I can’t believe I got so close to a human! I was so scared, I thought he would bite my tongue off, or hit me, or something.

I should keep my distance, but he spilled the sprite blood I worked so hard to collect. Every drop is precious.

As I shake the container of blood, I take into account how much remains. I’ll have to hunt some more sprites soon.

Taking one more glance at the human, I notice that his breathing has improved greatly. No longer is he struggling to breathe, now his breaths are a lot more relaxed.

Making my way out of the tunnel, I wander cautiously back to the spot where I found him. All that remains is the rock wyrrm’s skeleton and hard outer shell.

I’d hate to go hungry again, just because people get careless. Maybe I can find something weak to finish off and eat for the day, the previous corpse I salvaged from did not have much left. I’ll also have to feed the weakened human.

After making the rounds in my territory, checking to see that all of the traps I placed were in good condition, my ears perk up when I hear people voices coming from up ahead.

Before I even encounter the people, I smell freshly spilled blood and find the corpse of a demonic looking goat. Its flesh is rotten, dark thick blood drips from its wounds.

A grimm caller. These undead beasts let out a cry to summon their companions when they spot prey, but maybe it was taken by surprise.

Taking in a deep breath, I could pick out different smells. Two dwarves, a beastborn, and… something else. I couldn’t tell what that other smell was, but it was just as civilized as its companions, armed with steel.

I wasn’t desperate enough to eat rotten flesh again, tried it a few times in the past, but it usually did more harm than good.

Even still, there was something off about the area. I continue to remain far from the grimm caller and toss a stone near the corpse.

Instinct told me to run far away before the stone left my hand.

I spin around to run in the other direction as fast as I can. The rock soars and collides against the floor near its feet.

A bright light flashes behind me and a loud bang slams into my sensitive ears.

It was a trap.

Thankfully, I was out of range, as a shower of debris flies down the corridor I once stood in.

I dart towards the closet safe zone I memorized within these tunnels and wait for the ringing in my ears to go away.

I see the people before I even hear them, moving quickly towards the sound of the explosion.

They were this close by and concealed themselves somehow.

I’ll never understand these people, they all seem like savages to me now. Still, I care about their well-being because I was once like them.

The ringing in my ears fades away, and I hear the people murmuring among one other. Their language is still unknown to me, but I listen intently, hoping to pick up a few key words I have heard a lot before.

“…monster …escaped …dangerous …person.”

From what I could tell, they were either searching for a monster, out of revenge, or they were searching for a person.

People have tried to hide away and live in the floors below, but they were either slain by monsters or other people. I’m assuming exiles or people with a bounty.

I’ll have to ask the human later if he knows about people searching after him. Given his response, it could either be good people or bad.

As much as I’d like to get him off my hands, I don’t want anyone to die because of me.

* * *

I watched their movements and actions, attempting to discern for myself what kind of people they were. Good thing I did too.

I learned that they’re experienced adventurers who are overly observant of everything around them.

There were a few times they might have noticed my presence, but they didn’t make it obvious. I just hope they don't follow me back home.

Once I return home, I sift through the belongings I had looted from past dead adventurers. Pulling out a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal, I draw a depiction of the adventurers as best as I can.

Sadly, I’m no artist, nor do I have much space to draw on, so it looks pretty bad. Hopefully the human could understand it.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The end result is a few poorly drawn adventurers – weapons, armor, and all – along with the strange one concealed in some sort of cloak.

I tried to make it look like they were searching for something, but it’s difficult to draw something vague with charcoal. I threw in a crudely drawn image of the human too, for good measure.

Now all that’s left is to wait for him to wake. I’ll scavenge for food later, I just have to know if this is good or bad news for the human.

When he finally wakes up, he looks around aimlessly, trying to gather his bearings.

‘Oh, I forgot to refuel the fire.’

I add a few large sticks to the pit, then use a piece of flint and a steel dagger I saved from the adventurers I had looted before. Tinder catches fire and I see the human watch me intently.

I wonder what’s going on in his mind, surely he’s never seen a freak like me before.

He’s trying to talk to me again, but I can’t make a lick of it. Instead, I bring out the drawing I made and toss it towards him.

He looks it over for a long while, squinting in the dim light to make sense of it all. If only I had something better to write with.

I watch the human’s eyes go wide with fear, he says something aloud and laughs madly. My guess was correct.

He doesn’t look like a criminal to me, so someone must have put a bounty out on his head.

*sigh*

Looks like I’ll be stuck with him for a while, I should think up a name for him. I dislike the thought of getting attached to people, but doing it like this gives me more reason to keep him safe and help him escape this place.

----------------------------------------

“My friends have come for me!”

Karth lets out an excited laugh in disbelief.

‘This catilyss really has just been trying to help me, and it found my friends. There were rumors of a monster that went out of its way to help people, but those were always shrugged off as “survivor madness”. Is this that same monster, and does it really like people?’

As questions race in his mind, he hears the creature let out a small sigh.

‘Did it just sigh? It must be relieved that it helped find my friends. I should give the little catilyss a name.’

Karth wanted to get up and search for his friends right away, but his body was still far too injured to even walk. He would have to drink more of that… monster blood.

The thought reminded him of the kiss they shared before he passed out. He wanted to vomit, thinking of the mouthful of monster saliva, mixed in with dirt and the blood that was spilled.

Instead of vomiting, he thought that maybe forcing himself to down more of that blood would help him forget.

“Hey, do you have a name?”

The monster only moved away from Karth’s outstretched hand. As friendly as he tried to be, the catilyss did not want to be near him.

Instead of the blood-filled water skin, the creature brought out a half chewed on corpse. The thing looked disgusting and unrecognizable, the bite marks on it did not look like they were made by the catilyss.

Karth could tell that this monster was starved to the bone, yet it was offering him its only meal. He was pretty hungry, but he wasn’t dying.

“No, you eat it. I’m not hungry.”

Especially because the human did not want to eat such a disgusting looking thing. His appetite was already ruined from the number of recent experiences. Besides, the corpse could have been a person, but it was hard to tell.

The catilyss carves off a sliver of the foul meat and hangs it over the small fire on a stick. It looks to Karth, as if asking, “would you look it cooked?”

He shakes his head adamantly.

“No. I don’t want that, you eat it.”

He gestures for the catilyss to eat the meat. It almost seemed disappointed, but after a moment, it devours the partially warmed flesh.

It drags the corpse away and tears into what remains, leaving behind only skin and bones.

The creature seems satisfied, then retrieves the water skin for Karth – once again, tossing it towards him and not wanting to get close.

‘It must be afraid of me.’

After having witnessed the monster eating that foul smelling corpse, Karth’s appetite for monster blood was ruined even more. Still, he knew it was the only way to recover.

He looks at his legs, noticing the way that they were forced back into their original place, due to the monster blood’s healing properties. He can still feel the cracks and fragments in his bones, and knows that they can be recovered, if only he continues to down the vile beverage.

His stomach churns with disgust and his mind reels in anticipation, yet he pushes on and forces down a mouthful of the sludge.

* * *

After another couple of mouthfuls, he’s heaving for air, forcing himself to remain conscious as his body knits itself back together each time.

‘Almost there… I’m almost fully recovered.’

The container in his hand is light and his legs are looking a lot healthier, but he can feel they are not completely healed underneath.

He brings the opening to his mouth once more, only drawing out drops now.

‘…It’s all gone.’

Though his body is once again whole and mostly restored, his legs feel weak and wobbly. A strong kick could break apart what has been healed. The rest should recover in time, but he doesn’t have that time.

He needs to leave now if he’s going to find his friends.

His eyes shift from his legs to watch the dark creature huddled in a corner. They appear to be resting, with one eye always open, aware.

Karth pushes off the ground to a sitting position. He stretches his legs a bit and feels an immense soreness in them.

Despite the pain, they feel like they’re at full functionality again, but he should still take it easy.

“Hey.”

He calls out to the resting monster.

“Thanks.”

They do not respond.

Karth moves along the ground towards the monster. It shoots up, and darts away, not wanting the human to get any closer.

Normally, a catilyss would let out a warning hiss or growl when they’re feeling threatened, but this one just seems terrified.

“Sorry.”

He lifts the drawing that it made before, then asks,

“Where can I find them?”

The creature only nods, then makes its way out of the small room, gesturing for Karth to follow.