by Ian Rodgers
His emotions were sincere. I could feel them, brushing against my mind. The sentiment was echoed by both Sistia and Valen. Though in the latter’s case I still felt some lingering doubts regarding my purpose here.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” I bowed my ‘head,’ and suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.
This was it. I had done it. I’d found the talking Oozes. But was it worth it? A small, traitorous part of me said no, it wasn’t. They weren’t like me at all. I could tell just by looking at them. They were preexisting souls shoved into an Ooze’s body. Their souls remembered what they’d looked like, and shaped themselves accordingly. But not me. Similar, but different.
I was still all alone.
Pallo seemed to detect my distress, so he glanced over at the two people sitting on either side of him before issuing instructions. “Our new friends, and our old one, are likely tired from their trip. Sistia, Valen, would you please take them to the spare rooms? And if they feel up to it, later you can show them around Haven.”
“Of course, Pallo,” Sistia said cheerfully, while Valen just nodded his assent.
“This way. We have a few rooms not being used you can rest in. We can bring in beds if you need,” Sistia offered as she stood.
“That’s fine, no need to trouble yourselves,” I said. “We can just us our sleeping bags.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all! They might not be the fanciest, but they’ll be cozy!” the chipper Soul Ooze woman declared.
We departed, but I was paying little attention at that point. My head was drowning in moroseness. Rosa, sensing my mood, patted me on the head sympathetically, trying to cheer me up. I couldn’t help but smile at her gesture, and I reached up and rubbed her head fondly. She beamed at the affection, and I felt a little bit better.
Chapter 9: A little piece of Haven
“…and over here is the well! Because we’re so close to the Oldgrowth Marsh, we have an abundant source of water! It’s not the cleanest, especially when the marsh floods in the spring and fall, but we’ve layered several purification spells over the source, so the water is nice and drinkable!”
I was looking around the village of Haven with an appraising and curious eye. The whole place was even more amazing from the inside!
Sistia, as one of the three head honchos of the village, was happily showing off everything to us. We were honored guests, after all. Katherine was especially welcome, as she had not only helped the Soul Oozes set up this home, but had assisted in freeing them from Baloron’s clutches.
As we walked through the town the tiny thief received numerous waves, smiles, and hearty thanks from the various townsfolk who spotted her.
“You’ve really made impressive strides in the layout,” Katherine praised as she looked around at the village. “Proper drainage, well-made streets and houses, sturdy defenses… it’s all very neat and orderly. Hard to believe you did all this in less than five years. Even some towns that are decades old don’t have this level of competent design.”
“We all had a lot of time to think of what we wanted for a home,” Sistia explained. “Haven was built to not only be safe and secure, but able to be expanded easily in the future. Right now, everything here is the bare minimum. We hope to have real infrastructure and buildings within another five years!”
“Magic and our unique physiology also helped a lot,” Valen added from his spot next to Katherine. He and the dwarf had been inseparable during the tour, the two rarely going more than a foot from each other’s side.
“With our above average magical powers, we were able to clear out large swathes of land needed for construction quickly, as well as raise the buildings. And the monsters that tried to attack stood no chance against our spells! Not to mention, thanks to our bodies, we can eat practically anything, so food was never a problem.”
Valen scratched his chin absentmindedly. “In fact, if it weren’t for our bodies, we’d never have made it this far. Besides being able to live off of anything, even rocks and wood, our bodies can produce all kinds of interesting substances, like poisons, acids, healing goop and a type of tar-like glue that’s great for making pseudo-cement. It all helped in speeding up the rate at which we could construct the settlement.”
Sistia nodded eagerly. “We hope to someday be able to use these items we make as a means of supporting ourselves, selling them as trade goods to the other colonial settlements, spreading our name and fame.”
Everyone nodded slowly at her words. They were ambitious, but practical. Keeping themselves isolated would only bring trouble. It was better for the citizens of Haven to slowly open up to the rest of the world, bringing trade and acceptance to the Soul Oozes. If the other minority races like Ursines, merfolk, and even gnomes could find their place on Erafore, then surely the Soul Oozes could as well.
“You know, I was surprised when I arrived to detect so many Soul Oozes,” I commented after a moment, looking around at the inhabitants of Haven. “I thought it would only be a few dozen at best. Not a town’s worth.”
There must have been close to two hundred humanoid Oozes walking around, doing chores or carrying out repairs. And there were many more inside the buildings. About as many inside and out of sight as there were out and about.
“There used to be more,” Sistia said quietly, a somberness suffusing her words. Her regrets were numerous, and the sorrow was evident even without my enhanced empathy.
“Baloron made over three thousand of us for his sick and twisted experiments,” Valen said, clenching his fists tight. “By the time we escaped to Drakon, a little less than five hundred of us remained.”
“Just how many people did he murder over the years to accumulate that many souls?” I whispered in dread.
“Too many. Far, far too many.” Valens words were true, and he was tensed up and wound tight as a spring. Katherine reached out and held onto his hands comfortingly, letting the defender of Haven relax slightly.
The mood in our little tour group turned dark, and none of us were sure of what to do next. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. It was Rosa who broke the tension first, her enchanting laughter rolling over the party.
(Look! More Oozes to play with!)
In the back of the village a collection of chicken coops sat in a fenced off area. However, instead of chickens or other poultry, a number of Oozes were being raised, ranging from common ones to rarer Green and Stone. Even a Swamp Ooze was there, its dark brown body with black core blending in well with the bare dirt of the coop.
As we approached, Rosa could be seen riding around atop one of the Green Oozes as if it were a mount. And though it moved at a pace even a snail would consider slow, the Carbuncle looked to be having a grand old time.
“Rosa, I’ve told you not to wander off on your own,” I scolded, not even having noticed she had left my side during the tour. She just waved off my concerns and continued to ride the nature-loving Ooze.
“Is there any particular reason you’re raising these Oozes?” I asked, curious. Princess Liliana was interested in more information about Oozes, just like I was, and she was determined to find more uses for them than just as potion ingredients.
“There are a few, actually,” Sistia said, eager to discuss a topic that wasn’t as painful to remember. “Did you know that various Oozes can be used in various ways?”
“Of course. Green Oozes, if left alone in a field, will gradually improve its yield and reduce soil nutrient depletion. Stone Oozes can secrete a cement-like substance that’s great for building, and Swamp Oozes can eat trash and waste, making them perfect for keeping a place clean,” I said, recounting some of the data I’d collected over my travels.
Everyone looked at me, surprised, and I shrugged. “Princess Liliana is interested in Oozes. Habits, alternate uses, stuff like that. Did you know that if a common Ooze ingests enough Soapstones, bleach, and other substances used for cleaning, it becomes a Perfume Ooze that n
ot only eats foul odors, but can eat dirt from clothes and dishes?”
A round of slack jawed, shaking heads greeted my reply. “Oh. Well, they can. That last one is actually the result of Princess Liliana’s own experiments into Ooze biology.”
Although Sistia and Valen looked put-off by the thought of someone else conducting experiments on Oozes, they at least were willing for me to explain.
“Is it really so surprising? Do you really think the princess would just sit around and wait for me to collect all the data? She’s a very active girl, and gets things done on her own!” I said, annoyed by the timid nods the people in the group gave. I know some, Ok, a lot of other nobles were not all gung-ho about hands-on learning, but Liliana was different, after all. The way people seemed to think of my dear owner and her family angered me slightly, so I set the record straight whenever I could.
“Anyways, she’s done some basic study on her own back at the Academy. How much does an Ooze need to eat before it evolves or reproduces by division, how big can different species get, et cetera,” I continued. “I was just surprised to see someone else have the same ideas as her.”
“We have a connection to other Oozes,” Sistia said, speaking quickly to cover her and her companion’s faux pas. “We discovered it while we were hiding around Crotia and the Dullwilds. Watch.”
She held out her hand, and an expression of concentration appeared on her face. One of the regular Oozes went still before sliding over to the edge of the fence towards the humanoid Ooze who had summoned it.
“See? We can call on them and command them to do simple things, like ‘eat this,’ ‘don’t eat that,’ ‘go here,’ ‘secrete your fluids now,’ and so forth,” Sistia said as she leaned down and pet the pale blue slimeball.
“Interesting,” I said, intrigued. I knew Oozes were attracted to my presence, thanks to me being a Royal Ooze, but because I could not communicate with them I’d never tried to impose my will on them. Was this a skill I could learn? It would certainly make studying Oozes much easier if I could call on them as I pleased.
“We raise a few of them precisely for the reasons you stated earlier,” Valen said. “At first, we saw them as pests, but never did anything to them. Just like everyone else. It was only when one of the younger Soul Oozes was playing around with one and telling it what to do that we realized we could control them. And, after thinking on it some more, we figured we could cultivate them, like chickens or other domesticated animals. They don’t need much, and as long as we keep their little area warm with spells they won’t freeze in the winter.”
“Clever. Very clever,” I praised. “But, don’t you think it’s weird? Oozes farming other Oozes?”
“We might originate from similar stock, but we’re vastly different,” Valen said flatly. “Like how humans in Distant Qwan and Val’Narash train monkeys to do things for them in exchange for food and shelter, we Soul Oozes are using lesser Oozes for our own ends, but with mutual benefits. They get their own food and shelter, and we get their byproducts.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed after thinking it over. “But, do you mind if I ask how Baloron made you?”
I’d hesitated for a long time about asking this question, but I felt the mood was right. Sistia did not look or feel too worried or insulted over the question, and even Valen was mostly willing, now that he knew the princess and I were not conspiring to create more.
“A lot of the process we either do not know, or is too dangerous to mention,” the head of Haven’s security eventually stated. “But what I can say is that the two main components were souls, as you likely already know, and a special breed of Ooze Baloron made called Dire Oozes.”
Suddenly, the black slime and red core made sense. Ordinary animals that ingested too much magical energy mutated. Their skin and fur, or scales, or feathers, would turn pitch black, while their eyes would become a sinister, glowing red. They were often found in places with extreme levels of ambient mana, like ancient forests or caves, or around lay lines or other founts of raw magic.
However, given that Oozes themselves were made of mostly solidified magic and grew and reproduced when they consumed more of it, I’d thought consuming too much was an impossibility.
I mentioned as much to my guides, and Sistia chuckled darkly in agreement. “Yes, that’s all true. The Dark Druid found a way, though. This was done by isolating us in specially sealed rooms completely devoid of magical energy while feeding us mana drugged foods. He forced us to ingest more magical energy than we could handle in a single sitting, which forced us to mutate rapidly to accommodate to the new, mana-less environment while also possessing more mana of our own.”
She shivered as she recalled those dark days. “It was… an unpleasant experience. Like being in a sensory deprivation chamber while starving, and then forced to eat till we exploded.”
“Anyways, us Soul Oozes are descended from Baloron’s Dire Oozes. And that’s all we’re willing to say on the matter,” Valen said, stepping into the conversation and putting a comforting arm around Sistia’s shoulders. Her trembling stopped soon after.
“Understood. And thank you for what you did reveal. I apologize for making you remember that dark time,” I said, bowing my head apologetically towards the pair. They nodded, accepting my words.
We spent some more time around the Ooze Patch, as their little spot was called, before making our way back to the town hall as dusk fell across the land. Rosa reluctantly parted with her newfound squishy friends, but she was appeased when I reminded her we’d be here for the foreseeable future, and would have all the time to play later.
“Now that I am here, is there anything I can do to help around the place?” I inquired as we returned.
“There’s always something that needs done. But was there anything you had in mind?” Valen asked.
“While I am more than willing to do any sort of chore, I do have another reason for being in Drakon,” I revealed. “I need to train. To grow more powerful. And the fierce wildlife here is perfect for such a task. I was wondering if there are any dangerous nests of monsters that need exterminating?”
Valen scratched his chin as he thought it over. “Well, there are one or two spots nearby that have had problems. A mining town a bit to the north mentioned something about burrowing monsters causing problems, and there’s a farming community less than a day from here that could use some help with beasts. From the looks of your badge you’re a registered C-rank adventurer, so you shouldn’t have much problem with their requests.”
I nodded, and made a mental note to investigate those places soon. But for now, I would help around Haven and get to know the Soul Oozes better. They might not have been what I’d wanted to find, but I still felt a connection with them, and wanted to at least try to see if I fit in with them.
.
I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Trying to find beings who were similar to myself had driven me hard, but now that it was all over, the tension drained out of me. I briefly wondered if this was what an adrenaline crash was like for those who had such things, and decided that if that was the case, I was glad I didn’t have hormones and various other things ending with -one in their name surging through my veins. They seemed like a hassle. And I had enough problems already without biology meddling with my mind.
But there I was, settled down for the night, and eager to slip into dreamland. But I held off, and entered my mindscape instead, and prepared to Astral Project myself into my clone back in Orria.
The next thing I knew, I was inside the glass aquarium my copy called home. I hoisted myself out and landed on the desk the tank was placed on, before giving the area a quick look-around. Immediately I noticed I was in Liliana’s room, but that it was also rather dark. The curtains were drawn, and there was not a candle or magic lamp in sight. The only light came from a glowing green gem stuck inside a lead grey fairy. Verde, my owner’s Carbuncle Familiar, was sleeping soundly next to the princess in a miniature bed of his own tha
t had probably originally been made for a dollhouse. As for the larger, human-sized bed in the room, the sheets covered up a body beneath them.
Soft, dainty snores came from the two beds, and I realized I had arrived later at night than I’d expected. It took me a while, but I finally remember what Arnolt had said about differences in time and such when traveling great distances. Something about the way the sun moved in conjunction with Erafore, and how it was daytime in some places but not others.
To be honest, I’d tuned a lot of that rambling out and let Tara handle it. Arnolt was a great teacher when it came to teaching magic and other arcane matters, but mundane topics were a chore and a half to listen to when they came from him.
I jiggled, imitating a shaking a head, and quickly grew several tendrils and grabbed a couple quills. I then tackled the mountain of homework that had piled up over the days I’d been gone.
Thank the gods for being able to see in the dark, and the ability to multitask with half a dozen limbs!
As I scribbled away at the various scrolls of paper that were my assignments, a muffled grumble and shuffling sound startled me, and I spun around to see Liliana sitting up from her bed.
“Jelly? Is that you?” she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
I said nothing, just continued to work, and hoped she would go back to bed. She didn’t, and in the pale glow of her Familiar turned nightlight, she got out of the bed and shuffle-stumbled over to me.
She plopped down into the chair next to the desk and scooped me up, cuddling me close.
“Soft,” she murmured as she held me in her arms, and I held back a sigh. I put the quills down and retracted my limbs, deciding to put do the homework later. I wouldn’t be getting anything done while she continued to hug me, and to be honest, I was secretly glad she had awoken. I needed this feeling of unconditional love and support after the day I had just gotten through.
