Hey everyone! I'm back with Chapter 8 and yes I have tallied up the poll: results will be revealed in the chapter so look forward to that! I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero and I DO own my OCs. Please review and comment, I love reading what you all think!
Please read! THERE WILL BE SWEARING AND GORE! You have been warned!
Now, back to Hazel and the others… oh what troubles await them, mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Hazel silently groans at the cheerful bird song interrupting her sleep.
Asshole birds with no compassion for tired travelers.
Wincing, Hazel sits up and glances at her companions- Sher, Kai and Meili are still sleeping soundly while Rong is keeping watch. Rong nods to Hazel and Hazel feels a surge of guilt for letting the Shadow do all three watches alone.
"Rong, get some sleep." Hazel whispers.
Rong smiles slightly at her.
"I will be alright, Ilmatar-san." Hazel glares at her.
"Rong, you need to sleep, same as the rest of us!" She insists.
Rong considers her words before conceding, leaning against a wall and seeming to doze off. Hazel sighs in relief as her stubborn party member closes her eyes before opening her menu.
"Rysty, Knokene, I've made up my mind for my new title." She whispers.
[Understood.] They reply, opening the screen for the available titles.
[What is Hero's selection?]
Hazel's eyes scan the three titles until she finds the one she wants.
"This one." She tells them, pointing at the screen.
[Understood.] The screen highlights the selected option and the other two fade away.
[Title selected: Master of Beasts! Bonuses from Title choice; +20 to Commanding monsters. Gained (Locked) skill Beast Whisperer.]
Hazel let's out a sigh, relieved to have gotten that over and done. Standing, Hazel walks the perimeter- no monsters, not even Balloons. Once she assured herself that they were safe for the time being, Hazel starts a pot of oatmeal with berries mixed in, humming. Sher twitches and sits ups, yawning. Kai and Meili grumble and burrow into her blankets, displeased by the sudden draft.
"Morning." Hazel says to Sher, stirring.
Sher blinks and awkwardly returns the greeting.
"Morning M- uh, Hazel." Her nose twitches as the smell of berry oatmeal wafts through the air.
Hazel has to restrain a chuckle as Sher starts to drool.
"It's about ready, can you get the bowls out please?" Hazel asks.
Sher nods and rummages through their bags until she finds the bowls. Hazel ladles Sher's and her own portions before filling Kai's and Meili's to the brim. Hazel wakes them up and they grumble at her until the oatmeal is presented in front of them. As bits of food fly into the air as the two monster babies gobble up their portion.
"What are we doing today?" Sher whispers, mindful of Rong.
Hazel hums, thinking, as she stirs the last of the oatmeal to keep it from burning.
"We should probably find a town somewhere." She answers finally, absently fending off Meili and Kai.
"A town? Why?" Sher asks quizzically.
"Well, we've used up some supplies, specifically healing potions, and none of us have the skills to make any. So a restock is needed. Two, information. We don't know when the Wave arrives in Siltvelt- heck I don't know when it arrives in Melromarc! And I want to know more about raising these two troublemakers, so that would be great to find out." Hazel explains, settling the two monsters in her lap.
Kai and Meili squabble until she starts petting both of them, much to their enjoyment. Sher mulls over Hazel's points and frowns.
"But… Isn't Siltvelt a country ruled by Demi-humans?"
"Hmm?" Hazel blinks, looking up.
Sher nervously fidgets with her bowl, not meeting Hazel's gaze.
"Humans aren't liked by Demi-humans!" Sher bursts out, agitated.
Hazel tilts her head thoughtfully.
"Huh. I wondered if it was both ways or not- sucks to know prejudice and racism are alive and well."
Sher feels her temper snap.
She doesn't get it!
"HUMANS ARE SLAVES IN SILTVELT!" Sher roars, jumping to her feet.
Meili and Kai squawk in protest while Rong jerks awake. Hazel remains quiet, watching Sher. Sher starts to pace, her tail fluffing up and lashing from side to side.
"Humans enslave Demi-humans in Melromarc and other human-supremacist countries. But in countries run by Demi-humans it's the opposite! Humans are the slaves, the lowest of low! And they'll kill you for having a Demi-human slave!" Sher explains, her stomach churning.
"I'm not surprised."
Sher jerks at Hazel's calm words, finally turning to face her. Hazel settles Kai and Meili, petting them soothingly as she replies.
"Humans are cruel. In my home world there was slavery too; often the slaves were prisoners of war or a minority in the country in question. To be different was- is, reason enough to discriminate if to not be enslaved outright. So yeah, I can believe I might be enslaved or killed for having you as my slave."
Sher stares at Hazel, unsure how to react. Hazel picks up the last bowl of oatmeal and passes to Rong, who accepts it wordlessly. Hazel sighs, leaning back and staring up at the sky pensively.
"The real question is- what can we do about it? We're here and we need supplies or we won't last much longer." She points out.
Rong sets her bowl aside.
"I may have a solution."
Later…
"Mwa ha ha ha ha ha! It's so cute! I love it!" Hazel crows, spinning in circles.
Rong sighs as she adjusts her disguise belt and Sher watches Hazel's behavior with justified confusion. Significant alterations were made to Hazel's garb, making her appear to be a dog or wolf Demi-human. Hazel's hair had been woven back into a tight braid over her tell-tale human ears and hid the headband attaching her fake ears.
Her coal black tail had been stuffed and tied to a belt hidden under her wrap jacket. Hazel had taken too much joy in dyeing her hair black to match the ears and tail. When she offered a similar make over Rong used her disguise belt to change her appearance to a goat Demi-human. Sher, along with Kai and Meili watched in bemusement as the two humans transformed themselves into Demi-humans.
"Watch out world! It's the return of the Cosplayer!" Hazel yells, taking a ridiculous pose.
Rong resists the urge to face palm. Sher starts to feel worried for Hazel's sanity.
"Ilmatar-san. Please restrain yourself." Rong orders, her goat ears twitching irritably.
Hazel stops spinning and points at Rong.
"I will- in a sec! You can't repress the spirit of a cosplayer! It doesn't end well!" Hazel warns Rong as she strokes her tail.
"What's a cosplayer?" Sher whispers to Rong.
Rong shakes her head.
"I have no idea."
Perhaps one of the other Heroes would know. Rong muses.
Meili and Kai break free of Sher's grip and charge Hazel, climbing up her legs to settle on her shoulders. Hazel winces as she readjusts their claws.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I'm ready to go! Stop digging into my neck Kai, Meili!"
Rong and Sher sigh in relief as they finally start walking, Hazel dragging behind as the two monsters demand her attention.
Several days later…
"Finally! A village!" Hazel sighs in relief, shifting Kai off her head.
Meili growls as they approach the village, tightening her tail around Hazel's neck anxiously. Hazel wedges a hand between Meili's tail and an uncomfortable death by strangulation as the party enters the village, apparently named Torfeld. The Demi-humans point and whisper as they spot the party, clearly adventurers from their garb, and is that a dragon and a Filolial chick?!
Hazel ignores the rumors and whispers, heading in a beeline for the small apothecary's shop. Rong enters first as they had planned, deciding the Shadow was the best person to judge quality and prices.
Also Rong is taken more seriously than Sher or I- must be that serious 'I am capable' vibe she has going for her. Hazel thinks, listening to the negotiations.
As her gaze moves over the shelves she notices Sher staring at the jars with a quizzical expression. Hazel moves over to the Lion Demi-human.
"What's up? You've got an odd expression on your face…"
Sher jumps and tightens her grip on her naginata.
"Wha-?! Oh!"
Hazel's raises her eyebrow at Sher.
"Hi there. You back from La La Land?" Sher frowns.
"Where is La La Land? What is La La Land?"
Hazel winces.
Nice, Hazel, you set that one up for yourself!
"Um, La La Land is a simile, or is it a metaphor? Wait, it is an idiom! Dang, I always mix those up! Anyway, it's another way of saying your mind is wandering or you're thinking hard." Hazel tries to explain, fumbling as half-remembered facts come to mind.
Sher seems to understand it though as her face blushes, ears flinch back and her tail lashes back and forth. She glances away from Hazel and focuses on the jars again.
"… I don't know what this says."
Hazel has to strain her ears but she catches Sher's muffled muttering. Her eyes widen in comprehension.
Shit! She can't read?! Uh, okay, not the end of the world, we'll just add reading and writing to our nightly routine so she can learn it! Easy! There, done! Wait, does she want to learn how to read?! Augh! Act natural, you can do it, easy does it…
"Would you like to learn? Rong is teaching me." Hazel offers.
Sher glances at Hazel and bites her lip before giving a short nod.
Sorry Rong, you got another student… Hazel apologizes in her head, making a note to talk it over with Rong that afternoon.
"All done, and we still have sufficient funds." Rong announces, carrying over the potions.
Hazel grins while Sher, Meili and Kai give cheers and squawks of happiness.
"Great! What should we do next-?"
Hazel freezes as a bizarre sensation pulses in the air- it felt like the world froze then time resumed moving forward. Rysty and Knokene pulse in warning.
[Siltvelt Wave has commenced! Location: Torfeld Village!] They flash the message to her and from how Sher and Rong react she knows they got it too.
Hazel charges out the door and looks up. The sky turned crimson with whirlpools and giant cracks running through the heavens. Monsters start to fall from the whirlpool things- are those portals?! She grits her teeth and looks at Rong, who meets her gaze grimly.
"Sher, find out if there is a militia! Warn everyone to get a weapon or find a place to hide! Find us after doing so!" Hazel barks, shifting Rysty and Knokene to their Golden Spider Fang forms.
"Take Kai with you! Rong, with me!" Hazel starts running for the cracks in the sky.
"Rysty, Knokene, how do we end the Wave?!"
[Defeat the Wave Boss.] They answer promptly.
"Great! So which one of these many monsters are the Wave Boss?!" She snaps, reaching the gate on the other side of the village.
Open fields stretch between her and the forest in the distance. Monsters are already starting to touch down and move towards the Demi-human settlement. She can spot strange wraith creatures with sickles for fingers, abominable snowmen and fucking wargs! The grass frosts over and Hazel can feel the air growing colder as the monsters approach.
[Warning! Inter-dimensional Ice Wraiths, Inter-dimensional Frost Trolls and Inter-dimensional Wargs approaching!]
"Are any of them the Boss?"
[Negative!]
"Then they're in the way!" She growls, flexing her fingers.
"Rong! Do you have offensive magic?"
"Yes!" Rong confirms, running alongside her.
"Good! Punch a hole in the monsters and see if we attract the Wave Boss! If you can make it showy, even better! Don't waste your magic and stay alive!" Hazel rattles off her orders, charging a Wraith.
It unleashes an unearthly scream as it tries to cut Hazel's head off- Hazel deflects the blow and slices it's throat open. It staggers as the wound glows green from the poison and Hazel takes advantage, knocking it down. She punches her fist through its head and glances up, seeing a Frost Troll about to step on her. A giant white furry bastard with a club nearly ten feet long- not as cute as the stories back home depict it. Hazel dives at a diagonal, dodging its club as it smashes the ground open.
She spins and jumps, grabbing onto an ear and then she smashes a knee into its face. It screams as bone cracks and Hazel quickly slams her highly poisonous claws into the injury. She leaps off as it staggers and she manages to land right on top of another Wraith. Hazel ax kicks its head open, wincing at a strange burning sensation.
Glancing down, she sees frost on her foot where she had connected with the monster's head. Meili whimpers at Hazel and she absently pats the dragon as her eyes scan the battlefield. Defenders had started to man the walls and are holding for now. Rong is near the gate, focusing before shouting
"Zweite Lightning Strike!"
Hazel quickly thanks the fact she was out of the way as a goddamn lightning blast tears through the middle of the monsters, sending them flying. Meili suddenly hisses and spits a fireball, startling Hazel. She turns around only to see a Wraith on fire and going up like a torch. She looks down at Meili.
"Good dragon!"
She quickly switches out her Golden Spider Fang gauntlets and changes them to the Hellhound Fang version. Hazel grins in anticipation.
"Let's see if this works!"
A pair of trolls spot her and stomp her way- Hazel doesn't wait for them and charges forward.
"Skill- Ghost Fire!" She snarls, kicking out the knee of one and dodging the blow of the other.
Her hands flare with green flames and eagerly jump onto the Frost Trolls, who bellow in fear as they go up in flames. Soon she gets the notification that they are dead as Hazel continues to race towards the cracks in the sky. Meili seems to catch onto the strategy quickly and spits fireballs at anything that gets too close.
Very quickly there is a trail of burned monsters in their wake and they were just starting to get into a groove when the wargs decide to introduce themselves. By nearly biting Hazel's face off.
Meili screams in rage and claws at its face, which has the desired effect of forcing it back temporarily. But wargs work in packs and this one was no exception. Hazel swears and readies herself- she doesn't have to wait long. They attack her from both sides, forcing her to divide her focus. Hazel avoids them by jumping, easily clearing their heads. The wargs slam into each other and start fighting, leaving only six more to deal with.
Hazel doesn't waste time, kicking one in the teeth and back-fisting two others, giving her some breathing room. Another tries to pounce on her only for its head to go flying. Sher snarls as she wades in, slashing and cutting the rest of the wargs to pieces. Hazel nods in approval.
"Nice work! We need to find the Wave Boss to end this!" Hazel yells over the roars of the monsters.
Kai squawks in agreement, flapping his wings. Sher grimaces but nods.
"Where's Rong?!" Hazel demands as they start tearing through the monsters.
"Still defending the gate! She's thinned out the monsters to the point the defenders will be able to handle them soon!"
"Great! We're gonna need her." Hazel says grimly, kicking a Wraith's head off and hissing at the pain in her leg.
"Hazel! Your leg-!"
"Yeah, don't touch them if you can- I think it causes frostbite."
[Hero, use Ember Gauntlets!]
Hazel blinks in confusion as she swigs a stamina potion.
"Eh? Why?" She asks, tearing a Frost Troll's leg off.
[Ember Gauntlets exude heat- it will counter the effects of status 'Frostbite'.]
"You know what, sure! Give it a shot!" Hazel orders.
Rysty and Knokene change and a pleasant warmth fills Hazel's body. Meili coos in pleasure, Kai fluffs his feathers and Sher unconsciously moves closer to Hazel. The wargs continue to advance but the Wraiths and Frost Trolls actively pause their charge.
Hazel blinks and grins.
"Well, I'll be- they don't like heat!"
Sher laughs in understanding and twirls her naginata in anticipation. Kai and Meili hiss as they race towards the monsters.
Rong's Point of View…
Rong tears across the battlefield, following the bodies of the defeated monsters to track down her fellow party members. Monsters are still heading towards the village, but Rong knows if the Wave's Boss is not killed then the village will be destroyed regardless. She does take care of the ones in her way as she races to catch up.
Soon enough she spots her party killing a trio of Frost Trolls and casually takes care of a pair of Wraiths trying to sneak up on them. Hazel snaps her head around and grins at Rong.
"Hey! Want to join in?"
Rong doesn't bother to answer, throwing two knives into wargs ahead of them. Hazel shrugs and drinks a health potion- something had gotten lucky hits in.
"I think it's not too far now," She comments, narrowing her eyes.
The monsters swarm towards them and Rong moves. Shadows are often underestimated as being mere informants and trackers- but they are also trained killers. Rong feels a spark of pride when she notes Sher and Hazel can keep up with her. As she cuts through a warg, Rong suddenly feels a premonition.
Something is wrong!
She opens her mouth to warn them- and can't as the ground beneath her explodes.
Hazel's Point of View…
"RONG!" Hazel roars, then pales when she sees what attacked the Shadow from below.
A giant, pure white glittering serpent, as tall as a truck and at least double the length of a school bus. It lifts its head and hisses, its tongue tasting the air around it as it slides out of the tunnel it dug.
[Wave Boss has appeared! Inter-dimensional Ice Drake, level 35!]
Rysty and Knokene warn her.
"Shit! Rong, you alive?! If you are, play dead unless it's about to eat you or crush you!" Hazel yells, drawing the attention of the Wave Boss.
Its glittering blue eyes assess her and it peels its lips back to expose venomous fangs. Meili bares her own fangs and Hazel snarls, echoed by Sher and Meili. Kai hisses, his feathers fluffing up as the Ice Drake weaves its upper body back and forth.
"Sher, snakes use their entire body when fighting- I think we can count on this bastard pulling similar feats. Watch the tail and get ready to split its attention. I'm proud of you!"
Hazel bursts into motion, aiming for the side away from Rong. The boss follows her and suddenly attacks, trying to bite her in half. Hazel twists and punches it right behind the hinge in the jaw. It screams, impossibly reversing direction and snapping at her. Meili spits a fireball and it recoils then suddenly screams. Sher growls as she cuts into its flank, racing along its body length.
When it switches its attention to Sher, Hazel loads her fists with chi and starts smashing the Ice Drake in the ribs. Though the ribs are surprisingly springy, she can sense her chi tearing into its internal organs. The Ice Drake reacts by whipping the tail towards her and Hazel is sent flying. Meili screams as she is torn free during the landing.
Hazel swears when she feels bone break in one of her legs.
"Fuck!" She gasps, clutching her leg.
Meili staggers to her feet and races over to Hazel, whining. Hazel pulls out her last healing potion and quickly downs it, sighing with relief as the bone mends. She puts Meili back on her shoulder and stands. Sher is doing her best to hold off the Ice Drake but Hazel can tell Sher doesn't have the experience yet to take it on alone. Hazel charges in as it rears its head for another strike, jumping and smashing a double chi blast into its spinal cord.
It screams as it collapses, twitching wildly. Hazel falls off and frantically checks to see if Sher, Rong or Kai was crushed. As the cloud of frost crystals settle, she spots her party members more or less intact. Sher has multiple frost burns on her limbs, Kai is a shivering fluffed up ball and Rong had gotten to her feet fully healed from the first ambush.
Hazel sighs in relief- and gets slammed in the gut with the blasted tail. Again. Unprepared, Hazel nearly breaks her neck on landing, her body's martial art reflexes saving her. Meili squeaks as they tumble but Hazel quickly switches to her chain gauntlets, sending them into the ground to arrest their momentum. She lets out a gritted scream as her shoulders protest, but neither pops out of its' socket fortunately.
Snapping her head up, her eyes widen. Sher had been knocked back as well, one arm clearly broken and her head bleeding badly. Kai is trying to kick the Ice Drake away from Sher, furious at her treatment. Rong is fending off the Ice Drake alone, her attacks doing damage, but not fast enough. The Ice Drake screams and opens its mouth, Hazel pales when she involuntarily remembers the Hellhound about to blast her head off-!
An icy blast explodes from the damn thing, freezing and shredding everything in its way. Rong is thrown back by the pressure of the blast while Hazel switches to her Ember gauntlets, weathering the explosion. She still takes damage, but frankly Hazel is just happy to be alive. Meili screams a challenge, seemingly incensed that the Ice Drake had tried to kill them. It turns its attention towards them and Hazel snarls.
"Shit!"
I need to use the Ember gauntlets to stay warm and reduce its' ice-based bs magic mojo, BUT I need to hit it HARD and KILL it! Why can't I use two different gauntlets at once?! No, I NEED TO use two different ones! Fuck this bullshit of using only one gauntlet type at a time!
"Rysty, Knokene, one of you stay in Ember form! The other switch to Hellhound Fang version!" She orders, keeping her attention on her enemy.
Rysty and Knokene's gems suddenly glow.
[Processing Hero's request.] They announce.
Hazel grits her teeth as she ducks under the Ice Drake's tail.
Not happening a third time, asshole! Hurry up, you two!
[Please confirm Hero's wishes to unlock Innate Skill: Dual Wielding.]
"Yes! I confirm!" She shouts, punching her fist into the Ice Drake's eyeball.
[Request confirmed.]
"Great! Can you do what I asked now?!" She snarls as she's thrown off again.
The Ice Drake hisses but she can see that most of its' health is gone, only a quarter left. As the monster rears back for another strike, Knokene changes to the Hellhound Fang gauntlet.
"Skill activate! Ghost Fire!"
Her left arm lights up with green flames, giving her grim expression a nightmarish cast to it. Rong suppresses a shudder seeing it.
If I didn't already know her, I would think she is a demon… She thinks then shakes her head.
Time to focus, not get distracted. Hazel keeps the Ice Drake's attention on her, burning it with her punches and kicks. Rong attacks from its' blind spots, cutting into the dense scales and dodging the tail as it whips towards her. Hazel lets out a shout as she rams a powerful uppercut into the Ice Drake's jaw, shattering it. Rong uses the upward movement to add power to her own strike, cleaving the Ice Drake's head clean off.
The world seems to slow as the Wave Boss' head slams into the earth- then in a flash the sky returns to normal. Looking up, you can almost believe it was another ordinary day but glancing at the lands surrounding Torfeld. Monsters still wander the area, but in manageable numbers. Hazel let's out a sigh of relief then runs over to Sher.
"Shit, Sher! Rong, you have any healing potions left?!" Hazel asks, carefully examining the wound.
Rong nods and hands it over- Kai squawks in greeting when he sees Hazel and the others. Meili merely growls rather than fling herself at him- both of the baby monsters are too tired from the Wave for such things. Hazel pours the healing potion down Sher's throat and waits in agitation. Sher's form glows green and the wound on her head heals while Sher's broken arm mends at the same time.
Hazel sighs in relief, leaning back on her haunches. Sher mumbles then groaning opens her eyes.
"Wha-?"
"You scared me good there, Sher!" Hazel exclaims, still upset.
Sher blinks, her eyes slightly unfocused before honing in on Hazel and Rong.
"Hazel..? Rong? What happened?"
"The Ice Drake knocked you out." Rong says bluntly.
Sher pales then hangs her head in shame.
I'm so weak! I'm only a burden!
Sher starts when Hazel claps her on the shoulder.
"Good job staying alive- you were kicking ass today." Hazel tells her in a serious tone.
Sher searches her face for deceit then frowns when she can't find any.
"But I got knocked out and I was useless against the Wave Boss! I was weak!" Sher yells, frustrated.
Hazel blinks in surprise at her outburst before looking at Rong, who shrugs in response. In her head, Hazel scrambles for a not totally idiotic response before going with intuition.
"… Sher. You say you're weak. I say you aren't. Not just anyone is willing to charge into a goddamn army of monsters with a smile. I've seen people who claimed to be 'the best' or 'better' break at the sign of real danger. You didn't, kid. So you got knocked out- learn from it." Hazel sums up, not knowing if she succeeded.
Sher stares at Hazel for a long moment before nodding shortly. Hazel stands and offers her hand to Sher. Sher takes it and they all start trudging back towards Torfeld when notices start popping up.
[Hero gains +737600xp. Hero Level up! Level 39!]
[Sher gains +737600xp. Sher Level up! Level 30!]
[Rong gains +737600xp. Rong Level up! Level 94!]
[Kai gains +737600xp. Kai Level up! Level 26!]
[Meili gains +737600xp. Meili Level up! Level 26!]
Hazel's jaw drops when she sees the notifications.
"What. The actual. Fuck."
Rong seems just as stunned, while Sher looks worriedly between them.
"How the hell does this even work?! Meili and Kai jumped 16 levels! Shit, Sher you jumped 14! What kind of screwed up math is this?!" Hazel yells.
No one has an answer for her and her head droops dejectedly.
"Fine, world, fine, keep being an incomprehensible piece of horse dung." She mumbles as they walk into town.
After finding the inn (undamaged, thank god) the party collapses on the beds, Rong being the last to stay awake. After checking her companions are asleep, she pulls out a communication crystal and activates it. Mirellia's face appears and grows alarmed when she notices Rong's condition.
"Report!" She barks.
Rong kneels.
"Ilmatar-san and I made it to the capital, but Ilmatar-san was captured by slavers while I was scouting. I located her at Beloukas' slave tent, but she had already freed herself when I arrived. She then negotiated a trade contract with him that was strongly in her favor. Out of it she gained a slave and two unhatched monsters along with basic equipment."
Mirellia blinks and blinks again.
"I am happy to hear she is unharmed and unbranded, I presume?" She finally asks.
Rong nods.
"According Ilmatar-san, Legendary Heroes cannot be controlled with slave crests."
Merillia nods, somewhat relieved.
It's nice to know that they cannot be commanded to attack a country if they were to be captured. She thinks. Merillia surveys her Shadow and frowns.
"Surely that is not all of it."
Rong shakes her head.
"When we went to the weapons shop run by Erhard-san, Ilmatar-san was selecting weapons for her slave Sher when the Shield Hero walked in. Her gauntlets reacted and teleported everyone in her party to Siltvelt's wilderness. Ilmatar-san tried to get answers but the gauntlets refused to expand on their reasons beyond 'we promised to prevent the same fate as your predecessor'. After that, we trained and hunted monsters. Ilmatar-san's monster eggs hatched into a dragon and Filolial- Ilmatar-san named them Kai and Meili."
"About five days ago we were almost out of the woods near Siltvelt's east boarder when we encountered a nest of Golden Spiders. Everyone came out alright, but it appears Ilmatar-san has a 'phobia' or fear of spiders. After defeating the spiders, we exited the woods and reached a road that led us to our current location, Torfeld village." Rong takes a breath, knowing the next part of her report would not go over well.
"The Siltvelt Wave begun after we had restocked on necessary potions. Ilmatar-san ordered Sher to round up the militia and order civilians to find weapons and take cover. Then she and I went to the gates- after learning I had magic, she ordered I take out as many of the monsters as I could in hopes of drawing out the Wave Boss. Ilmatar-san jumped into battle and started to make her way to the opening in the sky. After an hour Sher returns and I sent her on to support Ilmatar-san."
"When I had depleated 90 percent of my magic, I took to the field- Sher and Ilmatar-san had made significant headway before I caught up to them. We had just regrouped when I had a bad feeling your Majesty. The Wave Boss burst out of the ground and temporarily took me out of action. When I woke, I rejoined battle and we managed to kill it. Ilmatar-san managed to unlock a new ability skill, your Majesty: I witnessed her using two different gauntlet forms at the same time." Rong stresses.
Mirellia stifles a gasp, hiding behind her fan to gather her thoughts.
She can use two different gauntlet types at the same time?! She will be significantly more versatile than most of the other heroes at this rate. I am glad we managed to make a good impression on her.
"I see. Good work, Rong. Continue to support Ilmatar-san and help her grow stronger."
Rong nods then hesitates.
"Your Majesty, I do have a concern."
Merillia quirks an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"The villagers saw what Ilmatar-san was doing during the Wave- I do not believe that they have discovered her status as a Hero, but we need to come up with an explanation of our battle prowess."
Merillia wafts her fan as she considers Rong's words.
"A valid point, I wonder what will work…"
"Do you guys have mercs in this world?"
Rong and Merillia jump at Hazel's unexpected question. Rong whips around to see Hazel still laying on the bed, but watching the pair of them with an amused expression.
"Sheesh, you two jump easy." Hazel teases before sitting up with a wince.
Rong opens her mouth to protest the claim but Merillia beats her to the punch.
"Ilmatar-san, why do you ask?"
Hazel smiles tiredly.
"We could just be a mercenary group passing through on our way to the capital to offer our services in battling the Waves- for a price of course."
The Queen and her Shadow blink and the wheels start to turn in their heads.
It could work-! They both realize.
"Wait, what country would your company be based out of? That will be very important!" Merillia reminds Hazel and Rong.
Hazel and Rong look at each other, thinking fast.
"We could be a new troop- that's why no one has heard of us in Siltvelt or Melromarc. " Rong reasons.
Hazel nods in agreement.
"We just started out- and picked up Sher in Melromarc from slavers when we noticed she had potential. A secondary reason for coming to Siltvelt was to remove her slave crest since they do not discriminate against Demi-humans here."
Merillia smiles at them.
"And what is the name of this new Mercenary troop?"
Hazel pauses, thinking before hesitating.
"Okay… this might sound dumb…"
Rong and Merillia openly eye her with curiosity. Hazel scratches her head and sighs in defeat of their combined curiosity.
"Belladonna."
Rong and Merillia tilt their heads in confusion.
"Bella-donna?" Merillia tries to repeat and finds it easy to say for a foreign word.
"Does it mean anything?" Rong inquires.
Hazel nods jerkily.
"In another language from my world it means 'beautiful woman'- but it is also the name of one of the most deadly plants from my world. And it's the name of one of my favorite characters from a series I read." She mumbles, blushing.
Merillia and Rong hid smiles but Merillia can't help but feel intrigued by the name.
Beautiful but deadly… I think that suits them very well. She decides, snapping her fan closed.
"Very well, I congratulate you, Mercenary troop Belladonna! May we continue to see exceptional things from all of you!"
Rong and Hazel nod in thanks and Merillia cuts off the connection between the communications crystals. They look at each other and sigh tiredly.
They have work to do for tomorrow.
And that is a wrap! Please review and let me know what you think! If you have ideas for gauntlets Hazel will gain from various monsters from the Wave, I will be happy to hear them! Until next time everyone!