------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivy's heart was hammering in pain for the man's situation, her vision blurred, anger flaring. "Kill them, kill them all." Voices rang out from every direction tempting, dangerous. A muffled sound came from beside her, she couldn't hear what it was. Magic started flaring in her veins ready to explode at any second. "Iv… I," that sound again, this time closer more loud more insistent more urgent. A ray of light pierced her vision a face hovering before her, Angela. Her mouth moved in a certain rhythm her eyes shone frightened, reflecting Ivy's angered face. "Ivy! Snap out of it." Angela screamed, her voice cutting through the room heard only by Ivy. Groaning Ivy reached for her throbbing head. The pain dimmed ever so slowly. Ivy looked back at the noble who was now busy scanning the room with intent that made Ivy's skin crawl. Heaving a sigh of relief as his gaze passed her seamlessly not interested in her, Ivy closet her eyes sighing from relief, but she celebrated too early. Opening her eyes she felt she was bored through as the noble vision was fixed on her like a cat fixed on prey. He smirked and barked orders at his servant who flinched but quickly hurried over to her. She saw Angela's fur rise until it looked like she was twice her actual size, a low threatening hiss escaped her lips. Oblivious to the angered spirit the man came to a standstill in front of Ivy.
He looked nervous sweat dripped down his face, Angela looked ready to pounce. "Excuse me miss. My master,"he sounded frightened like he didn't want to go on. "Wants to buy you, he wants to discuss the prize." Ivy looked past him locking onto the noble who was holding up a bag of money moving it just enough to make it rattle. "Miss?" Ivy's focused back to the man her eyes narrowed visions of blood flashed before her, "Alright. Take me to your master." He nodded while Angela stared in disbelief at her. "Are you insane, if you let him buy you can't take care of Ullr anymore and all that money goes straight back to him." Ivy willed her to keep quiet, but didn't say it. They finally reached close enough to hear the noble snake like voice. "So you want to be bought like the lowly person you are?" Angela gasped before swiping at his face, but her claws just passed through him, she hissed at the nonexistent damage before stalking towards Azalea.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His sword felt heavy as his thick armor, his legs were like lead nailed to the floor. He had walked all the way to this distant city from the capital. The air wheezed a chilling sound as he entered the noble district, he wanted to talk to Blackheart about the killer that had started his killings a few days ago. The streets were desolate as he neared their estate he had cast a detect spell and encountered monster traces also going for the estate. Arriving his hands pushed open the heavy doors just to be greeted with the crowded ball hall. There in the corner was Azalea a bit further one of the biggest slave owning nobles was running his mouth to a woman with a white mask with teal teardrops supported by a nice white dress. The traces of monsters were everywhere too much to find it. Raiden was there in the distance talking to other noble men. Making his way over to Raiden numerous heads turned with intrigue, the attention was making him nauseous.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivy flashed her attention to the metal covered flesh bag. Intercaste symbols were etched into the metal, at his side a long sword rested in its scabbard. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" She turned her attention back to the noble. "I will pay you 25 gold coins to become my slave, how does that sound?" "No, thank you. I'm not interested in becoming a slave." Anger flashed in the noble's face before quickly vanishing like snow under the sun. "Well if you change your mind go to the Goldteeth estate." Ivy's eyes narrowed this fool has given her the information she needed to find him and offer him to Tsalice. She walked over to Angela who was staring at a silver necklace that was hanging on the wall with intrigue. "Do You know that canned flesh bag." Ivy nodded in the direction of the knight. Angela squinted her eyes. "I've seen him in the massive stone den I was trapped in," she eventually began. "But he never did anything to me." Ivy nodded absently. The man turned his gaze to Ivy. Instantly her throat started closing up, her stomach churning it was like they were the only people in the room. She wanted to move, but her body was frozen in place, every time she tried to move she could feel her life ending. He turned his gaze back to Aiden. Gasping for breath Ivy turned away and clasped her chest. Fear gripped her in his hand, she needed to get out as her live dependent on it. She flicked her hand signaling Angela to come, making her way over to the door feeling numerous eyes bore into her back, even Angela seemed to feel uncomfortable like they saw her. She felt her muscles freeze again as the knight's gaze flashed back to her, stealing her breath. Her body screamed at her to get out, it took everything to move her legs. Closing the door behind her felt like an eternity, but the pressure lifted off her like a heavy burden. "Are you alright?" Angela's frightful mew came from beside her. "Yes, now it is. That man is dangerous it felled like he knew something was wrong in the hall." Angela's eyes widened but she didn't reply.
Twigs cracked beneath Ivy's pads, she went hunting for monsters when she made sure Ullr was sleeping peacefully Angela split stayed with Ullr in case danger came. Opening her maw Ivy felt the air rush between her teeth she picked up numerous scents some monsters others from normal prey. She already had enough food so monsters it was. She tasted again. Goblins, frost vipers, fur spiders, mammoth spiders, wolves, and something she didn't know, wait there was something she missed a dire wolves scent so fresh but subtle as always. She quietly snaked her way to the origin of the scent. Four dire wolves were growling at each other. "Four is a little too low normally there are about ten or so." Ivy whispered. A growl came from beside her, but she realized it too late as jaws snapped around her hind leg. She shrieked in pain, they drew first blood, but she was going to make sure they suffered first death. Heaving upright she slammed down on the trashing wolf snapping its neck. She turned to look behind her two other wolves joined the original four she saw. Straining her legs she jumped into the open place growling, it quickly turned into a howl of pain as another dire wolf sprang in from behind her clamping its jaws in her tail. Biting into its scurf Ivy flung the beast to its friends who fanned out as it landed onto the ground with a thud. Growling the others circled Ivy one jumped forwards teeth bared aiming at her side, in response she formed an ice spike on the ground aimed straight at the stomach. Following the just impaled wolf three jumped while the other three ran to her, she ducked as one of the wolves soared past her, while batting one of the others' snout straight into the dirt cutting off its surprised howl. Claws raked her side, blood started welling at the opening. Angered she jumped away hooking one of the charging wolves with her, she enjoyed the yelps as the others flew into each other. The wolf under her snapped at her neck, but she dug her claws into its stomach ripping open the soft flesh. Recovered two of the wolves rushed over to help their friend, circling towards her attackers Ivy raked her claws over the face of the left wolf guiding its face straight into the dirt. Ducking Ivy greeted the other wolf with teeth in its throat, while digging her hind claws deeper into the wolf's stomach under her until it bled out. Letting go of the limb body in her jaw she jumped forward meeting a new wolf with claws scoring it across its nose. Two wolves jumped on her from the side scratching and biting, more blood started flowing from her. Heaving up she crashed to the ground as the wolves before her jumped into her belly. She recovered just in time to dodge being skewered. The remaining four wolves gathered growling, Ivy's heart dropped as two new wolves joined them. A magic circle formed above the wolves and rained down ten icicles, four of the wolves noticed in time and jumped away. The two others were skewered one of them had just enough time to fire an icicle at Ivy, She dodged, but it still grazed her shoulder. Now there were four again, and she still had four spells left in her. They jumped, Ivy tried to turn one's blood into ice but failed it hit her like a train they were immune to internal change made by ice magic three spells left. She felt her ear tear open as one of the wolves raked it claws across it. Ivy ducked as the rest hurled past her, she swirled around and pounced one of the wolves to the ground and gave it a killing bite to the neck. The other three came bounding towards her one jumped again, an icicle later, and it lay still on the ground. She didn't give enough focus to the other two as they were on her pinning her down, feeling jaws close around her neck. She needed to come up with something and quick then it came to her so she shot an ice spear from her blood that welled out the other wounds on her neck, she heard flesh rip as the jaw became a past danger. Heaving herself upright the remaining wolf fell on its back, Ivy quickly summoned two icicles that flew straight through its eyes. She had done it, she won battered bloodied and bruised. Limping she collected the cores and brought them back to her den leaving them to soak in moss drenched water.
Angela looked up as Ivy went towards Ullr to sleep beside him. "What happened to you?" She gasped rising to her feed and circling Ivy to look at the wounds. "Fought some dire wolves, but there just a few scratches." "Scratches, their full on bite and claw mark!" Angela shrieked in dismay. Ullr woke up looking Ivy up and down, his eyes widening when he saw the wounds. "Wait mom I will gather herbs for you." Before Ivy could say anything Ullr already bounced out the den, sighing she lay down licking her wounds clean. A bit later Ullr returned with some flowers Ivy saw once or twice on the roads, "What is that?" Ullr laid them beside Ivy. "There called Twilight flowers, have healing properties when chewed into a poultice." Ullr muttered as he began chewing on one. "Twilight flowers bloom during twilight hence the name and stay bloomed for several days if left alone." Angela commented. Wincing Ivy stared as Ullr dressed her wounds with the poultice. "Stay still I'm going to get some cobwebs." Ullr mewed after he finished dressing her wounds before he bounded outside again leaving no time for Ivy to respond. "I thought Ullr about the few herbs I knew about." Angela mewed beside her. Ivy nodded before lowering her head as the darkness swallowed her. Waking with a start Ivy felled Ullr tiny paws kneading her belly, sitting upright silently and carefully to not wake Ullr. The cobwebs Ullr dressed her in held fast without breaking. Wincing at the sudden sharp pain that shot through her joints Ivy collapsed back to the ground getting a face full of dirt. Ullr woke at the sound and hurried over pressing Ivy to the ground. "Keep still your still wounded." He fretted over her while Angela patted over. "He's right, and you know it so keep still and let your wounds heal." It was all she said before diverting her attention back to Ullr purring as she nuzzled him her muzzle carefully held in place to make it look like she was still alive. "You know mom," Ivy looked at Ullr waiting for him to continue. "Sometime I feel like my other mother is right beside me." Angela's eyes widened before nodding vigorously. "Yes I'm right here my child. I will always be beside you." Ivy smiled at Ullr drawing him closer with her tail leaving Angela gasping in a bit of anger as her son wasn't beside her anymore, she hissed before padding beside Ullr and continuing to nuzzle her son as she was still alive. Ivy flicked her tail telling Angela to calm down then closer than you think." Ullr's eyes widened and Ivy giggled at Angela's face of surprise at her words. Ullr laid down beside at Ivy belly purring at her warmth, Ivy looked at him her heart swelling with affection at the tiny kitten, her son. The noble Goldenteeth flashed in her mind she flexed her claws imagining her claws tearing through his flesh, freeing his slaves and offering him to Tsalice that would be fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General world information:
Herbs: there are several types of herbs with different effects and dangers. Applying them changes from species to species.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character info:
The knight: Muscular man clad in heavy armor equipped with an unusual heavy sword despite its appearance. Has just arrived at the king's order to investigate a murderer.
Noble Goldenteeth: One of the largest slave owning nobles in the kingdom is rather fat and his ego compliments it.
Angela: Was suppressed by a similar slave collar that the slave wore making her recall traumatic events, even one she doesn't want to talk about… Perhaps she will be more inclined to talk about it later (forgot to add this in the previous chapter).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note:
Hello the way that the herbs functions for Ivy and other monsters is similar to warriors (more like ctrl+c to ctrl+v) but hey this is kinda inspired by warriors.