Finally, I managed to post a second chapter this month to pay off my hiatus debt at the cost of my sanity and sleep. There is a little bit of everything in this chapter, including family-friendly fun with a balance of angst and I'll start with a quote.
"A moment of valor shines brightest against the backdrop of despair." - Darkest Dungeons.
Luther much like always, silently walked in tow of his group admiring the pleasant change in scenery. As beautiful and meditative as it was, going through miles and miles of the same woody dirt path surrounded by nothing but trees, rocks, and the occasional water source ever so slowly got dull, but the probable threat of monsters kept him on toes. Anxiety and fear mixed with boredom – a dangerous combination that brought dangerous desperation. Soon enough the occasional man-made object like fences, houses, and the many beehives arranged neatly popped up in view drawing out his attention. It was a wonderful contrast to wildlands, yet something was missing.
The outer reaches of the village seemed awfully vacant, even in the regular working hours, not a single soul in sight, creating an eerie atmosphere for the most part. Luka took this a bit worse than his older companion – suspecting a possible ghost town, that they were too late, while Alice narrowed her eyes and then nodded in understanding. Thankfully for all of them, this changed once they ventured further in, locals sweating tended to beehives and fields. Some paid no mind to them, others stared with great interest.
The place looks better than Ilias Village, though a bit empty. Chambers mused, glancing around the stable. Though architecture that appeared to have great care put into them, he considered the higher quality was there because they were a well-known exporter, there were a lot of benefits that came with having luxury food.
"We're finally here…Happiness village." Luka declared, flooded with relief at the sight of people, the grip on his sword handle loosening.
"And with no other distractions along the way." Alice added an extreme hint of hunger for cuisine, hanging off her voice.
"Strange, it doesn't look like anything horrible is happening, from the way it was described I expected the village to be off." The fake hero casually shrugged, from all of its descriptions he had expected a place crawling with Monsters, not a small peaceful town carrying on with its lucrative business.
"Are you blind? Can't you see something wrong, idiot?" She lightly gestured all around the settlement. The boy scanned through once more trying to find any detail that stuck out as he went into an alert state once he noticed.
"Oh…OH! There are only women here, except for that one little kid…" In hindsight, may he shouldn't have pointed as his target soon turned to look at him, it was awkward but that didn't change anything. It all made sense with the account given by the inn owner, there were no men around, possibly taken by the monsters from the nearby village.
"Yes, I was hoping you'll notice it soon," Luther muttered under his breath, such lack of attentiveness. He couldn't blame it as a simple detail anyone could justify for a variety of different reasons, but the older man ultimately knew the truth, a truth they would have to deal with.
"Little boy…" The Monster Lord chuckled. "Not any different yourself, you know."
To demonstrate her point she put her hand on top of his head measuring him up to her abdomen with an amused expression on her countenance. Luka slumped his shoulders and pouted, his face turning a tomato bright red, even Chambers, a trusted companion mildly laughed at his expense, only to be increased at the betrayed look he got.
"Hey! Stop…I'm not that small…" Luka objected before maliciously whispering to himself. "Where is that damned growth spurt when you need it?"
"Oh? Travelers, three of them at once. We don't get a lot of visitors lately…" The hearty group was approached by one of the locals, having gathered enough attention either through their friendly theatrics or through simply their mish-mashed appearance, all of them seemed to stand out wherever they went. The unique identities surrounding each traveler didn't help this either, but as they straightened themselves upon realizing they were being watched.
"You came all the way here, but we don't have anything to entertain a traveler with, and due to shortage of manpower we also have a shortage of our specialty happiness honey, too…" She explained, the mere mention of their honey shortage seemed to crush the purple lamia's spirit as her light grin slowly faded, replaced by a disappointed hard frown while travel mates remained unaffected.
"Why exactly is there a shortage of manpower?" The fake hero asked, as much as the answer was obvious to his friends around him, he needed to know the exact reason to pinpoint the action he needed to take. But as if fate itself overheard his inquiry, they suddenly heard a loud boyish scream permeate through the settlement which startled the surrounding locals who slowly retreated into their homes in fear as the villager that answered the travelers shook with a guilty expression on her face. Alice winced, her superior hearing taking the brunt of the sonic blow.
"What's going on?" He asked in concern, quickly running to the origin while taking out Angel Halo, leaving a regretful local, a grimaced and annoyed Alice, and a frowning Luther.
Right, this scene…not very fun to experience in real life. The older man closed his hands into fists in distaste running after his young and promising companion to view something he expected, but ultimately hesitant in seeing a harpy grabbing onto a little boy who was crying out for help with her talons attempting to lift him off the ground and fly away. Much to her credit, she appeared adamant about not hurting her prey at all with her sharp ended feet, yet it did not ease him one bit.
"Stop right there, let go of that boy!" Luka confidently commanded, his blade already thirsting after the winged monster's energy. Much to his luck, his companion held the same feelings for the injustice being done.
"Huh? I haven't seen either of you in this village before…are you both travelers?" The harpy in question asked, her eyes sizing Luther and Luka up, brimming with the desire to copulate for her own sake and for the sake of the race. She was a medium build individual, her body no doubt light to enable flight yet not to be underestimated, efficiently mixed brown feathers that made up her body from the wings which its tips were a lighter shade down to her hip and knees that both were fluffy and provided ample enough power to fly.
The winged monster suddenly released the small boy, licking her lips and flashing a teasing grin towards both of the newcomers, besides the fluffy feather her upper body was barely covered by straps of blue cloth connected by red pearly buttons where a gilded blue collar lied above wrapped around the monstrous woman's neck.
"Alright…I'll let the boy go, I'll kidnap you instead! ~ Both of you have such a good scent, can't decide which one.~ " She said in a sing-song voice, flapping her wings and blowing a small gust of wind toward them, neither of the remaining humans reacted, remaining stoic on the outside as best as they could. Luka couldn't help but let his excitement at performing heroic deeds slip through a little and his anxiety regarding the bout
"Go." Chambers told the child whose frightened gaze only pierced his heart filling it with more frustration, the boy complied, running inside a nearby house to take shelter, leaving the older man to continue scowling as his fingers twitched. A part of him was sure he scared the boy, even more, regardless he matters to attend to and as always follow through with his non-official agreement "Well Luka, she's all yours. Any trouble and I'll come."
"Right, I'll make sure that doesn't have to happen," Luka whispered, lightly shuffling his thumb on the hilt of his Angel Halo, and responded with a steady blink of what the boy could potentially call reassurance and…hunger, it always looked hungry for him like it was searching for something or someone.
"Decided that by yourself for me, how generous.~" She seductively chuckled as she stared intently at Luka, her voice only beginning to sound more disgusting to Luther's ears with every word uttered from her lips. "Hehehe…you're much nicer than that little boy, I'll take you to my nest and will make lots of little children. Or we can start making them right here? Be a good boy and make a lot of children with me."
To think one would be so accepting of molesting a child for the sheer sake of convenience… you make me sick. Luther growled at the monster, opting to prepare his hidden steel balls' rotations promising a world of pain and possible broken bones if she ever dared to attack him. He felt vindictive, nonetheless continued being a passive observer, though his body, specifically his hands twitched at the thought of making his weapon collide with her face.
"Chu…" A familiar presence crept up behind his neck as it let its head fall on his shoulder, its small, barely noticeable appendages thumbing down on his shoulder blades in a rhythmic pattern. Tusk was always there, where Luther was - a calming paragon that he could ask for, no other being reminded him that this was no place to lose his patience and snap.
Right, calm yourself. There are worse people out there, than here in this depraved world at least she has an excuse as pathetic as it is… The man still didn't let up his deep frown, instead, shoving his hands in his pockets in case the urge gets too strong and he accidentally launches a stray ball at the monster's head. Even if it takes performing wile acts to prolong your species existence, don't even try doing it to a child. She has wings for goodness sake! Critical Ecstasy is also a factor, why doesn't she just fly to some other settlement and grab some poor fucker from there instead of a little boy whose stones haven't even dropped?
"I'll get rid of all of you kidnapping monsters." Without warning, Luka immediately dashed towards her with incredible speed, slashing downward to her neck like an improvised guillotine, barely nicking it as she flew high above, playfully circling him.
Wings, it's obvious she would fly! Now, where have I seen this before…? The boy narrowed his eyes at her taking a more defensive stance, repeating the same mistake again, especially with a more aerially mobile opponent would ultimately prove ruinous. It was still fully in line with what he was taught. He didn't have the advantage, a thing he should always try to regain.
"What, surprised that I can fly? You'll never hit me~. Although I suppose not since you charge right at me…such speed…you'll do nicely as a mate…" She declared, swooping down at him like a bullet only to fly away at his reactive attack, repeating it several times at different angles. "My, so stressed…I can help with that."
I'll have to wait until she actually attacks. She's like that bee girl, goading me into making the wrong move. He observed as the harpy monster rose to the highest he had seen her go into the sky, swearing she could probably reach the clouds if she kept going at that speed. Graceful fall followed after speedy ascent as she dived toward the purple-haired hero, she was almost there, a little more and he would be knocked to the ground, except...
Luka suddenly positioned and thrust his sword in a way that the monster would have impaled herself if she continued her trajectory. Time froze as she widened her eyes in shock at the fast reaction, leaning away to land on the boy's right to avoid his strange and disgusting sword only to be slashed efficiently by him.
What…? The harpy was the one to be trapped; the boy was waiting for her to fall for it this entire time. No wounds appeared, no blood came either, just a sinking feeling of numbing exhaustion that slowly spread through her body and it had somehow felt worse than if she were to be struck with a normal weapon. No - how is this human too much for me to handle?
Her instincts did their job as she landed safely on her bird-like feet despite suffering such a blow, with sullen pride she looked back to see she was far enough to suffer further damage from the strange statue-blade. The monster swallowed a lump in her throat as she spoke. " I- 'll let you get away with this today!"
She flapped her wings as hard as she could to gain altitude, exhaustion be damned, it was not worth getting captured in a human village, shuddering to even think what they would do to her if that ever happened.
"You're not getting away." It was such a simple statement, yet held such seething fury and power behind it coming from someone who hadn't even done anything to her, making her flying even faster away from the village. She saw the hateful stare that scarred man gave her as he gave chase, it wasn't like anything else she had seen from a human and to hear him say this did not bode well for her well-being.
Luther ran after her, unholstering one of his spinning steel balls, letting it glide on his hand and slowing down its rotation with the tip of a thumb to an acceptable amount, as much as he wanted justice, killing would be unnecessary evil that would likely haunt him regardless of the crimes committed. They were beginning near one of the exits of the village as he readied his aiming only having two shots
"Stop chasing me, will you!?" She yelled at him, but that didn't stop his pursuit, thankfully for her, his purple-haired small companion was out of sight.
"No." The man said coldly as he threw the spin powered steel weapon at the harpy girl, it rocketed forward with incredible speed hitting her left wing, it dug into the soft flesh and feathers that failed to stop its momentum in shape or form, her body convulsed against her will, delivering her descent as her screech resounds across the settlement. With what remaining little worse the steel ball had it punctured through her wing leaving a sizable see-through hole and emerging in front of her view mocking her loss and torment
My…my wing…no… She fell to the ground with a thud, it seemed the last of her strength fled as well, leaving her to blankly stare into the dirt and grass she spectacularly landed in, but vigilance soon returned to her at the sound of her pursuer's footsteps through the thick brush of the wilds. Enduring through pain and numbness she slowly got up, yet it was too late as the man pushed her to grass, holding her hostage with the weight of his star covered body.
"Ah! Let me go you bloody bastard, is my wing not enough?! I'll gut you with my talon!" She screamed into his ears making him flinch, struggling against his stone hold as best as she could, though it felt like every part of her body had worked against her, from her wings and chest to her legs and hip, all refusing to listen to even the barest of survival instincts. Shut down by someone of unknown power. The monster cared not for any of the oddities that the strange man exuded, nor for the favorable position she was in with how close they were.
"Not until you answer for your crimes." He responded with the same venomous voice, wrapping his hands around the waist and hoisting her up, her small weight was easy enough on the man's non-enhanced strength. All the monster saw was red, she tried kicking and screaming her way as he carried her back to the village, not even noticing the small hero she lost to emerge from their direction.
"Luther! Are you alright, why did you run off like that?" Luka asked, some concern finally seeping into the atmosphere, at least for a moment, until he saw his friend carrying him defeated. The boy would have let out a small victorious smile were it not for the noisy circumstances regarding his enemy's capture. "
"Yes, I am fine." Luther calmly answered, his aggressive tone fading for the moment.
"And am not!" His calm response was quickly followed by the ear-piercing complaint of the harpy. Luka glanced at the harpy with more detail and visibly winced as he saw the hole in her wing, feathers falling with each writhing futile movement creating a pleasant path if it wasn't pain that followed it.
"Chu." Tusk stood on Chambers' shoulder, not sure what to make of the situation, but nonetheless chastising its user's impulsive behavior with angry high-pitched noises of its own.
It's a worthy punishment if anyone had on hand, even if it does seem a little cruel…now quiet down. I don't need another banshee hounding me. That was all Luther told his stand as he noticed his companion was about to speak again.
"Don't worry about it, let's get her back, their problems I'm sure the villagers would like to discuss with this particular harpy…" Chambers quickly silenced any words the fake hero could have uttered with an ominous answer. "Oh and can you pick up my steel ball, it's right over there."
"Okay…just make sure she doesn't get harmed again." Luka uttered, going to the direction that Luther pointed in, where a sharp metallic glint could be seen among strands of grass, his eyes remaining stuck on the sizable hole in the harpy's wing slightly disturbed by the fact his comrade paid no mind to the bleeding even if it was mild.
"I swear I'll rip out your guts when I get out of here!" In the center of the village, a Harpy tied up onto a thick tree stared scornfully with hate-filled eyes at the appearing inhabitants, no longer craven by her previously formidable appearance, if it weren't for the rope she would be clawing out the eyes of each and every one of them, especially the one who crippled her, reduced her to a state where even those cowardly villagers who failed to defend their settlement. The monster was reduced into nothing but an annoyance. She couldn't imagine how heartless a man must be to try to permanently get rid of her flight – a pride of her race, without as much as a second thought and then casually sit down in front of her as if to further salt her wounds.
"Amazing! These travelers managed to capture the harpy." Many more expressions of awe followed surrounding Luther, Luka, and Alice, some of the inhabitant's shared looks of contempt at their attempted kidnapper.
"You have no right to complain about our treatment with what your people have done to us." A woman stepped forward to the screaming feathered monster, looking down at her, the fake hero followed her as his companions remained, still watching the havoc ensue.
"I don't have to answer to any of you!" The harpy responded, making her verbal adversary walk even faster to her. Leaning against one of the houses Luther took deep breaths to calm himself, twitching with background insult he heard all while his monstrous friend observed with an amused expression.
"Woah, hold on a little, let's try to keep it civil." Luka intercepted the woman, stretching out his arms in an attempt to form a human wall, it looked like she was about to say something until being stopped.
"Stand down Mari, there is no point in screaming at the monster, she won't answer you…" An elderly woman much older than any of the other villagers approached, the others scattered away from the harpy, even Mari backed down. Her hair completely grey, run-down by age, her small frame and hunched frame supported by a large cane. "To capture a monster, you and your friend must be pretty skilled"
"Yeah…I suppose so, but ah…who are you?" Luka nervously scratched the back of his head
"I'm the village chief's wife. Because he was kidnapped I am the acting village chief." She explained earning a laugh from the spiteful harpy and a skeptical gaze from the monster lord.
"Barricading yourself in a house even as a child is being abducted? Can you really call yourself a chief like that?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. She specifically recalled seeing that frail old woman before her retreat back into her home at the sight of the child getting stolen, a clear sign of inaptitude of guardianship for all the women in the town. "Actually, not a single person in this village tried to help."
"She is right! You're all nothing but a town of cowards running from the first sign of danger, can't even protect your own." The rope bound Monster laughed, her supporting words cutting into the hearts of the village women, stunning them into silence.
"Oi, oi! You can't say something like that, you Monsters are stronger than humans, right? How can women who haven't seen a single day of combat ever hope to fight against one." The fake hero brought such a fact to light, temporary silencing
"Right, how can people like us resist them? And that brings us to the matter of my request, a favor if you will…" The elder spoke and paused, seeing how anxiously her fellow women waited for an answer to a question they already knew, a question that has been asked previously of travelers.
"Hahaha, here it comes, Hero. They are going to try to force their problems on you, like on many other so-called 'heroes' " Alice interjected, frustrating the old lady.
"Ha! Are you going to send them out just like the other seven, they were all quickly defeated and caught before they even stepped foot inside our village, I doubt it will end any differently for them as well." The harpy girl flashed a gleeful grin to them, her revelation crushing the spirits of the villagers even further, bringing in the repressed shame of their action to their faces, even the elder stuttered in providing an answer as Luka's usual hopeful countenance turned shocked and slightly sour.
"Seven…that many!?"
"So it was as I suspected… you all hid away when your people were being taken and now you sent outsiders minding their own business to the harpies like lambs to a slaughter…how pathetic and now you're asking for another one to do the same." Alice remarked in disgust, it was one thing if a leader failed to protect their people but it was a completely different matter if said leader also dragged others into their problems leading, such a thing ruined her appetite for anything that could come from the settlement, every part of her just wanted to leave.
"Aren't you being a little harsh? It's a bit unreasonable to expect weak women to suddenly barge and fight harpies." Luka inquired into his monstrous ally's ruthless critique.
"No, they deserve everything I can say about their behavior, truly shameful." Her words had only encouraged the guilty silence of the locals, the fake hero also had no proper response to that.
"I…hmm…" The elder looked stunned from all of the judgment continuing her pause to slowly shuffle to the harpy mocking her village's inability to act. "I intended to question this earlier when I heard of your capture, what has your settlement done to our men. Were they eaten, taken as slaves, can you at least tell me if they're alive for us to know the results of our failure?"
"Yes, what happened to my husband?"
"What about my fourteen-year-old son?" They took their turns bombarding the captive monster with questions who looked progressively more agitated with everyone thrown at her, it was an extremely pitiful and sad sight to bear for the purple-haired boy.
"Stop it already! Do you think we harpies are mindless brutes? Your m-…no I don't think it would be right to call them your men anymore, regardless they were taken in as mates for our village." The harpy's reveal of information shocked the locals to their very core, some were left fuming in anger, others succumbing to despair, and even more blocked her words out either way the monster took pleasure in their reactions.
"Ah, I see…" The elder's cane shook heavily in her unstable hold, she turned to Luka once more." Please, hero, they were taken against their will, without our men the village will slowly cease to exist, wiped off the face of the map, you have to do something about it if you would be willing.
"…Tell me, where did they take all of the men?" After careful consideration he decided to continue with his intent about the doomed village, he did come here for that one reason and their supposed wile actions did not set him off in the slightest. Luka knew what it was – an action bred from pure desperation, the inability to do anything yourself forces you to rely on others for support and he wouldn't be a true hero if he didn't provide that support. His response relieved the old woman.
"Thank you, thank you, dear hero. I do believe there is a settlement to the east of this village, in the forest." She bowed several times in gratitude
"Well, aren't you happy? This fake hero is too easy to influence… You're too trusting. They've sent seven people like you out there already to be raped for the rest of their lives, are you really going to help such a horrible village?" Alice inquired, her face brimming with repugnance, she quietly prayed that her idiot of a travel companion would listen to her advice that wasn't just related to fighting for once.
"We don't have a way to fight though, we're powerless.…" It was the only response the elder gave, looking even more hesitant at speaking to the disguised lamia.
"Even so, you sent seven 'heroes' there already, all of them failed, and you're still going to send one more?" The Monster Lord scoffed her words like steel blades, cutting deep into their souls. "Sure, the harpies may be doing something horrible, but you all aren't that much better."
"…" The elder as well as the rest of the people continued to stay silent, unable to rebuke her words anymore.
"That's enough Alice." Luka said in a commanding tone, however failing to make an impression on her opinion. "I'm still going to Harpy Village."
"Do you really want to be praised by the people of this village that badly? You're going to destroy yourself with that silly wish, you idiot" His monstrous companion responded, though what followed after wasn't as reasonable…or as quiet.
"Are you serious, what kind of moron are you? You'll be caught just like the rest of them if you march in right now and when my village finds out what you did to me you're all dead, do you hear me?!" The harpy monster squealed like a banshee at the top of her lungs, most of the people including Luka and Alice could swear they went deaf for a moment with the Monster Lord having an intense desire to temporarily silence the unruly
"Chu…" Luther could feel a part of his soul die from the ensuing screech, Tusk went into his coat covering its ears way from the verbal equivalent of rape.
I know, I know, don't you think I'm suffering as well It's hard to remain calm and collect myself with all of this racket, besides this discussion isn't productive and beneficial for either these locals and the harpies with the way it's going, a lot of them are probably out for blood. Oh…why did I have to catch her, it's more trouble than it's worth… Luther lamented, patting tusk on its dark star cowered head making sure he wasn't being seen by anyone. He wagered it was about time he did something and so he stood up.
"It doesn't have to be a complete suicide mission though, as much you and Alice would like to believe that. We just need an exercise in a little bit of strategy." The older man told them, casually strolling to the center of attention.
"You fuck! You broke my wing and are still acting like it's nothing, what do you have to say for yourself?" She screamed at him, both Luther's and Alice's hands twitched at the thought of choking her out. The volume being especially cruel to the purple lamia's hearing, nobody was willing to intervene with the small conflict.
"And you tried to kidnap and sexually assault a child, play stupid games and you win stupid prizes. That's just how the world is." Chambers apathetically responded, what he had done did not faze him in the slightest, he had committed the worst acts and this was just retribution, nothing more and nothing less.
"My entire life is ruined, I'll no longer be able to fly, my kin will do nothing but mock or pity me and I won't be able to find a mate at all!" Part of her even wondered whether or not it was even for the best if she managed to come out of the damned town alive, the suffering if she returns
"What about the boy's life, if you succeeded? He is young and has an entire life ahead of him, all of that would be wasted just because you wanted a fuck toy out of somebody who probably doesn't understand what the word 'sex' or 'rape' is." Luther mercilessly reprimanded, he inwardly admitted if it wasn't for his belief in well thought out justice and his previous guilty conscience he would gut the one before him a long time ago.
"He wouldn't just be some 'fuck toy'; he would be my husband, my mate." No matter what she said she dug her grave further into the minds of the people, most of the travelers could see the desire for the harpy's blood in all of their expressions. Luka got closer to the harpy acting like a barrier to any of the locals willing to satisfy their desire.
"Whatever words you use, however you rephrase, it doesn't change how horrible your actions were. " The stand user rebuked, his right leg jumping up and down in rapid succession out of stress. His own personal problems were enough to deal with already; he didn't need another argument caused by his actions.
"You are wrong about your wing as well, the queen in your village should fully be capable of healing it, besides you're a monster, walk it off." Alice curtly chimed in, her words causing another streak of anger to well up inside the harpy's being.
"Oh dear Creator, I'm surrounded by idiots! How will I get to my village when I'm currently captured? You utte-" The harpy girl was interrupted by a brief flash of light, the expression on her face turning from rage-filled to a dull neutral, her eyes looked empty, mindless before closing. Any and all hectic movement stopped, her head fell as the villagers heard light and soft snoring coming from her.
"To think this one would have the gall. Insulting and screaming at your captors is not defiant, just pathetic, one should know when to admit defeat. " Alice scoffed, turning away from the sleeping monster and drawing the attention of all the villagers who now had an exact example of why she shouldn't be trifled with, fulfilling the commanding presence the Monster Lord possessed, although all of them breathed a sigh of relief as their vocal tormentor was silenced.
"Good riddance, I can hear my own thoughts now, this was a mistake..."Luther let himself relax if only a bit, his mind still weighed down by recent troubles.
"I think my ears are still ringing a bit." Luka gripped his own head, groaning. "Thank you for putting her to sleep, Alice."
Serene and blissful silence followed, relieving like cold water on a scorching desert's heat. Nobody spoke another word letting it set it, it was strange – a tension-filled peace as their hearing picked up on sounds that filled the void that was left behind, some birds chirping, or a cricket stridulating and heavy deep breathing from a certain stressed individual who collected his thoughts at a snail's pace. Despair, anger, and contempt began to fade as their perpetrator
"Now that we are finished with that annoyance," Luther said dismissively turning to Luka, a slightly unhinged twitching in his eyes was visible to all. "There needs to be a plan of action Luka, charging in is suicidal and is going to put you in a situation even I won't be able to get you out of, we are talking about the whole village and a queen here, not something two of us can handle lightly."
"Whatever your plan is, I want in. My husband died from a sickness and my only son, Mark was stolen by them and most likely being done unspeakable things too." One of the women spoke up loudly flabbergasting the rest of her group. "As a mother, I can't believe I let myself stay cooped up here as he was taken, I thought he was dead, I just want to see him again!"
"Yes, tragedy has struck our village, but we can't be reckless, it's dangerous Martha." The elder protested, but her efforts proved fruitless, not much passed as others began to voice their desires out.
"I'm coming too, it's like that silver-haired woman said, in spite of our dire situation, we all just hid in our houses while our men and families were being taken. We're cowards." A much younger supported the call for retribution, plenty more followed as the shame and frustration and Alice's tactless words broke through their fear with a realization – this was a major problem, their problem which needed to be solved by them. In mere minutes the villagers including the more hesitant ones agreed, except for one.
"But everyone…" The surrogate village elder weakly objected, seeing only an unfortunate outcome to them all.
"It's too late, village chief. We can't push unrelated travelers to solve our own problems, if we band together I'm sure we can do something.
"Hey, just wait..." Luka suddenly interjected, the very last thing he wanted out of this situation was to endanger anyone defenseless and innocent. "Even if you all band together, it's still dangerous, there are all monsters capable of taking down armed soldiers."
Alright, we're back on canon…mostly…Chambers sighed glancing back to the unconscious harpy, their vocal tormentor determined to make anyone who caused her wrath through decision or association suffer a result. An idea struck him and perhaps his suffering didn't have to be meaningless as he thought.
"Remember the queen, that is undeniably their leader. If you defeat them, the rest will fall into chaos or cower in fear as their strongest is made absent, like that even weak people like them can stand a chance…but I assume this part of your plan somewhere, eh?" Alice asked Luther, pondering on whether or not this adventurer was already familiar with the way harpy-like communities function, it would only make sense if he has traveled for so long and not ended up being food or slave to any monster.
"First things first we have to consider the fact that we have a hostage with us – a bargaining chip we could potentially use." Luther started, nervously scratching the back of his neck, there were many nods of approval for his idea to come to fruition, part of him wondered if it was simply because of how annoying and criminal she was.
"No, that's too risky." The Monster Lord interjected with a confident huff. "Not only will you expose your intent to attack, but none of us have knowledge of the nature of their leader, we know no real way she could react, especially when said hostage has been crippled. You could get no or an uncaring reply or even worse, a direct attack wiping this settlement out. This is a waste of time, surely that's not all you have thought of?"
"Right, then onto my original idea, it's stupidly simple – attack at night, because they have no clue what has transpired here, it's very likely that most of them will be asleep leaving an option to sneak in and strike their queen down, just like Alice said they will scatter about and rest is history, although one part is easier said than done." Luther admitted, he could only hope for his and Luka's sake that the queen wouldn't go all out, results would be…brutal for either side of the conflict. A thing he had no desire of imagining.
"Harpies aren't exactly a nocturnal species save for a few variants, so your plan does have some merit, although anyone could have come up with this given a few minutes at most, at least you put in some thought before charging to death. Attacking a queen can be punishable by death, you know?~" Alice slyly remarked, though much to her chagrin Luther appeared unfazed at the slightest at her words besides his understandably nervous state, attempting to tease him was a mental drain unlike his much smaller and nervous purple-haired companion
"That plan sounds good enough to me. Don't exactly have anything else we can work with so this is the best we got. It's finally decided then!" Luka's cheerful attitude never failed to rub off on people if ever so slightly, soon enough the townsfolk erupted in enthused cheer, their families were going to be rescued and this time they'll be directly aiding. Many managed to break a smile, whispering or outwardly stating their intentions to give a piece of their mind to their monstrous oppressors or finally being savior, others came out of their shocked melancholy reluctantly joining the nervous yet merry band. Luka couldn't help
"Hey, hey, we can't just barge into their homes at night all at once…" Luka diffidently but loudly interrupted their joy earning subtle approval from Luther and Alice either a nod or a pleasant expression his way, letting his confidence in his argument peak. "You all will have to find somewhere to stay while we go defeat their boss once that happens, I'll give you all signals to attack, is that alright with you?"
They agreed, although a few displayed regret over the fact that they'd still be handing off the hardest task to an outsider, yet it was progress enough for their horrible track of actions. Several villagers decided to separate from their improvised gathering to relax and conduct themselves for the coming bout, some stayed yet further away keeping their eyes on their peacefully sleeping feathery captive, nonetheless even with no threats of violence the fake hero stood vigilant with his companions in case anyone was feeling vindictive enough to exact punishment. Their scheme was already in motion all that was needed was to prepare.
"You're still stuck with the hard part, are you aware of that?" Alice amusedly asked, though her nose still wrinkled at the reminder of such carelessly selfish act that the villagers hadn't stopped for goodness knows how long until they came along.
"Yep, and I wouldn't have any other way in this case, I'm a hero after all." Luka declared he would fulfill his self-imposed duties. Having no official admittance wasn't going to stop him so easily, it would go against everything he has trained and fought for.
"A fake bully hero…" The Monster Lord gleefully reminded Luka who gazed at her as she had utter the most unholy incantation the combination of which summoned foul horrors of memories past, a title that will likely haunt him as long as his monstrous ally draws breath. He shuddered to conceive the idea that this would continue as saw his friend moving away from them.
"Alright…I'll be going then…need to get my thoughts together again…" Luther wobbled out of their view, appearing strangely weak and stressed out to them as if drained of any small remaining will power remaining within him.
"Should we go and talk to him? He seems bothered by something." Luka asked in concern, his body ever so slowly moving towards his friend.
"Leave him, if he has no intention or desire of confiding in us then it's for the best. Some people want to deal with their problems alone, if you're a good friend he will come to you instead, no need to be nosey…" Alice trailed off before smiling. "Come now, we still have much to improve with your movement, you're still stiff as a pole when you fight."
Luka's mood had lit up instantly upon hearing that he will train once more. He took simply for what it was – a chance to get better despite the harsh criticism or insults thrown his way. He wanted to get strong, he needed to for the sake of his dream it was a small thing to endure.
Luther sat hidden beside a tree, his feet erratically tapping against the grass to the point where he began to feel pain, peering out into the clearing where the harpy lied captured now awoken with grogginess filling her being, her rest seemed to flush the anger out of her system, her face didn't appear as pained just fatigued. No longer was there any futile struggle or threats of severe violence and rape, every single glance she spared was one of deep regret for her actions that landed her in such a troubled predicament. Even capable of handling a simple conversation without any outright outburst with the cautions villagers
The man heard what they spoke about, from revealing that smoldering disdain for him to them, as if it wasn't obvious before, to her people's reasons for their transgressions against Happiness Village surprisingly without interjecting any bias.
"My village and people will die out if we don't do this; we don't care how troublesome and painful it might to you. Our hands are tied in simply for us to continue existing." That was what she said, which was something he could understand as crude and unapologetic as she made it out to be, partly why he was ever so slightly lenient on Monsters committing such vile acts, it was necessary, any species' most basic goal was to live and reproduce. Ultimately because of this world's human society, specifically the wildly dominating religion, Monster-Human relations, and their inability to produce males leading to certain unpleasant complications.
I'm glad they seem to be getting along fine enough, less trouble to rack my nerves …Chambers already had enough problems to deal between taking care of a living eldritch blade, impending doom from a wrathful Goddess and Monsters, the nauseating nest of lies he had spun. One less problem to deal with was a god-send.
Of course, had seen the mutual hatred between the villagers and said harpy, it was hard not to as it practically permeated through the air. For the couple that spoke with the winged monster, there were ten more that either ignored her completely, spat hate-filled insults, or belittlement which always got a snarky return. No one had the will to attack her, fulfill their vendettas, in spite of their desires and the reason was none other than his companion's wishes. That's fair enough; mob justice without a proper trial isn't really my taste.
Speaking about companions, Sun's going down, are they still at it? Luther pondered, gazing at the bright red-orange ball of fire and plasma set on the horizon.
"Chu." Tusk, floating, pointed towards another clearing as best as it could, it was another one of Alice's and Luka's improvised training spots. Its user had already heard all of the shoutings and groaning from the young boy as he attempted to avoid and strike her for hours with little to no success, the boy still held immense battle stamina without any mystical means of recovery he no doubts is aware of its existence soon.
Ugh…He groaned into his palms. What the hell have I been doing all this time? Sitting around thinking of the worst while others are trying to improve. It's like always, isn't it? Except for this time my life is on the line...
"Chumim~in" Luther's stand cooed, consoling him and going underneath his coat and pushing against the fabric forward to the scene, it held little strength despite its sheer lethal power and potential.
If I intend on doing nothing, I might as well see this, I need some distraction. Anything. He complied with his stand's non-verbal demand and stood up, crouching behind a tree seeing how his brave and heroic companion continued to struggle.
Luka dodged to the side, tilting his head to avoid Alice's striking palm barely scraping by his soft skin, she had begun moving faster and more precise in their spar, making his weakness painfully aware to the boy as the many scrapes and bruises could attest to, from being shoved or receiving her "love taps". His left eye flinched but his other one remained open enough to quickly notice her outstretched arm – an opening he could exploit. With his right arm gripping onto Angel Halo comfortably he slashed at the Monster Lord's arm but was suddenly met with another hand to his chin knocking him away from a fair distance.
Damn! Much to Luka's credit the boy's feet landed and remained on the ground as he rolled back recovering. Body ached as his head became light but in the face of his cocky teacher he kept up a determined expression, of the pain and humiliation was worth if he could at least hit her once, a major victory and progress in its own part.
"Good reactions. Would have worked on somebody who wasn't me…now let's see your footwork." She put one foot behind the other as she circled the now cautious hero, ironically much like a vulture around a rotting carcass before it went for its feast. Gone were the previous petty insults and belittling, replaced by teasing and snarky sharp criticism either through verbal or other means. With a smirk, Alice seemingly vanished, but Luka could just about rarely track the blur that she had become.
An attack from the back…how predictable...? He quickly turned to intercept her with Angel Halo attempting to stab her shoulder, his only protection against her. The Monster Lord was almost vehemently bothered by the blade when it was in anyone else's hands, granted anybody would be terrified of the sealing weapon if it headed straight toward them, these devouring powers did not discriminate against, whether it be a ruler or common folk.
She was the one left to avoid his blow, no longer a speeding shape to the fake hero, but a comparably sluggish target, curiously, that smirk remained on her countenance in spite of his aggressive dash toward her. Luka became an accurate whirlwind of stabs and slashes directed at only one individual who remained untouched despite that.
Come on! Just! One! Hit! With every word, his flurry of attacks became faster as his body began screaming from the oxygen debt his muscles incurred working under his ruthless demand for speed and power. He lunged at her neck with strength and swiftness that of a frenzied beast and the technique and grace of a proper fighter, his move hadn't shaken her up a bit.
What…? The fake hero saw Alice simply side step and the feeling of something vaguely leg shaped sweeping his own with tremendous force. Luka's feet were no longer on the ground, neither was Angel Halo at his disposal as it flew out of his grasp. He was failing, diving hands first into the soft grass uncontrollably rolling and flipping over onto his back. Before his body could recover before he could even move Alice straddled him holding down his arms onto the green land.
"You lost~" Alice grinned at her heroic companion's pitiful state seeing his rapid breathing, rising, and failing chest that didn't show any sign of stopping. There was a clear victor for this match; it was decided from the very beginning. "It is as a thought, clumsily and reckless footwork – a very dangerous problem when fighting monsters."
"I haven't lost yet…there's still plenty of fight left in me…" She chuckled from his false bravado; it was clear as they wouldn't be able to struggle out her hold, much less a weaker monster with such exhaustion.
"Oh? Well, shall we extend our loss conditions then? Make it a real battle between a monster and a human?" Alice grinded on the poor boy's lap to demonstrate her point, though disappointingly it seemed his body was too numb and pained to even feel pleasure, yet nonetheless she continued teasing. "I'm sure there is some minuscule chance you struggle out, or, would you just prefer to be raped in this human form?"
Luka's cheeks flushed, her mischievous questions and their position certainly hadn't helped his heart rate decrease one bit. He bit his lip, intently staring at her face. Angel Halo wasn't anywhere near to save him this time. A rogue idea sprung into his head, something which made him flush even further and turn his gaze away. "Can it really be called rape, if there is a preference?"
She leaned back with a challenging smile, letting go out of his arms yet her legs wrapping around tighter on his chest. "Suppose not, but that does imply a certain willingness to it, doesn't it? That depends in this case - are you willing?"
"I – I uh…hu…" The bully hero couldn't utter a single word at that being left completely flustered He found the pressure around his chest vanished as she stood up giving him a little bit of much-needed distance and depriving him of the strange intimateness, leaving him to recover his body and weapon.
"Come on, there is no use in us sitting around, and being exhausted won't help you defeat the harpy queen, either from training or through other means~." The Monster Lord said with a huff, he knew perfectly what she meant, an outcome that was much worse not only for his energy but for his dignity and faith.
"You can come out now, I know you were watching." Alice called out into wilds nearby to the village, much to Luka's surprise Luther emerged from the trees still stressed as ever. His face twisted into a frown much like that of his older friend.
"I didn't hear or see much, I was simply pondering about things when you fought and before you ask, it's personal…" Luther's face remained unflinching, although they could both see something eating away at him. Alice nodded, and Luka didn't want to pester the main either
So as long as you don't wander off with your daydreaming and lose your grip on reality it will be fine, anyway, our session here is done...unless you want to work on your capabilities, hmm?" Alice inquired, only getting a silent headshake from Chambers. She walked off leaving both males alone, and for the fake hero to reveal his exhaustion with a heavy breath.
"Ugh…I'm glad she is done, don't know how long I could take it, she called it stamina and speed training." Luka lamented fully sheathing his sealing blade into its small scabbard. He noticed the unfocused frown he gave to him. "Hey, are you-"
"You did well, now get your break, can't have a hero throwing his life away just because he did catch some rest. It's nice to be diligent, but too much can be detrimental" Luther suggested padding the boy on the back and subtly pushing him toward the direction of the village. The fake hero walked automatically, hoping to catch up to Alice's slow stride, but not before turning back around for one more glance.
"I'll be fine, just a lot of troubles on my mind…"
I'm not fine, I'm not fine…I need to relax, somehow get these thoughts out of my head, even if temporarily… Luther felt as if accusatory figurative walls started to close around him. The more he looked at that prison blade the more was reminded of how horrible this world that he was transported in was, and through his own fault. Tusk didn't help the issue much as best it tried to spread its harmonious serenity to him. He was too disjointed to accept.
Why here? Out of all the places and why did I have to be me? I have witnessed and done such horrors over the course of a few days! He growled into his hands as his fingernails dug into his scalp, the knowledge of being here was already torturous enough, but to think the very firsts acts he had committed coming here was deceit and murder, lies all too horrible that he would never utter in a lifetime. Anger and despair welled up within him at the thought of the potential child kidnapping, predatory behavior of some of the monsters, and worst of all the sealing of those Angels for all eternity.
Locked away, suffering for my own and the world's sake and you don't even want nor have the will to lift even a finger, what are you and what have you done with me?
It's only going to get worse Luther, there is no point in worrying about this. Despite this conviction, he felt his soul burn as if a cancer was spreading through it, eliminating any form of goodwill and hope left in him. The best he could at this point was minimizing his pain – that was his only likely option. If Chamber couldn't help, then he would drone out the screams.
Music…games…photos or videos…anything… The troubled man reached into his bag, pulling out the phone he had stashed away only a couple of days ago possibly not seeing the light of day again if it wasn't for such a need for its entertainment. He had no other worries. Nobody was watching him do this, not even Ilias, such a weakness and detail he could not afford to show no matter what pain he felt. Its screen turned on with a singular long click of a side button, showing the lock screen that displayed battery, internal clock, and…
Th-The…the date…I missed it… Luther's hands shook erratically at the sight of it, apathy no longer shielded him as his face almost lifeless froze into a look of shame and despair, his heartbeat raced, and he swallowed a lump in his throat multiple times as his mouth dried up. The man's shoulders and head slumped to the point where he carelessly dropped the bag, his knees following closely behind hitting the dirt and grass. He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his lips, except dry coughing and sharp intakes of air. Tusk floated along on his thigh trying to draw its attention but failing miserably as he paid no mind to its presence.
I already passed it - the day I visit dad's grave, the day he died…how could I forget?
It was another sharp knife that was left twisted in his heart, a reminder of his failures, of everything taken away from him. Everything was gone, his belongings, the few friends he had, his family, his entire world, but perhaps he could…
"No, stop deluding yourself, you can't return Luther, it's not possible" The man let out a few hopeless chuckles staring at his phone's screen, not that it mattered anymore. He was still trapped as ever, an entire universe away from his home even after having done so far, the shameful lying, the killing, and assault, the inaction in the face of ultimate torturous isolation. He was nearly raped by someone he could say trusted a little. Nothing in his life could compare. "Destiny has a habit of making its punching bag, doesn't it?"
What happens to me now? I have no real means of escape…why am I here, why did I touch that orb? Is this a punishment for some unknown transgression? To hell with this entire world! I wish it was all burned to ash, scattered into the emptiness that is space along with me and its creators! With a yell, Luther slammed his fist into the ground as hard as he could, entire arm ached but he cared not.
What else does this world have in store for me!? His few hopelessly pessimistic chuckles slowly turned into outward manic laughter as he stretched his arms out into the sky and then gripped the sides of his face. Is this how it ends? Am I to be drained and then eaten by some biological freak with the self-awareness of a brick? A quick death at least…even worse I could get turned into some pathetic sex slave, constantly used over and over again until my life runs dry, and if I'm lucky I can be a "Husband" to one of them as if that's any different, perhaps with a little more dignity left intact…
"What if I win, killing a god… am I then left to wander the lands alone, or waste away in some forgotten corner when everyone else I know thinks I'm long dead and moved on…I really am just another stepping stone for this world's 'bright future'…blech." He gave his laugh a hard stop with a fierce yet shaky frown, catching his breath. Luther felt his stand creep upon his arm, cooing an eerily familiar tune with different pitches. It had almost appeared to be crying…
"Chu! Chu! Chumimi~in!" Tusk avoided comforting Luther's arm instead, floating and reaching for the dropped bag, its small body slowly entering it, rummaging around in Chamber's only belongings bewildering even its user as to what its plans were. Luther painfully waited, blankly staring off into the far distance, his vision becoming cloudy; these lands were far too peaceful to have such horrible beings live within them was what he thought. The man had no idea how long he spent unmoving, only to be interpreted by a sudden sadness and longing nostalgia in his link.
His right hand felt the touch of smooth plastic-like paper, something which he curiously accepted from the dark, star-covered stand. He brought it up to his view, clutching it closely. It was a photo, the contents of which paralyzed him, understanding the emotions his stand was feeling. Small tear droplets fell onto the material, staining it lightly, he choked up. I…I…didn't know I still had this.
Chambers' hands quivered as held it as best he could, the photo depicted a small boy and a much older parental man standing close together and smiling. The old man looked similar to Luther in build and facial structure, few gray strands of hair accompanied his short fringe, he was giving the child next to him an affectionate noogie while the soft brown-haired boy tried getting him off- a picture of a child and a father, a picture of Luther with his father. It was a photo none of them were prepared in taking, yet this one was the most precious.
"Chu…" Tusk flew up to snuggle into its user's neck as he turned the photo to see the white background that had something written on it in neat black handwriting that was not his own.
Cry if you want, you'll have your chance to see the dawn. A message that carved its way into his souls, a message he so desperately wished to come true, in the very least it was like that when his old man was still in the living world with him.
Luther remembered the time when his father was alive as sobs turned into full crying, he wouldn't be wrong if he were to call it the happiest parts of his life only to be rivaled by a few. There were many moments where he spent time with family playing sports, games, reading books, and discussing ideas. He wanted him to grow, they all did…that was until a fateful accident then it all progressively went downhill from there.
Hot smoke and ash filled my lungs as flames started to surround them, I was trapped with no way to escape unscathed, barely alive and conscious as it is, disoriented from the crash. It felt like I could drift away so easily into Neverland and let the inferno consume me. That…was until he spoke to me, he saved me, left me unharmed at the cost of my own life.
"It should have been me…"
"It should have been me…" He said, wiping the mass of tears away from his eyes and staining his sleeves. Tusk wept with him.
"I wish you were still around, that you could appear to me for one minuscule minute so you can tell me what to do or that all will be fine because at this point it is hard to believe that myself…I try to be good, I really do, but many mistakes were made and I feel like I'm just following in the footsteps of your shadow just for your sake. So…offer me your guidance if that is even possible." The despair-filled man pleaded, wheezing and clutching the picture close to his chest, soft footsteps behind him in the grassy fields interrupted the sound of blowing air and his cries.
"Hey, Luther I was wondering when- are you…crying?" Luka's young boyish voice was both unmistakable and painful to hear, this was the thing he least expected or wanted – somebody stumbling upon him in such pitiful stat, he wanted to be alone and Luka wasn't likely to leave him be so easily or if he had the will to tell him off.
The boy without another word rushed to Luther's side kneeling with him and putting a supporting hand on his unmoving friend's shoulder. Through great effort Luka witnessed Chamber's sorrowful face, the one he tried hard to hide away, his red tear-stained cheeks were too hard to look at, the fake hero couldn't even imagine that the stoic cold wall that was his friend would ever break down in such a manner and for what reason? Luka's only desire at this moment was to find a reason for his companion's pain and he did try prying, but it proved useless after several minutes, Luther's lips were shut tight as his eyes continued to water. Instead, Luka was determined to simply stay by his side.
"Hey…it's alright you can trust me…I won't tell anyone." Luka knew how secretive his friend could be and something personal like this would be no exception, but nonetheless, he sought to help. Luther helped him with his inadequacy and training; it was time for him to return the favor.
"Mourning...a few days ago from now is when I usually visit my dad's grave." That was all Luther responded with unsure of why he spoke, perhaps only seeking to comfort whoever he can. The man grew stiff as he felt arms wrap around his waist holding him in a calming hug, not letting up a single hint that he wasn't going to let go for a long time.
"Ah, when did he…?" Immediately Luka understood what he was feeling, he was extremely familiar with the death of family, and to know his friend had experienced the same loss was surprising and unexpected, then again such a thing wouldn't be easy to guess in the fake hero either.
"Twelve years ago." Luther said in a shaky voice, yet somehow ended up sounding lifeless as well not aiding Luka's composure at all.
"Twelve years?!" The purpled haired boy gasped in shock, his friend's pitiful state reminded him much of the earlier days when his mother passed away when the pain wasn't so dulled and shouldering. It was easy to imagine the same circumstances for Luther, but the emotions portrayed were too much for the time that passed so he couldn't help but be flabbergasted nonetheless giving empathy to his friend. "Isn't that a li-"
"To grieve, never." Luther responded with the sheer amount of determination and contempt in his voice compared to his usual self couldn't help but create whiplash for the poor boy holding him like a corpse. Why shouldn't he be able to grieve? Was there some set time limit where a person's death no longer matters, it was shameful to even consider such a concept for the man.
"Everything is okay, people just cope differently…I get it…" Luka let out an awkward laugh at his mistake, he knew what he was crossed into was a touchy topic and he should tread lightly lest he makes this even worse. His mother was the only family Luka ever truly had, back then the only joy in his life and so when her illness finally took her life wasn't the same, it still isn't. There were times he spent locked away in his bedroom either praying or thinking of pointless what-ifs.
"I take it he was close to you." This was the only conclusion the fake hero made, it only seemed fitting when comparing his own life,
"He was a good man – smart, kind and charismatic, nearly perfect… if the world had more people like him around there wouldn't be any need for any suffering. Much of what I seek is because of him…he saved my life at the cost of his own, gave me a debt I cannot hope to repay" Chambers sighed as he let his tears flow freely. He heard Tusk's soft cooing which tried to help him calm down, but a storm had already brewed within as he returned Luka's hug holding on tightly, nearly crushing him. "I don't get it! Why did he have to die!? Why was I the one to live, it should have been me that died! Instead, he gave his life away to a failure that got himself stranded in the middle of nowhere! I wonder what he would think now, what do you think he would say to me?"
"Don't say that! You're not a failure and if you were it wouldn't matter, he saved you because you were family and that shows how much he cared about you! "
"How do you know?" Luther yelled back, biting down his tongue as he noticed how spooked the boy.
"Some things are just outside our control…" Luka paused feeling his own eyes begin to water, he shared that sentiment – fate just seemed far too cruel at certain times. "My mom's life slowly faded away in front of my own eyes, denied needed medicine by the villager. I hated them for letting her die out of stupid superstition, I wanted to see them gone… but with her dying breath she pleaded for me not to hate them, to become a great hero… "
Luther waited for Luka to continue, the sun was already beginning to set. He already knew the story, but not the full extent to how much it affected him or the moral he was trying to present in the meanwhile he felt a massive presence coming from a certain nosy goddess spying on them, she always followed wherever the boy went, part of him wondered whether or not she took any breaks other than nighttime which only filled him with anger. Good, keep watching, let yourself see what pain you have inflicted on your family… you care so deeply about…you deserve all guilt you can get.
"What I'm trying to say here…it's obvious we can't change the past or bring them back…but the best we can do is keep their wishes in mind and move forward, I'm sure that's what my mother would want and that's what I've done…I'm here right now because of that with a good friend." Luka finished cleaning away his tears. Luther reflected at Luka's statement carefully, he had tried to move forward only to end up as some pathetic mockery of his father – a man who wanted to help the world. He wasn't even sure if that desire was pure in hindsight, simply done out of pity and respect, a path that wasn't his own that left him broken…ironic.
There he was complaining and despairing over what his father would feel toward him if he knew what he had become that Luther failed to realize something - his dad did depart with last words, specifically addressed to no one else but him. Had he failed in considering
"Whatever happens from now on, know that I will always love you. Keep going forward and don't stop. Be who you want to be, I promise you – everything will be okay…I trust you…"
"Thank you, I needed that…" Luka was right, Luther thought. His father likely never wanted him to sulk around like this in such dire circumstances, he wanted his son to live and strive no matter what happened even in this god-forsaken world even after all he had done. "You can let go now, I'll be fine."
Luka didn't comply, much to his chagrin, squeezing back even harder for a moment, really making sure his compatriot was fine. The fake hero finally let go after a couple of minutes when it got uncomfortable, he stood up giving the distance between them as he politely gestured toward the village where many were left waiting.
"Come on, I can keep you company there, besides they might need more supervision if we don't want a strangled harpy on our hands. "Luka nervously japed, flashing a smile that fit his tone.
"No…I need to stay here a bit and compose myself, can't go out there looking like a mess." The stand user rubbed his face, messaging it.
"Alright, I understand." The purple-haired boy furiously nodded, sluggish turning to walk back to the Happiness Village.
"Wait, before you go." Luther paused, swallowing the last lump in his throat along with despair and fear remembering those words said to him.
"Keep going forward and don't stop."
"Can you leave Angel Halo with me? I'll give it back to you, promise." The older man requested, earnestly gazing at his short ally with pleading eyes, unlike the previous times he talked with Alice or Luka there was no apathetic shell, he was completely transparent now, but that did not mean he was going to burden anyone else with this cursed knowledge, so he kept the reason out of his request.
"Uhm… okay…" The fake hero unbuckled the scabbard that contained the cursed prison blade handing it to Luther who shivered ever so slightly at the contact and with that he said his departing words. "If you ever need any help, just ask…"
Luka left, he was now alone with Angel Halo in his admittedly shaky hands.
It's now or never, I've been avoiding you for so long…whatever happens, happens…He unsheathed holding it in front of his view, he wouldn't dare look away now even when all of its eyes were trained on him like they were expecting him, but he wasn't sure whether the stare appeared malicious or not. This was it, there was no turning back. He was going to confront them and hopefully comfort them whether he likes it or not, it was the only way he saw to redeem himself.
"Chumimi~in" Lighthearted as it was strange to feel Tusk cheering him on, last time he has done this the poor fighting ghost was terrified half to death, he had no clue how to take this, did it foretell something good after a couple of moments of hesitation and direct eye-contact with Angel Halo determined that he didn't truly care and accepted encouragement.
Please let there be any forgiveness left in you all and if not then at least it will end with me trying to do good in this world, besides there is not much of a good end for me left.
Unending darkness surrounded Luther and Tusk leaving only a bright silver flame of his soul emanating from his chest to illuminate and give comfort to them, eerily familiar surroundings that safe to say brought unpleasant to the man. It was quiet, quiet enough to hear a pin drop from a mile away in this environment or in his case his breathing, Tusk's soft sounds, and his heart palpitations. Everything was heard in great detail, making it easy enough to notice the slight arrhythmia, the raspiness of his breath along with his saliva being swallowed echoed through the most space.
I think this was a mistake, it's not the thought of being alone that gets you, but the thought that you're not alone in a place like this. Such emptiness nearly paralyzed him completely in an instant, this was what those Angels faced for a large part of their lives. He couldn't imagine living like this for a week or two let alone eternity even with Tusk around, not that he hated it, just a barely vocal part of your soul wasn't much of a conversationalist when you're trapped in an endless void. The very fact that the sealed angels could appear at any moment and tear him apart racked his nerves every second that passed to no end, it would so easy to just leave...
"Chu…" Tusk was correct, although it did share his sentiment about this prison, he was here to fulfill a promise and fear wasn't going to stop him - he either dies here or he dies later. There is little difference, he concluded.
Chambers thought to make the best of his hopeless situation and stepped forward with an insecure gait, his stand hanging off his arm and playfully swinging around to calm itself, it's always capable of radiating a joy that kept him feeling alive. He felt a sharp gust of wind flow through him, a sign that they were close.
"I'm back, right here…" A slight quivering of the hand, the shaking small in his leg, his entire body told him that declaring was a horrible idea only being reaffirmed by several hauntingly divine voices calling, resounding throughout the black abyss contained within Angel Halo.
Gold entered his vision, the imposing figure, a concentrated mass of light energy more accurately, stood before him just far enough away that the idea of fleeing didn't seem too far fetched as they hadn't acted yet. Its features were as indiscernible as ever - hard to tell where one appendage started and the other ended, red glowing orbs that vaguely seem to act as eyes scattered about. In his previously abrupt visit, he had never truly considered the staggering size difference between them, no wonder they could envelop him so easily.
"...well, I uh…" Luther shook in the face of the collection of angels, the fear in him was evident for them gripped his hands into fits and closed his eyes. "I'm so- Ah!"
The man and stand yelped as they were lifted off the black ground in blinding speed, enveloped by their warm intangible form, most of his body pushed away or phased through the golden air that composed their form, there wasn't much struggle against. Their body was more of an unstoppable force than any physical object he could interact with.
Chambers wildly swung his arms and legs around causing little to no actual effect on the Angels, it was all over for him, this was all he got for being altruistic - torn limbs, broken spine, and shattered soul, yet…
None of that happened, he was being held but it was a gentle embrace that endured despite his miss-guided defiance. Hushed whispers that welcomed him back entered his mind like a symphony, he heard how they thanked him for his mere mending presence, his body relaxed feeling a strangely soft surface behind his back. Arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind, gently sliding down his chest and grabbing Tusk, almost playing with the tiny stand.
Their gold interlaced with his silver aura, like vines wrapping around one another, sharing their energy as it calmly cycled through - a very familiar intimate bliss that couldn't help but bring comfort even as his soul vehemently rejected such breach of personal space, perhaps this was a complete connection he could have established with that small lamia child? His face twisted into a grimace as he remembered.
A tangible figure emerged from the holy mist that looked vaguely woman-like in its bountiful and buxom shape, in place of its eyes were the same red orbs that accompanied the rest of its misty form, it was a singular body they all shared - that of pseudo-formlessness. The feminine figure held him down preventing any minuscule chance of escape, Luther felt their touch, physical for the first time. He glanced to his side, one of the pair's arms holding him belonged to another figure, whose breasts he had made a pillow of, in fact, on closer inspection there were feminine figures of varying proportions all around him colliding, separating, mixing, and submerging into one another.
"So many...ah! Y-you, don't hate me for leaving?" The stand user stuttered out still shocked from the sudden display of affection - he had expected for them to enact their reckoning with him leaving before any real damage could be done, yet still, it was an unexpected change of events. His unforeseen wardens understood his confusion although they did very little to aid it with conflicting answers and some questions as the angel in front of him caressed his cheek, brushing away tears from his bloodshot eyes. He flinched away leaving a grasping delicate hand dissatisfied.
Chambers watched as Tusk was whisked away by a group of random hands and wings, they gently passed him around, tickling or poke the small spiritual being, the gears in mind began to turn logically processing through and attempting to a conclusion until it suddenly hit him on the head. Oh...of course, they wouldn't hate the only person they saw in… god knows...how long, especially if that individual is like a pain killer to them.
Pleasant hymns echoing in his thoughts confirmed his assumption, although their ability to poke around his head displeased him greatly, at this point he couldn't complain considering they were directly touching at the edge's of his soul, nonetheless their company proved to be comforting. He had many things to say to them. "Once again, sorry for leaving... It just happened so abruptly and I didn't know how to react appropriately, I was…"
"Scared, of being lost here or being torn apart." Luther felt their objection in the slight manic change of their flow, the orbs changed shape into sharp triangles mimicking a glare. "Hey, you didn't exactly help the case when you charged at me."
The man immediately regretted saying that, many of the angel figures before him slumped their gazes softening shoulders others continued to glare, their actions were of desperation, he couldn't blame them. "Uh...right, I was the first person you've ever seen in this isolated hell, looking at this place it's easy to say I wouldn't even last a week…"
He hated it - the sheer dread contained in their acknowledgment and the seeking of comfort from their embrace, reminding him of how much time they spent practically duct-taped to each other. He continued. "Regardless there was no way I could stay with for long. Time in the outside world still flows normally when with you, to the others around me I would be standing completely frozen, not very explainable in my case now, is it?."
Many of the figures nodded, some tightened their grips on him in hopes that he wouldn't prematurely escape again, the one on top of him shifted her body, her "eyes" moving abdomen. Two red orbs mixed together becoming larger and beginning to expand even further encompassing her upper part of the body. Luther observed curiously as a black dot appeared in the middle surrounded by a green iris, its whole design was akin to many of the eyes that adorned its sword-shaped prison.
That's me... He soon found himself staring at what appeared to be a reflection, however as he examined closely the background was the forested nature he was accustomed to seeing, the "reflection" also didn't follow his own movement staying completely still in a meditative trance. His real-world counterpart kept its eyes closed, still breathing. They can look outside, that's good, means there is some hope - a prison which you can stick your head out is one you can escape from.
"You can see outside? Right, right... I'll be honest and get to the point, I came here to apologize and…" Luther felt them eagerly awaiting his further words, he quietly noted the limitations of their mind reading they were capable of - only surface-level thoughts it seemed. " You don't deserve to be locked away, or at least for all of eternity...maybe I could try to free all you somehow...one or another, at first I thought of breaking the sword, though that may just end up destroying you..."
The man felt a surge in joy from most of them. Others proved to be strangely skeptical, both of his intentions but his capability to do so, he couldn't blame them for doubting him after all he hadn't exactly confess to his complete thought process. All things come to light eventually, he shouldn't hope false hope. "If it's possible I will try that I can promise, but…"
And there it came - crushing suspicion and cynicism. Of course, there would be some form of repayment, they thought. His promise wasn't exactly a little thing to accomplish, but they couldn't accept an outrageous offer despite their compromising situation, perhaps there would be ways to persuade him using their 'expertise'. It would be the first time they did it like this together, a lot of them wondered whether his mind and body could endure that, yet his alien soul gave all the reassurance they needed. Regardless they intensely listened, keeping their thoughts and whispers to themselves.
"This world needs you…" He sighed knowing he couldn't exactly expose the whole truth, if he could say it outright then subtlety will have to do. "As you can probably tell by my 'essence' I'm not a normal human, I know a lot of things my others don't. There are people hidden in the shadow of large scheming, plotting a total takeover or destruction of the entire world, these people are powerful and I'm afraid they can only be beaten with the help of your combined might…"
"If you haven't caught on yet, I'm asking you not only for my sake but also for the millions alive right now - Monster, Human, Angel, and for peace to stay inside for a bit longer." The sudden change in atmosphere was unmistakable, Luther felt foreign disappointment, frustration, betrayal, and rage, their hands shifted into claws that lightly dug into his clothes. Those Angels couldn't believe it, they waited all this time, watching him just to be told he will be abandoning them once more to cold cold dark.
"Chu Chu!" Tusk pleaded with them to listen, one of the view things keeping them from enacting their vindication on him to tear him apart, besides the calming link they had. Chambers leaned forward grabbing onto one of the figure's hands intertwining their fingers together, they froze at his determined countenance, one they saw so many times on the purple-haired companion of his.
"I won't leave you to suffer, never! It's already enough that I've done horrible things - lie, kill and assault, I'm not going to let this become another regret..." He took a deep breath, his words and conviction had eased and enthused them as he spread his silvery aura around. "From my little amount of knowledge, this energy seems to ease whatever pained state you're in if my senses are correct, this peace lasts for a lengthy time. My point is - you don't have to be in pain and help us, whenever you need it I can be there…"
"...Most of the time…" Luther finished, the man admittedly couldn't account for everything and while having an ally was great he still needed to get stronger personally if we're to stand a chance at survival. They froze completely at his heartfelt and determined tone, their grasp on his body becoming slipping for just a moment before being squeezed from all sides into a tight embrace, Tusk was fashioned into a soothing plush toy for them as well.
"Uh!...I guess you agree with my proposition?" The man couldn't help but smile at their almost child-like joy and acceptance, he didn't know why it seemed to be uncharacteristic for them to do so, likely a side effect of them staying here for so long.. "Then this marks the first of many sessions."
Luther relaxed as their grips on him weakened, allowing his mind to wander without worry for questions long forgotten or intended to ask, joined by soft whispering that answered them. Curiosity and a spark of hope guided him to ponder and probe his mind like it once did in the past, a feeling he had nearly forgotten. Although that feeling quickly turned to bewilderment. The man sourly starred as the central angel straddling him unbuttoned his coating before dropping down onto his chest, sensually sliding down his back and letting her 'naked' breasts squish against him, their faces only a foot apart. It wasn't helped by the subtle tugs and touches that became more frequent, their assets rubbing against his body.
Oh, no, no, no...Luther nervously twitched as another pressed her chest against the back of his head, ultimately something he wouldn't mind if it wasn't with any other sultry action, he didn't doubt for a moment that he had gathered some amount of affection from them yet this was beginning to be too much for him. The true horror came when he spotted at the corner of his vision several other Angels gather below, he felt their hands on his pants, his belt being slowly unbuckled by one as the other reached under
"None of that! " He defiantly roared out, startling many of them into an uncomfortable silence, his eyes explored trying to find any spot where they didn't completely take up his vision. "Please...don't do this, I don't want this and likely never will...neither would I be in the mood if I did."
"I'm a real mood killer, aren't I?" Chambers bitterly laughed, earning a soft coo from his stand and a look of disappointment and shame from the angels. They complied, many of them knowing full well that he could just leave in an instant. He was right, his emotional state wasn't truly happy to them. "Look, I'm fine with what we have already, so best not to ruin that."
They notice a certain shakiness in his voice, furthermore scribing through his emotions proved to be melancholic at best - a piece of information was missing, something he didn't share, great sadness remained hidden underneath, recalling his teary expression as marched into their little pocket prison. Eventually, some of them dared to ask.
"It's nothing…" He winced from gazes they looked to be full of suspicion despite their simplistic appearance, or perhaps it was him projecting his own self-judgment. He confessed to Luka about his pain, a boy he was afraid of calling a friend in an environment no doubt filled with an inquisitive goddess - likely his future enemy. So why couldn't he do the same here? There was no one else listening, just him and an isolated band of angels floating in a black empty space.
Luther closed his eyes, grabbing the startled Angel on top of him, pulling her closer, and letting his chin rest on her head, she and her sisters eventually returned the caring gesture. "My father died twelve years ago, ever since that day my life hasn't been the same - a cruel wake call to reality...the anniversary of his death was a couple of days, I missed it without having a single thought about it. Now I am stuck, his grave far away, I can only hope what remains of my family tends to it..."
Chambers had begun to notice that tears were flowing his eyes again, never had he expected that homesickness would ever strike him so hard, but it's was simple desire - he wanted to be away from all of this depravity, deceit, and pain, back home where the only thing killing him was alcohol and apathy and where there was no need to lie to orphans, hurt or kill anyone. The man needed someplace to reassure himself, to move forward as promised.
"I have another request...help me feel better about myself, at least for now."
Luther's notes: Angels.
The third race inhabiting this universe and unlike many of the rest of the inhabitants, all of them are spiritual beings purely composed of Light Energy, unlike their monstrous counterparts which possess physical aspects that were molded by Dark Energy. They're the first living creation of Ilias, the Goddess of Light, originally designed to simply keep her company and stay off her loneliness, but their 'yes-man' attitude managed to drive the Primordial being to even further isolation, which inevitably proved to be the cause of many catastrophes and her very end.
Not like their Dark counterpart, they were directly created by Ilias with no preexisting template being present, the only exception of being herself. As a result most of them originally resembled their creator in some way – graceful winged women, only differentiating as time passed by and the need for diverse and combative roles became prominent after aggressions between both supernatural species, often taking what sane men would call grotesque forms which were sometimes hidden away. Further direct creations of Angels seemed to mostly cease, barring some few exceptions, after Ilias uncovered the ancestors of this world's Humans.
Each Angel could be called a fragment of light, tiny elementals in their own right, one would wonder if it's possible to make contracts with them like with Four Spirits, but I personally suppose that's what blessings were.
Because of their lack of physicality and being made entirely out of Light Energy, their forms are very moldable, a skilled Angel would be able to theoretically manipulate their form adding appendages or certain other features to their body, they're also intangible, unable to be harmed or touched without consent by anything other than their own kind and some exceptions I would go into detail later.
Energy is not the only thing that differentiates Angels and Monsters. Angels had a strict hierarchal structure of varying ranks very similar to the Abrahamic faith one, typically the more less-humanoid features an Angel had (Counting true form) the higher ranked they were, much different from the generally disorganized communities that Monsters have. Although the rank structure has been unofficially dismantled after the war there still seems to be some form of instinctual superior-subordinate relationships still left. Despite all of those differences behavior-wise Angel aren't different Monsters, they both seemed to be predatory towards Humanity, equally as capable of the same depravity, though possessing a higher sense of self-importance (Probably a remnant of Ilias's personality and the decades spent with the general lack of contact with Humans and Monsters)
Relations between Monster and Angels are strained due to them and their creators practically being mortal enemies, the past of massive conflict between one another has left a taste of disgust and hostility toward one another; however, they seem to be finding more and more common ground through brief findings in my travels.
Was is most interesting to note is their capability to see and interact with Stands and vice versa which came as a shock, but in hindsight that should have been an obvious conclusion on my part both Stand and Angels are spiritual in nature and therefore should be able to interact. Yet I haven't witnessed Ghosts interact or fight with them directly with the exception of one friend.
With the aid of some of my new colleagues and friends my study into Angel physiology, society, and history keeps increasing. I can only hope my other research progresses in such a manner.
AN: Luther started off as a concept of putting a generally prudish but compassionate person in an otherwise perverted and sadistic world, and I'll be honest, if given the chance of going to MGQ I would not go there, it's simply my paranoid risk evaluation kicking in. Not only is there off lack of technology in the human populace, something we as humans have come to depend on heavily, I also don't have the proper means to defends myself from Monsters and Angels, they're just more powerful.
Or maybe I'm just not horny enough.
I can also safely say that this story and the main character (in my outlines at the very least) have developed far more than I expected compared to the planning process of SoD.
Reviews:
-doomqwer: Boy, you have no idea. He might as well name himself "Tragic-Backstory Man", although all will be well later on and his backstory isn't all depressing.
-lytsadboi: new review pog.
-Jajo Camello: Would it be surprising I'm still rather dissatisfied with my work. Regardless writing this has exposed me to some of the mistakes I do, particularly the problem of missing articles and certain words. My mind sometimes goes faster than my hands and I often end up starting the next sentences when I haven't finished the last one. Trying to desperately curb that.
-Ruberforumfree: While I did respond to you in PM I'll make this short in here. MC is being irrational and desperately clinging on to hope - that breakdown of his was the culmination of that. Yes, this is a Luka/Alice fic, I don't know why you want the MC/ Alice to be a thing and I'll try to develop all of their relationships further because personally, I think it was a bit lackluster in canon, adding little parts here and there and making some different story decisions won't hurt. About the plot convenience part...I'm not going to lie, you made my blood boil for a day with that offhand comment, what you called plot convenience was build-up I've been planning over the course of the multiple chapters, but I can excuse and rationalize your comment simply by guessing you didn't read the other chapters after posting that particular chapter's review, which isn't bad just a little of unusual for me.
-Thatz mann: Yes, I also had Luther reference Thanos right afterward.
Thank you for the support, I'll see you next chapter.