“Argh, don’t worry it’s not my blood. Thanks for asking”, the dwarf couldn’t help but fill up the silence.

He had been ordered to cut off the best parts of the meat from the Carrigorn, and chop off the ears of the twin tail that Dromund had previously slain. Yet an awkward tension seemed to radiate around the usually straightforward, jocular Ferlein. While Silas was as silent as he usually was.

But mixed with the blood from earlier was the new paint of blood he received from the squirting corpse of the Carrigorn. And considering it was only him who got to work, he felt a little annoyed that Ferlein just sat there with the Finger Root in her arms.

Alas it was his own fault for having brought up his experience in butchering upon arrival. But while she was injured from before, he also suffered, and even had to run a mile back as well. He plunged the dagger he was using as a butcher's knife into the flesh once more, cutting out the innards to make way for more flesh to be excavated.

“Oh blasted gobsmacker, I wanna bathe when we get back”

Yet while hearing of his complaints, Silas didn’t respond. It was up to them how much they made, and the mission they were on wasn’t intended to be profitable. Though he couldn’t tally the total when he didn’t know how much the corpse parts would sell for. Even then, he felt assured it wouldn’t be worth a bath and a night. Unless maybe they shared? But he wouldn’t be waiting around to find out anyway.

Finally he heard something other than the dwarfs' incessant mumblings. It was the snap of a twig, and he lifted his arm in preparation for their guests, his blood sphere only half full as he got carried away in testing his curiosities. But he at least managed to confirm that the blood he controls dissipates overtime, as if the cost for his abilities.

His arm lowered upon witnessing Thaite and Dromund appearing from a bush. Dromund hauled two twin tailed corpses with him, while Thaite only managed one. But both let go of them when they managed to haul them next to the Carrigorn Galgael was working at.

“We managed to lose them, and take back some of that pack we first dispatched”, Thaite decided to convey the events that transpired.

“It won’t be long before they track us back here, Dro here says while their best at using their ears, their nose is still fairly decent at tracking blood trails”

“Then why’d yer bring me back more work”, Galgael seemed to complain.

But the question was left unanswered. Everyone knew with the giant corpse nearby that they’d make their way here anyway. Though it appeared they only got this far due to the commotion the Carrigorn made whilst alive. Another thing they knew? Galgael also knew this but was still complaining.

“Jeez, how long have you been at work with that thing?”, Thaite asked.

“Nar, just been about ten or so. But she’s still beefy, ain’t nowhere near done yet”

“Well it’s about time you finish up. Don’t think we want to take our chances”

“Urmph”, Galgael grunted.

But Thaite proceeded past him, walking straight up to Silas. He glanced past Ferlein, sitting at a distance away from him, but he sighed and ignored her, standing in front of his master. Glaring down on him, Silas carelessly looked up from the ground. Though he didn’t look like it, he wasn’t really in the mood for a temper tantrum.

But instead of that, Thaite shook out his hand, scratching his head with his other while looking away. His hand remained down, open yet empty as it offered to help him up. Yet Silas only continued to look at it in silence.

“While we’ll work for you, and serve you until we pay off our dues. I want, as well as the rest of our little… Pack. To be treated with respect, as a human being, or demi being, or whatever else it’s called. We’ll do as you say, but no more orders. Just talk to us normally, treat us humanely, and we’ll give you much the same. Otherwise we’d be better off rotting in a cell than by your side”

‘Hm. Well this is what I bargained for when I bought the black hood for him’

This is exactly the kind of attitude he wanted from him, one that befit a leader, that charmed and encouraged others to strive for more. It was the reason why he had diversified him with the black hood specifically in the first place. It was to lead the group, as the place was still a human dominated society, and he believed he could get the best use out of someone of their race. Though he was plenty prepared if there was a superior suited suitor.

That being said, his ideals didn’t allow him to tolerate this kind of attitude. No less from someone he was supposed to be looking down on here.

‘But I’m weak right now, that much is clear. Try as I might, I can’t do everything myself. I know that, that’s why I got slaves in the first place’, he started contemplating with himself.

‘But I got them to use their seals and command them, to have a guarantee that I’ll be obeyed… Then again, if they’re going to give themselves to me anyway, it doesn’t matter how the results are conveyed’

He sighed, loftily glancing past Thaites towering stature, at the dwarf, then the elf, then to Ferlein.

“Are you all in on… This?”, he couldn’t help but question. Especially emphasizing the point as his eyes glanced on Ferlein. But she could only stare back blankly in response.

Only the dwarf piped up, distracting him from the task in front of him. He couldn’t help but lean over, giving his insight.

“Withhold my due respects sir, cause it’s the best result for us all”

“We’ll even give you your honorifics, you seemed so keen to imprint on us beforehand. I’ll call you our boss, big man. Is that not favorable enough?”, Thaite seemed to pipe up again, as if diverting attention back onto himself.

“I did mention proving your worth to me in order to receive special treatment”, Silas finished glancing past everyone as he looked back up to Thaite.

“If you stay loyal, I’d have no reason to use commands”

“But we’ve yet to disobey you, what makes you think we’d be disloyal?”, Thaite squinted, reiterating his point.

Silas shrugged, “you take me for a fool? You would have left given the chance”.

‘And I know this because of Ferlein… Should I throw her under the bus to further that point?’

“Besides, you’ve already betrayed me once”, ‘just not in the traditional sense…’, he couldn’t help but reminisce of the situation the lack of his weapons placed him in just this morning.

‘Speaking of which, I’ve to gather intel on the people that fucked me over back then…’

“What? Whe-”

“What even gives you the power to speak up like this? Have you already forgotten what happened to Ferlein the other day?”, he could see her turn her head away from his peripherals with that reminder.

“She doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment from you. In fact, none of us do”

“I differ”, Silas sighed, rolling his eyes, “but fine. I’ll give you a chance”

While he didn’t outwardly show it, he was fairly content that his investment paid off. Thaite was proving to be a well spoken leader he should be able to count on to make money for him. But of course, that didn’t mean he trusted the guy at all.

Thaite furrowed his brows, but sighed shortly after while loosening them. He lowered his hand even further as if incentivizing him to take it, as a symbol to embody their growing trust in each other.

Smack.

But Silas smacked it away, Thaite’s hand swinging away vacantly. He instead opted to get up by himself, the pain he had otherwise grown used to, searing across his body as his muscles exerted themselves. Every movement seemed to ache for him to stop, but he pushed further, applying pressure on his penetrated leg.

He grit his teeth while trying to remain composed, but his expression betrayed him as he grimaced slightly from the effort. Yet the effort paid off as he erected himself before him, overshadowing Thaite with his height.

“Tsk”, Thaite couldn’t help but grumble, turning his back and preparing to walk away.

“Be that way”

“Wait”, Silas commanded.

Thaite couldn’t help but turn around, irritated that he was still getting his autonomy revoked.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Final time. I promise”, he spoke with a mocking tone, because he wasn’t a good promise keeper at all. And he liked seeing the anger contained with Thaites eyes.

‘Perhaps this is why Leo continued to…’, but then he realized what he was thinking about, turning his head in a sudden anger.

“Tch”

‘Fuck him’

And now Thaite squinted from his sudden unexpected action. But it didn’t take long for Silas to gather himself once more.

“Help me walk”, was what he requested.

“Is that a command?”

He ignored him.

“I’m not hopping my way back to town”, though he didn’t say he couldn’t do it.

He was fairly flexible and well balanced after all. Even with the branch in his leg adding to the weight on that side, he figured it wasn’t impossible to achieve with a few brakes in between. That was the plan before they arrived after all.

‘Though the last time I tried such an activity was with my old body’

But he shook off irrelevant thoughts, witnessing Thaites grumbling expression instead as he availed an arm for him to use. With his transport-aid secured, he leaned back to everyone else.

“Galgael, grab what you can, carry the Carrigorns antenna if you can. Dromund, carry the twin tail parts. The whole body of the two you brought in if as well, otherwise just the essentials. Ferlein. Can you walk by yourself”

“Of course”

“Well then continue with the Finger Root, or anything laying around. But Thaite…”

“Are you not enough to carry?”

Silas used his signature move of ignoring his snarky remark.

“Thaite, bring us over to the Carrigorn. Bribe the receptionist and apologize for your actions when we get back, I’ve heard she likes its flesh”, he squinted, his tone becoming sharper.

“I don’t want fuck ups because you piss off your peers”

It was Thaite’s turn to roll his eyes at him. But he kept that fact hidden as he looked away from him. He didn’t want him to analyze his expressions while they were at such a close range. Especially not when he had actually managed to convince him of their earlier deal. So they carried what remained of the butchered flesh and carried it back with each of their free arms.

Silas was a little regretful upon leaving the teeth and offal behind, but they didn’t have room to take everything, and he hadn’t known of the importance placed upon them as potion ingredients weren’t mentioned in any of the books he had read. It was Dromund who spoke up of their use in potion brewing before they left, yet they hadn’t the time nor space to stuff their pockets full of the stuff.

While he had hoped he could come back later for the stuff, he figured the scavengers that already threatened to converge onto their point would have had their fill by the time they got back. Though maybe getting the teeth back would be possible considering how few beasts eat that part. But it simply wasn’t worth the danger, as the area may end up being dangerous for a good while longer. And who knew if scarier beasts other than twin tails would show up. Who knew the risks?

So they headed back to the city, posing no danger on their travels. With any and all manner of beasts behind them, they had nothing to worry about on their way back to safety. Such that it was a fairly boring walk, considering the awkward atmosphere that radiated around them. Many of the group's more vocal members were simply preoccupied with hauling the goods or had Silas on his shoulder, making it difficult to get a conversation going.

On their travels, most of them felt weary, their eyes devoid of energy. But even so, Silas, as the most injured, appeared the most active, his eyes scanning their surroundings in their travels. He wasn’t in search of danger, as unlikely as that was, no. Rather a stick or branch, something to be used as a cane, to which he found after a while, but only kept equipped rather than used.

But in time they made it back, the guards at the entrance giving a quick check over their loot, before allowing them entry with no other hassles. Their state of well being was a common sight for them, the guards having bore witness to much greater anomalies.

Now a question persisted in his head, where to sell their merchandise? He could go to individual shops to sell them, but he didn’t know what the prices were worth and would probably get ripped off. Contrast to that, he could possibly give it to the guild, but he wouldn’t make the maximum profit, they would certainly take a cut. And frankly he didn’t even know if the guild offered such bonuses, but was rather a guess made by common sense.

He sighed, pushing Thaite away with a grunt as he stood on his own. The branch injury was severe, but it seemed he had healed enough that blood stopped dripping from the wound, his skin slightly pasted to the wooden bark of the trimmed branch. He still had to limp though, leaning on the stick he brought with him as he made his way into the adventurers guild, strips of Carrigorn meat saddled over his shoulder, slathering his body with the bloody meat juices. Yet the blood did not float around him.

Near exiting the forest he had shot his blood sphere away, a distraction for any potential pursuers. However, with no blood in range he found his ability to activate his summoned weapon obsolete. He realized in that moment the condition to activate his powers. Or he theorized, but he was fairly certain he first needed to draw blood, as for whatever reason, it was the cost or fuel he thought of it as, to use the ability as a whole.

It was mid afternoon by the time they entered the guild, and Silas immediately stood to the side upon entering the door. The room was half full of people sitting at chairs, not yet reaching its peak, but even so he realized an anomaly from the night before.

‘Why are there so many people sitting in that corner over there?’

There were many people sitting in a space close to where they sat last night, at a long table formed from many combined.

‘Is someone having a party?’, he wondered, but he didn’t recall peasants celebrating such days. Then again he didn’t have memories of being one.

The rest of his party managed to walk through, Thaite giving him a stern questioning gaze, tilting his head as Silas just stood there off to the side. He wasn’t quite happy how Silas just pushed him away without warning earlier, having almost tripped over as a result. And didn’t they just talk about being treated as a human being? The least he could do was apologize or express a thank you.

Silas only nudged his head forward, at the receptionist that had already noticed their entree, causing Thaite to turn his head and sigh as the girl sat there glaring back at him. He walked forward towards her, but she only pressed a palm forward, waving it from behind the counter.

“Can’t ya wait a few more minutes? My shifts almost over, someone else can deal with you”

Thaite sighed again, “I’d love to do just that”, he murmured.

“But alas, for the lass”, he threw the meat from his shoulder onto the counter.

She gave him a questioning gaze, poking it, then prodding it with her finger, causing him to remember how good she was at that last night.

“You er… Well I heard you liked it”

“What is it?”

“We got it from a Car-”

“Wait this texture… You got me that Carrigorn stuff? I was just running out of it too…”

“Yeah, consider it an apology. I for one, like to make my amends”, he spoke a little louder so a certain someone could hear his snarky response.

“Hm, well. Sure. Alright fine, it’s a start. See over there”, she suddenly pointed to the large table in the corner.

“Go sit over there, you’ll be joined by a few more soon, but you’ll be in for a treat”

“Ah, but we have other goods to sell”, he motioned for the others to come over, but turning around he realized Silas was peering over his shoulder.

Silas couldn’t help but furrow his brows, but what was on his mind remained elusive. He threw the meat on his shoulder onto the table as well, followed shortly by the other goods and Finger Root, yet firstly Silas asked a question.

“How much for this?”

She served to put up her hand outstretched, five slender fingers held before him. Yet she smirked, and added another hand, her index finger outstretched.

“50-something for the lot. But I’ll round to 60 if you sell the meat to me. Exclusively”

“Hm”, Silas shrugged, grabbing Thaite’s shoulder.

‘Does the guild not care for this conspicuous open marketing? And how much more could we have received had we sold the entire Carrigorn corpse? Fuck but Thaite’s the leader right now, I can’t draw too much attention considering I don’t wish to appear for many of their future missions’

“Our leader decides that”

“Do I now?”

“Indeed”, Silas stared at him with a deadpan expression, “you do”.

“Whatever, if you agree just sign these documents”, she pulled out some papers from under her table.

“Just be quick with it, I should be switching out right now”

“Maybe I’ll agree if we increase to 70?”, Thaite couldn’t help but urge, egged on as Silas squeezed at his shoulder while lacking a response.

“Now what were you saying about making amends?”, her face fell flat.

“Were you just making shit up again?”

“Fuck me”, he scratched the back of his head, “fine, nevermind”, but with his words, Silas’s grip became stronger.

‘Fuck, what does he want of me? He encourages I make up with her, yet gets cranky when I do just that’

Ignoring the feeling, he grit his teeth and bent over to sign the paper, shaking loose from Silas’s grip. With the contract complete he received the 60 points in the form of a few coins. But he also received the reward for handing in enough Finger Root, completing the mission and receiving an additional 45 points.

All this went to Silas discretely of course, as they headed for the table at Jesse the receptionist's discretion. They planned for a feast, yet Silas broke away from the group as he headed up the stairs to his room alone.

“Oh, and next time, leave the fucking remains outside!”, Jesse could be heard shouting as he ascended the stairs, but her voice slowly drowned out, and only the flap of a door could be heard as he presumed she left, finishing her shift.

‘To think mere Finger Root was worth so many points, though likely only because it was in quest form. What if the task was to subjugate a Carrigorn, how high would the bonus for quest completion be then?’, but that was a thought he couldn’t indulge in at the moment. He couldn’t just take a quest now and submit the proof of subjugation, that wasn’t how it worked.

Having made his way into his room, he locked the door before immediately checking under the mattress, finding the bag he had stashed with his school clothes in it, in addition to his money pouch. Of which he spread across the mattress, counting up his total sum.

‘So I’ve made 105 points, but spent 69 on potions? Costly, especially the medium ones. It may just be worth buying the amount of small potions for the price of the medium ones… Though that means traversing into the poor regions again…’, he sighed, but as cautious as he wanted to be, he refused to back down from fear.

‘The medium’s still prove an advantage in a fight, assuming one can endure the pain to focus on a target, but overtime factors favor the small potions. Fuck it, I’ll have to introduce Dromund or someone to establish a connection with Mr. Dealer when I’m not available’

He finished checking to see if he had the right amount, a total of 495 points laid in his palm, which he slid back into his pouch.

He next looked to his exposed chest, realizing he needed new clothes, his hand wraps needing a replacement as well.

But even more concerning was the branch embedded into his leg.

“Fuck”, he groaned.

Pain was a feeling he was used to, but he was no masochist, and never enjoyed getting hurt.

“Time to get it out…”