Bitten

You know when you are good at something that you do it off muscle memory and most of the time it goes perfectly? This was not one of those times. I was going through the motions and not in the moment when I should had been. I had killed more beasts and monsters than I can keep track, and this was another one between me and my goal of dinner. I thought I knew how the exchange would go and the lizardman had another idea. They always do but they rarely catch me preoccupied.

Who could blame me? A new food stall opened in town. I couldn’t stop wondering what food they sold so the scaled covered creature caught me lost in thought about the night’s meal when it gripped its sword with both clawed hands and swung for my neck. The years I spent as an adventurer trained my body to react and I was able to raise my right arm to use my sword to stop its weapon from contacting my flesh, but it was sloppy and awkward.

I wonder if the vendor sold some kind of sauce covered skewered meat or maybe sweets. Every meal needs a dessert.

Metal colliding with metal rung out as our swords clashed and pushed against each other for an instant. The beast gave out a growl that sent the birds from the trees and, with power I had not anticipated, pushed my sword down towards the ground with his. I had screwed up and left myself open.

Were they opened yet? I hoped I wouldn’t be too late. I didn’t want to miss out. Nothing hurt more than missing something and hearing about it from everyone in the guild hall the next day. No. No. I missed that because I was busy dancing around with a stupid lizard.

The lizardman stepped in closer to me and I did not like where this was going. Two rows of yellow stained, serrated teeth appear in front of me when the monster opened its diseased filled reptilian mouth. The pungent odor of rot that filled my senses was a passing concern as the lizardman enveloped my upper right arm about the elbow and bit down. Did this thing every clean its teeth? I blocked out the pain the way only a seasoned warrior could and started muttering obscenities under my breath.

The lizardman kept applying increased bite pressure to my arm as blood flowed freely from the wound into its mouth and down my arm. It vigorously rocked its jaw back and forth as its teeth ripped through my flesh like a saw until teeth met bone. A snapping like a wooden rod breaking in half was heard as the monster finished pushing its jaw closed and my arm fell to the ground. I wasn’t sure what was more upsetting, the arm or the fact my shirt was now ruined.

With a visible gleam of the eye and the closest thing a lizardman can show as a smirk, the beast stepped back and continued to chew up the chuck on my arm that remained in its mouth. I would give it to him. He not only literally disarmed me but if I managed to run away his bite could be my doom. The bite or scratch from a lizardman was often fatal without potions handy and I was no healer. I still had a trick or two up my sleeve. Just not the one on the ground.

“Hey. Want to see a trick?” I asked the creature, and it cocked its head slightly to the side and stared at me. Maybe it didn’t understand common, but who didn’t? That’s why it’s called common. I didn’t have the time to wait for it to answer and I was going to do what I planned whether the lizardman responded or not.

I pointed my new stump at the the creature and couldn’t help it. With a puddle of bloody mud formed up at my feet and more blood that flowed from the wound with each heartbeat, the blood loss was getting to me because I cracked a grin and let out a chuckle. What a sight this had been. An adventurer, quickly bleeding to death, brandishing his missing arm at a monster. Step back before I bleed on you.

I hoped the new stall didn’t serve blood sausage. I could not get food off my mind. No more quests on an empty stomach.

I started reciting an incantation in my head while I focused on the lizardman. He was still being cautious and keeping his distance while trying to understand what the crazy human was doing. I don’t know why everyone feels the need to cast their spells out loud. It leaves you open to interruption like being stabbed when you tell everyone what you are doing. I preferred the silent and deadly approach. Less stabbing involved. With the spell finished, I gritted my teeth together and braced myself for what was coming next.

The lizardman threw open its mouth and eyes went wide but no sound was made. One second it was standing in front of me, a prideful monster confident in its victory, and the next it was being ripped apart and flowing towards me like sand blowing in the wind. The red mist that was once a sentient creature swirled around where my arm would had been and grew denser.

Bone started to form as a new arm began to grow back from what was once a lizardman. Bone was followed by cartilage, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Raw nerves not yet protected by skin. My vision blurred from the intensity as a light breeze blew across my materializing limb and I think a cracked a tooth trying not to scream, but the pain diminished as skin finally covered the muscles along with the formation of iridescent scales and claw tipped fingers.

That wasn’t right. The fingers and arm moved around as expected but I wasn’t expecting my restored arm to be that of a lizardman. I guess that is what the wizard that taught me the spell meant when he said to make sure things matched. This was going to get me some looks back in town but as long as I got dinner I didn’t care.

I was still admiring my new appendage when there was a sharp piercing pain that went from my back to my chest. I glanced down and signed with a grimace. An arrowhead stuck out between my ribs. It was not my day. I turned around to a dozen or more lizardmen with weapons pointed my way. It really wasn’t my day. If I ever wanted to try that new food stall, I would just have to level the damn forest. These monsters would regret getting between me and food.