Based on the reaction of the two small humans, the scorpion believed she had done well!
Neither was charging at her with the sticks they were holding. Positive start.
“Do you have any books…?” The boy asked Velasteros.
Why would they ask me that?
Velasteros, who stumbled up, her legs weak from the repeated falling, answered with confidence. “Of course!”
“Then why are you here?” The boy followed up.
“Why does that matter?” Velasteros crossed her arms. “Why are you here?”
The boy smugly said, “We were kidnapped!”
His sister sighed, “You shouldn’t tell people that.”
What did I get myself into?
With zero clue on how to progress this conversation normally. Velasteros stayed as still as a statue as she tried to determine her next sentence.
However, the girl wasn’t having it. “We have answered why we are here; now it is your turn.”
Crap, is that how it works? Don’t ask questions you also don’t want to answer, noted.
“I’m… on a journey!” Velasteros had no idea how good her lying skills were. Sarah had expressed that it was human nature to lie about many things, and Velasteros had never caught her when Sarah admitted to lying about information. So instead, she tried telling a version of the truth.
My head feels heavy…
The scorpion had participated in the crime of too much thinking.
The dizziness wasn’t unnoticed by the children.
“Is that so… well, please be on your way then.” The girl responded. The brother tugged her sleeve, saying, “Nieca… but we could use the help.”
“Help?” She whispered back, “She might not even be someone who wants to help.”
Thomas winced, catching a meaning that went right over the scorpion’s head.
Rude…
Why was a child doubting her abilities? Yeah, she couldn’t crush anything anymore but was certainly still able to punch things.
Velasteros was ready to argue back; debating was an important aspect of human discussion. However, a familiar gruff and the rising mud that was coming closer were the calling cards that a recent foe was returning.
The hog is back!
This time, she didn’t even have access to her stinger.
By the time the warning signs reached them, the hog’s charge was already close. Clearly, it had taken some damage from the harsh fall, but apparently not enough to stop its speed.
Do I run? But I have just met humans! But they are only children. Children can still be useful! Nothing matters if I am dead. Distraction? Diversion? Do I try to transform? No timing would be enough. Are there really no adults around?!
Velasteros’s thoughts were in a chaotic mess, but she noticed the two children raising their sticks.
“Get ready, Thomas.”
“Yes, Sis!”
Keh!
The hog’s horns neared the group, and Velasteros jumped forward.
[Barrier] [Reinforce].
The sphere of shielding covering her body shone with a bright light, and a loud clash was felt within the bones. The scorpion winced in pain as the strength of the charge sent a shockwave through her system, and she gave everything she had to block the charge.
I can’t let a human child outdo me!
The pride that had remained in her since the beginning refused to bend or be seen as weaker than mere human children.
Velasteros’s barrier couldn’t handle the force and soon shattered, causing the parties to be pushed back for a moment. Velasteros desperately wanted to use this opportunity to sting the beast with a potent shot of poison, but the timing still wasn’t right. The injured hog that had lost its momentum was ready to charge at her again.
“Two–four!” Velasteros heard the sister calling from above her.
The two children with their sticks in hand darted around the large mammal, leaving devastating wounds with mere sticks. The hog tried to counter, but it was only able to muster a frantic roll around trying to quash the two flies.
Are they stronger than me…?
With enough attacks, the hog was defeated, and, whipping the sweat off her forehead, Nieca turned back to Velasteros. “Thank you for assisting.”
“How were you kidnapped if you could do that…” The scorpion felt her understanding of human children was deeply flawed.
“We were kidnapped, and then we broke free,” Thomas said proudly.
“I apologise for the perhaps rough treatment from before; I didn’t know if you were working with the kidnappers." Nieca lightly bowed her head. “My name is Nieca. My brother is Thomas. Yours?”
“Valmyst…”
Despite trying her best, her pride was still deeply damaged anyway.
Velasteros ended up travelling with the children. To be correct, she was forced to. Noticing her tired state after blocking the hog, they had verbally dragged her along. Velasteros didn’t know which direction the nearest town was, and the children had quickly gleaned that information when Velasteros began walking in the completely wrong direction.
“Alone time is mandatory.” Velasteros firmly stated, “...It is required.”
Thomas looked confused, and Nieca quietly whispered, “We have an introvert on our hands…”
Velasteros didn’t know what else to say! She had been quietly trying to separate for a while now, but they were determined not to let her out of their sight. But the change was going to come sooner rather than later if the scorpion did nothing.
So with the flimsiest excuse she could think of, Velasteros ran off and swapped forms into her true scorpion form. This form helped reduce whatever strain her human form was causing the fastest. She had to store all her clothes in the storage ring, while the ring itself was hidden beneath a loose piece of her exoskeleton. A bit of damage that hadn’t been fully healed up.
When she felt there wouldn’t be any more problems for a while, Velasteros returned to the children who were cooking up the hog with a delightful hunger in their eyes.
Nieca was the first to notice the scorpion’s return. “Have your batteries been refreshed?”
“My what?”
“It is a saying. Batteries are a device that stores energy that eventually becomes empty, so by filling it back up, you have energy again.”
“Oh? Then yes! My batteries have been refreshed.”
“Good.” Nieca poked the cooking hog. “This will still be a while, so get comfortable, Valmyst.”
“I will try…” The scorpion sat down, wondering if it would be appropriate to pull a book out from her clothes.
The newly human-looking creature sat around the fire awkwardly. Every second increased the temptation of pulling out a book to read.
“So, why are you in these segments of forest anyway? They aren’t known to be a safe location. The only people who come around are skilled adventurers looking for loot or people wanting to hide.” Nieca said, “And you don’t seem like either.”
Because I am not!
Velasteros decided she likely needed to answer. After a third round of thinking once her brain cleared up, she understood that these kids might’ve been worried she was related to the kidnappers. However, like before, she was worried about being caught in a lie.
“I was in the forest with my teacher… before she said it was time for her to leave. Then I was there alone.” Velasteros immediately utilised her new knowledge and almost copied an emotional line from one of the stories that sounded, without context, similar to what she had gone through.
If I can’t explain things well yet, then all I need to do is rely on human fiction.
However, the result seemed to have gone too well. Thomas’s expression immediately darkened, and Nieca looked away for a moment. “I realise that from making you bring that up.”
“It’s all right?” The scorpion’s confusion was evident. “It was always going to happen one day.”
The misunderstanding only grew worse.
What did I do…?