"Hey Luna…"
"Oh, I guess you didn't find any boys either?"
"No, it's like they don't come to this part of the forest anymore…"
The two girls stopped when they heard leaves and grass being trampled by what could only be heavy steel boots.
The sound of branches and bushes being sliced and served by a cold steel blade, the sound of steel plate armor clinking with every movement.
A Knight, a strong one at that, was approaching them.
"Ooh~what are the odds of that?"
"Luna, this is a Knight in full plate armor, and he sounds big...we should hide"
"Hide? There's two of us!"
"That doesn't matter if he's strong enough to rip through our vines"
"Let's ambush him from below"
"No, just hide!"
The two Dryads hid as best as they could just as a tall figure in full steel plate armor emerged from the newly cut path, he had to be over average height, wielding what looked like a two handed longsword in one hand, and standards bearing a symbol Lydia had never seen before.
He was standing right where they had been.
"I know you are here, demon. Come out and face your demise"
Demon?
Sure, the humans referred to them as monsters, but Dryads aren't demons…
"Ooh~fufufu, you found me~" a mature, seductive voice spoke from behind a tree several yards in front of the human.
Out came a Succubus, one who seemed to be on the more evil side of the Succubi race.
The ones who attack men purely to get their life force and cause pain, and not the ones who crave plesure.
"You are responsible for taking hundreds of lives, besting every hunter out to get you, and killing entire regiments of royal knights"
She's done all of that!?
Royal knights are not to be taken lightly, even to the strongest of monsters…
"That's why they have sent me, to take you back to the King, in one piece is optional"
"Oh? They sent their biggest and baddest to catch me? I'm honored~"
"I do not belong to this kingdom, I am simply a mercenary, and your pretty little horned head fetches an even prettier price"
"I can offer you something much better than money, darling~"
"I will not be tempted so easily, your magic is worthless against me"
The succubus frowned. "Hmm...your magic resistance is far higher than I could possibly overcome…"
"I suggest you prepare yourself to die, I do intend to cut off your head before I bring you back"
"Honey, what's stopping me from running away?"
"Even if you attempt to fly, I'll still catch you"
"Oh? Can you fly too?"
"No, but I do have something that catches flying demons"
"Weak bluffs, darling. I can't fight you head on, my magic won't work on you, that leaves only one option for me if I want to stay alive"
"You are not leaving here alive"
"That's where you're wrong, honey" the ground began to shift in several spots as her horns began to glow. "I'm more than just a succubus"
A bony hand rose from the dirt, followed by more.
Right where the Dryads buried their victims.
"A necromaner? No...you just learned the magic…"
"That's right~" skeletons rose out of the ground, some wearing thin armor and carrying swords, others wearing tattered clothes.
"These two Dryads have provided me with enough of a distraction to get me away from you"
The Dryads both froze.
"These won't hold me for long"
"Just long enough" the Succubus flew away just as the undead charged at the human.
"What she has done to you all is unforgivable. Dastardly is it to remove you from God's grace" the human sounded genuinely upset.
"I will send you back to him, may you never relive this pain"
The human raised his sword, and swung it wide and fast.
The undead were all cleaved in half with that single swing, leaving them to melt into dust.
The human planted his sword in the ground before him, placing both hands on the hilt and lowering his head.
"Father, these men have been wronged in the worst of ways, please, let them rest"
The Dryads were really in awe at how much one man cared, he prayed to their God on their behalf.
He then drew his sword from the ground, and turned to face the two monsters.
"As for you two, I have no quarrel with residents of this forest" they both sighed in relief when the sword was sheathed over his back. "Pray that I do not return, and if I do, pray that you have done no wrong"
He walked back along the path he came from.
XX?XX
Fluffy ears twitched as they picked up the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer, their owner having investigated what looked like a path had been cut through the forest off of the main road.
Whatever it was, it was larger than an average human, and heavily armored.
'It must be one of those Royal Knights...but what would one of them be doing out here?'
If it's not a Royal Knight, then it must be a self proclaimed 'adventurer' looking for fortune.
'This one will be mine~'
The Youko hid amongst the bushes, planning to stalk the human just a bit.
She almost gasped when the figure came into view, then froze in fear when he stopped and looked directly at her.
"You do not blend in well with those robes and red fur"
'Damn it…'
She stood up out of the bushes and put her seductive nature in play.
"You startled me, cutting through the forest like that, I thought you were here to kill me" she spoke in a light tone while slowly moving closer.
"I was simply on my way back to the main road"
"You know, a girl can get so scared out here in a world full of other, bigger monsters. I need a big, strong, brave boy to keep me safe" she reached him and leaned into him, looking up into his helmet. "All of my sisters have mates already, I'm the only one who doesn't…"
It was true, as much as it hurts.
"Please, I'll be a good girl~"
"I already have someone, and she would not be happy if I brought another girl with me"
*sniff*
"I don't smell anyone on you, unless you haven't mated with her yet, I think you're lying to me"
"Lying is a sin" he shrugged her off of him. "And so is adultery"
"Ohhhh, you're one of those boys, huh?"
"I do not know of what you speak, nor do I have the time to listen"
The human walked away, leaving the fox to herself.
"Mou~"
XXJohnasXX
Johnas opened the door to his home and stepped in, he-"RAAA-*CLANG*-owwwww~"
The Wyvern rubbed her head and picked herself up. "Ugh...can't you take off your armor before you come inside?"
"I believe it is your fault for attempting to jump on me" the knight began to glow and shrink down to the size of a normal human. "I had a feeling you'd be horny by now, and I expected you to do that"
The Wyvern, now taller than the human, grabbed him. "Well guess what, I was going to let you take the lead, but now-huh-Ahh!?"
Johnas borrowed some strength and grabbed the Wyvern by her waist, lifting her over his shoulder like a bag of grain and began to carry her.
"P-Put me down idiot!"
"Nope, I'm going to have to remind you that you belong to me"
"You-*SMACK*- Yahh! Damn you!"
After giving her a nice spank, he threw her down on the bed and quickly got over her, touching her in all the right spots.
"N-naah~ stop i-Ahh~ noooooo~ Ahh! D-dont nibble me! Not there-yaah~"
He continued to torture her until she reached her limit, making sure she was to exhausted to resist.
"Hahh….hahh...I...hahh….hate...you"
"I know~" he gave her neck a lick. "Now, are you going to be a good little Wyvern?"
"Y...yes, master…"
"Good" Johnas got off of her and walked out of the room.
He walked to his front door when he heard a knock, he opened it to reveal two Royal Knights, a well dressed Elf and a representative of the King.
"Good evening, I am here on behalf of the King to speak to Eroll Stag"
"Ah, Eroll is not here at the moment, I can take the message for him"
"Son, this matter is very important. Nothing involving a meager adventurer"
"Right...come on in, Master Eroll should be home shortly" Johnas left out the back door, then began his transformation.
Once he was in his armor, he waited a few minutes, then entered.
"Ah! Sir Stag!"
The large Knight stared down the representative.
"What do you want?"
He gestured to the Elf, he stepped forward.
"Word has passed along to my settlement that you are a demon slayer, is this true?"
"You are correct, it is the will of God, he blessed me with his graces"
"That is excellent to hear, there is a Demon roaming the area my settlement rests in, every few weeks, a few of my people vanish without a trace. Some other say they witnessed a Demon kidnapping them"
"Have any of the ones missing returned?"
"No...not a single one...it makes me feel like a failure, I promised my people that we would be safe…"
"I see, you wish to hire me to protect your home and your people?"
"I only ask that you find this Demon, and bring me its head. Maybe, if possible, save any of my people if you find them"
"My prices are not cheap"
"Whatever price you ask, I will pay"
"What price do you think is fair?"
"Well...I'll give you five hundred gold for the Demon's head, and an extra one hundred for each Elf returned safely to my settlement"
"I've hunted larger threats for less, that is a very generous payment in my eyes. We have a deal"
"Unlike larger, corrupt, kingdoms, we Elves value our own kind over money"
"You Elves are wise" Eroll opened the door again. "Lead me to your settlement, I will start my search as soon as possible"
"I thank you greatly, though I'd like to apologize to that adventurer that lives here too"
"Do not worry about him, he is used to being undermined"
"That is terrible…"
The King's men watched as the large Knight and Elf left together, feeling offended, yet they knew they couldn't be upset.
All that was said was true…
XXXX
"This is it, and it's not much"
"Which makes the issue much more pressing…"
"Exactly"
"Lord Sha! You have returned with help!" A female Elf approached them.
"Indeed, this human from the Kingdom to the south has agreed to help us"
"That is great news!" The Elf girl ran off through the small town, yelling to the people about how they no longer have to fear.
Soon, the stone roads were full of Elves who wanted to see their savior, mothers cried in relief, fathers held their loved ones in comfort, children were star struck.
There were a lot more females than males, that was easily noticed.
The settlement's Lord noticed his deduction.
"All of the victims were males, young boys to adult males"
"I see…"
Once they arrived at the Lord's home, they spoke.
"Most of the witnesses said they saw the Demon dragging out people away in the same general direction. According to our maps, there is a cave in that direction, but it's blocked by a wide river" he pointed out on the map. "Any attempt to construct a bridge ended in missing wood and missing workers"
He pointed at the river directly. "We know it's too deep to walk across, the current is too strong to swim across, and worst of all, there is a Lamia that roams the river's edge on both sides"
"A lamia?"
"Yes, we believe it is one called Bunyip"
"And it is hostile?"
"We believe it may be responsible for the destruction of our wood"
"I see, is there anything else?"
"Not that I know of"
"Then I will be going"
"I wish you luck"
Eroll began to walk, it took at least five minutes of walking before arriving at the river.
He began to think on how to cross it, but was interrupted.
"Well well~"
He turned to see a Lamia slither out of a grove of thick bushes, it had white fur in place of its scales.
"I didn't think there'd be anyone left to try and cross" the Lamia tossed away the bone of a small animal. "You must be pretty brave, huh?"
"Why do you stop others from crossing?"
"Ohh~ you're not informed, even better~"
The end of her tail lashed out and wrapped around his ankle, then attempted to yank him off his feet.
She tried anyway, he wouldn't budge.
"What?"
"It is rude to call someone uninformed when you know nothing about them" Eroll reached down and grabbed her tail, getting it off of his foot. "You will come to me instead"
He slowly began to reel her in like one would pull in a rope, the Lamia began to panic.
"Wha-wait! Stop! Nooo!" He pulled her closer. "Noooooo! Please let me go! I was just trying to-hahh!
He pulled her until she was on her back right at his feet, one of his hands went to his sword.
"Wait! Please don't kill me!"
"I will ask only once, are you responsible for the missing Elves and supplies?"
"I-I only live in this area! I didn't hurt anyone!"
"You will find somewhere else to stay, do not cross into this area again"
"I won't! I promise!"
Eroll let go of her tail, the Lamia slithered away.
Eroll turned his attention to the river, analyzing it.
It was too deep too walk across, and was flowing too fast to swim.
It wasn't too terribly wide, one could possibly jump across it if they were fast enough.
So, Eroll walked a few feet backwards, then sprinted forward.
His boots leaving prints in the dirt as he ran, then he jumped.
He landed just on the bank and climbed up, only a bit wet.
Eroll continued to walk along until he found a cave, he entered without fear.
He passed the dry husks of dead Elves, some looked more recent than others.
"P-please…stop…"
"Hee hee~ Nope~"
Eroll recognized the second voice, while the first one sounded strained.
He walked further until he came upon a Succubus on top of an elf, a very familiar Succubus.
"Ahem"
The Succubus stiffened, all amusement vanishing in an instant.
She turned her head until her eyes laid upon him, she got off of the elf and backed up.
"N-no…how did you find me?"
"Your careless act of kidnapping Elves reached my ears, I told you I'd find you" Eroll drew his sword. "And you won't be escaping this time"
The Succubus's horns began to glow, the bodies of the drained Elves rose.
"This cursed power sickens me, you've violated them once already, a second time is worth noting but death"
It didn't take long for Eroll to dispatch the poor souls, then he grabbed the Succubus by one of her horns before she could try to get away.
"N-no! You bas-*SHLING*
*thump*
The demon's body collapsed, her head still in his hand.
Eroll sheathed his sword and attached the horned head to his belt, then he tended to the Elf.
"Are you ok?"
"I…I'm alive…who are you?"
"You may call me Eroll, your Lord hired me to kill this demon and save whoever I could. In this case that would be you"
"I…I'm too weak…to move very much…sir Eroll"
"Lucky, I prepared for such a situation" Eroll opened a pouch on his belt, pulling out a bottle. "Drink this, it will restore your vitality and strength"
The elf could barely move his arms, let alone reach for the bottle.
Eroll carefully helped the elf sit up, then pulled the cork from the bottle and helped him drink it.
Almost immediately, the elf felt full of energy, like he could lift a mountain.
"What…what was that?"
"It was a healing potion, one specifically for restoring strength"
"I feel great…thank you"
"Let us return to your village"
"Yes…I miss my wife and daughter…I was sure I'd never see them again"
Eroll and the elf reached the river.
"How far can you jump?"
"Not far enough to reach the other side…"
Eroll looked around, he spotted a tree that looked tall enough to lay across the river.
"Wait here"
The elf watched as the large Knight walked over to a tree, he knew what the Knight was planning, but how-
*RRIIPP*
The elf stared in awe as the Knight ripped the tree out of the ground like it was a simple weed, then he pushed it down to lay across the river.
"It's not the safest way, but your people could construct a bridge here later"
The two crossed the 'bridge' and returned to the elf village.
"Ah! Sir Eroll! You've returned!"
"Indeed, unfortunately this was the only living elf inside the cave"
"I see, and what of the demon?"
Eroll grabbed the head from his belt. "Slain, as they all should be. I've also ridded the river side of the Lamia that was causing trouble, building a bridge there now is safe"
"Wonderful! You've done my people a great service, come, I'll give you your payment"
Eroll followed the elf back to his home, collecting six hundred gold in a few sacks.
"My people will most likely wish to celebrate the end of the demon, would you like to stay and join us?"
"I must return home, do not be afraid to send for me if you need help again"
"I see, thank you again, sir Eroll"
The Knight walked to the village gate, waving to elves as they thanked him.
He was stopped by a group of three females, all beautiful women.
"Please, sir Eroll, won't you stay to celebrate?"
"It is not often we get to celebrate with outsiders"
"We would love to learn about you, hear tales of your adventures"
"I'm afraid I must leave"
He stepped around the elves, then stopped at the gate.
He let out a whistle, loud and sharp.
The elves watching him became confused until they heard a thunder of hoofbeats approaching.
A horse, a brilliant white one came to a stop in front of the Knight.
"There you are" the Knight attached the sacks of gold to his horse's saddle, then mounted. "Good girl, let's go"
The Horse reared up, letting out a majestic cry before thundering away.
XXXXXXXX