OKAY….SO THE FIRST CHAPTER ACTUALLY WENT SURPRISINGLY WELL….WONDER HOW THIS ONE WILL DO. HAH! BTW….DON'T THINK I'M ABANDONING THE STORY….LIKE EVER IF I DON'T SAY ANYTHING….CAUSE I'LL LET YA KNOW...BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
In the quiet hours of the morning, a beast awakens from his peaceful slumber. His golden, viper-like eyes widened as he remembered the events of last night. He looked to his left and saw Alice sleeping right next to him.
Luka really hated reminiscing about lewd memories...but he can't deny he didn't enjoy it. The events that transpired could be dumbed down to...He ravaged Alice. After he closed his eyes Alice began to straddle him, he couldn't control himself after that. He could still hear Alice's screams and moans in his head. She had quite the time with him. She tried to tease him but he wouldn't have it. He was never going to let someone dominate him...ever….the very thought was disgusting. Alice could have her meal….but he was going to have a say in it.
Luka shaked himself out of his thoughts before slowly getting out of bed,trying not to wake the lamia. He walked over to where his armor was...he had planned to sleep in it...but that didn't happen. He still had trouble getting it on right and being tired wasn't helping.
After a few minutes of trial and error, he had gotten it on properly once again. He finished by putting on his helmet...he was ready to set off once again. Luka looked over and wondered if he should wake Alice up or let her awake on her own.
"What are you staring at me for? Idiot" she remarked,her eyes now wide open.
'Well i don't have to worry about waking her up now' Luka thought to himself before turning around to grab his gear. He put the inactive sword on his belt and grabbed his small pouch full of items.
"We should probably be on our way….i would like to get this over with as soon as possible" He said.
Alice sighed in frustration before slowly getting up. Her hair was a complete mess from last night's events. She slowly smoothed it out before getting her strange clothes on.
"I didn't think you could be such an animal in bed like that" She remarked as she licked her lips.
"You straddled me if I remember correctly...so you asked for it….i refuse to be dominated by anyone" Luka replied, his tone turned slightly grumpy. Alice shakes her head before turning into her human form again.
They walked out of the room and into reception. They found the owner smiling at them.
"Sounded like you guys had fun last night" She winked. Lukas eyes slightly widened.
"Were...we that loud?" He asked. The owner nodded. Luka sighed before face palming himself. "Forgive us for that...we'll be on our way.
"Wait! I actually have a favour to ask" She stopped the beast in his tracks.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Well you see...after your lover here ate most of our ama ama dangos...we don't have enough happiness honey to make anymore...that's mostly due to the lack of men in happiness village to collect said honey" The owner explained.
"How is there a lack of men?" Luka asked, completely ignoring that first part.
"I don't know...I was going to ask the both of you to check it out if you could...if you could defeat that swordsman it would be a piece of cake" she answered. The beast nodded before walking towards the entrance.
"We'll fix the issue" Luka remarked before walking out the door. The moment the door closed behind them He began to glare at Alice.
"What?" She shrugged.
"Maybe next time you should know to pace yourself" He huffed before heading into the market for supplies. Luka scoured around the marketplace in search of ingredients and food. It took almost half an hour...but he found everything he needed. He then saw there was an armory...his curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to check it out.
He entered through the entrance and immediately the shopkeeper was shocked by the creature that just walked through his door.
"Uu..uhh, hello sir..i..is there anything you would like to look at?" He asked nervously.
"I am just browsing...not much else I need" Luka replied before tapping his armor. The owner looked at his armor in amazement.
"What is that armor made of?" He asked. Luka shrugged.
"No idea, all I know is that my father gave it to me...but I was too young to ask him" he replied.
"Well...pick out what you like" the owner gestured to the store,dropping the subject. Luka looked around the store. There wasn't much here could even fit a beast of his size, but his curiosity was lifted when found an interesting plate of armor. He picked it up, inspecting it.
"What is this?" He asked.
"Oh,you got a good eye. This is from the village of Enrika" he replied. Luka nodded before putting it down.
'Enrika...enrika...it sounds so familiar...yet..i can't quite recall' he thought before walking towards the entrance.
"Thank you for your time," Luka said before walking out the door. He turned to his right to immediately see Alice.
"Alright, I believe we are ready to set off" He remarked before walking towards the city exit. They were stopped however by a….interesting creature.
"Ufufu….i have found my hero" The creature said. It had the head of a snake...and the lower half of a woman.
"What the he-"
"My name is Amira….you have stolen my maiden heart!" she remarked. Luka remained silent from the situation being too outlandish to comprehend. He had a deep breath and began to think logically once more.
'Why does this exist? Why do you exist!?' Luka screamed mentally.
"You gave me such love and courage!" The snake woman said in such a way that she was asking to be sliced to bits. Lukas fingers got extremely twitchy as they reached for his blade.
"I know how you feel...but you need to calm down, warrior" Alice remarked from behind him. "If you want a world of coexistence...it also includes that thing too"
"Very well...let's go" Luka breathed as he continued walking.
"I actually have a request!" Amira said, walking along with them.
"And that is?" He growled, his patience beginning to wear thin once more.
"A group of monsters has been causing trouble around town lately...seeing this brings such pain to my heart" she answered, her sorrow almost sounded fake. "They are causing trouble for the city folk too...and while my appearance is quite powerful...my skills...aren't"
"So you want me to take out a bunch of bandits?...hmph...sounds interesting at least" Luka huffed." Where are they located?"
"At the base of a mountain range to the west," Amira answered.
"Fine...I'll do it," he replied.
"That's the man who stole my heart!" She squealed.
"Your heart will be down your gullet in a minute" Luka grumbled under his breath. He watched as the unfortunate lamia crawled away, out of site. He turned back to Alice putting her hands on her hips.
"So you're really going to do it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not? Helping people in need is my job...it's why i started this journey to begin with" He replied. "Now then...let's go"
Alice sighed in annoyance.
"Idiot" she replied.
Luka ignored the insult as they walked out of the city.
(A FEW MINUTES OF WALKING LATER)
They continued down the dirt path that led out of the city when Alice called out to Luka, now back in her true form.
"So when you encounter more monsters...will you kill them?" She asked, not really caring either way.
"If they are a threat to my life...they are a threat to others lives...therefore...I will either kill them or beat them into submission" he replied. Alice nodded, satisfied with his answer.
"So...i take it you wouldn't want this?" She asked as she pulled out a...sword?
"Alice...what in the hell...is this?" Luka asked, holding the abomination by the handle. It was of a very unique design. It sported tons of mutated naked women on the blade, all carved in stone. He noticed they were most likely angels too by the wings some of the women had near the hilt of the blade. It also had weird red spots near the tip of the sword. The tip wasn't a sharp point...it was a curved blade on the end...designed for cutting, not stabbing.
"It's called the angel halo...it's one of a kind in this world, very valuable too" Alice answered. The beast continued to look at the abomination in confusion and slight disgust. "You can use it if you wish….or you can kill or beat your foes...depends on you"
"Huh...what does it do?" He asked. The lamia sighed.
"It turns the monsters you fight against into a weaker form...so it doesn't kill them," she explained.
"Oh...well thank you" Luka replied before putting the sword in his sheath...used for his now destroyed iron sword. He honestly didn't know how this monstrosity could fit in his sheath….but it somehow did.
"Oh….looks like you'll have company" Alice remarked before disappearing once more. Luka was surprised when he saw the ground crumble and shake as a monster appeared.
"Are you kidding me?" He sighed as he watched the monster crawl out of the ground...it was another weakling. It was an earthworm girl. She had the head and chest of a regular woman...but the rest was just an oversized worm.
"Oh.. a traveler? Do you mind if I wring some semen out of you?" She asked, a lusty smirk on her face.
"For the hundredth time...I do mind. Prepare yourself for defeat!" Luka roared, his mandibles wide like a giant bear trap. He cracked his knuckles.
"Don't be so sure, hot stuff" The monster giggled. She began her assault by trying to grab Luka with her tail. He jumped over the fast limb before using it as a bridge to her face. He ran and jumped towards her, fists clenched, ready to pummel the poor weakling. Luka landed four punches to her face. The worm girl then tried to trap him in her coils.
"Ahaha! Got you...do my coils feel good?" She asked as he struggled to get free. The monster's smug look turned to worry as he broke free with minimal effort. Luka backflipped a few feet away from her and countered by landing a hard kick to her upper body. She yelled in pain before he jumped to her top sections, where the woman parts meet the worm parts. He raised a fist and proceeded to pummel her till she collapsed from a concussion.
Luka landed on his feet before walking over to the downed monster, energy sword in hand. He activated it, its blue aura unlike any other. He grabbed the worm girl by the neck, bringing the blue blade to her bloodied chin.
"If you do not back down….you will die,understood?" Lukas asked. The monster quickly nodded her head in fear, her airways getting crushed by his sheer strength."This isn't a game...if we ever cross paths again...i will not spare you if you try something, try getting that through your head"
He growled at her before releasing her throat. She held her neck in relief as she took a deep breath, oxygen returning to her lungs once more. The worm girl looked over at Luka, he growled at her. She quickly retreated back into the ground, out of site.
"At least I didn't kill her" Luka remarked before deactivating his blade and putting it back on his belt.
"Another victory" Alice said, reappearing from wherever she disappeared to.
"Yes...but there are many more monsters to fight from here on out" He reminded himself.
"So...what next?" The lamia asked.
"We will deal with the bandits, then we'll go to happiness village and then I want to see this town of Enrika...then we finally head to iliasport" Luka replied, rubbing his mandibles.
"Simple enough" Alice asked.
"Yes " He replied. "Now...to the mountains"
(A FEW HOURS LATER)
After a long hike, the two had finally made their way to the base of the mountains. It was a sandy and arid area, seemed the most greenery was the occasional bush or low growing tree. It wasn't very good soil. Luka continued to walk till he turned around and noticed Alice was nowhere to be found...meaning a monster was right on top of him.
He quickly turned around and was jumped by….a child. The girl looked quite young. She had almost bronze like hair and greyish skin. The girl had a singular horn on the top of her forehead...it popped right below the helmet. Her weapon was a hammer that was far too big for her and she carried it around like a heavy dumbell. She was a goblin girl...a young goblin girl.
"Yah! Give me your!….money" She stopped her violent order when she realized the size difference.
"Hello there, I assume your one of the bandits?" Luka asked, he almost wanted to chuckle.
"Yep! I'm the goblin bandit of the four bandits!" She answered, sounding way too enthusiastic for her own good.
"Four bandits...meaning...only three more of you?" He asked. She nodded.
"If you get it, then give me all your money!" The goblin girl yelled, getting her hammer ready.
"Are you certain you want to do this?" He asked.
"Yes!" She yelled before charging him. She swung her hammer...but he dodged with little effort.
"You need to get more strength from your center" Luka explained, crossing his arms.
"W..what? My center?" She asked.
"Yes...you swing it around like some toy, get a proper stance and try that again...like this" he said as he got into a stance. His legs evenly spread. Hands out forward like he's holding something heavy. The goblin girl stood there stunned before slowly copying what he did.
"Like...this?" She asked. Luka nodded.
"Yes...now charge me again...this time use that stance" he ordered. The goblin girl nodded. She charged him and swung...and found it was far faster than before.
"Wow! I didn't know it could move that fast!" She said in fascination as she stared at her hammer. "Thank you mister!"
"Hmph...no problem...now lady. I have a favor to ask" Luka said, getting her attention.
"Hmm?"
"Could you tell me where your hideout is? I honestly don't want to fight you...since you are just a child" he explained.
"Hey! I'm strong!" The goblin girl said in her defense
"Just...could you? I promise no one will be hurt...or at least hurt badly" Luka asked.
"Uh...sorry….i can't...i have to fight you!" She yelled, her face turning back to her regular determined look.
'So much for talking' he thought to himself. He didn't clench his fists...he won't hurt a child...if she were an adult it would be different. This kid still has a chance to change. He will not be like the monsters he fights...he has honor.
"Then...I too...am sorry" Luka replied before walking towards her. The goblin girl charged and swung back and forth...but every attack missed. "You need experience...otherwise you have no idea what you're doing"
"Shhh...shut up!" She spat back. The monster attempted to charge again...but she tripped over a rock and fell on her face. Luka crouched down and helped her up to her feet.
"Are you done?" He asked.
"Ye..yeah" She replied down heartedly. The goblin girl begins to tear up.
"Hey...there is no need to cry" Luka comments as he pats her head. "Now could you tell me where your hideout is?"
"R...right over there" she sniffed as she pointed towards a nearby mountain. "There's a cave...i better go there now!"
The goblin girl ran away.
"Well...monsters certainly are a curious group" he said to himself before walking over to the cave as well.
"Well we know where their hideout is" Alice remarked while behind him.
"Yes...but it's probably just a bunch of kids….and even if the rest were adults...they aren't a challenge" Luka replied before reaching the cave. "Might want to disappear again"
He turned around and she was already gone...he chuckled. The entrance to the hideout was nothing extraordinary...it was the average cave opening. He walked in and saw the cavern. It was empty and open, the only indication of life was the moss on the walls,besides that it looked devoid of anything.
"Ufufu...so you came," a voice said from the shadows. Luka instantly got into a fighting stance from the mysterious person. "I'll be your opponent!"
He prepared himself for the worst...only to be disappointed once more. Out of the shadows came a tiny, cute lamia. Her hair was a dark purple and her tail had a white underbelly with green and brownish stripes on top. She looked extremely adorable...Luka almost had the urge to hug her.
"Are you serious?" He asked, he chuckled.
"Hey! Of course I'm serious!" The tiny lamia yelled before wrapping her tail around the bottom half of his leg. She quickly tightened around it with all her strength. "Now to hear you yell in agony!"
Luka sighed as he uncoiled the tail from his leg and picked the lamia up by it. He stood there with her upside down till she devolved into tears.
"Waaah! Why didn't it work!" The tiny lamia cried. Luka sat her upright before patting her head.
"You just need to get a bit older….haaah...well...if your going to run you might as well do it now" he replied. She instantly dashed away deeper into the cave.
Luka sighed before following her, he was quickly met by another kid however.
"Kukuku...you're pretty good to defeat the goblin and the lamia" A Vampire girl appeared out of the shadows. She had blonde hair and red, piercing eyes. She had a black veil covering her backside...and...not much else. She wore bright white panties and….nothing on her chest.
"Let's just get this over with" he said with a very bored tone.
"Here I come! You'll be my dinner tonight" She laughed as her body dissipated into hundreds of bats. The swarm charged luka...trying to bite him...unfortunately for them...his armor was too thick. Even the under suit was too strong for even a single bat to chomp through. He closed his eyes and breathed. He swung around before the vampire could get on his back. He grabbed her arm and lifted her into the air. The vampire girl begins to cry as she struggles in my grip. "Wwh..why are you being so mean?! Waah!"
Luka sighed once more before putting her down and putting a hand on her head. "There was nothing else i could do...you don't want me to hurt you, right?"
She slowly nods her head. He nodded.
"Good...now run along" He said. She quickly scurried off into the dark. The beast slowly walked deep into the cave.
Luka quickly was met by another monster...a dragon...a very tiny dragon. The center part of her body was like that of an average girl..but her arms and legs were covered in hard, almost rock like scales. Her tail looked just as durable, small spikes covering the top of it. She had purple hair in a small bun with four small horns poking out. Her forearms were also covered in hard scales...with talon like fingers. As for coverage...she had a white loincloth covering her crotch and a small bit of fabric covering her chest.
Luka was actually a bit on guard this time...even dragon pups such as her are quite powerful creatures. He got into a more offensive posture. He still wouldn't hit hard...he just needed to hit where it counts...he might not even have to hit her at all.
"Here i go!" The dragon pup yells. Suddenly fire starts bursting from her mouth! Luka however didn't attempt to dodge, and for one specific reason...his hard scale like skin was practically immune to fire. He closed his eyes and sighed as the flames rushed past him. The second the flames ended he opened his eyes. He looked down at his skin, smoke coming off of him.
Luka walked towards the pup, a small snarl on his face. The dragon pup tried to breath fire on him once again, but was stopped when he bonked her on the head with his fist. She staggered from the hit...her eyes beginning to tear up.
"Uuww...uwa" The pups lip quivers. She quickly started bawling.
"So you wrangled the baby dragon then?" Alice asked...holding the other three by their legs. She drops them in front of the dragon pup...looks like she scolded them. Luka nodded at her query.
"So...there's only four of you" he asked the children, crossing his arms. They all nodded.
"That's right" the dragon pup started.
"We could only find four" the vampire finished.
"So...what should we do with you?" Luka asked himself, looking towards Alice.
She shrugged.
"You're the one who wanted to root them out." The lamia started. "Sell them, violate them, kill them or eat them...the choice is yours"
Luka just looked at her, his mandibles wide open in shock at her statement. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he even hurt them badly….let alone kill them.
After her words the four instantly got to their knees, bawling, begging for him not to kill or eat them.
"Christ Alice! These are children! I would do no such thing!" Luka yelled. He turned back to the children in question and kneeled down to them. "Don't worry...she's just a jerk...I'm not going to hurt you"
They all looked up at him.
"Rr..really?" The tiny lamia asked.
"Of course...i look like a true monster...doesn't mean i am one" he chuckled. "But...you all are coming with me to illiasburg ….you've caused the people there a lot of trouble...and you need to apologize,understood?"
"So you're going to drag them all across town? What happens if people try to lynch them?" Alice asked.
"If they attempt to kill the kids I will either knock them out or kill them...simple" Luka replied.
"Ss..so...you'll protect us?" The dragon pup asked. He nodded.
"I mean...you don't want to be lynched,do you?" Luka asked. They all immediately shaked their heads. "Well, in that case..I'll protect you"
"Yy...you're a really good guy" The dragon pup sniffed. He huffed at the compliment.
After that they all headed back to illiasburg. They walked out of the cave and they were on their way.
(A FEW HOURS LATER)
In the central plaza of illiasburg, Luka and Alice(who's now in human form) watch as the little monster girls apologized over and over to people of the town walking by. The beast overheard some comments by the locals.
"These are the bandits? They're just a bunch of kids?"
"I've seen them around...they did look like kids"
"We have to punish the dragon...she was the boss"
"Hey...they were bad...and did a lot of wrong things...but they are trying to repent in one of the most humiliating ways possible for a kid, so...isn't that punishment enough?" Luka asked the last man to comment. The beast was starting to feel like a parent...a poor one.
"They are apologizing….so why not forgive them?" a shopkeeper remarked." Well...put in a honest day's work at the inn and that should be enough"
"Okay" The tiny lamia replied.
"Th..thank you" the vampire girl said.
"Hey dragon,can you breathe fire? If so I'll give you a job" the weapon smith said.
"Goblin, you look pretty strong. I'll give you a job in the warehouse" the warehouse manager remarked. They were beginning to accept the monster girls...Luka smirked. His teeth showing past his mandibles.
"This is going surprisingly well" he chuckled.
"They are actually accepting them? I'm surprised" Alice remarked, an impressed look on her face.
"Hmm?" Luka looks down to see the dragon pup tugging on his leg armor. He kneeled down to her.
"You've helped me so much….let me give you this" she hands a pure red gem to the beast.
"Why thank you" he says as he slowly picks it up. The ruby like rock looked like it could sell a pretty penny to the right people. "What is this? It is not a ordinary gem"
"It was from a rich couple who saw me and ran away...they must have dropped it in a rush...it looks like it is a very valuable treasure" the little dragon explained. Her smile was uncorrupted.
"Either way...thank you" Luka patted her head before standing up, examining the gem some more. Alice however looked at the gem with a smidge of concern.
"To see such a thing in a place like this" she started.
"What was that?" He asked, turning towards her.
"Nothing...the blue and silver ones aren't here so it's no issue" Alice replied, shrugging her shoulders. Luka sighed, knowing she wasn't going to spill anything. He turned back to the now former bandits, smiles now on their faces.
"Take care now" Luka waved.
"Wait! How can we repay you?" The lamia asked. He chuckled.
"You can repay me….by doing the right thing...and make up for your bad actions. As long as you all make a good life for yourselves….then the debt is forgiven" he explained.
"Yeah! We'll stop doing bad things!" The vampire girl said, the rest nodded in agreement.
"See you again, one day" Luka said before leaving the plaza. He looked back to see them waving at his departure...all he could do was laugh at the sight...there was hope after all.
"There's my hero!" Amira popped out of nowhere.
"Alice...we're leaving, now" Luka ordered. Alice nodded and the two made a break for the entrance. After quite the long sprint, the two began to walk at a more sustainable pace.
"So where to now?" The lamia asked.
"Happiness village" he replied. "There is a problem...and i will solve it"
"Your right...and if there's no honey...then there's no ama ama dangos" Alice added. Luka stared at her before sighing, food was her biggest motivator after all. At least now he knew what to bribe her with….if he ever needed to.
"Either way...let us go" he remarked before walking again.
(A FEW HOURS LATER)
They entered the forest that led to the village. It was a thick and dense woods, the sun only shining through the openings in the canopy. Luka continued to walk down the path, feeling on edge from his surroundings. He knew a monster could pop in at any moment, so he needed to be on guard, sword at the ready.
"Do you know why it's called happiness village?" Alice asked, causing Luka to jolt in surprise.
"Uhh, no...I do not," he replied.
"Because of the harpy village nearby, obviously" She answered. "And since the problem is a lack of manpower...it can only be assu-"
"That men are being kidnapped by the harpies" Luka finished her sentence. They continued down the path till Alice huffed.
"Looks like you'll have company" she commented, disappearing right afterwards.
Luka got into his fighting stance, activating his sword. He looked around but was distracted by….buzzing? He suddenly jumped to the ground as he was being attacked from above. He jumped to his feet before meeting his attacker. It was a bee girl. The monster landed and Luka got a good look at her.
Her appearance was….disturbing to say the least. Her head and chest looked like a regular woman, but that was about it. The bee girl's abdomen looked like a hard chitin, quite durable. Her arms were regular..at least her middle set. She had three sets of arms. One looked like a normal girl, the other two looked like bee claws. She had a pair of bug-like wings and a huge nest on her back, honey dripping off it like a fountain.
"An unbaptized traveler...hmmm...let me lick you all over" she looked at him from top to bottom. She licked her lips.
Luka was starting to grow really tired of these whore like monsters constantly trying to ask and or force his seed out of him. Did they realize he wasn't human? Probably not...in their sex crazed high they would probably suck the semen from a damn dog. His face turned into a snarl and his breath began to show as steam coming out of his nostrils.
"You will not take my seed, so get out of my way!" He yelled, his fang like teeth bared. The bee girl shrugged his threat off and chuckled.
"Not happening" she replied. Her smug look only infuriated Luka even more so. He charged the monster, ready to slice her to bits. Luka was about to slice her right down the middle, but she flew into the air at just the right moment.
He wondered how in the world she could fly with that huge nest on her back, and be so agile in the air too. The bee girl tried to swoop in and grab Luka, but he dodged out of the way. He realized a way he could knock her out of the sky for good. He stared up at the trees and smirked.
Luka looked back to see her getting ready to sweep back around. He ran, trying to gain momentum. He could hear her buzzing right behind him. He jumped to a tree at his right, dodging her lunge. Time appeared to slow down as the bee girl watched in shock as he jumped off the tree and flew right towards her.
Luka sliced right through her wings, causing her to crash to the ground. The beast landed on the ground. He turned around to see her slowly getting up, holding her head in pain. Luka rushed her before she could recover, grabbing her by the neck and holding her up in the air.
"Now...listen to this...leave me alone! Or you will lose more than just your wings, am I making myself clear!?" He yelled. The bee girl nodded. Luka dropped her before walking away, getting really tired of this repetitiveness.
He began to walk down the path once more. He deactivated his sword, putting it back on his belt.
"That seemed easy" Alice commented, now slithering beside him again.
"It's getting annoying is what it is...I am tired of these monsters being so damn cocky, they have no reason to be...their weaklings" Luka huffed.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the village, which was located in a clearing in the forest. It seemed like a regular farming village. Bee hives all across the fields and women doing work in the village.
Luka looked at the settlement, perplexed. There were only women...no men. He squinted and could see not a single man at all. The beast huffed before walking into the village, watching the people stare at him in shock from his appearance. Luka sighed, he needed to remember he was not human...although the strange fingers and superhuman strength reminded him quite often. He was just so used to ilias village and where everyone knew who he was….but...he was built to adapt after all and he would get used to it.
The beast was cut out of his thoughts by a loud scream. Luka immediately ran towards the sound and met another monster, trying to take a little boy away.
It was a harpy. She had the kid in her talon like feet, trying to fly away with him. The kid was screaming for help, waving his arms around frantically as he tried to escape.
"Drop the boy!" Luka roared, his fists clenched.
"Huh? You're new here. You must be a traveler" She started, licking her lips. The harpy suddenly dropped the boy. "Fine...the boy can go free, but now your mine"
"Boy! Run!" He ordered. The boy was shocked by the sudden yelling, but nodded before running into a nearby house. "You made a big mistake fighting me"
The harpy just giggled before attempting to swoop down and grab him. Luka dropped to the ground, dodging the attack. He knew what to do.
He began to run once more, trying to build momentum to run on the buildings to get the advantage. He continued to run even faster, he looked back and saw the harpy preparing to lunge at him again. He jumped, dodging her attack and ran across the wall, he jumped off the building and landed onto the harpy.
She yelled as they began to fall from the huge weight. Luka smirked as he kicked her to the ground. He landed on all fours before slowly getting up. The harpy quickly got up and flew away in retreat. He looked up towards the monster and roared in frustration as she flew out of sight
"Damn birds" Luka cursed.
The villagers slowly came back out of their houses once the monster fled, they all asked what had happened. The beast really hated being asked so many questions at once...so he answered all of them at once.
"She appeared and I defeated her, plain and simple!. Now, can someone tell me where the harpy village is so I can get your men back?" He asked.
"There is a settlement to the east of here deeper in the forest, that is where they live" An old woman answered.
"Thank you, I will be off," Luka replied.
"But all the other men we sent have never returned," a young lady remarked. He chuckled.
"Well, as you can see from my appearance, I am not most men," Luka replied, gesturing to his body. He walked off. "You can follow if you wish...so you may reclaim what is yours"
Luka entered the woods to the east, let the hunt begin. He was going to attack the harpy village...and either bring back living men...or corpses of their killers.
The beast huffed with mirth at the thought of taking vengeance from those who had fallen...it was always a thrill.
"Ss..stop that" Luka growled, smacking his helmet. He needed to be calm and collected, not angry and sadistic. He walked upon the clearing that has the village right in the center of it. He scanned the area in its entirety and it was jam packed full of harpies. He turned around to be surprised by the women of the village behind him.
"So….i guess you do want to reclaim your men?" He asked. They all immediately nodded. "Well...the moment their leaders defeated you can attack...or do whatever...but i will handle the queen"
"Good luck," Alice said.
"Huh, thanks" The beast replied, not expecting motivation from her.
Luka realized that even with his strength he could be overrun. He needed to take out their leader, and fast. Nothing brings down a group of people than taking out the leader.
"It's now or never!" Luka growled. He charged through the woods and into the clearing. It was more like another forest rather than a clearing, but all the trees were surprisingly small. After the small trees, larger and more mature oaks were there. They were probably used for the regular harpies houses. In the middle stood one giant tree. There was a huge house at the top of the mighty oak, most likely the queen's nest. Harpies usually had queens as leaders after all.
Luka slowly began to crouch and sneak underneath the small trees, they were the perfect cover, plus his green armor was good camouflage. He stopped moving when he heard flapping overhead. The beast looked up to see a pair of harpies. They looked around, most likely for intruders. It would make sense to have guards, after all they do have royalty in this village. He waited and waited till they flew by, he sighed in relief. He looked back down to find that the rest of the way was without trees for cover, he would be exposed.
Luka now sighed in annoyance, this just wasn't going his way. He slowly walked into the clearing and made his way to the trees. The beast cursed when he heard a loud snap. He looked down and saw a broken branch under his foot.
"Sis did you hear that?" A voice asked.
"Yeah...could be a human" Another voice answered.
Luka cursed under his breath, realizing stealth was no longer an option. He grabbed his sword and activated it.
He waited till he saw a pair of harpies fly from a tree and land in front of him. The monsters looked almost identical, besides their hair color of course. The smaller one had red hair, and her older counterpart had greyish brown hair.
Luka sighed, they looked like kids. He wouldn't kill children, but he will demand where their leader is. He growled and walked closer to them, his sword crackled with electricity.
"Wh..what are you!?" The smaller one asked, fear laden in her voice. "Whh..what are you doing here!?"
"I am here to face your queen!" Luka snarled. He pointed his sword towards them. "And return all the men your people have been kidnapping!"
"What are you?" The older harpy asked, even she smelled of fear.
"I am Luka, a warrior. Now, tell your leader to face me!" He asked, gesturing towards the largest tree. The two harpies immediately flew away in quite the hurry.
Luka looked around to see the entirety of the harpy village watching him through the trees. It appeared his yelling had been noticed, he didn't care, he just wanted to get this over with.
After a few minutes of giving the entire village nasty looks, Luka then heard flapping. He turned around to see a harpy land in front of him. This harpy was different however. She had regal looking clothing and quite extravagantly colored feathers, there was no doubt...she was the queen.
"You must be the queen" Luka huffed.
"Indeed, I am the harpy queen" She replied, her voice oddly calm to the quite chaotic situation. "Did you want something from me? I do have a pretty good guess to what it is"
"I don't wish to end this in violence, but I must ask you to return the men back to their village" he stated, his voice taking a calmer tone. "If you go down this path, the idea of coexistence will be null and void"
"You have that in reverse" Queen harpy started coldy." We do this because humans cannot live peacefully with us"
"If you will not see reason, then I will have to force you to cooperate" Luka growled, getting into a fighting stance.
He looked at his sword for a second...before deactivating it and putting it back on his belt, he would not need it. He clenched his fists, ready to display his fighting prowess.
"So it comes down to force then? Then allow me to show you the power of the harpy queen!" She yelled. The queen attempts to grab Luka, but is met by a kick to the gut and an elbow to her head. She recoiled, touching her nose and feeling blood trickle down her pale face.
"Do you know anything besides pleasure attacks that require you to grab me?" Luka mocked, cracking his knuckles. "Cause if not, your going to have a hard time"
"Alright, I'll show you something different then" The harpy queen replied before charging the beast, her wings spread wide as if she was trying to take off. Before luka could dodge the harpy kicked him in the face with her talons, causing multiple slash marks on his armor.
'Right, talon like feet...need to remember that' Luka thought to himself. He countered with a roundhouse kick to her ribs, causing her to yell in pain. He continued his assault by striking her in the ear with an open palm, causing her head to spin and ring. The harpy queen stood there, trying to recover. The moment she regained her hearing she was met by an uppercut to her chin, sending her to the ground.
Luka huffed, pulling out his energy sword. He ignited the blade and pointed it at her.
"I have won this battle, surrender," He ordered.
"Nn..never" she coughed.
"Well, you have no choice now" Luka started. "Women! She is defeated! You can stop hiding now!"
Immediately after the order was given, all the women of happiness village came rushing out of the woods. They surrounded Luka and the downed queen. She mutters some words the beast could not hear from all the commotion.
"Now...return all the men...or I'll cut you down" Luka threatened towards the queen. She slowly shaked her head.
"I...I won't" The queen replied.
"Then….you will be removed from the equation" He tone darkens as he raises his blade. He could suddenly hear the noise of men climbing down from the trees...but that didn't matter, what mattered was that she needed a lesson to be taught to her. He could hear the screams as he sliced downwards with his blade.
The queen harpy closed her eyes from her inevitable death….but after a few moments, nothing happened. She opened her eyes to find the sword a foot from her face. She looked up at Luka in surprise.
"I am not going to kill you….if i did...i would have proven your point" He remarked before picking up his sword and deactivating it. He walked away before standing next to the base of a tree.
( A FEW MINUTES LATER)
After watching them for a bit, Luka saw them slowly making peace with one another. He couldn't hear very well so he had trouble making any words out….but it all looked positive. As long as peace was restored...then he was satisfied….although plenty of family disputes started over the fact that most of the men had at least six children, not including their human ones. He just chuckled at the sight, he had gotten out of his violent demeanor now...it was always a chore to keep it under control.
"We should just let them settle this out" Alice said out of the blue. Luka nodded.
"Yes, I am a warrior...not a counselor" he huffed in humor.
Soon night fell. The village had finally settled the problems and the queen promised to no longer kidnap men from the village. After the agreement the harpies and humans began to celebrate the unity of this giant family. Once night had hit...they had a giant party. Luka stayed out of it for the most part...he was never a person to attend parties.
He sat on a tree stump, sharpening his elbow blades. It wasn't originally meant to be used as a sharp object for combat...but he saw potential. Luka was using a stone that he often used to sharpen his old iron sword...but now that it's melted...he used it for his armor. He looked back to see the party...he slowly sighed. He might as well be social for once on this adventure. Luka also had another objective, to ask the queen about this...Enrika.
The name just made him feel a wave of...nostalgia? But how could he feel nostalgic to something he's never heard of before? Luka shrugged off the many questions he had, they would be answered...in time. He looked around the party and quickly saw the queen. The beast walked over to her. Her eyes immediately widened with his approach.
"I am not going to harm you, I have already done too much of that already," Luka jokes, pointing towards the bandages on her face. He was expecting a slap to the face or a barrage of insults...but instead he got a chuckle.
"Yes, I suppose so" The queen smirked.
"I was expecting a much more…..violent reaction, I guess I assumed wrong " He replied.
"I do not blame you for doing what you did, although I didn't expect to get defeated so easily," she said before taking a drink of wine using both of her wings.
"I did fight off Granberia so..." Luka replied, causing the queen to gasp in shock.
"Did...did you say that right? Or have I drunk too much already?" She asked.
"She was invading illiasburg...so i stopped her...she put up quite the fight, wouldn't mind fighting her again" he confirmed.
"So...you have actually fought the heavenly knight of fire? And won?" The Queen asked. Luka nodded. "Well...no wonder i did nothing"
"Hey, at least you put a few new scars on my armor" He gestured to his helmet. She laughed.
"Sorry about that," she remarked.
"I was the one who barged into your village, sword swinging" Luka chuckled.
"Well...you have brought peace to our lands...so...I thank you, even though I tried to stop you" The Queen harpy smiled.
"Well...i am merely doing my job," He replied. "Anyway, that is not the main reason i have come to speak with you"
"Really? What is it?" She asked.
"How well do you know this continent?" Luka asked.
"Pretty well, why do you ask?"
"Do you know of the village, Enrika?" He asked.
"Umm...I know of it" The queen answered.
"Do you know where i could find it? I feel like...i know of it for some reason...yet I've never heard the name before" Luka explained. She nodded.
"Well, it's on the other side of the continent, to the far west of illiasburg. That's where you'll find it" The harpy queen answered.
"Thank you" he said before slowly walking away.
"Where are you going?" She asked. Luka turned around.
"I'm going to sleep, parties aren't my thing" he replied before walking away to set up his tent.
After getting his tent set up he decided training some more would be good, since the battles will only get tougher from here. He pulled out his energy sword and ignited the blade. He got into his regular fighting stance and did what he had always done, fight an invisible opponent.
Luka growled as he charged the foe, his sword sparking as if it was begging to bathe in the blood of his enemies. His foe dodged the assault and tried to stab him. He dodged just in time. Luka sliced his blade backwards, cutting his foes head off.
He continued to cut down foe after foe. Battle by battle he grew more and more tired, but he would not falter. Luka could feel his muscles aching from the constant swinging and slashing, but he ignored it and continued to fight. He suddenly sensed someone and spun around, blade at the ready.
"Calm down, it's just me idiot" Alice huffed. "You should be asleep"
"I decided to train some more, I am still getting used to this new blade" Luka explained, deactivating his sword.
"Well if you aren't going to sleep, why not spar with me?" She replied. The beast's eyes widened at her words. She wanted to spar? She seemed extraordinarily strong. He nodded.
"You wish to spar with fists or blades?" Luka asked. Alice rubbed her chin in consideration.
"Fists, I need some practice," she answers. "Don't hold back on me"
"I won't" The beast replied, already getting eager for this challenge. His armored toes were digging into the ground and his muscles were just begging for a fight. He roared, his mandibles wide open for his foe to see all of his unsightly teeth. Luka charged before trying to launch a punch to her midsection, but she suddenly disappeared. His eyes widened before he turned around and instantly blocked a punch to his face.
"I'm impressed, no one has blocked that on the first hit, " Alice remarked.
"How did you?" Luka asked, his eyes still widened with shock at her absurd speed.
"Teleportation, obviously...not many beings can move that fast, and I'm included" she replied.
"Well...let's hope that wins you this...match!" He roared before knocking away her fist and kicking her in the head. Alice momentarily staggers before quickly recovering and whips Luka with her tail, sending him a few feet away.
'I forgot, Lamia...need to watch out for the tail" he thinks as he quickly gets up and charges in once more. He quickly notices the tail coming in for another swing. Luka jumps over the attack and punches Alice in the gut. He doesn't have any time to celebrate as she hits him square in the mandibles. He doesn't go flying however, instead he begins to slam his fist into her gut over and over. She backed off, they began to circle on another...ready to charge at any moment.
"Not bad, you're pretty good" Alice remarked. She charged him and grabbed his foot with her tail. The beast growled before being lifted into the air. He looked up to the lamia, she landed a direct blow to his gut. Luka coughed up phlegm before kicking Alice in the head with his other foot, causing her to lose her grip on the beast. He fell to the ground, holding his gut for a moment. He looked over to see Alice still stunned from the hit. Luka slowly got up before charging her. He was just about to land the hit before she quickly dodged out of the way. He looked around in confusion before jumping backwards, narrowly avoiding a fist to his head.
"You are stronger than Granberia...so you must be.." Luka observed before the dots finally came together. His fighting spirit instantly vanished at the realization, he couldn't do this right here, right now. "So...I am currently sparring with the monster lord, isn't that right?"
Alice nodded.
"Your not so dumb after all" she commented.
"Hmm….let's finish this when we get to hellgondo" he remarked, losing his stance. The beast was disappointed to quit so early...but this wasn't the time to end it.
"Fine by me" Alice dropped her guard as well.
Luka huffed before walking over to the tent. He sat down by the fire, staring into the flames. He sat there for a few minutes till Alice broke the silence.
"How did you figure it out?" She asked, a small smirk on her face.
"I remembered that the four heavenly knights challenge the monster lord for the title...the others that lose become the new heavenly knights...so...if you're stronger than Granberia...one of the strongest of the heavenly knights, you must be the monster lord" Luka explained.
"How do you know all of this?" Alice asked, her eyes slightly widened.
"I read...even the things the priests don't want me to," he replied. "There is no need for concern….i have no desire to harm you"
"Really?" She asked.
"Yes, you can explain all of this to me when you wish...i don't care...but you're not evil. If you're not an evil doer...you're an ally" Luka answered.
"I can't tell if your smarter or more stupid" Alice chuckled. A moment of silence descended on them, both Individuals staring into the flame. Time passed before curiosity got the better of the monster lord.
"Question" she asked.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you want coexistence? You neither man nor monster, what do you have to gain?" Alice slithered closer to him.
Luka sighed.
"I….My mother died a few years ago" He explained. "Killed from an unknown sickness, from an unknown source"
"I'm sorry" she replied.
"Don't be. She told me to bring peace to this world….it's her last wish. I also wanted it, i saw no point for the constant hatred….it needed to end or else one species might go extinct….and...they cannot live without the other….so i decided to end it...once and for all" he explained. "I always had a thirst for combat, maybe it's in my blood...I'm not sure. So...i decided to kill two birds with one stone, fight tons of powerful foes while bringing peace to this land"
"Is that it?" Alice asked. "It's a good reason, but….it seems there's more to it than that"
"..i...wanted to prove the world wrong about me, people see me as a monster...a true monster... a freak. I pleaded for the villagers to help my sick mother….but all I got was beaten and spit on, for my appearance. Then a group of soldiers came into town, they found me pleading for help, and tried to kill me and my mother, a form of extermination, i lost control. I killed every single soldier…..no pity, nor mercy" Luka answered. "She watched as i killed them...and she begged me to stop, but i couldn't hear her over my own screams of rage. When it was over, she looked at me like they did for a few moments...like an animal. Afterwards, she had somehow forgiven me...and asked me to never give into that rage...ever again. I wished i could've listened….but now I'm trying to change...this... is my redemption"
The lamia looked at him with pity, and shock. She never expected his story to be that horrid.
"Sorry, for bringing up bad memories" she apologized. "I didn't know you had such a story"
"No one knows...not even my closest friends, Betty wasn't around back then...she came to the village afterwards, those were the better times of my life, being accepted" he replied.
Luka yawned before taking off his helmet and laying on his back.
"But...it is nice to have another friend" He looked over at Alice. "Especially one who is probably stronger than me, but that might change...who knows?"
She chuckled.
"If you think I'm gonna help you in battle you better rethink that" She commented.
"Why would i require assistance? I don't...at least not any time from now...but...it is nice not being alone, that is all" Luka replied. He could feel sleep pull at him before he gave into peaceful slumber.
(THE NEXT MORNING)
The sun was high in the sky as the two set off to Enrika. The harpies and humans wished them goodluck and farewells as they left.
"We'll see eachother again, some day" Luka waved before walking away from the harpy village.
"So where to now?" Alice asked.
"To the town of Enrika, I need to see it," He replied.
"Do you know much of it?" She asked.
"No...but everytime i hear the name...I feel a sense of nostalgia," Luka explained. "Have you heard much of it?"
"Only a tad, I've barely heard of it at all" Alice answered.
"Well, let's go see it for ourselves" he remarked. The beast continued to walk down the path.
(AFTER A DAY OF WALKING)
"Well...it appears that it's in the forest" Luka commented, staring into the thick foliage with caution. "I hope this will be worth it"
He sighed before walking down the densely covered path, Alice in tow. He looked around the dense branches in fascination. How old was this forest? Who lived here?
He was shaken from his thoughts by a rustling noise in a bush. Luka was instantly on guard. He watched as the unknown creature came out of the shrubs….but it was just a squirrel. He sighed before dropping his guard.
"You seem jumpy" The Monster lord commented.
"This forest smells weird, that's all" He replied. "It wreaks of monsters, not quite sure what exact type however"
Luka suddenly saw someone drop from the trees….it was a dark elf. She slowly got up before staring him down. She had dark skin...and wore very revealing, green cloth for clothes. She had oddly white hair as well...like Alice. He shook himself out of his examination before grabbing his blade and igniting it. The dark elf looked at the blade of blue energy in shock.
"Wait….are you Luka?" She asked. Luka froze in shock. She knew his name? He slowly nodded. "Then, you are allowed in"
The dark elf gestured to the path before slowly walking back into the forest, out of sight. The beast just stood there in shock.
"What in the hell just happened?" He asked himself. He looked over at the now human Alice, she shrugged.
"Just go...let's see," she replied. Luka nodded before walking down the path.
After a few minutes they had arrived. He looked around in fascination at the quiet, small village. It didn't seem very large...only about seven houses. Luka slowly walked towards the village before someone began walking towards him. It was a woman. She had bright blonde hair and big, light blue eyes. She wore a green dress...which covered up everything to Lukas pleasure. She looked at him closely. Her eyes widened in shock….before she smiled.
"Luka...is that you?" She giggled. His eyes widened before he slowly walked closer to her. He began to quickly sniff her, getting her scent. Lukas eyes widened.
"I...know you," he remarked. "But ….i can't remember where"
"You were only a baby when we last met Luka, my name is Micaela" she explained. "My you have grown...you are larger than a horse!"
"Who are you...to me?" Luka asked. Micaela giggled.
"That's a talk for another time...but it was not a mistake you have come here" she replied, her voice much more serious.
"It's not? And for what reason am i supposed to be here?" He asked.
"Because your blood father left something for you here" Micaela answered. "He...told me to give it to you when the time was right"
"Wait...you knew my real father?" Luka asked, his eyes widening for more than a beast like him should. She nodded.
"Yes...although I've only met him once," she replied. "Anyway, its time"
Before he could ask what she was talking about, Micaela walked towards what could be assumed was her house and walked inside. Luka waited for her to come back out….which took a few minutes. She finally walked out of the house with a device that was...confusing to say the least. Micaela offered it to him. He picked it up, getting a feel for it. It...looked so odd. It was purple and had blue,glowing marks on the sides.
"What...is this?" Luka asked.
"I believe he called it...a plasma repeater?" She answered. "He said to also give you this"
Micaela handed him a bit of paper. He looked at it...it was instructions. It showed how to hold it and what to pull for it to fire, so it was a projectile weapon. Luka looked at it closely before holding it properly. The bit on the back looked like it was meant to rest on his shoulder. He looked right in front and spread his legs. He looked at the trigger before pointing the repeater at the tree before firing. He was instantly shocked by what he saw, a huge stream of small glowing blasts came bursting out of the barrel. He looked and saw the tree was burnt with blue smoke coming off it. All three looked at the tree in slight shock.
"This...will be an invaluable tool on my journey" he looked down at the weapon in awe. He turned to Micaela. "Thank you, in am in your debt"
Her eyes widened when he bowed to her. She smiled and nodded.
"It's fine...just...return when you know it's right" Micaela replied. Luka looked at her before nodding. He slowly made his way back through the forest...gun in hand. They eventually reached the edge of the forest and he had an itching question.
"Now...where will i put this?" He asked himself. He put it on his shoulder before something odd happened. The weapon for some reason got pulled to the back of his armor and locked in place.
"I guess that's where" Alice chuckled.
"I guess so" Luka remarked before pulling it off his back once again and repeating the process over and over. He quickly got used to it and left it on his back. "Now...where to next?"
"Well since you want to get off this continent, iliasport" she explained. Luka nodded.
"Yes,l….let us be on our way" he said before walking.
END OF CHAPTER 2….HOPE THIS WAS AS GOOD AS ONE….IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR CRITICISM...REVIEW! SEE YA!