First Quest Part 2

“Are we there yet?” Bisky whined. “Maybe five or ten more minutes.” Mahannana promised, looking at the small map she’d gotten from the library. “Child, we left barely twenty minutes ago.” Selena scolded. ‘This feels like taking Ma-Chan anywhere when she was a toddler all over again.’ The little group was on the road out of Umbria, headed for the cave they were clearing out. Bisky had wanted to head the same day that they’d registered, but Mahannana and Selena were both more practical. They had wanted to figure out where they were going and do research on slimes, so they knew what they were getting into. The three-day delay had nearly driven Bisky crazy; each day, she showed up at the house and followed them around begging to leave. It got to the point that Aqua would walk around with his hands over his ears, tuning out the girls squabbling.

“Why are you complaining? You aren’t walking!” Mahannana complained. “Privileges of being the youngest. And who’s going to pass up the chance to ride on a fluffy wolf?” Bisky vigorously rubbed her face in Selena’s neck fur. Her arms barely made it halfway around the wolf’s neck. She looked like a toy solider perched on Selena’s back. “No big deal. You weigh nothing.” Selena shrugged. “Even though I’ve been hauling deliveries for Aqua, it never occurred to me that I could let people ride on my back.” Mahannana pouted. “How come you never offered me a ride, mama? People already call me the wolf mage because we’re together all the time; how cool would it be to ride into battle on a wolf?”

“Nononononono! There will be no riding into battle! No thank you!” Selena panicked. “Just because I look threatening doesn't mean that I can actually fight!” “Well, why don’t you learn?” Bisky suggested. "Ma-Chan is learning magic from Elfrida, and they’ve both been helping me figure out my brawler skill, so why can’t you learn to fight? I have no idea how an anthropomorphic animal would learn combat but...it’s a world full of magic. There’s gotta be a way, right?”

While Selena’s first instinct was to shoot the idea down, the child had a point. ‘She isn’t wrong. Combat, adventuring and magic are normal parts of fantasy life. At least, if the video games are accurate. Though, given what we’ve experienced, they seem to have been more realistic than we ever could have imagined. If Ma-Chan wants to be an adventurer, I’m going to need to be able to protect her. If she’s going to do crazy things, then I’m sure as hell coming with!’

“Maybe you’re right, Bisky-Chan. But let’s focus on the task at hand for today, okay?” Selena noticed her daughter giving her a sideways look. ‘Wow, she really must think I'm just a boring, joy-killing parent with how shocked she’s been with me lately.’ Selenai mentally slouched in defeat, realizing that Lirhilde had been too kind in her criticism of Selena’s attitude and parenting in this bizarre situation. “It should be just over this hill.” Mahannana announced.

“I’m guessing this will be a bit of a trial-and-error adventure.” Selena commented. “Good thing we have all day.” “They’re just some slimes, what’s the big deal?” The mother and daughter stared at Bisky. “You should have listened to us and did research instead of sitting around whining.” Mahannana sighed. “Yeah, they aren’t dangerous, but they’re tough little jerks to kill because they’re basically living Jell-O blobs. You need to use force to squish them because fire, water...basically all the elements...are ineffective.” “Unless you crank them up to unnaturally high levels that would hurt all life in the area.” Selena added. “Right. I’ll be fine once I figure out what magic works against them, but you and mama only have your physical strength with no combat experience.”

“Big sis...it’s living Jell-o" Bisky rolled her eyes. “You two are such sissies! I get into more dangerous shit in the alleys daily! Just gotta kick the crap out of them and it’ll be over in fifteen minutes!” The mother and daughter exchanged a look. ‘This is going to be exhausting.’

The three rolled up to the cave. It wasn’t a big cave by any means and didn’t extend underground. “Why does this place need to be cleared out?” Selena inquired. “Some dwarfs want to set up their metal working business here because the earth energy is good,, but they don’t want to deal with the slime infestation themselves.” “Oh, I assumed it was just one of those ‘have people exterminate monsters in an area no one goes’ quests like in the games.” “I don’t think that’s how it works, mama...” Mahannana smiled awkwardly. “Anyhow, lets get started.”

Bisky jumped down from Selena’s back and the three entered the cave. “It’s really quiet in here.” Selena looked at the wall lamps that the Dwarfs had installed before the slimes had run them off. “Well, at least it isn’t pitch black.”

A wet squelching noise echoed from further within the cave, causing Selena to cringe. It was like nails on a chalkboard. “Eww, the hell’s that sound?” Bisky wrinkled her nose. The noise got progressively louder, sounding like the combination of a wet fart and rainboots stuck in mud. As the three women braced themselves, a tiny blob hopped around the corner. A glistening, green slime stared at them, its little antenna bobbing in surprise.

“These little pipsqueaks are it? Piece of cake!” Bisky grinned, running forward before the others could stop her. “Bisky-Chan, wait!” Mahannana called. The young girl ignored her and ran up to the slime, lifting her leg up as high as it could go. “Eat shit!” She stomped down on the creature. “Eh?” She watched in confusion as her foot pressed the slime into the ground, but nothing else happened. The gurgling sounds coming from the sllime indicated that it was no worse for the wear.

“Bisky! Watch out they-!” Selena attempted to warn as the slime jerked itself out from under the girl’s boot. “Wh-?” Before Bisky had a chance to react, the slime jumped up and shot into her face. Bisky’s screaming was smothered by the creature’s body as it flung her backwards. The moment she hit the ground, the slime bounced off her face and, richocieting off the cavern walls, returned the way it had come.

“Bisky! Are you okay?” Mahannana ran to her friend. The child sat up. “Eww, what is this? Get it off! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!’ She frantically swiped at the goo left behind on her face, only for it to refuse to budge. Selena smacked her forehead with her paw.

“I was going to warn you that they’re super resistant and their residue is as adhesive as sap...” She sighed in exasperation.