I got to the mine and was met up by the head miner. He asked," Are you the one who was sent to deal with the fright mare?"
" Yeah, the guild master sent me," I answered.
" Then I guess you should hurry and go in there. A few adventurers ran in there confidently and I'm not sure whether they can survive it. Then again, aren't you a little young to be taking on a fright mare?" The miner said but I was already running into the mine. It was pretty dim lit but what can you do in a mining operation. Elio being the oh so useful slime hopped onto my head and started glowing. I swear this slime has way too many gimmicks to help in real life situations.
Anyway, this was obviously my first time in the mine and I was sure to get lost in the first turn if not for Rana. She guided me down the fastest path to my target. After running for like two minutes, I think I can't really tell time underground, we got to a large open cave which seemed to be where the main mining operation took place. At the bottom, I could hear the sound of clashing steel. I turned and there they were. The ladies from earlier were taking on the fright mare regardless of the warnings they were given. You would think that after losing to the beast more than once, they would give up.
I sat down on a ledge and asked Rana for details on the creature." Fright mares are genuinely the most loyal creatures on the planet," Rana began explaining," Once one deems you a worthy enough master, it swears to follow you to the afterlife. To tame one, one must defeat the spirit of it's former master on its back and ride in the former master's place. The beast won't go down quietly though, it uses fright gas, a substance that causes whoever breathes it in to hallucinate and see their greatest nightmares. No cure is known for the gas but it wears off after two hours, enough time to be killed by the beast."
That was relatively informative. I now had a general idea of what I was facing. Back to the battle, the ladies were looking exhausted as the fright mare had a Dulhan-like being on its back breathing green flames at them and they had no way of countering. Then the beast took a deep breath. I saw my opportunity and threw Elio at a near enough position to breath in some of the gas. Since slimes technically don't see or need oxygen to survive, the gas had little to no effect on him. And he had fun so win-win. The beast breathed out fright gas and it was a deep shade of nightshade. Elio got the sample and started hopping back to me. I'm glad my assumption was right.
The ladies got hit and started screaming at the top of their lungs as if they all saw the same horrific scene. The fright mare was not in the mood for the noise so it stomped it's front hooves and Incased them all in a dome of sheer rock. Once it could no longer hear their screams of terror, it went back to what looked like a nap. From what I saw and from what Rana told me, I built up a simple yet, might I say, ingenious strategy. I slid down the wall of the pit and stopped at the foot. Obviously the sound of me going down the slope woke up the beast and it looked at me with curiosity. I stopped at the foot, which was thee feet from my target, and sat there.
I then activated beast talk and asked," Hello there, my name is Lucas the beast tamer. Might I catch yours?"
" So you are a beast tamer. I once met one in my travels with my previous master, a truly great man," said the fright mare," My name is Dulhan. I once served as the stead of the captain of the Holy capital's holy guard."
I was at a lost until Rana said," The Holy capital is where all the gods of this realm are worshipped and praised. It is at least a month by carriage from here and half a month by horse alone. You would do well to remember that Lucas."
I chuckled at the threat and asked," You are quite away from home. What happened if you don't mind me asking?"
" Cultists ambushed my master on his day off and killed him. He took out more than half of them with him but by the time help arrived, he was breathing his last. His last words were to go to his hometown and find a new master to follow. He also said I should take over the mine, that should force challengers worthy of me to come," the fright mare said in a sine what joyous tone.
I found myself laughing at this. The fright mare got up thinking I was laughing at his master but I spoke out and said that I was not laughing at his master, I was laughing with him. I mean, the plan was a solid one and was sure to attract good challengers. I then asked," If you do not mind, I would like to challenge you. I am Lucas the beast paladin and tamer."
" My master was killed by the cultists serving your God you know," the fright mare said standing up.
" I'm so sorry, I had no part in that just to be clear," I said worried he would take out his anger on me.
" Don't worry. I hold no resentment to one chosen to find peace for all beasts In this world. For whether you will become my master is a different matter. You might end up like those girls in the dome or you might actually win," he said.
I smirked at the challenge. This would be my first real battle in this world, granted it is with a nightmare horse but a fight nonetheless.
I held out my hand to my lower right hip and my spear manifested and I took a stance. Things were about to get serious.