A somewhat calm chapter that serves a breather after what happened last time, hence the quick update. This one is also focused more on the characters.

…

Chapter 18

Somewhere over the sea…

"Shit, I really don't want to back…"

"Same here. And now with the boss lady injured…Damn it, how did things turn out so wrong?"

The two surviving Wyvern riders nervously thought about the consequences of returning back to their base to report their failure. Almost as if sensing their rider's anxiety, their Wyvern mounts let out low growls.

"See? Even he's scared. I'm telling you Seth; they'll probably have our heads if we are to return now…" Hughes sighed. "We'll have to anticipate for the worst."

"Seth, you…You're not suggesting we desert them?"

"No, no! Not like that. Where the hell did you get that idea?! I'm just saying that we should be prepared to face the consequences of failure…even if we were to lose our heads."
"Oh hell no I ain't losing my head!"

"Then what's it going to be? Desert and we end up with nothing? Left to wander the world without another goal in life? Or take the admittedly slim chance that they might just cut us some slack once we get back?"

"…We're screwed either way, aren't we?"

"Nothing we can do about it…"

With their heads hung low, the two steeled themselves for what's about to come.

Back in the ship…

The corridors were quiet, Eris noted as she slowly walked through the ship's interior. Unable to sleep and only wearing a dark-colored coat provided by the staff to cover the top of her dress, she quickly decided to spend the rest of the night aimlessly wandering around the ship in a bid to find something interesting. She refused to admit this but the reason she was unable to sleep was because of…him.

What's wrong with me? Ever since the events hours ago, Eris found herself unable to shake off her thoughts on Siegfried. Barring the horrifying massacre that happened after, her mind drifted towards the dance they shared. In all her life, she had never danced with someone so…intimately before.

Eris stopped and hugged herself.

She could still recall her calloused hands against his own, the other grasping his broad and strong shoulder, muscular and firm from years of training. She recalled the dashing smile he gave her just before twirling her around and into his robust chest. He felt warm and just for a second there, she felt somewhat safe in his arms. She wondered what it would feel like for those arms to encircle her body and to hold her tightly. At the thought of this, her heart began to beat quicker and the huntress clutched her chest.

Calm yourself, woman! As much as she wanted to deny it, she could not deny the thumping of her heart.

Just then, a sound snapped her out of her thoughts. Her ears perked up and she went towards the direction of the noise. As she got closer to the source of the noise, the door to the room on her left suddenly opened. Eris stepped to the side as the familiar sight of furious looking Amber stormed past her.

"Amber wait!" Jason called out, walking out of the room. He spared a quick glance at the huntress before running after his sister. Eris blinked several times at what she had just witnessed before curiosity got the best of her and she peeked at the room they just left.

To her surprise, it was none other than Siegfried who stood there in the empty room, eyes closed, and his eyebrows furrowed. When he opened his eyes and saw Eris standing by the doorway, he let out a tired groan.

"I don't suppose you heard everything?"

She shook her head. "I didn't…"

He sighed. "Whatever." He proceeded to walk past her. Before he could fully exit the room, he was abruptly stopped by a hand around his wrist.

"Wait," Eris said, stopping him in his tracks. He froze in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked, his tone slightly aggressive. He looked tired. Is he truly alright?

"I…I…" Eris couldn't form the words she wanted to say. She wanted to ask him if he was alright if he needed help…If he needed someone right now.

As if reading her thoughts, Siegfried smiled tiredly. "I'm fine. I just…need some rest." He pointed with his free hand to the wound on his stomach that had since partially healed. "It still hurts quite a bit and I feel like laying down." He turned to leave once more…But he found himself unable to, for Eris's grip on his wrist was strong. She refused to look at him, her gaze fixed towards the ground, and her bangs concealing her eyes. Somewhere during this, her hand had drifted downwards, interlacing her fingers with his own. Siegfried tensed up for a moment.

"Eris…"

Softly, her thumb traced his palm, the intimate gesture sending shivers up Siegfried's spine. Of all the women he knew, none had ever had such a profound effect on him. His mind flashed back to the ball, where he held Eris in his arms. For such a strong woman, she had felt delicate in his arms and a part of him feared that she would break. But he knew she was not such a brittle existence. Those calloused hands of hers, most likely hardened from years of training perfectly fit against his palm when he held her. Her strong legs, able to propel her up into the air and run at speeds no normal person could reach. It was safe to say Siegfried had never met someone like her.

He was enraptured.

"I told you I'm fine. Now…" He placed his other hand on hers. "Please let go." Gently, he began to remove her fingers one by one off his hand. His eyes frequently glanced at her, seeking her approval. Eris remained her silent, her thumb having stopped moving but she made no move to resist.

When Siegfried was just about to remove the last finger, Eris's other hand shot forward and grasped his wrist. He raised an eyebrow at her action.

"…Y-You're not alone…alright? Whatever problem you have…if you want…we can t-talk about it…got it?" It took her nearly all her willpower to say those words and she felt like huddling in the corner in embarrassment after. She was eternally glad that it was just the two of them.

Siegfried took a second to process what Eris just said before his cheeks turned a brief shade of red. Soon, however, he broke into a light chuckle. The huntress quickly let go of his hand and glared at him, her tender and concerned look quickly replaced by her usual cold indifference. She let go of his hand and crossed her arms under her chest in annoyance.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry, sorry! Don't know what came over me." A moment later, he felt an intense pressure on his foot. "Ouch!"

Eris huffed indignantly. "Honestly!"

"Hey, can't help it when the infamous Ice Queen gets so easily riled up from some simple teasing- Y-Yayayayaouch! Quit it woman!" he cried out once more as Eris pulled his ear.

Eris soon released him and walked away in a flustered state. Before she could leave the room, she felt a familiar hand grab her wrist. Oh, how the tables have turned.

"Got you now…Look, Eris I…I just want to say…" He took a deep breath. "Thank you." He gave her that same boyish smile from before. "And the same goes for you too."

The huntress's face turned as red as Siegfried's hair and she jerked her hand away. "Your welcome…" she muttered quietly before disappearing around the corner.
When he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore, the hunter sighed. "Women…"

…

He was having that same dream again. He could not figure out what and why he was having those dreams, but they have been occurring for a while now. He couldn't remember when they started, but they would always be the same.

He would find himself standing in the front yard of a house situated in the countryside. His body, no longer that of a twenty-two-year-old man, but now of a nine-year-old boy.

"Rowan dear, have you seen your brother anywhere?"

Whenever he turned around, he would always be greeted by the face of his beloved mother. She would flash a gentle smile and he would always reply with: "He is playing by the fields." Later on, his mother would tell him to retrieve his brother so they can greet their guests.

As he and Romero waited by the gate to their home, a familiar carriage being pulled by a pair of Gargwas could be seen approaching from the distance. It would then stop right in front of the gates as the faceless driver hopped off his seat. The carriage door then opened and an elegantly dressed girl would step out. She looked to be older than him, and taller with back length black hair but the most striking feature was the fact that he could not see her face, only the bottom of her nose and her mouth.

Rowan had no idea who this girl was but judging from the fact that she would always smile and laugh alongside him and his brother, she must have been someone they were close to. The dream would always end there…but tonight was different.

Suddenly, the scene shifted, the green plains disappearing and being replaced by dark colors. The house behind him vanished and soon, the entire scenery shifted…to that of a burning city. People ran here and there, screaming as the houses burned and the sky turned fiery red. It was a horrifying sight and Rowan recognized it all too well.

It was when the kingdom he called home fell victim to revolt by a group zealot dissatisfied with the way the kingdom was ruled.

They had rapidly gathered followers and the entire kingdom soon fell to chaos as the kingdom's forces were overwhelmed by the powerful zealots.

"Damn it!" Rowan cussed as he frantically ran around the area. His body had returned to his adult self and he dashed past the rubble, fires, and the many corpses littering the streets.

"Why am I here?!" he cried out in desperation. Suddenly, he heard a scream. Instinct took over and he rushed towards the source of the sound. Soon, he found himself standing by a dark alleyway where he saw two of three of the zealots cornering four children.

His eyes widened when he recognized three of those children to be his younger self, Romero, and the mysterious girl. They were trapped in the alley and backed into a wooden fence with nowhere to run.

"It's over for you three brats!"

"Let's kill those two and take the princess. We can't waste any more time."

"Agree."

Rowan shot his hand forward. "HEY!" However, the two zealots ignored him. The hunter tried again and again, but the two men ignored him as if he weren't there. He soon realized that it was futile, for this was simply a dream – a horrifying dream he had no choice but to watch.

"Stay away! Or I-I'll kill you!" the younger Rowan shouted, holding a piece of rock in his hands. Though he had a brave expression on his face, the trembling of his hands and legs proved otherwise. Romero cowered in fear behind him, sobbing as the girl embraced him. "I-I'm not afraid of you!"

The zealots cackled. "Bold little shit ain't he? I wonder what your screams would sound like…" The other one laughed wickedly. "Then you'll die braver than most."

Tightening his grip on the rock, young Rowan recklessly charged forward while screaming in an attempt to hit the zealot. The older Rowan watched as the zealot effortlessly caught the younger him by the arm, lifted him up into the air, and slamming him down onto the hard ground. The girl screamed as the zealot then grabbed him by the face and smacked him face-first against the wall.

"NOOOO!"

Before they could move on towards the remaining two, a loud creaking noise could be heard from above. They looked up…only to see a part of the roof about to fall on top of them. Rowan found himself unable to move as the debris fell onto him…

He woke up after that, breathing and sweating heavily. He clutched his chest hard, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as he took a moment to process his thoughts. He looked around the dimly lit room, noting how quiet it was.

"Shit…" He felt incredibly dizzy. Thinking that a quick glass of water would help soothe him, he stood up and walked towards the door. Just as he opened the door, he nearly jumped back when a flustered looking Eris stormed past him. Rowan scratched the side of his head in confusion before shrugging and turned towards the other direction, where the main dining hall was located.

Arriving at the hall, he spotted a few of the staff cleaning up and putting the tables back. They noticed his presence and waved at him.

"Can I help you with something?" a young woman asked, jogging towards him.

"Uhh yeah, I would like a glass of water," Rowan noted the red flush on her cheeks as she spoke to him. Must be the cold.

"Alright, wait here."

A minute later, the server returned with a glass of water.

"Here's your water."

"Thank you very much." He drank it down in one gulp and handed the glass back. She blushed when he flashed her an appreciative smile before he proceeded to walk back to his room. Along the way, he couldn't help but recall the dream he had. He had a ton of questions, especially regarding the mysterious girl. He knew those dreams were part of his memories but no matter how hard he tried; he could not remember the girl's face.

As he walked, he felt someone brush past him. He turned his head back and saw a familiar figure fast walk past him. Frowning, he called out towards the person. "Hey!"

The person stopped in his tracks. Not turning around, the figure spoke. "What do you want?"

Rowan clenched his fists. "I hope you don't let us down. I won't forgive you if you do."

The person let out an amused chuckle. "I never asked for anyone's sympathy. Nor do I deserve any."

"The Guild will decide your fate."

A laugh. "…I look forward to it."

Rowan shook his head and continued on towards his room. When he arrived at the front of the door, he stopped inches away from grabbing the knob. His thoughts suddenly drifted towards a certain huntress. A light flush crept to his cheeks at the thought of her.

Hilda… For some reason, he felt the need to clarify their relationship. Sure, they danced and hugged but after the massacre, every time he tried to approach her, she would turn him away…again.

He had to talk to her.

Not even a minute later, he found himself standing in front of her door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked a few times.

"Hilda? It's me, Rowan. I want to talk."

No answer. He tried again.

"Hilda? I want to talk to you. Can you open the door please?"

Silence.

"Hey, Hilda?"

Again, no answer. Rowan sighed and was just about to leave when the door next to her room opened.

"I figured you'd come." It was Hanzo. "If you're looking for Hilda, she's out at the deck."

Rowan rubbed his neck. "Ah, thank you, Hanzo. Sorry if I woke you up or something."

"It's fine. As long as she's happy, I'm satisfied and frankly, you're probably the only other person aside from us who's done that." He nodded approvingly before closing the door as Rowan headed towards the deck.

…

Rowan clamped a hand over his mouth as he hid behind the door to the deck. He wanted to come there to talk to Hilda, but he never expected Eris to be there as well. The two huntresses appeared to be in a conversation and Rowan had no intention of interrupting them. Feeling somewhat ashamed for eavesdropping but unable to turn away, Rowan listened closely.

"…want to apologize."
Hilda blinked a few times. "What?"

Eris pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm not going to say this again but…I want to apologize. Whatever I did to you to make you hate me, I'm sorry." I can't believe I'm doing this…

"…Are fucking kidding me?" Hilda jabbed Eris in the chest with her finger, lightly pushing her back. "I'm standing here in the open, freezing myself until you showed up and…" She shivered and hugged herself. "You decide to apologize now after all you did? No. Fuck off."

The silver-haired huntress's eyebrow twitched. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Take your damn apology back. I don't need it."

Eris was beginning to lose her patience. "Why do you hate me so? What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?"

"You have got to be kidding me…How do you not realize it?"

"Realize what?"

"See? That's the thing. You don't realize it because you don't care. So please, go away and don't talk to me unless you need something." Hilda turned around to head back.

"Alright, that's it!" Eris surged forward and grabbed her by the wrist. "Tell me. What can I do to earn your trust?"

"…You've already broken it a long time ago. Now unhand me." She tried to yank her hand back, but Eris kept a tight hold on her. "Let go!" Hilda reeled her hand back and punched Eris square in the cheek. The huntress staggered back briefly, rubbing her cheek before mirroring Hilda's move, delivering a similarly hard punch to Hilda's cheek. And just like that, the two women began to pummel each other fiercely.

I have to stop them! Rowan was just about to intervene when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and found Hanzo shaking his head at him.

"Hilda needs this…Both of them do."

The two huntresses landed blow after blow, each not willing to give up. However, Rowan could see a clear difference in skill between the two as he watched Eris begin dodge and counter every hit Hilda did. The black-haired huntress soon found herself on the defensive as Eris retaliated with well-aimed jabs and chops, each targeting the vulnerable parts of her body. In a desperate attempt to land a hit on her, Hilda twisted around and tried to elbow her, but Eris caught her arm, twisting it behind her and shoving the huntress chest first against the ship's mast.

"Give up. You're no match for me."

Hilda spat at the ground. "Are you happy now? Happy that you finally bested me? Well good for you! So, go ahead and rub it in my face like you always do. C'mon! Do it!"

"…You're impossible."

Hilda rolled her eyes. "I beg to differ."

Eris released her and shouted angrily. "Oh, for fuck sake you're acting like a child! What do you want me to do? Apologize to you more? Prostrate under your feet and beg for forgiveness? Hilda what the fuck do you want?!"

"…"

"I'm trying to help you here!"

Hilda looked at her in complete disbelief and spoke in a venomous tone. "So now you feel entitled to help me? Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me woman! When was the last time you ever tried to help me? Or others? Never! Cause a certain someone is too busy sucking up all the praise and ignoring others just so they can fill up their massive ego even further!"

"Hilda, what are you talking about?"

"Isn't it obvious? I thought someone with "superior intellect and strength" could figure out something like that."

Eris stared at her, baffled. "What?"

Hilda snorted. "Can't you see it?! Who else do you think I'm talking about huh?"

Eris stood there, processing her words and attempting to decipher her cryptic descriptions. What could she have meant? After a few more moments of contemplation, it finally clicked.

"Are you referring to…me?"

Hilda laughed sardonically. "Well, congratulations you figured it out! Do you want a medal to go with that?"

Eris was beginning to lose her patience even more. "And what exactly did I do to earn your ire?"

"…You seriously still don't know what you did do you?" She sighed and quickly turned to leave again. With her back turned against Eris, she spoke in a cold tone. "I don't know what happened to you that turned you into who you are now but…I regret that I once used to call you my friend. Goodbye." This time, Eris did not stop her as Hilda went back towards the door. Rowan and Hanzo scrambled back too late as Hilda took notice of them by the doorway.

"H-Hey Hilda, are you-"

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood right now. I want to be left alone."

Rowan almost opened his mouth but once again, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Hanzo simply shook his head as they watched the huntress walk down the hallway in silence.

…

Hours later…

It was very early in the morning, around 5 am when the ship finally arrived at the Dundorma dock. The townsfolk and merchants currently setting up their shops around the dock as well the occasional early risers all stopped what they were doing and stared curiously at the random ship that came.

They were even more surprised at the sight of the people getting off the ship. All of them looked tired, and most of their seemingly fancy clothing ripped and torn in multiple areas. Some had bandages over their bodies as well.

"Nothing to see here! You all can go back to work!" the armored woman in the front of the group said as the townsfolk soon went back to their own business.

"So? What do we do first?" Rowan asked Catherine.
Catherine thought about it for a moment. She gazed at the group behind her, noting their injuries and exhaustion, and quickly came to a conclusion. "For now, all of you rest and get proper medical treatment. However, I would like all of us to keep this between ourselves alright? We can't risk causing panic amongst the civilians without alerting the Guild first."

The injured hunters exhaled in relief.

"But this doesn't mean you're all free though. As key witnesses, you are all required to come with me to the Guild. So that's why I want all of us to meet up by the front of the gate to the Dundorma Hall later this afternoon. I won't accept any refusals." She glared at Siegfried. "Especially you."

The hunters, all too fatigued to protest, simply nodded.

…

Pip's ears perked up upon hearing the front door open. Having just finished eating his breakfast, he hopped off the tall (for him at least) stool of the dining table and sprinted over to greet his teammates.

"You guys are ba- Nyaaah?!"

Luca waved him off, despite Pip noticing the obvious red stains on his suit. The other two were in a similar state, with Hilda's dress torn in multiple spots and Hanzo having a large open tear in his dress shirt. "No need to worry. We're fine."

"B-But…"

Hilda drew a tired breath. "We just need some rest so please, if you excuse us, we'll be in the bedrooms…"

The Palico could only watch helplessly as his teammates trudged their way towards the bedrooms, slamming the doors shut and enveloping the house in silence.

…

Romero took off his blazer and collapsed onto the bed as his brother took a shower. They were lucky that the inn wasn't terribly far away from the port, and they were able to successfully make it back. The innkeeper and patrons had reacted in surprise upon seeing them but didn't question them when Rowan demanded firmly that they are not to be disturbed for the next hours.

The hunter rubbed his neck and lightly turned his head to both sides. It still felt stiff and he guessed the bone hadn't fully healed yet. He groaned and buried his face onto the sheet. Damn it!

…

His loud voice boomed throughout the hall. "Are you certain this is the case?"

"Yes, your Immenseness. When we looked over the bodies, we saw the same symbol on all of their hands. It is without a doubt that they are members of The Revenants."

Muffled gasps combined with murmurs and whispers erupted throughout the hall. The massive Wyverian man lifted his foot up and stomped down on the ground. "Quiet!"

The hall immediately went silent. His Immenseness nodded approvingly. "Anything else you would like to add Commander Catherine?"

"Yes. I would personally like to advise that we keep this information strictly to the Guild as well as the survivors of this incident. I believe that this is the best thing to do for now so that the townspeople won't panic."

The hulking Wyverian man stroked his beard in thought. "I see. I think I would have to agree with you on that one. We cannot afford to cause mass hysteria amongst the people. And about these survivors, do you know where they are?"

Catherine shook her head. "I do not know where they are currently, but I have given them some well-deserved rest and have agreed with them to meet with me in front of the stairs this afternoon."

"Hmm…Very well. Commander Catherine, I sincerely thank you on behalf of the Guild for informing us of this. You have my condolences for the loss of your men as well as the death of the many nobles there. So, for now, I would permit you some rest as well." He tapped the handle of his large sword onto the ground. "You are dismissed."

Catherine bowed. "Thank you, your Immenseness…"

As Catherine exited through the large doors of the Dundorma Hall, she spotted her remaining squad members waiting by the top of the stairs. They quickly saluted her as usual.

She placed both hands on their shoulders, giving them a motherly smile. "You may go home now. Rest and take this time to mourn over the loss of our comrades."

"Yes, my lady…" The two remaining squad members gave her a quick bow before they descended down the stairs. Catherine let out a tired sigh and turned towards the last person standing next to her.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

Edmond sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "I don't really…have one. I do own a house but considering that I'm a criminal so that's out of the picture…

"…Not surprising. Very well, you may stay at my place for now."

Edmond stiffened. "Are you sure? Surely if someone sees a man walk into your home-"

She groaned in annoyance. "Do you really think I care? And look, just because I'm still mad at you doesn't mean I don't have a heart. C'mon, I'm tired, you're tired – we're both tired and I need to eat something." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the stairs before he could protest.

They were riddled with stares as they made their way over to Catherine's house.

Minutes later…

Catherine's home was a lot more modest than Edmond imagined. Granted this was his first time in her house but he had always thought that she would have purchased something bigger and fancier. He just didn't expect her to own a simple one-story ceramic house complete with a small garden and training area. For someone of her status, it looked like the home of a typical middle-class citizen, not that he would outright say it directly to her.

Almost as if reading his thoughts Catherine let out a brief chuckle. "I never liked those super fancy houses, to begin with. Growing up in a commoner family, I've grown to appreciate the simplicity that comes with it."

Edmond smiled. "I see."

Catherine's home was even better Edmond noted as he stepped inside. It had a simple setup, consisting of a living room and a brick fireplace, a single dining table made for two, a modestly sized kitchen, and a single master bedroom. The walls were made of wood and the carpets appeared to be made of fur. The interior of her home was cozy, and Edmond thought of it as the perfect place to relax after a tiring day.

After taking off their armors and depositing them by Catherine's own personal armory, she moved towards the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

"Thank you." Edmond settled himself onto her couch. He picked up a random magazine on the coffee table and opened it to pass the time. Dundorma Monthly eh? Seems interesting…

"Also, do you want anything to eat? I can make something for both of us. Anything in particular you like?"

"You're too kind and…anything from you is bound to taste good anyway."

Catherine chuckled. "You flatter me." She opened her food storage and placed a hand under her chin. "How does fried rice sound?"

"Sounds good!"

Around ten minutes later, Catherine set two large plates of delicious looking fried rice onto the dining table. Edmond licked his lips at the sight of the dish, something Catherine noticed with a chuckle.

As Edmond had expected, it tasted divine. Sweet and savory, golden-colored from the sauce, topped off with bits of fried egg and stir-fried to perfection. If Catherine were to be a housewife, her husband would have been beyond pleased Edmond thought, though a small part of him hoped that he would be said husband. As quickly as the thought came, he banished it into the depths of his mind.

"You like it?" she asked, resting her cheek on her hand as they sat opposite to each other. She knew that judging from Edmond's expression that he enjoyed it, but she couldn't help but want some real confirmation coming from his mouth. To her amusement, he answered just after taking another spoonful of the fried rice.

"Delicious. I never once doubted your cooking for a second."

"Hehe, you've always liked my cooking since our Academy days. Nice to know that I still got it even after all these years."

They continued to engage in small talk as they ate to pass the time. Soon, with their stomachs satisfied, they stood up and placed the dishes by the sink.

Catherine briefly stretched and let out a yawn. "I'm going to take a nap. Do you uhh…want to join me?"

Edmond stared at her as if she grew a second head. "What?"

The woman grew even more flustered and averted her eyes away from him. "I said, do you want to join me in bed?"

Edmond looked around the area, now finally noticing that there was only one bedroom. He gulped. While he knew what it felt like to sleep next to a woman, sleeping next to someone he truly cared about was a foreign concept to him. "I mean I don't really mind, but do you?"

The only answer he received was her pulling him by the hand and into her room.

…

Kokoto Village…

To say that the villagers were surprised was an understatement. They had clearly not expected their two saviors to return in bandages and their clothes torn and ripped.

"What happened to you two?!"

"Somebody get the village healer!"

"Tell us-"

"Just leave us alone please…" Eris tiredly said as she and Siegfried proceeded towards the inn. Upon noticing their current state, the innkeeper quickly handed them the keys to their usual room, this time free of charge. Eris thanked the innkeeper and the two marched up towards their shared room.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower…" Siegfried said, taking off his blazer and ascot.

"Yeah, you stink. Go ahead," Eris replied, nonchalantly moving towards the dressing table. "Don't take too long because I too need one." She picked up a brush and began to groom her hair.

"Yeah yeah…"

After both hunters finished their respective showers and dressed in their warm gambesons, they went down to grab something to eat in order to refill their stamina. However, upon arriving at the lobby, they found themselves surrounded and promptly bombarded with questions. Knowing that they couldn't risk causing panic, they did their best to answer the questions.

When asked what happened during the ball, they simply stated that it went well and that everyone else they knew went home safely. Some of the villagers noted the slight tremble of their bodies as they said that but chalked it up to them being cold.

When they were asked if they were alright, they would both answer with a simple yes.

When asked why they were injured, they answered that they got into a brief scuffle with some thugs out to steal their valuables. There was also no point in hiding the fact that Siegfried got stabbed so he simply mentioned that one of them got a lucky hit in. They brushed off the rest of the questions and requested that they be left alone for a while.

The villagers and inn patrons all kept quiet as the two hunters settled themselves onto a table far from the others, only calling for a waiter to come and take their orders. Once their food arrived, they proceeded to eat in silence.

The two finished their food minutes later and wordlessly went back up to their rooms.

However, the two did not expect to find a familiar figure leaning against the wall next to their room. She gave a short wave. "Hey."
Siegfried pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did you- Never mind. What do you want?"

Becky walked over to the two of them and crossed her arms under her chest. "I came here because I want to ask you two something…especially regarding the state you came back. I found it odd that skilled hunters like you with years of experience came back from a ball injured. Now, tell me what happened."

Siegfried groaned. "We got into a brief scuffle with some thugs on the way back. One of them managed to-"

"Cut the crap." The hunters fell silent. The red-haired woman tapped her foot impatiently. "I know you're lying, both of you are. I can tell from your body movements. And I know for a fact that no random thug could ever land a lucky hit on either one of you hunter freaks."

Eris sighed, her patience wearing thin. "…Look, we had a long night and we're tired so if you would excuse us…" Becky stepped in front of them, standing between them and the door to their room.

"Becky, move."

"I'll repeat. You are going to tell me exactly what happened last night."

Siegfried lightly scoffed. "Yeah, we danced, drank wine till we were drunk, and generally had a lot of fun. What's there to lie about?"

"I know that what you said ain't true."

"Believe what you want. It doesn't matter anyway."

Siegfried tried to push her aside, but she palmed his chest, causing the hunter to stagger back. He coughed and glared at her. Becky then adopted a fighting stance. "If I have to fight you both to get you two to talk, then so be it."

Eris laughed. "Please, against the two of us? What can you do?"

Becky appeared unfazed and beckoned them with her fingers. "Then what are you waiting for? Show me that the training you received all those years ago isn't for nothing."

Siegfried made the first move, barreling forward and reeling back a fist. Becky merely ducked under his punch, which smashed a small hole against the wall. From behind her, Eris attempted to grab her, only for Becky to directly elbow the huntress hard in the chest. Siegfried attacked once more, but the woman parried his punch and grabbed him by the face, smashing his body hard against the wall.

"Is that all you got?" Becky taunted, moving back a certain distance as the two took a moment to recover.

"We need to rethink our strategy…" Eris whispered to her partner.

Siegfried grunted in pain and brushed the wood pieces sticking to his back. "I'm working on it!"

As Siegfried and Eris quietly discussed their plan, Becky hummed impatiently. "Not going to attack? Well then-" Suddenly, in a terrifying burst of speed, she appeared in front of Eris! Caught off guard, the huntress raised her arms defensively as Becky slammed her fist onto her raised arms. The force of the punch combined with Eris's weaker physique compared to Siegfried sent her flying back a considerable distance, her back colliding hard against the railings.

In that same moment, she delivered a quick knife hand strike to the startled Siegfried, stunning him and during that brief moment of vulnerability, she grabbed his arm, twisted her body, and flipped him vertically over her body and onto the solid floor, earning a pained gasp from the hunter when his back hit the solid wood.

Becky stepped away from the downed hunters and brushed her hands together. "I won't ask you two again…What happened?"

Somewhere in an undisclosed location…

"RUN! FUCKING RUN!"

"AAAH I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

The terrified screams of men filled the area. Loud crashing and rumbling as the entire structure began to crumble under all the damage. Numerous bodies littered the floor, staining the ground and walls red with blood. Most of the remaining men scrambled for safety as they attempted to escape from the crumbling fortress.

The rest, meanwhile, continued in their futile effort to repel their attacker. The surviving gunners took cover behind the vanguard of soldiers currently attempting to drive off their attacker with their lances. But every shot they fired, the creature seemingly shrugged them off before slashing across the soldiers in front of it, slicing through their heavy armor and leaving even more disemboweled corpses in its wake. The creature, having grown tired of their attacks, lifted its clawed abdomen up and shot a golden string of what looked like silk into a nearby pile of debris. It then pulled the debris towards it, swinging it around before chucking it at the gunners.

"LOOK OUT-" The warning came too late as a few of the gunners were promptly squashed under the large piece of debris, leaving a bloody mess behind. With their fellow comrades dead, the surviving gunners yelped and fell to the ground, dropping their weapons and cowering in terror.

In just a matter of seconds, the entire vanguard fell as one by one the soldiers succumbed to the creature's lethal scythe-like claws, cleaving through their armor, like a knife on butter. The ones left dropped their weapons, turned tail, and fled for their lives.

The creature, now satisfied that there would be no more opposition, leaped back through the hole it came from and climbed up the towering draconic mechanism parked just in front of the fortress. It inserted itself within the machine, covering its body in a golden cocoon as the machine revitalized itself. With a mighty roar, the machine crashed into the fortress, decimating the structure in just one hit.

In the midst of the chaos and in a small room, a lone soldier hurriedly strapped a written note to the leg of a small eagle. "Take it to the Guild! Best of luck little friend!" The bird seemingly acknowledged the man's order and flew off into the sky as the once mighty fortress crumbled and fell into ruin.

…

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