by Ian Rodgers
After a bit my extrasensory scanning came to a halt, unable to find anything out of place nearby. As much as I had improved, I still did not have total control, and my ‘sight’ did not go through thicker surfaces like the stone floors and walls. Whatever I just sensed, it was too far away for me to detect. But that just raised the question of ‘why did I react in the first place?’ I settled down, albeit reluctantly, and the dining room’s company relax as well. Some of them keep their attention on me, but as I have made no additional moves, are content to assume it was just an ‘Ooze thing.’
Dinner had come and gone, and now I was resting on my cushion that doubled as a bed. Liliana had wanted to give me one of those basket-beds for felines, but I was perfectly happy with my fluffy pillow, so she did not push the matter. I listened for a moment to the sounds of my owner breathing softly, and I felt at peace as well.
Yet I could not sleep! The itch in my core had not left, and I could not find any succor! At length, I slid off my bedding and squirmed my way towards the door of the room. Carefully, I squeezed my mass through the tiny opening under the door and slipped through with nary a problem.
As long as that ‘itch’ remained, I felt I would not have any peace, so I sought out the source. Inching my way along the hallway, I hugged the wall, careful to avoid the passerby’s. Even at the dead of night there was activity in the castle. Not just guards patrolling the areas, but also servants scuttle about, keeping fires going, closing and opening windows to control the temperature, airing out and cleaning older rooms so not to disturb people who might use them during the day, and a whole plethora of odds and ends that needed doing, regardless of whether it was the sun or moon in the sky.
Avoiding them was easy, though perhaps not surprising. In the dark I was nearly invisible, and the torches and lamps the various wandering workers carried cast extremely long and thick shadows here and there which meant I could just stop moving next to a suit of decorative armor or a plinth with a valuable vase and blend into the darkness created by the passing light. I do not make much noise either, just a low ‘squig squish’ as I move, so staying put when someone walked by was enough to get me unnoticed around the castle. I’d done that before, at least during the day; exploring here and there, learning the layout of the castle.
Day or night meant little to something that ‘saw’ through a form a magical echolocation, and I made my way deeper and deeper into the depths of the royal palace, following the sensations tickling my core. It was like that peasant child’s game, “Hot Hot Cold,” or whatever, I had seen the staff’s children playing in the outer courtyard. When the sensation dwindled, I would wander about till I found it again, and then followed the itching as it grew stronger. As a result of that, it took me much longer than I’d originally planned on.
I ended up in the depths of the castle’s cellar, or one of them at least, where large containers full of produce and salted meat were being stored. My core hadn’t stopped annoying me; in fact I could feel my very essence quivering thanks to something in the air. I opened my senses as wide as possible, now that I was closer to the source of my irritation. What I saw made me cringe.
Oozes. At least a full dozen of them, lounging about in the slightly musty darkness of the food cellar, and amusing themselves by rolling over the food and consuming it. At first glance they looked like me; round body, squishy, with a semi-solid core resting in their center. Closer inspection revealed some very key differences. Mainly that these Oozes were far more acidic and full to bursting with toxins than I was, or ever had been. On the color spectrum, they’d be acid green, appropriately enough, with darker green cores, and they were slowly filling the basement air with an airborne poison of sorts.
I glared at these intruders, vaguely understanding why I was feeling the way I did with my itching core; it was a danger sense, more specifically a sixth sense related to the wellbeing of my owner. If these things were left unchecked they’d poison all the food down here, and that would endanger Liliana.
Even if the food went untouched, the fumes the toxic Ooze were leaking would drift slowly upwards into her bedroom. Not just hers, though, but Julius’ and her parent’s rooms as well! Now that I was oriented, I clearly realized that this was no accident. Several vents, cracks, and airways lead from that room up through the castle and filtered into over a dozen others, including the royal chambers where my owner and her family currently slept.
Left down here long enough the poison would build up and reach them! I doubt that even Rene’s homemade anti-toxin snacks would do any good against the secretions of a Poison Ooze, for there was quiet a lot of magic in the poisons that I could detect, and I had no idea how’d it react to the Aruga fruit slices she’d been feeding us.
Giving a vague approximation of a growl I rolled towards the intruders. As I gave the impression of a glare, one of them perked up and turned to ‘look’ at me, and I felt its senses brush against mine. Something tried to enter my mind at that point.
I froze, worried it may be an attempt at mind control, but relaxed when I felt ‘confusion’ and ‘caution’ push upon my thoughts. That was not a mental attack; that was the Ooze in front of me trying to communicate with me! But I have no way of doing so in return. None that I could remember, at least. Whatever Liliana had done to me at the pet shop seemed to have stripped away my natural ability to ‘talk’ with others of my kind. A brief flash of sorrow and regret flashed through my mind, but I squashed it under righteous fury and protectiveness towards my dear owner.
What happened next was over very quickly. In response to the mental probe I lashed out, propelling a tentacle out of my body as fast as a whip and piercing the offender’s body and core. I then ripped my limb out, the Poison Ooze’s core still impaled on the end, like an olive stuck to a cocktail stick.
Immediately the other Oozes became hostile, spitting globs of stinging acid and venom my way, which I dodged quiet easily. I was far faster than any of them, and over and over I thrust a tendril towards them, stabbing through their slimy flesh and impaling the core, before proceeding to rip it out and consume it in my own body. It was over in less than a minute.
I gobbled down their cores, feeling a tiny bit of shame at doing so. Again I ignored those feelings and proceeded to slurp up the quickly dissolving remains of their bodies. Without the cores, an Ooze would begin to rapidly decay, becoming a slurry of liquid magic. That goo could be just as deadly if left alone, especially considering it was from a Poison Ooze, and I neutralized the toxins left within the remains inside my own body.
Then, I sucked in the air around me, turning myself in a giant pseudo-lung that purified the air the Oozes had tainted. I finished up my cleaning of the area by devouring the bits and pieces of preserved food that had been touched by the foreign Oozes as they’d dwelled down here and sliding over the Poison Ooze’s slime trails.
As I cleaned the cellar I found the source of the infestation: a box. Wooden paneled on the outside but thin sheets of lead had been slipped inside to make it impossible to detect the Oozes or their poisons. And upon it was an emblem. Two griffons in flight upon a red shield. The mark of Edelstein and its ruling family.
In a shriek of rage I lashed out with a limb and smashed the wood to pieces before I began to furiously devour the container that had nearly delivered death to my owner and her family. Even as the lead, a well-known magical inhibitor, burned my body as I dissolved it I kept feeding.
Perhaps I should have saved it as evidence. But I was blinded by rage at the sheer audacity of it all! Not even a nail was left behind as I scoured the room clean of the murderous intent.
After heaving up and down as the anger faded the tingle and itch of warning in my mind disappeared altogether. Only partially satisfied with the conclusion, I made my way back to my bed, and my owner. She was safe now, and I was going to have a well-earned nap!
Chapter 12: A day of dress up
I woke the next morning feeling refreshed, and also slightly stronger than be
fore. My mana had grown significantly, and I could feel a new pair of traits swirling about in my gelatinous body; poison and acid. I could now generate a toxin similar to the ones produced by the Poison Ooze I encountered last night, but much weaker, as well as manifest a stronger version of my ‘stomach’ acid externally. They were very similar abilities to the Poison Ooze’s I had found last night. My hypothesis was it was due to the dozen Ooze’s I slew and devoured down in the cellar. Something to consider for future consideration.
Only a hint of regret still lingered about me due to what I did. They were members of my own kind, but they were also unintelligent and a danger to my owner and her family. Their deaths meant little when I weighed it against that.
Enough depressing matters! Liliana was awakening as well, and it was time to start the day.
After getting dressed she cuddled me close as per usual on her way to breakfast. Her schedule had been cleared so instead of an Arithmetic lesson with the very old tutor for that subject, the entire day was dedicated to preparing a dress for the ball that was fast approaching.
“Good morning, Rene,” Liliana called out to the elder woman in the dining room. Her instructor in all things high society looked over and smiled warmly, nodding in greeting and motioning for my owner to take a seat next to her. Breakfasts and lunches were disordered affairs, and while it would be improper for a minor aristocrat to sit at the table when the king himself was present, Rene was permitted by King Tiberius to sit in the Minor Royal Dining Room when she wished. Regardless of his inability to deal with her boisterous personality she was an important guest, and a family friend.
“Are you all rested up for today?” Rene inquired, looking the two of us over as we sit down across from her.
“Indeed! I had a very good sleep last night. And Jelly looks rested and ready to go as well!” Liliana declared, holding up out to her tutor with a wide grin on her face. I uttered a burble of assent, and Rene’s mouth crinkled with a smile.
“Good to know. When you’ve finished eating we’ll be meeting the tailor in our usual room.”
“Um, is there anything you can tell me about the person I’ll be meeting today?” Liliana asked as a platter of eggs and crispy meats were placed in front of her. I snagged one of the bacon pieces and nibbled on it, still somewhat full from last night. I didn’t want to seem too suspicious, so I just slowly savored my food.
“I do in fact know the man, I’ve been using his clothes ever since he opened his shop.”
“A man?” Liliana paused mid-bite, and Orleen raised an eyebrow at that. Even I stopped my eating.
“Oh yes, my grandson, Renard. He’s quickly gaining a lot of renown for his high quality products. It’s a bit of nepotism I suppose, using my own family for the resources, but there’s no one I’d trust more to make sure you have the perfect dress,” Rene explains, and my owner and Orleen relax. I nod as well, fully understanding and reading between the lines a bit more.
I had noticed before with Baroness Bluemont, but in certain aspects she was extremely paranoid. Especially when it came to her young charges. Feeding them antidote laced snacks, and making sure only someone she could fully trust and rely on made their more important possessions; Rene Bluemont was someone who puts the children under her care first, and would not let anything happen to them if she could help it. Even if that means managing everything to an absurd, seemingly fatuous, degree then so be it. In that regard I find common ground with her. My owner’s safety and wellbeing was number one at all times.
“He’s scheduled to arrive in about an hour or so,” Rene continued, spearing a hunk of meat from her own plate. “So please be prepared by then.”
An affirmative nod was all she gets from my owner, whose mouth was currently full of breakfast. In her place I gave a coo of understanding, which earned me a grandmotherly smile.
The rest of the meal passed by uneventfully, something I’m grateful for, and Liliana rose out of chair ready to face the day. With Orleen a few steps behind and Rene accompanying us, we all arrived at the classroom with time to spare.
To our surprise, there was already a group of people inside. One was a member of the palace guard, whose face clearly expressed how little he wanted to be here. He was reluctantly holding a large wooden chest while standing awkwardly to the side. A pair of maids, also seeming to have been roped into whatever this was, were heaving a wardrobe into place, slightly to the center of the room. A third maid was trying to wrangle a full body mirror into place against one wall, and all the while the fifth and final person was busy giving orders to them all, trying to coordinate the set-up.
Out of all of them, it was that bossy man who caught my ‘eye.’ Though to be honest, his very looks seemed to scream at me, demanding my attention. Ever seen a peacock? It’s that oddly flamboyant bird, whose males all have extraordinary feathers and plumage. I vaguely remembered that there’d been one at the pet store I’d been picked up from, and without a doubt this person before us reminded me of that beautiful avian. He wore a dark green tailcoat with slightly puffed up collar and cuffs made of white silk over an orange tunic. Silver buttons pinned his shirt up while a crimson sash-like belt held up navy blue trousers, though they had no frills on them. Only a tiny amount of dark brown hair graced his head, and most of that was on his upper lip forming a softly curving moustache. His top was shaved bald and possessed a waxy gleam, though he covered that up with a red velvet hat resembling a troubadour’s cap.
“No, no, no! Are you trying to blind us with that mirror? Put it down just under the window, not across from it! And give it a slight tilt upwards, if you please! And you, my good sir! Don’t just stand there slack-jawed and scowling! Put that trunk down next to the mirror and come help these two ladies set up the wardrobe!”
The glamorous man had to be Rene’s grandson, the tailor Renard. There was no room for doubt on that front. And indeed I was proven right when the elderly tutor steps into the room and cleared her throat with a soft “A-hem!” which catches everyone’s attention. The bald, well-dressed man turns with a flourish of his robes and a bright smile makes its way across his features.
“Ah, grandmother! It has been too long!” Renard made his way over to us, bowing before his grandmother and kissing her hand in greeting. He then repeated the gesture on Princess Liliana, but with a deeper and more submissive bow beforehand. /
“It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Princess Liliana. I do hope my grandmother’s lessons have not been too hard on you?”
“Not at all, Ren- Lady Bluemont had been extremely kind and a most wonderful tutor,” Liliana professed, stumbling a bit with the name which caused Renard to chuckle softly.
“It is fine to call her ‘Rene’ in my presence princess, since it is likely what she herself requested. I do not mind, and I am sure she’d much prefer the informality.”
“Of course. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Renard. I look forward to having you prepare a proper dress for me.”
A light and airy laugh came from the tailor as he nodded in understanding.
“Yes, I shall create for you the finest gown you’ve ever seen or worn! You will not be disappointed!” Renard bustled around the room, shooing the male guard out of the room while instructing the three maids in setting up the various needs. From within the chest an impressive collection of measuring tools and cloth samples appears, while the wardrobe produces a foldable screen to change clothes behind and a number of partially made dresses, just waiting for the finishing touches.
“First, let’s get some measurements…”
The next few hours were a pastel colored blur, interspersed with praise and criticism, both often at the same time. Liliana was put into proto-type dresses one after the other, while Renard hummed and hawed over which looked best. Orleen and the three other maids were taking on the task of prepping the clothes and helping the young princess put them on. Even these simple gowns required a full ten minutes of grunting, swearing under the breath, and pins and ne
edles pricking the fingers to wear.
As I watched this from a stool in the corner, I wondered if I was a male Ooze, since this all seemed rather pointless and over the top for just scraps of fabric that covered the body.
Yet despite my obliviousness towards fashion I could also see how some pieces of clothes accent and enhance my owner’s natural and inherent beauty. For example, big, puffy dresses looked ridiculous on her slender frame, so Renard had put her into a selection of dresses with much less fabric that also had more straight edges to them. If I could nod my head, I would, as I could tell that this tailor understood his work intimately. No wonder he was in such high demand amongst the socialites of the kingdom. He could make a dress that suitably complemented the person wearing it.
“And voila! I do believe I have found the perfect dress for you, Princess Liliana!” Renard exclaimed happily. I returned focus onto him and my owner again, to see her in a lovely outfit that was modest yet regal.
Princess Liliana wore a milk white gown that descends below her knees, the hem just barely trailing along the floor. Her sleeves were a dark white, almost silver, which darkened ever so slightly to create a distorting effect on the light, making the fabric shimmer. There was a small cut above her shoulders, leaving the barest hint of skin bare. A powder blue waist sash wrapped around her hips and tied neatly in the front, while a similarly blue colored wave pattern decorated the front around her chest. The end result was simply astonishing, and I knew for certain she would turn heads come the ball.
“The full dress will be complete tomorrow. Last minute adjustments and such. Now, my dear grandmother wanted me to take a look at your pet, and see if I could do anything for him…”
I shuddered all of a sudden as the eyes of the entire room turned to me with a childish, predatory glee in them. If I had had a spine, chills would be running through it. A part of me started to understand what was about to happen. I understood that look with an instinct ingrained into all males regardless of species. It was the look of someone about to play dress up with an unwilling playmate.