A/N: Here's the fourth chapter. In case some don't know, this is in an alternate reality, though the same one as Clan Infamous and all the other stories that relate to his. Alot of time will go by in this one, like in the second chapter, but with more details. Also, as requested, there will be more character development. I had no attention, whatsoever, of letting Nematus being a Gary stue. He isn't perfect or all powerful, or a goody-goody two-shoes either. He's going to get injured, beat up, and frustrated from time to time.
Also, I'd like to thank ZodiarkSavior for helping me with those earth spells. I didn't like using Quake1 & Quake2, so he made a list that I could use. Tremor, Fissure, Quake, and Quakeja are the spells in order from weakest to strongest. Note, this will how he will use them.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that SquareEnix does.
-2 years later, Nematus' age: 16, pwr lv: 72
The 13 Swords Clan was doing well in their mark hunts lately. By the fourth month, each of the members had come to accept Nematus' presence. He had proven atleast another ten times that his killing of the Bull Wyrm was no fluke. Nobody questioned the boy's skills anymore. In fact, he has even started making a name for himself throughout Rabanastre throughout the many months. Little did he know that Cifer had helped in spreading word about him, looking after him from behind the scenes.
He had accumulated some wealth from his hunts as well, but he has only spent about a tenth of it on himself; the rest were gifts that he plans on giving to his friends and family the next time he goes to the Ozmone Plains and the Golmore Jungle. The bit he has spent on himself were mainly for new spells and equipment. From Balfonheim Port, he acquired Blizagga, Flare, and Protectga spells, and Dragon Mail from the armory shop. He liked it better than the stronger Carrabineer Mail because it fit him like another layer of skin.
As for his Save The Queen, he still had it, but he now favored the Ragnarok. Cifer had given it to him after he and several others came back from hunting the Ixion in the Pharaos. Unfortunately, the monsters there were truly vicious, as the clan had lost four of the eight hunters that went.
The group hasn't taken on any more marks for about a month now so everyone would have time to mourn and get over the deaths of their friends and comrades. Among those two were Toki and Ethaniel, both of which had grown into two of Nematus' best friends.
Life passed by him quickly after that. He stayed by himself most of time, going through a withdrawal or denial, or whatever one wanted to call it. It seemed to finally hit him how real mark hunting was. He had always approached each challenge with a calm mind and confidence that he'll get out alive, but when Toki and Ethaniel died, he experienced a serious reality check.
He couldn't even look back on his previous hunts without berating himself for his foolish acts of bravery, like when Cifer had warned them about attacking the Bull Wyrm head-on, but he had went ahead and attacked like a fool. He realized if it had not been for Cifer's blind, slow, and silence spells, than he'd probably have died that day.
He didn't hear the knocking on his door over the sound of his bantering, so he jumped in surprise when Cifer placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, kid. You know, beating yourself up won't fix anything, right?" The man gave a soft smile as he eyed his young member through his blonde bangs. "Tell you what, I've got something that could fix your little depression."
He handed Nematus a piece of paper, the boy instantly recognizing it as a mark petition. "Why do you think this will help?" he asked, eyes lowered underneath his mask.
"Because, you'll get to go home," the man replied. Nematus looked confused, than he actually read the petition.
Petitioner: War-Chief Supinelu
Petitioner's location: Jahara
Mark: Catoblepas-Rank VI
Nematus without another word started readying his things. He had a personal grudge against the Catoblepas. The beast had wounded his father's brother. The injury it dealt forced him to resign his position to Supinelu. Then, as if that wasn't enough, his father went years later to try and kill it and avenge his brother but was defeated as well.
Things will be different this time, that he promised.
"Told you it would work. I'll go with you whether you like it or not. I made a promise to your mother, afterall," he said with a smile. He was glad to see Nematus finally focused on something besides the death of his friends.
"Fine, but when we meet it, don't interfere. Please," Nematus begged. "This has nothing to do with pride or anything. It's very personal. The Catoblepas is an old enemy of the Jahara Clan."
"I'll think about it," the leader replied. "But if I find that you can't handle it, I'll step in to lend a hand. It'd be a shame if you died. I mean, you've got all those pretty women waiting for you to visit again." He softly laughed, referring to the boy's Viera friends.
His smile grew even more when he saw the boy fidget. He was aware that Nematus was starting to see women differently, so he often tried to irk him whenever he got the chance or saw the kid talking to some of the Vieras in Rabanastre who've come to befriend him.
He was also attracting some of the young hume women his age as well. There was something about a man in a mask that caught their fancy. Maybe he'd ought to start wearing one as well. He imagined himself knocking out several bandits who were trying to kidnap a beautiful damsel, instantly winning her heart with his bravery and mysteriousness.
"It's alright, Nematus. Everyone boy who grows up goes through what you are. It's only natural," he explained.
"I'm ready," Nematus said, refusing to reply to the comment. He had his Ragnarok strapped to its vertical sheath on his back, his sage's ring on his right hand, his two necklaces around his neck. He laid out a small blanket, than the gifts he'd bought for his family and friends on top of it. Making sure everything was spaced out, he rolled up the blanket, making an effective luggage case. Despite having money, he never spent any to upgrade his lifestyle, something that Cifer thought was honorable.
"No need to pack for the travel, boy." Cifer held out a yellow teleport crystal. "We can just use the teleport stone at the South Gate to get there. We'll end up right in front of your village."
The boy nodded gratefully and the duo made their way out of the clan HQ. Not stopping for anything, they made it too the teleport stone in just a few minutes. They held the small crystal to the stone and the duo disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
The ride, despite the distance, was almost instantaneous. The two hunters found themselves once again in the Jahara village. Nematus looked over everything, tears almost coming to his eyes. He was finally home again. Going on so many hunts, he hadn't realized how much he missed the familiar land, and the villagers, and the rocky terrain. His arrival caught the attention of several Garif nearby. One stuck out to him. Though Cifer was unable to determine who was who, Nematus knew who the Garif walking towards him with hesitant steps was immediately.
"MOTHER!" he shouted.
"NEMATUS!" Tanyar called back. The two ran and embraced each other in their arms. Nematus' tear ducts finally broke and he softly cried in happiness. His mother hugged him tight while petting the back of his head, making cooing noise to stop his tears. "It's so good to see you, Son. My goodness, you have grown so big."
She put some space between her and her son to look him over. He has grown atleast four inches, putting him at about six feet even. His build has gotten more sculpted as well. He looked so grown up compared to when she last saw him.
"Mom..."he forced, "I've missed you so much. I had meant to come sooner but..time flew by so fast. You won't believe all of the different places I've been to. All of the different lands, the cities and towns...they're incredible. The cities are so huge and full of people of all species. The lands are as vast as they are different. The sea..I even saw the sea. It was so beautiful, I wish you could've seen it."
He finally stopped to catch his breath. He could tell his mother was softly crying and smiliing underneath her mask. His mother was so happy to see him alive and happy.
"But..I've come to see Father. I've come to help him slay the Catoblepas." His mother recoiled as if she'd been struck by a viper.
"What?" she gasped. "You want to fight it? But...the Catoblepas is a terrible beast. Your father tried his best, but it was not enough," she explained, hoping to persuade him to rethink his decision.
"Ma'am," Cifer spoke up. "I've looked after your son for the past two years. I've seen him grow from a boy who was like an infant in our world to a man who's made quite a name for himself in several regions. He's made many friends..and lost some," their expressions fell at the mention of their four friends lost at the Pharos, "but I won't stop now. He won't be alone when he fights the Catoblepas. I'll look after him."
Though he words were of reassurance, they still did little to ease her stress, but they did let her know that Nematus was not going to be swayed from the path he has chosen. She sighed in defeat. "Very well. My mate's in his tent, resting. I'm sure he'll be overwhelmed with joy to see you have returned."
"Don't worry, Mother. I won't go today. There's too much that I want to do first." Nematus unrolled his pack, displaying the dozen number of items he had in there. She eyed them with curiosity. He picked up a vest that was obviously made after the Garif's vest style for women. It had a speckled pattern on it. "I've been waiting to give you this. I made this from the pelt of a creature called a 'bandercouerl.' They are found practically on the otherside of Ivalce."
He held it up for her to see. He saw her eyes widen through the hole's in her mask. Slowly, she took it from his hands and helf it out for herself to inspect it. "This is beautiful. And it's very well made."
"I learned from the best," he responded. He heard her *sniff* before being wrapped up in another hug.
"I will treasure this, my Son." He was surprised by how much strength his mother had. He was starting to worry when he felt his back pop a couple of times from the pressure.
"Umm...Mother...can't...breathe..." he forced out. She instantly dropped him and apologized, allowing him to catch his breath again. "Thanks...Mom..(recovers) I've got gifts for Father, Jote, Mjrn, Sytk, and Ktjn too. I can't wait to see how they're doing as well."
The three made their way through the village, Nematus' arrival conjuring quite a crowd of gatherers. He hugged and greeted everyone as fast as he could while still trying to be polite. His mother had to bulldoze a path for him straight to their tent. Seeing who he was wanting to see, they crowd quickly made room for the returning son of Supinelu and Tanyar.
When they arrived at the tent, the man they were looking for burst from the flaps like a bat out of hell. Nematus didn't have time to react as he father gave his expected greeting. "My Son! You've finally come back! I'm so glad to see you're well! My goodness, you've grown so big!" he assaulted the boy while swinging him side-to-side in the air like he weighed as much as feather.
With a sharp command from Tanyar who saw the pain evident on Nematus' face, he dropped his boy. He took a deep breath as the two just stared at each other. "You've really grown, Son. You're bigger than me now. hehe." He scratched the back of his head, not really knowning how to properly react.
Nematus didn't seem to mind. He seemed just as much at a loss for words as his father did. "I'm still your little son, Father. I've been trying to find time to come see you sooner. I was finally able to." He stopped for a few seconds, making an uncomfortable silence. "I'm here to answer your petition for the Catoblepas."
Those words erased the smile that was on Supinelu's face. In its place was one of incredible sterness. "Are you sure?" His son nodded and the two seemed to have a wordless conversation for what felt like hours before he accepted. "Very well," he said. He understood what was driving his son to do this. To deny his son this chance would hurt more than any wound he's received in his life.
Nematus sighed and relaxed his posture which had been stiff and firm. "I was planning on going tomorrow. There are still many people that I wish to see."
"Yes, I'm sure. Though, I have not been through the Golmore Jungle since our last day of training. Would you wish for me to go with you?" The boy shook his head.
"Only if you want to. I can make it there with no problems." The elder Garif declined.
"No, given this news, I will prepare our journey for tomorrow. The Catoblepas is deep within the caverns. You go and visit your friends," he commanded. Nematus obeyed, but not before unrolling the blanket with the gifts.
"Before I go, I've got this for you, Father." He picked up two different weapons: a penetrator crossbow and his old Save The Queen, the latter the War-Chief took first. "This was the first blade I had when I became a hunter. I used it to kill many great beasts. I want you to have it."
Supinelu looked over the blade that had been blemished with stains and dents from many years of use. "And this is the Penetrator Crossbow. It's one of the best on the markets," Nematus added. He handed over the large crossbow as well. Garif were quite familiar with the uses of crossbows, though they weren't as popular as their own home-made swords. His father took the other weapon and laid them both down.
"Thank you, Son. It's good that you thought about us. Johan will be excited to see you as well." The mention of his younger brother perked the teen up some.
"Where is he? I haven't seen him yet."
"He's helping the Great Chief with some tasks out in the field. Despite his young age, he's a great helper. He has about as much energy as you do." Nematus smiled as he imagined how big Johan has gotten and picturing him jumping from place to place. "He will not be back with the others till later today. You should go while you're free of him," Supinelu encouraged.
"Right." Saying their farewells for the meantime, Cifer had decided to sit this trip out while Nematus went himself, not wanting to possibly get shot. Nematus borrowed a chocobo to save time traveling. The large bird was cooperative and together, they sped off across the Plains like a yellow bullet. They traversed the entire region within an hour. When they got to the jungle's edge, he hopped off the bird and patted its hindquarter, shooing it off. Eagerly, the bird started making its way back to the village. Excited, he stepped into the Wood to make good on a promise he made to a certain pair of Viera.
About ten minutes into it, he stopped and let out a combination of "Kip-Kip...Keet!" Not a minute later, several Viera wood-warders hopped onto the tree branch, encompassing him in the middle. He looked around, but sadly, he didn't recognize any of them.
"How does a Garif know our calls?" the supposed leader of the group asked.
"I'm a friend of Jote, Mjrn, Ktjn, and Sytk's. I have been away for a long time, but have finally made it back to visit them," he answered without mistake of hesitation. The five women looked at one another, whispering so low that only Viera could hear. Apparently, they underestimated him, since he'd been tought by his wood-warding friends in the past on how to develope his hearing to what would be consider 'super', compared to the normal humes.
"How does he know of our elder?"
"How do we know he isn't trying to deceive us?"
"We'll have to take his word. To make sure, we'll take him to the village."
"You'd have an outsider tread into our village?"
"If there are any consequences, I'll take the blame. No more complaints," the leader said, ending the whispers. He decided to surprise them by speaking up.
"It's rude to talk about somebody," he said, surprising the Viera that their conversation did not fall on lame ears. "Sytk and Jote taught me well about how to calm my mind and listen to the land around me. If that isn't proof enough, than how about this?" He lifted up the necklace that Jote had given to him the day he left. They eyed it and realised that he had been telling the truth.
"Very well. Follow us," the woman said. The group began walking towards the western part of the Wood. The beasts they met along the way only gave them a glance before going about their own business. The treants along the path simply stood idle as the group passed by them to enter the village path.
Nematus couldn't help but get all giddy. He'd never been allowed into the village, but now, he had his own escorts. When they entered through the village entrance, all of the Viera immediately sensed his foreign presence. For a select few, it was a presence that seemed awfully familiar; too familiar to let go uninvestigated. Nematus gasped at the sudden shower of sunlight. All along the trees, there were walkways leading up their lengths and across to their neighbors. They crossed the bridge and rounded the first tree to enter the first courtyard, of sorts.
His presence attracted the attention of just about all of the residence in the vilage. There was already a small crowd, like back at the Jahara village, except this time, he was blushing furiously under his mask. 'Have they always been this revealing?' he asked himself. He managed to stop himself at 'they're beautiful bodies' before delving any deeper with his imagination. He mentally slapped his brain for the near slip-up.
He looked around the gathered faces, hoping to find someone who knew him. He didn't have to look long, as he was spotted by them first. "Is that who I think it is?" a familiar, strong voice asked above the crowd's whispers. Already knowing who it was, he looked over his shoulder and saw the taller Sytk looking down at him, though not as bad as two years ago.
Knowing the routine, he removed his mask to reveal his hume face. There were several gasps from the sudden reveal. The hunters who had brought him in were just as surprised. They had never seen a Garif before, only knowing that they wore large masks all the time. They were positive that they weren't just humes in masks that lived a low-tech lifestyle. Unastonishingly, they lifted the bows towards him. Imagine their confusion when Sytk ordered them to lower their weapons, and that this hume was a good friend of hers.
"His name is Nematus. He is a hume that was raised as a Garif, and was even tought some by me and Jote. He is different from the rest, I promise you," she explained. They looked at her increduously, thinking that perhaps she was joking with them. "Lower your weapons or I will do it for you," she declared. The rise in her tone had them lowering their bows faster than the eye could catch. One girl actually dropped hers.
Satisfied, she was about to look over at Nematus but found herself in a bone-crushing hug from the young adult. "It's been too long, Sytk. I've missed you all very much!" he said. She laughed softly and returned the gesture. His head was unintentionally forced into her bosom by the hug, given their height difference, but the joy of the reunion overpowered any urge of Nematus' growing mind to think dirty thoughts. His eyes were closed and a smile was plastered on his face as he enjoyed the touch of his old friend.
Their sentimental moment was interrupted by a call from another familiar voice, one that forced him to bring his head out and see Mjrn sprinting at him. His first thoughts were 'wow' as he looked over her running form. Her womanly parts had developed more over the long two years. She wore a yellow top that went down just level with her hips and hugged her body like a corsette. Over her arms, she had black seelves that went over her arms and stayed connected by a button that went over her collarbone. Her face was smooth and young, making it easy to tell that she was probably a teen among Viera. The shoulder length hair also made her look younger as well.
He hadn't released his hug from Sytk when Mjrn, now just shorter than him by an inch, barreled into him. The two species had now switched roles as Mjrn pressed firm against his body in a tight hug. "Nematus, it's so good to see you! How've you been? What kinds of places have you seen? Oh, you've got to tell us!" She finally slowed down and instead, opted to just rest her head against his chest. They both started blushing a little, but neither moved despite some playful accusations that were being made. "I'm glad you're okay," she said with a much more softer tone.
"It's great to see you too. You've grown shorter," he said, causing a few Viera to laugh and Mjrn to playfully shove him back.
"No, you've just gotten big!" she shot back. "You don't look like the little boy we first met anymore." Now that she finally looked him over, she saw that he really has grown. He put on some more muscle and about four or five inches. His body was also sprinkled with scars, mostly small while a few were noticeable. Still, none were as noticeable as the three scars he got on his head from a hellhound while training. The hair refused to grow there, so there were three bald lines running through his otherwise full head of hair for a couple of inches before they moved down over his left ear. Her blush darkened slightly as his amber eyes gave her the same kind of attention.
"Is that our little Nematus, the Garif hume who tried to be Viera?" a woman joked as she made her way through the crowd. It was none other than Jote, flanked by two other beautiful women as well. "You have grown much in two years, Child." He only rewarded her teasing with a smile.
"It's good to see you too, big Sister," he said. He only said that because he couldn't think of anything else to call her. She raised a brow at the title.
"Since when have I been your sister?" Much like she figured, he shrugged his shoulders with no real answer available. She came up to him and gave him a light hug. She was still about a couple of inches taller than him. 'Dang'it' he thought. "I will accept the offer, but..you've turned into a handsome young man. I might not like being your sister."
Several Viera were shocked to hear one of their elders say that, much worse, it was to a hume! She got the reaction she was wanting when she saw his face start changing to a dark red. "Wha-wha-what?" he stuttered. To the side, Mjrn's eyes were wide as she believed her sister was serious as well. Their astonishment was put to rest when she started laughing at his expense.
"I'm sorry...Big sisters often tease their younger brothers, do they not?" She saw everyone relax more. Normally, the elders were to uphold a sense of properness among the other Viera. It was a simple, but annoying, custom that Jote was often obligated to adhere to. But, she hadn't seen Nematus in over two years, so she decided to bend the rules abit.
"Come, we can all talk some more soon. We're about to have lunch. Have you eaten yet?" He shook his head. Just thinking about how he'd missed breakfast this morning and haven't had lunch caused a loud moan to escape his stomach. It caught the ears of just about every living creature in the forest as all attention was on him. The noise lasted for about ten seconds before finally subsiding.
"No.." he said sheepishly. "I missed breakfast this morning. I would love something to eat." Much to his embarrassment, most of the women there started giggling and whispering about him. "Not again with the whispering. I can hear most of you," he said, which only made them giggle more. 'ugh, man, why do women have to be so secretive and sometimes annoying. Mjrn took his hand and started dragging him across the courtyard to keep up with Jote and Sytk.
"Come on! You can sit by me and Jote tonight," she stated. For some reason, he felt like he didn't have a choice in the matter. He allowed his dignity to take a blow and let Mjrn lead the way to where their tree home was. Sytk came as well, since her tree home was just below Jote and Mjrn's.
"You've gotten many scars," Sytk brought up. "You've fought many monsters?"
Nematus nodded. "Yes. I could my first monster in a place very far away from here. We had to travel by an airship for twelve hours to reach a place called Balfonheim. It was a large town that sat by the ocean."
Mjrn's eyes lit up as she imagined what it must've looked like. "I had took plenty of time to try to comprehend all of these new sights and smells. The air itself was salty because of the sea and was always a soft breeze. The town was filled with the smell of laborers' sweat and fish cooking. The town consisted mainly of humes and bangaas whose life revolved around sailing the seas. Hah, it's funny. Everywhere I went, I got stares and questions about why I wore my mask. So many people asked me to show them my face, but I told them 'no'."
Sytk threw him a playful look. "So, we're the only ones who have ever seen your face? You must have a liking of Viera women." Nematus' feet suddenly stopped, but since he was being pulled, he fell forward onto his face. Mjrn was already trying to pull him up when the other two turned around to see what had happened.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Nematus," she apologized repeatedly.
"No, it's okay," he assured. "I just wasn't expecting Sytk to start messing with me as well." Mjrn shot her a mean frown, but the larger woman shrugged and acted innocent. "Well, truth is..there was one person I showed my face too." He now had all three of them's full attention. They were aware that he never took off his mask unless to show them, so what was so special about this person?
"Jote. Mjrn. On top of the airship I was riding on when I first went to Balfonheim...I met Fran."
All three of them looked at him like he'd done slapped their butts or something. Jote's face was set in stone. Sytk's looked deep in concentration. Mjrn...her look affected him the most. "You mean...our Fran?"
"Mjrn..Fran left the Wood. She is no longer our sister," Jote replied. Since it was just them four, with Sytk being a close friend of Jote, her voice sounded half-hearted at the least. Her face looked strained as she tried to fight emotions that anyone rarely saw. It hurt her too much to say that about Fran. She and Mjrn had been devastated when Fran up and left them all. They had feelings ranging from betrayal to anger and sadness.
"You say that..but you don't believe it," Mjrn responded. Nematus knew he was standing on top of a volcano of emotions that was ready to erupt.
"I'm sorry I brought it up," he said. It didn't seem to make the mood any less tense. "If it makes you feel better..she was very happy to hear that you all were okay. She has been wanting to know how you were doing, but knew that she couldn't go back after what she put you through. She told me herself."
If anything, the emotion within the air itself seemed to build up. Scared, knowing that he was in No Man's Land between a bunch of emotional women and their unreachable sister who was the cause of their distress, he immediately wanted to high-tail it out of there. But..he looked over a Mjrn to see her sniffling, and Sytk, whose rough exterior was replaced by a vulnerable woman, and finally Jote, who had her eyes shut tight and hands clenched into fists, he couldn't bring himself to do that.
He went over to Mjrn and was going to try to comfort her first, but she turned and burried her face into his chest and started softly sobbing. The sound of her crying broke his heart, bringing out the sensitive, protective side of him. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. Look what I've done. I've made you cry. I'm a fool, aren't I? he asked.
Instead of taking her frustration out on him like he thought, Mjrn gripped him tighter. He slightly hissed as her fingernails began digging into his back muscles. 'I should've worn my dragon mail.' But, the pain caused by her nails were nothing to how hot the tears on his chest burned. Sytk had yet to move, but Jote seemed to finally have evened out. She let out a shaky breath and walked up to him. Even with her sister crying on his chest, she pulled him into a brief and soft hug.
"Thank you," she said into his ears. She pulled back watched from the side as Nematus tried to comfort her youngest sister. It warmed her heart that he was being so kind to her...to them. She's sure he'd have done the same for the rest of them, but Mjrn just wouldn't let go. "Let's continue. Our home is right up this walkway," she gestured towards said walkway that led to a large tree about thirty yards away.
Mjrn gave a few sniffs before trying to dry up her tears. Nematus instinctively used his hands to wipe them away, much to her appreciation. "Thank you. I'm fine now." After making sure that Sytk was alright as well, much to her gratitude, Nematus followed Jote to her home. Once inside, they helped relieve him of his package. To his enjoyment, they all started smiling a little bit more when he told them that he had gifts for them.
To make it more fun, he told them to turn around because he wanted to surprise them. They rolled their eyes and complied. He took out the first gift and told Sytk to turn around. When she did, Nematus was holding out a beautifully crafted bow for her. "It's called a Perseus bow. There are only two other types of bows in the world that are better than it, I think. I knew in your hands, none would match it."
She took it gratefully and surprised him with a peck of her lips on his forehead. She giggled at his reddening face. The other two had turned around to see her gift and agreed that it was a lovely and finely-crafted bow. "Thank you, Nematus. I'll be sure to take excellent care of it."
"I believe you, Sytk. Alright, you two, stay turned around," he ordered. Jote wanted to chatise him for ordering a Vieran elder, but she wanted to be surprised by her gift even more. Next, he pulled out Jote's gifts. "Okay, turn around Jote."
When she did, she first saw him holding a small scroll or something. "This is the incantation for a powerful spell called Flare. It's very strong, I know. All you have to do is read it and your brain will memorize it. I'm sure you'll find a pretty good use for it."
She happily accepted the gift, but was met with yet another one. It was an outfit. It resembled Mjrn's yellow corsette, but this one was pink and came up a little in the middle to expose some of her stomach while it came further down on the sides and back like a short dress. It was customly made for Viera, but.."How did-"
"I found a Viera who was a tailor. She knew you about fifty years ago. She said she wouldn't expect you to have grown anymore, saying you were at the peak of your growth, so she knew your size. I asked her to make something special and this is the result two weeks later. I hope it's alright."
She smiled and told him to turn around. "Why?" he asked, not knowing what she meant.
"Unless you want to see her naked while she tries it on, than go ahead. But I won't be able to protect you," Sytk said. His body froze for a split-second before immediately turning around.
"Right, sorry. I didn't know what you meant," he explained. The three women laughed, finding his reactions to be cute and funny. After about a minute of trying it on, he was allowed to turn back around. Jote stood with his gift fit perfectly over her caramel-skinned body like it was made for only her.
"Wow," he said, not caring how it sounded. Jote grinned at the compliment. "It's looks perfect," he said, albeit a little to softly to sound friendly. Her cheeks actually gained a dust of red. She wasn't use to being complimented like that. The only compliments she ever received were on decision making or her promotion to elder, but never as anyone complimented her looks.
"Thank you very much, Nematus. I love it," she said, and approached him. He could feel his heart beating in his chest as she kissed his forehead.
'Again with the kisses.' Ever since that first one Fran gave him, he had always wanted to experience it again, if just to suppress his want of it. It was still a new thing to him, but at this rate, he'd be use to it by the end of the week, or it'd become an addiction.
The only one left was Mjrn, and boy, did she look excited. She was starting to get a little impatient, but that was understandable; like a child waiting for a christmas present. "Alright, you know the routine," he said. She huffed and turned around. Taking out the last gift, he told her to turn around.
She did so and was met with two different gifts. One, or two for the matter, were daggers. "They're zwill crossblades, some of the best out there. I know how you like to go exploring on your own, so I wanted to give you the weapons best fit for you," he explained. She gladly took the blades, but was a little disappointed that most of his gifts consisted of weapons. When she saw the other gift though, she didn't know what to think. It was a necklace laced with bones.
"I know it may not be your style exactly, but my mother gave this to me the day I left. For two years, I cherished this and Jote's necklace with all my heart. It was the best reminder I had of you all. I want you to have it." When he finished explaining, she was speechless.
"Why..why would you give me something so important to you?" she asked. He wanted to shrug, but that would imply that he really didn't know, but he did. He cared for her, like he did for the rest of his friends.
"Well, after I go again, I don't know how long I'll be gone. I might even die on a hunt. That's the reality that I live in now. It's just something for you to remember me by if you ever feel sad. Besides, I'm sure you'll be able to take better care of it than I can," he added. He stepped forward and offered to put it on for her. She leaned forward, bringing her head closer to his.
There was probably just a few inches between their faces. While his was focused on putting the necklace around her neck, hers was focused on his. She noticed how close their faces were and the thought was giving her small butterflies in her stomach, as well as a little burning feeling in her cheeks. She squirmed a little bit in her spot as the feeling was a little uncomfortable. "Just a little bit more...got it!" he finished.
Despite feeling a little discomfort, she didn't want him to scoot away. Jote and Sytk saw how she was acting when Nematus was so close. They knew that feeling. They'd both felt it before in their past. Viera women have four times the life-span as humes, so it takes them about thirty years to get to that stage in their life when they start experiencing feelings for the opposite sex.
Mjrn was forty-two years old, so she has long since known about the changes her body was going through as it matured into that of a woman's. If she were a hume, they figure she'd be about the same age as Nematus. They were absolutely sure he has been experiencing these feelings as well, though with his background, he probably had no real clue as to what was happening to him either.
Sytk and Jote looked at each other and smiled. Through their smiles, they were having their own conversation. "I think they would make a cute pair," Jote said.
Sytk made a small frown. "But in a couple of years, he could be old enough for me." Jote rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. She knew the larger woman was just joking.
"He'd be scared of you. You could crush him like a twig. Besides, I wouldn't allow it," she responded with a raised brow. Sytk gave a small huff.
"Hmph..ruin my fun." The two's laughter was a mystery to Mjrn and Nematus. They were oblivious that they were the center of their conversation.
They spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on what the other's missed while eating some type of vegetable soup that had been setting on the fire in the home for a couple of hours. Nematus has told them all about his hunts, about his clan members, about the deaths of four of them just recently, than about how Cifer showed him the petition for the Catoblepas, which brought him to where he is now.
They shared with him their daily routines, mainly about the increase of intruders into the wood and how a few bands of criminals tried breaking through their barriers, but were put down immediately. Nematus didn't show any care about the trespassors' ill fates, being that he cared more for his Viera friends' well-beings.
When they had finished their soup, Nematus and Sytk both having like three helpings, being that he was just hungry and she was a large, muscled woman. Jote told them no more when Mjrn was seconds from convincing them into an eating contest. After collecting the dirty bowls, Nematus offered to clean them as thanks for the meal. Jote decided to have some fun and asked Mjrn to help him, unaffected by the pouting stare her friend was giving her. She was alright with it and went to show her friend where they wash their dishes at.
While helping him, the two talked some more, mainly to get to know each other better. Nematus wasn't expecting Mjrn to want to go see the outside world too. Fortunately, he was able to convince her to stay, reminding her of how emotional Jote and Sytk were when he mentioned Fran. He promised that he wouldn't let any of them cry anymore. To appease her some, he also promised that he'd come by more often and share with her tales of his travels. She made him pinky-promise, to which he happily accepted.
When they had finished, he noticed that the time has past faster than he expected since the sky was turning red, which meant the sun was setting. With some convincing on Mjrn's part, which wasn't that much, Jote allowed him to stay for the night, but he insisted on leaving. He didn't want to worry his family back on the Plains and would just use the teleport stone by the village entrance. That crystal is rarely used, save for some certain occassions. As far as he knew, only a few Viera have access to use it, so nobody save for Viera could teleport from anywhere outside into the village.
Jote relented and gave him a teleport crystal, as well as his mask. He thanked her for the hospitality she'd shown him and promised to not wait so long to come back to visit. She said she'd hold him to that. She and Sytk said goodbye from their homes while Mjrn escorted him to the stone.
"I'm really glad you kept your promise, Nematus," she said, breaking the silence that had been between them since they left. He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Of course I would, Mjrn. You all mean alot to me. You're my family here." She blushed a little and wanted to say something, but they were at the gate already. "Well, you take care of yourself, Mjrn. Remember our deal?"
She remembered. "Yeah, I do. But, before you go-" she wanted these butterflies to go away. She was also worried about him, since he was going to go fight a powerful monster tomorrow. He could probably die. If he did, then she wanted him to know that she liked him. "I just wanted to say..." He looked at her with some concern. She looked like she was straining from some sort of pressure or something.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I just wanted to say...that I really like you." There. She said it. Unfortunately, he misunderstood.
"Yeah, I really like you too, Mjrn. You've known that," he said. She wanted to just face-palm herself, but then she got a better idea.
"That's not what I meant, Stupid." She removed almost all the space between them and planted her lips against his. She held it there for about five long seconds before stepping backwards, a blush darkening her entire face. Over at Nematus, his heart had stopped when their lips first made contact and he found his eyes closing on their own. To say he was upset when she pulled away was probably the understatement of the year. He'd been longing for another kiss like the first one he had with Fran. His maturing body had caused him to obsess over it. Now that the Gods had given him another one, it only fueled his wanting.
He came out of his daze to see her looking just as embarrassed from her action. "Oh..you mean that 'like'," he muttered. She was more nervous than he thought though. Her heart was beating really fast from the crazy move she'd just pulled, but she was afraid that he wasn't going to return her feelings. Nematus was pushing his brain to the limit to figure out the proper response.
'Okay, she's probably wanting to see if I like her. What do I say? Do I like her like that?' He thought back to their old times together: how she'd help Jote teach him about the Viera and the Wood, improving his speed and endurance by playing tag with her (she was faster than her innocent, helpless damsel personality let on), and just hanging out with him whenever he came through after training. Then he thought back to today: the way his heart fluttered at the sight of her, how she found comfort in his embrace and how he wanted to protect her, as well as his promise to never make her cry again. It came to him so easily after that.
"I really like you too, Mjrn," he finally said. He closed the distance between them as her head had popped up at his declaration. He brought her into a soft hug that was meant more for comfort than hugging. Nematus held her small frame like the most fragile piece of jewelry in existance as she rested her face into the crook of his neck. Facing down, he planted a kiss onto her forehead, ignoring the bunch of white hair that got in his mouth or tickled his nose. She hugged him even tighter and he reciprocated the gesture. After standing there for several minutes, alone in each other's embrace, they finally parted with one more kiss.
Having nothing more to say, he brought his teleport crystal up to the stone and flashed out of her sight. She thought she was going to be sad when he left, but instead, she found that she hasn't been this happy since before Fran left. She clutched onto the necklace he gave her and walked back to her tree home, replaying that last kiss in her head over and over again.
When he arrived outside of the village, he made sure to let the others know he was home. As he was walking, he noticed just how much time had actually went by. He could see the sun about two thumbs' width over the horizon, so he had about two more hours of sunlight left. He'd spent five hours with the Viera, though it felt like a fifth of that. He found his mother and father eating supper. He was still full from his vegetable soup earlier, so he decided to head off to bed. They had already fixed his old mat up, so he plopped down and shut his eyes. Not even ten seconds later was he passed out.
The next morning, several of the Garif had gotten up early to wish Supinelu, Nematus, and Cifer goodhunting. Johan and his mother hugged their family and saw them off. The mood along the way was pretty quiet, save for some of the tips Supinelu was giving Cifer about the monsters there. The man was all ears as they reached the caverns and began their descent into the underground monster capital of the world.
Immediately, they came under attack by giant toads known as 'speartongues', and blobs of slime called 'slime.' They were disposed of rather easily, though one managed to scratch Nematus' dragon mail. A scratch was all it was, though. As they ventured deeper, they came upon other monsters: Gorgimeras, mallicants, and scythe mantises. All opposed the trio, but all fell at their blades. If Supinelu had reached the Catoblepas by himself, then it was common sense that the three of them together would prove too strong for all of the lesser monsters of this cavern.
As they fought their way deeper, they maneuvered through sand drifts to come into an area that was on the other side of a cavern room that they already went through. Being as quiet as they could, they found the large, green behemoth tromping along the path that ran alongside the wall.
Cifer and Nematus immediately began buffing the party with protect, haste, and bravery, the latter contributed by Cifer himself. As promised, he stayed back as the two Garifs marched forward. They both gave out their own war cries, gaining its attention. It roared back as well, and charged.
Nematus has been waiting for this. This monster has caused his family and tribe so much grief. It would die. His blade will end its life today! With adrenaline and rage fueling his body, he jumped over the swing of the Catoblepas' massive sword and swung his Ragnarok at its chest. The blade traveled along the length of its chest, digging through the muscle about six inches deep. It bellowed in pain and anger and smashed the ground in response, sending a massive shockwave through the cave system. The move knocked everyone off their feet.
Trying to capitalize on its advantage, the behemoth lifted its tail over Nematus and attempted to flatten him with it. Luckily, the blow only upsetted his balance. He saw the attack coming and rolled out of the way. The Catoblepas tried to crush him again, but Nematus lifted his sword as the tail came down. A massive roar shook the cave walls as the blade went through its tail all the way to the hilt. The boy tried to pull it back out, but it swung its tail around, ripping the handle from his grip.
"Crap! Father, I've got to get my sword!" The War-Chief nodded. He ran up to the beast, despite its rampaging swings.
"Ice Break!" He punched the ground and a spike of ice shot up from the sands, piercing the inside of the monster's left leg. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to force it to a knee to try to free itself. Taking the opportunity, he grabbed hold of its tail to steady it. "Now, Son!"
Nematus didn't hesitate to grab hold of the handle of his Ragnarok and rip it clean from the tail. The removal of the blade only caused the beast further pain. Feeling that he was about halfway through with his bravery buff, Nematus jumped upwards and stabbed the Catoblepas in the shoulder and down into its chest. With a monstrous jerk, he ripped the sword out of the back, delighting in the sound of several ribs breaking.
As it clawed viciously at nothing, hoping to somehow grab hold of the pain and kill, it didn't notice Supinelu rushing forth. He reared his right fist back and brought it slamming into the mid-section. He followed it up with a left, than a right, than another left. He started wailing on the beast's abdominals, each fist making a shockwave against its body and an echoing sound through the air.
Finally noticing the pain from the blows, the giant swung its fist sideways, backhanding Nematus' father clear across the path. He stopped a couple of yards later after something tried to catch him. He looked back to see Cifer with a concerned look, but the War-Chief waved him off. He looked back at the fight to witness the beast, having picked up his sword, swing downwards at his son. Amazing, Nematus was able to stave off the deathblow with his sword one-handedly. He spun underneath the blade, letting it fall to the ground, and spun upwards with the swing, cutting clean through about a foot of the Catoblepas' midsection.
Blood soaked the ground, but the monster showed no sign of weakening. 'Incredible,' Supinelu thought. 'This is the most damaged we've ever done to it, yet it still fights like a demon possessed.' Fearing for his son more now, Supinelu got back to his feet and charged back into the fray. This time, he took with him the Save The Queen that he had laid aside till it was needed. He ran behind the green giant and slashed across the back of its right knee, bringing it to its knees again.
With a powerful swipe of its tail, the chief was knocked back again, but not nearly as far. Nematus took the opening his father made him and performed an upper-cut slash. Seconds later, a red line pussed from the beast, going from its sternum to its jaw, but avoiding its throat. Blood spurted out like a fountain, but still the damn thing got back up. Taking the boy by surprise that it could even live through a wound like that, it swung its blade from left to right. He brought his blade up to block it, but the force sent him flying into the rock wall. With the air knocked out of him, he fell to his knees wheezing horribly.
The Catoblepas approached, drenched in blood like some kind of hellish demon, its red eyes glowing like a fire in the night. As it raised its blade up, Nematus tried but couln't bring himself to roll out of the way. This was it.
Before the blade could even come down, Supinelu jumped onto the Catoblepas' back at the last second, roaring like a maniac. He pulled back on one of its large, black horns that lined up from its back to the back of the head, forcing it to look up at the Garif War-Chief. Roaring, he held its head back with one hand while pounding away on its face with the other. Blow after blow came crashing down with tremendous, adrenaline-filled, bravery-buffed, pissed off, protective father, vengeance seeking malice.
The beast went berserk as it tried to get its new threat off of its face. It dropped its blade and tried to pull the Garif off, but the man's single-handed grip was like iron and he held fast. Nematus watched in awe as his father displayed super-human strength and bravery so crazy, it could be called insanity. He found it inspiring, as well as revitalizing. With a roar, he climbed back to his feet. "Father, I need a bravery and a berserk!"
The monster ran towards the wall, opting to just smash the little man instead. At the last moment, Supinelu jumped off, causing the Catoblepas to smash its face into the rock wall. It gave another yell as it covered its face with its hands, hoping to somehow ease to pain. Supinelu wasted no time in casting bravery on his son, quickly followed by berserk. The now rebuffed, enraged Nematus stood with his Ragnarok gripped with both hands.
He charged the behemoth who was too busy caring for its face to notice to imminent danger. With a vicious slash across its chest, Nematus severely injured the monster. Not satisfied with its screams, he swung again, and again, and again. Blow after blow made new, larger wounds on the monster's body. Seeing something better, Nematus dropped his greatsword and picked up the behemoth's massive sword with but a single hand. The blade itself was bigger then his entire body.
"NOW DIE!" he yelled.
He spun around and swung across the Catoblepas' midsection, completely bisecting it. With a low cry, its upper half fell forward with a massive thud. With a triumphant roar, he raised the beast's large blade into the air. His father and Cifer both made their way to him, but for some reason started running. Before he even turned around, he saw the shadow of the upper half of Catoblepas raised on a single arm while the other was held mid-air, ready to attack. With an even hotter rage inside him, he spun around and sliced the monster's head and raised arm clean off.
The limbs and head dropped to the ground, no longer alive. Now that the spells wore off and the adrenaline stopped flowing, he felt dizzy. He had no idea that when he had been smashed into the wall, a piece of broken rock was protruding from it. Upon impact, it had broken several of his ribs and caused much internal bleeding. He was bleeding to death in his own body, yet he had continued fighting to eventually kill the Catoblepas. Feeling the effects now, he fell to his knees. The last thing he felt was his face hitting the sandy floor before he blacked out.
A/N: That's the fourth chapter. I hope everyone liked it. How's that for charater development, Sweety Death? :P I know someone's gonna think Jote, Sytk, and Mjrn were probably OOC, but I say they weren't. Nematus isn't some random hume to them, he's their friend. A friendship that took 1.5yrs to make, so :P Anyway, why did I let Mjrn and Nematus kiss? I don't know, I guess I kinda felt bad for her. I mean, in the game, she's in there only like twice and not much else is known except what you can find in the wiki. Besides, I think they make a nice pair.
Anyway, please tell me your thoughts. We will pick up right where we left off next chapter, so expect an update by Friday or sooner.