Richard Adams

Oswald's passing still left me hurting, but I couldn't just sit around anymore. Between the periods where I lost myself, Mimi was always there bringing me back. I almost died before, so I shouldn't be afraid of it anymore. Yet, here I was mixing explosives with Mimi. She was acting like a blast shield with her wings and body between me and it, as I pulled the string. Honestly I was more worried for her, because this was absolutely insane!

Of course we were outside doing this, Mimi covered head to toe in at least three separate warming blankets and more crystals. She had trouble breathing, because she needed her chitin exposed to get more air to her blood. I swallowed hard, because the longer we were out here waiting, the more it hurt her. I tugged at the rope, and the two chemicals fell into the container together. I had failed the first two times, being unable to stop the blast from escaping. This time though, I pushed down hard to keep them from reacting. It was working and I was able to form a thin layer with my magic between the two liquids.

I grinned at Mimi since four days had already passed. Really the most scary part, was how willing she was to have her workers separate the two parts of another bug and put them into separate containers to distill and do this. I was holding a fist sized bomb capable of of blasting me to bits. Mimi smiled as I shook it slowly, making damn sure nothing crazy happened. The hard part was over, and now I just needed to slowly mix everything together so it will all explode when I wanted it to.

We made another, but I didn't trust myself with three of the things. These were our ace in the hole if things went south. A little less destructive than Mimi's explosive stingers, but I could control it and make the blast happen without any sound or as big as I wanted. I wasn't skilled enough to undo the explosion and make it go multiple times, but when I practiced on smaller ones with glass over it I could. The principle was there, I just needed to increase my focus more.

I was surprised to learn that Mimi spent the last couple months getting her hands on every poison out there, and drinking it or outright cutting herself to let it enter her blood. She said she was disappointed with not getting any more stingers, but I don't think my heart could handle if she changed that much. I would make it up to her, by helping her with everything she needed. I really didn't want her to pick up the habit of hurting herself just to get my attention.

During our down time, I found myself reading through Oswald's notes from time to time. I couldn't bring myself to look at the end, since I wanted to know him better before I found out what he truly thought of me. He lived a long life, so I might just be another footnote right at the end for him, if he even wrote something at all. It filled me with some joy to know that he thought Charles, our king, was a little snot nosed brat when he was a kid. Though it started to rough, to be thrown out by his family for just wanting to practice alchemy. Being sent on a death caravan, and marched to Dark Fall with others. Some not even making it on the march at all.

The more I read, the more I felt bad for Oswald. It wasn't thick thing, but it still held over two hundred pages, each filled to the brim with words, pictures, and diagrams. He wrote the key moments of his life down, ideas he wanted to try, and even his dreams. I felt proud that he was thinking about writing a monster manual, even back then. He had so much life, so many dreams and goals. Never once did he give up on anything, but he did retreat to try again later. Something he clearly needed to do in the kingdom filled with monsters.

We spent a day practicing with the rings, to try and express what we wanted without saying a word. While it was a little difficult at first, I got the hang of it quickly enough. I understood Mimi was much tougher than me, and anything that gave her trouble wasn't something I could risk getting hit by. Which is why my job was to be a distraction, or feint if needed. I wasn't skilled at fighting like her, but she was going to train me on that front. Which worried me to no end since I expected it to be very brutal, and I'll come close to death a lot.

Mimi made certain that I understood we were going through a teleporter in a dead zone. One that the Guard gave us, since she was cozy with them now. She told me about her gang, and that she wanted to move down there until Winter finished it's passage. It really was incredible how much she was able to do in so little time. Not to mention she stopped two people from trying to kill me, because fuck the nobles.

When the day came, she grabbed me, and carried me through the shadows with her. The portal ended up being on the other side of the Market district, which meant we were going to be dropped in an old gang warehouse. I told Mimi this, and she at least understood what this meant. Where we popped out, might be a nest for something nasty. She appreciated my insight on the matter, as we broke into the hidden cargo room. Literally a small room built for gangs to use a teleporter and move goods. Likely related to the Sharp Horns, given the markings in the room. One of the groups that later merged with others to become the Minotaur.

I told Mimi what history I knew about them. Which made more sense given the map she showed me. The Sharp Horns likely abandoned their stomping ground, and let it fall to relocate somewhere else. Which meant whatever was in this dead zone, likely wasn't too terrible. Though it also meant it had a lot of time to really set in. Mimi told me she had a good number of her Hive on the way to act as reinforcements, but the problem was we didn't know where exactly in the dead-zone we'd end up. This was a dangerous risk, and we both knew it. Yet, if we succeeded we'd have our own teleporter once we carved into the territory and claimed it. We'd be far enough away from any major gangs to bother us, and that meant a lot.

Mimi took out the stones that were used to lock the teleporter. She placed them in the holes where they needed to be set. The seal broke, as the thing lit up to show it was still active and we could use it safely. Mimi waved another stone to bind it to the teleporter so that only we could use it if we had the stone on us. A good way to get the fuck out, if we really needed to without letting something terrible chase us. After all, Mimi wasn't stupid, and would never lead something terrible up here. She smiled at me, offering her hand. "Are you ready?"

I grinned, taking her hand in mine. "Ready as I'll ever be." I felt the daggers on my hips, the two explosive cocktails, the shield on my back, and the satchel over my stomach with various herbs to mix if needed. Mimi carried a duffel bag with more alchemy supplies, food rations, a couple torches, and a few other odds and ends. We stepped on the teleporter and it activated once we stood at its center and Mimi tapped the stone.

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Mimi

A sense of nausea washed over Richard and myself as the teleporter did it's job. It was very strange to feel the space around you shift and move, effectively switching places with the open air that was above the other teleporter. Thankfully my escort led by Argus wasn't too far away, and so far they encountered no issues. I took the time to look over the dimly lit warehouse we just arrived in. We were in a decently sized room with deep claw marks scratched on all wooden surfaces. There was red and purple hair clinging to a few corners where some beast likely used it as a post to scratch its flank.

I quietly whispered to Richard, still feeling that he felt nauseous from the teleportation. "Can you see, or is it too dark for you?"

Richard whispered back even quieter, "I can make out that we are in a warehouse, and that's about it. What do you see?"

"I see gashes made by claws on wooden surfaces. A few gouges made on the stone walls. Purple and red fur hanging on some splinters. We're in some kind of nest, and there are beasts here. They probably sensed the magic, and hid themselves." I remembered the monsters I studied before coming here, and all signs pointed to Fukuma (Fa-Kuu-Ma). Saber toothed panthers with red fur and purple stripes. They would have two tails, powerful hing legs, and a pair of fore legs that split at the elbow into two fore claws. Not entirely six separate legs, but close enough. The real issue was that they were able to teleport, which is why we spooked them when we came here.

Richard tilted his head, "Any idea on what they might be?"

I nodded slowly, "Fukuma more than likely." I focused on the area around us, feeling a pack of them teleporting through the warehouse to watch us after we left this room. They could teleport anywhere they saw, regardless of obstacles in the way. I really wanted to eat a few just to gain something so useful. The problem was that they could keep their motion while teleporting, making it impossible to know what angle the were coming from until it was too late. With my reaction speed, I could manage. Richard on the other hand, would need to be kept close which limited my ability to fight back.

Richard let out a quiet, "Fuck... What do you want to do?"

I looked him over, sensing that he was reluctant when face with this type of enemy. We didn't have a way to keep them from teleporting, since they would be extremely easy to kill top side. Down here they might well be untouchable, as anything less than a fatal hit just meant they could teleport away and lick their wounds. "I want to press on, but that puts you in danger. I am confident I can protect myself, but not so confident in your ability to do so against them. We can turn back and I can do this alone after clearing them out to a more open area."

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Richard balled his fists, and I felt his determination. "If I'm going to be strong enough to stand by your side, I need to do this. I trust you Mimi." He grabbed the shield from his back, holding it in front of him. "I'll bash them if I can, and will focus on defending myself. It's better than you dealing with them all alone. One might even have a talent that allows it to teleport inside you or something."

I let out a quiet laugh, "It wouldn't last very long since I would just kill it for trying. If you see one with three tails let me know. That's their boss, and they will run if we kill it." Richard nodded before moving ahead of me. It really was endearing to see him so determined to protect me from danger. I was going to do everything in my power to keep him safe.

He poked his head out of the room, as I felt the Fukuma preparing to teleport. "It looks clear Mimi." He didn't understand that just because he didn't see them, didn't mean they couldn't see him. They had night vision from what I understood.

I grabbed Richard by the top of his leather armor, pulling him back as the first one teleported in front of us trying to swipe at him. My foot met the side of its face as my round house kick connected with it's jaw. I felt the bone shatter, as the ligament tore to leave the bottom half of it's face hanging on one side. It was shocked that something could react fast enough to it's surprise attack. The pain not helping as it blinked, and my foot shot up with bloody flourish over it. I brought the heel down, severing it's spinal cord from the neck down, ensuring it will die. Even as it teleported behind us.

"Holy shit!?" Richard watched wide eyed, as I set him down behind me.

"Don't look back, and always focus on what's around us." I pulled thread out of my mouth, kneeling in front of Richard to tie the shield to his front. "You're going to carry that body to protect yourself." I spoke, biting the silk as the shield was secured to him.

He let out a small sigh, "I thought you were going to help me get better at fighting?" He was a little disappointed that I made him the carrier for the body.

I looked into his eyes, "You will have your chance, but you need to live for it to come. These are hunters I cannot afford to play around with, lest I risk losing you or myself. Speed doesn't matter when they can teleport" The Fukuma I killed had blood dripping from its mouth, as I grabbed the thing. It was slightly larger than Richard, which made it perfect for protecting him. "If they manage to get me, with a talent or anything. I want you to throw a bomb at their face. Spark it to scare them, then let it explode after they teleport away. They are beasts, so we need to out think them."

Richard felt one of the bombs on his hip with a nod. I moved past him, knowing the Fukuma would be cautious now that I killed one of their pack mates so quickly. I grabbed the dead one, before wrapping more silk around Richard, and making certain it snugly clung to him. He laughed a little as some blood dripped in front of him, "Fuck I feel like half a sandwich now."

I smiled, "If you were, I'd save you for last because you'd taste the best." I gently pinched his cheek.

He swatted at my hand, "Come on now, I thought you said to focus at all times."

I pulled back with a wolfish grin, "I am focused, but I want you to not worry about me. We think better when we are calm. Besides this will be the most fun I've had in a while."

Richard finally smiled back, "Fine, I'll keep my head low and carry the body. You have fun, but if something happens you let me know through the ring."

"I agree." I turned back towards the exit of the room we were in. I could teleport back to the room with Richard, and eat the Fukuma there. I might gain the ability to teleport, as well as more dreads from all the poisons and toxins I ingested during my time waiting. It was safer to let Argus arrive with their magic. Yet, that was boring compared to fighting. Those claws and bones were not stronger than my chitin, so I was safe. Richard needed to feel danger to promote his growth, and I needed to see how he would react during such a time. So I made the decision to press forward.

Poking my head out, I saw we were on the top floor of the warehouse. The walkways were made of wood, while reinforced with magic stone to keep it from rotting. The base of the building had stone, to keep the foundation safe, in case the wood above burned or fell apart. There was another level below us, before reaching the ground floor. Overall a small warehouse for a gang that was doing well at the time. I could see some crates at the bottom, that were open and exposed thanks to the Fuka in the area. There was refuse along the walkways, but that was mostly debris as they seemed to have a designated area for their waste.

These beasts were smarter than whispering wolves, so they were biding their time now that effortlessly dispatched one of them. I could see them watching me from behind the walls they had clawed through, while marking their space. From what I could hear, there were likely twelve in this pack. They had four guarding the room where they kept their offspring, judging by the yowling and mewing. I pulled out some silk, hoping to bait them into attacking me while I tied the duffel bag to me. I was growing hungrier, but it would be fruitless to chase the creatures.

What really mattered was reaction speed, and predicting what they were doing. I could see the magic in the fraction of second it took for them to teleport. I was quick enough to react to what they were planning, and could surprise them by already moving to strike as they emerged. Their mobility forced me to be on the defensive, but it could be countered to some extent. I could blind them or establish a link to their minds and destroy it. I marched my wings a little, causing Richard to jump. The sound was a low drum, laced with a small hypnotic suggestion. Their minds were too simple to understand something advanced, so I kept their attention focused on me. They would attack myself, if they chose to attack at all.

I kept Richard close, still drumming my wings as we slowly made our way through the walkway. The railing was missing in spots, but that was hardly an issue for us. We found the stairs going down, as the Fukuma teleported around us. I could see the four guarding the room they bred in. Claws extended and hair raised. Their Alpha had a long dark ridge of purple fur going down it's back, and making half a mane for it. Unfortunately, I saw the stairs to the ground floor next to them. I pulled Richard along, while keeping my eyes focused on their Alpha, slowly moving towards them. My wings no longer marching as we didn't break eye contact. We approached the room slowly, step by step, before coming as close to the room as we were comfortable.

The females lunged at us and hissed, while I deflected their strikes with my wings causing them to tear at the end. The Alpha let out a low growl, as we moved away down the stairs. The Fukuma seemed to understand we were trying to leave, and backed off after we left their breeding room alone. They still watched us, even as I guided Richard out of the room. There was no point fighting them in a space with so many places for them to hide in. We needed a more open area, where they couldn't strike by jumping at us, then bouncing off a wall for another strike right after. Enclosed spaces were so much better for them, and it made the chance that Richard might get hurt much higher.

We were on the ground floor, were skeletons and bones laid in piles. Most licked clean of any meat, and everything easy enough to get and eat already gone. I could see the contents of a few crates spilled out, on the ground. Most were alchemy supplies for making drugs, with a few enchanted weapons. There were other crates hidden behind the ones on top, that the Fukuma didn't touch, considering they probably didn't smell food from it. A small trove of potential treasure just sitting there from when they came up, and the gang chose to abandon this warehouse. I planned on coming back for this warehouse later, and claiming it properly.

We walked out of warehouse, to see the stone floor of the underground. We made out more Fukuma running down alleys with broken down buildings that had faded in color over the years. There were more skeletons and piles of refuse from their kills, and it was likely this dead-zone was responsible for many people mysteriously disappearing here in the Underground. I could see the ceiling above us, held up by massive stone pillars in every direction we looked until we saw the rounded walls. The entire Underground was comfortably warm, and I smiled because of it.

The smell of rot, and the stench of beast lingered in the air, reminding me constantly that we were in a dead-zone controlled by these creatures. Dozens were watching us now, from their resting spots on top of buildings that started to cave inwards due to lack of repair. Others prowling in the alleys, their tails swishing back and forth, waiting for a mistake. They were cautious of Richard since he had the dead body on his back protecting him. I marched my wings again, letting the same suggestion reach those that could hear us.

Each Fakuma was covered in at least one scar in a different spot. Proof that they fought with each other regularly as different packs changing territory often. None of them chose to teleport at us while we were in the other pack's area. Richard rubbed the side of his neck, "Why are they just staring at us like that?"

I tilted my head towards him, "I'm something they haven't seen before, and you're carrying a dead body. They are afraid of you, because they think you killed it. We're also in the territory of the others still in the warehouse. The ones that are well fed likely won't attack us, but those that are hungry probably will. I also sent out some magic to make them focus on me instead of you. We should be safe standing right here, but my escort is coming."

Richard nodded, "How many are coming exactly? Can they do magic like you said?"

I smiled, "Only about 500, but they can use magic well enough. I told you I made new castes didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you didn't explain them to me. 500 isn't much. Why so little?" He looked up at me a little confused.

I shook my head, "Honestly, they might be too much. All of them are a little bigger than Harpers, and they can use fire magic."

Richard laughed a little, "Really now? Bugs that can do magic? I guess you're going to tell me that spiders can control vampires next."

I tilted my head towards him, trying to recall if I told him about Gray or not. I didn't, and judging by his expression he was only joking. I pointed in the direction of Argus and the rest of my escort. "We're going to meet up with them, and I am not so certain about the spider bit. It would make sense considering there are so many nests around them."

Richard shook his head with a smile, "Fine, just say it's five thousand next time. It's important to not to mix your numbers up."

It was pointless to convince him otherwise until he saw them first hand. He'd notice the fire hovering above them as they moved before he saw them. The Fukuma that noticed them, quickly ran the other direction, at least from the reports Argus gave me. She apologized for not being able to kill any, but was making her way with the others without issue. Reports from Scix also told me that Robert was there and waiting for us at the warehouse with Eris preparing a fresh meal. He was excitedly reporting about how they weren't poisoning our food, as both of them truly wanted to meet their Queen for the first time.

Who was I to keep them waiting?