CHAPTER 73 The Big Bad Wolf

CHAPTER 73

The Big Bad Wolf

Rufus

[You have taken 46 points of Damage from Oscar the Griffin. Health 570/616.

You suffer Bleed . Continuing Damage may apply.]

Oscar bit my hand, drawing blood. I didn’t stop the griffin. He had landed beside the carriage and stood on his hind legs to reach up and sniff me before biting my offered hand.

He was guarding Bronwynn’s family, and I was her first encounter. I had nefarious intent. I’d lied my way into her life and left out the fact I was a fan who’s been stalking her for months and investigating her entire family for international war crimes.

Of course the guard griffin would bite me.

“Oscar! Let go of Rufus this instant!” Bronwynn ordered. The griffin refused, sinking his teeth into my hand further and shaking it violently.

[You have taken 20 points of Damage from Bleed . Health 550/616. Continuing Damage may apply.]

“Hello, Oscar,” I said, debating whether I should activate my [Calming Effect] perk. “If it helps, Minstrel Bronwynn already knows that I’m not a good person.”

The griffin turned to face my bard, and she nodded. “He’s coming today as my guest, but he’ll also be visiting Uncle Derek on business .”

“I promise to cause no harm to your people while visiting, save in self-defense,” I vowed, still being mauled by the griffin. He was indeed very good at biting .

Ricco let out a screech from beside Bronwynn, and Oscar let go, dropping back down to sit on his haunches on the ground beside the wagon. He eyed me with suspicion and licked the blood off his beak.

[You have taken 20 points of Damage from Bleed . Health 530/616. Continuing Damage may apply.]

“And don’t—Actually, never mind,” Bronwynn started to say to the griffin, but changed her mind. “If that’s everything, we’ll head in—”

“brOWNIEEEEEEEEEE.”

Beyond the gate, the wall encircled an entire collection of huge houses divided by patio walkways covered in sloped awnings with one tall three-story building in the middle… and there was a gaggle of children racing down the main path toward us.

They descended upon us with a wave of chaotic energy and excitement that convinced both griffins to wisely fly back up to their posts before getting tackled.

We were not so lucky.

“You’re back!” said a young foxgirl running around to Bronwynn’s side of the wagon. At the same time, a younger puma beastgirl clambered up and over my lap to get to Bronwynn from this side of the wagon, saying, “Auntie Brownie, can I show you this bruise? Dennis tripped and fell on me.”

“Did not,” a boy said, approaching Donna. He was one of two giant youths the size of a teenager, but still obviously under ten.

“Did too!”

Upon closer inspection, the two youths petting Donna were not the same age. Dennis was around five, and a giant. The girl beside him was around ten, and a half giantess, and I’d mistaken their ages due to their similar height. The pair laughed as they pet the horse, coating their arms in glitter. Donna put up with the attention, but I could tell she was being magnanimous only due to their family relation with the bard.

Movement behind me revealed a human boy with glasses sitting at the back of the wagon, petting and whispering to Slake.

“Up, up!” a soft voice said down by my feet. I would have missed it without my [Keen Senses]. A tiny troll girl, no more than a toddler, holding a tiny griffin stuffie lifted one hand up at me and repeatedly opened and closed her fist, telling me she wanted up-up .

It was the hand sign for milk , but context mattered.

I reached down and lifted her with both hands, placing her on my lap. She seemed content and just sat there, watching the older children crawl all over Bronwynn.

“Mimi!” a troll boy standing on Bronwynn’s side called over the clamor. “Come here. ”

While accosting family was perfectly acceptable, the idea of bothering a guest seemed to embarrass the boy, and he motioned for the little troll girl to join them.

Mimi stuck up her nose and refused, perfectly content to sit on my lap.

Oscar grumbled but didn’t make a move. I was no danger to the children.

“I’m Mimi.” The chaos of conversation beside us was forgotten as the girl reached out a little hand to steady herself by grabbing my shirt.

She asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Rufus. It’s nice to meet you.”

She stared at my bloody hand, her black eyes with hints of red, so similar to Bronwynn’s, and then back up at me. “Are you a bad man, Brufus?”

It was the hand that Oscar had mauled earlier. The bleed effect had stopped, at least, though I still needed to wash up. For some reason, staring into her big dark eyes, I couldn’t muster up the willpower to lie. I pushed a stray pink curl out of the little girl’s face with my clean hand. “Yes, but I like your Auntie Bronwynn a lot, and so I’m trying to be good.”

She leaned in, and I bent my ear for her. “Are you the Big Bad Wolf trying to eat my Auntie Brownie?”

I choked on a combination of laughter and shock. “I mean—”

Suddenly, a pair of green arms whisked the toddler away. The older troll boy, probably around ten, had come around to my side of the wagon and was staring daggers at me while holding his sister. “Mimi, we don’t climb on the guests. You could get hurt, and mama will be angry.”

“But Julep—”

“No buts.”

“Children.”

A voice as gentle as a soft summer breeze carried its way through the chaos, and the mini horde stilled. As one, everyone present turned to see a giantess walking toward them. Her long gray hair was tied back in three braids, and she wore a stylish mix of silk tunic, fine leather pants tucked into plated boots, an embroidered vest, and protective leather arm bracers.

The size of the buildings was explained next to the giantess. I was tall, elevated onto my haunches in half-beast form, but even I only came up to her elbow. Brownie was tall among the crowd, but a full giantess towered above everyone .

Except maybe a dwarf.

“Come here,” the woman said, her voice still whisper-soft yet clear.

“Yes, Aunt Glindy,” Most of the tiny horde replied, but the two trolls and the giant and half giantess, who said, “Yes, Grandmama.”

They lined up tallest to smallest, with the exception of Julep still holding Mimi, and waited.

“Good.” Glindy nodded. “Now that you’ve greeted your cousin, it is time to go back inside. She will need to unpack and get ready— ”

“Aww,” a sorrowful mix of whining and displeasure met the announcement, but Glindy held firm, and no one was willing to actively disobey the giantess.

“You will all have a chance to see her when she’s settled,” Glindy told them. “Inside. Now.”

After the children had finished marching out of sight, Glindy turned back to us. Her eyes lingered on my injured hand, which was already mostly healed due to my Constitution, but she made no move to kick me out.

Instead, she announced, “Welcome, Commander General Rufus. Linden and Marigold are waiting to see you in the Rosewood Terrace.”

“Wait!” Bronwynn exclaimed. “My parents are here ?”