As they both settled down to eat the elf, Vindicia considered that if she had thought about backing out, she couldn't now. She could feel her body rapidly changing by whatever magic Slate had wrought on her. The experience was both terrifying and exhilarating. This was the first actual proof that Slate could bring about the change that he promised. What could this pregnancy be but a genuine miracle delivered by the deity that he served.
Slate and Vindicia finished their meal soon after. One body didn't go quite as far when there were two of them. "Well," he said. "Let's take care of the last one." They stood up, and Vindicia weaved her fingers into his playfully.
With a bloody smile, she said playfully, "Let's." Slate was confused by the rapid transformation. He wondered if the mutations were having an effect on more than her body.
Slate didn't know how this alliance would work between the two of them, but at that moment he had a small hope that it would become something positive. Glancing at his status sheet, he decided to level some of his mutations before they attacked the last one. He quickly leveled his paralytic to III he had almost expended all of his biomass.
Chapter 8: The Birth of a Parasite
As the sky was beginning to lighten and the two hunters were tracking their last prey, Merus made himself known once more.You probably shouldn't have done that. Merus said subdued. Looking to where Vindicia was walking in front of him by a few paces, Slate lowered his voice.
"I don't know that I had much choice."
You always have a choice. Merus replied stubbornly.
"You're right. I could have killed her, but my instincts were telling me I shouldn't." Slate said.
What fucking instinct, Slate? I'm the only voice in your head. Merus was practically shouting, and Slate frowned.
He knew the elf had a point, but he felt that he had made the right decision. He just couldn't explain how he knew he had made the right decision. That wouldn't soothe the elf. To be honest, it made him uncomfortable. He wasn't the type to make decisions based off gut instincts. He had the feeling that a certain immortal was involved.
Merus took advantage of the silence. She's dangerous, Slate. Vindicia is the best warrior in the Wyldwood for a reason. It isn't just because of her physical prowess. It's because she's calculating and willing to go to lengths that others wouldn't. I've never seen her perform magic so quickly before. She's been hiding how adept she is. The elf searched for a way to communicate what worried him so much. I used to think I outstripped her when it came to magic, she demonstrated that I was wrong. This is my body too. You might be able to move on, but if she betrays you, I die.
Slate didn't tell Merus that was precisely the reason that he wasn't worried. He would survive any coup that Vindicia could attempt. He tried a different tact instead. "She had no reason to." He said lowly. "I can offer her everything she's ever wanted at little personal cost to her."
Merus disagreed. She has one reason. He said darkly. You didn't just beat her or kill her; you violated her. She's lived her whole life trying to become the best warrior, and she's damn near succeeded. You shattered that perception of herself. What makes you think that common interest is enough to keep you alive?
Slate thought about the question before replying. "Because she cares more about her vengeance than she does about being a warrior. One is simply a tool to accomplish the other. I'm promising a better tool, and once I deliver on the revenge she desperately craves, she'll have no reason to betray me."
He continued. "She's a warrior with a mission. When her reason for vengeance has evaporated, she'll be searching for a new purpose to cling to. I'll be sure to be there with a new purpose. One that benefits me and strengthens the Scourge. In my opinion, all the things that you've cited as reasons to fear her just make her a more suitable to be the Mother of the Scourge."
Merus thought that Slate was too confident in himself, but he had to admire the way that the parasite's mind worked. It was almost scary the way that Slate was planning to manipulate Vindicia to conform to his wheel. Merus felt as if he were watching a spider spinning a web for potential prey. He wondered if Slate were spinning a web for him as well and supposed that the parasite must be.
His was an entirely different trap. Was it still a trap if you knew what it was and when it was coming? Merus couldn't be sure of the answer to that question. He had almost willingly sided with Slate against his own people because their interests aligned. He could imagine a world where Vindicia would do the same thing.
Slate's next words broke Merus from his thoughts. "You saw her stomach, I presume?" He asked quietly.
I did. Merus answered. What does it mean? He questioned.
"I'm not sure." Slate said honestly. "But she's acted differently since it started to grow. It's not much, but I would bet that her transformation will affect more than just her body."
Merus seemed confused. Why do you think that? That seems a leap in logic.
"It isn't really. I know I'm different than I used to be. Even as a warrior in my world, I can't imagine doing the things to another living creature that I've done since occupying this form." He reflected on his own condition. "I've felt more alive in the last three days than I have in the last thirty years. I bet Vindicia will feel the same way."
Both men were silent, lost in their own thoughts. Merus had to admit that the last twenty-four hours had been like riding on the back of rampaging bear knowing that if he let go, he would become its meal. It was frightening and yet exhilarating. He felt like finally something was happening in this old forest to shake it up. It was chaotic and dangerous, but like a wildfire, it was required for there to be new growth in the woods. He felt strangely proud to be a part of the change.
Do you think the others in Woodhaven will feel the same way? He asked Slate.
"It's likely." He replied. "Sure, there will always be those who don't want to fall in line and can't see the direction the wind is blowing." Slate wondered how much he should reveal of his plans to Merus. He decided to be partially honest. "Your people are ready for someone to free them. I think the Scourge and the elves of the Wyldwood will have a prosperous future together." His tone turned bloodthirsty. "It's the rest of the world that needs to be concerned.
Merus went silent as he considered the ramifications of Slate's. If life turned out the way that Slate thought it was going to, they would become so much more than a fire in the forest. It would be a flame that would sweep through the whole world. Something about the idea appealed to him. He supposed that everyone wanted to be a part of something larger than themselves. It provided purpose and context for their otherwise meaningless lives.
Sensing that Merus had nothing left to say, for now, Slate skipped ahead to come abreast with Vindicia. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Merus had been right to counsel him against trusting the female elf. Even if Slate wasn't afraid of her, that didn't mean he wouldn't remain vigilant. It was one thing to train a fox.
It was another thing entirely to let a fox guard the henhouse. As long as he didn't put Vindicia into a position where she had to choose between him or her interests, the incentives remained on his side.
Without talking, they picked up their pace to a light jog, they knew that their target was close and that they would easily catch him before the light fully came up. As they trotted through the forest, words came unbidden to Slate's mouth.
"What are you thinking?" Vindicia flashed him a coy smile over her shoulder. "How to kill the last Guardian?"
Slate looked at her dumbly, not expecting the casual response. "Oh." Slate responded lamely.
He wasn't sure what he had wanted her to say, but it wasn' that. He was more irritated by his own response. What the fuck was that. You're a goddamned politician. How the fuck do you say something like 'Oh,' you fucking idiot! He mentally berated himself.
He cleared his throat. "What I meant to say is, how are you adjusting to the recent changes?" This time she didn't glance at him, merely weaving her way through the for
ested obstacles. This continued for a few moments before she answered.
"I don't like the fact that you defeated me. I'm suspicious of your promises, and if you don't deliver them to me in their entirety, I'm going to do my best to kill you." She went on, oblivious to anything he might say in response. "At the same time, my body feels like it's been struck by lightning, and the sheer amount of energy I have is overwhelming. My whole body is tingling with power, and I know that's because of whatever is growing inside of me." She spoke thoughtfully as if tasting each word before she said it. "If this is the beginning of you fulfilling your promises to me, then maybe I won't have to kill you after all."
"That's fair." Slate said. He replied simply. That had been more of what he had been expecting. It was in line with his expectations. He was somewhat surprised that she seemed as reasonable as she did. She must be experiencing an intense burst of power to talk about her willingness to kill him so frankly. He said as much out loud.
She abruptly halted, and Slate had to scramble a couple more steps before stopping as well. She walked up to him slowly and drove her finger into his chest. "I've always lived by the will of the Wyldwood. The strong kill the weak, and the whole forest prospers." She stared directly into his eyes, and he could feel the intensity in her gaze. He knew that she was being completely, brutally honest.
"My whole life, no one has beaten me. I was easily set to become the strongest of the Guardians. Even if I hadn't sabotaged their connection to the forest. No one in this entire village could have defeated me but somehow, you did. A lesser warrior would blame it on trickery but I’m not a lesser warrior. Cunning is its own type of strength; as I well know."
She took a settling breath before continuing. "You didn't make me participate in the Reaping, I chose to. You didn't make me a Guardian, I earned it. You didn't choose to attack me, I chose to attack you." She snarled. "You won in a fair contest, but now that you've chosen to save me, I get to choose how I die. If it's trying to kill you after you break a promise to me, then that's how I'll gladly go."
Her anger made her shudder. "I don't know how this is going to turn out. But what I do know is that it's going to be the result of my own actions. I'll remain loyal to you as long as you remain loyal to me. That's what separates an honorable warrior from an oathbreaker. You earned the life of a warrior when you defeated me. No more or no less."
Slate studied her with appraising eyes. He liked the fire that he saw in her spirit. "I earned a Queen." he said in a soft voice. She met his eyes, trying to spot the lie. Luckily, there hadn't been one, and she nodded once.
She turned and took off running into the forest and Slate dumbly watched her go.
Merus felt a moment of pity for Slate. Oh...you're fucked. He said with a small measure of awe.
Slate rolled his eyes and took off into the forest after her. After the number of conversations he had been a part of this evening, he was ready to kill something to blow off some steam. His current self wasn't used to this cycle of kill, run, talk. Once again, he lamented for the simpler days of killing spiders and beetles; at least they didn't talk back.
He caught up to Vindicia quickly, he could tell that she had slowed her pace to allow him to catch up without overly exerting himself. She was indeed the perfect pack hunter. Using their shared connection to the Wyldwood They could feel their place in relation to each other as they swept through the forest. Soon enough, they had arrived close enough to their target for Slate to begin sensing him. They slowed to a walk and then to a crouch as they could hear a rhythmic and metallic sound coming from just in front of them.
It seemed that they had found themselves in front of the target again. Slate thought about circling around him and ambushing him, but looking at the sky, he realized they didn't have much time. He met Vindicia's waiting eyes, and she gave him an assenting nod as they crept forward. They kept themselves hidden behind trees and broad brush as they closed in. The stopped once they reached a perimeter of a small clearing. The halfway light of sunrise ruined their night vision while still cloaking their prey.
Slate activated his mana vision to get a better look. Immediately, Merus began to camly provide information on the target. That's Hurgod Treeripper. He's a massive but stupid brute. He earned his name by ripping a whole tree from the ground a year before his coming of age. He was selected to be a Guardian the first year he was the applicable age.
Without speaking to Slate, Vindicia revealed herself to the waiting warrior. Slate was coming to think of this maneuver as bait and kill. Vindicia would distract whatever unfortunate man became their target with her ethereal beauty, and Slate would kill them for the pleasure of looking upon her naked flesh. With a lilting voice, she caught the hulking Guardian's attention.
"Oh, Hurgod." she crooned. The elf, sharpening a giant ax, while sitting on a stump looked up at her stupidly.
Slate had to chuckle internally at the Looney Toons style bait. As those thoughts percolated in his mind, the elf stood up, and Slate mouth involuntarily hung agape. Merus hadn't been kidding when he warned that Hurgod was a brute. An average wood elf seemed to be slightly shorter than the average human. They all seemed to be just under six feet tall. This elf was a giant compared to the rest of his kind. He looked maybe seven and a half feet tall, and Slate was reasonably sure that his biceps had biceps. The elf was a perfect specimen of masculine musculature. The dumbass seemed to know it too.
Hurgod casually flexed his muscles as he lifted an absurdly large ax carved from stone and placed it across his shoulders. Even then, he kept a bicep and chest flexed. He wasn't wearing any clothing either, and Slate felt momentary jealousy at the three limbs the gargantuan elf sprouted below the waist. Slate narrowed his eyes, the elf looked like he had been sweating or intentionally oiled himself down to look as pleasing to the eye as possible. This elf needed to die just on principle.
"Ah, Vindicia," the elf said with a deep and slow voice. "It is good to see you here, have you decided to give up to Hurgod Treeripper?" He said his own name as if it were the title of an ancient monarch. Slate wanted to rip out the insufferable man's throat and shove it up his ass.
Slate was creeping through the small grass on his belly. He resembled the serpent he was before infecting Merus. He groaned aloud on accident at the giant's stupidself-agrandizing tone.
Hurgod grunted at the noise and looked around. "’was that?" He asked. Slate cursed himself in his head as Vindicia covered his mistake.
"Hurgod, it's just the sounds of the forest. Certainly not something that someone so mighty as you should be worried about." She practically purred the sentence and Slate found himself illogically growing annoyed at how she was speaking to him.
Hurgod turned with a stupid smile plastered across his mug. "You are right, Vindicia." He looked up at the sky. With pig-like intelligence he looked back at the female elf, his beady eyes clearly drinking in her nude body. "We have some time before sunrise, and I should claim my victory before we return to Woodhaven." He took some bumbling steps toward Vindicia and she remained still as a statue. The elf's path brought him into striking range of Slates tail.
Slate wasn't sure what the most efficient attack on the giant would be. He couldn't have the opportunity to use the ax, it could cause too much damage. They also couldn't allow him any mobility. His fists and legs were weapons all themselves. Deciding what to do, he hoped that Vindicia would know how to coordinate her own attack. He trusted that she did, their spiritual bond seemed perfect for this kind of communication.
As the giant lumbered another step closer, Slate took the opportunity to attack while he had one foot still lifted from the ground. Slate jumped on the elf's back and whipped his tail in a sweeping crescent swipe. His blade went across and through the giant left Achilles tendon, and the weight of Slate on the giants back made him fall backward.
Hurgod lost grip of his ax and the massive instrument, went flying through the air to plant itself into the earth. Slate began to wrap his body around H
urgod's upper limbs as he began to thrash and scream. Slate positioned himself into a side armbar for one arm and his tail wrapped around the other, similarly restricting it.
Vindicia began to run forward to assist Slate. He considered using his tail to rip one of his opponent's arms in half, but Hurgod was so big, that it was quite possible that the freedom would allow him to pick up Slate whole body with one arm and pound him into the ground. He didn't want to become a parasite pancake, so he decided to wait on Vindicia's assistance instead, and she didn't disappoint.
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