They made camp just before dark, Agitha produced trail rations from her pack and began eating them. Zell checked his own suspiciously heavy pack and found nothing but rocks and old torn up linens. Agitha cackled at his expression.
“Welcome to your new life!” She congratulated him “Your stomach and creature comforts are your responsibility from now on. I don’t care how you feed yourself as long as you don’t cause trouble for me. Either save your energy for daylight or go forage in the dark. I leave for Vinia City at dawn with or without you.” With that she popped the last chunk of dried meat in her mouth and snuggled into her bedroll in an obscene show of comfort and satiety.
Zell didn’t complain at all, on the contrary he was getting fired up more and more by the second. He could see his life ahead so very clearly that he wondered if it was a premonition. He didn’t ask for leave, and didn’t say anything as he snuck off into the night. He never noticed the hungry yellow eyes watching him as he left the camp.
The pale, misshapen monster crept along behind Zell with stealth unbecoming of its awkward appearance. It had risked the meadow in hopes of finding a wayward sheep away from the herd and troublesome dogs. The appearance of the small, tender human was an unexpected blessing not to be wasted. It was truly a loathsome thing. It would stand the height of a man if it could stand up straight, but a massive fleshy lump between its shoulderblades prevented that. It had long spindly arms ending in four fingers that it used to propel itself along with two twisted and stubby legs. Its ribs showed, but it also had a round distended belly. It’s beady eyes were fully dilated black, shining like saucers, and between them a long crooked nose. Thick jowls housed a tangle of pointed yellow teeth. Saliva drained steadily from the edges of the creature’s always open mouth. Its mottled green skin was hairless save a few thin wispy patches of white hair that grew in random places on its body. One ear was missing entirely and the other was large, and hung limply on the side of its oversized head.
Meat! Meat! Meat! Every shuffling stride made its appetite grow. It was just a few seconds from sustenance. It had been days of eating bugs, worms, even bear scat. Kill fast eat fast run fast! Meat! Almost There!
The little human began to turn too late, long claws were already swiping in fast to break its scrawny neck. Mea-...
Agitha wiped the blade of her sword with a cloth before sheathing it. An unnecessary thing to do, the cut had been so clean there wasn’t a drop of blood on the blade. The monster was now face down in the grass, perfectly still. A single slash just above the grotesque hump had severed its spine, leaving its head attached by a thin flap of neck skin.
“Nice work, Bait. It wouldn’t have come out for Merc or me.” She tossed an apple in Zell’s direction which bounced off his chest and rolled into the grass as he stood frozen with wide eyes, hands at his sides. Several fat grubs wiggled about in his dirty fingers. Merc sniffed the corpse briefly and sat next to it. Agitha shrugged as she deftly slid a toe under the creature and rolled it onto its back.
“Troglin, gross.” She said distastefully. “The various monster species usually keep to their own but sometimes they interbreed. This creature is half goblin and half troll. A hybrid that is almost always abandoned at birth. There, see that?” She pointed at the creature’s right arm as it began to twitch. “It’s regenerating almost like a troll.” She produced a tiny flask, popped the cork with her teeth and doused the body with the contents. She then pulled a piece of flint and her dagger out, sending a small shower of sparks onto the creature. It lit up like a fireball and in moments nothing remained but bones and teeth. “Fire’s the trick to troll regeneration.”
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Zell did his best to steady himself against the scene, and the horrible smell of the burned monster. It was not the appearance of the monster, or the violence that unsettled him. It was a simple realization. It could all end so quickly. No dreams were special. That monster’s dream of a full belly was no different than his own dream of becoming a great Monster Hunter. Everything that he was or might become could very easily end up festering in the guts of some troglin like this. His dreams were fragile, his life was fragile. This was why his family had fought him so hard on his decision.
Agitha read his expression, and thought about saying something. Before she could, Zell spoke.
“I was so stupid. I thought my plan made me invincible. Everything has a plan. Everything has a plan until they get a sword in the back or become a monster’s dinner.” Zell took a long moment to stare at the greasy black bones, imagining they were his own.
“That is a realization most have too late. You’re a good kid, you might just do okay.” Agitha used her foot to roll the troglin skull, kicking it lightly like a ball in the direction of their camp, whistling a bouncy tune.
Zell followed without another word, his thoughts inward.
There was a biscuit and hunk of dried meat waiting on a flat rock in the camp when they returned.
“That’s yours.” Agitha said. “It’s a loan though. Pay me back when we get to the city.”
“I don’t have any money.” Zell said, not moving toward the food even though his stomach was rumbling.
“You will when you get your share from the B.O.” Agitha replied. “Humanoid bait gets twenty five percent. I don’t know what the spot is on troglin but it’s usually around six silver. If it’s less than five we sit on it until it goes up to at least five. Skulls won’t spoil so no need to be desperate and lose money.”
Zell sat cross legged in front of the food and picked up the biscuit. Nothing had ever tasted so good, his first meal earned for hunting a monster (kinda) and having a near death experience. He savored each bite before settling on the grass to sleep. He felt a warmth in his chest that for some reason set him on edge. Something usually happened when he felt that sensation. He couldn’t remember what it was, but he knew it was scary. Exhaustion quickly overwhelmed his fear and he fell asleep.
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The creature stared down at the empty bed belonging to his golden goose child. It was neatly made, and the boy’s belongings were all still in place. He would return soon certainly. The creature wasn’t overly concerned, a few extra days would just mean a rich harvest. It left the room, making for the bedroom belonging to the female. She wasn’t a feast like the boy but still very bountiful for a human.
It entered silently as only one of its species could. She was in place, fast asleep. This one was a heavy sleeper unlike the boy. She required no special treatment. A needle thin appendage slithered out, spraying a small mist of fluid onto her exposed shoulder and numbing the area. The hollow appendage then jabbed into her shoulder, pumping a drug that would keep her unconscious. A second appendage, pink and smooth rolled her over easily, tugging down the covers and lifting her night gown to expose her stomach and rib cage. A third appendage appeared, this one had a razor sharp talon which made a tiny incision under her sternum. A thin appendage quickly slid into the incision, and withdrew a small, blood covered sphere the size of a pearl, and replaced it with another dull white sphere that was much smaller in size. The creature withdrew its tentacle like appendage and cleaned the area before misting the incision with another chemical it produced in its body. The cut closed and healed with no scar in the span of a few seconds. The tall, somewhat formless shadowy being ate the sphere, feeling a rush of satisfaction and energy.
Though not too concerned yet, the creature was very aware of what could happen if the pearl was left too long. It grew larger and more fragile by the day, and a ruptured pearl was a scenario too grim to even contemplate. Somewhat sated, the creature assumed an insubstantial mist form, and escaped through the crack in the window. It allowed itself to be carried by the warm breeze up and out of the valley, heading for its lair in a forgotten ruin beneath the capital city sewers.
The spawn of its most hated enemy were proving to be the best livestock it ever could have hoped for. It thought as it descended through a grate in the city street. The girl would some day equal her mother in raw mana, and the boy was on a different level entirely. They had allowed the monster to completely heal the damage their vile mother had done during their fight, and now were allowing it to grow exponentially in strength with each feeding.
It would soon be able to return to its true home, and regain control of its scattered armies. With the defeat of the terrible Coralia, and the retirement of her ruthless elf master the human kingdom was ripe for the picking. It hadn’t checked on that wicked elf hag in some time. The terrifying woman had retreated into the mountains after the loss of her prized pupil. Even though reports placed her age at around three hundred years (barely middle aged for an elf), she was acting like an old hermit. The creature made a mental note to look in on her cabin soon, she was far too formidable to attack openly at its current power but it always kept close tabs on her.
It certainly didn’t want her anywhere near the boy, that would be most troublesome indeed.