The next morning we went to the Dining Hall. Sam was finally letting me walk around because I had gotten too heavy for my cage. The maids scurried around like mice in a hurry. Though to me, they seemed to be going slow. My physical abilities had risen quite a bit. So everyone seemed to move a little slower. I saw a flicker off to my left and moved to avoid it. The frost eagle I saw a couple weeks ago had dived at me but (because of my speed)it missed. I shot a little flame at it making it recoil and retreat back to it's sitting post.
" It seems your salamander has grown stronger since I saw it last." At the head of the table sat Sam's father eating his breakfast.
" And it appears that you want it to be proved by my younger brothers boar." Sam replied. His eyes met hers. " If you want a strong familiar, it needs to know its strong. That is the reason I want you to beat your brother. Gerald you have no hope of beating. That Gryphon is stronger than my Frost Beak Eagle."
The Eagle looked at me and hissed. I hissed right back with some smoke coming out from my jaws. ( This damn bird is asking for it. I'll make you into a pillow one of these days! That bird has been picking on me since day one. Though I guess fire and ice won't ever get along. But they sure as hell can leave each other alone!) Sam reached down and patted my head. " Not here." She sat and maids brought out a dish for her and a dish for me. Mine was a pile of meat and veggies. I chowed down after a small prayer to the reaper. I was starving. / Host is consuming Lava Bull. Sensing possible negative element. scanning./ I stopped and hopped onto the table sliding Sam's plate away and sniffed it. It smelt off. I hissed. " Ignis what is wrong with you?" Sam said. I started shaking. / Frost Serpent herb has been introduced to host. A strong poison capable of paralysis and possibly death. Boiling it will cause any liquid close to it to turn blue. Consuming and Integrating poison to allow for hosts survival./ I breathed a little flame onto Sam's dish and the water boiled. Consequentially it too turned blue. Sam's Father stood up quickly. " Frost Serpent herb! Who dares try to poison my Family!" He slammed his fist on the table.
"Guards! Round up the kitchen staff and the serving maids! I want to know who has the gall to do these things in my house!" Sam had grabbed me and was holding me while I was shaking.
/ Integration successful. Acquired Poison gland. Altered gland to integrate poison and filter it from the body. Host has gained Fire and Ice Poison. Host now has the skill Poison Fang. Host now has immunity to Frost Serpent Herb. Host is lucky to have survived./
After a while my shaking stopped. I wriggled out of Sams arms and went back to my plate. I sniffed the plate till I found what I wanted. It was a long blue vine object shoved into my meat. It had been flattened and inserted into the meat. ( This is done by an amateur) I thought. The guards came in with a group of people. Some maids, and some were the kitchen staff.
"Lord Carnac! What is the meaning of this!?" A balding man said in a loud voice. He was dressed like a chef but he was coated in sweat and looked nervous. Sam's father (or Lord Carnac as they called him) looked at the man. "Thomas. Someone has just attempted to poison my daughter and her familiar. I brought all of you here to find out who." He turned the group as a whole. "As to who that may be is about to be shown. I want to know who did it. Who put Frost Serpent Herb in my families food. If you confess I will have you either executed or exiled from my lands based on why!" The look on his face made my blood feel a little colder. A maid spoke up. " Master. A man came to the back door with a blue herb. None o' us knew what it was. But he did say that it was to help little miss an' her pet." Lord Carnacs neck seemed to snap around to look at her. "Can you tell me what this man looked like Marie? Or is this merely a farce to keep me from finding the real culprit?!" The maid shook. " I dare not lie to you sir. Not after all yuv dun for me an' my family. He was a stocky man but his face was covered. An' he's very short. A dwarf maybe sir? But he came and left with the wind sir." She had her head down as she spoke.
( Damnit. Any more suspense will kill us all) I thought. I walked over and sniffed around. none of them had the smell of the herb on them. ( This is strange... Why do none of them smell of it) I walked back to Sam. She looked at me. She leaned down. " Did any of them do it?" She said. I shook my head. Her father was looking at me in intrigue. " What was his findings?" He asked. " Nothing father. He found noone with the smell of the herb on them." She replied. He turned and looked at the guards. " They are to be watched and our food is to be tested from now on. I find this attempt to be very disturbing." After that he turned and said " Follow me"