Chapter Text
The creature crawled its way out of the mine. It bled, black ichor dripping behind as it crawled. It dragged itself, claws scraping against the stone floor, struggling inch by inch to emerge from the dark. It winced as the first rays of sunlight touched it. The creature had only known darkness, and darkness was where it belonged. It blinked in the sun, and its eyes burned in the unfamiliar light. The creatures which chased it out of its lair still haunted its thoughts.
“There you are,” a voice said. The creature hissed in alarm and malice.
“I thought you’d gotten lost,” the voice continued. The speaker was an elderly human. Their eyes seemed to slide off the creature worryingly, as though they weren’t actually seeing it.
“The farm is this way,” the human said. “I’m glad you came when you did. We needed some new blood in the valley. And the farm starting up again, well, that’s something people can get excited about.”
The man began to walk away clearly expecting the creature to follow. The creature clacked its teeth and scraped its claws on the ground with its talons in confusion. All its instincts screamed for it to attack the human. But the severity of its wounds and the unfamiliar environment left it few options. It dragged itself after the human, curious as to where they might lead.
“H-here we are,” the human said. The scent of anxiety began to surround it. “I... I know the farm doesn’t look like much now, but... but with a little work it’ll be b-back to its old self in no time." The human looked this way and that, everywhere but in the direction of the creature. "Unfortunately, Robin was not able to meet us like she’d p-planned. But I expect she’ll be around tomorrow to introduce herself and to make her pitch. Sh-she’s the local carpenter and builder. I’m sure she’ll fill your ears with all the improvements she can make. Until then I’ll leaveyoutogetsomerest.”
The last few words tumbled out in a rush. With that, the human hurried away, leaving the creature no less confused. It sat for only a moment before a new presence made itself known.
“I know you must be confused,” a new human said. “But you are needed. This valley needs a protector, and you have been selected.”
The creature had had enough. It whirled around to face this new threat and lashed out at it, snarling and slashing with its claws. The claws glanced harmlessly off a barrier. Sparks flew with brightly colored flashes. The creature recoiled and hissed its displeasure.
“Now now,” the human said. “We’ll have none of that. I came to talk. And explain.”
The creature began to circle the human. It dragged itself in a limping crawl as it watched the brightly colored human.
“My name is Rasmodius,” the human said. “I am a wizard, and I am responsible for keeping watch over this valley.”
The creature watched carefully as it moved. The human calmly gazed back. They seemed unafraid and unconcerned. That infuriated the creature, but even if it hadn’t been wounded, it didn’t know what to make of the invisible barrier that separated them.
“While my power is not insignificant, I don’t control the magic of this valley. It obeys its own whims and wishes. For whatever reason, you are being asked to help watch over this valley.”
The human paused, watching the creature.
“...Do you understand me?” the human asked.
The creature halted its steps.
“Yyyeeessssssssss,” it hissed.
“Well, there’s that at least,” the human said. “Regardless, if you agree to help protect the valley, you will receive protection, food and shelter in return.”
“I protected from what?” the creature demanded.
“From me, for starters,” the human replied. “And from the other people. You might have noticed that the Mayor didn’t go running in terror when he saw you. He saw you as human. If he hadn’t, the adventurer’s guild would have been on you in a heartbeat.”
The human waited for a moment, watching the creature.
“Do you agree?” the human asked.
The creature stared back.
“You have to say it,” the human said. “It’s important. Food, shelter, and protection, as payment for your aid in protecting this valley. Do you agree?”
The creature rent the ground with its claws in frustration.
“Why?” it asked in replied.
“Because Magic says so,” the human said. “Or are you asking why you should agree?”
“Why? WHY? WHY!?”
The human shook their head.
“Sleep on it,” they said. “Tend to your wounds. I’ll return tomorrow. But harm anyone in the Valley, and the deal is off.”
The human raised a hand, and magic began to build.
Almost immediately it subsided.
“Do you have a name?” the human asked.
“Name?” the creature repeated.
“Yes. A name. What do I call you?”
“I am I,” the creature snarled.
The human stared at the creature intently. The creature’s skin prickled, and it found itself having to actively suppress the urge to attack.
“I will call you Malign,” the human said. “It seems appropriate.”
With that, the human raised their hand again, and vanished.
Malign looked around. The human called this a ‘farm’. To Malign, it was just wilds. Worse, it was wilds that were above ground, and not in the Deep, where Malign was most in its element.
At least there were likely animals running around in the brush. If nothing else, Malign would not go hungry.
Malign eyed the farmhouse suspiciously. A human den, it understood, but what use was it to Malign? It gave a mental shrug and limped toward the door. Its open wounds had mostly clotted, and it seemed relatively safe here. Sleep would help restore its strength. The future was a problem for another time.