User blog:ExdeathsBagel/The Golden Man WWYD

WWYD by Repter: http://monstergirlencyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:689571

It’s sort of hard to believe that I’ve been on the run for days. Time seems to disorientate when adrenaline is pumping through your veins. When you can barely sleep catch in any sleep, paranoid that any nearby noise is the sound of a mamono approaching. Those thoughts more or less vanished as my eyes met the river.

Water, clean drinkable water. I haven’t eaten in a day but water was far more important to me. I practically dunk my head into the river, relishing its coolness in contrast to the heat that’s been beating down on me for the past few days.

After a drink, I take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. How did this all begin? My thoughts, though initially hazing, begin to focus to those few days ago, days of a normal life I had to flee from for my own safety.

My friend, though to be honest if I ever get out of this alive I won’t consider him a friend anymore, is an alchemist. He’s always eager to sell whatever new concoction he developed as a wonder drug, yet they never seemed to deliver whatever they promised. As such, many in the village considered him a snake oil salesman. Yet one day, those few days ago, he claimed to the village square that he made a true success.

“I just need one brave volunteer to test my new drug! What is it you surely wonder?”

“No, we don’t.” A Lamia said in the crowed, leading to a chorus of chuckles.

Yet my friend, Leland, was undeterred and used to the heckling, “My dear Grace, I’m sure your interest will be surely sparked once I tell you what it is.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. What new wonder drug do you have for us this week? Will this one give my mate a bigger dong, or will it give me bigger breasts, because it seems like your potions only claim to do one or the other.”

Leland let out a joyous laugh, “Nay my fair Lamia, this will do something far better. It will make the man who drinks it so potent, his seed so masculine, that if he mates with monster girl they will breed a son!”

The crowd went silent in shock for a moment, I joined them in their silence. Could it be true? Many interspecies couples wanted a son, seeing as how their offspring would always be a monster girl otherwise, and many humans feared their numbers were dwindling with the rise of said interspecies coupling.

“How do you know this works?” I ask, not realizing I’d be regretting that question.

“Thomas? You of all people wish to know the secrets of my concoction?”

Light laughter echoed through the crowed and I could feel a blush crawl on my face. It was no secret in the village that I wanted no offspring, and as such made me unpopular with many monster girls.

“Be at ease Thomas, it’s okay that you’re infertile.” The crowd suddenly hushed and I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I could feel my blush growing more prominent.

It was a rumor around the town that I was infertile, though I knew it wasn’t true. I knew Leland was just playing the crowd, but to be honest that hurt my feeling a little.

“Thomas, is that true?” Grace said as she slithered up to me, she looked at me with pity.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Believe it my dear friends.” Leland began. Leland was not only an alchemist but the local physician’s apprentice. Such a thing was common for alchemist, Leland had even worked on a few human and monster girl patients. “Poor Thomas is infertile. How tragic that a man in his youth be unable to live it to its fullest.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leland-” I said through gritted teeth. Although he was my friend and I was use to him using me to work the crowed (low self-esteem works wonders), he never pushed it this far.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But my wonder drug will not only give his seed life, but also let him produce a son with a lucky monster girl. And this is no temporary aphrodisiac, this a permanent drug! Thomas! Step right up and drink this wonderful concoction. Be an irresistible beacon of light to ladies and mamonos alike! Become a golden man!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leland had the crowed in his hand and before I knew I was being pushed forward by the crowed, Grace being one of them. She was giving me a hopeful look. I don’t know what she expected, we were just friends, and I had no interest in her beyond that.

<p class="MsoNormal">Before I knew it I was up on stage and Leland pulled me into his stagecoach wagon from behind the stage. The wagon was pretty big for a stagecoach, but considering he practically lived in it, its size shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise. What I hated about was the peppery smell he wafted through it. He said it helped him concentrate but every time I step inside it only made my throat horribly dry.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leland-”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I know, I know. I’m sorry for playing you like that. But I’m being serious! I know this is a breakthrough I just know it!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“So why not find someone who actually wants it?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Because…” Leland trailed off.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I swear if this killed the rats you tested it on I’m not taking a single drop of it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No, no, no of course not.” Leland raised his hands up, “The rats were fine, but, they were just… irresistible to the female rats if you know what I’m saying.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You mean to tell me they were chased by the female rats?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Exactly! And let me tell you they were tenacious! I sampled the male rat’s blood but there was no evidence of testosterone beyond their normal levels. You should have seen the female rats! They were throwing themselves at the cage door, some were even trying to open it! This makes ladies literally dick crazy!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“All the more reason for me not to take it. You know I’m not that kind of guy.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I know but hear me out. You need more excitement in your life, you can’t just be holed up in your house all day fixing peoples stuff.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t see how that’s any different than what you do. Heck, at least my time holed up helps people, you just make a bunch of snake oil.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll have you know most of money comes from helping people as the physician’s apprentice, and at least I spend my money on the ladies instead of nothing at all.” Still, Leland seemed a little hurt, but after what he said to the crowed about me, I didn’t care right now. I just needed to get out of his wagon and clear my head.

<p class="MsoNormal">I turned to leave but Leland put a hand on my shoulder, “I’m sorry for what I said, I really am and won’t force it on you. But before you go, how about a drink? I know the pepper smell really messes with you. Water right?”

<p class="MsoNormal">I nodded, “Ha! Teetotaler as always! Seriously you need to liven up a bit more.” Leland quickly moved to the back of stagecoach and poured a pitcher of water into a glass. I should’ve looked closer as to what he was pouring into it, because no sooner did I finish drinking it did I begin to feel light headed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry about this. I promise I’ll split the profits with you 70-30, sound good?” I couldn’t respond as I shortly passed out.

<p class="MsoNormal">Those few hours would be the longest hours of sleep I’d be getting, as I was shaken awake from Leland. Well, not just him, as the entire wagon was also rocking.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So, uh, you should run.” Leland said in a panicked voice. “I’m glad you’re okay, I mean I’d knew you wake up, but you should’ve seen it, it was like something out of a horror novel!”

<p class="MsoNormal">A banging on the wagon door rocked the wagon hard while Leland rambled on, “No sooner did you pass out did the air suddenly change. The crowd dispersed excepted for the monster girls! They paused for a second before following everyone but would look around, as if they were smelling something.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“As the day went on some of them came back looking a little disorientated, and two became four, and four became ten, and now the all the monster girls in the village outside and banging on my wagon!”

<p class="MsoNormal">As if on cue the wagon rocked again, I was terrified of it tipping over and I’m sure Leland was too.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Give me my husband!” a voice pleaded from outside.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Back off! He’s mine!” a voice snapped back.

<p class="MsoNormal">“This is amazing!” Honestly, in the moonlight glimmering from outside, Leland looked like a mad alchemist, “It’s like their behavior during a full moon turned up to eleven! Now we just need to test the results!”

<p class="MsoNormal">I grabbed Leland by the shoulders and shook him, “Are you crazy?! How do I get this out of my system?!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leland composed himself, “Uh right, your system. I wasn;t lying when I said it was permenant. It never left the male rats.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Are you kidding me?!” I shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal">The wagon was rocked again, this time tipping over. Beakers shattered spilling their foul smelling contents, and papers were strewn across the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Fuck, my work!” Leland shouted. I saw a hatch that was on the wagon’s ceiling open, I quickly crawled through it. Before I took off running I gave Leland one last look, his expression was one of regret but also of morbid interest.

<p class="MsoNormal">That face haunted me as I took off running, but not as much as the lustful expressions of the monster girls in the village. What made them worse was that I knew these people, Grace’s look of lust in particular made me especially uncomfortable.

<p class="MsoNormal">For the past few days I managed to loose most of the monster girls in the village, but that didn’t account for the ones I had pick up from the town’s outskirts. As it stood now, I had Grace, two Hellhounds, a Grizzly, and a Werecat chasing me.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was then that I heard a voice from behind me at the edge of the forest, “We know you’re out there, come out and become the father you know you’ll be.”

<p class="MsoNormal">A second voice shot out with a low growl, “’We’?! I don’t share, honey!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The bushes on the edge of the forest began to shake as shaded figures pounced at each other. At least Leland’s potion made just as hostile to each other as they were tenacious with getting to me. At least, in all but one. Slowly slithering out, Grace seemed to relish in the Sun’s warmth.

<p class="MsoNormal">From the days she chased me her short blonde hair became tangled and filled with twigs and her clothes covered in dirt. The look in her eyes remained the same since I first saw her those night ago, a look of maniacal lust.

<p class="MsoNormal">Contrary to her expression she spoke with a calm voice, “Look how they bicker amongst each other and only I am smart enough to come to you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Grace,” I begin trying to sound calm, “You need to go back home, your friends and family are probably worried about you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Grace let out a giggle, “They probably are, but imagine their happiness when I bring back my husband!”

<p class="MsoNormal">She lunged forward and I scrambled back into the shallow river, knowing its cold would keep her at bay.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Get out of the water, hubby. Grace will get you nice and warm.” I ignored her and kept moving. The river, though very wide, was only waist deep and current wasn’t too strong.

<p class="MsoNormal">I wasn’t too far in when I suddenly felt something grab my ankle. I turned to face a sudden splashing noise and was face to face with a mermaid.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You must be the man of my dreams!” She said, the same expression of lust on her as the other monster girls.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey! Hands off you scaly bitch!” Grace shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately her shouting got the attention of the other monster girls chasing me. Breaking out of the forest they all rushed passed Grace and headed into the water, even the Werecat.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No! My hubby!” Grace screamed.

<p class="MsoNormal">A sudden whooshing sound filled me ears and I felt something grip my shoulders hard. Being lifted with such a force that it easily broke me out of the mermaid’s slimy grasp, though somehow removing my shoes and pants in the process, I was ascending rapidly.

<p class="MsoNormal">My gaze was still on the group of mamonos chasing me, although they soon became small dots on an ever shrinking landscape, so I turned as to determine where my kidnapper and I were heading. It was the forest on the other end of the wide river, a forest where the trees easily reached the clouds and were wide and numerous.

<p class="MsoNormal">We reached the trees as we continued to ascend, each time I hit a branch earned a ‘sorry’ from my kidnapper. Sooner we reached a tree house the size of a two story home and flew through a window.

<p class="MsoNormal">Being gently set down, I turned to face my kidnapper. Through grateful to be away from all the other monster girls, I was all but certain this one had the same intentions. I was feeling too exhausted to fight, and honestly consider just giving in to her lusts.

<p class="MsoNormal">The mamono had her back turned, but her wings gave her away as a sort of harpy at first glance. Though I initially feared she was a Black Harpy due to the wings’ black color, the lack of claws identified her as a Crow Tengu.

<p class="MsoNormal">I waited for her to turn around, but noticed she seemed frozen, her wings crossed in front of her. I strained my ear to listen in on her mumblings.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Okay, okay, just play it cool Claire. You got a man in your house, just treat him like a guest, you know, like all the guest you totally bring over to your house all time. Oh my God do I even have enough snacks? Water? I’ve been standing here too long he’s probably just staring at me thinking I’m weird and-”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Excuse me?” I try to get her attention.

<p class="MsoNormal">She suddenly stiffens before turning around with a proud expression, “Welcome human, to my humble abode! I, Claire, shall- oh my God you aren’t wearing any pants?!” Claire suddenly stiffens again, her face a deep red before running up a nearby staircase.

<p class="MsoNormal">She quickly brings down a pair of pants, holding them out to me with one wing and covering her red face with the other, though I could see her occasionally peeking from atop it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you,” I say, quickly putting them on. “You can look now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">She slowly lowered her wing and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, human. You should be grateful, I, Claire, was able to provide you with a spare. Feel free to wear them out and give them back to me – to wash of course!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You really have no idea how grateful I am that you saved me.” I suddenly remembered my situation, “Wait, aren’t you going to try and mate with me?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire stiffened up again and her face turned a deep red, “M-mate?! Ha, good one human! I’m a Crow Tengu! Knowledge is my one true love! Yep, carnal- I mean humble, knowledge.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I looked at the book case she motioned me too, amongst books about alchemy, magic, history, geography, medicine, and engineering, three books caught my eye: How to Catch the Eye of a Shining Knight, a book about the male anatomy, and The Karma Sultra: Monster Girl Edition. They looked much more worn compared to the numerous other books

<p class="MsoNormal">“Totally for learning purposes only!” Claire quickly states, “Though I’m curious. Why would you think I’d mate with you? Don’t take it the wrong way! I think you look good – from a medical perspective I mean!”

<p class="MsoNormal">I laughed, “I’m a total twig, the village doctor always says I need to eat more.” Claire laughed and I continued, “I thought you’d be under the effects of Leland’s potion?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire’s eyes lit up, “A potion? Do you have a friend who’s an alchemist?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I wouldn’t really call him a friend anymore.” I say, and quickly explained my situation, ending my story when she dropped me off at her home.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So you’re single? I mean - such a potion would wreak havoc on any committed relationship” Claire says, she takes a deep breath, “Really though, that’s sick of him. You’ve been running for day’s right? A bony guy like you must be famished, let me get you something to eat.”

<p class="MsoNormal">As she went into another room, I took a seat, noting her sudden change of behavior. She quickly came back in with a few apples and bananas. “I’m sorry I don’t have any meat. I haven’t gone out hunting yet.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t be. Thank you so much,” I take a banana. “I’m sorry if I’m being a burden.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh Thomas, you aren’t a burned in the slightest.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I pause mid-chew, how did she know my name? I didn’t tell her my name when I was recounting my situation. She paused for a moment too, “Uh, don’t be alarmed that I know your name. I’m a Crow Tengu after all.” She quickly went to another book case filled with less books than the other shelf, “It’s in our nature to record men that interest us – interest us from a purely scientific perspective of course.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The book was simply titled my name, and opening it revealed a timeline from a few years ago to last week. I went to the page from last week. Thomas K. Age: 22, Height: 5’11, Weight: 115 lb., Penis Length- Claire quickly slammed the book shut.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh, how about a quick bath? You are looking kind of dirty, but first,” she took one of my hand in her wings, “I’m going to need some blood. I’ll analyze it’s content to make an antidote, you’re not squeamish are you?”

<p class="MsoNormal">I shake my head, though I knew it was going to hurt. Claire quickly produced a knife from one her pockets, somehow holding it in her wing. With a quick slash across my wrist, she turned me hand over as blood poured into a bottle she produced quickly with her other wing. Once filled to a satisfying amount, she mutter a few things before brushing her wing over my cut. In a flash of green light the wound vanished with no scar.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Healing magic works wonders,” Claire says with a smile, before taking my hand and leading me to a room with a large tub full of water. After a few muttering she put her wings close together and a small fire ball appeared. She quickly shot it into the water, which began steaming as soon as the two connected.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So does fire magic, now you just relax while I get this analyzed.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait. Why are you doing all this?” I ask

<p class="MsoNormal">“Because…because… I’ll tell you later okay? Don’t worry, none of this is any trouble. You just relax.” She quickly walked out and went upstairs.

<p class="MsoNormal">I suddenly realized this place had no doors, and this bathing room was just a tub and a large window to the outside. The sun was setting however, so I hoped I wasn’t exposing myself to many mamonos or whatever else lived here.

<p class="MsoNormal">I must’ve fallen asleep because when I awoke, the moon was high in the sky, but the water was still warm and I was feeling rather well rested. As I rose up to get out of the tub I noticed, on a branch just outside the window, something jumped up.

<p class="MsoNormal">I didn’t give it much mind for whatever reason, as I noticed my clothes were neatly folded and cleaned. Drying off and putting them on, I stepped out of the bathroom and saw Claire come down the stairs. We paused as I noticed the two red stained tissues in her nose.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh, thanks for cleaning and folding my clothes. You really didn’t have to do that.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No it’s fine, they were pretty dirty and I figured it defeat the purpose if you got clean only to put on dirty clothes.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, but seriously, thank you so much for doing everything you’ve done. How can I repay you?”

<p class="MsoNormal">She froze before and turned red, “Uh, hey, I finished analyzing the potion Leland gave you. Come up stairs to my room – just so we can discuss it of course.”

<p class="MsoNormal">She led me upstairs to her room, which took up most of the second story, as it seemed to also double as her lab, “You practically live in a lab?” I ask

<p class="MsoNormal">“Y-yeah.” She says, sounding somewhat ashamed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, it’s cool. It’s nice to see you’re passionate about something, pretty inspiring even.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire’s eyes lit up, “Thanks. So, about that potion,” she led me to a large desk with two vials, one contained my blood, the other contained a reddish goldish substance, “it’s some pretty spooky stuff. You let out this sort of pheromone, one that makes most monster girls go mad with lust.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“So how come you aren’t affected?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire paused, “I-I am. It’s just, I’m good at resisting it, being a total shut in helps I guess.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I feel ya,” I say, “I’m a total shut in too. I think the term is introvert.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Really?!” She asks with excitement in her voice, “finally someone who gets it!” She wraps me in a hug before quickly backing off, turning red.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry. I guess it’s the effects of the potion.” She reaches for a tiny vial of bluish liquid, “Here’s the antidote, probably not the right term but whatever. The point is that this’ll render that stuff in your system irrelevant. Not only that, but this stuff also release a pheromone that ‘disables’ the lust of monster girls in the vicinity, kind of a reverse of Leland’s potion.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Why would you make it do that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, as I was synthesizing this I had a scary thought. What if Leland made more of this, or improved it? I don’t know the man as well as you but I shudder to think about the type of man who’d make this.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I suddenly recall Leland’s face of morbid interest before I fled from his wagon and have a shudder of my own, “You’re saying I should take it at the village, just to make sure the lust is out of everyone there?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Exactly.” Claire says this with a somber expression, much to my confusion. “We should do so in the morning though, I can’t see well at night being a Harpy you know?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, it is getting pretty late.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sleep with me.” Claire blurts out before turning red, “Sorry, sorry, the potion you know? Uh, I’ll prepare you a place to sleep downstairs on the couch.”

<p class="MsoNormal">After quickly preparing a place to sleep, Claire bid me goodnight before blowing out the candles and rushing upstairs. It was a little hard to sleep with my sleep schedule being messed from all the running and nap I had in the bath, but I eventually managed. Still, I woke up at some point in the middle of night having to use the bathroom. Stumbling around and realizing the room with the large bath was just that, I made my way up to Claire’s room to ask her where it was.

<p class="MsoNormal">From behind the door I could hear sobbing and mumbling. I stood outside, contemplating if I should go inside and ask what’s wrong, but didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable and decided to go back downstairs and go back to sleep.

<p class="MsoNormal">I awoke to Claire coming down the stairs, despite a cheerful sounding ‘good morning,’ her eyes looked red. We had a quick breakfast and began preparing to fly back to the village.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You know where it is?” I ask, instantly feeling stupid when I remembered she had a file of me, so of course she’d know where it is.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yep, we’ll get there before you know it!” Claire kept up her cheery attitude, but I could tell something was wrong, “I’ll hold onto the antidote until we land, once we do, take it. Hopefully it’ll be enough.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Got it.” I say. I crouch down and Claire climbs onto me. After a moment and a quick flap of her wings, we were soaring though the sky at pretty frightening speeds.

<p class="MsoNormal">Exiting the forest, me still hitting a few branches of course, and crossing the river, we were quickly over the village after flying over a much smaller forest. Even from this high up, the village seemed mostly empty, I could only see a few little dots that grew as we descended. These dots quickly moved to the nearby by bell tower and we soon heard the bell ring three times.

<p class="MsoNormal">That wasn’t good, three bells meant an intruder, we’d have to clear up our situation to the mayor fast before we could get the Leland. I told Claire to land at the town square, figuring it was big enough for an easy landing and was right in front of Mayor’s house too. Yet despite the bells we landed with no approach of guards, worse still, the entire town was seemingly deserted.

<p class="MsoNormal">That’s when we heard what sounded like marching, and I could hardly believe what I saw approaching us.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was Leland, on a throne being carried by four mamonos, one of them Grace. A crowd of monster girls were behing him. Leland looked ragged, his unshaven face blanketing it in a scuffle, his clothes were wrinkled and stained with what I assumed was sweat, and his hair was unkempt.

<p class="MsoNormal">“And who dares disturbs my week long orgy? Ah, Thomas, and I see you’ve bought a friend, an addition to my harem? You’re too kind!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leland gets off his throne and hugs as if I was a long lost friend, as soon as I can I quickly back away from him, Claire following me.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leland, what is all this?” I ask, dreading the answer.

<p class="MsoNormal">Leland grins, “I’m glad you asked! You see, after the results of you ingesting my potion and seeing the results, I began thinking. I began to think about my potion, think about what more I could do with it with a just a few tweaks. So I tweaked with it, and watched the rats scurry until I was content with what I ingested. What you see now are my lovely rats at my beck and call!” He gestured to the crowd of monster girls behind him. .

<p class="MsoNormal">“Though, it’s not perfect, it seems to work less on the socially inept,” he focused his gaze on Claire, “but I think the solution to this conundrum lies within you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I tense as Leland pulls of a thin blade, “Relax, I only need a few vials worth. And I still remember our deal, 70-30. You’ll get a third of my harem, a harem that’s sure to contain last few monster girls hiding around. Once their out of the way, the men have to go, I’m the only man these mamonos need…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leland rambled on as I quickly turned to Claire, “The antidote, quickly,” I whisper.

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire hesitantly reached into her pocket before pulling out the blue vial, and I slowly reach for it, keeping my eyes locked on Leland to make sure he doesn’t notice.

<p class="MsoNormal">A scream erupts from behind, I turn and see Claire with tears streaming down her face. She raises her wing holding the vail and throws it to the ground. It’s shattering echoes through the town and Leland pauses his ramblings, staring at us.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What was that?” He asks, anger barely noticeable beneath his calm tone.

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire collapses to the ground crying, just repeating ‘I’m sorry,’ over and over again.

<p class="MsoNormal">Chaos continues to erupt as Leland’s group of monster girls is suddenly enveloped in a net constructed by a group of Arachnes on the roof tops above. The door to the mayor’s house is busted down and the rest of the villager’s storm out, those who reach Leland first tackle him to the ground before he can react. Another group reach me and Claire and pull me into the house before closing the doors.

<p class="MsoNormal">The mayor quickly came running down the stairs as fast as his old body would let him. “You, young man! I have to thank you for arrival, it gave us the perfect opportunity to arrest Leland!”

<p class="MsoNormal">A guard who held me gripped me tighter, “Mayor, this here is no ordinary man. This here be the friend of Leland: Thomas. Leland even said so!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The mayor adjusted his glasses, “You’re right, he is the one who hangs around Leland.” His once cheerful demeanor quickly changed to anger, “And were you not the one who drank Leland’s concoction that started this mess? Thomas, you have a lot of explaining to do!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd around him quickly shared his expression of anger, I felt like they wanted to rip me apart. I had to defend myself fast.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Leland tricked me into taking it! He snuck it into a glass of water I was drinking.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The guard holding me spat, “Bullshit, you’re just trying to save your hide. Leland even said he’d give you some sort of deal didn’t he?”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd quickly rabbled up, their voices turning angrier and angrier as to what to do with me.

<p class="MsoNormal">A sudden scrapping noise caught everyone’s attention. It was Claire, slowly scraping her talon down polished railing in the staircase. Her eyes were still red and her face wet with tears.

<p class="MsoNormal">“He’s innocent, I can vouch for him. More importantly, I can make an antidote for this. I just need some of Thomas’s and Leland’s blood.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is that so?” The Mayor said skeptically, “Are you not a Harpy? Pardon me but Harpy’s tend not to be the most… intelligent of mamonos.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire shot him a look, “I’m a Crow Tengu, watch.” Claire quickly conjured up a few powerful spells only to quickly dissipate with such mastery that no other Harpy class could do.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I-I see, my humble apologies,” The mayor did a slight bow, “We just don’t get many Crow Tengu visitors in this village. Why, the last one appeared when I was but a lad.” The mayor realized he getting side tracked, “Back to the topic at hand, you can make an antidote?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, I just need some of Thomas’s blood, Leland’s blood, and a few ingredients from the nearby forest. Can you handle that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Of course, although.” The mayor turned to me, “Though I believe your story, just to safe I’m imprisoning this man. Understood?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire gave me a sad look, “Understood.”

<p class="MsoNormal">After having some of my blood collected, I was quickly dragged to a cell in the nearby prison. Time seemed to melt there but after what felt like a few days, Claire came into my cell.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Claire,” I say, happy to have some contact from the outside world, “how goes the antidote?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s going well,” Claire began, “We’re almost done. Leland really modified whatever batch is running through him, I had to ask for help from the local alchemist even. The monster girls under his control are really unnerving, they seem to be under some sort of mind control. They won’t even eat without a code word from Leland! Luckily, some of the local alchemist have made a kind of smelling salt that’s snapping them out of it. But they still have a hazy look to them, but when the antidote is made I’m certain they’ll be free.” Despite the good news, Claire looked solemn.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is something wrong, Claire?” But I knew what was troubling her, “Is it about smashing the vial?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Why did that happen?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It was…it was…” Claire looked to the ground for a few seconds, “It was Leland’s potion going through him, and it made me nuts for a moment.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I looked at her for a moment, noticing she still avoided my gaze, “If you say so, Claire.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire simply nodded before getting up and walking out of the cell, I noticed tears were in her eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal">A few more days passed and suddenly a guard came into my cell, “Come on,” he said before quickly picking me up and pushing me through the prison.

<p class="MsoNormal">The sunlight seemed harsh to my eyes, but the quickly adjusted as I saw we were approaching town square. Everyone was there, including all the monster girls under Leland’s control. Or whatever control he had left. Tied to a chair, Leland was shouting code words at his monster girls, but aside from a slight shake, they didn’t seem to go through with any of his commands.

<p class="MsoNormal">I knew the week I spent in my cell probably weren’t good for my appearance, but Leland looked like an absolute madman compared to me. I was placed and restrained in a chair next to him. The mayor approached us both, along with Claire and a guard with two vials of blue liquid in hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So what you’re saying is that they need to drink it at roughly the same time?” The Mayor asks.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes,” Claire responds, looking solemn. Why? Isn’t this a good thing? Was the antidote going to kill me or something?

<p class="MsoNormal">The mayor motioned the guard with vials to both of us. Raising the glass to mine, I initially hesitated, fearful for my own life. I saw Leland doing the same and what happened next was sickening. Two other guard came, one with a funnel. While one pride his jaws open, the other inserted the funnel and poured the concoction down Leland’s throat.

<p class="MsoNormal">If I was going to die, it wasn’t going to be like that. I instead motioned myself to the glass and had the guard tilt it back. The contents, though bitter in my mouth, did nothing to me as soon as I swallowed it. Once both our vials were empty, the crowed went silent, looking at the controlled monster girls.

<p class="MsoNormal">They shook and some even collapsed for a moment before opening their eyes again and looking around, disorientated but fine. A cheer ran through the crowd. Husbands embraced their wives, boyfriends their girlfriends, brothers their sisters and so on.

<p class="MsoNormal">A guard loosened my binding. “We are believing the Tengu’s story about you, be grateful. Besides, we have the main culprit. He’s going to rot in jail for the rest of his life if he’s not going to outright executed. We’re burning that damned wagon of his too.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I quickly stood up and walked to Claire, who, despite all the cheering, was crying.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Claire, what’s wrong?” I ask.

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire motioned me away from the crowd to a private spot near a building, “Thomas, I-I wasn’t be honest with you. When I smashed that antidote, it wasn’t anything Leland did, I wasn’t under his control. When I was slightly under the influence of the potion you had in you, I had developed feeling for you though.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I was confused, but motioned for her to continue.

<p class="MsoNormal">“And-and I was afraid that these feelings would disappear when I cured you. That’s why I did it. Please understand, I struggle to socialize with people, I struggle to connect with guys, and I thought-I thought the potion was only thing connecting me to you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Claire broke down into tears, “Even if it’s not, why would you want to be with me after what I did? I just made things worse for my own selfish desire. You deserve someone better.” She turned but I put a hand on her shoulder.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Claire, I forgive you for what you did.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“W-what?! How can you do so after all that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Everything’s back to normal right? And it’s thanks to you. I know you have some issues but I want to help work through them with you. It’s the least I can do after all you did for me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh don’t worry about that. I did all that because you needed help, and a little because of the potion don’t burden yourself with me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You aren’t a burden, Claire. And what you just said is why I want to help you, you helped me just because it was the right thing to do.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“And because of the potion.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well the potion is gone now. Do you still feel something for me?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I do, but you deserve better than me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s not true Claire. Don’t sell yourself short. You helped save the whole village after all!” I hugged her, “It’s going to be okay Claire, you said it yourself, you still have feelings for me. That spark is going to become a great flame. A flame we can give light to each other’s and other people’s lives, just like we did today.”