“Who are you?” Venya asked, tilting her head to the side, confused by the short, olive-skinned man that was covered from his bald head to bare feet in blood and flesh chunks now standing just outside of a large, opened gash in the neck of the snake.“I am Grub. Oh don’t be worrying pretty face, Grub will fetch wonky leg, give me few minutes,” the man said, spinning quickly on his heels to face the opening once more and as he moved forward, he pushed the skin aside to step back into the throat of the snake.Venya stared shocked at the gaping wound in the dead snake, she had never seen a man like that before. He was a short olive-skinned stockily built man who had a bald head and very prominent facial features, broad shoulders with a slightly pudgy belly, baggy pants held up by a cord tied around his waist, and bare feet. His skin was half covered in a wide variety of sparkling black tattoos, all except a strange red smear mark that ran from one cheek across his nose, stopping at the ot
Venya came back a few moments later carrying a full water skin and a few cloth strips, “Sorry Rex, this is the best I could manage to procure in the short time I had.”“It’s fine,” Rex said with a smile before his face turned stern and his tone went flat and serious, “I’m going to need you to help me with something more important first.”“Something important?” Venya asked, slight worry creeping into her voice, “Is everything ok?”“It will be,” Rex smiled, keeping his voice calm and airy to help elevate Venya’s concern. “I need you to help me straighten my broken leg, so it heals properly in the correct position.”Venya looked down at the bone still partly protruding through the skin of his shin and winced slightly, “I don’t know if can do that.” She was shaking her head slightly while speaking.“I’ve done as much as I can by myself, but I don’t have the strength required to put it where it needs to be and keep my mind straight through the pain, and as you can see, it still needs the l
One by one everyone in the group went down to the stream, each person bathing in the slow-running cold water. When it came to Rex’s turn, which just so happened to be the last out of everyone, he groaned silently as he rose to his feet, “Relax everyone, this may take me a while,” he added with a wry smile as everyone watched him stand.“I’ll assist you,” Kiri said, standing abruptly, her eyes twinkling slightly. Her tone quickly changed to be flatter and more serious as everyone’s gaze shifted to her, Kealy’s being the only glare, “To ensure the pain on his body is lessened.”“I bet,” Kealy scowled, her reaction jolting to surprise as Venya placed her hand on Kealy’s shoulder.“I’ll keep you company, it might cheer you up a bit,” Venya said with a smile, showing off her white teeth.“I bet,” Kiri replied, looking at Venya with a smirk as she turned to follow Rex as he started toward the water.“What did she mean by that?” Kealy asked, turning to face Venya.“I…have no idea,” Venya stu
Rex had just finished dressing, laughing at Kiri’s sighing at him covering his body when someone spoke, “Grub is safe to come to water?”“Yes,” Rex replied, tilting an eyebrow at Kiri, who smiled and shrugged, “Why wouldn’t it be safe?”“Grub knows scary lady is with you wonky leg, and Grub does not want to anger scary lady and she turn him to mush before bone god reads Grub’s skin marks.”“Grub it’s fine to come and wash yourself, I do in fact encourage it,” Kiri said, scowling slightly as her nose picked up his scent. “I’ll see you back at the group,” Kiri said with a smile, turning to walk away, nodding to Grub as he passed while he was making his way to the stream.After throwing off all his clothing to be nude before wading into the water waist-deep, Grub turned to Rex, “What was wonky leg doing with scary lady alone? You have less fear than Grub to be smiling after that.”“She isn’t so bad,” Rex replied with a shrug, throwing his tunic on over his head.“Did scary lady force you
“So you’re telling me that you and Kealy are not from this realm?” Dilo asked, her eyes narrowing.“No Dilo, we are not,” Rex agreed with a slow nod, “We are from Dracoterrum.”“So you were brought here via portal after a fight with someone who wanted you dead?” Venya asked, her face scrunched in concentration.“Correct,” Rex said, darting his eyes to Kealy quickly.“That still doesn’t make you special enough to heal the way you do,” Dilo growled.“Grub from Dracoterrum and not heal like wonky leg, Grub once bend arm to almost break, couldn’t steal from fat merchant men for long time,” Grub said, peering at his arm and flexing it at the elbow.“So how did you even get here Grub?” Rex asked.“Grub tell you he join army with friend. Grub make another friend who help him join imperial army here after I leave home again, big battle on capitol every month make me not want to die before more skin marks, so Grub starts searching for heroic monster to battle.”“And then proceeded to get swall
As Rex and his companions stopped atop a slight grass-covered rise in the ground, the outer row of houses that surrounded a small-sized town came into view. “I will have to disappear before we get close enough to the town for me to be recognised,” Kiri announced. “Are you an outlaw of some kind?” Venya asked, eyeing Kiri suspiciously. “No. But could you imagine how good your reception would be at the township of many years’ worth of people entering into your domain to do me harm and you killed them for it?” “Even if that was the case of self-defence, I can’t see it being too good a welcoming party,” Rex said, inhaling and then expelling the air loudly. “Do you have some sort of invisibility trick to remain unseen?” “No,” Kiri replied, shaking her head. Turning to Rex with a smile, she reached out and touched one finger to the top of his sternum, dragging it down to stop at the necklace she had gifted him earlier. “So the necklace?” Rex said, swallowing the rising lump in his thro
Once Rex and Kiri had rejoined the group, everyone looked at them expectantly, Kealy with one hand on her hip.“Er, what’s going on? Why are you all staring at us like you’re expecting an announcement?” Rex asked, looking around at his companions with a smirk and one eyebrow raised.“Well, that might be because you two went over there all secretive and shit, said some things in hushed tones, got all smiley and grabby hands, and then came back here and NOT expected us to want to know at least something?” Kealy scoffed, her face full of incredulity.“We didn’t get all grabby hands,” Rex said with a chuckle and a slight head shake.“Since Rex won’t tell you, I will,” Kiri said in a light, airy tone, causing everyone to stare at her eagerly, all except Rex, who saw the quick flash of a devious smile before she coached her expression. He was keen to find out what she was up to.After a few moments of silence, Grub was the first to break, “Well come now scary lady! Tell Grub and others what
Before Rex and his companions entered the town, the second guard held out his hand.“If you follow this main road, it leads from the northern to southern entrances. In the town centre, you will find our tavern and market area, which by the sounds of your reasons for being here, is where you want to be. Our residents live in the houses on the outer edge, and I implore you to not go skulking where you do not belong,” the guard said in a flat tone, eyeing every member of the group warily, especially Grub.“Sounds good, we aren’t after any trouble at all,” Rex replied, putting on a smile.“Righto,” the guard replied, stepping aside and giving Rex a curt nod, before turning back to face the first guard and taking up his earlier discussion on the pros and cons of raising sheep to goats.“Good to know they take their job seriously,” Dilo growled approvingly, “They might have a training yard so we can all train tomorrow morning.”“Let’s just hope they leave us alone, we get some sleep, have a
The moment Rex allowed Karinna to join him, she immediately started to mutter under her breath with her hands outstretched, slowly walking towards the young, downed woman.“What are you doing?” Cassius asked, taking a step forward to attempt to get a better view as to what Karinna was doing.“You need to stay back, the magic woven into this woman is highly unstable,” Karinna snapped, shooting a sharp glance toward Cassius, stopping him in his tracks.Raising his hands defensively, Cassius, along with Grug, retreated a few paces back and away from Karinna and the downed woman.“Grub be thinking how such small girlie make all buggies dead,” Grub asked, squinting suspiciously toward the young woman.“This poor girl has been subjected to a horrific amount of opposing magic. I am surprised she has not exploded already and killed us all, bringing this entire nest down in the process,” Karinna said, pausing her spell-casting to check the young woman’s pulse. “Before she can be moved, I must
Rex, Cassius, Hussin and Grub were on full alert as they moved through the archway and entered into the well-lit, large cavern. The first thing Rex noticed was the amount of crazak bodies strewn around. He estimated there were at least thirty here, all looking like they had died while trying to fend off an attacker.“Be alert of your surroundings,” Cassius said after leaning over and pressing his hand onto the shredded chitin of a downed crazak that was closest to the archway. “It’s still warm, I would say the fight happened only 15 minutes ago.”“These quilix died in fighting circles,” Hussin said, surveying the carnage. “It is our most used tactic for our primarily non-combat nest members. Whatever did this used raw power to overcome all present.”“To slay this many buggies, thing must be strong,” Grub said, kneeling down next to another crazak and running his hand over its limbs, tracing the deep gouges in its tough chitin with his finger. “This buggy was ripped in pieces. With stro
Godking Darius had never slept much in his old life, this habit leaked through to his current reincarnation. This worked well to keep his entourage of close advisors on their feet, as well as not allowing anyone to catch him unawares, which was in his top three of most despised things.He was currently perusing through his latest report papers, lounging back on his large high-backed throne chair, just sitting slightly offset to his large black obsidian desk. He always sat facing the doorway allowing him a good view of anyone who entered into his chambers. Feeling a pulse of energy approaching, he smiled evilly. Darius knew this weasel-featured advisor well. Turning slightly back to his table, he stashed the papers he was reading and turned back to face the door, interlocking his fingers across his chest and waited. A few minutes later, a soft knock on the door could be heard.“Enter,” Darius said, allowing a slight sliver of magic into his voice. He had learnt from his earliest time s
During their trip from the throne room, Paool questioned Rex about his incredible ability to heal wounds.After seeming somewhat satisfied with Rex’s vague explanation about being bonded with an ancient creature and sharing some of its traits, Paool then asked about how he was hiding the presence of other beings, explaining he could sense multiple scents emanating from him.“Why does smart buggy not be asking Grub about him?” Grub suddenly blurted out, appearing next to Paool, startling the crazak.“Uh, this one does not know what to ask of you delicious-smelling one,” Paool replied after a few seconds, his name for Grub eliciting a chuckle from Cassius.Before Grub was able to respond, Paool stopped suddenly, his action not being noticed by the others for another two steps.“Everything ok Paool?” Rex asked, instinctively resting his hand on the pommel of his sword while his eyes darted between both ends of the tunnel they currently traversed.“Yes, blessed one. This humble one was ju
Chapter 104Thirty minutes later, and with great effort, Rex was able to be upright without nausea or a pounding headache and was now seated at a small table in the cavernous room he was placed in.“Uh, I feel worse than ever,” Rex said, reaching out and picking up a strange blood-red coloured food object he guessed was fruit from a stone bowl in the centre of the table he was sitting at, Grub to his left and Cassius to his right. Both men, he could see, had a worried expression poorly hidden in their facial features. Turning the food over in his fingers, he could not attribute the shape nor colour to any fruit he had seen, during his time in Oak, nor even during his time in Dracoterrum and this realm.Clearing his throat slightly before speaking, Cassius broke the silence that came after Rex’s declaration, saying while also looking at the food Rex was studying, “They call it a “Smuur”, whatever that means. I have not been able to ascertain a translation to our tongue, but I believe i
“Now now Dorian,” the younger, gentler female voice said in an almost sing-song tone before Rex could reply, “I remember, gods quite a long time ago now, where a man once told me, ‘A man’s secrets are his very being. The ability to strip a man’s secrets and lay him bare is a travesty to his core.’ With that in mind, how could you allow any of us to assault his mind and take away that which doesn’t belong to us?”“Sounds like Tillian has found herself a young interest,” the older woman’s voice said, almost mockingly.“I can admit, unlike some of us, that this young…I am sorry, Rex was it?” the voice from Tillian said.“Yes, my name is Rex,” Rex nodded, finally being able to have a voice amongst the seemingly ending squabbles of beings unknown to him.“I had forgotten if you classed yourself as an adult or child still,” Tillian’s voice said softly. “I know so little about your race I’m afraid. I doubt even Gillart could shed any light on this.”“Hullans would be the closest to his race
Doing his best to keep his heart rate and thoughts on the correct path, Rex took a step back out of instinct, causing the hive queen to stop one step above where he stood and raise the two eyebrows on the left side of her face.“Do you not intend on agreeing to our deal?” she asked, her voice going flat.“Uh, sorry. Old habit to give myself room for a fight if needed,” Rex said, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead as he realised he had also unknowingly taken an unarmed fighting stance.“Hold out your hand,” the hive queen said, smirking seeing Rex relax from his fighting stance in seconds.Doing as requested, but keeping his muscles taut and ready to react at a moment's notice, the hive queen strode forward, striking the tip of his thumb with one of her claw tips so fast Rex did not even see the queen move her hand. After feeling the pinch, he looked at his thumb, seeing the blood now slowly trickling out from the tiny wound.“Uh, that’s strange,” Rex said, still staring curio
“Balrog!?” Rex spluttered, his mind whirling. “But Fafnir said she was…”“A demon?” The hive queen said, her voice almost like a low growl sending a tingling sensation down Rex’s spine.“Uh, yeah,” Rex sighed, hoping his admission did not seal his fate earlier than expected, “I believed it because he was a dragon and she didn’t look anything like the crazaks that attacked earlier on my journey, or now I’ve seen you, doesn’t resemble you either.”“Do all humans look the same?” The queen asked, raising two eyebrows over two eyes on the left side of her face while looking down at Rex.“Well, no,” Rex replied. Then it dawned on him, “Same race, look differently. I must admit I’m now curious about how that happens. Our looks differ due to quite a lot of things like race, gender, and heritage of the parents, is that the same for you?”“No,” the queen replied with a quirk to the edges of her mouth. “You are tempting and intelligent, quite the tantalising mix indeed. Our looks depend on our l
Taalook had only led the group a few hundred metres toward a large archway leading into a dimly lit tunnel when Rex stopped two paces from the doorway. “What’s this?” Rex asked, tracing his eyes over the archway, one eyebrow raised. “What’s what Rex?” Cassius asked, halting beside Rex and staring, confused at the arched doorway. “There is another film of magic over this doorway. Another shield?” Rex asked turning to face Taalook and Hussin. “You can see the zone magics?” Hussin asked, his small beady eyes growing a little larger in surprise. “Zone magics?” Cassius asked, snapping to look at the archway once more, squinting heavily before sighing and turning to Rex. “I don’t know how you do it. Is it something you can teach?” “The queen has the zetas set zones that allow certain types into certain zones, preventing those from going into places they shouldn’t be,” Taalook boomed. “Hussin can tell you about it once we meet the queen, and if you are allowed to continue living afterwa