Rewards and an Advance

"Can you erase the mark on this storage bag?" Ruger asked.

Baangte shook his head. "No Wizard Apprentice can do that."

"If possible, I'd like to claim my reward now," Ruger ventured.

"Are you sure?" Baangte looked at how unsteady he was.

Ruger nodded again. He believed in securing what he could while he had the chance. If he could claim his reward early, there was no reason to wait. Once it was in his hands, he could look for a way to leave on his own terms. The world changed every moment, but whatever happened, he was sure that hiding away to meditate and grow stronger as a little Kobold would never be the worst choice.

Baangte took out several books and scrolls.

"I don't have time to teach you what I know, so you'll have to choose from these. They're all spoils from this expedition. You can take one," Baangte said.

"Can I ask a question first?" Ruger asked.

"Of course."

Baangte agreed readily.

"But I'm hardly a scholar among Level-Five Wizard Apprentices. I focus on my own specialty and know only the basics of other fields. I hope you won't put me on the spot."

"I want to bind a Familiar, but I have some concerns."

Before Ruger could finish, understanding crossed Baangte's face. Apparently, this was common enough that he needed no explanation.

Baangte rummaged through his things while Ruger waited eagerly beside him.

"This should do. The easiest way to eliminate the risk is not to bind a Familiar at all. Even Beast King Wizards can't truly eliminate it until they become Formal Wizards. So there's this—a contract stone—for people like you and apprentices who've just started down the Beast King Wizard's path."

Baangte produced a small, diamond-shaped stone.

"This Magic Pet Contract Stone is fairly good. It's another spoil from this expedition, so I can only estimate that it'll withstand five or six attempts before it breaks. If a caster at or above the Formal Wizard level tries to use your Familiar against you, it'll only hold up once. Add it to the usual binding process. Afterward, you can feed it to your Familiar. When you sense it break, just feed the Familiar another. I have two here. You can have them both."

Baangte took out a second diamond-shaped stone and tossed both to Ruger. He seemed to think little of them; he had probably only picked them up to trade for magic stones later.

Ruger caught them gladly. Both stones were a dull charcoal gray, without the slightest hint of translucence.

"Pick a spell. Then we're leaving."

Baangte laid the books and scrolls out before him and urged him on. The Gray Longneck Saint Lord's shrunken body bent over to serve as a makeshift table.

Ruger relaxed his mind and leafed through them one by one, hoping greedily to feel Spirituality guide him again.

He also thought about where these things had come from. A commission from the so-called Wizard Niteri had drawn groups and lone Wizard Apprentices alike to this obscure corner. The hostility between them had already gone further than he had imagined. As the commission neared its end, there would surely be more interesting developments—and more clashes.

Just as Ruger was about to give up hope, Spirituality finally came knocking again.

Spirituality still favors me, he thought. He picked up the book and checked its title once more. The cover read Zero-Ring Spell: Demon Body.

"That's a minor spell adapted from Demonized Flesh. It increases the caster's resistance to most poisons and makes them taller and stronger for a short time. Casting it requires a catalyst: a material bearing a demon's aura. All in all, it isn't a fully developed spell. It's a step below Strength of the Savage Bull. I wouldn't recommend it. Then again, you already have a casting material. The Demon Skin Spell on you carries a demon's aura."

When Ruger still did not put the book down, Baangte gathered up the other books and Inheritance Scrolls.

From where the burly man stood, he failed to notice that Ruger's little Kobold eyes had lit up the moment he mentioned growing taller.

"Thank you. This is exactly what I need."

Ruger carefully put the book away. A spell that suited him was hard to come by, and he wanted it for more than the frivolous prospect of getting taller.

Baangte's large hand shot out and lifted Ruger without asking.

Then came the inhuman booms of feet striking the earth. The scenery flew past with each thunderous step. The sudden acceleration made Ruger feel as though his bones were about to come apart. He still had not recovered his favorite long staff, either. Fortunately, he had stowed away the two short spears he had grown comfortable using when he retrieved his clothes.

Baangte really is in a hurry. Ruger's thoughts wandered as they sped along. Now that the burly man had caught the snake, he was surely eager to move on to the next step. Ruger wanted to ask what would ultimately become of the cunning Gray Longneck Saint Lord, but he never got the chance.

They raced onward until Ruger began to recognize places along the route.

He felt a little more at ease.

Baangte stopped abruptly. Ruger felt all the blood in his body surge upward. Before he could recover, Baangte set him down. He sank to the ground. Solid earth that did not sway beneath him was a wonderful thing.

"I'll be gone for a few days. Give that cook my regards," Baangte said.

Ruger looked up. Baangte was already gone.

You two understand each other well enough. You don't need a little Kobold to carry messages.

He immediately cast Mental Boil on himself and took out a short spear. Strength of the Savage Bull had not yet worn off. Recalling the map in his head, he chose a direction and set out.

It's too dangerous out here, and I'm still too weak.

No roast meat was as tempting as getting back and meditating in peace.

He traveled in fits and starts, avoiding places that were plainly dangerous. He emerged from a small, inconspicuous cave entrance and gazed into the distance. Once again, he saw the towering spindle-shaped mushroom.

At last, he was back in the Kobolds' hunting territory.

I wonder if the Lizardfolk have kept pushing into the Kobolds' settlement.

After a short rest, he tipped back the bottle and drank the rest of Big Silly Hum's blood. With the green potion Baangte had given him as a last line of defense, he could afford to be a little extravagant to make the journey easier.

He walked as fast as he could, but he was still noticeably slower than on the way out.

As he went, he ate cooked meat worms and planned to see Half-Man as soon as he returned. Wizards never gave without wanting something in return. Since Half-Man wanted something from him, perhaps he would not mind giving a little more—such as helping Ruger recover faster from his tormenting injuries.