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enserric and thunder save mareth buddy-cop movie style
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The imp gurgles as he goes down.

"Now kill it," Enserric says coolly. "You have to want it dead, badly enough to overcome its will to live. Fortunately, since it's an imp, its will is weak. The easiest way will be to cut its head off or snap its neck."

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Teo hesitates and brings the sword down.

His will when the sword strikes down, might not be quite enough.

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Enserric bites into the imp's flesh, but fails to fully cleave through its neck-

-and there's a feeling of hunger in the forest clearing-

-and the imp falls dead.

"...hmm," Enserric says. "Well, I hadn't expected that."

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"What was that?"

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"Need I remind you," Enserric asks testily, "that I found this sword, only a few years ago? I did not design it, and I do not have some kind of user's manual. The imp appears to have died, though not by your intent, and I feel... stronger, though only marginally. I suspect, based on the available evidence, that my own will was that which killed the imp, and that the blade somehow consumes the essence of that which it kills. Do you feel any different?"

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Teo thinks. "I feel less tired. Even accounting for the physical effort from the fight."

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Enserric hums thoughtfully. "This could prove useful; I doubt there will ever be any shortage of imps to slay."

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"What consuming the essence means?"

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"All sapient entities have an assemblage of energy called the 'soul'. This is what allows them to oppose death, to undergo corruption, and indeed to think and speak. When an entity dies, that energy is released into the environment. I believe that, instead of allowing the energy to escape into the ether, as it were, this blade captures that energy and converts it into magic to strengthen itself and rejuvenate its wielder."

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"Huh, is that sort of effect hard to replicate? Rejuvenation, that is."

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"No, not really. Well, it depends on what it's actually doing. You just said you felt less tired; you can get that with coffee. It's possible that it's actually extending your lifespan or something, literally rejuvenating, which would make this sword a miracle of modern arcane engineering. I can try to keep an eye on your life energy next time you kill something and we might get an idea."

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"Okay, more monster slayer then?"

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"Sounds good to me."

The forest is strangely empty for a while. Just as the sun is beginning to go down, Teo discovers a young woman with antennae, bee wings and black-and-yellow fuzz all over her body. She looks dejected.

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Teo stops upon seeing her. He whispers. "What is that?"

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"Looks to be a bee handmaiden. She'll almost certainly try to convince you to host her eggs, but she may give you honey, which can be useful. Up to you whether you want to have a conversation."

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Weird that bees look like that. Or not like that but something that anthropomorphizes into that. "Sure. I will make small talk and see what's like to talk to one."

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She looks up when he approaches and forces a smile. "Hello! Would you like to have my eggs?"

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"No..."

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She sighs heavily and her antennae droop. "I didn't think so. I'm supposed to deposit my eggs by tonight, but I'm just so bad at convincing people! I'm supposed to hypnotize them into it, but it seems mean to do it that way, and what if it wears off before they lay the eggs? What if they hurt the larvae because they're angry at me? I couldn't live with myself! But every time I ask, everyone just says no! Even though it feels really nice, or so I'm told, people really like it, but nobody would trust me, no, she's just trying to get me to lay her eggs for her, can't trust a bee-woman..."

Her cheeks turn a slightly darker yellow. "But, um, I'm sure you don't want to hear about that. Sorry."

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Teo looks between the bee-woman and the sword. "Even if offering myself was an option safe for anyone involved, it does sound kinda suspicious. What happens to the person after egg-laying?"

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She blinks. "Nothing! You just incubate the eggs for a few days, then lay them, and they hatch and the larvae crawl out and we take them back to the queen to feed them up until they turn into beefolk. We're not wasps."

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"There are wasp-women?"

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"No, thank goodness. Just, that's how parasitic wasps work." She shivers. "It sounds awful. Not at all like our way of doing it."

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Teo thinks she is telling the truth and Enserric is not piping up any contradictions.

Bee-babies are probably cute and adorable.

"I should note that I am from a species called Amentan, and it is definitely a bad idea for me to try to get your eggs even if I was interested." aaaaa "And I think you're in the right track. Morality-wise. Why do people don't trust your species?"

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"Oh, you don't have to worry about compatibility, anyone can take beefolk eggs as long as they're as big or bigger than a goblin," the handmaiden assures him. "I think mostly people don't trust us because we hypnotize people into bearing our eggs? You'd think people would come back if it's so nice, but I think the hypnosis freaks them out."

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