Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

I'm tempted to grab the little Fey biting my hand. I'd have to let got of my only weapon for that though, thus that isn't really an option. Not that tearing it off while it has its nasty teeth still sunk in my flesh would be wise. I try to shake it off instead and that seems to work. It tumbles through the air dizzily, its wings still buzzing angry, as it finally let's go.

I don't have time to make sure it won't be back later sadly as I already have to ward off and dodge more of the little buggers. They just won't let up! At least I get in another decisive hit, as one of the attackers gets a little too cocky.

One more deranged little figure lies unmoving in the grass, swatted right out of the air. Still too many hound me from every direction.

Worse, I'm already tiring and I can't put too much weight on my injured ankle without provoking lances of searing pain in that foot sending me reeling. I'm still holding on, but things aren't looking too good for me.

This all changes in the blink of an eye though. One moment the monstrous pests are buzzing around me, egging each other on in their screechy, angry little voices. The next a ferocious mix of a hiss and a growl pierces the night. A noise only a cat can make.

I'm stumped for a moment. The same is true for the fey hounding me. Then, the next moment all hell breaks loose. A lithe little shape darts about, jumping and pouncing. It is like death incarnate reaping a terrible toll with teeth and claws.

The cat doesn't stand still for even a single moment. It doesn't bother to make sure of its kills either, leaving plenty of its victims moaning and limping on the ground. By the looks none of them would stand a chance should it return to finish them anyway.

Not even the ones up in the air are spared its wrath, as it demonstrates by jumping almost impossibly high, twisting in mid air to swat its elusive target, claws flashing.

Slowly the remaining Pixies rally though. There are just too many of them to take them out in a surprise attack like that. And as they do they begin to focus on this new terrible foe, ignoring me for the time being as the lesser threat.

Even their concentrated attacks can't slow down Sour Cream though. She keeps tearing into them. The only difference is that she now the poor dear suffers some wounds in return. They aren't slowing her down, at least not yet, but every dark blemish in her cream colored fur breaks my heart.

It is this development that prompts me to go on the attack as well. I don't interfere with the cats fight. Or at least I try very hard not to get into her way. Instead I aim for some of the little fairies at the edge of the formation surrounding her. This has the additional advantage that I don't have to be wary of their weapons as they are still focused on my furious feline savior.

I swat one out of the air and then another.

By now their wounded and dead are littering the ground in a wide circle around us and their resolves starts to break. Or at least that is what I would like to think. They are nasty little critters, but I still feel bad about having to kill them all. Or is it that I just don't want all the blood on my own hands and Sour Creams paws?

The fight takes another turn as the giant tick suddenly rears up over the feline fury.

Now it is Sour Creams turn to retreat. She doesn't retreat far though. Just one jump to get a little distance in between herself and the disgusting insect. Then she arches her back and hisses.

I'm not quite sure if the overgrown bloodsucker can even understand the gesture. The Pixies know it for sure, but the tick? Not so much. Probably. I might be wrong though.

The fat Pixie, possibly their war leader or queen, makes the insect rear again. That is not all though. This time something else happens as well. The glowing paintings on the beast's shell seem to flicker for a moment and there is a weird, slowly building sound. Magic! That bug can use magic?

I'm not sure what kind of spell this is supposed to be, but whatever it is, it can't be good. The flickering glow seems to concentrate along its back before flowing towards its head and especially its stinger.

I throw myself in between the damned tick and Sour Cream without another thought. The next moment lightning bathes our surroundings in bright light. Then it hits me and my body convulses. Muscles cramp up and I can't help it as too much weight gets put on my already injured ankle. I can't even scream as I finally collapse. Bright afterimages dance across my vision. The pain doesn't exactly help either. It just blurs everything even worse.

A deranged cheer goes upon among the feral Pixies as I go down, at least for a moment.

Then Sour Cream hisses and growls like she has never before, not even when I put the tick tincture on her. And she goes on the attack again. Her next target is the enemy leader atop her disgusting mount. She crosses the distance in a double jump and tackles the fat Pixie out of her primitive saddle, its head caught in her mouth.

I really wish I didn't have to see what happens next. At least the darkness and my blurry vision make sure I don't catch too many details as the cat twists the fey creature's head off. I would be sick, but I can't even consciously control that.

Thankfully something else catches my attention. It is the tick. It flinched away from the cat as it grabbed its rider. Almost as if it were afraid of the cat which it easily out masses twice over.

The beast seems reluctant to attack me as well, although that lightning attack is most likely meant to disable prey. It seems torn. One moment it moves towards me a step or two. The next it scuttles back again.

Is it the tick cure? Maybe. Well it probably will shrivel and die if it were to actually drink my blood as far as I know. Could it be aware? Well, I certainly don't intend to wait and find out.

The tick's hesitation gives me enough time to regain control of my body. I don't bother looking for the dagger I dropped. Instead I just grab a rock from the ground and fling it at the nasty creature, aiming for its center, which happens to currently coincide with its head. I'm rewarded with a sickening, crunching sound. Once again I'm glad that I don't have to see all the details.

That apparently is the last straw. The remaining Pixies flee. Some go back the direction they came from. Others simply head for the nearest copse of trees. Most just try to gain some distance, apparently panicked, without any actual goal in mind.

Not all make it.

Sour Cream snatches another out of the air with an impossible jump. Then I notice more flying, glowing dots vanish in the distance, accompanied by hissing and growling. Is seems as if Sour Cream is not the only hunter on the prowl.

My little companion seems a little miffed at first, as if she doesn't want to share the kills. Then she just turns around as if she couldn't care less, her head held high and her tail swishing left and right, to head my way.

I barely have managed to sit up by the time she jumps into my lap only to stand up on her hind legs and lick my cheek. Afterwards she curls up in my lap and starts purring up a storm.

I take a moment to simply pet her. Then I urge her to get off so I can get up. With an injured ankle that is a little more tricky than I initially anticipate but in the end I manage. I even pick up my dropped weapon.

“Come on. I think we should head home. I'd rather sleep in a bed than here. Maybe we should drink a healing potion as well.”

She cocks her head at the latter suggestion although she apparently doesn't mind the former.

“Mew?”

“Yes, you too. You got a few scrapes. And those spears they had looked nasty. You can even have the rest of the sour cream afterwards to wash it down, if the taste bothers you.”

That seems to sell her on the suggestion. With that said we limp home. Or rather, I'm the one to limp, while Sour Cream prowls in circles around me. My basket is still somewhere back there. But I don't feel like getting it right now. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. After I tell Krystina and elder Jaromir of what transpired. After I have had a good night's sleep. Better to let some adventurers deal with the rest of this mess first.