I don't own octopath Traveler of any of its character's. And holy shit is it going to be a while for me to get H'aanit's dialect. So forgive me for messing her speech up.
He's weakness
'Everyone has a weakness.'
"Hmm…" The words of the quite thief rumbled in H'aanit's mind.
The huntress sat in the tavern with a pensive mindset. Her eyes glued to the Therion and Olberic who are chatting few tables away from them. Being a huntress, H'aanit pride's herself in knowing the weakness of her prey. Yet she always has a hard time understanding the thief she has been traveling with.
Being comrades, even though he'll never say it, H'aanit wanted to understand Therion more. But the thief is a stoic and closed off person so asking simple questions isn't going to work. So, it is times like this she stares and contemplate just what such a stoic, guarded man could have as a weakness. And she isn't alone in her gazing.
Besides her loyal panther, Linde, who sat sleeping peacefully next to her feet, the lovely dancer Primrose also has a vexed stare at the thief. And for a similar reason but wanting a more sinister outcome.
'Dose he even have a heart…' Primrose growled in her head.
The alluring dancer has taken pride in her skills at reading and playing them. It is a skill she had to learn and has taken pride in doing so.
However, the enigmatic thief is one man she has a hard time reading, just like H'aanit. He surely falls into the category of the men that care more about their profession then the pleasures of life. But even those men can get a little flustered. And it's not that the thief has no interest in the other sex. His playful teasing of Ophelia. The casually flirting the two of them do. Even the time he nearly seduced a poor woman to his bed; Although that was all to steal her very heavy coin purse.
Therion is clearly a healthy young man, and yet in all the time she's spent with him he has not once turned the slightest of red or even got a little flustered. He even walked on her naked by mistake and didn't even bat an eye. He was respectful, well as respectful as someone as close chested as Therion could be, but there's never been a man she can't unnerve with her charm or looks.
'Now that I think about it…' Primrose looked to hunter next to her as a thought crossed her mind. 'He's never really tried to tease H'aanit.'
Primrose wanted to say that is because the huntress isn't one to care about such things. Any attempt at flirting with her would mostly likely be met with cool indifference. It could be the reason way Therion doesn't even try to tease her. However, when the two talk it's shockingly friendly.
It was a surprise when she saw them in combat and it still is now.
-OOO-
Primrose's former master gave a hideous smirk as he looked down at his 'kitten' form a top if the hill. Sounded by a small army of armed men, he smirked at the dancer's venomous glare up at him. It will be a shame for him to lose such a lovely prize for his tavern. But he can easily find more. Maybe that cleric and the huntress that walked into his bar earlier would be more obedient dancers.
"Well my dear-Argh!?"
Before the rotund man could continue his speech, a dagger flew itself in his shoulder. The blade stabbing him deep as blood erupted form the cut the blade came from seemingly coming from nowhere and stranger still is that the dagger belonged to Helegnish himself. It was the same dagger that went missing early today.
"You can have that back."
The voice of a young man echoed off the desert sands. A voice that Primrose thought he wasn't going to hear. She turned to see Therion, the cocky thief she meet in the bazaar adjusted his cowl walked next to the dancer. Surprising everyone as he looked at her former 'master' with a bored and tired expression.
"It's as worthless as the pig who owns it." Therion smirked.
"You!" Helegnish snarled. "The spineless rat that was in the tavern! What in the blazes are you doing here!?"
"Kind of asking that myself really…." Therion chuckled.
"I thought you said this was none of your busy?" The dancer asked the thief with knowing smile.
"Tis was not hard convincing Therion to chase after thee." H'aanit join them with her bow knotted with an arrow and drawn, Linde growling beside her.
"You make it sound like you didn't bribe me…" Therion mumbled.
"And even if he had not I would have." The huntress sent an icy stare at Helegnish. Making the foul man shiver in fear as she pointed her bow at him. "A foul swine such as him is no better then savage beast. Nay. A savage beast has more merit then thee!"
"And we all feel the same way!" Cyrus, Tressa, Ophelia, and Olberic all came rushing out of the catacombs with their weapons ready.
"We'll take care of this guy and his goons!" Tressa readied her spear. "You just take down that jerk!"
"You have my sowrd Primrose! This man's rein ends today!" Olberic bellowed as he unsheathed his blade while a holy light enveloped Ophelia. The young woman chanting out protect magic around the party as Helegnish roared at them.
"KILL THEM! Kill all the men! But leave the women!" The slimy pig pulled his knife form his shoulder. He pointed at the group with rage in his eyes. "They'll make better whores then that disobedient slut!"
The fat man's hired guards rushed down the hill with their weapons drawn. Dashing down the cliff face with spears and swords posed to strike. It is a variable army against a group of seven travelers. Yet they stood their ground and not wavered.
"Oh ice!" Cyrus chanted as his tome turned blue and the air grew cold. "Peirce them through!"
Spears of Ice fired form the ground. Stabbing through the first row of men, piercing through their bodies and killing many of them others got by. Squeezing through the pillars and frozen dead bodies as they rushed the party.
"Hold off the men." Primrose took out her own dagger form her belt. Her eyes homed in on the sleazily man laughing behind the wall of his mine like the crowd he is. "Helegnish is mine."
"I've go no problems with that." Therion pulled out his own blade. The thin sliver sowrd gleamed in the light of the desert heat. He watched as Primrose did was she was known for a danced. Spinning and twisting between the soldiers. Not letting a single one touch her as spun around them with her knife stabbing and slicing them. Letting the bodies drop to the floor as she clashed blades with her former master.
However, that left the men to focus on the thief.
"Ha!" The armed solider swung his sowrd down on Therion in a swift arc. He isn't fast enough as Therion easily side step the slash. His cap and cowl fluttered with him as he spun around to the man's back to run his blade clean through him. As he pulled the blade out of him, a spear rushed at the thief's head, but a slight tilt allowed to the blade to just barely nick his cowl. Allowing Therion to slide into the man's defenses and slash him across the chest and kick him back into another solider.
As the men tumbled, Therion turned to cut down the man behind him. His blade raised to cut down Therion. Only for the thief to find him fall back form the two arrows sticking out of his chest.
"Thine left side is as open as always!" H'aanit chastised him as she let lose another arrow slew of arrows that pierced the skulls of two men running towards them.
"Argh!" A guard roared as he slashed at the huntress with his sword. Side stepping the guard's blade, the huntress spun out her axe and blocked his return swing against her handle. She pushed him back, breaking his guard and slashed her blade though his stomach. Yet as soon as he fell another soldier came ragging forward.
"Rah-gak!?" H'aanit turned to meet the charge of the other guard only to see him stumble back form a dagger pricing in shoulder and Therion flying over her to pounce on the man with his sowrd.
"And Linde isn't always going to protect your right side." Therion said as he and huntress stood back to back as more guards surrounded them.
The men charged at them with Therion blocking the thrust of a soldier's spear with his blade. Swing his blade, Therion cut through the man's defenses. However, he didn't finish him. Jumping over the huntress, Therion allowed H'aanit to cleave right through him with her axe while Therion kicked the skull of the swordsmen behind them. Nimbly tuning in the air, Therion landed on the man's shoulder's and stabbed a dagger right through his helmet.
Jumping off of him, Therion landed in back in the sands. Which another guard thought he could take advantage of that and strike the thief down with his own axe. Only to get an arrow though his neck form H'aanit. The huntress ducked just in time to dodge a spear of another man. Spinning in the dunes to fire an arrow in the man's shoulder. Letting Therion jump off her shoulders to slice his head off with a knife and threw a dagger behind H'aanit.
The blade hit it's mark at the leg of the man rushing at her. Staggering him rushing at her to give the huntress enough time to take out her axe and cut him down in a spray of blood. As he fell a crazed man with an axe of his own came leaping over the others and clashed with her. Her back into Therion's who was holding off a snarling swordsman. They both spun to parry the enemies. Sending them sprawling to the ground as H'aanit commanded.
"Cometh Linde!" The huntress cried, and H'aanit and Therion ducked as the massive beast roar over them and mauled the two men. Leaving the two to cut down the other men. The battle raged around the two of them as they spun and whirled around one around in a dance of blades and blood. Daggers, and blades. Arrows and beasts. Sand and blood whipped around them in their symphony of violence. It is a marvel to watch the them slew through the guards with complete trust in one another.
They never need to look at their blind spots as they trusted each other to watch them. Therion would parry with his dagger while H'aanit would cut with her axe. It was a lovely symphony only they could fallow.
-OOO-
Their synergy in combat made Primrose believe that there is something more to them than just a mutual respect. They danced perfectly together. Rolling off one another like an orchestra as they fought. Something like that can't just be done by two people who just know each other. There had to be something going on there.
However it appeared neither of them were in a relationship. And Therion's sly and stand-offish attitude made it all the harder to find out if they are.
'Hmmm….' A coy smile pranced on Primrose's lips as she thought up a plan to get the stoic thief to finally met his match. 'Maybe our thief dose have a soft spot...'
"H'aanit." The huntress turned her gaze to Primrose. Thinking her sly smile is nothing more then a friendly grin. "Yes?"
"Why don't come with me for a moment."
-OOO-
"Now how about that one?" Olberic pointed to the man sitting at the bar with his mug of ale.
The man in question look like a simple merchant with the heavy bag on his back. He looked cheery as he talked with waiter at the bar. His face young and hair clean, he looked rather unassuming. Yet Therion's eyes sparked with interest.
Therion gave a quick glance at him and chuckled. "Very middle class. Few high-priced bobbles here and there. Most likely some family heir loom. Although he doesn't have anything really worth stealing. I'd say wait until he makes a sale off this guy. He may just be a nice target."
"Impressive…" Olberic nodded at the thief's sharp eye.
"Alright. Your turn. How about that woman?" Therion gestured his chin towards a woman flirting with an older gentleman in the corner of the tavern. She too didn't look any different from any other woman in the tavern with her red tunic and lovely blonde short hair.
"Hmmm…. Cleary a seasoned woman." However, Olberic can see more to the woman as he observed her. "Those callous on her hands show warn from….oh. Both the blade and a bow."
The former knight nodded sagely. "She would make a good opponent in a fight."
"Oh, you are good." Therion smirked as he took a chug of his ale.
"Hmph." The old solider mirrored the thief with a chuckled as he brought his mug to his lips. "Your keen eye could be used for more than just thievery Therion. I have to met a man who could their entire life's worth by mere glances at their clothes."
"Well I am no Cyrus, thank god." Therion joked. "But it comes with the job."
"Oh boys~. We need your opinion on something."
Primrose's sweet voice made both men turn, although they worried what the alluring woman had in store for them. Still they tired and humored her.
"Bpulgh!?" Only for Olberic to start coughing on his drink in shock.
Both H'aanit and Primrose are wearing, what can be best described, as cat costumes. A two-piece set that covered their bust in furred tops. With the dancer wearing a sultry red and H'aanit wearing a checkered white and black number. Their skirts are also furred but low enough that a simple breeze could show just a sensual peek of what is underneath. Hanging behind both girls are long tails, charming cat ears on their heads, and whiskers painted on their cheeks.
The assemble is more cute then sexy as it did cover their more imamate parts well. However, it left a lot to the imagination and men tend to have very active ones. If Olberic turning his face away in shame has anything to say on it.
"So," Primrose purred as she twirled her tail. "Do you think this will be enough to help distract those guards?"
"Hmm…" H'aanit looked at her clothes. A little embarrassed to so much skin, but she didn't show it. She is actually impressed by the craftsmanship of the fur. "The beast the hunter for these must have been an impressive one."
She seemed rather ignorant to all the eyes glued to both her and the dancer.
"Oh, and I almost forgot." Primrose landed the finally blow. Rising her arms and legs in a playful stance of a cat. Curling her hands and rising her legs, she winked at the two men with sweet, "Meow~."
The patrons of the tavern grew over silent with blistering red faces. With the old soldier turning the reddest.
"Now H'aanit." The dancer smiled to the hunter. "Remember how we practiced it."
"Ah…Right…" The huntress coughed and copied the pose.
"M-Meow…?" H'aanit started to feel silly as she posed similarity to the dancer. Her face turning the smallest shade of red a she titled her head. Wondering if she is even doing it right.
"Well what do you two thinks?" The sly dancer smiled at the two men.
"W-Well…" as Primrose excepted, the stalwart knight turned utterly red in embarrassment. His face turned away to hide the red that burned his ears. "Y-You two look lovely."
However, that wasn't the dancer's quarry isn't the old warrior. Her eyes looked to the thief to see his blushing red face.
"Well. That could work." Only to have that same smug grin peeking form his cowl. "Although I think Linde here would be a little jealous." Therion chuckled as he rubbed Lind's head as she came to nuzzle up against him.
"Well if that's the end of your little show." Therion said as he stood up. Walking past the two women with covert grin hidden under his cowl. "I've got my eye on very expensive looking watch that just passed my by."
With that, Therion, as calm as ever, disappeared form the alehouse. With not even a nervous twitch.
"Damn him…" Primrose sighed at her failure to get the thief to even turn pink. "Either that man is too ridge or had his loins cut off long ago…"
H'aanit kept her eyes on the thief as he exited the door, whispering to herself, "I've doth never seene his face so red…"
-OOO-
"Ugh…" As Therion left the tavern her placed a hand on the wall to keep himself form falling over. His face blistering red as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His face on fire, but not form a fever.
'M-Meow…'? The image seared into his mind and replayed over and over.
It had taken all that he had not to jump the huntress as she spoke those silly words.
"You had to bring her along. You should have just left her back in the woods but nope.…" Therion growled as his face grew hotter by the second from the memory replaying over and over in his head. "And now your going have to deal with that while going after these damn stones. Crap…"
His feelings for the hunter are complicated to say the least. And the nosy dancer isn't helping him in trying to hide them.
"Damn it …" As his blush finally went away, Therion sighed before he went on his way to fallow his recent quarry. Knowing this is going to be a long journey.
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