It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 100 - R & R, Ami

Aarav scratched at his face in a very human-like gesture. The two men staring at him was incredibly embarrassing, and there was nothing he could do about it. He just sat there mentally recovering from the 20% Health loss. It was essential to making sure that he didn't do anything that idiotic again. But who could blame him after having spent the last six months walking around on all fours like an animal? It had been fun, but walking like a human again was too much of a temptation. He needed to try it out there and then. The next time he would do this would be once he had both legs under him, though.

As he improved his limbs, they would get stronger and handle more. At the moment, they were bone arms and legs, but the bone was coated in a layer of his brown skin-like Slime to keep it all together. That didn't make them stronger. It just stopped them from separating, which falling had undone.

At the moment, he was skin and bones. Not to mention he was exhausted. "Master, the King said something about a room?"

The fat man nodded, "Yes, they have prepared a room for you to stay in and sleep. Why?"

"Exhausted, need sleep." Aarav could feel his eyes drooping as he said this and stared a little blankly in the direction of the door. Could I just sleep here?

A few seconds after pulling his Slime parts together again, the exhaustion hit him like a tonne of bricks. All of a sudden, he couldn't move an inch, let alone to wherever his room was.

Seeing his newest and now youngest pupil lying on the ground, clearly exhausted, brought out a measure of compassion in Haemish. Since the skin covering his body held everything together, Haemish was able to gently pick him up and carry him out of the lab and to his room in the palace. Stranger things had happened in this building, and all of them had to do with this strange and wonderful new creature. Haemish was excited and terrified to see what was next for this little guy.

Far down the hall, Haemish saw a small figure sprinting toward him. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was the youngest Prince. The figure was coming toward them much faster than Haemish had seen before. "Woah there, young one! Slow down! Don't know that it is bad form to run inside the palace walls?"

The shout brought the young child up short, and he slowed, eventually stopping in front of Haemish, panting and out of breath. "Yes...I...know...but...I wouldn't...be able to...get anywhere...otherwise!"

Haemish chuckled, "Yes, the hallways of the palace are very long! But you might slip, trip and fall. That would be a poor way to end the day, would it not?"

"Of...course...but I intend to...use every spare moment to train...as hard as I can!" the boy was quickly catching his breath. That surprised Haemish as well. Just a few short weeks ago, when he had seen the boy lying in bed last, it looked like he would waste away. No, the big man could see that he had a little more meat on his frame. Stood slightly less slouched or hunched over like his stomach was trying to eat through his back.

"What is that, Sir. Haemish?" Boren pointed at the new thing he had spotted in Haemish's hand, Aarav ay there in his fully compacted form just a little larger than the palm of his hand.

Haemish's fond smile spread across his face once more at the boy's curiosity. "That is a sentient being, believe it or not! He is called Resh, and I would like you to meet him soon if I have my way. I think the two of you could be very helpful to each other. At least, I hope that will be the case."

"Oh, wow, yes! That would be a lot of fun, I think! I haven't been able to make any friends at the academy, unfortunately." Haemish couldn't help but see the disheartened look on Boren's face as he uttered those words.

"Oh, why not? Are they, you know, because of your parents?" Haemish asked

"No, no, nothing like that. It's just; you know how bad luck follows me around. The others never know what will happen around me, so they keep their distance. Some try to be nice about it, but you know how misfortune can be?" Boren inflected at the end, beseeching. Haemish's heart broke a little more for the boy.