Chapter 1: Meet the Fool
...
...
(Some forest 60 miles from the Imperial Capital, Imperial year 1024, Day 1, 7:00 AM)
Navigating through a forest to get to one's destination isn't a skill that most people have, despite its occasional usefulness. People seem to think that getting from point A to point B with only a map and through a forest would be no different than doing so under normal circumstances. Of course, the native villagers, who thrive from the forest's natural resources and often venture deep into its heart, would find such skill to be indespensible and they would definitely know how easy it would be to get lost in a forest.
At least, majority of the villagers do. Afterall, there is always an exception.
Of course, Ieyasu did not count in such category because a guy like him never gets lost and he always knows his way around a forest.
Giving his surroundings a firm nod in an attempt to look like he was sure of what he was doing under Sayo's fierce glare, Ieyasu pointed in front of them confidently with a close-eyed smile.
"We just need to keep on trudging ahead and we'll be in the capital before sundown" Ieyasu said confidently, before turning to his female companion, Sayo...
...who chose that moment to punch the headband-wearing boy right in the face, effectively knocking him down on his butt.
"That's what you said yesterday, Ieyasu" Sayo said irritatedly with crossed arms, twitching eyebrows and gritted teeth as she continued. "and the day before yesterday and the day before that."
She opened her eyes to give the boy in front of her a firece glare that made the young lad wilt under her anger. He probably would've retorted to that with his own argument, if it weren't for that fact that he had none. What Sayo said was true, he basically had no idea where they were and, for all intents and purposes, they were lost.
Also, it was probably wiser to let her vent out her anger and concede, than to risk saying something that makes her even angrier.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, afterall.
"Okay, I admit it, we're lost" Ieyasu conceded and was rewarded by a full 30 minute lecture and sermon about how he should've taken the navigation lessons more seriously and how he wouldn't be able to navigate his way out of a paperbag courtesy of an infuriated Sayo.
After Sayo seemingly got everything off her chest and finally stopped her tirade, Ieyasu dared to look up at his female best friend, only to see that she was looking at a random direction distantly with a concerned expression on her face.
"Sayo?" He prompted worriedly.
"Do you think Tatsumi is doing okay?" She asked with the same concerned expression on her face.
So, that's what she was worrying about. Truth be told, he was really worried sick about their best friend. Who could blame him? Its been a while since they were seperated by those bandits and while they had each other, Tatsumi was probably alone fending for himself, which wasn't a thought either of them were comfortable with.
A better part of him knew that there was no reason to worry and that their best friend was fully capable of taking care of himself, but still...
"I'm sure, he's doing fine. You know Tatsumi, he can take care of himself" Ieyasu said with a half-hearted tone, not sounding like he was convinced with what he was saying.
...the possibility always existed.
Sayo said nothing and continued to stare in the distance with the same expression on her face. Not that he could blame her, Ieyasu didn't sound very convincing in the first place and with good reason, too.
For the longest time, they stayed silent and said nothing; quietly worrying for their best friend and wondering what he may be up to. They didn't really expect for things to turn out this way; for them to be separated like this, so for it to be happening is a little...discomforting.
"I'm sure we'll see him soon enough, we just need to get to the capital and we'll be reunited" Ieyasu said enthusiastically with a fist pump in an attempt to break the silence.
Sayo's head snapped to face him with a fiery glare and he immediately regretted his decision to break the silence.
Or at least the words he used to break said silence. The last thing he wanted was to remind Sayo of the reason she had been so angry in the first place.
Sayo took in a deep breath to start her scolding anew and Ieyasu winced in anticipation, but before Sayo could scold her best friend again, a booming clap of thunder resounded in the forest, which prompted both of them to look up at the sky.
Unsurprisingly, storm clouds were starting roll in and brief flashes of lightning flashed in the sky. A storm was definitely coming soon and from the looks of how dark the clouds were both of them didn't want to get in the middle of this one.
"We should find shelter" Sayo suggested, which only made Ieyasu nod in agreement. "I saw a cave entrance on the side of a cliff a while back, it'll have to do"
Ieyasu sighed in relief, when Sayo turned to head back to where she saw the cave entrance. It looked like he got off lucky and avoided another tirade.
As if reading his thoughts, Sayo turned back and said: "And don't think you got off the hook, Ieyasu, we'll continue this conversation after we get to that cave." with a fierce glare.
Ieyasu wilted and opted for following Sayo to wherever she found that cave entrance, while crying comical tears.
He was really starting to regret not practicing his navigation skills before they had left the village.
...
Sayo was clearly pissed.
That much was completely obvious, since she had taken the initiative of putting as much distance between them as possible by walking ahead of him by a few paces and not even glancing at his general direction.
However, she wasn't pissed because of the typical annoyance that her best friend couldn't navigate his way out of a paperbag.
She was mad because every second they spent walking around in circles in this forest, they were letting their best friend, Tatsumi, down. She dreaded to imagine what kind of hardships their best friend was currently going through right now.
Then again, knowing Tatsumi's navigation skills, he was probably just a few minutes away from the capital, if he wasn't already there now.
That thought just got her even more riled up, Tatsumi was probably waiting at the capital for them already and here they were still walking around in circles.
Sayo purposely ignored Ieyasu's calls for her to slow down and simply opted for walking even faster.
She just kept her gaze in front of her as she increased her pace. Her pace didn't even falter as she burst out of the treeline and into a clearing where she spotted the cave that was connected to the side of a cliff a while ago.
Of course, once she got a good look of what was actually in front of her, only then did she stop her accelarated cadence on the spot.
She blinked once. Twice. Three times.
The image in front of her did not falter or distort in the slightest, so what she was currently looking at was definitely real and was, by no means, a hallucination, at least she couldn't dind any signs that would indicate it to be as such.
Given what she was looking at, however, she kind of wished that she was hallucinating or, at the very least, dreaming.
As if to put the final nail in the coffin, when she pinched herself in the forearm, hard enough to make her hiss in pain, nothing happened.
Okay, so evidently there really was a sleeping Diamondback Wyvern right infront of her and she really was within striking range for this gargantuan S-class danger beast.
At that realization, all color drained away from Sayo's face in an instant as she slowly and carefully backed away, as if any noise she made would lead to her death. Given the situation, that wasn't entirely false, since danger beasts are known for their heightened senses.
With any luck, she would be able to quietly back away from this wyvern and gain a safe distance, before it takes notice of her presence and/or decides to wake-
"Sayo, slow down! I said I was sorry like a thousand times now. I admit that I screwed up!" Came Ieyasu's shouts and Sayo's rage suddenly overcame her fear as she turned to the direction of the voice.
"I admit that were lost! I admit it's my fault! I admit that I am a terrible navigator!" Before Ieyasu could continue his rant any further, Sayo walked up to him once he burst out of the treeline and landed a firm blow to his face again.
Both because of her annoyance and irritation at his timing and because of her panicked urgency to shut him up, before the diamondback noticed the noise.
Sayo turned to Ieyasu and was about to give him a stern glare to silence any further words from him, but found him with a horrified expression on his face as he stared at her...
...or behind her.
As if on cue, a towering shadow suddenly loomed over the two of them and Sayo gulped in realization. She already knew what was behind her and already knew that the diamondback was awake, but she wanted to be absolutely sure, so she turned around to face the source of the shadow that loomed over them.
She already had a rough idea of what she was going to see, yet somehow knowing what she was going to see did nothing to minimize the fear she now felt...
...not to mention the irritation she held towards her bestfriend.
She made a mental note to give him a piece of her mind if they survive this.
Anyhoo, towering over them as it drew itself up to its full height, which was roughly ten times their own height, using its winged forelegs was a monster that not many people have gazed upon so closely and lived to tell the tale. The towering creature had gray-like scales that resembled rocks because of their texture and how hard they looked, which was only appropriate since this creature is known for its tough scales that most weapons are unable to pierce through, adorning its thick hide and reptilian body.
Running along the spines on its back starting from its to its skull up to its tail were the main reason for this creature's name; a sparkling rows of diamonds that were roughly the size of human skulls that jutted backwards in spikes. On the tip of its tail were a cluster of diamonds that seemed to form the world's most expensive spearhead.
On top of this creature's head was what appeared to be several clusters of diamonds that were connected to the row of diamonds on its spine and jutted backwards and framed its face and jaws. The creature's talons were also made of the precious stone.
With its muscular form, it was clear that this danger beast had both strength and speed in its arsenal in addition to the diamond hard weapons it boasted. Just by looking at it one could tell that this was an S-class danger beast that was as dangerous as its diamonds were expensive, which only meant that their chances of survival would be very slim, if they had any to begin with.
Sayo and Ieyasu were completely terrified to be at the receiving end of its silver-eyed glare, which was perfectly reasonable because anyone who found themselves on the receiving end of this danger beast's glare never lived to tell the tale.
Its dragonic eyes looked down at them, as if considering whether to eat them or not. For their part, they both simply froze, both because of the fear that they currently felt and because they were working under the assumption that any sudden movement would only worsen their situation.
If they were wrong about that assumption, then they just wasted precious seconds in trying to escape, if they were right, then they may have just saved their lives.
Either way, this was a gamble and they both knew it. They were literally betting their lives on their unspoken assumption. They could do nothing, but watch the chips fall where they may, as they observed the wyvern for any reactions.
"Omen, I'm home!" A male voice suddenly shouted happily.
Both of them blinked at that loud declaration in disbelief, which came right behind them. They really wanted to see who it was (and maybe smack him upside the head for his shout), but they couldn't bring themselves to turn away from the wyvern.
Also, who was the boy calling out to? There was no one here other than them and the wyvern.
As if to answer their question, a boy that was slightly taller than them by a few inches, who was dragging something by a rope over his shoulder, casually made his way past them and towards the Diamondback wyvern. The way he so casually did this was a testament of the fact that this was likely a routine of sorts.
Sayo and Ieyasu were under the impression that this particular Diamondback wasn't an ordinary S-class danger beast and that the only reason they were still alive right now was because it wasn't an ordinary one.
"You hungry, Omen? Because I got us a good meal today and it's our favorite, Evil Birds!" Exclaimed the young man excitedly.
As soon as they heard that, they tensed even more and held on to their breath as they turned to the wyvern that had been casually approached the danger beast.
Only for their jaws to drop to the ground in disbelief at the sight before them, which was, as far as they knew, completely and utterly stupid and dangerous, not to mention downright ridiculous.
The wyvern was laying on the ground on its stomach, while the boy was scratching its chin and the top of its head, like it was some pet. Judging by the wyvern swinging tail, kicking hindlegs, and closed eyes, it seemed to be enjoying whatever the boy was doing. A boy, who was roughly the same age as them, treating an S-class danger beast, who had scales that would put almost every weapon to shame, like it was his pet dog definitely wasn't something either of them expected to see today...or in their lifetime, for that matter.
Sayo saw the wyvern open its eyes and it stared at her, causing her wilt in fright at the sudden attention. She just realized that they may have wasted a perfectly good opportunity to escape because of they were too busy gaping at the scene playing before their very eyes.
The Diamondback made a gesture with its head towards her direction, causing the boy, who had his back turned to them, to pause in his previous activity and turn to face them.
The boy had long unruly scarlet red hair that branched out from his head in spikes, like a mane on a lion, while some of it flowed down the back of his neck. He had golden yellow eyes that were eying them with innocent curiosity, along with milky white skin that seemed to be somewhat covered in a coat of dust. He wore a white button-down long-sleeved shirt that was folded up to his elbows under a short-sleeved navy blue hawaiian shirt with sunflower prints. Along with that he wore a pair of dark red trousers that was folded up to his knees, which revealed the white inner fabric. He also had a white scarf of some sort tied to around his waist. On the right side of his waist was an abnormally large scimitar and now that Sayo looked close enough, he actually had a scar over his left eye that vaguely resembled a claw mark with three scratches, granted his left eye seemed to be just fine.
The boy looked to be about the same age as them, albeit slightly taller and thinner than Iegasu or Tatsumi, but Sayo had a feeling that this boy's figure was more lean and toned than either of them, despite his skinny physiqe, that he was more experienced than all them combined.
"Hmm?" He tilted his head curiously at them, before he looked up when a roar of thunder sounded up ahead. He looked back at them again with a wide heartwarming smile. "If you're looking for a place to stay, you're welcome to come join us in our cave." He offered happily.
Sayo looked uneasily at the Diamondback that was staring at them uneasily. She really wasn't all that eager to get in a closer proximity and/or isolated location with said danger beast any time soon. Granted, the boy seemed to have tamed the danger beast to a certain extent.
As if spotting her unease, the boy reassured and happily. "Don't worry about Omen, he doesn't like eating people and he only attacks them, if he thinks they're a threat, so you have no reason to worry"
"I-I see" Sayo managed to stutter out in disbelief.
Just then another roar of thunder sounded in the clearing, which caused the boy to look up with a slightly thoughtful look on his face, before turning to them with a worried smile.
"I think its best that we all get in the cave now" He suggested to them with worried eyes.
"Why is that?" Sayo said suspiciously. She was starting to question why he was so adamant about giving them shelter.
The boy only shrugged casually with an uneasy smile.
"Between you and me, getting wet is the least of your worries, when your in the middle of a storm in this forest." He said with forced smile as another roar of thunder resounded in the clearing.
Sayo raised and eyebrow at that and the boy simply pointed to the Diamondback, Omen, who was looking visibly tensed and more alert than before. Sayo saw that and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Those last two claps of thunder didn't come from the storm clouds, if you know what I mean" the boy said casually with a concerned look on his face as he eyed them.
He looked so genuinely worried for them, that Sayo let out a breath and relented, while gracing the boy with a kind smile.
"Okay, thank you" she said and was immediately rewarded with the boy giving her a wide heartwarming smile, before gesturing for them to follow him, as he marched towards the cave's entrance followed by the wyvern.
Sayo immediately followed suit with no hesitation. She heard footsteps behind her and she sighed because she can already imagine the look on Ieyasu's face, as well as, what he was about to ask her.
Ieyasu's face came into view with disbelieving expression, but before he could even speak, she cut him off.
"In case you couldn't figure it out, he was saying that there's another danger beast in the area and that if we chose stay out in the open, then we might as well be sitting ducks" Sayo retorted with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. "And besides, I think its best that we stay close to someone, who actually know their way around this forest" Sayo gave him a pointed glare that made Ieyasu wilt because of his wounded pride.
She turned his attention to the boy who was still marching towards the cave and remembered the smile he showed him.
"I have a feeling that we can trust him" Sayo heard herself say, which prompted Ieyasu to look at the boy as well.
"Hehehehehe"
Sayo's eyebrows furrowed when she heard Ieyasu giggle at her side. She turned to him and he was looking at her, while he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, he pointed at her and then the boy, before he made a heart with his hands and let out another chuckle.
Ieyasu opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything he was knocked out cold by a pissed Sayo, who dragged the boy by his collar towards the cave.
Once they were both inside the cave, the boy looked at her with a raised eyebrow, while eying Ieyasu. Strangely enough, the Diamondback also seemed to be looking at her and she got the impression that it was questioning her as well.
Instead of answering their questioning gazes, she smiled at them kindly and said:
"My name is Sayo and this idiot is Ieyasu"
The boy gave her another heartwarming smile, before pointing to himself with his thumb.
"You can call me Gnar"
...
...
For a more solid idea of how the overall physique of the Diamondback looks like, simply refer to the Tigrex from the monster hunter game series.
So what do you all think? Please feel free to tell me what you thought in the reviews sections and if you'd like to see more, feel free to press the Favorite/Follow button.
I'll see you all next time.