The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

WM [44] You Have A Deal

Bjorn saw Tanisha eat part of the monarch after it died. There was no adverse reaction to it but he did taste a change in her magic ever so briefly. Once she was done they all ran alongside the escaping party of monster hunters. After the death of the monarch the monster horde lost interest in cohesion and began attacking anything with magic including other monsters. Most monsters were solitary or would attack anything that wasn’t its own species. Since the monarch was dead, monsters that were herded together were now ripping at each other with savage furocity. 

Their group wasn’t spared the unbridled savagery of any monster that was unfortunate enough to attempt. The team was riding high on having killed the monarch and without any serious injury. They didn’t run into anything the seasoned hunters couldn’t kill before he, Adelheid or Tanisha could respond. The cohesion between the Jackrabbit elites was incredible now that he and Tanisha got to see them fighting together against weaker opponents.

Alfred was the tactical head of the group; his abilities with the iron net allowed him to attack monsters with devastating efficacy or defend party members with a well timed assist. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been hunting with them for a while, Alfred had seamlessly slipped back into his role as the group’s leader. The team trusted his judgment implicitly, following his commands without question.

“How are you holding up?” Tanisha asked, glancing over at Adelheid.

Adelheid hesitated for a moment. “G-good? I am already healed.”

“Oh, you have a healing factor?” Tanisha responded, her tone lighter than it had been before. “Good, good.”

Bjorn observed the exchange, Tanisha’s tone wasn’t exactly warm, but it was a marked improvement. He was struggling to read Tanisha’s emotions. Up until the fight, she had been dismissive, even bordering on outright hostile toward Adelheid. He could sense the deep-seated hatred she harbored, almost certain that Tanisha was plotting some form of retribution against her. While he believed the old Tanisha wouldn’t have acted on such dark impulses, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Perhaps she was beginning to accept Adelheid, even if only slightly.

“Most werewolves have some type of advanced healing.” Henry said with a swing of his battle axe splitting a spider-like monster in half without slowing his pace. “It’s like the wendigo and that body strengthening magic thing they got.”

“Yeah, so there is nothing to worry about,” Adelheid responded. “Thank you for your concern, though.”

With the mention of the healing factor Bjorn slowed his jog just enough that his tail could tap Adelheid’s leg briefly. He then pulled up his Identify.

Identify

Name: Adelheid Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 70 + 1 = 71
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Highest Stat: Health Regeneration: 272 + 2 = 274

Bjorn nearly tripped over a root but caught himself before nearly anyone saw. Tanisha’s brief, amused smirk told him she’d seen his stumble, and through their bond, he could feel her quiet amusement at his expense. He refocused part of his attention to watch where he was going then looked over the Identify information.

“Her Health Regeneration is higher than mine.” Bjorn thought.

“Yeah, but she doesn’t have the same type of regeneration as you.” Failsafe said. “Out of the two of you, yours is better but slower.”

“How can you tell?” Bjorn asked

“She has scars,” Failsafe explained. “That means her healing isn’t as good. It’s quick enough to keep her fighting, but I doubt she can regrow lost limbs. Whereas you—well, you can, even without using Hydra Regeneration.”

Bjorn nodded inwardly, understanding the distinction. “This is one of those differences in species you mentioned. Like how a level one hundred worm would still just be a worm.”

“That’s accurate,” Failsafe confirmed. “Same statistics, but the way it’s implemented in their physiology is completely different. Hers is like a quick fix, while yours is total bodily rejuvenation.”

Bjorn mulled over this new information, reassessing his perception of Adelheid’s strength. Her rapid healing was impressive, but it came with limitations. She could withstand punishment and bounce back quickly, but she wasn’t invincible. He had seen werewolves fight and die during the battle against the druids. It didn’t diminish the fact that she had thrown herself into the fight without hesitation, even taking a near-fatal wound to protect Tanisha. That spoke volumes about her resolve, maybe even about her guilt.

Bjorn looked back at the wifwolf with one of his heads with a new found respect. He found himself reconsidering his initial impression of the wifwolf. He didn’t forgive her for what she did, but her determination to make things right was slowly revealing itself. Maybe Tanisha was starting to see that too.

***

As Bjorn and the group made their way back toward the Jackrabbits' camp, the atmosphere shifted. The dense forest gradually thinned, and the cacophony of monster cries began to fade, replaced by the distant clang of weapons and the occasional shout of victory. The closer they got to the town, the fewer monsters they encountered. The remnants of the horde had been mostly cleared out, leaving behind a gruesome trail of monster bodies scattered across the forest floor. The clearing just outside the camp walls was a veritable graveyard, with hundreds of slain beasts piled up.

They soon started running into other monster hunters—mostly melee fighters—who were out hunting the last stragglers. A group of hunters spotted them and waved, clearly surprised to see them returning so soon.

“Alfred, guys!” one of them called out, a tall man with a bow slung over his back and a sword in his hand. “You’re back already?”

Alfred slowed down, letting the rest of the group catch up. “Yeah, the monarch’s down. What’s the situation here? Were there any casualties?”

The hunter shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. “None, thanks to that demon tiger guy… uh, John? He held the line while we picked off the stragglers. We owe him big time.”

“Joha,” Tanisha corrected.

A woman with a spear joined in, nodding in agreement. “He was a beast out there when things got bad, changin’ shape and zippin’ through the clearing like nothin’ I’d never seen. It gave us the time we needed to clear out da’ rest of da’ monsters.”

“Joha made sure no one fell today,” another hunter added, “It could’ve been a lot worse without him.”

 “Good to hear,” Tanisha said. We’re all in this together.”

“Seems like you all made it out unscathed, too,” the woman with the spear said. “You must’ve handled that monarch like pros.”

“Don’t expect anything less from us,” Alfred said. “Everyone did their part, that's what I am always telling you lot to do.”

Henry spoke up. “Let’s make sure Joha gets the spoils of the monsters he killed. He kept everyone safe.”

“We’ll make sure of it, after we are secure again we’ll start harvesting his share too,” the bowman agreed, clapping Alfred on the shoulder. “Glad to have you back, Alfred, don’t know where the Jackrabbits would be without ‘cha. We’ll finish mopping up here. The camp’s secure.”

***

As they approached the camp walls, Bjorn noticed Joha standing on the battlements, surrounded by a group of monster hunters. They were peppering him with questions, their admiration clear as they marveled at his speed and fighting style. Despite the attention, Joha seemed slightly out of his element, offering modest responses. He wasn’t one to boast, especially when the topic turned to prana, which as an arcanist himself, was something he admitted knowing little about.

Tanisha pushed through the crowd with a determined stride. She undid the latches that held the two halves of her helmet together and they disappeared into her inventory. Bjorn watched as she reached Joha, surprising him with a sudden, tight hug. Joha’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly returned the embrace, huffing slightly from the unexpected show of affection.

“Tanisha?” Joha said, his voice tinged with surprise. “You’re back already?”

Tanisha pulled back, her expression softening as she looked him over. “I’m glad you’re safe,” she said quietly. “I know that nothing here would have been able to stop you, but… I thought the same about Bjorn too.”

Joha’s smile was warm, his usual stoicism melting away. “I’m not going anywhere, apprentice,” he assured her as he patted her head. “I guess it’s time we pack up if things are all done here.”

Before Tanisha could respond, Alfred stepped forward, the crowd parting for him as he approached. 

“Joha, we still need to calculate how much we owe you two,” Alfred said, his tone both businesslike and respectful. He gestured toward the open field beyond the walls, where monster corpses were strewn across the ground. “How many of those monsters are yours?”

“Damn near half,” one of the hunters interjected before Joha could answer. “And not just those—he defended the entire perimeter around the camp.”

Alfred nodded, clearly impressed. “It’s a damn shame you two are leaving. We could use more hunters like you.”

“How long will it take to settle up?” Joha asked.

“Something like this would usually take a while to process,” Alfred admitted. “However, I can expedite it for you if you don’t want materials and prefer coin instead. It won’t be as accurate—just an estimate—but I could have you two paid by this time tomorrow.”

Joha considered it for a moment before nodding. “Coin will be fine.”

Alfred smiled. “Good. Then tonight, we celebrate. The bar, drinks, and a proper send-off. How does that sound?”

Joha nodded his head. “I knew I liked something about you, Alfred. You have a deal.”