There were no surprises the next morning. No jerky, waterskin, or bark had been left behind by the mysterious stranger. Or was a stalker the better term? Either way, nobody greeted me. The musk had faded over the night as well.
I am alone, I mused to myself, but there was no joy in the thought.
What should have been a relief felt like a stab in the heart. Even the stranger hadn't stayed by my side. I… I had to fend for myself. All alone in endless greenery.
"It's time to leave," I whispered, only to be interrupted by a deafening growl. My stomach.
The last pieces of jerky didn't last long. They ended up in my stomach, along with my final sip of water. I really had to stock up on food and water, especially now that the stranger hadn't returned.
Weapons at the ready, I followed the sun's guidance. Azure moss and flowers growing in the direction of the morning light caught my attention. The petals seemed to change color whenever I blinked, which was almost as interesting as the Hnolls I heard less than half an hour after setting off in search of a good hunt.
My instincts screamed at me to transform, but I didn't let them take over. Instead, I rushed into a small gap between a massive tree and a thornless shrub. Keeping low and hidden, I waited as the sounds grew louder.
A small group of five Hnolls emerged from behind a distant tree. They didn't look particularly dangerous compared to others I'd seen, but there were more of them. The numbers didn't look all that great. They added a danger I would have preferred to avoid.
The Hnolls moved through the thicket, their snarls resounding across a small clearing that opened up before them. They seemed to banter and argue, though it was hard to tell at first. That was until I noticed what the two in the back were carrying.
Instead of gripping their weapons, they had bodies slung over their shoulders. Monster carcasses. The Hnolls carrying them were the loudest, their snarls sharper and more aggressive than the others'. The rest snarled back, but their responses sounded almost ridiculous by comparison.
It was strange, yet I felt like I could almost understand them. Not fully–most of it made little sense–but the emotions they conveyed felt logical. Reasonable, even.
I listened intently and wasn't particularly surprised when one of the pack mules hurled his monster carcass at the Hnoll who'd been mocking him the most. The other carrier didn't join in right away. Instead, he watched the others' reactions, then gaggled happily when the group laughed.
A small scuffle broke out between the ridiculing Hnoll and the one who'd carried the carcass. That was when I joined the battle.
My heart thundered in my chest as I emerged from hiding. Every step felt louder than the last, but the distance to the Hnolls vanished quickly. Then I transformed into the weakest Hnoll form, blades unsheathed.
The gaggling Hnolls failed to recognize the threat at first. The scuffling pair remained oblivious, while the others only noticed something was wrong when I was already behind them. They turned to see one of their own staring them down…and hesitated. One snarled a moment later, only to receive a blade to the throat.
I shifted mid-motion into the strongest Hnoll, salivating as power surged through my veins. The scuffling pair still hadn't realized what was happening, even as their brethren growled and moved. One unsheathed his blade, while the other dropped the prey he'd been carrying. Yet, by the time he reached for his weapon, it was already too late.
Several pinky-sized thorns, resembling needles, were lodged in his neck. Only two dug deep enough to draw blood, but that was enough. Blood sprayed from his throat like a fountain as he attacked wildly, striking at nothing. There was no enemy. Only a Blue Slime, which constricted and then leaped at his ally in the form of an Arok Serpent.
The crystallized blades clattered to the ground when I shifted. I considered engaging in close combat, but I didn't want to strain Shift too much this early in the day. It was still morning, and I had no idea how many fights awaited me.
My serpent fangs sank into the unscathed Hnoll's leg, injecting a fair amount of venom at once. Rather than pulling free, I shifted back into a Blue Slime, saving just enough time to wiggle aside as both Hnolls collapsed. One failed to regain his balance when his left leg went numb. The other was already dying from blood loss. I must have struck an artery by chance. Lucky me.
But I wasn't done yet.
The Hnolls squealed and thrashed loudly enough to alert the scuffling pair. Their fight ended abruptly as they lifted their heads, eyes narrowing and noses tilting into the air in search of their foe. When they couldn't find me, they sniffed harder, but I was nowhere near the dead Hnoll or their injured brethren. Apparently, they couldn't smell me. Nor could they sense the vibrations as I made a wide detour around them.
I slithered behind the pair and transformed into the Hnoll I had just killed.
A quick glance told me they hadn't noticed a thing. The two were still scenting the air, searching for whoever had attacked their comrades. What they hadn't accounted for was their enemy smelling exactly like one of their own. Specifically, the one who had just been killed.
Time was running out. I moved quickly, grabbed a javelin from the ground, and transformed into the strongest Hnoll once more. The transformation lasted only a second, but it was enough to gain momentum. To drive the javelin straight through my enemy's throat.
Without hesitation, I ripped it free and hurled it at the last remaining Hnoll.
My throwing skills were far from impressive, but the distance was barely five meters. The javelin struck true, piercing his chest.
Only one Hnoll was dead, but the rest were either bleeding out or unable to move their limbs. They wouldn't make it out alive. Not on my watch.