Chapter 4: Beginning of the Dawnbreakers
In a dark room that seems to be lined with chemicals of various colors, each one having a tube that goes into what look to be six metal coffins but shaped like tanks, the same robed figure from before is looking at them.
Soon, the figure in white, his face unseen, hidden by shadow, comes in behind the robed figure, and asks, "So, my student, tell me how the process is going."
"Just as planned, my master." says the robed figure. "All signs seem to be nominal, and the power output from the bodies should provide a 42% increase to overall performance based on human strength alone."
"So far, no hitches from that bit of news." says the mysterious figure. "Of course, human strength will be the least of ways to accomplish our goals."
Soon, the figure brings out a hand, and in it is a small blackish-purple stone emanating a dark miasma.
The robed figure sees the stone and says, "Ah, it seems the replication process went well."
"It's already been going well." says the mysterious figure. "With everything falling into place after getting the original, mass production is starting, and soon, we just need to get the other subjects ready for the operation. First, these six I think are truly ready to go, if I gather your recent results have only gotten better."
"Indeed, master." says the robed figure. "I think now is the perfect time to begin the fusion."
"Very well." says the mysterious figure. "Then let us proceed as plan. Prep our subjects, Farnothion."
The robed figure bows, and goes over to the tank-like coffins, and soon puts his hand over a runic circle glowing with those same colors as the chemicals, and eventually, the devices that are distributing said chemicals begin to slow down, grinding to a slow halt.
As Farnothion does this, the mysterious figure observes from the shadows before looking down at the stone in his hand and says, "For too long, this world has been stagnant and unchanging. Once, this world flourished with discoveries and advancements that we could have built a better future for all of life. But those too conservative to the point they fear progression have tried time and time again, standing in the way of such a grave requirement. And all because of what happened 500 years ago. But soon... I will bring down such establishments that choose to keep the people in the dark. This nation of sheep that are held in place by the wolves while run by the pigs is going to have a serious awakening. But this is but one process to bringing that to fruition. The next? Retrieving the Daywalker."
- Friendly Faces -
As the day goes on, Ester and Ophis continue on their way into Renais, walking side by side with Ophis's robotic movements being a bit odd to Ester.
"So, Ophis... You say you're beyond mortal comprehension." says Ester. "What does that mean? Are you like some type of god?"
Ophis thinks for a bit and says, "I suppose one could identify me as such. And yet, it does identify me at all. I am merely being that has been around since this world was young. Of course, some have likened me to a serpent as far back as I can remember."
"As far back as you can remember..." says Ester. "Ophis, do you know anything about what happened in the past? As far as I know, I was sealed away, but I don't know for how long that was. And beyond that, I can't remember anything of my past. Do you know what happened?"
"I know much happened, but from my perspective, it was beyond my understanding, and also beyond my caring." says Ophis. "The only thing I cared about were the ones chipping away bits of my actual body to use them for power. That actually made me feel the emotion of anger, and so I broke out of the surface and went to reclaim what was rightfully mine, not wanting others to misuse that power."
"I see." says Ester. "Still doesn't tell me about what happened to me. In fact, I still know very little. I have to wonder why I was sealed away like I was, and what I did in the past before I was."
"Unfortunately, I could not answer that question for you." says Ophis. "Though I must admit... Your power I can sense feels familiar to one I was drawn to a long time ago."
Ester looks at Ophis with wide eyes and asks, "Ruh-really?"
"But that's been so long ago, and frankly, your power doesn't feel all that strong as the one I felt that time when the world was still young." says Ophis.
"No, I guess it wouldn't." says Ester. "Sergus and Aiya told me I need to drink more blood or eat more souls to get more of my powers back."
"Are those things that 'vampires' do?" asks Ophis.
"Yes, that would be so." says Ester. "But I don't know how or why I became a vampire... Let alone this... 'Daywalker'."
"I assume that means you are a vampire that can walk while it is day like it is now." says Ophis.
"That would be the case." says Ester. "And it seems some have a grudge with me, but I do not know why. I really wish I had some type of memory to give me the answer."
Though Ophis's face appears emotionless, it does seem to express some form of sympathy for the vampiress.
Watching the two from the shadows are some eyes of those that do not seem friendly. Suddenly, as the two pass by a tree, an arrow hits it, and as Ester takes notice, her instincts trigger and she says, "We're being attacked!"
"Who would dare?" asks Ophis.
A bellowing laughter comes out of nowhere, and a voice says, "Well now! Unless my eyes deceive me, you must be the ones we heard from our bandit network!"
Soon, the two see themselves surrounded by bandits from all angles.
"Not again." says Ester.
"So, the ones who attacked our fellas show up in our neck of the woods!" says the one who would appear to be the leader. "You don't exactly look like much, but from what we heard, you're supposed to be really strong! In fact, they say your strength borderlines on inhuman. And well... We don't take too kindly to those that are supposed to be considered the same as the Terrors that attacked two years ago."
"So, you're related to those that attacked that village I last visited." says Ophis. "Very well. You shall be erased like they were."
"Ah! But we prepared very well for that!" says the leader. "Boys!"
Soon, the bandits bring out some helpless villages, threatening to kill them.
"Now, if you two are supposed to be so powerful, why don't you try to use those powers and see if you can save these poor saps before we gut'em good!" says the leader.
"Do you think hostages will stop me from killing you?" asks Ophis.
"Ha! So you don't care if they die!? Good!" says the leader.
"No! Please don't!" says Ester. "Ophis, whatever power you have, we can't risk innocent blood being on our hands. Think of how others would see us."
Ophis thinks back to what happened at Ide, and the sensations he felt when he saw the people of the village under attack. He then looks back at the leader and asks, "What do you want?"
"Ha! Not so tough after all!" says the leader. "But I guess that means you're also smart! Very well! You both are going to come with us, and we're going to see what money we can get off of two beings like you! And we're keeping these weaklings with us to make sure you two don't try anything funny!"
Meanwhile, watching from two different angles are some eyes, with one being from an elderly-looking man with white hair and beard while wearing tattered clothing. Despite the man's age, he looks extremely buff and built, and quite healthy, especially since he's carrying an axe. The other side are three young people with rust-colored hair, which include two guys and a girl, with the tallest man wearing a hunter's ensemble and wielding a bow, the girl wearing orange armor and wielding a lance, and the shortest boy wearing a fighter's garb while wielding a sword.
From the side of the three kids, the guy with the bow readies a shot, and the girl asks, "Think you can make the shot, Vash?"
"Yeah, I got my eye on the prize." says the guy eyeing a bandit with one of the villagers held at ransom. "Time to strike now."
Vash takes his shot, and the arrows hit the bandit right in the neck, causing him to asphyxiate before dying.
"Wha-We're under attack?" asks the leader.
Another arrow hits another bandit holding a villager. And another. And another. Taking this opportunity, the old man rushes in, and starts to hack away some bandits.
"Who in the world is that?" asks the girl. "He wasn't part of the plan."
"Never mind that! You and Trip need to get in there!" says Vash.
"Right!" says the girl. "Come'on, Trip!"
"Right behind you, Sam!" says the young boy.
Meanwhile, Vash back them both up with several arrows.
"Seems some help arrived, but I don't know how or why it did." says Ester. "Ophis, let's help. But be careful with the ones helping us."
"I will do my best." says Ophis.
Ester dashes in with her vampire speed, and starts to kick away bandits left and right. Ophis soon makes the tendrils burst out of his back, and he goes to skewer bandits, tosses their bodies away.
Not paying attention to the non-human fighters, both Sam and Trip do their own fighting with Sam bringing her spear against the sword-wielders while Trip takes his sword against the axemen.
As for the mysterious old man, he strikes down a few bandits with his axe until he sees a civilian girl and says, "Hey! Are you alright?"
"Huh? Is that you, Bruce?" asks the girl.
"Yes, it's me." says the old man answering to the name. "Take cover and I'll bring you back to your dad in no time, okay, Lindsey?"
"Thank you, Bruce." says the girl.
"The rest of you! Get together with her! I'll take care of these knaves!" says Bruce.
The civilians don't respond and just do as told while the brigand goes to take down the bandits.
Ophis fires lasers that soon begin to roast the bandits they hit, reducing them to charred skeletons. Ester sees this, and begins to grimace, seeing the kind of power Ophis is capable of, but proceeds forward.
The leaders tries to attack Ester from behind. Just as Vash is going to hit the bandit with an arrow, Ester grabs the leader, and looks at him hungrily as her irises turn red and her pupils dilate, and she bears her fangs, soon going in to sink her teeth into the leader's neck, drinking his blood.
Vash takes notice of this, as well as Ophis killing the bandits in horrible ways, as do the others, and the bandits themselves look at both Ester and Ophis with fearful expressions-as do the civilians-and a bandit says, "What kind of monsters are they!?"
"I am not a monster, I am Ophis." says Ophis shooting another bandit with a laser, reducing him to a smoldering skeleton.
Ester stops drinking the leader's blood, and let's her face come out from it before she throws the leader's lifeless body away, the other bandits look extremely terrified from the excess blood on Ester's chin.
"I feel more power flowing into me." says Ester. "I think I can feel I can change my form."
"Yes, let that power flow into you." says Sergus's voice. "You can use it to stop these villains, and save the villagers."
"Right." says Ester.
Ester begins to glow bright, and her shape begins to shift until her body starts to take on a more wolfen appearance, and as the light dies down, she's now in a werewolf girl form, still looking human in areas, such as her face, but has wolf-like limbs, a tail, and wolf ears, and her fangs look wolf-like, too, and her hair and fur are brown, her clothes have vanished with the fur covering her areas, and she looks at the bandits savagely.
"What the hell?" asks Vash.
"Uh, sis, what is she?" asks Trip.
"I don't know, but I think she's going after the bandits." says Sam. "At least, I hope that's all she's going after."
Ester gives out a loud howl, and rushes in, carving up the bandits good with her claws, and her agility making her impossible to hit.
A bandit archers tries to hit her, but she dodges out of he way, and starts to breathe in what looks to be energy, soon exhaling, and letting out pack of six white, ethereal wolves that begin to assault the bandits left and right, as well as teleporting out of harm's way when one tries to attack them.
Ophis uses this opportunity to put his tendrils together, and form a massive green orb of energy that he then fires at the bandits, erupting into a column of green light that reducing them to nothing but ashes after their skeletons become exposed.
Ester looks at this with a bit of fear, then back at Ophis and says, "Ophis, try to refrain from using too much power."
"Why?" asks Ophis. "It killed those fools, did it not? I don't see the problem."
"Ugh, I think you and I will need to talk a bit about this later." says Ester. "For now, I need to see if I can change back."
As Ester closes her eyes and focuses, she begins to glow again, and after a while, she's changed back to her vampire self with her clothes returning.
The others look at Ester shocked and still scared.
Vash joins Sam and Trip, and Ester sighs as she says, "I hope the others are okay. I don't know why bandits have to do such things, but I won't let them hurt civilians, no matter what."
"So, you are a good person." says Sam. "Well, that's a relief."
"Yeah, though she IS a terror." says Vash. "Both her and that guy are."
Bruce looks cautious and untrusting, but seems to have a look that says he'll give Ester and Ophis the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, thank you all for helping Ophis and me." says Ester. "I really appreciate it."
"To be honest, we've been tracking down that bandit group for a while." says Sam. "But we weren't sure if the three of us alone could take them on by ourselves. Luckily, you two and that old man came to help us."
"So, who are you all? My name is Ester, and as you can probably tell, I'm a vampire." says Ester.
"A vampire that can walk in the daylight." says Bruce. "Completely unheard of."
"Well, I am supposedly called the Daywalker." says Ester.
"And I am Ophis." says Ophis. "I am a being who has been around since this planet was young. Humans cannot define me, so don't bother asking me to do so for you."
"Very well." says Sam. "My name is Sam, and these are my two brothers: my older brother, Vash, and my younger brother, Trip."
"Yeah, and we're small mercenary group that have more or less just started out." says Vash.
"Yeah, because SOMEONE got us bad into debt that we have to find some way to pay the money back." says Sam through her teeth at Vash.
"Hey, I didn't know it was going to be that costly what I used that money towards!" says Vash.
"What about you, sir?" Trip asks the old man, to which he says, "My name is Bruce, and I come from Taris village. I serve as its protector, and I came here to save civilians from these bandits. But it seems we've been shown up quite badly, the lot of us, when it comes to these two."
"Sorry." says Ester.
"I'll assume you both are good people, but your power is clearly dangerous and inhuman." says Bruce. "And I've fought plenty of terrors in my time to know what power like that can do when posing a threat to others. For now, I need to return to Taris to bring the others home."
"Hey, since we worked pretty well together to bring down those bandits, why don't we all team up? We could split the profit!" says Vash. "You know, as long as me and my siblings get the bigger cut. Remember, debt and all."
"Normally, I'd refuse, but since these two are about, I need to keep an eye on them since I don't want them to pose a danger to my village." says Bruce.
"There is not much you could do to hurt me, and clearly, the same can be said were your actions to threaten Ester." says Ophis.
"We'll see about that." says Bruce. "I may be a brigand, but I've fought plenty of times to gain enough experience when it comes to such dangers."
"Your experience is nothing to me." says Ophis. "To me, you are still a child."
"Watch yourself." says Bruce. "Overconfidence makes your careless."
"I am merely stating a fact." says Ophis.
"Hrmph." goes Bruce. "Now if you'll excuse, I need to return these people home."
"Go ahead." says Ester. "In the meantime, I need to talk to you, Ophis. Please, don't use so much power like that when fighting. You could innocent people that way, as well as frighten others."
"But I did not do such things." says Ester. "I only attacked those that wished to harm."
"I know that, but even so, you can never be too careful." says Ester. "You don't seem to understand human conscience, so I'll do my best to help you understand."
"That all seems pointless to me. But for some reason with you, I feel I should listen." says Ophis. "Very well. I guess you intend to be my, what humans refer to as a 'moral compass', right?"
"You can look at it like that, but mainly, I just want to help without making us too feared." says Ester.
"A bit late for that." Vash says out of the side of his mouth to Sam, getting her to stomp on his foot. Sam then says, "Well, I can say one thing: this is going to be an interesting time of things. No doubt about that."
To Be Continued in Chapter 5