Chapter 29 - Returning

I land after a few hours of flight. I'm simply too angry to fly straight. Setting down the bag of Draugr, I approach a nearby tree. Judging from the height and width of it, it's very old. The bark looks tough, perfect for what I have in mind.

Rearing up on my hind legs, I firmly plant my claws in the bark and start shredding it. Swishing my tails back and forth as I do so, I envision the faces of those stupid representatives in the bark. Once I'm satisfied, a deep gouge mars the tree. By my feet is a small pile of wood chippings and bark fragments.

I breathe a heavy sigh, I can't quite shake the feeling of anger, but at least I'm not fuming anymore. I should try to relax once I get back to my lair, according to what Grim told me, negative feelings affect monsters physically. And I've been feeling a lot of negative feelings lately, no wonder I feel terrible.

I pick up the Draugr again, double checking to make sure the cold isn't harming them. They might just be brainless puppets, but they're my brainless puppets and I intend to take good care of them. Seems that they're holding up for now. Doing some quick travel calculations, I could either pull an all nighter and arrive tomorrow, or sleep for the night and arrive at sundown tomorrow...

I'm paranoid about leaving my Lair alone for too long, so I decide to beeline for it. After all, I've hardly spent time in it since making it.

Seems things have been happening in the grove since I left. The clearing is a bit bigger, with some stumps still left over from where the trees once stood. All around the clearing sits what at first glance looks like grassy mounds, but further inspection reveals an opening in each one. Are they houses?

I count five mounds, with a sixth one in the process of being made. Seems it's half embedded in the earth, with a wooden frame, then a layer of stones, before it is all topped off by covering it in soil. In addition, they've transplanted grass and moss onto the soil to camouflage the house from above.

I can sense two Servants in each mound, probably a Jotun-Gyger pair in each. All of them are asleep still, as the sun has just barely started to rise. The Huldr seems to be in the cave beneath the tree. I quietly make my way into it, dropping off the Draugr and letting them go back to normal size.

They immediately wander into the deepest part of the cave before settling down. I guess they prefer the dark.

"Ah, Master..." I turn to see a slightly bed-headed Huldr getting up from a pile of pelts. She groggily rubs her eyes before stretching for a yawn.

"Apologies for waking you. I saw you've been busy whilst I was away." I walk over to her and settle down. "No, no, it's okay, the Voice said you'd be back soon." She says as she clings onto my furry forelimb. Which Voice?

*This Skill has taken the liberty of providing tactical support for your Servants whilst the user has been away. As this Skill is also an expression of the World, one could say it is omnipresent.*

How convenient. Though I guess you wont tell me anything happening in the World outside of where I'm currently at?

*Correct. Be glad for the utility this Skill provides.*

Be happy with that you got, I see. Oh well.

"So, what have you been up to whilst I was away?" I ask the Huldr. "Oh, lots of things happened! Uh, also you've got visitors coming around midday today..." I choose to ignore that last bit for now. "Please, tell me all about it." I tell her.

My mind fills with her memories.

Seems the first day was spent weaving, only interrupted by food. Around noon the second day she ran out of silk, so she decided to explore the surrounding area. Encountering one of the Trolls, she climbs on top of its stony form. Once bored of this, she continues exploring.

Suddenly she scrambles to hide behind a tree. Four Goblins emerge from the brush. A hunting party? Oh to think there's a Goblin tribe here! I've got to meet them! Seems they spotted her though, they ran away... Nothing interesting happens for the rest of that day.

On the third day there's a meeting among the Jotun, Gyger and the Huldr. "We can't live in Masters' cave forever, we should make our own dwellings." The biggest Jotun said. "But how do we make them?" A Gyger asked. "What if we ask the villagers? Maybe they'll teach us?" Huldr suggested.

The others considered for a moment, before agreeing. "Then Huldr should go ask them. She is the least scary looking." The biggest Jotun said. They all looked towards her, she couldn't very well say no, could she? It was her idea after all.

So, she traveled to the village. Since she looks like a Beastfolk woman, they let her into the village. Of course, she was quickly revealed by Myra and her Eyes of Knowing. Using her limited knowledge of Common, she's somehow able to relay the request. After considering for a moment, Myra gave her some schematics on how to construct a "Hilly".

Seems these "Hillies" are an old way of quickly making secure dwellings that can withstand the elements. Used primarily as hunting shelters, they seemed perfect for the needs of the Servants. Myra then tells her that in return for this, she wants me to allow some researchers to conduct a field study within my Lair.

At this point, World Knowledge informs Huldr that I'd not mind her agreeing to this. Oh how things change. I'd love to just spend some time in peace and quiet, not having humanoids near me for a good long while... So Huldr agrees to this, and I guess today is the day the researchers arrive.

The rest of the time is spent overseeing the construction of the housing for my Servants. As the fog of sharing her memories fade, she nervously looks to me. "The Voice told me it was okay, but you seem upset, Master." Her voice in my head is filled with worry. "I'm just tired, I flew all night to get here sooner." I lie.

She looks me in the eyes. It's a bit awkward, as to look into both sets, she has to look up and down repeatedly. "Master's lying." She states. "Why?" She asks me. I hesitate for a moment. "I met with the King of the country this Lair is in. He had set up a meeting between representatives of the neighboring countries." I explain.

"Sounds important. But why would that make you upset?" She asks, tilting her head at me. "Well, what upset me was what happened at that meeting..." I quickly share my memory of it. Her ears fold flat against her head, her mouth grimacing into an angry scowl. "How DARE they?!" I flinch from her reaction.

"Ah, please, forgive my outburst." She quickly apologizes. "Master must be furious! But how kind of Master to let them live, despite their transgressions against you." She looks me over. "Master is very nice." She smiles, her ears still flat against her head in anger. "Perhaps I'm just foolish. But honestly, I let the King have a piece of my mind for that. I'll not be doing him any favors if I can help it." I sigh, letting myself slump over onto my side.

"I'll try to sleep at least a little until those researchers come around. Please wake me once they're here." I tell her before I curl up to try to sleep.

Hm? Where's this?

A misty cavern, the walls obscured in darkness.

In the middle of it sits... Me?

"Indeed! I'm you!" The Other Me smiles as best it can. It flicks its tails in delight. I slowly get closer, my movements feel like molasses. "Or, well, I'm more like your dark self. The evil twin, maybe." It tilts its head at me.

"I-is this due to that Skill?" I ask, stopping when I'm a body-length away from this Other Me. "Hmm, maybe. I've always been here though. I guess that Skill is what made you aware of me." It looks me up and down. "So that's why I've had those... urges." I think back to the fight with the spies, or when I scared the Aurellium guard.

"Yes! That was me peeking through your facade!" A gleeful grimace fills its face. "Now that I think about it, I might be your monstrous side, actually. Makes sense, no? Considering you're a Human stuck in a monsters body? There's got to be some monster instincts somewhere in that noggin of yours." It looks me intently in the eyes.

I hadn't considered that. I just thought the stress of the situation gave me intrusive thoughts. "But now that you've got the Divergent Mind Skill, I can come out whenever you'd like!" It wags its tails, clearly exited about this. "I'm not going to use that Skill." I tell it.

The mist closes in.

"What do you mean? Imagine the damage output we'd be able to pull off with two of us! We'd be able to make full use of our Skills!" A hint of... desperation? fills its voice as it gets up on all fours. "I don't want to maximize my damage output though." I tell it.

The cavern shrinks.

"I thought you loved setting up optimal strategies? Like in those games you'd play for hours and hours in your previous life? Why not do that here?" It takes a step towards me. "Because this is a real World. Imagine the chaos I'd unleash! Imagine if any of my friends got hurt because of me!" I take a hesitant step backwards.

The darkness envelops all, leaving a small spotlight illuminating our bodies.

"If you keep doing what you're doing, you're definitely going to do that all on your own." It states, getting right up in my face. "W-what do you mean?" I stammer, trying to back away, only to hit a cavern wall.

"I mean, look at yourself. You're already Degrading." It blinks away, a mirrored surface appearing in its place. It's reflecting my form, with my Other Self appearing beside me. I gasp. My previously cream fur is a dull shade of grey. The scales covering one side of my body are tattered and graying as well, some spots are even starting to grow strange, jutting spikes.

I quickly look myself over to make sure this isn't just some trick, no- my fur is really that color, my scales are faded and tattered. "Wh-what's this? Why-?" I start panicking. "Quite simple, really. Our body is starting to degrade from your emotional turmoil." A sly look comes over Its' eyes.

"Seems that you being used to being able to feel whatever, whenever, meshes poorly with a monsters sensitivity to strong emotions." It explains. "H-how do I stop this?!" I beg for an answer. "Well, if We act fast, We should be able to reverse the damage that's already done. Just activate that Skill, and I'll do my best to fix Us." I hesitate. "I'd never do anything to upset myself, now would I? Even better, I'd never do anything to harm myself either. Promise." It grimaces again, trying to smile an earnest smile despite Its wonky mouth.

I steady my breathing. I take a deep breath before activating the Divergent Mind Skill.

The world shatters as something gives in my head.

I wake up.

I calm my breathing.

Looking around, I'm still in my cave. Studying my own body, as far as I'm able to tell, no visual changes have occurred. Was it a trick?

"Not so much a trick as it was a prediction of the future."

...

Any surprise I feel is oddly muted. In fact, all my emotions feel subdued. What did It do?

"Well, I took care of that issue with emotions. By there being two of Us, there's half the emotions to go around. Also, I can do this!"

I hack and cough, something is lodged in my throat?

I quickly use Viscous Body, reaching within my own throat and removing a fist sized pearl.

"Drop it! Quickly!"

I drop it to the floor, it lands with a "tink". I inspect it.

*Malice Core - A rare substance formed in monsters. A gathering of impurities, be they physical or mental, that have been rejected by the body or the mind. Usually found in place of a heart within Hateful monsters.*

D-did We just make that or was that always there?

"Well, it wasn't a Core. So in a way... both?"

... Monster biology is a fucking mess, huh. What do I do with this thing then? Destroy it? Store it?

"Hm, well... I honestly didn't think that far ahead. If I'm being truthful, I didn't think it'd be that big either. Looks like you being gullible really saved Our bacon, huh!"

...

*Malice Cores are highly hazardous, and if left alone, can potentially seed a Dungeon Heart. Purifying it is the safest way to neutralize the danger it poses. Methods of Purifying include: Bathing it in a Divine Spring, offering it to an Oracle, or performing a cleansing ritual within a sanctified church of the Divine.

It should be safe to store within the Hidden Space Skill for now.*

Oh good. I store the Malice Core for now. Darn, now I've gotta find some spring or oracle or something. At least I feel better. Like I just managed to sneeze after losing five sneezes. So, now, what to do about It.

"I mean, It is a pretty lame name. You gotta give me something better."

Do that yourself. I'm going to go meet those researchers in the meanwhile.

"What, no! I'm terrible at names!"

But you're me, so then I'm equally terrible at names. Mull it over, then We can decide together later.

No response, but I feel my Other Self pouting in a corner of my mind. I sigh. Seems I've got another Me to keep tabs on, but at least the whole Degrading issue should be solved for now? I just have to, well, keep out of trouble. Something tells me that is going to be tough...

Somewhere

???

The Vessel buckles under the sudden strain of my emotions. Careful, you oaf! You'll break another one!

I steady my breathing. That fool King. Not only does he think She is his to control, he put Her under such duress too!

Something gives in the Vessel. A wet plop, and the left arm dangles uselessly.

I ignore the pain and the screams of the Vessel. I shed another Core. The Vessel calms down. The arm slowly dissolves and reforms, now covered in scales. See? Much better...

This one, this one is the one. Mmm yes, I can feel it. Just a bit longer, and I can launch the second phase. Just a bit longer, and I'll be one step closer to Her...

My Sister Dearest.