Matriarch of Monsters

Alix shot up from the bed startling Mo. Her breathing was unsteady as she frantically felt around her chest for the thread that belonged to Nuka.

"Woah, Lexi! Are ya okay? Did ya have a bad dream or somethin'?" Alix didn't respond as she closed her eyes and focused on Nuka in her mind to see if she could materialize that string. Her plan worked as in her hand that ever faint thread slowly made it's appearance.

Alix looked at the string gratefully and hugged it tightly finally seeming to calm down. Mo, on the other hand, was as worried as ever. "Lexi? Did ya have that nightmare about the dungeon again? Maybe yer dreams were plagued with rats? I've been havin' that one for a while now." Alix finally noticed that Mo was awaked and turned to him.

"I am fine, Mo. I just..." Alix hesitated for moment smiling thoughtfully. "...I recalled a close friend from my past. And I think she needs my help." Mo eyed her strangely. "Oookkaayy." The fish said clearly still confused by the girl's sudden awakening.

"We should get going. The morning has come and I have a reason to get to Pesinwok even more important than the Royal Academy now." Alix climbed out of the bed and began to pack her stuff. Mo watched the girl. She was excitedly moving around the room getting ready.

'I've never seen Lexi this excited before? I wonder who this friend she remembered is?' Alix finished gathering all of her things. She grabbed Nuka's string one final time staring in the direction that it was extending.

It was straight in the direction of her original location. Pesinwok.

...

"Come on can't you just give me a little hint. Who is this person ya dreamed about?" Mo pleaded just as he had been begging the girl to tell him all morning.

"No." Alix rejected as she had been doing all morning. Mo folded his fins in annoyance. "Gah! This is gonna be eatin' at me all day! Ya gotta give me somethin' Lexi!" Alix laughed at his desperation.

"Is it an old crush or somethin'?" Mo asked suggestively. "No." Alix immediately denied in a deadpan tone. "And never make that kind of assumption again." Mo shrugged.

"I don't know. It sounds like my little girl wants to rekindle her relationship with an old flame from her hometown." Mo playfully joked. Alix sighed in annoyance. "It's a female with green eyes. There you go! Happy?" Mo jumped out of his bowl in satisfaction.

"Haha! I knew I could get somethin' outta ya! Now enough with this needless gossip, we're almost at the Monster Den." Alix's eye twitched. Mo was getting increasingly more annoying

The den was an old mine that had been abandoned. For reference, Monster Dens tended to be places left behind by mortals that a monster decided to move into. Like this mine for example. Which happened to have the all the signs of having been overtaken by a monster.

And by signs, I mean single sign as there were large paw prints imbedded into the dirt entering the cave. "This would be a monster den alright. Looks like old Alcove didn't lie." Alix took a closer look at the tracks to see if she knew what category of monster it was but she was no hunter so she would need to see it to tell.

"Let's get moving Mo." Alix ordered earning an unimpressed look from the fish. "Ya know I can't really hold the whole floating thing forever right?" Alix nodded. "I meant get ready because we're moving in. Calm down, drama queen."

Alix made sure she had all of her stuff prepped one final time, grabbed a Lumi Crystal from her bag and marched into the abandoned mine. She traveled through the cold cave using the light of the crystal to guide her path. While traveling, she saw traces likely left by the miners.

Rusted pickaxes, minecarts that had been turned over on their sides and even old dusty hard hats. "This place looks like it was abandoned in a rush." Alix noted as she continued moving.

"The monster might have came to live here while they were still mining and never left so they couldn't return." Mo suggested but Alix shook her head. "They would have sent some guards or adventurers to deal with it in that time and those tracks looked relatively fresh."

Mo shrugged. "Just takin a guess, Lexi."

"And I appreciate that Mo." Alix continued to make her way through the mine when a sound made her stop her advance. It sounded like a mix of rustling and snorting.

Alix narrowed her eyes and wrapped the lumi crystal in one of her spare catalyst to dim the light. She cautiously moved in the direction of the sound seeing as there weren't many other places to go in a straight mine.

The noise got louder as she got closer allowing Alix to hear the hint of fear in the snorting. She quickened her approach and finally laid eyes on the owner of the noise. Alix's eyes beheld a small hairy pig-like creature known as a peccary.

Alix's gaze softened when she saw the small creature desperately trying to remove it's leg from something. She moved the Lumi crystal closer to it. She realized that it's leg had been trapped under a toppled minecart.

"You poor thing." Alix stared at the young creature pityingly. "Oh come on!" Mo groaned. Alix ignored Mo as she lifted the minecart off of the peccary's leg and moved it to safety. The young creature looked up to it's savior still afraid.

It's little leg was bruised from trying to escape from under the minecart. Alix smiled gently at the cute creature and pulled some bandages from her bag. She showcased them to the creature and spoke. "I can use these to help you feel better. But you're gonna have to let me get closer, okay?"

The creature still showed some aversion to the girl but extended it's injured leg for her to see. Alix gently stroked the peccary on it's side and got to work. She pulled a small bottle with a light blue liquid inside of it and gently poured it onto the bandages. She then proceeded to wrapped the creatures leg in said bandages.

The creature let out a slight squeal of pain but allowed Alix to finish. After a few minutes Alix sat up with a satisfied grunt. "All done. You should feel a bit better now." The little peccary looked at the girl warily as it attempted to stand.

With only a bit of struggle the peccary managed to stand on all four of it's legs. It looked to its savior and squealed in appreciation. Alix smiled and pet the little beast. It nuzzled into her hand which almost made her melt on the very knees that she was sitting on.

"Are ya done yet? I'm really gettin' sick of ya and these so called cute creatures."

"You, my friend, are just jealous that you are not treated with the same level of compassion." Alix responded curtly. "Besides, I've already named the little guy. Trouler!" She spoke the name aloud and almost as if directed a pink string shot out of her chest and attached itself to the peccary.

Alix smiled brightly. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new travel companion." Mo groaned in reluctance.

"Fine."