Chapter 1: Mabinogio ruins
The sun filtered through the leaves in the aroundight forest as the critters that reside there went about their business undisturbed. That is until a prickleboar started running down the slope and ran through a bush. In hot pursuit was a red haired young woman in her early twenties wearing red, black, and white. She jumped over the bush the prickleboar ran through. She ran after it, fire burning in her blue eyes making the prickleboar panic even more every time it looked back. The prickleboar ran towards a tree. Smirking the young woman drew one of her knives and threw it at the prickleboar, unfortunately it flew over it and right into the trunk of the tree. The prickleboar quickly made a right turn while the young woman briefly stopped to grab her knife before going in the same direction. The prickleboar ran outside the boundary of the wood where it was a plane next to a river from there on out. The young woman was about to step out of the wood where she felt something wrap itself around her leg and pulled it out from under her causing her to fall flat on her face. She rolled to see a tan man slightly older than her with chin length white hair with green tips, most of it tied back, his bangs partially covering his cloudy pale eyes but they were still showing, wearing green and black with the exception of the brown hat on his head. He had his arms crossed and had a disapproving look on him, his jagged teeth showing.
"Oh come on Dezel, I almost had it!" She moaned.
"Rose you know the rule, we can't leave the domain." He said. "Plus I don't want to deal with another dead animal."
"But I almost had it and I'm sick of eating mushrooms!" Rose complained. "And how did you manage to find me so quickly?"
"Let's see over twenty years of learning to read the wind, and I've been finding new ways to restrain you from going outside of our boundaries ever since you started to walk. Figure it out." He said. "C'mon, Lafarga wants us to go investigate something."
"Oh finally something to do, what is it?"
"He sensed something entering the domain and got itself in Mabinogio ruins." Said Dezel.
"Aww, you sure it's not a squirrel that got curious or something?" Rose moaned.
"If it was a squirrel he wouldn't be concerned about it." Said Dezel.
"Point taken, let's go." Said Rose. At the ruins Rose peered over a cliff and found some vines that lead to a section of the ruin that jutted out from the side of the cliff. "Hey Dezel!" She called, "I'm gonna go down the cliff and check part of the ridgey area. You know the part of the ruin that's jutting out from the cliff."
"No idea what you're talking about but come back when you're done." Dezel called back. She climbed down the vines constantly looking up and down the cliff wall checking for any loose rocks and making sure she doesn't lose her footing. When she got down to the bottom she let go of the vines and started walking around that area of the ruin until she went to a large mural depicting a person with a sword. She investigated the area in front of it to make sure that there weren't any traces of that squirrel or whatever Lafarga sensed in the domain. She peeked around the corners of the room and around the staircase that lead to a closer look of the mural. Crammed between the staircase and the mural itself she spotted some beads hanging around there.
"Weird," She said to herself. She picked them up and discovered that there was a dirty white, glove with a peculiar yellow symbol on the back attached to them. She stuffed it in one of the pouches attached to her belt thinking that she'll ask either Dezel or Lafarga about it later. She left the mural and continued to look around that section of the ruin. Shortly after the mural she found a big hole in the ruin that lead further down. She ran back the way she came and went over to Dezel. He looked over to the general direction she's in.
"Hey, I found this dirty ass glove and a hole." Said Rose. "I think whatever Lafarga sensed might be dead now."
"Well let's get it before it stinks up the place." Said Dezel.
"Oh come now, I'm sure the spiders and plants that live there would appreciate the food." Said Rose. Dezel rolled his eyes at the comment thinking about correcting her on her knowledge of spiders, but then again he was unsure if there was a species of spider that would feed off of corpses of … squirrels so decided not to, and headed towards the entrance of the building. He opened the door to the ruins and the two descended down the stone steps. The two entered a room with a large statue two openings that lead to extra chambers behind and presumably below the statue and a chasm between them and the other side of the room with a second floor. Rose briefly saw a figure across the chasm.
"Hey Dezel were you able to sense anything across the way?" She asked.
"Well the wind is giving me something on the chasm but other than that nothing." Said Dezel, Rose shivered. "What?"
"Thought I saw something across the way but after what you said … god I hope it's not a ghost." She said.
"Still scared of those?" Dezel teased.
"Shut up! They're terrifying, I mean they make creepy noises and they're pissed off because of something in the world and I don't wanna die via nasty retribution!" Said Rose. "Let's just try to look for another way across before trying whatever the hell you're sensing in that big ass hole." The two looked around their side of the ruin but only found some sort of block trap that nearly squished them and that the two staircases near the statue both lead to a door that they couldn't open. They then went back to the room they entered. "So, what do you sense over here?" Dezel was silent for a bit and walked fairly close to the chasm and kicked at the ground.
"See anything?" He asked.
"Uhhhhh … no." She said.
"I'll be back." He said. He left the room and a moment later he came back with some dirt in his hand. He went back to where he was standing before and threw the dirt at the chasm with the majority of it landing on something invisible.
"Oh I see!" Said Rose. "Come on, let's go." The two walked across the invisible bridge that went across the chasm. On the other side there were two entry ways that were across from each other with every other doorway blocked by collapsed ceiling. "Let's go left." She said. Dezel nodded. Rose went ahead while Dezel followed close behind. They came across passage ways that were covered in spider webs or at least used to as it looks like they've been cut down. "Huh, so that thing might not be dead after all." Said Rose. Then a low hissing sound reached Dezel's ears. Just as she was about to move he reached forward and grabbed her shoulder. "Whoa what?"
"Something's coming." He said. She looked around the room to try to see what Dezel was talking about. Just then a couple of giant spiders jumped out at them.
"Whoa! Shit you're huge!" She said to the spiders while taking out her knives.
"Ready?" Dezel asked.
"Hell yeah!" Rose replied. She ran forward and slashed at one of the spiders while Dezel swung one of his pendulums at the other spider and dragged it down. He then swung his other pendulum hitting it straight into one of the eyes. The spider got back up quickly and tried to jump on him but he dodged the spider. He then swung at the spider again which seemed to momentarily stun the spider. Rose on the other hand rushed around her spider giving it several slashes and at one point stabbing it in two of its eyes. "Dammit, why aren't you dying?" She shouted.
"Rose …" Said Dezel.
"What?" She snapped back.
"I think these might be hellions." Said Dezel.
"You're kidding." Said Rose, remembering what her guardian, Lafarga, said about hellions many years ago.
"Yes, they're creatures born of malevolence that were once human or something else. They can either be quelled by the power of purification or killed granted if you're strong enough, for humans at least, seraphs would have to find alternate methods to kill hellions. However it'd be better if you purify them as through that they will revert back to normal cuz if you kill them they would never get that chance to go back as they were. However there are a few people that can purify hellions so right now if you see a hellion, just run from it."
"So I guess killing it is not an option." Said Rose. "Well for you at least."
"The best we can do is stun them and run." Said Dezel just as he swung at the spider's head stunning it Rose stabbed the other spider in two of its legs causing it to topple slightly.
"Let's get out of here!" She cried. The two ran out of the room and through several more hallways and down some stairs. They approached a hallway that was surrounded by trees and shallow water that lead to a circular inlet. The two heard something that sounded like rattling metal and water sloshing. "Hello?" She called but they heard no response. "Whatever you are w-…" Dezel elbowed her, "I can hear you." There was no response "Look if you just come out of hiding I promise I won't attack you." The two heard clanking footsteps come out from behind the tree.
"It might be injured." Dezel whispered to Rose noticing more slowed steps with a bit of dragging to some of them. A man wearing armor over the shoulders and legs of his blue and white uniform with brown hair, part of it sticking up, approached them. As he got closer Rose noticed a scar on the right side of his forehead. The man was using his sword to hold himself up while maintaining a serious look on his face.
"You all right?" She asked. "Why don't we sit down?"
"That would be appreciated." Said the man. The two sat down on the ledge between the floor and the shallow pool.
"… This is more or less holy ground. What are you doing here?" Rose said.
"If we're on holy ground I could ask the same for you." The man replied.
"I live nearby. My village's elder said he heard something and asked me to check it out." She replied. "Now what are you doing and how did you get down here?"
"I can't give out all the details." Said the man. "But I managed to get down here because I got lost in the forest and I managed to run into these ruins. Unfortunately I fell and tried to break my fall though I think I broke my leg." The two were quiet for a while as Rose listed all the pros and cons of helping out the man and letting him stay for some time in Elysia. To her the pros ended up outweighing the cons.
"Hey. why don't you stay at my place for a bit?" Rose offered.
"What?" Dezel exclaimed.
"Really?" The man questioned.
"Sure." Said Rose completely ignoring Dezel, "Though you have to give me your name first or I just might leave you down here."
"Very well." Sighed the man. "I am Sergei Strelka."
"I'm Rose." Rose introduced.
"Rose, forgive me for asking but do you have the feeling like you're being watched?" Sergei asked.
"That's just an entity that hangs around these parts." Said Rose looking back to Dezel "I can assure you that it won't harm you." Dezel huffed and turned away. "C'mon, let's get out of here." Sergei started to stand up but Rose got under him in the almost comical sight of a giant man being supported by a fairly small woman. The two started to walk out when Sergei felt something go under his other arm.
"Ah … Thank you … entity." He said.
"Lafarga's not gonna like this." Said Dezel.
"I'm sure he can make an exception, I mean the dude broke his leg from the fall." whispered Rose.
"More than likely he's gonna reprimand you for bringing a human into Elysia." Said Dezel.
"Oh come on, he's not that harsh, he'll most likely just shake his head, mutter something then ask to not do it again." whispered Rose. Sergei looked at Rose confused.
"Are you … talking to the entity?" Sergei asked.
"Like I said, it's harmless." Said Rose. They managed to make it out of the ruins without incident, except for when they had to get across the invisible bridge in which they had Sergei's top half slumped on Dezel while Rose carried his legs. Sergei looked nervously around as he was on top of the seraph. When they got to the other side the two went back to supporting Sergei. When they got outside the three slowly made their way up the mountain as they passed by a group of some black big horned ram like creatures.
"What are those?" Sergei asked.
"Oh they're just Hyland goats." Said Rose.
"Goats?" Sergei questioned.
"Goats." Rose confirmed. After a pause,
"Goats?" Sergei repeated.
"Goats." Rose repeated. "Anyway, a little further is our village, Elysia."
"You know I heard rumors that there was a village up in these mountains, I never thought it was true." Said Sergei.
"Well you can put those rumors to rest."
"What you're not going to threaten to kill me if I talk about this village on top of a mountain?" Sergei joked.
"Be a good idea." Dezel remarked.
"Nah, even if you did anyone that would try to find Elysia would get their ass lost in the woods, like you did." Said Rose completely ignoring Dezel.
"Ha ha point taken." Laughed Sergei. When they got through Elysia's barrier Dezel let go of Sergei.
"I'm going to tell Lafarga about this." He muttered.
"Hey! At least help me carry him to my place you ass!" Rose shouted causing other seraphim to look in her direction. "Hi everyone! A little help here?"
"Rose … what were you and Dezel doing this time?" A female seraph asked.
"Oh lord don't tell me that this is another pet Dezel wants to keep!" Said a male seraph.
"Come on guys we found him injured, I just need to get him to my place." Said Rose.
"Is this a performance?" Sergei asked, "Or are there other entities?"
"Should be the latter." Said Rose. After a long pause, "Fine. Don't help." She said as she started dragging Sergei to her house. She helped him in and to her bed which he sat down on. The two were quiet for a while.
"Okay just stay here, I'm gonna go take care of something." Said Rose
"Can't really do much but will do." Said Sergei as Rose left her house.
Hi! This AU was inspired by several AUs I've found on Tumblr similar to it, like AUs where Sorey and Mikleo switch places, taken to the extreme. I wrote various ideas of this on Tumblr before finally deciding to make a cohesive fanfic out of it.
On humans being able to kill hellions, in the game we see that happening in a few instances; Rose killing some hellionized soldiers, Rose killing Cardinal Forton, Lucas and his men killing some hell hounds, and Sergei killing some hellionized soldiers. So I think that it is entirely possible for humans to outright kill hellions provided they have the combat experience and strength.