As I plunge to the ground, I can't help but think about it.
How was I planning to get down?
Answer: I clearly didn't think about it hard enough.
Nonetheless, I have a simple solution, the best solution.
The unconscious raptor that is still attached to me. First, using vine thrash, with great difficulty, I managed to position myself right above the hawk. It'll take most of the blow hopefully. Probably still going to hurt.
Next, with a simple command of "LAUNCH" to the ore slime, we roll up and form an iron ball, which I can hopefully use to bear the fall.
And that's it. That's all I can do to brace for the fall.
3...
2...
1...
Bang
I hear the impact long before I feel the sensation.
Augh! Isis almighty! That hurts like hell.
[You killed the gust raptor lvl 4!]
[You've reached level 4!]
[Warning! You have 4 health left currently. Its recommended to find a place to rest!]
That certainly doesn't sound like Stolidus. I wonder where Stolidus is right now, I was just picked up by a gust raptor and nearly dropped to my death?
[What the F*CK happened here!]
There he is. What took you so long?
[I was napping! What were you doing!?]
Getting captured by a gust raptor. If you think about, I got off quite light. Aooouch. I can't feel anything but pain!
[Serves you right!] Is that... worry?
[...no]
Hah! It is worry. Auugh, it hurts to laugh. I can't even see anything right now.
[You're still curled up moron.]
I know that, but I don't really trust my body to stay together if I try unfurling currently.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Hey, what are the chances I'll die from this?
[50/50]
Well that doesn't sound good. Do you have a regeneration skill or something I can use.
[You just leveled up. If you turn in all your points, I can give you regeneration(f), which will increase you chances of survival to 80 percent.]
That sounds good. Very well, I wish to purchase the skill regeneration.
[Done! You've acquired the skill regeneration(f)]
And then, the pain got WORSE! Stolidus? What the hell?!
[Regeneration means your body is stitching itself together. slowly. Did you really think that wouldn't be more painful?] I can't see him, but I'm sure stolidus is mocking me.
Nnngh, that hurts more, but at least I know my body is putting itself together again.
But then the pain stops. Instead of pain, I feel warmth, numbing the pain, and if I were perhaps not absolutely wrapped up like this, I would be tempted to snuggle into whatever is emitting that wonderful warmth.
I settle for rolling into the warmth, and my exterior comes into contact with a hand.
A hand?
Ahh! It's a healer. I can feel my body getting better and better, though I must admit, that might just be my mistake. I've never been healed before. How generous of this person. But I'm a monster. Why would they use this on me? I'm sure this is healing because of the sensation, it's so much better than regeneration.
After a while, the light fades, and I hesitantly raise my head out of my shell, and I find my eyes staring into another's eyes.
A little elf child is staring at me out of curiosity, and I can't help but notice she has silver eyes and silver hair. What an adorable young child.
Some distance behind her is a carriage coming to a stop, which looks rather extravagant, and the emblem on the carriage makes me nervous and alert.
The emblem is a tree, on which a woman rests as she embraces a squirrel, while a serpent wraps around the tree, and a bird sits in the branches.
Thats the emblem of the Elven royal family.
While I'm certainly grateful, I also want nothing to do with them. The elven royal family, like any royal family, means trouble.
I give the little girl as great of a bow I could possibly give as a turtle, which I'm sure looks ridiculous, but it's the best I can do. Maybe one day I can repay the favor if I see her again.
I see the carriage shake a little as whoever is on board disembarks. Time to go! I curl up and begin to roll.
Huh, I don't think I've ever rolled up to this point. Why haven't I done this yet.
Roll, and roll, and roll.
Actually, this is kind of fun...
And nauseating.
----------------------------------------
Willow looked on happily and amused as the weird creature rolled away, while her knights Sevante and Lenore rushed over quickly, worry on their faces.
"There you are Willow! What were you doing, disappearing like that?" Demanded Sevante, as he shook her shoulders worriedly. Lenore merely snorted, though she was clearly bothered by Willow's "childish actions."
Perhaps they wouldn't have acted so severely had Willow not simply teleported somewhere randomly, leaving the two guards dumbstruck, forcing them to search wildly for the missing child, and luckily, they finally found her, next to a dead something that was laying on the floor, all the while a weird ball-like object skittering away as they approached. The knights had already quickly figured out that the monster had not harmed the target, and that Willow had merely been in the nearby vicinity.
They may have been used to seeing bodies, but that didn't stop them from being grossed out at the sight of the gust raptor, now a splatter on the floor, a result of falling from high up, and acting as a safety cushion to what amounts to a giant hunk of iron.
Sevante and Lenore didn't know that however and could merely look at the splatter in disgust.
They had to move on though, so ultimately, they chose not to investigate the weird little critter rolling away even as the group watched on, and Sevante could not help but worry about the situation, making sure to make note of the unusual creature.
His instinct dictated he investigate, and when one considered the importance of the escort mission, everything should be checked.