Chapter 1: A Day with the Pack

It was a quiet day like another. Slith was studying in one of the consulting room of the library with his friends.

“Woah dude! You really kicked the ass of that balloon down at the camp!” exclaimed Gorn overexcited as always.

“… mmmh..” Slith grunted while ignoring him and reading instead the book his master gave to his class to make an analysis of as homework.

“Wah! The way you played around with him with moving shadows! He was so disoriented he could not even find his tail! Ahahahahah!” he laughed again ignoring the clues telling him he did not want to talk about it.

“… and while he was there blasting empty shadows with water magic thinking you were in one of them you were amounting curses on him and he did not even noticed!”

“Yeah yeah...” Slith answered but missing most of his friend's chattering aside from the last part.

That guy Gorn talking about was an idiot, an arrogant idiot born from a family of mages of middle class that wanted to prove himself against the “black sheep” of the academy hoping in some easy fame.

One of the dozens who tried it before him.

“… God I’m soooo jealous of your Corrupting….” Gorn laughed again, too exuberant to realize it was the wrong thing to say.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!” Slith screamed at him and halting his loud and cheery chatter.

Slith hated when someone called his Darkness Magic out for its ability to make curses as Corrupting Magic. Curses spells were only a variant branch of Darkness Magic not so different from Stone spells in Earth Magic or Heat spells in Fire Magic but people took the habit in the far past to classify Curses spells as some kind of Unholy or Demonic Magic and the tendencies remained making every Darkness Mage that did anything more than moving shadows as some… corrupted and malevolent psyco.

“… you know he hate that...” said Dranden, Gorn’s litter brother, in a low voice referring both to the terminology used and that someone could be jealous of that kind of shunned path of Magic.

“What’s wrong with that? Who would not be jealous of the ability to incapacitate your opponent without the need to wound it?” Gorn insisted not getting the base of the problem.

Slith just ignored him trying to refocus on his book and notes, if he did a poor work his master would not be clement with him and that was all he needed as a reason to ignore the idiot of the group.

“That’s not the problem.” commented Colin from the near table toward Gorn.

“You know that… branch of Darkness Magic is shunned off by most Mages…” Colin explained to him yet again “... even if I have to admit that it’s quite incredible how he can pass curses through shadow clones and flakes without making physical contact or marking! Slith, your are really overpowering!” he then commented.

“… Said the guy that know everything that’s happening from here to the other side of the Academy…” the guy called overpowering sighed lifting his muzzle from his notes and staring at the guy just in time to see him roll his eyes like he was saying it was bullshit.

“… then tell me this. How many fingers I’m flicking?” he asked him after hiding his left hand behind a pile of books.

“… two no three! You are flicking your index finger and then a quarter of a second later you are flicking your ring and little finger together like they are one. Why?” he answered.

“Because you are the fucking cheat and overpowering one, there is no monster or assassin that could ever ambush you with your Wind Magic, not to talk about the fact that before or later you’ll have enough Mana and control to fucking fly in the sky, so stop calling my magic overpowering and shut up.” Slith answered him gaining a series of hints of assents from the others who thought the same.

“Hit and sunk!” laughed in approvation Tarlat with his powerful voice that made the near tables rumble as if a little earthquake had happened.

“Oh shut up, you are the last one who could say a word for it, you Golem!” answered Colin in kind.

“What was that for?” he asked back perplexed.

“Dude! You are no less of a cheat! You are the one against which no one wants to be paired up in combat practice!” Gorn answered.

“Thats right! The moment you create your Earth Armor or Earth Shield it’s like you already grabbed victory, you don’t leave any hope.” confirmed Colin.

“Oh guys, stop exaggerate. My spells aren’t so great or advanced.” he replied rolling his eyes.

“Dude! No one can put a dent in your damn defensive spells! Fucking no one can!” almost screamed Gorn before pointing his clawed index finger in my direction “Not even Fucking Slith can!”

“… Darkness Magic doesn’t have a lot of offensively strong spell…” Dranden pointed out from his corner.

“… and that black blade he can make? I saw him try it on your Earth Shield Tarlat and break after three attacks without even leave a scratch on it!” screamed Gorn flaming out.

“But he did pass through my shield in the end.” commented Tarlat with a half smile like he put the winning piece out.

“Yeah? And how many of those blade did he broke before that happened?” Colin asked calmly.

“Well…” answered Tarlan stopping a moment to think “…. last time… e broke ten, no, nine! Before passing through and breaking the spell.” he answered like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“And you think to not be overpowering? Anyone else would have been dead eight times over and more in that time… all while you had all the time to counter him and create even more defensive spells in the time Slith broke that single spell.” commented calmly Colin while Gorn was silently ruffling his own fur in exasperation and disbelieve at his friend light and dismissive attitude.

In the meantime Slith was focusing again on his “homeworks” while zoning out the voices of his too loud friends.

“… well I..” Dranden attempted to say.

““““YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU CHEAT!!!”””” the four of them shouted at him in unison cutting him out.

Dranden breathed in seemingly about to say something than left it go with a sigh and went back to his notes.

The guy was a fucking genius from the moment he was born, declaring with the coloring of his fur that he was blessed by the elements, sign that he would be without a doubt a Mage and a particularly strong at that. But that wasn’t all.

While normally a cub with the talent for magic would manifest some sample of it around the age of ten to twelve, Dranden manifested them at the age of eight by creating a storm in his family villa after one of his brother (Gorn) tried to put a prank on him by emptying a bucket of water on his head while he was passing by the stairs that gave to the second floor.

The room got devastated while the water that was about to hit his head got dispersed all around.

His parents were so proud of him that they ordered a portrait picturing the scene, comprised of the ridiculously astonished face of his brother on the higher floor and the empty bucket in his hands… and it was HUGE! An enormous reminder of Gorn failed prank and the clownly face he made after.

But that wasn’t enough for the little prodigy whom at the age of eleven found out that his Elemental Magic evolved in one of his advanced forms, Lightning Magic, one of the most wished kind of magics thanks to its high destructive power, attack speed and precision. Moreover his Mana Score was extremely high giving him enough Mana to activate powerful spells consecutively.

By the way he involuntarily overshadowed his litter brother Gorn it was a mystery how the less talented brother could not hate him and instead they loved each other dearly even when they were so temperamentally different.

Gorn was an overexcited, loud and direct Fire Mage that throw himself head first against anything caught his curiosity… or his desire to shine… by accidentally burning everyone and everything unlucky enough to be near him while Dranden was a pensive, calm, silent and talented Lighting Mage that acted methodically and never did something wrong aside from trying to cover the mishaps of his brother. Often paying from his pocket to repay the damage done.

The calm came back to the room with Slith and the others returning to their respective studies.

Everyone… except for Gorn “The Annoying”.

“Hey Slith?” he called but got ignored.

“...Sliiiiith?” he called again not giving up.

“… the user you called is currently not reachable. It’s recommended to recall later… or better, never again.” Slith answered without lifting his gaze.

“…. what the heck was that?” Gorn replied confused.

“Probably another of his antics…” commented Taran.

“Ignore it, you know he sometimes comes out with invented words that have no sense.” added Colin.

“Oh… right….. Hey Slith?” he tried again.

Slith sighed before answering.

“What?”

“I need a favor.” said Gorn.

“No.” replied Slith immediately.

“Why not? You don’t even know what kind of favor I was about to ask!” he replied while getting loud again.

“I know you, you either want help with something dumb and dangerous or you need money. In any case the answer is no!” Slith explained without even lifting his snout from his book and notes.

“Please Slith! At least ear me out before refusing!” he begged.

“… God… I already know I will regret it…. What do you want?” he conceded while feeling a headache mounting while Taran and Colin started snickering.

“You know my cousins Grad and Fema, right?” Gorn asked Slith.

“… unluckily I do and I’m surprised no one yet killed those unweaned Grull’s head piece of shits… if you are asking me to kill them… I’d love to but you have to wait. Right now I’m busy with this research my master gave me… and you know how my master is. If I do not learn how to implement it in my spells he will make sure to put me through a situation were I do… or die trying. Which I prefer not to experiment again.” he answered him first with a happy tone and then ending with a tormented one.

Slith’s master was a great mage, an Elite, a good and caring person… in a strange and grumpy way but when Magic was involved it was like he changed personality.

Everyone in the room shivered at the thought of ending on Slith’s master bad side.

“That’s not what I wanted to ask....” replied Gorn after taking back some courage.

“I have no money to loan.” his friend replied interrupting him.

“That neither!” replied back Gorn getting loud again.

“…. Aaaaah! Fine! Spit it out!” Slith said admitting defeat by closing the book on his notes to focus on his friend’s request.

“You see, my cousins Grad and Fema with their team…” he started.

“Come to the point!” Slith replied cutting his explanation.

“...I was doing it… they were organizing for an hunting excursion and begged me…”

“Cut the bullshit too and come to the point! What do you want from me?”

“… Oooooh fine! They wanted to go hunt Centinels in the Garste caverns north-west and because they need antidote and anti-paralysis to counter the poison of the monsters there they asked me because they know I have a friend that is part of the Malhisist Emporium whom is a renowned to be one of the best herbalist and alchemist…”

You are reading story The Slitherin Fang at novel35.com

“So in few words they where discussing about it and you eavesdropped them. After that you ran out begging to take you with them to hunt Centinels because you ended rotten poor again but they told you to fuck off and you insisted by telling that you would take the burden of providing the antidotes and anti-paralysis if they brought you along…. and because you are rotten poor you are now here begging me to make them for you free of charge.” Slith explained guessing the truth in the bullshits of his friend.

“… well I would not really put it that way…”

“I want one of the private books of your father, one about Darkness Magic… one you haven’t made me read yet in exchange for the medicines for six.” Slith requested ignoring him.

“What? Are you crazy? If he find out I took one of his precious and rare books he’ll transform me in his bedside rug after beating the shit out of me!” Gorn cried out with fake despair in his voice.

“Oh please! You already smuggled me a number of those rare and precious books and you seem alive and fine to me!” Slith replied with scorn. It wasn’t the first time his friend paid with the precious possessions of his father and at the end of the day it was more of a loan then an exchange. The book would return before or later in his place once he ended to read it.

“…. put in 20 minor healing and mana pots plus 5 middle one of both kind and we are good!” replied calmly Gorn throwing the crying facade.

“Twenty and five per kind? Bringh me half of ALL those precious books owned by your father and a chest full gold or an Artifact and I’ll accept it claws down.” Slith replied.

“H-H-HA-HALF AND A CHEST OF GOLD? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” screamend Gorn back completely astonished.

“You are the crazy one if you think I can give you all those magic pots and even some middle grade ones. What you think? That alchemists put together a couple of squished weeds into some pee and make magical potions that heals you and recharge your mana almost instantly?” Slith replied coming snout to snout with Gorn, growling the last part and with a hard tone that seeped even anger.

He was born in a clan of Herbalists and Alchemists and one of the first things he could remember were his parents lamenting the chutzpah of some client lamenting the prices of their products saying that they were much too expensive for something made by “boiling some weeds”.

“… no… not really! I’m sorry I did not mean anything like that!” Gorn replied pressing himself down in a demonstration of submission. He knew his friend took it personally when someone criticized his family’s professions and goods. He even put himself in trouble with the guards for it by maiming the idiots that did, more than once.

uckily for him his clan got quite some power and money but most of all his master was one of the Elite Mage Hunters of the noble family that ruled their city and he cared for him just as much as the old noble took in high regards his Elite Mage and friend who had known each others from the time they were at war and saved each other life again and again.

That saved Slith from getting jailed… at least from the guards… his master wasn’t so forgiving.

So Gorn knew that when Slith had one of his “menacing” moments, the better things to do was make himself the littlest possible and deny having said anything that could have been offensive.

Slith stared at him, knowing full well what was passing by the mind of his friend, for a moment longer and then he sat back with a thoughtful expression.

“Bring me… a rare book on Darkness Magic and one on Holy Magic from your father collection and I will make you the medicines and… 8 lower healing pots, 5 lower mana pots and... two middle healing and one middle mana pots.” he said deciding what he wanted and what could offer for it.

“T-two books? ...and one on H-H-H-Holy M-M-Magic?” chirped Gorn shacking anew and his mouth wide open.

Holy Magic was a really rare kind of Magic that only very few were born with and no one developed in life, ever. And Dranden and Gorn’s father, the Principal of the Academy, was the only one in the city aside from the Church to have one of those books. In truth he had three of them while the church only had the copy shared and protected as a reliquary in every other big cities’ church.

“That or you can at least pay for the basic resources for all the medicines and pots I’ll make.

“… of how much we are talking about?” Gorn asked after thinking for a moment.

“… from the city’s Herbalist, Gatherers and Hunters… it should be around 45 gold coins for everything.” Slith said while enjoin the grimace his friend made.

“… and… f-from not the city?”

“You’ll be able to reduce that to… around 25 gold coins if you go to different villages and cities on your own to by them… 23 golds and some silvers if you are lucky and they just brought them in.” concluded Slith giving him the total.

“… if I buy from your newly opened clan’s filial store the materials?”

“Around 42 gold coins.”

“If you buy it?” he asked.

“42 gold coins!” Slith replied with an adamant voice.

“You don’t get the material discounted or for free?” asked Gorn stupefied.

“Of course not! What you thought? That I could grab everything I wanted and all was good? Do I seem to you some prince of the royal family?” Slith replied with sarcasm and poison in it’s voice.

“Nope!… Friend discount?”

“Go buy potions in another store.” replied Slith coldly before standing up and moving toward the exit.

“WAIT! I WAS JOKING!” Gorn begged grabbing the friend by the fur on his arm.

“Really? Then what you prefer, the books or the gold?? Slith asked him.

“… can I pay in installment?” Gorn asked back.

“… Have a good day Sir!” replied Slith apathetically before moving toward the door while dragging the friend still stuck on his fur behind without effort.

“NOOOO! PLEASEEEE! I DON’T HAVE THE GOLD AND FATHER WILL KILL ME IF I TRY TO TAKE HIS BOOKS AGAIN!” Gorn cryed. “Please, I’ll pay you after I’ll hunt enough Centinels!” and begged.

Slith stopped dragging the guy and sighed while the others, apart from Dranden, were clearly enjoin the show from start to end.

“This ain’t funny anymore.” Slith mumbled before grabbing his friend by the scurf and lifting him from the floor and on a near chair.

“Gorn, look at me!” he then said to the crying friend after lowering himself to eye level and continued only after Gorn looked at him while still sniffing.

“We have known each other for almost seven years now right?” he asked him and got a nod back.

“You know me but most of all I know you. I know how despaired you are for money and achievement but if you go on like this you’ll only get even poorer and shunned as the black sheep of your family generation.” he calmly said to his friend while maintaining visual contact.

“Every time you went out hunting for resources, monster parts or… treasures drawn on maps of dubious authenticity you ended fucking up, blasting shit to pieces, burning places down, destroying and wounding everything and everyone who was near you and in the vicinity." he said causing the other to lower his gaze in shame.

"I know you don’t like to ear it but you need too. You need to stop these stupid acts.” Slith told him and then gave him a few moment to understand the meaning of his words before continuing.

“Now, I know it’s not easy being the brother of Dranden with him being a genius and all that but all your escamotage to gain achievement had only ruined yours and your family’s name a little more with every area you burned, every property you damaged and every group you hunted with that got injured because of your poor control on your Spells and Magic...or because you charged in like an idiotic bull and the others ended up wounded trying to save your ass….” he said giving him a bit of time to chew it.

“How many disaster you think your father will tolerate more before having enough and restrict you in an isolated villa with few servant that will act as guards and guardians so you’ll not kill someone or yourself by mistake?”

“But… we will be in a cavern… with nothing to burn then…” Gorn replied weakly but Slith didn’t need to hear any of it.

“That may be true, with only stone around you can’t start a fire but in a confined space your Fire Magic is even more dangerous! With no space to see and move you could friendly fire or engulf a party member as a result of a miscalculation in the area of effect or in the splash damage..”

“What the heck are those wor..” Gorn tried to interrupt when words he did not knew came out frome Slith’s mouth.

“Shut up and listen!” Slith barked angrily at him before going on with a more calm but adamant voice.

“Do you really think they, your cousins, do not know the risk of going hunting with you? Let me tell you this: your cousins are, and Dranden can confirm it, two traitorous profiteers piece of trash of the worst kind! Best case scenario they will take your medicines and pots by telling you they don’t want to burden you with their weight and then tell you the wrong departure time so they can set out without you... or making you go but confining you to be a living torch and doing nothing else for all the hunt while making you not use any other spell aside from conjuring some fire to light the way so you can’t injure anybody. In that case you’ll not get any loot aside from some cheap change and you will not prove yourself either.

Worse case scenario, they'll let you really go and you try to prove yourself, you fuck up, people get injured or die and you get the last stone of your metaphorical grave by having killed someone and owning compensation for equipment burnt, healing and the Hunters killed."

"Another even worse case scenario: they bring you and do the same i just mentioned but with the differece that in the moment that something go wrong they push you in front of danger after telling you to make a wall of fire or blast a swarm of Centinels or something to smithereens while they run away leaving you there to die as a sacrifice." Slith said and received a low whimper from Gorn and a low growl from Dranden's corner

"Worst-case-scenario… they fake you got “honorably” killed while hunting and protecting them in a dire attack, this way you die, the source of shame of the family disappear and they can clean the family name and stop you to make even more damage… and I’m counting out the highly possible scenario where it’s them the ones to kill you… willingly… so trust me when I say that going will only put you worse for wear instead of helping you.”

“Sniff… then… what should I do?” Gorn cried this time for real.

Slith lifted his sight and looked the other in the eyes only to see what he knew he would see before lowering it to his crying friend.

“You still go!” said Slith.

“Eh?” exclaimed Gorn with bulging eyes.

“But… but you said…”

“I know what I said but I think you should still go… only not alone.” Slith clarified.

“Not…?!… you mean.. you’ll come with…” cried out Gorn understanding what his friend meant.

“Not only him you shitty hothead!” claimed Tarlat slapping his hand on Gorn shoulders and making him release a yelp of pain.

“Like we could let an idiot arsonist like you go to fuck himself up even more.” clarified Colin joining.

“… better search a Water Mage to accompany us…” Dranden added like his participation was obvious… and the need of a Water Mage even more so.

“… guys…”

“Of course we will not be exactly with you! We will follow at a distance and join in case those piece of shit try something funny. Right?” commented Colin.

“Of course, or if something goes really wrong and your ass need some saving!” confirmed Tarlat.

“…. or you try a spell that isn’t Spark..” Dranden specified.

“Or if it’s all a trap and they leave you behind at some point… then the need will arise to make some corpse “disappear” and create a credible story…” Slith said “of course in that case I claim the biggest part of their loot.”

“Oh? And why is that?” asked Colin.

“Because I’ll be the one most useful? You know, being in complete darkness and all. Just to say one thing, how do you think to follow them without light in complete darkness and without losing them when you can’t see shit? And to say another: I’m the one sponsoring the potions here! I’ve to return the investment made!”

Gorn listened to his friends and brother amicably bickering, joking around and acting as dickheads and he thought that he was lucky to be in that group, after all, the Wolves have to live in a Pack.

“I still want those books.” clarified Slith.

“… you have no heart!” cried Gorn now half in happiness and half for despair.

You can find story with these keywords: The Slitherin Fang, Read The Slitherin Fang, The Slitherin Fang novel, The Slitherin Fang book, The Slitherin Fang story, The Slitherin Fang full, The Slitherin Fang Latest Chapter