Chapter 7 - Journey Back

While walking by Sofias side in the frosty Autumn air the Dragonkin got to know his master and her companions more, although there was definitely some embellishment in his master's words. The adventurers covered half a month's journey in 5 days with Zutals knowledge of the local territories and terrain allowing for a peaceful mood through the centre of Brushwood Haunt, especially useful for getting to know each other.

Zutal: "Master I seek your wisdom, being born here there are no other creatures like me or you here in the woods? I do not know where I come from and would like your personal guidance."

'A bit of boot licking will hopefully make Sofia more talkative about the world and my surrounds by playing on her pride, especially since playing the orphan part will make me less of a curiosity compared to my real origins. I do not want to think what my live dissection will be like if people want to make more Grey Horned Lizards into Dragonkin.'

Sofia: "I have no idea what you are, but as to where you come from… maybe the dark woods. It is the most lawless part on this entire continent with the largest menagerie of powerful monsters."

Allelu: "I disagree. I used to work as a bounty hunter for the Desert Cohorts and they don't even have a single city, just a bunch of angry nomads."

Marie: "The woodlands are always wild and untamed, it is refreshing to finally be in a forest like this."

'This has gone very well indeed, definitely a good choice to take the opportunity of everyone walking together to ask questions as these debates tell so much.'

Sofia: "Well, as the only educated person here I can tell that both of you are wrong. The Desert Cohorts do have a city, their Lost City hidden under the sands according to my own tribes merchants that trade regularly with them."

'That is very interesting to know that this party has the backing of a tribe, also makes me wonder what sort of reasons everyone has to be risking their lives.'

Sofia: "As for Marie thinking that woods should be death traps that they would even follow you out of it to kill you is concerning. While you lot were gathering supplies for the mission I decided to get into the socioeconomical status of the area, and it was more like a goblin sliding down a hill and climbing back up."

Allelu: "Boring, give us the short version."

Sofia: "I was about to get there. The city of Snout Port has been relatively intact, however 2,000 years ago it was reduced to rubble due to the Deep Woods being agitated by the previous guild leader. Also every now and then random monsters from Brushwood Haunt will also assault the city, on average every 50 years due to imbalances and destroy the economy."

Zutal: "Why does anyone even bother living here then?"

Marie: "Really, that is quite interesting. Do tell me more about these monsters and when we can hunt them."

Sofia: "Ahh. These incessant interruptions are getting old. Do you want me to ever finish or do we go back to how we came here, in silence. Anyway, the simple answer is that Snout Port is on a very lucrative peninsula. Sandwiched between the West Ocean that is used by ships to trade, the Brushwood Haunt East of the port where all lucrative monster parts or plants are sourced and directly North is the Deep Woods with all the scary monsters."

While leading in front Zutal thinks of different fantasy creatures that could live in the Deep woods, and also why they are so aggressive. 'Maybe its just that they are all too proud to let an insult against themselves go, but the fact that a nation did nothing against them would probably suggest that they are really strong, and the nation would not even bother with reprimands.'

Sofia: "You will not be getting to hunt any monsters in the Deep Woods as they are all protected in fear of reprimand, with the rulers of Deep Wood changing often but all of them being as powerful as an adult dragon. We are talking about extremely ancient creatures that were most likely participants in the fracture of the Draconic Empire."

Zutal: "What.."

Sofia: "A boring topic Zutal, do not worry about it too much."

'aww, and just when it was getting to the interesting bits.'

Allelu: "I didn't think a fellow warrior to be a book worm."

After Sofia translates for Zutal he almost pauses in his step.

Out of the corner of Zutals slit eye he can see Sofia staring at him. 'I really hope they do not realise that I am far more intelligent than I let on, what if I get sold for monster parts rather than get dissected if it turns out they hate any dragon and I accidently revealed the truth, I wish life was simpler.'

Zutal: "AHAHAh. It is just nice to hear the sound of others talking in piece and not trying to eat me."

Marie: "Aww, he is so cute. Can I borrow him later for a hunt?"

Something told Zutal that he was spoken off in a positive manner, and he bristled at the attention of a conversation that he half understood.

Sofia: "Sorry, but you will find it hard to go on a hunt with my familiar, other than self defence there are strict rules on hunting in the forest. Most resources are collected after negotiations with monsters in the forest to dissociate in case of retribution from the Deep Woods, and any monster slaying missions are given only to parties due to the danger of the forest."

'Even if this plan of getting everyone to talk was extremely useful I should be more careful, almost got signed away to hunt in these damned woods again. It may be better with another person but not by much and definitely not if I am going to have to be the punching bag, as the elf is very squishy with her skin.'

Sofia: "Zutal, how far do you think you have been in this forest?"

Zutal: "I have been in a lot of different parts, but I have no idea how much further the city is."

Allelu: "hmm, we really need to get him to understand us soon if we are to work as a group."

Marie: "Oh, it will be just like having a child or pet."

Sofia: "More like having a familiar."

'Huh, I guess they went off topic. Well for now I know where I am and where we are going. Hopefully in the city they will have magic showers or something, I know Sofia licked me clean but I am still so dirty and only got a light splash in a river, not enough to scrub off dried blood."

After 5 days the group had to slow down their careless march to a crawl, as once again there was danger waiting around every corner even if Zutal could sniff out most territories there were monsters that roamed or hid so well that it hid their scent.

The formation was Allelu at the front, Zutal just in front of Sofia and Marie in the back, hopping from tree branches.

Zutal: "Sofia what is the difference between a monster and a sentient?"

Sofia: "Oh that is simple, sentients have freedom and monsters don't."

'What the hell kind of explanation is that. So basically, I am a glorified slave.'

Zutal: "So am I a slave then?"

Sofia: "No that's a different contract, you are a monster just like a slave would be, but that is only a general classification for those who lost their freedom and simply is used to shorten conversations as nobody wants to explain how they got a monster, since some would ask to try and replicate the process. I got my familiar contract by receiving a challenge from the God Gaea, 'go to another forest from where I was born and live there for a year'."

'So I must also have also completed a secret challenge without knowing it, but what would I need to do to get more?'

Zutal: "How does one go about getting a challenge?"

Sofia: "All have challenges active at all times, you simply do not know what they are until it is read by a Seeing Crytal. It is a very expensive construct that is heavily enchanted to parse through magic and see your soul, most cities or guilds have one in an underground vault. Usually have to pay a silver to use it, most don't have that money so they beg others for their challenges."

'Ah so this will lead me no where but if challenges are custom why beg? Unless…'

Zutal: "The challenges are somehow similar?"

Sofia: "For most they are, but the stronger you get then the harder the challenges you are given. With the challenges also becoming specialised to the God you worship rather than simply being generic mage challenge to kill 10 monsters with magic arrow."

'Yep, casual mention of murder if I understand this worlds logic on if you become a monster then you are an object just like a slave, but the only difference is how you got there.'

Zutal: "Would I have generic warrior challenges? And if so which ones?"

Sofia: "There is nothing generic about you. I have never seen your race, neither do I know which God you can pray or even the most basic thing of what weapon you use."

Zutal: "I use my claws like swords so a warrior would fit, right?"

Sofia: "I don't know, but with this missions pay off we will have to check since a familiar grows separately from its master."

'Uh, this might be a problem if they realise that I worship the Dragon God that most likely was part of a broken civilisation in the past. I really hope this isn't a scenario of the Salem witch trials with me worshipping what they think of as evil.'

As the group continues for another 8 days in a crawl until they come to a goblin village. The place looks beyond impoverished with small, green people working on buildings and what looks to be random work on the village. We spend the night in what is called Forest Village, a terrible place for a village as everyone in the party except for the villagers agree on.

Sofia: "monsters of Brushwood Haunt who can not fully integrate into modern society, so they try living by themselves in a safer area."

Zutal: "What is to stop someone weak in Deep Woods, but strong in Brushwood Haunt from living here?"

Sofia: "The adventurers guild, and if they don't reach them then their masters servants will for running away."

Zutal: "Why are there so many strong monsters in the Deep Woods."

Sofia: "How am I supposed to predict that."

Zutal: "Sorry my bad master. Let us relax."

As the day ends more monsters come from the woods, some with prey and others with logs and kindling. There are some half snake and half human creatures and werewolves but most do not catch my eye as being all too strong, strong enough to get me if I picked a group fight, but not like some of the territory owners I have seen.

As we depart after paying for the night of lodging with coin we move on, but not using the dirt road leading to the village, but back into the forest.

Zutal: "Why are we going back into the forest?"

Allelu: "Don't worry I will protect you little one"

Sofia: "The adventurers guild is close to the border of the two forests and has only one road from town leading there. It will be faster to cut across than take two carriage's there."

Zutal: "But how do you know where we are going?"

Sofia: "Marie knows the way. Part of the reason you need to learn those letters faster, so you can be in the plan meeting and know what threats we might face, I can not keep translating forever it gets annoying really fast."

'Fair.'

As we reach the adventurers guild it makes me smile.

Sofia: "Enjoying the buildings architecture? Well you should really get a move on because this place is close to the border with all the strong monsters."

Zutal: "Why do you call them monsters?"

Sofia: "You forgot the whole servant thing from a couple days ago in the village? Everyone in Deep Woods has a master and no true freedom to leave unless sanctioned."

I shut up after that and admired the building, it is truly massive as we enter from the South West, which has an actual stone road leading to what I assume is Snout Port.

The building is a mansion, with long and narrow windows that are 2 metres (6.5 foot) tall, surrounded by a small moat that we pass over by using a bridge and head closer. The 5 towers around the castle like guild base are looming over us as we enter. But I think I spot somebody on top of the ziggurat roof of the building.

We head to the front desk and talk to the receptionist, a rotund older gentleman who appears to be a normal human, we are then told to go through and talk to the guild master on the roof.