《The pale dungeon (dropped)》


 Ch1 First transformation

    Snap.


    Another twig broken.


    Snap.


    Another bone reshaped.


    Snap.


    Another arrow missing the fleeing creature by inches.


    It was running through the forest, fleeing the chasing humans and their sharp weapons.


    It had to shake its head violently again to remind itself that it was not an ''it''.


    The pain was clouding her mind and she kept loosing track of her own thoughts.


    She had trouble thinking clear at all. The angry humans and the sensation of bones and skin tearing and healing didn''t make it any better.


    Guards. They''re guards, she reminded herself. And they were chasing her cause of her changing body.


    It had begun at the start of the night. Just before the last light had finally slunk away beneath the mountains.


    At first she had just screamed. At first people had come rushing into her room, wondering what was wrong. They had panicked and fussed over her as she screamed in pain. Then her skin had cracked and they had all ran away again. The guard had come when the first of her bones began sliding around within her body, reshaping themselves and sliding into new places. The guard had shouted something and pointed his spear at it. It had roared back at him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Not it. Her. She was not an ''it''.She had roared at him to stay away. To shut up because her eardrums where popping and regrowing, making all noise both faded and rawer than ever. But her voice had been deep and her tongue had twisted into a flatter shape, refusing to make any words of use. Then she had lunged for the door, successfully scaring the guard into wetting himself and drop his spear. It had leaped out the door, screaming and thrashing to get the unpleasant feeling out of her limbs.


    She had bolted for the woods as more guards appeared around the houses, confusion thick in the air.It-SHE had fallen over as she ran, over and over again until finaly she stayed down on all fours. Running faster and faster to distract her from her stretching skin. She had felt it pull itself apart in places, then stretch and mend itself into new shapes. All the while the guards had shouted, herding her through the forest to keep her away from the villages and roads. They had nearly caught up when the ground gave way.


    Now it crawled further into the crevice that had so abruptly swallowed it. Another arrow flew at it, this time lodging itself into its hip, locking it up and slowing it down even more. The creature whined and screeched as it finally came to a halt, front legs broken but still shifting around beneath its skin.


    The guards had stopped at the top of the crevice, peering down into the darkness below where the beast lay. It was too dark to tell if it was still breathing so the guard with the bow fired another arrow, this time hitting it in the chest. Only the sound of the arrow digging itself deep into flesh respoded. A short couple of minutes passed before the group of humans decided that the werewolf was dead.


    [Creature successfully claimed!]


    [Werewolf has been added to the Dungeon beastiary!]

 Ch2 Wounds and Words

    The wolf woke up as another wave of pain rolled through her body. It wasn''t many hours since she fell into the crevice in the woods and her body still screamed in pain. The only difference was that now the pain came not from her shifting body, but from the many wounds she had gotten during her escape, and now they were somehow healing. The movement of her flesh and bones felt strange, forced, not like when she had begun transforming. It was as if unseen hands or tendrils snuck its way under her skin and moved her torn muscles back into place.


    The pain only intensified as she woke up more and each time her heartbeat slowed down or her lungs stopped drawing in air, an unknownforce jolted through her like electricity, refusing to let her rest. Her breath was labored and her veins burned. Being denied the numbing calm of unconsciousness, her mind went to the other next best solution to being fatally wounded: Panic.


    Because the numbness meant she was dying right? She''s dying. She''s dying and she doesn''t want to die. The wolf began thrashing its legs around as she became more and more sure that whatever it is that''s messing with her body is surely killing her. She must flee or the numbness will set in again.


    Do not move.


    She must run or her bones will be broken, her heart will be crushed and her skin will be torn. Fresh blood starts pumping through her, through the broken veins and torn skin. She gags and feels bloodfill her mouth. Every limb is shaking and moving and more blood is flowing through every gap in her skin.


    I am helping you. Do not move.


    Her muscles lock up. Every limb freezing, causing her to fall onto her side. She wants to scream but nothing obeys. Her jaws are slacking and her tongue lolls to the side onto the stone floor. She can taste dirt and blood. The voice is still there, not really talking but still making itself known somehow. It''s comforting for some reason. The voice is soothing and patient even though it''s not forming any words. Its presence is enough.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The wolf calms down as the unseen hands return in under her skin. Fear and panic should still be raging through her mind but the voice is calm and reassuring. The blood stops flooding her mouth as she obeys the voice. The unseen force mendsher lungs, then moves on to her bones, her guts, her skin. It forces the bits of wood and metal that used to be an arrow to exit her body through the wounds. The tendrils spread warmth as it goes through every shattered part of the wolf, mending, regrowing and moving stray parts into place again. The wolf''s heartbeat is stable again and it falls asleep as soon as the voice tells it to.


    The dungeon redraws its influence from the sleeping wolf. It rarely interferes when a creature is dying but this one is special. It is strong and intelligent and it came from the outside and with it came new knowledge and understanding.The dungeon was no longer unaware of itself as an individual. It could think. Before the wolf came it could only listen to instinct and act accordingly. But now it wasself-aware and thousands of thoughts flooded its newly expanded mind. To support all these thoughts it needed words and so it was methodically sorting through the wolf''s mind and memories to learn.


    One thing that bothered the dungeon was that other sentient beings seemed to refer to each other using names or words that described them. But to them, a dungeon was a place rather than an individual so calling itself Dungeon would feel wrong. The dungeon pondered this issue for some time while the wolf slept. After a while, it decided to use a word it had found in the wolfs memory. ''Maker''. It was used in some ''religions'' among the sentient races to refer to some higher beings that made things out of nothing. Those higher beings could also sometimes heal others or make seemingly impossible things happen. The dungeon like the word and it fitted itself it thought. It could create new things although it needed mana to do so, so it wasn''t exactly like the higher beings. It could also heal others. Like how it saved the wolf.


    From now on it would refer to itself as Maker, although it would change it later if it finds something better. All things must evolve after all, if it stays the same forever it will die.Speaking of dying. It hummed proudly at itsfirst use of a saying. Something dangerous isapproaching my new creature. It will not be allowed to approach just yet.


    The concept of time is also new. So many new things to learn and experience.How exciting! I can notwait~

 Ch3 Hands? Hands.

    The wolf woke up with a start. Something had made a sound that was eerily similar to a human screaming in the distance. That was the first thing that made her alert, the second thing was where she woke up. She vividly remembered falling asleep in her bed last night but now she saw neither bed nor the cozy little room it stood in. What she saw were cold stone walls and a floor covered in hard packed dirt. She sneezed as some of it got into her nose. Very dry dirt. The third thing to notice took perhaps the longest but definitely shocked her the most; she no longer had hands. Or at least not human hands. She noticed this when she tried to wipe at her nose and accidently cut herself over the snout with her own claws. She didn''t have a snout before either now that she thought about it...


    "...."


    Yes, this was definitely something to panic over... But she has the feeling that she already did that earlier so she doesn''t really have the energy to do it whole-heartedly. So she just stares at her clawed... hands? Hands. Yes, these things could probably be called hands. There are fingers, although they don''t end in normal nails but rather some kind of claws that look suspiciously like the digits in her fingers had outgrown the flesh and just kinda went with it for a bit before ending in sharp points. And her fingers are muchlonger now. It wouldn''t be anexaggeration to say that her ''fingers'' where as long as the lower part of her arms. Which isvery long for fingers andshould make them brittle... but they''re surprisingly sturdy and... they bend too far. That doesn''t look right...


    Gingerly she puts her hands down vertically to the ground, bending the ends of her fingers in the wrong direction. Her fingers don''t snap but they sort ofclick at the joints and then fold into place, letting her put a lot of weight on her hands without the slightest bit of pain. It''s sort of like when you stretch and you both hear and feel your joints pop, not in a painful manner, more like a "yes a stretch was needed thanks" from your joints. Fanv was the type of person who took every chance she got to pop her knuckles or shoulders partly because it felt pleasant and mostly cause it made others (weaklings) wince.


    ....


    She just remembered her name. She almost forgot her name somehow. For some reason, she hadn''t remembered her name or who she was before when she was-... Oh yes, she was running for her life. Memories are slowly returning now.


    She had woken up because her body had started tochange. Which isn''t something that should happen so she had screamed. And then the guards had chased her, which at that moment had been very strange to her. Pain is a pretty good distraction it seems. To think that she didn''t notice her hands mutating until after she had nearly died. So far it all made sense. Except for the part of her changing. And into what?


    Fanv tried to stand up as she asked herself these questions and nearly toppled over. Her legs were longer as well.Much longer, just like her fingers. Slowly she tried to stand again, this time using her hands as support, which revealed that her arms were longer as well. She should have noticed the arms when she inspected her new fingers but it was kind of hard to notice while she had them bent. Fingers, legs, and arms are longer. Anything else? Fur. Thin, not exactly a coat of fur, just a thin layer covering her entire body.A deep black color with patches of white covering her legs and arms, some of her tail (yup there''s a tail) and her neck and back. She was able to check her back cause unsurprisingly her neck was longer as well. Feet are clawed like her hands, just a bit stubbier. Her thumbs are shorter, or the same length as before but they look short because of the long spindly fingers.


    Carefully she felt her head, bending her fingers and moving slowly as to not cut herself again. Snout, long ears, teETH-... very sharp teeth (cut myself again goddamnit) and (now bleeding) paw pads at the furthest finger digits. If she had to guess she was now some kind of canine, judging from the snout, tail, and fur. Possibly a feline but cats don''t have very long snouts (although I haven''t seen many long-legged dogs either). Next question: why? As far as she knows her parents weren''t known to transform into animals. Possibly a curse on her mother.Curses that affects the firstborn child isn''t all that rare in the stories, and her mother wasn''t a very nice person so it would be a surprise if shedidn''t manage to piss off a witch or warlock if she ever met one.


    So a curse and canine. Sounds like a werewolf. Are there other canine shapeshifters? Let''s go with werewolf for now. Fanv had sat down again at some point while pondering her current state. She should probably feel more afraid considering all this, but for some reason, it didn''t feel that alarming. It didn''t really feel weird either, which was... weird I guess. She had to grin a bit at that. Her current shape felt strangelyright and that should have been concerning to any other human. But she''s not actually a human now is she, so that rule no longer applies to her.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Another of those half screams snaps her back to reality. It came from down the tunnel, further away this time. Fanv slowly stands up and considers her options for a bit. There''s only one tunnel leading into the cave she''s in currently and whatever screamed earlier should be down the tunnel. Perhaps it''s another human? Fanv had to shake her headat that. Meeting a human while she looks like this wouldn''t be a good thing. They''d probably panic and then possibly attack. The thought of that perked her up somewhat though. It''s kind of concerning but the thought of being attacked by, or even attack a human herself, is kind of tempting? That can''t be right. Attacking other humans is bad because... why is it bad again? She shook her head again, trying to remember why she shouldn''t harm others. It was common sense, right?


    Do not harm other humans.


    But she isn''t a human so does common sense apply to her? Something is missing. It''s hard to think. Attacking a human would be bad. It''s what monsters do. But aren''t werewolves monsters? They maul and hunt humans by night, then hide among them during the day. Sadistic beasts with the intelligence of man and all the tools needed for deception and betrayal. That''s what the stories have taught her. But now she is the monster... She hasn''t done anything monster-like yet though, have she? Wait. Didn''t she hurt that guard, the first one that had seen her when she began transforming? She didn''t notice it back then but she had hurt him, right? And he bled... She remembered the smell of blood, thick and metallic, inviting her to spill more of it. Addicting.


    She stopped walking at that thought. When had she begun walking? It''s the smell. It''s not just a memory. Fanv inhaled deeply and the intoxicating smell filled her lungs. Something was bleeding up ahead. A lot. And she finds herself salivating as she pulls more of the smell into her lungs, paws starting to move her towards it again. All thoughts of morals and humans forgotten for the moment, she keeps on walking, following the smell. Her steady walk turns into a trot then into a lazy sprint. Something is bleeding and the smell is overwhelming and calling to her. She wants whatever is bleeding and she wants itbadly, only hunger and need remains in her head now.


    She barely notices the ground changing beneath her as she runs. The dry packed dirt turns moister and bits of gravel and stone peaks out of it here and there. But what''s most noticeable are the plants. Black clovers cover the floor and small red buds peak out beneath the leaves. Fanv pays them little attention as she hones in on the scent of blood. Further ahead lies a dead animal, or what''s left of it. A pile of mashed up flesh and organs with bits of white bone peeking out underneath the grisly mush.


    And all around it, the red flowers are in bloom, glowing bright red and lighting up the tunnel that splits into 3 up ahead. The clovers closest to the cadaver sports the biggest, brightest flower. But Fanv is too distracted by the bloody mess to notice the soft red lightpulsating as the flowers drain the blood that touches them.


    When she finally reaches the pile her last shred of sanity is far gone. Only hunger remains and her jaws open as far as they can, almost looking unhinged as her surprisingly elastic skin stretches to let her bit as big a chunk as she can fit into her jaws from the corpse.


    The ravenous wolf cares little for its surroundings as it feasts. It devours big chunks of flesh and bone all the while growling loudly to warn any nearby creature that if it dares disturb the wolf as it feeds, they will soon join the carcass on the floor.


    The many rodents that live in the hollowed out walls and ground,sulkily obey the warnings, not daring to test this new unknown creature. Some of them chatter and snarl at each other, sizing each other up for the upcoming fights that would break out should the New one leave anything behind. To their dismay, the wolf keeps on feeding, then lap at the floor to get any last bits of flesh or blood the clovers hasn''t yet got to.


    The wolf cleans itself off, lapping up the last blood left on its fur with a satisfied grin. Then it stops and gags. She stares at the spot where the corpse laid. Then at the glowing red flowers that crowd its place. She''s conflicted about what to feel. About what to think. She remembers she has a name and that she was once human. And then she remembers the euphoria of tearing into flesh and the small part of her that regrets that her meal wasn''t fighting back or squealing in terror.


    Fanv wonders if she should feel guilty about such thoughts. She even waits a bit for the disgust about the whole concept of preying on others (...humans included) to set in.


    But no such feelings surface to make her feel bad about it. No such feelings jump in to support her former morals and so she decides to stow them away until she''s risking to break them again.


    Stomach full and proper human emotions avoided, the wolf rises up and turns to walk back the tunnel she came. She needed another nap after that meal (and to contemplate her fading humanity) and something about sleeping in the middle of the blooming clovers didn''t seem like a good idea.


    [Creature Fanv obtained a new Skill!]


    [Frenzy]

 Ch4 First kill

    Fanv''s third time waking up in the cave was far more pleasant than the last two. For one, she wasn''t dying or starving. Not that she had actually noticed how hungry she was the second time she woke up. She''d beentoo distracted by her new form to think about things as normal as hunger until she had smelled the blood.


    The wolf stretched as she stood up, making satisfied noises as her joints popped. She felt slightly stiff but that''s probably because of the healing she did earlier. Speaking of earlier, how much time has passed? A couple of hours? A day? Now that she looked around she noticed that this couldn''t possibly be the same cave she''d fallen into when the guards chased her. There was no hole in the ceiling to let light in yet she had no trouble seeing. There was a kind of ambient light with no obvious source. Curious, Fanv began searching around for the source of the light, feeling her way around the walls looking for secret holes or clues as to how the cave remained lit up.


    Upon closer inspection, the walls that seemed solid before actually turned out to be filled with small holes and openings that remained hidden at first glance thanks to the way the rocks were angled around them. The walls were rough and solid in most places but in others, it was dotted with holes half covered by the stone itselfand half covered by a strange brittle material. It looked just like stone but crumbled upon touching it, revealing the true size of the openings in the wall.


    Some holes were barely bigger than Fanv''s head while a few of them were big enough to fit her if she crawled. She hesitated for a bit then moved her snout inside one of the bigger holes and inhaled.


    A musky scent that reminded her of rats and other troublesome rodents filled her nose. But there were also unfamiliar scents that made her even more curious. Something smelled like mud, not the dry dirt or softer soil in the clover room, no it was a wet swampy sort of smell that suggested plants and mushrooms and slimy swamp-dwellers. There had been a swamp a fair bit away from her village and the fishermen or travelers that sometimes went there had all smelled like that when they returned. Fanvcrawled a bit further into the hole as she pondered the scent when suddenly a bright flash of light made her yelp and backpedal out.


    Something hissed furiously at her. She could only growl back and try to back away further as the blindness from the sudden flash faded. She barely had time to dodge the beak that shot out towards her front legs. She pulled them back just as the beak snapped in their former place with a sharp sound. The head of her attacker then retracted in an instant to protect it''s own exposed neck when she snapped her jaws in its direction.


    What stood in front of her was a terribly overgrown turtle. Overgrown in both the sense of size and in the fact that all parts of its body except the shell were covered in roots and vines from various plants. The plants were all muted shades of green and brown, almost looking grey if one didn''t look directly at it. And the turtle''s shell is a glowing bright white.


    The turtle was just small enough to not get stuck in the big holes in the wall, which wasn''t exactly small as it was nearly half as tall as Fanv. It hissed furiously at her until she backed away even more from it, snarling and growling in return.


    The turtle''s behavior pissed Fanv of. She didn''t like getting bossed around even though she was pretty sure the turtle''s beak could snap her bones in half if it got a hold of her. And its head movedfast compared to its stubby little legs. The head shot out and retracted, snapping its beak and hissing in challenge as they begun circling each other. The turtle didn''t want here there and Fanv didn''t want to let it have its way just because it was big and angry and could probably break all her bones at once if it tackled her-... Actually, it might be a good idea to let this one go. I''m just going to back away slowly and let it keep the murky cave to itself-!Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The turtle''s shell dimmed for a second then another flash nearly blinded her again. That was the last straw. If it''s going to throw a hissy fit even though she was going to let it be then it deserves a fight.


    That was the first bad decisionshe made. The second was her decision to attack by pouncing onto its shell. Her claws found no purchase on the smooth surface and slipped out under her, making her crash headfirst into the ground. The turtle thenwhirled around and snapped its jaws around her tail. Fanvshrieked as she felt it snap in two, then she spun around and slammed her jaws around the turtles still exposed neck. Her jaws clamped down hard on its thick neck and the momentum of her lunge shook the turtle''s balance, making it topple over halfway onto its side.


    It still had its jaws locked around the torn flesh and fur of her tail and as the wolf tugged at its neck it started thrashing its clawed legs, cutting a deep slash through her right shoulder and earning another sharp yank to its bleeding neck. The turtle had tough skin however and the thick muscles were making it hard to bring it down. Fanv bent her hind legs and then pushed herself hard into the turtle''s side, toppling it over and placing her on top of it. Unlike the top of its shell, the underside of it was rough and grey, stained darker by rotting plants and newer ones taking their place.


    The wolf wrapped her long fingers around the section where the shell ended and the neck began and then she dug her claws into the exposed flesh. Her locked jaws kept the head from retreating into the shell and the turtlescreamed, a high pitched squeal of anger and fear. It''s short hind legs thrashed about,slashing many shallow cuts into her calves. But the wolf did not budge. She kept on tugging and yanking until a wet tearing noise signaled the end of the turtle''s life. It squealed one last time, half drowned in the blood that filled it''s mouth as the wolf tore its head off.


    With acrunch, the spine snapped and the flesh gave. Blood splashing in torrents from the severedarteries, showering the raging wolf with the sticky dark substance. The turtle''s shell stopped glowing slowly as she tore into the open neck, yanking out bit and pieces and fighting her way into the shell itself to get at the soft innards. The shell didn''t budge however and she only reaches the parts just within the hole in the shell. Frustrated and exhausted she gave up after having pulled out and swallowed as much as she could from the shell and eating all the legs. The bones had been too hard to bite through but theCartilage between them had snapped after enough tugging, letting her remove them as she ate to avoid choking on them.


    The rodents watched as the New one tore into the Glowshell, splattering blood everywhere and growling in fury at the unbudging shell. If they were lucky it would give up on the inside of the shell and leave it where they could get at it. It would be no problem for most of the many kinds of rodents in the cave to get inside the shell and feast on the fresh kill. They would need to be fast however since without the Glowshell the cave would soon become dark again and nasty things hid in the shadows. The Glowshells ate darkness, and so any place within a certain radius of them became lit up, but not brighter than dusk outside. To have one killed would mean this area would soon become home to many dangerous creatures that fear the light.


    Oh? The New one has stopped feeding. It looks conflicted, confused, unsure. Why? It just felled a strong monster, it should be happy. Normally the rodents didn''t question things. But now they were waiting for the New one to leave so they could feast. And ever since the New one had appeared in the caves they had found themselves thinking more and more. As if a hidden limit to their intellect had been lifted, allowing them to evolve further much quicker than before.


    Yes, the New one brings many good things. New cadavers to pick clean, a new threat to the top predators that would feed on the rodents. And perhaps the most important and confusing thing yet; the ability to understand words. The other rodents turned their gaze away from the cadaver and the New one resting close to it, to the one of them that had begun shifting around. It clawed at the dirt and stone of their tunnel and then,-


    Snap.


    ....


    Snap, pop, crack.


    They watched as the hare began to grow and twist into a new shape.


    Yes. The New one certainly brought many good things. It brought an opportunity to evolve.

 Ch5 Guilt

    The mind is a funny thing. At first, you''re sure that something is fine, it even sounds like a good idea. Fighting for example. Fighting the turtle had seemed like a wonderful idea at the moment when they had hissed at each other and snapped silent threats with their jaws. And it felt wonderful at first to let all that rage out. Anger is like that, once you''re angry you won''t feel better until you let it out somehow. So she had pounced on the turtle and done everything she could to hurt it. At first, it felt great. Then it slashed her shoulder and it stopped feeling great. But then she had bit into its neck and all was great again. It had been such a wonderful rush of rage and emotion and the chance to let it all out on a physical target. And then once she killed it she had gone on autopilot and started eating. She had still been all fuzzy in the head and couldn''t think straight until there was nothing within reach to tear at.


    And then she had felt terrible. Eating the carcass hadn''t felt wrong. She had been hungry and the corpse was dead anyway so there was no harm in it. But actuallykilling a thing and then eating it felt... disturbing. But it also didn''t feel wrong and that was even more confusing. A bit alarming actually. All her thoughts are slow and her emotions feel muted, faraway.


    Is this because she''s transformed? Would she feel more guilt if she transformed back into a human?Could she transform back into a human? That is a scary thought. What if she''s stuck as a wolf forever. Now that isvery alarming, cause now she was feeling like when she was little and got scolded but didn''t entirely understandwhy what she did was wrong. Killing is wrong. Well, at least when your not going to eat it. Hunters kill animals to feed themselves and others but Fanv had killed the turtle because itprovoked her, not because she was hungry. She had only eaten it because that felt like what she was supposed to do when killing something. And she had the feeling that if a human provoked her she would react the same as with the turtle. And hurting andeating a human is about as wrong as it can be.


    But part of her disagrees about that and that makes her afraid of what she''ll do. Of what she''s become. Being a wolf is the same as being a monster because shewould hurt others and shewould enjoy it while she did and that iswrong.


    What she is iswrong.


    She must become human again. She''ll hurt others.


    She had friends. A few. And if she met them now she would hurt them and she would hate herself for it.


    It''s wrong.


    It''s all wrong.


    She must become human again or she will do things she will regret, she''s sure of it. But how do she return to being human? What triggers the transformation? She doesn''t know and it terrifies her even more. She can''t be stuck. No. No no, nononono she can''t be stuck. Fanv starts shaking and throwing her head back and forth.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    It''s wrong. Wrong. No. It''s all wrong. I want to be human again.


    Her bones lock up and relax, over and over again, panic setting into every muscle in her body. Her breath turns labored and each part of her bodystiffens as she flails about, tearing at her fur and too long limbs.


    Wrong. Wrong! Wrong,wrong,WRONG!


    Her limbs begin folding in on themselves and she curls up in the middle of the cave. She sees the gaping hole in the turtle''s neck and then shescreams.


    All bones snap and slide, folding, unfolding, moving. Painful. Her fur retracts into her skin and she feels as if she''s about to throw up. Muscles twist and turn themselves into knots, compressing and hiding their mass, clinging tightly to moving bones.Cartilage snapping and crunching as it reshapes itself to support the many many joints that let her skeleton reshape itself.


    The transformation is quicker this time. The amount of protein she has consumed the past couple of hours helping in rebuilding her body instead of using her own fat reserves as fuel like last time. When it ends she lies nakedand crying on the cold floor of the cave. Blood from the turtle still clinging to her skin as she tears at her own hair and wails.


    After awhile her choking sobs calms down and she slowly uncurls her body only to stop and stare at her fingers. Her o so short fingers. She clenches her fists to her chest and cries again.


    This is all so very very wrong.


    Maker watches the crying human with confusion. It can feel the hurt of the transformation and emotions from their bond as dungeon and creature. The pain from transforming she understands. Ithas felt it many times as animals take their dying breath while another creature crushes their bones. It understands pain in its physical form.


    But the human is crying from more than her changing body. She is sad. And Maker doesn''t understand what that means. Maker has never felt sad before and now it feels like someone is crushing them. It''s not the pain from breaking bones or torn flesh. It''s a pain the makes it feel like its choking and itsvery beinghurts.


    Maker wants it to stop. It sifts through the human''s memories for a way to make the hurting stop. She finds one that seems right. In it another human is cradling its human in their arms, whispering comforting words and stroking their head. It seems right. So Maker starts moving its core. It starts reforming its body to suit the current need. It gives itself arms and legs and a face. Torso, hips, hands and feet. It forms a new shape to comfort its crying human. But humans are not ''it''. Maker pauses. Then it makes a few more changes and becomes a ''her''. Maker is no longer an ''it'', she can think and she has a body. Perhaps not the body of a human but a body that can express emotion and words.


    As she moves through the corridors leading to her former resting chamber she sends out a signal to the human to move. She needs to be in the same room to comfort her and the cave system isbig. She will meet her in another chamber. She pauses at a second thought, then starts reshaping the stone along the way she and the human must walk to screen off all other tunnels. If another creature decides to kill the human while it''s vulnerable she won''t be able to comfort her. And she would get mad too, she likes this creature so losing it would make her feel.... sad? Maker nods at that. She''s understanding emotions more and more.


    "Sigh. Being sentient sure is complicated."

 Ch6 Bloody nightmare, bloody clovers.

    Fanv stifled another sob and took another look at her hands to make sure that she was not dreaming. Hands. Human hands. Clawless and furless, although a bit bloody. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She concentrated really hard and for just a moment she was able to visualize herself sitting in her bed at home. The tears and the aching feeling was a result of a nightmare that had shaken her awake. A horrible dreamwhere she had turned into a monster and preyed on others without a shred of remorse. Yes, she could imagine it all perfectly, her cozy bed and the fading memory of the dream.


    She almost cried again when she opened her eyes and saw the blood stained cave. Cruel, cruel reality. But she is human now. She could go back home. Probably. She should go. Maybe not home but suddenly staying in this cave seemed like a terribly bad idea. Partly because the stench of blood and death was making her feel sick and partly because TheVoice is back, urging her to start walking.


    The Voice had saved her life before and it was something nice and comforting about it. Obeying it sounded like a good idea. Fanv didn''t really feel like making any decisions right now. Because if she started thinking about her current situation and choices then she''d probably break down crying again. She''d much rather someone else give her instructions until she recovers from her sour mood.


    The human stood up and started walking down the tunnel. She barely noticed the stone shifting in the walls, turning smoother and covering any holes that got exposed as the fake-stone materials crunched and fell off. It was hard to see at all actually. Somehow the cave seemed darker than before. She stopped for a moment and watched the stone around her. It was moving, and the light is slowly disappearing. It gets harder and harder to see in the tunnel but she doesn''t waver as she starts walking again. It''s as if the ground is guiding her, dirt and gravel moving gently against the pads of her feet. It''s the same feeling as when walking down a sloping hill except the ground here isn''t sloping at all...


    Must be magic. Her father used to blame magic for anything he didn''t understand. To him, magic was a miracle that made life brighter and more wonderful, and all new things were magic. Expect dark magic. Monsters, sickness and bad luckwere dark magic. Harmful and evil. Is being a werewolf good or bad magic? Probably bad...


    Fanv wiped at her face, sniffling. She missed home, and her father and friends. Would they want her back? Do they know what she became that night? Of course they do, her village could spread rumors quicker than wildfire in a dry forest. Do they know about the dungeon?-!


    Fanv stopped in her tracks. Do the village know about the dungeon. Memories of her what people had told her of dungeons resurfaced as she thought of that. Dungeons are dangerous locations full of monsters and rare materials, therefore any dungeon found near civilization must be explored and conquered to preventthe monsters escaping and wreaking havoc among cities and villages. Goblin raids, human eating beasts, undead armies, spirits who possess others and spread curses, the list of terrors born in dungeons can go on forever.


    Is this a big dungeon? How old is it? Is it spewing disasters already? No that can''t be... No one had noticed the dungeon before she fell into it and even then they didn''t follow her into the crevice so it''s possible that they didn''t find out at all... This is bad. If the dungeon goes unnoticed it will breed monsters that will invade and then-...The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But what of it. Fanv stopped walking again. If they find the dungeon they will destroy it. Something about that doesn''t sit right with her at all. If they came to destroy the dungeon she would be bothered by it- no angered. She couldn''t explain it but she suddenly felt an overwhelming need to protect the dungeon. It was hers, it belonged to her. As stupid as it might sound, she felt that the dungeon was hers to protect and the thought of someone trying to take it from her wasinfuriating.


    She felt her bones begin to pop. No! Not now! No transforming, calm down. Deep breaths. Haaaah. No, if anyone was going to explore the dungeon it should be her. That''s why she feels mad right? She found the dungeon and nearly died for it to boot, so she should be the one to explore it and reap its riches. Right? Greed is a basic human feeling so that must be why she''s so attached to this place. Right. She might not be human but she was raised as one so she must be at least partly human. And greed was the most human reason she could come up with for wanting to keep others away from the dungeon.


    She kicked at a loose pebble as she walked. Knowing that she still felt human emotions while in human shape was comforting. She hadn''t lost her sanity completely yet. These stone walls really are getting smoother though. She walked up to the one on her right and felt along its surface. All the stones and corners that had jutted out of the stone wall had smoothed out and receded back into the wall, covering any holes or openings as it went. She noticed the black clovers when they started brushing against her bare feet. It''s darker than before but that''s probably because the clovers aren''t blooming anymore. No red glow to light up this cursed cave.


    She bent down to pick one of the clovers to inspect it closer. The plant was surprisingly sturdy and needed a firm tug to snap free from the floor. And it leaked. A thin watery substance that reeks of... blood? Without thinking the action through, Fanv put her hand to her face and licked at the stain to confirm. She immediately spat it out and rubbed her face. It tasted slightly like blood and holy hell why did shetaste it?! She must still be pretty out of it since her breakdown. And the liquid didn''t only taste of blood, it had a strong bitter taste not too unlike grass. If you shoved a fistful of it into your mouth and chewed that is. Disgusted she dropped the plant and scratched at her face. The plants made her face feel itchy.


    Why weren''t they blooming now though? She remembered the scene of the mashed up cadaver and the red glowing flowers crowding around it-... No way.


    She peered at the black clovers at her feetsuspiciously for a moment, then scratched a bit harder at her arm until she drew blood. She winced but still determined to see her experiment through. The same second she let the first drop of blood hit the floor the nearest clovers began moving. It was disturbing to see the plants swirl around and then the tight, closed buds she hadn''t noticed earlier opened up and revealed brightly glowing red flowers. They all faced her and her bleeding arm as if innocently asking her to give them more of her blood.


    She turned on her heel and ran further down the tunnel. She didn''t get far however, because at the end of the tunnel stood something that took her breath away.


    Maker looked at the human with what she assumed was a mild and friendly expression. She felt slightly smug after seeing how the human could only stare at her with what she assumed was admiration. Then she jumped in surprise as the human gave a small shriek and passed out right before her. Dumbfounded, she wondered what she did wrong.

 Ch7 Introductions

    Fanv woke up in Maker''s arms. For a moment she just stared. Again. Yup this must be death. She lies cradled in death''s embrace, that is the only possible explanation for why this- this,thing is holding her.


    A huge floating shape, consisting of white glowing hair and black wings sprouting out at seemingly random places from it. And are those thingssnakes?! Yup, black snakes are slowly making their way through hair and feathers. The entire thing is suspended in mid-air, as if underwater, gently floating in patterns that keep the hair from tangling or the snakes from knotting themselves within the hair. And in the middle of it all is the face of a woman with intensely golden eyes. Her eyes are the only spots of actually color in the whole mess, and she''s staring right at Fanv''s face.


    Oh, and she has arms and legs as well. Parts of her human body shows underneath the rolling waves of hair, snakes, and feathers every now and then, but who could focus on that while the rest is floating all around her, coiling around her and the creature like a protective barrier.


    Surely if death had a physical form this would be it, a strangely calm and beautiful, yet disturbing and alien entity wearing a human face just to tell you that this is the last moment of your life... But it doesn''t tell her that. It doesn''t speak at all. It just stares at her curiously, tilting its head slightly as she stares back at it.


    "Wha- What...?"


    Maker took this as her cue to introduce herself.


    I am Maker. Nice to meet you!


    Fanv shrieked again. Itspoke! And it had a name. Or something to call itself at least. More of a word actually. Wait wait wait, was she supposed to answer?


    "Uh.... I... What... What are you?..."


    Maker had to frown at that. Did she miss something? She had done it exactly like the humans in her human''s memory. They hadn''t asked what they were. Oh well, this is an opportunity to learn.


    I am Maker. I am a dungeon. You are wolf and human, yes? My werewolf. Welcome to my home!


    That should do it. She had given the human an answer that should clear it all up.


    Fanv stared even harder at that. The dungeon is aperson? Or a snake-feather-hair thing that acted like a person. And what did she mean ''my'' werewolf?


    "I''m Fanv... What do you mean your werewolf?I don''tbelong to you. I want to go home. Why-"


    Fanv stopped. Maker looked as if she was seconds away from crying.


    She was actually close to crying. Her werewolf said she didn''t want to be hers. It wanted to leave and it didn''t like her. How horrible! She was so sure that she did it right. She had a human face, a name and she had introduced herself. She even cleaned away the ugly colors from the wolf''s fur to make it black and white just like herself.


    Fanv didn''t know what to do. This celestial looking being had gone from looking dignified and all-knowing into looking like it wanted to melt into the ground and cry its heart out. Flustered she reached out and patted Maker on the shoulder. What in the world do you do in this sort of situation?? Wait what is Maker- oh she''s hugging her... Why?


    "Uhm... There there. Don''t cry... Did I say something bad?"


    You haaaate me! You want to leeeave, hic.


    Maker wailed into her head.


    "What? No, I just-..."


    Maker perked up at that immediately.


    You do not? Then why do you want to leave?


    "Uh... I miss my home and... Well, I just got surprised when you said I was ''yours''. I mean I''m not an object.."


    But if you return to the humans they will kill you? And why would you need to be an object to be mine? We are dungeon and creature. You are mine and I am yours.


    Fanv flinched a bit at that. That sounded like one of those cheesy romance stories the bard tells. Not that she hated romance stories, it''s just... Does it even mean it like that though? It felt as if she was speaking to a child. A very dramatic and blunt child. And it''s that if she returned home the guards would probably shoot her on sight... That''s depressing... In that case wouldn''t it be better to stay in the dungeon? Maybe. At least if she couldn''t control her transformations and instincts. No matter how far she traveled and how hard she tried to hide her true self, blending in with humans would be impossible if she couldn''t stop herself frommauling them.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Maker nodded in agreement- Wait was she listening to her thoughts?!


    Yes, I hear almost everything.


    "Stop that!"


    Why?


    "It''s intrusive and disturbing. People don''t like being spied on!"


    I am sorry. I did not know that. Other creatures do not complain when I listen to their mind.


    "Would you stop calling me a creature already?"


    Then should I call you human? Or wolf or werewolf maybe?


    "No just call me Fanv."


    So you are not human, wolf, werewolf or creature? You are Fanv? ...A new entity??


    "No... I mean Iama werewolf... Wolf and human. But calling me a creature is rude... Isn''t it? Creatures are lesser than sentient races-"


    Wouldn''t that imply that all races and creatures deemed non-sentient by the sentient races are lesser when they are capable of the same thoughts, even though some must evolve first? That sounds incredibly arrogant... Although humans are more arrogant than many other creatures. I am not one of the sentient races, does that make me lesser than you?


    Maker didn''t look offended. More curious if anything. It was a bit confusing to Fanv how she could be so calm when she had obviously just insulted her. But it was worth pondering. What was that about evolving though? She waited for a moment to see if Maker would answer that question, but it seemed she really was trying to not read her mind.


    "What do you mean ''evolve''?"


    All my creatures evolve when they have fought and learned enough. They get stronger, faster and sturdier. Better in many ways! It is fascinating to watch, many have evolved since I claimed you. They have become smarter and more self-aware. Me as well!


    "Wait what did I do??"


    You became mine. And those who are mine help me evolve and I help them evolve in turn. You are very intelligent and so I have become so as well. And now the others are catching up as well. I am very grateful for this.


    If you stay I will help you evolve as well. If you evolve you will not die. The strong live and the weak die. Living is beautiful so I love living. I love beautiful things!


    Is this a so-called ''deal with the devil''? It makes sense though. If maker became sentient when she... claimed me, then it makes sense why she thinks like a child. She obeys her instincts and they tell her to be strong and live, ''thinking'' wasn''t a choice before... That''s kind of sad.


    "So if I get this right, you want to get stronger and make your creatures stronger. That''s what a dungeon does.-"


    Yes.


    "I''m thinking aloud so you can listen, don''t interrupt."


    Sorry.


    "So getting stronger is your main goal. And I make reaching your goal a bit easier so you want me as a creature. Since I''m a werewolf I might be considered a strong monster. I can''t confirm that though since I''ve only fought one creature so far. If I stay I will grow stronger but I''ll also have to fight things..." She shot Maker a questioning look.


    If you don''t kill things you will starve. You need meat to survive.


    "I know but... Killing is bad so I don''t know if I can handle that."


    Why is it bad if you do it to survive? Humans kill animals to eat. They kill things that are dangerous to them. They even kill each other sometimes.


    "That''s true I guess... It''s just that I haven''t killed anything before the turtle."


    The Glowshell? It would have gone back to sleep if youhad run away. It is not a fast runner.


    "... Doesn''t that make me a violent monster?" Her voice broke a bit at the end of that.


    Is that bad? You attacked it because you felt it was strong. You must kill strong things to grow and evolve. All living things in a dungeon can evolve so they all strive to do so. I would think that makes us more violent than Outsiders since they don''t have the same way of evolving, and therefore don''t have the reason to fight as much.


    "I see... So it''s all about instinct then? The instinct to grow stronger and so on?"


    Yes. I believe you could suppress your instincts with some training if you despise violence. But you would still need to hunt to not starve and to grow a little bit stronger. If you tried to grow strong I am pretty sure you could reach the top of the food-chain. You are a strong... Fanv. A Strong Fanv, and so you could grow even stronger.


    "How does evolving work? Could you make it so my transformations aren''t so painful and hard to control?"


    If you want that then I can try. I only help the evolving start. When you evolve your body changes into something you deem better. I can change some things but in the end, it''s your picture of ''strong'' that your body will aim at.


    For a second a picture of the burly adventurers that sometimes visited the village flashed through Fanv''s mind. Bulging muscles barely contained by their armor-.


    Maker''s musical giggles fill her head at that and she turns to glare at it.


    I am sorry. You visualized that so strongly, I couldn''t help but see it.


    Did this dungeon lady just make a pun?


    "I think you should use another word than strong. Maybe capable? Become more capable."


    Another picture, this time of a goblin wife yelling at her useless husband. ''Get a job damn it!''


    Maker roars with laughter at that. The idea of a pair of goblins acting like humans must seem hilarious to it.


    Maker was about to come up with a funny scenario herself when she felt all alarm bells in her head going off at once. Fanv could only stare in horror as the many snakes in Maker''s hair came to a halt and then with a twitchaccelerated, tangling themselves in the hair. The wings stiffened and flexed repeatedly, making Maker look much bigger and more intimidating. Its face had grown still and cold, eyes burning with hatred and fear as she stared at a wall, most likely on something past it that only itcould see.


    There are adventurersentering my cave system.

 Ch8 Intruders

    Fanv''sheart hammered in her chest as she ran through the tunnels. She was still in her human for, naked and filthy, blood and dirt clinging to her skin. Her legs pumped at record speed, bringing her towards the cave entrance where the adventurers had entered just moments ago. She still felt Maker''s presence in her mind and body, filling her with energy and guiding her through the maze of stone and dirt. But it wasn''t telling her to fight the intruders, no it had let Fanv make that decision herself. And she had decided.


    She would stay in the dungeon and learn. Learn how to fight, learn how to survive, and learn how to control her violent impulses. She would fight and possibly kill, yes, but it would be on her terms.


    She would try to scare the adventurers away, using violence if necessary, but her aim would be to make them leave alive. That was the plan but a growing part of her mind hoped they would resist. It wanted to tear their skin and rip through flesh and tissue until their last shred of life poured through her jaws and claws. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts.


    The walls of the tunnelsvibrated with movement, she could sense the thousands of small creatures rushing beneath stone and dirt, guided by the dungeon itself just like Fanv. Maker was afraid and furious at the intruders, its emotions flowing into the minds of all its creatures. Fanv picked up her pace, almost flying through the dim tunnels, soon the stench of blood would fill the dungeon. She couldn''t help but grin.


    As the archer and scout of the group, Ben made his way first into the dark opening of the cave. Their mage, Kirk, had sensed the spike in nature''s dormant magic reserves, a telltale sign of a nearby dungeon. Dungeons steadily produce magical energy that it injects the surrounding lands with, letting monsters and plants feed on it and breed at an abnormal pace. Rare plants and monsters were drawn to it and they could be turned into valuable materials. Ben''s group had been lucky to notice it during their journey towards the coast. They had planned to stay the night in the small village Ogon and a dungeon would provide them with things to sell and trade for, letting them save up on their current funds.


    Shaw held up his hand and signaled to the others to stop.His sight was surprisingly keen for a warrior who specialized in defense, almost better than a scout. He pointed at asmall opening in the stony ground just a few meters up ahead.Many short trees and bushes hid a slope leading down to the mouth of a cave.


    "It''s rather small..."


    "No shit Joshua, are you a scout now as well? I should just let you and Shaw take over from now on."


    Shaw grunted in amusement as Joshua sulked at the remark. This was one of the times Ben felt almost unneeded and as usual, he was quick to inform the others so.


    Joshua was about to retort but Shaw pushed past him and started for the cave, Kirk and Ben taking position behind him as support. Joshua hurried up to take his place as the rear guard, muttering about cocky archers whileunsheathing his sword.


    Shaw carefully stepped into the small cave opening, wincing as his armor scraped across the narrow stone walls. After about a meter the opening grew much wider, opening up to a much larger cave. A dim light joined the light from the entrance, seemingly coming from somewhere within the cave. Shaw moved to let the others follow into the room as he scanned for dangers.


    The walls were crooked and uneven, rocks and stone jutting out here and there. The floor was made off dry dirt without any plants. The only noise seemed to come from the outside. It was unnaturally quiet.


    Ben scanned the room with knowing eyes, noticing nothing threatening he signaled the others to keep moving. Kirk muttered something and a small flame lit up above their heads, illuminating the large cave and winding tunnel up ahead. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way deeper into the dungeon, continuously scanning the walls for any sign of the expected monsters.


    They didn''t have to walk far before the first monsters appeared. They came out of the walls.


    Mice, rats, hares, squirrels, all sorts of rodents rushed at them in waves of gnashing teeth and glowing eyes. They all screeched as they ran towards the humans, then their voices burst like glass as a ringof fire blasted out around the humans, sweeping through the wave of rodents, leaving nothing but twitching and crumbling corpses.


    Kirk''s expression didn''t change in the least after witnessing the carnage his spell created. Ben, however, had a hard time keeping himself from throwing up. He nearly lost it when he saw the second wave follow the first and meeting the same fate. The third however quickly retreated when they saw what became of their kin. The remaining rodents watched from their tunnels as the humans waited and then continued onwards. The rodents knew that only death would meet them if they kept rushing in. So for the first time, they silently followed the group instead of rushing them, plotting a new plan with better chances of victory as they went.


    The adventurers continued their march after no more rodents appeared. They moved quietly, wary of any approaching enemies. Their vigilance paid off when Joshua swung his sword just above Kirk''s head, cutting a lighting fast projectile in half, successfully saving the mage''s life. The group stopped and Shaw raised his shield to protect them from any other projectiles. They heard something large scuttle away across the dark ceiling, retreating into the walls much like how the rodents had first appeared.


    Ben bent down to inspect the broken projectile.


    "It looks like bone or- wait a second is that hair?"


    As he pulled on an uneven part of the white lump a thin veil of string stretched out between his fingers and the lump. It looked like spider weave that had been tightly compressed into an oval lump. It was hard and damp from a thick, sticky substance. Ben bit back the sick feeling he got from the strange projectile. It was hard enough to do some serious damage if it had hit Kirk''s head like intended. The speed at which it was fired had probably been enough to send it right through his skull.


    "I think our boy Joshua just saved your life, Kirk."


    Kirk shuddered.


    "I owe ya Joshy."


    Shaw clunked his shield on the ground.


    "Whatever it was that shot it seems to be gone now." He muttered in his deep bass voice.


    "Let''s keep moving." Ben was getting excited. If the dungeon had stronger monsters then it meant the materials gathered from their bodies would be even more valuable.


    "It''s a shame there''s no plants tho. Coulda been some rare ingredients." Kirk sighed, then a second projectile went straight through the back of his head.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The group sprang into action as their mage fell to the ground, blood pouring out of the two holes in his head.


    "FUCK, SHIT, SHIT-" Joshua kept swearing as he swung around. The shot had come from the opposite side of the tunnel and slightly from the ground. Whatever it was that shot had beenunder the ground and gotten there fast from its previous position up on the ceiling. A dark furry shape dived back underneath the dirt as Ben''s arrow struck it, just a second too late to hit the creature.


    Shaw swung his shield down hard onto the ground, sending a shockwave through the silence as heroared a challenge into the darkness. The light of Kirk''s spell was fading fast as the flame above them died out. And then something answered the roar.


    A high pitch scream, close to the sound of a human woman, that then trailed into a scratchy vibrating sound. Soon many more such screams answered the first one. The cave systemrang with it, coming from every direction. Strong, raw, fury made into sound. Then the stone around them rang even louder with the bangs of hooves striking it.


    That''s when they saw the first goat. A gray goat, no bigger than a dog, with marble-white hooves and patches of green mold covering their fur. The mold and the eyes were the only colors present on the creature. The eyes were an intense red that bled light into the tunnel, glowing with anger. It opened its mouth, revealing rows of serrated teeth and then it screamed again.


    The humans barely broke out of their trancein time to react to the flock of goats that came from behind them. The small creatures smacked into them with the force of a horse-drawn cart. They ignored all hits to their heads or small bodies and sunk their teeth into any exposed flesh, then they thrashed their heads backward to get their opponents off balance.


    Shaw swung his shield and knocked three goats of off Joshua, who in turn severed the heads of four others with his sword. Ben, however, wasn''t so lucky and fell to the ground before the other two could help him. He screeched as the goats pulled him away and one of them stomped on his windpipe, crushing it and sending him into a gurgling fit of panic before another goat stomped right through his head.


    Shaw bellowed in rage and crushed another pair of goats underneath his shield. The goats were too fast for him however and while he normally would have killed ten or eight with each swing he barely managed two or three when he got lucky enough to hit at all. This was thanks to the thousands of rodents that peered through their openings, watching every movement and filtering all useless information out and relaying the useful info to the goats with the help if the dungeon itself.


    This was thanks to the thousands of rodents that peered through their openings, watching every movement and filtering all useless information out and relaying the useful info to the goats with the help if the dungeon itself.


    Maker had, at the request of the rodents, linked them up with the goats to guide their movements. Supported by the thoughts and reflexes of thousands, the goats could out-move almost anything the humans did. But then something happened to the large human clad in metal, holding a shield almost as big as himself. Something in his eyes changed as he watched his partner fall onto one knee. He roared again, but this time it sounded primal and sent fear rolling through the monsters'' spines. The rodents squealed and retreated, leaving the goats to deal with the mad human themselves.


    The flock of goats hesitated and then the ironclad human swung his shield yet again, sending thirteen of them flying with crushed bodies. The goats were not as many as the rodents and the hits to their numbers affected them even more so because of that. Twenty-threeof them remained of their former thirty-seven. The human roared again and twenty-three became nineteen. They felt the effect of the Skill the human had activated. [Berserker] spread fear among all enemies and made the user even stronger at the risk of overusing their own body, damaging them greatly at the end of the effect.


    Shaw swung around and around, smashing and crushing any of the goats that didn''t move fast enough. Joshua lay bleeding at his feet, barely breathing and with a crushed shoulder andleg. He felt his skill strengthening his body and coloring his vision red. Ben and Kirk were dead and the reality of it screamed into his mind to avenge them. The accursed goats backed away from him as he thrashed about, leaving him in a circle of corpses and glaring monsters. He saw them hesitate. He saw them back away and falter as he stood towering over his fallen comrades, one still breathing but not for long.


    Joshua was bleeding out on the cold dirt floor. Small black clovers had begun rising from the dirt around him and their red glowing flowers seemed to sneer at him. He felt himself growing colder as the flowers glowed brighter and brighter. He could see Shaw swing around above him, trying to glare down every goat at once as the surrounded him. He saw Ben''s bow a few feet away from him, somehow not broken by the stomping goats. Then he saw the new monster running towards them through the tunnel up ahead.


    A twisted imitation of a wolf. Its legs and body too long and thin, coat a dark black with patches of white spread out across it, covering the legs and lower jaw completely. It had a jerky snake-like way of moving, spine rolling in waves to support the spindly legs. And its eyes screamed madness.


    Shaw was too distracted by the goats to notice the wolf crashing into him, and when it did they both snarled and swung at each other. Shaw swung his shield and clocked the wolf on its side, while the wolf sliced its claws through Shaw''s face. He''d torn the helmet off to widen his range of vision while the goats circled him.


    The wolf howled and snarled as it lost its balance and fell. Shaw raised his shield to slam it down in the wolf''s ribcage, his skill preventing pain from stopping his movement. He missed it by inches as it jerked away from him. It swung its head around like a snake and then locked its teeth into Shaw''s ankle, metalcrunching beneath it as it jerked his leg and threw him off balance. He landed on one knee and shoved his shield so it would fall onto the wolf. The shields weight would have been enough to do some damage to the frail looking wolf had it reached.


    A blur of movement caught the shield midfall and changed its course enough to make it topple to the side, letting the wolf slip away just in time. It released its hold on Shaw''s ankle as it did so, blood dripping onto the ground from its jaws, both Shaw''s and its own.


    The thing that knocked the shield awry sprung from the ground and collided with Shaw''s face, knocking him onto his back.While it clung to his face Joshua got his first good look at the creature.


    It was a hare. A hare that had grown too big and been molded into agrotesque imitation of the wolf. It had the same long limbs and snake-like way of moving. The pelt was a spitting image of the wolf and it had the same glowing yellow eyes. The goats were watching the three fight along with Joshua. He was too close to the fight for them totake the risk and kill him so they ignored him and watched the frothing wolf rear its head up and then slam its jaws into the man''s face. The hare shot off just as it was about to be caught in between the jaws. It wasfast. It kept a safe distance from the goats, dying human and wolf who was tearing into the already dead ironclad human.


    The goats watched in dismay as the wolf began feeding on its kill. They had no interest in meat, no what they wanted was the Bloodclovers that bloomed all around the room as a result of the fight. Killing and crushing bodies was just a way to make the Bloodclovers grow faster and in abundance. Placing them near the top of the food-chain because of their bloodthirsty lifestyle was just a bonus.


    Now they wanted to feed and to do that they would need to get closer to the wolf, who would most likely lash out at them for trying to steal its meal. What a pain. Grudgingly they began to nibble on the flowers furthest away from the wolf. The other human was dead now and if the wolf left it they could crush it up to make the Bloodclovers spread there as well.


    The cheeky hare edged closer to the wolf and began nibbling on the clovers while carefully watching the wolf. It snarled at the hare but left it alone when it didn''t go any closer.


    What a troublesome rule the dungeon insists on. Preventing them from attacking each other cause of the excuse that they all gathered there to fight the humans. Fighting intruders was one of the highest priorities. The rule would keep the creatures from tearing each other apart after the intruders were dead. No animal from the lower ranks of the food chain would help if they knew they''d just be killed by the other creatures after they''ve helped to kill the humans so in a way the rule ensured thatall creatures would help fight. The forced peace would end once they all returned to where they''d been when the dungeon first sent out the signal to attack. At least it didn''t stop them from feeding on the remaining corpses and Bloodclovers. It''s still annoying though...


    [Intruders successfully eliminated!]


    [Creature Werewolf (Fanv) gained a title]


    [Maneater]


    [Creature Shadowspinner gained a title]


    [Maneater]


    [Creature Dreadhare gained a skill]


    [Imitation]

 Ch9 Maker shouldnt swear

    That didn''t go as planned at all... Fanv grumbled to herself as she made her way back to where she and Maker had first met. She had wanted to talk to the adventurers and had even hoped to make them leave alive. She hadn''t been fast enough to reach them before the fighting broke out. When Maker had told her the other creatures had made contact with the adventurers she had transformed to get there faster, and when she had smelled all the blood and heard the screams and sound of battle something in her head had snapped and then when she regained control of her body she had already fought, killed and eaten large parts of the adventurers. She felt disgusted and disappointed.


    Maker had urged everyone to return to their previous positions before they continued their daily business, only giving them time to claim the spoils of victory (food). Something about not disturbing the ecosystem. Fanv had been more than happy to obey and flee the grisly scene. As soon as she had run back she transformed, shoved two fingers into the back of her mouth and threw up as much of what she''d eaten as possible. The hare that had saved her from getting crushed by a massive shield had somehow found her when she finished puking. Fanv had to shout and wave to stop it from licking up her puke. Why must everything be so gross...


    The hare had watched her curiously as she stomped around the cave, cursing instincts, humans, murder-goats and puke-eating rabbits. Maker had arrived at some point and sat down calmly, putting the hare in her lap and stroking it while listening to Fanv''s complaints, nodding knowingly while in reality, she had no idea why seeminglyeverything made the werewolf upset.


    It took some time for Fanv to calm down and when her rants finally ended, Maker had learned an impressive amount of swear words.


    "Is there a good cave close to the entrances that I could make my own?"


    Hm yes, there should be at least one you like. Otherwise Iwill make a new one for you. Then you can react much faster if any more goddamned adventurers appear.


    Fanv blinked at the proud looking Maker.


    "Ok... And are there any underground lakes or rivers or something? Preferably near my cave. I need a place to wash myself off and water to drink."


    Yes, I am looking for a good cave right now. Then you can make your den and fuck up any other-


    "Please stop swearing, it doesn''t suit you at all...."


    Maker sulked at that. She was getting the hang of it, she thought.


    Then you can handle any other intruders that appear.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Maker then lit up as a new thought struck her.


    Do you prefer wolves or humans? It would be easier if you preferred wolves, wolves I can claim. But if you prefer humans then I guess I could figure something out-


    "What are you talking about?"


    Who would you prefer to mate with? I want you to mate and have pups so I can have more werewolves!


    "No."


    No?


    "No... I refuse to-...breed... monsters for you. I''m not an animal damnit!"


    Whyyyyy? I love werewolves! You are strong and smart! I want more! Willyou not consider it if I find you an ideal mate? Iwill even try and make arrangements for a human living here if you want to!


    "Nooo! I don''t! Want! To! BREED! That''s a whole new level of wrong! And besides, your idea of an ''ideal mate'' would probably be something terrifying!"


    Maker sulked but didn''t come up with any more arguments. Perhaps Fanv was too young to feel the desire to breed? Yes, let''s hope that. Maker really wanted a pack of werewolves roaming around in her caves. Adventurers would be no match for a pack of evolved werewolves!


    "Back to the topic of my ''den'', I don''t want it to be crawling with weird things. No rat tunnels or bloodsucking clovers or, or- or insects! I hate insects!"


    Sodo I. There are no- barely any insects in my dungeon.


    "Wait what? You can do that? I mean is that even allowed, mustn''t there be insects to like, support the food-chain or something? Can dungeons just say ''I don''t like that'' and then it disappears?"


    Yes. Or at least I can try to make it so. I donot like insects. Too many colors and no pretty fur or bones, just grosscarapace and strange substitutes for blood. I like blood and fur and colorless bodies with few specks of color, I think it''s called contrast? Yes, I like contrast. Bright colorful eyes and minor details and colorless bodies. Insects have close to none of the above so I dislike them.


    "But how... how do you prevent them from being in here? Don''t they crawl in from the outside?"


    I made it so all the rodents love eating insects. As soon as any insect gets in a rodent eats it. Although a few made it and evolved... That ugly spider for one. He just will notdie! But he keeps getting more fur and he knows WHY I donot like him so he is aiming to evolve into something I like I think. Maybe he will become beautiful... One day... And then there are the bees.


    "The bees?"


    The bees. They are cute. They are like tiny furry rodents but without teeth. They are acceptable.


    "How... how big are the bees?"


    Bigger than the Bansheeps.


    "Bansheeps?"


    Do you like it? I have been naming all my creatures since I learned words. The ghosts you know of called ''Banshee'' screams before things die right? The goats do as well so I-


    "But they''regoats not sheep?"


    Pssh, details. I can add wool later in their evolutions. Will they look like sheep then?


    "I guess..."


    If you start walking down this tunnel then it will lead you to the cave I prepared. There is a small lake in a cave close to it where you can drink and wash. I am closing all the hidden tunnels leading into your cave.


    Maker pointed at the wall and then it split up and revealed a new tunnel. Fanv rose and started towards the new tunnel. The hare rose from Maker''s lap and trotted after her, albeit from a safe distance in case the human suddenly decided it wanted to eat it.


    Oh, you should probably shift into a wolf again. There is a flock of Bansheeps near your cave. They will probably try to kill you so good luck!

 Ch10 Wolves and Bansheep

    The flock of Bansheep had been following the Wolf''s trail for some time now. It was very important that they fight the Wolf to determine where on the food-chain it stood... And if necessary, kill it to make sure that they remained at the top of it. There were few creatures who could rival a flock of Bansheep and that was how they intended to keep it.


    The spider might be strong, but it always fled before any real fighting could start so its strength is uncertain.


    The bees are bigger in numbers, but each individual is weaker than a Bansheep so they were not threat.


    Hooves like steel and bones sturdier than those of a Glowshell''s. Their small nimble bodies could withstand a lot of abuse before breaking.


    And they were strong. Very strong. Their skill at breaking bones was a direct result of their lifestyle. Wherever the Bansheep roam, carnage would follow and beneath the grime Bloodclovers would grow in abundance. For a creature who only fed on plants, this was an unusual lifestyle indeed. The next target for their violent temper could now be heard further up ahead in the tunnels.


    The Bansheep steeled themselves for what they imagined would be a close fight. What they didn''t prepare for however was not one buttwo wolves walking towards them. The bigger wolf was the one they''d fought alongside when the humans attacked but the smaller one was new...


    It was a lot smaller, possibly a cub, but surely it must be a wolf as well. It had the exact same patterns as the larger wolf and its eyes glowed yellow. It had a slightly rounder head and a rather short tail but otherwise, they were identical...


    The Bansheep hesitated. If it had bred a cub then its mate must be somewhere in the tunnelsas well. They had been sure that they could handle one wolf, three would put the odds against them. What to do?... The Bansheep glanced at each other. Their leader, a big maleBansheep, bleated in annoyance at the wolves. They had halted just a few meters away from the flock. What to do...


    Fanv did her best not to tremble. The goats had looked rather harmless from a distance, small as they were. But their glowing red eyes screamed of malice and she had seen the damage they could do with their kicks. The harewalked next to her, ears curled up and limbs stretched out to match her own posture and movements. It was a bit eerie how the overgrown rodent could manage to look like a miniature version of herself despite the differences in anatomy. It must be magic... or a Skill maybe? Skills were like magic but worked a bit differently. They had a set effect so to speak, and they weren''t tied to an element like spells were. If it was a Skill then she would guess its effect was to draw the eyes away from the differences between herself and the hare and point out the similarities instead. A small boost that did all the difference.


    Letting her thoughts drift off was easier than meeting the glare of the Bansheep. They stood in front of them now, staring each other down and sizing each other up. Why didn''t they attack? Was it because of Fanv''s Skill? She only had one, [Frenzy] and she wasn''t sure what it did exactly. It sounded like something a warrior would have. A berserker perhaps. Something that drove her mad and bloodthirsty. Could it instill fear as well? Probably not. So then why are the Bansheep not attacking-


    A huge Bansheep stepped out of the crowd, followed by two others who were, while not as big, still pretty impressive. They all sported moss covered horns, dull and stained from mold and dried blood. The biggest one (the leader?), bleated in challenge. At that, the rest voicedtheir usual bone-chillingscreams while forming a circle around Fanv, the hare and the three Bansheep. Wait wait wait, what''s going on?Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Then the leader jumped.


    He slammed into Fanv with much more force than she expected and the blow made her stumble. One of the smaller ones ran around and flung itself onto her back, rearing and slamming its front hooves onto her spine, earning a sharp yelp from Fanv. The third, however, fell to the floor screaming as the hare bit into its neck, clawed limbs digging into its back and holding it there as the Bansheep thrashed about, trying to shake the hare off.


    Fanv spun her head around and managed to nick the Bansheep on its front legs before it jumped off. The leader tackled her again, this time hitting the shoulder with the deep gash her transformation hadn''t managed to heal. She howled in rage and felt the world go red around her.


    The hare got flung off from the now frothing Bansheep''s back. It held chunks of fur and flesh between its claws and blood coated both their pelts. They both had to duck as Fanvthrew the other small Bansheep. It flew into a wall and a wet cracktold the spectators of broken stone and ruptured muscles. The leader screeched in rage and charged the wolf again. It caught him by the horns with its front legs and for a split second, he saw its gaping maw before it slammed shut over his head.


    The hare ran over to the thrown Bansheep and managed to puncture its throat with its needle-like teeth before the other one charged after it. The leader was fully concentrated on pulling and aiming random kicks to get the wolf to release his head. He felt a hoof connect and the next second the ground disappeared beneath him. The wolf had reared as he hit it and now it spun around and slammed him into the ground, jaws still locked over his head. He felt blood fill his lungs and his muscles screamed to stop moving. Then the wolf lifted him again. And again and again and again. Each time he connected with the ground he felt the strength leaving him. He felt his skullcrack. How long had it been since something managed to break his bones? He didn''t have time to remember, darkness drowned out the next blow.


    The Bansheep leader was dead. Yet the mad wolf still flung his body around like a piece of cloth. It was frothing at the mouth and its eyes had turnedbloodstained. It finally realized that the leader was dead when the spine snapped and the body went flying into the crowd. The other Bansheep were silent even as they backed away, leaving the wolf more room.


    The hare dove out of the way as the wolf snatched the Bansheep it had been wrestling. The Bansheep screeched and then the wolf started shaking it. Bones crunched and blood filled the wolf''s mouth. Its muscles burned and everything tasted of blood and pain. And it was loving every second of it.


    As the wolf dropped the torn Bansheep the hare ran. It ran for the rodent tunnels and for a brief second it felt jaws snap just behind its tail, snagging a few strands of fur. It crawled deeper into the narrow tunnel and stared in horror at the wolf''s jaws and claws as it scratched and dug at the stone that kept them apart. After some time it withdrew, leaving scratch marks and bloodstains and a frightened Dreadhare.


    Maker shuddered as she watched her wolf tear the Bansheep apart. She grinned widely as waves of ecstasy washed through her. This was what it meant to be alive. This pure rush of emotion and energy. The pumping blood and howls that escaped when the mind couldn''t handle it anymore. It was so intense and pure that it made her laugh. Yes. Strong creatures and their struggle to survive. The endless bloodbath and rush of raw emotions. This is what she lived for. This isbeautiful!


    Panting and shivering she felt the climax of the madness pass. She calmed down and watched her wolf tear at the walls, searching for anything within reach to hurt. She let her mind slip closer to it and pushed feelings of exhaustion and weariness into the wolf''s raging mind. She watched it slow down and it pained her to watch it whimper and yelp as the adrenaline that had drowned out its pain finally left it.


    She pushed it with her mind to make it move in the direction of the cave she had prepared. It halted along the path she showed it, lapping at wounds and fighting the urge to pass out on the spot. She released her hold on it when it reached the cave. It slumped to the ground, curling up and falling asleep within seconds.

 Ch11 Cute fuzzy rodents

    "Maaaaker! Get in here I need your help!"


    The werewolf was shouting in her cave. She was in her human form and most of her wounds from her fight with the Bansheep had healed. Curious, Maker made her way to the cave, it didn''t take long as she had been roaming nearby, waiting for her wolf to wake up.


    Good morning little one, how are you feeling?


    "Like absolute shit, and we need to do something about that!"


    Your wounds will heal if you rest another couple of hours. Have you gone to the lake? You should drink something.


    "No, that''s not what I meant. I feel like shit cause I went on another murder spree. I need to learn some control or I''ll seriously bein trouble!"


    Hmm, she''s still concerned about her bloodlust huh. Maker frowned in thought.


    And what would you have us do to teach you control?


    "Uhm... Dunno, can''t you like.... give me a Skill or evolve me or something?"


    No...


    "You can''t?"


    It is not that I can not. It is more like... It is cheating? And cheating is very bad and makes me feel veeery bad. Even if it is to help my favorite werewolf.


    "So... you don''t want to help me then?"


    It is not that! I want to help you but forcefully evolving you is hard and cheating. It is like your instincts. My instincts tell me to not cheat. Going against my instincts would be bad and hurt me.


    "I... don''t really get it, but ok. No cheat evolving. I guess even you have rules you must follow..."


    Yes...


    They both sat quietly for a moment, thinking.


    "How about you have one of the rodents come here and pester me? And I try tonot snap and kill it? You could snatch it away before I hurt it or maybe just stop us with your hoodowoodomagicalmind?"


    My what?


    "Would that work?"


    Hoodo-... Well, I guess it would work. Would you be ok with me forcing my will on you though? Is that not one of the things you dislike?


    "Hmm... Not if it''s to help me and I know why and have given you permission... I think it''ll be fine, just this time. I don''t want to hurt the lil guy. Though I want it to try andmake me want to hurt it."


    Why not use a bigger creature then? I am sure there are plenty of others who would like to test their might against you.


    "I don''t want to actually gethurt. Just annoyed enough to snap. I don''t want either of us getting hurt since the goal is to make my temperless violent. Oh and I don''t want to use Pohc. I don''t want to hurt him if anything goes wrong so let''s use a random rodent I''ve never seen before.


    Pohc?


    "Yes, Pohc. The hare, I named him. He saved my life you know, and I think he likes me."


    Maker looked at her werewolf for a second, trying to understand what she meant. Then she broke out into a bright smile.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Another named individual in my dungeon! How wonderful! How nice!


    The dungeon and the werewolf chattered happily for awhile before Maker called out for the rodents.


    Later, a small pack of rodents answered the call of Maker. Carefully they sneaked through the many small tunnels until they had to enter the larger ones the other creatures used. They were nervous because as they approached a dimly lit cave the first of them noticed the New one''s scent. Maker''s call was stronger than their fear of the large predator, but it didn''t stop them from shuddering and walking closer to each other, ready to sacrifice the slowest or most unlucky of their group should they need to flee. They didn''t however. The large wolf sat in the middle of the cave and watched them with curious eyes. Well, it wasn''t really a wolf right then. It looked more like a human, but they knew that it was just a guise it donned to trick others.


    They also noticed the one of their kin that had evolved. The mighty Dreadhare that could fight evenly with the Bansheep. The rodents puffed out their chests with pride and admiration as they watched the hare rose and trottedover to them.


    A small vole lifted its head in greeting to the big hare. Pohc responded in kind, nodding his chin upwards.


    ''Hello siblings, it is nice to see you again. How''s our kin doing?''


    The language of the rodents was a complex combination of body language, huffing, and other barely noticeable noises. Fanv watched in fascination as the adorable critters tumbled about and did their cute little rodent things. The brown vole cleaned its face and seemed to sneeze. Fanv wanted to squeal. They were too cute.


    To Pohc the gestures carried other meanings, however. The vole spoke.


    ''Many of us fell in battle with the Humans. But sturdy as we are, we have mended our wounds and bredmany new generations. Soon our numbers will be as impressive as before. The young ones sport black fur and yellow eyes, they have the potential to evolve just like you, Strong one.''


    ''Excellent. Oh, and I have received a name. The New one has honored me with the name Pohc.''


    The other rodents grew excited and couldn''t help but jump in excitement. One of their kin had not only evolved into a great beast, he had also managed to forge an alliance with the New one, and he had a name. It was truly a great day for the rodents.


    A scabby mouse spoke up next, asking why Maker had called them here. Pohc answered with his head held high.


    ''To help the New one grow even mightier! She is wise and sees the value in diplomatics, she wishes to use us to gain even greater self-control. Then she will be able to form a pack with anyone and we, too low on the food-chain to be a desirable food source, can support her rule and feast on her slain enemies.''


    A grayporcupine shook it''s body and asked in confusion.


    ''Why must she gain self-control to be strong? Isn''t it enough to be able to tear to shreds anyone who dares approach her?''


    Pohc snickered at that, clearly, he had become smarter when he evolved as he now needed to explain to his siblings why self-control was such a valuable thing to have.


    ''If she merely wished to be the most dangerous thing in these caves then sure it would be enough to be ferocious but torule she will need to communicate with the other creatures. If she attacked anyone or anything she sees then she would just be feared, but if she could snap her jaws and snarl at others without charging then she can do more than that.''


    ''Such as what?'' A small mouse piped up. ''What would she do as a ruler? What does a ruler do?''


    Pohc paused. He hadn''t really thought that far yet. He just knew that ''ruler'' was a mighty thing to be. Something the humans and some other pack animals did. The Bansheep had their leader, and they were strong. The rodents did not have a leader and so they were weak. Yes, that must be it. A ruler makes the pack strong.


    ''A ruler would lead us. Teach us and make sure that we prosper. As a ruler, she would make sure that no other Intruders destroy our kin. If we have a ruler then we will be organized and wise and strong.''


    Pohc twitched his ears as Maker told him something.


    ''Our wise creator has shared great wisdom with us! She said a leader could talk to others and make them bring us food! Trading she says! And great feasts and sharing of knowledge!''


    Images of ballrooms and humans dancing and eating during festivals. Joy.


    Theporcupine spoke up again.


    ''I see! There is more to life than simply surviving. Feeding, breeding, and sleeping is all good and well but there are more things we could do. We can think now and with thoughts comes wishes and yearning for greater things.''


    ''Yes! And a leader would not only be respected by us, her followers. No she would be respected by others as well, her title would demand it!'' the vole chirped.


    Fanv watched the rodents squeak and run around, knocking into each other and flicking their ears and whiskers in adorable ways. She wondered what they were doing. Talking maybe? Talking about small rodent things like cheese and flowers and cuddling. Except maybe thatporcupine. It wouldn''t be very nice to cuddle a walking needle pile. She wondered if they''d let her pet them later. Snuggle up with them and pick at their small hands and feet. So tiny and cute. Such innocent little creatures.


    ''LONG LIVE THE RODENT EMPIRE! MAY OUR QUEEN BRING US JOY AND CARNAGE!'' the rodents squealed.

 Ch12 Annoying sassy rodents

    Fanvwas working up a sweat. The previously small group of rodents had grownto at least 10 members now. Any they were all taking turns tackling, jumping onto and poking Fanv in the most irritating ways they could think of. Maker kept a watchful eye on all of them and intervened when the wolf was about to snap. They''d started with training in her human form but after about an hour of constant squeakingand hundreds of scratch marks covering her pale skin, they''d decided that the human for was way more patient than the wolf.


    It was the wolf that had a short temper. Every time a rat jumped onto her tail and tugged she would spin around, jaws snapping and snarling. Each time Maker had pushed her invisible tendrils into Fanv''s mind, stopping her in her tracks until she calmed down. They had a system for that now.


    Freeze. Count to 5. Think of a fairytale creature (or rare monster) and describe it in detail. The number of details varied along with Maker''s interest in said creature.She had given Maker access to her thoughts since her snout was unable to form proper words.


    Chimera. A bunch of animals merged into a new creature. Traditionallya lion with three heads. One lion, one goat, one... what was the third one again? Snake? Yes, I think it was a snake. And the tail ends in a snakehead as well. Creatures that look like blends of three or more creatures are often called chimera unless their race has another name.


    I like this one. Blending animals together would let me choose the best parts and replace the ugly parts. Say, would you like to have scales in some places? Maybe a second head-


    Absolutely not. Being a wolf is good enough thank you.


    A very persistent squirrel pounced onto Fanv''s snout, chattering and shaking its head back and forth. Too damn noisy- get off!


    Freeze. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A creature, think of a creature...


    Banshee-


    No, you have already told me about that one.


    Uhm, then... Centaur. Half horse, half human. They have the body of a horse but where the neck should begin a human waist starts instead, from there it''s a human upper body.


    Ooooh, I like this one too. Does it have to be a horse? Or a human? Can it be a fish or a cow? Or a spider?


    Uh, I think there are variants. The spider one is called Arachne I think. The horse-human one is the most common in stories though. Apparently, they are real as well but very rare since others don''t see them as a sentient race. They lost too many of their numbers to slavery.


    You know so much about monsters and stories. I am very impressed.


    I read a lot of stories when I was younger. Actually, I kept reading them after I got older. Up until I transformed and got chased away that is. I find myths and monsters very interesting...


    Normally she would have blushed at that confession. But her canine body didn''t really understand that function. And Maker wasn''t really someone who judged. She was too innocently curious abouteverything to frown on adults doing childish things.


    Fanv held her breath for a second. She felt a total of 4 rodents crawling along her body, pulling at fur and tickling her. Her body was shaking slightly but she felt more in control than ever. Yes, she could probably handle-


    One of the rodents pissed on her shoulders. She whirled around in a heartbeat, jaws frozen just above the small trembling mole.


    1, 2, 3, 4, 5.... Deep breath. Yes, this was working. Slowly.


    Church-grim. Within some religions, there''s a custom to bury an animal alive in the graveyard. The animal will then turn into a church-grim that acts as the guardian of the graveyard. It will politely ask people to behave. Graverobbers will be warned first. Then torn to pieces if they ignore the warning. Dogs or cats are the most common types of Church-grims, but there is a story about a human boy being turned into one once... They are considered a type of undead and were far more common a hundred years back or so.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I do not like this one. It is cruel to the church-grim.


    Yes... It is a sad kind of creature...


    The rodents nodded sadly as well. Apparently, Maker shared the stories with them as well.


    It took several hours until Fanv felt satisfied with the results of the training. She could stand perfectly still as the rodents did their damn best to piss her off. One had even tried to poke her in the eye but she calmly shook her head until it fell off. Maker was floating in the air while humming. She was nearly in a better mood than Fanv.


    Everyone was happy and pleased with the fruits of their labor. Then Fanv''s stomach growled and the rodents were out of sight in a heartbeat.


    ... I thought they trusted me to not eat them by now...


    Do not worry. It is all about instinct. Only a fool would remain within a hungry predator''s sight.


    I guess...


    Now that she thought about it, how would she get food? Should she hunt? Hunt what exactly? She refused to hunt any of the rodents after all they''d done to help her.


    There are other animals you can prey on in the tunnels. Sniff around a bit, explore.


    Maker reassured her. Ok, sniff around huh. She lowered her head to the ground and took a deep breath. The cave reeked of the smell of rodents. There were traces of blood and goat as well, probably from her fight with the before. A clearwet smell lingered as well. If wet could be called a smell that is. It reminded her that there should be an underground lake nearby like Maker had said.


    She followed the smell of water and soon she was trotting down the dark tunnels. The lake was a fair walk away but the scenery was truly breathtaking. A huge cave filled with clear, still, water. A faint veil of mist covered the surface, giving it a mysterious vibe. Huge stalactites hung from the ceiling, some nearly touching the surface of the lake. And all around the lake were thin strips of land, moist dirt and a thick blanket of fungi. The mushrooms were all shapes and sizes one could imagine. They were a glowing white with a tint of blue hiding in the shadows of the shiny surfaces. The blueish light made the cave look cold and eerie. Some mushrooms had climbed up the walls and others stretched out over the water.


    A flicker of movement behind one of thestalactites caught her eye. A bird? It looked like a raven. It ''kawed'' quietly before landing vertically on astalactite. Sharp claws and nimble, finger-like toes held it steady on the stone surface.


    Fanv watched the scenery in awe for a moment, then she snickered to herself and took a deep breath. She let out a ''kaaaw'' herself (tho it sounded more like ''kaaooowh''), imitating the bird playfully.


    It answered back, louder this time. Then it dropped from its perch and plummeted towards the water. It threw out its wings at the last second and swooped along the clear surface, creating ripples as it went.


    Then about a hundred more that had been hidden in the shadows followed. and they all flew towards Fanv. What the hell?! She turned on her heel and ran back towards the tunnels. Angry birds hot on her tail.


    They didn''t follow far into the tunnel, however. Most likely because the narrow walls made it harder for them to fly. Fanv was out of breath when they finally left her alone. She took the chance to rest before she continued her search for food. Her stomach kept telling her to hurry.


    After some ''sniffing around'', she found a trail to follow. The scent of blood wafted towards her from further up ahead. As she entered the cave where it should be coming from she had to stop in her tracks. It was the cave she had fought the Bansheep in and the corpses still lay there, half-eatenand rotting. And all around the room, the Bloodclovers bloomed. But it wasn''t the clovers that caught her eye, it was the flock of Bansheep that roamed around feeding on them.


    They had all lifted their heads and turned their gaze towards her. Now their creepy red eyes stared at her, but other than that they didn''t move. One of the smaller goats stood alone in the thickest patch of flowers. It bleated at her and then went back to feeding. Soon the others followed its example, only throwing a glance at the dumbfounded Fanv every now and then.


    She stood still for awhile, watching the Bansheep suspiciously, then when they did nothing, she took a careful step into the cave. The Bansheep didn''t react so she kept going, slowly making her way over to the closest cadaver. It was the biggest of the goats, the leader. It lay there, headless and torn. Small bite marks covered the exposed bones, probably from the rodents.


    Fanv took another look around to make sure the Bansheep didn''t sneak up on her, but they all peacefully grazed. Not one of them reacted when she took the first bite of the corpse. She didn''t really pay any attention to the rotting meat, she just let her body go on autopilot, tearing at the stiff tendons and dried flesh. She kept her attention on the goats, making sure that they weren''t tricking her or planning something. Feeding in the middle of their flock felt risky, but they didn''t do anything to confirm her suspicions so she kept on eating.


    After she felt full she hurriedly went back to the tunnels leading to her den. The Bansheep didn''t follow. The whole thing felt a bit surreal. Once back in her cave she curled up in a corner, facing the entrance should anything decide to visit her. She felt tired. So very tired. She barely noticed her bones starting to pop and break.


    You are one quick evolver, my darling wolf~


    [Creature Werewolf(Fanv)evolved into Visvarg]


    [Dungeon Title unlocked!]


    [Monster den]


    [You have gained further freedom in modifying future evolutions of creatures in your possession!]

 Ch13 Too many eyes

    "What in the seven hells and the gods bellow did you do?!"


    Good morning sleepy! You have evolved!


    "Everything is spinning! It feels like the things I see areentering my head! THROUGHME EYES!"


    I just added a couple of eyes? Does it really do that much of a difference?


    "YES!"


    Do not scream. I can hear you perfectly fine.


    "How can I scream in my head!?"


    ''I can hear you.''


    "Oh, Pohc.- wait why can you hear me??"


    I gave you telepathy! Now you can speak as a wolf as well! And you will be able to understand what a lot of other creatures say since they unconsciouslythink what they mean to tell you. Even if they talk by waving their hands you should be able to get the general idea of what they mean~


    "Uh... how does that work?"


    I just told you?


    "No, I mean... eh, forget what I meant. So I can talk with Pohc now?"


    ''So it seems, Great one. I am honored to be talked to directly by you.''


    "...Great one?"


    ''Yes. Mighty Wolf, who brought us knowledge and intelligence. We are forever in your debt.''


    Fanv looked at the hare.


    "Have you... have you always talked like this? The other rodents as well?"


    ''We have spoken in this way ever since we gained words. You look confused, Great one? Have I offended you?''


    "No, not at all...It''s just... You sound so... sodignified. It''s not what I expected is all..."


    Fanv shook her head. Her picture of cute rodents talking in cute ways about cute things shattered. Her stomach rumbled.


    "Again? I ate yesterday, aren''t wolves supposed to be able to go days without food?"


    Evolving takes a lot of energy. Being hungry is normal.


    "Evolving-... WAIT I EVOLVED?!"


    Yes! You are now a Visvarg! A creature of my own creation, name, shape, and abilities all new to the world!


    "... But I don''t feel that different aside from my weird sense of sight and telepathy..."


    Your sense of sight is different because I added 3 more eyes. Telepathy is a rare Skill. Your long limbs were originally a result of your body getting deformed from lack of nutrients when your first transformation took place. I changed that so the long limbs will be natural for your species. Your organs, bones, and joints will be more flexible than a normal werewolf''s so you will be able to transform quicker and with less pain. There should be some changes to your temper as well.


    "This is a lot of information to take in..."


    And the part I am most proud of: I figured out a way to make you very fertile. You should be able to mate with both genders and create offspring-


    "I WILL NOT MATE!!"


    I knooooow.... But if you ever change your mind-


    "Nooooo!"


    But-


    "NO!!!"


    Not even if-


    "NO! NO! NO! NEVER! NO MONSTER BABIES FROM ME! NOPE!"


    ''Adoption maybe? If you raised a wolf, dog or any other kind of canine then wouldn''t it be possible for them to evolve into a Visvarg?''


    "I dunno... Maybe?"


    So if I claim a litter of pups then you will raise them into Visvargs?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Maker looked way too happy about that idea.


    "No kidnapping babies. Not even dog babies. That''s not alright."


    You are so hard to please sometimes...


    Fanv''s stomach made another loud noise to remind everyone that she was practically starving. She rose and hurried into the tunnels before Maker could come up with another plan for future generations of monster wolves. Pohc trotted along by her side, matching her gait perfectly. It was hard to remember that he was a rabbit at times, he was way too good at imitating her.


    As she sniffed and scanned the dirt floor of the tunnels, Fanv noticed much more details than before. She could make out tracks in the dirt that she hadn''t seen before. 5 eyes are better than 2 huh. A particularly big footprint caught her eyes. Hoof-marks from a big animal, possibly as big as her. The tracks smelled kind of like the cows back home, although very faint, presumably old tracks.


    "Pohc, do you know what left these tracks?"


    ''Tracks? I see no tracks, Great one.''


    "They''re right here. See?"


    She scratched at the ground right next to the tracks. The hare shook its head.


    ''This one lacks the superior sight the Great one has been blessed with. Maybe if you described them?''


    "Uh, they look like marks from hooves. BIG hooves. And they smell faintly like cows."


    ''Cows? We have no such creatures in the dungeon that I know of. I was born and raised in these caves so if it''s an Outsider then I know not what it is.''


    "Erhm... Do you know of deer then? Big 4 legged creatures who eat plants. They have hooves and sometimes horns?"


    ''I know of deer. My kin has told me about them. A fawn wandered into the caves a long time ago and then evolved into a new creature. I believe Maker has named them Deear.''


    "Deer?"


    ''No, Deear. Dee-ear. Like ear and deer made one word. They have excellent hearing and sight so catching up to one- no, even catchingsight of one is a grand challenge for even the fastest rodent.''


    "That dungeon lady really do love puns..."


    ''She sure does...''


    ...


    "Let''s try and catch a Deear."


    ''... As you wish, Great one. I shall ask my kind to help us corner it. Deear are cowards who run from even the smallest rat. If we work together then maybe...''


    Hours went by without any luck. The Deear they''ve been chasing was just too fast. Or so Fanvassumed, she never saw the creature herself but the rodents that ran in and out of the wall-tunnels informed her everytime it got away from their encirclement.


    After what felt like the 100th time a rodent had piped ''I am eternally sorry, but the Great one''s prey has escaped us yet again.'' Fanv screeched in annoyance and sat down with a huff. The damn thing was way too aware of where they all were and where they wanted it to stay. There were just too many forks in the road to block them all off. She screeched again, this time in surprise when a black furry shape emerged from the ceiling. She hadn''t noticed it until itcoughed to get her attention.


    ''Greetings wolf. I have been watching for awhile now and don''t think you will be able to catch that Deear on your own. I-''


    Fanv kept screeching and pointing at the thing. It was the biggest spider she had ever seen. And itspoke. Hell no that must be the freakiest thing she has ever seen. Bugs werecreepy and shouldn''tever grow as big as a small dog. Who in the world allowed-


    ''Miss wolf, could you please- Miss?- MISS WOLF!- Please stop screaming at me.-''


    The rodents just watched in amusement as their great, dignified leader screeched at the distressed spider who tried to calm her down.


    "BIG. FUCKING. SPIDER."


    ''I am a spider yes- Could you not-... I''ll just- Sit here until you- calm down...''


    It took a great effort to stop screaming. And an even bigger effort once the spider tried to speak again. By the end of it, Fanv was panting from all the screaming and the spider looked very concerned and about ready to sink into the groundceiling.


    ''Are you done now? Can I-''


    "Don''t wiggle."


    ''?? I''m sorry, what-''


    "Just-... Don''t move your legs around like that, alright?"


    ''Ok... I''m sorry, I know my appearance is disturbing...''


    "No-... Look, I''m sorry for being rude but... I''m just no good with bugs. It''s nothing personal. Gods am I feeling dumb right now."


    The spider looked at her in concern. It clicked its mandibles nervously but stopped when it saw the wolf''s eyes go big again.


    ''Let''s just... forget that ever happend. You never screamed. I never scared you. We''re all good... How bout that?''


    "Yes, let''s go with that. Sorry... Uh, let''s introduce ourselves? I am Fanv... Visvarg"


    ''Uhm... I don''t have a name... I''m a Shadow spinner.''


    That name istoo damn ominous! What''s with this situation. It''s super polite and awkward though?! What do?!


    "Uhm... I''m sure Maker will give you a name sometime so don''t worry bout it ok?"


    The spider winced. Could spiders wince? She got the feeling that that''s what it did at least.


    ''I highly doubt that. Maker doesn''t like me at all so she won''t give me anything at all if she can help it.''


    Fanv huffed at that. She would need to have a talk with Maker about that. Sure you might not like someone but you can''t just bully them. Sure she acts like a child and technically is one but still, isn''t the dungeon like the mother or something? She should be more mature about it.


    "If she''s being that stubborn about it then why don''t I give you a name. Hell, you''re still part of the dungeon so she shouldn''t be THAT mean to you."


    ''....Would you really? Would you really give me a name?''


    "Yes, why not? I gave Pohc a name so why can''t I give you one?"


    ''I-I, would he honored to receive a name.''


    Fanv put a paw to her chin as she thought. She hadn''t really thought this through. Sure she could give him a name, right? She just hadn''t thought of a name... Let''s see. It''s creepy but polite so it should have a friendly, normal, non-threatening, name. Oh,-


    "Sorry for asking but... Are you a man or a woman?"


    ''I am male. Don''t worry, It is hard to tell other species'' gender. May I ask what yours is?''


    "Ah, I see. I am female..."


    Ok. So a male name that sounds like a guy you''d like at first glance. Peter? Ruth? Nah. How about-


    "How bout Samuel? The people can call you Sam as a nickname."


    Nicknames are good. Friendly people, everyone likes has nicknames. That''s how it is right?


    ''I like it! Thank you so much, I will be Samuel from now on!''


    She could feel Maker ''tsk'' somewhere in the tunnels.


    "Shut up Maker, I''m doing your job here! If you''re not gonna help us then go sulk somewhere. We are very busy! What were we doing again, Sam?"


    The spider shifted around a bit. Too many eyes and legs. Fanv couldn''t help but shiver a bit.


    ''I was about to propose a plan on how to catch the Deear. If you share your prey with me then I think I know how we''ll catch it.''

 Ch14 Too many ears

    The plan was simple. Too many tunnels? Block them. Sam created walls of sticky threads that covered a bunch of tunnels. The rodents and Fanv then only had to chase the Deear until it ran right into one of the barely visible wall-traps.


    Sam also pointed out that sneaking wouldn''t do them any good since the Deear could ''hear a Bloodclover sprout a kilometer away'', his words not hers. So they changed their strategy completely.


    About a hundred rodents and one wolf screaming bloody murder, running through the tunnels should get pretty much anything moving as far away from them as possible. They moved side to side, Fanv, Pohc and some moles screeched through the big tunnels and the other rodents went by the sides. They were like a wave of noise sweeping through the tunnels, herdingthe Deear towards the blocked tunnels. At least Fanv thought that was what they were doing. She couldn''t really tell where in the walls the others were but Pohc assured her that they were doing great so she just nodded and kept roaring her lungs out. It was kind of fun.


    It was fun until her lungs ached and her throat went sore. Thankfully she didn''t have to make any more noise. Sam had popped through the ceiling at some point (startling Fanv who was already screaming) and informed them that something had gotten stuck in one of his nets. They all made their way there with Sam leading the way.


    What was stuck in the net was indeed a hoofed animal and it did have those spots fawn have, but the similarities ended there. The beast was built like a rock. Bulging muscles strained under its silver fur. The spots were black and covered almost the entire back. It had shorter legs and no real neck to speak of. It looked a bit more like a cow than a deer. What made it look the strangest was the ears, however. It had far too many of them.


    Probably 20 sets of long sleek, deer-ears. All covering the back of its head and part of the neck and back like a mane. They moved and turned in a hypnotic pattern. 6 dark blue eyes stared at Fanv and her pack in horror.


    The thin threads clung to its body and trapped it in place. The Deear made no noise other than breathing. It was eerie. Fanv took a moment to just watch the strange creature. Then she decided it would be a good meal and charged it. The Deear was rather slow to react, it was built to run at high speeds butit needed a long time to build up the pace. Once it stood still it had no chance of moving as fast as the starving wolf.


    She tore out its windpipe and shuddered in delight as blood showered her face and chest. She didn''t feel herself disappearing into a frenzy like all the other times. She got a rush from violence but she kept herself in check, only harming the Deear. A perfecthunt in her opinion. Except she got stuck in the webs as well.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    It took some time for Sam to set Fanv free from the sticky threads but after that, the feast began. The rodents dug in as soon as Fanv took the first bite. Sam cut off the two hind legs and pulled them away to eat in peace. Fanv went for the shoulders and head. She found that the ears were chewy but surprisingly tasty. Bloodclovers began to sprout as they ate, their red flowers casting an ominous glow over the floor.


    This would probably be a terrifying sight to any outsider, a disfigured wolf feeding alongside a pack of rodents and a spider who was only visible when it moved in the darkness. It was a bloody mess in that cave.


    The villagers of Ogon were terrified in fact, but not of the grizzly scene in the nearby dungeon. A band of bandits had decided to raid the small settlement and now many buildings stood in flames. The blaring of a horn egged the bandits on as they fought the few guards who protected the villages along with some of the braver villagers. Ogon was a village of Bards, the best storytellers were born there and their lust for more tales of adventure and glory drove them out into the world. Only the elders and some who preferred a farmer''s lifestyle stayed in the village after reaching adulthood.


    Elders, youths, and bards are not a strong defense force and it showed as the bandits cut them down and pillaged their homes. The fighting carried on well into the night before the bandits retreated with their loot. A few unlucky women and onevery unlucky teenage boy had been tied up and strapped to the bandits'' horses. They wailed as their captors took them away from their home. The boy cried alongside the women.The few elvish features he had and the darkness of night had perhaps been the reason someone mistook him for a woman. That or someone simply had a less common preference. He shuddered at both thoughts, fear coursing through his veins as he dreaded what the bandits planned for him.


    They rode into the thick forest that surrounded the eastern side of the village. Looming oaks stretched fingerlike branches towards the horses, brushing their hides as they ran along a hidden trail. The bandits shouted and celebrated their successful raid, waving bloodied weapons and sacks of stolen goods in the air. One unlucky bandit waved his sword a bit too high. With a thud, the rusted weapon dug into a low branch and got wrenched out of his hand. He swore loudly and the other bandits laughed.


    The horses circled around a small downwards slope. The boy could have sworn he saw something glaring from the mouth of a small cave down below.


    The band of bandits rode on for awhile before the trees finally opened up into a clearing. Worn tents and equipment littered the ground. A few bandits who had stayed behind rose as the raiding party returned with their haul. Cheering and celebrations began as loot were carried away and the horses led away. The women were either carried into a tent reinforced by wooden fences or a bandit carried them off to their own tent. Screaming and crying did little more than earning them a kick or punch to silence them. Mikvel cried out as a burly bandit grabbed him by his hair and pulled him kicking and screaming into a dark tent.

 Ch15 Forest adventures

    Fanv was back in her cave cuddling with the rodents. She had wanted to go clean herself off in the lake cave but the fear of the angry birds had kept her away. Instead, she had settled for letting the small rodents clean her. She had tried to lick her fur herself but strands of fur got stuck in her throat and made her gag. The rodents didn''t mind helping her out. No, ''didn''t mind'' was the wrong description... They practically fought over who could help her. After a long explanation from Pohc about ''the glorious future, a ruler could bring them'' and many tiring tries to make themnot treat her like a goddess of death who''d blessed them with her presence, she had finally given up and accepted that the rodents wanted to worship her. Surely they would tire of it soon and just treat her like a normal person. They would stop right?


    ''Do not bother our beloved ruler with your filthy excuse for a mouth, rat. I shall help her instead.''


    ''Kindly go drown in the lake, vole. Our glorious ruler needn''t be bothered by your chattering!''


    ''As the same species as Lord Pohc,I am of much higher liking to our benevolent ruler-''


    ''Do not pull that weak excuse again, hare. We all know that your species eats droppings and therefore has a filthy mouth. Your very presence is a disgrace to our leader!''


    ''Are you implying that anyone of my species is a filthy mongrel? Lord Pohc is our great ruler''s closest follower andhe certainly evolved from a hare. To claim hares are filthy would be the same as claiming our Lord Pohc is filthy as well!''


    ''Slander!''


    Sigh. So much noise from such small creatures. Fanv couldn''t help but smile though. Despite their way of speaking and hostile ways of showing affection, the small fellas were kinda cute. You just can''t take a small mouse screaming ''this is an outrage!'' seriously. They were also very good at cleaning. The thought of gettinglicked clean had been a bit disturbing at first, but since the lickers themselves were such cute little animals it wasn''t really that bad. It tickled and her fur was gleaming in the dim light of the cave. Her fur had grown when she evolved, giving her a proper pelt to keep warm in. It also cushioned her as she lay on the dirt floor, taking the edge away from the small rocks and pebbles that usually poked into her skin.


    Life in the dungeon was not so bad. She hada smallcult group of friendly rodents following her around and a very friendly spider. There were food and water, although the food was alive and had to be murdered in cold blood and the water was guarded by angry monster crows. Maker was friendly too, a bit weird and intrusive at times but she meant well. She did miss the outside though. Trees and grass, the warm sun and endless sky. The sound of birds and insects in the summer. She missed the forest.


    Fanv stood up and was met with a small outrage from the rodents that tumbled off of her body and onto the floor.


    "I''m going for a walk. Pohc, will you join me?"


    The hare jumped onto her shoulders and the other rodents sighed in jealousy. Fanv trotted out of her cave at a light pace, taking in the scents and sights of her surroundings. She felt the soft breeze that came from the tunnels leading to the entrance of the dungeon. She turned and followed the breeze.


    "Maker? Are you there?"


    Yes?


    She''s always here. Kinda easy to forget when her body is not present...


    "I''d like to go outside for a bit? Is that alright with you?"


    A moment of silence. She felt Maker hesitate-


    Are you leaving?


    "I miss the forest so I wanna take a walk. I''ll come back so don''t worry bout that. Will there be problems if I leave the caves?"


    ...You might feel a bit weird. A slight pull? Creatures do not normally leave the dungeon so I am not sure. I think as long as you do not go too far away there will not be a problem. You should know when you are too far away. It would probably hurt since distance would strain our bond.


    "Ok... you''re making me worried now..."


    As long as you do not keep moving away when it feels as if your bones are being pulled out of your skin then you should be fine!


    "Wait what?!"


    I just found the memory. A rodent got snatched by a bird once and it did not die at once. The bond snapped when the bird carried it too far away. I feel my creatures'' pain. I remember everything that happens to me and my creatures. If you are too far away you will feel it.


    "...Doesn''t that mean that I''m stuck in the caves a surrounding forest for the rest of my life?..."


    I will expand my territory with time. I grow bigger for every day. It may be slow but given time I could claim the entire forest and beyond.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Fanv didn''t mention that dungeons normally didn''t live long enough to grow that big. It felt wrong to tell her a group of adventurers, or even an army, would some day subjugate her and destroy her core... Dungeons were considered a threat to the world and were almost always destroyed before they grew too strong. A few dungeons were kept alive to have their resources farmed by nearby cities that have the means to control the dungeon.


    "I see... What a great day it will be when you own the entire forest! Maybe we could build a castle and declare ourselves a kingdom? The rodents can be nobles, they have the speech-patterns done already haha."


    That is an interesting idea! I like it! The Dungeon kingdom- or maybe the Maker kingdom? I will have to come up with an impressive name for our domain!


    Fanv laughed at that. A dungeon kingdom would be one hell of a sight! Monster inhabitants and their own special rules and customs. Their military would kick ass! She kept imagining what it would be like until she reached the exit. It wasbright outside! The sun must be much brighter than normal, what the hell?!


    ''It''s your night vision.''


    Ah... That explains why the caves were always bright enough to see in... But wait, wasn''t that because of the Glowshells?


    "Aren''t the Glowshells the reason we can see in the caves?"


    ''The Glowshells only add enough light to let us see. We need very little light to see, unlike most Outsiders.''


    "I see. Still, it''s so bright!"


    ''It sure is.''


    They stood at the mouth of the cave and stared out for a moment longer, marveling at the bright sun and tall trees.


    It was the same crevice that Fanv had fell down that fateful night. She had almost died... Hmph, time to meet the outside world again!


    She had to squeeze her way through the small opening. It had felt bigger the time she fell through it. Once she made it out a wave of worry flowed through her. Being outside suddenly felt very wrong. Pohc was shivering on her back. She shook her head, hard.


    "Come on. We made it this far. We''ll go back once we''ve explored a bit."


    The hare could only nod. He had spent his entire life up until now inside the dungeon. Not having Maker''s calming presence in the back if his mind felt terrifying. The wolf doing way better than him. She walked through the underbrush and made her way up the steep slope that surrounded the cave opening. Leaves and twigs brushed past his fur, making him inch away. It was a very new feeling, to say the least.


    The smells and sights of the forest all felt new to Fanv. She could sense so much more things than before she transformed for the first time. She saw the bugs hiding among the plants and trees, she heard the birds singing all around her, and she could see the stars in the blue bright sky. Her 5 eyes saw so much more that was previously hidden from her. The air was filled with new scents and she heard small animals sneak around beneath the underbrush.


    And she smelled fire. The breeze carried smoke and scents of humans from far away. A campsite maybe? Fanv thought for a moment. She wanted to meet humans again but... She looked down at her clawed paws. Yeah... And if she transformed she would just be a naked girl in the forest. If the people she met were superstitious then they''d probably mistake her for a Hulder or a Forest spirit and that could end badly.


    "Let''s sneak up on some humans."


    ''Humans? Are we going to kill them?''


    "No. Just watch them."


    The hare nodded and jumped to the ground. Then he did something strange. He uncurled his ears (she hadn''t realized they were curled up before to look smaller) which were almost as long as his entire body. He slumped down ad bit and then his fur shifted color. A faded gray replaced the black and white and his eyes dimmed a bit. When he was done he looked like a normal hare. He was slightly bigger than a normal hare but it was barely noticeable, probably because of his Skill.


    She whistled mentally at him. She hadn''t known he could imitate other things besides her. And now he was adorable! She couldn''t help but nuzzle him and pull at his fur a bit. He pushed at her gently to stop. He looked so innocent and normal.


    ''Let''s go.''


    They lowered their bodies and snuck towards the smell of smoke. The thick underbrush hid them well despite Fanv''s easy-to-spot-fur, hidden joints and flexible limbs were amazing for sneaking.


    The campsite was further away than expected and itstunk. Sweat, piss, smoke, all smells were magnified by her sensitive nose. Pohc and Fanv kept close to each other as they crept closer to the worn tents. It was evening and the people there were lounging about, doing a few tasks or eating. They were almost all male.


    "Bandits..."


    ''?''


    "There''s a dead body over there, and a lot of bloody weapons."


    ''What are bandits?''


    "Uh... People who steal and kill. They are evil."


    ''I see.''


    Pohc didn''t really get it but apparently killing and stealing wasn''t normal among humans. They were very complicated beings after all... He watched the wolf as she sniffed the air and eyed the bandits. Then she froze and her eyes went wide as a huge burly human walked past them just a few meters up ahead.


    "I smell Mikvel."


    ''Who?''


    "Mikvel, my friend. We grew up together. That man that walked past us smelled like him...-! We need to find him!"


    Pohc couldn''t tell which smell she meant so he just followed as Fanv held her nose to the ground and searched for her friend''s scent. She moved closer to the camp. Only a few more meters of underbrush to hide them from the humans. She homed in on a tent that stood a bit further away from the others. It reeked of different humans. They snuck around it and crept close to the back of the tent. Only the tent hid her from view as Fanv crept closer and began scratching at the ground and fabric, making her way in under the tent wall and into the tent itself. Pohc held his breath as he kept a look out.


    Fanv nearly threw up when she stuck her head inside the tent. Itreeked of humans and filth. And in the middle of stained hides and blankets lay her childhood friend Mikvel, torn up and battered. He had cuts across his arms and naked chest and his breathing was faint. He opened his eyes into slits as she watched him. His eyes were glassy and didn''t register what he was seeing at all. Fanv whined and pressed her nose to his cheek, getting no reaction from the boy.


    She felt anger boil up inside of her. Who dared do this to her friend? She would tear them apart! But first she must save Mikvel or he''ll rot away in this sorry excuse for a tent. She searched for any of his clothing to bite onto to drag him out but found none. Some bastard had left him wounded and naked in this stinking tent. She was furious now.


    Gingerly she closed her jaws around his neck, grasping him gently by the neck as if he was a puppy or kitten. He stirred a little but didn''t do much else. But then she pulled and the same second he felt himself being dragged he screamed.

 Ch16 Forest Guardian

    Fanv lets go of Mikvel as if burned by him. He thrashed and wailed in pure, unseeing terror. Outside the tent, she heard the bandits stir and run over. The owner of the tent lumbered over while swearing. He barely managed to finish his long string of curses when the wolf slammed into him.


    She snarled and reared up her head to look as big and imposing as possible, then she took a deep breath and roared at all the bandits present. They froze in their tracks and the stench of urine rose from the burly bandit beneath her.


    For a painfully slow minute, they just stared at each other. Fanv with her ears flattened and hackles raised, the bandits staring in horror and confusion at the monster that appeared from nowhere. The wolf was outnumbered so when one of the bandits hesitantlyreached for a weapon she blurted out:


    "You have stolen what is mine! Return him to me or suffer the wrath of my forest!"


    "It spoke!"


    "Whatis that?!"


    "A monster that speaks..."


    Fear and confusion spread even further. Many of the bandits paled even more. The tallest one with the best looking armor (the leader?) looked the palest. He shook and had his eyes fixated on Fanv. With trembling lips, he spoke.


    "Are y-you perhaps, t-the Forest Guardian?"


    Forest Guardian. The embodiment of the forest. The one who guards it. That Guardian. Yes, let''s go with that.


    "Yes! I am the Forest Guardian, and you humans have offended me greatly!"


    Murmur spread among the bandits. Some had heard the tales of Forest Guardians. They were ill known entities who were more well known to the superstitious who lived near nature. They were possessive and spiteful, many legends involved the guardian luring people into their forest and getting them lost. Most simply starved, others were eaten by wild beasts as the guardian laughed and counted off their crimes against nature.


    "H-how can we appease you?"


    "Stop it chief! That''s no god standing before you! It is a monster who has learned words, do not trust it!"


    Damn it. They''re doubting the story. Think! Think of something to convince them!... Transform? Monsters don''t transform. Forest Guardians are shapeshifters.


    She willed the transformation to wash over her. Her muscles flowed and bones bent. They didn''t crack or break like before, no, now her body moved like soft clay, molding itself in an almost pleasurable way. She felt her arms and legs shorten and her fur pull itself... upwards?


    The bandits gasped as the wolf shifted. The leader could barely breathe as he watched the wolf turn into a person completelydevoid of color. She was as white as snow, not a speck of color on her skin or hair. Then she opened her eyes and the world seemed to stop.


    Golden glowing wells, swirling with emotion and secrets. The color of her eyes was so intense that he lost himself in them. Horns sprouted from her forehead, two slightly curved horns stretching towards the sky. Her hair reached the ground and seemed to glow in the sunlight. Serrated teeth poked out between her lips as she spoke.


    "You dare doubt me?"


    He fell to his knees. To be able to witness such a celestial being... His heart was racing from the mere thought of it.


    "N-no my lady! We will-"


    "What are you saying chief? That''s no lady??"


    "Eeeh? But it has breasts?"


    "Where are you looking,idiot? Its dick is swinging right in front of you."


    Fanv flinched at that. Maker... What have you done... Don''t look. Must look dignified. She cleared her throat and looked at the leader. He hurriedly shouted at his men.


    "It''s both you fools, a shapeshifter can have whatever body it wishes!"


    "But still...."


    So persistent! Stop it already!This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "You may sooth my wrath by returning what was stolen. The village you attacked is under my protection. I want the boy in the tent behind me."


    The bandit beneath her feet started to protest. Oh shit, I forgot he was there. Has he been staring up at me-... Ah, there really is a dick... She took a step to the side so the burly man couldn''t keepstaring at her private parts... The chief finally reacted.


    "Matsson! Fetch the elf boy!"


    "But-"


    "If the Forest Guardian has chosen that boy to be their groom then there is nothing we can do about it! Do you want to be cursed?!"


    Hey hey now. Who said anything about ''groom''? What kind of stories did this guy hear?


    "Yes, chief..."


    The burly pervert made his way into the tent, casting nervous glances at Fanv as he went. He carefully lifted Mikvel and brought him outside. Mikvel was unconscious. Fanv took her friend from the bandit into a princess-carry. The bandits gulped as they saw her unnatural strength. Her thin body hid many sturdy werewolf muscles so who could blame them.


    "Do you want the other woman as well..."


    Another bandit asked with a disappointed face. Did they kidnap others as well?


    "Yes. Anyone taken from Ogon must be returned alive!"


    "What about the stuff?"


    Ugh, it''s just one thing after the other... Let''s not push our luck.


    "I care little for earthly possessions. If you return the people then I will spare your lives."


    Some bandits shuffled around a bit, grumbling to themselves. Aaah can''t lose them now. Gotta scare them. Fanv tried to make the scariest face possible. She opened the other 3 eyes she had kept closed. They were barely visible when closed because of all the white blending together. She also pulled the edges of her mouth as far as possible so she displayed all her sharp teeth.


    "Should you refuse me this, then I will curse every single human who sets foot in my forest!"


    "Even Ogon villager-"


    "Except Ogon villagers!"


    The leader stared at the bandit who had spoken in disbelief. How could he question the Guardian? It had gone from the most beautiful thing he had ever seen to something that would haunt his dreams for years! Its mouth stretched to its ears and it had 5 eyes that glowed with fury, the whites of the eyes had turned black, giving it an animal-like look. It looked like a demon! Only a fool would deny such a being what it wants. Losing the few women they kidnapped was nothing compared to earning the hatred of the entire forest!


    "Every single one of them will be returned before sundown! Anything else, Great Lord of the forest?"


    "No."


    She started to walk but stopped to add:


    "And anyone who follows me will be eaten alive."


    Then she took off at top speed, not letting anyone more interrupt her. Her heart was racing. It had gone well! She had Mikvel and hopefully, the other women will be returned home. Not that she cared very much about them, they hadn''t helped her when she transformed. No one had. But Mikvel was different. They had known each other forever and he had just been unlucky enough to be locked up in his room to study that night. Being the son of the Mayor was hard work after all.


    Pohc made himself known by jumping high into the air just in front of her.


    ''Great job, Great one. You fooled them all.''


    "Yeah, that was a risky move... But we have Mikvel now!"


    ''He''s bleeding.''


    "What?"


    She hadn''t noticed the scabbed over wounds starting to bleed again. Mikvel was still unconscious too... This is bad.


    "We gotta get him to the dungeon quickly!"


    Getting Mikvel''s limp body through the small cave opening had been a pain in the ass but they''d managed somehow. Turns out Pohc could use his front paws as hands if he really tried.


    "Maaaaaker!"


    You brought a human! Why?! ... Are you finally ready to mate-


    "He''s hurt for fuck''s sake! Do something!"


    Like what?


    "I dunno? How did you heal me?"


    I claimed you. I can adjust the bodies of my creatures. I cannot claim a human though...


    "Then what should we do?! We can''t let him die!"


    I am thinking, calm down...


    Horrible silence. Mikvel''s blood was covering her arms as she held him. Heartbeat growing fainter...


    Bring him to the lake.


    "But the birds..."


    I will not let the birds attack you while I heal him.


    "Ok"


    Fanv left bloody footprints as she carried Mikvel to the underground lake. Mikvel was dying but she trusted Maker to save him.


    The lake seemed to glow faintly as she entered the massive cave.


    Stand there for a moment.


    Fanv obeyed and glanced at the ceiling. The birds sat there glaring but none of them moved. She nearly lost her balance when the ground shook. The dirt and stone of the floormoved. A small pit was forming in the middle of the mushroom field. Glowing string-like roots stretched down and anchored the mushrooms to the newly moved dirt. Thena small canal opened up between the lake and the pit, filling it. The mushrooms that touched the water changed color, the bluish light turning red as new mushrooms spread and covered the bottom of the newly made pond.


    "What are you doing?"


    Her voice broke. When had she begun crying?


    I am forcefully evolving some mushrooms. They will have healing properties that will leak into the water of the pond. There we go. Put him in the water. Make sure his head is above the surface.


    Fanv walked to the pond and gingerly placed Mikvel in the water. His head kept lolling to the side and landing in the water so she held him in place. She sniffled as she watched the underwater fungi inch closer to him. They spread their thin roots over his skin and soon new mushrooms grew all around him, holding him in place with their gentle caps. Fanv let go slowly and stifled a sob.


    "Thank you."


    A friend of my wolf is a friend of mine. I will make him healthy again. This will take some hours, go get some rest.


    Fanv obeyed. She went into her cave and let the rodents curl up all around her to keep her human body warm. Pohc snuggled up beside her and yelped in surprise as she pulled him into a hug.


    Tomorrow she would see her friend again.

 Ch17 Queen of rats

    Mikvel woke up feeling dizzy and lost. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes were stone stalactites. Hanging cones of stone, aimed like arrows towards him, mocking the ground-dwellers beneath them. Dancing shadows made him feel as if he was underwater. When he lowered his eyes he noticed that he was in fact, partly underwater. Red, glowing water filled with glowing pink mushrooms that clung to his skin with their thread-like roots. He screeched in surprise and tried to tear of the many roots and mushroom caps that held him in place in the small pond. They gave way without much effort and soon he found himself crawling up the bank, panting heavily.


    Mocking laughter rose up around him as he made his way onto dry dirt. At first, he couldn''t see the owners of the voices, but then one of them swooped down low, talons sweeping through his hair as it passed. More laughter followed and soon he saw the flock of birds that had begun circling the air above him. They screeched in hoarse voices all around him.


    "See the human is awake! See him stumble like a hatchling!"


    "Eat him we should! But our Maker has made him a guest in our home!"


    "None shall disobey our Maker, but that is not all!"


    "What? What! Why then if not only for our Maker?"


    "A guest it is! Sure it is! But of whom? Of whom?"


    "The Queen of rats! That filthy dog! She has claimed this cub as her own she has!"


    "Such silly ideas! To keep him as a pet she means?"


    "As a bedmate, she must mean! A deformed beast she is! A half-bloodwill suit her!"


    "As a cub, she must mean! To raise as her own and curse with her blood!"


    "No as a father to her brood, surely she means!"


    "Why not all at once!"


    The birds roared with laughter. Mikvel didn''t know what to say. The birds were clearly mocking him but what did they mean? The Queen of rats? Who was that? Why was he here? He slowly stood up, wincing at his sore body.


    "It stands! It stands!"


    "How broken and weak!"


    "Would that really do as a bedmate no? So brittle and frail he is!"


    "Surely he will break when that whore lays him down!"


    "Surely he will fail to give her what she wants! Too frail he is to bring her any cubs at all!"


    "SHUT UP!"


    The birds were giving him a headache. They giggled like children at his outrage. Another one of them swooped down low and grabbed a tuft of hair. It tore and he shouted and swung his arms after it.


    "How slow! How slow!" they taunted.


    The birds kept bullying the human and the human kept on swinging his fists at those who got too close.


    Meanwhile, Fanv had her own problems.


    "No, Sam, you don''t understand! I can''t show up in front of him completely naked! Especially not withTHIS!"


    The pale human gestured wildly at her-... his?their, manhood.


    Are you still made about the penis?


    "YES! Why did you give me a dick!?"


    I want you to make puuuups.


    "I don''t need a dick to make pups! I don''t want to make any, to begin with!"


    I thought you just did not want to become pregnant... So I made it so you just need to do the sex part?


    "Not a good enough excuse! Anyway, back to my other problem. Sam, can you make clothes with your threads?"


    ''Uh... I don''t think so... I don''t really get what clothes are or why you need them so bad.''


    "It''s fabric that you use to cover your private parts."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ''Could you explain again why you must hide theseprivate parts? The parts used to breed are the private parts right, Great one?''


    Pohc still looked confused about the need for clothes.


    "It''s because-.. you know? You can''t just let it hang free?"


    ''Don''t you just pull it in? You only need to have it extended when pissing or mating. You were doing it as a wolf, can''t you do it as a human?''


    The harescratched at his own crotch, trying to figure out why there was such a fuss.


    "My body did that automatically... I didn''t even notice until after I transformed back into a human. And what''s with the horns by the way?"


    Horns are pretty.


    Sam fumbled with the lump of threads he had been poking for awhile. He lifted it and showed off a net with thick strings and smaller holes than usual. It looked like a messy, cluttered spider net.


    ''Is this fabric? Have I made a clothes?''


    "No... It needs to be less see-through. Oh, if you make a hole in the middle then I can wear it and it''ll cover most parts. I could tie a rope around my waist and it''d be a really simple dress?"


    ''Weren''t I making clothes?''


    "Dresses are a type of clothes. ''Clothes''is just the group name. Like how the rodents are many different species but you call them all rodents."


    ''... I see. Less see-through and a hole in the middle. A dress...''


    ''May I have a dress as well?'' Pohc chimed in.


    Oh! Oh! I want one as well!


    The spider knitted faster.


    ''Let''s start with miss Fanv''s dress since she has such a need for one.''


    ''So why must you cover your private parts and not the other human? Is it a status thing?'' Pohc had too many questions...


    "Ah-... I didn''t think about that... Sam, can you make something for Mikvel as well?"


    And you are absolutely sure you do not want to mate with him-


    "YES. If you mention that in front of him I will punch you. Humans don''t talk about ''breeding'' so lightly, it''s rude."


    So complicated... Can I hint at it?


    "Can you make hints at all? You''re very straightforward about... everything..."


    Oh, yes, I have been training! I would start by telling him how strong you are. Then about what great pride it brings one to call you theirs, and finally I will address the fact that you suit and partner sinceyou have ALL the parts necessary to-


    "Ok stoooop right there! No hints!"


    Aw.


    ''Is THIS a dress?''


    Sam held up a tangled mess of threads.


    "No, it must be flatter. Try to make a square or a circle."


    Sam threw the tangled mess aside and then proceeded topuke up threads on the floor, circling around and pushing and pulling loose strands into place. He looked rather silly doing that. She got a bit queasy after watching all the legs move though so she quickly looked away. A squirrel ran into the cave and stopped as she noticed it.


    ''Honored Queen, your human has awoken! The Frightcrows are currently tormenting him!''


    I wanted to name the scarecrows at first but that name is a bit too obvious is it not.


    Fanv shot up as Maker kept going on about being original yet not too original.


    "Are they hurting him!?"


    ''No, Great one. They are simply toying with him like they do with all Outsiders.''


    "I gotta go save him!- But I am naked. And if I run in as a wolf I''ll scare him to death..."


    ''Why not just walk in gently and looking friendly, Great one?''


    "I made a grown mad piss himself. My wolf shape is not friendly looking at all."


    ''DRESS!''


    Sam triumphantly held up a solid, round plate of hardened thread. It was about 1 meter in diameter and had a hole in the middle to fit a head. It was thin and without holes. The thing was stiff as a plank.


    "Sam... It must be softer. I''m sorry..."


    The spider made a noise that sounded very much like a groan. An impressive feat considering he had mandibles instead of lips. Fanv turned back to the rodents.


    "Can you chase the birds away from Mikvel?"


    ''They would just eat us, Great one...''


    "Ah, ok... I won''t tell you to go die for him."


    ''We would gladly die for our Great ruler if she so wishes!'' They squeaked in unison.


    "NO, that''s not what I meant. Uh... Just tell me if they hurt him or anything like that ok? No dying allowed."


    ''You are too kind to us, Great one! We are happy to serve!''


    The lethally loyal group of rodents scuttled away after doing what looked like a salute. Who taught them how to salute... Fanv jumped a little when Sam poked her in the side. He held up a smaller piece of what looked like silky, smooth, white fabric.


    ''Is this good? No holes and it''s soft.''


    Fanv took the piece and got surprised at how soft and nice it felt.


    "Yes perfect!"


    ''Really? But it''s hard to make and takes more time and concentration than all my other types of nets so far...''


    "It''s perfect! I knew you could do it Sam!"


    ''If you say so... Alright! I''ll make the best dress any spider''s ever made!''


    He''s such a softy for praise. Fanv hummed to herself as she waited for the spider to finish his work. She quickly got bored and started to pick at her hair, braiding strands of it. The spider-fabric really took longer than the other "dresses" he made earlier... By the time the spider deemed his work done she had a decent lengthed braid.


    ''I have made a dress! What do you think- What did you do with your hair?!''


    "I just braided it?"


    ''Braided?''


    "Yes, I just move bits of hair around and woosh, braid. The dress looks wonderful!"


    Fanv picked up the simple dress and marveled at the soft silk. She didn''t notice Sam sneaking behind her until he carefully picked at her braid. She turned her head and Sam moved without dropping the braid, so he wouldn''t tug at her hair.


    "It''s just a braid, it''s not hard to make, really."


    ''Teach me.''


    "Uh, ok. Uhm, first you need some hair or string or something to braid."


    The spider quickly spun a bunch of threads.


    "Good, then divide the strands into 3 equal parts like this and move each part like this."


    The pale human then showed the spider how to make a simple braid. He imitated her work and hissed in dismay when his threads tangled up or Fanv undid her own braids to start over. At some point, she explained how hair-ties are used to keep the hair braided.


    The group of rodents that came rushing from the lake cave returned to the sight of a horned human dressed in a piece of fabric thrown over its shoulders and a sash tied around the waist, and a spider with several short braids and ponytails tied to its short fur. White silk braids littered the floor. The rodents took a moment to watch in confusion before shouting in unison:


    ''The Bansheep have approached the human!''

 Ch18 The Afterlife

    The Fright crows scattered in the noisiest way possible. A hurricane of beaks and feathers accompanied by curses and insults of all kinds filled the echoing lake cave. A single petrified human boy stood in the eye of that hurricane, trembling but not staring at the birds like one would expect. No, the boy''s eyes were fixated on the blood red gaze that was currently sizing him up. The owner of that gaze was a strange creature, lower part looked like a goat, with fur stained by mold, plant matter, and blood. The upper part of the creature was something akin to a human child, except the huge bug-like eyes and the lack of a nose. It had long green hair and a pair of goat ears peeking out of the lush mane of hair. Its skin was the color of ash and all in all the short creature looked kind of chubby.


    The half-goat cleared its throat and the flock of Bansheep that stood behind it shifted, marble hooves scratching against the floor. The half-goat made a face when the boy wet himself in fear. These goats were nothing like the birds. The birds had just screamed insults and pulled his hair, it had been kind of scary at first but they never did anything worse than that. The goats, however, emitted a silent bloodlust and a crushing pressure just by glaring at him. Every inch of his being screamed at him that these are the apex predators of this place. These creatures could kill him in an instant without batting an eyelid.


    One of the Bansheep nudged the half-goat in the side. It responded by pushing its head away gently and muttering some raspy noises. It then turned its head towards the boy and said in a raspy yet oddly femininevoice;


    "What a fuss yer making, we haven''t even done nothing yet. Go clean yerself of in the lake, ye stink... We ain''t here to mash ye up so stop trembling already."


    Mikvel just blinked. The goat girl sighed.


    "We wanna talk to yer owner so we''re keeping ye in one piece for now. Them birds are a bloody pain so chasing them away is just a bonus."


    When the boy still didn''t move the goat girl grew impatient.


    "Shoo shoo, off you go! Go clean that stench off already!"


    Mikvel bolted for the lake as the barely 1 meter tall satyr started walking towards him while waving her hands towards the lake.When he had waded far enough into the lake that the water reached his waist the terrible monster goat girl finally stopped chasing him. She just stood there with her hands on her hips and glared.


    "Ye humans are pretty damn dumb aren''t ya?... Water. Clean. Do I have to get in there and help ye?"


    The human quickly lowered himself into the water and let it reach his shoulders. He kept his gaze on the goat girl. She sighed again. This kid was such a dumb little runt... Why would that wolf wantthisone? Surely there are better humans to choose from, the intruders some days back were much bigger and bolder.


    ''It''s just sitting there?''


    ''The wolf didn''t just sit in the water to get clean. Is this one stupid?''


    ''This one''s not a wolf though. Maybe humans are just dumber than wolves?''


    "Shush ye''ll scare the kid, ye fools."


    Said boy didn''t notice the goats talk since they didn''t communicate with actual words. He did notice the goat girl talking though.


    "W-w-w-what do you w-w-want?"


    "... If the water''s cold just get up already..."


    The boy practically flew out of the lake. The Fright crows whistled from the ceiling.


    "We wanna get friendly with the wolf since she''s strong enough to not be mere meat mush. She dragged ye into our home and told Maker to not murder ye and Maker agreed on the deal. That wolf''s building a weird flock outa rodents and that spider, her wanting a human isn''t such a big surprise at this point."


    Mikvel just kept on shaking on the dirt floor. The water wasfreezing. What is this goat girl babbling about even? Goat girl sighed at the human''s blank stare. What a pain.


    "Look, name''s Dessi. I lead the Bansheep flock. Yer owner, miss monster wolf, queen of rats, murder god of glory gore or whatever those rodents call her, is strong. So we don''t wan be enemies with her. Yer hers so if we treat ye well then we''re doing the wolf a favor see? Favors leadto friendship right?"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Mikvel was kind of getting what she meant. He wasn''t getting who the wolf she was talking about was though. She called her Queen of rats just like the crows... Didn''t ring any bells. One would think being the son of the mayor of a town mainly made up of bards would lead to him knowing most legends and stories but... yeah, nothing comes to mind at all. Ah, the goat- Dessi, is staring at me again, better say something...


    "Uh... M-my name is Mikvel. W-who is this wolf?"


    "Erhm. The long one? With the legs? Not ringing a bell?"


    Mikvel shook his head. As far as he knew he didn''t know any long wolves.


    "What was her her name again? Hey guys."


    The other goats, (she called them Bansheep?) began shuffling around and bleated.


    "Ah yes, Fanv it was. Fanv the queen of rats, Maker''s current favorite."


    Dessi kept talking but Mikvel didn''t hear anything past ''Fanv''. He only knew one Fanv and she died a few weeks ago... Peter shot her down in the forest. She had become a monster and died. Fanv was dead. She couldn''t be-


    "Hey, are ye even listening to me? How rude! I was-"


    A goat nudged her and suddenly the entire cave went silent. Mikvel followed the Bansheep''s gaze and then he saw her standing in the cave entrance. A ghostly white version of his childhood friend. Her ghost most likely. She wore a simple dress that was just as white as her skin and hair. Tall slightly curved horns and piercing yellow eyes. Her hair was braided just like the-... spider... standing next to her...


    Mikvel stared, dumbfounded at the spider. It had many tiny braids and bits of fur tied up all over its furry body. It looked ridiculous. A strange rabbit sat on its back and it too had small braids (if they could even be called that) all over its body. Many smaller rodents stood all around Fanv and the braided duo. What in the world... Fanv stared suspiciously at the Bansheep as they moved to make a path between her and Mikvel.


    "Fa-...nv..."


    The ghostly Fanv turned her attention back to her friend and then leaped down the sloping path. Silver hair and silky fabric flowed behind her as she ran. Dignified and beautiful right until the moment she tripped on her own hair and fell right on top of Mikvel. Their heads smashed into each other with a thud and the world blackened for Mikvel.


    When he came to he was met by the image of Fanv screeching and complaining about her hair. The hare nodded sagely and the spider was braiding her braids into one big braid. A soft hand stroked the side of his head. When he turned his head he noticed he had his head in the lap of another pale woman. He also noticed the snake that was currently inches away from his face. Ah yes, this must be the afterlife. He must have died in the bandit raid or after he got abducted and now he was in the afterlife, watching strange dream-like things happen. He is currently resting his head in death''s lap and the creatures here must be fighting over his soul. Yup, that must be it. How long until I can pass out again?


    "Mikvel! I''m so sorry I fell on you! I can''t believe I did that!"


    Ah, Ghost Fanv is apologizing.


    "Your voice..."


    "My voice?"


    "It''s... echoing? I hear it in myhead!"


    "What?"


    Ghost Fanv looked confused. The hare made a strange noise and then understanding dawned upon her.


    "I''m still using telepathy? Why did no one tell me? How do I turn it off?"


    "Telepathy?"


    A short pause.


    "Yes what Maker said."


    "Who''s Maker?..."


    The woman who was still cradling his head waved at him with a smile.


    "Wait so he can''t hear you at all? Oh, I see. That makes sense."


    "Ye really are dumb aren''t ye..."


    "Shut up. Why are you even here? And what are you??"


    "Hmpf, I''m Dessi and I''m a Dryadess! We''re here to make friends with ye."


    "Dryad-... dess? Maker that''s not how it works. Dryads are females from the starts you can''t just-. No, that doesn''t make sense at all. Lioness and Baroness are different from how the word dryad works..."


    What are they arguing about... Who''s even arguing? The only ones speaking are Ghost Fanv and Dessi...


    "...Are you really Fanv?"


    She paused her argument (It was getting rather heated.) and looked at him.


    "Yes. I''m alive and well. Not dead yet haha..."


    "...You turned into a monster."


    She looked a bit hurt at that.


    "I''m not a monster anymore... I learned to control it. Look I''m perfectly human! Same girl, you''ve always known!"


    "...You have horns."


    "Minor detail..."


    "You look like father winter puked on you. All colors are gone."


    "Living in a cave makes you pale."


    "..."


    "...OK! I might have changed a wee little bit. Just a tiny bit. But it''s all just for looks. My mind is the same!"


    "Yer such a crappy liar,wolf girl."


    "Shut."


    "Why do they keep calling you ''wolf girl''?"


    "Err, you see... I actually turned into a wolf... But I''m not a werewolf! I''m a Visvarg, a good wolf, no danger at all!"


    "Vis- a what?"


    "New magical wolf girl. Without past flaws and anger issues! A Visvarg everyone!"


    "... Really now..."


    I FIGURE IT OUT!


    Everyone jumped with a screech.


    Ops that got pretty loud... Turns out giving myself telepathy is way harder than giving you others telepathy. Anyways, now our human guest should be able to hear me! I will link you others up as well. Just see it as me forwarding your words to the human, you will not even notice the time gap!


    ''Hooray for our great genius Maker!!!''


    "What in the world..."


    "Oh, I guess you can hear the rodents now. Don''t mind most the things they say, they are all insane."


    ''I am hurt by your words, Great one.''


    "Except Pohc, he''s alright."


    ''I have successfully made another dress!''


    Round of applause everyone! My least liked creature has moved up to ''almost least liked'' because of his usefulness!


    "You are such a bully."

 Ch19 Rumours and spirits

    The village called Ogon lie between the ancient Feytale Forest to the east and the Wyrmtail Swamp to the west. Both swamp and forest have been crawling with monsters and vicious animals ever since the olden times. How does a village of bards survive with such dangerous neighbors one might wonder then? Any villager of Ogon will answer the same thing; Our people have sung praise and paid respect to the nature spirits guarding our surroundings. Any bard of Ogon will travel far and wide when they reach adulthood to collect stories, and when they return home, either because of nostalgia or homesickness, they will tell the forest and swamp of the wonders they''ve seen and heard of. Spirits are curious beings who live for manylifetimes more than mortals. A good story makes eternity just as enjoyable as fickle tricks and feuds sprung from spite.


    The old ones yearn for entertainment, and a bard makes his living from providing it.


    So after years of telling tales from far off lands and only the same old stories born near their home to repeat, what happens when an event worthy to be made a widespread tale occurs in their own forest, with a villager from Ogon as the center?


    Absolute mayhem breaks lose. The heir of the Ebonquill household has been kidnapped by bandits.The mayor''s son has been claimed by a forest spirit. A spirit of the forest, possibly the guardian itself, openly called Ogon theirs to protect and took Mikvel Ebonquill to wed them as proof.


    Those where the many rumors that spread through the village when the kidnapped women returned. Just before sunset, a boy had returned with the stolen women in tow. He had sworn and hissed about the bandit leader abandoning him just to please some forest monster.


    "Someone has to lead the women back he said. Take the horses and don''t return he said. Just cause some horned forest bitch said-"


    The villagers had immediately silenced the boy, afraid that he''d offend the spirits. The women had been led to the mayor''s house for questioning and soon descriptions of the event flew through the streets like wildfire.


    "A woman as white as death, with antlers and hooves."


    "A man with a hundred burning eyes."


    "A beast with the body of a man and the voice of a woman."


    These were just a few of the many descriptions, none confirmed by more than one person. The women had only gotten glimpses from inside the tents they were kept in. Some had seen more than others. Some talked about the trembling bandits and the (for once) wise leader who knew what to do. The bandits had listened to the spirit and obeyed, appeasing it.


    "It wanted the mayor''s son as its groom."


    "Some say that spirits eat elves. Was it the boy''s mixed blood that interested the spirit?"


    "Poor boy..."


    The mayor himself had locked himself away in his home. His little boy stolen from him by the forest, he didn''t dare guess why. His people assured him that the forest would treat him well, that the spirit wanted him to tell it stories, that it wanted the boy alive. Jonte Ebonquill could only nod and hope that they were right. His one and only son, the only thing left behind by his beloved wife.


    The bandit boy had been imprisoned and questioned by the guards. Where was the camp? How many are the bandits? Are there any more raids planned? The boy had refused to tell them anything at all. He just swore and spat at them.


    After days of wild speculations and the mayor''s grieving calmed down, the village came to an agreement.If the spirit claimed Ogon as their own then they would show gratitude towards the spirit. They would build a small shrine in the forest and leave offerings there as thanks for the forest''s protection. Many were still unsure if the spirit that took Mikvel really was the guardian, but the pros of having the favor of a minor spirit outweighed the cons.


    A small pavilion made out of stone and clay and fallen branches soon got build about a hundred meters into the forest. No trees or plants could be taken from the forest for this sort of building, only fallen, discarded twigs and branches were allowed. Stone and clay were transported from the swamp. The construction would take a couple of weeks at least to finish.


    New stories were told in Ogon during this time. Tales of a spirit who fell in love with the heir of the village and how the two ran away into the woods. Tales of how a spirit''s loved one got kidnapped by bandits and how it declared its love by saving him and granting his village its protection.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Meanwhile in a certain dungeon.


    "So this is my cave. It''s not much... There''s dirt and stones... Maker closed up the rodent tunnels awhile ago but they just dug new ones..."


    "How fancy. You''ve really moved up in the world, Fanv."


    Fanvwere currently showing Mikvel around. Mikvel did not seem very impressed by her cave. Pohc took it upon himself to change that. The human clearly needed some details to seewhy the Great one''s cave was so impressive.


    ''It is the biggest cave near the entrance, except the lake cave.''


    "I still can''t believe the rabbit talks..."


    Unfortunately, the human seemed more interested in the cave''s residents than the cave itself so Pohc''s comment didn''t really help.


    ''It''s rather strange hearing him for the first time right? Doesn''t look like much is going on in their heads, but they''re surprisingly talkative those rodents.''


    "Or the spider."


    "His name is Samuel, Sam for short."


    ''Miss Fanv named me! She''s very good at naming things.'' Sam added in a cheerful tone.


    "And thehare is named Pohc."


    If you are going to be completely exact then he is a Dread hare. A better version of normal hares!


    Maker''s melodic voice echoed through the cave and nearby tunnels.


    "Why does the cave talk again? Where did the snake-wing-hair-lady go?"


    "Maker is both the cave and the snake-hair-wing-lady. The snakey one is her body, the core she calls it."


    "Isn''t the core the thing adventurers crush to kill the dungeon?"


    Mikvel nearly fell over as everyone snarled and hissed in unison. He quickly corrected himself.


    "Onlyadventurers kill dungeons, and not every one of them does it at all. Some just-... Ah, never mind."


    Telling them that some towns keep dungeons under control to farm their resources would probably not help. They''d probably see it as slavery...


    So Mikvel, now that I have a completely human human in my caves, mind if I ask you a question? It has been bugging me for awhile now.


    "Uh, sure, go ahead?"


    When do humans start bree-


    "NOPE! I told you already, we are NOT talking about that. Change the subject, someone!"


    ''Mikvel is a very pretty human.''


    "What?"


    "What?"


    Everyone stopped again at Sam''s try of changing the subject. He looked back at them in confusion.


    ''Uh, was that the wrong word?''


    ''I think the word was sexy.''


    "No Pohc that''s not the word. Definitely not... right Sam?"


    ''I, uh... I was pretty sure ''pretty'' was the word... Like you don''t have the, uh fleshy stuff or the weird hair... Am I making this awkward? Help me out, what do you call it??''


    You mean he does not look like the adventurers, right? The burly unshaven ones.


    ''Yes, that.''


    The spider let out a nervous sigh and silently thanked Maker.


    "I didn''t know spiders could have a thing for humans..." Fanv mumbled to herself.


    "What?"


    "Nothing! How did you guys even learn the word sexy?"


    We know all the words you knew when I claimed you. Some are harder to understand though, at least for some of us. ''Sexy'' is a word to describe someone you would like to mate with, right?


    ''What?! Really?! That''s not what I meant, I''m sorry but I like living.''


    Sam waved his front legs frantically, only now realizingwhat the misunderstanding was about.


    "What are ye babbling about?"


    ''Oh, Dessi, you''re still here? Don''t bother the Great one, ok?''


    The satyr responded by spitting just in front of the hare. Pohc flew back a bit, just barely managing to avoid getting hit by the spit.


    Male spiders get eaten once they have mated right? I have not seen it often as I do not keep many insects in my dungeon.


    "They what?!"


    "Uh, I dunno if it''ll help but I won''t eat Sam, ok? Wait why do you look disappointed?!"


    Mikvel said in a try to reassure the spider.


    ''What?! I''m not! You misunderstand!''


    "That looks more like the face you made when I told you a dress shouldn''t be hard enough to whack someone dead with."


    ''Are you sure, Great one? His mandibles are clicking much more than that time are they not?''


    "Could ye stop calling wolfie ''Great one''? It''s getting pretty damn annoying! And why are there so many rodents here all of a sudden?! At least they are quiet!"


    ''You are such a rude creature...''


    The satyr and hare both stared daggers at each other.


    ''Please don''t touch my mandibles like that, it tickles.''


    "I''ve always envied how ''ok'' you are with bugs..."


    "What do you mean? It''s not like he''sthat... buggy?"


    Mikvel patted Sam''s head to make a point.


    ''You are touching my eyes... Please stop petting my head...''


    "Ah, sorry. Just making a point to Fanv."


    "Point taken, you have not a shred of fear for spiders."


    "You completely missed the point..."


    The odd group of creatures and one human kept on chatting for a long while. At some point, Mikvel''s stomach grumbled and surprisingly it was Dessi who solved the problem by having her flock bring a dead Glowshell into the cave. A wild debate broke out about getting sick from eating a cadaver and sicknesses and the naturally resistant carnivores who were all present. It ended with Mikvel gathering a bunch of twigs and moss he found around the tunnels, everyone else watched curiously before he demanded they help. The rodents made a big pile of dead wood and plants rather quickly and then the majority of the group witnessed non-magical fire for the first time. The rodents panicked for awhile before they noticed that the fire wasn''t bright white or yellow like the spells a certain mage had used a while back, but normal orange/red flames which only ate the gathered firewood.


    They then proceeded with scooping out the meat inside the shell and putting it on longer sticks to grillthe meat with. Fanv transformed to use her longer sharper finger-claws and Mikvel fainted at least once. Maker giggled like a maniac during the entire process.

 Ch20 Nightly adventures

    Waking up in a cave feels pretty strange and a bit worrying. Waking up in a cave with a mutant wolf snuggled up around you like a furry snake feels very strange and fully justifies the panic Mikvel currently finds himself in. Said wolf just grumbles at the squirming boy and moves its body into a more comfortable position, successfully squishing the silently screaming human.


    "...Why are you moving so much?... I''m tired..."


    "Fanv! Oof-! There''s a mosht- MONSTER! It''s cRUSHING ME-" He barely managed to speak with all the fur getting in his face and mouth.


    "What- OH, sorry. Wait a sec, I''ll- Ow! Don''t tangle yourself up in my legs."


    "Wait, you''re the-... oh, I forgot- Watch your claws!"


    The tangled mess finally divided into two after much squirming and Mikvel almost losing an ear to some misplaced claws.


    "Why are you transformed? You gave me a heart attack."


    "You complained about being cold all night. Fur makes people less cold."


    She nuzzled Mikvel''s shoulder to emphasize how warm and nice her fur was. He grunted and pushed her head away.


    "Oof, stop that. Hey, don''t- AH!"


    Fanv misjudged her strength a bit and accidentallytackled Mikvel to the floor. Totally by accident. Mikvel responded by lightly punching her andtrying to get her off of him. As they wrestled, Pohc made his way into the cave. He watched in amusement how the small (compared to the massive wolf) struggled in vain.


    "You''re so weak!"


    "You''ve gotten fat! Too heavy!"


    "Lies, I''m thin as a stick! Look at these limbs, one could mistake me for a spider!"


    Both giggled and growled at each other. They ended the playful brawl when it became obvious that Mikvel had no chance of beating Fanv in her wolf form. Maker''s singsong voice filled their heads just a second later.


    Good morning little ones. While I am very disappointed that youonly slept togetherlast night-


    "No, we didn''t sleep with each other!"


    "We didn''t sleep together!"


    What? Yes, you did? You slept in a pile of fur and skin and dresses?


    "''Sleeping together'' can mean you have sex! We didn''t have sex!"


    What?


    "It''s a saying. People don''t just say ''they had sex'' outright..."


    "It''s a human thing. You don''t talk about sex. You hint at it at most! It''s embarrassing to say it out loud..."


    That is weird. Humans make things so complicated... Anyway, I have something to show you! Go to the entrance and step outside!


    Mikvel and Fanv gladly left the subject behind. Sunlight was peeking through the cave opening, it felt a bit wider than usual.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You made the entrance wider?"


    Just a little bit. Step outside! That is where the real change is!


    They did as told and the sun greeted their eyes as they stepped outside. Mikvel winced a bit and rubbed his eyes. His eyes had just gotten used to the dark caves.


    It was a bright and sunny morning. Dew dripped from the many trees and plants that surrounded the incline where the cave mouth lay. It was a crisp and refreshing scene but other than that...


    "What are we looking for exactly?"


    Look closer! Look at the plants!


    "I don''t see anything unusual?..."


    Fanv crouched down and sniffed at the grass. The dew glistened in the sunlight and blinded her slightly when she turned her gaze around.


    "The... Plants are... a bit darker? Maybe?"


    Yes! I claimed it!


    "Claimed?"


    "Wait for real?"


    It took a moment for Fanv to realize what Maker meant but when she did she could only gape. If the darker plants were Maker''s doing then that meant she had claimed the area where they grew.


    The entire incline is now part of my dungeon! Soon we will have the entire forest! Maker-kingdom is not far away now!


    "Maker-kingdom? Wait so... The dungeon is growing? Is that a good thing?"


    Yes, a very good thing! Hey Fanv where are you going?


    Fanv looked up at that. She was halfway up the slope.


    "I''m going somewhere? Where?"


    I do not know. Are you?


    "What?"


    Your head feels a bit cloudy today, are you alright?


    "I''m perfectly fine!"


    You did not comment about me checking your mind... What is wrong?


    "What?"


    What?


    "What?"


    "I''m going for a walk. I need to burn off some energy."


    Why did you not say so from the start?


    "I didn''t?"


    "Fanv, you are acting kind of strange?"


    "I feel kind of lightheaded."


    "Uh, then you should rest."


    "Nope, I''m gonna run!"


    Mikvel didn''t have time to protest before the wolf shot away into the forest. In mere seconds she was gone.


    I am worried...


    "Same here..."


    Fanv was shooting through the forest at incredible speed. She felt as if she was flying and she was loving every second of it. The breeze sung in her ears and twigs and branches dragged themselves through her fur like fingers as she ran past them. She startled a herd of deer as she leaped over a hillside and landed in a clearing. The frightened deer scattered in all directions. Their fear left a thick intoxicating smell in the air. The wolf breathed in deeply and then chased after a doe.


    A low buzzing was slowly filling her head as she chased the doe through the forest. The thrill of the hunt drove her to even higher speeds and the doe screamed as she slammed her jaws around its neck. The buzzing grew louder as she flung her head back and let the doe fly upwards. Its neck snapped with apop and warm blood soon covered her muzzle. She couldn''t think straight anymore, the fresh kill and the buzzing were the only things filling her mind.


    The wolf took its time feeding on its prey before setting off into the woods again. It soon found the herd again and this time she went after a deer with impressive antlers. The deer reared and huffed at her as she drew closer, clearly intent on protecting its herd.


    The wolf didn''t slow down and when the antlers dug themselves into its gut it only howled in glee. It spun like a snake around the rack of antlers and then dropped down onto the deer''s back. It reared again and bleated as the wolf dug its long claws into its flesh. The deer saw a blood red maw fly towards its face as the wolf spun its body and then the teeth dug themselves into its skull, shattering bone and splattering brain matter everywhere. The huge animal fell with the wolf still on top of it, none of its kin remained to help it.


    The wolf feasted yet again and as the day grew older the buzzing grew louder and more animals fell prey to its unending hunger. When the full moon finally rose it couldn''t contain the raw primal emotions that were raging through its mind any longer. A bloodcurdling howl split the air, followed by a terrifying imitation of laughter. In the distance, another howl answered the first. Then another one, and another one. The Visvarg answered the strangers with glee and then set off towards them. The normal wolves never realized what hit them. The defensive ones growled and tried to scare away the outsider but were met with teeth and claws.


    The remaining pack members circled the strange intruder with a wary glint in their eyes. When the Visvarg made a purring noise at them the first wolf started walking towards it. The other females soon followed.


    [Creature Visvarg(Fanv) gained a title!]


    [Broodmother]


    Huh?.........FINALLY!

 SCh1 Raging rivers

    A young centaur ran through the stormy night. The tall grass whipped at her legs and sent water spraying everywhere as she plowed through the plains. With a bang thatreverberated through bone and air alike, the sky split into a glowing wound of light. The blinding spectacle lasted for a second before dark clouds flowed back to fill the hole.


    Kani stumbled when the shockwave rolled through the plains, making everything vibrate in fear and ecstasy. With a force of will, she kicked off the ground and picked up speed again. A blue light shone in the distance, followed by excited shouts and the sound of frightened horses. The wind answered them with another howling gust, ripping at anything it could grasp.


    Kani pushed on. The air crackled with electricity for a second before another flash of lightning tore the sky apart only to be mended by the clouds seconds later. The centaur gave a desperate shout as an arrow grazed her side, hot blood pumping out of her and into the night. The excited shouts grew louder as she began to stumble from the numbing poison the arrow had inflicted her with.


    Kani screamed in fury and forced her numbing legs to keep on moving, denying her hunters victory just yet. Rain clung to her fur and skin, cooling off her body which was overheating from the backbreaking effort of running. The wind suddenly changed direction, giving her a hard push forward. She yelped in surprise and nearly lost her balance. The edges of her vision were starting to turn black and blurry from exhaustion and the poison.


    A bump in the ground caught one of her hooves and sent her crashing down. Her hunters soon caught up and she could only watch them in horror as they approached her paralyzed body. One of the hooded men dismounted his horse and jogged up to her stunned form. He held a thick staff made of some dark type of wood. She saw him grin as he swung the club-like end of the staff towards her head.


    Kani woke up with a start. She was sweating and her muscles had cramped up just like that night she got caught. She took a moment to draw in deep breaths and calm her racing heart. She shifted around in her cramped cage so that her horse body lay on its stomach, giving her human body a chance to stretch. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears. The large room looked the same as when she''d fallen asleep; Wooden walls with sculpted details and expensive paintings adorning them. Other cages crowded the room, all occupied by different creatures and people. Few of the prisoners were of the Sentient races, only a couple of elves and humans sat or lied down in their cages.Red carpets created paths between the cages with small signs telling of the slaves'' race and details.


    Kani glanced at her own sign. It had been placed a bit further away from her cage then the others'' due to her grabbing and breaking it the first days of her stay. She still remembered the words on it.


    Centaur, Female.


    Skills: None


    Titles: [River''s claim] (unidentified)


    Magical affinity: Water


    Getting appraised by that skinny human hadn''t been fun. The slaver''s guards had held her still and gagged her while the smelly man fondled his tools and poked at her. The guards had long since learned to keep firm grips on her legs unless they wanted another skull kicked in. She shuddered at the memory of the guards who had held her human half still. Their grabby hands had felt hot and sweaty as they grabbed places they didn''t really need to grab. Spitting and hissing through the gag had only seemed toencourage them.


    The doors on the far end of the room swung open to let the first customers of the day in. Kani only saw the top of the tall doors over the rows of cages but it was enough to see the bright morning sun outside. Some of thestaff accompanied the customers while explaining the details of their ''wares''. Kani huffed and rose as people came closer to her cage. A burly human man with a thick black beard stopped to look at her. He only gave her sign a quick glance.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He looked like the kind of person that would gladly wrestle a bear. The look in his eyes suggested that he would indeed take the chance to wrestle a bear but not in thenormal. His version of ''wrestling'' would probably involve a lot fewer clothes and another kind of penetration than the stabby-stabby kind. He snuck a filthy hand down his pants as if to make it very clear what he intended to do if he purchased her.


    Kani responded by swinging around and kicking the bars of her cage hard enough to dent them. That seemed to make it clear enough whatshe intended to do if he purchased her. The burly man flinched away and quickly escaped into the growing crowd. Minutes later she could see him staring down a girl with gills and fins a few rows further away. Disgusting.


    More people walked past her cage, some glancing at the sign and then frowning when they noticed her damaged cage. Humans, elves, dwarves, a few oni and some skulking figures who she suspected were either vampires or some otherkind of shady individuals.


    The few who showed interest in Kani could be convinced to reconsider with a few well-aimed kicks or rearing and screeching at them. The slavers and customers treated her like some dumb animal so she could easily get away with acting like one, the less ''tame'' she appeared the less desirable she would be to those stuck up tyrants.At least that was what she hoped. She didn''t plan to play the act of a pet or servant for the rest of her life.


    One of the less shady shady people stopped in front of her cage. A well-groomed man with elvish features looked at her while considering something. He stroked his blond goateewhile observing her. Kicking didn''t seem to faze him in the least, nor did spitting random gibberish or rearing up. There was a strange shimmer in the air around him, making it seem as if light avoided landing directly on him. It made the few shadows paler and harder to spot that they should be, making him seem unreal. The small black-haired girl standing next to him seemed to be the cause of this. Her deep green eyes shimmered with the same effect and she frowned in concentration every now and then. Her legs were that of a goat and small rounded horns peeked through the curly mess of hair.


    The blond man called out to an attendant and soon they were discussing Kani''s worth and behavior. The attendant set a pretty high prize because of how ''easy to spook'' she were, which triggered her ''violent outbursts'' which in turn made her a hard to train slave that could easily hurt first-time slave-owners or people who didn''t have experience with untamed slaves. He made it sound like his company was taking responsibility and being all kind and supportive by including tools or tips in the price.


    The man simply nodded and kept on watching Kani, never breaking eye contact. She felt small shivers climbing up her spine as she kept on glaring at him. When the shivers only grew instead of going away she had to turn her gaze away. Something about him wasn''t right.


    After much discussion, the man and the attendant settled on a price and went to one of the private rooms to sign contracts and what not. Kani paced in her cage for a moment without knowing what to do before she decided to have ''a violent outburst'' as a last attempt to dissuade the man.


    The guards and some other staff members tried to calm her down with hushing noises and a few pokes with their sticks nooses on the end. She refused to let them grab any part of her with the noose and simply spun around whenever they tried to grab her legs. She was starting quite the ruckus.


    It all ended when the man reappeared, however. He whispered something and when their gaze met her whole body froze up. A magical collar (the telltale sign of a slave) were then put around her neck to keep her from running away. Any runaway slave could be returned to their owner for a pretty sum of gold and the collars couldn''t be removed by anyone but the owner so it was easy to spot them if they tried to sneak back into society.


    Not that Kani would try that. Centaurs were normally nomads and they rarely left their tribes. Kani''s tribe had cast her out when she had one day gained the Title [River''s claim]. The elders had claimed that the river wanted her and so they had chased her into the nearest river and tried to drown her. She had escaped and fled across the Rust plains only to be spotted and chased down by a group of travelers who felt she was worth the trouble. Maybe she was, the Slaver''s guild had paid well for her, not many centaurs were found alone. Tribes were usually well armed andvery protective of their own, making it near impossible to snatch one of them.


    Kani shook her head to get back to reality. She was walking outside in the city of Klepper, also know as the city of adventurers. At some point, she had been saddled and mounted byher new owner and were now being ridden like a horse through the city. A makeshift bridle had been made and applied to her. It sat like a vest, around her arms, torso and attached to a second collar around her neck. She had no memory of how she got there. She felt the weight of the satyr sitting behind the man in the saddle. It felt extremely unpleasant but for some reason, she couldn''t resist or move as she pleased. It was as if a hidden hand had grasped her mind and steered her body in her stead. Panic welled up in her mind but none of it showed on her blank face or in her steady gait. She was completely in her owner''s grasp...

 Ch21 Travelers

    The bright rays of sun woke Fanv up from her deep slumber. She grumbled and tried to turn her head away from the bothersome light but soon gave up. She opened her jaws wide into a yawn and arched her back into a stretch. Her joints popped pleasantly as she unfolded herself and shook the morning dew out of her fur.


    A smaller pile of fur whined a complaint when it realized its pillow wasn''t going to lie back down. Fanv turned her head, prepared to see Pohc, Mikvel or even Sam but what met her gaze was a completely unfamiliar wolf. The wolf tilted its head as Fanv stared at it in confusion.


    "Uh... Who? Why?..." A quick look around told her that she had awoken in an unfamiliar clearing. Too many unfamiliar things to wake up to...


    "Where?"


    The wolf just kept watching the Visvarg.


    "Uhm... Do you talk? Hi-"


    ''Hi!'' The wolf finally reacted by standing up and wagging its tail.


    "So you do talk. Ok, erhm... Where am I? Who are you?"


    The wolf gave her a questioning look.


    ''Den?''


    Upon closer inspection, a small hole could be seen under one of the trees. A dug-out den, most likely the one the wolf is referring to.


    "Yes, I see the den. But who''s den? Where am I?"


    The wolf looked to be in thought for a moment before responding.


    ''Our den.''


    "No no, not MY den. I don''t live here? What are you-?"


    The wolf stretched and then bent its forelegs and wagged its tail in a playful manner.


    ''Play?''


    "No, why would we-? Where am I? Hello? Are you listening?"


    ''Not play?...''


    "Not play."


    The wolf looked disappointed but didn''t argue. Fanv began pacing around in the small clearing, sniffing at the ground and trying to rememberhow she got there. The wolf trotted after her, occasionallyshaking her brown fur or scratching at an itch. Another wolf soon joined them from inside the den. This one was gray and just like the brown one crouched and asked ''play?''. Fanv declined and the gray one joined the brown one in following Fanv around the clearing.


    Everything smelled of wolves. There was a deep musky scent that she couldn''t identify in some places, mainly the middle of the clearing and inside the den. Curious, she followed the scent trail and soon ended up sniffing the brown wolf. It didn''t protest, in fact, it seemed to enjoy it. Fanv only realized why when the wolf asked in a hopeful voice:


    ''Mate?''


    Turning down an overly excited wolf who only knew a few simple words took some time and effort. Fanv grew even more flustered when the gray wolf started asking the same question too. After much ''arguing'' the wolves finally gave up and let her continue her exploration of the clearing.


    Her heart sank when a third wolf appeared from the bushes. Thankfully it didn''t ask for playing or sex, instead, it shook the rabbit it held in its bloodied maw and offered Fanv its prey. At least she thought that was what it was doing when it simply dropped the rabbit at her feet and said ''food''. It didn''t even wait for a reply before walking over to the den to laze around in the sunlight.


    The rabbit was little more than a mouthful for Fanv but she thankfully ate it, for some reason she felt famished. More wolves made their way into the clearing, some carrying prey and one of them had an impressive stick that it had to protect from jealous packmates. Some slumped down to rest while others play-wrestled with each other.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Fanv started to feel out of place so she simply rose and trotted out of the clearing (after snatching another rabbit from a wolf that didn''t seem to mind).


    The munching Visvarg set a light paceas she explored the forest, trying to find something familiar. The forest denizens didn''t help much, the one squirrel that didn''t run from her chattered in outrage when she got too close to its tree and nothing responded when she called out with her telepathic voice.


    Faint voices could be heard in the distance and following the sound soon led the Visvarg to the road in the small valley that separated Wyrmtail swamp and Feytale forest. Following the road to the south would lead her to Ogon. The voices she had been following turned out to be a small caravan. Mostly humans rode or walked along the carriages but a few elves and dwarves could be seen here and there as well.


    Fanv considered transforming and walking up to the caravan but decided against it. She had no clothes and her rather strange features would definitely get her in trouble. Instead, she snuck ahead of the caravan and followed the road until she could see her old village up ahead. Entering the village was tempting, she could ''borrow'' something from an unguarded clothesline and some people should recognize her face even though there were a couple too many eyes.


    She quickly discarded that idea when she spotted one of the guards that had chased her out of the village. As far as they knew Fanv was dead and if she wasn''t then she was a horrible man-eating monster. Speaking of which, didn''t she have a Title called [Man-eater]? Skills that could see other people''s Titles and/or Skills were relatively rare among common folks but she could get unlucky. She wasn''t the most social person during her time in the village, so even if someonedid have an inspection Skill of some kind chances are that she hadn''t heard about it.


    Nope, getting caught was bad enough, her [Man-eater] Title would get her killed in an instant if it was ever discovered... With that choice settled the Visvarg quietly made her way deeper into the forest, leaving the slow caravan and distant village behind.


    One of the travelers jumped a bit when he saw the bushes rustle out of the corner of his eye. He hurriedly jogged up to the front cart and shared his concerns with the red headed woman riding it.


    "Madam Krystal! I saw something in the bushes-"


    Krystal frowned and cut him off before he could come up with possible dangers that stalked the caravan.


    "For the last time Geffery, We are not stopping to search the entire forest for possible threats. I don''t care if you think you saw a dragon hiding in a birds nest. "


    "Bu-but I really saw something this time."


    "Bullshit. You see danger everywhere! We''re already late enough as it is because of your paranoia!"


    Geffery was known to be extremely paranoid and easy to set on edge, something that had put Krystal''s caravan way behind schedule many times already. It''s a forest damn it, not every snapping twig was a deadly beast yearning to feast on their flesh. It was probably just another squirrel. The persistent coward still insisted that they stopped the caravan and let the hired adventurers have a look around to makeabsolutely sure nothing was stalking them. Krystal would have none of it.


    Johna chuckled as he walked a few meters behind the front cart. The thin blond man found the bickering pair rather entertaining, and since he got paid for each day he kept the caravan safe he didn''t have any complaints about the paranoid man prolonging the journey. His companion threw him a knowing glance.


    "Shouldn''t we stop them? Madam Krystal is working herself up it seems."


    "Nah, let it be Noa. We can practically see the village already so let Geffery have his fun."


    The tall man known as Noa shook his bald head.


    "How many times have they fought now? Shouldn''t we do something about it? There is no need to let negative emotions taint the last bit of our journey."


    "You make it sound like traveling from Pontro to Ogon is a year-long pilgrimage through barren wastelands. Although if mister Geffery over there had more say in things then maybe a year wouldn''t be too far of a stretch... And by the way, their small fights keeps the others entertained."


    "They keep you entertained you mean... Are you sure this is not a sign of your sadistic side lingering?"


    Johna''s carefree smile turned a bit more strained at that.


    "It''s midday already, the effects of the full moon last night is long gone by now..."


    "And you drank your potion this morning?"


    "Yeees. No need to keep nagging me about my potions. I would be set on fire the instant I set foot in the sunlight if I forgot it you know. You worry too much."


    Noa sighed in relief. Despite his companion''s carefree attitude, he did act serious enough when needed. Moonmadness was certainly something that one needed to be serious about. The moon only affected some races and to varying degrees. His usually kind and easygoing companion would turn sadistic and violent during that one time of the month but luckily enough for them, a sturdy rope and a gag were enough to keep him in place for one night. The hard part was keeping him hidden from the other travelers of the caravan while the madness lasted.


    Noticing Noa''s frown Johna quickly tried to cheer him up.


    "I still appreciate that you look out for me you know. I would be long dead if not for my favorite monk!"


    "Hehe, keeping all things in nature safe and balanced is a monk''s way of life after all."


    The merry caravan kept up their relatively slow pace for the rest of the way towards Ogon without any incident. Once there the exhausted travelers settled down in the one and only inn of the village and started trading stories and news with the locals.


    A certain visvarg finally found her way home and were greeted by a worried half-elf and an ecstatic dungeon lady. All in all, it was a pretty peaceful day.

 Ch22 Chair of friendship

    Fanv barely made it 5 steps into the cave before Maker''s messy mane embraced her while giggling wildly. The dungeon lady spun her around a bit while hugging her tightly.


    Welcome back my beloved wolf! I am so proud of you! My little wolf all grown up~ But where are your mates? The pups will not be mine by default if they are born outside the dungeon?


    Maker finally released Fanv from her embrace and looked at her expectantly while the dizzy wolf regained her balance.


    "Whu- What-... Eeeeeh it''s all spinning. What are you talking bout?"


    Maker''s smile widened enough to make it look as if her face split in two.


    You! Mated! With! Enough mates! To! Establish! AN ENTIRE RACE!!!! Once those pups are born Visvargs will be an official species! Not just one unique creature! A WHOLE SPECIES!!!!!!!!


    Maker''s giddy outburst almost made Fanv dizzier than her high-speed-hug. Then what she had just said began to sink in.


    "What did you just say?... I... Mated? When?! With WHO?! "


    Last night~ I did not see it myself but I got the announcement of you getting the Title!


    Title... Now that she thought about it, she could feel the new Title in the back of her mind. Titles and Skills were parts of the subconscious and very little was known about them. One kind of justknew what they had when they focused on it and surely enough there it was.


    [Broodmother]


    What in the world is that Title supposed to mean? When the hell did she get it? She had no memory of what happened yesterday after she went outside the dungeon. A quiet buzzing filled her mind when she tried to recall. She sat down with a *thumph*.


    "Whyyyyy do I have thiiiiis? Wheeeen?! Hooow!?!?!"


    Give me a second. I will look up the details of the Title.


    "What does that even meeeaaan?!"


    Geez, stop your whining already. This was bound to happen at some point. Are you not glad the great me is here to help you through this? Although I am a bit surprised you can still get moon-mad. I thought that part disappeared when you evolved. It seems amplified if anything- Oh! Here it is. I will forward what I see to you.


    "What are you-"


    <table width="464">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Broodmother (Visvarg)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The owner of this Titleis either the first ancestor of a species or has in a notable way contributed greatly to the number of offspring in the next generation.


    This Title grants the owner great respect from future generations of their species.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So there you have it~


    Fanv didn''t hear Maker''s words. She was completely enthralled by the strange blue box that had appeared before her. It remained in the middle of her vision no matter how she turned her head. It even stayed when she closed her eyes. She had never seen anything like it before.


    Maker''s o so great patience lasted for about 10 seconds before she gently poked the wolf. Fanv jumped in surprise and the box disappeared from her vision just as suddenly as it had appeared. Maker shook her head as the wolf tentatively scratched at the air, trying to find the mysterious box again.


    You are acting strangely. Have you never seen a Title-description before?


    "That''s what it was? Is that what people with inspection or appraise Skills see?"


    I do not have any such skills I think. Not with such a name at least. I see those boxes whenever I wish to see the details of a creature in my dungeon. It helps me keep track of everyone.


    "And you can just make those boxes appear?"


    I can show them to my creatures since we are connected. Just like how I can enter and view the minds of my creatures, my creatures can be allowed to see the things I visualize or see.


    "I... see. I think I understand."


    Fanv did not understand.


    "So uh, can you see all the Skills and Titles? I have two others, can you show me the details of them as well?"


    [Maneater] kind of explained itself so she was more curious about what [Frenzy] did.


    Sure sure, just give me a second.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Maneater</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The owner of this Title has consumed part of a Sentient race. (Human)


    The chance of the owner growing addicted to the taste rises with the amount consumed.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Ah... That doesn''t sound good at all..."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The bodies of Sentient races are a bit different from non-sentient races after all. Not that sentience has anything to do with it though. They sure choose a weird name for themselves...


    "Let''s not ponder on that one too much. I''m pretty sure I''m not addicted to human flesh."


    Yet?


    "Don''t..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Frenzy</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Skill is triggered by choice or when the owner is subject to violence, either as the victim or the abuser.


    Causes the owner to enter a violent frenzy that boosts speed, strength, and reflexes. Pain is nulled while the Skill is active. Frenzy will cloud the user''s judgment to the point where friendly fire is almost guaranteed. The effect can be canceled with force of will, by defeating all nearby creatures, or by a third party''s actions.


    Owner''s of Frenzy have lower resistance to madness.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Another troublesome one..."


    It is madness you dislike is it not?


    "Yeah, I like being sane..."


    Hm... So[Frenzy] and the full moon can both drive you mad, but otherwise you are way saner than before you evolved.


    "I haven''t noticed much difference..."


    No, I am sure there is a great difference. While you were a simple werewolf your madness got triggered by just the scent of blood alone. Now you can calmly watch another creature bleed, even a human. Did you not carry your dying friend all the way here without so much as thinking about eating him?


    "That is true but..."


    Had you been your old self then surely you would have eaten him on the spot and then slaughtered the rest of the humans. Your species is weak to madness so it is not strange that the moon would affect you. The way the moon made you act is simply the way you would have become had you not regained your sanity after your first transformation. You have evolved beyond that simple beast.


    Fanv nodded silently. The things Maker told her were comforting. She was just about to thank her when something came crashing down the tunnel.


    First, she thought it was Mikvel, then she noticed the obvious lack of his silk dress andlegs. No, scratch that, he had legs,8 of them. And there was a second Mikvel running behind the strange spider-Mikvel, this one wore the white silk but the way he held a woodenchair above his head as if it was a gift from the gods was a bit off...


    They were both out of breath and spider-Mikvel fell down on his stomach to gasp for breath. Chair-Mikvel tripped on spider-Mikvel and the chair went flying through the air. Maker moved quicker than the wind and caught the piece of furniture just as it was about to crash into the ground.


    Fanv stared in amazement as Maker stood back up with the chair in the air and an expression that demanded applause and cheer.


    "Mikvel?... Why- How are you a spider? Why are there two of you..."


    "I''m Mikvel-"


    "I''m Ssam-"


    They both spoke at the same time with the exact same voice, except for the slight hissing noise that came from spider-Mik- wait what?


    "Sam???"


    "Yess! I evolved klcklc"


    "That''s great! What''s that clicking noise though?"


    "My mandibless."


    Sam opened his human mouth wide to reveal a set of black mandibles hidden at the back of his mouth and to the sides. They were covered in saliva and moved in a disturbing way. Fanv quickly took her eyes off them as shivers rolled down her spine.


    "Uh ok, I s-see."


    Mikvel''s face with hidden mandibles looked way too creepy. She shook her head to get rid of the image. She would have to handle the nightmares later.


    "So uh, why do you look like Mikvel? And what''s with that chair?"


    "Mikvel''ss the only human male I''ve sseen in great detail sso far sso I used him as a reference."


    "That''s like an exact copy of him tho. Didn''t you see the adventurers a while back?"


    "Adventurers? There''s been other people here?-"


    "I jusst ssniped them. Didn''t get a good look before their heads bursst open. And I dislike how big and fleshy-"


    "Youwhat?! Sniped?!!"


    Real Mikvel had apparently not heard about the adventurers that invaded them some time back. Sam made nervous clicking noises as Mikvel stared in horror at him. Maker saved him the trouble of explaining.


    Yes, a couple of humans invaded us a while back. They set the rodents on fire and refused to leave so we killed them.


    "Uh...."


    It would seem that spending so muchpeaceful time with the dungeon inhabitants had made Mikvel forget just where he currently was. A dungeon was a place where people died after all. Fanv drooped her ears a bit at the reminder too. Sam picked at his human hands nervously while glancing back and forth. He tried to lighten the mood with a cheerful tone.


    "Sso uh, do you want to tell her about the chair, Micklvel?"


    Mikvel cheered up a bit at that. Maker handed him the chair and he and Sam puffed up their chests in pride.


    "We made a chair!"


    He put it on the ground in front of Fanv to let her marvel at the masterpiece. It was a crude wooden chair made out of scrap-wood and twigs. The legs were crooked and pieces of thread peeked out from the edges and corners. All in all it looked like shit.


    "Very pretty! Did you both make it all yourself?"


    They both nodded happily.


    "I commented on how bare and empty some caves looked and then we got on the subject of furniture and I drew a picture of a chair and explained it to Sam and Maker."


    "Drew? Where did you get paint?"


    "We mashed up those black clovers. They have some kind of red sap in them."


    Let''s not tell him it''s blood...


    "We dragged in twigss and wood from the outssideand used my threadss to put it togheter."


    I really like the ideas Mikvel has. He draws really well! We are going to make a castle on top of the cavesystem~


    Whoa they''ve planned so much already...


    "Mikvel... don''t you miss home?"


    Mikvel seemed surprised at the change in subject. His face fell a bit when he thought about it.


    "Not really... I mean, I never wanted to become town chief and becoming a bard wasn''t really for me. You were way better at remembering and telling stories you know. I miss my dad and friends a bit sure but..."


    Sam fidgeted a bit and Fanv lied down while thinking it all over. If Mikvel returned to Ogon then he couldn''t return to the dungeon since people could follow him. There''s also the problem of how the villagers would react to him returning. Surprisingly it was Maker who came with a solution to the problem.


    Let us make the dungeon a village. We will build buildings and furniture and learn to speak. We will let the most human-like of us greet the humans and state our rules and intentions. If we do not hunt them or take their things then surely we can live next to each other in peace?


    Maker''s optimistic suggestion seemed like a good idea. If they made sure to show the villagers of Ogon that they were fully sentient creatures who could act like humans then maybe they could get on friendly terms. It was worth a try at least. Noting that everyone seemed to somewhat agree to the suggestion, Maker set her plan in motion.


    Good! I will have Fanv and Mikvel tell me all the things needed to be respected by the humans. The others will gather things and materials for building. I will practice changing more materials the stone so we can have trees and other useful materials to build our castle with. Sam will help build. Dessi and her flock will hunt for food so we can bring fresh meat as a peace-gift.


    Oh and let us bring the birds, they have known how to talk for a long time.


    "Do not bring the birds. They are the rudest creatures I have ever met!"


    We are not bringing the birds! Let us decided on a name for our great kingdom, I shall ask all my creatures for suggestions!


    And so the simple cave dungeon started to change at a pace never seen before.

 Ch23 Dance-offs can be lethal

    Krystal''s caravan had spent about a week in Ogon. The normallybustling village had somehow become even more lively than the last time she had visited. People were running back and forth, transporting materials and messages between the swamp and forest. Wyrmtail swamp was rich in clay and minerals, making it the perfect place to harvest materials for building as well as weaker metals and shiny stones. The shiny stones were never taken, however, since the namesake creatures of the swamp would rise up from the mud and from within the ancient willows to reclaim them.


    The locals referredto precious stones that naturally appeared in the muddy banks and puddles as Wyrmstones. Peasants were never very creative in their naming skills... A greedy person could get away with a few stones if they were willing to pay the price. The wyrms would overlook a small theft if the thief left a companion behind for them to devour.


    If one asked any of the locals in the few taverns about it then they''d have the pleasure of hearing one of many stories about greedy bandits who would kidnap people and bring them to the swamp to trade for Wyrmstone. One of the bandits sometimes betrayed their companion and left them along with the kidnapped person just to be able to claim twice the amount of stones. Others tried to take more stones than promised and ended up upside down in the swamp, with only their pale feet sticking out of the moist ground like amacabre imitation of flowers.


    Apparently, that story stemmed from the sturdy flowers that sometimes bloomed out of the moss, stretching waxy petals with a skin-like texture towards the sky. Some poor fool must have seen them and mistaken them for feet and then spread the rumor of burrowed thieves.


    Krystal took another sip of her ale as she recalled the first time someone had told her of the Thieffeet flowers. She had had nightmares for her entire stay in the village. Of course, she hadn''t told anyone about that though.


    Being the leader of a caravan was a demanding job. She needed to look stern and confident to inspire her group and to dissuade any bandit scouts who might run into her. If the caravan leader looked like they could tear your head off and feed it to the horses without batting an eyelash then that would be enough for most people with ill intentions to turn around and look for easier prey.


    Not that she''d ever feed her horses a head, they''d get sick and slow without a doubt. She had bashed in many heads with various items, however. A stray hammer or walking stick, a bag or misplaced bucket, she even threw a spare wheel at a cocky bandit once. Smacked into his head like he was an overripe tomato. His companions turned tail and ran before his body hit the ground.


    What unnerved most people was the fact that she was a woman. The usually physically weaker gender didn''t get much credit in a world of combat with the exception being mages. Magic was something anyone with the right affinity could learn to use and on average more women than men reached the highest rank of magic users.


    Krystal was one of few exceptions to the former rule, being a well-built human who could crack just about anyone''s skull with one of her knees made her practically famous within her line of work. She didn''t let it get to her head though. Only a fool would believe they could protect an entire caravan by themselves so she made sure to hire adventurers to escort her group on every journey.


    During this particular journey, she had hired a total of 5 adventurers. One of them were a smug warrior with a condescending grin permanently plastered on his face. His name was Chow and 2 of the other adventurers couldn''t be called anything but his minions without giving them too much praise. Krystal couldn''t remember their names for the life of her. It didn''t help that they seemed fully content to redirect any glory to their o so strong and just leader Chow.


    The other two adventurers were a bit less of a pain in the ass. Noa and Johna were peaceful and competent, never picking fights with the merchants or bragging about past victories like another trio of idiots.


    Noa was a big man with a shaved head to make up for the ridiculous forest of hair that was his eyebrows, beard, and mustache. He was always smiling and asking how he could be of use to her so she liked him quite a bit. He might have been a bit on the unsure side as he constantly asked for permission or opinions on his actions. His companion was the polar opposite of him.


    Johna had long blond hair and was rather skinny and lean for a man. He acted carefree and laidback and would sometimes mock the insecure monk for being ''a mother duck''. He got along well with the other travelers and had yet to fall for Chow''s provocations. While Noa''s Class might have been a bit rare, monks being a humble and low paying job, Johna''s job was practically unheard of among his fellow males. Dancer was, after all, a mainly feminine Class and Chow had immediately made it his goal in life to bully the smaller man for it. Johna had yet to bit though, Krystal silently applauded him for his patience and self-confidence.


    The name of the Class was misleading for many. While Johna could certainly put up a pretty performance by spinning around and waving his fans in the air, the movements all had other uses. Upon closer inspection, it would be revealed that many thin knives made up the frame of the fans instead of harmless sticks. The quick turns and sweeping movements could be used to slash at windpipes and sever limbs with the right timing and force, something many missed while they were snickering at a man having a woman''s job.


    The monk-dancer combo was perfect for undercover jobs or for simply looking harmless to bandits who would go for them first and go down first as a result. The monk made use of his strong build and proficiency in unarmed combat while the dancer danced around the carriages cutting people down as he went. They were quick and efficient.


    Krystal sighed into her cup as she yet again lamented over their disappearance the other night when the bandits struck them in the forest. The only excuse she managed to get out of them was ''Johna ate something strange and feels sick.''. At first, she had suspected them of some funny business when they withdrew into one of the carriages.Krystal had personally stormed into the carriage after the bloody battle with the bandits to demand answers for why they''d stayed in there during the entire fight. She''d stopped in her tracks when she saw the tired looking monk sitting on a big box. He had tried to hide a bloody gash along his left arm with his robes and given her a challenging look that was so unlike the usually calm monk that she had left without a word.


    She hadn''t seen the dancer in the carriage but the hissing and scratching noises that came from within the box had reached her despite the monk''s tries to drown them out with a faked coughing fit. She''d decided to ask one of her trusted merchants to keep an eye on the carriage and notify her if anything strange happened but it never did.


    The next morning both the dancer and monk had reappeared, walking alongside the carts. They''d both looked tired but other than that nothing was out of the ordinary. Krystal had thought long and hard on what to do and decided to just leave them be. If the monk had for some reason assaulted the smaller man then it was up to him to inform Krystal of it. If there were no obvious signs of abuse or funny business then there was nothing she could do about it.


    Shecould demand that Chow and his goons guarded the back of the caravan while the other two guarded the front to give Johna a rest from the bully''s comments, however. The cranky warrior hadn''t been too happy about it but orders were orders and people damn well follow them in Krystal''s caravan lest they want a beating.


    A loud crash made Krystal spill her drink and rudely interrupted her thoughts. Whatever fucknut dared interrupt her me-time at the bar would lose an-


    "Oh."


    On the other side of the tavern, a table had been toppled over andstill sitting idly on the bench that had been robbed of it''s furniture-buddy was Johna. Noa had shot up from his seat and was now trying to calm the angry villager who was throwing insults at the uncaring dancer.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The villager sported an impressive beard that threatened to swallow the rest of his head if heshook it anymore in his small outrage. Krystal spotted the hints of a smirk on his face and firmly confirmed her suspicions. The villager was a hotheaded asshole looking for a fight and the tiny outsider had caught his eye.


    Krystal didn''t pay much attention to the exchanged words after the monk''s first apologizes had been met with a couple of variations of "your mother fucked a goat." by beardface. She called a barmaid over and ordered a new drink. By the time she got a new cup of ale beardy had decided it was time to smash the man who was so nonchalantly ignoring him.


    He faked another outrage and swung his fist towards Johna and for a second the busy tavern turned silent. A second later beardy''s left ear hit the floor with a wet thud. Johna lowered his arm and the knife-fan that had been inches away from cleaving the man''s face in half made a red arc in the air as the blood got flung off onto the ground.


    Time seemed to remember to flow again after beardy realized what had just happenedand began wailing in pain while clutching the side of his head. Blood splurted everywhere as he curled up on the floor swearing and crying in pain. Johna stood perfectly still while glaring down at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    Krystal got a glimpse of the usually brown eyes turning a deep red as the monk sprung to action and ushered his companion outside. Noa threw a couple of coins on the bar as an apology for the mess before they both disappeared outside into the rain. It was something about the way they both acted as if this was all normal to them and they just moved out of habit. They still made the necessary noises of regret and apology to get away with it but Krystal''s experienced eyes noticed the small strain in their act.


    The caravan chief whistled once and then drank the rest of her ale before ordering another one. The wailing man got taken away by some of his buddies and a distressed barmaid set about cleaning up the blood. Krystal had to change her opinion on her two adventurer-guards. Johna certainly wasn''t as weak as she''d first thought and Noa was at least not squeamish of blood.


    Her vision blurred a bit as she downed another cup and let out a satisfied burp. Trigger happy dancers, what a time to be alive.


    A fair distance away and a couple of hundred meters underground another odd group were tending to their own problems.


    "The roof isn''t right..."


    "Yeah, something is definitely off."


    The ground rumbled as the stone structure in front of them reformed itself.


    Is this better?


    Mikvel scratched the back of his head while staring intently at the sloping stone roof of the entrance to what was supposed to look like a castle.


    Fanv shook her head, earning another hiss from the Arachne who was trying to braid her long hair.


    "Sstand sstill."


    "Sorry, Sam."


    A groaning sound came from both the stone walls and Sam as they restarted their work.


    Maker''s body was currently floating in mid air a couple of meters above the ground. Her usually cheerful face was scrunched up in a frown as she concentrated. Mikvel was busy using a chunk of charcoal to draw a fancy castle on the ground. He''d always been better at drawing than telling stories and for once his talent was of great use as he drew and planned the structure of what Maker called ''The big castle of wonder and amazingness that will make humans not attack us''.


    Pohc and a small group of rodents were guarding a smoldering fire. From time to time the bravest of them would dash forward, snatch a piece of coal and dart back with it. If it was usable for drawing then they would bring it to Mikvel, if not then Pohc would toss it back into the fire making the rodent that fetched it sigh in disappointment.


    Some of the rodents had sat down next to Mikvel and started drawing on their own. They mostly just made squiggles and dark shapes that they eagerly filled in completely. One of them had managed to draw a perfect circle somehow and the others had danced around it as it stood in the middle while chanting ''Circle! Circle! Circle!''. It was both cute and ominous as hell.


    "It looks kind of empty does it not? The stone is too flat-"


    ARGH!


    Maker''s body flung it''s arms and legs out and spun through the air a couple of times. No one paid her any attention though since she had just made the wallexplode all around the cave, giving way to giant oak-like trees with black leaves and gray bark. The trees grew and twisted around each other at unnatural speed and soon they covered the ''roof'' that Maker had struggled with for almost an hour.


    I HATE ROOFS! ROOFS WILL BE TREES FROM NOW ON!!


    "That looks kind of good actually."


    Sam and Fanv nodded in approval to Mikvel''s comment. The thick canopy of black leaves that mingled with the stone pillars and half broken walls of the castle entrance looked sort of like an ancient ruin reclaimed by nature. Red glowing flowers bloomed among the leaves and cast a mysterious red light over the humongous cave.


    Oh, you are right. Let me just make some adjustments.


    The dull gray stones then turned white and smooth. Spots of gray moss spread along with the white that quickly crept along every exposed surface of the building. The hard stone ground cracked and splitand gave way to dirt and gravel. The gravel moved into concentrated patch before sinking down into shallow pits. Water welled up from the ground and made the pits into ponds.


    The onlookers clapped their hands/paws as Maker worked on her masterpiece. They had spent a long time on this project and it was finally looking the part. The entrance to the dungeon ''village'' needed to look impressive as it was the first building any outsiders would see. The plan was to encase the surface area of the dungeon in a tight hedge of bushes and trees to mark the edge of their territory. In the middle of the dungeon-forest, the castle entrance would stand, informing anyone who''d missed the fact that the nearly colorless plants and trees meant they were no longer in Feytale forest. The castle entrance would the lead down through a tunnel into the throne-room where wide tables and the mandatory throne would stand.


    It was decided through a major vote that Fanv would be the owner of that throne since Maker wanted her core as far away from the outsiders as possible, no matter their intentions.


    Fanv had refused at first, claiming she would be too embarrassed to sit on a big fancy throne and act like an important person. Pohc had argued that she did just fine when she acted important in front of the bandits that took Mikvel, something that in turn led to Pohc describing the heroic rescue the Great one had performed.


    The final argument ended up being that ''your cave is the closest and you are the strongest one in this area.''. The Bansheep had their lair further back in the cave system and while a Glowshell was strong, it still wasn''t stronger than Fanv nor the Bansheep and that despite the long time that had passed since the opportunity to grow sentient it was still dumb as a rock. ''And putting a dumb creature on a throne would make the entire dungeon look dumb.''


    The throne-room would serve as a meeting room and a place to throw parties as well. Explaining ''parties'' to the rodents was an adventure in itself. Dessi had dropped by and listened for some time, stating that ''having fun and eating lots of food'' sounded like an everyday hunt to them. Sam had gotten excited when they talked about fancy clothes and banners and decided to make a banner for the dungeon.


    Behind the throne-room would be Fanv''s living quarters since she was the vanguard of the dungeon. After much discussion and an idea from Mikvel, they changed the plan a bit and decided to put the lake-cave between Fanv''s cave and the throne-room so that the Fright crows could act as a natural alarm for intruders. The birds could keep pretty much anyone busy if they wanted to, although they only ''spoke'' to intruders. There was a sort of unwritten rule that the birds wouldn''t mock the other creatures and the other creatures, in turn, wouldn''t pick fights with the birds which resulted in the birds not uttering a single word to anyone but outsiders.


    A snitch mouse also informed everyone that thealready foul-mouthed birds had recently learned some swear words. Dessi, the main suspect of swearing in front of the birds, quickly escaped with the excuse of having lots of things making her busy, very busy indeed, too damn busy to stay there right now yes.


    It was agreed that about 100 birds all screaming "TWAT" at the top of their lungs while laughing like maniacs would serve as a good alarm.


    Maker would make some caves for Mikvel and Sam to use as a workshop and living area behind Fanv''s place since anything that could get past a raging Visvarg would be running too fast to avoid getting sniped by the resident Arachne.


    The rest of the cave system would be left as it was until further notice to avoid disrupting the ecosystem too much. There was a no-kill-fellow-creatures-rule set in the Areas where outsiders were allowed. Personal lairs were an exception and the owner of said lair could do whatever they pleased to uninvited visitors in there.


    The planning-meeting was temporarily paused when a rat managed to set itself on fire. Everyone except Fanv and Mikvel calmed down when the burning rat''s spine and front legs snapped and its headmelted only to reform seconds later in a new shape. The rat eventually stopped burning and grew to the size of a small dog. Its fur turned black with sizzling embers peeking out under it at the joints and folds of its skin. It walked on two legs and had a pair of stubby antlers. Maker declared it an Imp and named it Terra for ''terrafying Fanv and Mikvel~''


    Mikvel and Fanv both shot Maker grumpy glares as they drew the outlay plan of the future dungeon-castle-forest-areas on a wall.


    Little Terra ran around celebrating its new form while other rodents congratulated it and cheered.

 Ch24 The importance of names

    It had been almost a week since Maker started the construction of her castle. She had moved the lake-cave and Fanv¡¯s cave into the planned positions and turned the tunnels connecting them smoother and straighter. The formerly uneven walls now looked like large bricks with hints of moss in between them. Pillars and alcoves adorned with carvings hid the many rodent tunnels. Holes which could be viewed as tasteful decorations. Holes that were hidden behind pillars and turns in the tunnels. It took a lot of concentration but as a result, the rodents would still be able to quickly appear ¡®out of the walls¡¯ as they had before. In some places, she had made the tunnels look more wore down, with cracks in the walls and tree branches and roots sprouting out of the walls, ground, and ceiling. The gray bark and black, glistening leaves moved peacefully as an invisible breeze rustled through them.


    At first, she had tried to create torches to light up the tunnel, but keeping them lit was a problem. She could use her own mana as fuel to keep the fires burning but that seemed like a waste considering how many fires she would need to light up the dark corridors.


    After much tinkering and experimenting, she''d instead managed to create a plant that looked very much like the Bloodclovers. These new plants that she had named Torchweedsported blue flowers that were constantly in bloom. They worked kind of like the Glowshells in how they gained nutrients. They were magical in nature and had an affinity for light while a certain ability let them absorb the opposite element to create their own element. The darker a cave, the brighter the Torchweeds would glow. The nearby Glowshells hadn''t liked the new plants one bit since they had to compete with them for the darkness they craved. They had moved further into the cave system with angry grunts and hissing.


    The tunnels lit up by the Torchweeds made one feel as if they were underwater. The soft blue light that moved every timethe wind rustled through the flowers made the many shadows flicker like something alive. The creatures didn''t mind at all though since their dark vision let them see through the shadows. They barely needed the light, to begin with. It was more of a friendly gesture towards future intrud- visitors to let them see in the dungeon.


    Maker sighed, changing the dungeon layout like this was exhausting and required a lot of mana. Since her dungeon was so big she had no trouble generating mana and her reservoir was nowhere near empty but draining it too quickly made her feel tired and slowed down her thoughts. All living things produce a sort of energy that drifts into the air as they do their living thing. As a dungeon, she could absorb said energy and transform it into mana, the necessaryfuel for most kinds of magic as well as nearly all a dungeon''s abilities.


    Maker viewed her work and nodded to no one in particular. It was time for a break. She could sense Fanv and her group hunting somewhere in the tunnels. A frightened Deear were running at top speed from them. To her amusement, she noticed that the human Mikvel was participating in the hunt as well. He was sneaking around Sam, repairing and reinforcing the many nets Fanv''s noisy group were trying to chase their prey into. That boy seemed to attract mana, the invisible energy swirled around him wherever he walked without anyone but Maker noticing. Perhaps she could teach him to use it somehow? It was an interesting idea. Learning magic could affect his race to some degree depending on the type of magic he would use. If lucky he would change enough for her to claim him as a creature, he certainly seemed like he would like to stay in her dungeon after all.


    She pondered the idea as she made her way through the newly decorated tunnels. The lake-cave was as stunning as ever when she entered. Small rings of vibrations appeared and grew as she leaped and landed on the water surface. The dungeon core skipped along the surface as if she were weightless. When she reached the middle of the lake she spun around elegantly and sat down cross-legged.


    The Frightcrows were already descending as she bent her head upwards. They greeted her as they orbited around her, asking about the current state of the dungeon, what she had done today, and if they could help her somehow. She smiled at them and answered each one of them. To anyone else, keeping track of the flying birds and who were saying what would be close to impossible. A dungeon lord had no such problem though, as she had a bond to each one of them and could with ease observe every single creature within her territory.


    There is one thing you all could help me with.


    "Tell us!"


    "We will help, Mother!"


    "Tell us, Mother!"


    "We shall help in any way we can!"


    Maker giggled at their eagerness. They were such good creatures, so kind and helpful.


    As you might know, we are establishing a kingdom to get on friendly terms with the Outsiders. If we are friendly with them then they will not invade us.


    "How wise!"


    "As expected of Mother!"


    "How wise indeed! Such a good plan!"


    And one thing all kingdoms have is a name. I have some ideas but I want to hear some opinions and suggestions from my beloved creatures.


    "A name huh, a grand name we need."


    "Yes, yes, names are proof of one''s might!"


    "I have chosen a name for myself! I am Red!"


    "What a dull name!"


    "How simple!"


    "Silence! Red is the color of blood! It is the color of life!"


    Now now, do not be mean to each other. Red is a wonderful name. Do you have a suggestion for a kingdom''s name, Red?


    "Indeed I do! Rema is a pretty name!"


    "It is! It is! But I have a better one! Lycaea!"


    "Does that not remind us of the Queen of rats?"


    "But Mother likes the Queen of rats, so where is the problem?"


    "Does she not like us as well?"


    "This makes me sad..."


    I love all my creatures! There is no need to be jealous!


    "So she says!"


    "How foolish of us to doubt our Mother!"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "In that case, why not call our kingdom Ravenhome?"


    "How simple..."


    "Are we not crows? Fright crows we are! Though this is our home so I give you that."


    The birds kept on chattering back and forth. They did indeed have many nice suggestions. After awhile Maker rose and said her goodbyes to the birds. They followed her to the edge of the lake and thanked her for paying them a visit. Such nice birds they were.


    Maker didn''t feel like starting to work just yet so she decided to go around and visit all her creatures. The ones who had been content with their simple life and lack of sentience required little more than a pat and a few friendly words. A Glowshell asked her to remove a thorn from between its toes and thanked her happily afterward before going back to sleep. A female Deear and her fawn snuggled a bit with her before continuing their search for edible moss and roots.


    It was nice to spend time with the simpler creatures every now and then. A small group of rodents who weren''t participating in the hunt was lazing around in a cave full of fungus and roots. They cheered and jumped as Maker entered and sat down in their midst.


    They told her about the many things they''d eaten and who had gotten kids or who had died lately. When asked about the name of the kingdom they all spoke at once in their excitement. Unlike the crows, they praised any suggestion no matter how silly or strange it sounded.


    Just like the crows some of them had chosen names for themselves and they introduced themselves to Maker with puffed out chests and proud smiles.


    A vole calling itself Dumn suggested the kingdom be named Friendshipwood and was met with applause for coming up with such an easy to understand name. The way it clearly stated that they were friendly and not at all intended to eat the humans would surely be a good thing.


    A squirrel named Mufra suggested the name Holy hole, after how the dungeon entrancelooked like a hole in the ground. Holy, was just a word that humans respected for some unknown reason so it would surely be good to have in the name. The others nodded in agreement.


    A newly evolved Imp named Ifrit wanted the kingdom to be called Hel, in case a friendly name would not work and they needed a frightening name that spoke of their power and spookiness. When asked why ''Hel'' and not ''Hell'' it claimed that Hell was already a claimed name although no one knew where it was. Stealing the name of a kingdom that had such a frightening name didn''t sound like a good idea at all they agreed.


    Maker pondered the many names and came to the conclusion that while they were cool there was still something missing. She thanked the rodents and went to visit the Bansheep. The discussion with the Bansheep went rather quickly since most of them were not present. The ones who were present had chosen to not help with the hunt since ''their glorious leader Dessi could handle it''. Their suggestions were not very creative. ''Maker''s kingdom'', ''Dessi''s kingdom'', ''Makertown'', ''Dessitown'', ''Maker''s kingdom AND town''. The one who suggested ''Makerdessi'' was met with outrage, mostly cause the others were jealous of the one who came up with that idea first. Maker nodded and thought about it. Then she left with the excuse that she needed to finish something before the goats could start an all out brawl over who was the most creative goat.


    Her last stop was in the deepest part of the dungeon, where stone gave way to a gray waxy material. Creatures as big as a grown human climbed the walls and ceiling and watched her silently as she made her way through their tunnels into the innermost chamber.


    The workers, as they called themselves, were a sort of combination of ants and bumblebees. The guards were bigger variants of the workers and sported scythelike appendages to handle intruders or unruly prey. The heartchamber were home to their leader, a massive creature the size of a small house.


    Her bloated body was covered in a dark golden pelt of fur and 6 long antennae covered her forehead like a crown. Her humanlike face had an unnaturally wide mouth filled with tiny needle-like teeth and an absurd amount of eyes. Her head was framed by a thick mane of black fur and many thin limbs ended by black skeletal hands held her body steady as she rested, not that she would ever rise from her spot.


    Maker had given her the name Una. Una smiled as she noticed the dungeon core walking into her chamber. She spoke with a deep, silky voice that seemed to echo in the large room.


    "Greetings Mother. It has been awhile."


    Indeed it has Una. How have you been?


    "I am well, my children take great care of me and our hive grow every day. What brings you here?"


    Just here to chat with an old friend.


    "Things are getting noisy up there. The newcomer has brought us many nice things I hear. I remember when your mind was as simple as mine. When we desired nothing more than for our children to live well and for our home to grow and stay safe. Now you stand before me with a new form and new dreams. I am proud of what you have become."


    Maker smiled at the Queen Bumbleant. It felt like forever since her mind expanded and she first learned words. To think that her oldest creature would have lived for long enough to experience being sentient. She was truly thankful to Fanv for appearing when she did.


    It is as you say, Una. The wolf who stumbled into our home has brought us a boost in strength that would have taken us years to achieve. She has also brought us new ideas and methods of how to survive. We are going to make the dungeon into a kingdom to make it possible to gain an alliance with the humans who live near us.


    "So that is what you have been up to. I was wondering why you would so suddenly change the look and layout of the dungeon. It is a good idea. The sentient races rule most of the world and just like us, they expand their territories every day. Meeting them isinevitable, so we might as well try to make the best of it. They rival us in strength and while we would have fought them out of instinct before, we now have the intelligence to strike a truce or even form a partnership. Just like the Bansheep and the Visvarg have allied themselves despite their differences."


    Indeed. It surprised me when the Bansheep''s leader Dessi proposed the partnership. Her kin doubted it at first but now they hunt and eat side by side.


    Una''s monstrous body moved as she nodded in agreement.


    Back to the subject. We need a name for our kingdom and while the suggestions I have gotten so far are nice and fitting, there is something missing...


    Maker then gave Una a summary of what she had done during the day and what the others had said. The Bumbleant nodded and commented some things, laughing along with Maker at some of the sillier scenarios. When Maker finished her story the Queen moved slightly, making the walls rumble as she made herself more comfortable. She gave Maker a serious look and then said in a sage-like voice.


    "How about Mageon? A word-play of Maker and dungeon?"


    It would seem the eldest and most dignified creature in the dungeon shared Maker''s love for puns. Maker stared at her for a second then jumped and clapped her hands in delight.


    That is it! A name that sounds mysterious and real yet has a pun in it. I love it!


    "I thought you would like it. Another thing I want to bring up though: maybe you should tone down the strange names for your creatures a bit?"


    What do you mean? Why?


    "From the reports, my children have given me regarding the human and Visvarg''s behavior I have come to a conclusion. Humans feel safer around things the recognize. Take the Dryadess for example. Her kin is dangerous and frightening. A human that sees her for the first time will fear her not only because of her looks but also because her name tells it she''s a creature it has never heard of before. If she had been called a Satyr or Faun then the human might have felt a less scared since it has heard of those creatures before. Humans fear the unknown so something as simple as a name can have a big impact on them."


    I see... I did not think about that. We do not want to scare our future visitors so it might be a good idea to use already known names for their races.


    "Some creatures you can keep the same since they are unique and new. The Visvarg for example. She is the first of her kind since werewolves rarely if ever evolve. They are too closely related to the sentient races, their bodies are not made to evolve like we do. The one you call Fanv is an exception, a mutation, a remnant from the past perhaps."


    That would explain why she was in so much pain when I claimed her and altered her body the first time... Yes, naming everything was perhaps a bit much, since most creatures are just imitations of the ones I have been told about.


    "Indeed."


    You always give such good advice, Una. I am glad you are still alive.


    "So am I, Mother. I have a feeling my expanded lifespan is a result of your own evolution. Although your kind does not evolve the same way we do, the changes are still notable enough for the alert to notice."


    Hehe, so I have evolved huh. Ah, I should probably go back to work. Need to finish the changes to we are ready to send out our first group to greet the humans. First impressions are important after all, and we do not want them to think lightly of us.


    "Good luck. Thank you for visiting me."


    Same to you, Una.

 Ch25 Red guts

    The day had finally come for Krystal''s caravan to hit the road again. They would head south to Pirn, a small fishing village that relied on travelers to bring them much-needed supplies. Despite the exciting day of travel finally being here, the caravan chief Krystal Mership was practically fuming with rage. She stood in the center of the village, arms crossed and face the embodiment of anger. Before her stood a much shorter man who repeatedly bowed and apologized, begging her to not leave him behind.


    The reason for this scenario taking place were the broken wheels on several of thewagons that made up the caravan''s main mode of transportation. The man called Jerry was an aspiring engineer who had for reasons unknown decided that the wheels needed an upgrade and taken it upon himself to ''fix'' the wheels during the night without asking for Krystal''s permission. Had it just been something as simple as the wheels being detached from the wagon then fixing them had been a simple task, but the fool had somehow managed tosplitthe axels horizontally. The useless axels had then snapped when he had tried totest the wagon by pushing it a small bit. The stressed wood and metal that made up the underside of the wagons had given way and either flown as shrapnel,impaling other parts and the horses. The parts that hadn''t gone flying had instead bent and hit the other parts out of place, either breaking them or weakening them enough to make the entire wagon useless.


    If it had been just one wagon break then sure, fine Krystal could forgive that if he paid for the damage done, but the arrogant engineer had beensure his work was not to blame and had then moved on to do the same thing to 2 more wagons. 3 of the biggest wagons out of the 8 that made up the caravan were now useless.


    Krystal had attempted to smash Jerry''s head when she had first found out early in the morning when the caravan was supposed to leave. Johna the dancer had appeared at some point and convinced Krystal to not ''split that arrogant fool''s head open like an egg''. The dancer had shown great skills in negotiating which was perhaps the reason Jerry still hadn''t lost any limbs.


    The fuss they raised had attracted a rather large crowd. Some were hoping a fight would break out and others were just worried for Jerry. After many calming words and promises made about repayment, the hectic discussion ended without casualties. Krystal stomped off into the forest claiming that "Punching a few trees would do her good". When someone pointed out that there were dangerous things in the forest like bears and bandits she responded with "Cracking the skull of a bear with my bare hands would be even better." and the threat of bandits just made her laugh.


    And so the seemingly unstoppable woman went into the dense Feytale forest.


    Once the silent oaks blocked out the buzz of the village Krystal finally let herself relax. The whispering breeze that rustled through the leaves was almost as calming as the sound of the ocean to her. She picked a random direction and let the many hidden animal trails lead her away. Birds chirped and the weather was just right, not enough sun to be scorching hot and just enough clouds to not make the breeze freezing. The quiet atmosphere one can only find in the middle of mother nature''s embrace surrounded Krystal on all sides.


    Idiotswill be idiots and only another idiot will pour all their energy into telling said idiots how idiotic they are. Using 90% of your energy into beating them up for being idiots and using the remaining 10% to calm down and feel good about not havingcompletely destroyed them was a way better solution. Krystal hadn''t gotten to beat this particular idiot up but at least everyone understood that he was wrong and she was right, and that was almost as good as a good beating.


    Krystal liked being right. She also liked violence. A nearby birch received the full force of one of her skull-cracker-punches and nearly toppled over. The forest''s inhabitants grew quiet for a moment to check if the sudden sound of creaking wood meant them any danger. When nothing obvious threatened them they returned to their chirping and buzzing.


    Krystal was just about to kick at another tree when a snapping twig stopped her in her tracks. Somethingwas moving behind the thick bushes up ahead. Curious, she crept closer to the rustling sound. The patch of bushes had big black leaves that glistened whenever the light hit them. A faint red light shone from within the veil of leaves. Krystal brushed some leaves away to get a closer look at the glowing red flower that clung to the innermost branches. She was just about to reach out and touch the flower when a teeth-filled maw exploded through the leaves and flew towards her throat.


    The serrated teeth dug into her arm as she threw herself to the side to avoid her attacker. The huge wolf kicked off the ground again to push itself on top of her all the while flinging its head back and forth in a try to break her arm. It yelped in surprise when the woman roared and swung her arm, sending it flying with chunks of her flesh still in its mouth. The woman roared again and charged the stunned wolf, the flicker of a knife making its way from her belt to her hand was all the warning the wolf got before it was shoved into its ribcage.


    The wolf coughed up blood and tried to get away but then Krystaltugged at her knife, drawing a straight line from ribcage to crotch. The wolf''s guts hit the ground with a splat as the life faded from its yellow eyes. Krystal huffed and pushed the wolf away onto its side. Something small was squirming in the exposed innards.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Hesitantly she used her blade to uncover the wriggling little thing. A pink lump of flesh flailed weakly before dying. Krystal just stared at thefetus as it died and grew still. Faint features could be made out in the unfinished creature making her pretty sure that it was no unborn wolf cub she was looking at. It lacked a tail and the black undeveloped eyes were many and irregularly placed all across the head. The wolf must have been half way through pregnancy for it to be this developed, yet as far as she knew it was far from the wolves breeding season.


    Puzzled, she lifted the wolf by the neck and began dragging it with her back to the village. The sand colored pelt would earn her a few coins if she were lucky. Her right arm hurt like hell but it was far from the worst injury she had suffered. Noticing now that she was bleeding quite heavily, she dropped the wolf to tend to her wound a bit.


    A small uproar started when Krystal returned with a mangled arm and a gutted wolf almost the same size as her dragging behind her.


    She didn''t mind the injury as much as people thought she should. What she did mind was the news that getting new wagons buildt would take at least 2 weeks. People were too busy building a shrine to some forest god who had kidnapped the mayor''s son to help a caravan that was vital to their livelihood. Stupid bumpkins got their priorities all messed up!


    Meanwhile, in the dungeon recently named Mageon, a certain half-elf and Arachne were strolling around just outside the cave entrance.


    "Ssored clothess are expenssive becausseit takes lotss of blood to make them right?"


    "No no no, you still don''t get it. We don''t use blood to dye stuff."


    "But the you ssaid those sstrong ones with bone armor did?"


    "Barbarians are not normal people. Using blood, bone, and skin from people of your own race as clothing is just a way for them to appear even more scary and brutal. No normal person would wear clothes dyed red by blood."


    "But wouldn''t you need to throw away anything that getss sstained when fighting then?"


    "Uh, armor gets bloody sometimes yes... But you can clean armor so the blood doesn''t show."


    "But why clean it away if you''re jusst going to dye it red with ssomething elsse then??? Why use expenssive things when blood iss sso much eassier to use? If everyone jusst ussed blood then red would not be expenssive?"


    "Wearing others blood is gross..."


    "Why?"


    "Uh... It just is, ok? It''s a human thing."


    ''It''s a human thing.'' Had quickly become a well-used excuse to why some things were not allowed and why other things were.If Fanv and Mikvel couldn''t explain why a thing was the way it was then the others just had to accept it as ''a human thing'' until someone figured out a better explanation.


    "Oh wait I think I getss it now. It''ss like cannibalism right? You can''t eat your own race and you can''t use them as materials either."


    "Yeah, something like that."


    "Sstill a bit weird though. Iss it the tasste that makess it so you can''t eat other humanss?"


    "Uhm, no I think it''s more of a thing to prevent murder. If people ate each other then we''d be way more violent. Besides, I''ve never eaten a human so I don''t know if the taste has anything to do with it."


    "The tasste iss pretty good."


    "Really... Ah, that''s it. Humans can''t trust each other if they''re afraid they''ll get eaten."


    "But if ssomeonessays they won''t eat you then why would you sstill be afraid? I''ve told you before that I won''t eat you and we are able to work togheter?"


    "Yeah, but it''s still a bit creepy. Especially after you said you like the taste... I guess we just have a hard time trusting others? Paranoia."


    "That''ss the word for people who are afraid of everything right?"


    "Paranoid people always think the worst is gonna happen."


    "Yess, that one. So are you afraid of me?"


    "Hmm... Not really? I mean I was terrified the first time but that''s mostly because everyone in the dungeon are monsters. I think you would have eaten me if you wanted to by now so I''m not that worried."


    "That''ss right. Why drag it out, when I could just have killed you on the sspot the firsst time we met. Paranoia iss sstrangeand troublessome."


    "Indeed it is. Ah, I think I found some sticks we can use."


    Mikvel picked up a fallen branch and bent it in some places to test its durability. While the chair they had made some days ago was nice and sturdy, it was far from enough to furniture the entire throne-room. Maker could use her dungeon powers to sculpt furniture from stone and trees but she needed a reference to copy.


    The crafty duo was sure that they could create marvelous things if they just had the right materials to experiment with. Stones, twigs, roots, plants, mother nature supplied them with both materials and ideas so venturing outside every day to look around for useful stuff had become a habit for them both.


    Maker had started sculpting the outside entrance to the cave. The looming ruins covered by dark plants and moss created an awe-inspiring image. The many red glowing plants added light and color to the otherwise bleak surroundings. The formerly small patch of black grass had already stretched itself far and now even trees and bushes sported the dungeons trademark color-less bark and leaves.


    A message from Maker made Mikvel and Sam pause their exploring.


    Could you both come into the cave system? I will lead you to a cave deep inside it where I have something I want Mikvel to examine.


    They both replied that they would be there soon, picked up their haul of materials for the day and headed in the direction Maker showed them. A rather long walk led them into the deepest parts of the cave system, the parts where the more dangerous creatures dwelled such as the Bansheep.


    Maker led them to a wide wall that to their surprise moved and split, to make an opening that revealed a hidden cave. Bloodied armor, weapons, bags and some strange tools littered the floor. The same kind of glowing fungi from the lake-cave covered the ceiling to cast a soft light over the pile. Maker''s core stood in the room, holding what looked like a simple wooden staff topped with a white gem.


    I want Mikvel to see if he can use this staff. I will aid you as best as I can.


    Mikvel stared in wonder at the staff as Maker handed it to him. The same second his fingers touched the wood the entire staff began to hum.

 Ch26 ...Slimy

    "What are thosse!?"


    ''EEEEEEEEK''


    "Why the bloody hell is there movin'' piles o goo?!"


    "Maker, stop laughing. Please help, they''re escaping!"


    "Iss thiss magic? I don''t like magic!"


    Fanv just stared at the chaos that was unfolding before her, the half eatenDeear in her embrace completely forgotten. She had followed Mikvel and Sam''s scent to the deeper parts of the dungeon, excited to show them the huge Deear she, the goats and some rodents had killed, but instead, she had been met with the sight of 20 or black slime puddles the of varying sizes that were allmoving.


    Sam was plastered to the ceiling, staring in horror at the wriggling slimes as they tried to escape Mikvel who were frantically trying to herd them back into a big cave behind him by waving a huge stick. Maker''s core stood in the entrance of said cave, laughing like a maniac with her hands in the air and a small group of slimes sliding around her in a circle. Dessi was just as confused as Fanv and when a slime as big as her started towards her she made her displeasure very clear to anyone listening.


    Sam screeched at something and set off running across the ceiling, flailing his arms and clawing at something on his human head. Fanv looked closer and noticed a tiny slime crawling in his hair, how it got there is a mystery.


    "What''s going on? Maker what did you do?!"


    Maaaaagic! I did nothing! Mikvel created magical sliiiiimes! I love them! I want 20!


    Fanv moved her gaze to Mikvel just in time to see him get tackled by a huge slime. It pinned him to the ground and opened what could only be described as a featureless mouth. Fanv started to panic and rushed to get it off him when the slime formed a tentacle-liketongue and licked Mikvel''s face affectionately. It looked kind of like what a dog would do if dogs were huge piles of goo and the size of a cow.


    Mikvel, understandably, froze when the wet slime tongue touched his face and then promptly passed out. All the slimes burst and dissolved at once when their creator fell unconscious, making Maker sigh in disappointment. The giddy dungeon lady jumped back and forth a bit and refused to meet Fanv''s gaze when she scowled at her.


    "What did you make him do?"


    I just gave him a staff and told him to try using it...


    "And?"


    And... He might have used way more mana than recommendedand formed tons of slimes?


    Fanv stared at Maker, dumbfounded.


    "How- How does one? He usedmagic? Doesn''t he need an Affinity for that?"


    Oh, he got one! He already had sometalent for manipulating mana, all though he did not know it yet. Using magic for the first time was enough for him to get an Affinity for an element!


    "If yer going to talk bout complicated hokuspokusthen I''ll be going."


    Dessi stated her disinterest in magic and tore a leg off from the almost forgotten Deear carcass, dragging it with her as she left. Sam had finally calmed down from his panic and descended from the ceiling to see if he could wake Mikvel. Maker continued as if a slime invasion and the aftermath was nothing new.


    Pretty sure he got a rare element, not one of the simple ones like water, fire or earth.


    "I don''t know much about magic... How many elements are there?"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    No idea! Many! Theybase ones like water, earth, fire, air, life etc can be combined to create complicated combinations. While base elements can be used to create the strongest phenomenon, combinations have way more potential! The best example would perhaps be the Storm element. Someone with Water affinity might be able to make it rain but someone with Storm can make it rain AND cause a thunderstorm! Wind, electricity, water, all the base elements are technically available to someone with the Storm affinity although the water spells will never be as strong as the spells used by someone with just Water affinity. Are you following? You look confused.


    "Uh... So Mikvel has Storm affinity?"


    No no, I do not know what affinity he has. I can not check his status since he is not my creature. Although magic is volatile enough to make their users mutate. If we are lucky then he will mutate into something I can claim! Would that not be wonderful!


    "I''d rather not..."


    Mikvel was holding his head while rising with the help of Sam. He looked groggy and confused but otherwise fine.


    Do not turn that possibility down so fast. Being a creature is fun! You get to evolve and look pretty and fight a lot!


    "It''s not that bad. I kinda like being a Visvarg. Though going mad during the full moon is less fun. Or it''s fun but not good... It''s hard to explain. Isn''t the next full moon pretty close?"


    "I think sso yess. The nightss are getting brighter."


    "Gotta plan something for that...Anyway, Mikvel! What affinity did you get?"


    "Uh, hold on... [Art]..."


    "What?... Is that even an element?"


    "Apparently... What does it mean though?"


    "Whatss art?"


    "Art is... Pretty things? Drawings and sculptures and stuff-"


    Pretty things is an element?! That is the best thing I have ever heard!


    "Not all art is pretty though! But most artists want their art to be pretty."


    Still good!


    "How were those slimes art though..."


    "They ssmellgrosss..."


    "They smelled kind of like ink?"


    "Oh yeah, ink smells gross doesn''t it? It''s been awhile since I smelled ink so I couldn''t place the smell."


    "Ink iss a kind of dye right?"


    "Yes."


    "I wonder if I can use magic?"


    Try the staff. Just hold it and try to sense the mana in the air. Our dungeon has lots of mana just floating around in the air so it is easier to use magic in here.


    Fanv carefully picked up the staff from the floor. She held it with both hands and concentrated. Everyone held their breath as they watched.


    Nothing happened.


    "... Are you feeling anything? It feels kind of weird when you suck in the mana."


    "... My hands itch a bit but otherwise nothing... I guess I''m not a magic user."


    Sam sighed in relife. He hurridly explained that he was afraid of another hoard of slimes attacking if Fanv could use magic.


    The slimes appeared as a result of Mikvel using the mana he sucked into his body. The user''s body converts mana into their element and thenworks as fuel for whatever the user''s wants it to do. Mikvel sucked in alot of mana so he got many slimes.


    "Maybe ssuck in lesss mana next time..."


    "The feeling is super vague and strange so it was hard to control... I just kind of went with it..."


    "Try again, see if you can create something other than a slime."


    "Like what?"


    Fanv handed him the staff as she thought.


    "A bird?"


    Mikvel nodded and held out his hand, palm up. He held the staff in his other hand. The white gem began to glow softly as Mikvel''s face turned into a frown as he concentrated. Beads of sweat formed as he focused. The sweat then moved and blended with the dirt and grime that had gotten stuck on him when he fought off the slime. Fanv couldn''t help but say"Gross, sweat slime." and quickly got scolded by Maker who explained that his element seemed to need physical materials to work.


    After what felt like an eternity to Mikvel he finally stopped pulling on the invisible mana that filled the air. It felt like breathing and that was a problem. Taking a deep ''breath'' would result in a myriad of slimes and a sense of nausea. Sucking in only a little mana was hard to say the very least but the result made it worth it.


    A small black puddle formed in his hand, no bigger than an apple when it finished growing. It moved and wiggled a bit in his palm. With a force of will he imagined the shape of a bird and willed the slime to take that shape. It shook once then two tentacles sprouted from it, shaping themselves into the vague image of a pair of wings. The others gasped and Maker whistled in amazment. Seeing someone else form and mold something living was fascinating. The way he moved the mana around and focused it on certain actions was crude and unsteady but otherwise it reminded her of her own methods.


    When Mikvel was satisfied with the wings he tried to move his focus to form a head and some legs, but the slimy wings burst when he took his focus away from them. He sighed in annoyance and started reforming the wings again. It went a bit faster this time and he didn''t switch focus quiet as fast this time. The wings quivered like water but held. Slowly, the black slime started to resemble a bird as its creator molded it.


    ''Hello, what are you doing?''


    Mikvel jumped and the slime fell to the floor with a splat. Everyone turned their gaze to Pohc who gave them a confused stare.


    ''What?''


    Mikvel would have to train on his magic-making...

 Ch27 Sticky situation

    The corridors Mageon echoed as Pohc skittered through them. He was currently trying to improve his [Imitation] Skill by mimickingthe dungeon''s one and only spider. Pelt turned a deep black and body bent low to make his long legs more visible. His ears were almost longer than his body and by rolling them and moving them in certain patterns he created the illusion of them being actual legs with joints and bones. It was hard to keep his balance while doing the spider-walk but imitating the Visvargs gait had been a challenge as well. Now he had no trouble acting as a mini version of the Visvarg, perfectly mirroring every movement.


    But while a wolf and a hare share some biological traits, like the number of legs and fur, a spider was far more different. The number of eyes for one. The spider had a grand total of 8 eyesand unlike Pohc''syellow eyes they were a deep red. No matter how much he tried he couldn''t change the eye color.He could change small spots of fur to look like fake eyes though they didn''t hold the same detail and depthas the real ones. It was good enough as long as people didn''t look too hard.


    The number of legs was a problem as well but only if one took the time to count. Sure, something would look off about the small fake-spider, but his Skill would divert the watcher''s attention enough to hide it for some time.


    Walking on his toes made his nails click in almost the same way as the spider''s chitin covered leg tips. It was all about timing. Get the pattern right. Train the pattern enough to make it as easy as breathing. Observe, imitate, train. He spent some time skittering around, scaring some of his brethrenwho thought he was a new dangerous spider. Satisfied, the hare changed his body again.


    His fur turned a dark gray with the faintest hint of green in some places. His ears curled up tightly into small nubby horns and his paws turned white. He stretched his paws to find the right position and angles for his hidden joints to bend and lock to make them look bigger and more like hooves. Lastly, he changed the color of his eyelids into a deep red. Keeping his eyes down and half closed would hide enough of the yellow and show enough of the red to fool anyone who wasn''t looking for flaws.


    The fake-Bansheep then trotted into a nearby cave where the not-fake-Bansheep were currently grazing. He got some strange looks at first but after a while, the goats came to the conclusion that he wasjust a kid that had strayed a bit to explore. The fake-Bansheep kid then grazed with them for awhile before taking off on another exploration. ''Kids are so curious'' the others chuckled as it bounded away and slowly snuck into a small tunnel.


    A great success. Pohc''s Bansheep imitation was enough to fool the other Bansheep. He wasn''t foolish enough to test his luck against them though. If he got found out the others would surely stomp him into mush and then happily munch on the Bloodclovers that would bloom from his corpse. Those goats were far too temperamental to mess withtoo much. Mingling with them for short amounts of time was fine though, especially since it let him feed on those tasty plants without having to fight his kin over it.


    A faint light from a cave further down the tunnel drew the Dreadhare''s attention. He snuck over and peeked inside.


    The human, Mikvel was sitting cross-legged with his back against the wall. He frowned in concentration as he moved his hands around, pointing and directing the maelstrom of threads that floated in the air all around the cave. Sam sat at another corner of the cave, spider body working on a sheet of fabric while the human part was stitching an unevenly colored thread into it. A crudely carved bowl sat next to him filled up with mashed up yellow flowers, presumably the material used as a dye.


    Pohc watched in awe as the threads moved, spun and tangled themselves in the air. The human was creating a... ball? The tangled mess at the center of the cave could only be described as a ball of threads, and even that was generous.


    Mikvel''s frown deepened as he worked and them without warning he shouted a short command and spread his arms wide in a quick fluid motion. Something invisiblepulled at parts of the ball and suddenly the ball had 8 legs that almost looked like spider legs. They were a bit too floppy still but new threads quickly spun around them to add to the mass and compress into more solid shapes.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Pohc watched for about an hour before he got bored and left. Maybe Fanv was doing something fun?


    Fanv was in her ''human'' form and inone of the caves near her lair. Maker''s core was there as well, listening to the Visvarg''s explanations and worries.


    "I have no memory of what I did that night..."


    You mated with something. Mated a lot.


    "So you say but... I honestly don''t remember a thing. Didn''t feel any different when I woke up either. Aren''t you supposed to at least feel sore after... you know?"


    I do not know. I do not mate. I could probably mold my core enough to be able to try but I would not produce any offspring so what would be the point.


    "Ah, that''s right... They say it''s supposed to feel really good. At least for humans. I don''t know since I haven''t..."


    Oh, I did not know that. Maybe I should consider trying it in the future then.


    "Uh, wait no. That''s not what I meant..."


    I wonder who would be a good first partner?


    "Maker, please... Can we return to discussing my problem?"


    As you wish. I still do not understand what you are worried about?


    "I''m worried about going on another sex-spree! And what if I eat Mikvel or something?! I''ve no idea what I''d do while mad."


    That is true, I like Mikvel and I assume you do not want to eat him. I shall stop you if you try to eat him. Though controlling you while you are affected by the moon is hard.


    "How is it hard? Don''t you have like mind-control powers?"


    I do. But I also feel what all my creatures feel. When your head goes fuzzy and strange so does mine. It clouds my judgment.


    "Wait, so you''ll go mad too?!"


    Not really, as long as I do not interact with your mind too much it will not affect me. But using my ''mind-control-powers'' requires me to interact with it.


    "So it''s a no go huh..."


    ''What about Maker making a pit and putting you in it during the full moon, Great one?''


    Fanv jumped in surprise.


    "Ah, hello Pohc. I didn''t see you coming. A pit might work. It''d need to be a very deep pit though..."


    That could be troublesome... Changing the slope to trap you in it would take too much time. You would get out.


    "Why a slope?"


    Without a slope to get you down into the pit you would break your bones upon falling into it.


    "Ah... How about a cage? With a lockable door?"


    I have never made neither a door nor a lock but I can try if you give me something to use as a reference.


    "And only place to get a lock and a door is a village... I''m not exactly the favorite person in Ogon right now. Traveling to Pirn wouldn''t work either. They''re far to vary of other races down there. I sort of look like an Oni. I''m tall and kinda buff and I got the horns... Not a lot of people around these parts have even seen an Oni before, they live too far up north."


    ''So if you pretend to be an Oni, you can interact with humans?''


    "Not really. Oni are seen as very violent and hard to handle. People wouldn''t be very friendly towards them. Perhaps people would be more ok with it in Pontro or Klepper? Pontro is a military city and Klepper is known as the City of Adventurers. Both would get me killed in seconds if people saw me as a threat though..."


    So Ogon is the safest bet?


    "I guess... I could bring Mikvel and hopefully, people wouldn''t freak out completely."


    ''This door seems to need a lot of work...''


    "Yeah... And the full moon is in a couple of days... Perhaps we could just, sneak into the village and, uh, steal a door?"


    Will not stealing a door make the villagers hostile towards us? Stealing is bad according to humans, right?


    "Aaaargh, too many problems!"


    Pohc thought long and hard about his ruler''s plight. Then it hit him.


    ''Can''t Sam and Mikvel just tie you up? Sam''s threads are strong enough to stop a charging Deear after all.''


    "Oh! Why didn''t I think of that?"


    Turns out Sam''s threads was indeed strong enough to keep a Visvarg completely immobilized. Freeing said Visvarg from her web-cocoon turned out to bevery hard. When Fanv finally got free from the sticky mess, Pohc and Mikvel had somehow ended up trapped in her place after trying to help her out. It was well into the night before everyone got free and the webs got cleaned up. The imps Ifrit and Terra both helped incinerate the remaining sticky mess while singing and giggling in glee at the dancing flames.


    The dungeon entrance was finally starting to look like the mighty and ancient ruins Maker intended them to be. The black plants whispered in the wind and basked in the light of the almost full moon. A dancer and a monk walked unnoticed under the colorless branches.

 Ch28 Moonlight meeting

    "This part of the forest looks kind of strange... Are the plants sick?"


    Johnashrugged from the fallen tree he was sitting on. His monk friend Noah continued to mumble about sick trees and corrupted earth as he rustled through bushes and touched seemingly random rocks. They''d been wandering the woods for hours now with nothing to show for their effort.


    "Maybe they''re supposed to be black. You haven''t been to these woods before, have you?"


    Noah waved away that suggestion without taking his eyes off the tree he was currently inspecting.


    "No no, these are oaks and maple trees according to my [Identify Plant] Skill. Oaks and Maple shouldn''t be this color and the leaves are way too big..."


    "Do a full appraisal? That should give you all the details you need."


    "Full appraisal takes way too much time," Noah turned away from the tree as he spoke. "Besides, we''re not here to look at plants. Are you ready to continue searching?"


    Johna let his head loll back and stared at the ceiling of black leaves.


    "We''ve practically combed through the forest already. We should just bury me in a hole during the full moon. It''s not like it would actually kill me."


    "You hate getting suffocated."


    "I hate attacking you more."


    Both kept quiet for a while, thinking through their options. Noah was the first to break the silence.


    "We could ask the villagers about borrowing someone''s basement? Surely there''s-"


    "Villagers are way too nosy. They''d find us out in no time and then I''d either go berserk in the village orsomeone would manage to cut my head off."


    The monk crossed his arms and frowned in thought. His companion kept staring at the branches above while bouncing his leg. The dancer was growing more and more restless. Noah turned to survey the surrounding forest. The gray trees with their oily black leaves looked eery and uninviting. He sighed and turned back to Johna.


    "Let''s keep looking. We haven''t gone far into this part of the forest. Maybe these strange trees hold a secret hideout or two."


    "The abandoned cabin in The Edge was a fluke. Secret cabins with sturdy, lockable basements aren''t exactly common."


    "Come on Johna, don''t be such a pessimist. Lady Luck has been kind to us so far, let''s not offend her with doubt."


    The dancer sighed again but rose from his seat. It took some coaxing but soon they were on their way through the forest again. The sun was setting above, encouraging any outsider to go back to the safety of their home. The monk and the dancer simply switched places, having Johna lead them through the forest instead.The monk saw next to nothing past the veil of darkness, the huge black leaves above blocked the otherwise bright light of the nearly full moon. Johna, on the other hand, had no trouble seeing through the dark. His faintly glowing red eyes revealed to anyone watching that his nightvision was not a human attribute.


    The pair walked slowly through the thickening underbrush and would have gotten way further through the forest had Johna not frozen midstep, nearly making Noah walk right into him. Noah was about to say something when he too saw the 5 glowing eyes locked on them. The wolf rose from its crouch and the pair felt their hearts stop at the sight of it. Its limbs seemed to unfold and extend as the beast rose, revealing abnormally long legs and a snake-like neck. It opened its maw slowly, revealing rows of wicked teeth and a red tongue, seemingly the only spot of color besides the eyes. A deep yet feminine voice filled their heads and it took them a moment to figure out that it was the wolf speaking.


    "Who are you? Why are you in the forest at night?"


    The two humans in front of Fanv just gaped at her, apparently too startled by her sudden appearance to answer. Thebald one wore dark blue robes and was tall enough to meet Fanv''s eyes without looking upwards. The shorter onewore slightly more ornate clothing than your average commoner. Colorful shawls were wrapped around his arms and waist,both to look pretty and supposedly to hide some equipment. The daggerhilt sticking up from behind one of them supporting that idea.


    The bald man broke out of his shock first and his voice was enough to put his companion on alert as he spoke.


    "My name is Noah. This is my companion Johna. We are travelers looking for a place to spend tomorrows night in peace away from others. May I ask who you are?"


    The man named Noah spoke with respect and carefully chosen words. His companion was slowly grasping his dagger in what he must have been a veryhard to notice way for anyone with less than 5 eyes. Fanv''s sensitive eyes picked up on the small movement though. She acted as if she hadn''t noticed it to keep form alerting them. She cleared her throat and tried to sound as dignified and confident as possible.


    "My name is Fanv and I guard this part of the woods. Tomorrow is a full moon, it is not safe for humans to stay in the forest during that time."


    The humans shifted a bit at that. Of course, they''d heard the stories of the Forest Guardian. The one that had taken the Mayor''s son and saved the women kidnapped by bandits. She was a shapeshifter and had claimed Ogon as part of her territory. Other than that, little else was known about the mysterious being. Johna steeled himself and locked eyes with the wolf. If anyone knew of a place to keep him trapped for an entire night then it would be the Guardian of the place.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "We know it is not safe. That is why we are here. We need a place to keep me detained during tomorrow night."


    The Guardian looked confused. She glanced at them both before opening her mouth again.


    "Why?"


    Johna was a bit taken aback by the short reply. He looked at Noah for advice. Other sentient races didn''t exactly like his kind and he had no idea how the Guardian would react if they told her. Noah looked as unsure as him, but thankfully hesounded more confident than Johna felt when he spoke to the wolf.


    "My companion is a vampire. The full moon makes him lose his mind and attack friends and foes alike. He does not want that so we lock him up during those times, but the thing we''ve used the past couple of months is now unusable..."


    The box reinforced with metal and padding to soundproof had suffered greatly in Jerry''s little wagon incident. They even suspected the man had removed some of the parts from it to use in his so called ''upgrades''. It was now broken and way to weak to suppress a raging vampire. Thankfully the potions used to lessen the damage the sun caused Johna had been stored elsewhere and were unharmed.


    Fanv stared at the pair in front of her. A vampire? A real vampire? Wow. And they grow mad during the full moon as well? She didn''t know that. Vampires are way too rare and secretive so very little is known about them. They''re considered sane enough to be part of the sentient races but they''re not exactly a loved race. Their thirst for the blood of their former race makes them outcasts at best, executed at worst. The only real reason they''re tolerated is the theirtalent for politics and manipulation. The huge island to the northeast called Duskdale is almost entirely ruled by vampires and their military power is nothing to sneeze at. A country where the sun''s light is pale as the moon and the cities are made underground to shield the rulers from the sun- speaking of which-


    "How do you travel? Don''t you burn in the sun?"


    The humans- human and vampire, looked at her in surprise. This was not the reaction they''d expected. Johna was the one who answered.


    "I''m a relatively young vampire. I''ve only been one for about 2 years so the effects aren''t as strong yet. I can avoid getting burned by using potions and enchantments. It should work for another 2 years at least."


    "So the effects increase with age? Will you go madder the older you are then?"


    "Erh, no... The madness gets a bit better I think. Or I get meaner and more like my mad self. I''m not sure... But older vampires have more trouble with the sun and some herbs and stuff."


    "Like garlic?"


    "...Yes, garlic."


    "Can you turn into a bat? Or walk on the ceiling?"


    Noah cleared his throat to get the wolf''s attention away from the now clearly uncomfortable vampire.


    "So now you know our reason. Do you know of any place that could keep him trapped for long enough?"


    The wolf scratched itself behind its ear and closed its eyes in thought. She seemed conflicted about something. Johna and Noah waited for her to decide. Noah was tempted to use his [Identify Animal] Skill on her but past experiences had revealed that the Skill spooked or annoyed the animals it was used on and he didn''t want to risk upsetting her. After awhile Fanv finally made up her mind and spoke to them again.


    "Aight, I got a place and a way that should work but we must ask Maker if she''s ok with it. If Maker says you can''t stay then there''s not much I can do."


    The pair gave her questioning looks. "Who''s Maker?", they both asked. Fanv stumbled over her words a bit, unsure about how to reveal the whole "We are actually a dungeon" to the outsiders.


    "You know about dungeons right?"


    "Ah, yes. We''re adventurers so we know a lot about them. Never been to one though, I and Noah are not skilled enough just yet and we''d need more people to explore one. A party of 5 is recommended."


    "Adventurers... Don''t tell Maker that ok? Let me tell her or she might snap."


    Fanv rose and started leading them towards the cave entrance. Johna seemed a bit suspicious about Maker.


    "Who is this Maker, and why doesn''t she like adventurers?"


    "Ah, you see... Maker is... A Dungeon Lord. Lady? Dungeon Lady."


    Both Johna and Noah stopped and stared at Fanv in disbelief and alarm. Johna spoke while Noah crossed his arms and started contemplating something.


    "A Dungeon Lady? Like, the strongest creature that protects the core of a dungeon? A monster?"


    "Don''t be rude. She''s no more monster than I am."


    "You''re not a Guardian are you?..."


    "I mean, not exactly. I guard the dungeon but I''m not a magical embodiment of an area."


    "Thenwhat are you?"


    "A Visvarg."


    "A what??"


    "Visvarg. Evolved werewolf. Maker saved my life and made me stronger. I am the first of my kind."


    "That makes sense..." Noah''s comment was ignored.


    "So you''re a monster too?!"


    "Hey, I''m perfectly human. All and any fights between me and other humans have been the human''s fault! Doesn''t your kind eat humans? What''s so different from you and me?"


    "I-... I don''t... I don''tkill others to drink blood. Drinking blood can be done without killing."


    "You drink from the bandits we kill. She has a point."


    "Quiet. It''s not the same."


    "Werewolves could totally be part of the sentient races if people just stopped trying to kill them on sight."


    "Werewolves are mad all the time! They eat people cause they think it''s fun! I drink blood cause I''d die otherwise!"


    "Lies! We''re only mad when affected by [Frenzy]. Surely you act funny too when there''s blood everywhere and people are dying."


    "[Frenzy]? So you''re born with a Skill? Only monsters are born with Skills! Skills are used for violence. Monsters are born to be violent!"


    "Listen here you little runt, Skills are gained through certain actions. Everyone knows that! And werewolves hunt food, like deer and rabbits, so of course, they gain Skills easier. You won''t get a combat Skill from buying a sausage in the marketplace! I didn''t even get[Maneater] until waaay later-"


    "YOU HAVE [Maneater]?!"


    "Oh shut up Johna, you have [Vampire], it works nearly the same. You crave blood and she craves flesh. You''re working yourself up over useless stuff again. It''s the moon. Take a deep breath."


    The trembling blond did as told and took some deep breaths to calm down. The monk patted him on the back when he stopped shaking.


    "I apologize for my friend. He get''s anxious this close to the full moon."


    "You''re a sissy, Johna. Get your shit together, you''re almost as explosive as I was before I evolved."


    The vampire tried to retort but was quickly stopped by Noah. The underbrush was starting to grow less dense and up ahead a familiar slope appeared. The odd group was greeted by a breathtaking sight as the few trees surrounding the clearing gave way to let the moonlight flood the area. Tall stone gates stretched towards the sky, grasping at the stars above. The ancient ruins covered in moss and vegetation loomed over the group as they descended the slope and entered the clearing. The red glow of fruits and flowers hidden behind black leaves made the sky look more black than blue. Fanv puffed out her chest in pride as she watched the two stare in awe at Maker''s handiwork. She took the chance to inform Maker and the others about their arrival so that Maker could move her core if she wanted to.


    "Welcome to Mageon, the pale dungeon! Please be respectful of the resident creatures and don''t pick fights or you''ll be eaten in seconds."

 Ch29 Audience with the Maker

    The Visvarg, Fanv, had led Johna and Noah through the black forest into a clearing with a castle gate half submerged intothe sides of the large pit. Johna had half suspected the wolf of being some kind of demon luring them into its lair to feast on. But that thought disappeared as soon as the alreadymana saturated air doubled in density. The mana lingering in the air of the dungeon was dense enough to make his hair stand on end. It flowed and moved inside the cave like something living. His last doubts about a dungeon strong enough to have sentient creatures were erased completelyas they moved into the dark corridors.


    Then the madness started. Rodents twice the size or more of their wild kin appeared and disappeared through the walls. Mushrooms that glowed and looked like water made solid, cast a dim lightover the endless stone corridors. The flickering light made Johna feel as if he was at the bottom of a river.


    The wolf had told them to stop briefly at a fork in the corridors. She had slipped into a side room, promising to return soon. What returned wasn''t a wolf though. It was a woman. A woman as white as snow with hair long enough to touch the floor. Her head was crowned by two tall horns and her 5 yellow eyes held the same intensity the wolf''s had. She wore white silken robes and greeted them with a voice that seemed to echo in both reality and their own minds.


    "Aight, now I look human again!"


    Fanv snickered at her own joke while her two visitors stared at her. Then she noticed a small mouse had dropped down from the ceiling onto Noah''s shoulder.


    "Are you bothering our visitors? Don''t be rude to them."


    ''Forgive me, Great one. This one doesn''t seem to mind tho- EEEK''


    Noah noticed the mouse as soon as Fanv started talking to it and jumped in surprise.Johna yelped and swatted the poor rodent down from its perch. They both trembled and looked around them to make sure nothing else had snuck up on them. Fanv stared for a bit then turned away and pretended like nothing happened as the guys regained their cool.


    Johna felt his face heating up as he calmed down from the scare. Noah was mumbling a silent prayer to thank his luck that it was only a mouse and not something murderous that had attached itself to him for that brief moment. Johna cleared his throat and Fanv took that as her sign to start walking again.


    The two outsiders gasped as they stepped into the throne room. The cavernous room had a ceiling so far up that the dim light from the mushrooms failed to reach it. Dark roots and branches grew from cracks and holes in the walls and floor, climbing up stone pillars or ending in bushes and trees in various places. A collection of roots ran through the middle of the room like tangled hair placed on the ground. Smooth stone slabs laid on top of those roots, creating crude tables and benches.


    White banners without any crests on them decorated the walls along with the same kind of carvings and pillars that lined the corridors. At the back of the large chamber stood a massive stone throne and at its sides were huge stone archways leading deeper into the dungeon.


    The person sitting on the throne was something so surreal that Johna and Noah failed to notice the hundreds of rodents, goats, birds and other strange creatures entering the room either from the two archways or from hidden openings in between the stone carvings on the walls. The creatures filed into the room and either sat dow around the tables, perched themselves on the walls or ceiling, or simply just stood somewhere to the side. All of them kept their eyes on the outsiders, watching their every movement as if ready to destroy them should they offend the being on the throne.


    Fanv led the pair up to the throne and had them stand about 5 meters in front of it. She then trotted up to the side of the throne and stood facing them. The being on the throne, Maker, finally looked up to meet the outsiders'' gaze. The billowing mass of hair, snakes, and wings moved and parted to reveal herFace and limbs. Then she smiled and the world seemed to stop.


    Welcome outsiders, to my kingdom and home, Mageon. It is a pleasure to finally meet your kind on friendly terms. My name is Maker and I rule Mageon.


    The voice that echoed from within their minds was cheerful and musical. Itmatched her yellow eyes in its uniqueness and mystery. Those eyes hid an ancient mind that knew things far to alien for a person to even comprehend. Johna found the voice alluring and somehow familiar yet also terrifying and awe-inspiring. It reminded him of the voice another ancient creature had used when it spoke to him. It brought up some rather unpleasant memories...


    Noah was the first to speak since his partner seemed to be lost in thought over something.


    "My name is Noah. I am a monk following the teachings of Mother Nature. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Maker nodded at his introduction. She had no idea what he meant by ''Mother Nature''s teachings'' but it sounded important so she would pretend she did. She could always ask Fanv and Mikvel about it later. The blond man seemed to hesitate for some reason. Maker considered if her form was a bit too distracting for him. Fanv had pointed out that it looked a bit too strange and otherworldly... She moved some snakes to cover up her ''naughty parts'' as Fanv had called them, a bit better. The blond didn''t react much. Noah elbowed him.


    "Whu- Ah. Forgive me, I got lost in thought..."


    The blond cleared his throat before continuing. Maker just kept on smiling, silently noting that creating the most beautiful form she could think of might not have been the best decisionfor her core''s appearance. Oh well, not much to do about it now.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "My name is Johna. I am a dancer taught in the elven city Jovolon. It''s an honor to meet you, Lady Maker."


    How interesting! You must tell me all about your homes and experiences when we get time! I know very little about the Sentient races'' cultures. Now then, what brings you here?


    The outsiders looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. Noah was the one who explained their situation.


    "Are you familiar with Moonmadness?"


    Yes, my visvarg suffers from it so I am well aware of its effects.


    "Good good. My companion Johna suffers from it as well and due to an accident, our usual equipment used to keep him detained during the full moon is now unusable. We were wondering if you could aid us somehow. It is very important that the villagers in Ogon remain unaware of Johna''s... circumstances."


    "He''s a vampire."


    Oh, one of those blood leeches?


    "Geh!"


    Johna wincedat that blunt exchange. Noah looked a bit uncomfortable as well so Maker quickly tried to gloss it over.


    We are very open to all races so do not worry about us judging you! We have a plan for tomorrow night and including you in it would not be much of a problem.


    Fanv cleared her throat and Maker quickly added:


    We will require something in return from you, however.


    Johna squinted his eyes and hesitantly asked what she wanted in return.


    Bring us a door, complete with hinges, lock, and a frame. We would also like a padlock and key. If you could include blueprints of it all that would be great!


    The outsiders blinked. What?


    "Oh, and some tools! Hammers and nails and maybe a saw?"


    "Metal toolss, we sshallmake even better chairss with toolss!"


    A half-elf and a half-elf-half-spider added. Their bodies from waist to head looked almost identical. Siblings maybe... Noah grumbled to himself a bit, trying to come up with a plausible reason for asking for the things the Dungeon Lady wanted from the villagers. Johna agreed to Maker''s terms, half expecting her to add ''and a firstborn infant!'' or ''your soul'' at the last second.


    After some explanations onhow they would restrain a raging vampireand a visvarg the deal was struck, complete with an awkward handshake with the overexcited Maker and the arachne who made it all possible. The arachne introduced himself as Samuel, Sam for short, and after figuring out what limb to use in a handshake, and laughing about the question "are you two siblings?" for a good 5 minutes, Noah came to the conclusion that he liked the creatures of the dungeon. They were cheerful and curious and almost like children in the way they acted and argued about things. Johna wasn''t too fond of the creatures though, mostly because Maker kept subtly asking him to spend the night in the dungeon. He had the feeling she was trying to either seduce him or adopt him. He wasn''t sure if she knew the difference between the two either.


    It took alot of politely declining various offers, to leave the dungeon and go back to the village. ''No, he would not like to have a ''guest-cave'' in the dungeon.'' ''No, he would not like to try eating a Bloodclover.'' The name itself was bad enough and the flower seemed tosquirm as a rodent squeezed the red liquid out of it and argued that it might be filling for a vampire. ''No, Noah will not stay here either. No, Noah, you won''t. Stop petting the goat, it looks like it''s going to bite your hand off.'', ''No, I don''t eat people. No, not even the eyes. No, I don''t want you to save any for me if you ever come across a dead human.'', ''Noah, for the last time, I know they seem like nice people but we really should be going now. No parties. Is that rat on fire?''.


    Johna was practically wheezing after having to wrestle his way out of the friendly crowd to get out of the cave system. Noah was having the time of his life, being able to talk to the dungeon''s animals thanks to Maker. The happy monk and creatures took turns asking each other things about their races, habits, and lifestyles. Johna had to drag him with him. Fanv guided them through the tunnels and the part of the forest that bore the signs of being part of the dungeon, chatting happily with Noah. The monster-woman and monk were discussing if Maker could potentially create grapes trees and if said fruits really were grapes if they''d evolved from mushrooms. They both sighed and complained when they reached the edge of the dungeon''s influence and they had to part. Noah was humming happily as he and Johna made their way back to Ogon.


    "Hey, do you think we could visit them even after the full moon? They''re pretty fun to be around."


    Johna suppressed a groan. He really wasn''t feeling up to another meeting with the merry monster group.


    "They''re a bit too... energic... and weird. I''d rather not."


    "Not that weird considering their races and backgrounds."


    The monk seemed to think otherwise though. He wholeheartedly enjoyed their short stay at the dungeon.


    "That beaver exclaimed that it wanted to become a monk when you told it about your class."


    "Haha, could you imagine! A monk beaver! The dams he would build with the help of magic!"


    "I don''t think magical animals is the best idea. Those rats were full outburning. They could do some nasty damage."


    "You''re so grumpy. Is it the vampire side talking orare you just tired?"


    "A bit of both... That Dungeon Lady reminded me a bit of Zedrick..."


    "Really? I thought Zedrick was all cold and dignified all the time. ''A smug bastard'' I think you called him. Maker seems pretty childish. Full of life."


    "Yeah, their personalities are total opposites."


    "Then why did she remind you of him?"


    "Dunno... Gut feeling? The way they talk- or more the way their voices sound. It pulls you in, lulls you into feeling both calm and scared like they''re something much bigger than you and can do whatever they want with you... And Zedrick sort of did..."


    "He had no right to turn you into a vampire. I doubt Maker would even consider doing such a thing even if she could. She seems way too nice to force anyone to do things they don''t want to."


    "Yeah, but Zedrick seemed nice at first too..."


    "He hypnotized you. It was a Skill that made you believe him. If Maker ever uses a similar Skill on you I promise I''ll get us far away from there, ok?"


    "What if we both get hypnotized, though? You wouldn''t-"


    "Zedrick is what? 300 years old? And his Skill can only affect one person at a time. Someone having a Skill stronger than a 300-year-old vampire''s Skill is pretty much impossible unless they''re a 300-year-old powerful creature themselves. Every Skill has requirements to unlock that matches the strength of the Skill. Maker would either have to be older and have done more things than Zedrick or she would have to have done something world changing to unlock such a strong Skill. I highly doubt she has, and if she did then you most likely wouldn''t even notice something wrong. You''d still be there itching to do her bidding. You''re being paranoid."


    "I guess... Just promise you''ll do something if things start going wrong."


    "I''ll swing you over my shoulder and run a mile away at the speed of lightening."


    "Maybe not that much..."

 Ch30 Moonmad

    Krystal''s day was going so so. She''d woken up before dawn as usual and walked outside to enjoy the quiet that any place had at that godless time of day when everythingshould be sleeping. Noah and Johna had apparentlymissed that announcementsince they for gods know what reason had just come back from a little stroll in the woods. Krystal suspected they''d spent the night out there possibly doing something frowned upon judging from their guilty expressions and half panicked behavior. They had obviously not intended to meet anyone on their way back. So much for sneaking back into the inn and act like nothing. She almost felt sorry for them the way they were fidgeting and trying to come up with excuses for why they''d be outside at this time of day.


    That blond had been the jumpiest. he refused to meet her eyes and he kept on sweating as if someone was about to throw an axe at his head. They practicallyran back to the inn when she finally let them go. They were an odd pair, to say the least...


    A couple of hours later after Krystal had inspected the wagons and cargo (to make sure no one had touched stuff they weren''t supposed to touch) and had a decent breakfast, she met the pair of adventurers again. They had a rather odd request. They wanted help getting a door, with a frame, hinges, and lock, along with a padlock and keys to the locks. Blueprints too if possible. They wanted Krystal''s help since neither of them had experience trading and had little to no knowledge of the current prices for said objects. When asked what they needed the things for they started some story about how Jerry had asked for them.


    Jerry chose that moment to walk past them in the street and nearly jumped out of his skin when Krystal shouted for him to come over and explain his need for a door. She suspected he was planning another ''upgrade'' so shooting him down before he got started would be the best decision. Imagine her surprise when it turned out that he hadn''t made any such request. The flustered adventurers then claimed that it must have been someone else, that they got the name wrong. The way the flailed and tried to come up with excuses and explanations was pitiful to Krystal who had far too much experience sniffing out lies because of her line of work.


    She ended up agreeing to get them theirdoor parts for a decent price. Jerry was even more confused when she let them all 3 go than when she had first called for him. Normally she wouldn''t have agreed to such a suspicious deal. Maybe she was getting fond of them. Either that or she just didn''t want to see Johna hyperventilating. The man looked about ready to pass out any moment. Probably from lack of sleep. Passion is good and all but don''t neglect your own health! Young ones these days...


    Krystal went to the same carpenter that were fixing the wagons to ask for the door and more. The old man seemed just as suspicious about the request as Krystal had been when she''d gotten it. But unlike those fawning boys, Krystal was an experienced merchant and she wouldn''t take a no without a fight. The man argued and tried to pry for what in the world she needed a door for when she spent most of her time on the road.


    "Maybe I''ll use it to build myself a lil hut in the woods. Have a tea party with your Forest Guardian while I''m at it. I''m sure she''ll appreciate a good hut with a proper door and lock."


    "But Ma''am, I''m just wondering-"


    "I''m not questioning your work and stuff needed for it so why don''t you do the same. Either you sell me the stuff and shove those questions elsewhere or I''ll go find someone else who''s willing to take my money."


    The carpenter was stubborn but not enough to beat Krystal in a verbal fight. She ended up with the requested parts by noon. She caught a kid that was running by the carpenter''s store, gave him a shiny coin and promised him another one if he fetched Johna and Noah for her. It didn''t take long for the boy to return with the adventurers in tow.


    Noah had bought himself a box of tools at some point and Johna still looked sick. Krystal took her payment for the door and parts and sent them on their way without questioning them. The village boy got his coin and skipped off while admiring its shininess.


    Krystal wandered through the village for the rest of the day. She broke up a fight between one of her merchants and some villagers, beat up a merchant that picked a fight with her and, finally ended up in the tavern to end the day hard and fast with a few too many drinks. She questioned her own judgment more than once while sipping her ale and wondering if she should have stopped the adventurers from entering the forest with their strange baggage. Hopefully, they''d be fine and Chow and his goons weren''t at all going into the woods to pick a fight with them.


    "... Ah fuck."


    They''re totally following the monk and the dancer to pick a fight. Hopefully, no limbs will be lost. She''d cut the fingers of whoever ended up killing the other if it came to that. Chow you fucking moron.


    "Chow you fucking moron. I hope you get losht in the foresht!"


    Chow was lost in the forest. He and his companions had followed the dancer and the monk with the aim of picking a fight and beating the shit out of them. Any injuries those weaklings got in the forest could be blamed on stray monsters or wild animals. Krystal''s caravan paid good for protection and sharing that with two newbies wasn''t on Chow''s to-do-list. Giving them a scare and a beating to make sure they didn''t snitch on them would be enough to get rid of them. If he could find them...


    "We''re lost boss..."


    "Yeah, we''re totally lost... Can''t even see me own hands in this darkness!"


    "Shut it,you idiots!"


    A quick punch to the head shut his whining minions up. They were far too noisy. The sun hadn''t even set yet! At least he didn''t think it had. The trees had turned black and gray at some point as they were following their victims and now the abnormally big leaves were blocking out the fading light. They had long since lost sight of their quarry among the trees and darkness.


    "What are they even doing in the forest?"


    "Probably having sex or something. That blond one looks like he''d enjoy it up the ass."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "But why bring a door?"


    "Some weird kink?"


    "Would you two shut it?! We''re trying to sneak for fuck''s sake!"


    "But, boss, we can''t see them no more!"


    "Yeah, we''ve lost them, boss. Let''s go back..."


    Chow couldn''t believe how weak willed those whining bastards were. Didn''t they have any trust in-


    "Ssh! What was that?"


    Chow shoved his minions to the ground to hide under the undergrowth. They were about to complain but then they too heard something. A high pitch whine sounded through the air from somewhere far away. Chow''s heart was hammering in his chest as he listened. The whine was far away but what he had heard before it was much-


    Snap.


    A twig snapped some meters away from them. Chow couldn''t help but raise his head to look. The ghostly white child stared at him with a set of black unsymmetrical eyes. He ran.


    He ran. He didn''t even bother with pulling his minions with him. He just ran and then he heard the giggling. Light chittering noises that sounded like music bounced in the air. Then he heard his minions scream. The giggling grew louder and then something flew down from a branch just in front of him. Chow threw himself to the sidesomersaulted and kept on running. He heard the light footsteps of his chaser. He felt the cluster of eyes boring into his back as he ran. Another one dropped from a tree, cutting him off. He flung himself to the side and felt the ground give way.


    The world spun as Chow tumbled down the hill. He felt his ribs snap and muscles tear as he made contact with the ground at the bottom of the hill. He just laid there for a moment, wheezing and desperately trying to force air into his lungs.


    Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine-


    He froze. Slowly he uncurled his aching body to look at the source of the noise. It was a wolf. A twitching and convulsing wolf, clawing at the ground and watching him with unfiltered terror. Its stomach was swollen andmoving as something inside it tried to get out. The wolf tried to stand and run but whatever was inside it didn''t have the patience to enter the world the proper way.


    Chow stared in horror as the fleshtore and blood gushed forth, showering the ground and sending the wolf into another whining fit. It almost sounded as if it was screaming. Then a bloody hand shot out through its flesh, grasping at air and clawing at the struggling wolf. The canine slowed down and fell to the ground with a wet thud. Chow couldn''t move. He just watched as the creature clawed itself out of its mother. The humanoid form twitched and convulsed a few times after finally freeing itself from the womb. Wet blood and other body fluids splashed onto the ground as the creature threw off the last of the membranes and skin covering it. It bent down to all fours and shook itself like a dog, sending gore everywhere. Some landed on Chow but he barely noticed it. The child stood up. White skin glistening in the rising moonlight. It had patches of gray and black skin in some places. Its hair was short and unruly and its body looked chubby. Nubby little horns poked out from its forehead.


    It turned toward Chow and opened its eyes. A cluster of cruel red eyes stared at him for a second before the child abruptly bent over and screamed. He heard bones snap and then the creature''s limbs extended and its skins stretched. The chubby infant grew to twice its size, making it a meter tall, give or take. It watched Chow curiously then opened its mouth. A voice that seemed to echo in his head just as much as outside it spoke to him with childish glee.


    "You are not Mother. I can eat you."


    Others of its kind soon joined from the forest. They ran down the slope and into the clearing where their sibling was already feasting on the human. They laughed and sung as they fought each other for the remaining flesh and bones. Flesh tore and veins bled. The children giggled as they painted each other red with blood from each other and their prey. The moon rose and welcomed them into the world. During that full moon, the visvarg children celebrated being alive by taking the lives of others.


    Mikvel groaned as Sam pushed him back yet again. The arachne acted weird. Mikvel, Sam, Maker, and Noah were currently restraining Fanv and Johna with Sam''s webs. They were deep within the dungeon and the sun was about to set. Sam was very adamant about keeping himself between Mikvel and the people he was restraining for some reason. Mikvel wasn''t too sure about what would happen. Noah had said that Johna would go mad and try to hurt them and Maker thought Fanv would do the same. Fanv had changed her mind tho. She had started arguing and said she felt fine and that restraining her wasn''t necessary. Maker was forcing her body to obey as Sam worked but she was starting to act strangely as well. Her eyes kept glazing over and her snakes and wings were twitching from time to time.


    I can not control her anymore. Her mind is influencing mine.


    "You can let go now. The web sshould be sstrong enough now."


    Fanv grunted and tried to fling her head around but was stopped by the web. Her jaws had been tied shut after she''d tried to bite Sam. Johna was stirring just as much as the visvarg.


    "You can''t do this. Noah, please get them to release me! They''re going to hurt me! Let''s try something else?"


    Johna looked at Noah with pleading eyes but the monk remained silent with a grim look on his face.


    "I can''t breath, the web is too tight!"


    "Sshould I change-"


    "Don''t. He''s trying to trick you."


    "Are you ssure?"


    "I''m not lying! I really can''t breathe! It hurts! Please, Sam, don''t listen to him."


    Noah''s frown darkened even more as the arachne glanced back and forth between him and the vampire. Johna looked weak and miserable. Sam wasn''t sure what to do. Maker told him to listen to Noah, she wasn''t looking too well either. Fanv''s mind was screaming into hers. The wolf wasn''t using words anymore. To Maker, the normally well-worded wolf had gone completely feral. Her mind was panicking and growing mad, begging Maker to let her out. To let her run and hunt.


    "Noah... You promised you''d get me away from here if they did something weird... Why?..."


    Noah didn''t answer. Mikvel fidgeted as he watched the two captives struggle. He had to look away when Johna turned to him for help.


    Time crept slowly as the vampire and the visvarg struggled. Fanv had locked eyes with Mikvel once and startedpurring. It was an eerie noise that seemed to beckon himcloser. Sam had seen him stand up and grabbed him as soon as he took a step closer to the wolf. The purring had turned into snarling as Sam made Mikvel snap out of his trance. Pohc had come to pick Mikvel up afterwards, leading him back to his and Sam''s cave to sleep the rest of the night. Sam needed to stay to repair the nets that got worn down as its captives struggled.


    Johna had kept trying to convince Noah to let him free. Noah had ignored his pleas for help and his taunts and threats. The vampire had grown more and more agitated until he snapped completely and started hissing and baring his teeth towards Noah. A few hours later the vampire was laughing, giggling like a child about gods know what.


    "I smell blood~ Someone is dying, no many people are dying. I want to join them. Why won''t you let me join them, Noah? There is so much blood~"


    Noah had glanced at Maker but she just shrugged. The delusional vampire continued his taunts.


    "You don''t want me to drink their blood, do you? I''m only allowed to drink your blood and the blood of animals. Am I a pet? You sick bastard! I want more than the blood of pigs! I''ll suck you dry! I''ll fucking kill you when the sun rises!"


    Johna started another hissing fit as he hurled insults at the monk. Maker was looking tired. Her hair has looked more affected by gravity than normal and her snakes moved slowly. The night grew older and soon the vampire and visvarg calmed down as the sun began to rise. After Maker confirmed that Fanv was no longer a frothing beast looking to tear them apart, they were freed from the web. Johna kept his head low and flinched away when Noah approached him.


    The monk gently grabbed the vampire and put his arm to his mouth. Johna cried as he fed on Noah''s blood. After some soft words and calming embraces the few that were still awake collapsed to get a few hours of sleep beforethey had to take the day on. Maker watched over them all as they slept.

 Ch31 Murder in the woods

    Johna and Noah made their way back to Ogon in silence. The few hours of sleep they''d gotten in the dungeon was far from enough but they would just have to endure the rest of the day while sleep deprived. They would manage. It wasn''t the first time they''d gone through this after all.


    Johna couldn''t help but grin a bit. Despite the surreal things they''d gone through after discovering the dungeon, they''d still managed to stick to the same old routines. Sleep a few hours after the moon''s influence has ended. Wait until a few hours after the sun has risen before drinking Noah''s blood to ensure no lingering madness endangers him. Chugg the sun-protection-potion to avoid catching fire while outside. Walk back to civilization and pretendlike he hadn''t been a raging monster just hours earlier. Same old, same old. Except there had been a few more rats interferingthan the times they hid in various different sewer systems. They''d also used spider-threads instead of chains or ropes. Being watched over by a sentiententity who''s very existenceis the embodiment and conscienceof a magical den of monsters was a new one too though. Perhaps they had deviated a bit further from their routines after all.


    Johna shrugged. No matter. It worked out so why complain about the shenanigans of monsters. They were friendly monsters so what''s the worst that could happen?


    Johna snapped out of his thoughts as he and Noah entered the village. Judging from the sun''s position it was close to noon and people were bustling about as expected. Noah stopped abruptly just as they had stepped out of the bushes and into the village itself.


    "Something''s happened."


    Noah watched the francticactivity with a frown. People were running around more than usual and the guards looked agitated. They spotted Krystal talking to the mayor. Her face looked grim and the mayor''s face kept switching from a furious red to a ghastly white as he gestured and half shouted. Krystal turned around and spotted the adventurer duo. She waved them over.


    Johna felt a shiver run down his spine as they approached. He had a bad feeling about this.


    "Where have you two been? Noah, you look like shit, did you not sleep at all?"


    "We were out in the woods. I had to perform some minor rituals to please Mother nature-"


    "In the middle of the night?! What about Johna?"


    "The full moon brings out normally dormant magic from nature. It''s the perfect time to perform rituals and prayers. Johna was watching my back while I worked."


    Johna nodded. Krystal didn''t look entirely convinced, the mayor did though and he quickly took over before Krystal could pry for more info.


    "Did you see something in the woods? Any animals acting strange or- or any monsters?"


    "Monsters? What happened?" Krystal narrowed her eyes. The monk was hiding something. He was far too eager to switch the subject. Krystal put a hand on the mayor''s shoulder. The shorter man calmed down a bit and let the caravan-chief explain.


    "Chow''s group has been killed. They were seen entering the forest last night and didn''t return. The mayor sent out some guards to look for them. They found the rather grizzly remains of 3 people. A local hunter has confirmed that the were killed last night and the equipment found matches the stuff Chow''s group had."


    The monk and the dancer looked pale. Noah remembered the things Johna had said about smelling blood while he was affected by the moon. Johna on the other hand only had vague memories of what happened last night. He wondered if one of the dungeon''s creature could have done it but quickly discarded the idea. Those creatures were far too obsessed with befriending humans to do something as stupid as killing them. Maybe Chow''s group attacked them? If they were the ones that started a fight then maybe the creatures had seen it as a justified reaction to kill them. No, those city thugs would have fled from pretty much any of the creatures. They weren''t used to handling monsters so no way they would have stood their ground if faced by a pack of overgrown rodents.


    Krystal broke him out of his thoughts by clearing her throat. She lowered her voice and said:


    "One thing the others doesn''t know yet is that Chow''s group was followingyou two into the forest. And now you two are back and they aren''t. You realize what that means right?"


    The mayor staredat Krystal then at the duo. His face grew pale as realization dawned upon him.


    "You- you couldn''t have-..."


    "No! Of course not! We didn''t even notice them following us."


    Noah looked offended that they''d suspect them. Johna kept his eyes on the ground while deep in thought. Krystal crossed her arms and watched the two. She''d seen the remains. Hadn''t it been for the clearly human equipment thrown about near the piles of blood and bones then no one would even have guessed that they had once been human.The bones had all been broken and gnawed clean from flesh. Something had spent a long time making sure that nothing edible was left behind. It was also highly possible that it was more than one creature. The many foot- and hand- prints that covered the area around the remains looked human. The creatures had been barefoot and of varying sizes. There were both small and large prints. If Noah and Johna had taken part in the murder then they wouldn''t have been alone.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The most concerning part were that the remains had been picked clean, not even bone marrow remained.


    "Mayor, where''s the best place to do an Appraisal?"


    "Eh? Full- Uh, the jail or a meeting room in the town-hall. Why?"


    It was a long shot but it should draw some suspicion away from the adventurer duo. There were no animal tracks near the remains so the ones that had eaten the corpses must have been the humanoid killers. There''s also the chance that a monster would have human-like feet but trolls, goblins, and other humanoid monsters weren''t exactly stealthy. If such monsters lived nearby then the villagers would know. So if Johna and Noah had partaken in the murder there is a chance that they''d eaten their share as well, which in turn would give them a Title like Man-eater.


    "The murderers ate the corpses. If Noah and Johna are guilty then they''ll have the Man-eater Title."


    "Ooh, I see! Yes, that makes sense. Let''s go to the town-hall and find out then."


    The mayor quickly turned around and began walking towards the town-hall, which also happened to be his house. Krystal made to follow but stopped when she saw how pale Johna had turned.


    "You didn''t actually do it, did you?"


    "No..."


    "Then why so pale. An appraisal should get you clear?"


    "I... I have..."


    Johna looked to Noah for help. The monk wore a grim face but remained silent. He was thinking furiously. Johna turned back to Krystal and said in a small voice:


    "I have some... Titles and Skills that I''d rather not show others... It was a long time ago I got them but Skills and Titles don''t disappear you know..."


    Krystal crossed her arms over her chest. Johna shrunk back and lowered his gaze.


    "Bad enough to get suspected for murder and cannibalism? How troublesome of a past do you have?"


    "Very bad..."


    "Mayor''s not gonna buy that. And I''m not entirely convinced either, yet. You realize how this makes you look right? Shady as fuck. And there''s just been a bloody murder in the woods and you still want to stay all shady and secretive? Hell, if you''re unlucky you might even get framed for this shit. You''re giving them too many things to suspect."


    Johna was just about to answer when a bloodcurdling scream made all three whip around and stare into the forest. A villager came running as if chased by Death herself. Blood gushed from deep scratch marks on his head and shoulders. He somehow managed to scream through his gasps for air.


    "DEMONS! THERE ARE DEMONS IN THE FOREST!"


    The wounded man collapsed at the edge of the forest just as people started rushing either towards the forest to help the man or in the opposite direction, either to inform the guards who weren''t in the forest or to just hide at home.


    Krystal turned around to give her two remaining hired adventurers orders and was met with the sight of them diving into the bushes. She swore in disbelief.


    "They fucking booked it!?"


    A monk and a dancer ran through a forest. Chasing them was a red-haired powerhouse of a woman who now highly suspected them both of being involved in a murder. The woman mentioned above was also very proficient at swearing but we will be leaving the details out since the author is not.


    Johna was not very good at swearing.


    "Shit, shit, shit, fuck, shit, fucking hell, fu-"


    The dancer''s foot got caught in an exposed root and he nearly fell over. Noah didn''t miss a beat and caught his friend by the scruff of his neck, threw him over his shoulder and kept on running. Behind them, Krystal roared at the absurdity of that reaction. Noah ran at impossible speeds for his build and robes that should restrict his movement. It was as if the under vegetationmoved to make way for him.


    Krystal wheezed a remark about "how Mother Nature is a bloody cunt who looks after her thrice-damned followers at the worst fucking time."She would offer Mother Nature an apology later. A traveler had no business insulting the deity of nature. Not that said deity would give a single shit about one lifeform spouting insults about her in the heat of the moment.


    Another root tried to trip Krystal over, and just like the rest, it was ripped up from the ground by her momentum and strength. The greenery grew darker around her as she chased the duo until the leaves looked almost black and the bark either white or gray. It was eery enough to get her attention for a split second but not enough to slow her down.


    The monstrous wolf that shot out from the bushes was though. It barreled towards the fleeing duo and thenleaped over them and landed a breath too close from Krystal''s face. She stopped dead in her tracks, lost her balance, and fell on her ass. Noah had dropped Johna and they both were cowering behind the enormous beast. It glared at her with 5 yellow eyes. A deep feminine voice rang out in her head as the wolf opened its jaws and reared its head.


    "Who the hell are you?! Why are you chasing my friends?!"


    Krystal swallowed as the wolf stared her down, but she stood her ground. Correction: she stood her ground after she had sat up and risen to meet the wolf''s furious gaze.


    "Those two are suspected of murder. They tried to flee so I chased them. Now, what the hell are you supposed to be?!"


    "I am Fanv, and you stand in my territory."


    "Your territory? Are you that thing the villagers have declared a Guardian?"


    "Indeed I am! You will follow me to my lair and there we will all sort out what this is about, ok?"


    Noah tried to protest. "No, Fanv wai-"


    "Shut! Did you murder the person she thinks you murdered?"


    "No!"


    "No!"


    "Does she believe you?"


    "No! Those shady bastar-"


    "Then shut up and follow me! To the lair!"


    It is a bit hard to say no to a monster-wolf twice the size of a bear. Krystal thought to herself that she might have been able to take her in a fight. But a smaller wolf had appeared from a bush next to her. It was identical to the bigger one and a small herd of absurdly large rodents had sneered from behind the bushes. Wolf lady had allies. Better play along for now.

 Ch32 Mama wolf

    Krystal was seated at what could only be called one thing; a tree trying to be a table. There were stone slabs too but the whole construct still felt strange. The benches, tables, throne and carved walls were all too crude andnatural. ''Natural'' as in plants and stonegrowing into the shapes of furniture rather than being shaped by some craftsman. The only furniture that looked vaguelyhuman-made was the things made out of cloth, but even those things looked out of place. For one, the cloth wasn''t wool or linen. It was silk. Pure white, gleaming, smooth silk. The stuff nobles wore and merchants would cut off their own fingers to obtain. Or someone else''s fingers if the merchant was greedy and had looser morals.


    Banners and table-clothes and clothes. Those were the things made out of silk. The last part of that list is what was caused Krystal the most trouble at the moment. Or rather, the person wearing it was. The horned woman sitting on the throne was wearing the expensive silks.


    Krystal was trying very hard to not look at the woman. It was not that the woman was ugly or scary or anything like that, despite being a monster. No, the woman had very normal human features. Pretty human features.The horns and odd pigments only complimented her beauty in Krystal''s eyes. And that was a problem. The woman that had introduced herself as Fanv had caught Krystal completely off guard by disappearing into a room and then returning as a human. Or shaped as a human at least.


    Krystal had just gaped at her at first, then tried her best to regain her composure and failed. She had tried her damned best to keep her eyes on Fanv''s face and not let her gaze travel downwards. Fanv was tall for a woman, probably just a few centimeters shorter than Krystal herself. She was perhaps a bit chubby for someone living so far out in the wilderness. Most people out here in the bush tended to be scrawny cause of the sparse resources and unforgiving surroundings keeping them on their toes. Chubbiness was something mostly seen within nobility or just well off people. Those who had the resources and wits to use them to keep themselves rich and well fed. It was a sign of good health and intellect.


    Fanv had seemed a but uncomfortable meeting Krystal''s gaze at first. She had assumed it was because of her stern looking face. She was well aware the others felt intimidated by her so it wasn''t something new. But she''d soon noticed that Fanv didn''t appear scared. More ticked off than anything. They''d locked eyes for awhile and the whole thing had turned into a starting contest between the two. It took a bit for Krystal to connect the dots but when Fanv''s pupils dilated like a cat ready to pounce it had finally dawned upon her that the wolf in disguise saw her stare as a challenge. She''d quickly broken their eye contact and avoided looking directly into her eyes since then. The atmosphere had loosened up somewhat after that.


    The wolf-woman had taken a seat on the huge throne, crossed her legs, and then asked everyone to explain ''what this fight''s all bout.''


    It felt a bit like Krystal, Noah, and Johna were children who had started a fight over something and Mama Fanv was scolding them while trying to sort it all out. Krystal had looked around for something to focus her gaze on while explaining about the found corpses and how she''d seen Chow''s gang follow Johna and Noah into the forest the day before.


    "- and when I told them and the mayor that we should do a Appraisal-"


    "Oy, when did ye bring another human here?"


    "Dessi could you not interrupt her please."


    A satyr had appeared together with a small herd of dryads. The dryads were of the centaur kind, with the lower body of a deer and the upper body of a human. Their deer-half looked a bit sturdier built though. Their black fur glistened in the light of the Glowshrooms, revealing well-toned muscles. Some of their white hooves were stained red. Krystal shuddered as she met their red eyes and the dryads scowled in turn. Krystal snapped back to reality when the satyr said something that clearly offended Fanv.


    3 hidden eyes opened and Fanv''s face turned dark as she flashed her teeth at the satyr.


    "No, you will not touch the humans. I don''t care if they''re in the cave system or in our forest, no sentient races are to be harmed. Maker''s orders."


    "Fiiiine, geez, don''t get so worked up. People''ll think yer a bitch in heat- oh wait, how rude of me."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Just leave. We don''t need your sass right now."


    "Oh, I''m sooo sorry miss Queen of Rats. Did lil ol me offend ye? Yer not the only one here who can-"


    All the dungeon''s inhabitants grew silent at once. They all looked up and listened to something only they could hear. Krystal shivered as they all acted in sync while listening to whatever it was they were hearing. The low murmur returned a second later. The rodents started moving again and Fanv sighed deeply. Dessi the satyr kicked at the ground and flipped Fanv off before turning towards the way out of the dungeon followed by her small flock of dryads. Fanv returned her focus to Krystal and apologized.


    "Sorry bout that. Dessi''s a pain in the ass but she means well. Most of the time..."


    Krystal blinked.


    "Dessi? Oh. Uh, where''s she going now?"


    "Something''s going on outside so she''ll go check it out."


    "Ah, there are guards in the forest-"


    "We know. Maker''s made it very clear to everyone that no sentient races are to be hurt so they''ll be fine."


    "Ah, I see... Who''s Maker?"


    "Our Dungeon Lady. She''s a bit wary of you since you were chasing Johna and Noah and we didn''t know your intentions so she won''t be joining us here in person."


    "So this really is a dungeon huh..."


    "Yup, this is Mageon, our home."


    The rodents all squealed something in unison that made Fanv chuckle. So many rodents. And isn''t that the mayor''s son?! Wait there''s two of them- spider?


    "Anyway, back to the subject. So Johna and Noah don''t wanna do an Appraisaland that''s why you suspect them of murder?"


    "Huh? Oh, yes basically."


    "Well, they''re innocent. They were in the dungeon all night with us so they couldn''t have done it."


    "Really? What were they doing in here?"


    "Mostly just hanging out with us. We''re trying to get on friendly terms with humans and most of our creatures haven''t met any humans before so they were good practice before we make contact with the village."


    Making friends with the monsters, huh. Makes sense in a way that the monsters would like to train their social skills on these two first. But wait, make contact with the village?


    "You''re going to go meet the villagers??"


    "Yes. Almost all of our creatures are just as sentient as humans and some of us have even evolved into human-like shapes. Me and Mikvel are both from Ogon in the first place so it should work out. People know us."


    "Wait so you grew up in the village? But you''re-..."


    "It''s only been a couple of months since I found out I wasn''t human. I''ve evolved since thenso I look a bit different now though."


    "And lil Mik? Is he a monster as well? Why are there two of them? Why is one anarachne?!"


    "Lil Mik?..."


    The arachne waved a hand and quickly explained himself.


    "Mikvel''ss the firsst human who''ss appearance isn''t grosss so I ussed him as a reference."


    "You more or less copied the way I look though..."


    "I haven''t sseen many humanss..."


    "Lil Mik......"


    "Ah, Fanv, my dad and Krystal know each other so that''s why..."


    "Can I call you Lil Mik too?"


    "Sam... No... Just keep calling me Mikvel, please..."


    "I''m... Did I say something strange?"


    "No, I just wasn''t ready to hear Mikvel being called ''Lil Mik''. Like, in a serious tone... Imma start calling him that now."


    "Fanv no."


    "Anyway, back to the murder-mystery. So Noah and Johna didn''t do it."


    "Ok. I guess I''ll take your word for it. You didn''t answer my question though."


    "He''s as human as he''ll get."


    "Uh..."


    "I''m a half-elf. It''s ok to say it loud Fanv."


    "Didn''t want to announce it in case u didn''t want it known."


    "The ears kind of give it away. Besides, this isn''t the time to be vague about stuff. I am not a monster or magical creature, Krystal."


    "Ok, just wanted to know. Does your dad know you''re here?"


    "...I kind of got kidnapped by bandits."


    "They fuckingwaht?! Give me a direction, I''ll go fuck em up!"


    "No! Fanv and Pohc already took care of it!"


    "Who''s Pohc?!"


    "Sshouldn''t you let her? They hurt you so badly and you said one of them forced you to breed with the-"


    "DON''T TELL THEM-"


    "THEYRAPEDYOU?!"


    "Could everyone just calm down for a sec?"


    "IMMACRACKTHEIRHEADSOPENLIKEOVERRIPEMELONS"


    "Hey, sshe turned even redder than before... Iss sshe ok?"


    Krystal was fuming with rage. Howdare some filthy bandits so much asthink about harming lil Mik?! He''s a good kid! He doesn''t deserve it! Hell, she was going to find those bandits and she was gonna rip their nuts off. The rodent''s were swarming around the hall trying to block her from the exit. Fanv was trying to assure her that the bandits had been punished and Mikvel and his lookalike were both trying their best to calm her down. Noah and Johna were nowhere to be seen, not that it mattered much now. They hadn''t done anything wrong so there was no need to keep an eye on them for now.


    She made her way to the exit tunnel and nearly ran right over the short satyr. Dessi got startledby the sudden appearance of Krystal and the thing she was holding by the scruff of its neck twisted free. It flew at Krystal''s face with a screech and got caught by horns, then it wasflung behind Krystal. It landed with a heavy thud right in front of Fanv.


    The hall grew silent as the creature re-opened its eyes and looked up. The creatures nearest it quickly scurried away from it, leaving it alone on the floor with Fanv staring down at it. The child blinked once and then spoke.


    "Oh, it''s Mother."

 Ch33 Lovely, murderous, children

    Complete silence. Krystal had stopped her rampage to stareat the mini Fanv. Mikvel was staring in disbeliefat it too. He''d known Fanv his whole life and she definitely didn''t strike him as someone who''d have a child and forget about it. And when the hell had she gotten pregnant? Too many questions. Dessi was stomping her foot, waiting for a reaction from the dumbstruck Fanv.


    The child looked around curiously at the large crowd of creatures. It had waist length hair and a set of small antlers. One side of the face had 3 eyes in a vertical line while the other side had a cluster of 7 eyes of various sizes spread out. Some of the eyes on the clustered side looked pale and blind, while the others glowed a deep yellow. Long claws adorned its hands and feet and serrated teeth filled its mouth. Patches of its body where black while majority of it was white as snow. It spoke again with the same deep voice that echoed in one''s mind and in reality.


    "Mother?"


    Fanv blinked and hesitantly pointed at herself.


    "Me?"


    "Yes?"


    "No way... You must''ve mistaken me for-"


    "IT LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU! HOW CAN IT NOT BE YOURS?!"


    Fanv got interruptedby practically everyone screaming in unison. Of course, it was hers, what the hell Fanv?!


    "No, no, no, that can''t be I haven''t... Well... Maybe I have... No, that was just a nightmare right..."


    Fanv looked at the child. Noooooo. No way! No no no.


    "Why ye breaking down over just one pup. This just one of em too. Smelled a bunch of em in the forest. This one was slower though so we caught it."


    Dessi poured salt on the wound by adding that comment. Then Krystal dealt the finishing blow with hers:


    "Damn... You''ve been busy..."


    Fanv fell to her knees and started sobbing. The child jumped back in surprise and stared at its o so dignified mother crumpling up and wailing on the floor. People were a bit too busy staring at the sobbing visvarg to notice Maker making her way into the hall. Maker glanced over the room and took in the scene before her, then she rushed over to Fanv and embraced her. When Maker spoke she actually moved her lips this time. It would seem the Dungeon Lady had finallymade herself somevocal cords, much to the benefit of Krystal who had yet to be connected to the telepathy network of the dungeon.


    Shh, what is the matter?


    "I''m a unresponsible beast!"


    Why?


    "I made kids! Many many kids! and I left their mothers in the woods to deal with it alone! I didn''t even know about this til noooow!"


    I told you, you mate with the wolves though.


    "I didn''t want to believe you! That night was one big haze of madness! I''m the woooorst!"


    The others watched in silence as Maker grabbed Fanv''s shoulders and looked straight into her eyes with a very serious expression.


    Yes, you are irresponsible. You must take responsibilityand bring all the children here to make it up to them.


    "... Are you- hic- just saying this because - sniff- you want to keep them?..."


    Yes, I will be theirgrandma and spoil them!


    "..."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    You do not need to handle this alone. I will help you through this. We will raise lovely little visvargs in the dungeon! They are your children so surely you want the best for them? Leaving them out in the forest alone is not very mother-like.


    "... Maker..."


    Yes?


    "I feel like you''ve tricked me into this..."


    I would never!


    "... Fine. You got a point in me having to take responsibility for them, and I don''t want to go through this alone..."


    It is settled then! We shall bring them all here! But first, we must name this one! May I name it?


    "Shouldn''t I be the one naming it, since I''m the mother?"


    I am the grandmother.


    "You''re not my real mom though? I already have one."


    Can you not have two? You and the wolves all have female features.


    "Yeah maybe visvargs can, but I was born a human so I don''t think it works here..."


    If you invite your mother here then I am sure we can discuss it and come to an agreement.


    "I don''t know where she is... She left when I was little..."


    She is disqualified. I am your mother now.


    "Maker that''s not how it works-"


    You are adopted by me now? Does that work?


    "Uh, I guess..."


    You are my child now. It is settled! Now, my lovely daughter, let us name my lovely grandchild! And all you others, if you want a new or an extra mom, you are now adopted by me! That means that by human standards you are my children even if I did not give birth to you. Adoption must be one of the best inventions of the sentient races ever!


    "If I may interrupt?"


    Yes, Dessi?


    "One of the rats told me why the redhead is here. Murder was it? Seems it was the kids that did it, and a pack of em are homing in on another group of humans as we speak. Should I tell my flock to do something bout it?"


    "They ate the humans?!"


    "Yes, ye dumb fuck. Didn''t ye listen at all?"


    Fanv turned to the child still sitting on the floor.


    "You ate people?!"


    "Yes, they were very tasty!"


    "Don''t do that!"


    "But-"


    "No buts! No eating humans!"


    "Ok..."


    "Dessi, can you stop them?"


    "Maybe if ye crawl and beg-"


    Dessi, send your flock to stop them.


    "Yes ma''am."


    The satyr turned and ran to tell her flock what to do. Maker rose and pulled Fanv up with her. She gave a quick glance to make sure she got everyone''s attention.


    We are going to go outside and gather all the kids before they can do any more damage. Rodents, you will handle communication and intelligence gathering, make sure you do not get caught by neither humans nor visvarg pups. I will link you up with each other so you can use telepathy but it''ll only work inside our claimed territory so once outside of it you''ll have to communicate the old fashioned way.


    Sam, you will help Dessi''s flock. Restrain the kids they catch and have someone bring them back here.


    Mikvel, you and Pohc will help Sam when needed. If any human groups get too close to our part of the forest you will make them turn around.


    "Uh, how?"


    Trick them, scare them, convince them. Anything goes as long as you do not harm them. I will send out the birds to aid you. They are great at intimidation and theatrics so use them as you see fit.


    "Understood."


    Fanv, try to convince your children to come here peacefully. Child, if you tell your sibling that your mother told you to come here and not fight, would they listen?


    The child put a hand to its chin and thought for a moment.


    "Yes, probably. We all love Mother so if they smell her in the woods they should believe me."


    Good, Sam, is that paint you and Mikvel were working on usable?


    "Yess. The red and the purple ones are usable, the others are still a bit too thick or too weak in color to be used on anything though."


    Great. You rodents over there, go fetch me that purple paint. We''ll paint this child''s horns purple so you others will know not to restrain it. It will tell its siblings to come here. If more children wants to act as messengers, paint their horns purple as well.


    Krystal was impressed. The Dungeon Lady had some good ideas and she used her creatures well.


    Human?


    "Huh, yes?"


    What is your name?


    "Krystal, ma''am." Krystal felt like being polite was the best course of action near Maker, even though she was very rusty on her fancy talk.


    Will you tell the other humans to exit the forest so that they do not get caught up in this?


    "That''ll be hard. They''re all hellbent on finding the murderer or clues about them. And it''s possible that someone spread word about Johna and Noah fleeing so they might be hunted as well now. They''ll be even harder to convince if that''s so since they think they''re getting close to solving this mess."


    "Can''t you just tell them a disaster or something is happening. Scare them away?"


    "Could try but I doubt it''d go well. I heard about your lil show in the bandit camp. I don''t have the acting talent you have, Fanv."


    "Uh, that was..."


    "If u can make something flashy go off then that''d support my claim of something going on in the forest. A big enough bang and they''d only need to be told once to book it."


    Something flashy huh... I will create something flashy so do your best convincing them, Krystal.


    "Roger."


    Now then, let us begin! Everyone move out!


    And with a rumble of voices and a tremor shaking the earth of the dungeon, mission ''save the pups'' began.

 Ch34 The bees!

    Krystal was putting on a show. Running, panting, and constantly looking behind her to drive home the idea that "wow this woman is fleeing from something scary! We should flee too!".


    It was kind of working. She startled a group of guards by crashing into them from out of a bush. Her sudden appearancesupported her claims of:


    "Something''s happening in the forest! We gotta go back to the village!"


    Unfortunately, the guard captain happened to be in the group and he was a bit harder to scare. He held his ground while the others started to panic and falter.


    "What is happening?"


    "Something bad! We gotta go!"


    The gray-haired man scowled. He wasn''t buying it. Krystal was just about to spout some nonsense about swarms of monsters when the ground suddenly vibrated. A drawn-out boom could be heard from deep under the ground and the next instant the vibrations grew to a violent tremble, sending pebbles flying and making plants and people alike stumble and shake. For a moment it the only thing that could be heard was the shaking and clattering of stones and branches. Every creature in the forest held its breath.


    Then somewhere in the middle of the black forest, something exploded. The ground split and gave way and from the open hole, a murder of crows erupted. The swarm of birds looked like a black cloud, billowing and growing, escaping the darkness of the underground in a cacophony of screeching and the sound of beating wings.


    The cloud of wings and beaks screeched in unison and then began circling up and away from the hole, covering the sky completely right over the hole. The already reddening sky grew dark as the birds swept over it. Krystal and the guards watched in horror as the wave of crows swept over the forest. Then the birds reached over them and their voices rang clear enough for the humans to understand what they were screaming.


    "THE BEES ARE HERE!"


    "THE BEES ARE COMING!"


    "FROM THE UNDERGROUND THEY COME! TERRORS OF THE DARK!"


    "RUN YOU FOOLS! SHE HAS RELEASED THE BEES!"


    "THE SWARM IS HERE! THEY WILL EAT ALL THAT REMAINS!"


    "DO NOT IDLE, STUPID HUMANS! THE BEES HUNGER FOR YOURFLESH! "


    Krystal stopped pretending to be scared at that moment. She turned and ran the same second it registered what the birds were screaming. It didn''t take long for the guards to follow behind her. Above them, the crows continued their ominouswarnings, some taking the opportunity to swoop down and draw their talons through exposed hair and against the guards'' helmets. The humans screamed and ducked but kept on running. The birds kept screaming and taunting as they herded them towards Ogon.


    All over the forest they swept, and each human that saw them heeded their warnings. Who dared oppose the warnings of so many crows? Who was foolish enough to question the carrion eaters as they covered the sky and spoke of an unseen enemy? Very few. And those few soon joined their fleeing comrades as well because a second wave of sound soon caught up to the birds.


    A low buzzing sound that soon grew strong enough to be felt in one''s very spine. And then the first bee was seen in the sky. It was the size of a horse and entirely black save for the fuzzy white mane. It looked like a blend between an ant and a bumble bee. The first bee was soon followed by hundreds of hundreds more and together they swept over the forest much like the crows but at a slower, more steady, pace.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Henry the guard captain sweated heavily as he ran. Above him the crows laughed and taunted him to run faster. He couldn''t see his comrades anymore, they''d been scattered by the low-flying birds. They''d probably left him behind. He wasn''t that fast and his age was catching up to him. He couldn''t really blame them for running ahead. He himself had already pissed himself in fear when the first bee had flown over his head. They were just too big. Insects should never grow that big.


    Another bee flew over his head and heslid to a halt when it stopped bare meters in front of him. He watched it hover 3 meters above the ground about 5 meters away from him. He was too busy staring at the bee to notice the child leaping at his head until something even bigger jumped and crashed into it. He felt hooves clip his head and the next moment he was lying on the ground, world spinning.


    In front of him, the child rose to its feet again, nose bloody and serrated teeth bared at the dryad that had knocked it off its course. The dryad reared, swinging its white hooves in the air before landing again with a heavy thud. It started circling around the child, putting itself between the child and Henry. He met its eyes for a moment at felt his limbs seize up in fear. The blood red eyes held no compassion for him. It turned around to face the child just as the tiny terror launched itself at it. The dryad turned and the child landed on its deer-half, digging its claws deep into the dryad''s gray pelt.


    The dryad roared and grabbed the child by the neck thenswung it into a tree. The air flew out of the child as it connected with the bark. It barely had time to draw a new breath before the dryad sent its other fist straight into its gut. The child went limp immediately.


    The hovering bee saw that as its cue to move again. It swooped down and took the child from the dryad, then quickly used its many legs to tie it up with the long silky threads it had been holding. The bee flew off with the child and the dryad ran off back into the bushes. Henry stared a bit longer before he finally rose up and started running towards Ogon again. Something crazy was going on in the forest and he wanted no part of it.


    Maker was having a blast. She sat in the throne-room of her dungeon surrounded by the visvarg pups. The noisy children were walking about, pointing at things, chewing on things, and asking questions. Meanwhile, her creatures were out in the forest, picking up the rest of the bloodthirsty little loves. What a great day! She watched through the eyes of the bees as the dryads followed to rodent''s directions towards the remaining children. She saw some of the bees flying back and forth between Sam, getting threads from him to use on the resisting children. Not all of the dryads was good at knocking others out. Most would either go too far and break some bones or hold back too much.


    The bees were ironically not suited for combat. With like, anything. They were extremely weak so they only helped by bringing things and kids back and forth or scaring humans with their imposing build.


    Maker chuckled as she watched the humans flee from her harmless little insects. The bumbleants lived far underground and fed mainly on minerals. They would dig and build tunnels and hoard minerals and other shiny objects in their hive. They were also a marvelous source of mana. The bees seemed to practically ooze the magical energy just by living and the density of it in the air around them made the areas they live in especially easy to claim for the dungeon. Magic is needed to spread a dungeon''s influence over dead material since there''s no mind to interact with.The bumblebees and the dungeon were perfect for each other. The insects that were too weak to survive on their own in the wild would get the dungeon''s protection and in turn, boost its growth greatly.


    Maker turned her attention to the visvarg children huddled around her. They were either tired and napping or walking around restlessly. The Dungeon Lady sighed. It was a shame, really. Despite the kids getting along with her and playing nice because their mother had told them to (or their siblings told them that their mother told them etc), none of them had let her claim them. It would seem their species was not compatible with the way a dungeon claimed a creature. They were too sentient and too strong. Fanv had been an exception because of the madness she suffered from her first transformation and from her weakened, dying state, that one night she entered the dungeon for the first time.


    To claim the children she would need them to be in a similar state, and harming them was out of the question. Perhaps she would have to settle for them growing up in the dungeon and leaving once they became adults. It would be better than nothing... She sighed again. Why couldn''t they have been born in the dungeon. It would have been so much easier...

 Ch35 Music

    Dessi watched with mild amusement how Maker and Fanv tried to teach the visvarg pups morals.


    "Don''t eat people."


    "Why?"


    People are friends.


    "Why?"


    "Because if we act like people then we will be seen as people."


    "Why is that important?"


    It is nice to have friends. To be surrounded by friendly people is great fun!


    "Why?"


    "Uh... I dunno, it''s just nice ok? Mommy and Mak-"


    Grandma.


    "-Mommy and grandma Maker likes people. So don''t eat people or Mommy and Grandma will be sad."


    "Oh, we won''t eat people then."


    "Good good."


    You are such good children! Come give grandma a hug!


    "Why?"


    Dessi couldn''t hold it anymore. She stood up in a huff and stomped her hooves to get the kids'' attention.


    "If ye say ''Why'' another bloody time imma stomp those undeveloped nuts of yours into-"


    "DESSI!"


    Do not swear in front of the children!!!


    The group of children looked at each other. Then they turned to face Dessi and in unison said:


    "Why?"


    "COCKY LITTLE SHITS."


    The charging satyr got halfway to the kids before she got picked up by the scruff of her neck. Noah held the flailing satyr up to his face and gave her a disapproving look. Johna stood next to him and was trying very hard to stifle a laugh.


    Ah, welcome back. Any news from Krystal?


    "Let me down ye ass-lickingmuscle-tower!"


    "Now now Dessi, why are you so angry? And yes, Maker. Johna, would you like to brief them on what Krystal told us while I help Dessi calm down?"


    "Ye calm down yerselffucker! Let me down!"


    Johna nodded then cleared his throat. The children watched as the monk sat down a bit further away and adjusted his grip on Dessi. He put his hands in her armpits and held her up in front of him while telling her stuff like "Take deep breaths." "They''re just kids, it''s not worth the fuss.". Dessi looked like she was about to explode.


    "So, Krystal told us that the village is still in an uproar. People are still panicking even though it''s been a couple of hours since we retreated back to the dungeon. The mayor is trying his best to restore order and Krystal is struggling to convince them not to send guards into the forest to fight the bees. The guard captain, Henry Stronghart, is taking Krystal''s side as he believes that the bees would slaughter them if they tried approaching them."


    Hm Hm. Should we lend a hand? Try calming them down?


    "How would we do that?"


    We would send in our calmest members, with calm messages about calmness and peace. Tell them that the bees are not actually out to get them.


    For a long calm moment, Johna just looked at Maker to figure out if she was serious. Turns out she was. He then cleared his throat and continued.


    "I... don''t think that will work..."


    Why not?


    "People would need to be extremely gullible and fearless to trust a group of creatures suddenly appearing and telling them that they mean no harm.Especially after a huge swarm of monster bees has just chased them out of the forest while large birds scream about the end of the world."


    Maker frowned. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it again. Johna watched as she sat in mid-air and floated around a bit while thinking. She slowly spun around once vertically then horizontally all the while holding her chin and making a "Hmmmmm" sound. Johna cleared his throat again to get her attention.


    "Maybe... not send in the whole force while meeting the villagers for the first time?"


    But if they turn hostile,then just sending a few or just one creature would put that creature in danger.


    "Depends on who you send and how."


    ...Tell me more.


    Peter Coaler was a simple man. He had served as village guard since he came of age since he didn''t have any talent for the craft of Bards. Stories and songs were good and all and the way they twisted words and formed melodies and music with little more than one tool and their voice almost seemed like magic. But there were other things in life. Things that paid better and offered a little more excitement than a stirring crowd or a tavern brawl. Peter loved fighting.


    Peter loved fighting. Preferably things that should but couldn''t fight back very well. Wolves and bandits were dangerous after all, so fighting them when they''d been injured or outnumbered by his squad was just good tactics right? He had slain many dangerous foes. That was proof that his tactics worked. Yes, he had won against many dangerous, terrifying monsters.


    He kept telling himself this while walking into the forest. He held a basket full of fruit and pretty stones, meant for the Forest Guardian. Yes, he had killed things way stronger than himself. He would be safe. He could always run if the birds and bees showed up. Slowly he made his way to the newly built shrine of the Forest Guardian. He had seen no sign of the horrible creatures as he entered the forest so hopefully, they''d left already.


    "A-and if not, then I''ll just- GYA?!"


    A startled bird flew away from a nearby bush. Peter nearly dropped the basket. He fumbled with it and the spear in his other hand while surveying his surroundings. Just a normal bird. Not a huge speaking crow. He spat on the ground. Even if it was a crow, he could take it. Hell, he''d killed a werewolf before! What could an overgrown bird do to him?! He would scewer it on his spear just like how he''d planted those arrows in that hideous beasts pelt. A shot to its head and a shot in its heart. He hadn''t seen the beast very well when it fell into the crevice but he had hit it and since he was such a good archer surely it had hit the head and heart.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Peter opened his mouth to laugh at the memory but shut his mouth tightly at another sound from deep within the forest. He stood still and listened. What was that noise? It kept on coming. Music? A shrill sound whipped through the air followed by another and then another. Peter slowly started moving again. He held his breath as he followed the sound. The shrill sound returned again. It sounded like a drawn out whine but of a much higher pitch than any animal could make.


    He could see parts of the shrine now. Grey stone and old dried branches forming a small pavilion. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the deep rumble of a drum shook the area. The shrill whine followed the drum and this time he heard more sounds. Flutes, drums, the humming of voices. The shrill sound set the pace. A rhythm. And the drums answered. The voices hummed without words, filling the silence between the drums and flutes.


    Peter took one more step and finally saw the whole clearing. The breath he''d been holding stuck in his throat and he felt the blood drain from his face.


    Dryads, rats, and crows, all playing their part of the music. The drums rumbled again only that this time Peter saw that there were no drums at all. It was the sound of hooves hitting the ground in perfect sync. White marble hooves sending tremors down his spine. And the flutes were crude wooden things drilled with holes, played by rats and mice. The crows sat on the roof and pillars and ground, and every bird''s throat was filled with air and from their beaks came the voices of men.


    Peter watched and trembled at the sight of animals and monsters using tools and singing as if they were human. Then the shrill sound whipped through the air again and the melody repeated itself at its signal. Peter stared at the source of it. In the pavilion sat two people, only one of them human. The mayor''s son Mikvel Ebonquill and the Guardian of the forest.


    Mikvel was blowing on a blade of grass, creating the haunting whine that set the pace of the song. Peter had seen others making sounds from grass before. Mostly children. He''d played with that sound when he was young as well. He and his friends would grab tufts of grass and then sit somewhere and use the shrill sounds it made to annoy others. It was high pitched and loud if done right but the sound was always the same. Yet there he sat, playing with the grass, making it sing just like a flute. It was as if the grass itself bent and changed to please the boy.


    And the creatures played along with him. The haunting melody kept going and going. It was like a bird flying around in Peter''s head. It made his head spin. Then he looked at the person not playing and threw up.


    She was alive! That horrible beast that had attacked the village months ago! Except she wasn''t a beast anymore and neither was she human. Tall horns and skin as white as the silk robes she wore. Mikvel was wearing the same kind of robes. Were they ghosts? Was he seeing the dead? The music grew louder around him and something moved on the roof of the pavilion.


    Peter swore he could feel his heart stop. The drums stopped as the bee on the roof launched itself at the nearest Dryad. The blade of grass gave one final shrill whine before the Dryads screamed. They moved as one, too quick for Peter''s eyes to follow. He only now noticed the spears the Dryads had been holding and every single one of them flew at the bee at once. It was dead before it hit the ground, 8 spears lodged firmly in its carapace.


    Had Peter stayed longer he might have noticed the thin white strings coiled around the Bumbleant''s limbs. Some of them snapped after the spears made impact and a leg fell to the ground with a thud. But Peter was already running towards Ogon, fully determined to escape with his life.


    "That could have gone better."


    "Really? I think it went pretty well."


    "The leg fell off. What if he noticed?"


    "Yeah... I should have connected it better... But he ran as soon as he saw it die so it probably didn''t matter."


    "Mikvel..."


    "Don''t complain, it was hard enough to make the thing move at all."


    Mikvel pouted at Fanv. She patted him on the head and smiled.


    "Stop sulking. You did good! He''ll probably think it was a zombie bee!"


    "Stop it."


    Fanv ruffled his hair.


    "Stooop. There''s no such thing as zombie bees!"


    "The world''s a big place! That''s totally a zombie bee right there! Saw it move and all!"


    "Stop teasing me, you know I was the one making it move!"


    "No way! Zombie bee!"


    ''Zombee!''


    "No, don''t. You''ll give Maker ideas."


    "Good rat! More puns! Don''t deny the existence of zombees!"


    "Fanv no!"


    ''Zombee zombee!''


    ''Fear the zombees!''


    "Argh!"


    Mikvel stomped off back to the dungeon. The rodents cheered and Fanv laughed.


    ''He flees! The Queen has won!''


    ''Another victory for our glorious Queen!''


    The dryads retrived their spears from the Bumbleant corpse and then picked up the corpse itself. The merry bunch of creatures then followed Mikvel back to Mageon.


    Meanwhile, Peter rushed towards the village and created another minor uproar once he reached it. "The Forest Guardian has fought off the bees!" and "The mayor''s son still lives!" were among the first things people learned about. Then he told them that the dryads and crows all served the Forest Guardian and that rats and mice played music together with the mayor''s son to please her. The mayor himself grew proud from those news. When confronted about his son playing with filthy rodents he simply responded that "A true master can teach his art to anyone and anything. If my son can teach a rat to play the flute then that is proof of his skill!"


    Peter reluctantly told them about the Guardian looking like Fanv. People started wondering if it truly was a Guardian then, and not some monster rallying more monsters. That idea was quickly shot down by a certain caravan chief. "I heard that you were the one who shot that kid."


    "I heard that you were the one who shot that kid."


    "Y-yes, she was a monster-"


    "Bah! She was a child!"


    "But a werewolf-"


    "A wolf is a creature of the forest no? If she fled and was killed in the forest then that death was unjust and dishonorable. It''s no wonder the Guardian would mock you by using her face."


    "Dishonorable? She attacked the village!"


    "Are you daft? If she''d stayed in the village then she would have been killed by the guards before she could even reach the forest. The only way she could have made it so far into the forest before dying is if she booked it the same second she started sprouting fur!"


    "She didn''t get that far, how would you even know-"


    "A werewolf in Ogon. The fucking most exciting thing that''s happened here in years not counting bandit raids. How could Inot have heard every little detail about it by now? This is the city of bards for fuck''s sake! Anything worth speaking about will be told thrice as many times here as in any other village''s tavern!"


    The crowd agreed with Krystal. This was actually the 3rd time Peter had retold his encounter with the Guardian and the crowd in the tavern was still hanging on to every word and theory made about the subject. The bards of Ogon would just as eagerly listen to stories as telling them themselves.


    The speculations continued deep into the night and the story was retold over and over again, proving Krystal''s point further about bards not being able to keep a good story to themselves.


    Krystal woke up an hour or so before dawn. She yawned as she silently left the inn and made her way to the edge of the forest. It was getting chilly outside. A shadow moved within the trees and drew closer to Krystal. She greeted Johna as she stepped into the cover of the leaves. Noah was probably nearby too, most likely watching out for nosy people.


    Johna listened as Krystal gave him a short report on yesterday''s theories and reactions. People were taking it well. They were not sure that the Guardian had taken Mikvel under her wing and that she had a group of non-human followers. The dryads and crows were hers and the bees had been repelled by said followers. People were not sure what to think about the Guardian looking like Fanv. It had been agreed that the part of the forest that had its plants turned black and gray was most likely the Guardian''s domain and the heart of the forest.


    Johna, in turn, told Krystal about what was happening in the Dungeon and about Maker''s eagerness to make contact with Ogon. Krystal frowned when Johna told her about the scrapped "calm contact plan".


    "Thankfully she agreed to a slower approach."


    "Mh. Slowly introducing some creatures and their alliance to the Guardian is a better idea. It''ll give people more time to think and less risk for hasty decisions."


    "Agreed. What are people saying about me and Noah?"


    "Not much right now. They''re too focused on the o so mysterious Guardian and her followers."


    "Hmm... They''ll probably get less distracted if we go back to the village then."


    "Yeah. Stay in the dungeon for now. What''s the next step in the plan?"


    "Probably to let people see Fanv and some creatures a couple of more times like yesterday. Get them used to the idea of friendly monsters."


    "Ain''t that a challenge haha."


    "Sure is."


    Johna and Krystak chatted for a bit more until a bird chirped in the distance. Johna claimed that that was the signal that people in the village were waking up and turned back to the forest to leave. Krystal watched him disappear into the greenery before leaving too. Another day of monitoring the rumors of the village awaited her.

 Ch36 Cultist cats

    Geffery Karlsson was a man of habits. Ever since he''d joined Krystal''s caravan his daily life had followed a set pattern. Follow the caravan, protect the caravan. Warn of dangers in the wild, warn of dangers in the villages and towns. The caravan would travel from town to town and rarely stay more than a week or two in the same place. Yet there he stood, in the middle of Ogon, the village of bards,3 weeks behind schedule.


    The first 2 weeks delay was understandable. The wagons had been broken by that madman Jerry. Repairing them had been next to impossible and building new wagons took time. Understandable. Justified. But the new wagons had been finished last week. So why wasGeffery still here?


    The answer to that question walked past him. Krystal whistled absentmindedly as she walked through the village. Geffery was tempted to run up to her and question her about the delay for perhaps the 100th time. He wasn''t keeping count on how many times he''d pestered her about it but he had a feeling she did. Every time he''d start the subject with her she''d go all grumpy and give him vague answers like "When we''re done here." or "After stuff''s calmed down."


    Geffery stomped the ground once. Whyyyy was she so invested in this village all of sudden? Her caravan hadn''t stayed a day too much in any town before. Klepper had been set in flames once but she''d still gotten her caravan on the road in time. Some gang had tried to delay them in Pontro once. They''d taken some merchants hostage and everything. Yet when the sun rose and it was time to leave that redhead had appeared from some alley with the lost merchants towing behind her. How couldshe let something as unreal as some forest fairy delay her?! For weeks?!


    It wasn''t even a real danger. Sure the villagers had freaked out about a swarm of bees the other day.Geffery hadn''t been there himself to see the swarm. He''d been busy checking on the wagons and making sure Jerry hadn''t gone near them again. Being so far behind schedule wasreally annoying. What sane person would scream their lungs out about some bees? Big ass horses.Sure. The people of Ogon were all insane. Too many fairy talesand drunken singing in the tavern.


    He watched Krystal stop to talk with the mayor. Short, black haired man with a freckled face. A little chubby perhaps. And just as crazy as his village. The fool had lost his son to some bandits, a tragedy for sure.But then, the other kidnapped people had returned and spouted nonsense about the forest god saving them or something. A wolf that turned into a human then into a troll then back to human. The witnesses were so confused about what they''d seen that they couldn''t even decide how many eyes it had.


    It must have been a wolf or a bear or some other big animal. Too starved to fear humans probably, so it went and attacked the bandits and the villagers saw it as some divine being protecting them from evil.


    Geffery spat on the ground. Superstitious nonsense. There are enoughreal things to fear in the world, like monsters, man-eating animals, evil people, man-eating people. The list goes on forever so don''t go adding gods and demons to it.Geffery was not a religious man. Monks and priests claiming their powers came from some divine being should make some time in between their praying and rituals to consider the more obvious reasons. Powers and supernatural abilities come from Skills, not plant-people that bleed gold and dragons born from acorns that call themselves divine beings.


    Was Krystal religious? Was that why she insisted on staying in Ogon even when the merchants of her caravan had had enough? Maybe...Geffery grumbled. Wasn''t that monk a follower of Mother Nature? A Forest Guardian would be related to Mother Nature right? Was he the one who''d tricked Krystal? He and his dancer friend had fled the village when they became suspected of murder...


    Murder, crazy forest god worshipping...Geffery gasped. It all made sense now!


    "Cultists!"


    He swore to himself and started running the way Krystal had gone. The monk and the dancer were cultists that worship the Forest God thing and now they''re spreading their teachings secretly in the village! They''re corrupting Krystal! He must warn her!


    Geffery nearly tripped over a dog as he ran. The black and white dog barked at him once then took off in between some houses.Geffery huffed then kept running.


    The dog watched the man go from the shade of a house. The silly human looked like he''d solved the mystery of life and didn''t like the answer. The dog made a sound much like a chuckle then shifted. Bones cracked and moved as they slid into new positions under its shiny fur. The dog became a cat in a matter of seconds. Pohc inspected himself to make sure he got all the details right. Shiny black fur with white socks. He looked like any other stray cat in the village now. Satisfied with his new form, the ''cat'' trotted down the alley. He avoided other animals as best as he could while sneaking around the village. They always got confused and scared about his smell. He couldn''t change his smell so it always conflicted with the shapes he took. Thankfully humans didn''t have a good enough nose to notice that huge giveaway.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Pohc smirked as he sat down in the sun outside a shop. People walked around, tending to their everyday business without noticing anything out of place with the black and white cat. An older lady even went to pet him. He purred in delight and the woman giggled at him. His disguise was perfect.


    He spent some time basking in the sun before rising to do what he''d come to the village for. It took some time finding Krystal and when he finally did find her he noticed that the human from before was bothering her.


    "No no no don''t you see? Theymust be cultists! They-"


    "Geffery for the last time, Johna and Noah arenot cultists!"


    The man kept going on about his theory much to Krystal''s annoyance. She glanced behind him and noticed the cat sitting there. The intensely yellow eyes betrayed its disguise to anyone who knew what it meant. Pohc yawned loudly, causingGeffery to spin around in fright. Krystal lifted an eyebrow and said in a monotone voice:


    "Is the cat a cultist too?"


    Pohc flopped down on the ground and started cleaning his paws.Geffery stared at him for a second too long. Krystal almost suspected he would say "yes, it must be a cat cultist!" but thankfully the man still had some sanity left.


    "Don''t be silly..."


    "You''re hesitating. Better interrogate it. Ask it who it works for."


    Geffery glared at Krystal. Pohc yawned again.


    "I''m not dumb enough to suspect a cat of being a cultist..."


    "No? But you got nothing better to do, so might as well make sure it''s not a spy or something."


    "... I would have things to do if we left the village already. We''re way behind schedule, the merchants are getting annoyed as well now."


    Krystal crossed her arms and thought for a moment.Geffery fidgeted and waited for a response. The catmeowed.


    "Fine, I''ll be staying in Ogon for awhile longer so you may take the merchants to Pirn by yourself. If you need guards then ask the mayor to lend you some."


    Geffery stared at Krystal in disbelief.


    "You''re abandoning the caravan?!"


    "No, you fool. I need to stay in Ogon for some time and we both know that the merchants won''t be happy to spend any more time here than necessary. If we want to keep them in the caravan then we need to leave as soon as possible. But I can''t leave yet so I leave it to you."


    "You can''t!"


    "Could you pretend to not be a paranoid lil coward for like 3 weeks? You might even manage to trick yourself into it being true if lucky."


    "I can''t lead the caravan!!"


    "Yes, you can. You''re just going to Pirn. Simple fishing and mining village. The merchants will do what merchants do there without needing any help. Being chief of the caravan is not that hard. Then when they feel done in Pirn you bring the caravan back here and I''ll take over again. Follow the road. There isone road. If you stray from the road you''ll either end up in Feytale forest or in Wyrmtail swamp. If you go too far then you''ll be in thesea. Not even you should be able to get lost. Shouldn''t take more than a month to go there and come back. You can do itGeffery."


    ".... You really think so?"


    "A blind bull could do it so I''m pretty sure you could too."


    "Pretty sure..."


    "Yes! So go tell the merchants and ask the mayor about borrowing some guards. Johna and Noah will not be going with you and being the only guard and caravan chief might be a bit too much of a challenge for a first-timer like you."


    "May I ask why you''re staying in the village for so long though?"


    "I''m not joining a cult."


    "Yes, but..."


    "Me and the mayor have been friends for a long time. He might not look like it but he''s still grieving losing his son. It''s hard for him so I''m staying with him to make sure he gets better."


    "I see. There was a good reason for it after all then..."


    "Of course there was. Now off with you! Go assemble your caravan!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    Pohc watched with amusement asGeffery ran off to assume his new role as temporary caravan chief. He sat up and stretched before giving his newly re-shaped vocal cords a try.


    "Off he goes."


    "Off he goes indeed. So it really is you, Pohc."


    "Did you notice before I spoke?"


    "Yes, those eyes are hard to mistake. All you dungeon beasts have way too colorful eyes. It sets you apart from normal animals."


    "I see. I cannot change the way my eyes look... Changing my eyelids to look like eyes only works for a short time though... I''ll have to figure something out."


    "Are you here to discuss shape-shifting? I don''t have much knowledge on that subject."


    "No no, I''m here to see how the village is doing. Do you think it''s ready to meet us officially yet?"


    "I don''t think it''ll ever be ''ready'' but close to it maybe. There are lots of stories about you guys by now."


    "Hm hm."


    The cat scratched an itch away while thinking.


    "Any bloody stories? Reasons to be hostile?"


    "Not really. Some say the Guardian ate the bandits but since the bandits were enemies of the village it shouldn''t be seen as something bad."


    "Good. I''ll go back and tell the others. If all goes well then we should make an appearance pretty soon."


    "Let''s hope it goes well. If it doesn''t then there''ll be fighting. Lots of it."


    "I''m sure our Queen can handle it well. She befriended both rodents and goats despite being of neither group. That should be proof of her greatness! Surely her greatness will sway the humans as well!"


    "If you say so."


    Tha cat and the caravan merchant then said their goodbyes and the cat became a dog that quickly ran into the forest far from human eyes. Krystal watched it go and wondered to herself ifGeffery was right in a way. Those rodents could probably be called a cult...

 SCh2 The deaf girl and the sirens

    North of Feytale Forest, north of the towns Klepper, Lantop, and Croydon. Squeezed in between the Lake of Jovolon, capital of the elves, and the great sea to the east. There lies The Edge


    There lies The Edge. An ancient forest dividing the human kingdom Grypitesdown south, what remains of the elven kingdom in the middle of the continent, and the Rusted Plains of Oldorhemwhere dwarves rule with only a single city under their name.


    The edge is neutral ground but it wasn''t always that way. Before the vile plant life that thrives there took root and way before the elves and humans had grown enough to clash with each other in battles over the remaining territory. Where The Edge would take root stood a single city with a name no one remembers. No one remembers if there lived elves or humans or even dwarves. Perhaps they were ogres, vampires or centaurs? No one can tell, and those that do are most likely lying to you. What they can tell you, however, is that in that old city lived a girl who was deaf.


    The deaf girl was not always deaf. Her first years of life had been filled with music and laughter cause her parents owned a tavern just outside the city. Every night was filled with joy and excitement as travelers and citizens blended and shared the stories life brought them. The girl was happy.


    Then a band of bandits raided the city''s outskirts and the girl no longer happy. Her parents died and the tavern was burned to the ground. Everything was taken from her in a single night, her hearing among the most precious things lost.


    What is an orphaned girl to do after her world is turned upside down? She lived on the streets, begging for scraps and warmth. It was a cruel time to be alone, but even more cruel for those who were deaf. She could not hear people tell her off, warnings that would turn into violence. The strong prey on the weak they say? That might be true but most often it is the weak that prey on the weaker. Other orphans and homeless turned hostile against her. She was a rival in their search for pity and help. Why help the old man when there is a girl who is deaf? Why give coin to the group of starving children when there is a girl who sits alone, unable to hear even her own sobs?


    To the outskirts of town she returned, chased out by the poor and selfish. The wind was freezing and as in all sad stories the rain soon began falling. Thunder roared and the sea threw itself against the cliff the city stood on, again and again, and again. The girl shivered in her rags. So sad it was. And had this been a normal story meant for you to cry over then the girl would have frozen to death on the spot. But our world is not quite so dull.Stolen story; please report.


    The girl wailed at the sea and it answered her in a way only the sea can. With salt and water and music even the deaf can hear. The girl grew silent and the sea sang for her. White faces with black eyes emerged from the water and as she stared they sang.


    A siren''s song is special. It tells us of what we want most and each verse is a promise that beckons you closer. Serrated teeth and mouths so rotten and black are the only things that can spin such beautiful tales. And a siren''s song is magic.


    And a siren''s song is magic. It travels as far as it needs to reach someone who listens. Nothing can stop it. Not even a deaf girl on the brink of death.


    But sirens sing to prey and prey follow their lies to their doom. The girl yearned for the song of the sirens just as any other creature would, but her desire took another shape. While the creatures of the forest turned from their safe homes to follow the song, the girl cried in joy. While squirrel, hare, deer, and bear threw themselves off the cliff towards the sea, the girl sat still. While salt water filled their lungs and clawed hands dragged them down below, the girl began singing along. The music moved her, filled her up. It touched her very core, sending shivers down her spine and making her head spin. Shefelt the music and she cherished every second of it.


    The song didn''t stop until the waves turned red by the sirens meal. Once again the sea was the only thing heard. The thunder and rain had stopped and soon the sun would rise. The girl rose from her spot and stared at the sea. The pale faces reappeared in the waters below but this time they remained silent. The girl hesitated. Then she took a trembling step and plummeted down the cliff into the dark waters.


    The old city without a name stood for another day before the storm returned. All the citizens and travelers rose from their beds as it arrived. They left the city and walked to the cliff as the sea rose into the sky and covered the along with the clouds. The sirens were singing again and not a soul could ignore them. A new voice sang louder than all the rest and the sea rose higher and higher. The wind carried it to the outskirts of the city and the sky thundered and crackled at each rising note. The choir rose to a climax when the sky turned white from lightning. The flash blinded all who looked and the thunder blew eardrums bloody. The sea came rushing down upon the city without a name and the sirens sang.


    When the song ended, not a soul remained. Not a house were left behind. Every sign of civilization was gone and the sea was red.

 Ch37 Magic is as complicated as words are

    The bones of the deearcrunched as Fanvbit down. Sweet red blood dripped from her jaws as she tore large chunks out of the carcass. It was a fresh kill that she''d brought down herself. She purred in delight as she ate. Almost 2 weeks had passed since the bee-incident and things were looking good so far. The villagers had grown used to the concept of a Forest Guardian and its pack residing in the forest by now and the visvarg children were growing at a fast pace.


    The skinny little children now looked to be in their teens at least, something that baffled Fanv. She was still not completely over the fact that they wereher children. Being a mother to visvarg pups was nothing like she''d imagined being a human mother would be like. For one, the children didn''t need to be constantly watched over, fed, or taken care of in any expected way. They hunted their own food. They were frighteningly good at hunting. They would form groups and split up to find suitable prey, then the group that found something would chase it into the waiting jaws of the other group.


    The children had started transforming about a week ago. Most of them then stayed in their wolf form while some preferred their human form. Overall their human formslooked mostlyandrogynous, with a few exceptions. Some children looked more female than others while some looked more male. These exceptions were few though.


    Getting the kids to wear clothes had been a chore. Most didn''t like the silks getting in the way of their movements while hunting. Fanv suspected that they got their clothes torn and bloody intentionally just to make a point.


    Snap.


    The deear''s rib cage gave way to Fanv''s strong jaws. Crushing the bones to lap at the marrow was messy work and Fanv''s favorite part of eating. There was something very satisfying about the way bones sounded as they broke and snapped. Her children seemed to share that opinion too as the remains of their prey often littered the tunnels in for of piles of bone shards.


    The bloodclovers bloomed all around the carcass. They squirmed happily when blood and gore dripped down on them. Fanv watched them move in the non-existent breeze. Were they conscious? She bent her head down and sniffed at the plants. The black stalks and leaves brushed past her nose and caressed her snout. She felt the blood on her face dry as the blood got smeared on the plants. It was almost like being cleaned by an animal, except it was creepy and not an animal. Fanv shuddered.


    A movement in the tunnel caught her eye just when she was about to take another bite of the deear. Some dryads were cautiously edging closer to her. They stopped when they noticed her stare. They watched each other for awhile without saying a word. The dryads rarely talked, unlike their leader, Dessi. Fanv snorted and turned back to her meal. She felt the dryads move behind her back.


    The dryads sat down at a respectful distance from the feeding visvarg. Fanv didn''t pay them any attention as they started picking and eating the blooming bloodclovers. They ate in complete silence, unlike Fanv who smacked and chewed loudly. Every time a bone snapped or sinew tore the dryads would throw her a glance as if to check if she was still ok with their presence. Being the apex predator of the dungeon was pretty nice. Dessi wasn''t too happy about it. The Bansheep used to be the top dogs after all. Now the visvargs called the shots thanks to their superior speed and strength.


    Dessi wouldn''t have to worry about the pups for long though. Maker and Fanv had discussed it for some time now, the dungeon couldn''t claim the children because of their high intelligence. Their instincts would make them resist even if theywanted to be claimed so there was only one thing to do. Once the children were grown up enough they would leave the dungeon to settle somewhere else. Feytail forest would eventually be completely claimed by the dungeon and unclaimed creatures residing in it always caused some discomfort. It hurt a bit to admit but having the children in the dungeon made Fanv feel uneasy. That went for Mikvel, Johna, Noah, and Krystal too. Every creature in the dungeon was constantly aware that they were in their territory and it made the back of their mindsitch. It had been worse when the hostile adventurers invaded though since every creature saw them as an enemy and the still growing Maker practically screamed into their minds to get rid of them.


    The children had to go. The uneasy feeling was better when there were fewer ''intruders'' and they didn''t want to stay anyway. The kids were just as eager to leave the dungeon and go make their mark on the world somewhere. Where would they go? Fanv racked her mind to remember the maps she''d studied during her time as a human. There was The Edge, the deadly forest north of Klepper and Lantop. No... To dangerous. There were many good reasons that forest had remained unclaimed territory for hundreds of years. Not even the elves dared live there! So what other places then? The continent was not a big one but crossing the sea was out of the question.


    Whiskerwisp Forest to the northwest? But to get there they would have to cross many human cities. They would need to get past Fanfoss or somehow get into the Elven KingdomJovolon. But Jovolon is surrounded by their huge lake and the ancient wall. They''d have better luck getting through Fanfoss.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Hmmm..."


    The dryads glanced at Fanv but made no comment. Whatever the visvarg was doing, she could keep doing without them.


    "Would they like living in the Rusten Plains? That''s north of The Edge though and they say it''s a nasty place with tons of monsters and barren lands..."


    The dryads considered asking if Fanv was talking to them but quickly decided that it was not worth the effort. Likewise, Fanv didn''t pay their silent, judging glares any attention. She was too busy deciding if she''d heard mostly horror stories about the Rusted Plains or not. She then spent more time trying to remember if Demon Pass was north of Jovolon, part of Yaikan Heights, or near the mountains to the east.


    "I need a map..." was the conclusion she got to. Fanv stood up and stretched. She marveled at the strength of her body and thought back to how weak she''d been when she first turned and hadn''t yet gotten used to her wolf form. Now she knew exactly how to use it and what it could do. She shook herself, grinning as she imagined the looks of envy the dryads must be giving her. Her pelt was so soft and fluffy now! So much better than the dull, moldy fur of the dryads.


    She trotted off down the tunnel to find something to do. The sound of hooves stomping down on bones and gore echoed after her as the dryads fed the rest of her meal to the bloodclovers. Such a waste! And messy too!


    Fanv coughed and spat out some fur that had gotten stuck between her teeth.Dryads are gross.


    Maker was floating about in the dungeon. Despite her lazy appearancefloating around in the air, she was actually hard at work. In her mind interfaces flashed around, telling her about the status of each and every creature in her domain. Pohc was close to evolving. 3 rodents had evolved into imps. A frightcrow had gained a new Skill, [Stealth]. The eels of the lake cave were growing and the latest batch of their eggs hatched 17 hours ago. The bumbleants found a vein of iron and a gas-filled cave that had previously been blocked.


    Keeping track of the dungeon was fun. Maker let a part of her mind go on autopilot while it counted the amount of surviving eel spawn and calculated if the fish preying on the eels were too many or too few to maintain a steady ecosystem in the lake.


    The free part of her mind drifted back to her talk with Mikvel some hours ago. She couldn''t check his status since he was not claimed by the dungeon, but at this point, she counted him as one of her own. He lived in the dungeon after all and he seemed happy and in no need of leaving. He had told her about his progress


    He had told her about his progress in learning magic. Shaping things into other things seemed to be the easiest function of his Affinity. Manipulating things to move was harder according to his experiences. Making a non-moving thing into something that moves was a challenge that required constant focus after all.


    Then there was the new Skill he''d learned, most likely due to that one time he made the bumbleant corpse move and seem alive.


    [Necromancy]


    It was not an Affinity, like [Art] was. While [Art] was the element he was most suited to wield, [Necromany] was an element branching off of [Art]. To mold and move the dead could be seen as sort of art so it sort of made sense. Maker had little knowledge of magic other than what her instincts as a magical creature told her.


    She gathered the info she had and tried to work it into a simple flow of words. Putting her feelings, instincts, and memories into words was probably the hardest thing she''d learned after becoming fully sentient and she needed the words to explain what her subconscious knew to her conscious.


    So... If [Art] is an Affinity, and [Necromancy] is a Skill... What separates them? The definition of an Affinity? An element that the creature has a natural talent for understanding and using. A natural power. All actions using said element comes naturally and with ease.


    A creature with [Storm] Affinity may control the weather. [Water] is an element branching off of [Storm]. A creature with the [Storm] Affinity may learn [Water] magic as Skill but not as an Affinity. Why? Because using water in the form of rain and clouds is related to the [Storm] Affinity. Water and blood is related sousing [Water] magic to affect blood should be doable. But [Blood] magic is not related to [Storm]. Would one unlock the [Hydromancer] Skill then? Or [Hemomancy]??


    No. If the [Storm] user doesn''t have [Hydromancer] then they can''t make the connection of [Water] and [Blood]... So use [Water] magic until [Hydromancy] is unlockedthen go for [Hemomancy]? That sounds more right. Maybe create some typhoons and tsunamis until a greater understanding of [Water] is achieved, then deviate from [Storm] as much as possible while using [Water] magic to unlock [Hydromancy] as a Skill separate from the Affinity. The use of an element must be different enough from the intended use of the element related to the Affinity to create the need for a Skill for the related element. So use the element related to the Affinity incorrectly until the Systemcorrects the problem by giving you a Skill to justify your knowledge of how to incorrectly use an element-


    ''Maker, please stop talking...''


    ''I can''t keep up with what you''re saying and it hurts my head...''


    "Maaaaker...."


    Maker looked down at Fanv and some rodents clutching their heads with pained expressions. It would seem she accidentally let her thoughts leak into her creatures'' minds.


    I am sorry. I did not realize I was talking aloud.


    The rodents and visvarg still clutched their heads but nodded.


    What brings you here? Do you need my help?


    "Yes.... It''s been some time now. Isn''t it a good time to finally go meet the villagers? Reveal Mageon to them?"


    Maker put her hand to her chin and thought. She spun a bit while sitting in the air to emphasize how deep in thought she was and how none of her thoughts were leaking into her creatures'' minds this time. Her creatures looked only remotely impressed.


    The caravan has left with Geffery as their temporary leader. Krystal will support us and Mikvel should be able to gain us the Mayor''s favor...


    Fanv looked at her expectantly.


    ...Yes, let us go meet them!

 Ch38 Moon Cave

    Despite Maker''s declaration that ''now is the time!'', almost an entire week went by without any progress towards the dungeon introducing itself to the village being done. The reason for the delay would be the full moon and the madness it brought with it. Luckily for Johna, Fanv and the mischievouspack of teenage visvargs, the dungeon was far more prepared to deal with their temporary insanity this time.


    Maker had spent a good deal of time making a new cave that almost rivaled the lake cave in size. She had then filled it with trees and shrubbery to the point where one could be forgiven for mistaking it for the forest outside. The gentle blue glow of the mushrooms and the lack of any other light-source gave it away though.


    The entrance to the cave had been sealed by a stone wall while Maker built it, but now that the moon was but a few hours away from rising, the stone crawled back to reveal crude but sturdy metal bars and a door.


    The metal needed for the barrier had been provided by the bumbleants and the construction of the door itself was made a success thanks to Sam and Mikvel''s hard work. Building a wooden door had been easy enough but neither arachne nor half-elf had any way of reshaping metal so they''d ended up teaching the bees and Maker how it all was supposed to look and work. The teaching process had been long and slow but worth it in the end.


    A smaller part of the cave had been sectioned off by a stone wall to create a space for Johna. They were still unsure of how the vampire and visvargs would react to each other while influenced by the moon. The visvargs were pack animals and related by blood so they had no interest in harming each other. The pups had even been surprised when asked if they thought they would attack each other once the moon took control of them. The thought of harming one''s own pack hadn''t even occurred to them. Johna wasn''t a visvarg though so the risk of the pack turning on him was far too high to keep them in the same area.


    Now most of the dungeon''s sentient creatures, Mikvel, and the visitors, Johna and Noah stood in front of the forest cave. The sight of a small forest inside a huge cavern had them all silently marveling at it. The silence only lasted until Dessi, the one with the least appreciation for natural beauty, spoke up.


    "Fancy work. Ye sure the lil wolves won''t snake their way through the bars though?"


    It should not be possible. I have let them test squeezing through gaps of the same size. The gap between the bars should be tight enough to keep even the smallest pups inside.


    The group of rodents sitting on Fanv''s furry back all cheered.


    ''Marvelous work, Great Creator!''


    ''A master piece indeed! Our craftsmen and our Great Maker have truly outdone themselves again!''


    Sam and Mikvel made embarrassed noises as the rodents showered them with praise. Maker puffed out her chest and basked in the attention.


    Pohc eyed his kin jumping up and down on Fanv''s back. He sat a few paces away from the huge wolf because of a creeping feeling that he shouldn''t trust her too much at the moment. Fanv was unusually quiet and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes that Pohc didn''t like at all. The moon still had another hours or so to rise so she wasn''t mad just yet but the way she acted was definitely off. The pups on the other had been even rowdier than usual. They were wrestling each other and running around, a sign of far too much energy. Perhaps a bad sign for what was to come once the madness took hold of them completely.


    Pohc shuddered at the thought. As loyal as he was to his Queen, he would still make sure to stay as far away from her as possible during this full moonnight.


    Well then. Time is running so let us begin early. There are some Deears and Glowshells in the Forest cave that you can hunt. Doors will be locked once you are all inside and I will keep an eye on you all. The rest of you should stay away from the Forest cave during the night to avoid the smell and sight of you from triggering their bloodlust.


    Noah did not look too happy about that but Maker locked eyes with him and continued before he could argue.


    Do not worry for their safety. Everything within my claim is visible to me. The madness makes their minds vulnerable to my influence, so I will interfere directly if need be. I am not a creature nor a creature of flesh and blood. I am a force of nature that no creature would think to attack so I will be safe. You others, on the other hand, will be seen as prey and a chance to soothe their boiling bloodlust. Therefore I will not allow anyone not moon-mad to go near the Forest cave while the full moon shines.


    Silent nods.


    Good. Now then, children, Fanv, Johna, into the caves you go.


    The visvarg pups squealed in glee as they ran into the cave to explore the forest. Fanv stood without a word and walked after her brood into the dark forest. Johna turned to the smaller forest cave after some whispered words to Noah. The monk was looking sick with worry already. A bit pale too, Pohc noted. He turned to his kin to ask if they thought he was sick. A red mouse with big eyes spoke in a hushed tone.


    ''I saw the vampire feed on the monk''s blood earlier. When asked about it they grew flustered and asked us to not tell others. It would seem the monk himself provides the vampire with blood and today the thirst was strong.''


    Pohc pondered this.


    ''I see. But are you not breaking that promise by telling me now?''If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The mouse went quiet as she thought it over.


    ''No. We did not agree to the promise directly. Is telling one''s kin really against that promise though? Like the birds, we share all we know with each other to ensure survival? Surely telling kin would be an exception? To keep secrets from one''s kin would be an extremely foolish thing to ask no?''


    Pohc nodded. He couldn''t argue with that. To tell one''s kin was natural so it being an exception made sense.


    ''Maker should name the cave The Moon Cave instead of The Forest Cave.''


    ''It is a cooler name.''


    ''I agree with that!''


    Pohc sighed as his kin quickly grew engrossed in another subject. At times he wondered if they all truly were more simple minded than him. To get distracted by trivial things while their Queen endured insanity and a vampire soon would lose his mind to bloodthirst in their vicinity.


    Maker chuckled as she watched Pohc trot off with his kin hurrying after him. The dryads, Sam and Mikvel soon followed suit and then she stood alone in front of the forest caves. ''Moon Caves'' had a nice ring to it. How proud she felt that her creatures inherited her excellent naming-sense.


    A pained whine snapped her out of her good mood. It would seem the visvarg pack had found their first deear. A total of 3 deearswere currently roaming the bigger Moon cave. Huge, strong bucks, perfect challenges for the night. She didn''t grieve their death more than any other creature normally getting killed in her dungeon. It was part of the eco system and most prey animals did not have minds capable of growing sentient anyway so theirpersonalities were not as immediately endearing as her sentient creatures.


    Another screech echoed from within the cave forest. Maker pulled her feet off the ground and made herself comfortable, hovering in the air. It would be a long night.


    <hr>


    (Johna''s POV)


    I am currently sitting in a dark forest. Soft dirt floor and black trees and bushes. The grey stone walls hidden behind the not so green greenery are a reminder that my mind will soon be falling to pieces. This sucks. I''m usually a pretty optimistic person but my current state is not very uplifting...


    Whiiiiiine.


    I smell blood. Something is dying close by. I taste bile at the back of my throat. Disgusting. My body shivers and yearns for that smell. The very thought of blood dripping onto the ground, staining my hands and face is both revolting and so very verydesirable. I clutch my own head and try to block the thoughts out. I''ll try to stay sane tonight. Not all vampires go mad during the full moon. I don''t have to go mad. I just need to block out all the intrusive thoughts.


    I hear the wolves. They sound like rabid dogs. Tearing something apart and itscreams. They don''t finish it quickly. They draw it out. Tearing, biting clawing,savoring the pain they cause their prey. Horrible creatures doing horrible things. I want to join them.


    "No."


    I won''t go mad yet. Not yet. I can resist it still. I still know what''s wrong. Another pained screech. Is it a new creature? Or are they still torturing the first thing they caught? It sounds closer this time. I hear hooves scraping across stone. Teeth grinding down bone. The sick snapping noise as bones crack and tissue tears. I shudder. I can''t stop shaking. It''s a good feeling... That is bad. It should not be good. What is good? Noah is good. I want to kill Noah. No...


    Smack.


    Something was thrown against the wall. Are they on the other side? I hear breathing. Wait, it''s my own breathing. No. I stopped breathing. Is it the wolves? I need to breathe. Blood rushes to my head as I gasp for air. My heart is beating fast. It shouldn''t do that. It beats slow usually. Fewer beats. I don''t have my own blood in my veins. I need other''s blood but there is never enough so my heart beats slower. Preserve what I have. Yearn for what I don''t have. I smell blood.


    The breathing is back. Something smacks against the wall again. I smell more blood. A gurgling whine sounds from beyond the wall. It sounds like a horse.


    Smack.


    A deer?


    Splat.


    A deear. No more whining. The wolves threw it at the wall until it burst. I taste bile. Disgusting creatures. Rage starts boiling at the back of my mind. How could they be so cruel?! I fill my lungs with air and stare at the wall.


    "What the ever loving fuck is wrong with you?!"


    "gihiheHAHAHAHAHA~"


    I throw my head to the side and puke. The laughing grows louder, echoing in my head as if it were my own thoughts. I heave and the taste of bile is stronger than ever. The damned wolf keeps laughing. It''s pretty fucking contagious. Her voice fills my head and I get a sudden impulse to drown the sound out with my own laughter so I cackle along with her. I feel sick. I slam my fist into the wall and feel the stoneshake. It falls towards my face. No wait, this is the floor. The wolf stopped laughing when I punched the wall. I think I screamed something at her before I punched but I don''t remember what.


    "Shut up, maybe?"


    "Little bloodsucker fell~"


    "Is he hurt? Does he bleed?"


    They sound almost eager. They? Ah yes, she had pups, didn''t she? Animal fucking whore. I flip onto my back and suddenly I can''t stop laughing again. The wolves laugh along and some start singing in the way only wolves can sing. I feel lonely.


    My laughing stops at once and I sit up with a start. My head spins and the wolves sing but suddenly I feel so very very alone. There is a wall of stone between us. I should not even hear them but I do. I hear everything as I always do when I lose it. Have I lost it? Noooo not yet~ Surely I am still sane. But who wants to be sane when all you hear is singing without voices. Garbled noise from a maw covered in teeth and blood. Disgusting. I feel lonely.


    "Help me..."


    "Is he hurt? Where is the blood? How deep do your wounds run? No blood? Unpleasant. I can carve them deeper~"


    "There is a wall... The floor? I want out. Where are my friends?"


    "Do you have friends?"


    "Who?"


    "I am your friend."


    Iscreech. Can''t stop. The airburns and beyond the wall something slams into stone. Scratching noises, clawing sounds, round and round and round~


    The cave shakes and the wolves laugh and howl. I screech in fear as the wall explodes and a bony paw thrusts through dust and rubble, clawing at air. I jaw freezes then clicks. Something in my throat shifts and the next second a clicking sound joins my screech. It sounds like an angry insect the size of a fist has crawled into my mouth and now plays its call from beneath my flesh. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting.


    The world warps and turns. The wolf claws at the edges of the hole she made in the stone wall. I claw at my head and blood fills my eyes. The wolf goes into a frenzy and all I hear when I tear my claws through my skin is the sound of nails grinding on stone.


    Stop this at once.


    I hiss and flee as far away from the wolf as I can. The paw recedes from the hole and the stonemelts back into place again. I fell like something watches me. Someone pities me. Disgusting. I am sane. I keep telling myself that in my head while my jaws work and my mouth chatters incomprehensible words without stopping for breath. The moon is to blame, not me. The moon''s bony fingers are clawing through my skin and staining the ground black with my blood. My vision spins and blurs and the ground looks like worms. It is the moon, it lies beneath the worms, whispering into my head, craving blood. The night is long the day is dead. The moon is my only friend.


    I am sane.

 SCh3 The Love of Death lasts Forever

    Have you ever heard why [Death] is a cursed Attribute to be born with? You might think the name itself is explanation enough but then you are dearly mistaken my friend.


    For to the east of the mainland lies Duskdale, a once bright and flourishingisland filled with life and joy.


    The island itself is named after its capital, much like the elves tradition of naming their kingdoms after their capitals. Don''t let the name fool you, Duskdale was not grim and dark, no, it was brightest and most colorful city there ever was. Dusk is the time when the light is the strongest and when the sun starts to bleed, everything is washed in that dying light. What could remain boring and dull when covered in the very sun''s last rays?


    All the windows were colored and flowers grew from both ground and tree and bush as far as the eye could see. It was the most beautiful city one could lay eyes upon. And it was there, in the city of life and color that the first boy of the [Death] Attribute was born.


    His name was Michael and his father was the king of Duskdale.


    Little Michael grew up behind the castle walls. Once a month his family would join the city in a festival where everyone danced, ate and sang. It was during midsummer when the sun never died and winter was but a memory repressed at the back of one''s mind. It was a time for joy. The best time of year according to Michael.


    He would dance and laugh with all the others, seeing new faces and making new friendships that would last until his family once more brought him back to the castle. It was during such a festival that he met Her.


    A girl with raven hair and skin kissed by the summer sun. Eyes so black and filled with mirth that the world melted away when they caught each other''s gaze. It was love at first sight, I tell you. They became friends at first breath and by the time the last torches died down and people stopped dancing they were inseparable.They say that when they finally went different ways you could hear the ties of fate tearing. Irony and fate


    Irony and fate go hand in hand. The King of such a warm place had a cold heart. He forbade his son from loving a commoner and the next festival that came, Michael stayed home. That night something peculiarhappened; the moon that should have been hidden by the midsummer light shone through the red haze. White and round, it shined at the prince and his love during the entire festival night.


    The next month it shone again, and this time Michael defied his father and snuck to the festival to see his love. They danced and sang in secret, away from the King''s gaze. This happened again and again for an entire year until the maid that had helped Michael sneak away every month betrayed his trust and told the King. He got furious and yelled at his son, forbidding him from seeing the girl again. But the lovestruck boy did not listen and so the King plotted a plan.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    During the next festival, the moon shone again and the lovers boldly decided to dance where all could see, no longer feeling the need to keep it secret as the King already knew. Foolish youths. Michael stared in shock as the arrow dug itself into his lover''s heart. She died in his arms right there in the plaza, with blood gushing from her mouth and the King''s archernot 50 meters away from them.


    The music died and the dancers stopped, and for the first time in thousands of years, the sun set on a midsummer night. Only the full moon remained and it was to it that Michael turned his head and wailed. The scream of a lover is the loudest of all and the birth of a mage is the most violent. The sky cracked and broke and the earth under his feet darkened and died. The flowers and trees shivered and wilted, the dancers fell to the ground and cried out as their blood left their bodies from every crevice in their flesh. The boy wept and the people of Duskdale died. The King himself died the fastest of all. His knees didn''t even hit the ground, he just turned to dust and disappeared with the breeze.


    Michael cried until the moon fled beyond the horizon and when morning came there was no sun and not a sound to console him. He lifted his lover and turned to the castle. There he put her, on the throne of his father, to gaze at all that remained in his wake.


    They say the Prince of Death sat at her side for a month before her body started to rot. It took so long for it to decay because no bugs could get near without dropping dead at the feet of the throne. When the Prince looked up he saw her bloated face and the rot from the arrow spreading into her chest. He turned his gaze and saw the room littered with dead bugs and crows, all who tried getting close to his dead lover had fallen to his magic. He stood then and walked out into the city. There he touched each corpse once and their empty eye sockets flew open. Their ghastly remains rose at his command and as he walked back to his love they began to swarm the island. What few things survived the festival night soon fell prey to the undead, and their souls were mercilessly fed to the lover''s corpse. Her skin regained its lifeful glow and the wood of the arrow sprouted a tree white as bone.


    The undead kept collecting souls for the Prince and his love for the rest of their time until years sealed the castle shut with dirt and Michael''s own life expired. Without a master''s call, the undead went to the mainland. Their rotten lungs needed no air so they simply walked across the bottom of the sea. They arrived at Croydon in the Human Kingdom Grypites. There each undead caught a villager and stole their body to use as a vessel. These were the first vampires that roamed our lands and they''re still creating more offspring from the corpses of our own.


    If this does not answer why [Death] is a cursed Attribute then you then you have nothing to fear from anything that ever was or will ever be... You would not be the only fearless fool though. The island Duskdale has long since been reinhabited by the living although the sun never shines there and the castle is in ruin. Vampires stalk the streets there and corpses left out in the open sometimes sit back up again. But what is an undead to someone who does not fear Death?

 Ch39 We come in peace

    Jonte Ebonquill, mayor of Ogon and head-bard, watched in silent dread as another crow landed on one of the village''s many roofs. The large birdcawed like any other bird would. Then it turned its head to watch him with one red intelligent eye andlaughed in a far too human voice. Jonte shivered and turned his gaze away from the bird only to be met by the same gaze from all the other birds sitting on the roofs.


    That was enough he decided and turned to go back inside his house. The crows had arrived early that morning, in small murders at first, but now there were enough of them to cover nearly all the roofs. It was ominous. It was noon and from what the birds had said since they arrived only one conclusion could be reached.


    The Forest Guardian was coming for Ogon. At first, the things the chattering crows had said had sounded like insane gibberish, but a village of bards knew enough of poetic gibberish to decode the messages.


    "The Queen of Rats is coming!"


    "The pale and her cubs are on the move!"


    "Will you bow to mother wolf? Or will she bite off your heads till you kneel?"


    Jonte could still hear the loud birds. The guards had informed him that they were the same kind of birds that had warned them of the giant bees so theirwords were not taken lightly. Some people had tried to speak to the birds. Asking who was coming. What did she want?


    "Forest Guardian..."


    Jonte breathed the words to himself. It must be her. The birds had said she''d protected them many times. They''d laughed about goats, rats and humans alike bowing to her. Who else would the animals offer their allegianceto? Who would have the power to protect humans from the wrath of nature?A Guardian. The one that had been spotted time after time together with her feral followers. Someone had even seen his son. Mikvel lived.


    The mayor shuddered, not sure about how he should feel. His son lived but was under the Guardian''s control. Was that a good thing? A bad thing? To be chosenby such a being would be considered an honor... But they''d be separated from the humans. Someone belonging to the forest could not be calledjust a human anymore. Though Mikvel was notjust human from the beginning either. Half-elf. Jonte shook his head. He was even more now. Chosen by the forest. A person worthy of legends and stories. He felt sort of proud even though his heart ached still ached. Perhaps the Guardian would bring him with her if she came to the village? He barely dared to hope...


    "Mayor!"


    Henry Stronghart slammed the door open and stood there panting. The old man should retire already. He was far too old to be Guard Captain by now. Jonte snapped out of his thoughts. Reality slowly crept back into focus.


    "What is it Stronghart?"


    "The forest! There''s a swarm of rodents coming from it! It-"


    Another guard nearly tackled old Henry to the ground in his hurry. Henry gave the man a killer-glare but the guard spoke without even noticing it.


    "There''s a man leading the rats!"


    Jonte took a deep breath and looked as calm as he could. He heard Henry lecture his colleague on "respecting elders and collateral damage". He assumed that the "collateral damage" in this case would be Henry, had the guard actually tackled him. The mayor brushed back his black hair and tied it into a short ponytail. He then grabbed a coat and walked past the arguing guards out into the chilly autumn air. They turned around when they noticed the mayor leaving for the commotion and quickly shut up and took up position on both sides of the mayor. The crows lifted from the roofs in one cackling mess to follow as they made their way towards the commotion at the place where village met forest.


    A few hours earlier:


    The many rodents that filled the small cave remained perfectly silent even though there were enough of them to fill the entire cave. Some even sat on their bigger kin to fit inside the cave. Not a single speck of floor was visible past their furred bodies save for a rather large circle in the middle of the cave. In the middle of the empty spot lay one writhing creature, struggling and grunting as bones snap and reshape themselves. The rodents watched in awe as the dreadhare twitched and wriggled while his skin flowed like water. No, water might have been the wrong word. It was more like the dirty muck that forms on the bottom of lakes. Mud, algae and decomposing remains from both plant and creature all mashed together by the currents of the lake into one disgusting, slimy mess.


    They watched as the entirety of Pohc''s body reshaped itself and settled into new forms, then, with a shocked gasp from the hare, all resemblance of an actual ''form'' disappeared and the former hare''s body shivered before folding in on itself into a heap of flesh and skin.


    The cave was quiet. Worry started to creep into the rodents'' minds and they began to stir. Then the pile of flesh shivered again and began to rise. It was like watching something emerge from anopaque slime. It continued to rise until it reached a height of about 170cm. As it rose its mass thinned out and retreated as if it wasn''t enough to cover the growing size. Fingers reached out from the mass and the flesh flowed back into a hand, then an arm, a shoulder and so on until a human shape stood before the rodents.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    They were mesmerized by the thing before them. Fur receded underneath the skin and more features appeared. After another moment had passed what stood before them finally seemed to stop changing. A human male with shoulder-length black hair and yellow eyes greeted them with a grin of serrated teeth. Pohc gave the room a once-over and delighted at how much he saw from his now taller vantage point. He then inspected his fingers and hands, flexing them to let claws rapidly grow out and recced at his will. He felt the other''s gaze upon him and puffed out his chest in pride. He took a bit longer to inspect his new body just so that he could move in more graceful ways to show off to his kin.


    After a moment of thought, he closed his eyes. He couldn''t help but grin as the others gasped as bone shot out from his forehead and took the shape of antlers. He could mold his body much more freely now. He spent almost an hour remembering the different appearances and limbs he''d studied during his time as a hare and each time he took a new shape the rodents cheered excitedly.


    I see you are having a lot of fun with your new body. Doppelganger suits you well, Pohc.


    Pohc smiled. The huge maw he''d formed that covered half his face returned to a more human sized mouth and the hooved extra legs disappeared back into the bulk of his body as compressed body-mass.


    "Thank you, Great Maker! It is an honor to receive your praise!"


    He heard her chuckle before she continued.


    A great day it is indeed, for you to evolve at last after all your hard work. But, we have things planned today and the others are waiting for you to make a move. The birds have already left.


    "Understood. I will take my leave then, Great Maker."


    And with that, the rodents all rushed to action. Pohc walked calmly among them as they walked out of the dungeon and towards the village Ogon. What terrific timing this was! He would get to impress his queen AND help with their first meeting with the humans. Surely his human form would make the humans less hostile towards him. He really hoped Fanv would praise him later.


    The crows yelled and cackled in delight as the rodents made themselves visible at the forest edge. Pohc felt his grin grow wider as the humans gasped and stared at him. He scanned the crowd and noted that the guards were, as expected, holding onto their spears and forming a protective line in front of the villagers. Despite their formation and weapons on the ready, the unmistakable smell of fear gave them away. That and the way they were shaking in their boots.


    Pohc straightened his back and let his gaze wander over the crowd before speaking.


    "Human! We, the creatures of Mageon and loyal followers of our Guardian and Queen, have come to greet you. Lower your weapons and she might even grace you with her presence!"


    All the guards except one hesitated but did not move. The one exception made a break for it and ran back into the village. Pohc frowned.


    "Do you wish to greet our Queen with hostility?"


    Pohc was about to continue but the damned crows took that as an opportunity to make a fuss.


    "Disrespecting the Queen of rats, they do!"


    "Off with their heads! Let the wolves have them!"


    "Filthy humans lack the mind to reason! They shiver like leaves! Such rudeness!"


    "SILENCE!"


    Pohc was almost shocked to see that the crows actually obeyed. They all went quiet at once and had it not been for the smug looks on them, he would have felt pleased by it. Movement at the back of the crowd caught his eye. A black haired man with a familiar face was making his way through the crowd. He lacked the freckles and he was a bit sturdier built but other than that he looked like an older version of Mikvel. It took Pohc a moment to remember that Mikvel''s father was the mayor of Ogon. The mayor calmly walked through the parting crowd. People were looking to him for help on how to handle this situation, Pohc noted.


    At last the mayor stood in front of the crowd, facing the rodents and Pohc. He smelled afraid just like the others but he hid it well. Pohc felt a surge of respect for the man. He seemed like a worthy leader.


    "Greetings, I am the mayor of Ogon. My name is Jonte Ebonquill and I speak for my people. To who do I owe the pleasure?"


    The rodents whispered amongst themselves, clearly impressed. Pohc smiled calmly and did his best to look as dignified and important as the Jonte Ebonquill.


    "We are subjects of our Queen. We come as an envoy to tell you that she is willing to greet you all in person, should you prove worthy of her presence."


    He felt like adding ''And don''t spear her as soon as she arrives'' but resisted the urge. It was his job to pave the way for her so that the meeting between the dungeon and the village would be peaceful and such words would surely be seen as an insult to the humans. Said humans began whispering amongst themselves. The mayor listened to each and every one of them before turning back to Pohc.


    "It would be an honor to meet your Queen. Guards, lower your weapons! We do not wish for any animosity with the forest and its denizens."


    This answer pleased the rodents greatly. The birds on the other hand muttered and sulked about it going too smoothly. The birds quickly changed their opinion when the ground shook. The humans trembled and stared around in shock, trying to find the source of the sound. Another rumble shook the ground again and they all turned towards the forest. The humans paled when the first dryads stepped out, holding spears of their own that they in perfect sync slammed into the ground, creating another rumble as they walked out of the forest in two lines. They took positions to the left and right of the rodents, who in turn moved to make a clear path through the crowd of bodies.


    The dryads hit the ground another 3 times before stopping. All was quiet for a moment as the humans held their breaths, waiting for whatever was coming out from the forest. Jonte felt the blood freeze in his veins as the first sign of a creature exited the forest. A white bony paw with clawed fingers slowly stepped through the leaves followed by another paw and then a massive head. The humans watched in terror as the white visvarg stepped through the leaves and into view. It was completely white, with one big red eye in the middle of its forehead and smaller eyes spread out like freckles around it.


    Ronr, the oldest of the visvarg pups and largest by far stared the humans down as he carried his mother on his back out of the forest. The villagers stared at the wolf then turned their stares to the woman riding it. Fanv''s face was a neutral mask and the cold gaze in her eyes sent shivers down the spines of the guards who recognized her.


    A smaller visvarg followed Ronr. Pohc thought she was called Mara. Her fur was rather unique in the dungeon. Black with golden stripes. Mara yelped in surprise as the mayor rushed towards her, or rather, the person on her back. Mikvel barely had time to dismount before his father flung his arms around him. The guards tried to follow but Ronr rumbled and they stopped in their tracks. Fanv gazed at the crowd of humans then spoke to them.


    "Surprised to see me?"

 Ch40 Dessi and Krystal, masters of smooth-talking

    "That is simply outrageous, kaw."


    "Is it really? I thought it was a valid question..."


    "For you to have the audacity to imply that I would be the spawn of those tame pet birds- I shudder at the thought! I must have neglected my appearance greatly for this question of yours to even grace your mind!"


    Henry the guard captain watched in mild amusement as the mayor tried to sooth the upset bird. The bird looked to be some kind of overgrown rooster. It sported abrilliant black plumage with white spots and tail feathers cascading down from its seat on the table down to the floor. Said rooster had arrived with the monsters from the forest and had with a cockiness befitting of a rooster proclaimed itself "King of the Frightcrows". That had marked it as a person- monster of importance, and so it had been invited to the tavern along with the other monsters on top of their hierarchy.


    The rooster, who''s name was apparently Norman Blackplume the first, had practically tackled the mayor and demanded to strike up a conversation as soon as it was decided to bring the monsters'' leaders to the tavern to discuss things in a calmer manner. Henry started to suspect that the bird was nowhere as important as it pretended to be.


    "That''sLord Norman Blackplume, thank you servant, kaw."


    The mayor gave the waitress a silent apology after the rooster had accepted the bowl of grain she''d brought it. Norman sniffed, gave the mayor a judging glance, then promptlyshoved his head into the bowl to "partake in this local snack, kaw". His fancy words and disdainful behaviourclashed a bit too much with the way he was eagerly pecking at the grains.


    Jonte saw this as an opportunity to escape the annoying bird and excused himself. Henry followed his example and bowed politely before following the mayor. Norman didn''t seem to mind that, or perhaps he was too busy gorging himself on the grains to care.


    In a much busier corner of the tavern sat a much more important guest. Fanv, Queen of rats and Guardian of the forest, sat with her legs crossed and an evil smirk on her face. In front of her stood a satyr that single-handedly held the crowd at bay. Any request to talk with Fanv or questions, valid or not, was met with increasingly rude refusals from the satyr.


    "Now listen up whelp, if ye don''t shut yer whining trap soon then I will be shutting it for ye."


    Henry stretched his neck to look over the crowd at Dessi''s current victim. Peter Coaler stood there, red in the face and barely containing his frustration. The satyr tapped her hoof and looked down at him. She was standing on a table to be able to look people in the eye without straining her neck. Peter took a deep breath and tried to speak again.


    "I''m just asking if that''s really Fanv, or if it''s just using her face or-"


    "Shut. Yer. Fecking. Trap. Whelp."


    "Why won''t you-"


    "Zip it. It''s nona yer buisness, punk."


    "This isn''t fair-"


    "Show some gotdamned respect to her highness behind me will ye?! Go gargle pig shit. I bet it taste the same as the stuff ye keep throwing out yer mouth."


    Peter was practically fuming but no one stepped in to help him. It was no secret that he was the one who''d shot Fanv during her first transformation. He had been very proud of it and boasted for weeks about his glorious "kill". That arrogance lasted right until the moment Fanv reappeared on the back of a wolf that could swallow a pig whole, clad in fine silks and the title of Forest Guardian.


    Some might argue that talking with her at all right now was a stupid idea but Peter seemed fully intent on finding out if there was even a sliver of pride to be saved. Dessi denied every attempt before it had even begun.


    "Is that or is it not the werewolf we killed some months ago?!"


    "Does she look fecking dead to ye, ye daft feck?!"


    "So she isn''t the real Fanv? She''s just taunting me for some reason?"


    "Yer not worth the effort."


    "Is this a fucking joke? Why would it dress up as some dead monster-"


    Fanv''s eyes blazed. Dessispat right in Peter''s eyes. Peter cursed and started yelling. The entire tavern grew silent at once as every single monster in it turned to glare at him. The mayor''s son and his arachne look-alike, Norman, the rodents that had managed to sneak in, the two snake-like wolves, the single dryad that had earlier looked bored out of his mind and the horned man named Pohc all stared with murderous intent at Peter. He gulped and shut up as he was reminded of just what sort of creatures he was insulting.


    The room was tense. At last the silence was broken by Fanv, who''s voice still unnerved Henry deeply.


    "I am Fanv. I died as a werewolf in the forest those many nights ago. The next night I rose again as a Visvarg and the night after that as the leader of Mageon. We have not come to demand your head, but if you feel so eager to offer it to me then I won''t refuse, Peter."


    Peter gulped again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Do you wish to have a rematch, Peter? Bring as many weapons as you want. Bring your friends, bring your prayers. You will need them all if you ever hope to kill me again."


    The low rumble of the wolves in the corner of the tavern grew louder and Peter felt as if his heart was stopping.


    "She asked ye a bloody question."


    Then Dessi spoke and the poetic moment was over. Pohc gave her an irritated glare and the satyr flipped him off immediately, despite not realizing why he was mad at her in the first place. Fanv sighed and leaned back down in her seat.


    "We''ve not come to fight so just drop it, ok?"


    Peter nodded and quickly escaped into the crowd. Henry scowled but didn''t have time to comment. The mayor was making his way towards Fanv. He quickly followed and stood at his side as he spoke. Jonte cleared his throat. Fanv looked mildly amused at the formal behavior.


    "I apologize for Peter''s rudeness."


    "Ye better."


    "Shut up Dessi."


    The mayor cleared his throat again.


    "As I was saying, I apologize about that. Onto more important business, what brings you back to Ogon?"


    "We''ve come to greet you as neighbors. We live nearby so we were bound to meet at some point. We figured it was better to establish first contact during controlled circumstances."


    "... A wise choice. May I ask, what caused you and your... group of friends to gather as a group in the first place? We first assumed that they were following a Guardian but seeing as you''re a familiar face here I assume it''s a bit more complicated than that?"


    "... It is."


    Fanv took a deep breath before continuing. The crowd watched her intently.


    "We are part of a dungeon."


    Many different reactions were seen among the crowd. Many looked shocked or worried. A dungeon was a dangerous thing and not at all what they''d expected. It would explain the monsters and abnormally intelligent creatures but...


    "Does that make you a threat to our village?"


    The mayor voiced everyone''s main concern.


    Fanv answered without hesitation and with full conviction.


    "We are not a threat to the village."


    Some of the more naive villagers sighed in relief while others looked unconvinced. Fanv continued before they could voice their doubt.


    "But, wewill defend the dungeon should you decide to be a threat tous. Peace between Ogon and Mageon is only ensured as long as the wish for it is mutual."


    The response was immediate and varied. Some were angry and claimed that a dungeon couldn''t be trusted. A dungeon''s monsters were slaves to the dungeon-core, treachery, deception, and violence was in their nature. Others saw Fanv''s word as fair. They would defend their home just like the village would defend their own homes and family. Wasn''t it proof enough that they meant no harm since the village hadn''t even noticed the dungeon until its inhabitants came knocking on their door?


    Arguments broke out all over the tavern and the already tense atmosphere grew almost hostile in a matter of seconds. The mayor tried to raise his voice but didn''t manage to get heard above the stirring crowd. Fanv and the creatures of Mageon watched in silence as the situation spiraled out of control at an alarming rate. A guard, red in the face and clearly against trusting the dungeon pushed someone aside and glared at a nearby rodent. Fanv saw the knife in his hand but before she could act-


    BANG!


    The entire room went silent and both creatures and humans froze in their tracks. Krystal stood towering over most people, fist bloody from wooden splinters. The broken remains of a table lay crushed against a wall, indicating that she either flipped it and the wood was brittle enough to break, or that she threw the sturdy piece of furniture at the wall hard enough to break it.


    The redheaded woman glared with fury at the silent mass of people and most decided that the last option was much more likely. Krystal inhaled deeply and the people nearest her shied away.


    "YOU COWARDLY PIECES OF INBRED SCUM. WERE YOUR MOTHERS HEADLESS CHICKENS OR DID YOUR FATHERS SIMPLY HUMP A SHEEP UNTIL YOUR SORRY EXCUSE FOR A THINKING BEING POPPED OUT OF IT?! THE DAMNED RAT GOT MORE BRAINS IN THE SKULL YOU JUST TRIED TO STAB! HAVE YOU NO FUCKING PRIDE, YOU WASHED UP REFUSE OF MOTHER NATURE?!"


    The crowd shivered as Krystal''s outrage sent tremors through the floor. None spoke. Dessi looked at Krystalwith such awe and admiration that she almost looked not grumpy for once. Krystal huffed and stared everyone near her into submission before continuing, slightly out of breath.


    "Those fuckers could rip all of you to pieces if they wanted to but instead they come here like civilized beings and propose peace and good relations. Bloody hell, you could probably even set up trade with them. Use whatever''s sloshing around in those heads of yours and consider the profits of being on friendly terms with a goddamned dungeon! And if that ain''t enough for you greedy garbage then have a fucking look at those beasts in the corner. They could eat a horse in seconds! It would be like bloody magic, making you all disappear into their maws in seconds because some imbecile decided to stab one of their fucking rats."


    Mara and Ronr looked at Krystal with mild confusion.


    "Now sit the fuck back down and try to act at least half as much as people as the monsters are. Fucking disgraces, you all. Except you, mayor. Take over will you?"


    Krystal sat down without waiting for Jonte''s reply. He stared at her dumbfounded for a moment then quickly regained his composure.


    "Y-yes, let''s all sit back down and keep discussing this like civilized people. Anyone trying to harm the mon- the inhabitants of Mageon will be severely punished."


    The silent crowd did as told and soon the sound of talking resumed, although a bit more hushed this time and with people constantly glancing at Krystal.


    Dessi stared at Pohc until she got his attention, pointed at the table she was seated on, then jumped down and walked over to Krystal to sit with her instead. Pohc shrugged and took up position next to Fanv while the satyr looked at Krystal with sparkling eyes.


    After a while, the many discussions in the taverns started to resemble peace- and trade- negotiations between villages, rather than humans trying to discreetly ask if the monsters would eat their children. Things such as territory limits, local resources available for trade, communication methods and different customs were discussed. The sun set as the negotiations continued and only when the moon was high and the village shrouded in darkness did the conversations slow down until finally, people started heading off to sleep.


    The edge of the dungeon''s territory would be marked by the change in vegetation, aka the black and white trees and shrubbery. Metals and herbs from Mageon would be traded for knowledge in crafting and man-made materials such as alloys, fabric, and tools. Jonte and Mikvel had had time to talk alone for a long time after the most important negotiations were done with and the mayor''s presence was no longer absolutely necessary. Krystal helped steer many conversations by adding her own knowledge and experiences with setting up trade routes and relations. All in all, the first meeting with Mageon and Ogon went pretty well. No one was hurt and only a few threats were made. A clear success.


    Maker listened to Norman''s report about it all and felt very satisfied with the outcome. She thanked the rooster and watched him leave her alone in her cave. She then picked up a pillow (a peace offering by one of Ogon''s tailors), put it to her face, and yelled into it as loudly as she could.


    I wanted to be there in person... *sob*

 Ch41 Just Bird Things

    About a week after the first meeting between Mageon and Ogon. In a clearing just by the edge of Ogon village and Feytale forest, a brood of hens was frolicking around. The black, brown, and white hens were clucking, scratching at the ground and doing things hens normallydo. In the middle of their brood stood a proud rooster, keeping a watchful eye on his ladies, just like roosters normally do.


    What was not normal in this situation was that the rooster in question was the size of a dog and that he was idly chatting with a murder of crows that were occupying the nearby trees and bushes. The crows kept a respectful distance from the hens that got nervous if they came too close. The distance between thetalkers was solved by talking extra loud. These birds were experts on being loud.


    "Is it not degrading? To be at the center of such a brainless bunch?"


    "Is it not embarrassing? To have lost your black feather gown?"


    "Is it not a scam? A trick? And an insult? To have traded the visage of our kin for the flightless feathers of a rooster?"


    The crows spoke quickly as usual. One saying something new directly after the other had shut its beak. It had a rhythmto it, the way the Fright-crows spoke. The way they weaved sentences with each other as if writing a book. The rooster they spoke to, Norman, flicked his long tail feathers that lay around him on the ground like a pond of feathers and the hens clucked and looked at him with awe.


    "These wings might fly as well as they once did, but they fly none the less, kaw. And while your long beaks and silky black gowns are sharp and handsome in their own way, my gown flows further and with more vibrant colors, kaw."


    "Black and white are not colors, you fool!"


    "Black and white does not hide you from sight, you fool!"


    "I have no need to hide, kaw. I am beautiful and graceful now and I wish for all to watch me in awe as I stride, kaw."


    Norman bristled his feathers, forming a mane around his neck and chest. He then took some graceful steps around in a circle, earning many approving noises from the hens.


    The crows did not look impressed.


    "You might still fly but you cannot keep up with your kin, no more."


    "You fall behind and fly out of sync. How will you attack and defend without our aid? Those lowly hens have neither speech nor mind to fight for you."


    "Are you not exposed now? Are you not arrogant and blind?"


    Norman scoffed and peered at them scornfully with his red little eyes.


    "I am evolved, kaw. I stand at the front of my flock now, kaw. These ladies need not fight for me, for I will keep them safe from harm, kaw!"


    The crows muttered and shifted on their branches. What neither side of the argument had noticed, was the human man sneaking up on the brood. Perhaps this was an opportunity for Norman to prove his point? A jagged knife glinted in the man''s hand as he snuck through the bushes towards the rooster that had his back turned to him. One of the crows bent its head and saw movement. The next second the bushes exploded as the man charged forward. The hens screeched in fright and Norman whirled around,sweeping his long gown of feathersthrough the air. The many patterns of his feathers formed a dizzying spectacle as he locked eyes with the human and noticed the knife, not an arm''s length away from his head.


    "MONSTER!" was the word the man screeched as he aimed at the rooster, but the word ended in a choked noise and the knife met a hard surface of equal strength.


    Clang!


    A long talon, perhaps 30 centimeters long, had shot out from under Normans feather-clad foot and met the knife as it came swinging down. The man, on the other hand, didn''t even notice the talon. His gaze was fixed on the still moving patterns of Norman''s feathers. White and black danced around each other in complicated patterns. To follow one speck of color as it swirled around was near impossible and made the man''s head hurt, yet he could not tear his eyes away.


    The other talons of the defending foot slid out from under the feathers and met the blade as well. They bent and clutched the knife, then with a flick, removed it from the human''s hand and dropped it on the ground. Norman''s eyes were fixed on the human''s face.


    The crows watched in fascination as Norman put his talons together and thenthrust them through the man''s throat. The human gurgled and fell to the ground, eyes still locked on the dancing patterns. Norman''s neck extended as he pulled the man''s face closer to his. Then he opened his beak, and something shifted under the feathers of his face. The sides of his face parted and the corners of his beak stretched and continued into a fleshy maw, running the entire length of his long neck. Jagged teeth glinted in the previously hidden part of his maw and a red tongue flicked inside. The dead man was pulled into the maw, face first, then the "rooster" began swallowing him like a snake would.


    The crows watched in silence but their surprise and approval of the spectacle were clear to see. The hens had lost interest as soon as the man died and gone back to pecking at the ground or grooming their feathers. After Norman finished his grizzly meal, the conversation continued.


    "You are no mere rooster are you, brother?"


    "You held secrets from us, didn''t you, brother?"


    "Tell us what you''ve become, brother!"


    Norman closed his maw and retracted his talons, returning to his almost normal rooster appearance.


    "I did spend some days as a lowly rooster, kaw. A ''Cursed Rooster'' Maker called it, kaw. A sort of larval state to what I am now, kaw."


    Norman made a dramatic pause and blew up his chest with pride as the crows jumped up and down on their branches, going "Tell us! Tell us!".


    "I am now a juvenile Basilisk, kaw. I have the Skill [Trick of the eye], kaw. It lets me trick and harm others as they gaze upon my glorious visage, kaw. Hypnotic beauty, ah so very deadly, kaw."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Norman chuckled and turned so that his bloody gown of feathers glistened in the sunlight. The crows "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed much like the hens had done earlier. The conversation resumed and the birds chattered away happily, completely unaware of the human sitting in the bushes staring at them in horror.


    Peter Coaler opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, not able to believe what he had just seen. Mort had been all too eager to fight the monsters and it had only taken a little bit of coaxing for Peter to get him running after the beasts, knife in hand. He''d stayed behind to let Mort do the bloody work. Not because he was afraid of the monsters. No, he had a reputation as a guard to uphold and going against the Mayor''s orders by attacking the dungeon beasts would have made him look bad.


    Killing an overgrown rooster was perhaps not the most glorious achievement but it was the only exposed monster they''d found. It had looked weak, strutting around on the ground with the village''s chickens and talking nonsense with the crows. Yet it had killed Mort in an instant, without getting a single injury. Peter was terrified. He should have chosen a rat instead. Those pests were everywhere and they would have counted as monsters. Then the other monsters would have gotten mad and attacked someone in revenge, which in turn would prove Peter right. They were violent monsters, tricking the others with lies and imitations. He only needed to make the other villagers understand...


    Fanv was hanging around the town square. It was one of the few places in the small village that had paved ground. Some merchants had raised stands in some corners. Benches stood steady on the cobble, either alone or in stacks, waiting to be used during festivals and celebrations. One lone bench stood just by the big well in the center of the square and Fanv sat on it lazily. Villagers were bustling about, tending to their daily tasks and few paid her much attention. Sure, there were some side-glances and frowns but most people had pretty much grown used to her being back from the dead. Back from the dead, a evolved werewolf and leader of the sentient monsters of a hidden dungeon. Fanv didn''t mind the stares, they were justified...


    A flicker of movement caught her eye in the crowd. One of her pups, Kellan, was skulking around in the crowd. Fanv squinted her eyes at the young man. He was wearing dark linen clothes, most likely made by some villager and traded for something else. Black hair and sharp green eyes, a second set of eyes under the main set. He kept the second set of eyes shut much like most of the other pups, either to imitate their mother or to look more human. The "normal" set of eyes were the only ones with long eyelashes and defined eyelids. The "extra" eyes were set deeper in the skin and when closed, became almost invisible if one didn''t look too close. This and the fact that only a few of the visvargs grew horns like Fanv''s in their human form allowed most of the pups to hide their true race with some effort. Some things still gave them away, like the way they moved or the way their voices seemed to "echo" thanks to their telepathic abilities. Or the way Kellan was studying the mingling humans with a hungry glint in his eyes.


    Fanv watched him closely as he snuck around, the other villagers unaware of the wolf in their midst. A creeping suspicion hit her as he watched her son approach a young human woman. She couldn''t hear what was said but saw the human giggle and blush at something Kellan said. The pair then turned and started walking in between some houses, away from prying eyes. Fanv rose and followed. The crowd parted when she approached, keeping a respectful distance from her. She didn''t mind. Her gaze was fixed on the backs of Kellan and the woman. Ogon had many dark alleys and the one she walked into was a particularly dark one, with clotheslineshung up ahead, shading the ground below.


    Kellan and the woman stopped halfway in and started whispering to each other. Fanv hid behind some crates and watched intently. She strained her hearing and tried her best to filter out the buzz of the town square behind her. Kellan and the woman were standing close to each other. Fanv''s breath caught when she saw Kellan reach with for the woman''s face with one clawed hand then- stroked her cheek? Fanv watched, dumbfounded, as Kellan gently touched her and whispered something to the blushing woman. She leaned into his touch and looked into his eyes. Both stared at each other yearningly for a moment before Kellan let go. Fanv stared at the lovestruck pair then smacked herself on the forehead. The noise of the village square was still blocking her from eavesdropping but now she had a feeling she didn''t want to hear what was said, judging from the way the pair fidgeted and blushed at each other. The woman received a light peck on the lips and turned to leave. Fanv crept further behind the crate and scolded herself for being paranoid.


    One last nosy glance at the leaving young woman gave her just enough time to react to the form that leaped from the roof at her back. Fanv flew from her hiding spot and in mere seconds she closed the distance between herself and the woman. The woman squealed in surprise as Fanv tackled her to the ground but any scream that was coming was cut off when she saw her attacked slam into Fanv''s back. The attacker, another visvarg, judging from his scent, yelped as he realized that he''d sunk his claws into Fanv instead of the human and tried to get off and make a break for it.


    Fanv''s hand shot out and grabbed his ankle and snatched his balance away with one firm tug. The woman gasped and crawled away from them. The man snarled and was met with an equally angry sound from Fanv. Kellan was nowhere to be seen. Fanv pulled her pup in close and bared her teeth at him. His hissing and snarling were egging her on and making her vision turn red, the same was most likely happening to him as well. Their spines made snapping sounds almost at the same time and as bones shifted place and skin stretched the last of their self-control was lost to the frenzy.


    Krystal was minding her own business in the village square. As a caravan chief without a caravan, there wasn''t much to do but she would make do. Geffery would probably return in a week or so and Krystal had yet to decided what to do when he returned. To take back control of the caravan was the most obvious choice but the relationship between Ogon and Mageon was far too interesting to abandon just yet. Maybe she could-


    Her thoughts were cut off as somethingscreeched from within a dark alley connecting to the village square. Many heads turned just in time to see a black visvarg getthrown out of it and into the open square. People stared in shock at the giant wolf as it struggled back to its feet, then panicked screaming broke out.


    A second visvarg, this one familiar to Krystal, reared its massive head and charged the smaller visvarg. The smaller one yelped as it was seized by the hind legs and thrown once again. This time it reacted in time though, and Fanv roared in pain as it dug the claws of its front legs into her back as it flew over her. The smaller visvarg tensed and pulled itself onto her back, neck curling back like a snake before it bit deeply into her shoulder. Fanv wasn''t having none of that.


    People who were already running ran faster to get away from the wrestling visvargs and some yelled in terror as Fanv rolled across the ground. The smaller visvarg lost its grip and was sent tumbling down some street. Its tumbling was cut short as Fanv''s jaws closed around its head and yanked it back into the square. The black visvarg shivered violently as its mother let go, placing it just in front of her. She reared her head and snarled at it, a guttural" hissing sound that made Krystal''s hair stand on end.


    "HOWDAREDISOBEY ME?!"


    Her voice was distorted, garbled, and rough, so unlike her usual smooth sing-song voice that Krystal had to look closer to make sure it was who she thought it was. The black visvarg shuddered and shook beneath her gaze, blood soaking its fur and claws digging into the shattered cobble beneath it.


    "It was just a game, Mother-"


    Fanv reared her head high and hissed in disbelief.


    "YOU DO NOT PLAY WITH MY RULES! THE HUMANS ARE NOT TO BE HURT!"


    "But the humans flee and tremble! I am not the only one yearning to hunt them-"


    "YOU WILL NOT DISOBEY MY ORDERS!"


    "We cannot resist-"


    "SILENCE!"


    The crowd watched in horrified fascination as Fanv grabbed her pup by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into the air. She surveyed the empty square and the humans hiding behind houses and stands thenleaped into a dark alley. Surprised shouts and curses were heard as Fanv made her way out of the village towards the forest and dungeon within. The villagers who''d witnessed the spectacle were left speechless and many still trembling in fear.

 Ch42 They grow up so fast

    Mara sat in the throne room by one of the big tables. Her many siblings were doing much the same, some lying down, others trotting around in circles. A pair of them were even wrestling in a corner. One of the wrestling visvargs lunged for the other, grabbed them by the neck, and threw them across the room. Some of the other pups cheered at the spectacle.


    "Copycat."


    Viskr, one of the wolves that had cheered pouted and turned to the one who''d spoken. Kellan crossed his arms and spoke again.


    "He just did what Mother did earlier."


    Rella gave Kellan an unimpressed look.


    "And Mother is the strongest visvarg there is. What''s wrong with imitating her?"


    Viskr agreed with Rella. Kellan huffed and shook himself, a movement that looked rather out of place when done by his human form. Habits like that were what gave them away most of the time. During their first days of life, they''d all been colorless more or less. Their bodies had been limited to black, white, and grey but now signs of color had broken out among the pups. Mara had been the first to gain color. The stripes in her fur had turned golden and her skin had gone pinker in some places. Now she looked almost human. She was the only one who had only 2 eyes and her hair was completelyblack, lacking spots and patches of other colors and hues as so many of the other visvarg''s hairs had.


    Kellan''s hair was black as well but the tips of it stayed white. Viskr had seen him cutting it once but the tips had turned white just some hours later.


    Kellan caught Viskr staring and gave him an intimidating glare in return. Viskr quickly turned his gaze away. Rella scoffed and played with her hair. It was turning red. It had started as a red spot on her chest when she was in her visvarg form. It contrasted strongly with her dark fur and the almost black on her back. In her human form, her hair stayed a palered, but the hue grew deeper for each day that went by.


    "Got nothing to say, Kellan? Realized that I''m right hm? Mother is strong so we should imitate her to grow strong as well. Perhaps you didn''t figure that out yet?"


    "Shut up Rella."


    Rella chuckled as Kellan glared at her. Mara grinned at him as well. The striped visvarg opened her maw and commented,


    "You might be all smooth and clever around the humans but Rella still beats you in every word-fight."


    "Pitiful..." Rella agreed.


    Kellan squinted at them, opening his second pair of eyes, hidden just below the normal pair. Rella smirked and accepted the challenge by opening the one extra eye under her right one. The visvargs stared at each other for awhile while the rest held their breath in anticipation.


    Viskr''seyes went dry from staring at them. He was just about to blink when Kellanblurred. The sound of snapping bones rang loud for a second as the visvargs shifted to their animal forms and lunged at each other. Jaws snapped and claws found purchase as the beasts collided. Angry snarls echoed in the great cave.


    Rella made a lunge for Kellan''s legs but yelped when Kellan''s front claws dug into her exposed neck. She retracted her head like a snake and hissed at him. Kellan answered in kind with a vibrating hiss of his own. The pair broke out of their stares and their claws clashed in another lunge for the other''s vulnerable spots. Viskr yelped and moved out of the way as the wrestling pile of angry visvarg stumbled towards him. He felt his back hit something soft and furred behind him and froze.


    Ronr raised his large head and stared down at Viskr, eyes still half closed from having been woken up. Viskr gulped and scooted away from him, placing himself next to Mara instead.


    Mara smirked and was about to say something when Fanv entered the room with a sulking Randan at her side. Rella let go of Kellan''s leg immediately and Kellan removed his long claws from her back. They both sat down facing Fanv as fast as they could and tried to look innocent. Fanv did not look impressed.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "You''re fighting again."


    "Kellan started it-"


    "Rella started it-"


    The bleeding pups glared at each other. Fanv sighed. She eyed the pups in the cave and noticed that a bunch of them were missing.


    "Where are the others? Didn''t the dryads and rodents tell you all to meet here?"


    It seemed the floor and walls of the room suddenly got very interesting to the pups. No one looked at Fanv.


    Randan looked unsure by her side, weighing from one foot to the other. Fanv glanced at him then sat down, lowering her head to look him in the eyes. Randan scratched his head and looked at his clawed hand. He muttered something so quietly that not even the visvargs strong hearing could pick it up. Fanv pushed him with her snout and huffed.


    "They left..."


    "They what?"


    "T-they left... not all at once... but they did..."


    Fanv blinked then snapped her jaws, causing everyone in the room to flinch.


    "Where did they go? Are they coming back? Why did no one tell me?!"


    Ronr yawned and faced Fanv. He was the only visvarg that was even close to her size. He was easily twice the size of the smaller pups.


    "They were bored and wanted to explore. Some wanted to form a traveling pack. Others just wanted to try hunting humans but didn''t dare touch the ones in the village."


    Ronr yawned again and blinked his one big eye and the many small ones around it. Fanv noded slowly.


    "Is this... they moved out then? But you all are barely a year old? Half a year? How long did you stay in the forest again?"


    Mara was the next one to speak up. Ronr laid his head back down on the ground and closed his eyes as she chirped,


    "Wefeel like adults now! We can hunt and stuff on our own. Kellan even started courting a female in the village!"


    Kellan snorted but shut up when Fanv glared at him. Randan inched away from his mother to sit with the others.


    "You are all still too young..."


    "We look like adult humans when we''re humans?"


    "Young humans. Barely adult humans."


    "Adult enough to start doing adult stuff? It would be fun to travel. It feels so stifling to stay within the dungeon territory."


    Fanv looked surprised. The others just stared as Mara did her best to look convincing.


    "Is it really that bad staying here? Isn''t it scary to think about going out alone?"


    "We would travel togheter! Not all of us in one pack though. We would just get into fights if the packs are too big... But like, 3, 4, visvargs in a pack? I''d bring Ronr."


    "Hey!"


    Rella suddenly found the courage to join the conversation. Fanv stared at her own feet and seemed to be deep in thought.


    "Ronr is the biggest of us, you can''t just hoard him to yourself!"


    "I would bring you too, Rella?"


    Rella puffed up her chest and went over to Mara with a grin.


    "Good choice! I''m the best at acting human after all. Ronr won''t even keep his extra eyes hidden!"


    Mara nodded at Rella and Ronr grumbled something but didn''t open his eyes. Viskr glanced at the few other pups in the room.


    "C-could I-"


    "Viskr, you''re on my team."


    Kellan cut him off before he could finish.


    "Wha- No! I... I want to go with Rella and Mara..."


    Kellan looked at him then shrugged, a movement that looked strange when done by a visvarg.


    "I guess it can''t be helped then. Mara. Me and Viskr will join your pack then."


    Rella looked insulted.


    "What? No way. Viskr, sure but you''re too annoying, Kellan."


    Randan looked at the still pondering Fanv and hurried to speak up.


    "I''ll go with Kellan."


    Kellan glared at him.


    "No, we''ll be too many then."


    "But you PROMISEDthat we''d be in the same pack! Do you really think you can survive with both Mara AND Rella? You need someone on your side!"


    "I got Ronr and Viskr."


    Kellan looked at Ronr who had still not opened his eyes, clearly intent on sleeping through the entire discussion. Viskr was among the tiniest of the visvargs and rarely spoke up for himself unless encouraged to do so. Kellan frowned.


    "Ok, you''re with us, Randan."


    "Hey, don''t decide who join. I and Mara are the bosses in this pack!"


    Mara nodded, agreeing with Rella.


    "Not a chance!"both Kelland and Randan yelled.


    The newly formed pack started bickering about who would be the leader while the remaining pups decided to not join the troublemakers. Fanv watched as her children split and divided into groups, clearly intent on traveling to find their own territories. She felt a bit sad. The room went quiet once more when she spoke.


    "I guess I can''t really stop you. I''d rather you say goodbye to me and everyone so we can wish you good luck, than you all sneaking off alone one after the other..."


    She felt her eyes go wet and wiped at them with a paw. Her pups looked at her then at each other. They all rose up and went over to hug Fanv. Some patted her and told her to not be sad. Fanv smiled and felt tears well up despite her pups'' efforts to cheer her up, which in turn made them try all the harder. Many promises were made like "Keep out of trouble", "don''t eat strange stuff", "don''t fight each other, at least not seriously", "come visit when you can" and so forth. The pile of visvargs giggled and snuggled as they promised their mother that they would do their best to stay well and that she had to do the same.


    As this unfolded a very confused Dessi entered the cave. She took one look at the wriggling pile of visvargs, some crying and others hugging each other, even if their animal forms weren''t really suited to perform hugs.


    "What the fuck."


    She turned and went back into the tunnels.

 Ch43 Greetings humans!

    The caravan rolled on, occasionallybumping on some rocks and branches on the road. With each jolt of the carriage, Geffery jumped as well. The journey to Pirn had felt longer than usual. Perhaps because he''d stopped the caravan to avoid possible threats at every turn. It was justified really. There were dangers everywhere. The road had many turns, snaking between the edges of Feytale Forest and Wyrmtail Swamp. Geffery kept turning his gaze back and forth. Keep an eye on the swamp. Keep an eye on the forest.


    "Stop! There''s something moving in the forest! Guards around the caravan at once!"


    Groans sounded from the caravan members as they stopped their horses and moved about.


    "We''re almost there for gods'' sake!"


    "We can see the smoke from Ogon!"


    "Just MOVE, we''re almost there!"


    Geffery shook his head at the complaints. The guards, or rather, the few travelers that he''d given weapons in the form of swords, farming tools and pointy sticks, surrounded the caravan and glared at the surroundings. Some muttered to each other but most just waited til Geffery felt safe enough to get them moving again. The skittish man surveyed the forest and swamp, beads of sweat rolling down the nape of his neck.


    "O-Okay. We move again!"


    More groans. Gods, these people were hard to please, Geffery thought to himself. He was just looking out for them! They wouldn''t have time to complain if there was anyactual danger this time. What if there was a bear? They''d only have a moment to react then blood would go flying. He was doing them a FAVOR. He was doing his JOB as caravan chief! He was a careful and responsible leader who looked out for his follower and kept them safe-


    He shrieked when cloaked figures burst from the bushes in the forest and started jogging towards them. The others looked just as startled but didn''t actually scream. The 3 cloaked people closed the distance in seconds and stopped just some meter away from the caravan. The nearest armed merchant raised his pitchfork warily and shot Geffery a questioning look. Geffery was trembling in his seat.


    "W-w-wha-"


    "Greetings fellow human traveler!"


    The biggest of the strangers raised a pale hand and did a slow wave at them, interrupting Geffery. The voice sent shivers down his spine. It was melodic and echoed in his head. Geffery stared at the clawed hand as it retreated back under the cloak. He tried to stammer out a reply. The merchant with the pitchfork gave him an odd look then turned and spoke to the trio.


    "Greetings... Who are you people? Can we help you?"


    The 3 quickly turned to each other and whispered something in gleeful sing-song voices. Geffery''s head was swimming. They turned back to face the caravan. The same person spoke again.


    "We are human travelers on our way to the nearest city! Which way do we go?"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Ogon is just up ahead. You can see the smoke from here."


    The trio whispered to each other again. One of them had a tattered brown cloak. She spoke with a brighter voice than the tall one.


    "We have been to Ogon. We seek to visit another village."


    "Then... There''s Pirn, down south if you follow this road. Should be a week''s travel by foot if you keep a fast pace."


    The trio nodded to the pitchfork merchant then to each other.


    The last of them, a thin person with a blue cloak spoke.


    "Thank you, friends. We will be on our way then. We wish you safe travels!"


    "Same to you, travelers."


    Half-hearted and confused goodbyes were said as the trio departed. The caravan members stared at them as they darted back into the forest. Geffery just gaped. Someone looked at him then poked him in the side.


    "Gah!- O-Onwards!"


    And so the caravan moved again.


    Ogon looked pretty much the same was when the caravan had left it. Except for the new inhabitants. Geffery nearly fell out of his seat when a HUGE crow screeched a ''welcome back!'' at him. A dryad strolled past him, idly chatting with a farmer who was carrying a crate of carrots. The farmer said something and the dryad laughed. Geffery stared with his mouth hanging open in shock as the caravan passed them. A pair of pale people with too many eyes stared at them as they drove past the alley they were sitting around in. People gulped and moved silently, wondering what in the world happened when they were away.


    "Geffery! You made it back at last!"


    Geffery squealed and spun around in his seat just to be met with an almost normal sight. Krystal was striding towards them, arms spread out in greeting and an elated look on her face.


    "I was starting to think you''d settled in Pirn and left my caravan in some ditch!"


    He laughed nervously, eyes darting around to the odd creatures mingling around with the human villagers.


    "What- what happened here? There''s... Whatare those?"


    He pointed around to the clearly unnatural creatures. Was that a rat onfire?!


    "Oh, Ogon sorta merged with a dungeon. Or more like, the dungeon''s inhabitants went and moved into Ogon. Some of them at least. Stop staring at the imp, they get offended."


    "Dungeon?!"


    A murmur spread among the caravan followers. Geffery gaped and tried to make sense of what Krystal just said. She sort of just stood there with her arms crossed, waiting for a reaction.


    "ADungeon?!"


    "Yup. Mageon Dungeon, led by the lovely Fanv, visvarg broodmother and forest Guardian."


    "Mag- Broodmother? As in... there''s a brood? Of what?"


    "Visvargs."


    "What?"


    "Visvargs."


    "What?"


    "Greetings humans!"


    *caravan screaming*


    The caravan followers snapped their attention to the newly arrived monster wolf. Or a visvarg, as Krystal corrected some of them. Geffery lay limp in his seat on the carriage, unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Krystal watched the unfolding chaos with a wide grin. People screamed each time a new Visvarg emerged on the street to join the first one. 6 visvargs stood in the street, some of them watching the caravan with keen interest while the others just stood around and waited for the lead visvarg to start moving again. The lead visvarg was black with golden stripes and just 2 eyes. On her back sat a woman with red hair and green eyes. She wore a dark blue cloak that looked as silky as her voice sounded.


    "We''re leaving now Miss Krystal. Just wanted to say our goodbyes to everyone."


    "Take care, Rella! If you and your friends ever need help just look for me ok?"


    "Will do Miss! Stay safe!"


    The pack of visvargs then went on their way past the caravan and down the street. The biggest of them had to take a large step over one of the wagons to get past. The caravan followers watched in silent awe and horror as they moved past them.


    "Those, are visvargs. Lovely people, very polite and easy to read."


    They stared at Krystal who had a satisfied look on her face. She looked less satisfied when they broke out of their shock and swarmed her with questions.

 Ch44 Back to the road

    The sun was shining, the air was crisp. Krystal took in a deep breath and simply enjoyed the feeling of standing by the wagons in the early morning. It was time at last. Soon she would be on the road again, leading her caravan up the north road. To new cities and new trade opportunities. She could barely wait. Staying in Ogon to watch the dungeon introduce itself to the humans in a peaceful manner had been new and exciting but in the end, the thrill of travel still called to her, urging her to get back on the road.


    Yes, the road was her home after all. Endless paths, paved roads near the big cities, barely visible trails through the lands claimed by nature. To walk through mountains and hills one day, then to ride next to the ocean the next. Travel offered sights and a sense of freedom that few other occupationscould offer.


    "Watch out!"


    *BANG*


    They also offered incompetent personnelwho constantlyfelt the need to cause trouble.


    "You FOOL! You brainless, fearless- fearless- DUMB person!"


    "No no no, SEE! If we just strap the ropes THIS way then it will be much more flexible! The horses could turn much easier and-"


    "It''s falling! IT''S FALLING!"


    Krystal took a deep breath. Then she spun around and glared at the sight of Jerry the engineer trying to avoid being trampled by the horse he had somehow managed to strap the harness uponup-side-down. Geffery shrieked as the wagon attached to the harness wobbled and then fell over. The laws of physics that would keep the usuallywell-balanced wagon firmly on the ground, overridden by Jerry''s inventions. Krystal sighed as the horsereared and made the leather and rope straps securing it to the wagonsnap. She watched, mildly impressed, how Geffery in a wild panic tried to grab the horse''s reins, then got lifted from the ground and pulled along as the horse made a break for it.


    A nearby villager rushed to help and after calling in some friends they eventually got the horse under control. Geffery was foaming at the mouth and unresponsive. Jerry was already eyeing another horse and its wagon with a glint in his eye.


    Krystal inhaled. MAN, it was good to be back! Then she bellowed at Jerry to "Leave the wagons alone of you''ll be pulling them instead of the horse!", successfully sending him scurrying off like a scared rat. Speaking of rat, there was a familiar man coming her way.


    A pale fellow with brown hair and freckles. A face almost too plain. Hard to remember. What set him apart was the bright yellow eyes. They had a depth to them that was unsettling and made it seem like he was constantly scheming something.


    Pohc smiled and waved at her as he approached.


    "Good morning Miss Krystal! A lovely day isn''t it?"


    "Very. A perfect day for departure."


    "We will miss you dearly. You have been a great help to us."


    "Mh, it''s been my pleasure. The goods you''ve provided us more than makes up for it."


    Krystal threw a glance at the wagon stacked with dungeon goods. Mushrooms that glowed and numbed pain if eaten. Meat from deear and the shining shells of the glowshell turtles. Raw chunks of metal mined from deep within the cave system. These were all treasures that few would have gotten in such quantity. Dungeons were rare and dangerous after all. To trade with one like this would make any merchant weak in the knees from the mere possibilities it would bring. Krystal grinned widely. Pohc returned the grin.


    "I will wish you the best of luck on your journey then. You and your friends are very welcome to visit Mageon should you be nearby in the future."


    "Aye, thank you for the offer. Stay safe, Pohc."


    He gave a polite nod then left with a wave. Krystal watched as he weaved through the crowd of people lecturing the now conscious Geffery on how he should not mistreat the horses. Pohc rounded a pile of crates not yet loaded up on a wagon. When he reappeared on the other side of the pile his appearance had changed. Blond long hair and the body of a woman. The doppelganger greeted some passing villagers then slipped down an alley. Krystal shivered. He was a creepy creature...


    *CRACK*


    "..."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Jerry blinked at her from bellow a wagon. Horse running free and spooked down another alley with the remains of its harness dragging across the ground. Krystal grinned at him. Jerry felt his life pass before his eyes as she strode towards him.


    "You must not talk with the birds outside of the forest."


    "You must not trust them. They are inbred scum living off of berries and bugs."


    "They don''t even peck at corpses! Such arrogant fools! To discard any food found is an outrage."


    Noah nodded at the murder of crows droning on and on.


    "You are trying to stall us aren''t you?" Johna said and winked at them. The chatty birds had taken a strange liking to them during their stay at the dungeon.


    "Why won''t you reconsider?"


    "Why won''t you stay?"


    "Why not remain here?"


    Noah chuckled. The movement made the crows on his shoulders lose their balance a bit. They waved their wings about to regain it, flapping them in Noah''s face. Johna couldn''t help but laugh at the sight.


    Noah spoke from within the mess of feathers,


    "It''s been a great time. Your dungeon is great and you are lovely hosts."


    The birds puffed up their chests in pride and nodded at the praise. A red owl, much taller than the already huge birds spoke in a sing-song voice.


    "So why must you leave? If you stay you could eventually become part of the dungeon? Wouldn''t that be great!"


    Johna''s face fell a bit. Noah cleared his throat and answered the confused red bird.


    "We prefer wandering about. Freedom is important to us."


    "How needy!"


    The birds said in unison. Noah chuckled.


    "We have different needs you see. Imagine if the roles were reversed? If we were inviting you to stay in a small human house."


    "Stifling!"


    "Your houses are tiny!"


    "We cannot fly freely in there!"


    Noah nodded.


    "See what I mean?"


    the birds went silent for a moment as they thought this over. Johna grinned as the birds bobbed their heads in understanding.


    "You are strange creatures, you."


    "Very strange you are!"


    "Wingless creatures have strange needs indeed!"


    The wingless duo laughed. A crow lost its balance on Noah''s back and tumbled to the floor. The other birds laughed at it as it rose and dusted itself off.


    "But you will visit yes?"


    "You will return now and then yes?"


    "You would miss us otherwise yes?"


    The duo nodded, "Yes yes we would. We promise."


    The birds nodded, content.


    "Then we wish you good travels!"


    "We wish you lucky travels!"


    "Exciting travels!"


    "Peaceful travels!"


    The birds started bickering about what sort of travels they were wishing them. They barely noticed Noah and Johna sneaking off while they yelled at each other. Some waved absentmindedly at them then yelled their own opinion at their kin. It was the sort of sight that made Sam and Mikvel think twice about approaching the group. Instead, they waited until Johna and Noah had gotten further away from the murder of crows.


    The duo jumped in surprise when Sam descended from a hole in the ceiling, with Mikvel on his back. It was a good thing that the adventurers were already (almost) used to not being ambushed in the dungeon, otherwise, they might have attacked out of reflex. They did their best to look calm and cheerful, dismissing the violent outbreak that almost broke out. Sam and Mikvel looked a bit odd at the duo but just shrugged at it in the end.


    The self-proclaimed crafters of the dungeon had finished making a crate. A crate much similar to the one the adventuring duo had used to keep Johna from going on a murder spree every time the full moon peeked out. The crafters went on and on about how splendid a work they''d done on the crate as they led them to their workshop.


    Apparently, they''d reinforced the wood with spider silk and some metals the bee''s had provided them. The crate was heavier than a wooden crate but "It barely even got scratched from getting tossed down a chasm!" the crafting duo exclaimed. "But the reinforcements did look a bit weird," Mikvel started, "So we clad it in a second layer of wood!" Sam continued. "It''s just a bit heavier as a result." They both said at once.


    The workshop cave opened up before them. Everything from stones, to tools, to monster-remains, and metal scraps lay littering the floors, walls, and ceiling of the ''workshop''. Everything tied in place by some strands of spider silk in case gravity decided it wanted the stuff back on the ground. In the middle of the cramped room lay a huge wooden crate, big enough to fit a very tall human.


    Johna, the not so tall human, walked up to it with a complicated expression on his face. Mikvel and Sam droned on on how tricky it had been to keep the silk they''d used as adhesive along with the nails hidden under the second layer of wood. The nails were more for appearances if anything, they weren''t strong enough to pierce the strange mix of metal, wood, and silk that made up the bulk of the crate.


    Noah eyed the 5 different locks on the side. To say they were mismatched would be an understatement. Locks from doors, chests, one from a jam jar they''d somehow made work on the crate, a latch from an outhouse... All in all, the crate looked a bit suspicious and was "Heavy!" Johna exclaimed as he failed to lift one end of it from the ground. Noah frowned and grabbed the other end of the crate. With a heave and a face turning red, the crate slowly left the ground to Johna''s great surprise. It would seem the big monk was indeed as strong as he looked and then some.


    It took plenty of time, huffing, and the help of a nearby dryad, to finally get the crate all the way to the caravan. The other merchants eyed the crate with interest but were immediately shooed away by Krystal when they started asking questions.


    Preparations continued until the caravan was ready to depart. The sun stood high in the sky when Krystal finally mounted her horse and signaled for her followers to start moving. The villagers waved their goodbyes at them as they left. The merry human chatter was over-voiced though. Rodents and birds filled the nearby rooftops and as the caravan passed they made as much cheerful noise as possible at them. Fanv and the other one-of-a-kind monsters kept to the ground but were just as noisy in their goodbyes.


    The caravan members puffed out their chests in pride and left Ogon in high spirits. Maybe a dungeon full of powerful sentient monsters weren''t so bad after all?

 Update, not a chapter

    So as you have probably already noticed, there was no chapter this Friday. I Things are heating up in school and the holidays are approaching so I''m having less time to write and it''ll probably stay that busy for some time. I''ll try to sit down and write when I get time but updates will slow down a bit as there''s a lot of things going on irl for me right now. I will do my best to get to the end of the novel so I''m not dropping it. It might just take some time and uneven updates every now and then. Thank you all for sticking with me so far and sorry about this!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

 A very very late update. Novel dropped

    Soooo... after a very busy year I''ve finally come to the conclusion that I won''t finish this novel after all. I might rewrite it at some point (not very likely, at least for a couple of years), but for now the Pale Dungeon will be left where it''s at. I do have some plans to make a new novel in the future, and hopefully it''ll be way better since I learned alot from writing this one. Planning of story and characters was something I didn''t really do at the start, so majority of the Pale Dungeon was just me winging it and writing whatever felt right at the time until I got lost in my own story. A valuable lesson.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Right now I''m in uni so things are more hectic than ever. The future is blurry and ever changing, but one thing''s for sure: I''m still learning and willing to improve, so my journey as an artist is far from over. Just gotta get the hang of it and learn from my mistakes.


    Thank you all that took part of my first novel, and hopefully I''ll see some of you again when I start on my next!