It smells horrible. The burning corpses are destroying my nostrils as a horse, I wouldn't even want to try smelling it as a cat. We have to do it though, here th corpses don't rot, the weather keep them cold. That's why everyone had to bring all the dead goblins and wolves in one big pile that we set on fire.

I spent the last hour pulling carts filled with goblins remains. Still better than the guys who had to carry some corpses on their shoulders.

Lein is staring at the dacing flames with Veria. Reus already went back to the fort. Most of the exhausted soldiers are also going after the clean up. Ophelia is leading the ones who have horses the others are following a tall bulky man that I can't remember the name of.

I feel drained, the last days were filled with a lot of work. Now that I think about it I didn't even look at my levels.

Congratulations, you are now a lvl 19 Black horse STR +7 END +9 VIT +10 AGI +5 DEX +1 INT+2 WIS+1 LCK+1

Congratulations, you are now a lvl 64 Feline seer VIT +1 AGI +2 INT +3 WIS+4 LCK+1 CHR +1

You have unlocked new skills: Stampede(Specie: Horse), Premonition(Job: seer).

You have unlocked new perks: Night traveler(Specie: Black Horse), Veteran(Achievement) .

Not as much as the lich or the rampage at Terrnit but still good. Not much new useful skills or perks though. Appart from that premonition thing. Not really sure of how it works but iy may be good.

"Not that much."

And pampil is back, great!

"I can smell the irony"

So what do you mean not that much?

"Basically it just show you possible futures, mostly when you sleep."

Seems pretty strong.

"It doesn't tell you when or where it will happen nor how to prevent it from happening. It just show you a possibility that you can potentialy alter."

I'm starting to have a headache. Weren't seers supposed to be more accurate?

"Not the level 64 ones."

Guess it can't be helped. Leveling gets far slower past the 60's. Some thinks it's even worse after 90.

"What was your level before?"

I was of the few that reached a hundred levels, but I didn't really earn them, when I was used as a catalyst for large scale curses, I would get all the experience from the kills.

"Doesn't that count as killing them?"

Can you kill someone without even being aware of his existence?

"Yes."

Then I am a murderer, there are you happy now?

"Not expecially. Aside from your past mistakes, anything about your powers you want to know before we end our little chat?"

… Would I be able to turn into something more human-like?

"Depends on your definition of human-like. But there should be a few options in the future."

Like what?

"Undeads mostly, maybe a few shapeshifters or a artificial being."

Aren't you supposed to know everything about witch's beasts?

"Not really, I'm just the main contributor, other witches created their own beasts. What I am most responsible for is the abilities you get at each rank up. "

Ok, by the way when is the next rank up?

"Either level 60 on the horse job or level 90 on the cat job."

No level 30 rank up for the horse?

"Nah, level 30 and 100 rank up can only be obtained once, after that it's only level 60 and 90"

That doesn't make sense

"Not supposed to, I just did what I could to make beasts strong."

Fair enough.

"Appart from that can I ask something from you?"

Asking is free.

"There is an old aquaintance's staff somewhere in Ysrevir, I want you to get it."

Why?

"Why not? A relic from a legendary witch isn't something to scoff at."

… Maybe.

"Well if you want to, it should be in an ice castle about a fifty kilometers north of the fort."

That's far.

"It will be worth it. I have to stop here for today, see you later."

Later.

The foreign voice left my head and I was alone again. Veria and Lein are still watching the flames dance. I don't know why but I feel like they aren't going to move if I leave them alone. Veria is just staring at the burning corpses while Lein's eyes are fixated on a pile of red snow.

I came closer and neight, pulling both of them out of their daydreaming. They smiled at me and Lein climbed on my back. Veria walked next to me until we reached the courtyard of the fort. She then told Lein to "transform" me and bring me to the back of the stables.

Even after transforming, the blood on my fur wouldn't go. So Veria, with no hint of subtelty, threw me in a basin filled with cold water and some sort of crude soap. Lein then proceded to wash me with a scrubbing brush. Very unpleasant but the blood is gone.

The two of them then went to bath themselves.

Now that I have time to think I must find something to do. The goblin problem is solved and I don't believe going after the araneir cultists is a good idea. What we fought before were low rank expendable henchmens.

Maybe going after the staff up north would be a great way to gain some levels.

Appart from that, staying inthe fort or going south to another city ar also options. In the end I won't be the one choosing but I can interfere with sugestion.

I also took time to check on Askan. He still is out of it, just sitting on the bed in the room we left for him.

Lein and Veria are done, most of the soldiers too. Everyone is gathering in the makeshift pub and it's so packed that some have to stay outside in the courtyard. They are all cheering and drinking, even Ophelia is drinking.

Reus came late but with a good reason, he brought the spoils from that battle. He decided to salvage most of the iron tools the goblins had and also took the bows and the enchanted ice sword. Most of the weapons were given as backup to soldiers but he kept the ice sword until the last moment.

"And last but not least, for the one who participated the most, both in planning and fighting, Veria come and claim your spoils."

The woman rose up from her chair. She walked as every soldier in her path gave way. Once in front of Reus she smiled.

"Feels strange, that's the first time you are giving and I am receiving."

He smiled back.

"This ice blade shall be proof of your victory."

She took the sword and slashed the air next to her in three swift strikes. The precise movements left a trail of ice mana in the air. The goblin's leader didn't really have the time to use it but everyone knows it is a good weapon.

"I think I lik.."

Veria's word was cut short by the sound of a door slammed. Behind Reus, right next to the entrance, the guy whe met when we first came here, Arius I think, gave us an angry stare. Not just to Veria but me and Lein too. He then shouted.

"You thieves! I will have your heads."

What? What did we steal?

Veria and Lein seemed as confused as I was.

Reus tried to calm his subordinate. The man was seething with anger.

As everyone was trying to understand what was going on, I jumped from the table I was on and dashed between the legs of the tipsy soldiers. Once outside I met with a group of civilians that Arius's team was leading inside.

Behind me, Lein and Veria came out of the pub and saw the civilians.

"There were survivors?"

Reus and Arius came right after. Arius didn't miss an opportunity to aggravate the situation.

"They told me everything, I know what you did!"

"And what are we supposed to have done?" answered a skeptical Veria.

One of the womens in the group screamed when she saw us.

"It's them, the witches! They killed everyone!"

Reus raised an eyebrow but nontheless tried to calm everyone down. Another man, this one wearing some sort of expensive business clothes, spoke.

"I remember they are the ones who ransacked my bank!"

Another man, this one in some farmer's attire, shouted.

"They kidnapped Askan!"

"What?"

Lein is completely lost. Veria is just staring at the accusers and Reus is struggling to understand.

Soon enough Lein, Veria and the angry mens were brought in a separate room by Reus and Arius.

The ex-citizens of Terrnit then proceeded to tell Reus what they believed to have happened. Each adding a part to the story.

Lein is a witch that desecrated the temple of a forgotten god with her cat. Her father, the saint, had to die to prevent the devotees of that god to kill everyone . Lein then used witchcraft to turn me into a giant and kill the believers that were bound to leave anyway and even killed innocent bystanders. Then we robbed a bank and kidnapped Askan.

I have rarely seen such an amount of bullshit. Though I must say the most innacurate is the part where we ransack the bank but judging from the wicked smile of the banker I may understand why.

Veria turned to Reus and then proceded to tell him what really happened. She remembered it with a scary accuracy. Arius didn't believe anything, I actually doubt he even listened to anything aside from what the banker said.

Reus instantly refuted the claims about witchcraft, arguing that it was a long forgotten art and that even if Lein knew how to use it, it wasn't illegal. Apart from that he also told the citizens of Terrnit that the cult of Araneir was far worse than they thought.

Lein grabbed me when the argument about who was right started and nervously stroked my back. I snuggled in her arms to calm her.

Arius was doing whatever he could to prove Veria was wrong until he used his last trump card.

"Can't we just ask the wolfman what happened?"

Veria answered right after.

"He is out of it, I doubt we'll have an answer. You are free to try though."

Arius smiled at that and sent some soldiers to fetch Askan.

Once Askan was seated with us, Arius got on the chair next to him and asked one of the medics if he could use a healing spell on him. Askan didn't move, even after the medic's spell. Then suddenly, my magic sight picked up something. Arius was using a spell on Askan!

I hissed loudly at the man and used mind read to check what happened to Askan. Arius was using something similar to sugestion to make him say that we kidnapped him.

I used my own spells but it wasn't enough. I guess I only have one thing left.

Your target is bitten, suffer 11 sharp damage.

"Owww you stupid cat!"

Askan slaped me with the back of his hand. I left a large bite matk on his left hand and wrist. But it worked, using a physical stimulus and my forced empathy at the same time was enough to get him back to his senses.

Lein jumped in his arms while shouting.

"Askan you are back."

"Hmph, yeah. I lost everything though. My beasts were slaughtered and my research burnt."

The utter despair on his face gave a gloomy aura to the meeting. Arius and the banker were the only ones that didn't care.

"Sir Askan can you tell us if they kidnapped you?"

"What? No, Lein didn't kidnap me. I was just completely out of it."

Arius bit his lower lip, he lost two of his charges.

"You are still responsible for the robbery of a bank."

Veria cut it short.

"We have little to no money, the only thing we took from that bank was a carriage that we used to leave the city. The circumstances justify the use of trespassing and stealing a carriage."

The banker protested.

"That is theft! And you have no right as a commoner to steal the possesions of a nobleman like me! Under any circumstances!"

"I am a commoner but my master isn't one."

"Lies! I demand a proof!"

At that point Lein stood up and shouted.

"Silence!"

Her hands are shaking, but she is calm enough to grab something in her pocket, then show it to everyone. A small metal crest adorned with a lava behemoth.

"I am part of house Ardegarde, a noble lineage. Thus I am allowed to do what I can to survive and ensure that I can keep on serving the royal family."

The room went silent under that revelation. I myself wasn't aware that Lein was a noble, though I had a hunch, high priest like her father are near to none among the commoners.

Arius left the room filled with shame, having lost his last card he had nothing he could do. Veria pulled Lein out right after and we went to sleep. Reus didn't say anything but I could hear some of the commoners say that Lein abandoned her duty and left them to die.

Ungrateful bastards, she wiped the enemy and you dare complain!