“So how did that rat get to the forest? And what happened to the six Vermun it was with?”

Sigard asked out loud while he was laying down on the Core room’s floor.

[Master, this Core is not omniscient and so cannot tell you. This Core is simply the central control unit that draws in Quintessence from throughout the Maze for various operations. It does not have any ability to observe the movements or interactions of the inhabitants, only the imprecise sensing of the flow of Quintessence through the Maze.]

“Yeah, I know. I was just thinking out loud to myself. It’s baffling how that giant rat got where it did.”

[It’s certainly unusual. Likely there are forces operating in the Maze that are already aware of Masters presence, and are working towards Masters demise.]

“Someone’s trying to assassinate me? It’s funny that somebody is going through so much effort just to kill some runaway slave.”

[Master…this Core is concerned at Masters cavalier attitude towards threats to masters existence. This Core recommends to creating more creatures to be bodyguards, as well as establishing a large network of static defenses.]

“I would have loved to start on all of that the very day I became your ‘Master.’ But how much Quintessence do we have?”

[…24,420 units]

“And what’s the recovering rate?”

[40 to 60 units a day.]

“See, the reserve of Quintessence is to small to depend on. This resource problem needs to be remedied first.”

[But Master’s safety is of paramount importance. It doesn’t matter how much Quintessence this Core has stockpiled what does it matter if it cannot be used.]

“…Why does it matter. I’m an escaped slave, from the moment I got away I knew it was only a matter of time before I was killed. I just wanted to taste some semblance of freedom before I died.”

His voice dripping with melancholy, while his hand reaching up to the slave brand on his forehead.

“Why do you care so much for my safety? You wouldn’t have to put up me if I was gone.”

[…]

Both of them just sat there in awkward silence for what was an uncomfortably long amount of time.

[…Master. Is there anything that Master desires?]

Sigard silently contemplated the answer. Desired? As in something he wanted? Thinking back on his life, the pain, hardship, the lack of control, the mind-numbing boredom while drudging from one mundane task after another. He certainly wanted freedom, but how can one have freedom if they couldn’t even control there own body. No if he wanted freedom he would need control. Control not just over his body, but over the world around him. To bend those who would harm him to his will. In other words he desired power. But he already had this power, at least technically. He was the Dungeon master, the ruler of the Maze of Beasts…supposedly.

But what would he want after securing his power. Vengeance? Definitively, but what beyond that? What would he want or do after braking the Relentless Stalkers? After a few minutes of thinking on that, Sigard had finally come to his answer.

“Women. Beautiful girls who will love me, who I can hold and touch. Who I can take as my wife, and keep with me forever.”

[…]

[Master. Can Master grant this Core permission to use Quintessence for a certain task.]

Sigard took a long look at the Core, after considering it for several moments he granted it permission.

Immediately the Core acted using one of the adjoining rooms to create a body. Once the process finished it walked out to the main Core room.

It was a beautiful, naked woman. She had long dark hair contrasting with her pale, unblemished skin. Her overall figure well balanced, being fairly slim but still had enough curves to accentuate her feminine charm. A well-endowed chest and wide hips with a perky ass helped to accentuate an hour glass figure. Once the woman approached Sigard she bowed her head.

“Master, this body is now under your authority.”

Sigard recoiled in surprise, something about the tone of the woman’s words reminded him of a certain sentient sphere. Turning to face the Core but after staring at it, it didn’t respond. Instead it was the woman who spoke.

“Master, the Core’s sentience is being directed through this body, effectively making this body an extension of the Core.”

Sigard sat still in stunned surprise, that the Core would turn itself into a human girl just for him. It all just reinforced his confusion. Why would it, no now she, go to such lengths for him. What’s so special about him, a fugitive slave, to cause the literal Core of the Maze to do this.

While Sigard was deep in thought the Core’s fleshy body had cramped up her face. She had moved progressively closer to Sigard and started to notice something she hadn’t in her previous form. Sigard really didn’t take care of himself. He didn’t bath, sleep on a bed or eat properly. His clothes basically tattered rags, and his hair had started to grow long. It really shouldn’t come as any surprise, he had been made a slave as a child and kept in squalid conditions. Over time he simply became accustomed to such deprivation.

“Master this one suggests that we should go out for a bit.”

--------

In the mist shrouded forest, a short distance from the ruins was a creek. Sigard had been brought here at the urging of the Core. As soon as they arrived the Core had peeled the rags off of him and started to wash him.

At first he was perplexed as to what she was trying to accomplish. But he settled down once she assured that she simply wanted to bath him. She had been adamant that his health and safety were paramount, also that it was her pleasure to attend to his needs and desires. It’s hard to say no to a beautiful, naked girl who earnestly wants to be of service to you, especially when it concerns your bodily health. And with both of the beastly bodyguards standing guard nearby, though still recovering from their wounds, meant there was little concern for threats, at least for now.

He had sat down in the creek water, while the Core was kneeling behind him trying her best to wash him. She didn’t have any tools, no soaps, towels or buckets to use. So she made due with her hands, scooping up fistfuls of water then rubbing Sigard’s body the best she could with her palms.

While sitting through the girl’s ministrations, Sigard silently consider her intentions.

“You didn’t answer my question. Why do you care so much for my safety? You wouldn’t need to do all of this if I died, so why go through the effort?”

“…”

“I’m not going to leave this alone. I’m not some idiot who going to forget about all of this, or let you distract me till I stop pursuing this. I need to know why you’re going to such lengths to cater to me.”

“…Master. This one cannot act or engage with the world in any way unless this one possesses a master. If the master dies for any reason then this one will be rendered into a virtual catatonic state. Capable of observing the flow of Quintessence and monitoring the various changes occurring in the Maze but unable to exert its will. It has been a forgotten but vast amount of time since this one has been able to interact with the world. Thus Masters health and safety is paramount, all other concerns are ultimately secondary.”

“…Hehehehe! You’re the complete opposite of me. Where I need to escape slavery to obtain freedom, you need to be enslaved to gain your freedom.

But this means you also know what its like to be a prisoner in your own body. To watch as the world on without you, where you have no control what so ever, where your life isn’t your own.”

Sigard was now relieved, the question that was nagging him, planting doubt in the back of his mind was now answered. Even more so he was now developing a sense of comradery with the Core. He found it weird that she needed a master to be free, but he was the master, and so they both will pursue their version of freedom together.

“Also there’s been another question I have. Why is this forest so empty and quiet? And I don’t mean just empty of animals, but of small plants as well.”

Sigard said while pointing at the forest around them. He was right a more typical forest would have lots of underbrush such as bushes, vines and sapling trees growing up between the larger trees in such volume that they obstruct sight and movement through the forest. But here in the Mist shrouded forest the ground was clear of all underbrush. Only the mists concealed the forest interior.

The core looked at the forest around her, taking note of what Sigard had pointed out.

“Your right Master. These woods are atypical, as there appears to be a serious lack of flora and fauna. Maybe the forest has suffered an ecological collapse.”

“What do mean by that?”

“The current state suggests that the grazing creatures have run rampant throughout this environment. That would imply the absence of predators.”

Sigard pondered on that bit of information. Thinking back to his time on the surface, he recalled what the various hunters and adventurers would do to the predatory beasts of the Maze. Kill them, well all of the monsters would ultimately get exterminated but the predators were always the first to be but down. In fact the upper reaches of the Maze had been completely scoured of anything of value to the adventurers. The only monsters of these regions are those monsters pushed up from lower areas because of pressure from other monsters.

And so he wondered as to which beast was the one missing from this forest.

“Wolves, this forest needs wolves.”

“Likely so. If they were to be successful brought back here then we can expect the eventual return of the underbrush. Which would aid in the defense of our holdings, as such obstacles help prevent intruders from penetrating into this area to easily.”

Having come to a decision on future efforts they settled back down to their calm bath.

“One last thing. What am I going call you?”

“This one is the Core.”

“There is no way I’m calling you the Core, or Corra, that’s not real name, and it doesn’t feel right anyway… Since you are the Maze of Beasts. So how about, Mazia.”

“…This one will from now on go by the name Mazia.”

Mazia had accepted her new name with a slight smile on her face.