For the first time, Rizz got a full view of the Frostcat. Though the sight was nothing compared to what Rizz had visually witnessed in-game, the stagnant air in his nostrils and the cold touch of stone under his toes added more tension to the dim-lit scene.
The Frostcat rose, standing on all four legs. The beast was nearly as tall as Rizz while its shoulders rocked with each step. It stepped to one side of the cell. Then the other. All to steadily and unwaveringly approached the intruding creature.
"You're a decent level, big kitty," Rizz whispered, cracking a mad grin. He tilted his palms upward to present his chaffed wrists. "See? I can get out of here. And I think you want out of here just as badly as I do… Isn't that right?"
Stopping not even half a meter from Rizz, the jaguar of the tundra growled behind its muzzle.
"... If you want out, you'll have to say it." Rizz looked at the predatory feline square in its crystal white eyes, peering into the pitch-black pupils with unfounded arrogance. "You've got to nod or something. Or I'm leaving without you."
… Grrr…
There was a subtle bob to the beast's head as it adjusted its sharp gaze.
Taking that as his answer, Rizz showed the enchanting brushes and ink vials in his hands. "You know what these are, don't you?"
A wary pur filled the cell. But the Frostcat didn't back off.
"I'm weak and puny. You can see that for yourself. But I'm smart. Smart enough to get us both out of here so long as we work together." Rizz took a small step forward. "To prove that you won't kill me in the middle of this, you have to let me on your back.
"And I'll warn you. I'm super fragile. At lv. 1, you messing with me might leave me a serious injury and ruin everything for both of us. So just let me hop on, I'll bind us together, and then we'll both escape this hell… Sound like a plan?"
Grrr… R-Rrrr…
The Frostcat lowered its head, lying down on the floor. Its piercing eyes never left the goblin. But it did let the weak creature come closer.
Rizz did exactly that. He marched forward with soft steps and whispers, smiling through his racing thoughts of stress and bad outcomes.
ROAR!
Abruptly, the Frostcat raised its head and bellowed directly into Rizz's face.
Yet the goblin didn't flinch. Rizz stood before the proud cat with a grin deserving of the insane asylum. "Sorry, big kitty, but I've already bantered with god and looked my lifeless body in the face. A muzzled kitten won't be able to scare me off."
… Finally, the Frostcat dropped its intimidating leer. It continued to eye the fearless humanoid creature while lowering its head once more.
Breathing deeply, Rizz restarted his motor functions and unlocked his joints. He stepped forward and put a hand on the jaguar's shoulder.
"Oh… You've been in that muzzle for a while, haven't you?"
The big cat ignored the comment. However, Rizz continued to analyze the beast's body while up close.
There wasn't much fat under its thick hide. On its shoulders and hip were whipping marks. An "R" was branded on the left side of the cat's hip.
On top of all that, Rizz realized how the mighty Frostcat was being constantly weakened. Each of the four claw restraints was made of red metal, as was the muzzle. And they were all fueled by red mana crystals, constantly emitting heat onto the blizzard-loving predator.
"Shit… we need to get out of here while you're still strong enough to run." Rizz shook off his worry and mounted the beast.
He uncorked a vial and readied a brush. "Keep quiet, big buddy. Even if this hurts, we want as little attention as possible. I'll tell you when I'm done."
Getting a slight nod from the cat, Rizz steadied his hands with a few long breaths…
Rizz's mind roamed his memories. He dwelled on recollections of his most used seals, then thought back to other memories of weaker seals with lower-quality inks.
*It'll have to be this one. Or I'm fucked.* The goblin was decisive, selecting a seal from memory with immediate actions to follow up.
The brush tip was used first. Dipped in thick ink, it was firmly pressed against the Frostcat's upper back. Each stroke was simple and steady. Nothing was rushed. Feeling the brush in hand and the tension of the cat's uneven back was new to Rizz, forcing him to take his time.
Still, Rizz didn't waste time either.
"... There. That's your half done. Now for my half," Rizz softly mentioned, keeping the beast informed.
He wiped the back of his left hand against his loincloth. Then, Rizz dipped the brush in the last of the ink from the first vial, drawing an identical crest on his skin.
"I'm gonna poke you with a needle. Keep quiet, okay?"
Cautiously, Rizz poked two tiny holes in the back of his hand, in the eyes of his goblin-shaped crest.
As soon as his blood touched the blue ink, the pattern gained the most muted glow. And Rizz could let himself breathe at last. All that remained was poking the Frostcat and they could rush to their escape.
"... Fuck."
Rizz drew the beast's blood and brought it in contact with the ink. But there was no glow. Instead, the ink's color grew more dull and pale.
When the Frostcat glared at the goblin, Rizz shook his head. "Don't look at me like that. I'm gonna have to try a different seal, damn it… Don't worry. This one's guaranteed to work."
The Frostcat had a hesitant light in its eyes. However, it felt better when it saw how much faster Rizz moved while preparing the second seal. Rizz scrubbed the ink off his hand with regular spit and the side of his loincloth. He used his right hand with more spit to remove the ink from the jaguar's back.
Then, in just a minute and a half, Rizz painted an all-new seal onto his left hand and the Frostcat's back. This time, though, he only pricked for blood once for each seal.
And, with no ink left to use, Rizz stared at the pair of crest… until they both radiated soft white light.