"Why? Why kill the familiar?" I asked as a slight cold sweat went down my back. Sam slowed down a bit as she walked. " If you want to maintain the power of your pet you have to eat the pet or at least consume its beast core. Doing this prevents the loss of power but at the cost of their humanity."
My mind became more confused as she spoke.
" What do you mean at the cost of one's humanity. What happens?" I asked trying to keep myself calm.
Sam actually stopped and looked at me.
" First you need to calm down. If I really had wanted to keep my strength I could have killed you months ago. Fortunately for the both of us the method was outlawed many years ago. When my father was young." She turned and started walking again. " And to answer your question.... Humans demonize when they eat a beast core. Their body becomes a mix of human and beast blood. Their flesh grows fur or scales. They become monsters. Though there was a rare person who now and again retains their consciousness. That's where dragon men and beast men come from according to records. Although it was nondescript in its indications as to how they really managed it. That is why noone does it anymore." I nodded in thought.
We continued down the mountain in earnest. We reached a cliff by nightfall and settled their for the night. I ended up hunting a bit to save our rations and found a couple of hedgehog looking monsters. I paralysed them with a tongue strike so that they couldn't move then snapped their necks so it was quick and painless. (I don't hunt for the pleasure of killing. Mearly for food.) I thought as I knew others tortured prey for hours before killing it. It was an awful thing and it was my opinion it should always be quick. Else the meat is spoiled with adrenalin and you leave the animal in pain if it manages to get away. I returned in my human for to the camp and found Sam had started a fire while Legion was carving a small stone with a tiny rock pick. I quickly got to skinning the animals. Sam and Legion had gone out looking for edible herbs and vegetables. We soon had a small stew going in the Wok I had brought from my time in the forest. I had kept that thing with me and carried it everywhere.
It took a few minutes before a delicious smell reached our noses telling us the food was ready. While we ate I thought about what Sam had said. I actually had a few more questions afterward. " What happens if a person eats a beast core without a contract attachment?" I asked. She shook her head. The last person to do that died due to power diffusion through their body." At my confused look she explained. " When an unknown or unfamiliar magic power or Chi enters the body the original power tries to fight it off. If it can't fight it off or there's too much, your body essentially self destructs and explodes into nothing but mana particles. It isn't pretty. Father once showed me the site of the last person who did it. The explosion left a crater where a city once stood. Not a building was left standing." She said.
I nodded in understanding. My knowledge about this world grows daily. After I ate I listened to Gluttony rattle off information.
/ Host has consumed Greater Stone Mole. Host has gained passive skill. Digging Proficiency Up lvl 1. Allows for host to have an easier time digging. Due to previous digging experience this has been leveled up to lvl 3. Host can now mold earth into a small den with ease. Other skills gained are absorbed by previous skills due to superiority./
( hmmm. This is way too efficient.) I thought after a bit. (I have had this thing for years now and now I really feel that this thing truly is broken.) I thought as I sighed. / Gluttony is not broken or suspicious. Gluttony has always been efficient. Ever since the Demon King created me I have worked hard to make sure others know I am superior. Host is the one who is broken./ Gluttony chimed. ( Damn right I am! Who can have a conversation with themself while talking with something noone can see or hear?!) I thought exasperatedly
/ Point Taken./ It chimed back at me.
I stayed sitting by the fire when I suddenly felt a warmth across my lap. I looked down and found Sam asleep on my lap. My face turned red as I blushed heavily. ( Calm down! calm down! This is normal. She's overtired. This is normal!) I thought quickly as I slowly reached down and picked her up in my arms. I slowly walk to her tent without her waking or moving. I entered and placed her on her cot and left.
" That was way too much." I said under my breath not wanting others to hear. I went to my tent and laid on the ground. My shields kept me off the uncomfortable floor. It was like sitting in a rocking chair. I hardly felt any discomfort. I started rocking a little until I fell asleep.
I woke in the morning to the smell of cooking. It was some of the left over stew from last night that was being reheated over the camp fire. Legion stood by the fire stirring the stew with a wooden spoon. I went over and sat by the fire warming my legs from the chill they felt. " Ahhhhh." I sighed in relief as the warmth sunk in. Legion chuckled a little when they saw it. "One of the downsides of being a dragon blood eh." They said in a light manner.
" Indeed." I said enjoying the flames and how they danced. Sam came out of her tent and stretched out enjoying the sun streaming down on her face.
"Someone looks like they had a good night's sleep." I said. Her head shook slightly as she put her hair in a ponytail.
"I don't even remember going back to my tent to be honest. I remember sitting by the fire and then... nothing." She started talking slow, then her face turned slightly red as she blushed and quickly finished the sentence.
( She remembers alright.) I thought as I chuckled to myself. I stood slowly and stretched. I grabbed my bow and some arrows. " If I don't practice I won't get any better." I muttered to myself. I took a stance and drew the bow with an arrow notched. I breathe in slowly. Listen to the wind. Feel the air and how it shifts. Feel the bow in your hand and what it's made of. Sam's advice echoed through my mind as I remembered her guidance. I breathed and when I was ready I loosed it. The arrow went past the tree I was aiming at a hundred meters away. " Damn." I swore. I drew again and waited. I suddenly saw a pair of rabbit ears pop up. ( What the?) They suddenly dissapeared into the rocks again. ( Bizarre where did it go?) I thought. I stretched my senses through the ground and felt for a presence.
The cliff ahead of us had 14 rabbit people on it. Whether they were all men or women I didn't know. But I would soon.
" Might as well come out! I know you're there!" I shouted in their direction. Suddenly the sound of scrambling met my ears as sets of bunny ears rose over the cliff face and I found myself facing a bunch of bedraggled and injured people. It was a mix of men, women, and children. For all the world they were a sorry sight. They wore rags and looked malnourished. I tapped my foot and the rocks shifted to make a bigger resting area. I walked forward and took an elderly womans hand and led her to a raised rock bench area I had made. " Come. Rest. What happened to you all?" I asked in shock. The people quickly shifted into the area and sat down in groups. The wounded were in one area and the elderly and children in another.
A rabbit man with a strong looking build was among the group and hardly had a scratch on him. He was helping the wounded and the elderly move and get comfortable. The elderly woman either didnt understand me or was too shocked to answer so I went and tapped his shoulder. He turned his head and saw me. A fist suddenly went flying for my face. My left hand came up and caught it with ease as it slapped into my palm. The force went down my arm as my left leg went behind me to keep me stabilized. " What the hell are your kind doing here? Leave before I RIP you in half!" He roared at me and the people quivered and backed off. I began tightening my grip on his hand but he didnt budge an inch. " I'm and adventurer big guy. And I have a few questions." He tried pulling his fist free but it didn't move. He kept trying to pull until I finally let go and he went tumbling. I walked over to him as he stopped rolling.
" Your people drove us off our settlement while our hunters were gone! You burnt down our homes and our people while we were still sleeping! How can you ask what happened!?"
He barked at me. I grabbed him none too gently and hauled him into the air. I got a complete look at him. His legs were those of a rabbit with the torso and arms of a man. His hair was white with big white ears with black spots. Glared at me as I set him back down and brushed him off. "I didnt attack your people. But right now I can help your people. So stop having a fuss and help me to help them." I turned and went to grab my bow.
"Dont make trouble while I'm gone or you'll see what I get angry over." I growled as I glared over my shoulder. I couldn't transform else the people would get scared and they'd been through enough already. And I doubt they want to have a poisoned or have Saliva of any kind on their food. I opened my wings fully as the armor plating unlocked and I flapped them. (These wings are heavy. But I can try to fly with them.) I thought as I focused on the task at hand.
I flew around the mountain and found a couple strange sheep. Instead of wool they had scales that were slightly furry and white curly horns covered in brown spikes. It took me a bit to be able to shoot them while flying but I finally managed. The scales were pretty flimsy and gave way to the arrows simple piercing power easily. I ended up having to land and finish my hunt by following them. It took me 7 arrows to kill them both. In the end I had to carry the two of them back to camp. They were about six feet long by 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They must have weighed 200lbs a piece. It wasn't an easy task. My muscles burned and at one point I was dragging them to relieve my shoulders of the burdens. My Molten Titan Body skill helped heal my worn out muscles and strengthen my body further. At the end I wanted to look cool and carried them into the camp area. Sam, Legion, and I skinned and prepared them to eat. Since we had so many to feed we decided that Stew was the best course of action again. The big rabbit man waited till everyone had a bowl and had a couple himself. He seemed to have calmed down a fair amount and was more willing to speak. ( Time for the drama.) I thought as I walked over.