It was possible they were being controlled by a very enthusiastic actor, but I didn’t get that feeling.
This was an actual monster. Most likely a summoned one — they wouldn’t risk putting us down here with a natural monster. It probably had instructions to act a certain way, but it also still clearly had senses and instincts of its own.
I could work with that.
“You mentioned kobolds. Are those what we’ll find on the upper floors?”
She shook her head, continuing to eat. “Mm, no, not here. The ones that were in this mine got eaten already.”
“By you?”
The spider woman shook her head. “No, no. By the thing that lives below.”
Well, that sounded foreboding.
“What sort of thing?” Mara asked.
“Don’t know. I’m not going down there. I’ve got a nice lair right here. Dark, comfortable, lots of food wandering into it…”
“We are not food,” I reminded her.
“Fine, fine.” She continued to chew on the jerky. “You can go.”
I reached into my bag. The jerky had been the only trail food I’d brought with me. I had the flask that gave me an endless water supply, but no other food in the bag.
But I did have some food stored in the Jaden Box, and I did have the box stored in my bag.
Could I get more out of this creature if I traded her more food?
Maybe, I decided, but it’s not worth the risk of using the Jaden Box in a position where I’m clearly being watched.
If another teacher knew I had the Jaden Box, that could raise questions that I didn’t want to answer.
I was still pondering my approach when Mara asked something important.
“Ya know, we’re trying to find a magic weapon down here. Don’t suppose that’s in your lair?”
“Nah. That’s up in the other thing’s territory.”
“We’re going to head that way. Don’t s’pose you’d want to come with us and eat whatever monsters are up there?”
That was a brilliant idea. I wished I’d thought of it first.
“Nah, I’m comfy down here. But let me give you some advice, since you gave me something delicious. Get in there, get your shiny thing, and get out. Don’t provoke the beast. You won’t like what happens.”
That sounded like good advice.
“Okay, thank you. We’re leaving now.”
Marissa pointed, and I gradually began to withdraw from the room.
The spider woman waved. “Happy hunting! Feel free to come back if you want me to eat you later.”
We made our way out of the room, then carefully watched our step all the way back to the intersection.
“Well, that could have gone worse,” I offered.
“You didn’t listen to me.” Marissa folded her arms.
“I was kind of disarmed at the time.”
Mara shook her head. “No, I’m not complainin’. You were right. Went much better than if you had listened.” She ran her hands through her hair, a look of frustration on her face. “I donno what I’m doin’ down ‘ere. Don’t think I’m cut out for this.”
I furrowed my brow. “You’re kidding. You were annihilating those spiders back there.”
“Aye, but I didn’t even think about the idea of trading with ‘er. I just assumed, you know, monster. And that we’re s’posed ta fight monsters. How’d you figure ‘er out?”
“I think what really tipped me off was that she seemed to have a sense of taste. It all could have been a really talented Shadow controlling her, but the way she was acting struck me like she had senses of her own. That made me think summon — and summons can be bargained with.”
“I’d n’er have thought a that.”
I shrugged. “Sure, but as soon as I brought it up, you took advantage of it in a way that I didn’t. You thought about bringing her with us to make the rest of this easier — and that was a stroke of genius. I doubt any other individual monster down here will be as powerful as she was. If she accepted, it would have handled the whole rest of the test for us.”
Mara looked away. “But she said no.”
“Sometimes the world’s most brilliant ideas don’t work. Doesn’t make them any less insightful.”
“I suppose.” She started walking again, but kept talking. “I s’pose. I just feel lost sometimes, you know?”
“More than you probably realize.” I sighed. “I’ve been behind on a lot of the basic classes all year. Father pulled me out of school three years ago, and I was never a good student even when I was going to class. Good at tests, but I never had the attention for reading anything that didn’t interest me. Never did my homework. Now, that’s all been coming back to haunt me, because there are a lot of basic things I either never learned or never paid enough attention to.”
“At least you got to go to a school for a while.” Marissa sighed.
I raised an eyebrow at that. “I know you grew up outside the city, but…no school at all?”
“Home schooling, they called it. Mam and Pap taught me a few things. Guess I should feel lucky they knew how to read, at least. Most everything else was either wrong or just not good enough.” She shook her head. “Not their fault. Same thing their parents did for them, to be sure. And they saved up everything they could to send me to that Judgment. Now I just want to do them proud.”
“I’m sure you will.”
“Are you? I’m not so sure. I’m not learning anythin’ that’ll help back at the farm. Can’t punch wheat and make it grow.”
I blinked. “You’re planning to go back home after this?”
“Sure. Ain’t everyone?”
Definitely not.
I didn’t want to get into that topic, though, so I just shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe. Anyway, you’re a lot more than just a fighter, Mara. You protect people.”
“Sure, good if the occasional thief shows up, or a wild animal. But if I could do what you can do, maybe I could make a real difference. Make all sorts of tools to help people.”
I laughed. She gave me a frustrated look, so I raised my hands defensively. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that the first thing that happened when I got home was my father telling me how disappointing and pathetic I was for having a coward’s attunement. And the worst thing was, I pretty much agreed with him. Everyone has always told me that this attunement means I wasn’t good enough to get one like yours.”
“Your father said that?”
“In much more loquacious and pretentious terms, but yes.”
“Then your dad’s an ass.”
I laughed again. “Maybe. But I think he just wanted me to be more like him. Do the family proud.”
“Aye. I guess I can see that. Guess that’s what most parents want.”
“I’m sure your parents will be very proud of you, Mara. And if punching doesn’t help at home, you’ve got life mana too right? You could learn to heal.”
She paused in her step, seeming to consider that. “S’pose I could, couldn’t I?”
“Think they teach that for Guardians as an elective. Maybe you could take it next year.”
She nodded, looking thoughtful. “I might just do that.”
We walked in silence for a time after that, until Mara paused again. “Think I can see something up ahead.”
We reached the source of the light. It was a small room filled with mining equipment, with still-lit lanterns on the walls.
Also, bodies.
Specifically, they were kobold bodies. Kobolds were humanoid monsters that tended to be about three feet tall. Some looked closer to human than others — many had animal-like characteristics, or could change in shape.