Welcome back to another episode of 'Holy crap, it's a monster!'
And on this episode of 'Holy crap, it's a monster.'...
"Holy SHIT It's a god damn WENDIGO...!!!"
Holy crap, there's monsters.
"It's gonna get ya'!"
"RUN MASTER...!"
It's been another month, and after traveling through various kinds of valleys and ghost towns, I'm currently getting chased by a large ape-like creature with the head of a deer skull out in some foggy woods.
And it is very scary.
Which is why I am running.
"IM DEAD IM DEAD IM SO DEAD DUDE." I continue sprinting down the foggy forest as I hear the monstrous steps just inches behind me. "IM DEAD IM DEAD IM DEAD IM DEA- WHOAAA...!!" I end up running into a ravine, and I am now falling. "DAMN IT NOT AGAIN..!"
"Weeee~!"
"AAAAHHHH THIS IS ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED ME TO MESS AROUND WITH A WEIRD LOOKING POLE..!!."
"And how was I supposed to know it would summon a wendigo, hm?"
"Come on... you knew very well what would happen..."
"Guilty as charged."
Don't go touching random effigies out in the woods.
*THUNK*
"Oof!"
*THUNK*
"Ooof!"
*Splat*
"Gh..."
"You've had quite the fall! Are you dead, by any chance?"
"...If was lucky... I would be..."
"Hahh... just get up.."
"...Fine, but only because the ground is cold.." I stand up after having my ribs punctured twice from falling and breaking through two layers of rocks. "Annd now we're stuck underground again... Wait what even is this place?"
"It looks to be an abandoned mineshaft..."
"Oh snap, maybe we can find some shit to sell." I dust myself off and head into the singular path down the dark cave. "Whoa this place is dark!" I grab onto an unlit torch on the wall and light it with a lighter I found in some ghost town, before resuming down the empty and dripping mine, looking at the ruined minecart tracks and what looks like obvious dry blood splatters. "Oh look, ketchup."
"Um I don't think that's ketchup..."
"Gravy!"
"I don't think it's that either... Wait, why would anyone bring ketchup or gravy down here? Are you two just that stupid!"
"Fine, tomato sauce."
"Tomato sauce!"
"..Ketchup IS tomato sauce..!"
"Shhh... do you hear that?" I stand motionless after hearing a growl off in the darkness.
"H-heard what..?"
*Drip* ... *Drip* ... *Drip*
The empty mineshaft continues to drip water onto the cold stone ground. My torch continues to crackle, and the darkness continues to roam the long empty halls.
"Maybe I'm just hearing things, let's go!" I break into a sprint and run down the halls.
"W-wait what are you doing??"
"I'm running!" My footsteps echo loudly across the emptiness as I run through the darkness.
"B-but why are you running all of a sudden??"
"Because I felt something lick the back of my neck! And I'm scared shitless!"
"Y-you what..?"
"Don't read too much into it, just know I'm scared as hell and I want to get out before I see a taxidermy human being."
"Eek!"
"Just kidding." I stop after reaching a dead end. "Oh great, no more halls to run through." I slowly turn around. "Uh..." I am relieved to see nothing chased me, and I take this moment to carefully rack my brains and think of my next course of action. "Lucifer what should we do."
"We could nap~"
"Okay."
"Hah?"
"What?" I stop from trying to sit down. "You got something better? Go on, share."
"We run back from where we came from and-"
"Hell no. You don't know what we'll run into back there." I sit down against the wall. "I feel much safer here."
"You must really not want to get out..."
"What are you talking about? Of course I want to get ou-"
*CRACK*
The floor below me gives out, dropping me.
Again.
*THUNK*
"Well, we've hit the twilight zone over here lads." I stand up from my sitting position and scan my new surroundings.
I am now in a cave, nothing special. Just a long series of dark stone hallways, stalagmites above me, and a group of undead now heading my direction. "Alright Astal, you're up."
"Come get some!!"
*SHING* *SHING*
"Whoa, you're hyper today." Astal's blade somehow feels sharper. I cut through their flesh as if it were paper. Either this is a result of Astal's soul and mana strength increasing, or because of my levels going up.
Or both.
More undead start to appear from the stone hallways, the holes on the ground, and from my left as they start to tear through the loose boards of the mineshaft.
"Lucifer, initiate scan to determine the number of hostiles within the immediate area."
"Hmm..."
"Actually, never mind, let's just run."
"B-but we're just getting started!"
"Easy there tiger." I break off into a sprint and run towards another entry leading to the mineshaft. "Instead of killing things today, let's gather some stuff we can sell and use."
"Gather stuff? Like what?"
"Like these gemstones." I stop to look at a vein of shiny blue rocks against the wall. "How much do you reckon we can get with these?"
"That looks like azurite... You won't get much if you try selling outside of Azula..."
"Soo... useless useless..."
"Not entirely... You can create a catalyst with those... that's why you'll get more value if you try selling in Azula. Gems are needed to channel higher concentrations of mana for larger spells. Why don't we collect som-"
"OOoo look more shinnies." I am now looking at shiny golden rocks emitting a bright glow. "And what are these?"
"Oh is that gildstone? T-that's pretty rare.."
"So we can make a fortune??"
"If you sell to a priest yes..."
"Wack." I turn away from the disappointment.
"W-wait no! You're seriously walking away from a source to fill your piggy bank, master!"
"Do I look like I know any priests."
"Master that's GILDSTONE."
"So."
"Gildstone can be molded into blessed gems!
"And."
"Blessed gems are used to cure curses! Gildstone isn't just found anywhere and there's always a high demand for their healing properties, that's why they're so rare..."
"Blessed gems? Yuck."
"Yeah that reeks of miracle work, and after what happened in Azula I kind of want to stay away from that kind of stuff." I turn away from the shiny stones and resume walking through the corridors. After getting scratched by a light sword, the mention of miracles or anything to do with holy or blessed stuff makes me cringe.
"One gildstone is worth ten platinum coins~!"
"Let's get to work." I re-approach the gildstone with determination.
Do you know what I can get with ten whole platinum coins?
Me neither, but one platinum coin is worth one hundred gold coins, and five gold coins gets you fifty roast chicken meals.
"But wait... how are we supposed to collect without a pickaxe..."
"I'm sure there's one laying around here somewhere..."
"Ain't nobody got time for that, time to improvise." I channel my right hand.
"W-wait what are you doing?!"
*POW!*
The wall comes crumbling down after I gave it a nice little punch. "Cough..." Maybe it wasn't as small as I thought, because there is no stone, I think I disintegrated it all. "Darn."
But it did reveal a new secret path.
"Okay let's go."
"But I thought we were in the middle of looking for valuables...?"
"Yeah, but a new path is revealed, and I can't pass this up." I grip onto my torch and step into the darkened path. I can't let a secret passageway like this go unexplored. "Maybe I'll find a chest with a golden apple inside it, Fuhehe..."
"Golden apples are created with blessed gems... that's how a curse is cleansed..."
"Wait what." Before I can inquire further, I hear a very high-pitched scream down the darkness. "Oh shoot, that's our cue." I start to run down the passageway.
"W-whoa slow down! What if you hit a wall and explode!"
"It's fine we're not going that fast..."
"Your torch is about to give out!"
"It is?" I look at my flickering torch before-
*SLAM!*
"Ghg..." I drop to the ground along with my now unlit torch after colliding with a wall. "..I see... every single.. color..."
"Idiot! I told you to-... W-wait... I heard something.."
"Alright alright..." I relight the torch and spot something in front of me.
"NYAAH..!?"
"Ow what the- Stop damn it!"
"Huh? Dysma? W-what are you... how did you end up here?"
"Boss Nya!! It's you..!!"
"Yeah yeah it's me now stop clawing my face...!"
"S-sorry Nya..!" Dysma stops being abusive and jumps back down on the ground in her cat form, scratching the back of her ears before adjusting her witch hat.
"So what are you-"
*RrGgghhh..."
"Noooo Nya!!" She grips onto my leg and starts to freak out after a low growl echoed from one of the many entryways. "They're gonna get me Nya! Take us out of here boss...!!!"
"Ok I get it but let go of my leg so I can actually move!" I shake my leg trying to detach her from me as she starts digging her little claws into me. "And who's gonna get you?"
*RrGgh...*
"Noooooo..!!!" She jumps and slams on top of my head, causing me to drop the torch as it falls onto the ground then going out again.
"Chill out!" I kneel to try and find the torch in the pitch dark, and I manage to find it after a few attempts. "Jeez... and can you... stop licking me..."
"W-... licking you Nya? But I only do that when you're sleeping..."
"What the actual fu-... wait, if that wasn't you.. then..." A chill goes up my spine as I relight the torch.
"Raah..." There is a tall lanky man grabbing onto my arm and licking it, his ribs clearly outlined, and his eyes a dark color.
"NYAAAAAA..!!!!"
"JESUS FUCK." I kick him off and back off into a wall, raising the torch to illuminate the chamber and looking at the many human skulls sprawled on the floor, and then onto more lanky creatures slowly creeping up towards me from the tight passageways. "The hell are these things? Skinwalkers??" I grip onto Astal's knife form with a shaky hand, not because I'm scared, but because I'm still covered in chills from having my arm licked by the thing that looks like something out of an obscure grossout movie you find in a list of banned movies.
"T-t-they're cave dwellers..! I've always hated them Nya...!!"
"Well I think I hate them too." I slash at the arrogant dweller that licked me, spreading its entrails across the ground as it falls dead.
"Raahhh..." A group of dwellers kneel and start to scoop at its corpse then start eating it.
"G-get us out of here boss Nya...!"
"Yeah that kind of just ruined my vibe." I run past the group feasting and back towards the entryway I came in from before stopping after another group of them appear from the entryway. "Oh great." I turn back around only to see another group already on their merry way to eat my insides. "You've gotta be kidding." I turn to my left and see my path blocked by another mob of these things, their eyes a coal black as not even the torch in my hand can shine onto them. "Dude." I turn to my right and final direction and am relieved to see no skinwalkers approaching me with hungry glares. "Right-io." I instantly sprint down the hall - is what I would have done if my leg didn't just get gripped by one of them crouched onto the ground and licking my foot. "THAT'S IT." I raise Astal ready to slice open and expose its brains - is what I would have also done if she didn't just get taken from me.
"M-MASTER..!!" Her shriek echoes through the crowded chamber after one of the creatures took her from my hand and stabbed another creature to tear open its insides and begin feasting on its organs.
"T-this is why I hate dwellers Nyaaahhh...!!" Dysma starts to shriek from atop my head, gripping onto my hair.
"Hey that hurts..." I am backed into a wall as the entire horde of cave dwellers surround me, reaching out their lanky boney hands for my skin, while another group of them are gripping and licking my legs - and another group are still feasting on the one that got its organs gouged by Astal.
"Master....!!!!"
"I hate it here Nya...!!!"
"I don't! I am feasting on both of your anguish..."
"Shut up, Lucifer." I reach into my right hand, and the stone chamber start to glow a bright red as the hilt of my great sword slowly ascends from the mark that appeared.
"Ahn~ It's about time, Alek..."
"True that." The light explodes into a bright red as I fully pull out my old great sword, illuminating the entire room in red as it glows in the familiar red and black.
"Y-you're back to full power Nya..??"
*SCHCKL*
The group in front and below me get sliced in half, spreading their innards outwards, killing them as well as the one that took Astal, dropping her onto the blood-soaked floor. "No not really... I still feel kind of heavy, but I can pull my great sword out again which is something."
An entire new horde start to appear from the various entryways, slowly on their way to surround me again.
"Alright, this is getting old, I'll have to do that..."
"Nya?" Dysma runs towards Astal and picks her up in her mouth.
"Haah..T-thank you... W-wait, what do you mean by 'that' master...?"
"No idea, it just sounded kinda cool in my head, but after hearing it out loud, its eh..." I grip onto my great sword as it starts to vibrate.
"Uh..." Dysma notices and immediately gets behind me.
"Oh how I missed blowing up everything that causes us irritation~..."
"You know what...me too." The room gets lit up in a bright pink as my great sword glows brighter.
The entire area in front of me is just littered with dwellers bumping into each other as they try to reach out for me with their hands.
"Cya." I swing up.
*PFRFRBOOOOOOM!*
The entire ceiling in front of me caves in, crushing the mob of hungry dwellers as the rocks fall into the chamber in an explosive and rocky impact.
"Phew..." I wipe the dust off my forehead as the sunlight enters the messy chamber from the hole I punctured on the ceiling.
"Uhh... you missed some.."
"Yeah I know." I put away my great sword and start to slowly climb up through the debris, dodging the hands reaching for my feet from under the rubble from the ones barely holding onto their lives. "It's whatever, my goal was to make a way out the same way I did back in that jungle."
"Good job, Nya... A-and thank you..."
"Hmm? What was that, Dysma?"
"I- said.. t-thank..y-y.."
"Speak up! We can't hear you..."
"Grng..!! THANK YOU FOR FINDING ME BOSS NYA..!!"
"Yeah cool."
"W-what, Nya...? T-that's it..??"
"Well yeah." I continue climbing through the debris and basking in the much needed rays of sunlight.
"Forgetting something, Dysma?"
"Go on Dysma, say it..."
"Grngngngr..! Haah... I'm sorry for running away... Nya..."
"Hm." I reach the surface and look up at the clear sky, feeling the soft winds hitting against my skin, and the orange leaves flying through the air and past my face. "You are very welcome."
.
.
.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
1 Month Later...
"Is that it up ahead?"
"Nope! But it is behind it..."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well hell yeah!" I walk through the grasslands and stop to look at a large stone structure in front of me with a wall that stretches across both directions. "So just behind there, huh?" I approach the stone structure and step inside. "What even is this place?" I look around the empty castle-like room before noticing some stairs, then proceeding upwards.
"This is the Abyssal Keep. Before falling to the Abyss, the first King built two layers of walls in order to contain the corruption. He went on to establish an order of ancient knights known as 'The Abyss Sentinels' to guard the walls and survey for any signs of spread."
"Whoa." I reach the top of the keep and look over at the progressively withering scenery ahead. "So? where are they?"
"A vast majority have been wiped out after the events of the Second Calamity, but they say the few that served their purpose, if any... chose to wander the mortal plain, and they are known as 'Vagrant Templars'."
"Cool." I leap over and jump down onto the slightly black grass. "I think..."
"But of course, that is just a myth, FuFu..."
"So they're all dead then."
"Maybe..."
"Well which is it?"
"Whichever you prefer to believe..."
The grasslands ahead of me start to get more and more darker as I continue walking down the path leading forward.
"So Dysma... how did you end up in that cave?"
"Nyahaha... funny story..."
"I like funny."
"Uhh... I was looking for food Nya, and I met this guy in a top hat that claimed to know me, and he said there was a pond of glowfish waiting for me in that cave Nya!"
"What? A guy in a top hat? Did you know him?"
"Nope Nya! I just know the next time I see him I'm gonna gouge his eyeballs out for lying to me and use them for potion materials..!!"
"There's someone ahead." I continue walking as I spot a figure in front of me walking my direction.
As they get closer, I start to make out a tall woman.
She has long ultraviolet hair with gray streaks, a lotus hair ornament, some kind of gray and white uniform with a short cape, a black tie and short skirt, thigh straps, and heeled boots.
Also she has long fox-like ears.
And a black blindfold for some odd reason.
We walk past each other in silence.
How can she even see where she's going with that blindfold on?
"Young man." I hear her call out to me before I stop and look over my shoulder to see her standing still, facing away from me. "That's pandemonium you're walking into."
"Yeah I know." I resume my walk down the progressively darkening path, but I get stopped.
"Do you have a death wish?" Now sure how or when, but she's now right next to me, and she has her katana still covered in an elegant purple scabbard on my neck, preventing me from walking ahead. "Go home."
"But I just got here... and home is kind of far away right now..."
"What?" She lowers her blade slightly. "You... where are you coming from?"
"Just from Luthran, nothing crazy."
"Luthran? The Kingdom... of Luthran?" Her fox ears twitch slightly.
"That's what I said, yes."
"Why is a boy like you coming all the way from Luthran just to get killed? Is your life so mundane, young man?"
"So I can kill suff..." I scratch the back of my head. "And, well, yes... it kind of is..."
"Hm." She presses her scabbard covered blade up against my chin and lifts it up to meet her blindfold covered eyes. "You wish to embark on a blood-soaked journey? A journey engulfed in dark? One that brings such grotesqueness?" She lifts my chin higher. "All because you believe your life is so mundane?"
"Yeah, jeez... as if I didn't just tell you that..."
"Very well." She withdraws her blade, and it disappears somehow. "Come." She turns around and starts to walk down the path, expecting me to follow.
Which I do, because that's the direction I've been going.
For the past three months.
"Young man." She speaks up as I catch up to her and walk alongside her. "Just what do you know about the place that awaits ahead?"
"The Abyssal Hollow? Nothing, just that there's stuff, and things, mostly stuff and things."
"So, you know nothing." She says calmly, no emotion, no reaction. "I see... Yes, the Abyssal Hollow... a place that holds the world's greatest evils, a place no mortal should set foot in." She glances at me briefly. "And yet, a lone boy with no visible weaponry wishes to set foot in such darkness."
"Yeah, that's me...I think..." I'm surprised she's even letting me tag along. I thought she'd try to chase me away like some strict old woman would to a bunch of kids trying to go do some urban exploring. I'm just glad I won't have to prove myself somehow. "And what about you? Are you one of those Vagrant Templars or whatever?"
"No, they have long been wiped off the face of the map." She speaks in the same no-emotion tone. "Once the corruption showed signs of stopping, the Order of Abyss Sentinels has long been disbanded. There are no 'Vagrant Templars' the humans speak of, it is all just wishful thinking for the hopes of wandering knights spread across the continent that ward off evil."
"That's kind of harsh."
"It is simply the truth. No thing good or bad lasts forever, humans tend to believe what they trust will set their souls at ease. And yet, their hope will never free the world of its deformities."
"That's kind of harsher."
"The world will continue to get harsh, the most we can do is wait for time to dictate the results."
"I guess I can agree with you on that."
"There has never been a debate on what is or isn't agreeable, this is just how the world is, and how it's always been."
"Ok I get it, the world sucks jeez, you don't have to suck the life out of everything."
"Hm." She sneers. "You are quite the unusual one, young man." Her ultraviolet hair weaves as the wind travels across the area, pushing orange and black leaves across the ground in front of us. "Why does a boy like you wish to embark on such a treacherous journey? I find it hard to believe you have traveled here from Luthran without so much as a scratch on you, do you possess any artifacts?" She glances at me. "Or perhaps you are a mage of renowned prominence?"
"I can't say I am. I just got lucky..."
"Hm." She sneers again. "There is no such thing as 'Luck', youngling. Those that successfully get by in a world of abnormity do so if they possess the necessary competence... and discipline." She stops. "I ask again, how did you travel from so far without peril?"
"I got lucky."
"....." There is a brief silence.
I don't see what's such a big deal about this, you can stay alive outside the protection of a Kingdom for a while if you play your cards right and not be an idiot. Although if you do run into something without some kind of weapon, you're kind of screwed.
But no one exactly goes on long hikes in this world, I haven't seen a single person while on my way here. And that's probably for a very good reason.
So in a way, her curiosity is justified, but that's all I can say.
"I see... very well." She resumes walking.
Every time she says 'I see', I can't help but crack up internally, it's kind of ironic.
Irony is the best kind of humor, don't shy away from it.
"Here we are." She says as we walk towards another kind of small castle with walls stretching across both left and right. "Your destination is just another short walk past this keep." She looks over her shoulder and onto me. "This way." She walks inside as I follow behind her into the stone structure.
Inside the large stone room, it just looks like your average deserted castle. Ornaments and swords sprawled across the ground, tattered banners hung across the walls, broken knight armor scattered across the rubble, and there is no path ahead, just two entryways to the left and right.
"Come." She walks to the right as I follow behind her, and we are now walking down a big hall with unlit torches across the wall on the right, and a clear view to the left just over the stone railings.
I approach the railings and peek over the view, then onto what looks like thick black trees, but I can't make out what's at the bottom because of the leaves blanketing the entire scenery ahead.
"Now." I look over at the woman as she is now pointing a sword at me. "Face me."
"Damn it... I thought we wouldn't have to go through this..." I sigh to myself. I'm such an idiot for thinking I wouldn't have to go through an inconvenience after meeting some stranger. I really set the bar low. "And why did you wait till now??"
"I wanted to observe in order to see if you would go back on your word." She assumes an offensive stance. "...And on your conviction."
"Huh? Conviction?" I grip onto Dysma's Talon knife form. "I don't have any convictions."
"Hm." She looks over at my small armament. "So you are indeed a mage." She lunges forward with her sword.
*CLANG*
I blocked her frontal strike, along with another strike to the left as she is now standing to my left. "Or perhaps a summoner..." She looks down at Astal's dagger form.
"The hell?" That was pretty quick of her, I didn't even see her lunge from my left. I'm actually surprised at myself for even blocking her second strike the instant her first one was blocked.
*CLANG* Our weapons meet again as she strikes from my right. *CLANG* I block another to my left. *CLANG* Then another in front of me. "Whoa..." The very instant I block one of her attacks, she's already nano seconds from hitting me with another, it's as if I'm fighting twenty of her all at once. "S-slow down..."
*CLANG* *CLANG *CLANG
*CLANG*
*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*
"Hm, I see." She stops as she retreats to her previous spot in front of me. "You are indeed impressive, young man. None are able to withstand and keep up with my dexterity."
"I guess I'm just lucky."
"However, you don't appear to know any blade arts. You fight as if you are a child swinging around two sticks they found in their yard."
"Uh... well..."
"And I do not approve." The gray streaks on her hair start to glow blue, then a glowing blue clone of her appears next to her. "Your test begins now." She clutches her katana that's still concealed in its scabbard.
"Please don't."
She appears in front of me in a lightning speed instant, then she appears right behind me the moment I block her frontal attack, then her clone appears on my left after blocking her strike on my flank, then she appears in all four of my sides simultaneously the very next instant.
*CLANG* *CLANG*
The hall gets lit up in bright sparks as I continue to block her instant strikes.
"What is the matter, young man? Will you continue to play defense?" She questions as she continues to strike from all observable directions. "Will you not unleash a counterattack?" *CLANG* "If you do not retaliate, you will fall where you stand." *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG**CLANG* She continues to unleash lightning-fast strikes simultaneously with her clone. I'm only able to keep up because of Astal and Dysma's small and speedy forms. I couldn't tell you how I'm able to physically block her instant strikes though, I guess gathering souls has been paying off.
*CLANG* "Can we please stop? Where's your compassion..." *CLANG*
"Hm..." She stops and places her finger on her chin in contemplation. "As you wish." She tosses her katana behind her as if it was some object before it disappears in thin air. "I have seen enough, I acknowledge your competency, no matter your flawed blade arts. Now come." She turns away and resumes walking down the hall.
"Great..." I look over my shoulder to see her clone still there, inches behind me with its blade practically touching the hairs on the back of my neck, before it disappears.
"Who thought you to repel such dexterous strikes?" She looks over her shoulder and onto me as I catch up with her. "It is very unusual for you to possess such capabilities... all while you lack in offensive ability..."
"I'm just lucky."
"Young man, spare me the mindless remark." She looks over to me as I walk alongside her. "And what is your name?"
"Just Alek."
"Is that all? It seems a little bland..."
"Wow... and what about you huh?"
"You may call me whatever it is you wish, for I have long discarded my old identity."
"Pftt, weird ass name."
"Very well, in light of your arrogance, you may call me Kitsuki." We reach the end of the hall and look at a single ladder heading down a square hole. "After you."
"Ladies first."
"I assure you; I insist."
"So do I."
"As do I."
"I insist harder."
"Very well, it seems we will have to engage in a one versus one spar to determine-"
"Oh wow look at that, I like ladders." At least it isn't a long series of stairs.
I hate stairs.
.
.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"The hell is this."
"This is the dusk marsh. Do try not to linger in the vicious purple liquids."
"Oh great, a poison level." After descending the ladder, we reached the lower level of the area just behind the wall. And the sight in front of me is the gloomiest swamp I have ever seen. Everything has a dark-purple tint to it, and the black tree leaves above are so thick, there's not one ray of sunlight hitting the area. "So this is the Abyssal Hollow?"
"Afraid not." She steps in front of me and points forward. "This is merely an area the corruption has spread to. The Abyssal Hollow is just after this marsh." Her boots make a squish sound as she steps over the moist muddy grass. "It goes without saying, but I do implore you to keep an eye out for any locals." She smirks teasingly. "If you are captured, you will get your soul devoured, or perhaps become a sacrifice to the abyss deity they so believe in." She starts to walk ahead.
"Locals? There's locals here?" I walk behind her, careful not to trip and get dirty mud all over me.
"Well, more accurate to say what were once locals. The mortals that habited this marsh sustained corruption long ago, and they are now unrecognizable monstrosities that share a hive mind."
"What kind of hive mind."
"As I have said, they all believe in a 'God' they believe will free them of their torment. However, it has been like this for quite the time. And they remain trapped in the illusion that they must satiate their 'God' to reach atonement." She looks over to various burning effigies spread across the moist swamp.
"Bunch of losers."
"The culmination of the Abyss runs deep, this is merely scratching the surface of the moon."
"That's kind of... *SQUISH*... Ew.." I end up stepping on the thick purple liquid after running out of flat mud to walk on.
"It seems we will have to continue over the marsh broth." *SQUISH* She steps into the purple liquid. "Now, do not slow down for a second." She steps over the liquid, leading the way down this dark swamp.
"Walking over this is slowing me down..." I lift my foot over the other as I walk over the thick water as it slowly attempts to sink me down.
"Muster some mettle, young man, this is not even the deepest it goes."
"Great." I continue following behind her, until I feel my right foot sink into something warm. "Uh..."
"What is it, youngling?" She stops and looks over her shoulder.
"I think something's eating my foot." I feel something warm tracing all over my boot. "I'm about to blow this place up."
"You jest, young man." She slowly saunters over to me.
"I'm not joking." After some attempt, I manage to lift up my right foot, only to see a big, long fleshy pink tongue-like worm with a mouth hole and fangs around its mouth wrapped around my foot and sucking on my boot. "Yeah this place is getting blown the fuck up."
"You are simply being dramatic." *SHING* She holsters her katana in an instant after it appeared in her hand, cutting the fleshy worm thing in half.
*SPLOOSH* A human sized leech emerges from the thick liquid between us, flailing around in pain and emitting a low liquidly screech as the other half of its tongue spills a dark red liquid.
"KILL IT."
*SHING* It gets sliced in half, spilling dark red liquid that combines into a small droplet onto the marsh liquid, before it drops and disappears into the liquid.
*SPLOOSH* *SPLOOSH* More human sized leeches emerge from the swamp liquids, about six of them.
"I hate it here."
"You will get used to in due time." She clutches her katana hilt.
"I think the hell not." I grab onto Dysma and Astal's knife forms. "I'm never setting foot here ever again."
"If you are to become my pupil, you shall set foot where I want you to." *SHING* She slices one in half, spilling its dark red liquid onto her blindfold, wetting it.
"When the hell did I become your pupil?!" *SCHCKL* I slice one in half as well. "I am a lone wolf..."
"Pft." She scoffs. "More like a lone-puppy." *SHING* "Seriously, young man. You? A wolf?"
"Hey, I don't think I like where your tone is heading. You should learn not to judge a bo- MMF MM MVVB..." Suddenly my vision goes dark, and it feels like I'm talking while inside a tube.
A fleshy tube.
A wet fleshy tube.
*SHING* I remove the worm-like mouth from my face after Kitsuki sliced it, separating it from the body of the leech that engulfed me in it from behind me. "That does it, I'm never setting foot here again." I look over at the dead leeches spread across the area, their corpses just floating on the liquid.
"Hm, as you wish." She tosses her katana behind her like some stick again. "Let us resume."
"How much more is there?" I wipe my wet face after having it sucked on by a leech the size of half a car, before following behind her through the thick waters. "I'm starting to feel like I'm about to contract the bubonic plague..."
"Patience, youngling. We are just beginning this odyssey. And you should not be affected by the waters, it has only been ten minutes." She continues stepping over the thick liquids.
We eventually reach a flat mud land, allowing us to exit out of the dark purple waters. "Phew."
"They're near." She stops walking, then summons her katana. "And they know where we are."
"They? Who's they? Do they need to know where we are? Who's 'They'?"
"Look." She points over to a kneeling figure right in front of us next to a ruin, just sitting down facing away from us and looking down at a fire. "Go on, dispose of it."
"Me?" I point to myself in actual confusion. "Why tho."
"Because I am instructing you to." She nudges my shoulder. "Go on." She places her finger on the back of my head and gives me a push.
"Alright, damn... Didn't even have to push me..." I rub the back of my head and slowly make my way over to the sitting figure. "Hey..."
It stands up, then turns to face me.
It is a tall skinny... thing, with the lower body of a toad, and top half of a human. And there is just rows and rows of teeth where it's head should be. I don't even think it has eyes, it's legit just teeth everywhere you look.
*Grgglrlgrgr* It starts to groan and gurgle very weirdly, then a long tongue emerges from a single hole on its 'face'.
"Oh of course." I watch as it reaches into the hole on top of its head and pulls out what looks like a piece of its bone, it's long and almost shaped like a sword.
I look over my shoulder and onto Kitsuki, and she just stands there watching me through her blindfold, then she gives me a thumbs up.
"Fine." I turn back to the teeth monster, and I can see a mob of them emerge from the scattered ruins, holding bone stakes and staffs approaching me. Some of them are crawling, and some are running with their claws reaching out to me.
They're pretty weird looking. While they all look similar in terms of their teeth covered faces, their lower bodies are so diverse. Some have the lower body of a goat or a horse, some have no skin or meat at all and are just bones. And some have multiple legs, crawling like spiders.
*GRRGRG* The one in front of me lunges, but I step to the side and kick it against the ground.
Three of them quickly surround my left, right and my front.
The one in front tries to pounce me, but I step to the side again and give it a good PUNCH.
"Ow." My knuckles on my right hand bleed from the cuts it got after punching its teeth covered head.
"Young man, focus." Kitsuki shouts from behind me, watching me about to get swarmed by weird mutants. "Why have you not drawn your weapons?"
"Because I'm shy."
"Young man, cut the antics and dispose of our enemies." *SHING* She decapitates one of the mutants that appeared behind her.
"You can easily do that."*POW* I punch one in the chest, pushing it against the ones behind it.
"Yes, but I wish to observe you." She decapitates another one and kicks its head at the creature to my left, right on its face.
It's kind of hard to believe she's been slicing everything clean, all with her katana that has not once been separated from its scabbard.
"Whoa, that looked kinda fun." I switch Astal to her thin chain and wrap her around Dysma, then I rapidly swing it around me, decapitating the heads of the swarm of teeth creatures as their heads fly up in the air.
That was pretty satisfying.
*Grrggrgrg...*
A much bigger and taller creature the size of four gorillas emerges from the purple fog in front of me. Its face is on fire and covered in teeth with a bunch of tendrils hanging out of the cluster of holes on its head. It's carrying what looks like a thin tree that is also on fire.
It leaps into the air and slams on my position in a fiery blast, spreading burning tree chunks around the area.
"What the..." I look down from on top the ruin I leaped onto and watch as it starts to pick up the dead teeth creatures, then shoving them in the burning hole on its stomach area.
*FWOOSH*
The flames on its head grow stronger, lighting up the surrounding swamp.
"Well this might be tricky."
"Now get to it." Kitsuki says as she stands besides me with her arms crossed.
*BWAM* We both leaped off before it slammed its burning tree onto us, shattering the ruin.
"Uh... hi." I look up at it as I am now standing right in front of it. "Please don't use that on me."
*SLAM* I leaped backwards as it slams its tree onto the ground, spreading flames as well as spawning what looks like orange spirits of the teeth creatures it consumed.
"Y-yikes..!!" I try very hard to dodge the fireballs the teeth creature spirits are throwing at me as they float in the air. "Well this just isn't fair." I peak from behind a pile of rubble and can see the annoying spirits are gone. "Alright."
*SLAM* It slams its burning tree against the ground again, spreading more flames and spawning even more burning teeth spirits.
"Bruh."
*SLAM* It slams its tree again, this time spawning rays of orange lights around it, before they start to rapidly launch my way.
*PWOOM* *PWOOM*
They explode against the rubble, forcing me to move away from it and run around it as I have to dodge teeth spirit projectiles and burning rays of light.
"Young man, your passive playstyle will be the end of you. Strike while it is hot." Kitsuki shouts from behind me as she is sitting on a tree.
"The hell do you know about a 'playstyle' woman!?" I dodge the many projectiles getting tossed at me, getting my clothes muddy in the process as I have to slide against the muddy ground and throw myself around.
"I do not like your tone, young man. You must strike while the iron is hot."
"Dude enough with the shitty puns and-... Wait, I think I get it." I'm stupid.
*SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* It slams its tree-like staff on the ground three times, spawning about thirty teeth spirits.
"Grr..." I'm groaning in frustration as I start to dodge the ridiculous amount of fire projectiles getting hurled at me. "COME HERE." I throw Dysma's talon knife form up to its neck, then grappling up towards it while charging up a very angry punch."
"Young man what are you-?"
*POW!* My punch connects to the burning rows of teeth on its head, shattering them and spreading some around the area, as well as setting my right hand on fire.
*GRRRRRGGGGRGRG* It growls very loudly as it stumbles back, its head now exposed and revealing many tongue-like tendrils and fangs. Then it drops its now extinguished tree and gets on its knees, its arms now against the ground as it gets ready to charge at me.
"Uh oh." I look down at my right hand that is still burning. "Alright..."
"Young man, what is it you think you're doing?" Kitsuki questions as she is now standing right behind me, looking at my burning right hand.
"My body... is ready."
"Huh?" She sounds genuinely confused.
"You're gonna wanna stand back for this one." I look over at it, then it breaks into a rapid approach, crawling towards me like an angry bull.
"I-... oh, very well." She backs up and gains distance.
"Master, I hope you know what you're doing...."
"I never do." I channel my right hand, then it starts to spark in red lightning, mixing with the fire around it. "This might kill me." This thing will take too much effort to kill. I'll want to deal with it in a quick instant, and one idea comes to mind.
"H-huh?!"
"No time to explain look it's coming oh noo..." I am going to blow it the fuck up.
*RAARGRLGRGRG*
*POW* My punch connects to its 'face."
*BOOMBSZSZSZ...PWOOM!* A red explosion gets set off, releasing tiny lightning bolts around the area, as well as imploding the big teeth creature and spreading its organs everywhere, before releasing a small purple-ish burning light that gets absorbed into my right hand.
"Pft ptt.. blegh.." I think a chunk got in my mouth.
"Oh Alek... that was the juiciest one I've tasted all day~!"
"Yeah it didn't exactly taste good...I might throw up..." I don't recommend tasting a giant cursed teeth creature's insides.
"The soul, silly..."
"Oh... right, I knew that..." I might throw up.
"So, I was correct." Kitsuki walks in front of me and looks at the splattered chunks of the teeth creature, then looks back at me. "You must be a sorcerer of prominence... And yet, I sense no magic on you."
"Me? Noo...I'm a swordsman." I shake my right hand up and down, trying to cool it off.
"You..." She approaches me and stands right in front of me. "...Are quite the secretive young one." She reaches for my right hand and raises it to inspect it. "You travel from Luthran without a scrape or carve on you. You claim you are a swordsman, yet you wield two curious daggers... A black one of odd design, and one that can change its form." She kneels to my level and leans forward. "And you cast... red lighting, with no mana... Young man, who are you really?" Her katana appears in her other hand.
She looks like she suspects me hard, and I might actually die here if she doesn't like my answer. My right hand is currently being gripped, and she is right in front of me. If she chooses to slice my head off, I won't be able to stop or dodge it, she is stupidly fast. I'm in a pretty big pickle here.
"Alright, you caught me."
"Hm." She stares at me intently.
"I...am a vagrant templar."
"..." Silence.
"Very amusing, young man." She lets me go and faces away. "At the very least, I do not sense any ill intent in your... gaze." She looks over her shoulder at me. "You really do appear to just be a... young man... but there is an air about you I cannot explain..."
"Hey, it's not my fault the mud in this area is making me smell bad."
"Hm." She begins walking head. "Let us resume this voyage."
"Really had you on edge there huh, my host?"
"I thought she was gonna cut your head off and use it as a wall mount Nyahaha!"
"You kidding? I handled that like a professional." I'm actually shaking right now. Like actually shaking, vibrating, wobbling, quaking and quivering.
"I don't know what would have happened if she killed you here..."
"Ladies ladies, do you doubt your master? Not very gracious of you. Of ANY of you." Never mind, it's the mud on the back of my neck giving me goosebumps and tingling sensations.
"Hurry your legs, young man."
"Ok sorry."
Probably.
.
.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"I expected it to be...darker... we could have just called it gray horizons or something..."
"What are you yammering about this time, young man?"
"Nothing, it's stupid." After exiting the dark purple swamp, we have now reached the promised 'Abyssal Hollow'. But this place looks more or less the same as the gloomy scenery of the wilderness just outside of Luthran. Except everything has a slightly constant darker gray tint to it. Actually everything is gray, the grass, the flowers, and the sky. And I'm actually surprised flowers still grow. This whole place just looks like something out of a painting. "So where's the crater at?"
"We are on the outer edge of it. If we proceed north, the chasm of great evils will gaze back upon us." She then starts to walk west instead of north. "However, we shall proceed on this direction."
"But-"
"Shush, young man." She looks over her shoulder. "Let us rest first and foremost." She continues leading the way.
"But i'm not tir-"
"Young man."
"Aye aye..." I'll follow along for now. But as soon as night falls, I'm heading out to see what kind of delicacies are in the area for me to absorb.
"Alek... I can sense... so much essence..."
"Where?"
"...Everywhere~"
"Gather your wits, young man." Kitsuki walks by then past me. "They have sensed our presence." She grips onto her katana.
"They? Who's they? Do they need to kno-... oh." I look up and onto the swarm of tiny imp sized gargoyles flying towards us from the distance.
*PFWSH* A creature with the lower body of a snake and the top half of a woman emerges from the gray ground in front of me, and her hair isn't hair, it's just a bunch of snakes. "Oh hello." I try greeting her, but all she lets out is a loud HISSS sound. I kind of thought with the head of woman she'd be able to communicate back, but now I know how dumb that actually sounds.
*HISSSSS* She lunges forward with her long claws, and I try stepping to the side the same way I've been doing back in that swamp, but this creature is actually smart, because as soon as I did that, she circled around me and wrapped herself around me. "Dayum."
She starts to tighten herself around me, trying to crush me.
And it's working.
"OW OW OW CHILL CHILL CHILL" Getting crushed doesn't feel very pleasant.
*SHING* It quickly disentangled from me and burrowed into the ground before Kitsuki could slice her. "Did I not tell you to gather your wits, pupil?"
"When did I become your pup-" *PFWOOM* I quickly dodged before I could get smacked by a fireball that one of the small gargoyles threw from above. "What the heck...!"
They all swarm above us like a bunch of crows, there's got to be around fifty of them, and they're summoning fireballs. "This is bad."
"Hm, you deal with these." Kitsuki dodges to the side before a thick creature with the head of a goat could claw at her.
"H-huh?? Are your expectations that high for me to think I can take out a bunch of flying monsters from the ground..!?"
"Get creative, young man." *CLANG* She blocks the goat head creature's claw attacks, before leaping backwards and into another group of goat headed monsters away from where I'm standing.
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM* I barely dodge the ten fireballs that got thrown my way from above. "Hng.. 'get creative' she says..." I look over my shoulder and watch as she effortlessly takes on ten of those buff goat head monsters. She is just slicing and weaving, blocking and slicing, and dodging like she can predict their attacks all with that blindfold obscuring her eyesight.
*PFWOOM* I block a fireball, which was stupid of me to do because the explosion from the impact staggers me against the ground. "Alright alright I get it...!" I curse at the annoying THINGS flying above me and pestering me like a bunch of flies. "Stop that..!"
*PFWSH* I feel the snake lady emerge from behind me and quickly manage to turn around and block the slash from her claws. "Oh you're back..." She then lunges again, but this time I made sure to dodge twice so she doesn't pull the same stunt as last time. "A-ha!" *PFWOOM* I get staggered after a fireball exploded from behind me. "Grr..."
*HISSSSSSS* The snake woman's eyes start to glow a bright green.
"L-LOOK AWAY NYA..!!!"
"Huh?" I look down at Dysma's talon knife form before I see a bright green light get set off from the blurry background in front of me after shifting my eyesight. "Oh, right, I guess gorgons do that."
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM* I once again barely dodge a fireball before it could smack me in the forehead. "This is getting retar-" *PFWOOM* I dodge another, then I see all fifty of the small gargoyles summon fireballs all at once. "Sigh..."
*HISSS* The gorgon then rapidly slithers onto me and wraps herself around me again, squeezing me as her eyes start to glow green again. "That does it." I clutch my right hand, then it gets ignited in a stronger red fire, spreading onto the gorgon's skin.
She releases me and pounces backwards and starts to panic as the red fire slowly spreads across her lower half.
*SHCKL* Her head gets decapitated after I threw and swung Dysma from a distance before she impales onto the Gordon's head, then I tug on the thin chain and bring it back to me. "Take a gander at THIS." I raise up the gorgon head.
*FwoooAAAsh...*
The area around me briefly gets lit up in a bright green light.
*THUNK* THUNK* *THUNK*
Statues of all of the small imps that were in the air fall and shatter onto the ground.
"Yum." I feel my body instantly rejuvenate as their red souls get absorbed into my right hand before the gorgon head on my hand disintegrates.
*clink* "Ow."
A piece fell on my head.
*ROAGH* I stepped to the side before a black hound with horns could charge right into me. "What the-"*CLANG* I hold another one off with Dysma as it tries to sink its horns into me. *ROAAGH* I leap into the air before another could charge at me from behind.
*RAGGGGGH* A flying creature with a goat head and wings charged at me while in the air and SMACKS me back into the ground with its claw.
*THUNK*
"...This is madness..." I shake my head to get rid of the ringing, before standing back up.
"Admit it, you like it..."
"...No idea what you mean..." I switch Dysma back to her ring form and put her away, but I keep Astal in her thin chain form.
"W-what are you doing, master?"
"Uh.. aren't we still in combat, boss Nya?"
"A good observation." I reach into my right hand.
"Now it's my turn~!"
The surrounding area lights up in red as I pull out my old friend and wrap Astal around the hilt. "Just for a little while." I then throw my great sword up, stabbing right through the flying demon that rudely interrupted my leap, before pulling it back and swinging him around me like a morning star.
*BWAM* I hit all six hounds that were about to pounce on me, sending them flying backwards as they collide with another group of goat headed demons that came out of bum-fuck nowhere, before pulling back my great sword and removing the chain.
"There's just no end to them, huh."
*Thump* "And there shall be more." Kitsuki appears from behind me and leans against my back. "Do try not to expend all your stamina, for when this is over, I expect a duel session." She looks over her shoulder and onto my great sword. "And where did you get that?"
"...Found it...wait what in tarnation do you mean we're dueling after this..?!" I look over my own shoulder and see the gigantic swarm of goat demons piling up. "...That's a lot."
"For now." She clutches her katana and instantly appears right on top of them, beginning her rampage.
"Don't let her one up you in kills, Alek..."
"I'll laugh at you boss Nya."
"I'll tell Rin you slacked off."
"I'll tell Rin you called her mom fat~"
"To hell with all of you." I clutch my great sword and ignite it in red lightning. "Seriously, Lucifer?" *CLANG* I block a goat demon's claw slash, before impaling its stomach and sending it stumbling backwards along with my great sword.
*ROOARG* A hound gets ready to charge at me from my right.
*BSZSZ* I grab onto Dysma's talon knife form and ignite her in red lightning before throwing her at the hound, sparking it in red lighting, killing it and chaining the lighting around the ten other hounds and goat demons around it.
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM* I dodge like five fireballs a group of small gargoyles threw from above me, then I clutch on Astal's chain and throw her at my great sword that is still impaled onto the dead goat demon in the distance and bring it back to me, then I throw my great sword in the air before throwing the chain, wrapping it around its hilt, then I coat the chain in red lighting and flames.
*BSZSZSZSZ* The red lightning and flames travel up the chain and then spreads onto my great sword in the air, sparking it in lightning and fire before exploding, killing the group of gargoyles, then I yank on the chain, bringing my great sword rapidly crashing down as it lands on a goat demon and setting off a huge red thunder and flame explosion after impact.
*PFWOOOSHSZSZSZ*
"Cough.. Cough... Did I overdo it?" The smoke clears, revealing most of the monsters have been cleared, but now I can see a huge horde of small imps approaching, and there is a lot of them.
I dash towards my great sword still burning against the body of the demon, then I yank the chain off it before throwing it to Dysma still impaled onto the dead hound in the distance and bring her back to me. "Miss me? Go on be honest."
"N-n-n-nya..?!"
"Just joshing you." I grip her and spark her in more red lightning before wrapping Astal around her. "Aren't you two just glad to be such a perfect duo for me?"
"H-huh!?"
"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nya?!"
"Joshing you." I clutch my burning great sword, then I throw Dysma and stab through an imp in front of me, spreading lighting onto it as well as the imps around it, then I pull myself forward and into the group. "Good day." I begin to slice through the horde as they try to claw at me, bite at my throat, and leap onto me to try and surround me and bury me in the giant horde.
*SCHKL*
*PFWOOMBSZSZ*
One after the other, their bodies explode after my burning sword makes contact onto their bodies coated in red lightning, covering me in their dark red blood.
*BSZSZS* *PWOOMBSZS* *BSZSZ*
Explosion after explosion, the gray ground continues to get covered in dark red blood as it spreads across the area.
*PFWOOMBSZSZSZ* A final lightning explosion gets set off, briefly covering the area around me in black smoke.
"Cough Cough... Jeez, man..." The smoke clears, and the area is now empty.
"Hahh~ I'm so... full!"
"Same." I grip my great sword and slide it back down into my right hand. "This trip is exactly what I needed. "I then walk up to Dysma still impaled on the ground and pick her up. "We've done good, ladies."
"Mhm"
"When did you learn to use lightning, boss Nya!?"
"He vanquished a thunder bird~"
"E-Eeeeehhhh..!? W-without me Nya?!?"
"Shouldn't have run away.. pfteeheehee~"
"I see you have made quite the mural, young man." Kitsuki walks up to me from behind.
"W-.. huh?" I look around me and onto the dark red blood splatters stretching across the entire area around me. "Huh... is it just me or is kind of shaped like a star?.... Probably just me.
"Hm..." She leans forward and stares me dead in the face.
"W-what..." I brush my wet hair covered in blood away from my eyes. "..Damn, I look like an idiot huh.."
"You are quite the unusual young man." She places her glove covered hand on my hair and rustles it, spreading blood onto her chest. "Come along now." She turns away and starts walking. "Follow."
"It's what I've been doing..."
"Is that sass, young man?"
"Coming."
Who even is she?"
.
.
.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Welcome to my abode."
"Really now..."
I look up at the small worn-out Japanese-styled house in front of me. "I guess home feels like home to the one that... well, calls it home..."
"Silence your impudence and come." She slides the silk wooden door open and steps inside.
"...Sure." I look behind me and onto the small Japanese-like village that looks like it's been burned to the ground. "Is this really where she lives?"
I step into the small home and slide the door closed behind me, then I look at the small and surprisingly well-kept living room in front of me, adorned with silky and elegant green walls.
Now this is a true sleeper build.
"You wish to stand there like a dimwit? Sit." She says with no emotion as she sits down on the tatami mat before removing her heeled boots and the short cape around her.
All but the blindfold.
"So, why do you wear a blindfold anyway?" I join her and sit under the small Japanese low table.
"Is that what you wish to know, young man?" She places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her palms, looking at me.
"Well, yeah."
"Hm." She remains silent briefly, as if contemplating, before she faces up. "To obscure one's vision and deprive their sight, is to put one to the greatest form of discipline."
"How."
"It is not un-simple, youngling. To train yourself to master blade work with only but your senses... only then can you master the sixth sense."
"There's a sixth sense?"
"Hmf." She smirks at me, then stands up. "In due time, young one. You are in need of great discipline, and I shall teach it to you."
"But I didn't ask for-"
*Thunk*
She places a teacup onto the table, before pouring a warm liquid into it. "Drink."
"What is it?" I look at it, then jolt backwards like an idiot after the steam gets into my left eye.
"Tea."
"Of course it is..." I blow on it before taking a sip of- "PFVFVFVBT... Are you sure this is tea..!?" I ended up blowing it back out after tasting the most unusually and unexplainable taste I have ever tasted in all my days setting foot in this world.
"Well... it is a special blend of elixir I have brewed to ease one's nerves." She has a nervous look on her face somehow.
"And what did you put in it?!"
"A-ahem... That aside, you are welcome to use the hot spring in the back, I shall wash our clothes shortly."
"Yeah fine.." I set the teacup down and stand up before taking off my blood-soaked coat. "...A hot spring sounds nice.."
"Indeed, and I shall join you short-"
"No it's fine." I walk past her and towards the sliding door.
"Ah but I insis-"
"No, really." I slide the door open and step out before sliding it closed behind me. "Is there even a smut tag?"
"Master, you're being an idiot."
"You're right. I think that tea is doing irreparable damage to my central nerves."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"So, Alek, how do you like it here~?"
"It's pretty frickin' raw. The thought of going out tomorrow and repeating everything I did today has me all kinds of excited. I feel like if I continue the momentum, I'll be right back where I was if I farm for the next couple of weeks."
"Can you even set up a farm in this depressing place, master...?"
"Dunno Nya!"
"Ahh.. the hot spring is quite the sensation... And indeed, the Abyssal Hollow is a good place to be, I wager..."
"Oh... that's what you meant, Lucifer..." I look over at her sitting next to me on my left.
"But of course, plebian! Hot springs are the greatest forms of relaxation, even on dastardly places like this! Bahaha!"
"Dude... can you leave already..." I look over at the big buff dude that is Chamuel as he is leaning against the bamboo fence across from me.
"You do not get to make such demands with me, plebian! Have you forgotten so easily of my sworn task given to me?" He flips his long wet hair behind him.
"Uh... who's this Nya..." Dysma questions as she is sitting to my right with her feet submerged in the hot water.
"Uhm..." Astal speaks up as she is submerged in the hot water between me and Dysma. "We met him a couple days ago... that's-"
He suddenly stands up, the steam spread across the area covering his body. "YOU ARE IN THE PRECENSE OF THE ALMIGHTY CHAMUE-"
"Young man, what is all the fuss?" Kitsuki slides the door open and peaks her head, her tall fox ears wiggling as she scans the area.
"Just... singing..." I look behind me, then back onto her. "...Yeah.."
"Hm, I see. Be prepared to spar me when you are finished." She slides the door closed.
"Uh oh..."
"D-did she notice us, Nya...?" Dysma peaks from behind the bamboo fence behind me.
"I-I think we're in the clear..." Astal also peaks right next to her.
"Indeed... I remain the ever-so silent and never found Chamuel..."
"...You're still here?" I watch him peak out from a bush behind the bamboo wall.
"HAAAAH!" Lucifer emerges from the water, breathless. "Thirty seconds! I can hold my breath for thirty whole seconds~"
"....."
Anyways, I might be staying in this place for a month or two. Or at the very least until I can regain my full strength. Yet something in the back of my head tells me it won't be easy to sneak away from the duel-starved woman in order to secretly farm demons. "Can you stop breathing behind my neck..."
"You demand no thing from CHAMUEL. PLEBIAN."
"...Just cover up and get out..."
.
.
.
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9 Months later...
Six people are sitting in the chamber of the former Luthran King, the round table surrounded in its usual silent and tense atmosphere.
"So, nothing has come up yet, unfortunate..." The headmaster says, his fingers interlocked on the table.
"Ughh! Where the heck did he run off to!!" Yukki groans as she flails her arms around in displeasure.
"It is... odd." Phardwin places his finger on his chin, in deep thought. "The moment he disappeared, so too have the murders... and the activity..."
"Maybe he's the one they were looking for, and they probably found him. Heh..." Draken smirks to himself, leaning back on his chair.
"Hmph." Rin lets out an audible grunt, arms crossed as she stands next to the headmaster.
"I'm... just kidding..." Draken straightens up after he felt a cold air get blasted his proximity.
"That is not entirely implausible." The headmaster rises from his seat. "Given the... involvement he has had with Azula, it is not wrong to suspect the Order has identified him and decided to put a stop to any further advances from him."
"I agree." Rin speaks up. "He has to have an involvement with... everything." She uncrosses her arms. "He has told me multiple times, that... 'Things were changing'. And yet, no matter how much I urged him... he wouldn't join the Inquisition..." She clenches her fists.
"Now now Rin-rin..." Yukki rests her hands behind her head. "I'm sure he'll join it when he comes back from his investigation... if he is conducting one... Haha..." She laughs nervously and with uncertainty.
"Hmph." Rin crosses her arms again.
"I do hope wherever he is... he is alright... He has been quite the helpful boy..." Mira sighs to herself. "And I could use more helping hands in the grand archive.. FuFu...Fu..." She attempts to lighten the atmosphere, but she is met with silence.
"...." The chamber goes quiet.
*THUNK* The double doors to the King's chamber open, and in steps a man dressed in black with a brown coat, two crossed necklaces, one golden, and one silver, wearing a panama hat and red shades. "The journey concludes, from long terrain to seas, bringing knowledge to see."
"Ah, Harthricks, you have returned, we have missed you greatly." The headmaster bows. "Come, come, join us and share what you have found."
Harthricks walks towards the roundtable and places a letter in the center. "Chaos from beyond, brings distress and affliction, the fall of a Kingdom."
"Hah?" Draken groans in confusion.
"Ugh! I can never understand Harthricks's haiku language! Translate Mira!!" Yukki groans.
"Oh dear... it seems a Kingdom is on the verge of falling..." Mira says with an uneasy tone.
"Is that so?" Phardwin walks towards the headmaster as he picks up the letter. "And what Kingdom would that be? Surely Azula has not fallen to the Infestation?"
"What...?" The headmaster looks up from the letter. "The kingdom of 'Fortuna' is requesting aid...?"
"What? 'Fortuna'?" Rin uncrosses her arms. "There is a fifth Kingdom?"
Harthricks sits at the roundtable. "That which brings dreams, cannot be returned, uncertainty and confusion governs."
"Mira!!" Yukki shouts.
"Oh! The... Rune of Dreams... has been stolen?" Mira covers her mouth in shock.
"The Rune of.. Dreams..?" Rin looks at the headmaster.
"He speaks the truth." The headmaster rolls up the letter and places it in his pocket. "The Rune of Dreams has been taken from Princess Kuroime, and Fortuna is on the verge of ruin."
"Wat!?" Yukki rises from her seat. "D-does that mean I won't be able to have dreams of-... Ahem nevermind..."
"It seems the experimental sentient golem protectors have gone rogue as a result of the stolen Rune of Dreams and are killing people." The headmaster speaks up. "Could this be a lead to his whereabouts...?"
"I see..!!" Yukki beams up. "M-maybe he's heard about it too and is probably heading over there now!!"
"Hm... It is possible the Order has something to do with this conundrum..." Phardwin thinks out loud.
"Headmaster." Rin speaks out loud. "Let me travel to Fortuna."
"Rin? Are you quite sure?" The headmaster looks at her with reluctance.
"Me too!!" Yukki raises her hand.
"No." Rin shoots her a disgusted glare.
"I am not sure, Rin... The Kingdom of Fortuna is unknown, we do not know what could happen there..." He looks at her, and she looks back with a fierce determination.
"FuFu... do allow her, Headmaster." Mira rises and smiles. "Allow Draken to accompany, I am sure it will be quite the trip for them..."
"Hah?" Draken groans in confusion.
"And me!! Me too!! Let me too! Let me..!!" Yukki smacks the table repeatedly.
"FuFu~ Yukki as well.." Mira giggles.
"Hm, I see. If Draken is accompanying, then so be it." The headmaster looks down at his pocket watch.
"Hah?" He groans in more confusion.
"Yay!!" Yukki rises with excitement in her eyes. "When do we go?! Now right??"
"You shall set out tomorrow." The headmaster follows Phardwin out of the chamber. "The location has been detailed on the letter, I will share it with you tomorrow. Until then, prepare for a trip of most ambiguity."
"I will send platoon seven along, I trust you to lead them well, Rin." Phardwin exits the chamber along with the headmaster.
"Well, looks like I get to come along.. Hng..." Draken groans to himself as he stands up. "I am getting too old for this..."
"FuFu.. you've still got a few years to you... you're what, one hundred and four years old?" Mira follows him out.
"Don't remind me..." They step out of the chamber, leaving the two girls and the poetic man.
"One's obsession is clear, despite the uncertainty, all is well ahead." Harthricks speaks up reassuringly as he looks at Rin.
"S-shut up..." Rin's face goes red.
"Ohh~? I thought you couldn't understand his haiku language, prez..." Yukki smirks smugly.
"I am not you." Rin steps towards the double doors. "...Idiot." She exits the chamber.
"So, Harthricks, do you really think it'll all end up alright, hmmmm?"
"The winds will travel, no matter the maelstrom, life will abide"
"Uh...m-mhm... I think..."
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She walks the empty rain-soaked streets, her black hair and uniform getting drenched as she is lost in assessment and contemplation.
He has been missing for a year now, with not a single trace.
The words spoken to her continue to linger in her mind.
What is its meaning?
Will things really change?
During his position as Paladin, his accomplishments too great.
His position as vice president bringing warmth.
She cannot allow him to remain absent.
Her heart won't allow it.
She stops as she spots a figure in front of her, obscured by the weather's fog.
The sound of boots stepping over puddles gets closer as a girl fully drenched in rain stands in front of her, her turquoise eyes looking into her red eyes. "Rin...I..." She brushes her wet blonde hair behind her ear, then looks up at her. "...I want to join the Inquisition."
"Hmph." Rin looks at her soaked uniform, realizing she has been out in the rain for a long period, possibly looking for her. "Akane, do you know what you are getting yourself into?"
The two girls stand in the rain, looking into each other's eyes in silence.
"I don't." Akane speaks with a non-shaky voice despite the coldness spread throughout her skin. "And I'm afraid." She looks down, her wet blonde hair cascades down her face, concealing her bright turquoise eyes. "But I want to learn the truth." The memories of getting abducted by the man in a mask made of human skin creeps back into her. And the boy's gray eyes that gazed upon her after he rescued her brings her warmth that shields her from the rain. "I want to bring him back." She looks back onto Rin's piercing red eyes in silence.
"I see." Rin looks back at her as the rain continues to fall onto her face and slide down her neck and onto her golden cross necklace.
The two continue to stand on the empty foggy street, rain slowly descending, painting everything in gray.
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To be continued in...
The Deathbearer Chronicle - Volume 5: The Dream Conundrum
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"That will do for today."
"What... is... wrong with you..."
"What is there to fret about? We have only been training for eighteen hours."
"I haven't slept."
"I fail to see your point, young man."
"You should try therapy... wait what is that?"
"It is a messenger owl, as you can clearly see."
"Ok but what's in it?"
"Simply a message from... what?"
"You good?"
"The... rune of dreams has been stolen...?"
"Liar."
"Hmph. Gather your things, we will set out to Fortuna right this instant."
"But..."
"No buts, young man. We will set out now... I owe the princess a favor."
"I really don't see why I have to go too..."
"You are my pupil, it is only natural I bring you along with me. Has the vast dark landscape affected your mind so?"
"When did I become your pupil."
"The very moment I recognized your conviction. Now gather your things."
"But I don't have any convic-"
"Young man."
"Alright alright I'm going... so needy..."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, 'master'."
"As I thought, youngling."
"I have a name..."
"And I have two eyes, yet you do not see me blabber about the obvious, do you, pupil?"
"Prove it."
"Very well... if you can best me in a one versus one spar."
"I think I'll pass."
"Hm, as you so wish, young Alek."
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