Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Fable : Fall of the Guild	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Fable Views: 8222 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable intellectual property, nor am I making any money off of this fanfic. Unauthorized duplication of this work is prohibited.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Slimes.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part II - "Quest Cards"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: May 2, 2011

Timoteo and Darrah set out into the town of Bowerstone, heading around it's southern district. Rather quickly, they found a shop of miscellaneous goods, and found Timoteo another pack that was identical to his old one. Transferring all of his items from his old pack to his new pack barely took a minute of his time, and when he was finished, he simply threw away his busted pack. "I'm going to need new clothes, too..." Timoteo said, looking down at himself. Since his time casting Berserk, his clothes were more or less shredded, stained with blood nearly all over. Darrah raised an eyebrow at him, saying "Yes, you do. But we can worry about that later. We still need to buy potions and food for our trip. When we head to the Guild to pick up a Quest Card, you can buy another apprentice suit from the Guild shop, quick and easy." Timoteo shrugged. "Alright, then." He said, raising a hand and scratching at the left side of his neck for a moment.
The two walked off to an alchemist's store, and Timoteo waited outside while Darrah shopped around. When she came back out, she said "Okay, I bought five more health potions and three more mana potions. The health potions totalled to five hundred and sixty gold, because each potion was one hundred and twelve gold each. The mana potions were ninety gold each, so they costed two hundred and seventy gold in total. We're down to two thousand, two hundred, and fifty-six gold." Darrah shook her head lightly, her expression disappointed. "It's tough living as a Hero, these days." She said in a forlorn voice. She handed him three of the health potions as well as the mana potions, keeping the other two health potions for herself. They slipped the potions into their packs, Timoteo asking "So, food, now?" Darrah smiled and nodded, saying "Yup. Drinks, too. While we're at the Guild, we should get some breakfast, too...Well, technically lunch, considering the time of day."
Timoteo glanced up to the sky for a moment, noticing that Darrah was correct, it was getting close to noon by then. Leading him off, she took him to a bakery, convincing him to come inside with her. The bakery looked like any ordinary building, with wooden walls and a wooden floor. Paintings of different types of food hung on the walls, and there was an aroma on the air, like warm and freshly cooked loaves of bread. Timoteo had never picked up any similar scent before in his life, it was new and exciting to him. They were lucky; they had entered the bakery during a rare moment of emptiness, and so could approach the baker at his counter immediately. The baker was dressed in a white smock with a floppy white hat perched precariously on his head, a thin smile on his face as the two approached. "How much would...Five loaves of bread cost? Wrapped up, of course." She said. The baker said "Mmm, about seventy gold."
Darrah nodded, smiling a little, raising an eyebrow. "And how about a few jars of jam?" The baker raised an eyebrow in return, asking "What kind of jam did you have in mind? We've got strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and snozzberry." Darrah chuckled, saying "A jar of everything except for snozzberry, whatever the heck that is. Price?" The baker smiled a little as he said "With five loaves of bread and the jars, it'll be around one hundred and fifty gold." Darrah pulled out her satchel of gold, smiling a little, saying "We'll take it." The baker smiled happily at the business transaction, nodding, setting about getting Darrah's order prepared. In just a few minutes, the baker had a big brown paper bag with five loaves of bread pushed inside. He sealed the top of the bag with some sort of clear glue, preventing air from entering, keeping the bread fresh. As Darrah grabbed the bag, the man handed her four small glass jars, each filled with jam of a different colour.
One was filled with bright red jam, almost pink in tint. Another had crimson jam inside it. The third had purple jam in it, and the fourth had jam in it so dark that it was practically black in shade. Darrah took her pack off, pushing the bag of bread inside, along with the jars of jam. She handed the baker his gold and put away her satchel, looking to Timoteo then, raising an eyebrow. "Time for the Guild." She said. Timoteo's stomach just then growled. "Thank Avo, I'm starting to get really hungry..." He said. Darrah smiled and raised a hand, giving him a pat on the back, patting his bare skin due to the back of his shirt being more or less torn away. "Relax, Tim. I'm hungry too, don't worry." Timoteo smiled a little, giving her a look for a moment, causing her to chuckle. The two left the bakery, proceeding to leave Bowerstone, heading on their way towards the Guild.
When they reached the Guild, the first thing they did was head into the Guild shop, a small section of the main Guild building set off to the side from the entrance to the Guild dining chamber, like the library was. Heading inside just as a pair of male Heroes exited, they approached the grizzled old man behind the counter, Timoteo asking "Hey, how much for another apprentice outfit? Mine got shredded in a fight." The man raised an eyebrow at him, nodding, saying "Yes...I can see that. The full outfit costs one hundred and ninety gold." Darrah sucked her teeth for a moment, making a slight sound. She pulled out her satchel of gold then, muttering "Expense after expense, today..." Timoteo smiled a little, listening to her with his right eyebrow raised. Darrah handed the man his gold, and he reached under the counter, beginning to pull up several clothing items. Timoteo took the brief moment to glance around the room, as he had never been inside it before.
The walls and floor were made of the same stone as the rest of the Guild building. All along the walls, there were various wooden shelves, all covered in differing items. On the wooden counter, there were several items as well, but the man had pushed some of them down along the counter to make room for the clothes he was pulling up. On the wall behind the counter, there was a large tapestry of two swords crossed over one another, and writing in another language was stitched in bold letters underneath the blades. As the man had finished pulling up all of the pieces of the apprentice garb, a thought came to Timoteo that sucked away all the warmth from his face. Weaver must've known what direction Bianca went in, when she was exiled from the Guild. Maybe he knew exactly where she had gone? He must've also known where Travis was buried. Timoteo would've liked to pay his final respects, if he could. "Tim? You alright?" Darrah suddenly asked, snapping Timoteo out of his thoughts.
He blinked, glancing at her, nodding. His face was still cool as he said "Yeah...I was just thinking about something." He grabbed all the clothing pieces of the apprentice outfit, leaving the shop with Darrah. "What's on your mind?" She asked. The two stopped walking, standing outside the Guild shop. Timoteo looked to her, his face going a little more serious as he asked "Do you think Weaver would know where Bianca went, or where Travis was buried?" Darrah raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes a touch wide. It seemed like she wasn't expecting a question related to either of the individuals. "Um...Well, he might. After all, Weaver escorted Bianca out of the Guild. He also carried Travis' body away, right? So...He might." She said calmly. Timoteo nodded slightly, looking off to the side for a moment as he said "After we eat, I'm going to ask him about them." Darrah nodded, saying "Alright. While you're doing that, I can check out the Quest Cards, if there's any available."
Timoteo nodded. "Be right back, I'm gonna change in one of the rooms upstairs, while they're empty for the day." Darrah nodded. Timoteo rushed off, heading up a flight of stairs by the Map Table. By pure instinct and the habit of routine, he ended up entering his old apprenticeship room. He smiled when he entered the room. The last time he had been in there had only been a day or two before, but it felt like it had been a lifetime. He noticed that the belongings of new apprentices were nestled under the beds in the room, his smile growing stronger for a moment. He quickly undressed and got back into the new apprentice outfit, bundling up his old, torn apprentice suit in his arms. He walked back down to Darrah, and Darrah quickly said "Well, you don't need that garbage anymore. Might as well throw it out." Timoteo made a bit of an annoyed face, glancing around, remembering that there were waste baskets and such in the dining hall.
Timoteo nodded to the side for Darrah to follow him, the two descending into the dining hall. Already, there were some Heroes congregating, getting some food for themselves. Timoteo quickly found a large dump-like waste basket at the end of one of the large tables in the room, the large basket meant for the food people were too full to eat, or perhaps weren't interested in for whatever reason. Timoteo threw his old clothes into the basket, and then he and Darrah set off into the nearby cookery. Quickly getting themselves a tray of food each, they walked back into the dining hall, taking a seat at a table and beginning to dig in. Timoteo smiled with amusement as Darrah went at her food greedily, tucking it all back like she had gone through a famine. When the two were finished, they brought their trays back into the cookery, Darrah and Timoteo parting ways temporarily. As Darrah went back to the Map Table, Timoteo exited the main Guild building through the doors at the back of the dining hall, turning and heading for the building that belonged to the Head of the Guild.
It was a small building, being a little tall, almost like a small tower. It was circular in shape, and at the top floor, on the front face of the building, there were several large stained glass windows. Heading into the building through a small arch-like opening on it's front, he entered a small circular room. Several suits of metal armour stood around the perimeter of the room, lit torches behind each of them. Set into the wall off to the right, by another entrance to the building, there was a staircase that led upwards, curving around with the building. Timoteo began to head up the stairs, and hardly twenty seconds later, he had reached the only other floor in the building: the top floor. The top floor of the tower-like building was cozy, with a fireplace off to the left, several large bookshelves set against the wall across from it, a few more on either side of the fireplace. The fireplace was lit, and sitting in a chair beside it was Weaver, a book opened and in his hands.
He looked to Timoteo as he reached the top of the stairs, Weaver smiling, closing his book. "Ah, Timoteo. I wasn't expecting you." He said in a warm tone. Timoteo walked over to Weaver, saying "Yes, I...Had some questions for you, if you weren't busy." Weaver motioned towards the seat across from himself, which was made of brown leather and was unoccupied. "Certainly. Please, take a seat. Join me by the fire." Timoteo walked over, taking off his pack, resting it down by the seat's right side as he took a seat. The warmth of the fireplace became apparent on his left side, and the soothing crackling and popping of the burning wood came into his mind. He was silent for a moment before asking "Do you know where Travis is buried?" Weaver didn't react for a moment. When he did, he raised his eyebrows slightly, slowly taking in a deep breath. "Yes..." He said lightly. "He's buried at Lychfield. Far to the north, past Bowerstone, and close to the coast. You...Wanted to visit his grave, I take it?" Weaver said, exhaling slightly as he asked his question.
Timoteo rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forwards slightly, glancing to the fire as he said "I was thinking about it...Before I do that, though, there's something else I have to do. But anyway, my second question is..." He looked up to Weaver's eyes then, asking "...You must know where Bianca went, or at least what direction she headed in when she left." Weaver stared calmly into Timoteo's eyes for a few seconds before saying "...Timoteo, you're not thinking of trying to find her, are you?" Timoteo sat back in his chair, nodding. "I am." He stated matter-of-factly. Weaver's face went cautious, yet also worried. "You don't know her history, Tim...Before she came to the Guild, she did something terrible..." Timoteo narrowed his eyes slightly in curiosity. Weaver leaned forwards slightly, his face still worried. "I don't want you following after her. It's for your own good, Tim. She's a dangerous girl." Timoteo raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening a little as he said "I need to know, Weaver! I have to!"
Weaver sighed gently, raising his eyebrows as he tiredly said "I don't know where she went precisely, but I do know what direction she went in...I'll tell you on only one condition." Timoteo asked "What?" Weaver leaned forwards a little more, his eyes widening a little as he said "That you promise me you won't go after her. Leave her be, she made her choices, and I fear it will take her down a very dark path...You're not suited to the type of life she wants to lead, I can see it in you. She would be the end of you, Tim." Timoteo ignored Weaver's warning and, looking right into Weaver's eyes, he lied. "I promise. I won't follow her." He said solemnly. Weaver stared into Timoteo's eyes for several seconds, eventually leaning back into his chair once more. When he spoke, he did so softly. "...Bianca headed to the south. Her old home...It was in the mountains by Darkwood. It's...It's not there, anymore." Weaver hesitated for a moment before saying "The town was...Destroyed, several years ago. More or less, anyway. While the houses still stand, not a single living soul resides there anymore. It used to be called "Marydell," but you won't see it on anybody's maps anymore, not by this day."
Weaver sighed gently, saying "Bianca headed to the south, and since Marydell used to be to the south...If she was going anywhere, I'd say she'd be heading back to her old home. There wouldn't be anything for her there, though...Just bones and empty homes. I can't tell you if she'll still be there by this day however, it's been years, Tim. She could be anywhere." Weaver glanced down to his knees for a moment before looking up to Timoteo's eyes again. "Does that satisfy your need for closure?" He asked softly. Timoteo lied again. He nodded. "It does." He said gently. The two were silent for a moment more before Weaver asked "Was that all?" Timoteo nodded, standing up. "Yes. It was good seeing you again, Weaver." As Timoteo picked up his pack and pulled it's straps over his shoulders once more, Weaver's voice sounded out with it's usual strength. "Very well. It was good seeing you too, Tim." Timoteo promptly left the building, heading back for the main Guild building.
He made his way back to the front room, finding Darrah by the Map Table. She smiled at him. "Bunch of Quest Cards were available, and I signed my name on one of them. You have to do the same." Timoteo smiled a little at her, walking over to the Map Table, finding the card she signed her name on. The location of the quest was inside Greatwood, and the quest wasn't considered light or dark, being a neutral Quest Card. Reading the description of the quest, he mumbled out to himself.
"A slime-like creature has gone loose in Greatwood! With every woodland animal it absorbs, it grows in size, and could very well end up breeding by splitting into more slimes. Before it becomes an epidemic, we ask that any Hero interested report to Greatwood, and begin searching for this mysterious slime! If you slay it, there's five hundred gold in it for you!"
Timoteo raised his eyebrows slightly, shrugging, saying "Alright. Nothing more interesting, though?" As he signed his name on the card, Darrah raised an eyebrow, saying "All of the other cards were way beyond our capabilities. A dragon's nest here, a stone troll there, an army of Anubis creatures way over there...Nothing we could handle." Timoteo made a slight "Meh" sound before standing back up, saying "Let's get a move on." Darrah nodded, smiling slightly at him. The two exited the Guild, and quickly began to make their way into the nearby region of Greatwood. "So...We're looking for...A big ball of slime?" Darrah said with confusion. Timoteo looked to her with wide eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that you signed your name on a Quest Card without even knowing what we were supposed to go after?!" Timoteo asked. Darrah raised her eyebrows, pleadingly saying "Well, no, not exactly...I knew we were looking for a ball of slime...Or...Something..."
Timoteo shook his head. "Unbelievable. For all you know, the thing we're looking for could be suited to an expert Hero." Darrah's expression hardened a little, and she spoke with a bit of annoyance as she said "Don't you think that if that were the case, the Quest Card would say so?" Timoteo glanced upwards for a moment and shook his head again. Neither of them said anything to one another from that moment forth. They walked through Greatwood for several hours, searching high and low, all the while in total silence. Timoteo had been a little annoyed with Darrah for a bit, but his annoyance had quickly faded; he figured that she must've been rather annoyed with him, as she hadn't said a word since their little argument. Eventually though, they entered a large grassy field devoid of trees. "Want to stop and eat?" Timoteo asked, finally breaking the hours-long silence. The sun had been starting to go down in the sky by that point, casting a golden light over the endless expanse up above.
"Yes." Darrah said simply, sighing gently through her nose. The two sat down amid the short grass, giving their tired legs a chance to relax. Darrah pulled her pack off and set it down in front of herself. "Let's try some of that jam." Darrah said, smiling happily. She pulled out the bag of bread, tearing off the sealed top. She pulled out a loaf of bread as well as the container of strawberry jam, taking a minute to find the knife that went with her pie, pulling it out. Using the knife, she sliced off four pieces of bread from the loaf, putting the loaf back into it's bag with the others. Pushing the bag back into her pack, she opened the jar of strawberry jam, smiling broadly as she brought it close to her face and took a deep sniff of the contents within. "Mmm, it smells amazing, smell it, Tim!" She said excitedly, holding the jar out to Timoteo. Timoteo couldn't help but smile a little, feeling pleased to see Darrah in a good mood again. As she brought the jar close, he took a deep smell, and had to admit; she was right, the contents of the jar smelled wonderful.
He had never smelled strawberries before, but he knew that he loved the scent, now. He grinned a little as Darrah pulled the jar back, saying "Yeah, it smells great!" Darrah grinned happily, saying "I used to have strawberry sandwiches with my dad all the time...They were his favourite." Darrah began to spread the jam over two of the slices of bread, using the knife she had cut the bread slices with. After a moment, Timoteo asked "Where does your family live, Darrah?" Darrah paused her movements for a moment, her face relaxing to near emotionlessness. After a moment, she began to spread the jam again, but she wasn't smiling anymore. "Where does your's live?" She asked in a slightly hostile tone. Timoteo felt a little surprised by her tone, but still said "Dattebayo, to the east of the Guild, by the mountains." Darrah was quiet for a moment before asking "...Did you have any brothers or sisters?" Timoteo felt a little relaxed, hearing that Darrah's tone was no longer hostile. She was calm again.
"Yeah, an older brother...Few years older than me. He's a man, now." Darrah smirked slightly, as if Timoteo's words were humourous. "What?" Timoteo asked curiously. Darrah pushed a plain piece of bread down on one that had been covered in jam, and held it out to him. She kept smirking slightly as she said "You called him a man, as if you're not. You're a man too, Tim." Timoteo pouted his lips off to the side, looking off in the same direction in thought. A moment later, he took his sandwich from her hand, saying "I suppose you're right, but...What I meant, is...Well, he could already be married or something. Have a job, working for himself, living on his own or with someone else..." Darrah raised an eyebrow as she finished preparing her own sandwich, snorting slightly with amusement before saying "So? You're a Hero, I'd say you're even more of a man than your brother could be. You fight to keep people safe. Unless your brother's a town guard, he can't say the same."
Timoteo smiled a little. He couldn't help but feel like Darrah was trying to compliment him, but he didn't call her on her behaviour, fearing that it would just make her either annoyed or fall silent for a while longer. "C'mon, try the sandwich. If you thought the jam smelled good, wait 'till you taste it." She said, grinning slightly. Timoteo raised an eyebrow, smiling as Darrah took a bite of her sandwich. Her eyelids practically fluttered, and she groaned around her mouthful of sandwich. "Oh Avo, that brings back memories..." She said. Timoteo took a bite of his sandwich, his eyes lighting up as he tasted the jam. It tasted amazing! It was exploding with flavour, and Timoteo couldn't get enough of it. He finished his food even faster than Darrah for once, something Darrah was visibly amused by. "Man, that was awesome!" He exclaimed. Darrah grinned, saying "Glad you liked it, I loved it, too. And just think, we've still got another three flavours we can try!" Timoteo chuckled, but his chuckle died half-way through. The two heard a rustling in the grass to Timoteo's left, Darrah's right, and their eyes immediately fell upon a strange creature, the creature their Quest Card ordered them to kill.
Slowly approaching them, having made no sound until the grass swished behind it, was a strange amorphous blob. It was light green in colour and mostly transparent, about the size of a large dog when it came to height. It was about the same length as a dog when it came to width as well, the slime's width being about as long as a dog when measured from tail to nose. In the middle of the slime's form, there was a strange circular organ of sorts, the organ being the only solid thing within the slime's entire mass. It was turquoise in colour, and stood out quite clearly from the rest of the slime's mass. When the slime became aware that the two had noticed it, it no longer attempted to be stealthy. Still moving very silently, it bolted straight for Timoteo, surprising him with it's speed. He let out a light cry as it jumped on his legs, almost instantly engulfing his limbs within it's watery body. "It's cold!" He said, shutting his eyes tight.
Darrah sprang into action. She pulled her steel longsword from her pack, her eyes wide as she got up to her feet. "Is it hurting you?" She asked. The slime moved up Timoteo's body until it came to his waist, continuing still, yet at a slower pace. "N-No, but it's practically freezing!" He said. Darrah slashed at the slime's mass, her blade cutting through it easily, leaving a large laceration in it's form. She was shocked to see that, hardly a second later, the laceration had fused shut; the slime had simply regenerated from her attack, closing the opening into it's jelly-like body. The slime was thinly stretched out once it reached Timoteo's chest. "Can you even move?" Darrah asked. Timoteo tried to move his legs, but felt like the slime was constricting down on him, fighting against him to keep him still. "No!" He said. Darrah slashed at the slime multiple times, but it always seemed to regenerate. "It keeps healing or something, every time I slash it, it just heals!" Darrah said, beginning to sound desperate as the slime approached Timoteo's throat, coating his body like a cacoon.
"Hit the b-ball inside it!" Timoteo gasped out. The slime constricting on his torso was making breathing difficult. Darrah's eyes wildly searched along the slime's form until she spotted what Timoteo was speaking of. By his right calf, there was the strange organ of sorts that Timoteo had spotted when the slime was moments away from pouncing on him. It was pressed against the right side of his calf, near Darrah's right foot. The slime began to reach up Timoteo's jaw and chin, heading for his face. Helpless, he could only hope that Darrah could save him in time before the slime reached his mouth. He wasn't sure if the slime would attempt to enter his body, but it was a possibility he truly didn't want to consider. Darrah raised her sword with the point aiming downwards, plunging her blade down. She stabbed clear through the organ by Timoteo's leg, and the slime's progress up along Timoteo's body froze. It was a mere inch or two from his bottom lip.
Darrah yanked her blade to the side, ripping the organ out of the jelly-like mass of it's body. As soon as the core was pulled from it's body, the slime along Timoteo suddenly spilled everywhere and flowed from his body like water, leaving his clothes quite damp as it spilled to the ground lifelessly. Timoteo was panting as he quickly stood up. The organ on Darrah's sword was faintly translucent, but aside from that property along with it's colour, it was very unremarkable to look at, looking like a simply perfect sphere. Darrah swung her sword down to the ground in front of her, the organ flying off her blade and smacking against the ground, creating an audible wet sound. "Guess that's it. Quest completed." Darrah said with satisfaction." She looked over to Timoteo, her expression calming slightly as she asked "You alright?" Timoteo nodded, saying "Yeah...Just a little weird, having that thing all over me. Couldn't move." "Maybe it was attracted to the sandwiches?" Darrah suggested, smiling. Timoteo chuckled, saying "Maybe. Whew, I'm just glad it's off of me." The two became aware of running footsteps behind them, and a masculine voice called out "Ah, excuse me? Are you two Heroes?"
The two looked over, seeing a short man with spiky blonde hair and wild eyes jogging towards them. He was dressed in a white coat of sorts, open to reveal the gray shirt he wore beneath. He wore black pants and large iron boots. He appeared to be unarmed, and looked like he was in his late thirties. "Yes, we are." Darrah said. The man came up to them, panting slightly as he asked "Have...Either of you s...Seen a green-?" His eyes settled on the big puddle of dead slime by Timoteo, along with the organ by Darrah's feet, the large wound going right through it showing prominently. The man's face relaxed, his eyes calming down. "...I see you've already disposed of Buttercup." The man sighed, his eyes going disappointed. "...Had to be done, but that doesn't mean I like it...Least the Quest Card I posted isn't going to waste..." The man mumbled, almost to himself. "What're you talking about?" Timoteo asked curiously.
"Who the heck is "Buttercup"?" Darrah asked. The man's eyes went wild once more, and they stared right into Darrah's. "Buttercup was the slime you just killed. My slime. Well...One of them, anyway." Timoteo raised his eyebrows, saying "There are more? Crap." The man looked to Timoteo, saying "Listen, I don't have time to explain. You need to help me. Blossom and I got into an argument, and she ran away to clear her head. It's not unusual, she always comes back. She's only ever been gone for a few hours at a time though, and..." The man raised his eyebrows, his eyes going sad as he said "She's been gone for two days, this time. I-I'm scared that she might've gotten lost, or hurt. You have to help me! I didn't post a Quest Card, but I'll pay you a thousand gold to help me find her!" Darrah raised her eyebrows, saying "We're talking about another slime, right?" The man nodded. "Yes! Blossom is red, s-sorta pink, but mostly red. She's not at all like Buttercup was...Blossom was a lot smarter, and was practically a human in a jelly state. Trust me, she won't try to pounce you like Buttercup must've. She's known for that..."
The man muttered to himself a few times incoherently for a few seconds before staring into Timoteo's eyes. "Will you help me?! A thousand gold!" Without turning their heads, Timoteo and Darrah both looked to the sides, glancing at one another. "Oooo...Kaaayyyy." Timoteo said, holding his word for a few seconds longer than was necessary. The man grinned. "Okay, great! Look, I'll go to the south. You guys go east or west, doesn't matter. There's a ton of grasslands around here, just like this one. My slimes don't really like the trees, because they're always afraid something will jump down on them, which I doubt, but..." The man began to ramble incomprehensibly for a few seconds longer before his eyes went wide, a big smile on his face. "So, yeah! Check the grasslands like this one, and we should find Blossom somewhere. I'll head south!" The man ran past the two, heading down towards the south. The two watched the man run away for a few seconds before Darrah shook her head. "What a crazy bastard." She muttered. Timoteo raised his eyebrows, looking to her with a sly smile. "Thousand gold, though." He said. Darrah smiled, nodding, saying "Crazy bastard or not, we could use that money." Timoteo nodded towards the east, saying "Check the east, first?" Darrah grinned and nodded, saying "Sure."
The two walked through a thin section of trees before finding a massive grassland. Huge hills were all the two could see for a few miles up ahead, as well as to the sides. The two sighed before they began their search, looking high and low. They searched for nearly two hours before they decided that things were taking too long. They decided to split up then, and spent another two hours searching around, but to no avail. It was night, by then. The two were feeling rather tired, and were nearly two kilometers away from one another when the mood to eat struck them again. Since Timoteo didn't have any of the bread or jam, he decided to eat some more of his pie. Timoteo sat down on the grassy ground, setting his pack in front of himself. Reaching into his pack, he found his lamp, pulling it out and lighting it. Resting it down beside himself, it's gentle light lit up his pack, allowing him an easier time seeing what he was doing. He pulled out his pie, using the small knife including with it to slice himself a small piece.
He quickly ate it, eating in silence, not making a sound. He sliced himself another piece, the second one being larger than the first, his pie almost finished. He ate about half of his pie before he heard something to his right. He froze for a moment before dropping his pie piece back into it's tin with the rest, jumping to his feet, picking up his lamp to cast it's glow out. Not much could be seen, but he had heard the grass beside him sway slightly, as if hit by wind. In the darkness, he saw something slowly moving towards him. He heard a soft mumble, totally incomprehensible. The figure looked feminine. "Darrah?" Timoteo asked. Another mumble came from the shadowy figure, and once it came into the lamp's light, Timoteo was surprised. Before him was a large blob, a slime, like the one from before. This one was formed out of a light jelly that was a cross between red and orange. There was something remarkably different about this slime, however.
Unlike the other, which was shapeless, this one had assumed a form Timoteo could recognize; it was the form of a lean yet shapely human female. The woman looked like she were made of the same red jelly as the large mass beneath her, the woman sitting on her knees on a large liquidy blob beneath her legs. The woman appeared to be nude, yet nothing was visible between her thighs, nor were any nipples apparent on her impressive bosom. Eyes were formed on her face, though since she was entirely slime, she had no eyebrows or eyelashes. Her hair, if you could call it that, was formed out of her slime; long and goopy, it ran down her back and on the sides of her head, more always formed at the top of her head to flow down and mimic hair. She had a mouth, which was open gently, the slime's eyes looking frightened. Timoteo saw that, in the woman's chest, there was the core of the slime; looking pink, it stood out from the rest of the slime's mass, situated within the center of her chest.
She froze when she came into the light, seeing Timoteo to be staring at her with a determined face. She tried to speak, but nothing intelligible came from her jelly-like lips. Timoteo took another moment to fully take in what the slime appeared to be. It was as if a nude female had gotten on her knees, only to be turned to jelly; beneath her, a mass of excess jelly was apparent, attached to the woman's legs. "Are you Blossom?" Timoteo asked. The slime's face lit up, and she smiled, nodding happily. The woman suddenly sunk into the mass of slime beneath her, causing the mass of slime to swell. It charged for Timoteo, the mage gasping and jumping back. The slime stopped when it was close to his legs, and suddenly, the woman he had seen before developed out of the slime once again, sitting up on her knees in front of him. Her face was fearful again. She raised her right hand towards Timoteo's throat.
Something made Timoteo freeze. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew what the man from before had meant when he said that Blossom was different from Buttercup. Blossom touched a warm, slimy hand to Timoteo's throat, turning her right hand to the left. Her fingers all pointed to the left, Timoteo realized that the slime didn't mean to strangle him. The slime throbbed over Timoteo's throat for a moment before Timoteo noticed a change coming over Blossom. While her body seemed very transparent and empty, now there seemed to be jelly forming in her throat, almost mimicking muscles. After a few seconds, Timoteo felt like he was looking at a human's throat after their skin had been peeled away, due to Blossom's transparency. When her throat was fully formed, she didn't take her hand away from his own throat. She spoke to him, then. Her voice sounded a little gurgly, but Timoteo could easily make out her words, nonetheless.
"Please, I'm so scared! Have you seen Werner? I ran away but I got lost, and I'm so afraid! I just want to go home, I miss Werner!" Timoteo tried to speak, and found he could, despite the slime's hand on his throat. "Is Werner a blonde guy with spiky hair?" Blossom's face lit up again, and she nodded vigorously, bits of her jelly-like hair slipping down her body. "Yes, that's him! Do you know where he is? This place is so scary at night, and the wasps and hornets chased me deeper into the forest than I've ever been! I don't know how to get back home!" Timoteo said "We were looking for you with Werner, but he went to the south to check the grasslands there. Let's get my other friend, then we can look for Werner." Blossom squealed with delight, pulling her hand from Timoteo's throat. Instantly, the mimicking she had done of a throat disappeared, leaving her unable to speak once more. She wrapped her slimy arms around Timoteo's waist, pushing the side of her face into his stomach. Timoteo didn't hug her back, not even being sure if he could, as he was afraid his hands would simply sink into Blossom's watery body. When she released him a few moments later, Timoteo picked up his pack and blew out the light of his lamp, pushing it along with his pie into his pack. Ready to move out, he began to head out in the direction that Darrah went over, Blossom quickly following after him, still in her humanoid form.
After a good thirty minutes of walking, the two found Darrah. She was doing like Timoteo had been doing, sitting on the ground while eating a piece of her pie. When she saw Timoteo, her eyes focused on the slime beside him, and Darrah jumped to her feet, drawing her sword. "Tim, get away from it!" She said loudly. Timoteo got in front of Blossom as she recoiled in fear, her eyes going wide. "Darrah, stop! The crazy guy was right, she's not like the other one! She's not going to hurt us! Remember, a thousand gold for bringing this thing back!" Darrah hesitated, and a moment later, she sheathed her blade again. "Damn, you're right." She muttered. Darrah's face was still a little dark as Timoteo got out of the way, letting Darrah look at Blossom. Darrah stared at Blossom for a moment before saying "It's female?" She looked at Timoteo with an eyebrow raised, and Timoteo just shrugged. "I don't know. She's the thing the crazy guy is looking for, though." He said.
Darrah nodded, relaxing a little then, softly saying "Alright, then...Guess we have to start heading back. Avo, I'm tired..." Timoteo nodded. "Same here. But think of the money. Besides, there's a Cullis Gate at the Guild we can teleport to real quick, and then we can teleport back after we have our money...Start our trip down to Darkwood." The three of them began to walk along, heading back the way they came. "I suppose...What if we don't find the witch, Tim?" Timoteo fell silent for a moment before saying "I hadn't thought of that. What will we do?..." Darrah raised her eyebrows, saying "We could continue until we found Oakvale, it's not far south of Darkwood. There's a Cullis Gate there. Once it's activated and responded to our Guild Seals, we can teleport there any time we want." Timoteo smiled a little. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." Darrah smiled a little, and the two continued until they had walked back to the central plain they had been in before, where they had killed Buttercup.
They headed towards the south, and after nearly thirty minutes, they ran into Werner. He grinned when he saw Blossom, and his eyes turned excited. "Blossom!" He cried, rushing towards her. Blossom smiled happily, her mouth hanging open slightly as she held her gooey arms out to Werner. He dropped to his knees in front over her, Blossom wrapping her arms around his torso, under his arms. He reached his arms around her in return, his arms partially sinking into her body, yet apparently causing her no discomfort at all. They both closed their eyes, and Timoteo noticed that when Blossom closed her eyes, what happened was that her formed eyeballs simply melted back into the rest of her body, her eyelids coming down and covering over them to make it seem like her eyes, which were transparent, had been truly closed. Darrah smiled a little, saying "Huh. Where'd you two meet, anyway?" Werner and Blossom embraced for a few moments longer before releasing each other, Blossom opening her eyes again, eyeballs forming under her transparent lids.
"I created her. Same with Buttercup. I fancy myself as a little bit of an alchemist. Closest normal people can get to a Hero-mage." Timoteo nodded slightly, saying "I've heard of alchemists. But is it really possible that you can create something like a slime, something that appears to be alive and can think?" Werner grinned and nodded, saying "Yes, of course. Not all of alchemy is rubbish. Blossom is proof of that. Of course, there's a lot of myth to comb through before you can find something that actually works. I didn't create the recipe for a slime, but after some reworking, I changed the procedure so that it made Blossom. Smarter than the normal slime, and with more capacity for emotion and thinking. Rather proud of her, I am." Blossom responded by smiling broadly, hugging Werner around his waist, dampening his clothes with her liquidy body. "That's nice. Hopefully Blossom doesn't act like Buttercup did." Darrah curtly said.
Werner shook his head, the warmth from his face dying. "No, Blossom's smarter than Buttercup was. She can understand that there are consequences for certain actions. She'll never act like Buttercup did." Blossom nodded, agreeing with Werner. "Our money?" Timoteo asked hopefully. Werner raised an eyebrow, smiling again. "Of course." He reached into a pocket on his pants and pulled out a single coin, glinting like silver in the moonlight. "Here. You've earned it." He tossed the coin over to Timoteo, the mage raising a hand and catching the precious coin. "Thanks again for the help. I'm going to take Blossom home. No doubt she's dying for a bath after being out for two days." Holding hands with Blossom, the two began to head on their way, Timoteo and Darrah hearing Werner say "C'mon Blossom, let's go home, now..." Blossom nodded, and the two eventually disappeared into the darkness. When they faded from view, Timoteo calmly said "...And so concludes probably the weirdest day of my life."
Darrah smirked, saying "Same. At least we got our money..." She reached over and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, saying "C'mon, let's use our Guild Seals to teleport to the Guild. I'm dying for some sleep." Timoteo smiled happily and said "You said it. Thank Avo for beds." The two shucked off their packs and pulled out their Guild Seals. Holding them tight in their fists, they thought of the Guild, and within moments, they had both disappeared in flashes of blue light...
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Fable : Fall of the Guild