blueteamnovel Chapter 148: Lonely
Chapter 148: Lonely
In the middle of their discussion, a tile in the floor in the corner of the room moved.
Lassim jumped up, ready to attack, but what appeared was another one of the same species of arachnid that was the innkeeper in Swamp Town. This one was more green in its coloration than the brown innkeeper had been. Its bulbous, human-like head wobbled slightly as it turned to address Lassim in the common tongue.
"A message from the Queen: ’Indulge the heir to the Threads’ whims and demands for the next few days, and I’ll then create an excuse for you to be free to go. She must, under no circumstance, leave my domain. Take care of her well, Lassim Rohese Vanthar.’ Message delivered. Do you understand, child of man?"
Lassim nodded, a bit shocked that she had used his full name as he had only given his first name earlier. It was a bit worrying but he replied, "I understand. Ah! Before you go, can you tell me if there’s some sort of library or book cataloging the creatures within the Threads? The princess is asking for my assistance to obtain a mount, and I’m not familiar with the possible species around here."
The spider’s large eyes blinked slowly. "Very well. I will retrieve something for you."
With that, it abruptly turned and disappeared back into the floor.
A few minutes later, the spider returned with an assistant that was a more traditional looking spider creature carrying a thick book held to its back with a string of spider silk. It climbed out of the hole first and gave it to Lassim before leaving.
The big headed spider appeared after it left and said, "Leave it on the table when you’re finished, and it will find its way back to the library," before it too disappeared into the hole.
"Thank you," Lassim uttered as the floor tile was being moved back to its original place. He unwrapped the silk thread holding the book as he sat back down at the desk, opening it carefully.
The pages were filled with beautiful illustrations and detailed descriptions of various creatures. It was so incredibly detailed as if it was part of a scientist’s or re
Lassim continued. "[The second is a unique, wild bestial spider with wings. It’s smart but undomesticated and tends to be violent.]"
Silvari scrunched her nose. "[Violent isn’t so good. It also looks too much like my uncle Jerry. He’s big and ugly like that.]"
Lassim nodded. "[And the third is this rare flying beast or possibly elemental creature that blends into the surroundings of the threads. It says it’s quite elusive but based on the picture they are very beautiful.]"
Silvari considered for a moment. "[I think I like the bat creature the most. It looks super strong and has a cute face. It’d be nice to have a mount that could eat me at any time, but it won’t because I’ll give it all my love and attention, and it’ll love me back.]"
Lassim raised an eyebrow at her logic but decided not to question it. "[Alright, the bat creature it is. We’ll go out and start hunting for one tonight. The book says they’re more active at night, which should make it easier to find one.]"
A Widow nearby interjected, "[Princess, a reminder. You have two hours before you must return so the princess can get proper rest before her breakfast and lessons in the morning.]"
Silvari sighed but nodded. "[Alright, let’s hurry then!]"
They left the room under the protection of the Widows and made their way out of the palace.
The night air was cool and filled with the sounds of the Threads’ nocturnal creatures. Silvari’s excitement was palpable as she clung to Lassim’s hand, her earlier fatigue and sadness forgotten.
As they ventured into the night and out of the underground burrow that contained the palace, Lassim couldn’t help but feel a growing fondness for the young princess.
Despite her demanding nature, she was just a lonely child searching for a friend. He was determined to help her find the perfect companion, one that would bring her the happiness and companionship she so desperately needed. He felt like he was enjoying this new role of ’big brother’ a bit.