Chương 18: Bounties

"The Hungry Crown?" I asked for the third time.

"That's the best you could come up with?"

"What?" Vaelith asked, swinging her axe and felling a branch that was blocking our path. Leaves scattered across the muddy ground, and the severed branch hit the trail with a wet crack.

"It makes sense. I'm hungry for the crown. You make food. It's perfect!"

"It sounds stupid… How are people going to react to 'The Hungry Crown'?" Vaelith shrugged.

"Not sure… I'm not human." I growled. There was just no reasoning with her. It had been the better part of a day. The man from the Adventurer's Guild, who I later learned was named Merren, had registered us and given us the information we desired. We were designated as G-rank adventurers and a G-rank party. The lowest rank. That had infuriated Vaelith, who had then grabbed every single bounty off the board in protest.

I'd barely been able to ask where a stingtail was before Vaelith had grabbed me and pulled me away. From what I learned, I'd already encountered one… in the Thistleburrow Fields. Aptly named a field stingtail, apparently they were the weakest kind, with the mildest venom. Vaelith had pointed out that there was a wanted sign for marshland stingtails, and that we should kill two birds with one stone. Hard to disagree with that.

Looking over the bounties, we had three: Wanted: Marsh Stingtails Recently, a group of marsh stingtails has taken to roaming into nearby farmlands, harassing and killing livestock. Bring back ten severed tails and be rewarded 20 copper pieces. Wanted: Goblins — Grubfang Tribe A group of goblins calling themselves the Grubfang Tribe has been kidnapping both livestock and human children. All scouts say that they seem to be setting up a sort of ritual in the Venom Reeds.

5 copper pieces per right ear, and 10 copper pieces for any return of the children. 40 if they are alive. Wanted: Lesser Dragon — Emerald A lesser dragon, due to the size, has been spotted flying and hunting over the Eastern farmlands. While no people or livestock have been harmed, the guild finds it prudent to get ahead of the inevitable. 150 copper pieces, or silver equivalent, will be paid to the one who brings back the dragon's head as proof. The head will be returned upon confirmation.

"Well, we aren't killing a dragon," I said, "but if we can complete two bounties and get some more materials for my cooking, then we can finally travel to a larger town where we'll have access to more ingredients." Vaelith scoffed.

"Your class is a real pain. Do you know that?"

"Yes," I replied.

"I'm well aware."

It was night by the time we reached the edge of the marsh, otherwise known as the Venom Reeds. As the name suggested, the waters and banks were covered with wicked-looking reeds, their fluffy plumes barbed, red, and dripping something that sizzled as it hit the water. The marsh spread out beneath a low ceiling of fog, all black pools and pale mud, with crooked trees clawing up from the muck. The air smelled of rot.

"Should we backtrack and wait until morning?" I asked." Shh," Vaelith warned, dropping low to the ground." Danger, danger," Darwin whispered.

"Even the creature sees… someone else is here." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"How do you know?" Vaelith pointed. Where she did, I could see hollow reeds cut finely, as if someone had used some sort of sword to clear the way. The stalks were sliced at clean angles, their wet interiors gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

"Should we follow?" Vaelith shrugged.

"It may be a fight." I considered… well; we were there to find and kill goblins as well. Perhaps we'd get lucky and could ambush them in the night.

"Let's follow," I said. Low, we followed the trail of cut reeds. Nearby, in the water, we could see bubbles and the faint shifting on the surface that indicated movement. Bugs assaulted us, whining around our ears and crawling at the edges of my collar. Not even Darwin dared take the bait and give away our location. Eventually, we came upon a clearing. I stepped past Vaelith.

"This is stupid; we haven't seen a thing—" Something snagged my leg, and before I knew it, I was upside down, hanging from a gray, gnarled tree by some sort of rope wrapped around my ankle. Blood rushed away from my head, making my mind swim.

"Show yourself," Vaelith said, turning with her two-handed axe at the ready. Upside down as I was, I still saw what she did. Behind her, someone had snuck up wearing a dark cloak. They were half her size, holding a bow aimed at her throat. They threw back their hood. It was a man… A half-foot.

"What are you doing here?" the half-foot asked, his voice lower than I would have imagined it to be.

"I could ask you the same, little one," Vaelith taunted. The half-foot smiled.

"Quite the mouth on you for someone so close to death. Let's try again… I'm Pipshur, but my friends call me Pip. Now you introduce yourself, demon." She growled.

"Vaelith," she said, "and it's not demon, it's Princess Vaelith—""Can we hurry this up?" I said, still dangling.

"I'm getting light-headed."" Master!" Darwin said.

"I help!" Sure enough, my companion climbed up the rope and began gnawing at it. His little teeth worked furiously, and his rabbit-like ears twitched with determination. The half-foot man simply stared, bewildered by Darwin's appearance. Eventually, the rope snapped, and I fell, landing awkwardly on my back. The air left my lungs in a sad little wheeze.

"That's gonna leave a mark," I complained.

"If I lower my weapon," the half-foot man said, "will you lower yours?" Vaelith nodded. They both lowered.

"Good," Pip said.

"Nice to meet you. Now we can be proper gentlemen—" Vaelith reached out, grabbed him, and gave him one quick punch in the face. She let him go, and he fell back onto the ground.

"I'm a princess," she said.

"Not a gentleman. Now… nice to meet you."

"Is she always like this?" Pip asked, holding his nose. Clearly, it had been broken. The half-foot stood and cracked it back into place.

"Ah, much better." Vaelith smiled softly, but quickly forced back on a frown.

"We're just adventurers looking to fulfill some bounties," I said.

"Stingtails and goblins, to be precise. You?"

"Same," Pip replied.

"Minus the goblins—I hunt smaller monsters and animals. Things that don't organize and try to kill me."

"So you work alone?" The half-foot nodded.

"And the trap…"

"Meant for ones such as yourself. Well, not you, but bandits or goblins. I have different traps for the little stingtails. I'm a trapper class, if that isn't obvious. Uncommon too." He said the last bit proudly. I decided to keep the fact that we were Special Grade classes from him.

"I'm a Sovereign class," Vaelith said.

"Special Grade. He's a Glutton. Also Special." I clapped my hand to my forehead.

"Special Grade?" Pip said, half astonished, half nervous.

"Both of you?" I nodded.

"Well then, bite my ass and call me dinner—that is a lot to take in. Still, we shouldn't linger. How's this: we stay out of each other's way, and may the best trapper win?"

"How about we work together?" I suggested.

"I'm less worried about the bounty and more about the venom sacs." Pip seemed to consider for a moment before shaking his head.

"I've already done the work… would hardly be fair either way. You're welcome to the area, but be careful of any traps I laid." Vaelith scoffed.

"We don't need 'em, anyway." Pip tipped his head.

"Then I bid you goodbye," he said. As he turned to leave, he stopped. From the twitch of his ear, I assumed he had heard something. Then I heard it too. It sounded like the soft chime of a bell. Familiar and yet… It couldn't be. Then I heard it again, louder this time. Then again, louder still, this time accompanied by a soft moo. Then, an even louder one. And in that moo was nothing but pure panic.