The rain was pelting me as Donatello trudged the muddy dirt road. Donatello was walking beside me, somehow still alert after running almost non stop for three days. We only stopped to gather food and rest twice, stopping at a river once to collect water. Other than that we were none stop. I was almost delirious with pain, curled on Donatello back. My leg had turned red and swollen, pus leaking from it constantly. Donatellos saliva seemed to act as a clotting agent, most likely the reason I hadn't died yet. I was shivering and soaked, exhausted and worn out. Donatello was loyal, leading me somewhere I was unsure of but was certain it was safe. We had passed a village from the forest, made with mesmerizing pink and purple brick. It had several rope lines with colourful banners, but he avoided it and instead joined a muddy road on the outskirts leading up a winding hill. I could see a large stone building up there that looked like some sort of church. It was a classic Gothic looking building, with stained glass pictures of a pure white Goddess, and a demon king. I wasn't able to take in what the pictures were about as my mind was too fractured from pain and delirium. Every part of me hurt, and I was tired and cold. I was fearful that I was going to suffer effects of exposure from the elements.
"Help us... please... help... us... please..." I croaked, repeating the words like a mantra over and over again. I was barely holding in together, my mind almost swimming from the pain. The numbing pain almost made me mad, I was surprised I wasn't dead. I heard Donatellos purring stop and the shouting of men around us suddenly, just as thunder clapped in the sky. I couldn't tell reality from fiction as soon as it happened. Just like during the last storm, I kept seeing flashes of that night I died I'm between seeing men in thin armour with spears surrounding up.
"Help us... please..." I was sobbing, my vision going between seeing the knife fall at me and the blurry men jabbing spears at Donatello. Donatello made a hissing clicking noise, stomping his feet.
"Careful boys! It's the biggest Crito I've ever seen!" A older thick accented voice barked over the pounding rain.
"There's something on its back sir!" Another person barked. Lightning flashed against the sky just as a man in front of me jabbed his spear at me. The blade in my mind morphed into the knife plunging towards my eye. I jerked backwards, Donatello barely catching me with his tail as I tumbled to the ground. The mud was cold and my hood flew off my head so my hair fell out.
"Its a person!"
"What?" The older man barked again. I heard the shuffling of feet a d Donatello jumped around me. He was hissing at the men, holding me with his tail as they shifted around up.
"I need help... please don't hurt us!" I started to sob, raising my head and my eyes met with three men. One was older, with a grey beard and long grey hair. He was built like a bear in hard steel armour. The other two men were younger, one dark-skinned with dreads and the other with brown hair and freckles. They both look confused and terrified, clutching their spears at us. The older man seemed almost unfazed, looking down at me with almost pity.
"Put your spears away." His almost Scottish accent barked out.
"But sir--" another voice called from behind us.
"I said put them away!" He roared over rolling thunder. I felt like I was about to vomit at the noise. I gripped Donatello's tail, trying to calm him. He only stopped hissing when the men lowered their weapons. He was still tense. I switched my eyes and saw his aura was a dark navy blue with worry. I pushed my mana in my hand, pushing his navy aura to a pale clover green of calm. He was making that cute noise like a cat again, flicking his eyes back to his usual emeralds and looking down at me. His tongue flicked against my cheek.
"Sir?" The freckled boy said aloud. The older man and I were staring at each other, the raindrops almost slowing down around us.
"We need help." I blindly reached up and patted Donatello's nose. He turned his head to the man with the dreads.
"Ignis, get Altir. Tell him to meet me in Priscilla's old room" Ignis looked at his elder like he had four heads.
"You know Altir won't--"
"Tell him if he doesn't meet me there, I'll tell that deal with him myself." His words were strong and threatening, eyes glinting with a dark aura of anger. Ignis bowed his head and raced off to the building.
"Can I come closer?" His voice was calming over the booming storm. For a moment I forgot about it. He took a step forward and Donatello hissed, baring teeth at him. His pupils sharpened.
"Its okay buddy." I cooed and his pupils enlarged but he was still tense. The older knight waited a moment before taking another step. This time Donatello stayed silent but I could tell he was tense and on guard. Everyone held their breath and he started taking a few more steps until he was about five feet in front of me. He was definitely on range that Donatello could have snapped him up it a millisecond, but he stayed loyal by my side. The man's eyes shifted from me to Donatello, and then down to my leg. I didn't realize that my tumble, the arrow jutting from me was visible. He took one more large step, then kneeled on the muddy ground before me. He offered me his large rough hand riddled with scars.
"What's your name?" My mouth almost said Victoria or Mercy, but I bit my lip. Victoria was dead, and Mercy couldn't be found for the sake of those around her.
"I need help." Was all I said, unsure of how to proceed. My mind was still mush and my vision starting to blur. My body was turning numb from shock, fear and exhaustion.
"Don't hurt Donatello." Was all I could say before I collapsed and completely lost consciousness.
The last thing Sir Edwin Collin was expecting was to see the hulking figure of a Crito lumbering in the rain on a dirt road towards the monetary. The older knight had seen his share of monsters, and Crito's were exceptionally dangerous. Probably one of the most dangerous monsters found in Juria. His blood ran cold as he saw its skin shifting colour even from so far away. They were extremely dangerous hunters, with excellent hearing and heat detection. Their camouflage made them hard to handle, and they were extremely fast and strong. They were good climbers and swimmers, making them the ultimate apex hunter. He knew that if it wasn't handled properly, everyone in this monestary would be slaughtered and eaten. Ignis was standing next to Edwin at the top of the hill looking down, his dark skin turning a shade of green. There were seven of them in total that were outside the front gates-- completely on accident as well. As the captain, Edwin wanted to make sure his soldiers were well trained Despite the rain, he was making them doing sparring with spears after catching them slacking off. Now he was both thankful and concerned for being outside, but they only had spears and now any ranged weapons or mages. The best way to kill a Crito was from afar, but they wouldn't be able to. The men were shaking like leaves as the sound of the thing clicking came over the rain.
"Everyone pick up your spears!" Edwin yelled over the booming thunder.
"Surround the thing tightly, don't let your guard down!" He raised his weapon and started to run forward with spear ready. They charged, surrounding the monster quickly. Too quickly. The Crito saw them coming but didn't lunge, just stopped walking. Already Edwin knew something was off. It wasn't right. His knights were frantic, shaking like leaves and clutching their spears so hard their hands were turning white and pink. The Crito was hissing, but staying still. Edwin was looking at its large head, eye protectors sliding over its iris. They were like see through iron, but it didn't lunge again. It's tail was in an awkward position, holding something on its back. Fabric fluttered behind it and that was what threw him off. The creature was holding something to its back. Over the thundering rain, Edwin's sharpened senses heard whispering.
"Thers something on its back!" Ignjs yelled out.
"Hold on a moment lads." Edwin started to shift to the side, sliding to the left side of the Crito where Ignis and the freckled boy Niro were standing. Just as he did, something fell from the things back and instantly it curled around the sack. At least he thought it was a sack until pale brown and white hair spilled out from it.
Edwin was then looking at a sight he though he would never see. The Crito was curled around a woman, shivering and pale with an arrow sticking out of her calf. Her clothes were torn, she was soaked and she looked on the verge of death. She was a tiny and frail girl, shivering and barely conscious. Something about the way she looked sitting there being guarded but a monster so tenderly made Edwins heart twinge. For a moment, her face almost morphed into one so familair to his heart he felt it tighten and strain.
"Its a person!" Everything else was a blur for Edwin. He ordered Ignis to go get the bastard Altir, even though he knew that the man would be pissed. He approached the woman and the Crito, he was scared but when she reached up and touched it the thing calmed. She collapsed after begging him not to hurt 'Donatello' and fell on his lap. She was so tiny he felt like he would break her by touching her. Donatello stared at the man, moving his head over his Mistress so the rain wasn't pelting her. He had dropped his second eye lid, staring at Edwin with resolve and calm in his eyes. It was the first time Edwin had ever looked such a creature in the eye without bloodlust and hunger corrupting it. It was sentient and caring. Decades of battlefield experience honed the old knights senses enough to know that this Crito would not harm anyone here.
"Its okay lads." Edwin scooped up the soaked and bloody girl while her pet stared at him curiously. They shared a look of understanding, as if they could speak between their minds. His mind raced as he tried to figure out where to out her, and there was only only possible place he was coming to. Priscilla's old room overlooked the inner courtyard, and the Crito had the aura of a guard dog. It would be able to fit through the halls and the room he was going to place her in, but--
Edwin almost smiled as a thought came to mind.
"Niro, help me lead the Crito to the room."
"Sir!" Three of his men including Niro screamed at once in horror. The beast just started making a noise like a cat purring but even louder. His eyes were on his passed out mistress, rain streaming against her pale face. She felt like a feather, weighing nothing. Her blood was mixing with the water and falling down his armour. It was the whole reason that he knew the Crito meant no harm to humans. Blood would make them go crazy, but this one was as calm as a cow grazing. He didn't speak, just started jogging towards the monestary. The men screamed behind him, and he knew it was because the Crito was hot on his heels. He could hear his purring over the rolling thunder. They neared the gates, and the two guards holding the stronghold shut held their swords when they saw Edwin running with the girls beast behind him.
"Sir behind you!" The older and bald of the two Carter, yelled as he held his iron broadsword.
"Its a familiar of this woman." He had to yell over the thunder. They were shaking as he neared, but noticed that the monster was managing its speed to not pass their commander.
"Open the bloody door you fucking donkeys!" He yelled as he got to the grey stone steps without them opening the large oak double doors. The Crito stopped behind him, bobbing his head up and down as if to agree. Carter looked at the beast, his armour clicking as he shook. The younger and surprisingly stoic Epial looked at the thing with his orange eyes. He turned and opened the door, showing the chapel and alter. Edwin knew the place like the back of his hand. He sprinted to the right. He turned to see how the people would react to the monster, but the smart thing had activated its camouflage. He could still feel it's presence, but the workers and nuns stayed mostly calm. They seemed worried as they looked at the girl in his arms but only whispered. He raced up the staircase pushed in the far corner of the cathedral, racing up to the third floor. It was the nuns quarter, a long stone and wood corridor with doors lining it. He was aiming for the door directly in the middle. Ignis hadn't made it yet as there was no water on the floor. Edwin ripped the door open, looking at the barren room he never thought he would see again. It was just the way the previous nun had left it. Twin bed with cotton sheets tucked into the corner, night stand, wardrobe, and desk with a oil lamp and a empty book case. The two windows next to the bed overlooked the small courtyard with a fountain, but for now all he could see was water falling from the sky. He gently placed her frail body on the bed, her blood soaking the white sheets. Her familiar unmasked himself, putting his head head and sniffing the girl. He pushed against her arm gently, as if trying to wake her from her slumber.
"That arrogant son of a bitch!" He heard the shrill and annoying voice of Altir coming closer along with the stomps of his angry feet. The Crito hissed and his second eyelid slid closed. He jumped on the bed and part of the wall, hovering over the girl and guarding her. It was heartwarming to see him guard the small frail girl. Altir's footsteps got closer and so did his incessant ranting. Edwin reached down to the girl, moving her hair gently from her face. It was sticking to her skin, her breaths shallow and small. Her Crito's skin shimmered and melded with the wall just as the door slammed open.
"You dare summon me to heal a beggar?" He shrieked like a banshee. The commander of knights looked over to the steaming cleric, smoke almost rolling off of his face. His lavender hair was short and fluffy, the white suit he was wearing almost mocking the older gentleman. It was adorned with gold embellishments and buttons, a light blue shoulder cape a sign of a powerful healer. His grey steely eyes met Edwins, filling with boiling rage.
"I don't believe she's a beggar." Edwin moved to the side so he could see the fragile girl. Altir's eyes locked on the ends of her hair, white and snowy. It was a classic sign of a light mage, and most likely a healer. Even the very tips of the clerics lavender hair was pure white. Not much just barely there.
"I don't care if she's a light mage, I require payment." He was seething, grinding his teeth together.
"Don't be so selfish." Edwin barked back. This is why Ignis didn't want to get Altir. Light mages were rare, healing an even rare abilitea as it usually meant you needed a earth attribute as well. He was the one of only two healers in the monestary, but it was common that clerics would only heal those with money as healing took a toll on them physically. Some got fevers, some got dizzy. In rare cases, they could feel the pain of those they were healing. Altir was lucky and only got dizzy, but he was a greedy man only interested in power and money.
"My terms have always been the same. I won't change my mind." Right after he was done his head snapped forward with a cracking noise.
"You better do it boy." A sharp voice growled behind him. Edwin smirked. He also knew Ignis would anticipate Altir's greed, and grabbed the most dangerous woman in the monestary. Before Altir could react, he was shoved deeper in the room and the door shut. A nun dressed in a simple white long sleeve gown stood there. Her fiery red hair pulled back into a tight bun, her brown eyes burning with anger. Lisa Temperance, a fire mage nun and Altir's worst nightmare. A stubborn woman who didn't take no for an answer.
"Damn you woman! Leave me out of this!" He barked down to her red faced with embarrassment. He raised his hand as if to slap her. Even though Edwin and Lisa knew it was because he was an animated talker and would never strike her, the hidden beast didn't. It dropped its camouflage and bared his teeth. The two unaware witnesses screamed at the beast, Altir covering his body over Lisa protectively.
"Monster! Edwin kill it!" He rolled his eyes at the clerics first shrieks.
"Its her familiar you bastard. I would bet it would be too happy if you didn't save her life." In that moment Edwin knew he had won. Listening to the hissing of the Crito, the ranting and raving of the two and the slow breathing of the girl he had a feeling there were some changes. A deep storm of change was brewing their way and everyone was unaware.
"I would heal her quickly before he gets upset."