ã€ŠInternal Resonance [LitRPG]ã€‹


 Prologue: End of my woes......

    Damn it! Look at him. He''s so smug over there. Not a care in the world. Does he have any idea what he''s done to me? That fool took everything. He stole my best clients and my promotion. I struggled to contain my thoughts.

    ''''Liam, is everything ok?'''', questioned Gareth looking a little concerned. ''''You''ve been staring daggers at Dave the whole night. Don''t you think you should at least try to enjoy the party ..... at least a little?''''

    Poor mild-mannered Gareth. A decent friend, although not someone I felt very close to. We hung out occasionally, but he was too nice for my liking. A pacifist if you will. Back then and more so now, I''m fed up with being around them and being one. What good has that ever done me? He represents everything I was back in the day and everything I despise in the old me. Damn Pacifists!

    I took another sip of my drink and a long deep breath. For all my anger and bravado, the last thing I wanted was to create a scene. And it''s not like Dave noticed me staring daggers at his back from way over there on the balcony.

    ''''I''m sorry Gareth, You''re right. The New Year is almost upon us and that means a new start, right?''''

    ''''Sure does buddy, and before you know it you''ll be promoted. Just like you''ve been waiting for.''''

    Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound asshole, just when I had moved past it.

    ''''Yes ..... my New Year''s resolution. Finally get promoted or bend over and just take it for another year.''''

    Gareth''s mood soured and I could tell that he wanted to leave. But I wasn''t going to make it easy for him. That was Gareth''s crux, always the nice guy. Sure he had friends around here, but for me, he was the only person I could tolerate. I wasn''t going to let my social Zimmer frame walk away without a good substitute.

    That''s when I noticed ..... I had yet to see Steph.

    Steph, my darling girlfriend of 5 years. The one that had supported me when that lout Dave had stollen my promotion. The one that made everything better and stuck with me through thick and thin. I couldn''t help but daydream at the thought of her warm and caring personality. She reminded me of who I was before this god-forsaken company wore me down. A time before I became jaded and spiteful. A time of naivety, innocence, and abundant optimism. Yet she had still stuck with me. I had no idea why.

    Suddenly, the waiter brushed against my arm and broke me out of my reverie. I found myself alone. That was a little surprising as I had expected Gareth to stick around with me all night. Maybe I had just reached a new low on the asshole scale, one that even the nicest person at work couldn''t tolerate.

    It was ok though. I could feign interest in other people or at least try. How hard could it be? I wondered.

    Looking around, I noticed the grandeur of the hall. It was elegantly planned. Long tables at the sides, filled with buffet-style food. Tiny portions so you knew the food was posh and expensive. Drinks lined several more tables. This layout allowed for the guests to mingle in the center and socialize..... as expected of a party.

    Honestly, don''t ask me why I came. It was just to show my face and let the bosses know that I was a social butterfly just like all the other twerps there. My alarm was set for 9 so I could escape once the alcohol kicked in and the fog of booze clouded everyone''s memories. There would be enough to remember my being there, and that was all that was needed.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Who should I talk to? I thought with arms crossed and tapping my chin. A lot of those present were in small circular, tightly knitted groups. Infiltrating one of them really would take the skills of a master socialite. The ones capable of infiltrating any social circle, no matter how closed off or exclusive it seemed. And that wasn''t me. Not back then and not now!

    There were several other groups. Smaller in size with a few outliers at the edges. I considered the outliers, but then thought to myself, they''re by themselves for a reason. Not like me, I''m too cool. Can''t be associated with them.

    I pondered my options a little longer until...

    ''''Liam is that you Liam?''''

    It was too late. I had been found by the one person who made being lonely seem like winning the lottery. It was Katheryn with a y, the work gossip. She was as annoying as a person could get. With her shrill voice and fake smile. If it were up to me, I''d feed her fake gossip to get her into trouble. Alas, the one and only time I tried, she figured I was lying and gave me a nauseating cackle. It was worth a shot though.

    God if you can hear me, Please kill me now and reincarnate me as a doorstop.

    ''Hi Katheryn, how are you? Pleasant party we''re having today.''

    She smiled at me flashing her teeth and the lipstick staining them. ''it sure is, what a wonderful way to welcome the new year. But if I''m honest, I''m a little surprised to see you here.''

    ''What do you mean?'' I enquired.

    Looking a little sheepish, Katherine looked around and then some more. Uneasy was an understatement. Her face turned a shade of red that merged with her dress. Whatever it meant, I knew this wasn''t good. When a gossip comes over to you, it''s one of two things; they either have gossip to share about others, or they have gossip about you.

    I raised an eyebrow and stared as she felt noticeably more uncomfortable.

    ''''I thought you knew'''', she whimpered as her eyes darted to the balcony.

    At first, I didn''t catch on. I saw people out there but nothing that should have  concerned me. But then something caught my eye. A slim figure in a long green gown was standing in front of Dave. No, No, It couldn''t be.

    ''Steph?'', The name left my mouth before I even knew what I was doing.

    In a blink of an eye, I had pushed Katheryn out of my way and ran across the hall and towards the balcony.

    Dave had no time to react or any idea what was happening. I pulled Steph from his mouth and landed one square on his face.

    ''How''d that taste, You asshole.''

    Dave fell to the floor and looked out of it.

    I felt a hand pull me around the shoulder. I turned to see Steph crying.

    ''It''s not what it looks like!'' she screamed. Her face was red and scrunched, with tears running down.

    At that moment I couldn''t help but stare at her. She had been my rock for the last 5 years and seeing her like this.... with him. It tore my heart to pieces. It hurt. It hurt so bad. I didn''t know how to process this pain, but before I could, I felt another hand spin me around. It was Dave. He threw a right hook, and I covered just in time to reduce the impact. It still hurt like hell. The guy was a foot taller than me and hit the gym often.

    He continued his barrage of punches and then grabbed me in a bear hug and began to squeeze. I felt my back pop and my stomach squeeze tight. His face was buried in my ribs. I was trapped. I couldn''t let this fool get away with this. His constant humiliation of me had to end once and for all. I was done, not only with him but Steph, this damn job ...... everything. I didn''t care. I was pissed. Yet, for all my anger I was trapped, unable to do anything. The grip was too strong, and the longer he held me, the more drained and sleepy I began to feel.

    ''Stop it, let him go.''

    Too late now Steph, you chose your side, I thought to myself as the world began to get quieter and the sounds grew fainter.

    ''''You''re time is now''''.

    A voice suddenly whispered in my ear. Was it my imagination? No couldn''t have been. It was as clear as day. I felt my body awaken with strength and I knew exactly what to do. Thank you World Wrestling Federation. I elbowed Dave on the top of the head. At first, he didn''t react. But after a couple, the dirtbag''s grip loosened and I felt him stumbling back.

    I had hoped that would have been the end of the fight, but knowing my luck ......

    Dave stumbled backward. And the biggest asshole in the world had one final F*** *** for me. He held his grip on me as he fell over the balcony. The fall was quick. It was all over in a Flash. Surviving the world''s highest suplex would have been an embarrassment worthy of death.

    At least in death, I got one over that prick ...... or so I thought.

    Who would have thought that he would haunt me in the next life too?

 Chapter 1: Still cheesed off?

    At first, it was hard to believe that I was regaining consciousness. Waking up after dying felt strange. I was sure that I had died, of that I had no doubt. The pain had felt too real. My body had splattered everywhere, and the pain had been immense. Luckily though, it hadn¡¯t lasted long. I was alive for a further ten seconds after the impact. At that time, I had felt despair when realizing that I could not move, grief at knowing that it was over, and finally, resignation followed by total darkness. And now, here I was waking up again in a place that lay beyond human comprehension.

    My thoughts stirred more and more, and I seemed to be gaining strength. I felt my arms twitch and my toes wriggle. My body yearned to awake from its slumber, but before I could even open my eyes, I heard it.

    The fake brooding voice of the person I hated more than anyone in the world, only a lot quieter and squeakier. Please God, please no, I pleaded in my head. It was Dave.

    Even in death, or whatever this was, he was haunting me.

    ''''Hey, crap for brains! About time you woke up.''''

    No, this can''t be true, I told myself. Opening my eyes and looking around, I didn''t see anything or anyone at first. Just an empty shack. Probably long abandoned judging by the cobwebs, and dust-covered floor.

    ''''Hey, turd breath, I haven''t got all day.''''

    I¡¯ve lost it, I¡¯m either dead or hallucinating in a psych ward, I whispered to myself. If I am alive, it¡¯s just the trauma kicking in. I pushed myself up onto one elbow with a groan, only to see a brown mouse sitting on my chest. A stinky, bushy-haired mouse. One that I could have sworn looked angry at me.

    ''''Snap out of it! We need to talk!''¡¯

    Yep, I was dead. This was some kind of test. I tried to laugh to myself because I was sure that I was losing the plot. Before delirium kicked in, I felt a small hand, or paw, maybe a clawed paw, slap me across the face.

    ''''Listen'''', demanded the tiny face of the mouse as it stooped over my nose. ''''if you''re not going to listen, you''re as good as useless and I''ll just kill you now.''''

    I didn''t know what to do. This situation was way above my understanding, so I decided to hear the mouse out.

    ''''Ok'''', I murmured.

    ''''Firstly, It''s me¡­. Dave. I know that I don''t look like my usual self, but it''s me. I''m still as handsome so that should help you believe me, albeit with whiskers. Secondly, I woke up about a few hours before you, so I''ve been able to figure out a little of what''s happened. I think we died when we fell off the balcony and got reincarnated into a new world.''''

    ''''You, what!'''' I shouted. This was strange. It was something that only happened in every thirteen-year-old''s fantasy.

    ''''Shhh. Let me finish. There''s more. We''re close to a small town but I''m not sure we should go there. Something seems off. You''ll see why a little later when you''re ready to get up. And finally, we have some kind of accessible stats window in the corner of our vision''''.

    ''''Wait, what? I don''t see anything here. My vision is normal. No display, no stats, no nothing.''''

    ''''Wait, really? Well, it makes sense that I''d get it, what with me being so awesome and all.''''

    ''''Shut it, you little rat,'''' I said as I slapped the pest off my face. I sat and tried to stand and immediately regretted it. My body felt heavy like it was unaccustomed to movement. My clothes were worn and tattered rags and as I moved around, I caught a glimpse of myself in a shard of a mirror that lay propped up against the bottom edge of the wall. I looked disheveled and emaciated. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ''''We''re going to have to fix  your attitude if we''re going to work together to figure stuff out.''''

    ''''Shut it''''. I went to kick the little turd breath but lacked coordination and almost fell back to the floor. For now, I gave up and headed for the loosely held door. Although it looked like it would fall off its hinges, it swung open easily enough.

    The intensity of the light caught me by surprise, and I covered my eyes with a hand until they adjusted. Dave was right, not far from where we were, there was a small town. A wooden walled perimeter and more than a hundred houses inside. That was good to see. I was close to civilization.

    Who did that rat think he was anyway, talking to me like we were friends? I hated his guts, and he knew it. He was the one that killed me for God¡¯s sake. All he had to do was fall off the balcony by himself. Was that so hard to do? No, he couldn¡¯t even do that without dragging me along for the ride. That damned narcissist. I couldn¡¯t tolerate him. Not as a human and not as a mouse. He reeked of the same vain personality. I bet he spent a couple of hours posing in the broken piece of the mirror before I awoke. Probably pulling off all kinds of pro bodybuilder poses. Being reincarnated as a rat probably didn¡¯t even phase him. His brain clearly remained the same size.

    Although I didn¡¯t know much about this world back then, I was grateful for one thing. The higher-ups knew a rat when they saw one. Maybe they really thought his soul was that of a rat¡¯s so gave him the body of one to match. I knew he was a mouse but calling him a rat at every chance I got just felt right.

    Needing a little time to process what was happening, I walked out of the doorway and found a patch of grass to sit on. The ground felt real, as did the sky and the wind blowing across my face. The sound too; the birds sang, the bees buzzed and what sounded like a nearby stream, rippled with life.

    I closed my eyes, lay back and stretched my arms out. I let my mind completely relax and allowed for the thoughts to come and go as they pleased. There was just much to take in.

    I had died and for some reason been brought back to life. I was now in this new world. It didn''t feel fake or like an illusion, so it must be real, I thought. Yet, I couldn¡¯t make sense of it all. Everything felt way off. Dave was a mouse/rat, and he apparently had some kind of system or screen. Surely that meant I was dreaming. My brain must have projected him as how I saw him, as a rat. Also, if he was the one being punished by the higher-ups, then why didn¡¯t I also have an interface like him?

    ''''I told you, I''m a mouse.''

    ''''What the f......, How did you do that?¡¯¡¯ I demanded as I opened my eyes and sat up to find him looking up at me from the grass.

    ''''I told you; I have a screen with stats and skills. One of them says that we''re bonded, and I can read your thoughts.''''

    ¡®Yeh, right. Get lost. Go back inside before you become bird food.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t move, instead he just looked at me with sad eyes.

    I decided to test his little theory.

    <i>All the women in the office said you have a tiny penis. It''s the one thing that made me feel sorry for you and not punch you earlier than I did. And as of now, I guess it''s only gotten smaller.</i>

    Dave looked a little abashed. He tried to speak several times, but nothing would come out.

    He looked genuinely upset, and as much as I hated to admit it, I felt like I had crossed the line. No man should disrespect another man¡¯s manhood.

    As Dave was making his way back to the shack. I pondered whether or not to apologize. I hated him with every part of my being so it should have been a no-brainer¡­¡­..

    ''''I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to''''. It just came out like that. The apology didn¡¯t make me feel good. At that very moment, I wanted to pour hot chilly sauce on my tongue, so it never acted without permission ever again.

    He turned back a little but then just plonked himself on the floor. I would have walked over to him, but being a mouse, he hadn''t moved that far.

    ¡®¡¯Listen, I guess I do believe you now and we are in a new world. So that means we need each other. We need to work together and figure out how we''re going to survive here, and if we are as you say connected through your skills, then there must be a greater reason for why we''ve been brought back to life in this new world.¡¯¡¯

    I didn¡¯t really want to forgive him for everything he had done, well not easily anyway. But before making any decisions, I needed to know more about this new world and what I was up against. Dave was my only potential ally and given his size, he could prove to be a useful asset. Why not use the little turd for a while. If he was reading my mind, then I¡¯m sure he was thinking the same about me.

    I got to one knee and held out a hand. Dave didn''t immediately get up. He glanced over his shoulder looking a little hurt and after a few moments, stretched and climbed on. I put him on my shoulder and headed back for the shack.

    ''You know what?'' Whispered Dave into my ear.

    Steph actually said it was pretty big.

    ''''You bastard!!!¡¯¡¯ I shouted as I grabbed Dave from my shoulder and threw him straight through the open door of the Shack.''''

    I would like to say that no animals were hurt during this tale, but I¡¯d be lying.

 Chapter 2: Is the mouse plugged in?

    ¡®¡¯Heal ¡­.., Regenerate ¡­¡­., Expellimarmurus ¡­¡­., Wingadum Levitingosa¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯What are you babbling on about?¡¯¡¯, I queried.

    Dave poked his fingers into the air like he was tapping on a screen, not that I could see it of course. He was most likely trying to come to terms with his interface.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m trying to get a hang of my interface.¡¯¡¯

    See. Like I said¡­.

    ¡®¡¯Any luck, Ratfinkle?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Stop calling me names. I get that you¡¯re angry at me, but this won¡¯t work with your poor attitude.¡¯¡¯ He grumbled while turning at me to give me an angry side eye.

    I shrugged and scooted across the floor to get a better idea of what he was doing.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve figured out the basics of the interface. There are 5 key sections, 7 if you include the ones that are blocked out by question marks. I probably need to unlock them. The visible ones seem straightforward enough. There¡¯s one for stats, and as expected, it shows my agility, strength, intelligence, health, etc. You get the idea. I¡¯m currently at level 1 so all the stats are level 1 too. Oh, almost forgot. This section also includes skills, abilities, and equipped items¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯The intelligence stat makes a lot of sense,¡¯¡¯ I smirked.

    ¡®¡¯Shut it!¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I was just saying.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯The next section seems to contain maps. They¡¯re all grayed out bar this area we¡¯re currently in. I¡¯ve explored a little so the areas I¡¯ve been to are visible and marked.¡¯¡¯

    That could prove to be useful, I admitted to myself. As much as I disliked the guy, Dave seemed like a very useful tool at this point.

    ¡®¡¯I heard that!¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Can you stay out of my head.¡¯¡¯ You twerp.

    ¡®¡¯No can do buddy, we¡¯re bonded.¡¯¡¯ He said with a sickly smile and a flutter of his eyelashes.

    ¡®¡¯Gross.¡¯¡¯ I whispered.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡®¡¯The third section is an inventory. It says here that I can store approx. 10 Kilos of mass, However, certain equipped items can increase that amount.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Wow, you are such a useful tool. Like a Swiss army knife, but in rat form. I mean mouse form.¡¯¡¯ Might as well say what I was thinking. He could read my mind after all.

    ¡®¡¯Watch it, I¡¯m starting to feel like you need me more than I need you in this world.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯As if.¡¯¡¯, I pouted.

    I couldn¡¯t tell him directly, although I think he already knew, I did need him. I had nothing in this world. And if others had an overpowered system helping them, just like Dave, then I had no chance of surviving by myself. And I had no intention of dying twice in 24 hours.

    I sat cross-legged behind him and asked what else his system contained.

    ¡®¡¯Well, the last two are the strangest. The fourth Section is labeled ¡®Familiar¡¯. When I open it up, it seems to show something very odd. There¡¯s a silhouette of a man, but no details. It has a battle control system like you¡¯d see in a video game, but for now, I don¡¯t think I can access anything.¡¯¡¯

    That one caught me by surprise. Something didn¡¯t feel right about hearing that. No point pondering it until we know more, I guessed. Most likely, Dave knew as much about it as I did.

    ¡®¡¯And the last one I asked.¡¯¡¯ Hovering over Dave¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®¡¯do you mind, I can smell your necrotic breath a mile away.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯watch it,¡¯¡¯ I said as I flicked one of his ears.

    ¡®¡¯That hurt. You know you could be a little nice seeing that I¡¯m the one with all the powweeeerrrrr.¡¯¡¯ He yelled in a menacing deep tone while still massaging his ear with one of his rat paws.¡¯¡¯

    I just rolled my eyes and ignored his attempt to look like an evil bad guy.

    ¡®¡¯And the last one¡­¡­¡¯¡¯. I demanded growing a little bored.

    ¡®¡¯The last one is the weirdest of all, it doesn¡¯t give much information. It¡¯s just called internal resonance.¡¯¡¯

    Just then my stomach rumbled. I¡¯m guessing Dave¡¯s did too as he looked up at me and asked, ¡®¡¯What should we do about dinner?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t know about you Dave, But I¡¯m going to head down over to that town and get me something really nice to eat. Sorry, as you know, most places have a no-rat policy.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Interesting that you would say that. You look like a bum yourself. Do you think they¡¯ll let you in? I bet your own mum would turn you away looking at you as you are now. You look and smell like your last shower was the day you were born. I bet the hospital had to call in an exorcist to remove the stink demon from your ass. Wait, why with your smell, you could kill a skeleton, and that¡¯s saying something as they have no nose. Maybe you did have a system too, but your smell caused it to malfunction or quit on the spot¡¯¡¯

    I really didn¡¯t need to say anything. As the little turd continued to ramble his barrage of insults, I just stood up and did the grown-up thing. I pulled my leg back and kicked Dave as hard as I could. He flew straight into the door. The timing was perfect too. His last remark ended with a crescendo as a punchline.

    As he squeaked down the door like a marker on a whiteboard, I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the sturdiness of the door. I had been certain that it would have fallen off its last remaining hinge by now. That was some good carpentry right there.

    ¡®¡¯Expellimarmurus yourself out of that one, Crap for brains!¡¯¡¯ I said. And with that, I pulled the door open and was on my merry way.

 Chapter 3: Quit mousing around

    My mouth still ached, but I knew it would heal soon. My level 1 Heal casting would only take a minute or two to completely alleviate the pain. If I wanted to, I could¡¯ve activated Leash several times, pulling Liam down onto all fours in complete submission. Yet, I hadn¡¯t done so, nor did I want to. It wasn¡¯t me. I wasn¡¯t the type to put others down or make them feel bad. It was the last thing I would ever want to do. I didn¡¯t know how I could ever live with myself. Yet, ironically, that¡¯s exactly how I ended up here¡ªin this world¡ªwith another man¡¯s death on my hands.

    From the moment I¡¯d woken up, guilt had consumed me. Even the thought of the events leading to our deaths was a blur of pain, confusion, and regret. And as much as I wanted to tell Liam, I knew I couldn¡¯t. There was too much to explain. He¡¯d only seen his side of the story, not mine. It hurt to hold it all in, but I had to. The timing had to be right. Right now, he was too angry. Every interaction, every glance, felt like an explosion waiting to happen. It was best for me to stay strong, tough it out, and let him vent. I could be a figurative punching bag, but as for a literal one? I had my limits.

    ¡°Wait up, Liam! How do you expect me to catch up with these tiny mouse feet?¡± I called as I scampered toward him. It was strange being so small. Every time I neared Liam¡¯s towering frame, my neck would strain trying to look up at him. The guy was a freak of nature¡ªfreakishly huge¡ªand each of his steps felt like a mile. Fortunately, my stamina and Adonis-like frame kept me in good shape. If mice could have six-packs, I¡¯d have a ten-pack.

    <b>Shut up. Just leave me alone. I hate you!</b>

    My mind-reading skill was passive, which had its perks, but some of the things Liam thought about me were downright hurtful. I knew it was just his skewed perspective, but it still stung.

    ¡°Ignoring me won¡¯t help either of us,¡± I shouted again as he took another massive stride. Keeping up with him was tough, especially with the long grass, the worms to jump over, and the army ants to dodge. I tripped a few times and ran through puddles, getting wetter by the second. After five minutes of silence, constant obstacles, and no sign of Liam slowing down, I started to lose my patience. I began considering my options.

    I suppose parting ways wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing, I thought. I could probably survive. I had the system and a handful of secret skills. As I kept walking, I slowed to a jog, then a walk, until I finally came to a stop.

    ¡°Goodbye, Liam. You hear me? I¡¯m done!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs. Enough was enough. If he didn¡¯t want to wait for me, then I didn¡¯t want to stick around.

    <b>/Open interface/</b>Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I clicked the icon at the top left of my screen and tapped on Maps. I zoomed in and out a few times to get my bearings and figure out the distance. The nearby town appeared, and I set it as my destination.

    From down here, all I saw was grass. Unlike Liam, I wasn¡¯t tall enough to spot the town from where I stood. I closed the interface and saw a glowing arrow appear in my vision. It was a pretty cool way of navigating this new world, and I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.

    A couple of minutes into my walk, I heard rustling to my right. I sniffed the air to check for danger. Nothing. The smell was faint. I opened my interface again and pulled up my skills list.

    <ul><li>Heal</li><li>Resurrect</li><li>Anthropomorphosize</li><li>Heightened Senses</li></ul>

    The list seemed endless, but I didn¡¯t have time to sift through it all. I found what I needed. I clicked on it, and immediately, my mind pulsed, and the world around me turned black and white. A wave expanded outward, revealing a 3D map of the surrounding area. And that¡¯s when I realized what had caused the rustling.

    Liam was in trouble.

    I scurried as fast as I could, my tiny heart pounding and my feet hitting the ground as hard as possible. I must¡¯ve been running 80 in a 30-mile zone¡­ for my size, anyway. I made it there in no time.

    <b>Roooooooooaaaaaaaarrrrr.</b>

    Before I saw the creature, I felt the ground shake from the powerful roar. It rattled my bones, and I almost passed out from the force of it. But there was no time to collapse. Liam needed me. Without me, he was defenseless. No attacks, no protection. As I¡¯d told him earlier, we were bonded. I had to get to him.

    I activated my heightened senses skill and pinpointed Liam¡¯s location. He wasn¡¯t moving. This was bad. I hurried my pace, reaching one of his shoes, and quickly realized he was down. This was worse than bad¡ªit was catastrophic.

    I climbed up the shoe and across his pants, getting uncomfortably close. His smell was overpowering. Damn, How long could mice hold their breaths again? But there was no time for that. I reached his face and carefully lifted one of his eyelids. He was out cold. No blood, at least, but he was knocked out. I moved to his mouth and extended a paw. His breath attack was still active. That was something, at least.

    <b>Roooooaaaarrrrrr.</b>

    Fear gripped me as I felt the creature¡¯s presence grow closer. It was right behind me, no more than ten meters away. I dared not turn around. I couldn¡¯t waste any time. I had to keep moving.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Liam. Stay with me, buddy.¡±

    <b>/Open interface/</b>

    <ul><li>Heal</li></ul>

    I tapped on the skill repeatedly. Heal. Heal. Heal. Heal.

    Sweat poured down my face, and my body tensed with each tap.

    Suddenly, a green aura enveloped Liam.

    ¡­ But it was too late.

    A massive paw seized me by the tail and yanked me into the air. As I spun helplessly by my tail, I glimpsed the giant creature¡¯s massive razor-sharp teeth and slithering eyes. It was over. With Liam out cold, I had no chance. The beast would eat me. There was no question. I hadn¡¯t planned on dying twice in 24 hours, but it seemed like that was my fate.

    Just then, I noticed movement. Liam was stirring. Slowly, but he was moving.

    ¡°Liam, Steph sends her regards. She always said you were a lazy jackass!¡±

    To my surprise, that seemed to do the trick. As I plummeted toward my doom, I took a chance and tapped the glowing tab on my interface¡­

    <b>Familiar.</b>

 Chapter 4: Feeling a little cagey?

    My eyes fluttered and my ears rang. For the second time in 24 hours, I felt myself awaking after what had surely felt like certain death. Whoever was watching over me was not doing a good job.

    A mousy screech faded through my ear canal. Something about cards and lazy jaguars. It was squeaky and whiny, and oh so very naggy. Only one person then. Dave. Yet, as I stood up to inevitably see him somewhere nearby, I didn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t anywhere around. Sure, he was small, but being as vain and as narcissistic as he was, he would have made a point of standing on top of me with a smug and condescending smirk. But no, there was definitely no Dave around. Instead, I was greeted by something far more tolerable and loveable in comparison. A wild bloodthirsty beast.

    The beast must have been the one that ambushed me and knocked me out earlier. Yet, as I slowly got up onto all fours as silently as possible, I couldn''t help but notice that it had just put something into its mouth. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t matter. That something had just provided me with an opportunity to escape while the beast was distracted. I shifted to turn away from the four-legged creature and slowly crawled towards a nearby tree. The height of the branches could offer me some safety. Outrunning whatever this creature was, would not be the smartest thing to do.

    Unfortunately for me, I made it 2 feet before I placed a hand on a twig. I grimaced and clenched my jaw, hoping that lifting my hand would be a quiet and soundless affair. Boy was I wrong.

    Rooooooaaaaaaarrrrrr

    The beast had noticed.

    I quickly got to my feet and turned to face it. And that¡¯s when I saw it for all its beauty. A furry overgrown kitten with a bell and cute pointy ears. I lie. It was a horrendous misshapen mess of a creature. It prowled around me on long, dark furry legs. Sniffed at me with a short muzzle and mouth filled with crooked fangs, dripping with saliva. It narrowed its grey, bloodshot eyes with a fierce look. And before I could ever say ¡®Who¡¯s a cute little boy?¡¯, it was leaping in the air towards me in slow motion.

    I closed my eyes and shielded my face, all but certain of my death. Yet, there was nothing. No, blunt force trauma, no being dragged by a leg across the grass, or even the unwanted nuzzling by this oh-so-loveable creature.

    Curious, I opened my eyes. I felt the beast sniffing around me. His muzzle pushed into my chest and my underarms. I did my best to stay still. I was no beast whisperer but knew a thing about training cats. ¡®Shhhing¡¯ a cat while simultaneously nipping it with your fingers is a surefire way to assert dominance¡­. Yet at his very moment in time, that seemed like suicide.

    After a few more sniffs, the dog backed away from me and began to growl loudly.

    I sniffed my underarms and completely understood. I guess eating me was out of the question, but as for killing me, that was still on the cards.

    The beast began to prepare itself for a second attack, but just then, something strange happened. I felt something from within. Invisible chains began to wrap around me. Power pulsated through my veins and my eyes brightened with the appearance of an interface. The interface was a welcomed surprise, the chains, however, not in the slightest. Bondage was not an interest of mine, neither magical nor the more intimate kind. I was a strait-laced kind of guy.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    As happy to see the interface as I was, it didn¡¯t show any controls or skills. All it told me was the beast¡¯s name, which was the ¡®Lesser Behemoth¡¯, and showed me a health bar. Kind of boring, but at least I had an interface now, and I felt awesome. Like I was radiating with power.

    The beast clearly hadn¡¯t noticed my new power up though, because he came rushing at me full force. I knew what I was going to do. A fast one, two to the face, followed by a sweet spinning back fist, just like all the badass isekai guys who awaken their powers do. Sweet, sharp and so fast that it looks effortlessly cool, with a harem of girls swooning in the background.

    Did things go that way? No!

    As the beast neared me, I noticed that I had no control over my limbs. I couldn¡¯t move anything. That was until I felt my right leg move of its own accord. It shook first as I subconsciously resisted and then shot up in an upward kick. Annoyingly, I missed the beast. Luckily though, my movement had been enough to send the beast jumping backwards in defense.

    My limbs continued to move of their own will. A left punch here, a right there. A left kick followed by two rights. There was no real pattern to anything. Occasionally, I blocked. I had no idea what I was doing and neither did the beast. It quickly grew tired though and decided to charge me again. And that¡¯s when I did something awesome. Although I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with my body, I can say with one hundred percent certainty, the next part was all me.

    I jumped up, did a 360 summersault, and landed a back heel on the beast¡¯s head. It fell flat to the floor with a loud thump. Instantly the feeling of being chained dissipated and I regained control over my body.

    I walked over to the beast to check if it was dead or just unconscious. To my surprise, it began to fade into light particles and disappear. When all the light had faded to nothingness. A few things lay on the floor. I grabbed hold of a small green gem. It didn¡¯t do much when I picked it up, not that I expected it to do anything. Nonetheless, it looked nice and possibly expensive. There were a couple of other items too. A small health potion and a tine green pellet, that seemed to be radiating some kind of energy. I didn¡¯t know what they were for or what they did, not since the interface on my screen had disappeared after the fight.

    I dusted myself off and got ready to head off when I heard the distinctly annoying, yet oh-so-familiar voice.

    ¡®Forgetting someone are we?¡¯ Dave had somehow managed to appear before me, not so hard given his size. He stood with his back facing me wearing a dark blue, satin cloak.

    I looked at him for a second and then nonchalantly headed for the town. I had almost died for a second time; I didn¡¯t need this. Not now. I was exhausted and in dire need of some food. It took no more than two steps to pass the rat.

    ¡®I saved your life¡¯

    I paid him no attention at first. My hunger was a greater calling than Dave¡¯s ego.

    ¡®No, really. I saved your life. I used my familiar tab to take control over your body!¡¯

    The last few words struck a nerve. I stopped and stood in place. The wind suddenly felt harsh, with an icy chill. I didn¡¯t immediately know how to process the last few words. I wanted to pick Dave up and throw him at the tree that lay behind him. I felt violated, hurt, and seething with rage. Yet, I felt constrained. As much as I wanted to inflict pain on this never-ending thorn in my side, something didn¡¯t feel right. I felt withdrawn from hurting him.

    ¡®It was the only way to save your life.¡¯ Dave sighed with regret. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to, you know ¡­¡­. But it was the only way.¡¯

    I tried to turn and look at him, but I couldn¡¯t. My pride wouldn¡¯t let me acknowledge him. Not yet. I still disliked him, but hate? That felt too strong now.

    I squeezed my mouth tight, holding in any regretful words before I was ready.

    I took a few deep breaths and told myself that this wasn¡¯t a conversation to be had on an empty stomach. I took a step forward and called over my shoulder, ¡®You coming?¡¯

    Dave, caught by surprise, raised his sullen face. His sadness was quickly replaced by a smile.

    ¡®You had me going there for a second. Now, let¡¯s go get some Gouda cheese to eat.¡¯

    I gave out a deep sigh. This was going to be exhausting.

    ¡®What nothing? Well anyway, I¡¯m glad you decided to relax and take it a little ch-easy on me today. I really thought I was grating on you.¡¯

    ¡®Shut it,¡¯ I responded, with a light kick to his side.

    ¡®Sure thing, I a Brie with you. Silence is golden.¡¯

 Chapter 5: An Eekciting turn of events

    I hurried behind Liam for a further 5 minutes till he finally stopped. My fur was damp with sweat, not that the human beanstalk gave a damn.

    ¡®Want to hitch a ride on my shoulder?¡¯

    As if he¡¯d ask me that. I¡¯d have better luck lassoing an eagle and hitching a ride. Imagine that, how cool would it be to see a mouse soaring through the sky on an eagle? Come to think of it, do I have that skill ¡­¡­.? I opened the interface and began to scroll through my skills list.

    -Bird whispering

    -Tail hopping

    -cat meowing

    Nope, all useless. Well, I guess cat meowing could be of some use later down the line.

    Distracted with my inner thoughts, I bumped into Liam¡¯s shoe. I wondered why he would¡¯ve stopped suddenly, and not wanting to deal with his ¡®oh so witty passive-aggressive/fully-aggressive/ and unfunny attempts at humor, I climbed up his trousers and shirt to get a better view.

    I perched myself on his shoulder and realized that we were finally here. The town we had seen from the shack. I didn¡¯t know how to tell this to Liam, but he was in for one hell of a wake-up call.

    We looked up in awe at the giant wooden wall that encompassed our vision. The wall must have been at least ten feet high. I wondered why it needed to be so tall. It looked very sturdy too. Vertical logs were stacked side by side and tied into place by thick rope.

    I could make out a path not far to our left that led into the town. There seemed to be an opening there, and I could just about see two guards.

    ¡®¡¯do you mind?¡¯¡¯ Hissed Liam.

    ¡®¡¯Oh sorry¡¯¡¯, I said slowly releasing my grip on his shoulder. I kind of forgot that I had claws. I think I grabbed on a little too tight.

    ¡®¡¯No not that!¡¯¡¯ hissed Liam as he squatted me back to point at a small wet patch on his shirt.

    ¡®¡¯Sorry, I kind of got a little excited,¡¯¡¯ I said. It was embarrassing but what else could I say? It¡¯s not like I knew instinctively how to be a mouse. You don¡¯t just wake up one day to find that you can no longer use a toilet for fear of falling down and being flushed away. Heck, I didn¡¯t even know what I should eat anymore. Worms, cockroaches, cheese? Did mice really eat cheese or was that only in the cartoons? And don¡¯t even get me started on women. Was I allowed to look at women anymore, would that be considered creepy? Or would it be creepy if I looked at female mice? Who knew, I sure as heck didn¡¯t.

    ¡®¡¯Well, look at the bright side,¡¯¡¯ I muttered. ¡®¡¯At least it adds some much-needed freshness to your dour musk.¡¯¡¯

    Liam raised a hand, about to swat me like a fly. I flinched waiting in anticipation. The blow, however, never came.

    ¡®¡¯Stop!¡¯¡¯ one of the guards walked over towards us. He wore simple brown leather armor, an ordinary helm, and leather sandals and carried a short sword by his side. The only defining feature about him was his sensational mousetache. It was a long handlebar which he evidently took great pride in maintaining.

    To Liam¡¯s surprise, and not so much mine, he also had a mouse lying lazily on his shoulder. A larger-than-average, authoritative-looking mouse that lay on a cushioned seat fastened onto the armor.

    How wonderfully curious. I had used my skills earlier to visit the area and gather a little intel. My heightened senses had alerted me to this. But I hadn¡¯t been certain of the workings of this small town till now.

    ¡®¡¯It is illegal for a human to harm their respective master.¡¯¡¯ Alerted the guard.

    Liam, dumbstruck, had no idea what the guard meant.

    ¡®¡¯Wh wha what ¡­..What do you mean master.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Sir, you have bound yourself to this mouse. Surely you are aware of the laws of our land. The humans of this land owe their fealty to the Royal Mousart family. And as decreed by his majesty, all mice upon reaching adulthood must choose a human familiar. Hence the one you have on your shoulder.¡¯¡¯

    I watched as Liam¡¯s face struggled to process this new information. The cogs were spinning in overtime. His face went red and then blanched white.

    ¡®¡¯Ohhhhh. I, I, I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯¡¯ Liam said as he looked at the guard and the chubby little mouse who sat staring from the guard¡¯s shoulder. ¡®¡¯I think you have me confused, sir.¡¯¡¯ I wasn¡¯t trying to hit him; I was just going to stroke him. See.¡¯¡¯ He gestured for the guard to look as he attempted to stroke me with a fake and evidently pained smile.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡®¡¯Owwww, you¡¯re too rough.¡¯¡¯ I moaned.

    ¡®¡¯Quiet, are you trying to get me killed.¡¯¡¯ Liam hissed.

    ¡®¡¯Oww, my arm. I think it¡¯s broken.¡¯¡¯ I cried from under his hand.

    ¡®¡¯That is enough sir. You are to follow me. Touch your master in such a manner again and I shall have you publicly flogged.¡¯¡¯ The guard grunted while grabbing Liam¡¯s arm away from me. ¡®¡¯And you sir, you really ought to put your familiar on a leash.¡¯¡¯

    The guard led the two of us toward the entrance. The whole time Liam seemed to be muttering under his breath and glaring at me. I¡¯m sure I saw him raise a fist at the sky at one point too. I couldn¡¯t help but snicker.

    As we passed the second guard and entered the walled town, the first guard led us away from the main path and towards a thin door. He opened it to reveal a simple room, unadorned of furnishings; the exceptions being a simple cell in the corner and a table with two chairs. He guided Liam into the cell and slammed it shut. The look on Liam¡¯s face was priceless. My grin spread from ear to ear. I tried my best to hide it¡­.. I failed. Liam bit his tongue, opting to make a threatening gesture while the guard wasn¡¯t looking.

    ¡®¡¯And sir, would you like some tea, maybe some coffee while we deal with your insubordinate familiar?¡¯¡¯

    I thought for a moment. Some tea would be nice, but so would coffee. I wondered if they had some delicious coffee, possibly a latte with semi-skimmed almond milk and chocolate sprinkles. I never had one on Earth but heard that it was to die for. And well, I had already died, so why not?

    ¡®¡¯Yes, I would like a latte with semi-skimmed almond milk and chocolate sprinkles.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯A tea it is then.¡¯¡¯ The guard said as he slammed the door shut behind him.

    I glanced over at Dave. He seemed to be rocking in the corner and mumbling to himself. Maybe it was the exhaustion of finding out about this world and the earlier fight. I knew I was a handful, but my intentions weren¡¯t bad. Even now, there was a greater purpose for getting him into trouble.

    I tried to read his mind.

    <i>Master, Master Mouse, Master Mouse of all the ridiculous things.</i>

    If I didn¡¯t know any better, I was sure that Liam was unhappy with me being his master.

    ¡®Liam, you have to believe me. I acted in our own best interest. I know it¡¯s hard to believe. You must know that I wouldn¡¯t really put you in harm¡¯s way.¡¯¡¯ I tried to sound as sincere as possible.

    Liam was sitting down with his back towards me. He didn¡¯t respond but instead scooted further towards the corner of the cell.

    A moment later, the guard entered with a porcelain cup containing some kind of tea. It was small and perfectly sized for a mouse like me. It smelt and tasted great.

    ¡®¡¯Sir, it is unfortunate that you have such an insubordinate familiar. I¡¯ll let you choose his punishment, but before proceeding, I must ask the reason for your visit and your intentions.¡¯¡¯

    I put my tea down and looked up at the guard and then his master. His master was fast asleep and snoring, with a small snot bubble that seemed to be ever-expanding.

    I looked over at Liam and then again at the guard. I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth. He wouldn¡¯t take too well to hearing that we were reincarnated. I didn¡¯t think anyone would for that matter.

    ¡®¡¯We came from the North. Our village was attacked a few days ago and we¡¯ve been looking for a safe place since. Forgive my familiar. He might be a brute, an unhygienic louse, and have the intelligence of a mule, but deep down, he has the heart and loyalty of the best of them.¡¯¡¯

    The guard eyed me suspiciously.

    Liam still sat with his head down in the corner.

    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t know how many villages have been affected by that cursed barrier. We¡¯ve had many refugees coming through our gates recently so I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡¯¡¯

    The guard glanced at both of us before letting out a long sigh.

    How curious that our backstory managed to merge perfectly with actual events, I thought to myself.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m guessing you came here with nothing.¡¯¡¯ He said as he twirled one end of his mousetache.

    I nodded looking a little saddened by our poor state of affairs.

    He reached behind his scabbard and pulled out a piece of paper that had been tucked there. ¡®¡¯Take this and head to Whiskers Inn. The owner is a friend of mine. He¡¯ll put you up for a few nights and give you something to eat while you get yourselves sorted.¡¯¡¯

    Then he looked over at Liam.

    ¡®¡¯He know how to fight?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯well, he¡¯s got the heart of a lion and the coordination of a man who¡¯s been stung in the backside by a bee, if that counts.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Good, Good. Then you could consider visiting the guild. They¡¯ll have some jobs going. That¡¯ll give you a decent start in town until you decide what trade you wish to pursue. But judging by the way things are going, I don¡¯t know how much longer we have left.¡¯¡¯

    The guard stood up and gestured for the door.

    ¡®¡¯Wait, we forgot something. My subordinate¡¯s punishment. Liam¡¯s ears suddenly shot up and began to twitch.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You wouldn¡¯t happen to have any stocks where people are shackled and have rotten fruit thrown at them, would you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Why, yes we would?¡¯¡¯

    Liam turned towards me with eyes wide open.

    <i>You wouldn¡¯t</i>

    I smirked at him and then looked back at the guard. ¡®¡¯Maybe another time, I guess.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Liam,¡¯¡¯ I called. ¡®¡¯You won¡¯t act up again, will you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No, Sir. Not.¡¯¡¯ He bowed and nodded profusely at the guard

    ¡®¡¯Uhhumm. I think the word you¡¯re thinking of is Mouseter Dave.¡¯¡¯

    Liam almost snapped, his Jaw clenching tight, before quickly smiling at the guard and agreeing.

    ¡®¡¯Yes, Mauster Dave.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Much better Liam. Time to go now.¡¯¡¯ I called. ¡®¡¯Master, it has a nice ring to it.¡¯¡¯.

    Liam stood up swiftly and hurried me out. He picked me up by my tail as we passed through the doorway and perched me on his shoulder.

    ¡®¡¯What was all that about? You could have gotten me arrested or even flogged.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No, your master would never do such a thing. With greater power, comes great ¡­¡­ now what was that word.?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Respons¡­¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Privileges. that was it.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Now off to the Whiskers inn, steed,¡¯¡¯ I called as we headed off towards the inn.

 Chapter 6: Off to the Whiskers Inn

    Seeing the inside of this walled town felt both nostalgic and new at the same time. It resembled what you would have imagined a medieval town from the thirteenth century to have looked like. You had your blacksmiths, bakers, apothecaries, and much more. What you didn¡¯t have in the medieval times of Earth, however, were tailors specifically for mice, entertainment districts¡ªagain, just for mice¡ªand also the execution gallows¡ªthis was for both mice and men.

    The townspeople were also an unusual sight. Almost all the humans had a mouse fastened to their shoulders. The exceptions included beings of other races. I noticed several green lizardmen, a few cat-eared demi-humans, and occasionally a cobalt or two. I really was in some kind of RPG world.

    And that got me thinking¡­.

    Life in this new world was strange. Back in my previous life, I hadn¡¯t appreciated the smaller details, like the taste of coffee, the feel of a hot shower following an intense workout, or even the annoyingly rude behavior of people cutting a queue. The only tangible object or person still connecting me to my old life was Dave. And even that was wrong. He was a mouse now.

    In the past, I hated Dave. I blamed him for everything wrong in my life. The loss of my promotion and the sour end to my relationship with Steph. He was the root of all that was wrong in my life. Him. The single entity that was my downfall- not just off the balcony of course!

    Yet, thinking about it now, I don¡¯t think I ever really got to know Dave. We said hello or gave passing nods, but we never actually engaged in an actual conversation. I didn¡¯t know anything about the man¡­. I mean mouse. For all I know, we could have been friends, had things been a little different of course.

    Was my hate warranted or was it a misguided attempt to deflect from my shortcomings?

    This realization guided me back to the present. Our old lives were over. My job no longer mattered and neither did Steph. We were in a new world with endless possibilities. Endless new experiences and the best thing about it was that we were not alone. We were bonded and had each other. Dave, although unfunny, was kind of bearable now that I was getting to know him a little better.

    I smiled at the sudden realization, and I felt genuinely happy for doing so. This was the first time that I was actually happy in a very long time. The stress of the old world was no longer mine to carry. The weight finally began lifting off my shoulders. Well not literally, as Dave was still sitting on them, figuratively. I was excited for all the future had in store.

    ¡®¡¯You done daydreaming?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Huh?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You might want to duck.¡¯¡¯

    I reacted too late. A large boulder-sized hand came barreling into my face to knock me clean to the floor. The fall was hard, and the impact on my nose was even harder.

    A large bear of a man loomed over me. I struggled to make out his features as he stood with the Sun to his back. ¡®¡¯Why were you ogling my woman.¡¯¡¯ Said a voice. The voice though, didn¡¯t sound like it came from the monstrous human figure. It was too squeaky and quiet. It was a shrill and mousy voice. At first, I thought I had been goofily smiling at the man¡¯s wife or girlfriend while in my head, daydreaming. However, the evidence now seemed to be pointing at something else entirely.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Dave hid behind my raggedy shirt collar, holding on tightly.

    ¡®¡¯Hey!¡¯¡¯ I turned and whispered over my shoulder. ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t know you were into mice?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, I didn¡¯t know either. I was just staring out of curiosity and then suddenly my tail started wagging and circling excitedly. I had no idea what was going on. I¡¯m still new to this body.¡¯¡¯

    Before I could get back up, the brute of the man lunged for me. I quickly rolled out of the way and got to my feet.

    I felt Dave poking and tapping around. He must have opened his interface because I immediately felt a surge of power. My body rippled as my muscles began to reverberate with power. My vision grew sharper and my instincts deadlier. I felt ready to take on the world.

    I turned to face the brute. Feeling overly confident, I gave him a warning. ¡®It¡¯s not too late to back down.¡¯

    The square-jawed brute spat at the floor. The mouse on his shoulder seemed unperturbed too. He sat on his throne and twirled the hair of his walrus moustache while smirking.

    ¡®¡¯My honor has been besmirched. Your little mouse friend was blowing kisses at my sweet Delores and made her feel most uncomfortable.¡¯¡¯ He voiced while pointing to the crowd.

    I looked over and noticed a human woman shouldering a rather large feminine mouse, with teeth twice the size of my fingernails. She fashioned a polka dot dress, and hid behind her familiar, blushing.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure we ca¡­.¡¯¡¯ before I could finish my sentence my body started to move of its own accord.

    I threw several punches into the air and a few kicks. The rhythm and movement seemed off. I was hitting nothing but empty space.

    The brute and his mouse just looked at me in confusion as I didn¡¯t seem to be heading in their direction.

    ¡®¡¯you ok there, Dave?¡¯¡¯ I glanced at the little guy on my shoulder who seemed to have some  type of controller in his hand, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any clue of what he was doing.

    Suddenly my body started to move towards the crowd that had been gathering. Kick, punch, kick punch.

    ¡®¡¯Dave, you need to do something quick.¡¯¡¯

    We got closer and closer. The crowd began to panic and scream. Several women and their mice fainted.

    ¡®¡¯Help. Save us!¡¯¡¯ cried voices from the fast-dispersing crowd. ¡®¡¯His tail, I saw it. Save the women!¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Not to fear.¡¯¡¯ Said a familiar voice. It was the mouse. ¡®¡¯I shall defend you all and my honor.¡¯¡¯

    ********

    I¡¯m guessing that I must have been knocked out because the next thing I knew, me and Dave were in the stocks.

    ¡®¡¯Damn you, Dave! I thought you had it under control.¡¯¡¯ I shouted while trying to turn my head in the tiny hole so he could see my angry side eye.

    ¡®¡¯Uhhhhh, Liam. I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but I¡¯ve never played a video game in my life. And that controller is kind of alien to me.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯What do you mean you¡¯ve never played a game before.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well yeah, who would have time? I was a lady''s man back then, and I¡¯m a lady''s mouse now. That and work kind of kept me busy.¡¯¡¯

    Before I could say anything further, a rotten tomato sailed and smacked me just above my eye. And then another. And another. Occasionally, a potato which was uncalled for. Soon it was a non-stop barrage of mouldy fruit and vegetables.

    I guess Dave was getting pummeled quite badly too because this was the longest time that he had gone without saying anything.

    The assault of angry chants, booing, and pelting lasted an hour until we were finally released by a guard. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the one that had helped us earlier. We would most likely have lost our beds for the night.

    Soaked in rotten fruit and thoroughly exhausted, I picked up a soggy Dave by the tail and splashed him onto my shoulder.

    ¡®¡¯To the whiskers inn?¡¯¡¯ I asked.

    ¡®¡¯To the Whiskers Inn.¡¯¡¯ He replied.

 Chapter 7: The Whiskers Inn

    I lay half-dead on Liam¡¯s shoulder, weakly penetrating my claws through his soggy shirt, to stop myself from slipping off as he walked. Liam did his best to move with precise movements, although, he did slip several times from the rotten fruit that covered him all over, his feet included. The mood was somber, and we paid little attention to what was around us. Several times our stomachs grumbled, and as enticing as the smell of food from nearby bakeries and taverns was, we had no money.

    To make matters worse, I had no idea what Liam was doing. His logic defied belief, and not for wanting, I just couldn¡¯t pull myself to make fun of him. He held the map upside down. The map the guard had given us was simple to read, or so I had thought. Not for Liam, though. Liam had still read it wrong. The map showed a circle, with a gap in it to indicate the entrance, a line through the middle for the long business district that dissected the town, and then an X at the other end to indicate the location of Whiskers Inn.

    How hard could it be? It''s tough if you¡¯re a Liam. When I first noticed the upside-down map, I carefully pushed past the slop that still lay between me and his neck and weakly slapped him. His response was a simple grunt, so I slapped him again. He must have understood, as he turned the map around in the correct direction.

    I guess he was clearly at his limits too.

    Following several unnecessary wrong turns, odd stares, and whispers from passersby, we finally arrived at Whiskers Inn. The not-so-grand, ramshackle, storm-beaten inn would be our home for the next few days. Compared to the other buildings we had passed, I could see why it was at the far end of the town. It was intended to be far away from the nice, well-kept buildings that seemed welcoming and open to all business.

    Not this place. This was the type of place you¡¯d find a dead body or two in the basement, blood splatter on the floor, and, if you were really unlucky, a hair in your soup.

    There was an air of danger about the place, but that didn¡¯t bother me too much. Liam and I had powers. We could take on anyone¡ªor so I hoped. The building loomed over us, looking larger than it was. I took a big gulp and hoped for the best.

    Liam proceeded to walk through the doors and into what appeared to be a bar with an eating area. Several groups of patrons lay dotted across tables on either side of us, glaring with curiosity. Our entrance was unusual because the low chatter of conversation we had heard from outside ground to a halt.

    The menacing faces staring at us looked us over. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was the rotten fruit that had drawn their attention or ourselves- the newcomers. Their eyes had questions; their mouths, however, stayed shut.

    The silence was deafening. It didn¡¯t last long, though; the brutes quickly grew bored.

    And so, we just walked on in as everyone got back to eating and talking. Occasional pieces of fruit pulp and skin fell to the floor as we headed further.

    We stopped at the rectangular bar in the center of the room. Liam could have pulled a stool to sit on but decided against creating a further mess for the owner.

    A woman quickly rushed out from behind a door on the other side of the counter and approached us, cleaning her hands with a rag as she did so. Her hair blew slowly across her face in slow motion¡ªnot for me, but obviously for Liam, as he lost the ability to talk.

    She eyed us up and down suspiciously and then looked at the trail of rotten fruit we had left behind. Not too fussed by the mess, she nonchalantly continued.

    ¡®¡¯What can I do you for?¡¯¡¯ asked the young buxom woman. I say buxom because Liam¡¯s gaze had quickly shifted, and his eyes were fully open. The fatigue had magically vanished. It was intriguing to see the effect of an attractive woman on Liam. I decided to make a mental note of this. It could be useful; I smirked to myself.

    ¡®¡¯Uh, uh, I mm¡­¡¯¡¯ The fool kept tripping on his tongue. So, I decided to take over the conversation. I pushed myself to my feet and quickly wiped off some of the muck to look more presentable.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, can you please stop staring for one minute?¡¯¡¯ I said while kicking a piece of tomato towards Liam¡¯s forehead. Not that he noticed, of course. He was too transfixed on the woman before us. Never mind a piece of tomato stuck to your forehead. Great way to make a first impression.

    Liam, still frozen from the curse of being lovestruck, failed to notice the tomato sliding down his face until it hit his chin and splattered onto the floor.

    The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed in disapproval as she brushed her hair over her ear and put the rag down.

    This finally got a reaction from the oaf.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Liam squirmed slightly, and I felt the heat from his body rise as he turned to glare at me, his face now streaked with tomato and probably a bit of embarrassment. He wiped off the piece of red juice, and I noticed him mutter under his breath.

    I leaned in and whispered, ¡°You know, if you¡¯re going to stare, at least try not to look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±

    Liam gave me an exaggerated shrug and attempted to speak again, most likely an apology. And again, the words failed to come out.

    The woman smiled at him. She clearly had experience with toying with men, because I felt Liam shift awkwardly as his cheeks grew red.

    I¡¯d be lying if I said my tail wasn¡¯t wagging too, so I quickly grabbed it and held it tightly in place. This added to my confusion. Did I like mice, or did I like women? That was a philosophical question for another time. Maybe when I felt more rested.

    ¡®¡¯Sorry, ma¡¯am. My friend has worked on a farm all his life. He does not know how to correctly engage with people, let alone ones of the opposite gender. He has only ever spoken to farm animals. His actions are the reason for this mess you see before you, which I am deeply apologetic for.¡¯¡¯

    Even though I couldn¡¯t see his face, I could feel his anger. He intentionally pulled on his shirt collar, causing me to almost lose my balance and fall off his shoulder.

    Liam stumbled as he tugged again at his shirt in annoyance, tripping over his own feet and almost knocking into the bar. ¡°Whoa there, Liam!¡± I barely managed to avoid being thrown into the nearby patrons.

    ''''Sorry,'''' Liam finally managed to mumble before returning to being mute.

    ¡®¡¯I should hope so¡­ now what can I do you for?¡¯¡¯ she asked again in a slightly irritated tone. Not so keen on conversation, I guessed, after I had regained my composure. Unusual for a barkeep, but given the location and clientele¡ªseveral of whom wore eyepatches¡ªI could see why.

    ¡®¡¯We were instructed to come here on the entrance guard¡¯s recommendation.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Liam, the paper,¡¯¡¯ I called. No response. Looking over his face, I noticed that he was still staring like a buffoon. Fortunately, the woman had either not noticed or was used to it. I elbowed him to get his attention.

    That did the trick.

    ¡®¡¯The letter¡­¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Oh right.¡¯¡¯ He nodded and fished it out and handed it to the woman.

    She sighed as she grabbed the letter. Her behavior seemed to be at odds with her job. Almost as if she wasn¡¯t used to dealing with customers.

    She took a moment to read the note on the back of the map. It was a strange language that Liam and I had failed to decipher, but she had no trouble. The language was something we needed to learn or maybe acquire a skill for.

    While reading, she occasionally glanced at us. She raised an eyebrow and then suddenly smiled. Putting the letter on the counter, her mood did a complete 180. It was almost like something had clicked into place for her. She went from being uncomfortable about our presence to now being fully accommodating.

    ¡®¡¯Ahhhh, I see. Well, welcome to the Whiskers Inn. I¡¯m Mary,¡¯¡¯ she smiled widely. Her eyes, however, failed to maintain the warmth her smile presented.

    I looked over at Liam, and he hadn¡¯t noticed. He was like a lovesick puppy, panting.

    ¡®¡¯Well, if Briar is ok with you, then so am I. I take it you¡¯ll be needing a room, a hot bath, and something to eat.¡¯¡¯ The change in her mood was startling. A beautiful smile spread across her face and her eyes now twinkled too. She ignored Liam, whose ogling went without reprimand. How Liam managed to get a girlfriend on Earth and even avoid prison was beyond me. I didn¡¯t know much about him¡ªwell, no more than Steph being his first girlfriend¡ªbut still, his behavior was a little embarrassing.

    ¡®¡¯I think you should have a bath first, given the mess.¡¯¡¯ She said, looking us up and down again. She placed two towels down in front of us from beneath the bar. She then handed us a key with a large tag that read Room 313. That was strange, surely this small inn didn¡¯t have more than 300 rooms, did it?

    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ll find a bathtub in the room, a large bucket of water, and a fire starter above the fireplace. Come back if you need help. Dinner will be ready in an hour,¡¯¡¯ she pointed at the stairs on our left.

    On Earth, I had never been an inn kind of person, but I had enough experience with people, and for that matter, women, to know that Mary was up to something. If only we could have read what was in the letter.

    It also didn¡¯t help that I could¡¯ve sworn that she had given a nod to someone behind us. I tried to discreetly turn around to get a better look, but all I saw was the other patrons laughing, eating, and in deep discussion. There was one, however, that stood out. A tall man who sat loosely at the edge of a raucous group, trying his best to fit in. He sat loosely at the edge of a table like he was uncomfortable and not sure of how to engage in conversation with the rest. He had a strong build and a scar running down one eye. He must¡¯ve noticed me staring because he looked over and gave me an awkward grin. I decided to reciprocate his friendly gesture and blew him a kiss. That caught him off guard and left him a little befuddled as he almost fell off his stool.

    Turning back I was now certain that something was wrong here. I felt it in my small bones. I just couldn¡¯t figure out what.

    I stayed calm and didn¡¯t immediately raise Liam¡¯s attention. The last thing we¡¯d want is to be trapped in the center, surrounded.

    I stood and did a quick scan of the room.

    None of the patrons had mice on their shoulders. No masters to their familiars.

    I looked at Mary in shock. She smiled back at me knowingly. It couldn¡¯t be, could it?

    I ran the evidence through my head once more to be sure. I was now certain. But I couldn¡¯t give myself away too soon. Mary couldn¡¯t have known that I was on to her, could she?

    Liam thanked her, or at least tried¡ªmuttering whatever drivel he was able to muster. The fool had no idea of the danger we were in, and how could he? His primary brain had ceased all function.

    Trying to look as calm as I could, I thanked her too.

    We headed for the stairs. I took careful note of two windows, the door beyond the counter, the entrance, and the door wedged between the counter and window on the right wall. That door may have been a storage area, I assumed.

    ¡®¡¯Thank God.¡¯¡¯

    Liam didn¡¯t notice, but I did and quickly looked back to see the lady glaring at us with a foul expression. It was only momentary, but I caught it before it quickly transformed into a smile when she noticed me.

    We had inadvertently fallen into a trap.

    I had to warn Liam.

 Chapter 8: Squeaking love?

    ¡®¡¯What do you think? She liked me, right?'''' asked the lovestruck buffoon as he bounded up the stairs two at a time.

    I didn¡¯t want to entertain his delusions. We were in danger, and I needed to think.

    ¡®¡¯C¡¯mon, say something. You saw her smile at me. Oh yeh, don¡¯t forget the way she brushed her hair away.¡¯¡¯ He continued.

    ¡®¡¯Oh god, Why did you have to lumber me with such a buffoon?¡¯¡¯ I snapped and stamped a foot on Liam¡¯s shoulder. ¡®¡¯She is not into you; she¡¯s up to something. We¡¯ve walked right into a trap.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You don¡¯t know that. What proof do you have?¡¯¡¯ asked Liam, with a hint of anger.

    I couldn¡¯t deal with this. Just let me think, please, my inner voice screamed.

    ¡®¡¯You know what, Liam? Yes, she is so into you. I saw her blush when you weren¡¯t looking. And did you see her twirl her fingers between her hair?¡¯¡¯ Please give me strength. At least that¡¯ll buy me a few seconds of silence.

    ¡®¡¯Now that you mention it, I remember that. It was while she was reading the letter. She kept looking at it and then back at me.¡¯¡¯ Liam smiled with the goofiest smile I¡¯ve ever seen.

    I slapped my face with my palm.

    At least he was done asking me stupid questions. Unfortunately, though, I didn¡¯t manage to get the time I wanted.

    ¡®¡¯Hmmm, this is strange.¡¯¡¯ Murmured Liam.

    We reached the top of the stairs to see a shimmering barrier between ourselves and the hallway that led to the rooms. It had a faint blue and purple glow that pulsed and moved from one area to another.

    Can we go through it? I thought to myself.

    Liam reached out a hand and the key in his other hand began to vibrate and give off a faint blue glow. The barrier reacted to the key and slowly dissolved before us to reveal doors numbered 300 and upwards.

    ¡®¡¯Must be some kind of spatial magic,¡¯¡¯ I said.

    Liam nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.

    We moved in silence. The corridor stretched out before us until we reached room 313.

    ¡®¡¯This is so cool. Looking from the outside, you would never expect such a dilapidated dump to have so many rooms.¡¯¡¯ Said an excited Liam.

    Liam still didn¡¯t get it. For myself, however, it was becoming more and more apparent the danger we were in. If this was spatial magic, then the only way out was through the way we came in. That meant exiting through the front doors.

    Liam pulled on the door handle and the key glowed again to unlock it.

    The room inside was pleasant. It had two single beds, with white linen sheets, a bathtub in the center of the room, a fireplace on the wall to our left, and a round table to the right with two simple stools.

    I jumped off Liam¡¯s shoulder and landed on my feet. It was a little disorientating switching my view so suddenly, from top-down to down-top.

    While Liam got to work on the fire, I headed over to the bathtub. Did I want to share it with Liam? That was a hard pass. I needed to stay clear of him. While my mind was on saving our lives, his was on Buxom Mary. Trying to guess what was on his mind sent a shiver down my spine. The bathtub was a definite no-no.

    I looked around for an alternative. Thank you!

    Looking at the table, I noticed a jug and two cups. I headed over and stood before the giant cup. I needed help but didn¡¯t want to ask Liam. I was still angry at him for underestimating our predicament.

    /Open interface/

    Skills

    -Tail hop L1 -activate.

    I landed in the cup effortlessly and laughed at Liam who was still trying to get the fire started.

    I checked out my other skills and used a combination of ¡®Water blast¡¯ and ¡®burning flare¡¯ to create my bath.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Finally, I relaxed as the warmth soaked into my body.

    ¡®¡¯Damnit, who uses rocks to start a fire? Mary said to meet her in an hour. Light up you stupid fire.¡¯¡¯ Cried Liam.

    I ignored him. Opening my interface, I spent a couple of minutes going through my skills. I found nothing that could help us escape the Inn. I had an overpowered set of skills, but that set didn¡¯t come with a teleportation skill. Just my luck.

    I exited the skills section and suddenly noticed that the <b>internal resonance</b>

    tab was glowing.

    <b>Internal Resonance at 8%</b>

    <b>Two percent for bond upgrade.</b>

    Could it be?

    Did we have to be nice to each other for this thing to work...

    And what did the upgrade mean¡­

    Were the higher-ups playing therapist or what?

    <b>Knock Knock</b>

    The knocking was very forceful. Someone was eager to see us, but who?

    I had a feeling I knew.

    Liam had heard the knock and got up. I had to stop him quickly.

    Rocking side to side, I tipped over my bath. My heart yearned for the gentle warmth but now wasn''t the time.

    I had to think fast. If I asked Liam to stop and let me get it, he wouldn¡¯t listen.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, don¡¯t worry about it. I got it. You need to get ready for Mary. She¡¯s waiting for us.¡¯¡¯

    That worked. He gave the same goofy, sickening smile from earlier and got back to work on the fire. I decided to cut him a break for obeying and used one of my skills to hurl a fireball over at the fireplace. It grew from my fingers in a blaze and flew over with blistering speed toward the logs.

    ¡®¡¯I finally got it started.¡¯¡¯ Yelped Liam.

    Of course, given my size, the fireball just looked like a flying ember to him.

    <b>Knock Knock</b>

    ¡®¡¯Who¡¯s there?¡¯¡¯ I asked.

    ¡®¡¯Room service.¡¯¡¯ Replied a burly voice.

    ¡®¡¯We didn¡¯t order room service.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s complimentary. We have cheese, dried fish, and meat.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Oh, that sounds amazing.¡¯¡¯ Replied Liam, who had just finished setting the bucket of water over the fireplace.

    Fool, get back, I whispered to myself as he began to walk over to the door.

    ¡®¡¯Sorry, We¡¯re vegan.¡¯¡¯

    As Liam got closer, I quickly opened my interface and used my skill, ¡®¡¯slick¡¯¡¯

    He began slipping, desperately trying to regain his balance.

    ¡®¡¯What¡¯s a vegan?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Someone you don¡¯t ever want to mess with,¡¯¡¯ I replied, and with that, I heard them walk away.

    ¡®¡¯What was that about and why do you have a towel around your waist? You¡¯re a mouse.¡¯¡¯ Asked Liam angrily.

    ¡®¡¯Listen, I may be a mouse, but I have some shame, you know. I don¡¯t want my bits hanging out for the whole world to see.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, what were you doing until now and how did it suddenly appear out of nowh¡­¡¯¡¯

    Before Liam could finish, the door smashed to pieces before us. Large shards of wood shot towards me. I had no time to react. A bright explosion followed, blinding us and overwhelming all our other senses. A ringing shot through my ears as the world began to spin. I tried to stand but fell over several times. Nausea and disorientation kept me stuck to the floor. A glimpse of Liam showed that he was in no better state than myself.

    I saw myself lifted off the ground. Liam was on the floor. He was shouting something and reaching for me. I couldn¡¯t hear him. His mouth. His mouth ¡­ seemed to be saying.

    Everything blacked out.

    <b>Internal resonance - 10% threshold has been achieved.</b>

    <b>Initiating Upgrade.</b>

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    <b>Upgrade installation complete.</b>

    <b>Telepathic link synched.</b>

    <b>Combat system erased.</b>

    <b>New system implemented.</b>

    <b>Familiar combat autopilot synched.</b>

    <b>Shapeshifter skill Lv 1 now available.</b>

 Chapter 9: Hands Off My Mouse!

    I remember reaching my hand out towards someone but who? No one came to mind. Everything was blank. Everything was dark.

    Nothingness consumed me. And for a while, I believed that my existence had ceased.

    I had no memory of who I was or what I was doing. Why was I here? What was my purpose? These questions and many more filled my mind.

    Suddenly, a flash of a tail appeared in my mind. A sense of annoyance was triggered within.

    I felt my heart. It beat fast. Faster. And faster yet. A ringing pierced my skull.

    My limbs; my hands, legs, and head. I could feel them again.

    I opened my eyes, and Suddenly I remembered who I was.

    Rage filled me as the mocking faces of a certain mouse ran around my vision. Taunting me with his goofy ¡®I told you so smile¡¯.

    Damn it Dave!

    Screw you!

    He had been right. We had walked straight into a trap, and it was all my fault.

    I grabbed the edge of the bathtub and steadied myself. It took a further minute for me to see straight and stand without support. This was quicker than I had hoped. The stupid Daves slowly began to fade too.

    I should have listened to him. As much as I tried to dislike him, he had grown on me, and now that he needed me, I had no intention of letting him down.

    I needed help, and there was one person who I knew I could rely on, sweet Mary. Rushing through the room, I paid no attention to the shards of wood and splinters strewn across the floor. I ran down the stairs and straight to the counter as fast as my legs could carry me.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡®¡¯Mary, I need your help!¡¯¡¯ I shouted while slamming a fist on the counter.

    A moment later, the door behind the counter swung open and Mary walked through. Her hair billowed in the cool breeze as she swung her head from side to side, her movements oddly slow and hypnotic¡­ snap out of it. Now is not the time.

    Mary turned and looked at me raising an eyebrow, ¡®¡¯Everything ok?¡¯¡¯ she asked.

    No, of course not, you beautiful fool. I couldn¡¯t say that to her, so I carefully chose my words.

    ¡®¡¯Maaey, mouse boom.¡¯¡¯ Pull yourself together man, I told myself slapping my cheeks.

    Mary looked at me like I was crazy.

    Taking a moment to compose myself, I took a deep inhale and tried again.

    I pointed toward the room, gestured an explosion using my hands, and then mimed mouse ears to represent Dave. Mary seemed to be nodding along so I continued.

    When I finally finished, Mary smiled and told me not to worry. Everything will be fine.

    ¡®¡¯How?¡¯¡¯ I finally spoke. I was confused. She seemed so calm given my clear distress and the severity of the situation.

    ¡®¡¯There¡¯s no need to worry. Your master is just a little occupied. You could say that you''ll be free of him soon.¡¯¡¯ Her lips twisted into a sinister grin. It lasted only a moment and quickly returned to a normal smile.

    ¡®¡¯And the two of us will be able to enjoy dinner together soon?¡¯¡¯

    The two of us?

    My eyes darted to the destroyed room up the stairs and then to Mary, the realization began to slowly dawn on me. Mary hadn¡¯t wanted me. She had wanted Dave all along. She had never been smiling at me. It was him the whole time. This strange town ¡­ The people here love mice! How was this happening? How! How could I ever think that I had a chance with someone like Mary?

    I felt a tear form in the corner of my eye. My heart began to crumble and in it¡¯s place a dark stone wall began to take its place.

    Damn you, Dave! I¡¯ll get you for this!

    He was a mouse, and even now, in this world, he was stealing the women I loved right from under my nose¡­ literally. That damn 3-inch fool.

    My blood began to boil once more. Dave, I promised, I¡¯ll get you for this.

    Mary noticed the change in my expression and seemed to frown.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, ¡­¡¯¡¯

    Her words faded as I turned to head towards the exit. I needed time to myself. As I reached the door, something struck me in the back of the head, and I passed out.

    I hated this world. It seemed like passing out was quickly becoming my favorite hobby.

 Chapter 10: Caught in a mouse trap.

    ¡®¡¯I have plot armor. You can¡¯t hurt me you hear! I¡¯m the main character.¡¯¡¯ Shouted Dave.

    That noise. My head hurts. Be quiet. My thoughts felt heavy and scrambled.

    ¡®¡¯You wait till I get out; I¡¯ll teach all of you extras a lesson that you¡¯ll never forget.¡¯¡¯

    Quiet, Dave! Do you ever close that hole of yours? Do you know the meaning of the word?

    Wait¡­ Dave! He¡¯s next to me. To my surprise, I found myself waking next to Dave.

    Dave¡¯s voice was the precursor to the physical pain that kicked in as soon I became fully conscious and aware of my surroundings.

    Great. A Pain in the butt followed by more pain. Could my life get any worse?

    I found myself shackled to a wall in a dark, damp basement. It stunk. The ground was soft mud, and water could be heard dripping from several different places. The metal shackles were cold and dug into my skin. I blinked an eye to let it adjust to the dim, fire-lit room.

    ¡®¡¯Just you wait till I get free.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Dave will you just shut it for once!¡¯¡¯ I demanded while glancing over at him.

    Dave did just that and lowered his head in resignation. The guard he had been shouting at stood in the shadows, barely visible- hidden in the back of the room.

    ¡®¡¯So, this is where Mary brought you?¡¯¡¯ A pang of regret hit me as I looked at Dave to see him battered and bruised. He was shackled next to me, his feet dangled helplessly off the floor.

    I sighed.

    How stupid could I have been? Mary didn¡¯t want Dave; she had wanted both of us. Just not in the way I had expected.

    <i>Bondage isn¡¯t my thing</i>. I laughed to myself in self-pity. <i>Who am I kidding, it isn¡¯t like anyone can hear me.</i>

    ¡®¡¯Umm, Liam¡­ I can hear you; you remember?¡¯¡¯ whispered Dave with his head down. ''''And I could be wrong, but I think you can hear my thoughts now too. One of my tabs ¡®Internal resonance¡¯ got upgraded. Our link should be a two-way telepathic link now.¡¯¡¯

    <i>Good to know. </i>I pushed my thoughts out. Not that it changed the loudness of how Dave would hear them.

    In all honesty, I couldn¡¯t say that I was surprised about this upgrade to Dave¡¯s ability. Since I had woken up in the dungeon, I had felt something tugging in the back of my mind.

    <i>It works.</i> <i>Great</i>. Dave Turned to look at me, giving me a gap-toothed smile through a partially opened eye.

    ¡®¡¯I can hear yours too, buddy.¡¯¡¯ I smiled at him for the first time, and I meant it. I felt love towards the guy. My heart ached a little to see him like this.

    <i>I wonder if my tail can¡­.</i>

    ¡®¡¯Dave, now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about how your tail compares to the tails of other mice.¡¯¡¯ I chuckled. It was a lame attempt to make him smile, I just couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this.

    ¡®¡¯Now¡¯s the time to be thinking about how we kick some ass!¡¯¡¯ Determined, I looked at the guard and called at him.

    ¡®¡¯Oi you, is this how you get your kicks? Picking on those weaker than you. Torturing small innocent animals. Pick on someone your size.¡¯¡¯

    <i>Dave, take control of me quickly. The power-up will give me the strength to pull my shackles from the pins holding me to the wall.</i>

    Dave looked up at me and then in front of himself. His tail began wagging and tapping furiously.

    ¡®¡¯You talking to me.¡¯¡¯ A mammoth of a guard, with a face like an ogre and biceps the size of tree trunks walked out from the shadows. ¡®¡¯I think you¡¯re closer to my size.¡¯¡¯Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I gulped as he walked closer and closer.

    <i>Dave, Quick, please!</i>

    I watched helplessly as Dave took his sweet time.

    The mammoth was on me.

    <i>Got It. </i>

    It was too late. I felt the power rush before me, just not before the impact of a right hand slamming my head into the wall behind me. My head made a hole and stayed in it. Stuck.

    ¡®¡¯You killed him!'''' Dave gasped. ''''You, You D list villain. Go drown in a lake.¡¯¡¯ Dave seemed genuinely enraged.

    It felt good to know that he cared.

    Although the mammoth had landed a powerful punch, Dave had initiated the familiar combat mode just in time. And unfortunately for the guard, He had made the mistake of inspecting his handy work and trying to gloat at Dave. While he was distracted, I pulled my head back from the hole that his punch had created and headbutted him square in the face. The guard fell flying back to the rear of the room, unconscious.

    Powerful energy coursed through my veins. And though, I was hurt, the pain wasn¡¯t so bad. I felt invincible. I don¡¯t know what Dave had done, but I felt a lot stronger than I had in our previous fights.

    <i>Liam ¡­.</i>

    I couldn¡¯t help but admire my bulging biceps and pectoralis major. My Gluteus Maximus was also on fire. Every muscle bulged with raw power.

    <i>Liam ¡­.</i>

    If I was this strong back on Earth, I would have been a record-breaking pro athlete or maybe a fitness model. Who knows, I could have married that famous influencer with a billion followers. What was her name? Was it Dim something? Dim Garashian or something.

    <i>Liam¡­ We¡¯re not free yet!</i>

    I looked over to see Liam pointing at someone walking out from the shadows. An eerie screech pierced the air with every step.

    Something was wrong.

    Whoever or whatever this was, was not human. The vibe was completely off. There was a chill in the air. A faint smell of death.

    I completely froze. Fear gripped me.

    <i>Liam. Quick Free me.</i>

    I tried to move but found that I couldn¡¯t. My eyes rolled over to my side to see Liam squirming helplessly. I wanted to free him, I had to.

    I couldn¡¯t. Fear had paralyzed my body in place.

    ¡®¡¯How quaint.¡¯¡¯ A voice hissed through the darkness. A long lythe body slowly began to materialize from the depths of the shadows.

    That voice¡­ It was Mary. Unmistakably Mary. I tried again to move. It was all in Vain.

    ¡®¡¯you can try all you want. You won¡¯t escape though. My aura finds your deepest, darkest fears and coils around them.¡¯¡¯ The voice hissed to reveal her face.

    Gone was the beauty I had fallen for. In her place was the distorted reptilian form of some kind of demon. The face was gaunt, eyes black with yellow slits. Greyish scales covered its skin. It still had two long legs and arms, but where her breast had been before, two large eyes now stared back at me. Swatting in every direction like they were following invisible flies.

    Just great. Thank you, Mary, put me off women for good why don¡¯t you, I thought to myself.

    Mary walked closer and closer until she was upon me. Her breath was foul, but that didn¡¯t stop her from revealing a long snake-like tongue and licking my face. I tried to whimper but couldn¡¯t. I wanted to throw up and for some reason, my body didn¡¯t hold back from doing so. Still frozen and unable to move, I felt the contents of my stomach seep out from the side of my mouth.

    ¡®¡¯Do you know why you two are here?¡¯¡¯ asked the voice. I couldn¡¯t see her now. She stood behind me, most likely threatening Dave.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll be straight with you. After all, it¡¯s not like either of you will survive for much longer. Where to begin.¡¯¡¯

    <i>Liam, is it just me or are you already bored? </i>

    Now that he mentioned it, I guess I was bored.

    <i>A little.</i> I thought back in response.

    <i>By the way, did she kiss you?</i> Asked Dave.

    <i>No, I think I lucked out. She licked me though. </i>

    Hah. Dave¡¯s laughter echoed through my skull. What happened to, ''<i>I think she likes me, did you see how she moved her hair away and blushed.''</i>

    <i>Shut it. </i>I wanted to laugh, and surprisingly I did. I was able to move. I was free. The fear had subsided. That was the key to breaking free. Captain obvious, I know.

    Mary the demon must have noticed as she quickly appeared in front of my face again. I immediately ceased all movement and pretended to be Frozen again. It was really hard, especially because now I couldn¡¯t take her seriously. I wanted to laugh in her face, but I somehow kept my composure.

    ¡®¡¯As I was saying, the humans of this land want all humans to be free of their mice masters. I on the other hand have other plans. While they need me to break the pact that exists between mouse and human, I want the mana that comes from absorbing the pact and the soul of the mouse. A fitting reward wouldn¡¯t you say? Dinner and a free power-up.¡¯¡¯ Mary¡¯s ear-to-ear smile sent a chill down my spine.

    ¡®¡¯Now normally, I wouldn¡¯t devour the human, but you Liam, seem like a whiny tattle tale. I¡¯m sure that If I let you go, you¡¯ll let the entire town know about me. We can¡¯t have that now, can we?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯wait,'''' I broke out from my fake frozen posture. ''''I promise I won¡¯t tell. I¡¯ll keep my word.¡¯¡¯

    <i>Wait what. You¡¯re going to let her eat me. </i>Cried Dave in my head.

    ¡®¡¯How?¡¯¡¯ she demanded.

    ¡®¡¯By not opening my mouth. It¡¯s kind of self-explanatory.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No, you fool. How did you break through the effect of my aura?¡¯¡¯

    <i>Now</i>, <i>Quick! While</i> she¡¯s distracted

    I ran for the exit that lay behind her but then realized something very important.

    I had to free Dave.

    I quickly turned back and pushed past her, sending her to the ground in confusion.

    I grabbed the shackles to Dave¡¯s chains, but before I could rip them out a hand slapped me with the force of a train. I found myself flying straight into a wall.

    The impact created a massive dent in the wall. Stone crumbled all over me.

    I was out for the count.

    Damn it. Everything went black again.

 Chapter 11: A Cat and Mouse game

    <i>Liam. Can you hear me? Please get up. I need you. I can¡¯t do this without you.</i>

    ¡®¡¯One down. That was easier than expected. Poor fool. Can¡¯t believe that he thought he had a chance.¡¯¡¯ Mary the Demon gloated.

    No! I couldn¡¯t let her get away with this. I needed to save us. Our situation was dire, and I didn¡¯t know if Liam was alive or dead.

    A steady dose of reality set in.

    <b>Live or die.</b>

    <b> Live or die. </b>

    The words echoed in my mind as adrenalin began to course through my veins. There was no chance I would win without giving it my all. I had to use everything at my exposal, starting with my newest ability.

    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t go down so easy you half-baked villain.¡¯¡¯ And with that, I activated my newly acquired shape-shifter skill.

    In an instant, a white light enveloped me. My mind became calm, as I felt my limbs grow and reform. This was great. The anticipation sent a surge of excitement through me. I had no idea what I would transform into, I could only hope.

    Before, I knew it my metamorphosis was over. I had transformed¡­

    Wait. This wasn¡¯t right. Mary looked even bigger now than she had before. What Had I transformed into?

    This wasn¡¯t good. How was I going to fight her if I was even smaller than before? Just then, I noticed that my situation was worse than before. I had more legs and a tough exoskeleton. I could no longer move my head freely from side to side. I had to rotate my whole body to look to the left and the right. How was I going to fight now?

    ¡®¡¯Is this some kind of joke.¡¯¡¯ Laughed Mary. ¡®¡¯This is no fun. I was looking forward to a fight. This will be no easier than squashing a bug.¡¯¡¯

    Unperturbed, by her maniacal cackling, I summoned my interface and located my shapeshifter skill to try once again. Just my luck. There was a cool-down time of two minutes.

    Just great, I had to stay alive long enough to pull this off.

    I scurried as fast as I could, racing past pebbles and bits of uneven ground.

    ¡®¡¯Come here little bug don¡¯t you want to play¡¯¡¯. Laughed Mary as she took one giant step after another, forcing the ground around me to shake. Her intention was clear; she wanted to squash me like a bug, how original. I wasn¡¯t going to let her though, I just had to make it into a crack in the wall. I scurried along as fast as I could, inching closer every second. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    <b>Two minutes. That¡¯s all I needed.</b>

    I felt her presence above me every time she neared and immediately changed direction. Her footsteps narrowly missed me on each occasion. I kept this up for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it had only been 20 seconds.

    ¡®¡¯Damn you, you little bug. Get back here now.¡¯¡¯ Demanded Mary, quickly growing tired of chasing me around the room.

    Suddenly Mary stopped chasing me and I felt the tremors cease. I turned a full 180 to see Mary smirking and letting some kind of energy build up in her hand.

    Damn, she had some kind of chi blasts like that one guy from that famous anime. Carrot, that was his name. The guy with blonde hair.

    She tried to blast me several times but I continued my narrow escapes. Her frustration began to grow, as did mine. Every time I neared a wall, she blocked my path with a green explosion of energy.

    <i>D¡­ Dave ¡­ Hang in there, buddy. </i>

    What! Liam was alive. The sudden shock blinded me as I noticed an energy ball hurtling straight towards me. I was out of time.

    <i>Sorry, Liam. I tried¡­</i>

    I closed my eyes as my life flashed before my eyes again.

    This was the end.

    The blast hit me straight in the face sending me flying.

    I died again.

    ***************

    I died again is what I would have been saying had I not been a cockroach.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m invincible baby. I¡¯m a cockroach. I can survive a nuclear bomb!¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You damn pest, I¡¯ll squash you like the bug you are.¡¯¡¯ Screamed a furious Mary while stomping her feet on the ground.

    Just then, the ground where Liam had landed began to rumble. I felt it in my bones.

    <b>This was it. </b>

    <b>It was time to end this. </b>

    I activated Shapeshifter once again. The light engulfed me, but not before I saw Liam jump from the rubble and land a straight right on Mary¡¯s face. Her eyes had been fixed on me so It was kind of a cheap shot, but anyway, I wasn¡¯t one to complain.

    My limbs grew bigger, my torso larger and my body began to radiate raw strength. This was different. I felt it now. I was no mouse, I was no cockroach. This time around, I was something far greater. Something far more majestic. I felt it in my bones.

    <b>I was awesome.</b>

    The light dissipated, to reveal my new form.

    I was a majestic ¡­

    My wings spread wide filling the entire width of the basement. My neck craned high nearly touching the ceiling. My claws were sharp and my aura was fierce and powerful. So this is how it feels to look down on people, I mused to myself.

    ¡®¡¯Dragon.¡¯¡¯ Shouted Liam. ¡®¡¯that is so cool.¡¯¡¯

    It sure was, and Mary froze this time. She stammered and began to crawl backwards knowing that she stood no chance against me.

    I walked towards her closing the distance. Fear radiated from her face.

    ¡®¡¯you don¡¯t have to do this, I¡¯ll give you anything.¡¯¡¯ She protested. ¡®¡¯Anything you want.¡¯¡¯ Throwing jewels and gold towards my feet.

    I glanced at Liam to see if he had any input but before he could respond, Mary tried to pull off a sneak attack. A red energy blast flew towards me. It was nothing, and I swatted it to the nearest wall causing a small explosion.

    ¡®¡¯Time to end this.¡¯¡¯ I took a deep breath and let out a roar of fire.

    Surprisingly. Mary¡¯s scorched body didn¡¯t remain. It dissipated into dark energy that hovered in the air before disappearing.

    Exhausted I fell to the floor and collapsed.

    I felt my body shrink and return to its normal size.

    I was a mouse again.

    Before my eyes shut from exhaustion, I heard Liam¡¯s voice in my head.

    <i>That was so cool buddy. </i>

    I replied one last time before falling into a deep sleep.

    <b><i>Plot armor</i></b><i>.</i>

 Chapter 12: Droppings...

    Dave was passed out for around 10 mins. Not as long as I had expected.

    When he finally awoke, I showed him the drop items Mary had left behind. Overall, the items weren¡¯t that bad. We picked up a healing potion, a leveling potion, and the jewelry and gold that she had to try to bribe us with.

    The leveling item was impressive, but not as remarkable as the gold. The gold was by far the most important, given that we now needed a new place to stay and something to eat.

    We grabbed the items, and Dave used his interface to store them in some kind of inventory.

    As we stood up, Dave looked at me and smiled. ¡®¡¯Thanks.¡¯¡¯

    Through the sheer exhaustion I felt, that was it. All I needed to hear. A word that carried so much weight. A word that affirmed my faith in my new partner. We were in this together and now we knew we could trust each other. I had no intention of letting anyone get in our way¡­ not even a woman!

    I dropped to one knee and lowered a hand, letting the little guy climb up to my shoulder.

    ¡®¡¯By the way,¡¯¡¯ Dave said while tapping away at the air. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve been going through my interface. ¡®¡¯We¡¯ve leveled up by 3 levels. Mary was a grunt demon. The lowest class.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯That doesn¡¯t sound good. We barely beat her. We just lucked out because of your shapeshifting skill.¡¯¡¯ I said.

    Dave looked thoughtful but didn¡¯t respond immediately. ¡®¡¯I still don¡¯t know how my interface works properly, but I¡¯m getting a hang of it slowly. As for the skill, I think my shapeshifter skill is random. I have no idea why I became a cockroach first, and then a dragon later.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, you are a pest. Maybe it¡¯s in your blood to just be a constant pain in my ass.¡¯¡¯ I laughed.

    ¡®¡¯Then how do you explain the dragon?¡¯¡¯ demanded Dave as he pinched my ear.

    ¡®¡¯Owwwww.¡¯¡¯</a>

    Just then my stomach rumbled.

    <i>How did we ever win? We¡¯re both half-starved and exhausted. Maybe we do have plot armor,</i> I thought to myself as I began to walk for the exit.

    <i>Yeah, maybe we do have plot armor</i>, a tiny voice echoed in my skull over and over again.

    ¡®¡¯Quit it. I don¡¯t want or need an echo in my skull¡¯¡¯If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I felt a rebuttal simmering but fortunately, something grabbed our attention just in the nick of time.

    ¡®¡¯A little help?¡¯¡¯ croaked a rough voice.

    Both Dave and I searched the dark, muddy room for the source of the sound, not see anything.

    ¡®¡¯Over here,¡¯¡¯ a voice from the far room cried in frustration.

    I walked over carefully until we found a door no taller than knee height. I crouched down to see a small hole in the door, filled with metal bars.

    ¡®¡¯Please, take me with you.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Who are you?¡¯¡¯ I asked.

    ¡®¡¯Free me and I¡¯ll tell you everything. Please, I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡¯¡¯

    <i>Do we trust him? </i>I thought in my mind, projecting the message to Dave.

    <i>Let¡¯s go. We can come back tomorrow. Can¡¯t think now. Need food!</i>

    <i>No, we¡¯re not leaving him. </i>I countered.

    Too exhausted to waste time debating, I pulled on the padlock holding the door locked.

    It didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡®¡¯A little help.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Sure, if you insist.¡¯¡¯ Replied a despondent Dave, rolling his eyes.

    I don¡¯t know what he did, but the padlock instantly melted, the metal dripping to the floor like a shimmering liquid.

    I slowly pulled the door open to reveal complete darkness.

    <b>Sniff, sniff. </b>

    A muzzle poked into sight followed by black beady eyes and a set of furry ears.

    It was a badger.

    ¡®¡¯Thank you for helping me. I have been trapped for 2 years in this dingy place. I can¡¯t repay you enough for your kindness.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No need to thank us. We¡¯ll see you around.¡¯¡¯ I stood up to leave. My one charitable event for the day was done, and I felt proud of myself.

    ¡®¡¯Wait, wait! Don¡¯t you want to know who I am and why I was locked up?¡¯¡¯ cried the badger.

    ¡®¡¯Hmmmm.¡¯¡¯ I thought for a second. ¡®¡¯Not really.¡¯¡¯ We had more pressing matters at hand like food and sleep.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m Bodger the wise sage. I can read the future. The demon kept me here to help her find more victims.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You mean badger.¡¯¡¯ Corrected Dave.

    ¡®¡¯No, my name is Bodger.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Bodger, the badger?¡¯¡¯ Dave questioned.

    ¡®¡¯No, just Bodger.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Ok Bodger, If you can see the future, then you¡¯ll know that we¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡¯¡¯

    Bodger quickly shuffled, clearly looking stressed.

    ¡®¡¯Wait, I¡¯m having a vision now.¡¯¡¯ He hummed and buzzed, his eyes wide in mystic concentration while staring at the ceiling. He vibrated and hummed for about 30 seconds, occasionally glancing at us to see if we were looking.

    I sighed, deciding to play along.

    Both Dave and I  looked up at the ceiling to see drops of water dripping down around us.

    I counted up to five, my patience running thin.

    ¡®¡¯the divine gods have spoken. We¡¯re to have supper together. Following a three-course meal, I shall have another premonition that shall reveal your fates.¡¯¡¯

    I was skeptical, but a feeling of foreboding nagged at me. I wasn¡¯t the only one.

    <i>This guy just wants a free meal, </i>mentioned Dave.

    <i>I know, buddy. But something else is nagging at me. I have a feeling that if we leave him behind, he¡¯ll hold a grudge against us and become the end boss. You know what they say, the bad guy Is someone you usually encounter early on in a story. </i>

    <i>Well, look at the positives. We can treat him to dinner and find out more about the world. He does claim to be wise. He might know a thing or two, </i>Added Dave.

    ¡®¡¯Badger, we have a deal. Let¡¯s get something to eat while you fill us in on your story and tell us a little about what¡¯s going on in this town.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Bodger, the Sage.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Sorry, my apologies, Bodger.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯¡­. The Wise Sage.¡¯¡¯ Emphasized Bodger.

    <i>I don¡¯t like him. Let¡¯s ditch him!</i>

    <i>Agreed.</i>

    <i>What if he does become the end boss?</i>

    <i>¡­¡­¡­¡­</i>

 Chapter 13: Feline hungry?

    I stood firmly on Liam¡¯s shoulder as he walked towards the basement''s stairs. Bodger waddled uncomfortably along on two legs behind us.

    <i> I get that we are in a strange new world where the laws of physics don¡¯t apply in the same way but surely the rules of biomechanics hold some weight. Badgers, and for that matter Bodger, are not designed to walk on two legs. Thinking about it now, how am I able to walk so freely on two legs? </i>

    I Looked down at my feet and then past them straight towards the floor. I was so high up. The world began to spin, and I almost fell off.

    <i>You really shouldn¡¯t overthink, Dave. You might get hurt. That mouth of yours¡­ wait scratch that, that brain of yours is a hazard. </i>I heard the ignoramus laughing inside his head as the corners of a smile appeared on the side of his face.

    I was about to kick the grin off him when I suddenly felt the ascent of the first step, and I almost fell off again.

    ¡®¡¯Dave, you might want to get into my pocket.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Do I have to?¡¯¡¯ I responded. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve died once and almost died several more times today. Being near your crotch is pushing my luck.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Quick, we¡¯re nearing the door.¡¯¡¯

    Sensing the urgency in Liam¡¯s words, I scurried down his shirt and wrestled my way into his pocket. I caught a glimpse of Bodger levitating slowly up the stairs. I don¡¯t think Liam had noticed. Bodger was someone to keep an eye on. We knew next to nothing about him, but I could sense that he was holding something back from us. Something dangerous.

    The trouser pocket was dark, damp, and unbearably musky. The only way to describe it would be to imagine locking yourself in a tiny two-by-six locker and relieving yourself of your unwanted stomach gasses.

    Liam stopped momentarily. We must have reached the top of the basement stairs. The sound of a door opening pierced my ears, allowing feint shimmers of light to work their way through the trousers cloth. I had a grainy image of everything around us. Not ideal.

    As Liam walked out, I realized that we were in the dining area of the inn. We had exited the basement at the door adjacent to the counter.

    ¡®¡¯Mary going to be long?¡¯¡¯ Asked a burly voice from one of the tables.

    I could sense Liam¡¯s unease as I felt his thoughts jumble.

    <i>She¡¯s taking a nap.</i> I projected into Liam¡¯s mind.

    ¡®¡¯She¡¯s taking a nap.¡¯¡¯ Liam said out loud.

    Good. Liam was a little quicker on the uptake than I had expected. I had always thought of him to be as bright as a bulb without the filament. I guess there was a spark of hope yet.

    ¡®¡¯Good to see she sorted your rat problem out. Free of the vermin now. You can rest easy and enjoy your freedom now like the rest of us.¡¯¡¯

    From what I gathered through the grainy images I made out; the diners were toasting Liam.

    Liam froze. I could feel his body stiffen and his legs get damp, sticky, and smellier. Just my luck. He wasn¡¯t handling this sudden and unexpected attention well.

    <i>Don¡¯t just stand there like a frozen fool, Do something</i>, I demanded while biting his thigh hard. Looks like I was wrong, the sparks were few and far between.

    ¡®¡¯Yelp!¡¯¡¯ Liam cried.

    ¡®¡¯You what?¡¯¡¯ Replied two of the grainy figures.

    ¡®¡¯Yes! I mean. Damn straight, I¡¯m glad to be free of that god-forsaken pest.¡¯¡¯ Shouted Liam as a hand swung to slap me. I felt the shift in his body and anticipated it, pushing back just enough to dodge it.

    ¡®¡¯Right on, brother. We¡¯ve all been there.¡¯¡¯ Responded a shaved head thug near the front.

    ¡®¡¯That little twerp had been the bane of my life for as long as I remember. He thought he was smarter than me and always tried to take my woman. I mean women.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Let it out.¡¯¡¯ Cheered another shadowy figure with an eyepatch. ¡®¡¯Grab this man a stool and a beer on me¡¯¡¯.

    I heard Bodger shuffling somewhere nearby but couldn¡¯t see him. I was curious as to whether the men cared or were just oblivious to his presence.

    Liam sat down and began to relax. I sensed the change in his body temperature.

    ¡®¡¯Do all mice act all high and mighty or was it just mine? They sure act big for such little creatures. And don¡¯t get me started on their tails. You can read them like a book. As soon as they see a female, those tails start wagging like wildfire. And somehow, I¡¯m the obsessed one. At least I can keep it in my pants.¡¯¡¯

    A little hurtful but he was doing a good job of playing along. He was believable so I couldn¡¯t fault him. It still hurt though.

    ¡®¡¯And their goofy front teeth. Those things are like natural can openers. Shouldn¡¯t we have one in every bar?¡¯¡¯

    Liam was enjoying this way too much. In the end, he prattled on for a further hour and grew more incoherent and unbearable with every beer.<hr>

    ¡®¡¯Goodbye Hector, Goodbye Matthew, Goodbye Jonathan, Goodbye Hector. Oh wait, I said Hector already. Goodbye, Matthew.¡¯¡¯

    I had awoken when Liam had finally stood up to say goodbye to everyone, forcing myself to summersault into an upright position. I was furious at the fool and wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but not yet. I had a plan. I just had to wait for Liam¡¯s inevitable goofiness to show itself.

    The breeze of the night air penetrated the trouser pocket bringing a feeling much much-needed freshness. Liam had opened the door, and we were finally out of that hell hole. While he had been living it up, I had been starving.

    I kicked his thigh, and before he could slap me, I scurried out of the pocket and up his shirt to perch myself on his shoulder.

    <i>Sorry, that took a while. </i>The fool thought while hiccupping.

    I didn¡¯t care, my revenge was certain. My mind drifted towards food and then Bodger, who appeared next to Liam¡¯s leg as he walked.

    ¡®¡¯Bodger, how did they not see you?¡¯¡¯ I asked.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I hid behind a table leg.

    ¡®¡¯But surely, they would have noticed you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯What he said,¡¯¡¯ repeated a belligerent Liam who was struggling to walk in a straight line.

    ¡®¡¯They were all too drunk to notice me, I guess.¡¯¡¯ Replied Bodger.

    I didn¡¯t buy it. Something was way off, but for now, I didn¡¯t care as much as I would have liked to. I was wasting away and needed food urgently.

    ¡®¡¯Onwards Steed.¡¯¡¯ I demanded.

    Liam walked through the starry sky-lit streets towards the nicer parts of the town in the central area. There were several restaurants, each offering a different themed menu. They all seemed inviting; however, one seemed quieter and less lively than the rest. Not wanting to stand out, I pointed to the ¡®Cat¡¯s Ear¡¯.

    Liam chose a quiet table in the far corner of the room. A young busty waitress with cat ears appeared after serving a nearby table and headed over. Up close I noticed that she had auburn hair and thin wispy whiskers protruding from a triangular nose.

    ¡®¡¯And what would you like today, Sssire?¡¯¡¯ She purred with a pleasant smile.

    I jumped off Liam¡¯s shoulder and landed on the table with a tiny thud, my muscle loss evident in the quieter-than-expected thud. I walked up and down the single-page menu eyeing up the best the restaurant had to offer. Nothing seemed familiar. The likes of Kraken philtrum stew and griffin elbows sounded interesting. What caught my eye though, was the cheese fondue. And not because I was a mouse. If memory serves me right, it was my favorite dish in my past life.

    ¡®¡¯I shall have one cheese fondue¡¯¡¯ I demanded while tapping the picture with my foot. ¡®¡¯and an apple cider to boot.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯And for you?¡¯¡¯ said the waitress winking at Liam.¡¯¡¯

    Liam blushed before turning and freezing.

    ¡®¡¯He¡¯ll have the Kraken philtrum,¡¯¡¯ I interjected. ¡®¡¯He can¡¯t speak I¡¯m afraid.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Oh, why ever not?¡¯¡¯ the waitress enquired.

    ¡®¡¯Cat got his tongue, I guess.¡¯¡¯ I laughed but the joke flew over her head and Liam didn¡¯t seem to be amused either, tugging at the menu beneath my feet and scowling.

    After a confused pause, the waitress continued.

    ¡®¡¯Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I just remembered that we¡¯re all out of Kraken philtrum. How about the Kraken¡¯s ear?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t know they had either. Sure, why not?¡¯¡¯ I replied.

    ¡®¡¯And for you?¡¯¡¯ Said the demi-human as she turned towards Bodger.

    Bodger began pointing his paw up and down the menu before blurting, ¡®¡¯One of everything,¡¯¡¯ with a big friendly smile on his face.

    ¡®¡¯No, he means one starter, main, and dessert.¡¯¡¯ I cut in, gobsmacked.

    ¡®¡¯No, I was right,¡¯¡¯ Said Bodger carrying the same carefree, smug grin. ¡®¡¯One of everything.¡¯¡¯

    I felt my teeth grinding over each other.

    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s fine, little guy. Let im av what e wants.¡¯¡¯ Hiccupped Liam before dropping his head between his arms and slumping over the table.

    Easy for you to say you drunk fool. Who was going to pay for all of this?

    I looked over at Liam who once again seemed lovestruck. Eyeing the waitress with red cheeks. Fickle fool. Bodger was as carefree as expected. And why not? He had just won the lottery by finding a pair of suckers. Well not quite. I was going to make him earn his dinner tonight.

    ¡®¡¯Bodger, how did the contract between mice and men come about and what are the terms?¡¯¡¯ I enquired.

    ¡®¡¯Hmmm. Well, let me see?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Ahhh yes, well, it all started 200 years ago when the humans declared war on all magical creatures. They sought to rid the world of our kind. They had the support of the church, the pope, and allied nations from around the world. They were certain that their victory would be swift.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯In their foolhardiness, they failed to account for our superiority in numbers. Magical creatures outnumbered humankind ten to one back then. Our victory was certain. However, we did not count on the cat folk betraying us. I don¡¯t mean cat-like demi-humans. I mean the cat folk who have served humans since ancient times. The cat folk were our strongest warriors, and their betrayal upset the balance.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯fortunately though, King Mauster The First came to our rescue. His strategic brilliance led to one swift victory after another. He used catnip, bells, and sticks on feathers to disarm the cats, while his army swept the battlefield. He also created an elite army of mausassins who took out key political figures in the cat and human armies.¡¯¡¯

    I nodded along genuinely intrigued by this surreal history.

    ¡®¡¯Following his victory, King Mauster declared that humans were too big a threat. Those on our continent were to be shackled for life. At the age of thirteen, all humans were to have a magical contract created between them and a mouse. A master if you will. The humans were to be no more than a familiar to mice. A slave for life. This continues to this day with King Mauster The Two Hundred and First, still enforcing the decree.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Interesting, and what does the contract involve?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Not much. The human must do whatever his or her master dictates.¡¯¡¯ Answered Bodger in a course voice.

    ¡®¡¯And does the contract provide any abilities or magic?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, not¡­¡¯¡¯ Before continuing Badger paused to look at me and the Liam. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he asked ¡®¡¯Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Orders up!¡¯¡¯ smiled the waitress.

    She dropped several plates between me and Bodger. I felt Bodger¡¯s eyes fixed on me as plate after plate was laid out. Trying to shake the dread hanging over my head, I shook Liam awake at the elbow and pointed at the food.

    We had a feast before us, but not for us. It was mostly for Badger.

    After the waitress had left, I ate in silence weary of the badger. Liam didn¡¯t seem to mind though, the duo had hit it off and were laughing like they had known each other for years, spilling their drinks over each other and spluttering bits of Kraken ears and saltworm puree everywhere.

    As the night drew to a close, I decided to enact my revenge on Liam. I had considered forgiving him, but his words had stung a little more than I could tolerate. I ripped a piece off a napkin and used some sauce to write a quick note.

    While Liam and Badger were distracted, I hopped off our table and scurried over to an empty table near where the waitress was serving.

    ¡®¡®Psssssst¡¯¡¯

    The waitress heard me and came over.

    ¡®¡¯How¡¯s the food young master?¡¯¡¯ she smiled.

    ¡®¡¯Take this.¡¯¡¯ I handed over the note. ¡®¡¯ It¡¯s from my friend.¡¯¡¯

    The waitress began blushing before I could finish and shot a glance over at Liam.

    ¡®¡¯Can you hand this over to that lady over there, please,¡¯¡¯ I said while pointing at a rather large, red orc seated near the bar.

    ¡®¡¯oh,¡¯¡¯ replied the waitress looking a little dejected. ¡®¡¯Sure.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t know he was into orcs. Men don¡¯t last long with one of them.¡¯¡¯ Mused the waitress.

    She glanced over at Liam again, before heading over towards the orc.

    I quickly ran back over to my table to find Bodger looking down at the floor and vibrating and his arms swaying.

    ¡®¡¯What¡¯s happening?¡¯¡¯ I asked Liam.

    ¡®¡¯Shhhhh. He¡¯s having a vision.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Wait, isn¡¯t he supposed to be looking up at the ceiling?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t disturb him.¡¯¡¯ Whispered Liam.

    As if on cue, Bodger quickly looked up at the ceiling, giving me a glance along the way.

    I rolled my eyes and looked at Liam and then Bodger.

    Bodger returned from his vision to blink. And without saying a word, he pointed at Liam.

    Two big red hands grabbed Liam from the side and hefted him out of his seat.

    ¡®¡¯You, me, puny man. No talk. Bunga Bunga.¡¯¡¯

    Liam Looked up to see the face of the 8-foot-tall Orc woman holding him off the ground. Her silver hair brushed against his cheeks. Liam paled and turned to look at me. He has sobered up faster than I had expected.

    <i>Help me,</i> Liam¡¯s Voice whimpered in my head as he was thrown over her shoulder and carried around the other side of the bar area and towards the stairs.

    <i>Think of the bright side Liam. We have a place to stay for the night.</i>

    I wasn¡¯t going to let Liam suffer. I just wanted to scare him a little. My plan was always to save him. I just had one more thing to do before then.

    ¡®¡¯Bodger, I¡¯m going to settle the bill. Give me two minutes.¡¯¡¯ I said. I knew he didn¡¯t trust me and was going to make sure I paid. I decided to beat him to the punch. I just needed to get his eyes off me.

    I scurried over near the bar, where our waitress was serving another table.

    ¡®¡¯All done with your dinner, young master?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Yes, my friend Mr Bodger has offered to settle our bill.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Oh perfect.¡¯¡¯ She replied. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll get the bill ready now. How did you find the food this evening?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I thoroughly enjoyed the fondue. My friend, however, seemed extremely upset by his dinner. He expressed to me that he hadn¡¯t realized that he had ordered unseasoned horse manure. He continued to say that had he known the food was going to be this bland, he would have cried beforehand so at least his tears could have seasoned it better.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Is that so.¡¯¡¯ Replied the waitress, her mood shifting to anger.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m extremely sorry for his discourteous behavior. Please don¡¯t hold it against him.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No, No. I won¡¯t say a thing to him.¡¯¡¯ She smiled. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll just have a quick word with our lovely chef.¡¯¡¯

    I looked over at Bodger and waved with a smile. He saw me with the waitress and waived back. The waitress seeing this forced a smile and responded with a wave of her own.

    As the waitress headed off to the kitchen, and no longer feeling Bodger¡¯s gaze on me, I decided to head up the stairs to save Liam. There was only one problem. Fifty large steps lay between me and Him.

    I started my ascent, taking one step at a time.

 Chapter 14: Squeak and ye shall be saved

    That¡¯s it I¡¯m done drinking forever. <i>I thought to myself.</i>

    Being kidnapped or orcnapped had Sobered me up extremely fast. I remember sitting with Dave and Bodger one second, and the next, I was being carried up the stairs by an orc, to her room. To make matters worse, the first thing the orc lady did was tie my arms and legs to the corners of the bed with rope. I had tried to resist but my coordination was all over the place, my attempt at resistance had done little more than to annoy her. After tying me up, she headed towards what appeared to be a bathroom. Most likely to freshen up.

    I had no idea what she had in store for me. I just hoped that by some miracle, I would be saved before she was done getting ready.

    I tugged at the rope several times without success. I needed Dave¡¯s help, maybe if he activated his battle mode it would give me the boost needed to escape.

    ¡®¡¯No Worry, Puny man. me make real man of you.¡¯¡¯ The voice rang from the bathroom sending a shiver down my spine. I felt sweat form all over my body as fear and panic set in.

    ¡®¡¯Not like this.¡¯¡¯ I cried hitting my head on the pillow.

    Feeling sorry for myself, as tears and snot ran down my face, I lifted my head to see if there was any possibility of escape. There had to be a way to loosen these ropes and sneak out before she came back into the room. My eyes darted over every inch of the room in a furious effort to find anything that could be of use.

    Just my luck. Nothing stood out.

    Suddenly, all the candles blew out.

    I hope Dave was faring better than me because I was doomed.

    <hr>

    I had to be quick, Liam needed me. If I wasn¡¯t careful, my prank could backfire.

    I was making steady progress up the steps. I was on number thirty-seven when I heard what sounded like an argument erupting from below. My tail whipped from side to side. I had caught Bodger in my trap.

    ¡®¡¯No, I said no such thing. The food was delicious. Look, I ate everything.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Hmmm. And the seasoning? Better than your tears?¡¯¡¯ I guessed that this was the voice of the angry chef speaking.

    ¡®¡¯Absolutely,¡¯¡¯ Gulped Bodger.

    ¡®¡¯Just pay the bill and get out.¡¯¡¯

    The chef grumbled before storming off.

    ¡®¡¯The bill?¡¯¡¯ I heard Bodger Whimper. ¡®¡¯Well, I. I mean my companions¡­¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Yes, they said that you would settle the bill.¡¯¡¯ Interjected the waitress.

    There was a brief silence, followed by a scurry.

    ¡®¡¯Oh no you don¡¯t!¡¯¡¯ Shouted the waitress.

    I couldn¡¯t make out the rest but there seemed to be a bit of a scuffle downstairs. Good thing I was forty steps away now. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The last thing I was able to make out was what appeared to be a threat. ¡®¡¯I will get you for this, you blasted mouse!¡¯¡¯

    I smiled and continued up the steps.

    Suddenly, realization dawned on me. Why was I climbing each step? I had a cool interface with a ton of skills. Surely one of them could help me. And then I remembered the one I had used earlier, tail hop. I activated the skill and made quick work of the remaining steps.

    At the top, I was presented with 5 rooms on each side of the hallway. I just had to work out which room, and judging by the predicament I had left Liam in, I guessed that time wasn¡¯t on his side. I had to hurry.

    I headed to the first door, and with a quick tail hop, I was at the keyhole. I peeked through to see¡­ Nope, nope. I can¡¯t say. What I saw involved tentacles, multiple limbs, several slimes, and stuff that should not be possible in any world. I instinctively threw up several times, leaving a cheesy fondue mess on the door lock before dropping back down to the floor. I threw up a further two times before heading to the second door.

    Shaken from the ordeal of the first door, I jumped up to the second keyhole. Fortunately, this room was empty.

    I continued past two more empty rooms until I heard a familiar voice.

    ¡®¡¯Noooo, I¡¯m all out.¡¯¡¯ Shouted Liam.

    Sensing that Liam was in danger, I quickly ran as fast as my shaky legs could carry me.

    <hr>

    ¡®¡¯Take it down Or I will kill you, Puny human.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No, you take yours off first.¡¯¡¯ I countered.

    This was not going well. I had tried everything, and she kept attacking non-stop. I had to keep my wits about me, or I wouldn¡¯t last much longer.

    ¡®¡¯Ok Human, I use dark assault. You lose 5 mana.¡¯¡¯

    Damn. She was smart. She knew she couldn¡¯t take my defensive shield down, so she decided to drain it instead. I only had two cards left to play, the mystic bunny and a mana potion.

    Elaine the Orc looked at me excitedly, her grin spread across her face. She was already anticipating her victory and moving excitedly up and down on the bed.

    There was no way I was going to win. At best, I could hope for a draw.

    ¡®¡¯I summon, mystic rabbit.¡¯¡¯ I shouted, holding my card to her face and placing it down on the bed sheet next to my other active monsters and spells.

    ¡®¡¯What it do?¡¯¡¯ questioned the orc, looking intrigued.

    Boooooooooooooooom.

    Before I could explain, the door fell off its hinges to show Dave holding his side and throwing up repeatedly. I looked at Elaine, and she looked at me confused. I shrugged my shoulders in confusion too, before getting up to check on the little guy.

    Dave fell to his back as I reached him and placed a hand over his eyes.

    ¡®¡¯Too much ¡­ tentacles ¡­ slimes ¡­ werewolves ¡­¡¯¡¯ He cried rolling from side to side and throwing up over his shoulder.

    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s ok now. You¡¯re safe here. What happened and what are you doing here?¡¯¡¯

    Dave reached a hand towards my face, ¡®¡¯Came here.¡¯¡¯ He spluttered a little before continuing, ¡®¡¯to save you.¡¯¡¯ And with those words, he collapsed in a mess of his own throw-up.

    ¡®¡¯Him, Ok?¡¯¡¯ asked Elaine looking a little sad. Yeah, he¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just being a little dramatic, I answered as I looked over at her. ¡®¡¯He looks perfectly fine, probably ate some bad cheese or something.¡¯¡¯ Turning back to Dave, I saw one eye quickly close again.

    I stood up, grabbed him by the tail, and walked back towards the bed. There was a towel on the bedside drawer, so I dropped him on top of it.

    ¡®¡¯Now where were we?¡¯¡¯ I said as I sat back down to finish the game.

    ¡®¡¯You lose, Human.¡¯¡¯ Chuckled Elaine as she placed her final card onto her side of the bedsheet. ¡®¡¯I play ultimate sacrifice. I lose half army and destroy all yours.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Wait what? That¡¯s cheating!¡¯¡¯ I shouted.

    Elaine didn¡¯t take kindly to being called a cheater. She crawled forward onto the bed and pinned my arms down. Her amber eyes pulsed green and she asked me to repeat my words. ¡®¡¯What you say human.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You played well. You win, Elaine.¡¯¡¯ I whimpered, turning my face away from her warm breath.

    Elaine¡¯s face instantly changed. Her ferocious frown turned back into a pleasant smile.

    ¡®¡¯I like you human. You sleep on table. I sleep on bed. Tomorrow, maybe you sleep on bed too.¡¯¡¯ She said blowing a kiss at me with one hand.

    She released her grip on my arms and allowed me to shuffle out from under her. She got up after and cleared the cards away. I walked over to the table that lay opposite the bed, touching the wall. Not wanting to anger Elaine, I climbed up and rolled myself up into the fetal position. I used a towel as a pillow and fell asleep.

    ¡®¡¯Human?¡¯¡¯ enquired Elaine.

    ¡®¡¯Yes, Elaine?¡¯¡¯ I asked half awake.

    ¡®¡¯Lights.¡¯¡¯

    I got up from the table and blew all the candles out. I saw Dave fast asleep on the pile of towels and smiled and then headed back to my table to sleep.

 Chapter 15: In the Mouses footsteps

    While Dave snored and Elaine grumbled in her deep sleep, I turned and tossed around on a rock-hard table, and unbeknownst to us, someone was on our tail¡­

    Back in the basement where we had thought Mary, a strange visitor had just made his entrance.

    ¡®¡¯Search everywhere you fools! There is no way that Mary could have just up and disappeared.¡¯¡¯ Shouted a loud scratchy voice that slowly emerged from the shadows. The figure of a man dressed in simple leathers and with a handlebar mustache walked into the dimly lit room. He strolled surveying the remnants of the battle in the basement. He looked warily, tugging on his long mustache, deep in thought. Something didn¡¯t seem right here. There were clear signs of a struggle, but between who? The guard had known Mary for a long time and was skeptical that any harm could befall her.

    After a few moments and still no idea of what had happened, his mood soured, and his hand slid over to his shoulder where the corpse of a plump mouse lay. A mouse that had once been so full of life, now lay bereft of color.

    Squatting to his knees, the man tugged the mouse off and dangled its lifeless body above his head. His jaws opened wide, wider than humanly possible, and displayed sharp razor-like teeth. In an instant, a piston-like tongue shot out from his throat, wrapped itself around the mouse, and disappeared back. Blood burst from the corner of his lips as a sickening crunch was followed by a horrifying pop. He slowly licked the dark red off his lips, savoring the taste. A smile spread across his face. The taste of mice was a bonus to the boost in mana he received. Every mouse from a broken contract raised his mana. Yet, it wasn¡¯t enough. He needed much more if he was to achieve his grandest of desires.

    His minions, small low-ranked demons- barely visible to the human eye, hurried around the room checking every little speck of dirt for any clue of the events that had transpired. They moved with urgency, knowing that failure meant certain death. He had already devoured two of them before entering the basement. Their error had been no more than appearing to slow from their summoning.

    ¡®¡¯Boss, I found something.¡¯¡¯ barked a shadowy four-legged demon that resembled a cross between a spider and a dog, with sharp red slits for eyes and razor-white teeth. ¡®¡¯The ground here has been scorched. And just over there,¡¯¡¯ he continued, ¡®¡¯¡¯¡¯there¡¯s a set of footprints leading out.¡¯¡¯The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡®¡¯Enough!¡¯¡¯ Demanded the man. ¡®¡¯Come to me.¡¯¡¯

    The demons howled and cracked as their dark shadowy bodies vapourised into a fine mist. It merged, growing larger until an ominous cloud hovered in the air. The man clapped his hands, and a shockwave pulsed through the room. The cloud continued to hover; however, the man¡¯s clap had caught the attention of something else in the room. Something far darker and more nefarious than his low-level minions. A second dark cloud poured down from the ceiling and took on the form of a shadowy woman. The air reverberated with static, and steam formed around the figure. The eyes, where there were none just a second ago, blinked open. A mouth too, unfolded from nothing.

    ¡®¡¯Aloch.¡¯¡¯ You are dismissed. The cloud, his small personal army of demon servants known as Aloch, dissipated into nothingness. This left Mary and her master from prying eyes.

    ¡®¡¯Mary, tell me what transpired between you and whoever did this to you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Yes, sire.¡¯¡¯ She hissed hesitantly. ¡®¡¯but first, forgive me. I have failed you.¡¯¡¯ Mary knelt to one knee and seemed to be pleading.

    ¡®¡¯Silence!¡¯¡¯ Demanded the man.

    ¡®¡¯Speak only of what I ask. Your fate has yet to be decided. It weighs on the outcome of what you speak. Provoke me again and your end shall be swift.¡¯¡¯

    The shadow of Mary the demon shivered and lowered further to the ground in prostration. ¡®¡¯As you wish sire.¡¯¡¯

    Mary explained the entirety of the events that had occurred between herself, Dave, and Liam. The man nodded and listened intently before cracking his neck and cackling manically.

    ¡®¡¯How interesting. This seems rather unusual. A mouse with magical talents. A rarity, one that may provide me the mana I need to become an archdemon. Perfect.¡¯¡¯ Mused the man, his dark energy leaking through his human fa?ade.

    ¡®¡¯Your familiar Mary, where is he now?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I sense his presence, he is near. He is with the two that did this to me.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Excellent. You are fortunate this time. Your familiar has saved you. See to it that this little mess is taken care of.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯And Mary, bring me the mouse. Alive if you will. I do enjoy the taste of fear on my prey before I devour them.¡¯¡¯

    Mary nodded in agreement but hidden from the man, a devious smile crossed her lips.<hr>

    Back at the Cat¡¯s Ear Inn and Tavern, Bodger the Badger felt a shiver run up and down his spine. He knew what this meant. His master had been revived and this meant that his freedom had once again been taken from him. He knew his master would appear soon and want revenge, and that would require his participation. Fortunately though, his actions thus far would most likely be deemed as favorable to his and his master¡¯s cause. He knew the location of their prey!

 Chapter 16: Mousing around with my stats

    <b>Chapter 16: Mousing around with my stats</b>

    Waking up was rather unusual. For one, I was covered in my own sick, the smell of which made me throw up again. A perfect way to start the day. Secondly, seeing the giant fangs, horns, and brutish nose of an orc glaring back with eyes wide open, was enough to give me a heart attack.

    The orc¡¯s eyes were wide open, but as I hopped up and down on the towel that I had slept on, the giant unnerving red eyes didn¡¯t seem to follow. They just stood frozen in place. This must be a trait of orcs; instill fear when awake and asleep. Just to be sure, I flicked a piece of crusty sick at one of the giant eyes¡­ no reaction. It just slid slowly down leaving a brownish trail. The orc didn¡¯t even blink. That was a little unsettling. Now I was sure that it was asleep.

    <i>Note to self: never sleep face-to-face with an orc. </i>

    Once my heart had settled and I had a better grasp of my bearings, I noticed Liam huddled asleep on the table- in the fetal position sucking his thumb. I can¡¯t say that it was surprising. He was a big blubbering baby after all. Always holding a grudge and whining about forgiving me or not.

    <i>I hate you</i>, I imitated in his voice. <i>Don¡¯t talk to me</i>.

    In the last 24 hours, he had several shifts in mood toward me. Talk about difficult. At least we were friends now. Well, sort of. There were still a lot of unsaid truths that needed to be aired, and more tears to be shed. Most likely from his side. I just hoped he was over our past lives. We could both do with a completely fresh start.

    ¡®¡¯hrrrr ¡­ zzz ¡­ hrrr¡¯¡¯

    The loud snoring of the orc was enough to snap me out of my stray thoughts. I needed to look forward to a more positive start to the day with a brighter future. What was it that those motivational videos always used to say back on Earth? That¡¯s right<i>: I wake up at 1 am every morning. I¡¯ve done five thousand push-ups while everyone else is still sleeping. I¡¯ve made ten million before lunch and run five companies while feeding the poor and needy. Winners aren¡¯t born, they¡¯re made with clever editing.</i>

    That¡¯s it. The mindset of a determined motivational winner. That was exactly what I needed. This world was my cheese ball to conquer. Day two in this new world would be awesome, or so I hoped. I was ready to conquer it all.

    While the orc continued to snore and Liam continued to scream and settle repeatedly in his sleep, I decided to freshen up.

    Following a quick stretch, I found a cup to bathe in and wipe the dried sick from my fur. It took a while of soaking in warm water and doing my best not to throw up from the smell to finally get as close to clean as possible. I didn¡¯t smell like sick, so I guessed I was clean. After the improvised bath, I headed over to the table where Liam slept. Towards his feet, I found a fruit bowl with a couple of oranges. I climbed up and scratched at the zesty skin. The fresh scent of citrus spread through the air filling my nostrils with the familiar scent of my previous life back on Earth. It was both nostalgic and bothersome, it was a reminder of all the what-ifs that no longer existed. Now though, wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on the past. I reached my armpits over to the exposed flesh of the oranges and rubbed them all over. I gave them a quick sniff after. I smelt great. I just hoped that no one ate the orange after, well except for Liam of course. I saw the way he looked at me sometimes. Who was I to judge if he was into mice? Anything can happen in this world.

    Note to self: <i>don¡¯t let Liam watch me shower.</i>

    Now that I was freshened up, I decided to check out my interface. I needed to get an idea of how we were progressing.

    <b>/Open interface/</b>

    <b>Name: Dave</b>

    <b>Class: undefined</b>

    <b>Species: Mouse </b>

    <b>Level: 6     Health: 100%   Afflictions: none</b>

    <b>Strength: 5</b>

    <b>Agility: 6</b>

    <b>Intelligence: 7</b>

    <b>Dexterity: 5</b>

    <b>Charisma: 8</b>

    It was interesting to see that the numbers were going up but without knowing how they compared to creatures in this world, I was at a loss as to whether I was making good progress or not. We had defeated a low-ranked demon, so that was a good start I guessed, even though that was completely down to the internal resonance ability. Something told me that I shouldn¡¯t rely on it too much. My relationship with Liam, at least for now, was still volatile. And seeing that internal resonance was dependent on that, it was no more than a saving grace.

    I continued to explore my skills and understand as much as possible about my interface. Discovering more than 20 skills, I quickly realized that some were useful while others, were not so much. I had been given a real mixed bag. Tail hop and flame were useful, although, at level 2, they still seemed a little weak. I had a gut feeling that my skills would only level up when used. Other skills, like ¡®look convincing¡¯ and ¡®distance slap¡¯ seemed more like taunts than actual skills. They would still need a field test just to be sure, and as it so happened, it was about time that Liam and his orc friend woke up.

    I found a hiding place in the far corner of the room and poised myself before tapping the distance slap. The skill allowed me to choose a target. A white glove appeared and slapped the sleeping orc who immediately sat up and looked around confused. For a moment, I thought that she would fall back asleep. She almost did but then suddenly blinked twice and roared. She seemed sad and teary. She noticed Liam sleeping on the tail. I was out of direct sight, but surprisingly she made eye contact with me and stared for a long second. I felt pressured to use my second skill.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I tapped on ¡®look convincing¡¯ and instantly my face started moving of its own accord as the words, ¡®¡¯It was him,¡¯¡¯ flew out of my mouth.

    Liam, who now sat awake, looked at me confused as he rubbed the corner of his eyes. The orc¡¯s face reddened as her gaze shifted towards the sleepy human.

    ¡®¡¯What¡¯s going on?¡¯¡¯ enquired an innocent Liam as he stood up scratching his backside.

    ¡®¡¯You wake me, puny human.¡¯¡¯ Mumbled a teary, red-faced orc.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, you have about 3 seconds,¡¯¡¯ I said.

    <b>3</b>

    Realization dawned on him.

    <b>2</b>

    Liam was out of the door like a Bolt of lightning.

    ¡®¡¯Why you wake me, Puny human?¡¯¡¯ The orc roared as giant footsteps followed through the door.

    The door slammed shut with a loud thud.<hr>

    Breakfast at the Cat¡¯s Ear was a pleasant cheese board and a selection of soft, freshly baked bread served to me by none other than my old friend Bodger the Badger.

    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t know you worked here?¡¯¡¯ I enquired with a shifty smile as the Badger lay the board down and glared at me.

    ¡®¡¯You promised that you would pay for my dinner.¡¯¡¯ He growled in a threatening tone.

    ¡®¡¯I said no such thing. We offered to take you out for the three-course meal, just like your vision suggested. There was no mention that I or Liam would pay. Did your vision not show you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Why, what¡­ It was implied.¡¯¡¯ Hissed Bodger as he raised a paw and readied his claws to take a swipe at me.

    Before he could strike, I was saved.

    ¡®¡¯That is no way to treat our guests,¡¯¡¯ interrupted the cat-eared waitress from the previous night.

    She ushered Bodger away and smiled at me apologetically.

    ¡®¡¯Will your friend be joining you for breakfast too?¡¯¡¯ she enquired with a blush.

    I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡®¡¯He¡¯s just running a little late,¡¯¡¯ I said. Technically that wasn¡¯t a lie. I was sure that he was running, but I had no idea where.

    I ate in silence for a minute enjoying the different varieties of cheese and bread that were laid out before me. The waitress hovered around awkwardly like she was waiting for Liam. The place was empty, so she wasn¡¯t exactly rushed off her feet. I began to grow a little curious too, wondering how late Liam would be. Just then, the entrance door swung open, and the orc stomped in carrying a bruised Liam by the back of his trousers. She sat him down on the chair and pulled out a seat for herself, and without a word sat and began to stuff cheese down her throat.

    ¡®¡¯Guess he likes it rough,¡¯¡¯ remarked the waitress as she left with a shallow sigh.

    Liam and the orc didn¡¯t say much for the rest of breakfast. The orc ate silently, and Liam just pushed a round piece of cheese looking forlorn. He seemed healthier with more colour in him than the day before. That was a good sign; he was rested. After a while, he too began to eat and his mood took a full swing in the opposite direction. Added with an order of a couple of ciders, the Orc and Liam, were in a merry mood in no time.

    I noticed that Elaine, although merry, wasn¡¯t very forthcoming about herself. She shot down several attempts by Liam to glean some information. There was no rush. For now, we didn¡¯t even know if we¡¯d see her again after breakfast.

    Following lunch, I decided to make an announcement. I walked up to an uneaten bread roll and climbed to stand on top.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, Orc lady.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Elaine.¡¯¡¯ Grunted the orc

    ¡®¡¯Liam, Elaine.¡¯¡¯ I corrected. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve been thinking, we need a source of income. We can¡¯t survive here if we don¡¯t have a profession. And Liam, I know you¡¯re not the sharpest blade in the set.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Haha, very funny.¡¯¡¯ Said Liam as he rocked the table to unbalance me.

    ¡®¡¯As I was saying. I want us to register us as an adventurers party.¡¯¡¯

    Liam looked at me surprised.

    ¡®¡¯Are you sure? Don¡¯t you think it might be a little dangerous?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, it¡¯s up to you. You can be a dishwasher like Bodger if you¡¯d like.¡¯¡¯

    Bodger glared at me as he just so happened to be waddling past our table.

    ¡®¡¯No, Puny Mouse right. Adventure good strong work. Puny man become not so puny man. Elaine help too. Then Elaine Bunga Bunga with not so puny man.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Well, it looks like your plan has bought me some time.¡¯¡¯ Liam nervously smirked, relieved that he was safe from the orc for a little longer.

    I wasn¡¯t too keen on the orc joining us. She seemed harmless enough. Although, if she wanted to stay, she¡¯d have to open up around us. There was a lot we didn¡¯t know about her. And adventuring meant putting our lives in her hands. <hr>

    The adventurer¡¯s guild wasn¡¯t far. As it turns out, it was 5 minutes behind the ¡®Cat¡¯s Ear Inn and Tavern¡¯. Away from the central path that cut through the city, towards the left-most side of the town shadowed slightly by a large mountain range not far from the outer wall of the town.

    The guild was a lavish building with a dome and wooden pillars that preceded the pathway leading to the entrance. Inside there was a vast hall filled with quest boards, cat-eared women working behind counters, and dozens of adventurers of all sizes roaming around the place. It was alive with the sound of chatter. The buzz of excitement sent shivers throughout my tiny body. We were going to be adventurers.

    Not wanting to stand out too much, we proceeded to one of the counters.

    ¡®¡¯You seem new. I take it you¡¯re here to register.¡¯¡¯ Said the blonde-haired human as she looked as up and down. ¡®¡¯My name is Ma M¡­ I mean Lara. Yes, Lara.¡¯¡¯

    Was it just me or did she forget her name? Who forgets their name? I eyed her suspiciously while Liam eyed her in an altogether different manner.

    ¡®¡¯Nice name.¡¯¡¯ Liam blurted in a slightly higher pitch than he had intended. Once again, he was enamored. The orc over his shoulder noticed and grunted in annoyance, kicking his heel.

    ¡®¡¯We¡¯d like to join the guild,¡¯¡¯ I stated.

    Lara looked confused as if she had zoned out for a moment, but then quickly returned to us with a smile.

    ¡®¡¯Oh, Ok, that¡¯s not a problem. You can join our guild. We just need to carry out a few assessments to see your current abilities and your future potential. This will allow us to grade you. The first is an easy enough quest. It¡¯s an unranked beginner¡¯s quest. Complete it and we¡¯ll proceed to the next assessment.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯what kind of quest?¡¯¡¯ I enquired.

    Her eyes darted around several times as if she was thinking up an answer.

    ¡®¡¯Nothing, special just a simple item collection quest. There¡¯s a mountain range just North of here. At the base of the nearest mountain, you¡¯ll find a cave leading into a dungeon. Just defeat 5 mountain bats and return here with their wings and we¡¯ll then proceed to the second round of assessments.¡¯¡¯

    Lara''s behaviour was strange but no one else seemed to notice anything unusual.

    I projected a thought into Liam¡¯s head but was met with static and radio silence. Just my luck.

    Suddenly my interface blinked as a notification appeared.

    Quest received:

    <b>                       Find the beginner¡¯s hunting cave and bring back for 5 bat wings.</b>

    <b>                                                        Accept Y: N?</b>

    ¡®¡¯Wait, how did that happen?¡¯¡¯ I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡®¡¯Oh it¡¯s nothing, I just sent you the job request through your interface.¡¯¡¯ Replied a nervous Lara.

    ¡®¡¯But how did you link with mine specifically?¡¯¡¯ I asked.

    ¡®¡¯Maybe you¡¯ve been here before.¡¯¡¯ She smiled at me widely.

    ¡®¡¯Ok, enough talking.¡¯¡¯ Interrupted Elaine. ¡®¡¯I bored, we do quest now. Accept puny mouse so we be done.¡¯¡¯

    I tapped on my interface and located a blinking envelope icon in the top right. The message appeared again.

    <b>Find the beginner¡¯s hunting cave and bring back for 5 bat wings.</b>

    <b>                                                        Accept Y: N?</b>

    Something was off. There was only one way to find out what, and that was to play along.

 Chapter 17: Tail of the first quest

    After leaving the Adventurers Guild, we made our way to some nearby stores to load up on supplies. The trek towards the mountains could take a while, so we needed to make sure we had everything we¡¯d need. Dave insisted on picking up cheese, and lots of it. Four different kinds, to be exact. Apparently, each was for a different mood, or so he claimed.

    There was a strong blue cheese to wake him up in the morning, a creamy one for crackers, a light, healthy cheese with holes (for watching his weight), and finally, a fruity cheese for dessert.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. ¡°Cheese, really?¡±

    Dave nodded solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect survival food, Liam. Trust me.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t argue.

    As for me, I had to be more creative. After a few moments of awkwardly staring at the racks of gear, I settled on a metal, all-round chastity belt. For protection. Mostly from Elaine. No way was I going to risk becoming her personal toy any time soon.

    Elaine, of course, went for something a little more practical: a new club for hitting things. She tested it a few times on me, just to make sure it had the desired effect. Fortunately, I was quick enough to avoid having my bones smashed into pieces.

    ¡°Puny human,¡± she grunted as she swung the club in the air. ¡°I make real Orc man out of you. Why you run?¡±

    I wisely chose not to answer. My life was more important than entertaining her strange desires.

    The rest of our supplies were more basic: field rations, water, dried meat, fruit, biscuits, and a few rolls of bedding. Being 8 feet tall, Elaine offered to carry the bulk of the load. Dave being Dave, naturally, he offered to take care of everything... and I just laughed.

    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re five centimeters tall. Six on a good day. How are you going to carry all this?¡± I pointed at the pile.

    That didn¡¯t go over too well. Elaine knocked me on the head with her fist, and before I could even say ¡°ouch,¡± Dave fired a burning ember straight into my ear. I was lucky it didn¡¯t reach my eardrum.

    ¡°I have an inventory, genius!¡± Dave shot back with a glare.

    ¡°Oh right, sorry,¡± I muttered, rubbing my head and poking a finger around the inside of my ear hoping that there was no lasting damage.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    After stashing our stuff in Dave¡¯s inventory, we were finally ready to go¡ªwell, almost.

    ¡°Puny human, Puny Mouse, wait two minutes. I visit the lady¡¯s room,¡± Elaine said, leading us toward a nearby store.

    Dave and I waited outside. Not much to do, really, except stare at the sky. And count the number of people with cat ears or tails. It was a weird world.

    ¡°How¡¯s life?¡± Dave asked, attempting small talk.

    I snorted. ¡°You know, trying to survive one day at a time. Trying not to get killed by demons, or turned into mush by an orc who thinks that she¡¯s my girlfriend. You?¡±

    ¡°Not bad, you know, the usual.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, enlighten me,¡± I replied, eyeing him.

    ¡°Okay, yes¡­ if you must know, it¡¯s amazing, you ginormous ape brain. I¡¯m a mouse. I¡¯m less than half a foot tall. I constantly look up at you most of the day, giving me neck strain. I scurry trying to keep up, getting blisters. And don¡¯t even get me started on my... issues.¡± He paused to sniff around his scrotum. ¡°This is the tenth time today. by the way, in case you haven''t noticed, I¡¯m a mouse, my instincts keep telling me to sniff my scrotum and lick myself.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, no need to get testy. You asked me first,¡± I pouted. Also, raising an eyebrow, I continued, ¡°I know we¡¯re friends but that was too much information, even for me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡ªum?¡± he hadn¡¯t expected that reply. For a moment, he was lost for words.

    Fortunately, Elaine¡¯s return interrupted the awkward silence. She stepped out of the building, looking satisfied, and headed over to us. I sighed in relief. The Orc¡¯s presence was the perfect distraction from the weird conversation.

    Finally, we were on our way. We left the town and headed towards the mountain range, following the outer wall of the city. The scenery was lush and green, with the mountains growing ever larger as we approached. The air grew cooler, and the path became less paved, more rugged.

    ¡°We close,¡± Elaine said, pointing ahead. We saw the entrance to a cave glistening in the distance, its mouth surrounded by a strange, shimmering barrier.

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I murmured, excitement building. We were close now.

    As we neared the barrier, I felt the oddest sensation, like electricity in the air. A weird, glowing shimmer danced before us.

    ¡°Now what, Puny man?¡± Elaine asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°We enter or not? Elaine not want to wait.¡±

    Dave didn¡¯t have much to say. As usual, I was the one to take the lead. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I reached out and pushed my hand through the barrier.

    ¡°Ahhh! My hand! My hand!¡± I screamed, immediately pulling it back as if I¡¯d been burned. I cradled my hand dramatically.

    Dave looked panicked, and Elaine¡¯s face twisted in concern.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Elaine demanded, her voice deepening with worry.

    Dave¡¯s voice shrieked in my head. ¡°I think you might be dead.¡±

    But when I held up both hands, they were perfectly fine. No burns. No damage. Just my usual melodramatic self.

    ¡°I got you!¡± I chuckled, holding up my hands triumphantly. ¡°Fooled you both.¡±

    Elaine and Dave weren¡¯t impressed. The orc glared at me with the rage in her eyes and slapped me on the back. The force sent me flying through the barrier.

    ¡°I show you ¡®fool,¡¯¡± she muttered, following me through with a grin.

 Chapter 18: An unwanted pest

    The barrier sent us through to the inside of a dark, damp cave. Dim, glowing Stalactites hung from the ceiling and stalagmites protruded from the ground, some giving the appearance of feint blue fangs, adding to the already ominous feeling of the cave. A metallic smell hung in the air wafting through my nostrils, It was familiar yet somehow wrong. I sensed the presence of death mixed with a hint of aged rot. I looked around, while clinging tightly on Liam¡¯s shoulder not wanting to slip and fall through a never-ending crevice that could, for all I know, lead to another isekai world. Once was enough for now. I was still figuring out how this world worked.

    <b>Shuffle</b> <b>Shuffle</b>

    The sounds were quick and startled me. I dug my claws tighter into Liam¡¯s shoulder, not realizing that I had pierced through his skin.

    ¡®¡¯Relax, Dave. There¡¯s nothing here. That was me, I was just adjusting my trousers. I got a wedgie ok.¡¯¡¯ Explained Liam as he adjusted his nether region and returned his focus on navigating through the darkness before us.

    ¡®¡¯Too much info, Liam,¡¯¡¯ I whispered nervously as, we pushed forward through the darkness, my whiskers on high alert for the faintest of changes in the air.

    Elaine and Liam were quiet while walking. It made sense though. They both appeared to be deep in concentration. The ground was slippery and treacherous. They needed to watch for damp patches and jagged rocks. It left me bored, with nothing to do or even say. My anxiety ran wild as a result.

    ¡®¡¯Where are those bats?¡¯¡¯ I questioned. ''''By now, we should have seen one or at least signs of them.''''

    Liam didn¡¯t answer. His eyes were focused on checking the ground before him.

    ¡®¡¯Little Mouse right. I no see flying mouse anywhere.¡¯¡¯ Grunted Elaine as she awkwardly pushed herself through a narrow space between two rocks.

    ¡®¡¯Bats are not flying mice. We are completely different,¡¯¡¯ I replied.

    ¡®¡¯You have whiskers?¡¯¡¯ she asked.

    ¡®¡¯Yes.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You have, big ears?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Yes¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You have hair on your body?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Yes?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯You flying mouse, only no wings.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯They are bats! And I¡¯m a mouse.¡¯¡¯ I responded angrily.

    ¡®¡¯Shhh, quieten down,¡¯¡¯ Liam interjected. ¡®¡¯You might wake your brothers and sisters.¡¯¡¯

    I walked over to Liam¡¯s Ear and blasted water straight through the opening. That was a bad idea. Liam yelped and lost balance, immediately slipping and falling to his butt. He began to slide uncontrollably and took me along for the ride. We swerved left and then right on what felt like a children¡¯s slide. The speed picked up and I struggled to hold on. My cheeks began to look like loose rubber over my face, exposing the inside of my mouth to the elements.

    ¡®¡¯Agghhh¡¯¡¯ screamed Liam.

    Our journey continued for a further few seconds, eventually breaking us out of darkness to reveal a rapidly growing light.

    ¡®¡¯Hold on tight¡¯¡¯ Shouted Liam.

    ¡®¡¯You sure? I allvready Vamm.¡¯¡¯ I shouted with my mouth distorting uncontrollably.

    I dug my claws in even tighter.

    ¡®¡¯Too much.¡¯¡¯ Screamed Liam as we finally flew off the edge of the slide and went flying forward. Time slowed as we hit the peak of our ascent and then rapidly accelerated as we began to descend.

    Thinking fast, I quickly checked my interface and activated the first skill that appeared before me.

    <b>Wind</b>

    ¡®¡¯Wind¡¯¡¯ I shouted as it activated. I didn¡¯t shout it because I needed to, it was out of relief that a useful skill had been at the top just when I needed it. What luck.

    I let go of Liam¡¯s shoulder and let the wind cushion my landing.

    ¡®¡¯Owww.¡¯¡¯ Cried Liam who landed with a thud next to me.

    ¡®¡¯You could have helped me.¡¯¡¯ He whined.

    ¡®¡¯What do you expect? It¡¯s a level-one skill for a tiny mouse. It can carry me. I¡¯d probably have to level it up to three thousand before it can carry your backside.¡¯¡¯

    Before we could continue, we were interrupted by a giant scream.

    ¡®¡¯Wheeeeeeeee.¡¯¡¯

    Liam and I both turned as the dread of what was to be, kicked in. We gulped simultaneously¡­

    <hr>

    ¡®¡¯You laughed at me for buying a chastity belt. You¡¯re being paranoid you said. She won¡¯t hurt me you said. Blah blah blah squeaky squeaky squeak.¡¯¡¯ Whined Liam as he attempted to taunt me into agreeing that he was right for buying the chastity belt.

    ¡®¡¯This right here.¡¯¡¯ Continued Liam pointing to his belt. ¡®¡¯This right here, saved me.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯I sorry.¡¯¡¯ Said Elaine who was apologetically moping around on the floor as Liam continued his tirade.

    ¡®¡¯Shhhhh.¡¯¡¯ I gestured to Liam.

    ¡®¡¯I have balls of stee¡­¡¯¡¯. Liam quietened as his eyes followed mine.

    Around us lay a vast green field teaming with life. Greenery for as far as the eye could see, lit up by a pale orange sky. Insects buzzed and birds sang. Our mouths hung open as we took in the sheer size of the expanse before us. Wherever we had landed, it was beyond comprehension. The dungeon was a living ecosystem.

    We got to our feet and moved away from the dark monotone shades of the cave behind us. The feint orange light radiated warmth all over our bodies with each step and drew us into a vibrant world of colour and life. It was exhilarating to feel alive.

    Every step was filled with awe and wonder. Tall grasses teemed with insects of every kind. Some with long beautiful wings that resembled dragonflies, others with shodragonflies bloated bodies that resembled flying leaves; probably for camouflage. We had unwittingly entered into an ecosystem, probably not meant for our eyes.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    <i>Maybe we¡¯d find the bats  somewhere here</i>. The thought gave me hope that we would be able to leave soon.

    We continued our walk, pushing aside knee-length grass for over an hour until the scenery began to show signs of change. The tall grass gave way and opened to a flat plain that eventually led into a dark forest. Not knowing where to go and seeing nothing but trees to our left and right, forward seemed like the only choice.

    I took out some blue cheese and a cracker to munch on while Dave continued to walk.

    ¡®¡¯Could you not wait till we sat down somewhere to rest? That stinks.¡¯¡¯ Said Liam.

    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m scared ok, and eating makes me feel safe. This is my comfort food. It¡¯s either that or have me pee on your shoulder. Which do you prefer?¡¯¡¯ I offered.

    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s Ok. As you were.¡¯¡¯

    I watched as the trees grew darker and gloomier than before. The sky seemed to turn a darker shade of green and brown. Wherever we were, it didn¡¯t seem like the same, safe grassy fields we had just come from. This place seemed like a place of death.

    ¡®¡¯We should turn back,¡¯¡¯ I suggested feeling somewhat unsure about the looming darkness ahead.

    ¡®¡¯Not happening, do you remember why we¡¯re here?¡¯¡¯ asked Liam.

    I thought about the entry requirements set by the Adventurers Guild. We needed 5 bats, meaning we had little choice. Or did we?

    ¡®¡¯What if we¡¯re not cut out to be adventurers? This does not look safe, who knows what kind of monsters might be inside that place.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯No problem, Dave.¡¯¡¯ Let¡¯s head back he said, stopping and turning his face to look at me. ¡®¡¯You can go and become a professional chef. People here love your kind. Why not have a rat chef too? I¡¯ll stay he¡­¡¯¡¯

    I didn¡¯t let him finish. I wasn¡¯t going to let him mock me for being scared.

    ¡®¡¯You are such an ****¡¯¡¯ I shouted and jumped off his shoulder not wanting to be anywhere near him and began to walk towards the trees to prove that I wasn¡¯t scared. ¡®¡¯What is wrong with you?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s right, run away and see if I care.¡¯¡¯ Shouted Liam as I walked away. I wasn¡¯t going to let him belittle me. I thought we were friends, yet at every opportunity, he was still being an Ass.

    Not wanting to lose face, I continued to head deeper into the woods, alone.

    ¡®¡¯Little Mouse. It no safe.¡¯¡¯ I heard Elaine call. At least she cared. Liam didn¡¯t call for me once, but soon, even Elaine¡¯s voice disappeared. I didn¡¯t look back. Not once.  I didn¡¯t want to see their stupid faces. I wanted to be alone.

    Anger fuelled me as I walked further not knowing how long I had been walking, or when It suddenly became so dark. I stopped for a moment to look around and realized that I was almost in complete darkness. The canopies of the tall trees allowed no more than a few specks of light through. Gnarled branches gave rise to twisted and deformed shadows. Wood creaking echoed all around me. The sound of chittering became all too loud. The fear of being alone suddenly brought me back to my senses. I shouldn¡¯t have let my anger take over.

    <b>Chitter Chitter</b>

    The ground rustled and moved beneath my feet. I was not alone. I stretched my hands out in front and felt around trying to get some idea of what was happening. I felt the paralysis of fear fight to take control of my legs.

    <b>Chitter Chitter</b>

    The sound was now closer. I felt the warm breath of something around my neck. I needed to act quickly, but my legs didn¡¯t budge. The warm breath moved from the left side of my neck to the right, leaving a cool sensation as it did so. I managed to move my tail and activate my interface. As sweat dripped from my forehead and the deadly sense of impending doom grew unbearably strong, I quickly activated tail hop.

    I sailed through the sky, out of reach and into safety¡­ Or so I thought.

    Something smacked me from the side and knocked the wind out of me. The last thing I remember was a large tree trunk growing closer and closer with incredible speed.

    <b>Thud</b><hr>

    When I came too, I saw light fill my eyes once again. The bright orange sky, the green grass, and the peaceful humming and buzzing of life. <i>I¡¯m alive and safe</i>, was my immediate thought. How wrong I was.

    I tried to stand but quickly realized I couldn¡¯t. Where my legs should have been, lay two bloody stumps. I tried to shout out, but no words came out. I tried to scream but I caught my breath, and the world suddenly began to spin. This was surreal. <i>I have legs, where are they hiding</i>, I thought to myself. I didn¡¯t want to accept this reality. This new cruel reality didn''t add up. Life had been fun and pleasant until now. Who would write such an evil twist of fate for such a fun-loving and whimsical character such as myself? Tears began to roll uncontrollably.

    ¡®¡¯My legs.¡¯¡¯ I cried.

    The whistling of doom filled my ears as shock gave way to searing pain. I felt movement where there should be movement and yet, there was none. I was speechless and lost. How was it possible for a mouse with a mouth as big as mine to be lost for words? The cruel irony.

    ¡®¡¯Damn you, fate. Write me a happy story. I deserve at least that after everything you¡¯ve put me through. Haven¡¯t I tried to be positive through all of your trials and tribulations?¡¯¡¯ I shook my fist at the sky not expecting an answer. I knew there was someone out there listening to me. And I also knew that he didn¡¯t care. He had already determined my fate. My story was a closed book to him. A means to self-satisfaction. My suffering most likely nothing but a stepping stone to his success. Damn it. Damn you.

    ¡®¡¯If you won¡¯t help me, then I¡¯ll help myself,¡¯¡¯ I shouted.

    I felt for my tail, fortunately, it was still attached. I painfully maneuvered it from under so as to not touch the remains of my legs. I activated the interface and checked my health. It was at 9 percent. basically dead, I laughed.

    ¡®¡¯See that, Liam. Your pest problem is finally solved. Happy now. Where will you be without me? I was the funny one. All the good in you, that was me!¡¯¡¯

    I continued to look for options on my interface. All my skills were greyed out. No chance of healing myself then. Internal resonance was at 4 percent too. I didn¡¯t even realize that it could go down. This was me at my lowest point. I decided to resign myself to whatever was meant to be. I unclenched my fist and smiled, enjoying the peace and serenity of the sky above.

    My heart ached and I didn¡¯t even know why. I just wanted to cry uncontrollably. As painful as waking up and realizing that I had no legs was, it was all the worse for knowing that I was alone. All alone. I didn¡¯t want to die like this. I wanted someone with me, anyone. Elaine. Liam. Heck, even Bodger would be good right about now. I could sure use his ¡®power¡¯ to predict how or if I¡¯d survive this dire situation. Maybe I should give it a try, all I had to do was release my inner Bodger. First, I let my eyes roll upward toward the sky. Secondly, I scrunched my face like I needed the bathroom. And finally, I hummed and buzzed as if some higher entity was channeling itself through me.

    I continued like this for 30 seconds to no avail. Realizing that nothing was going to happen, I quickly gave up.

    ¡®¡¯Ha ha,¡¯¡¯ at least I was still funny. Even if no one was here to appreciate my humor.

    More tears spilled down my cheeks as self-pity and regret tore through me. Snot ran rampant down my nose. I lifted my head to look around to see anything or anyone. The hope gave me the courage to at least try.

    Lifting my head higher, sorrow quickly shifted to panic. Beady black eyes rose before me, followed by a large shell-like face with two large mandibles and several thousand teeth. A long-segmented exoskeleton body followed with thousands of legs. A Gigantic man-sized millipede stood at my feet, or where my feet would have been had they not been eaten. Its red outer skeleton glowed blood red in the orange sky.

    I coughed up blood, knowing that this was it. It had already eaten my legs. My lower abdomen was next. It had been savoring me as a snack to be relished and eaten slowly.

    I suddenly felt feint as the two large mandibles neared my torso and obsidian eyes watched in delight. The monster wanted to savor every moment of devouring me alive.

    ¡®¡¯Not even a hello, Just straight to the main course? What kind of first date is this?¡¯¡¯ I laughed as blood filled my mouth.

    ¡®¡¯Liam,¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯If you can hear me. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for being the funny one. You had your moments. Well, what I mean to say is that I was never laughing with you, I was laughing at you. Having said that, you were still a good friend and I forgive you.¡¯¡¯

    Glimpses of our brief new life flickered before me. Hazy snapshots of the good, the funny, and the scary. As short as our friendship had been, it had meant something.

    Through fear and exhaustion, my eyes began to close. I felt the cool breeze blow on the damp fur around my face. I felt serene. It would be over soon.

    The mandibles crunched on the upper bone of my right thigh and then the right. I felt warm blood ooze around the fur of my stomach. Pain was no longer a thing. I was too far gone.

    ¡®¡¯Quick, It¡¯s not too late! Archers Fire.¡¯¡¯

    Life was cruel. Even now in death, it mocked me with the cruel hopes of being saved.

    ¡®¡¯Liam, why do you sound feminine?¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Mages cast heal. We must stop the bleeding.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Goodbye, Liam. It was fun while it lasted.¡¯¡¯

    More voices filled the air. The sound of crunching stopped and was replaced with that of a battle.

    I didn¡¯t know what was happening. I had already begun to fade in and out of consciousness.

    Words began to mix and became more incoherent.

    ¡®¡¯We¡¯re lo sim.¡¯¡¯

    ¡®¡¯Tek im¡­¡¯¡¯

    The light was so bright. Peace. No pain. So close.

    Silence.

    Finally.

 Chapter 19: A Surprise Pest Appearance

    <b></b>¡®¡¯Walk away. See if I care.¡¯¡¯ I pouted as Dave headed into the forest. Anger clouded my judgment, and negative thoughts began to run rampant.<i>

    I don¡¯t need him. He needs me. I do all the leg work, and he just sits on my shoulder eating smelly cheese. I don¡¯t need him. I never needed him. He¡¯s the one that always goes on about us being bonded. </i>

    I turned to Elaine, who was still calling after the little rat.

    <i>Damn nuisance</i>.

    Why did I ever think we could be friends?

    ¡®¡¯Me go get him.¡¯¡¯ Said Elaine as she began to walk after him.

    ¡®¡¯No, let him be,¡¯¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®¡¯Give him time. You saw him, he¡¯s scared. He¡¯ll be running back out in no time.¡¯¡¯ I turned my gaze towards the trees, their shadows reaching out towards us.

    ¡®¡¯What if he not come out?¡¯¡¯ said the orc with concern. For someone so huge and tall, deep down she was a big softie. Her red round eyes were rimmed with tears. There was so much I still didn¡¯t know about her. I needed to change that. I liked her and she was a part of our party, yet every time I had tried to ask her about herself, she had shot me down. She was one tough nut to crack. <i>I¡¯ll find a way</i>, I promised myself.

    A gust of wind from the trees drew my attention back towards the darkness that lay ahead of us.

    My thoughts turned back to Dave; he needed us.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh with exasperation.

    I knew deep down that I had messed up. I was too thick-headed. Dave wasn¡¯t my enemy! He was my friend and a dear one at that too. I needed to start acting the part.

    ¡®¡¯Elaine, I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s go find our furry friend.¡¯¡¯ I said, perking up in the hope of making Elaine feel better.

    With trepidation, I headed into the forest.

    I took a step, my foot landing on a branch. Before I heard the expected crack, Elaine pulled me back and placed an enormous hand over my mouth.

    ¡®¡¯Shhhh, Listen.¡¯¡¯ She whispered into my ear. She lifted me back and away from the edge of the treeline and pointed toward the canopy above us.

    Something was moving in the leaves. Fighting. Wrestling. I couldn¡¯t see what it was. The signs of a struggle were clear. Leaves shuffled and branches creaked, yet nothing could be seen through the dense foliage. I stood a little longer, my mouth still covered, and then suddenly a large bird broke through.

    This was no ordinary bird. It dwarfed the Ostriches of Earth by three-fold. The majestic avian creature flew from the canopy, six red feathered wings fuelling its flight. It ascended further and further, and then without notice, a branch shot out from the canopy faster than I could blink. The pointed end of the branch pierced the bird through and recoiled as fast as it had shot out, the lifeless bird pulled with it.

    I looked back into the darkness before us and gulped.

    ¡®¡¯Dave, hang in there, we¡¯re coming for you,¡¯¡¯ I whispered to myself, trying my best to push down the fear.

    Elaine led the way. For someone of her size, she was surprisingly nimble. She took great care in avoiding branches and mounds of leaves, or anything else that stood out as possible danger. I followed in her footsteps, cautious not to trip.

    The deeper we went, the darker and louder it got. We seemed to be walking towards the epicenter of life within the forest.

    After a half hour of walking, we still hadn¡¯t come across any signs of Dave. This was strange. Dave had entered the forest only a few minutes before us, yet the trail had gone cold as soon as we had entered.

    Several times the thought of calling out to Dave crossed my mind, but each time I held back for fear that it would draw the wrong kind of attention.

    Soon, minutes turned into hours, and we still had nothing to show for our efforts. We had originally come to this cave to find bats and now, we were here trying to find¡­ A tear formed in the corner of my eye

    I didn¡¯t want to think about it. He had to be alive.

    <i>That¡¯s it!</i>

    Why didn¡¯t I think of it before? We were bonded, that¡¯s what he always said with that goofy smile of his. Internal Resonance is the ability that allows us to communicate telepathically with one another.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    <i>Dave, can you hear me? Please, Dave. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a fool for always being so hard on you. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. Sometimes, I just don¡¯t think. If you can hear me, please reply.</i>

    <i>Damn it!</i>

    There was no response. Maybe our communication was limited to a certain distance. If so, then just how far had Dave gone? Was he even safe?

    ¡®Shhhh.¡¯ Elaine turned towards me with a finger on her lips, stopping me in my tracks. She pointed through a little opening in the trees ahead. It was too dark to make out clearly, but I could see the faint outline of some kind of two-legged monster. We crept carefully, hugging our bodies to the trees before us. I ducked and peeped past a tree trunk.

    The monster was at least twelve feet tall and stood on two muscular legs. A long tail lined with spiky knife-like daggers swung menacingly from side to side. From its torso, two chicken-like wings covered in feathers hung tightly by its side. And for its head, a large muzzle opened into a mouth lined with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth.

    ¡®¡¯A T-rex,¡¯¡¯ I said in awe, without realizing it.

    ¡®¡¯Shhh,¡¯¡¯ Shushed Elaine. ¡®¡¯Monster here us. Quiet Human!¡¯¡¯

    Her warning was a little too late. The T-rex had heard us.

    Its beady eye looked past the trees that lay before us, and straight into mine. A spine-shattering chill ran through my entire body, making me freeze and forget how to walk. I was lucky my bladder held it together. This was true fear. It was nothing like I had ever felt before. This was the fear of imminent death. My mind froze as my entire body went numb, refusing to obey.

    ¡®¡¯Co rrocck a doo.¡¯¡¯ Grunted the beast.

    Wait, what? Did the T-rex just ¡®cock a doodle doo¡¯?

    The fear subsided as curiosity took over.

    ¡®¡¯Co rock a doo.¡¯¡¯

    It did, although this version was more guttural and deadly. T-rex¡¯s Cock a doodle doo. Take that scientist.

    ¡®¡¯The deadliest creature to ever walk on land is one big chicken.¡¯¡¯ I mused aloud.

    ¡®¡¯Tell him, not me, puny human.¡¯¡¯ Pointed Elaine as the T-rex neared at a lightning-fast speed, each step closing several meters of space between us.

    ¡®¡¯Run, I cried.¡¯¡¯ Not that it mattered, Elaine was already a hundred meters ahead of me. <i>Thanks. Some friend,</i> I thought as I ran desperately, trying to avoid having my butt bitten off from under me. I thought about looking back behind me to gauge the T-rex¡¯s distance, then realized I didn¡¯t need to. The steam heating my back was an obvious giveaway.

    By now, Elaine was nowhere to be seen, and the T-rex was close enough to enjoy a fresh Liam steak. I had to escape. I tried to recall everything I knew about dinosaurs, there had to be something useful. There was something about its vision and something else about its size. Was I supposed to play dead? No, that was possums.

    <i>Got it.</i>

    The T-rex can¡¯t turn easily because of its size. Armed with the deadliest weapon known to man; knowledge, I took a sharp right turn, narrowly escaping a snap of its jaws.

    ¡®¡¯I hope it works.¡¯¡¯ I said under my breath.

    Risking a quick look back, I saw the unimaginable. The T-rex ran straight into a tree and kicked off the trunk to correct its angle. Its wings fluttered, aiding in its agility. My little trick had only gained me five more seconds at the most and to make matters worse, I was tiring fast.

    I huffed and puffed, knowing that the T-rex was already back on my tail. His stinking breath bore down on me. I had to keep going. I couldn¡¯t give in. I had to fight to the end.

    Luck, however, wasn¡¯t on my side. A stitch tore into my stomach and distracted me from my run. I lost focus and accidentally stepped on a tree branch. The crack reverberated through my body and within an instant, a branch shot out towards me. It pierced me in the arm, the blow sending me flying to the ground. I got to one knee and looked to both, the creature in front and to my right. I had no escape, only two different ways to die. Option A, let the living tree pierce me with its branches. Option B, let the parkour T-rex bite me in half.

    ¡®¡¯Co Crookcc a doo.¡¯¡¯ Grunted the T-rex. It clawed its feet hesitantly into the ground. The tree responded in kind. Its roots freed themselves from the ground and its branches creaked and cracked. The T-rex dropped its head looking ready to charge. Only it didn¡¯t charge, instead, it turned and walked away. Huffing and puffing, most likely annoyed that it had given up its dinner.

    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s right you coward, walk away. That¡¯s what you get for being a chicken.¡¯¡¯ I shouted.

    <b>Crack, Crack</b>

    I turned back to see that the tree was moving towards me. Crawling forward on its tendril-like roots.

    ¡®¡¯Oh, great tree¡¯¡¯ I bowed in prostration, knowing it was an all-or-nothing attempt to save my skin. ¡®¡¯Please don¡¯t eat me. I won¡¯t taste nice.¡¯¡¯

    I thought about running but remembered what had happened to the bird that had tried to escape. Fighting wasn¡¯t an option either. I was powerless without Dave¡¯s help. My only hope was to beg and hope for a miracle.

    ¡®¡¯Also, I have never harmed a plant in my life.¡¯¡¯ I continued. ¡®¡¯Sorry about your foot, I mean root. I am a carnivore. I only eat meat, so I don¡¯t even know what plants taste like. I¡¯m an exception to all humans. I have an allergy to all things green¡¯¡¯

    The tree branches cracked some more.

    ¡®¡¯I mean, excluding you, oh mighty green one.¡¯¡¯

    The tree continued to move closer, the ground rumbling as it did so.

    ¡®¡¯Please, I¡¯m not like those vegans. They only eat plants. I¡¯m sorry if they ate your kind. I can help you; we can track them down together¡­¡¯¡¯

    I bowed lower, hoping that the creature would show me mercy.

    <b>PitterPatter</b>

    With my head still touching the damp leafy ground, my ears began to ring with the pattering of footsteps. Hundreds and hundreds of footsteps,

    I raised my head and turned to look from one side to the other, not believing what I was seeing. My eyes grew wide as my words failed me as usual.

    ¡®¡¯Wh how, you, what?¡¯¡¯

    I tried to stand feeling like my prayers had been answered. I had asked for a miracle, and a miracle had presented itself. I smiled to myself.

    ...

    But before, I could savor the moment, a deep pain flooded my heart. Something was wrong. I collapsed to the floor. My head spun and my body roared with pain.

    ''''Quick! heal him!'''' Shouted a squeaky voice.

    The pain, I knew what it meant. My bond with Dave was tearing, breaking.

    Dave¡­ he was¡­

    Tears fell from my eyes. Not because of the pain. These tears were not for me.

    Dave ¡­

    My vision blurred and darkness engulfed me.

    ''''We''re losing him!''''