章 8: Your name is...
"Damn that donkey is strong." Sweared Chris as he followed Titus to check the actual results of the hunt. "It's like he was reading my moves."
Titus could barely hold his laughter as he witnessed the aftermath of the Man Vs. Donkey battle.
"Indeed, it was either an extremely rare battle-ready mind reader donkey, or a run of the mill donkey still weak from being poisoned and bleeding out who happened to be on the same level as you, my Lord."
"I know right!" Chris was barely listening as he rubbed his bruises.
"Let me know if we run out of rations. I know where to find some meat." Grumbled Chris.
"Huhu. Don't hold it against that poor guy you should survive the bruises. But I really wouldn't recommend dueling wild donkeys in public... For your dignity."
"Titus?" Asked Chris.
"Yes my Lord?"
"Somehow... I feel like you have been making fun of me for the past while."
"Nonsense, Lord!" Titus suddenly sped up. "L-look, our catch is inside the cages over there!"
Chris noticed the cages which were filled with huge bugs.
[Holy crap, those are huge bugs!] Exclaimed Chris in his mind.
The bugs, which looked like hornets had a huge red body complimented by a long stinger with barbed edges.
"We have these things nearby?" Ask Chris, a little worried. [It won't be funny if a child gets stung...]
Titus nodded. "Yes, there are a few nests in this forest. But do not worry, we cleared the immediate area of any dangerous beasts and insects."
Now reassured, he looked curiously at the cages. He originally expected Titus and his scouts to come back with snakes.
"So their poison is the one you have selected? Is it potent?"
"Yes, Lord! These are Red Hornets, also known as Blood Hornets. They are not the most poisonous in the valley, but their poison is one of the easiest to collect, and it also meets all your criteria! The poison does not need processing and can be applied directly onto weapons, it can be harvested quickly in large quantities, its effects are fast, and it works on Kunalls!" Said Titus.
"Great! Great! Finally some good news! Explain the poison's effect and the harvesting method!"
"Yes, Lord! The poison has two effects. First it has a slight paralysis effect, this works pretty well on humans and normal animals. Like that donkey..." He said with a small smirk. "But it won't do much against Kunalls. Their bodies are huge and tough, it might slow them down a little bit, but it won't do much unless applied in large quantities."
"The second is a blood hemorrhaging effect. This one will work for sure on the Kunalls. It doesn't matter how big the bodies are, as long as the poison reaches the heart and is coated on the wound, it will keep bleeding for hours unless the antidote is applied."
"The two effects of the poison guarantees that the prey will die where it was stung. The hornet's stingers are jagged to makes the biggest wound possible to increase blood loss and speed up the process. Once the prey is dead, they inject larvae into the carcass. The larvae will hatch a few days later and will feast on the dead carcass until they grow their wings." Explained Titus.
"The harvesting method is simple, the poison is stored in the bottom part of their bodies, right where you see that huge stinger. The easiest way is to simply smash the Red Hornet and let the poison flow. We can also use their stinger as arrowheads as they will inflict deep wounds on the Kunalls!"
Chris' eyes shined. "Perfect. With this, our preparations are nearly complete."
"Give the job to our herbalist. She should be able to preserve the poison for our fight." Chris thought of something and added. "And let's keep half of these hornets alive. I have another use for them."
"Yes my Lord!" Titus received his orders and left.
[The hunters are training and should be ready soon, the arrows should be done by tomorrow, and the poison is in our hands. We might be prepared sooner t1han expected. Let's use the remaining time to prepare something a little nasty. Huhu.] Chris was musing, thinking of nasty traps was one of his favorite pastimes!
******* *******
Berg noticed Titus leading a donkey around with a leash and was quite curious. "Haha, what a curious sight."
"Sire!" Saluted Titus.
"You found a donkey? Good job."
"Thank you... The thing is... I don't really know what to do with him." Said Titus.
"How come?" Berg checked out the donkey. "He is injured, but it doesn't seem serious."
"He..." Titus felt a little embarrassed to explain. "He doesn't like men."
"What?"
"I mean, he'll only let women touch him." Explained Titus.
"Hahaha! Nice find there Titus!" Ferlin had just heard Titus and was walking towards them.
"What a quirky animal." Said Berg. "Did you show him to our lord? He might have a kick out of it."
"Huhu. Well, they might be too similar to get along." Laughed Titus. "Anyways, I am not sure what to do with him. He is a head butter."
"Seriously?" Asked an amused Ferlin.
"Why don't you try it out? Go on, touch him. Just to make sure." Smirked Titus.
Berg seriously thought. [It would be a waste to just let him go. We should gift it to someone who can make use of him, quirk and all. However, no female soldier or huntress would have a use for a donkey, they are too slow…]
The three were deep in thought when they were interrupted by a crystal clear voice.
"Daddy!"
They turned their head to see a bratty little girl in pigtails running toward them.
"Petunia... Oumph." The air was let out of his lung as she threw herself at him.
She was a tiny little girl, barely reaching Titus' waist. Her blond hair was split into two pigtails. Anyone would describe her as 'cute' and 'braty'.
"You got me a pony!" She shouted.
"A pony? You mean the donk-"
"He is sooo cute!" She exclaimed as she ran to hug him.
"Wait! Be careful!" They all shouted. But to their surprise, the donkey did not react and enjoyed her petting.
[Thank god.] They breathed a collective sigh of relief. [So little girls are okay too?]
"Can I keep the pony daddy?" Petunia's eyes were as pure as snow.
"Urgh." Titus could not resist those eyes. "O-okay but only for a little while, you can't get too attached so don't name hi-"
"I'll call you Dalahan!" The donkey was immediately named. "Come on Dalahan, let's go to mommy!"
"Thank you for the pony daddy!"
Petunia left as fast as she showed up and left behind three stunned men.
"Well, that works too." Coughed Berg.
"Dalahan?" Asked Ferlin. "Like the dragon killer from the legends?"
"I read it to her last night before bed..." Explained Titus.
"Oh. But is it okay? You didn't tell her it was a donkey and not a pony."
...
...
Titus looked at his little girl leading the donkey away.
[And pass on Daddy Points? Are you kidding.]
クリエイターの想い 
Pastare
Pastare Editor: LtBeefy
------------------
That donkey knows how to live.
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