OPSM Arc - Part 13

I explain the situation to the both of them. It isn't really their business, of course, but I have to admit that it does feel rather nice to have someone to talk to, no matter how strange they are. I start from the beginning, with the disappearance of my master, the battles I had fought so far, and finally my encounter with the wolves. I naturally left out that final ultimatum that the Alpha had given, as I figured it wasn't really important. The general message that I needed to get through the wolf pack territory, and that to do that I needed to defeat the AbyssalWood Alpha, was more than apparent.

"Well, why not just go defeat him?" Vile asks.

"Weren't you listening?" I say, more than a hint of annoyance in my voice. "I already tried that. He's strong. Really strong. Even with my paladin abilities, it's still not enough."

I sigh as I think about it. It's far from new informatiion, but it still hurts to admit.

"I was wondering about that... is it normal for a dog to become a paladin?" Slave asks her owner.

"I wouldn't know. I've always had more of an interest in sorcery." the rat replies. Related, I had similar questions as to how normal it was for a rat to be able to use magic, but figured it wasn't too relevant to the situation at hand. She looks back to me, "Anyways, we can help you! It's just a wolf. I can't imagine it would be a match for the three of us."

"No. This isn't your fight." I say, shaking my head. "I have to do this alone."

"Says who?" Vile asks, "Nobody can do everything on their own. Sometimes all of us need a little help and there's no shame in admitting it."

Slave nods in agreement. Hardly a surprise given their odd relationship. I'm about to argue with the rat, purely on reflex, but I manage to stop myself. She's completely right, after all. I'm not incredibly powerful, and even if I were, I could still run into a group that is even stronger. Sure, there is the nagging voice of pride in the back of my head, that wasn't to save the day completely by myself, to make my triumph all the more significant, but the reality? The reality is that any tool I can use to make my mission more likely to succeed, I should utilize.

I simply look to my feet for a little while, during which time the pair show remarkable patience. "You're right. I... I can't do this alone." I say. It's funny, when I first began to say that sentence, I felt sad and ashamed, but even mid way through it, I suddenly felt much better, like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. It felt good to admit it. I look up at the pair and ask, "Can you please help me?"

It's a ridiculous request, of course. They aren't friends and they don't owe me anything, and have nothing to gain from endangering their lives against a powerful opponent.

"Heh. Sounds like fun." the rat smiles a jagged toothed grin. I don't think she intends for it to look menacing, but it very much does.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Slave asks over her shoulder, casting a golden eye to the rat. Her objection isn't surprising. I can tell that she doesn't like me very much.

"Of course you don't." Vile nods.

As for the cat, she blinks, smiles and nods her head, "Of course." she says, any objections she might have had overwhelmed by the desire to serve her owner. I suppose I can relate to the sentiment, even if not the specific logic behind it.

I can't keep my tail from wagging. In truth, while the pair aren't weak, I can't really see their presence being enough to win the upcoming battle. Still, it's no secret that I'm not the smartest of creatures, and Vile seems pretty clever, what with being able to use magic and all that. She doesn't seem the least bit nervous, so perhaps I should trust her judgement. Maybe not just her judgement, but simply trust in fate. Through seemingly pure chance, I found people willing to aid me in my fight. Perhaps that happened for a reason, as all things do.

It had been a long day, of a lot of fighting and general questing, and we would all need our strength for the fight against the AbyssalWood Alpha. At the ourtskirts of the town, beyond where any humans would bother us, and not quite at the point where we should start facing random encounters, we all took a well deserved rest. Well, I did, anyways.

I'm not sure whether Vile is whimsical or simply a liar. The pair had made a point to settle a good ways away from me, out of eyeshot. Unfortunately, my ears happen to be exceptionally strong. Throughout much of the night, I would hear the sound of sharp impacts, Vile calling her 'slave' all manner of disgusting things which I dare not repeat, and, of course, the regular pained yelps and soft, low moans. The sort of moans which I had never head before, but instinctively understood what they meant.

On one hand, it was good that 'Slave' wasn't genuinely suffering, and as a paladin, it is my job to both inspire and appreciate joy in all of its forms. That said, I couldn't deny that the whole thing made me incredibly uncomfortable and while sleep did eventually come, it didn't come easily.