(Thursday, 29/10/1058, the middle of the morning)
(Henryk's PoV)
After being done with breakfast, I went checking on the Horned Rabbits. They were put in rope prisons. Bondage, essentially. They were trying to stab those around them whenever someone was close enough for an attack opportunity. That was the case especially for Kob, who they were crammed into a room with.
I was greeted by them trying to do just that, wriggling as hard as they could in futility.
"You two, will you calm down now?" I asked, opening their side of the link to me. "I can hear your thoughts by the way"
'You won't see the end of us when we get out of these restraints!' I heard two feminine voices speaking in unison.
'Two female Horned Rabbits?' I was amazed by their clear self-identification in their mindscape. I've learned that the inner voices are judged by how the individual sees themselves around that point in time. For Fey and the wolves, they saw their biological sex as their gender and liked it that way. For monsters, however, they were supposed to be genderless in the cases of the Blue Papilio, Kobolds, and Horned Rabbits. A thought suddenly hit me. 'This world could be a timeline based on its own set of rules, separate from the rules of my old world's version of the story. Monsters could have genders and biological sexes by default in this alternate universe'
"I'll set you free, but on the condition that you be my companions in diving inside the dungeon" I offered them the more peaceful option. I could've just killed them if they refused, but I refrained from making that decision.
'Why should we listen to you?' They both said.
"Well, there're more monsters like you down in the deeper floors. Monsters that're intelligent and form communities across multiple floors. I'll let you join them freely once you meet them, should you so desire" I said. If they provided any service at all until then, I'd set them free to repay that. They're their own living being now.
They stopped struggling and looked at each other, squeaking and shifting around. They were having a conversation that I barred myself from eavesdropping on. They nodded at each other and turned to me.
'Then start by giving us names to go by. It's your responsibility to give us names since you made us like this' They said.
"Henceforth, you're Daisy and Spire" I impulsively gave the name Daisy to the one with a softer inner voice and the name Spire to the one that sounded like hell waiting to happen.
'Why do I feel like you don't like me?' Spire squinted her ruby eyes at me.
'Isn't Daisy the name of a flower? Is this favoritism?' Daisy criticised me over the stark difference in their names. There was a hint of appreciation in her inner voice.
"It could be favoritism. It could be not. Who's to say?" I shrugged. "Anyway," I got up and turned away after releasing them from the ropes. "I got to take care of Celine's meals. See ya'"
After crushing some magic stones and adding them to some of the flowers Celine liked, I chatted with her for some time. A topic that came up is how some familia members were bringing her flowers every now and then in thanks for healing them. People're developing a soft spot for her and I'm glad that it's happening.
I prepared to head to Welf's forge.
Shira remained in the manor, finding a sunny spot to stay in and nap. I left her to her newfound feline tendencies. She looked hesitant to bend for them until I whispered devilishly into her ears, convincing her to try napping while sunbathing again, of how good it felt last time and how good it'd feel again. Her eyes changed shape rapidly as her curiousity brought her thoughts to the allure of warmth and relaxation.
I told Fey to stay home and play with Tiona if she wanted, which she gladly did after smothering me in her plumage. Her hugs are becoming more human-like now, as she used her wings to hug, much like how we'd use our arms.
The wolves were all insistent on following me. I had to oblige to be able to leave the manor. Had I insisted on leaving by my lonesome, I believe they were ready to stop me by force if needed.
'As disheartening as it is, they're stronger than me individually, not mentioning when they team up. I have no hope of defeating any of them as I am now' I had the thought equivalent of a shrug internally. 'Meh. They do this for my sake. I should be glad that they care for me enough to force me away from danger'
(At Welf's Forge)
"Good morning, Welf" I greeted an unwilling Welf. It seems that my hiding of my strength wasn't appreciated at all.
We stood there, with only silence between us as he stared up at me.
"Don't be like that, man" I whined with a jest in my voice.
He sighed and ushered me in.
"Everyone keeps secrets" Welf said as if he was accepting it and moving on.
'Not the first time someone says it like that and proceeds to ask something personal, accidentally or not'
"I wonder now, is there dishonesty between us, or just secrets too personal to share with a new acquaintance?" He said, handing me tea. He was prepared today.
"It's solely the second option" I relished the tea. A smith he might be, he made a truly delectable tea. I may need to ask him what blend of herbs he uses for this tea, or from where he acquires it. "With time, you'll get to know more" 'Well, our relationship would have to move to being friends before that happens, though'
He slapped his cheeks and abruptly stood up. He was fired up like his furnace, roaring with energy.
"Let's get working on that armor!" He said, clinching his raised fist with a determined expression.
'I'm bored!' "Yip!" Ouros said, voicing his boredom.
'Patience' "Grr" Futura relied, accompanied with what sounded like a playful slap up his head.
'As you work, let me share something with you' Futura initiated.
'Go ahead. I'm all ears' I replied. I was curious about what she wanted to share with me.
'Ignoring how you only have two ears,' And just like that, the idiom flew past her head. 'How many magic stones do you think we consumed daily?' Futura said.
'3? 5? Maybe 6?' I said.
'One' She said. 'Any more than that and we could have succumbed to a madness similar to the very monsters the magic stones came from, or die an agonizing death, becoming nothing more than a mess of mangled flesh and bits of bone and organs'
I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. I felt dread unlike any I've felt before in my life.
'What about now?' I saw it. They ate more than one as time went on.
'I experimented with myself, increasing the number as I felt no resistance. I stopped at 5 out of caution. Although I must say, I could feel it. That I could consume at least two more' Futura told me.
'You th- 'Yes' -ink Fey's safe?' Her reply came before my question was completely delivered. 'Your daughter is exceptional at absorbing magic stones with little to no consequence compared to us, suffering after eating only one and having to take occasional breaks. Be proud. You're raising a strong daughter'
Her words calmed my raging emotions and anchored my mind, which nearly shattered at the shock of what could've happened to Fey due to my carelessness. 'Will do'
I tried to distract myself from the darker side of this situation and focused on another thing instead.
{I ask thee, thou who oversees the fate of every living being,} I placed a hand over my head. {thee who directs the flow of things. Answer my prayer and grant my humble wish} {Restore memories related to magic stones and their consumption}
I felt kinda sleepy before I leaned back in my chair.
(Flashback)
"Henhen" I heard the most obnoxious of voices. "You know what happens if someone eats a magic stone?"
"No, you weeb" I chopped another piece of firewood. I needed them to survive the next winter.
"Well, that's why you got me, the great Norman!" He pointed his thumb at himself.
He got a broomstick to his bum for that self-centred attitude.
"Why?!" He protested, "Whoa!" as he ducked under another swing of the broom.
"Seriously!" Norman said. "Just listen! Will ya'?" He was massaging the spot he got spanked on.
"Alright, Noman" I rolled my eyes and went about sweeping the floor.
"You see, non-monster living creatures are normally allergic to eating magic stones, deathly so. Your body'll twist and writhe as you devolve into a mass of flesh and broken bones if you weren't compatible" Norman said. From his tone, I felt like he still has something to add to it. "However, there are compatible cases with varying degrees of capability"
"Continue" I paid him half a mind while focusing on the floor. I took out certain cleaning products to remove some really stubborn stains. I'll out-stubborn them.
"Among those compatible, there are some who can eat more magic stones compared to others....." His ramblings went on and on and on, boring me. I paid him no mind from that point forward for that.
(Flashback End)
I woke up to find myself covered in fur from all directions. One could say I was drowned in it.
'Get off me' I ordered them with the grumpiest voice I could give. I was starting to catch up to my body, which was starting to feel very hot. I might get a heatstroke like this. A welcome one, but a heatstroke nonetheless.
'If that's what you want' Futura rolled her eyes as she pulled the others off me.
I looked around me, expectations met with the outside view of Welf's forge.
'How did you take me outside of the forge?' I said. 'Was it Welf's doing?'
'We nearly tore down the door to make sure you were safe' Platina said. Oh, yeah. Did I forget that they were talking between each other and through the link at the same time. I was also talking to all of them through the link, all 4 wolves at once. It was a standard conversation between a group of people at this point.
'Your friend inside was supposedly panicking over your unconscious form as we scratched at the door and growled' Prata said.
I sighed with a forgiving smile. I appreciated that they cared for me that much. I let that emotion flow through the link and into their minds. Futura perked up at the feeling, eyeing me while her own emotions of confusion were delivered to me.
'You think it's worth appreciating?' Her inner voice sounded like she was mocking me. Disdain for my view of their actions is what I felt. 'This is to be expected from pack members, making it something you don't need to be this surprised about and thankful of' She huffed and rested her head on her legs, looking away from us and onto the few people who passed by.
'I'll still appreciate it' I said while petting her, giving her a half-hug in the process.
"I'm gonna go back inside now. Tell him that we're gonna go and all' that" I said, making my way inside. After consulting Welf about the armor, its weight distribution in particular, I walked out and headed back to the manor.
'I should start with the experiments that I held off back then' Henryk thought to himself, remembering the thought of having more compact muscles. He also remembered that he should review some other things in his notes about what he needed to be modified or not, and how he wanted the modification to go.
(In the Twilight Manor, under the shade of a tree)
I found Shira napping in the shade of a tree. She performed a loaf as perfect as a humanoid body could allow for. Honestly speaking, it was at least a 7/10 loaf.
I so wanted to pounce on her to prank her awake. Nevertheless, her mental health took precedence. Jolting someone awake with a very loud sound repeatedly could drive them crazy or put such strain on their health that it becomes a permanent heart condition.
Instead of frightening her in her sleep, I approached her sleeping form cautiously and sat beside her, letting her pick up on my presence gradually. It began with her ears twitching to the soft rustling of grass blades. Her tail moved slightly before slowly falling motionless after a few seconds. Her nose, however, started twitching more as time went on, and she dragged herself closer, serving herself a lap pillow at my expense. I got paid back in patting her soft fur and combing through her fair, platinum-blonde hair.
After around an hour or so, she began to stir awake. As she looked up to see my welcoming smile, she jumped up to the nearest branch, her startled verbal tick pleasing to the ears. "NYAA!"
It just so happened that some fellow familia members saw her and either chuckled or hid it so badly it would've been better to laugh out loud.
Shira wallowed in her situation as she jumped down, landing with all the grace of a particularly large kitten. I could see the blush on her face.
"Since when were you there?" She asked while looking away, still making her way closer to me.
"For a bit over an hour. Give or take a few minutes" I said. As I was still sitting down, she leaned her head on my shoulder.
I sat there with her in blissful silence for some time before bringing up my plans for the rest of the day.
"Shira" I called her name. "Because I want to experiment with my magic, I'll be staying in a private space with Lady Riveria"
She sniffed me with what I wanted to call an instinctive reaction. She then frowned.
"Is it gonna be potentially harmful?" She said, her frown deepening. She might've picked up on the meaning of my choice of words. I didn't want her there.
"Yeah, which I don't want you to fret over" I said, shifting my head so it rests more comfortably on hers. "I don't wish to make you anxious with the sight of what I expect to happen to me. Though, I'll have them bring me to you the soonest they could"
"Go, then" She gave me one last hug before she took herself away from the hug. I already miss her warmth. "And return to me safely" I could feel a bravado in her voice.
"I'll return safe and sound to you, my brave kitten" I reached for a strand of her hair, kissing it in sight of her. She became a stuttering mess, waving her hands wildly. I began to chuckle, which slowly devolved into uncontrolled, full-blown laughter.
We both had to take a really deep moment to think upon the fact that neither felt our tails intwine, something that became very apparent when I tried to stand up.
The smug look I gave Shira promised her years of intwined tails without giving her any prior notice.
NONE AT ALL!!!