A small head poked out of a leathery egg, hissing at me.
Its eyes held not a single trace of hostility, it was as if it expected me to help it.
It looked up at me with puppy dog eyes! How does it know to do that! Is puppy dog eyes genetic!
Eric headed for it, dagger drawn, to remove the little slagan's head from its throat.
As if it knew what was about to happen, it started wiggling out of the egg faster while staring at me.
Fuck it!
"Eric, hold on for a second."
She stopped and gave me a puzzled look.
You're confused, yeah well get in line.
Patty, is there anyway to ensure its loyalty? Like, could I add it to my party?
< Slagans are not sentient creatures, as such the magic that binds Flora and the others to you will not be as effective. >
So, it's a lost cause, sorry kiddo I wanted to save you.
Okay, so ...?
Will that work?
You know you could do without the snark.
Shut up Patty.
Okay, here goes nothing.
I went up to the slagan and put my clawed, webbed hand over her.
And nothing.
Um... Patty?
Patty!
------------------
Name : Jamal Hendricks / no name monster
Level : 52 points available : 0
Pets : 1
Species : Akkedis/ human soul
Strength : 1,000
Increases the ease to lift and damage objects and opponents
Intelligence : 300
Makes resisting mind control, solving complex problems, reading people, learning magic and skills easier
Durability : 700
Resistance of disease, sleep deprivation, injury of body and soul, temperature, starvation
Energy : 1,025
Increases pool of energy and energy rate
Health : 700
Increases pool of health and healing rate
Stamina : 507
Increases pool of stamina and stamina rate
Extra energy : 143
Luck : 134
Odds play out in your favor
Speed : 500
Increases reaction time, sensory perception, rate of travel, time perception
Agility : 700
Allows for complex movement's
Crafting: 1000
Allows one to craft objects well
Special ability : adaptation
: forced conscription
: perfect mimic
: empath darts
: peerless regeneration
: excess energy
: acid blood
: webs
: spatial awareness
: dash
: polymorph
: thermal absorption
Adaptation : ability to adapt to any situation to survive. Dependent on energy levels.
Forced conscription: Anyone you defeat you can force into your party. Can order them unlimited times, but each order takes energy. All previous benefits from 'party leader' apply.
Slots : 4/6
Perfect mimicry: Can perfectly replicate any sound.
Lesser ability perfect recall is a side effect of this ability. Due to this lesser ability you will remember everything.
Empath Darts : Projectiles made from mana.
You can imbue emotions into the dart via mucus. The higher your level the longer you can make the emotions last.
Lesser ability Gastron mucus allows you to produce mucus through your skin. The mucus gives you minimal protection and allows you to scale vertical surfaces.
Peerless Regeneration: you will continuously heal.
Lesser ability Ample Strength doubles strength.
Excess energy : all food eaten will be stored as energy. Can use energy as extra stamina at will.
Acid blood : can turn your blood acidic at will.
Webs : can convert mana into webs. Adhesive and regular are the only options right now.
Every yard of web produced will consume one energy.
Spatial awareness : changes in temperature, air currents, vibrations, and smell will be recorded and used to locate prey. Always on.
Dash : Increases speed by a factor of ten. Quadruple the amount of stamina will be used every second it is active.
Polymorph : can change into the form of those that you have consumed.
Thermal Absorption : You can continuously absorb the thermal energy of your enemies.
------------------
I mentally pressed the pet section and a scene popped up in front of me.
------------------
Level : 1
Species : Slagan
Strength : 500 +/-
Intelligence : 35 +/-
Durability : 100 +/-
Energy : 100 +/-
Health : 120 +/-
Stamina : 100 +/-
Luck : 100 +/-
Speed : 100 +/-
Agility : 130 +/-
Evolution path : unusable at this time.
------------------
Patty, does those pluses and minuses mean what I think they do?
What about that evolution path thing?
Let me guess, she splits the XP of the party too?
That's a relief.
< Instead, she'll just split the XP you gather after synchronization. >
What?!
< Instead, she'll...>
Shut up Patty, I heard you.
This means I can't afford to take anymore pets, no matter how pathetic they look.
Ugh!!!!
Cough!!!!!
Sounds like the humans are coming to.
After all the fighting is done with - figures.
I turn back into my lizardman form.
"Ugh, what happened?"
(Rando human 1)
"Don't ask me, last thing I remember is fishing by the lake."
(Rando human 2)
"I think I was attacked by a mon.....ster."
(Rando human 3)
At this point they started to notice they were not alone, after all my handsome ass self was there.
"Ahhhh!"
(Most of the rando humans)
"Prepare to die monster."
(Rest of the rando humans)
I wasn't afraid of course, because the ones who could stand up were wobbly as fuck.
"Wait, hold your wrath. I know that monster and the beastman behind it."
(Ledina)
"What?"
"It is the tame of an adventurer I sold to, and that is the slave I sold her."
When she said slave Eric's grasp on her dagger tightened, luckily Ledina was unaware just how close she just got to death's door with that remark.
"Slave, where is your master."
(Ledina)
Wow, no survival instincts at all.
I was wondering what to tell them, when Jurea came ambling down the tunnel I expertly made.
"This tunnel is shabby as fuck, couldn't you have done a better job?"
(Flora)
Of course, Flora came down too.
"Thank Mother you've come to rescue us."
(Ledina)
"Just make sure your boss pays the fifty thousand gold he promised."
(Flora)
"Wait, someone is paying you that fortune for one person?!"
(Rando human)
Hiss!!!
"Ahh, you missed one!"
Before Jurea reacted and killed my new tame, I spoke up.
"Mistress, as ordered I watched over your new tame while you finished up with the monsters outside."
"It speaks?"
(Rando human)
A confused look crossed Jurea's face, before a light bulb went off.
"Yes, good work."
"You tamed a monster that fast!!"
(Ledina)
"Of course she did, do you think the great Flora Dreyas would be in a party with followers that aren't the best of the best."
(Flora)
"I thought Jurea is the leader?"
"I am, she's just full of herself."
"How dar...ow!"
At this point it's her own fault for getting hit, she didn't pay attention when I snuck up next to her.
"Follow us out."
(Jurea)
She turned and left without even considering the fact that most of them still couldn't walk properly.
By some miracle they all made it up the tunnel, either with help or by shear strength of will.
This day could not be anymore perfect.
Fly to and find slagan nest : check
Defeat the slagans : check
Save the people : check
Take them home ...
"Hey, where is the wagon or horses to take us home? The nearest town is Harvain, which is at least a hundred miles from here."
(Ledina)
Shit.
___________________
A week later we made it to Harvain.
Harvain is nestled at the base of a mountain belt that goes on for thousands of miles in all directions.
Harvain is the only access point into the mountain civilizations that doesn't have sheer drops, ravenous wyverns, savage roving tribes of monsters, bandits, and etc; so, it's considered important even though it is just a small town.
So, important in fact that many cities had established public teleportation circles here. That is the reason Ledina was in fact headed for Harvain, to link a teleportation circle from here to Saltwater Clearing.
Our decent sized group had whittled down significantly, along the way some of the people - when they were well enough to travel on their own - decided to head back to their farms, homes, hunting grounds, or whatever instead of going all the way to Harvain.
Flora tried to get them to pay us for the rescue, but Jurea sent them on their merry way while I put my tail to good use.
"I just wanted to thank you once more for saving my life, once the teleportation circle to Saltwater is finished I will come retrieve you."
(Ledina)
"How long should that take?"
(Jurea)
"Around a day or two."
"Okay, we'll find lodging and wait for you to come get us."
With that Ledina headed of further into town.
I looked around and noticed Flora was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, did you see where Flora went?"
"Yeah, she headed towards that pub over there with one of the people we saved."
Jurea said pointing to a building with a sign that had a picture of goat pissing in a cup.
I wouldn't eat or drink there.
Under the inappropriate picture was words that read 'The Pissing Goat'.
Why? Just, why?
"I can't believe they have that kind picture out in the open like that."
"Why not?"
"There are children running around the street, they can see it!"
"Well, of course they can, how else are they going to know where to go when they want a pint?"
"Underage drinking aside, they could just read the name."
Jurea stared at me in utter shock.
"You can read the runes?"
"Yeah, can't you?"
She looked down at her feet in shame.
"Lots of folk can't, if anything those who can are the weird ones."
"Okay, now I know you're bullshiting me. I saw you read the adventurer quests."
"Those are different! They're magic, if you can't read the quest is read to you, but inside your head."
"Like X-Men!"
"Who?"
"Never mind."
She gave me a weird look.
What is it with her and giving me weird looks?!
Shut up Patty!
"We should head over to the guild branch that's here."
Huh, guess she doesn't want to talk about it.
Shut up Patty.
"Why?"
Jurea started walking with me and Eric following.
"To get paid."
"Don't we have to go back to Saltwater then?"
"That's not how rescue quests work. When someone wants someone else rescued they go to their local guild branch and post a reward - be it coin, rare gear, or potions - and the guild holds onto the reward until the rescue quest is complete. Once it is done the adventurer can drop off the rescued person at any guild affiliated town and collect the reward, minus a ten percent fee the guild takes."
We stopped at a large billboard that was a map of town.
Jurea traced the map with her finger until she found the picture of the building she was looking for, then took off in the right direction.
"That map sure is convenient, Saltwater should have one that's for sure."
"It does."
"I never saw it."
"That's because you go from the house to the forest to Emira's forge, and nowhere else."
She got me there.
As we were traveling I remembered I had left Emira in my gem for over a week!
I instantly summoned her.
"Gaaah!!!"
A dwarf minding his own business was startled shitless, when Emira appeared out of thin air.
That is until that fear turn into anger.
"You fucking idiot! Single teleportation spells are forbidden in town!"
Emira glared at me, then bowed deeply towards the dwarf.
"My apologies, I did not mean to inconvenience you at all. In fact, for the trouble."
She reached into her small capacity bag and pulled out a gold coin to hand to him.
He snatched it up, bit on it, and pocketed it.
"I guess it's alright, after all you can't expect too much from ..."
Glanced over all four of us.
"Foreigners."
With that he continued on his merry fucking way.
She looked back at me.
"How very inconspicuous of you to summon me in the middle of the street."
"Hehehe, sorry about that. I just remembered that I'd left you in my jewel for a week. Don't worry I'll pay you back."
I held out a gold coin, but she waved it away.
"Don't worry about it, I'm the one who asked to be taken along."
"Did you learn what you wanted to?"
"Indeed."
We walked in relative silence for the rest of way.
The Harvain adventurer's guild branch building was bigger than the one in Saltwater Clearing, it was made of some kind of shiny black material.
Once inside Jurea stood in the shortest line and waited, while the rest of us sat down in the waiting area (yes Eric and I got a few weird looks).
After about forty or so minutes Jurea returned carrying a decent sized pouch.
"It's done, they already took their ten percent. I only took out two hundred gold, I thought it best not to flaunt too much money here."
"So, they'll hold onto the rest of it until we pick it up in Saltwater?"
She nodded.
"Works for me."
_____________________________
Hours later we were in a room above the pissing goat bar we rented for two nights.
The room is bare save a couple of hay piles to sleep on, and the thin floor that does nothing to dampen the ruckus coming from the bar downstairs.
And it cost ten gold coins for this crappy room! This is fucking highway robbery.
< Who sounds like a money whore now?>
Shut up Patty, it's different.
A knock on the door brought us all to attention.
"That's for me."
(Flora)
She opened the door and collected a scroll from a scraggly human.
After reading it for couple of seconds she closed it and tossed him a silver coin.
After shutting the door - I shit you not - this bitch starts whistling.
"What was all that about?"
"Hmm?"
"The guy, at the door?"
"Oh, don't you worry about that. It would just go over your head anyway."
"Can I see that scroll?"
She grasped it tighter.
"Why?"
"I can make you give it."
I narrowed my eyes and started swaying my tail.
She hesitated, but ultimately handed it over.
"Fine!"
I took it and read it over.
I, Flora Dreyas, hereby swear on insert deity that I will gauge whether it is beneficial to my party to attempt to try to kill the Battagg.
The agreed upon amount - which will be paid up front - is the life savings of.....
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX....
It was basically a contract that a multitude of people had signed with an x.
"What the fuck! This is basically them paying you for nothing!"
"They signed it, they knew what they were getting into."
Yeah, why would anyone sign a contract that did nothing to benefit them?
Then, it clicked.
"They couldn't read."
"Hmm?"
"Jurea told me earlier that most people can't read, you hired a guy they knew could read to lie to them about what was on this paper."
"Huh, so it didn't go over your head. Well, it's their own fault for putting their faith in a man who obviously has a gambling addiction he needs to fuel."
"We're going down there, so you can pay back all of these people their money."
"The fuck I am! They gave me that money."
"You basically stole it!"
"And the next time someone tries to cheat them out of their money they'll know better, I'd say I did them a favor."
"Eric and Emira watch the room for us, Jurea come with us, and Flora don't forget your money pouch."
I opened the door.
"After you."
_________________________
Downstairs in the bar, to say the patrons of this 'fine' establishment were happy would be a serious understatement, they were down right joyous.
Between the dancing and singing, the drinks flowed freely.
The waitresses even let go the 'accidental' rear-end bumps they got from the more rowdy patrons.
At least this means they haven't figured out they have been played - yet.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!!"
Never mind, fuck you Flora!