It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 92 - Beginnings

Aarav was feeling a little lost after looking at the map. Even if a map of previously explored areas was readily available, it did not show the next destination. Since capture, Aarav was free to go wherever the Slime wished for the first time. In a way, that was even more terrifying than being in a box.

Sighing, he decided to start at the Haemish's lab. It was the best place he could think of, but in his head, the words kept repeating themselves, leading the lamb to the slaughter, going straight back to your captors, huh Stockholm?

Reluctantly making his way back, he continued to admire the decor, but the luxury did not appeal to him the way it had the first time. Maybe now that he was free-not-free, it didn't have the same appeal? The gaudiness just looked decadent to him now. His depressed state lasted for about as long as it took him to get around the corner. He heard fast stepping boots and quickly stepped out of the way to avoid the quickly moving people.

Unfortunately, they noticed him.

"Oi! What's that!" one woman screeched, pointing in Aarav's direction.

"Madam, I assure you I mean no harm. The King released me from captivity just a few short minutes ago." Aarav affected a posh British butler, thinking it might establish some rapport with the staff.

"IT TALKS!!! Quick Henrietta! The broom!" there was no warning before a broom slammed down on Aarav.

"Ahh! Stop! What are you doing!? I am a vassal of the throne!!!" Five strikes and about a full hundred HP later, the words finally worked through.

"What! A vermin is a vassal of the King!? And I am talking to a vermin..." the woman, having burned through her adrenaline, fainted dead away and had to be carried off by the rest of the befuddled party.

Aarav assessed the damage and grumbled to himself. The King could have given me a royal escort, and I bet they knew this would happen. Then he reflected again-and I would have thought they were a guard. I could have asked for a member of staff to guide me. At the moment, I like this better. A little autonomy would not go amiss.

The route back to the lab, while marked out, was long and on Aarav's short stubby feet and with dismal speed and, therefore, moment capability. Come to think of it, I have never tried to run, either I am walking, climbing or flying, or swimming, I suppose.

Without thinking about it too much, Aarav focused on the sensations coming from his legs, lifting and falling, and he walked. How was it possible that he had never tried running? Maybe system established limits were wearing on him more than expected. As he synchronised his mind with the unconscious movement, he pushed them to move in their prescribed rotation a little faster. They responded reluctantly, not wanting to go more quickly than their established rhythm. Each cycle, they creaked a little faster forward, and each rotation was an additional burden on his already emotionally taxed mind.

But he would not relent. One cycle turned to two, then ten, then twenty. Aarav was sweating from the mental exertion more than the physical. He had plenty of Stamina left and willed his body to use it. Make the Skill damn it! Aarav continued to urge his body forward. His Stamina began to tick down as he had wished, but no Skill came forward. In his estimation, most other Skills had manifested much more quickly, and he wondered why this one was taking so long. Fifty rotations passed, and finally.

Congratulation! You have gained the Talent Run! At Earth and Sky Legs being Level 21. Focus attention on your Legs. Expend up to 2.1 Stamina per metre increases speed by a maximum of 210% on top of walking speed.

He had underestimated his speed. According to the map, it seemed he was only about ten minutes away from the lab at his current pace. It seemed he had found the perfect place to experiment. Getting up to maximum speed was easy as thinking it. Once, he was cruising along at around six and a half kilometre an hour or four-point two miles if you were weird and liked the imperial system. Ugghh, British people! He had been in England for a while in his travels and never gotten used to it.

A minute into his ten minutes run to the lab, he petered out. He'd run out of Stamina.

*******************************************************

Got distracted and so did not post last week, will post three today and another three chapters on Thursday or Friday. Sorry about that!

There are now 27 bonus chapters on Patreon! Get on over there and have a look if you are interested, for only £5! Also, you would be supporting me and that is always appreciated!

Also still doing the thing where I will post bonus chapters for reviews, so if you have a few seconds are reading drop a review! I promise it will be rewarded.