Book 1: Chapter 38 - The Gilded Gryphon [Part 1]
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When facing a manticore it is prudent to note that the beast has little to no blind spots. The scaly hide is dense and thick and will repel most non-magical weapons, though across the belly one’s weapon may find purchase.
One must also observe that despite being a beast it has some capability with the arcane, with an ability to cast elemental magics from the fire and ice domains. I would recommend a party of at least five highly skilled adventurers to best one of these fearsome creatures.
- Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch.
Feeding small bits of bread to her new pet, Seraphina allowed herself a moment to look out at the street beyond the carriage window. An omnivorous snake—who would have thought?
Cornelia’s debut at dinner had stirred quite the response. The Count, ever the eccentric, adored the creature, fawning over its every move. Eloise remained neutral, her scholarly mind more intrigued by species classification and the question of venom than by Cornelia’s very obvious charm. Miriam, perhaps sensing a kindred spirit in the serpent, seemed thoroughly enchanted. Haze, on the other hand, was decidedly not a fan. In fact, her distaste for the snake had driven her back outside to ride with the driver. The bard had indeed confessed a fear for all things scaly. Sometimes there simply was no accounting for taste.
As Seraphina gently stroked Cornelia’s glossy scales, her thoughts drifted. There was something both wearying and wondrous about existing in a world with no electronics, where each simple journey crawled along and days stretched into slow, languid arcs. Time here moved with the pace of distant tides, and traveling from A to B was in itself quite the undertaking. Such was life in a quasi-medieval setting—frustrating yet oddly enchanting.
For the first time on this music tour—though “tour” might be too much of a modern a word—Seraphina felt not relaxed, exactly, but at least free from the usual stress.
It was a peculiar sensation, one she could easily grow to enjoy if she let herself. But she knew better. A certain degree of tension sharpened the senses, prevented one from dissolving into the false shelter that was the comfort of homeostasis. It was wise to always aim for something just out of reach—some new challenge to chase. After all, without that subtle edge, lethargy would reign, dulling the blade of the mind. Then the world would slow to a stop around her, like a certain lazy serpent, she thought scratching her new pet’s scaly head.
Was it her imagination, or had Cornelia grown another inch? Seraphina leaned in, trying to tell. Meanwhile, a rare sight unfolded: Eloise’s nose was not buried in a book.
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“I wonder where that trader got Cornelia’s egg,” Eloise mused, studying the snake’s striking pattern. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. That coloration is so distinct. If there are more of them, I wonder where her brothers and sisters might be?”
She fell silent, lost in her own world for a moment, then turned to Miriam. “Miriam… do you have any family?”
“Yes, Lady Eloise,” Miriam replied, and Seraphina noted how Eloise’s chest swelled with pride at her new title. “I have quite the extended family.”
“And where is your family now, Mily?” Eloise pressed, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“They’re spread all over the Grieving Lands,” Miriam said. “There are quite a few of us, in all walks of life.”
The Grieving Lands—the continent where the game’s story played out. Such a grim name for a setting that was, in many ways, supposed to be a straightforward, even whimsical, fantasy world. Clearly, the developers had been determined to add an edgy twist. But what concerned Seraphina more was the very thought of Miriam’s family, monstrous Palisa Slugs capable of eating human flesh, dispersed throughout all of human society. The very idea made her skin crawl.
That was always the problem with immigrants, they always had a habit of causing trouble.
Seraphina wondered if there was a way to tip off the Adventurer’s Guild, the renowned monster slayers, without giving herself away. It was frightening to think of creatures hidden in plain sight. If only there were a way to test for them without resorting to brute force. Perhaps she could send out tentative inquiries about people who had suddenly gone missing.
On second thought, she decided to scrap that line of thinking. There was always a chance that such a line of investigation would backfire on her and for the moment, apart from her slightly licentious attitude, Miriam was still very useful. No, it would not serve her needs for the moment to have adventurers snooping around but she would try to keep an ear to the ground.
The gentle sprawl and patchwork quilt of the Aranthian countryside had all but vanished, replaced by a steadily encroaching urban landscape. This close to the heart of the kingdom, the increasing number of vehicles on the road had slowed their progress, but at least the road had become better maintained and the ride smoother. Seraphina wondered if this world held any material that could serve the purpose of rubber—yet another item on her ever-expanding mental checklist. Why did life insist on testing her patience at every turn?
Nothing would take the place of a foreign luxury car with its heated seats and its mini-bar. Still, a girl could dream.
The road wound along the banks of the Loierre River, stone houses lining both sides and pressing close. Through a narrow gap between buildings, she caught sight of the river traffic. Here, far downstream, the Loierre had widened so much it resembled a flowing lake, stretching nearly three thousand paces from bank to bank. Pleasure boats with vibrant paint jobs drifted beside barges laden with grain, while smaller vessels fished or carried other trade goods. If Seraphina cared to look more closely, she might have even spotted men and women harvesting rushes along the marshy banks.
Eloise chattered on, her voice light and eager as they neared the city’s bustling center. Miriam, swept along by the de Laney girl’s enthusiasm, could only manage the occasional reply. Seraphina, meanwhile, offered little more than a nod or polite hum, her thoughts wandering far beyond the carriage’s plush interior.