Hello everyone, sorry for the long hiatus but I'm finally back with good news. I passed all of my exams and got a free spot at a university, while there is a lot less pressure being put on me it still eats up quite a lot of my time. It also finally feels like getting grip on my life. Anyway, here is my newest chapter, I hope you will enjoy it.
Rock and grass, trees and the leafy canopy above; Luther's gaze repeatedly shifted between his environment and his newly made acquaintance. It was colder than before, the night's chilling influence truly sinking into the land. So too did silence take hold. The man kept his arms shoved deep into his coat's pockets, although, he couldn't quite ignore how they twitched or the seeming urge to at least have one of his hands on his weapons. His thoughts raced, faster than they usually did, he took great care to mentally pace through the events that led to this, the subsequent acceptance of an unknown task and "recruitment" of the Monster currently walking beside him. Luther pondered on the consequences, taking note of the foreseeable ones while cautiously throwing aside happenings that were too far ahead of time to predict, all while idly taking another glance at his horned companion.
Lyra wore a small if a bit restrained smile. Perhaps it was just him, but she appeared all too well at ease for someone strolling through a dark, damp forest with a complete stranger. Then again, he considered the fact that she was willing to go on some random journey with said stranger to aid an amnesiac ghost. He had yet to ascertain whether or not her pity and concern were genuine or some ploy. That would need time to understand and it paid well to be cautious. There was a certain unmatched stride in her steps that he hadn't quite seen in anyone, while it paled in comparison with Luka's head-strong confidence, it more than outshone the boy with its grace. It was almost as though she was effortlessly gliding through the air, a performance in it itself.
I hope it's not anything too malicious if her desire to aid turns out to be a sham. That apparent agility is not something that would be pleasant to face in combat.
Luther looked back in the direction of the sacred grounds they had left. His thoughts dwelled on the spirit he accepted to aid. I wonder if finding the other temples will actually restore his memory, this better not just be desperation on his part.
Even if it isn't, what's to say that the old ghost or this lady will be useful to me? The previous time we met he was willing to keep the ship stable, yes, but he did absolutely nothing to stop the main problem. Meaning he likely doesn't compare in strength and I doubt this random Monster could much to one of the four Knights.
The stand user closed his eyes and sighed, each day that passed meant another day that Ilias had to complete her plan or start some other scheme. While he wasn't exactly in a bind for time, it didn't mean he could go wasting it with needless misadventures. Besides, it's not exactly clear how long this is going to take…I don't want to go wasting time on suboptimal help.
Speaking of help. Restraining a sigh, Luther withdrew a hand out of his pocket and slowly messaged his temple. Memories of Luka carelessly running off back to camp filled his mind. For the love of all that is good in this world, please do not do anything stupid, Luka. If he did, then this is going to be a completely horrible first introduction.
The man's pace slowed slightly, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about his other, equally troublesome friend. He knew if Luka hadn't messed anything up, there would be no problems with the fake hero as he was sure the open-minded boy would appreciate traveling with more people, especially if they were not like Alice. Ironically enough the trouble arose from his scaly friend, from her tendency to hide from monsters that weren't the Heavenly Knights, her crass mask and her- Ah shit, how the hell are we going to deal with her identi-
"So…you mentioned you were traveling with someone, correct?" Lyra suddenly spoke up, stopping his trail of thoughts and stunning him for a moment. Prodding was the last thing Luther currently needed. He couldn't say he was surprised by the questioning considering the situation, yet it didn't change the fact that he had already hit a mental roadblock.
Trying to give some response, Luther nodded slowly as he got his mind going again. He paused, biting his lip as his gaze became fixated on the path ahead. He thought about the best approach how he would go about explaining the world-changing mess that were his peculiar companions. There really is no other way to do this than going with my honest opinion of them. No use in lying or easing her into this, besides, she doesn't look like the type that needs any easing.
"Yes." With a cough, he succinctly started. "As I've mentioned before, I'm travelling with two other… let's just say, companions of mine – a human and a monster. In all honesty, despite only being two people, they're a troublesome bunch and a complete headache to deal with, sometimes literally."
Lyra raised an eyebrow and let out a short chuckle. Her tone was jovial and playful, yet not to the point where it seemed mocking. "Is that so? I cannot imagine someone like you having troubling characters join your company. Pray to tell, what drew you all together then? Are you as 'troublesome' as they are?"
"I cannot imagine someone like you having troubling characters join your company." What the hell is that supposed to mean?
"Troublesome- yes, troubling -no, far from it in fact." Luther was quick to correct his acquaintance, it was almost a knee-jerk reaction, but it was ultimately true: he was not travelling with a band of vagabonds or some charismatic outlaws. "They are very far from what people would generally call 'normal'. One has a martyr complex the likes I have never seen before, and the other acts like royalty. Life becomes more than troublesome when you have to aid someone who can't help but charge head-first into danger all while enduring the self-important, childish antics of your other friend."
"Oh my, with that type of company I bet not a single day gets boring for you." She remarked.
"Sometimes to a detriment, there is such a thing as too much excitement. Still, at the end of the day, they're good people at heart, or at least they're trying to be. As for how we met, it was pure circumstance. The world just happened to lump us all together, for better or for worse..."
"You describe it as though it was destiny that brought you all together." Lyra observed, humming to herself. Their gazes eventually met, there was a sense of reserved wonder and awe in her voice and her lilac eyes as though she was a sheepish child meeting a fairy tale hero and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Ironic, considering he was the most ordinary of the bunch if one were to discount his sudden emergence into the world.
"Well, that is one way to put it." Luther said before his voice momentarily hushed in to a whisper. "Certainly feels like that sometimes…Will you be alright with that? I'm quite sincere that they're a wild bunch.
"Oh no, it's all fine. It sounds like I'll be right at home, travel is always more pleasant with the eccentric types anyway." She responded without skipping a beat, it didn't sound like she had a single ounce of hesitation or regret in her desire to tag along with him. "I'll try to fit in as best as I can into your little group for the time being. Is there perhaps anything else that I should know?"
"Nothing that would be better than seeing it for yourself."
Luther's tense shoulders relaxed, a dark and deep abyss greeted him when he exited the forest. Once it was only at the far reaches of the senses, but now he was faced directly with it. Its vast amount of power, almost overshadowed everything else that was in the region as it blanketed the other energies with its presence like a fog, save for a single faint star that he could just about peer into. The mass was stationary, its energy flowing calmly. As the stand user walked through the tall fields of grass he scanned for anything else that might have been lurking in the night. Everything else was quiet, except for the crickets jumping around. Luther released out a long sigh of respite.
"Curious, one moment you were tense and stiff as a board and now you're relaxed. Why the sudden change in attitude? " Lyra inquired, there was little to no suspicion in her questioning, just honest curiosity.
"Huh?" Luther, dumbfounded, raised an eyebrow at the horned monster. While he expected her to pick up on his sudden shift in behaviour, it was a completely different thing for her to actually call him out on it. Perhaps he had grown a bit too familiar with Alice's and Luka's company.
"Your shoulders dropped, your breathing became stable, you took your hands out of your pockets…and you sighed. All of that only happened after we left the forest." The horned monster clarified, listening to her observations. "Now there is nothing else other than us that could be wandering at this hour, so my only conclusion is that something happened or you came to some form of inner peace just now."
Luther stared at her, wide-eyed, mouth slightly ajar. It would have been enough for her to simply note his sigh and that would be it, but to observe his body language and breathing indicated that she had a way with observation. To put it simply, this meant danger, not a direct one at least, whatever the case, it still increased his regret in accepting this quest. Just my luck, I decided to bring along another person on this journey and they ended up being someone too curious for their own good. I have to tread carefully around this one.
"Wrong, I'm relaxed because precisely nothing happened." Luther answered honestly, stretching his arms and putting his hands behind his back. Currently, he had nothing to hide from the Monster, nothing that she would ask about anyway. "It means my friend hasn't gone and done something stupid while I was away. Though that was a good guess."
"And how would you know that?"
Luther thought about his response and snorted lightly at how ridiculous it sounded to him. It was almost as though his allies were forces of nature which caused mayhem where ever they went, their presence felt by everyone. "Well…we're still here, undisturbed. Everything is still quiet and peaceful."
Lyra followed along after Luther's delight, chuckling as she gave him a look of disbelief, although it didn't seem as though she didn't entirely believe him. "Just what did I get myself involved with?"
"Trust me. This wouldn't have been the first time. I'm not lying when I say one of them is practically a martyr…it's almost to the point of being suicidal really..." Luther answered; his tone was completely bereft of humour, much to Lyra's concern.
"Must be quite the character then." She noted, her voice was barely a whisper, but in that silence, Luther could hear her all too well. Her amusement had died as quickly as his. The uncomfortable silence that followed almost made him want to slap himself in the face for bringing that up.
"Yep, for someone who looks like a village boy, you certainly wouldn't be able to see that out of him, it's admirable, really." Luther said as he looked off into the distance. It would have been admirable for him, if only there wasn't so much danger out in the world, yet he guessed that at this point, he was in the same bag in terms of having a death wish.
"Sounds like you need a hand in keeping an eye on him."
"Yes, I would like that."
The journey through the clearing was a lot briefer and relaxing without the worry of being ambushed or the thought of seeing one of his few friends get hurt. He could just about see his camp. Luther could allow himself another moment of respite, the pessimistic, paranoid voice in his brain that constantly screamed "danger" and "trouble" grew silent. As he looked at the starry sky above, all of his leftover worries melted away as though nothing had gone wrong in his life. Luther felt the mechanical touch of his stand creep up his back, it all the more helped put his mind at ease. Power coursed through his veins. It had only been increasing since yesterday, chipping away at his doubts little by little. Perhaps, if this continued, he had a real chance of surviving the hell that was to come. Boots hit the ground hard. Luther glanced to his side and then over his shoulder. He saw Lyra stopping.
The horned monster put her hands to her chest as she sniffed the air. Even in this light, the man beside her could tell she had gone suddenly pale, she didn't bother hiding her look of shock. Any shred of doubt in his words had vanished in an instant.
"That… you're travelling with someone like that...?" Lyra asked Luther, still in disbelief at what she was feeling. The only saving grace which had prevented her from completely freezing in place was that this presence was passive, unmoving. "You were not exaggerating, were you? That's not normal."
Luther turned, giving a sympathetic look to the Monster artisan. For her, it was likely the same thing as him facing that overwhelming inferno generated by Granberia in Iliasburg. "Yeah, pretty much. This power you're feeling, don't worry about it, she is not dangerous. The only thing she has done to me thus far is give me a nasty headache. I don't think there is anything worse in store for you than that. Besides, she is fast asleep."
Lyra bit her lip and nodded slowly, colour returning to her face. She began moving again and caught up to him, taking his side, it had seemed his nearby presence eased her into facing the deep abyss before them. It didn't take too long until they finally reached the camp. Spotting a familiar patch of purple hair sitting next to a tent, Luther smiled, relieved to see his ally alive and well.
Luka peered up and gazed at the two figures approaching them, focusing on the most familiar to him. His eyes narrowed as his vision adjusted to the darkness. Once he could fully make out who it was, he promptly jumped out of his sitting position. Luka waved to his comrade and, in a single leap, made his way to them, causing Lyra to stumble back all while the man beside her remained completely stationary.
"Luther, you're back!" He exclaimed as quietly as he could, any remaining vestiges of his drowsiness seemingly vanishing in an instant. Although he composed himself before he could appear any more excited, straightening his posture. "I was starting to get worried. Eh-"
Luka abruptly paused, nervously scratching his nape. Idly staring at him, Luther thought that the boy almost looked apologetic. There was a hint of guilt within his fading worry and newfound relief. For a moment the fake hero bowed his head lightly, non-verbally pleading for forgiveness before finally, his eyes met Luther's. "Sorry, I shouldn't have rushed off like that…it was completely irresponsible of me to-"
"To…" Luka erred as if he had forgotten what he was about to say. He looked past the man standing in front of him. There was the other figure – a horned woman, a monster quietly just standing there, watching him and Luther with curious interest. The fact that he and Luther weren't entirely alone solidified in his thoughts.
Luka awkwardly shuffled back, entering her direct line of sight. "Um…hi…" It was all that could escape his tongue as he waved to her, and she reciprocated his gesture. He damned his mouth for not being able to say more, the words were in his mind yet it refused to move, perhaps in better circumstances, he would be able to say more, but this was all too sudden.
"Who?"
Seeing Luka's struggles in handling the introductions, he took pity on the boy as well as tried to salvage the situation to prevent it from getting any more awkward. "I suppose I should also be apologizing for coming back like this after all that has happened."
They both nodded to each other in agreement with his statement. Luther huffed and lightly clasped his hands together. "There is no point in beating around the bush." He gestured over to the horned woman. "Lyra, this is my trusty companion for the road, Luka, the bravest soul I've ever met." He then turned to the horned Monster and pointed at Luka. "Luka, meet Lyra, she'll be travelling with us…is that alright with you?"
Luka blinked, processing the information for a couple of seconds as he stared at the Monster. Briefly, he witnessed Lyra's expression shift into a dour grimace at his hesitation and assumed rejection. He thought about it – it would be pleasant to have some other friendly monstrous company that wasn't Alice, not that he was sick of her, but having yet another perspective was useful for his quest. Yet as he paced through his thoughts, one question remained.
"Yeah, she can come along, after all. The more, the merrier, right?" He beamed at her, his bright demeanour and words proved to be infectious, making her forget that he ever hesitated to answer in the first place.
"It's nice to meet you, miss." Luka, fully recovering his wits, greeted the Monster, approaching her and stretching out his hand. What little awkwardness was left in his body had dissipated, replaced by his usual, although a bit reserved, confidence.
"Likewise." She succinctly responded and scanned his form as they shook hands. The young man had displayed an impressive and unexpected amount of agility, while it could use some improvement, no one would expect such a feat judging solely from his exterior. "Although you're much different than what I imagine you to be, I guess what your friend told me about you was true. Appearance can be quite deceiving, it seems. That jump was impressive."
"The results of hard work, thank you, I've been practising a lot." Luka thanked me for the compliment, nervously chuckling. It was more than hard work that got him this far, but at least having a slave driver for a teacher that repeatedly abused his regenerative drive was paying off.
His chuckle abruptly ceased. "Although, if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to travel with us? My friends and I have our reasons to stick together, even if some of them might be lacking…still, I'm fine if you just simply want to see the world with some company, after all, we'll be going through most of the continent here."
Lyra gave a gentle smile and gladly explained away, she briefly told him of the sacred grounds and meeting Luther, recounting some of the events that transpired. "Yes, while that is in my interest, I also do this out of a desire to aid someone. I hope you may believe what I will tell you given what you have presumably faced on this journey. Your friend and I had stumbled upon a ghost…he just appeared out of thin air, it happened a bit all too suddenly."
"A ghost? You met an actual ghost?" The purple-haired hero stared in astonishment. His obvious gaze shifted between Lyra and Luther. The latter nodding in confirmation of the former's tale was all that Luka needed to believe in Lyra. While he wasn't outright sceptical like Alice of their existence, his only experience with them was far-fetched stories, second-hand rumours of experience and drunken recollections, he had never met a person who legitimately encountered a pure wandering spirit.
"Yes, in fact, I have seen this ghost before, I just didn't quite believe what I was seeing." Luther answered with a contemplative frown on his countenance. "It was during our time taking a ship here when I was…dying…"
Chambers cleared his throat and continued. "What is more interesting is that this ghost is a complete amnesiac. He remembered nothing of his past life, save for some small glimpses that he got once we 'woke up' the sacred grounds. He believes if we find more and do the same with them, he could restore his memory."
"A ghost without memories… How bad is that?"
Prompted by the boy's concern, Lyra revealed what little she knew about the topic. Each detail on how ghosts likely formed, their way of "life" and eventual, probable passing, those tidbits of information she disclosed only built upon the boy's single depressing conclusion of what fate awaited the lost spirit, a fate that he wouldn't wish and upon his worst foe. He realized the seriousness of the situation and understood his friends and this stranger's desire to help. Such a thing only called on a person's compassion and empathy, a call to action for a true hero.
Gazing at Luther and Lyra, Luka gave them a smile as he nodded to himself and turned away. Even if the circumstances this lost spirit was in were less dire, he would still be more than willing to make some small detours to aid him, his "hero's journey" would mean very little if he abandoned or refused to aid those in need. Yet there was one particularity that the possibility of this entire ordeal even happening hinged upon – the whims of his "mentors". The evident problem crossed his mind, and his jovial expression disappeared.
Luka bit his lips, staring off into the distance, and then turned right back to them. "Well you're more than welcome to tag along with us then, I'll be happy to help in any way I can." He said to Lyra, before pointing directly at where his tent was set up. "We've made camp just about there. Come on, you're free to set up your tent or roll out your bedroll just about anywhere you'd like to."
The group all casually made their way towards the campsite, the general location was rather easy to determine if one knew what they were looking for, the fake hero's tent already being in view. Lyra unwittingly took the lead as she surveyed the spot, Luka gradually and methodically slowing his pace until he and Luther were touching shoulder to shoulder. Luka tapped gently on the man's side.
A whisper came from the purple-haired boy, so quiet that even Luther could barely hear it. "About Alice, should we…?"
Luther knew immediately what Luka was on about, for they were like-minded in this regard, a single issue arose from bringing along another Monster or even anyone else for their journey. It was that of their wondrous friend's identity, while they weren't exactly forced into secrecy, Alice's intentions to remain mostly hidden were obviously evident to both of them. For what little time they had together like this, Luther searched for an answer, finding it within his soul in the form of a shimmering presence of his stand, his beacon of resolve. There was no time for logic; this was a split-second decision of coordination, a matter of pure instinct.
"Nothing, for now, let's just wait until she wakes up before saying anything." He answered in a monotone tone, watching their newfound travel companion stroll into camp and stop dead in her tracks, her weary gaze being fixed directly on Alice, who had wrapped herself around a tree, looking more comfortable than would expect.
It was as though she was lost in a trance of complete astonishment and amazed terror at the power that the being before was casually radiating. Lyra was stuck staring at the white-haired lamia until Luka and Luther approached, upon which she promptly snapped out of her stupor. She remained stationary, however, only shifting her head to face them, her countenance completely betraying her shock.
"Forgive me, but back when we were leaving the temple I thought you were exaggerating about the people you've been travelling with, I see now that is not the case. You were entirely truthful. "Lyra confessed, there was a great pause that followed as the stiffness in her body dissipated. "Please, never let me make that mistake again." She raised an eyebrow, spotting the sudden flash of guilt on Luther's face that vanished from sight as quickly as it appeared and stifled back into the usual neutral expression.
She cautiously stepped away from the Lamia, her senses being more active than they'd ever been. Something about that one's presence just spoke pure power and dominance on an almost primal level, even if she was peacefully slumbering away, as though it was a natural conclusion. "I cannot quite imagine travelling with someone like her."
"Yeah…she can be quite scary at times." The fake hero sheepishly admitted. "But we don't have to worry about that now, she is a heavy sleeper, nothing we do is likely to wake her up."
"She is also an early riser and I don't think she'd appreciate being woken up." Luther chimed in with a click of his tongue, being quite personally familiar with that trait of hers. He yawned, which proved to be infectious as Luka and lastly Lyra yawned after him. "Best we get going to sleep. It's already quite late into the night. We'll continue this in the morning."
With that, they said their goodnights and went their separate ways and into their respective spots, waiting for a new day to arrive. Soon sleep overtook them as the relatively warm embrace of their bedrolls sheltered them from the chill and lightly windy surroundings, their last thoughts being on what awaited them.
Beams of light broke through the clouds as the sun rose over the horizon, its warm rays banishing the night's imprint onto the world. As the wind blew and rustled, the branches of trees, everything in the camp was silent save for low soft humming that barely could be heard by anyone except the ones singing. Lyra sat on her bedroll, a single hand placed on her chin as she idly looked around. Across her still slept the young boy with purple hair who strangely held his sheathed weapon in an embrace. From what little time she had spent talking to him, the boy oozed hope and honesty. He had carried himself in a certain way that was admirable; it was as though he himself was a ray of light. Just beside Luka was Luther slumbering deeply, her gaze lingered on him, for how long she couldn't say. To say he is a peculiar would be an understatement, a surprise considering his rather ordinary appearance in comparison to his friends. The man was quiet and reserved. He wore a neutral if a bit apathetic expression on his face for the most part with some rare sudden expressions of emotion she could barely just catch a glimpse of. Lyra could tell there was some conscious effort behind this - the man was admittedly shadier than his compatriots. Yet the fact that he had been willing to play alongside her and aid a spirit that was left for dead proved he had some soul and compassion hidden within that lifeless exterior.
And then there was the last member of their group, the most exotic one, from her choice of clothing to her natural appearance and presence, whose name she didn't know. The lamia humorously was clinging to a tree, it was a surprise to Lyra that she wasn't just accidentally crushing it, sleeping like that couldn't possibly have been comfortable. Lyra had no real way to describe the being, not much more than she had already observed at least, that Monster put any other high-ranking ones to shame.
Looking at her future company there was one thing she knew for sure. Life is not going to get boring with them around. This journey, such a journey should be worth a hundred ballads. What would they be called, I wonder?
Lyra stopped humming and reached into her bag, keeping an eye on the only other Monster present, whose body twitched and moved ever so slightly. She put her mouth against the flute with a couple of notes coming out of the instrument. It was a soft and low melody, not nearly loud enough to disrupt the peace, but someone like her could hear it perfectly well. A minute passed and the Lamia slowly lifted her head up from the tree, and then it snapped quickly to the origin point of the music. The lamia was staring directly right at her.
Lyra stopped playing, putting the instrument close to her chest, her fingers playing and fiddling around with it. "Ah, you've finally moved, I was wondering when you would stop pretending to sleep."
For a long time, the lamia just glared at the one intruding on her territory with what seemingly was mere annoyance before her expression softened and became more contemplative. What little hostility and alertness she had shown were replaced by curiosity as she unwrapped herself and slithered closer. "Impressive observation, Satyr, as expected that an artisan like you would have an eye for detail. I know your kind are rather social and communal, they don't usually wander alone.
"Where is your troupe, Satyr?"
The horned monster frowned and stood up cautiously, not wanting to make herself seem like a threat in any way. It was a two-fold question. She knew this well, regardless, given the situation such a thing was to be expected. Lyra was determined to answer honestly, she had nothing to hide from this frankly speaking terrifying Monster. "My troupe…disbanded a long time ago and everyone went their separate ways, after that, I've just been wandering by myself for quite a while. But as of now…I guess you and your companions are my troupe now."
The Monster Lord raised an eyebrow at her statement, before quickly glancing around from Lyra to Luka and Luther, who were both peacefully sleeping. Something had happened while she was asleep, that was as much as she was completely sure about. Clearly, given the relative feeling of familiarity she expressed when referring to them, the lack of hostility and the fact that she was comfortable enough to sleep within their vicinity, the foreign Monster likely had pleasantly interacted with Luka and Luther, or at least one of them.
Before she could say anything or question any further the monster in front of her gave a half-bow. The gesture stunned Alice to still silence, making her raise an eyebrow. Alice's mind raced. Did this satyr know or perhaps she was being overly paranoid? She had even considered the possibility of Luther or Luka revealing that either through deliberate intention or daftness. Regardless, it was a certain peculiar choice in greeting that could be taken in two ways, either it was just simple theatrics meant to flatter Alice or it was a purely deliberate choice to hint that she knew of her true identity. It wouldn't entirely surprise her if it was the latter, given how easily a knowledgeable human had figured her out.
The satyr looked up from her bow, giving the weary lamia an easy if a bit nervous smile as she introduced herself, hoping that the glare she was receiving would be temporary. Lyra was only thankful that the fierce gaze of the lamia didn't contain any hostility. "I'm Lyra, a travelling musician of sorts. It's a pleasure to meet you, could I perhaps know your name as well."
A few empty seconds passed, and hard amber eyes met wavering lilacs. Alice crossed her arms and sighed, for a moment she frowned. The satyr before her was nervous, even a bit fearful of her, Lyra showed no signs of maliciousness, in her body language or energy, which was problematic... She had no real way of explaining it. While Alice didn't mind being feared by a malevolent or hostile force, something within just felt wrong being feared by a, for the most part, supposedly innocent subject.
"Alice." She succinctly answered, and through conscious effort, she relaxed her body, appearing less threatening. It worked. Her, if a bit delayed, answer and lack of intimidating presence had eased the horned musician's nerves. The less truly strained body language and countenance coming from the Satyr was a refreshing sight for Alice, yet it couldn't get rid of a nagging question that popped into her head the moment they spoke.
"Now then, might you explain why you're tagging along with us?" Alice inquired, watching as the Monster musician slowly put the flute up against her lips. "I have a feeling I missed something here…"
Lyra gestured to Luther's laying form with her head. "I met your friend last night, we accidentally stumbled upon something and now he needs my help. Considering you're already travelling around the world, a couple of short detours wouldn't hurt, would it?"
Before Alice could answer, she proceeded to play her flute. The melody that came started off slow and calm, almost droning, like the soft rushing of waves washing the beach, before Lyra suddenly picked up the pace and it rapidly became louder and faster every second that passed creating an image of someone climbing a mountain with increasingly faster and unnaturally higher jumps. Alice waited and listened to the display, questioning where this was all going. The song ended abruptly and unsatisfyingly, which was followed by a sudden loud groan. Lyra and Alice turned their heads toward the origin, it was Luka, who had inexplicably gotten up, letting out a yawn as he stretched his arms.
Lyra turned to a still-asleep Luther and frowned. He shuddered, beginning to toss and turn against the fabric around him. His arms managing to free themselves lashed out randomly into the air. It was as though he was struggling against something. It didn't take long for him to wake up, although he looked a lot more groggy and worse for wear than his younger companion was.
Luka blinked, rubbing his eyes as his free hand gripped the fabric of his bed roll tighter and tighter, before he finally jumped out of his tent, incidentally dropping his odd-looking blade to the ground. The boy bounced around, his movement was sudden and frantic. First, he picked up Angel Halo and set it atop his bed, then he quickly turned to the two Monsters
"Uh…A-Alice!" He called, jumping in between the two of them. His face was flushed red, made worse by the fact that Alice found his antics lightly humorous. "This is-"
The purple-haired hero's speech was cut short by Alice raising her hand, telling him to relax.
"Yes, I'm quite aware of what her name is, we've already been acquainted," Alice explained to the boy, who had forced himself to stand still as he nodded in understanding. The Monster Lord narrowed her eyes on the boy. "Although, don't think you're quite off the hook. You certainly have some explaining to do."
Luka shut his gaping mouth as the redness in his cheeks intensified. He looked away, but it was to no avail, he could feel her eyes seeing straight through him and into his soul and he could perfectly picture the sadistic smirk she was wearing Oh, how he despised it. Thankfully, a saviour made an untimely arrival, in the form of Luther lazily strolling to them. Unlike him or Lyra, the man didn't appear to be affected at all by the Monster's studious gaze, in fact, he was bafflingly annoyed by it, or perhaps it was just the lack of sleep wearing his sense of danger down.
"Good morning Alice, I see you've already met Lyra." Luther blandly greeted the Monster Lord, inwardly he cursed the circumstances, it would have been a lot more convenient if he was the one making the introductions. He threw those thoughts out and endeavored to make the best out of this situation.
"Yes, we have, it's a shame that we couldn't converse properly." Lyra answered and met Luther's eyes, one look was all that was needed to convey the first impression and assumptions, the look she got back practically screamed 'you'll get used to it.'
'We'll do that after." Alice interjected, pointing an accusing finger at Luther. It wasn't surprising to her that someone like Luther would do something behind her back. That was simply in his character, as was Luka pulling himself into whatever mess this was. The only thing she wanted to know was how deep this rabbit hole went. "You, what were you doing up at night in the first place and what exactly did you stumble upon?"
"I didn't feel like sleeping, so I took a walk." Luther said, employing the use of his favoured tactic "lying by omission". He didn't feel like sleeping, he did take a walk, whatever else that happened was left to interpretation. He dryly explained his journey, bringing up pointless and boring details, any entertainment one could have dared up from such a story was quickly diminished. It actually took some effort on his part not to express his amusement at how quickly Alice's inquisitiveness turned to subtle boredom. "Then I ended up finding some ancient ruins and eventually met Lyra. One thing led to another and now we're both on some quest to help out a stranger."
Best not to mention that this stranger is a ghost. Luther bit his tongue, hoping that neither Luka or Lyra haphazardly mentioned that little inconvenient bit of truth. Judging from her previous reactions, something tells me she'd immediately accuse me, all of us of lying. Besides, a first-hand impression would be a lot better…
"And yet you only brought one person with you?" Alice was quick to question him. Luther kept his face still, resisting the urge to grimace. He could very much agree with her observation that this was strange behaviour, this entire situation would be a lot easier to handle with that ghost in tow…or perhaps harder, it entirely depended on whether or not Alice goes through all of the stages of grief in the process.
Luther was spared the pain of explaining that particular discrepancy as Lyra stepped in. "Normally we would have happily brought him along, but he went searching for other ruins like the one we met. It was a place of power, where energy was left there to fester without purpose, there are more of them out there and whoever this man is linked to them."
"Unfortunately we only know as we've told you," Lyra said, shaking her head, but her expression wasn't that of grief or frustration, rather she expressed wonder. "It seems the only way to solve this mystery is to go through with it. Find the other points of power and draw upon what's left in, and then see what happens."
"Interesting…" Alice hummed as she processed the information, putting a hand on her chin. She looked over the generally given facts, comparing them to her massive mental catalogue of information that Tamamo had fed her over the years. The situation was certainly out of the ordinary, however, it nonetheless was grounded in reality – certain spots in the world contained more or less ambient energy due to a variety of reasons and there were rituals precisely made to tap into the ambient energy.
Then, there was the existence of someone who could sense these points that stumped her. It was possible to do so if one was near enough, but practically impossible when they were far away, at least without the aid of tools or advanced magic. Just who is this stranger? She continued humming, delving deeper into her thoughts.
The rest of the gathered group watched Alice stay silent, the minutes that passed by were distressing, to say the least, and did not help ease their unexpected guest's nerves. Tusk's mechanical body hopped onto its user's shoulder, letting out its short battle cry as it filled its user with resolve to end this. The discussion had no reason to go on for much longer.
Luther turned to Lyra and Luka and told them to wait for a moment as he began to approach the pondering Alice. He snapped the purple lamia out of her thoughts with a tap on her shoulder, she didn't react much, merely blinking and staring right at him. Chambers nodded in a direction, requesting her to follow him for a more private conversation. She complied, slithering by his side until they were out of ear-shot.
"So, are we taking her in?" Luther got straight to the point and asked. "You've trusted me, someone, far shadier than her and it's not like she is going to be much of a threat to you if it turns out she has ulterior motives. If not, mayb-"
"It's quite alright. She can come along with us if she wishes to. My opinion on the matter is irrelevant, you trust to a certain extent and that is a fine enough reason for me to accept her." Alice said, interrupting him. "Having another Monster with us will give that purple-haired numbskull another viewpoint to go off of. Besides, she is just another cute little subordinate and this quest of yours is certainly intriguing. You will take me to those ruins."
Luther half-heartedly bobbed his head at Alice's command, his expression betraying no emotion, though in truth his heart was nothing less but relief and pleasant surprise. To think, despite his general attitude and blatant sketchiness, that Alice beheld him with some trust or at least some form of respect enough to simply take his word as it was and move on. It warmed his heart, in an odd sort of manner, but he could also feel a slight but undeniable pain in his chest, the feeling of guilt for being so dishonest. Regardless, his mind was too preoccupied with another issue entirely to truly take note and consider these feelings.
"Of course, there would be no point in trying to make you believe us if I didn't." Luther told her. He saw how she was beginning to slither back to the rest of the group and wasted no time as he put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped dead in her tracks, their gazes meeting. "One more thing, before we go, this...search will likely take a while."
"And, what of it?"
"What I mean to say is that Lyra will be with us for a long time." Luther clarified, deciding it was useless to mince words. "Long enough for either of us, me, you or Luka to slip and reveal that you're the Monster Lord. There is really no point in dragging the charade longer than it needs to be, so let's just cut it short."
For a long time Alice didn't answer him, just staring blankly at or right through him, yet Chambers could tell easily that gears in her head were spinning. It almost felt as though she was asking him 'why should I?'. He knew her intentions well, seeing the world and its inhabitants, mainly humans, through the eyes of a wanderer rather than looking at it from the high view of her throne. For this she had to remain hidden for the most part, her identity, it didn't help that her subordinates were lax when it came to complying with her wishes. Both of them knew it would just end up being the same song and dance as it was with Luka, but only one of them was willing to admit it right now.
But it was fine, Luther figured, a little coaxing was required. "It's not like it will be much of an issue, how bad is it that more than one person knows your secret? Said person will be part of our group, if only for a time. She is a Monster, your subject, one order from you and her lips are sealed tight. If worse comes to worst, make her forget, fabricate some memories with your powers and then we leave her."
"You're correct. This is truly nothing to fret about." Alice easily relented. After all, every word, every sentence that came out of the man's mouth was just a direct confrontation with her own thoughts. To delay anymore or play this game again would be to fall into the trappings of paranoia, something completely unbefitting to the likes of her.
With that, they went back to Luka and Lyra who were having an easier time conversing than them, discussing simple pleasantries and short anecdotes about their experiences adventuring. The boy had seemingly made strides in relaxing and reassuring the horned Monster, who now stood firmly as Alice approached, though perhaps that was aided by the fact that Alice was no longer glaring at her suspiciously.
"You are free to join us on our journey." Alice told her bluntly, and then paused as she reconsidered her approach before speaking again. "It seems we come to a unanimous agreement here, forgive my previous distrust of you."
"Completely understandable, you were woken up face to face with a stranger and reacted accordingly." Lyra brushed off the apology, there was nothing wrong that his purple lamia had done, though there was an unmissable red tint on her cheeks. "I had been the one to make the mistake. I should have simply chosen a better way of approaching you."
"Then perhaps a proper introduction is in order?" Alice said. Continuing onward before Lyra could respond, she placed a hand on her own chest. Luther and Lyra slightly shuddered as the massive wellspring of darkness that was Alice's power grew. The only thing that kept them calm was that the energy didn't threaten to consume everything, instead, it spread out and lingered around them, as though it was pulling them into an embrace. "I hold the current reigns of the Monster Lord's throne, Alipheese Fateburn the XVI, though I would prefer if they would just call me Alice."
The energy vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Everything grew quiet for a moment, as Luther and Luka breathed a sigh of relief as they wordlessly stared at Alice, the pressure built up inside them was let go. They had not even remotely received the same treatment when she introduced herself to them. Luther took an odd class at their newest compatriot. Her reaction to the overwhelming presence was completely different. She didn't buckle under the weight of the pressure, nor did she appear to be strained. She was smiling. It was one that was knowing, warm, belonging to someone who had embraced the feeling that passed over them.
"You're the Monster Lord! I never could ha-"Lyra proclaimed, before cutting herself off, the man observing her could feel that the shock in her voice was, for the most part, artificial.
She quickly recovered, bowing before the higher-ranking Monster. It was a full bow, graceful and modest although a little theatrical, unlike her previous exclamation none of them could see even an ounce of insincerity in the gesture.
"I expect not a word of this to anyone else." This was not a suggestion, but an order, the lamia's authoritative tone painted a clear picture that there would be consequences if such a suggestion isn't followed.
Lyra's upper body rose up from the bowing. The smile on her countenance remained in spite of the veiled threat. "Oh, I assure you, your secret is safe with me. You will have to worry more about that from yourself than from me."
"Elaborate." Alice glared at the horned Monster. Luka and Luther could swear he felt a literal cold shiver run down his spine at the mere utterance of that single word like the temperature suddenly dropped. It wouldn't have surprised them if the moisture in the air started to freeze.
Lyra awkwardly coughed, her eyes shifting between them all. Luther could tell she wasn't looking for help out of this situation, he knew the feeling all too well – inward struggle. A dozen seconds passed and the musician spoke up, cupping her hand with her chin. "Well, I mean no offence, you've got something quite nice going on here." She coyly pointed at Alice's choice of clothing.
"But how recently have you looked at yourself in a mirror? Your unique appearance, the sheer power you radiate, and lastly, the fact that you could immediately recognize and know what species of Monster I am. No other assumption should come to mind other than you being royalty. You're the exact opposite of ordinary. All of that coincides into a single conclusion that makes the first name you gave me "Alice" - a dead giveaway."
"This all happened, while I assume, you were trying to keep your identity a secret, how does someone not find out? Judging from their reactions, I assume they already know, they have made the same conclusion, what's stopping someone else from doing so? You could at least use a different name..."
Everything once again became silent, the tension became so thick that you cut it with a knife, Luther thought. She is right, Alice's attempts seem rather half-hearted at best, and there are clues constantly being thrown about, yet her point isn't entirely true. Alice's identity is only obvious to those that are knowledgeable, or at least have their wits about them enough to pay attention to her words. The common folk, people like Luka aren't really going to draw up any higher assumptions than her being some kind of royalty, or… some high-class prostitute if she is in her disguise.
Alice scoffed in indignation, breaking the silence. "I have my ways of preventing that, I'm quite capable of remaining hidden, your concern…is noted."
"Chu." Tusk manifested, floating just above its user's shoulder blade. Just as it always had, it had been listening in, and through tiny emotional sparks communicating to him, transposing his own thoughts.
Luther recalled seeing a small nod and an introspective look the Monster Lord had in her eyes, there was a certain disappointment in her. No, this isn't disappointment, I know what she is like when she is disappointed, how her energy shifts, and abates. She is not the type to be disappointed in her for some apparent lack of ability, too much self-esteem in her for that. No, this is frustration, clear as day, frustration at being underestimated, at not having the opportunity to display what she is capable of. Perhaps for the first time, he was looking through her, there was a feeling hidden within her heart, something he felt a very long time ago.
The short exchange passed and with that, they agreed to pack it up and go onward, to find a change in scenery and converse on the road. There was little that was left to discuss in this place, that couldn't be elsewhere anyway. The winds picked up, and they left the campsite, leaving a few marks upon the land and what little peace they had found there.
Luther's eyes lingered on the road ahead, it was barely paved, utterly run down by the passage of time as though the ones who made it in the first intended it to be lost, forgotten, the connection cut and gone. He didn't stay on those musing for too long, instead glancing at his companions marching along him, particularly looking at their newest edition and thinking back to the spirit that was likely lurking and scouring the entire world. Despite no words being exchanged between him and them, the extra company made the journey and his wild surroundings less empty, and less lonely. His thoughts dwelled on the short detour they took to the ruin. It was harder to reach, no mystical lights were there to guide them so they had to rely on his gut instincts and Lyra's memory. It had been…somewhat enlightening.
Alice and her encyclopedic knowledge were lacking for the occasion, she had told them just as much as Lyra did to him last night – it was a place of worship and ritual for forgotten belief, a way of life, something that was still being processed by him. What was more interesting was her reaction, that of a student whose head was filled with the theoretical getting their hands on something practical. There was wonder and fascination at the sight, for the first time Luka and Alice were completely in sync, and for the first time the terrifying Lamia's curiosity seemed wholly innocent and almost child-like. Like starry-eyed children they hopped from one corner to the other, noting its primal yet serene beauty from the overgrown hedges and bushes to the stone slabs depicting rituals and indecipherable symbols.
Adorable… Luther shook his head as he banished the thought. That was not a word he would ever use to describe Alice. Regardless, there was one single bit of information that did prove useful – there was in fact more than one ruin such as this, they were scattered about in the world, in different places of power. It was not as though he didn't trust Lyra or the ghost on the subject, but it was reassuring to hear that he wasn't being duped from the lips of the walking encyclopedia that was the Monster Lord. Satisfied with his short rumination, he turned his attention to the present reality.
"If I may inquire, where exactly are we going?" Lyra stared at the path with a withdrawn and worried expression. "Because the road we're on leads to only one notable location that I think of…"
Luther blinked, restraining the urge to either stop dead in his tracks or to outwardly slap his face as he chastised himself. The latter desire was fulfilled by Tusk manifesting beside him and lightly tapping his cheek with a 'Chu'. He had spent so much time worrying about the far-flung future effect of bringing along Lyra, that he had forgotten the most basic of facts and immediate consequences.
"San Ilia, our next stop is San Ilia." Alice stated in a neutral tone as she scanned Lyra's reaction, who much to the lamia's expectations wasn't all too pleased with the news. Perhaps it was only his cynicism, but to Luther, for a moment it almost appeared as though the Monster Lord was gloating.
"Right, we're heading to San Ilia..." Luka said much of the same, but there was a pause. The boy frowned as he looked to Lyra, realizing that he was going to be bringing two Monsters to the seat of the Ilias' faith. "Are you alright with that? I-I mean they definitely won't let Monsters with what some of the scriptures have to say about that. Alice has a disguise, but-"
As if to demonstrate his point, Alice quickly transformed into her human form before the fake hero could finish his sentence. Everyone watched with interest, her long snake tail became a pair of functional legs and the colour of her skin turned into something more commonly seen within humans. All the while there was a smug smirk on her face.
Lyra breathlessly looked up and down at Alice's new appearance as though she was trying to find any fault in it and shake off her wonder. "Incredible, a complete physical transformation, there are so few that come to my mind that are capable of truly shifting their form that way. Truly incredible, although, perhaps such a thing is to be expected from someone like you."
"Indeed I can sweet subordinate of mine." Alice boisterously proclaimed as she took in her subject's praise, tapping her chest with an open palm a couple of times. "With this, I can freely march wherever I please without the worry of anyone suspecting me of being a Monster."
"Yeah, right, Alice can do that." Luka continued rolling his eyes as he gestured to the disguised lamia. There was so much he and for that matter, Luther, could argue much about the legitimacy of her last statement – even with the chances she still remained the most eye-catching of the group. The boy sighed and went back on topic. "What I meant to ask you, can you do something similar? Or if you can't, can you wai-"
"Easy there, no worries, as unpleasant as it may be I have nothing against us going there. I just usually make it a point to avoid these places. However, that does not mean I'm unprepared for such an occasion." Lyra interjected as she clapped her hands together.
Silence followed, none were yet willing to ask her to clarify what she had meant, they had simply watched carefully, seeing how focused their newcomer had become. It took a whole minute when a dim glow suddenly enveloped the horned Monster and before they knew it the glow crystalized and then cracked and popped off like glass. Before them, stood Lyra, now hornless and with legs without fur, her hooves were replaced by simple grey-coloured shoes.
"That's good, very good. Means this journey won't be as awkward then." Luka expressed his approval, happy at the idea of side-stepping the issue entirely. The thought of just leaving her outside of San Ilia didn't set will with him. Luther only nodded, having nothing that he could add.
"An illusion." Alice immediately remarked. It was a purely neutral observation and appraisal. "Yes, that's as much as I'm able to disguise myself, I'm afraid. Still, it manages to fool almost all Humans." Lyra said, shrugging.
No, it's not just an illusion. Alice might not be able to feel it due to the massive power gap between them, but she is actively suppressing her energy to look similar to that of a normal human. Not perfect, but it makes sense to get as close as possible. Luther thought. His gaze was trained on the road, yet his perception was focused elsewhere as he directed his attention to his sixth sense. The dark energy that emanated from the horned Monster's being was restrained, condensed, and the flow of it was slowed. If the energy could be compared to blood, then the veins and arteries of the figurative circulatory system would be slightly clogged and overstrained. He frowned. That can't be comfortable.
Crossing her arms, the Monster lord narrowed her eyes. Her expression became critical, yet still showed some concern. "Indeed, many opt to use illusions to live among Humans. For some, such a thing is easier because there is little that needs to be hidden, for others not so much. It works well enough for the most part, but the problem is, if the illusion isn't strong enough, a single mage, Monster, or any energy-attuned person could sniff you out.
"At some random human village that isn't a problem, but we are going to San Ilia and it wouldn't be a surprise to find some novice mages among the wretched masses of heroes. That, and…" Alice abruptly stopped, deciding that a proper demonstration would be better to prove a point.
She slowly reached over to Lyra, who refused to move away. Her fingers tapped what looked to be nothing but air, but if one were to watch closely, each tap momentarily revealed a transparent form of horn that she was touching. Alice then, with the non-verbal approval of Lyra, lightly grabbed the horn and the transparent form became plain to see until the lamia had let go. "An illusion doesn't change reality, the horn is still there, just obscured.
"If someone were to directly interact with a disguised body part the discrepancy between what is real and what is not would become apparent. It would be much the same with my own legs." The horned musician finished the impromptu lesson without an ounce of worry as she dispelled her own illusion. "But it takes effort and conviction to truly uncover an illusion without any magical talent."
"So that means we will just have to take extra care to not look suspicious." Luther noted, restraining his urge to sigh, such a matter would be easy were it not for the fact that his company stuck out like a sore thumb. He threw the trail of thought away and focused his attention on his surroundings.
Alice nodded, satisfied with the level of understanding that her fellow Monster was showing. "Still, keep an eye out for anyone staring at you for too long and avoid them, if not for our sake then for your own."
Lyra watched as Alice stopped in her tracks, looked around and, without another word spoken, vanished into thin air before her eyes. They all stopped marching as the horned musician frantically looked around trying to catch something more than a mere whiff of Alice's energy. She turned to her remaining companions, who didn't at all appear surprised by this sudden behaviour. In fact, the look in their eyes was as though they were preparing for something.
"And she just vanished, just like that…" Lyra remarked, still befuddled by the situation. Still, seeing them both in such an alert state told her this was a serious matter and not the consequence of the Monster Lord's whimsy. "I assume this is not the first time that has happened, judging by your reactions."
"It happens often, whenever we come across some other Monster on the road. Hostile or otherwise, she really doesn't want to be seen by most of her subjects." Luther quickly explained, keeping his eyes on the tall shrubbery before them.
"Don't really know why she would do that now? She was already in her disguise." Luka brought up as he shrugged and followed his friend's gaze.
"Maybe she is just so used to it, that it's ingrained into her instinct." Luther half-heartedly offered his view as his fingers undid the buttons holding his steel balls.
A foreign scent entered Lyra's senses, it belonged to a lamia, but it was incomparable to the one she had been recently acquainted with, to the point where it barely registered on her radar. That one didn't even have a quarter of Alice's power. The gears in her head turned and an answer to this minor conundrum sprung up. Lyra shook her head. It was obvious now that she thought about it. "She left because her presence would have likely scared that lamia off. No matter how good she is at concealing her power, with that amount eventually a Monster will be able to feel it if they get close enough if they're able to feel it all."
"Meaning she specifically wants us to meet Monsters, meaning she wants to test us. It adds up with everything else she is saying." Luther concluded as he took a deep breath. 'Testing' didn't necessarily mean seeing combat prowess, he knew that well, the approach to stressful situations and potential conflict matter just as much if not more sometimes.
She is evaluating humanity through us and to some extent through everything else that we encounter. Our actions, thoughts and feelings, everything will determine whether or not she completely loses what faith she has in coexistence or decides to try to pull the same stunt her mother did all those years ago. Luther gritted his teeth. He had not even attempted to hide his frown. The thought of a single individual being able to determine the fate of mankind displeased him. No one should have that much power, especially someone in her current mental state. There is little I can do about it now, except bide my time. I wonder what type of conclusion about humanity she drew from me.
I'm probably not the best example of a decent human being, but better myself than some unwashed zealot. Luther inched forward, his ears picking up the distinct sound of something large slithering ahead of them, the rustling of bushes, it was subtle and would have been lost on him were it not for the complete silence all of them were sharing. It was getting closer. Clearly, whichever Monster was lurking out there wanted to at the very least surprise them, and gauge their knee-jerk reactions.
A long and tall figure slowly emerged from the wild fauna, another Monster creeping toward them until she was clear in view. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the stranger's lower snake half, its movements were familiar to both Luther and Luka, yet it was shorter than Alice's own tail and its grey colour was, while still beautiful, boorish and plain in comparison. Long golden hair freely flowed in the breeze, it reached the lamia's upper back. She looked at them with her bright blue eyes like a predator sizing up her prey.
Luka kept his hand tightly wrapped around the pommel of his blade, that look she was giving him didn't sit right with him, like Alice's signature gaze but genuinely malicious in its hunger. It told him all he needed to know about the one in front of him - there were no negotiations, and the only way of getting out of this without any violence was through intimidation.
"Why hello there, look who just happened to show up, just as I was getting quite peckish. It's not every day that travellers with such wonderful scents show up. Lucky me." The lamia licked her lips, as her gaze went up and down Luka and Luther's forms, before looking to 'admire' their looks and the expressions they wore. She slithered toward them a bit. "My, such scary faces, you're trying so hard it's almost adorable."
"Stand aside and you won't be hurt." Luther commanded, the calm presence he once held shifting into something more animalistic, yet the lamia hadn't budged or reacted like she couldn't feel the change.
"I don't think I will." She did however stop in her tracks, perhaps waiting for them to make the first move so she could have some flimsy excuse to either drain them dry or devour them entirely. "You're not being very friendly and I've just said hello."
"You don't look very friendly yourself, miss." Luka innocently noted as he impatiently tapped his foot against the rough soil below.
Lyra remained composed, unreactive to the other Monster's provocations, perhaps being the only one that didn't express disdain. She was glad that no attack or hostilities were exchanged, yet the tension wasn't pleasant either. One more word, one more action and they would no doubt come to blows. Something needed to be done. "We don't desire any conflict, please just let us be and we would all go on our merry way. There are three of us and you're all alone, do you really want to go through all that trouble for a meal?"
"Three? The numerical advantage might count for something, but all I see are two juicy Humans and a low-level Monster." The lamia 'corrected', her voice beheld a type of analytical tone as though she was making an unbiased observation. Yet the curtain of impartiality was dropped quickly with a wicked grin.
"Low-level?" Lyra spoke under her breath, raising an eyebrow. Her expression twisted into a display of minor puzzlement and resentment as she withdrew a thin flute from one of the many open pockets of her travel bag. For just a moment her gaze shifted from the one before her to the instrument in her fingers, a soft 'click' could be heard within the short span of silence.
"Honestly, you manage to get a lucky catch, but you can't expect to hoard everything to yourself, that's quite unfair for the rest of us, don't you think?" She patronizingly reprimanded, acting as though the men in front of her didn't exist. "There is always the option where you let me have my way, I might just consider letting you go."
"You have a heavy misunderstanding of our relationship here, she is travelling with us and that is that." Luther corrected and stepped forward, as the blond lamia kept her eyes on him Luka slowly and gradually nudged to the side in some vain attempt to either encircle her or make more distance.
"So it's nothing like that, eh? I suppose that makes things easier for me." She hummed, leaning closer to the man, shaking her form. Although, the reaction she got was not at all what she had expected. The man, even at close proximity hadn't shown an ounce of terror or a sign of attraction like he was a zealot, though he didn't appear dogmatic or mad, his eyes portrayed too much rationality and apathy for that.
The sheer coldness and restrained aggression in his glare sent a chill down the lamia's spine. There were only a couple of meters of distance between them. The lamia let her shoulders drop before standing up tall. For an instance, there was a feeling of fear and danger in the back of her mind as though she had forgotten who she was, yet it was quickly shaken away.
"Stand aside and let us through. We don't have to do this, it is better if we went our separate ways." Chambers said, trying his hand at diplomacy one more time, the presence he had constructed painted a clear picture of the consequences that were if she did not comply with his demand. She didn't move, yet her stance had lost its alertness.
Suddenly she yawned. Her condescending and confident grin was replaced by a tired and confused frown as her eyes drooped. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Luther watched the lamia's sway become lethargic. He cared little for what was on her mind. The more pressing matter is what suddenly put her into such a strange state.
She raised her arm and pointed over behind him. "Are you deaf? Your friend here is playing some melody."
The man was hesitant to turn his back to the lamia. It would have given her a perfect opportunity to take him hostage, and he knew far too well that Monsters were fast, and the ones that possessed no legs were faster than they seemed. Instead, he kept his eyes on her and listened, but he heard nothing but footsteps, which were slow and careful, ones that most likely belonged to Lyra or Luka. Luther grimaced, he couldn't hear anything else. He considered calling out the lamia's pathetic attempt at distracting, but…
There it was, the melody, it was barely audible, just on the edge of his hearing range. A human, someone who wasn't paying any attention wouldn't be able to hear, but it was an entirely different story for a Monster, someone like her could hear it more clearly. It sounded strange, as though the sound wasn't actually coming from an instrument but rather his mind. Having seen the lamia's current tired state and his interest piqued, he forced down his sense of danger and turned his head around. Lyra was approaching the other Monster, swaying from side to side with her hands and lips on flute, Chambers couldn't explain it but something about it was different.
The lamia did nothing but stare as Lyra got closer, she was utterly unresponsive to the fact that the distance between them had been dramatically closed other than her own swaying motions matching that of the horned musicians, or perhaps it was the other way around.
Either way, she seemed more preoccupied with keeping herself awake than anything else. Lyra stopped playing and softly seized one of the lamia's shoulders with one hand as though she was supporting her, and then head-butted her. It was a practised motion, something that had been done many times before and mastered naturally, the fruits of that effort could be seen as that one blow managed to knock out the lamia. Luther and Luka stared in disbelief at the sudden brutish approach.
"Damn, I hoped the song alone would have been enough for her." Lyra looked down at the unconscious form of the lamia. "I almost got scared she would break it or just resist outright, still, quite tough this one, a shame that power is in the hands of someone like her."
"What do you mean by that?" Luther inquired as the purple-haired hero came to them. While the man agreed with her statement, he obviously knew what she meant was far off from his own thoughts.
"Well to put it simply- she is a fool, someone too high on their own perceived superiority and power. She didn't even try to ambush us. With the general speed and strength that lamias possess, she could have very well taken one of us, hostage, if not knocked us around with her lower half." Lyra told the man, finally taking her eyes off of the lamia lying on the cold hard ground. "Even then, she failed to notice that we detected her and then considered your cautiousness an expression of fear rather than what really was, you were prepared to fight. It goes to show that power is useless if there are no brains to guide it."
"You shouldn't have done that." Luka exclaimed, shaking his head, the words that spontaneously came out of his mouth weren't a mean-spirited reprimand or an expression of regret, yet the intention mattered little; the horned musician's questionable expression told him everything he needed to know. Face flushed, he raised his arms up in defence. "I mean, that wasn't your battle to take, or-or you don't have to fight for us, yeah, that's what I meant."
"And why is that?"
"I'd rather not have a Monster fight their own kind on my behalf, if I can help it." Luka sheepishly confessed.
"She didn't exactly 'fight' her, just put her to sleep." Luther shrugged and gestured to the lamia lying behind them, while the finishing touch was a tad barbaric. It was still a slight bit better than whatever they had in store. His weapon could kill and he could wager that having your energy drained was far from a pleasant experience.
"It just doesn't feel right to me."
"Do you honestly expect me to run the moment some fight starts?" Lyra questioned with a determined look and before the purple-haired boy could come up with a response she continued. "You shouldn't. When I decided to come along with you, I, by extension, accepted all of the trouble and insanity that I might have to deal with. If people travel together, then they must play their own parts, and I don't intend to sit around idly as you risk your life. This isn't anything out of the ordinary, Monsters conflict with one another just as Humans do, and for the same reason – resources, food, territory, duty, and honour. It shouldn't be this way, but it is."
Lyra put a reassuring hand on the fake hero's shoulder as the boy gazed at her sleeping victim. "Blood cannot dictate loyalty or companionship. I'll be as willing to protect you as you will me, so don't think for one second I'll leave you exposed."
"Indeed, blood doesn't dictate loyalty or companionship, but your position does." In an instant Alice reappeared in the same spot that she had been standing in, having completely shed her human disguise. Everyone turned to her as she casually slithered by the unconscious body. "I will not fight or scare my subjects away for the sake of two Humans. For me this is nothing more than a pleasure trip, I have no such obligations. Though I must say, clever thinking, the moment you saw your spell waning you were quick on your feet and went on the immediate offence and with little damage done. Good."
Lyra nodded, seeing nothing more that she could add she just took in the praise. All while Luka grumbled, he complained under his breath. "You were never that quick to praise me."
Alice flashed an evil smirk as she heard his complaint. "That's because you're an idiot who is not all that impressive"
The fake hero groaned and then proceeded to theatrically clutched his chest, proclaiming sarcastically that purple lamia was breaking his heart with her cruel remarks, genuine offence or anger might have given her satisfaction, something which Luka wasn't about to do. Alice rolled her eyes in exasperation at the boy's obviously poor attempt at acting all while Luther stared at the instrument within their newest grasp with interest.
"That spell, just what it is?" Luther decided to steer the conversation interjected. "You were obviously playing your flute, I saw you do it, but I couldn't hear anything coming out of it. And just before I knew it, our 'friend' looked like she was ready to faint."
Lyra stashed away her instrument, clasped her hands together and smiled. She seemed happy and open to discussing such a thing, there was a certain glint of nostalgia in her eyes when she spoke. "Ah, that. Consider it to be a lullaby of sorts, something I picked up on when journeying in my troupe days. It affects just about anyone that can hear it, the only issue being that groups of people can keep each other awake and well, someone strong might just be immune to it."
"As for why you could barely hear it." She winked. "You can have my younger sister to thank for that, for making my flute."
"What is a troupe?" Luka and Luther simultaneously asked.
Alma Elma paced through the halls of her lord's castle, fighting the urge to shiver at every step as she held her hands together. She had lost count of how many times she had visited this particular corridor, but something about the repetitive wandering of the castle put her mind at ease. The complex of the castle was vast and ancient, its many rooms and halls were, for the most part, dark, but oddly welcoming. Perhaps this was the remainder of her childhood days, but she had a knack for skipping and hopping through the darkness, making a game out of it. It felt like another home to her. She floated over to the higher parts of the ancient fortress, spotting someone else stalking through the halls. Their scent was vaguely known to her – one of the servants maintaining the Monster Lord's home.
"Alma?" A familiar voice called to her, breaking the castle's stillness, the unexpectedness of which startled the Succubus Queen making her jump up.
Alma turned around, in disbelief that someone had managed to sneak up on her. She stifled a grimace, questioning if she had really lost that much focus. Nevertheless, the Queen was glad to see a friend. "Ah, Granberia… good to see you, I thought you already left."
"I was intending to fly out right now, but that can wait. I can't imagine they have gone too far from Port Natalia." Granberia said, stepping closer to her fellow Heavenly Knight. She scanned her appearance, from first glance the draconic knight could tell that she had seen better days – her hair was unkempt, the usual playfulness was lacking, and she seemed more rigid and tired than before. "Are you really okay? You've been a little off ever since that day, and what 's with the outfit change?"
"Oh, this?" Alma gave a smile as she shivered and pulled on the thick fluffy fabric of her sweater tightly hugging her frame along with actual pants. "I've just been feeling cold lately, that is all."
Granberia's eyes winded ever so slightly as she went over the clothes her friend was wearing. Without warning she reached and touched Alma's hand as a thoughtful expression crept up her face, the Succubus Queen's palms were sweaty and her body heat was completely normal. "That can't be right, look at yourself. You must be sweating like a pig underneath all those clothes."
Alma kept her smile, a bit of her unique whimsy returning to her gaze as she winked at her comrade. "So forward~ is this what it's all about? You don't have to try so hard to get in my pants, y'know, just ask."
Granberia covered her mouth and looked away as her face became flushed. Her friend's giggle certainly didn't help her with her endeavour to recompose herself."Th-that's not what I meant! It's just- maybe you're sick…I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself properly."
"I'm fine, really, just feeling a bit cold."
"Alright, if there is anything I can do to help you let me know." Sighing, Granberia relented after much hesitation and turned to go her separate way.
"Actually…maybe there is something you can help me with." Alma stopped Granberia before the dragon woman could take her first steps. The succubus wasn't going to lie to herself, the idea had been floating around her head ever since the incident. "I think I need something to get me going again, are you up for a spar? It will only be a single round."
Granberia's blush returned with a vengeance, this one she didn't try to hide. Such an effort was useless when Alma was the one pushing her buttons, that woman knew far too well how to read her. "A spar? Right now?"
"Sure, you said it yourself that you're willing to help me with anything, and we all need a bit of practice every now and then."
Granberia stared at her fellow Knight for what felt like hours before she sucked in a breath and relaxed. She knew well enough that such embarrassment didn't fit someone like her. She was Heavenly Knight, not some innocent fragile maiden.
"Fine, let's do it."
And so three became four. It's bound to be shaky and awkward for them at the start but considering their personalities Lyra is bound to get along and settle in quite nicely, as for the other one, well, that will certainly be an interesting introduction.
Once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay, my writing is likely to be a bit rusty and it probably take a while for me to get back into the rhythm of it.