The Serpent and Him

Luge's ears pricked up instantly, the nicked ear twitching beneath his hood. Spell knowledge? Catching the giant serpent? He was keenly interested in both. On one hand, he didn't want the great snake returning to cause havoc in the kobold territory. On the other, he had long yearned for an exchange with fellow apprentice wizards and the chance to acquire magical knowledge—provided there was no danger. If the two before him had only been first-rank apprentice wizards, he would have swaggered right over, plopped himself down, and become fast friends within three sentences, perhaps even concocting a tearful tale about how he had endured humiliation and been transformed from a handsome young man into a kobold. Unfortunately, these were two fifth-rank apprentice wizards who had come here with clear objectives. Still, if they were willing to communicate, the disparity in rank would simply turn an exchange into guidance, which was also an excellent alternative. "A chance to ask a question, and a zero-ring spell. But the condition is that you act as bait—and you can't botch it." Baonte's voice rang out from behind him. Luge pondered for a moment and realized that some of the flame-wielder's earlier remarks had actually been directed at him. That man had anticipated this and given him the context he needed to make a decision: for instance, that Baonte had hunted this serpent more than once, and that Baonte was powerful enough to kill it outright. From the look of things, it was precisely because he didn't want to kill it that the beast had managed to escape several times. The clever serpent had clearly realized this as well, and surely fought for its life every time it fled. At such a juncture, bait was required. Luge turned around. "It would be my honor to assist you two, sirs. A little danger is of no consequence." *Since the big guy is so powerful, he ought to be able to protect me, right?* he thought. A spell and a chance to ask a question. He had plenty he wanted to ask, but after some hesitation, he decided to first resolve the long-pending matter of his companion familiar. If a corresponding spell was required, he could settle everything at once and secure the spell as well. "It seems you were an educated noble before you were sold to the Black Calamity Tower," the flame-wielder remarked without looking up as he fiddled with the campfire. Luge was tempted to say that in his homeland everyone received an education, but thought better of it, afraid of inviting trouble. If they pressed him on where he came from, his answers would be riddled with flaws, and he wouldn't be able to explain himself at all. He glanced at the roasted beast leg, of which less than half remained after the three of them had eaten. "Sir, if I may be so bold, could I take that with me?" He suddenly thought of Aisjin. If his own desire was to become a powerful wizard or something even more complex, Aisjin's wish was far simpler: to eat delicious food and have a full belly at every meal was her greatest dream. While subtle changes might be quietly taking place now, that wish certainly still held a central place in her heart. This roast meat was cooked to perfection and seasoned with a variety of unfamiliar spices. Given the kobold girl's fondness for novelties and good food, she would be overjoyed to taste it. "Of course. I take that as a compliment." With a wave of the man's hand, the roasted beast leg drifted over. Luge took it with a smile and slipped it directly into his storage pouch. "Keep up with me." Baonte put away the crystal-clear orb. Luge nodded. Just as he took a step forward, there was a loud thud—Baonte kicked off the ground and shot out like a cannonball. Luge looked down at his own short legs, cast Bull's Strength upon himself, gritted his teeth, and gave chase with all his might. Before long, the glow of the campfire vanished behind him. He could barely catch glimpses of Baonte's back, but soon even that faded until he could only hear the monstrous pounding of footsteps against the ground. Eventually, even that faint sound was nearly lost to his ears. For a moment, he felt as though his new spell and companion familiar were waving goodbye to him. Baonte's method of travel was hardly the dashing style Luge envisioned, but he had to admit that such sheer, unadorned momentum truly left others in the dust—in fact, one could barely even see the dust. It was certainly far simpler and more reliable than any flashy technique. *Boom!* "You're too slow." Baonte wheeled around in midair and landed beside him without breaking stride, hoisting him up by the shoulder before bounding forward again. Luge's meager weight had no effect on Baonte whatsoever. Luge took the opportunity to savor the sensation of hurtling along like the wind, which only hardened his resolve to secure a potent travel spell or method of his own. Soon, however, the experience took a sharp turn for the worse. He realized that Baonte's bounding, sprinting gait was brutally unforgiving to a stomach stuffed with roast meat. They sped along the entire way. The two leaped out of an inconspicuous opening in the small cave district. Continuing their mad dash, they arrived at a peculiar expanse riddled with hollows. As far as the eye could see, there were at least twenty holes in the ground, as though a colony of colossal rats had nested here together. And that was merely within his limited field of vision; judging by the terrain, there were bound to be many more burrows beyond what he could see. Baonte finally set him down and brought out the orb to inspect it repeatedly. "It actually found a way to counter my tracking." Baonte abruptly stowed the orb and looked at him with burning eyes. "Take this, and remember what I'm about to tell you." Baonte thrust an object into Luge's hands. "Hold onto it and pay no mind to anything else. These burrows should all be connected. Pick any hole, go inside, and wander around. I'll give you one day, and I will—" A deafening boom cut Baonte off. A gigantic serpentine body erupted from one of the openings, collapsing a section of the tunnel mouth in an explosion of dust and flying gravel. Paying Luge no further heed, Baonte threw up his fists and charged straight ahead, giving chase to the massive serpent as it fled into the distance. Luge looked at the object in his hands, then at the figure receding into the distance. *Now what?* *And what even is this?* In his hands rested an object wrapped in cloth that had clearly been torn off on a whim, bound round and round into a small bundle. He suspected the fabric might have once been the sleeve of a garment. Recalling Baonte's words, he turned and stepped into the nearest cave opening. *I won't be joining such an intense battle. My short legs couldn't catch up anyway,* he thought. *Besides, I'm just carrying out the task you assigned me.* With that thought, his steps grew firmer. This was the only thing he could do right now. Aside from this, his only other option would be to trace his steps back through memory and sneak on home. Clutching the bundle in his left hand, he guessed at its purpose while feeling a tinge of worry, dreading that it might be some bizarre bait meant to lure subterranean beasts. Naturally, he had no intention whatsoever of opening it to take a look. Asking little and looking less was his steadfast principle when dealing with the powerful. Pulling out his crystal lamp to check the time, he decided that if Baonte had not returned after a day, he would have done his duty and would leave, retracing his route back. A pair of slit serpent pupils quietly emerged in the dark. "You had better put that away." The great snake's voice twisted into a thread as fine as a mosquito's hum, boring straight into his ear. He whipped around, looking all about. Flitting through the darkness was an off-white serpent that had shrunk by at least ten times. "Stay away from him—" The mosquito-faint voice of this miniature Gray Longneck Holy Lord had barely reached his ear again when it abruptly cut off. "Hahaha! Where do you think you're running?!" Baonte sprang out without warning, slamming like a cannonball into a patch of shadows in the distance. Luge stowed the crystal lamp and the bundle into his storage pouch and hurriedly strode after them in pursuit. His reward hadn't been paid out yet!