The creature now turned to see, not beyond it's limited vision, a line of what seemed to be humans, adorned with metal & leather across their bodies as armour, each emblazened with a green crest of a blade & scythe crossed against each other. The line stretched out to be 20 long with another 20 behind, each soldier wielding blades, brandishing spears and raising shields towards the creature. And behind them a line of 4 carriages, each open except for the cheap cloth canopy erected over top of them, drawn by 2 horses a piece, & more humans manning them & whatever cargo they seemed to be carrying.
'Merchants perhaps?'
A figure wearing a brown cloak & brandishing some form of staff now stood atop the closest carriage as a slight red hue began to emanate from the figure's outstretched palm.
"Keep the beast distracted!!"
Another voice yelled out, the same female voice as before, but now the creature could see source of this voice, a woman, clad in armour almost identical to the other soldiers, except for some identifiable ornamentations along the edges of the metal, lines, symbols, the creature couldn't see them clearly as their owner barreled towards it, a great silver blade in clasped with both hands over her head as she brought it down. The creature could barely dodge as it carved into the ground beside it. The creature opened it's mouth to speak, only for the blade to be turned quickly upwards & for the woman's next attack to land its mark, cutting through the creatures mouth & cleanly through the top of it's head. The creature leaned backwards & reversed it's steps, a slight pain where the blade had struck, only for the creature's head to reform a moment later, with only a slight tingling from the attack remaining.
"Tch, seems you're a tough one."
The woman spoke with poison in her voice.
'Dammit, sorry about this!!'
"BBLLAARRGGGIIIBBBLLAAARR!!"
The creature hopped forward using it's hind legs & with it's right arm outstretched it swung an open palm diagonally agianst the woman, who could barely seem to halt it's momentum as she blocked it with the blunt of her blade, supported with her left hand on the hilt & her right pushing the blade against the creatures hand, which had now begun wrapping around the blade.
"GGRRR!!"
The woman grunted as she was now struggling to keep hold of her weapon as the creature's tendril like fingers began to wriggle hoping to loosen her grip as well as the creature still applying pressure with it's arm.
"Captain, get down!!"
Another voice rang out as spears, rocks & arrows began to fly into the sky towards the duo. The woman suddenly fell to a knee, still tightly gripping her blade as the missiles began to pelt the ground & the beast they were aimed at. The rocks had no effect, simply bouncing off the creatures liquid hide, whereas the arrows & spears that landed their mark could be felt as they pierced into the creature's writhing body. The sensation was strange, a feeling that could be described as pain as the weapons entered, but quickly faded into a tingling with each protrusion into the creature's writhing mass. The creature raised it's other arm, that had previously held it aloft to try & shield it from the incoming attacks, however once it left the ground the creature merely fell forward as though it's front had lost it's support. Ceasing this oppurtunity the woman quickly and easily brought her sword back under her control before thrusting it's now free blade through the creature's right eye.
'AARRGGHHH!!'
"GGGLLLLAAAARRRRHHHH!!!"
A great bellow of pain escaped the beast as it's vision grew even less clear, barely being able to see the soldiers further back as they now faded into one another. The woman was not finished however, as she quickly retracted the blade with her left side & quickly slashed upwards into the right arm of the now writhing beast, then again into it's right side as she began to dance in a circle around the beast, her blade a flurry, next she slashed the right hind leg, the left, the left side, the left forearm, before planting her blade into the head of her cowering adversary & quickly retreating backwards with a single triumphant leap.
The beast now lay there in pain as it's vision slowly returned, 6 spears protruding from it's body & uncountable arrows, now broken or fragmented could be seen suspending in the twitching mass that now faced the soldiers. The pain had disappeared into the same tingling sensation throughout the beast's body, as though it were threatening to lose substance & collapse into a puddle, no different in form than the one that had bestowed knowledge of it's appearance unto the beast.
"Ready!!"
Another female voice broke the silence, this time it seemed softer, less stern than the warrior woman's.
"Do it, now!!"
The warrior woman shouted in response as the red hue above the protected carriage formed into a light at the tips of the cloaked figure, then, it took shape, a ball, a ball of fire, that rocketed towards the still recovering beast, singeing the earth as it approached its limp target.
"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHGGGGGG!!!!!!"
A tremendous scream left the beast as the fire hit its mark, hitting the beast's weary head & exploding, the impact rippling through it's body as the fire began to boil it's flesh, if you could call it that. The fire sent a searing pain across the beast's body, which this time didn't fade, as it's body began to boil, the outermost layer of whatever slimy substance the beast consisted of began to pop & sizzle in response to this assault of sensations & heat as the beast continued to let out pained shrieks & screams.
'Why are you doing this?!'
"GGLLAAAAARRBBB!!!"
"Looks like it still has some fight left in it!! men, stay in formation!"
The warrior woman spoke once more, unfazed by what was happening before her.
"Sir!!"
A chorus erupted from the soldiers at her side as they readied their weapons & began to slowly advance on the creature.
'Stop!!'
"SSLLAARRGGHH!!"
The beast, still delirious from the pain, let out a pained yelp begging for mercy, to no avail, as no one could understand it's gurgling speech.
"Steady!!"
The woman again barked orders to her soldiers, as they marched ever closer to the beast as it struggled to stand on it's trembling & burning limbs.
'STOP!!'
"SSSSLLLLLAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!"
Another cry, louder this time left the beast with no more effect than the first as the soldiers continued to approach it, weapons ready to finish this sorry encounter.
Suddenly, the soldiers stopped advancing and the only sound that could be heard was the beast's slight whimpering as the fire scorching it's flesh finally began to die, leaving behind only the painful trembling that wracked it's body as it strained to stay upright. Then...
"NOW!!"
The woman's final order to her soldiers as they reared back preparing to pounce on the beast.
"STOP!!"
Another voice rang out as the soldiers halted their movements, some struggling to comply & teetering under the weight of their weapons nearly fell at the sudden contradiction of their orders.
"Everyone, back off!"
The voice shouted, the voice belonged to a man, who appeared behind the soldiers, approaching the soldiers & their prey, he wore a thick, green dyed leather shirt & green scales taken from some great beast in a pattern that formed into a chestplate & other armaments, he wore no helmet unlike the soldiers & their captain to contain his short, brown hair, but he wore a thick pair of dark leather gloves with bandages that lead up his arms on both hands, in his left hand he carried a strange, dark, wooden bow, with a thin metal blade that jutted out from the outer curve, the whole weapon seemed to be giving off a magical & powerful air. He bore a half full quiver on his back along with a knife on each leg, both bound in a leather sheathe. He was clearly quite different from the beast's other attackers, but the beast wasn't foolish enough to blindly trust this strange man as it limped back slightly from the distracted soldiers, not enough for them to notice, but enough to feel a slight sense of safety, all while not turning away for an instant.
"What are you doing?!"
The woman shouted once again, this time at the strange man.
"We were hired by the lord to work with you, and I can tell something's off here."
The man replied with a calm voice, while the woman only seemed to grow more irritated.
"Now, everyone, back up, I'll handle him, just watch."
The soldiers seemed hesitant and their attention quickly turned back to the beast, while the man continued to approach. The beast began to let out whimpers that sounded more like a low continous bubbling sound. Until the man now stood alongside the soldiers, no weapon drawn, no sign of intent or malice. Then... the man raised his right hand to the beast as though he hoped to shake hands. The other soldiers seemed dumbfounded while the beast now felt a strange sense of ease & apprehension at the gesture, nestled between the weapons of his other attackers.
"Everyone. Back. Up."
The man repeated in a calm clear voice, without a hint of worry or anger behind it. Slowly the soldiers complied, inching backwards with their weapons still pointing towards the beast, the woman had also joined the ranks of the other soldiers in case something went wrong, & the figure atop the carriage watched on, seeing how things would unfold.
"I won't attack. And I'm hoping they won't either."
The man spoke those last words with a chuckle, his hand still outstretched. At this distance the beast could clearly make out his features, he had some stubble on his chin & a soft grin on his face, despite his rough appearance & his messy brown hair, he also had a scar from some claw that led from his nose to his left cheek, he looked to be in his early 20's.
"My arm IS getting tired, you know."
The man chuckled, bringing the beast back to it's senses as it looked on wondering what to do. Shake it? Bring it's head down to meet it? Or use this chance to try and flee if it's limbs would allow it?
The beast elected to stand as tall as it could in it's weakened state, which caused the others to once again raise their weapons in response, before raising it's left hand from the ground & opening it beneath the man's. He simply rested his hand on the beast's.
"A good huntsman knows that a cornered beast is at it's deadliest, and that a wounded beast is no different, but you aren't one, are you?"
The man spoke clearly & matter of factly, seemingly trying to educate the beast & his comrades on his reasons.
"You don't fight back, your first instinct appears to be flee from danger, yet you didn't, it's as though your a child, a pup fresh out of the den, still not sure of itself or the world around it."
Surprised by the apparent knowledge & insight of this hunter, the beast nodded it's head in response, causing quite a stir among the soldiers & surprising the hunter a little.
"Can you understand me?"
The beast again nodded before trying to gargle out a verbal response.
'Yes.'
"GLARR."
"Hm, you're an odd one aren't you?"
The hunter said as he planted the bow, still in his other hand into the ground, before he began to run his now free hand along the, in some places, bubbling skin of the beast as the severity of it's injuries finally began to set in, collapsing to the floor, tired of the weight of it's own body & seeking some slight respite. The soldiers all flinched as they noticed their weapons had all lowered, slightly, at this ... 'thing's' sudden movement.
"You're scared, aren't you?"
The beast slowly nodded it's head once more.
"Hmm."
The hunter closed his eyes in thought, before turning his head & shouting to the figure atop the carriage.
"HEY! ADE! ANY ROOM IN THERE!"
...
"IT MIGHT FIT IN THE ARMS CRATE!"
The figure answered a few seconds later, the voice somewhat strained from the shouting.
"Hold on! That 'thing' is not going into the city!"
The warrior shouted at the hunter, who simply returned her objection with a glance, uninterested & unfazed, before stating, matter of factly.
"None of us could sense this creature until it appeared, none of us have ever seen anything like it, it can seemingly understand us & it hasn't been able to harm even a single one of your men. It is not a threat & by keeping it alive, it could become useful. Besides the lord & the adventurer's league permit tamed creatures so long as their owners are liable for them."
The warrior seemed to grow more frustrated as he spoke, yet couldn't find any ground on which to argue her point, before she grunted in resignation & marched her soldiers back to their positions.
"Come on big guy, we're going to the lords city. We can patch you up, pretty sure everyone out here will either want a piece of you or all of you, you'd probably make for a great story or research subject."
'Well, what choice do I really have here?'
"GLAARRGGLLIIGGOO!"
The beast simply replied in it's typical fashion before struggling to it's feet & marching itself behind the hunter towards the caravan of carriages, eliciting some murmurs from the soldiers & a slight nervous grunting from the horses.
"Come on big guy, up you get."
The hunter said as the beast struggled in it's attempt to clamber into the back of one of the carriages where the cloaked figure sat, alongside myriad blades & weapons now strewn about the floor with a crate that had its lid torn off. The beast looked at the blades scattered around & then noticed the figure gesturing to the crate that they could all now see was too small for the beast to rest in, however as the beast continued to try and fit inside the limited confines of the box, it's body seemed to compress itself, as it's hand soon became inseparable from it's arm, it's shoulder, until finally it's whole body & head now lay inside the crate, like how water would fill a crate. And as it did so, the weapons that were still lodged in it's body floated to the top, or in the spears case, they sat, jutting out of the crate like giant spoons used to mix the contents of oversized cauldrons. The hunter jumped up, looking curiously at the now liquid state of the beast in the crate and cautiously & gently removing the larger projectiles from the strange soup mix in the crate.
"You really are a fascinating thing, aren't you?"
'I'd still like to know what, exactly,I AM.'
"Pop, Pop, Pop, Blub."
This time, the liquid-beast only bubbled in reply. Pain still swimming throughout whatever it's body now was.
"I'll be riding with you. Non-negotiable."
The warrior woman emerged at the back of the carriage, before pulling herself up & seating herself next to the hunter, opposite the now somewhat shivering beasts container as the carriages began to move along to the monotonous sound of marching hooves & metal as the soldiers that weren't on the wagons began to march in a line either side of the carriages, back towards their destination.