I Become the Baby Tiger in a Beast Taming World-Chapter 69: Peridot

With wide yellow eyes punctuated by a slash of black for pupils, Peridot stares up at the disheveled Niall. [Him?]

[Yes, him.] Lobo wags his tail with impatience. [Is there something wrong with him?]

Peridot undulates, looking at Neil this way and that, from every angle. [His hair is like a silver dandelion. I don’t know what tamers usually look like. But he doesn’t seem mean.]

[I like that!] Demos growls, his sarcasm evident. [Niall, mean? Why, he’s only one of the greatest tamers alive today. A legend!]

That’s an exaggeration, but not by much. Niall is an expert tamer. He might not be one of the most famous tamers, yet he certainly has made his mark. And it can’t hurt for Demos to sell him as a tamer. We need Peridot.

To that end, I pile on. [That’s right. He is.]

[Truly?] Peridot is young, not grown into an intimidating bone-crushing force yet, but she is already cautious. The jungle has taught her its wisdom: always be on guard. [Then why does he want a snake who just flies through the trees and eats rodents?]

[Don’t be so humble.] Lobo perks his ears forward. [You got the drop on us. Literally.]

Peridot narrows her eyes. [The bird kicked me out of the tree.]

[Well, what else could I do? You fought back!] Gussie fluffs her feathers, making sure they’re all present and accounted for. [You gave me quite a battle.]

Peridot straightens up, proud and elegant. [Of course I did. This is my home.]

I decide to connect with her. [It was Gussie’s and mine, too, before we were tamed. Then the Riddlehoevens found us.]

[That’s not how it happened.] Of course Gussie can’t resist ruining a good story. [Kaline Riddlehoeven found Blaze. And then I saved Blaze and Demos from a poacher. You’re lucky she didn’t get you. The poacher, I mean.]

Peridot’s tongue flicks out as she hisses. [I’d crush any poacher who came near! Well...I’d try, anyway. It would be different if I were as large as other pythons.]

[You are a bit of a pipsqueak.] Demos can’t resist teasing her.

Gussie huffs. [Don’t listen to him, Peridot.]

Without warning, Peridot lunges for Demos. [I AM NOT A PIPSQUEAK.]

Niall’s voice, with the ring of authority, makes her freeze. "Now stop that, snake. You were fairly defeated. Don’t pay the bear any attention."

Paused mid-lunge, Peridot slowly rotates her body so that she can look up at Niall. He kneels before her to look her in the eye. "You’re a lively one, aren’t you? Not fully grown yet. But you’ll be impressive when you get those full beautiful coils. Dwarf’s beards, you’re impressive now. Look at you!"

Maartenwitz gives Peridot the side eye, but chooses tact. "Yes, you would make an excellent tamed beast for someone."

Demos, Lobo, and I all chorus in our minds. [NOW, GUSSIE.]

"For Nial! For Niall!" Gussie doesn’t need to be told twice. "She will be good for Niall."

Paling, Maartenwitz stares at Peridot as if he’s reading all her vital stats with just one glance. "Yes. Hm. That could work."

WHAT? Maartenwitz is on board? Pick me up off the jungle floor.

Our plan worked even better than I thought. On the other hand, Maartenwitz knows beasts. We are his life. He seems to be one of those people that has an all-consuming mission and passion that eclipse everything else. No wonder he’s so skinny. He gives everything he has to beast taming. I wonder why the never became a tamer himself. But that’s beside the point. He’s a decent manager. Yes. That’s Maartenwitz’s gift. He’s a manager.

Niall hums as he, too, evaluates Peridot, who keeps her head erect and doesn’t slump down or recoil obsequiously. Perfect. Niall appreciates confidence.

"Yes..." He reaches out after due consideration. "Yes. You could be my beast."

Pleased, Peridot coils toward him, meeting him halfway. His hand touches her scaly, slick head, and a glow travels from his hand to her head, just as it did when Minette bonded Lobo and Lamant bonded Gussie.

Niall chants in a low voice. It’s not a tamer’s chant. He speaks in Halfling, and from the timbre of his voice and the solemnity, it’s a halfling blessing.

System, can you translate?

[Niall is saying, "Bless this bond.

Let it be strong and eternal,

This day, we two

Shall stand as one.

Walk together on our journey,

Through smiles and struggles,

Grow, learn, adventure,

Our bond shines true."]

That sounds perfect for Niall. For all his eccentricities, he’s a soulful person, also a happy, sociable halfling. He is as unpredictable as his silver dandelion hair.

Gussie, Demos, Lobo, and I all sit in a circle around Niall and Peridot, while Maartenwitz makes notes on his tablet, and also on his backup parchment. He sighs. "I should have known. A simple hunting trip seldom turns out to be just that, not where these beasts are concerned."

His tone definitely sounds more fond than exasperated. Maybe we are softening Maartenwitz, or perhaps he only shows this side to certain people. And beasts. After all, beasts aren’t supposed to judge, right? Even though we all cheerfully mocked Maartenwitz--and suspected him of being a beast thief! How embarrassing. Thank God and the Primal Beast he never knew. And, if I have anything to say about it, he never will. I briefly rub up against him and then rejoin my friends.

Rising, Niall gets entangled in Peridot’s coils, but her embrace looks lax and definitely not lethal. She clings to Niall, beaming with pride. For his part, Niall straightens up and looks the happiest I’ve ever seen him.

"All of you, may I present Peridot. But then, you know her name already. She’s certainly a priceless stone in my eyes." Satisfaction comes off him in waves. "She says you changed your minds about wanting to hunt her as prey because you thought that I needed a beast."

Our chorus of squawks, growls, and howls answers him in the affirmative.

Grinning ear to ear, a grin bigger than his face, Niall strokes Peridot’s head. "I can see why. She’s a fierce one. Wise, too, I thought I’d gotten used to being Fangless, but what was I thinking? Once a tamer, always a tamer."

Our chorus of unbridled joy causes the birds to flee the frees and the jungle creatures to scream at us to be quiet. Sour grapes!

I quickly forget the jealousy in the jungle when the System provides Peridot’s stats as a tamed beast. She’s official.

[Name: Peridot

[Class: Novice

[Race: Flying Jungle Snake

[Level: 1/10 [XP 0/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 1

[Defense: 2

[Magic: 1

[Resistance: 1

[Speed: 1

[Charisma: 3

[Luck: 2

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Crush (Attack Skill)] [Flying (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skill]

Maartenwitz clears his throat. "Peridot, is it? A pleasure. I would like to formally meet this newest member of the House of Riddlehoeven, in my capacity as the steward in charge of beasts."

We all quickly move aside and focus on Peridot, who looks at Maartenwitz, again weaving her scaly body this way and that. Maybe that is her way of showing she’s thinking?

Her voice is confused. [What am I supposed to do?]

Demos can’t resist taking the lead. [Just show Ser Maartenwitz respect. He has a lot of influence over our household that you’ve just joined.]

Peridot seems to understand this. [Oh. Well, Master says the stick-man is good.]

While Peridot does her best to get acquainted with Maartenwitz, my friends and I revel in our achievement. We secured a beast for Niall!

For his part, Niall sounds brisk, cheerful, like he is, and definitely seems to be taking this whole business in stride. "Thank you all. This may not have been the hunt you intended, but life has a way of delivering what we need in ways we least expect. A constant surprise."

His huge eyes are filled with a peace I’ve never seen, even when he joined the House of Riddlehoeven. And what’s this? Wet drops fall from Niall splatter on Peridot, who shakes them off and hisses in bewilderment. Niall is...crying?

Maartenwitz lends Niall a handkerchief, and Niall wipes his small halfling nose. "Well, aren’t I a right mess?"

I purr, just so mellow, and Maartenwitz coughs. "Few things are more moving than a new beast."

Warmth spreads through me from my nose to the tip of my tail. Forget the side quest. Doing this good deed for our friend Niall is its own reward.

[That’s nice, Blaze.] The System is jubilant, even sassy. [I guess that means you don’t want the XP and special gift.]

Hold on a minute! I’m not THAT noble. I’ll take the XP and the gift.

[Side Quest Completed. +10 XP for Blaze. Special Gift Pack in Arsenal:

(1) Healing Elixir

(1) Pill of Power

(1) Guidestone]

Thanks, System!

Niall’s voice reaches me, blithe as you please. "Of course, we’ll have to double up on training now that Peridot is on our team! All our beasts have to pitch in and mentor her on top of getting ready for the tournament."

[Tournament?] Peridot dances around dizzyingly. [I can’t wait! I’m going to beat all of you!]

I exchange glances with my friends. Oh boy. She has a LOT to learn. And suddenly, we’ve all become the teachers!