Chapter 2 is here, 'cause I couldn't wait any longer!
That being said, I have decided to post every Tuesday I can, meaning probably every week from now as long as things go my way. Not many people reviewed last chapter, but I'm happy for the feedback nonetheless.
Hope y'all like this week's chapter and remember, reviews are always appreciated. Peace.
Chapter 2
Lost Puppies And Coming Storms
"I will admit, I have a soft spot for small children" - Salazar Stone
(Melromarc Capital Streets - Mid-Day)
'This is definitely pre-Golden Age.' Spector commented as they walked through the city streets.
Salazar just gave a small nod to the voice in his head. The new world around them was ancient in terms of technology. Every building looked similar to the castle he had found his sword in back on Earth, stone bricks or cobblestones with wooden supports and the like. No metal and/or concrete in sight.
As the old wolf passed through a small market, he realized that that meant two things. For one, Spector would have a hard time here. There were no locks or firewalls to hack, no databases to comb through, no cameras to spoof. They had only received one signal, one from the church in the city.
He had visited the church not too long ago. As it turned out, they had something called the 'Dragon Hourglass' inside of it. It was a device that let them predict when a Wave was about to hit the country, a very useful thing to have. Even more useful, he was able to link his weapon to it to get his own timer, one that told him he had just over a month to get ready for the next Wave. Spector was actively working on a way to do that herself, from a range even.
The nuns there also gave him some sand from the hourglass. Apparently, absorbing things into his sword's gem let him gain new swords, getting him a sword that allowed him to teleport anywhere he's been before.
Additionally, scanning the hourglass itself as soon as they were alone allowed Spector to learn how to do some of the things it could. Namely something called class-ups, but that was a work in progress just as the timer thing was.
The second thing Salazar realized from the world around them was a happier thought than a handicapped Ghost. Basically, with his Hunter training, he'd be virtually undetectable if he wanted to be. He just needed to learn how to get past any magic people might have had.
Speaking of magic.
"Um, Sir Hero?" A female voice behind the old wolf prompted, getting the Guardian to turn around with an eyebrow raised. No one his party could see it though, as he had yet to remove his helmet.
"Yes Rosa? And just call me Sal kiddo."
Rosa, one of his party members, was a short girl with young blue eyes and long black hair she kept in a ponytail. She was outfitted in a simple set of brown leather armor, save for the steel boots and chestpiece, that of which covered her small bust. At her waist was a simple steel shortsword, shiny and fitted to her size. It was all gear he would replace if she remained in his party, and she would be the first considering the others that had chosen him weren't there.
Salazar had told them all that he wouldn't be fighting for a few days, still recovering, and that they should go train on their own until then. Rosa, however, decided to stay and help him.
"Why are we stopping at a magic shop?" The woman asked, getting a grin from the Hunter as he looked back at the shop. It was a small thing, but it's strange shape and colors made it stand out. It was a bit wacky, and Salazar could respect that.
"Why, we're going to learn magic of course." The Guardian told her with a whimsical tone. "If I'm going to be recovering, I'm not just going to sit down and take it. I'll be doing everything I can to learn for now."
'Plus, this will give us a starting point.' Spector added through their link. 'If what people say is true and you can get your affinities checked here, then they'll probably use magic to do it.'
'In which case you'll get a feel or signal for the magic to work with, correct?' Salazar asked through their link, getting an unseen nod.
'Hopefully, I can do something with that.'
"You want to get your affinities checked then I assume Sir Hero?" Rosa asked curiously with a tilt of her head.
"It's Sal, and yeah, pretty much." He corrected before shrugging and going for the door. Before he could though, Rosa jumped in front of him and opened the door for him.
The Hunter gave her a weird look before walking through the door, taking in everything around him. There was no one at the counter, but he could hear somebody scampering in the backroom. The walls were lined with books and tomes, crystal balls and other gemstones. The counter itself had a crystal ball on a pedestal on it, along with several stacks of books and small boxes.
After a moment, a short, pudgey woman walked out from the backroom, greeting them with a smile. She had a typical black witch's hat on her head and a set of purple robes around her person. All in all, she seemed like someone Salazar might get along with.
"Sir Hero!" The witch started as she stopped at her counter, startled. "I didn't expect to see one of you here so soon."
"Word travel fast around here or something?" The Guardian asked rhetorically with a chuckle. "We just got here yesterday."
"Oh, you'd be surprised." She said with her own little laugh. "Now then, what can I do for you Sir Hero."
"The Sword Hero wanted to get his affinities checked." Rosa answered from beside the Hunter for the Hunter before he could try. Salazar just gave her an odd look again.
'I can't tell if she's just rude, or really eager.' Spector mumbled in thought, getting an internal nod from the old wolf.
"It's just Salazar, and if I could please." The Hunter corrected with a polite nod. "I'm very intrigued about the whole topic of magic currently. I'd like to get a start on it if possible."
"Of course Salazar, step in front of the crystal ball here." The witch nodded while she gestured to the ball of the counter. Nodding once more, Salazar stepped to the side to stand in front of the ball.
As he did, the witch put her hands over tha crystal and closed her eyes. There was no visible difference, but that didn't mean there wasn't one at all.
'Got a trace of energy here.' Spector spoke up from inside his head. 'She's scanning you, but it doesn't seem to be harmful. I can work with the readings I've got here.'
'Do as much as you can with it.' The old wolf told her. 'I want the upperhand in combat against this if it comes to it.'
"Why, that's awfully strange." The witch started with a confused expression, stopping her scan and getting the Hunter's attention. "It says here that you have two affinities. One is Holy magic, a very rare one indeed. The other one however…"
"Is it something bad?" Rosa asked from the side. The witch shook her head at that.
"I don't know." She told them with a shrug. "It's a reading I've never gotten before. My crystal ball marks it as Will magic though."
Salazar nodded in understanding while Rosa just looked confused. She probably meant his control over Taken powers. The black and white flames that coursed through his armor warmed at the thought.
"I'll be happy to experiment with that thought in mind." Salazar told the witch with a grin.
"Be sure to tell me if you find anything out about this 'Will' magic then." She returned with a smile of her own. "I can sell you a tome to help you with your Holy magic though, with a discount of course."
At that, the old wolf just held up his hand in dismissal.
"I like learning things on my own, but thanks for the offer." He told her, getting a surprised look from Rosa and an understanding one from the which. "Do you happen to know a good blacksmith though?" He then asked. "That's another place I want to visit before I map out the city."
"Erhard's is just a few blocks down north and offers good quality." The witch told him with a smile. "And he's also a sweetheart that man. He'll be who you're looking for."
Tipping his head in thanks, Salazar turned to leave the shop. Rosa, for whatever reason, opened the door for him again as he did. The Hunter then followed the woman's instructions and started heading north. Rosa slid up close next to him.
"Do you know what Will magic is, Sir Hero?" The swordswoman asked after a moment, getting Salazar to shrug.
"I have an idea." He said. "It's something I used to do in my old world, but I need to be in a fight to test it. And it's Sal."
"We could spar once you're better." Rosa offered with a smile before looking nervous. "And are you sure it's alright for me to call you by such a casual name?"
"Of course it's okay." The old wolf assured her. "But, uh, I meant a monster. It's not safe to use against a human."
Rosa nodded at that, smiling just a bit more.
"Why are we going to the blacksmith's by the way." Rosa then asked, curious once more. "I mean, your gear looks pretty strong already Sal."
"Yet yours doesn't." The Hunter told her, looking over to her slightly. "No offense, but we have certain standards where I come from. Simply leather and steel ain't going to cut it, so, until I can make y'all sets myself, I'm buying all of you upgrades."
"You would make us armor just like yours?"
"Well, I want you all to stay alive don't I?" Salazar answered with a shrug.
At that, Rosa's face flushed slightly and she seemed to move closer to the old wolf until they were almost touching. On top of that, the Hunter was starting to notice how the shorter girl was easily keeping up with his pace. The pain reducing his speed helped, but it was still strange.
A strange thing indeed.
Shortly enough, they made it to the blacksmith's. Rosa had to point that out though, since Salazar couldn't read the text on the signs above the doors. The second he had a second to sit down, that would probably be the first thing he solved, with Spector of course. His Ghost also couldn't read the text, adding more frustration on her part towards her lack of abilities here.
Stepping inside as Rosa held the door open once again, Salazar smiled at the familiar sight of Naofumi of all people. He was in a set of what seemed to be cheap chainmail while his lone party member was off to the side, digging through a box of gear. The Shield Hero was also actively talking with the man behind the counter until they entered, both of them turning to face him.
The man behind the counter was as tall as a Titan was in the Last City and he was just as burly. He had no hair to speak of and a pair of chocolate brown eyes that complimented his tanned skin, no doubt tanned by the forge he used. He was wearing a simple blacksmith's uniform, the thick gloves and leather apron to boot. The man smiled as he saw who entered, and so did Naofumi.
"Hey Sal," Naofumi was the first to greet him, his tone jovial and his smile friendly. "What are you doing here?"
"Why, I'm looking for a blacksmith, my dear shield." The old wolf simply stated before he looked around in an animated fashion. "Although, it seems that I've walked through the wrong door."
"You better be kidding man, cause I'd kick you out if you weren't." The blacksmith said with a semi-serious tone. He then smiled and put his hands on his hips. "The name's Erhard. You won't find better stuff anywhere else, especially when I happen to be serving not one, but two heroes apparently."
"Well then, I'll bookmark your shop if you're so sure pal. Name's Salazar, but you can just call me Sal. Just browsing today." Salazar said with a grin and a nod. He could already tell he was going to like this guy.
"I thought we were getting an upgrade for me today." Rosa spoke up, coming up beside Salazar. The Hunter shook his head at that.
"I said that I'd get yours first, but I also want to test your combat prowess beforehand." He explained, getting nods from the other guys that were listening in. "It'll help me narrow down exactly what you'll need."
"Not a bad idea." Erhard agreed with crossed arms and a grin. "And I'm assuming you won't be upgrading yourself either? I mean, I don't even want to mess with the sick look you're rocking anyway."
Salazar nodded in response.
"Right on the money Er." The old wolf said with a nod. "I mainly came here to see what you had. Do you sell raw material by any chance? Stuff I could use to forge my own stuff?" He then asked, getting surprised looks from both of the other men.
"Yeah, I do actually." The blacksmith answered before putting his hands on his hips. "Are you experienced with forging though?"
"Of course. I made this armor after all." The Guardian answered truthfully, motioning to his gear. Naofumi perked up at that.
"Wait, you made that!?" He started with a stunned tone. "Can you make a set for me?"
"Maybe if you ask nicely and eat all of your vegetables." Salazar couldn't help but comment in return, getting a laugh from Erhard and a giggle from Rosa. Naofumi just grumbled something under his breath, though he was still smiling.
That's when Myne chose to make her entrance, setting a pile of armor and a lone sword on to the counter with a loud 'thump'. The attention turned towards her, and she smiled innocently at them all. Looking at the pile, Naofumi looked a bit surprised. That shifted into nervousness as he turned to Erhard once more.
"That 60% off still on the table?"
The blacksmith laughed lightly as he nodded. "That'll be 400 silvers kid."
(Melromarc Capital Streets - Later)
Salazar gave an internal sigh as he left Erhrad's and began walking down the street again, for more than just the fact that Rosa had held the door open again.
'The kid's to calm.' The old wolf thought to himself. 'We're in another world and he doesn't seem to be all that worried.'
'I suspect the other heroes are acting the same way.' Spector commented in response. 'They were talking about how they though this was a game.'
'They better grow up pretty fast, or they're going to get they're asses handed to them on a silver platter.'
"Hey Sal?"
Rosa's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Turning to her, the old wolf simply tilted his head to the side.
"What are we doing now?" She asked, seeing his prompt. "Before we finish up and go to the inn that is."
Salazar hummed and looked around the street. The sun was still up, but they had only about an hour or two to explore before it got dark. There were also plenty of people on the streets, going about their normal day. A lot of them stopped and stared though, their target of interest being him.
He didn't like stares all that much. He could handle them just fine, but they made him feel exposed, out in the open. He nodded at that, getting an idea.
"Before it gets dark, I want to start making a mental map of the city's more out of the way places." The Hunter told her after a moment of consideration. "Back alleys and things like it. More of a force of habit from home than anything I might use, as long as the city stays passive that is."
'And I want you to map it Spector.' The Guardian told his Ghost.
'I'll add it to the map I've already been forming.' Spector replied with a mental nod. 'Are you sure we'll need it in a place like this though? It seems pretty docile here.'
'Again, force of habit. It'll calm my nerves at the very least.'
Rosa seemed to think about it for a second before she nodded in understanding, a smile forming on her face. Taking that as a sign of confirmation, the Hunter made his way into the first dark alley he saw.
It wasn't even an alley by the look of it. It was more like one of those streets that nobody wanted to go down. Dark, wet, lifeless. The walkway was far narrower, about half the size of the more well traveled ones.
Rosa followed behind Salazar without much to say, following him as he made many seemingly random turns every time there was a choice to. It was weird to watch, Rosa decided, as he tapped his foot against the ground at every corner and waited before continuing.
She pondered that it might have been some way he was used to remembering things. A very strange one at that, but who was she to question the methods of one of the heroes?
Unbeknownst to Salazar, Rosa took a quick glance around to see if there was anyone around. When there wasn't, she seemed to smile, sneaking her way close to the Hunter's side as he walked.
Unlike what those actions may have presented to, she did not have any ill intent.
"Sir Hero?" The woman prompted, getting him to glance her way through his helmet.
"It's Sal kiddo, and is something wrong?" The Hunter replied as he turned back to face the front. He stopped and tapped his boot against the ground, listening with his lupine ears before deciding to go right. Rosa shook her head.
"No, it's just…" Rosa started with a slight blush, stopping briefly to get closer to the old wolf's side. "Do you believe in love at first sight Sal?"
The Hunter stopped dead in his tracks, picking up the meaning immediately. Instead of reacting though, he simply tapped his boot again and turned to the left.
"That depends." Salazar answered with a shrugging motion. "Why do you wish to know?"
"W-well…" The woman seemed to blush more before she gently grabbed his hand, making him slow to a stop as they approached another corner. "Ever since I saw you this morning Sal, you're all I can think about. I-I keep thinking about how I want to be yours."
'Oh boy.' Spector commented through their link, practically hearing the Hunter get ticked off.
"I'm afraid to be blunt Rosa, but I don't feel the same way." Was all he said before he attempted to continue his recon. He was stopped though as the woman kept a hold of his hand.
"Y-you don't have to love me back Sal." She insisted with a pleading expression, surprising the old wolf. "Y-you can just use me and I'd be happy"
"Acts of passion without love is a sin." Salazar spat out, his tone suddenly as sharp as his knives. "And I have my own love interest back home."
"She doesn't have to know." Rosa slid a hand down his chest as she said that. After the briefest of moments, the Hunter grabbed her hands and shoved her away, storming off down the dark, lonely streets in a fit of rage.
"W-wait! Sal!" The woman called out as she ran after him. The Guardian didn't bother to listen to her as he stewed.
'How dare she even suggest such a thing.' He thought with a bitter tone as he stomped down the dark street. 'I would never turn my back on her like that! She means far too much. I knew something was up with that girl the moment she started getting close. This damn pain has my thoughts clouded. I can't think strai-'
'Salazar!' Spector suddenly shouted from within his head, getting him to stop his rant. 'As much as I would love to agree with you and rant at the moment, look ahead of you!'
The Hunter tilted his head as he stopped walking, having just turned another corner. Then he saw it.
There was a young girl with lupine ears, a lupine tail, no more than ten years old, laying on the street. Her eyes were closed and her long black hair was a mess. What worried the Hunter more though was the startling fact that she was lying on a pool of slowly growing blood, crimson as the sky was blue.
Salazar immediately dropped all sense of anger and ran to the young girl's side, kneeling down next to her. He put his fingers to her neck and, to his major relief, there was still a heartbeat. He still had to find the source of the bleeding though, not that that was a challenge. Her clothes were already torn and raggedy, something only someone living on the street would wear. That, or…
'She was attacked.' The Hunter realized as he lifted the girl's tunic just enough to see a stab wound. 'Who would attack such a small child!?'
'You need to stitch her up, fast.' Spector told him as she materialized a needle and a spool of thin thread into his awaiting hands. He had already set to work as Rosa came running around the corner, still calling his name. She stopped at the end of the street when she saw him kneeling over the child.
"Rosa, go get a doctor!" Salazar ordered, not looking away from his work as he carefully stitched up the girl's stab wound. "This girl is going to need help once this wound is closed."
Rosa, instead of nodded and running to get help like the Hunter assumed would happen, merely stood there, looking stunned. She looked stunned, not at the little girl who was slowly bleeding out, but at him.
"Sal, why are you helping a Demi-Human?" She questioned, shock evident in her voice. The Guardian stopped briefly to register that. He quickly went back to work though, over halfway done.
"Do not tell me you just said that." He simply said as Rosa stepped closer.
"She's just a damn Demi Sal." The woman said with a tone of indifference as she stopped next to him. "Just leave her and please listen to me. I didn't mean what I said earli-"
Rosa was promptly cut off with a kick to the stomach, one that sent her flying back several feet. She hit the ground with a 'thud' and a shocked look. Meanwhile, Salazar just stared at her, obviously fuming as the blood disappeared from his hands, his stitching done.
It was obvious because steam seemed to be literally rising from his form, the black and white flames in his armor glowing ominously.
"And why shouldn't I help a 'Demi-Human'?" The Guardian asked in a tone so low it might as well have been a whisper, though Rosa heard it just fine. She shook like a leaf and tried to scoot herself back from her place on the ground, hoping to get away from the sudden wave of dread that had washed over her.
"Tell me!" Salazar demanded, forcing an answer from the woman, as she obviously wasn't going to give him one. The woman stopped and tears started to well up in her eyes.
"Demi-Humans are trash, the lowest scum there is." Rosa told him, a confidence in her voice and answer. "Everyone knows this. A hero like you shouldn't even have to see one of those filth."
Salazar growled dangerously as he stalked his way towards the downed woman.
"And does the rest of my 'party' share this notion?"
"I-I-"
"DO THEY!?" Salazar shouted at the woman, once again forcing a response.
"Yes!" Rosa admitted, cowering now as tears ran down her face. She didn't have the will to stand up against his tone. "Yes, Micheal and Daman think of Demi-Humans the same way. They're trash Salazar, can't you see that?"
"The day I let a child die because of a set of ears is the day I resign from my role as a protector." The Hunter growled out, stopping just over Rosa. "Now leave and never come back to join my party before I decide to end you where you cower."
"W-wha-"
"I said leave!" The old wolf repeated as he damn near exploded. "And tell the others they are no longer welcome with me as well."
Again too weak to refuse his demand, Rosa scrambled to her feet and ran away from him, the way she had come from. "She was crying the whole time, but Salazar didn't care.
'Sal, are you-' Spector tried to ask him only to be interrupted as the Hunter made his way back to the girl.
'Don't even start.' Was all he said, considering the matter over with. 'I don't think it'll be safe to take her to a doctor with what we just heard.' He then said through their link as he picked up the girl, carrying her carefully. 'We'll have to take care of her ourselves.'
Spector seemed to nod in his head before she materialized in the real world in a cloud of blue particles. Her pristine white shell was both simple and elegant, exactly what she prefered.
As soon as she appeared, the Ghost scanned the young girl, sending a thin blue laser at her. After a few moments of scanning, the Ghost disappeared back into the Guardian's head and said Guardian started to move back towards the main streets.
'Her wound is closed thanks to the stitches, so her bleeding has stopped for now, but she's terribly sick.' Spector told the Guardian as he quickly navigated the back streets. 'She's got a small infection in her wound along with traces on phenomena and a very high fever. She heavily malnurished too.'
'Just tell me what I'll need.'
(An Inn In Meromarc's Capital - Later)
Salazar let out a shaky sigh as he leaned back in his chair at the side of the bed.
Turns out, they had only one or two items that they needed with them. However, the Apothecary he visited had the rest. The man had looked worried when he brought in an unconscious child, but he didn't banter when he was told the situation.
Unlike many people on the street, he also didn't stare at the Demi-Human girl with a not-so-hidden hatred.
Smart man.
The old wolf glanced over at the young girl that was now laying on the lone bed in the room. He wouldn't be sleeping, so he didn't need one himself. She lacked a tunic, but she had nothing to cover, and she was covered in a set of bandages in that area anyway. He was able to clean out the infection and tone down her fever a bit, stabilizing her, but she wouldn't get better until she was awake and able to take medicine.
Resting his head in his hands, Salazar went over the day he had just experienced. It had started happy enough, but quickly went south once he started to scout his usual way. Now not only did he know that the entire city was full of racist idiots, his least favorite kind, but he also had a sick child on his hands.
Not that the last part was a bad thing. He was used to taking care of children. He had a daughter of his own after all. It gave him a bit of stability in a way actually.
The child's soft breathing gave the old wolf a sense of relief as he heard it. She was definitely stabilizing now. With luck, she'd wake up soon enough and he could help find her parents. They were probably worried as hell by now, their little girl being gone so long. The girl was just lucky that he was the one that had found her.
With the new racist angle, who knows what could have happened if someone else did.
That new angle gave him more worry than that though. He himself had all the markings of a Demi-Human right under his helmet. No one save for the other heroes knew that yet, but as soon as it was out, he was sure to have a target on his back.
He would need to prepare for everything, case the castle and every noble or high speaking home and building just in case. He would be fine once he was better, but there was no doubt in his mind that other Demi-Humans in this kingdom would need help.
And dammit all if he wasn't going to be there to provide it for them.
A knock on his room's door dragged the Hunter from his thoughts. He was on edge, so he immediately reached for his sword. Salazar tapped his foot softly, getting an echo for everything he could through his ears, even though his helmet was still on. He almost sighed in relief when he realized that it was only Motoyasu at the door.
Letting go of his sword, the Guardian made his way for the door and opened it, seeing a Motoyasu who happened to be reaching for the door to knock again. He was wearing a set of light chainmail, less defensive than Naofumi's for sure.
"Hey dude, I just wanted to ask you about something I found." The Spear Hero started before glancing behind the old wolf and raising an eyebrow. "But now I'm kind of interested in what's going on here. Why is there a kid lying on your bed covered in bandages?" Motoyasu paused for a moment. "A cute one I might add."
The Hunter pulled the Spear Hero inside and shut the door, briefly checking to see if anyone was behind him before doing so.
"First, that cute comment better mean that you'd protect her with your life and nothing else, or I swear to the Traveler Yasu." The Guardian started as Motoyasu took a seat at an adjacent table, one that provided the chair by the bed. "Secondly, I found her bleeding to death on the street."
That got the Spear Hero's attention, if him sitting straight up was an indication.
"What!? Who would do such a thing!?"
"I don't know, and it's too late to figure it out." The Hunter answered as he started to pace. "Also, keep your voice down. I've stabilized her and she's sleeping at the moment."
"Sorry about that." Motoyasu replied with a wince, his tone much lower now. "But you can't just call it quits. There can only be one guy in this town who would do something like that. We just need to find out who and root him out."
Salazar sighed and shook his head, earning a confused look from the Spear Hero.
"I want you to listen here and listen good Yasu." The Hunter started, stopping his pacing in front of said man. "There's more going on in this city than they want us to know. Take a good look at her."
Motoyasu did just that, glancing briefly at the young girl that was wrapped up in the bed. It took him a moment, but he recognized the ears and tail she had.
"She's a Demi-Human, right?" The Spear Hero guessed, getting a nod in response. "Well, what does that have to do with anything."
"I want you to try and remember back to today Yasu." Salazar said as he stepped closer, his tone a bit calmer. "Did you see any Demi-Humans, any at all."
"Of course I saw some. There was..." The Spear Hero told him with a nod before gaining a confused look on his face. "Well, I saw one. Another child, one with bunny ears. She was cute as well." He said with a grin before that grin morphed into a frown. "Then… I think I remember seeing a few loading things into the back of a cart. They looked… ragged I guess."
"Now wait, you can't be suggesting that this place has child slavery, can you?" Motoyasu then said as he stood up, shaking his head.
"Not exactly." Salazar agreed with a nod. "I think this place is using Demi-Humans in general, treating them like trash. I even got someone to admit it."
"Hold on, you can't seriously be saying this." The Spear Hero started with a nervous laugh. "I mean, who would even admit to that kind of thing in the first place?"
"You don't see my party here, do you?"
"... Oh my god, you're serious." Motoyasu said after a moment of thought, his tone filled with disbelief. "W-why? Why would anybody let that happen? What proof do you even have?"
"You and I both saw those kids loading carts Motoyasu." The Guardian started, poking the Spear Hero's chest. "They were wearing chains Yasu, chains. Granted, I didn't see them until I was rushing to get supplies for the girl, but I blame my lack of focus beforehand. Point is we both know something is up with Demi-Humans in this city, maybe even the country."
"We don't know if it's slavery though." The Spear Hero pointed out. "You can't just go assuming that, especially with how little either of us have seen."
"You're right, it's just…" Salazar sighed as he rolled his neck. "Look, will you at least keep an ear and an eye out, like I will be?" He then asked. "I don't know what's going on, but you bet your ass I'm going to find out."
With a sigh, Motoyasu reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"I'll keep an eye out and watch for rumors." He agreed. They were both silent for a moment after that.
The silence didn't last long though. Only long enough for the old wolf to take a seat next to the bed again.
"So, with that out of the way, what did you originally want to show me?"
The Spear Hero smirked before he brought up his status screen. He then reached into it, much to the Hunter's confusion, and pulled out an object a second later.
The object made Salazar's eyebrows raise a few centimeters.
It was a staff, albeit a broken one. It was a solid iron color and was broken, jagged even on one edge, like it was snapped in half. The other side however was very recognizable, a single double sided blade. It was about as long as a dagger's blade too, though it was obviously dull.
"I found this thing while grinding." Motoyasu started, the old wolf paying full attention to him. "It says it's a quest item, which I find strange with how early I got it, but the first step of the quest is just question marks. I figured it must just be level locked, but then I read its description."
"And what does it say?" The Hunter questioned, his mind racing. He knew exactly what that staff was, but why was it here? The Spear Hero smiled.
"It says that its spinning torrent of pure energy was once the guardian of another realm's people." He said before leaning back. "Now, I thought I might as well have you check it out since it mentions the word 'guardian', though I don't know if it's the same thing."
Salazar just nodded at his explanation as he thought to himself.
'Why does he have an Arcstrider's staff?' The Guardian muttered internally.
'Beats me.' Spector replied, not having the slightest clue either. 'These people mentioned that this was like a game they played though. Maybe it pulls ideas from our world too, like artifacts.'
'If that's the case, then we have so much more to research and worry about than I though.'
"Sooooo, do you have any idea what it is?" Motoyasu asked after a moment of silence, breaking the wolf from his thoughts.
"... Try getting lightning based kills." He instructed, nodding as he peered at the weapon more. "Yeah, lightning based kills should help ya."
The Spear Hero looked surprised at that. Though, that didn't beat the surprise that showed up on his face when an alert popped up in front of him. He smiled at that one.
"Hey, the quest actually updated." The spear wielder started with a grin before he suppressed a wince. "It says I need 2500 lightning based kills though. I don't even have an attack that does that type of damage yet."
Glancing at the window behind him, Salazar hummed in thought. He then sighed.
"Nothing you can do for it now then. You'd best be getting to your room though. It's getting late, kid."
Motoyasu looked a little surprised before he looked out the window himself and laughed awkwardly at the full moon.
"I guess it is getting kind of late." He started, getting up and placing the quest item back into his inventory. "Well, have a good night Sal and, uh," He was halfway through opening the door when he stopped, gaining a thoughtful look, "I'll keep an eye out." He said in a lower voice, pointing to where Salazar's ears would be on his own head. "If Demi-Humans are being targeted, I want to make sure you're okay."
The Hunter just nodded, getting a matching one before the door was closed. Salazar closed his eyes and sighed, just intent to listen to the cricketing of crickets for a moment before the next part came.
'... Salazar, there's-'
'I know.' Spector tried to tell him before she was cut off. The Hunter then opened his eyes again, glancing at the window once more.
"You know, it's quite rude to spy on people like this." He said with a casual tone, leaning back comfortably. "Isn't it kinda creepy to stalk people through their windows? It is back home at least."
There was no reply for a few moments, as if he was just talking to a pane of glass. After a few moments though, the window quietly slipped open and a figure dressed in all black slid in through it.
Looking her over, he knew that she was obviously female. Her one piece suit clung tightly to her body; starting at her neck, going over her moderate bust, and ending halfway down her thighs like shorts. She wore stockings that went up to just above her knee and she wore light boots that made her steps silent. Along with that, there was a short black cloak draped around her shoulders and a hood over her head, hiding most of her brown hair, and a white masquerade mask over her eyes that hid their color and her identity. She was smirking lightly.
"Impressive Sword Hero." She said, sounding only slightly surprised. "It isn't everyday that someone detects me."
"It's not everyday that a Hunter gets summoned to your world against their will, and it's Sal." Salazar countered, getting a light huff from the woman. "Now, who exactly are you?"
"I am not at liberty to say." The woman replied ominously, leaning against the wall. "Though, I can say that I am not an enemy Sir Hero. In fact, my mistress is interested in the safety of all of the heroes."
"It's Sal, and am I supposed to simply believe you?" He commented with a light glare. "I mean, I assume most nobles like your boss wouldn't be at all interested in the safety of a Demi-Human, as you call them."
For a moment, the woman looked stunned, though she quickly regained her composer.
"Impressive Sir Hero, figuring out the class of my mistress so quickly." She commented with her smirk back full force. "And I will say that I didn't expect you to figure out our country's prejudice so fast, but that is to be expected. We already knew you were a Demi-Human however. In fact, it's the reason I specifically am here."
"We do pick favorites among our ranks after all."
Salazar scoffed and shook his head.
"Guess I was more out of it than I thought yesterday." He muttered quietly, his Ghost agreeing with an internal nod. "Well, I'm guessing you didn't come here to do what most girls do when they sneak into a guy's room late at night, so spit it out. And it's Sal." The last part was emphasized, making the woman laugh lightly into her hand.
"Well, if you were to buy me dinner, maybe that wouldn't be the case."
The old wolf just gave her a glare that he could tell she could feel, despite it being under his helmet. The woman shook her head at that.
"I came to warn you." She said, getting to the point. "Something is going to happen, something that will ruin the credibility of one of your fellow heroes."
"And that begs the question of why you don't stop it before it happens." The Hunter pointed out, getting another shake of the woman's head in response.
"We do not know when it will occur." She told him with a slight frown. "And we Shadows can't get involved, lest we risk tipping off the church's own forces. That would only cause more problems."
'Remind me to look into the church later Spector.'
'Noted.' The Ghost replied through their link. 'I'm recording this conversation by the way. I'll pick it clean later.'
"So, what, you want me to just sit on my ass and do nothing while knowing one of my new friends is about to get screwed over?" The Hunter asked her rhetorically. Getting no response, he sat up straighter, annoyed. "You're not even going to tell me which one will be targeted either, will you? How do I know you aren't lying to my face?"
"I think we both know you could have just forced the answer out of me by now if you really didn't believe me." The Shadow said, smirking slyly as she gestured to the young girl on the bed. "It's the same reason you never took that child to a guard or doctor. You're too paranoid right now, you suspected something was about to happen anyway."
"... You're smarter than you look, lady." Salazar admitted before leaning back in his chair again. "You have a lot of nerve calling yourself a shadow though. You aren't all that good at hiding."
"To you maybe, but my mistress considers me one of her best." The Shadow's smirk was wider now, boasting. Salazar just scoffed.
"We'll see about that the next time you try to sneak up on me." The old wolf said with a fraction of a smirk. "You have any other cryptic information to pass down the chain, or are you finished here?"
"Just be cautious." She told him as she sauntered back over to the window, her hips swaying slightly. "You of all the heroes seem to know the most about the dangers lurking in the dark, and knowledge can be a dangerous thing in these times… Sword Hero."
The Shadow finished with a smug smirk before exiting through the window and closing it, as if she was never there to begin with. With an annoyed twitch of his eye though, Salazar knew he'd remember that woman.
'If we take what that woman said as true, things are about to go south.' Spector commented, getting a nod from the Hunter.
'Who's the target though?' Salazar questioned, his hand to his chin. 'If she was warning me about all of this, then it can't be me. I don't think anyone would warn the target.'
'She just wants you to pick up the pieces.' Spector agreed.
'Exactly. I haven't seen enough of Itsuki to get a read on his situation though, and the other two look clean enough.'
'It could be…' Spector trailed off, getting Salazar to raise an eyebrow before she continued. 'Naofumi didn't get any partners at first, right?'
Salazar cursed under his breath.
'Dammit, that's right.' He thought through their link. 'I thought it was just that baseless rumor, but that could have just as easily been a ruse. The one woman that volunteered could have been there to drop his guard. Where is Naofumi?'
'I don't know.' The Ghost told him with an internal shake of her head. 'We only know where Motoyasu is, but I don't have any of them marked yet.'
Salazar cursed again. He couldn't exactly leave the injured girl here alone, not with the racist country down below, because apparently it wasn't just the city like he had hoped. He'd have to search for the shielder in the morning.
He was too calm here though, happy even. Even if the old wolf got to him in time, there would be no way to tell if Naofumi would even believe him. And if that Myne girl was there to get his guard down, then she could convince him not to even listen to the old wolf.
No, he had to find the shielder now if he wanted to talk to him without interruption. That was assuming that Myne was asleep at that moment and that Naofumi was somewhere close by. Getting up with a purpose, he decided to rush to ask Motoyasu before the Spear Hero had a chance to fall asleep. It would be his best chance at finding Nao-
Salazar stopped when he heard a tiny whimper come from beside him. It wasn't hard to guess where it came from.
'This day just keeps getting better, doesn't it?'
The Hunter turned calmly to face the young girl on the bed. She was up now, and cowering at the sight of him at that. Not being the stupid type, Salazar immediatly understood why and reached for his helmet, pulling it off and setting it on the table to his other side.
This wasn't the first child he had scared with that helm after all, not to mention the rest of his get-up.
It seemed to work, eliminating a bit of the fear in the girl's grey eyes. Fear was still there though, along with a few tears that managed to escape them. Sighing internally, as not to scare the girl further, he willed the rest of his armor to disappear, despite Spector's comments saying he shouldn't.
In a flash of black and white flames, the rest of his armor simply disappeared, leaving him in his casual clothes. A dark grey t-shirt, blue jeans, and grey tennis shoes made up his ensemble. Harmless clothing that revealed his only slightly worrying robotic right arm, painted a full black.
With the armor gone, more of the fear had disappeared and she had stopped crying. It was still there, but at least he didn't look like one of his own worst nightmares anymore. Slowly sitting back in the chair next to the bed and setting his sword against the wall, Salazar made sure to tread carefully here.
"I'm not going to hurt you." The old wolf tried to assure her with a soft tone, holding both hands up to show that they were empty. That didn't fully reassure the girl, as she pulled the covers to her bandaged chest in an attempt to hide. She hissed in pain though when she touched her chest, discovering the stitched up wound.
"Be careful little one." The Guardian tried to warn her. "You weren't doing so good when I found you. You still aren't doing all that great." That point was emphasized when she gave out a series of sharp, bark-like coughs.
Salazar wanted to give her the medicine he and Spector had prepared right then, but he knew he couldn't. She was terrified of him. Even after her little coughing fit, she was looking at him with scared, wild eyes. Though, they seemed a bit less wild now.
"... Y-you… S-saved me?" The young girl's timid voice came out weakly. Salazar nodded in response, setting his hands down slowly.
"I did." He answered softly with a small smile. "I couldn't just leave a cute girl like you to die out there, little one."
Flattery, something he was always hesitant about using, afraid it would get to someone's head. When he wasn't conning someone that is. Against a child though, it always proved to be one of the best weapons.
That was because it worked, as evidenced by the sudden surprise in the girl's eyes.
Quite a bit of the fear in her eyes faded away after that, though it was replaced by something. Salazar couldn't be exactly sure but he thought he saw… acceptance?
The young girl slowly but surely lowered the covers that she had tried to hide behind after that, her body still shaking slightly. Her head was turned to the side, as if she was doing her best not to look at him now, though she did keep at least one eye one him. In response, the Hunter gave her a small, friendly smile.
"What's your name sweetheart?" The question made her flinch slightly. After a beat of silence though, she answered it.
"M-Miriam Fero…"
Salazar nodded, satisfied.
"You can call me Sal then, Miriam." The old wolf started, watching as she turned her head towards him more. "How are you feeling little one?"
"... E-everything hurts s-sir…" The young girl waited a few moments before responding. She went into another coughing fit as soon as she finished, almost falling forward if it wasn't for Salazar being there to catch her.
"Easy there Miriam." He told her softly, gently laying her back down. She flinched at his touch, but she didn't fight it. Her body seemed too frail to be able to fight back anyway, even if she did try.
After setting her down, Salazar put his hand to her forehead, earning yet another flinch. She was burning up, but there was nothing he could really do for her at the moment for that. He'd get her a cold washcloth once he was sure she wouldn't want to tear it off.
'Just what was happening to her before she ended up out there?' Salazar muttered internally as he reached down, pretending to grab a bottle off of the floor when he really just had Spector materialize it in his hand when it was out of sight.
'I hate to say this, but it would be better if she was living on the street then.' The Ghost started in a soft, sad tone. 'I don't even want to entertain the idea of a parent doing this to her.'
'And I won't be looking for her parents if she has them.' The old wolf agreed with an internal nod. 'She's flinching for a reason.'
"I'm going to want you to drink this, okay Miriam?" The Guardian said as he held up the small bottle in his hands. "It should help get rid of some of the pain and that nasty cough of yours."
The young girl looked troubled at that before she went into another coughing fit. A few specks of blood landed on the bed sheet. After stopping and taking a moment to recover, Miriam simply nodded.
Taking that as a sign, Salazar uncorked the bottle and gently brought it to the girl's lips. Again, she flinched at the approach, but she let him slowly pour the medicine down her throat. He could tell she thought it was bitter, but she didn't complain.
After setting the empty bottle on the table, the old wolf scratched her head lightly and pulled the covers up over her chest.
"Good job Miriam." Salazar told her with a soft voice, matching it with a smile. "Now, I want you to get some sleep. It'll help the medicine work better, okay?"
"... O-okay sir…" Her tone was still weak when she replied, but she didn't cough afterwards this time. Progress, at the very least. She still looked scared though, so the old wolf gave her a reassuring smile this time.
"It's safe here, I promise. Just get some sleep."
He felt terrible about it afterwards, but he put a small amount of his will into those words. She wouldn't sleep on her own, not with the fear she had in her eyes, fear that still made her body shake, fear that made her tail duck between her legs.
It paid off at least, as Miriam's eyes slowly shut soon after. Her body still shook of its own accord, but at least she would rest now.
Sighing another shaky sigh as he placed his head in his hands, he knew he wouldn't be getting out to find Naofumi that night. He would just have to hope that the shielder was still safe in the morning.
April 14 - Miriam And The Tried