🙡 Chapter 6.4 🙣

Prison shower

[ Medusa PoV ]

“So. What do you think would suit you more? Being made into an ingredient for an elixir, or a nice stuffed specimen for one of the academies? You are a sufficiently rare specimen to not be in any of my bestiaries, so you should fetch a good price”

Denasi raised the very well tied bag of tentacles—this time, she used the more taxing but totally immobilising “Sealing shadow” as well as a magic disrupting collar. Now that she put the collar on (the strong, banned to the public stuff, one of the perks of being a supplier to the guards) she expected its weight to be far more noticeable, but it didn’t seem to change, suggesting its very body is filled with gravity-affinity organs.

She gestured towards a row of elixirs with organ parts on one side, and towards a stuffed Wine-spider with another. (She didn’t mention that the stuffed spider was her grandmother's pet, Huggyleg, that has been kept in the family as a memento of the eccentric yet brilliant woman). The creature seemed to understand the threat.

“Hohoho!. Of course I’m joking. There is no need to choose is there? I’m going to use your innards for my own needs, while selling your stuffed body to the highest bidder! Hahahaha!”

She tried her best to ignore her snakes looking at her as if saying “Isn’t she too old to behave like this?”

The tentacled animal visibly shrunk in size scared… yet she suspected behind these eyes it was once again conniving another cunning plan and trying to escape.

> Crazy b**ch! Laugh now… I will write your name in my grudgebook with my own blood, you monster! < “Yiip! Yiiip yip.. yiiiip!”

She is joking now… But just barely. If not for her sister, she wouldn’t have captured this little [email protected] alive... Well, if not for her sister and these little things spell. Using a healing spell, when I’m in a vulnerable position to make me distracted and lose balance was a brilliant strategy,

Fast healing spells, when not combined with painkillers, have been known to kill people in the past… not only that, the protective piercings she has do not protect against support spells by design. After all, what is more likely— that someone tries to hurt her using a healing spell, or that she becomes unconscious and needs outside help? Offensive use of healing spells was a technique that was talked about sometimes, but usually considered a high-level gimmick, or something from tales of palace and political drama. After all, with the exception of war it was extremely rare for healers to be fighting on the front lines, or assassinating people.

Even more surprisingly, was the scar that was healed. It was a wound she got from experimenting with using fire from demonited wood, a folly of youth! (she said, still being in her early twenties). But as far as anyone knows, the only magic that can heal demonited wounds is powerful life magic… and a beast that can use it is more useful alive.

She grabbed a big cleaver she had lying on the ground to chop a bit of tree-octopus that was drying on the rack while smiling at her new friend.

“Yes, NICE *CHOP* and OBEDIENT, *CHOP* beasts are more useful alive. *CHOPCHOPCHOP*

There was something pleasant to see people... And creatures that hurt you tremble in fear and apprehension. Especially when they can’t do anything back, even if they really, REALLY want to. It made her feel ticklish, in this special way—she couldn’t help but put her head between her hands, getting goosebumps… then she moved them to another jar and sprinkled some preservatives on the tentacle-bits

… still it’s strange. The thing’s reactions suggest it to be very intelligent, yet it does not have the power of language in them. Everyone should get the “Blessing of language” skill when they reach the int threshold… maybe it is just below it? I can’t use contract magic on it so it can’t be lying...

Well whatever. Denasi finished chopping the tentacles, stuffed them in a bag, and then put them in a dry cupboard for later use. After all she can’t prepare the pieces in peace when this thing STINKS. The smell might transfer to the ingredients! And now it’s covered in soot… and is that bird poop? This can’t stand.

“Nirkie, a bit of water please” she said, after grabbing the now unmoving package and putting it in the big cauldron she prepared earlier. The blue snake was more than happy to create a small stream of water, not strong enough to hurt the thing but hopefully making it realise who is in charge over here.

“... stop” after a few moments she felt pity towards the creature… look at this sad derpy face. It might even look cute when it knows its place. I guess this is the part of training that requires being nice?” But it would be foolish to let this beast go out of its net and risk repeating what happened a moment ago. Well.. “I can always just do this”

A weaker version of medusas speciality, petrification. While small medusas are usually scared into never using this spell, to avoid.. Accidents (memories of youth and mean boys turning to stone surfaced in her head), as you get older it becomes easy to control it. And if you are worried about not using the more powerful version of the ability, one just has to hide some of the snakes. Or not use them at all, her eyes should be enough.

She brought the creature closer to her face again, her trusty friends hissing and threatening around it to make sure it won’t try anything stupid for its own good. And the moment it looked at her… her eyes changed. Her snakes whispered in excitement, and the world became black and white while the target of her ire first went stiff, then limp.

“Well you are going to be a nice girl now I expect… Time to finally wash you”

She had a weak spot for animals. The moment they evolve and pass the threshold into kin they tend to become much more cunning, annoying, self centered and they leave you behind and…

> Ouch! It burns! <

“Huh. You got hurt. I guess it should be enough to teach you that being an escapee does not pay”

Still, she stopped and searched for a healing balm and waterproof bandage. Her anger was satisfied for now, leaving the characteristic emptiness inside.

> ... < It looked at her inquisitively, when she started applying the balm around the wound, nor did it try to move when she wrapped bandage around its tentacle. Very surprising… it must have had contact with civilization before. Maybe it’s already someone's pet? But there is no collar on it. Serkie (one of her fire snakes), either due to boredom, or pity, used a bit of its power to warm up the bath water to a more pleasant temperature, while others played with foam.

Well, back to washing and scrubbing.

*Wash wash wash* *scrub scrub scrub*

“Huh… its derpy face does look cute when it’s relaxed...”

> Oh yes.. Please… scrub here more… oh yess…. The itch! The itch is finally gone! <

And these suction cups… I was curious how they felt before… Rub rub rub…

> Oh my, yes! That’s what I needed! Fine, I shall get my revenge on you last! < Yiiiip…. Yiiiiippp

SQUEAK! CLICK! Taptaptaptap!

Denasi could hear the doors to the house being quickly opened and closed, soon followed by hurried steps she recognised to be her sister

“Aaa! That’s not fair! You didn’t wait for me to wash him!”

“Him?”