A few years later, a new adventure appears.
Wanderlust 2 [Hololive x D&D]
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Chapter 1
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 1
It took a few years for the many cities on the continent to recover from the sudden attack of the black dragon. The collective people were resilient and hardy folk; the cities and towns on the outside recovered quickly as to restore trade and the flow of resources. The capital took a bit longer but, being the place where the dragon fell, the people were eager to help. It was around the same time a nobleman and courtier of the king suggested forming an adventurer's guild to aid the normal folk. Their members would travel far and wide to lend assistance wherever it was needed. This would not only bring praise to the royal family but if they traveled to other lands that were allied to them, would also strengthen their ties and alliances.
The king was impressed and readily agreed to support this beneficial endeavor. Thus, Aruran Daiso established the headquarters of the adventurer's guild in Rivirapolis. He also made an effort to link up with Sireos' School of Might and Magic to provide a place of work once the students leave or graduate from it. All adventurers both of this world and outside of it were welcome, as the noble did proudly proclaim. Quite a number of people accepted. Many more traveled to the capital when word of this new guild spread.
Travel boots crunched softly on the gravel. A young girl in clothes colored orange, blue, and white looked at the rebuilt city in awe. She continued to walk down the street, her ox-horn styled hair bobbing up and down. She paused to look at the piece of paper and started to make her way down another road. After a few more minutes of walking, she caught sight of a large building that was across a bar called Robel. It was two stories high, made of brick and wood. It looked very sturdy and the open double doors were brightly painted and inviting. She crossed the road, eager to go in and sign up. Then…
"KIRA!"
...she heard two shouts coming from inside the building, startling her. A second later, a blue-haired young girl ran out with bagpipes draped across her shoulder, the sound of laughter trailing behind her. Another second, then two guys ran out after her. One had pink hair and had black, segmentation lines over his arms and head. The other had black hair and wore a hooded robe that hung back loosely as he ran. She watched dumbfoundedly as the trio ran down the street.
"Strange," said a soft-spoken voice behind her. Looking around, she saw a beautiful blue-haired elf in fine blue clothes. Floating behind her was a cute white thing in a pot. Was it a mini-bear? A mouse? She couldn't really tell.
"Hello, my name is Nene Momosuzu," she introduced herself, holding out her hand, "Are you here to join the guild too?"
"Lamy Yukihana. Pleased to meet you," she replied politely, "Yes, I am."
Nene grinned, "Oh, that's great. I hope we can be good friends. Let's go sign up!"
Lamy nodded and smiled. They immediately went inside. Several feet from the door was a counter, manned by a cute, red-haired man in a white uniform. He smiled at them as they came up to the counter and greeted, "Welcome to the guild. My name is Miyabi. How may I help you?"
"We would like to sign up, please," spoke up Nene.
"We would like to join up too," spoke up a voice as its owner stepped up to the counter. She looked human save for a set of animal ears as well as shaggy, long whitish-grey hair that framed her head like a lion's mane. Beside her was a smiling girl with fox ears on her head. The lion girl wore dark traveling clothes while the fox girl had bright, colorful traveling clothes.
"Certainly," replied Miyabi with an ever-present smile, pausing to retrieve something from under the counter, "Please prepare five gold each for registration. Then, I shall help you fill out the forms, so please, if you would take turns to tell me your particulars. Once I fill these forms, I shall help you get acquainted with the guild house." He placed several pieces of official-looking papers, an open ink bottle, and a quill.
"...And we're done," declared the guild clerk with satisfaction, "Right, so if you look to your right, there is a bulletin board." He then motioned to his left, drawing everyone's attention. "This is where we put one-time requests for help. You'll get paid depending on the request. The side room to your right is a waiting room where you can relax to do your own stuff. Upstairs, we have several rooms where you can rest for free if you wish to spend the night. If you need food and drink, Robel across the street can accommodate you. The bartender's name is Roberu and let him know you're with the guild to get a discount. We have an agreement with him so if there are any emergencies or urgent quests, I'll head over and announce it myself. Erm, we have a basement… but it's currently not used for anything and Lord Daiso forbade anyone from going downstairs. So, any questions?"
"Any quests we can go on right now?" asked the fox girl, who introduced herself as Polka Omaru during registration.
"Hmm, let me see," muttered Miyabi as he stepped around the counter to scrutinize the board. After a few seconds, he pulled a piece of paper off and handed it to her, "Here. If you go with them, I'm sure this request could be done in no time."
"Ah, thanks!" she exclaimed happily before reading it aloud, "Two hundred silver pieces minimum… help with pest culling in… the… sewer… ew." She wrinkled her nose a little at the thought.
"I suppose that's fine… " murmured the lion girl, who called herself Botan Shishiro, "After all, we should start somewhere..."
"That's the spirit," praised the guild clerk with an encouraging smile, "I'm sure you will go far if you keep your mind to it."
"Right, let's go then," cheered on Nene, "So, who do we see about this?"
After stowing their stuff and getting directions to the sewer cleaners guild, the new party headed there immediately after the half-snow elf asked her snow sprite to guard her belongings. Nene hummed a jaunty tune with Polka whistling along. They were welcomed by the vice-leader of the guild, a rather young man with fiery red hair.
"Right, nice to see new blood willing to help out," he stated as he led them downstairs to the sewers entrance. Before he opened the metal door, he warned, "Right, cover your nose."
The smell wasn't as bad as expected, though their half-animal party mates were gagging a little.
"Right, the smell shouldn't be as bad at this time of year," he informed them before they went in, "Also… try and keep a tally of what you kill down there. Maybe, for example, rat ears or some small body part if you wish to keep count that way. Try to bring at least ten at minimum. Ten silver each for any extra. Oh, and knock as loud as you can if you're done."
"That sounded a little barbaric," murmured Lamy as the door closed behind them.
"It sounded fine," rebutted Botan, "If you're that disturbed, I'll keep count then."
"Fine with me," the half-elf agreed.
The party then made their way down the sewers. True enough, the smell wasn't overwhelmingly strong, but it was disturbing enough that they frequently had a grimace on their faces. Green tinted water flowed through the middle of the tunnels and all they heard were sounds of dripping water. Eventually, they could hear faint chittering and squeals in the background. At first, they couldn't tell where the sounds were coming from but eventually, a loud enough creak drew their attention. What they saw sent shivers up their collective spines.
A sizable group of giant cockroaches was skittering around a mound of fresh waste and trash.
"Erm… we don't have to fight them, right?" whispered Polka, "They don't look like the rats we're looking for."
"But don't these count as pests too?" asked Nene.
"...Disgusting monsters," murmured Lamy in revulsion as she clutched her amulet.
"I think we should try and kill them as fast as we could," decided Botan as she nocked an arrow to her shortbow.
"Will we be able to… what was that?" started the half-snow elf when she heard some loud squeaking behind her. The party glanced around and were surprised to find rats. Giant rats.
"...This looks bad… and I think the giant cockroaches noticed us too," warned the bard as she pulled out her rapier and a dagger.
"Ha… alright, let's put them down," the lion girl sighed while the fennec girl played with a dart on one hand. Thankfully, there was only enough space for two on two fights to stand on the raised areas above the drain.
Nene threw her dagger at the giant roach that tried to attack Botan, causing it to skitter back in surprise. Meanwhile, the rats lunged at the lion and the fennec, biting their legs. The former shook hers off and used her claws to disembowel it. The latter kicked hers into the air and kicked it again into the drain, sending it into the soup of muck with a plop. They repeated those actions with the other two rats while the bard skewered the roach that attacked her. Lamy, who had blessed the others beforehand, healed the fennec monk as she looked a little shaken by the rat bites. She then ran forward and slammed her mace on one roach, breaking through its body and splattering its insides over the floor.
"Lamy, can you boost me in there?" asked Nene suddenly as Botan and Polka killed off another two roaches.
Getting a nod, the bard jumped onto the cleric's shield, who pushed her to the front and into the middle of the pack of giant cockroaches. As she landed, she shouted an arcane word and the sound of a thunderclap roared through the sewer tunnel. The roaches seemed shaken and disorientated, leaving them open to attack. The others wasted no time in attacking, taking down three more of them. The giant insects tried to repay the favor but another arcane word clapped down on them and shook them even further, one of them even falling over dead. Then, she mopped them up with Lamy's help.
"Eugh, ew, ew, ew," sounded Polka as she dug into the dead roaches to retrieve her darts.
"Hn, have to wash later," muttered Botan as she pulled out the arrow used in the fight. She turned to the bard and asked, "Can I borrow your dagger?"
"Sure," replied the bard as she handed the dagger she had thrown to the fighter, who proceeded to cut off the ears of the rats. One each. Lamy frowned but didn't say anything, as she was just following the vice-leader's instructions. The lion girl then went over to the roaches and snapped off a leg from their bodies. By the time she was done, she had four ears and ten spindly legs, which she stuffed in her belt pouch and quiver respectively.
"So…do we go back now? I mean… we got the min and some extra," asked the fennec monk.
"No. I think we can push on and find a few more," rebutted the lion fighter as she returned the dagger.
"But I won't be able to heal anything right now," informed the half-elf worriedly, "If I cast anything more right now, I'll get a headache."
"I'm not sure about this either..." added the bard hesitantly.
"No worries. That was just a big group," assured the fighter confidently, "We just have to keep our eyes out for a more manageable one and we're fine."
"If you're sure..." the former replied hesitantly as everyone followed the lion girl's lead.
Thus, they spent more time down in the sewers. Unfortunately, they didn't stumble into anyone or anything else… although there was one time Polka slipped on a wet patch she didn't notice. She almost fell in. She didn't. Only her foot did. She pretty much shrieked in horror and tried shaking her limb dry, causing everyone to run back and staying quite far away until she stopped.
"There, there, you can wash it up later," comforted Nene, patting the monk on the shoulder while staying away at a respectable distance.
"Hng," sounded off the fennec fox girl with a pout.
"Hey, this is weird," the lion girl said aloud, "I see a light ahead."
True enough, there seemed to be a part of the wall that had crumbled. Going near and peeking around the corner, the girls found a short passage that led to a large-ish room. Polka volunteered to sneak inside to take a peek. Getting everyone's agreement, she snuck in. A few minutes later, she came back and informed worriedly, "I saw two guys inside, all robbed up and suspicious. They had just finished summoning some sort of rotting corpse."
"Evil men!" Lamy declared softly, "We have to stop them."
"Eh, I thought you were seconds away from a headache," chimed in Nene.
"Summoning undead is bad," the cleric retorted as she sent a glare at her, arms akimbo as if she was going to start scolding the bard.
"Yosh, let's rush in and surprise them," the lion girl urged, "We should be able to take them easily if we do this right."
"We better hurry then, just in case try to summon more," added the monk in full agreement.
With the decision made, the party sneaked in as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Botan kicked some loose debris in the tunnel by accident, causing the robbed figures inside to be warned and by the time the party was in the room, they were forewarned and ready to fight.
"Get them," said one of them as he motioned the zombie to attack.
However, the party was faster. Nene and Polka ran ahead of the rest, the bard stabbing one cultist in the chest. The fox girl jumped and twirled, lashing out with her leg and kicking both men in the head. The first one fell over backward, his skull slamming against the stone floor and cracking apart internally. The second was about to slash her with his sword but was staggered by the blow.
Meanwhile, the other two targeted the zombie. Botan shot at it as she skirted around the fight, hugging the wall, but missed. The arrow flew past and broke against the wall as the zombie lumbered forward and punched the recovering fox monk. She tried to block but it was stronger than expected and the blow left her arms very sore. At the same time, Lamy raised and pointed her finger at the undead.
"The icy floes and frosty chills come, best keep moving or fall to slumber."
Her chant sent a frigid beam of blue light streaking at its chest. Its body frosted over as its movement slowed down.
Taking her chance, the bard stabbed the zombie in the chest. The monk kicked out, the first blow striking the remaining cultist once again in the head with her shin, and the second blow crashed into its arm with her heel. The zombie's arm became bent at an odd angle and its body tilted over to the side, unfortunately shifting it out of the way from the lion girl's arrow. The undead was also trying to attack the fennec fox girl with its broken arm, the limb flailing around uselessly. Such jarring movement sent the limb at an odd angle and blocked the cleric's frost ray. It took the entire attack and it shattered to pieces as it impacted its own head.
The zombie staggered back as Nene stabbed her rapier in its side while Polka punched it in the chest. Her fist went through the fragile body. However, as she pulled her hand out, it groaned out and tried to grab her. She screamed and blindly punched its head off. Its fleshy skull flew off its desiccated body and shattered against the stone wall of the room.
As the party relaxed upon the fall of the zombie, the fighter retrieved the arrow that was still intact and said with a grin, "A good fight."
"I doubt we'd get paid for this," muttered the monk as she looked around the room, "I bet these don't count as pests."
"Can we get back to the sewer cleaners guild, please?" asked the half-snow elf, "Even if it was good that we took them down without much difficulty, I rather we don't push our luck."
"I think I agree with Lamy," added the bard, "Pushing our luck is a bad thing."
"Alright, alright," relented the lion girl, "I admit… I do feel satisfied. We'll go back now."
AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the sequel. Time for some electric boogaloo with Hololive Gen 5.
Going out into the world to see the wonders it has to offer
Nene Momosuzu
Standard Human
Bard
Leaving behind her noble family to make a name for herself
Lamy Yukihana
Half-snow elf
Life Domain Cleric
One of two from Gekko, the tribal hunter from the grasslands.
Botan Shishiro
Lion Beastfolk
Fighter
Second from Gekko and future ringmaster of her own circus
Polka Omaru
Fennec Fox Beastfolk
Monk
Our new heroes, everyone. So, we aren't going to follow any one particular person. This time, we follow the group as a whole. Do stick around to read of their adventures. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.
Edit: I seem to have left out some stuff. Only realized it after posting chapter 7 here.
Snow Elf Lineage is technically, just normal high elves that adapted to living in the cold and snowy northern climate. They cultivated their expertise in ice magic from their adaptation. So, as a racial trait, access to Frost Ray, Ice Knife, and Snowball Storm at first, third, and fifth levels.
Lamy herself has Daifuku, a snow fairy, but it doesn't take part in their adventures.
The beastfolk race are inspired from a Kemonomimi homebrew I found. This is a blanket race that encompasses everything half-human, half-animal. This way, there is flexibility as one can choose to be either more animalistic look or more humanoid look. For example, if one is under catfolk, the more animalistic ones could use Tabaxi stats and features while the more humanoid ones use the Kemonomimi homebrew stats and features.
It took a few years for the many cities on the continent to recover from the sudden attack of the black dragon. The collective people were resilient and hardy folk; the cities and towns on the outside recovered quickly as to restore trade and the flow of resources. The capital took a bit longer but, being the place where the dragon fell, the people were eager to help. It was around the same time a nobleman and courtier of the king suggested forming an adventurer's guild to aid the normal folk. Their members would travel far and wide to lend assistance wherever it was needed. This would not only bring praise to the royal family but if they traveled to other lands that were allied to them, would also strengthen their ties and alliances.
The king was impressed and readily agreed to support this beneficial endeavor. Thus, Aruran Daiso established the headquarters of the adventurer's guild in Rivirapolis. He also made an effort to link up with Sireos' School of Might and Magic to provide a place of work once the students leave or graduate from it. All adventurers both of this world and outside of it were welcome, as the noble did proudly proclaim. Quite a number of people accepted. Many more traveled to the capital when word of this new guild spread.
Travel boots crunched softly on the gravel. A young girl in clothes colored orange, blue, and white looked at the rebuilt city in awe. She continued to walk down the street, her ox-horn styled hair bobbing up and down. She paused to look at the piece of paper and started to make her way down another road. After a few more minutes of walking, she caught sight of a large building that was across a bar called Robel. It was two stories high, made of brick and wood. It looked very sturdy and the open double doors were brightly painted and inviting. She crossed the road, eager to go in and sign up. Then…
"KIRA!"
...she heard two shouts coming from inside the building, startling her. A second later, a blue-haired young girl ran out with bagpipes draped across her shoulder, the sound of laughter trailing behind her. Another second, then two guys ran out after her. One had pink hair and had black, segmentation lines over his arms and head. The other had black hair and wore a hooded robe that hung back loosely as he ran. She watched dumbfoundedly as the trio ran down the street.
"Strange," said a soft-spoken voice behind her. Looking around, she saw a beautiful blue-haired elf in fine blue clothes. Floating behind her was a cute white thing in a pot. Was it a mini-bear? A mouse? She couldn't really tell.
"Hello, my name is Nene Momosuzu," she introduced herself, holding out her hand, "Are you here to join the guild too?"
"Lamy Yukihana. Pleased to meet you," she replied politely, "Yes, I am."
Nene grinned, "Oh, that's great. I hope we can be good friends. Let's go sign up!"
Lamy nodded and smiled. They immediately went inside. Several feet from the door was a counter, manned by a cute, red-haired man in a white uniform. He smiled at them as they came up to the counter and greeted, "Welcome to the guild. My name is Miyabi. How may I help you?"
"We would like to sign up, please," spoke up Nene.
"We would like to join up too," spoke up a voice as its owner stepped up to the counter. She looked human save for a set of animal ears as well as shaggy, long whitish-grey hair that framed her head like a lion's mane. Beside her was a smiling girl with fox ears on her head. The lion girl wore dark traveling clothes while the fox girl had bright, colorful traveling clothes.
"Certainly," replied Miyabi with an ever-present smile, pausing to retrieve something from under the counter, "Please prepare five gold each for registration. Then, I shall help you fill out the forms, so please, if you would take turns to tell me your particulars. Once I fill these forms, I shall help you get acquainted with the guild house." He placed several pieces of official-looking papers, an open ink bottle, and a quill.
"...And we're done," declared the guild clerk with satisfaction, "Right, so if you look to your right, there is a bulletin board." He then motioned to his left, drawing everyone's attention. "This is where we put one-time requests for help. You'll get paid depending on the request. The side room to your right is a waiting room where you can relax to do your own stuff. Upstairs, we have several rooms where you can rest for free if you wish to spend the night. If you need food and drink, Robel across the street can accommodate you. The bartender's name is Roberu and let him know you're with the guild to get a discount. We have an agreement with him so if there are any emergencies or urgent quests, I'll head over and announce it myself. Erm, we have a basement… but it's currently not used for anything and Lord Daiso forbade anyone from going downstairs. So, any questions?"
"Any quests we can go on right now?" asked the fox girl, who introduced herself as Polka Omaru during registration.
"Hmm, let me see," muttered Miyabi as he stepped around the counter to scrutinize the board. After a few seconds, he pulled a piece of paper off and handed it to her, "Here. If you go with them, I'm sure this request could be done in no time."
"Ah, thanks!" she exclaimed happily before reading it aloud, "Two hundred silver pieces minimum… help with pest culling in… the… sewer… ew." She wrinkled her nose a little at the thought.
"I suppose that's fine… " murmured the lion girl, who called herself Botan Shishiro, "After all, we should start somewhere..."
"That's the spirit," praised the guild clerk with an encouraging smile, "I'm sure you will go far if you keep your mind to it."
"Right, let's go then," cheered on Nene, "So, who do we see about this?"
After stowing their stuff and getting directions to the sewer cleaners guild, the new party headed there immediately after the half-snow elf asked her snow sprite to guard her belongings. Nene hummed a jaunty tune with Polka whistling along. They were welcomed by the vice-leader of the guild, a rather young man with fiery red hair.
"Right, nice to see new blood willing to help out," he stated as he led them downstairs to the sewers entrance. Before he opened the metal door, he warned, "Right, cover your nose."
The smell wasn't as bad as expected, though their half-animal party mates were gagging a little.
"Right, the smell shouldn't be as bad at this time of year," he informed them before they went in, "Also… try and keep a tally of what you kill down there. Maybe, for example, rat ears or some small body part if you wish to keep count that way. Try to bring at least ten at minimum. Ten silver each for any extra. Oh, and knock as loud as you can if you're done."
"That sounded a little barbaric," murmured Lamy as the door closed behind them.
"It sounded fine," rebutted Botan, "If you're that disturbed, I'll keep count then."
"Fine with me," the half-elf agreed.
The party then made their way down the sewers. True enough, the smell wasn't overwhelmingly strong, but it was disturbing enough that they frequently had a grimace on their faces. Green tinted water flowed through the middle of the tunnels and all they heard were sounds of dripping water. Eventually, they could hear faint chittering and squeals in the background. At first, they couldn't tell where the sounds were coming from but eventually, a loud enough creak drew their attention. What they saw sent shivers up their collective spines.
A sizable group of giant cockroaches was skittering around a mound of fresh waste and trash.
"Erm… we don't have to fight them, right?" whispered Polka, "They don't look like the rats we're looking for."
"But don't these count as pests too?" asked Nene.
"...Disgusting monsters," murmured Lamy in revulsion as she clutched her amulet.
"I think we should try and kill them as fast as we could," decided Botan as she nocked an arrow to her shortbow.
"Will we be able to… what was that?" started the half-snow elf when she heard some loud squeaking behind her. The party glanced around and were surprised to find rats. Giant rats.
"...This looks bad… and I think the giant cockroaches noticed us too," warned the bard as she pulled out her rapier and a dagger.
"Ha… alright, let's put them down," the lion girl sighed while the fennec girl played with a dart on one hand. Thankfully, there was only enough space for two on two fights to stand on the raised areas above the drain.
Nene threw her dagger at the giant roach that tried to attack Botan, causing it to skitter back in surprise. Meanwhile, the rats lunged at the lion and the fennec, biting their legs. The former shook hers off and used her claws to disembowel it. The latter kicked hers into the air and kicked it again into the drain, sending it into the soup of muck with a plop. They repeated those actions with the other two rats while the bard skewered the roach that attacked her. Lamy, who had blessed the others beforehand, healed the fennec monk as she looked a little shaken by the rat bites. She then ran forward and slammed her mace on one roach, breaking through its body and splattering its insides over the floor.
"Lamy, can you boost me in there?" asked Nene suddenly as Botan and Polka killed off another two roaches.
Getting a nod, the bard jumped onto the cleric's shield, who pushed her to the front and into the middle of the pack of giant cockroaches. As she landed, she shouted an arcane word and the sound of a thunderclap roared through the sewer tunnel. The roaches seemed shaken and disorientated, leaving them open to attack. The others wasted no time in attacking, taking down three more of them. The giant insects tried to repay the favor but another arcane word clapped down on them and shook them even further, one of them even falling over dead. Then, she mopped them up with Lamy's help.
"Eugh, ew, ew, ew," sounded Polka as she dug into the dead roaches to retrieve her darts.
"Hn, have to wash later," muttered Botan as she pulled out the arrow used in the fight. She turned to the bard and asked, "Can I borrow your dagger?"
"Sure," replied the bard as she handed the dagger she had thrown to the fighter, who proceeded to cut off the ears of the rats. One each. Lamy frowned but didn't say anything, as she was just following the vice-leader's instructions. The lion girl then went over to the roaches and snapped off a leg from their bodies. By the time she was done, she had four ears and ten spindly legs, which she stuffed in her belt pouch and quiver respectively.
"So…do we go back now? I mean… we got the min and some extra," asked the fennec monk.
"No. I think we can push on and find a few more," rebutted the lion fighter as she returned the dagger.
"But I won't be able to heal anything right now," informed the half-elf worriedly, "If I cast anything more right now, I'll get a headache."
"I'm not sure about this either..." added the bard hesitantly.
"No worries. That was just a big group," assured the fighter confidently, "We just have to keep our eyes out for a more manageable one and we're fine."
"If you're sure..." the former replied hesitantly as everyone followed the lion girl's lead.
Thus, they spent more time down in the sewers. Unfortunately, they didn't stumble into anyone or anything else… although there was one time Polka slipped on a wet patch she didn't notice. She almost fell in. She didn't. Only her foot did. She pretty much shrieked in horror and tried shaking her limb dry, causing everyone to run back and staying quite far away until she stopped.
"There, there, you can wash it up later," comforted Nene, patting the monk on the shoulder while staying away at a respectable distance.
"Hng," sounded off the fennec fox girl with a pout.
"Hey, this is weird," the lion girl said aloud, "I see a light ahead."
True enough, there seemed to be a part of the wall that had crumbled. Going near and peeking around the corner, the girls found a short passage that led to a large-ish room. Polka volunteered to sneak inside to take a peek. Getting everyone's agreement, she snuck in. A few minutes later, she came back and informed worriedly, "I saw two guys inside, all robbed up and suspicious. They had just finished summoning some sort of rotting corpse."
"Evil men!" Lamy declared softly, "We have to stop them."
"Eh, I thought you were seconds away from a headache," chimed in Nene.
"Summoning undead is bad," the cleric retorted as she sent a glare at her, arms akimbo as if she was going to start scolding the bard.
"Yosh, let's rush in and surprise them," the lion girl urged, "We should be able to take them easily if we do this right."
"We better hurry then, just in case try to summon more," added the monk in full agreement.
With the decision made, the party sneaked in as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Botan kicked some loose debris in the tunnel by accident, causing the robbed figures inside to be warned and by the time the party was in the room, they were forewarned and ready to fight.
"Get them," said one of them as he motioned the zombie to attack.
However, the party was faster. Nene and Polka ran ahead of the rest, the bard stabbing one cultist in the chest. The fox girl jumped and twirled, lashing out with her leg and kicking both men in the head. The first one fell over backward, his skull slamming against the stone floor and cracking apart internally. The second was about to slash her with his sword but was staggered by the blow.
Meanwhile, the other two targeted the zombie. Botan shot at it as she skirted around the fight, hugging the wall, but missed. The arrow flew past and broke against the wall as the zombie lumbered forward and punched the recovering fox monk. She tried to block but it was stronger than expected and the blow left her arms very sore. At the same time, Lamy raised and pointed her finger at the undead.
"The icy floes and frosty chills come, best keep moving or fall to slumber."
Her chant sent a frigid beam of blue light streaking at its chest. Its body frosted over as its movement slowed down.
Taking her chance, the bard stabbed the zombie in the chest. The monk kicked out, the first blow striking the remaining cultist once again in the head with her shin, and the second blow crashed into its arm with her heel. The zombie's arm became bent at an odd angle and its body tilted over to the side, unfortunately shifting it out of the way from the lion girl's arrow. The undead was also trying to attack the fennec fox girl with its broken arm, the limb flailing around uselessly. Such jarring movement sent the limb at an odd angle and blocked the cleric's frost ray. It took the entire attack and it shattered to pieces as it impacted its own head.
The zombie staggered back as Nene stabbed her rapier in its side while Polka punched it in the chest. Her fist went through the fragile body. However, as she pulled her hand out, it groaned out and tried to grab her. She screamed and blindly punched its head off. Its fleshy skull flew off its desiccated body and shattered against the stone wall of the room.
As the party relaxed upon the fall of the zombie, the fighter retrieved the arrow that was still intact and said with a grin, "A good fight."
"I doubt we'd get paid for this," muttered the monk as she looked around the room, "I bet these don't count as pests."
"Can we get back to the sewer cleaners guild, please?" asked the half-snow elf, "Even if it was good that we took them down without much difficulty, I rather we don't push our luck."
"I think I agree with Lamy," added the bard, "Pushing our luck is a bad thing."
"Alright, alright," relented the lion girl, "I admit… I do feel satisfied. We'll go back now."
AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the sequel. Time for some electric boogaloo with Hololive Gen 5.
Going out into the world to see the wonders it has to offer
Nene Momosuzu
Standard Human
Bard
Leaving behind her noble family to make a name for herself
Lamy Yukihana
Half-snow elf
Life Domain Cleric
One of two from Gekko, the tribal hunter from the grasslands.
Botan Shishiro
Lion Beastfolk
Fighter
Second from Gekko and future ringmaster of her own circus
Polka Omaru
Fennec Fox Beastfolk
Monk
Our new heroes, everyone. So, we aren't going to follow any one particular person. This time, we follow the group as a whole. Do stick around to read of their adventures. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.
Edit: I seem to have left out some stuff. Only realized it after posting chapter 7 here.
Snow Elf Lineage is technically, just normal high elves that adapted to living in the cold and snowy northern climate. They cultivated their expertise in ice magic from their adaptation. So, as a racial trait, access to Frost Ray, Ice Knife, and Snowball Storm at first, third, and fifth levels.
Lamy herself has Daifuku, a snow fairy, but it doesn't take part in their adventures.
The beastfolk race are inspired from a Kemonomimi homebrew I found. This is a blanket race that encompasses everything half-human, half-animal. This way, there is flexibility as one can choose to be either more animalistic look or more humanoid look. For example, if one is under catfolk, the more animalistic ones could use Tabaxi stats and features while the more humanoid ones use the Kemonomimi homebrew stats and features.
Last edited:
Chapter 2
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 2
The party made their way back to the sewer entrance. Thankfully, on the way back, they met up with a group of sewer cleaners that were heading the same way. Nene and Polka listened to them talking about the normal and weird stuff the crew encountered while on duty. Rats. Cockroaches. Spiders. The occasional shady person slinking around. Running away from a sewer shambler. Weird. There were also stories of giant alligators and sludge monsters. Safe to say, the party was weirded out by the strange stories. Still, time passed quickly and they reached the entrance in no time. The door clanged loudly and this time the leader himself opened the door to let everyone in.
"Well, this is a surprise," he said as he eyed the party, "Nice of the guild to send help over. So, pest control… what do you have for me?"
As Botan pulled out the proof, the sewer crew walked past them and went upstairs.
"Ah, well, you can toss those back into the sewer," he informed them after looking at the results, "I'll be getting your pay. Help to close the door, will ya?"
As he went up the stairs, Botan threw the parts into the water and closed the door shut. The party then went up and made their way to his office, where he handed them their reward.
"Right, two hundred silver and another forty for the extra," he declared as the loin girl bounced the bag in her hand, the pieces clinking inside.
"Thank you very much, sir," Nene replied as the party left and made their way back to the guild house.
"Welcome back," greeted Miyabi as they came in, "Did it go well?"
"Yup, we did it… I wanna wash my feet," replied Polka, glancing down at the foot that was dipped in sewer water.
After directing her to the water closet, he continued, "So, the sun is still up. Are you up for another quest?"
"I suppose. Preferably not in the sewers this time," spoke up Lamy.
"Ah, right..." he mused as he shuffled through the stack of papers he had on the counter. Then, he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "Well, here is a simple one. Accompany a herbalist to collect herbs. So, we always receive these kinds of requests. Easy tasks that could be completed quickly, although the pay is less than what you get from the board there. Now, this particular herbalist frequents the forests around the city in the evening looking for herbs, with or without company. From what I know of him, he appreciates the help. Although, looking at your condition, I'd suggest resting for an hour or so before taking this on."
"Ah, I guess I could use a cat nap," muttered Botan with a yawn.
"Alright, we can sit in the side room while we wait for Polka," said Nene with a grin.
"Evenin' ladies. I suppose you're my escort for the day," greeted the herbalist. Miyabi said his name was Kelin. He was an average looking guy sporting a tan robe with a leather bag slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah. Please take care of us," replied the bard politely.
He chuckled and said, "I think I'll be in your capable hands than the other way around. In any case, let's get going. Time's a-wastin' and there are herbs in need of collecting."
That said, he led them out the east gate, where the forest is the closest. They didn't seem to go too far in and they always stopped intermittently for Kelin to check the area for identifiable herbs. So far, he had what looked to be grasses and mushrooms stored in his bag. They had a pretty relaxing time, but the lion girl seemed to be getting antsy.
"Are you alright?" asked Polka as she nudged her party mate.
"Even if I'm fine with this, running around without getting into a fight isn't what I imagined ending my day with," replied Botan as her ears involuntarily twitched.
Suddenly, there was rustling as the herbalist cut out some herbs.
"Bad. Bad. Bad," were chanted as the bushes suddenly sprung to life. Kelin hurriedly retreated behind the party, who immediately drew their weapons. The shrubs then shuffled closer to them.
"What in the world happened?" shouted Polka as she darted forward and smashed the first shrub to splinters.
"I don't know! I've never seen the forest come alive like this before!" replied the herbalist in a shout as the shrubs rushed down the monk, scratching her with their branches and twigs.
"Enough talking, she needs our help," retorted Nene as Lamy chanted and stretched out her hand while she chanted, shooting one shrub with a ray of frost.
As Botan moved in to finish it off, the bard shouted encouragement, "Hang on, Polka! We're right behind you." She started joining in to stab at the awakened shrubs.
"Hurry!" the fennec fox girl shouted back as she weathered the scratching blows to strike back at one of the shrubs.
One by one, the awakened plants fell to frost and claw, to sword and fist. However, a lucky hit struck the monk in the head and she fell on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Polka!" shouted Nene as she moved to stab another shrub. With a melodic tone, she called out a healing note, a word linked to reinvigoration, and a green aura enveloped the downed fox girl. With a roar, she rose to her feet and beat another shrub to splinters. Crisis averted, they quickly finished off the rest of the awakened shrubs.
"Thank the gods you're here," exclaimed a relieved Kelin as he approached the party that was surrounded by broken wood and torn leaves, with burst splinters scattered everywhere.
"Are you alright, Polka?" asked Lamy with concern as the cleric fussed over the monk.
"I'm fine, Lamy," she assured with a grin, "No need to mother me so much."
"Then you shouldn't have run in straight away," scolded Nene with a frown, "If we weren't here to help, you might have died."
"Hn, why did those shrubs suddenly come alive?" asked Botan with a puzzled look, "These kinds of things don't happen naturally."
"I would imagine so," a voice suddenly said.
Leaves flew and swirled at a point in front of all of them. Slowly, a green woman stepped out of the whirling vortex that dissipated as she was fully formed. She was almost naked save for leaves protecting the more important parts.
"A protector of nature," the lion girl murmured reverently. She bowed and asked, "How can we be of service?"
"All is well, nature friend," the dryad replied serenely, "As long as no tree is harmed needlessly, all is well." Glancing around, she continued, "So it seems someone has been playing with the underbrush. I am afraid it is common to find such things happening when one has recently been experimenting with using their powers. If you wish to help, then perhaps you would go to the school in the city to remind them to try not to damage the forest with reckless experimentation."
"Gladly," the fighter accepted.
Nodding, she turned to the herbalist and said, "A kind man, you are. Your care for nature is appreciated." As he blushed and muttered his thanks, she turned to the others and said, "As long as you do no lasting harm, the forest welcomes you. Goodbye." And she dissolved into a whirlwind of leaves that was carried off in the wind.
The first to recover was Nene, who said, "Okay… right, have we collected everything we needed, Kelin."
"Oh, ah, yes, we have," he replied, composing himself, "Yes, well, please. Come with me to my shop and you will be properly compensated."
The grateful herbalist rewarded them with four healing potions. They agreed to take one each and then headed back to the guild house. As usual, Miyabi was there to greet them.
"Welcome back," greeted the guild clerk, "Well, night time is coming, so no more quests until tomorrow. So, I suppose you want to make use of the rooms upstairs?"
"Yes, please," said the party in unison, who then devolved into giggles, except Botan, who smirked.
"Ah, well… please go to Robel if you wish to eat. I recommend the fried chicken. It's pretty good," stated Miyabi with a smile.
After handing the room keys to them as well as telling them which rooms they were having, they decided to check out the bar across the street. Strange enough, it had a welcoming feel to it when they walked through the doors. The place was half full at the time and still had unattended tables. A ginger-haired guy manned the bar, dressed very smartly and chatting with a few drinkers seated there. The general atmosphere was just as noisy as a normal tavern. They sat at an empty table and a waitress came to take their order. They took on Miyabi's suggestion and ordered a serving of fried chicken.
"So, what brought you here to join the guild?" asked Nene when the waitress left, "For me, I wanted to get to know the world better and find my place in it… and hopefully bring joy to the people at the same time."
"I want to run my own traveling circus," Polka stated boldly, thumbing to herself, "I grew up in one and when the ringmaster retired and the circus disbanded, my family settled down near Gekko. I want to bring joy and laughter the same way as well, only with fame and fortune included as well. Any of you want to join?"
"I could give it a try, if only once," offered the bard.
"Yay! My first member," cheered the fennec fox girl.
"Hn… I lived with a nomadic tribe in the grasslands near Gekko," said Botan calmly, "To be honest, I wanted to explore the world and see what's there before going back home and taking up my mantle as a hunter of the tribe."
"A noble purpose," praised Lamy with a serene smile, "As for my reasons, I wished to explore my independence. To see what I can accomplish, be it great or small. And hopefully, do my family proud when I return with tales of my adventures."
It was then the waitress brought their drinks. Nene then lifted her mug of ale and said, "Well, here is to our future adventures. Cheers!" The others echoed her actions and toasted, drinking a mouthful of ale. The lion girl let out a sigh of satisfaction while the half-snow elf hiccuped softly with a blush.
"Kikiriki! Here's your chicken!" said a different person very jovially. It wasn't their waitress in a commonly seen waiting dress.
Instead, it was a girl wearing two hats dressed in a vibrant orange and red dress with a short skirt. She held a plate of hot fried chicken, vegetables, and a dollop of something yellow in one hand and balanced three other places of similar servings on her other. One by one, she placed the plates in front of them. The smell was absolutely mouth-drooling and the party's reaction mirrored that.
"Go on, dig in! Tell me what you think," she encouraged them.
Their hunger aroused, they quickly dug in and soon, exclamations of joy and excitement. This brought a great big smile to the girl with two hats. "And my work here is done," she stated happily as she headed back to the kitchen. The chicken, the vegetables, and the dollop that they discovered was potato, was polished off in no time. Soon, the party was letting out sounds of satisfaction.
"Amazing," muttered Nene.
"If I knew this existed, I'd come here sooner," agreed Botan.
With Lamy offering to pay for dinner, the party headed back to the guild house. After chit-chatting a bit, they headed back to their rooms and turned in for the night.
Morning came and the party was up and ready. Water was really cold but they braved the lower temperatures and took turns to use the bath. They then adjourned to the bar to get a quick breakfast before beginning a new day as adventurers.
Polka walked up to the counter and slammed the wood surface, declaring, "Quest, please!"
Miyabi was taken aback. Then, he sighed and said, "Honestly, too early… alright, go ahead and look on the board."
They hurried over and crowded around it. Since it was still early in the day, there weren't that many other adventurers there. After some hushed discussion, they picked out one request and brought it to the counter.
Miyabi picked it up and examined it. "Hmm, an escort quest? I see. Well, if I'm not mistaken, this person is a weapons trader and is heading north towards the nearest village. If I am correct, it is a half-a-day's trip by foot and faster by cart. I think if you leave now, you'd be back here by night time. As for the trader, she informed me that she will be waiting at the north gate, so do make your way there."
"Sounds good. Let's get to it!" cheered on Nene, echoing what was on the party's minds.
They made their way to the north gate after getting their backpacks in order and met up with the trader. She was in a typical trader's getup of brown-colored traveling clothes with the only addition being a blacksmith's apron with a few tools sticking out of it. She had a box of her wares on her draft horse securely strapped on one side and a small anvil over the other. She shook hands with them after greeting, "Good morning, I'm Jen. I suppose you're my bodyguards?"
"We are!" said Nene with a smile, "We are ready to go at a moment's notice."
"Nice to meet you all," she replied, returning the grin, "Right. Let's get going. These weapons aren't going to sell themselves."
"Yahoo!" exclaimed Polka as they made their way past the northern gate.
The party and the trader took their time to walk, careful not to tire themselves out by moving too fast. They made good progress after a few hours but some rustling in some tall grass that they were going to pass by put them on alert. Botan heard some growling as well.
"Jen, I think something's in there," warned the bard as everyone dropped their packs and moved towards the side of the road.
"Ah, then I'll be waiting here then," replied the trader worriedly tugging on the reins of the horse to halt it.
Suddenly, a lion burst out of the grass and leaped straight at Polka. She was instantly knocked off her feet as a clawed paw struck her chest. It then took a big bite out of her shoulder.
"Get off her!" roared Botan as she tried to claw its head. It suddenly let go of the screaming monk's shoulder and leaped back to avoid her claws. However, that left it open.
Nene practically shouted out the healing note as she stabbed the wild animal in its side. At the same time, Lamy clutched her amulet as she muttered softly shoving her hand at the fox girl. A shimmering aura coated her and then the cleric turned her attention to the beast, her hand going in a grasping motion and pointed at it. The frost that formed over the entire head caused it to roar in agony. It tried to maul Polka again but with the ice over its eyes and the shimmering aura covering the monk, it failed to do anything of note.
The fennec fox girl wasted no time leaping to her feet and sent a roundhouse kick to its frosty nose. The crunch was audible. She kept up the pace and landed a thunderous punch to the exact same place with a furious yell. The force of the blow pretty much shattered the front of its skull and it went down in a heap, blood flowing out its nose.
"Are you alright?" asked the lion girl as the monk bent over with her hands over her knees, her heavy breaths gulping down precious air.
"I…'m fine..." was the ragged reply. As the others gathered around her and showed their concern, her breathing leveled and she then said, "You know… can we bring the body and sell it at the village?"
Everyone blinked. The trader brought her horse over and asked, "So, what's the plan now?"
Polka grinned and said, "Well, it's like this..."
The party made their way back to the sewer entrance. Thankfully, on the way back, they met up with a group of sewer cleaners that were heading the same way. Nene and Polka listened to them talking about the normal and weird stuff the crew encountered while on duty. Rats. Cockroaches. Spiders. The occasional shady person slinking around. Running away from a sewer shambler. Weird. There were also stories of giant alligators and sludge monsters. Safe to say, the party was weirded out by the strange stories. Still, time passed quickly and they reached the entrance in no time. The door clanged loudly and this time the leader himself opened the door to let everyone in.
"Well, this is a surprise," he said as he eyed the party, "Nice of the guild to send help over. So, pest control… what do you have for me?"
As Botan pulled out the proof, the sewer crew walked past them and went upstairs.
"Ah, well, you can toss those back into the sewer," he informed them after looking at the results, "I'll be getting your pay. Help to close the door, will ya?"
As he went up the stairs, Botan threw the parts into the water and closed the door shut. The party then went up and made their way to his office, where he handed them their reward.
"Right, two hundred silver and another forty for the extra," he declared as the loin girl bounced the bag in her hand, the pieces clinking inside.
"Thank you very much, sir," Nene replied as the party left and made their way back to the guild house.
"Welcome back," greeted Miyabi as they came in, "Did it go well?"
"Yup, we did it… I wanna wash my feet," replied Polka, glancing down at the foot that was dipped in sewer water.
After directing her to the water closet, he continued, "So, the sun is still up. Are you up for another quest?"
"I suppose. Preferably not in the sewers this time," spoke up Lamy.
"Ah, right..." he mused as he shuffled through the stack of papers he had on the counter. Then, he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "Well, here is a simple one. Accompany a herbalist to collect herbs. So, we always receive these kinds of requests. Easy tasks that could be completed quickly, although the pay is less than what you get from the board there. Now, this particular herbalist frequents the forests around the city in the evening looking for herbs, with or without company. From what I know of him, he appreciates the help. Although, looking at your condition, I'd suggest resting for an hour or so before taking this on."
"Ah, I guess I could use a cat nap," muttered Botan with a yawn.
"Alright, we can sit in the side room while we wait for Polka," said Nene with a grin.
"Evenin' ladies. I suppose you're my escort for the day," greeted the herbalist. Miyabi said his name was Kelin. He was an average looking guy sporting a tan robe with a leather bag slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah. Please take care of us," replied the bard politely.
He chuckled and said, "I think I'll be in your capable hands than the other way around. In any case, let's get going. Time's a-wastin' and there are herbs in need of collecting."
That said, he led them out the east gate, where the forest is the closest. They didn't seem to go too far in and they always stopped intermittently for Kelin to check the area for identifiable herbs. So far, he had what looked to be grasses and mushrooms stored in his bag. They had a pretty relaxing time, but the lion girl seemed to be getting antsy.
"Are you alright?" asked Polka as she nudged her party mate.
"Even if I'm fine with this, running around without getting into a fight isn't what I imagined ending my day with," replied Botan as her ears involuntarily twitched.
Suddenly, there was rustling as the herbalist cut out some herbs.
"Bad. Bad. Bad," were chanted as the bushes suddenly sprung to life. Kelin hurriedly retreated behind the party, who immediately drew their weapons. The shrubs then shuffled closer to them.
"What in the world happened?" shouted Polka as she darted forward and smashed the first shrub to splinters.
"I don't know! I've never seen the forest come alive like this before!" replied the herbalist in a shout as the shrubs rushed down the monk, scratching her with their branches and twigs.
"Enough talking, she needs our help," retorted Nene as Lamy chanted and stretched out her hand while she chanted, shooting one shrub with a ray of frost.
As Botan moved in to finish it off, the bard shouted encouragement, "Hang on, Polka! We're right behind you." She started joining in to stab at the awakened shrubs.
"Hurry!" the fennec fox girl shouted back as she weathered the scratching blows to strike back at one of the shrubs.
One by one, the awakened plants fell to frost and claw, to sword and fist. However, a lucky hit struck the monk in the head and she fell on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Polka!" shouted Nene as she moved to stab another shrub. With a melodic tone, she called out a healing note, a word linked to reinvigoration, and a green aura enveloped the downed fox girl. With a roar, she rose to her feet and beat another shrub to splinters. Crisis averted, they quickly finished off the rest of the awakened shrubs.
"Thank the gods you're here," exclaimed a relieved Kelin as he approached the party that was surrounded by broken wood and torn leaves, with burst splinters scattered everywhere.
"Are you alright, Polka?" asked Lamy with concern as the cleric fussed over the monk.
"I'm fine, Lamy," she assured with a grin, "No need to mother me so much."
"Then you shouldn't have run in straight away," scolded Nene with a frown, "If we weren't here to help, you might have died."
"Hn, why did those shrubs suddenly come alive?" asked Botan with a puzzled look, "These kinds of things don't happen naturally."
"I would imagine so," a voice suddenly said.
Leaves flew and swirled at a point in front of all of them. Slowly, a green woman stepped out of the whirling vortex that dissipated as she was fully formed. She was almost naked save for leaves protecting the more important parts.
"A protector of nature," the lion girl murmured reverently. She bowed and asked, "How can we be of service?"
"All is well, nature friend," the dryad replied serenely, "As long as no tree is harmed needlessly, all is well." Glancing around, she continued, "So it seems someone has been playing with the underbrush. I am afraid it is common to find such things happening when one has recently been experimenting with using their powers. If you wish to help, then perhaps you would go to the school in the city to remind them to try not to damage the forest with reckless experimentation."
"Gladly," the fighter accepted.
Nodding, she turned to the herbalist and said, "A kind man, you are. Your care for nature is appreciated." As he blushed and muttered his thanks, she turned to the others and said, "As long as you do no lasting harm, the forest welcomes you. Goodbye." And she dissolved into a whirlwind of leaves that was carried off in the wind.
The first to recover was Nene, who said, "Okay… right, have we collected everything we needed, Kelin."
"Oh, ah, yes, we have," he replied, composing himself, "Yes, well, please. Come with me to my shop and you will be properly compensated."
The grateful herbalist rewarded them with four healing potions. They agreed to take one each and then headed back to the guild house. As usual, Miyabi was there to greet them.
"Welcome back," greeted the guild clerk, "Well, night time is coming, so no more quests until tomorrow. So, I suppose you want to make use of the rooms upstairs?"
"Yes, please," said the party in unison, who then devolved into giggles, except Botan, who smirked.
"Ah, well… please go to Robel if you wish to eat. I recommend the fried chicken. It's pretty good," stated Miyabi with a smile.
After handing the room keys to them as well as telling them which rooms they were having, they decided to check out the bar across the street. Strange enough, it had a welcoming feel to it when they walked through the doors. The place was half full at the time and still had unattended tables. A ginger-haired guy manned the bar, dressed very smartly and chatting with a few drinkers seated there. The general atmosphere was just as noisy as a normal tavern. They sat at an empty table and a waitress came to take their order. They took on Miyabi's suggestion and ordered a serving of fried chicken.
"So, what brought you here to join the guild?" asked Nene when the waitress left, "For me, I wanted to get to know the world better and find my place in it… and hopefully bring joy to the people at the same time."
"I want to run my own traveling circus," Polka stated boldly, thumbing to herself, "I grew up in one and when the ringmaster retired and the circus disbanded, my family settled down near Gekko. I want to bring joy and laughter the same way as well, only with fame and fortune included as well. Any of you want to join?"
"I could give it a try, if only once," offered the bard.
"Yay! My first member," cheered the fennec fox girl.
"Hn… I lived with a nomadic tribe in the grasslands near Gekko," said Botan calmly, "To be honest, I wanted to explore the world and see what's there before going back home and taking up my mantle as a hunter of the tribe."
"A noble purpose," praised Lamy with a serene smile, "As for my reasons, I wished to explore my independence. To see what I can accomplish, be it great or small. And hopefully, do my family proud when I return with tales of my adventures."
It was then the waitress brought their drinks. Nene then lifted her mug of ale and said, "Well, here is to our future adventures. Cheers!" The others echoed her actions and toasted, drinking a mouthful of ale. The lion girl let out a sigh of satisfaction while the half-snow elf hiccuped softly with a blush.
"Kikiriki! Here's your chicken!" said a different person very jovially. It wasn't their waitress in a commonly seen waiting dress.
Instead, it was a girl wearing two hats dressed in a vibrant orange and red dress with a short skirt. She held a plate of hot fried chicken, vegetables, and a dollop of something yellow in one hand and balanced three other places of similar servings on her other. One by one, she placed the plates in front of them. The smell was absolutely mouth-drooling and the party's reaction mirrored that.
"Go on, dig in! Tell me what you think," she encouraged them.
Their hunger aroused, they quickly dug in and soon, exclamations of joy and excitement. This brought a great big smile to the girl with two hats. "And my work here is done," she stated happily as she headed back to the kitchen. The chicken, the vegetables, and the dollop that they discovered was potato, was polished off in no time. Soon, the party was letting out sounds of satisfaction.
"Amazing," muttered Nene.
"If I knew this existed, I'd come here sooner," agreed Botan.
With Lamy offering to pay for dinner, the party headed back to the guild house. After chit-chatting a bit, they headed back to their rooms and turned in for the night.
Morning came and the party was up and ready. Water was really cold but they braved the lower temperatures and took turns to use the bath. They then adjourned to the bar to get a quick breakfast before beginning a new day as adventurers.
Polka walked up to the counter and slammed the wood surface, declaring, "Quest, please!"
Miyabi was taken aback. Then, he sighed and said, "Honestly, too early… alright, go ahead and look on the board."
They hurried over and crowded around it. Since it was still early in the day, there weren't that many other adventurers there. After some hushed discussion, they picked out one request and brought it to the counter.
Miyabi picked it up and examined it. "Hmm, an escort quest? I see. Well, if I'm not mistaken, this person is a weapons trader and is heading north towards the nearest village. If I am correct, it is a half-a-day's trip by foot and faster by cart. I think if you leave now, you'd be back here by night time. As for the trader, she informed me that she will be waiting at the north gate, so do make your way there."
"Sounds good. Let's get to it!" cheered on Nene, echoing what was on the party's minds.
They made their way to the north gate after getting their backpacks in order and met up with the trader. She was in a typical trader's getup of brown-colored traveling clothes with the only addition being a blacksmith's apron with a few tools sticking out of it. She had a box of her wares on her draft horse securely strapped on one side and a small anvil over the other. She shook hands with them after greeting, "Good morning, I'm Jen. I suppose you're my bodyguards?"
"We are!" said Nene with a smile, "We are ready to go at a moment's notice."
"Nice to meet you all," she replied, returning the grin, "Right. Let's get going. These weapons aren't going to sell themselves."
"Yahoo!" exclaimed Polka as they made their way past the northern gate.
The party and the trader took their time to walk, careful not to tire themselves out by moving too fast. They made good progress after a few hours but some rustling in some tall grass that they were going to pass by put them on alert. Botan heard some growling as well.
"Jen, I think something's in there," warned the bard as everyone dropped their packs and moved towards the side of the road.
"Ah, then I'll be waiting here then," replied the trader worriedly tugging on the reins of the horse to halt it.
Suddenly, a lion burst out of the grass and leaped straight at Polka. She was instantly knocked off her feet as a clawed paw struck her chest. It then took a big bite out of her shoulder.
"Get off her!" roared Botan as she tried to claw its head. It suddenly let go of the screaming monk's shoulder and leaped back to avoid her claws. However, that left it open.
Nene practically shouted out the healing note as she stabbed the wild animal in its side. At the same time, Lamy clutched her amulet as she muttered softly shoving her hand at the fox girl. A shimmering aura coated her and then the cleric turned her attention to the beast, her hand going in a grasping motion and pointed at it. The frost that formed over the entire head caused it to roar in agony. It tried to maul Polka again but with the ice over its eyes and the shimmering aura covering the monk, it failed to do anything of note.
The fennec fox girl wasted no time leaping to her feet and sent a roundhouse kick to its frosty nose. The crunch was audible. She kept up the pace and landed a thunderous punch to the exact same place with a furious yell. The force of the blow pretty much shattered the front of its skull and it went down in a heap, blood flowing out its nose.
"Are you alright?" asked the lion girl as the monk bent over with her hands over her knees, her heavy breaths gulping down precious air.
"I…'m fine..." was the ragged reply. As the others gathered around her and showed their concern, her breathing leveled and she then said, "You know… can we bring the body and sell it at the village?"
Everyone blinked. The trader brought her horse over and asked, "So, what's the plan now?"
Polka grinned and said, "Well, it's like this..."
Chapter 3
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 3
In the end, Botan was asked to carry the body to the village. She picked it up easily and carried over her shoulders. With that settled, the group made their way to the village. They reached it late afternoon.
"Well, this is where we part. Thanks for the help," Jen said thankfully as she handed over a bag, "Here's your reward, eighty gold. Don't spend it all in one place, eh?"
"Thank you very much," the four replied with grins on their faces.
"Alright, let's get this to someone. I'm sure there is a butcher or a leatherworker in the village somewhere," stated Polka as the trader brought the horse over to the general store, "We can sell off the body and make a little extra."
This little titbit piqued Botan's interest. "Hmm, can we keep the head as a trophy?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"I don't see why not."
"Okay! Let's find someone to do this then!" the lion girl exclaimed as she proceeded to drag the fennec fox girl with her.
"Ah-ha… I guess take this time to rest and look around I suppose," stated Nene sheepishly, with Lamy nodding in sound agreement.
So, both of them relaxed their guard and wandered around the village. Meanwhile, the lion and the fox successfully found not a butcher but a hunter who knows how to butcher various animals, lions included. He was a little surprised to find a lion girl bringing an actual lion to him but he quickly got over it and bought the body from them. After an hour, Botan walked away with the head of a lion. He did inform them that because Polka's punch wrecked the skull, they had to be careful in handling the head so as to not have the bone shards cut through its skin.
"Ready?" asked the bard as everyone met up at the entrance.
"La-lion, la-lion," sang out the lion girl softly as she carefully carried the head.
"Alright… let's get back to the city," declared Nene as they began walking.
Indeed, they were eager to get back, their fighter even more so as she had a grand trophy to display. Well, they would have to find a taxidermist to stuff it, but she would be willing to pay well if it ended up good. The sun had just begun to dip into the horizon when she noticed something odd in the distance. She was about to say something when…
"Hey, what's that?" spoke up Polka as she pointed in the distance. It was a little blurry but they could see something large and wolf-like. With something green or brown on it.
"Hmm, I see it too," muttered Botan. It was then a breath of wind picked up and blew towards them. She was able to get a whiff of something odd and familiar. She blinked and her lion ears twitched in response. "I think… huh, strange… it smells of goblins and worgs."
"Is that bad?" asked Nene with curiosity in her voice.
"Well… if they are raiders, it would be..." the former started but then, the howling started.
"That doesn't sound good," stated Lamy as she dropped her pack. The other two did the same.
"Guh, not good, not good," repeated the fighter as she dropped her pack and carefully placed the lion's head next to it, "Just two… must be a scout party. Not sure if this is a new one or not, but if it finds the village, it will be under threat."
"Okay, let's get ready," muttered the bard as she and the monk got their throwing items ready.
As the cleric chanted and placed blessings upon them, the lion girl nocked an arrow to her shortbow and aimed. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Release. The arrow flew true, lodging into its chest and sent him flying off the worg. The remaining goblin started shouting in an unknown language and the worgs split off, one heading straight to their front while the other circled around them, the goblin on it content to take potshots at the group. A goblin arrow became lodged in the fighter's shoulder but she pulled it out immediately as it was only a piece of sharpened wood fletched with feathers. The moment the first worg came near, dagger and dart flew true but they clanged off the roughshod armor that was strapped to the wolf-like beast.
"Incoming," warned Nene as she ran up to serve as Botan's backup. Frost, dart, and arrow injured the charging beast but it barely slowed it down as it clamped down on her arm with its sharp teeth.
"Get him!" Botan shouted as she raised her bitten arm, exposing its underbelly.
The bard tried to help but somehow, she could barely pierce its leathery hide. Magic worked better as Lamy sent a flash of bright light that tore through its skin easily. The fighter then pushed the dead body away and in one swift move, shot goblin number two in the head. The remaining worg howled and charged down on them. It shrugged off the projectiles that pierced its skin and tried to attack the -half-snow elf. It moved too fast and she got out of the way of its furious bite.
However, this opened it to getting piled on by the entire party. Blood dripping down its side and flanks, it tried to run away, but Nene got to it in the throat before it could. She pulled out her weapon and flicked the blood off.
"Woohoo, another victory!" exclaimed Polka as she did a few cartwheels, "We're on fire!"
"Thank goodness," muttered the lion girl as she drank her potion of healing.
"Well, let's get moving," said Lamy as she went to pick up her pack, "We better warn the guards when we get back. Maybe they could send people over to check up on the village."
They agreed as they mirrored her actions. Soon, the party was making their way back to the city once more. The sun was halfway down when they heard the sound of galloping. A centaur came into view, looking quite harried and tired.
"Help, please!" he pleaded as howls and growls followed after him, "My patrol was attacked and my two friends died. Please, I ask for your aid."
"Let's do this," shouted Botan as she set the lion head down carefully once more.
The party lined themselves in front of the injured centaur as the pack of hyena's arrived and stalked them. They were led by a larger, more brutish hyena that growled at them. They held their ground for a moment… then Polka threw a dart at one of the hyenas. The beasts charged them down, their slavering jaws biting at the first body part they saw. As they crashed against the line, the injured centaur aided them by attacking beyond the reach of the hyenas with its pike. The normal hyenas were taken out easily and they fell under the party's weapons and punches and claws.
The giant hyena took a little more time. Lamy's frost ray coupled with Botan's claws and Nene's rapier whittled it down a little. However, that kept it occupied long enough for the monk to rain blows into its side. Combined with another jab of the centaur's pike, the whittling stacked up and the fighter took the final blow. The large beast collapsed to the earth as the lion girl ripped out its throat and threw the piece of flesh down behind her.
The injured centaur let loose a breath of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you for your aid."
"No worries," replied the bard with a smile, "We were glad to help."
He nodded and continued, "Please, I wish to know the names of my rescuers that I may tell my tribe. Then, perhaps we can repay your help in the future." After getting their names, he bowed and said, "Once again, my thanks. I shall leave you now. I must see to the bodies of my friends."
"That was kind of sad though," muttered the bard as the party went to retrieve their belongings, "They are just hunters doing their job and they lost two people just like that."
"That's life," stated the lion girl as she gingerly picked up the lion head, "Things will happen outside what we expect. You just have to roll with it and adapt."
"All we can do is mitigate the harshness of life," added Lamy, "It's why we do this. To help and ease their burdens."
"Hey, enough being gloomy," chided Polka as she threw her hands up in the air, "We did some good deeds today, so cheer up a little!"
Muted chuckling rippled through the party, lightening the mood as they made their way back to the city. At the gate, they paused to notify the guards about the goblins. After getting assurances of redirected patrol, they went back to the guild house. By that time, night had fallen when they stepped into the building.
"Hello, welcome back," greeted Miyabi with a gentle smile, "You're the last ones back. How was it?"
As the others told the guild clerk what happened, Nene looked around. The counter had several candles to keep the place brightly lit. She could hear strains of musical notes coming from the side room. Thinking back to the barely decorated room, she wondered if Botan would place the lion head there.
"Hmm, this would be difficult," Miyabi stated as he looked over the head, "Most of the shops are closed right now. You will have to get someone to help preserve this until tomorrow."
"Oh? So do you know anyone?" asked Botan with concern.
"Well… tell you what. Try and find Artia in the bar," he suggested after some thought, "She attends the school and she might know someone who could magically preserve this."
Immediately, the lion girl raced out of the building. "...I didn't even tell her Artia's description yet," he whined a little.
Nene sighed and said, "We better go after her."
They hurried out the door and went after the eager fighter. At the bar, they found their lion girl talking to a white-haired, red-eyed girl sitting alone at the table.
"...I guess… I think I can direct you to someone who can," they overheard what they presumed to be Artia.
"Yes, thank you so much!" Botan exclaimed.
"Alright, you're lucky I've just finished my meal and on my way to return to my dorm," she stated as she stood up, "Follow me, then."
"Good evening, Artia. What brings you here?" asked the teacher, who Artia brought the party to. She was in the class looking through student's work when they met up with her. She had pink flowing hair and bright red eyes. She also had an animated skeleton of a dog sitting at her feet. This lent to her having a necromancer's vibe to her, which unnerved the party a little.
"Umm, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Miss Rushia," apologized the wizard, "But, erm, these are… new guild members and they wish to ask for help." She then motioned Botan to make her request.
"Er, yes, umm, can you help me preserve this? At least until tomorrow, so that I can get it stuffed," asked the lion girl as she held up the lion's head.
The teacher sat there in silence, staring at them for a few seconds. It began to feel like she was going to refuse when she said, "I can… but I will require payment."
"If we are able to afford it, we can," the fighter immediately answered.
"Very well," the former stated as she got up from the table.
Moving to an empty space in the class, she took out a piece of chalk from her pocket and knelt down to draw out a magic circle. Artia motioned them to take a seat while they waited. A minute later, the circle and the related signs and runes were drawn.
"Alright, place the head in the circle and you can leave," Rushia stated and explained as she pulled out an arcane rod, "The ritual will take a while to cast, but you can retrieve it tomorrow. The head will be protected from decay and rot for ten days, even after more mundane methods are used to preserve it."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" exclaimed Botan.
"A hundred gold."
"...eh?"
"A hundred gold, if you would please pay up now?" the teacher stated with a smile as she held out her hand.
After pooling their resources, they successfully paid the teacher, who gave them a smile and deposited the bag on the table. She then bent down to take her spellbook that her familiar retrieved. She then proceeded to shoo them out, wanting to commence the ritual. The last thing they saw before they left was her placing copper pieces over the head's eyes.
"Urgh, all the gold we earned went to her," groaned Polka as they made their way back to the bar for something to eat.
"At least we still have some money with us," comforted Nene, giving the fennec fox girl a weak smile.
"Hmm, maybe we should take a more difficult request tomorrow," mused Botan, "After getting the head to someone who can turn it into a trophy, of course."
"Indeed. Maybe we might be able to get a discount by doing something for whomever is doing it," added Lamy, "Regardless, let's have dinner. We have plenty to figure out tomorrow."
The party was in agreement. As they stepped through the doors, they were greeted with a lot of clapping and cheering. Two bards were busy playing a rousing song and having everyone singing along. It was a funny one that got everyone into it. The two musicians seemed familiar… and then it hit them as they took a seat away from the boisterous crowd.
"Aren't those the two that were chasing after that girl yesterday?" asked their bard as she hummed the tune in play.
"Hmm, wonder what happened to her..." mused the fennec fox girl.
"One, that girl is actually a guy," spoke up a voice behind her, "Two, I'm right behind you."
She jerked and looked around in surprise. That same blue-haired girl… guy… was standing behind her, arms crossed over his chest, twirling a lock of his hair with his finger.
"Er, sorry?" she apologized sheepishly but he waved her off.
"It's fine," he assured her, "Everyone at the guild knows it, so no worries. Also, it's fun trying to trick newbies."
"Hn, we aren't newbies anymore," stated the lion girl, looking a little annoyed.
He grinned and replied, "Maybe… but you haven't gone all that far yet. You're still dealing in small fry. No worries. You'll have time. Then, maybe you can join me in some shenanigans."
With that, he walked off and blended in with the crowd.
"Huh, that's one of our seniors then," Nene muttered but was taken aback when she turned to her friends. All three of them seemed to be fired up by his words. "...I guess we're getting that difficult quest tomorrow then," she presumed with a smile.
"Yes!" said all three. She giggled. Truth be told, she felt the same way. A little.
The party of four vowed to get stronger and show the world what they were made of.
AN: So, when I was writing this chapter last year, the whole Taiwan debacle hadn't happened yet. Hence, not only will HoloCN be included, they will play some part in this here story. First up is Artia.
Artia
Ice Genasi
Order of Scribes Wizard
So, Ice Genasi is a homebrew thing I found. Add one to Con and Wis, ice/cold resistance, and a frost breath that is similar to a dragonborn's breath weapon. While Order of Scribes lets you use your spellbook as your focus as well as modify your spell's damage type. And since she is supposed to be an ice elementalist, whatever damage spells she uses will be changed to cold damage.
And then Kira from Holostars.
Kira Yagami
Human, Variant
Rogue/Bard multiclass
Assassin/College of Glamour
When I first saw him, I was thinking about how androgynous he looked. To weave that fact into his character, I gave him the Charlatan background. He's supposed to be good in PvP(dunno what game though, wasn't mentioned), so I decided on Assassin. Collage of Glamour helps reinforce his Charlatan background. Not to mention he is a pretty good singer.
In the end, Botan was asked to carry the body to the village. She picked it up easily and carried over her shoulders. With that settled, the group made their way to the village. They reached it late afternoon.
"Well, this is where we part. Thanks for the help," Jen said thankfully as she handed over a bag, "Here's your reward, eighty gold. Don't spend it all in one place, eh?"
"Thank you very much," the four replied with grins on their faces.
"Alright, let's get this to someone. I'm sure there is a butcher or a leatherworker in the village somewhere," stated Polka as the trader brought the horse over to the general store, "We can sell off the body and make a little extra."
This little titbit piqued Botan's interest. "Hmm, can we keep the head as a trophy?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"I don't see why not."
"Okay! Let's find someone to do this then!" the lion girl exclaimed as she proceeded to drag the fennec fox girl with her.
"Ah-ha… I guess take this time to rest and look around I suppose," stated Nene sheepishly, with Lamy nodding in sound agreement.
So, both of them relaxed their guard and wandered around the village. Meanwhile, the lion and the fox successfully found not a butcher but a hunter who knows how to butcher various animals, lions included. He was a little surprised to find a lion girl bringing an actual lion to him but he quickly got over it and bought the body from them. After an hour, Botan walked away with the head of a lion. He did inform them that because Polka's punch wrecked the skull, they had to be careful in handling the head so as to not have the bone shards cut through its skin.
"Ready?" asked the bard as everyone met up at the entrance.
"La-lion, la-lion," sang out the lion girl softly as she carefully carried the head.
"Alright… let's get back to the city," declared Nene as they began walking.
Indeed, they were eager to get back, their fighter even more so as she had a grand trophy to display. Well, they would have to find a taxidermist to stuff it, but she would be willing to pay well if it ended up good. The sun had just begun to dip into the horizon when she noticed something odd in the distance. She was about to say something when…
"Hey, what's that?" spoke up Polka as she pointed in the distance. It was a little blurry but they could see something large and wolf-like. With something green or brown on it.
"Hmm, I see it too," muttered Botan. It was then a breath of wind picked up and blew towards them. She was able to get a whiff of something odd and familiar. She blinked and her lion ears twitched in response. "I think… huh, strange… it smells of goblins and worgs."
"Is that bad?" asked Nene with curiosity in her voice.
"Well… if they are raiders, it would be..." the former started but then, the howling started.
"That doesn't sound good," stated Lamy as she dropped her pack. The other two did the same.
"Guh, not good, not good," repeated the fighter as she dropped her pack and carefully placed the lion's head next to it, "Just two… must be a scout party. Not sure if this is a new one or not, but if it finds the village, it will be under threat."
"Okay, let's get ready," muttered the bard as she and the monk got their throwing items ready.
As the cleric chanted and placed blessings upon them, the lion girl nocked an arrow to her shortbow and aimed. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Release. The arrow flew true, lodging into its chest and sent him flying off the worg. The remaining goblin started shouting in an unknown language and the worgs split off, one heading straight to their front while the other circled around them, the goblin on it content to take potshots at the group. A goblin arrow became lodged in the fighter's shoulder but she pulled it out immediately as it was only a piece of sharpened wood fletched with feathers. The moment the first worg came near, dagger and dart flew true but they clanged off the roughshod armor that was strapped to the wolf-like beast.
"Incoming," warned Nene as she ran up to serve as Botan's backup. Frost, dart, and arrow injured the charging beast but it barely slowed it down as it clamped down on her arm with its sharp teeth.
"Get him!" Botan shouted as she raised her bitten arm, exposing its underbelly.
The bard tried to help but somehow, she could barely pierce its leathery hide. Magic worked better as Lamy sent a flash of bright light that tore through its skin easily. The fighter then pushed the dead body away and in one swift move, shot goblin number two in the head. The remaining worg howled and charged down on them. It shrugged off the projectiles that pierced its skin and tried to attack the -half-snow elf. It moved too fast and she got out of the way of its furious bite.
However, this opened it to getting piled on by the entire party. Blood dripping down its side and flanks, it tried to run away, but Nene got to it in the throat before it could. She pulled out her weapon and flicked the blood off.
"Woohoo, another victory!" exclaimed Polka as she did a few cartwheels, "We're on fire!"
"Thank goodness," muttered the lion girl as she drank her potion of healing.
"Well, let's get moving," said Lamy as she went to pick up her pack, "We better warn the guards when we get back. Maybe they could send people over to check up on the village."
They agreed as they mirrored her actions. Soon, the party was making their way back to the city once more. The sun was halfway down when they heard the sound of galloping. A centaur came into view, looking quite harried and tired.
"Help, please!" he pleaded as howls and growls followed after him, "My patrol was attacked and my two friends died. Please, I ask for your aid."
"Let's do this," shouted Botan as she set the lion head down carefully once more.
The party lined themselves in front of the injured centaur as the pack of hyena's arrived and stalked them. They were led by a larger, more brutish hyena that growled at them. They held their ground for a moment… then Polka threw a dart at one of the hyenas. The beasts charged them down, their slavering jaws biting at the first body part they saw. As they crashed against the line, the injured centaur aided them by attacking beyond the reach of the hyenas with its pike. The normal hyenas were taken out easily and they fell under the party's weapons and punches and claws.
The giant hyena took a little more time. Lamy's frost ray coupled with Botan's claws and Nene's rapier whittled it down a little. However, that kept it occupied long enough for the monk to rain blows into its side. Combined with another jab of the centaur's pike, the whittling stacked up and the fighter took the final blow. The large beast collapsed to the earth as the lion girl ripped out its throat and threw the piece of flesh down behind her.
The injured centaur let loose a breath of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you for your aid."
"No worries," replied the bard with a smile, "We were glad to help."
He nodded and continued, "Please, I wish to know the names of my rescuers that I may tell my tribe. Then, perhaps we can repay your help in the future." After getting their names, he bowed and said, "Once again, my thanks. I shall leave you now. I must see to the bodies of my friends."
"That was kind of sad though," muttered the bard as the party went to retrieve their belongings, "They are just hunters doing their job and they lost two people just like that."
"That's life," stated the lion girl as she gingerly picked up the lion head, "Things will happen outside what we expect. You just have to roll with it and adapt."
"All we can do is mitigate the harshness of life," added Lamy, "It's why we do this. To help and ease their burdens."
"Hey, enough being gloomy," chided Polka as she threw her hands up in the air, "We did some good deeds today, so cheer up a little!"
Muted chuckling rippled through the party, lightening the mood as they made their way back to the city. At the gate, they paused to notify the guards about the goblins. After getting assurances of redirected patrol, they went back to the guild house. By that time, night had fallen when they stepped into the building.
"Hello, welcome back," greeted Miyabi with a gentle smile, "You're the last ones back. How was it?"
As the others told the guild clerk what happened, Nene looked around. The counter had several candles to keep the place brightly lit. She could hear strains of musical notes coming from the side room. Thinking back to the barely decorated room, she wondered if Botan would place the lion head there.
"Hmm, this would be difficult," Miyabi stated as he looked over the head, "Most of the shops are closed right now. You will have to get someone to help preserve this until tomorrow."
"Oh? So do you know anyone?" asked Botan with concern.
"Well… tell you what. Try and find Artia in the bar," he suggested after some thought, "She attends the school and she might know someone who could magically preserve this."
Immediately, the lion girl raced out of the building. "...I didn't even tell her Artia's description yet," he whined a little.
Nene sighed and said, "We better go after her."
They hurried out the door and went after the eager fighter. At the bar, they found their lion girl talking to a white-haired, red-eyed girl sitting alone at the table.
"...I guess… I think I can direct you to someone who can," they overheard what they presumed to be Artia.
"Yes, thank you so much!" Botan exclaimed.
"Alright, you're lucky I've just finished my meal and on my way to return to my dorm," she stated as she stood up, "Follow me, then."
"Good evening, Artia. What brings you here?" asked the teacher, who Artia brought the party to. She was in the class looking through student's work when they met up with her. She had pink flowing hair and bright red eyes. She also had an animated skeleton of a dog sitting at her feet. This lent to her having a necromancer's vibe to her, which unnerved the party a little.
"Umm, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Miss Rushia," apologized the wizard, "But, erm, these are… new guild members and they wish to ask for help." She then motioned Botan to make her request.
"Er, yes, umm, can you help me preserve this? At least until tomorrow, so that I can get it stuffed," asked the lion girl as she held up the lion's head.
The teacher sat there in silence, staring at them for a few seconds. It began to feel like she was going to refuse when she said, "I can… but I will require payment."
"If we are able to afford it, we can," the fighter immediately answered.
"Very well," the former stated as she got up from the table.
Moving to an empty space in the class, she took out a piece of chalk from her pocket and knelt down to draw out a magic circle. Artia motioned them to take a seat while they waited. A minute later, the circle and the related signs and runes were drawn.
"Alright, place the head in the circle and you can leave," Rushia stated and explained as she pulled out an arcane rod, "The ritual will take a while to cast, but you can retrieve it tomorrow. The head will be protected from decay and rot for ten days, even after more mundane methods are used to preserve it."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" exclaimed Botan.
"A hundred gold."
"...eh?"
"A hundred gold, if you would please pay up now?" the teacher stated with a smile as she held out her hand.
After pooling their resources, they successfully paid the teacher, who gave them a smile and deposited the bag on the table. She then bent down to take her spellbook that her familiar retrieved. She then proceeded to shoo them out, wanting to commence the ritual. The last thing they saw before they left was her placing copper pieces over the head's eyes.
"Urgh, all the gold we earned went to her," groaned Polka as they made their way back to the bar for something to eat.
"At least we still have some money with us," comforted Nene, giving the fennec fox girl a weak smile.
"Hmm, maybe we should take a more difficult request tomorrow," mused Botan, "After getting the head to someone who can turn it into a trophy, of course."
"Indeed. Maybe we might be able to get a discount by doing something for whomever is doing it," added Lamy, "Regardless, let's have dinner. We have plenty to figure out tomorrow."
The party was in agreement. As they stepped through the doors, they were greeted with a lot of clapping and cheering. Two bards were busy playing a rousing song and having everyone singing along. It was a funny one that got everyone into it. The two musicians seemed familiar… and then it hit them as they took a seat away from the boisterous crowd.
"Aren't those the two that were chasing after that girl yesterday?" asked their bard as she hummed the tune in play.
"Hmm, wonder what happened to her..." mused the fennec fox girl.
"One, that girl is actually a guy," spoke up a voice behind her, "Two, I'm right behind you."
She jerked and looked around in surprise. That same blue-haired girl… guy… was standing behind her, arms crossed over his chest, twirling a lock of his hair with his finger.
"Er, sorry?" she apologized sheepishly but he waved her off.
"It's fine," he assured her, "Everyone at the guild knows it, so no worries. Also, it's fun trying to trick newbies."
"Hn, we aren't newbies anymore," stated the lion girl, looking a little annoyed.
He grinned and replied, "Maybe… but you haven't gone all that far yet. You're still dealing in small fry. No worries. You'll have time. Then, maybe you can join me in some shenanigans."
With that, he walked off and blended in with the crowd.
"Huh, that's one of our seniors then," Nene muttered but was taken aback when she turned to her friends. All three of them seemed to be fired up by his words. "...I guess we're getting that difficult quest tomorrow then," she presumed with a smile.
"Yes!" said all three. She giggled. Truth be told, she felt the same way. A little.
The party of four vowed to get stronger and show the world what they were made of.
AN: So, when I was writing this chapter last year, the whole Taiwan debacle hadn't happened yet. Hence, not only will HoloCN be included, they will play some part in this here story. First up is Artia.
Artia
Ice Genasi
Order of Scribes Wizard
So, Ice Genasi is a homebrew thing I found. Add one to Con and Wis, ice/cold resistance, and a frost breath that is similar to a dragonborn's breath weapon. While Order of Scribes lets you use your spellbook as your focus as well as modify your spell's damage type. And since she is supposed to be an ice elementalist, whatever damage spells she uses will be changed to cold damage.
And then Kira from Holostars.
Kira Yagami
Human, Variant
Rogue/Bard multiclass
Assassin/College of Glamour
When I first saw him, I was thinking about how androgynous he looked. To weave that fact into his character, I gave him the Charlatan background. He's supposed to be good in PvP(dunno what game though, wasn't mentioned), so I decided on Assassin. Collage of Glamour helps reinforce his Charlatan background. Not to mention he is a pretty good singer.
Chapter 4
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 4
The day began easily enough. The party went to retrieve Botan's lion head at the school. Then, after some enquiries, they were directed to a hunting shop and tannery that was known to do embalming and preservation of animals on the side. In the shop, they were greeted by an assortment of bows and arrows. The lady at the counter greeted them with a smile, "Good morning. How may I help you today?"
"Good morning. I wish to have this become a trophy," replied the lion girl as she placed the head on the counter.
The counter lady looked at her and then at the head. "Oh, the irony," she muttered before addressing her customer, "Well, it seems the early bird caught the worm. Sure we can turn this head into a trophy. Um, give my husband a day or two and it'll be ready and waiting for you to collect."
"That's great," Botan said with a toothy smile, "How much do I need to pay?"
"Three hundred silver pieces," the lady stated.
The lion girl paid up happily and then the party went back to the guild house to look for a new request. When they reached there, there were several people already there. A few were leaving, the girly senior included. He winked at them as they passed each other. They decided to ignore that and headed straight to the board. There were several others there with one recognizable face.
"Hey, Artia," greeted Polka with a grin, "Who are your friends?"
"Hello," returned the frost mage. Motioning to the two beside her, she introduced, "This is Doris from the Deep Sea and Civia from Gekko."
The mermaid triton and half-unicorn waved at the party with smiles, "Hello."
"Oh, we're from Gekko too!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed as she pulled Botan in.
"Ah, nice! From the Dankimba tribe, yes?" asked the half-unicorn.
"Yeah… although, I've never heard of half-unicorns before," stated the lion girl.
"Ah... we aren't normally seen and pretty secretive?" she said a little sheepishly.
"Hn, I guess..." the fighter accepted.
After a few awkward seconds, Nene piped up, "Anyway, we won't take too much of your time. We need to take a quest, after all."
"Ah, yes. We'll be going now," replied the frost mage gratefully as she pulled her two friends away, "Good day!"
"What was that about?" the bard asked as she turned to face the fighter.
"...Nothing… just curious."
She stared at her for a moment longer before deciding to put it aside for now and went back to request hunting. After a while, it was Lamy who pulled something off the board. She took it to Miyabi and the other three followed after her.
He scrutinized it for a moment before saying, "Huh, this will take you far outside the city. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," they said in unison.
"Alright… so, you'll be going to hub town Solfano to see the mayor for directions to the mystery cave," he informed them, "I suggest taking a cart from the east gate to get there to shorten travel time, though if you want to go on foot, it will take a longer time. I'll leave the decision up to you."
"Yosh, let's go then," said Polka cheerfully.
The party decided to take a cart there. The half-snow elf cleric hired it at the stable, everyone got on and they were on their way. The forest in the morning was peaceful and beautiful. And for a moment, it remained that way. Nene listened intently to the sounds of the forest. Botan kept her eyes on the road, looking a little bored. Polka was attempting to juggle her darts and somewhat failing with all the shaking of the cart. Lamy sat there with her eyes closed and meditating serenely.
Suddenly, two javelins thudded into the driver's seat, prompting a high-pitched shriek from the driver. This jolted everyone out of their peace and put them on alert.
"This is a hold-up!" called out a bandit as a group of four of them stepped out of the forest and onto the path, accompanied by two orcs, "Drop all your money and your valuables over the side of your cart and you can be on your way. Your lives are in your hands."
"Bandits?" muttered the bard under her breath.
"Let's get them," said the fighter eagerly.
"Hey, can you distract them for a moment? I might be able to sneak around and get them," the monk suddenly asked them.
"Eh, wait..." protested the cleric but she had already tumbled out of the cart.
Nene glanced at her in disbelief for a moment, but then turned her attention to the holdup, "Erm mind letting us go instead? We are going on a request run on behalf of the adventurers guild."
"Oy, guild or not, we have to eat," the bandit said as he shrugged, "Besides, we got some good back up here." The orcs just grinned, showing off their teeth and tusks.
"Alright, don't blame us if you lose your lives over nothing here," she tried persuading them further.
"Alright, enough jabbering. Are you gonna give us your gold or not?" he retorted.
"Not in your lifetime!" shouted Botan.
"Your loss then. Alright, let's get our keep," the bandit said as he motioned the others forward, "Kill the driver if he twitches."
From the corner of her eye, Nene spotted Polka sneaking behind the trees. Deciding that a more impressive distraction was needed, she drew out her dagger and threw it at the lead bandit, drawing blood from his cheek.
"Why you-"
"Hai-yaaa!" shouted the monk as she ran and flew forward with a flying kick, the ball of her foot slamming into a bandit's temple.
"Get her!" shouted the other bandit as they trained their crossbows on her. Two of the bolts got lodged in her arms as she tried to protect her face and body.
Meanwhile, Botan shot an arrow into the first bandit's neck, dropping him quickly. This drew the orc's attention; spouting insults in orcish, they threw their javelins at her but the simple sharpened spears sailed over her head. Concerned, Lamy clutched her amulet as she waved her arms while chanting, praying for blessings on her party.
The bard, feeling concerned with the monk's position, called out to the nearest bandit and said with magic laced words, "Hey! I'm the number one adventurer in Rivirapolis!"
The bandit took one look at her and started laughing hysterically, doubling over and falling to the floor while clutching his sides. Nene's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Polka cartwheeled around the bandit in front of her, placing herself between him and the nearest orc. She kicked the bandit in the throat and punched the orc in the chest at the same time. However, a crossbow bolt slammed into her chest and knocked her over. The shooter was in turn taken down by arrow and frost. The orcs tried to stop them but their javelins missed again. At that moment, the cleric called out the same healing word that Nene knew, much to her surprise, and rejuvenated Polka, who pulled out the arrow as she got to her feet.
The bard got over her confusion, chalking it up to some godly thing, and targeted the orc, "Hey, stupid orc! Weakling like you can't kill anything!"
Her words struck the orc, shocking it a little which turned into a rage. As it started directing orcish insults at her, Polka continued her striking spree, jumping up and driving her elbow into the other orc's head. She then threw a straight punch at the enraged one, who still had the presence of mind to dodge back and avoid it. Yet, that put it in the path of Botan's arrow that got lodged in its thick muscular neck. Its rage abated when it saw its ally and employers either laughing or dead, it then started running away. The monk tried to trip it and sweep its feet under, it was able to keep its balance and ran off.
"Let's finish this!" declared Lamy before directing her ice at the laughing bandit. That shocked him out of his condition.
He tried standing up but then the bard shouted, "Hey! Stay down, loser!"
He collapsed back onto the ground, shocked by her words. All the monk had to do was walk over and land an axe kick on his face. Meanwhile, Botan drew her arrow back and led the shot before releasing it. The fleeing orc never had a chance.
"By the gods, I'm still alive!" exclaimed the driver, who had remained in terrified silence the whole battle.
"I'm glad you still are," replied the bard, feeling a little squeamish after looking at what they did, "Will you still be able to get us to Solfano?"
"With everyone protecting me, I certainly can!" said the driver gratefully while the lion girl jumped off and went over to help the monk search the bodies for loot. After they were done, they continued on their way. The others didn't seem to be affected by the bloody battle but Nene was having uneasiness settle over her. While she understood that they had to do what they had to do… still, she wished that she was able to talk down the bandits.
"Are you under the weather, Nene?" asked Lamy suddenly.
"Ah… erm, I was kinda wondering if we could have talked those bandits out of attacking us earlier," she admitted.
"Well, I applaud your care for the sanctity of life. I care too," the half-snow elf told her, "However, desperation sometimes drives people to do terrible things and force our hands… Still, you should be fine. You regret taking their lives. That doesn't make you a terrible person. It only makes you human. Well, mortal… um, you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," she replied, a demure smile forming on her face, "Thank you, Lamy."
The cleric only smiled in response.
The cart reached Solfana without any further obstacles. The party thanked the driver and said their goodbyes. After getting some directions, they headed straight for the mayor's office.
"We have been getting word that there were strange sounds and lights coming from the Dead Forest. It is a large forest of dead trees a bit north and far east from the town. The legend used to be that the Demon of Fear lived there while it was whole but after Subaru, Smiter of Fear, defeated it, it had been uninhabited until now. The fox cleric with her said that the demon won't be returning until many years in the future so it couldn't be it. Please, I implore you to find out what is happening there. I do not want to leave it alone until it is too late and the livelihoods of the farming communities here are threatened."
The mayor's words were taken to heart and they remained in the forefront as they checked into the town inn. With two people per room, they had their dinner and settled down for sleep. Once morning came, they set out for the forest after finishing their preparations. They made it in good time, reaching there with the sun still high in the sky. The forest seemed deserted and the wind was still. It gave the area a creepy atmosphere.
Stepping into the forest, they had a lot of questions on their minds. Why was this forest still here if it was dead? How could it still exist? Is there still anything living here?
The crackle of the dead plant matter crunched under travel boots as they made their way deeper into the forest. Eventually, they came to a cave entrance.
"Huh, is this where all those things are coming from?" asked Polka in confusion, "Do we need to go inside?"
"Looks like it," stated Botan, as she took out a torch from her pack, the monk shrugging and mirroring her actions. Lighting the torches, the party headed inside the cave.
They trekked in the claustrophobic tunnel for what seemed to be several minutes. The tunnel eventually opened up into a cavernous area that had two other exits. The larger one had collapsed while the smaller one was clear. The party went through the only option there one by one. The smaller tunnel led to an even larger cavern. In addition to that, there was a very faint growling that Nene and Lamy caught on to just in time. As the ghouls came out of the shadows, the cleric raised her amulet and shouted, "Return to your graves!"
Two of the ghouls groaned and started shuffling away from them while the remaining one shambled over and tried to attack her. Its arms clashed uselessly against her shield while the others beat it down. They then focused the other two down one by one, taking advantage of their turned state. Only Nene got injured in that scuffle as the ghoul got a lucky claw on her arm.
"That was manageable," quipped Polka as she picked up her torch that she dropped.
"Let's not waste any time. Something strange is happening and we need to find out," stated Botan as she did the same.
"How do you know?" asked the bard.
"A gut feeling."
The party made their way deeper into the cave system. The large cavern narrowed down as it led to another exit at the other side. They walked past a rather large stalactite-stalagmite formation right in front of it. Once again, Lamy and Nene somehow were able to hear faint scratchings as if something was walking on the stone floor.
"We are not alone," muttered the bard as she looked around to find the source of the sound, alerting the other two. Lamy then proceeded to pray for blessings again.
It seemed to trigger their ambushers as a glint of metal flashed by as several projectiles were thrown at them. All of them missed save one, which scratched Polka by the side of her head, prompting a yelp. Botan immediately shot at the first form she saw while Polka and Nene did the same at the figure behind them. Loud chittering accompanied the mantis-like humanoids that bounded out of the dark, the one attacking the fighter got a ray of frost freezing one of its lower arms. Both thri-kreen attacked her and the monk respectively. They were skilled with their double-bladed polearms and they were not left untouched. They retaliated but while Botan failed to find her mark, Polka managed to punch hers in the face.
"Hang in there, Botan. Backup is on the way!" shouted Nene as she moved in to help the monk, her rapier piercing its carapace with ease. Lamy helped, sending her next ray of frost into its body.
More chittering accompanied the swing of their blades as the thri-kreen persisted. The one in front was locked in combat with the fighter while the one from behind was able to down one, stabbing Polka in the shoulder and shoulder checking her off. Botan clawed her way down its chest while it was the bard that helped to protect the monk, stabbing it in the chest while casting her healing note to halt the bleeding.
"Oof, that stung," groaned Polka as she got up, during which Lamy finished it off. The chittering became louder as the remaining thri-kreen tried to strike the fighter down and failed. She tried to move in but her hand was batted away by the flat of its weapon. And the moment the bard and the monk came in to support her, the mantis creature fell under a hail of punches and stabs.
"I hope we fight less," muttered Nene with a frown as she looked over the party. Except for Lamy, everyone else was injured.
"Let's just try and avoid the next one?" suggested Lamy, "Maybe sneak past it?"
"Ah, then… let me scout ahead?" suggested the monk.
"Hng… I guess..." grumbled Botan, but agreeing that maybe the party was a little too banged up.
The monk had a relieved grin on her face as she went on ahead into the next cave. A few minutes later, she came back, her face pale. "Urm… sneaking is good. Yeah… There is this bear...owl… thingy up ahead. I don't think even Botan could handle this one."
"Oh… trophy..." murmured the fighter with a shine in her eyes.
"And how are we going to sneak by it?" asked the half-snow elf.
"Well, it sounds fast asleep. You could hear it snoring," stated the fennec fox girl, glancing over at the more armored party members, "We might… be able to sneak past. Although, your armor is kinda noisy..."
They stood there in silence for a while.
"Hmm… alright, I know what to do," mused the bard, "Take off your armor and carry them."
The day began easily enough. The party went to retrieve Botan's lion head at the school. Then, after some enquiries, they were directed to a hunting shop and tannery that was known to do embalming and preservation of animals on the side. In the shop, they were greeted by an assortment of bows and arrows. The lady at the counter greeted them with a smile, "Good morning. How may I help you today?"
"Good morning. I wish to have this become a trophy," replied the lion girl as she placed the head on the counter.
The counter lady looked at her and then at the head. "Oh, the irony," she muttered before addressing her customer, "Well, it seems the early bird caught the worm. Sure we can turn this head into a trophy. Um, give my husband a day or two and it'll be ready and waiting for you to collect."
"That's great," Botan said with a toothy smile, "How much do I need to pay?"
"Three hundred silver pieces," the lady stated.
The lion girl paid up happily and then the party went back to the guild house to look for a new request. When they reached there, there were several people already there. A few were leaving, the girly senior included. He winked at them as they passed each other. They decided to ignore that and headed straight to the board. There were several others there with one recognizable face.
"Hey, Artia," greeted Polka with a grin, "Who are your friends?"
"Hello," returned the frost mage. Motioning to the two beside her, she introduced, "This is Doris from the Deep Sea and Civia from Gekko."
The mermaid triton and half-unicorn waved at the party with smiles, "Hello."
"Oh, we're from Gekko too!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed as she pulled Botan in.
"Ah, nice! From the Dankimba tribe, yes?" asked the half-unicorn.
"Yeah… although, I've never heard of half-unicorns before," stated the lion girl.
"Ah... we aren't normally seen and pretty secretive?" she said a little sheepishly.
"Hn, I guess..." the fighter accepted.
After a few awkward seconds, Nene piped up, "Anyway, we won't take too much of your time. We need to take a quest, after all."
"Ah, yes. We'll be going now," replied the frost mage gratefully as she pulled her two friends away, "Good day!"
"What was that about?" the bard asked as she turned to face the fighter.
"...Nothing… just curious."
She stared at her for a moment longer before deciding to put it aside for now and went back to request hunting. After a while, it was Lamy who pulled something off the board. She took it to Miyabi and the other three followed after her.
He scrutinized it for a moment before saying, "Huh, this will take you far outside the city. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," they said in unison.
"Alright… so, you'll be going to hub town Solfano to see the mayor for directions to the mystery cave," he informed them, "I suggest taking a cart from the east gate to get there to shorten travel time, though if you want to go on foot, it will take a longer time. I'll leave the decision up to you."
"Yosh, let's go then," said Polka cheerfully.
The party decided to take a cart there. The half-snow elf cleric hired it at the stable, everyone got on and they were on their way. The forest in the morning was peaceful and beautiful. And for a moment, it remained that way. Nene listened intently to the sounds of the forest. Botan kept her eyes on the road, looking a little bored. Polka was attempting to juggle her darts and somewhat failing with all the shaking of the cart. Lamy sat there with her eyes closed and meditating serenely.
Suddenly, two javelins thudded into the driver's seat, prompting a high-pitched shriek from the driver. This jolted everyone out of their peace and put them on alert.
"This is a hold-up!" called out a bandit as a group of four of them stepped out of the forest and onto the path, accompanied by two orcs, "Drop all your money and your valuables over the side of your cart and you can be on your way. Your lives are in your hands."
"Bandits?" muttered the bard under her breath.
"Let's get them," said the fighter eagerly.
"Hey, can you distract them for a moment? I might be able to sneak around and get them," the monk suddenly asked them.
"Eh, wait..." protested the cleric but she had already tumbled out of the cart.
Nene glanced at her in disbelief for a moment, but then turned her attention to the holdup, "Erm mind letting us go instead? We are going on a request run on behalf of the adventurers guild."
"Oy, guild or not, we have to eat," the bandit said as he shrugged, "Besides, we got some good back up here." The orcs just grinned, showing off their teeth and tusks.
"Alright, don't blame us if you lose your lives over nothing here," she tried persuading them further.
"Alright, enough jabbering. Are you gonna give us your gold or not?" he retorted.
"Not in your lifetime!" shouted Botan.
"Your loss then. Alright, let's get our keep," the bandit said as he motioned the others forward, "Kill the driver if he twitches."
From the corner of her eye, Nene spotted Polka sneaking behind the trees. Deciding that a more impressive distraction was needed, she drew out her dagger and threw it at the lead bandit, drawing blood from his cheek.
"Why you-"
"Hai-yaaa!" shouted the monk as she ran and flew forward with a flying kick, the ball of her foot slamming into a bandit's temple.
"Get her!" shouted the other bandit as they trained their crossbows on her. Two of the bolts got lodged in her arms as she tried to protect her face and body.
Meanwhile, Botan shot an arrow into the first bandit's neck, dropping him quickly. This drew the orc's attention; spouting insults in orcish, they threw their javelins at her but the simple sharpened spears sailed over her head. Concerned, Lamy clutched her amulet as she waved her arms while chanting, praying for blessings on her party.
The bard, feeling concerned with the monk's position, called out to the nearest bandit and said with magic laced words, "Hey! I'm the number one adventurer in Rivirapolis!"
The bandit took one look at her and started laughing hysterically, doubling over and falling to the floor while clutching his sides. Nene's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Polka cartwheeled around the bandit in front of her, placing herself between him and the nearest orc. She kicked the bandit in the throat and punched the orc in the chest at the same time. However, a crossbow bolt slammed into her chest and knocked her over. The shooter was in turn taken down by arrow and frost. The orcs tried to stop them but their javelins missed again. At that moment, the cleric called out the same healing word that Nene knew, much to her surprise, and rejuvenated Polka, who pulled out the arrow as she got to her feet.
The bard got over her confusion, chalking it up to some godly thing, and targeted the orc, "Hey, stupid orc! Weakling like you can't kill anything!"
Her words struck the orc, shocking it a little which turned into a rage. As it started directing orcish insults at her, Polka continued her striking spree, jumping up and driving her elbow into the other orc's head. She then threw a straight punch at the enraged one, who still had the presence of mind to dodge back and avoid it. Yet, that put it in the path of Botan's arrow that got lodged in its thick muscular neck. Its rage abated when it saw its ally and employers either laughing or dead, it then started running away. The monk tried to trip it and sweep its feet under, it was able to keep its balance and ran off.
"Let's finish this!" declared Lamy before directing her ice at the laughing bandit. That shocked him out of his condition.
He tried standing up but then the bard shouted, "Hey! Stay down, loser!"
He collapsed back onto the ground, shocked by her words. All the monk had to do was walk over and land an axe kick on his face. Meanwhile, Botan drew her arrow back and led the shot before releasing it. The fleeing orc never had a chance.
"By the gods, I'm still alive!" exclaimed the driver, who had remained in terrified silence the whole battle.
"I'm glad you still are," replied the bard, feeling a little squeamish after looking at what they did, "Will you still be able to get us to Solfano?"
"With everyone protecting me, I certainly can!" said the driver gratefully while the lion girl jumped off and went over to help the monk search the bodies for loot. After they were done, they continued on their way. The others didn't seem to be affected by the bloody battle but Nene was having uneasiness settle over her. While she understood that they had to do what they had to do… still, she wished that she was able to talk down the bandits.
"Are you under the weather, Nene?" asked Lamy suddenly.
"Ah… erm, I was kinda wondering if we could have talked those bandits out of attacking us earlier," she admitted.
"Well, I applaud your care for the sanctity of life. I care too," the half-snow elf told her, "However, desperation sometimes drives people to do terrible things and force our hands… Still, you should be fine. You regret taking their lives. That doesn't make you a terrible person. It only makes you human. Well, mortal… um, you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," she replied, a demure smile forming on her face, "Thank you, Lamy."
The cleric only smiled in response.
The cart reached Solfana without any further obstacles. The party thanked the driver and said their goodbyes. After getting some directions, they headed straight for the mayor's office.
"We have been getting word that there were strange sounds and lights coming from the Dead Forest. It is a large forest of dead trees a bit north and far east from the town. The legend used to be that the Demon of Fear lived there while it was whole but after Subaru, Smiter of Fear, defeated it, it had been uninhabited until now. The fox cleric with her said that the demon won't be returning until many years in the future so it couldn't be it. Please, I implore you to find out what is happening there. I do not want to leave it alone until it is too late and the livelihoods of the farming communities here are threatened."
The mayor's words were taken to heart and they remained in the forefront as they checked into the town inn. With two people per room, they had their dinner and settled down for sleep. Once morning came, they set out for the forest after finishing their preparations. They made it in good time, reaching there with the sun still high in the sky. The forest seemed deserted and the wind was still. It gave the area a creepy atmosphere.
Stepping into the forest, they had a lot of questions on their minds. Why was this forest still here if it was dead? How could it still exist? Is there still anything living here?
The crackle of the dead plant matter crunched under travel boots as they made their way deeper into the forest. Eventually, they came to a cave entrance.
"Huh, is this where all those things are coming from?" asked Polka in confusion, "Do we need to go inside?"
"Looks like it," stated Botan, as she took out a torch from her pack, the monk shrugging and mirroring her actions. Lighting the torches, the party headed inside the cave.
They trekked in the claustrophobic tunnel for what seemed to be several minutes. The tunnel eventually opened up into a cavernous area that had two other exits. The larger one had collapsed while the smaller one was clear. The party went through the only option there one by one. The smaller tunnel led to an even larger cavern. In addition to that, there was a very faint growling that Nene and Lamy caught on to just in time. As the ghouls came out of the shadows, the cleric raised her amulet and shouted, "Return to your graves!"
Two of the ghouls groaned and started shuffling away from them while the remaining one shambled over and tried to attack her. Its arms clashed uselessly against her shield while the others beat it down. They then focused the other two down one by one, taking advantage of their turned state. Only Nene got injured in that scuffle as the ghoul got a lucky claw on her arm.
"That was manageable," quipped Polka as she picked up her torch that she dropped.
"Let's not waste any time. Something strange is happening and we need to find out," stated Botan as she did the same.
"How do you know?" asked the bard.
"A gut feeling."
The party made their way deeper into the cave system. The large cavern narrowed down as it led to another exit at the other side. They walked past a rather large stalactite-stalagmite formation right in front of it. Once again, Lamy and Nene somehow were able to hear faint scratchings as if something was walking on the stone floor.
"We are not alone," muttered the bard as she looked around to find the source of the sound, alerting the other two. Lamy then proceeded to pray for blessings again.
It seemed to trigger their ambushers as a glint of metal flashed by as several projectiles were thrown at them. All of them missed save one, which scratched Polka by the side of her head, prompting a yelp. Botan immediately shot at the first form she saw while Polka and Nene did the same at the figure behind them. Loud chittering accompanied the mantis-like humanoids that bounded out of the dark, the one attacking the fighter got a ray of frost freezing one of its lower arms. Both thri-kreen attacked her and the monk respectively. They were skilled with their double-bladed polearms and they were not left untouched. They retaliated but while Botan failed to find her mark, Polka managed to punch hers in the face.
"Hang in there, Botan. Backup is on the way!" shouted Nene as she moved in to help the monk, her rapier piercing its carapace with ease. Lamy helped, sending her next ray of frost into its body.
More chittering accompanied the swing of their blades as the thri-kreen persisted. The one in front was locked in combat with the fighter while the one from behind was able to down one, stabbing Polka in the shoulder and shoulder checking her off. Botan clawed her way down its chest while it was the bard that helped to protect the monk, stabbing it in the chest while casting her healing note to halt the bleeding.
"Oof, that stung," groaned Polka as she got up, during which Lamy finished it off. The chittering became louder as the remaining thri-kreen tried to strike the fighter down and failed. She tried to move in but her hand was batted away by the flat of its weapon. And the moment the bard and the monk came in to support her, the mantis creature fell under a hail of punches and stabs.
"I hope we fight less," muttered Nene with a frown as she looked over the party. Except for Lamy, everyone else was injured.
"Let's just try and avoid the next one?" suggested Lamy, "Maybe sneak past it?"
"Ah, then… let me scout ahead?" suggested the monk.
"Hng… I guess..." grumbled Botan, but agreeing that maybe the party was a little too banged up.
The monk had a relieved grin on her face as she went on ahead into the next cave. A few minutes later, she came back, her face pale. "Urm… sneaking is good. Yeah… There is this bear...owl… thingy up ahead. I don't think even Botan could handle this one."
"Oh… trophy..." murmured the fighter with a shine in her eyes.
"And how are we going to sneak by it?" asked the half-snow elf.
"Well, it sounds fast asleep. You could hear it snoring," stated the fennec fox girl, glancing over at the more armored party members, "We might… be able to sneak past. Although, your armor is kinda noisy..."
They stood there in silence for a while.
"Hmm… alright, I know what to do," mused the bard, "Take off your armor and carry them."
Chapter 5
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 5
After taking several minutes to doff their armor, they then proceeded to sneak past the owlbear. It was sleeping right next to the exit of the cave, pressed against an indent in the cave wall. Nene and Polka went first with little trouble. Lamy was next. She barely moved five feet before she dropped her gauntlet. Everyone froze when the owlbear snorted and turned around, facing away from the entrance. She, very carefully, bent down and picked up the offending piece of armor, and quickly snuck out of the cave. The moment she got past, she fell to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, it was Botan's turn. Thankfully, she made it past without any incident. They continued on their way after the other two helped to re-don their armor. The last cave was an enormous place. In the far-off corner, they could see a bright glow emanating from something. As they got nearer, they could see a hooded figure hunched over a table, occasionally glancing at something on the floor.
The closer they got, the clearer his words. "-the fiends, this is the next level. This spell is so revolutionary. My lord is truly made of knowledge," the figure muttered as he looked between the table and the glowing circle on the floor. The man then started cackling madly as he grabbed something on the table and tossed it into the circle. It seemed to spread over like fine, sparkling dust, He then started chanting in an unintelligible language as he threw his hands in the air, as if reaching to embrace something. Slowly, the glow intensified; burning smoke slowly coalesced and took a humanoid shape.
A black corset with trimmings of multiple purple hues. Short skirt. Long stockings. Black and purple shoes. Milky, white skin. Black, thin tail. Back length banana yellow and strawberry pink hair. Sharp, manicured nails. A pair of long curved horns, one shorter than the other. The succubus curtsied and asked, "Ah, I have been summoned. What is your request?"
"Hmm? Strange. You're awfully polite for a succubus?" he said in confusion, "I would have expected a lot more… seduction involved."
"Ah-ha… I'm new? I need more experience in this so I was told to answer your summons as a test," she said as she rubbed her head sheepishly.
"...how annoying," he muttered, "In that case, go back and get me someone more experienced with-"
It was then Nene knocked a rock out of place and the echoes of its bouncing drew their attention.
"Who goes there?" the summoner shouted as he spun around.
"People trying to find out what's going on in here," stated the bard, dropping all pretense of stealth, "Are you raising something to threaten the towns here? What sort of madness is this?"
The man scowled. "Madness!? This is revolutionary spell experimentation!" he retorted, "I have been given wisdom and insight into the world! New spells of untapped potential!"
"...Are you cuckoo or something?" asked the succubus with a bored look, "Then, again, you tried summoning a fiend. Definitely nuts."
"Alright, the wizard's gone mad," quipped Botan as she readied her bow, "Maybe we can capture him and turn him in?"
"As if I would be captured by ignoramuses like you!" he roared hatefully. Raising up his hands, he threw something out at them and shouted, "Arakan ar toa varkant!"
After a burst of silvery motes of light, a werewolf suddenly appeared in front of them. They gave them a single look before it howled and started to attack them.
"Hmph, fools. But if they can find me, others may try and find my secrets," the summoner mused as Polka leaped into a flying kick aimed at the summoned werewolf.
"Erm, hey, you still haven't told me if you need anything yet," spoke up the succubus as the werewolf remained standing and retaliated with a swipe of its sharp claws.
Polka was immediately downed after they sliced through her throat.
"Time to leave," he continued as he muttered an incantation to himself. A magic circle appeared under him and he disappeared in a flash.
"Grr, stupid wizard," growled out the succubus. Looking over to the fight, she shouted and slammed her fists at the barrier created by the circle, "Hey! Someone get me out of here!"
Meanwhile, Lamy immediately chanted a healing word to stop the bleeding and restore her throat. She then directed a frost ray at the shapechanger, who dodged out of the way.
"You will not win this day!" Nene shouted, directing the magic-laced words at the werewolf. After they got enveloped with a red aura, she ran over to the magic circle and asked, "Urm, you were asking for help?"
"Please can you help me get out?" pleaded the succubus, "That guy just summoned me and left me hanging here. I can't go back without completing his request."
Botan roared as she leaped on the werewolf in an attempt to wrestle it down, saying, "Get back! Let me handle this!" Polka immediately scurried away and only got to her feet once she was out of range.
"I guess I could… but can you swear not to attack us? And can you help us with that werewolf?" the bard asked.
The werewolf snapped at the lion girl in response but she held them back by the throat. Then, she pushed it back as it growled and snarled at her.
"Anything! I swear not to attack you. Just get me out please!" the succubus half yelled, sounding a little desperate.
The cleric quickly sent a frost ray into the werewolf's mouth. They yelped in pain and looked angrier than before.
"Alright, give me a moment," replied the bard as she studied the runes on the circle. She quickly identified the parts where she needed to rub off and got to work.
The fighter then extended her claws and swiped the werewolf's mouth. She then tried to wrestle and lock them in place but they were able to break out of the hold.
"Why can't we do anything to it? It's like, not even injured!" exclaimed Polka as her dart bounced off harmlessly against their fur. They then grabbed Botan by the arms and bit down on her shoulder, prompting her to scream in agony. They then relinquished their hold on the lion girl to avoid another ray of frost.
"And done! Now, please save my friends!" shouted Nene as she repeated her request.
"With pleasure!" stated the succubus loudly as she ran to the werewolf. She motioned them to come to her and said seductively, "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire."
The rabid lycanthrope suddenly stopped and stood still in a daze. "Alright, you can stop hitting it now. This one is under me now," she stated proudly.
"Botan! Are you alright!?" yelled the monk as she ran over to check the lion girl. Pulling out her healing potion and handing it to her, she continued, "Here, drink this."
"Ngh, fine enough," hissed the fighter as she gingerly touched the bite. As she took and downed the potion, she muttered, "...actually, I feel really, really hot all over."
"Huh… that doesn't sound good." muttered the succubus.
"...um, what's your name? I don't mean to be rude, since you helped us and all," asked the bard.
"Aloe Mano. And… I think your friend needs to see a healer. At least someone more skilled than her," she stated as she motioned to Lamy, "No offense."
"It is fine. I know I am limited as of now," accepted the half-snow elf, "But you are right. We have to get her to a healer. However, there is still the matter of the owlbear right outside this part of the cave."
"Ah… actually, I think I have a solution to that problem," stated Aloe as she glanced over to the werewolf.
Sounds of the fight grew lesser and lesser as the party and the succubus made their way to the entrance of the cave. In the open, the evening sun shone down on the Dead Forest.
"This place looks kind of dead," quipped Aloe.
"Not every place looks like this," replied Nene with a giggle, "Wait till we get to town."
"I'll hold you to it," the succubus said cheekily.
They hurried back to the town as fast as they could. The moment they reached the outskirts, she suddenly said, "I think I better hide myself. My elders told me that people won't look too kindly on us walking around in the open." She then slowly disappeared, smoking away from bottom to top. They then entered the town and sought out the town healer or the town herbalist.
"This is totally unexpected," the older woman muttered as she hurried around trying to gather up the ingredients needed for a makeshift cure, "I don't even know if I have enough belladonna for this." She then set the cauldron to boil and started adding different, colorful herbs into it.
"Well… I hope we can cure this," muttered the bard as she looked at Botan worriedly, who now looked a little pale right now.
"Hn… how about me and Nene wait here and you go tell the mayor what happened, Lamy," suggested Polka.
"I suppose we should tell him," nodded the cleric.
As she was doing so, the herbalist pulled a draught out of the cauldron and set it on the table to cool. She did this two more times and then told the others, "This will be quite painful. Belladonna is normally a poison, but ingested in small doses, is potent in countering lycanthropy. I do not have enough so I did my best to enhance the effect with other herbs. I do not know if they would be just as effective. One can only pray to the gods and hope for the best after this."
She then took the first draught, which had cooled enough, and handed it to the lion girl. She stared at it intently for a moment. "Ancestors watch over me," she muttered to herself and took the entire draught in one gulp.
"Now lie down," ordered the herbalist as she ushered her to the bed, "As tough as you are, it will weaken the body significantly. Not to mention you have to endure two more draughts."
"This is fine," she breathed out as she laid down. Turning to the others, she said tiredly with a weak smile, "Hey, you can wait for me at the inn. This could take a while."
"Stay strong," the monk told her as they acceded to her request.
"Heh, la-lion's strong," quipped the fighter as she fell asleep.
"How are you feeling?" asked Polka as the party met up the next morning.
"Ah… okay, I guess? It was quite painful," admitted Botan, "Still, I think it worked. But I guess we'll have to see the next full moon then."
"Anyway, request complete and reward taken. Let's get back to Rivirapolis," stated Nene cheerfully.
"Indeed," agreed Lamy.
Once again, they hired a cart to bring them back. It was a bright sunny day and so far, no bandits or goblins or anything in sight. Along the way, they introduced themselves to the succubus. Other than that, the journey was peaceful. And so, they reached the capital with very little trouble. Making their way back, they were greeted by Miyabi at the counter.
"Welcome back! So, the guild master wants to meet with you," he informed them.
"Eh? Why?" asked the bard, voicing everyone's surprise.
He shrugged and said, "I don't really know. He always meets everyone from time to time. He's waiting in the side room, by the way."
The party glanced at each other and shrugged. Entering the side room, they were met with a grey-haired man in rich, fashionable clothes seated at a table in the corner of the room.
"Hello, there. I am Lord Aruran Daiso. Please, have a seat," he greeted as he motioned to the chairs around the table. Respectfully, the party took their seats. Then, he said something surprising.
"Hmm, you can ask your succubus friend to come out as well," he suddenly said.
"Eh, what succubus friend?" asked the bard nervously.
"Please do not lie to me," the lord said as he steepled his fingers, the atmosphere suddenly turning menacing, "Especially me."
This stunned them. Almost immediately, Aloe stepped out of her etherealness and quickly sat at the table. Shaking like a leaf.
"Ah, wonderful," as he clapped once with a smile, the heavy sense of foreboding suddenly disappearing into thin air, "Right. Let's get down to business. So, you have been part of the guild for a few days now. How do you find it?"
"Erm, welcoming?"
"Good, good," he nodded with a smile at Polka's reply, "I do wish the guild to be a friendly place for adventurers to gather. The bond of comradery would spur on people to do miraculous things to protect and help one another." His smile then faded away and he took on a more serious approach, "Right, on to other things. What happened during the request? Why does your lion friend here feel strange?"
"Erm… well, it was like this," and Nene reported what happened during the quest, with additions and interjections from the others. The guild master sat there silently through all of it.
When they were down, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, this is unexpected. Hmm, first the summoner. It is possible he stumbled on a set of ancient spells that possibly no one should get a hold of. The question would be… who told him? His words mentioned a lord, but that could be anyone. To him, anyone or anything with sufficient power could be a lord."
His eyes then bore down on Botan, "The second concern. We need to make sure that the lycanthropy is either gone or suppressed. As well as the possibility of having the blacksmith craft some silvered restraints as a precaution."
The lion girl crossed her arms in front and muttered while looking away, "I'm sure I am cured."
"I rather have proper confirmation that just the words of a relatively new guild member," he rebutted calmly as he pushed his glasses up, "Fortune favors you as we have contacts with a few people who might be able to help. Some healers and druids."
"Can the druids go into the Feywild?" the fighter suddenly asked, her eyes taking on an eager gleam.
"I believe so?" stated the lord with a raised eyebrow.
"I have heard of the place from the tribe shaman," she muttered reverently, "I would like to go there and experience it myself. And perhaps, maybe learn something new I can bring back."
"I suppose I can arrange that," he replied confidently, leaving little room for doubt.
"Wow, you're going to a cool place," exclaimed her monk friend, "Don't worry, we'll wait for you to come back before we go on more requests."
"It would be good to have a break," admitted Lamy, "Taking time for communion would be nice."
"Ah, I'd like to meet our seniors and maybe learn something from them," said Nene.
"Same!" agreed the monk.
"Very good," declared Lord Daiso, "And now, number three. What do we do with your friend here?"
Aloe gulped when all eyes landed on her. "Erm… can't I stay with them?"
He shrugged as he leaned back into his chair and said, "Perhaps, while your friend here is gone for the time being. However, what would happen when she returns? The housing here is only for guild members only. Not to mention it would draw too much attention if you show up here as you are. While this may attract people, I rather have able bodies willing to work than nobodies seeking your hand for a one-night stand."
"Ah… true," she conceded in embarrassment, "Surely there could be a solution to this?"
A rather telling smile appeared on his face when he said, "Well, there is the city's resident demonologist."
"Oh, sounds good. I can move in with her after," she declared with a smirk.
"Then it is settled. Our meeting can adjourn for now," declared Lord Daiso, "I will introduce Risu to you and you can depart at her discretion. In the meantime, get to know your seniors. In the future, you may very well be working with them."
The new party cheered. Things were looking quite bright for them.
AN: Holo5 is complete.
Aloe Mano
Succubus in training
So, I have no idea how a succubus would have become a PC of equal level. After some finagling around, I ended up with a level 8 College of Glamour Bard with Toughness feat. Also, her stats except her wisdom and dexterity scores are the same as a normal succubus stat block. No telepathic bond. Instead of shapechanger, will rely on Disguise Self and Minor illusion. Lastly, she only has her elemental resistances.
After taking several minutes to doff their armor, they then proceeded to sneak past the owlbear. It was sleeping right next to the exit of the cave, pressed against an indent in the cave wall. Nene and Polka went first with little trouble. Lamy was next. She barely moved five feet before she dropped her gauntlet. Everyone froze when the owlbear snorted and turned around, facing away from the entrance. She, very carefully, bent down and picked up the offending piece of armor, and quickly snuck out of the cave. The moment she got past, she fell to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, it was Botan's turn. Thankfully, she made it past without any incident. They continued on their way after the other two helped to re-don their armor. The last cave was an enormous place. In the far-off corner, they could see a bright glow emanating from something. As they got nearer, they could see a hooded figure hunched over a table, occasionally glancing at something on the floor.
The closer they got, the clearer his words. "-the fiends, this is the next level. This spell is so revolutionary. My lord is truly made of knowledge," the figure muttered as he looked between the table and the glowing circle on the floor. The man then started cackling madly as he grabbed something on the table and tossed it into the circle. It seemed to spread over like fine, sparkling dust, He then started chanting in an unintelligible language as he threw his hands in the air, as if reaching to embrace something. Slowly, the glow intensified; burning smoke slowly coalesced and took a humanoid shape.
A black corset with trimmings of multiple purple hues. Short skirt. Long stockings. Black and purple shoes. Milky, white skin. Black, thin tail. Back length banana yellow and strawberry pink hair. Sharp, manicured nails. A pair of long curved horns, one shorter than the other. The succubus curtsied and asked, "Ah, I have been summoned. What is your request?"
"Hmm? Strange. You're awfully polite for a succubus?" he said in confusion, "I would have expected a lot more… seduction involved."
"Ah-ha… I'm new? I need more experience in this so I was told to answer your summons as a test," she said as she rubbed her head sheepishly.
"...how annoying," he muttered, "In that case, go back and get me someone more experienced with-"
It was then Nene knocked a rock out of place and the echoes of its bouncing drew their attention.
"Who goes there?" the summoner shouted as he spun around.
"People trying to find out what's going on in here," stated the bard, dropping all pretense of stealth, "Are you raising something to threaten the towns here? What sort of madness is this?"
The man scowled. "Madness!? This is revolutionary spell experimentation!" he retorted, "I have been given wisdom and insight into the world! New spells of untapped potential!"
"...Are you cuckoo or something?" asked the succubus with a bored look, "Then, again, you tried summoning a fiend. Definitely nuts."
"Alright, the wizard's gone mad," quipped Botan as she readied her bow, "Maybe we can capture him and turn him in?"
"As if I would be captured by ignoramuses like you!" he roared hatefully. Raising up his hands, he threw something out at them and shouted, "Arakan ar toa varkant!"
After a burst of silvery motes of light, a werewolf suddenly appeared in front of them. They gave them a single look before it howled and started to attack them.
"Hmph, fools. But if they can find me, others may try and find my secrets," the summoner mused as Polka leaped into a flying kick aimed at the summoned werewolf.
"Erm, hey, you still haven't told me if you need anything yet," spoke up the succubus as the werewolf remained standing and retaliated with a swipe of its sharp claws.
Polka was immediately downed after they sliced through her throat.
"Time to leave," he continued as he muttered an incantation to himself. A magic circle appeared under him and he disappeared in a flash.
"Grr, stupid wizard," growled out the succubus. Looking over to the fight, she shouted and slammed her fists at the barrier created by the circle, "Hey! Someone get me out of here!"
Meanwhile, Lamy immediately chanted a healing word to stop the bleeding and restore her throat. She then directed a frost ray at the shapechanger, who dodged out of the way.
"You will not win this day!" Nene shouted, directing the magic-laced words at the werewolf. After they got enveloped with a red aura, she ran over to the magic circle and asked, "Urm, you were asking for help?"
"Please can you help me get out?" pleaded the succubus, "That guy just summoned me and left me hanging here. I can't go back without completing his request."
Botan roared as she leaped on the werewolf in an attempt to wrestle it down, saying, "Get back! Let me handle this!" Polka immediately scurried away and only got to her feet once she was out of range.
"I guess I could… but can you swear not to attack us? And can you help us with that werewolf?" the bard asked.
The werewolf snapped at the lion girl in response but she held them back by the throat. Then, she pushed it back as it growled and snarled at her.
"Anything! I swear not to attack you. Just get me out please!" the succubus half yelled, sounding a little desperate.
The cleric quickly sent a frost ray into the werewolf's mouth. They yelped in pain and looked angrier than before.
"Alright, give me a moment," replied the bard as she studied the runes on the circle. She quickly identified the parts where she needed to rub off and got to work.
The fighter then extended her claws and swiped the werewolf's mouth. She then tried to wrestle and lock them in place but they were able to break out of the hold.
"Why can't we do anything to it? It's like, not even injured!" exclaimed Polka as her dart bounced off harmlessly against their fur. They then grabbed Botan by the arms and bit down on her shoulder, prompting her to scream in agony. They then relinquished their hold on the lion girl to avoid another ray of frost.
"And done! Now, please save my friends!" shouted Nene as she repeated her request.
"With pleasure!" stated the succubus loudly as she ran to the werewolf. She motioned them to come to her and said seductively, "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire."
The rabid lycanthrope suddenly stopped and stood still in a daze. "Alright, you can stop hitting it now. This one is under me now," she stated proudly.
"Botan! Are you alright!?" yelled the monk as she ran over to check the lion girl. Pulling out her healing potion and handing it to her, she continued, "Here, drink this."
"Ngh, fine enough," hissed the fighter as she gingerly touched the bite. As she took and downed the potion, she muttered, "...actually, I feel really, really hot all over."
"Huh… that doesn't sound good." muttered the succubus.
"...um, what's your name? I don't mean to be rude, since you helped us and all," asked the bard.
"Aloe Mano. And… I think your friend needs to see a healer. At least someone more skilled than her," she stated as she motioned to Lamy, "No offense."
"It is fine. I know I am limited as of now," accepted the half-snow elf, "But you are right. We have to get her to a healer. However, there is still the matter of the owlbear right outside this part of the cave."
"Ah… actually, I think I have a solution to that problem," stated Aloe as she glanced over to the werewolf.
Sounds of the fight grew lesser and lesser as the party and the succubus made their way to the entrance of the cave. In the open, the evening sun shone down on the Dead Forest.
"This place looks kind of dead," quipped Aloe.
"Not every place looks like this," replied Nene with a giggle, "Wait till we get to town."
"I'll hold you to it," the succubus said cheekily.
They hurried back to the town as fast as they could. The moment they reached the outskirts, she suddenly said, "I think I better hide myself. My elders told me that people won't look too kindly on us walking around in the open." She then slowly disappeared, smoking away from bottom to top. They then entered the town and sought out the town healer or the town herbalist.
"This is totally unexpected," the older woman muttered as she hurried around trying to gather up the ingredients needed for a makeshift cure, "I don't even know if I have enough belladonna for this." She then set the cauldron to boil and started adding different, colorful herbs into it.
"Well… I hope we can cure this," muttered the bard as she looked at Botan worriedly, who now looked a little pale right now.
"Hn… how about me and Nene wait here and you go tell the mayor what happened, Lamy," suggested Polka.
"I suppose we should tell him," nodded the cleric.
As she was doing so, the herbalist pulled a draught out of the cauldron and set it on the table to cool. She did this two more times and then told the others, "This will be quite painful. Belladonna is normally a poison, but ingested in small doses, is potent in countering lycanthropy. I do not have enough so I did my best to enhance the effect with other herbs. I do not know if they would be just as effective. One can only pray to the gods and hope for the best after this."
She then took the first draught, which had cooled enough, and handed it to the lion girl. She stared at it intently for a moment. "Ancestors watch over me," she muttered to herself and took the entire draught in one gulp.
"Now lie down," ordered the herbalist as she ushered her to the bed, "As tough as you are, it will weaken the body significantly. Not to mention you have to endure two more draughts."
"This is fine," she breathed out as she laid down. Turning to the others, she said tiredly with a weak smile, "Hey, you can wait for me at the inn. This could take a while."
"Stay strong," the monk told her as they acceded to her request.
"Heh, la-lion's strong," quipped the fighter as she fell asleep.
"How are you feeling?" asked Polka as the party met up the next morning.
"Ah… okay, I guess? It was quite painful," admitted Botan, "Still, I think it worked. But I guess we'll have to see the next full moon then."
"Anyway, request complete and reward taken. Let's get back to Rivirapolis," stated Nene cheerfully.
"Indeed," agreed Lamy.
Once again, they hired a cart to bring them back. It was a bright sunny day and so far, no bandits or goblins or anything in sight. Along the way, they introduced themselves to the succubus. Other than that, the journey was peaceful. And so, they reached the capital with very little trouble. Making their way back, they were greeted by Miyabi at the counter.
"Welcome back! So, the guild master wants to meet with you," he informed them.
"Eh? Why?" asked the bard, voicing everyone's surprise.
He shrugged and said, "I don't really know. He always meets everyone from time to time. He's waiting in the side room, by the way."
The party glanced at each other and shrugged. Entering the side room, they were met with a grey-haired man in rich, fashionable clothes seated at a table in the corner of the room.
"Hello, there. I am Lord Aruran Daiso. Please, have a seat," he greeted as he motioned to the chairs around the table. Respectfully, the party took their seats. Then, he said something surprising.
"Hmm, you can ask your succubus friend to come out as well," he suddenly said.
"Eh, what succubus friend?" asked the bard nervously.
"Please do not lie to me," the lord said as he steepled his fingers, the atmosphere suddenly turning menacing, "Especially me."
This stunned them. Almost immediately, Aloe stepped out of her etherealness and quickly sat at the table. Shaking like a leaf.
"Ah, wonderful," as he clapped once with a smile, the heavy sense of foreboding suddenly disappearing into thin air, "Right. Let's get down to business. So, you have been part of the guild for a few days now. How do you find it?"
"Erm, welcoming?"
"Good, good," he nodded with a smile at Polka's reply, "I do wish the guild to be a friendly place for adventurers to gather. The bond of comradery would spur on people to do miraculous things to protect and help one another." His smile then faded away and he took on a more serious approach, "Right, on to other things. What happened during the request? Why does your lion friend here feel strange?"
"Erm… well, it was like this," and Nene reported what happened during the quest, with additions and interjections from the others. The guild master sat there silently through all of it.
When they were down, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, this is unexpected. Hmm, first the summoner. It is possible he stumbled on a set of ancient spells that possibly no one should get a hold of. The question would be… who told him? His words mentioned a lord, but that could be anyone. To him, anyone or anything with sufficient power could be a lord."
His eyes then bore down on Botan, "The second concern. We need to make sure that the lycanthropy is either gone or suppressed. As well as the possibility of having the blacksmith craft some silvered restraints as a precaution."
The lion girl crossed her arms in front and muttered while looking away, "I'm sure I am cured."
"I rather have proper confirmation that just the words of a relatively new guild member," he rebutted calmly as he pushed his glasses up, "Fortune favors you as we have contacts with a few people who might be able to help. Some healers and druids."
"Can the druids go into the Feywild?" the fighter suddenly asked, her eyes taking on an eager gleam.
"I believe so?" stated the lord with a raised eyebrow.
"I have heard of the place from the tribe shaman," she muttered reverently, "I would like to go there and experience it myself. And perhaps, maybe learn something new I can bring back."
"I suppose I can arrange that," he replied confidently, leaving little room for doubt.
"Wow, you're going to a cool place," exclaimed her monk friend, "Don't worry, we'll wait for you to come back before we go on more requests."
"It would be good to have a break," admitted Lamy, "Taking time for communion would be nice."
"Ah, I'd like to meet our seniors and maybe learn something from them," said Nene.
"Same!" agreed the monk.
"Very good," declared Lord Daiso, "And now, number three. What do we do with your friend here?"
Aloe gulped when all eyes landed on her. "Erm… can't I stay with them?"
He shrugged as he leaned back into his chair and said, "Perhaps, while your friend here is gone for the time being. However, what would happen when she returns? The housing here is only for guild members only. Not to mention it would draw too much attention if you show up here as you are. While this may attract people, I rather have able bodies willing to work than nobodies seeking your hand for a one-night stand."
"Ah… true," she conceded in embarrassment, "Surely there could be a solution to this?"
A rather telling smile appeared on his face when he said, "Well, there is the city's resident demonologist."
"Oh, sounds good. I can move in with her after," she declared with a smirk.
"Then it is settled. Our meeting can adjourn for now," declared Lord Daiso, "I will introduce Risu to you and you can depart at her discretion. In the meantime, get to know your seniors. In the future, you may very well be working with them."
The new party cheered. Things were looking quite bright for them.
AN: Holo5 is complete.
Aloe Mano
Succubus in training
So, I have no idea how a succubus would have become a PC of equal level. After some finagling around, I ended up with a level 8 College of Glamour Bard with Toughness feat. Also, her stats except her wisdom and dexterity scores are the same as a normal succubus stat block. No telepathic bond. Instead of shapechanger, will rely on Disguise Self and Minor illusion. Lastly, she only has her elemental resistances.
Chapter 6
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 6
Things were bright indeed. Risu, a short but very cheeky squirrel girl, almost shook Botan's arm off when they first met. She then pretty much dragged her away to the southern forest to her druidic circle for whatever reason. In Lord Daiso's words, a possible location of a hidden portal to the Feywild.
Lamy spent her time at the healing temple. Taking part in good works was a relaxing thing for her and she especially got along well with the younger acolytes, who saw her as a motherly figure. This brought her closer to the divine and she received more favor, to which she was thankful for. She even took part in a celebration that was held every full moon. It was during that time she got to know of Iofi, master artist and leader of the local artisan's guild.
Nene got to know her bardic seniors. Izuru and Rikka, the lute duo. Doris, mermaid triton and Artia's friend, plays the lyre. And then Moona, flute player and Risu's friend, surprisingly enough. She was taken aback when the duo told her Kira was also a bard, but not a practicing one, who preferred to play the bagpipes to annoy and prank all the other bards in the guild. She was entranced by how much they knew and tried her best to commit everything they told her to memory.
Polka spent her time sparing with the guild master. After revealing that he too was a practitioner of the martial arts, she chased after him to get him to mentor her. At first, he refused and this made her somewhat depressed as mentors such as these were hard to find outside monasteries or temples. That same day, she got drunk and then challenged him, who happened to be at Robel for dinner. It amused him to no end and the next day, he promised to teach her a few things when she got over her hangover.
Aloe spent her time trying to get to know her new friends. While a bit hesitant since she was a fiend, she began to enjoy their company. For once, she had begun to feel a sense of normalcy in her life. The Nine Hells is an ultra-competitive, backstab-happy place. Here, she could just… relax. She liked it. It didn't help with her becoming a better succubus, but she liked it.
Eventually, five days went by like nothing. Botan came back to the guild house on the sixth day. With a frown. She had green tribal markings over her face and her chain mail was decorated with flowers. She headed for the side room and found her party there.
Polka took one look at her, did a spit-take, and said, "Oh my gods, what happened to you?"
"Last day prank by the squirrel," she grumbled as she sat down at the table. As the other party members leaned in to her, she then gave them a weak smile and said, "Well, I'm sort of clear."
"Meaning?" pressed on Lamy.
"Well, the lycanthropy thing isn't doing anything to me," she explained, "I mean, they've never seen Gekko people contract anything like this. Full moon a few days ago? Nothing happened. It's like… it's asleep."
"Oh, oh, maybe your lion blood is sitting on it," quipped the succubus.
She chuckled and said, "Maybe. In any case, I don't have to be chained up or whatever. I'm fine."
"Ha! In that case, let's celebrate with a quest," cheered Nene. The others cheered as well and they walked over to the request board. She picked a random one and brought it over for Miyabi.
"Hmm, are you sure you want to do this?" the clerk asked as he narrowed his eyes. Getting nods all around, he shrugged and said, "Do you know where you hunt giant toads?"
Shaking heads.
"In the swamps."
Cringing faces.
"And it's also crocodile mating season, so there will be a high chance of meeting one," he explained further, "So unless you get lucky and one decides to hop out of the swamp and on the road, I highly doubt you will be able to just find one giant toad. Not to mention you have to hack off their legs."
"Even if you say that… we are still gonna do it," insisted the lion girl, "If it's a challenging one, even better."
A wry smile appeared on his face as he replied, "Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."
The party found themselves outside a tavern right outside the swamp. Called the Toad's Stool, it was set up to house travelers passing through the swamp.
"Alright, so some giant toads were sighted nearby but they have been known to swim deeper in the swamp. So… anyone having second thoughts?" asked Nene as she came out.
"If we did, we wouldn't be here," said Botan with a confident grin.
"Hng… as long as I don't fall in, I'll be fine," muttered Polka as she looked at the swampy water with dread.
"We might have to wade in. Who knows when we could find a giant toad?" stated Lamy, prompting a groan from the monk.
"Well, I'll be disappearing now. I'll let you know if there's anything ahead," Aloe told them as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.
"Alright, let's go. The bartender told me about a path that could get us near the toads," said the bard as she motioned them to follow, "The sooner we do this… well, Polka doesn't need to wash out so much swamp out of her hair."
"Please don't remind me!" pleaded the monk as the rest followed after.
They followed the path for a while but when it reached late afternoon the path had disappeared and they were now trudging through soggy marsh with lots of water pockets everywhere. They dare not take a chance of stepping in them for fear of being deeper than expected. Everywhere they went, water seemed to seep out of the ground and the level slowly rose until it went past their feet while still being below their knees.
"Where in the world are those giant toads..." grumbled Polka as she glanced around. Everyone was doing the same, trying to keep an eye out for crocodiles.
"I'm sure we will find one soon," assured Nene as she pushed a branch away. Only, she noticed an eye open and blinked at her. A reptilian eye.
"Croc!" she shouted as a large jaw lunged and snapped empty air a hair's breadth away. An arrow whistled over its head while a dart pierced through its thick hide. More crocs lunged out of the water after Botan and Lamy, who dodged, while the one that started this off clamped its jaws on the bard's leg. Two more appeared, coming from another pool of water and were scrambling after the party.
"Get off," she shouted as she kicked its nose, prompting it to let go, and then stabbed the same part with her rapier.
"Woohoo!" she heard Aloe whooping. Glancing to her side, she saw the succubus landing while clawing the croc that was attacking Lamy. She then flew up into the air, hovering above its snapping jaws.
"Good idea!" cheered Polka as the monk suddenly jumped on the croc she was battling, landing with both feet. Jumping off the side, she then punched it in the side of the head. It writhed for a few seconds and then lay still in the swamp water.
The crocs continued to attack, all of them converging on the cleric's position. The half-snow elf was a tough girl; smacking crocs in the nose and the head with her shield, she was able to get them to release their hold and retaliate with her mace. Aloe struck from the air and always danced away from getting bitten. Botan was able to get away from the front and shot arrows on the beasts. Nene just kept up the pace, getting in with Lamy and stabbing the crocs in the side. One by one, the crocs were taken care of.
As the last one died, courtesy of getting brained by the cleric, she said, "Is everyone alright?"
"We're alright… what about you? You got bitten so many times," asked the bard with concern.
"...I just got bitten twice," she deadpanned as she uncorked her healing potion and downed it.
"Hmm, I wish we could bring these crocodiles back to sell off," muttered the fighter.
"Aah, bad enough we have to hunt giant toads," groaned the monk, "Please don't drag crocs back to the city too."
"Hmm, oh well, the toad's legs would be heavy enough," mused the lion girl, dropping the matter entirely.
"Well, I'll be disappearing now. Before you got attacked though, I did notice a few toads to the south. Try searching there," pointed out the succubus before going back to the Ethereal Plane.
They continued on their search for the giant toads in the directed area. Luckily, it didn't take long for them to hear loud croaking. In the distance, they spotted two giant toads on a small island south of their position. Slowly, they got nearer, just outside their jumping range, hidden by the brush.
"So… how do you want to do this?" asked Nene.
"Well, I can use one of my new arrow enchantments," spoke up Botan as she pulled one from her quiver.
"Ooh, sounds cool," whispered Polka in awe.
"Alright. Whenever you're ready," agreed the bard as the rest of the party gave the fighter some space.
The lion girl took a deep breath and nocked the arrow. Quietly muttering some arcane chant, the arrow took on a silvery sheen centered around the head. She released and the arrow flew true and lodged in its head. The sheen exploded and the toads flinched. Their heads swiveled straight for her. Nene took this chance to throw her dagger. As the toads moved and hopped towards them, the dagger sank into the slimy flesh. Polka's dart missed, just as more crocs suddenly burst out of the swamp water.
"I think your arrow attracted more than just toads!" shouted the monk worriedly as Lamy grasped her amulet and called for blessings upon them.
Aloe joined in the fight as well, repeating what she did in the previous battle. "Ugh, this is just ew," she exclaimed as she flew up after sinking her claws in a toad's skin.
"Firing another one," shouted the fighter as she retreated back and shot another silvery arrow. It struck the toad's leg and as the sheen exploded, the area around it indented and warped as the force exploded outwards, slamming into both toads and one of the crocodiles.
Not to be deterred, both toads caught up to them, biting down on Lamy and Polka. The monk managed to wrench her arm free and pummeled the offending beast in the stomach a few times before somersaulting away. Meanwhile, the crocs got distracted, more than half of their number converging over the hovering succubus while the remaining one went after the cleric. The half-snow elf slammed her mace into the battered toad's head and ran to rejoin the party as the large beast fell over backward.
Aloe, unperturbed by the crocodiles, flew over and killed the one that went ahead. Flying back into the air, she warned, "There's three more crocs here. Better kill that toad fast."
"We are!" retorted Botan as she sent a normal shot at the remaining toad, the projectile sinking in its face. The Nene's rapier sank in its stomach next and finally, Polka ended it when her punch went into the same point, killing it as she ripped her fist out. At the same moment, Lamy sent a frost ray at the approaching crocodiles.
"Alright! Let's finish this!" cheered on the succubus as she made hurried swipes which missed as she flew past the crocs.
The fighter let loose another bursting arrow that blasted the reptiles with intense pressure. The bard and monk charged forward, the rapier piercing one in the head and the other getting a foot slammed into it. The fennec fox girl continued, the momentum swinging her body forward as she drove her other foot into the last croc. The cleric finished it off with a ray of frost, the reptile getting frosted over from inside and out.
"Yahoo! We did it!" exclaimed Polka happily.
She then yelped in pain when Lamy smacked her on the head and scolded, "You almost died to a toad, silly fox." Aloe just giggled.
"Here, drink this," said Nene as she offered the last healing potion as the monk muttered her apologies and thanks.
"Hey, when you're done, start helping me figure out how to bring these toad's legs out of the swamp," called out Botan as she began her cursory examination of the bodies.
After a brief discussion, the fighter cut through the meat and exposed the joint between the body and the leg, making use of the bard's dagger. Then, the cleric will freeze the joint until they could shatter it. Afterwards, it was a matter of tying up the legs and picking out a sturdy branch out of the swamp to carry them with. Botan and Nene ended up being chosen to carry their spoils; three legs, as the one that the fighter shot was too damaged by the wound, or so she said.
"I hope we can make it back to the swamp-side tavern before the sun disappears on us," said the bard as they hefted the branch up, "It's already evening."
"I hope so too," admitted the fighter, "I wouldn't want to be caught here at night."
"Stop, there's danger up ahead," warned Aloe as she popped out of etherealness, "There's a group of crocodiles up ahead. A few of them are fighting. I'm guessing mating stuff."
"Huh, so is there a way around?" asked Lamy.
"Luckily, I checked before coming back, so there is," the succubus informed them, "Going around the left side will take us near the edge of the swamp… but we will have to go through a crocodile nesting area. Going around the right will bring us near a moderately webbed area. I couldn't tell how many or what sort of spiders are there, but I would expect the worst as well."
Both didn't seem like very good options. However, the spider route seemed the least harmful, so they went with that. That brought the question of dealing with the spiders. It was decided that they try to toe the precarious line of going between where the spiders could sense them and the crocodiles would be attracted to them. Both were not favorable, but they were a lot more willing to take on giant spiders than a pack of crocodiles. So, to the left path they went. It took awhile and the sun sank lower and lower. It was late evening, a time where some creatures become more active. That included spiders.
It was Nene that thought she heard some rustling from some nearby trees. She shushed the party and motioned to walk quietly. Then, Polka also heard the faint rustling of leaves and whispered out a warning. They slowly dropped their spoils and drew their armaments warily, preparing for a fight.
Another shudder shook a tree. The fighter and the bard reacted first, the burst arrow and the dagger going into different trees. Very loud chittering came out from them as the blast shook some spiders out of them. The battle was only beginning.
AN: In this chapter, three of our friends get their sub-classes
After some chatting time with her senpai, Nene delves into Lore.
Nene Momosuzu
Lore Bard
To be honest, I had no idea what to put her in. Her streams are funny, endearing, and full of funny sketches that she drew herself imo, so she gave me a jack-of-all-trades vibe and knowing many different things. Especially converting everyone into new husbands.
After some time in the Feywild, Botan learns some magic to incorporate in her archery.
Botan Shishiro
Arcane Archer
Bursting arrow = grenade. Poi all the way.
Poka becomes even more of a clown than before
Polka Omaru
Drunken Master Monk
Yeah, Drunken Master monk. I would take inspiration from actor Jackie Chan and his movies. Hilarious, acrobatic-styled martial arts. Not to mention the idea of getting Monk+Entertainer background fits a circus girl like her.
Things were bright indeed. Risu, a short but very cheeky squirrel girl, almost shook Botan's arm off when they first met. She then pretty much dragged her away to the southern forest to her druidic circle for whatever reason. In Lord Daiso's words, a possible location of a hidden portal to the Feywild.
Lamy spent her time at the healing temple. Taking part in good works was a relaxing thing for her and she especially got along well with the younger acolytes, who saw her as a motherly figure. This brought her closer to the divine and she received more favor, to which she was thankful for. She even took part in a celebration that was held every full moon. It was during that time she got to know of Iofi, master artist and leader of the local artisan's guild.
Nene got to know her bardic seniors. Izuru and Rikka, the lute duo. Doris, mermaid triton and Artia's friend, plays the lyre. And then Moona, flute player and Risu's friend, surprisingly enough. She was taken aback when the duo told her Kira was also a bard, but not a practicing one, who preferred to play the bagpipes to annoy and prank all the other bards in the guild. She was entranced by how much they knew and tried her best to commit everything they told her to memory.
Polka spent her time sparing with the guild master. After revealing that he too was a practitioner of the martial arts, she chased after him to get him to mentor her. At first, he refused and this made her somewhat depressed as mentors such as these were hard to find outside monasteries or temples. That same day, she got drunk and then challenged him, who happened to be at Robel for dinner. It amused him to no end and the next day, he promised to teach her a few things when she got over her hangover.
Aloe spent her time trying to get to know her new friends. While a bit hesitant since she was a fiend, she began to enjoy their company. For once, she had begun to feel a sense of normalcy in her life. The Nine Hells is an ultra-competitive, backstab-happy place. Here, she could just… relax. She liked it. It didn't help with her becoming a better succubus, but she liked it.
Eventually, five days went by like nothing. Botan came back to the guild house on the sixth day. With a frown. She had green tribal markings over her face and her chain mail was decorated with flowers. She headed for the side room and found her party there.
Polka took one look at her, did a spit-take, and said, "Oh my gods, what happened to you?"
"Last day prank by the squirrel," she grumbled as she sat down at the table. As the other party members leaned in to her, she then gave them a weak smile and said, "Well, I'm sort of clear."
"Meaning?" pressed on Lamy.
"Well, the lycanthropy thing isn't doing anything to me," she explained, "I mean, they've never seen Gekko people contract anything like this. Full moon a few days ago? Nothing happened. It's like… it's asleep."
"Oh, oh, maybe your lion blood is sitting on it," quipped the succubus.
She chuckled and said, "Maybe. In any case, I don't have to be chained up or whatever. I'm fine."
"Ha! In that case, let's celebrate with a quest," cheered Nene. The others cheered as well and they walked over to the request board. She picked a random one and brought it over for Miyabi.
"Hmm, are you sure you want to do this?" the clerk asked as he narrowed his eyes. Getting nods all around, he shrugged and said, "Do you know where you hunt giant toads?"
Shaking heads.
"In the swamps."
Cringing faces.
"And it's also crocodile mating season, so there will be a high chance of meeting one," he explained further, "So unless you get lucky and one decides to hop out of the swamp and on the road, I highly doubt you will be able to just find one giant toad. Not to mention you have to hack off their legs."
"Even if you say that… we are still gonna do it," insisted the lion girl, "If it's a challenging one, even better."
A wry smile appeared on his face as he replied, "Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."
The party found themselves outside a tavern right outside the swamp. Called the Toad's Stool, it was set up to house travelers passing through the swamp.
"Alright, so some giant toads were sighted nearby but they have been known to swim deeper in the swamp. So… anyone having second thoughts?" asked Nene as she came out.
"If we did, we wouldn't be here," said Botan with a confident grin.
"Hng… as long as I don't fall in, I'll be fine," muttered Polka as she looked at the swampy water with dread.
"We might have to wade in. Who knows when we could find a giant toad?" stated Lamy, prompting a groan from the monk.
"Well, I'll be disappearing now. I'll let you know if there's anything ahead," Aloe told them as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.
"Alright, let's go. The bartender told me about a path that could get us near the toads," said the bard as she motioned them to follow, "The sooner we do this… well, Polka doesn't need to wash out so much swamp out of her hair."
"Please don't remind me!" pleaded the monk as the rest followed after.
They followed the path for a while but when it reached late afternoon the path had disappeared and they were now trudging through soggy marsh with lots of water pockets everywhere. They dare not take a chance of stepping in them for fear of being deeper than expected. Everywhere they went, water seemed to seep out of the ground and the level slowly rose until it went past their feet while still being below their knees.
"Where in the world are those giant toads..." grumbled Polka as she glanced around. Everyone was doing the same, trying to keep an eye out for crocodiles.
"I'm sure we will find one soon," assured Nene as she pushed a branch away. Only, she noticed an eye open and blinked at her. A reptilian eye.
"Croc!" she shouted as a large jaw lunged and snapped empty air a hair's breadth away. An arrow whistled over its head while a dart pierced through its thick hide. More crocs lunged out of the water after Botan and Lamy, who dodged, while the one that started this off clamped its jaws on the bard's leg. Two more appeared, coming from another pool of water and were scrambling after the party.
"Get off," she shouted as she kicked its nose, prompting it to let go, and then stabbed the same part with her rapier.
"Woohoo!" she heard Aloe whooping. Glancing to her side, she saw the succubus landing while clawing the croc that was attacking Lamy. She then flew up into the air, hovering above its snapping jaws.
"Good idea!" cheered Polka as the monk suddenly jumped on the croc she was battling, landing with both feet. Jumping off the side, she then punched it in the side of the head. It writhed for a few seconds and then lay still in the swamp water.
The crocs continued to attack, all of them converging on the cleric's position. The half-snow elf was a tough girl; smacking crocs in the nose and the head with her shield, she was able to get them to release their hold and retaliate with her mace. Aloe struck from the air and always danced away from getting bitten. Botan was able to get away from the front and shot arrows on the beasts. Nene just kept up the pace, getting in with Lamy and stabbing the crocs in the side. One by one, the crocs were taken care of.
As the last one died, courtesy of getting brained by the cleric, she said, "Is everyone alright?"
"We're alright… what about you? You got bitten so many times," asked the bard with concern.
"...I just got bitten twice," she deadpanned as she uncorked her healing potion and downed it.
"Hmm, I wish we could bring these crocodiles back to sell off," muttered the fighter.
"Aah, bad enough we have to hunt giant toads," groaned the monk, "Please don't drag crocs back to the city too."
"Hmm, oh well, the toad's legs would be heavy enough," mused the lion girl, dropping the matter entirely.
"Well, I'll be disappearing now. Before you got attacked though, I did notice a few toads to the south. Try searching there," pointed out the succubus before going back to the Ethereal Plane.
They continued on their search for the giant toads in the directed area. Luckily, it didn't take long for them to hear loud croaking. In the distance, they spotted two giant toads on a small island south of their position. Slowly, they got nearer, just outside their jumping range, hidden by the brush.
"So… how do you want to do this?" asked Nene.
"Well, I can use one of my new arrow enchantments," spoke up Botan as she pulled one from her quiver.
"Ooh, sounds cool," whispered Polka in awe.
"Alright. Whenever you're ready," agreed the bard as the rest of the party gave the fighter some space.
The lion girl took a deep breath and nocked the arrow. Quietly muttering some arcane chant, the arrow took on a silvery sheen centered around the head. She released and the arrow flew true and lodged in its head. The sheen exploded and the toads flinched. Their heads swiveled straight for her. Nene took this chance to throw her dagger. As the toads moved and hopped towards them, the dagger sank into the slimy flesh. Polka's dart missed, just as more crocs suddenly burst out of the swamp water.
"I think your arrow attracted more than just toads!" shouted the monk worriedly as Lamy grasped her amulet and called for blessings upon them.
Aloe joined in the fight as well, repeating what she did in the previous battle. "Ugh, this is just ew," she exclaimed as she flew up after sinking her claws in a toad's skin.
"Firing another one," shouted the fighter as she retreated back and shot another silvery arrow. It struck the toad's leg and as the sheen exploded, the area around it indented and warped as the force exploded outwards, slamming into both toads and one of the crocodiles.
Not to be deterred, both toads caught up to them, biting down on Lamy and Polka. The monk managed to wrench her arm free and pummeled the offending beast in the stomach a few times before somersaulting away. Meanwhile, the crocs got distracted, more than half of their number converging over the hovering succubus while the remaining one went after the cleric. The half-snow elf slammed her mace into the battered toad's head and ran to rejoin the party as the large beast fell over backward.
Aloe, unperturbed by the crocodiles, flew over and killed the one that went ahead. Flying back into the air, she warned, "There's three more crocs here. Better kill that toad fast."
"We are!" retorted Botan as she sent a normal shot at the remaining toad, the projectile sinking in its face. The Nene's rapier sank in its stomach next and finally, Polka ended it when her punch went into the same point, killing it as she ripped her fist out. At the same moment, Lamy sent a frost ray at the approaching crocodiles.
"Alright! Let's finish this!" cheered on the succubus as she made hurried swipes which missed as she flew past the crocs.
The fighter let loose another bursting arrow that blasted the reptiles with intense pressure. The bard and monk charged forward, the rapier piercing one in the head and the other getting a foot slammed into it. The fennec fox girl continued, the momentum swinging her body forward as she drove her other foot into the last croc. The cleric finished it off with a ray of frost, the reptile getting frosted over from inside and out.
"Yahoo! We did it!" exclaimed Polka happily.
She then yelped in pain when Lamy smacked her on the head and scolded, "You almost died to a toad, silly fox." Aloe just giggled.
"Here, drink this," said Nene as she offered the last healing potion as the monk muttered her apologies and thanks.
"Hey, when you're done, start helping me figure out how to bring these toad's legs out of the swamp," called out Botan as she began her cursory examination of the bodies.
After a brief discussion, the fighter cut through the meat and exposed the joint between the body and the leg, making use of the bard's dagger. Then, the cleric will freeze the joint until they could shatter it. Afterwards, it was a matter of tying up the legs and picking out a sturdy branch out of the swamp to carry them with. Botan and Nene ended up being chosen to carry their spoils; three legs, as the one that the fighter shot was too damaged by the wound, or so she said.
"I hope we can make it back to the swamp-side tavern before the sun disappears on us," said the bard as they hefted the branch up, "It's already evening."
"I hope so too," admitted the fighter, "I wouldn't want to be caught here at night."
"Stop, there's danger up ahead," warned Aloe as she popped out of etherealness, "There's a group of crocodiles up ahead. A few of them are fighting. I'm guessing mating stuff."
"Huh, so is there a way around?" asked Lamy.
"Luckily, I checked before coming back, so there is," the succubus informed them, "Going around the left side will take us near the edge of the swamp… but we will have to go through a crocodile nesting area. Going around the right will bring us near a moderately webbed area. I couldn't tell how many or what sort of spiders are there, but I would expect the worst as well."
Both didn't seem like very good options. However, the spider route seemed the least harmful, so they went with that. That brought the question of dealing with the spiders. It was decided that they try to toe the precarious line of going between where the spiders could sense them and the crocodiles would be attracted to them. Both were not favorable, but they were a lot more willing to take on giant spiders than a pack of crocodiles. So, to the left path they went. It took awhile and the sun sank lower and lower. It was late evening, a time where some creatures become more active. That included spiders.
It was Nene that thought she heard some rustling from some nearby trees. She shushed the party and motioned to walk quietly. Then, Polka also heard the faint rustling of leaves and whispered out a warning. They slowly dropped their spoils and drew their armaments warily, preparing for a fight.
Another shudder shook a tree. The fighter and the bard reacted first, the burst arrow and the dagger going into different trees. Very loud chittering came out from them as the blast shook some spiders out of them. The battle was only beginning.
AN: In this chapter, three of our friends get their sub-classes
After some chatting time with her senpai, Nene delves into Lore.
Nene Momosuzu
Lore Bard
To be honest, I had no idea what to put her in. Her streams are funny, endearing, and full of funny sketches that she drew herself imo, so she gave me a jack-of-all-trades vibe and knowing many different things. Especially converting everyone into new husbands.
After some time in the Feywild, Botan learns some magic to incorporate in her archery.
Botan Shishiro
Arcane Archer
Bursting arrow = grenade. Poi all the way.
Poka becomes even more of a clown than before
Polka Omaru
Drunken Master Monk
Yeah, Drunken Master monk. I would take inspiration from actor Jackie Chan and his movies. Hilarious, acrobatic-styled martial arts. Not to mention the idea of getting Monk+Entertainer background fits a circus girl like her.
Last edited:
Chapter 7
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 7
"Make this quick or there might be more!" called out Aloe as she swooped down on one giant wolf spider as Lamy beseeched her goddess for more blessings.
This didn't exactly happen. Instead, the problem was the paralytic poison that the spiders use. And when they came at the party en masse, the ones in front got the brunt of it. Lamy and Nene were the first two to collapse under the spider venom. It didn't help that the giant spiders in the trees started shooting globs of webbing at the surviving members.
"Argh," yelped Polka as her legs got entangled by the webbing.
Feeling that her burst arrow wouldn't do well in this situation, Botan leaped into the fray, clawing and scratching the giant wolf spiders. Aloe continued to swoop down from the air, her dive bombing becoming very effective against them. Two of the giant wolf spiders were taken out, the other two moved on to attack the fighter and the monk. Then, one of the giant spiders in the tree dropped to the ground and started crawling over to them, while the other continued trying to hit the flying succubus with its webbing.
"Gah! Go away!" the monk shouted as she punched the spider biting her into the water. The fighter roared as she tried killing off the last giant wolf spider with the succubus' help. While the other spider dropped down to skitter over, the first one to drop down joined in the fight and attacked her.
Polka squirmed as she tried to get out of the webbing but failed. Meanwhile, Botan finished off the giant wolf spider and tried taking on the giant spider that attacked her, but it sank its fangs into her neck and paralyzed her as well.
"Botan!" shouted the monk as she punched the other giant spider in the face, smashing past the carapace and through the top of its head. As it writhed for a few seconds before collapsing, she renewed her attempts to escape the webbing.
"Watch out, Polka," shouted Aloe as she did another dive by.
The monk listened and twisted out of the way from the giant spider's fangs. Luckily, that twist was the needed leverage for her to rip herself away from the webs and in her renewed fervor, slammed a flurry of blows on its face. They traded blows while Aloe kept up clawing its back and abdomen sections. They went on for several bouts, with very few punches landing as it kept twisting around and splitting its attention between trying to web down the succubus and biting her, Eventually, after a grueling slog, Aloe landed the final blow as she got in between its legs and dug deep enough for her claws to perforate something important. As she flew to the sky, it thrashed around for a moment before flipping on its back and dying.
Polka let out a sigh of relief as she fell on her back, the soft ground minorly cushioning her drop. Meanwhile, the succubus checked on the others and was relieved to find that they were still alive, albeit with shallow breaths.
"Ha... that was too much!" the monk groaned out loud, "I wanna get out of the swamp already! No more crocs! No more spiders! Argh!"
"Quiet down and help me carry them," the succubus hissed at her, "You want to attract more spiders?"
She carried the toad's legs and Nene while the monk carried Lamy and Botan, over their shoulders. This slowed them down quite a bit, as Aloe was not used to this, and the cleric's and fighter's armor were quite heavy. It was now twilight and it was getting very hard to see. They did eventually find the path, thanks to the succubus, but they still had a ways to go before reaching the tavern. It was then they noticed a strange ethereal glow appearing in the middle of the path.
"Oh, for crying out loud, why am I not surprised?" groaned Aloe.
"...Ah. Is it a ghost or something?" asked Polka, a shiver going down her spine.
"Well, I would expect a lot of careless people dying here," the former muttered as they got closer.
The ghost had long, beautiful hair and would have looked quite beautiful when she was alive. Her clothes were ragged and torn, a large chunk of her side missing as if bitten by a crocodile. She noticed the party and floated over. Her solid white orbs in her eye sockets looked them over and pointed to the side of the path. The two conscious party members looked at each other in confusion.
"Urm, are you asking for help?" asked the monk.
The ghost opened her mouth and a very faint, whispery voice came out, Barely anything could be made out except, "...help..."
The two looked at each other again. Aloe shrugged. Polka decided to see what the ghost needed help with and carefully placed Botan and Lamy on the ground before heading in the direction pointed out by the ghost. She then floated over a point in the swamp and looked at the monk. She made a face but still waded out to the ghost. She was a little surprised when her foot bumped into something. Reaching down with both hands, she was a little horrified to feel a skeleton down in the muck. She looked up and noticed the ghost nodding. Continuing to feel around, she felt something metal around the hand bones. Taking it off the finger bone, she pulled it out and under the green strands of plant matter, she could see a silver band gleaming under the ghost's glow.
"Is this yours?" she asked softly, looking at the ghost in the eyes. She got a nod.
"...return...it...Martin..."
She looked down at the ring, sadness and pity welling up in her heart. "Alright. I can help with this," she answered the ghost. In response, she received a smile coupled with a peaceful look before the ghost faded away.
Nodding while successfully holding back her tears, she waded back to the path. To her surprise, she found out that the spider venom had run its course and the party was no longer paralyzed.
"No more swamp missions please," pleaded Lamy, looking quite miserable, "I can still feel them walking over me."
"Okay..." conceded Nene as she grabbed her aching head.
"Grr," growled Botan as she punched the ground, "That was pitiful." She then bowed to them and declared, "I am sorry for my disappointing skills. I swear to become better than this."
"Erm, please get up. There's no need for this," replied Aloe as she pulled the lion girl to her feet, "It's spider venom. You can exactly fight something natural like that."
"Hng, I still wish I could have protected you all better," the fighter admitted.
"Well, you're still alive. We're still alive," said the bard assuringly, "As long as we are still alive, we can always improve and do better. Then, we can show the world what we can really do."
This stunned the fighter for a moment. Then she smiled, "That's true. Thanks, Nene."
"Yeah, that was a good speech," agreed the succubus. The cleric nodded in agreement.
"Yup. Now, let's get out of this swamp! I want a bath!" exclaimed the monk.
As they made their way out of the swamp, Polka informed them about her experience with the ghost. After discussing where to find this Martin character, they arrived at the tavern. The owner somewhat complained about the smell but he told them that there was a woodcutter that sometimes visits the tavern to drink. He lived right next to the east gate of the capital so they couldn't miss it. Thanking him, they made their way back to the city. Thankfully, their torches and the tinderbox didn't get wet, so they made good use of one. With the combined efforts, they made their way back and decided to split up.
Polka and Lamy ended up in front of the woodcutter's door. Knocking several times, a bearded man opened up and drawled, "What'd ya want? Gods… ya stink..."
"Erm, we found this in the swamp earlier..." said Polka as she held out her hand with the silver band.
The man stared at it for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "How'd ya find this?" he asked in a hushed tone, carefully picking it up and staring at it intently.
"Er… you might not believe us, but your wife showed us..." she muttered in reply.
The man blinked as he stared at her. The two began to feel uncomfortable when he suddenly hugged them, "Thank you. One day, she went out picking mushrooms as usual and never came back. Now I know. Thank you. Thank you."
The monk didn't know what else to do except return the hug. Soon, he released his hold and said, "Please, wait here." He turned to go inside and they could hear him rummaging for something. After a while, he came back with a small sphere of thick glass and handed it to her, "Here, she may not make use of this anymore. I think… and hope... you can put this to better use than having it collect dust in my home."
"Hmm, what does it do?" asked Lamy, breaking her silence.
"Say 'shine' and then 'float' to make it work," he informed them, then he explained with pride, "My wife used to be a cartographer before she settled down. She helped to map out the entire eastern farmlands, you know? Knew every single nook and cranny." Then, his eyes looked forlorn and he said, "Well, thank you for this. Goodbye." And he closed the door.
The two walked away from the house without a word and headed back to the guild house.
"That was a nice thing you did," stated Lamy, "You helped to give him closure when he could not find any."
"Yeah. I'm glad to have helped," Polka replied with a grin.
Meeting up with the others, they took turns taking their baths before going across the road to have a grand dinner at Robel's. Filled and happy, they turned in for the night, knowing they survived to wake up to another day.
Today, they found themselves at the school. Artia had come to find them and asked them to see her teacher, Rushia. They decided to split up again; Botan and Polka retrieving the stuffed head while the others met with the teacher. Thus, the remaining three found themselves outside her class. The door was then opened and several students in robes filed out of the class. As the last one stepped away, they leaned in to peek through the doorway.
"Ah, you're here. Please enter!"
Now it was their turn to file in.
"Hello again. The lion girl isn't with you today?" the pink-haired wizard asked as she sat down at her table and crossed her legs.
"Ah, she went to get her trophy today with Polka," explained Nene.
"And what of your new friend?" she asked.
Aloe curtsied and said, "My name is Aloe Mano. I only recently joined. Please take care of me."
"I see… well, back to business. I would like to hire your team to retrieve some things," she requested as she picked up a large piece of paper and handed it to them, "The instructions are here as well as a small map of the place."
The bard took it and read through it at a glance. "Hmm, west of the city?" she murmured.
"I used to live there," she added, surprising everyone, "I had to leave many books behind. I want you and your team to retrieve them."
"Ah… I see," mused Nene, "Alright, sure. We'll do it. Although… why didn't you put this through the guild?"
"Hmm, I rather ask for help from people I've met face to face," she admitted as she shrugged, "Perhaps if you give me a good impression, I might consider sending my future requests to the guild."
"And what about Artia?" pressed on the bard.
"She still studies here. Very hardworking girl," she praised, "However, that leaves her very little time to do other things, like go out and experience the world. Perhaps in time, she would, but for now, leave her be. She will do it when she feels she's ready. Perhaps you can coax her out of her shell."
"Alright… do you need the books immediately?" Nene asked.
"Hmm… no, not really. You can do it if you should find the time," she stated, "I do hope it will be done by the end of the year though."
"Okay. Thank you for the request. We will get it done as soon as we are able," promised the bard before leaving the class.
"Well, I certainly hope so," she replied as they left the room. "I certainly hope so," she repeated again as her thoughts went back to a certain iron flask back in her house.
"Wow, it looks amazing," Nene exclaimed as the team met back at the guild house. The lion head looked majestically over its new domain; the side room.
"Hi, hi, isn't it?" asked Botan rhetorically, grinning from ear to ear, "Too bad we didn't get that owlbear head. Oh well, maybe we'd get something else."
"BOTAN!"
A short figure leaped onto the lion girl, causing her to fall flat on the floor. "RISU!" she yelled.
"Hi, hi," giggled the squirrel girl as she leaped off. Turning to address the rest of the party, she introduced herself jovially, "Hello, I am Risu the dream druid. You must be Botan's friends." Suddenly, a hand pulls her by the ear.
"Risu, are you pranking people again?" asked a purple-haired girl with faintly-glowing eyes. She wore a black and white costume dress. If one looks a little more closely, you could see a galaxy of stars in her hair.
"Eeh, no, no, no, Moona. I am not. Let go please!" she pleaded, getting all teary-eyed.
The glamour bard sighed and released her hold, the squirrel girl rubbing her sore ear. "Sorry for that. This over-excitable child is hard to control sometimes."
"...it's fine," groaned the archer as she picked herself up.
"Mmm, let us do a request together," she suggested suddenly, "As compensation."
The party looked at each other for a moment. Then, Nene asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"Ah… alright, seems easy enough," mused Nene.
The request in question was a hunt for a pack of saber-toothed tigers spotted in the forest. They had to travel to a village south of the capital and meet the village leader there. So now, they found themselves walking down the road to Solena, the village that sent out the request. It was a calm, peaceful, late morning. They hired a cart and reached the village with very little trouble. Then, while Nene went to meet with the village head, Lamy spent time chanting and waving her hands over Risu, Moona, and Polka.
"There. Hopefully, the goddess' blessing protects you," she stated as she finished.
"I believe with you and Risu, we will surely survive whatever obstacle gets in our way," the aasimar bard replied confidently.
"I'll be sure not to let you down," the half-snow elf answered with a smile.
"Alright, everyone, let's go!" called out Nene as she approached, "The head said the pack was sighted east from here. The lead hunter of the village was also there and he mentioned that there were four sets of prints."
"Hmm, I think we can take on four," mused Botan, who then smirked, "Ah, another chance for a trophy."
"I think you're the only one who is set on trophies," snarked Polka with a matching smirk.
"They represent our crowning achievements. Of course I'm set on them," defended the lion girl.
"Okay, enough arguing. Let's go hunt some saber-tooths," urged on the lore bard, "...or do you call them saber-teeth?"
"Pretty sure it's saber-tooths," replied the glamour bard as they followed after her, Aloe popping into the Ethereal Plane first.
The moment the party stepped into the forest, Risu took point and led them through the forest.
AN: This chapter, we add two more Holomems to the mix. All the way from HoloID.
Risu Ayunda
Squirrel Beastfolk
Circle of the Dream Druid
A very tricky and cheeky druid who likes cute things.
Moona Hoshinova
Protector Aasimar
College of Glamour Bard
Risu's close friend. At times serious, but hides a kind-hearted side that loves her friends all the same... even if they are very mischievous.
Iofi and ID gen2 aren't exactly prominent in the fic as we are generally following Holo5, but will be mentioned or cameo in some chapters. Iofi is the leader of the Artisan's Guild. Ollie is a zombie... er, you will see later. Anya is in her literal incarnation. Reine will be in Gekko for now.
"Make this quick or there might be more!" called out Aloe as she swooped down on one giant wolf spider as Lamy beseeched her goddess for more blessings.
This didn't exactly happen. Instead, the problem was the paralytic poison that the spiders use. And when they came at the party en masse, the ones in front got the brunt of it. Lamy and Nene were the first two to collapse under the spider venom. It didn't help that the giant spiders in the trees started shooting globs of webbing at the surviving members.
"Argh," yelped Polka as her legs got entangled by the webbing.
Feeling that her burst arrow wouldn't do well in this situation, Botan leaped into the fray, clawing and scratching the giant wolf spiders. Aloe continued to swoop down from the air, her dive bombing becoming very effective against them. Two of the giant wolf spiders were taken out, the other two moved on to attack the fighter and the monk. Then, one of the giant spiders in the tree dropped to the ground and started crawling over to them, while the other continued trying to hit the flying succubus with its webbing.
"Gah! Go away!" the monk shouted as she punched the spider biting her into the water. The fighter roared as she tried killing off the last giant wolf spider with the succubus' help. While the other spider dropped down to skitter over, the first one to drop down joined in the fight and attacked her.
Polka squirmed as she tried to get out of the webbing but failed. Meanwhile, Botan finished off the giant wolf spider and tried taking on the giant spider that attacked her, but it sank its fangs into her neck and paralyzed her as well.
"Botan!" shouted the monk as she punched the other giant spider in the face, smashing past the carapace and through the top of its head. As it writhed for a few seconds before collapsing, she renewed her attempts to escape the webbing.
"Watch out, Polka," shouted Aloe as she did another dive by.
The monk listened and twisted out of the way from the giant spider's fangs. Luckily, that twist was the needed leverage for her to rip herself away from the webs and in her renewed fervor, slammed a flurry of blows on its face. They traded blows while Aloe kept up clawing its back and abdomen sections. They went on for several bouts, with very few punches landing as it kept twisting around and splitting its attention between trying to web down the succubus and biting her, Eventually, after a grueling slog, Aloe landed the final blow as she got in between its legs and dug deep enough for her claws to perforate something important. As she flew to the sky, it thrashed around for a moment before flipping on its back and dying.
Polka let out a sigh of relief as she fell on her back, the soft ground minorly cushioning her drop. Meanwhile, the succubus checked on the others and was relieved to find that they were still alive, albeit with shallow breaths.
"Ha... that was too much!" the monk groaned out loud, "I wanna get out of the swamp already! No more crocs! No more spiders! Argh!"
"Quiet down and help me carry them," the succubus hissed at her, "You want to attract more spiders?"
She carried the toad's legs and Nene while the monk carried Lamy and Botan, over their shoulders. This slowed them down quite a bit, as Aloe was not used to this, and the cleric's and fighter's armor were quite heavy. It was now twilight and it was getting very hard to see. They did eventually find the path, thanks to the succubus, but they still had a ways to go before reaching the tavern. It was then they noticed a strange ethereal glow appearing in the middle of the path.
"Oh, for crying out loud, why am I not surprised?" groaned Aloe.
"...Ah. Is it a ghost or something?" asked Polka, a shiver going down her spine.
"Well, I would expect a lot of careless people dying here," the former muttered as they got closer.
The ghost had long, beautiful hair and would have looked quite beautiful when she was alive. Her clothes were ragged and torn, a large chunk of her side missing as if bitten by a crocodile. She noticed the party and floated over. Her solid white orbs in her eye sockets looked them over and pointed to the side of the path. The two conscious party members looked at each other in confusion.
"Urm, are you asking for help?" asked the monk.
The ghost opened her mouth and a very faint, whispery voice came out, Barely anything could be made out except, "...help..."
The two looked at each other again. Aloe shrugged. Polka decided to see what the ghost needed help with and carefully placed Botan and Lamy on the ground before heading in the direction pointed out by the ghost. She then floated over a point in the swamp and looked at the monk. She made a face but still waded out to the ghost. She was a little surprised when her foot bumped into something. Reaching down with both hands, she was a little horrified to feel a skeleton down in the muck. She looked up and noticed the ghost nodding. Continuing to feel around, she felt something metal around the hand bones. Taking it off the finger bone, she pulled it out and under the green strands of plant matter, she could see a silver band gleaming under the ghost's glow.
"Is this yours?" she asked softly, looking at the ghost in the eyes. She got a nod.
"...return...it...Martin..."
She looked down at the ring, sadness and pity welling up in her heart. "Alright. I can help with this," she answered the ghost. In response, she received a smile coupled with a peaceful look before the ghost faded away.
Nodding while successfully holding back her tears, she waded back to the path. To her surprise, she found out that the spider venom had run its course and the party was no longer paralyzed.
"No more swamp missions please," pleaded Lamy, looking quite miserable, "I can still feel them walking over me."
"Okay..." conceded Nene as she grabbed her aching head.
"Grr," growled Botan as she punched the ground, "That was pitiful." She then bowed to them and declared, "I am sorry for my disappointing skills. I swear to become better than this."
"Erm, please get up. There's no need for this," replied Aloe as she pulled the lion girl to her feet, "It's spider venom. You can exactly fight something natural like that."
"Hng, I still wish I could have protected you all better," the fighter admitted.
"Well, you're still alive. We're still alive," said the bard assuringly, "As long as we are still alive, we can always improve and do better. Then, we can show the world what we can really do."
This stunned the fighter for a moment. Then she smiled, "That's true. Thanks, Nene."
"Yeah, that was a good speech," agreed the succubus. The cleric nodded in agreement.
"Yup. Now, let's get out of this swamp! I want a bath!" exclaimed the monk.
As they made their way out of the swamp, Polka informed them about her experience with the ghost. After discussing where to find this Martin character, they arrived at the tavern. The owner somewhat complained about the smell but he told them that there was a woodcutter that sometimes visits the tavern to drink. He lived right next to the east gate of the capital so they couldn't miss it. Thanking him, they made their way back to the city. Thankfully, their torches and the tinderbox didn't get wet, so they made good use of one. With the combined efforts, they made their way back and decided to split up.
Polka and Lamy ended up in front of the woodcutter's door. Knocking several times, a bearded man opened up and drawled, "What'd ya want? Gods… ya stink..."
"Erm, we found this in the swamp earlier..." said Polka as she held out her hand with the silver band.
The man stared at it for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "How'd ya find this?" he asked in a hushed tone, carefully picking it up and staring at it intently.
"Er… you might not believe us, but your wife showed us..." she muttered in reply.
The man blinked as he stared at her. The two began to feel uncomfortable when he suddenly hugged them, "Thank you. One day, she went out picking mushrooms as usual and never came back. Now I know. Thank you. Thank you."
The monk didn't know what else to do except return the hug. Soon, he released his hold and said, "Please, wait here." He turned to go inside and they could hear him rummaging for something. After a while, he came back with a small sphere of thick glass and handed it to her, "Here, she may not make use of this anymore. I think… and hope... you can put this to better use than having it collect dust in my home."
"Hmm, what does it do?" asked Lamy, breaking her silence.
"Say 'shine' and then 'float' to make it work," he informed them, then he explained with pride, "My wife used to be a cartographer before she settled down. She helped to map out the entire eastern farmlands, you know? Knew every single nook and cranny." Then, his eyes looked forlorn and he said, "Well, thank you for this. Goodbye." And he closed the door.
The two walked away from the house without a word and headed back to the guild house.
"That was a nice thing you did," stated Lamy, "You helped to give him closure when he could not find any."
"Yeah. I'm glad to have helped," Polka replied with a grin.
Meeting up with the others, they took turns taking their baths before going across the road to have a grand dinner at Robel's. Filled and happy, they turned in for the night, knowing they survived to wake up to another day.
Today, they found themselves at the school. Artia had come to find them and asked them to see her teacher, Rushia. They decided to split up again; Botan and Polka retrieving the stuffed head while the others met with the teacher. Thus, the remaining three found themselves outside her class. The door was then opened and several students in robes filed out of the class. As the last one stepped away, they leaned in to peek through the doorway.
"Ah, you're here. Please enter!"
Now it was their turn to file in.
"Hello again. The lion girl isn't with you today?" the pink-haired wizard asked as she sat down at her table and crossed her legs.
"Ah, she went to get her trophy today with Polka," explained Nene.
"And what of your new friend?" she asked.
Aloe curtsied and said, "My name is Aloe Mano. I only recently joined. Please take care of me."
"I see… well, back to business. I would like to hire your team to retrieve some things," she requested as she picked up a large piece of paper and handed it to them, "The instructions are here as well as a small map of the place."
The bard took it and read through it at a glance. "Hmm, west of the city?" she murmured.
"I used to live there," she added, surprising everyone, "I had to leave many books behind. I want you and your team to retrieve them."
"Ah… I see," mused Nene, "Alright, sure. We'll do it. Although… why didn't you put this through the guild?"
"Hmm, I rather ask for help from people I've met face to face," she admitted as she shrugged, "Perhaps if you give me a good impression, I might consider sending my future requests to the guild."
"And what about Artia?" pressed on the bard.
"She still studies here. Very hardworking girl," she praised, "However, that leaves her very little time to do other things, like go out and experience the world. Perhaps in time, she would, but for now, leave her be. She will do it when she feels she's ready. Perhaps you can coax her out of her shell."
"Alright… do you need the books immediately?" Nene asked.
"Hmm… no, not really. You can do it if you should find the time," she stated, "I do hope it will be done by the end of the year though."
"Okay. Thank you for the request. We will get it done as soon as we are able," promised the bard before leaving the class.
"Well, I certainly hope so," she replied as they left the room. "I certainly hope so," she repeated again as her thoughts went back to a certain iron flask back in her house.
"Wow, it looks amazing," Nene exclaimed as the team met back at the guild house. The lion head looked majestically over its new domain; the side room.
"Hi, hi, isn't it?" asked Botan rhetorically, grinning from ear to ear, "Too bad we didn't get that owlbear head. Oh well, maybe we'd get something else."
"BOTAN!"
A short figure leaped onto the lion girl, causing her to fall flat on the floor. "RISU!" she yelled.
"Hi, hi," giggled the squirrel girl as she leaped off. Turning to address the rest of the party, she introduced herself jovially, "Hello, I am Risu the dream druid. You must be Botan's friends." Suddenly, a hand pulls her by the ear.
"Risu, are you pranking people again?" asked a purple-haired girl with faintly-glowing eyes. She wore a black and white costume dress. If one looks a little more closely, you could see a galaxy of stars in her hair.
"Eeh, no, no, no, Moona. I am not. Let go please!" she pleaded, getting all teary-eyed.
The glamour bard sighed and released her hold, the squirrel girl rubbing her sore ear. "Sorry for that. This over-excitable child is hard to control sometimes."
"...it's fine," groaned the archer as she picked herself up.
"Mmm, let us do a request together," she suggested suddenly, "As compensation."
The party looked at each other for a moment. Then, Nene asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"Ah… alright, seems easy enough," mused Nene.
The request in question was a hunt for a pack of saber-toothed tigers spotted in the forest. They had to travel to a village south of the capital and meet the village leader there. So now, they found themselves walking down the road to Solena, the village that sent out the request. It was a calm, peaceful, late morning. They hired a cart and reached the village with very little trouble. Then, while Nene went to meet with the village head, Lamy spent time chanting and waving her hands over Risu, Moona, and Polka.
"There. Hopefully, the goddess' blessing protects you," she stated as she finished.
"I believe with you and Risu, we will surely survive whatever obstacle gets in our way," the aasimar bard replied confidently.
"I'll be sure not to let you down," the half-snow elf answered with a smile.
"Alright, everyone, let's go!" called out Nene as she approached, "The head said the pack was sighted east from here. The lead hunter of the village was also there and he mentioned that there were four sets of prints."
"Hmm, I think we can take on four," mused Botan, who then smirked, "Ah, another chance for a trophy."
"I think you're the only one who is set on trophies," snarked Polka with a matching smirk.
"They represent our crowning achievements. Of course I'm set on them," defended the lion girl.
"Okay, enough arguing. Let's go hunt some saber-tooths," urged on the lore bard, "...or do you call them saber-teeth?"
"Pretty sure it's saber-tooths," replied the glamour bard as they followed after her, Aloe popping into the Ethereal Plane first.
The moment the party stepped into the forest, Risu took point and led them through the forest.
AN: This chapter, we add two more Holomems to the mix. All the way from HoloID.
Risu Ayunda
Squirrel Beastfolk
Circle of the Dream Druid
A very tricky and cheeky druid who likes cute things.
Moona Hoshinova
Protector Aasimar
College of Glamour Bard
Risu's close friend. At times serious, but hides a kind-hearted side that loves her friends all the same... even if they are very mischievous.
Iofi and ID gen2 aren't exactly prominent in the fic as we are generally following Holo5, but will be mentioned or cameo in some chapters. Iofi is the leader of the Artisan's Guild. Ollie is a zombie... er, you will see later. Anya is in her literal incarnation. Reine will be in Gekko for now.
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Chapter 8
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 8
Light filtered through the shady undergrowth, the flickering lighting up the place beautifully. The sounds of birds and insects filled the air intermittently as they passed through.
"You know, I can see why Risu likes staying in the forest," spoke up Moona after a while, "It is quite peaceful. I can only imagine how much more it would be in the circle of hers."
"Hmm, hmm, I can support that," agreed Lamy with a serene smile, "For once, we travel in a pretty place."
"Maybe-" started Polka before shrieking in fright when three constrictors landed on her, the cleric and Botan.
"Don't move!" shouted Botan immediately as the snakes coiled around their respective landing pads.
A large shadow slithered out of the undergrowth and a huge version of the snakes rose up over them, flicking its tongue in and out of its mouth. Everyone became scared and those without snakes around them pulled out their weapons.
"Stop! Stop!" shouted Risu as she raced up to them, placing herself between the giant snake and the party. Looking at the snake, she started hissing at it. It bobbed its head, whether out of surprise or understanding, nobody could tell. It then hissed back. The back and forth went on for a moment before it turned to look at the other snakes and hissed louder. The three snakes uncoiled themselves, slowly slithered off their bodies, and went down their legs, slithering into the underbrush. The giant snake hissed one last time before mirroring the other snakes and slithered away as well.
"Ha... that went well?" muttered Moona once the snakes vanished, "So… what did it say, Risu?"
"Hmm, I asked it to let us pass… then I asked if it saw any tigers..." muttered the dream druid as she tapped her sprig of mistletoe on her cheek, "Or did I ask it the other way around… anyway, it didn't notice any saber-tooths, but it directed me to a cave that might be where they live. It never went inside so it doesn't really know."
"Alright, lead the way," gestured Nene.
The squirrel girl nodded and led the party there. They didn't have to go that far. It was a large entrance, big enough for something large to walk through upright.
"Hey, want me to scout out inside?" asked Polka with a grin, "I can be pretty quiet when needed."
"Well… you are kinda stealthy… I don't see why not," agreed the lore bard.
"Most fortunate to have this kind of help," stated the glamour bard with approval.
"Alright, wish me luck," cheered the monk as she slipped into the shadows. However, after several seconds, she hurriedly came out, looking quite pale. "Umm, no saber-tooths in there," she told them.
"What was inside?" asked Botan curiously.
"Erm… not sure if I should say," she muttered.
"I am sure it would not do any harm saying it," stated Lamy, "Just tell us."
"Okay… I saw two owlbears in-" she started hesitantly.
Botan's eyes immediately lit up and the archer exclaimed, "Let's go!"
"What!? No!" shouted Polka as she tried to hold the lion girl back, "We are here to hunt saber-tooths, not owlbears! If we fight the owlbears now, we might not be strong enough to fight the others. Besides, we can always come back here later. Maybe after we rested."
The archer stared at her for a moment and as the light of battle in her eyes dimmed, she replied reluctantly, "...Fine. But we better get back here after we finish the request. This is a trial that-" She trailed off when she looked over the monk's shoulder. She spotted two gleaming eyes looking out of the cave entrance, illuminated by the sunlight from outside. A large outline could barely be seen. One, very loud screech later, two owlbears ran out of the cave with enraged screeches.
"Nope," murmured Moona as she ducked around a tree. Lamy did the same, but not before casting out a blessing over the others. That did little to help as Nene and Polka got mauled by the owlbears.
"Look this way and fight me!" roared Botan as she waved her arms as she moved back, while Aloe popped out of the Ethereal Plane. When the owlbears ignored her, she shot at them, the arrow grazing the shoulder of one of them. She was still ignored.
"Take this!" Polka shouted as blood streamed down her face as she tried to take on the owlbear that mauled the lore bard, punching it in the stomach area.
"Let the moon grant its aid," called out Risu as she drew a circle in the air with her sprig of mistletoe. The light of the moon then shone on the owlbear that attacked the bard, slowly increasing with intensity.
Moona, aghast at what happened, called out a healing note to Nene, while Lamy prayed aloud, "My goddess, please lend me your aid to protect my friends." A spectral sword of elven-make materialized and swung down on the owlbear, while she sent a ray of frost at its head. As it flinched, the sword missed.
The owlbear in front of the bard screeched loudly as the radiance of the moon burned through its body. Both of them tried to maul Polka, the first one missing and the second one striking as she dodged the first.
"Polka!" shouted the bard as she saw the monk fall by her side. Getting up, she skewered the owlbear in front of her in the stomach. Aloe then swooped down on the other owlbear, clawing the back of its head while Botan shot the first one in the neck.
"The fires of renewal will burn it all away," chanted Risu as she produced a flickering flame in her hand and threw it at the nearest owlbear, scorching its feathery fur.
The glamour bard turned the healing note to the monk while the half-snow elf cleric continued pressuring the first owlbear with spirit weapon and ice. It screeched loudly as the moonbeam continued to scorch it, and it mauled the one that got up to attack it. The other owlbear ignored Nene and tried swiping after the flying succubus.
Aloe blew a raspberry at the second owlbear while she clawed the head of the first as she dive-bombed it and flew out of range. The lion girl shot that one in the neck again while the fennec fox monk jumped to her feet.
"Haiya!" she shouted as she aimed a jumping kick at its head. It leaned back, the kick missing, but she smirked and with a twist, she turned it into a jumping roundhouse. The ball of her foot slammed right in its throat. It gurgled and collapsed backward under its weight. As she landed on her feet, the druid then mystically moved the moonbeam over the remaining owlbear. She then produced another flame in her hand and threw it at the monstrosity.
Moona moved the healing not back to Nene. Lamy turned her ministrations to the other owlbear while it still tried to reach out and swipe the succubus, its feathered fur burning and scorched by flame, moon, and frost.
"Just go down already!" shouted Nene as she got up again. She joined the rest of the party in raining it with attacks. Magic, arrow, and blade made it bloodied and burned. It was still able to swipe Polka one last time before going down to the lore bard's rapier. She then quickly sang out the note of healing, the regenerative aura washing over the monk and closing her more grievous wounds.
"Ha…. I don't want to do that too many times," the fennec fox girl grumbled as the lore bard helped her up.
"...you still looked really cool when you kicked that owlbear," spoke up the druid as she pointed at said monstrosity.
"Eh… I guess?" the monk admitted embarrassedly, unsure on what to say to that.
"Trophy, trophy, trophy," hummed Botan happily as she examined the bodies to see which head was in a better condition.
Suddenly, a screech sounded out, coming from the cave. It was not as loud as the other owlbears, but more like a low warbling. Everyone was on guard and all eyes were drawn to the entrance. Seconds ticked by and a faint scratching was heard. Then, a much smaller version of an owlbear walked out haltingly and then clumsily fell down. The cub then warble-screeched again while looking around.
"OH, MY GODS! SO CUTE!" exclaimed Risu as she suddenly raced forward and pounced. The young cub squirmed as it was hugged from behind, away from its already sharp claws.
"Ah, yes, go ahead and hug the baby that can claw your eyes out," snarked Aloe as everyone else watching giggled at the druid's antics.
"Oh, oh, no," the lore bard muttered after realizing something, "Did we kill its parents?"
"Very likely," the glamour bard stated, somewhat confirming it, "Do remember that they tried killing us."
"I know… but… will it survive out in the wild without its parents?" she asked.
"It can't. That's why-" was the reply but was interjected by the one hugging the cub.
"That's why it's coming with me!" exclaimed Risu, "I will give it all my love and care, and it will stay with me forever!" The owlbear cub just squawked and continued to struggle.
"Well… I guess that's something?" she admitted questioningly.
After some discussion, they decided to rest a little while to help tend to Polka's and Nene's wounds. Moona decided to aid in accelerating their healing as well, lacing a song with healing notes, singing of the return of life after the end of winter. It was admiringly melodic and after she was done, they clapped. Several extra pairs of hands joined the claps and a lot of screeching and hooting. Before they knew it, a troop of apes clambered down from the trees and started jumping and chattering around the glamour bard.
"Er, what is..." she stammered, unable to find the words to describe this.
"Ah! Hold on!" requested Risu as she grasped her sprig of mistletoe, "I used this spell earlier in a hurry. Now that they are acting friendly, we can do this normally." She hurriedly pushed the owlbear cub into Botan's hands, who held it at arm's length.
She then started waving the mistletoe and chanted in a mystical manner as she walked around the troop of apes, lightly touching their heads as she passed them by. The commotion they stirred up before lessened as the apes stood still and looked at her in wonder as each of them was touched with it. Once she was done, she then started making light chattering noises as she communicated with the apes. The noise level then went back to normal and they made a lot of noise. Eventually, the troop clambered back up the trees with the druid waving after them.
"Alright, they can't really tell the difference between saber-tooths and normal tigers, but they did see some cat-like hunters south of here," she informed them.
Amazed by what they saw, the party continued their hunt. Before going, Botan requested that they return to this place to harvest an owlbear head. After they reluctantly agreed, the party proceeded to move southward. It was now evening and the bright orange sun created more shadows as it made its journey down. However, it was only ten minutes into the trek when Botan's ears twitched as she heard something slinking around and disturbing dead leaves.
"Something is stalking us," she announced, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.
"I thought so," muttered Lamy as she grasped her amulet, "Is it the saber-tooths?"
"I can't really tell," the lion girl admitted as everyone formed a circle, all pairs of eyes in every direction, "But I bet that they are hungry and are on the hunt. Let's hope they are desperate enough to-"
"I see one!" called out Nene as she threw her dagger, the weapon ending up embedded in a tree instead of an enemy.
"Too soon!" shouted back Botan while Lamy called for blessings.
Tigers charged at them, targeting the bards and the monk. They were not saber-tooths, but that didn't make their claws hurt any less. Nene and Polka were between two of them, pushed back to back, while the third one knocked Moona off her feet. Thankfully, she rolled to the side and avoided getting bitten. She quickly got to her feet and attacked with her daggers. At the same time, the monk lashed out with a kick to the head. Risu defaulted to throwing fire while Botan used her claws.
"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me," Nene hurriedly started singing, the magic in the words prompting roars of pain from the tigers, as she didn't have time to use her lute. It was a general melee from then on. The cleric and the succubus aided the monk with her tiger. The archer helped with the lore bard's tiger and the druid lit the glamour bard's one on fire. It didn't take long before the monk's tiger died and the other two ran away with grievous injuries.
"Well, those were not the tigers we're looking for," stated Botan with a frown, "I guess we have to continue looking."
"Moona, Moona, can you help me feed Baloo while I heal Nene?" asked Risu as she pointed to the owlbear cub, who was pawing the tiger body and sniffing the wounds, "Just cut off strips for him to gobble."
"...okay..." relented the aasimar bard reluctantly.
"So, what should we do now?" asked Lamy as the druid rubbed her glowing green hands over the lore bard's wounds.
"Maybe retrace our steps?" suggested the archer, "Maybe… well, the dead owlbears might draw them in. I don't think anyone could turn down free meat. Plus, I still want my trophy."
"Good idea, Botan," praised Nene with a smile.
After the druid's owlbear cub had its fill, they retraced their steps back to the cave. The evening had just passed on to twilight at that point and there was thankfully still enough light to see. As they reached the vicinity of the cave, Polka volunteered to scout ahead. With everyone in agreement, she dashed on ahead. A few minutes later, she came back looking excited.
"They're there! The saber-tooths," she announced, "Four of them. They're surrounding one of the owlbears and busy eating."
"Yosh… alright, we do this quietly. We will sneak up on them," planned the archer, "I will start it off with a burst arrow. When they are coming at me, take them out from the side with your attacks. Then, by the time they reach us, they should be weakened enough to finish them off."
Everyone agreed that it was a good plan and they set out. As they neared the area, they took up positions and waited for Botan. Carefully, she nocked the arrow and pulled it back, the projectile taking on a silvery sheen. Upon release, it streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the first saber-tooth and exploding in a burst of energy. The beasts flinched and after shaking it off, charged straight at the archer. That same saber-tooth took on the burnt of magic and projectiles being thrown at it. At the same time, Nene started singing with lute accompaniment, the magic in the song causing a loud ringing in the saber-tooth's ears.
With a yell, Moona's eyes gained an unearthly glow and a pair of luminous, incorporeal wings sprouted out of her back. The moonbeams and frost rays continued to make their mark.
"Ha!" Polka shouted, taking the chance to dart in and land a flurry of blows on the already battered saber-tooth and somersaulting out of the way of its claws, landing next to the archer, who sent another bursting arrow. Aloe swooped in to do the same.
All that attention it received caused it to run away, but the other three piled onto Botan and Polka, the archer deftly dodging their claws but the monk wasn't so lucky. She only survived thanks to Lamy's timely healing.
It then devolved into the fennec fox and the lion's efforts to draw the saber-tooth's attention while the others wailed on them. Moona joined in the fray, mimicking the succubus' tactics. One by one they died. One tiger tried to fight back; it leaped away and pounced onto Botan, grounding her and biting her arm, drawing grunts from her.
"Argh, get off me!" she roared as she head butted its nose. It roared in annoyance and leaped back.
Unfortunately, this allowed the other saber-tooth tiger to sink its teeth into her shoulder, prompting her to yell out in pain. Once again, she survived thanks to the cleric's intervention, her magic knitting up the most grievous of wounds.
"Quickly, they shouldn't last much longer now!" shouted Moona as she landed, carving out a saber-tooth's flank before flying up again.
And they did. With several close calls, the battle was won.
Light filtered through the shady undergrowth, the flickering lighting up the place beautifully. The sounds of birds and insects filled the air intermittently as they passed through.
"You know, I can see why Risu likes staying in the forest," spoke up Moona after a while, "It is quite peaceful. I can only imagine how much more it would be in the circle of hers."
"Hmm, hmm, I can support that," agreed Lamy with a serene smile, "For once, we travel in a pretty place."
"Maybe-" started Polka before shrieking in fright when three constrictors landed on her, the cleric and Botan.
"Don't move!" shouted Botan immediately as the snakes coiled around their respective landing pads.
A large shadow slithered out of the undergrowth and a huge version of the snakes rose up over them, flicking its tongue in and out of its mouth. Everyone became scared and those without snakes around them pulled out their weapons.
"Stop! Stop!" shouted Risu as she raced up to them, placing herself between the giant snake and the party. Looking at the snake, she started hissing at it. It bobbed its head, whether out of surprise or understanding, nobody could tell. It then hissed back. The back and forth went on for a moment before it turned to look at the other snakes and hissed louder. The three snakes uncoiled themselves, slowly slithered off their bodies, and went down their legs, slithering into the underbrush. The giant snake hissed one last time before mirroring the other snakes and slithered away as well.
"Ha... that went well?" muttered Moona once the snakes vanished, "So… what did it say, Risu?"
"Hmm, I asked it to let us pass… then I asked if it saw any tigers..." muttered the dream druid as she tapped her sprig of mistletoe on her cheek, "Or did I ask it the other way around… anyway, it didn't notice any saber-tooths, but it directed me to a cave that might be where they live. It never went inside so it doesn't really know."
"Alright, lead the way," gestured Nene.
The squirrel girl nodded and led the party there. They didn't have to go that far. It was a large entrance, big enough for something large to walk through upright.
"Hey, want me to scout out inside?" asked Polka with a grin, "I can be pretty quiet when needed."
"Well… you are kinda stealthy… I don't see why not," agreed the lore bard.
"Most fortunate to have this kind of help," stated the glamour bard with approval.
"Alright, wish me luck," cheered the monk as she slipped into the shadows. However, after several seconds, she hurriedly came out, looking quite pale. "Umm, no saber-tooths in there," she told them.
"What was inside?" asked Botan curiously.
"Erm… not sure if I should say," she muttered.
"I am sure it would not do any harm saying it," stated Lamy, "Just tell us."
"Okay… I saw two owlbears in-" she started hesitantly.
Botan's eyes immediately lit up and the archer exclaimed, "Let's go!"
"What!? No!" shouted Polka as she tried to hold the lion girl back, "We are here to hunt saber-tooths, not owlbears! If we fight the owlbears now, we might not be strong enough to fight the others. Besides, we can always come back here later. Maybe after we rested."
The archer stared at her for a moment and as the light of battle in her eyes dimmed, she replied reluctantly, "...Fine. But we better get back here after we finish the request. This is a trial that-" She trailed off when she looked over the monk's shoulder. She spotted two gleaming eyes looking out of the cave entrance, illuminated by the sunlight from outside. A large outline could barely be seen. One, very loud screech later, two owlbears ran out of the cave with enraged screeches.
"Nope," murmured Moona as she ducked around a tree. Lamy did the same, but not before casting out a blessing over the others. That did little to help as Nene and Polka got mauled by the owlbears.
"Look this way and fight me!" roared Botan as she waved her arms as she moved back, while Aloe popped out of the Ethereal Plane. When the owlbears ignored her, she shot at them, the arrow grazing the shoulder of one of them. She was still ignored.
"Take this!" Polka shouted as blood streamed down her face as she tried to take on the owlbear that mauled the lore bard, punching it in the stomach area.
"Let the moon grant its aid," called out Risu as she drew a circle in the air with her sprig of mistletoe. The light of the moon then shone on the owlbear that attacked the bard, slowly increasing with intensity.
Moona, aghast at what happened, called out a healing note to Nene, while Lamy prayed aloud, "My goddess, please lend me your aid to protect my friends." A spectral sword of elven-make materialized and swung down on the owlbear, while she sent a ray of frost at its head. As it flinched, the sword missed.
The owlbear in front of the bard screeched loudly as the radiance of the moon burned through its body. Both of them tried to maul Polka, the first one missing and the second one striking as she dodged the first.
"Polka!" shouted the bard as she saw the monk fall by her side. Getting up, she skewered the owlbear in front of her in the stomach. Aloe then swooped down on the other owlbear, clawing the back of its head while Botan shot the first one in the neck.
"The fires of renewal will burn it all away," chanted Risu as she produced a flickering flame in her hand and threw it at the nearest owlbear, scorching its feathery fur.
The glamour bard turned the healing note to the monk while the half-snow elf cleric continued pressuring the first owlbear with spirit weapon and ice. It screeched loudly as the moonbeam continued to scorch it, and it mauled the one that got up to attack it. The other owlbear ignored Nene and tried swiping after the flying succubus.
Aloe blew a raspberry at the second owlbear while she clawed the head of the first as she dive-bombed it and flew out of range. The lion girl shot that one in the neck again while the fennec fox monk jumped to her feet.
"Haiya!" she shouted as she aimed a jumping kick at its head. It leaned back, the kick missing, but she smirked and with a twist, she turned it into a jumping roundhouse. The ball of her foot slammed right in its throat. It gurgled and collapsed backward under its weight. As she landed on her feet, the druid then mystically moved the moonbeam over the remaining owlbear. She then produced another flame in her hand and threw it at the monstrosity.
Moona moved the healing not back to Nene. Lamy turned her ministrations to the other owlbear while it still tried to reach out and swipe the succubus, its feathered fur burning and scorched by flame, moon, and frost.
"Just go down already!" shouted Nene as she got up again. She joined the rest of the party in raining it with attacks. Magic, arrow, and blade made it bloodied and burned. It was still able to swipe Polka one last time before going down to the lore bard's rapier. She then quickly sang out the note of healing, the regenerative aura washing over the monk and closing her more grievous wounds.
"Ha…. I don't want to do that too many times," the fennec fox girl grumbled as the lore bard helped her up.
"...you still looked really cool when you kicked that owlbear," spoke up the druid as she pointed at said monstrosity.
"Eh… I guess?" the monk admitted embarrassedly, unsure on what to say to that.
"Trophy, trophy, trophy," hummed Botan happily as she examined the bodies to see which head was in a better condition.
Suddenly, a screech sounded out, coming from the cave. It was not as loud as the other owlbears, but more like a low warbling. Everyone was on guard and all eyes were drawn to the entrance. Seconds ticked by and a faint scratching was heard. Then, a much smaller version of an owlbear walked out haltingly and then clumsily fell down. The cub then warble-screeched again while looking around.
"OH, MY GODS! SO CUTE!" exclaimed Risu as she suddenly raced forward and pounced. The young cub squirmed as it was hugged from behind, away from its already sharp claws.
"Ah, yes, go ahead and hug the baby that can claw your eyes out," snarked Aloe as everyone else watching giggled at the druid's antics.
"Oh, oh, no," the lore bard muttered after realizing something, "Did we kill its parents?"
"Very likely," the glamour bard stated, somewhat confirming it, "Do remember that they tried killing us."
"I know… but… will it survive out in the wild without its parents?" she asked.
"It can't. That's why-" was the reply but was interjected by the one hugging the cub.
"That's why it's coming with me!" exclaimed Risu, "I will give it all my love and care, and it will stay with me forever!" The owlbear cub just squawked and continued to struggle.
"Well… I guess that's something?" she admitted questioningly.
After some discussion, they decided to rest a little while to help tend to Polka's and Nene's wounds. Moona decided to aid in accelerating their healing as well, lacing a song with healing notes, singing of the return of life after the end of winter. It was admiringly melodic and after she was done, they clapped. Several extra pairs of hands joined the claps and a lot of screeching and hooting. Before they knew it, a troop of apes clambered down from the trees and started jumping and chattering around the glamour bard.
"Er, what is..." she stammered, unable to find the words to describe this.
"Ah! Hold on!" requested Risu as she grasped her sprig of mistletoe, "I used this spell earlier in a hurry. Now that they are acting friendly, we can do this normally." She hurriedly pushed the owlbear cub into Botan's hands, who held it at arm's length.
She then started waving the mistletoe and chanted in a mystical manner as she walked around the troop of apes, lightly touching their heads as she passed them by. The commotion they stirred up before lessened as the apes stood still and looked at her in wonder as each of them was touched with it. Once she was done, she then started making light chattering noises as she communicated with the apes. The noise level then went back to normal and they made a lot of noise. Eventually, the troop clambered back up the trees with the druid waving after them.
"Alright, they can't really tell the difference between saber-tooths and normal tigers, but they did see some cat-like hunters south of here," she informed them.
Amazed by what they saw, the party continued their hunt. Before going, Botan requested that they return to this place to harvest an owlbear head. After they reluctantly agreed, the party proceeded to move southward. It was now evening and the bright orange sun created more shadows as it made its journey down. However, it was only ten minutes into the trek when Botan's ears twitched as she heard something slinking around and disturbing dead leaves.
"Something is stalking us," she announced, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.
"I thought so," muttered Lamy as she grasped her amulet, "Is it the saber-tooths?"
"I can't really tell," the lion girl admitted as everyone formed a circle, all pairs of eyes in every direction, "But I bet that they are hungry and are on the hunt. Let's hope they are desperate enough to-"
"I see one!" called out Nene as she threw her dagger, the weapon ending up embedded in a tree instead of an enemy.
"Too soon!" shouted back Botan while Lamy called for blessings.
Tigers charged at them, targeting the bards and the monk. They were not saber-tooths, but that didn't make their claws hurt any less. Nene and Polka were between two of them, pushed back to back, while the third one knocked Moona off her feet. Thankfully, she rolled to the side and avoided getting bitten. She quickly got to her feet and attacked with her daggers. At the same time, the monk lashed out with a kick to the head. Risu defaulted to throwing fire while Botan used her claws.
"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me," Nene hurriedly started singing, the magic in the words prompting roars of pain from the tigers, as she didn't have time to use her lute. It was a general melee from then on. The cleric and the succubus aided the monk with her tiger. The archer helped with the lore bard's tiger and the druid lit the glamour bard's one on fire. It didn't take long before the monk's tiger died and the other two ran away with grievous injuries.
"Well, those were not the tigers we're looking for," stated Botan with a frown, "I guess we have to continue looking."
"Moona, Moona, can you help me feed Baloo while I heal Nene?" asked Risu as she pointed to the owlbear cub, who was pawing the tiger body and sniffing the wounds, "Just cut off strips for him to gobble."
"...okay..." relented the aasimar bard reluctantly.
"So, what should we do now?" asked Lamy as the druid rubbed her glowing green hands over the lore bard's wounds.
"Maybe retrace our steps?" suggested the archer, "Maybe… well, the dead owlbears might draw them in. I don't think anyone could turn down free meat. Plus, I still want my trophy."
"Good idea, Botan," praised Nene with a smile.
After the druid's owlbear cub had its fill, they retraced their steps back to the cave. The evening had just passed on to twilight at that point and there was thankfully still enough light to see. As they reached the vicinity of the cave, Polka volunteered to scout ahead. With everyone in agreement, she dashed on ahead. A few minutes later, she came back looking excited.
"They're there! The saber-tooths," she announced, "Four of them. They're surrounding one of the owlbears and busy eating."
"Yosh… alright, we do this quietly. We will sneak up on them," planned the archer, "I will start it off with a burst arrow. When they are coming at me, take them out from the side with your attacks. Then, by the time they reach us, they should be weakened enough to finish them off."
Everyone agreed that it was a good plan and they set out. As they neared the area, they took up positions and waited for Botan. Carefully, she nocked the arrow and pulled it back, the projectile taking on a silvery sheen. Upon release, it streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the first saber-tooth and exploding in a burst of energy. The beasts flinched and after shaking it off, charged straight at the archer. That same saber-tooth took on the burnt of magic and projectiles being thrown at it. At the same time, Nene started singing with lute accompaniment, the magic in the song causing a loud ringing in the saber-tooth's ears.
With a yell, Moona's eyes gained an unearthly glow and a pair of luminous, incorporeal wings sprouted out of her back. The moonbeams and frost rays continued to make their mark.
"Ha!" Polka shouted, taking the chance to dart in and land a flurry of blows on the already battered saber-tooth and somersaulting out of the way of its claws, landing next to the archer, who sent another bursting arrow. Aloe swooped in to do the same.
All that attention it received caused it to run away, but the other three piled onto Botan and Polka, the archer deftly dodging their claws but the monk wasn't so lucky. She only survived thanks to Lamy's timely healing.
It then devolved into the fennec fox and the lion's efforts to draw the saber-tooth's attention while the others wailed on them. Moona joined in the fray, mimicking the succubus' tactics. One by one they died. One tiger tried to fight back; it leaped away and pounced onto Botan, grounding her and biting her arm, drawing grunts from her.
"Argh, get off me!" she roared as she head butted its nose. It roared in annoyance and leaped back.
Unfortunately, this allowed the other saber-tooth tiger to sink its teeth into her shoulder, prompting her to yell out in pain. Once again, she survived thanks to the cleric's intervention, her magic knitting up the most grievous of wounds.
"Quickly, they shouldn't last much longer now!" shouted Moona as she landed, carving out a saber-tooth's flank before flying up again.
And they did. With several close calls, the battle was won.
Chapter 9
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 9
"Well… she sounds… really, really, sad..." stated Polka as she watched Botan shout, groan and moan at the state of the bodies. The heads of the owlbear corpses were not spared by the saber-tooths. Even the least damaged one had gauges and teeth marks all over it.
"Well, we have the saber-tooths tied up," stated Nene as she hefted it up with Moona holding up the other end of the branch, "Let's get back to the village and get our reward."
In the end, Botan decided on carrying the least damaged head and skillfully carved it off, with help of course. And so, the group trekked back to Solena with a few extras in tow. They dropped off the dead bodies at the hunting lodge and received their reward from the village head. Risu refused the gold, saying she lived off the land and didn't really need it. So, the reward was split five ways. Then, as they made their way back to the capital by cart, Risu parted ways with them, stating that she wanted to bring Baloo to the circle and start training him there.
"So what are you going to do now?" asked the aasimar as they departed from the stables. It was already late at night and they were very lucky not to get accosted on the way back.
"Well, we are heading straight for the school to preserve this for tomorrow. I don't think Botan is willing to wait any longer," stated the lore bard as she motioned to the now antsy archer.
The former giggled and said, "In that case, go ahead. I'll let Mister Miyabi know about this."
"Okay, thanks a lot," the latter replied as they parted ways.
Botan became a hundred gold poorer that night.
The next day, a short visit to the tannery revealed the cost of stuffing the head of the owlbear.
"Oh, my gods… that's expensive," muttered Botan as she paled at the price. A full two hundred gold.
"Well, even if the head isn't too damaged, the gnawed and gouged parts have to be restored and that itself will be expensive," stated the lady at the counter, "Plus, it is quite rare to find such a beast like how you described. It will take quite a long time to restore it to a presentable condition."
"I suppose..." she admitted. Turning to the others, she asked, "Umm… eheh… can you guys help?"
"I suppose I can help," stated Lamy with a frown, "But… next time, you should try and raise the proper funds yourself. You are lucky that you will be owing us instead of other unscrupulous people."
After contributing and pooling their resources, they paid for the stuffing services. They left after topping up on ammunition. They then stopped by the leatherworkers store, where Nene traded in her leathers for studded leathers. After that, they headed to the herbalist for more healing potions. They finally stopped by the guild house and met up with Miyabi at the counter.
"Hello!" he greeted with a smile, "Moona submitted the report last night. So, what will it be today?"
"Anything simple today?" asked Nene, "Escorts or something?"
"Well… I guess there are always that," he mused as he pointed to the board, "I think there are a few on the board."
They wandered over and looked over it. Two others were at the board as well. One was a handsome blonde in full plate armor and the other had lightning bolts crackling in dark blue hair wearing yellow and brown robes. They picked one request and moved out, only pausing the wave at the guild clerk. Eventually, Polka picked one out, brought it over to Miyabi, and asked as she waved it at him, "Hey, what's a cockatrice?"
He shrugged and replied, "I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps you can check it out at the library in the school."
"Aah, okay!" quipped the monk.
"Huh, let's go then," said Nene.
"Ah, welcome," greeted the lady at the counter with a smile, "I am Rosalyn the librarian. How may I help you?" She was clad in blue and white, a large hat of the same colors, and a monocle with black rim.
"Hello. I… want to find out about a cockatrice," replied Nene as the party crowded around the counter… minus Aloe, who went ethereal before entering.
"Ah, the bestiary is down that row, letters A to C," she stated as she pointed down one row of shelves, "Do remember to mind your voices when doing research, alright?"
Giving her their thanks, the bard headed down the directed row all the way to the end, where C was. Taking out a few books, she brought them to the table that her party secured for themselves. Together, they poured over them. A hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat. It is about the size of a goose. Any creature bitten by it will be turned to stone by its venom. They are immune to their own venom. They live in lairs and would swarm invaders that try to take them.
While reading up on these titbits, Botan was the first to get bored of all this. Looking around, among the students busy going over tomes and parchments, she spotted Artia doing the same. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the studious ice genasi and sat next to her. She was a bit too into her book to notice. Leaning over, the lion girl noted that this was about the existence of ice elementals.
"Hnn," she sounded.
"Eep!" Artia sounded loudly in shock. Every other student then looked at her for a moment, before going back to their reading material.
"What was that about?" she whispered angrily, her face red with embarrassment.
"The party is looking up cockatrices and I got bored," the lion girl explained with a nonchalant shrug.
The wizard grumbled under her breath and went back to reading. The archer rolled her eyes and left the table. Sliding back to the party's table, she muttered, "Are we done? This is getting unbearable."
Polka smirked as she tossed her book on the table, "Well, we can always go to the hunting shop to find out. Or we can ask Miyabi. It must be on the piece of paper."
"You didn't see what was on it?" asked Nene in surprise.
"Nope."
Lamy sighed. "Let us go back then. I think we got enough information here," she stated as she stood up. The party was in agreement and they made their way back to the guild house to speak with Miyabi.
"Hello again. Are you ready to take the quest?" he asked.
"We are! What did the paper say?" asked the bard.
"Alright. This is a request from the chef in Robel. She wants someone to hunt down some cockatrices," explained the guild clerk, "She wishes to experiment to see if she can make an interesting dish from the meat. As to where to hunt them, she heard that there was a lair of them bordering the southern part of the swamp and the forest."
"Hmm, I guess that sounds good," she mused, "I guess we can go now?"
"Well… it's past lunchtime… go get something to eat before going," he advised them.
"Alright! Thanks, Mister Miyabi!"
"Eh? But I'm too young to be called that," he exclaimed in surprise, to much giggling.
The afternoon turned to evening. They took a lot of time to get to the southern area of the swamp and to search for the lair. No odd noises and no clucking anywhere.
"This is tiresome," spoke up Lamy, "Did the chef get it wrong?"
"Well, she heard about the lair from someone. It should be around here somewhere," reasoned Nene, "Maybe it's further in the forest than around here."
"Maybe," muttered Botan as she scanned the area, "They do hunt for frogs and the like, so they would be near the swamp, but not as near."
"Alright, maybe Aloe can fly over ahead and… what was that?" spoke up Polka.
The party caught an ear of groaning coming from the swamp. A shambling corpse suddenly appeared and was heading towards them. It used to be human, but now had long sharp teeth and claws. Its eye sockets were empty, the organs already rotted away in the swamp.
"Ew, it stinks," exclaimed fennec fox girl as a stray gust of wind blew, her nose wrinkling in disgust. The lion girl looked like she wanted to throw up.
"What a sad state," muttered the cleric, "We must put it to rest once more. Take care of its claws. They can paralyze you."
"Not human anymore… got it," murmured Nene as everyone got ready to fight.
"Feed..." it groaned out, "Claw them... down to the ground..."
Suddenly, hands burst out of the ground… only hands… and skittered towards them.
"Ooh, creepy," shivered Aloe as she took to the air.
"Yeah, no," said Botan and shot a bursting arrow at the ghast and getting it in the shin, the resulting blast slamming into several of the crawling claws and decimating them.
"Yeah! Keep your hands to yourself!" shouted the monk as she followed up and threw a dart at the undead, burying it in the shoulder.
"Eee! Get off!" shouted the half-snow elf as she kicked off a hand that grabbed her leg.
"Feed..."
This let the ghast simply walk up to the cleric and swung its claws. They scraped on the shield, not touching her at all, but its stench made her stomach churl. Nevertheless, she steeled herself and then slammed her mace on the claw that grabbed her.
"Urgh!" groaned the bard as two hands crawled over, jumped up, and punched her stomach. She got over it quickly and stabbed one.
Yet another hand tried to grab the archer, but she dodged to the side. This allowed the succubus to grab it as she swooped down and she tore it apart with her claws. Meanwhile, the lion girl retreated back and shot at the ghast again, this time striking it in the eye socket. As it roared in reaction, the monk tumbled forward. Leaning back, she slammed two punches into its chest. One feint followed by one real punch. She then swerved out of the way from its swipe, tumbled forward and tried to kick another claw, which flattened itself to the ground and avoided the foot. She then tumbled back to her original position.
"Huh, very fancy," praised Aloe as the undead hands continued scratching and punching Nene and Lamy. She then swooped down and tore into another hand with her claws.
"Quite," agreed the cleric calmly as she nicked the ghast in the side of the head as it suddenly lurched past her to go after Botan. Much to her surprise, the undead being froze and then started shambling away as fast as its stiff legs could carry it. "What in the world?" she muttered to herself in surprise, missing the claw she attacked while staring at the retreating ghast.
"Huh, I guess we're winning," stated Nene with a grin, impaling another hand to the ground.
"Hn," sounded the archer as she missed her shot. Polka just shrugged as she kicked the last hand into the swamp.
"It must be falling apart!" shouted Aloe as she flew after it. She swiped at it as she landed, her claws leaving deep grooves into the skin on its back, "After it!"
"No need to say it twice!" replied the bard as she and the cleric chased after it. One dagger to the neck and a ray of frost later, it crumpled to the ground.
"Hn, that was weird," muttered Botan as they retrieved their respective projectiles from the re-deceased body, "I think this means we need to go further into the forest."
Twilight came and went. As it was night time, Polka pulled out her driftglobe and with two words, made it shine brightly as well as float over her. This was quite helpful as they searched further southward. Eventually, they came upon a grassless area that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. They could hear a lot of squawking from inside and a little behind the hill.
"I guess we found the lair," stated Polka as she turned to the others.
"Ah… and I think they noticed us already," informed Botan as she pointed at the hill. Five cockatrices loomed over the hill. All five of them suddenly made horrid noises, something between a squawk and a shriek, and charged straight at them. The din brought four more out of the cave and enraged them too.
"Ah, here we go again," sighed Aloe as she took to the sky again.
"Hn," the archer sounded as she shot a bursting arrow. It struck its target true and buffeted the other monstrosities, but that little to halt their squawking charge. Polka and Aloe tried to do so as well with darts and dive bombs, but nothing stopped them.
They all converge on the least armored ones, Nene and Polka. They were rained with multiple bites and pecks of their beaks. Lamy tried to bless the bard with a shield spell to protect her but it was useless. One solid bite and she was quickly turned to stone.
"Damn it! Die already!" roared Botan as she let loose another shot, killing one in the throat. The sight of the stone statue made her worry where she shouldn't feel it.
Polka fought back as well, pummeling another down with Aloe's assistance. Then, for whatever reason, the ones attacking the lore bard flew up and swarmed on the succubus, much to her great shock.
"Take this!" shouted Lamy after summoning a knife of ice to her hand. She threw it accurately into one of the monster's bodies, the ice exploding outwards in a nova of frost. It still didn't slow them down.
Botan continued to shoot and Polka continued to fight. The monk dipped and dodged, moving between the twisted creatures, punching and kicking. In the middle of it, Aloe cried out and her petrified form landed on the ground. The archer's heart skipped a beat but thankfully, it didn't break or anything. But, that became a signal to the cockatrices to swarm the monk en-masse.
"By the gods, this is madness!" swore Lamy as she froze one into a block of ice before retreating to Botan's position.
"Madness is right," the archer growled through her gritted teeth as she shot again, Polka succumbing to the poisonous beaks and turning to stone. Her anxiety continued to spike as she realized that there was a chance that they could lose this battle. To her, such a thing was unthinkable, and yet, the possibility was staring at her in the face.
"My goddess, I beseech thine aid!" the half-snow elf chanted as she grasped her amulet with a worried look. A spirit sword materialized as the remaining cockatrices surrounded them. Their armor held their beaks back for a time being, but as the battle wore on it seemed to Botan that their attacks were wearing the cleric down slowly but surely. Her spirits were lifted when she noticed that the ones attacking Lamy had been taken care of, but suddenly, the two remaining cockatrices turned tail and attacked Lamy instead. As if they knew that she was weakened from her fights.
"Get off her, damn monsters!" she roared angrily as she continued shooting at them. They took down one, but the last one got a lucky peck, and Lamy was petrified as well.
The fact that she was the last one here and these damn mutated chickens turned all her party… allies… friends… to stone, weight heavily on her. All her anxiety, all her anger, all her rage. She saw red. With the loudest roar she could muster, she shouted to the heavens. Her eyes gained a bright red glow and black streaks akin to whiskers appeared on her face. She tensed her body and like a spring, launched herself at the last one, tearing it into half with her claws.
With a feral growl, she looked around for more enemies. As she searched and found nothing, her heart calmed. She calmed down. Her eyes and face lost their changes. As she got reacquainted with her surroundings, it began to rain. The first few drops wet her ears. She shook her head and hurried to retrieve her shortbow. Her body was still tense as she checked up on her petrified friends. Despair struck her heart as she never did find out how long this state lasted. What if it lasted forever? With this despairing thought, she slunk into the cave to take shelter, absolutely unsure what to do.
"Well… she sounds… really, really, sad..." stated Polka as she watched Botan shout, groan and moan at the state of the bodies. The heads of the owlbear corpses were not spared by the saber-tooths. Even the least damaged one had gauges and teeth marks all over it.
"Well, we have the saber-tooths tied up," stated Nene as she hefted it up with Moona holding up the other end of the branch, "Let's get back to the village and get our reward."
In the end, Botan decided on carrying the least damaged head and skillfully carved it off, with help of course. And so, the group trekked back to Solena with a few extras in tow. They dropped off the dead bodies at the hunting lodge and received their reward from the village head. Risu refused the gold, saying she lived off the land and didn't really need it. So, the reward was split five ways. Then, as they made their way back to the capital by cart, Risu parted ways with them, stating that she wanted to bring Baloo to the circle and start training him there.
"So what are you going to do now?" asked the aasimar as they departed from the stables. It was already late at night and they were very lucky not to get accosted on the way back.
"Well, we are heading straight for the school to preserve this for tomorrow. I don't think Botan is willing to wait any longer," stated the lore bard as she motioned to the now antsy archer.
The former giggled and said, "In that case, go ahead. I'll let Mister Miyabi know about this."
"Okay, thanks a lot," the latter replied as they parted ways.
Botan became a hundred gold poorer that night.
The next day, a short visit to the tannery revealed the cost of stuffing the head of the owlbear.
"Oh, my gods… that's expensive," muttered Botan as she paled at the price. A full two hundred gold.
"Well, even if the head isn't too damaged, the gnawed and gouged parts have to be restored and that itself will be expensive," stated the lady at the counter, "Plus, it is quite rare to find such a beast like how you described. It will take quite a long time to restore it to a presentable condition."
"I suppose..." she admitted. Turning to the others, she asked, "Umm… eheh… can you guys help?"
"I suppose I can help," stated Lamy with a frown, "But… next time, you should try and raise the proper funds yourself. You are lucky that you will be owing us instead of other unscrupulous people."
After contributing and pooling their resources, they paid for the stuffing services. They left after topping up on ammunition. They then stopped by the leatherworkers store, where Nene traded in her leathers for studded leathers. After that, they headed to the herbalist for more healing potions. They finally stopped by the guild house and met up with Miyabi at the counter.
"Hello!" he greeted with a smile, "Moona submitted the report last night. So, what will it be today?"
"Anything simple today?" asked Nene, "Escorts or something?"
"Well… I guess there are always that," he mused as he pointed to the board, "I think there are a few on the board."
They wandered over and looked over it. Two others were at the board as well. One was a handsome blonde in full plate armor and the other had lightning bolts crackling in dark blue hair wearing yellow and brown robes. They picked one request and moved out, only pausing the wave at the guild clerk. Eventually, Polka picked one out, brought it over to Miyabi, and asked as she waved it at him, "Hey, what's a cockatrice?"
He shrugged and replied, "I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps you can check it out at the library in the school."
"Aah, okay!" quipped the monk.
"Huh, let's go then," said Nene.
"Ah, welcome," greeted the lady at the counter with a smile, "I am Rosalyn the librarian. How may I help you?" She was clad in blue and white, a large hat of the same colors, and a monocle with black rim.
"Hello. I… want to find out about a cockatrice," replied Nene as the party crowded around the counter… minus Aloe, who went ethereal before entering.
"Ah, the bestiary is down that row, letters A to C," she stated as she pointed down one row of shelves, "Do remember to mind your voices when doing research, alright?"
Giving her their thanks, the bard headed down the directed row all the way to the end, where C was. Taking out a few books, she brought them to the table that her party secured for themselves. Together, they poured over them. A hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat. It is about the size of a goose. Any creature bitten by it will be turned to stone by its venom. They are immune to their own venom. They live in lairs and would swarm invaders that try to take them.
While reading up on these titbits, Botan was the first to get bored of all this. Looking around, among the students busy going over tomes and parchments, she spotted Artia doing the same. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the studious ice genasi and sat next to her. She was a bit too into her book to notice. Leaning over, the lion girl noted that this was about the existence of ice elementals.
"Hnn," she sounded.
"Eep!" Artia sounded loudly in shock. Every other student then looked at her for a moment, before going back to their reading material.
"What was that about?" she whispered angrily, her face red with embarrassment.
"The party is looking up cockatrices and I got bored," the lion girl explained with a nonchalant shrug.
The wizard grumbled under her breath and went back to reading. The archer rolled her eyes and left the table. Sliding back to the party's table, she muttered, "Are we done? This is getting unbearable."
Polka smirked as she tossed her book on the table, "Well, we can always go to the hunting shop to find out. Or we can ask Miyabi. It must be on the piece of paper."
"You didn't see what was on it?" asked Nene in surprise.
"Nope."
Lamy sighed. "Let us go back then. I think we got enough information here," she stated as she stood up. The party was in agreement and they made their way back to the guild house to speak with Miyabi.
"Hello again. Are you ready to take the quest?" he asked.
"We are! What did the paper say?" asked the bard.
"Alright. This is a request from the chef in Robel. She wants someone to hunt down some cockatrices," explained the guild clerk, "She wishes to experiment to see if she can make an interesting dish from the meat. As to where to hunt them, she heard that there was a lair of them bordering the southern part of the swamp and the forest."
"Hmm, I guess that sounds good," she mused, "I guess we can go now?"
"Well… it's past lunchtime… go get something to eat before going," he advised them.
"Alright! Thanks, Mister Miyabi!"
"Eh? But I'm too young to be called that," he exclaimed in surprise, to much giggling.
The afternoon turned to evening. They took a lot of time to get to the southern area of the swamp and to search for the lair. No odd noises and no clucking anywhere.
"This is tiresome," spoke up Lamy, "Did the chef get it wrong?"
"Well, she heard about the lair from someone. It should be around here somewhere," reasoned Nene, "Maybe it's further in the forest than around here."
"Maybe," muttered Botan as she scanned the area, "They do hunt for frogs and the like, so they would be near the swamp, but not as near."
"Alright, maybe Aloe can fly over ahead and… what was that?" spoke up Polka.
The party caught an ear of groaning coming from the swamp. A shambling corpse suddenly appeared and was heading towards them. It used to be human, but now had long sharp teeth and claws. Its eye sockets were empty, the organs already rotted away in the swamp.
"Ew, it stinks," exclaimed fennec fox girl as a stray gust of wind blew, her nose wrinkling in disgust. The lion girl looked like she wanted to throw up.
"What a sad state," muttered the cleric, "We must put it to rest once more. Take care of its claws. They can paralyze you."
"Not human anymore… got it," murmured Nene as everyone got ready to fight.
"Feed..." it groaned out, "Claw them... down to the ground..."
Suddenly, hands burst out of the ground… only hands… and skittered towards them.
"Ooh, creepy," shivered Aloe as she took to the air.
"Yeah, no," said Botan and shot a bursting arrow at the ghast and getting it in the shin, the resulting blast slamming into several of the crawling claws and decimating them.
"Yeah! Keep your hands to yourself!" shouted the monk as she followed up and threw a dart at the undead, burying it in the shoulder.
"Eee! Get off!" shouted the half-snow elf as she kicked off a hand that grabbed her leg.
"Feed..."
This let the ghast simply walk up to the cleric and swung its claws. They scraped on the shield, not touching her at all, but its stench made her stomach churl. Nevertheless, she steeled herself and then slammed her mace on the claw that grabbed her.
"Urgh!" groaned the bard as two hands crawled over, jumped up, and punched her stomach. She got over it quickly and stabbed one.
Yet another hand tried to grab the archer, but she dodged to the side. This allowed the succubus to grab it as she swooped down and she tore it apart with her claws. Meanwhile, the lion girl retreated back and shot at the ghast again, this time striking it in the eye socket. As it roared in reaction, the monk tumbled forward. Leaning back, she slammed two punches into its chest. One feint followed by one real punch. She then swerved out of the way from its swipe, tumbled forward and tried to kick another claw, which flattened itself to the ground and avoided the foot. She then tumbled back to her original position.
"Huh, very fancy," praised Aloe as the undead hands continued scratching and punching Nene and Lamy. She then swooped down and tore into another hand with her claws.
"Quite," agreed the cleric calmly as she nicked the ghast in the side of the head as it suddenly lurched past her to go after Botan. Much to her surprise, the undead being froze and then started shambling away as fast as its stiff legs could carry it. "What in the world?" she muttered to herself in surprise, missing the claw she attacked while staring at the retreating ghast.
"Huh, I guess we're winning," stated Nene with a grin, impaling another hand to the ground.
"Hn," sounded the archer as she missed her shot. Polka just shrugged as she kicked the last hand into the swamp.
"It must be falling apart!" shouted Aloe as she flew after it. She swiped at it as she landed, her claws leaving deep grooves into the skin on its back, "After it!"
"No need to say it twice!" replied the bard as she and the cleric chased after it. One dagger to the neck and a ray of frost later, it crumpled to the ground.
"Hn, that was weird," muttered Botan as they retrieved their respective projectiles from the re-deceased body, "I think this means we need to go further into the forest."
Twilight came and went. As it was night time, Polka pulled out her driftglobe and with two words, made it shine brightly as well as float over her. This was quite helpful as they searched further southward. Eventually, they came upon a grassless area that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. They could hear a lot of squawking from inside and a little behind the hill.
"I guess we found the lair," stated Polka as she turned to the others.
"Ah… and I think they noticed us already," informed Botan as she pointed at the hill. Five cockatrices loomed over the hill. All five of them suddenly made horrid noises, something between a squawk and a shriek, and charged straight at them. The din brought four more out of the cave and enraged them too.
"Ah, here we go again," sighed Aloe as she took to the sky again.
"Hn," the archer sounded as she shot a bursting arrow. It struck its target true and buffeted the other monstrosities, but that little to halt their squawking charge. Polka and Aloe tried to do so as well with darts and dive bombs, but nothing stopped them.
They all converge on the least armored ones, Nene and Polka. They were rained with multiple bites and pecks of their beaks. Lamy tried to bless the bard with a shield spell to protect her but it was useless. One solid bite and she was quickly turned to stone.
"Damn it! Die already!" roared Botan as she let loose another shot, killing one in the throat. The sight of the stone statue made her worry where she shouldn't feel it.
Polka fought back as well, pummeling another down with Aloe's assistance. Then, for whatever reason, the ones attacking the lore bard flew up and swarmed on the succubus, much to her great shock.
"Take this!" shouted Lamy after summoning a knife of ice to her hand. She threw it accurately into one of the monster's bodies, the ice exploding outwards in a nova of frost. It still didn't slow them down.
Botan continued to shoot and Polka continued to fight. The monk dipped and dodged, moving between the twisted creatures, punching and kicking. In the middle of it, Aloe cried out and her petrified form landed on the ground. The archer's heart skipped a beat but thankfully, it didn't break or anything. But, that became a signal to the cockatrices to swarm the monk en-masse.
"By the gods, this is madness!" swore Lamy as she froze one into a block of ice before retreating to Botan's position.
"Madness is right," the archer growled through her gritted teeth as she shot again, Polka succumbing to the poisonous beaks and turning to stone. Her anxiety continued to spike as she realized that there was a chance that they could lose this battle. To her, such a thing was unthinkable, and yet, the possibility was staring at her in the face.
"My goddess, I beseech thine aid!" the half-snow elf chanted as she grasped her amulet with a worried look. A spirit sword materialized as the remaining cockatrices surrounded them. Their armor held their beaks back for a time being, but as the battle wore on it seemed to Botan that their attacks were wearing the cleric down slowly but surely. Her spirits were lifted when she noticed that the ones attacking Lamy had been taken care of, but suddenly, the two remaining cockatrices turned tail and attacked Lamy instead. As if they knew that she was weakened from her fights.
"Get off her, damn monsters!" she roared angrily as she continued shooting at them. They took down one, but the last one got a lucky peck, and Lamy was petrified as well.
The fact that she was the last one here and these damn mutated chickens turned all her party… allies… friends… to stone, weight heavily on her. All her anxiety, all her anger, all her rage. She saw red. With the loudest roar she could muster, she shouted to the heavens. Her eyes gained a bright red glow and black streaks akin to whiskers appeared on her face. She tensed her body and like a spring, launched herself at the last one, tearing it into half with her claws.
With a feral growl, she looked around for more enemies. As she searched and found nothing, her heart calmed. She calmed down. Her eyes and face lost their changes. As she got reacquainted with her surroundings, it began to rain. The first few drops wet her ears. She shook her head and hurried to retrieve her shortbow. Her body was still tense as she checked up on her petrified friends. Despair struck her heart as she never did find out how long this state lasted. What if it lasted forever? With this despairing thought, she slunk into the cave to take shelter, absolutely unsure what to do.
Chapter 10
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 10
The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The plants all around were healthy. The animals were active and about. Risu was taking Baloo along to explore the forest. He had run after a few dormice but only caught one. They found a honeybee hive but it was too high for him to grab. She promised to get him some later. Then, he noticed a rabbit and loped after it as well. As it tried to dig up its hole, the dream druid noticed a strange glow coming from the part of the forest near the swamp.
"Come on, Baloo. Let's go exploring there," she said as she coaxed the owlbear cub to follow her. It warbled, looking a little sad that he couldn't get the rabbit, but he listened as he knew he could always hunt another.
The duo made their way over to the strange glow. She came to a dry, grassless clearing that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. The glow came from a floating driftglobe. She gasped as she found the petrified figures of Nene's party. Exclaiming in surprise and concern, she ran over to examine them. She also noticed nine cockatrice carcasses strewn about and guessed what had happened here. She sucked in air through her teeth as she imagined the situation that led to this… and she realized that someone was missing.
"Botan!? Are you there?" she called out, wondering where the archer was. She walked past Baloo, who was busy tearing strips off one of the carcasses and gulping it down.
She got near the cave and noticed an unmoving body sleeping in the entrance. She hurried over and knelt down the lion girl. Her mane and clothes were encrusted with dried earth and face marked with tear tracks. The druid shook her gently and she eventually awoke.
"Risu…? RISU!" yelled out the archer and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Lamy! Nene! The others! Where-"
"Shh, calm down," she shushed as she hugged the dirty lion girl and pat her on the back. When she became calm enough, she asked what happened. After a minute of explaining, she took in a deep breath and said, "I will have to get the elders for this. Can you take care of them until I bring them here?" Getting worried nods, she told the lion girl as she got up, "And sit yourself in the sun. you look horrible. And take that globe back. It's too bright!"
She ran out of the cave and shouted as she passed by, "Baloo, let's go! We need to get help!"
The owlbear cub looked from the carcass, which had almost been stripped clean by that time, and loped after her.
"Botan! Thank the gods you're safe!" exclaimed Polka as she jumped over the archer. One by one, the girls were restored from their petrified state by three druid elders from Risu's circle. There was a lot of hugging and saying thanks for saving them from their predicament.
"Well, this is a first," muttered one as he restored the succubus.
"Thank you for helping my friends, Elder Kyshyr," stated the dream druid as she bowed.
"Ah, no thanks is required. The circle exists to help all who require guidance," replied another elder druid with leaves growing in his hair and beard and a pair of short antlers growing from his head. His hand had a firm grasp on his staff that had a glowing green orb wrapped in gnarled, knotted wood.
"Still, wiping out these cockatrices are a bit too extreme," stated the third one, "Thining the flock would probably be the better option."
"Hard to do that when all of them suddenly come after you," muttered Botan with a frown, evidently disagreeing.
"Still-"
"Enough. What's done is done. And I believe the experience is a lesson enough for the young lady here," stated Elder Kyshyr, halting the argument from continuing, "Come, let us return to the circle. I'm sure there are other tasks that need minding."
After seeing Risu, Baloo, and the elders off, they set about gathering the carcasses. Other than the one the owlbear cub feasted on, they got eight overall. Then, with Polka's urging, they searched the cockatrice's lair. Inside, they found nests decorated with silver pieces and small gems. They gathered as much as they could find and then made their way back to the city. By the time they reached Robel's, it was evening.
"Hello. From the guild, right?" greeted the bartender jovially as they approached, "I'm Roberu, owner of Robel's. How can I help?"
"Hello, we are here to talk to the chef. We finished her request," stated Nene during her greeting.
He raised an eyebrow and muttered, "She actually went with it? Hmm." Then, he said aloud, "Well, go on in then. She should be expecting you."
Thanking him, they headed through the door next to the bar and into the kitchen. There, they found the lady with the two hats busy slaughtering and butchering chickens while two other ladies were busy peeling potatoes and cutting vegetables. The lead chef stopped to look at them quizzically while the rest continued on with their jobs.
"Erm, hello? We have cockatrice meat for you?" stated the bard hesitantly.
Amazement flashed on the lady's face before a great big smile appeared, "You answered my request! I'm so glad!" she exclaimed as she ran over to give all of them a big hug, much to their surprise. When she was done, she clapped a few times and asked, "Ooh, where are they?"
Botan then laid out the carcasses on the table. They were tied together by their feet. She got a shine in her eyes as she looked over them. "Amazing! Simply amazing!" she exclaimed. She proceeded to hug them again and thank them profusely. She then proceeded to usher them out of the kitchen, citing the need to be creative.
Roberu chuckled and said to them, "Well, I'm sure she's very happy."
"Who is she anyway?" asked Lamy, her eyes brimming with curiosity, "She is rather excitable for a chef."
"She called herself Kiara when we met all months ago," he explained as he reminisced, "She was quite eager to start and impressed me as well as my regulars with her food. So, I let her continue running the kitchen."
"Well, her food Is really good," admitted Nene.
"Right. And I have your reward right here," he stated as he handed a large bag to them, "Try not to spend it all in one place… or maybe just spend them here tonight, eh?"
They just smiled politely and thanked him before leaving for the guild house. There, they were greeted by Miyabi.
"Welcome back. I take it that the request is done?" he greeted with a welcoming smile. Getting nods from them, he then said, "That's great. So, are you going to take it easy today or are you taking another quest?"
They looked at each other and Nene said, "I'm not sure… maybe take it easy for now. We did get… turned to stone overnight… eh heh..."
"Ah… I'll leave you to it then," he replied uncomfortably and went back to his stack of papers.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Lamy as they went to the side room, "If I must be honest, I do not feel any different."
"Not us. Botan," stated the bard as they took a seat, "How are you feeling?"
The lion girl stared at the table, unable to meet their eyes. "I guess I'm alright..." she muttered. Polka reached over and patted her hand. She smiled wryly.
"I guess not," she admitted with a sigh, "I saw everyone turn to stone and I couldn't do a thing."
"It wasn't your fault," pointed out Aloe, "Those monster chickens were just too many."
She sighed and said, "I could see that… but… I could have done something. I wanted to do something more. And… I felt something surge within me." Then, she told them what happened when Lamy became petrified. The anger and the rage she felt. It didn't sound like anything they have ever heard of before.
'The door to the side room opened and several others took up another table. A large, dark-skinned barbarian with a large horn from the side of his head, a black-haired jackal man, a red-headed girl with white streaks in her hair dressed in dark leathers, and surprisingly, Rosalyn. They chit-chatted while the unknown girl then took out a deck of cards and started dealing.
"So, what do we do? Do we try and find out about Botan's condition?" asked Nene, bringing the party back to the issue at hand.
"But who can we ask?" spoke up the monk, "I… the only one I can even think of asking is Lord Aruran, but..."
"Come to think of it, we hardly see him here anyway," pointed out Lamy, "All we see is Miyabi."
"Probably doing whatever nobles do all those other times," quipped the succubus.
The door to the side room opened again. Risu and Moona immediately headed over to the party. "Halo, halo," greeted the druid excitably, "Botan, Botan, you need to come with us."
"Eh?" sounded the archer, blinking in surprise.
"Ya, ya, the elders want to do a check-up on you," she informed them, "So, please follow."
"She got a request from the elders of her circle," the aasimar bard added, "Seeing who asked her, I have a feeling she has an obligation to do it. It would be better to come along and find out what."
The archer looked at the others in the party with uncertainty.
"Go on," urged the monk, "They are the ones who helped look you over right? So, maybe they can figure out what happened."
"I guess..."
"Don't worry! It'll all be fine!" assured Risu as she pulled Botan out of her seat and out of the room, the lion girl blankly following after her.
"Sorry about that. We'll get her back soon," apologized Moona before following after the young druid.
The rest of the party watched them go. At the other table, the barbarian roared with laughter while Rosalyn shouted in despair. The other two sniggered at her misfortune.
"Hng, you know, enough moping," declared Aloe as she slammed the table, "Let's go to Robel's and find out Kiara made a dish out of those monster chickens."
They came across Roberu sighing in annoyance.
"Hello, ladies," he greeted them, "Unfortunately, the kitchen is closed so if you are here for eats, you'll have to go somewhere else."
"Eh? What happened?" asked Nene.
"Huh, the bird brain made a dish with the cockatrices and sampled it," he informed them, "Then, a few minutes before dinner rush, she gets a stomach ache. Absolutely ridiculous."
A mix of sighs and groans erupted from the party. "So… since this kitchen is closed, any other place you'd recommend for food?"
"Eh… there's Farun's bar a few roads down," he stated with a shrug, "A lot more rowdier than my place, but the food is just as good."
"Alright, thanks a lot, Roberu," replied the bard gratefully. The bartender waved them off as he went on to serve another order.
They made their way to Farun's bar. True to Roberu's word, it was louder than they expected to be, but the food was certainly just as delicious. Unexpectedly, Polka and Lamy got drunk… and so the other two had to carry them. They passed a cat girl and a dog girl on the way out, heading straight for the guild house.
The next morning, the cleric and the monk nursed hangovers while the other two waited for them to recover.
"How has your landlady been treating you, by the way?" asked Nene as the two sat at the table.
"She's… strange..." Aloe muttered as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "The first few days, Towa was constantly trying to get information out of me about succubi. For being a half-devil, she's very nosy. But, after getting all she could, she just shut herself off from me and left me to my devices. Then, it's been alright, I guess."
"Uh… good for you?" guessed the bard with a shrug, "At least, you're fine now… and getting used to living here."
"So-so," she muttered as she slumped back in her seat, "Could be worse, I guess."
The door then opened and Botan walked through calmly.
"Welcome back!" the bard exclaimed as she rushed over to give a hug.
"Ah, hi, hi, hello Nene," the lion girl replied with a smile. A relieved smile.
"I'm back."
After the two had recovered from their hangovers, the party convened in the side room and awaited Botan's story.
"Ah, where do I start… Remember the werewolf? And my journey to the fey-wild?" askd Botan. Getting nods from everyone, she continued, "Well… after going through the checkup… they found out that the lycanthropy has been altered. Now, it has become a part of me in a different way. I have… a somewhat-controlled transformation. And I need to practice using it to gain better control over it."
She then clapped her hands once and said, "So! Did anyone pick a request yet?"
Nene shook her head, "Not really. We were waiting for you. We could go now if you like."
The party immediately got up and headed straight for the notice board. After a while, the archer picked out a request and brought it over to the counter.
"Oh? Well, what a strange request you picked up," stated the guild clerk as he read the missive, glancing at the party, "You want to… entertain the children at the local orphanage. That's a nice thing to do… but I expected this to be taken by the bard duo, not your party. What brought this on?"
The rest of the party then looked to the archer, who felt a little uncomfortable with their stares but answered anyway, "I thought that… we needed to take it easy for a while, so I thought that this was something we could do together."
A grin then developed on the fennec fox girl's face. "A circus performance!" she exclaimed loudly as she started jumping excitedly.
The lion girl smirked and continued, "I thought you'd like it."
"Very well, I'll put this as taken then," stated Miyabi with an amused smile, "Alright, I'll write down the address and directions. You can talk with the owner of the building and settle on a date and time for the performance."
The very excited monk eagerly waited for the address, which she quickly snatched and ran out of the guild house. The rest of the party looked on in incredulousness. "She'll be back," stated the archer, though not as confident as she sounded, "We better wait in the room for her."
And so they did. Several hours later, the fennec fox girl showed up. Smiling brightly, she sat down and detailed her plans. The children there were young and have yet to become of age, and so still found fascination with nursery rhymes and folk tales. After telling them their roles in this little project of hers, everyone agreed and went to do their tasks. Over the next two days, they got to work.
Botan made up a leather suit made of several skins. Her needlework could have used some improvement, but with Aloe's help, she made something that covered her entire body from the neck down. After she put it on, she looked like a real lion. She also made something for the cleric, for the character she will be playing. It was a full-body suit this time, complete with fake ears. She also had lines to memorize.
As well as getting measurements for the suit, Lamy spent her time going over her lines. The script was written by the bard, who knew of this children's fable since young. Nene, as well as writing out the script, had to figure out the proper accompanying song for the little play. Polka had lines too, as she had elected herself to be the narrator of the story. More memorizing of the story. By the time, the two days were up, they were as ready as they could ever be.
The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The plants all around were healthy. The animals were active and about. Risu was taking Baloo along to explore the forest. He had run after a few dormice but only caught one. They found a honeybee hive but it was too high for him to grab. She promised to get him some later. Then, he noticed a rabbit and loped after it as well. As it tried to dig up its hole, the dream druid noticed a strange glow coming from the part of the forest near the swamp.
"Come on, Baloo. Let's go exploring there," she said as she coaxed the owlbear cub to follow her. It warbled, looking a little sad that he couldn't get the rabbit, but he listened as he knew he could always hunt another.
The duo made their way over to the strange glow. She came to a dry, grassless clearing that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. The glow came from a floating driftglobe. She gasped as she found the petrified figures of Nene's party. Exclaiming in surprise and concern, she ran over to examine them. She also noticed nine cockatrice carcasses strewn about and guessed what had happened here. She sucked in air through her teeth as she imagined the situation that led to this… and she realized that someone was missing.
"Botan!? Are you there?" she called out, wondering where the archer was. She walked past Baloo, who was busy tearing strips off one of the carcasses and gulping it down.
She got near the cave and noticed an unmoving body sleeping in the entrance. She hurried over and knelt down the lion girl. Her mane and clothes were encrusted with dried earth and face marked with tear tracks. The druid shook her gently and she eventually awoke.
"Risu…? RISU!" yelled out the archer and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Lamy! Nene! The others! Where-"
"Shh, calm down," she shushed as she hugged the dirty lion girl and pat her on the back. When she became calm enough, she asked what happened. After a minute of explaining, she took in a deep breath and said, "I will have to get the elders for this. Can you take care of them until I bring them here?" Getting worried nods, she told the lion girl as she got up, "And sit yourself in the sun. you look horrible. And take that globe back. It's too bright!"
She ran out of the cave and shouted as she passed by, "Baloo, let's go! We need to get help!"
The owlbear cub looked from the carcass, which had almost been stripped clean by that time, and loped after her.
"Botan! Thank the gods you're safe!" exclaimed Polka as she jumped over the archer. One by one, the girls were restored from their petrified state by three druid elders from Risu's circle. There was a lot of hugging and saying thanks for saving them from their predicament.
"Well, this is a first," muttered one as he restored the succubus.
"Thank you for helping my friends, Elder Kyshyr," stated the dream druid as she bowed.
"Ah, no thanks is required. The circle exists to help all who require guidance," replied another elder druid with leaves growing in his hair and beard and a pair of short antlers growing from his head. His hand had a firm grasp on his staff that had a glowing green orb wrapped in gnarled, knotted wood.
"Still, wiping out these cockatrices are a bit too extreme," stated the third one, "Thining the flock would probably be the better option."
"Hard to do that when all of them suddenly come after you," muttered Botan with a frown, evidently disagreeing.
"Still-"
"Enough. What's done is done. And I believe the experience is a lesson enough for the young lady here," stated Elder Kyshyr, halting the argument from continuing, "Come, let us return to the circle. I'm sure there are other tasks that need minding."
After seeing Risu, Baloo, and the elders off, they set about gathering the carcasses. Other than the one the owlbear cub feasted on, they got eight overall. Then, with Polka's urging, they searched the cockatrice's lair. Inside, they found nests decorated with silver pieces and small gems. They gathered as much as they could find and then made their way back to the city. By the time they reached Robel's, it was evening.
"Hello. From the guild, right?" greeted the bartender jovially as they approached, "I'm Roberu, owner of Robel's. How can I help?"
"Hello, we are here to talk to the chef. We finished her request," stated Nene during her greeting.
He raised an eyebrow and muttered, "She actually went with it? Hmm." Then, he said aloud, "Well, go on in then. She should be expecting you."
Thanking him, they headed through the door next to the bar and into the kitchen. There, they found the lady with the two hats busy slaughtering and butchering chickens while two other ladies were busy peeling potatoes and cutting vegetables. The lead chef stopped to look at them quizzically while the rest continued on with their jobs.
"Erm, hello? We have cockatrice meat for you?" stated the bard hesitantly.
Amazement flashed on the lady's face before a great big smile appeared, "You answered my request! I'm so glad!" she exclaimed as she ran over to give all of them a big hug, much to their surprise. When she was done, she clapped a few times and asked, "Ooh, where are they?"
Botan then laid out the carcasses on the table. They were tied together by their feet. She got a shine in her eyes as she looked over them. "Amazing! Simply amazing!" she exclaimed. She proceeded to hug them again and thank them profusely. She then proceeded to usher them out of the kitchen, citing the need to be creative.
Roberu chuckled and said to them, "Well, I'm sure she's very happy."
"Who is she anyway?" asked Lamy, her eyes brimming with curiosity, "She is rather excitable for a chef."
"She called herself Kiara when we met all months ago," he explained as he reminisced, "She was quite eager to start and impressed me as well as my regulars with her food. So, I let her continue running the kitchen."
"Well, her food Is really good," admitted Nene.
"Right. And I have your reward right here," he stated as he handed a large bag to them, "Try not to spend it all in one place… or maybe just spend them here tonight, eh?"
They just smiled politely and thanked him before leaving for the guild house. There, they were greeted by Miyabi.
"Welcome back. I take it that the request is done?" he greeted with a welcoming smile. Getting nods from them, he then said, "That's great. So, are you going to take it easy today or are you taking another quest?"
They looked at each other and Nene said, "I'm not sure… maybe take it easy for now. We did get… turned to stone overnight… eh heh..."
"Ah… I'll leave you to it then," he replied uncomfortably and went back to his stack of papers.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Lamy as they went to the side room, "If I must be honest, I do not feel any different."
"Not us. Botan," stated the bard as they took a seat, "How are you feeling?"
The lion girl stared at the table, unable to meet their eyes. "I guess I'm alright..." she muttered. Polka reached over and patted her hand. She smiled wryly.
"I guess not," she admitted with a sigh, "I saw everyone turn to stone and I couldn't do a thing."
"It wasn't your fault," pointed out Aloe, "Those monster chickens were just too many."
She sighed and said, "I could see that… but… I could have done something. I wanted to do something more. And… I felt something surge within me." Then, she told them what happened when Lamy became petrified. The anger and the rage she felt. It didn't sound like anything they have ever heard of before.
'The door to the side room opened and several others took up another table. A large, dark-skinned barbarian with a large horn from the side of his head, a black-haired jackal man, a red-headed girl with white streaks in her hair dressed in dark leathers, and surprisingly, Rosalyn. They chit-chatted while the unknown girl then took out a deck of cards and started dealing.
"So, what do we do? Do we try and find out about Botan's condition?" asked Nene, bringing the party back to the issue at hand.
"But who can we ask?" spoke up the monk, "I… the only one I can even think of asking is Lord Aruran, but..."
"Come to think of it, we hardly see him here anyway," pointed out Lamy, "All we see is Miyabi."
"Probably doing whatever nobles do all those other times," quipped the succubus.
The door to the side room opened again. Risu and Moona immediately headed over to the party. "Halo, halo," greeted the druid excitably, "Botan, Botan, you need to come with us."
"Eh?" sounded the archer, blinking in surprise.
"Ya, ya, the elders want to do a check-up on you," she informed them, "So, please follow."
"She got a request from the elders of her circle," the aasimar bard added, "Seeing who asked her, I have a feeling she has an obligation to do it. It would be better to come along and find out what."
The archer looked at the others in the party with uncertainty.
"Go on," urged the monk, "They are the ones who helped look you over right? So, maybe they can figure out what happened."
"I guess..."
"Don't worry! It'll all be fine!" assured Risu as she pulled Botan out of her seat and out of the room, the lion girl blankly following after her.
"Sorry about that. We'll get her back soon," apologized Moona before following after the young druid.
The rest of the party watched them go. At the other table, the barbarian roared with laughter while Rosalyn shouted in despair. The other two sniggered at her misfortune.
"Hng, you know, enough moping," declared Aloe as she slammed the table, "Let's go to Robel's and find out Kiara made a dish out of those monster chickens."
They came across Roberu sighing in annoyance.
"Hello, ladies," he greeted them, "Unfortunately, the kitchen is closed so if you are here for eats, you'll have to go somewhere else."
"Eh? What happened?" asked Nene.
"Huh, the bird brain made a dish with the cockatrices and sampled it," he informed them, "Then, a few minutes before dinner rush, she gets a stomach ache. Absolutely ridiculous."
A mix of sighs and groans erupted from the party. "So… since this kitchen is closed, any other place you'd recommend for food?"
"Eh… there's Farun's bar a few roads down," he stated with a shrug, "A lot more rowdier than my place, but the food is just as good."
"Alright, thanks a lot, Roberu," replied the bard gratefully. The bartender waved them off as he went on to serve another order.
They made their way to Farun's bar. True to Roberu's word, it was louder than they expected to be, but the food was certainly just as delicious. Unexpectedly, Polka and Lamy got drunk… and so the other two had to carry them. They passed a cat girl and a dog girl on the way out, heading straight for the guild house.
The next morning, the cleric and the monk nursed hangovers while the other two waited for them to recover.
"How has your landlady been treating you, by the way?" asked Nene as the two sat at the table.
"She's… strange..." Aloe muttered as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "The first few days, Towa was constantly trying to get information out of me about succubi. For being a half-devil, she's very nosy. But, after getting all she could, she just shut herself off from me and left me to my devices. Then, it's been alright, I guess."
"Uh… good for you?" guessed the bard with a shrug, "At least, you're fine now… and getting used to living here."
"So-so," she muttered as she slumped back in her seat, "Could be worse, I guess."
The door then opened and Botan walked through calmly.
"Welcome back!" the bard exclaimed as she rushed over to give a hug.
"Ah, hi, hi, hello Nene," the lion girl replied with a smile. A relieved smile.
"I'm back."
After the two had recovered from their hangovers, the party convened in the side room and awaited Botan's story.
"Ah, where do I start… Remember the werewolf? And my journey to the fey-wild?" askd Botan. Getting nods from everyone, she continued, "Well… after going through the checkup… they found out that the lycanthropy has been altered. Now, it has become a part of me in a different way. I have… a somewhat-controlled transformation. And I need to practice using it to gain better control over it."
She then clapped her hands once and said, "So! Did anyone pick a request yet?"
Nene shook her head, "Not really. We were waiting for you. We could go now if you like."
The party immediately got up and headed straight for the notice board. After a while, the archer picked out a request and brought it over to the counter.
"Oh? Well, what a strange request you picked up," stated the guild clerk as he read the missive, glancing at the party, "You want to… entertain the children at the local orphanage. That's a nice thing to do… but I expected this to be taken by the bard duo, not your party. What brought this on?"
The rest of the party then looked to the archer, who felt a little uncomfortable with their stares but answered anyway, "I thought that… we needed to take it easy for a while, so I thought that this was something we could do together."
A grin then developed on the fennec fox girl's face. "A circus performance!" she exclaimed loudly as she started jumping excitedly.
The lion girl smirked and continued, "I thought you'd like it."
"Very well, I'll put this as taken then," stated Miyabi with an amused smile, "Alright, I'll write down the address and directions. You can talk with the owner of the building and settle on a date and time for the performance."
The very excited monk eagerly waited for the address, which she quickly snatched and ran out of the guild house. The rest of the party looked on in incredulousness. "She'll be back," stated the archer, though not as confident as she sounded, "We better wait in the room for her."
And so they did. Several hours later, the fennec fox girl showed up. Smiling brightly, she sat down and detailed her plans. The children there were young and have yet to become of age, and so still found fascination with nursery rhymes and folk tales. After telling them their roles in this little project of hers, everyone agreed and went to do their tasks. Over the next two days, they got to work.
Botan made up a leather suit made of several skins. Her needlework could have used some improvement, but with Aloe's help, she made something that covered her entire body from the neck down. After she put it on, she looked like a real lion. She also made something for the cleric, for the character she will be playing. It was a full-body suit this time, complete with fake ears. She also had lines to memorize.
As well as getting measurements for the suit, Lamy spent her time going over her lines. The script was written by the bard, who knew of this children's fable since young. Nene, as well as writing out the script, had to figure out the proper accompanying song for the little play. Polka had lines too, as she had elected herself to be the narrator of the story. More memorizing of the story. By the time, the two days were up, they were as ready as they could ever be.
Reaped Visitations
- Location
- Malaysia
Reaped Visitations
The sound of vomiting gurgled all around the water bucket. Kiara heaved as she pushed herself back on the bed. The bucket smelled all to the high Hells but she didn't feel like moving. It felt like she threw up her entire stomach out of her body.
"Ah, again... maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much of it," she mused with a wry smile. Then, she heard the bucket being dragged on the floor. She glanced to the side and silently gasped.
"Really? I thought you were tougher than this?" said a familiar pink-haired reaper.
"Calli!" she exclaimed hoarsely as she threw herself weakly at Calliope, only to fall short and plant her face on the floor.
The reaper shook her head, pinched her nose, and said, "Really? I actually deigned to visit you and you do this? You're lucky I pushed the bucket away or you'd be drinking it."
"I knew you cared," she groaned out as she lifted her head up to stare at her beloved.
"Right..." trailed off the buxom reaper as she pulled a clipboard from out of thin air. "Huh, cockatrice drumsticks... of all the shitty things to do. What do you have to say for yourself, Kiara?"
"Umm... make sure to clean it properly?" she guessed.
"Of all the... never mind... get well soon, shitty bird," the reaper told her as she disappeared.
"Ah, he, he, sure Calli. Anything for you," the chef cooed as she hauled herself back to her bed.
The sound of vomiting gurgled all around the water bucket. Kiara heaved as she pushed herself back on the bed. The bucket smelled all to the high Hells but she didn't feel like moving. It felt like she threw up her entire stomach out of her body.
"Ah, again... maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much of it," she mused with a wry smile. Then, she heard the bucket being dragged on the floor. She glanced to the side and silently gasped.
"Really? I thought you were tougher than this?" said a familiar pink-haired reaper.
"Calli!" she exclaimed hoarsely as she threw herself weakly at Calliope, only to fall short and plant her face on the floor.
The reaper shook her head, pinched her nose, and said, "Really? I actually deigned to visit you and you do this? You're lucky I pushed the bucket away or you'd be drinking it."
"I knew you cared," she groaned out as she lifted her head up to stare at her beloved.
"Right..." trailed off the buxom reaper as she pulled a clipboard from out of thin air. "Huh, cockatrice drumsticks... of all the shitty things to do. What do you have to say for yourself, Kiara?"
"Umm... make sure to clean it properly?" she guessed.
"Of all the... never mind... get well soon, shitty bird," the reaper told her as she disappeared.
"Ah, he, he, sure Calli. Anything for you," the chef cooed as she hauled herself back to her bed.
Chapter 11
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 11
Along the way to the orphanage, they met Risu and Moona. It seems that they were bringing Baloo around to get him used to the city, the squirrel girl having a firm grip on him.
"Haloo, what's going on?" asked the druid.
"We are going to put on a performance for children at the orphanage," Polka informed them happily.
"Oh, can we come and watch!?" asked the squirrel girl, immediately into over-the-top-excited mode.
"Color me interested as well," added the aasimar.
"Sure! The more the merrier!" the monk said jovially.
And so, the party and the additions sauntered on to the orphanage. They still needed time to set up, get into costume, and for Nene, check her lute. Thankfully, this is where Baloo came into play. Risu introduced the owlbear cub to the orphans and soon there was a lot of laughter as the boys play-wrestled with him while the girls laughed and cheered both sides on. The cub had to be gentle with them, as the druid promised him treats. Honey and meat strips. So, it warbled and chirped as he played with the children.
Eventually, the children were called into the building and they settled down in the large living room. Risu, Baloo, and Moona went in as well as sat down on the stairs that were right next to the room. Polka came out of the kitchen in her multicolored costume and pranced around, wowing the young audience.
"Hello, everyone, welcome to Polka's Travelling Stories," she introduced grandly to cheers and applause. Nene then started playing her lute. A smooth stream of soothing melodies set the atmosphere.
The monk told the story of a lion. Mighty and proud. It was the strongest animal in its domain. In came Botan with her lion costume, moving to the middle of the 'stage' and posing majestically. The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed with giggles.
"One day, while it was asleep…"
Botan pretended to yawn and lay down to sleep.
"...a mouse walked by and its scratchings woke the lion up."
Lamy scurried into view, wearing a full-body mouse costume. She crawled around the archer, who suddenly 'woke up' and caught her tail.
"Please, o King of Beasts, please let me go," the 'mouse' pleaded, "If you do, one day I shall return the favor and aid you instead."
The 'lion' laughed and said imperiously, "As if a small thing like you can ever help me." However, the 'lion' released its hold and let the mouse go. Lamy scurried out of sight.
"However, one day, the lion was caught in a hunter's trap."
The 'lion' laid down on the floor. Nene stopped playing and threw a blanket over Botan. The audience giggled again. She then continued playing, her strumming suddenly went up in tempo a little. More oohs and aahs.
"It roared loudly. It thrashed around. Nothing it did matters. The trap was simply too sturdy and strong."
The 'lion' mocked roared and waved her arms around, prompting more giggles.
"Suddenly, the mouse appeared..."
Lamy scurried into view and went straight for Botan. "O King of Beasts, let me help you," the 'mouse' requested.
"Do as you will. If I cannot release myself, what more can you do?" the 'lion' stated tiredly as she laid down again.
"... and bit through the trap and set the lion free!"
Lamy lifted the blanket and let Botan crawl out from under it. "How amazing. I was wrong to doubt you, little one," admitted the 'lion' as the cleric dropped the blanket.
"Thank you, my lord. I am always ready to help," squeaked the 'mouse' as both of them crawled away out of sight.
"The lion learned that day that one good turn always deserves another, no matter how big or small you are. Thank you," ended Polka as she walked to the front of the audience and bowed.
She was then greeted with cheers and loud clapping. The party then went to the front and bowed again. The children immediately got to their feet and ran over to hug all the performers, all of them thanking them and saying how awesome the performance was in varying degrees of loudness. Everyone was all smiles, but none were bigger and brighter than Polka's, who wore the biggest smile of all.
"Woohoo, that was fun," said Risu while carrying Baloo as the whole group walked back to the guild house.
"Yeah! Yeah! The first step to making the Polka-riffic circus!" exclaimed Polka as she did cartwheels by the side of the road.
"I do admit, it was very heartening seeing their smiles," stated Lamy.
"Yeah, it was wonderful," agreed Aloe.
"Indeed, whoever thought of taking this task should be praised," added Moona.
"Yes!" shouted the monk, agreeing whole-heartedly as she jumped on the archer's back, "Thanks for taking it, Botan!"
"Hn, no problem," replied the lion girl, grunting a little as she adjusted to the weight.
It was late evening when they reached the guild house. After saying their goodbyes, the group went to their rooms to store their play stuff before going to the bar for dinner. Everyone was relaxed and ate their fill. It was a good time. As they were finishing up, Artia appeared next to their table and asked, "Erm, excuse me… can I ask for assistance?"
The party looked at her for a moment. "Sure. What do you need help with?" asked Nene as they made space for her to sit. It was a squeeze but they managed.
"Well, you see..." she started, poking her index fingers together as she blushed with embarrassment, "I need help with some spell experiments. Mostly just to see if I am doing it correctly. So… if you can get a suitable hunting quest tomorrow, I would like to follow along."
"Sure you can. What time are you free?" asked the bard with a welcoming tone.
"Ah, in the afternoon, after classes are over," she replied gratefully, "Thank you so much! I shall see you all tomorrow."
She then bowed and left in a hurry.
The request was to hunt a brown bear for a pelt. Artia had already picked it out and was waiting for the party in the side room. She was certainly eager to try out her spells. After some preparation, the party left by the west gate. They traveled down the road, intending to go further out before turning off-road. However, there was something they didn't account for.
"Hear that?" asked Botan softly as they made their way westward. The rustling of the leaves was a very clear sign.
"I hear it too," replied Nene, "They aren't making much effort to hide, though."
"It has been awhile," muttered Lamy as she glanced over to Polka, who was busy daydreaming about her circus.
"What are you talking about?" asked Artia in confusion.
"We have trouble coming our way," stated Aloe calmly as she got ready to fly.
"Get 'em!"
Artia and Aloe acted quicker than the others. The wizard ran behind a tree as she shot a ray of frost at one bandit, the beam glancing across his arm. The succubus flew up and dived forward, gliding over to the furthest bandit.
"Hello, can you help me?" she asked as she landed, batting her eyes at him as she tried to seduce him magically.
He stared at her in a daze for a moment before shouting, "Demon! They have a demon!" This drew the attention of the nearby bandits. Two leveled their crossbows at her and shot bolts at her, while her target and the bandit next to him drew their swords to attack.
"Tch," she hissed as a sword slice left a cut on her arm while a bolt went through one of her wings.
"Argh! Try that again! I bet you can't hit the side of a barn!" Nene mocked the bandit leader as she pulled both of his daggers out of her leg.
It wasn't as vicious as it sounded as the man jeered, "Ha, ha! Try saying that while not bleeding, girly!" Meanwhile, the bandit next to him yelled in pain as Botan's arrow pierced his shoulder.
"Hai-ya!" shouted Polka as she landed a flying kick into the chest of one of the shooters. She tried kicking him again but she missed since he was staggering backward.
Meanwhile, the ice genasi had been waving her hands over her spellbook. Then, she ran out of cover and shouted, "With the power of the freezing winds!" Holding out her hands in front of her, her thumbs touching and fingers spread, a wave of blue flames washed over the shooters. Instead of burning them, their bodies and limbs were inflicted with freezing coldness. One bandit collapsed, overcome by the drop in temperature. The other was able to keep his mind and ran away screaming for help into the forest. "By the gods, it worked," she muttered in disbelief as she looked to her hands.
At the same moment, Aloe decided to switch targets and attempted to charm her former target's companion. The man stared at her for a moment and said, "Mistress?"
His friend realized what was happening and shouted, "The fuck?" He then punched the new target.
When he didn't react, the succubus smiled deviously and she ordered, "Kill this one."
"Snap out of it, you dumb shit!" his friend shouted as they traded blows.
"Damned idiots," growled the bandit leader as he threw two more daggers at the bard, who dashed to the middle of the battlefield, one of the daggers nicking her arm.
She then started strumming her lute, singing about being under the pressure. The bandits pretty much ignored her song, save the charmed one.
"You touched in the head, gir-"
"Shut up!" shouted the monk as she surged forward and elbowed the leader in the face. She then pummeled him in the gut before somersaulting back. Just in time too, as Botan's arrow flew true into the bandit's throat and his blood splattered over the bandit leader.
"Damn it all," he growled out as he ducked under the cleric's frost ray.
Meanwhile, Artia tried another spell. As she chanted, she made as if to pull an invisible bow, a shimmering green arrow forming in her hands. As she motioned to release it, she muttered this time, "By the power of the freezing winds." The arrow hit its target, splashing over the bandit and killed him, frost creeping and spreading all around the killing blow.
"Huh, I guess, time to finish him off," Aloe said to herself as she motioned the last bandit over. She then gave him a kiss. Wisps of ethereal energy flowed from him to her, the bandit's body suddenly drying up and turning into a husk in seconds. She released the dried-up remains, the body crumpling to the grassy ground. The genasi noticed this and she narrowed her eyes, staring at the succubus.
"Haargh! Damn it all!" the bandit leader shouted as he charged down the monk, dodging everything that was thrown and shot at him. His sword clipped her arm but she avoided the rest of his swings. She tried to pummel him again, but it seemed that he had enough and his wild swings were masking the fact that he was trying to run away.
Unfortunately for him, Aloe blocked his way and said, "Can you look into my eyes?" As she bat her eyes at him, he stopped in his tracks and stared into space while asking, "Yes, mistress?"
"Hmph, are you going to kiss him too?" asked Artia.
"Umm..."
"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as the rest of the party gathered warily.
"Ah… I got some… extra sustenance?" said the succubus very hesitantly.
"Your friend just sucked out that one's soul," said the wizard as she pointed to the drained husk.
"Eh?" sounded Polka in disbelief as she stared at their friend.
"...That… doesn't sound good," stated Nene, "Why did you do that, Aloe?"
"Uh..." she uttered sheepishly as she poked her index fingers together, "I… It's been some time since I had something like this? I guess next time… I'll do it out of sight? If it makes you that uncomfortable."
"Hnn, I rather you don't do it at all, to be honest," muttered the monk, after most of the others nodded, "I mean, I heard stories of succubi draining souls."
"I agree," affirmed the cleric, "Absolutely under no circumstance should you do so again. I mean, if you must consume souls, then I suppose we should have you work as an executioner of sorts in the city. But you speak of it as if talking about a delicacy, which means you can live without it. So, no taking souls!"
She groaned and said, "Fine… I won't go sucking out anyone's soul… in front of you." Then, she turned to the bandit leader and asked, "So what do I do about this guy?"
"Um… have him turn himself in to the guards at the gate," suggested Nene.
Everyone agreed with it. Aloe then sent him on his way, with orders to surrender to the gate guard and confess his banditry. With that settled, the party dragged the bodies into the forest and continued on their way. They moved further into the forest, keeping ears out for bear-like sounds and eyes for signs like scratches on trees, so on and so forth. There were quite a few. But, zero signs of any bears, which was puzzling.
"Hng, I wish Risu was here to guide us," muttered Botan as her eyes darted around, "The day is going and still no sign of any bears."
"Truly vexing," agreed Artia, "We should have met at least one by-"
"Hey, there's a cave there!" shouted out the monk, pointing to a cave entrance under a hillock.
"Hmm, maybe there's a bear inside," mused the archer, "Better be careful. Maybe Polka sneaks inside first?"
"No problem!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed and she crept in from the side of the mouth of the cave. The rest waited outside off to the side. A few minutes went by and she came out, looking a little shaken.
"Are you alright?" asked Nene, wondering what happened to her.
"Something weird is going on inside," she told them after calming down a bit, "So, it's one big cave and I saw a woman inside. She was dressed in a green dress and a green shawl. She had this… unnatural beauty to her. She seemed to be living there. But, I also found rats. Lots of rats. I also saw hairy goblins sneaking around in the shadows. Thankfully, they didn't see me, although I think she almost detected me. I swear there was one time I think her eyes were following me. It was so creepy."
"Hmm… I think I heard of something like this but I just can't remember," muttered Artia in confusion.
"Is she responsible for the missing bears?" asked Botan, deep in thought.
"I don't see how one woman can remove All the bears in this forest," snarked Aloe.
"Then, let's ask her then," the archer stated. She then got up and headed to the mouth of the cave.
"Are you sure about this?" asked the bard.
The lion girl shrugged and replied, "Sitting around outside won't help us."
The rest looked at each other for a moment. Then, the lore bard said, "Alright, but we better keep our eyes and ears open for sudden attacks."
"Agreed. This woman doesn't sound trustworthy at all," supported Lamy.
Having made the unified decision, they headed into the cave. It was dark, lit by a strange green glow as they passed the area lit by the sun outside. It opened up to a large cave. An alcove to the side of the cave entrance had straw bedding and a glimpse of a wooden thing further in. There was a naturally raised area on the other side leading to another alcove. At the furthest side of the cave, there were barrels and all manner of foodstuffs as well as a firepit with a bubbling cauldron. The green woman Polka saw stood in front of the cast-iron pot, peering into its roiling depths. Suddenly, she looked up and turned to face them.
"Hello, children. What sort of help can I do for you today?"
Along the way to the orphanage, they met Risu and Moona. It seems that they were bringing Baloo around to get him used to the city, the squirrel girl having a firm grip on him.
"Haloo, what's going on?" asked the druid.
"We are going to put on a performance for children at the orphanage," Polka informed them happily.
"Oh, can we come and watch!?" asked the squirrel girl, immediately into over-the-top-excited mode.
"Color me interested as well," added the aasimar.
"Sure! The more the merrier!" the monk said jovially.
And so, the party and the additions sauntered on to the orphanage. They still needed time to set up, get into costume, and for Nene, check her lute. Thankfully, this is where Baloo came into play. Risu introduced the owlbear cub to the orphans and soon there was a lot of laughter as the boys play-wrestled with him while the girls laughed and cheered both sides on. The cub had to be gentle with them, as the druid promised him treats. Honey and meat strips. So, it warbled and chirped as he played with the children.
Eventually, the children were called into the building and they settled down in the large living room. Risu, Baloo, and Moona went in as well as sat down on the stairs that were right next to the room. Polka came out of the kitchen in her multicolored costume and pranced around, wowing the young audience.
"Hello, everyone, welcome to Polka's Travelling Stories," she introduced grandly to cheers and applause. Nene then started playing her lute. A smooth stream of soothing melodies set the atmosphere.
The monk told the story of a lion. Mighty and proud. It was the strongest animal in its domain. In came Botan with her lion costume, moving to the middle of the 'stage' and posing majestically. The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed with giggles.
"One day, while it was asleep…"
Botan pretended to yawn and lay down to sleep.
"...a mouse walked by and its scratchings woke the lion up."
Lamy scurried into view, wearing a full-body mouse costume. She crawled around the archer, who suddenly 'woke up' and caught her tail.
"Please, o King of Beasts, please let me go," the 'mouse' pleaded, "If you do, one day I shall return the favor and aid you instead."
The 'lion' laughed and said imperiously, "As if a small thing like you can ever help me." However, the 'lion' released its hold and let the mouse go. Lamy scurried out of sight.
"However, one day, the lion was caught in a hunter's trap."
The 'lion' laid down on the floor. Nene stopped playing and threw a blanket over Botan. The audience giggled again. She then continued playing, her strumming suddenly went up in tempo a little. More oohs and aahs.
"It roared loudly. It thrashed around. Nothing it did matters. The trap was simply too sturdy and strong."
The 'lion' mocked roared and waved her arms around, prompting more giggles.
"Suddenly, the mouse appeared..."
Lamy scurried into view and went straight for Botan. "O King of Beasts, let me help you," the 'mouse' requested.
"Do as you will. If I cannot release myself, what more can you do?" the 'lion' stated tiredly as she laid down again.
"... and bit through the trap and set the lion free!"
Lamy lifted the blanket and let Botan crawl out from under it. "How amazing. I was wrong to doubt you, little one," admitted the 'lion' as the cleric dropped the blanket.
"Thank you, my lord. I am always ready to help," squeaked the 'mouse' as both of them crawled away out of sight.
"The lion learned that day that one good turn always deserves another, no matter how big or small you are. Thank you," ended Polka as she walked to the front of the audience and bowed.
She was then greeted with cheers and loud clapping. The party then went to the front and bowed again. The children immediately got to their feet and ran over to hug all the performers, all of them thanking them and saying how awesome the performance was in varying degrees of loudness. Everyone was all smiles, but none were bigger and brighter than Polka's, who wore the biggest smile of all.
"Woohoo, that was fun," said Risu while carrying Baloo as the whole group walked back to the guild house.
"Yeah! Yeah! The first step to making the Polka-riffic circus!" exclaimed Polka as she did cartwheels by the side of the road.
"I do admit, it was very heartening seeing their smiles," stated Lamy.
"Yeah, it was wonderful," agreed Aloe.
"Indeed, whoever thought of taking this task should be praised," added Moona.
"Yes!" shouted the monk, agreeing whole-heartedly as she jumped on the archer's back, "Thanks for taking it, Botan!"
"Hn, no problem," replied the lion girl, grunting a little as she adjusted to the weight.
It was late evening when they reached the guild house. After saying their goodbyes, the group went to their rooms to store their play stuff before going to the bar for dinner. Everyone was relaxed and ate their fill. It was a good time. As they were finishing up, Artia appeared next to their table and asked, "Erm, excuse me… can I ask for assistance?"
The party looked at her for a moment. "Sure. What do you need help with?" asked Nene as they made space for her to sit. It was a squeeze but they managed.
"Well, you see..." she started, poking her index fingers together as she blushed with embarrassment, "I need help with some spell experiments. Mostly just to see if I am doing it correctly. So… if you can get a suitable hunting quest tomorrow, I would like to follow along."
"Sure you can. What time are you free?" asked the bard with a welcoming tone.
"Ah, in the afternoon, after classes are over," she replied gratefully, "Thank you so much! I shall see you all tomorrow."
She then bowed and left in a hurry.
The request was to hunt a brown bear for a pelt. Artia had already picked it out and was waiting for the party in the side room. She was certainly eager to try out her spells. After some preparation, the party left by the west gate. They traveled down the road, intending to go further out before turning off-road. However, there was something they didn't account for.
"Hear that?" asked Botan softly as they made their way westward. The rustling of the leaves was a very clear sign.
"I hear it too," replied Nene, "They aren't making much effort to hide, though."
"It has been awhile," muttered Lamy as she glanced over to Polka, who was busy daydreaming about her circus.
"What are you talking about?" asked Artia in confusion.
"We have trouble coming our way," stated Aloe calmly as she got ready to fly.
"Get 'em!"
Artia and Aloe acted quicker than the others. The wizard ran behind a tree as she shot a ray of frost at one bandit, the beam glancing across his arm. The succubus flew up and dived forward, gliding over to the furthest bandit.
"Hello, can you help me?" she asked as she landed, batting her eyes at him as she tried to seduce him magically.
He stared at her in a daze for a moment before shouting, "Demon! They have a demon!" This drew the attention of the nearby bandits. Two leveled their crossbows at her and shot bolts at her, while her target and the bandit next to him drew their swords to attack.
"Tch," she hissed as a sword slice left a cut on her arm while a bolt went through one of her wings.
"Argh! Try that again! I bet you can't hit the side of a barn!" Nene mocked the bandit leader as she pulled both of his daggers out of her leg.
It wasn't as vicious as it sounded as the man jeered, "Ha, ha! Try saying that while not bleeding, girly!" Meanwhile, the bandit next to him yelled in pain as Botan's arrow pierced his shoulder.
"Hai-ya!" shouted Polka as she landed a flying kick into the chest of one of the shooters. She tried kicking him again but she missed since he was staggering backward.
Meanwhile, the ice genasi had been waving her hands over her spellbook. Then, she ran out of cover and shouted, "With the power of the freezing winds!" Holding out her hands in front of her, her thumbs touching and fingers spread, a wave of blue flames washed over the shooters. Instead of burning them, their bodies and limbs were inflicted with freezing coldness. One bandit collapsed, overcome by the drop in temperature. The other was able to keep his mind and ran away screaming for help into the forest. "By the gods, it worked," she muttered in disbelief as she looked to her hands.
At the same moment, Aloe decided to switch targets and attempted to charm her former target's companion. The man stared at her for a moment and said, "Mistress?"
His friend realized what was happening and shouted, "The fuck?" He then punched the new target.
When he didn't react, the succubus smiled deviously and she ordered, "Kill this one."
"Snap out of it, you dumb shit!" his friend shouted as they traded blows.
"Damned idiots," growled the bandit leader as he threw two more daggers at the bard, who dashed to the middle of the battlefield, one of the daggers nicking her arm.
She then started strumming her lute, singing about being under the pressure. The bandits pretty much ignored her song, save the charmed one.
"You touched in the head, gir-"
"Shut up!" shouted the monk as she surged forward and elbowed the leader in the face. She then pummeled him in the gut before somersaulting back. Just in time too, as Botan's arrow flew true into the bandit's throat and his blood splattered over the bandit leader.
"Damn it all," he growled out as he ducked under the cleric's frost ray.
Meanwhile, Artia tried another spell. As she chanted, she made as if to pull an invisible bow, a shimmering green arrow forming in her hands. As she motioned to release it, she muttered this time, "By the power of the freezing winds." The arrow hit its target, splashing over the bandit and killed him, frost creeping and spreading all around the killing blow.
"Huh, I guess, time to finish him off," Aloe said to herself as she motioned the last bandit over. She then gave him a kiss. Wisps of ethereal energy flowed from him to her, the bandit's body suddenly drying up and turning into a husk in seconds. She released the dried-up remains, the body crumpling to the grassy ground. The genasi noticed this and she narrowed her eyes, staring at the succubus.
"Haargh! Damn it all!" the bandit leader shouted as he charged down the monk, dodging everything that was thrown and shot at him. His sword clipped her arm but she avoided the rest of his swings. She tried to pummel him again, but it seemed that he had enough and his wild swings were masking the fact that he was trying to run away.
Unfortunately for him, Aloe blocked his way and said, "Can you look into my eyes?" As she bat her eyes at him, he stopped in his tracks and stared into space while asking, "Yes, mistress?"
"Hmph, are you going to kiss him too?" asked Artia.
"Umm..."
"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as the rest of the party gathered warily.
"Ah… I got some… extra sustenance?" said the succubus very hesitantly.
"Your friend just sucked out that one's soul," said the wizard as she pointed to the drained husk.
"Eh?" sounded Polka in disbelief as she stared at their friend.
"...That… doesn't sound good," stated Nene, "Why did you do that, Aloe?"
"Uh..." she uttered sheepishly as she poked her index fingers together, "I… It's been some time since I had something like this? I guess next time… I'll do it out of sight? If it makes you that uncomfortable."
"Hnn, I rather you don't do it at all, to be honest," muttered the monk, after most of the others nodded, "I mean, I heard stories of succubi draining souls."
"I agree," affirmed the cleric, "Absolutely under no circumstance should you do so again. I mean, if you must consume souls, then I suppose we should have you work as an executioner of sorts in the city. But you speak of it as if talking about a delicacy, which means you can live without it. So, no taking souls!"
She groaned and said, "Fine… I won't go sucking out anyone's soul… in front of you." Then, she turned to the bandit leader and asked, "So what do I do about this guy?"
"Um… have him turn himself in to the guards at the gate," suggested Nene.
Everyone agreed with it. Aloe then sent him on his way, with orders to surrender to the gate guard and confess his banditry. With that settled, the party dragged the bodies into the forest and continued on their way. They moved further into the forest, keeping ears out for bear-like sounds and eyes for signs like scratches on trees, so on and so forth. There were quite a few. But, zero signs of any bears, which was puzzling.
"Hng, I wish Risu was here to guide us," muttered Botan as her eyes darted around, "The day is going and still no sign of any bears."
"Truly vexing," agreed Artia, "We should have met at least one by-"
"Hey, there's a cave there!" shouted out the monk, pointing to a cave entrance under a hillock.
"Hmm, maybe there's a bear inside," mused the archer, "Better be careful. Maybe Polka sneaks inside first?"
"No problem!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed and she crept in from the side of the mouth of the cave. The rest waited outside off to the side. A few minutes went by and she came out, looking a little shaken.
"Are you alright?" asked Nene, wondering what happened to her.
"Something weird is going on inside," she told them after calming down a bit, "So, it's one big cave and I saw a woman inside. She was dressed in a green dress and a green shawl. She had this… unnatural beauty to her. She seemed to be living there. But, I also found rats. Lots of rats. I also saw hairy goblins sneaking around in the shadows. Thankfully, they didn't see me, although I think she almost detected me. I swear there was one time I think her eyes were following me. It was so creepy."
"Hmm… I think I heard of something like this but I just can't remember," muttered Artia in confusion.
"Is she responsible for the missing bears?" asked Botan, deep in thought.
"I don't see how one woman can remove All the bears in this forest," snarked Aloe.
"Then, let's ask her then," the archer stated. She then got up and headed to the mouth of the cave.
"Are you sure about this?" asked the bard.
The lion girl shrugged and replied, "Sitting around outside won't help us."
The rest looked at each other for a moment. Then, the lore bard said, "Alright, but we better keep our eyes and ears open for sudden attacks."
"Agreed. This woman doesn't sound trustworthy at all," supported Lamy.
Having made the unified decision, they headed into the cave. It was dark, lit by a strange green glow as they passed the area lit by the sun outside. It opened up to a large cave. An alcove to the side of the cave entrance had straw bedding and a glimpse of a wooden thing further in. There was a naturally raised area on the other side leading to another alcove. At the furthest side of the cave, there were barrels and all manner of foodstuffs as well as a firepit with a bubbling cauldron. The green woman Polka saw stood in front of the cast-iron pot, peering into its roiling depths. Suddenly, she looked up and turned to face them.
"Hello, children. What sort of help can I do for you today?"
Chapter 12
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 12
"Who are you?" asked Nene, stepping to the front.
"Ah, a cautious one. Clever girl," praised the strange lady, who then replied in a friendly manner, "My name is Agatha. I have recently moved here. I had hoped to reach out by word of mouth to the nearby village. I provide many services."
"What do you know about the bears in the area?" asked Botan as she stepped up next to the bard.
"Ah, the bears… true, there used to be bears here," she began to explain while walking slowly towards them, "Though, I cannot say. Have checked the whole forest? I believe it goes on for miles. Perhaps your bears are in another part of the forest."
"Really? I thought most bears are territorial," fired back the archer, "There was no way that the bears simply moved away without a fierce fight."
"Huh. That, I wouldn't know anything about that," she said with a shrug, "I came here after that. I wasn't even aware of any bears living here."
"What do you mean by after that? How would you know the bears moved away?" asked Nene with a frown.
"Ah, I came here after traveling for miles," she said with a suspicious smile, "That is what I meant. As to knowing about the bears moving away, I didn't know. Like I said, I only moved here only recently."
"But you knew there were bears living here," spoke up Artia articulately as she stepped forward next to Botan, "Why would anyone want to live in a bear's territory? Not to mention Risu's circle is far from this part of the forest. If anything, you would be living with them. Additionally, with bears being territorial, the only way to remove them is by overwhelming force. With your hidden, hairy goblins, I wouldn't be surprised that they are all that is left of your entourage. So, who are you?"
The green lady was astonished by what came out of her mouth. Slowly, a sneer formed on her face. "So… another clever girl… a pity I never found you when you were but a babe. You would have made a good child for me," she snarked in her declaration. She transformed, her hair becoming wilder and unkept, her fingernails extending and becoming sharpened claws, and her beautiful face became a hideous visage.
"Kill them all, my servants!" she shrieked out. Squeaking and howls answered her.
"Great, a hag… and I don't know which one too," groaned out the ice genasi as she brought out her book with a flourish.
"Hello darkness my old friend," sang Nene as she strummed her lute, "I've come to talk with you again."
"Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my head,
Remains unsaid,
Within the sound of Silence."
As she chanted a faint, a shimmer in the air flickered and covered half the cave. Agatha made to scream but no sound came from her lips. She blinked in surprise and then made an angry face when Polka's dart struck her in the arm. She charged forward and lashed out at the nearest person, Artia, who jumped back to avoid her long claws. Aloe lunged forward and narrowly missed as well, while a soft glow settled on the monk, the archer, and the bard. The genasi wizard tried moving away and was clawed in the back.
Putting some distance between them, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her and struck the hag in the chest. The darts exploded into motes of ice upon impact and their enemy screamed in pain.
"Yikes!" yelped Polka as a javelin grazed her arm. Bugbears had appeared from the shadows and were throwing roughly sharpened sticks at them. The succubus shrieked as two more punctured her wings. Meanwhile, Lamy screamed as swarms of rats came from the other side of the cave and started biting at her heels. Botan roared, the bright glow and black streaks appearing, and she moved to help the cleric handle the swarms.
"Your fight is here, ugly!" shouted Nene at the hag as she slung the lute over her shoulder and pulled out her rapier.
"Rude child! I'll get your for-urk" started the hag but was kicked in the face by a grinning monk, who followed up with a kick to the gut. She growled at the fennec fox girl before she chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." And she suddenly popped out of existence, cackling madly as she did so.
Meanwhile, Aloe flew up to the raised area to retaliate against the slight against her wings, taking them by surprise and clawing one of them in the face. They tried to fight back but she was too agile and they missed. At the same time, a spectral sword appeared as Lamy backed away from the rats. Then, she and the sword moved on to attack the vermin with magic and blade.
"Where did that hag go?" asked out Artia as she looked warily. Keeping an open eye out for her, she sent her attention to the side and chanted as she pointed at the bugbears, "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces." A loud ringing noise erupted among the bugbears, the goblinoids gripping their heads while still holding on to their armaments. They were able to recover and continued tossing javelins at the monk, much to her annoyance. At that same time, Botan had cut down the rat swarms by half, which had moved on to try and attack the bard. She in turn fought back, striking and stabbing at each rat in turn.
Their leader gone, Polka turned and flew towards the nearest bugbear with a flying kick. Her foot connected with the board it used as a shield. Even though she could still see in the darkened area, the goblinoids made good use of their planks to protect themselves.
"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she suddenly appeared before Artia. The ice genasi was expecting this and dodged. Aloe noticed this and snarled, jumping down and swiping at the hag. Agatha hissed as her shoulder got raked over. Then, she ducked under a mace as Lamy tried helping as well.
The wizard tried moving away but the hag said, "Oh, no, my girl." She swiped at the genasi, catching her in her back again, digging her wounds even deeper. She hissed and hobbled over to the monk and took in a deep breath. She exhaled, blowing out freezing cold air over the monk's shoulder. The goblinoids roared and shouted as they were bathed in her frost breath. She suddenly gasped and the breath was cut off when a javelin went into her side. She fell down behind the monk.
"Artia!" shouted Polka before screaming in surprise as a morningstar slammed into her shoulder. She then evaded the rest of the attacks sent her way, the pain still fresh on her mind. She then retaliated with a powerful punch, bursting apart the plank of wood and cracking a bugbear's skull.
Botan and Nene, after having finished off the rat swarm, turned around to find the hag missing. "Take care. She can turn invisible," warned the bard as Lamy directed her spirit sword to the bugbears as she healed the genasi.
"Thank you, Lamy!" shouted Artia as she pulled the javelin out and dropped it to the floor. As a green glow washed over her wounds, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her head and slammed into the nearest bugbear.
The goblinoids were enraged and continued their attack on the party. Aloe had no problem dodging while attacking them with renewed vigor while the monk and wizard got taken by surprise by the brutality of their morningstars.
"Hurry, they need help!" shouted Nene as she ran towards the two. Botan's arrow thudded into the wooden shield while her rapier found its heart. "Rise!" she sang out as she laced the healing note in her words, bathing the monk in its rejuvenation.
Polka roared as she jumped to her feet and sent a flurry of blows at the nearest bugbear, mostly hitting its shield but one punch left its head ringing.
"Surprise, my dear!" Agatha cackled as she appeared in front of Lamy, her claws digging deep into her stomach. The half-snow elf screamed; the soft glow on the monk, the archer, and the bard winked out of existence. She then glanced at the bleeding genasi and grit her teeth. Then, she readied her shield and moved.
"Where are you going my dear?" shouted the hag as she swiped with her claws. Thanks to her shield, she was protected as she ran past Agatha to help Artia. Grasping her amulet tightly and touching the ice genasi, her prayers were down to a whisper as blood clotted and wounds closed by magic.
"Thank you again!" she said gratefully as a ray of frost crackled against the bugbear's plank of wood.
"Hands of my friends!" roared Botan as she charged down the hag and clawed her face.
Seeing that most of the hag's minions were down, Nene quickly swapped out her rapier for her lute. Strumming out a few notes, she sang, "In restless dreams I walked alone..."
"...Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the shining of a torch's light,
I felt my heart jump out my chest with fright,
Then my ears were stabbed by the shout of a banshee's wail,
It pierced the veil
And brought the sound of Silence."
As this went on, Polka finished off the bugbear and then ran over to help with the hag. Meanwhile, Lamy provided long-range support to Aloe in a rush to finish off the remaining bugbear.
Agatha let out a soundless, frustrated shriek and booked it, running out of the area Silence. Her speed took everyone by surprise, and as she got out successfully, she gleefully chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." She disappeared with a cackle.
"You are not getting away so easily!" declared Artia as she pointed at the hag's last known spot. "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces," she chanted. The loud ringing noise erupted followed by a pained shriek as the hag reappeared as she clutched her ears. She smirked for a moment before deciding to aid the cleric and the succubus.
Botan shouted something noiselessly as she shot at the reappearing hag, as the bard and the monk surged forward at the ready. Everything missed as she somehow recovered and danced around everything they sent at her.
"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she chanted and pulled her disappearing trick again.
"Damn it!" shouted the lore bard in frustration. Meanwhile, the other three finished off the last bugbear.
Botan seemed to say something in the silence field as she nocked an arrow. As she pulled, she closed her eyes. Nene and Polka watched in confusion and then with awe as the archer shot the arrow to nowhere in particular. As it left, the silvery sheen that accompanied it burned brightly and the arrow suddenly circled around and shot straight at something. It suddenly stopped, the head and shaft half-buried in something, as it was floating in mid-air right in the middle of the silence field. Suddenly, Agatha reappeared in a noiseless scream with the arrow buried in her back.
The bard and the monk blinked in surprise for a moment, before running after the hag in pain. Once again, she had some supernatural agility to dodge all their attacks. However, as she bolted, Polka was able to trip her. Instead of falling face-first to the ground, Agatha landed on all fours and actually scurried out of the cave with surprising speed.
"What the- Get back here, you witch!" snarled Aloe angrily as she flew after her. As the others gathered near the entrance, she came back with an annoyed face. "The witch disappeared. I lost track of her."
"Well, at least we survived all that," said Nene gratefully, "Let's search the place. We might find something."
And so they did. The bugbears had very little on them and nothing of value. The rest of the cave didn't have much. The barrels and the foodstuffs were actually a whole lot of herbal ingredients that looked old and withered. Pieces of rotten fish in one barrel almost made Botan throw up. The alcoves had very little either. One side seemed to house the bugbears. It was dirty and foul. The other alcove was a little better. The straw bedding seemed to be for the hag. The wooden thing Polka saw earlier were chests, one large and one small. The large one had lots of pelts; a black bear pelt, a brown bear pelt, two wolf pelts, and five deer pelts. The smaller one was black, two feet by two feet. They opened it and found two strange figurines, one taller and one smaller. They were strangely painted, the taller one had a red bow while the smaller one had an ox-horn hairstyle. Both figurines had oversized hands, half the size of the smaller one's head.
"Huh, what strange things she owns," stated Lamy as the party looked at them. To their surprise, the figures turned their heads to the cleric, lifted their hands to her, and raised their middle fingers.
"Hmph, how rude," the half-snow elf muttered as she glared at them while the others giggled, Polka being the loudest.
"Älright, let's bring all this back to the city," stated Botan as she closed the box, "So, who wants the box?"
In the end, Polka elected to take ownership of the black box. With Botan and Nene carrying the chest, they made their way back to the road. Thankfully, instead of bandits, they encountered a returning cart. They paid a few silver for the driver's time and got a cart ride back to Rivirapolis. They visited the hunting shop and tannery to check out the pelts. Then, they met with the requester, a lesser noble, who was quite happy with his new brown bear pelt. Overall, they earned two hundred and fifty gold from sales and the quest. By the time all this was done, night had fallen and the lanterns on the lamp posts had already been lit.
"Things were crazy today," said Botan as they walked back to the guild house. Artia had gone back to the dorms while Aloe had returned to Towa's house.
"Hi, hi, I got some nice stuff," beamed Polka as she hugged the box close, "Funny, I never thought I'd get my own trophy… sort off..."
"I still think they should be burned," groused Lamy with a pout.
"Relax, Lamy. The box will be in Polka's room, so you don't have to look at them," stated Nene assuringly, "That should be fine, right?"
"Hng," the cleric sounded out as she crossed her arms, glancing away.
"Alright, enough talking about the box, let's go get something to eat," said the bard as she led them to Robel's.
"Ah, fried chicken," muttered the archer as she licked her lips, eagerly anticipating the juicy goodness.
"...Fine," the half-snow elf muttered in reply, "I shall let this go for now. I better not see those… things... for a long time."
"Who are you?" asked Nene, stepping to the front.
"Ah, a cautious one. Clever girl," praised the strange lady, who then replied in a friendly manner, "My name is Agatha. I have recently moved here. I had hoped to reach out by word of mouth to the nearby village. I provide many services."
"What do you know about the bears in the area?" asked Botan as she stepped up next to the bard.
"Ah, the bears… true, there used to be bears here," she began to explain while walking slowly towards them, "Though, I cannot say. Have checked the whole forest? I believe it goes on for miles. Perhaps your bears are in another part of the forest."
"Really? I thought most bears are territorial," fired back the archer, "There was no way that the bears simply moved away without a fierce fight."
"Huh. That, I wouldn't know anything about that," she said with a shrug, "I came here after that. I wasn't even aware of any bears living here."
"What do you mean by after that? How would you know the bears moved away?" asked Nene with a frown.
"Ah, I came here after traveling for miles," she said with a suspicious smile, "That is what I meant. As to knowing about the bears moving away, I didn't know. Like I said, I only moved here only recently."
"But you knew there were bears living here," spoke up Artia articulately as she stepped forward next to Botan, "Why would anyone want to live in a bear's territory? Not to mention Risu's circle is far from this part of the forest. If anything, you would be living with them. Additionally, with bears being territorial, the only way to remove them is by overwhelming force. With your hidden, hairy goblins, I wouldn't be surprised that they are all that is left of your entourage. So, who are you?"
The green lady was astonished by what came out of her mouth. Slowly, a sneer formed on her face. "So… another clever girl… a pity I never found you when you were but a babe. You would have made a good child for me," she snarked in her declaration. She transformed, her hair becoming wilder and unkept, her fingernails extending and becoming sharpened claws, and her beautiful face became a hideous visage.
"Kill them all, my servants!" she shrieked out. Squeaking and howls answered her.
"Great, a hag… and I don't know which one too," groaned out the ice genasi as she brought out her book with a flourish.
"Hello darkness my old friend," sang Nene as she strummed her lute, "I've come to talk with you again."
"Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my head,
Remains unsaid,
Within the sound of Silence."
As she chanted a faint, a shimmer in the air flickered and covered half the cave. Agatha made to scream but no sound came from her lips. She blinked in surprise and then made an angry face when Polka's dart struck her in the arm. She charged forward and lashed out at the nearest person, Artia, who jumped back to avoid her long claws. Aloe lunged forward and narrowly missed as well, while a soft glow settled on the monk, the archer, and the bard. The genasi wizard tried moving away and was clawed in the back.
Putting some distance between them, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her and struck the hag in the chest. The darts exploded into motes of ice upon impact and their enemy screamed in pain.
"Yikes!" yelped Polka as a javelin grazed her arm. Bugbears had appeared from the shadows and were throwing roughly sharpened sticks at them. The succubus shrieked as two more punctured her wings. Meanwhile, Lamy screamed as swarms of rats came from the other side of the cave and started biting at her heels. Botan roared, the bright glow and black streaks appearing, and she moved to help the cleric handle the swarms.
"Your fight is here, ugly!" shouted Nene at the hag as she slung the lute over her shoulder and pulled out her rapier.
"Rude child! I'll get your for-urk" started the hag but was kicked in the face by a grinning monk, who followed up with a kick to the gut. She growled at the fennec fox girl before she chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." And she suddenly popped out of existence, cackling madly as she did so.
Meanwhile, Aloe flew up to the raised area to retaliate against the slight against her wings, taking them by surprise and clawing one of them in the face. They tried to fight back but she was too agile and they missed. At the same time, a spectral sword appeared as Lamy backed away from the rats. Then, she and the sword moved on to attack the vermin with magic and blade.
"Where did that hag go?" asked out Artia as she looked warily. Keeping an open eye out for her, she sent her attention to the side and chanted as she pointed at the bugbears, "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces." A loud ringing noise erupted among the bugbears, the goblinoids gripping their heads while still holding on to their armaments. They were able to recover and continued tossing javelins at the monk, much to her annoyance. At that same time, Botan had cut down the rat swarms by half, which had moved on to try and attack the bard. She in turn fought back, striking and stabbing at each rat in turn.
Their leader gone, Polka turned and flew towards the nearest bugbear with a flying kick. Her foot connected with the board it used as a shield. Even though she could still see in the darkened area, the goblinoids made good use of their planks to protect themselves.
"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she suddenly appeared before Artia. The ice genasi was expecting this and dodged. Aloe noticed this and snarled, jumping down and swiping at the hag. Agatha hissed as her shoulder got raked over. Then, she ducked under a mace as Lamy tried helping as well.
The wizard tried moving away but the hag said, "Oh, no, my girl." She swiped at the genasi, catching her in her back again, digging her wounds even deeper. She hissed and hobbled over to the monk and took in a deep breath. She exhaled, blowing out freezing cold air over the monk's shoulder. The goblinoids roared and shouted as they were bathed in her frost breath. She suddenly gasped and the breath was cut off when a javelin went into her side. She fell down behind the monk.
"Artia!" shouted Polka before screaming in surprise as a morningstar slammed into her shoulder. She then evaded the rest of the attacks sent her way, the pain still fresh on her mind. She then retaliated with a powerful punch, bursting apart the plank of wood and cracking a bugbear's skull.
Botan and Nene, after having finished off the rat swarm, turned around to find the hag missing. "Take care. She can turn invisible," warned the bard as Lamy directed her spirit sword to the bugbears as she healed the genasi.
"Thank you, Lamy!" shouted Artia as she pulled the javelin out and dropped it to the floor. As a green glow washed over her wounds, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her head and slammed into the nearest bugbear.
The goblinoids were enraged and continued their attack on the party. Aloe had no problem dodging while attacking them with renewed vigor while the monk and wizard got taken by surprise by the brutality of their morningstars.
"Hurry, they need help!" shouted Nene as she ran towards the two. Botan's arrow thudded into the wooden shield while her rapier found its heart. "Rise!" she sang out as she laced the healing note in her words, bathing the monk in its rejuvenation.
Polka roared as she jumped to her feet and sent a flurry of blows at the nearest bugbear, mostly hitting its shield but one punch left its head ringing.
"Surprise, my dear!" Agatha cackled as she appeared in front of Lamy, her claws digging deep into her stomach. The half-snow elf screamed; the soft glow on the monk, the archer, and the bard winked out of existence. She then glanced at the bleeding genasi and grit her teeth. Then, she readied her shield and moved.
"Where are you going my dear?" shouted the hag as she swiped with her claws. Thanks to her shield, she was protected as she ran past Agatha to help Artia. Grasping her amulet tightly and touching the ice genasi, her prayers were down to a whisper as blood clotted and wounds closed by magic.
"Thank you again!" she said gratefully as a ray of frost crackled against the bugbear's plank of wood.
"Hands of my friends!" roared Botan as she charged down the hag and clawed her face.
Seeing that most of the hag's minions were down, Nene quickly swapped out her rapier for her lute. Strumming out a few notes, she sang, "In restless dreams I walked alone..."
"...Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the shining of a torch's light,
I felt my heart jump out my chest with fright,
Then my ears were stabbed by the shout of a banshee's wail,
It pierced the veil
And brought the sound of Silence."
As this went on, Polka finished off the bugbear and then ran over to help with the hag. Meanwhile, Lamy provided long-range support to Aloe in a rush to finish off the remaining bugbear.
Agatha let out a soundless, frustrated shriek and booked it, running out of the area Silence. Her speed took everyone by surprise, and as she got out successfully, she gleefully chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." She disappeared with a cackle.
"You are not getting away so easily!" declared Artia as she pointed at the hag's last known spot. "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces," she chanted. The loud ringing noise erupted followed by a pained shriek as the hag reappeared as she clutched her ears. She smirked for a moment before deciding to aid the cleric and the succubus.
Botan shouted something noiselessly as she shot at the reappearing hag, as the bard and the monk surged forward at the ready. Everything missed as she somehow recovered and danced around everything they sent at her.
"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she chanted and pulled her disappearing trick again.
"Damn it!" shouted the lore bard in frustration. Meanwhile, the other three finished off the last bugbear.
Botan seemed to say something in the silence field as she nocked an arrow. As she pulled, she closed her eyes. Nene and Polka watched in confusion and then with awe as the archer shot the arrow to nowhere in particular. As it left, the silvery sheen that accompanied it burned brightly and the arrow suddenly circled around and shot straight at something. It suddenly stopped, the head and shaft half-buried in something, as it was floating in mid-air right in the middle of the silence field. Suddenly, Agatha reappeared in a noiseless scream with the arrow buried in her back.
The bard and the monk blinked in surprise for a moment, before running after the hag in pain. Once again, she had some supernatural agility to dodge all their attacks. However, as she bolted, Polka was able to trip her. Instead of falling face-first to the ground, Agatha landed on all fours and actually scurried out of the cave with surprising speed.
"What the- Get back here, you witch!" snarled Aloe angrily as she flew after her. As the others gathered near the entrance, she came back with an annoyed face. "The witch disappeared. I lost track of her."
"Well, at least we survived all that," said Nene gratefully, "Let's search the place. We might find something."
And so they did. The bugbears had very little on them and nothing of value. The rest of the cave didn't have much. The barrels and the foodstuffs were actually a whole lot of herbal ingredients that looked old and withered. Pieces of rotten fish in one barrel almost made Botan throw up. The alcoves had very little either. One side seemed to house the bugbears. It was dirty and foul. The other alcove was a little better. The straw bedding seemed to be for the hag. The wooden thing Polka saw earlier were chests, one large and one small. The large one had lots of pelts; a black bear pelt, a brown bear pelt, two wolf pelts, and five deer pelts. The smaller one was black, two feet by two feet. They opened it and found two strange figurines, one taller and one smaller. They were strangely painted, the taller one had a red bow while the smaller one had an ox-horn hairstyle. Both figurines had oversized hands, half the size of the smaller one's head.
"Huh, what strange things she owns," stated Lamy as the party looked at them. To their surprise, the figures turned their heads to the cleric, lifted their hands to her, and raised their middle fingers.
"Hmph, how rude," the half-snow elf muttered as she glared at them while the others giggled, Polka being the loudest.
"Älright, let's bring all this back to the city," stated Botan as she closed the box, "So, who wants the box?"
In the end, Polka elected to take ownership of the black box. With Botan and Nene carrying the chest, they made their way back to the road. Thankfully, instead of bandits, they encountered a returning cart. They paid a few silver for the driver's time and got a cart ride back to Rivirapolis. They visited the hunting shop and tannery to check out the pelts. Then, they met with the requester, a lesser noble, who was quite happy with his new brown bear pelt. Overall, they earned two hundred and fifty gold from sales and the quest. By the time all this was done, night had fallen and the lanterns on the lamp posts had already been lit.
"Things were crazy today," said Botan as they walked back to the guild house. Artia had gone back to the dorms while Aloe had returned to Towa's house.
"Hi, hi, I got some nice stuff," beamed Polka as she hugged the box close, "Funny, I never thought I'd get my own trophy… sort off..."
"I still think they should be burned," groused Lamy with a pout.
"Relax, Lamy. The box will be in Polka's room, so you don't have to look at them," stated Nene assuringly, "That should be fine, right?"
"Hng," the cleric sounded out as she crossed her arms, glancing away.
"Alright, enough talking about the box, let's go get something to eat," said the bard as she led them to Robel's.
"Ah, fried chicken," muttered the archer as she licked her lips, eagerly anticipating the juicy goodness.
"...Fine," the half-snow elf muttered in reply, "I shall let this go for now. I better not see those… things... for a long time."
Chapter 13
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 13
The next request was for protection work. A noble requested for guards to protect him while he goes… trophy hunting. Something that drew Botan's interest. His servant was sent to the guild house to find someone to answer the request immediately and it was there that the archer took it up immediately.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Miyabi after the servant left.
"Well, Botan insisted. So, sure. I think we can handle it," admitted Nene as she shrugged, "We've been through a lot. Should be okay."
"Hello!" greeted a voice behind her. Risu and Moona met up with them at the counter. Without Baloo, strangely enough.
"Hello. We're going on a quest now," the lore bard informed them.
"Oh, oh, can we go with you?" asked the druid eagerly.
"Hmm? Where is the owlbear?" asked Polka in puzzlement.
"Ah, she left them with the other druids in the circle," said the aasimar, "Or so she says."
"But it's true!" protested the squirrel girl, "The elders say the others need to get used to Baloo too."
"Huh, makes sense," replied Aloe as she nodded.
"Let's go now. The guy is waiting for us, so hurry up and decide," urged the archer.
They met with the noble, a Lord Grish, a half-orc who supposedly had more human blood than orc blood. His entourage, a couple of his friends as well as many servants carrying weapons and equipment. He stepped up and shook their hands. After the round of introductions, he informed them of what they need to do. Protect the nobles and the servants from getting attacked by whatever wild animals that would attack them. That included possible rampaging targets that might suddenly turn around and charge them down. They agreed and they made their way north to the open, sparse grasslands to hunt for game. The nobles went on horseback while the rest went on foot.
During their jaunt into the wilderness, they got to know what everyone else was like a little better. The servants were… well… servants. Polite and respectful. They were also a little afraid of Aloe. The nobles acted in a similar way but less afraid and more disdain for the succubus. The disdain was extended to Risu, Botan and Polka. It was less when addressing Nene and Moona but a bit more welcoming towards Lamy. She even walked with Lord Grish at one time. Eventually, after an hour or two of traveling, the nobles started shouting and they broke off from their servants with loaded crossbows and throwing spears. A lone bull elephant was spotted. It looked old and was probably separated from its herd. The nobles brought it down easily, as evident by their cheers and how fast they took down the old bull. They then dismounted and called the servants over to attend them. A few servants were tasked with removing the head while the rest served food and wine to the nobles. However, while this was going on, a few of the party spotted something in the distance.
"Hmm? Something's coming," stated Botan.
"Can you see what it is?" asked Polka as she peered into the distance.
"Regardless, we better get ready. I shall let Lord Grish know of this," informed Lamy.
"I think… I think..." muttered Risu as she squinted, "I see hyenas... giant hyenas."
"Eh?" sounded Nene, and then they heard loud, weird-sounding laughter.
"I think she's right," snarked Aloe as she got ready for a fight.
"Well, time to earn your keep, ladies," stated Lord Grish as he walked over to them, "Just keep them away from the elephant until the servants get the head off." The rest of his noble friends had retreated far away.
"Can't you have them retreat as well?" asked Moona with a frown, "It is too dangerous."
"Hmph, I apologize for saying this, but you should do well to mind your place," he replied gruffly, before heading back to the noble group.
"Well, that was inconsiderate," the aasimar grumbled with a huff.
"Sadly, this is called 'keeping up appearances'. All too familiar," muttered the cleric as she shook her head, "Nevermind him. Let us protect the servants as best we can."
The party jogged past the elephant carcass and the fearful servants that were trying to detach the head. The growls, barks, and laughs came nearer and nearer until they could spot six and more vicious than a normal hyena, it is rumored that they could be tamed. However, there have been stories of long-lived versions of them transforming into gnolls after gorging on the flesh of sentient beings. It is unknown if it was true, but the party was certain they didn't want to be added to those numbers.
However, they were still animals, so Risu suggested, "Can I talk to them first? Maybe they aren't that hungry yet."
After getting the okay for it, Risu produced her mistletoe and started chanting, waving the sprig at the hyenas that approached warily. Slowly, she stepped forward and pointed the mistletoe at each one. Then, she started mimicking their laugh and barks, making as if in communication. One of them, the apparent leader, barked back. After doing that a few more times, the leader laughed and walked off with the others, lying down on the ground a good distance away.
The druid grinned as she turned to them, "They weren't that hungry so they can wait. We might want the servants to hurry up and-"
A loud shriek interrupted her. They spun around and found one of the servants missing. Botan yelled, "Look out!" as that servant suddenly fell to the ground, neck broken and his shirt ripped at the shoulders.
Looking to the sky, they spotted six giant vultures circling overhead. The druid tried calling out to them but when they answered back, she frowned and squinted her eyes. "These birds are nasty," she informed them, "Very greedy and they won't listen. We have no choice but to kill them." With that said, she started making circles above her head as she chanted softly something else.
"Right, here I go then," Aloe declared as she ran forward before flying up to attack the nearest giant vulture. A radiant moonbeam then landed in the vulture's space and seared its body and burned its feathers.
"Tch," sounded Polka as her dart missed. She then ran over to the elephant carcass and shouted to the servants, "Go now! Don't get caught up with this!"
"W-w-we want t-t-to but if we d-d-do, we'd be p-p-punished," stammered one of them as the rest went as fast as they could, cutting through the neck and hammering the thick neck bones. At that time, four of the giant vultures clashed with the succubus while the other two circled downward towards Lamy.
Nene strummed her lute and sang of being under the pressure, getting loud screeching from the annoyed vultures.
"Why is it we don't feel any different when you sing that?" asked Botan aloud as her arrow clipped the wings of a giant vulture.
"The song is more for troubling the enemy than helping us," the bard explained as she swapped out for her rapier. Meanwhile, the cleric summoned her spirit sword to aid Aloe in killing her target while sending a ray of frost at her descending attackers, clipping one in the wing.
"Nice, five more to go!" cheered on the dream druid as she swung her sprig of mistletoe, slowly moving the moonbeam nearer to the elephant.
"And I'm staying on the ground," growled the succubus as she landed next to Polka, her arms and wings covered in gouges and talon marks.
"Glad you're still with us," quipped the monk as she threw another dart, this time at Lamy's attacker. The metal implement dug into its body and remained stuck there. Without warning, two of the giant vultures flew down and attacked them. "Yikes! Get off!" she shouted as the both of them tried to fight them off under the moonbeam. The other giant vultures then started attacking the others on the ground, Lamy's attackers commencing as well while the last one attacked the servants instead.
"Run! Ru-urk" shouted one as he and another died to talon and beak. The others ran away.
"Get them!" urged on the lore bard as she ran forward to attack the nearest one. The archer and the druid complied and helped the cleric to fight back, their efforts grievously wounding it. At the same moment, Aloe, Polka, and Moona took on another, keeping it under the moonbeam long enough to roast it alive.
The giant vultures, their numbers down by half, tried to rally. Two continued to attack while the other dashed away, its body and wings bleeding profusely. That didn't work too well, as Nene and Lamy's spirit sword took one out while Botan shot down the escapee. After giving directions, Lamy moved to the middle of the group and prayed, "I plead, oh goddess, rain your healing down on your beautiful servants."
As rejuvenation was given to Aloe and herself, the moonbeam moved over the final giant vulture. As the attacks against it continued, it tried to fly away but Moona jumped on it and stabbed her dagger through its heart, causing it to crash to the ground dead. As it fell, she ran over to Lamy and healed her, humming a healing note that soothed and renewed.
"Thank you," stated the half-snow elf gratefully. She then topped it off with her healing potion, knowing that sudden attacks may happen the longer they stay here.
Lord Grish barked out an order and several other servants went forward and hurried to finish what was started earlier. He walked over calmly and said, "Well, all of you did well. However, it seems two of my servants have died." He sighed and continued, "Normally, I wouldn't have minded… but… in keeping up appearances, I will have to reduce the reward. I did expect protection for everyone here, after all."
"That will be acceptable, milord," the cleric spoke up immediately before the lore bard could say anything. He nodded and moved back to the group of nobles.
"Why did you accept?" Nene asked in confusion as the rest of them gathered around.
"...I know what it means to 'keep up appearances'. I know all too well," she said cryptically, "He was born a half-orc and a noble. How many of you know of orcs? Of what they could do?" Getting nods from Botan, Polka, and Risu, she continued, " Then you can guess how he came to be? It is already difficult enough to be a half-orc, but to be a noble as well? Monumental."
"...Alright… I guess... " accepted the lore bard with a frown.
Moona put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Well, these are the kind of things you face when dealing with nobles. You sometimes have to expect it."
After these wise words were said, they continued to keep watch. After the elephant's head was harvested, they journeyed back home, leaving the dead bodies to the giant hyenas. It was evening when they reached the city At the north gate, the lord came up to them with a servant.
"Well, thank you for your service. I'll be sure to recommend the guild to the others too," he stated as he held out his hand. The servant placed a bag in it and in turn, he handed it to Nene.
"Thank you, Lord Grish," she replied politely. He nodded and returned to his posse, which moved in with him towards the noble district.
"Well, let's head back to the guild house and divide it up," said Botan as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
She grinned and said, "Yes. Let's."
The next day couldn't come any sooner for Botan. The owlbear head. Her trophy. The moment she woke up that new morn, she knew what she must do. The moment she got ready, she almost ran to the tannery, but she kept her cool and headed there. The head looked magnificent. After paying for a few extra things, she brought the head back to the guild house. Miyabi's mouth pretty much fell open when she carried it to the side room. Then, he came to his senses and fetched some tools to help with the mounting.
"Woah! Looks amazing!" exclaimed Polka when the party joined her in the side room.
The lion girl was grinning from ear to ear. "Hi, hi, right?" she stated proudly. Then, she looked at them and asked, "Want to go hunting for another?"
"No!" the other party members exclaimed. The guild clerk just chuckled.
"Hn, tough crowd," she grumbled to herself with a pout
"Hello, how is- wow, cool," exclaimed Doris as she came into the side room, followed by Civia, who said the same.
"I know, right?" spoked up the archer, her face grinning again.
The two quickly passed on a request to Miyabi, who followed them out to process it. Several other members checked out the side room and praised the trophy, making her happier and prouder.
"Alright, enough preening. Let's get a quest," stated Nene in deadpan as she pulled the lion girl by the arm, making her yelp in surprise.
"No worries, I got a good one today," informed the monk as she presented the piece of paper to the guild clerk.
He gave it a good look and sighed. "Right, you have to go to school."
"...Eh?" they sounded.
"It only came in today, if I recall correctly," he explained sternly, which was unusual, "A few of the wizards are going to practice conjuration magics today and they want some extra help just in case things get out of hand."
"Ah… what's that?" asked a puzzled bard.
"A branch of magic," stated Artia as she came up from behind them. She glanced at the owlbear trophy and said, "Ah, impressive." She turned back to the party, which included a smiling lion girl, and explained, "It involves using magic to create, to summon, or to send."
"Summon what exactly?" asked Lamy with a frown.
"Well… it can be materials, creatures, or energy," she continued her explanation, "Conjurers can summon from any plane of existence. Skilled ones can even call and bind great beings from their respective planes, summon grand fortresses out of thin air, or even twist the tapestry of fate to create a miracle. And… admittedly, more unscrupulous conjurers could also summon demons. But there won't be anything of the sort going on at the school."
"And we are supposed to be at hand to protect them, am I correct?" the cleric pressed further.
"Well… normally the conjurations are harmless, but the more complicated spells can call beings and animals from other places and they may not always be fond of being summoned," the ice genasi replied, "So, it always helps to have a backup plan."
The half-snow elf nodded in approval.
"Well, let's go then," stated Aloe eagerly, "I think it should be very interesting to see what a couple of novices can pull out. I mean...what really could go wrong?"
Artia then led the party to the school. They went to a large hall-like room. It looked like a normal classroom with a blackboard, teacher's desk, and chair, a shelf of books for referral. The glaring difference was the absence of tables and chairs for the students. Instead, there was a large, heavy table on the side of the room that had several types of reagents and spell components on it. And on the floor, there were several magic circles drawn on in for containment purposes.
"And this is Master Hirto, Conjuration Master of the school," introduced the ice genasi.
The teacher was old but still looking healthy. A neatly trimmed grey beard and combed hair. He adjusted his glasses and said, "Ah, you must be the ones the guild sent over. Please, come in. The examination will be starting soon, and uhm… yes, you can stand at the back of the class. We have… let me see..." He went to his table and picked up a scroll of parchment. "Ah, yes. Five students. Five students for the journeyman test… and one retaker… hmm, alright. That should be all," he announced as he placed it back on the table.
Clapping his hands as he turned to them with an eager look, "Very well, please take your places. Things will begin very soon." Then, focussing on Artia, he then asked, "If you would please assist me in looking out for the students. Direct them in one by one, if you'd please."
"Yes, sir," agreed the wizard and went outside to wait. Soon, a student was sent in, a half-elf. The conjurer master then declared, "Very well! Let us begin the test."
The next request was for protection work. A noble requested for guards to protect him while he goes… trophy hunting. Something that drew Botan's interest. His servant was sent to the guild house to find someone to answer the request immediately and it was there that the archer took it up immediately.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Miyabi after the servant left.
"Well, Botan insisted. So, sure. I think we can handle it," admitted Nene as she shrugged, "We've been through a lot. Should be okay."
"Hello!" greeted a voice behind her. Risu and Moona met up with them at the counter. Without Baloo, strangely enough.
"Hello. We're going on a quest now," the lore bard informed them.
"Oh, oh, can we go with you?" asked the druid eagerly.
"Hmm? Where is the owlbear?" asked Polka in puzzlement.
"Ah, she left them with the other druids in the circle," said the aasimar, "Or so she says."
"But it's true!" protested the squirrel girl, "The elders say the others need to get used to Baloo too."
"Huh, makes sense," replied Aloe as she nodded.
"Let's go now. The guy is waiting for us, so hurry up and decide," urged the archer.
They met with the noble, a Lord Grish, a half-orc who supposedly had more human blood than orc blood. His entourage, a couple of his friends as well as many servants carrying weapons and equipment. He stepped up and shook their hands. After the round of introductions, he informed them of what they need to do. Protect the nobles and the servants from getting attacked by whatever wild animals that would attack them. That included possible rampaging targets that might suddenly turn around and charge them down. They agreed and they made their way north to the open, sparse grasslands to hunt for game. The nobles went on horseback while the rest went on foot.
During their jaunt into the wilderness, they got to know what everyone else was like a little better. The servants were… well… servants. Polite and respectful. They were also a little afraid of Aloe. The nobles acted in a similar way but less afraid and more disdain for the succubus. The disdain was extended to Risu, Botan and Polka. It was less when addressing Nene and Moona but a bit more welcoming towards Lamy. She even walked with Lord Grish at one time. Eventually, after an hour or two of traveling, the nobles started shouting and they broke off from their servants with loaded crossbows and throwing spears. A lone bull elephant was spotted. It looked old and was probably separated from its herd. The nobles brought it down easily, as evident by their cheers and how fast they took down the old bull. They then dismounted and called the servants over to attend them. A few servants were tasked with removing the head while the rest served food and wine to the nobles. However, while this was going on, a few of the party spotted something in the distance.
"Hmm? Something's coming," stated Botan.
"Can you see what it is?" asked Polka as she peered into the distance.
"Regardless, we better get ready. I shall let Lord Grish know of this," informed Lamy.
"I think… I think..." muttered Risu as she squinted, "I see hyenas... giant hyenas."
"Eh?" sounded Nene, and then they heard loud, weird-sounding laughter.
"I think she's right," snarked Aloe as she got ready for a fight.
"Well, time to earn your keep, ladies," stated Lord Grish as he walked over to them, "Just keep them away from the elephant until the servants get the head off." The rest of his noble friends had retreated far away.
"Can't you have them retreat as well?" asked Moona with a frown, "It is too dangerous."
"Hmph, I apologize for saying this, but you should do well to mind your place," he replied gruffly, before heading back to the noble group.
"Well, that was inconsiderate," the aasimar grumbled with a huff.
"Sadly, this is called 'keeping up appearances'. All too familiar," muttered the cleric as she shook her head, "Nevermind him. Let us protect the servants as best we can."
The party jogged past the elephant carcass and the fearful servants that were trying to detach the head. The growls, barks, and laughs came nearer and nearer until they could spot six and more vicious than a normal hyena, it is rumored that they could be tamed. However, there have been stories of long-lived versions of them transforming into gnolls after gorging on the flesh of sentient beings. It is unknown if it was true, but the party was certain they didn't want to be added to those numbers.
However, they were still animals, so Risu suggested, "Can I talk to them first? Maybe they aren't that hungry yet."
After getting the okay for it, Risu produced her mistletoe and started chanting, waving the sprig at the hyenas that approached warily. Slowly, she stepped forward and pointed the mistletoe at each one. Then, she started mimicking their laugh and barks, making as if in communication. One of them, the apparent leader, barked back. After doing that a few more times, the leader laughed and walked off with the others, lying down on the ground a good distance away.
The druid grinned as she turned to them, "They weren't that hungry so they can wait. We might want the servants to hurry up and-"
A loud shriek interrupted her. They spun around and found one of the servants missing. Botan yelled, "Look out!" as that servant suddenly fell to the ground, neck broken and his shirt ripped at the shoulders.
Looking to the sky, they spotted six giant vultures circling overhead. The druid tried calling out to them but when they answered back, she frowned and squinted her eyes. "These birds are nasty," she informed them, "Very greedy and they won't listen. We have no choice but to kill them." With that said, she started making circles above her head as she chanted softly something else.
"Right, here I go then," Aloe declared as she ran forward before flying up to attack the nearest giant vulture. A radiant moonbeam then landed in the vulture's space and seared its body and burned its feathers.
"Tch," sounded Polka as her dart missed. She then ran over to the elephant carcass and shouted to the servants, "Go now! Don't get caught up with this!"
"W-w-we want t-t-to but if we d-d-do, we'd be p-p-punished," stammered one of them as the rest went as fast as they could, cutting through the neck and hammering the thick neck bones. At that time, four of the giant vultures clashed with the succubus while the other two circled downward towards Lamy.
Nene strummed her lute and sang of being under the pressure, getting loud screeching from the annoyed vultures.
"Why is it we don't feel any different when you sing that?" asked Botan aloud as her arrow clipped the wings of a giant vulture.
"The song is more for troubling the enemy than helping us," the bard explained as she swapped out for her rapier. Meanwhile, the cleric summoned her spirit sword to aid Aloe in killing her target while sending a ray of frost at her descending attackers, clipping one in the wing.
"Nice, five more to go!" cheered on the dream druid as she swung her sprig of mistletoe, slowly moving the moonbeam nearer to the elephant.
"And I'm staying on the ground," growled the succubus as she landed next to Polka, her arms and wings covered in gouges and talon marks.
"Glad you're still with us," quipped the monk as she threw another dart, this time at Lamy's attacker. The metal implement dug into its body and remained stuck there. Without warning, two of the giant vultures flew down and attacked them. "Yikes! Get off!" she shouted as the both of them tried to fight them off under the moonbeam. The other giant vultures then started attacking the others on the ground, Lamy's attackers commencing as well while the last one attacked the servants instead.
"Run! Ru-urk" shouted one as he and another died to talon and beak. The others ran away.
"Get them!" urged on the lore bard as she ran forward to attack the nearest one. The archer and the druid complied and helped the cleric to fight back, their efforts grievously wounding it. At the same moment, Aloe, Polka, and Moona took on another, keeping it under the moonbeam long enough to roast it alive.
The giant vultures, their numbers down by half, tried to rally. Two continued to attack while the other dashed away, its body and wings bleeding profusely. That didn't work too well, as Nene and Lamy's spirit sword took one out while Botan shot down the escapee. After giving directions, Lamy moved to the middle of the group and prayed, "I plead, oh goddess, rain your healing down on your beautiful servants."
As rejuvenation was given to Aloe and herself, the moonbeam moved over the final giant vulture. As the attacks against it continued, it tried to fly away but Moona jumped on it and stabbed her dagger through its heart, causing it to crash to the ground dead. As it fell, she ran over to Lamy and healed her, humming a healing note that soothed and renewed.
"Thank you," stated the half-snow elf gratefully. She then topped it off with her healing potion, knowing that sudden attacks may happen the longer they stay here.
Lord Grish barked out an order and several other servants went forward and hurried to finish what was started earlier. He walked over calmly and said, "Well, all of you did well. However, it seems two of my servants have died." He sighed and continued, "Normally, I wouldn't have minded… but… in keeping up appearances, I will have to reduce the reward. I did expect protection for everyone here, after all."
"That will be acceptable, milord," the cleric spoke up immediately before the lore bard could say anything. He nodded and moved back to the group of nobles.
"Why did you accept?" Nene asked in confusion as the rest of them gathered around.
"...I know what it means to 'keep up appearances'. I know all too well," she said cryptically, "He was born a half-orc and a noble. How many of you know of orcs? Of what they could do?" Getting nods from Botan, Polka, and Risu, she continued, " Then you can guess how he came to be? It is already difficult enough to be a half-orc, but to be a noble as well? Monumental."
"...Alright… I guess... " accepted the lore bard with a frown.
Moona put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Well, these are the kind of things you face when dealing with nobles. You sometimes have to expect it."
After these wise words were said, they continued to keep watch. After the elephant's head was harvested, they journeyed back home, leaving the dead bodies to the giant hyenas. It was evening when they reached the city At the north gate, the lord came up to them with a servant.
"Well, thank you for your service. I'll be sure to recommend the guild to the others too," he stated as he held out his hand. The servant placed a bag in it and in turn, he handed it to Nene.
"Thank you, Lord Grish," she replied politely. He nodded and returned to his posse, which moved in with him towards the noble district.
"Well, let's head back to the guild house and divide it up," said Botan as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
She grinned and said, "Yes. Let's."
The next day couldn't come any sooner for Botan. The owlbear head. Her trophy. The moment she woke up that new morn, she knew what she must do. The moment she got ready, she almost ran to the tannery, but she kept her cool and headed there. The head looked magnificent. After paying for a few extra things, she brought the head back to the guild house. Miyabi's mouth pretty much fell open when she carried it to the side room. Then, he came to his senses and fetched some tools to help with the mounting.
"Woah! Looks amazing!" exclaimed Polka when the party joined her in the side room.
The lion girl was grinning from ear to ear. "Hi, hi, right?" she stated proudly. Then, she looked at them and asked, "Want to go hunting for another?"
"No!" the other party members exclaimed. The guild clerk just chuckled.
"Hn, tough crowd," she grumbled to herself with a pout
"Hello, how is- wow, cool," exclaimed Doris as she came into the side room, followed by Civia, who said the same.
"I know, right?" spoked up the archer, her face grinning again.
The two quickly passed on a request to Miyabi, who followed them out to process it. Several other members checked out the side room and praised the trophy, making her happier and prouder.
"Alright, enough preening. Let's get a quest," stated Nene in deadpan as she pulled the lion girl by the arm, making her yelp in surprise.
"No worries, I got a good one today," informed the monk as she presented the piece of paper to the guild clerk.
He gave it a good look and sighed. "Right, you have to go to school."
"...Eh?" they sounded.
"It only came in today, if I recall correctly," he explained sternly, which was unusual, "A few of the wizards are going to practice conjuration magics today and they want some extra help just in case things get out of hand."
"Ah… what's that?" asked a puzzled bard.
"A branch of magic," stated Artia as she came up from behind them. She glanced at the owlbear trophy and said, "Ah, impressive." She turned back to the party, which included a smiling lion girl, and explained, "It involves using magic to create, to summon, or to send."
"Summon what exactly?" asked Lamy with a frown.
"Well… it can be materials, creatures, or energy," she continued her explanation, "Conjurers can summon from any plane of existence. Skilled ones can even call and bind great beings from their respective planes, summon grand fortresses out of thin air, or even twist the tapestry of fate to create a miracle. And… admittedly, more unscrupulous conjurers could also summon demons. But there won't be anything of the sort going on at the school."
"And we are supposed to be at hand to protect them, am I correct?" the cleric pressed further.
"Well… normally the conjurations are harmless, but the more complicated spells can call beings and animals from other places and they may not always be fond of being summoned," the ice genasi replied, "So, it always helps to have a backup plan."
The half-snow elf nodded in approval.
"Well, let's go then," stated Aloe eagerly, "I think it should be very interesting to see what a couple of novices can pull out. I mean...what really could go wrong?"
Artia then led the party to the school. They went to a large hall-like room. It looked like a normal classroom with a blackboard, teacher's desk, and chair, a shelf of books for referral. The glaring difference was the absence of tables and chairs for the students. Instead, there was a large, heavy table on the side of the room that had several types of reagents and spell components on it. And on the floor, there were several magic circles drawn on in for containment purposes.
"And this is Master Hirto, Conjuration Master of the school," introduced the ice genasi.
The teacher was old but still looking healthy. A neatly trimmed grey beard and combed hair. He adjusted his glasses and said, "Ah, you must be the ones the guild sent over. Please, come in. The examination will be starting soon, and uhm… yes, you can stand at the back of the class. We have… let me see..." He went to his table and picked up a scroll of parchment. "Ah, yes. Five students. Five students for the journeyman test… and one retaker… hmm, alright. That should be all," he announced as he placed it back on the table.
Clapping his hands as he turned to them with an eager look, "Very well, please take your places. Things will begin very soon." Then, focussing on Artia, he then asked, "If you would please assist me in looking out for the students. Direct them in one by one, if you'd please."
"Yes, sir," agreed the wizard and went outside to wait. Soon, a student was sent in, a half-elf. The conjurer master then declared, "Very well! Let us begin the test."
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 14
One by one, the students came into the classroom and displayed what they had learned so far. It ranged from conjuring up ghost hands, making floating disks, making on the floor to be covered in grease, teleportation through mist, shooting spider webs out of their hands, and even creating spinning, floating daggers all around them. And those were just the five students. Nene found herself mystified by it all and wondered if she could recreate some of the spells through her music.
Then, it was the retaker's turn, a halfling from the look of things. He mirrored what was done before; a spectral hand and some teleportation. What he did differently was he summoned his familiar, a raven that appeared in a puff of smoke and alighted on his shoulder. The conjuration master nodded as he made notes on his parchment.
"Very well, you have fulfilled the pre-requisites," he informed the student, "But since you are retaking the test, you were required to perform one more spell of your choice to impress… Whenever you are ready..."
The student nodded and took up his wand once more. Muttering strange, arcane words while making sweeping motions, the party could see something appearing behind him from a point from the ceiling.
Master Hirto gasped and shouted, "Wait, you cannot-"
The roar of water drowned out his order as a tidal wave crashed down from the ceiling. A second later, the conjuration master appeared next to the party in a puff of mist. He turned around and gasped again. The entire half of the room was drenched; the desk overturned, all the parchment, papers, and chair were missing, presumably following the flow of the water out of the class. The books on the shelf were wet through and through. The regents on the large table had all been washed away.
The party noticed Master Hirto trembling as he surveyed the class. The student turned his pale face to look at them and said, "Uh… I'm sorry?"
The master exploded.
"NARC'ZIES!"
After getting paid and leaving the school, the whole party burst out in laughter as they made their way back to the guild house.
"Oh, gods!" Nene exclaimed between breaths, "His face! Ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha, I know right, hi hi," giggled Aloe as she leaned on the bard's shoulder.
"Ha ha ha! I think -ha ha- I can hire him as a clown, ha ha," laughed Polka as she tumbled to the floor.
"Get a hold of yourself," admonished Botan, smiling at the monks antics as she picked her up by the waist and hoisted her on her shoulder, "Come on, let's get another request."
"Ah, yes, of course," agreed Lamy, also sporting a similar smile.
"Wait!" called out Artia from behind them.
They stopped and waited for her to catch up.
"Wait a minute," she wheezed as she stopped to catch her breath, "Miss Rushia asked to remind you of her request."
"...Oh yeah! We actually promised to help her, didn't we?" stated the bard when she remembered the request. She quickly informed the rest about it.
"Ooh, Miss Rushia's home before she moved to the city?" the ice genasi muttered eagerly, "I want to go too."
"Ah, it does sound interesting," agreed the archer as the monk wriggled off her shoulder, "Let's do it!"
"Alright. Let's tell Miyabi about it and then go," decided Nene with a grin, everyone voicing their agreement.
However, after some discussion with the guild clerk, they elected to go the next day as the trip will probably take the whole day to get there. Which meant camping outside. So, they went shopping for some preparations. Three sets of tents. Bedrolls for Artia Lamy, who then went to the temple to acquire a few bottles of holy water and some antitoxin.
"Er… do you really have to buy that?" asked Aloe warily when the cleric came back from the temple.
"Yes. We are going to a necromancer's home. I would rather be prepared for whatever evils that are still there," the half-snow elf replied sternly.
"Miss Rushia isn't that bad even though she uses necromancy," protested Artia. "She helped in the defense of the city when that dragon showed up."
"It is still a necromancer's home. I will be prepared," she retorted insistently.
"I agree," spoke up Botan, "Even if she helped, we don't know what she did before that happened. Do you know what happened?"
"...She never really told us..." the ice genasi admitted, now looking a little unsure.
"We should be fine… I guess..." mused Nene as she rubbed her chin. Looking around, she asked, "Where's Polka?"
"Ah, she's in the alley at the back," the lion girl stated, "She said she'll be doing some extra training."
"Eh?"
The sound of flesh hitting flesh came from the alleyway behind the guild house. Polka was quick on her feet, using kicks and punches to try and hit the older man that was still dressed in his fine clothes. And yet, he was able to deftly block each and every strike she attempted. With one hand, no less.
"You are still not moving fluidly enough," stated Aruran as he shoved her off him once again, not once breaking a sweat.
She tumbled through the air and settled in a very unsteady stance. "Ah, I'm doing my best!" she whined, "I really am!"
"I can see that," he replied with a slight nod, "Yet, you still aren't shifty enough, not drunk enough."
"Hng… I'm still not used to this, I think," she muttered while trying to keep her balance semi-steady.
"...Have you been at least trying to use the style in your fights?" he asked as he stepped near her, scrutinizing her stance.
"...Not really?" she admitted, feeling a little uneasy with his careful gaze, "Can't exactly do much against animals…"
"What about the bandits? What about the bugbears? I read the request reports too, don't you know?" he pressed further as he nodded at her shiftiness, "I have a feeling that what you are lacking is confidence. So, the next request you take, use the style and only that style for your fights. None of this brawling you normally do." He then walked back to his original position and motioned to her, "Come again."
With a huff, she tumbled forward into a lowered level and thrust out her punch, followed by two sweeping attacks. The noble just blocked the back of her hand with his palm and then jumped back to avoid her legs. She continued by rising up on one leg and thrusting out with another strike with her hand. Hopping forward into a slide, she pushed herself up with her following leg to send a flurry of strikes to his face. All the strikes were blocked by his palm, circling around her as he did so.
"Much better," he praised, "Knowing when to tense and relax is crucial in switching between the swaying and strength of your blows. However..." He suddenly dashed back and launched himself forward, punching her in the stomach. She flew back and crashed to the ground, coughing and groaning.
"...Anticipating a sudden attack is also something to touch on," he ended as he walked over to her and offered his hand.
The fennec fox girl groaned and reached out to grasp it. "Guh, that hurt," she muttered as she was pulled to her feet.
"Growing pains, young one," he laughed as she patted herself down. He then glanced at the door to the house and saw that it was open with five spectators. He waved and greeted, "Hello there! How are you doing?"
"We're doing fine, sir," the spectators spoke in unison.
"Ër, hi everyone," greeted the monk, waving sheepishly as she winced a little.
"Well, go ahead and take care of your friend. Training is done for the day," Aruran announced as he gestured to her. Her friends then rushed over to talk while he disappeared into the guild house with a smile.
That night after dinner, Polka and Lamy had a bit too much to drink and were being helped back to the guild house. However, in the middle of the road, Aruran suddenly stepped out of the door and said, "Well, a little tipsy are we?"
"Ugh… haro, teasher," the drunk monk greeted with a cheery smile.
"Hello, sir. Umm, you see-" started Botan but was interrupted.
"Oh, no, that's fine… Polka, hands up. It's time to spar," the noble announced.
"Wait, what?" exclaimed Nene.
"Sir, I don't think-"
The lion girl interrupted again as the fennec fox girl pushed herself off and took up her drunken stance. Without warning, she staggered forward in a surprisingly straight line coupled with a flurry of strikes. He blocked them and struck back with several punches, all which she swayed out of the way. She then leaned back and lashed out with her foot, which he checked with his own. He pushed it away and she leaned forward with another strike, which he pushed aside and stepped back.
"Mmm hmm, good, good," he praised as he clapped a few times.
"Awuof," she sounded as she lurched forward.
Hopping into a spinning kick, she landed and spun around with a roundhouse. Both were blocked and he lashed out with his own kick. She twisted her body around until she was leaning backward and started advancing with several strikes. He dashed back, avoiding them, and launched himself forward with a punch aimed at her stomach. She deftly turned out of the way and somersaulted on him as he moved past her, trying to catch him with her feet. He was aware of what she was doing, quickly turning his body and delivering an uppercut to her legs. She spun around in the air a few times before landing on her feet. She fell to the ground and groaned as she grabbed her painful limbs.
Botan ran over to check on her and asked, "Polka! Are you alright?"
"Arr, yesh I yam!" the monk exclaimed before passing out.
The lion girl shook her head and hefted her up in a bridal carry.
"Mmm, I hope she can have more confidence in herself," he mused as he stroked his beard, "I believe she almost got me that time." He then started to walk off and said, "Well, good night everyone. I'll send over a remedy for their hangovers tomorrow."
"Sorry for troubling you and thank you for the help, sir," said Nene politely as she continued towards the guild house, with the archer following after her.
The remedy was surprisingly quite effective. By the time they left, it was reduced to a throb. Leaving by the west gate, they dipped into the forest and took it from there. According to the instructions, it detailed how far and which direction the former living space of the necromancer. However, there was this little thought at the back of Nene's mind that wondered if… there was any danger there. Miss Rushia left the place… why? There has to be a story behind it.
She couldn't tell how long they walked, only that they sated their stomachs with the rations they packed. Aloe barely ate and only sampled the rations. The dried meat agreed with her. Cheese was so-so with her. The dried fruits… although they were relatively sweet, she didn't really like it. The instructions also mentioned gnolls being present deeper in the forest. She didn't feel too worried about that since they had a sizable party after all. She felt confident that they would be able to handle them.
Suddenly, Botan held up her hand and motioned us to duck down. She then peeked around a tree and hissed, "Hide!"
As quiet as they could, they kept to the ground while Botan kept to the tree and peered around. Seconds ticked by before she said, "They're gone." Everyone else relaxed at that point.
"Gnolls?" asked Lamy.
She nodded and repeated, "Gnolls. It was probably a hunting party."
"Thank goodness we have you," stated Artia with a relieved smile.
"Ouh, let's hurry on to Miss Rushia's house," urged on Polka.
"Then again, she never said it was a house," mused Nene before shaking her head, "Anyway, Polka's right, let's go."
"Hn, I'll jaunt away just in case," informed Aloe as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.
However, it didn't take long before they could hear barks and whoops again. Taking care to hide again, they waited for another hunting party to go past them. A deer suddenly burst into the place where they were hiding in and dashed on their way. Hot on its tail, the group of gnolls burst through and chased after it. However, they didn't expect one of them to suddenly tumble over something. The bard thought she heard the genasi yelp and she winced.
The gnoll growled as it got up. It looked around and saw them. In that instant, Botan drew out an arrow and shot it in the throat. It gurgled as it grabbed at the arrow, trying to pull it out. Aloe then popped into existence and twisted its neck, putting it down for good. She then shoved it down and looked around.
"They aren't here anymore," she announced quietly, causing everyone to let out relieved breaths.
"Alright, we move out quietly. No talking, just walk softly and move," the archer told them as she took point. Everyone whispered in agreement and they moved on.
Thankfully, their precautions paid off as they reached the place with no problems. Much to their surprise, it was a ruined temple, overgrown with vines and moss. Part of the wall had fallen, a visible opening for them to go through. As they stepped through the opening, they found themselves in a large hall. There was a circular opening in the middle of the ceiling as well as a large hole in the middle of the floor.
"Hn, this map is weird… I'm guessing this is the entrance?" said Nene as she scrutinized the map.
"Any way to descend?" asked Lamy as she looked around.
"I have some rope we can use to climb down," spoke up Polka as she took it off her pack, "Any place to tie it?"
"Hmm, there are some pitons driven in here," said Botan as she pointed to them, noticing the remnants of rope here, "Someone used them, so they should be secure. We could tie them here."
After stashing their backpacks in a safe, dry place, they tied the rope to the pitons and climbed down. Light was scarce and once the last person stepped on the ground, the monk held out her globe and said, "Shine. Float."
The globe lit up and rose into the air. After their eyes adjusted to the difference in light, they heard something walking towards them.
"The dead are attacking," warned Artia as everyone got ready. One by one, several skeletons walked out, including one wearing a worn chain shirt. With glowing green orbs for eyes, six of them headed straight for them and attacked the nearest person, Polka.
"Watch out, Polka!" called out Nene with worry after her dagger bounced off the lead skeleton's armor scraps.
The monk just smirked and swayed left to right. As if in a drunken stupor, she dodged all of the blades that tried to touch her. She then struck back with a few strikes on the lead skeleton's chest, breaking a few ribs, before cartwheeling away to the side. The skeleton in the chain shirt didn't move forward, but took aim with its longbow and shot at her. She broke her drunken facade to catch the arrow. "No thanks!" she quipped as she threw it back at it, the wooden projectile deflecting off the chain shirt.
"Nice one, Polka," cheered on Botan as her arrow slammed into the lead skeleton's skull, breaking it to pieces.
"With the power of the freezing winds!"
Blue, freezing flames washed over the other skeletons from Artia's outstretched hands. Before they could move towards here, Lamy raised the hand grasping her amulet and declared, "The power of my goddess will wash away all that is horrid!" A wave of the divine washed over the room, the skeletons trembling under the light.
"Nice one, Lamy!" said the bard as she skewered one of the skeletons in the skull, while the rest scattered to the walls. Two each went to the walls nearest to the warrior.
"Time to clean this up!" cheered on the fennec fox girl as she tumbled forward into an unarmed strike, knocking a leg bone out of position and following up with another strike to the neck bone. Aloe silently agreed, having popped out of etherealness beforehand, and simply walked up to the next skeleton and slammed its skull into the wall with her clawed hand.
"Eep!" yelped the ice genasi as the skeleton warrior's arrow scratched her cheek. She frowned and made as if to draw a bow. "With the power of the freezing winds, may this arrow fly true," she muttered as both the archer and her released their arrows. One flew past it while the other splashed on the chain shirt, causing the warrior to flinch.
"The beautiful shine will bring your demise," declared the cleric as she aimed her amulet at it, sending a flash of radiant light at its skull. The lore bard immediately charged at it and ended its second existence.
"Nice! Let's end these-woah!" shouted Polka as she led the charge to finish off the other skeletons. They were mopped up easily enough, the party having focused them down one at the time.
"Right, now that we have removed the interruption, where do we go now?" asked Lamy with some manner of satisfaction.
"Um… tunnel… okay, in the tunnel, take the left branch," Nene stated after scrutinizing the instructions.
One by one, the students came into the classroom and displayed what they had learned so far. It ranged from conjuring up ghost hands, making floating disks, making on the floor to be covered in grease, teleportation through mist, shooting spider webs out of their hands, and even creating spinning, floating daggers all around them. And those were just the five students. Nene found herself mystified by it all and wondered if she could recreate some of the spells through her music.
Then, it was the retaker's turn, a halfling from the look of things. He mirrored what was done before; a spectral hand and some teleportation. What he did differently was he summoned his familiar, a raven that appeared in a puff of smoke and alighted on his shoulder. The conjuration master nodded as he made notes on his parchment.
"Very well, you have fulfilled the pre-requisites," he informed the student, "But since you are retaking the test, you were required to perform one more spell of your choice to impress… Whenever you are ready..."
The student nodded and took up his wand once more. Muttering strange, arcane words while making sweeping motions, the party could see something appearing behind him from a point from the ceiling.
Master Hirto gasped and shouted, "Wait, you cannot-"
The roar of water drowned out his order as a tidal wave crashed down from the ceiling. A second later, the conjuration master appeared next to the party in a puff of mist. He turned around and gasped again. The entire half of the room was drenched; the desk overturned, all the parchment, papers, and chair were missing, presumably following the flow of the water out of the class. The books on the shelf were wet through and through. The regents on the large table had all been washed away.
The party noticed Master Hirto trembling as he surveyed the class. The student turned his pale face to look at them and said, "Uh… I'm sorry?"
The master exploded.
"NARC'ZIES!"
After getting paid and leaving the school, the whole party burst out in laughter as they made their way back to the guild house.
"Oh, gods!" Nene exclaimed between breaths, "His face! Ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha, I know right, hi hi," giggled Aloe as she leaned on the bard's shoulder.
"Ha ha ha! I think -ha ha- I can hire him as a clown, ha ha," laughed Polka as she tumbled to the floor.
"Get a hold of yourself," admonished Botan, smiling at the monks antics as she picked her up by the waist and hoisted her on her shoulder, "Come on, let's get another request."
"Ah, yes, of course," agreed Lamy, also sporting a similar smile.
"Wait!" called out Artia from behind them.
They stopped and waited for her to catch up.
"Wait a minute," she wheezed as she stopped to catch her breath, "Miss Rushia asked to remind you of her request."
"...Oh yeah! We actually promised to help her, didn't we?" stated the bard when she remembered the request. She quickly informed the rest about it.
"Ooh, Miss Rushia's home before she moved to the city?" the ice genasi muttered eagerly, "I want to go too."
"Ah, it does sound interesting," agreed the archer as the monk wriggled off her shoulder, "Let's do it!"
"Alright. Let's tell Miyabi about it and then go," decided Nene with a grin, everyone voicing their agreement.
However, after some discussion with the guild clerk, they elected to go the next day as the trip will probably take the whole day to get there. Which meant camping outside. So, they went shopping for some preparations. Three sets of tents. Bedrolls for Artia Lamy, who then went to the temple to acquire a few bottles of holy water and some antitoxin.
"Er… do you really have to buy that?" asked Aloe warily when the cleric came back from the temple.
"Yes. We are going to a necromancer's home. I would rather be prepared for whatever evils that are still there," the half-snow elf replied sternly.
"Miss Rushia isn't that bad even though she uses necromancy," protested Artia. "She helped in the defense of the city when that dragon showed up."
"It is still a necromancer's home. I will be prepared," she retorted insistently.
"I agree," spoke up Botan, "Even if she helped, we don't know what she did before that happened. Do you know what happened?"
"...She never really told us..." the ice genasi admitted, now looking a little unsure.
"We should be fine… I guess..." mused Nene as she rubbed her chin. Looking around, she asked, "Where's Polka?"
"Ah, she's in the alley at the back," the lion girl stated, "She said she'll be doing some extra training."
"Eh?"
The sound of flesh hitting flesh came from the alleyway behind the guild house. Polka was quick on her feet, using kicks and punches to try and hit the older man that was still dressed in his fine clothes. And yet, he was able to deftly block each and every strike she attempted. With one hand, no less.
"You are still not moving fluidly enough," stated Aruran as he shoved her off him once again, not once breaking a sweat.
She tumbled through the air and settled in a very unsteady stance. "Ah, I'm doing my best!" she whined, "I really am!"
"I can see that," he replied with a slight nod, "Yet, you still aren't shifty enough, not drunk enough."
"Hng… I'm still not used to this, I think," she muttered while trying to keep her balance semi-steady.
"...Have you been at least trying to use the style in your fights?" he asked as he stepped near her, scrutinizing her stance.
"...Not really?" she admitted, feeling a little uneasy with his careful gaze, "Can't exactly do much against animals…"
"What about the bandits? What about the bugbears? I read the request reports too, don't you know?" he pressed further as he nodded at her shiftiness, "I have a feeling that what you are lacking is confidence. So, the next request you take, use the style and only that style for your fights. None of this brawling you normally do." He then walked back to his original position and motioned to her, "Come again."
With a huff, she tumbled forward into a lowered level and thrust out her punch, followed by two sweeping attacks. The noble just blocked the back of her hand with his palm and then jumped back to avoid her legs. She continued by rising up on one leg and thrusting out with another strike with her hand. Hopping forward into a slide, she pushed herself up with her following leg to send a flurry of strikes to his face. All the strikes were blocked by his palm, circling around her as he did so.
"Much better," he praised, "Knowing when to tense and relax is crucial in switching between the swaying and strength of your blows. However..." He suddenly dashed back and launched himself forward, punching her in the stomach. She flew back and crashed to the ground, coughing and groaning.
"...Anticipating a sudden attack is also something to touch on," he ended as he walked over to her and offered his hand.
The fennec fox girl groaned and reached out to grasp it. "Guh, that hurt," she muttered as she was pulled to her feet.
"Growing pains, young one," he laughed as she patted herself down. He then glanced at the door to the house and saw that it was open with five spectators. He waved and greeted, "Hello there! How are you doing?"
"We're doing fine, sir," the spectators spoke in unison.
"Ër, hi everyone," greeted the monk, waving sheepishly as she winced a little.
"Well, go ahead and take care of your friend. Training is done for the day," Aruran announced as he gestured to her. Her friends then rushed over to talk while he disappeared into the guild house with a smile.
That night after dinner, Polka and Lamy had a bit too much to drink and were being helped back to the guild house. However, in the middle of the road, Aruran suddenly stepped out of the door and said, "Well, a little tipsy are we?"
"Ugh… haro, teasher," the drunk monk greeted with a cheery smile.
"Hello, sir. Umm, you see-" started Botan but was interrupted.
"Oh, no, that's fine… Polka, hands up. It's time to spar," the noble announced.
"Wait, what?" exclaimed Nene.
"Sir, I don't think-"
The lion girl interrupted again as the fennec fox girl pushed herself off and took up her drunken stance. Without warning, she staggered forward in a surprisingly straight line coupled with a flurry of strikes. He blocked them and struck back with several punches, all which she swayed out of the way. She then leaned back and lashed out with her foot, which he checked with his own. He pushed it away and she leaned forward with another strike, which he pushed aside and stepped back.
"Mmm hmm, good, good," he praised as he clapped a few times.
"Awuof," she sounded as she lurched forward.
Hopping into a spinning kick, she landed and spun around with a roundhouse. Both were blocked and he lashed out with his own kick. She twisted her body around until she was leaning backward and started advancing with several strikes. He dashed back, avoiding them, and launched himself forward with a punch aimed at her stomach. She deftly turned out of the way and somersaulted on him as he moved past her, trying to catch him with her feet. He was aware of what she was doing, quickly turning his body and delivering an uppercut to her legs. She spun around in the air a few times before landing on her feet. She fell to the ground and groaned as she grabbed her painful limbs.
Botan ran over to check on her and asked, "Polka! Are you alright?"
"Arr, yesh I yam!" the monk exclaimed before passing out.
The lion girl shook her head and hefted her up in a bridal carry.
"Mmm, I hope she can have more confidence in herself," he mused as he stroked his beard, "I believe she almost got me that time." He then started to walk off and said, "Well, good night everyone. I'll send over a remedy for their hangovers tomorrow."
"Sorry for troubling you and thank you for the help, sir," said Nene politely as she continued towards the guild house, with the archer following after her.
The remedy was surprisingly quite effective. By the time they left, it was reduced to a throb. Leaving by the west gate, they dipped into the forest and took it from there. According to the instructions, it detailed how far and which direction the former living space of the necromancer. However, there was this little thought at the back of Nene's mind that wondered if… there was any danger there. Miss Rushia left the place… why? There has to be a story behind it.
She couldn't tell how long they walked, only that they sated their stomachs with the rations they packed. Aloe barely ate and only sampled the rations. The dried meat agreed with her. Cheese was so-so with her. The dried fruits… although they were relatively sweet, she didn't really like it. The instructions also mentioned gnolls being present deeper in the forest. She didn't feel too worried about that since they had a sizable party after all. She felt confident that they would be able to handle them.
Suddenly, Botan held up her hand and motioned us to duck down. She then peeked around a tree and hissed, "Hide!"
As quiet as they could, they kept to the ground while Botan kept to the tree and peered around. Seconds ticked by before she said, "They're gone." Everyone else relaxed at that point.
"Gnolls?" asked Lamy.
She nodded and repeated, "Gnolls. It was probably a hunting party."
"Thank goodness we have you," stated Artia with a relieved smile.
"Ouh, let's hurry on to Miss Rushia's house," urged on Polka.
"Then again, she never said it was a house," mused Nene before shaking her head, "Anyway, Polka's right, let's go."
"Hn, I'll jaunt away just in case," informed Aloe as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.
However, it didn't take long before they could hear barks and whoops again. Taking care to hide again, they waited for another hunting party to go past them. A deer suddenly burst into the place where they were hiding in and dashed on their way. Hot on its tail, the group of gnolls burst through and chased after it. However, they didn't expect one of them to suddenly tumble over something. The bard thought she heard the genasi yelp and she winced.
The gnoll growled as it got up. It looked around and saw them. In that instant, Botan drew out an arrow and shot it in the throat. It gurgled as it grabbed at the arrow, trying to pull it out. Aloe then popped into existence and twisted its neck, putting it down for good. She then shoved it down and looked around.
"They aren't here anymore," she announced quietly, causing everyone to let out relieved breaths.
"Alright, we move out quietly. No talking, just walk softly and move," the archer told them as she took point. Everyone whispered in agreement and they moved on.
Thankfully, their precautions paid off as they reached the place with no problems. Much to their surprise, it was a ruined temple, overgrown with vines and moss. Part of the wall had fallen, a visible opening for them to go through. As they stepped through the opening, they found themselves in a large hall. There was a circular opening in the middle of the ceiling as well as a large hole in the middle of the floor.
"Hn, this map is weird… I'm guessing this is the entrance?" said Nene as she scrutinized the map.
"Any way to descend?" asked Lamy as she looked around.
"I have some rope we can use to climb down," spoke up Polka as she took it off her pack, "Any place to tie it?"
"Hmm, there are some pitons driven in here," said Botan as she pointed to them, noticing the remnants of rope here, "Someone used them, so they should be secure. We could tie them here."
After stashing their backpacks in a safe, dry place, they tied the rope to the pitons and climbed down. Light was scarce and once the last person stepped on the ground, the monk held out her globe and said, "Shine. Float."
The globe lit up and rose into the air. After their eyes adjusted to the difference in light, they heard something walking towards them.
"The dead are attacking," warned Artia as everyone got ready. One by one, several skeletons walked out, including one wearing a worn chain shirt. With glowing green orbs for eyes, six of them headed straight for them and attacked the nearest person, Polka.
"Watch out, Polka!" called out Nene with worry after her dagger bounced off the lead skeleton's armor scraps.
The monk just smirked and swayed left to right. As if in a drunken stupor, she dodged all of the blades that tried to touch her. She then struck back with a few strikes on the lead skeleton's chest, breaking a few ribs, before cartwheeling away to the side. The skeleton in the chain shirt didn't move forward, but took aim with its longbow and shot at her. She broke her drunken facade to catch the arrow. "No thanks!" she quipped as she threw it back at it, the wooden projectile deflecting off the chain shirt.
"Nice one, Polka," cheered on Botan as her arrow slammed into the lead skeleton's skull, breaking it to pieces.
"With the power of the freezing winds!"
Blue, freezing flames washed over the other skeletons from Artia's outstretched hands. Before they could move towards here, Lamy raised the hand grasping her amulet and declared, "The power of my goddess will wash away all that is horrid!" A wave of the divine washed over the room, the skeletons trembling under the light.
"Nice one, Lamy!" said the bard as she skewered one of the skeletons in the skull, while the rest scattered to the walls. Two each went to the walls nearest to the warrior.
"Time to clean this up!" cheered on the fennec fox girl as she tumbled forward into an unarmed strike, knocking a leg bone out of position and following up with another strike to the neck bone. Aloe silently agreed, having popped out of etherealness beforehand, and simply walked up to the next skeleton and slammed its skull into the wall with her clawed hand.
"Eep!" yelped the ice genasi as the skeleton warrior's arrow scratched her cheek. She frowned and made as if to draw a bow. "With the power of the freezing winds, may this arrow fly true," she muttered as both the archer and her released their arrows. One flew past it while the other splashed on the chain shirt, causing the warrior to flinch.
"The beautiful shine will bring your demise," declared the cleric as she aimed her amulet at it, sending a flash of radiant light at its skull. The lore bard immediately charged at it and ended its second existence.
"Nice! Let's end these-woah!" shouted Polka as she led the charge to finish off the other skeletons. They were mopped up easily enough, the party having focused them down one at the time.
"Right, now that we have removed the interruption, where do we go now?" asked Lamy with some manner of satisfaction.
"Um… tunnel… okay, in the tunnel, take the left branch," Nene stated after scrutinizing the instructions.
Chapter 15
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 15
They made their way down the tunnel single file. There was just enough room for them to stand up and maybe to walk side by side. Following the instructions to the letter, they had no trouble reaching the room at the end of the tunnel. They stepped out into a room. The torches on the side were unlit. A bookcase was in the right corner next to a bed with many old books. A table and a makeshift chair were in the far left corner. Melted remains of candles could be seen in the space between the two corners. In the middle of the room, however, stood the next threat flanked by two skeletons and two skeleton warriors.
Clad in worn studded leather, the undead held a choking man in blue robes as he growled out, "After all I've done, you put me in the ground. Today, I will have revenge."
"Mad... man… tried… murder… my… friend..." the half-elf gurgled out as he fought to breathe in the iron grip.
"Let him go!" shouted the cleric angrily.
The undead's head slowly turned to glance at them. "Release my betrayer? I think not. Who are you to tell me what to do, elf?" it spat out as he threw the man against the wall, knocking him out.
"Tch, a wight," muttered Aloe as everyone else got ready for a fight, "Skilled fighters in life, ruthless in undeath. He will be difficult to put down with normal weapons and can drain a person's life if not careful. Too bad we aren't fighting outside, in the sun."
The wight then unsheathed its longsword, pointed at them, and ordered, "Kill them! Kill them all!"
"As if!" retorted Aloe as she ran forward to slash down one of the skeletons.
"By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces."
A loud boom erupted in the middle of the group of undead, the skeleton Aloe clawed breaking to pieces. An arrow went through a warrior's skull while Nene stepped forward, strumming her lute.
"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me."
"Stop that infernal singing!" shouted the wight.
Meanwhile, Polka staggered forward to the other skeleton and rammed her shoulder into its chest. With a sudden nudge, she elbowed the skull of its neck and caught it as the rest of the bones fell to the floor.
"Alas, my porridge, I am hungry," she stated aloud as she swayed a few steps back, tossing the skull at the other warrior, who cleaved it in two.
At the same time, the wight and the other warrior converged on the succubus. She yelped in pain as the warrior struck first, cutting through her leathery wing. The wight hemmed her in; she avoided the first swing but the second sliced through her leg, leaving a deep cut. She yelled as the glowing red sword increased in intensity as it sliced through. She tried clawing it in return but she couldn't reach him. The pain was immense as she tried to push the feeling down.
"By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity."
Magic missiles slammed into the wight and the skeleton warrior, crashing into the former's shoulder and into the latter's skull, disrupting the magic that was animating it.
"Keep it up," shouted Botan as she shot at the remaining warrior, the arrow lodging in its rib cage. Nene kept away her lute and ran forward to attack the same, their blades clashing. Polka then sent rapid strikes to it body, at first not doing much against the chain shirt but eventually hearing a crack as she continued her pummeling. The warrior ground its teeth and swung wide, pushing the bard back while the monk avoided but leaning back under the sword.
The wight tried to continue its attack but a spirit sword suddenly materialized and slammed into its shoulder. It then raised its sword to block the flash of light that Lamy shot at him, stopping his march against Aloe, who still tried to lash out with her claws.
"Rgh, come closer and let me -argh- show you a good time," she growled.
"With every strike, I am empowered. All will die!" he retorted in an enraged voice.
Meanwhile, the other four kept their pressure on the other skeleton warrior, the final blow being the courtesy of Polka. The monk had staggered around, putting herself between the wight and the warrior, then she kicked the skeleton in the leg, breaking the shin just as it was getting struck continuously by the others. It fell to the ground in pieces as she stumbled away, her hands flailing as she crashed into the wight… which unfortunately caused the spirit sword to miss, the blade going over the undead head harmlessly.
"Get off my you buffoon," it roared as it shoved her off. It turned to face her but he roared again as a ray of frost lanced over the back of his head. It turned again and swung with all its might, the glowing red blade slicing up Aloe's other arm. Again, she couldn't attack properly. Frost started to form on his hands but he shook them off. An arrow pierced his chest and he pulled it out.
"You cannot stop my vengeance!" it shouted as its blade clashed with Nene's rapier. He pushed her off easily. Suddenly, the fennec fox girl staggered in front of it. She smirked.
"You dare mock me!?" it yelled as it brought the blade down, aimed at her head.
A simple sidestep sent to blade into the ground. Suddenly keeping her balance meant crashing her head against its own. As it reeled back, she hopped and slammed both her elbow and her knee into opposite temples, cracking and fragmenting its skull from within. As she landed, the lifeless body fell over backward, its unlife finally broken.
The battle over, Aloe slumped to her knees, trembling.
"Are you alright?" asked Nene as she rushed over to check on the succubus.
"I can still feel the sword digging into me," she groaned out, "This draining of life doesn't feel great at all."
"At least the fight is over," said Artia as she joined them, "Will you alright?"
"I will. I just need a lot of rest," she informed them with a shaky smile.
"Hello, do you need healing?" asked Lamy after kneeling next to the half-elf, who was stirring awake.
"Urgh... gods, where am I..." he groaned. Looking at her, he muttered, "Uh, I don't think so?"
"Then, do you need time to rest for a while?" she asked as she looked him over. He didn't seem to be injured other than the marks around his neck. Still, he looked quite lethargic from lack of sleep.
"Some rest would be welcome," he admitted, "But I don't feel comfortable staying here." Then, his stomach began to growl.
"Ah… Very well. Let us do what we came here to do. Then we can see to getting some food for you," she informed him as she got to her feet.
"Ah, we need to take all the books?" asked Botan as she looked over the bookcase.
"That's what Nene says," confirmed Polka, who then frowned, "All our backpacks are back at the ruins… we need to carry them all the way back? What a pain..."
"Hey, we have many pairs of hands here," rebutted Nene, "Each of us can carry a stack out and we'd be done in one go."
"We also need to get him outside," added Lamy, motioning to the half-elf, "I do not know how long he has been kept here, but he does not look too good despite what he says."
"Let us get started then," spoke up Artia, "The sooner we begin, the better."
It took them the better part of an hour, but they divided the books up among them and then made their way back to the ruins. At the large hole, they split the party; a few went up first and they tied the books to the rope to be hauled up. The half-elf was a little time-consuming, having to fashion the rope into a harness that could comfortably carry him up, but eventually, they made it happen. While they packed up the books, they gave the hungry man some of their rations. While he wolfed them down, they got to know him a little better.
"I'm Camryn. My thanks for the rescue," he said gratefully as he slowed down his feeding.
"What do you do for a living, sir?" asked Artia respectfully.
"Please, Camryn is fine. I am actually a traveling craftsman and enchanter," the half-elf told them, "I had learned how to apply permanent enchantments to items in the Candy Kingdom during the past year. I have yet to ply my trade in that area yet as it is a complicated thing to do."
"Interesting… could you enchant our stuff?" asked Botan curiously.
"Hmm, perhaps… it will be somewhat expensive," he admitted, "These aren't the normal magical enchantments that other enchanters use. And unfortunately, most of what I need are not found here… perhaps if we go to a port that actively trades with the kingdom?"
Getting some strange looks from them, he sighed and replied, "I know, I know, it wasn't the wisest decision to do so, but in my defense, I was in my younger years."
"Hey, what else can you do?" asked Polka.
"Hmm, before I decided to learn my craft, I used to play around with fire," he said after a pause.
"Like a fire eater?" pressed on the monk.
"If you say so."
"Join my circus!" she proposed immediately.
"...I'll get back to you on that..." he said, a bit surprised by her eagerness.
After everyone got out and packed up the books, they started their journey back to the capital. It was evening and they had to go through gnoll-infested territory again. Once again, they took precautions and made their way through the area with wary eyes and ears. After a while, they came upon a curious sight. In the middle of a clearing, there were two pack lords growling and yipping as they faced each other accompanied by three gnolls each. They kept as quiet as they could be, trying to go around the clearing and leaving them to do their thing. Unfortunately…
-snap-
Nene grimaced as she stepped on a dry twig. The gnolls stopped whatever they were doing and started looking around. Then, one of them yipped when they caught the glint of Lamy's armor when the bright evening sun bounced off it. One of the pack lords sounded off something between a growl and a roar and they charged down the party immediately.
"Stay back, Mister Camryn. We got this!" shouted Aloe as she took to the sky while Artia started chanting. A loud ringing noise erupted in the middle of the gnolls, causing them to howl in pain. A second later, an arrow got lodged in a pack leader's leg and then burst apart, a heavy force buffeting the group of enemies. Then, a dagger pierced the nearest gnoll's chest, killing it instantly.
All that damage took a toll on the gnolls and two of them turned tail to flee. The others moved in, the pack lords growling the loudest. They barked, urging on the others while they all attacked in unison.
"Gack!" sounded off Nene as the ramshackle glaive, a sharp piece of metal tied to a stick with roots, pierced her studded leather in the side.
"Argh! Get off!" yelled the wizard as the maddened gnoll clamped down on her forearm. It wasn't able to hold on as it got punched in the throat and kicked away by Polka. It swayed and clutched its gurgling throat, its lucky stars saving it from the spirit blade Lamy prayed for. The following frost ray hit a tree next to it instead.
"Putting it down!" cried out the succubus as it landed, her movement helping her claws cleaving through its armor and cutting its flesh. With a push of her legs, she went airborne again before it could do anything. Three arcane darts materialized and shot at the gnoll and its pack lord, peppering them with frigid blasts.
Seeing that she was slowly being cut off from her party, Botan roared and dove into melee, clawing a gnoll in the face. It yelped in pain. Meanwhile, the bard then moved to help her by taking on the other pack lord, stabbing it in the back. It howled, made a sudden turn, and stabbed her twice in the stomach with its glaive. It howled again as it roughly pulled it out and moved to attack the archer, clamping its jaws on her hand.
"Nene!" yelled the monk. Angrily, she did away with all form of her training and just charged straight after the pack lord. She punched it in the face. It growled back and blocked the follow-up kick with the shaft of its glaive.
Meanwhile, the cleric's spirit weapon was directed to attack the other pack lord while Lamy sent a ray of frost at it.
"Let us handle it! Get to Nene!" Aloe urged the half-snow elf as she swooped down to rake the pack lord's eyes. It howled but they didn't let up, Artia shooting another ray of frost at it, lancing its foot. The lion girl roared again, clawing the same gnoll in the head again. It yipped and ran away. Its leader barked at it but it didn't listen. That left one gnoll still attacking her, and it stabbed her in the shoulder with its spear.
On the other side, the other pack leader decided to run away as well. Polka kept up the pressure on the remaining one, aiming two continuous kicks to its side. A crack could be faintly heard, a rib breaking. The spirit sword floated over to help but was deflected away as the monk ducked under its swinging glaive.
With two enemies remaining and engaged, Lamy hurried over to the bleeding bard and knelt down to lay her hands on her stomach area. Chanting loudly, the deep wounds healing before her very eyes as the wave of green washed over the bard's body. She let out a sigh of relief, glad to have gotten to her in time.
"Nice!" cheered on the succubus as she swooped down for a fly-by on the pack lord while Botan continued to lash out wildly with her claws.
The last two gnolls, finally realizing that they were outnumbered, tried to retreat and run away. Unfortunately for them, the party had no intention of letting them get away scot-free as they relentlessly attacked before they could even take a step away as they turned around.
"Phew, thank the gods for Lamy," exclaimed the bard as she rubbed her stomach.
"Grr… all good now," growled Botan as she came out of the transformation, "Let's hurry up and get out of this place. I don't want to stumble into any more gnolls."
Getting agreements from everyone, they quickly made their way through gnoll territory. Only after they saw the road did they breathe easy.
"By the gods, do you go through that often?" asked the half-elf with concern.
"Some days, it seems that way," stated the bard.
"But other days, we don't see much either, so it's balanced," quipped Polka.
"It would not be an adventurer's life if it was easy," reasoned Lamy.
"What they said," stated Aloe as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I think you need a weapon, Aloe," said Botan, "You flying around the place is nice but there isn't much else."
"Hmph, what do you suggest then?" asked the succubus as she crossed her arms.
"I don't know… throw daggers like Nene sometimes does?" the former suggested, "If you're interested, I can help with accuracy."
"I can help to teach too," offered the bard as well.
"Ah... sure, why not?"
They made their way down the tunnel single file. There was just enough room for them to stand up and maybe to walk side by side. Following the instructions to the letter, they had no trouble reaching the room at the end of the tunnel. They stepped out into a room. The torches on the side were unlit. A bookcase was in the right corner next to a bed with many old books. A table and a makeshift chair were in the far left corner. Melted remains of candles could be seen in the space between the two corners. In the middle of the room, however, stood the next threat flanked by two skeletons and two skeleton warriors.
Clad in worn studded leather, the undead held a choking man in blue robes as he growled out, "After all I've done, you put me in the ground. Today, I will have revenge."
"Mad... man… tried… murder… my… friend..." the half-elf gurgled out as he fought to breathe in the iron grip.
"Let him go!" shouted the cleric angrily.
The undead's head slowly turned to glance at them. "Release my betrayer? I think not. Who are you to tell me what to do, elf?" it spat out as he threw the man against the wall, knocking him out.
"Tch, a wight," muttered Aloe as everyone else got ready for a fight, "Skilled fighters in life, ruthless in undeath. He will be difficult to put down with normal weapons and can drain a person's life if not careful. Too bad we aren't fighting outside, in the sun."
The wight then unsheathed its longsword, pointed at them, and ordered, "Kill them! Kill them all!"
"As if!" retorted Aloe as she ran forward to slash down one of the skeletons.
"By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces."
A loud boom erupted in the middle of the group of undead, the skeleton Aloe clawed breaking to pieces. An arrow went through a warrior's skull while Nene stepped forward, strumming her lute.
"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me."
"Stop that infernal singing!" shouted the wight.
Meanwhile, Polka staggered forward to the other skeleton and rammed her shoulder into its chest. With a sudden nudge, she elbowed the skull of its neck and caught it as the rest of the bones fell to the floor.
"Alas, my porridge, I am hungry," she stated aloud as she swayed a few steps back, tossing the skull at the other warrior, who cleaved it in two.
At the same time, the wight and the other warrior converged on the succubus. She yelped in pain as the warrior struck first, cutting through her leathery wing. The wight hemmed her in; she avoided the first swing but the second sliced through her leg, leaving a deep cut. She yelled as the glowing red sword increased in intensity as it sliced through. She tried clawing it in return but she couldn't reach him. The pain was immense as she tried to push the feeling down.
"By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity."
Magic missiles slammed into the wight and the skeleton warrior, crashing into the former's shoulder and into the latter's skull, disrupting the magic that was animating it.
"Keep it up," shouted Botan as she shot at the remaining warrior, the arrow lodging in its rib cage. Nene kept away her lute and ran forward to attack the same, their blades clashing. Polka then sent rapid strikes to it body, at first not doing much against the chain shirt but eventually hearing a crack as she continued her pummeling. The warrior ground its teeth and swung wide, pushing the bard back while the monk avoided but leaning back under the sword.
The wight tried to continue its attack but a spirit sword suddenly materialized and slammed into its shoulder. It then raised its sword to block the flash of light that Lamy shot at him, stopping his march against Aloe, who still tried to lash out with her claws.
"Rgh, come closer and let me -argh- show you a good time," she growled.
"With every strike, I am empowered. All will die!" he retorted in an enraged voice.
Meanwhile, the other four kept their pressure on the other skeleton warrior, the final blow being the courtesy of Polka. The monk had staggered around, putting herself between the wight and the warrior, then she kicked the skeleton in the leg, breaking the shin just as it was getting struck continuously by the others. It fell to the ground in pieces as she stumbled away, her hands flailing as she crashed into the wight… which unfortunately caused the spirit sword to miss, the blade going over the undead head harmlessly.
"Get off my you buffoon," it roared as it shoved her off. It turned to face her but he roared again as a ray of frost lanced over the back of his head. It turned again and swung with all its might, the glowing red blade slicing up Aloe's other arm. Again, she couldn't attack properly. Frost started to form on his hands but he shook them off. An arrow pierced his chest and he pulled it out.
"You cannot stop my vengeance!" it shouted as its blade clashed with Nene's rapier. He pushed her off easily. Suddenly, the fennec fox girl staggered in front of it. She smirked.
"You dare mock me!?" it yelled as it brought the blade down, aimed at her head.
A simple sidestep sent to blade into the ground. Suddenly keeping her balance meant crashing her head against its own. As it reeled back, she hopped and slammed both her elbow and her knee into opposite temples, cracking and fragmenting its skull from within. As she landed, the lifeless body fell over backward, its unlife finally broken.
The battle over, Aloe slumped to her knees, trembling.
"Are you alright?" asked Nene as she rushed over to check on the succubus.
"I can still feel the sword digging into me," she groaned out, "This draining of life doesn't feel great at all."
"At least the fight is over," said Artia as she joined them, "Will you alright?"
"I will. I just need a lot of rest," she informed them with a shaky smile.
"Hello, do you need healing?" asked Lamy after kneeling next to the half-elf, who was stirring awake.
"Urgh... gods, where am I..." he groaned. Looking at her, he muttered, "Uh, I don't think so?"
"Then, do you need time to rest for a while?" she asked as she looked him over. He didn't seem to be injured other than the marks around his neck. Still, he looked quite lethargic from lack of sleep.
"Some rest would be welcome," he admitted, "But I don't feel comfortable staying here." Then, his stomach began to growl.
"Ah… Very well. Let us do what we came here to do. Then we can see to getting some food for you," she informed him as she got to her feet.
"Ah, we need to take all the books?" asked Botan as she looked over the bookcase.
"That's what Nene says," confirmed Polka, who then frowned, "All our backpacks are back at the ruins… we need to carry them all the way back? What a pain..."
"Hey, we have many pairs of hands here," rebutted Nene, "Each of us can carry a stack out and we'd be done in one go."
"We also need to get him outside," added Lamy, motioning to the half-elf, "I do not know how long he has been kept here, but he does not look too good despite what he says."
"Let us get started then," spoke up Artia, "The sooner we begin, the better."
It took them the better part of an hour, but they divided the books up among them and then made their way back to the ruins. At the large hole, they split the party; a few went up first and they tied the books to the rope to be hauled up. The half-elf was a little time-consuming, having to fashion the rope into a harness that could comfortably carry him up, but eventually, they made it happen. While they packed up the books, they gave the hungry man some of their rations. While he wolfed them down, they got to know him a little better.
"I'm Camryn. My thanks for the rescue," he said gratefully as he slowed down his feeding.
"What do you do for a living, sir?" asked Artia respectfully.
"Please, Camryn is fine. I am actually a traveling craftsman and enchanter," the half-elf told them, "I had learned how to apply permanent enchantments to items in the Candy Kingdom during the past year. I have yet to ply my trade in that area yet as it is a complicated thing to do."
"Interesting… could you enchant our stuff?" asked Botan curiously.
"Hmm, perhaps… it will be somewhat expensive," he admitted, "These aren't the normal magical enchantments that other enchanters use. And unfortunately, most of what I need are not found here… perhaps if we go to a port that actively trades with the kingdom?"
Getting some strange looks from them, he sighed and replied, "I know, I know, it wasn't the wisest decision to do so, but in my defense, I was in my younger years."
"Hey, what else can you do?" asked Polka.
"Hmm, before I decided to learn my craft, I used to play around with fire," he said after a pause.
"Like a fire eater?" pressed on the monk.
"If you say so."
"Join my circus!" she proposed immediately.
"...I'll get back to you on that..." he said, a bit surprised by her eagerness.
After everyone got out and packed up the books, they started their journey back to the capital. It was evening and they had to go through gnoll-infested territory again. Once again, they took precautions and made their way through the area with wary eyes and ears. After a while, they came upon a curious sight. In the middle of a clearing, there were two pack lords growling and yipping as they faced each other accompanied by three gnolls each. They kept as quiet as they could be, trying to go around the clearing and leaving them to do their thing. Unfortunately…
-snap-
Nene grimaced as she stepped on a dry twig. The gnolls stopped whatever they were doing and started looking around. Then, one of them yipped when they caught the glint of Lamy's armor when the bright evening sun bounced off it. One of the pack lords sounded off something between a growl and a roar and they charged down the party immediately.
"Stay back, Mister Camryn. We got this!" shouted Aloe as she took to the sky while Artia started chanting. A loud ringing noise erupted in the middle of the gnolls, causing them to howl in pain. A second later, an arrow got lodged in a pack leader's leg and then burst apart, a heavy force buffeting the group of enemies. Then, a dagger pierced the nearest gnoll's chest, killing it instantly.
All that damage took a toll on the gnolls and two of them turned tail to flee. The others moved in, the pack lords growling the loudest. They barked, urging on the others while they all attacked in unison.
"Gack!" sounded off Nene as the ramshackle glaive, a sharp piece of metal tied to a stick with roots, pierced her studded leather in the side.
"Argh! Get off!" yelled the wizard as the maddened gnoll clamped down on her forearm. It wasn't able to hold on as it got punched in the throat and kicked away by Polka. It swayed and clutched its gurgling throat, its lucky stars saving it from the spirit blade Lamy prayed for. The following frost ray hit a tree next to it instead.
"Putting it down!" cried out the succubus as it landed, her movement helping her claws cleaving through its armor and cutting its flesh. With a push of her legs, she went airborne again before it could do anything. Three arcane darts materialized and shot at the gnoll and its pack lord, peppering them with frigid blasts.
Seeing that she was slowly being cut off from her party, Botan roared and dove into melee, clawing a gnoll in the face. It yelped in pain. Meanwhile, the bard then moved to help her by taking on the other pack lord, stabbing it in the back. It howled, made a sudden turn, and stabbed her twice in the stomach with its glaive. It howled again as it roughly pulled it out and moved to attack the archer, clamping its jaws on her hand.
"Nene!" yelled the monk. Angrily, she did away with all form of her training and just charged straight after the pack lord. She punched it in the face. It growled back and blocked the follow-up kick with the shaft of its glaive.
Meanwhile, the cleric's spirit weapon was directed to attack the other pack lord while Lamy sent a ray of frost at it.
"Let us handle it! Get to Nene!" Aloe urged the half-snow elf as she swooped down to rake the pack lord's eyes. It howled but they didn't let up, Artia shooting another ray of frost at it, lancing its foot. The lion girl roared again, clawing the same gnoll in the head again. It yipped and ran away. Its leader barked at it but it didn't listen. That left one gnoll still attacking her, and it stabbed her in the shoulder with its spear.
On the other side, the other pack leader decided to run away as well. Polka kept up the pressure on the remaining one, aiming two continuous kicks to its side. A crack could be faintly heard, a rib breaking. The spirit sword floated over to help but was deflected away as the monk ducked under its swinging glaive.
With two enemies remaining and engaged, Lamy hurried over to the bleeding bard and knelt down to lay her hands on her stomach area. Chanting loudly, the deep wounds healing before her very eyes as the wave of green washed over the bard's body. She let out a sigh of relief, glad to have gotten to her in time.
"Nice!" cheered on the succubus as she swooped down for a fly-by on the pack lord while Botan continued to lash out wildly with her claws.
The last two gnolls, finally realizing that they were outnumbered, tried to retreat and run away. Unfortunately for them, the party had no intention of letting them get away scot-free as they relentlessly attacked before they could even take a step away as they turned around.
"Phew, thank the gods for Lamy," exclaimed the bard as she rubbed her stomach.
"Grr… all good now," growled Botan as she came out of the transformation, "Let's hurry up and get out of this place. I don't want to stumble into any more gnolls."
Getting agreements from everyone, they quickly made their way through gnoll territory. Only after they saw the road did they breathe easy.
"By the gods, do you go through that often?" asked the half-elf with concern.
"Some days, it seems that way," stated the bard.
"But other days, we don't see much either, so it's balanced," quipped Polka.
"It would not be an adventurer's life if it was easy," reasoned Lamy.
"What they said," stated Aloe as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I think you need a weapon, Aloe," said Botan, "You flying around the place is nice but there isn't much else."
"Hmph, what do you suggest then?" asked the succubus as she crossed her arms.
"I don't know… throw daggers like Nene sometimes does?" the former suggested, "If you're interested, I can help with accuracy."
"I can help to teach too," offered the bard as well.
"Ah... sure, why not?"
Chapter 16
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 16
The next day, Camryn met up with the party and thanked them for their help.
"I'll be studying at the enchanter's here in the meantime to understand the more local techniques," he informed them, "If you wish my help, you only need to ask."
After saying their good days, the party headed for the school.
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Rushia with a smile, "I'm impressed. You actually got all my books."
"It was sort of difficult, but we made it through," Nene reported as she mirrored the smile.
"We fought more undead there, including a wight," spoke up Lamy, "Did you put them there?"
"No. As much as I'd like to raise my fandead, I know well enough how bad it would look if word got out I went overboard to do such things," the teacher rebutted, "I think it's more likely that my… teacher's influence over the area still remained. As for the wight, more likely its eternal hate made use of the lingering energies to return to life… as much as I dislike doing so, I may need to ask someone to go and purify the place."
"But that means they have to go through all those gnolls again..." muttered Botan.
"So that means we have to take them out," stated Aloe as she brandished her clawed hand.
"Hng, the last time we got into a fight, Nene almost took it," interjected Polka, "I don't want that to happen."
"...Well, I suppose I'll have to rely on you to get it done then," replied the necromancer, who then clapped once and said, "Anyway, I believe you deserve a reward for your troubles... Would you like something unique for each of you or something all of you can use?"
They looked at each other and proceeded to huddle together. "What do we do?" asked the bard.
"Maybe we'd get some nice unique stuff," said the fennec fox girl.
"I am not sure of this… that would mean trusting her… gold is preferable though," mused the half-snow elf, "We could use more to buy improvements for our equipment."
"No preference," quipped the succubus, "I think anything we get would be good."
"...I want a special item," said the lion girl hesitantly.
"Trophy?" asked the former.
"Umm… yes?" replied the latter with a blush.
Giggling, the rest of the party turned to the teacher and asked for the unique items she talked about. She giggled in return and said, "I never said it had to be items, now did I?"
Taken aback and wondering what they got into, they nervously awaited what she would give them.
First, she handed a pouch to the cleric. "There is enough diamond dust in here for three diamonds," she informed the half-snow elf, "I believe you can make good use out of it as it is a precious reagent for certain spells."
To the bard, she handed over a book. "I believe bards like you take inspiration from others to weave magic into words and songs," she stated with a smile, "In here lists some basic spells that anyone with the capability to manage the arcane can use."
With the archer, she just said, "I sense something about you. Perhaps, if you wish, I can help you to manipulate necromancy around your arrows."
Then, she handed a piece of paper with a list of things to the monk. "I heard that you like drinking. This should be a very interesting recipe for you to try out," she told her, "The ingredients are easy to get but you will have to wait for a time to have it ready."
To the succubus, she said with a frown, "As for you, I have no idea. I've fought a few devils and demons before but never rewarded any."
Aloe shrugged and replied, "Eh, it would've been nice but I don't mind not getting anything."
""Hmm, they may not see it the same way," she stated as she motioned to the rest of the party.
"Ah, well..."
"In that case, I shall try and see if I can find something for you in my spare time," she continued, making up her mind, "Now, do clear out. My next class is coming in soon."
"Eh, where did Polka run off to?" asked Nene in surprise. After meeting with the teacher, they went back to the guild house.
"Un… she said something about buying supplies and ran to the market," replied Botan with a shrug.
"I am surprised that she would do that," stated Lamy as the party went to the side room, "She must be eager to brew that… what kind of recipe did she get?"
"Alcohol probably?" chipped in Aloe, "Not sure if it's dangerous or not though. We should've looked at it first."
"Heh, at least she has her own gold," snarked the cleric, causing the archer to pout at her.
"Let's ask if the guild has a kitchen anywhere for brewing stuff," grumbled out the lion girl as she headed to the counter, leaving the giggling behind.
"Mister Miyabi? Is there a kitchen in the guild house or do we need to go to Robel's?" she asked the guild clerk.
"Huh, I'm afraid there isn't," he answered as he tidied up the sheath of papers, "Why do you ask?"
"Just something for Polka," she replied as she smiled, "Thank you anyway." She quickly made her way across the street and into the tavern. "Roberu? I need to talk to Kiara," she requested as she entered.
"She's behind," he said as he wiped down the bar.
Saying her thanks, she headed to the kitchen. "Kiara!" she called out as she entered.
"Hello! Hello!" replied the excitable chef as she halted her chicken preparation, "Do you need anything?"
"Are you done?" asked the chef.
The monk had come running into the bar accompanied by the rest of the party. The whole party worked together to wash the ingredients. After drying, water was heated to a boil to cook the grains, then transfer them to a copper pot with all the other ingredients slowly being added in. After that, they filtered out the solids and poured the fresh batch into a glass jug. The whole time, they made sure to stay out of the way of the chef and her helpers.
"It took a long time but we did it!" declared the fennec fox girl cheerfully, "Now we just need to wait!"
"How long?"
"Eh, a few weeks? Maybe more, if the recipe is right," she replied to the half-snow elf. Turning to the chef, she asked, "Can we keep it here for that time?"
"Well… after it cooled down, I'll pass it on to Roberu," the chef told them after thinking for a moment, "Let him know when you leave and everything'll be fine."
"Hmm, I don't think you ever told us you knew how to make… wine? Ale?" asked Nene after they left the bar.
"Well... when the circus my parents were in disbanded, most of them settled down in the same village," Polka explained, looking a little wistful, "The strong man of the circus, a half-orc named Harvog, always made these tasty drinks which he shared with everyone after finishing a show. After retiring, he set up a bar of his own. I liked to play around there and so picked up a few things."
"Have you ever sampled any of his stuff?" asked Lamy as they went into the guild house.
"Um… yes?"
"Hi, hi, should've expected that," chuckled Botan. Turning to Aloe, she addressed her, "Right, let's try and get you some practice time with some daggers."
"Right, we can do this in the alley behind the house," quipped the bard.
"...If you're sure..." muttered the succubus.
"Very well, if you are going to do that for the rest of the day, I shall visit the temple," stated the cleric, "It has been a while."
"What will you be doing then, Polka?" asked the lion girl.
"Eh, I'll figure something out. Maybe get to know a few people here," the fennec fox girl replied as she shrugged.
For the rest of the day, Nene and Botan did their best to teach Aloe. They then visited the blacksmith to get a set of daggers and a bandolier for her. Lamy visited the healing temple. Mostly dedicated to the life domain, all others are welcome as long as they respect the rules as it is neutral ground, welcoming to all. The shrine outside the city is said to operate the same way but she had never been there before. As for Polka, she bumped into a senior team while she was juggling with her darts in the side room. A team of two; Temma Kishido and Leda Astel. She was a little surprised that a noble knight would be willing to contract himself to the guild.
"It isn't so surprising," the knight informed her, "After the dragon attack, much of the nobility was imprisoned for collaborating with it. My father was among them."
"Ah… I'm sorry-"
"You do not have to apologize. I have already come to terms with it," he assured her, "As to why I'm with the guild, I would say I wish to regain the honor of my family that was stained by the actions of my father. I will show my resolve through my actions and hopefully, the people will see that."
"Oh, I guess… good luck with that," she said encouragingly. Turning to his teammate, she asked, "What about you?"
"Ah, well… I've lost my memories and I seek to remember who I was," the lightning genasi stated, "Still… I didn't forget everything. I still remember how to fight and cast spells… which doesn't really explain much. And, I have been seeing a priestess about my condition."
"Oh? For your memories?" she asked.
"Yes. my priestess has been very accommodating," he confirmed.
"That is good to hear, my friend," stated the knight with a smile.
"Yeah, I wish you the best too, Leda," added the monk.
It was then the door swung open and a breathless Artia looked around the room frantically. Rushing up to her, the ice genasi asked, "Where are your friends!? Please, I need help!"
"Eh, what's this?" asked Botan as she picked up the piece of paper. "I will be taking your jewel for myself. Signed, Spade Echo," she read aloud. Looking up to the others, she asked, "Anyone know who's that?"
The rest of the party shrugged but the wizard said, "She's a thief. I'm sure of it."
"Did you tell the guards?" she asked further.
"...No?" was the hesitant reply, "I came straight to find you all. I mean, it hasn't happened yet and I doubt they would want to take action on just a piece of paper."
"Hmm, true. I might do the same," muttered Lamy.
"But how do we catch a thief?" asked Polka, clearly puzzled, "Has anyone caught any thieves before?" They shook their heads.
"Maybe… you stay with us for the night?" suggested Nene, "Maybe we could confuse this Spade Echo person."
"That does sound like a good idea..." mused the ice genasi, "Who do I stay with?"
"I would not mind hosting you for the night," offered the cleric, "Do you have anything you want to bring along with you?"
"Hmm, I'll have to go back to my dorm to look," she replied with relief written on her face, "So, I'll be seeing you after dinner."
When Artia left, the party talked about it further and decided to visit the nearest guardhouse to ask about any thefts happening in the city.
"Hmm, well, if the guild is interested in helping, I guess I can pass on some info," mused the lead guard.
"Well, I'm not sure if I can say this but one of our own has been declared a target," revealed the bard hesitantly.
"You don't say… There have been a few thefts happening too," he informed them, "I can't tell you what was found but the days leading up to the thefts, the owners have been given messages that declared the robbery as well."
"Is anyone looking into this?" queried the cleric.
"Yes. There was this lady investigator they contracted. Moved in a year ago, she did," he replied, "Clever sort. Took a bit of burden off Okayu's hands when she solved a few cases a few months ago."
"Ah, can you direct us to her house? The investigator? I think we'd like to visit tomorrow," requested the bard.
"Sure, sure. If the guild wants to follow up on this, I'll be happy to help," he agreed amicably.
The party went to the bar to have their dinner and met up with the wizard afterward. They had no idea how effective their plan was but it was the best they could do. Lamy slept in the bed while Artia slept in her bedroll, keeping her jewel close to her person instead of in her backpack. Night turned to day and the wizard groaned as she was shaken awake by the cleric.
"Umu… good morning," she murmured as she yawned.
"Good morning," replied the half-snow elf as she took a look around, "Well, it doesn't seem to be broken into."
The ice genasi pat herself down, getting more frantic with each second. "Where is it!? It's gone!" she shrieked.
The cleric hurried over and knelt down to her level, asking, "What? Are you alright?"
The wizard just looked at her and began tearing up, "I… it's not here..." She began bawling her eyes out as she received a comforting hug.
As Lamy tucked her in the bed in Nene's room, the bard quickly got the party together and headed to the investigator's house. It was in the area between the noble district and the more well-off civilians. A small house at the corner of a street, with the other corner on the other side of the street having a guardhouse. A knock on the door brought a shuffling sound coming from inside. The door creaked open and a smartly dressed lady, wearing a plain white shirt and brown pants, greeted them, "Hello, there. Amelia Watson, detective, at your service. How may I help you, ladies?"
"Umm, we need your help," stated the bard, "We know you have been helping the guard with a thief. We need help with that too."
"Oh? Interesting," she mused as she stepped aside and motioned to them, "Please, come inside. Tell me more."
The party filed in and sat down in the small living room off the side. The investigator sat in an armchair while the party filled a couch, a second chair, and a stool brought out from the kitchen.
"Well then, now that we're sitting comfortably, tell me your troubles," requested Amelia as she leaned back in the armchair. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knee.
And so, Nene told her what had happened, from the previous night until that morning. All the while, the investigator was listening intently and in deep thought. After hearing her out, she stated, "Interesting. Do you have the message with you?"
"Indeed we do. Here it is," stated Lamy as she took out the message and handed it over.
"Much obliged," thanked the detective, taking the message and scrutinizing it. She then got up and moved to her desk where she pulled out a magnifying glass and examined it further. She then picked up another piece of paper and looked at it as well.
"I see," she muttered, "The curves of certain letters are very similar. This is definitely the same thief. Not to mention the particular smell on each message. All the same smell one could get from a perfumer. The one at the eastern side of the city would have the most similar smell. However, it is most likely that the thief would house his or herself at the inn there as a temporary base and thus, probably irrelevant."
She then turned to the amazed party and said, "Please, take me to the scene of the crime. I must examine the place for clues if we are to catch the thief. If not, it is possible that the stolen goods might be sold and we will lose track of the thief."
"Yes! Of course!" exclaimed the bard, with everyone getting to their feet.
Only pausing to don an Inverness cape and a deerstalker hat with a mechanical arm sticking out of it, she declared, "Very well, let us be off. We have a case to solve. Lead the way."
AN: The resident detective of Hololive. The Apex gremlin with her concoctions. It's Amelia.
Amelia Watson
Human Artificer/Fighter
Alchemist/Gunslinger
The next day, Camryn met up with the party and thanked them for their help.
"I'll be studying at the enchanter's here in the meantime to understand the more local techniques," he informed them, "If you wish my help, you only need to ask."
After saying their good days, the party headed for the school.
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Rushia with a smile, "I'm impressed. You actually got all my books."
"It was sort of difficult, but we made it through," Nene reported as she mirrored the smile.
"We fought more undead there, including a wight," spoke up Lamy, "Did you put them there?"
"No. As much as I'd like to raise my fandead, I know well enough how bad it would look if word got out I went overboard to do such things," the teacher rebutted, "I think it's more likely that my… teacher's influence over the area still remained. As for the wight, more likely its eternal hate made use of the lingering energies to return to life… as much as I dislike doing so, I may need to ask someone to go and purify the place."
"But that means they have to go through all those gnolls again..." muttered Botan.
"So that means we have to take them out," stated Aloe as she brandished her clawed hand.
"Hng, the last time we got into a fight, Nene almost took it," interjected Polka, "I don't want that to happen."
"...Well, I suppose I'll have to rely on you to get it done then," replied the necromancer, who then clapped once and said, "Anyway, I believe you deserve a reward for your troubles... Would you like something unique for each of you or something all of you can use?"
They looked at each other and proceeded to huddle together. "What do we do?" asked the bard.
"Maybe we'd get some nice unique stuff," said the fennec fox girl.
"I am not sure of this… that would mean trusting her… gold is preferable though," mused the half-snow elf, "We could use more to buy improvements for our equipment."
"No preference," quipped the succubus, "I think anything we get would be good."
"...I want a special item," said the lion girl hesitantly.
"Trophy?" asked the former.
"Umm… yes?" replied the latter with a blush.
Giggling, the rest of the party turned to the teacher and asked for the unique items she talked about. She giggled in return and said, "I never said it had to be items, now did I?"
Taken aback and wondering what they got into, they nervously awaited what she would give them.
First, she handed a pouch to the cleric. "There is enough diamond dust in here for three diamonds," she informed the half-snow elf, "I believe you can make good use out of it as it is a precious reagent for certain spells."
To the bard, she handed over a book. "I believe bards like you take inspiration from others to weave magic into words and songs," she stated with a smile, "In here lists some basic spells that anyone with the capability to manage the arcane can use."
With the archer, she just said, "I sense something about you. Perhaps, if you wish, I can help you to manipulate necromancy around your arrows."
Then, she handed a piece of paper with a list of things to the monk. "I heard that you like drinking. This should be a very interesting recipe for you to try out," she told her, "The ingredients are easy to get but you will have to wait for a time to have it ready."
To the succubus, she said with a frown, "As for you, I have no idea. I've fought a few devils and demons before but never rewarded any."
Aloe shrugged and replied, "Eh, it would've been nice but I don't mind not getting anything."
""Hmm, they may not see it the same way," she stated as she motioned to the rest of the party.
"Ah, well..."
"In that case, I shall try and see if I can find something for you in my spare time," she continued, making up her mind, "Now, do clear out. My next class is coming in soon."
"Eh, where did Polka run off to?" asked Nene in surprise. After meeting with the teacher, they went back to the guild house.
"Un… she said something about buying supplies and ran to the market," replied Botan with a shrug.
"I am surprised that she would do that," stated Lamy as the party went to the side room, "She must be eager to brew that… what kind of recipe did she get?"
"Alcohol probably?" chipped in Aloe, "Not sure if it's dangerous or not though. We should've looked at it first."
"Heh, at least she has her own gold," snarked the cleric, causing the archer to pout at her.
"Let's ask if the guild has a kitchen anywhere for brewing stuff," grumbled out the lion girl as she headed to the counter, leaving the giggling behind.
"Mister Miyabi? Is there a kitchen in the guild house or do we need to go to Robel's?" she asked the guild clerk.
"Huh, I'm afraid there isn't," he answered as he tidied up the sheath of papers, "Why do you ask?"
"Just something for Polka," she replied as she smiled, "Thank you anyway." She quickly made her way across the street and into the tavern. "Roberu? I need to talk to Kiara," she requested as she entered.
"She's behind," he said as he wiped down the bar.
Saying her thanks, she headed to the kitchen. "Kiara!" she called out as she entered.
"Hello! Hello!" replied the excitable chef as she halted her chicken preparation, "Do you need anything?"
"Are you done?" asked the chef.
The monk had come running into the bar accompanied by the rest of the party. The whole party worked together to wash the ingredients. After drying, water was heated to a boil to cook the grains, then transfer them to a copper pot with all the other ingredients slowly being added in. After that, they filtered out the solids and poured the fresh batch into a glass jug. The whole time, they made sure to stay out of the way of the chef and her helpers.
"It took a long time but we did it!" declared the fennec fox girl cheerfully, "Now we just need to wait!"
"How long?"
"Eh, a few weeks? Maybe more, if the recipe is right," she replied to the half-snow elf. Turning to the chef, she asked, "Can we keep it here for that time?"
"Well… after it cooled down, I'll pass it on to Roberu," the chef told them after thinking for a moment, "Let him know when you leave and everything'll be fine."
"Hmm, I don't think you ever told us you knew how to make… wine? Ale?" asked Nene after they left the bar.
"Well... when the circus my parents were in disbanded, most of them settled down in the same village," Polka explained, looking a little wistful, "The strong man of the circus, a half-orc named Harvog, always made these tasty drinks which he shared with everyone after finishing a show. After retiring, he set up a bar of his own. I liked to play around there and so picked up a few things."
"Have you ever sampled any of his stuff?" asked Lamy as they went into the guild house.
"Um… yes?"
"Hi, hi, should've expected that," chuckled Botan. Turning to Aloe, she addressed her, "Right, let's try and get you some practice time with some daggers."
"Right, we can do this in the alley behind the house," quipped the bard.
"...If you're sure..." muttered the succubus.
"Very well, if you are going to do that for the rest of the day, I shall visit the temple," stated the cleric, "It has been a while."
"What will you be doing then, Polka?" asked the lion girl.
"Eh, I'll figure something out. Maybe get to know a few people here," the fennec fox girl replied as she shrugged.
For the rest of the day, Nene and Botan did their best to teach Aloe. They then visited the blacksmith to get a set of daggers and a bandolier for her. Lamy visited the healing temple. Mostly dedicated to the life domain, all others are welcome as long as they respect the rules as it is neutral ground, welcoming to all. The shrine outside the city is said to operate the same way but she had never been there before. As for Polka, she bumped into a senior team while she was juggling with her darts in the side room. A team of two; Temma Kishido and Leda Astel. She was a little surprised that a noble knight would be willing to contract himself to the guild.
"It isn't so surprising," the knight informed her, "After the dragon attack, much of the nobility was imprisoned for collaborating with it. My father was among them."
"Ah… I'm sorry-"
"You do not have to apologize. I have already come to terms with it," he assured her, "As to why I'm with the guild, I would say I wish to regain the honor of my family that was stained by the actions of my father. I will show my resolve through my actions and hopefully, the people will see that."
"Oh, I guess… good luck with that," she said encouragingly. Turning to his teammate, she asked, "What about you?"
"Ah, well… I've lost my memories and I seek to remember who I was," the lightning genasi stated, "Still… I didn't forget everything. I still remember how to fight and cast spells… which doesn't really explain much. And, I have been seeing a priestess about my condition."
"Oh? For your memories?" she asked.
"Yes. my priestess has been very accommodating," he confirmed.
"That is good to hear, my friend," stated the knight with a smile.
"Yeah, I wish you the best too, Leda," added the monk.
It was then the door swung open and a breathless Artia looked around the room frantically. Rushing up to her, the ice genasi asked, "Where are your friends!? Please, I need help!"
"Eh, what's this?" asked Botan as she picked up the piece of paper. "I will be taking your jewel for myself. Signed, Spade Echo," she read aloud. Looking up to the others, she asked, "Anyone know who's that?"
The rest of the party shrugged but the wizard said, "She's a thief. I'm sure of it."
"Did you tell the guards?" she asked further.
"...No?" was the hesitant reply, "I came straight to find you all. I mean, it hasn't happened yet and I doubt they would want to take action on just a piece of paper."
"Hmm, true. I might do the same," muttered Lamy.
"But how do we catch a thief?" asked Polka, clearly puzzled, "Has anyone caught any thieves before?" They shook their heads.
"Maybe… you stay with us for the night?" suggested Nene, "Maybe we could confuse this Spade Echo person."
"That does sound like a good idea..." mused the ice genasi, "Who do I stay with?"
"I would not mind hosting you for the night," offered the cleric, "Do you have anything you want to bring along with you?"
"Hmm, I'll have to go back to my dorm to look," she replied with relief written on her face, "So, I'll be seeing you after dinner."
When Artia left, the party talked about it further and decided to visit the nearest guardhouse to ask about any thefts happening in the city.
"Hmm, well, if the guild is interested in helping, I guess I can pass on some info," mused the lead guard.
"Well, I'm not sure if I can say this but one of our own has been declared a target," revealed the bard hesitantly.
"You don't say… There have been a few thefts happening too," he informed them, "I can't tell you what was found but the days leading up to the thefts, the owners have been given messages that declared the robbery as well."
"Is anyone looking into this?" queried the cleric.
"Yes. There was this lady investigator they contracted. Moved in a year ago, she did," he replied, "Clever sort. Took a bit of burden off Okayu's hands when she solved a few cases a few months ago."
"Ah, can you direct us to her house? The investigator? I think we'd like to visit tomorrow," requested the bard.
"Sure, sure. If the guild wants to follow up on this, I'll be happy to help," he agreed amicably.
The party went to the bar to have their dinner and met up with the wizard afterward. They had no idea how effective their plan was but it was the best they could do. Lamy slept in the bed while Artia slept in her bedroll, keeping her jewel close to her person instead of in her backpack. Night turned to day and the wizard groaned as she was shaken awake by the cleric.
"Umu… good morning," she murmured as she yawned.
"Good morning," replied the half-snow elf as she took a look around, "Well, it doesn't seem to be broken into."
The ice genasi pat herself down, getting more frantic with each second. "Where is it!? It's gone!" she shrieked.
The cleric hurried over and knelt down to her level, asking, "What? Are you alright?"
The wizard just looked at her and began tearing up, "I… it's not here..." She began bawling her eyes out as she received a comforting hug.
As Lamy tucked her in the bed in Nene's room, the bard quickly got the party together and headed to the investigator's house. It was in the area between the noble district and the more well-off civilians. A small house at the corner of a street, with the other corner on the other side of the street having a guardhouse. A knock on the door brought a shuffling sound coming from inside. The door creaked open and a smartly dressed lady, wearing a plain white shirt and brown pants, greeted them, "Hello, there. Amelia Watson, detective, at your service. How may I help you, ladies?"
"Umm, we need your help," stated the bard, "We know you have been helping the guard with a thief. We need help with that too."
"Oh? Interesting," she mused as she stepped aside and motioned to them, "Please, come inside. Tell me more."
The party filed in and sat down in the small living room off the side. The investigator sat in an armchair while the party filled a couch, a second chair, and a stool brought out from the kitchen.
"Well then, now that we're sitting comfortably, tell me your troubles," requested Amelia as she leaned back in the armchair. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knee.
And so, Nene told her what had happened, from the previous night until that morning. All the while, the investigator was listening intently and in deep thought. After hearing her out, she stated, "Interesting. Do you have the message with you?"
"Indeed we do. Here it is," stated Lamy as she took out the message and handed it over.
"Much obliged," thanked the detective, taking the message and scrutinizing it. She then got up and moved to her desk where she pulled out a magnifying glass and examined it further. She then picked up another piece of paper and looked at it as well.
"I see," she muttered, "The curves of certain letters are very similar. This is definitely the same thief. Not to mention the particular smell on each message. All the same smell one could get from a perfumer. The one at the eastern side of the city would have the most similar smell. However, it is most likely that the thief would house his or herself at the inn there as a temporary base and thus, probably irrelevant."
She then turned to the amazed party and said, "Please, take me to the scene of the crime. I must examine the place for clues if we are to catch the thief. If not, it is possible that the stolen goods might be sold and we will lose track of the thief."
"Yes! Of course!" exclaimed the bard, with everyone getting to their feet.
Only pausing to don an Inverness cape and a deerstalker hat with a mechanical arm sticking out of it, she declared, "Very well, let us be off. We have a case to solve. Lead the way."
AN: The resident detective of Hololive. The Apex gremlin with her concoctions. It's Amelia.
Amelia Watson
Human Artificer/Fighter
Alchemist/Gunslinger
Chapter 17
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 17
Amelia found herself in Lamy's bedroom. "A windowless area with the only entrance being a thick wooden door with a simple metal latch with no other lock," she analyzed. She then turned to the others and asked, "Does anyone of you know how to detect magic?"
The cleric stepped forward. Grasping her amulet, she muttered softly, "O goddess, grant me sight to see the weave of magic." And then she gasped.
"What do you see?" asked the detective.
"A trail of magic linking my bed and the bedroll to… the entrance of my room," she muttered aloud.
"So… it is either the thief knows magic or has access to purchase a magic scroll," muttered the detective, "A question though, your friend normally stays in the school dorms, correct?"
"Yes."
"And normally, there would be people protecting them. Guards and sometimes other teachers," she reasoned, "Whereas here, she barely needed to do anything. Even simply sneaking into your room would have been enough. However, by putting your friend on guard, the thief maneuvered her into an advantageous position for themselves and outside of the safety of her dorm. This was planned. Even in the other cases, only two others received messages of a similar nature and they were tricked into making mistakes that normally wouldn't have happened. This way, they only needed one spell scroll instead of multiple."
Turning around and heading towards the doorway, "Now, are there any windows here? Or does this building have access to an attic?"
"Hold on, I can go down and ask Miyabi!" shouted Polka as she dashed away.
Amelia walked out of the room and peered at the ceiling. "Ah, a ceiling trapdoor," she declared as she pointed to the barely visible outline and a small indentation, "I believe the thief entered through the roof and made their way down through the trapdoor. Then, they came to the door to your room and used a tool to move the latch inside. A sleeping spell later, they removed your friend's valuables and made their escape."
"Hello, I believe you need the attic open," called out the guild clerk as he came in with a long pole with a hook. He then pushed up against the indentation and opened up the attic. Then, he turned around and called out, "Polka, the ladder!" He then stepped aside as the monk brought up a sturdy ladder and placed it against the opening.
The detective went up first, the metal arm extending from her hat and holding a monocle to her eye, and looked around. She looked down and said, "Have you repaired the roof recently, sir?"
"Not recently," he informed, "It will be due in a few months."
"I see," she muttered as she made her way down, the metal arm retracting, "It is apparent that while there are shifts in the tiling, the gaps aren't large enough for a human. There are also visible footsteps in the dust of the loft. So, I believe they might have access to a spell or an item that helps them with transformations. Interesting." She hiccuped and continued, "I have seen enough here. Come with me, everyone. We will now meet up with my counterpart in the guards. Let's go, ladies."
The party followed her out of the guild house, Polka rushing after them after putting away the ladder. They made their way to a different guardhouse where she met with a cat girl, who was talking to a guard. She waved at them and greeted, "Mogu, mogu, what's up?"
"There's been another theft, Okayu," stated the detective as she motioned to the party, "Their friend has had a jewel stolen. Have you heard from your sources yet?"
The urban bounty hunter nodded and replied with, "Prasadiv."
She groaned as her shoulders slumped, "Of course that rakshasa is somehow involved with this."
"Well, I heard he is meeting someone at his normal watering-place later tonight. Need backup?" asked Okayu.
She nodded. Turning back to the party, she stated, "I presume you want to join us?"
"Yup," quipped Nene, popping the P, "We want to get Artia's gem back."
"Yeah!" cheered the others.
"Very well. Meet us here again in the evening and Okayu will lead us to the tavern he frequents," ordered Amelia, "Then, we will gain our answers."
The party, Amelia, and Okayu stood outside the Broken Stool tavern. It sounded loud and rowdy inside.
"Alright, everyone knows what to do, yes?" questioned Okayu as she turned to them, "Nene, Botan, Lamy, and Polka will go in and flush out whomever Prasadiv is meeting. Aloe will watch the entrance. I'll be watching from the roof in case they try to run. Amelia will go around the back to make sure they get caught."
"Already there," affirmed the detective as she headed out.
"Alright, people. Move out and try not to cause too much trouble inside," warned the cat girl as she ran to the side and scampered up the side of a building.
Nene turned to the others and said, "Alright, let's do it."
"Be safe," said the succubus as she took to the sky. The four then walked up to the doorway and went in.
The level of sound increased as the sound of people talking and the slamming of flagons on the wooden tables became more apparent. Raucous and boisterous laughter could be heard all around them. They took a look around. The din of the cacophony was quite disturbing but Lamy's sharp eyes spotted the rakshasa. He matched Okayu's description of him. He was in the corner of the tavern, speaking with someone in dark leathers. Motioning to the others, they headed to Prasadiv's table.
Unfortunately, a few seconds later, the rakshasa noticed them. He said something and the person turned around. A pink-haired girl with bright green eyes that narrowed when she caught sight of them. She then sprinted away, tossing something behind her. A flagon of ale that crashed into someone's head. That person spun around, roaring indignance, and started to punch down another. The loud bar then descended into a brawl. Lamy and Nene took cover behind an upturned table. Botan stayed with them, punching and pushing the brawling patrons away. Polka just grinned and jumped into the fight, taking every chance to take a swig of ale while treating this as a chance to put her tutelage into practice. It wasn't long before she was the only one standing among the unconscious bar patrons, getting a standing ovation from Prasadiv.
"Wonderful! Wonderful performance!" he exclaimed with a big smile, "In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."
Amelia waited patiently, keeping an eye on the backdoor. The door suddenly burst open and a shadowy figure dashed on through.
"Halt! You're under arrest," she shouted. The figure was stunned for a moment and with a burst of speed, ran the opposite way.
"Stop! Why are you running!?" she continued to shout as she ran after the figure.
The alley was rather clear and she was able to keep up easily. Unfortunately, the same could be said for the figure. Suddenly, they ducked and avoided several bolts which got lodged in the wall. Then, skidded to a halt when the next bolt flew right in front of her. The detective then pulled out her pistol and took aim.
"Last warning! Surrender now!" she shouted.
The figure ignored the warning and scrambled forward. She pulled the trigger. She missed and the bullet ricocheted off the ground into the air. The sound still startled them and they fell backward. Then, a dark figure leaped off the roof and landed on them.
"Please stay still," requested Okayu as she rested her shortsword on their neck, "I wouldn't want to cut anything important."
The figure shrieked and whimpered a little. Amelia jogged over to see who it was. A female human in dark-colored leather armor. Bending over and dipping her hand into her pouch, she pulled out a gleaming purple gemstone.
"Well, I believe this belongs to someone else," the detective stated as she peered at the jewel in the moonlight.
"Alright, I'll be taking her to the guards," stated the cat girl as she hauled the thief to her feet, "Go ahead and let the others know." Then, she dragged her out of the alley by the arm.
"Sure thing," she agreed, pocketing the gem.
"In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."
The party looked at each other in confusion. "What?" Polka finally said.
"Ah, you don't know who is Prasadiv?" questioned the rakshasa. Getting negatives from the party, he exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Prasadiv must remedy this."
"You know, we are with the guild… we don't normally find people like you," stated Nene.
"Hmm, true, true," he replied with a hum, nodding a few times in understanding, "But! Those needing access to rare and magical items would come to Prasadiv, so it is best to know Prasadiv sooner than later."
"Oh? Hmm, maybe..." murmured Botan as she rubbed her chin in contemplation.
"You know, if you could come with me to the guards and tell us about the thief, I would be grateful," quipped Amelia as she stepped through the backdoor.
"Ah, is that all? Easily done!" stated Prasadiv with a snap of his fingers, "Very well! To the guardhouse!"
Hence the detective and the party escorted the rakshasa to the guardhouse to take his statement. They went out the front door and got Aloe to follow them. Unfortunately, they underestimated the thief and much to Okayu's and the guard's embarrassment.
"Apparently, the thief had a smoke bomb on her and she dropped it as I was passing her on to the guards," the cat girl informed them with a blush.
"Ah, Spade Echo is very resourceful," quipped the rakshasa, "Prasadiv has been quite impressed."
"Spade Echo… does she have any magical items on her?" asked Amelia.
"She bought a bat cloak from Prasadiv," he said truthfully with a shrug, "Paid with gold. Prasadiv does not ask where she got it, only that Prasadiv receives payment for services."
"Tch, at least we know what she has," stated Okayu as she wrinkled her nose, "The smoke bomb smelled homemade. Burnt ashes and such."
"From a fireplace," added the detective. Turning to the party, she said, "Well, you five provided quite a lot of information concerning this Spade Echo. Here, I suppose we can return this to your friend." She then tossed the gem at them, which Nene caught neatly.
"Thank you very much, Miss Amelia," the bard said gratefully.
She smiled in return. Turning back to the cat girl, she stated, "Very well. Time for us to catch the thief. The chase is on."
"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Artia gratefully as she hugged each and every one of the party with tears of happiness falling down her face.
"It seems you care much for that gemstone," stated Lamy, "I admit, I am curious as to why."
The ice genasi took a moment to brush off her slowly crystalizing tears and explained, "I found it in the ashes of my home. My… my family died in a fire and… this is all I have left to remind me of them." She looked at each party member and said, "I am eternally grateful to you all. If you need any help, just name it and I will do my best to help." Then, she brushed away more tear ice that formed as she added, "Ah, thank you for having me, but I think I better be going now. I shall be returning to my dorm."
"Please, allow me to escort you back," requested the cleric. Getting a smiling nod, she followed the genasi out of the guild house.
"Well, that's enough for one night," quipped Aloe with a grin as she headed out as well, "Good night, everyone. We did alright." She wasn't looking ahead when she bumped into someone that was coming in.
Aruran chuckled and said, "Be on your way now. I think you need rest as well." The succubus muttered her apologies and went on her way, but not before sending a suspicious glance at him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party greeted the noble, who replied, "Good evening. Polka, You seem to have gotten into a fight. How did you fare?"
"Hi, hi, I beat everyone and won," she stated proudly as she thumbed to herself.
He chuckled a bit and said, "Well done…. Well, I think you had better turn in. The night is long and everyone needs their sleep."
"Ah, then, good night, sir," the three wished him before heading up the stairs.
Nodding at them, he then looked around before he headed to the trapdoor that led to the basement. Time went by and Lamy came back and headed upstairs. Then, a few other guild members left the side room, followed by Miyabi, who snuffed the candles and closed for the night. Time went by before Aloe popped into existence inside the guild house.
"Right, time to find out why he felt so cold," she mused mentally as she headed straight for the trapdoor. Only the basement held questions as she had explored the rest of the guild house save for the attic. Tugging the trapdoor open, she descended down the wooden stairs as quietly as possible.
Much to her surprise, the basement was spacious and lit. Light shone from a wood stove, its faint smoke flowing out to a grille on the side of the wall. Next to the stove was a small side table and a large armchair with a tall backrest. On the opposite wall were two bookshelves filled with books. Beside it was a wine rack, fully stocked. The more concerning piece of furniture was a large coffin at the far end of the room. The man himself was sitting in the chair, a bottle of wine and a glass half full of the alcoholic beverage on the table. He was busy reading a book, presumably from the bookcase, the faint rustle of pages turning being heard once.
Her fiendish heart skipped a beat when he said, "I thought you would be resting, Aloe Mano. What brings you here?"
She heard the dull thud of a sudden closing of a book and he placed the book on the table. Then, he got out of his chair and turned to face her. She was scared out of her wits. Was she going to die? She heard of vampires before. To have survived so long, in the capital city no less, meant that he was quite powerful. If anything, she should have disappeared there and then. But then, he made no move against her. What was his game?
He then pulled out a pipe from his overcoat and a small bag. Tipping some tobacco in, he then produced a piece of paper and went over to the stove. "Well? I'm waiting," he said as he lit the paper and in turn, lit his pipe, "What brings you here, Aloe Mano?"
Seconds ticked by and she slowly got over her fearfulness and replied, "I just… wanted to know why you felt so cold." She hoped that honesty would amuse him enough to let her go.
To her surprise, he laughed and stated, "You do realize the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' could apply to you right now. Now, the question is… what will you do with this information?"
Her face scrunched up as she thought this through. On one hand, she could tell everyone and turn everyone against him… and possibly get her new friends in trouble just by association. On the other, she could keep quiet and have this held against her like a sword above her head… with her friends none the wiser… and safe. Oh, the urge to cause trouble is strong. And the amount of souls she could possibly bring to her side in the ensuing chaos. She could easily escape and tell the world. But…
"Why did you create the guild?" she found herself asking, suddenly having more questions popping up in her mind. If a vampire is supposed to be evil in action and behavior, why do all this?
"A very good question," he replied as he smirked, spinning the chair around and sitting down, "To be honest, it started as a whim. However, as time went on, it started looking like a good idea. The city getting back on its feet helped to push its benefits. Not to mention… hiding in plain sight."
Then, he leaned forward and asked again, "You still didn't answer me, Aloe Mano… what will you do with this information?"
AN: From the now defunct HoloCN, the professional thief, Spade Echo.
Spade Echo
Human Rogue
Thief
Full rogue. Has Cloak of the Bat to facilitate getting around in the city. Any other tools she has are homemade stuff. She has been quite lucky that none of the homemade stuff didn't blow up in her face.
And after that, a little more is revealed about our enigmatic guild master.
Arurandeisu a.k.a. Lord Aruran Daiso
Human but secretly a Nosferatu
Way of the Open Hand monk with fighter dip (2 levels)
So, a nosferatu or elder vampire. The first thought when making his character did not bring me to the normal vampire type in D&D, but instead, I first thought of Slayer from Guilty Gear. He is a vampire too, a lineage traced back to Nosferatu, hence the variant's name. In his case, the dandy gentleman traces his roots back to the first vampire in this world as well. Coupled with high levels of monk and training in other areas, some vampire weaknesses are canceled out.
Amelia found herself in Lamy's bedroom. "A windowless area with the only entrance being a thick wooden door with a simple metal latch with no other lock," she analyzed. She then turned to the others and asked, "Does anyone of you know how to detect magic?"
The cleric stepped forward. Grasping her amulet, she muttered softly, "O goddess, grant me sight to see the weave of magic." And then she gasped.
"What do you see?" asked the detective.
"A trail of magic linking my bed and the bedroll to… the entrance of my room," she muttered aloud.
"So… it is either the thief knows magic or has access to purchase a magic scroll," muttered the detective, "A question though, your friend normally stays in the school dorms, correct?"
"Yes."
"And normally, there would be people protecting them. Guards and sometimes other teachers," she reasoned, "Whereas here, she barely needed to do anything. Even simply sneaking into your room would have been enough. However, by putting your friend on guard, the thief maneuvered her into an advantageous position for themselves and outside of the safety of her dorm. This was planned. Even in the other cases, only two others received messages of a similar nature and they were tricked into making mistakes that normally wouldn't have happened. This way, they only needed one spell scroll instead of multiple."
Turning around and heading towards the doorway, "Now, are there any windows here? Or does this building have access to an attic?"
"Hold on, I can go down and ask Miyabi!" shouted Polka as she dashed away.
Amelia walked out of the room and peered at the ceiling. "Ah, a ceiling trapdoor," she declared as she pointed to the barely visible outline and a small indentation, "I believe the thief entered through the roof and made their way down through the trapdoor. Then, they came to the door to your room and used a tool to move the latch inside. A sleeping spell later, they removed your friend's valuables and made their escape."
"Hello, I believe you need the attic open," called out the guild clerk as he came in with a long pole with a hook. He then pushed up against the indentation and opened up the attic. Then, he turned around and called out, "Polka, the ladder!" He then stepped aside as the monk brought up a sturdy ladder and placed it against the opening.
The detective went up first, the metal arm extending from her hat and holding a monocle to her eye, and looked around. She looked down and said, "Have you repaired the roof recently, sir?"
"Not recently," he informed, "It will be due in a few months."
"I see," she muttered as she made her way down, the metal arm retracting, "It is apparent that while there are shifts in the tiling, the gaps aren't large enough for a human. There are also visible footsteps in the dust of the loft. So, I believe they might have access to a spell or an item that helps them with transformations. Interesting." She hiccuped and continued, "I have seen enough here. Come with me, everyone. We will now meet up with my counterpart in the guards. Let's go, ladies."
The party followed her out of the guild house, Polka rushing after them after putting away the ladder. They made their way to a different guardhouse where she met with a cat girl, who was talking to a guard. She waved at them and greeted, "Mogu, mogu, what's up?"
"There's been another theft, Okayu," stated the detective as she motioned to the party, "Their friend has had a jewel stolen. Have you heard from your sources yet?"
The urban bounty hunter nodded and replied with, "Prasadiv."
She groaned as her shoulders slumped, "Of course that rakshasa is somehow involved with this."
"Well, I heard he is meeting someone at his normal watering-place later tonight. Need backup?" asked Okayu.
She nodded. Turning back to the party, she stated, "I presume you want to join us?"
"Yup," quipped Nene, popping the P, "We want to get Artia's gem back."
"Yeah!" cheered the others.
"Very well. Meet us here again in the evening and Okayu will lead us to the tavern he frequents," ordered Amelia, "Then, we will gain our answers."
The party, Amelia, and Okayu stood outside the Broken Stool tavern. It sounded loud and rowdy inside.
"Alright, everyone knows what to do, yes?" questioned Okayu as she turned to them, "Nene, Botan, Lamy, and Polka will go in and flush out whomever Prasadiv is meeting. Aloe will watch the entrance. I'll be watching from the roof in case they try to run. Amelia will go around the back to make sure they get caught."
"Already there," affirmed the detective as she headed out.
"Alright, people. Move out and try not to cause too much trouble inside," warned the cat girl as she ran to the side and scampered up the side of a building.
Nene turned to the others and said, "Alright, let's do it."
"Be safe," said the succubus as she took to the sky. The four then walked up to the doorway and went in.
The level of sound increased as the sound of people talking and the slamming of flagons on the wooden tables became more apparent. Raucous and boisterous laughter could be heard all around them. They took a look around. The din of the cacophony was quite disturbing but Lamy's sharp eyes spotted the rakshasa. He matched Okayu's description of him. He was in the corner of the tavern, speaking with someone in dark leathers. Motioning to the others, they headed to Prasadiv's table.
Unfortunately, a few seconds later, the rakshasa noticed them. He said something and the person turned around. A pink-haired girl with bright green eyes that narrowed when she caught sight of them. She then sprinted away, tossing something behind her. A flagon of ale that crashed into someone's head. That person spun around, roaring indignance, and started to punch down another. The loud bar then descended into a brawl. Lamy and Nene took cover behind an upturned table. Botan stayed with them, punching and pushing the brawling patrons away. Polka just grinned and jumped into the fight, taking every chance to take a swig of ale while treating this as a chance to put her tutelage into practice. It wasn't long before she was the only one standing among the unconscious bar patrons, getting a standing ovation from Prasadiv.
"Wonderful! Wonderful performance!" he exclaimed with a big smile, "In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."
Amelia waited patiently, keeping an eye on the backdoor. The door suddenly burst open and a shadowy figure dashed on through.
"Halt! You're under arrest," she shouted. The figure was stunned for a moment and with a burst of speed, ran the opposite way.
"Stop! Why are you running!?" she continued to shout as she ran after the figure.
The alley was rather clear and she was able to keep up easily. Unfortunately, the same could be said for the figure. Suddenly, they ducked and avoided several bolts which got lodged in the wall. Then, skidded to a halt when the next bolt flew right in front of her. The detective then pulled out her pistol and took aim.
"Last warning! Surrender now!" she shouted.
The figure ignored the warning and scrambled forward. She pulled the trigger. She missed and the bullet ricocheted off the ground into the air. The sound still startled them and they fell backward. Then, a dark figure leaped off the roof and landed on them.
"Please stay still," requested Okayu as she rested her shortsword on their neck, "I wouldn't want to cut anything important."
The figure shrieked and whimpered a little. Amelia jogged over to see who it was. A female human in dark-colored leather armor. Bending over and dipping her hand into her pouch, she pulled out a gleaming purple gemstone.
"Well, I believe this belongs to someone else," the detective stated as she peered at the jewel in the moonlight.
"Alright, I'll be taking her to the guards," stated the cat girl as she hauled the thief to her feet, "Go ahead and let the others know." Then, she dragged her out of the alley by the arm.
"Sure thing," she agreed, pocketing the gem.
"In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."
The party looked at each other in confusion. "What?" Polka finally said.
"Ah, you don't know who is Prasadiv?" questioned the rakshasa. Getting negatives from the party, he exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Prasadiv must remedy this."
"You know, we are with the guild… we don't normally find people like you," stated Nene.
"Hmm, true, true," he replied with a hum, nodding a few times in understanding, "But! Those needing access to rare and magical items would come to Prasadiv, so it is best to know Prasadiv sooner than later."
"Oh? Hmm, maybe..." murmured Botan as she rubbed her chin in contemplation.
"You know, if you could come with me to the guards and tell us about the thief, I would be grateful," quipped Amelia as she stepped through the backdoor.
"Ah, is that all? Easily done!" stated Prasadiv with a snap of his fingers, "Very well! To the guardhouse!"
Hence the detective and the party escorted the rakshasa to the guardhouse to take his statement. They went out the front door and got Aloe to follow them. Unfortunately, they underestimated the thief and much to Okayu's and the guard's embarrassment.
"Apparently, the thief had a smoke bomb on her and she dropped it as I was passing her on to the guards," the cat girl informed them with a blush.
"Ah, Spade Echo is very resourceful," quipped the rakshasa, "Prasadiv has been quite impressed."
"Spade Echo… does she have any magical items on her?" asked Amelia.
"She bought a bat cloak from Prasadiv," he said truthfully with a shrug, "Paid with gold. Prasadiv does not ask where she got it, only that Prasadiv receives payment for services."
"Tch, at least we know what she has," stated Okayu as she wrinkled her nose, "The smoke bomb smelled homemade. Burnt ashes and such."
"From a fireplace," added the detective. Turning to the party, she said, "Well, you five provided quite a lot of information concerning this Spade Echo. Here, I suppose we can return this to your friend." She then tossed the gem at them, which Nene caught neatly.
"Thank you very much, Miss Amelia," the bard said gratefully.
She smiled in return. Turning back to the cat girl, she stated, "Very well. Time for us to catch the thief. The chase is on."
"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Artia gratefully as she hugged each and every one of the party with tears of happiness falling down her face.
"It seems you care much for that gemstone," stated Lamy, "I admit, I am curious as to why."
The ice genasi took a moment to brush off her slowly crystalizing tears and explained, "I found it in the ashes of my home. My… my family died in a fire and… this is all I have left to remind me of them." She looked at each party member and said, "I am eternally grateful to you all. If you need any help, just name it and I will do my best to help." Then, she brushed away more tear ice that formed as she added, "Ah, thank you for having me, but I think I better be going now. I shall be returning to my dorm."
"Please, allow me to escort you back," requested the cleric. Getting a smiling nod, she followed the genasi out of the guild house.
"Well, that's enough for one night," quipped Aloe with a grin as she headed out as well, "Good night, everyone. We did alright." She wasn't looking ahead when she bumped into someone that was coming in.
Aruran chuckled and said, "Be on your way now. I think you need rest as well." The succubus muttered her apologies and went on her way, but not before sending a suspicious glance at him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party greeted the noble, who replied, "Good evening. Polka, You seem to have gotten into a fight. How did you fare?"
"Hi, hi, I beat everyone and won," she stated proudly as she thumbed to herself.
He chuckled a bit and said, "Well done…. Well, I think you had better turn in. The night is long and everyone needs their sleep."
"Ah, then, good night, sir," the three wished him before heading up the stairs.
Nodding at them, he then looked around before he headed to the trapdoor that led to the basement. Time went by and Lamy came back and headed upstairs. Then, a few other guild members left the side room, followed by Miyabi, who snuffed the candles and closed for the night. Time went by before Aloe popped into existence inside the guild house.
"Right, time to find out why he felt so cold," she mused mentally as she headed straight for the trapdoor. Only the basement held questions as she had explored the rest of the guild house save for the attic. Tugging the trapdoor open, she descended down the wooden stairs as quietly as possible.
Much to her surprise, the basement was spacious and lit. Light shone from a wood stove, its faint smoke flowing out to a grille on the side of the wall. Next to the stove was a small side table and a large armchair with a tall backrest. On the opposite wall were two bookshelves filled with books. Beside it was a wine rack, fully stocked. The more concerning piece of furniture was a large coffin at the far end of the room. The man himself was sitting in the chair, a bottle of wine and a glass half full of the alcoholic beverage on the table. He was busy reading a book, presumably from the bookcase, the faint rustle of pages turning being heard once.
Her fiendish heart skipped a beat when he said, "I thought you would be resting, Aloe Mano. What brings you here?"
She heard the dull thud of a sudden closing of a book and he placed the book on the table. Then, he got out of his chair and turned to face her. She was scared out of her wits. Was she going to die? She heard of vampires before. To have survived so long, in the capital city no less, meant that he was quite powerful. If anything, she should have disappeared there and then. But then, he made no move against her. What was his game?
He then pulled out a pipe from his overcoat and a small bag. Tipping some tobacco in, he then produced a piece of paper and went over to the stove. "Well? I'm waiting," he said as he lit the paper and in turn, lit his pipe, "What brings you here, Aloe Mano?"
Seconds ticked by and she slowly got over her fearfulness and replied, "I just… wanted to know why you felt so cold." She hoped that honesty would amuse him enough to let her go.
To her surprise, he laughed and stated, "You do realize the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' could apply to you right now. Now, the question is… what will you do with this information?"
Her face scrunched up as she thought this through. On one hand, she could tell everyone and turn everyone against him… and possibly get her new friends in trouble just by association. On the other, she could keep quiet and have this held against her like a sword above her head… with her friends none the wiser… and safe. Oh, the urge to cause trouble is strong. And the amount of souls she could possibly bring to her side in the ensuing chaos. She could easily escape and tell the world. But…
"Why did you create the guild?" she found herself asking, suddenly having more questions popping up in her mind. If a vampire is supposed to be evil in action and behavior, why do all this?
"A very good question," he replied as he smirked, spinning the chair around and sitting down, "To be honest, it started as a whim. However, as time went on, it started looking like a good idea. The city getting back on its feet helped to push its benefits. Not to mention… hiding in plain sight."
Then, he leaned forward and asked again, "You still didn't answer me, Aloe Mano… what will you do with this information?"
AN: From the now defunct HoloCN, the professional thief, Spade Echo.
Spade Echo
Human Rogue
Thief
Full rogue. Has Cloak of the Bat to facilitate getting around in the city. Any other tools she has are homemade stuff. She has been quite lucky that none of the homemade stuff didn't blow up in her face.
And after that, a little more is revealed about our enigmatic guild master.
Arurandeisu a.k.a. Lord Aruran Daiso
Human but secretly a Nosferatu
Way of the Open Hand monk with fighter dip (2 levels)
So, a nosferatu or elder vampire. The first thought when making his character did not bring me to the normal vampire type in D&D, but instead, I first thought of Slayer from Guilty Gear. He is a vampire too, a lineage traced back to Nosferatu, hence the variant's name. In his case, the dandy gentleman traces his roots back to the first vampire in this world as well. Coupled with high levels of monk and training in other areas, some vampire weaknesses are canceled out.
Chapter 18
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 18
That morning, the party gathered at the side room of the guild house. Four of them seem to be well rested but Aloe looked lethargic.
"Hey, are you alright, Aloe?" asked Nene with concern.
"I'm… fine… sort of..." muttered the succubus tiredly, "I just found out something… very strange last night."
"I hope you're alright," said Polka. Turning to Lamy, she asked, "Is there any remedy for this?"
"I do not think-"
"My priestess might be able to help with that."
The party looked to the door and the monk greeted, "Hallo, Leda. Your priestess can help?"
"Indeed. Would you like to meet her?" he offered.
"Ah. If it helps Aloe, why not?" chipped in Botan.
"In that case, please follow me," he said as he led them out into the street. They then spent a while walking before ending in front of an ordinary building. A little too ordinary, as if it was trying a little too much to blend in with the environment.
He went up to the door and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and a hooded figure answered the door.
"Hello. I bring seekers of help," stated the lightning genasi. The hooded figure nodded and gestured inside. The interior was surprisingly spacious, as if the living room and dining room had merged into one room. The stairs in the corner and a door leading to the back.
The hooded figure then said, "Follow." He then led them upstairs to another large area with doors leading to several rooms. In the middle was a table and a set of chairs. In one of them sat a robed lady sporting shoulder-length tresses and pointed ears. She wore a strange ornament that adorned her front bangs.
"Ladies, I present Priestess Ina'nis," introduced the genasi warlock.
"Greetings to all. Please, have a seat," greeted the lady as she gestured to the chairs. Aloe, Nene, and Lamy took a seat while the other two stood behind them.
"Priestess, these are the ones you requested," stated Leda as he stood by her side.
"Thank you, Leda. You have done well," she stated as she reached over for the succubus' hand. "Here, let me take that for you," she stated as her hands started glowing.
Aloe blinked in surprise as the tiredness left her face and she sat up straighter, her body renewed with energy. "What happened?" she muttered, "As if I had a good night's sleep."
The priestess beamed and said, "Glad to be of service… Now, we have other things to worry about." Suddenly, the curtain was drawn and a candle was lit and placed in the center of the table by the warlock.
"Thank you, Leda," she stated as she focussed her attention on the uneasy party, "Now that I have your attention, I believe the path before you currently is a perilous one."
"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as she fidgeted in her seat.
"You will be going on a journey to help one of yours. Though, I wouldn't worry, you five are quite capable," she stated with a serene smile, "Yes, quite capable." And she looked at each one of them and stated…
"A tribal warrior touched by the Feywild..." to Botan.
"A fighter hiding behind a tipsy performance..." to Polka.
"A healer of motherly kindness..." to Lamy.
"A seducer with great loyalty..." to Aloe.
"And a singer that brings the world together..." to Nene.
Nene had no idea how the priestess knew all that about them when she had only met them for the first time. It was a creepy feeling the very moment that the curtain was drawn, which magnified when she said those words. She then stood up and moved towards the bard, touching her chin with the tips of her fingers and muttered, "Such a bright future."
Her head involuntarily glanced to the side and what she saw freaked her out. The shadow of the priestess cast by the candle was more than it seemed. She saw further protrusions growing out of her head. She saw a shadow in the shape of a halo above her head. She saw a large mass of what could only be called tentacles growing out of her back and reaching for the ceiling. She could also feel a clammy, cold sensation where her fingertips touched her chin. Very unnerving.
The priestess then stepped away and moved towards her room. "Leda, send them on their way, please. And you are free to go about your day."
"Yes, priestess," he complied as he stepped up to them and motioned to the stairs.
A shiver went down her spine as she glanced at her door while walking down the stairs. She couldn't explain what she saw. She couldn't understand what happened.
"Are you alright?" asked the genasi suddenly.
"Ah, I'm fine," she quickly said with a smile, smoothly schooling her expression. Then, she asked, "Are you heading out for anything?"
He shook his head and replied, "No. Temma is busy with something today. I'll be taking time to relax." Then, he opened the door for them and motioned outside, "If you would please?"
After the party exited the house, the door closed behind them. They hurried back to the guild house, Nene being eager to put some distance between her and it. When they reached the guild house and went inside, they found Artia and Doris waiting for them.
"Where have you been?" the genasi asked in a questioning tone, "I have been looking for you."
"Sorry, we were helping Aloe with something," the bard apologized, "What did you need?"
"Well… I will be returning to my home and I was hoping to get some protection on my journey home," stated the mermaid triton.
"We get to visit your home?" asked Nene in amazement.
"Oh, it does sound good," muttered Botan, thinking of possible trophies.
"Woah, let's go, let's go!" urged Polka eagerly.
"Enticing. I do wish to walk under the sea,' mused Lamy, thinking of the beautiful vistas she could possibly see with her own yes.
"Hmm, the first one under the sea… me likey," chipped in Aloe.
"Then it is settled! Thank you so much!" said Doris gratefully as she bowed, "Is it alright if we leave today?"
"Eh?"
An unexpected request, but the party quickly got over their surprise and gathered their stuff together. It was a simple thing as their backpacks were always ready to be taken every morning. They didn't need to worry about transport as the mermaid had hired a coach cab. Not a cart, but a full stagecoach, as well as a porter. It was at the place where she was staying and her travel chest was securely strapped down at the back. As for seating arrangements, Polka sat on the roof with the porter, Botan sat with the driver, while Doris, Nene, Lamy, and Aloe sat inside.
The journey was quite speedy and they quickly went through Solena and Greenwish, only stopping at the gates. Past the latter town was a long stretch of lonely road through the forest to Nikubasa, where they were supposed to hire transport across the desert. However, halfway to the desert border town, the cab suddenly came to a halt when a crossbow bolt slammed into the driver's seat in the middle of the driver and Botan. Then, several shouts came out of the surrounding forest and two half-naked, muscular bandits wielding greataxes ran straight for them.
"Drive on!" she shouted as she unshouldered her bow and moved to the roof.
"What is going on?" called out Doris in a terrified tone.
"We're under attack!" the archer yelled out as she shot a berserker bandit charging out of the forest. It missed but the dart that followed didn't. Both of them tried to jump on the moving carriage. One managed to grab on the horse and clambered on while the other jumped on but lost his grip, tumbling over to the side.
"Fire!" shouted someone ahead of them. A volley of crossbow bolts flew at them. Two got stuck in the lion girl's legs while one killed the driver, whose body slumped over the side and fell out.
"Botan! Anyone! Get the horses under control!" shouted Nene as Aloe burst out of the door of the carriage and swerved to attack the berserker on the horse while Lamy leaned out and tried to shoot a frost ray at him. However, the shaky carriage made it very difficult to get a hit in and they missed.
"They have crossbows!" shouted the archer as she grabbed the reins and tried to get the horses under control. A sudden song filled the carriage as Doris suddenly sang in a language they didn't understand and a wall of water appeared in front of the thundering carriage, absorbing the second volley of bolts, save two that got stuck in the succubus' shoulder.
"Let me try!" cried out the monk as she crawled down to the driver's seat as the horses suddenly slowed down under Botan's management. It wasn't really her fault as the berserker didn't let up and managed to slice her arm open as she tried to do two things at the same time. Polka whipped them several times and the horses bolted, thundering forward and bursting through the water wall, knocking over the bandit leader at the same time.
Meanwhile, the second berserker managed to catch up during the slowing down and grabbed onto the carriage. At the same time, Aloe landed on the roof and locked eyes with him. "Hey handsome, care to stay awhile and listen?"
His eyes glassed over and muttered, "Yes, mistress."
"Get off the carriage gently. Try not to harm yourself too much," she requested.
"Yes, mistress," he listened as he released his hold and tumbled on the ground, laying still as he came to a stop.
The carriage had one guy left hanging on, so Botan grabbed the greataxe and pulled, unbalancing the berserker. She then threw him off the horse, sending him crashing to the ground as they sped by.
"Shoot them! Shoot them!" shouted the captain. Once again, the volley of bolts rained against the back of the carriage. This time, the succubus deigned to protect the porter Doris hired, getting two bolts in her wings for the trouble. The bandits couldn't do anything else except watch them speed off towards the next town, cursing them as they got further and further away.
Aloe moved over to the entrance and asked, "Is everyone alright in here?"
"Yes, we are!" shouted Lamy as the carriage went over a stone, "Slow down! No one else is attacking us!"
"Alright! Alright!" shouted back Polka as she tried to get the horses under control again. Thankfully, they obeyed and slowed down to a canter.
"By the gods… I never experienced that before," muttered Doris as she calmed down.
"Ah… this is normally what happens, I guess," replied Nene sheepishly, "Things are just that..."
"Hng, I've heard of that before… never thought it would happen to me," the mermaid moaned as she leaned back, seemingly exhausted by it.
The carriage reached Nikubasa in good time. They left it at the stables as well as let the proprietors know what had happened to the driver.
"Ever went over the desert?" asked Nene with brimming curiosity.
"We have," quipped Polka, "We joined a merchant caravan in Huan Tuo to get to the capital."
"Yeah… I haven't traveled through a desert before so it was a new experience," added Botan as she looked towards the vast expanse, "A very dry experience."
"Ah, so… do we have any transport over the desert?" asked Aloe as Lamy and Doris walked over from the stablemaster.
"Unfortunately, the camel train was already hired out. We just missed it," informed the mermaid.
"Not to mention that if we need to use camels, we need to buy them..." continued the half-snow elf, "...as well as all the extra additions that came with them. Saddles for each camel and extra space for strapping down our backpacks. In my opinion, it is not worth purchasing if we only want to cross the desert once."
"So… we're crossing the desert on foot?" asked the bard, looking a little worried.
"Well, if you do not mind the detour to Port Viridis, we have to cross the desert," stated the mermaid, "And to be honest, I would prefer not having sand in my feet but… the message I got sounded like something important was happening and I had to get home as fast as I could."
"If it truly is that urgent, I would suggest keeping with the current pace and cross the desert," recommended the cleric.
"Hah, let's hurry up, I guess," agreed the archer as she shrugged, "We still have enough light to travel as far as we can, so let's get going."
In the face of that convincing argument, the mermaid triton relented. After stocking up on waterskins, the group stepped onto the hot sands and began traveling by foot. They walked as quickly as they could, over several dunes as the sun slowly dipped behind the horizon. They almost got caught in a fight between a few giant scorpions and a pair of bullettes but thankfully, the monsters were too busy trying to kill each other to notice them. Lucky for them as well as they didn't slip and tumble down the dune they were on. They reached a ruined area with no visible entrance which Botan and Polka said was a normal pitstop for traveling merchants. The triton requested them to stand in the middle of the area with her, and then asked them to give her a moment to cast something, so they obliged and waited patiently for her to finish,
She took out her lyre and started strumming a haunting melody. After getting into the music, she started singing...
I'm coming home,
I'm coming home,
Tell the sea I'm coming home,
Let the waves wash away,
All the pain of yesterday,
I know my kingdom waits,
My father greets me at the gates,
I'm coming home,
Yes, coming home,
Tell the sea I'm coming... home…
Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome. She then breathed a sigh of relief and said as she turned to them, "There. We can stay safely in the dome for the night."
"Er, what did you just do? What was all that?" asked Nene in confusion.
"Well, step outside the area and see."
At her urging, the group stepped outside. They gasped as they found a blue, opaque dome covering their sleeping area.
"Wah..." gushed the party as they went around and examined the dome in various places.
"So, we can go in and out freely?" asked Polka in amazement as poked her head into the dome.
"Yes," confirmed the mermaid bard as she sat down on the paved stone of the ruins, "If I cast it while you are inside, you are allowed to pass through freely as long as I stay inside. It is also very safe to stay here as nothing can attack us from the outside."
"Cool!" exclaimed the monk as she stepped in, "This is an amazing spell!"
"Yeah!" agreed Botan as she stepped in as well, "Right, I think we should eat up and turn in for the night."
Everyone else agreed with her whole-heartedly. As they took out their dry rations and shared their waterskins around, they chit-chatted amongst themselves. And it was mostly grilling Doris on life under the sea. After a while, they turned in for the night, with the mermaid triton dimming the light in the tiny hut to help them fall asleep under the starry night.
AN: First up, the face of the Tentacult. Technically, she is an NPC. Mechanically, she is a level 20 Great Old One Warlock. She leads the cult that Leda Astel is a part of.
And the mermaid from HoloCN
Doris
Triton Mermaid
Lore Bard
Mermaid princess from the deep seas.
That morning, the party gathered at the side room of the guild house. Four of them seem to be well rested but Aloe looked lethargic.
"Hey, are you alright, Aloe?" asked Nene with concern.
"I'm… fine… sort of..." muttered the succubus tiredly, "I just found out something… very strange last night."
"I hope you're alright," said Polka. Turning to Lamy, she asked, "Is there any remedy for this?"
"I do not think-"
"My priestess might be able to help with that."
The party looked to the door and the monk greeted, "Hallo, Leda. Your priestess can help?"
"Indeed. Would you like to meet her?" he offered.
"Ah. If it helps Aloe, why not?" chipped in Botan.
"In that case, please follow me," he said as he led them out into the street. They then spent a while walking before ending in front of an ordinary building. A little too ordinary, as if it was trying a little too much to blend in with the environment.
He went up to the door and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and a hooded figure answered the door.
"Hello. I bring seekers of help," stated the lightning genasi. The hooded figure nodded and gestured inside. The interior was surprisingly spacious, as if the living room and dining room had merged into one room. The stairs in the corner and a door leading to the back.
The hooded figure then said, "Follow." He then led them upstairs to another large area with doors leading to several rooms. In the middle was a table and a set of chairs. In one of them sat a robed lady sporting shoulder-length tresses and pointed ears. She wore a strange ornament that adorned her front bangs.
"Ladies, I present Priestess Ina'nis," introduced the genasi warlock.
"Greetings to all. Please, have a seat," greeted the lady as she gestured to the chairs. Aloe, Nene, and Lamy took a seat while the other two stood behind them.
"Priestess, these are the ones you requested," stated Leda as he stood by her side.
"Thank you, Leda. You have done well," she stated as she reached over for the succubus' hand. "Here, let me take that for you," she stated as her hands started glowing.
Aloe blinked in surprise as the tiredness left her face and she sat up straighter, her body renewed with energy. "What happened?" she muttered, "As if I had a good night's sleep."
The priestess beamed and said, "Glad to be of service… Now, we have other things to worry about." Suddenly, the curtain was drawn and a candle was lit and placed in the center of the table by the warlock.
"Thank you, Leda," she stated as she focussed her attention on the uneasy party, "Now that I have your attention, I believe the path before you currently is a perilous one."
"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as she fidgeted in her seat.
"You will be going on a journey to help one of yours. Though, I wouldn't worry, you five are quite capable," she stated with a serene smile, "Yes, quite capable." And she looked at each one of them and stated…
"A tribal warrior touched by the Feywild..." to Botan.
"A fighter hiding behind a tipsy performance..." to Polka.
"A healer of motherly kindness..." to Lamy.
"A seducer with great loyalty..." to Aloe.
"And a singer that brings the world together..." to Nene.
Nene had no idea how the priestess knew all that about them when she had only met them for the first time. It was a creepy feeling the very moment that the curtain was drawn, which magnified when she said those words. She then stood up and moved towards the bard, touching her chin with the tips of her fingers and muttered, "Such a bright future."
Her head involuntarily glanced to the side and what she saw freaked her out. The shadow of the priestess cast by the candle was more than it seemed. She saw further protrusions growing out of her head. She saw a shadow in the shape of a halo above her head. She saw a large mass of what could only be called tentacles growing out of her back and reaching for the ceiling. She could also feel a clammy, cold sensation where her fingertips touched her chin. Very unnerving.
The priestess then stepped away and moved towards her room. "Leda, send them on their way, please. And you are free to go about your day."
"Yes, priestess," he complied as he stepped up to them and motioned to the stairs.
A shiver went down her spine as she glanced at her door while walking down the stairs. She couldn't explain what she saw. She couldn't understand what happened.
"Are you alright?" asked the genasi suddenly.
"Ah, I'm fine," she quickly said with a smile, smoothly schooling her expression. Then, she asked, "Are you heading out for anything?"
He shook his head and replied, "No. Temma is busy with something today. I'll be taking time to relax." Then, he opened the door for them and motioned outside, "If you would please?"
After the party exited the house, the door closed behind them. They hurried back to the guild house, Nene being eager to put some distance between her and it. When they reached the guild house and went inside, they found Artia and Doris waiting for them.
"Where have you been?" the genasi asked in a questioning tone, "I have been looking for you."
"Sorry, we were helping Aloe with something," the bard apologized, "What did you need?"
"Well… I will be returning to my home and I was hoping to get some protection on my journey home," stated the mermaid triton.
"We get to visit your home?" asked Nene in amazement.
"Oh, it does sound good," muttered Botan, thinking of possible trophies.
"Woah, let's go, let's go!" urged Polka eagerly.
"Enticing. I do wish to walk under the sea,' mused Lamy, thinking of the beautiful vistas she could possibly see with her own yes.
"Hmm, the first one under the sea… me likey," chipped in Aloe.
"Then it is settled! Thank you so much!" said Doris gratefully as she bowed, "Is it alright if we leave today?"
"Eh?"
An unexpected request, but the party quickly got over their surprise and gathered their stuff together. It was a simple thing as their backpacks were always ready to be taken every morning. They didn't need to worry about transport as the mermaid had hired a coach cab. Not a cart, but a full stagecoach, as well as a porter. It was at the place where she was staying and her travel chest was securely strapped down at the back. As for seating arrangements, Polka sat on the roof with the porter, Botan sat with the driver, while Doris, Nene, Lamy, and Aloe sat inside.
The journey was quite speedy and they quickly went through Solena and Greenwish, only stopping at the gates. Past the latter town was a long stretch of lonely road through the forest to Nikubasa, where they were supposed to hire transport across the desert. However, halfway to the desert border town, the cab suddenly came to a halt when a crossbow bolt slammed into the driver's seat in the middle of the driver and Botan. Then, several shouts came out of the surrounding forest and two half-naked, muscular bandits wielding greataxes ran straight for them.
"Drive on!" she shouted as she unshouldered her bow and moved to the roof.
"What is going on?" called out Doris in a terrified tone.
"We're under attack!" the archer yelled out as she shot a berserker bandit charging out of the forest. It missed but the dart that followed didn't. Both of them tried to jump on the moving carriage. One managed to grab on the horse and clambered on while the other jumped on but lost his grip, tumbling over to the side.
"Fire!" shouted someone ahead of them. A volley of crossbow bolts flew at them. Two got stuck in the lion girl's legs while one killed the driver, whose body slumped over the side and fell out.
"Botan! Anyone! Get the horses under control!" shouted Nene as Aloe burst out of the door of the carriage and swerved to attack the berserker on the horse while Lamy leaned out and tried to shoot a frost ray at him. However, the shaky carriage made it very difficult to get a hit in and they missed.
"They have crossbows!" shouted the archer as she grabbed the reins and tried to get the horses under control. A sudden song filled the carriage as Doris suddenly sang in a language they didn't understand and a wall of water appeared in front of the thundering carriage, absorbing the second volley of bolts, save two that got stuck in the succubus' shoulder.
"Let me try!" cried out the monk as she crawled down to the driver's seat as the horses suddenly slowed down under Botan's management. It wasn't really her fault as the berserker didn't let up and managed to slice her arm open as she tried to do two things at the same time. Polka whipped them several times and the horses bolted, thundering forward and bursting through the water wall, knocking over the bandit leader at the same time.
Meanwhile, the second berserker managed to catch up during the slowing down and grabbed onto the carriage. At the same time, Aloe landed on the roof and locked eyes with him. "Hey handsome, care to stay awhile and listen?"
His eyes glassed over and muttered, "Yes, mistress."
"Get off the carriage gently. Try not to harm yourself too much," she requested.
"Yes, mistress," he listened as he released his hold and tumbled on the ground, laying still as he came to a stop.
The carriage had one guy left hanging on, so Botan grabbed the greataxe and pulled, unbalancing the berserker. She then threw him off the horse, sending him crashing to the ground as they sped by.
"Shoot them! Shoot them!" shouted the captain. Once again, the volley of bolts rained against the back of the carriage. This time, the succubus deigned to protect the porter Doris hired, getting two bolts in her wings for the trouble. The bandits couldn't do anything else except watch them speed off towards the next town, cursing them as they got further and further away.
Aloe moved over to the entrance and asked, "Is everyone alright in here?"
"Yes, we are!" shouted Lamy as the carriage went over a stone, "Slow down! No one else is attacking us!"
"Alright! Alright!" shouted back Polka as she tried to get the horses under control again. Thankfully, they obeyed and slowed down to a canter.
"By the gods… I never experienced that before," muttered Doris as she calmed down.
"Ah… this is normally what happens, I guess," replied Nene sheepishly, "Things are just that..."
"Hng, I've heard of that before… never thought it would happen to me," the mermaid moaned as she leaned back, seemingly exhausted by it.
The carriage reached Nikubasa in good time. They left it at the stables as well as let the proprietors know what had happened to the driver.
"Ever went over the desert?" asked Nene with brimming curiosity.
"We have," quipped Polka, "We joined a merchant caravan in Huan Tuo to get to the capital."
"Yeah… I haven't traveled through a desert before so it was a new experience," added Botan as she looked towards the vast expanse, "A very dry experience."
"Ah, so… do we have any transport over the desert?" asked Aloe as Lamy and Doris walked over from the stablemaster.
"Unfortunately, the camel train was already hired out. We just missed it," informed the mermaid.
"Not to mention that if we need to use camels, we need to buy them..." continued the half-snow elf, "...as well as all the extra additions that came with them. Saddles for each camel and extra space for strapping down our backpacks. In my opinion, it is not worth purchasing if we only want to cross the desert once."
"So… we're crossing the desert on foot?" asked the bard, looking a little worried.
"Well, if you do not mind the detour to Port Viridis, we have to cross the desert," stated the mermaid, "And to be honest, I would prefer not having sand in my feet but… the message I got sounded like something important was happening and I had to get home as fast as I could."
"If it truly is that urgent, I would suggest keeping with the current pace and cross the desert," recommended the cleric.
"Hah, let's hurry up, I guess," agreed the archer as she shrugged, "We still have enough light to travel as far as we can, so let's get going."
In the face of that convincing argument, the mermaid triton relented. After stocking up on waterskins, the group stepped onto the hot sands and began traveling by foot. They walked as quickly as they could, over several dunes as the sun slowly dipped behind the horizon. They almost got caught in a fight between a few giant scorpions and a pair of bullettes but thankfully, the monsters were too busy trying to kill each other to notice them. Lucky for them as well as they didn't slip and tumble down the dune they were on. They reached a ruined area with no visible entrance which Botan and Polka said was a normal pitstop for traveling merchants. The triton requested them to stand in the middle of the area with her, and then asked them to give her a moment to cast something, so they obliged and waited patiently for her to finish,
She took out her lyre and started strumming a haunting melody. After getting into the music, she started singing...
I'm coming home,
I'm coming home,
Tell the sea I'm coming home,
Let the waves wash away,
All the pain of yesterday,
I know my kingdom waits,
My father greets me at the gates,
I'm coming home,
Yes, coming home,
Tell the sea I'm coming... home…
Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome. She then breathed a sigh of relief and said as she turned to them, "There. We can stay safely in the dome for the night."
"Er, what did you just do? What was all that?" asked Nene in confusion.
"Well, step outside the area and see."
At her urging, the group stepped outside. They gasped as they found a blue, opaque dome covering their sleeping area.
"Wah..." gushed the party as they went around and examined the dome in various places.
"So, we can go in and out freely?" asked Polka in amazement as poked her head into the dome.
"Yes," confirmed the mermaid bard as she sat down on the paved stone of the ruins, "If I cast it while you are inside, you are allowed to pass through freely as long as I stay inside. It is also very safe to stay here as nothing can attack us from the outside."
"Cool!" exclaimed the monk as she stepped in, "This is an amazing spell!"
"Yeah!" agreed Botan as she stepped in as well, "Right, I think we should eat up and turn in for the night."
Everyone else agreed with her whole-heartedly. As they took out their dry rations and shared their waterskins around, they chit-chatted amongst themselves. And it was mostly grilling Doris on life under the sea. After a while, they turned in for the night, with the mermaid triton dimming the light in the tiny hut to help them fall asleep under the starry night.
AN: First up, the face of the Tentacult. Technically, she is an NPC. Mechanically, she is a level 20 Great Old One Warlock. She leads the cult that Leda Astel is a part of.
And the mermaid from HoloCN
Doris
Triton Mermaid
Lore Bard
Mermaid princess from the deep seas.
Chapter 19
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 19
Nene yawned as she rose from her sleep and stretched. Rubbing the sand from her eyes, she looked around and her eyes widened as the entire dome seemed to be covered by whirling sand. She got to her feet in a hurry and approached the barrier. As she tried to touch it, a scrambling sound could be heard and an ugly thing crashed against it, prompting a surprised yelp. The dust mephit shook its head, hovered off the ground and flew off. She yelped again when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Surprised?" asked Doris as she smiled at her before looking outside in amazement, "I heard of sandstorms like this but it is another thing entirely to see it with your own eyes… We may have to wait for a while."
One by one, the others woke up as sand whirled and the odd piece of stone scratched the tiny hut. Everyone waited patiently for the sandstorm to end. It didn't end but instead moved off. Nene could have sworn she saw a pair of glowing, yellow eyes staring at the dome at one point. Just as the storm cleared up, a large piece of ruin suddenly slammed on the top of the dome. The barrier didn't break, but Doris urged everyone to pack up and get ready to move.
As the sandstorm moved away, revealing clear skies, Doris ordered, "Alright, get out of the area please."
The party and the porter moved outside, and after making sure they had cleared the hut, she stepped out after them. The shimmering dome winked out of existence and the ruined piece, a broken part of a pillar, crashed to the ground unhindered.
The mermaid turned to them with a smile and said, "Well, let us continue. Huan Tuo awaits."
And so, they continued on their journey to the port city. The sun rose higher by afternoon and the triton's water intake increased, already going through two waterskins. As the walk continued, Nene said, "Erm, am I seeing things? Is someone approaching us?"
"You are not seeing things," replied Lamy as she wiped her brow, "It looks like a merchant of sorts."
As both sides neared each other, the group saw that it was a lizardman with a large pack with several things hanging off it. When he spotted them, he called out, "I greet you, travellersss. Do you wish to perussse my waresss?"
The group looked at each other in confusion. Then, Lamy spoke up, "Forgive me for saying this, but what? We are on our way to Huan Tuo, we are hot and tired, and you wish us to peruse your wares?"
He shrugged and said, "You are confusssed. That much isss underssstandable. Sssurely you can ssee that by being a ssseller of waresss, one mussst take all chancesss to make a sssale."
"Alright, alright, no need to fight," interrupted Polka before the cleric could say anything else, "Here, let me see."
"But of courssse," he replied with a pleased tone as he unshouldered his pack of knick-knacks.
"Go on ahead," she urged the others, "I'll catch up, no worries."
Getting nods from the others, they went on their way as the monk looked into his pack. True to her words, she did catch up eventually.
"So, what did you get?" asked Botan.
"Ah, I got this," she stated as she held up her purchase. It was a small glass jar with a large stopper. In it was a viscous white ointment that seemed to have several odd chunks of dubious origin in it. "He said it's some sort of healing ointment for burns from some far off jungle," she continued to explain, "It's supposed to be really good, but the way he said it… I'm not sure if he said the truth or not."
"Eh… we'll see about that... if we get into a fight," muttered the archer with disbelief.
Thankfully, they didn't have to try out the ointment as nothing else tried to attack them. After the sun started to drop down from its apex in the sky, they eventually saw the city in the distance. It was still far away but it gladdened their hearts to see it. However, a few miles down the road, Lamy thought she saw something sticking out of the sand. She thought nothing of it but then Botan pointed it out.
"It looks like a hand," she stated, "Let's go and see if anyone needs help."
The whole party then detoured over. They discovered a hand made of wood and metal.
"Er, what is that?" asked Polka in confusion.
"I… think I've seen this kind of thing before..." muttered Nene with a furrowed brow.
"Ah, Rikka!" exclaimed Doris, "I believe we should dig him out."
"Eh? Dig him out?" repeated the puzzled monk.
"Oh, yeah, Rikka… yeah, we better dig him out," agreed the lore bard as she motioned the others to help her, "Come on, let's do this."
The monk just shrugged and joined in. With many hands helping, the owner of the hand was dug out in no time. It was a warforged made of yellow-tinged stone with some brown leather-like substance visible in some places. It wore a set of steel plates over its shoulders and right side of the body. Slowly, as its upper body was revealed through the digging, its empty eye sockets suddenly glowed blue and it said hoarsely, "...Oof, how long have I been asleep?"
"Hello, sir. What is your name?" asked Lamy.
"Oh, my name is designated Alfa-Romeo-Charlie, ARC for short," he stated calmly, "I was a guard in a caravan but I was separated from it during a bad sandstorm. I decided to shut down functions to save energy while awaiting rescue. Were you sent by them?"
They looked at each other and Aloe said, "We weren't? How long ago- hmm, you probably don't know how long ago."
"Indeed. I admit I do not know how long it has been," he stated as he climbed out of the sand, "Perhaps I can make it to the city and find my team." He had a shield on one arm and a longsword in its scabbard.
"You are welcome to join us," invited Doris, "We are heading to Huan Tup ourselves."
"Ah, you are too kind, miss," he replied as he took stock of the situation, "Very well. I shall join you and escort you to the city." He then saluted, a fist slamming his chest.
The port city of Huan Tuo was a welcome stop. ARC said his goodbye and went off in search of his team. The party then went to the harbourmaster to ask about a ship.
"Sir, is the Deep Sea in the docks?" asked Doris, much to everyone else's surprise.
The greying man scanned the book and nodded, "It is. I believe the captain is expecting you."
"Thank you very much," she said happily before leading the party out.
"Is that the name of your ship?" asked Polka as the mermaid led them down to the docks.
"No. That… Deep Sea belongs to a… friend," she replied mysteriously.
They found the boat. It was a sailing ship on the smaller side, pear-shaped to hold more cargo and mangonel removed in favor of a second mast for more sailing speed. The captain, a more fish-like triton, greeted them from the ship with a wave and ordered the sailors to lower the gangplank.
"Good to see you again, princess," he greeted Doris as she was the first to step on the ship.
"Princess?" repeated the others in confusion.
"Ah… I never told them, Calixes," the mermaid muttered with a blush.
"Ah… apologies… urm, well, the guest cabin is ready for you. The others… well, I did not expect so many. I suppose you can discuss amongst yourselves your sleeping arrangements," he informed them, "I will let everyone know when we reach Colch Island. If you would follow me."
"Very well. Please give me a moment," stated the supposed princess as she ordered the porter that accompanied them the whole time to leave her travel chest on the deck. She then proceeded to dismiss him while paying a little extra for his services.
Then, Captain Calixes led them down to the lower deck to the back of the ship. There were four doors there, one with a red cross on it.
"Right, the one with the cross belongs to the ship's doctor," he explained to them, "The other three are the guest rooms. The left one was supposed to be set aside for the princess… ahem, now, I shall leave the decision up to you. I have a ship I need to run. Good day, ladies."
After he left, the party discussed sleeping arrangements. In the end, Lamy stayed with Doris, Polka and Botan shared a room, and that left Aloe and Nene in the last room. Then...
"Before we talk of anything else, do you have anything to tell us, Doris?" asked Lamy.
"Well… I am the princess of Leviathis," she confessed, "I came to the surface world to… satisfy my curiosity so to say, as well as to foster good relations with the surface. I do hope you can forgive me for not telling anyone of my status."
"...to be honest, your friends probably won't care much for your status," stated Nene, "They… we are your friends because of you, not your status."
"Ah… thank you, friends," she replied gratefully, looking quite relieved.
They then decided to take a nap until dinner time. However, halfway through their nap time, they were awoken by loud knocks on their doors. They quickly filed out of their cabins to face the captain.
"If any of you know healing spells, we could use them," he told them with a stern voice, "We are nearing a merchant ship under attack by pirates. The pirates seem to have won and we are rescuing the survivors while they are busy plundering the ship."
"Come friends, we must help them," urged the mermaid before leading the rest to the upper deck.
The crew of the ship had already rescued ten survivors, which included two of the merchant guards. Botan offered to be a lookout while the others made use of the healing potions they had in their packs to heal and the remaining water in their waterskins to hydrate. Polka was immediately impressed when she used the mysterious ointment on the only burn victim rescue, which magically restored most of the damaged skin.
Meanwhile, Captain Calixes stepped next to the archer and asked, "The ships still there?"
"Yeah, but I think the pirates are letting the merchant boat burn up," she guessed as she kept watch. The black flag had a heart outlined in white with the inner part colored black and white. An arrow pierced its center while a grinning skull was displayed in the forefront. After a while, it slowly sailed away, leaving the burning ship that slowly sank into the sea.
"Tch, Houshou pirates," muttered the captain before spitting on the deck, "If only someone would take them out." He then moved on to direct the crew.
After assuring the survivors of their safety, they were moved down to the hold. The ship still needed to get to Colch Island for them to get some relief for them. During dinner time, supplies were stretched a little thin, even after a few hours of fishing beforehand. And before sleep, Doris, Nene, and Aloe went down into the hold and sang a few songs for them to keep their spirits up.
The island of Colch was a circular island born from a volcano. The volcano itself has been dead for quite a while, but the village stemming from its foot did not. Its inhabitants were at first a few, but after making contact with the undersea city in the ocean depths, It grew to a respectable size. It was now a mixed village of land dwellers and curious sea dwellers that wanted to know more about living on land. In addition to the tritons in the sea, there was an atoll nearby that housed a colony of sea elves that were friendly to them as well. Relations were peaceful and harmonious.
This is what greeted the passengers when they disembarked on the wooden harbor. A wide array of open wooden houses spread from the beach towards the foot of the hill. It didn't go that far as the island was not very large, but big enough to support the village. The party could see small huts on the side of the mountain surrounded by vegetable plots.
"Ah, welcome to Colch Island. Peaceful place," stated the captain as he turned to the party, "I already sent some of my boys ahead to let them know of our survivors. No worries. They'll be taken care of and we'll send them back to the mainland free of charge."
"Thank you, captain," said Doris gratefully before regrouping with the party at the other end of the gangplank. "Alright, first we go to the inn," she stated. Nobody questioned her and the party headed to the local inn, Fish and Ships. Strangely, she paid for one room for one week. Then, she had everyone store all but their most essential equipment there. After that, they headed straight for the harbor once more.
As they stopped in front of the ship, she asked Botan and Polka to pick up her travel chest. She then declared, "Okay, if everyone is ready, we can go to the undersea city."
"Eh, how do we do that?" questioned Botan, "I don't think any of us has any experience swimming or can breathe underwater."
"Ah, there will be no difficulty at all," the mermaid stated as she headed towards the end of the pier. She then dove in.
The others hurried over and found her floating in the clear water with a fish tail, her blue scales gleaming beautifully. She then lifted her sea-green trident, twirled it around, and thrust it into the air while shouting something they didn't understand. Shimmering streams of white motes of light spilled out and swirled around her in a large sphere before disappearing.
She then said, "Jump in! And bring the chest with you! Do not worry! All is well."
The party stared at the confident mermaid and then looked at each other. As if in silent agreement, they jumped in as well. The archer and the monk tossed the chest into the water before diving after them. They held their breath as they went in but they were astonished when they got within the sphere's influence. Ethereal fishtails appeared from their behinds and as Polka yelled in surprise and let go of her held breath, she found that she could breathe normally.
"See? All is well," stated Doris with a smile.
It took a while, but eventually, everyone got used to their new situation and followed after Doris as she swam out of the deeper regions. Deeper they went and slowly the city came into view. Built of a mix of coral and stone, the buildings were in a remarkably ordered arrangement with a palace at the far end of the city. As they neared the gates, two triton guards stopped them.
"Halt, do you have anything to declare?" asked the one with a large fin running over the top of his head. The other, with seaweed-like hair, just looked on stoically.
Doris just smiled and said, "I am glad my guards are as vigilant as ever. Do you not recognize me?"
After peering more closely, he smiled and said, "Welcome back, princess. But, I insist on asking, do you have anything to declare?"
"Only my belongings that I brought with me and several friends," she replied, motioning behind her.
He gave them a cursory glance, his eyes narrowing a little when he saw the succubus, but said, "Very well, princess. Welcome back to Leviathis. I… highly suggest you head straight for the palace. Things are not well."
"Why? What happened in the time I was away?" asked the mermaid princess worriedly.
"Your father is gravely ill, princess. Go to him. He may not have long."
She immediately tossed her trident to Botan and sped off towards the palace.
Nene yawned as she rose from her sleep and stretched. Rubbing the sand from her eyes, she looked around and her eyes widened as the entire dome seemed to be covered by whirling sand. She got to her feet in a hurry and approached the barrier. As she tried to touch it, a scrambling sound could be heard and an ugly thing crashed against it, prompting a surprised yelp. The dust mephit shook its head, hovered off the ground and flew off. She yelped again when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Surprised?" asked Doris as she smiled at her before looking outside in amazement, "I heard of sandstorms like this but it is another thing entirely to see it with your own eyes… We may have to wait for a while."
One by one, the others woke up as sand whirled and the odd piece of stone scratched the tiny hut. Everyone waited patiently for the sandstorm to end. It didn't end but instead moved off. Nene could have sworn she saw a pair of glowing, yellow eyes staring at the dome at one point. Just as the storm cleared up, a large piece of ruin suddenly slammed on the top of the dome. The barrier didn't break, but Doris urged everyone to pack up and get ready to move.
As the sandstorm moved away, revealing clear skies, Doris ordered, "Alright, get out of the area please."
The party and the porter moved outside, and after making sure they had cleared the hut, she stepped out after them. The shimmering dome winked out of existence and the ruined piece, a broken part of a pillar, crashed to the ground unhindered.
The mermaid turned to them with a smile and said, "Well, let us continue. Huan Tuo awaits."
And so, they continued on their journey to the port city. The sun rose higher by afternoon and the triton's water intake increased, already going through two waterskins. As the walk continued, Nene said, "Erm, am I seeing things? Is someone approaching us?"
"You are not seeing things," replied Lamy as she wiped her brow, "It looks like a merchant of sorts."
As both sides neared each other, the group saw that it was a lizardman with a large pack with several things hanging off it. When he spotted them, he called out, "I greet you, travellersss. Do you wish to perussse my waresss?"
The group looked at each other in confusion. Then, Lamy spoke up, "Forgive me for saying this, but what? We are on our way to Huan Tuo, we are hot and tired, and you wish us to peruse your wares?"
He shrugged and said, "You are confusssed. That much isss underssstandable. Sssurely you can ssee that by being a ssseller of waresss, one mussst take all chancesss to make a sssale."
"Alright, alright, no need to fight," interrupted Polka before the cleric could say anything else, "Here, let me see."
"But of courssse," he replied with a pleased tone as he unshouldered his pack of knick-knacks.
"Go on ahead," she urged the others, "I'll catch up, no worries."
Getting nods from the others, they went on their way as the monk looked into his pack. True to her words, she did catch up eventually.
"So, what did you get?" asked Botan.
"Ah, I got this," she stated as she held up her purchase. It was a small glass jar with a large stopper. In it was a viscous white ointment that seemed to have several odd chunks of dubious origin in it. "He said it's some sort of healing ointment for burns from some far off jungle," she continued to explain, "It's supposed to be really good, but the way he said it… I'm not sure if he said the truth or not."
"Eh… we'll see about that... if we get into a fight," muttered the archer with disbelief.
Thankfully, they didn't have to try out the ointment as nothing else tried to attack them. After the sun started to drop down from its apex in the sky, they eventually saw the city in the distance. It was still far away but it gladdened their hearts to see it. However, a few miles down the road, Lamy thought she saw something sticking out of the sand. She thought nothing of it but then Botan pointed it out.
"It looks like a hand," she stated, "Let's go and see if anyone needs help."
The whole party then detoured over. They discovered a hand made of wood and metal.
"Er, what is that?" asked Polka in confusion.
"I… think I've seen this kind of thing before..." muttered Nene with a furrowed brow.
"Ah, Rikka!" exclaimed Doris, "I believe we should dig him out."
"Eh? Dig him out?" repeated the puzzled monk.
"Oh, yeah, Rikka… yeah, we better dig him out," agreed the lore bard as she motioned the others to help her, "Come on, let's do this."
The monk just shrugged and joined in. With many hands helping, the owner of the hand was dug out in no time. It was a warforged made of yellow-tinged stone with some brown leather-like substance visible in some places. It wore a set of steel plates over its shoulders and right side of the body. Slowly, as its upper body was revealed through the digging, its empty eye sockets suddenly glowed blue and it said hoarsely, "...Oof, how long have I been asleep?"
"Hello, sir. What is your name?" asked Lamy.
"Oh, my name is designated Alfa-Romeo-Charlie, ARC for short," he stated calmly, "I was a guard in a caravan but I was separated from it during a bad sandstorm. I decided to shut down functions to save energy while awaiting rescue. Were you sent by them?"
They looked at each other and Aloe said, "We weren't? How long ago- hmm, you probably don't know how long ago."
"Indeed. I admit I do not know how long it has been," he stated as he climbed out of the sand, "Perhaps I can make it to the city and find my team." He had a shield on one arm and a longsword in its scabbard.
"You are welcome to join us," invited Doris, "We are heading to Huan Tup ourselves."
"Ah, you are too kind, miss," he replied as he took stock of the situation, "Very well. I shall join you and escort you to the city." He then saluted, a fist slamming his chest.
The port city of Huan Tuo was a welcome stop. ARC said his goodbye and went off in search of his team. The party then went to the harbourmaster to ask about a ship.
"Sir, is the Deep Sea in the docks?" asked Doris, much to everyone else's surprise.
The greying man scanned the book and nodded, "It is. I believe the captain is expecting you."
"Thank you very much," she said happily before leading the party out.
"Is that the name of your ship?" asked Polka as the mermaid led them down to the docks.
"No. That… Deep Sea belongs to a… friend," she replied mysteriously.
They found the boat. It was a sailing ship on the smaller side, pear-shaped to hold more cargo and mangonel removed in favor of a second mast for more sailing speed. The captain, a more fish-like triton, greeted them from the ship with a wave and ordered the sailors to lower the gangplank.
"Good to see you again, princess," he greeted Doris as she was the first to step on the ship.
"Princess?" repeated the others in confusion.
"Ah… I never told them, Calixes," the mermaid muttered with a blush.
"Ah… apologies… urm, well, the guest cabin is ready for you. The others… well, I did not expect so many. I suppose you can discuss amongst yourselves your sleeping arrangements," he informed them, "I will let everyone know when we reach Colch Island. If you would follow me."
"Very well. Please give me a moment," stated the supposed princess as she ordered the porter that accompanied them the whole time to leave her travel chest on the deck. She then proceeded to dismiss him while paying a little extra for his services.
Then, Captain Calixes led them down to the lower deck to the back of the ship. There were four doors there, one with a red cross on it.
"Right, the one with the cross belongs to the ship's doctor," he explained to them, "The other three are the guest rooms. The left one was supposed to be set aside for the princess… ahem, now, I shall leave the decision up to you. I have a ship I need to run. Good day, ladies."
After he left, the party discussed sleeping arrangements. In the end, Lamy stayed with Doris, Polka and Botan shared a room, and that left Aloe and Nene in the last room. Then...
"Before we talk of anything else, do you have anything to tell us, Doris?" asked Lamy.
"Well… I am the princess of Leviathis," she confessed, "I came to the surface world to… satisfy my curiosity so to say, as well as to foster good relations with the surface. I do hope you can forgive me for not telling anyone of my status."
"...to be honest, your friends probably won't care much for your status," stated Nene, "They… we are your friends because of you, not your status."
"Ah… thank you, friends," she replied gratefully, looking quite relieved.
They then decided to take a nap until dinner time. However, halfway through their nap time, they were awoken by loud knocks on their doors. They quickly filed out of their cabins to face the captain.
"If any of you know healing spells, we could use them," he told them with a stern voice, "We are nearing a merchant ship under attack by pirates. The pirates seem to have won and we are rescuing the survivors while they are busy plundering the ship."
"Come friends, we must help them," urged the mermaid before leading the rest to the upper deck.
The crew of the ship had already rescued ten survivors, which included two of the merchant guards. Botan offered to be a lookout while the others made use of the healing potions they had in their packs to heal and the remaining water in their waterskins to hydrate. Polka was immediately impressed when she used the mysterious ointment on the only burn victim rescue, which magically restored most of the damaged skin.
Meanwhile, Captain Calixes stepped next to the archer and asked, "The ships still there?"
"Yeah, but I think the pirates are letting the merchant boat burn up," she guessed as she kept watch. The black flag had a heart outlined in white with the inner part colored black and white. An arrow pierced its center while a grinning skull was displayed in the forefront. After a while, it slowly sailed away, leaving the burning ship that slowly sank into the sea.
"Tch, Houshou pirates," muttered the captain before spitting on the deck, "If only someone would take them out." He then moved on to direct the crew.
After assuring the survivors of their safety, they were moved down to the hold. The ship still needed to get to Colch Island for them to get some relief for them. During dinner time, supplies were stretched a little thin, even after a few hours of fishing beforehand. And before sleep, Doris, Nene, and Aloe went down into the hold and sang a few songs for them to keep their spirits up.
The island of Colch was a circular island born from a volcano. The volcano itself has been dead for quite a while, but the village stemming from its foot did not. Its inhabitants were at first a few, but after making contact with the undersea city in the ocean depths, It grew to a respectable size. It was now a mixed village of land dwellers and curious sea dwellers that wanted to know more about living on land. In addition to the tritons in the sea, there was an atoll nearby that housed a colony of sea elves that were friendly to them as well. Relations were peaceful and harmonious.
This is what greeted the passengers when they disembarked on the wooden harbor. A wide array of open wooden houses spread from the beach towards the foot of the hill. It didn't go that far as the island was not very large, but big enough to support the village. The party could see small huts on the side of the mountain surrounded by vegetable plots.
"Ah, welcome to Colch Island. Peaceful place," stated the captain as he turned to the party, "I already sent some of my boys ahead to let them know of our survivors. No worries. They'll be taken care of and we'll send them back to the mainland free of charge."
"Thank you, captain," said Doris gratefully before regrouping with the party at the other end of the gangplank. "Alright, first we go to the inn," she stated. Nobody questioned her and the party headed to the local inn, Fish and Ships. Strangely, she paid for one room for one week. Then, she had everyone store all but their most essential equipment there. After that, they headed straight for the harbor once more.
As they stopped in front of the ship, she asked Botan and Polka to pick up her travel chest. She then declared, "Okay, if everyone is ready, we can go to the undersea city."
"Eh, how do we do that?" questioned Botan, "I don't think any of us has any experience swimming or can breathe underwater."
"Ah, there will be no difficulty at all," the mermaid stated as she headed towards the end of the pier. She then dove in.
The others hurried over and found her floating in the clear water with a fish tail, her blue scales gleaming beautifully. She then lifted her sea-green trident, twirled it around, and thrust it into the air while shouting something they didn't understand. Shimmering streams of white motes of light spilled out and swirled around her in a large sphere before disappearing.
She then said, "Jump in! And bring the chest with you! Do not worry! All is well."
The party stared at the confident mermaid and then looked at each other. As if in silent agreement, they jumped in as well. The archer and the monk tossed the chest into the water before diving after them. They held their breath as they went in but they were astonished when they got within the sphere's influence. Ethereal fishtails appeared from their behinds and as Polka yelled in surprise and let go of her held breath, she found that she could breathe normally.
"See? All is well," stated Doris with a smile.
It took a while, but eventually, everyone got used to their new situation and followed after Doris as she swam out of the deeper regions. Deeper they went and slowly the city came into view. Built of a mix of coral and stone, the buildings were in a remarkably ordered arrangement with a palace at the far end of the city. As they neared the gates, two triton guards stopped them.
"Halt, do you have anything to declare?" asked the one with a large fin running over the top of his head. The other, with seaweed-like hair, just looked on stoically.
Doris just smiled and said, "I am glad my guards are as vigilant as ever. Do you not recognize me?"
After peering more closely, he smiled and said, "Welcome back, princess. But, I insist on asking, do you have anything to declare?"
"Only my belongings that I brought with me and several friends," she replied, motioning behind her.
He gave them a cursory glance, his eyes narrowing a little when he saw the succubus, but said, "Very well, princess. Welcome back to Leviathis. I… highly suggest you head straight for the palace. Things are not well."
"Why? What happened in the time I was away?" asked the mermaid princess worriedly.
"Your father is gravely ill, princess. Go to him. He may not have long."
She immediately tossed her trident to Botan and sped off towards the palace.
Chapter 20
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 20
"Father!"
The door to the bedroom burst open and Doris swam over to the king's side. He looked like he had seen better days. His white beard reached all the way down the bed. His healthy skin, which used to be similar to the mermaid's, had turned dark blue.
"Princess, please. Your father needs rest," admonished the royal advisor, a light grey triton with a yellow band running down both sides of his head all the way to his arms.
"What's wrong with him?" asked the princess as she gingerly grasped her father's hand.
He sighed and said, "Honestly, I do not know. He seemed very healthy. A week ago, he started coughing a lot. And then, he began to show visible tiredness when he suddenly fell asleep on the throne. The doctor has detected poison but no matter what happened, he was unable to remove it. Then, your brother-"
"Dramos! Where has he been?" she immediately interrupted.
"He has been out of the city, seeking a cure for this mystery poison," he informed her with a dejected tone, "So far, there has been little success. At times, what remedy he finds will take hold but the poison seems to flare up, more potent than ever. It is truly perplexing."
"And where has he gone today?" she pressed on.
"...He is searching in the sahuagin territories today," he explained after a sigh.
"What!? B-b-but... the danger he is in-"
"I know, princess, I know..." he muttered as he closed his eyes forlornly, "Unfortunately, you know how your brother is. Determined to the last. Still, if anyone could find it, it would be your brother."
Doris stared at her sleeping father for a moment… and asked, "I need to speak with Commander Pothas. Where is he?"
"Guard headquarters. Why?"
"I brought some friends with me… I had hoped to show them the wonders of our city, but it seems I will have to ask them for assistance."
"I… am sorry to hear this," said Lamy.
Doris had met up with them at the palace gates, and then took them to the guard headquarters to meet up with Commander Pothas. He was a lobster triton; his blue-green armor was naturally formed all over his body save his hands, feet, and face. Long lobster antennae curved out of the top of his head. His extremities were wearing woven kelp shoes and gloves.
"Thank you… I have gathered everyone here to send aid to my brother," said the mermaid princess. She then said something in a strange language to the commander, who nodded.
She then turned to speak to them, "Sorry. I am explaining my plan to him as his Common is limited. I wish to send you into sahuagin territory to find and aid my brother. I will get my commander to get a tracker to aid you." She then told the commander her plan in her language.
"We will definitely help you, Doris," said Nene quickly after she spoke with the lobster triton.
"Thank you, my friends," replied the princess as the commander left the room.
A few seconds later, a young shark triton swam into the room. She was shorter than everyone in the party. It took them by surprise when she said, "Ah… hello? That's your greeting, yes?"
"Erm, she looks too young for this, I think?" spoke up Aloe with a frown, unable to fathom how old the shark triton was.
The princess then went to the doorway to talk with the commander. A moment later, she told them, "Apparently, Gura here is their best tracker. You will go with her to the sahuagin territories to find and aid my brother."
"She looks cute," said Polka as she suddenly rubbed the shark's head.
"Ah… nice feels," she quipped as she closed her eyes and swayed her head.
Then, Doris spoke with the tracker, who then took on a serious face and saluted when the explanation was done. She then faced the party and said, "Ah, follow. We sneak in, find prince Dramos, sneak out, yeah?"
"Umm, what about this?" asked Botan as she held up the mermaid's trident.
"...Right. That would be our next stop," the princess announced.
She then led them out and headed to what she called the magic institute. There she met up with what they presumed to be one of the heads there. She took out a small chest and placed it on her desk.
"Now, these should help you," she told them as she opened the chest. Inside were several rings. She picked up one and handed one each to the party while explaining, "These were intended to help those who wish to visit our fair city. This will be the first time any land-dweller wears this."
"Ah, so we're guinea pigs," snarked the succubus as she put the ring on.
"Maybe," she replied mysteriously, "But, I believe they work." She then tapped the butt of her trident on the floor.
The party could feel something being retracted from them, and yet they could still breathe underwater. Their ethereal fishtails still remain but they also get some ethereal fins on their legs and arms.
"The rings should help you breathe water right now," she informed the amazed party, "And have some manner of swimming capability. Are there any other questions?"
They looked to each other and Nene said, "No... I don't think we have any other questions."
Doris then clapped her hands and said, "Very well. The rings have to be returned after we are done. Gura, please lead them and help find my brother, please."
The shark tracker gave her a salute and said, "Yes, princess!"
The party and the tracker quickly made their way out of the city, moving east of the city. It was open flat land with patches of kelp forest and coral reefs scattered all around.
"This is a really big place," said Nene, "How are we going to find anyone here?"
"Maybe our friend here can-" started Aloe when their tracker started pulling them into a nearby forest.
"Hide! Hide!" Gura urged them as she shoved them inside. After getting everyone hidden, she dove in after them. Seconds went by as she peeked to look around. Then, she dipped back in and said, "Quiet. Patrols become a lot now."
"Increasing patrols. So we are in sahuagin territory now," summed up Lamy.
"Yes, yes. Move quiet," she confirmed as she motioned them to follow.
They continued swimming forward. After a while, they found a shark circling a small coral reef. She motioned them to hide in the reef. She then waved the shark down and muttered something to it. The shark followed her overhead as she went further into the reef, swimming in a smaller circle. After drawing a circle in the sand and scratching in some sigils with her trident, she then started a melodic chant as she held her trident to her forehead and stretched out her other arm upward. Ten minutes went by as she chanted. This fascinated the others as at times, they could almost see an ethereal shark swimming around the short triton, dipping in and out of the reef intermittently as it moved. After she was done, she swam up and continued to talk to the shark… as she swam with the shark in circles. It was a mystical and amazing experience to witness.
She then swam back to them and said, "He saw a triton going south and east from here. Prince Dramos I think. No other body would come here."
"...Okay… looks like we're going southeast then," summed up the lore bard.
They made their way southeast, past more forests of kelp and coral. The plain slowly became more dotted with lone random corals and humped sand embankments. The amount of schooling fish also seemed to increase. Suddenly, Gura motioned for them to stop.
"I hear conch," she warned them, "Hunting conch. Careful."
Soon, several dots appeared far off in the distance. They stooped down to the ground and kept quiet. The shark triton then started growling when her sharp eyes saw what was happening.
"They are chasing a triton. Is he holding something?" muttered Lamy.
"Is that Prince Dramos? Looks like a large pearl," added Nene.
"Come! Protect Prince Dramos!" shouted their tracker as she shot forward in the water.
"Let's go help her!" urged on Botan. Everyone was in agreement and swam after her.
The prince was ahead of the hunter pack but they were slowly gaining ground on him. So, he was very surprised when the party appeared and engaged them.
"Your majesty, are you alright?" asked Lamy as the bard and the tracker surged on ahead.
"What? Who are you all?" he asked in harried breath while the bard insulted the lead sahuagin and the tracker roared angrily and slammed her trident into its gut.
The four-armed baron roared and struck back. She swam around its bite but the second swing of its trident cut her arm with its prongs. An arrow glanced off its breastplate of woven shells as it ordered the rest of its followers to attack. They swarmed around her, trying to get her with their spears. Aloe and Polka tried distracting them but to no avail. Soon, their pet sharks caught up and they bit down on the raging tracker, prompting cries of pain. They only backed off when a spectral spear manifested and tried to attack one of the sahuagin. The same target roared as Lamy's frost ray chilled its leg.
Unable to play anything, Nene had to make do with just singing, her voice directed at the sharks. At the same time, Gura seemed to shout something at the baron and shot out of the melee, back to the party. Enraged, it swam after her, gouging out her back with its trident. As it shouted for its followers, an arrow streamed past it and struck the group; a muffled boom echoed through the water as the arrow burst with power, churning the water. As the bubbles cleared, one of the sahuagin floated lifelessly while the rest of the pack shook their heads and swam towards the shark triton on the attack.
The succubus and the monk moved in to help, double-teaming and killing another sahuagin while a flurry of blows missed the baron. One of the sharks got impaled by a ghostly spear while the cleric sent a flash of bright light at the larger one, causing it to shimmer in the water.
"Gura! Get back! You need healing!" shouted Nene as she moved in to engage one of the sharks. The tracker didn't listen as she clashed with the sahuagin baron again. After their tridents crashed several times, both of them impaled each other. The tridents slid out of each body and the tracker fell to her knees, bleeding heavily from many wounds.
"Someone, get her out of there!" yelled the prince as another burst arrow exploded in the middle of the enemy. Swimming to another position, Botan then shot another arrow, killing another sahuagin. The remaining one was disoriented by the boom and missed the shark triton, but the other sharks went for blood and started carving her out. So focused were the sharks, the cleric and the bard were able to take the smaller sharks out while healing the tracker.
Roaring as she was revived, Gura darted to the side and gouged out the last sahuagin's throat, leaving only the baron jabbing her in the side.
"Hey! Look!" Nene shouted, trying to distract the hunter shark while the other was gutted and battered by Botan, Aloe, and Polka. Gura was adding to that and confusing the shark was quite effective, leading the others to take it down as well.
With all its followers and pets dying all around it, it roared angrily and attacked its primary target, the shark triton. They roared at each other as they continued to strike and parry each other. Lamy's spirit spear struck him from the side. Its leg got frosted over. It roared again and swept its trident around and fending off the bard and the monk. The tracker then jumped up with another roar and landed on the sahuagin baron's head, slamming her trident in its face.
"Thank you, everyone, for helping me," said Prince Dramos gratefully as Gura pulled her weapon out, snarling at the dead sahuagin as she did so, "Come, let us leave quickly before any more find us."
"I suppose my sister has returned to Leviathis," he started as they quickly swam westward, "I was sent into the sahuagin territory to retrieve a pearl."
"Did you steal it?" asked Polka.
"Admittedly, not the best decision but I am pressed for time," he replied.
"Yeah, we heard. What do you need the pearl for?" asked Nene.
"I… needed it to pay someone for a mystic medicine that would help heal my father," he told them, "Every single time it runs out just as my father seemed to get better. I just need to get enough to treat my father fully."
"Who is making it for you?" asked Lamy curiously, "It must be someone talented or wise."
"...I suppose it is… he is very powerful," he stated, "You will see."
Gura suddenly turned and asked him something in their language. He replied with, "No, I did not go to the witch. Not even I would do such a thing… although I wouldn't put it past her to pass on a cursed item or disease to him… we will have to do something about her later on."
This seemed to appease the shark triton and they continued on their way. Eventually, they got out of sahuagin territory and then the prince led them southwards. The amount of coral reef began to increase, making the place become even more beautiful. Soon, they came to a grandiose villa made of white marble.
Stopping right outside, Prince Dramos shouted, "O' Great and Powerful Gozzah'ram, I seek the audience of the Endless Wave on the Sea of Fate."
The villa rumbled a moment before a wave of bubbles swirled out and reformed into a large, blue-skinned man with his black hair in a topknot. He was large and towered over them. His upper body was thread-bare and seemed to be sculpted out of stone while he had no legs, only a swirling whirlpool that didn't seem to affect its surroundings at all.
"So! You have returned, Dramos of Leviathis," the marid said imperiously, "Do you have what I requested?"
"Yes, O' Wise and Grand Vizier of the Deeps. This is what I have acquired," he stated as he presented the large pearl.
The elemental genie nodded and stated, "Good, good. That… is acceptable." He plucked the pearl out of the prince's hands and with a wave of his other hand, a large transparent bottle appeared with a viscous purple liquid inside.
"This is different from the others," he explained, "Taking one cup twice a day until it is finished will be enough to cure your father."
"Thank you, Great One of Endless Generosity!" exclaimed the prince as he bowed to the marid, hugging the bottle tightly to his chest.
"Do you know who poisoned the king?" asked Polka suddenly.
The pompous genie blinked. He frowned at the fennec fox girl for a moment and told the prince, "Your companions are quite rude. But, I am magnanimous and shall forgive this foolishness."
"A thousand apologies, O' Caliph of the Seas. I shall endeavor to correct this," replied Prince Dramos.
One 'hmph' later, the marid went back into the villa. He sighed with relief and turned to the others. "Please do not insult the marid. Nobody would survive if he wasn't already in a good mood," he scolded. Then, he stated, "Regardless, thank you, everyone, for your help. Now, let us return to Leviathis and cure my father."
AN: Alright, in this chapter, we introduce Gura.
Gura Gawr
Triton Shark
Totem Warrior Barbarian/Lore Bard
In here, our little shark is the tracker. Her totem is the shark, another homebrew thing. The 3rd level effect of the shark is when attacking a creature that is already damaged, deal an extra 1d6 on a successful hit. Much like the shark goes in for the kill with blood in the water, Gura can do the same.
"Father!"
The door to the bedroom burst open and Doris swam over to the king's side. He looked like he had seen better days. His white beard reached all the way down the bed. His healthy skin, which used to be similar to the mermaid's, had turned dark blue.
"Princess, please. Your father needs rest," admonished the royal advisor, a light grey triton with a yellow band running down both sides of his head all the way to his arms.
"What's wrong with him?" asked the princess as she gingerly grasped her father's hand.
He sighed and said, "Honestly, I do not know. He seemed very healthy. A week ago, he started coughing a lot. And then, he began to show visible tiredness when he suddenly fell asleep on the throne. The doctor has detected poison but no matter what happened, he was unable to remove it. Then, your brother-"
"Dramos! Where has he been?" she immediately interrupted.
"He has been out of the city, seeking a cure for this mystery poison," he informed her with a dejected tone, "So far, there has been little success. At times, what remedy he finds will take hold but the poison seems to flare up, more potent than ever. It is truly perplexing."
"And where has he gone today?" she pressed on.
"...He is searching in the sahuagin territories today," he explained after a sigh.
"What!? B-b-but... the danger he is in-"
"I know, princess, I know..." he muttered as he closed his eyes forlornly, "Unfortunately, you know how your brother is. Determined to the last. Still, if anyone could find it, it would be your brother."
Doris stared at her sleeping father for a moment… and asked, "I need to speak with Commander Pothas. Where is he?"
"Guard headquarters. Why?"
"I brought some friends with me… I had hoped to show them the wonders of our city, but it seems I will have to ask them for assistance."
"I… am sorry to hear this," said Lamy.
Doris had met up with them at the palace gates, and then took them to the guard headquarters to meet up with Commander Pothas. He was a lobster triton; his blue-green armor was naturally formed all over his body save his hands, feet, and face. Long lobster antennae curved out of the top of his head. His extremities were wearing woven kelp shoes and gloves.
"Thank you… I have gathered everyone here to send aid to my brother," said the mermaid princess. She then said something in a strange language to the commander, who nodded.
She then turned to speak to them, "Sorry. I am explaining my plan to him as his Common is limited. I wish to send you into sahuagin territory to find and aid my brother. I will get my commander to get a tracker to aid you." She then told the commander her plan in her language.
"We will definitely help you, Doris," said Nene quickly after she spoke with the lobster triton.
"Thank you, my friends," replied the princess as the commander left the room.
A few seconds later, a young shark triton swam into the room. She was shorter than everyone in the party. It took them by surprise when she said, "Ah… hello? That's your greeting, yes?"
"Erm, she looks too young for this, I think?" spoke up Aloe with a frown, unable to fathom how old the shark triton was.
The princess then went to the doorway to talk with the commander. A moment later, she told them, "Apparently, Gura here is their best tracker. You will go with her to the sahuagin territories to find and aid my brother."
"She looks cute," said Polka as she suddenly rubbed the shark's head.
"Ah… nice feels," she quipped as she closed her eyes and swayed her head.
Then, Doris spoke with the tracker, who then took on a serious face and saluted when the explanation was done. She then faced the party and said, "Ah, follow. We sneak in, find prince Dramos, sneak out, yeah?"
"Umm, what about this?" asked Botan as she held up the mermaid's trident.
"...Right. That would be our next stop," the princess announced.
She then led them out and headed to what she called the magic institute. There she met up with what they presumed to be one of the heads there. She took out a small chest and placed it on her desk.
"Now, these should help you," she told them as she opened the chest. Inside were several rings. She picked up one and handed one each to the party while explaining, "These were intended to help those who wish to visit our fair city. This will be the first time any land-dweller wears this."
"Ah, so we're guinea pigs," snarked the succubus as she put the ring on.
"Maybe," she replied mysteriously, "But, I believe they work." She then tapped the butt of her trident on the floor.
The party could feel something being retracted from them, and yet they could still breathe underwater. Their ethereal fishtails still remain but they also get some ethereal fins on their legs and arms.
"The rings should help you breathe water right now," she informed the amazed party, "And have some manner of swimming capability. Are there any other questions?"
They looked to each other and Nene said, "No... I don't think we have any other questions."
Doris then clapped her hands and said, "Very well. The rings have to be returned after we are done. Gura, please lead them and help find my brother, please."
The shark tracker gave her a salute and said, "Yes, princess!"
The party and the tracker quickly made their way out of the city, moving east of the city. It was open flat land with patches of kelp forest and coral reefs scattered all around.
"This is a really big place," said Nene, "How are we going to find anyone here?"
"Maybe our friend here can-" started Aloe when their tracker started pulling them into a nearby forest.
"Hide! Hide!" Gura urged them as she shoved them inside. After getting everyone hidden, she dove in after them. Seconds went by as she peeked to look around. Then, she dipped back in and said, "Quiet. Patrols become a lot now."
"Increasing patrols. So we are in sahuagin territory now," summed up Lamy.
"Yes, yes. Move quiet," she confirmed as she motioned them to follow.
They continued swimming forward. After a while, they found a shark circling a small coral reef. She motioned them to hide in the reef. She then waved the shark down and muttered something to it. The shark followed her overhead as she went further into the reef, swimming in a smaller circle. After drawing a circle in the sand and scratching in some sigils with her trident, she then started a melodic chant as she held her trident to her forehead and stretched out her other arm upward. Ten minutes went by as she chanted. This fascinated the others as at times, they could almost see an ethereal shark swimming around the short triton, dipping in and out of the reef intermittently as it moved. After she was done, she swam up and continued to talk to the shark… as she swam with the shark in circles. It was a mystical and amazing experience to witness.
She then swam back to them and said, "He saw a triton going south and east from here. Prince Dramos I think. No other body would come here."
"...Okay… looks like we're going southeast then," summed up the lore bard.
They made their way southeast, past more forests of kelp and coral. The plain slowly became more dotted with lone random corals and humped sand embankments. The amount of schooling fish also seemed to increase. Suddenly, Gura motioned for them to stop.
"I hear conch," she warned them, "Hunting conch. Careful."
Soon, several dots appeared far off in the distance. They stooped down to the ground and kept quiet. The shark triton then started growling when her sharp eyes saw what was happening.
"They are chasing a triton. Is he holding something?" muttered Lamy.
"Is that Prince Dramos? Looks like a large pearl," added Nene.
"Come! Protect Prince Dramos!" shouted their tracker as she shot forward in the water.
"Let's go help her!" urged on Botan. Everyone was in agreement and swam after her.
The prince was ahead of the hunter pack but they were slowly gaining ground on him. So, he was very surprised when the party appeared and engaged them.
"Your majesty, are you alright?" asked Lamy as the bard and the tracker surged on ahead.
"What? Who are you all?" he asked in harried breath while the bard insulted the lead sahuagin and the tracker roared angrily and slammed her trident into its gut.
The four-armed baron roared and struck back. She swam around its bite but the second swing of its trident cut her arm with its prongs. An arrow glanced off its breastplate of woven shells as it ordered the rest of its followers to attack. They swarmed around her, trying to get her with their spears. Aloe and Polka tried distracting them but to no avail. Soon, their pet sharks caught up and they bit down on the raging tracker, prompting cries of pain. They only backed off when a spectral spear manifested and tried to attack one of the sahuagin. The same target roared as Lamy's frost ray chilled its leg.
Unable to play anything, Nene had to make do with just singing, her voice directed at the sharks. At the same time, Gura seemed to shout something at the baron and shot out of the melee, back to the party. Enraged, it swam after her, gouging out her back with its trident. As it shouted for its followers, an arrow streamed past it and struck the group; a muffled boom echoed through the water as the arrow burst with power, churning the water. As the bubbles cleared, one of the sahuagin floated lifelessly while the rest of the pack shook their heads and swam towards the shark triton on the attack.
The succubus and the monk moved in to help, double-teaming and killing another sahuagin while a flurry of blows missed the baron. One of the sharks got impaled by a ghostly spear while the cleric sent a flash of bright light at the larger one, causing it to shimmer in the water.
"Gura! Get back! You need healing!" shouted Nene as she moved in to engage one of the sharks. The tracker didn't listen as she clashed with the sahuagin baron again. After their tridents crashed several times, both of them impaled each other. The tridents slid out of each body and the tracker fell to her knees, bleeding heavily from many wounds.
"Someone, get her out of there!" yelled the prince as another burst arrow exploded in the middle of the enemy. Swimming to another position, Botan then shot another arrow, killing another sahuagin. The remaining one was disoriented by the boom and missed the shark triton, but the other sharks went for blood and started carving her out. So focused were the sharks, the cleric and the bard were able to take the smaller sharks out while healing the tracker.
Roaring as she was revived, Gura darted to the side and gouged out the last sahuagin's throat, leaving only the baron jabbing her in the side.
"Hey! Look!" Nene shouted, trying to distract the hunter shark while the other was gutted and battered by Botan, Aloe, and Polka. Gura was adding to that and confusing the shark was quite effective, leading the others to take it down as well.
With all its followers and pets dying all around it, it roared angrily and attacked its primary target, the shark triton. They roared at each other as they continued to strike and parry each other. Lamy's spirit spear struck him from the side. Its leg got frosted over. It roared again and swept its trident around and fending off the bard and the monk. The tracker then jumped up with another roar and landed on the sahuagin baron's head, slamming her trident in its face.
"Thank you, everyone, for helping me," said Prince Dramos gratefully as Gura pulled her weapon out, snarling at the dead sahuagin as she did so, "Come, let us leave quickly before any more find us."
"I suppose my sister has returned to Leviathis," he started as they quickly swam westward, "I was sent into the sahuagin territory to retrieve a pearl."
"Did you steal it?" asked Polka.
"Admittedly, not the best decision but I am pressed for time," he replied.
"Yeah, we heard. What do you need the pearl for?" asked Nene.
"I… needed it to pay someone for a mystic medicine that would help heal my father," he told them, "Every single time it runs out just as my father seemed to get better. I just need to get enough to treat my father fully."
"Who is making it for you?" asked Lamy curiously, "It must be someone talented or wise."
"...I suppose it is… he is very powerful," he stated, "You will see."
Gura suddenly turned and asked him something in their language. He replied with, "No, I did not go to the witch. Not even I would do such a thing… although I wouldn't put it past her to pass on a cursed item or disease to him… we will have to do something about her later on."
This seemed to appease the shark triton and they continued on their way. Eventually, they got out of sahuagin territory and then the prince led them southwards. The amount of coral reef began to increase, making the place become even more beautiful. Soon, they came to a grandiose villa made of white marble.
Stopping right outside, Prince Dramos shouted, "O' Great and Powerful Gozzah'ram, I seek the audience of the Endless Wave on the Sea of Fate."
The villa rumbled a moment before a wave of bubbles swirled out and reformed into a large, blue-skinned man with his black hair in a topknot. He was large and towered over them. His upper body was thread-bare and seemed to be sculpted out of stone while he had no legs, only a swirling whirlpool that didn't seem to affect its surroundings at all.
"So! You have returned, Dramos of Leviathis," the marid said imperiously, "Do you have what I requested?"
"Yes, O' Wise and Grand Vizier of the Deeps. This is what I have acquired," he stated as he presented the large pearl.
The elemental genie nodded and stated, "Good, good. That… is acceptable." He plucked the pearl out of the prince's hands and with a wave of his other hand, a large transparent bottle appeared with a viscous purple liquid inside.
"This is different from the others," he explained, "Taking one cup twice a day until it is finished will be enough to cure your father."
"Thank you, Great One of Endless Generosity!" exclaimed the prince as he bowed to the marid, hugging the bottle tightly to his chest.
"Do you know who poisoned the king?" asked Polka suddenly.
The pompous genie blinked. He frowned at the fennec fox girl for a moment and told the prince, "Your companions are quite rude. But, I am magnanimous and shall forgive this foolishness."
"A thousand apologies, O' Caliph of the Seas. I shall endeavor to correct this," replied Prince Dramos.
One 'hmph' later, the marid went back into the villa. He sighed with relief and turned to the others. "Please do not insult the marid. Nobody would survive if he wasn't already in a good mood," he scolded. Then, he stated, "Regardless, thank you, everyone, for your help. Now, let us return to Leviathis and cure my father."
AN: Alright, in this chapter, we introduce Gura.
Gura Gawr
Triton Shark
Totem Warrior Barbarian/Lore Bard
In here, our little shark is the tracker. Her totem is the shark, another homebrew thing. The 3rd level effect of the shark is when attacking a creature that is already damaged, deal an extra 1d6 on a successful hit. Much like the shark goes in for the kill with blood in the water, Gura can do the same.
Chapter 21
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 21
They swam back to the city as fast as they could. With Gura's help, they took the fastest path back and made it back before night fell. They headed straight for the palace and brought the medicine to the king. Doris was there keeping him company when they showed up, as well as the doctor who was checking up on the ailing king. As the siblings fussed over their father, the party and the tracker slipped out of the room.
"You are quite loyal to them," commented Lamy.
"Prince and Princess. Why not?" Gura replied in halting Common.
"You almost lost your life," muttered Nene.
"Shark protect me!" she said proudly as she pointed to herself with a grin, "Shark strong. Kill enemy very fast. No worry. Have Shark."
"You really shouldn't be taking so many risks," added Polka.
"Alone, yes. No risk actions. But you are here," the tracker quipped back. She then hugged the bard.
"Ah… you make it very hard to be sad like this," the lore bard said with a smile, "Just… don't go too risky next time, alright? Even with us here, we may not be able to help in time."
"Okay!"
"Oh, Doris? Is your father alright?" asked Botan as the siblings came out. The brother went off with the doctor, deep in discussion, while the sister came to them.
"There has not been any change yet. We will have to see in the coming days," she stated forlornly, "Still, thank you for bringing my brother back. I am in your debt."
"I guess we should stick around and see, just to be sure," spoke up Aloe with a smirk, "If you don't mind putting up with us."
"I do not," she replied with a tired smile, "I shall make arrangements. You and your friends shall be my guests in the palace."
"Nice!" exclaimed Polka with joy.
The next two days passed by quickly. Nene got some help from Doris with learning one of her songs while Aloe listened in. Botan and Polka did some sparring with Gura to get used to fighting underwater. Lamy helped the doctor and Dramos to monitor the king's condition. It was she who notified everyone that the king had awoken. Everyone then hurried to the king's bedroom to check on him. At first, the doctor shooed the rest out, only letting the siblings speak with him first. After a few minutes, they were allowed in. The king was looking a little healthier, not as dark blue as before.
"So… you are the ones that helped my son," he muttered, "I thank you."
"It was the right thing to do," spoke up Lamy, "It would not sit well with me if we failed to do something."
"Ah… again, I am thankful for your intervention," he replied. Turning to his son, he asked, "I shall hand this off to you, Dramos."
"Very well, father," said the prince before turning to address the party, "Everyone... it seems that we have our culprit. The witch of the sea that lives near here. I do not know how, but she had passed on a cursed item to my father and caused his illness. We have tolerated her existence until now. For attempting to kill my father, she will be sentenced to death. You will accompany me to her abode to enact her punishment."
"Very well," replied the half-snow elf seriously, "When are you leaving, your majesty?"
"Immediately."
She made her home in a large shipwreck. It was supposed to have sunk during a rather vicious storm. It had a large hold that was buried in the sandbank and was now home to various kinds of sea life. Dramos brought along several soldiers with him, including Gura. The group went in from the topdeck entrance and made their way down to the lower decks. However, as they made their way down, they could hear loud cackling. They found the hag at the second lowest deck.
"My, my, Prince Dramos, of all people, coming to visit little old me. Why, if you told me in advance, I would have made the place presentable to your highness. What do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" she cackled, her seaweed-looking hair covering her face.
"For the attempted murder of my father, I hereby sentence you to death," he declared as he pointed at her.
"Death, you say?" she repeated before cackling, "Then... come and approach me if you dare!" With a shriek of laughter, she raised a gnarled piece of wood that had a conch shell affixed to it and chanted.
"All the tiny things to know,
You shape and reap of what you sow,
Come alive now! Monsters, grow!"
Without a warning, several giant octopuses and giant crabs appeared as her makeshift hag's wand made the sea life suddenly enlarge and become aggressive.
"Choke them, my pretties!" she cackled as she pointed at them.
"Defend yourselves!" he shouted as he and his men brandished their tridents.
The hag cackled as she moved nearer to them and then lifted her hair and let out her ugly face on full display. Misshapen face, bulging eyes, and a jawful of teeth too big for her face. A few were shocked and frightened, but the prince shouted, "Do not lose heart! Remember what you fight for, men!"
That was all he could shout out before it devolved into a general melee as the enlarged sea life converged to repel invaders. Octopuses snared and entangled them. Crabs nipped and grabbed on to their legs. Dramos got into the thick of it, taking on a giant octopus by himself. Lamy summoned her spectral weapon, now in the shape of a trident, and put it to work as she shot rays of frost to finish off her targets. However, after failing to fend off the intruders and a few minions dying, the hag decided to take things into her own hands and swam straight for the prince.
"Ahahaha!" she cackled as she raked her claws over his arm.
Distracted by this sudden attack, his divided attention allowed the giant octopus to grab him with its tentacles. "You foul witch, I shall be your executioner!" he roared as he tried to stab her with his trident.
The other tritons yelled in response to that and tried to fight even fiercer. However, one of them passed on, his bones crushed by tentacles. Nene, Botan, and Polka worked to put down that one while Aloe and Lamy worked to kill and freeze the crabs. However, all was not well.
With a great yell, the prince fell as the hag clawed out his throat. His triton escort yelled in dismay as another of their number fell as well. The lion girl roared and transformed as a giant octopus swam closer and grabbed her by the waist. She started biting and scratching with a feral ferocity. Lamy sent the spectral trident to help her while she froze off another's head, killing it in the process. The others went to help the dwindling triton force.
As the third giant octopus fell, things became more manageable to the remaining force. One by one, they fell to the deck lifeless and that freed up more people to team up on the others. The sea hag also realized this and moved to aid her minions, staining her claws with more triton blood. However, she could clearly see that the way things are, they were not going in her favor and decided to make a run for it.
"Witch!" yelled Gura, as well as several other words in her tongue, as she finished off the giant octopus she had been tussling with since the beginning and sped off after her.
"After her!" urged on Botan as she shot at the fleeing hag, her arrows finding their mark with precision.
"Polka!" yelled Nene as she moved to heal the fennec fox girl as the giant octopus slammed the monk on the deck, releasing its hold on her body as she floated lifelessly. Her bones reknitting together, the monk slamming a flurry of punches into its soft body.
"You will not flee!" declared Lamy as she froze the hag's legs, rooting her in place.
"Don't think you can keep me here!" the hag shrieked as she suddenly ripped the boards out of the side of the ship with a sudden display of strength. She then ripped her legs out of the ice, squeezed out through the hole, and swam away as fast as she could.
"Come back!" roared Gura angrily as she moved to swim after the fleeing hag but a yell caused her to lend aid to her fellow triton in killing the last giant crab, The two remaining giant octopuses tried escaping, the influence of the hag now gone. One managed to escape but the other was cut to pieces by the party and the two surviving soldiers.
After it was all said and done, the remaining soldiers and Gura slowly stepped up to the cold body of the prince and knelt around him. The party kept their distance, not knowing what to say. The prince fought bravely, this they knew and saw. Then, the tracker started singing a beautiful but haunting song. The other two added their voices in as well. They didn't know what they were singing but its essence was understood.
"A funeral dirge," muttered Nene softly, informing the others, "We will hear more of it when they bring him back."
"Should we search the place for stuff while they're singing?" asked Aloe, keeping her voice down as well.
"I don't see why not," whispered back Botan.
"Hmm, not sure if it's disrespectful… but I guess?" murmured Polka.
"It certainly is. Their prince just died and… well, granted, this place belonged to an enemy, but still, the thought really counts..." objected Lamy.
"Well, I, for one, want to look around," quipped the succubus as she slunk away to search the place.
As the singing drew to a close, the hull suddenly started creaking. Gura then called them over and asked, "Please! Help carry bodies." They were a little weirded out but complied. The two soldiers carried the prince's body while the party helped to carry the others.
"Where your friend?" asked the tracker.
Loud cackling rang throughout the deck and coupling that with the creaking hull, it didn't sound all that good.
"Erm, we better go now!" yelled Aloe as she swam past them, "Run!"
The current suddenly began picking up, prompting the others to start swimming out of the wreck. The current picked up, making it harder for them to swim. Thankfully, they made it out and swam far enough to see the ship suddenly crumble and break inward, the swirling current transforming into a whirlpool.
"What in the world did you do, Aloe?" asked Nene.
"Erm… I found a black silk bag..." the succubus muttered embarrassedly, "When I opened up to check, that laugh came out and… a tiny whirlpool."
The party just stared at her, causing her to squirm a little. Lamy then sighed and said, "What the witch had… probably, was not that good anyway, so very little loss. We should bring the bodies back to the city and give them a proper burial."
"Yeah… yeah, a bit too late to complain about this now," agreed Nene as she went over and placed a hand over the former's shoulder, "Let's go, Aloe."
Once the news broke out that the prince had been slain, Leviathis fell into mourning. Everyone, from the commoner to the nobility to Doris and her father wore black bands around their right wrist. The party did the same out of respect for the prince. A grand funeral was held at the temple and they were part of the princess' entourage. Gura took part as one of the dirge singers at the temple. The prince and the soldiers who had fallen with him were encased in caskets made of coral. Then, the caskets were paraded all around the city before being laid to rest in the graveyard. The prince's body was placed in the royal mausoleum, where the rest of the royal family was interred. The soldiers were buried with the nobility after being conferred the highest honors for serving bravely.
"Thank you, friends, for keeping company and helping my people," stated the mermaid as she hugged them after the funeral was over, "The past two days were harrowing for me and I am thankful for your support."
"It was the least we could do, princess," replied Lamy with an assuring smile.
"Will you be coming back to Rivirapolis with us?" asked Botan.
Doris sighed, looking quite tired, and said, "I… do not think I can. My brother is gone and I am expected to be next in line. With my father still recovering, I will have to help out in his stead. Even after he is healthier, I will have to be groomed to be his successor. Ah… I suppose I have to send a letter to Sir Aruran about my resignation from the guild."
"...Take your time, Doris. We'll be here until you're ready to send us off," stated Nene as she rubbed the mermaid's shoulder.
"Thank you, my friends. Thank you," she thanked them. Then, she promised, "I will have someone draft a letter for you to bring."
"You know, if you need more time..." started Polka but she shook her head.
"No… it is fine," she said, "I… I am sorry. I think I need to lie down." She then headed back to the palace.
It took another two days before Doris came to them with the letter, as well as some interesting rewards. A set of five amulets, a piece of coral in a water-filled globe attached to a silver chain.
"These amulets have been blessed in the temple," said the mermaid princess as she placed them around their necks, "These will grant you the protection of Persana as long as you wear it."
"Thank you, your majesty. We graciously accept," stated Lamy gratefully.
"Please, you can still call me Doris… in private functions at least," the former replied with a smile, "You are my friends, after all."
"Well, thank you for the gifts, Doris," said Nene as she gave the mermaid a hug, "'Thanks for everything."
She simply smiled and said, "Please bring my letter to Sir Aruran safely. I will send some of the soldiers to accompany you to Colch Island. From there, you should be able to meet up with Captain Calixes and head straight to Huan Tuo. Don't forget to return the rings."
"No worries!" exclaimed Polka, "After all that hag, what's the worst that could happen?"
"What did you say the other day? What's the worst that could happen?" shouted Botan before they were both thrown about by the rocking boat.
They reached the island with no trouble. After having retrieved their backpacks and getting more arrows for Botan, they boarded the ship. It seems that the ship will always visit the island every week. If it wasn't bringing visitors, they would be shipping supplies to and fro to the port. Then, they got caught in a storm. It was a violent one at that and being thrown about in their room was no joking matter. With the bed sliding all around the place, they couldn't sleep a wink. After the ship weathered the storm, they caught a few hours sleep despite the archer and the bard hitting their heads on the wooden walls of the ship.
Then, they were called up topside. The ship was mostly intact but the thunderstorm had caused part of the furled up sail to catch on fire and they had to repair it. However, Lamy's repeated casts of Mending helped to recover parts of the sailcloth while Polka helped the shipwright to mend the top part of the mast. While she usually used needles that sewed leather, Botan helped with patching up the sailcloth. Meanwhile...
"Still not getting a bite?" whispered Nene as she sat with Aloe on the side of the ship, holding on to a fishing rod.
"No… I really don't see why some mortals like fishing," replied the succubus with a pout.
"Well, maybe not now," the bard said as she glanced behind them, the hammering and sawing and the chanting taking up most of the air space, "But, most mortals like fishing in a quiet spot to appreciate the peace and quiet it brings."
"Hn… I guess being mortal is harder than I thought," the latter muttered, "I mean… I've been here for a while now but I barely talked with anyone else other than in the guild people and Towa."
"Hmm, still… you are fitting in pretty well. I'm kind of glad we are friends instead of fighting that time," the former replied with a smile.
"I guess… eh, my rod is shaking," Aloe started when the rod started twitching.
"Reel it in!" shouted Nene as she jumped in to help her pull on it. The fish was large enough to feed most of them for dinner that night.
They swam back to the city as fast as they could. With Gura's help, they took the fastest path back and made it back before night fell. They headed straight for the palace and brought the medicine to the king. Doris was there keeping him company when they showed up, as well as the doctor who was checking up on the ailing king. As the siblings fussed over their father, the party and the tracker slipped out of the room.
"You are quite loyal to them," commented Lamy.
"Prince and Princess. Why not?" Gura replied in halting Common.
"You almost lost your life," muttered Nene.
"Shark protect me!" she said proudly as she pointed to herself with a grin, "Shark strong. Kill enemy very fast. No worry. Have Shark."
"You really shouldn't be taking so many risks," added Polka.
"Alone, yes. No risk actions. But you are here," the tracker quipped back. She then hugged the bard.
"Ah… you make it very hard to be sad like this," the lore bard said with a smile, "Just… don't go too risky next time, alright? Even with us here, we may not be able to help in time."
"Okay!"
"Oh, Doris? Is your father alright?" asked Botan as the siblings came out. The brother went off with the doctor, deep in discussion, while the sister came to them.
"There has not been any change yet. We will have to see in the coming days," she stated forlornly, "Still, thank you for bringing my brother back. I am in your debt."
"I guess we should stick around and see, just to be sure," spoke up Aloe with a smirk, "If you don't mind putting up with us."
"I do not," she replied with a tired smile, "I shall make arrangements. You and your friends shall be my guests in the palace."
"Nice!" exclaimed Polka with joy.
The next two days passed by quickly. Nene got some help from Doris with learning one of her songs while Aloe listened in. Botan and Polka did some sparring with Gura to get used to fighting underwater. Lamy helped the doctor and Dramos to monitor the king's condition. It was she who notified everyone that the king had awoken. Everyone then hurried to the king's bedroom to check on him. At first, the doctor shooed the rest out, only letting the siblings speak with him first. After a few minutes, they were allowed in. The king was looking a little healthier, not as dark blue as before.
"So… you are the ones that helped my son," he muttered, "I thank you."
"It was the right thing to do," spoke up Lamy, "It would not sit well with me if we failed to do something."
"Ah… again, I am thankful for your intervention," he replied. Turning to his son, he asked, "I shall hand this off to you, Dramos."
"Very well, father," said the prince before turning to address the party, "Everyone... it seems that we have our culprit. The witch of the sea that lives near here. I do not know how, but she had passed on a cursed item to my father and caused his illness. We have tolerated her existence until now. For attempting to kill my father, she will be sentenced to death. You will accompany me to her abode to enact her punishment."
"Very well," replied the half-snow elf seriously, "When are you leaving, your majesty?"
"Immediately."
She made her home in a large shipwreck. It was supposed to have sunk during a rather vicious storm. It had a large hold that was buried in the sandbank and was now home to various kinds of sea life. Dramos brought along several soldiers with him, including Gura. The group went in from the topdeck entrance and made their way down to the lower decks. However, as they made their way down, they could hear loud cackling. They found the hag at the second lowest deck.
"My, my, Prince Dramos, of all people, coming to visit little old me. Why, if you told me in advance, I would have made the place presentable to your highness. What do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" she cackled, her seaweed-looking hair covering her face.
"For the attempted murder of my father, I hereby sentence you to death," he declared as he pointed at her.
"Death, you say?" she repeated before cackling, "Then... come and approach me if you dare!" With a shriek of laughter, she raised a gnarled piece of wood that had a conch shell affixed to it and chanted.
"All the tiny things to know,
You shape and reap of what you sow,
Come alive now! Monsters, grow!"
Without a warning, several giant octopuses and giant crabs appeared as her makeshift hag's wand made the sea life suddenly enlarge and become aggressive.
"Choke them, my pretties!" she cackled as she pointed at them.
"Defend yourselves!" he shouted as he and his men brandished their tridents.
The hag cackled as she moved nearer to them and then lifted her hair and let out her ugly face on full display. Misshapen face, bulging eyes, and a jawful of teeth too big for her face. A few were shocked and frightened, but the prince shouted, "Do not lose heart! Remember what you fight for, men!"
That was all he could shout out before it devolved into a general melee as the enlarged sea life converged to repel invaders. Octopuses snared and entangled them. Crabs nipped and grabbed on to their legs. Dramos got into the thick of it, taking on a giant octopus by himself. Lamy summoned her spectral weapon, now in the shape of a trident, and put it to work as she shot rays of frost to finish off her targets. However, after failing to fend off the intruders and a few minions dying, the hag decided to take things into her own hands and swam straight for the prince.
"Ahahaha!" she cackled as she raked her claws over his arm.
Distracted by this sudden attack, his divided attention allowed the giant octopus to grab him with its tentacles. "You foul witch, I shall be your executioner!" he roared as he tried to stab her with his trident.
The other tritons yelled in response to that and tried to fight even fiercer. However, one of them passed on, his bones crushed by tentacles. Nene, Botan, and Polka worked to put down that one while Aloe and Lamy worked to kill and freeze the crabs. However, all was not well.
With a great yell, the prince fell as the hag clawed out his throat. His triton escort yelled in dismay as another of their number fell as well. The lion girl roared and transformed as a giant octopus swam closer and grabbed her by the waist. She started biting and scratching with a feral ferocity. Lamy sent the spectral trident to help her while she froze off another's head, killing it in the process. The others went to help the dwindling triton force.
As the third giant octopus fell, things became more manageable to the remaining force. One by one, they fell to the deck lifeless and that freed up more people to team up on the others. The sea hag also realized this and moved to aid her minions, staining her claws with more triton blood. However, she could clearly see that the way things are, they were not going in her favor and decided to make a run for it.
"Witch!" yelled Gura, as well as several other words in her tongue, as she finished off the giant octopus she had been tussling with since the beginning and sped off after her.
"After her!" urged on Botan as she shot at the fleeing hag, her arrows finding their mark with precision.
"Polka!" yelled Nene as she moved to heal the fennec fox girl as the giant octopus slammed the monk on the deck, releasing its hold on her body as she floated lifelessly. Her bones reknitting together, the monk slamming a flurry of punches into its soft body.
"You will not flee!" declared Lamy as she froze the hag's legs, rooting her in place.
"Don't think you can keep me here!" the hag shrieked as she suddenly ripped the boards out of the side of the ship with a sudden display of strength. She then ripped her legs out of the ice, squeezed out through the hole, and swam away as fast as she could.
"Come back!" roared Gura angrily as she moved to swim after the fleeing hag but a yell caused her to lend aid to her fellow triton in killing the last giant crab, The two remaining giant octopuses tried escaping, the influence of the hag now gone. One managed to escape but the other was cut to pieces by the party and the two surviving soldiers.
After it was all said and done, the remaining soldiers and Gura slowly stepped up to the cold body of the prince and knelt around him. The party kept their distance, not knowing what to say. The prince fought bravely, this they knew and saw. Then, the tracker started singing a beautiful but haunting song. The other two added their voices in as well. They didn't know what they were singing but its essence was understood.
"A funeral dirge," muttered Nene softly, informing the others, "We will hear more of it when they bring him back."
"Should we search the place for stuff while they're singing?" asked Aloe, keeping her voice down as well.
"I don't see why not," whispered back Botan.
"Hmm, not sure if it's disrespectful… but I guess?" murmured Polka.
"It certainly is. Their prince just died and… well, granted, this place belonged to an enemy, but still, the thought really counts..." objected Lamy.
"Well, I, for one, want to look around," quipped the succubus as she slunk away to search the place.
As the singing drew to a close, the hull suddenly started creaking. Gura then called them over and asked, "Please! Help carry bodies." They were a little weirded out but complied. The two soldiers carried the prince's body while the party helped to carry the others.
"Where your friend?" asked the tracker.
Loud cackling rang throughout the deck and coupling that with the creaking hull, it didn't sound all that good.
"Erm, we better go now!" yelled Aloe as she swam past them, "Run!"
The current suddenly began picking up, prompting the others to start swimming out of the wreck. The current picked up, making it harder for them to swim. Thankfully, they made it out and swam far enough to see the ship suddenly crumble and break inward, the swirling current transforming into a whirlpool.
"What in the world did you do, Aloe?" asked Nene.
"Erm… I found a black silk bag..." the succubus muttered embarrassedly, "When I opened up to check, that laugh came out and… a tiny whirlpool."
The party just stared at her, causing her to squirm a little. Lamy then sighed and said, "What the witch had… probably, was not that good anyway, so very little loss. We should bring the bodies back to the city and give them a proper burial."
"Yeah… yeah, a bit too late to complain about this now," agreed Nene as she went over and placed a hand over the former's shoulder, "Let's go, Aloe."
Once the news broke out that the prince had been slain, Leviathis fell into mourning. Everyone, from the commoner to the nobility to Doris and her father wore black bands around their right wrist. The party did the same out of respect for the prince. A grand funeral was held at the temple and they were part of the princess' entourage. Gura took part as one of the dirge singers at the temple. The prince and the soldiers who had fallen with him were encased in caskets made of coral. Then, the caskets were paraded all around the city before being laid to rest in the graveyard. The prince's body was placed in the royal mausoleum, where the rest of the royal family was interred. The soldiers were buried with the nobility after being conferred the highest honors for serving bravely.
"Thank you, friends, for keeping company and helping my people," stated the mermaid as she hugged them after the funeral was over, "The past two days were harrowing for me and I am thankful for your support."
"It was the least we could do, princess," replied Lamy with an assuring smile.
"Will you be coming back to Rivirapolis with us?" asked Botan.
Doris sighed, looking quite tired, and said, "I… do not think I can. My brother is gone and I am expected to be next in line. With my father still recovering, I will have to help out in his stead. Even after he is healthier, I will have to be groomed to be his successor. Ah… I suppose I have to send a letter to Sir Aruran about my resignation from the guild."
"...Take your time, Doris. We'll be here until you're ready to send us off," stated Nene as she rubbed the mermaid's shoulder.
"Thank you, my friends. Thank you," she thanked them. Then, she promised, "I will have someone draft a letter for you to bring."
"You know, if you need more time..." started Polka but she shook her head.
"No… it is fine," she said, "I… I am sorry. I think I need to lie down." She then headed back to the palace.
It took another two days before Doris came to them with the letter, as well as some interesting rewards. A set of five amulets, a piece of coral in a water-filled globe attached to a silver chain.
"These amulets have been blessed in the temple," said the mermaid princess as she placed them around their necks, "These will grant you the protection of Persana as long as you wear it."
"Thank you, your majesty. We graciously accept," stated Lamy gratefully.
"Please, you can still call me Doris… in private functions at least," the former replied with a smile, "You are my friends, after all."
"Well, thank you for the gifts, Doris," said Nene as she gave the mermaid a hug, "'Thanks for everything."
She simply smiled and said, "Please bring my letter to Sir Aruran safely. I will send some of the soldiers to accompany you to Colch Island. From there, you should be able to meet up with Captain Calixes and head straight to Huan Tuo. Don't forget to return the rings."
"No worries!" exclaimed Polka, "After all that hag, what's the worst that could happen?"
"What did you say the other day? What's the worst that could happen?" shouted Botan before they were both thrown about by the rocking boat.
They reached the island with no trouble. After having retrieved their backpacks and getting more arrows for Botan, they boarded the ship. It seems that the ship will always visit the island every week. If it wasn't bringing visitors, they would be shipping supplies to and fro to the port. Then, they got caught in a storm. It was a violent one at that and being thrown about in their room was no joking matter. With the bed sliding all around the place, they couldn't sleep a wink. After the ship weathered the storm, they caught a few hours sleep despite the archer and the bard hitting their heads on the wooden walls of the ship.
Then, they were called up topside. The ship was mostly intact but the thunderstorm had caused part of the furled up sail to catch on fire and they had to repair it. However, Lamy's repeated casts of Mending helped to recover parts of the sailcloth while Polka helped the shipwright to mend the top part of the mast. While she usually used needles that sewed leather, Botan helped with patching up the sailcloth. Meanwhile...
"Still not getting a bite?" whispered Nene as she sat with Aloe on the side of the ship, holding on to a fishing rod.
"No… I really don't see why some mortals like fishing," replied the succubus with a pout.
"Well, maybe not now," the bard said as she glanced behind them, the hammering and sawing and the chanting taking up most of the air space, "But, most mortals like fishing in a quiet spot to appreciate the peace and quiet it brings."
"Hn… I guess being mortal is harder than I thought," the latter muttered, "I mean… I've been here for a while now but I barely talked with anyone else other than in the guild people and Towa."
"Hmm, still… you are fitting in pretty well. I'm kind of glad we are friends instead of fighting that time," the former replied with a smile.
"I guess… eh, my rod is shaking," Aloe started when the rod started twitching.
"Reel it in!" shouted Nene as she jumped in to help her pull on it. The fish was large enough to feed most of them for dinner that night.
Chapter 22
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 22
A knock on the door woke Nene up. She yawned as she got out of her bed and groggily answered the door.
"Ah...yes?" she murmured as she waited for her mind to reawaken.
"Ahem, we may have a problem," Calixes informed her seriously, "Please come topside." He then walked to the stairs without waiting for her to reply.
Confused, she quickly washed her face and got dressed. After hurrying up to the top deck, her jaw almost dropped to the floor. The captain was facing a… something inhuman. It looked like a normal human man but coral and seaweed grew out of his head. He wore a robe of seaweed and thick kelp with shellfish trim. His skin, where visible, was dotted with barnacles and scales. He carried with him a staff made of a single coral.
"Erm, what is going on?" she asked as she came up from behind the captain.
"I see," said the strange man in a deep voice, "It was you and several others, I see."
She blinked a few times and asked, "I… what are you talking about?"
"I have been told of your fight with Ursula Brinedrinker," he continued in his deep voice, "My master is most amused."
"Er… you're welcome?" she muttered in surprise, not knowing what else to say.
He then clapped his hands once and said, "For this, he will not tithe this ship for wandering in his domain. In return, he wishes you to do something for him."
"What exactly?"
"There is an island to the south. Beneath the waves of that island lies a shrine. A thief stole something belonging to my master and has placed it there. You will retrieve my master's property and throw it into the sea. Do this and both you and the ones in control of this ship will be granted free passage through his territory… permanently," he offered, "No longer will you be under threat of attack while you sail through his territory. His protection is extended to you. What say you?"
"I… can I speak with my friends first?" she asked. This was… a big decision. While they had to bring the letter back to Lord Aruran, getting this benefit for both them and Captain Calixes is… tempting.
"If you must. Be quick. I cannot tarry any longer than needed," he told her.
She hurried back to their cabins and tried getting everyone up. Thankfully, a few of them were already up.
"Nene, is something happening?" asked Aloe, "I can feel something... strange in the air. What's going on?"
"Umm, there is this strange guy upstairs that is asking us to get something for his master," she informed them, "If we do this, we are granted safe passage if we ever find ourselves in their territory. We just need to visit a shrine and take it back."
"...Did his master tell us what kind of shrine it is?" asked Lamy with a frown, "I rather not steal from a shrine if I can help it."
"The guy didn't say… maybe we have to accept to find out?" she suggested as she shrugged.
"Hng, just accept it, I say," stated the succubus, "Even if he refuses to tell us, we can just decide when we get there."
"...I suppose..." mused the cleric, "I better wake the other two up and let them know about this."
"Then, I'll accept their request."
Captain Calixes was not very happy with our decision, but after being told that the island wasn't that far and that he would be able to sail faster through the mystery master's territory, he relented and took the party southwards. The island seemed to be sparsely covered with trees and bushes. Several wooden buildings surrounded by a wooden wall were in an open clearing at the center of the island. A simple dirt path connected the compound entrance, a large wooden gateway decorated with carved symbols, with a wooden pier that went further than normal. It was as if it was used to receiving large ships there.
"The shrine must be in one of those buildings," mused Nene as the ship docked.
"I hope you know what you're doing," stated Calixes as his men lowered the gangplank.
"We won't be long. No worries," she assured him with a smile as the party moved on down, "We'll be back soon."
"Hn, just don't get too over your head," he warned.
"I'll do my best to remember that. Thank you," she said as she walked down and joined her team. "Ready?" she asked, getting nods from the other four, "Right. Let's go find the mystery property."
They went up the dirt path and reached the entrance. The carved symbols on the wooden gateway began to glow blue the moment they were right in front of it. This put them on guard and made them hesitant to pass under it. However, since they were pressed for time, Botan decided to go through. Poking a toe past it didn't elicit a reaction. After taking a deep breath, she jumped through.
"Oh, no worries," she exclaimed in surprise. Turning to the rest of the party, she urged, "Come on! Let's go!"
The others strode on through… save for Aloe, who received a jolt of lighting which threw her back several feet away.
"Aloe!" shouted the others before dropping their packs and ran to check up on her.
"Urgh… I guess… I can't go through then," the succubus stated woozily as she tried to get her bearings.
"Ah, then I'll keep her company then," offered Polka.
"...Alright. Let's go Botan, Lamy," decided the bard.
The three then headed to the center of the compound and looked around. One large building overlooking the others. One medium-sized building on the left and one smaller one on the right. The center of the compound had a small well. A much smaller building, presumably the outhouse, was the furthest building.
"Where do we look first?" muttered Botan as she glanced over the buildings.
"What do we have here..."
The three girls spun around to find a white-furred kitsune standing before them wearing a shrine maiden outfit.
"Greetings, visitors. My name is Ayane. What brings you here today?" she asked.
They glanced at each other, hesitant to reply, but eventually, Nene said, "Hello, I'm Nene. Um… we are here to... get some stolen property back."
"Hmm, I can't say that I know of any stolen property here," the kitsune mused as she tilted her head, "This place mostly only receives offerings of foodstuffs and rarely, gold… However, there has been a lack of visitors to the shrine lately. Those that do have been frightened by strange sounds as well as mysterious cracks suddenly appearing on their ships."
"That's strange… Do you mind if we find out what's going on?" she asked.
"I do not. If anything, it would put my mind at ease," replied the shrine maiden.
"Alright… umm, do you have any clue of where to start?" she continued the line of questioning.
"Well… as far as I know, the visitor's come from the west, so perhaps one would start there," the kitsune said after some thought.
"Thank you for your time, Miss Ayane," said the bard gratefully. The three of them bowed before leaving the compound and rejoining the other two.
"Hng… we have to fight in the water again?" moaned Polka.
"I think we might be up for a hard time," muttered Aloe with a frown, "We don't have those rings anymore… how do we do this?"
"...Maybe get the captain's help?" suggested Botan.
"That's not such a bad idea..."
Captain Calixes was reluctant to put his men in danger but he allowed them to ask them anyway. A few of them volunteered in spite of the potential danger and were willing to help scout out the west of the island. It wasn't long before one of the sailors discovered an underwater entrance to a sea cave. The one that found it then led the party there.
"Thank you, sir. That was very kind of you," said Nene gratefully to the young man while the others got out of the water.
"It was no problem… you don't mind if I stay here, right?" he asked nervously as Polka, Aloe, and Lamy flopped on the ground, breathing heavily.
"...sure, I don't. We are part of the adventurers guild after all. We are prepared for this," muttered the bard in reply after Botan shook her mane vigorously, showering the both of them with more seawater.
The lion girl grinned and said, "Done. Let's find the mystery thing and get this over with."
After getting the others to their feet, the party trudged down the tunnel of the cave, which ended at a small alcove with a large stone. Working together to move it, Botan and Polka rolled the stone aside and the room beyond opened up to a single cavernous area. In the middle were skeletons of various heights propped up against stalagmites and stakes driven into the ground, among other things. Some of the skeletons were wearing armor and holding on to various weapons, a few that seemed to be gleaming a bit… or was it a trick of the light? The surface grave was bordered by four human-sized, violet mushrooms. Off to the side was a large pool of water, calm and serene.
"What is this place?" the bard asked as she looked around the dank, dimly lit cave, "Is something living here?"
"Shine. Float," commanded Polka as she let her driftglobe float above her. The ceiling was low and faint-glowing moss was growing in patches.
"What strange things," stated Lamy as she glanced at the mushrooms.
"Careful, Lamy. Don't touch those," warned the lion girl, "They can sprout tentacles that can rot your skin."
"Urgh, that sounds disgusting," muttered Aloe as she wrinkled her nose, "Other than those, I don't see anything here that might be the thieves."
Shrugging, the fennec fox girl walked over to the pool of water. It was dark and briney, with very little light being able to pierce through the darkness. "Nothing here," she yelled as she turned to the rest of the party.
The half-snow elf was at a loss as to how to get past the violet fungi. She was, however, able to see that the skeletal remains of the victims were propped up like gruesome trophies. She grimaced and muttered, "Such horrible-"
A loud yell echoed through the tunnel, getting everyone's attention to the entrance.
"Is he alright?" asked Nene aloud.
"...the thieves might be back already," warned Botan as she unshouldered her bow, "Better get ready."
With bated breath, they watched the entrance of the cave, with Polka not noticing a dripping figure rising out of the water behind her. A large lobster-like monster stepped through the doorway, the sailor with his neck snapped in its claws. Some odd static in the air began as it caught sight of them.
"Watch out!" yelled Lamy, pointing behind the monk, who then tumbled forward before turning around. Her eyes went wide as she realized how close she was to being caught by those large pincers.
"Anyone know what these are?" asked Botan as the two monsters slowly came closer to them, the one at the entrance dropping the body beforehand.
"I've only heard stories of them," replied Nene as she raised her rapier, "Monsters serving bigger monsters."
"You got that right," confirmed Aloe, "Chuul used to be servants of crazy strong monsters that hunted for magical treasure. Just don't get caught. Their mouth tentacles can paralyze you."
"Good to know," shouted Polka worriedly as she stood her ground in front of the cleric, "I just hope I can crack their shells."
The succubus circled around the mushroom patch, keeping an eye on the chuul in front of her. The lore bard did the same as she strummed her lute, hoping her words would dull the senses of their would-be opponents. It was then the archer that struck first, her arrows pelting its face, cutting off one of the tentacles in the process. It let loose something in between a roar and a shriek and charged. The first pincer missed, but it second clamped down on Aloe's wing as she shrieked in pain, It pulled her in and its tentacles reached out to wrap around her neck.
The second chuul decided to go after the monk but its pincers couldn't grab the constantly swaying monk. She struck back with surprising power. When the cleric's spells and spectral weapon, a mace, bounced off its shell or missed, Polka's kicks left its abdominal area cracked and throbbing.
"Damn it, let go!" yelled Aloe as she squirmed around, trying to get out of its pincers through wriggling and clawing.
"Let her go!" shouted Nene, the thin rapier finding purchase in the softer, fleshy joints of the chuul in its leg. An arrow found the same, in the pincer holding on to the succubus' wings.
It bellowed and tried grabbing at the lore bard while still trying to poison its victim. It was successful and to the surprise of the party, threw her at the nearest violet fungus. Luckily, she was agile enough to make sure she didn't fall down too near it. The same couldn't be said for the monk, who experienced the same thing and this time fell right next to the purple mushroom. She screamed when two tendrils shot out and whipped her, leaving dark streaks of dead cells on her skin.
"My goddess guides you," chanted Lamy softly after she directed the spirit weapon to continue its attack.
"Take this!" shouted Polka, her punches tearing apart the mushroom before running towards the cleric and standing in front of her defensively.
Meanwhile, Aloe finally got loose after her claws cut off one of the chuul's mouth tentacles, its pincers loosening in reaction to the pain.
"Nice one! Let's turn this one into dinner!" shouted the lore bard, both encouraging her friend and mocking the aberration.
It merely bellowed in response before getting cut off as two arrows got lodged in its mouth. It hastily snapped the shafts off and reached out with its pincers.
"Watch out!" shouted Nene as she avoided one pincer. Even after the warning, the other pincer got hold of the succubus around her arm.
"Urgh, disgusting!" she shouted as she tried pushing the tentacles away with her free hand. She then let out a startled cry as she felt her whole body lock up suddenly.
Meanwhile, the monk received the same treatment, the other chuul subjecting her to its mouth tentacles after clamping a pincer around her waist. It then moved out of the way of the spirit mace, which crashed down on the floor, chipping at the rock. It then received a faceful of bright light as the cleric sent a bolt of radiance into its eyes. This allowed Polka to punch it in the mouth and stunning it, letting her go. It slumped over, still standing, while its pincers hung down loosely by the side of its body.
"Let her go!" shouted Nene, jamming her rapier in its claw joint. Succubus in question had lashed out at the tentacles and missed since she had to overcome the paralysis, but at least distracted the chuul and wrenched her arm loose. Two more arrows pierced the chuul's chest in the joints.
"Get down!" the bard shouted again, pulling Aloe down with her and both of them avoided the pincers.
"You will not harm them further," shouted Lamy as she fired a ray of frost at its head, while mentally directing the bludgeoning of the other.
"Ha! Nice, Lamy!" cheered on the monk as she continued raining blows on the enemy's head.
"Guh, I should use my daggers if I can't get through this," ground out the succubus as her claws kept scraping against the chuul's shell.
"Would be a better idea," the lore bard replied as she found another fleshy joint to stab, mentally counting another two arrows in the chuul's chest.
Already bleeding out a lot of blue-colored blood, it bellowed out in pain and carefully walked backwards, waving its pincers in front of it to fend off its attackers. Not that it helped, as another stab in the joint and a lucky claw slash still went past its defenses.
At the same time, the other chuul toppled over as the spectral mace crashed through its head and crushed the insides. The half-snow elf then focused her attention on the violet fungi, sending a ray of frost at one.
"I want to take the bodies down and put them to rest," she stated when Polka sent her a questioning look.
"Ah, I'll help then," the latter replied and then pulverized another.
That little exchange got the others to agree and cut down a third mushroom, with Botan pausing to send a final arrow into the retreating chuul's mouth. It then fell forward and onto the arrows already in its entire body.
"Thank you, everyone," the cleric said gratefully as she froze the final violet fungus over. She then walked over and shattered it to pieces with her mace.
A knock on the door woke Nene up. She yawned as she got out of her bed and groggily answered the door.
"Ah...yes?" she murmured as she waited for her mind to reawaken.
"Ahem, we may have a problem," Calixes informed her seriously, "Please come topside." He then walked to the stairs without waiting for her to reply.
Confused, she quickly washed her face and got dressed. After hurrying up to the top deck, her jaw almost dropped to the floor. The captain was facing a… something inhuman. It looked like a normal human man but coral and seaweed grew out of his head. He wore a robe of seaweed and thick kelp with shellfish trim. His skin, where visible, was dotted with barnacles and scales. He carried with him a staff made of a single coral.
"Erm, what is going on?" she asked as she came up from behind the captain.
"I see," said the strange man in a deep voice, "It was you and several others, I see."
She blinked a few times and asked, "I… what are you talking about?"
"I have been told of your fight with Ursula Brinedrinker," he continued in his deep voice, "My master is most amused."
"Er… you're welcome?" she muttered in surprise, not knowing what else to say.
He then clapped his hands once and said, "For this, he will not tithe this ship for wandering in his domain. In return, he wishes you to do something for him."
"What exactly?"
"There is an island to the south. Beneath the waves of that island lies a shrine. A thief stole something belonging to my master and has placed it there. You will retrieve my master's property and throw it into the sea. Do this and both you and the ones in control of this ship will be granted free passage through his territory… permanently," he offered, "No longer will you be under threat of attack while you sail through his territory. His protection is extended to you. What say you?"
"I… can I speak with my friends first?" she asked. This was… a big decision. While they had to bring the letter back to Lord Aruran, getting this benefit for both them and Captain Calixes is… tempting.
"If you must. Be quick. I cannot tarry any longer than needed," he told her.
She hurried back to their cabins and tried getting everyone up. Thankfully, a few of them were already up.
"Nene, is something happening?" asked Aloe, "I can feel something... strange in the air. What's going on?"
"Umm, there is this strange guy upstairs that is asking us to get something for his master," she informed them, "If we do this, we are granted safe passage if we ever find ourselves in their territory. We just need to visit a shrine and take it back."
"...Did his master tell us what kind of shrine it is?" asked Lamy with a frown, "I rather not steal from a shrine if I can help it."
"The guy didn't say… maybe we have to accept to find out?" she suggested as she shrugged.
"Hng, just accept it, I say," stated the succubus, "Even if he refuses to tell us, we can just decide when we get there."
"...I suppose..." mused the cleric, "I better wake the other two up and let them know about this."
"Then, I'll accept their request."
Captain Calixes was not very happy with our decision, but after being told that the island wasn't that far and that he would be able to sail faster through the mystery master's territory, he relented and took the party southwards. The island seemed to be sparsely covered with trees and bushes. Several wooden buildings surrounded by a wooden wall were in an open clearing at the center of the island. A simple dirt path connected the compound entrance, a large wooden gateway decorated with carved symbols, with a wooden pier that went further than normal. It was as if it was used to receiving large ships there.
"The shrine must be in one of those buildings," mused Nene as the ship docked.
"I hope you know what you're doing," stated Calixes as his men lowered the gangplank.
"We won't be long. No worries," she assured him with a smile as the party moved on down, "We'll be back soon."
"Hn, just don't get too over your head," he warned.
"I'll do my best to remember that. Thank you," she said as she walked down and joined her team. "Ready?" she asked, getting nods from the other four, "Right. Let's go find the mystery property."
They went up the dirt path and reached the entrance. The carved symbols on the wooden gateway began to glow blue the moment they were right in front of it. This put them on guard and made them hesitant to pass under it. However, since they were pressed for time, Botan decided to go through. Poking a toe past it didn't elicit a reaction. After taking a deep breath, she jumped through.
"Oh, no worries," she exclaimed in surprise. Turning to the rest of the party, she urged, "Come on! Let's go!"
The others strode on through… save for Aloe, who received a jolt of lighting which threw her back several feet away.
"Aloe!" shouted the others before dropping their packs and ran to check up on her.
"Urgh… I guess… I can't go through then," the succubus stated woozily as she tried to get her bearings.
"Ah, then I'll keep her company then," offered Polka.
"...Alright. Let's go Botan, Lamy," decided the bard.
The three then headed to the center of the compound and looked around. One large building overlooking the others. One medium-sized building on the left and one smaller one on the right. The center of the compound had a small well. A much smaller building, presumably the outhouse, was the furthest building.
"Where do we look first?" muttered Botan as she glanced over the buildings.
"What do we have here..."
The three girls spun around to find a white-furred kitsune standing before them wearing a shrine maiden outfit.
"Greetings, visitors. My name is Ayane. What brings you here today?" she asked.
They glanced at each other, hesitant to reply, but eventually, Nene said, "Hello, I'm Nene. Um… we are here to... get some stolen property back."
"Hmm, I can't say that I know of any stolen property here," the kitsune mused as she tilted her head, "This place mostly only receives offerings of foodstuffs and rarely, gold… However, there has been a lack of visitors to the shrine lately. Those that do have been frightened by strange sounds as well as mysterious cracks suddenly appearing on their ships."
"That's strange… Do you mind if we find out what's going on?" she asked.
"I do not. If anything, it would put my mind at ease," replied the shrine maiden.
"Alright… umm, do you have any clue of where to start?" she continued the line of questioning.
"Well… as far as I know, the visitor's come from the west, so perhaps one would start there," the kitsune said after some thought.
"Thank you for your time, Miss Ayane," said the bard gratefully. The three of them bowed before leaving the compound and rejoining the other two.
"Hng… we have to fight in the water again?" moaned Polka.
"I think we might be up for a hard time," muttered Aloe with a frown, "We don't have those rings anymore… how do we do this?"
"...Maybe get the captain's help?" suggested Botan.
"That's not such a bad idea..."
Captain Calixes was reluctant to put his men in danger but he allowed them to ask them anyway. A few of them volunteered in spite of the potential danger and were willing to help scout out the west of the island. It wasn't long before one of the sailors discovered an underwater entrance to a sea cave. The one that found it then led the party there.
"Thank you, sir. That was very kind of you," said Nene gratefully to the young man while the others got out of the water.
"It was no problem… you don't mind if I stay here, right?" he asked nervously as Polka, Aloe, and Lamy flopped on the ground, breathing heavily.
"...sure, I don't. We are part of the adventurers guild after all. We are prepared for this," muttered the bard in reply after Botan shook her mane vigorously, showering the both of them with more seawater.
The lion girl grinned and said, "Done. Let's find the mystery thing and get this over with."
After getting the others to their feet, the party trudged down the tunnel of the cave, which ended at a small alcove with a large stone. Working together to move it, Botan and Polka rolled the stone aside and the room beyond opened up to a single cavernous area. In the middle were skeletons of various heights propped up against stalagmites and stakes driven into the ground, among other things. Some of the skeletons were wearing armor and holding on to various weapons, a few that seemed to be gleaming a bit… or was it a trick of the light? The surface grave was bordered by four human-sized, violet mushrooms. Off to the side was a large pool of water, calm and serene.
"What is this place?" the bard asked as she looked around the dank, dimly lit cave, "Is something living here?"
"Shine. Float," commanded Polka as she let her driftglobe float above her. The ceiling was low and faint-glowing moss was growing in patches.
"What strange things," stated Lamy as she glanced at the mushrooms.
"Careful, Lamy. Don't touch those," warned the lion girl, "They can sprout tentacles that can rot your skin."
"Urgh, that sounds disgusting," muttered Aloe as she wrinkled her nose, "Other than those, I don't see anything here that might be the thieves."
Shrugging, the fennec fox girl walked over to the pool of water. It was dark and briney, with very little light being able to pierce through the darkness. "Nothing here," she yelled as she turned to the rest of the party.
The half-snow elf was at a loss as to how to get past the violet fungi. She was, however, able to see that the skeletal remains of the victims were propped up like gruesome trophies. She grimaced and muttered, "Such horrible-"
A loud yell echoed through the tunnel, getting everyone's attention to the entrance.
"Is he alright?" asked Nene aloud.
"...the thieves might be back already," warned Botan as she unshouldered her bow, "Better get ready."
With bated breath, they watched the entrance of the cave, with Polka not noticing a dripping figure rising out of the water behind her. A large lobster-like monster stepped through the doorway, the sailor with his neck snapped in its claws. Some odd static in the air began as it caught sight of them.
"Watch out!" yelled Lamy, pointing behind the monk, who then tumbled forward before turning around. Her eyes went wide as she realized how close she was to being caught by those large pincers.
"Anyone know what these are?" asked Botan as the two monsters slowly came closer to them, the one at the entrance dropping the body beforehand.
"I've only heard stories of them," replied Nene as she raised her rapier, "Monsters serving bigger monsters."
"You got that right," confirmed Aloe, "Chuul used to be servants of crazy strong monsters that hunted for magical treasure. Just don't get caught. Their mouth tentacles can paralyze you."
"Good to know," shouted Polka worriedly as she stood her ground in front of the cleric, "I just hope I can crack their shells."
The succubus circled around the mushroom patch, keeping an eye on the chuul in front of her. The lore bard did the same as she strummed her lute, hoping her words would dull the senses of their would-be opponents. It was then the archer that struck first, her arrows pelting its face, cutting off one of the tentacles in the process. It let loose something in between a roar and a shriek and charged. The first pincer missed, but it second clamped down on Aloe's wing as she shrieked in pain, It pulled her in and its tentacles reached out to wrap around her neck.
The second chuul decided to go after the monk but its pincers couldn't grab the constantly swaying monk. She struck back with surprising power. When the cleric's spells and spectral weapon, a mace, bounced off its shell or missed, Polka's kicks left its abdominal area cracked and throbbing.
"Damn it, let go!" yelled Aloe as she squirmed around, trying to get out of its pincers through wriggling and clawing.
"Let her go!" shouted Nene, the thin rapier finding purchase in the softer, fleshy joints of the chuul in its leg. An arrow found the same, in the pincer holding on to the succubus' wings.
It bellowed and tried grabbing at the lore bard while still trying to poison its victim. It was successful and to the surprise of the party, threw her at the nearest violet fungus. Luckily, she was agile enough to make sure she didn't fall down too near it. The same couldn't be said for the monk, who experienced the same thing and this time fell right next to the purple mushroom. She screamed when two tendrils shot out and whipped her, leaving dark streaks of dead cells on her skin.
"My goddess guides you," chanted Lamy softly after she directed the spirit weapon to continue its attack.
"Take this!" shouted Polka, her punches tearing apart the mushroom before running towards the cleric and standing in front of her defensively.
Meanwhile, Aloe finally got loose after her claws cut off one of the chuul's mouth tentacles, its pincers loosening in reaction to the pain.
"Nice one! Let's turn this one into dinner!" shouted the lore bard, both encouraging her friend and mocking the aberration.
It merely bellowed in response before getting cut off as two arrows got lodged in its mouth. It hastily snapped the shafts off and reached out with its pincers.
"Watch out!" shouted Nene as she avoided one pincer. Even after the warning, the other pincer got hold of the succubus around her arm.
"Urgh, disgusting!" she shouted as she tried pushing the tentacles away with her free hand. She then let out a startled cry as she felt her whole body lock up suddenly.
Meanwhile, the monk received the same treatment, the other chuul subjecting her to its mouth tentacles after clamping a pincer around her waist. It then moved out of the way of the spirit mace, which crashed down on the floor, chipping at the rock. It then received a faceful of bright light as the cleric sent a bolt of radiance into its eyes. This allowed Polka to punch it in the mouth and stunning it, letting her go. It slumped over, still standing, while its pincers hung down loosely by the side of its body.
"Let her go!" shouted Nene, jamming her rapier in its claw joint. Succubus in question had lashed out at the tentacles and missed since she had to overcome the paralysis, but at least distracted the chuul and wrenched her arm loose. Two more arrows pierced the chuul's chest in the joints.
"Get down!" the bard shouted again, pulling Aloe down with her and both of them avoided the pincers.
"You will not harm them further," shouted Lamy as she fired a ray of frost at its head, while mentally directing the bludgeoning of the other.
"Ha! Nice, Lamy!" cheered on the monk as she continued raining blows on the enemy's head.
"Guh, I should use my daggers if I can't get through this," ground out the succubus as her claws kept scraping against the chuul's shell.
"Would be a better idea," the lore bard replied as she found another fleshy joint to stab, mentally counting another two arrows in the chuul's chest.
Already bleeding out a lot of blue-colored blood, it bellowed out in pain and carefully walked backwards, waving its pincers in front of it to fend off its attackers. Not that it helped, as another stab in the joint and a lucky claw slash still went past its defenses.
At the same time, the other chuul toppled over as the spectral mace crashed through its head and crushed the insides. The half-snow elf then focused her attention on the violet fungi, sending a ray of frost at one.
"I want to take the bodies down and put them to rest," she stated when Polka sent her a questioning look.
"Ah, I'll help then," the latter replied and then pulverized another.
That little exchange got the others to agree and cut down a third mushroom, with Botan pausing to send a final arrow into the retreating chuul's mouth. It then fell forward and onto the arrows already in its entire body.
"Thank you, everyone," the cleric said gratefully as she froze the final violet fungus over. She then walked over and shattered it to pieces with her mace.
Chapter 23
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 23
After helping Lamy to take the skeletons on display down, it was then decided to send Polka and Aloe to get word of what happened to Captain Calixes and Ayane. Lamy was busy praying over the skeletons and the dead sailor. While the remaining two looked over the dead chuuls.
"Hng… no trophy..." murmured Botan.
"Really?" replied Nene with an incredulous look, "I doubt the head would actually last that long."
"I know… too bad Rushia isn't around, hi hi," the lion girl giggled.
"So, this is where the thieves are."
They spun towards the pool of water. The cleric got to her feet and did the same. The mysterious man in kelp and seaweed was walking towards them as he rose out of the water.
"How..." trailed off the lore bard as the strange man headed straight for the dead and picked up a gleaming staff.
"Thank you for helping to retrieve my master's belongings," he stated in a drone as he picked up another weapon, a shortbow, "Hmm, interesting. I believe this would do well with your archer."
He then tossed it at the bard before heading back towards the pool. Slowly, he stepped in and sank into the pool as he walked down, disappearing from the surface after a few seconds. Nene stared at the bow for a moment before handing it to Botan.
The lion girl looked it over and plucked the bowstring. Making slight nods, she then nocked an arrow and pulled. To everyone's surprise, a copy of that arrow appeared above it. "So that's why he said that," she muttered as she put the arrow back in the quiver.
"Woah, looks like you got an upgrade, Botan," quipped the lore bard with a grin.
She chuckled just as several sailors came into the cave with several blankets. After some quick direction, they wrapped the body and the skeletons in the blankets, and then carried them out of the cave along with their belongings. The remains were brought to the shrine to be checked over by the shrine maiden. It was there that the party met up again with the captain.
"Now, as much as I prefer resolving this, letting one of my men die for it is not what I signed them up for," he said calmly, but his eyes revealed anything but, "Even if you did kill the ones that killed him."
"I'm sorry for your loss… is there any way we can make up for this?" asked Nene.
He grunted and turned around to look at the priestess, who was examining the bones. He then said, "You can't replace a life with money," he stated softly.
Silence.
"...Maybe we can try and prevent future losses," said Lamy suddenly, "I have noticed during the fight that the shells on those things are quite durable. Perhaps you can reclaim their shells and use them to make armor for yourself and your crew."
"...Makes sense. I suppose we can do something about it," he muttered after some thought, "I'll have some of my men try and drag those things out of their cave."
That night, they built two funeral pyres and burned the remains.
The next day started with a busy morning. The two chuul bodies were dragged out of their cave as well as any salvageable equipment, which wasn't much. The flesh was removed and burned while the bulky exoskeleton was stored in the hold. It wasn't done neatly, but everyone did their best. After everything else was done, they set sail, moving away from the pier as the shrine maiden waved goodbye.
It wasn't before long that they were back on the high seas, sailing straight for Huan Tuo. Thankfully, they had good winds and they reached the port when night fell. The streets had scarcely any citizens walking around by the time the party finally left the harbor. The sailors were with them, their captain deciding that they were due some shore leave.
"Right, this is goodbye for now," Calixes stated as he shook their hands, "Tell you what, if we ever do get something made out of those shells, I'll send a messenger with a gift. Never would have gotten that idea if your healer here didn't suggest it."
"Glad to be of service,' replied Lamy with a smile.
Nodding to them, he turned to his men and announced, "Alright, business is done. Drinks are on me!" The sailors cheered as they followed the captain in search of their preferred bar.
The party headed out as well, searching for a place to stay at instead. After some walking, they settled at a place called the Squealing Pig. After Nene paid for lodging and late-night food, they sat at their table to eat and chat before turning in for the night. The next day, they refilled their waterskins and started their trek across the desert, already knowing that they could reach the ruins stop-over by sundown since they had passed through before. However, by midday, they stumbled onto a camel lying on its side. It had died, Lamy noticing a deep gash in its side. It still had a chest attached to its saddle. It had broken open and its contents are mostly gone except for a... piece of paper.
"Eh, what's this?" muttered Polka as she looked over the paper with strange writing on it, "Hey… this is the enchanter's shop that Camryn is apprenticing at."
"Huh…, let me have a look," requested Nene. The fennec fox girl passed it over and she looked at it. "Oh… this is like… a ticket for an item. Ah... " she mused and it suddenly dawned on her what happened, "So I think the person who was using this camel was some merchant. Either killed by some bandits or some animal. This might be one of his items that he was requesting to stock his stock or something."
"Oh, then we just need to bring this to the enchanter's shop and get something for free," summed up Botan with a grin, "Lucky!"
"Well, let us not waste any more time and get to the pit stop," stated Lamy with urgency.
"Ah, right, right," agreed the lore bard and the party headed on their way.
They reached the ruins pit stop in the evening, just as expected. However, they were not the only ones there. A merchant was there with two of his guards.
"Hello, how are you this fine evening?" he greeted them jovially as he waved at them from the fire.
"Hello, we are on our way to Nikubasa," replied Nene with a smile.
"Oh, we came from there," exclaimed the merchant, "Please, you are welcome to share the fire."
"Thank you for the offer. We will take you up on that," she replied, "Please give me a moment."
Turning to her party, she asked them to gather together. Strumming on her lute, she started to sing.
I'm coming home,
I'm coming home,
Tell the plains I'm coming home,
Let the rain wash away,
All the pain of yesterday,
I know my friends await,
Family greets me at the gate,
I'm coming home,
Yes, coming home,
Tell the plains I'm coming... home…
Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome, amazing the merchant and his guards. They then stepped out of the hut and shared the fire. They had a good chat while they had dinner before turning in under the hut.
Morning came and they left the pitstop after saying their goodbyes to the merchant. They made it to Nikubasa without any problems and hired a cart to take them back to the capital. They also hired a messenger to go ahead of them and sent Sir Aruran Doris' letter. Leaving in the evening, they asked the driver to go as fast as she could to Greenwish. As night fell, Polka illuminated the way with her driftglobe and they reached the town without a problem. They then checked into The Wishing Well to eat and rest. Once morning came, they hired another cart straight to Rivirapolis. The driver agreed and they went on their way. They breezed past Solena and made good ground.
Unfortunately, it didn't last too long as their driver suddenly got riddled with bolts and javelins, the cart slowing down to a halt as her body slumped over to the side. The sudden stop jostled the passengers and while they were a little shocked, they got over it quickly as a group of bandits and orcs ran at them down the road with two familiar berserkers.
"Oh, geez, them again?" groaned Aloe in a bored tone as everyone got ready, with Nene and Polka jumping out of the cart while she flew up into the air.
"Get them! Get them!" shouted the lead bandit as the other bandits shot at them while the orcs ran straight for the first one out of the cart… Nene.
"What in the world?" shrieked Nene as the orcs surrounded her and swung their greataxes at her. The protective blessing that Lamy put on them flickered and shattered with the sound of breaking glass. She tried her best to dodge and parry as the blows rained on her but she still got two deep wounds on each of her arms.
"Ah, ha, take this!" shouted the chief as he threw two daggers at Botan while bolts pelted the archer and the succubus.
The lion girl didn't reply to him, but quietly murmured something as she unleashed a burst arrow at the bandits, followed by a normal arrow at the charging berserker. She was a little intrigued when her arcane shot didn't trigger her bow's special ability. Meanwhile, the others tried their best to help Nene beat back the orcs that still persisted on wailing on the bard.
"Payback time for me!" declared the chief as he ran up to the cart, clambered onto the driver's seat and started attacking Botan. His men continued to cover him from range with their crossbows.
"Get off the cart!" roared Botan in return, ignoring the jab in her shoulder to kick him off the cart. Then, she proceeded to shoot him in the leg.
A flurry of snowballs and hail buffeted the group of shooting bandits as the cleric and the monk continued to take down more orcs. The succubus had a different idea.
She took off and flew down to the bandit chief. "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire," she said seductively, staring into his eyes.
In spite of the arrow in his leg, he stilled and said, "Yes, mistress."
"Retreat and run away. Then, turn yourself in to the Solena guards," she ordered him, just as the berserkers finally reached them and jumped in to attack, targeting Polka and Lamy.
"Yes, mistress," replied the bandit chief. The bard tried charming the remaining orc but failed, making it even angrier and getting a greataxe to the gut.
"NENE!" the rest shouted in horror as the orc pulled out its greataxe and moved to the monk.
Botan shot it, one arrow striking its neck. Polka then wrenched the arrow out and drove it in its eye. As she moved on to fight the berserker, Lamy jumped off the cart, her legs getting clipped by the other berserker's greataxe. Her spirit weapon struck from the side as she placed her hands on Nene,s stomach and prayed. Tendrils of green aura reached out and bathed her body in it. The gaping wound magically closed up without a scratch.
"Thank the goddess," she muttered with relief as Aloe flew onto the cart and attacked the berserker behind it.
"Ah, ha! I'm back!" the bard shouted as she got off the floor and skewered the nearest berserker with her rapier.
"Nice!" Polka cheered on as two sets of arrows slammed into the berserker's chest. She then punched the same berserker in the stomach and then kicked him in the knees, causing him to fall forward onto the arrows.
Meanwhile, a ray of frost missed the remaining berserker and so the cleric mentally moved the spirit sword to attack him. The spectral blade slashed him in the back as Aloe raked her claws over his face. The maddened berserker struck back, the greataxe cutting across her legs.
"Take him down!" shouted Nene again, as she ran behind him and stabbed him in the back as well. The archer shot him in both the chest and the head. The monk followed up with a flying kick to the side of his head, landed and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree.
It took a while before the adrenaline stopped pumping through their system. Nene slumped down to the ground and said, "We need a break from this."
"I agree," stated Lamy, "Perhaps we should rest easy for a few days before thinking of another request."
"Alright, I guess we could give it a rest," stated Aloe as she helped the bard to her feet after she searched the bodies for loot, "Come on, let's get you back to the guild house."
"All aboard!" called out Polka as she and Botan got the horses under control. With them driving, the cart brought the party to the city with no problem at all. After paying some recompense for the driver's death to the stablemaster, they went straight for the guild house.
"Welcome back!" greeted Miyabi cheerfully, "The guild got the message. Lord Aruran was a little disappointed but understood the circumstances. As for the four of you… well, Lord Aruran has put your name forward in the competition, Polka."
"...what competition?" she asked, voicing what the bewildered party wanted to ask.
"Well, it's close to the time of the anniversary of the death of the black dragon," he explained, "So, every year around this time, there is a celebration to remember it. A festival of sorts. So, other than allowing various stalls to line the streets and bardic performances, there is a fighting competition. It's more to show respect to the brave warriors and wizards that helped to put down the dragon. About anyone is allowed to enter. Heck, Lord Aruran even approved betting booths for it. Allowing the city to have some extra fun, he says. It sort of helps to fund the guild a bit too, to Lord Aruran doesn't have to pour in so much."
"Ah… so he suggested my name? The monk asked hesitantly, "I'm not sure if I can..."
"Well, he has been training you, right?" spoke up Nene, "Maybe he's testing you."
"Ah, sounds like a good test," agreed Botan, "No worries. I'm sure you will do alright. You have been great so far."
"Hng… he better teach me a few more tricks then," muttered the fennec fox girl, blushing at all that praise.
"Well, the festival is in a few days time. I'm sure you'll be able to brush up on stuff in the meantime," supported the guild clerk.
"Yeah! We can take it easy the next few days." said Aloe happily.
"That would be a relief," added Lamy, "We have been away from the city for… almost two weeks. That is the longest we have been away from the city."
"...Miyabi, who else is in the competition?" asked the lore bard suddenly.
"Hmm, I think one other. Oga Aragami, I think is his name," he mused before launching into an explanation, "That makes it two. And before you say it's too many, there aren't that many who are capable enough to fight at a high level. At most, we have traveling fighters here and there that wish to test their strength. Not to mention we have some bounty hunters and those in the guard who like these kinds of things. All in all, a limited pool for a tournament-styled competition like this."
"I, for one, am looking forward to the festival. I wonder what sort of stalls are going to be there," muttered the lion girl eagerly.
After helping Lamy to take the skeletons on display down, it was then decided to send Polka and Aloe to get word of what happened to Captain Calixes and Ayane. Lamy was busy praying over the skeletons and the dead sailor. While the remaining two looked over the dead chuuls.
"Hng… no trophy..." murmured Botan.
"Really?" replied Nene with an incredulous look, "I doubt the head would actually last that long."
"I know… too bad Rushia isn't around, hi hi," the lion girl giggled.
"So, this is where the thieves are."
They spun towards the pool of water. The cleric got to her feet and did the same. The mysterious man in kelp and seaweed was walking towards them as he rose out of the water.
"How..." trailed off the lore bard as the strange man headed straight for the dead and picked up a gleaming staff.
"Thank you for helping to retrieve my master's belongings," he stated in a drone as he picked up another weapon, a shortbow, "Hmm, interesting. I believe this would do well with your archer."
He then tossed it at the bard before heading back towards the pool. Slowly, he stepped in and sank into the pool as he walked down, disappearing from the surface after a few seconds. Nene stared at the bow for a moment before handing it to Botan.
The lion girl looked it over and plucked the bowstring. Making slight nods, she then nocked an arrow and pulled. To everyone's surprise, a copy of that arrow appeared above it. "So that's why he said that," she muttered as she put the arrow back in the quiver.
"Woah, looks like you got an upgrade, Botan," quipped the lore bard with a grin.
She chuckled just as several sailors came into the cave with several blankets. After some quick direction, they wrapped the body and the skeletons in the blankets, and then carried them out of the cave along with their belongings. The remains were brought to the shrine to be checked over by the shrine maiden. It was there that the party met up again with the captain.
"Now, as much as I prefer resolving this, letting one of my men die for it is not what I signed them up for," he said calmly, but his eyes revealed anything but, "Even if you did kill the ones that killed him."
"I'm sorry for your loss… is there any way we can make up for this?" asked Nene.
He grunted and turned around to look at the priestess, who was examining the bones. He then said, "You can't replace a life with money," he stated softly.
Silence.
"...Maybe we can try and prevent future losses," said Lamy suddenly, "I have noticed during the fight that the shells on those things are quite durable. Perhaps you can reclaim their shells and use them to make armor for yourself and your crew."
"...Makes sense. I suppose we can do something about it," he muttered after some thought, "I'll have some of my men try and drag those things out of their cave."
That night, they built two funeral pyres and burned the remains.
The next day started with a busy morning. The two chuul bodies were dragged out of their cave as well as any salvageable equipment, which wasn't much. The flesh was removed and burned while the bulky exoskeleton was stored in the hold. It wasn't done neatly, but everyone did their best. After everything else was done, they set sail, moving away from the pier as the shrine maiden waved goodbye.
It wasn't before long that they were back on the high seas, sailing straight for Huan Tuo. Thankfully, they had good winds and they reached the port when night fell. The streets had scarcely any citizens walking around by the time the party finally left the harbor. The sailors were with them, their captain deciding that they were due some shore leave.
"Right, this is goodbye for now," Calixes stated as he shook their hands, "Tell you what, if we ever do get something made out of those shells, I'll send a messenger with a gift. Never would have gotten that idea if your healer here didn't suggest it."
"Glad to be of service,' replied Lamy with a smile.
Nodding to them, he turned to his men and announced, "Alright, business is done. Drinks are on me!" The sailors cheered as they followed the captain in search of their preferred bar.
The party headed out as well, searching for a place to stay at instead. After some walking, they settled at a place called the Squealing Pig. After Nene paid for lodging and late-night food, they sat at their table to eat and chat before turning in for the night. The next day, they refilled their waterskins and started their trek across the desert, already knowing that they could reach the ruins stop-over by sundown since they had passed through before. However, by midday, they stumbled onto a camel lying on its side. It had died, Lamy noticing a deep gash in its side. It still had a chest attached to its saddle. It had broken open and its contents are mostly gone except for a... piece of paper.
"Eh, what's this?" muttered Polka as she looked over the paper with strange writing on it, "Hey… this is the enchanter's shop that Camryn is apprenticing at."
"Huh…, let me have a look," requested Nene. The fennec fox girl passed it over and she looked at it. "Oh… this is like… a ticket for an item. Ah... " she mused and it suddenly dawned on her what happened, "So I think the person who was using this camel was some merchant. Either killed by some bandits or some animal. This might be one of his items that he was requesting to stock his stock or something."
"Oh, then we just need to bring this to the enchanter's shop and get something for free," summed up Botan with a grin, "Lucky!"
"Well, let us not waste any more time and get to the pit stop," stated Lamy with urgency.
"Ah, right, right," agreed the lore bard and the party headed on their way.
They reached the ruins pit stop in the evening, just as expected. However, they were not the only ones there. A merchant was there with two of his guards.
"Hello, how are you this fine evening?" he greeted them jovially as he waved at them from the fire.
"Hello, we are on our way to Nikubasa," replied Nene with a smile.
"Oh, we came from there," exclaimed the merchant, "Please, you are welcome to share the fire."
"Thank you for the offer. We will take you up on that," she replied, "Please give me a moment."
Turning to her party, she asked them to gather together. Strumming on her lute, she started to sing.
I'm coming home,
I'm coming home,
Tell the plains I'm coming home,
Let the rain wash away,
All the pain of yesterday,
I know my friends await,
Family greets me at the gate,
I'm coming home,
Yes, coming home,
Tell the plains I'm coming... home…
Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome, amazing the merchant and his guards. They then stepped out of the hut and shared the fire. They had a good chat while they had dinner before turning in under the hut.
Morning came and they left the pitstop after saying their goodbyes to the merchant. They made it to Nikubasa without any problems and hired a cart to take them back to the capital. They also hired a messenger to go ahead of them and sent Sir Aruran Doris' letter. Leaving in the evening, they asked the driver to go as fast as she could to Greenwish. As night fell, Polka illuminated the way with her driftglobe and they reached the town without a problem. They then checked into The Wishing Well to eat and rest. Once morning came, they hired another cart straight to Rivirapolis. The driver agreed and they went on their way. They breezed past Solena and made good ground.
Unfortunately, it didn't last too long as their driver suddenly got riddled with bolts and javelins, the cart slowing down to a halt as her body slumped over to the side. The sudden stop jostled the passengers and while they were a little shocked, they got over it quickly as a group of bandits and orcs ran at them down the road with two familiar berserkers.
"Oh, geez, them again?" groaned Aloe in a bored tone as everyone got ready, with Nene and Polka jumping out of the cart while she flew up into the air.
"Get them! Get them!" shouted the lead bandit as the other bandits shot at them while the orcs ran straight for the first one out of the cart… Nene.
"What in the world?" shrieked Nene as the orcs surrounded her and swung their greataxes at her. The protective blessing that Lamy put on them flickered and shattered with the sound of breaking glass. She tried her best to dodge and parry as the blows rained on her but she still got two deep wounds on each of her arms.
"Ah, ha, take this!" shouted the chief as he threw two daggers at Botan while bolts pelted the archer and the succubus.
The lion girl didn't reply to him, but quietly murmured something as she unleashed a burst arrow at the bandits, followed by a normal arrow at the charging berserker. She was a little intrigued when her arcane shot didn't trigger her bow's special ability. Meanwhile, the others tried their best to help Nene beat back the orcs that still persisted on wailing on the bard.
"Payback time for me!" declared the chief as he ran up to the cart, clambered onto the driver's seat and started attacking Botan. His men continued to cover him from range with their crossbows.
"Get off the cart!" roared Botan in return, ignoring the jab in her shoulder to kick him off the cart. Then, she proceeded to shoot him in the leg.
A flurry of snowballs and hail buffeted the group of shooting bandits as the cleric and the monk continued to take down more orcs. The succubus had a different idea.
She took off and flew down to the bandit chief. "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire," she said seductively, staring into his eyes.
In spite of the arrow in his leg, he stilled and said, "Yes, mistress."
"Retreat and run away. Then, turn yourself in to the Solena guards," she ordered him, just as the berserkers finally reached them and jumped in to attack, targeting Polka and Lamy.
"Yes, mistress," replied the bandit chief. The bard tried charming the remaining orc but failed, making it even angrier and getting a greataxe to the gut.
"NENE!" the rest shouted in horror as the orc pulled out its greataxe and moved to the monk.
Botan shot it, one arrow striking its neck. Polka then wrenched the arrow out and drove it in its eye. As she moved on to fight the berserker, Lamy jumped off the cart, her legs getting clipped by the other berserker's greataxe. Her spirit weapon struck from the side as she placed her hands on Nene,s stomach and prayed. Tendrils of green aura reached out and bathed her body in it. The gaping wound magically closed up without a scratch.
"Thank the goddess," she muttered with relief as Aloe flew onto the cart and attacked the berserker behind it.
"Ah, ha! I'm back!" the bard shouted as she got off the floor and skewered the nearest berserker with her rapier.
"Nice!" Polka cheered on as two sets of arrows slammed into the berserker's chest. She then punched the same berserker in the stomach and then kicked him in the knees, causing him to fall forward onto the arrows.
Meanwhile, a ray of frost missed the remaining berserker and so the cleric mentally moved the spirit sword to attack him. The spectral blade slashed him in the back as Aloe raked her claws over his face. The maddened berserker struck back, the greataxe cutting across her legs.
"Take him down!" shouted Nene again, as she ran behind him and stabbed him in the back as well. The archer shot him in both the chest and the head. The monk followed up with a flying kick to the side of his head, landed and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree.
It took a while before the adrenaline stopped pumping through their system. Nene slumped down to the ground and said, "We need a break from this."
"I agree," stated Lamy, "Perhaps we should rest easy for a few days before thinking of another request."
"Alright, I guess we could give it a rest," stated Aloe as she helped the bard to her feet after she searched the bodies for loot, "Come on, let's get you back to the guild house."
"All aboard!" called out Polka as she and Botan got the horses under control. With them driving, the cart brought the party to the city with no problem at all. After paying some recompense for the driver's death to the stablemaster, they went straight for the guild house.
"Welcome back!" greeted Miyabi cheerfully, "The guild got the message. Lord Aruran was a little disappointed but understood the circumstances. As for the four of you… well, Lord Aruran has put your name forward in the competition, Polka."
"...what competition?" she asked, voicing what the bewildered party wanted to ask.
"Well, it's close to the time of the anniversary of the death of the black dragon," he explained, "So, every year around this time, there is a celebration to remember it. A festival of sorts. So, other than allowing various stalls to line the streets and bardic performances, there is a fighting competition. It's more to show respect to the brave warriors and wizards that helped to put down the dragon. About anyone is allowed to enter. Heck, Lord Aruran even approved betting booths for it. Allowing the city to have some extra fun, he says. It sort of helps to fund the guild a bit too, to Lord Aruran doesn't have to pour in so much."
"Ah… so he suggested my name? The monk asked hesitantly, "I'm not sure if I can..."
"Well, he has been training you, right?" spoke up Nene, "Maybe he's testing you."
"Ah, sounds like a good test," agreed Botan, "No worries. I'm sure you will do alright. You have been great so far."
"Hng… he better teach me a few more tricks then," muttered the fennec fox girl, blushing at all that praise.
"Well, the festival is in a few days time. I'm sure you'll be able to brush up on stuff in the meantime," supported the guild clerk.
"Yeah! We can take it easy the next few days." said Aloe happily.
"That would be a relief," added Lamy, "We have been away from the city for… almost two weeks. That is the longest we have been away from the city."
"...Miyabi, who else is in the competition?" asked the lore bard suddenly.
"Hmm, I think one other. Oga Aragami, I think is his name," he mused before launching into an explanation, "That makes it two. And before you say it's too many, there aren't that many who are capable enough to fight at a high level. At most, we have traveling fighters here and there that wish to test their strength. Not to mention we have some bounty hunters and those in the guard who like these kinds of things. All in all, a limited pool for a tournament-styled competition like this."
"I, for one, am looking forward to the festival. I wonder what sort of stalls are going to be there," muttered the lion girl eagerly.
Chapter 24
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 24
The party took their time and rested the next few days… except Polka, who pretty much trained under Lord Aruran. Things were not so different. However, before the day the tournament started, they had a tasting of the bottled alcohol that the monk had made two weeks ago. A bittersweet drink that burned a little, but after it settled in their stomachs, they somehow got a fiery energized feeling from it. Then, the issue of portability came up. How were they going to bring it around? A glass bottle was too fragile. A tankard would spill it easily. A normal-sized keg or barrel would be too big. Then, Robel had an idea.
"You know, I suggested this to the artisan's guild one time," he stated as he dug around behind the bar, "I wanted to get a smaller, portable cask made of wood or iron and maybe sell those to travelers and the like so they only need to ask for a refill at any bar. I got a few samples back but I have yet to get any travelers to buy one. So, the project has been left hanging. Ah, there we are!"
He placed the creation on the bar for everyone to see. It was a small cask made of hardwood with an adjustable leather strap attached around the middle.
"...So I can use this?" asked the fennec fox girl.
"Why, yes! For the low price of a hundred silver," offered the bartender.
The monk shrugged and paid him; she had the funds after all. She then filled it with her beer; she poured in half the jug of the spirits before the small cask became full.
"Right… I wonder if I can use this in the tournament tomorrow," she mused as she shortened the strap and slung it to her belt.
"Well… other than the 'no killing' rule, I don't think there is," mused the bartender, "There might be a 'no destructive spells' one too but I'm not sure."
"Ah, sounds good," she replied with a grin.
The next day, the party headed to the area set aside for the competition. There wasn't a place set aside for an arena, so they just cordoned off a four-way junction and set up a raised wooden platform that filled the street. The event pretty much attracted a lot of attention and the citizens of the city filled all four sides of the street. The area around the stage was emptied and set aside for the competitors, which included Polka. Meanwhile, her friends were nearest to the front and had a good view of the future action. Okayu was seen taking charge of the place, tasking the guards with keeping the citizens away from the stage and keeping the peace in general. Soon, a loud horn sounded and the crowd fell silent. Lord Aruran stepped to the platform and started giving a speech.
"Citizens and fighters! We are gathered here today for the annual Dragon Slayers Tournament!" he said loudly as he gestured to everyone around him, "I shall keep this short. We come together to honor the bravery and skill of those who saved our beloved city. It is thanks to them that we still have a city to rebuild! We have come far and made this city even better! I hope you enjoy the spectacle of what is to come. Contestants! Bring your best and do not hold back, for your opponents will not. Just try not to wreck the stage too much, like last year's fight. Thank you and let the tournament begin!"
A loud cheer erupted as the crowd applauded and the tournament got underway. That day was scheduled to have eight fights, meaning sixteen contestants had signed up for this competition. And from the party's point of view, half of them were strong-looking but hadn't gotten into a fight with monsters or in an actual life and death situation. Probably guards or really strong commoners at most. Those were defeated easily, except one. A tall half-orc and ridiculously muscular. He brawled with his hands and seemed to have a good knowledge of choking holds.
Some of them seemed to be nobles as they were dressed flamboyantly and had proper speech. One of them stood out; a half-elf. He had piercing golden eyes and bright blonde hair. He had a lean but muscular build and he seemed to favor fighting with his fists. He oozed confidence but something felt really off about him. Before and after his fight, he seemed to love basking in the crowd's cheers.
Then there were the outliers. Adventurers like Polka and bounty hunters. There were three, including herself. Other than her, the other guild representative was Oga. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a long, large horn coming out of his head. He sounded real serious too and talked little, probably psyching himself up for his fight. The other was a dog girl in simple clothes. A yellow, cloth vest of sorts with a white undershirt. She was the only bounty hunter that joined the tournament. She won with ease and waved to the crowd before she left the stage. The fennec fox girl had an equally easy time as she only had to grapple her opponent and punch him in the head to knock him out.
By the time the last fight was done, it had become nighttime and the party converged onto Robel's. There, they met Oga and a few of his friends.
"Yo!" he greeted with a toothy smile, "You're one of our newer members, right?"
"Yeah!" replied Polka, mirroring his smile, "You did great today!"
"Heh, naturally. It wouldn't be good to lose on the first day, after all," he stated good-naturedly. Then, he said, "Come! Join our table! There's plenty of space."
"Sure, why not?" said Nene as the party accepted the invitation.
Introductions went around quickly. They already knew Rosalyn but were surprised that she liked playing cards with them, even if she always had abysmal luck with them.
"Ha! I keep telling her that playing dice was more her forte," teased Yogiri. She was part of Oga's party, their main rogue as well as a master dice player. Her hair was mostly dyed red and wore black leathers.
"Che, you know she's a stubborn one," snarked Shien with a smirk, "Still, I really can't believe her non-existent luck." He was a former gang boss who fell into hard times in Gekko. He didn't tell them why he joined the guild, but only that he was looking for someone… and they were not to butt their noses into his business. His words, not theirs. A jackal boy with black hair, with two white-highlighted bangs framing his ever-smirking face.
"Shut up! We are here to celebrate Oga's win, not my luck!" retorted the librarian with a pout.
"That being said," said the large man as he pointed to Polka, "You did good today, kid. I hope we meet in the finals. I want to see how much you can give."
"Yosh! Sure!" exclaimed the monk, all fired up.
"All I'm asking for," he said before downing his tankard of ale in one gulp. Slamming down the tankard, he let out a sound of satisfaction. "Roberu! Another!" he yelled over the din.
"Coming right up!"
The next day had less fights, four to be precise. Polka had another easy fight with some nobleman. He seemed to be trained as a wizard, so probably someone from the school. He had a good idea to paralyze her with a spell. Unfortunately, she was able to break out of it the moment he tried to drag her to the edge of the platform to throw her off. He ended up kissing the ground instead.
The dog girl also breezed through her fight. She was quite fast, approaching her opponent and kicking her in the face, knocking the noblewoman out instantly. The half-elf nobleman also passed, but strangely enough, his opponent didn't show up. So, he got a pass. Then, it was Oga's turn. He stood opposite the more muscular half-orc. The appointed referee stood by the side and slowly counted down for the fight to start.
"Fighters ready! 3… 2… 1… Fight!"
They charged at each other and met in the middle of the platform. Both grabbed at each other in a grapple, each trying to gain the advantage over each other. Oga then slipped behind the half-orc while pinning his arm behind his back. He then tried grabbing the neck but the half-orc grabbed his wrist, pushed it away, and elbowed his neck twice. He grunted in pain and released his hold, giving the half-orc the chance to clock him in the side of the head. The half-orc then ran and gave him a clothesline across the throat, slamming him on the wooden floor.
"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded around as Oga rolled over and tried getting to his feet, while the crowd started chanting 'Fein'Gaz' over and over.
With a roar, Oga clashed with the half-orc again in a contest of grappling. This time, he got one up on him, suddenly going around and getting the half-orc in a chokehold. However, the half-orc was able to slip out of it and swung his fists. The first swing, Oga ducked under but the second clocked him under his jaw. Thankfully, he didn't have a glass jaw, but he staggered back in surprise. This let Fein'Gaz grab him and toss him into the air. Jumping up and grabbing him, he slammed the mazoku onto the wooden platform as both of them crashed down.
The half-orc was the first one to his feet and started stomping on the mazoku. The pain clearing up his dazed situation, Oga grabbed the leg and rolled over, dragging the half-orc down again. He then tried maintaining his hold on the leg but was pushed away. The grappling contest continued as they tried to gain the advantage over each other while landing a few punches here and there but to no avail. However, Fein'Gaz was able to maneuver himself around to lift the mazoku up in the air and fall over backward. Oga slammed into the wooden platform headfirst and he lay there... unmoving and unconscious.
"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded once again, the crowd erupting with cheers and chanting his name again and again.
Meanwhile, the party and consequently the other guild members in the crowd were shocked that a senior guild member was defeated.
"Ha… I hope I don't fight him later on," muttered Polka after the fights for the day were over and they met up near the stage.
"Ha, ha, don't worry," assured Oga as he sat on the ground, his head and neck all bandaged up, "You'll have to fight that dog girl first. And Fein'Gaz has to fight that noble first."
"Come on, let's leave that for tomorrow. We should go and see the stalls at the main street and see if there's anything interesting there," suggested Nene.
"Ah, that would be good!" agreed Botan, "I wonder about the stalls here too."
"Just make sure to keep a good and on your pouches or they'll be taken from you." warned Shien with a smirk, "Crowded places are havens for pickpockets."
After having done sightseeing around the stalls and getting their dinner from the same place, the party walked back to the guild house. On the way, they noticed the half-orc looking very shifty while ducking into an alleyway. Curious, they took a detour to find out what was going on. They got near the entrance of the alley and peeked around the corner. They were silently surprised when they found him facing the half-elf nobleman.
"So glad you came to see me," the latter said haughtily, "I have an offer for you."
The former grunted and said gruffly, "What do you want?"
"Oh? Straight to the point, I see. Very well," replied the half-elf, "I will give you a hundred gold pieces to forfeit the match."
"Hmm..."
"Hold it!"
Lamy stepped out from behind the building and stated, "You are cheating! Why do you have to do this? Did you pay off today's fight as well?"
"Hmph, what I do is none of your business," the nobleman stated, "If an opponent is not worth the effort, why not send them on their way with compensation? We will not have to waste time and get on with our lives."
"Hey! This isn't fair, you know?" said Polka as she revealed herself as well. Then, the others came out of hiding to back the two up.
"Hah, since when is life ever..."
"You think you are stronger than me?" growled out the half-orc, interrupting and glaring at the noble.
"But of course," he replied with an arrogant smirk, as if it was fact.
The former roared and shouted, "I am strongest! No deal! Get in the ring tomorrow and I'll show you! I'll crush you with my muscles!"
"Oh? You still intend to waste my time?" the latter sneered, "Very well. If you wish to learn defeat, I shall teach it to you tomorrow." With that, he turned around with a flourish and walked away out the other end of the alley.
The half-orc then turned to the party and spotted the monk. He walked up to her and said, "Hmm, good fighter. Hope to fight you in the tournament." He then went his own way out of the alley.
They stood there silently, watching him walk off into the night. "Do we need to tell Lord Aruran?" asked Polka.
"Maybe not? That arrogant noble will probably get beaten down tomorrow," reasoned Botan.
"True..." mused Nene.
"Well, I could always charm him into doing something embarrassing," suggested Aloe.
"Please, no," said Lamy sternly, "Two wrongs do not make a right. You might even make it worse."
"Alright, alright, I won't," the succubus replied, putting her hands up in mock surrender, "I know you don't like me or something."
"No, it is not that," the cleric hit back, "You are what you are, I cannot change a thing about it, so it would be pointless to hate you for that. What I rather prevent is your actions that may bring trouble to all of us. So, I rather if you get a hold of yourself, if not for random strangers, do it for your friends."
"...Sorry," the succubus apologized, looking a little ashamed.
"Don't worry about it," said the lore bard as she gave the fiendish girl a hug to try and comfort her, "If you do, Mama Lamy will remind you."
"Excuse me? When did I become her mother?" asked the half-snow elf incredulously amidst the giggles from the others. Meanwhile, the succubus smiled gratefully and returned the hug.
"Okay, okay, let's go back and get some sleep," said Nene as she calmed the others down, "We have Polka's tournament to watch tomorrow."
"Argh… please don't remind me," groaned the fennec fox girl as they continued on their way.
"I'm sure you can do it," assured the lion girl, "If not mistaken, based on how the matches are done, you're fighting the bounty hunter dog girl next. As long as you make use of what Lord Aruran taught you, you'll be fine. Don't forget your beer too."
"Yeah, have confidence!" quipped Aloe.
The monk walked on silently for a while. When they reached the guild house, she said resolutely, "Thanks, everyone. I should have more confidence in myself. I learned a lot of things and now have something to boost my skill. I'll do my best tomorrow!"
"That's the spirit!" cheered on the archer as they went in.
AN: We introduce a few more guild members shown here. They are a team of three.
Oga Aragami
Mazoku Warrior
Path of the Juggernaut Barbarian with fighter dip(2 levels)
Former Officer of the Siege Breaker corps, able to break down walls while in his barbarian rage. He joined the guild with Shien after having come here post-retirement.
Shien Kageyama
Jackal Kemonomimi
Swashbuckler Rogue/Whisper Bard
Came to the city in search of his best friend, but ended up befriending Oga and joining the guild. In his off-time, he continues his search, often times with Oga accompanying him.
I tried to keep to MaFia's backgrounds as close to the Holostars character lore as possible. Shien being a leader of his own gang, I think got it right with his combination. Charismatic while skilled in dual daggers.
As for the last member...
Yogiri
Human Rogue
Wild Card
So... she is supposed to be a delinquent. I put her under the Urchin background. I'm considering linking her to the orphanage that was mentioned many chapters ago. She had gone to the school Artia is at but dropped out of it to join the guild. She is a very capable rogue with the Wild Card subclass, taken from the D&D Beyond Partnered Content with Legends of Runeterra. Instead of using cards like Twisted Fate, she uses dice. She has a pool of dice, the same amount and value as her sneak attack dice, which can be used to alter enemy attacks into her favor a.k.a. miss. She also recently gained the ability to blink around the battlefield, just like Twisted Fate could.
The party took their time and rested the next few days… except Polka, who pretty much trained under Lord Aruran. Things were not so different. However, before the day the tournament started, they had a tasting of the bottled alcohol that the monk had made two weeks ago. A bittersweet drink that burned a little, but after it settled in their stomachs, they somehow got a fiery energized feeling from it. Then, the issue of portability came up. How were they going to bring it around? A glass bottle was too fragile. A tankard would spill it easily. A normal-sized keg or barrel would be too big. Then, Robel had an idea.
"You know, I suggested this to the artisan's guild one time," he stated as he dug around behind the bar, "I wanted to get a smaller, portable cask made of wood or iron and maybe sell those to travelers and the like so they only need to ask for a refill at any bar. I got a few samples back but I have yet to get any travelers to buy one. So, the project has been left hanging. Ah, there we are!"
He placed the creation on the bar for everyone to see. It was a small cask made of hardwood with an adjustable leather strap attached around the middle.
"...So I can use this?" asked the fennec fox girl.
"Why, yes! For the low price of a hundred silver," offered the bartender.
The monk shrugged and paid him; she had the funds after all. She then filled it with her beer; she poured in half the jug of the spirits before the small cask became full.
"Right… I wonder if I can use this in the tournament tomorrow," she mused as she shortened the strap and slung it to her belt.
"Well… other than the 'no killing' rule, I don't think there is," mused the bartender, "There might be a 'no destructive spells' one too but I'm not sure."
"Ah, sounds good," she replied with a grin.
The next day, the party headed to the area set aside for the competition. There wasn't a place set aside for an arena, so they just cordoned off a four-way junction and set up a raised wooden platform that filled the street. The event pretty much attracted a lot of attention and the citizens of the city filled all four sides of the street. The area around the stage was emptied and set aside for the competitors, which included Polka. Meanwhile, her friends were nearest to the front and had a good view of the future action. Okayu was seen taking charge of the place, tasking the guards with keeping the citizens away from the stage and keeping the peace in general. Soon, a loud horn sounded and the crowd fell silent. Lord Aruran stepped to the platform and started giving a speech.
"Citizens and fighters! We are gathered here today for the annual Dragon Slayers Tournament!" he said loudly as he gestured to everyone around him, "I shall keep this short. We come together to honor the bravery and skill of those who saved our beloved city. It is thanks to them that we still have a city to rebuild! We have come far and made this city even better! I hope you enjoy the spectacle of what is to come. Contestants! Bring your best and do not hold back, for your opponents will not. Just try not to wreck the stage too much, like last year's fight. Thank you and let the tournament begin!"
A loud cheer erupted as the crowd applauded and the tournament got underway. That day was scheduled to have eight fights, meaning sixteen contestants had signed up for this competition. And from the party's point of view, half of them were strong-looking but hadn't gotten into a fight with monsters or in an actual life and death situation. Probably guards or really strong commoners at most. Those were defeated easily, except one. A tall half-orc and ridiculously muscular. He brawled with his hands and seemed to have a good knowledge of choking holds.
Some of them seemed to be nobles as they were dressed flamboyantly and had proper speech. One of them stood out; a half-elf. He had piercing golden eyes and bright blonde hair. He had a lean but muscular build and he seemed to favor fighting with his fists. He oozed confidence but something felt really off about him. Before and after his fight, he seemed to love basking in the crowd's cheers.
Then there were the outliers. Adventurers like Polka and bounty hunters. There were three, including herself. Other than her, the other guild representative was Oga. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a long, large horn coming out of his head. He sounded real serious too and talked little, probably psyching himself up for his fight. The other was a dog girl in simple clothes. A yellow, cloth vest of sorts with a white undershirt. She was the only bounty hunter that joined the tournament. She won with ease and waved to the crowd before she left the stage. The fennec fox girl had an equally easy time as she only had to grapple her opponent and punch him in the head to knock him out.
By the time the last fight was done, it had become nighttime and the party converged onto Robel's. There, they met Oga and a few of his friends.
"Yo!" he greeted with a toothy smile, "You're one of our newer members, right?"
"Yeah!" replied Polka, mirroring his smile, "You did great today!"
"Heh, naturally. It wouldn't be good to lose on the first day, after all," he stated good-naturedly. Then, he said, "Come! Join our table! There's plenty of space."
"Sure, why not?" said Nene as the party accepted the invitation.
Introductions went around quickly. They already knew Rosalyn but were surprised that she liked playing cards with them, even if she always had abysmal luck with them.
"Ha! I keep telling her that playing dice was more her forte," teased Yogiri. She was part of Oga's party, their main rogue as well as a master dice player. Her hair was mostly dyed red and wore black leathers.
"Che, you know she's a stubborn one," snarked Shien with a smirk, "Still, I really can't believe her non-existent luck." He was a former gang boss who fell into hard times in Gekko. He didn't tell them why he joined the guild, but only that he was looking for someone… and they were not to butt their noses into his business. His words, not theirs. A jackal boy with black hair, with two white-highlighted bangs framing his ever-smirking face.
"Shut up! We are here to celebrate Oga's win, not my luck!" retorted the librarian with a pout.
"That being said," said the large man as he pointed to Polka, "You did good today, kid. I hope we meet in the finals. I want to see how much you can give."
"Yosh! Sure!" exclaimed the monk, all fired up.
"All I'm asking for," he said before downing his tankard of ale in one gulp. Slamming down the tankard, he let out a sound of satisfaction. "Roberu! Another!" he yelled over the din.
"Coming right up!"
The next day had less fights, four to be precise. Polka had another easy fight with some nobleman. He seemed to be trained as a wizard, so probably someone from the school. He had a good idea to paralyze her with a spell. Unfortunately, she was able to break out of it the moment he tried to drag her to the edge of the platform to throw her off. He ended up kissing the ground instead.
The dog girl also breezed through her fight. She was quite fast, approaching her opponent and kicking her in the face, knocking the noblewoman out instantly. The half-elf nobleman also passed, but strangely enough, his opponent didn't show up. So, he got a pass. Then, it was Oga's turn. He stood opposite the more muscular half-orc. The appointed referee stood by the side and slowly counted down for the fight to start.
"Fighters ready! 3… 2… 1… Fight!"
They charged at each other and met in the middle of the platform. Both grabbed at each other in a grapple, each trying to gain the advantage over each other. Oga then slipped behind the half-orc while pinning his arm behind his back. He then tried grabbing the neck but the half-orc grabbed his wrist, pushed it away, and elbowed his neck twice. He grunted in pain and released his hold, giving the half-orc the chance to clock him in the side of the head. The half-orc then ran and gave him a clothesline across the throat, slamming him on the wooden floor.
"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded around as Oga rolled over and tried getting to his feet, while the crowd started chanting 'Fein'Gaz' over and over.
With a roar, Oga clashed with the half-orc again in a contest of grappling. This time, he got one up on him, suddenly going around and getting the half-orc in a chokehold. However, the half-orc was able to slip out of it and swung his fists. The first swing, Oga ducked under but the second clocked him under his jaw. Thankfully, he didn't have a glass jaw, but he staggered back in surprise. This let Fein'Gaz grab him and toss him into the air. Jumping up and grabbing him, he slammed the mazoku onto the wooden platform as both of them crashed down.
The half-orc was the first one to his feet and started stomping on the mazoku. The pain clearing up his dazed situation, Oga grabbed the leg and rolled over, dragging the half-orc down again. He then tried maintaining his hold on the leg but was pushed away. The grappling contest continued as they tried to gain the advantage over each other while landing a few punches here and there but to no avail. However, Fein'Gaz was able to maneuver himself around to lift the mazoku up in the air and fall over backward. Oga slammed into the wooden platform headfirst and he lay there... unmoving and unconscious.
"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded once again, the crowd erupting with cheers and chanting his name again and again.
Meanwhile, the party and consequently the other guild members in the crowd were shocked that a senior guild member was defeated.
"Ha… I hope I don't fight him later on," muttered Polka after the fights for the day were over and they met up near the stage.
"Ha, ha, don't worry," assured Oga as he sat on the ground, his head and neck all bandaged up, "You'll have to fight that dog girl first. And Fein'Gaz has to fight that noble first."
"Come on, let's leave that for tomorrow. We should go and see the stalls at the main street and see if there's anything interesting there," suggested Nene.
"Ah, that would be good!" agreed Botan, "I wonder about the stalls here too."
"Just make sure to keep a good and on your pouches or they'll be taken from you." warned Shien with a smirk, "Crowded places are havens for pickpockets."
After having done sightseeing around the stalls and getting their dinner from the same place, the party walked back to the guild house. On the way, they noticed the half-orc looking very shifty while ducking into an alleyway. Curious, they took a detour to find out what was going on. They got near the entrance of the alley and peeked around the corner. They were silently surprised when they found him facing the half-elf nobleman.
"So glad you came to see me," the latter said haughtily, "I have an offer for you."
The former grunted and said gruffly, "What do you want?"
"Oh? Straight to the point, I see. Very well," replied the half-elf, "I will give you a hundred gold pieces to forfeit the match."
"Hmm..."
"Hold it!"
Lamy stepped out from behind the building and stated, "You are cheating! Why do you have to do this? Did you pay off today's fight as well?"
"Hmph, what I do is none of your business," the nobleman stated, "If an opponent is not worth the effort, why not send them on their way with compensation? We will not have to waste time and get on with our lives."
"Hey! This isn't fair, you know?" said Polka as she revealed herself as well. Then, the others came out of hiding to back the two up.
"Hah, since when is life ever..."
"You think you are stronger than me?" growled out the half-orc, interrupting and glaring at the noble.
"But of course," he replied with an arrogant smirk, as if it was fact.
The former roared and shouted, "I am strongest! No deal! Get in the ring tomorrow and I'll show you! I'll crush you with my muscles!"
"Oh? You still intend to waste my time?" the latter sneered, "Very well. If you wish to learn defeat, I shall teach it to you tomorrow." With that, he turned around with a flourish and walked away out the other end of the alley.
The half-orc then turned to the party and spotted the monk. He walked up to her and said, "Hmm, good fighter. Hope to fight you in the tournament." He then went his own way out of the alley.
They stood there silently, watching him walk off into the night. "Do we need to tell Lord Aruran?" asked Polka.
"Maybe not? That arrogant noble will probably get beaten down tomorrow," reasoned Botan.
"True..." mused Nene.
"Well, I could always charm him into doing something embarrassing," suggested Aloe.
"Please, no," said Lamy sternly, "Two wrongs do not make a right. You might even make it worse."
"Alright, alright, I won't," the succubus replied, putting her hands up in mock surrender, "I know you don't like me or something."
"No, it is not that," the cleric hit back, "You are what you are, I cannot change a thing about it, so it would be pointless to hate you for that. What I rather prevent is your actions that may bring trouble to all of us. So, I rather if you get a hold of yourself, if not for random strangers, do it for your friends."
"...Sorry," the succubus apologized, looking a little ashamed.
"Don't worry about it," said the lore bard as she gave the fiendish girl a hug to try and comfort her, "If you do, Mama Lamy will remind you."
"Excuse me? When did I become her mother?" asked the half-snow elf incredulously amidst the giggles from the others. Meanwhile, the succubus smiled gratefully and returned the hug.
"Okay, okay, let's go back and get some sleep," said Nene as she calmed the others down, "We have Polka's tournament to watch tomorrow."
"Argh… please don't remind me," groaned the fennec fox girl as they continued on their way.
"I'm sure you can do it," assured the lion girl, "If not mistaken, based on how the matches are done, you're fighting the bounty hunter dog girl next. As long as you make use of what Lord Aruran taught you, you'll be fine. Don't forget your beer too."
"Yeah, have confidence!" quipped Aloe.
The monk walked on silently for a while. When they reached the guild house, she said resolutely, "Thanks, everyone. I should have more confidence in myself. I learned a lot of things and now have something to boost my skill. I'll do my best tomorrow!"
"That's the spirit!" cheered on the archer as they went in.
AN: We introduce a few more guild members shown here. They are a team of three.
Oga Aragami
Mazoku Warrior
Path of the Juggernaut Barbarian with fighter dip(2 levels)
Former Officer of the Siege Breaker corps, able to break down walls while in his barbarian rage. He joined the guild with Shien after having come here post-retirement.
Shien Kageyama
Jackal Kemonomimi
Swashbuckler Rogue/Whisper Bard
Came to the city in search of his best friend, but ended up befriending Oga and joining the guild. In his off-time, he continues his search, often times with Oga accompanying him.
I tried to keep to MaFia's backgrounds as close to the Holostars character lore as possible. Shien being a leader of his own gang, I think got it right with his combination. Charismatic while skilled in dual daggers.
As for the last member...
Yogiri
Human Rogue
Wild Card
So... she is supposed to be a delinquent. I put her under the Urchin background. I'm considering linking her to the orphanage that was mentioned many chapters ago. She had gone to the school Artia is at but dropped out of it to join the guild. She is a very capable rogue with the Wild Card subclass, taken from the D&D Beyond Partnered Content with Legends of Runeterra. Instead of using cards like Twisted Fate, she uses dice. She has a pool of dice, the same amount and value as her sneak attack dice, which can be used to alter enemy attacks into her favor a.k.a. miss. She also recently gained the ability to blink around the battlefield, just like Twisted Fate could.