Unsafe Working Conditions : A He Who Fights With Monsters 6+ Companion Story

Chapter 13 - Savage and Hungry

Judas' eyes narrowed as Liam declared that he would protect his companion if Judas were to try inspecting his soul. The little man did not reach much higher than his waist, he was a newly minted iron ranker with only the beginning of his Essences, and he was clearly exhausted physically and mentally. Yet despite his body which was slightly shaking just from Judas' mere presence, the eyes were firm. Judas' life had taught him the skill to take the measure of someone, the eyes a major factor. He unfolded his aura, its feeling like a massive hand of steel gently settling over the smaller mans, "Deal."

Liam closed his eyes as he felt the aura settle around him, mostly to block out the predatory look that came across the large Bear head. Liam released his tenuous grip on his aura, allowing for the external aura to inspect him. As soon as the Judas' aura reached in to begin the inspection it froze for a moment before continuing to inspect. It was precise and quick if not completely gentle, it was absolutely thorough and after completing his task Judas retracted it. "For an Iron Ranker you have a remarkably hostile aura, it almost feels like it was trying to make me submit and obey. What is more worrying is that your soul is savaged and hungry, it felt like I was brushing across the teeth of a savage hungry beast. You do not have any soul contagions or star seeds in you so you are free to stay for a week. After that you will need to either move on or take up an expedition request."

The Therian walked away while continuing to talk, his slow pace and powerful voice making it easy to hear, "Carlos will show you to your loft where you can park your transport and rest."

Liam turned to see the guard bow and gestured for Liam to help him with Henri. The two of them maneuvered the sleeping figure onto the transport before Carlos removed what looked like a leash from a dimensional pouch on his belt.

"Follow me," he said while attaching the leash of what looked like woven leather to the leading edge of the transport. Liam could feel a slight trickle of mana travel down the leash to the transport and it began to follow behind him like a pet.

It didn't take long to traverse from their waiting area to what looked like a single bay garage. Reaching into his dimensional pouch he removed a lesser spirit coin and inserted it into the slot above a panel that lit up. He pressed his hand on the panel and the door opened, gliding on silent rails into the ceiling. The space inside was about the same as a single bay garage, it had a cot and a couch as well as areas for storage and a small table.

"Let's unload your belongings and store the Opotamoose before I leave." Carlos directed them to first unload everything from around Henri, they packed it into the storage areas, the weapons were placed in a corner to take up the least amount of room. Working together they gently lifted Henri off the transport onto the cot, after which Carlos used some command and the Opotamoose seemed to crawl up the wall to rest against it.

"I will be locking you in until mid day, please be patient," Carlos politely said before exiting the space and engaging the door. Liam went over to the storage area, removed a handful of lesser and iron rank spirit coins, and put them on the short table.

Liam walked over to the couch and sat. It was more of a collapse then he realized as he sprawled, it took considerably more effort to get comfortable than he thought it should have. Before long the room was filled with the deep regular breathing of slumber.

Liam woke after an unspecified amount of time, Henri was already awake and sitting on the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked the Frenchman. Looking at the table he saw that two of the five spirit coins were gone.

"Better, thank you for the coins. Are we in some kind of prison? I inspected the place but there does not seem to be a way to open that door. Nor a method to signal outside," Henri spoke while gesturing around the room. Liam reached over and picking up a coin put it in his mouth, the smell of ozone overwhelmed him momentarily as the coin fueled his body.

Liam started speaking, relaying what had transpired while Henri had been asleep. He explained all that he had learned about the planet. The 5 seasons and 5 day weeks, the 73 day months, the similarities like time and the ranks of spirit coins. Henri asked questions and together they made some assumptions and plans to ask more questions.

"Why did you not wear your glasses? You could have learned even more!" Henri asked.

"I lost them in that big lightning strike. When the bright light hit they showed static and error messages so I dismissed them," Liam responded. He was still learning the limits of his new abilities, the technology Essence felt foreign and alien like a limb you can move but not feel. He knew instinctively that time would make it match Dark and Sin. He had a more fundamental connection with those Essences, while they were all a part of him, those two were like his skin and bones.

"What should we do?" Henri asked. Their time together had made Liam the leader of the two of them. It felt natural like he was remembering how instead of learning. He knew his aura ability played a part in it.

Liam summoned his glasses, "Let's see if I can interface with the door," He remembered as they were discussing it that his glasses had the option of remote monitoring. Perhaps he could activate the panel to open the door.

Turning he looked and just before he thought the command to query the door, it began to retract into the ceiling. Standing there was Carlos, "I came a bit early to let you have some light." Once the door had fully opened he walked in and stood before the two men, "If you need more time I can wait but if you're ready we can take you over to the Station Chief's office and we can get you inspected, once that is done we can determine what is next."

Henri was still under suspicion because Liam had not consented to have his soul inspected while he was unconscious. The Frenchman answered, "Let us go, I wish to meet this Judas myself."

Carlos nodded and stepped back out of the space gesturing for them both to exit, he then closed the door locking their possessions inside. "This door uses an aura print. Until I relinquish it, nobody can enter without me." He began walking off.

Both men nodded to each other and followed the man who was still dressed in the same uniform and armor as before. The strode through the station behind him while pondering what would become of the meeting with the chief.