"Hehehe~ thanks for playing with me again Mr. Bear." Faint giggles of a little girl serenading as the echo of his dream. "But, you know… mama said you're a bad guy for always wearing that mask."
"Then she's a wise woman." He replied.
"You're always so secretive mister~" A glimpse of a teaseful smile glimmered in his mind. "Can I— can I at least know your name?"
"You can name me anything you want."
"Then… how about… Dov?"
***
**
*
"Hm? Have your eyes opened yet?"
The eyes on Dov's bear mask began to light up, as a sign that he has regained consciousness. He found a pair of snow-white hands grabbing onto his cheeks, rearranging his head till their eyes meet.
"Good morning, Dov~ how is it feel waking up to a rising sun?"
Leyna was sitting on top of his lap as a full-fledged human. The grace of sunlight coming from all the opened windows just enhanced the caring smile painted on her peach lips.
"It feels kind of… nostalgic." Dov stared at the morning sky, a sight that he hasn't seen for quite a while from inside the safety of a room. "Where's Celene?"
"There." Leyna pointed at the massive lycan lying asleep on the floor. "The bed's too big for a big girl like her."
"She's 35 you know…"
"Young for a lycan~"
The two of them went silent for a moment, no word spoken, just admiring the calmness of such a beautiful morning. Even when they're in a place with ashen-colored ground and purple-colored leaves, the sky will always light the same blue.
"You know… it's really been a while… since we slept under the same roof." Leyna tenderly leaned her head onto Dov's chest.
"Yeah… you don't even have a profession back then." Dov was so relaxed, he had no intention to move even a single string of his muscle.
"And you just graduated from the academy."
"Ahh yes, that place. Too bad the discrimination against humans was so harsh back there. I would've graduated much sooner if our team had you as our support."
"Hehe~ I'm not even old enough when you entered." She smiled a precious one. "Well look at the bright side, I can now help you in your hunt." Leyna got up from the masked Hunter, ending her laziness for the morning.
"Not always though…" Dov himself followed to stand away from his relaxing grey wall.
"Oh, by the way. Have you shown her any of… you know… your 'secret'?" Leyna pointed at the sleeping Celene.
"Better not, she'll be very disappointed if she ever knows the truth." Dov walked closer to the lycan and lowered himself down. He then proceeded to give her face a couple tiny slaps. "Oy! Celene, wake up!"
"Hngh?" The way she faintly moaned showed she still wished to stay asleep.
"We need to wash ourselves a little. Get a nice and neat impression out of the elves." Said Dov as he headed toward the door. "I hope Emi won't mind us using her bath."
"Do you want me to join you?" Leyna flirtingly offered.
"Honestly you'll put me at ease if you do that and erase my presence. The thing behind this mask must remain a secret."
After the three finished cleaning themselves, they were greeted by Emilohi. The Prioress offered them to eat some breakfast which she already served at the dinner table.
They respectfully took the hospitality given, though of course with Dov still masked, and Leyna disguised as a black owl. She used a piece of ebony tree bark to help her change the color of her shapeshifting.
"Got any news from Ikemba, yet?" Emilohi sat on one of the dining chairs, glaring at the Hunters enjoying her meal. She looked really happy to have her table full.
"About our next meeting?" Said Dov. "Negative, not a single word yet came to our window."
"Oh really?" The Prioress looked a bit surprised. "Well, his messenger came to me just a while ago, saying Ikemba will be meeting you in the Shrine Hall when the sun's at her peak."
"Shrine Hall?" Celene questioned.
"Yep, it's like a Village Hall, but more… religious." The tone she spat sounded childish. "I've told you last night, right? My son lives there with his fiancée."
"Ah, the Chief? Then I'm sure we'll be meeting him as well." Dov sipped the tea she served.
"Hehe~ you'll get along with him just fine." The purity of her smile showed how proud she is as a mother. "You two got something in common."
"Oh?"
*
When noon was soon to arrive, the three visited the Shrine Hall to meet with the Commander. He brought the turned vampire dark elf girl there to further discuss the situation with the Tribal Chief.
The Hall is a huge rectangular building, two stories tall, with a wall painted black and shaded with purple stripes. It's home to 8 rooms and a spacious lobby at the center. Though this place is nowhere as big as Humanity's City Hall at the Capital of the Ratna Kingdom which hosts about 400 rooms.
"Hmm… I really don't get their idea of building the most important place on this shrine right beside the Core. I mean… can they even stay focused doing a meeting while continuously spiked by lust!?" Celene complained during their walk to the Shrine Hall.
"I'm sure they've adapted to—" Before Dov could finish his sentence, they saw numerous dark elves doing indecent things to one another while praying around the Core of the Shrine of Consciousness. "Or not."
"Do All-father accept that kind of… prayer?" Leyna didn't know how to feel about it.
"He accepted it. Both demons and dark elves already doing it since the Era of Humanoid Creation." Dov answered.
"How come I never see you doing it then?" Celene questioned.
"I'm following the angel's way of praying," Dov replied. "During my servitude to the All-father before becoming a Hunter, I spent most of my prayers with them."
"Is that so?" The lycan lady seemed somewhat disappointed. "Speaking of which, Leyna."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you supposed to be sensitive to lust?" Celene wondered cause she didn't look bothered even when they went closer and closer to the Core.
"The mist doesn't affect non-humanoid creatures, Celene."
"I-I see…"
After a short walk, they finally arrived at the door of the Shrine Hall. Two fully armored guards were standing there with their spears in hand, and they immediately opened the door wide for the three.
"The Chief awaited you in the Reception Room." One of them said.
"Thank you." The three respectfully nodded. Yes, even Leyna.
Although when they walked through the door, both of the guards were staring confusedly at the girl who was perching on Dov's shoulder. They're not informed regarding a black owl coming alongside the Hunters.
The first sight the three saw when they entered the lobby was a two sides stair leading to the second floor, and underneath it was a door to another room. There were a lot of dark elves running around carrying wooden weapons and a couple of training supplies. It felt like they were about to run a sparring session.
But aside from all of that, a woman dressed in a black uniform was standing next to the right staircase with a clipboard clenched in her hands.
"Mr. Night Bear?" Asked the woman when they approached.
"Mister?" Confusion could be heard in Dov's tone. That was his codename, there shouldn't be any honorary before it. And since he's technically a part of the military, he should've been called a 'sir' instead.
"S-sorry!" She jumped in panic. "(I shouldn't have read too much of those human novels!)" Then muttered in silence.
"Please follow me… sir."
Putting out the awkward situation, she lead them through the stair and hallway until they arrived before the double door of the Chief's Reception Room. Like most of the doors in this province, it was colored dark purple. Although both of the door handles were pure sparkling silver.
The woman pleased him to enter as she opened one of the doors. The three then thanked her and swiftly went inside. However, as the door closed behind them, they found themselves standing in a pitch-dark room. A set of curtains was covering all the windows so sunlight couldn't get in.
Dov then snapped a purple flame onto his index finger to brighten the room. Though his [Hunter Senses] already told him who and how many people were inside with them.
"Ahh Hunters, you finally arrived." A familiar voice called upon them. It was the Commander.
"You lot realize lamp won't hurt a vampire, right?" Dov questioned their intelligence.
"Better be safe than sorry."
Right after that, the room's lamps went on and enlightened the entire place. And like the one in Emilohi's house, the light was yellowish.
Truth be told, the whole room wasn't decorated that nightly. The wall is white and so did all the furniture wood. Although the cushions, curtains, and carpet were all light purple.
It felt really feminine and lighthearted.
"What's with the owl, Hunter?" The entire room was placing their attention on Leyna.
"Her?" Dov got a bit confused about why Leyna didn't just use her ability to completely perish from people's senses. "She's served as my eye. However, she's kind of… less active during the day."
"I see, a scout." Ikemba nodded understandingly. "Well with that aside, Hunters, this is our Tribal Chief, Lord Ezesinachi."
The Commander's hand presented a tall figure who looks like a rogue rather than a race leader. Thin figures. Long limbs. Dressed fully in leather armor with all kinds of ardorum protections.
Though what bothered Dov the most was the fact that he used a full-face ardorum masquerade mask. And that mask wasn't smiling in the slightest.
"Greetings to you, my lord." Both Hunters bowed to show their respect.
"No need for formality, Night Bear. We're both brothers under the same guild." Ezesinachi sounded a bit echo-ish, which is expected from wearing a metal mask. Though setting it aside, his voice was smooth as silk. The kind that you'll hear before a dagger slits your throat open.
"Of course. Anything that comforts you the most." Dov can use a killer voice too if he wanted to. But he rather use his lower pitch, which made him sound more convincing.
"By the way Night Bear, the girl you save is sitting right there." The Chief pointed at the turned vampiress on her seat.
"I save?" Dov pretended to be confused.
"Ahh right. You haven't heard from her yet." Ezesincahi walked closer to the girl. "Come, sweetheart. Tell him everything you know."
With that said, the turned-vampiress began to inform the Hunters about her part of the story, which of course, they both already knew.