Alix took a fighting position. He didn't know how to fight, but he had seen hungry slaves take the same stance when they were about to brawl for their food.
The guard laughed and then lunged at him. He brought one of the daggers down into an arc, and Alix dodged it swiftly.
The guard was too busy fumbling for his dagger, trying to pick it back up off the ground, and Alix saw an opening. Not in the fight, but for his escape.
He ran towards the gap where the iron bars once were, and almost made it out before a terrible beast appeared in front of him.
"That there's me beast," the guard said, grinning from ear to ear.
The beast in front of Alix was a kangal but…larger. Much larger. There was a spiky collar about its neck, and an unprecedented rage burning in its eyes. Its black fur blended in with the darkness of the cells, and the red streak on it served to match with its crimson eyes.
"Get 'em boy! Go!" The guard demanded.
The kangal pounced and then it was onto Alix. Alix ran like his life depended on it, it did, and when he turned back into his cell the fat guard was waiting for him, ready to slice him.
Alix had no choice. He had to fight. Looking at his personal window, he focused on the attribute section, another thing had caught his eyes and had even widened them, but he had no time for it right now, he had to act fast with what he knew.
All Alix had done last time to use his natural abilities was…think about them while the window was open. And when he did just that, a thick layer of mucus enveloped his body.
Alix wasn't sure if this was going to work, but he had to try. The guard brought one of his daggers back down again, and then Alix beamed as he watched it slide right off his chest.
The guard was only amused, not shocked. "Heh, slippery little worm."
He brought his other arm around through a jab, and then pierced through the thick mucus.
"How's Linda taste," the guard said crudely.
Alix wore a grin that did not quite meet the eyes, nor did it serve well with the fear that he was feeling. "I-I don't know, ask the mucus."
The guard had no time to do so, the kangal had ran up and snapped its jaw shut around Alix's arm and began wrestling with it.
Alix let out a guttural scream, and then collapsed to the ground with tears gushing out of his eyes. He punched and kicked at the kangal, but to no avail.
The rats were squealing and panicking, and many had rushed out of the cell to escape the kangals wrath. The guard went to go pick up the dagger he had dropped, and then stabbed the mucus repeatedly until he found flesh and bone.
There was blood pouring out of his fresh new wound, the guard had made his stomach weep with his dagger, and the kangal tore off his arm and began devouring it. The guard was still stabbing him, and laughing with every puncture he made.
Oh…god. It hurts so bad. Raina, please. Please help me. Please.
"Raina," Alix gurgled, drowning in his own blood.
The worm responded. She jumped from Alix's shoulder and wrapped itself around the guards neck. The guard shrieked and screamed out in disgust, howling down profanities while demanding the worm to get off him.
The kangal charged at Raina, allowing Alix a moment of respite. The boy crawled away, bloodied and mangled like the slavers.
He watched from afar as the kangal nibbled at Raina, taking care not to rip it off violently like it did to his arm, lest it take it's tamer alongside the worm.
Alix checked all three of his windows, carefully inspecting each one.
[TAMER WINDOW]
[Name: Alix Vineyard]
[Status: Alive]
[Tamer-Type: Worms]
[Creatures Tamed: 1]
[Total Evolutions Made: 1]
[PERSONAL WINDOW]
[Name: Alix Vineyard]
[Status: Alive]
[Tier: Slave]
[Class: Fledgling]
[Natural Attributes: Regeneration, Secretion]
[Evolutionary Attributes: Enzyme Duplication]
[Resets: N/A]
[Tamer Soul Fragments Claimed: 0]
[Soul Fragments Claimed: 24]
[Soul Fragments Until Next Personal Evolution: 24/100]
[CREATURE WINDOW]
[Raina]
Evolution Capacity: 3
Evolution Lines: None
Abilities: Secretion
Evolutions made: 1
Soul Fragments Until Next Evolution: 16/150
Description: Raina is a an eerie flatworm, slithering and bending to the will of its master. The worm relishes in strangling its prey, liquifying their bodies, and watching the light leave their eyes in a slow, wordless death.
Enzyme duplication?
This was the section that had caught his eye.
The personal window delved into the section, and then revealed the attributes description.
[Enzyme Duplication]
Description: At the cost of the tamer's essence, the tamer is able to expel thick, yellow mucus from their palms that rapidly duplicates enzymes it comes into contact with. This causes the breakdown of flesh, and the melting of organic material. Ineffective against beasts that are not of the same rank as the tamer, though will affect beasts in proportion to the damage they have made the tamer sustain.
Oh, that's useful! Thank the Gods!
Alix looked at the creature window. His burning, non-existent arm didn't help in allowing him to focus, neither did his stomach which was still oozing blood. He had to bite down hard on his remaining arm so that he didn't pass out.
What is secretion?
The window expanded the ability section. Alix's eyes widened when he got a closer look at what Raina could now do, it was nothing like what worms normally did, he didn't think.
[Secretion]
Description: Raina is able to expel enzymes from her body in the form a thick, blue substance. The liquid is able to slowly break down and liquify creatures that are weaker than it, a creature that has swallowed Raina, or creatures that Raina has successfully bound and strangled for a short period of time.
Alix looked up. Raina was still wrapped tightly around the guards neck, and the kangal struggled with getting her off.
Does that count? Can Raina use her new ability?
Alix beamed. He could see Raina fighting with everything she had. The blue liquid was dripping from her body, and the guards cries became muffled and wet, it sounded like he was drowning.
I can't let her fight alone
Alix staggered to his feet, and raised his palm in the direction of the kangal. As he thought of it, and focused, the yellow mucus shot out of his palm violently.
The liquid came out like pressurized water, and the kangal was covered from head to paw in the slimy, sticky substance. Alix could feel the effects of using the ability again, collapsing to his knees as his breath came out ragged.
The kangal charged at him with madness dancing in its eyes, and Alix had to watch as the malicious beast rushed towards him with the mind to tear off another piece of his body.
Alix wanted to call Raina for help, and his eyes darted towards her fight. The guard was fruitlessly stabbing her body, but every time he'd pull the dagger out, her wound would heal instantly. The victor was already clear, and Alix wouldn't dare throw away her fight by calling her to his side.
Come on then, come grab another arm!
But the kangal had suddenly paused and stopped running at him. Alix was puzzled for a moment, and then saw what had prevented the beast's violent onslaught.
Its fur began falling out in patches, landing gracefully like snow. The kangal whimpered and began panting heavily as if it had been the one to use Alix's ability. Its skin began cracking and reddening, and the raw patches where its fur had once been were weeping fluids.
Did I…do that?
The kangal was crying out in pain, thrashing and writhing, rolling desperately on the ground as if it had been set on fire. Alix struggled to his feet, and then walked around it, briefly stopping to see if he could figure out what was going on.
Enzyme duplication…what on earth is in that mucus?
Alix pushed his curiosity to the side. He looked ahead and found Raina still wrapped tightly around the guards neck. Alix limped towards them and smiled as he watched the guard drop one of his daggers.
The secretion is working
The guard was tough. So was his kangal. Alix looked back and found it still writhing, suffering under the effects of his attribute.
Good. Stay down.
Alix walked up to the guard and ripped the dagger from his hands. Raina had not only siphoned his cries, but also his strength.
Alix pushed the dagger deep into his belly. He picked up the other dagger from the floor and pushed that one in, too. He'd take them out, one after the other, only after forming new holes in the man's flesh. He kept this up, over and over again, and shrugged off the blood that was pouring out of him like a waterfall.
He didn't care when it was coming out of my stomach
The man's body went limp, and he crashed into the ground like timber. Alix took out one of the daggers from his stomach and punctured another hole in it for good measure.
Rest in piss
The voice then crept into his ears with good news.
[You have slain a Novice class Tamer]
[You have gained 20 Soul Fragments]
All that for a measly twenty. Ha…
Alix didn't bother with looking at his windows, he just wanted to take in the moment. He no longer had to hear the man's stupid laugh, all that could be heard was the distant rats, the writhing kangal, and the sound of his heavy breathing.
Alix could feel his body healing and regenerating. The wound on his stomach was no longer weeping blood. And a new bone, albeit a small one, was jutting out of the place where his arm had been.
The kangal had finally died, and the voice returned with new merits.
[You have slain a Novice class beast]
[You have gained 30 Soul Fragments]
That should be around seventy now, no?
With his only arm, Alix wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to leave the cell. To his dismay, and to his horror, there was another creature blocking his path. This one was far more dangerous than the kangal, and had made him cry and whimper like the frightened little boy he really was.
The creature began clapping, and Alix felt like every clap was powerful enough to crush him. That's just how dangerous it was.
"Good. Very good, Alix Vineyard. I didn't expect you to come out on top, but boy did you prove me wrong."
"Lord…Lord Vaylor." Alix shuddered.
"Aye, it's me. We meet again." He smiled. "Come, leave this mess behind. I'll have somebody clean it up."