I do not own Legend of Dragoon or any of the characters.


Hunt

Cade looked around the forest as they walked, one hand on his sheath and the other at his side. Within the first three minutes of entering the forest, several flying rodents had attacked them, and promptly died, and several living, moss-covered trees, which also promptly died. They hadn't seen much sign of the mercenaries, beyond a rodent tacked to a tree by an arrow, but that was fine. Cade would prefer not to have to deal with them.

"So, where do you think we'll find Kamuy?" Meru finally asked.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be finding us," Cade said, just as a high, piercing cry, like that of a bird, cut through the air.

He drew his sword instantly, the others all preparing themselves as well, all looking around. Then, suddenly, a tall, skinny yellow bird that stood taller than Cade burst out of the trees, sprinting at him. He darted forward, easily slicing through its long, slim neck, then leapt backward just before an arrow stabbed into the ground and exploded. He landed on his feet beside Rose as a trio of Dark Elves, humanoid monsters with pointed ears standing well above their bald heads, pale skin, green clothes, and bows and magic arrows stepped out of the trees, pulling their bows back and aiming at them. Cade narrowed his eyes, standing and readying himself, the others doing the same.

"I fucking hate Dark Elves, Cade said.

"They're quick, be careful," Meru warned. "And they're as good in close range as they are at a distance."

Everyone nodded and when one of the elves loosed his arrow, everyone scattered, Cade deflecting the arrow into the air before it exploded. he shot forward, rolling under another arrow before standing and spinning out of the way of a swipe from the bow. Then, he split the elf up the back, killing it. As he did, Rose and Dart killed one of the others together, and Meru slammed her hammer down on the last, crushing him. However, as soon as they did a massive creature with a thick, scaly hide, two massive claws per hand, glowing red eyes, and its head extending from the front of its body roared, stepping out of the trees behind Meru. Kongol spun, swinging his axe around it it, but it ignored its torso getting split open, instead batting him aside. Cade snatched up the bow of the Dark Elf he'd just killed, along with one of its arrows, and drew the bow back before releasing it. The monster roared as it towered over Albert, ignoring his spearhead tearing through it over and over, and the half-dozen arrows Shana had already put in its chest. Its arms were raised, claws flexed, only for Cade's arrow to bury itself in the beast's eye. It stopped going silent, then pitched backward and crashed to the ground. Everyone stared at it, then at Cade as he pulled the Dark Elf's quiver off of it, slinging it across his back as he ripped off his poncho and tossed it aside, keeping the scarf. he slung his new bow diagonally across his back as well.

"Allow me to introduce you to your first Wounded Bear," Cade said. "Named for their ability to take a massive amount of damage and still kill you. For future reference, aim for the head."

Everyone nodded and Cade glanced down, only to stop. He knelt, rolling the Dark Elf over and reached into its shirt, pulling out a book with the cover plated in silver metal and a green jewel set into the face of it. He looked up at Meru and Rose, both of whom stared at the book in surprise, both recognizing it.

"What is that?" Dart asked.

"It's a book of Wingly Magic," Cade said, looking around carefully, but they weren't anywhere close to the Forest of Winglies, he didn't think. "Where the hell did this thing get its hands on this?" He stood, opening the book and scanning through it, humming thoughtfully to himself. "These are pretty high-level spells. Whoever lost this is going to be mad."

"May I see?" Rose asked.

He passed her the book as they continued to walk and she also hummed thoughtfully.

"These will be useful," Rose said, skimming through it.

She stopped on a description of how to make a blade from magic, the way Lenus had, and showed him. He read it quickly and nodded. He liked it. Finally, they reached an open area with a hill in the middle, the path winding around it and some steps having been made for it at some spots. There was also a young boy at the top of it. They made their way up the hill, but just as they reached him, there was a scream off to the side and the boy fled.

"H-Help!" Atlow shouted, fleeing from further down a path off to one side.

"I don't wanna die!" a mercenary with gold armor, a spear, and a red cape shouted, running after Atlow.

Cade looked up as a shadow began to form around them, then sword, tackling all of the others down the hill just before a massive creature crashed down on top of it. It looked like a monstrous wolf. It had an empty, round-topped head with tiny red eyes just barely higher than its mouth, its jagged fangs bared, white fur with streaks of black, a massive, bushy main around its neck and chest, enormous claws, bone spikes reaching back off its hind legs' reverse bend, and bone spikes sticking sideways out of its tail. As soon as it landed, it howled, the trees around them shaking with the volume and pitch.

"This is Kamuy!?" Dart gaped.

"It's been corrupted by a savage spirit," Cade said, standing and drawing his sword. "We'll have to kill him after all."

"Everybody, surround it!" the knight from Furni shouted as Gorgaga, Bulgus, and the martial artist all ran into view.

"No!" Cade shouted. "Stay back!"

"We finally found him!" the knight said, all of them ignoring Cade as they surrounded the hill.

"I'll get him!" Bulgus grinned. "And then I'll get the five times larger prize!"

"You'll have to get in line, brother!" Gorgaga grinned.

"Get back or he'll kill you all!" Cade warned. "You don't know what you're dealing with!"

"It doesn't matter what I'm dealing with!" Bulgus laughed. "I'll kill it anyway!"

"Stop it!" the same child they'd seen before shouted, scrambling up the hill to stand protectively in front of Kamuy.

"Teo!" the knight gasped. "You're alright!"

"Everybody, listen!" Teo shouted. "It wasn't Kamuy's fault! It was a different monster that attacked Fa!"

"Teo, get away from Kamuy!" the knight ordered.

"No way!" Teo said. "Cuz Kamuy protected Fa! So I'll protect Kamuy this time! Please! Don't kill Kamuy!"

"Teo, it's no longer the Kamuy you knew!" the knight said. "Many other people have been attacked by it!"

Teo made no move to leave Kamuy, so the Knight shook his head.

"Grab Teo first!" the knight shouted.

Kamuy roared, leaping off the hill to knock over two of the mercenaries surrounding them, the two that were closest, then returned to Teo, allowing him to climb on before charging at Gorgaga and Bulgus. Bulgus managed to slash his side with his axe, Kamuy letting out a pained roar, but then he, Gorgaga, and the knight were all smashed aside as Kamuy charged through them.

"After them!" the knight shouted.

He, Bulgus, and Gorgaga all ran after the wolf and Cade and the others followed. As they ran, the a pair of Wounded Bears stepped out. Cade and Rose together too the arms off of one before Dart split its head in half on a downward slash that also split its torso wide open. As they did, Albert used his spear to knock both of the other Wounded Bear's arms aside before Kongol hacked its legs off. Meru smashed her hammer into the bear's back as it fell, smashing it to the ground before Haschel slammed an uppercut into it, flipping it into the air before Shana sent an arrow into its head, killing it.

"Well done," Cade nodded, looking around.

The mercenaries were gone now, as was Kamuy, and they were standing beside a snaked path up to a gate house. Before they could wonder which way to go, a howl echoed from down the path to the right of the gate house and they all ran that way. After a few minutes they found a dead end where Teo was standing in front of Kamuy, who was crouching by an ancient tree with white bark.

"Go home!" Teo shouted as they walked toward them. "Kamuy's not bad! Just go home!"

"We met Fa," Shana said kindly. "She's really worried about you."

"Fa is?" Teo asked.

"That's right," Dart said. "She doesn't talk anymore since you disappeared. It's because she really cares about you."

"Fa cares that much about me?" Teo asked.

"Fa needs you," Shana said.

"But..." Teo trailed off, looking to Kamuy. "What about Kamuy? He's gonna be killed if I don't protect him!"

"That's right!" Bulgus shouted, he and Gorgaga running toward them. "You pretended not to be interested, but you came back for the prize, right!?"

"No," Cade said. "We came to help a child and his pet, if we could. We don't need the money."

"Then you should just let us have it!" Gorgaga said.

"I'll finish the beast!" Bulgus said.

"And I'll drag this snot-nosed brat back to the mayor!" Gorgaga grinned.

"Teo!" the knight said. "Come here! It's too late for Kamuy!"

"No!" Teo said fearfully. "Don't come near him!"

Bulgus and Gorgaga advanced anyway, and Kamuy bolted forward, leaping onto a low mound of dirt beside Teo, then to the side of the tree opposite it before leaping to the brothers, one paw pinning each as he snarled and growled above them, Gorgaga's axe pinned beneath Bulgus, and Bulgus's axe arm pinned to his chest.

"He-Help us!" Bulgus shrieked instantly.

He grabbed Bulgus by the face and let him up, flinging the mercenary into the trees, not killing him but probably leaving him with some pretty nasty facial scars. As he moved to do the same to Gorgaga, however, Cade sprinted forward, drilling a fist into Kamuy's side and hurling him off of Gorgaga, who fled instantly. Kamuy stood, snarling, as Rose stepped up beside Cade.

"Are you sure about this?" Rose asked.

"He's got to be dealt with," Cade said. "Even if he retains a bit of his mind now, he soon won't."

Rose nodded. "I agree. I've seen this before. With Michael."

Cade's eyes widened a little before his heart throbbed in sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

Rose smiled sadly. "It's alright. It's in the past."

Cade nodded as Kamuy snarled, charging. Haschel shot past them slamming a punch into his head and hurling him backward before Cade and Rose both charged. Kamuy stood in time to leap away from them, Cade's blade managing to slash him shallowly across the hindquarters. He landed off to the side and roared, leaping at Rose, but Cade pulled her out of the way, slashing down and to the left with his right hand, his blade slashing through Kamuy's left shoulder and knocking him away from them. A second later, Meru's hammer crashed down on its head, slamming it into the ground. Before she could jump away, Kamuy jumped up, throwing her off before turning and leaping onto one of the branches of its tree, then to the top of it. It turned, growling, then howled, a blinding light shining from the top of the tree beneath it. Then, as the light faded, a half-dozen balls of shining blue magic energy exploded out of holes in the ends of some of the branches, streaking through the air at them. Cade dove out of the way of the one that flew at him, as did Dart and Albert, but Meru, Kongol, and Haschel all got hit and were sent flying backward. Then, as Kamuy leapt to the ground, Cade shot forward, slashing him along the side. Kamuy shrieked, leaping away from him, only for Rose to slash him up the right side of his head, taking his eye out. He screamed, the sound loud, and human, and horrible, and scrambled backward, only for Dart and Albert to both pass it from behind, slashing its sides. It screamed again, but collapsed, screaming for another few minutes as blood ran out of it before the screams gave way to weak, pitiful whimpers and whines.

"Kamuy!" Teo screamed, running over to the great wolf's head, hugging it. "Don't die!"

"Shana," Cade said. "Go ahead and heal him."

"What?" Dart asked. "But we just got done fighting it!"

"The White-Silver Dragoon Spirit may be able to remove the spirit possessing him too, but first we had to weaken that spirit," Cade said.

"I see," Shana nodded, then walked over, holding out her Dragoon Spirit. "White Silver Dragon. Please, save Kamui."

The Dragoon Spirit shone, the light washing over Kamuy's body, which also began to shine.

"Kamui?" Teo asked.

"Kamuy's becoming himself again!" the knight gasped.

Finally, the light faded and left behind an excited wolf pup, which began to run around, barking happily. Teo laughed, beginning to chase the pup around as Shana walked back to the others.

"I'm glad it worked," Shana said.

"How did you know?" Albert asked, looking to Cade.

"My mother once told me about how all evil, savage, or angry spirits can't stand healing magic, and that healing magic can cast a spirit out of something its possessing, but only if the spirit is weakened and the healing magic is strong enough," Cade said. "She said that her father was saved from an angry spirit that way. I wasn't sure Shana's Dragoon Spirit would be enough, but it's the most powerful healing magic I've ever seen, so it was worth a shot."

Albert nodded as Kongol, Haschel, and Meru rejoined them, Kamuy quickly running over and whining to each of them before Meru squatted down. He jumped up, propping up his front feet on her knees and licked her face affectionately and she laughed, petting him.

"No hard feelings," Meru promised, smiling.

Kamuy barked happily and returned to playing with Teo.

"Can Kamuy go back with him?" Cade asked the knight.

"Well, it seems like he's not going to hurt anyone else, so...alright," the knight nodded. "If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."

Cade nodded and they called Teo and Kamuy over, escorting him back to Furni.


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