"So are you fine with that?" Ryuu asks as he clips his newly founded brown leather gloves made out of ox-skin with a pair of metal stacks. "Seems pretty fitting, even if its colour kind of ruins your rather motherly image."
Looking around her hips and adjusting the string, Aria smiles and nods to him as she cradles her sleeping child with her free pair of extra arms. "It fits, boy. It feels a little tight at my back but overall at least it gives out the protection needed for my front."
As she crawls towards Ryuu with her eight pairs of legs, she pats him with her other free right arm before heading out of the blacksmith shop. Scanning around with his eye, he makes sure there is nothing anymore useful before picking up and putting on his back as he lifts his bat by his shoulder. "Well, I guess we can move on now."
Strolling outside and passing by the broken and shattered door o the ground, he then mutters a spell when no one was watching, which reversed the damage and re-locked the door as if it was brand new. "Reversal...."
Blinking his eyes again, he returns his sight to normal before waving to Princess Fusui and the drunkard Yoko, Kisuen, who was waiting for him and Aria as they watched the playful Nia sitting and swinging her legs at the end of a wooden hut's roof edge.
"Heading off, heading off?" Nia cheekily meows as she hops off the roof and catches onto Ryuu's back. As she yawns, she then plops her chin onto his head as she rests.
Ryuu who was used to her childish antics was used to her similarly cat-like actions. Back when he was a kid, he used to take care of kittens which his aunt used to bring along from her home. They were pretty cute and quite as much rummy and energetic just as Nia.
Tumbling around, lazing about and rather noisy, their behaviour was rather sporadic yet a little easier to handle. For Nia, it was kind of similar with a bonus of being half-human and having an easier sense of human-like behaviours. Even with the maturity of being able to handle a store's front when he wasn't available, she on the other hand still likes to prance about and relax when he was fine with it.
Patting her head, her frame was rather light and easy to hold on to. Barely even heavy, he let her rest on him as they continued their journey to the deeper ends of the forest after passing by the village's narrow pathway of overgrown trees and tangy vines.
"I have found the entrance of the dragon's resting place." Said The Black Witch as her eye glowed in a crimson red and purple aura as she grips tight on the now crushed vine-root. "It took a while to analyze this whole area, but it seems to be nesting in an underground burrow near this forest's waterfall."
"Is it nearby or will it take a while?"
Ryuu asks as he tries to calculate the probabilities of location finding.
"Oh, it's quite near. We have to a right, right here..." She says as she points to a nearby broken sign which was at the end of the pathway. Only that it was blocked off with more vines and overgrown ferns which barely gave any sight of a viable pathway. "Oh blimey. The place is filled to the brim."
"Well, just great witch. Now we have to cut our way through and not going to wake up the dragon with our loud slashing sounds and heavy footstep vibrations." Princess Fushi replies in an annoyed fashion as pushes Yoko who was stumbling about in her tipsy behaviour. "Could you stop drinking?!" She growls to Kisuen who bumps onto her.
"I am shworry....*hiccup* I can't help it. Kisuen replies in a mumbled way as she hiccups and sips her bottle of alcohol.
"Then stick to Ryuu or something, I am too short to be able to handle your heavy weight with your ever stumbles. "
As Fusui grudges, she pulls out her sword as she swipes through the many layers of grass that blocked their path.
"Alright, let me take care of her too." Ryuu sighs as she holds onto Kisuen who wrapped her arm and tail around him happily. "Is it me or have you grown an extra tail?"
"Oh...I did? *hiccup* Perhaps it's because of yesterday when I meditated and visited the old man in my dreams." Opening her eyes slowly, she smiles at Ryuu with her small-slit eyes as she burps softly.
Shaking his head, he sighs and keeps up the group's speed as gestures them to follow up with Princess Fusui's swipes. With every swipe, they took five steps forward and before long, they managed to reach the waterfall.
Breathing hard, exhausted. Princess Fusui drops her sword immediately as she washes her face by the water-stream and sips some of the cold and fresh liquid.
"Finally.....finally....gosh." She grunts as swallows the liquid sustenance.
"Alright, so where's the burrow, Black Witch?" Ryuu shrugs as he looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't see it..." he rhythmically hymned.
"Uhhh... let me think..." As she paces back and forth, she uses her magic to locate the place. Pulling over a few dead trees and barks here and there, she dragged it from side to side, before finding a little hole which a dragon can barely fit in. "It's in here...."
"What the...crap?" Ryuu grunts with a confused look. "Are you telling me this dragon is the size of a wild rabbit?"
"No no, it can shapeshift to a smaller size. It is smart enough to know that hunters wouldn't fall for such a trick and decide to look into a cave." The Black Witch gestured with a chuckle as she waves her hands.
"Ah, I guess that makes more sense. Less stereotypical I suppose as the stories say." Ryuu realizes as he calls himself dumb in his thoughts. "Right, now how are WE going to enter there?"
"Ugh...I may be a witch but I don't think I can make a spell of shrinking, haha...." The Black Witch guiltily laughs as she makes an embarrassed blush.
Facepalming, Ryuu covers his face as he activated his chip in his brain which proceeded to glow his eyes as usual. Reading up probabilities and making use of his watch's time technology, he realised he could find the legend that resides quite a few kilometres from here. "That's it!" He shouts, awakening Nia in fright as he snaps his fingers.
"What's it?!" Nia shouts as she pulls herself up as she rubbed her bums in aching shock.
"There's a Dryad nearby here which we could ask for help. She knows quite a lot of spells which revolves around nature and could be able to tame such a simple creature." As his chip deactivated, he smiles and uncovers his face again.
"Huh? Dryad! It's been ages since I heard of those species. I didn't even sense any here. How did you find out about it?" The Black Witch asked as she adjusts her oversized mage hat.
Wiping her face dry with her fluffy furred arms, Princess Fusui then wears back her gauntlets before picking her sword and heading to them. "A dryad you say, In North-Side? That's highly impossible."
"How come?" Ryuu asked as he tries to recount her probabilities which ended up as a fail. It is a hundred per cent sure, there lives a powerful Dryad here.
"You do realize, the Dryads here were slaughtered and hunted down to its negative count. Hence, this place's name Greenvale. Green Valley is this place name but the green in here is not only the reason behind its quite blooming flora but also because of the old massacre that the dryad suffered within." Fusui explains as she recounts her tales of stories her mother, The Chief of the Leaf Wolf Clan read to her.
"Please, trust me," Ryuu mutters as she gestures her to listen to him. " There is a Dryad here that lives. I did tell you I can read the time. MY prophecy states there lives one right nearby here."
"Fine, if you so say so, knight. If we won't manage anymore in the next few hours before sunset, I proved you wrong." Princess Fusui in her leader-like tone exclaims as she points her sword to him before holstering it in a flash. "Guide us."
"Alright, if you so please." Sighing audibly. He holds onto the arms of Kissen gently before dragging her slowly to a certain direction which they haven't even noticed.
As the others kept up, they went through some time of trekking about the deep and green hell of a forest, before ending up a sweet-smelling musk of unknown concoction.
"This smell...?" The Black Witch takes a quick whiff before covering her mouth. "This is sweet and aromatic. Too aromatic."
"Could it be a type of aphrodisiac or trap?" Princess Fusui asked as she holds her breath. "Ryuu, what is this?"
Chuckling softly, he asks them to calm with a wave of his nimble fingers. "Relax, it doesn't affect monster girls. Only males such as I. This is indeed an aphrodisiac trap. A way to attract males as sustenance for the Dryad."
"What the heck?! Close your nose then!" Fusui shouts at him in a demanding way.
"I said relax. No worries. I am immune to this. The Black Witch already made me a poison spell immunity elixir some time ago." As Ryuu explained, he asks them to stand down behind the bush as he unwraps Kisuen's hold and places a finger onto her lips for her to stay quiet and listen to him in a way behind her drunken gaze.
After that, he walked slowly to the middle of this random mystical circle among the musk and strange glitter surrounding the many nook and cranny of the forest space.
"Miss Dryad. I know you are here. Your majesty, you shall not fear. I am not here in harm's way." As he spoke in a rather gentle and respectful way, he listens closely as he slowly kneels with one leg down.
Closing his eyes, he felt a rustle behind the trees as a pair of curious eyes peeks by the side of the majestic tree that is the biggest in this space.
"Hey look," Nia meows softly as she points to Fusui about the strange-looking figure behind the huge tree. "There is someone there."
"You got to be kidding me. He was telling the truth then." Fusui sighs as she was in disbelieve about her untrusty behaviour towards her honorary knight. "How did the witch even...?"
"Sorry, I may be powerful in magic but my sensing magic isn't that adept. My apologies. " She bumps in and intervenes as she smirks. "I am surprised how he can sense it though, quite a knight you have, beast-girl."
"I am no beast, witch, respect me as I am the future heir of the Leaf Wolf Clan." Whispering in a strange demanding way, she felt a knock on her head by the back of her helmet, which caused her ears quite a concussion. "Ow...what.."
"You may need a little discipline training, future heir. It's not wise to argue with your elders." Aria says as she watches the figure slowly floating down from her descend before tilting and watching the strange lad who wasn't affected by her trap.
"Who are you? Why aren't you affected by my trap?" The possible Dryad asked as she inspects Ryuu by walking circles around him. "Are you a tree-man? or a Mud-man? No, you are human."
"Indeed, I am your majesty," Ryuu answers as he kept his position and eye closed. Feeling a strange rub on his neck, he tried not to flinch as the sound of leaves rustling and tossing about at his back could be felt.
"If you are human, I suppose you are special than the others I have encountered. Please you may rise now." The figure insisted as removes the aphrodisiac miasma by absorbing it through her palms. "Are you here for the girl, did someone send you?"
"A girl, what girl?" Ryuu asks as he opens his eyes only to be greeted by a rather scantily dressed lass covered with leaves and flowers as she wore a crown made out of twine and daisy weed. "I was here for you, your majesty."
"For me? You may not be in harm's way, but, I see you have a sharp object by you. Are you here to hunt me down? I have nothing to give and by killing me, the forest won't be able to fully bloom as it used to be. Please reconsider your actions." Being a little cautious, she tries to give him an explanation that curiously interests him yet wasn't an idea in his mind in the first place.
"Your majesty, I am truly not in harm's way. I have come here with my companions from other species of beasts and magic. This is just a self-defence weapon. I am not here in any way of hurting you." Ryuu explains as he gestures them to stand up and reveal themselves, understanding her gaze which suddenly switched while conversing with her.
"I see. If you so please human, state your name. And why are you here, if not for the girl but other reasons." The dryad asks as she smiles towards the others and waves to them to not be worried.
"Conundrum, Ryuu Conundrum, your majesty, that's my given name." As he gives his name, the dryad made a tilt of her head as she was lost in thought for a few seconds, thinking of something. "Also, who is this girl, you are mentioning?"
"I haven't heard of that name anywhere from the voices coming from the trees, then it is true. You may not be from here or part of the hunters coming after me." As the dryad answers him, she decides to talk about the "girl" she constantly mentions.
"I have captured a girl who was lost in these forest after an incident that happened in a nearby village. She may have been affected by my aphrodisiac and is in non-stop tremble and fear of me. I tried calming her down, but the parasite that lingers in my poison has taken over her. I fear she may soon turn to tree-man."
"Wait, so the aphrodisiac is also a parasite. I suppose since you are the only Dryad here which makes your majesty the Queen of this place, you are looking for a way to increase your numbers again." A little worried about the girl transforming to some sort of monster, he excludes it off his list as his "Sight" says it was impossible to cure due to the limitations of the cure for this, at this current time's technology and medicinal advancements.
"Yes, I need to make guards and protectors of this forest protect me, the queen from harm's way. There are no other species of monsters that are available to help and because of that, I have to rely on my powers. If you can human, is it fine to let the girl be?"
Princess Fusui then intervenes as she stares strangely towards the Dryad Queen. "As the heir of The Leaf Wolf Clan, I suppose I can allow what you must do for now but next time don't ever do it. We will pledge ourselves to protect this land if you so wish."
("A contract? Gotcha...") Ryuu thinks in his head as his path of choice has been approved with the will of time. His chip activating by itself, his "Sight" activates to show him the new future possibilities that could happen next.
"Leaf Wolf Clan, from East Side? Please don't tell me you insist on plundering our lands for training." The Queen asks in a rather timid yet careful way.
"No, she wants to make a contract to help protect your lands from plunderers. But, I suppose in business terms, you have to exchange something in return." Ryuu answers back in a very understandable way for the Dryad queen to understand in her limited knowledge outside of the forest.
"Hmm, The forest doesn't owe much but the voices of the trees say they can share their fruits and herbs if that is enough." The Dryad answers as she closes her eyes and listens to the various voices that argued and enveloped her only two pair of ears. "That's enough!" She shouts, quieting the voices.
Surprised by the shout, the few monster girls who were sensitive to sound covered their ears to protect themselves from hearing loss.
"My apologies, Mr Conundrum and Heir of Leaf Wolf Clan. My people are sometimes a little noisy when they all speak at the same time. I accept your contract, which means I then get to keep my hostage and also help you in your request in return, what would you be of service?" In a change of personality, she then smiles and lightens herself up which changed from her a rather timid form that didn't befit her elder look into a more mature and conforming one.
"It would be a little curious of me, but wouldn't you mind if I could see this girl you were talking about, your majesty?" Ryuu asks as he made a slight grin.
"It's no bother, you shall go ahead. I warn you, she may look a little different than a normal human does, creepy if you could say in your terms. Other than that, would you share your request? I can sense you are holding something back." She answers as she blinks twice with a rather natural smile.
"We would like to be able to conjure a shrinking spell and as I have read from some books, Dryads can use such a spell," Ryuu explains as he hid his main objective from her.
"That is rather correct, it is one of our rather lesser-known spells but quite easily accessible if someone so wishes. Why would Mr Conundrum like to use that spell exactly?" She asks curiously as she gained more trust in Ryuu rather than the princess who stood next to him.
"We would like to confront the dragon that had caused quite a problem to a nearby village. Not only their harvesting crops were damaged but the villagers fled off in panic that they may be in danger." Ryuu explains as the dryad then made a bland and emotionless look.
"They deserved it..." She mutters as her eyes stopped reflecting the happy nature around her. "He did what must have been done."
"What happened, if you don't mind explaining, your majesty?" He asks as the others were in surprised about her sudden change of behaviour once more.
"They hurt him, they stole my people's children and also killed my own family." As she spoke in her mono-toned state, her eyes grew in a sense of agonizing pathetic rage.
"I see...that's why then." Princess Fusui replies as she understood the Dryad's pain. "Would it be fair to accept their apology if they stop doing so?"
"My family tried, they begged, the humans ignored and captured them. Tortured them and crushed them. Only I lived after their sufferings, I escaped after the dragon helped me by destroying their cage." The Dryad explained as slight tears formed from her eyes.
"Easy there, if you so wish to punish them for your sins, then we wouldn't side with humans for you. But you should realize, some good humans help and work together with your species on the other sides." Ryuu explains as he gestures The Black Witch to come to him.
"Give her the book, you know what I mean."
"Humans, who like and help my family? Like Mr Conundrum?" She asks as her non-reflective eyes followed her tilting action of curiosity.
"Yes, indeed...Mr Conundrum is right." The Black Witch replies as she hands a book which she summoned out of her special magical rucksack. "Here, take this."
"A book. It's made out of elder wood. A dryad queen made this." The queen here mumbled as she flipped the book which gave pages filled to the brim with writings and pictures by a dryad and human respectively. East-side has dryads and humans who help? This is, nice."
As she read through the pages, she ciphered the mystical language that the people of East-Side spoke and written about as watched Ryuu and Princess Fusui. "You want to help my people?"
"Yes, as an heir of east-side's future, that is indeed my reason to travel alongside my wandering knight," Fusui answers as she smiles respectively.
"Okay... I will be happy. My mother was right. One day a human who helps our family will come one day to help us when the time comes, a wolf will be by his side as a pet and a friend." The queen smiles again as her eyes reflected the sunshine from the small gaps of nature.
"I will help call the dragon but I will teach Mr Conundrum the spell, there is no need to use it now but for future use." The queen explained. "As respected and as my part of work, I shall now reveal my true name."
"It is..."