To my utter horror, part of the contract ceremony involved eating a dollop of jelly. I didn’t mind bottled honey, which was already cleaned and ready to be savored, but eating from the grub’s private tub was a tad too much. To make matters worse, it involved a procession of badgers taking small licks of the thing. My only consolation was that I was third in line.
The first was a small and old-looking one. They came out of the darkness, tasted the jelly, then left in silence again. Who was this one? The big one hidden in the darkness? The one that declared the contract sealed? But that one was even bigger than the patriarch. It wouldn't be, would it?
My answer came next when Tsuchigaru morphed from his giant size to a shape just a few centimeters larger than Kumoko. That was good enough for me. Old one equals ginormous one; do not mess with.
Tsuchigaru took a lick, retreated, then it was my turn.
By the convenience of having fingers, I didn’t need to lick the jelly, just stick my finger in the milky white substance and bring it to my mouth. I approached the jar, looked at the contents. Milky white, with a consistency that made me think of less than appetizing stuff. I looked at the room. Badgers watched me with intense eyes. Karin still looked spooked. Kumoko glared at me like I stepped on her tail.
Yes, I was procrastinating. I didn’t want to eat from the grub’s butt water and third-hand licking. That was gross, okay?
The stares didn’t let me delay for long. Kumoko was by my side, now growling at my delay.
I took the plunge. A finger went in, out, then in again.
It tasted… good. It was slightly sweet and tangy, with hints of bitterness. Mixing it with lemon and a bit of milk might make it a good snack. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
“It’s my turn!” Kumoko demanded I leave the jelly pot. I obliged.
She bounced up to the jar, took a lick, moaned in what could only be described as a food orgasm. Did it have a different taste for them? It was good, but nowhere was a flavor intense enough to cause a reaction .
“Please, forgive my youngest,” Tsuchigaru said, even small, his voice rumbled. “It’s her first time enjoying the jelly, and she hasn’t yet learned to control her impulses.”
I nodded; yeah, maybe it tasted different for them.
After Kumoko, there was a procession, with each badger taking a tiny lick and going back into the darkness. I noticed, however, that none of the other cubs partook in the ritual. Was this something for named badgers only?
And why didn’t the badgers storm the hive and take the jelly if they liked it this much? Did it have another significance?
Another thing I also noticed was that once each badger took a lick, they left the room. It didn’t take long until the only ones remaining were the patriarch, the four guards, Kumoko, Karin, and me.
He turned to Kumoko. “Leave, cub; I have matters to discuss with the summoner.”
“By asking that question, you prove me right,” Tsuchigaru said in a tone that wasn’t the first time he said those same words. He approached his youngest, bobbed her in the head. “If you want to be treated as an adult, you must behave like one.”
“Am an adult,” Kumoko grumbled. “Got my name.”
For some reason, the she-devil glared at me again before she walked away, tail lashing. That was frustration, alright. If only she used other tail-tells so I could learn them too.
The patriarch turned to Karin next.
“Please return to your sleeping alcove.”
Karin’s face had hints of a denial. I gave her a nod. She left, escorted by the four horse-sized guards.
Was it now time when the big’un told me how screwed I was?
“To understand the price, you must know the reason.” The patriarch said. His reduced frame didn’t diminish the weight of his presence. “These are not our original lands. Before the cave of the White Snake came to be known as it is now, we badgers thrived near its lands. We had no true enemies. We were strong, respected, and feared, and because of that, we grew complacent.”
Tsuchigaru walked deeper inside the cave, I followed. I had no idea where this was going.
“The snakes, they were patient. They crept into our lands, whispering promises to those who would listen, growing in numbers, in strength. Everything changed when the White Snake rose to power, that wretched thing.”
The patriarch’s eyes burned with old, seething rage.
“They invaded our burrows, ate our cubs, forced us out into the wilderness, into exile. We adapted, as we always do, but the scars remained.”
Was this why they were so suspicious of me? He said I reeked of snakes.
“A few decades ago, a summoner called upon us. A man seeking power, a contract sealed in battle. He summoned my mate.”
His voice sounded almost like a keening.
“She was powerful. She was wise. And she was taken from me. The summoner was reckless, sending her into a battle she could not win.”
I felt the shift in his voice from sorrow to hatred.
“She fought the serpents and was betrayed by her summoner.”
Oh fuck. I could even guess where this was going. Hadn’t I declared myself an enemy of the snakes?
“It was a slow death. A cruel one. And we… we lost more than just a warrior that day.”
After a moment, he composed himself. “That was when we distanced ourselves from the humans. Their ambition was a poison, one we could no longer afford to drink.”
Silence settled between us. The air grew heavy.
“And yet, here you stand,” he said, eyes locked onto mine. “You, who reek of snakes, but declare to be their enemy.”
It was good the patriarch didn’t expect me to say anything; I had no idea what to say.
“That is your price.”
I scowled. That wasn’t fair.
“You want me to kill the White Snake?” I didn’t even try to hide the disbelief in my voice.
Tsuchigaru burst into laughter. “You couldn’t, not even in a hundred years, cub.”
He was still laughing when he said the next part. “No, you’ll help me kill my mate's killer, the snake known as Manda.”
I scowled even more. Manda, the murderous serpent, Orochimaru’s pet, the leader of the snakes in Ryuchi cave. How was I supposed to kill that damn thing? I was no Deidara to detonate a nuke in the snake’s face.
Could I detonate a nuke?
“You’ll have five years.” His eyes bore into me. “Five years to grow, to train, become strong enough to fight by my side to kill Manda.”
“And if I fail?” I asked. My voice sounded weaker than I wanted.
The patriarch did not blink. “Then the contract is broken, and we will never answer your call again.”
Oh, that was bad, but not too bad. I thought he would threaten to eat me or worse.
I exhaled, my mind racing. Five years was a fucking long time; I didn’t even know what state the world would be in when the time ended. If I hadn’t meddled with Fate-kun’s design, the snake would be dead in less than that.
Could I do it? What choice did I have? Tsuchigaru didn’t say anything regarding Karin, but I was sure there’d be consequences if I refused this deal.
“I accept,” I said. My imagination ran rampant with ideas of even bigger explosions. A legendary explosion to kill a legendary monster?
The patriarch nodded. “Then it is done.”
He took another step toward the darkness. Somehow, I don’t think I was supposed to follow him.