Moments later, Hiro was walking through the forest, accompanied by Haley and Relda. They were on their way back to the house, now that everything at the castle ruins had been safely wrapped up.
"So... what are elves doing on Planet Rock anyway?", asked Relda.
Hiro explained. "The Slimes have been gone for a century. And in that time, a lot has changed. The elvish population has exploded over the last century, and our native planet was running out of land and resources. It was for these reasons that we, along with other races going through the same thing, began to colonize Planet Rock."
"I see.", said Relda, "That would make sense."
"Governments from across our planet have actually been paying people to move to the colonies on Rock. Our family is one that accepted the money to live here."
Relda grew curious about Hiro and his family after hearing what she did. "And why would you accept money to live on a planet as dangerous as Rock? You know that this planet is infested with monsters, correct? Even we Slimes were in a constant state of battle against nature during our reign on this planet."
Hiro nodded. "True. Planet Rock is a dangerous, monster-infested cesspit, but we had no other choice."
"You see, our father was a military man, and provided for our whole family by being on the lines of war. But when his occupation eventually killed him, we were left with only a sum of insurance money to get by. And when that began to dry out, we needed some other way to survive."
"I always struggled to find a job, even back on our home planet. And my mother thought that it would be easier for me to find one out in the wilds of the colonies. I haven't found work yet, though. And it's really stressing everyone out. The subsidy money we were paid to move here is on the verge of running out, and my grandfather has been accumulating debt from poker games."
"I see. And I sympathize.", Relda said, eyes growing gloomy, "I would offer some money to help, as I am a queen. But with the century that my people have been gone, I imagine that our royal treasury has run dry as well.".
"Don't mention it. But thanks for the offer."
As the walk through the woods continued, the group of three, Hiro, Haley, and Relda, heard a familiar howl. It was high-pitched, but less so than the previous one they had heard.
"What was that?", Hiro asked.
Very soon, they found out, as they were approached by another reptillian creature with a large head and no arms. It looked identical to the reptillians that Relda had battled in the castle ruins, but much larger. And it seemed rather cranky.
"I think that's the mother of the two lizards I had eaten!", said Relda, "She must be upset because she can't find her children!".
The big reptile turned its attention to Relda. It howled again, before charging at her. Relda braced herself, hardening her slimy body into something akin to stone. The impact sent her stumbling backwards as the creature's headbutt connected with her hardened body. Relda collided with a tree, but was mostly unharmed by the impact.
Undeterred, Relda struck back by launching her attack, shooting a slimy tendril at the creature's face. The lizard countered by whipping its tongue at her. The slime tendril and the tongue collided, creating a large CLASH, and sending both combatants back a little bit.
The Slime Queen followed up with a quick dash, then delivering a powerful blow to its side, sending the lizard reeling.
The creature recovered quickly and roared in anger, swiping at Relda with its whip tongue once again. Relda evaded the attack, but the force of the swipe sent her tumbling to the ground. As the reptile readied another attack, Relda summoned her remaining strength and unleashed a counter.
The Slime Queen launched herself like a cannonball, aiming for the lizard's underside. The creature was hit directly and flipped upside-down. As it kicked in the air, struggling to get back up, it was vulnerable to more attacks.
Relda seized the opportunity and delivered a flurry of jabs to the creature's exposed underbelly. Slime appendages appeared, punched, and disappeared in a matter of a split-second, with Relda delivering punches from all over her slimy body.
The lizard creature was rendered unconscious after this. Relda had been victorious.
"Wow! You even took out the big one!", Hiro said, amazed.
"Are you going to eat that one too?", asked Haley.
Relda stepped towards the unconscious creature and contemplated. "I might as well. I could use another snack. Would you mind looking away for a bit?"
Hiro shook his head. "Not at all. You saved us again, after all."
When Hiro, Haley, and Relda had finally reached the house, the orange sky was turning a dark indigo. Hiro knocked on the door, and was let inside by a rather sleepy grandfather.
Everyone sat in the living room. Mavis and O'Brien were both surprised to see a white Slime with a crown in the middle of their house.
"I brought Haley back, like I said I would.", said Hiro, "I hope dinner hasn't gotten too cold.".
Mavis raised a brow at Relda. "Hiro, what kind of monster did you bring back with you? We can't afford any pets around here, especially not on a planet like this one. That thing could be dangerous."
Relda spoke calmly. "I assure you, ma'am, I am no pet. I am simply a guest in this house."
"She's the Slime Queen!", Haley said excited, "We found her in the ruins!".
"That's impossible!", said Mavis, "The Slimes on Planet Rock went extinct nearly a century ago!".
"I assure you I'm very much here.", Relda introduced, "My name is Queen Relda III, the queen of slimes, and the last of my kind.".
As Mavis took an opportunity to process what she had been told, O'Brien then spoke up. He was much more cheerful in demeanor. "What a find, Hiro! Good job! I've lived a long time, and never seen a Slime in person until now!"
Mavis sighed. "Will her majesty require dinner as she stays here tonight?"
But Relda shook her slimy head. "No thanks. I've already eaten back at the ruins of my castle."
"In that case, please hurry off to bed. You're still a guest here, and will sleep as a guest."
"Can do. Thank you kindly."
Hiro and Haley climbed into their bunk bed, while Relda settled on the floor beside them. The three had agreed to get some rest, but Hiro couldn't help but wonder about Relda's past.
"Relda, what happened to your people? How did the Slimes disappear?" he asked.
The Slime Queen stirred, her eyes gazing upwards as she tried to recollect the events of that fateful day. "It's all a blur... I remember a great disaster, a catastrophe that threatened our very existence. But the details elude me." She paused, her white body pulsating softly. "I believe my memory is not yet fully recovered. I was sealed away for a hundred years, but awoken a year too soon. That may have something to do with it."
Hiro found her answer fascinating yet frustrating, as the mystery of the Slimes' demise deepened.
Relda seemed to sense his curiosity and continued, "Perhaps with time, my memories will return. For now, all I know is that our kingdom fell, and I was fortunate to escape."
"Well, if you ever remember, I would like to know. Perhaps you could write it down for me?"
Relda contemplated Hiro's suggestion. "Write it down... that may be a good idea."
DIARY OF QUEEN RELDA III,
"Hello. I am Queen Relda III, the Slime Queen, and the last Slime on Planet Rock. I am keeping this diary to record everything that has happened since I was awakened from my seal in a cocoon."
"It has been 99 years since the disaster that destroyed the Slimes. I cannot remember the exact disaster, however, as my memory has been left incomplete. My hope is that I will remember with time, and can write down the details in this diary."
"I was taken in by a family of elves, who live in a colony on Rock. The whole idea of elves colonizing a planet as dangerous as ours would have been unheard of a century ago. I wonder what else has changed."
"The family consists of a mother, a son, and a daughter, and a paternal grandfather. The son is named Hiro and the daughter is named Haley. Hiro and Haley have been my closest confidants since my awakening. I hope that by staying with them for the time being, I can learn what else has changed on Planet Rock."
"My intentions are to rebuild the Slime Kingdom from the ground-up. But before I can begin the rebuilding process, I must learn more about how Planet Rock has changed in my 99 years of absence. Otherwise, we could fall victim to yet another unforeseen situation."
QUEEN RELDA III'S MONSTER CODEX
"For the sake of record keeping, I will write down any monsters that I have eaten since my awakening. Us Slimes have the ability to devour creatures whole and absorb their information and abilities. The more of a certain creature we eat, the more we learn."
WADDLING LIZARD
"A strange evolution in reptillian species native to Rock. These lizards have big heads and no arms. Their leg muscles are very strong to support such a body. They also have extremely long and extremely versatile tongues. These tongues seem to be what they use in the stead of their arms, allowing them to fight with it."
WADDLING LIZARD YOUNG
"Oddly enough, the young of the Waddling Lizard seem to hunt independently from their mothers. I have no idea how the mothers keep track of where their young have gone. Perhaps an acute sense of smell?"
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