Dragon Goddess’s chosen

2 days later.

Identifying Plant...

Deadly Nightshade (????)

 

Used for: 

Large doses:Blinding poisons, ???? poisons, ???? poisons.

small doses: pain relief tinctures, anti-inflammatory medicine, ????

 

‘Yep, definitely not it’ I thought with a sigh as I checked another purple-flowered plant with Inspect combined with my apprentice herbalist skill. Max and I were out on a quest for Mr. Iarhorn for a flower used in mana potions, Azahr Blooms, but unfortunately, the plant looked nearly identical with nightshade while blooming. “Find any yet?”

“No…” Max called back and I glanced over to see him checking another plant while referencing our borrowed herbalism book from the alchemist. I sighed again and got up from my kneeling position to stretch. Afterwards, I double checked the map we were provided for the quest with Inspect.

 

Destination reached, User within search area.

 

“I figured… why is it such a pain to find? We're in the right area…” I groaned and looked around for more flower clusters in the woods around us.

“I found some mushrooms... they look weird though.”

“Weird how?” I wandered over to him to see what he was talking about. Sure enough when I leaned over his shoulder I spotted a small cluster of black lumpy mushrooms at the base of the oak tree he was by.

Identifying Fungus…

 

Summer Truffle(????)

 

Uses: gourmet food, minor health benefits.

 

Favorite food of Boars.

 

“Max, you found truffles!” I immediately kneeled down by him to start picking them. “I've only heard about these, never got to try them before… or we can try to sell them…”

“Oh really? Didn't realize they looked like that…” he cocked his head cutely as he sat back in the dirt. “They're really that valuable?”

“Where I'm from, they are” I smiled at him as I carefully put the mushrooms away in a pouch and hung it on the side of my pack so they didn't get crushed. When I looked back at him, though, I noticed that he had sat up straight with his ears swiveling around a bit. “Hey, what is it?”

“I don't hear any birds anymore…” he said softly and reached for his staff. “Please don't be wolves…” I frowned and kept quiet to listen as well, and he was right, there were no more birds singing like they were a few minutes ago. I sighed and slipped my pack off to hide it by a nearby log before standing to search our surroundings for trouble.

“I don't see anything but there's so many damn shrubs around it's hard to see…” I grumbled, reaching up for my sword. I heard the source of the birds’ silence the next moment, the thunder of an approaching set of hooves somewhere in front of me. “Max, get behind a tree.”

“Ok…” he responded and quickly followed my order, ducking behind the tree that we found the truffles on. Nearly as soon as he was behind it, a massive boar, pincushioned with arrows burst out of the shrubbery about one hundred feet in front of me. The huge creature's eyes were level with mine and the hump of its back was a couple feet taller than I was. Its set of four forward facing tusks were pointed my way as it stared me down. 

I took a breath and drew my weapon as I used my new threat analysis skill.

 

Comparison analysis of Calydonian Boar to Alex Steele.

 

Strength: Significantly higher 

Durability: Significantly higher 

Dexterity: Slightly lower

Arcane Magic: Significantly lower

Divine Magic: Significantly lower 

Nature Magic: Significantly lower 

 

Conclusion: Warning! Opponent poses significant threat to User even without the use of magic. Opponent in agitated state, potential for rage skill to be in use.

 

“Shit…” I growled softly and stood still as I observed it. Luckily it had stopped for now when it saw me but it was certainly pissed as it clawed at the ground with its hoof. I took a look around for an escape option but nowhere looked appealing aside from trying to climb.

“W-what's the plan, Alex…?” Max hissed softly at me. 

“Not sure yet, it looks pissed…” I sighed. “Get ready to climb, can you cast magic from the tree?”

“Never tried before…”

“First time for everything… don't know if I can make it up with you though… gonna have to keep it busy down here…”

“Alex…” 

“I know, I know, but I have a better chance of taking a hit from it than you.'' I responded then flinched when the giant pig made a loud angry squeal followed by the rumbling of its hooves on the ground. I focused back towards it in time to be able to jump to the side before it was able to gore me with one of its tusks. I was even able to leave a slash across its side with my sword but it didn't seem to notice. “Max, climb now!”

“Ok!” I heard my mage yelp as I focused on the boar turning around in front of me.

“Hey big guy… I'm just defending myself here… just go off to the woods… be a happy little pig…”

 

Warning, User lacks Animal Handling skill of a proficiency high enough to control opponent.

 

‘Of course that's a thing here’ I thought with a sigh. The boar only screamed at me again before charging but it was too close for me to jump completely out of the way and it grazed my thigh with a tusk, leaving behind a long cut behind. I growled softly at the pain and stumbled to the nearest tree as the animal trampled past and started turning again.

“You ok?!” Max called down to me, panic rising in his voice.

“Just a scratch” I responded as I watched the boar carefully and focused on charging my lightning breath. “Come on big guy, come get me…” I brought my sword low in front of me, wishing I had a spear to use. The boar snorted then lowered its head and charged again. This time I was ready, despite my fresh injury, and I was able to dodge to the side and deliver another cut across the first one as it passed me and through a smaller tree… that it managed to hit in a way that it was brought down in my direction.  

What surprised me more, though, as I dodged the tree before it slammed into the ground, a trio of arrows passed right through the space I was just occupying and pierced into the boar's flank. I growled in frustration and traced the trajectory of them to whoever seemed to try to shoot me and my heart skipped a beat when I saw her. Tall, athletic build but with some curves, pretty face and hazel eyes I recognized, the shoulder length white hair and long elf ears were new, though, but she was definitely mostly as I remembered her.

“Kat?!” I yelled and it seemed to startle her and she gave me a confused look. Unfortunately I stopped paying as much attention to the threat at hand, and only remembered when I heard hooves thundering towards me. I was barely able to bring up and brace my sword in a block before the boar slammed into it. The main two tusks grazed against my sides, clicking across my scales, and the back two tusks pressed threateningly into my armor as it drove me backwards and lifted me off the ground. Using my hands and sword to stop myself from being impaled, I released the lightning I had been charging, point blank against its head.

 

Calydonian Boar has been updated

Lightning resistance discovered.

 

Despite the resistance, the bolt of lightning to the face made it stop and toss me to the side, scraping me up more with its tusks. The impact left me breathless and groaning as I recovered.

“Alex?!” Max cried out.

“Alex?” The elf archer repeated in confusion, her voice confirming that she was my best friend. “Eris! Help hi- her!” I soon felt a pair of hands pull me up to a cluster of trees and up into a sitting position to face a red-haired human girl about the same age as Kat and I in light cloth armor.

“Don't stay out of the fun for too long,” she laughed with a cocky grin before drawing the rapier from her hip and retreating over towards Kat. 

“You ok?” Max's voice was suddenly next to me and my attention snapped to him.

“Max? Why aren't you hiding up there?” I groaned as I got to my feet. He got an adorable determined look as he frowned at me.

“I can't help from up there, too hard to cast while I'm holding on. And you're hurt already!” 

“I'm fine, Max” I stretched a bit, several joints in my back popping, and I glanced to where I landed to find my sword still laying there. “Ok, if those two are down here, it's less likely for you to get targeted, stay by the thick trees and duck behind one if it comes at you.” He gave a short nod and I smiled at him before running to retrieve my sword. I felt my rage surge a little when I saw the boar charge at Kat. She and the other girl dodged it easily but I was already rushing at the animal even as I watched them move to safety. 

“Radius flammae!” The first of the scorching rays shot past me and hit the pig in the shoulder, bringing its attention in my direction. I moved to the side to give Max a better line of sight and to draw its attention away from him by slashing up the side of the animal. As I hoped, it gave a squeal in pain and swiped at me with its tusks but it was much slower now that I caught it before it could charge. I jumped back with the first swipe then it tried to lunge at me but stopped and squealed again as the last of Max's scorching rays struck its eye at the same time Eris came in with a stab on the other side of its body. The boar snorted and turned towards my mage, clawing at the ground with its hoof in the next moment.

‘Won't let you hurt him’ I thought with a growl.

 

Emotional threshold surpassed, Use rage?

 

‘That counted towards rage?’ It was surprising but I wasn't going to let it distract me. I went to using my sword only in my right hand and worked on undoing and dropping my armor with my left as I slashed at the boar's side more to get its attention again.

“Alex, what the hell are you doing?!” Kat yelled as a pair of arrows sunk into the boar's side in front of me. I ignored her as I got to my shoes, getting them off as the boar turned towards me. I had to roll out of the way of its lunge, and earned another cut across my forearm in the process before I could activate rage but the wound was quickly covered by my scales spreading over my skin. I scrambled back to my feet, my sword in hand for once during a rage, and found that the boar seemed a lot less of a Herculean opponent as I was now the same height as the hunch on its back. The pig wasn't intimidated, though, and immediately went for another lunge that forced me to grab a tusk with my free hand before it could skewer me.

“Ok, dragon lady is a new one but that makes this easier, hold it there ” Eris laughed, clearly having fun with this fight. She came back to my line of sight on the side I was hitting and splash a purple liquid from a bottle across the wounds that made the boar squeal loudly and try to swipe at her. It still dragged me about a yard before I could dig my talons into the ground and stop it even with my enhanced strength. It was certainly an effort controlling the head of such a large animal with just one hand and that movement alone almost drove the large tusk into my side.

“Max, wolf horn, in my bag! Get its eye!” I yelled to my party member as I turned my sword around in my hand and stabbed it down into the creature's back to free up my other hand and grab the other large tusk. It snorted under me and seemed to glare up at me before trying to drive me back. I roared at it in my effort and dug my claws in to keep it slowed down as I stalled for Max but it was definitely still stronger than me. As I held it back, I let my lightning charge back up with the hope that its resistance was only on the outside. 

“Got it!” My mage yelled as he came sprinting up with the unicorn-like horn and drove it right into the eye he hit with his magic. The boar screamed and I had to quickly pull Max away from it with my tail as I held back its thrashing as much as I could. As soon as he was clear, I let out my lightning right onto the horn. It thrashed even more for a moment but went rigid and fell to the ground, leaving me panting from the effort of the past couple minutes. I sighed then scooped Max up into a hug without thinking, still riding out the adrenaline.

“That was great!” I laughed then I quickly remembered that Kat was there and put him back down and scanned the area for her, rushing over as soon as I found her again. She yelped as I scooped her up as well. “I missed you so much…”

“So it is you…” she mumbled and hugged me back. “Though I told you to not do anything stupid…” 

“You did…” 

“Jumping in front of a pig like that counts, dumbass,” she pulled back and playfully tried slugging my shoulder but she immediately recoiled and shook her hand in pain. “Fucking hell…” I smiled and set her down.

“That's why I was fine with dropping my armor” I laughed.

“Mhmm…” she groaned and shook her hand more.

“So this is your friend…?” Max's voice asked shyly and I turned to smile at him.

“Yep! Max, this is Kat” I replied as I playfully pulled him closer to Kat and I with my tail.

“H-hi… she told me a lot about you… nice to meet you…”

“You too” Kat replied cheerfully and put out her hand to shake Max's as she looked at me. “Looks like Alexandra and I have a lot to get caught up on” 

‘Yep, didn't escape the teasing,’ I let out a sigh ‘at least she's probably waiting to do it in private…’

“My fighter over there, cutting up the body without us is Eris.” Kat continued and I glanced back to see the redhead working on freeing the head of the pig from its neck with a knife “Sorry for driving our quest target over here by the way, I think it was resistant to the poison I was using.”

“Hey, dragon lady, come help with this” Eris called over.

“We need the head as proof for the quest,” Kat explained. “We'll probably be here all day if she keeps using that knife.”

“Oh ok… well if I'm helping with this, Max and I were looking for Azahr Blooms when it came in, can you help us finish collecting those, Max has a reference book to tell them apart from all the nightshade around here” I responded and she smiled and shrugged.

“Back to helping each other on assignments already then?” She laughed then looked at Max “Come on, you can fill me in on all the secrets I missed while she and I were apart.” I smiled and watched as Kat led him off to gather flowers before I turned to go help hack the boar's head off before my rage ran out.

---

 

“Ok, I know you've been holding something in this whole time” I sighed as she and I made it back to my room to catch up when we got to town. Eris and Max meanwhile were dealing with completing the quests we had, Max dropping off the herbs and Eris talking with Ida to confirm the head she brought back in a canvas bag.

“What? I don't know what you mean” Kat giggled, smirking at me as she walked around me once. I sighed again and raised an eyebrow at her as I crossed my arms under my chest, which only made her smile more. “Shortstack.”

“Goddammit, Kat…” she smiled innocently at me and continued checking me over. 

“What? You're like two cup sizes bigger than me, Alex, and what, still a foot shorter?” She laughed. “So how has all of this been for you?”

“It's weird…” I went and laid back on the bed, thankful for Max's and Kat's create water spells to clean the blood off of me from earlier, and the spare shirt I started including in my day pack.

“I'm sure you checked yourself out plenty” she teased.

“A bit, but it did nothing for me.”

“Really? Seeing a pretty, naked part-dragon girl did nothing for you?” The feeling from the other day when Max drunkenly called me pretty came back and I came to the concerning realization: I felt the nearly same way for both of them. 

“Y-yep, nothing… felt weird when I realized it when I first saw myself… just my reflection” I  decided to try to change the topic “I'm not only part-dragon though, Rissaeth put a polymorph charm on me… I'm a full dragon”

“You've got to be kidding me. Your card said 1/8th”

“Nope, full dragon, stuck like this apparently ‘high stress or emotion’ affects it so rage just lets me be more dragon… broke my first armor though”

“Explains the amazon form I guess” she teased and I felt the bed move a bit as she sat next to me. I couldn't help but to laugh a little as I sat up.

“Don't start calling that an ‘Amazon’ form”

“I don't think you can stop me~”

“Can't believe I missed your teasing so much…” I sighed and she playfully tapped my arm with her knuckles.

“I missed you too, Alex. Wish you wrote to me though”

“You moved around too much, I was trying to keep tabs on you but every time you were at a different guild hall last…”

“Excuses,” she laughed more. “We should probably go find the others, though…, Eris and I still need to get rooms for tonight before they all get booked."

“We can just share this one, I can go get a sleeping bag and I'll just sleep on the floor…” I suggest “I don't know about Eris though.”

“You don't have to do that, I have plenty of money saved up.”

“Its fine, and it's less rooms overall so it'll be cheaper for everyone”

“Fine… if you say so.” She sighed and smiled at me. “Oh I know, let me pay you back with drinks later then? All four of us?”

“Sounds good to me, Max is a lightweight though.”

“So are you.”

“Not anymore apparently,” I shrugged and she smiled more.

“Oh we're definitely drinking tonight for you to prove that~”

‘Seems like fun… alcohol and trying to deal with apparently having a crush on both my best friend and my newest friend…’ I thought but only smiled back at Kat, I missed her too much to turn her down. “Sounds like a plan, then.”