by Ian Rodgers
Liliana had brought me to the garden after worrying that I was spending too much time inside the castle. It had been fifteen days since I was purchased, and I had felt a bit cramped at times. So, while she was partaking in some lessons outdoors, Liliana allowed me to roam about in the garden for a bit.
Meandering through rows of hedges, flower bushes, and trimmed trees, I felt invigorated by the nature all around me. I tried to catch a bird at one point just to see if I could. It dodged my limp tentacle easily and flew off with twittering that sounded remarkably like laughter. If I could’ve shrugged, I would have. I was not really hungry, I just wanted to see if I could do anything with my squishy appendages.
Deciding that it would be a good idea to practice coordination with my limbs I began trying to pick flowers. After an hour I successfully managed to do so without dissolving the target while it was wrapped by my limb. My control over my bodily functions was progressing well. I bobbed a bit in place, proud of my latest achievement.
For lunch I gulped down some berries that had fallen from their branches. They were called “blueberries,” I believe, and were a bit on the spoiled side. That was what I get for grabbing food off of the dirt, I suppose. I didn’t mind, though. I couldn’t really claim I had anything like the ability to taste food. I preferred some kinds of edibles, true, but I could, and often did, eat anything offered to me.
Mold and bugs were devoured and digested just like bread and soup. I have to say I did not like spicy foods. They tingled, for lack of a better word, as I dissolved them, and mint did the same thing. Such foods tended to be overpowering for humans as well, so perhaps I’d inherited my owner’s food preferences? Sugar was one thing I could “taste,” and was something I enjoyed immensely. It wasn’t a common addition to any meal, and even the heavenly caramels Julius offered me were a rare treat.
Salt was another story. I was like a slug or snail whenever I came into contact with salt. I am mostly liquid and mana with only a bit of solid mass holding me together. I shrank and contracted, my body drying out, when salt entered me. My owner and I panicked a bit when that first happened. The heavily salted pork she fed me cut my size in half when I ate just a forkful. Julius and the King just laughed. It was a funny event as I look back, but I wished Liliana’s mother hadn’t looked so eager during my plight.
While lost in these thoughts I came across something that I sensed was out of place. It looked like an ordinary rose bush, but under my unique gaze I could tell it was anything but. Oh, it had been a rose bush not too long ago, but now it had something growing beneath it. A parasitic worm had attached itself to the roots of the bush and was slowly altering the plant in subtle ways. The thorns of the roses were now producing a paralytic toxin, while the pollen contained hallucinogenic properties. None of these changes affected me, but to a human it would be dangerous, if not outright deadly. The creature currently responsible was easily three times my size, and looked to be mostly a mouth, sharp teeth, and stomach. If I had to guess, it would emerge from the soil to devour whatever was rendered unconscious by its altered roses. As a result of the changes the plant itself didn’t look too healthy. There seemed to be considerable strain on the bush due to the mutations it was undergoing.
I wobbled indecisively. I understood that I could not leave this dangerous creature alone; at the very least I had to inform a gardener somehow. Fighting that creature was likely a bad idea, as it was much larger than I was. But I was unable to communicate by vocal means, and the odds of no one paying attention to my warnings even if I could were high.
I sighed –somehow- and did the only thing I could think of. I began to eat the rose bush. I tore branches and blossoms off as quickly as I could, devouring them so the pollen and poison did not continue to cover the area. I then nibbled at the roots, making them bleed sap. Hopefully that would kill the bush sooner and the monster taking up residence in the foliage would leave.
As I digested the meal I could feel the poisons and chemicals I had ingested sloshing around inside me, their matter slowly assimilating into myself. It was unlike any meal I’d had before. There was a vivid bitter taste to these substances.
I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the whole situation as I digested. Something had drawn me to the bush, I was certain of it. A tug on my soul, a warning bell in my head.
Satisfied with my work I wiggled away, pausing by another plant, an un-possessed rose bush, to snag a few stems.
I returned to Liliana, her lessons close to finished, and presented her the bunch of roses clutched in my tendrils. She took them with undisguised glee, petting my top fondly.
“Are these for me?” I nodded and she laughed happily, touched by my gesture.
“Thank you so much, Jelly. This is a lovely and kind gift. Let’s just hope the gardeners don’t get too mad at you.”
I shivered at that, and Liliana smiled comfortingly. “I’ll get some water and a vase for these. Thank you again, Jelly. You’re a doll.”
She scooped me up into her arms for a quick hug and nuzzle, and I forgot my earlier discomfort. This was a good day, all things considered.
“Anything to report on the home front?” King Tiberius asked, making his way down the halls of the castle to the dining room. Aides and servants scurried around him, carrying documents, notes, and other items of business for him to look over later.
“The head gardener would like to speak about a recent matter,” an aide spoke up, and a man in dirty, grass stained clothes stepped up hesitantly.
“Your Majesty, earlier today the princess’s new pet was in the royal garden, and it, well, made a commotion and uncovered a problem.”
“How so?” The tone was clipped. Tiberius was not a harsh man, but he was curious as to why this matter was being brought up to him at all. Certainly, the little slime had few allies, but to actively bother him about it was discouraged by the staff.
Noticing his lord’s tone, the head gardener quickly explained.
“At first we thought it had attacked and destroyed a rose bush. A silly act from a monster, you know. But on inspection, we found that the plant had been taken over by a Rose Worm.”
The king’s expression sharpened. He gave full attention to the man in charge of the gardens.
“A Rose Worm? Here?”
“Yes, my king. We dug it up and quickly killed it. And from the looks of things the slime noticed the infestation and ripped out the infected parts of the plant before anyone could get hurt by them.”
“What was a Rose Worm doing in my garden? And are there any others?”
“As soon as we found the first, we checked all the rest of the rose plants. We found two more, all in the early stages of corruption. They were eliminated quickly, needless to say. We’re not sure how they got in. The magical wards should have repelled any kind of monster, including the princess’ pet, from even approaching the castle’s perimeter, let alone the interior parts of it. I’d like to request that someone examine the garden to see if they can find any breaches or issues with the magical defenses.”
“It seems that the slime noticed something was wrong with the bush, and likely acted to protect the princess,” the head gardener continued. “If it hadn’t, we’d probably have had some casualties before we noticed anything.”
“Thank you for the report. I’ll send word to the Academy to send a mage or two down to check on the barriers as soon as possible,” Tiberius stated, as scribes scribbled down notes to do as their king wished. “You have my thanks for the swift actions of you and your staff. Take the evening off once you’re finished checking on the garden.”
“Glad to be of service, my king.” the gardener bowed deeply before walking off in a hurry.
“See to it that he and his men have an extra glass of ale for their dinner as a reward for quick thinking. And inform the Academy I want a team inspecting every inch of the castle’s wards and interior for anything unusual,” Tiberius ordered once the gardener was gone, and a servant nodded before dashi
ng off in the direction of the kitchen, while another went to fetch a messenger hawk.
The king sighed, massaging his forehead, before putting on a smile as he approached the dining room where his family waited. He was glad Lili’s pet had uncovered a hidden threat, and was fairly certain that the slime knew what it was doing. Whenever he watched it, the blob seemed to know he was observing it, and not just like an animal would acknowledge another person. There was something human in the way that tiny monster seemed to stared back, and Tiberius had a feeling it knew that he knew.
He strode into the room his family sat in with his usual flourish. Giving his son, daughter, and wife smiles, he absentmindedly continued to ponder the Ooze’s situation. He had seen a lot in his many years. From cursed artifacts to rebellious lords. Yet he had never seen a slime act this way before.
There were too many inconsistencies with how it acted for it to be an ordinary Ooze. There was always a chance that someone had tampered with it to create a hidden assassin. An extremely small chance, admittedly. But eight years ago someone had tried to murder his family by setting fire to their vacation manor. And before he had married his darling queen his own siblings had tried to usurp the throne from him. He had become overly sensitive to anything that might harm his family as a result.
As long as it didn’t become a threat to his family, he had no issues with it. In fact he thought it was a good influence on his daughter. Teaching her responsibility and what not. Still, cross him, and the monster would learn why Tiberius was king.
Chapter 4: Bath time for a slime!
There is nothing better than a warm bath!
Liliana was a princess, and it was expected that she be clean and fresh scented as often as possible. Possessing wealth and resources, she was able to bath every day if she so wished. That could be seen as expensive and wasteful, however, and so every two days she was allowed to fully immerse herself in the soap, suds, and waters of the royal bath. On alternate days she was wiped down by her maids and spritzed with perfumes.
Liliana loved having me accompany her into the baths. The maids in charge of her had at first protested. They argued I would make the area much messier, or even melt into a puddle thanks to excess water. But she resisted, insisted, and pouted, and finally her servants gave in. Maybe they hoped I would dissolve. But it didn’t happen, and soon I was being scrubbed by a bristly brush and lathered in soap alongside my owner, who took a great deal of pleasure in being able to clean me herself.
And I admit, it felt pleasant. I had no nerves, but I could still feel. The sensations of cloth, brush, soap and water passing over my body created a wonderful feeling all over.
My first bathing experience occurred on my second day in the castle. Until then I’d never had a bath, or actively cleaned myself, at least to my limited knowledge. It was a novel experience.
My body was self-cleaning to a degree. I could, and did, just absorb dirt and grime that accumulated upon me, and assimilate it. But there was something soothing about the act of bathing, and I let my owner enjoy herself as she cleaned me.
The day after my garden adventurer was bath day. My owner happily carried me into the bathing room. It was a large, stone room, with a tub made of polished white marble set into the center. It was a foot off the floor, and twelve feet wide. It could fit the entire royal family in it with only a bit of a squeeze. I wondered if that had happened at all when she and her brother had been younger. Did humans even do communal bathing?
Water was added into the bath via a contraption that pumped up cold water from one of the many wells connected to the palace and into a brass heater. In a room directly below the bathroom, a boiler heated it with a harsh burning wood fire. If it was summertime a series of etched runestones could activate to boil the water with magic. Then the steaming hot water was redirected back up another pipe and into the tub in the floor above. A complex but ingenious system.
Beside the marble tub were stone trestle-tables and benches with many grooming implements laid alongside glass vials of shampoo and blocks of scented soap. Dry towels were kept in a smaller adjoining room, since the humid bathing-room air could quickly dampen fabric.
My owner entered the bathroom from yet another adjacent room where she’d undressed, wrapped only in a towel to preserve her modesty. A few maids entered with her. Since full baths were uncommon for non-royalty, it was a treat, even a reward, for servants to assist in the main bathing room.
These helpers wore loose fitting robes and underclothes in the presence of their lord or lady. The servants got cleaned by proxy while washing their mistress. It was a luxurious experience compared to what they could expect in their own homes. A trio of maids accompanied Liliana, including Orleen. She was the head maid in charge of caring for the princess. The other two were just a lucky pair who’d been selected for that day.
“My lady if you don’t mind, I will hold your pet for you while you get in,” Orleen said as she directed the others to fill the tub. Liliana shot a glance that was almost suspicious at her chief maid, but consented and passed me over.
I wondered why Orleen was volunteering to be the one to hold me. Usually she fobbed the job off onto one of the other girls. I got my answer when she whispered to me “Thank you.”
I remained still, but inside I buzzed with confusion. Had Orleen, the stern older maid, just thanked me?
“Yesterday, you ate a rose bush. A monster known as a Rose Worm had attached to it.” Oh, so that’s what that monster was known as. A fitting name.
“My husband works as a gardener in the area where they keep the roses. I don’t know if you knew what you were doing or not, but you prevented him, and so many others, from being harmed. Thank you.”
Orleen began to absent mindedly pat my ‘head’ while I remained still and silent. She eventually broke the mood with a small chuckle from under her breath. “It’s funny. Here I am thanking a slime that doesn’t even understand me, or knows that what it did probably many lives. If the other servants could see me, they’d all laugh.”
In response, I gurgled and rubbed up against the hand that was petting me in a manner I thought was a comforting one. She froze, before stiffly resuming her patting.
We spent a few minutes in companionable silence before she brought me back to my owner so Liliana could have her fun with cleaning me. As Orleen retreated a few feet to stand watch, I thought back on what she had said. My actions had alerted the staff to a problem, and in turn they managed to prevent a disaster. Maybe that was why I had been given that mind. To protect people. Not just my dear owner, but others as well. I’d acted to defend Liliana, and in doing so I potentially saved the life of a man who had a loving family. If that wasn’t a good reason for my new found gifts, I didn’t know what was.
I snuggled deep into Liliana’s arms as she rinsed lather from my body. I had saved a life, something that might not have happened if I’d not been my owner’s pet. What else was I going to change with my presence? A warm glow filled me.
Chapter 5: Two mages and a potion tasting
Did you know that potions of healing taste like strawberries?
That odd bit of knowledge came to me when I accidentally slurped up the contents of a spilled bottle.
I could actually taste magic, and it translated into flavors and sensations I knew of, but had never experienced. Somehow, whatever force gave me a mind and ability to instinctively “know” information taught me what certain foods taste like, even if I cannot taste them normally. If I ate an actual strawberry, it would have no real taste. But the magical potions brewed for healing? They do taste like strawberries, and I knew that even if I did not know what that fruit really was like. Was that another connection to my dear owner? Do healing potions usually have the flavor of strawberries to them, even for human patients?
Wait, I’m getting a bit off track. Let me explain how I first managed to snag a sample of liquid magic.
You see, I inadvertently created a stir in the castle when I uncovered
that infected rose bush and ate it. It seems the culprits responsible, a species called Rose Worms, should not have been able to enter the barriers that surround the castle. It protected the castle from weak monsters and magical beasts.
But the Rose Worms, which fell into the category of magical beasts, had somehow gotten into the garden. That was why the king had immediately summoned a team of wizards to investigate the cause. Either the barrier had faded, broken, or someone had smuggled a trio of dangerous monsters into the palace. Needless to say, no option was good, but the latter was the worst of them.
Liliana had wanted to see the mages arrive, and so was standing in the back of the main hall with me in her arms, an eager smile on her face. Julius had also pleaded to see the visitors as well and he was standing next to his sister.
“Do you think they’ve been on adventures?” Julius wondered, shifting from foot to foot in his excitement.
“Certainly! They probably go on all sorts of missions and jobs all over the world!” Liliana assured. “I bet they’ve seen tons of monsters as well!”
“Wow! Monsters! Maybe they’ve seen lots of Jelly’s family, too!” Julius mused excitedly, shooting me a wide eyed look.
That’s probable. Oozes were the most commonly encountered monster amongst adventurers, or so it was said. And talented magic users were well respected for the variety of uses for their spells. Odds were though that any mage who’d encountered my kind had made short work of them. Hopefully none of them would attack me on sight.
As I was thinking that morbid thought, the doors opened and a pair of men in robes were escorted into the hall. The first person to enter was a bit on the pudgy size, with a hint of a belly poking through his robes.
He was the oldest of the two, and carried himself with practiced ease. He had training in courtly etiquette, and it shone through his measured steps and calculating gaze. He was also the oldest person I’d ever seen so far. His beard was a luxurious veil that buried his chin, neck, and chest in grey. His head, though bald, was covered by an absurdly large, pointed hat.