Chapter 13: An Enlightened and Civilized Forgehome of Strongarmed Sales

There are many beings that when attacked will attack back until they are defeated, even if they have some awareness of this. Many wild animals will flee if things are going sour, but then, a cornered animal has a tendency to fight to the death too.

The juice was no animal, and while its awareness wasn’t much better, it still did the sensible thing. It fled, even in the food dimension, there are bottles, and a juice doesn’t last long if it doesn’t learn to be wary of such things.

The machine didn’t chase after it.

<Insufficient knowledge of escape route, chasing would be reckless, a pity about the juice>

A voice speaking the the manner of the mouthless emanated from the frog-knight’s head.

Connecting the pieces, it was quite likely that sitting in the head of the machine was a tailless slug.

A tailless slug is a green kind of blobby or tubular being with a pair of eyestalks. Normally, their eyes are white and they are little better than animals.

However, once one came upon a machine buried within the earth, it failed to eat it, and instead gained a higher will and mind. Sometimes, on bad days, he regrets that. Later the slugs found a number of crystals that would grant awareness to their kin, and naturally enough they ended up divided into factions bitterly opposed as to what kind of crystal is best.

They are best known for mining and generally being a bit clueless about anything that isn’t mining, raiding other mines or machines.

The frulid family froze as the frog driving slug turned its gaze to them, distressingly quickly, it noticed the crate of honey drink.

<Trespassers, why are you trespassing?>

A pair of bright lamps set into the sides of the headpiece flicked own, shining too brightly onto the frulids and their trusty twipstrider.

“Excuse us sir, we are but humble and quite lost caravamelleriers” Yerdl said not tripping over his tongue once.

“We fell through a crevice”

The machine creaked.

<This is a reasonable story, I will accept it, you must come to the Forgehome, the Overseers will judge you, but be not afraid, we are a reasonable and enlightened civilization. I am sure your sale of the honey drink crate will provoke a favourable judgement>

The Caralid family could not give up the crate, the drink was vital to the survival of the village!