A.N.)- Screw Authors Notes.


Grimm… Grimm didn't have green eyes…

I stared at the creature.

It was big, bigger than any Beowulf. Even curled up and on all fours as it was, it was probably over fifteen feet high. This was the kind of thing even an experienced Hunter would avoid engaging recklessly. The boney plates covered much of its surprisingly humanoid form like the armor of a knight, the only areas not covered being the small gaps between the interlocking plates at the joints, black, downy feathers covering those small gaps.

It had surprisingly few spikes along its body… likely because it was an airborne creature. What would have been pinkies on a human were swept back and elongated nearly to the point of ridiculousness, mimicking the wings of a bat, its legs were reversed like a beast's, with enormous bone white talons for feet.

The thing had pupils, and they refocused on me rapidly before its head jerked back as if in surprise.

Was… that a good thing or a bad one? Its head seemed more like some terrible cross between a helmet and a skull, with a single 'visor' in the bone from within which two glowing green eyes had focused on me, but with a mouth set beneath it built entirely of interlocking fangs, two large horns sweeping back from its head.

With a distinctly inhuman gait, it crawled towards me but almost… hesitantly…?

I couldn't move, even though I would really have liked to be up and holding my weapon out while this thing approached… I couldn't. Gods, I couldn't even lift an arm, I could barely turn to watch what could be my approaching death.

But, as the enormous claw, the palm alone almost half my height, reached out towards me cautiously, I didn't really think that. Though to my chagrin, I shrank away. I mean, I didn't have any aura to speak of and I had no idea where my weapon was, on top of barely being able to move.

The motion made the claw almost jerk away, and the Grimm froze, eyes wide.

Then it held up a finger as if to say, 'Oh! Idea! One second!'

I blinked in confusion as it half turned and an enormous, sinewy tail that was likely as long as the thing was tall lashed out towards the fire to–

… wrap around and pick up some legs of meat that had been cooking over the fire…?

I had to stare as the creature shuffled a bit closer, its tail bringing the two legs of cooked meet over around its body and it transferred them to its large claws before presenting it to me… like… almost like a guy would hold out an engagement ring.

Except for the whole part where this thing's head was as tall as I was.

The thing made a little sound and held its massive claws… hands really… out further towards me.

The smell of cooked meat and… mint…? Mint I think hit my nose and ugh, my mouth watered, my stomach audibly growling at the reminder that I probably hadn't eaten in who knows how long…

Unbidden, a smile appeared on my face and I made an attempt to raise my hand, but the best I could get was a pained little grunt of exertion and a dent in my cloak before I had to collapse back into the bed of furs and give it a sad little shake of my head.

Concern actually crossed its eyes, and I was getting more and more certain this thing wasn't a Grimm, at least not in the ways that mattered. There was no malice in that gaze, none of the hatred Grimm had… though the eyes were still inhuman in shape, they were not so in character.

… great, now I'm getting all metaphysical and crap.

The thing scowled down at the legs of meat, as much as something where only the eyes could move on its face could scowl at least. It actually looked kind of funny…

To my surprise, it wrapped its tail back around the base of the legs of meat and… started to carefully use its claws to tear at the meat, almost snipping bits off to drop them into the other palm.

My brain automatically catalogued weak points, its tail was covered in the same layer of downy Nevermore feathers that the few gaps in its main body were, but there were fewer plates spaced out along the long tail, likely to allow for greater mobility, and it was tipped with a golden stinger reminiscent of a Deathstalkers. The gaps in its armor on its main body were small, and would open and close as it moved, almost like a Deathstalker, but its tail and wings proper were prime targets, as well as those eyes if one could get a good shot at them. But… it was terrifying. An airborne Grimm with a vaguely humanoid form, its fingers were nearly the size of my leg and the attached talons the size of my bicep, and even hunched over I was certain it stood nearly fifty feet tall. Not the biggest Grimm I'd ever seen, or killed! Hell, I'd come here expecting to fight a full grown Goliath on my own… but Grimm of this size were not something you wanted to fight alone.

And it was using razor sharp bone-claws almost three feet long… to pick up a hunk of venison and hold it out towards me.

Seriously?

Despite being tired, I grinned at the strange thing, definitely not a Grimm, not a normal one at very least.

I hesitated for just a moment, the claws tapered to surprisingly small points at the ends, upon which was speared a small hunk of cooked meat… but it was still an utterly huge bone claw that was waaayyyy too close to my face. I'd trained for years to not have a claw like that this close to my face.

But no time like the present!

With a small smile, I opened my mouth, "Ah."

Surprisingly delicately, the creature brought its dangerous implement closer and held the meat just inside my mouth before I closed my teeth around it and the creature pulled back.

… and I am so glad that none of my team had heard those thoughts because I'd have never lived it down.

… also, the meat was surprisingly good. Could definitely use some salt, but it had more flavor than it really should have… did this thing actually season it? Holy crap.

Swallowing was actually difficult, but ugh, just doing that made me feel so much better.

With the piece of venison down, I opened my mouth again and the creature…? Thing? Person…? I really need to come up with a name for it and not just think of it as the Not!Grimm in my head… but it speared another small hunk of venison before feeding it to me like a child.

Bit by bit, the huge creature fed me an entire leg of a good sized deer before my stomach started to protest and I had to shake my head with my mouth closed like my little Ruby would when we tried to feed her vegetables. The thought made me smile, and thankfully the Grimm simply nodded, pulling back before turning around and heading towards the fire.

Heh… my cloak wasn't the warmest thing, but between it and the furs I was pretty comfortable, if utterly exhausted and a bit achey…

I hadn't even realized my eyes had started to drift closed until a deep rumble startled me and made them snap back open. I stared up at the thing, which had come back over me with a… was that a hubcap…?

… that was the hubcap of some vehicle, which had water in it, that was being offered to me.

My eyes met the thing's own green ones in slight surprise before I nodded, and again, with startling care for a creature of its size, the knight-like Grimm pressed the well cleaned hubcap to my lips and slowly tilted it, letting me drink the thankfully clean if lukewarm water.

It was only then that knight-Grimm pulled away, hesitating before it turned.

"Thank you."

My voice was raspy, sounding more like Yang had thrown a bucket of gravel into the washer… again, and it hurt to even try… but I couldn't just let this go unthanked.

The creature's eyes softened, a soft lavender glow about them as it reached out and delicately rested its claws across my legs for just a moment before turning and heading back towards the fire with its strange gait, its long tail moving about behind it languidly.

A smile crossed my face as I let my eyes drift closed once more. At least I didn't have to worry about being attacked with this thing here…

-oOo-

[1] "I'm the boss… I'm the boss… I'm very very sorry for your loss…"

So the thing had tasted like misery and hatred and pain with a hint of gamey meat and salt.

… not even joking. Those were the only words I could use to describe the corpse of the thing that had fucking dissolved while I was eating it.

Proooobably shouldn't have. Kept eating it that is. But it filled me up! Like… really well. It was actually somewhat disconcerting how much better I felt after nomming the hell out of that thing. Like, five hour energy hype sort of better.

Still, dissolving meat creature of black and white and hatred was probably not something you should eat. And I had this niggling feeling of familiarity about it honestly, beyond the obvious hollow reference. But I couldn't place it.

"I'm the boss–! HNG!" the spear flew through the air, nearly running the buck through, "And just in case I didn't get my point across…"

There's also the little bit where I was definitely stronger.

Not insanely so, but it was an unmistakable difference in the positive direction. I needed to find somewhere or some way to get vegetables I felt safe in eating… I was getting better at this whole 'hunting' thing and my directional sense in these woods was improving. But this wasn't currently sustainable.

The deer staggered away several steps before collapsing as I slowly walked towards it. I wasn't going to approach until it was definitely dead though. Didn't want to get kicked… again. That shit hurt.

-o-

Another of those damn black things…

I scowled at it from the other side of a tree. Felt like Elmer Fudd honestly, watching this thing.

Okay, so what did I have on me? And what did I want to do here?

Lead it around? Fight it here?

… fight it somewhere favorable to me. Atop the steps of the temple. Definitely. No more of this leaping on top of it shit.

Yeah, that was a plan. Could I outrun it? Or should… hrm… how to lead it. Running was bad… but it'd probably sniff me out…

… rock?

Rock.

Turning, I crept away from it as quickly as I dared, heading back towards the temple.

I'd lead it with noises, keeping a walking pace as long as I could before it spotted me, throw a spear, haul ass to the temple, pull one of the other spears I'd strapped to my back and then use that to fight the thing until it bled out.

… and then probably eat that one too, because honestly the greater strength was an enormous boon.

Slipping behind another tree and picking up a stick to go with the rock, I glanced back just to be sure the werewolf hollow was where I remembered, then, with a nod, threw the rock as hard as I could into a nearby tree with a resounding thunk. Pulling my knife out, I held it close to the edge of the trunk and used it as a mirror to look around it without exposing myself, y'know, just in case.

And there he/she/it goes! Slowly, but still.

Right, let's keep moving.

-o-

So… that had gone well.

"Be ready for the om nom nom you piece of shit..." [2] I groaned out, trying to roll up onto my hands and knees.

Not how I'd hoped, but well.

Grunting, I rolled onto my side, I clutched my stomach.

Ow.

Ugh, gotta push myself up and get that thing dragged up the steps before it dissolves…

It'd only come so close to the temple, it wouldn't approach any closer by being led unless it was outright chasing me, and even then it'd stopped before coming into the small area around the steps. If I'd had a ranged weapon I would have abused the ever loving fuck out of that like any Dark Souls player… but I didn't. I only had so many spears, and my first one had missed horribly.

So I'd thrown another! From the steps this time. It'd dodged that one.

So then I went down to stab it straight on, and found to my unpleasant surprise it was tougher than I'd thought. Also? Boxing style fighting works like ass when you're using a spear. Got clipped by its arm in a dodge as I tried to put a few more holes into the thing, I was lucky I'd been able to scramble back up onto the steps… and then a bit further before collapsing because holy fuck had it pursued me.

With a grunt, I pushed myself to my feet and did my best not to just fall down the steps as I half crawled down them, breathing hurt right now. That was not a pleasant experience.

I'd heaved my last spear at the creature, which had been slowing due to the numerous wounds in it… but I think I'd pulled something in my haste to heave the weapon. Because holy fuck my sides.

Since that one had hit, I'd decided fuck it, and curled up on the steps because ooooowwwwwwwwww.

The thing had finally started to smoke, so it was definitely dead. Which meant now I had to get to work on it.

"C'mere motherfucker. Ima eat yo ass."

-o-

Okay, so... so long as eating this thing's face didn't actually distort my emotional state in some fashion or otherwise make me less, y'know, me? It was awesome. I felt reinvigorated after eating it, not necessarily healed, but definitely better.

I lay on the back seat of my car, trying to get some sleep.

I'd need to keep an eye on myself to ensure it wasn't, because something that you had to term as tasting like 'hatred' probably wasn't good for your emotional stability, but if it increased my strength even more it'd make surviving even easier, as well as taking down the next one. Because uuugggghhhh... my everything.

... okay, not my everything, just my torso, but still. Ugh.

My eyes closed as I stared at the back of the front seats... still needed to find some... some veggies...

-oOo-

My eyes slowly opened to dawn, light was peeking through the entrance to the cavern…

The light hurt my eyes just a little bit and I cringed, letting out an unhappy little grunt before yawning so hard my jaw popped.

"Oh… ow…" There was a soft noise from in front of me, and my eyes snapped back open, instincts screaming that there was something dangerous–!

… something 'dangerous' being that enormous knight-like Grimm, curled up on the bed of branches and furs like an enormous kitten, tail wrapped around it as it lay in a tight little ball… with its tail in its mouth. I had to snicker at the sight, somehow it managed to seem less a menacing monstrosity and far more like an oversized puppy drooling around its tail in its mouth.

The sound though caused glowing green eyes to snap open, blinking a few times as the slitted pupils in them focused on me. It seemed to take a moment before recognition appeared in those eyes before it let the tail out of its mouth and started to unfurl from its place atop the furs beside the fire.

"Hey." I greeted the thing, more for the sake of speaking than anything else, and it rumbled a response.

I watched as the knight broke off some of the branches from its bed and added them carefully to the fire and stoked it before it pulled out a… waterskin? Yes, definitely an oversized waterskin from somewhere behind its bed and poured out some water into the hubcap before approaching me.

Once more it helped me drink before warming up some hunks of meat leftover from last night that had been hidden between two other hubcaps and helping me eat those. My little grumble of, "Great… leftovers." Actually seemed to amuse the giant, if that deep sound of an avalanche was supposed to be a chuckle.

Thankfully for the knight, I wasn't as bad as Ruby could be about eating, the thought bringing a small smile to my face before my heart ached. I… I didn't know if I'd be able to see my family again… no. No. I had to have hope. This thing was taking care of me, nursing me back to health, even if it didn't take me back to civilization I was a fully trained Hunter, I could get there on my own.

I was getting better, my arms were actually moving now! But… it was exhausting. My Aura… it was barely recovering at all. But it was! It might take a while, but I would be able to get home even if it meant crawling back!

The giant returned after setting the hubcaps back down beside the fire, and I looked up at it with a small if confused smile, "So… now what…?"

It hummed almost thoughtfully before its mouth opened and it… kinda gave me a scare, "Sorry…"

I blinked stupidly at it, Grimm… didn't talk. But… my face turned into a more puzzled expression, I'd already determined that this was not a normal Grimm… and why was it picking me up?

With extreme care, the enormous hands lifted me off of the furs, cradling my head like a childs before it shifted me about. My cloak was still draped over me as the knight opened up its wing, the stretch of black down acting almost like a pouch as I was settled atop it… and I had to admit it was a sight more comfortable than getting set onto the armored plate that was its forearm. But it carried me like I'd carried Ruby not so long ago, in the crook of its arm as it cradled me to its armored chest, crawling out of the cavern.

The light was brilliantly bright in the early dawn, and I had to cringe slightly at the sudden exposure to it even as the creature deliberately walked on its three limbs through the sizeable forest around us in this mountainous region.

"So… you can talk…?"

Rumbling slightly, green eyes glanced down at her before back to its surroundings, "A little… not 'ery good… no lits."

I blinked, looking up the bone white expanse of its chest armor at its face… which… yeah, had no lips. Huh, that would make talking difficult. Its voice was a loud rumble, even though it was obviously a whisper for something of its size, it sounded like the deepest baritone I'd ever heard mixed with smoking several packs a day. And it seemed almost… bashful? After a moment of contemplation, I rasped out, "My name's Summer Rose."

"Andoriol…"

"Nice to meet you Andoriol," I said with a smile up at it, "Where are we going by the way?"

"'Ahsh… ath…" I stared up at it in confusion, not understanding. Its eyes obviously scrunched up in frustration as it paused before trying again, "Cleaning."

I blinked as it finally clicked, and in spite of myself I turned an even brighter shade of red than my hair, "Um… a bath?"

It nodded, and my face scrunched up in what I knew Taiyang called 'cute', "I don't smell that bad…"

"Yes. You do."

Yeah, I did. Now that my attention had been drawn to it, I couldn't ignore it. I smelled… bad. Like dried sweat and musk and a hint of general nastiness. Either thankfully or not, I could see a river approaching, small and babbling, more of a brook really as it wound its way through the forest.

"This is just…" I searched for the words as the knight took a seat beside the river, picking me up out of my otherwise comfortable spot against its wing, "Well… really awkward."

"Oond needs care. Could In'ect. Could get disease. So… clean."

"… wound…?" My voice was a tiny little squeak, and the sound made the not-Grimm pause, green eyes wide as it stared down at me.

Sadness overtook those glowing eyes in that dark 'visor' as it gently pulled away my cloak with one claw, holding me in the other, "Thought you knew… Legs… couldn't sa'e… did 'hat I could. Sorry…"

My cloak was gone, and without it there, the fact was undeniable, my breathing starting to come quicker and harsher.

There was nothing below my knees.


[1] watch?v=H841uTdr5S0

[2] watch?v=SMWi7CLoZ2Q