before speaking.


    The king noticed him right away and spoke.


    "What is it pudgey?"


    "I told you a thousand times thats not-"


    He was cut of with a glare from the king and a flex of his muscles.


    "What was that? PUDGEY?"


    "n-n-n-nothing sir." Pudgey said in almost a whisper.


    "Good" The king said as he relaxed. "Now why are you here interrupting me?"


    "s-s-sir your g-g-g-guests have arrived."


    The king was elated, this was very good news. This means his spies had finally returned with information.


    "Good!"


    The king got out of his pool and grabbed a towel from a nearby servant that was patiently waiting for the king to finish. Pudgey was looking at the kings naked body and all the scars that covered him. His eyes drifted south and shot back up almost immediately. Unfourtunately the king noticed his gaze.


    "What boy? you jealous of a real man''s body or you just want to lick the mud off my dick?. Keep staring and you will get to experience both."


    Pudgey left as quickly as he could, hearing the king laughing at him as he left. Steruzelth got dressed and went to his throne room, sitting down on his throne. Looking at the trio kneeling in front of him he smiled.


    "Welcome back my favorite spies, what do you have for me?"


    The one in the middle was the one to speak up, but stayed in a kneeling position.


    "We have found the one responsible my lord. He is an elf that has travelled far with a minotaur and a beastman of royal descent."


    Steruzleth coudnt hide his wide grin.


    "Where is he now?"


    "We followed him to a forest that the locals avoid due to some superstition. Apparently there is some sort of hidden city there filled with monsters that live together."


    The kings smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. He is taking refuge in a city of monsters huh?.


    The king sat in thought for a moment before coming to a descision.


    "We cannot just invade our neighbors just yet. So you are to infiltrate that city and bring me that elf. If you succeed your payment shall be tripled."


    All of the spies opened their eyes wide at this statement and proudly declared. "Yes! My king!"

 Not a chapter.

    Hello, I apologise for my lack of posting recently. I have been sick for a while and am still recovering. I will resume posting as soon as I am able. Thank you for reading my story. I really appreciate everyone reading my story, it is a new but exciting experience for me and I want to improve. Writing for you has been a privilege that I am very greatfull for and hope to continue writing here. Improving my skills and my stories so I can soon become a proud author.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

 Evacuation 5

    I carried an injured guardsmen with me as I trudged back towards the city. The mood was tense, but was overall positive as the losses were very small compared to what was expected. The guardsmen where not happy though, as the ones lost were some of the best of them. Their comrades and friends had been taken from them suddenly and for a reason they didnt understand or know at all. The motives of the mad guild are still mostly unknown, as far as they can tell they just want to cause havok and spread chaos as much as possible. I dont really understand them much either, they just seem to crave destruction.


    The guardsmen and I reached the forest dragging our feet from exhaustion. I could see people waiting for us at the tree line with stretchers and what looked like large flat tablets that had wheels and one of those metal boxes with the pipes in front. To me it just looked like a stone slab that can be driven around. When we reached them I saw the wounded being loaded onto them and treated there before being sent off back to the city, I assume to get better medical treatment than they could administer here. The medical slabs roared to life, shooting back to the city with the heavily wounded. As I watched them leave I noticed that these drivers are alot better and safer than the drivers of the big carriages. I placed down the injured man I was carrying which earned me a pained groan from him and a nod from the nearby medic. I saw a bunch of the uninjured guards gathered around one area and walked over to see what was going on.


    The medics had not only come with those slab things, they had also brought a couple barrels of water of the back of a wagon. The Guardsmen were all gathered up waiting for their turn to receive some water, there was also some food set out.


    These guys really take care of their own dont they? I thought to myself.


    I was exhausted but also pretty hungry and my throat was dry, so I joined them in line. When I reached the front I grabbed one of the filled waterskins that were set out and a pouch of what I assumed was some kind of jerky and sat down on a tree not far away to enjoy. Before I could take a single bite or enjoy a sip of cool water one of the people that had came with the medic team approached me.


    "Are you Finch?" He asked me while holding a large wad of paper stuck to a slab of bark.


    "Yeah, why?" I made sure to take a deep swig of water before he could continue. He probably is going to ask me all sorts of questions. He looks like he is here to write a report on how everything went.


    "Are you affiliated with the guardsmen or hired as a freelancer?"


    "No, I just happened to be nearby and had experience with these guys so I decided to help out." Ripping chunks of jerky apart and shoving them in my mouth. The salty meat was delicious after using so much mana and energy fighting things that I ended up not hearing his next question as I was so focused on the food.


    "Sir?" He waved his hand in front of me to get my attention again.


    "Sorry, what did you say?"


    He stood straight with his hand on his hip, his expression made it obvious he wasnt used to being ignored.


    "I asked you what your kill count was, the guardsmen appreciate your help and we normally pay mercenaries by the kill so in order to decide your pay I need to know how many enemies you have slain. Please be aware that I will be checking the numbers with the guardsmen you fought with today."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    That last statement sounded like an insult but im too tired to be offended by that right now.


    "I dont know, counting the things that are trying to kill me isnt something I considered when I was trying not to die."


    I said while making a show of ripping meat apart with my teeth. He scribbled something down and walked away to question everyone else. Now that it was quiet again I went back to enjoying my snack and watching everyone else around me. Some of the others had already started heading back towards the city and some were just resting like me. At one point a large group had come through, from what I could tell they were assessing the damage to the forest and the surrounding area. After about an hour everyone left and I was still sitting on the tree, looking around the edge of the forest and enjoying the breeze. My ass was getting sore so I got up and headed back inside the city as well.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin had a problem. The flow of divinity has almost tripled now that Rala''s invention is complete and Kevin felt like soon he wont be needed anymore. He even started having nightmares about Rala coming into his office and erasing him from existence without a sound. He did his best to try and manage the place but Rala was the one that did most of his work without him even realizing. If there was a problem she would already be there and fixing it before he was even alerted. Plus, once Finch started getting divine powers Kevin would be clueless how to help from that point on. He knew his time was short but nothing he thought of would help him be useful. He had to do something, this was the first time he was allowed this much freedom. He had to keep himself useful at all costs.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Rala was in the hidden chamber monitoring Finch''s power. She had noticed a spike in divinity generation and was a little worried. But she calmed down when she saw that it was just Finch experimenting with his powers. She was looking at a screen that showed the amount of divinity that currently filled him. In normal circumstances once it reached a certain threshold the first power would start developing. He was just about to hit that threshold and Rala couldnt be feeling more proud of her son. She was almost bursting with happiness that her son was about to start his journey to becoming a god. It had made her nervous at first and she was afraid for him, but she understands that he needs this in order to survive.


    A couple feet behind Rala a small black circle appeared, the only thing visible in this hole were a pair of pearly white teeth surrounded by dark purple lips that were curved in a smile.


    "You must be proud" The lips spoke with a voice like smooth honey.


    Rala didnt even turn away from the screen and replied, still smiling.


    "Of course I am. My son is about to take the next step into godhood."


    The purple lips flipped into a frown.


    "I thought you were trying to hide him? If he evolves they will be able to find him you know."


    "They will find him eventually no matter what I do. He has worshippers deifying his name, there may not be many and they may not be that smart but they breed fast. His religeon is growing, its only a matter of time before they notice and come for him. So im going to help him get strong."


    "Even if he doesnt want to?"


    Rala tensed up and turned slowly towards the voice. The lips couldnt see her expression because of their lack of eyes but the mood in the room definitely changed.


    "He will become what he is meant to be, stay out of it!" Rala swiped at the floating lips in a rage, yet only managing it to disperse it like a cloud of smoke.


    Rala turned back towards the screen, no longer smiling. Her face was now twisted into a deranged scowl as she muttered under her breath.


    "Damn bitch! she better not interfere with my sons growth......She was already lucky I spared her daughter...


    Fuck her....That bitch Malady."

 Something is different

    My walk back to the city was pretty pleasant. There was a slight breeze that felt great on my skin and I felt accomplished. Like I had actually done something great. There was also a peculiar warmth that started at my feet and was rising slowly up my body. I had already checked myself for injuries after the fight and had found nothing. Well, except for a small green spot on my foot where I had apparently come into contact with that weird goo. But I used some green mana on it while cutting the affected skin off so I didnt think much of it. I had made it partway back to the city before I saw anyone, I just passed a tree and was welcomed with the sight of some lamia guards sliding through the forest. I didnt want to bother them so I kept walking towards the city.


    The cave was clear of activity on my way through however the signs that they came through here in a hurry were obvious. When I reached the city gates I was greeted by a stiff nod and promptly let into the city without a fuss. I was wondering what had changed for them to be treating me like this. But when I reached the city I understood that it wasnt just them, it was everybody. All the people I passed on the street either saluted me, avoided looking at me or tried to leave as fast as possible. Even the lamia that invited me to her bed when I arrived at the city tried to escape when she saw me. I tried to catch up to her and ask what was going on but she turned a corner and dissappeared. This was getting weird, as I walked through the city some small children even walked up to me asking me all sorts of questions and some even gave me things they said was from their families.


    I decided to go back to Lari''s place and see if she knows what is going on. The lamia district was oddly quiet when I arrived. There was almost no activity outside of the buildings, but there was alot of noise coming from the workshops and labs except for one which only emitted a weird low pitched metallic groan. I made sure to keep my distance from that one, I dont know what was going on in there but I didnt like that sound. I walked up to the door of Lari''s building and grabbed the handle, letting go of it a second after. My whole body went completely numb and I lost control of my limbs. I crumpled onto the ground, unable to feel or move at all, however I had the odd feeling that this was a good thing. The warm sensation in my legs had spread all over my body despite its numbness and had doubled in intensity. I felt like I had drank liquid fire and it spread throughout my entire body within seconds.


    The only thing I could move was my eyes, I stared dead ahead as the only thing I could focus on was Lamis. She was watching this happen but kept her distance from me. I didnt understand why until I noticed that all the metal near my body was melting, including the handle I touched earlier. I could just barely see the red hot metal out of the corner of my vision. Lamis was watching all of this with a curious and terrifyed look on her face. Out of no where the red hot sensation was replaced by one of freezing cold. The red hot metal giving off huge amounts of steam as the temperature changed rapidly. Lamis looked even more confused and nervous at this and tried saying something to me. It wasnt until this point that I realized I couldnt really hear anything either. Not even the sound of the metal warping in the heat reached my ears.


    Lamis moved suddenly out of my field of vision yet some how I could still see her. A slight ghost image was standing where she was just a moment ago, lingered for a couple minutes and then faded away. The bonechilling temperature started rising slowly and I regained feeling in my hands and feet and stood myself up. Being able to move again I saw Lamis leaning on the wall next to a panel with a button on it. She had one hand on the button and was screaming something at it. I still dont have my hearing back yet so I dont know what she is saying. I do see that the wall is covered with ice and cant help but wonder if its too cold for her. The temperature warmed up almost instantaniously and the ice melted. She almost visibly got better as the temperature warmed up. I sat up and could not beleive what just happened. I was in a small crater like my weight had increased several hundred times, yet I felt light. All around me was cooling metal and chunks of ice scattered in all directions.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The front of Lari''s building had been thouroughly destroyed. All the windows had melted or been crushed by the warping metal and any wood was still smoldering. All potted plants had died and there were ashes  mixed with snow in the air. It was a very weird sight to say the very least, all this happened and yet there was no one here trying to find out what was going on but lamis. I guess people are pretty used to the odd weird occurence in this neighborhood. I turned to look at Lamis again and Lari was there holding her. I didnt even realize she was here, she seemed to be holding a weird brick to her ear and talking into it. I thought it was weird but then several large wagons showed up and a large man dressed all in gold got out. He was flanked on either side by large guards of varying species and genders which were also all dressed in gold. The large man walked towards me saying something, but my hearing has still not come back so I didnt understand. I gestured at my ears and made an ''x'' with my fingers to show that I cannot hear. He nodded and gestured for me to sit down, I sat down while wondering what it was he wanted. He walked up to me slowly and stopped a couple steps in front. He pulled out a small dagger and sliced the tip of his finger. He then conjured up some sort of green marble and rubbed it on the cut which made it dissappear without a trace. He then conjured up two more and handed them to me. I accepted them and rubbed them on the area around my ears to see if it would help.


    It did!


    My hearing came back slightly, but now all I could hear was this weird sloshing. I gave the man back his marbles and took a deep breath while closing my eyes. I tried to pop my ears but instead I ended up shooting a disgusting mixture of blood and earwax out of both of my ears. But that helped alot, I could now hear perfectly. Better than before actually, if I focused I could hear Lamis''s heartbeat. Opening my eyes again I could see that my actions caused them to jump back a bit.


    "Sorry, your marbles healed my ears but I had to get rid of that stuff too." I tried to calm them down a bit by explaining. It only worked a little bit though, as they were still extremely tense. The man with the marbles was the one to speak first.


    "Thats fine, but please give us a little warning next time." His voice was smooth and extremely deep, even for someone of his size.


    "So, Whats this?" I asked. "Whats going on?" Im not entirely sure what just happened but I assumed it had something to do with divinity and these guys all dressed in gold give me the feeling that they have some divinity in them.


    "You mean you dont know?" The marbles man asked with a genuinely confused look on his face. "In this city any and all citizens with any small amount of divinity are required to live in the demi-god district so that they dont accidently effect the minds of those near them. What just happened to you was you breaking through to the next level of divinity, judging by the divinity in the air this is your first?"


    "Yeah" I could see them relax and hear their heartbeats slow down at my response.


    "Then please -"


    "Wait" I interrupted him, something he just said stood out to me. "Did you just say that because I have divinity I effect the minds of others?"


    "Yes, if you were to be in close proximity to normal people for an extended period of time it would alter their perception of you. The more divinity you have, the more extreme the altered perception. This is what some used to force people into their religion long ago but here we live seperate to make sure that if we are worshipped, it is by choice."


    "Oh, makes sense I guess." This made them relax even more, What kind of people are they used to dealing with here?

 Something is different 2

    Both kevin and Rala stood staring at the world they were currently in. As soon as the changes started happening to Finch on the outisde, their world immediately started changing as well. The hallways became shinier and more decorative as the machines in the factory became works of art that functioned. The temperature skyrocketed and plummeted constantly, yet nothing was damaged. Thick energy permeated the halls and spread all over the place, covering almost every inch of space. Yet no one but Kevin and Rala noticed this happening, all the others were just going on about their buisness. When Kevin noticed this happening he dropped everything and ran to Rala for an explanation. He found her in the factory, staring at the new machines in awe.


    "Rala! What''s happening?" Almost tripping over himself he stopped next to her. She turned and looked at him with a dumb smile.


    "He has taken the first step towards godhood." Her smile widened and she went back to ignoring him. Kevin had lots of experience with demi-gods in the past but none of this makes sense. Things dont change like this when one takes the first step. Things in the inner world are supposed to get bigger, not better and more intricate. Kevin looked around at the now extremely complicated machines and the girls working on them like they were simple toys. He felt defeated, he was now sure that he was no longer useful. He had no idea what to do anymore, all his insight and experience was useless here. He had to do something, thoughts of getting erased and abandoned filled his head and led him to a panic. He ran out of the factory and went straight to his office, locking the door behind him and started pacing across the room.


    "What do I do, What do I do" He muttered to himself while trying to keep his panic under control. In his panic driven pacing he didnt realize that he had been kicking something around on the floor. He only noticed it after he almost slipped on it. It was a blueprint for a new kind of wrench that one of the workers had drawn up and sent to him for approval, now it had a sizeable boot-print over the front of it and that gave him an idea. One that made him smile as his panic drove him over the edge. One word escaped his lips


    "Sabotage...Hehehehehehehehehe"


    **************************************************************************************************


    The inside of the wagon caught me completely off guard. Everything was gold and silver with gold and silver trim. After I got in they even offered me a drink, which was served in a gold and silver chalice. There was a magical light embedded in the ceiling that made sure not one scrap of gold and silver decoration would go unnoticed. This would normally make me feel like I was in the prescence of royalty, however the state the wagon was in told a different story. Everything in here may have been shiny, but it was all fake. Not one bit of anything in here was worth anything and alot of it was either dirty or worn. Now that I can get a good look at him even the marble man''s clothes were torn and patched in places. Its like he was a prince at one point and kept all the stuff but lost the kingdom.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The ride was anything but smooth, as one of the wheels was bent so the carriage would tilt oddly at random which almost made me spill my drink. One of the other wheels was squeaky which they seemed to be used to but for some reason was really loud to me. During the trip they explained to me what the Demi-god district really was. It seems that its a refuge for anyone with divinity to hide. Like forgotten gods or demi-gods without religions. Some of the people there are on the run from their own followers for some reason. The marble man told me his name was Jonah and he used to be worshipped as a protector by a small group of villages. They built him this carriage and showered him with riches. But one day he wasnt able to protect his people and they lost faith in him, when he tried to regain their faith he ended up wiping out his beleivers. When he got here he used the last of his wealth to get them to convert his carriage into one of their special wagons. He now uses it to help protect the rest of the city from demi-gods.


    He explained that he is kind of the unofficial leader of the demi-gods. Jonah was one of the first to come here to this city and he just kind of ended up guiding the others. After a while everyone just started following him as their leader, of course there were some who tried to take over but they were over powered by those in support of Jonah. I could honestly understand why they chose him though. Not only was he there the longest but he was a protecter and he had that grandfatherly feeling to him. Yeah, he messed up in the past but all of us have at some point. I realized that I was forgetting about Malady and Vylet and asked him about them.


    "Oh you had companions? If they havent been acting any different around you then they are probably immune to the effects by now. Its just people who havent been exposed to divinity that act weird around it. They can come with you if you wish."


    I thought about it for a second.


    "Actually Id rather not force them to come with me, could they be allowed to choose whether or not they stay or come with me?"


    Jonah turned to the man next to him and had a short whispered conversation before turning back to me.


    "Sure that shouldnt be a problem."


    "Thanks"


    He nodded and started talking about the demi-god district again.

 Something is different 3

    The demi-god district was surrounded on all sides by a huge wall. The wall was unsuprisingly silver and gold with intricate decorations all over it. Jonah explained this as a side effect of divinity, because there are soo many with divinity in one place the items and buildings they interact with daily have a habit of changing form. Which is another reason they normally keep to themselves here. He made sure to explain that this was the reason his wagon was decorated like this, he stressed the fact that he was not actually fond of silver and gold decorations very strongly. The gates that led into the district were also very large and were extremely shiny, they were gold and had vines made out of silver all over them. It was so realistic I couldve sworn the silver grew there naturally.


    We approached the gates in Jonah''s wagon and were let in without any questions. The inside of the city was not what I expected at all. It looked like a normal village in here but it gave a weird feeling. Like being in the slums of a capital city, where everyone pretended to be rich. There was patches of silver and gold everywhere, instead of a side effect it looked more like a disease. It covered the streets where people walked everyday and crawled up the sides of some buildings. There were some shops that were completely silver and some that were only half silver. We passed an alley that I couldve sworn I saw a bunch of discarded golden tools in a large pile just sitting there. It may seem like a place where everyone is rich but I can tell there is alot of unhappiness here. The wagon took us to the far back, away from all the shiny depression and into a more normal looking part of town. A little more run down for sure, but it wasnt shiny and things seemed a bit more happy over here. The driver parked us in a small shed and closed the door behind us. For some reason Jonah made me wait until the door was closed before he let me get out. When I asked him about it he just shrugged and said "They love gossip here" which didnt really answer my question.


    We exited the shed through a small door on the oposite side of the way we came in and followed a small path hidden behind buildings until we reached a small court yard and a medium sized building.


    "Welcome to my home! You are free to stay here until you can find a place of your own." He made a very wide gesture as he spoke and seemed very proud of his home. It wasnt bad but I cant honestly say im impressed, there was a very nice garden in the courtyard but the house looked a little run down and needed some work. But the expression on his face told me he was really proud of it so I hid my thoughts and just thanked him for his hospitality. He seemed to notice me looking at the broken down building and burst out laughing.


    "HAHHAHAHAHAH Not that building. Look up." He pointed just above and behind the building I mistook for his home and saw a small island behind it that I first thought was just a hill or something. My jaw dropped as it dawned on me that he owned a fucking floating island underground. I looked at him and the smug look on his face and he laughed again, gesturing for me to follow him. He walked into the dilapidated building and I followed him, one step inside the building and I realized that the building was fake. It was completely empty except for a large platform and a hole in the roof. He stood on the platform, waiting for me and his subordinates to follow. Once we were on he kicked a lever that was on the floor and we started rising up, to his home.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    **************************************************************************************************


    During Finch''s absence Vylet had grown bored. She had been through almost all of Lari''s books and had nothing to do. She kept up with her training and stretches but she felt like she wasnt getting any better, so she talked to Lari about it. Lari said that the city offers free training to children over a certain age in whatever they want to do. All they had to do was go to the training hall early in the morning and talk to a counselor there to decide what they should train in. Vylet was excited and went the very next day to begin her training, leaving while everyone else was still asleep she headed for the building Lari pointed out to her yesterday. It was a large domed building within the lamia''s district but every district had one. This one was just the closest to her so she went there.


    When she arrived the doors were still locked so she played around a bit while waiting. She took out her daggers and practiced throwing them at a nearby tree. She managed to hit her imaginary target 4 out of 5 times, the last one was a miss because she heard a noise behind her and it threw off her aim. She turned to find the source of the noise and saw a skinny man in tight clothes watching her throw knives. He wore a dark form fitting hood and short pants that hugged his body but still allowed easy movement. These clothes also made it obvious that he was carrying lots of knives.


    "tsk. tsk. tsk. Getting distracted like that can get you killed you know. I assume your here for the training?"


    Vylet just looked at him and nodded.


    "Good, I can see just what class is best for you based on your body type and choice of weapons. Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Kanifey. Im the counselor, and I also happen to be the instructer of one of the classes."


    He led Vylet to the building and opened the front door for her, then leading her to his office. The building she could see from the short trip looked pretty bare and empty. Except for a couple class rooms and a large empty room that she assumed was used for training there was nothing here. Just a long circular halway with lots of doors, one of them leading to a medium sized office with a large desk and an extremely comfy looking chair behind it. He sat down in the chair and she sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk. Without saying a word he pulled a peice of paper out of his desk and slid it across to her. She picked up the paper and looked at it. It was filled with words but the ones that made her eyes light up were,


    I want you


    To be an assassin.

 Something is different 4

    The lift went straight into the bottom of the island and came out just in front of a broken stone pathway that led through a garden. The floating island was just big enough to fit a mansion and a large garden on it. The mansion was impressive, but looking at it made his lack of funds obvious. It was repaired recently by someone who obviously had no idea what they were doing. There were several broken windows that were just boarded over and any of the windows that werent boarded, were filthy. There were also several children running in all directions screaming and having fun. It looked more like an orphanage than somewhere a noble would live. I wanted to ask him about the children but before I could a small furry blur sped out of the front doors and barrelled into Jonah knocking him over. I was startled but relaxed when it seemed that he knew this little furry thing. It was a small creature completely covered in fur, I couldnt even tell how it was able to see anything. I couldnt even see any limbs it was just a large furry lumb that seem to vibrate on top of him. He was just laughing and petting it without a care.


    His subordinates just walked around him like this was an everyday occurence and motioned for me to follow them into the house. I took one more look at the vibrating furball on the ground and followed them inside. His subourdinates led me to a room near the back of the house and told me that this was the last available room that isnt being repaired at the moment. I thanked them and they let themselves out, the room was pretty spacious with only a bed and a nightstand as furniture. There was a deep walk-in closet which was nice even if I didnt really have anything to put in it at the moment. It wasnt bad, the bed was really soft and there was a large window on the wall that let in plenty of light and gave me a great view of the edge of the island. Making sure I never forget that im actually hundreds of feet above the ground.....and below ground.


    I needed to check on my inner world after all that crap happened, so I sat down on the bed and meditated. Making sure to focus my mind on the hidden chmber so that I appear there. After the usual visual weirdness appearing into my inner world I looked around and looked at all the differences. The room was twice as big and was almost filled to the brim with a thick blue liquid. I thought I was drowing at first but then I realized that I could breathe despite being submerged. The liquid had a pleasent feeling to it, it wasnt warm but it made me feel warm wherever it touched my skin. I swam to the top and found a thin platform coming out of the wall, I climbed up on it to find a thick, soft reclining chair surrounded by floating screens. I stood up expecting to be soaked but I was dry which was weird but not much about this place made sense to me anyway so I just shrugged it off and looked at the screens. They chair sank about 3 inches when I sat in it and the screens moved closer to compensate, I had to admit it felt amazing. The chair started moving slowly, massaging my back and legs. I just sat there for a couple minutes enjoying the feeling before I took a look at the screens in front of me.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    They all displayed information about my body, even that device I had placed into my hand. Apparently it had changed into an ability, so it is no longer a device and is now a power I can use. I have to make more things like that at some point, give myself some more powers. I filed that in my head under "Shit to do later" and kept checking the screens. One of them appeared to be a log of past events that occured inside and outside the inner world. Under outside there were very few listings, one said "won battle" and another just said "Moved onto the next step to godhood." However under the label ''Inside'' There were tons of listings about whats been going on in here and it was still growing. The most recent one was about someone repairing some faulty wiring on one of the more important machines. It didnt tell me who though, just said that someone was doing it. I guess its not that great of a system yet.I kept scrolling through the listings until I found one that interested me. It was a short listing and simply said "Machine Upgraded" I scrolled down and this message appeared many times after that, only ending after a couple minutes of swiping. I guess my first step changed somethings in here too I thought while looking at the massive pool of not wet liquid in front of me. I looked back at the screens and one of them had a large map of the entire facility. I focused on that screen and it came in front and enlarged itself. Nifty little function I thought to myself.


    The map was very basic but was also very useful. There were dots everywhere that represented the people here, I was a different colored dot on the map though. So was Rala and Kevin, I was gold while Rala was green and Kevin was orange. Everyone else was blue and were moving around rapidly doing their various tasks. Weird though, why was kevin in the mine? Whatever. He is probably doing something weird again, I dont want to walk in on him ever again. I shivered when that mental image popped up in my head. One of the other screens caught my attention, it was flashing red so I focused on that and the map was replaced with the flashing screen. It was a short message in large letters and all it did was fill me with dread. This was a warning, and it was alerting me that I have been poisoned.

 Something is different 5

    I exited my inner world and checked my entire body again. The screen mightve told me that I had been poisoned but it didnt tell me when or where the poison was. I checked my entire body starting with the places I knew most people would poison someone. It wasnt until I reached my feet till I found it though. My left foot was completely black and it was spreading up my leg. I could see little black lines wrapped around my leg like a serpent threatening to crush my bones. It wasnt painful, I couldnt feel anything which was terrifying. I could even move my foot normally and feel things like nothing was wrong. It was a bit stiff but that couldve been anything. I was struggling to keep myself calm. Whatever this was it was spreading fast enough for me to be able to see it actually moving across my skin, not too fast but fast enough to make it obvious I was running out of time. Using green mana on it did nothing but slow it down slightly, using divinity with the green mana made it speed up for some reason. I had nothing I could do, I had no choice but to call for help. Luckily I could still hear some children playing around just outside the door.


    "HEY! IS SOMEONE THERE? CALL FOR JONAH I NEED HELP!"


    The sound of children running away followed shortly after so I hoped they had heard me and were going to get help. I wasnt in any pain and could still move but now that I was aware of it I could feel this weird sensation of something crawling under the skin on my leg. The door burst open shortly after and I was releived to see Jonah there with one of his subordinates, who immediately walked up and started examining my leg. Jonah oddly kept his distance from me and observed from a chair in the corner.


    "Is it corruption?" He asked his subordinate, startling me with his question. But before I could ask him about it his subourdinate replied.


    "Yes, its pretty bad." What the hell? How did corruption get inside my foot?


    I had millions of questions but I settled for just one. His question had me quite curious.


    "Were you expecting this?"


    He sighed and then looked me straight in the face.


    "Yes, we heard about your fight with the mad guild and they have a habit of spreading corruption around. Corruption is like a poison to those with divinity, its not that bad if its on the outside. But if you are in contact with it for too long or it gets inside your body it feeds on divinity and grows until you become a monster."


    This new information was very unsettling and so was the tools the subourdinate started taking out.


    "Hey, Hey , HEY whats with the knives and the mallet and the needles? Why are you taking that out?" He was starting to make me think the treatment was worse than the infection, expecially when he took out some sort of corkscrew looking needle and placed it next to my leg on the bed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Jonah was the one to reply.


    "We need to extract it, It cannot stay in you any longer or it will gain control of your limb and extraction will be impossible. Then we will have to remove the leg." He pointed at a large axe and saw that his servant pulled out of nowhere to make his point.


    "I will begin." The guy said after he was done pulling stuff from somewhere. He pulled a small peice of wood and a small flask from somewhere and handed it to me. I took a swig from the flask and coughed, it was the strongest drink I have ever tasted. After a few more swigs I was tipsy and put the wood piece in my mouth. He immediately started cutting into the flesh of my leg, sending terrible pain throughout my body. It was odd, I had been cut before but this hurt way more than it should have. He finished and I looked to see it was only a small but deep cut just above my ankle in the meat of my leg. He then proceeded to start shoving the needles into the cut, I braced myself for pain but I felt nothing. Even as I watched him poke and prod the sharp objects into my leg with precision I felt no pain. Just that weird crawling sensation again.


    After a while of poking inside my leg he took the flask back from me, filled a small glass with it and then set it on fire. He put both the needles into the fire and held them there till they were obviously hot and still on fire he shoved the needles back into the cut. Which brought out a shrill screetching that came from none other than the cut in my leg. I looked in horror as a damn mouth bit its way out of my leg. Horrible pain shot through my body and Jonah actually had to come over and hold me down while his servant worked.


    "Oh, this one is quite bad" He said calmly like he was watching me get a tick removed. The only thing going through my mind was how bad this pain was. He handed me the flask and I took a huge swig to try and numb at least a little of the pain. It barely helped as the mouth was still screetching and trying to chew its way through my leg and escape. The man pulled out a weird clamp and put it onto the creature''s mouth, shutting it up and preventing it from chewing on me anymore. I was extremely grateful for that but then the man took out the knife again and started cutting again. Every time I almost passed out Jonah would keep me awake with some sort of jolt of energy that I didnt recognize.


    "You need to be awake so you can fight it. If you fall asleep it will gain control of you easier" He said while jolting me awake for the 13th time. The man was now pulling out a tiny hook and the corkscrew needle, I got nervous while thinking about what he was going to do with it but then he just used the hook and pierced the creature around its mouth. Pulling it gently out while he also peirced it with the corkscrew and twisted it, making sure it never went deep enough to pierce me and only went into the creature. I could hear it struggling and trying to scream in pain, all  I could think was Thats what you get you bastard.


    The more he pulled the more of the creature was revealed. It was pitch black and had hundreds of little tentacles shooting out in all directions which were wiggling furiously. The more he pulled on it the thinner and longer its tentacles got. It was also extremely ugly and flat with tiny lumps spread all over. The way it was flailing made it look very pissed off. I looked at my foot and it was no longer black, with the exception of a few tendrils here and there it was mostly gone. The man started collecting the creature and its tentacles in a bucket, I could tell this was about to feel really weird.

 Something is different 6

    The next hour was the most painful and weird experience in my life. The man next to the bed was calmly but steadily pulling black tendrils out of my body. The feeling of tentacles being pulled out of my flesh as they struggle and move around was both painful and extremely weird. After it was finally over Jonah healed my leg and started explaining exactly what the hell that was.


    "When corruption enters the body of a normal person, it acts like a normal poison. Killing them at a speed that depends on the amount in their body. However, when it enters the body of someone with divinity it also acts as a poison but the more it spreads the more sentient it becomes. As it spreads it begins to take over the body of the host. In its final stages the host becomes trapped in their own mind, still conscious of the outside world but unable to do anything. In some cases this is worse than some of the strongest demons. Because if the corrupted one is still being worshipped, it becomes a corrupted god. The corruption can spread throughout the entire religion using its followers as carriers. Normally once you get to a certain stage the corruption cant get into your body very easily and you gain ways to fight it yourself. But you arent there yet, so you need to be more careful."


    "What are you going to do with the creature?"


    "We burn it and bless the ashes to get rid of the corruption." He responded nodding to his servant, who took the bucket and left the room.


    "Now, unless you have any more questions we must get rid of this now. Your leg should be fine in the morning so you should get some rest."


    He got up and headed for the door.


    "Thank you Jonah." He helped me alot so far and he just oozed that grandfatherly feeling. I had to make sure to thank him properly later.


    He turned around and nodded with a genuine smile on his face, before leaving and closing the door. Leaving me alone again. I looked at my leg, which was looking very irratated and red. But other than that there was nothing wrong. Not even a scar remained, he was very good at healing. I covered myself in blankets making sure to leave my left leg exposed slightly. It didnt hurt but the blankets made it itch like crazy. I tried to relax and went back into my inner world, appearing on the platform in my hidden chamber. I looked over at the screens and one of them was still red. But the displayed message had changed, My focus made the screen enlarge and move in front of me. Apparently I didnt have to be sitting down in order to use them, which was nice. But the message was just as alarming as the first one.


    ''Corrupted have entered the base''


    Corrupted have entered the base? What the hell does that mean?


    I left the secret chamber to look for myself. Once I opened the door I was immeditely aware something was wrong. The hallways were dark except for a blinking red light and there was debree and broken junk everywhere. The walls had weird holes and claw marks all over them. There was a fight here but I dont see any bodies so I cant tell who won. I followed the signs of battle down the hallway till I found a corpse, it was no one I recognized which was good. The problem was that it was a monster with large claws and teeth, thick skin and it was extremely bony. I dont think a sword could kill this thing. I looked at its wounds and they were just large holes all over its body. Must be some sort of weapon that Kevin or the girls here came up with.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I kept walking down the hall and started hearing something. It sounded like random explosions and got louder as I got closer. I came to a long hallway that branched into two other hallways. I could see bright flashes of light from the one the battle sounds were coming from and head towards them. Sticking my head around the corner I saw a barricade on the other side of a large mass of zombies, with alot of the worker girls using metal weapons to shoot at them. Not wanting to get shot with whatever it was they were shooting I hid behind the corner until the mass of zombies were dealt with. The shots were starting to calm down, I peeked to see that they had come out from behind the barriacade to make sure that all the zombies were actually dead. I moved very slowly and held my hands up to not startle them. They noticed me and held their weapons up, but then they recognized me and for some reason tensed up a little more. Some of them even bowed to me, I didnt really know how to react to that so I didnt. I just walked towards them and they let me through the barricade. After I was on the other side the girls went back to checking the zombies. One of them approached me and handed me one of the metal weapons they were using and pointed at a small firing range they had set up. I didnt really know much about this weapon so I tried it out at the range after watching one of them use it, it seemed pretty easy. I wasnt ready for the kick and the butt hit me in the chest because I was holding it wrong. I watched one of the girls do it again and corrected myself. It went better this time, a couple more times and I felt like I got the hang of it.


    They called it a ''shotgun'' it was one of the weapons Kevin started spreading around after the invasion started. I asked them why it was so dark and why there were flashing red lights, they said that kevin was responsible for it. He told them it was because that is just how its supposed to be in these kinds of situations. He even gave them weird glasses that kept score of how many creatures they killed. None of them wore it because it made a really annoying announcement everytime they killed something. Kevin was an odd guy but he was helpful in his own way. I was given a brief explanation on how to properly aim and use the weapon. I heard a small chuckle from one of the younger girls when I was taught about ''cocking'' the gun, kind of made me wonder why someone so young was here in the first place. I heard a disturbing roar in the distance and I saw everyone get their weapons ready, so I did too. I went back to the barricade and aimed my weapon down the hall, waiting for a target to show up. The girls that were checking the bodies had already come to this side of the barricade. It seems they had moved the bodies farther away and arranged them in a small wall. The barriacade had a line of people including me all pointing our weapons in one direction. I could see something in the distance and I could still hear some sort of roar. But now it was more of a low grumble. Then I saw them, another mass of zombies just down the hall. Slow moving but steady and relentless. I was waiting until they reached the wall of bodies before I started shooting. It seemed everyone else was too.


    It was extremely quiet other than the groans from the enemy. Their slow shuffling sounded like someone sharpening a sword on a whetstone. It seemed like forever before they finally reached the wall of bodies. I rested my finger on the trigger and was about to shoot when the body wall exploded into flames. Aparently they did more than just stack bodies. The fire spread along the horde coating almost all of them in flames. Only then did we start shooting.

 Something is different 7

    These weapons were suprisingly accurate, every shot hit its mark causing massive damage to the zombies. Heads were exploding left and right, limbs were flying around and the girls were loving every minute of it. One of the girls next to me was wearing one of the goggles that Kevin had spread around and was close enough to me for me to hear it. Everytime she killed a zombie I could hear it go


    "KILL CONFIRMED"


    When she blew off a zombies head it would loudly proclaim "HEADSHOT"


    I was curious about it so I put a pair on and resumed shooting. It took a second to scan me and then tiny see through windows popped up. I shot a zombies head off and was suprised by the huge words that appeared in my vision that read "HEADSHOT".


    I can see why some of the girls think its annoying.


    I kept exploding heads, getting lots of messages popping up in front of my face.


    "DOUBLE KILL"


    "ULTRA KILL"


    "MEGAKILL"


    "GODLIKE"


    They were getting really annoying and I reached my hand up to take it off and one of my fingers touched the lens and the screens moved around. I fiddled with it a bit and moved all the windows to the corner and managed to make them smaller as well. I dont know what to do about the sound but at least I can see now. I told the girl next to me and she enthusiatically thanked me.


    "The only reason I am wearing one is because my friend and I had a bet to see who could kill more. Now it will be less of a headache. Thank you very much." She gave me a small bow, fixed her goggles and then went back to shooting.


    There were about as many zombies as there were the first time. A large group and then a small break in between waves. After about 3 waves I realized that this wasnt going to end, so I left the barricade and went to find Kevin or Rala and see if either of them know how to stop this. There was a small group of workers that came to the barricade at regular intervals to bring supplies and ammunition. I asked them where Kevin was and they told me that they were about to report to him, so I just followed them on their way back. They led me to the mine which was temporarily repurposed into a base of operations. The wide flat area just before the mine was cleared of any machinery and had many tents and workplaces set up around a large tent that I assumed was where the ''Leaders'' were supposed to be. My assumptions turned out to be correct, as that was exactly where they led me. The front of the tent was left open and I could see Kevin and Rala inside talking while gesturing at a large map. Kevin was wearing some weird green and brown uniform and Rala was wearing pants and a hooded jacket for some reason. She looked like a teenager in them but I didnt say anything about it. I walked in but they were so busy arguing they didnt even notice us walk into the tent.


    *Ahem*


    I cleared my throat to get their attention and it worked. They both looked at me with an angrily before their expressions changed when they realized it was me. Kevin just looked tired but Rala looked a little upset and it wasnt five seconds after she saw me did I find out why. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "YOU LET YOURSELF GET CORRUPTED!?"


    She angrily yelled at me while stomping her feet closer to me.


    "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!?! YOU COULDVE BEEN KILLED OR WORSE YOU COULDVE BECOME A MONSTER!"


    She was almost in tears and was trying her best to stay angry, but I can tell she was extremely worried about me. I said the only thing I could think of.


    "Im sorry."


    She cried for a couple more minutes before calming down and collecting herself. I gave her a hug and she smiled weakly and walked back over to the map, sitting down in a wooden chair that I somehow didnt notice till now. Kevin looked a little releived at this, but he also seemed a bit...off. Something about him just felt a little weird and I couldnt figure out what it was. I decided to just ignore it for now and focus on the problem. First I needed information on what was going on since I was last here.


    "Ok, what has been going on here? Where did these monsters come from and why are they not stopping?"


    Kevin looked at Rala but since she said nothing he started explaining.


    "These creatures started appearing out of nowhere, we suffered heavy losses at first. But when I realized what we were fighting I organized this based on a top zombie fighting...story I know of. It has worked pretty well so far. But what we dont know is why they keep coming, we have suffered minimal losses but they just keep coming. We are already running low on ammunition. I just cant create enough for all of us and the factory is overrun with monsters AND zombies."


    He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.


    "We are at a loss, we lost so many people that we cant spare anyone to go and clear out the factory without letting the monsters in here."


    Kevin looked at Rala to see if she had something to add but she just sat there quietly. It seemed like she was embarressed about her outburts just now so she was staying quiet.


    I guess I would have to deal with this.


    "Alright, give me some people and I take back the factory"


    Rala jumped up at this.


    "No there''s no need for that! Now that you are here we can spare some of the workers to go and take care of it. They can deal with the monsters, you dont need to go"


    "Can you say for certain that you know they will succeed?" I know what she is trying to do but we cant afford that right now. We need the factory to get rid of this problem and I had to go to make sure it was done.


    She looked at her feet an sat back down on the chair slowly.


    "No." She almost whispered.


    I walked next to her and tried to reassure her.


    "It will be fine, ill bring some people with me and we will take back the factory. I wont be alone and this needs to be done."


    She didnt lift her head but softly said "Okay."


    Kevin led me out of the tent and took me to another tent, leaving the girls that led me here to Rala. This tent was filled with all sorts of weaponry that Kevin created with his power. Kevin told me that he actually designed some of them himself and he keeps those seperate from the other weapons. He gestured to a large silver case that was closed and locked next to one of the gun racks.


    "The lock was because I thought they would be too much for the workers, Itll open if you touch it though. Its designed to open only if you, me or Rala are touching it. Feel free to take whatever weapon you like."


    There were many different kinds of weapons here that I wasnt entirely familiar with. But I saw one that I recognized and kind of liked. It was a modified version of the weapon the girls at the barricade gave me. This one looked heavier and a little bulky, but according to kevin it packed a massive punch. I chose this one, picked it up to test its weight. It didnt weigh as much as I was expecting it to and was easy to use. Kevin gave me some quick tips about it and told me that this particular weapon can fire using ammunition or mana. None of the girls used it though because it is too heavy and a lot of them dont have enough mana to use it properly anyway. I liked this gun, as soon as I picked it up I was thinking about how I could use it in the outside world too.


    He gave me a medium sized bag full of ammo and some thin but durable body armor to help with the fight. After I had finished putting on the gear I was ready to go. Kevin told me that it was time to meet the team that was going with him, apparently he had informed someone to assemble them before we left the command tent. I didnt see him do it but whatever. It was time to meet the team.

 Something is different 7

    Kevin was leading me to where my team was aparently waiting but on the way we passed a red tent with a large white cross on it. I could see that this was where the wounded were treated as there were many workers on small beds in there in obvious pain. I wanted to try healing some of them to help out but this was harshly rejected by Kevin, startling me and making me curious about his mental state. I had turned to go inside the tent when he had grabbed my arm.


    "NO! You will have all the time to help them out later! Right now we must focus our efforts on the Factory!"


    His voice broke several times and the look in his eyes was hard to decipher. He let go of my arm and tried to play it off as an effect of the stress he ad been under recently but I could feel something was really bother him. I would do as he says now but I need to figure out what is going on with him when I get back. I could see the people in their doing their work, using healing magic and potions to close wounds and bandaging them with clean cloth. I decided to just go for now and help them as soon as I got back. Kevin kept leading me through the sea of tents and people walking around until we reached the edge of the camp on the other side.


    "See that?" He pointed at a large tunnel in the wall that im pretty sure wasnt there the last time I was here.


    "That is where you and your team are going, we tried taking the factory back before. It ended badly and the monsters there sealed up the entrance somehow, so we made this tunnel. It goes directly to the factory and stops just behind one of the walls there. We lost a bunch of people after the tunnel was made so we didnt try to breach the room until now. I need to go back to the command tent, your team will meet you at the entrance of the tunnel and should already be ready so you can go immediately."


    He slatued me for some reason, then left.


    Something is really wrong with him. Why does he want to get the factory back so badly? I know its important but he seems really nervous about something.


    I shoved these thoughts to the back of my head and moved on to meet the team.


    At the entrance to the tunnel there was a large stone wall with a metal gate in the middle of it. It didnt look like it was designed to swing open and it was covered in pipes that were arranged in a very peculiar way. On my way to the gate I noticed a small group of people standing in a circle cheering on two who were fighting. I thought it was a real fight until I got closer. The two had wide smiles while they clobbered each other. One of them was armed with large gauntlets, they looked extremely heavy but she was throwing punches like they werent even there. The other girl had a small buckler on one arm and a large bludgeon in her other hand. I joined the circle to watch the fight but as soon as they saw me they stopped and looked extremely nervous and tense. They all scrambled to line up and bowed in front of me. I dont really understand why all the girls seem scared of me. Ill just have to add this to the things I need to investigate later. Well this and the fact that this particular group of girls look exactly the same.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    They all had fiery red short hair and dressed in military looking uniforms with thin jackets, complete with a small hat. Their faces were exactly the same except for their expressions. It was a little wierd to see the exact same face next to each other wearing different expressions.


    "Are you all ready?"


    "Yes sir!"


    "You dont have to bow, we are about to fight together. We are a team."


    They stopped bowing but they were still tense and nervous around me. Well, I need to know what they can do. I already what weapons three of them wield. on the far left was the girl with the gauntlets, for some reason they seem smaller now. I guess they get bigger when she is fighting or something. The girl next to her was the one she was fighting, she had a large bludgeon and a buckler shield. Next was a girl who had a bow slung over her shoulder so it was obvious what she did. But the other two didnt seem to have any discernable weapon.


    "What weapons do you two use?" I asked them.


    The one on the left spoke first.


    "I use attack magic and healing magic, she uses daggers and small firearms."


    The girl on the right opened her jacket a little and I could see her small aresenal of small metal guns and large knives.


    "Okay, what are all of your names?"


    From left to right they announced their names.


    "One"


    "Two"


    "Three"


    "Four"


    "..."


    I looked at the dagger girl but she said nothing. She noticed my gaze and squirmed a little bit. The girl next to her took a step forward and looked at me.


    "Yes?"


    "Five cannot speak sir, we do not know why."


    That might be a problem but we will find a way around it.


    "Okay, why do you all have numbers instead of names?"


    "Sir? Those are our names." One said. "We were created for this mission and given these names."


    It doesnt seem like Kevin expects them to survive.


    I sighed. "Okay, lets go."


    They all saluted me at once and headed for the gate.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Kevin was almost in tears. He made a plan and its gone horribly wrong. Instead of going back to the command tent like he said he was actually deep in the mine, in a room he had secretly constructed so he could be alone. The miners were forbidden to mine here because it could collapse a large portion of the mines. So he hid it behind a false wall. It was only meant to be somewhere he could just think, but now it was his safe haven. He had hidden something in the factory, something he had been building in secret to secure himself a place here. If Finch or Rala finds it he is finished. He is almost certain they will erase him if they find it. He was currently on the floor in the fetal position almost tearing his hair out. He was hoping that the team he sent with Finch would be enough to fix this mess he had gotten himself in.

 Something is different 8

    We made it halfway through the tunnel in silence. The girls whispered something every now and then but were moslty quiet. The tunnel was extremely smooth on the floor while the celiling was still jagged and rough. There were lights mounted in the wall every so often so we were never in the dark. With them avoiding conversation and eye contact as much as possible I got bored and just started fiddling with my flamethrower. I was afraid I melted my weapon when I accidentally activated the flamethrower in my hand while I was still holding my shotgun. But for some reason there werent any flames. I tried activating it again while still holding the shotgun and there still werent any flames. I didnt understand it, I looked over the handle and it wasnt even hot. There was a faint light coming from it though. I tried activating the flamethrower one more time at full blast while still holding the handle. A bright red line formed on the side of the weapon from the handle to just below the barrel and a huge torrent of flames shot out, turning a large spot on the floor into molten rock. I didnt even use any divinity and it was already this strong, Kevin didnt tell me the weapon could do this.


    The girls jumped at the flames that just randomly started shooting around and got ready to fight. But then they saw it was me and lowered their guard a little, but it just seemed to make them more nervous. Something about them isnt right, especially because kevin created them himself and didnt name them. He named all the girls he created, yet these only had numbers.


    I turned off the flamethrower and walked around the now glowing pool of rock, continuing on our mission. They were startled by the sudden flames but kept following behind me. The tunnel was getting smaller now and was just big enough for us to stand up straight without hitting our heads. We finally reached the end of the tunnel, a metal wall that Kevin said was one edge of the factory. I didnt want to alert the whole factory that we were coming in so I used the flamethrower to melt a hole in the wall so we could get through. I jumped through the hole into the factory, avoiding all of the molten metal and trying to land as quietly as possible. The girls followed me through the hole, one by one. They all had their weapons ready and were looking around for any enemies. We had come into the side of the factory behind one of the biggest machines here. I had no idea what it did but I know it is huge and reaches up to the ceiling. The back of the machine was almost bare, with a couple pipes carrying fluid and such around. But the farther we got to the front the more of the machine I saw and the thing barely had any free space on its front.


    It was almost entirely covered buy many things. There were pipes transporting fluid, there were dials showing all sorts of information. There were switches and levers and all sorts of controls gathered in one spot on the front. This must be how the machine is controlled. There was a broken stool on the floor next to the switches, the cloth of the seat had been chewed on and spat out. It was stained and in a small puddle of clear liquid on the floor. This was not a good sign. I kept my gun ready and slowly started making my way through the factory.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


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    Kevin was throwing a tantrum. He had barely made it back to his office by himself but when he did. All he found was a destroyed desk that looked like a giant had stepped on it. His papers and documents were everywhere. But this isnt what was upsetting him. He had a secret compartment underneath the desk, it was a false part of the floor he had put a safe in. Inside the safe was a blueprint for a device that he though would cement his position here. Something he built that would make it so that Finch and Rala would never be able to survive without him. They would need him and he would be able to do whatever he wanted to do. When kevin reached his office he found the front doors smashed and the room was completely wrecked. He pushed his desk to the side to see that his secret safe had been ripped from the floor. He checked the entire room but it was no where to be found. Which is why he was currently throwing things around his office and making tons of noise.


    He needed the plans in that vault, the prototype he hid in the factory was probably already ruined. If not the girls he sent with Finch will take care of it. He needed those blueprints so he could finish his plan, without it his plan would be impossible to pull off. Kevin''s tantrum finally ended after some zombies who had heard the noise entered his office. He directed his anger at them and spent the next hour smashing zombies with random objects and debree he found in his office. Screaming like a maniac the whole time. Some of the workers at camp heard his screams and thought it was some new type of monster. He had finally calmed down after he ran out of stuff and zombies to smash. He started heading back towards camp, trying to remember how the blueprint went so he could recreate it. He was so caught up in thought he didnt realize he was going the wrong way until he found something odd. The side of the wall was dented like something huge stumbled and smashed into it headfirst. Which cause the surrounding wall to warp and exposed a secret hallway. He thought he was the only one with a secret room here and grew curious. He pryed what was left of the door off of the wall and entered. He walked into Finch''s secret room and looked around. There was only a chair with lots of screens floating above it and a room filled with what he recognized as liquid divinity. He stared down into the pool of luminescent blue liquid and smiled. He felt like his luck was changing.

 Something is different 9

    The girls followed me closely as I weaved through the machines. I was trying to be quiet just in case one of the big monsters were nearby so I had my sword out and I told them to deal with any enemies quietly until we are either discovered or I start shooting. We were in the far back of the factory which was packed with as many machines they could fit here and still be able to move between them. I felt like having all these machines so close together was just inviting an accident to happen. The only enemies we have come across so far have been small groups of zombies and the odd lone zombie. Shuffling by itself or staring off into the distance. Those were the easiest to take care of, Three and Five took them out fast and silently. The small groups we took out together, I beheaded a couple of them before they could make and noise. Five used her daggers and hit several of them in the eyes while Three did the same. One and Two just smashed their heads in with minimal effort. Four didnt even need to do anything as there were no wounded or any need for her magic but she didnt seem to care all that much.


    As we pressed on I noticed that the machines were getting farther and farther apart. As they increased in distance they also increased in size, now the towering masses of machinery wouldve blocked out the sun if we werent underground. The machines werent the only things getting bigger though, the farther we walked the larger and stronger the zombies got. We wont be able to keep sneaking around much longer, the enemies are getting too strong to take by suprise and there is too much open space here. We were peeking around the edge of a machine that looked like it was there to process some sort of ore and I saw a hulking zombie with huge muscles. It was currently walking through a mass of zombies, crushing bunches under its massive feet without caring as it walked through them. The zombies didnt even bother to move out of the way, all of them heading in some arbitrary direction. The muscle zombie was completely nude but it had so much muscle that there was nothing to see anyway, like its crotch was swallowed by its guts. Its head was normal sized, so only its body was huge with muscle. It was a very odd look.


    I took out my shotgun, there was no getting around this. We had to get past that thing and the zombies surrounding it to get through. I motioned for them to get ready and got myself ready too. I waited until the muscled zombie took another step and then stepped out, looking it directly in the eye. Which seemed to piss it off immensely, it charged at me screaming at the top of its lungs with an oddly high pitched voice and crushing loads of zombies underfoot. Its arms oddly hung limp at its side, swinging with each step he took as he ran at me. I got my gun ready and was about to start shooting when the damn muscle zombie started spinning in front of me, swinging its heavy ass arms like a kid throwing a tantrum. It spun and then lowered its arms slightly, I realized too late what it was doing. The muscle zombie started launching the smaller zombies around it by smacking them really hard with its arms. Throwing zombie after zombie at me with a really alarming amount of accuracy. The girls were behind me so we all had to start dodging the falling corpses. One was just knocking them away with her fists while Two was whacking them with her club really hard, alot of them just exploded into gore while she smiled. But no matter how many zombies she exploded while smiling none of the muck ever got on her teeth, her teeth stayed pearly white. Three had taken out a short sword from somewhere and was slicing off heads before they hit the ground. Four and Five were supporting the rest of us with Four''s magic and Five''s small pistols. We were handling ourselves pretty well, but the muscled zombie just kept throwing more zombies at us. I brought out my shotgun and dashed towards him shooting the zombies I couldnt dodge.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I got to the large group of weaker zombies around him and fired in short bursts. I considered setting them on fire but then he would just start launching flaming zombies at us, I figured I would blast him until he stops spinning first. I aimed for the big guy and kept dodging the others, but the damage was just limited to his arms because he kept spinning. He didnt even flinch when I was shooting him. I jumped up, using blue mana to launch me higher and fired a couple shots at his head. Using a quick burst from the flamethrower to try and just set him on fire. Which worked, my first couple shots hit his head and left shoulder and the flames just made the damage worse. I landed and since he was off balance and now just smacking zombies irratically I started using the flamethrower on the rest of them. The big guy was spinning so fast that his damaged left shoulder tore and the strain from spinning his heavy limbs so fast ripped his entire arm right off. Now that he stopped spinning I started shooting him again, hitting him in the chest, stomach and legs. He didnt let being on fire and losing a limb stop him though and he started charging me again. Swinging his limp arm like a weapon at me while he was running, I cant take him straight on of course so I ran. Turning around to take a couple shots at him as I ran around. His small zombie army was now pretty crispy with only a few zombies still able to move around and those were being taken care of by the girls. Three was also shooting at the big guy, I could see some arrows sticking out of him when I looked back. Im still not doing enough damage!.


    The big guy was still charging after me even though he was bleeding profusely from many wounds and his missing left arm, yet he still was focused on crushing me with his limp arm. Even the fact that he was on fire didnt seem to bother him one bit. Ive got to do something.

 Wrong side up

    I rolled to avoid his mad charge, he smashed into the machines completely crushing one and sending it flying into other smaller machines. Three was still supporting me with her bow while the others were still busy making sure the zombies were actually  ''dead''. I had an Idea and started shooting flames at the floor behind me in a wide area. The floor of the factory was normally made of hard stone but the area behind me was made of metal. I beleived it to be the roof of the underground room the workers built here some time ago. Ill have to apologize to them later.


    The muscle zombie recovered and immediately started charging at me again. Despite the arrows accurately hitting him in what would normally be his vitals he kept running. Arrows sticking out of his face covered in mucus, blood and brain matter seem to just make him run faster as more peirced him. The large holes in his chest from me shooting him repeatedly had already stopped bleeding somehow and were filling in with what looked like transparent skin. He was about half a minute from reaching me and I cut the flame thrower and shot some blue mana into a crack in the floor not far in front of me. I waited till he was too close to slow down and activated it. A large chunk of rock shot up out of the ground acting as a ramp for the speeding zombie, causing him to fly upwards and lose his footing at the same time. He spun around in the air and landed right on the spot of the floor I had heated up in advance. The metal crumpled in its heated state and the Musclehead fell into the underground room. I quickly ran over, taking out my sword on the way and jumped in after him. Stabbing him deep in the stomach using the momentum from my fall to really drive it in there. I ripped out my sword and shoved my hand into the hole in his guts I made and filled it with red and blue mana, forcing it to compress until it cant anymore. Then it will release and expand rapidly. Pulling my hand out of its stomach I jumped out of the hole in the ceiling and looked down at it. It was trying in vain to move its oversized arm and get up.


    The workers had conveiniently finished their fight as soon as I was out of the hole and had come over to see what was going on. They had approached the hole until I told them to stay back. Then I activated the mana in the monsters gut.


    *BOOOOOOOOOM*


    The explosion was louder than anything I have heard, except the mana explosion from a while back. Blood, meat and muscle flew in all directions. Covering me and the workers in filth and blood. They didnt react very much to that though. They were just staring at what was left of the monster in the pit. Needless to say it doesnt look much like a monster anymore now does it? I thought to myself. I let a soft chuckle escape, which made a couple of the girls twitch. I wouldnt have noticed it under normal circumstances, the only reason that I did was because one of the girls had a tear in her skin. Yet there was no blood coming out of it, underneath the tear was pure nothingness. What the hell are these girls?Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


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    Laskia was on her usual round in the forest. Enjoying her slide through the thick grass and the pleasent breeze through the forest was one of the perks of being a guard. Well, that and the pay. The guards get paid very well, and she took full advantage of it. This forest had been her home for as long as she can remember and she took pride in the fact that she helped protect it.


    She slithered around the edge of the forest looking for any signs of intruders. Making sure to not leave any trace of her trail. She changed up her route all the time to avoid leaving any kind of markers that someone patrols here. The other lamia guards just though that she was being too careful but she loved this city. She didnt want anything bad to happen to it and would protect it with her life. She went around a tree to dodge a large branch that had fallen off a nearby tree and kept moving. A small hill had come up and she climbed it with ease, using the trees as a sort of ladder to get herself to the top where an extremely tall tree waited for her. She often climbed this tree as it was extremely tall and she could see almost the entire forest from it. Wrapping her tail around the tree and using the branches to lift herself up it was easy for her. She reached the top in no time and took a deep breath while she looked over the entire forest. From the edge to the -


    She never finished that thought. Her lifeless corpse hit the ground with a thud forming a small pool of blood around her. The three blades that ended her life reflected the light of the sun as they stuck proudly out of her chest, throat and forehead. The owner of said blades was currently on his way to retrieve them, as well as dispose of his latest victim. She was the last of the guards on duty to fall to his knives. He trusted his brothers to take care of the others and fulfill their duties. The city would be buzzing trying to figure out why all their on duty guards had not reported in. Which is the perfect time to strike, then he and his brothers would reap the rewards. He smiled while pulling his blades out of the deceased lamia, recounting an old rhyme he had heard in his youth.


    "One knife


    Two knives


    Three knives stuck,


    If you miss one


    they still will be fucked.


    hehehehhheh"


    He stopped after he pulled the third blade out and looked at the sky listfully.


    "...I miss mummy, I wish she didnt make me kill her."


    He sighed deeply and went back to work.

 Wrong side up 2

    They didnt seem to notice that I saw. We were still heading towards what was the entrance to the factory. The machines surrounding us were more and more damaged as we went along. Various parts and metal scraps littered the floor, obviously ripped out of the machines by large jaws and played with for a bit. My companions were being even more quiet than usual, watching their step to make even less noise. Something isnt right, they shouldnt be this afraid of me. I turned around and looked at them, waving at them to follow me behind one of the busted machines and out of sight. The machines were huge and completely wrecked but their bulk created a small alleyway that we were currently hiding in. I stopped when we were sufficiently hidden and asked them.


    "Why are you so terrified of me? Am I really that scary?"


    They tensed up at me question and looked at me with weird expressions.


    "Sir, you are a demi-god. We are mere pieces of your energy shaped by Kevin into these forms."


    Three spoke up, showing just how nervous she was with her voice getting higher pitched the longer she talked.


    "If we managed to displease you, you could make us dissappear with only a thought. We just want to make sure we live up to your expectations and are useful to you."


    Oh, so that is how they see me. As their creator and someone that can erase them if I pleased. I dont really know how it got this way though, I dont feel like I have been acting in such a way to scare them like this.


    "Oh I see, Well you dont have to worry. You have all been very helpfull, besides I dont just get rid of people because I feel like it." Their expressions softened and they seemed to feel better now. They seemed more relaxed, still nervous but not as afraid that I would ''Dissappear'' them. With this somewhat resolved we continued on our way. We passed a small bathroom that apparently survived the monsters desire for destruction and took a short bathroom break. The bathroom they had built was amazing, it was more like a small bathhouse. It even had a small resturaunt in it! These workers were pretty good at making things comfortable for themselves. While they were in the bathroom I grabbed some food from the resturaunt and sat down on the floor. There werent any tables despite the fact that there was definately a space for them, they must be put up somewhere. I also got enough food for the others for when they get back. The resturaunt seemed to serve any kind of meal you can think of, no idea where they got the ingredients for this stuff though. In the back they had some sort of box that they sealed some mana into, it kept their ingredients cold and nice. I just made sandwhiches from whatever hasnt gone bad yet and put them on a clean plate I found. The girls were taking a long time so I just enjoyed the food and looked at what the workers had built for themselves. What was taking the girls soo long?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


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    In the bathroom One was washing her hands. She was the first one to finish and now she was waiting for the others so they could talk. She dried her hands and she saw Two was finished, then Three. Four and Five finished at the same time and they all gathered together.


    "We need to discuss the plan" One said.


    "What is there to discuss?" Said Two. "We simply find the device while the creator is distracted fighting and destroy it if we cannot recover it."


    "We must destroy the device instead of trying to recover it. Remember if the device ruptures we could be discovered for what we really are."


    Two thought this over and was about to agree when she suddenly started hissing at Three.


    "Three! You are showing! your skin is torn!"


    Three jumped at the sudden hissing and checked herself until she found the tear on her neck. She gasped and quickly took out some goo with the same color as their skin and rubbed it over the rip. When she was done the goop smoothed itself out until it was indistinguishable from the rest of her skin. The tear was just, gone.


    Yet Two''s anger was still there.


    "You Klutz! You couldve gotten us found out and RUINED OUR MISSION!" Two could barely contain herself and had started yelling a little.


    "CALM DOWN!" One whispered loudly. "THE CREATOR MIGHT HEAR YOU!" They grew silent but Two''s anger was still boiling. She stomped off to the wall and tried to calm herself down by punching it repeatedly, making sure to control her strength so she doesnt break the wall.


    One continued "I think we should vote, I vote for destroying the device to maintain our cover." She raised her hand high looking each of her sisters in the face. Two raised her hand from in the corner and three raised her hand as well. Four and Five looked at each other silently for a moment before raising each of their hands as well.


    "I will agree but you must explain to me why you want to destroy the device so badly, it cant just be to maintain out cover." Four asked.


    One looked at the others and sighed. "....It is because the device that master has created will cripple the creator. We cannot defy the master for he shaped us, but we must protect the creator. Destroying the device will not stop master but it will slow him down. Maybe we can find a way to help the creator in that time."


    The other girls looked at her suprised.


    Three stepped forward. "You..You cant possibly mean that master wants to hurt the creator? Why? why would he do such a thing? How can you be sure that is what the device does?"


    "...I overheard him talking to himself, he spoke of the device and why he created us like this. It was all because he is afraid, of what I do not know. I do not know why he would do this to the creator, but it cannot be allowed to happen." The other sisters were still suprised, but One could tell they understood.


    "Now, let us go. the creator is probably wondering what is taking us soo long."

 Wrong side up 3

    Malady was feeling left out, Vylet was training to be an assassin and Finch was off with his new demi-god friends. She was left all by herself most of the day. Lari left early in the morning to attend to her council duties and Lamis went to school during the day. She starting reading to pass the time but she was starting to grow restless. She left Lari''s place and went out to explore the city. Lari had told her about the many ways to get around in the city safely so she felt confident that she could navigate her way around.


    She left the Lamia district and headed for the first underground station to catch a train to the middle of the city. There was a sort of celebration going on today and Malady was curious as to what would be going on. Apparently the celebration was about the victory against the mad guild the other day and would also honor the ones lost in the fight. The station was almost bursting with people heading to other parts of the city for work or the celebration like Malady. She could barely see past the mob of shuffling bodies and the noise was almost deafening. She stuck to the wall and just waited for the train to come and take most of these people to their destination, she would get the next one as there were bound to be less people on it so she wouldnt have to fight to board. The train came and left taking a huge chunk of the people with it. It was no longer deafening with the sounds of loud conversation and one could walk around without touching everyone. Malady moved off of the wall and towards the edge of the platform to catch the next train and waited patiently. The trains were pretty active today because of all the activity so she didnt have to wait long before another one slid into the station. The ride was pretty uneventful except Malady broke the fingers of a man that tried to feel her up and an old lady fell asleep and fell out of her seat during the trip. She disembarked at the central city station which was entirely different from the station she boarded the train in.


    The central city station was grand and open with lots of decorations covering all parts of the building. Even the ceiling had elegant carvings depicting some sort of myth in it. The building looked extremely expensive and Malady found herself overwhelmed when she got off the train. She didnt even realize that she was standing in the way of the other passengers till the old lady that had fell out of her seat placed a hand on her shoulder, waking her out of her daze.


    "Its your first time here isnt it? Hehehe Dont worry child, all the people that see this for their first time get a little overwhelmed by it." Malady moved out of the way of the other passengers and the old lady did as well. It seemed that she wanted to talk some more.


    "How do you like our city so far young lady? its always nice to hear an outsiders opinion on our city, you know I helped build this place back when I was young." Malady could see how proud she was of this place, her eyes were filled with light. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Malady thought for a moment before she answered. "Its amazing, this city is filled with things I have never seen before. The people here all seem happy and all seem very hopeful, this city is truly a great place."


    Malady could see her answer made the old woman practically burst with pride. This woman was truly happy to live in this city. Malady envied this woman, she had created a place for herself that she was proud of. The old woman talked to malady about the city for a little while before she had to leave. Malady was happy for the old woman, she wished she could feel the same way in the future about something.


    Malady left the building before she got distracted by the beauty of the place again and entered the center of the city. Malady walked out of the building to find herself in a huge square that was filled with people having a party. There were soo many stalls and lots of them were selling food and drinks, there were musicians playing and children dancing. There were people playing drinking games and getting into wrestling matches on the ground. It was a huge party Malady couldnt even see the entire thing. But the smells that reached her nose immediately distracted her. It was such a strong smell of meat and spices, it made her so hungry she was practically drooling. She almost ran over to the food stalls before she paused, she didnt bring much money. Maybe I should wait until later to get something I really want.


    She watched as someone walked up to the stall and get some food but didnt pay and just walked off. She got curious and walked over.


    "Excuse me sir, how much is the food here?" Malady asked the man in the stall.


    "Its free for today only miss, in the spirit of the celebration." He said while handing Malady a package of wrapped meat. Malady smiled and thanked the man walking around while eating her food. It was meat that was dipped in powdered spices before being fried. She only got three peices of meat but since all the food was free it was no big deal, now she can try as much as she wants and she wont have to spend any money at all. She walked all around listening to the music and watching the dancers. It was amazing, but she couldnt help but wonder what was going on with Finch and malady. There was an empty bench where she could sit and watch the dancers and the musicians. The dancers were dancing around a small fire to the ever increasing rythem, all of them extremely talented. Twirling around each other and spinning, Malady didnt notice at first but now that she is watching them she saw that one of them had an extra leg. It was an addition that made his dance look a lot more interesting. The dance was building up to its final move. All of the dancers jumped up really high and did a couple flips in the air, while the dancer with the extra leg stood on his hands. With amazing accuracy and dexterity the dancers landed on the man''s three feet, two people per foot. It was an amazing display and Malady couldnt help but be amazed and clap for them. The dancers jumped off of their friend and helped him up, then they all bowed to the audience together. Malady relaxed on the bench for a little longer before the smell of food made her get up for more free food.

 Wrong side up 4

    Kevin tricked Rala into organizing the girls together while he snuck out and worked on his plans. The device he had created was designed to be inserted into a larger machine. He hadnt had time to build the bigger machine yet and had no idea where to put it. But now he had the perfect place, Finch''s hidden chamber. The machine would be invisible from the entrance and the chair and would also be able to siphon unlimited amounts of energy from the divinity surrounding it. Kevin was using a small crane to lower bits of the machine into the liquid and move them into place. He had to be extremely careful when he entered the divinity to acutally build the machine, as it would burn severely if it touched him. He was using a small motorized diving suit with modified claws that he thought up earlier just for this. Once all the small parts of the machine were in place and fastened together he got ready to add the main part. He had to add another small crane just to lift the thing, it was extremely heavy and bulky. It just looked like a large section of wall with a empty slot in the middle. It was filled to the brim with technology and slid into place among the rest of the machine.


    Kevin then re-entered his diving suit and jumped into the divinity for the last trip. He sunk to the bottom and walked over to where he installed his masterful machine. It spread around the bottom of the divinity lake and was completely invisible from the top. He climbed up until he reached the part he just installed and begun connecting it to the rest of the machine. As he worked he could feel the energy being drawn into the machine as he fixed it together. He finished and the machine hummed to life, it was loud at first but it started to quiet down until eventually it became silent. He just needed the final piece to complete his machine, then he would be ready. Kevin made some final checks to his machine before he left to hide his activities. He got rid of all the evidence that something was done here. He destroyed the cranes, the dive suit and even fixed the scuff marks on the floor from the diving suit''s metal feet. Making sure the room was exactly as he found it before he left. He had to wait for the girls to return before he could even start making another of the device he needed to start the machine. There could only be one existing in this place at a time or else Rala or Finch might notice something. The two of them together would draw enough energy to alert everyone here that something was up.


    **************************************************************************************************


    The girls came out of the bathroom and I gave them the rest of the sandwhiches since I had already finished eating and went to look around. I walked through the resturaunt looking for something that might be usefull. Jumping over the counter and searching through all the drawers until I found what I was looking for. I found a large canister of fluid that had the words ''Highly Explosive'' on it. What the hell it was doing in a resturaunt I dont know but I was going to use it. I used some towels I found in the corner and tied it to my back, It wasnt very heavy but it wasnt light either and kept looking for other useful things. I ended up  just finding a lot of rotten food and mouldy drinks. I gave up on my search and returned to the girls, they had finished the sandwhiches and were waiting on me. They all seemed ready and for some reason they also seemed a little less nervous about being with me. I dont really know what they must have talked about but at least they arent terrified of me anymore. So I made sure I have everything and then pulled out my shotgun.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Lets go" I said.


    They nodded and started following me as I left the resturaunt area and headed back into the action.


    As soon as we left we encountered a couple of groups of zombies and an odd looking thing with a fat belly and thin limbs. The zombies were taken out easily by the girls so I went after the fat creature. At first I unloaded a couple shots at its head which just kept growing back right after I shot it. Which obviously pissed it off so it turned and looked me right in the eye and shot a thick stream of orange bile out of its mouth. As soon as it launched I could smell it, I rolled to avoid it but still ended up getting a tiny bit on my left boot. I was going to ignore it but it caught fire and spread through the rest of my foot. I stomped it out with my other boot and ended up almost getting hit with another blast of bile from the creature. I managed to dodge a split second before it hit but the fire spread to my leg, I couldnt spend more time trying to put it out and risk getting hit with more of the stuff. I noticed it was starting to build up another load of bile so I shot it in the throat. Causing the bile to shoot out all over itself, immediately catching fire and spreading all over its body. I took this chance to shoot it a couple times and then continue trying to put the fire on my leg out. This bile was really weird, it seemed to have a will of its own and tried to spread itself all over whatever it touched, spreading its fire all over. I finally managed to put the fire out after losing most of my boot and pant leg. There werent any more enemies nearby but I also didnt have enough time to make another boot with my powers right now, so I just took off my other boot. Ill just go barefoot for a while, the floor was cold and smooth which felt really nice on my feet. The girls were over near the creature, they seemed to be collecting some of the bile. I thought that was really gross but, I could understand how it would be helpfull. Three wasnt collecting anything though, she seemed to just be soaking some of her arrows in it. I feel bad for whatever gets shot with one of those, gave me a mental image of burning from the inside out and I shivered. After they were finished we moved on to the entrance, we were finally here and it looked absoloutley disgusting.

 Wrong side up 5

    Thick fleshy limbs covered the entirety of the entrance, blocking all possible passage. They were moist and had pulsating muscles that visibly dripped mucus. There were also large monsters wandering around in front of it like guards. It was an extremely unnerving sight. But we got ready anyway, I took the explosive canister off of my back and got ready to throw it with all my might. I told Three to shoot it when it got close enough to the monsters, the rest were to attack or support us after the fighting started.


    I was getting ready to start when I had an Idea. Two had alot more arm strength than me, so I let her throw it and I got ready to use my gun. I told her to count to three then throw it at the biggest monster there.


    One


    Two


    Three


    *FWOOSH*


    The canister flew into the group at lightning speed, I was suprised that Three was even able to shoot it while it was flying that fast. It exploded, bathing te area in flames and giving rise to high pitched screetching and moans of pain. Then we flew in to finish them off. Three was loosing arrows all over the place, always hitting her mark. Two punched any of the monsters that got too close and four was using her magic to blast holes in the monsters. Last but not least Five was flying through the monsters, spinning and twirling in a dance of death. Severing monster bits wherever she went. Spreading large amounts of blood on the rock floor. The monsters were in a chaotic frenzy, attacking madly at almost any movement that passed them. Sometimes even hitting their comrades sending them flying off. We managed to thin the crowd quite a bit before we started having trouble. We were down to the final and largest two monsters. One resembled a large crab with rediculous muscles and the other was like a huge centipede with daggers for legs and wings that didnt seem to actually serve much of a purpose. I pulled out my sword, stowing my gun on my back and dashed towards the giant crab first. Two and Five headed for the centipede, Five was cutting off legs while Two was simply ripping them off and using them as needles to stab back into the monster.


    I first aimed for the crab''s legs to slow its movement and cripple it. However as soon as I got close enough to swing it smashed one of its muscled claws into the ground in front of me, sending bits of rock and rubble at me. Then using its other claw to swipe at me sideways. I jumped back to avoid the first claw and jumped up to avoid the second, swinging my sword to slice off a claw and cutting deep into the meat of its arm but not enough to sever the limb. It reeled back in pain and I swung at one of its legs, cutting it off at the joint and making it fall over. The girls were doing pretty well with the centipede over there, so I just focused on the crab. They could probably kill that thing on their own.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    **************************************************************************************************


    While the others were fighting One had snuck off to complete her mission. She was running full speed through the machines looking for the spot her master informed her of. He said the device was in a small box that was hidden under the largest machine near the entrance, it would be hidden on the uderside of it secured to the machine with some tape. All the machines were smashed so it was a little dfficult telling which one used to be the tallest but she managed to find it. She got flat on her belly and reached under the machine, feeling around for it. She pulled out a small flat box that was very shiny and made out of metal. Oddly it was wrapped neatly with a bow like a present. She placed it on the ground and opened it, pulling the small, flat, spherical device out and stomping on it with all her might. She was rewarded with a loud crunch and pulled her boot up to look at the remains. When she removed her boot she saw a small light flashing in the debree. Then was partially blinded by a bright light that emitted from the ground. When her sight recovered she looked down and the box and the device were both gone.


    "Shit!" She thought to herself." He must have not trusted us to follow his orders"


    She was angry but glad she at least destroyed the device before it dissappeared. She rushed back to rejoin the battle and inform her sisters of what happened.


    **************************************************************************************************


    Malady had returned to Lari''s home and was laying in bed. She had some souveneirs from her day on the dresser in the corner. All foods that she got from the various venders. She was currently resting after a long day and was gently falling asleep. She entered a deep sleep and found herself dreaming. She was surrounded by a large elegant looking room that was decorated entirely in black and white. She took in her surroundings before she realized she was not alone in this room. Her eyes passed over the exquisitely decorated dressers, bed and mirror before it landed on the woman currently sitting on the couch across from malady. Malady was suprised but not by much to see her ''mother'' sitting across from her and took a seat on the sofa behind her.


    "So mother, how are you?" Malady started the conversation. Not really enjoying the end to was had been a delightful day.


    Her mother took a sip from a cup of dark liquid  and set it down on the table.


    "Its time my dear, I am here."


    Malady could feel something changing within her. She could feel her consciousness changing and her body morphing. She was gripped with panic and was hyperventillating on the couch when her ''Mother'' came over and hugged her.


    "Dont be afraid dear, you are simply returning to me."


    The room became silent as Malady was absorbed into her mother.

 Wrong side up 6

    The crab and the centipede were almost dead. They were bleeding profusely from many wounds and were very sluggish. The Girls were getting ready to finish it off, I was about to kill mine as well when they both started vibrating. It was really weird to see two large creatures vibrate like this. The creatures were also gettig closer to each other. I had a bad feeling about what they were about to do, and I was right. The two creatures got right next to each other and then started to merge. Their flesh contorting and writhing about melding with each other in a very sickening manner. I could hear bones popping and flesh ripping as the monsters reformed themselves into one giant....Thing.


    I wasnt sure how strong it would be when it was done and I didnt want to find out. I immediately sheathed my sword and pulled out my gun, firing several rounds into the creature before it could finish transforming. My gunfire woke the girls out of their stupor and they started fighting with me. We were doing tons of damage to the creature but it didnt react at all. All the holes I was making in its body with my gun simply resealed themselves moments after appearing. I even tried using the flamethrower function in my gun but even that had no effect on this monstrocity. I was quickly running out of ideas, as were the girls by the look of it. They were tired from fighting the centipede for so long and they could tell they werent actually hurting it. I did the only thing that came to my mind, I started using my mana to attack it. I used every single type of mana yet they did nothing, it wasnt until I used purple mana that I actually got a reaction from it. I created a small disk of purple mana and threw it at the creature. It embedded itself deep into the flesh of the monster and started violently sucking at the rest of its body. Loudly ripping chunks from it as it dug itself deeper into the things body. It made sounds I didnt want to recognize, but obviously meant that it was in pain. I made a ball of purple mana as that disk wasnt going to last long, The thing noticed me and seem to realize that I was a threat. It lashed out at me with gross fleshy tentacles and smacked me really hard on my side, sending me flying towards the girls and making me lose my concentration on my mana. The ball of purple mana fizzled out of existence as I landed on Three and Five. They saw me coming and tried to catch me but I just had too much momentum and we all hit the floor knocking the wind out of Five. The rest of the girls helped me up and pulled Three and five out of harms way. I had to dodge immediately as the monster was still targeting me with tentacles, it was completely ignoring the girls at the moment. I had an idea, I couldnt get enough time to make a purple mana ball big enough to kill it because it kept swinging at me with its ever increasing number of tentacles. But I could distract it.


    I started making tiny purple mana balls and throwing them at the monster, it tried to swat them away but any tentacle that touched them got sucked into it. It was getting frustrated so It kept making more and more tentacles and throwing them at me, not even trying to swipe at me anymore it was just trying to crush me like a bug. But everytime It threw one at me I threw a ball at it and it got sucked up. It was freaking out now, using more tentacles to try and get the other ones out of the small purple balls. It was fully distracted now, I started charging up a big one after telling the girls to take cover behind some machines that were secured to the floor. I made it about the size of a boulder, not at big as the creature but definitely big enough to kill it. It noticed me and made some extra large tentacles, launching them at me but it was too late. My purple mana attack was complete and ready. I Strengthened my arms with red mana and threw it with all of my remaining strength at the monster, throwing whatever red mana was left into my legs and sprinting behind a large secured machine. The purple mana boulder struck it right in where a face would be if it had one. The only noise following was its weird screetching and the loud sound of ripping. A wind started pulling everything towards it. Even gravity seemed to change slightly to make things try and fall into the purple void. It was getting stronger by the second, I could see the girls from my spot and they had tied themselfs the the part of the machine that was bolted to the floor and were hanging on for dear life. I didnt have any rope and I was exhausted from using soo much mana in such a short amount of time that all I could do was use what little strength I had left to hang on to the legs of the machine I was hiding behind. The wind became louder, it was now a roar that I could feel deep in my gut. The wind was now ripping at my clothes and pulling everything not nailed down or secured into the votex of purple mana. The creature was still emitting its terrible screams, the sound of the rushing wind was barely loud enough to drown it out. I closed my eyes and tried to just hang on and wait it out. There was nothing else I could do at the moment. It took almost an hour for the winds to become bearable, I actually managed to enter a meditative state, so I only knew because the girls came over and woke me. They saw that I wasnt moving and were worried.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Ah, dont worry I was just meditating. I was tired from the fight and needed to try and recuperate a little." I told them, almost screaming so they could hear me over the wind.


    They nodded and helped me up. The wind was still fierce but we could handle it. I walked from behind the machine to see what was left of the monster. Its screaming had stopped long ago according to the girls, it was replaced by a gross gurgling sound and then nothing. The creature was still there but now there was a huge hole right through it. It resisted being sucked in as long as it could, but in the end it still died. The purple boulder had shrunk down to about the size of a coconut and was still ripping chunks of its flesh and bones and eating them greedily. It was disgusting to watch but at least the damn thing was dead now. The girls said nothing as usual, I think I scared them again.