Damsel in Distress?
"Saving Maeve"
Fernando looked around to see the dark village streets of the odd town he was in.
This town was especially different because it had no residents.
It was a ghost town.
"What is going on here?" the knight murmured as he saw the run down buildings and stands as if everything had been left as it was while the people fled.
Fernando stepped down from his horse and walked towards what appeared to be an inn, "Oh no..." he looked through the broken window.
The inside of the building was a complete disaster, all the wooden furniture was destroyed and the walls were filled with dents and scratches.
It appeared as if something terrible had struck.
Suddenly, there was a noise.
Fernando turned in alert.
"Ha!" he yelled and pointed his lance at a figure.
"Meow." a white cat appeared from behind a booth, then kicked a can.
The knight breathed in.
"You scared me, amigo." he chuckled and knelt in front of the creature, "What are you doing here, little cat?" he asked and picked it up.
"Meow." the cat responded.
"Do you know what happened to everyone?" Fernando asked the cat, "What terrible plight has come to this village?"
"Meow."
"Oh right, I am talking to a gato." Fernando shook his head and set the cat down, only to pause when he saw the most shocking sight.
"Meow!" "Meow." "Meow." "Meow!" a whole mass of cats suddenly appeared and congregated in front of the knight.
"Dios mio." Fernando gulped and stepped back as the cat army walked towards him, "I do not like this... I think I know what happened to the village." he murmured.
"Do you really?" a voice responded.
"Yes, they were eaten by ca-" the knight stopped, then slowly turned when he heard the voice.
It was a small woman, pink hair, bright blue eyes, and a scraggy blue trenchcoat that nearly covered her entire body.
"What happened? Cat got your tongue?" she smirked and pulled out two purple blades and stabbed his chest.
"Hngh!" Fernando winced but shrugged it off when the armor stopped them, "Well... that was better than I expected." he murmured and looked down on the woman, "Who are you and what have you done to this village!?" he pointed at her.
The woman scoffed, "Me...nothing. BUT TO YOU!?" she lunged and tried again to strike him.
Fernando absorbed the blows with his armor and then grabbed the woman, "Who are you!?" he yelled and choked her, "What have you done to the peoples of the village!"
"Ah..." the woman groaned, "I... I... did not... do this..." she tried to fight him, "It was... Drogmor..."
Fernando paused and set her down.
"Drogmor?"
"Ha... Ha..." the woman panted and breathed for air, "Yes..."
"The ravenous swamp monster, Drogmor." Fernando murmured and looked at the woman, "How do you know this?"
The woman stood up, "First he came for the farm animals in the country" she responded, "Then he came for the farmers' children, then for the farmers themselves... But no one cared about the common man." she sighed and then looked up at him, "But then he came into the village, then to the lord's hall and kept devouring the guards who stood there." she informed, "When it devoured the lord's son, they sent me to kill it... but I couldn't find it." she sighed, "When I returned, everyone was gone."
"But the cats?"
"I guess they do not fear the monster Drogmor." the woman smirked, "Plus... they seem to be attracted to me." she showed her eyes to the knight.
Fernando murmured uneasily, "You sure do look like one." he commented, "My lady." his anger finally subsided and he started to appreciate her appearance.
"I am Maeve." the woman responded, "People of your class may think of me like a petty thief, but I am a refined fighter..." she spun her blades in her hands, "I may wander, but I also like to lay down for a few days trying to find a living."
"Well, my little petite Maeve." Fernando cleared his throat, "I am Sir Fernando. Knight of Sun Spire and protector of the Realm!" he pointed up, "I help villages in dire trouble and damsels in distress!"
Maeve nodded, "Perhaps you can help me find Drogmor before he moves on and feasts on more unfortunate souls."
Fernando nodded and took off his helmet, garnering the woman's attention, "That swamp monster will not be a problem." he pulled out a rose, "But as a consolidation for your loss." he grinned and brushed back his hair.
"My." Maeve smirked and grabbed the rose, "Looks tasty." she licked her lips and ate the flower.
"Uh..."
"Sorry, must be the cat in me." the woman laughed and threw the stem away, "You look tired." she saw the man's face, "You should rest before fighting Drogmor." she said and walked towards a large building.
Fernando shrugged his shoulders and followed her.
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The knight stepped inside a lavish hall and looked at Maeve, who was walking to a small area where she had set up a makeshift bedroom.
"They left in such a hurry I can enjoy a lot of their things." the thief smiled and held up a golden necklace, "This is where it all happened." she pointed around.
Fernando nodded and sat on the bed, "What exactly happened?"
"Drogmor stormed in here and ate the guards." Maeve responded and ate a small sardine that was on a desk she had placed nearby, "In the dead of night when the monster usually roams."
The knight sighed and then laid down, "Well, we will see if he stops by tonight, no?" he asked and turned off the nearby lamp.
"Oh, I may have left you in darkness."
"It is not a problem." the woman responded, and her blue eyes could be seen in the dark scanning their surroundings.
Fernando looked at the feline pupils and nearly shuddered in discomfort, but decided to ignore it and then shut his own eyes.
Suddenly, there was a warm feeling close to him.
The knight used the sliver of moonlight pouring in to see Maeve curled up next to him.
"Uh..."
"Murrr..." Maeve murmured as snuggled closer, "Goodnight..." she smiled and tried to position herself according to his armor.
Fernando softly chuckled.
The night passed and the clock struck midnight, outside a shadowy figure was lurking through the streets and scanning its surroundings like a hunter.
"Grrr..." the figure growled, revealing it to be a shaggy ape-like creature that was 3 meters tall and had large blood red canines. Its body was toned and refined, a huge muscular chest and two powerful arms that could seize any creature this side of the Realm without a challenge.
The creature entered the hall swiftly.
"Meow!" a cat screeched as it was stepped on by the monster, and was swiftly devoured by the creature.
"Hrrrr..." the monster lumbered forward and seized another cat and ate it, then turned its sights to much large prey, "Herrr..." it chortled as it opened its large yellow eyes and saw its two victims.
The beast swiftly lunged and seized the first figure, but was annoyed when it was just a trenchcoat with hay stuffed into it.
"GRA!" it growled, then saw a soldier on the bed.
Thinking it was going to be another hall guard and thus an easy meal, the monster seized the man on the bed, only to be horrified when the man grabbed back.
"Hola, amigo." Fernando rose up and held the monster's wrist, "I see you have decided to join us!" he chuckled and then then grabbed the monster's other arm and started to wrestle it.
The beast screeched and hollered as Fernando nearly overpowered it, only to stop the knight by slamming him into a large table.
The knight yelled in pain as he splintered the furniture.
"Drogmor!" he groaned as he lost his grip.
Drogmor roared and used his clawed hands to strike the man's chest, denting his armor.
"RAHHH!" it screeched and then drove its hand into one of the armor openings.
"AHHHHH!" Fernando yelled in pain as blood gushed from his shoulder, "You foul wretch! Enemigo de Dios y Hombre!" he grabbed the monster's hand again and crushed it.
Drogmore roared and clawed the man's thigh, causing a great pain to its victim, "HRAPH!" it bit down on the knight's shoulder, easily piercing the armor that was there.
"NAAAA!" Fernando cried out in pain as the beast gnawed him, "YOU MONSTER!" he punched the beast in the face.
Drogmor retracted and shook its head, then saw the knight stand up.
"Harhar har." it chortled and pounced on the weakened man.
Fernando held back the monster with furious might, then twisted its left arm in an unnatural manner.
Drogmor screeched and retaliated with a powerful punch that rattled the man's skull inside his helmet.
"ERAH!" the monster roared and threw Fernando out the window.
"HA ha!" a voice behind the monster laughed and Maeve appeared from the shadows, "Take this!" she said and drove her daggers into its back.
No effect.
"What?!" the woman gasped in horror as she bounced away, then threw the blades only to see them effortlessly bounce off its hide.
Drogmor turned and glared at the woman.
"Maeve!" Fernando looked through the window, "Drogmor is impervious to weapons! Dark magic protects him from them!" he informed and then saw the monster lift up a table and throw it at him.
"DWAH!"
Maeve gasped, then saw the monster turn towards her.
"Herherher..." Drogmor chortled and licked his lips, then tried to seize the woman in order to devour her.
"Not today!" Maeve expertly avoided the beast and tried in vain to stab him, "HYAH!" she lunged and had her knives deflected once more.
"HRAH!" Drogmor swiftly turned and seized the woman by the leg, "Erharhar!" he brought her close to its mouth.
"No!" Maeve screamed and closed her eyes, waiting for her end.
"MEOW!" a cat lept forward and lodged itself in Drogmor's mouth, causing the beast to choke and release Maeve.
"ARK! ARK!" the monster gagged on the cat, "GRAH!" he gave a bellow and finally swallowed it whole, "BRAHHHH!" it turned to see Maeve attempting to flee.
"ERAH!" he launched Maeve into the wall with a powerful punch.
"AH!" Maeve shrieked when she struck the cobblestone, "Ah... ah..." she groaned and felt blood running down her head, "You... got me..."
Drogmor chortled and lumbered to the woman.
"Herherherher..." he murmured and reached for her.
An arm grabbed one of his own.
"Not today!" Fernando appeared and drove the monster into the ground, then stretched out the beast's arm as it pushed his body away, "YOU FOUL WRETCH!" he yelled and used all his might to stretch out the arm.
RIP!
The knight tore off the monster's arm in one powerful act.
"RAHHHHHH!" Drogmor screeched in pain and cried out in anguish.
"Let's see what you had for snacks!" Fernando grabbed the jaws of the monster and pulled with all his might.
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Maeve smiled when Fernando brought out a cat covered in saliva and bodily fluids from Drogmor's body.
"They do have nine lives..." the knight joked as he dried off the cat with his hand, "There there, little amigo." he saw it was the white cat from before, then set it down.
"You saved me..." Maeve grinned and held the cat tight, "A noble sacrifice." she patted it.
Fernando nodded and groaned, his wounds taking a toll on his body.
"Heh..." the knight grinned and then kicked Drogmor's body, "I am glad you are safe my lady." he helped her up, "I could not imagine what would happen if you were devoured by that monster."
Maeve dusted off her clothing and then looked up at him, "Thank you." she pounced and then kissed him on the cheek, "I will enjoy being catty with you..." she smirked and brushed back his hair.