Slime Springs No More
For all that has changed in the world, the magic circle you have placed in the northern forest still seems to be active. You touch the faded chalk-drawn patterns that you laid down a few years before, feeling the magic within resonate with yours.
“There’s no problem”, you say. “We’ll be able to use this.”
“Now isn’t that nice. Saves you a long caravan trip, and all,” says Zayan, busily overseeing the goblins. The little furry creatures are running to and fro hauling strange pieces of equipment. “Now just hold on a bit, I’m putting the finishing touches on something I’ve been working on. It’d do me a great, great, great favour if you would test it for me!”
“Really? How grateful would you be?” You stand up and sweep the dust from the ground with a wave of your hand.
“Grateful enough to make you vomit, my dear patron,” Zayan grins, winking at you.
You scowl at her, and she laughs. “It’ll be of help to you, I’m sure.”
“Helping you is helping myself, it’s its own reward, that sort of thing?” you mutter. Usually you would be suspicious of such requests, but Zayan is, well, Zayan. And her track record in inventions is quite proven. “So what is it that you made this time?”
Zayan laughs loudly and spins around to reveal her latest masterpiece:
***
A. A gaudy, ornate long-sword more fitting for ceremonial pomp than actual battle… or so it looks. It is well-crafted and looks like it could withstand a few blows. The core of the blade is forged with a new magnatite alloy that is specifically attuned to your Reality Tear, allowing you to imbue the sword with the spell’s properties.
B. A suit of plate armor, all black and spiky, with a blood-red cape. It looks very menacing and donning it would make anyone feel more empowered… or so it is claimed. It is lighter than it looks but offers superb protection. The armor has the added ability of flight, allowing you to soar into the sky even if you no longer have wings.
C. An amulet that is said to attract wealth and good luck. Zayan did not so much invent this as she purchased it off a travelling merchant and made her own improvements based off the latest in astrological advances… or so she says.
***
“You already have me, what do you need this for?” Barbatos says as you pick up Zayan’s latest invention.
“Why, I must tell you that I can do anything this thing can do, better!” claims the gauntlet, although you are dubious about his claims.
“Feeling a bit competitive there, are we?” you chuckle. “I thought you were not speaking to me anymore.” You had not heard his voice since not long after you began your stay in the regeneration pod.
“It is my habit to slumber, boy. If you sleep, so do I, and I take longer to rouse than you do. Call it age if you will.”
“Whatever it is, we’re back in action again, Barbatos. Let’s do a better job this time, shall we?” You sigh, stepping into the middle of the teleportation circle.
“Just punch more things and you will start to see how useful I can be!”
“Yes, yes…” Looking up, you call out to Zayan. “I’ll be off now! Just don’t blow anything up while I’m gone!”
“Worry not, I am not planning any experiments to do with exploding matter! There may be an implosion or two but I will be sure to keep it contained within reasonable parameters!”
Before you can ask her to clarify, the spell activates and you are sent off to the slimes’ forest.
***
When you were last here you had placed the teleportation circle right at the Queen’s spring. It was a wondrous spot of nature. Even you, who much preferred the bustle of a city with its rowdy merchants and jingling of coin, could recognize that. Sparkling water, lush green foliage, happy slimes, and a gorgeous slime queen.
None of that remains. The spring is dried up, the trees are withering, and there are no slimes to be seen. A thick miasma is in the air, dense enough that you can see it as a purple haze. The forest is utterly silent, with not even a single breeze to rustle the leaves. What could have been responsible for this?
“Maybe it was your attack on the capital?” theorizes Barbatos.
“Well, that is… possible,” you admit. “But it could still be something else.” Surely one moment of momentary carelessness couldn’t screw things up this bad, could it? You refuse to take responsibility before you have discovered where the blame truly lies, and at that time if you can use your knowledge to push responsibility onto someone else, you are sure you would feel better about it.
You begin to investigate the area. There are the remains of a campfire opposite your point of arrival. Looking at its traces you count perhaps five, six people have been here, as recently as a day ago. Thankfully they didn’t find and disturb your teleportation circle. At the bottom of the dried-out spring there is a hole in the ground. It slopes downwards, and from the steps carved into it evidently it wasn’t some natural sinkhole. The campers seem to have made their way underground, from the footsteps in the mud, and have not yet come back out.
Further away from the spring, there are signs of passage deeper into the forest. Trampled bushes and broken branches, and from the looks of it, they were made by something huge. The trail is fresh, and as you kneel to inspect the dead foliage, you catch sight of a drop of red amongst the green and brown. Raising your hand, you summon Barbatos.
“Hm, are we punching something, boy?”
You touch the red with your gauntleted finger. Blood, as you expected.
“Hey, did you just call me out for this?”
You dismiss Barbatos again. “That’s pretty handy. When I summon you again there won’t be any blood left behind, right?”
“No, but…”
“Well, can you tell what sort of blood I touched?”
Barbatos falls silent for a while. “Oh. Oh, this is a surprise. It’s elven blood. Elves. What is one doing all the way out here?”
You recall vaguely that Zayan once told you she was a half-elf. From what she said you had presumed they are a demi-human species of this land, just like the demons and angels. “That’s… a pretty handy function you have there, Barbatos. Very useful.”
“Oh, you know, once one has punched a thing or two a few hundred times and gotten its blood on you, one learns to distinguish between the blood of various species quite quickly! Guhahahahaha!”
“That’s great, that’s great. Now, here’s the more important question. Is it male or female?”
“Nope, can’t tell.”
“You’re useless.”
You look at the hole in the ground, and then at the trail leading away.
***
A. You decide to investigate the underground hole first. It seems a lot more important.
B. You follow the trail to try and track the elf. It might be a female elf. That’s pretty important.
