Chapter Two - New Follower
/ Start Note \
I think there's one thing that I'd like to explain now that Chapter One has been finished and published.
Some of you might be wondering how Kooper is actually able to use explosives to his advantage. Obviously, since he's using dynamite as a weapon, the shield should stop him from being able to, right?
Well here's the thing, dynamite wasn't originally made AS a weapon. Dynamite was made by a guy named Alfred Bernhard Nobel in 1866, and its purpose was completely neutral: to be used as a mining and demolition tool. Because of this, the shield would have a hard time distinguishing if Caleb was actually making explosives for the sake of nefarious intent, which therefore allows him to use it. Furthermore, the only thing we see in RotSH showing that the heroes can't use other weapons is when Naofumi tries to HOLD another type of weapon. That doesn't take into account anything external, like explosives, or the environment, which the user technically has no direct hold on.
Hopefully that sates anyone's curiosity on the matter. Remember to review.
/ \
The trip back to the castle through the city was full of high tension and caution. For some reason, the soldiers didn't seem to care about the safety of Caleb any longer, or even his image, as they led him through the city streets at spearpoint the entire way. The citizens all made room, but it was clear that they were muttering and gossiping to one another about what was going on. They were all looking at him with a different aura, and the entire thing made Kooper feel completely uneasy.
They navigated their way uphill, back into the castle courtyard and into the throne room. Morning had set in properly, but the place was still dark, as most of the windows were high rising and didn't quite allow the light to flow into the massive room properly yet. The other three Heroes were present, all of them dressed in clothing and armor more suited to beginning adventures in a fantasy world. Among them, along with several nobles, however, Kooper recognized one particular redheaded girl. She was cowering against Motoyasu, pressing her soft chest into the gullible idiot's arm and whimpering excessively. Caleb sighed in frustration.
I still can't make sense of what's going on, but this had better not be anything too serious.
"What is the problem, your majesty-?" he asked calmly. Before he could continue speaking, he was abruptly cut off.
"Silence, you filth!" Aultcray shouted hysterically. The elderly King sighed when Caleb shot him a clueless look, and turned to look over at the redhead. "Myne, I'm sorry to ask my dear, but would you mind repeating your testimony for us again?"
The redhead began trembling profusely, her legs locking and shaking as she practically hung onto the side of Motoyasu. Everyone was looking at him with a sickening aura of disgust, and the entire room felt heavy and uncomfortable. Caleb frowned, but decided against saying anything yet.
I think this is beginning to make sense now…
"It- it happened last night..!" Myne began shakily, "The Shield Hero forced his way into my room! He was stinking drunk! He grabbed me and pinned me down!"
Normally, Kooper was a particularly reserved and calm individual. Even as a child, in front of the presence of others, he always did his best to keep his cool and think before he decided to act. It was simple who he was, and usually when he was openly jaded or rude, it was a choice more than anything.
This time was different. Kooper could feel his blood rush through his body, and he began shaking with adrenaline rage.
I was brought here by these fucks… and now, after I've been forced to give myself up for them, they're doing THIS to me?
He kept his head low, still listening to the completely false testimony of Myne. He didn't care, however. "He said something like, 'the night is still young!' And the next thing I knew, he was tearing all my clothes off! Somehow I managed to escape! I ran down the hall where I found Sir Motoyasu who happened to be staying at the same inn!"
False… she's lying so convincingly. Why?
WHY?! What did I do to her? What did I do to any of these people?
Why am I here?
It was obvious to the soldiers standing beside him that he wasn't paying attention any longer and was visibly angry. They all took a step back from him, and reaffirmed their stances with their weapons pointed directly at him.
"If she didn't ask me to wait until dawn to call the knights, I would have gladly hunted you and cut you down myself!" Motoyasu snarled. He had that same gaze as the others had, the other two Heroes, the King, Myne, the Nobles. Disrespect. Disregard. Contempt.
Kooper grit his teeth. He was still shaking, and by then, his vision was tunneling into a blood red. Senseless, violent rage.
"How DARE you?!" Caleb shouted. His voice carried across the room, and as if to play the part even more, Myne let out a squeal and hid herself behind the figure of Motoyasu. The other two Heroes closed up behind Motoyasu, and the knights surrounding Kooper prodded their spears into his torso, forcing him to remain in place. "You think you all can just summon me here and then destroy me like this?!"
That's right… it was always this way. I had noticed it before from the way Aultcray had already treated me, but I was too busy focusing on my job.
How could I be so fucking stupid? I let my guard down, and now, these pitiful idiots are kicking me down in the dirt to make them all feel better about themselves.
Pitiful. Animals. ALL OF THEM,
"To think the Cardinal Shield Hero would commit the greatest sin in this country!" Aultcray exclaimed, standing up from his chair. "If you weren't a Hero, you'd be executed at once!"
Sin? I'll show you all a sin… I'll show all of you. Yes…
Without any previous direction given, a knight of smaller stature stood forward sheepishly and knelt before the king, in front of everyone. "When we performed a search of the Shield Hero's room at the inn, we uhm… we found this sir, strewn across his bed."
The knight revealed a purple, torn piece of lingerie.
Inn?! I never even stayed inside the city.
This is such a sickeningly elaborate setup… everyone here must be in on it. Or in the least, everyone here is too stupid to see through it.
"You animal!" Motoyasu screamed angrily.
King Aultcray sat back down in his seat, and continued before Caleb could even have a second to defend himself, not that Kooper wanted to bother at that point. "The proof seems rather undeniable!"
"What a terrible shame." Itsuki chimed in more quietly, "I worried something bad might happen but hoped you knew better."
Ren spoke up with the bow wielder, and seemed just as convinced as everyone else. "I guess he thinks a Hero can do whatever the hell he wants and get away with it!"
Motoyasu took a step forward, closing the gap between Caleb and him slightly. "This world isn't some consequence-free playground for you!" the arrogant blonde flung his spear in a wide slash in the air, and then thrust it in his direction, pointing it directly at him. "Know your place, scoundrel!"
Behind Motoyasu, just behind the arm of Ren and beside Itsuki, stood Myne. While no one else was paying attention, and while only Kooper was looking at her, she let out a sly, wicked smile, and stuck her tongue out.
She was mocking him.
From the beginning she tried to manipulate me, and when that didn't work, she just relied on her charisma and seduction to convince the other Heroes and still find a way to frame me.
Of course it worked on those fucking idiots!
"Well? What say you in your defense, Shield Hero?" Aultcray proclaimed to him directly. Caleb grit his teeth together, and finally looked up at the king.
"You expect me to waste my time on fuckwads like you people?" Caleb growled. The tightness in his throat from his blood adrenaline rage made it difficult to speak loudly, but his voice still carried across the room well enough given the silence. "Don't take me for some idiot. I know what's going on here! And you're all going to PAY for it!"
Before anyone in the room could react, he turned and slammed his shield into several of the spears sitting in his way. Before the knights standing alongside him could re-ground themselves, he summoned the Napalm Shield and turned towards the exit, pressing forward with the large rectangular spear in front of him. The heat from the intense flames and the danger from it caused the knights to cower and separate for a moment, given that they didn't know what it was, and Kooper passed by them without a heartbeat of hesitation, staring at the ground in front of him.
He stopped several paces away from everyone else. The guards didn't bother to try and subdue him anymore, as Aultcray had raised a hand silently, ordering them to remain in place. Caleb didn't look at them, but instead just spoke, barely loud enough for them all to hear.
"You can frame me. Look down on me. Kick me. Take away my respect, and anything else." he growled deeply. "But remember what I say next, ALL of you."
He looked over his shoulder, first peering directly into the eyes of Aultcray, and then the Heroes. And then Myne.
"Once I'm powerful enough, I'll kill you all."
Kooper turned away and began pacing out towards the doors. Before he got far, he heard the footsteps of someone approaching, and the annoying voice of Motoyasu accompanied it.
"Hey!" the spearman cried out, "Wait! One second!"
Motoyasu caught up to him, and yanked back on his right arm.
In an instant, Caleb switched to his Explosive Shield, and he cracked it over the side of Motoyasu's head as hard as he could. The actual damage, as he expected, was almost nothing given that he subconsciously put only a little magic into it, however the booming sound of the explosion and the force still sent Motoyasu toppling into one of the pillars a few meters away, so hard that he dropped his spear on impact and left several cracks in the marbled stone. Everyone in the room stood there, silent, shocked.
Caleb said nothing. He simply turned, spit on Motoyasu as he was still laying down, and then left the room immediately.
Trekking through the city was a far different experience to the first day he had arrived in Melromarc. Everywhere he went, he felt the same scorching, condescending looks of civilians as he passed. Everyone refused to greet him, or even speak to him. Mothers would usher their children to the other side of the street if they spotted him. The soldiers frowned and scowled at him, and many of the locals were murmuring to themselves in between brief glances at him, before turning away as soon as he eyed them.
So it seems that the false accusations have spread everywhere.
Even without modern technology to help with spreading information, word of mouth has still destroyed my reputation in less than a fucking day…
And I had high hopes that the people in this world would be less pitiful than the ones on earth. I was wrong.
He eventually passed Erhart's shop, around midday. The burly blacksmith himself was standing outside the shop, manning a small concession stand, likely because of the good weather. As soon as Erhart spotted Caleb, to his slight surprise, the larger man pulled the Lieutenant by the uniform collar and pinned him to the nearby wall.
"So I heard what you did to that girl." Erhart said in his usual serious tone. "I oughta punch you in the face!"
"Do it, big man. I'll add you to my kill list too." Kooper shot back without missing a beat. Erhart seemed to contemplate his reaction for a moment. After a few seconds of silent tension, the blacksmith let him go. Caleb pushed the blacksmith back a step to give himself space.
"What happened to being so aggressive?" Caleb asked in a particularly snarky tone. Erhart just looked down at himself and shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I changed my mind…"
"Good. Because I want a repeat on part of my last order." Kooper said back to him, this time in less of a passive aggressive way and more of a professional one. "The same aluminum canisters, small and large, a dozen each again. More copper wire and sticks. That's it. I'll pay whatever you need."
Erhart just nodded slowly. The man clearly didn't contain the same spark that he usually did, but Caleb still internally appreciated that he was at least openly doing business with him still. "If you're going to make that a regular order on its own, let's call it one hundred silvers for every batch I make for you." Erhart proposed.
"Good." Was all Caleb said in return. The Shield Hero turned to walk away, but Erhart stopped him with a hand over his shoulder. "Hold on."
Reluctantly, Kooper stopped in his tracks and turned to listen to the large man again. Erhart led them silently into the alleyway adjacent his shop, shaded by a loosely woven overhang of sticks.
"You won't get very far if everyone recognizes you right away at this point." Erhart remarked blatantly. Caleb nodded, and following the statement, Erhart pulled out what looked like a dark green cloak with a high collar and a hood. "Here, take this."
Caleb eyed the cloak. It was made with similar patterning to the plate carrier that he had Erhart make him as well, and when he took it out of the blacksmith's hands he could tell it was made of the same material. He slipped it on over himself, buttoning the collar loosely so it stayed on him. "How much do you want for it?" he asked silently.
"Consider it free, given that you're going to be a constant patron to my shop." Erhart responded calmly. "Just keep in mind that I'm doing this out of faith towards you."
"I understand." Caleb muttered back to him, this time in a more respectful sounding voice. He patted Erhart on one of his muscular, beefy arms, and turned away, waving a hand over his shoulder in goodbye. "Thanks, big man. I'll be back later for my order."
Evening came soon after. Caleb spent the rest of the day gathering the same materials he had from the same chemist shop he had visited before, and after that, he made his way through the city's downtown area, towards the gates in hopes of reaching the forest by nightfall. Before he could get to the gates, however, he was stopped by a man who stood in his way along a long, shaded alley street. It was a relatively smaller residential street, too small for Caleb to walk around the man and ignore him completely, so instead he moved to take a detour down another road. He was met with another man, just as scruffy looking as the last one, and then another behind him. He was completely surrounded.
"Hey, it's the Shield Hero!" the ruffian in front of him exclaimed in a raspy voice. The other two chuckled at the title "Hero," and the three of them closed the gap between themselves and Kooper gradually.
"It's going to go like this, Shield bastard." the thug said, this time in a more menacing tone. Out from underneath his tunic, he drew a sizable, rusty knife, brandishing it in both hands carefully as he continued to draw closer. "You give us everything you have, and we don't castrate you right now."
I'm really not in the mood for this.
Without even saying a word in response, Caleb took one step forward, closing the gap between them. He summoned his Napalm Shield and immediately smashed it into the man's face, setting his clothes and skin ablaze in an instant.
The flames only did little damage over time, however they still burned like any fire. The man began screeching and screaming in pain, and he dropped the knife, tumbling back into the corner of the alley where he came, waving and writhing his limbs in a futile attempt to put out the agonizing flames. When Kooper turned to face the other two, they were already completely gone; most likely spooked by what he did.
Figures… just muggers, looking for anything they can get. I suppose they thought I would be easy pickings since I have such low attack stats.
It's still a pain, though… leveling up on my own can be done. I proved that to myself with that dog monster, but working alone is risky. I just, can't trust anyone in this world. Not after what happened today…
He clenched his fists and teeth together at the thought of the recent events, and it took all his self control not to let his anger turn into uncontrollable rage again.
A voice, melancholic and rough, called out to him from the shadows. "Looks like you can use some help."
Kooper turned towards the voice. In the darkness, he caught a brief glint of glass, which he immediately identified as a pair of glasses watching him from the shadows. A short, plump man in a particularly neat purple suit and tailcoat leaned out into the open and spoke again. "It's clear you don't have any. What luck? I have exactly what you need."
Caleb narrowed his eyes at the man, and turned away. "I'm not interested in your help." he said flatly. He started making his way out of the street.
"Help? Oh no-!" the man denied. It sounded like the man was going to explain, and so Caleb stopped in his tracks, perking his ears slightly in vague curiosity. "What I'm offering is a service I believe you will find far more convenient."
Convenient?
Sounds like a typical business ploy. He's trying to get me hooked.
…. And it's working. He must know somehow that I'm desperate for help, even if I'm trying to ignore it.
Caleb turned to face the man, who was beginning to approach him casually by then. "Explain." he muttered darkly.
"Interested, are we?" the plump man in the glasses responded light-heartedly. Kooper gave no reply back, so instead he just continued: "Hah hah hah hah-! You've got that aura about you that I can smell from a mile away! You're every bit the man the rumors said you'd be!"
"I'm not interested in what you've heard about me. Stop wasting my time." Kooper said rapidly, soullessly. The man just chuckled again and continued his attempted charisma.
"Of course, sir Shield Hero! I don't expect you to care. But if my offer interests you, then follow me so we can discuss further." The short man turned and raised his hand in a sort of polite bowing position, nodding to the road ahead. Whether it was out of morbid curiosity, or out of desperation to try something unorthodox, Caleb followed the stranger, across several smaller streets, past a sewer entrance, and along a short alley, until finally they came to a massive circular tent. If anything, it looked like a circus tent to him, but he refrained from making immediate judgements, instead accompanying the stranger inside.
Inside, Caleb took note of several things immediately. First, was the presence of seemingly countless amounts of cages and other similar restrictive containers, some of them covered in burlap covers, and some left in the open. Almost all of them were locked. Inside all of them were creatures and beings of all assortments. Beast men and women, beings that looked to be a mix in between, and even complete monsters. Some were quiet and reserved, but others were loud and panicked or aggressive, clanging on their respective cages in mindless attempts to escape. All of it was overlaid with a putrid smell of bad hygiene and dim lights.
I don't think it takes a genius to see what this business is.
Slaves. Most of them are probably used for labor, or warfare… or sex trade. Whatever the buyer sees fit in this fucked world, I guess.
"So how can these things help me?" Caleb asked tentatively. The slave trader turned to face him while walking backwards, still navigating them through the maze of stacked cages and crates. "These slaves are sold with what's known as a slave crest, my boy. It keeps the merchandise in line. If they disobey or betray their master, it can hurt them, or even kill them."
I see. That would eliminate the trust factor that's normally required with followers and allies.
Owning slaves isn't exactly my style. But using that slave crest is probably the only way I can assure my own safety and control over the help that I decide to recruit.
I don't want it to be that way, but what choice do I have? I'm not having another Myne incident. Bitch…
"So, are you interested then, brave Shield Hero?" the slave trader asked politely. Caleb turned to face the shorter man again, and reluctantly, after mulling it over for a second longer, he closed his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah. Show me something well rounded, something that has good intelligence and adaptability-"
Caleb stopped mid-sentence when, out of nowhere, among the numerous noises in the slave trading tent, a weak bout of coughing was heard to his left. He narrowed his eyes at the cage that it was coming from, shrouded in blackness and covered by a large gray sheet. Before the slave trader could formulate a response to his half sentence, Kooper was already walking over to the large cage, and he pulled off the cover, letting light trickle into the dark slightly.
Off to one side of the metal floor, sat a small, frail looking girl with raccoon ears and a thick, dirty-brown tail to match her horribly messy hair, which ran all the way down her back. The little girl had magnificent, beautiful ruby eyes, but they were glazed over, hollow. The girl began coughing again. It didn't even seem like she had noticed him fully yet, or if she did, she was in no condition to do anything about it.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. In a world where slaves are normal, they likely don't care if they're children. But… she looks sick. Bad enough that she'll die, probably.
He stared into the eyes of the child. Finally, the demi-human looked back at him, but her expression didn't change. She was still lifeless, even when she keeled over herself to cough again several times a second later.
This girl…
I can't just leave her here. Dammit Caleb, you can't just watch this.
I don't know if I can take care of her… but she'd be better off anywhere but here. This isn't a good place to die.
The slave trader came up behind his one shoulder and eyed the same girl before sniffing audibly in acknowledgement. "That mangy half raccoon's sick as a dog and a couple spokes short of a cartwheel. Heh heh, I'm having a hell of a time with her myself."
"Release her." Caleb ordered. "I'm taking her. Now."
The man seemed taken aback by his sudden decision, and tried to convince him not to make such a sudden decision. "Are you sure about that, good sir? Her previous owner tortured her a lot, seemed to get a kick out of it. It's left her in bad shape. She's not long for this world, I'd suggest something-"
Caleb stopped him before he could finish. "You heard what I said."
By then, the raccoon girl had finally come around to paying attention to him, after she had finished her last coughing fit. Upon hearing that she was being sold to him, her eyes widened in fear, and she began shaking and whimpering in pure blooded terror. She sat up straight, but then leaned down again to cough, clearly straining herself just by moving so suddenly. Her chains rattled loudly to the rhythm of each cough as they wracked her tiny shivering form.
I'm sorry, child.. I'm getting you out of there.
The slaver opened the cage using a key from a belt loop on his suit. He unchained the girl, and led her roughly over to a smaller tent that sat in the center of the entire area, disregarding her health completely. Caleb followed closely, and he was directly to stand in front of a small table, almost like an altar. On the table, sat an inkwell with a small brush, a shallow bowl of water, and a knife.
"I require a drop of blood in the bowl in order to transfer ownership of her from myself to you, good sir." the man explained clearly. Without much hesitation, Caleb grasped the knife in his hand and pricked his left thumb, holding it over the water bowl. He let a few drops fall into the water before setting the knife back down and taking a step back. The slave trader moved forward in his place, and he pulled the brush out of the inkwell, dipping it in the bloodied water and mixing it well before drawing it back out. The liquid turned into a deep black-red as he did so.
I assume he needed my blood for the slave crest…
Caleb stood over the man, just beside him, as the slave trader tugged down on the little girl's shirt a bit. Kooper nearly kicked the man for trying to strip the girl, but then he realized that there was a detailed tattoo marking on her chest, which glowed a light purple in the dim light of the tent. The slave trader drew a full circle around the edge of the circular crest. After a second passed, the entire crest lit up, burning away the paint. While it did so, the raccoon girl fell to her knees and doubled over in obvious pain, whimpering and crying with what little energy she had.
"You had better be causing her that pain for a good fucking reason." Kooper muttered coldly. The slave trader returned the brush to it's place in the inkwell and smiled brightly. "Of course, sir Shield Hero. The pain should dissipate soon. That slave crest branded on her chest makes it impossible for her to defy you."
Around the same time that the slave trader was finished his brief explanation, Caleb's status magic came back to life, and a notification slipped into view in front of him.
CONTRACT
Acquired Slave A.
STATS:
LVL - 1
HP - 80
MP - 56
ATK - 3
MAG - 8
DEF - 1
MDEF - 2
AGI - 24
END - 15
Caleb skimmed over her stats as they appeared before her, and he narrowed his eyes in thought. As the slave trader had said, the searing pain on her chest seemed to go away, as the little girl seemed to stop her crying by then.
Her stats are terrible, but I do have to remember she's just a child.
What should I do with her now? I honestly don't trust anyone in this world to take care of her. I wouldn't feel right just dropping her off at some orphanage anyway…
Whatever. I'll just need to look after her and keep her safe. If she has stats just like me, then that means that I can teach her to get stronger. Perhaps she can even help me if she wishes later on.
The slave trader returned by his side. "There you go, good sir. She's all yours. That'll be thirty silver."
Slowly, Kooper counted out thirty silver from his savings and handed them over to the slaver.
Rather than wasting any more time there, Caleb chose to approach the girl, ignoring whatever the slave trader was saying to him at that point. In order to appear less threatening, he knelt down, doing his left to lower himself to her level while she was still on her knees. "You are with me now. Come."
He took the initiative to lead her without any confirmation, taking her small, cold hand in his and pulling her up to her feet slowly, carefully. He led her back out of the tent and away, still completely ignoring whatever the slave trader was saying to him as they exited the slave market entirely, into the open city. Silence was held between the two as Caleb navigated her away from the sketchier side of the capital and towards city gates, but he detoured before then. The first thing he had noticed after they had left the slave trader's market was that she stank, horridly so; it was obvious that she was never bathed while in imprisonment, and she had likely soiled herself before more than once as well.
The first step with her is getting her accustomed to being treated as more than just a slave. I'll need to fix her up first, then.
Aside from the occasional coughing fit, the little girl refused to make her presence known, not even daring to speak. She still looked little more than terrified, and Kooper didn't blame her. She probably is used to being sold back and forth between less than ideal people. It's going to take time to gain her trust.
To break the silence, even for just a minute, Caleb looked down at her as he led her to a nearby inn that sat just adjacent to the road leading down to the gates, and he spoke to her in a neutral tone. "What is your name, child?"
She looked up at him and flinched. Even at just the sound of his voice, she was frightened, and so he stopped right when they came in front of the inn door and knelt down beside her like before, resting his hands on her shoulders so she was facing him. "Relax… my name is Caleb. You'll be fine under my care. Now tell me your name."
The little girl was still tensed up, but in the very least, she stopped shaking so profusely, and she even gathered up the courage to look him in the eyes with a little more life when she responded. "Raph- Raphtalia, sir…"
"Raphtalia…" Caleb repeated in his own voice quietly. He runs his hand along the top of her head, scratching her raccoon ears gently. She tensed up even more in response, but from the way that her tail began wagging slightly, he assumed that she enjoyed it. "Come on, then. Let's get you cleaned up and fed. But first…"
He wasn't sure how much it would really help, but Kooper moved his hands to his chest, fumbling around on his uniform until he managed to remove his Lieutenant insignia pin. He gently placed it in her hand, making sure she had a firm grip around it, before taking her free hand in his again and leading her inside.
The inn was mostly quiet. They were greeted by the smell of alcohol and fresh food, and Kooper counted only a few people inside apart from the bartender. Without wasting time, Caleb walked over to the inn owner, with Raphtalia in tow. He placed a single silver coin on the polished wooden counter, sliding it over to the owner.
"Room with a bath."
Caleb was about to tell the man that Raphtalia and him were going to need food as well, but he decided against it almost right away. I've lost my trust in the people in this world so much that I can't be sure the food won't have something in it.
"A bath…?" Raphtalia murmured sheepishly. He simply responded by patting her on the head one more time. The bartender turned, removed a single key off of the rack behind him, and slid it back over to Caleb. "First door on the right, second floor." The man narrowed his eyes at Raphtalia first, and the Kooper, and he could tell that the inn owner was staring at him with the same suspicion that everyone else had been since the allegations. Caleb simply ignored it, and led Raphtalia upstairs, straight into their room. There was only one bed, but that didn't matter to him, as he wasn't planning on letting them ever sleep in the city unless he absolutely had to. He searched the room to the far end, where he opened the smaller door there and came across the connected washroom. Inside was a fresh tub of water. He left Raphtalia to wait by the doorway, walking up to the water and dipping a finger into it.
Warm, not hot. But it will do. Looks like there's fresh soap here as well.
The soft pitter-patter of Raphtalia's footsteps approached him from behind, and he looked over his shoulder towards her as she came close. She hung her head low, her eyes diverting away from him still. After a moment of intense quiet, she started to pull at her raggy clothing, beginning to undress.
Shit-
Caleb gripped onto her hands and moved them away before she could strip, and he kept her distracted by rubbing her ears in gentle motions again like before. "We're not here to do.. That. Once I'm out of the room, you take a bath. Get cleaned up. After that, we'll pick up some medicine for you and head out of the city. Understand?"
She looked up at him, into his eyes, although only for a brief moment. The life in her pupils seemed to come back, albeit only a little, and she perked her posture up. "R.. really?" she whispered.
"Yeah. Now go, I'll wait." Caleb replied calmly. He guided her to the edge of the bathtub, and then left the room, closing the door securely behind him. Out of nowhere, a bout of exhaustion set in, and he let himself sink into one of the wooden chairs by the circular table near the bed. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, rubbing his skin gently. He didn't mean to, but within moments, he completely fell asleep, his arms falling limp in his lap.
About twenty minutes passed, and he never even stirred from his rest. He nearly jumped however when he felt a tiny hand poke the side of his arm, his arms flitting open and turning to see what was touching him. Raphtalia had finished her bath, her hair and the fur of her ears and tail still sopping wet and hanging low, and she had simply thrown her old rags back on. She already seemed much more lively.
Good. We can leave now. It almost seems like a waste to spend a coin on an entire room just for the bath, but I wanted it to be nice for her, at least this time.
"Good…" Out of some sort of desire to look after her, Caleb found himself kneeling down in front of the raccoon demi-girl again, and he began working out the knots and kinks in her hair with his fingers until her beautiful, long strands were relatively neat compared to when they had met. "Now, let's stop by.. What's it called? An alchemy shop on our way out. We can get something for that sickness."
She should also get some new clothes. "We can also get you some new clothes along the way." he said right away after, smiling just a tiny bit, but not obnoxiously so. Raphtalia just stared at him, and nodded after a moment. She was clearly a little more comfortable, but hesitant; it was obvious that she wasn't expecting to be treated even remotely well. Poor thing… who knows how long she's had to endure that lifestyle?
"W-why, are you doing this for me sir?" Raphtalia asked in a fearful tone. Kooper stood up and took her hand again, and he responded to her only while they were making their way back outside the inn. "Because I am not a slave owner. I am here to give you a true life."
As the two of them left the inn, the day was already beginning to set into early evening. With that in time, Caleb navigated them over to the local alchemy shop and a tailor's store as quickly as possible. At the alchemist's shop, he picked up what was supposedly a week's supply of strong medication for general sicknesses - an antibiotic, if he had to guess - and at the tailor's shop, he bought Raphtalia a simple outdoor dress which offered plenty of protection from weather and general wear and tear, as well as a pair of boots.
By the time they were out of the city entirely, and heading further east, it was well into evening. The sun was sitting just atop the horizon to their right, casting long shadows over the plains and the occasional farm property that they passed as they walked along the narrow dirt road. Raphtalia had let go of his hand for some time since exiting the city area, and now that she had gotten a little more used to being "free," Caleb had already begun to notice changes with her. Despite her sickness and her ravaging cough, she still managed to retain some level of child's curiosity as they walked, sometimes wandering off the road alongside him to explore interesting scenery or just out of young boredom.
She seems more like a regular kid already. he thought to himself as he watched her closely, for her own safety. I just wonder if I can really take care of her and protect her in my current situation.
… I already said I wasn't going to just abandon her. I'll stay true to that, no matter the cost.
They made it to the forest as the sun was setting, and he set up camp around the same general area he had previously, picking a place a little further up along the stream he had set up nearby the day before. He set up all his equipment, and then began a small fire within a few minutes. The entire time, Raphtalia watched him silently, sitting up against a log in a fetal position and curiosity observing each of his actions. When he finally noticed that she hadn't been doing anything for a long time, he motioned with his hand for her to come closer to the fire. "Keep the fire going with nearby twigs and branches." he instructed softly. "I need to check on the traps I set a couple days ago. I'll just be a few minutes."
The girl's raccoon ears flitted in acknowledgement first, and then she practically hopped up to her feet, bounding over to the fire and trying her best to answer him exuberantly. "Y-yes sir!"
"Don't call me sir." Caleb said. He stood up and started his way away from her, but was stopped by a timid question from Raphtalia. "What should I call you then, uhm…?"
He paused mid-step, and turned his head over his shoulder to stare down at her for a brief moment.
The Shield Hero? Caleb? Whatever she likes?
"My name is Caleb. The name might sound foreign. That's because I'm not from here." He didn't bother to elaborate further on his response, but regardless, Raphtalia seemed satisfied with it since she immediately just responded with a content "hmph" and started doing as she was told, moving to gather a few small branches lying around on the forest floor. Caleb went between the three traps that he had set out before. To his relief, they clearly were done correctly, since two of them had yielded enough prey to feed both him and Raphtalia for a while. One was a young, but surprisingly plump hare, and the other was a more scrawny, dark furred squirrel. To make sure that both were completely dead, he drew his knife out of his pack and stabbed both in the torso before disassembling his traps and carrying his caught prey back to the campfire. When he returned, Raphtalia had created a small pile of firewood, and it looked like she had managed to do as told, letting the fire develop from a small kindling to a proper source of heat.
"Good job." Caleb muttered approvingly as he came up behind her. She jumped in fright at first, but when she recognized his voice she quickly calmed down, returning to a fetal sitting position in front of the fire. Despite her timid reaction, he thought he could see her smiling contently under her knees.
Caleb set about quietly skinning and preparing the hare and the squirrel to be cooked. He set the pelts aside after cleaning most of the blood and debris from them, and then he separated each of the organs and body sections, picking apart what was obviously edible and what was to be thrown away. Once that was done, he separated the two animal's meats by individual portions, and he skewered them to several sharp-ended sticks, leaning them up alongside the fire to cook. He cleaned his knife, and put it away in his bag again. The entire time, he observed the slightly horrified gaze of Raphtalia while he did everything in front of her, and once he had washed his hands he sat down beside her to make sure she was alright. "You okay?" he asked silently. She shook her head a bit and looked down into her legs. "I-I don't like blood…"
"I see. Why is that?"
"Because… I don't know, it makes me feel sick.."
"It's okay, Raphtalia. You will need to get used to it, though. This is the life we are going to live."
Upon hearing his last words, Raphtalia just nodded, however she didn't appear to be comforted by it that much.
Silence ensued. It was only when the meat sitting over the fire had nearly finished cooking on one side, that Raphtalia finally broke the silence with a question. "Sir- uhm, Caleb.. you said you weren't from around here, right?"
Kooper answered while he was moving to turn the meat sticks around so they could cook on the opposite side. "Yeah… you could say that."
"So… your shield.."
"Yeah. I'm one of the "Heroes.""
Her eyes widened at that, and her entire expression lit up into that of surprise and awe. Raphtalia sat up a little, letting her legs fall to the ground, and he leaned closer to him. "Wait, you mean the Four Cardinal Heroes? So you're the Shield Hero?"
He didn't know how to respond immediately. For all he knew, it seemed like the mention of him being the Shield Hero had put her in high spirits, even if he didn't understand it.
Hero… none of us are Heroes. Not me, and not those other three shitheads..
"I was one of the summoned, yes…" Caleb began, "But I'm not a Hero. I'm just someone who's trying to survive on his own."
She stared at him for a long time after that, and he didn't return the look, instead looking down into the deep parts of the flames in front of them. Their dinner was ready a few minutes later, and he plucked one of the larger pieces of hare meat free from the ground, handing it to her slowly.
Once they had both eaten, and after he had made her take some of the liquid medication that he'd bought for her, Caleb laid out his bedroll a safe distance from the fire. In yet another act of father-like care, he lifted Raphtalia up off the ground and laid her down on it, pulling the blanket over her body, only letting her head and the edges of her fingers poke out. "Sleep." he said, making it sound more like an order than a suggestion.
"But- this is yours-" she stammered. It was too late for her to hide her exhaustion however, and he simply ignored her, instead allowing her body to surrender to her obvious tiredness. She didn't protest again, and in under a minute, she was fast asleep, her tiny chest rising and lowering with the rhythm of her breathing.
Good. I've had plenty of time to scout this area of the forest. It's completely safe, which means I'm free now to continue my leveling.
Leaving Raphtalia alone at camp was a difficult decision to commit to, especially given that he knew a child as vulnerable as her should never be left alone for her own sake. However, he also knew that he couldn't stop his usual work just because she was there, and so he packed up his essential gear and slipped his cloak back on again before trekking into the wilderness again, heading north that time rather than further east to look for a new monster to kill. He spent about an hour scouring the forest, eventually coming out to a rockier area that inclined upward towards a bound of mountains, all of which formed a massive half-valley facing southwest, all shaded and outlined by the nearly full moon overhead. Just out beyond the clearing, he caught the movement of something large, and he ducked down into the cover of a bramble bush, using his shield to push aside a section of branches so he could spy ahead. Just beyond the treeline, about halfway up the first major ridgeline of rock and earth, was a two-headed dog monster. It was much like the three-headed dog that Caleb had faced the other night, however it was almost certainly a little smaller and likely less powerful, he assumed.
Another powerful target… which is good. If I plan this out right just like last time, I can probably take it down with minimal harm again.
He began sneaking his way along the thicker sections of greenery and trees, moving under a fallen tree log, a few bushes, and then out to the far left of the monster, stopping behind a boulder jutting out of the grass that gave him just enough concealment. He silently reached around his back, into one of the side pouches of his pack, and he pulled out an explosive charge.
I'll use this for bait this time. I know it won't kill it. My damage values are still too low even with the help of the explosive to kill it properly, so it'll just be wounded, but it could still come after me. I'll throw this charge at it and detonate, then retreat back along the ridgeline and bait it into the forest. I'll have the advantage then with my smaller body in the bushes. I'll head back into the forest and mark a spot for rigging, lead it into a second explosive. It should be weak enough to kill on my own then.
He left the two-headed monster behind before it could pick up his scent, and he back-tracked into the forest again. He made his way about fifty meters into the thick forestry, and he stopped in between two large trees. Using his leftover string rope, he secured a charge to the base of the tree on the left, and using some of his copper wire he created a tripwire leading from the battery, to the cap of the explosive, and then the other tree several meters across. He made sure it was taut, and high enough for him to duck under and so that the dog couldn't vault over it or duck under it either if it saw the trap last second. He set up the wire so that it would only make contact between the battery and the dynamite once the wire was tugged hard enough, and then he charged the battery using the Electric Shield.
Good. Now to go back and put it all into action. I shouldn't use Napalm on this opponent either. Even if the first explosion will be over rock, the monster could track the flames into the trees still.
He crouch-walked his way back to the ridgeline. The dog had moved it's way a little further up the hill, another ten meters or so, but it didn't matter to Caleb. He armed himself with another explosive charge from his bag, and once he took an open position at the bottom of the steep incline, he hucked the steel canister over at the creature.
The charge arced towards the two-headed dog. The creature instantly perked up, seeing the motion and the glint of the aluminum bomb moving through the air, but by the time it had any reaction, the tube was already almost right in front of it's two heads. Kooper armed himself with the Detonator Shield, connected to the explosive, and tugged on the trigger. The world around him vibrated intensely, and the entire area around the dog flashed for a split millisecond and then was engulfed in black smoke and gunk. He ignored the ringing of his ears, and backed up into the treeline. He stopped near the edge of the first trunk to make sure the monster would spot him and make chase.
Out of the clearing smoke, and while the sonic boom was still echoing across the land, the dog could clearly be heard snarling and barking angrily from both it's individual heads. It leapt down like a wreathing ghost in the night, breaking through the dust and careening down straight at Kooper. It was fast, faster than the three-headed dog was, and Caleb was forced to jump off to one side to avoid the dog's damaged, but still dangerous heads from snapping down on his body.
Fuck. It may be weaker, but it's a lot faster, even if it's around the same size as the other dog.
I need to haul ass.
As the dog was recovering from it's lung, Caleb pulled out his Explosive Shield; rather than risking a direct confrontation with the creature, he smacked the front of the shield into the base of the large tree that rose on it's one side, pouring a fair amount of magic into the shield to make sure it would do the job properly. The force and power of the blast riveted his entire body and nearly deafened him for a moment, and he planted himself firmly to keep the backblast from sending him off his feet. Chunks and bits of bark and wood exploded in an outward trajectory, burying themselves at a high velocity either into the surrounding woods or into the flesh of the dog, and the tree itself toppled over slowly. The entire action forced the dog to reel back in mild confusion and pain, and it gave Caleb a little longer to turn himself around and sprint away through the greenery, leading the dog away towards his trap.
Only about half way to the trip wire, the monster had already nearly managed to close the gap on Kooper; the Lieutenant thought to simply take a gamble and continue running, but he knew it wasn't likely to work. Instead, he pushed himself off to the right as suddenly as he physically could, using his hand to push up and off against a thick oak tree in his way. The dog monster came to a careening halt and threw it's two heads over at him in an attempt to bite him again, but before it could snap down on his shoulder and torso, he summoned the Electric Shield.
I've only used it to charge batteries so far- let's hope this works!
He poured nearly half of his magic into the base of the shield, and let it all out at once. The large oval-shaped shield erupted in a bright, bluish spark of light, and like one massive taser it shocked the monster's entire body. Steam rose from the contact points between the electrical arcs and the dog's body, and it convulsed violently over to one side, partially disabled as it's muscles tried, but failed to function. Kooper knew the shock would probably only work for another couple seconds, and he used it to vault around the collapsed monster and continue his dash for the two trees containing the wire.
The twin-headed monster took pursuit against, barking angrily, obviously only more enraged by the sudden electrocution. Caleb bounded over a small bush, and finally, he saw the two tree trunks come into view just a few paces away. The copper wire was completely invisible in the darkness of night, which was exactly what he wanted, as he still knew where it was, but his opponent wouldn't.
Kooper didn't slow down; instead, he only sped up to keep some mild distance between him and the dog monster. Right as he was about to meet with the copper line, he let his body fall back, and he slid feet first right underneath the tripwire, getting back up immediately to take cover behind a small dip in the ground. He laid there, and covered his ears and head with his hand and shield.
A second later, he heard the booming noise of his trap going off, and the entire area in front of him was engulfed in a wave of heat, blinding smoke, and a resounding crack of the earth. It all dissipated within moments, and between what was left of the one tree and inside the small dirt crater that was made, the dog limped out. It was wounded, covered in fragments of aluminum and other earthly materials that deformed nearly half of it's fur and caused it's blood to ooze and drip excessively everywhere. It was whining and howling pitifully in agony, although just like the three-headed monster before the rocks had crushed it, it wasn't dead, just severely injured.
Alright… this was according to plan. I didn't expect it to die.
I already used a lot of my magic on the Explosive Shield during my retreat. I'll fall back on the Napalm Shield, I'll just have to be careful not to set half the forest on fire…
He summoned the fiery shield after standing up, and he charged forward before the two-headed creature could regain it's bearing after the explosion. The monster made a weak attempt to rear up and kick him back, but Kooper simply took the opportunity to dash forward while the dog was up on it's hind legs and set it's stomach and back legs on fire. He ducked off to one side as the dog came crashing back down atop him, the heat of the Napalm flames swathing over him, and he swung himself around, using the weight of his shield to assist him. He did so just in time as well, since the dog had managed to turn itself around and reach down at him with it's one head. The dog's snout was set on fire instantly, and it hopped back into a nearby tree, yelping painfully.
Now I just play defensively until this damn dog dies of it's wounds and burns.
He stood his ground against the dog, but by then, the burning effects of the Napalm and the slow damage it did per each second seemed to be taking it's toll on the already injured opponent. The dog shrank back into the crater a little, and without warning it tumbled onto it's side, shivering and convulsing, and it was clear that it was in the process of dying. The two-headed creature made one last attempt to stand, but it was simply too weak, and it's bloodied, burning body finally rested against the charred earth. Life poured out of it's eyes entirely.
+1363 EXP
+5 LVL
HP - 364
MP - 214
SP - 71
ATK - 3
MAG - 166
DEF - 328
MDEF - 180
AGI - 210
END - 201
RAPHTALIA:
+897 EXP
+9 LVL
HP - 159
MP - 164
ATK - 46
MAG - 81
DEF - 17
MDEF - 8
AGI - 139
END - 42
Huh…
Now that I've taken Raphtalia in, it looks like her stats increase with whatever enemies I defeat. It probably applies the same way to her.
This changes things. If pulling her stats up is this simple, then her ability to take care of herself and help me should be more of a possibility…-
He cut off his line of thinking when he was shaken out of his head by a loud screeching noise. It came from above. Kooper raised his shield instinctively, letting the light of the Napalm from both the burning dog corpse and from his shield illuminate the air above him.
Silhouetted by the night moon, a large creature flew by in a blur. It looked broad and muscular, with the tail and body of a mammal, but it had massive wings like an eagle's that spanned several meters to compensate for it's size, which was clearly larger than even Caleb himself. The man quickly recognized the creature, as it was considered a mythical creature on earth as well.
A griffin. Shit.
He still felt drained from the amount of magic points he was forced to consume, and so having a direct confrontation with a hostile monster that was probably too powerful for him wasn't something he wanted to happen. He moved to hide among the thicker forestry around him, but before then, he both heard and felt the chilling swoop of the Griffin as it tore down from the night sky and dove down, straight at him, it's massive foreclaws extended to clasp onto him.
In a desperate attempt to avoid it, Kooper tucked and rolled in the grass and did his best to avoid the reach of the Griffin. The creature barely even slowed down as it came right down upon Caleb, only slowing down at the last second as it's wings parachuted outwards, slowing it's fall enough to make it's landing reasonable. The massive creature, well over twice his size, slammed into the earth right on top of him, forcing him onto his back with only his shield to protect him; the trees around him shook and scattered their leaves from the sudden presence of the massive animal. The creature, in all of it's glory, stared down at Kooper with it's beady eyes. Then it screeched again, so loud that he felt like his ears were going to pop from the sheer vibrating power of it. Before Caleb could even think to move or try to fight the creature, the Griffin shot it's mane-like head and neck at him and chomped down on his left leg, hard. He grunted, and then shouted in pain. His blood spliced across the chest of the creature and all over his lower uniform, and deep agony seared through his leg and up through his body. Even with his high defense, the sheer power of the Griffin was much too high for him to handle.
"Agh-! FUCK!" Kooper screamed in a mixture of pain and terrified anger. He tried pulling his leg free from the Griffin's sharp golden beak, smashing it over the head with the sharp bottom of his shield, but his lower damage meant that his efforts did little more than anger the powerful enemy. The Griffin screeched again with it's jaws still closed tight around him, and it stomped about a little, swaying it's body back and forth and pulling Kooper around in the grass like a weightless ragdoll. "Augh!"
Kooper grit his teeth, trying not to let his vision black from the immense pain. Rather than focusing on it, he summoned his Napalm Shield again, and in a desperate attempt to free himself he punched the shield into the Griffin's eyes and held it there, searing away at the eyelids, trying to burn away at it's eyes. The massive monster reacted more strongly, practically picking Caleb up in the air in it's struggle to get the flames out of it's face, and it eventually let go of him to keep it's eyes safe, rearing back with it's wings in full bloom, screeching and crying out angrily.
Rather than going at Kooper again, the creature stalked back, then off to one side. It stood right in between him and the fresh corpse of the two-headed dog monster. Caleb took the opportunity to get up, his vision still flashing red and black with pain and his leg protesting as he limped back into cover behind a large tree. He watched to see what the Griffin would do, but to his surprise, and relief, it just started bending down over the two-headed dog and eating into it's cooked body, tearing away at the legs first, then the stomach.
Jesus Christ… the fucker just wanted the dog to himself. He thought I was in the way of it and it's free meal…
He seethed audibly, and reached down, clutching onto his leg and inspecting the damage briefly in the dark. It seemed like, by some miracle, his bone hadn't been fractured or broken, but the flesh had been mangled heavily, rendering his leg almost useless to walk on unless he pushed himself to. His entire body throbbed in waves to the fiery pain that reverbated from the wound.
I think I just got off very lucky. If I had pissed off that Griffin anymore…
It would have killed me easily right then.
With that mortal thought in mind, he let out a sigh, both out of exhaustion and pain, and also out of relief. God… it still hurts like hell. I should get back to Raphalia. I've been gone for about an hour now.
Slowly, Caleb limped his way southwest, towards the camp, gritting his teeth with the pain of putting weight on his injured leg with each step.
It was only a couple hours from dawn by the time Kooper had returned to the campsite. The fire was a shadow of its earlier self, only a few small flames hanging onto the embers and charred sticks at the bottom of the pit. Kooper painfully added a few new branches to the fire, which helped it back into a healthy blaze again, and then he sat back down to tend to his injury.
He was bleeding profusely, which was concerning to Caleb. Not because of how much he had lost already per-say, but also because he knew he should have already lost consciousness from it.
What is going on? This kind of injury should have rendered me out like a light in minutes. I should be dead by now.
Is it because I'm the Shield Hero? Is my overall HP or my defense keeping me alive?
He refused to question it: he was alive, sensible, and in the moment that was all that he cared about. Kooper rummaged through his pack after setting it down beside him, and he pulled out a bottle of the same medicine that he had bought for Raphtalia.
The alchemist who sold this to me said that it was a "health potion." That means, that even though I was using it to improve Raphtalia's health, it should be able to be used for any kind of injury.
He slowly popped the cork off of the small bottle, and he tilted it into his mouth, letting the liquid flow straight down his throat without bothering to savor the bitter taste of it. To his surprise, within moments, the agony began to dull down to a tolerable soreness, and his body, particularly around his wounded leg, glowed a light green ethereal around the edges of him for a split second.
Well, it seemed to do something, at least. I don't have anything else to treat it with, so this will need to do for now.
He cut a neat section out of his cloak with his knife and used it as a makeshift bandage, wrapping it securely over the large wound as best he could. Kooper slouched back against the tree he was leaning against. Exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks, much like it had earlier when he had taken Raphtalia to the inn to get a bath.
Of course I'm tired… I haven't slept since my first night here…
His eyes began to close uncontrollably, and with all his gear still on, he started to slip into a deep sleep. Before he could fade away and give in to his tiredness, however, the silence of the night was broken and overtaken by a sudden shrill wail. Raphtalia jumped upright from his bedroll, a loud cry escaping her lips. Her eyes were rabid, panicked, and she was shaking uncontrollably. She was obviously having some sort of panic attack.
"Nooo-!" she screamed sorrowfully. "They're dead! They're dead!"
The girl began crying profusely, her panic only increasing as the seconds went by. Slowly, without saying a word to her, Caleb limped over to her and sat himself down right beside her. He embraced her in a tight hug, wrapping the blanket back over her torso along with his cloak and his shield.
"No.. my mother, my father! They're both gone..!"
Raphtalia buried her head into the crook of his chest, behind his shield more, and she continued to sob loudly. It continued that way for almost half an hour, and in that whole time, Caleb refused to say anything, instead continuing to hold her close and rubbing her back in soothing circles.
When dawn was about to break, she finally had spent all her energy, and fell back asleep. Kooper slowly put her back into the bedroll comfortably, and laid himself back against the same tree he was at before.
So her parents died at some point, most likely. Or… even worse, maybe they were the ones who sold her into slavery.
Regardless, she's going to need a lot of help to get past that sort of trauma. The fact that she isn't comatosed by the life she was forced to live is surprising for such a young child.
She's probably stronger than I initially took her for.
He fell back asleep eventually, long into the early morning and beyond, wracked with dull pain from his wound, exhaustion, and all the recent events and information that bounced around in his mind.
/ End Note \
And there is Chapter Two done.
So far, there have been a few rocky points in this story, but now that I more or less have the wheels rolling, I've given myself time to think of a general outline for how I want this story to go.
Fair warning to anyone who's going to continue reading this… I don't plan for this story to be even remotely canon-friendly. Don't worry, it's still going to be an enjoyable read overall hopefully, but I'm making this story mostly for my own enjoyment at the end of the day, which means that I'm going to steer it how I like.
Stay tuned, leave reviews.
/ \
