The Gambling Hero

Chapter 12: Perfect Copy

The town of Astran was about two days away on horseback, but on the brightside it was said to be home to dwarfs who were known to be pretty accommodating. While we rode towards Astran I asked Lilith a question that had been weighing on my mind, "Lilith what exactly did you see in your vision? What was it that Noland had in his hand?" Lilith made a face, but answered back, "I saw a demonic tool in his hand. I won't ask why he had that, or what purpose it was for, but I figured you didn't want anyone to ask." I breathed a sigh of relief, "Lilith, that wasn't anything to be worried about Nolands father has collected many magic, and demonic tools from when he used to travel. Noland liked to use, and play with these tools, and he had hoped to one day make use of these tools." Lilith looked worried still, and said, "Dante that is not a toy, and if your friend brings that with him on his travels I assure you it will bring him nothing but trouble."

I thought for a moment, and said, "I understand your concerns, but I trust in Noland. I am sure he can handle the dangers that come with these tools." Lilith and I rode in silence for a while before Bastrin spoke up, "Dante up ahead I feel a heartbeat about 200 feet up the dirt road." I kept riding until I spotted what Bastrin had been talking about a giant snake about 30 feet long laid across the path. I looked at Lilith, "Lilith looks like we will be eating snake for dinner." Lilith nodded and Bastrin chimed in excitedly, "I can prepare a good meal out of this snake." Bastrin was the first to shoot off the horse, and before I could even process what was going on he had the snake in his grasp. He wrapped his flesh around the poor creature, and constricted it to death the poor snake got a taste of its own medicine.

Lilith proceeded to cut up the snake into nice sizable chunks, and put its meat into the bag she was carrying. I decided after a few hours on the road once it got dark that we would stop, and camp out in a nice area further into some woods. I gathered some firewood, and we ignited it using Lilith's daggers, we sat around the fire before bed. I said to Bastrin, "Bastrin, that magic book that you let me have back at Ribbuk, what kind of magic does it teach, and where did you get it?" Bastrin's ears went up he said, "I got it from an elf many years ago who was tricked into coming into my room we fought, and she managed to wound me. I only keep things from those who I believed were worthy of respect." I pulled out the book in question out of my backpack. It was written in elvish I could read it, but that would serve me no purpose. I glanced at it briefly and it seemed like it was a book that taught fire magic upon further inspection. It seemed that this book was pretty advanced.

I complemented Bastrin, "This is a really good find. Bastrin thanks for giving it to me." I turned towards Lilith, "Lilith this book will help you get stronger. I can't use it, but I imagine this will be helpful to you. Lilith looked curiously over at the book. I decided to give it to her. She didn't say anything, but I could tell she was grateful for the book. She was practicing the book, but I was hungry, so I decided to pull out the snake bits from earlier, and have some. I also made sure that we put the horses in a good location, and fed them some berries Lilith had left over. Bastrin, and I ate the snake making sure to save some for Lilith when she was done practicing her newly found book.

Bastrin said, "Dante late tomorrow we will arrive at the small town of Astran what exactly should I expect from those puny dwarfs." I drank some water that we had gotten back in Ribbuk, and said, "I believe that the dwarfs are fond of humans since we are a similar race, but I think we should conceal both you, and Lilith. It will be easy for Lilith to just simply hide her ears, but I imagine you will have to be concealed in my backpack Bastrin unfortunately." Bastrin looked insulted by this comment, "I don't think you quite understand exactly what I am capable of yet human." I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean Bastrin?" Bastrin looking smug responded with, "I don't think you grasped the concept that I can turn into anything yet. I can turn into a perfect copy of you for example." I stared in disbelief "Can you show me an example?" Bastrin said happily, "Yeah I can show you what a flesh demon can really do."

Bastrin started to grow bigger, his body morphed, and his hair grew thinner; he quickly shaped himself into a human form. Bastrin morphed himself into a complete copy of me black long hair, dark blue eyes, feminine face, the only difference was I was completely naked. I blushed, and before Lilith caught on to what was happening I quickly said, "Alright alright I understand turn back quickly I don't want Lilith to look." Bastrin smiled with my face and said, "Haha you humans are so easy to mess with I wont get tired of seeing your troubled face." Bastrin morphed back into a cat, but seeing this skill made me appreciate Bastrin more since this was essentially perfect stealth. Bastrin had even managed to copy things I hadn't considered like scars, birthmarks, and he even shifted his voice to match my own.

I looked at Bastrin and stated, "Alright you proved me wrong I guess tomorrow you can come into town with Lilith and I, but promise me that you will stay out of trouble." Bastrin smilied, "I have enough food just traveling with both of you, but I won't make any promises if they become aggressive first." I figured I wasn't going to get anywhere arguing I would just deal with things as they came with Bastrin, so I left it at that, and instead told him, "Alright Bastrin I am going to go to sleep now tell Lilith not to stay up too late we got a big day tomorrow." Bastrin nodded, and said, "I looked forward to seeing what Astran will bring goodnight Dante."

I went to sleep right away. I dreamt about old memories of Middleton with my grandpa, and family. I woke up to the sound of sloshing around, and I realized Bastrin had gotten up before me, I opened my eyes, and found him stretching in his cat form. I woke up Lilith, and we ate whatever was left of the rations we had brought along, and we quickly wrapped up camp and set out for Astran again. Riding on horseback we didn't stop to kill smaller animals along the way, or refill our water we figured we'd resupply in town. I took the opportunity as we traveled to ask Bastrin a question, "Hey Bastrin do you have any family? I know thats a stupid question considering you are a flesh demon, but I was curious." Bastrin didn't say anything for a few seconds, but responded solemnly, "I never met my parents kid demons don't take care of their children like humans."

I asked another question, "What about friends? I mean I am sure you must have met someone to trust in." Bastrin said, "I have never had any friends, demons don't make friends, we just have food, and we don't really need to trust our food to devour it." That seemed sad to me so I offered my opinion, "Bastrin even if you don't think of me as a friend now I hope that one day you may consider the idea." Bastrin shuffled a little in my backpack, "Kid has anyone ever told you that you are too cheesy." I laughed a little, "I heard that everyday from my friend Noland." Bastrin went silent after that he seemed to want to be alone with his thoughts. After a few hours we began seeing signs of life, but I had to wonder if we had gone the right way. From what I had heard of Astran I had expected a somewhat big town, but this town was not at all what I expected.

I decided that for a dwarven town I guess I was a bit wrong to have assumed it would be a massive town. I pulled up to what appeared to be a stable right outside the town, I would make sure to feed, and give the horses some water when we got back. I put the horses in the stable, and before we headed towards the front gates I told Lilith to hide herself in a cloak, and told Bastrin to go into human form. Lilith nodded and complied, but Bastrin took a form I had never seen before, and I was a bit surprised by it. Bastrin had turned into a human girl with red hair flowing down to her shoulders, and emerald eyes with a light tan she looked about my age, but was a bit smaller in height. She cheerfully said in a playful voice, "How about this form kid? Doing anything for you? You are at that age." I turned away, "Bastrin come on please put on a more normal form." Lilith glared at Bastrin with a look that screamed death. Bastrin pretended to blush and said, "Please don't bully me." At this rate we would never arrive at Astran, "Lilith never mind her, let's just go before they close the gates." Lilith and I began walking away from the stables. Bastrin said in his usual way, "Ah wait up it was just a joke kid." Bastrin ran up behind us, and we arrived at the front gates where two guards stood looking angry.