Chapter 2
Canyons and Bandits.
"Ah, this place is pretty far up, if you were to fall from here you would totally die!" Crim laughed as he looked over the edge of the steep cliff kicking a rock down the gorge.
"Don't say that! You're just asking for us to have bad luck!" Thyra replied as she looked around.
This was known as Misty Mountains, at least that was what the very basic map told her. This was the way to the Bandits hideout and hopefully towards her sister. However she couldn't see neither bandits nor any place anyone would be able to actually make a house.
"I don't see anything at all do you think we got the wrong directions?" Thyra asked, she had no idea why she was asking an idiot like him, but it was worth a shot.
"Golly, can't say. Why don't you summon that monster of yours and look a bit further ahead?"
"You idiot, it's not a monster it's my Teriques!"
Teriques was the projection of a Ferines soul, each one having a unique ability depending on what it was. Thyra was able to emit a weak healing field using hers, though it wasn't particularly useful and the risk of using it was far too great.
"Plus, I can't risk that with so many monsters around. If my Teriques gets damaged then I would be a big trouble..."
The only thing Crim did was stare at her, his eyes narrowing. "Geez Thyra you sure can be a huge coward, I guess the only thing we can do then is continue until we see something."
Thyra grumbled ignoring the insult as the duo made their way through the mountains.
"...Um, Thyra, I've been thinking. You can breath underwater and swim really fast right? Do you happen to know anything about deep ones?"
Thyra was actually taken aback by his comment. Mostly the idea that he ask a question that didn't have to do with fighting or food, but rather a bit of her culture.
"Sorry, can't say I happen to know them...you asked me this when we first met too."
Crim nodded, "just weird to see humans with that kind of ability. Even as a monster I can only hold my breath for a few hours underwater. Yet apparently some humans can just live under there...it's crazy!"
Crim laughed it off as Thrya eyes narrowed.
Thrya knew he wasn't human. His odd looks and his strength was enough to give that away. However Thrya had no idea what kind of being Crim could me. In fact even his name sounded wrong, it actually meant nothing in the Relares alphabet and nor did it sound Orerines.
"Crim, what are you?"
"A monster..."
"What kind of non answer is that?!" Thrya grumbled.
"It doesn't matter, but getting back to deep ones, the reason I asked is because they are a really powerful species of monster that live under the sea. They worship a terrible monster that lives both under the ocean and on land somehow."
Thrya rolled her eyes, if such monsters really did exist their probably would have been something written about them somewhere.
"Are you sure you just aren't getting stories confused with facts?"
Crim just laughed. "You, you're probably right. Though I also heard they are really strong and have weird abilities, they can even pretend to be human..."
Despite knowing that everything that Crim was saying was fake it was still somewhat eerie to think that such monsters existed. If there was even a 1% chance that Deep Ones were real then she didn't ever want to meet them.
The two continued through the mountains as Crim stopped putting his arm out causing Thrya to halt as well.
"Huh, why are we stopping?" Thrya looked over to Crim, his expression was serious.
"You don't see it...I guess someone who doesn't fight much wouldn't be able to." Crim replied pointing to the nearby wooden bridge.
"There is waves in the air. It is a Monster Spring, at least that is what we monsters call them."
Thrya tilted her head, she had no idea what Crim was talking about. However when it came to monster it was clear that Crim was the expert so she let him continue.
"A monster spring is an area where we monsters get way stronger while we are in it. Usually you can tell there is one due to the waves, or something. Normally I would go through it, but is kind of really dangerous if you are with me."
"Yeah, let's avoid that..."
Thrya really wasn't in the mood to have her limbs being torn off by some random monster because Crim got too excited.
The two continued, noticing more and more man-made bridges in the area. It was becoming clear that someone was using the bridges often to get between the mountains and areas. Thrya took note on how sloppily, if someone had made these bridges it would be bandits.
They were getting closer as a feeling of dread overtook Thrya once again. A part of her was hoping that they had the wrong place, but it seemed that they were right on the money.
"I guess we are getting closer to the hideout...man I'm so excited, I wanted if the bandits are strong?!" Crim eyes lit up as Thrya bit her lip.
"Stop, and don't pick fights! We are here to see if the girl they kidnapped is my sister..." Thrya frowned. For some reason she had a feeling that things weren't going to go as smoothly as she thought.
"Anywa-" before Thrya could even finish her statement Crim quickly dragged her to the side behind a pile of rocks.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"Can't you hear that Thrya?" That was the only thing that Crim said as Thrya shut her mouth, the two peeked out of their hiding spot onto the bridge noticing three bandits walking across it.
Despite their label as bandits they weren't the worst dressed, they seemed to have some sort of theme going with bandanas and jackets. Though none of that was really important, what was important was what they were saying.
"Do ya really think that girl the boss captured can really grant wishes?"
"Probably, I mean the boss isn't normally wrong about this sort of stuff..."
Thrya grumbled, it was the same with the soldiers that attacked her village. They were trying to track down the Merines for their own greedy needs, that pretty much confirmed that the girl the bandits had was at least a Ferines.
"So...what do you want to do Thrya, these guys don't look too strong and I can beat them up if you want me too."
Crim's words were music to her ears. It wasn't like they were going to kill them, just rough them up a bit so they can tell them where they were holding her.
"Yeah, now go on and do it!" Thrya whispered nearly forcing Crim out of their hiding spot. Of course she wasn't going anywhere, it was far too dangerous.
"Golly you really are bossy," Crim said as he jumped out of the hiding spot, the two bandits nearly jumped the moment he landed.
"W-what, who are you?"
"Hey where is your hideout?" Crim was blunt as the bandits smiled.
"Oh that, we are a little up a- wait a minute!" he quickly stopped himself. "I'm not falling for that one again!"
Thrya groaned, between Crim just jumping out and asking them and one of the bandits actually almost telling him she was clearly surrounded by idiots.
"Why do you want to know anyway?" the other bandit asked as Crim scratched his cheek.
"Ah, I was going to rescue the girl you kidnapped..."
"Shut up!" Thrya screamed revealing her hiding spot, but she had to. Crim was just giving everything away and there was no going back.
"Oy, did that rock just talk?" one of the bandits ask as Crim just shook his head.
"No, it looks like that, but there is actually someone hiding behind it..."
Thrya couldn't believe it, just how stupid could Crim be? Removing the fact that he was causally having a conversation with what they suspected to be her sister's captors he wasn't even making an attempt to hide anything from them.
Thrya sighed as she finally walked out of her hiding spot glaring at the two bandits.
"I just want my sister back okay... I don't want to hurt anyone."
The bandits stopped for a moment staring at Thrya before looking at one another.
"Well, sorry, but we need the wish nothing personal."
She wanted to call them idiots, but it was pointless. This is what Orerines did, they never thought about anyone but themselves no matter how many people they hurt.
"Can we fight now? This is boring..." Crim whined as the two bandits stuck out their chest.
"Ha, do you know who you are messing with, w-" the poor man didn't even finish his statement as he felt a heavy impact against he stomach. Crim's fist was planted in his gut as the monster boy removed it.
The man held his stomach before collapsing on the ground.
"W-what th-" the remaining bandit raised his fist not even noticing that Crim had snuck up behind him. With a swift kick to the back Crim floored the man as he bounced off the ground once before laying nearly motionless.
"Geez, they aren't really sturdy at all...I don't think I did them any real damage though."
Thrya walked up to the now unconscious bandits. It served them right for everything they did, but even she realized they really couldn't answer any questions in their condition.
"What do we do now, they didn't tell us anything." Thrya sighed, the only thing they knew for sure was that they captured a girl and they didn't have many details about it.
"Hmm." Crim crossed his arms before bending over examining the two bandits he had just knocked out.
"What are you doing?"
"I dunno, maybe they have a key or something like most humans do...ah, what's this?" Crim shoved his hand into one of the bandits pockets pulling out an odd shaped key. No that was wrong, it was a key in name only, closer to a badge.
"You think that is what they use to make sure they are actual members?" Thrya asked as Crim just laughed.
"I dunno, but we should just keep it just in case." Crim stood back up, Thyra was expecting Crim to either hand the item to her or put it on his person. Instead he opened his mouth placing the badge inside and swallowing it.
It was horrifying, the badge wasn't particularly small and Thyra saw Crim's throat contort to the shape of the item before it went down. If there was a chance that she would have ever forgotten that he was a monster it was long gone now.
"W-why did you do that?!"
"What? We needed to keep it safe, don't worry I can spit it up anytime I want to."
Thrya's eye twitched, he completely missed the point of her statement...not like it mattered.
"We should probably rest once we get out of these mountains. You are probably getting tired and everything and we can probably rest out on the field." Crim said as Thrya nodded.
Normally she wouldn't have agreed, but she was feeling a bit stiff from all the walking. There was no need to rush since they knocked out the two bandits that could tell anyone.
"A few hours wouldn't hurt...I guess."
Author Note.
A bit of a slower chapter. I guess I should probably have some sort of timeline for the events of this. This story currently takes place right at the start of the main story. Due to circumstances Thrya and Crim arrived at Misty Mountains before Senel and Will.
As for Crim size, he is actually the exact same size as Thrya.
Also thanks for the review!
