The journey from where they met Melody on the streets of the Slug Person colony was fairly quiet, and the Chapmans did not some friendly waves from other Slug People that were outside their homes as they followed Melody. To some degree, it was interesting in the sense of learning about the community, but they also had their massive mission to try and find out information on how to beat a wizard that had essentially turned their lives upside down. Lucy actually stayed fairly close behind Melody as the colony native lead them toward where the home where they could discuss things with the mayor of the colony.
"This is all so different," Zoe commented, "yet similar..."
"Yes," Melody nodded, "given our race's origins, there are many things we do that are similar to humans. Though, often our differences are so great that humans often are uneasy around us... like our high libidos, the fact that magic scrambles our DNA in such a way that one could trace family lineages, but those things wouldn't affect offspring. Which has often allowed for what humans would refer to as incestuous to occur. The fact that our slime makes wearing clothes difficult, if not impossible, and of course, that with the exception of rare males like your brother, we're all hermaphrodites. Humans are generally uneasy with all that."
"Yes," Grace answered, looking over to Zoe and then to Melody, "but all reports indicate that Slug People have some defensive magics that have prevented the worst of that unease from leading to murder and so on. It's actually something that seems perplexing."
"Yeah, I've had questions about that too," Jeff agreed.
Melody nodded, "the mayor can help with that, as he's old enough to have some knowledge on our race's history... and we're here."
The Chapmans looked up to see a rather impressive looking house that was a bit bigger than many of the others and had something of an older, Victorian design to it. Lucy looked to Jeff and quietly assumed that this was either something that was considered the mayor's official residence, or that the mayor had made enough money to afford something big, which given reports on Slug People and their open enjoyment of things like sex would be necessary. This awe slowed them down a little as Melody slid up to the door and then knocked on it. They slowly followed her but were still looking up at the home as the door opened.
"Melody, my dear, what brings you here?" a male Slug Person commented as he came out and hugged Melody while the Chapmans looked on. Grace found herself a bit interested as the mayor seemed to match her in coloration and markings.
"I'm afraid I'm here on business, father," Melody said softly, "for it would appear that Cupple has been causing a lot of trouble in town and has resulted in a group with a lot of questions..."
"Questions?" the mayor wondered and then looked behind his daughter to see the Chapmans and noted their perplexed faces.
"Yes," Lucy spoke up as she slid forward, with one eye noting an almost competitive glare in Jeff's eyes and wanting to make sure that there wasn't a fight between two Slug Men, "on what we've become and how all of this works... how it may help us defeat Edward Cupple... and on various other things."
"You're not in league with that warlock?" the mayor asked with an almost threating tone.
"Of course not!" Lucy almost growled back, "we were all born human, and that warlock robbed us of our humanity, and we didn't even get the choice to stay human. And he's still out there, plotting who knows what and we have to stop him... before he really hurts someone, and for reasons I can't imagine why."
The mayor looked to Lucy and sensed her determination, which was then mirrored by the rest of the Chapmans. That was enough for him to be assured that they weren't in league with Cupple, and he slid back to allow all his guests entry. He then nodded to Lucy.
"Good to hear," the mayor spoke, "that man is like all the wicked witches and warlocks of the past. My name is Simon, and I'll happily answer any questions you have, and explain some bits of our people's history, which may well help you figure out on what to do and know what Mr. Cupple's real plan is."
The Chapmans filed into a modest living room and noted a series of decent sized leather couches that faced a television and entertainment center. The floor looked to be linoleum or plastic, some other hard material, and one which would likely be easy to clean. That might make some degree of sense, as Lucy noted that there were plenty of slime trails through the floor. Some had dried, but some were fresh and she, her siblings, and mother were now adding to that as they slid in and settled onto one of the couches that were offered by Simon as he moved to stand near the wooden entertainment center. Melody slid to one side of him, though in a position that Lucy noted was closest to her, and that raised some curious questions in Lucy's mind, but now wasn't the time for that.
"So, you know what Cupple's plan is?" Jeff asked as he remained in a standing position behind the couch his mother had climbed onto. Grace had slid up next to Whitney while Lucy and Zoe climbed onto the main central couch in the room. He found himself feeling surprisingly competitive at meeting Simon, which he didn't expect and didn't fully understand. His only guess was that because male Slug People were so rare that they might be more competitive with each other to try and win attention from Slug Women, who as hermaphrodites wouldn't necessarily need a male to propagate the species.
"Not exactly," Simon answered, "it's more that I can hazard a guess at what it would relate to... and something that relates to how Slug People were created in the first place."
"The history books make some loose connection that wizards and witches created Slug People," Grace commented, "but didn't have much more detail..."
Simon nodded, "Yes. Witches and warlocks did create us, and a lot of that relates to the sorts of limitations that magic has. It breaks pretty much every scientific rule you may know, but it also has its own rules to follow. And a lot of it often relates to how much power is available. Some may be highly powerful and can do nearly anything without too much worry, and all they really need to learn are the spells. But some may not have much natural power... it would be enough to touch magic but would need something to actually channel the magic themselves. And this is often where witches and warlocks end up getting the stories of familiars and the like. They use an animal that has a higher concentration of magic as a conduit for themselves."
"That sounds like abuse," Zoe commented.
"In a way, it is," Simon agreed, "as because magic breaks scientific rules, it can also drain on the user. They only generate so much magic on their own, and if they use too much... they either run out of the ability to use it for a while, or they end up consuming themselves. Making themselves look gaunt or famished as a consequence of their use of magic. The same would be applied familiars or any inanimate talisman that may hold magic. If overused... the familiar could be killed and the object drained of power. Which in a way was why Slug People were created."
"You mean... all the inherent magic that Slug People have..." Grace began with her voice falling off at the end, "is just to drain us for them?"
"And why we're also easily aroused and can breed, even within families, without difficulty," Melody nodded, "dad's told me all that allows us to then provide witches and warlocks with a steady stream of familiars that in theory they don't have to worry about killing, because our birth rate would then replace them."
"That's cruel!" Lucy said forcefully, "regardless of magic or its rules... no one deserves to be "made" just to then be killed!"
"Agreed," Simon nodded, "though from the stories passed down through generations of Slug People, the initial intent was not meant to be cruel. Powerful wizards felt that the development of our race would provide for a stronger familiar and that our ability to speak human languages would then let us converse with witches and warlocks in a way that mundane animal familiars cannot. We could then tell the witch or warlock we need time to recharge and so on. It would then provide for a responsible use of magic, and a fair number of witches and warlocks did follow these rules."
"I'd take it some didn't?" Jeff asked.
"Those that were cruel... or lazy, yes," Simon nodded, "it was something they felt helped out a lot and didn't want to waste an easy opportunity... even if it was cruel. And in part it also helped draw the attention of witch hunters by the church, as just as humans do, we require food and sustenance... even while being used for this purpose. And some of the biggest burning of witches in the late Middle Ages to the 1600s helped expose our existence and essentially catch the wicked witches and warlocks for their abuses of magic. Good ones generally weren't caught because they didn't engage in the sorts of things that caused trouble. It then also freed us from being tied to witches and warlocks in general. Those that helped create our race and those that had enough power that they didn't need us or a familiar helped us then manage some of the inherent and defensive magics we possess... as well as helping set up our colonies, likely as an apology for the laziness and cruelty of those less powerful wizards we were created for."
"And that includes here?" Whitney wondered, "our town was founded after the American Revolution and the Constitution... so..."
"The end of the belief in magic didn't mean that magic went away, as you've all found out thanks to Cupple," Simon spoke, practically growling the world Cupple. Lucy even noted that he clinched his fists in irritation at the word.
"And I take it... Cupple's another of these weak and/or lazy wizards?" Lucy asked.
"That's part of it," Simon grumbled.