I had to research actual dance moves and videos for this chapter. Believe me, it's not I'd rather do again in the future…well, maybe there's a chance.
Anyway, this is probably the hardest chapter to write so far, mainly because I suck at descriptive writing and creating action scenes. You know when you have a clear vision of what you're going to make it look like, but it doesn't translate well to text? Yep, that's pretty much what happened here. I do hope it worked out in the end, however…
That aside, I probably put way too much exposition here. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn't. I'll leave it all up to you readers to decide.
Also, fair warning. The story is already fairly graphic and definitely not kid-friendly, but I'll probably boost it up a notch in later chapters. Of course, it would still fall under the 'T' rating, so I won't include stuff like gratuitous sex and whatnot. So, if you can't handle stuff like gore, sexual themes and a whole lot of cussing, then this story might not be for you.
With that in mind, enjoy…
...
Chapter 8
About a day ago…
Edmond Curtis was not happy. His own personal squad of armored guards noticed that. They knew from the way he furrowed his eyebrows every time they asked the whereabouts of Eris and Siegfried. It was, however, the former that really set his gears loose. The guards began taking note of how borderline obsessed he was with Eris, how he would spend hours researching every bit of information about her, how he searched every corner of Dundorma for any information about the huntress and his scowl whenever someone mentioned her name. They attributed this to Edmond's well-known trait of being incredibly stubborn when it came to things that interest him, but they certainly had never expected it to go this far.
"I question the decision of the Elders sometimes; don't you think so?" asked one of the guards to his friend and fellow comrade-in-arms. He and the rest of his Dundorma Knights were currently trailing behind their leader and superior Edmond, who had ordered them to follow him throughout the city.
The guard in question nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree."
"And now look at us! Following our crazed superior around like lost Moofa! At night no less!" He scratched his forehead with his free hand while his other held a torch. "Wait, where are we going again?"
His friend sighed. "We're supposed to accompany Sir Edmond to a new lead he apparently found. He didn't mention what or where but as his squad members, we are obligated to follow."
The man scoffed. "Rather bullshit if you ask me. That man is obsessed with a woman who probably doesn't even remember his name!"
Another guard jabbed the man in the arm. "Shhh! Don't say that too loud or he'll hear you!"
The guard rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
After some time, Edmond stopped. They had arrived at their destination, and his squad had baffled looks on their faces as they realized where they were.
It was a brothel.
Edmond gestured for his guards to follow as he opened the door. "Keep quiet and don't cause any trouble," Edmond whispered as they entered the building. The guards took a deep breath and readied themselves for what awaited them.
The moment they entered the lascivious structure, the guards couldn't help but open their mouths at the alluring sight before them. Despite the shabby looking exterior of the building, its interior was anything but. The lobby they currently stood in, was reasonably furnished with its red and yellow-colored lights, wooden walls and floors, couches and even a small bar. Nearby was a long hallway littered with doors to each room as well as a flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the building. But the most obvious sight here were the workers themselves. All of them – the guards noted – were quite the beautiful women of both Wyverian and human descent. As men, there was, of course, the irresistible temptation of pleasure deriving from these women. It didn't help that the women in the lobby gave suggestive winks to the passing men. As a result, most of the guards fidgeted uncomfortably as they continued to follow their leader. Edmond however, noticed their plight and glared harshly at them.
"Concentrate please!"
After a torturous minute, Edmond stopped in front of a large door guarded by two fully armored individuals. He took off his visor and hat and spoke in a low voice.
"Is this where I can find a woman by the name of Carla?"
The two armored figures looked at each other and wordlessly knocked on the door. Moments later, the door opened and out came a red-haired woman of bewitching beauty. Edmond's men froze, entranced by her appearance and stifling the urge to drool. The Guild Knight himself swallowed his saliva in an attempt to suppress his own arousal. Discretely, his eyes moved down from her attractive face, down her supple chest and womanly curves covered by a simple red dress and finally her feminine hips and alluring legs. The woman quickly noticed his sneaky gaze and simply smiled sweetly.
"How may I help you?"
Edmond slapped himself on the cheek and spoke through gritted teeth. "Are you by any chance, Carla Rivera?"
"…Yes, that's me."
"Well, that makes things much easier." He straightened himself and spoke again. "I believe you've received a …anonymous note from an anonymous sender."
Carla held her chin in thought. "I do not recall ever receiving one…"
Edmond groaned and moved closer. He whispered, "You know, that!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
This woman I swear- Edmond sighed in defeat and whispered once more, "Edmondius Castus…Don't make me repeat myself." I am never mentioning my real name again…
"Oh, that! So, you're Edmondius Castus!" Carla said rather loudly, much to Edmond's horror. His men snickered behind him, to which they received a death glare from the man himself.
"Look, can we just get to business, woman? I know you know what I came here for."
"Yes, yes of course. My sources told me to expect you soon. But before we start, I would prefer it if we would discuss the…payment. Shall we?"
In response, Edmond quickly took out a brown bag from his pouch. "Here, 30,000 zenny as compensation. This should be enough right?"
The woman frowned. "Oh no, that won't be enough dear. Money is one thing, but for now, what I want most is…" She suddenly moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You."
His squad's eyes widened. "S-Sir you can't possibly- "
"Deal," Edmond answered with a straight face. If this is the price, I have to pay to bring those two to justice, then I shall embrace it wholeheartedly.
It was a well-known rule that Guild Knights were forbidden to do shirk their duties in favor of things like this. Should they be caught and reported to the Guild, there would be heavy repercussions. Edmond knew all too well the risks, yet he stubbornly refused to give in.
He leaned in to kiss her but was stopped short when she held a finger in front of his lips. "Patience dear, there is one more thing I require before we seal the deal." Edmond frowned but nonetheless listened.
"I want a full pardon from any and all illegal actions. I also require that you tell your Guild Knights to turn a blind eye to whatever I will be doing from now on. I dislike it whenever I have to brush off potential customers simply because some nosy Knight is suspicious of my beautiful self. Agree to this, and we have a deal."
Edmond scowled at her. "You're asking for too much here woman…"
"Oh, so you don't agree?" She backed away when she suddenly felt an arm wrap itself around her waist. She simultaneously grinned in approval.
"Fine, I accept your terms." Edmond finally said, smiling wryly. Alright then you vixen, I'll play your little game. Even if this means I'm throwing away my own honor as Guild Knight. You better watch out Eris! I'm coming for you!
"Handsome and wise…I think I like you already." And with that, she pulled him by the collar of his coat and mashed her lips against his. Edmond's guards watched as she pulled the man into the room, giving them a smug sideways glance and slamming the door in front of them.
One of the guards smacked his forehead. "…Well, that just happened."
"So, what now?" asked another one.
The guard's innocent question was promptly answered when a bunch of women latched themselves onto each of the armored men.
"I think I can help you with that mister…" cooed a peach-haired woman as she pressed her generous bosom against the man's body.
None of the men went home tired that night.
Back in Bherna, one hour ago…
Eris wasn't one to speak such vulgar words, but in certain situations sometimes she herself couldn't help but express her feelings in only one word.
"Fuck…" Eris cussed as she quickly hid behind one of the many stone carvings in the village. She had thought his problems were far from over, but to her chagrin, it wasn't, for in those mere few minutes of freedom, she had spotted the very person she dreaded to meet at this point.
"Why is he here?!"
In the distance, walking alongside his personal squad was Edmond himself. She recognized that red coat, hat, and visor anywhere after all. This is the worst possible time for you to show up unannounced! Immediately, her eyes scanned the surrounding area for any way to circle around them without being seen. Initially, she planned to make her escape by blending through the crowd of people but in an unlucky turn of events, almost everyone in the village had moved to the village center for the festival. Great, just my luck… Finding no other option, she immediately decides to head back, hoping that she could blend in with the crowds of people at the festival.
When she got back to the village center, the bonfire had already been lit and it was brimming with people. From villagers to hunters to researchers, Eris saw all sorts of people attending the festival. But that didn't matter now.
"I can't believe this…" Eris mumbled out in frustration at her current predicament. She pushed and shoved her way through the crowds of people, using her enhanced physique in order to clear a path to herself…all while muttering expletives that are terribly uncouth for a woman of her disposition. It didn't matter to her that the people she roughly shoved away snapped at her or simply fell back due to her strength. She simply couldn't care less.
"This is outrageous, this is unfair- Oof!" She briefly opened her eyes and found herself leaning against an armored chest.
She heard a loud groan. "Hey, watch where you're going- "The owner of the chest looked down at her. "It's you…"
She looked up and found herself staring at the man she never expected to run into again. "Siegfried…"
"Why did you come back?"
She frowned. "I can say the same to you."
Before Siegfried could answer, he heard the distinct sound of clanking armor coming from behind him. "I see him!"
"Get him!"
Siegfried gritted his teeth. "Shit…"
Eris was just about to ask him why there were armored men chasing him when she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"Wait, is that her?"
Then an all too familiar voice followed. "Where?!"
"There, the woman with the long ponytail and silver hair."
"That's her!"
Curses, the color of my hair became my own undoing! Eris could swear the gods hated her at this point. "Great…"
"What do we do now?!"
"Does it look like I know?!"
The voices came closer as Edmond's squad and the city guards closed in from both sides. The two hunters panicked, desperately thinking of a way they could escape. Then, as Eris's eyes landed on the bonfire in the center, an idea struck her. Remembering how effective their fighting abilities are when working together, she found that this would be the only way. No matter how embarrassing it was.
"If we both want to get out of here…then we must fight."
Siegfried gave her a baffled look. "Fight? How?! In this crowded place?!"
"No, you dimwit! The bonfire! The central area is large and spacious so if we lead the guards there, then there is a chance we can take them all out…that is we work t-t-together…"
"Alright! Let's go- "
She grabbed his wrist. "But you must not object alright!" She gritted her teeth. "I…have an idea that neither of us would like, but it's our only way to get out this situation without attracting any more unwanted attention."
"I-I'll take any chances I get!" And with that, Siegfried grabbed pulled her towards the center space where festivalgoers danced with their chosen partners alongside the bonfire. The moment they stepped foot into the dance floor however, they were immediately met with judgmental stares as the numerous couples dancing suddenly stopped what they were doing. The music had also stopped, and an uncomfortable silence enveloped them.
Siegfried audibly groaned. Oh, for fuck sake, why do you people have to make it more awkward than it already is?!
Eris wasn't faring any better either. With a face as red as a Red Khezu, the huntress covered her face with her hands in mortification. Oh, great gods please grant me the sweet release of death…
And just when she thought things couldn't get any worse-
"At last! I found you!"
The source of her ire. It was Edmond, in the flesh. With a confident and smug smile, the man pointed an accusatory finger at Eris. "I spent countless hours looking for you, researching you and finding out who you truly are. I also slept over at the Guild HQ just to memorize your files and worse, I forgot to eat breakfast just so I can board an airship as fast I could. I even slept with a whore just to extract information about you. And now finally, all my efforts have come to fruition…"
The crowd looked at him, horrified while the guards shook their heads. Siegfried cringed. "Sheesh, you have one hell of an admirer there," he said, whispering.
Eris pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know whether I should be flattered or absolutely disgusted."
The man in question ignored her. "I'm giving you two options. One, you surrender yourself and your lover to me without struggle and we can all go back to our lives. Your sentence might even be reduced. Or two, you fight us, and we personally bring you to the Great Wyverian to be judged. Chances are, you'll be stripped of your license permanently and sentenced to a long and painful life in prison. Due to kindness in my heart, I'll give you 3 minutes to discuss and make your choice." He sat on the ground. "C'mon, time is ticking."
Eris however, simply smirked. Alright, I got him where I want to be. Now, for the next part of the plan…
She took a deep breath and turned to face Siegfried, who gave her a quizzical look. She stepped closer to the taller man, suppressing the deep blush on her cheeks. Here we go…
"Take my hand."
"…Huh?" he said dumbly, eliciting a glare from the woman in front of him.
"God can you get anything through that thick skull of yours?!" Eris snapped, stifling the urge to slog the man right there. But she quickly calmed down and sighed. "Just…follow my lead. Please."
"If that's what you want… "He gently took her hand, to which she frowned. "Both my hands." He grumbled something under his breath and hesitantly took both her hands. She has soft hands… He shook his head to disperse that random and embarrassing thought.
"Now what?" In response, she gently locked their fingers together. Siegfried raised an eyebrow.
"Eris what are you- "
"Oh, my whatever shall we do?" Eris exclaimed loudly. "We've been surrounded from all sides! Whatever shall we do?"
Siegfried gave her a 'What are you doing?!' stare. Frustrated with his inability to grasp the extent of her plans, she increased the volume of her voice. "Whatever shall we do?!"
What the fuck are you doing woman?! Have you gone mad?! This isn't some kind of stage drama- Then he finally understood. Oh...I see. Siegfried wanted to slap himself for not realizing any sooner.
"I'm an idiot…" he muttered.
"Damn right you are," Eris replied, attempting to hide her reddening cheeks.
He cleared his throat and spoke loudly, "We must fight my d-d-dear! It is our only chance of survival!"
H-Hey no need to call me 'dear'! "I concur! Very well then, we shall fight!"
Edmond cocked his head to the side in a mixture of bafflement and amusement. That was…odd, to say the least. But she did say fight so… "Well, you heard them. Now, arrest those criminals!"
A/N: This section is best heard alongside Johann Strauss's
"Voices of Spring Waltz"
On cue, the guards rushed in and entered the circle. To Edmond's surprise, the two made no attempt to defend, instead, they began to…dance?!
"What in the world?"
The two hunters stepped to the side, arms still holding each other. Siegfried moved his hands to her waist and lifted her up into the air, spinning her around in the process.
A guard moved closer to them. "You two stop- "He was promptly met with a powerful kick to the face, sending the man toppling onto the ground. The crowd gasped…and then cheered.
"They actually believed us?" Siegfried muttered as he let Eris onto the ground.
"I don't want to say I told you so but…" The huntress grinned. "Told you so."
Edmond, meanwhile, had never expected that to happen. "H-How?!" he said in disbelief. He growled. "No matter, guards! Attack!"
Siegfried smirked as he took her hand and gripped her waist. "Ready for round two?"
In response, she placed a hand on his shoulder and interlocked their fingers together once more. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The crowd watched in awe as the two hunters danced around the bonfire, gracefully and elegantly as if they were a prince and a princess. No music played in the background, yet they could clearly see their rhythmic movements as if there were music present.
Two guards rushed in to intercept the two. Noticing this, Siegfried spun Eris outward in which she proceeded to slam the back of her fist against the face of one of the guards. He reeled back, screaming out in pain and stumbled against the crowd. The second guard moved into attack, launching his fist at the hunter.
BAM!
Siegfried turned his back towards the guard, absorbing the hit with his armored back just as he pulled Eris back into his arms. The hunter's armor proved to be too much for the guard as collapsed onto his knees, clutching his broken knuckles. At the same time, the crowd let out a loud oooh when Siegfried dipped Eris as the huntress swung her powerful leg up into the air, landing a direct and violent kick against the man's jaw, knocking quite a few teeth out and knocking him out.
Eris couldn't help but be impressed at Siegfried's knowledge of ballroom dancing. Coming from a wealthy family, she had learned to dance from a very young age due to her family's frequent involvement with some of the richer nobles of the region. Due to her hunter training and the subsequent fall of her family's name, she had largely forgotten the basics of ballroom dancing until only a few weeks ago did she practice all by herself to stave off her boredom. But she certainly had never expected someone like him to be a skilled dancer. I wonder if he was a noble like I was… "I never knew you to be a good dancer."
Siegfried shrugged, releasing her. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises." The two briefly bowed. Siegfried then held his hands behind his back as they waltzed around each other. The two held out their left and right hand respectively and pressed the back of their hands against the other, switching between their right and left as they circled around one another. One, two, three steps, both their movements mesmerized the crowd.
No sooner after, more guards rushed in.
Two attempted to subdue the hunter. But, Siegfried – whose hands are now free – simply stepped away from their punches, all while keeping his hands behind his back. Then, gracefully he turned around and elbowed one of the guards, rupturing the poor man's nose before immediately backhanding the other. The crowd once again erupted into a fit of applause, not minding the obvious splashes of blood on the ground nor the pained cries of the guards who had their noses smashed in.
At the same time, three had also moved to attack Eris. But the huntress was unfazed, simply opting to continue waltzing without a care in the world. Two attempted to simultaneously grab her from behind, only for the huntress swerve out of the way and causing the two guards to crash into each other. She then immediately parried a sneaky hit from the third guard and followed it up by completely breaking his arm.
"AAAH! MY ARM- "
She grabbed the man's arm and pulled him towards her. "Hush you." She wrapped the man's broken arm around herself and twirled away from him, before twirling back in and smashing her head against the man's face.
"Nice moves," Siegfried commented, appearing beside her.
Eris puffed out her chest confidently. "I learned from the best." The two of them snuck a glance at Edmond. They suppressed the urge to laugh.
His face was red, and his eyebrow twitched. He clenched his fists, expression riddled with unbridled fury. To his guards, he looked like a demon ready to burst but to Siegfried and Eris, he looked like a man constipated to the point of hilarity.
Edmond finally stood up and furiously pointed a finger at the two hunters. "Gah! All guards attack! Attack!" Immediately after, even more, guards rushed into an attack, determined to defeat these two once and for all.
Siegfried leaned in and whispered to Eris. "I hope you're ready for what I'm about to do next."
"What do you mean- Eeeeh!" Eris yelped in surprise when Siegfried lifted her up onto his arms, carrying her bridal style. Naturally, she turned beet red. His next words only fueled her embarrassment even further.
"Stretch out your legs."
"What are you saying?!"
"Just do it! Hurry!"
She did as he instructed and the moment she did, he began to spin around rapidly. She tightly held onto his chest as the hunter spun them like a top, and like a Duramboros, increasing in speed with every subsequent turn. Her long legs swung across every direction, violently colliding against the heads of the numerous guards attacking them. The crowd couldn't stifle their amazement at the two hunters' stylish and daring maneuvers, clapping and shouting as guards fell one by one just attempting to get close to them.
By the time they had finished spinning, only Edmond remained.
Siegfried gently let her down and held his head. "I feel…"
"…woozy," Eris said in a rather dazed state, barely able to stand up.
"That was…a mistake."
She purposefully stepped on his foot, eliciting a half-hearted 'ouch' from the hunter. "Agree."
("Dance" segment end)
Edmond gripped his forehead. "I-I can't believe it…" He stared at the pile of bodies belonging to his squadmates, all beaten and unconscious. More than a dozen guards defeated by a mere two hunters. And they were dancing no less!
"The crowd…" Edmond muttered, glancing at the bystanders. "They think this is all just an act! Some kind of stage play concocted to celebrate the festival!" He bit his lip in frustration, tasting his own blood. "That's it!" Edmond threw his hat away and raised his fists. "I'll do it myself!" He stepped into the circle and glared threateningly at the two hunters.
"Finally decided to fight eh?" Siegfried taunted.
"Shut up!" He glared at Eris. "You! This will be payback for embarrassing me back in Dundorma!"
The huntress grinned smugly, "Aww, did I touch a nerve?"
"You won't defeat me that easily! I'm not like those other hunters you've fought before!"
Siegfried cackled and beckoned him closer with his finger. "Try us!"
Enraged, the Guild Knight charged at the two. Eris moved in front of Siegfried. "Step back, I'll handle this- "Suddenly, the knight dashed around her right and vanished from her view. "What the- "Then she felt a pair of arms wrap around her abdomen and lifting her up high into the air.
"Got you!" Edmond exclaimed as he suplexed the huntress into the ground. The force of the slam had created a small crater where Eris made an impact with the surface, showing just how physically powerful these hunters were.
Reactions were immediate. Jaws dropped, loud gasps and dozens of eyes widened as virtually everyone was left speechless. Even Siegfried was at loss for words.
Edmond nonchalantly fixed his coat. "You think you're the only one who knows how to fight properly? Well, think again." He briefly glanced at the huntress lying nearly motionless on the ground, who stared up at him in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened to her before. "Tch. I expected more." The Guild Knight cracked his knuckles as he then turned towards Siegfried, grinning devilishly. "One down, one more to go."
Siegfried poised himself for combat, "You bastard…"
"What's the matter? You're not going to get me back for what I did to your woman?"
Siegfried's expression turned dark. "She's not my woman."
Edmond's mouth formed an 'o'. "Didn't look like it before…well, that doesn't matter anyway. I'll still be arresting you both by the way."
"Pfft, you can try."
"Oh? Well then- "In a sudden and frightening burst of speed, Edmond launched himself towards Siegfried.
Shit is he going to throw me or- He raised his arms, shielding his face as a fist collided against him at full force. Crap, that was so fast! I barely had time to- Seconds later, the man had disappeared from in front of him. Huh, where did he- "Woah!" In a matter of seconds, Edmond had circled around the hunter and wrapped his arms around his abdomen, preparing to suplex him the same way he did to Eris. Siegfried realized what he was going to do and in that brief moment, before he was lifted into the air, the hunter jabbed his elbow back in retaliation against the Knight.
It was a direct hit.
Edmond staggered back, releasing his grip on Siegfried. The hit had briefly dazed the Knight, but his visor (which doubled as a protective covering) saved him from getting knocked out. Siegfried soon realized his attack had done barely anything to the Knight.
"Damn it!"
Edmond recovered and quickly composed himself. "I told you, didn't I? I won't go down that easily!" Before Siegfried could reply, Edmond once again dashed at full speed towards the hunter. In reaction, Siegfried raised his arms in front of him defensively. Briefly, he peeked through the gap between his arms…only to find the Knight had vanished from his sight. Huh, where did he-
A gust of wind against his side. And then he saw him. Out of the corner of his left eye, Edmond's foot just inches away from his face. By the time the hunter had realized what happened, it was already too late.
"Shi- "He was unable to defend himself in time as he took the full brunt of a powerful aerial kick against his temple. The foot slammed against the side of his helmet, completely shattering the plating as if it were made of glass. The hunter was promptly sent flying from the sheer force of the kick, crashing down hard onto the ground and tumbling like a log until he came to a stop just a few centimeters away from the burning bonfire in the middle of the circle. The hunter remained motionless and unmoving, having been knocked out cold from the direct hit to his head.
"Ever heard of martial arts? No?" Edmond said as he brushed away the dust on his armor. He glanced at the bodies of the two hunters and shook his head in disappointment. "Shame. I was hoping for more of a fight from you two." He snapped his fingers as two of his surviving guards stood in front of him. "Contact the guards situated at the Guild Hall and tell them to bring the injured to the infirmary. Oh, and don't forget to take these two to the cart. Make sure to cuff their hands with the special ones made for hunters like them." He then faced the crowd of people who had watched their entire exchange. "Show's over everyone!"
The crowd audibly groaned and begrudgingly dispersed as the Bherna Fire Festival came to an end. Soon, the village plaza was clear, save for Edmond and his knights as well as a group of familiar faces who had watched the entire thing with widened eyes. A few of Edmond's guards noticed the group and walked over to them.
"This is Guild controlled property for the time being. No citizens should be- "
"We are not citizens," Hilda said, taking out her hunter card. The rest followed suit.
The guard who posed the question stiffened. "Oh, its Ms. Hilda…My apologies. I did not recognize you nor your comrades in that look."
"It's fine. Now, will you please let us through?"
"I'll go ask for Sir Edmond's permission." The guard then sprinted away towards his leader. In the distance, Hilda could see the guard speaking to the Knight, who responded with simple nods. The Knight then turned towards them.
"Hilda," Edmond greeted, walking over to them.
"It's been a while," Hilda replied back.
"Likewise," Edmond responded back. Romero however, noticed that their friendly greeting was anything but "friendly", evident from the tone of their voice and body language. Though he lacked somewhat in the intelligence department, Romero was rather perceptive, easily noticing subtle changes within his environment. It made him an excellent scout and invaluable during hunts.
"What's with those two?" he whispered towards Luca. He refrained from speaking to Hanzo mostly because he deduced that the taller man must be very close to the huntress and that asking him personal information about her would only instigate his (hypothetical) fury.
"They are ex-lovers," Luca responded, plain and simple.
Rowan blinked, having overheard their conversation. "Say what now?"
"They were in a relationship for a while before they split due to the tolls of their respective jobs and some other things they refused to disclose. I don't know anything else, but I had heard that their separation wasn't particularly pretty…"
Rowan silently nodded and snuck a glance at the huntress, who was busy talking to the knight. He noticed the obvious frown on her face. Clearly, she wasn't particularly happy about him being here.
"-and with that in mind, what are you doing here? I thought you were at Dundorma."
Hilda crossed her arms. "I can say the same to you. But anyway, my team and I came here to attend the festival. I highly doubt that you did, however…
"Aye. I came here to arrest those two over there." Edmond said, pointing with his thumb at the two unconscious hunters currently being hauled away.
"Why? What did they do?"
"Street fighting and causing civilian endangerment. Not to mention, fleeing from authorities. Furthermore, they resisted my men using force and injured most of them in the process. And I'm sure you're keenly aware that unsolicited violence is strictly prohibited, in accordance with the rules of course. You understand now why I'm doing this do you?"
Hilda nodded in understanding. "Yes. I do understand."
Edmond hummed in approval. "Well, in any case, I'll be taking my leave then." He turned to leave. "Good talk by the way. And I just want to say that…it's good to see you doing well."
Hilda remained silent and averted her gaze. Sensing her discomfort, Edmond smiled sadly before putting on his visor and hat and promptly walking away. It would not be wise he thought, to allow himself and the woman he had once cherished to relinquish the very memories that had torn them apart all those years ago. He snuck one last glance at the woman, only to find the space where she had stood empty.
Groggily, the man opened his eyes. And he found himself staring into the dark. Slowly, he rose up and sat straight. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't wearing his armor, instead, he was clad only in his black shirt, pants and chain mail.
"Wha- "
He attempted to move his hands, only to find himself unable to. Glancing down, he saw his hands, cuffed together by a metal contraption. Once again, he attempted to move them, but the device wouldn't budge. In fact, it felt as if it just tightened every time, he struggled…
"Don't bother. Those things will tighten the more you struggle. Not even the strongest hunters have ever broken free from them."
The man stared at the source of the voice. A figure, sitting opposite to him. Even in the dark, however, he could make out the unmissable color of her silver hair. "You're awake," Eris said in a monotone voice. "I was beginning to think you had died. I guess I was wrong. Shame, I had been looking forward to it all night long."
"You say that but let's not forget who was smiling the entire time we 'danced'."
Judging from her rather flustered reaction, Siegfried could only laugh at her. "Q-Quiet you!"
"So, does that mean you enjoyed dancing with me?" Siegfried teased.
She frowned immediately. "Absolutely not. You are a terrible dancer."
The hunter sighed. "Yes, yes of course I am. Anyway, more importantly, where are we exactly?"
Eris huffed. "Why don't you check yourself genius."
Siegfried clicked his tongue, "Tch. Damn woman…" He looked around and noticed the window slits above their heads. Long metal bars lined the window slits, mimicking that of a cage. Not to mention, how the entire place shook constantly as if they were moving. He deduced that they must be in some kind of cart. And that could mean only one thing.
Hesitantly and not willing to accept the truth, he spoke quietly. "We lost the battle didn't we…"
"As much as I hate to say it, yes. That bastard knocked both of us out and locked us here in this armored cart to be transported back to Dundorma. I was already awake when they tossed us both in here."
"Do you know where this cart is going?"
"…I overheard that Knight state that they would take us both the Guild Citadel recently built to house 'criminal' hunters like us. The airship system does not run during the night, so they are keeping us there temporarily until an airship arrives to transport us to Dundorma. That's what I've heard from them at least…"
"And what of our armor and weapons?"
"In the front," Eris said. "They were confiscated and most likely never to be returned…just like our hunting licenses once we receive our punishments." The huntress sighed wistfully. "Guess this it then. My hunting days are now officially over."
"H-Hey don't be so down like that. There are loads of other jobs one can take besides hunting."
"And care to explain what those jobs are?!" Eris snapped. "What kind of half-hearted idiot would employ a jobless, arrogant, narcissistic, bitchy, failure of a daughter and soon to be a former huntress to their ranks?! Tell me!" Realizing what she had spouted out in her anger, the huntress immediately closed her mouth. She looked away, gritting her teeth. "That was…terribly uncouth of me. Forget I said anything. Please."
Siegfried could only quietly nod in understanding. "I-I understand…"
The cart remained quiet, save for the faint sniffling coming from the huntress sitting in front of him. Siegfried had no idea that this would have affected her that much. Was hunting really that important to her? He took another glance at the huntress. She had leaned her head back against the wall as she sobbed quietly. Seeing her like this, it once again brought forth something within him that he long thought he had suppressed. Strangely, however, it brought back feelings of déjà vu he couldn't bother to remember.
"If it makes you feel any better, I too am going to lose my license as well," Siegfried said, attempting to lighten the mood. "Worst case scenario, once all this is over, I'll end up working in a farm for some rich lord who won't even give a damn about my paycheck." He chuckled half-heartedly. "Eris you…you've got a bright future ahead of you. That I believe. You're strong, mature, skilled and have the looks to boot. Meanwhile, look at me. It was my fault that we ended up like this. If I just hadn't picked a fight with Claude, then we probably wouldn't end up here in this armored cart, waiting to receive our inevitable comeuppance."
After another minute of silence… "Hmmph! Finally admitting your blunder, aren't you? Took you long enough."
Woah, she recovers fast. Somehow relieved to finally her voice, Siegfried laughed. "Well we're about to either die from execution or live the rest of our sorry lives in guilt and regret so might as well confess my mistakes eh?"
Eris cackled loudly. "The so-called 'Fire King' admitting his mistakes? Truly is this the will of the gods?"
"Hey, don't let it get your head alright?! Consider it a blessing that I, Siegfried, would dare admit my own mistakes to the likes of you."
Eris shrugged her shoulders, still smiling. "Whatever you say…"
Siegfried grumbled in defeat. "Uggh, you're so annoying."
Suddenly, the cart came to an abrupt halt. The two hunters heard the distinct sound of the clinking of armor outside. Siegfried leaned up and peeked through the metal bars.
"They seem to be in a hurry…" Siegfried said, seeing numerous guards running here and there.
Eris walked over to Siegfried's side and looked through the window, "Hey, what's happening?!"
A passing guard stopped next to them. "M-Monster!" he exclaimed, waving his torch before frantically dashing off towards the front of the cart, presumably to where the monster was.
"Someone please get us out of here!" Siegfried shouted, shaking the metal bars furiously. His efforts, however, were futile. "Curses! If only I could just get these-" He slammed the cuffs against the wall of the cart. "-fucking things off!"
Eris, meanwhile, attempted to break the door open with force. She kicked it hard, once, twice, thrice, over and over again. But the door wouldn't budge.
"This damn door!"
Having given up on the cuffs, Siegfried moved to help Eris. "Let's use our shoulders." They lined up their shoulders against the door. "3, 2, 1, go!" With every last ounce of their strength, the two hunters repeatedly crashed their shoulders against the door of the cart, over and over again, until their shoulders felt numb. But to their disbelief, the door showed no semblance of being broken down.
It was then that they heard the screams. Loud, audible screams of pain that were obviously human. They heard the clanging of armor, the panicked cries. Whatever it was they were fighting, it was making short work of the guards.
"Damn it! What the hell is happening out there?!"
"H-How did…h-how?!" Edmond could only sputter out incomplete words out of his mouth as he attempted to crawl away. He watched in horror as the beast tore apart his men, one by one, almost as if they were walking blocks of butter. Not even their armor could save them from the powerful arms and claws of the rampaging monster.
He clutched the stump that was once his right arm. The Knight flinched when he felt something solid jutting out of the stump of his arm. No potion would be able to heal this.
"N-No! I-I refuse to give up!"
Painfully, he dragged himself across the ground, creating a trail of blood in his wake. His hair was a disheveled mess, his coat ripped, the visor he wore completely shattered and his armor missing a few pieces. With his one remaining hand one holding his rapier, the man held on onto the wagon of the cart and pulled himself up onto his feet. A nearby guard spotted the Knight in dire shape and leaned down to help him.
"S-Sir your arm!"
"I-I'm fine. But you! Run! Tell everyone else who is still alive to run!"
"But sir- "
"I said run! And inform the Guild of this!"
"Sir- "
"I SAID RUN! DON'T YOU HAVE EARS OR SOMETHING?! FUCKING RUN! RUN- Ack!"
Finally realizing that the man wouldn't take no for an answer, the guard nodded in understanding. "Understood," he said through gritted teeth.
Edmond chuckled painfully, coughing up blood in the process as the guard disappeared from his sight. He sighed in defeat. "Well, there's that…" He glanced at the numerous bodies of his men lining up the road to the Citadel, each torn apart or brutally beaten beyond belief the point where they were unrecognizable. It was a horrible sight, one that would have made even the toughest hunters puke in horror. Out in the distance, was the monster itself. It held one of Edmond's men in its claws, but the man had already been long dead. It threw the lifeless man's body away like a ragdoll and faced the Knight, growling fiercely.
"Is this divine retribution for breaking the Guild Knight code of honor? Perhaps my prayers were never enough after all…"
In the distance, the beast let out a terrifying scream. It slowly began to pick up speed before immediately breaking into a charge, barreling directly towards the Knight.
"Sulvana forgive me…" Edmond muttered solemnly in prayer as the beast rapidly closed in. He closed his eyes, slumping onto the ground and accepting his fate.
And then the monster leapt.
Please review and give criticisms. I'm always striving to improve my writing so if you readers can or want to, do leave a review. It would be a tremendous help to me :)