Chapter 2: Meeting the Locals
/
Nacho's P.O.V.
The drive to the location was mostly uneventful. The landscape was familiar and odd at the same time, seeing the mountain range of Misty peaks is crazy knowing that Moga village must be nearby somewhere. Yet just beyond the mountain range is the swamplands which still looks out of place despite being seamlessly combined with the landscape. It had only been a three-day travel with breaks and still we were somewhat ahead of the transports. Hakna has not stopped pestering me since then even if I switch seats. She made me her, 'official imp seat,' sitting on my lap, shoulder and even my head. It was annoying but Lavi told me just to put up with it. Beast of Calamity folks, official seat of a little imp. I guess there are worser places to be than having an imp on your head.
Our armored vehicle eventually came to a stop near the edge of the swamp land. Not being able to proceed further without getting stuck. So, the rest we had to be on foot, according to Lavi. The plan was to locate the base so they can take out both it and the transport, "Hakna, Scurry, and Flaskmaster, scout out for the base. Beast and Snow Cloud you're with me in setting up our little hideout and then trap for the transport."
"What about me brudda?" Baron spoke up from the trees above. Gracefully he dismounted from the branch and landed flawlessly, "I simply thought I could throw my weight around. Maybe perhaps add some montage music?"
"Uh…that won't be necessary," I smiled as Lavi stuttered a bit. Taken off guard by the Baron's suggestion before quickly composing himself, "Besides what were you doing?"
"Ah one who gets straight to business. Fine then if you must insist. I was out burying folks as I usually do. Not that you particularly care. Boredom is killer and of course brudda I resort to whittling," he brought up a wooden statue in the form of a Lavi himself.
"Wow great craftsmanship but focus please. We need to make a small camp out so we can ambush the transport."
"Ah then you're on your own then. You don't need my help for this, I'll just keep looking out," Baron tossed the statue into Lavi's hand which I simply shook my head at in amusement.
Lavi sighed as we got to work building our small encampment to stay hidden in the swamp. After that we found a good ambush point for the transport, and we simply waited for the day to come. The others returned and we got a good grasp of the enemy base in the swamp. High numbers of Typhon Whelps that are leading various monster races around. Moving prisoners into a prison hold or forcing them to work on improving their defenses. The leader to the base is a higher ranked whelp that have taken a more cohesive form. A reptilian lion alligator mixed creature. So, I guess a lion-gator to be frank.
With some time to burn we started conversing with one another. I guess even on a mission this group had enough camaraderie among them to include a stranger like me. Many asking about myself and the armor I wore. I gave them the short version of my history as a person and what led to me becoming the beast I am now. Many listened with interest while Hakna feign disinterest. As for the armor, it was even simpler to explain and did not take long. Lavi himself was the most interested in this.
"Now that's some cool armor. Better than what we usually got from monsters right? No wonder the crimson dragon fire did anything to you."
"Even if I didn't have the armor, I doubt some fire would do much to me," I smiled a bit while giving a yawn.
"So, you say, but I remember what monster you absorbed the DNA from. I am sure it would have done something to you," he gave a small chuckle as he glanced around,
"Well, that's true, but something tells me it will only work for so long. Still though, what the heck was with your gear? I don't remember Valstrax armor allowing you to jet boost like that! Much less allowing you to be as agile as you were."
"Heh, well that's my secret for right now. Maybe when you get stronger then maybe I start spilling some beans."
I shook my head, "If I must, honestly the sooner I get more of my former strength again the more I can help out my girls."
"Ankha and Isabelle, I wouldn't worry about them too much my friend. Though they been long anticipating your arrival."
"That's great to hear. Though I remember you saying that you report to someone I know. It's one of them ain't it?"
"Heh it is kinda obvious, isn't it?"
"We worked together long enough for me to know what you are thinking."
Lavi laughed as he moved another piece of foliage out of the way, "I guess I must improve on my subtly. Then again, our line of work did that for large monsters. Hehe, regardless they are waiting for you, my friend. Let's wrap this up as soon as possible."
"You read my mind; I kept them waiting long enough. God I just want to hug them again."
"In time my friend. Let's just focus on the task at hand. Snow Cloud has there been any sign of hostiles?"
"None yet love, all looks clear," she pulled her hood off revealing the familiar face of Whitney.
"Heh, hey Whitney. Nice to see you again," I gave her a friendly nod to which she returned.
"Likewise, Nacho, granted I didn't expect you to return as this."
"Yeah, I know, but I can make it work somehow."
"We certainly don't have to worry about strength with you around. Though keeping a low profile will be…difficult with you."
I rolled my eyes with a smile, "No kidding, I am sure I stand out like a sore thumb."
Lavi and Whitney looked at each other before Lavi responded to me, "That's…an understatement."
"I am going guess the other two is Marshal and Kiki am I right?"
"You'll be correct, they have made leaps and bounds since you last saw them. Most people you knew has changed since well…the apocalypse hit the world."
"I been meaning to ask about that. What is the word around on the surface?"
"Mixed mostly, though there are some that blame you, Ankha or both for the apocalypse."
"Not surprised there…though I hope Ankha is doing well."
"She's holding out, for the most part…" Whitney added into the conversation, "However it's best that you talk to her about it in person. In private."
Lavi non-verbally told his girlfriend to just end the conversation there, "That's enough chatting. Let's get going."
We continued to progress further before running into Marshal, Kiki, and Hakna again who report their findings in their scouting. Mentioning a transport coming to bring more prisoners, weapons, and supplies. Altogether we created a familiar pitfall trap that is big enough to take down a moving transport. Once that's done and the trap is covered, we decided to turn in for the night.
We chatted a bit more before going to sleep. Hakna seemed to be nowhere during the conversation before and I didn't see her before bed. This raised some questions on my part, but my need for sleep overrides any sense to pry. Just before my brain blanked out on me, I felt my virus sense activate and felt the presence of…a mate. My body relaxed as I felt a warm body pressed against mines.
"Just a bit longer…" whispered an all too familiar voice.
/
The day the transport was scheduled to arrive came. All too quickly the transport fell into the trap, getting ensnared in the deep ditch. Quickly and effectively the group sprang into action during the confusion. Their teamwork was surprising to see as I was left in the dust as they systematically put down the various monster guards of the transport. Lavi's speed mixed with Marshal's nimbleness easily knocked down the guards and finished them in short order. Kiki and Whitney created a cocktail magical explosion when the armored cat threw one of her potions at a group of monsters. The white wolf followed up with an arcane blast that reacted to the concoction causing it to explode.
"You sure needed my help guys," I said sarcastically.
"Heh don't blame me if you can't keep up with the team, besides that base is our real target. You can go nuts there," Lavi checked one of the bodies and pulled out a key ring and planned to toss it to me, "Here you can use it to open the prisoner cart."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I don't exactly make a great first impression."
Bray paused and reconsidered for a moment, "Fair point, Flask Master you do it."
"Got it!" She exclaimed with a salute before walking off. I sighed and rolled my arms a bit and looked at the monsters taken out. Mainly lizard folk and some hyena folks with one of the Typhon Whelps. I guess I shouldn't expect much from these guys, but it only makes me think how they grow and their pecking order. I examined their body closer and felt that the scales of their scaly side aren't that tough. It's soft and with sufficient force could be cut into almost as easily as bare flesh.
"No wonder they are called Whelps…"
"For you maybe brudda but frame it from the eyes of the average being. These fellas are quite mean," Baron spoke as he appeared in my vision and stood over the body, "Unique though, Typhon will not miss them. A sad fate indeed brudda, when one own family would not care for their fate. But that is the way of the wild and return him to the earth I shall."
He shot me smile as he disappeared in the blink of an eye and taking the body with him. As a matter of fact, many of the dead bodies were gone with only a few knocked out folks left behind. A part of me was disappointed that the whelp couldn't be studied further but another time perhaps. My eye fell onto the prisoners who to my surprise are a mix of Lion, Lizard, Rhino, Deer and most surprisingly Dinofolk. They were wary of me as they laid their eyes on me, but Bray's group reassured them I'm a friend. However, one of the raptor folks looked at me with a curious look. He seemed to be dressed up in religious wear with bones and cloth making up most of the material with a curious pattern emblazoned on the chest. The symbol in the shape of a dragon like figure. I was going to ask out of curiosity until Lavi called out.
"Alright we got to moblize, for the prisoners we have this personnel transporter that will take you to the Sphinx. The nice folk on board will take care of you. As for us we need to get a move on."
His team cheered on as the Baron, just barely outside my peripheral vision waved and smiled. He is gonna have a field day with what is going to happen next. We all got onto the transport with Lavi taking the wheel after we got it unstuck from the trap. Let's just see what happens next.
/
On full speed, Lavi was taking this transport and was planning to use it like a battering ram. No stealth just chaos was on his mind from my observation as the swampland trees passed us by. The enemy base, which looks to be made up of large huts with three especially big ones in the back. The middle one has an underground according to information I been told. That is where they been keeping their slaves along with equipment to reenforce the base. The first of these defenses is a wooden wall with metal sheets placed on them. A bit rough but workable defenses for a base. Well, it was anyways.
"Hey beast! Once we crash through Scurry, you and I are gonna cause some trouble while the others get the slaves. Get ready!" His grip on the wheel tightened as we braced ourselves for the inevitable crash.
With a loud crash the transport shook as the sound of splintering and breaking wood filled the air as declarations of confusion and call to arms. Immediately I sprang into action, leaping out of the section of cart I was in and targeted the nearest identifiable enemy. Another whelp that stood no chance as my crush claw grabbed it by the head and crushed it. When the dust cleared, I saw the enemy staring at me with wide eyes. Whelps, hyena folks and some minotaur's made up the main forces. I just stared at them, and they froze in place. Unable to react or maybe didn't want to make the first move. Not that they would get the chance.
One of the hyena folks was immediately tackled by flying cannonball that was Marshal while a minotaur was decapitated by Lavi's own Swords. The magical hunter waved at me and gestured to not get left behind. I smiled and stretched a bit as I ran off to attack the enemy. What happened next, I can best describe as a systematic massacre. When the shock wore off many of the enemy came in waves. Lavi's and Marshal's teamwork had them going back-to-back. The smaller of the two being launched like a cannonball towards the nearest target. All the Lavi pulled out his bow gun and fired various hails of ammunition familiar to monster hunters. Many would be slain at their feet and caused others to rethink their approach.
As for me though, most of the monsters posed no real threat. The weaker of them ran while the larger ones still gave it a try to fight me. They did their best, but their strength paled compared to mines. It was no contest which I couldn't help feeling sorry for them. A for effort though. The bodies left before varied between dead or unconscious, the fact I left some alive instinctively made me question myself. Is it lacking challenge, or I just felt bad for them? A bit too late honestly with the brutal display from those who died by my hand. This is something I must think about this later. I'm getting too distracted.
"Who dares invades my base?!" a booming voice shouted which got my attention. Walking out from the carnage a large half wolf and half alligator being with a snake tail. One look and I can tell this guy is a whelp that got a chance to grow up, "Small weaklings all of you! I am a son of Typhon and I will make an example out of all of you!"
"Hey Nacho this one is all yours!" Lavi called me me out and the monster looked between him and me. We locked eyes and I knew he saw me as a bigger threat. My own senses flared up as the hybrid monster charged at me.
Cracking my crush claws, I got ready as the monster attempted to claw at me in its mad dash. I easily step back to avoid them before countering by grabbing one of its arms and using its weight against it with an over the shoulder throw. I attempted to follow up with a pinning pounce, however much to my surprise the monster kicked me and sent me flying into a nearby hut. The entire thing collapsed on me and was overall an annoying experience as I shook off the blow and started moving things off me.
"Okay…I think I actually felt that," I said to nobody as I finally moved the last pieces of wood only to see the legs of the monster. My senses flared and I put my hands up just in time to catch a hammer being swung down on me, "I'm not a nail!"
With great strength and some effort, I lifted the hammer along with the monster. It wasn't easy though as it wasn't balanced. So quickly I tossed him a fair distance that he easily recovered from. He charged at me again, seems that large monsters really have seldom amount of strategy. However, this guy can't be that simple. I mean this base is well constructed as tribal construction goes. So why is this guy so simple in his attacks? The thought stays in my mind as I rolled out of the way and grabbed his leg. My crush claws gripped hard into his flesh as the monster roared in pain. Black blood leaked through my fingers as I focused my Ki and felt my hands burst into fire. Rearing my fist back I hit the ground and a burning spike of earth shot up and impaled the monster's foot. In additional pained roars this made the typhon spawn angrier as he still tried to smack me with the hammer.
Quickly letting go I moved away as the hammer was brought down. Rearing back, I slammed one of my burning fists into the hammer and exploded on contact. Shattering the weapon as my fist completed its travel. The monster left weaponless was taken aback as I followed up with a lunge that knocked it down. I started wailing on its chest and traveling up his body to his face with all four of my limbs. Bones breaking along the way before finishing it off with a quad explosive punch. The force shook the earth and the entire base, when the smoke cleared there was nothing but a bloody smear and ashen crater where the monster's head used to be.
"Whoops…I may have overdone it a bit," I said as I brushed dust and dirt from my fists.
"A bit? I think you almost leveled this place," Lavi walked out shaking his head, "Also I think he's dead man. Like deader than dead."
"Yeah, not to mention this guy was pretty much cannon fodder. I would feel less bad for killing the flunkies if all of them were at least this guy's level."
"That's…new coming from you Nacho. However, looks like everything is cleared up now."
"That's good, are the prisoners saved?" Marshall finally spoke for the first time.
Before anybody could answer I felt a familiar small presence apply pressure on my head, "Don't worry about them. Flask master, Snow, and I got them all out, but hot damn looks like we missed a party. Like jeeze, what was that explosion earlier?"
"Well as you can see my little imp friend…that fellow was on the receiving end."
"Jeeze, those meaty hands aren't just for show then. They must be terrible for delicate jobs then," I frowned as I used one of my crush claws to reach over and gently grab her. She yelped as she was placed on the ground. The imp pouted as she faced away from me, "I stand corrected…don't get full of yourself yah idiot."
"Yeah yeah, for the record I have three different limbs I can use to grab you with. The crush claw, my regular arms, or this," I sprouted one of my tentacles, (courtesy of the Narkakos DNA). I haven't gotten a good look at them before; however, it doesn't take a genius to realize that they changed color from before. Gone is the blueish coloring replaced with more magma like colors.
"Ew gross, keep that slimy thing away from me you freak," her grossed out face made me smile. I playfully threaten her with it one more time before she flew off and settled herself next to Brayden and her groups side. Giving me the stink eye before flying out of eye shot. Presumably now behind the team.
I thought I could have a nice mental rest from any sort of nuisance, but the upbeat voice of the Baron reminded me I had no such luck, "That was some crazy carnage brudda, but please mind your power. It's hard to bury the bodies when there is no soil to place them in. Also, extinction of all life would leave me out of the job."
He gave a few friendly pats as he snapped his fingers and he disappeared in a cloud of magic smoke. My vision was obscure for a moment, however I quickly noticed I wasn't stepping on anything anymore. The crazy guy took the body of the monster in a flash. Just how does he do that?
Lavi gave me a whistle and points to the group of prisoners saved. Didn't take me long to know that we needed to escort them to an extraction zone. Despite my thoughts that the monster wasn't the leader of the base. It had to wait as all current enemies are eliminated or surrendered. The ones who surrendered either fled while some of us were distracted or just came along in the group. Our power scaring them in line as we made the march to our vehicle. Brayden would pull out another technical do dad to send the former prisoners and the captured enemies to the main base of operations. Before that though another dinofolk wearing similar robes walked up to me and gave me a look. They smiled as they spoke to me.
"Great Hunter, Apex of all, seek the village near the crimson veil. Many of us wait for your arrival."
The cryptic message had me raised a brow as they bow to me before leaving with the rest of the prisoners in a flash. Me I was left with more questions than answers. The crimson veil? What does that mean? Is that a location somewhere? Lavi would call me over back to the vehicle and we would take our leave of the area. A mission accomplished yet it didn't feel like it to me.
"Something bothering you Nacho?" Lavi called out from the driver seat..
"Yeah, that monster. It's too dumb to be the leader of that base. It must have been acting as one."
Lavi went silent for a moment, "Good to see I am not the only one who noticed that. Something tells me that the real owner is none too happy that we dismantle their operations here."
"The better question is, who or what is running the shots?"
The trip would evolve into a discussion on the way back to Athens. All of us throwing ideas around with our limited knowledge. One thing we know for sure, it had to outrank that more developed Typhon Whelp.
/
? P.O.V.
"Hmm…not what I hoped for in a base. Granted I shouldn't be surprised when you leave a low IQ brute in charge. Shame, this could have been a great spot to get a foot hold near Athens."
*sighs*
"My siblings are gonna lord this over me. Still, I wouldn't call it a waste. It would seem the beast has returned. Just like father said he would. This could pose a problem, working for those U.F.C. cretins. Hmph, what a waste of power working for inferior beings. I am sure Ven can snuff him out, but since this is the creature that signaled the end world. He should not be underestimated."
…
"Still, based on his reputation. I am curious to see his power for myself."