TJ wa to be a human. He almost prayed for it, but he didn’t need Appraisal to hear that these weren’t a human’s steps approag. Though the sound of each footfall wasn’t especially loud, it somehow unicated an almost stomping quality. With a sigh and no small amount of embarrassment, TJ tried his hardest to activate Diviransformation in such a way that it would shunt all of his clothes off of his body. He couldn’t knoart of the clothing was sidered “equipment”, and if several pukwudgies were about to assault the , TJ would need every additional attribute point he could muster.

  A moment’s tration. The feeling of his belly on the ground. Shifting back to his feet. TJ opened his eyes, and his boots, pants, and shirt were on the floor, his denim jacket unbuttoned with his chest exposed. His boxers and socks remained on, so TJ swiftly rolled each sock off and strode to the front door with an affected air of ung. If he was wrong and these were humans, underwear and boxers would be embarrassing, but nothing serious. If, like he suspected, this was a small swarm of the bastard goblin things, then the jacket and underwear would be easy to remove.

  Still ag unbothered, TJ leaned against the wall beside the door and peeked out, just as two loud knocks snapped against the door. He pulled it open, and there stood a taller, more well-built pukwudgie than any he’d seen before. It stood maybe 4 feet tall, and smelled of flowers and spring just like every other. Its fingers were long and seemed dexterous, while its toes a reminded him of a hobbit’s.

  It was covered in bck fur, though along its back, its fur stood straight, almost like a pore’s quills. One hand carried the same primitive spear the others TJ had seen carried, though its right hand also held a gleaming hatchet. Its haft seemed to be fashioned of ordinary wood, but the head was a strange blue metal that glowed with internal light. The pukwudgie’s feet were bare, indigo skin and a dusting of hair c the top. Its hands and face too were devoid of any hair, and its faJ.

  A wide mouth, too wide, and filled with teeth made for ripping into and through flesh, grinned back at him. Its fat, bulbous nose was just as wide as it was long and tall, and both gaping nostrils fred as the creature smelled him. Its eyes were the rotting cherry on top of the off-putting pie. The sunken eyes both yawned bck without any glint of light refleg off them, except for the pure white pupils. To top it off, TJ Appraised the horrid creature.

  Pukwudgie, Level 5

  His Skill didn’t grant him any additional information than that, but TJ’s blood ran cold. This one had reached the first benchmark, and would be ensurately more powerful. If there were others at its same level, or worse, higher level, then TJ couldn’t see himself and Stanton esg with their lives. Maybe their boon or Skill from level 5 was just a little bit more strength and bulk? This one was maybe 130% the size of the other ones.

  “Greetings, divine one.” It hissed as TJ tried to collect himself. The words came out garbled and chewed, as if they were a deliorsel that had fought its way free of its gullet. “We offer safe passage.”

  TJ scowled at the statement, fused. “What–how– Why?”

  “You are blessed by the Divine. You pass safely, and we hope that your Eminence shows us mercy at the time of our iable meeting upon the proving ground. The pukwudgies have long been bound with the Divinity of this ti, and even if it inates further south the blood of Kukulkan is sweet, and blessed. Pass, please.” Though the words sounded like the pukwudgie had gargled gss, his turn of phrase was surprisingly refined.

  “I see.” TJ answered, pletely fused, but wholly willing to lie to get himself and Stanton out of there without fighting. “The us collect our things, and we’ll be on our way.”

  “Perfect.” The pukwudgie answered, its grin even wider and more predatory than before. “You have two minutes.” It didn’t move from the doorway, standing bolt upright without araneous movement.

  Reizing what was happening, TJ turned and began stuffing the clothing he’d stripped into the backpack before sprinting past Stanton struggling to his feet, back to the coat closet he’d found the pa in the first pce. Ane backpack was in there, and gng in it, it looked like a panic bag of some sorts. Nonperishable food and a couple toiletries filled the bottom, and TJ tossed another sleeping bag inside before rushing back to the kit. He didn’t know if there were any mood water bottles, but he filled the rest of the pack with any ed food and water bottle he could find. The pack quickly grew too heavy to hold in one hand, and TJ threw it over his shoulder, nearly knog himself proh the weight.

  Stanton carefully strapped the backpa, hissing in pain as TJ’s clumsy bandaging was disturbed. Fortunately, he’d still had his boots on, so there was o bend over and try to tie them on. TJ lent the older man his shoulder as they walked towards the door. Feeling grateful, TJ asked, “What’s your name?”

  “ukwudgies.” The trollish face screwed up in fusion.

  “Yes, and what is your individual name?”

  “ukwudgies. There is not a distin between us. ukwudgies.”

  “Ohhhhhkay then. Anyway, thanks! Let’s all prove ourselves on the grounds! Good luck!”

  “We do not need luck. We seize it.” The ugly face smirked, but it extended a hand and blocked TJ’s passage. “Where are ying the Blood of the Man? We will devour it here.”

  The catch. There always was one, always would be. “I trust you aren’t speaking about my panion here, are you?”

  “The Man is no panion to Kukulkan.” The pukwudgie decred, quite sure of itself. “They fought many times, though not so fiercely as he did with Manannan mac Lir. After Manannan’s death at the hands of Kukulkan, the Man swore to pluck his feathers.” It spoke as if teag a young, slow child. “Fear not, we will cause no more suffering than necessary. To desd from a Divinity of Osmium is an honor, and we will bathe in the Man’s diluted blood. Furthermore, the blood of the Man is already prepared iraditional attire, the bloodstained clothes of the fallen.

  “Now, go, and we will meet once more on the proving grounds. We wish you victory and strength. May the winds guide you.” It dismissed the younger man and reached out to grab Stanton’s arm. TJ smacked it away while Stanton’s eyes seemed to gze over. The old man’s lips moved at a freic pace, as if he were praying.

  “No, I don’t care where his bloodline es from, it's got nothing to do with Stanton. We’re w together, and we’re leaving this pce together.”

  “We will not allow it.” The pukwudgie decred, and a half dozen others in the surrounding forest poked their heads out. None seemed to be with a partner, so maybe more than 12 of the troll-goblin things were there? TJ sighed.

  “Definitely not?”

  “Absolutely not. There are rules to follow, after all.” Disregarding whatever that meant, TJ tinued.

  “Ok.” He turo Stanton. “Let me have that backpack. It’s better packed, got more stuff in it and is better packed.” TJ shrugged off his oack, actally catg his jacket and pulling it off with the same movement. He shivered in the wind from the open door and gooseflesh prickled his bare chest and arms. Stanton’s eyes remained gzed over and unfocused, and TJ hoped he could e back from this. Then, as he dropped his backpad jacket, TJ prayed that his boxers would e off with his Diviransformation.

  He gave n as his serpentine jaws fshed towards the unsuspeg pukwudgie. TJ caught its right arm, the one carrying the hatchet, and thrashed up and down as hard as he could. It howled its hawklike screech of pain as the hatchet fell. TJ didn’t hesitate to release the mangled arm and snap his jaws closed over the pukwudgie’s head. Its gurgling breaths stunk in opposition to its natural floral st. TJ felt a fsh of something strange, and his enemy’s healthy arm twitched and the spear, which had skated so easily off his scales in the hands of another, sunk deep into the flesh of TJ’s neck.

  Warning. You are suffering from a minor Bleed affli. You will tio lose 2 HP a miil the Bleed dition is cured.

  TJ didn’t let the burst of pain and the difficulty of drawing breath distract him. He smashed his enemy into one side of the doorway, theher, then back to the first. It went limp. TJ ched his jaws down harder.

  Pukwudgie, Level 5, sin. Experience gained.

  Css: Neophyte has advao level 5. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently avaible. Skill sele avaible

  Race: Human has advao level 5.Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently avaible.

  TJ grinned as his neck healed and the spear ushed out of his neck. It fell with a ctter, and, seeing and tasting no pukwudgie immediately there, though many came sprinting towards them, screaming “Deceit!” TJ yelled.

  “Wake up Stanton! We’ve got pany!”

  “I know! I figured you’d keep him busy longer, instead of rushing me like this!” Stanton replied, his eyes running wildly through the air as if he was reading.

  “Oh. Shit! You level up?”

  “Level 5.” Stanton answered, his senteilted and fused as he tried to read and talk at the same time. “Trying to figure out what’ll be best. There’s no guarahat–well, that’s what I’ll have to do.” He cut himself off, and apparently made his Skill sele. “Keep them away from me, and I’ll keep them from swarming you.” He anded, not asked, but that he was in the fight and fident he’d be able to tribute had TJ vio do as he asked.

  Activate Primal Savagery, TJ thought, and he felt the Skill fre to life. His mane of feathers fred out, and TJ hissed his greeting to the dozen pukwudgies that leapt to screeg battle against him.

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