Chương 9: A Wild Slime Appears!

Ch. 09 - A Wild Slime Appears!

There are many beings that this world calls monsters. Some are fairly named, and there are some that I challenge the label of. I don't just refer to intelligent monsters, ones that by bloodline or magical mutation can understand speech, sometimes even being able to converse. I have met, fought or befriended, more of these than I care to count. No, I refer to creatures that, to an outsider like me, appear just as 'human' as any race in this world. I do not understand the hatred.

How could anyone in good conscience hunt and kill a sentient creature, one with language, history, and customs to rival that of any kingdom in this world? On dark days, when I find my thoughts turning inward, I do not blame the Winter King for his rage. - from the writings of Steadholder Eckhart Wyatt walked out of the trees into the small clearing in front of the barrow, Kit at his side. She appeared very relaxed, without any of the tension that she'd displayed with the herd of electric deer.

Even so, Wyatt kept his eyes open for any sign of aggression from the slime creature. It was still out of view, presumably on the far side of the barrow. Wyatt gripped his spear tight in his hands … and then hesitated. He looked down at his weapon ruefully. Would it even do anything against a creature like the Slime? And since his [Danger Sense] wasn't activating, and Kit wasn't worried …

"Should I call out to it, let it know we are here? Or is that stupid?" Kit sat down on her haunches and gave him an open-mouthed grin.

"Helpful. Okay, let me see …" Wyatt moved closer to the opening of the barrow. It appeared darker here, and he realised that the glowing orbs of light weren't actually present in the small clearing. They ringed the borders, hugging the trunks of the trees, but coming no closer.

"And what does that mean exactly?" They were close enough now to properly examine the front of the barrow. The stone doorway looked ancient, the stones pitted and worn. It was still remarkably dark within the structure though, an inky blackness that seemed to defy any ambient light. The stone mantle of the entryway was low set, less than five feet off the ground. Wyatt cleared his throat, looking around the small clearing.

"Uh, hello? Are you still there. Can you hear — can you understand me?" Almost immediately the Slime appeared. Not all of it, just a portion — peeking out from around the corner of the barrow. It had stretched, elongating part of itself while keeping most of its body behind the mound. It had no eyes that Wyatt could see, no features whatsoever. He still got the sense that it was staring at him though. Wyatt cleared his throat again. He felt a bit silly talking to the Slime, but he'd had practice recently with Kit.

If she could understand him, why not this thing?

"I'm — we're just looking for a place to rest. If you live here, we don't mean any harm. I mean, I'm not looking for a fight. Can you understand?" The Slime didn't move for a long moment. Then more of its body appeared as it slowly oozed around from behind the corner of the barrow. It sat, a round and spherical creature, deep cerulean blue in colour. It quivered for a moment, then bounced slightly, just once.

"Is that a yes? Can you bounce again if it is?" The Slime gave another slight bounce. It moved a little closer then stopped. Wyatt smiled, relieved. Another creature that could think! He wondered if this was normal for this world, or if it was just this forest.

"Great! I'm just looking for a place to rest, I swear. My skill led me here, and —" Wyatt frowned. Now he was closer to it, he could study the Slime in more detail. There was a strange shape inside of the creature, something long and incongruously straight. The tip of it was poking out the back of the Slime, and it almost looked like —"… is that a sword?" Wyatt stared, fascinated.

Most of the blade was obscured by the Slime's body, with little more than an opaque shape being able to be seen, but the hilt was in full view. Wyatt could see the cross-guard gleaming a dull bronze, and the grip and pommel. The grip was the only part that looked less than pristine, with it looking narrower than expected, with a bit of loose and frayed wire. Wyatt realised that whatever had been used to wrap it had rotted away. Or been eaten. The attention on the blade inside of it appeared to alarm the Slime.

It flinched, its body rippling like reverberations on the surface of water, and scooted back a few feet. Wyatt held a hand up in apology.

"Sorry, I'm not going to try and take it! I've just never seen a sword before. It's, uh, very nice? Clearly you take good care of it." Strangeness of trying to reassure a sentient Slime that he wasn't going to steal its possession aside, Wyatt wondered at the sword's presence. Where had the creature found a weapon? David hadn't talked about slimes that much, but he did say that they ate and dissolved people. Wyatt just hoped that the sword wasn't the last remnant of some poor victim.

Wyatt pointed towards the entrance of the barrow, trying to smile reassuringly at the creature.

"Did you find that in there?" The Slime didn't answer him this time. Despite the lack of facial features, Wyatt got the distinct impression that it was now wary of him. He looked somewhat helplessly down at the silver fox.

"Kit? Can you do something?" Kit yawned widely, then got up and padded closer to the Slime. The Slime shifted uneasily but allowed the fox to approach. Kit sniffed at the creature a few times, then cocked her head. She yipped. The Slime shrunk in on itself for a moment, then bounced hesitantly. Kit yipped again, then pointedly sat down, curling her tail around herself. The Slime seemed to relax, and became more animated in its movements.

It approached Wyatt, stretching part of itself out in a thin tendril to prod at the side of his boot. Wyatt held still with some effort, allowing the Slime to explore. He'd have to stop it if it went too far, but it seemed content to restrict itself to his shoes and pants for the moment. Wyatt looked at the fox who was watching them with interest.

"I don't know what you said to it Kit, but nice work." Kit settled herself more primly, looking quite smug. Wyatt turned his attention back to the Slime.

"So you're okay with us being here? I don't know what you eat, but you can try some of our meal if you like." Hearing this made Kit yelp plaintively, but Wyatt ignored the little glutton for the moment. There was more than enough meat to go round if he wasn't going to take the time to dry and smoke it. The Slime, for its part, seemed vaguely interested, but Wyatt wasn't entirely sure it understood him.

"Here, this is what I'm talking about. Does this look good to you?" Wyatt put down his pack and rummaged around for the closest portion of deer meat. He opened it up and took a small slice out, then thought again, and took out another for Kit so that she wouldn't be tempted to bite him in outrage. Wyatt handed the first piece to Kit which she gobbled down just as quickly as she had before. He then held a piece out to the Slime.

"Here, would you like to try some?" The Slime had watched with interest as the fox had eaten her treat. It regarded Wyatt's hand as he held out the piece of meat, quivering on the spot. It hesitantly stretched a part of itself out, and delicately wrapped this newly formed 'hand' around the meat. The Slime waited for Wyatt to let go, and then quickly sucked it inside of itself.

"Woah. That's, ah, interesting?" Wyatt could see the meat floating inside of the Slime, a dark shadow that drifted around near the blade of the sword. As he watched, the meat started to dissolve, and within short order had completely disappeared. The Slime went nuts. Wyatt took a step back in alarm at first, but then he realised the creature was just excited. It was bouncing up and down energetically, reminding him of nothing so much as an eager puppy, begging for treats. Wyatt laughed.

"So you do like that, huh? Well you can have as much as you want once I get dinner going. I have to say, watching you two, I'm keen to try it myself." The Slime came up and bumped up against his leg, repeatedly prodding him.

"Soon, I promise. Let me get a fire going first." The Slime didn't appear to understand, but it backed off when Kit yipped at it. Wyatt had been of a mind to camp inside the barrow, or at least to build a fire in the entrance, but as he approached the doorway with his pack in hand, something made him hold off. It was a feeling, an itch at the back of his neck, when he looked into the dark interior. It didn't feel dangerous exactly, but it was a little unnerving.

Now that he was close, Wyatt could make out more details. It was a simple room, not as large as he'd expected, and it appeared to be empty. It was uniform in construction as well, with a stone floor, stone walls, and even a stone ceiling. The room was remarkably clean, without any detritus that Wyatt could see.

What stood out the most to him though was that there was no central pillar; all the weight of the roof just hanging there unsupported made Wyatt feel leery, for all that it had clearly been there for a long, long time. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Wyatt decided to leave the decision about where to sleep until later. Until then he busied himself with setting up camp.

There wasn't much to do with it just being himself; the thought of his lost squad sent a pang through him, but he tried to not think about it. To dwell on something he couldn't change. He distracted himself by gathering firewood, or firebark to be more precise. Somewhat ruefully, Wyatt unfastened the bindings of his spear again, freeing the knife. He would have preferred a hatchet, but he could make do with a blade. He started with scoring a long cut in the nearest tree, deep enough to get his fingers in.

Then, with a sudden surge of strength, Wyatt pulled a thick slab of bark off. He staggered a little under its weight, before leaning it against the tree. With a well placed stomp underfoot, the bark slab broke into more manageable pieces. Wyatt carried the fuel to where he was planning to build the fire, dumped it, then went back for more. He originally wasn't going to have the fire going long since he wasn't drying the meat anymore, but he'd since changed his mind.

A fire, for however long he could keep it going, sounded comforting at the moment. On his last foray for bark — he alternated trees so as not to unduly damage any particular one — Wyatt spotted a small vine weaving its way up a tree trunk, little tendrils gripping the rough surface in order to climb. More importantly there were small berries, purple in colour, dotted along the vine. Normally it wouldn't be worth the risk to eat them, but Wyatt had a shortcut.

"Let's see now … [I Can (probably) Eat That] … Huh. What do you know, it's safe. Now, what about the taste…" Wyatt's skill might let him know if something was safe to eat, but it didn't mean it tasted good. Some of what he'd foraged in the past had not been pleasant to consume. He popped a berry into his mouth, then screwed up his face at how tart it was. The sweetness more than made up for it though — it had been ages since Wyatt had tasted sugar.

Wyatt grabbed as many of the small berries as he could hold, ending up with a decent amount. It wouldn't be enough to fill him up, but it would be a welcome finish to his meal. Dessert was a luxury after all. Once back, Wyatt started building the fire. There were no rocks for a fire pit, but the thick and damp loam wasn't prone to burning. Kit and the Slime sat and watched him, as they had while he was gathering resources. Using the thick bark for the fire was a bit trickier than wood, as there was no kindling.

Whatever the kind of trees there were in this forest, they didn't appear to drop or shed branches. So Wyatt had to make do, shaving the bark as fine as he could for tinder, then splitting some other pieces with his knife as thin as he could get them. With kindling and tinder acquired, Wyatt placed a larger slab of bark on the ground, building a tapered pile of kindling on top of it. The slab would protect the fire as it got going from the cold and damp ground beneath it.

Thus prepared, Wyatt pushed together a pile of fine tinder, and readied himself to start the fire. It took a few tries for Wyatt to get a flame going, as he only had access to a flint and steel. Soon though he achieved an ember, the thin spiral of smoke drifting upwards signalling triumph. Kit came closer, curious, and Wyatt had to warn her away as her snuffling nose threatened to undo his work.

He fanned the flames, blowing on the spark until it caught properly, then carefully fed the small flame until it was large enough to transfer to the fire place. The fire caught quickly and soon the crackling flames provided a different form of illumination in the clearing. A yellow-orange glow creating a bastion of warmth, a feeling of safety, in a broad circle around the camp. Wyatt felt some of the tension drain out of his body, tension he wasn't fully aware that he'd had.

It was always like this whenever he had built a fire with his squad. As soon as they'd get out from under the aegis of the glowing orbs that lit the forest, as soon as they had their own source of light, everything felt more bearable. Wyatt stretched his hands out towards the fire, sighing happily as it warmed him. Kit was circling the fire, round and round. She was staring, her tail flicking back and forth as she held it in the air above. She seemed fascinated. I guess she's never seen fire before.

Unless there's some kind of fire animal running around like the electric deer. Wyatt sat back, hugging his knees to his chest. He'd get the food started shortly. For the moment he stared into the growing flames, remembering other campfires during better days. He stared, not quite thinking of anything in particular, just … sitting. Taking comfort from the fire. He only snapped out of it when the Slime rolled a little too close to the fire and found that it and flame didn't exactly mix.

It had been getting closer and closer, perhaps copying Kit's circling, until it discovered heat and what it could do. The Slime let out a strange, warbling and bubbling cry, its surface rippling, and it hurriedly rolled backwards.

"Hey there, careful! You alright little guy?" Wyatt was genuinely concerned. Perhaps it was because Kit was so relaxed about the creature's presence, but he found it hard to be wary of the thing. It was also kind of cute, and Wyatt wondered if Sam would have thought so too. The Slime seems to be alright, just surprised. It calmed down when Kit moved next to it and petted it on the head with her tail.

"Huh. Fast friends. Well I better get started on cooking before I fall asleep right here." Now that Wyatt finally had a chance to relax, exhaustion was repeatedly pummelling him around the head. Added to that he was still pretty sore from having the stag practically fall on top of him. Adrenaline had long since worn off, and now Wyatt was wistfully looking forward to his bedroll. The fire had died down enough that Wyatt could push the larger pieces of kindling back, leaving a nice bed of glowing coals.

He then went and crouched by his pack to get out his cooking tools as well as the meat. Wyatt smiled at seeing Kit perk up when she saw what he was holding. Wyatt's mess kit wasn't an intricate affair. It really only consisted of a nesting bowl that fit inside what could charitably be called a pan with a lid. To round it out, they'd been issued one of those 'utility' knife/fork utensils that somehow managed to be a worse version of both.

It would do for his purposes tonight though, even if he'd have to cook in batches. Wyatt jumped when he felt Kit's nose at the back of his neck. The little fox had her front paws on his back as she stretched up to see what he was doing. She sniffed excitedly, her tail whipping around wildly.

"Hang on for a bit longer, Kit. I'm going to cook it first." Kit made a high-pitched staccato whine that made Wyatt wince, her being so close to his ears.

"You'll love it, I promise. Maybe even better that it being raw." Kit let out a dubious yip, but she got off of Wyatt and sat by the fire, watching. The Slime had come back too, but it was maintaining a healthy distance this time. It sat, happily enough, dull reflections of the flames dancing across its body. Wyatt placed the pan down on the edge of the bed of coals, close enough to heat up but not burn. He eyed it ruefully. I wish I had some oil. Or butter. Anything really, but this will have to do.

There hadn't been all that much fat on the deer, it being a remarkably lean animal. He'd taken what he could though, mainly from around the animal's kidneys. Using a piece of bark as a makeshift cutting board, Wyatt diced up the fat as fine as he was able. He then placed it inside the warm pan and put the lid on. It took a few minutes, but eventually the fat rendered out, leaving small brown pieces floating in liquid. Wyatt scooped them out, then placed the first cut of meat into the pan.

It sizzled nicely in the fat, and soon a delicious aroma rose around the fire. Wyatt smiled at seeing Kit and the Slime both perk up at the scent.

"Smells good, right? I told you." Wyatt would have preferred the meat a little rarer, but he decided in the interest of safety to cook it through. Ingesting some kind of parasite wouldn't be pleasant while he was stuck in this forest alone. After doling out half of the first batch of venison out to Kit and the slime — which they were ecstatically eating — Wyatt finally got to try some himself. The very first bite made Wyatt open his eyes wide.

He coughed, almost choking, and then compounded it by immediately trying to shovel another huge bite into his mouth.

"Holy crap — this is amazing!" The meat wasn't just tasty, it was something like a super food. It was so packed full of energy that Wyatt felt like he'd been chugging coffee. He gave Kit a look of new understanding.

"No wonder you ate so much of it, Kit." The little fox didn't respond to Wyatt. Although dubious at first with what Wyatt had done to the venison, she was now pinning her portion of meat between her front paws, delicately ripping off small bites. It looked like she was trying to savour every mouthful. The Slime had taken its piece and digested it immediately. Wyatt couldn't hold it against the creature though, it wasn't like it had teeth or even a mouth.

The Slime was now racing about the clearing, zigzagging back and forth like it was a puppy with too much energy. It only stopped when Wyatt called out, offering it a piece of the next batch of freshly cooked venison. Thus passed perhaps the most pleasant evening Wyatt had spent since he'd entered the forest. He ate his fill, sharing the bounty with his two strange companions. He only hoped that somewhere out there Sam and the others in the squad were sitting down and eating their own venison feast.

When the fire started to die down, and Wyatt found he was having difficulty keeping his eyes open, he decided it was time to turn in. He did a quick clean up, repacked everything so that he could get moving at a moments notice, and then did a final check to make sure the fire wasn't going to spread. Wyatt then picked up his pack and headed towards the mound. Wyatt had decided it would be best to bed down inside the barrow room, or at least near it.

He was feeling slightly vulnerable without any other members of his squad with him. They had always taken turns in keeping watch, but obviously that wasn't possible here. Having the barrow at his back would make him feel more secure. As he approached the entrance to the small room, Wyatt felt another swell of unease. It wasn't quite like what he'd felt with the deer — he didn't feel in danger. In the end he just put it down to a natural aversion to a dark opening.

If anything his returning exhaustion pushed back any reservations he had about the barrow. The surge of energy that Wyatt had felt from eating the venison was beginning to wear off. Still, it was better to be safe. Wyatt called out to Kit as he approached the entryway.

"Hey, Kit — you sense anything about this place that I should know?" The little fox didn't vocalise, but flipped her tail dismissively. She was laying on her back, swollen belly to the sky, as she baked herself by the fading embers of the fire. Wyatt chuckled tiredly to himself at the sight.

"Good enough for me." As Wyatt was about to enter the barrow, the slime appeared. It had been sightlessly regarding him as he approached, but now it raced over to him. The slime bounced up and down, agitated. Wyatt yawned.

"Sorry, buddy — is this your home? You don't want me inside?" The surface of the slime rippled, and it bounced again, bumping up against Wyatt's leg.

"Hey watch it, now. I'll just take a quick look inside. It might be too cold to sleep in here anyway." Wyatt side-stepped around the slime, ducking his head to enter through the low doorway, and entered the barrow. It looked … fine. A little chilly perhaps, but nothing inside that would be alarming. Wyatt scuffed his feet on the floor, gauging the stone. It might be more secure, but perhaps it would be best to lay down next to the fire.

He was about to leave, when the Slime — who had been bouncing anxiously at the entrance to the barrow — rushed inside. For the second time Wyatt heard the creature make a noise, an odd reverberating keen. It bumped at Wyatt's leg again, this time harder. Outside by the fire, Kit rolled off her back onto her feet. She stared towards the barrow for a long moment, then charged forward, becoming a silver streak in the firelight. In the barrow, Wyatt stumbled as the Slime bumped into him again.

Before he could say anything though, a sudden flash of light made him freeze. All along the walls of the barrow room, on the weathered stone which had seemed completely featureless, glowing runes and sigils appeared. They moved, grinding along the stone, forming a strange pattern that dizzied Wyatt the moment he saw them. The lights pulsed, growing brighter for a moment and then dimming. Then growing brighter still. Wyatt felt himself becoming disorientated, found it was becoming more difficult to think.

The lights from the runes … they reminded him of the glowing orbs in the forest somehow. The Slime was pressed hard against Wyatt's leg now, quivering. He could hear Kit, loud chattering barks echoing in the small room, as she clawed her way up his clothing to perch on top of his pack. Wyatt felt almost affronted as the brightest flash of light yet blinded him. But [Danger Sense] isn't going off … Everything went black as the glowing runes vanished.

Wyatt felt a sensation of movement, a change in the air that felt like he was being transported … and then he was falling. He was aware of Kit and the Slime falling with him, and he tried to grab them, but it was hard to tell where exactly they were. Before he could do anything, Wyatt hit the ground and knew no more. [Dungeon Entered!] [Dungeon of Anwyn's Redoubt] [Dungeon of Anwyn's Redoubt, Floor One!] [Survivalist Level 8!] [Skill - Natural Affinity: Monsters]