“Are you sure this is wise?” I heard from my familiar, Nero, for the umpteenth times, tone filled with worry.
I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “No?” I answered, shrugging. I assumed she was sighing, as she pulled her paw to her face and slowly dragging it down. “I mean, what do you want me to do? We’re broke, and I would prefer sleeping in a comfy bed, thank you!”
“You don’t just simply accept a damn request out of nowhere and follow it!” she snarled. I sighed in response. Couldn’t really blame her, really. Her words were the truth, it was stupid to come here. But we were as poor as a beggar!
Looking at the message, then at the door in front of us, I turned to her once again. “Well, we’re already here, aren’t we? Oh come one don’t give that look—“ I was cut off as she sneezed, “Did—did you just sneezed?” I asked, trying to hold my laughter.
Instead, as a response, she grumbled, as far as any cat could. “Well, it’s not like we’re in the north, aren’t we?” I could taste her sarcasm from far away, then she sighed, “You’re so much innocent back then…” she muttered the last part, though I caught it easily, considering she was perched on my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes, “And you’re smaller back then,” I shrugged; ignoring the glare I got “let’s just hope this job would be reasonably easy, though I doubt it would.” I nodded to myself and pushing the door. My tail-coat billowed as I did so. My familiar and I sighed as the warm air washed over us.
The bar was as normal as it could. The bartender stood behind the bar, few stools were set in front of them, then there were tables and chairs, most of which filled with people drinking their selected drinks, and chatting amiably.
My familiar chose to jump on my head and splayed herself when I pulled my hood back, her head perched on mine. I sighed, a sardonic smile on my face. “This is so much easier back then.”
She merely huffed and dug her head more into my hair and sniffed slightly. A muffled “Everything was so much easier back then…” was what I got.
I sighed as I scanned for my soon-to-be employer, which wasn’t hard, considering said employer was waving at me with a crazed grin while sitting on one of the table. He has white hair and beard, slightly tanned skin and...
I almost flinched when I saw those red eyes. I swore, if I didn’t know any better, I would think he’s a vampire and burned the whole building if I had to. But alas, he was not to be. Vampire’s eyes are… red but dead. This one was alive.
Nero seemed to notice my trouble as she licked my forehead. I chuckled at that, and soon approached my weird soon-to-be employer and gently sat on the chair opposite him. Don’t want to disturb the cat on my head now, would I?
Though that was proven to be wasteful as she decided to jump from my head and lay on my lap, I grumbled at that. I swore I saw a smirk when I did so and heard her blew raspberries from our telepathic connection.
Leaning back and unconsciously scratching the back of the ear of Nero, as she purred slightly, I turned to my soon-to-be employer, who merely raised an amused eyebrow at what happened.
“Is that your familiar?” He asked tone curious, “Aren’t cats rare for a familiar?”
Nero and I snorted, though hers was rather muffled, “Please, that’s just stereotypes people make. Cats are for female mages they said. I swear, when they saw I had a cat as a familiar, they thought I was a cross dresser.” Fucking sexist, I added silently. Nero nodded her head in agreement, something that the employer didn’t see.
He waved his hand in dismissal. “Please, I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just a friend mage of mind told me that, cats are useless.”
I didn’t know what he was playing, but I don’t like it, though I curbed that feeling to just burn the man in front of me. I could feel Nero bristled at that comment, and added a little strength onto my hand so Nero wouldn’t jump out in order to scratch the fuck out of our employer. Instead, I just smiled, a fake smile, but a smile nonetheless.
What a dick, she instead said through our link, and a cunt.
“So what’s the job?” I asked, mentally agreeing at her jab. I briefly considered just bailing out and searching for other odd-jobs, though I hold it down just so I could, at least, know the reward and the job.
Who knows, maybe it’s just search and destroy, or even assassination. I mentally shrugged.
He nodded; his hands dwindled together, not unlike an evil dark wizard would do if he’s contemplating on his next evil plans. “Ah, yes. You see, for the past few months, there had been a few strange creatures creeping out from the Everfree forest, right beside our village, and I just want you to—“
“Investigate where these strange creatures are coming from?” I cut off, raising an eyebrow, contemplating as he nodded. My free hand crept to my chin, and turned to my employer, “What’s the pay?”
If I thought his grin couldn’t get any wider, well, I was wrong. He rummaged his bag and pulled a pouch of gold and… a book?
“A spell book I got from a passing wanderer,” he answered as he noticed my raised eyebrow. A morbid thought crossed to as to what
happened to said passing wanderer, Nero agreed through our connection. “I don’t know much about it.” He shrugged. I got the distinctive suspicion that he’s lying. Grabbing the pouch for the payments… my jaw almost, almost, hanged open. Though my eyes were wide enough to unhide my surprise, I dropped the pouch onto my table then grabbed the spell book, seeing for any traps before dropping it back on the table.
“These are front payment.” He added
My jaw dropped, though I quickly recovered. Approximately a hundred of gold coins, any thought? I mentally asked, Nero almost jumped from surprise at the amount of the gold.
Are you sure? she asked as she calmed down, her incredulousness were thick as a root. I nodded. That—that’s enough for a year’s travel! she mentally shouted happily, and I winced at that, before looking back to my creepily grinning employer and nodded, a grin of my own on my face, and I could feel Nero doing the same.
“Deal.”
I dropped my bag on the nightstand and quickly plopped myself onto the bed. “Good god…” I sighed in pleasure at the comfort of the soft bed. I grunted slightly when Nero hopped and plopped herself onto my stomach. We lay there in a comfortable silence.
“What do you think about our employer, and our job?” I asked idly, breaking the silence.
She did a cat equivalent of shrug, as I scratched the back of her ear, purring as I did so. “I don’t like him, and I don’t trust him, heck, we didn’t even know his name, but the job?” I could feel her raised an eyebrow, “I would say it would worth it, and the payment we got today is worth enough to sail through the sea and there would still be enough money for supplies.”
I hummed in agreement, settling myself in a more comfortable position as my familiar curled closer to my body and let out a deep purring sigh. Chuckling, I turned off the bed lamp on the night stand.
“Good night, Nero.” I said, closing my eyes.
“Good night, master.”
And soon, the darkness embraced me.
()_()_()
The next morning found us walking our way to the, apparently, according to the villagers, famous Everfree forest. When we asked about why it was famous to begin with, they all answered with varied replies. “The forest is evil! Full of demons I say!” “I don’t know, I just don’t like it. We rarely go there.” Then there’s the ominous one, “People who usually goes there never went back.” And all that jazz.
And honestly? We didn’t care. Well, we do care to a certain degree. Me, to get the job done and go buy a ticket, or two if those sailors would count a familiar as a person, to east, and Nero, who were just protective, though I couldn’t stop her from doing so, that would be a hypocrite of me.
Still, then we reached the entrance to the forest, we understood what the villagers meant.
Nero shivered on my shoulder, and I felt unnerved by the sight. On normal eyes, it just felt like a dark and ominous forest. But for those who actually learn magic could see what was wrong with it; the forest was literally alive! Not alive as in living trees, but alive as in, well, sentient alive.
We looked at each other, silently asking the same question, ‘Are we really going in there?’ I took a shuddering breath, while Nero just curled on my shoulder, somehow not falling.
We got our bearings moments later as we traded a determinate look, and as a grin crept to my face, I couldn’t help but to say, “Well then, to the forest of doom we go.”
And so we walked into the living forest.
()_()_()
Disappointing, would be my first thought about the forest as we trudged in for an hour. My body tensed, ready to cast a spell in seconds, while Nero was about ready to jump from my shoulder to safety. Truthfully, I expected there to be dozens of monsters ready to attack us the moment I stepped into the foreboding forest, not that I’m not grateful, mind, but still.
It’s not the scariest place I’ve encountered, but it’s there.
Relaxing a little bit, I looked up. The sky were covered by the thick canopies, and looking back on the trees, I couldn’t help but to chuckle slightly, raising an eyebrow from my black familiar.
“Look at these faces,” I muttered, nodding towards few trees who had funnily carved face on it. Seriously, only cowards would think this is scary, and I’m a Mage.
“And you don’t know where we’re going,” she hissed rather vehemently and sarcastic, putting a hole in my heart, “We’re just following where the forest is leading us! We won’t even know it’s a trap.”
I shook my head, and shrugged. “Well, yes, I don’t know where we’re going,” that earned a snort from her, “hey, it’s not like I could just say ‘Fuck you tree.’ And burn the entire forest down. And being lost in a sentient forest isn’t a good idea either.” Even though we were already lost, but that’s a moot point.
“Well we’re still lost.” She half grumbled and half pouted. Were it not for the inappropriate place, I would hug for her adorableness.
Alas, it was not to be.
I sighed, “It’s not like I know where to go, and except if a creature would suddenly jumps in to eat us for their breakfast,” I glanced at the sky, “or lunch, I don’t know, we won’t do anything either.”
It was then, that fate, or the forest, decided to play its card, and that I should keep my mouth shut at times, as a loud thunderous roar came from a nearby bushes.
I snapped, facing the bush for anything that will come out of it, hands ready to throw spells as the runes on my arms began to glow. Nero took her cue to hop off and wait until I’m finished with my soon to be first kill of the day.
A blur of orange and red was my signal for me to roll to side. The earth rumbled a bit as the creature slammed on where what used to be where I stood. I quickly recovered, a quick mental cast created a ball of fire in both hands. I stared at the creature in front of me warily. And blinked.
The creature in front of me was, without no doubt, a manticore. It got the batwings, the scorpion tail, the lion’s body, but I can’t, for the love of my life, think that that’s not a manticore supposed to be. I killed a couple manticore in the past. Rare beasts they are.
It was like comparing a child’s drawing to a master’s painting.
My musings were cut short as the beast roared, and about to pounce at me and possibly maul me to death were it not for the two fireballs that I launched.
It (a He, after an unnecessary image) rolled on the ground, roaring—or snarling—in pain as it tried to extinguish the flame that caught on his red mane and fur. I didn’t give it a chance to recover though, no, that would be idiotic. Trying to wait for an opponent to recover, I mean.
Casting another fireball, prompting for the runes on my arm to glow once more, I launched it on where things, like fire, or anything for a matter of fact, should be launched at.
The effect was as expected. The beast roared more in agony as its balls were burned alive by fire and rolled faster, I’d admit that there’s a dark humor in it. Shaking that thought away, I pulled my dagger, walked closer to it and promptly stabbed him in the neck, ending its suffering.
As the light in its eyes began to dim, I pondered if I should take its soul for future usage or just leave it be, a quick moment later, I decided to leave it be. I already got enough souls to burn a city with a living fire, and modifying souls are exhausting as fucking mothers in a brothel, not that I have, just a metaphor. In the back of my mind, I could sense Nero gagging at the unnecessary image through our link.
I sighed again, it was too late anyway. The eyes were already dead, the souls were probably already collected by Death or by the forest.
I’d wager on the latter.
Sheathing the dagger, I walked away and stretched the kinks from the tension. My familiar was already back onto my shoulder via jumping.
“Well that was anticlimactic,” She commented as I walked deeper, or at least I thought I was.
I nodded, had to agree with her, “Yes, it was, and you didn’t do anything,”—thankfully—“not that I mind anyway,” I added quickly, no point in angering my only companion would it?
We walked in a comfortable silence after that, comfortable enough in a living and, probably, sentient forest. And as we did so, I couldn’t shake that feeling that something bad, or strange would happen. At times I would trust that feeling, but we’re already in it, so there’s no point backing out already, I thought.
“Stop.”
Tons of trusts made me stop immediately, slightly tense, “What’s wrong?”
“Look at that.” She pointed at a nearby, and strangely shaking bush.
“Huh.” I blinked, “How did I not notice that?”
“Because you think too much?” Was her immediate and snarky answer.
I shrugged, and stared at the shaking bush, waiting for something and, probably, dangerous creature. Then a chicken head popped out.
And for the third time of day, I was stupefied.
It just stood there, looking at us like a dumb chicken, except it has red beaded eyes.
I closed my eyes in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my leftie while throwing another fireball with my rightie.
Because, nothing is harmless in a living, creepy, sentient forest.
My guess was correct as the ‘chicken’ flailed in pain as the fire burned the chicken. It jumped, revealing a shockingly long snake tail. It flailed and trying, and failing, to extinguish the fire that touched its white part, until it dropped dead.
And once again, I sighed, “I think I shouldn’t have taken the job…” there was a touch of irritation and resignation in my voice.
“Agreed.”
Thus I walked deeper again, trying to erase the memory of that horrid creature. Seriously? A chicken and a snake tail! What kind of monster would create that!?
“We will not speak of this again.”
“Absolutely.”
“This never happens.”
“Just shut up.”
“Sure thing.”
()_()_()
It wasn’t until a few, dreadful hours of walking in a living sentient forest, that could kill us if it wanted to, which justifies my slightly tense muscle, and boring, dark scene, when we saw some sort of a clearing. First thought?
A trap.
Alas, we didn’t care much… well I don’t know about Nero, but I sure didn’t. Though I made sure to walk silently and slowly, slow enough for me not to cause any loud noises.
To say we were surprised would be an understatement of my 7 years of youth. There in the clearing, where the sun shone above, in the middle of it was a door. A giant double door. It wasn’t far from where we stood, probably few meters. It was dark as ebony, runes etched in intricate design and style, and there’s that power coming from it. Powerful energy.
But no, that wasn’t only it, because my life is full of monsters, beasts, fucking imperialists and bandits and since it seemed that my luck was becoming from bad to worse, plus that Lady fate is a bitch. There slept a Cerberus, the three headed, overly-sized, magic resistant, racistly-black, bitch or cur, or both.
A morbid part of me thought how a Cerberus would mate.
Shuddering and quickly locking those thoughts away, I absentmindedly decided to get drinks after this but before that, I began to focus my next worry.
Nero.
She was shaking, understandably, her claws retracted and pierced through my robe, I could feel blood trickling from her sharp claws. She was clinging my shoulder like a life-boat, and I couldn’t help but to wince.
It was, essentially, my fault. I should’ve known that leaving your own familiar alone is fucking stupid. Also another good reason why I kick puppies and dogs for giggles.
I placed a hand on her, petting her as I crouched and went back a few feet away from the clearing. I cooed a few soothing words as she slowly calm down. “You okay?” I asked quietly.
“No, fuck no, we shouldn’t take this job, we shouldn’t even enter this fucking forest!” she hissed, golden eyes wide, and body frigid as she still clung at my shoulder, her breathings fast like a rabbit in mating season, “We should get out. We can’t kill a fucking Cerberus!”
“Calm down…” I cooed, and after a few deep breaths, she did so. “Good,” I nodded, slowly taking her off with both hands, from my shoulder. It was beginning to hurt from her sharp claws, the blood was still trickling. I put her down on the ground as she her posture relaxed. “Now, we won’t get out—“her breath hitched at that, she almost went to another panic attack—“Stop,” I silently hissed, “we couldn’t get out from this forest. Just calm down, I know a way to kill it,” not really sure about it, but there’s a possibility, “How about you go climb that tree there,” I nodded at a nearby tree, “and hide until I’m done.” I stood up from my crouch.
She shuddered as she took a deep breath, and looked up at me with those big, adorable golden and black slitted eyes. “Be careful.” She said, a tone of worry and fear, before she jumped away and climbed at the tree I pointed.
I too, took a deep breath and say a silent prayer before I walked into the clearing. Plans forming to kill the beast, “The Souls knows I need that.” My right hand slipped into my pouch, pulling out a white leather glove.
I stared at it for a moment, the intricate dark red runes etched on its fore, before putting it on by my right hand. I slipped the gloved hand into the pouch again, this time pulling out a rather light and strong shoulder bag. I slung them over my shoulder, and walked into the clearing, the damned Cerberus still sleeping.
A sense of Déjà vu struck me. The familiar accursed scene, the sense of danger, the wave of fear, and the all familiar taste as Death loomed over my shoulder. I gulped.
It was the all-not-so-unfamiliar Life or Death situation.
Souls, these jobs will be the death of me.
And I really need to retire, get a woman, and probably start a family, maybe after I reached the eastland. If I survived that is.
I pulled two daggers from its sheaths, both ready in hands. “Wake up bitches!” I screamed, more high pitched than usual. The eyes of the Cerberus snapped open, unfocused. I didn’t give it a chance though. I quickly stabbed the fucker’s middle head’s eyes with my daggers. Hopefully blinding it.
It howled in pain as I did so, both of its forepaw covering the middle head’s eyes, while the other heads were growling at me. I immediately ran, lucky me, since the right head snapped it jaws to where I stood moments ago.
I quickly turned to dogs again after some distances, and pulled something from my shoulder bag with my gloved hand. The familiar feeling of ethereal object touched engulfed my gloved hand. If I didn’t wear my glove, the things inside would probably tried to possess my body.
I pulled one of them randomly; it felt solid under my glove. Its white wispy trails flown in the wind as the core were held in my hand. It was ethereal, yet very solid.
Another reasons I used glove.
Just a soul of a bandit, nothing really impressive. I idly pondered when I would have the time to try shaping the soul into its physical manipulation.
A fire ball quickly formed on my left hand, just right after the runes on my arm glew, and without further ado, I merged both of components into one, destroying the very existence of said poor bandit into who knows where. In turn, in my left hand was now a bigger fireball, what used to be orange turned into blood red, the tip of the flames licking, threatening to burn anything in its way.
I quickly launched it at the dogs.
The crimson flame was immediately swatted by its right paw, though it hissed when it touched. So that’s a plus. I quickly rolled away ran around it when it was about to pounce at me, a considerably fast pounce for a large beast. Though I guess it’s just the magic in the creature.
Unluckily for me, I didn’t get so far as the beast suddenly swiped its claws onto my body, throwing me a few feet away. I immediately stood, gritting my teeth, trying not to scream, also blessing the enchantments I got for my robe.
I pulled another soul and formed another fireball, combining it into a crimson flame, and rolled into the beast when it was right in front of and about to slam me with its paws, into its blind spot, the middle head.
The flame grew bigger and hotter, almost blistering on my palm, as I feed it with my mana. As I did so, I ran under its belly. And with much more mana, ice began to form, covering the crimson flame. So cold that it froze the flame itself, and burned my very hand, and formed into a sharp spear.
Another trait of the Crimson flame, it was nigh in-extinguishable and solid.
The three heads howled in pain as I forced my frozen arm into its, considerably, soft skin until it was deep enough for the fire to go in. I quickly dispelled the ice around my wrist and quickly rolled twice under its belly, and away from the snarling and pained dogs.
I didn’t get far enough as a paw slammed me sideway just right after I recovered from the roll, throwing like a ragdoll and sliding like a penguin on the ground.
Seriously, the only thing that was keeping me alive was the enchantments of my robe.
I rolled to my back, heaving and panting, trying to get the air in and ignoring the pain I got from, probably, many broken ribs, only to find two pairs of angry eyes and three snarling mouths. Saliva flying into my face as they did so.
I really, really despise dogs.
The middle head, apparently thirsting for revenge, got closer as it opened its mouth, uncovering sharp teeth and stinky breath, ready to chop my leg to waist with its snap.
Then the stomach rumbled. I released the breath I didn’t know I held, and smirked. The dogs stopped from chopping my legs to waist as it looked at each other in confusion while the middle head whined in pain.
“Taste the fire, bitches.”
I quickly and carefully, crawled away from the now whimpering bitches. Trying my best not to injure my already broken ribs as I did so, and leaned against the nearest tree, and tried to breath carefully, gritting my teeth in pain on every breath I took.
I watched with a smug expression as the Cerberus whimpered even more, curling itself into a ball, and rocking its own body. Trying and, failing, to ease the pain.
It hacked and coughed, blood sprayed at every time they did so. Chances are, their innards were already cooked and burned. How they’re still alive was a mystery itself, probably magic. And then, it stopped, still standing. Their bowels opened in fiery flame, letting all those jelly-like innards to drop, not unlike the process of excretion. Then, just like that, the dogs dropped onto the ground by its side, few inches from its own innards.
The still burning fire petered out as I snapped my fingers. And without further ado, I , painfully, lifted my gloved hand, and tried to absorb the soul into my hand. Moments later, the familiar weight of a soul landed on my hand. I smirked. And quickly stored it into my bag of souls.
Probably this one would be good for my practice.
Now that it was dead, I looked at my body, and grimaced when the wave of pain washed me. I would bet 20 gold coins that my ribs were all either cracked or broken. Breathing was hard, so there’s possible lung damage. I looked at my legs, one of them bent awkwardly, and then I looked to my left hand, where it was still blue. A quick slow fire spell quickly recovered its color. Though, all in all, it was better than I expected.
Not to count the magic exhaustion that is.
Looking at what was left of my robe; I couldn’t help but to smile, “Well, I was about to buy a new one anyway.” I croaked.
Nero made its existence known by licking my left hand, “You need help?”
I nodded, “Blue and red, medium.”
She quickly when to my potion pouch, pulling it opens with her paw, and reaching in with her head, she pulled out a red liquid vial and dropped it to the ground before doing the same thing, but this time’s a blue liquid vial and dropping it as well.
I nodded, “Thanks.” I took the two vials, pulled out the corks and drank it, grimacing at the taste. It’s not horrible, per say, but it’s not good either. When I greedily drank the vials one by one, I noticed that Nero was eyeing me, like almost worried, like when she was just a kitten.
Once the vials were empty, I chucked it at the Cerberus’s corpse hitting with a thud.
I grimaced when the potion took effect. I could never get used to it when the bones and fleshes were fixing itself. The bones moved under my skin into its proper places, and the flesh re-knitting the wounds.
“I’ll need to eat a lot of meat after this.” I grumbled.
Looking at Nero, she immediately hugged me, hug as in, jumping to me and put her forepaws around my neck, though she failed when doing so since her paws weren’t long enough, I used my arms from keeping her from falling, chuckling as I did so. The fuzzy warm fur was a welcomed addition.
We sat in a comfortable silence at that, waiting for the potions to work its way through completely, and Nero nuzzling my neck, after her forepaws got tired.
“Sorry.”
I grabbed her in front of me, pulling her out of her nuzzling. I quirked an eyebrow, “What?”
She fidgeted under my stare, or maybe it’s my hold, the sagged in resignation. “Sorry, I couldn’t help. Sorry, I’m useless. Sorry, I couldn’t do anything!” She almost wailed at the end.
I sighed. Not this again… pulling her in for another hug, I said, “You are not useless, Nero. You are plenty of useful, and you helped me plenty much by just being my familiar,” I said softly, before chuckling, “hell, I would think I’d fall into madness if you’re not with me, so please don’t call yourself useless.”
She sagged at that, sobbing slightly. I mentally sighed; I guess familiars also need its master as well, and vice versa. I smiled wryly at that.
“And we’re going to drink so much after this.”
Noticing that my body was healed, and my mana restored. I carefully stood up, and Nero immediately jumped from hands into my shoulder. Her earlier mood already forgotten, perhaps the prospect of getting catnips were that great for her. I took off my white glove and my shoulder bag into my slightly bigger bag.
Working out the kinks of my body, I walked to the big black door. Tracing my hand on it, suddenly the black door glowed brightly, the runes started moving. Nero’s claws clutched tightly on my shoulder and what was left of my robe, I couldn’t even move from my place, as if rooted…
“… Fuck.”
Then darkness embraced me.
There was a time, a time where I asked myself, where did I go wrong? Or maybe when did I go wrong? Probably the moment when I stole and learned Soul magic, or maybe the time that I got into an imperial territory, or possibly the time when I left my familiar alone to get attacked by dogs, though that’s beside the point because of the waves and waves of headache that was hitting me like an abusive husband would to his wife, and then his daughter because the husband is a dick like that.
I am seriously considering retiring, hopefully in a place where the Imperials won’t be there, doubtful, but still...
My face contorted in a grimace as the abusive husband in my head began to get violent again. I forcefully opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling, light brown ceiling, waiting for something to happen, stuffs like, I don’t know, a dagger through my throat, when it didn’t happen I looked at my side, where I felt something fuzzy and warm. And smiled when it was Nero, it’s kind of sad that the most trustable people I have were a cat, an intelligent cat.
Not that I’m complaining, of course.
I gently lifted her onto my stomach, where she snuggled closer. That never got old, and probably won’t. Looking at the ceiling again, I slowly blinked. Where am I?
I closed my eyes, trying to recollect the last memory I had, forcing my way through the metaphorical abusive husband with a middle finger. Then I opened my eyes.
I sighed. “Shouldn’t have touched that,”
“Touch what?” the voice of the all-so-familiar and welcomed familiar, sleepily asked.
I gently scratched her ears, sighing, “Remember that door?”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I honestly don’t know why I’m not surprised anymore. Probably because Lady Fate and luck fucking loves to conspire against me.”
“Who?”
I almost jumped at the voice, reaching to my dagger, before realizing that I forgot to pick up said daggers from the Cerberus’s eyes, though Nero definitely jumped by the voice, immediately darted at the source.
I followed her line of sight, before immediately gaping at the source of the sound.
It was… without a doubt, a horse… no, smaller… pony? He- if my hearings were correct- had a white grey fur, spike-y black mane and tail. His overlargely large blue eyes almost covering his entire face, and somehow, it fits.
As quick as a flame of a candle being snuffed, I quickly got over my shock. I sighed, covering my face with my hands, ignoring the strange or curious look from the… stallion, I guessed. I idly noticed that my robe’s still tattered, so it’s not a dream. I really, really shouldn’t be surprised. And once more, the abusive husband came back with a vengeance.
Uncovering my eyes, I pulled Nero closer into my chest, and stared at the stallion with an impassive look, “Just talking with my cat.”
“Oh,” Though from the look on his eyes, he didn’t understand me at all. I guess, not all mages really need to converse with their familiars, fucking bums I call them. Still, that strange look of curiosity was still there. We stared at each other, with him nervously fidgeting under my impassive stare, until he decided to break the silence. “What are you?”
“I’m a Human.”
“Oh.” That may as well as be his new catchphrase, “I’ve never seen your kind before… I guess the outside is changing…” he muttered the last part, and talk about being cryptic.
I sighed, “What’s your name?”
“Oh right!” his nervous, almost strange demeanor changed quickly as a new cheery one took place, “I’m Greyhoof, the local party stallion!” What? ”and you’re in Sunny town!”
Somehow, I got the feeling it wasn’t going to be sunny anytime soon.