Altered Destiny

Ch. 10

Yo, self– one chapter a week is a respectable pace, but the hope was to finish by the new year? Plus we have people waiting on Cinders and Ashes. Can we maybe stop getting distracted, please?

--------------------

"He did what?"

Ingressus nearly dropped the apple he held. He caught it again before it could hit the ground, steadying himself on the branch as he looked for the source of the shout. The voice was still ranting as her companion tried to quiet her down. "--can't believe he would do that, why did he think that was a good idea, he... rrgh! What was Joseph thinking?"

Ingressus had spotted them now through the leaves, two Humans standing under a nearby tree. The girl– Leah, he thought– had her hands pressed to her head in exasperation, while her friend made calm down motions at her. Ingressus crept along the branch to listen more.

"I don't know," the friend said. "But he's screwed if we can't replace them before Mr. Duncan gets back."

Leah let out a groan. "I don't have any slimeballs to replace them with. I used all of mine when we pranked the marketplace."

"So did I. We'd have to go slime hunting."

Oh, so they were the ones who did that? Ingressus figured he shouldn't be surprised, Leah had a reputation as a prankster. The Great Marketplace Sliming had been the talk of Ataraxia for the past few days. Items had been glued to tables or walls and sometimes even ceilings overnight, and the sticky goo had dripped down from the stalls and across the flagstones. Ingressus had had to peel his feet up from the ground even after he left, and he had left a trail of dirt- and grass-filled footprints behind him in the forge for a good hour. At least most people hadn't blamed him for it, if only because they didn't think he would do it to himself.

"Eehhh," Leah said with discomfort. "Everyone says slimes are pretty easy monsters to deal with, but those won't be the only mobs down there. Spiders, creepers, undead... I'd feel better if we had more backup. I can handle a spear but I'm no expert."

"I'll go."

The two Humans jumped as Ingressus dropped from the tree. Leah's friend– no, her brother, probably, they looked similar– gave a nervous laugh.

"Go?" he stammered. "Go where? I don't know what you're talking about. Who said anything about slimeballs?"

Leah pressed a hand to her forehead. "Matt."

Matt gave up on his excuses. "Okay, that was bad, I know."

"Were you listening that whole time?" Leah asked Ingressus.

"You were only one tree away."

"Okay, fair."

Matt looked around for more listeners, glancing up into the treetops as well. "So," he said. "To confirm, you want to come slime-hunting with us? There aren't any swamps around here, so we'd have to go down into the mines. Just so you know what you'd be getting into."

You have much practice with swords?" Leah asked. "Because you'll need it."

"More than half my life," Ingressus confirmed. "I've fought the undead in the mountains, and I've helped bring down a creeper. As long as one of you knows your way around caves, I can deal with the monsters."

"I'm an apprentice miner," Matt said. "I know the mineshafts."

"It's a deal, then."

Matt held out his hand, but Leah raised a finger to stop him.

"How old are you?" she asked Ingressus. "I know Ardoni ages work differently than human ones."

"Thirty-one."