It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 92 - Beginnings

Aarav couldn't take his eyes off the King. The man was an enigma. The light show he had just been dazzled with was even grander than the palace around them. Having just settled on him, the Oath was not as Weighty as he thought it would be. But it did feel like there was a second membrane over his existing skin, like a very snug pair of tights, over his whole body. An odd and very claustrophobic sensation, but it didn't trigger his phobia because he was getting out of the box.

At first, he had tried to fly out, but he was too big, so he opted for crawling out on his belly, slithering out to hang half in and half out of the box. None of the bearers seemed inclined to pick him up, so he just waited there. It was better than remaining in the box or sitting on the floor.

"So...am I free to go?" Aarav was a little leery of having to take the Oath, but if he genuinely got some freedom to move around the palace, then he could learn to accept that for now. It was the best possible outcome—no point in arguing further.

"Yes, within reason, we will have a room organised for you. Then you can communicate your specific requirements to the staff, they will spread the word that you are a guest of House Frelaine..." the man of dust spoke, and Aarav looked up at him. There was a pause at the end, the threat implied. What is it with these people and the trust issues? I am super weak right now! I might be strong in the future, but for right now, I am so soft it probably doesn't even matter.

Aarav was honestly getting tired of it. The prejudice was understandable, with not being human. It was ridiculous when the Slime had done nothing even to threaten the people here. It made very little sense to him. Why were they this cautious of something as tiny as he was? It didn't make sense, and if he was such a colossal threat, why would that leave him to roam relatively free like this? One could handle threats in one of two ways, lock it up and throw away the key or 'remove' the threat. This third option was new to him, and this capture-but-not-cage mentality had him questioning every incarceration situation he had been in. Legal and not.

Pushing himself out of the box, he allowed his wings to help him glide a little more gracefully than just plopping onto the ground. His wings were not even enough to allow him to ease his descent, his body had gained a lot of Weight recently, but it was still better than the alternative. Once on the ground, he shuffled off toward the entrance double doors. It was slow progress, even with manifested legs. The most ponderous humans in the room were faster, quickly outstripping him as they left the King's presence to be about their days'. Aarav just wanted to get out as soon as possible before the King decided to change his mind about a dangerous monster in the palace.

Aarav was at a loss for what to do once out of the throne room. The palace was a new and unfamiliar environment. Of course, consult your map! Opening up Mental Map, he looked through the areas explored. There was his part of the forest. Then the area around the village and up to where the chase had concluded, then out to his Sanctuary. At some point, he would have to ask Haemish or someone about that, and then there was the path they had taken to get to the palace. It was all laid bare in Mental Map, and as soon as he had opened and viewed it, he received the alert.

Your Skill Mental Map has increased to Level 2!

Alright! It looks like it only increases when I open the map though, I'll need to do that regularly. It was a handy Skill, it seems. Oh, I almost forgot! Aarav spoke a few words of each language he knew; he had said the required phrase of Darfan for the day. His masteries increased by a single percentage point in each language, proving his effort. New knowledge dripped into him like a particularly persistent intervenous line.