Note to self, lizard man guard dude is very good at staring contests. If I wanted any proof that I’m a prisoner here, he’s it. The dude has been drilling a hole into me all night with his eyes, its really fuckin creepy, not that I planned on getting much sleep anyway. Shortly after that butler dude, Regis I think it was, disappeared into the back he came out again and whispered something to Rask, then left out the exit of the tent. Since then Rask has been standing there staring at me. I'm not dumb enough to think I can outrun him, or any of the other over one hundred people in this camp. I'll just have to wait until I have an opening. So we sat there, the entire night, staring at each other.
Finally Regis returns holding something folded in his hands and Rask moves to take it and speaks for the first time since the staring contest started.
"Alright, it's time to go." He states abruptly while grabbing the folded article from Regis.
Unfurling it reveals a cloak with a hood, which he promptly throws at me.
"Put this on, and activate your blend skill. We leave right now." Rask says while accepting a round object from Regis, which he then clips to his belt.
He makes his way over to the door and peaks out just as I finish putting on the cloak. I make my way over to him just as he pulls his head back in.
"Alright, stay close to me. And no funny business, or else." He says while pointedly taping his sword with his free hand.
Oh wonderful, guest my ass, definitely a prisoner. So I fall in line behind him and we quietly leave the tent. The dawn is only just barely starting to shine over the mountains, leaving the only light for navigating coming from the few lamps and embers of camp fires. The walk through the camp is quick and quiet, most of the people are still asleep, and the ones that aren't seem to be too busy with their own preparations to notice us. Quickly we make our way past the outer sentry and back into the woods, Rask seeming to somehow know which direction to head to go back to my pod, which I can ever so faintly feel the direction of. So we make our way through the forest without a word shared between us, only the crunching of our footsteps and the ambient sounds of birds and the occasional screech or roar in the distance.
I try a few times to let a gap open up between me and Rask, but the man is on point and either slows down to match me or stops all together so I can catch up. All the while he's constantly on the lookout around us for anything that could be dangerous. Finally I see an opening when Rask seems to become very interested in a what sounds like the squeeling of a porkupine somewhat off in the distance but getting closer. After he's starred in that direction for a few moments I step behind a tree and stop moving, hoping he'll keep on moving and take a while to notice.
Unfortunately, I miss calculated, by a lot. Almost instantly I hear the heavy crunch of his boot against the ground right on the other side of the tree, and a scaled hand comes flying around it and snatches me by my throat. He yanks me up into the air as I flail about, desperately trying to pry his fingers away.
"What part of no funny business is confusing? Don't think I don't know your little tricks. Lord Preston specified he wants you back in one piece, but not how big that piece has to be!" He barks at me with a sneer.
I can't answer as he slowly increases the pressure on my throat until it feels like it's about to snap and I start seeing stars. Then he just lets go, dropping me to the floor as a coughing and gasping mess.
"Get up, next time you try anything I'll cut off your legs and just drag you." He says, voice full of annoyance and anger.
I manage to get back on my feet and slowly continue to follow the lizard man, not keen on seeing if he will get even more pissed off if I don't. God, I fucking hate poeple, and now kobolds in particular. We keep moving through the forest, this time I don't try slowing down. Eventually we reach the spot where I was captured, the porkupine still dead on the ground. Though now it's stomach has been ripped out and it's innards clearly feasted upon.
"Alright, this is where they found you last night. You lead from here, and remember, don't try anything." Rask says.
I just nod my head and start following the feeling towards my pod. We're about half way there and still walking when suddenly Rask perks up, then he suddenly grabs me by my arm and violently throws me backwards behind him. I barely get a look at the creature that has slammed down onto where I was standing only moments before.
Night Stripe (Level 45)
It's the fucking night stripe again! I slam into the ground and tumble for a moment before I manage to get my footing and jump back upright. Now might be my chance to run. But as I finish scrambling to my feet a loud screech rings out, followed by a weak hiss, and I look over to see Rask has violently cut the nightstripe into two pieces, which both now lay on the ground unmoving. I stare at it, mouth agape for a moment until Rask knocks me out of my stupor.
"Well? Stop gawking and keep moving." He states with a hint of annoyance.
Bloody asshole, I think to myself as I start walking again. I’ve been gunning for that thing for how long? It’s made off with at least three of my twiglings and this dude just chops it in half like he’s swatting a fly. I keep walking, grumbling to myself all the while. Rask just follows along, silent as ever. Eventually, the familiar feeling of my domain washes over me, and I feel my second set of senses getting restored. Followed immediately by an oh shit moment as I realize somethings, no, someones, are poking around my pod and all the twiglings I had guarding it are dead, which was well over half my high levels.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Simon (Human, Level 57 Warrior)
Amil (Human, Level 54 Ranger (Rare))
Shelbar (Human, Level 55 Rouge)
Rang (Kobold, Level 51 Warrior)
Shangri (Human, Level 58 Hydromancer)
Travis (Elf, Level 120 Monster Slayer)
And one of them is a very familiar looking elf. I stop in place and slowly take in the scene, only to be harshly poked in the back by Rask.
“Well, what's the hold up?” He asks.
“There are some people snooping around my stuff, they’ve already killed most of the twiglings I left behind to guard.”
“How do you know that? I haven't picked up on anything yet.”
“My network, it lets me see things in it while I’m within it. I explained this last night, remember?”
“Oh yea, that thing. Sounded like bullshit to me, but maybe you’ll be useful after all. If there are actually people ahead, what's their composition?”
“Two warriors, level fifty seven and fifty one, a level fifty four ranger which is apparently a rare class, a level fifty five rouge, fifty eight hydromancer, and that elf travis from last night.”
The moment I mention Travis Rask’s resting bitch face turns into a nasty scowl.
“Travis? You better not be bullshiting me girly, or I’ll make sure you get stuck in place like a proper plant.” He growls at me.
I take a step back and swallow as his angry eyes bore into me and he radiates killing intent.
“I’m not! Here I can tell you exactly what they are saying!”
I quickly look back to the group and start repeating word for word to Rask what they are saying.
“So….. why exactly are we supposed to kill this thing, isn't it really dangerous?” Asks Simon.
“It’s a monster, a noble wants it dead. You do your jobs, and you get paid twice over. That's all you need to know. Now I have it on good authority that it will return here soon, but that's all. So don’t bother with any more questions. You will receive your payment once proof of slaying has been delivered to an Aspire hunters guild branch.” Travis says.
“Ugh, does it have to be in the Aspire kingdom? Those assholes don't like non-humans, do we have to turn it in, in Aspire?” Rang whines.
“Shut up Rang, yea it sucks but you can wait outside a few hours if it means we get the bounty and paid extra.” Amil says.
I swap back to my own senses only to find Rask looking even more pissed.
“That double crossing bastard. You better not be fucking with me girly, or I’ll break both your legs and make you crawl the rest of the way.”
“I’m not fucking with you, I can walk you right to them. Wait, Travis is leaving.”
Travis breaks off from the others and the moment he breaks line of sight he takes off in a light jog straight in our direction.
“He’s headed our way.” I tell Rask.
“Wait here, I’ll deal with him. And don’t think you can run off, if I have to chase after you…”
“Yea I get it, break my legs and arms or whatever. Now can you please deal with the traitor elf or whatever he is and his hunter cronies before AHHHH!” I double over in pain mid sentence as what feels like a shot of fire runs up my spine and turns into needles bouncing around my skull.
I turn my attention back to my pod, only to find the archer has used some sort of skill to shoot an arrow into my pod. The problem is it penetrated through the center of the flower and clearly did some damage, evident by the sap slowly leaking its way out around the lodged shaft.
Great, so I feel it when my pod takes damage, and it fucking sucks. And Rask is gonna bitch at me again for slowing down probably…. Wait, where is Rask?
I swap back to my domain vision only to find Rask bolting through the forest at a mind boggling speed. In no time at all he’s upon Travis, the elf barely has time to bring his sword up to block as a resounding clang echoes through the forest and forces the elf back. Rask doesn't let up, and before Travis can recover Rask lunges forward and clashes swords with him again, this time managing to knock Travis’s weapon out of his hand. Travis dives into a roll after his sword in an attempt to avoid any follow up attacks from Rask. Rask however is having none of it and lunges straight forward to deliver a hard kick into Travis’s side mid roll. All Travis can do is let out a short scream before hitting a tree, cracking it as he bounces off, before being stabbed mid air through the chest and pinned to the ground by Rask’s sword.
Rask doesn’t let up, and as Travis goes for something on his belt, Rask pulls a second sword from his belt with his off hand and stabs Travis right in the neck. However the moment he pulls his sword away, the cut starts to rapidly close as if he was being healed. Rask doesn’t relent, Quickly flicking the sword side to side and fully decapitating Travis, at which point the healing effect stops. Rask doesnt stop to admire his work, instead bolting off further into the forest, straight towards the group molesting my pod. I quickly take off in a run myself while ordering my pod to start parking, fearing what kind of damage both Rask and those hunters could due to my precious pod if a fight were to break out.
My fears are quickly proven foolish, as Rask bursts into the clearing and immediately butchers the party of lower level hunters, who didnt even stand a chance despite being on guard after hearing the fighting before. Limbs fly as a few of them scream for mercy as the first is torn to pieces, before the second tries to fight but dies just as violently. The remainder try to run, only for Rask to run each of them down instantly and finish them off with one blow from behind.
Before I’m even half way there the fight has ended. Rask looks around as if he wants another fight while the lifeless eyes of the hunters stare emptily into the early morning’s light beaming down from above. By the time I've made it to that mad murdering lizard man, he’s grown bored of looking around and has moved to Travis’s body and started searching it, probably for anything that could lead back to whomever is giving him orders. As I stumble out of a nearby bush after finally catching up with him, Rask stands up and turns to address me.
“Well girly, looks like you were right. Our pointy eared friend here was working for someone else. While I can't decipher this, it definitely didn't come from Lord Preston.” He says while turning to look at me with a mischievous grin.
Why do I feel like I was in a better position when he was pissed off at me?