“We’re done!” Anath announced as the girls entered the heating room. He gave them a single glance. They looked clean, brushed, and refreshed.
“Oh, hey.” He was currently skimming the journal he found. Most of it was full of daily thoughts and notes from the previous lord of the manor. The others couldn’t see the book, just him occasionally turning imaginary pages. It took him some time to explain that he hadn’t lost it.
“We picked my class.” Anath had an edge of rebellion to her voice. Daggat preferred it when she was still shy. Easier to deal with. He pinched the bridge of his nose. They better not have picked something useless.
“Great. What did you get?” He braced himself.
“Berserker.” She said casually, as though it wasn’t a life-changing decision.
“Oh, great. I forgot, did I already tell you to get that one? It was my top choice for you.” He flashed her a wicked smile. She scowled at him. It was true, the berserker class was one of his top choices. That, or standard warrior. She stomped off in a huff. Daggat let out a breath. That could have been bad. She might have chosen something useless like craftsman or traveler.
A short time later, Daggat, Klaw, and Hunter were all showering. It took some time to convince Klaw to step into the shower, but eventually, he did. Clean, spring water poured over him, and a brownish-red sludge flowed to the drain. His fur soaked up a lot of gunk.
“I am NOT getting in that thing, though. It is going to take me forever to dry out.” Klaw shook and water splashed all over the room.
“Fine by me, more room for us. Come on, Hunter.”
When Hunter stepped into the bath, the water level filled nearly to the top. Daggat sighed as he settled into the bath. Anath offered to watch the fire while the others guarded them.
This was a luxury, one they normally wouldn’t be able to afford. But, it was important. Not just for cleanliness… but Daggat had noticed a few signs. A twitch in Zuss’s eye. Klaw unsheathing his claws for no reason. The vacant look in Hunter’s eyes. Even Elyndris was jumpy. They needed to recenter themselves.
As for Daggat… well, the bottle was a lot more tempting over the past few days.
“So, Hunter. How are you liking your new class?”
“I like it a lot. I think my Mum would have approved.”
“When you smash stuff with the torch, that’s pretty cool!” Klaw called out. He was rinsing his fur. Daggat suppressed a grin.
“It will be useful against the demon. That’s for sure.”
“Hey, Dag. What’s the plan after we kill it? How are we going to divvy up the place?” Klaw asked.
“Well, that depends on our new allies.”
“What do you mean?” Hunter asked.
“Well, we make a good team. If you three want to stick around… I can see a lot of profit in our future.”
“I’d like to. The manor is nice, once we clean it up. Not sure about Elyndris.”
“We will talk at some point. Either way. I think we’ll try to quest for a bit. See if that angel can give us more stuff. Then we secure the place. After that, get to know the locals a bit more, maybe do some trade. And by that, I of course mean rob them blind.”
Klaw laughed while Hunter’s eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Then, we kill. Right?” Klaw growled.
“Kill?” Hunter asked, worry in his voice.
“We’ve been wronged, Hunter. There is a tribe of goblins that needs scattering. The gremlins are fine… but we are after the bosses. The bastards that exploit them.”
“Do you have to kill them?”
“Yes. We do. It’s the whole point.” Klaw said. He was just tall enough to lean over the tub.
“Let’s not worry about that right now,” Daggat said. “Let’s focus on right now. We still need to explore the south wing and find our way to the third floor. I also want to take a look at the surrounding buildings when we can.”
“We have to find the demon,” Hunter said, slowly. “My foot itches and I can’t scratch it.” Daggat winced. That did sound awful.
“Just make sure you let one of us without a class get the last hit in.”
“No promises.” Hunter grinned at him.
“Hey! That’s more like it.” Klaw punched him in the shoulder. “You know, you are too soft. Glad to see there’s a bit of spine.”
“I have plenty of spine! It’s just, I don’t like hurting people.”
“You learn to love it,” Klaw replied with a grin.
“I don’t know if I want to. If I do… I might go feral.”
“Feral… what does that mean? You mentioned it earlier, but I don’t get it.” Daggat asked.
“When an ogre goes feral, they lose every bit of love they have. What morals they held before are forgotten. They are beasts that follow their primal needs. They also become a monster.”
“They get a monster soul?” Daggat asked. Hunter nodded. “Sounds useful if you ask me.” Hunter was fine and all, but a second mortal-monster hybrid soul? He wanted that on his team immediately. Daggat could probably survive long enough for Hunter to calm down if he went feral.
“It’s awful! You kill all of your friends and family. They say you calm down after a while, but then you cannot go back home. If you meet an ogre without a family, they are probably feral.”
“And you want to end this curse?”
“Yes. Anath told me about the wish. That is what I will wish for.”
“I don’t think we will get something like that any time soon. But, if you stick around, we might work our way to it.” Daggat told him. Hunter smiled at him, then frowned. “What’s the matter now?” This ogre’s mood was like a pendulum.
“Oh, nothing. I don’t want to say.” He shifted uncomfortably.
“Oi! You remember what I told you before?” Daggat splashed some water on him.
“Yes. Okay, but don’t get mad. I just think you will want me to kill people. I don’t want to kill anyone. Or hurt them.”
Daggat thought about this for a moment. As far as he knew, killing people was unavoidable. How had he gotten this far? Even Anath killed a Cait Sith. Elyndris clearly wasn’t afraid to. Was it cowardice?
No… it was innocence. He simply hadn’t seen the real horrors of the world. He needed a wake-up call. Daggat had a trick he used in these situations. Whenever a gremlin didn’t know their place in the world. Whenever someone was acting weak. He put himself back into his old shoes. Back when he was the biggest bully in the gremlin pens… with Klaw’s help, of course.
“Hunter, it’s a hard lesson to learn. But once you encounter the real horror of the world, you won’t be so squeamish about it. You will have to kill to live. Get over it.”
For a long moment, there was silence. Daggat seeped into the warmth of the bath. His eyes closed.
“Uh oh, I think you pissed him off, Dag,” Klaw remarked. Daggat looked up at the ogre. There was a fire in his eyes. Interesting. What would happen if he pushed?
Hunter JUST said he didn’t want to hurt anyone. And Klaw was here to bail him out if things went south. But if he could light that fire, like he had done before. Like he had done for Klaw. Maybe he wouldn’t act so soft.
“What is it? Did I hurt your feelings?” Daggat was suddenly aware he was in strangling range of the ogre. But, he pushed on. “You think you’ve had it rough because of your leg? Nah, that’s weak.”
“The leg sucks, Hunter. But that’s getting fixed. You gotta ogre up, dude.” Klaw heckled. Klaw was an expert bully, he knew how to get a rise out of people. “Or are you mad because the worm is more man than you?”
“Stop it. I know what you’re doing.” Hunter whispered.
“Yeah? What do you know? How to cook and clean. How to live a soft life? That life is over for you.”
“We’re just trying to help you, Hunter. Being a pussy won’t just get you killed. Might as well go feral now.”
“Please, just… stop.” Hunter pleaded. Daggat smelled blood. He smiled a shark-like grin. One more push. He activated hypnotic gaze, to really hammer it in.
“What would your Mum think? I thought ogres were hunters. Would she be proud of you?”
Slowly, glacially, Hunter stood. Water cascaded off of him like waterfalls. Daggat suddenly felt very, very small. He shouldn’t have brought up his mother.
“You think I haven’t seen horror?” His voice was low and calm. Like a tiger being held back by a cage. Maybe they pushed too far? Klaw had already retreated. Where was he?! What use was a bruiser for a brother if he wasn’t here to bruise? “Think I am all sad because of my leg?”
“Uh, that was a little joke I-” Daggat tried to calm him, he could feel a storm rising in Hunter.
“Let me tell you WHAT I’VE SEEN!” The water shook. Uh oh. He was mad. Klaw and Elyndris erupted at the smallest inconvenience, but their rage was relatively harmless. Even Anath took a lot of pressure until she exploded. This was like the slow eruption of a volcano. Frustration that had been slowly brewing over weeks.
Stolen novel; please report.
“One at a time. I watched my family disappear. Each one… devoured! I lived in fear of my mother. There was no food. No rest. I grew so hungry, that I forgot what it felt like to eat. For weeks, I prayed that I wouldn’t be next. She went feral and killed every. Single. Member. Of my family.” Why had no one told him that? How was Daggat supposed to know? Hunter could have at least mentioned it when they were talking about pain earlier. That was important information to know! He wouldn’t have pushed so hard. “I was the only one to make it out. I ran. But before that, I trapped my mother. She begged me to come back. But I left her. You think I haven’t killed anyone? I HAVE.”
Daggat scampered over the edge of the tub as Hunter moved closer. Hunter took one step and he was out. Daggat walked backward as Hunter slowly followed him, talking at the same time. He looked around for Klaw, his backup. The door to the boiling room was still swinging closed. Great. The coward. Hunters black foot slapped the stone like a piece of wood.
“Then, after I killed my mother, I was alone. It was a storm. My boot was gone and I was starving. Every step was agony. The only thing keeping me going was the thought that I was the last of my family. Do you know what I found?” Hunter leaned over him. Daggat decided to let him get it off his chest. This was awful, and all, but there was not need to be THIS mad.
“What?” Daggat asked.
“Goblins. They captured me. They were going to EAT me. But, a hero saved me. A hero who would torture me, use me as bait, throw me into a bear’s den, and show me how to live. Live, just so I can continue to walk in agony. Live with what I had done.”
“Hunter, I don’t think you had anything to do with her death.” Daggat said. He had both hands up to placate the angry ogre. Hunter growled in response.
Hunter grabbed Daggat and lifted him to the wall. His eyes were sharp. Clearer than they have ever been.
“I watched Anath scream in pain from the same poison that let me walk on my dead foot. You know the rest. We came here. To this DEATH HOUSE! Monsters around every corner. Goblins that act like they are angels' gifts to the world. Every moment I am FIGHTING to keep back the rage, the loss, the pain. So I don’t go feral. DO YOU KNOW WHY?”
“… No?” Was this an ogre going feral? Where was Klaw!?
“Because despite how you look down on me. Despite the jokes, the bullying, and the superior attitude. I STILL LIKE YOU GUYS. You are my friends. I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU. Because I will. If I go feral, you don’t stand a chance, do you understand? So, no. I am not a coward. I know pain. I know the horrors of this world. I am a Torch Bearer now. I have to fight to keep some light in this hell hole. So sit the fuck down, and shut the FUCK UP.” Hunter dropped Daggat. He was too stunned to move. Daggat didn’t know Hunter had it in him to curse like that.
Wow. That… worked way better than he expected. Daggat looked down at his hands. They were shaking. He felt a rush, like he had just had a run in with a beast. He watched Hunter leave. He walked straighter and more confident than he ever had. Daggat had completely underestimated him, he saw that now. He thought Hunter was weak. That was wrong.
Hunter was the strongest of the lot.
Something changed in Daggat at that moment. He couldn’t put it into words. His approach was wrong. He felt sick. Like he had somehow let everyone down. Let down his crew and himself. For some reason, he thought of Glut.
“You underestimated him, goblin.” Someone said in a cold voice. Daggat looked over to see the girls. They must have come in when they heard the shouting. “That was dangerous. He was right.
Hunter would have killed you in cold blood. Do not underestimate the ogre’s curse.” Elyndris said with a hint of anger in her voice.
Anath walked right up to him and leaned over him. She had been crying, overtaken by seeing her friend in such a state. She took a sharp, shaky breath.
“Daggat. If you ever do that to him again… I will kill you so he doesn’t have to.” Anath’s voice shook with fury. She ran after Hunter.
Daggat had no words. What was he trying to accomplish anyway? To toughen the ogre up. It worked, right? Hunter stood up to him. He would have taken a different route if he knew the ogres past.
Zuss gave him a sympathetic look.
“I’ll talk to them. We’ll be right back.” She said, then chased after the others.
“Did you succeed, in what you were trying to do?” Elyndris asked him. He nodded slowly. He had. “Was it worth it?” Was it? How badly did he just mess up? Did he lose Hunters trust.
“I don’t know. I was just trying to light the fire, you know?”
“You just learned an important lesson. You lead people. Monsters. Not pawns. Never make that mistake again.”
“I won’t…” Daggat whispered. Elyndris flew off after the others.
“I did the same, you know. With Anath. Just… not as recklessly. Hunter though… he already had that fire kicked into him. You went a little to far.”
“I see that now. I think I might have fucked up.”
“Maybe. I’ll go help Zuss. He is forgiving. Won’t take long.” She flew off.
That left him alone with his thoughts. Naked and still shaking from the adrenaline. He felt small and alone in the large bathhouse.
Daggat
True Name: Daggat
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: goblin [ +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Scavanger; Small Size]
Monster Level: 7
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 20
Will: 10
Charm: 12
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Ability: Mighty Intellect
Act: Fledgling Alchemist
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Act: Usurper
Act: Touch of Death
Skills(0/3):
Alchemy: 1 [Source: Fledgling Alchemist]
System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge]
System Assistant: 1
Mind Codex: 1 [Synergy: Mental notes + Copy Tome]
Party Leader: 1 [Source: Usurper]
Notable Natural Skills:
Literacy: Apprentice
Biotraits (1/6):
Base size: Small [Source: Goblin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Hypnotic Gaze [Mutations: Dominating Gaze]
Temperature Resistant Skin [Synergy: Fire Resistant Skin + Cold Resistant Skin]
Scavenger [Source: goblin]
Death Sight [Source: Touch of Death]
Increased Pain Tolerance
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 charm
Extreme Temperature Resistant Scales [Synergy: Fireproof scales + Temperature resistant Skin]
Fire breath
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
Dark vision [Night Vision Enhanced]
Deepen Shadow
Other:
Variant: +10 Intelligence
Notable Gear:
Strange pure-white sword
Hunter
True Name: Hunter
Soul: Mortal
Genseed: Ogre [ 8 Str, 2 Dex, 6 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Ogre's curse; Large Size]
Hearth Tender Level: 6 [+1 Str, +1 Con, +4 Wil; Invoke Torch, Hearth Fire]
Attributes (1/5):
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 8
Will: 13
Charm: 7
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Vile Concoction
Act: Devotion [layered feats]
Act: Slayer
Skills (0/7):
System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge]
Invoke Torch: 1
Hearth Fire: 1
Sacred Flame: 2 [Perks: Debilitating Warmth]
Encompassing Warmth: 1
Brilliant Bash: 2 [Perks: Hearth Flame]
Bounty Hunter: 1 [Source: Slayer]
Seek: 1
Biotraits (0/1):
Base Size: Large
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Vile Concoction]
Other:
Curse: Ogre Curse
Zuss
True Name: Zuss
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: hobgoblin [ +1 Str, +3 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Nimble Fingers; Small Size]
Monster Level: 7
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 8
Will: 10
Charm: 9
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Ability: Mighty Alacrity
Skills(0/2):
System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge]
Deep Shadows: 1
Path Finding [Type: Climbing]
Notable Natural Skills:
Stealth: Apprentice
Climb: Apprentice
Biotraits (1/7):
Base size: Small [Source: Hobgoblin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Mutations: Dark Vision; Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Improved Body Control [Synergy: Improved Balance + Improved Nerve Conduction + Improved flexibility]
Nimble Hands and Feet [Synergy: Nimble hands + Prehensile Feet]
Cold Resistant Skin
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
Smoke Aura
Lesser Wings
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
Enhanced Scent
Deepen Shadow+, Widen Shadows
Pet:
Name: Birdy
Genseed: Cat
Attributes:
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 2
Intelligence: 2
Will: 2
Charm: 3
Biotraits:
Lesser Wings
Anath
True Name: Anathema
Soul: Monster/Mortal
Genseed: Human [ 3 Str, 3 Dex, 3 Con, 3 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Standard Size]
Monster Level: 4
Berserker Level: 5 [+3 Str, Dex Con, -1 Int, Wil, Cha; Berserker's rage, Great Vitality]
Attributes [0/7]:
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 10
Will: 8
Charm: 7
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Vile Concoction
Act: Devotion [layered feats]
Skills(2/8):
System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge]
System Assistant: 1
Skill Boosts: Survival (1)
Savage Legs: 1
Berserker's Spirit: 1 [Synergy: Warrior's Spirit (Burst of Strength + Burst of Alacrity + Burst of Vitality) + Berserker's Rage]
Purge Poison: 1
Great Vitality
Notable Natural Skills:
Survival: Apprentice
Savagery: Apprentice
Biotraits [1/4]:
Disease Resistance [Source: Vile Concoction]
Extra Limb (Arachnid), x4 [Source: Variant]
Venomous Mandibles [Source: Variant]
Multi-eye [Mutations: Magnified, Night Vision; Source: Variant]
Hardened Chitin
Transformations:
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
Claws
Dark Vision
Other:
Variant: Arachnid Traits
Klaw
True Name: Klaw
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: Bugbear [ +3 Str, +1 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Rough Fur; Small Size]
Monster Level: 7
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 8
Will: 9
Charm: 8
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Ability: Mighty Strength
Skills(0/2):
System Aptitude: 1
Burst of Strength: 1
Attribute Boost: Strength (+2)
Notable Natural Skills:
Savagery: Apprentice
Biotraits (0/7):
Base size: Standard [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Claws [Mutations: Forged, Retractable]
Dense Muscle Fibers
Rough Fur [Mutations: Insulating Fur; Source: Bugbear]
Dense Bone
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 constitution
Fire-proof Scales
Claws [Mutation added: Burning]
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
+2 constitution
Dark Vision
Notable Gear:
Mountain Heart Armor
Elyndris
True Name: Elyndris
Soul: Monster
Genseed: Larva [ 1 Str, 1 Dex, 1 Con, 1 Int, 1 Wil, 1 Cha; miniscule Size]
Monster Level: 6
Attributes (0/12):
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 15
Will: 7
Charm: 7
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [layered feats]
Act: Blasphemy
Ability: Mighty Intellect
Act: Vile Concoction
Skills (1/3):
Burst of Strength
Pounce
Biotraits (1/6):
Base size: Miniscule
Jaws
Enhanced Touch [Mutation: Tremor Sense]
Complex organs
Limbs [Mutation: Lesser Wings]
Disease Resistance [Source: Vile Concoction]
Transformations:
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
+2 constitution
Jaws [Mutation: Powerful Jaws]
Other:
Curse: Ungenesis
