《Forest of Teeth》 Chapter 1 - Remember Me The forest was beautiful. Dappled light shon through red leaves onto the mossy forest floor, and the ashen trunks of the trees. And on a young woman. She looked to be about seventeen, and lay sprawled on the ground as if a large hand had tossed her there.She wasn''t a human woman. Hidden in the loose strands that made up her bun were two, long pointed furry ears. From the base of her spine sprouted and equally long, dark and fluffy tail. No tracks led up to her, it was a mystery how she had appeared. A mystery with nobody to investigate. Her tail twitched first, then her hand, then she opened her eyes. For a few moments, she was just still. Her surroundings weren''t familiar. That was the first thing that tipped her off to the fact that something was wrong. Trees weren''t suppose to have red leaves, though how she knew that...she didn''t know. Infact, she didn''t know much of anything. Not her name, the colour of her eyes, her age, nothing. She quickly pushed herself up, then paused looking down at her hand. Big enough to tell her that she wasn''t a child, but that wasn''t the reason she was staring. The reason she was staring was that at the end of each of her fiingers was a perfectly placed translucent claw. She did not have claws. She was 100% certain on that one. But, clearly, she did. Or perhaps she was the victim of some horrendous experiment. Or her soul had been put into somebody elses body.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. She almost leant back, but felt a strange pressure at the bottom of her spine. Her spine that continued far further than it should''ve. Looking over her shoulder, she grew positivley pale. No fucking way. She had a tail. A tail! She ran her hands over her body, her face, her head, looking for any other extra bits she was otherwise unaware of. Ears. Pointy ears. Canines. Her tongue was too rough. More claws on her feet. That seemed to be it. Nothing that made her too hideous. She couldn''t say much for the clothing she woke up in though. No pants, no, instead she had some sort of cloth nappy. No bra. A sack-like dress that kept her important bits out of view of the rest of the world. No shoes, and the soles of her feet were smooth so she was going to have fun walking places. It wasn''t the end of the world, she told herself. Hell - some of the stuff might even come in handy. Pointy ears meant better hearing. A tail meant better balance (as soon as she worked out how to use it). Claws and canines were natural weapons. She could do this. She wasn''t doomed. There had to be people near by right? People that could answer her questions? Perhaps even people who knew her. Unsteadily she rose to her feet, her tail whipping unsteadily behind her. Walking upright made her unsteadier still. Walking through the undergrowth she eventually settled on walking slightly bent over, almost creeping along. Not once did she pinpoint her source of unease in the forest though. No birds singing. No insects buzzing. Not a sound but for the rustling of the trees as they whispered to one onother about the stranger in their midst. Chapter 2 - Lost Limbs She didn''t know how long she''d been walking. Her feet burned and pain shot up her calves with every step. Every so often she''d stopped convinced she must be leaving bloody footprints, but her skin had proved tougher than that. She kept wondering where she came from, who she was.Not knowing the reasons for the way that she was feeling...well, it put a dampner on the progress thing. Her mind was like a holey cheese. And nothing she did, and no matter how hard she thought about it she simply couldn''t remember. She sped up, focusing on the burn as the air pumped in and out of her lungs. When she reached the hut, she almost walked straight into it. On closer inspection, it was more of a shack than a hut. The wood was worn, and definitely hanging off in some places. There was no door, and when she stepped inside there was only one rickety bench in the corner. No luxery here. A couple hundred yards from the shack she could hear running water. She walked down to the stream. "This is insane." Her voice was dry and raspy, but a familiar sound. Unlike the rest of her body, it sounded like her. She laughed, shook her head, then stopped. Just...stopped. The creature sort of...hopped. And swam. Its'' face looked like a fishes, a body like a frog then a tail that looked far too long for its body sticking out the back. As if it could tell she was looking, it made a high pitched croaking sound, then hopped back into the water before swimming like a fish. The Fish-Frog had an iridescent body with a pale belly. It was bizzar, yet beautiful. Now that she was looking, she could see at least a dozen of them swimming in the water. The sunlight glinted off their bodies, making the water look like the it had magical ripples. She was half amazed at the beauty of it. The other half of her was just hungry, and thought that they looked like food. But she hadn''t ever killed anything before. Atleast, not in her living memory. Could she do it? She spent the next half hour finding a suitable stick that wasn''t wet or rotten, then another fifteen minuites looking for a sharp rock. Then, she sat down and began to sharpen the stick. Methodically, the sound of the bark peeling off, the chips hitting the floor became like an enchantment. By the time she looked up, it was beginnng to get dark. Dusk suited the forest, though it did make it somewhat eeire. There were some bird calls in the distance though. Enough that she didn''t let the paranoia that had been slowly creeping up her spine all day get to her. She gritted her teeth and told herself that she still had time. Time she wouldn''t have if she starved to death. Shaking her dark thoughts away she shifted her makeshift spear into her hands. She was going to hunt Fish-Frogs. Holding the spear high, she stepped into the middle of the stream. The swimmers that had darted to the nooks and crannies when she came in slowly came out of their hiding places. One daring fish swam almost directly between her legs. Slowly slowly she raised her spear higher - SPLASH! Biting her bottom lip she pulled her spear out of the water. Just her spear. "Fucking hell!" She swore. The second time, she actually almost fell into the water by aiming too far away. Third times the charm, she told herself. Whatever stopped her from punching the nearest tree really. She never had been one for patience. Closing her eyes she breathed in. And out. And in. And out. Ok, she could do this. She didn''t do it. Not that time or the next or the next. Then, she did. The Fish-Frog flapped around on the end of her stick as she raised both hands up into the air in victory. The poor animal continued to suffer as she celebrated, impaled but still very much alive. Her feet were numb with cold as she staggered out of the water, and at some point her tail had got wet because she couldn''t feel the end of it at all. She didn''t care. She had food. It took all of 2 seconds once she was out of the water for her to start feeling bad. She hadn''t really thought beyond this point. There was no fire, and very little light. The Fish-Frog had begun to make small whining noises that remminded her of a puppy. And she had nothing to put it out of its misery. Except a sharpened rock. Swallowing down a bundle of nerves she pulled off the frog-fish and set it on the floor of the shack. The floor didn''t look too clean, but she couldn''t be too fussy right now. She took the rock, and raised it over her head. For a few precious moments it was just her and the creature looking at one another. She wasn''t sure she could do it. Then she bought the rock down hard and fast and the creatures brains made a squishing sound. The Fish-Frog was no more. Its body jerked once, twice, then went still. Irrationally she was afraid to touch it. It couldn''t do anything to her, she knew that but... But... Words came to her mind, as if they had always been there. A name. Below her the body of the Fish-Frogwas left to rot, forgotten. Not a Fish-Frog, aFonq Latrh. "Fonq Latre." "Latre" Nope, couldn''t pronounce that word. Looking down at the fish, she shuddered. She had killed it. She still couldn''t get over it. Part of her wanted to go sit in a corner and cry. Another, more innapropriate part of her wanted to make a completely insensitive joke and laugh. She took a deep, calming breath. She needed fire. She had no idea how to make fire. Something about sticks and friction. Dark was coming rapidly, and if she was going to try, she needed to try now. Delibrately avoiding looking at the murdered body of the Fonq thing, she walked out of the hut. She wondered if the Fonq mated for life. Or took part in rearing their children. Or- no! She was not going to torture herself about this. Its a dog eat dog world. Which made her think there must be equally fantastical predators in these parts. Fantastical predators she never, ever wanted to meet. As if the fantastical predators had heard her, she heard some pebbles skittering across the ground to her left. Immeddiately she dropped into a crouch. Swallowing thickly, she peered through the darkness to the origin of the sound. The ugly little humanoid snuffled at the water, before gurgling and spitting out a wad of saliva. She almost gagged -gross. It must only come up to her knee, but all its body proportons were wrong with arms that were so long its knuckles swept the ground and a funny round body with two stumpy legs. It had a mouthfull of broken yellow teeth and eyes far too big for its face, that wrinkled with every minute expression. No hair, and knobbly gray skin. It looked like the kind of monster kids thought hid under their beds. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Its clothing -though more of a leather loincloth than anything else, looked far comfier than what she was wearing. The world clearly wasn''t fair. Perhaps it was intelligent, she thought as it scratched its balls, then stuck its fingers in its mouth. It was wearing clothing. That meant it atleast had the brains to sew right? And make needles. Its finger was up its nose now, so deep she thought that it must be able to touch its brain. Maybe not. Maybe it had a very limited intelligence. Or a very crass culture. Giggling child like voices came from further away. Her ears twitched atop her head as the listened hard. She couldn''t actually identify any syllables or words. It sounded more like giggling and whoops. Cheering. Three more Grays arrived, between them they carried the limb of whatever poor creature they''d killed. Or scavenged off of, she thought looking at the size of the limb in comparison the the creatures carrying it. She couldn''t see how such tiny things could kill something so big. Unless they were venemous. Or far more intelligent than she gave them credit for. Hold on...that wasn''t any limb. It was a leg. A human leg. Her heart beat hard against her rib cage as the Grays seemed to double in size and their laughter turned into some sort of sick child-like cackling. She would not be contacting these creatures. They either killed humans or ate humans. Neither was a good situation for her. Somebody had been killed - a person, and they''d ripped off that persons leg for food. To eat. She swallowed thickly. One of the grays took a sneaky bite out of the calf, only to be whacked over the head by the long limbs of the first Gray she had seen. The first Gray made an angry trilling sound while the other one looked stonily down at the ground. They were like children. Sick, violent, cannibalistic children. Over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears she heard a rustling behind her. Its head appeared first, then its arm as it pulled itself out of the thicket behind her. Then it saw her. Like the others, this one had huge, brown eyes with no white to be seen. Its wrinkled ugly features were slack in surprise. Surprise. All at once her senses rushed back to her and she lept at the Gray. It made a startled sound as she used her hands to fasten its jaw shut and keep from alerting the others. Where the hell did she put her spear?! Air hissed out of its mouth as it squirmed underneath her, its fingernails scraping up her forarms as it tried to free itself from her grip. She felt like she was in a dream when she shifted one hand down to its neck. Then the other. Its legs kicked in the dirt between them as she slowly tightened her grip. She was going to kill it. She had never been told quite how hard it was to kill something by strangulation. Even though her hands fit all the way around the creatures warm, scrawny throat it kept struggling for what felt like forever. Slowly its struggles weakened and its arms fell limp at its sides. Every time she thought it might be dead, it would jerk, as a little bit more life left its body. Finally, it fell still. Her hands felt like they were cemented around the creatures throat. It took a couple of tries before she managed to let go. Its face was puffed up, and its eyes were flat. Staring right at her. She scurried backwards, away from the body until she hit a tree trunk. The body stayed where it was. Limp. The dirt around it was kicked up, there were scratch marks where it had tried to free itself. And failed. She had been looking right at it. Right in the eyes when it died. It had been terrified. Of her. She tried to tell herself that she had to do it. That she had no choice. It didn''t help. At some point, she realised that her hand were shaking. I''m in shock. Her head felt too light on her shoulders, and her breaths were coming in short hard gasps. Calm down. I''ve got to calm down. She felt dirty. There were tiny flecks of blood on her claws where she had dug them into the creature. So hard she had drawn blood. It wasn''t over yet. Somehow she managed not to have a panic attack. The other goblins. They were calling. It sounded like a name. Kar? Was Kar the name of the goblin she had killed? Against her will her eyes flickered back over the the goblin that was lying on the ground. It looked so... The other goblins were beginning to spread out. Looking for Kar. One was headed in her direction. Instinct took over.Twisting out of sight behind the tree trunk, she dug her claws into the bark. A few moments later and she was perched on one of the lower branches. A good 15 foot off the ground. She wasn''t entirey sure how she got up there. Just in time though, as the goblin pushed past the thicket and found the corpse of his comrade. It gave a high pitched scream, that the other reacted to instantly. Then there were four goblins on the ground looking at the corpse. One sniffed at it, before looking around presumably for her. She dug her claws into the tree. When it didn''t find anything it turned back to its comrades and let out a long sentence of jumbled nonsense. The other goblins seemed to understand though as they left to fetch the leg. The remaining goblin carefully took one of Kars'' arms and slung it over its shoulder. Then it did the same to the other as if it were some kind of piggy back. It carried Kar to its friends then they continued to travel deeper into the forest. She didn''t come down when she couldn''t see them anymore, or even when she couldn''t hear them anymore. She came down when it was so dark she wasn''t sure she could jump out the tree without serious injury. Luckily, her strange body came in handy for some things as she twisted like a cat in the air and landed on all fours. Squinting she made her way back to the shack. She didn''t want to go inside. All she could think of was what would happen if another band of goblins came across her in the night. Ones with thoughts of revenge. Using her newfound limberness, she easily pulled herself ontop of the shack. She tested the roof, which seemed to be relativly sturdy given the shape it was in. This was where she would sleep tonight. Chapter 3 - Losing Time She woke up with pain. Pain in her shoulders, her back, her thighs. Pain everywhere. The nappy thing rubbed against her every time she took a step and now there was an angry red rash on her inner thighs. She had a terrible nights sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the life leaving the goblins body, bloody limbs and heard cackling laughter. Looking back on it now, the Goblins hadn''t posed much of a threat to her. She probably could''ve just chased the ugly things off. Instead she had killed one. And the more she thought about it, the more that it seemed like murder. It hadn''t posed any real threat to her. They clearly had their own language, so they weren''t mindless beasts. It wasn''t cannibalism, technically, either. That leg was from a different species to them. Maybe even a different species to her. They were just like children, they didn''t have the same wrong and right that she did. She wouldn''t have blamed a non-intelligent animal for killing a human. It was the way of the world. There were the hunters and the hunted. Everything had to eat. None of these thoughts were helping her heavy conscience. She could feel herself nearing some invisible breaking point. She had gone from an innocent to a murderer in one day. She slept on a roof and walked for miles. She never wanted to shut her eyes again. She couldn''t remember a damn thing about herself. She didn''t even know her species, let alone her name! She was 100% not equipped to deal with this. Right next to the murder in ranking of shittiest things that had happened was the cold that seemed to have settled into her bones during the night. Not even the early morning rays warmed her. She felt dirty, but she''d be damned if she was going to wash in that stream and get any colder. Her life sucked, and her death was imminent if things continued like this. She felt weaker than the day before. Her stomach growled emptily at her but she had nothing to give it. Hugging herself she screwed her eyes shut. You can do this. Just find people. All you need to do is find people. Slowly she lowered herself off the roof and almost fell over when she hit the ground. Suddenly she realised how thirsty she was. Water. Beautiful, life giving water. She fell to her knees and scooped the water up to her face. Frustrated at the way it ran down her arms she leant over and pressed her lips to the surface. Cool, refreshing water flowed into her body. There was an underbite of dirt but really - who cared? It took an almost visible effort for her to pull back, but she knew if she drank too much too quickly she would throw up. She did not want to throw up. Exhausted, she blinked her eyes hard. When she opened them, the stream was gone. Instead she was facing more indistinguishable trees. Hundreds of thin vines dangled down from their branches like a curtain all around her, from which hung small bundles of round, black berries. What...? For a moment, she just gaped. It was brighter too. The sun was high and bright in the sky, casting a red shadow through the leaves above her. Her tail puffed up behind her, straight upright. How had this happened? She was probably in the same area; the trees were the same. The vines were decidedly not. Her mouth tasted foul. Breathing into her hand, she identified the smell. She had thrown up. Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, a black streak was left behind. Her heart gave an odd thud before she began rapidly spitting on the ground. She spat until her mouth was dry, then she spat some more. When she looked closer at her arm, she saw that the shadow of normally blue veins had gone gray. Everything in this forest was gray. The trees. The goblins. Everything except the Fonq. The only difference between the recent past and now was that she drank out of the stream. Then she was somewhere else. She had lost time. It must have been the water. It was everywhere, like poison. In the trees. In the creatures. Crack! She spun on one foot. Crouched. Ready. The vines parted around something black. Something that didn''t make sense. Not until the rest of the creatures head pushed through. It was a bird. A huge, man sized bird with a shiny, hooked black beak. Brilliant red feathers on its head faded into a slate coloured body. Terror Bird. The name popped into her head from nowhere. It cocked its head to one side. Run! Her instincts screamed at her. And she did. The vines whipped at her, as she pushed them to one side. The bird was gaining on her, easily. No. This was not it. Not here. She wasn''t done yet. She turned a sharp left around a tree, the bird slid across the ground behind her, slowing to almost a halt before continuing after her. She ran, she dodged but everything was getting to her. Her body felt heavy. Her legs were pumping acid. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep and never wake up. Was it really worth it? The bird would chase her down eventually. Each step got heavier. Slower. Then she saw it. A fence. More of a wall of a fortress than a fence but who gave two shits. Civilisation. People. Safety. Food. Water. Beds. Clothes. Turning a sharp right she made a beeline straight for it. Bird brain skidded again before following hot on her trail. Faster. She had to be faster. But no matter how fast she told her legs to go, they simply wouldn''t go any faster. It was closer. She so wanted to look behind her. But she knew if she did that she would slow down. For a second. Maybe even trip. Then she would be dead. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She had to go faster. She thought she felt something - warm hot air on her shoulder. She wasn''t going to make it. She got this far, this close and now she wasn''t going to make it. A whoosh of air passed her. She felt the thud of the bird falling by the vibrations in her feet. Still, she didn''t stop. Not until she passed through the gate. Not until she saw her first person. She was light headed, she couldn''t seem to focus clearly. Panting, she blinked to the person into focus. The girl was staring at her, brown eyes wide and dark in her pale face, with long blonde hair down to her elbows. She was wearing a long, green dress that looked home made, and underneath shoes poked out that looked more like leather wrapped around her feet, secured with a string. She must''ve been the most beautiful thing that the cat woman had ever seen. Clutching her bag, the girl turned and ran around a corner. Out of sight. There were other people too, further down the road. Women. A few men. Children. People. Her legs simply gave out from underneath her. She pressed one trembling hand to her mouth, and tears sprung into her eyes. Outside the walls of the fortress, the bird gave a last, rattling breath. Two arrows stuck out of it, one entered its chest just to the right of where its neck met its body. The other was stuck smack bang in the middle of its throat. The guard who had been watching the mad dash that the stranger had made to the gate hopped down from his perch atop the spiked defenses. The fence circled the entire village, excluding the farm, and was about the height of one and a half men. The guard, otherwise called Kele, could still remember the day that all the villagers had come together to make it. In his late thirties, his hair was brown and plaited down his back, where it ended with a leather tie. He was one of the more intimidating guards, with thick eyebrows and a deep dark stare. Not many people crossed him. The few who did regretted it. The woman was a hybrid. Some crossing of human and beast. In all his time, he''d never seen the likes before. It was not her fault, he thought, that her mother chose to fornicate with beasts. Regardless, now her business was his business. He had saved her life, and so he was responsible for her life for a season and a day. Such was the law of guardianship. One of her ears swiveled back towards him as he approached her, closely followed by her head. She was attractive, he noted, if not for the deformities. Her lips were a pale pink that sat in a heart shaped face. Her hair was wild but tamed there may well be a beauty sat underneath. Her eyes, though, said she had seen far too much. Despite being blue, they seemed dark and had a depth that came with the loss of innocence. "Where do you hail from, girl?" He asked her. She blinked up at him, tilting her head slightly to one side. "Your name then?" He frowned. She frowned back at him. She could hear, he knew that much from the way her ears had swiveled at his approach. She was either playing dumb or she didn''t understand a word that he was saying. For some reason, his gut leaned towards the latter. He always wanted to think the best of people. Innocent until proven guilty. He put a hand to his chest. "Kele." Then he pressed the same hand to hers. Nothing. She raised her hand, paused while biting her lip, then her expression hardened and she pressed it to his chest. "Kele." She then pressed the same hand to her own chest and shook her head. Did she mean that she had no name? How could that be? He couldn''t imagine what kind of mother would send her child into the world without the protection of a birth-name. It was amazing she had survived to adulthood without being picked off by a curse or one of the fair folk. Or one of the darker creatures that liked the warmth of young flesh. "No name..." He muttered to himself. This did not bode well. His people were very spiritual, and clearly the coming of a nameless one was an omen. A good omen or a bad omen only the village elder could decide. Which was exactly where he was going to take her. Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet. Before she could see the village elder she needed to be named. She could not go into the den of spirits without the protection of a name. Not as strong as a birth-name, but better than nothing. Taking out the short knife he used for wood whittling, he ran it quickly across the pad of his thumb. The young woman looked horrified, and tried to back away when he bought his thumb close to her head. "I won''t hurt you. Trust me." He tried to convey his intention in his tone, keeping it soft and comforting. Not the kind of tone anybody ever heard coming out of this man. He towered over her by at least a foot, with a barrel chest and a wide stance. Gentle was not a word that was usually associated with him. She allowed him to move closer this time, though her eyes darted from side to side as if searching for an exit. Keeping a firm hand on one of her shoulders, her ran his bleeding thumb over her brow, then down each of her cheek bones, speaking all the while. "By the spirits around us, the earth beneath us and the sky above us I name you...Aitast, decendent of the felines that roam the forests. You will have the strength and cunning of a predator, the heart of a truth-teller and the senses of the beast." Each of his words was echoed by a deeper voice, and though blood drained from the womans face, she did not attempt to pull away. The moment his thumb left her face, his blood sank into her skin. With a tingle, the cut on his thumb healed. The spirits had recognised the naming, though none seemed to be eager to show what particular spirit she leant towards. "Aitast" He pressed his palm to her chest once more. "Kele. Aitast." When she seemed to understand he took her hand once more. "Come." Chapter 4 - Magic Aitast felt her shoulders slowly hunch in as she walked. Everybody was staring at her, their voices dropped to whispers. By the time they reached the wooden, one story house she was about 5 seconds from curling up in a ball in the nearest corner. Kele, the blood man, pulled aside the curtain which seemed to have replaced the door. He gestured her inside. She hesitated a moment, before stepping in, and the curtain fell shut behind her. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust from the bright sunlight to the dimly lit interior of this place. It looked like a gypsy caravan. The fortune telling kind. There were thick colourful rugs. Jars and bottles on high shelves with questionable contents. The windows were hidden and candles provided the only light. The only thing missing was a crystal ball. And a person. The place appeared to be empty. Instead of snooping Aitast scrubbed at her face with her hands. She didn''t know what was going on but she got that it was some sort of naming ceremony. She didn''t appreciate the blood though. When she pulled her hands back, however, her palms were clean. Well, about as clean as crawling about in a forest makes you, but there was no blood. She moved her hand up to try and scratch it off before realising she had claws. Claws + scratching + face = pain. She was about to rub her face again when an old, bony hand closed around her wrist. An odd sound escaped her mouth as she jerked away. An old woman was stood beside her. Aitast hadn''t even heard her approach. Wrinkled and in a tatty old cloak, she didn''t fit the rest of the tent. When her claws pricked her skin, Aitast realised that she was clenching her fists. Taking in a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. The woman didn''t pose a threat. She was suspicious though. The only skin that Aitast could see was that of her hands, which were quickly covered by the cloak when the woman followed her gaze. "Logqa''nq rhoukk!" The woman exclaimed suddenly, throwing up her hands. Ears back Aitast watched wide eyed as the woman hobbled over to one of the shelves and pulled out something square. Moving with surprising swiftness, the woman all but shoved it into her hands. It was a mirror. Aitast didn''t know how the woman knew what she was doing, In fact, she wasn''t aware she even knew where she came from. Kele hadn''t stuck around to introduce her. Impatient, the woman gestured wildly that she looked in the mirror. A pale, dirty face with wide dark eyes stared back at her. No blood to be seen. Then the face was gone as the woman jerked the mirror back out of her hands, moving to put it away. Aitast didn''t understand. She''d seen Kele cut his thumb, she''d felt the warmth of his blood as he had wiped it on her face. The woman grabbed her wrists again, pulling her to the middle of the room then pushing her down to sit on the rug. Wincing, Aitast did as she directed. Rapidly the woman moved around the room, far faster than Aitast would have expected given her age and hobbling, but it didn''t seem to hinder her at all. All the while the woman was muttering short words under her breath and, unsure why, Aitast got the feeling she was muttering curse words. Curling her upper lip, Aitast flexed her claws. She added learning the languageright underneath finding out where she came from. Before might be better, given how not knowing the language greatly hindered her abilities to ask questions. The woman plopped down in front of her, smelling heavily of incense. Maneuvering Aitast into position, she then went on to circle them both in small white pebbles. Both palms on the floor in front of her, and legs crossed Aitast fought the shudder that was creeping up her spine. The smell, the light, it was all setting off alarm bells. It seemed familiar. And not in a good way. Part of her seriously wanted to just up and leave. Another part of her whispered that the moment the first pebble had been set down something had begun. To leave now would be more dangerous than to stay. Oblivious the old woman pressed her hands over Aitasts, and the puddle of her cloak moved to cover them almost of its own accord. This time, the shudder couldn''t be stopped. Close as they were, Aitast could see under the hood of the cloak. The old woman wasn''t hideous or scarred. Just wrinkled in old age and her lips pursed in concentration. Her eyes were shut. Then she began to speak. She spoke but no sound came out of her mouth. Aitast could feel her breath on her face, and a strange resonance in the air. When she tried to pull back, the woman¡¯s hands tightened over her own, but her eyes never opened. That was when Aitast noticed. Around them, a translucent dome had sprung up from the pebbles. And outside of it, small lights were moving around the room. Gentle, they moved around on invisible currents of air. They reminded her of fireflies. The first thing she could truly remember, and it was an insect with a glowing abdomen. One of the lights moved closer, and when it touched the dome it burst with bright light, sending ripples across the domes surface. Then, the lights were gone. A drip of water ran down the dome. Then another. And another. It was raining, but when Aitast looked up, the drops seemed to simply be appearing from nowhere. Abruptly, it stopped. The remaining water sizzled and steam rose from the carpets. The air rippled with heat and Aitast imagined she could almost feel it on her face. Expecting it this time, it didn''t seem odd when the heat dissipated. Electricity was next. It danced across the dome in white-blue arcs. Then the curtains - the plant in the corner, they all whipped wildly as a hurricane seemed to rage around them. Sometimes, there were odd gaps, when things seemed to be happening that she couldn''t see. One time, she thought it was another gap only to spot the plant in the corner wilting, then suddenly spring back to life. Another time, the candles were suffocated, and they were plunged into pitch black. The next, everything seemed to age around them. The plant bloomed, then died. The dust settled over the dome like a blanket of snow. Each time, the room would be returned to its original state. Aitast glanced at the woman, wondering if she too was seeing all of this, but her brow was furrowed over her shut eyes, and her silent words seemed to be raising in volume. Then, everything grew still. The hair on the back of Aitasts neck settled and whatever magic had possessed the room died down to a low hum, far more obvious now that she knew what it felt like. The old woman was looking right at her, and released her hands only to place them on her temples. This time, when the woman spoke there was another, higher voice speaking over her. A voice that she could understand. "Lost One, for a season and a day, you are the same as a granddaughter to me. You will learn our ways, speak out language. When that time ends, you may do as you wish, seek the answers to the questions that fill your mind. Until then, you are one of the people. Under the tutelage of Kele you will learn how to survive in our world. You will make your first kill and give your offering to the mother spirit. Now leave me, the ceremony has drained me." Aitast opened her mouth to ask questions- hundreds of them but the old woman scowled at her from under her cloak. The words caught in Aitasts throat. "Bugger it all. I''m not here to answer your questions, Lost One. Learn to speak as we do, and maybe some other poor sod will answer you. I am tired and I going to rest now." Her mouth kept moving, but there was no translation this time. Aitast had the sneaking suspicion she was cursing again. At her, this time. Gritting her teeth, Aitast was about to demand she answer when she bit her tongue. She needed to work with these people. They might simply throw her back into the forest if she offended their hospitality. She would do exactly what the old woman, who hadn''t actually bothered to introduce herself nor learn Aitasts name, suggested. More or less. She would lay low, learn what she needed to survive. Learn to walk like them, talk like them and be like them. Then she would find some ''poor sod'' to answer her questions. From there on out, everything was up in the air. But she''d be damned if she just gave up. She was tired and hungry, but she wasn''t dead yet. Until she was, she wasn''t going to stop looking for answers. Muttering the old lady went through another curtain, deeper into the house and leaving Aitast where she was. Aitast ought to leave, but she found herself wanting to investigate. Somehow, this woman could do magic. Real, honest to god magic. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.First, she went through the notes. The diagrams were fascinating, depicting nightmarish creatures to adorable rodents. The handwriting was so messy, however, it was illegible. Even if she had been able to read the language that the old woman had written them in. Then, she went through the bottles. Some of them held bodies, bleached in some kind of preservative. Others contained liquids - some of which had drawings of skull on the front. She avoided touching those ones. Her most fascinating discovery by far was a time glass. It had writing etched-or maybe burned into it. Within it were two incredibly detailed tinypeople. In the bottom was a mermaid, sleeping within the thick blue liquid. At the top was a fairy, her hands tied to the top of the time glass with thin ropes. Behind her, her wings were translucent and shimmering. When Aitast moved to pick it up so she could see it better the fairy opened her eyes. Aitast dropped her hand and jerked her head back.It was alive. The fairy snarled, her mouth full of tiny sharp teeth and her wings flared crimson as they fluttered wildly to get to her. The tiny creature looked as if nothing would please her more than to kill Aitast. Swallowing Aitast moved away from the table very much aware of how ignorant she was. And how things in here were likely not as pretty and harmless as the ritual that she had been through earlier. It was time for her to leave. Kele was stood outside. Arms crossed and legs spread he looked like some sort of body guard. Nodding to her he pushed forwards the girl to his right. She looked about the same age as Aitast. Her hair was black and cut short. In fact, Aitast thought, she was the first person she had seen in the whole village with short hair. Most of them seemed to wear it much like Kele''s; long and plaited. This girl was different. She jerked up her chin defiantly at Kele before stepping closer to Aitast. Something told Aitast these two were familiar, probably father and daughter. She was a head shorter than the cat woman, with a lithe body and very little clothing. In fact, she seemed to dress the opposite of everyone else. Her breasts were barely hidden behind the piece of blue cloth she had wrapped around them so tight they must''ve ached. Her toned belly was completely bare and the short, darker blue skirt around her waist seemed to be torn by fashion rather than survival. Instead of foot-wraps, her toes poked out the end and the wraps continued up her calves. Like boots, her mind supplied. Any information that popped into Aitasts head seemed to be inconsequential things. The names of clothing, and animals. It was better than waking up without a language-or anything at all, Aitast admitted to herself. She might not be able to speak the language of these people, but not being able to speak at all...she didn''t even want to think about it. The girl pressed a hand to her chest and introduced herself as Tal with a clear voice. Aitast pressed a hand to her own chest. "Aitast." She couldn''t help the small smile that came with this. Having a name seemed like such a privilege. Tal shook her head and gave Aitast a grin. "Ai." Ai, she liked that. Nodding Ai gave Tal a big grin to show her she appreciated the nick name. Tals gaze flickered down to her mouth and stayed there a moment before she looked up again. Self-consciously, Ai licked one of her canines and looked down at herself. She was dressed terribly, covered in dirt and on top of that she had the features of the animal. Tal tutted and shook her head. "Rha''nouy, yao noud o dorh." Ai blinked at her and gave an uncertain smile. Grabbing Ai''s hand, Tal pulled her along completely ignoring her father, who sighed at the girls quickly disappearing backs. Dodging down a narrow gap between two houses they came out onto a largely empty street. Ai was disorientated, which was saying something considering the whole village was made up of only a few dozen, single story houses. The house ahead of them now was much larger, with a sign on the front. The only thing on it was three wavy white lines. Ai let Tal pull her inside the doorway, to immediately be hit with a blast of heat. Outside was warm, but in here it was stifling. The air was hot and humid, and the reason why was clear. The floor didn''t extend far, and then the ground was rocky, and in the middle of the whole thing was a steaming hot rock pool. Tal had bought her here to wash. Conscious of the old woman¡¯s words Ai tapped Tals shoulder to get her attention. "Ai, Tal -" Ai tapped herself, Tal, then pointed to the pool. "Dorh." Tal supplied. Then she pointed up and said "Dorh Rhao''tou." Bath, Ai guessed, and Bath House. This time, when Tal said the words, they sounded like ''Bath'' and ''Bath House''. Ai wasn''t sure how this worked, but decided not to question it. It was probably the old ladies magic. When Tal began to undress Ai flushed. She wasn''t use to people getting undressed in front of her. Ever. Turning her back and blushing she pulled the hem of her ''dress'', otherwise known as a sack, over her head. Then the pushed off the eternally uncomfortable diaper. Looking back, it probably would''ve been smarter just to the thing when she had woken up. At least then there would be no painful rash. Turning she saw Tal looking at her, hands on her hips and completely unashamed to be stark naked. "Ganou an!" And with that she ran two steps the bath and jumped in. Ai couldn''t help the surprised squeal that escaped her mouth as the hot water splashed on her. If she was ever asked about it, she would claim that it never happened. Far less ecstatic than Tal she crept over to the waters edge and stuck her foot in. Hot! She took a deep breath-and jumped! Water closed over her, dark and hot against her bare skin. When her head broke the water, Ai gasped in the suddenly cool-feeling air. Unable to do much but gasp and tread water for several moments, she heard Tal laughing. Getting herself under control, she couldn''t help but grin. It felt like the first real grin she''d had in - well, forever. With a kick of her legs she bought herself besides Tal at the edge of the pool; there was a ledge there that she maneuvered herself onto. Without the ability to really make conversation, Ai decided to learn more. This was mostly body parts (she skipped over the breasts and lower regions, but Tal just laughed and told her the words for them anyway) but she also learnt the words for hot, cold, I, we and you, even the word and. After she ran out of words, Tal pulled herself out of the water. Ai went to follow her but Tal shook her head. "I qou you gra''rhout" She pointed to the messy pile of clothes on the floor. "Gra''rhout." She said again, holding up clothes this time. Ai nodded and added clothes to the list of words she had learnt. This way of learning a language was so fast, Ai had half a mind to thank the old lady right then and there. When she said a word to Tal, as long as she knew the translation, it came out in their language. She only needed to hear a word once and that was it. Sighing she let her head fall back over the rim of the pool. The water didn''t seem as hot now, and she was sure she could feel the dirt leaving her pores. She felt cleaner, more relaxed than she had felt in ages. So long as she was concentrating on learning new words and doing things, none of the darker thoughts she had plagued her mind. It almost seemed like a dream. It wasn''t, but she could pretend for a little while. She must have dozed off, because the next time she opened her eyes it was to her head sliding underwater. Coughing, she pulled herself up and out of the bath. Tal appeared beside her and gave her a few good whacks on the back. Gasping she pushed Tals arm away. She could breath now, no more whacking needed. Her next view was of Tals concerned face. Ai gave her a wobbly smile. Tutting, Tal moved her away from the pool then handed her some new clothes. New clothes, with real, honest to god underwear. Ai felt as if she might cry. Ignoring the way her vision had got distinctly blurry, Ai pulled on the clothes as quickly as she could, thankful it didn''t seem nearly as complicated as the villagers nor as revealing as Tals outfit. The top was dark gray with a low neckline and sleeves down to her elbows. The skirt went from dull white to black where it ended at her knees. The underwear was the comfiest that she had ever worn. Not that it would take much to be better than the diaper from before. The only part she struggled with were the foot wraps, but Tal showed her how to lace them together quickly and efficiently. Ai said ''thankyou'' in her own language, which Tal then gave the translation for. Ai made a note to keep Tal around. She was helpful, considerate and Ai fully intended to make her the ''poor sod'' that would answer all her questions. Chapter 5 - No Love like Food
  1. Food. All Ai could think about was food. They must''ve been in the bath house a while, because when they left the smells told her everybody was been cooking dinner. Meat. Potatoes. Gravy. Carrots. Her brain helpfully supplied her with images, tastes and names. Apparently, it was very forthcoming on this topic.
Pastry. Tomato soup. Butter. Popcorn. It continued to mock her. Following after Tal she shivered in the cooling air. These people really needed to learn the concept of the towel. They soon reached the house. Like the others it was wooden. Small butterflies had been painted to the right of the doorway though, in bright colours like blue and pink by a child. A while ago by the looks of it. Inside, Tal made her take off the wraps before continuing further. There were even hooks to hang them off of. The raised floor and lack of shoes tickled at something in Ai''s mind, but all she could think about was getting in to eat. Food. Scurrying in, the delicious aromas intensified. There was a large hole for a fire pit in the middle of the floor. A woman was stood over it cooking in a cast iron pot. She was beautiful. Her hair was long, inky black and fell down her back in soft waves. Her eyes were light purple. The same colour as her daughters now that Ai looked, but on this woman they seemed far more striking. Long black lashes, elegantly arched eyebrows, red cupids lips and generously endowed...Ai almost found herself jealous. Tal walked up to the woman, her mother, Ai decided when they gave one another a hug. She felt strangely isolated all of a sudden. She didn''t have a mother to care for her, a father to protect her. The corners of her mouth turned down of their own volition. Smiling the woman looked past her daughter at Ai. "And b''rha at rhat?" Her smile was soft, gentle and...Ai concentrated on keeping a pleasant expression on her face. "Ai." Tal supplied. "T''rhou bot grhotoud a''na ab''n dy a dard. Dod aaq a dab''n and a''nraquod rhou rob al qoordao''ntrhab." Ai got two words from that. Clearly, she still had a lot to learn. "T''rhou daout ''na tbouoq aor ro''nqooqou." Tal added, glancing between her and her mother. "Rhourra Ai. I on Brandi." She said slowly, waving, then pressing a hand to her chest. ''Hello Ai, I am Brandi'' Ai guessed. It wasn''t hard (thankfully). "Hello." Ai said, letting the translation do its thing. It must''ve worked, because Brandi gave her a perfect smile with her perfect white, straight teeth. Ai might dislike her now (she never liked people who got by on looks) but had the feeling that this woman was going to grow on her. Even if only for the food. Her stomach felt hollowed out at this point. She simultaneously felt like stuffing her face and puking. She was concentrating on the former. "Ta! Ta!" Brandi commanded, pushing them towards the table. Ais hands were trembling slightly as she sat. She was exhausted and hungry and her body felt like it was close to collapsing. She leaned back heavily, thankful the back wasn''t completely solid (her tail poked through the hole). A moment later a bowl of steaming hot soup appeared in front of her. Dark brown, with chunks of meat and vegetables she couldn''t identify, it was the most appetising thing that she had ever seen. Literally. Her stomach gave half a growl, Ai pressed her fist against it to stifle the sound. Tal wasn''t eating her food, instead she was watching Ai, a small wrinkle between her brows. Looking down quickly Ai picked up the spoon and scooped as much as she could into her mouth in one go. It was rich, the meat was tender and the veg was slightly sweet. It all balanced out perfectly. Ai may or may not have moaned. It was the best thing she had ever tasted. There was a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it failed to make the meal any less appetising. Brandi seemed amused as she joined them, and thankfully Tal had stopped staring at her. They ate in silence. Ai was fine with that, even though she knew it was probably because of her. Too hungry to care, she licked her bowl clean. "Thank you. Water?" Ai asked making a drinking motion. Brandi seemed surprised for a moment before nodding and going to fetch a cup. Ai refused to be embarrassed. They could try living in the forest alone for two days, with nothing to eat and poisoned water, then see how good their table manners were. Brandi reappeared and set a large wooden cup of water in front of Ai. Ai reached for it, then hesitated. What if they were immune to whatever poison was in the water? What if everything in this forest was immune but her. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Water bad?" Ai asked. She didn''t have the right words, and she wasn''t sure how to motion out this word. Neither of them had a clue. Ai motioned drinking, then clutched at her throat, stood, staggered a few steps and collapsed. "Noydou t''rhou dro''nq ao al Fonq trouon." Tal said as Ai clambered back to her feet. For a moment she swayed there as her head swam. Note to self, when exhausted do not stand up rapidly. Then she sat back onto the chair. "Fonq?" Brandi queried Tal. Tal looked at Ai, and made a swimming motion with her hand. "Fonq?" Slowly, Ai nodded. "Fonq dod." Tal wrinkled her nose. "Dod." Hopping up from her seat she fetched a small round pot and showed Ai the contents. A white powder. "Qaad." She said, taking a pinch then dropping it in Ais drink. "Fonq." She made a wriggle hand motion then pointed to the pot. "''Na Fonq." "Fonq dod." She pointed to the powder. "Qaad." Dod must mean bad. Qaad good. And na probably meant no. The powder somehow got rid of the poison that the Fonq must produce. Suddenly Ai was feeling much more grateful that she didn''t eat the Fonq. It would have clearly been a very, very bad idea. She wondered just how many times she had brushed with death without realising. It was not a good thought. She also made a note to learn how to make this miricle powder. Nodding Ai picked up the cup. The water was slightly bitter, from the powder probably, but she would take it over poisoning any day. It was the same bitterness which had been in the stew, Ai thought, which made sense. If the Fonqs poison was in the water, they had to neutralise everything they put in their mouths. Tal sat down, and continued to talk to her mother - the word Fonq came up often. Ai wasn''t sure whether they were just amazed at her lack of knowledge, or if there was actually something to worry about. She hoped they were just amazed at her lack of knowledge. As much as she wanted to learn more, she was done for the day. Her body was exhausted and this latest realisation made her aware that she was emotionally exhausted too. "Bed?" She interrupted the conversation. Ai rested her head on one hand and closed her eyes. "Doud." Tal informed her, standing up once again. This time she showed Ai to another room. There wasn''t a bed so much as two piles of furs. Perhaps they didn''t have beds. Furs were probably far comfier and warmer than a roof though, so Ai wasn''t going to complain. She could probably eat some more, but she didn''t want to impose too heavily on her hosts. She wondered where Kele, Tals father was but before she could follow that thought through she was asleep. -- Ai woke up screaming. Something touched her in the dark and she lashed out. All she could see was dead eyes. Staring at her. Accusing her. She could still feel the warm breath on her back as she ran but not fast enough. Never fast enough. It was the muttered, unfamiliar word that knocked reality back into her. She was on the furs, she told herself. She could feel them beneath her hands. Clutched in her hands. She forced herself to realase them. Her name was Ai. She was in a house. She was safe. "Ai?" Tals voice was quiet in the darkness. "Tal." Ais voice was low and choked. She was crying, she realised. Her whole body was hot and sweaty, and she had been crying in her dream. Nightmare. She concentrated on breathing, until her heart stopped racing. The whole time Tal rubbed soothing circles on her back. Somewhere in the house the floor creaked. Now she was listening she could hear Brandi and a male voice that must be Kele. She must''ve woken them up. She felt so...guilty. It was a dark black thing that wriggled and squirmed inside her gut. She had done something terrible, survived something terrible and now she was waking up the only people who cared enough to give her food and warmth in the world. In the middle of the night. Screaming. "Sorry." Her voice was a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Sorry." "Bed." Tal replied, pushing her back. She let go of Ai for a moment, made a shuffling noise, then her warm hand pushed into Ais own. She must have been moving her furs closer, Ai realised. Eventually, Ai fell asleep without seeing Kars eyes, and Tal never let go of her hand. -- Authors Note: There won''t be anymore updates until next Saturday earliest. I have to write an essay (fun!). It''s worth 40% of my unit so I need to take it seriously (unfortunately). Thanks for reading, and I''ll be back soon. -Corzea Chapter 6 - Cloak and Dagger
Congratulatoins! You are no longer under status effect Exhausted!
Hell of a good morning Ai squinted at the blue box. Her eyes felt raw and puffy, but her body was magnificently well rested. Her muscles didn''t spasm with every movement and her rash didn''t bother her nearly as much. The bath had done her wonders. She was, however, still sweaty. Tal still held her hand tight, and something caught in Ais throat. Swallowing thickly, she looked away. She could hear someone moving about in the kitchen/dining room. She assumed in must be Brandi, up before anyone else to cook breakfast. Ais stomach once again demanded food. Somebody knocked on the front door. Ai heard the sound of it opening, then Brandi speaking to somebody. A guy by the sound of it. She wriggled her hand out of Tals. She was far more thoughtful than Ai first thought. She couldn''t imagine herself putting up with babysitting someone. That was when she noticed the scratches. Four angry red lines on the upper part of Tals arm, the blood from them had dripped on the floor. There was only one way she could''ve got those scratches. No matter how hard she thought back to the night before though, Ai didn''t remember lashing out at her. All she really remembered was a soothing voice then circles being rubbed on her back. A hand holding her own in the darkness. Abruptly, Ai came to the decision she hated feeling guilty. Guilty over the Fonq, over the goblin, over sleeping in Tals house, eating her family¡¯s food and now over the way she had harmed her host. It, coupled with the paranoia that followed her every step, threatened to eat her up. She couldn''t live like that. She had to do something about it. Had to. Tal sighed then curled into a ball, her back to Ai. Ais ears were definitely drooping on her head as she got to her feet. Opening the door quietly, she slipped into the kitchen/dining room. Main room, she decided to call it. Brandi smiled hello to her, while the guy next to her simply stared. He looked as bad as Ai felt. There were dark rings under his eyes and he opened his mouth, about to introduce himself, when he was cut off by a yawn. Ai knew how he felt. "Hello." She attempted to smile at him. She didn''t think she pulled it off. "Hello. You not dou Ai. I on Ermine." He greeted her. On got added to Ais mental dictionary as am. Ai nodded at him, and he smiled at her. The smile changed his entire face. He was very attractive, Ai blushed. With the way he was hunched it was hard to tell, but a smile seemed to light up him from his emerald eyes to his messy, braided hair. His smile was slightly crooked, and for some reason that made Ais heart beat faster. She shook off the feelings. The last thing she wanted to do was go from being completely on her own for days to jumping a random guys bones. There were more important things in life. Like Tal. Still unsure what the guy was doing in the house, she turned her attention to Brandi. It took a while to get her to understand what Ai was asking for. Eventually, however, she clapped her hands together and left the room to rummage around in what looked like a food pantry. Ai hadn''t noticed it the night before. In face, she hadn''t noticed a lot of things the night before. Other than her and Tals room, there were only two doors leading further into the house. One went to the pantry, so the other must be Brandis and Keles bedroom.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Brandi reappeared with a small pot. Popping off the lid, Ai studied the sparkly red gel inside. Odd, but she could work with it. Thanking Brandi she nodded awkwardly to the guy before escaping back to the bedroom. Tal was still asleep, with her injured arm up. Scooping out a generous dollop Ai smeared it over her arm. Tal woke up immediately, jerking away from the cold liquid. She stared at Ai blankly for a moment before looking at her arm. Her immaculate arm, with no scratches to be seen. Whatever magic had just happened, Ai had missed it. She almost wanted to cut herself just so she could see it heal, but that would be weird. She would do it later when nobody was watching. "Thank you." Tal said. She didn''t seem angry at all the excess gel, so Ai wiped the remainder off her fingers into the pot before popping the lid back on. Very much awake now, Tal moved incredibly slowly towards the free standing hangar next to the window. Another thing she had missed last night in the dark. The window was made of slightly uneven glass. Clearly, they weren''t as advanced a people as hers. That thought bought Ai to an abrupt halt. She remembered something. Perfect pieces of glass, polished and square cut. Nothing like the botch job on these windows. Her society - wherever she came from, it wasn''t here. And they had more technology, or skilled laborers, that the Spirit People did. That was a more important clue than anything else she had learned so far. More questions got added to her ever growing list. "Drou''oqlot!" Brandi called from the main room. Tal''s stomach gave a long rumble and she gave an embarrassed grin. It must have been the first time Ai had seen her embarrassed, she was beginning to think that it wasn''t possible. A few moments Tal was dragging Ai to the main room, and enthusiastically greeting Ermine. Ai got the feeling that they knew each other well, and that his early morning visits happened a lot. The food was good, but not nearly as heavenly as it had been the night before. Everyone spoke to one another and Ai tried to pick up words where she could. She didn''t make much progress. It felt like as soon as Tal had seen Ermine she had forgotten that Ai even existed. Ai wasn''t sure quite how that made her feel. She wanted to feel pissed off, but she didn''t feel like she could. Like it would be ungrateful. So she kept her mouth shut and shoveled food into her mouth. It was only once Brandi was taking away their bowls to wash that Tal seemed to remember her. "Rho''n. Laad. Rho''n." Each word was accompanied with an image. Hunt and food. Then Tal gestured to all three of them. Ai couldn''t say she wanted to go hunting. In fact, she wanted to hole herself up in their hut and never come back out. But she would not be a coward. Maybe if she confronted the forest, the killing, she would overcome it. Or at least get use to it. So she followed Tal and Ermine out the door even though her feet dragged. Tal chatted to Ermine the whole time, oblivious. Occasionally, Ermine would send a look over his shoulder at her. He was hard to read, but she couldn''t imagine it would be anything other than concern. Maybe he just thought she was a weirdo. Either way she refused to meet his gaze. She didn''t care to investigate either option. It didn''t take long for them to reach the gate. Kele hopped down from his perch atop the spiked wall. There was a small platform there for him to sit on. Watching for monstrous creatures, she supposed. Tal and Ermine greeted him quickly before entering a small hut. Ai was going to follow them, but Kele caught her arm. What did he want? "Ai hunt dab?" He pulled back the string of an imaginary bow. "Tbou''or?" He made some sort of overhand throwing motion. "Tbard?" He pulled out a short sword from his waist, swinging it in the air. A bow, a spear, or a sword? Those seemed to be her hunting choices. She wanted to go for one of the first two, distance from the target would make the kill less brutal. Which it why she chose the sword. Kele gave her a speculating look. Apparently she had surprised him. She didn''t think the way they met was working in her favor. Being chased by a giant bird didn''t exactly scream ''courage'' or ''strength''. Well, she was going to prove him wrong. Tal and Ermine emerged from the hut just as she was entering it. Kele was pulling a sword out of a rack, but something else had caught her eye. Two daggers hung from the wall. The handles looked worn with use but the blades were still sharp, and most importantly, shiny. Ai had a weakness for shiny things. The sword was great- sure, but it wasn''t daggers. Daggers would be easier to control. Lighter. She could easily move around with daggers, but she would worry about skewering herself on a sword. "Kele." He turned to look at her pointing fiercely to a pair of daggers. His expression got even more doubtful than last time, but he nodded anyway. Ai pulled out the daggers. They felt good in her hands. Lighter than she had imagined, and the metal gleamed in the light. She had made the right choice. Kele watched her almost hop out of the hut, and rubbed his hand against the stubble on his chin. The girl had gone from pale and grim to almost flushed as soon as she got her hands on those daggers. They weren''t a warriors weapon. In fact, they were quite the opposite. Nobody had used daggers in a long time. Not with the stigma people had attached to them. Did the village elder really know what she was doing? He had saved her, she was his responsibility, he wasn''t denying that. But that didn''t require him to take her into his home or treat her like one of his own. Nor did it require him to teach her how to hunt and survive in the wild. Food, shelter and warmth for a season and a day. Just a season now. The village elder, otherwise known to him as Oadira, had been remarkably obtuse about any questions he had. Change the girl would bring, but when, to whom, and if it would be positive or negative she hadn''t answered. He just hoped that the rest of the village wouldn''t have to pay for Ais safety in blood. Chapter 7 - The Will to Change The daggers felt right in Ais hands. She took in a deep breath, letting the green scents of the forest fill her, then exhaled. She could do this. She wasn''t going to spend her life hiding in a hole. Whoever she was before didn''t matter right now. Now was when she chose who she was going to be. No matter what that person would be, they would not be a coward. As they walked Tal very slowly managed to teach Ai how to track. Exactly what signs meant what animal was a bit confused, but it couldn''t be helped. "Br''hourou orou yao qaa''nq?" Tals sharp voice cut through the air. Ermine had split away from them, his hand resting on some scratches on a tree, at the same height as his head. Ai didn''t need to be an expert tracker to know whatever left that, it was big. "I am qaa''nq a hunt a''nou." He muttered, never looking in Tals direction. "You q''nab rhab do''nqouraot rho at, da you bo''n a qou qarroud?!" Tals voice got shrill at the end. She clearly wasn''t happy with the idea of Ermine hunting whatever had left those marks. "I''n qaa''nq a da a." He stated, before his voice went softer. "I ''nououd rhat Tal. The hunt, the rotrh. I ba''n'' rou nytourl qou rhor, rot nou." "You go''n'' da o hunt raqou rho ora''nou. You ''nououd tanoudady a bogrh yaor dogq." Tal was griding her teeth, but the venom had left her tone. Ais head moved back and forth as she watched the exchange. Ermine shook his head before looking right at Ai. "And brha barr bogrh rhour?" He asked. Tal turned to look at Ai too, biting on her lip. "Rhourou not dou-" "You ''nououd a bogrh rhour. I q''nab brho I''n daa''nq." He stated, moving his hand down to the hilt of his sword. "Rot nou." The silence stretched until Tal gave a short violent nod of her head. Ai really wished she knew what they were saying, and why she was part of it. Ermine gave a small smile before turning and quickly disappearing behind one of the vine curtains. He had gone to hunt something, and Tal didn''t want him to. And for some reason she was in the way of his hunting or something. Or maybe in the way of Tal going after him. It was clear from the dark expression on her face that she didn''t want to be stuck with Ai. Well, Ai thought, she was just going to suck it up. Ai wasn''t that bad to be around. There wasn''t much going in the way of conversation, sure, but she wasn''t a complete bore. And at the end of the day, Tal didn''t need to like her. She just needed to teach her everything that she needed to know. It would just be easier if she liked Ai. After he left them Tal spent her time in silence, striding through the forest so fast sometimes Ai had to jog just to keep up. Then they came across some tracks that made Tal stop and crouch down in the undergrowth. Ai followed her example. Lots of small hoof prints, only about half the size of her palm. "Bou hunt." Tal was making motions at Ai. "Bou hunt-" She tapped her fingers against the ground. We hunt indeed, Ai thought, we are the predators and they are the prey. From then on Tal was bent low, scanning ahead of them as well as the ground. At one point she stuck Ais fingers in some faeces, which made her nose wrinkle. Then Tal said hot and Ai knew she was showing her how to tell that they were getting close.Stolen novel; please report. Then they saw them. The creatures were like miniature horses, only coming up to Ais knee but still quite sturdy looking. Their coats were all a dappled grey, and they nosed the vines eating the small berries that hung at the ends. Tal tapped on her shoulder. She wanted her to go up - climb the tree...then jump on one of the horses? With her daggers? A little uncertain, Ai nodded that she could do it. She shoved the daggers in her belt and scrambled up the tree. So long as she didn''t think about it much, it wasn''t too hard. Peering over the branch she was perched on, she let out a slow breath. She was so high. Was it even safe to jump from this height? No pain, no gain, she guessed. It wasn''t high enough to die from. And Tal had that magic gel if anyone got hurt anyway. Slowly, begging the horses not to look up she maneuverer herself round the trunk of the tree. Eventually she reached the desired branch. It was thick, and went right above a couple of mini-horses near the centre of the herd. There were only about fifteen of them. Controlling her breathing, Ai crept along the branch with feline grace. Below, Tal had prepared by knocking an arrow to her bow. She would take advantage of the split moment that Ai dropped. The point when the herd would all be, momentarily, still. If she was good, she could get in two kills. Ai was ready. She couldn''t be any more ready. Jump! Just jump! She kept thinking positive thoughts. Ok, she was going to do it. Now! Ok, maybe not then. But...now! This time she finally got her legs to release her. She was falling, her daggers both out, one aimed for each horse. Then she hit. Something shrieked - something pushed past her but she couldn''t tell what because her whole world was swaying. Her knees hurt. It took a lot of rapid blinking, and a few deep breaths before she was back in reality again. One of her hands was wet. The dagger, still clenched in her fist, protruded out of the back of the horses skull. Its eyes were empty, and its expression blank. No accusation. No struggle. Just alive one moment, gone the next. The other dagger was gone. A few moments of searching revealed it sticking out the side of another horse, this one had made it a couple of meters away. It would''ve kept going too, were it not for the fletched end of an arrow sticking out of its rib cage. Tal must''ve shot it down.
Congratualtions! You have killed a Rou Horse and gained 10XP! Progress to next level 16%
Congratulations! You have contributed to killing a Rou Horse and gained 5 XP! Progress to next level 21%
The unwelcome blue boxed popped up in front of her face again. She ignored them. Instead, she pulled her dagger out of the skull of the horse with a wet sucking sound. She thought she would be more freaked out. Or traumatised, especially after her nightmare. Oddly though, now that she could see it in front of her it seemed more real. Less of something to be scared of. Animals die. Sometimes it would be by her hands, sometimes by another. It was nothing compared to... It was easier than she thought it would be. More controlled despite her less than graceful fall. She felt oddly...empty. All the adrenaline had left her body, and now she was just sat there. Tal walked into Ais line of sight, walking over the horse. Instead of yanking the arrow out, she called Ai over. A faint frown crinkled her brow before Ai scurried over. Tal took her hand and placed it over the body of the horse, her own on top. "Rhouor nou tbarat." She called, then looked pointedly at Ai. Ai repeated it. "I allour a you rhou ralou I rhorou oqou''n. No lroutrh trhorr dou botoud, and no da''nou roul dourha''nd." They said. The body of the horse shimmered once, then seemed to collapse into nothing. Not quite nothing. Hovering an inch or so off the ground was a dappled grey pelt, a few chunks of meat, hooves and bones. "Thankyou." Tal told the air as Ai stared. Tal pinched her leg. "Thankyou." Ai repeated, not entirely sure whom, or what she was thanking. She would like to think she was thanking the animal. She had taken its life, and it would not be murder. This was hunting, and there was no hunt - no life without prey. Its life had ended so hers could continue. She wouldn''t let it go to waste. And that felt right. The next time, Ai alone had to say the words (with a good bit of help). Probably because this one was her kill alone. Tal handed her a small bag, that unfolded to be remarkably large, to put her loot in. Ai felt slightly guilty for being so proud of herself. But she was. It was great. She got herself food. She knew how to magically make corpses disappear. She almost felt like she could do her own magic. The feeling was intoxicating. Nothing dampened her mood. Ermine had waited at the gate to the village, and walked with Tal for a little while before leaving. He had either finished his hunt early, or given up. Ai didn''t care. When Brandi let Ai cook her own meat, that she had hunted, her small smile grew ever wider. Even having a long lesson on words didn''t dampen her mood. Her night wasn''t peaceful, but she didn''t wake up screaming and she didn''t need anybody to hold her hand. She was going to count that as a win. Chapter 8 - A Namesake Life had settled down into some kind of rhythm. Each morning Ai got up, ate, hunted, came back, ate, learnt more of their language and then slept. The other hunts weren¡¯t usually as successful as her first. Either because of what they were hunting or where they were hunting. Daggers were all well and good, but wielding them meant she had to be close to her prey in order to kill it. Unlike Tal, who found a convenient place and simply shot them down. Coming back empty handed wasn¡¯t a good feeling. If they finished a hunt early, then Tal would teach Ai other things. She now knew how to make her own fire, and even a shelter. Even if it as somewhat¡­rickety. She felt happy. Fulfilled. Life didn¡¯t get much better than this. There could be a little improvement on the living arrangements but¡­well, she wasn¡¯t going to complain. Other than occasionally seeing Kele at the gate, he was like a ghost. Always back after everyone went to bed, and up before anyone woke. XP seemed to be based on the challenge of hunting the creature. The horses were shy creatures, easily startled. They gave the most experience. The other creatures ranged from rodents to larger creatures. Much larger creatures. Ai and Tal never had the misfortune to run into predators in Ais few weeks of peace. But nothing lasts forever. Ai inhaled slowly, then exhaled as she moved another small step forwards. The twigs on the floor were hard to avoid. The leaves were her nemesis. Her target was a hairy red pig, collapsed on its side. Tal had already clambered up a tree, safe off the ground. If Ai messed this up, she would shoot the pig. Whether that shot would kill it or not was guesswork. This particular type of pig had much thicker skin than most of the creatures in the jungle. And a fiery temper. Jagged yellow tusks jutted out of its jaw, either side of its pert pink nose. Fat, short and angry it was not a pretty creature. And right now, it was asleep. Ai didn¡¯t want it to wake up. She wanted to send it into the next world without giving it a chance. Pig was delicious. She could almost taste it already. She rocked another step forwards. Nothing. Another. Another. She was only about four paces away now. If she got any closer it would smell her for sure. She was going to have to dash at it, not die, or get gored. Inhale. Exhale. Ais tail swished silently in the air behind her. One swish, two, three- Two steps then she launched herself at the pig. One hand held its snout to the ground as her other drove the dagger into the back of its head. The creature only managed to let out half a squeal before it was in its death throws. Ai checked it was dead (you can never be too careful). Slowly she released her deaths grip on its snout.
Congratulations! You have killed a Red Pig and earned 7XP! Progress to next level 98%
Tal whistled from somewhere behind her. ¡°You hunt good. Lots al food!¡± She practically skipped to Ais side. ¡°Pig taste damn good.¡± Ai replied with a grin. Tal had made sure to educate Ai on the worldly use of swear words. Ai was pretty sure she had one for every situation. At least she would never have to worry about understanding the village elder again. The old lady secluded herself to her hut, swearing day and night. Whenever Ai walked past, she was pretty sure she could hear the woman swearing through the walls. ¡°You do-¡± Grrrrrrrrrr Every muscle in Ais body froze up at that sound. Her swivelling ears quickly told her the beasts location. Slitted green eyes, and a long tawny body made for hunting. Two long tails twitched behind the crouched creature. It was similar to a big cat, except it had no lips. Its teeth were always visible, pointed and curved as they were. It moved more like a ferret than a cat too, with its long body and flexible forpaws. It was not the kind of creature Ai was prepared to face. She had no armour, and she was pretty sure it would be faster than she was. ¡°Back away slow.¡± Tal breathed without moving her lips. So slow it was excruciating, Ai raised herself off of the Pigs corpse, dagger still gripped in her hand. She took one step back. Two. She had only just cleared the Pigs body when the beast lost patience, it lept in her direction. A cry caught in her throat as she stumbled back. Don¡¯t fall over! Somehow she managed to keep her balance. Out the corner of her eye Ai noticed Tal had somehow moved far further back than her. Apparently, she didn¡¯t want to wait around for Ai to get clear of the cat. The cat growled again, crouched protectively over the body, its long claws had sunk into the pigs hindquarters. Claws that Ai did not want to get intimately acquainted with. Swallowing she retreated slightly faster, still not willing to turn her back on the cat. As soon as she could, she turned and sprinted after a quickly and quietly disappearing Tal. She looked over her shoulder at least ten times to see if it was following. Tal was the first to stop, bent over and panting. Ai ran past her and almost carried on before forcing herself to a halt. She was pretty sure it hadn¡¯t followed. Still, she kept her ears pricked as she made her way back to Tal.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What was that?¡± Ai hissed, her tail still poofed up. ¡°Aitast.¡± Tal gasped. ¡°What?¡± Ai snapped. ¡°No. It was a Aitast. You name from them.¡± Tal elaborated. ¡°My name from them?¡± Ai repeated. She didn¡¯t know she was named after something. She just thought it was a name like any other. ¡°You have sharp ears and long tail, like Aitast. Kele say you hunter, broudoar.¡± ¡°Broudoar?¡± ¡°Animal that hunt.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that. Maybe she could take it in later, when her heart was beating slower. ¡°You no see track from Aitast?¡± Ai questioned, a little freaked out they had managed to wander into a predators territory without noticing. They¡¯d managed to stay out of the way of the terror birds. ¡°Aitast new. Not here doularou.¡± Tal gave a strangled laugh. ¡°No make track. Use pee to mark territory. No scratch.¡± It only used urine? So they only knew where to avoid based on word of mouth? That sucked. Majorly. The only other way to notice them would be to see their paw prints. Pigs were remarkably easy to track, with the way they turned earth over, so neither of them had been watching the ground that hard. Clearly, that was a mistake to learn from. Just remembering the low growl made a shudder go down Ais spine. That had been a predator. And her namesake. She had a lot to live up to. Tal straightened up, releasing a long breath. ¡°We no find Aitast again, yes?¡± She grinned. ¡°No find.¡± Ai agreed, feeling an odd urge to laugh. She did, and felt the tension flood from her body. Ai allowed herself to relive those moments the Aitast had appeared. Glinting green eyes, the tawny coat that shone gold where the sunlight hit it. Powerful muscles, long sharp teeth. The Aitast was a beautiful creature. Beautiful and deadly. She liked her namesake. ¡°Need hunt. Need meat to dry.¡± Tal told Ai. All they seemed to be doing lately was drying meat. The leaves had begun to turn green, and Ai got the feeling they were preparing for winter. Of course, usually leaves turned red and yellow for winter, but seeing as they were already red, Ai reasoned they would go the other way and turn green before they fell off the trees. She hadn¡¯t yet tried to ask Tal with her limited vocabulary. In fact, she hadn¡¯t asked most of the questions she wanted to. Just another day without worrying, she kept telling herself. Just another day out in nature, feeling the thrill of the hunt. 22 days had passed that way. She was a long way from being fluent, and was well aware that people had to dumb down conversations around her in order for her to understand. But she was far, far better than when she first arrived. Anyway, more hunting. ¡°Move closer to village?¡± Tal nodded. The prey there were fewer, and smaller, but vastly safer. On the way there, it occurred to Ai that not all animals in the forest were grey. She wasn¡¯t, and nor was Tal. Some of the younger members of the village were, though. It had almost given her a heart attack the first time she saw a small child. Only 5 or 6 he had been crouched playing in the mud, and looked far too much like a goblin. These days Ai spent the majority of her time ignoring that the murder had ever happened. ¡°Tal?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why no¡­grey?¡± ¡°Strong ralou largou. Small animal weak ralou largou. Old and big animal strong ralou largou.¡± Tal paused pulling a face. Ai didn¡¯t envy her job of trying to explain words. ¡°Ralou largou¡­hunt take ralou. Kill take ralou.¡± Life then? Life force? ¡°Life force. Why strong life force no grey?¡± ¡°Grey no important. Small life force, grow important, eat important. Big life force more energy, so¡­important no important¡­fix.¡± Tal was frowning and biting her lip. Ai thought she more or less understood. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No thank you. I help.¡± Ai just gave an awkward smile. She loved it here, but she wasn¡¯t ready to abandon her manners just yet. Besides, despite spending pretty much every moment of every day with Tal, she still felt that she knew next to nothing about her. It had been shocking when Tal had first snuck out of the house with Ermine. Through the window no less. The houses weren¡¯t exactly secure. Unsure what exactly to do about it, Ai had opted to do nothing and pretended to be asleep. Truth be told, she woke up at the slightest sound. The two of them had snuck off at least five times since Ai had arrived. Tal must think she was the deepest sleeper ever. She didn¡¯t think Ermine was quite as fooled. She had once seen him examining her through the crack of her eyelids. Either he was infatuated her, or he was having his doubts about her sleeping acts. The second seemed far more likely. She got the feeling that she was an outsider when she walked around the village. Because of her ears and tail, based on the direction of peoples stares. She spent most of her time avoiding crowds, or anyone she hadn¡¯t already met. Being in the bath house with strange woman had been one of the oddest things. Her cowardly tail had wrapped itself around one of her legs. Tal didn¡¯t mind going later, and Ai much preferred it. She had only been subjugated to being naked around complete strangers three times so far, and as far as she was concerned that was three times too many. A tap on her arm bought her out of her thoughts. Tal was pointing to some tracks. Recent. A bird. A small one with three toes. Ai had hunted these before. They had pale, fluffy white bodies and ran around on comically long legs. They were adorable. Monster that she was, Ai had been collecting their feathers to make a shawl. She hadn¡¯t actually started on the making part, she wanted to practice first. It was harder than it looked. Dropping to a familiar crouch, the two of them followed the light tracks. Ai was nowhere near as good as Tal, and lost the path a few times while Tal never even hesitated. The system had actually given her a skill for tracking and sneaking. Other than the occasional blue box that told her she had increased its level, there was no more information about it. She hadn¡¯t asked anyone about it either. She was a little worried she might be mad. She hadn¡¯t seen anybody else looking at nothing. Or perhaps it was something she only had, a remnant from a time she didn¡¯t remember. Either way, unless somebody else bought it up, she wasn¡¯t going to. A soft trill stirred the air around them. The birds must be close. Only a few meters away. Tal gave her the signal and they split up. Ai kept an eye out for any creepy crawlies. There were colonies of grey beetles that these birds followed, and she had been bitten once. It really, really hurt. She had spent the rest of her time stamping the buggers off of her, scaring away any chance of catching prey. Tal had then made them collect up all the squashed beetles in a jar. To this day, Ai didn¡¯t know what she had used them for. If it had anything to do with food she had eaten, then Ai didn¡¯t want to know. A few moments later and Ai spotted her first bird. She was behind it luckily, they couldn¡¯t see past their fluffy round bodies. In fact, the birds seemed to be basically blind to anything but movement, which they were super attuned to. If they saw her moving, the whole lot of them would be gone in moments. Ai moved slowly, and the oblivious bird pecked at the undergrowth. She was close enough to see the details of its feathers ruffle in the breeze now. One moment it was pecking innocently, the next it had been snatched behind a tree. Another moment and its head was separated from its body.
Congratulations! You ave killed a Fluff Ball and earned 1XP! Progress to next level 99%
No alarm cries. The other birds hadn¡¯t noticed. Inhale. Exhale. She placed the bird gently on the ground and crept forwards again. Three birds, all an equal distance apart. There might even be a fourth based on the sounds she could hear further away. There was no way she could take one out without the others noticing. She would have to wait for the signal. Perhaps another thirty seconds and a loud cry pierced through the landing. The birds split, two heading in her direction. She held herself perfectly still until ¨C there! The dagger found its way into the body of one, and when the other tried to dart the other side of her she grabbed it round its skinny neck. A neck that easily broke under pressure.
Congratulations! You have killed a Fluff ball and earned 1XP! Progress until next level 0%
Congratulations! You have killed a Fluff Ball and earned 1 XP! Progress until next level 0%
You have levelled up! You are now level 1!
Congratulations, access to status and information screens have been granted!
Ai blinked. And blinked again. You have got to be shitting with me. Chapter 9 - The Long Shortcut Ai walked with her hand stuck in the bag. The feathers were so soft it was like she was stroking air. Tal raised one eyebrow at her. "You like Fluff Ball?" Ai ducked her head, was it really that obvious? Tal was beginning to grin now. "I have clothes at home. On inside have Fluff Ball feathers. Very good." Ais ears perked up. That was a good idea, she bet that they were super comfy too. And warm. "Is Fluff Ball clothes hard make?" "Hard. I ask Brandi help. You learn." Ai nodded fiercely even though it wasn''t technically a question. They passed through the gate into the village. It was a familiar sight now, and a comforting one. The only annoyance that Ai had was the colour. The ground was brown, the grass long since trampled to death. When it rained, the paths became more like mud slides. The huts, made out of wood, were slightly off-brown, going grey at the edges of the planks. The people, with their limited clothing, wore brown. The whole place was brown. They needed some paints. Or dyes. Anything to breath some life into the place. "Tal!" Ermine called from where he had leant against the barrier, hidden from the two girls until they turned around. "What?" "Your Qron wants to see you." He gave a wave then strode away as fast as he could without running. Ai blinked. It was like he couldn''t get away fast enough. Then she noticed Tal was pulling a face, somewhere between a wince and a grimace. "What Qron?" "Village Elder. Mother of my Mother." "No like Village Elder?" Tal sighed heavily. "I go now. You go home?" "Yes..." Ai watched, wide eyed, as Tal gave a short nod then headed towards her Grandmothers hut. Her shoulders were hunched, as if she carried the weight of the world on them. Interesting. Not nearly as interesting, however, as Ais imminent discovery of the status screen. Leaving Tal to it she headed in the direction of ''home''. She was almost there, passing in the tight space between two houses, when a dark lump on the ground stopped her. The lump trembled, then stood, one pale withered hand fastened around Ais arm to keep it stable. Ais tail was puffed again, but when she pulled away, she pulled the stranger towards her instead. As the shawl fell, it uncovered a hunched old woman. Older even than the Village Elder. Her skin was white, had a thousand wrinkles, and looked paper thin. Her eyes were hooded underneath her sagging flesh - yet somehow Ai could still tell that she had a wild look in them. When she opened her mouth to speak, Ai saw that she only had a few yellowing teeth left. "Great wings it had! Big teeth! Yellow eyes!" Ai staggered back as the woman spat in her face, smelling strongly of garlic. "Watch the skies, where it flies. Know the beast, or become its feast!" She cackled, then gasped releasing Ais arm to rest her frail frame against the wall. Ai glanced behind her, unsure whether or not to leave the woman to her ranting. "Eitr tells me, Eitr knows. From me head to me toes! "The beast it comes, the beast is near. "Watch your back, or become a snack!" Ai knew lingering was a mistake a moment later, when the woman fastened both hands around her shoulders with surprising speed. "I cut it up, nice and pretty. "Now it''s your turn, little kitty." With that the old woman pushed past her. Under her breath she was repeating the word food, food, food over and over. Ais hands shook lightly, and she shoved one into the bag, feeling the reassuring softness of the feathers. What was that woman doing wandering about? For a moment Ai thought she might have imagined her. Then she reminded herself that she wasn''t mad, she was an amnesiac.
What''s this? Your luck has raised by 10 points. Be wary how you continue.
As far as she knew. Hurrying along it wasn''t until Ai shut the door behind her that she realised she had understood every word the woman had said. "Hello Ai. You help me make food?" Brandi asked. For a moment it was so normal Ai couldn''t help but stand there with her mouth open. "Ai? Are you good?" Brandis obnoxiously pretty face looked into Ais, concern written all over it. Ai hesitated. "Sit sit!" Brandi led her over to the table. Ai had to ask. About everything. She simply couldn''t let it sit and stagnate any longer. "I...I see woman. She say big animal with wings, she say she cut." Ais voice gave an embarrassing tremble, which she tried to control by clearing her throat. Brandi sighed. "Woman...woman grow food with family. Food for village. Woman eat Fonq. Touched by Eitr. No good say." Brandi tapped her chest twice. "Who Eitr?" "No who. You know of spirits yes? Give offering, take away body. Leave meat and hide?" Ai nodded. "Eitr spirit of Baata''n. Baata''n in Fonq. Woman eat Fonq. In woman." Poison? Ai frowned as she digested this. "No make good? Take poison out?" Brandi shook her head as Ai spoke. "Poison out, Eitr still in. Village Elder try to take Eitr out, but he like woman. Woman name Celina. She good. Strong. Eitr kill weak." Brandi seemed to age as she continued, and for the first time Ai noticed that she had crows feet by her eyes. "No take Eitr out. Celina touched now. No good. Her daughter die when make baby, Celina no care. Celina take baby and put under water. Her son watch her now. Village Elder say she no kill other people, only kill baby. No harm other people."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ai leant back in her chair, eyes wide in disbelief. Celina had killed her grandchild and life just went on? They didn''t lock her up where she couldn''t hurt any more innocent people? Tal had made the spirits seem like a thing to be respected, worshipped even. Every time they killed, it was the spirits who took the parts of the bodies they liked, leaving behind food for them. Yet the spirits did this to somebody? More like something to be feared. Thank god she hadn''t eaten the Fonq. They seemed to be the source of all things gone wrong. What exactly did the Village Elder do anyway? She says that Celina won¡¯t hurt anyone else, but fails to predict her drowning her daughters baby? "Spirit strong. No bad. You and I no see why spirit do. Spirit not good not bad. Eitr not person. We no understand. We no judge." Ai shook her head slightly. Brandi was right, she didn''t understand. She didn''t want to either. Time to change the subject. "I see blue-" Ai cut herself off, still uncertain at sharing her possible delusions with somebody. "Mother spirit say in blue datt. You call, say ''toot''." Brandi told her, completely unfazed. But...toot? Ai hadn''t heard the word before, and couldn''t imagine walking around and tooting to attract the attention of spirits. It would''ve been funnier if not for the shadow still hanging over their conversation. Brandi was watching her expectantly. Ai fidgeted, uncomfortable. "...toot." Her voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.
Status Window: Level 1, 0%
Name Aitast (Lost One) Age 17
Race Beast-Bred Class N/A
Strength 10 Speed 20
Agility 20 Intelligence 10
Resolve 15 Charisma 5
Constitution 15 Perception 17
Luck 15
Skills/Traits
Crafting Lv. 1 37%
Stealth Lv. 4 14%
Survival Lv. 5 24%
Tracking Lv. 4 78%
Active Enchantment: Language of the Spirit Folk, Comprehension 35.7%
"Say share with Brandi." Brandi said, tapping Ais hand comfortingly as she stared at the blue box in front of her. Ai shared it with Brandi, who rested her head on her hand brow crinkling as she concentrated on reading the information it gave her about Ai. Ai didn''t know if the numbers were good. She did think it was kind of stupid to have skills. Of course she was getting better. She didn''t need a blue box to tell her that when she practiced something, she got more skilled at it. The bonus that each unlocked at level 10...well, let¡¯s just say that Ai was more than a little suspicious. She moved to tap the title ''Lost one''. To her surprise, her finger actually met resistance and more information popped up.
Lost One: Who are you and where did you come from? Two questions most people grow up knowing the answer to, and take for granted. +5 to Charisma and +4 to luck
Once again, giving her no additional information.
Strength: represents avatars physical strength
Speed: represents how fast the avatar moves, determines ability to dodge
Agility: represents flexibility of avatar
Intelligence: represents the avatars ability to grasp new concepts and, at higher levels, enables supernatural powers
Resolve: measure of the characters mental resistance, plays a large role in resisting mind altering spells
Charisma: affects how others view the avatar
Constitution: affects how the avatar reacts to injury, poison, illness, fatigue, heat etc.
Perception: Like a sixth sense, this stat is heavily influenced by luck and controls the liklihood of seeing clues, traps, hiding enemies etc.
Luck: to what extent the spirits have noticed the avatar, increases the chances of unusual things happening
Ai probably could have guessed what these words meant. All except for luck, which worried her a little. When the crazy lady had spoken to her, Eirt must have noticed her. Being noticed by spirits didn''t seem like a good thing. It was something she would much rather avoid. This ''mother spirit'' could shove it. Since when was ''etc.'' used in explinations anyway? And why was she called ''the avatar''? Regardless she knew the source of the blue boxes. She didn''t feel even remotely on a level to mess with said source. She was just going to have to live with the annoying pop-ups she guessed. "Good status. Luck high." Brandi frowned at that. "Careful of spirits." Ai could have told her that. At least she was assured in her sanity now. It had been a long day. All she wanted to do was go to bed. --- Ermine POV Ermine shifted the bag on his back again. The hunting bird had given alot of meat. It had also given him a scar on his arm to add to his ever growing collection. Looking at the still bleeding gash, his upper lip curled. He knew exactly what his mother would have to say about this. She did, after all, have an opinion on everything. So, you''ve brought back another one of your birds have you? I thought you were going to go after something that actually puts up a fight this time. No matter what he bought back her eyes practically radiated dissaproval. When he was younger, he would have gone to the ends of the earth to make her happy. He very almost did. Then he realised she would never be happy. Not while their neighbors had a larger house than they did. Not while his father spent his days ''sitting like a bird on a fence'' - never mind that fence had kept them alive during the rainy season. And certainly not before her son had killed the impossible. A small, childish part of him still wanted to make her happy. Wanted to tell her he loved her and ask if she loved him back. The larger part of him wasn''t stupid enough to ask this question. His father might actually be worse than her. Where was he, when she locked him in the cupboard for hours? Where was he when Ermine had taught himself to hunt? When he was almost killed going after creatures far bigger than himself? In the gathering hall, drinking himself to death. Coming to his ''home'' he pressed his palm to the door. There was no smell of cooking, no light leaking through the gaps in the worn wood. Only people screaming at one another. He could feel the vibrations through the door. He would be at Tals early tomorrow. Again. Chapter 10 - Vermin It was the crack of dawn when a low creak jerked Ai out of her sleep. Imperceptibly her shoulders stiffened under the furs. Light had only just begun to touch the outside, and only dark shapes were visible. One such dark shape leant through the window and shook a sleeping figures shoulder. Tal groaned quietly as she woke, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Pulling herself up to a sitting position, Tal yawned. Ermine leant back, allowing her space. Not a word was spoken as Tal shut the frame and got dressed in the cool darkness of the room. Ai must''ve made some sound though, because Tal moved to stand over her. Ai concentrated on keeping her breathing steady, and staying as relaxed as possible. Wherever Tal and Ermine were sneaking off to was none of her business. To Ais surprise, Tal shook her shoulder. Ai squinted at her, trying to look as sleepy as possible. "Come with me." Tal whispered to her in the darkness. Wide awake, Ai nodded slowly, before grabbing her own clothes. Looking at her daggers, she hesitated. "Hurry up!" Tal hissed. Grabbing the daggers Ai slipped them into her belt, and Tal opened the shutter, hopping out with confident grace. She had done this a lot. Ai slid out after her. Ermine looked at Ai and pressed a finger to his lips. Again, Ai nodded. Her ears perked, she followed stealthily behind the two as they crept out of the village. Ai was surprised to see a guard she didn''t recognise on duty. If being asleep even counted as being on duty, anyway. It made sense that they switched them around. The further away they got from the village, the less care they took with their steps until eventually Ermine broke the tense silence. "You not tell anybody what you see. People not like animals, only for hunt. Not kept." Ermine looked steadily at Ai. Surprised he was addressing her directly for once, it took her a few moments to respond. "I not tell." She wished that she could fully verbalise sentences. While the gift the village elder gave her helped, she was struggling to understand some of the grammar and shortening of words that happened. She suspected whatever she was before, it wasn''t multilingual. "You tell, village people kill good animals, understand?" Apparently, once wasn''t enough. She was foreign, not an idiot. "I say I understand. I understand. I say I not tell, I not tell." She snapped. She couldn''t help it. It had been so long since she had lost her temper. She felt like a victim all the time - or a child. Unable to navigate her way around, didn''t know what to eat, the list went on and on. To her annoyance Ermine grinned at her reply; teeth gleaming white in the darkness. He didn''t say anything else though, so they continued in silence. A few times Ai caught Tal looking between her and Ermine, a thoughtful expression on her face. Eventually they reached their destination. A small cave with a narrow entrance. There was slightly more light, but it certainly wouldn''t be enough to light inside. All Ai could see was a black hole. Luckily, claustrophobia was not amongst her list of fears. Ermine didn''t even hesitate as he turned sideways and disappeared into the darkness. Tal was about to follow when she glanced back at Ai. "No loud. Scare animals, animals bite." Tal snapped abruptly before quickly turning and slipping inside.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Ai started after her, feeling a little peeved. Something had changed between her and Tal, but she wasn''t sure what. She hoped it wasn''t some stupid rivalry over a boy. She hadn''t thought there was anything between Tal and Ermine other than friendship, but perhaps she had read the situation wrong. The darkness swallowed Ai, and the temperature dropped abruptly. The cave widened a little, and though they couldn''t have walked more than a few meters in, the air was distinctly clammy and heavy. The walls were freezing and wet, but unfortunately Ai had to keep her hands out to keep herself from walking into them. The echoing footsteps infront of her stopped, so Ai stopped too. She hoped this wasn''t all some sort of cruel trick. It was becoming abundantly clear to her that she didn''t know people nearly as well as she thought. It was too late now though. Her eyes slowly adjusted and she could just about make out Ermine crouched down. He made a small whimpering noise. The cave lit up. Something had lit up in swirls and spots in front of Ermine and Tal. Inhaling, Ai shifted to get a better look. Their little furry bodies were all snuggled together in a giant ball of fluff and glowing swirls. It took a few moments before she realised the swirls was actually a single stripe on each creature, following its spine all the way down to the tips of their tails. Pale pink hands and dark fur, it took her a few moments to realise they were rats. Each was probably the size of a kitten, and their sleek bodies were all curled around one another. There were five all together. Ai was about to remark on how dirty rats were when one split away from the ball. Ermine held out his hand and the rat jumped onto it, running all the way up his arm to his shoulder where it nuzzled his ear. It was oddly...cute. Tal maneuvered herself behind the nest, stroking their warm bodies. Each time she did, they would make a strange trill that said ''yes, more please!''. Ai stood back, shifting from foot to foot. Part of her wanted to stroke them, while another part of her said to stamp on them. Because...rats. Tal looked at Ermine and they shared a smile in the blue glow of the cave. Ai swallowed uncomfortably. Biting her lip, she ignored the other two and crouched down next to them. As close as she was, she could actually feel the heat the rats were giving off. Slowly, she stroked one down the spine, keeping her hand far out of reach of its mouth. As she did it looped its glowing tail around her hand. That was all it took, Ai was in love. "We kill their mother. When kill mother, you kill children, kindness, but I not want to kill babies. They warm and ask for food when I come to them. No hurt me or Tal. They touched by Licht. Light. Strong and dangerous when old. We want rats be nice with village people. Help them. We think we train them kill and hunt bad monsters. They help when rain come." Ermine revealed softly, tickling the rat on his shoulder under the chin. All previous hostility gone. "Rats..." Ai trailed off. She didn''t know the word for beautiful. All her lessons with Tal tended to circle around common words, or words used for hunting. Not once had they sat down to discuss looks or aesthetic preferences. ¡°Look good?¡± ¡°Douooalor.¡± Ermine smiled. Ai let a small smile onto her own face as she withdrew her hand. She had spent so much of her time learning how to kill, she had almost forgotten how amazing it was to see new life. Appreciate something without wondering the best way to take it down or how it tasted. Ermine took the one off his shoulder, placing it back in the mass. Tal, knowing what was about to happen, removed her hand. Ermine pushed his hand into the sack, before pulling something out and quickly tossing it at the rats. One moment they were asleep, the next they were a writing mass that rapidly swarmed over the raw meat. Ermine already had another in hand that he tossed to the stragglers. Ai inhaled sharply. She made sure to keep her fingers and toes away. The mass of moving bodies squealed occasionally when a smaller rat got in the way of a bigger one. Ai made sure she would never make the mistake of thinking that these creatures were harmless. Their glowing tails whipped back and forth in the darkness. It couldn¡¯t have been more than one or two minutes later and all trace of the meat was gone. Like all young, social animals, the rats took the opportunity to play fight with one another, all previous viciousness gone. It was amazing how quickly they could change their tune. Ai wasn¡¯t sure when she would next be feeling brave enough to put her fingers anywhere near them. Tal stepped over them, past Ai. ¡°We douour get back. We da¡¯n want a be missed.¡± Tal kept walking, not waiting for a response. Ermine wrinkled his nose at Ai behind Tals back. Ais eyebrows climbed up her face. With a devilish grin he too stood and started back through the cold dark of the cave. Giving one last glance at the sleek bodies of the rats tumbling on the floor Ai followed. Tal struck up conversation with Ermine on the way back, talking with words Ai didn¡¯t know. She managed to work out a few new words, but having someone excluding her wasn¡¯t exactly the way she wanted to learn them. Ermine gave her an apologetic look before they split. Ai wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about him. He was so ready to make fun of his friends, but at the same time he was doing it to make her feel more comfortable. Tal left Ai with Brandi, grinding up roots to make the miracle powder and Ai couldn¡¯t help but pity whatever animal she had decided to hunt. Later when Ai found a small bag on the windowsill, the drawing of a cat tail and ears made it clear it was for her. There was only one person she could think of that would be leaving presents on her windowsill. What exactly the two black stones were meant for, she would have to ask the next time she saw him. Chapter 11 - Outsider Insider It was the fourth day of her silent treatment, and Ai was fed up of it. Screw waiting around for the problem to resolve itself. They had lived together for practically the whole month and now Tal was going to screw it up? Screw her. "You have a problem with me?" Ai finally confronted Tal in their room. Tal looked Ai up and down then sneered. "What if I do?" "Say to my face. Not my back." Anger burned like a hot coal in Ais gut. Tal opened her mouth, but thinking better of it she looked down her nose at Ai instead. "What problem?" Ai pressed. "You...you come here like..." Tals mouth worked silently. "We good, now you come and Ermine...he was getting better. And you have no idea what you even doing! Did you even think to ask where he got those stones from? Or why he got this stupid idea in his head to keep the baby rats?" How did she even know about the stones? Ai gritted her teeth. "No! I know nothing! I don''t know what the stones do, I don''t know what is wrong with Ermine and I don''t know why you no like me! I thought we friends, then you invite me to see rats and no like me!" "Then let me ou''nraqrhou''n you. He stole the stones from the Village Elder. My Grandmother. Do you know what she can do? What the punishment for stealing is? Of course not, you''re just an aq''naro''n outsider. To steal from our people is to violate our safe place, and so you are violated as punishment. The Village Elder uses her magic to go inside the mind, and take a memory." Ai went a shade paler, she had no idea, but how was she suppose to know if nobody would tell her? This was not her fault. And Ai couldn''t make it. "NOT my doing. I don''t know all this. You could have told me, but no. Too busy hunting, sleeping and ignoring." Ai countered. "This is the problem. You don''t know anything! And Ermine think, ''ooooh beautiful girl, let me make her like me like my mother never will''. And he do stupid things and you say ''beautiful''!" Ai cocked her head, daring Tal to continue. "He will get himself killed. To tame an animal...it is to enslave it''s spirit to your desires. To take it''s wildness and replace with orders. It is to take freedom. It is almost the worst sin you can do. Better to kill and release to spirit world to be born again than to make a slave." Tals eyelids fluttered, her eyes looking distinctly wet. "If village people find out...punishment worse than stealing. Take more. No person left, just shell that does what told." Tal slowed down, working her fists as she tried to keep talking. "He my friend. My friend before you, and after you gone. You outsider. Gone soon. He...he the only person to believe in me. To help me when nobody else would. You can''t understand...if I lost him...for a stupid thing like this..." Tal broke down. She sat down heavily on her furs, gasping and hiding her eyes behind balled fists. Ai stood unsure what to do, all her previous anger just...wiped away. She had no idea their culture was so harsh. And to take away somebodies free will for having a pet? The concept was mindboggling. Why the hell hadn''t Tal just told her? She had just sat on the problem and made it worse instead. Hovering a few moments more, Ai finally sat by Tals side. Slowly, she began to rub her back in circles, careful not to catch her with her claws. "I...I can''t lose..." Tal broke off on a sob. "It is ok. We will fix it, yes?" Ai comforted her. "How?! It is already screwed up!" Tal exploded. "You save me. Let me stay in you home, eat you food, wear you clothes. Trust me, I will fix it." Ai wasn''t so sure she wanted to, but she found herself unable to say no to a crying girl. Even a stupid crying girl. If this problem went away, then she could stay drama free. So she was going to make the problem go away.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Tal finally looked at her, red puffy eyes and all. Ai tried to convey what she felt with her eyes, and whatever Tal saw must have convinced her because she nodded.
What''s this? You''ve started your first quest!
Quest: Fix the problems! Replace the stolen warning stones without anybody finding out they were stolen by Ermine. Take care of the rats without the villagers finding out. Time limit : undetermined. Reward : undetermined. Conditions of failure: anybody other than Tal or Ermine finds out about the stolen stones or pet rats.
As always with the bloody inappropriate times for the messages. There had to be some way to turn them off. She doubted that anybody in the village would know though; they seemed to be all for worshipping (or fearing) the spirits wherever they found them. Ai was curious about the ''warning stones'' but she wasn''t insensitive enough to ask Tal, who was still sniffing. And she hadn''t seen Ermine in days. The guy was like a ghost. Appearing only when he wanted to be seen. "Tal...what you mean when you say I will be gone soon?" Ai queried. "You...you don''t know?" Tal seemed shocked before she continued. "You are outsider. Not one of the people, my father save you life, so is responsible for it for a season and a day. Then you leave, find you own people." Ais tail drooped, but she guessed she knew she was going to have to leave at some point. She never realised the gap between the spirit people and others was so big though. She had never really asked any questions about it, once she knew her own race was unfamiliar to them. And now she had a time limit. "How long?" "Leave day after first rains come. Dangerous so we teach you how to kill with respect. Mother teach you how to cook and make clothes. Then Kele will teach you how to make shelter and fire." Tal watched as something went dark behind Ais eyes. For a moment, she felt guilty. -- Ai wanted to put the stones back as quickly as possible. The rats could wait. She wasn''t particularly sure what she was going to do about them anyway. The stones, though, would be noticed. She didn''t know when, considering she still didn''t know what they were used for, but she wasn''t going to take the chance and wait. She had already had them for days on end. She didn''t know where they went either. Her plan was just to place them between some shelves or behind a table so the Village elder would just think she had misplaced them or they had fallen off somewhere. All of which she would do without touching anything in the room. She still felt a little raw from the time glass with the fairy and mermaid. How was it ok for them to be put in that contraption yet not to have a pet anyway? Did the Village Elder get special privileges because of her standing in the village? Not that it mattered that much. All those questions could wait. Ai walked confidently all the way to the Village Elders hut. Project calm, and nobody would notice she was out of place. Except for the extra bits of anatomy of course, but she was hoping they were use to it by now. She felt much more aware of the villagers now she was on her own. Usually Tal was with her, or she was already where she wanted to go. Now people didn''t attempt to hide that they stopped and stared when she passed by. She never felt more like an outsider. One scrawny old man she passed spat in her path and muttered something foul about fornicating with animals. She waited until she was around a corner to run one hand self consciously over her pointed, furred ear. That wasn''t a thing right? No. It couldn''t be. Her status screen had said that she was Beast-Bred though. Surely that wasn''t...literal. She had one too many revelations recently, and shoved this latest in the back of her mind where her darker shadows hid. To be dealt with ''later''. Soon after Ai arrived. She could smell the incense in the air, but couldn''t hear anybody muttering or swearing, which was a good sign so far. She pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside. It was just as magical as the last time, even if she was expecting it. The candle light, the colours. It was like she had stepped into a different world. Quickly she looked for somewhere to dump the stones. Heart pounding in her ears, she prayed to nobody in particular that the Village Elder didn''t have any magical traps or the likes in the room. One step-nothing, two step threefourfivesix - she shoved the stones under some shelves, pivoting on her heel and rushing towards the exit. She glanced back just before she left - and stopped. Shit. Right through the middle of the room were some dusty footprints that looked suspiciously like they came from the bottom of her shoes. Cursing silently she balanced herself on her knees as she crawled across the carpet, then backed away brushing away the footprints as best she could in the process. Once again, she found herself by the exit. This time, she couldn''t see the tracks. Not really. Nobody else would see the slight dust trail unless they were looking for it. If all went well, nobody would even know that she was there. She stepped back into the real world. No torches. No pitch forks. No angry villagers. Letting out a slow breath, she felt herself relax as she walked away from the hut, and wondered once again why she was doing this. Then she thought about Tal crying and the repurcussions Ermine would face. One down, one to go. Chapter 12 - Hunter Ai had given the ¡®quest¡¯ a lot of thought. She certainly had the time, after another day of grinding roots and learning how to sew clothes. The best way to stop the rats being a problem was to kill them. She wouldn¡¯t be happy doing it. She might need a catharsis later, but she could do it. The problem was the ¡®don¡¯t let anybody else find out about it¡¯ part. She assumed that that extended to Ermine which meant he, a far more seasoned tracker than her, needed to see what happened to the rats and not blame humans. Aka her or Tal. And Tal was an idiot for not telling her, for letting things continue as they were for so long, but nobody else should have to pay for her mistakes. Let alone by having their free will erased. There were just some things that shouldn¡¯t be done. And apparently, she was the one to fix it, because nobody else was going to. The whole thing gave her a sour stomach though. Going behind peoples backs, killing animals, lying about it. It made her feel like she was doing something wrong, even though it would be worse for everyone if she didn¡¯t do it. Before life was simple. She was an outsider for sure, but she still might have stayed. Now, after this, there was no way she wasn¡¯t leaving. When her season and a day was up, she was going to explore. Meet new people. Find out where she came from. And then maybe she would find somebody she didn¡¯t mind sharing the rest of her life with. Or somewhere to spend it. Eventually, one way or another she would get her answer. As long as she wasn¡¯t dead by that point, there was going to be an after. But those thoughts weren¡¯t helping her with the rats. Her thought process was following the tracks of luring a predator in to kill the rats. What better than an animal to make it look like the work of an animal? If worst came to worse she had claws. She wasn¡¯t putting anything in her mouth though, and definitely not while it was still alive. The fault in her plan was where to get the predator, and how to get it to the cave. The only predators she knew of in the forest were the terror birds (which she never wanted to see again) and the Aitasts with their deformed looking faces and too intelligent eyes. There was no way she was getting a bird through that crack into the cave. An Aitast might fit, they were cats after all. They could squeeze through tight places. They just wouldn¡¯t cooperate in any shape or form, and Ai didn¡¯t need to encounter one again to know that. Which led her to look for another predator. Something smaller, less threatening and carnivorous. Brandi, as the only uninvolved person around, became the one to talk to about these problems. With certain facts tailored out, of course. ¡°So what small predators are there?¡± Ai asked innocently, keeping her head down and attempting not to skewer herself with the needle. ¡°What sort of small predator? There¡¯s Stone Centipedes, they live in caves and inject their prey with poison. Or there is less dangerous ones. Stone Centipedes will eat a person just as quickly as a small prey.¡± Brandi raised one eyebrow at her. ¡°Uh¡­a bit less dangerous?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Is this to hunt?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lie well. Lie well. ¡°No. I think it is interesting. I have seen big predators like Terror Birds and an Aitast, but only small prey except that.¡± ¡°Ah yes, well those two species do tend to dominate their habitat. One animal you find everywhere is the Forest Hunter. Most of the time they¡¯re cowardly thieves, but they¡¯ll kill an animal to eat if given the opportunity. Blasted things.¡± Brandi tutted and shook her head, her inky black hair spilling over her shoulders. ¡°I have never seen a Forest Hunter.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°No honey, you have, you probably just didn¡¯t realise it. They¡¯re very good at camouflage. Nobody would have so many problems with them if they were easy to spot.¡± ¡°What do they look like then?¡± Brandi paused, tapping a slim finger against her lips. ¡°People shaped, but less. Have you ever seen a star fish?¡± Ai was about to shake her head when her mind supplied her with an image to go with the word. She nodded instead. ¡°Yes, well, they look like that but with a short bit for the head. Very flat, they cling to trees and change their colour to look like them. Or the ground. They are everywhere. A nasty surprise for anyone out on a walk.¡± ¡°What do they eat?¡± ¡°Anything they can get their hands on. They¡¯re not dangerous usually, not until they get older. Then they get really big. Their front has needles that paralyse their prey, but not enough to paralyse a human. When they get really big, I¡¯ve heard that one spine can kill a human. They usually eat each other before then though.¡± She shrugged. Ai nodded slowly but none of this was really helping her. How was she meant to catch something she couldn¡¯t see? ¡°Is there a way to make them easy to see? Or lure them?¡± Brandi evaluated her for a second. Ai swallowed, thinking that this was it. She was busted. ¡°They love Fonq. They will be near the stream. They rub the Fonq on their bodies and get drunk on it or something. No decent hunter will eat them because of it. There¡¯s no knowing if they still have the poison in their system or not. It¡¯s rarely a blessing to be touched by Eitr.¡± Ai nodded and they went back to a comfortable silence. Tomorrow. Ai would get up super early tomorrow and one way or another she would catch herself a Forest Hunter. Hopefully without getting spiked. It had a head. If it had a head, that must mean it was possible to knock it out. Then all she needed to do was dump it in the cave, make sure it didn¡¯t crawl out the entrance and let nature take its course. It was cruel, and she doubted the rats would die quickly, but this was who she was from now on. Who she had to be. The world wasn¡¯t an easy place, and to survive it she had to be willing to do things she wasn¡¯t comfortable with. It wasn¡¯t like it was murder. Not like¡­ It was the circle of life. Their bodies would be cycled back into the system. They shouldn¡¯t have survived without a mother anyway. Thoughts continued to rise and fall in Ais mind as she sat and sewed. It wasn¡¯t until at least 10 minuites later that Brandi stopped her by covering her hands with her own. Ais rapidly moving fingers stilled. ¡°You have sewed the bottom shut honey.¡± And she had. She had stitched together the left side of the jacket then not stopped when she got to the bottom. Unless the person wearing it had been cut off at the waist, it wouldn¡¯t fit. Ai pursed her lips uncomfortably. What was she suppose to say about this? Ai realised Brandis hands were still covering her own. ¡°I love my daughter. I would die for her. I know she gets herself into trouble, she¡¯s been getting herself into places she shouldn¡¯t be ever since she learnt to crawl. I just wanted you to know¡­I¡¯m glad she has somebody to look out for her. And if you need anything, just ask. My lips are sealed.¡± Brandis purple eyes were dark as she looked into Ais. Apparently, Ai hadn¡¯t been nearly as discrete as she thought. Her tail whipped from side to side behind her as she nodded. She could see it in Brandis eyes, every word was the truth. She would do anything for her daughter, and somehow that was almost¡­terrifying. Ai got the feeling she really, really didn¡¯t want to get between this woman and what she thought was best for Tal. ¡°I will.¡± Ai almost whispered, and Brandi nodded. Neither of them bought it up again. Chapter 13 - Just Dont Forget ¡°You sure you can remember all the names?¡± Brandi checked as she led Ai to the door. ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t forget anything.¡± Ai left the house. She breathed in, she breathed out. Ever since their conversation yesterday Ai could feel Brandis eyes on her. Eating, sewing, hell, she half expected her to watch her sleep. Tal had been the only break she got from it. To be out the house was a relief. Ai was, however, nervous. She was pretty sure she remembered everything she was suppose to be going shopping for; that wasn¡¯t what she was worried about. Now was as good an opportunity as any to sort out the Forest Hunter and the rats. First, she would go shopping. She would then stash the goods somewhere and pick them up on the way back. The rest of the details of her plan were somewhat¡­fuzzy. Everything would work out though. Probably. Shopping first. The shopping area only really consisted of one stall. Run down old wood with nails poking out everywhere it looked like it could collapse at any moment. On it was vegetables. Many pale vegetables that all looked exactly the same. Behind it was a man build like a bulldog. An overweight bulldog. Ai was pretty sure that he was the first fat person she had seen so far. General work kept everyone else in shape, which meant that this guy must be swimming in it. He didn¡¯t see her as she approached, and Ai slowed as a young girl approached him. She was struggling underneath a sack of veg that was at least as big as she was. It took a moment for Ai to place her. It was the girl she had seen when she had first entered the village, the one who ran off. It seemed like an eternity ago. Before she had her long blonde hair neatly plaited, and while she didn¡¯t look rich she looked put together. Now her hair was short, shorn in uneven chunks around her flushed face. The dress she was wearing was the same colour, but dirtier and torn near the hem. Odd. ¡°Hurry up girl.¡± The man behind the stall snapped at her. He watched her coldly as she staggered towards him, then unsteadily set the sack down on the ground behind the stall. Things, thought Ai, were beginning to make sense. ¡°Sorry Papa. That¡¯s the last one.¡± She shifted from foot to foot waiting for his response. ¡°Get girl! How am I to put food on the table with you lurking, scaring away all the customers?¡± The girl didn¡¯t need any more telling, she hurried away, darting out of sight. Perhaps Ai was jumping to conclusions. It wasn¡¯t like she knew everything. But he seemed like the kind of man who wasn¡¯t above shearing off a girls hair. She didn¡¯t want to judge by appearances though, so she made the rest of her way to the stall without saying anything. The people around the other stalls certainly hadn¡¯t reacted, the hum of voices never stopping. ¡°Five courgettes, 10 tubers and a jum please.¡± The man nodded, then stopped. A smirk crawled across his thin lips as he looked her up and down. ¡°Well well well, I heard we had a visitor in our quaint little village. I was wondering when we would bump into each other. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Ai didn¡¯t like the way that he was looking at her.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°I heard your mother fucked an animal, that true?¡± Did. Not. Like. Him. At. All. The corners of Ais mouth turned down and her gaze went flat. ¡°Five courgettes, 10 tubers and a jum.¡± He tutted. ¡°Your fire always lit so easily? I bet you¡¯d be a wildcat in bed. All tooth and claw. I¡¯ve always liked a challenge.¡± Ai didn¡¯t say anything this time. She was still waiting for her food. Anything else wasn¡¯t worth replying to. He sighed heavily. ¡°No reply huh?¡± Then he gave a crooked grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to work hard to get a response out of you.¡± The end of Ais tail twitched. She was about five seconds away from saying screw it and not shopping at all. ¡°Tubers, courgettes and a jum was it? That¡¯ll be 14 coppers. Special discount just for you.¡± He gave her what he must¡¯ve thought was a ¡®come hither¡¯ look. Gross. Ai passed over the money, dropping it into his palm to make sure that they didn¡¯t touch. She didn¡¯t know where that hand had been. A minute later she was storming away from the stall, her bag bulging with food. She hoped she never had the misfortune to run into him again. She should judge people by appearances more often. She had just turned the corner when her clothes snagged on something. She was about to yank them away when she realised it wasn¡¯t a something but a someone. The girl from before had her hand fastened tightly around Ais skirt. Ai hadn¡¯t realised quite how tiny she was. She only came up to Ais shoulder and Ai could probably fit both the girls arms in one hand. She was so breakable. ¡°He won¡¯t do it you know.¡± She said, big eyes looking up into Ais own. Ais mind stuttered. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°You know. Follow you. Make you do things you don¡¯t want to. He¡¯s a coward really. He only hurts people he knows won¡¯t fight back. You would. I can tell. So can he.¡± She cocked her head to the side, looking at something past Ai. ¡°Yes yes. Listen to the girl, listen carefully.¡± It was none other than Celina, the mad woman bobbing her head comically up and down. ¡°You¡¯re not suppose to be here Gran! Papa will be angry.¡± The girl hissed, her head swivelling to make sure nobody was listening. Surprisingly nobody seemed to have noticed the three of them stood together, like paranoid conspiracy theorists. ¡°Shush shush. He¡¯s always angry.¡± The old woman waved her granddaughters concerns away. Then she looked at Ai. ¡°Kitty kitty, why are you here? You¡¯ve been turned off.¡± She shook her head frantically as Ai backed away. ¡°You need to go where the lost go. Nowhere. Why are you here?¡± The girl squeezed between them, pushing her gran back. ¡°You can¡¯t talk like that gran. Not in front of people.¡± ¡°Girly girly, some things need to be said. Bad things happen otherwise. People die. People are already dead. Do you know why?¡± The girl hesitated. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask stupid questions. You know I hate stupid questions. It¡¯s time for lunch. We need to go.¡± She spoke rapidly, not leaving time for breath. She began to drag the girl away. The girl looked back at Ai. She seemed to want to say something but bit her tongue. Suddenly Celina released her granddaughter, speeding away after some invisible curiosity. The girl stood there and watched her go. Then she turned back to Ai, grabbing her wrist. What was with this family and grabbing her? ¡°My gran isn¡¯t mad. She¡¯s just not very well. Everything she says makes sense eventually. People just don¡¯t want to admit it because that will mean she¡¯s right about other things. Secrets people don¡¯t want others to know.¡± The poor girl seemed convinced. Ai was still reeling. ¡°She¡­she¡¯s not mad?¡± The girl sighed like Ai hadn¡¯t been listening. ¡°No. She¡¯s just touched. She has a hard time keeping her mind fixed on one thing. It¡¯s because she sees other things. Things nobody else does. That they don¡¯t want to admit.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± It probably wasn¡¯t the best idea for Ai to tell the girl that her gran was, in fact, mad. Or that she had killed her mother. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡± The girl rocked back on her heels. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡° ¡°Yes it is. Nobody believes me. Nobody believes her. But she talks about you.¡± She pulled Ai down towards her. ¡°Just remember what she¡¯s told you. You don¡¯t have to believe, just don¡¯t forget. You¡¯ll see then.¡± Releasing her, the girl didn¡¯t even give Ai the chance to say anything else before she had run off, where to Ai didn¡¯t know. Ai couldn¡¯t imagine growing up the way she must have. Dead mother, abusive father, a mad gran must seem like a blessing in comparison. She was probably the only parental figure the girl had, though it seemed like the parenting might come more from the girl than the gran. It was none of her business, Ai reminded herself. Screwed up stuff happened. There were secrets and lies everywhere if she looked close enough. She had enough on her plate as it was. Shifting the heavy bag on her shoulder Ai turned away. She had a Forest Hunter to hunt, and she needed to sneak out at the guards change over. That was midday. And the sun was getting high. Chapter 14 - Up a Tree Hunting the Forest Hunter was easier said than done. If Ai had more time she would''ve set up a trap, formulated a plan. Something. It was a miracle that she got out the gate without being spotted. Now she found herself at the closest stream with two daggers and the clothes on her back. This was not a recipe for success. Her first item of things to do was to carve herself another spear. After at least half an hour searching she found a decent stick which was, more or less, straight. Then she used one of her daggers to whittle it to a point. Her prey swam oblivious in the stream next to her, assured of their place in the food chain. She tested the point. It wasn''t sharp enough to draw blood but it would still impale a Fonq if the right amount of force was put behind it. Another popup appeared before her, but she brushed it away without reading it. She already knew what it would say. All she really needed to do was work out a way to turn off the notifications; they were irritating. Her features flat and unenthusiastic she waddled out into the centre of the stream. She didn''t like it the last time she had to do this, and she didn''t like it now. Atleast she wasn''t going to be torturing herself about their families this time round. Always look on the bright side and all that. She impaled three Fonq on her spear before deciding that it was enough. When she made her way out of the water her feet were numb with cold, and getting colder with the gentle breeze. Her tail managed to stay out of the water this time though, so that was one less limb to worry about. Was her tail actually a limb anyway? It was more like an extension of her spine. Ai ran a hand through her hair sighing. The three Fonq lay on the ground before her. Very much dead. Perhaps she should spread them around a bit? That would probably attract a Forest Hunter. She didn''t want to touch them though. She had already had one bad experience with their poison and she 100% did not want to end up like Celina. Taking another stick, she used it and the spear to widen the holes in their bodies, poking out intestines and spreading them across the ground. It was gruesome, unpleasant and not an experience she wanted to relive. Mutilating corpses was not her idea of fun. She wasn''t even sure that it would work. It''d better work. She dumped the spear and stick in the river. She wasn¡¯t sure how smart these Forest Hunters were, but if they were smart any sign of human interference might scare them off. She couldn¡¯t do much about her scent, so she just hoped their noses weren¡¯t too keen and the Fonq stank. Rolling her shoulders she approached the base of a tree. She seemed to spend most of her time up trees nowadays. Up was one of the few places that animals often forgot to look. Humans included. She clambered up easily, swinging herself round to rest on one of the lower branches. She settled herself back. She would probably be here a while. In the meantime she tried to come up with excuses for why she would be late back. Hunting was an easy one, but it would require her to actually come back with something she had hunted for her to back herself up. She could also say she had been caught by Celina again. For, like, four hours. Maybe more. It was around this point that Ai realised she really wasn¡¯t very good at coming up with lies. She needed a cover story though. The best lies always have an element of truth. Perhaps, just maybe, she could say she had been hunting a Forest Hunter. That she wanted to test her skills. But then if Ermine heard about it, and investigated the cave post-rat death he might put things together. She sighed. She wanted to test her skills. She went out hunting. She found a predator. Perhaps she injured it and it ran off. Imbedded in her thoughts, Ai almost didn¡¯t notice when an odd creature finally appeared below her. It was pure luck that the odd ripple in the air caught her attention at all. It was coloured like the undergrowth. Slow, with lumbering steps it stood on its hind legs. It was hard to tell, but Ai thought it was probably as big as she was. It leant over and snuffled at one of the dead Fonq. Or, that was what Ai guessed it was doing. She couldn¡¯t see any eyes. Or a nose. Or any of the things you normally find on a persons face. She guessed that all the important stuff must be on the bottom of its body. Like a Manta Ray. Or something.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She rubbed her hands on her short skirt before gripping the handles of her daggers. She may be a little nervous. Which was to be expected. Given the situation. She swallowed. Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. I don¡¯t even know if hitting in on the ¡®head¡¯ will knock it out. What if its brain is in its torso or something weird. I mean, that¡¯s totally reasonable right? But I need to do this quest. I doubt I¡¯ll get another opportunity like this. But it won¡¯t do anybody any good if I¡¯m dead. Least of all me. I have to do this. Just move out on the branch a couple of steps. Okay, I¡¯m right above it. It hasn¡¯t noticed me. That¡¯s good right? If I don¡¯t manage to knock it out, I can always run up a tree. It might not even be able to look up. I so should¡¯ve planned this out. And got way more background info. This is a terrible idea. But I can¡¯t let it get away. Right? Ai bit her lip at the Hunter pulled the Fonqs corpse around. Then slurped it up like a noodle. Her hands tightened around the daggers. She swayed, one moment ready to jump, the next ready to move back to the tree trunk. Do it. Do it. Just do it. And she did it. Her feet hit it first, sinking into the soft flesh of its back. She bought the bottom of her daggers down hard where she guessed the base of its skull must be. The creature buckled under her weight, and she lost her balance. She landed hard on her side, shoulder slamming against the ground. And probably against some guts too. She grunted as the air left her. Move move move! She screamed at her unresponsive body. After an eternity it responded to her, and allowed her to stagger to her feet. Just about at the same time as the Hunter got to its feet too. It swung round to face her. Needles. Hundreds of them covered its underside. A sideways mouth. Small beady eyes. That was all Ai had time to take in before she was rolling instinctually to one side. The Hunter lashed through the space she was moments ago. She jumped to her feet, and hesitated. She wanted to run, oh so badly. But she didn¡¯t dare turn her back on the Hunter. It came at her again, both arms out as if to give her a hug. The sort of hug that and Iron Maiden would give. She moved back, lashing out with one of her daggers. She hit. She knew she did. The beasts skin was like rubber though. No blood. Only a long scratch. I¡¯m screwed. It didn¡¯t stop moving towards her. She tried to dive to the side but one of its arms caught her round the bicep. Wrapping around it like a tentacle. She stabbed towards its head with her free arm, heart beating rapidly in her chest. She felt light headed, but oh so alive. Adrenaline coursed through her body. Nothing. It didn¡¯t even react. She didn¡¯t think. She just wanted to get away. She tried to kick off its body with one foot. One foot that was instead speared with needles. She could see them poking through the top of her foot. Her stomach lurched and she felt faint. Nononononono- It tightened its grip, pulling her closer even as she pulled away. Pulling her into its embrace. She was going to die. Nonono- She stabbed. She wasn¡¯t even looking where anymore. Its head. Its arm. Its grip loosened and she kicked with her impaled foot. She was going to get away. Then its grip tightened again. It¡¯d slipped down onto her wrist now. A lance of pain shot through her. She shrieked. One dagger fell to the ground. Stab. Stab. Stab. Its other arm wrapped around her calf, just as her wrist was released. She fell back, her torso on the ground as it dragged her towards it with her leg. She hit whatever she could reach. Legs, feet. Fucking tentacle monster! Die die die- It loosened its grip again, and she wriggled like a worm stuck on a hook. Let me go! Her leg pulled free. She didn¡¯t stop. She twisted around pushing herself to her feet while moving forwards. She staggered and her right foot twisted. She fell. She looked back. She stopped. The Hunter was swaying back and forth, head lolling round in circles. She pushed herself further away with her long good leg and hand, keeping an eye behind her. It swayed back, further, further, then lost its balance and fell on its backside. It made a weird noise. Her muscles locked and ready to run Ai forced herself to stop moving and think. Either she had hit it somewhere important and not noticed, which didn¡¯t seem very likely, or it was drunk. Drunk on poison. From the Fonq. No way. But as she watched it roll on its back, making strange huffing noises it was the only thing that made sense. That meant¡­that meant she could¡¯ve stayed in the tree. She could¡¯ve just watched it until it fell over by itself. And not almost died, or get injured. No. Her upper lip curled back. Fucking hell! Damn it! Stupid fucking- She punched the ground with her good hand. She had almost died. For no reason. No fucking reason. She forced herself to take a deep breath, even as anger buzzed like a horde of trapped wasps in her head. She evaluated her body. Now that she was paying attention, it seemed to hurt more. Her wrist was black and purple, already swelling up. Her foot was covered in blood. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was still bleeding heavily. The red gel was in her bag. Which was stashed up a tree, along with the veg. A tree she was in no state to be climbing. Unexpectedly, tears sprung to her eyes. Gritting her teeth she rubbed them away with the back of her hand. She wasn¡¯t going to cry. She would fix what she could. Ripping cloth off her top and wrapping it around her foot was a two handed job. It felt like it took her a painful eternity with one hand. All the while she had to keep an eye on the Hunter. Making sure it was still drugged up, and not going to come over and finish her off. She cradled her injured wrist to her chest as she somehow got to her feet. It hurt. It hurt like a motherfucker, but there was no way in hell she was going to have done all this for nothing. She was going to get the bloody Hunter to the cave, even if it killed her. Chapter 15 - Was it Worth it? Ai didn¡¯t dare go too close to it again. She was ok to stand on her foot, where ok meant she could limp without collapsing or bursting into tears. The pain felt like a razor through the fog in her head and it helped her think. And think she did. Eventually she came up with a somewhat dubious plan, the one which was the least likely to get her killed. She would need to climb the tree to get the gel. She didn¡¯t know how, but she was. She could blame her wrist for her absence but her foot needed to look as good as new. She didn¡¯t need any proof she had been anywhere near a Forest Hunter. This was all given she managed to survive getting it to the cave, then successfully get it to slaughter a litter of innocent rats. Or, as innocent as they got. Ai limped forwards, blinking blackness out of her eyes as she bent over. She picked up the carcass of the Fonq, and its intestines trailed down to the dirt floor. The Hunter rolled over, giving half a growl at the girl that dared to steal its food. When she stepped back, it stepped forwards. They were quite the pair. She was limping, caution to the wind as she waved a Fonq in front of a Forest Hunters face. The Forest Hunter, a young male followed unsteadily behind her, on all fours but still struggling to keep his balance. She crossed her fingers and hoped that no other animals smelt her blood. They made slow pregress to the cave, but by the time they got there the Forest Hunter had begun to speed up, forcing Ai to limp faster and opening the barely sealed wounds in her foot. She didn¡¯t even hesitate as she slipped through the entrance of the cave. The Hunter did. He stopped, and sniffed cautiously at the darkness, before pacing back and forth. A hand stuck out, iridescent creature laying limp within. The Hunter sniffed, and was about to bite when the hand disappeared again. He let out a pitiful whine, that reminded Ai of some creature she couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s safe in here. No need to be nervous.¡± Ai lulled him in, swinging the Fonq back and forth like a pendulum. The Hunter stuck his nose in, sniffing, then followed it with the rest of his boneless looking body. It was tight, but he fit. He also blocked out the light. A notification popped up in front of Ai but she dared not even blink, or look away from the silhouette of the Hunter for a moment. ¡°Thaaat¡¯s right.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She kept one hand to the wall as she stepped slowly back, rocks digging into the soft flesh of her injured foot. She concentrated on breathing over the pain as the Hunter followed his nose. It felt like an eternity until she saw the soft blue glow of the rats. It was a lot fainter now, probably because they were asleep. She waved the Fonq daringly in front of the Hunter before tossing it into the huddle of rodents. Immediately she pressed herself up to the cave wall, taking up as little space as she could in the tight quarters of the cave. Irrationally she hoped that by doing so somehow neither the rats nor the Hunter would remember her. One rat squealed at the others began to stir. The Hunter passed so close to her she could feel the warmth of its skin. Even see the fine hairs on its body as the cave was lit with brighter blue. They made horrible sounds. A horrendous shriek that sent shudders up her spine and down again. And then there was the hunter, the wet sucking sound he made as he pulled them off his spikes and slurped them into his mouth. One rat dashed past her, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to stop it. Not while its siblings were being sucked down like tasty snacks, some of them still alive. She left when there was just one rat left. It¡¯s body broken against the cave wall, chest rising and falling with a wet gurgling sound. She¡¯d give the Hunter one thing, he did his job well. She got back to the tree with her stuff stashed in it. It was one of her least graceful moments by far; climbing it. She picked up the bag with her good hand, and rested on the other hand without thinking. Red. Hot. Agony. She fell out the tree, but the collision with the ground was secondary to the pain messages her wrist was screaming at her. It took her a moment to realise that her vision was blurry because she was crying. She had done it, completed the ¡®quest¡¯ but it didn¡¯t feel like much of a victory. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was expecting, but she felt remarkably¡­hollow. She gritted her teeth and smeared the red gel on her foot generously. It was a cool and soothing miracle. Her foot healed before her eyes, flesh knitting together and the holes getting smaller and smaller. When she wiped the remaining gel away though, she realised that it wasn¡¯t quite a miracle. The holes were gone, but in their place were raised white scars. An ugly reminder. She took a breath and set it out of her mind. Time was passing fast, and already dusk was beginning to cast longer shadows over the ground. Walking back was easy, far far easier than it had been before. Her foot was stiff, but that was nothing. If not for her wrist, she might be skipping. She pocketed the gel and made up some story about falling out of a tree when she got to the gate. She was 90% sure that people believed her. She was quickly ushered away and babied by Brandi. It was quite an odd feeling, Ai had never been babied before. Tal stood back and let her mother do the work. One fist pressed to her chest she mouthed the words ¡®thank you¡¯ to Ai. Ai nodded and that was that. It was well and truly over.
Quest: Fix the Problems! Complete! You had a couple of close calls, but you¡¯ve pulled it off. Nobody found out, and Ermine will never know of your involvement in the murder of his pets as long as you keep quiet. The question is, was it worth it? Reward: XP, Title, Crafting Materials (open rewards when ready to receive items).
Chapter 16 - Spirit It was dark, and Tal was sleeping softly besides her when Ai opened her status window.
Status Window : Level 1, 43%
Name Aitast (Lost One) Age 17
Race Beast-Bred Class N/A
Strength 13 Speed 22
Agility 24 Intelligence 15
Reslove 25 Charisma 5
Constitution 16 Perception 20
Luck 16
Skills/Traits
Crafting Lv. 1 74%
Stealth Lv. 4 30%
Survival Lv.6 29%
Tracking Lv. 4 87%
Tailoring Lv. 2 41%
Pain Resistance Lv. 1 77%
Active Enchantment: Language of the Spirit Folk, Comprehension 57%
Rewards
It seemed that the expereince had been added automatically. It was a remarkable amount of XP actually, considering how long it had taken her just to reach level one. The new skill, pain resistence, had the ever so helpful explination ¡®when the going gets tough, the tough get going.¡¯ Ai stared at it speechless for a few moments before swiping it away. The only point in this system seemed to be to point out her natural progression in a numerical value. She could have told it herself that she was well aware that she was getting much better at surviving on her own. Or that she was very, very good at creeping around. Interestingly it hadn¡¯t given her a skill in daggers or dual wielding or something. She would¡¯ve thought it would have, given that it wanted to for just about everything else. Her resolve had gained 10 points since she last looked at it, which didn''t really surprise her. What was most interesting, however, was the small box at the bottom of the window with one word in it. Rewards. She wondered what the spirit mother was going to reward her with for this quest.
Title: Spiker
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Her brows turned slowly down as she read the definition.
You know your plants, and your creatures. You¡¯ve proven that you¡¯re not above using the drugging side effects to suit your own needs. Just be careful what ¨C or whom you¡¯re using them on. Increases experience gain of herbalism/poisoner skills.
The description reminded her of some shady poisoner in a cloak drugging everyone (fatally) then making off with all their riches. It was certainly not the way that she pictured herself. It did seem, however, the first time she had been told, or given something, that was actually of use. A title that increased her skill gain? That would make it easier to learn how to work with plants (or poisons). She did feel that the spirit mother was trying to say something about her character though. Perhaps that was just the spirit mother though, how would Ai know she wasn¡¯t like that with everyone?
Items: Bone Needles (x10), Essence of light, Rat Tail (x2)
Well. She had to say, she was far less enthused about these gifts. The window vomited them out onto her lap ¨C complete with sound effects. Ones that Ai did not appreciate. Her ears folded back as she looked at the items on her lap. 10 sharp needles, ones that she had last seen sticking out of her foot. She would have been happy never to see them again. The rat tails were, as stated, rat tails. No blue glow. They were just rat tails. When she picked one up between thumb abd fore finger she could see the spine and flesh where it had been neatly separated from the poor creatures body. What kind of gift were a few needles and a rat tail anyway? Was this some kind of joke? She bet the spirit mother was laughing at her somewhere. The only really interesting thing on her lap was the essence of light. Light blue in colour it cast a dim glow across the room. It was stoppered in an old flask complete with illustrations in the glass. There was a tiny fairy, and many swirling patterns. It was hard to tell in the dark, especially given how small the artwork was. The whole flask was probably only half the size of her finger. She didn¡¯t have long fingers. She hoped it was valuable. Once she left perhaps she would come across somewhere she could sell it. She certainly wasn¡¯t going to sell it here. If it was uncommon and Ermine got word of it¡­she was sure that it would raise a lot of questions. She wasn¡¯t sure where to keep it though. She didn¡¯t particularly want anybody to find out that she had it. She scanned around the room but the woodwork was sound and the floor solid. She knew for a fact that Brandi took the furs to wash too, so she couldn¡¯t leave it there either. Her eyes fixed on the wardrobe. Slowly and quietly she crept across the room, and over Tals sleeping head. The girl didn¡¯t even stir. The wardrobe didn¡¯t creak when she opened it (thank fuck). Thankfully, Tal was messy. The mess was contained to the bottom of the wardrobe, instead of the floor, and now it was going to work in Ais favour. She slid it under the messy heap of clothes to the back corner of the cupboard, then shoved the needles on top before covering the whole lot back up. She held her breath when Tal shifted. She didn¡¯t know why, it wasn¡¯t like Tal didn¡¯t know what she had been doing. She may or may not have tossed the rat tails as far as she could out the window. Shaking her head at the increasingly complex situation with Tal Ai gently shut the cupboard and crept back to her furs. They were warm, comfy, soft and free of the worries that Tal and the other people in the village caused. They were safe. If Tal still wasn¡¯t talking to her then that was her loss. One respectful nod didn¡¯t count. The mad woman and her granddaughter could go and mess with some other poor persons head. Preferably one who hadn¡¯t clearly been screwed over already. She was going to be woken at the crack of dawn the day after tomorrow. Brandi had obviously decided that her tailoring skills were up to par despite the fact that the mother spirit was telling her that she was only level two. Ai wasn¡¯t sure the woman didn¡¯t just want the suspicion her daughter had screwed up again living under her roof. In the form of somebody who helped them all by cleaning it up. Ai didn¡¯t remember any childhood, but she couldn¡¯t imagine breaking such a serious law. Especially one with such serious repercussions. Having your memories stripped from you? Your free will? It sounded like a living nightmare. One that Ai had some experience with. So she would be leaving her wifely work early to go out with Kele. She barely knew the man, and apparently he didn¡¯t, in fact, spend all of his time sitting on the wall. He was more of a scout. He would be teaching her to make a shelter from scratch. Craft her own weapons. Basically, he was teaching her how not to die once she left civilisation. Which she would be doing, it wasn¡¯t like she had really been given a choice. Her claws absently kneaded the furs as she imagined what secrets the forest held. Without fear this time. She ignored the odd twinge in her wrist and the urge to scratch at her foot. Chapter 17 - Goblins and Men Ai knew the moment she woke that something was wrong. Typically she woke to the bustle of the village, the women working the clothes on the street. A couple of children shrieking as they played or singing rhymes together. Now, there was nothing. Across the room there was an empty space where Tal had lay, still warm to the touch. Ai hooked her weapons to her belt before she left the room, feeling slightly paranoid. Brandi was not, for once, stood in the kitchen offering everyone food or telling them to hurry up. It was bizarre. She left the house, shivering slightly at the cool misty air outside. Her ears swivelled on her head as she set off with purpose. She kept her hand firmly on the handle of one dagger as she peered around a dark corner. It was immediately obvious where everyone had gone. All of them stood in front of the village elders house. As Ai approached, she could heard what the old crone was saying. ¡°¡­know that these people were killed by a large beast, likely to have been driven out by others of its kind further South¡­¡± As the crowd of people parted Ai inhaled sharply. That turned out to be a mistake as she coughed on the heavy stench of decay that wafted off the pile of bodies. Gnawed at limbs, faces with eyes and mouths shrivelled black holes in their heads. Perhaps worse the more recent bodies of goblins, not yet in the cycle of decay. Their flat accusing eyes were far too familiar. ¡°¡­the survivor will be questioned provided it recovers well enough-¡± Ais ears peaked up. A survivor? Somebody had survived this massacre? A woman somewhere behind her began ushering her child away from the pile of broken corpses. Ai couldn¡¯t blame her. It got to her and she was fully grown. ¡°...but it is currently in an unstable condition. It is uncertain if it will survive the night, or has lost too much blood¡­¡± She kept calling the survivor it. Ai didn¡¯t think it was a mistake. Ai eyed the grey corpses in the pile, the too long arms with stretched tendons and short stumpy legs. She was almost sure that somebody was playing a very cruel trick on her. The spirits, perhaps, as she hadn¡¯t thought kindly of them. It seemed that would be a petty thing to do for something that was supposed to be omniscient though. In all likeliness Ai was just being oversensitive. This had nothing to do with her and everything to do with whatever monster had been driven into the forest.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. She swallowed and hardened her shoulders, making her way to familiar faces through the crowd. She hesitated for a moment behind Tal before whispering in her ear. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Something attacked a caravan, then some goblins that came to root around the remains. Depending on the creature it might be a threat to the people that needs to be taken care of. Either way we need to send the souls of these creatures back to the spirits.¡± Ai nodded. She was surprised that Tal was really talking to her, given the lack of communication between them recently. Not to mention the vague friendship that Ai had with her that was messed up over a boy. Who she saved. But it wasn¡¯t as if Ai was holding grudges-so the girl had problems telling other people her problems, everyone had their issues. ¡°Do goblins count as people?¡± It wasn¡¯t odd for her to ask that right? Ai could just be curious. Not digging for more facts to torture herself with later. Such as a little ugly goblin family or something. ¡°They¡¯re not people. People look like us, they look like them.¡± Ai just kind of stared at her for a moment, Tal sighed. ¡°Different species, similar souls. Both feel emotions, speak and argue. Think.¡± That made far more sense. And made her feel far more guilty. But they were eating people, so it was a bit early to judge them yet. Ais eyes danced around the crowd, purposefully skipping over the pile of rot in the middle. After a moment she realised that one person was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Ermine?¡± Ai dreaded that she already knew the answer to that question. Tal gave her a long look over her shoulder. ¡°You know where.¡± Then turned back to her gran, who was waving her arms in the air pledging to do whatever necessary to keep the villagers safe. Which wasn¡¯t disturbing at all. Ai imagined the old woman was capable of far more than anyone expected. Ai was about to ask something else when she noticed that Tals shoulders were shaking a little, her face turned away from Ais field of view. That shut her up fast. She had only come over to talk to the girl for five minutes and she had already made her cry. In retrospect, perhaps it wasn''t the best idea to ask about Ermine, but by the way Tal was reacting anyone would''ve thought she was the one who killed the rats. All the time she stood in the crow Ais hand continued to rest over her dagger. She had the feeling that there was change in the air. Not the good kind. *** All the small grey goblin felt was pain. Pain and pity. Smaller than its brethren and with a far more agile grip, this goblin was not the sort that was often seeing ranging with the common ones. If its kind weren¡¯t killed at birth, then they spent a life time of scavenging off of stronger goblins. Their society was not build around brains. This particular goblin had always thought of itself as a survivor. Now it was going to have the real badge of survivalism shoved on its status screen. If it survived the night. It looked down at the bandaged, bloody stumps that its legs had become. When it wasn¡¯t looking, it swore that it could feel its toes. Burning with pain. Everything that was no longer attached to its body radiated pain. The goblin gritted its jaw, drawing blood. It clutched at the furs to keep it warm and hide the truth of what had happened to its legs. It was with the People, not an innately cruel society, but absolutely ruthless when it came to dispensing their own form of justice. It would leave as soon as it thought that it could. Feeling its imaginary legs screaming at it the goblin lay back, all its muscles taught. It might take a while. Chapter 18 - The Cowards Weapon It stared at the haggard face of the old lady, with her funny squished nose. The goblin didn¡¯t understand how anybody thought that it was ugly when in comparison to this. All the spirit folk seemed to have a skewed idea of beauty. The goblin would know, it studied the spirit folk for part of its life. They were, after all, far more peaceful than the creatures own people. Some of their ideals, however, it did not agree with. It had come to the conclusion it would lead a far unhappier life if it joined with the spirit people, given they even accepted a goblin in their midst. They were fussy about that sort of thing. Stupid really. The goblin was a very good thief. And it could sneak up on its prey very well, only having a few bites before it bought it back to be cooked. That was another thing. Unlike its brothers, sisters and other goblins who had yet to mature it preferred its meat raw. It was juicer and the blood gave it good flavour. When the food was cooked it was dry, tasteless and tough. It didn¡¯t understand this obsession everyone else seemed to have with cooking the stuff. The haggard old lady seemed to sense the goblin wasn¡¯t listening and stamped one foot on the floor. With a low thud and rumble, the walls shivered dislodging a few pieces of mud and dust. The goblin didn¡¯t like shamans. They were strong, dangerous and full of themselves. He knew better than to voice these opinions most of the time, however, this was the shaman of the people. This shaman didn¡¯t like to kill, and the goblin knew that spirit magic was messed up at the moment. The shaman of its own tribe hadn¡¯t exactly been quiet about it. The goblin knew that even if she couldn¡¯t turn its mind against it, she could torture it. That didn¡¯t matter though, it hadn¡¯t lived so far without learning how to take pain. ¡°No talk. Dumb goblin. Ugly goblin. Stupid goblin.¡± The goblin made sure to look down and fiddle with the furs as it said this, its long pointed ears drooping either side of its face. ¡°I already said that I speak goblin. Bloody hell. Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°Goblin no talk. Stupid.¡± ¡°Friggin¡¯ fuckity fookin¡¯¡­you aren¡¯t stupid. You won¡¯t fool me with that pathetic act of yours!¡± The goblin made sure to cringe at this, shying away from her. The elder massaged the bridge of her nose. She had been in this room at least ten minutes, after saving this goblins ungrateful ass and it couldn¡¯t even be bothered to tell her the information she wanted to know. It had even had the nerve to ignore her! ¡°Pathetic!¡± Wailed the goblin. She let out a long, controlled sigh. ¡°What if I were to give you a name?¡± The goblin stopped cowering, its shoulders going stiff. ¡°Goblin no want name from nasty lady! You name goblin Pathetic or Stupid!¡± The goblin stuck out its tongue at the woman.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She lunged at it, not entirely sure what she would do once she got her hands on it. Even missing one of its legs the goblin managed to dodge out of reach, scampering round the room on three limbs, closely followed by its newest enemy. The people in the village shared glances over the shouting and bashing of pots they heard coming from the village elders hut. Nobody dared interfere, but it didn¡¯t stop them speculating. *** Ai spent most of the day trudging around the forest. Kele didn¡¯t talk often, and when he did it was to point out some obscure track or a useful plant. Since that morning, Ais survival skill had already gone up 50%. She guessed that made her far less likely to die. Despite moving with their weapons, they weren¡¯t hunting. It turned out that Kele spent most of his time collecting herbs, which wasn¡¯t exactly what she expected from the intimidating somewhat bear-like man. Those herbs were like a bundle of irresistible pheromones for some creatures. Ai wondered why Tal hadn¡¯t taught her more. If they had used some of Keles tricks, their hunts would¡¯ve probably been far more successful. When she asked Kele he said it was because the balance of the forest needed to be kept equal. If it was too easy for them to hunt, there wouldn¡¯t be very many animals left. Those that were would be the best of the best, and already learnt all of the hunters tricks. They wouldn¡¯t fall into traps, and the people would starve. It did make sense, more or less, but Ai thought it was probably a lot more complicated than that. More than anything, her thoughts were dominated by the goblin. As Kele crouched over to point out a small trio of yellow mushrooms, all she could do was wonder if it had survived the night. Perhaps even begun to communicate. Ai might not be able to speak goblin, but she was sure the village elder could, using whatever trick she had used to be able to speak Ais native language. One that nobody else seemed to recognise. ¡°¡­taste it.¡± Kele finished. Ai blinked, then fidgeted. ¡°Pardon?¡± Ever patient, Kele didn¡¯t even blink before repeating himself. ¡°It¡¯s used as a poison for by assassins. It¡¯s harmless in its raw form, only poisoning people after it¡¯s been exposed to high temperatures. It¡¯s usually used in stews and other heavy meals that hide its heavy flavour. You probably won¡¯t ever need to know, but better safe than sorry.¡± The big man shrugged holding out the delicate yellow mushroom to her. Ai took it carefully between her thumb and forefinger, as if even holding it might poison her. She moved it towards her mouth, then hesitated. ¡°How does this kill people?¡± ¡°The victim starts to turn yellow after about six hours, then bleed internally. It¡¯s called Fools Sunshine, after a similar looking mushroom without this ring-¡± He pointed to a thin almost invisible ring of brown just below the cap. ¡°-which people in cities use as a drug to make them deliriously happy.¡± Ai hesitated. She liked Kele, he had never done anything to hurt her. He wouldn¡¯t¡­no that was ridiculous. He was the one who had taken her in. But everyone had their own motive. What if it fitted his to see her dead. But then, why would he tell her it was poisonous? Perhaps he wasn¡¯t trying to poison her, but to see how far her trust extended. But that just didn¡¯t seem to suit him. He was patient. Thoughtful. He had even said to her that there was no such thing as a stupid question¡­he seemed kind. Perhaps recent incidents had influenced her opinions. Before she could have second thoughts Ai stuffed the mushroom into her mouth and bit down. It wasn¡¯t tasty, and turned to a kind of mush in her mouth. It did taste heavy, perhaps slightly smoky with a sour aftertaste. It left her mouth feeling dry. ¡°Remember that taste. It might save your life one day.¡± He said in his characteristic quiet calm, before continuing to walk through the forest. Ai followed close on her heels, trying to ignore the shiver crawling up her spine. It was probably nothing, Kele had pointed out several poisons along with other plants and fungi along their path. It was nothing. Probably. Chapter 19 - The Deal It was late when Ai got back, and her muscles ached but she headed straight for the elders hut. She knew the goblin was in there, even if she hadn¡¯t been privy to the going ons of the day. Thankfully, it appeared that the mound of dead people had been moved. Approaching the hut she wished there was a door to knock on rather than a curtain. The few people still out in the growing dusk gave her curious glances as she lurked outside of the village elders door. Straightening her back she knocked on the wall instead, ignoring the way the hair on the back of her neck prickled. Or the way she could hear every word the people on the street were saying with her keener ears. Almost immediately the curtain was yanked back, revealing the village elder. Her hood was off and Ai could see a slight flush to her cheeks. She wasn¡¯t actually as old as her hands looked, Ai would only have placed her in her fifties. Her eyes were a pale milky white. She was blind. ¡°Finally! You get the blasted thing to talk ¨C it¡¯s getting on my last nerve!¡± The village elder yanked Ai in, pulling her through another curtain. Ais tail was ramrod straight as she looked around the quaint room, with two beds (actual beds, not piles of fur on the floor) and its one occupant. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡± The woman gave Ai a shove forwards. ¡°Wait-¡± Ai called out but she was already gone. This was not how Ai imagined this evening going. She had thought she would have to ask to be let in. Give a reason for seeing the goblin that didn¡¯t consist of her killing anyone or thing. Ais shoulders slowly hunched as she looked towards the bed. The goblin stared back at her, its eyes huge in its strange face. Ai opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. She tried to start saying something, but all that came out was air. The goblin cocked its head to the side in an odd, bird-like motion. ¡°Where you come from? You not one of Spirit People.¡± Its voice was high and clear; childlike, just like the goblins that she had seen before. ¡°No.¡± She managed, her voice coming out choked. The goblins eyes narrowed at her as it leant towards her. She took one step back before she could think about it. The goblin let a small grin crawl over its face. Each tooth was small and sharp, perfect for eating meat. ¡°You scared.¡± Ais claws pricked her palm as she began to clench her fists before forcing herself to relax. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡± She said but she didn¡¯t move any closer. ¡°You scaaaared.¡± Its voice turned mocking now as it clapped its hands together. ¡°Scared of one leg goblin!¡± Ai inhaled sharply. ¡°I said-¡± ¡°Goblin eat you. Tasty flesh.¡± It licked its lips slowly, making sure she was watching. One of Ais hands fell to her dagger, and the goblins eyes followed the movement.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Coward. You kill from behind. Scared to see monster up close.¡± It threw its arms out into the air. ¡°Even small hurt one!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± Ai growled, perhaps more to herself than to the goblin. The goblin sighed dramatically then fell back onto the bed. ¡°Scared one leave now. Run away.¡± It turned its back to her. Apparently it wasn¡¯t sacred in the slightest that she would hurt it, let alone pose a threat to its life. Ais hand tightened around the gilt of the dagger, then she released it. Slowly she walked closer to the goblin, until she sat on the other bed barely a foot from it. She could see the rough grey of its skin, crisscrossed with pale scars. She wondered where it got them. That was why she was here, she reminded herself, to find out about its people. What she had taken away. ¡°How did you end up getting attacked?¡± She asked, thankful her voice was coming out smoothly. The goblin rolled its head back to face her. It just looked for a moment before it replied. ¡°Why you care?¡± ¡°I¡­I want to know about you. The other goblins. I¡­¡± Ai trailed off, unsure how to continue. She was surprised she was being this honest, given what she had seen of her audience thus far. ¡°And why should I trust you?¡± The goblin sounded different this time. Before his sentences were short, staccato. Now they rolled off his tongue, Ai would even go so far to say he sounded posh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Because you want to?¡± Inwardly Ai winced, she didn¡¯t think she had ever sounded quite as stupid as she had in the last five minutes of her life. ¡°Trust isn¡¯t given it¡¯s earned.¡± The goblin tapped one too long finger against its chin. ¡°You give me a name. In the old way. One that¡¯ll suit me.¡± Ai had no idea what that meant, unless it was the bloody thumb thing that Kele had done. ¡°What exactly do I have to do?¡± ¡°Make a circle of elements. Bless me with your blood. Name me. Vow to take me as one of your own.¡± ¡°Make you one of my own?¡± ¡°Blood of your blood. Soul of your soul. To be bound until we leave this dimension. The same way a couple is married, or brothers of different flesh are made.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°So it¡¯s like marriage?¡± The goblin shook its head. ¡°It¡¯s a bond. The bond doesn¡¯t have a nature. We can hate one another or love one another. Never see one another again. But I will forever carry a part of your soul as you will carry a part of mine. It will offer protection in the spirit world. Help us to retain our will against magics that will influence our minds. It isn¡¯t marriage, it¡¯s more.¡± ¡°Why do you want me to do this?¡± ¡°I have no name, no people. I am one of the goblins here, but I am not. Until I have a name, I cannot become male or female. I can be enslaved easily. Manipulated. To have a name will make me stronger, and to have a name in the old way will make my mind stronger, as it will yours.¡± Which sounded far, far too good to be true to Ai. ¡°What are the draw backs?¡± ¡°¡­as I am part of you, I will be able to feel what you feel. Use our bond to more easily let others into your mind if I wanted to. You would be able to do the same. When I die you too will be touched by death. You will live on but there will be darkness on your soul, Oscuro will know you.¡± Ai thought she was getting goosebumps. ¡°And Oscuro is the spirit of darkness.¡± Ai stated and the goblin nodded. ¡°Why should I do this? It seems to help you more than me. You probably have a shorter lifespan than me too.¡± ¡°My life span is as long as until I get killed. I don¡¯t plan to die. Do you?¡± It seemed to be annoyed at her assumption, though Ai wasn¡¯t sure why. She shook her head anyway. ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°How important are my answers to you? I can vow I won¡¯t use the bond against you, by the spirits, lest my soul be erased forever. It can help us both. I would travel with you, if you would let me.¡± The goblin hesitated, running its tongue over its teeth. ¡°I want to leave the forest. I want to leave the goblins. See the world without¡­¡± It shrugged with the most human expression Ai had seen on its face so far. ¡°And I would like somebody to do it with. Somebody I felt I could trust. Who wouldn¡¯t skin and bleed me to make potions. Or scalp me for a reward at the nearest adventurers¡¯ guild.¡± Ai watched it, and actually felt herself being tempted by its offer. It seemed so human, more so than she had expected. Her answers¡­she wanted them, but not enough to shackle her soul to somebody elses without thinking about the consequences. ¡°Why are you speaking so well now? Before you sounded like you didn¡¯t know very much.¡±
Congratulations! You have earned +1 to Perception!
Ai almost jumped at the popup. The cocoon of quiet in this space had made her forget that she got them. She blinked and saw the goblin looking at her wide eyed. ¡°It helps if humans think I¡¯m stupid. They underestimate me.¡± But it had let her see past the fa?ade. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Chapter 20 - Spirit and Soul ¡°What exactly is naming in the old way?¡± Ai asked as she approached the village elder from behind. The woman started, which made Ais eyebrows raised. Somehow the woman had become all knowing in her mind, though that clearly wasn¡¯t the case. She had had her stuff stolen from right under her nose (and returned), after all. She tutted shaking her head. ¡°Dangerous deals, dangerous deals. What exactly has that goblin been putting into your head?¡± ¡°He said he would tell me-¡± about his people so I know whether to feel guilty for killing one or not ¡°-what I want to know if I named him in the old way.¡± ¡°You¡¯d best not trust him even as far as you can throw him. Goblins want the best out of every deal, especially his sort. They¡¯ll milk you dry if you let them, then eat whatever¡¯s left.¡± Ais eyebrows slowly lowered down her face. ¡°But what is it? Naming in the old way?¡± The village elder sighed, leaning back on the table behind her. ¡°Everyone is named in the old way, at least in our village. The outsiders, they don¡¯t believe in doing such things. Occasionally you¡¯ll see bound couples, but they¡¯re the only sort that get it out there. Naming in the old way, or soul-binding has a bad reputation. If somebody you¡¯re soul bound to dies¡­the touch of Oscuro isn¡¯t a pretty thing. ¡°What effects it has on you depends on the darkness that you harbour in your heart. If you enjoy murder and pain, then so you might be forced to relive how you die in the future every time you close your eyes. If you use sex to manipulate people, then anyone who you have sex with will wither and crumble beneath you. Such abilities can be used as a weapon or become your undoing. ¡°These effects can be lessened by being soul bound to multiple people. The part of their soul inside of you gives you additional strength. Fortitude. ¡°If you were to soul bind the goblin and he died, there wouldn¡¯t be another person for you. You would have to deal with Oscuros touch on your own. Are you prepared to deal with that?¡± She stared fiercely into Ais eyes. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Not to mention you give somebody a foot hold into your soul. They can grow it, like a parasite, and take control of your actions. Make you believe in things that aren¡¯t there. I once saw a woman beat her four year old child to death, thinking she was killing some sort of evil apparition. Soul-binding can become very nasty, very fast if you aren¡¯t careful. ¡°Goblins are, by nature, creatures of mischief and deceit. They would steal food from the starving and play with their prey to take joy in making it suffer. They eat the flesh of their own, believing that sentient flesh grants them additional strength. They live short and brutal lives. The one in that room is handicapped. How long do you really think it will last? Do you think it won¡¯t use the bond to its advantage?¡± The woman huffed slightly at the end of her rant, and Ai imagined that her cheeks would be flushed red underneath the hood of her cloak. ¡°They think eating sentient beings gives them strength?¡± Ai repeated dumbly. ¡°They live in a goblin eat goblin world Ai, literally. You¡¯d be a bloody fool to trust this one.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Ai nodded silently. She had come out thinking that it wasn¡¯t so bad, and now she was second guessing herself. Her brain continued to argue with her. The old lady only gave you bad points, she¡¯s clearly biased. How would she know all this stuff about their culture for sure anyway? There¡¯s always two sides to a story. That¡¯s why you wanted to talk to the one who¡¯s on the inside. But what if it lies? If what she says is true it¡¯ll tell you anything you want to hear. Or don¡¯t want to hear, depending on what suits it at the time. ¡°¡­I thought the goblins needed to be named in the old way to become male or female. So they must trust each other?¡± The old woman regarded her for a moment. ¡°They do. Goblins swear spirit vows to one another. Dangerous things. If there¡¯s something dangerous then the goblins are sure to have their sticky fingers in it.¡± ¡°And a spirit vow is?¡± ¡°Bad news. Erasing your soul if you break it bad news.¡± ¡°So if it swore a spirit vow to me that it wouldn''t use the bond for its own gain, then the risks wouldn¡¯t be so bad?¡± ¡°Spirit vows don¡¯t stop people from dying. Only from lying and manipulating each other, or using the soul bond as a means to an end.¡± ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be able to use its piece of soul to change the way I think? Or what I see?¡± ¡°No, but where there¡¯s a goblin, there¡¯s a way. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learnt in all my time here it¡¯s that you¡¯re careful who you trust, and to second guess yourself even then.¡± This seemed to be a rather cynical view point, Ai frowned. She wasn¡¯t comfortable doing a soul bond, but if she got the vow and kept the creature alive¡­ Was knowing about the goblin she killed really that important to her? Enough to risk her sanity on? At heart, Ai must have been a selfish creature, because the answer to that question was no. ¡°Is there another way to name him? Something less dangerous?¡± ¡°Only the way you were named. Don¡¯t bother though, I¡¯ve already offered and the blasted thing threw it back in my face.¡± Ai bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder at the goblins room before lowering her voice. ¡°Would it be possible to trick him?¡± The woman was silent for a moment, her mouth slightly parted. Surely Ai hadn¡¯t suggested such a bizarre thing? Unless it was taboo. Ais heart dropped slightly when she thought of making such a grievous social error. ¡°Perhaps if I were able to access Spirit, but I haven¡¯t been able to for a long time. A few days before you arrived the element simply fizzled and disappeared. Without it¡­if we had it, it would be possible to change the shape of the goblins soul. Cut off a part then stick it back on, tricking it into thinking it had a soul bond. It¡¯s an old, powerful magic and completely impossible at the moment.¡± ¡°Do elements disappear a lot?¡± ¡°No. Never. They are less in some places, but never gone. It is¡­worrying.¡± And it had happened a few days before Ai had found them. That would be around when Ai had woken up, she would have to be stupid to ignore the coincidence. There is no such thing as a coincidence. Ai may have just got her first real clue. A part of her, otherwise known as special snowflake syndrome, thought perhaps she would be the only one able to sense and use spirit. ¡°How exactly does one do magic?¡± ¡°Never you mind. I can sense that you don¡¯t have a lick of the stuff in you dear. No point in wishing for what you can¡¯t have.¡± And there went that idea. Ais ego was thoroughly shoved back into place. But magic could be useful, even if she was iffy about anything to do with the spirits. ¡°What is magic? Is there any way to get it?¡± ¡°Magic is what I use to manipulate the spirits. Without magic, there is no way to get any more. If you had even a drop you could have increased it, but you don¡¯t even have that. Don¡¯t feel shitty about it though, it¡¯s not unusual. Very few people have magic.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s no way to trick it, and the way it wants is basically a death sentence.¡± Ai may or may not have felt a slight pout forming on her face. ¡°Only your words honey. Promise it something that you¡¯re willing to give. You¡¯ve certainly had more luck getting the bastard to talk than I have.¡± Ai didn''t reply. Looking back she thought about the goblin again. It had seemed almost human. Reasonable. It had a dream, hopes, which made her want to sympathise with it. She couldn''t judge it based on somebody who was so clearly biased. Ai sighed. Nothing was ever simple. Chapter 21 - Speak Your Vows Ai steeled herself before walking into the goblins room. Breath in. Breath out. The goblin swung its head round to face her when she entered. Again, it struck her how similar yet different it was to the People. ¡°I won¡¯t soul bond with you.¡± The goblins face fell, eyes flattened. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what you and your villagers need to know then.¡± It stated monotone. Ai swallowed. ¡°But I will be leaving this village when the next season starts.¡± ¡°Alone? In the rainy season? You¡¯d be easy prey.¡± Ai was pretty sure it did the version of a goblin sneer when those words came out its mouth. ¡°I would not be opposed to having a companion to travel with. I am a stranger in these lands and-¡± ¡°You would trust me not to stab you in the back, to be with you night and day yet you won¡¯t trust me enough to name me.¡± Its eyes narrowed, expression dark. ¡°I won¡¯t name you because the risks are too high-¡± ¡°What is life without risk?¡± ¡°however I¡¯m willing to travel with you and help you to find somebody who will make a spirit vow with you. I would make a spirit vow on it.¡± The goblin leant back, evaluating her with dark eyes. It opened it mouth, changed its mind, then opened it again. ¡°It would be somebody of my choosing? Not simply the first drunken fool that we happen to come across.¡± Ai nodded. She might actually pull this off. ¡°And you¡¯d treat me as an equal as we travel. And swear loyalty to me.¡± ¡°Loyalty?¡± The goblin rolled its eyes. ¡°You¡¯d swear not to kill me, directly or by use of a second medium.¡± Snarky isn¡¯t he? ¡°I would.¡± ¡°Then vow it now.¡± The goblin challenged her, head held high. ¡°You would have to vow the same to me, except for the naming.¡± ¡°I vow by the spirits, that for as long as Ai upholds her vow to me I shall not attempt to take her life through a direct, or indirect manner. I shall treat her as an equal. If this vow is broken by myself, then my soul shall die, but if it is broken by Ai then I shall be released by these binding terms. If it is fulfilled by Ai, I shall be released by these binding terms.¡± The goblin seemed to blur a little as he spoke. Ai blinked, but the fuzziness didn¡¯t go away until he stopped speaking. The vow wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. Your turn.¡± ¡°I, uh, vow by the spirits that as long as¡­¡± Ai looked at the goblin. What was she suppose to call it? ¡°Just say the goblin in front of me.¡± ¡°¡­the goblin in front of me upholds its vow I won¡¯t kill it, directly or indirectly and will treat it as an equal. I will travel with it until I find a person it agrees to soul bind to. If I break this vow then my soul will die, but if the goblin breaks its vow then I¡¯ll be released from this vow without my soul dying. If this vow is fulfilled then I will be released from the binding terms?¡± The last part sounded more like a question to Ai than a vow, but the goblin wasn¡¯t looking at her like she had done something greviously wrong, so she guessed she hadn¡¯t screwed up. Yet. She frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure what she expected, but she expected something. There was nothing. No feeling of fulfilment, connection to the spirits or magicy witchy feeling. She just felt tired, slightly cold and like she could do with taking her weight off her feet. ¡°Did it work?¡± The goblin nodded. ¡°Now we need to shake on it.¡± It extended its abnormally long arm to her. Ai hesitated before grasping its hand in her own. Its skin was warm, dry and surprisingly tough.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Suddenly Ai realised that she hadn¡¯t made the goblin vow to answer her questions. A lump grew in ter throat, she was an idiot. Play it off like you didn¡¯t just screw up. ¡°You¡¯ll answer my questions now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are your people like? Is it true you eat the flesh of sentient creatures for strength?¡± Too late did Ai realise how crude that was. Inwardly she winced. ¡°To eat the flesh of a sentient creature is to honour it. If I killed you and didn¡¯t eat you, then that would be an insult.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It still ate people though. ¡°You¡¯re judging me, I can see it. You cannot judge me in the way of the People. I am not of their blood. Neither are you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°You were.¡± It states, then continues regardless. ¡°My people, tribe, are not ¡®honourable¡¯ people. True strength does not come from the goblin that spares the weak so there is less food for everyone else. Nor from the goblin that insists on fighting every fight fairly, without tricks or games. To fight fairly is to die. Does a beast approach from the front and declare its intentions to eat you?¡± Ai shook her head, admitting to herself that she didn¡¯t really want to get scolded again. It was never a pleasant experience. ¡°A beast is intelligent. It sneaks up on its prey, ambushes it. So we sneak up on our prey and ambush it. By doing so we can take down larger, stronger creatures. Feed more of our young. ¡°If one goblin doesn¡¯t like another, or they have a disagreement, then they will try to kill one another. It is natural. The fittest survives and consumes the dead goblin, so its meat will not go to waste in the forest, but back into the tribe. It gives strength to find more food, build better weapons. No part is wasted. You throw away your corpses to rot in the ground. They are left, abandoned, shunned. You think that we are terrible to eat the dead, but we think that you are terrible to bury them where they cannot even enter the cycle of life and give food to the prey. It¡¯s one of the worst things that one goblin can do to another.¡± Ai was wide eyed. It almost sounded¡­good to eat your dead when the goblin put it like that. Ai wasn¡¯t going to be eating anybody else any time soon, but she could see where the goblin was coming from. ¡°If a goblin is strong it is always aware of its surroundings. It is not killed from behind or otherwise. To be killed is to have weakness.¡± Ai thought back to the goblin she had killed. The corners of her lips turned down without her knowledge. Calling it weak didn¡¯t sit with her right. It hadn¡¯t even seen the attack coming. Not really. She never gave it a chance. ¡°But what if it didn¡¯t see the attack coming? What if its attacker was bigger and stronger than it was?¡± The goblin gave her another one of those deep, searching looks. It than cocked its head to one side. ¡°So what?¡± Ai ground her jaw. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make you weak if you don¡¯t see an attack coming. Not if it takes you by surprise, before you¡¯re given time to react.¡± ¡°If you are truly strong, then you are never taken off guard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Ai threw her hands in the air. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The goblin stated calmly. ¡°If it¡¯s impossible then why are you saying-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m saying that that¡¯s what our culture says. There is no shame in death, everything that lives dies.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You tell me that the goblin was weak for dying to a stronger pers-opponent then you say that there¡¯s no shame in that.¡± Ai scowled. ¡°Why should there be shame in weakness? Some are weak, others are not. Those that are weak die young and fast, those that are strong live long enough to have offspring. They do not live forever. They are not invincible.¡± Ai fought the need to clench her fists, all too aware of impaling herself with her claws. She needed a stress ball. ¡°I don¡¯t think it makes you weak to fall to an attack from behind.¡± Ai was resolute in her opinion. ¡°You asked me what they thought and I told you. We don¡¯t have a forgiving tribe. I am smarter than most of the goblins, and that is what has allowed me to survive despite the fact I will never be as strong or as fast as them. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s weak to fall from an attack from behind.¡± The goblin paused, looking directly at her with its too big eyes. ¡°A goblin died in my tribe a while ago. Strangled. We shared her flesh and made weapons from her bones. She was taken by surprise.¡± ¡°Did-did she have children?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But she had parents.¡± The goblins looked slightly confused. ¡°She was born and kept with the rest of the young until she was old enough to look after herself. She didn¡¯t have parents. Not like the villagers have.¡± So she was alone. Ai wasn¡¯t sure if that made her feel better or worse. The goblin didn¡¯t have anyone to miss her, that should be a good thing. But Ai didn¡¯t have anyone to miss her either, and she didn¡¯t like to think that that made her life any less important. ¡°She was honoured in our way. There was no shame in her death.¡± Ais vision got blurry. There was shame in Ai. Shame and guilt. Shame that she had killed somebody ¨C somebody who could think and feel just like her. For no reason, Ai hadn¡¯t even waited to see if they were a threat. Somebody rubbed her arm and Ai flinched away. The goblin. It had been¡­comforting her? ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The goblin gave a smile with slightly too sharp teeth that looked far less comforting than it intended. ¡°You did nothing wrong. There is no need to apologise.¡± ¡°I did do something wrong. I¡­for no reason.¡± ¡°Goblins die every day. There will be another to take her place. We all live short, violent lives in the tribe.¡± ¡°Goblins don¡¯t die by my hand every day.¡± ¡°But they do die by the hand of adventurers. People who turn them in for profit and pleasure. They die to the teeth of wild beasts. To traps. Poison. These goblins are not remembered. You will remember. You have already given her more than she ever expected in death. Her death will change you, perhaps even save others through you. You do not need forgiveness from her or me. You need forgiveness from yourself.¡± Ai balled up her fists and rubbed away her tears but they just kept coming. She couldn¡¯t believe she was crying in front of it. She hated crying in front of people. Gulping air, she somehow managed to get her whirlwind of emotions under control. She swallowed, forcing down any other rising feelings. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­got to go. I¡¯ll ask you more tomorrow. About the monster and stuff.¡± Ai practically tripped over her own feet to get out of the room. The goblin watched with its large eyes that saw far too much. Behind them, its brain was whirring. Chapter 22 - Of Monsters and Men The next day, Ai was returning from another lecture on forest plants when she saw Ermine. Ai¡¯s first thought was that he looked like shit. She was ashamed to admit that between everything else that had been going on, she had actually forgotten about him. She hadn¡¯t thought about how what she did might have impacted him either. He was carrying a bag of meat, he had probably just been out hunting. His shoulders were hunched and he held on to the strap of the bag like it was a lifeline. Ai hesitated. Should she talk to him? Maybe she would just make things worse. She was the one who had done this to him. She didn¡¯t regret doing it but¡­ Get over yourself and talk to him. ¡°Ermine!¡± He started, looking over his shoulder at her. As Ai approached she noticed the rings under his eyes and the way his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Hey.¡± His voice was rough when he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into you.¡± ¡°Yeah, well. You know Kele, teaching me and all that stuff. Um, so how are you?¡± Open mouth, insert foot. Clearly he¡¯s doing terribly. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m ok I guess.¡± There was an awkward silence where he refused to meet her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not. Something got into the cave. I think it was a Forest Hunter. There¡¯s not- the rats are dead.¡± Ai fought the urge to shift from foot to foot and nod. She wasn¡¯t suppose to know. ¡°All of them?¡± She tried to look concerned without feeling like a complete fake. He nodded, eyes down. ¡°Wow ¨C that¡¯s not what I - I mean, I can¡¯t believe it. You¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± He shrugged, his mouth twisting into half a bitter grin. ¡°What can you do right? It was a stupid idea to keep them alive in the first place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ai repeated dumbly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Stuff like this happens.¡± He stopped hunching quite so much and finally looked her in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got to share them with you. Before. There was-¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°There was something special about them, you know?¡± Ai flashed him a quick smile. ¡°Yeah, they were really beautiful. Out here we spend so much time killing stuff¡­it was nice to see the beginning of something. Like, the beginning of life.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure she had ever been more awkward in her life. ¡°Yeah. I know this is kind of out of the blue, and I don¡¯t expect anything or anything but¡­¡± Ais eyes widened as a redness rose to Ermines cheeks. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he was going to say. ¡°I think that you¡¯re really pretty. Not like with your face shape or anything. You¡¯re pretty that way too but, I mean, when you smile it kind of lights up your whole face. And when we were with the rats you, you looked so amazed. It¡¯s like your innocent or something. Everyone else here is use to killing stuff. And they wouldn¡¯t give the rats a second look before killing them but you, you don¡¯t judge, you know? I just really like that about you.¡± If they were under different circumstances, Ai was sure her face would be just as red as his was. As it was with every word he spoke Ai felt more and more like a fraud. She wasn¡¯t innocent. She was lying to him. He must¡¯ve seen something on her face because he took a step away from her. ¡°Sorry. I know I must seem weird to you. Just-sorry.¡± He turned on his heel and walked away, head down in shame. Inwardly, Ai cringed. She had come over to try and make things better and instead she had just made things worse. She could chase after him. Tell him it wasn¡¯t his fault, and that she hadn¡¯t meant to brush him off. The truth was, maybe it was better this way. He wouldn¡¯t linger on her, thinking he had a chance. Maybe he would even start to notice Tal. They seemed like they would make a good match.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She wouldn¡¯t make a good match for anyone. Ai toyed with the point of her furry ear. She didn¡¯t even know what she was. *** Ai stopped by to see the goblin again. It didn¡¯t greet her when she walked in, just asked what she wanted to ask about this time. ¡°The monster, or beast. Whatever attacked you and took your leg.¡± The goblin sneered at the memory, gray lips pulling back over small pointy teeth. ¡°Two wings, two legs and a mouth full of teeth.¡± Ai noticed it had crossed its arms over its chest. That¡¯s a defensive behaviour. Self-comforting too. ¡°You must know more than that.¡± Ai sounded far more exasperated than she had intended to. ¡°Oh, of course. I must, but I was preoccupied with not dying at the time. Instead, I should have stood there so I could get a good look at the beast that ate my leg. My apologies for having disappointed you.¡± It half snarled. Ai could almost feel the whiplash from the abrupt attitude change. Yesterday it had been all comforting words and treasure troves of information, now it was bitter and sarcastic. That said, perhaps it had reason. Ai didn¡¯t know what it was like to have something eat part of her while she was still alive. Her limited imagination pretty much summed it up as ¡®horrific¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound like I doubted you. I¡¯m¡­just tired. Are you sure there¡¯s nothing else you remember? Anything could help.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure about that, perhaps that was the only description the village elder needed to know what had moved into the forest. Two wings and teeth pretty much conjured the image of a dragon in her head. Except it had two legs. A wyvern? Did they even exist? ¡°I know what it was.¡± The goblin stated darkly, looking dead ahead of itself the whole time. Ai almost didn¡¯t want to ask. Ridiculously, small shivers ran up her back. ¡°What was it?¡± Her voice sounded conspiratorial. It couldn¡¯t be that bad, she reasoned. It was just with the dusky room and the candle light it set the mood for some sort of evil, powerful creature. It swallowed. ¡°A Queen Biene.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°A queen bean?¡± ¡°A Queen Bee-na.¡± ¡°Uh, right. What¡¯s that?¡± The goblin looked at her like she had just announced to the world that the sky wasn¡¯t blue. ¡°A Biene is a creature from the Promised Plains. They¡¯re hunters. One female with a pack of males that do her bidding. They¡¯re not sentient, but they are an intelligent and deadly foe. When a female develops wings she leaves the pack she was raised in and starts one of her own; she becomes a Queen Biene. Usually they go for wide open spaces. Not forests. They¡¯re too big to chase prey effectively between the trees.¡± ¡°How big are we talking?¡± ¡°Twice as tall as this hut, or there abouts. The females are bigger than the males.¡± Twice as big as the hut made it about three times the height of Ai. Part of her wanted to say it wasn¡¯t that big, the other part said that the Aitast she had run into didn¡¯t even come up to her shoulder and it had seemed plenty big. ¡°Are the villagers going to kill it?¡± Ai wondered out loud. ¡°Are you kidding? The villagers wouldn¡¯t kill it if it started fucking them up the ass.¡± Ai blinked. And blinked again. That was a bit vulgar. ¡°Why not? Doesn¡¯t it pose a threat to them?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It would if it didn¡¯t have a nice supply of humans carting along that road. All the food it could ever need. But the villagers are cowards. And nomads. By the time the human supply dries up, they¡¯ll be long gone.¡± ¡°They¡¯re nomads? But then why have they built a wall, if they¡¯re just going to leave anyhow?¡± ¡°They have several villages they switch between. All of them are prepped for the rainy season.¡± ¡°I-hold on, why do they need a wall for the rainy season?¡± ¡°Migrating animals.¡± The goblin shrugged. ¡°Best to stay out of their way.¡± That seemed odd, but Ai didn¡¯t bother to question it. The animals were deadly. Plus, there were more important things at hand. Like Queen Beans. ¡°But if the Queen Bea-uh-Biene isn¡¯t stopped, won¡¯t it just keep killing people?¡± The goblin shrugged. ¡°Why should they care? It¡¯s not their people.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t noticed. You¡¯re an outsider too.¡± Ai thought about how people would steer clear of her when she walked the streets. Or insult her. ¡°I thought¡­I thought they didn¡¯t like me because of, well-¡± Ai gestured to the two furry ears that sat atop her head. ¡°Oh no, they don¡¯t like any outsiders. They all share each other¡¯s souls. Anyone outside of that bond isn¡¯t seen as trustworthy, especially if they don¡¯t share the beliefs of the People.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Oh indeed, Ai wasn¡¯t really sure what to say beyond that. ¡°So that¡¯s it? They¡¯re just going to leave the Biene to keep killing?¡± ¡°Queen Biene, and yes. You¡¯d best steer clear of it as well. I might be travelling with you, but I¡¯m not going on a suicide mission.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure what she expected. A bit of concern for fellow humans, or sentients? Apparently, that was too much to ask for. ¡°You¡¯d best get going. The old bitch is sitting in the main room waiting for your vital information.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not all bad, you know. They took me in. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll just watch people die.¡± Ai told him as she turned to leave. The goblin snorted. Chapter 23 - Guardian As it turned out, the goblin was right. The villagers didn¡¯t intend to do anything about the Queen. When Ai had spoken to the village elder about it she had just been told that they would honour the dead. The village elder had made it quite clear she didn¡¯t want to be questioned beyond that. Ai had voiced her opinion (loudly) on not even warning the people to stop taking their carts through there, and subsequently been thrown out of the village elders hut. With wind. She was too pissed off to even be amazed at the show of magic. At least she hadn¡¯t lost her balance, she could thank her cat-like reflexes for that. Over the next dozen of days Ai spent most of her time in the forest with Kele. He was an interesting man, and through coaxing him to talk about stuff other than plants or building shelters, she had learned a fair bit of gossip that went round the village. At first, it seemed odd that he should know so much, given that he hardly talked, but all anyone really needed was ears apparently. He sat on his perch atop the wall, and people just didn¡¯t bother to censor themselves around him. Apparently the village people weren¡¯t married off by their parents, which surprised Ai, given how backwards a lot of their society was. And Tal was up to far more than she let on, apparently she had been seen meeting with one of the older (male) villagers, who just so happened to be unattached. Whether or not they were getting down and dirty was yet to be ascertained, but Ai couldn¡¯t see any other reason for meeting a man and not telling anyone. Kele was remarkably chill about it, he¡¯d said ¡®how can I get mad at my daughter for doing that when her mother and I were doing far worse at her age. As long as she¡¯s safe, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ He didn¡¯t really match up to the grizzly, overprotective father image Ai had built in her head. The goblin had been released from the ¡®old bitches¡¯ care and spent a disturbing amount of time following Ai around. He had given her some Fluff Ball pelts, which apparently went missing from one of their neighbours¡¯ homes. Ai asked the goblin about it and got told that it had ¡®stolen them fair and square¡¯. She stopped intervening with other people¡¯s matters then. She also didn¡¯t give the pelts back. She was 99% sure that Ermine was avoiding her (he looked like a deer in the headlights every time she saw him, then he slid away). The goblin had made it very clear what he thought of the childish crush he had on Ai, and how he had put her on a pedestal. Ai ignored it. She didn¡¯t know what the goblin did when it wasn¡¯t around her but she wasn¡¯t particularly keen on finding out either.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. She had come to terms as much as she could with the death (murder) of Kar, or whatever her name had been. Ai couldn¡¯t actually remember her name, but she had justified that to herself given the stress of the circumstances. Now she was sat on a stump, in rapidly fading light. Outside the wall. ¡°This is a bloody stupid idea. What do they hope to achieve? We might as well just leave now.¡± The goblin grumbled from her left. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come with me.¡± Ai stared into the flickering flames of the campfire. ¡°Of course I did. What am I going to do if you get killed? I don¡¯t fancy looking for one of the villagers for help, and my cl-old clan would kill me for being a cripple. If you die, it¡¯ll be a giant pain in the ass for me.¡± Lord give me the strength not to enact one of my many murder fantasies. ¡°You just thought something ungrateful didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What are you now, a mind reader?¡± Ais sarcasm was biting. ¡°Please. They all go mad young. I¡¯m just very perceptive, unlike the plebeians you usually hang around with.¡± There are mind readers? ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to insult the villagers every other sentence.¡± ¡°No, but I want to.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± Why would I ever think differently? ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay out here a week.¡± The goblin gave a dramatic sigh rocking on its haunches. Ai wondered how she had ever had the creature comfort her. ¡°You can leave.¡± ¡°Are we really going to do this again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who keeps starting it!¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing the who started it thing now? How old are you, three?¡± Will. Not. Kill. ¡°I think we should try and warn people about the monster.¡± The goblin gave her a look, probably at the abrupt subject change. Ai didn¡¯t care; she was fed up of hearing him whine. ¡°I think we should mind our own business. Nothing good comes of meddling of other peoples affairs.¡± ¡°One of those other people could have been us. Or someone we care about. Would you still feel the same way then?¡± ¡°Aye, and I don¡¯t have anyone I care about.¡± ¡°There must have been someone.¡± The goblin gave her a look. Or not. Ai poked at the foliage on the ground. She didn¡¯t know what she was doing here. Some sort of ¡®can you survive?¡¯ test. It wasn¡¯t quite what she¡¯d had in mind when Kele told her she would be tested on her knowledge, but she guessed being thrown out to live in the forest on her own for a week worked. Apparently if she needed help then help wouldn¡¯t be far, so Ai assumed she had a shadow somewhere too. Where exactly, she had no idea. She hadn¡¯t picked up any tracks so either the follower was very, very good or she was nowhere near as good at tracking as she thought she was. There was no dinner, shelter was always the first thing she had to sort out. By the time she had mangaged to build said shelter light was rapidly disappearing. Then there was the campfire. Ai really, really didn¡¯t want to sleep without a camp fire. Fire was great for scaring off all animals great and small. The goblin had chosen that moment to show up with a couple of fire stones. It had probably stolen those ¡®fair and square¡¯ too but Ai didn¡¯t care. She never really thought of herself as a cheater. It was more like¡­bending the rules. She might not be able to bring supplies other than the ones she was given, but there was noting said about anyone else bringing supplies. And she hadn¡¯t touched the fire stones anyway. The goblin had. It started the fire too. Why would Ai not make use of something that was already there? So other than the fact it was rapidly getting chilly, and Ai had nothing for dinner, all was going well. ¡°I¡¯m soooooo hungry. Are you sure you didn¡¯t bring any food?¡± Except for the (whiny) goblin of course. Chapter 24 - Blood, Bones and Body Bits Ai knew the instant she woke up that something was wrong. Her joints were cold and stiff from sleeping outside, and dim light filtered through the red leaves casting a pink glow on the morning forest. The goblin wasn¡¯t in sight. But, the thing that concerned her was the smell. It was the same smell that had come from the pile of corpses in the village. Fear. Rot. Death. Slowly she pushed herself up, cautious to be quiet. Nothing stirred. It was like the animals had all left, fled. Ai had a horrible feeling that she knew exactly what had happened. What being a huge monster with wings. Scanning the area, nothing appeared out of place. Aside from the smell and eerie quiet everything was peaceful. The leaves rustled gently and her campfire was a smouldering pile of soot. A twig snapped and Ai crouched facing the source, tail erect behind her. The goblin. It was crouched too, eyeing her carefully from behind the trunk of a tree. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Its whisper was loud in the quiet between them. ¡°Go where?¡± Ai replied, her own voice hushed. ¡°To look. Don¡¯t go. We can go back to the village. They¡¯ll sort this out.¡± ¡°I¡­what if someone needs help?¡± Ai looked upwind, between the trees to wherever the smell originated. ¡°They¡¯ll all be dead by now. Nobody survives.¡± The goblins jaw tightened. ¡°Please can we just leave?¡± ¡°You survived.¡± The goblin flinched. ¡°We¡¯ll just go to look, we don¡¯t need to get involved. Just check out the situation then we can return to the village.¡± Ai became more convinced with each word. Before she wasn¡¯t sure but the more the goblin tried to talk her out of going, the more she wanted to. ¡°No. I won¡¯t go. Ai, please.¡± Ai gritted her jaw, and thought of the shit he had spouted about the other goblins death, murder, changing her. She wouldn¡¯t just watch somebody else die in this forest, it was equivalent to murder. Murder by neglect. Ai didn¡¯t speak, just shook her head, and turned away. As she crept forwards something snagged on her skirt and held her back. It was the goblin. Its huge eyes were even bigger, ears folded back and the exact expression of a pleading puppy. But it wasn¡¯t a puppy. It was an adult goblin, and it would take care of itself. She yanked herself free of his grasp. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. If you had seen it, you wouldn¡¯t go. Can¡¯t you just trust me?¡± It begged. ¡°It¡¯s not about trust.¡± Ai said without turning around. She was getting closer, the smell far stronger now. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± And then the goblin was gone. Really gone. Something stung in Ais chest. She knew it was illogical, they weren¡¯t even close, but she felt betrayed. Better now though, when they weren¡¯t friends, than later when it would hurt more. When she went travelling she would need to have someone she knew would watch her back. Protect her. Not flee in the face of danger. Now she would know not to count on him. Her alter-ego, who wanted to believe the best of everyone disagreed. It was a huge monster, and the goblin had been mutilated by it. It was probably traumatised. No sane person would ask someone to simply face the source of their trauma like that. Either way, it was food for later thought. The ground sloped gently, and when Ai reached the top it plateaued out. There was a road. A real road complete with cobbled stone though not much else. Civilisation. A little ways down it was a cart. When Ai had pictured carts she had imagined the wood and cloth, rickety affair that the villagers had. It wasn¡¯t. Where their carts were bleached in the sun, this one was made of a darker, richer wood. The wheels didn¡¯t look like they were about to fall off and the upper part was made of wood instead of cloth. The roof had been painted black. It was a beautiful cart, or it had been. Now it lay on its side, the rear half a crushed pile of splintered wood and metal, like a gaping maw with nothing but dark inside. Ai could see the metal had once formed metal bars as they were stuck out like fence posts from the un-crushed section. This was not a normal cart. Sophisticated on the outside and a cage on the inside, somebody hadn¡¯t wanted people to know what ¨C or who their cargo was. Which prompted a different question. Whoever had been driving this cart, did they really deserve to be saved? Staying on the opposite side of the road Ai darted closer, from tree to tree. The smell was almost overwhelming now, and stuck in the back of her throat making her feel slightly queasy. The first body looked like a puppet that had its strings cut. A fat man with oil slicked hair and sightless blue eyes. He was looking right at her. Focusing on him closer she saw that his skin was mottled purple and blue, and that his chest caved in unnaturally. The gory details of the wound were hidden behind the yellow silk of his robe, still shiny even in death. Her hairs stood on end, and Ai had to force herself closer. There was something about the smell ¨C something wrong. She wasn¡¯t an expert on death, but this man should have maggots judging by the smell. Maggots and rotting flesh. He was dead, but he didn¡¯t look like he had been dead long enough to warrant such a smell.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ever cautious, Ai clambered up the tree she was hidden behind. She was glad she did. The monster crouched on two legs, and looked like a skinned man. She could see how each of its individual muscles moved as it ripped off another chunk of flesh from the corpse in front of it. It had its back to Ai, and she was glad. Pus oozed out from each crack and crevice as it moved. Ai wasn¡¯t sure that she could kill such a thing; she would be too busy throwing up. Ai couldn¡¯t tell if the corpse it was eating had been a woman or a man. It was a lump of blackening flesh, torn cloth and gleaming bone. She swallowed and tried to think objectively. Not about the way the flesh made a wet sucking sound each time another part was ripped off. Or how she was pretty sure she could hear the plop sound each time a glob of pus fell off the monsters body onto the ground. Objective. Ai eyed the monster, then the cart. Unless it was a lot stronger than it looked, she doubted that it was the one that had killed the men. She could see ones torso where he had been ripped clean in half, intestines trailing out over the ground and clutched in his bloody hands. He had still been alive. Ai dug her claws into the bark. The monster down there didn¡¯t look capable of ripping a man in half, let alone crushing a carriage ¨C complete with metal bars. No, it was probably a scavenger. Eating what had been left. Ai couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s legs anywhere. Maybe the attacker had eaten them. It reminded her of the limb the goblins had carried through the forest when she first arrived. Her thoughts ground to a halt. It couldn¡¯t be related could it? Ai had assumed that the goblins had killed the man but what if they had been scavenges too. That was how they had been caught up with the other men that were killed, from what she gathered. But if that was the case, then the creature had been here¡­at least thirty days. How long exactly Ai wasn¡¯t sure. If they had been killed by the Queen Bean anyway. Which seemed more and more likely. The monster stopped eating, body stilling. Ai went still too, pressing her body against the trunk of the tree. Please don¡¯t see me. It huffed, then spat a glob of wobbly meat onto the ground, turning to face in Ais direction. That was when Ai realised she couldn¡¯t smell it anymore. The wind had changed direction. The wind had changed direction. It could smell her. It tilted its head up, mouth slightly agape to let in the air. It was hideous. Bulging, lidless eyes and an empty hole for a nose. Its mouth was far too wide and looked like someone had sliced its cheeks open. Its teeth were all pointy, and pieces of rotten meat were caught in the gaps. One piece dangled, a glob of red on the end. The eyes rolled in its head as it inhaled, looking drunk as they moved around, seeming unable to stay attached to one spot. Its iris was so pale, it looked like it only had pinprick pupils in expanses of white. As she watched a lump of pus oozed over its eye, and a long pointed tongue licked it off. Her stomach lurched. Must. Not. Vomit. There was a gagging sound, and it took Ai a moment to realise it wasn¡¯t her. Below and slightly behind her, someone was bent over, holding a hand over their mouth. There was supposed to be someone following her, Ai remembered suddenly. Someone to watch her and make sure she didn¡¯t get in serious trouble. The monster must have heard the gagging too, because it let out a whoop in a voice lower than any she had ever heard. It send shudders up her spine. The person drew their sword and that was all the warning Ai got before the monster scurried underneath her to slam into him. It fastened its mouth around the persons shoulder, shaking it and growling like a mad dog. I ought to help. Ai broke out of inaction, leaping off her branch. The idea had seemed better in her head, because there she hadn¡¯t staggered when she hit the ground. Drawing her daggers as she ran, she launched herself at the monster. It didn¡¯t even see her coming. One moment it was biting into its prey, warm coppery blood filling it with madness, the next twin spikes of pain went through its chest. It choked and gasped, unable to draw breath as its lungs filled with blood. It released the prey, clawing at its chest. There was a wet sucking sound as Ai yanked out her daggers. The monster fell to the ground, dead. ¡°Ai.¡± Someone gasped. Ai turned to the man, no, boy on the ground. His familiar eyes were huge in his pale face as he stared up at her, one hand clutching his injured shoulder. Ermine. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ai asked dumbly. ¡°I- watching¡­¡± He swayed slightly, even more blood draining from his face if that were possible. Ai pushed away unnecessary thoughts. ¡°We need to get back to the village. You need to walk.¡± Ai gripped his elbow, pulling him up. He swayed worse now, before biting his bottom lip. Blood trickled down his chin and he nodded. Then he was falling on top of her. They landed with a jarring thud. At first, Ai thought that he had fainted. Then a red, skinless face appeared over his shoulder. Dimly, over the rushing in her ears, she noticed Ermine was saying something. More, she noticed how the monsters face split in half. Teeth, gore, then they were buried in Ermines neck. The creatures mouth was so big she could see the top half of his face on one side, and its jaw fastened around the other. Ermine made a sound she couldn¡¯t describe, right before blood pulsed out, hot and red. It was on her face, she noticed. She wiped it out of her eyes. His hands came up, clawing blindly at the monsters face. The monster was pulling him off of her, backwards. He didn¡¯t have his sword. Where had his sword gone? He needed his sword. There was a lot of blood. It was everywhere. Oh her face, in her hair. Her clothes. That would be a pain to wash. Blood didn¡¯t come out easily. Ermine clawed found one of the creatures eyes. Sensing a weak spot, he shoved them into the socket. The creature gave a muffled cry, releasing him. He fell back on Ai and the air left her body in a whoosh. She needed to breath. Gasping like a fish out of water Ai wiggled out from underneath him, blood coating her hands as she pushed him away. The monster helped, its mouth now fastened around Ermines ankle, his foot inside its mouth. Air rushed back into Ais lungs, coppery and coated with the smell of death. Daggers. She needed her daggers. They were on the ground. She picked them up. She stood up. She looked at the Ermine. He wasn¡¯t moving. He¡¯s lost too much blood. The monster gave a growl, shaking its head to test if he was dead. He was. It looked right at her. Ai barely had enough time to get her daggers up before it leapt at her. She lashed out blindly, and must have hit something, because it had fallen to the ground. Soil stuck to its pus soaked body as it raised itself up, circling her warily now. Ai realised she should have stabbed it while it was down. It snapped its teeth at her. Ai bore her own teeth back. An unnatural sound built in her throat, leaving as a snarl. Ai felt like she was watching her own movements through a sheet of glass. Her body was crouched low, tail lashing back and forth. The monster lunged forwards, aiming for her ankles. She danced back. They continued that dance until she was standing on cobblestone instead of soil. It made its move, more daring this time. Ai stepped back as it came towards her but it kept coming. Just as its mouth fastened around her leg, she brought her daggers down into its back. It twisted to one side and her daggers were ripped out of her hands, caught in its ribs. She dug her claws into its wet, pus caked neck. She would rip its throat open if she had to. It rolled away from her, giving a last low bark over its shoulder before dashing off. Ai watched it go, never relaxing until it was long out of sight. It had given up. Her leg buckled underneath her, and she fell back against the ruins of the cart. Splinters dug into her back and she hissed. She clutched her burning calf, pulling it towards her as if that would help. Her head turned sideways as she hugged her leg, looking into the mouth of the mangled wreck. From the shadows two gleaming eyes looked back at her. Chapter 25 - In Slow Motion Ais hands grasped at empty air by her sides going for daggers that were lost, left in the back of the monster. Whatever was in the cart cocked its head, evaluating her. Ai pushed herself up into a crouch, gritting her teeth and pulling her ears back in pain. Whatever it was moved closer, until light touched its face. Ais eyes widened as more and more of its body was exposed to the light. His body. He was very definitely male. He uncurled his body, rising to his full height and looking down on the strange female. For a moment they just looked at each other. His eyes lingered on her pointed ears and her tail, frozen in motion behind her. Ai couldn¡¯t seem to decide where to look, her eyes jumping from one region to another (specifically avoiding his nakedness). He didn¡¯t have skin, he had scales. Dark green and glossy like a snakes. His pupils were thin slits in the brighter green of his eyes and his tail dragged across the ground behind him. Whatever he was, he wasn¡¯t human. Little did she know, he was thinking the same thing. Ai felt naked without her weapons and small in contrast to the snake man. Even if she had been standing, she was certain he would be significantly taller than her. Ai noticed more significant details then. He might have been tall, but he was thin. His bones poked out at awkward angles and where there wasn¡¯t bone there was wiry muscle. No fat at all. His wrists and ankles had smaller scales, paler green and scabs. He was the passenger, the creature that the people wanted to hide. ¡°I¡¯m not one of them. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Her voice was shaky. She hoped he spoke the language of the spirit people, and that he was a person that understood what she was saying. Not a creature that saw an injured animal that would make a decent meal. If it came down to a fight, Ai wasn¡¯t certain she would win. He gave her no indication that he understood, instead stepping closer. She moved back clumsily, her claws digging into the dirt. He made a sound in the back of his throat, almost a cooing, and crouched down like her. Eyes wide he moved closer again. Muscles tense and teeth gritted, Ai allowed him to. He stopped a pace away, falling back on his ass. As he sat cross legged, his tail curled around onto his lap hiding his genitals. Ai stared before releasing a shaky breath. He was intelligent. He had to be. Keeping her weight off her injured leg, she mirrored him sitting on the hard ground. The man opened his mouth, sharp teeth gleaming as he spoke. His words were clumsy and slightly hissed, so it took Ai a moment before she realised what he was saying. And what language he spoke in.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± He had asked, and he asked in a language familiar to Ai. It was the language she came into the world knowing. The language she thought in. Wherever he had come from, he spoke the same language she did. It would have been a miracle. A huge discovery had Ai not been sitting in the dirt, bleeding, with corpses strewn on the opposite side of the road. As it was, she had difficulty conjuring any positive feelings about it. ¡°I understand.¡± It felt odd to her to be speaking her language again. He gave a brilliant smile, showing off every one of his sharp needle-like teeth. A shiver crawled down Ais spine. She looked odd, but at least she didn¡¯t look like him. He was disturbing. A predator. She shut her eyes against the brightness of the world. She wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. She hurt and she was pretty sure that Ermine was dead and everything was going to shit but her eyes were dry. She didn¡¯t want the lizard to be here. She wanted to be back at the hut. Warm and snuggled in her furs where she could relax without having to look over her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around her chest and the slight chill of the breeze. At least it doesn¡¯t stink anymore. Still, an echo of the monsters stench lingered in the air along with the coppery smell of blood. Blood. She had to help Ermine. If he was still alive¡­ The man watched with interest as she jerked herself out of whatever mini-coma she had just entered. She didn¡¯t look at him as she got to her feet, hissing under her breath. When she began to limp over the road he thought she was going to leave him for a moment. Panic rose in his chest before he crushed it. Her companion was over there. He followed quietly behind her. His steps were silent over the ground, and his movements fluid. She was the first of her kind that he had seen. Her hair was black but had red highlights where the sun caught the strands. Her ears and tail were furry and he knew he was going to feel how soft they were at some point. Curiosity would be his undoing one day. He needed a place to stay. He didn¡¯t know how to survive in the wild, or where the nearest civilisation was. He could follow the road but he didn¡¯t want to go back to where he was from, or go wherever the slavers had been taking him to. Whether she knew it or not, the girl was his best bet. Her style of dress was unfamiliar and almost barbarian. His eyes narrowed when he remembered his own state of dress. He hadn¡¯t been allowed clothes. She was a freak like him, but she was already doing better. Something dark and ugly raised its head inside of him. He licked his tongue over one pointed fang. Ai kept her breathing steady as she approached the body. He was face up, and his skin was pale. Sinking to her knees beside him, she ignored the way his eyes had gone flat as she felt of a pulse. His skin was warm, but lifeless. Withdrawing her hand like she had been burned she grabbed handfuls of dirt. It wasn¡¯t fair. Her fist struck her injured leg, waves of pain radiated out. The edges of her vision went dark for a moment before receding. She still wanted to scream at the unfairness. Another part of her wanted to shake Ermine awake. Cold and logical Ai prevailed. Behind her the man slid smoothly out of his predatory stance. ¡°Was he your friend?¡± ¡°I¡­not really. We didn¡¯t know each other that well.¡± It was the truth, but Ais mouth burned like she was telling a lie. She felt like she was belittling their relationship somehow, especially given the way he feels about her. Felt. He was dead now, just gone. It was so odd. She didn¡¯t know how to react. She couldn¡¯t even look at his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The snake man said and she felt the urge to laugh. Sorry wasn¡¯t going to bring him back to life. Sorry was meaningless. ¡°I-I need to get back to the village.¡± She stood again, cursing her leg. She wasn¡¯t use to being injured. She wasn¡¯t use to pain. ¡°If you leave him here, the ghoul will eat him. It won¡¯t have gone far.¡± He steadied her with one firm hand on her arm. She nodded up at him. She was right. He was tall, at least a head higher than her. She stared blankly as he bent over and picked Ermine up, slinging him over his shoulder. She felt like her mind was on slow motion, everything taking longer to process. ¡°I-he,¡± she took a breath, ¡°you¡¯re coming with me?¡± He gave her a look, a remarkably human one on an alien face. ¡°Right.¡± She said turning on her heel. ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡± Chapter 26 - The Last Mile ¡°My name¡¯s Jack.¡± The snake man said. Jack. It¡¯s more normal than I expected. ¡°I¡¯m Ai.¡± He gave a crooked grin. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Ai.¡± Ai stared at him. He was bent under the weight of her dead friend and saying it was nice to meet her? Something in him was clearly broken. She certainly couldn¡¯t act so casual about carrying a dead person on her shoulders. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ai asked shortly. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for games. ¡°I¡¯m helping you carry your friend back to wherever you came from. Where is that, by the way?¡± Ai gave him a hard look, her blue eyes dark in contrast to her pale face. Jacks upper lip curled back slightly as he spoke, revealing the pointed tips of his teeth. ¡°I was a slave. There aren¡¯t a lot of people that look like me, and people payed to experience the ferocity of the half-breed.¡± He looked her up and down. ¡°They¡¯d pay for you too, but I doubt it would be for fighting.¡± Hot coals burned in Ais stomach. ¡°I doubt they pay just to see you fight.¡± He gave her a feral grin. ¡°They tried, but you don¡¯t crawl into bed with a beast without getting hurt.¡± ¡°Unless the beast can¡¯t fight back.¡± Jacks mouth got pinched and his eyes dark. ¡°What would you know?¡± Ai looked away, hiding her expression of surprise. She had been making jabs, but she hadn¡¯t really expected any of them to land. ¡°What were you doing in the cart?¡± ¡°Am I under investigation?¡± Ai resisted the urge to grit her teeth. ¡°No, but there were lots of dead people there.¡± He raised an eyebrow, angry Jack turning once again to the one who didn¡¯t seem to take things seriously. ¡°You think that I¡¯m strong enough to rip people in half? That¡¯s mighty flattering.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I- if you didn¡¯t do it, who did?¡± He rolled his eyes, which looked plain wrong on his reptilian face. ¡°I think you mean what. I have no doubt you already knew there¡¯s a monster in this area, you seem like a local.¡± His eyes lingered on her hide clothing.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°And what did it look like?¡± ¡°Lots of teeth, wings. Angry. The usual.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem very upset.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± He shrugged, Ermines body shifting on his shoulders. ¡°Besides, it did me a favour.¡± Ai sighed, letting go of the tension in her shoulders. There was no reason to be so suspicious, except that he was so casual about death, but if he was some sort of gladiator slave it would make sense. ¡°What are you going to do? Once we get back I mean.¡± ¡°Well, I was hoping I might impose on your generosity. I don¡¯t have much, and I doubt I¡¯d survive in the wild.¡± His gaze went distant. ¡°I have nothing.¡± Ai nodded, well aware he had nothing. Her eyes were having trouble staying above waist height. ¡°Do you- where do you come from?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± He drew out the O, not sounding upset at all. ¡°Not even a hint?¡± ¡°Well, if the humans are to be believed my mother was cursed to give birth to a monster, half man half snake. There are lots of theory¡¯s, but none have really struck true with me.¡± Ai nodded understandingly. It was the first time she had met someone who could sympathise with her own situation, even if they did have very different backgrounds. ¡°The villagers¡­¡± Ai paused, unsure that she wanted to share. ¡°They say that my mother was rutted by a beast.¡± ¡°Yup, I¡¯ve heard that one before. I¡¯ve yet to meet any of these mythical, cursed mothers that fuck animals though.¡± There was a moments silence between them, filled with the rustling of leaves and their footsteps on the undergrowth. ¡°Are we close?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll be there soon. What¡¯s the first thing you remember?¡± Jack took a moment to respond. ¡°Waking up in a cave.¡± ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t count. Too busy trying to stay alive.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ai cleared her throat. ¡°So you were some sort of gladiator then?¡± ¡°Something like that. What sort of place are we heading to?¡± Ai allowed the change in subject. ¡°A village. The villagers call themselves the spirit people.¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve heard of them. They were usually called less flattering names though.¡± ¡°Have you met a lot of people?¡± ¡°I saw a lot. I was in a city, and on my way to another one when my owner went under.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine.¡± Ais voice went slightly dreamy. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that great. And it smelt.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ai said, letting images flow through her head of great stone buildings with smooth glass like the ones she sometimes saw in dreams. ¡°I assume you¡¯re the same as me. No past, part animal waking up in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ai grimaced. Those first few days hadn¡¯t been the best of her life. The village appeared behind a group of trees, and she heard somebody cry out. They had been spotted. Up until that moment, Ai had been doing a great job of ignoring Ermines corpse, but now she couldn¡¯t help but stare at it. His body was limp and his whole head was red with blood. It must¡¯ve been seeping out of his neck as we walked. He looks terrible. I so didn¡¯t think this through. Maybe we should¡¯ve cleaned him first. That¡¯s ridiculous, and it would¡¯ve looked suspicious. Why would it look suspicious? It¡¯s not like I killed him. I didn¡¯t exactly help him either. Her stomach clenched. Will they blame me? Questions started to flood through Ais mind. She wasn¡¯t ready for this. Any of this. ¡°Are you OK?¡± Jack was giving her a funny look, which made her worry what she looked like. She felt like all the blood had drained from her face, and her hands wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. She shook them, but nothing changed. Irritated, she fastened them together. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± A greater lie had never been told. They kept walking, and Ermines head swung back and forth with each step. She could feel Jack staring at her out of the corner of her eye but she ignored it. Oddly, he felt like a comfort to her now. She had barely known him five minutes. A guard ran from the gate, heading for them. Ai steeled her nerves. I can do this. Chapter 27 - Father and Son The guard looked familiar to Ai, though she had never spoken to him. As he got closer he caught sight of Jack. Skidding to a stop, he drew his sword. ¡°Who is this?¡± he looked horrified. Ai didn¡¯t know where to begin. ¡°He¡¯s called Jack. He helped me.¡± ¡°Drop the body.¡± The guard commanded Jack. Jack didn¡¯t understand what was said, but he could guess. He bent down and carefully lay Ermines limp body on the ground, then backed up a couple of steps. The further away from the pointy end of the sword, the better. The guard made a choked cry when he lay eyes on the corpse, his sword sagging towards the ground. ¡°How did this happen?¡± He fell to his knees beside Ermine, pushing back the boys blood slicked hair with one trembling hand. ¡°We were attacked by ghouls. I managed to drive them off, but not before¡­¡± Ai swallowed. The guard clearly knew Ermine. Now that she looked closer they had the same slope to their nose, and body shape. The guard was his father, had to be. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what he was going through. ¡°Ghouls.¡± The Ermines father echoed, cradling his sons head. ¡°My boy. My poor boy. I felt something was wrong but¡­¡± He was crying. His breaths were torn from him in choking sounds and salty tears flowed down his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ai didn¡¯t know what else to say. He didn¡¯t respond, just rocked over his sons corpse, cradling it like a baby. Ai felt as if she was infringing on something private, an outsider once again. Another guard pulled up behind the gory scene. This one Ai recognised, it was Kele. He took in the situation rapidly, his face turning grim. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked her, and Ai got the feeling she would answer that question many times before the night was up. ¡°We ran into ghouls.¡± Ai said the name like a curse. ¡°Your companion?¡± ¡°He was trapped by them, he had been travelling through the forest.¡± Ai left out the part about him being a gladiator slave, unsure if it was wise to tell him. Kele looked Jack up and down. ¡°He can come in, as long as he doesn¡¯t make any trouble.¡± Ai nodded and relayed the message to Jack. When Kele asked Ermines father, whose name was Mahli, if he could take the corpse the man refused vehemently. Wrapping one arm under Ermines legs and the other around his torso, Mahli carried his son himself. Ermines head lolled, as if it wasn¡¯t attached to his body.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The whole way back, Mahli never spoke a word. He kept his shoulders hunched like he was walking to his death. Kele walked besides him, watching as if he were worried the man might topple over with the weight of his grief while Ai and Jack walked behind them in silence. Ai felt like she was part of a funeral procession. The village elder waited for them at the gate, alone. The streets were deserted. Mahli came to a stop in front of her, looking at her feet. Some moment of silent judgement seemed to pass and the elder nodded, stepping aside. ¡°Take your son home, Mahli.¡± Tightening his grip, the man went to do just that. The village elder waited until he was out of sight to talk to the rest of them. ¡°I see you have found another of your ilk, Ai.¡± Ai couldn¡¯t decide if that was just an observation or an insult, so she just nodded. ¡°Do you take responsibility for his actions as long as he is in the village?¡± Ai glanced at him out the corner of her eye. ¡°I do.¡± The old woman nodded underneath the thick fabric of her hood. ¡°Follow me, we shall discuss this further in my cabin. Kele, go home to your wife and child. All will be made clear come morning.¡± Kele lingered for a moment, looking like he might argue before bowing his head slightly. ¡°As you wish.¡± He spun on one foot and strode away. Ai wanted to follow him, but forced herself to follow the elder instead who had walked off without checking to see if they were following. Jack walked beside her, head high and taking in all he could see. He probably hadn¡¯t been to a village before, she bet it was quaint compared to what he was use to. Along the way Ai occasionally caught a glimpse of eyes behind shuttered windows and cracked doors. She gritted her teeth and kept walking. It was a relief when she stepped into the elders hut, filled with the smell of spice and warm candlelight. It felt like a whole other world. Jack had to bend his head to get in the doorway behind her. The curtain fell shut behind him, blocking out the harsh sunlight and watchful eyes. Low and behold, a small gray figure sat scrunched up in the corner. Ai had completely forgotten about the goblin. Was this where he came when he wasn¡¯t around her? When she glared at it, the goblin glared back. After a moment its shoulders slumped and it stood, holding out three, fluffy white skins. Head down and looking at its feet, the goblin almost seemed like an apologetic child. Ai thought long and hard for a moment, making the goblin squirm. Finally, she took the skins and the goblin let out a long breath. ¡°Sit, all of you.¡± The village elder had watched the whole exchange. Ai glanced over her shoulder. So had Jack. He looked intrigued by the goblin. The goblin looked less than enamoured with him. When they sat, the elder took out some familiar stones, making a circle around them all. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Ai questioned as the old woman was laying down the last stones. ¡°Truth telling.¡± She replied shortly. Ai pursed her lips, but let her continue. Jack did not have the same sentiments. He was out of the circle the moment the word had left the elders mouth. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you cast witchcraft on me.¡± Ai could see the corners of the woman¡¯s mouth turn down under her hood. ¡°Your kind are always so suspicious. And ignorant.¡± ¡°My kind?¡± Jacks voice took on a dangerous edge. The elder snorted, not intimidated in the least. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to participate then stay out of the way.¡± Jacks eyes met Ais, his eyes questioning. You¡¯re really going to let her do this to you? Ai almost stood up herself. They were strict but fair, she remembered. Every rule had its own punishment. Not to mention she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Besides, if something went wrong then Jack would help her. She hoped. Remembering the magic on the first day she amended that statement. She might as well let the village elder do what she wanted, because she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her anyway. The village elder began speaking silently, and a shimmery blue dome slid up from the stones like water flowing uphill. The goblin poked at the wall, only to yelp as it zapped him. ¡°Are you ready to begin?¡± The village elder asked. Ai steeled her shoulders, forcing herself not to look back at Jack again. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 28 - The Price of Truth ¡°Where did Ermine die?¡± The village elder sat before Ai, a still sculpture of dark cloth and shadows. ¡°Next to a road, South-East of the village.¡± ¡°Why did you go to the road?¡± ¡°I smelt rotting flesh, I thought the Queen Bean might¡¯ve killed again.¡± No zaps, but Ai felt the hair on the back of her neck raise with static electricity. ¡°Did you go with her?¡± The hood turned to look at the goblin. ¡°No.¡± He averted his eyes. ¡°Why not?¡± The village elder leant forwards, like she was actually interested. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to run into the Queen again.¡± The goblin eyed the dome suspiciously, as if he thought it was going to zap him at any second. ¡°So you left Ai to potentially walk into the Queen by herself.¡± She posed it like a question but it was a statement. When the dark under the hood turned towards Ai she could feel the ¡®I told you so¡¯ message radiating from beneath. The goblin huffed and glared at the elder. ¡°And did you know Ermine was following you when you went to the road?¡± ¡°I knew someone was following me, not that it was Ermine.¡± ¡°Did you make them aware of what you had smelt, and that you were potentially walking into a very dangerous situation.¡± Ai bit her lip. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t thinking about it at the time. I only remembered when I heard Ermine behind me, right before he was attacked by a ghoul.¡± Ai could still remember how the crack of the branch had broken the silence, and the rough bark digging into her fingers.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In a bird ¨Clike motion, the village elder cocked her head to one side. With the dark cloak, she reminded Ai of a vulture. The village elder continued to question her, bring back Ermines death in sharp detail before she finally stopped. Nobody got electrocuted or anything so Ai guessed the dome had said they were telling the truth. ¡°You¡¯re done right?¡± Jack asked from where he was tapping his foot in the corner. The elder looked at him for a long moment before flicking her hand. The dome slid back into the stones as if it were never there. The goblin leapt out, quickly followed by Ai as she stretched her legs. She felt as if she had been sat down forever. ¡°It¡¯s best you leave come morning.¡± The village elder cooly announced. Ais eyes snapped to her. ¡°What?¡± Her voice had a sharp edge to it. ¡°While it may have been determined you were not directly responsible for Ermines death, there will be those that blame your for it.¡± ¡°Not directly responsible?¡± Ais eyes narrowed. The village elder inclined her head in affirmation. ¡°If you had never come here, Ermine would still be alive today.¡± Ai didn¡¯t even know what to say to that. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. ¡°That¡¯s such bullshit.¡± Jack spoke in for her. ¡°You¡¯re going to take someone in just to throw them out cold turkey? Because she went to see if someone needed help, because she saved me and some idiot with a sword got killed in the process? It isn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t capable of defending himself.¡± Ai felt a little warm inside. She hadn¡¯t expected Jack to come to her defence. She had actually got used to having to solve her problems on her own, having someone on her side¡­it felt good. ¡°You may stay until the rainy season if you wish, but I do not advise it.¡± The old woman was completely unapologetic. Ais lips tightened. It would be good to go, away from all this false compassion and bigotry. She tilted up her chin. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a relief to leave. I couldn¡¯t have stayed here much longer anyway, not with all the bigotry you people have going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be careful with my words if I were you, you would be long dead had we not taken you in.¡± The old womans voice held a note of warning. ¡°I should be grateful, but I should leave before you lot kill me? You can¡¯t have it both ways.¡± Ais expression was stony. ¡°Leave my hut. Now.¡± The village elder ordered, quiet force behind her words. Ai wanted to stay, but she didn¡¯t have a death wish or to leave with a curse over her head. Reining her anger in she strode out of the hut with Jack. Making itself very small, the goblin followed after them. Chapter 29 - The Last Meal When Ai arrived at the place she had slept for the past season, she was greeted with polite indifference. She raided the supply of healing gel and finally treated her bitten leg, while the goblin slunk off to her room. Jack stayed and ate with her at dinner, when people finally seemed to get to the things they really wanted to say. ¡°Did you¡­did Ermine die in pain?¡± Tals bottom lip trembled, her hand laying limply beside her bowl of broth. ¡°It was-¡± Ai had a flash of him clawing at the ghouls face as it sank its teeth into his neck, ¡°quick. He, ah, bled out of a major artery.¡± ¡°Dad said he was killed by ghouls.¡± Ai nodded. ¡°Did he get killed protecting you?¡± Tals lips were white where she had tightened them together, her gaze direct and challenging. Ai repressed the urge to sigh. She knew someone was going to blame her. Tal was one of the most likely candidates. It¡¯s not my fault. ¡°He was killed when we were both attacked by ghouls.¡± Ai corrected, she had no more patience for bullshit. Tal inhaled sharply. Her chair squealed against the floor as she stood. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping here tonight.¡± Her expression said the silent with you. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Tal, where will you go?¡± Brandi caught her wrist as she stormed past. Tal yanked free. ¡°At grans, she¡¯ll give me real answers.¡± ¡°You are not suppose to bother the village elder for your petty whims.¡± ¡°My petty whims? My best friend is DEAD over some stupid crush. She won¡¯t even admit he died protecting her!¡± ¡°I know that you liked that boy but-¡± ¡°His name is Ermine. Was Ermine.¡± Tal looked torn between screaming and crying, red faced and damp eyed. ¡°Let her go.¡± Kele spoke up for the first time. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot. You know Oadira will look after her.¡± Brandi opened her mouth to retort before snapping it shut at Keles expression. ¡°But you will be sleeping here tomorrow night, young lady.¡± Tal stared at her mother before spitting out a, ¡°whatever,¡± and stalking out the house. She slammed the door behind her. ¡°Her manners are atrocious.¡± Brandi remarked. ¡°Leave her be for one night. Her friend just died, she deserves it.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. At that point, Jack who had been ignoring all the family drama to eat finished his food. ¡°Can you ask them if I can have the girls bowl?¡± He asked Ai. This, Ai thought, is a unique character. ¡°Jack wants to know if it¡¯s alright if he eats Tals food, given she isn¡¯t.¡± Ai tried not to make it sound rude, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure that she succeeded. Brandi plucked up Tals bowl and set it in front of Jack. ¡°Help yourself.¡± Kele gave her a sharp look but didn¡¯t comment, changing subject instead. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Oadira will make an announcement in the morning, but do you mind telling me what happened? I¡¯d like to hear it for myself.¡± Ai gave half a smile before letting it fall and telling him what happened. By the end, all she wanted to do was sleep. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. Her belly was full, she was toasty warm and a bed sounded wonderful. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving come morning.¡± ¡°No! Why?¡± Brandi gasped, a petit hand over her mouth in shock. Of the many things she had come across as, Ai had never really pegged her as an airhead. Now her dislike for the woman grew, as if it weren¡¯t enough that she had a perfect body, face and silky raven hair. ¡°Oadira made it clear the villagers wouldn¡¯t like it if I stayed.¡± Old bitch is what she wanted to call her. ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± Kele cut across whatever Brandi had been about to say. Ai got the feeling there would be words between them later. Many words. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you have provisions. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± Ai nodded gratefully. It was nice to know that not everyone here was a self-centred asshat. ¡°I need weapons. I lost mine fighting and Jack doesn¡¯t have any at all.¡± Jack perked up at the sound of his name, already two thirds through his bowl of broth. ¡°Of course. Jack can pick one from the weapons shed. I¡¯m afraid you had our last daggers though.¡± Kele grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll take a short sword and a kitchen knife, if that¡¯s ok?¡± ¡°One of my kitchen knives?¡± Brandi frowned. ¡°I use all of them.¡± ¡°There must be one spare.¡± It¡¯s not like you use all of them at once. ¡°How about one of the hunting knives? The ones they use for skinning dead animals.¡± ¡°There are hardly any of those left.¡± Kele said. ¡°But there are some. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re using them. We¡¯re not short of food anymore. Everyone sends their share to the spirits.¡± Kele nodded slowly. ¡°I think I might have one somewhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s that then! I¡¯ll just tidy up Tals room for you. You know what she¡¯s like, mess everywhere!¡± Brandi spoke quickly, sweeping out of the room like a self-contained storm. Kele looked after her before looking at Ai and shrugging. Ai smiled. ¡°What was that about?¡± Jack asked her. ¡°You¡¯ll get to choose a weapon tomorrow, before we leave. Brandi is tidying up the room for us.¡± Jack hummed, looking at the shut door to Tals room with narrowed eyes. *** They left when the sky was only just beginning to brighten. Like thieves Kele and Brandi smuggled them out of the village. Ai had a pack with all of her meagre possessions in it and two sleeping rolls. Only one thing had been missing, the essence of light. A tiny bottle that she daren¡¯t ask Brandi about. She might be thick, but she could also be ruthless. She didn¡¯t care at all that Ermine was dead, and Ai didn¡¯t want to underestimate her. Maybe Tal had taken it, there was no way of knowing. Jack was equipped with a pair of hand axes while she had her knife and short sword. The air was chilly and slightly damp. ¡°Rainy season begins soon. The storm beasts will come with it. Stay out of their way, make not challenging moves and they should leave you alone.¡± Kele said, drawing her into a hug. Surprised, she allowed the gesture. Her tail swung from side to side behind her, like a nervous twitch. She had never been hugged before. ¡°Storm beasts?¡± ¡°Migrating animals, they follow the rain. All of them have a bit of Fulgur in them.¡± At her blank expression he added, ¡°electricity.¡± ¡°We will. Thank you for this.¡± Ai said, and she meant it. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do. Good luck.¡± They parted. Brandi waved as they walked away. Chapter 30 - A Visit Jack waited until the village was out of sight to speak. ¡°Where exactly are you planning on going?¡± Ai had to say that it was a lot easier to concentrate on what he was saying now he had actual clothes on. The top and bottoms were both a little too short though, exposing his ankles and a slither of his midriff. ¡°I was going to follow the road. If we go into the forest then we¡¯ll get lost for sure.¡± Jacks expression tightened at this. ¡°The people at either end of that road will enslave people like us. And kill your little goblin pet.¡± ¡°Well, where do you want to go?¡± Ai challenged. Silence. A small voice pipped up from behind them. ¡°There¡¯s the Free City. I¡¯ve heard humans talking about it.¡± The goblin had finally spoken, breaking its long silence. No longer feeling overwhelmed with guilt? ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh, down the road. You pass by it on the way to one of the¡­¡± The goblin glanced at Jack. ¡°Less accepting cities.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Jack asked Ai, not having understood a word of the Spirit People language. ¡°There¡¯s a city we can go to without getting enslaved.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have slaves there?¡± Jack asked Ai. The goblin shook its head, large pointed ears flapping slightly. Jacks silted pupils got slimmer, if that was possible, expanding the areas of toxic green. ¡°It can understand we¡¯re saying and it¡¯s still speaking in the language of the village people.¡± The goblin pulled back its top lip, revealing a row of pointed teeth. ¡°I¡¯m smart. I know lots of languages.¡± Ai had never heard a more snooty tone come out of the goblins mouth. Ai could practically feel conflict brewing between Jack and the goblin. ¡°The language we speak, do all people speak it? Humans?¡± If they did, her ¡®find people who speak the same language¡¯ plan wasn¡¯t going to work. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the most common language.¡± Damn. ¡°Well, speak common human from now on then. It¡¯s rude not to.¡± The goblins eyebrows crawled almost imperceptibly up its face. She was giving it orders? ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do. We¡¯re in a partnership. Remember?¡± Ai didn¡¯t have the time or patience to deal with his ¡®I¡¯m not subservient to you¡¯ attitude. ¡°Do what you want, just don¡¯t blame me when it comes back around to bite you in the ass.¡± At her words the goblins prickly demeanour stayed exactly the same. ¡°The goblin is being difficult.¡± Ai told Jack as if said goblin weren¡¯t listening to every word. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the road and to this ¡®Free city¡¯ from there. Once we¡¯re there, we¡¯ll sort things out.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Ok.¡± Jack sighed, shifting the heavy bag on his back. He was carrying the most stuff of the three of them by far. Ai felt a little bad. The goblin didn¡¯t look like it gave a shit. They began walking towards the road. In silence. If Ai thought that it was hard going to walk through the forest before, it was nothing compared to now. Her bag seemed like it weighted a ton more with every step. She was thirsty and sweaty and the contrast between her heat the cold misty air was giving her a biting headache. She would be in shape in no time doing this. She wished that she had a horse. Maybe two. And a cart. Soon after that she stopped thinking and just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. In retrospect, she probably shouldn¡¯t have helped herself to quite so many of Tals clothes. None of them were suitable for the rainy season anyway. The clothes she was wearing now were too revealing for her liking; a tight crop top and very tight leather leggings. By the time they set up a temporary camp, Ai was pretty sure she was going to have to peel the leggings off of herself. Ai cursed Tals fashion sense. When they finished the three hour walk to the road, Ai found an unexpected sight waiting for her. A very familiar very wrinkled body. A younger girl with long braided blonde hair and brown eyes. Brown eyes that were looking expectantly at their mad grandmother, who was in turn looking straight at Ai. At least, Ai thought that she was looking at her. It was hard to tell with Celina, given the fact her eyelids sagged so much they covered her eyeballs. It¡¯s not natural to be that old. Ai shuddered lightly. ¡°Tick-tock tick-tock. You¡¯re late!¡± Celina tapped her unadorned wrist in a motion familiar to Ai on some basic level. Striding closer, Ai instinctively reached for her daggers. She found the handle of a single knife instead. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. We don¡¯t have time to stay and talk.¡± Ai told the mad woman not entirely certain that she even understood her. When the old woman tutted and shook her head Ai shot a pleading look at her granddaughter. Listen the young girl mouthed at Ai. ¡°No no no, naughty.¡± Celina slapped Ais hand off the knife hilt. ¡°I told you. So many times. You never hear. Never listen. Now, the. Boy. Is. Dead.¡± Each word was accentuated with a poke in Ais chest. Ai rubbed the sore spot as Jack pulled her back and away from the mad woman. Protectively, she realised, when he inserted himself between them. Celina threw her hands in the air, exasperated. ¡°The assassin thinks that she needs protecting! A fool through and through!¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Ai snapped from her position beside, but slightly behind Jack. ¡°What I always want! The beast dead! I already told you but you never listen. Nobody ever listens.¡± She shook her head, crooning and tugging on her wispy gray hair. Suddenly, her head snapped up again. ¡°Kill it today. Kill it today or we¡¯ll all perish.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°I want cheese. Cheese and bread. Did you bring the cheese and bread?¡± Celina turned on her granddaughter, Dill, who was quite clearly empty handed. Either way, Celina waited for a response. ¡°I must¡¯ve forgotten gran.¡± The girl said, clearly never having been asked to bring cheese and bread in the first place. ¡°Always forgetting! You¡¯re lucky I cover for you!¡± Celina cried, pulling bread and cheese from nowhere. Ai just blinked. Jack appeared to be in some state of shock too. Ai wondered what he would say if he knew this was the most understandable Ai had ever seen her. Either way, Ai remembered vaguely what Celina had told her in the alleyway. But that was impossible, she couldn¡¯t have known about the Queen Bean all the way back then, could she? ¡°Here.¡± Celina pushed the bread and cheese towards Ai. Somewhat uncertainly, Ai took it. ¡°You need your strength. Take it. Keep it. Eat it. Kill the beast, or Dill will die. Kele will die. Tal will die. Brandi will die¡­¡± And so she continued to list names Ai had never heard before, others she had heard mentioned in conversation. Ai noticed that she didn¡¯t list her own name. Dill looked like she had just seen a ghost. She turned her small vulnerable frame and big, liquid brown eyes on Ai and Ai knew she couldn¡¯t say no. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a mad quest. Maybe Celina really had fought the beast, all that time ago. It felt like a lifetime. She had bought it up long before anybody else had ever found any corpses. And the corpses had looked old too. Maybe, just maybe, Celina wasn¡¯t mad. Maybe Dill was right, and she should listen. But she wasn¡¯t on her own anymore, and while she was glad for it, it also meant she couldn¡¯t make a decision and run off. She didn¡¯t know what Jack would say, but she highly doubted that the goblin would be in favour. ¡°Yes, yes now you listen. Dill, we need to go back. You shouldn¡¯t leave the village. It isn¡¯t safe, there¡¯s monsters about.¡± Celina grabbed her granddaughter¡¯s hand. A few moments later, they were lost between the trees. Jack turned to her, eyes full of questions. Chapter 31 - Treck This language thing is a pain in the ass, Ai thought as she explained what the old lady had said to her. She may have slightly not mentioned that Celine was a bat-shit crazy murderer, but ignorance was bliss right? Anyway the real question was whether they were going to kill the Queen Bean, not the validity of the source that the prompt came from. At least, that¡¯s what Ai told herself. ¡°I want to do it. The villagers won¡¯t do anything, at least not before it¡¯s too late. You might think they have it coming, maybe some of them do, but the children and the people that helped me didn¡¯t. They shouldn¡¯t have to die because of a few assholes.¡± Ai stopped there, not wanting to start giving a speech about life and how fair it was. Without even a flicker in his expression Jack shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m good at killing things.¡± ¡°¡­right.¡± As good a reason as any, Ai guessed. ¡°Are you going to come?¡± Ai looked towards the goblin. Looking slightly constipated, the goblin nodded. Ai wasn¡¯t sure how much use he would be in a fight, her eyes lingering on his wooden leg. Perhaps they could hook him up with some sort of ranged weapon. If they survived this hunt, that was. And if he didn¡¯t turn tail and run. Ai was surprised that didn¡¯t go against the contract they had made. Maybe it could sense the intentions behind their actions, which was a disturbing thought. Her mind was her own. She didn¡¯t want anyone, or anything else in there. ¡°I can track it from where the broken cart was. We¡¯ll stop at nightfall to eat then hunt in the morning. Maybe grab some plants if there are any to keep us going the next day.¡± *** When they arrived at the broken cart the bodies were gone. Taken by the village the previous day, probably. Ai followed the Queen Beans tracks. It took a moment for Ai to identify all four limbs because she walked with her hind legs and wings, rather than any front legs. She limped too, keeping the weight off of her right wing. Somewhere along the way someone had fought back and injured her. That made Ai feel better, it didn¡¯t seem like quite such an impossible task when she realised that it bled just like she did. Either way, Ai spent most of her time trying not to think about the actual fight but about the actual preparations that they could make. She had plucked up some poisonous mushrooms, all of which had been taught to her by Kele. She also found some wild onions to make food with. The jerky in her bag could be fried but she wasn¡¯t sure how it would taste. Water was quickly becoming the groups most pressing concern. Ai and the goblin both sweated buckets while Jack continued to walk along predatory and perfect. Jack actually ended up giving them some water out of his water skin because he wasn¡¯t drinking nearly as much as they were.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Luckily Ai spotted some familiar looking vines. One hack with the short sword and the severed vine poured out water into their water skins. A pinch of white powder and they were good to go again. Along the way Ai did her best to try and teach Jack about tracking. He had asked her to teach him looking slightly in pain the whole time. Ai guessed that he didn¡¯t like asking people for help. Or perhaps just feeling helpless. It was a feeling she could empathise with and she was wise enough not to comment. When the sun was in the last quarter of the sky they threw together a camp. ¡°Ahhh, this walking kills!¡± The goblin groaned massaging where his real leg slotted into the artificial one. ¡°And there¡¯ll be a lot more of it before our time is up.¡± Ai said. Jack dropped his armful of sticks onto the ground between them. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s wise to have a fire? People will be able to spot us from way off.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need the warmth.¡± Already the cold was starting to seep into her bones. ¡°Plus, there aren¡¯t any people for a long way. And I can¡¯t imagine any of the villagers following us, even if they did they¡¯d expect us to go along the road, not deeper into the forest.¡± And deeper they had gone. The trees were far taller here and their long reaching branches filtered out the starlight. If it weren¡¯t for the fact Ai could see better in the dark, she¡¯d be blind as a bat. Occasionally they¡¯d pass unfamiliar plants that looked twisted and predatory. The most disturbing by far was the one that looked like a crouched child and made weeping sounds. Ai had started to walk towards it before the goblin stopped her. He then threw a stick near the child and roots curled around it like whips, breaking it into several pieces. After that, they were all a bit warier of anything unfamiliar. ¡°The villagers aren¡¯t the only people in the forest. What about goblins?¡± Jack had no heat to his tone, but the goblin narrowed its eyes. ¡°What about goblins?¡± Ai was pretty sure it was the first time the goblin had spoken ¡®human¡¯ or whatever her original language was called. ¡°Are you saying that if a group of goblins came across us right now they wouldn¡¯t attack us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The goblin looked down its nose at Jack. ¡°If it was a small group.¡± Jacks eyes narrowed at the muttered words. ¡°So we do need to worry about them.¡± The goblin frowned, not expecting Jack to hear him. ¡°Most goblins don¡¯t like fire, they¡¯ll stay away.¡± ¡°Most?¡± ¡°I¡¯m special.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jack sounded as if he was placating a child, needlessly antagonistic. ¡°I am! I¡¯m smarter than other goblins. And whatever you are too, considering you can¡¯t tell when I¡¯m sat right in front of you.¡± ¡°BOYS! This is not the time to fight over your egos.¡± Whenever these two got close to one another she was pretty sure they reverted to age three. Well that might be an over exaggeration, but only slightly. ¡°Do you have a plan to face this ¡®Queen Biene¡¯?¡± Jack changed topic abruptly. ¡°I picked these.¡± Ai laid out her stash of mushrooms, pointing to an unassuming slim white one. ¡°This one is a paralyzer. If we manage to get it into the Queens system then the rest should be easy.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°When the humans were fighting it their weapons bounced off.¡± ¡°But she got injured somehow.¡± ¡°Yeah, her wing looked like it went through a meat grinder. But she already had that. I don¡¯t know how she got it.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll eat it if you put it in a corpse.¡± The goblin made a suggestion. The goblin didn¡¯t look nearly as sick as earlier, and its face had brightened when Ai had suggested poisoning the Queen. ¡°Will she even come near it if she knows it¡¯s been tampered with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. And surely you know something to hide our scent.¡± Ai did, but the plan still seemed like it was on shaky foundations. ¡°What if it isn¡¯t a corpse?¡± Jack said. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°We could catch and make another animal eat it, throw it in her lair or whatever and then she¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°Just force feed something?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ai twiddled the stem of the mushroom between her fingers. ¡°We¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll gather some dung to hide our scent just in case it doesn¡¯t work. We aren¡¯t even sure she has a lair.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Jack said. True. Chapter 32 - Food Glorious Food ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll cook.¡± Jack announced come morning. Ai wrinkled her nose slightly before turning to him with big blue eyes. ¡°Are you saying you didn¡¯t like my cooking?¡± ¡°Are you saying you did?¡± He gave her half a grin. ¡°Haha, you got me there.¡± Ai had attempted to cook, she did everything the way she had been taught. She wasn¡¯t sure how it had gone quite so¡­wrong. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you stopped me from eating it uncooked¡­¡± The goblin sounded genuinely upset. ¡°It¡¯s unhygienic.¡± The goblin muttered something. ¡°Here,¡± Ai said brightly, ¡°how about you carry this.¡± She dumped the furs into his arms and he staggered comically, considering they weren¡¯t actually that heavy. Two annoyed eyes peered over the top of the furs. Surprisingly, Jack was the one who attempted to do a kindness and take the furs off of the goblin. Ai didn¡¯t think he liked the gray creature. The goblin scowled and clutched the furs to itself. ¡°I can carry them myself!¡± Apparently the goblins manliness had come into question. Or whatever the goblins version of manliness was. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Jack shrugged unconcerned. They finished packing up and Ai had to admit, it was funny to watch the goblin struggle everywhere with his armful of furs. He actually tripped up once, but glared back at the two of them as if daring them to say something. Ai had to pinch her lips shut to keep from laughing.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The sudden light hearted spirit didn¡¯t last long though, because they found the lair shortly after that. There was no mistaking it as anything other than a lair. There were broken bones scattered outside the cave entrance and the sort of nasty stench you got from trash juice. Putting one finger over her lips to signal them to keep quiet Ai backed away. Nobody spoke for a while. ¡°This should be far enough away. Put this on, we don¡¯t want her smelling us.¡± Ai held out a pot full of dung. Jack wrinkled his nose, but grabbed a small handful of the dried shit and rubbed it on his body and clothes. The goblin did the same, but looked unconcerned by the smell. Either he couldn¡¯t smell, or he had done it before. Ai was last and spent the majority of her time trying to ignore the way the smell burnt the back of her nostrils. Now, they needed an animal sacrifice. Ai knew there were some mini horses to the north that would be perfect. The only flaw in her plan was how to catch one without killing it. That ranged weapon would have come in handy right now. A bit of poison on the tip of an arrow would be perfect. Why didn¡¯t I pick one up? Because she was an idiot who left without any prior planning. She pulled out a purple mushroom with white spots, squishing it slightly when she put it into a small metal pot. ¡°Can you grab some wood for fire?¡± Ai asked Jack. He nodded, quickly gathering enough together. Ai didn¡¯t bother asking the goblin, who appeared to have collapsed on the furs it had insisted on carrying. Moments later she had the pot balanced somewhat precariously over a fire. ¡°Move round this side.¡± Ai patted the ground next to her. ¡°Why?¡± Jack asked as he moved. ¡°You don¡¯t want any of the fumes getting in your face.¡± As if the mushroom had heard her long curls of purple started rising from the pot. Grabbing her waterskin and holding it higher than the fumes, Ai poured a little into the pot. ¡°Is this what you got taught in the village? How to make poisons?¡± Ai shrugged. ¡°Amongst other things.¡± The pot began to hiss and make purple bubbles. ¡°Is it supposed to do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to keep going until all that¡¯s left is some gunk at the bottom of the pot.¡± ¡°Huh. What does it do?¡± Jack actually looked interested. ¡°It puts you to sleep. Permanently if it¡¯s too concentrated.¡± Ai bit her lip in concentration, pouring in a little more water. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure I never cross you.¡± Jack said, only sounding half joking. ¡°Very funny, I¡¯ve never used any poisons on people.¡± ¡°Yet.¡± Ai gave him an odd look. ¡°Yet.¡± ¡°How long are you going to take? I want foooood.¡± A voice moaned from the direction of the furs. ¡°Ten minutes or so, can you wait that long?¡± Ai sounded amused. ¡°Jack¡¯s cooking right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I can wait.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure whether to be offended or not. Chapter 33 - Wild Life Ai wasn¡¯t sure how Jack had managed to use the same limited ingredients as her yet produce something that tasted like food rather than burnt onion and stringy meat, but he had. The goblin had sung his praises too, apparently easily won over with the taste of good food. While they were bonding, Ai took the time to start applying the brownish purple goo to her blades. When she had money and resources, she was going to get herself a proper pair of daggers. They would have small pockets in the blades that would release the poison. The thought actually made her warmer inside than anything else right now, and she wasn¡¯t sure how much she wanted to look into that. ¡°I can teach you to cook if you want.¡± Jack interrupted her musings. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s possible.¡± Ai said, and she was telling the absolute truth. ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard. You made that poison and that looked more complicated than cooking.¡± Ai pulled a face. She agreed, she really did, but apparently there was a divide between what happened in her mind and reality. The poison had specific ingredients, specific colours. Measured amounts. In comparison, cooking was like a mish mash of ¡®a little more of this¡¯ and ¡®a little less of that¡¯. Calling them alike was sort of like comparing a butcher and a surgeon. They were, but not really. ¡°Maybe another time, when we don¡¯t have limited ingredients.¡± Ai thought that sounded reasonable. She held the short sword out in front of her, the blade looked faintly oiled, shimmering in the filtered light. ¡°We can have the bread and cheese that the woman we saw gave us come morning. I get the feeling we¡¯re going to need our strength.¡± Jack eyed the blade. ¡°Are you going to catch our bait with that tonight?¡± Ai nodded. ¡°The poison should knock it out for a solid 16 hours, we¡¯ll keep it overnight and work out getting the drugs into it then.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°I would offer to help, but I doubt I¡¯d be much use.¡± His half grin was filled with pointed teeth. ¡°Hey Jack.¡± Ai paused. ¡°What did Celina mean? When she called you an assassin.¡± ¡°Dunno.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never assassinated anyone.¡± He sounded and looked so unconcerned, Ai didn¡¯t doubt that he was telling the truth. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± *** The Rou Horses hadn¡¯t moved very far. Ai crept along the ground, making sure she was down wind. Her only question was how she was going to get close enough to one to get a decent amount of the poison in its system. Charging in like an idiot wouldn¡¯t work, and if the branches above them didn¡¯t look so flimsy she would have done a drop attack from above. As it was, neither were viable options. She wished for a moment that she knew more about bush craft than what Kele had deemed to be the absolute basics of survival. She knew how to make a basic twine trap but didn¡¯t have the time to sit around and see if it caught something.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She palmed the knife. She could throw it at one, except she had never tried throwing a knife in her life and was 90% sure it would end up with total failure. Ai scanned her surroundings. There had to be some better way to do this than brute force and chance. What did she know about the Rou horses? They often travelled along the same paths through the jungle, and were one of the easiest prints to pick up in the wilderness. Ai knew they were easiest to catch around water hollows and that once caught, as long as she held their head down to keep their centre of gravity low they wouldn¡¯t be too hard to keep caught. All it would take then was a shallow cut and it would be hers. There was no point in spooking this herd, she wasn¡¯t even sure she could get close to them before they scattered. Even as far away as she was now, about 40 feet, they would hear her if a single twig snapped underfoot. Their ears were constantly rotating, listening for just that. Sighing she eased back from her crouch, circling around to get in front of them, hoping the dung masked her scent from them as well as the Queen Bean. A water hollow wasn¡¯t too far ahead. The clay like soil was broken up and brush sprouted up from the ground around it. It was time to put some of her training into practice. She knew it was necessary, but she still didn¡¯t particularly appreciate coating herself in mud and sitting back so she was cloaked by the prickly bush. If her clothes had started to smell before, now they were in dire need of a wash. She felt like the only person in the world who had these mundane problems sometimes; Kele and Tal always seemed to be impeccably clean. She sat there for a long time. Her feet were cold in the muddy water and the ground beneath her bum was slippery and wet. The bush behind her seemed to take great pleasure in poking her in the back. Constantly. By the time the horses appeared, her legs were getting stiff and the water was beginning to feel warm, it gave testament to just how cold her feet must have been at that moment. Holding still, she kept her hands loose and ready. If she didn¡¯t catch one, she was going to be pissed. Amazingly, the horses seemed blind to her presence. The mud was doing its job. The first horse lent down on the opposite side of the pool, its flank shivering slightly. She could hear the huff of them breathing. The way they turned over the mud with their hooves, occasionally stamping against the ground. Like ghosts their dappled coats seemed bright amongst the duller grays of the forest. For a moment it was just her surrounded by wild, untamed life. Then, one of the horses moved right beside her. It froze, nostrils flaring but that was all that Ai needed. Her arm lashed out, curling around the horses neck and trapping its head in the crook of her elbow. It gave what could only be describes as a squeal and with a rush of movement, the other horses fled. Ai was blind to it as the horse twisted its head, yanking backwards. Keeping a good grip without suffocating it, Ai sank to her knees in the water, pulling its head down. After a moment, right when Ai thought she might lose her grip, it stopped. Its neck was hot against Ais cold body, and its breaths came in short huffs. It was so¡­alive. Ai couldn¡¯t think of a better word for it. Then, with her free hand, Ai pulled out her knife and quickly sliced its chest. The horse jerked, but didn¡¯t begin to fight again. Ever so slowly, it began to sink to its knees. Ai used its head, steering it out of the water. The horse would be heavy, and with her strength she wasn¡¯t confident to get it out of the water before it drowned. Pushing forwards the wild horse made another attempt at freeing itself before it rolled heavily onto the ground, no longer supported by Ai. Forty seconds, longer than Ai had hoped. She had probably given it too little. Unconcerned Ai used its legs to pull the horse up and onto her shoulders. Bowed over with the weight, she kept it secure with one hand on each pair of legs. She could actually feel the inhale and exhale of each of its breaths. Stroking the horses short velvety fur, Ai took her first step. She wished she didn¡¯t have to kill anymore. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant business, and she couldn¡¯t imagine it ever being something she enjoyed. For a moment, she put herself in the horses ¡®shoes¡¯. Paralyzed and unable to move as a scaly death approached, many times bigger than her. Looming over her, sniffing the terror on her flank and hearing the rapid beat of her heart. Ai shook the image away, concentrating on walking. She didn¡¯t envy what this creature was going to go through. Not at all. Part of Ai hoped that it would still be asleep when she sacrificed it, but the harsher part of her brain said no. The horse would die, and die painfully. Ai hoped it was sleeping well, because this would be its last. Chapter 34 - Bait The light was beginning to fade when Ai stepped out from between the trees. As soon as he saw her, Jack stood and wordlessly helped her to put down the horse without hurting herself. Rolling her stiff shoulders she sighed. ¡°Well done. That¡¯s one thing ticked off our list.¡± Jack ran one hand over the horses warm flank. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wash? You can¡¯t walk around like that.¡± The goblin hobbled over, then ran one finger down her outer leg. When it came back dusty with dried mud, he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Ai took two steps then fell on her ass next to the somewhat waning warmth of the fire. ¡°You see a bath anywhere around here, you let me know.¡± Drawing in a deep breath she shut her eyes and let the light of the fire dance on the back of her eyelids. ¡°Here you go.¡± The goblin held out the white mushroom to Jack expectantly. Jack cocked one eyebrow. ¡°You have skinner arms than me. You¡¯ll have to push it down the horses throat come first light.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a better way to do it?¡± ¡°Can you think of one?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ai opened her eyes and grabbed her bed roll from the pile to her left. She unrolled it, shook it and lay it down on the ground. She wished there were some straw or ferns close by, they would have provided some padding against the ground. Instead she was stuck as she was in a forest which seemed to have a suspicious lack of twigs and leaves laying around. There was a huge lack of variety in the plant life. Ai wondered if, when they finally got out of the forest, she would begin to see meadows and wild flowers. ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± The goblin asked. ¡°We¡¯re getting up early tomorrow, and I¡¯m knackered.¡± ¡°What about food?¡± The goblin clutched his empty stomach. ¡°In the morning. We don¡¯t have enough to eat whenever we get hungry.¡± The goblin groaned. ¡°I¡¯m getting sticks for the fire.¡± The goblin announced before skulking off. Ai peeled off her outer clothing, shaking off the worst of the mud before rolling them up into a makeshift pillow. Pulling the bed roll around her, she shivered.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. *** In the morning, they ate the bread and cheese that Celine had given them. Jack eventually managed to get the goblin to force feed the still sleeping horse. Ai smothered the fire and got re-dressed as they did and inwardly remarked on the fact she was far less self-conscious than when she first woke in the forest all that time ago. They would need to travel quickly. There wouldn¡¯t be much time before the paralysis set in and the horse was beginning to stir. It was massively overdosed and needed to be alive when they used it as bait. Gathering their travelling gear she balanced it on the lowest branch she could find. They would need to travel light for the next part. As the muscle of the group, Jack carried the horse all the way to the cave by himself, refusing when Ai offered to help. The horse was awake, immobile and terrified. Its eyes rolled white and its breathing was rapid. Ai comforted it from time to time, running her hands down its neck and mane. When they arrived, the cave was as quiet and as smelly as it had been before. Ai hoped the Queen Bean was actually inside. If it wasn¡¯t then they had just put a lot of effort forth for nothing. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Ai held her arms out. Jack looked like he might argue again, but when he saw the look in her eyes he bowed down, clumsily giving the horse to her. Holding the horse to her chest as one might a baby, Ai crept towards the entrance of the cave. The hardest part wasn¡¯t the significant weight of the horse, but trying to see past it to the ground to make sure she wasn¡¯t stepping on any bones. The closer she got, the faster her heart beat. By the time she actually reached the entrance, she must have thought of every possibility of what could go wrong. The cave was huge, and Ai remembered that this creature was supposed to be about three times her height. Her hair standing on end, she lay the horse down. When a bone snapped, she flinched. Eyes down she practically sprinted back to Jack and the goblin, narrowly missing stepping on more bones. ¡°Did you see it?¡± The goblin whispered. Ai shook her head, watching the entrance to the cave intently. The horses profile seemed small compared to the dark mouth of the cave. It gave a whinny, legs twitching. The noise was loud in the quiet of the clearing. Inside the cave, rocks crunched as something shifted. Ai pulled out her short sword and Jack wrapped his hands around his hand axes. The goblin shifted away from them, double checking that it was securely hidden. All of them waited in anticipation to see what manner of creature would appear. The first thing they saw was the Queens head. Black, scaled and big enough to swallow the horse in one bite. There were holes in her jaw where bone poked through and Ai thought she was injured before realising it was just what she looked like. The Queens eyes were small and silvery, like hard metal. She bent down, nosing at the horse. Ai could hear her inhale from all the way across the clearing. The horse was silent. Perhaps, Ai thought, it had a heart attack. Ai hoped that was true. The Queen opened her mouth and picked up the horse. Tilting her head back, the horse slid down her throat and out of view. Just like that, the horse was gone. If Ai wasn¡¯t careful, that could be her. Ai concentrated on keeping her breathing steady, even as her hands trembled. The queen was huge. Much bigger than Ai had imagined. Ai swallowed. Hard. Slowly the Queens head slid back into the darkness. She hadn¡¯t seen or smelt them. She had taken the bait. They might actually do this. Jack opened his mouth to speak but Ai shook her head sharply; she wasn¡¯t going to take any chances that they would screw this up. Ai held up two fingers. They would wait two hours before going into the cave and killing their quarry. Chapter 35 - Murder Scene It was dark inside the cave, only a dim reflection of the outside light on the moist walls lending any light at all. Ai looked to her right, where Jack stood. He held his axes ¨C and his body loosely. Still too, only moving with the sway of an invisible wind. He reminded her of a snake, disguised and waiting to strike. She had been wrong to call him a lizard boy before. He was serpentine. Feeling the weight of the short sword in her hand, Ai took a step closer. She could feel the goblins eyes on her back from where he waited at the entrance. Warm air blew over them, smelling faintly of rotting meat. The Queen didn¡¯t look very Queenly; there was no regal pose and certainly no golden crown. From what Ai could see in the darkness her flesh was pocketed with holes like the one in her jaw, one was so large Ai could almost see the entirety of her rib. They didn¡¯t look like necrosis or wounds, but it was beyond Ai why this creature had evolved in such a way her bones parted her skin. She was curled up on the ground, a long tail with vicious looking barbs resting over her snout. She didn¡¯t look much like a dragon, the way Ai had pictured. Instead she looked like a giant, scaly dog with wings. And a tail. Ai didn¡¯t know how well her poison had worked. Worst case scenario, it didn¡¯t actually have any effect at all. Ai refused to think about what consequences that would have. Ai flapped her hands to get Jacks attention, then pointed at the Queens tail and made a lopping off motion. Jack nodded, and raised his axes. One moment they were stood next to a sleeping monster, the next a whirlwind of scales. The Queen screamed, long and high, the sound ringing off the walls. One silver eye fixated on Jack. They turned, ready to run when she was shoved aside by the Queens snapping head, hitting the wall hard and falling to the ground. It must¡¯ve missed Jack by a hairs breath because she heard the crunch of his footsteps leaving the cave. He was closely followed by an angry Queen Bean whilst Ai froze, knowing she was dead if she noticed her now. One shift of the Queens bulk against the wall and she would be crushed. A splat on the rock. The Queen couldn¡¯t stand in the cave, and dragged herself out after Jack, rumbling growls like thunder. Ai stayed very, very still as she watched her move past, so close she could feel the heat radiating off of her body. Her hind legs were completely limp, dragging uselessly along the cave floor behind her. It did work.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Ever so slowly, Ai picked up her sword, just as the tail was passing her. It wasn¡¯t severed, but there was a gash. Or, she thought she saw one, it was hard to tell with the Queen blocking all the light. Ai didn¡¯t really think when she lifted the sword high, then swung it down. Hard. There was a wet noise as flesh parted from flesh, but Ais sword only made it half way through. She swung again. This time, the tail fell limply to the ground, twitching. The Queen roared, sending every hair on Ais tail standing on end. The Queen tried to turn, get a mouthful of her but the cave was narrower towards the entrance and she couldn¡¯t. Ai looked for other weak spots on the creatures vulnerable flesh. Her heart was pounding, her grip on the sword slick with sweat and her muscles trembling. It felt good. Ai felt alive. Bearing her canines in her own snarl, Ai swung her sword at the remaining tail, now half the length it was originally. The Queen screeched and thrashed from side to side, her hind legs twitching as she tried to get them working and beneath her. Bracing her arms, Ai pushed the balde hard into one of the Queens many bone holes. Her sword slid off the thigh bone, underneath the scaly skin. Dimly, she realised there was blood on her now. It wasn¡¯t like before with the ghouls. Now she was prepared for it. With a grunt, she twisted the sword inside the Queens body. The logical part of her said this would cause more bleeding, that it would increase the rate at which the Queen died. The blood thirsty Ai just felt. It wanted to cause pain, the same pain that the ghouls should have felt. Her sword slid free with a sucking motion as the Queen dragged herself forwards quickly, out of the cave. Ai flexed her calves, then dashed after her. She lept on the Queens back, small claws scrabbling to find a grip in her scaly hide. Another hole was in easy reach, this one revealing a part of spine. Ai stabbed her sword into it, hopefully towards plenty of vital organs. The Queen rolled, throwing Ai off of her and snapping the sword off inside of her. Out the corner of her eye, Ai saw Jack take the opportunity to swing his axe at the beasts head. Slightly winded, it took Ai a second to get back to her feet. She was only on them a moment when half a tail swept them out from beneath her. Ai stared at crimson leaves and blue sky for a moment, blinking away black dots. Watch the tail. If the tail had still been barbed, that would¡¯ve been the end of her. As Ai pushed herself up into sitting position she saw the Queens tail sag to the ground as if attached to weights. Her sword was still inside the Queen. Her sword that had sleeping poison on the blade. Blood splattered across the ground and trees, making it look like a massacre was taking place. The queen was still furious, and Jack was working her to a frothing state. One of the Queens eyes had been gouged out, leaving weeping blood down her face. She¡¯s not going to survive this battle. Ai felt triumphant at the thought. As if the Queen had heard her, she turned to look right at Ai. Any triumph drained from her system, replaced by dread. The Queens silver eye was furious and hard. If I¡¯m not surviving this battle, neither are you. It seemed to say. Ais hand was on her knife, legs pushing her backwards as the Queen began to lunge. Jack shouted and then all Ai felt was pain. Ais knife arm was in its mouth, dagger-like teeth buried into her delicate flesh. The Queen gave her a one eyed glare and tightened her grip. Snap! Ai screamed. Everything seemed a blur after that. Ai was dizzy, trying to push the Queen away. Then, somehow, the Queen wasn¡¯t on her anymore. The goblins voice. Someone touching her arm. Agony. Black. Chapter 36 - Wounds and Corpses Her arm ached like a bitch. A deep, bone ache that made her grit her teeth. Blinking sleep away, Ai looked around her stiffly. She wasn¡¯t far from the cave. The smell still lingered in the back of her nose, mixed with blood and death. She wasn¡¯t cold though, like she had expected to be. Instead she was wrapped in furs. Her arm was still there, bandaged with some ripped cloth she suspected came from Jacks top. Blinking away the remaining fuzziness from sleep she inhaled sharply, drawing in the damp cold air. She wasn¡¯t looking forward to getting out of the warmth of the rolls. But she had to. She had to know what happened. ¡°Jack?¡± Ai called out. ¡°Goblin?¡± They really needed to give the goblin a name, even a temporary one. She couldn¡¯t just keep calling him ¡®the goblin¡¯. It would get confusing, to say in the least, if they ever ran into another group of goblins. Her arm throbbed, as if punishing her for getting carried away. On second thought, maybe it wasn¡¯t the best idea to be shouting out names in the middle of an empty forest. She didn¡¯t know where they were or if something had happened to them. Though, if something had happened, she would¡¯ve thought it would have happened to her first. She was the one sleeping through all the important stuff. She got up. At least, she tried. Her legs turned to jelly and she twisted as she fell to avoid re-injuring her already very hurt arm, landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Hissing in pain, she tried again. Slower this time. Her arm hadn¡¯t bent in half or anything, so maybe she had just imagined it snapping. Just the thought of hearing her own bones crunch in that monsters mouth ¨C it turned her stomach. Taking a deep breath she swayed precariously for a few moments before finding her feet. The rolls were here, and their bag of supplies, meagre though it was. Had they put the healing gel on her arm? They must¡¯ve, she was pretty sure she would either be dead or an amputee otherwise. Propping herself up against the closest tree trunk she tugged on the knot holding her makeshift bandage shut. Twisted, scarred flesh. It was knotted and ugly. Her fingers feathered over it, quickly pulling back when it aggravated the constant ache. Silently, she was thankful they had the gel. She wasn¡¯t sure how well she would have dealt with the pain she remembered before. Even the memory of it seemed to make her wound more painful. Irrational as it was, she actually felt ashamed she had passed out. She felt like it made her weak. If there was one thing she didn¡¯t want to be known as, it was weak. It was a shame that the gel didn''t reproduce lost blood though. Ai was guessing that was the reason for her lightheadedness. Or erase scars that offended her useless, and currently weeping vanity. She shook away the unnecessary emotions. It was a battle scar. It happened. She should just be thankful she was alive. She hadn''t expected to be.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Taking a deep breath to calm her rolling stomach Ai headed, slowly, in the direction of the cave. There would be some answers there. The goblin was the first to react to her approach, big ears twitching as she made her way through the undergrowth. When it grinned with all of its small, sharp teeth Ai wasn¡¯t even disturbed like she usually was. Instead, she was relieved. Her rolling stomach settled down and it occurred to her that she didn¡¯t feel sick at the pain, but at the prospect of being alone in this forest again. ¡°What happened?¡± Ais voice was hoarse. ¡°Ai?¡± Jack moved into her line of sight. ¡°You¡¯re ok!¡± ¡°That¡¯s me. Ever hard to kill.¡± Ai tried to smile, but thought it came out as more of a grimace. ¡°What happened?¡± Her gaze flicked between the two of them, taking into account their blood stained apparel. ¡°Queen makes good meat and clothes. Her skin is tough and useful, if you find bits without holes in.¡± The goblin replied. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a particularly skilled butcher.¡± Jack looked sheepish. ¡°You should rest. Heal. The red gel only partially heals, it can¡¯t make you better instantly.¡± The goblin said sagely, as if it were wise on the subject. Ai wondered how it knew all it did. She knew it had a somewhat unhealthy habit of eavesdropping, but was that all it ever did? ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll sit down here. Can¡¯t either you or Jack offer it to the spirits? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be able to carry even half its stuff, losing some might actually be in our favour.¡± ¡°Goblins don¡¯t make offerings to spirits.¡± Ai fought the urge to face palm, instead moving forward so the clearing was entirely visible before sitting on the ground. The least blood covered ground she could find anyway. The corpse of the Queen was bloody and one wing was indeed torn to shreds. There were blue lines imbedded in the flesh, stopping the wing from being able to fully extend. Ai would think about the meaning of that when she was less cold, achy and miserable. ¡°Then get Jack to do it.¡± Ai blinked once, twice. The dizziness receded. The goblin grunted in agreement, and Ai watched as the huge mound of a monster they¡¯d killed was reduced to a neatly folded pile of skin, fang and claw. ¡°Sorry.¡± Ai muttered, cleared her throat, then spoke again. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Jack looked confused. ¡°I thought- I didn¡¯t think everything through. I should¡¯ve known that the poison would affect it differently to humans. It was already wearing off by the time we got in the cave. If I had thought about it-¡± ¡°People make mistakes, and learn from them. We¡¯re all alive and relatively uninjured. That¡¯s all that really matters.¡± Jack was only half looking at her through his otherwise touching speech. He seemed very distracted by the fact the heap of monster had turned into a floating pile of materials. Ai didn¡¯t blame him; she was amazed the first time too. ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± The goblin piped up, blinking innocently at her. The expression was so bizarre on him, Ai couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°It won¡¯t. How did you guys end up killing it anyhow?¡± A smile lingered on her lips. ¡°It has a weak spot on the back of its skull. When it turned on you, it wasn¡¯t that hard to dispatch.¡± Jack said, still not looking at her, instead swiping his hand under the pile of materials, checking for some kind of trick. The goblin hobbled over to Jack on his wooden leg, snatching the skin impatiently out of mid-air. It then shook the skin out, inspecting the black scaled hide. Jack plucked a talon out of the air, turning it in his hands as if he wasn¡¯t quite sure whether to believe it was real. Ai cleared her throat, feeling like she was interrupting two boys with their newest toy. ¡°We haven¡¯t got any food. I don¡¯t know how useful I am right now, but I think we should go out scavenging.¡± ¡°We have meat here.¡± Jack pulled out some steak-sized portions of meat from the mass of floating claws. ¡°Tainted meat.¡± The goblin snorted. Jack dropped it, and actually looked surprised when it hit the muddy floor. Stretching, Ai was surprised to feel several items hit her outstretched hands. Like a gift from the spirits, another hide ¨C and some stringy blue material landed in her hands. The same blue material that had been wrapped around the Queens wing, she realised. But why had it just dropped into her hands? Chapter 37 - Full Immersion Mode Ai put the hide on the ground next to her. The only reason behind this that she could think of was the blue screens. She had been doing a really good job of ignoring them. When they stopped appearing she kept ignoring them, paranoid they¡¯d come back if she did. With a heavy sigh, she tooted.
WARNING! If you open your status now full immersion mode will be deactivated. Do you want to deactivate full immersion mode?
¡°No.¡±
In full immersion mode quest rewards will appear on theh person when a receptive gesture is formed. Is this agreeable to you?
¡°Yes.¡± And that was that. The brief mystery of the blue screens solved. Ai reached for the blue string. It was slightly stretchy and felt as if were made of plastic. She had no idea what it was, or how it had come to do so much damage to a creature like the Queen Bean. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Ai asked the goblin. ¡°Humans.¡± The goblin shrugged. ¡°And it does¡­?¡± ¡°The Touched use it as a net, one that cuts through flesh.¡± ¡°Who are the Touched?¡± ¡°You know. Touched. Like, they have an element that they have some control over.¡± ¡°I¡­you mean people only have one element?¡± ¡°Or none.¡± ¡°But the village elder could use all of them.¡± ¡°The village elder uses gifts that are not her own. There is a reason she is soul-bound to everyone in the village.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ai took a moment to process that new information. ¡°So if I got soul-bound with someone who¡¯s been touched, I could use their powers?¡± The goblin screwed its face up at her phrasing, but nodded. The ¡®powers¡¯ were called the Touch. She could use their Touch, not their powers.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°How does someone get Touched?¡± Ais curiosity was burning. ¡°Nobody knows. If the Touched do, then they aren¡¯t spilling.¡± Ai didn¡¯t believe that. Somebody had to know. Something didn¡¯t simply come from nothing. There was a reason behind everything. ¡°How do you know if you¡¯re Touched?¡± Jack spoke this time. ¡°You have magic.¡± The goblins voice was dry with sarcasm. ¡°Can we go find some food now or do you want to continue asking questions while we lose light?¡± ¡°We¡¯d best get moving.¡± The goblin was right. ¡°I¡¯ll take Jack to help me, we¡¯ll go East, you go West? Meet up back here.¡± The goblin nodded, already striding away on his wooden leg, apparently eager to escape their questions. ¡°Well.¡± Ai started, unsure how to finish. ¡°Not exactly friendly, is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡± Ai snorted. ¡°How did you two get together anyway? I can¡¯t see meeting a goblin as an everyday occurrence.¡± ¡°The villagers found him with his leg chopped off. The village elder healed him up and I ended up bargaining with him to find out what happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Queen happened.¡± Ai nodded. ¡°But we didn¡¯t know what she was, or if she was an immediate threat.¡± Ai looked over at her remains. ¡°She certainly isn¡¯t anymore.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Jack sounded amused. They started to walk Easy, Ai scanning for edibles. ¡°What are you going to do? Once we get to the free city?¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± He countered. ¡°I need to know where I- where we came from. If there¡¯s a home for us somewhere. I, uh,¡± Ai cleared her throat, ¡°I was hoping that you would join me.¡± Jack kept his eyes off hers, hiding his expression as keeping an eye out for danger. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly want to know where I came from. Besides, I might not even be linked to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding. We both woke up in the middle of nowhere with no memories and unhuman features!¡± ¡°So?¡± He prowled slightly ahead of her. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a million to one coincidence. Or our people were enemies, not friends. Maybe we were out there trying to kill each other, and something went wrong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re enemies.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know that.¡± He pointed out. Ais reasoning was nothing more than a gut feeling. ¡°I¡¯d still rather know. I can¡¯t be a blank slate for the rest of my life.¡± Ai went to rub her injured arm, but stopped short remembering how much it hurt to touch it earlier. ¡°You¡¯re not a blank slate. You spent time with the spirit people, who are equal parts feared and hated by the rest of the humans. You killed a Queen Bean. You saved them. You have a story.¡± ¡°Part of one. I don¡¯t know who I am.¡± ¡°You might not like the answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still rather know.¡± Jack jerked his chin up, accepting her response. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to investigate who we are, then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Live for the future. I¡¯ll find myself somewhere to call home, somewhere people don¡¯t bother me and spend the rest of my life there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit lonely?¡± Ai frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve had more than enough of people. I¡¯ve got enough to last me a lifetime. It¡¯ll be peaceful.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say it wouldn¡¯t be lonely.¡± Ai could practically feel the pain radiating off of his heavy shoulders. ¡°It¡¯ll be enough. Can you see any food?¡± Ai pinched her lips, unsure whether she should let the subject drop or not. It didn¡¯t sit right with her that he¡¯d just live the rest of his days as a hermit. She sighed. A conversation to be continued at a later date. ¡°There¡¯s some tubers over there.¡± NOT AN UPDATE I''m taking a weeks break from writing to plan further on in the story so I don''t end up with plot holes and a giant pile of crap. Next update will be either next Sunday or Tuesday.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Chapter 38 - Anti-human They managed to gather together enough food and set up camp. Jack, of course, was the cook again. They also gathered up all they could carry of the Queen Bean. Ai hoped that when they came across some civilisation they would be able to sell it for some money. As they travelled they actually managed to build up a small store of food, and Ai began to feel less like she was constantly rationing herself. She was having some major cravings or meat though, they all were. Slowly the grey was leached out of the trees around them until there were brown trunks and green leaves. Ai didn¡¯t expect to, but she actually almost missed the forest they were leaving behind. It was the place of her nightmares, but she also knew it like the back of her hand. As the colours changed she felt more and more lost. Some of the fauna and flora disappeared, or changed colours. It was bizarre. They dare not stop moving though. A huge thundercloud was hot on their tails and seemed to grow closer day by day. At night, Ai imagined that she could hear the distant toll of thunder, or feel the ground tremor beneath the feet of a thousand beasts. Sometimes, she thought it wasn¡¯t just her imagination either. *** ¡°A village.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ai looked up from her meditative trudging. ¡°I see a village.¡± Jack repeated. ¡°Oh.¡± Ai tensed. There was indeed a village. It was a squat thing, smaller than the one the village people had and lacking the defensive wall. There were only a dozen houses, all made of logs, and as they drew closer Ai saw there was mud sprayed up their bases as if nobody could be bothered to clean them off. In fact, the whole village seemed to be covered in mud. Aside from a somewhat butchered field, there was no greenery. Every time the people walked anywhere they must be going through the stuff. Ai got tenser. She told herself there was no reason to. She had killed a Queen, why was she getting worried about a small group of humans? Logic didn¡¯t help much though. ¡°Let¡¯s go around.¡± The goblin folded its arms over its chest. ¡°Why?¡± Ai stared. ¡°We have no reason to talk to them, and they¡¯re humans.¡± The goblin stated like those were perfectly legible reasons. Ai opened her mouth to speak-This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°The goblins got a point. Humans are judgemental creatures at best. Perhaps it¡¯s best we avoid any along the way.¡± Ai stared. She thought she was nervous, she must have the most anti-social band or misfits anywhere. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to see people at some point. We might as well do it now. Test the waters.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say.¡± Muttered the goblin. ¡°We can¡¯t trust them. They¡¯re fools for money. Imagine how much they¡¯d get for selling us.¡± Jacks expression turned dark. ¡°Just because some humans are bad doesn¡¯t mean they all are. I think we need to get an idea of how we¡¯re going to be received. And I doubt any humans would be stupid enough to challenge you.¡± Ai directed that last part at Jack. He had put on weight since they¡¯d left, though Ai wasn¡¯t sure how given she had lost weight. And all of his had gone to muscle. He now had a swimmers body, if a swimmer had green scales and slitted pupils. Occasionally Ai found herself admiring his physique. It helped pass the time and was far more interesting than staring at her feet. ¡°They don¡¯t need to fight us to incapacitate us. A drug will work just fine.¡± Jack ran his fingers over the blade of one of his axes. It was almost a caress. ¡°So we don¡¯t eat or drink anything.¡± Jack still didn¡¯t look appeased. ¡°We can pass straight through. We don¡¯t even need to talk to them if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a circus.¡± The goblin muttered. It seemed to spend a lot of its time muttering nowadays, about this or that. Ai hadn¡¯t enlightened him that she could hear what he was saying, and she didn¡¯t intend to. ¡°We might be able to get rid of some of this stuff if they need it.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t keel over from having to talk to anything other than a human.¡± The goblins familiar muttering continued. ¡°What do you say?¡± Ai looked pointedly at both of them. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t stop here. And keep an eye out for a tail.¡± The goblin looked between Ai and Jack. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± Ai smiled. Off we go. As they approached there were the familiar sounds of village life. Kids playing, people working the fields. And the closer they got, the quieter the village got. The humans looked like peasants. Colourless clothing, dull hair and a big sense of community. While nobody attempted to talk to them as they passed, it didn¡¯t stop them from staring. One woman, cradling a big belly, looked at them then their weapons with a critical eye. She bent over to the small child on her left and whispered in his ear. The child ran off. Ai resisted the urge to reach for her knife, her only surviving weapon. A wrong move might spur the villagers to flee, or worse, to attack them. Ai thought it was bad before, but now she felt even more like an outsider. The air was thick with tension. The pregnant woman started to walk towards them, one arm cupped protectively around her belly. An old woman caught her arm. Ai and the others stopped walking to watch. ¡°Are you crazy? No.¡± She hissed. ¡°Yes. We have to do something Mum. It can¡¯t keep on like this.¡± ¡°Look at them. Who knows what sort of abomination created them! Think of your child.¡± That must¡¯ve been the wrong thing to say because the pregnant womans back straightened abruptly. ¡°I am.¡± Ai watched as she waddled closer. ¡°You are hunters, yes?¡± Her dark eyes flicked between them, unsure who to address. Ai thought she looked rather like a mouse. Small featured, quick eyes and brown hair twisted into a knot at the back of her head. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± The goblin spoke first. The woman stared for a moment. Ai didn¡¯t think she had expected it to be able to speak. She cleared her throat. ¡°If you are hunters I wish to hire you.¡± Jack discreetly shook his head at Ai. ¡°Please! I have money.¡± She looked stricken at the thought of them leaving. Ai grimaced. She wasn¡¯t good with this. She already wanted to say yes and the woman had barely spoken five words. Ai stepped back, leaving Jack in the forefront of the group. If he wanted to reject the pleas of a pregnant woman, he would have to do it himself. Chapter 39 - The Village People Jack gave Ai a nasty look over his shoulder. ¡°Please.¡± The pregnant woman stepped forwards, placing a pleading hand on Jacks arm. He looked at it as if some sort of foreign growth had just appeared there, before staring back at the woman. Ai was surprised too, the woman didn¡¯t seem to have any reservations about personal space or the safety of her child. For all she knew they could be axe murderers. Ai found herself with the niggling suspicion that this was some sort of set up. Jack stepped back, shaking off the womans arm as the goblin stepped forwards. ¡°Listen lady, we don¡¯t want any trouble and we¡¯re not hunters. We can¡¯t help you.¡± The goblin held its head high, looking down its nose at her as much as it could given that she was at least twice its height. The goblin started to walk away, closely followed by Jack, and then a surprised Ai. ¡°We have children dying! Don¡¯t you care at all?¡± She shouted after them. The goblin kept walking. Ai was torn. On one hand some altruistic part of her wanted to go back, ask the woman what was wrong and fix all her problems whereas her sense of self-preservation said to just keep walking. Maybe it made her a coward, or maybe it made her smart, either way she kept walking. Not without looking back though, to see the woman hunched, her face in shadows being led away by her mother. Ai felt guilty, but not guilty enough. When it came down to it, the womans problems weren¡¯t hers. ¡°What was that?¡± The goblin demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What was what?¡± Ai frowned. ¡°What happened to ¡®we don¡¯t need to talk to anyone¡¯?¡± His impression of her voice was terrible. ¡°You just stepped back and left Jack on his own when she came up to us.¡± ¡°I just¡­I don¡¯t know. I wanted to help her. I didn¡¯t want to make a decision for you guys though.¡± ¡°So you threw us to the dogs. You know neither of us like them.¡± ¡°Them?¡± The goblin gave her a deadpan look. ¡°Humans are all the same. Why cant the villagers fix their own problems anyway, instead of unloading it off to strangers? If they were goblins they would¡¯ve already killed the person responsible.¡± ¡°Maybe they couldn¡¯t.¡± Ai said even though she rapidly felt her argument was getting ripped to shreds. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t more like. Too busy hiding in their huts.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she should pay for it. And not all humans are bad.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d be surprised.¡± ¡°So what, I should just turn my back on people who need help?¡± Jack spoke this time, joining the goblins scolding. ¡°The world¡¯s full of people who need help, most of whom don¡¯t deserve it and the rest are still more than you could ever make a real difference to.¡± Ai ground her jaw. ¡°People don¡¯t survive when they¡¯ve got a hero complex.¡± Jack said. ¡°And we have a tail.¡± The goblins big ears twitched. ¡°So much for helpless villagers.¡± Jack breathed. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Ai said. ¡°Are we going to try and lose them?¡± ¡°No. I could use a fight.¡± Jack stood a little taller. ¡°Are you crazy? Someone could get killed.¡± Ai hissed. ¡°If anyone¡¯s in danger here it¡¯s them. You just stay out of the way.¡± ¡°Jack!¡± ¡°Let him. They deserve it, besides, he¡¯s a good fighter. Really good. You should¡¯ve seen him against the Queen Biene.¡± Ai had no idea why the goblin had chosen now of all times to find his inner courage. ¡°He¡¯s going to get killed.¡± Ais ears swivelled on top of her head. ¡°There¡¯s at least four of them.¡± ¡°He can take them, have a little faith.¡± The goblin snorted. Ai stared at the two of them. Somehow a walk through a village had turned into some sort of fight to the death. She had no idea how things escalated so fast. It was just a walk in the village, yet they ended up with death matches. Looking at Jack though, she could see there was no way she was going to be able to talk him out of this. ¡°Just try not to kill anyone. Please? We don¡¯t need anyone else following us for revenge.¡± Jack gave her a long, cool look. He nodded once. Ai let out a breath. ¡°Come sit.¡± The goblin patted the space next to it on the fallen tree it had just hopped up on. Ai sat. Outvoted, scolded and guilty. The feelings weren¡¯t a great combination. Chapter 40 - Child Killer Ai tried her best not to feel like she had been sent to the naughty corner. She stood leant against a tree, next to the goblin while Jack dominated the path. ¡°I still don¡¯t think this is a good idea.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think walking through the village was a good idea in the first place.¡± The goblin said pointedly. ¡°You know, there¡¯s no need for sarcasm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your issue with fighting? You were perfectly fine about going off to kill a monster.¡± ¡°That was different. The Queen wasn¡¯t a person.¡± ¡°And nor are you, me or Jack according to any human. That¡¯s a completely subjective view.¡± ¡°You know what I mean! She didn¡¯t have feelings. It¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°She felt pain. She knew she was going to die.¡± Ai was liking this topic less and less. ¡°You know what I mean, stop twisting my words around. It wasn¡¯t like we killed her for fun.¡± ¡°Why did we kill her?¡± Ai pinched her brow. ¡°The humans are close.¡± The goblin promptly forgot about his questions, leaning forwards in anticipation for a fight. ¡°You and Jack are racist you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, but so are the humans. If they weren¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t be either.¡± The goblin licked his lips. ¡°Besides, you can¡¯t say you haven¡¯t wanted to work out any frustration before.¡± On people? Ai stared down at him, a horrible thought occurring to her. ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°What would you say if I had?¡± He replied calmly. The group of four, three men and one adolescent girl, approached Jack. ¡°Humansssss.¡± Jack spoke with a lisp that wasn¡¯t usually present, looking at him now he looked nothing like the Jack that Ai knew. The Jack Ai knew didn¡¯t laugh a lot, but he gave amused smiles when he wasn¡¯t looking stern; like the whole world was pressing down on his shoulders. By comparison this Jack was all animal, crouched with his lips peeled back, gleaming axes in hand he looked like some sort of barbarian of old. Even with his too small clothes, he made an intimidating image. ¡°You and your sort are monsters, murderers!¡± The girl cried at him, wild haired and distraught. Jack simply tilted his head to one side in a manner that was far too reptilian. The girl shuddered, and the men held their weapons tighter. If 2 pitchforks and a spade really counted as weapons. ¡°They eat our babies! Our children!¡± The girl directed this at the men. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and her skin was freckled and tanned from time under the sun. Even with the wild hair, she looked like the girl-next-door type. Not the sort Ai associated with leading a group of men to, presumably, beat another man to death.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She didn¡¯t see what else the pitchforks were for. ¡°My baby was only a few days old.¡± He tone turned solemn. ¡°He had the biggest blue eyes, and he laughed every time he heard my voice. I¡¯ll never forget how fragile and precious he felt in my arms.¡± She made eye contact with the men, one after the other. ¡°You were there when we found him. What was left of him. He must¡¯ve screamed and screamed while that thing ate him. Crying for help. Our help. And we never came. ¡°But it¡¯s not too late. We can still avenge his death. Put an end to a baby killer. A child eater. A monster.¡± She spat out. The men were getting more and more worked up. Jack did not. In fact, he looked bored. Where he was expecting a fight, he was getting some crazy girl ranting about him eating babies, despite the fact she had never seen him and probably nothing like him in her whole puny life. ¡°John, they ate the baby while he was still in your wife¡¯s belly. And Justin, Manny, we never found Ambers body, there might not have been anything left once they were finished. They probably use her bones to pick their teeth.¡± Honestly, Ai really wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this. The girl was clearly delusional and looking for a scape goat. The men were like sheep, doing whatever she told them. Ai eyed the men again, big muscles from working fields and hard hating eyes. She amended that statement. They were like a pack of starved dogs looking for their next meal. And this girl was the alpha bitch. She still felt sympathy for them, but it was small and getting rapidly smaller. Instead she felt half shocked and half angry. How could they just blame someone they had never met before? Who had never even been in their village at the time of the crimes? Where was the justice ¨C or even logic in that? ¡°Humans are so stupid.¡± The goblin sneered. Ai snorted. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well well, look who¡¯s becoming a believer.¡± Ai just gave him a hard look. ¡°Alright.¡± He threw his hands in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot me.¡± A metallic clang rang out, drawing Ais attention back to the sermon that looked like it had finally become a fight. And she stared. The goblin wasn¡¯t kidding. Watching Jack fight was like watching a piece of art in motion. He seemed to deflect every hit effortlessly, getting just close enough to leave red slices in his opponents without serious injury. He barely seemed to move. Ai could hardly keep up with what was happening. She should have been more concerned about the humans, but it didn¡¯t seem nearly so important now. The reason for this development was a toss-up between them being giant assholes and the fact she was distracted by watching Jacks muscles ripple under his scales, pure lethality packed into one agile body. His tail was a weapon too, and one the men forgot about. A deadly error, as one of the men discovered when his feet were swept out from underneath him. The girl screamed at him to get up and keep fighting just as Jacks foot connected with his temple. His body went limp. One of the men barked insults at Jack, attacking with renewed vigour. Apparently the man on the ground was his brother. Ai got the feeling that Jack was playing with them. ¡°He could¡¯ve killed them ten times over by now.¡± The goblin sounded disapproving. Ai spoke without looking away from the fight. ¡°I thought you wanted Jack to fight.¡± ¡°To fight. This isn¡¯t fighting. This is a show.¡± As if Jack had heard the goblin, he took the two men down in one move Ai couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head around. One hit the ground hard, air leaving his body in a whoosh while the other crumpled like a puppet with his strings cut. Jack pressed his foot against the conscious mans throat. ¡°Don¡¯t get back up.¡± He hissed. ¡°Monster! Trickery! What kind of abomination of magic is this?!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up. If you want to fight me, why don¡¯t you come over here and do it yourself?¡± The girl backed away, holding her hands to ward him off. ¡°You can¡¯t trick me, foul beast.¡± Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± He kicked the man at his feet viciously before walking off towards Ai. The girl rushed forwards, and Ai opened her mouth to call out a warning. Jack spun around and there was a cracking noise. The girl shrieked, falling to her knees. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Ai breathed, knowing what kind of pain came with that sound. Jack looked down at the girl as she crooned, cradling her hand. A dagger lay in the dust at their feet. ¡°If you want to kill me,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re going to have to do a better job than that.¡± Chapter 41 - Animals Ai didn¡¯t say anything as Jack re-joined them. She didn¡¯t know what to say. As they left, the men were beginning to reassemble themselves, the hard fire in their eyes extinguished. As they walked away, leaving the villagers to treat their own, Ai was conflicted. The goblin had a point. No matter how strongly she had protested, she didn¡¯t feel sorry for what Jack had done. In fact, she felt the opposite. Jack could have hacked that girls head off, and Ai wasn''t sure she would''ve felt any different. And that disturbed her. Before she had always cared. Before, she had hesitated about even killing a Fonq. Now she set up traps for animals to kill and eat each other. She had killed a monster. She didn¡¯t see innocence anymore, she saw the potential for corruption or pain. Maybe defending the villagers had been part of that. ¡°What¡¯re you brooding about?¡± The goblin dropped back to ask her. Jack walked ahead with a bounce in his step. ¡°Is killing humans and killing monsters really the same?¡± Ai spoke quietly, watching Jack. ¡°Humans, monsters, they¡¯re all just animals. Neither should really guilty for killing to survive. It goes against the whole point of life. Surviving long enough to have children, no matter the cost. I¡¯ll tell you what though.¡± The goblin turned to face her, eyes unusually serious. ¡°Humans are the only animals I know that kill for fun.¡± A shiver ran down Ais spine, but the goblin had already turned away. It was right. It always seemed to be right. Still, Ai felt more suffocated the more she discovered about the world. Wasn¡¯t there any innocence? Any kindness just for the sake of kindness? Even though the goblin and Jack were the closest thing she had to family, they both had their own agenda. And they were all travelling together for safety, really. Neither of them planned on sticking around. The goblin would disappear once it had its soul bond, and Jack planned on shunning anything similar to intelligent life. Ai was going to find out where she came from, but the task suddenly seemed far bigger and far more daunting. Travelling with others had made her forget what it was like to be alone. To never be able to count on anything but instincts. Ai curled her hands into fists, forgetting her claws until they dug into her palms. With a controlled exhale, she uncurled them.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Jack walked on, oblivious. The goblin watched her carefully out the corner of its eye. ¡°I want a pet.¡± Ai announced. ¡°A pet?¡± The goblin frowned, lost in the abrupt change in topic. ¡°Yes, something loyal.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we can check out the marked once we get to the Free City.¡± Ai nodded. ¡°Are you sure? A pet is a lot of responsibility, and we don¡¯t have any food, let alone money.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get something that hunts.¡± ¡°¡­ok then.¡± The goblin knew better than to argue with her tone. They walked a little way in silence before Ai spoke again. ¡°How close are we? Do you know?¡± ¡°Perhaps four days if we keep up this pace.¡± The goblin replied. ¡°What¡¯re you two chatting about?¡± Jack slid in between them, he looked different. Happier. Ai didn¡¯t voice how much it unnerved her that all he had to do was break a few humans bones to get a real grin out of him. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to the Free City.¡± Ai told him. ¡°The city of dreams and wonder huh.¡± Jack grinned, showing off every one of his pointed teeth. ¡°What do we actually know about this place?¡± Ai looked to the goblin as their resident historian. ¡°Lots of gems and magic.¡± It shrugged. Both Ai and Jack looked at the goblin pointedly for an expanded explanation. It gave a very pointed sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the most exotic jewellery comes from there. If a man truly loves his beloved, he gets a promise ring from the free city. Even if it takes him ten life times to earn the money to afford one. And the Free City is one of the few places that has a magicians guild that will take in a magician and train them regardless of social standing. Other cities will only train those from the rich houses, or slave magicians. That means the Free City has the most trained magicians of any city. It makes them both a force to be reckoned with and the leading front on magical research.¡± ¡°Hold on. I thought it was spirit people use. Not magic.¡± Ai frowned. ¡°What you call it depends where you come from. Only the Spirit People call it spirit. Their whole culture is built around it.¡± ¡°But when I hunt animals I offer them to the spirits and parts disappear.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps there are spirits. Or maybe there¡¯s only one, getting fat off the offerings of the Spirit People. They¡¯re the only ones who do that. You ought not to do any of that stuff in front of the humans unless you want them to know where you came from.¡± ¡°So can anyone use magic if they¡¯re trained?¡± Jack piped in. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not an endless book of information you know.¡± The goblin snapped then strode ahead of them, uncharacteristically angry. Ai and Jack shared a look, before shrugging. ¡°The village elder told me I couldn¡¯t use magic. That a lot of people can¡¯t.¡± Ai told Jack. ¡°I¡¯d take anything that old bitch said with a pinch of salt.¡± Jack raised his eyebrows before jogging up to the goblin. Ai hung back, letting the two of them talk. Once again, she was struck with the feeling of being on the outside looking in. No! She was not going to let herself fall into this spiral of pity and self-doubt. She would change Jacks mind, and who knew how long it would take the goblin to find someone to soul bond with. It was the fussiest creature Ai had ever met. Especially about food. She was still going to get a pet though. Chapter 42 - Off the Beaten Path It was raining. One moment they had been half jogging along trying to keep ahead of it, the next fat droplets were falling from the sky. And they were instantly drenched. ¡°It appears,¡± Ai wryly noted, ¡°that the rain has caught up with us.¡± It hard for her to hear her own voice over the noise that typically accompanied a downpour, so she didn¡¯t imagine that the goblin and Jack heard her at all. ¡°We need to find shelter!¡± The goblin shouted. Ai yelled back a confirmation at it, squinting her eyes. The three of them ran through the rain together, their packs getting rapidly heavier and their sleeping furs ruined. Jack pulled ahead of them, seeming to be completely unaffected, his head held high. Ai shuddered. Up until a few moments ago, rain had just been another thing she knew about, but hadn¡¯t experienced. Now, as rivulets of cold water soaked into her clothes and ran off her fingertips, she realised she hated rain. With a passion. She would take a baking hot sauna over this any day. Whenever water was found in large quantities it always seemed to bring cold and bad things. Fonq. Mythical lightning beasts. The only good water had been in the bath house, and she got the feeling she wasn¡¯t going to experience another luxury like that for a long, long time. The goblin grabbed her hand, pointing at something. Ai shielded her eyes against the rain, her ears tucked miserably against her skull. There was a small rocky overhang. Small enough there would be no fire, but big enough to get them all out of the rain. It wasn¡¯t like they would be able to find any dry firewood anyway. Jack was already making his way towards it. Eager to leave the wet, Ai ploughed after him. The worst thing about the rain was that it robbed her of her senses. She could hardly hear, had to squint to see and all she could smell was the rain and perhaps a whiff of ozone. Nothing that would warn her of impeding attack, food or anything useful. Ducking beneath the overhang, Ai let out a deep breath. The air seemed cooler here, giving her goosebumps, but it was still preferable to being outside. She sat down with a squelch beside Jack. ¡°Not a fan of the rain?¡± He looked amused.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Ai probably looked like a half drowned rat. With a shudder, she shook some of the wetness from her body. If any of it got on Jack, that was entirely accidental. ¡°Really?¡± He raised one eyebrow at her. Unable to help herself, Ai grinned. ¡°Sorry, did I get some on you?¡± Jack rolled his eyes, and Ai laughed. ¡°Nice to know you two are having fun.¡± The goblin grumbled. Ais eyebrows crawled up her face as she took in his profile. ¡°What did you do? Roll around in the mud?¡± Forget a grey goblin, it was a brown goblin now. The goblin sniffled, sticking its muddy nose in the air. ¡°I tripped.¡± How many times? Ai thought, but was smart enough not to speak out loud this time. ¡°Perhaps you should go back out in the rain, wash off.¡± Jack suggested with a completely straight face. The goblin seemed to think about snapping at him, before its shoulders fell with a sigh. Ai could¡¯ve sworn she saw it visibly shrink at the concept. Either way, it stepped back out into the rain. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you could end up looking like that.¡± Jack said, keeping his voice neutral. It wasn¡¯t until Ai spun to face him she saw the glint of mirth in his eyes. ¡°Very funny.¡± She shook her head. The goblin stepped back in, looking a lot more grey but no less miserable. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ai tried to be thoughtful, and would¡¯ve been successful if her voice weren¡¯t just a shade too high. The goblin shrugged off its bag, dumping it to one side before collapsing against the rocky wall. ¡°We got caught in the rain.¡± It said gravely. Ai felt her laughter trail away from her heart. ¡°That¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°The wall was built around that village of yours for a reason, Ai.¡± ¡°So there will be monsters? Like the Queen?¡± Ai had fully switched into leader mode. ¡°Smaller, and usually herbivores but no less dangerous. As long as we keep our distance and don¡¯t antagonise them, we should be ok.¡± Jack leant forwards ¡°Anything else we should keep an eye out for?¡± ¡°We must not get caught in the eye of the storm undefended.¡± The goblin was deadly serious. ¡°What¡¯s in the eye of the storm?¡± Ai was pretty sure she didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°Most people call them skinny men. All you need to know is they¡¯re predators and we¡¯re prey.¡± Skinny men seemed an odd name. And not terribly frightening. The goblin must¡¯ve seen the expression on her face, because it continued. ¡°They¡¯re not men. More like people made out of stretched out wood. About twice the height of you, fast and with arms perfect for reaching into houses and dragging out whomever they get their claws on. They eat their prey while they¡¯re still alive.¡± Ok, now they were sounding a lot scarier. ¡°Are those villagers going to be ok?¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure why she asked, but she did. ¡°They¡¯ll probably only lose someone stupid enough to leave the safety of their houses or walk too close to windows. They¡¯re more at risk from their witch problem.¡± ¡°A witch? As in glittery magic witch?¡± ¡°As in bathes in blood, eats children and consorts with the dark, witch.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ai wasn¡¯t sure why she was even surprised any more. ¡°Is she green?¡± The goblin threw her a quizzical look. ¡°Of course, all witches are green.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ai cleared her throat. Of course all were witches were green. NOT A CHAPTER I''ve been far busier than I expected recently, so from now on any updates will come as I do them (when I have time) rather than following a schedule. There will probably be less and less as time goes along until my exams and some other stuff is over. -Corzea You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Chapter 43 - Caves and Clouds They left the overhang when the rain lightened, though that wasn¡¯t saying much given how hard the rain was still coming down. Ai spent her time trudging through the suddenly muddy ground, her hair hanging around her face in wet tendrils. She didn¡¯t speak, instead she walked like a woman condemned. She hated the rain. Hate grew in her chest like a bubble of hot air, waiting to explode. Jack and the goblin, however, were wise enough to avoid her so she found her outlet practicing fighting with her knife. She imagined that she was slicing the falling droplets in half. Needless to say, she wasn¡¯t very effective. After a while, the sound of rain was like a backdrop. Ai would never get use to walking through the damned stuff, but she slowly got used to being virtually senseless. One night they stopped off in a cave, the air cool and musty. That was the one time that Ai actually saw Jack practice. Where she was clumsy, ineffective and panting, he was a controlled form of lethal grace. Ai hadn¡¯t seen many people fight, despite having woken to such dire circumstances. Her experience was more in the non-human kind of fighting. The Queen had been a great beast, crippled but still terrifying in her power. Ai thought she was pretty useless herself. Short of stabbing something ¨C or someone in the back, she wasn¡¯t actually confident in her fighting abilities at all. If she weren¡¯t so good at dodging, and keeping quiet she didn¡¯t think she would¡¯ve even survived the fight with the Queen, or the ghouls. Jack was different. His movements were sharp, quick and devastating. Ai was glad that he was on her side. She knew he could do a lot worse to her than he¡¯d done to the hooligans that¡¯d followed them, if he wished. She was glad he didn¡¯t wish. At dawn they were preparing to leave the cave when there was a noise outside. Loud enough to be heard over the rain, which was practically a miracle in itself. Even so, when she peered out into the rain and between the trees, she saw nothing. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked the goblin. The goblin raised a scrawny finger to its lips, and gestured to keep looking outside. Ai squinted, looking for something, anything. Outside the trees swayed in the wind, water falling off their leaves in streams. Each tree was big enough around that Ai would need three of herself to reach all the way around. It seemed even the sky was lost to the canopy, making the undergrowth seem darker than it actually was. Light flashed, illuminating the trees in harsh shapes and angles. Ai blinked rapidly, trying to rid herself of the afterimage.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She had imagined the lightning beasts to be like buffalo. Great, lumbering beasts with horns of lightning and bellows of thunder. But the creatures that came with the rains came in many sizes, both great and small. This one was decidedly small. In fact, it looked more like a storm cloud than anything else, the size of a football. There were no eyes or head to speak of, and it floated about a foot off the ground instead of walking. Ai thought she might have seen a shape, like a tail, coiled at its underbelly. It was hard to make out anything else, and Ai was cautious about keeping her distance. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as it drifted their way. Ai stepped back, unsure of the danger it posed. Jack sat safely at the back of the cave, uninterested in any new curiosities that they might uncover. ¡°Is it a predator?¡± Ai swallowed. She felt odd, being intimidated by a floating ball of grey fluff. ¡°A scavenger. It can still give you a nasty zap though. It won¡¯t come in here.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t leave the rain.¡± ¡°Are you two done playing with the little monsters?¡± Jack called. He was wringing out any moisture he could get from the clothes, and packing their stuff away. In response to his voice the cloud crackled, potent light swelling within it, before it zoomed off quickly lost in the rain. ¡°You scared it away.¡± Ai frowned. She had wanted to get a closer look at it. How did it fly? Or eat, for that matter. ¡°We¡¯re only a day away from the city. I can see it and you two want to stay here, looking at scavenging clouds and waiting for the skinny men.¡± ¡°I thought it was the goblins job to be the put down.¡± Ai muttered beneath her breath. Said goblin stomped on her toes, before making big innocent eyes and apologising to her. Ai was mildly horrified to find that she was pouting. Sighing she went to help Jack with their stuff. It seemed heavier and wetter every time she picked it up. She was pretty sure their furs were completely ruined, and smelt like damp mould. She had long since shed them, sleeping on the hard floor instead. It had made for some hellish sleep. Thankfully, snuggling up with Jack and the goblin kept her warm. She had long since overcome her reservations about it (the first night, when she realised how toasty warm it was) and nobody had woken up in any odd positions. She had caught the goblins elbow once, and was sporting a split lip to prove it. Ai felt like she had been on the road forever, and for not time at all. She longed for a real bed, dry clothes and a bath. At the same time, she wished they would stay on the road longer. Jack was only just starting to open up to her, and once they got to the city the goblin was sure to find someone to bond with. They were her friends. The goblin was like a wise man and a child stuffed into one body, and Jack was a mystery and her ally. The only person like her, one who would defend her. They had come a long way. Now there was only a day left before everything began to end. Pausing her packing, Ai looked out at the pouring rain with dark eyes. As much as she might miss them, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to beg. No, she would convince them instead. Surely Jack would see he couldn¡¯t just shun everyone. It was no way to live. And the goblin ¨C she didn¡¯t know its plans beyond finding someone to bond with and see the world. But it could stick around, at least for a while. She could come looking for it when she needed advice. She would ask its advice on a pet anyhow. She didn¡¯t know anything about the native fauna. Or foreign for that matter.