Chapter 21: Venom Sample
Mikael was holding a torch, standing in front of a bent grating, and the door wouldn't open because of it.
"Should we look another way?" the woman asked.
Mikael looked around, and Miquella spoke inside his mind.
"There's a weak point at the edge of the Grating." he said.
Mikael turned to the edge, and hummed. He walked towards it, and kicked the wall, breaking it down.
The woman was surprised at the display of strength, and questioned it. "How do you–"
"Come on, miss." Mikael cut her off. "No time to lose."
The woman just looked at Mikael, frowning for a second, before walking forward, leading the way.
"You're improving." Miquella commented.
"What?"
"You told the woman to drop her sword a couple minutes earlier." Miquella continued. "She obeyed."
"Wait, that was me compelling?" Mikael was surprised himself.
"No one will drop their weapons willingly if they feel threatened Mikael…"
"Shit… need to be careful asking things then…" Mikael murmured. "Didn't do it again, did I?"
"Just that once."
Mikael sighed in relief, and walked again, following the woman.
—
As the two continued to walk through the corridor, the woman was looking at Mikael's missing right arm. Mikael noticed it, and asked her about it.
"Curious about my missing arm?" he questioned.
"What– sorry… that was rude of me…"
"No, it's fine." Mikael said.
"Okay, then let me hold it." said the woman. "The torch."
"Why?"
"You only have one arm," she said. "Use it for a sword."
"It's fine," said Mikael. "You don't have to hold anything."
"I insist." she continued to pressure Mikael.
He just sighed, and gave the torch to the woman. "Fine. here miss."
The woman just took the torch, and lit up the way. "It's Shani."
"What?"
"Don't call me miss." the woman continued. "My name is Shani."
Mikael smiled at the name. "A unique name," he commented. "Name's Mikael."
Shani nodded at the compliment. "Where are you from Mikael?"
"Not from around here, that's for sure." he said, making Shani chuckle. "Honestly, I don't know, I lost my memories a while ago."
"You lost your memories?" Shani frowned.
Mikael hummed. "Amnesia… I think?"
"I know a friend who had Amnesia too." Shani commented. "Although, I think he got his memories back right about now."
"Good for him." Mikael said. "I'm still in the process of remembering things."
The two then stumbled across a corpse of a woman, hanging on the ceiling.
Shani lit up her face, she was pale, and her lips were rotting.
"Jesus Christ…" Mikael murmured, earning a weird look from Shani.
"Poor girl." murmured Shani sadly.
"You know what happened?"
"There's a legend about the monster." Shani continued. "Whomever should kiss the beast, it would turn the beast into a handsome prince."
Mikael chuckled. "Ah… lonely women… should just come to me… if they don't mind that I only have one arm…"
Shani giggled as Mikael said that. "Lonely too?"
"Just recently." Mikael hummed. "I used to travel with an old Witcher, then a prick of a Witcher, then became a bodyguard of a sorceress…"
"Wow, sounds like you had a busy life." Shani said in envy. "Why'd you come here?"
"Need money," he said. "I'm trying to help the mages escape to Kovir. Wait, you don't hate mages do you?"
"I don't discriminate." Shani hummed. "I'll treat anyone that came to my clinic, be it elves, dwarfs, humans…"
"That's rare around here." Mikael commented. "Need people like you more, and the world will be a better place."
"Well, that's not the reality, is it?" Shani just sighed sadly as she collected the samples from the green liquid that surrounded the woman. She put some of the sticky substances to a vial, and spun it around for a bit.
But then, Miquella shouted in Mikael's mind.
"Mikael! On your left!"
Mikael turned around, and saw a giant toad hopping around. It wasn't looking at him, but in about a second, it will.
Mikael quickly pulled Shani away from the corridor, earning a yelp from her. Mikael and Shani hid behind a wall, he covered her mouth with his hand, and Mikael peeking at the toad.
The toad turned to Mikael's direction, which made him hide his head again. Shani was breathing heavily to Mikael's palm, but he just ignored it.
"Tell me when the toad is gone." Mikael spoke in his mind.
Miquella appeared, watching the toad for Mikael.
"Clear." said Miquella, making Mikael release Shani.
Shani coughed roughly at the act. "Didn't have to be so rough, you know?"
"Sorry, the toad was just around the corner." Mikael sighed. "Got your samples?"
Shani nodded. And Mikael walked to the entrance from before. "Then let's go."
—
At the ladder towards the surface, Shani and Mikael were now facing each other. "Right, just wait here, I'll come back for you." Shani stated.
"Sure, I'll wait." Mikael murmured. "Just please don't turn me in…"
"I won't, I promise. You helped me… probably saved my life too…"
"Didn't do anything." Mikael shrugged as he sat down, leaning against a wall.
"Right, see you later." Shani then climbed the ladder, where Mikael heard the well closed again by the guards at the surface.
Mikael sighed, and waited patiently.
"She's not lying is she?" Mikael questioned Miquella.
"She has a pure heart." stated Miquella. "A rare one."
"That's good…" Mikael hummed. "So, what are we going to do here?"
"There are two sorceresses along with their students locked up in the prison of the town." Miquella commented.
"Save them?" Mikael asked, frowning. "You said it's too dangerous to do risky things."
"The town is not like the city." Miquella commented. "You won't break into the prison in the daylight. You have to use the sewers again."
"Seriously?" Mikael groaned.
"There are also Elven ruins underneath." Miquella added. "It should be useful in finding a way."
"Okay… once I save them, what do I do?"
"Find a cave nearby. Then contact Merigold." Miquella advised.
"And what does this going to relate to our 'mission'?"
"Just follow the path Mikael," he said. "You will see her soon enough."
Suddenly, Mikael could hear the well opened once again, he walked towards the hole, and saw Shani's head peeking into the well.
"All clear." She whispered loudly. "Come on!"
Mikael chuckled in amusement, and just climbed the ladder, towards the surface.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone