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The blob quivered as it laughed. “Regna was feeling generous today, wasn’t he? Two blessings.”
Khrx groaned as he sat up and rubbed his tail. Thankfully, his fur hadn’t been burnt away, but it was sticking straight out like a squirrel’s tail due to the electricity. He poked the blob, discharging the static and deflating his tail.
The blob laughed again. “Trifelus! Come, take this gift to the lord.”
The massive, three-headed black cat’s tail swished, knocking over a group of people waiting in line. One of the cat’s eyes on its right head opened. The red iris locked onto the blob, and the head it belonged to let out a yawn. It muttered to itself, but Khrx could hear it clearly, “This stupid smudge is always interrupting our naps.”
“I’ll give you a treat when you come back, Trifelus,” the blob said. “Don’t you want a treat? It’ll scream; I promise. This is a gift for the lord. The lord will be happy you delivered it to her.”
The right head of Trifelus yawned again, both eyes opening after it closed its mouth. Its gaze fell on Khrx. “Hmm? A cat person? Maybe this one will understand me?” It clutched the edge of the gate and leaned forward, peering down on Khrx.
“Yup,” Khrx said with a nod. “I do.” His brow furrowed as the cat’s head came even closer, bringing along its two other sleeping heads. It sniffed him, causing him to tumble forward from the suction. The cat was larger than his dragon form. What the hell? What did this thing eat to grow so large?
The cat let out an excited cry. It stood on the gate with its hind legs and smacked its sleeping heads with its front paws.
“Hrngh?”
“Stop hitting me…”
“Mhea, Lhea,” the right head said. “Wake up!”
“Don’t want to…,” the left head mumbled, its eyes still shut.
“Food?” the middle head asked as it yawned. Its eyes opened, revealing a pair of magenta irises. The three-headed cat dropped down from the gate, causing all the people waiting in line to fall over and scream. The middle head swept its gaze over the crowd before snorting. “They all look too crunchy.”
“Shut up, Mhea!” the right head said. One of the cat’s paws rose into the air and smacked the middle head’s nose, causing it to yelp. “Look. This cat person can understand us!”
The blob glanced at Khrx. “Trifelus is a bit strange. She’ll hit herself every so often. I imagine it’s the three heads arguing with each other and not agreeing. But since she came down, she’s willing to take you to the lord.”
The middle head meowed at Khrx. “Can he really?”
“I can,” Khrx said as he crossed his legs. The previous meow had knocked him off his feet despite his newly gained constitution. How strong was this cat? Could it kill a hero?
“Are you talking to her?” the blob asked.
“Mm.”
The cat raised its paws and battered its left head. “Lhea! Wake up!”
“I said I didn’t want to!” The left head’s eyes shot open as it hissed.
“Too bad,” the right head said. She glanced at Khrx. “Hey, hey. Little one. What’s the best color out of these three? Lavender, magenta, or red?”
“Red,” Khrx said without hesitation.
The right head burst out into laughter. “Did you hear that? He said red! I win!”
The magenta-colored irises of the middle head glared at Khrx along with the lavender-colored irises of the left head. A paw flashed through the air and smacked Khrx’s face.
[Your brain’s been addled by Trifelus. -5 Intelligence.]
“Hey!” the right head said. “Don’t hit him for speaking the truth!” The right head leaned forward and spat on Khrx, causing his mind to clear.
[The spit of Trifelus can cause miracles to occur. +10 Constitution.]
“What truth? He’s a crook,” the middle head said, still glaring at Khrx. “I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself, little one. Which sibling is the best? The oldest, the youngest, or the one in between?”
“Can, can I not answer?” Khrx asked, inching backwards.
“Just say the youngest,” the right head whispered.
“If I answer honestly, you have to promise not to hit me,” Khrx said, staring at the middle head.
“Okay,” the middle head said. “I promise.”
“The youngest,” Khrx said.
The cat’s paw flashed and smacked Khrx’s face, causing him to tumble backwards.
[Your brain’s been addled by Trifelus. -5 Intelligence.]
“Lhea!” the right head shouted.
The left head snorted. “What? I didn’t promise anything. Mhea did.”
The right head clicked its tongue. It leaned forward and licked Khrx clean like a mother cat licking a kitten.
[Welcome to the underworld, buddy. You’ll need this. +10 Strength.]
Khrx whimpered as he sat up. “No more questions, please.”
“Just one more,” the left head said. “I didn’t get to ask one. That’s not fair.”
Khrx sighed and hung his head. At least he was only losing intelligence and not his life. Wait. Could he even die anymore? Wasn’t he already technically dead?
“One day, you’re walking along a road and come to a fork,” the left head said. “On the right side, there’s sunshine and laughter along with the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen. Straight ahead, there’s snow and ice on the ground along with dead birds sitting on dead trees. To the left, there’s a puddle of oozing blood, screaming children, and terrified, dying adults.” The left head closed its eyes as if it were listening to children scream. It let out a sigh and smiled before looking at Khrx again. “Which path do you take?”
Was this supposed to be a hard choice? “The right side,” Khrx said.
Khrx didn’t even see the cat’s paws move this time before he felt the burning sensation in his face.
[Your brain’s been addled by Trifelus. -5 Intelligence.]
“Do you have a grudge against me!?” the left head asked with a snarl. “I gave you the best options on the left, but you still chose Rhea’s side! How dare you reject my goodwill?”
Khrx stared up at the void. What goodwill?
“Stop hitting the speaker of truth!” the right head said and leaned towards Khrx again. Its tongue wrapped around him and brought him into her mouth. “They can’t hurt you in here.” Her voice thundered in his ears.
[For the first time in your life, you understand the meaning of loud. +5 Perception.]
Khrx sighed and pinched his nose. The cat’s mouth smelled like death. It was fitting, really, considering where he was.
“To the lord!” the right head said, causing Khrx’s ears to ring.
“She’ll give us snacks, right?” the middle head asked.
“I’m going back to sleep,” the left head said.
“Don’t swallow him!” the blob shouted. Its voice was low and distant to Khrx. Khrx sighed again and lay on the cat’s tongue which was softer than a pillow. At least this was more comfortable than being hugged by the blob. But still, where was his dignity as a dragon?
Four rectangles popped up in front of Khrx’s face.
[Lorin has slain Nelson. +1 Achievement Point.]
[Your companion, Nelson, has died.]
[Lorin has slain Monika. +300 Achievement Points.]
[Your companion, Monika, has died.]
“Eh?”