The morning sun greeted him in the window the smell of herbs danced over his nose causing him to sneeze.
He was awake and knew what he had to do: focus on making better potions; he was going to keep it simple.
The spider and adder poison both proved that they could harm very easily, even if not fatally, so he focused on making them paste to lace weapons to help the hunters and Coby.
He wanted new potions, but he needed to familiarize himself with what he already made and focus on that.
As he was lost in thought, Leenia walked in, checking him with some jam bread. “Morning, wolf. Nina told me you ran into Teva yesterday. What do you think about her?
“It's nothing protested as she handed him the bread.
‘O? That was not what Nina said; she said you couldn’t keep your eyes off her.”
“ and she was jealous”
“Do you like beastkin girls?”
“Or just the cat type, and not the fox type,” She smiled as she said it.
Wolf, with his mouth full, only glared. After a moment, he retorted, “You know it’s not like that; she was always a friend.”
“She is…. Pretty”
“But I don’t like her.”
“ I was just, um, “ he could not find the word, but his sister did for him
“Captivated by her beauty?”
“ Maybe even I should be jealous,” she mused.
He blushed at “that no…. “
“She she just full of life.”
“That was new to me.”
“I’m used to others.”
“But she's different.”
“ Hmmm, you know”
“ She still visits the shop, thinks she's a water mage too,” his sister replied in thought.
“She does, “ he replied
“Saw it before, it was amazing!” his sister glanced at that and smirked
“I can see why Nina got mad.”
“You don’t hide your thoughts very well.”
“It explains why she is always sniffing around you.”
“Bet you were acting like a lost pup and she was your new owner.”
“What?! No…. “ He denied
“I handle it well, you weren’t there.”
“What do you know ?”
I know what Nina told me last night, and she wouldn’t lie to me.” She said casual
“What with both of you caring if I’m friends with another girl?”
“It’s not like I'm going to date her.”
“ I know little brother.”
“But we both worry you only know people who love you like family.”
“ We fear you chasing a new girl and forgetting about us.”
“Mom never says it, but she worries about you, too.”
He sighed,” ok, I understand.”
“But you need to trust me.”
“I’m not a kid, and I want to make my own choices. “
“No matter how much I love you or Nina, I want a choice.”
“She looked at him a bit forlorn.” I know that’s why I watch mostly from the sideline.”
“ Nina…. Tries, but she worries she doesn’t have a place, so she doesn’t like a new girl taking it so easily.”
“I know we talked about it, “ he relented
“I promised I would treat her better.”
“Thank you for bringing me food.”
“I’ll keep what you said in mind,” She kissed his cheek.” It’s all I ask.”
“Little brother, it’s a busy day, so I can’t stay long.”
“Say hi to Coby if he visits, heard he's back in town.”
. With that, she left to do her chores for the day.
He knew he needed to be more mature, maybe Coby would help him, his brother was always better with girls.
It was about midday when he saw Coby, he happily greeted his missing brother.” It had been too long.” As they embraced, Coby laughed
“Indeed it has, the hunts keep me busy.”
“ I have been getting better at tracking with the wind, I can use it for a while easily.”
“Impressive, I still can’t do anything with balance magic.”
“ I feel it sometimes, but still feel off.” he looked at his hand, saying that.
“Oh, by the way, I made you a small gift, use care through there're poisons.”
“I don't think poisons are a gift you give people you care about.”
“Unless you’re trying to tell me something?” Coby asked skeptically
“No,” Wolf said
“It's not like that here, as he handed him small jars wrapped with cloth.
Coby carefully removed the cloth and saw a label adder bite paste: paralyze, removing the lid he could smell a light burnt wood smell.
“The poison itself is scentless,”
“ I was worried it could be misleading, so I added a bit of charcoal for color and scent.”
“It's clearer otherwise and no smell,” he explained as he watched
Coby nodded ‘What is it for, though?’
“To help you hunt! “
“It can be added to daggers or arrows to numb beasts and help you fight!”
Coby knew poisons were not new; they just never really thought about it, since magic exists to help them fight.
“This will help a lot, brother, thank you.” He was grateful
“The other is worse, well, better poison.”
“But more dangers, I mean,” he unwrapped it slowly and showed Coby
spider bite poison: fast spreading cramps, mild blindness, disorientation. “That is some major effect just for one poison Coby said, impressed.
“I tested them on myself,” he replied with pride, “so I know they work.”
“WHAT ?!” Coby said shocked
“ Why would you do that?”
“Wolf, are you mad?”
“ I needed to know how they worked.”
“And how bad were the side effects? I couldn’t risk it hurting others.”
“So you hurt yourself?” Coby said exasperated
“ That stupid…”
“No… wolf replied calmly
“ I tested them.”
“ I had someone watching over me and a cure.”
“ Also, make sure you buy a few cures from Herbert.”
“ I don't trust my skill just yet.”
“But the poison effects tend to hit you hard.”
“So try not to be affected.”
Coby sighed, “You’re mad, brother.”
“But I love you and thank you for the gift.”
“It will help if we run into something big.”
“That we can’t just outrun or chase away easily. Thank you.”
After a bit of playful banter, Wolf felt confident enough to ask what Coby knew about girls he looked at.
Wolf, not sure what to say, “This is about Nina?” Coby wondered
“What, “wolf replied, “no…. She is a sister, remember,”
“ It teva…. The catkin works at the inn now.”
“White hair, I remember.” He shrugged.” I have seen her, she was friendly enough.”
“Didn’t think much about it”
“Why do you like her?” he wondered passively
NO! Wolf replied
“ I mean no…. She is just different, and both my sisters think she would use me., I barely see her anymore.”
“So I was wondering why they say that.” He said nervously
‘“Aha, well, they’re jealous,” Coby replied easily
“ But why? “Wolf asked again
“I barely even talk to Teva.”
“Who? “Coby asked
“The cat girl, her name is Teva,” he replied easily
Coby laughed. “For a girl you never see anymore, still made sure you remember her name, eh? “
Wolf was exasperated. “I just needed advice to let them know.”
“She was just a friend I thought was pretty. “
“and nothing more.”
Hmmm, well, you kinda said it “
“Anything else is just them being sister. “
“wanting to make sure you’re safe, I'm sure also, I didn’t know you like catkin good to know!” Coby finished saying, amused
He wrestled Coby after that, both laughing and enjoying being young, while also making sure not to tip the jar of poisons.
He did not forget how dangerous they were, even if he was happy with his brother.
Today was a good day, and if things went well, he would send this paste elsewhere to sell.
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Arlin awoke in the dungeon. She was merciless; these past months were grueling, always pushing him.
He looked around he was in a graveyard new layout… dungeons were odd he learned early on the layout would stay the same on the first floor always but after that? It changed.”
Desert, forest, swamp, where a few he was forced to deal with, now a graveyard, the only blessing.
Was he told that the monsters and dangers scaled with the level of depth and the people he was with? At level two, his current level
was a low-threat solo-able but still could kill you.
He knew she was here, she was always around, watching him. he remembered feeling
betrayed that she didn’t want to be in his life as a mom. Now? He counted his blessings… and wished the gods pushed her away. She was a sadist watching him suffer, saying it was training….
He hated to admit but it worked. He always felt the darkness like a blanket but now he felt it as a weapon a tool.
She made sure to keep attacking him randomly till he learned to fight back, not just with a fist but with magic. That was her motherly gift.
She flowed like water or a torch flame shadow dancing in the wind she also was able to use that same darkness to strike … or hunt.
She taught him through pain, what to avoid, what could hurt, what could kill….
She always had potions on standby least at first, when she wanted him to learn.
She always sent him alone to kill monsters, he wasn't sure how many people could be in dungeons at once.
She said as many as we want, each would gain their own world to hunt past level one, the gods balance it by reducing monsters unless you go deeper.
It helped those wanting farm material other than monster shard, but made it harder for him.
She always wanted at least one kill or he couldn't leave the worst was three days before he found something to kill when he did not want to keep going deeper he learned to keep rations after that.
He thought she abandoned him a few times in those months of teaching, but he has since learned with his shadows to feel her in the distance, a fail-safe, a mother nurturing a son, but with violence, not love…
Was it better than being a rat? He wasn’t sure… something felt off. About this location, he touched his darkness magic to scout.
Silent, unmoving, he felt it; it was death. Undead, four unmoving, he sweat a little at that.
There weren't supposed to be so many for the solo; was she affecting the balance? Tsk, bet she was and she knew it…
He sighed, he needed the power to be free, not just from those who enslaved him, but those who would call him weak.
He used the darkness to dampen his steps. The undead did not move; they were all in a nearby house beyond the rows of tombstones.
He spread his darkness out, making sure no other surprises, he tried luring one, but tempting it with a bit of darkness near it.
But it had an undesired effect of waking all four. He changed the darkness into a puddle, then a spear
shot forward, and it smashed into the nearest undead, shattering its skull. He couldn’t see them, not really, they were shadows to his magic.
But he knew he killed one, he felt its magic fade, must have been a skeleton he thought, if all four were this would be easy.
Although he was still far and the graveyard full of dark shadow mist, it still had enough moonlight to see the door shatter outward.
He saw a small gargoyle-like beast surrounding itself in shadows, peering outwards.
It was two feet tall but jumped twice as high, slightly floating with flaps and sniffing the air. The other three were skeletons that slowly moved without focus.
He wasn’t sure why he couldn't sense the gargoyle, but after it leaped once more, it turned in the air and focused on him, letting out a roar as it did, the other three skeletons gained life and focus, turning on him and rushing.
He made the puddle halfway from the skeletons and shot it forward as they rushed him he was able to hit another two and shatter their skulls but the last was moving faster than he thought and was on him.
Wide swing easy to dodge, but fast, it stared off into space after missing as if not sure what had just happened
. Another roar woke it up, and it turned on him in an instant. He kept it back, barely dodging a fist hitting his face.
The Skelton was still within reach, so he wrapped darkness around his fist and smashed its skull.
As it faded, he wanted to sigh in relief, but he knew that the gargoyle was still around as he turned to face it, a rock smashed his chest, breaking ribs.
He was losing focus due to the pain, but he learned to use darkness to help numb the pain.
After she beat him repeatedly to teach him he wouldn't have a choice when or where he got to suffer and still had to fight.
He was disoriented trying to focus it was flapping in the distance just a moment ago did it try to rush him? No? It was gone?!
He tried feeling the area with darkness, and a rock smashed into his shoulder, breaking his arm. The pain caused him to lose focus, but he did not stop trying to find the beast.
It was moving around him, it was aiming for his head, he was sure, but lacked proper aim, so it planned to keep throwing rocks till he fell,
Then finished him off clever.
He technically was doing the same with his shadow magic when he made the puddles but the gargoyle was a shadow earth mage? So was using rocks instead and seemed to use darkness to help hide…
He did what he could to keep focus and ignore the new pain, he wasn’t good enough to balance too many things with his magic
And he was already blocking pain in his ribs, so the arm had to suffer. He felt the beast stop in the darkness and form a rock
He made a puddle and shot, but he was slow, it leapt up by luck, and was starting to throw a rock.
Although he missed a strike, he still managed to push it a little, causing no harm to the beast itself, but
it threw off its aim, the rock sailed by his head, and sweat fell down his brow at the near miss.
Since the beast was gliding down slowly with the last of his desperate focus, he puddled the darkness and shot it where it would land and pierced its chest, but it wasn’t dead, wounded and broken more than him, but not dead.
He wanted to keep going, but vertigo hit him. he wasn’t sure why, yeah, he got hit a couple of times, but not his head.
He coughed involuntarily, he tasted blood, aha, he thought maybe punctured a lung, it explained it…
The first hit was worse than he knew. he focused as best he could; the beast was breathing hard, blood pooling from its mouth.
He wanted to laugh; they both were dying from punctured lungs. He wondered who would go first
and laugh at the ironic death of each other… then again, I can still cast, so I guess it’s me just laughing at you.
It took a bit of willpower to overcome the effect of the collapsed lung, but he managed to puddle the darkness. He saw the gargoyle look as if it wondered what it was, and he smiled to himself.
“ Boom.” As the gargoyle’s head shattered and faded, he hit the ground, the wet earth in his face, and wanted to welcome death, but he thought of the kids… aha, he thought, I miss you dumb kids who were willing to trust and follow a stupid rat…
As he cried to himself, expecting death, the shadows moved around him as if caressing him, touching him to let him know he was ok.
From the shadow, a potion brushed his lips and he drank greedily and choked spitting half of it back up.
With blood, but the effect still worked, he felt the shift in his chest as it healed his lung, he gasped for air, then hacked and coughed spitting more blood.
The pain from broken bones was still there, but he was able to breathe and… drink.
He grasped the bottle from the shadow and drank what was left. The effects were blessedly quick.
He sighed, he was safe, and he was healed. He lay back onto the cool earth. This was the worst fight yet. He never had to deal with more than one before.
“You did well,” he heard her voice
“Whatever,” he said, “Let me rest, you heartless women.”
“Is that any way to talk about your mother?”
“You’re not you left me for dead”
“And you left me at the church before that….”
“Nonsense, child, that was before you proved your worth.”
“ I trust you now, and I try very hard to train you.”
“You should be happy.”
“ I’ll be happy when you’re gone… “
“You'd be dead if I were.”
“ Maybe,” he replied, “but I doubt the gods would have made it so hard if you weren’t here.”
“They balance knowing I would not allow your death.”
“Yet I did not move to assist you. “
With those words, she proved why she was so ruthless
“I told you you are not my mother.”
“Who let their child die?”
“A mother who trusts you won’t die.”
“I can’t cuddle you when you want to be a man.”
“This is necessary,” She caressed him with the darkness
“I gathered the shard.”
“ I will carry you back.”
“Sleep well, tomorrow will be a free day, you earned it.”
He wanted to keep telling her off, but the fight drained him, and he did sleep knowing she would see him safe, at least in this.
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She used the darkness to cradle him. he wasn’t a child. She never wanted a baby, but as she embraced him with the darkness, she loved him and wanted more than anything for her choices to be different.
He was always struggling to be loved and accepted, even when everyone was willing to be there, he wasn’t happy, and she never knew why.
He seemed to have broken views on what love was supposed to be she could understand for her power was truth and love was discipline.
She wanted better for him but wasn’t sure how every time she tried to show him love. It came out like cruelty.
Trying to force strength onto him with pain when she wanted to love him with kindness instead…
43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1co5ink0u
The trip back to the guildhall was simple enough; she flowed like the wind in the streets, shifting by the people like a shadow among a sea of people.
Only knowable, she was once there was a sense of presence that when they went to look, she was no longer there. When she entered the guild hall, there was a female beastkin at the desk helping adventurers.
She looked up, gasping, seeing the unconscious boy, making those in line turn to see. “he was fine,” Tanya spoke plainly.
Before there was an uproar, “Where was Terry? Wasn’t it his shift? “
“It was done an hour ago, Mistress Zella,” The bearkin replied
“ Aha,” she replied,” My sense of time must be off.”
“The dungeons tend to do that.”
“And I told you to call me by my first name.”
“ I hate my last name, also take this.”
“She floated a bag over to the counter, processed these, and made sure a meal was prepared for when he wakes.”
“ Yes, Mistress Tanya,” the bear girl bowed deeply, removing the bag from the counter.
She watched as they stared at her, still holding the boy aloft with shades of shadows.
she withdrew a pipe from a small side push and lit it breathing in slowly and then out while staring them down. “is there a problem?” They quickly realized that their curiosity wasn’t worth her attention and focused on being helped once more.
She was able to place him safely in his room easily enough, looked so peaceful sleeping, she wanted to stay, but things needed to be done that she could not do here, and he got grumpy in the past waking with her above him.
He took it as his weakness and trained harder, which made her proud, but she felt he was trying too hard and needed rest, so best she decided not to be here when he woke.
In the time it took her to lay him to rest, the female bearkin was able to clear the area of adventure needing help.
“Rosa, I’m taking care of business,” Tanya said calmly
“If Arlin asks, let him know I’ll be out late but will be available tomorrow if he needs me.”
“You’re not training tomorrow, ma’am?” Rosa wondered
“ No, he earned a rest.”
“Do you know he took on four skeletons and a gargoyle? She said with amused pride.
Rosa paled at that. “Alone? Isn’t that a bit… much?”
“ For the weak? Yes.” She replied,” But for him?”
“ It was a test and proof of his strength.”
“ his magic has come a long way in a very short time, much like mine.”
“Pain is always the greatest teacher, so perhaps he will learn more.”
“will see. Regardless, I’m off”
“Do see that things are in order while I'm gone.”
“If Terry shows his face, brief him for me, please.”
“As you wish mistress and she bowed as the shadows grew and faded leaving nothing behind but a faint wind with faded with the shadows.
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Tommy wasn’t happy potion sales were down and his thugs an endless source of noise barking in the background while he tried to work he needed new ideas but nothing was really good.
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One of his thugs told him of a new drink evolving berries, but that felt more like a gimmick than anything…
It was too easy for taverns to make and not worth his time he had the market for the weakness cure, which was always a source of gold but the time it took was always a waste vs other potential profits.
He sighed he needed something… as he tried to think a voice broke his thoughts “Uh, boss?”
“ What?” he replied, annoyed, “I'm busy, unlike you.”
“ The boys are saying shadows are at the door wanting in.”
He stiffened at that. “Why was she here? They had no meeting plan, and he had no debts with her…
“Well,” he said,” don’t tell me they were stupid enough to keep her waiting.”
“ Um, we’re not sure what to do.”
“You said nobody gets in less you say so?”
He sighed again, he supposed he should be happy they listened even when it caused problems, and the fact nobody had been smashed into walls, screaming for mercy was also a good sign…
“Let her in, she's a VIP guest….”
“Yes, boss! “The thug left, rushing to inform the others he wished for a drink he knew she didn’t like drinking, so that would be a waste on her, but she did like that herb mix? He always kept some just in case a bribe or a gift should soften that woman’s heart.
At least as much as he could hope, he went to a shelf and found a small cedar box. It would not be much, but it should help.
As he turned to sit and wait it wasn’t long before the room filled with a wave of shadows slowly filling the whole space around him all but touching him.
They instead dance the edges before slowly forming inwards into the shape of a very young-looking woman with attractive features. He never cared for the woman himself, but he was sure she stole many men’s hearts.
She smiled at him, “Tommy, it’s been too long.”
“ I hope you been well? “She asked he grunted at that as if it was an inside joke.
“I never knew the guild master cared.” As he poured himself a drink he offered her some but she shook her head he knew she would but still, he could not be rude.
“I fear you have me at a loss.”
“ I owe you no debt nor you me?”
“ And you don't seem like the type to want to make deals.”
“You always left that detail to the bishop, not wanting to be bothered.”He was fishing, hoping she would give him some clues, though he doubted he would have to wait long, she was always blunt least in the past.
“You hurt my son.” She said flatly
“ I'm sorry?” He genuinely did not know what she was talking about. Yes, he had thugs, and some of his deals could seem unfair, but he never used violence.
His thugs were to protect his goods and keep his money safe, not hunt or hurt.
“I’m afraid you have me at a loss.”
“ I'm not a violent man and my thugs don’t hunt others.”
As he thought for a moment, “Also, since when have you had a son?”
“When I did is none of your concern.”
“ Only that you made his life harder than needed,”
“And it ends now.”
She was here to bargain, it seemed, and she was very blunt, which he did respect
. he liked it when things were simple to the point. “What deal,” he asked, still unsure,” and with whom? “
“One of my thugs?” He treated them fairly; they annoyed him, but he never forced undue labor upon them.
“My child is Arlin, “she said. He thought for a moment,
“The street rat?! “She glared at him and he raised his hand in defense to show he wanted no trouble,” a term I did not make.
“It was based on his actions, not mine.”
“ which does not permit you to slander his name openly in my presence.” She retorted
“Fair enough,” he said
“Sorry, a gift,” he tried to smooth things over, offering her the box. She opened it and was mildly amused, and pulled out her pipe,
lit some of it, inhaling deeply, enjoying the calm it brought her
“ I preferred no smoke in my office,” he said plainly as she blew the smoke toward him,” and I prefer my son not to be called a rat.”
“But we both suffer this day it seems.”
He couldn’t be mad about her actions. What did he think was going to happen, gifting a smoker something to smoke?
“You still have me at a loss for how I hurt your son.”
“ I did no such thing.”
“ he came to me and made more than one deal.”
“ and agreed.”
“ I’m not sure how that was harming him, assuming that’s what you mean.”
“It is,” she said,” and you know well you made deals with a child.”
“ who was too naive to know what he asked “
“Add to it, you already make plenty from deals with us.”
“You don't need to try to control my family….”
“I wasn’t aware it was your family.”
“ I would have handled it with more tact. “
“But the potions I made cost me regardless of our deals.”
“That is something that can’t be just ignored.”
“ regardless of our views …”
A small shadow floated to his desk with a light clink. A crystal was placed near him. When he looked closer, he was surprised at a level three crystal. “Those are rare. How do you get one?” he wondered, amazed.
“ And adventures tend to save them for gear or powering artifacts?”
She smiled while puffing in smoke, gently blowing it to the side
“My son, earn it himself.”
“ I know for a fact ten level one crystals have the value of one level two” She watched him carefully as spoke the next part.
“and then level two… she trailed off, letting him finish
“Is worth one level three….but how?” he replied quickly
“ They’re not easy to come by or hunt.”
“For you need to get to depth three or more?”
“ He could not solo that…. Could he?” A bit of fear entered his mind at the thought that the street rat could be that strong
“No,” she said,” it was rare, but even floor one could drop them.”
“WHAT?!” He was genuinely shocked. “That’s not even possible, and even if it was, they would be more common.”
“No,” she said,” the gods balance all things.”
“ even this”
“ I was overseeing his training, it seems the gods wanted him to face great threats.”
“ he soloed a shadow earth gargoyle for it, and some skeletons.”
He wasn’t sure how easy or hard it was, but the crystal was still a rare gift he reached for it, but a shadow blew it away with a gentle wind, leaving him dumfounded with her slowly puffing a bit of smoke.
“With that crystal, the debt is paid,” she said, staring at him with cold indifference.
“I had long-term plans for him and those kids with that debt.”
“This…. The amount doesn’t cover that,” he tried to regain control
“This amount, “she said,” is more than your worth.”
“But like you, I pay my debts.“
“I know for a fact we could have bought tenfold potions with this, and you can make stronger potions from this crystal,”
“So your profits are covered in full. “
“The debt… is clear.” She said with finality.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes.” I suppose this is fine.”
“ It was a good scheme to try and expand.”
“But you seem to be nipping it in the bud before it can even grow.”
. I’m not sure if you have been clever enough to curb my empire before it could grow or if it was a lucky coincidence.”
“I couldn’t care less about your scheme or what it involves,”
“ as I said “
“You involved my son.”
“So it involves me nothing more…”
“Hmm, he nodded,” well. If we’re still on good terms, “
“I would like to have the option to work with you more.”
“ We don’t need to be enemies when we both can profit. “He smiled, happy with his gains even with what he had lost.
She tried to puff more but noticed she was out, and frowned. She put her pipe away and the box he gifted her
“No,” she said,” we needn’t be enemies.”
“But it won’t make us allies.”
“We agree his debts are free, and the other children are not involved anymore. “
He frowned, not liking the outcome, but was happy nothing went to violence. He nodded. He heard the clink of the crystal once more, and he couldn’t help but smile.
That was a rare find. He could make a few very powerful tonics and potions with that or even try to grow his power…
He looked up to see what else they could discuss, but all he saw was fading shadow mist. Aha, she was dangerous, but that was the price of doing business, he thought, lest he attract their ire.
“Everything ok, boss?” It was the thug from before. It was not like he was able to do much, but the fact he was trying was reassuring
all the same. “Just business, “he said he noticing his drink set untouched the whole time, so he slowly drank it while the thug watched, waiting for orders.
After a few moments of silence, he finished drinking.” It’s business as usual. “
“Feel free to roam.”
“ I doubt there will be any more excitement for a while The thug nodded and left while he twirled the crystal in his hand. The deal was a net gain.
Even if he didn't like how it ended, it meant, long-term, it was a loss
He wanted connections to the new dungeon, and he lost that, but when one door closes, another opens, and he makes plans from there…43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xxsTl4frH
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