I'm back bitches! Sorry for the long hiatus it was not my intent to be gone for so long further explanation at the bottom just enjoy the chapter I had crafted for everyone.
Running through the tall grass, Melty had a panicked expression as she quickly started her head back and forth, breathing heavily and wiping the light sweat building on her brow.
The ruffling sound of grass immediately got her attention and she turned her head in the direction where the sound came from. That's when she saw the movement in the grass, and she immediately ran away from the direction where the threat was coming. She continued to run until she found a giant rock, immediately climbed on top of it, and held her right forearm with her left arm, her open palm channeling the magic through her body to create a small spear of water. "I know you're out there. You won't be able to sneak up on me," she confidently stated, waiting for her pursuer to come out of the tall grass so she could blast them with her water magic.
More movement and sounds came from the grass heading towards her direction. At the last possible moment, she launched the spear of water, but it did not hit the target she was expecting. A horned rabbit had leaped out of the tall grass and got blasted by the small spear of water, soaking its fur. The pink and cream-colored rabbit immediately shook its fur and puffed up its cheeks in annoyance at being soaked before hopping off into the tall grass foliage.
Blinking and confused, Melty felt certain that her pursuer was following right behind her. But instead, it was just a simple horned rabbit. Then suddenly, she had this spine-tingling sensation coming from her blind spot. She quickly turned to see a fast blur of white and black tackling her off her rock onto the soft grass. She looked up in horror at those crimson-glowing eyes, their face obscured thanks to the sun shining behind them. Despite the shadows, the princess could see her pursuer's sharp, leaning teeth in a playful smile.
"You put up a good chase. Time to feed," the feminine voice of her pursuer said menacingly as she opened her mouth and brought it down to her prey.
"No!" she cried out as she could feel the sharp teeth. A few moments later, she let out waves of cries as she began laughing uncontrollably. "Please stop, that always tickles me. You're going to make me pee myself!" Again, she cried out as she desperately tried to push the girl from her and stop her from giving those tickling little bites.
The girl that was on top and delivering the little tickle attack had stopped and helped her playmate up onto her feet. With the shadows no longer obscuring her face, Melty could see the smirking, playful expression of her cousin, Atla. "I win, you lose," she said teasing her cousin.
Another person was moving through the bushes, a well-armed and more mature acting white tiger demi-human with her emotionless expression on display. Only small hints of her concern for both her cousins could be seen within the slight tightening of her eyes. "You two shouldn't run off from the estate. Both mother and auntie want you to stay within the perimeter of the estate, and if you must explore the grounds further than that, you need to come get me," she lectured her younger sister and her young cousin.
"You're no fun anymore, Fohl," Atla puffed out her cheeks and placed her fists at the corners of her hips in mild annoyance at her older sister being so strict and acting like many of the guards that patrol her mother's estate.
Rolling her eyes as she walked over to her sister before dropping down to a knee, "If I'm not fun anymore, why do I keep letting you ride my back?" Fohl raised a white eyebrow at her little sister, waiting for her to hop onto her back.
Her almost emesis blue eyes widened as a white smile nearly split Atla's face into as she immediately hopped onto her older sister's back and held on tightly. "Okay, you're still fun, but you're still a stick in the mud," she commented as she nearly vibrated in excitement for this special piggyback ride.
Fohl's stony expression broke just a little with a light twitching of her lips, almost forming a smile. But before she took off at her top speed, she looked towards her younger cousin and raised an open hand. "I call upon the ancient to manifest my spirit to do as I will it. Come forth, divine tiger," she intoned as a ghostly white tiger appeared in its bestial form.
Approaching the almost intimidating white tiger, Melty reached out to pet the ghostly head of this astral creature, and there she could hear purring coming from this war spirit. "I wish I could learn this magic. It's useful to have," she commented as she climbed up onto the back of the spirit beast.
"If there was a possibility, I would have trained you just as well as my aunt/your mother trained you in the use of her type of magic," Fohl stated honestly. If there was anyone who was worthy of learning the type of warrior magic, it was her youngest cousin. But alas, only demi-humans and beastfolk had access to this type of magic.
Without wasting a second more, both Fohl and her summons took off at their top speed, causing the air around them to slightly distort as they moved into subsonic speeds. As exhilarating and thrilling as the high-speed run was, the two girls who were screaming in both excitement and fear, it all soon came to an end as both runners began to slow down to a safer speed as they approached the manor until they reached a complete halt.
Both Atla and Melty were standing on shaky feet, and both of their immaculate hairs were disheveled thanks to the high-speed winds turning their heads into bird nests. Yet, as the two girls looked at each other seeing their messy hairs, both threw their heads back and started laughing.
"Well, I can see you two have enjoyed yourselves, but I cannot help but imagine what type of punishment you two should receive for not listening to me or your mother," a familiar motherly voice coming from Mirellia as she slowly approached the girls. They stopped their laughter and looked afraid. Accompanying her was Lucia. Both women had smiles that lacked warmth as their motherly gazes fell upon the two rebellious children who disregarded the rules that were already set in stone.
Melty was the first to step forward and placed a hand over her chest. "Forgive me, Mother, Aunt. It's my fault. I was the prey in this game and led Atla and myself off the protective boundaries of the estate," she admitted, hoping to take the blame and not let her younger cousin receive punishment for disregarding the rules.
"No, I chased you out of the estate boundaries. I should be punished," Atla countered her cousin's admission, not wanting her only human cousin to shoulder the blame for their wild play.
Both girls began going back and forth about who was at fault, in the same manner as two siblings bickering over a toy. The oldest of the two girls let out an annoyed sigh, half tempted to simply grab her sister by the scruff of her neck and her cousin by her summer dress to pry them apart before they started fighting.
The two mothers watched with amusement as their youngest bickered like siblings. Both mothers always encouraged sibling interaction, even if they were just cousins. Both girls were raised as close as siblings, especially when Mirellia spent a large portion of time mending relations with Siltvelt. It was one of many ingenious plans that both mothers had devised when it came time for inheritance and the mantle of their respective stations within their countries. There would be family connected through blood, even though most would deny the relations among the nobility or senators.
Seeing the argument was about to become physical, Mirellia began channeling magic through her body. She raised her right hand in a gun-like gesture, pointing above her head and converting air molecules into a liquid just big enough to create a small marble. She quickly converted it back into air, making a loud gunshot sound and grabbing the attention of both girls from their argument. "This is unacceptable behavior from both of you, and your punishment has already been decided," she spoke in that familiar authoritative way, addressing someone who had committed wrong but was acting too childish to listen, with a hint of motherly warmth in her tone.
Both girls lowered their heads in acceptance of their punishment. It could range from being denied one of the adventurous books in the estate's library, denial of sweets, or worst of all, attending tea meetings with various senators.
"I think both girls' punishment is to taste test the newest recipe of pudding I managed to procure from abroad," Lucia suggested, surprising the girls with the idea of tasting foreign sweets.
Tapping her chin with her well-manicured finger, Mirellia nodded at the suggestion. "Yes, both girls should try it. After all, there are always sweets that are too sweet for our sensitive tastes. So long as they stay at their table, they should have as much as they like," she added to the suggestion. Both women smiled at each other, knowing they were rewarding bad behavior, but it was a mutual understanding between mothers and their children. They did not harshly punish children who were likely to test the limits of rules and let them be as they were young and innocent.
Fohl felt a bit of mild irritation that her mother and aunts were rewarding her young sister and cousin for breaking the rules. At least she could better keep an eye on them now, as they were in one place, stuffing their faces with exotic sweets. She sighed. "Come on, you two. I'll take you to the table where they will be serving the desserts, while Mother and Auntie continue with their business," she informed the two girls, who were hopping and skipping in place, as the older girl guided them closer to the estate where the outdoor dining tables were set up, and a servant was ready to fulfill any orders given.
Watching the two children and their guardian head towards the dessert table, both women returned to their own comfortable table outside the estate. A servant came by to fix both with tea.
"little Atla always misses her sister. If it weren't for the fact that she's lacking a proper set of ears and a tail, there's no doubt both girls would wander into town by themselves, trying to get as many sweets from the various vendors that hold my family in high regard," Lucia commented, grabbing hold of her teacup, which was a mix of sugar and lemon, a proper balance of sweet and sour.
Mirellia nodded in agreement as she reached for her teacup, added a few more sugar cubes and a bit of milk, and began lightly stirring the mixture before bringing the teacup to her lips. "It's a shame that my brother couldn't be here. He's the first man of the royal line to live as long as he did without succumbing to the curse," she lamented, recalling the loss of her brother, the only Prince of they had been born since the destruction of the Old Capitol cursed her bloodline, denying any male heirs or male children a long life, including the one she lost some time ago before birthing her beautiful youngest daughter. It still caused her aches and pains in her heart.
The white tiger demi-human woman sitting across the table did her best to hide her own sorrow, as her crystal blue eyes only slightly dimmed in remembrance of the only human she had loved and married, despite the prejudice and humiliation she faced in the Senate for choosing him as her husband and mate. She had successfully birthed two children from him, only to hold him in her arms after he was stabbed by an assassin's blade. The identity of the assassin remained a mystery, despite her rampage in the Senate demanding answers. "There has not been a day I have not missed his warmth or his scent. He was a man like no other—kind, smart, funny, a bit stubborn at times—but he was a good man, better than most men I have come across who tried to court my favor," she remembered, closing her eyes and recalling the smile on his face and his soft yet strong voice that filled her heart with excitement and joy.
Reaching over and placing a comforting hand on her sister-in-law's hand, which was resting next to her teacup, Mirellia gave Lucia a reassuring squeeze, sharing the sorrow they both felt for the loss of the person they both cherished and loved.
Withdrawing her hand, Lucia recomposed herself and opened her eyes, staring intensely at her sister-in-law and guest. The information she needed to relay was most important now, after allowing her niece and good sister some time to rest before she had to deliver this dire information. "The Earth Emperor is starting to awaken, and the Sea Emperor is already awakened and on the move," she relayed the information. Mirellia took another sip after her sister-in-law withdrew from her comfort. The human woman nearly started choking upon hearing that two of the most powerful beings were becoming active.
Coughing and trying to clearher throat, the human Queen recomposed herself for a brief moment as she stared at her good sister. "Are you certain of this? Why are they awakening? The waves have not reached such levels that would force them to act. The heroes have just been summoned and have not even confronted their first wave, even though the impending wave would be the second," Mirellia argued, pointing out that the waves had not shown signs of destabilizing further.
"I agree. The waves have not reached a point to awaken them unless an external force has stirred them," Lucia theorized. The Earth Emperor required a great deal to awaken, such as magics that could harm a Titan. As for the Sea Emperor, he could be awakened with minimal disturbance, making him a threat. "There is evidence that the Sea Emperor has awakened and has destroyed an entire island with his powerful blue fiery breath. The two queens have also awakened but have not yet joined with their respective mates," she added, sharing the crucial information.
Laying back in her chair, Mirellia started to remember the murals of the various Emperors of different parts of the world. as she closed her eyes and envisioned it in her mind when she was but a girl and she toured the Temple of Remembrance of the history of the world. Romulus, the emperor of the sky, and his Phoenix Queen, the Earth emperor simply called the Ancient One, and his Queen of the forest, and the Sea emperor that had more names that she could think of. He was even referred to as being a god or the king of lizards, and his Immortal Queen of the month. When separated, it didn't mean much besides them trying to safeguard their own territory, but if all of them become active alongside their mates, it mostly meant the waves were going to become worse. Beyond worse, possibly a world-ending event, something that has happened many times and have changed the landscape of this world many times. There was even a mountain range that was vaporized, turned into glass that was still inhabitable due to the poisonous curses that cause blistering and burns for anyone who got too close to be affected lands.
"If they are Awakening, then I must assure my next visit will be my last and I'll head straight from my kingdom to readdress the issues in regards to both the bow and shield, have it all rectified, and get the spear in line with what his duties actually are and not what they currently are," she spoke with absolute certainty that she would have to give the Spear a proper thrashing if he acted like any of his predecessors - a womanizer, a simpleton, and even at worst, a rapist. There had been too many bad spear wielders, and she would not suffer the ignorance and stupidity of another that would plague this world until he met his end either by the sword, bow, or shield, or by a woman who was clever enough to give him a drop of poison in his wine.
"Speaking of the bow, my people are considering adding him to the current Pantheon. It seems that the shield shouldn't be alone when the bow is supporting The Shield. That, and if rumors are correct, he is partnered up with two demi-humans, a snake and a dog, and there is no sign of an slave Crest or a magical contract binding them to him, which mostly means he is the true bow hero that the world has been denied many iterations of the bow." Lucia had changed the dire topic onto something that was correct and how it was starting to affect many of the Senate meetings and those anti-human senators who are now facing pressures against their human slave enterprises, plus the reemergence of the Lost High Priestess was also causing trouble in the temple of The Shield.
She was rather glad of the change of topic, and the information wasn't something she did not predict to actually happen. The bow was something else coming within this world with two Divine weapons instead of one was quite the anomaly, and best of all, he embodies justice from what she has heard, taking over the investigation and judgment on what was going on in regards to the farce of a trial staged by her disinherited and soon to become disowned daughter and her former consort that she would soon have to return him back to the military rank of grunt simply to keep him close and prevent him from going back to his homeland and causing problems for herself and the rest of the Kingdom.
"I like this successor of the bow. It is very rare that one of the heroes to be in the appropriate courting age for a woman of my age, and perhaps he is just as roguishly handsome as the Tales Say from my various Shadows describe his appearance." She could only imagine if the Tales had any grain of truth. She might find herself trying to court him as much as she would like him to court her, though she was not at the age to sire any more children. If she did entertain such an idea or fantasy with such a man, she knew she would be playing with fire and she did not want to burn herself or cause problems for the hero. But she would be more than willing to welcome him in her bed if the opportunity arrives.
She desperately tried to suppress the laugh that wanted to escape at seeing Mirellia's glossy lovestruck eyes that she was making while imagining the bow, no doubt. "Yes, if the rumors is proven to be true, as I suspect that most women love the idea of a renegade hero and the possible scandal that would arise, if his popularity gets strong enough here, it would be no demi-human who wouldn't want to center him, with a large gaggle of women wanting to bear his offspring." Lucia had a smirk on her face as soon as she said those words and saw the heated glare that her sister-in-law gave her, which caused her to turn her smirk into a playful grin, showing off a bit of her fangs in amusement.
She would love to hate her sister-in-law at times whenever the feline demi-human felt the need to needle her, especially when she had less than pure thoughts, particularly if it happened to be about an unmarried man who was currently a fugitive—at least until she returned to her country to rectify that and formally apologize to both the bow and shield on behalf of her daughter and her prince consort. "If there is a line, I think I'll try to be the first if he does take interest, even if it is just for a single roll in the sheets. I think the experience alone would be more than satisfying for both of us," Mirellia said in a tone that insisted she would not be teased about her slight attraction to the bow.
This time, the white tiger demi-human woman did not hold back her laughter, and her sister-in-law joined her in the shared amusement. The shared amusement quickly calmed down as Lucia took on a more serious look and let out a deep breath, knowing the type of outcome that she would create with this little request of her in-law. "When you return to your kingdom, I want your consort. It is high time the blood feud between my clan and his hatred ends." She made sure to stare into the eyes of the queen across from her to ensure that she was serious about this demand.
If she were half the queen her mother or grandmother had been, she would have gladly accepted the request, possibly even sending her consort back with a few bruises and missing several fingers. But Mirellia wasn't like her mother, the Iron Queen, or her grandmother, the Crimson Queen. Both were war women forged in the flames of conflict, either with their neighbors or within their own kingdom, dealing with uprisings or other issues that required the spilling of blood and the staking of bodies just to prove a point that the crown holds absolute power. It was part of her family history—a history she was ashamed of having. Yet, she could not refuse the blood that flowed through her veins, especially when she finally returned home. "Before I can hand him over, I would have to ask what the heroes think should be done with him first. After all, both the bow and shield have been wronged by my consort and my soon-to-be disowned daughter," she said rather coldly. She knew for a fact what would happen to her consort and what was going to happen to her daughter, given the limited choices she had for either of them. Her daughter had sullied herself by laying with a lesser noble, ruining her for any potential marriage opportunities or alliances. Plus, her child was spoiled beyond belief and didn't know how to deal with her spending habits. Her manners were atrocious; no one would try to claim her daughter's hand in marriage unless she was sent to the pig king, afate was guaranteed death—possibly of the worst sort. But it would guarantee continued peace.
Her consort, on the other hand, even with him empowering the nobles that she had made sure to limit in their fortunes and even taking away their various privileges after their past treachery, still held value as a seasoned and decorated commander in her military. It would be a tremendous loss to have him thrown to the white tigers. Not just his military tactics would be lost; he still held the title of wise king that many of her people recognized him to be. And he was still the staff wielder, even though he had not taken up that weapon in some time. Yet, it was something she hoped he would be capable of doing again, only because she would rather have another combatant against the waves who was strong and intelligent enough not to require a hero in her kingdom, allowing the other kingdoms to have their preferred heroes to defend their lands.
Lucia didn't like the answer she was given, but she made no outward expression of her displeasure as she took a sip from her teacup. "As soon as you get done with your next couple of stops and start making inroads to your kingdom, I'll be sure to follow in pursuit. I want to be there when you hold the trial for those two little troublemakers of yours," she said succinctly, wanting to make sure that she could dig her claws into the man who had pursued her family for so long and nearly wiped out her entire clan, leaving only a few remnants, such as herself, her oldest daughter, her youngest, and the few distant cousins she had left in the world. Plus, she wanted to measure both the bow and shield.
Closing her eyes, she leaned back against her chair and took a deep breath, letting out a sigh. "I will prepare the accommodations shortly after I've re-established my authority and wrangled up the instigators," Mirellia said, exasperation in her tone. She knew that her sister-in-law would not change her mind, and her pursuit of justice was relentless. Had her consort been anyone else, it was most likely that her former adventure partner and the closest thing she had to a sister would not be as dogged in pursuing the wrongs that had been dealt to her.
"Good. I do not wish to sour the pleasant moment that we are sharing together. Let us enjoy the warmth of the sun and whatever summer we have left before autumn sets in, shall we?" Lucia got up from her comfortable chair, walked around the table, and offered her hand to Mirellia.
Seeing the confident smile and extended hand made Mirellia have a brief flashback to better days, before she was a queen, when she was just a random adventurer in her youth—a princess who did not want to be one, who just wanted to be a normal person to taste the freedom that adventurers always knew. The person before her was the armored warrior with whom she had fought alongside, delving into dungeons and slaying beasts to take the core of said dungeon and harvest all the rewards from clearing it. As much as she wanted to remain in that fantasy, reality came back as she extended her own hand and felt not the armored leather glove of her adventurer partner's hand, but a smooth yet weathered, gentle hand gripping her own. She was brought to her feet before letting go and following behind her friend, her sister, her adventure partner—and possibly more, if she had any inklings toward the fairer sex.
line break
A black-haired man was sitting close to the fire that his companion had made, with a single spit of some creature roasting on the flames. He extended his left hand from the green cloak he had wrapped tightly around his body, grabbed hold of the stick that was planted into the ground near the flames, and brought the sizzling meat to his nose, sniffing it for a bit before taking an experimental bite and slightly grimacing at the blandness of the flavor.
"I'm sorry, Master. I should have gotten something bigger," Raphtalia apologized for bringing back such a meager game for supper for her master.
He had only taken a few more bites before extending the stick towards his companion. "It's all right, Raphtalia. Also, don't call me Master. I've told you this many times; it's just Naofumi," he said as warmly as he could, despite the small bit of irritation he felt at being called 'Master.' It wasn't because she was his slave—though that was only part of it—that had led to his own problems, the situation he found himself in. After she had leveled up, she had reached the near max of her maturity, and he couldn't help but fall prey to those instincts that all hot-blooded males are plagued with when looking at a beautiful woman, even if she had animal ears and a tail, especially when her body turned in a certain way that emphasized certain assets. He tried not to stare whenever she was moving about.
Her ears folded back, and a sad expression could be seen in the small bit of light coming from the flames. "I'm sorry, Mast... I mean Naofumi," she quickly corrected herself mid-sentence. She hesitantly reached out for the stick and held the small bit of meat from the squirrel that she had hunted in the forest. She stared at the half-eaten squirrel and then towards the one who had taken care of her and who had suffered greatly because of her hesitation. Yet the grumbling sound from her own stomach could not be ignored, and if push came to shove, her master could just order her to eat with command.
The thought of commanding the raccoon dog girl to eat did occur to the shield wielder's mind for a brief moment, but it wasn't long before he saw her start to nibble on the piece of meat. Switching his focus from his companion, he looked up at the sky and observed the different constellations of the night sky. He wondered what the names of the various stars were and briefly contemplated whether any of those stars had life on them. After all, he was in a fantasy world; if this place existed, shouldn't there be life on other planets? His musings on the greater universe just above him were immediately shattered by the searing pain he felt on the right side of his body. He clenched his teeth, began to bend over, and clutched the right side of his body.
"Naofumi!" Raphtalia exclaimed as she got up and quickly rushed over to her master, remembering what the healer had told her when these little fits started: to give him the medicine that was provided as a reward for clearing out the mines. She reached into her little pouch on her left hip and pulled out a green-looking potion. She pulled the cork with her teeth and brought the foul-smelling concoction to Naofumi's lips while her right hand was busy holding the back part of his head so he wouldn't convulse and end up turning his head to the side, wasting the last bit of medicine they had.
The pain he felt was almost blinding, as if the side of his body were on fire—the same hellish fires that he had received from the hellhound that nearly cooked him alive. He almost didn't notice the concoction being forced into his mouth until he instinctively began swallowing it. The effects slowly began to ebb away the pain he felt until all that remained was a dull ache. With the pain gone, he began to go limp in the arms of his companion, his head lolling to the side a bit as he began to breathe heavily.
With his fits over, Raphtalia dragged her master to a large rock that wasn't too far from the fire, leaned his back against the rock, and opened up his green cloak. Beneath it, she saw black, vein-like infections that looked as if they were spreading over the surface of her master's skin. "We need high-grade holy water to remove the blight. When we get into Castle Town, the church should help," she stated as she began fixing his shirt and helping him be comfortable in the warmth of his cloak. Her hand immediately touched his forehead, and she noticed he had a small fever. A sigh escaped from her lips. "You have a fever. There's an herb not too far from the campsite; I'll go grab it now. It should help break the fever, but it's going to taste just as bad as your other medicine." As soon as she had said that, the idea of making more medicine for him immediately caused her master's face to twist in disgust at the prospect of tasting anything else that would be nasty.
He was about to tell her to stay, that he was perfectly fine, but she was already gone to look for the herbs that would help deal with the fever—an effect of the curse he had contracted after defeating that hellhound. It was more or less an infection that no medicine could truly treat, except for the symptoms.
As he sat there and waited for a return he closes his eyes for a brief moment to at least get some rest while he can the short bit of rest he managed to achieve was immediately disturbed by a whistling tune that brought him back from the near deep sleepy almost fell into immediately his shield on his left arm turned into the bladed Shield.
"Easy there, lad. I mean you no harm," spoken by the bald-headed man who wore a mismatched set of clothing that was sewn together haphazardly, with his fingerless-gloved hands raised, all while he was sitting next to the fire as if he had been there from the start.
Seeing no other weapon on the stranger, he lowered his arm and sat himself up more properly. "Who are you?" Naofumi asked roughly, while his eyes remained fixed on the man. He couldn't help but glance in the direction where his companion had gone and wondered if she had run across this person before he suddenly appeared.
The stranger said nothing for a moment before scratching underneath his shaven chin. "Gaunter O'Dimm, I prefer to be called, though others have called me Mirror Master or the Man of Glass, only because I traded glassware and mirrors for a time," the stranger answered honestly.
"Well, I don't have any coin for glassware, and I have no need for any mirrors," Naofumi roughly stated, relaxing his sitting posture while keeping his senses as sharp as the bladed shield he kept at the ready in case his guest decided to do something unsavory, and they would be short a head along with any co-conspirators who might try to attack him.
A chuckle escaped from the stranger's lips. "I haven't sold any glassware or mirrors in years, but that doesn't mean I am not involved in another business that doesn't require coin." He paused for a brief moment as he stared at the shield wielder, his eyes emitting a soft glow that could be easily mistaken for the flickering flame light. "That's quite a nasty curse you got there," he stated as he pointed his finger at the right portion of Naofumi's body.
For some reason, his body shivered, and the blight began to feel like pins and needles on the affected parts of his body. "And how do you know of my condition? I didn't state it unless you heard about it from the village," Naofumi accused Gaunter.
The Stranger's only response was to raise an eyebrow and tilt his head to the side, as if he were questioning someone's intelligence. "I know because I was at the village," he simply stated and received a look of disbelief from Naofumi. "I'm quite unassuming whenever I am walking amongst normal folk, and those who try to notice me find it difficult to focus; too many exciting things need attention, which is gravitated away from me," he explained, which did not offset the disbelief Naofumi had for The Stranger.
The shield-wielder found it unbelievable, but he would have notice such an oddly dressed vagabond—as that was what the man appeared to be—even though his facial features were common enough and best fit those of Europeans, which sort of matched most people, with the exception of his demi-human companion. "That's a load of bullshit. You're saying that I would not notice you even if I tried to look for you? Is that it?" he half-stated and half-questioned.
"You are correct. If I choose not to be noticed, I am not noticed. But when I do wish to be noticed, those few eyes that could spot me can and will see me. As for yourself, you would not notice me, even with the power of that shield you have there. Frankly, there is no power that could see me when I choose not to be," The Stranger's words were as weird as they were cryptic and did not comfort the shield-wielder in the fact that someone could appear to be unseen if they chose to be.
The cryptic words he was given only added to Naofumi's paranoia. If someone had such an ability to simply choose not to be seen at any time they wished, he could just imagine the types of scenarios that could happen to him or Raphtalia. That last thought made him shudder and feel fright just at the idea alone, and he did not need to imagine what could happen to a pretty girl like her—someone who could just appear out of nowhere or even expand on that ability to encompass both people.
The Stranger already knew what type of imagination was going on in Naofumi's head regarding his little ability, as it was one of many abilities he had and more than just that. "Fortunately, I am not into what you are thinking—that an individual like myself would end up using this ability of mine. Low-hanging fruit for my taste; though there are some degenerates I know of that would like such an ability," he said in a way that would derail the thought path Naofumi may have had for that brief moment before continuing. "Let us return to the fact that you are cursed, and I wish to aid you in this endeavor to get it lifted." He brought the conversation back on track for the expediency of his objectives.
Part of him felt relieved that the stranger wouldn't use his abilities to be unnoticeable front Savory reasons, which did dissuade whatever paranoid fears he had for that instant, but when the conversation went back to his curse, it did have him slightly interested. "Yeah, what about it? Holy water on you? I don't see any reason you could offer me anything to lift it," he said sarcastically, despite the pain in his side beginning to intensify slightly.
The glass merchant reached behind his back and pulled out a transparent, ornate-looking pitcher filled with water. "Holy water of greater quality can lift any curse when applied properly. It may even unlock a new shield of yours if you feed the water into that green gem," he said while extending the glass pitcher in his hand with the best sly smile a man like him could produce.
Eyeing the glass pitcher suspiciously, Naofumi extended his left hand. "There's no way I can trust you, so you're going to dip a single drop into the gem just to prove what you say is true." Naofumi did not hold back his suspicions; if this person was willing to give him holy water, he wanted to be sure it was the real deal and not some fabrication that could make his condition worse.
"Certainly," a single drop fell from the pitcher into the green gym, and it glowed slightly for a bit. "As requested, a single drop to verify the validity of the contents of this pitcher," he simply said as he placed the pitcher right next to him and waited for the black-haired youth to see the results of the little drop of water he provided.
It only took him a second before he saw that a new Shield was partially unlocked: Holy Shield. It required a lot more holy water to fully unlock, and it had all sorts of other perks and abilities that would allow protection against unholy things and even ward against the undead, but he needed more to unlock it. "So what is it that you want from me in order to give me this thing?" he asked after finishing his little analysis of the new stats of the shield that he would soon try to unlock.
His sly smile turned into a grin before he clapped his hands together and began rubbing his palms. "What I want is for you to do a simple task for me, and after which we will meet up again to confirm the completion of said task and be on our merry way as acquaintances." He made sure the wording of the verbal contract was simple enough for any simpleton to understand but left room for whatever task he wanted to have done, whether it was to send a marked soul to his grasp or have some other thing that needed to be done. In any case, this was far simpler than what he had given Geralt.
The price seemed simple enough, yet was he willing to go ahead and submit himself to whatever task this stranger would have him do? Naofumi couldn't help but think about his current condition—he was no good in a fight, and that was before his run-in with the hellhound. Now he was in an even worse state; he couldn't go on a long walk without collapsing in agonizing pain because of the blight, which had slowed their efforts to return to Castle Town. Worse, he began to notice some blood whenever he had a small cough, as the curse was starting to affect other, more vital parts. Part of him wanted to simply accept having the substance applied to remove the curse, yet they were so close to the capital already. What was another couple of days of this when he would receive his holy water? He may be hated by the people, or at least those of the upper echelons of this kingdom, but he doubted they wanted him dead now, especially with the upcoming wave that would soon approach. Maybe after that, they would try something.
The stranger was patiently observing his ideal customer, who was in a state of contemplation for a brief moment, and did nothing to accelerate the decision process. Instead, he pulled a spoon from out of nowhere and began twirling it between his fingers before making it balance at the tip of his fingertip. He remembered what he did to that one drunkard who had interrupted too many of his little conversations and slightly pondered the idea of shoving this into the spear-wielding's eye, or that red-headed whore. Both were deserving of an uninteresting death, yet he knew their fate, and he would not meddle with forces that could easily hurt him or even destroy him if he meddled too much, which he currently was doing. After all, another person like himself was wandering the world with a similar title to his own, except they weren't a merchant, just a facilitator.
"No…" Naofumi rejected the offer that was presented to him. As much as he would like the curse to be lifted now, he was no fool. Any price related to a task that seemed simple always led to some sort of problem or misfortune. Either he would be the result of that misfortune or the leading catalyst for it, and that was something he unwilling to do
If Gaunter O'Dimm was displeased, he did not display it on his face. He remained silent for a long moment before getting up. The ornate pitcher of holy water had vanished as if it had never been there. "Very well. There will be other things you'll be wanting. I promise you that soon you'll realize that as you're down an arm, you're not much use, even with that shield." His voice was both cold and neutral, devoid of any humor or warmth it had previously had when the conversation began. Grabbing hold of something from the void, he pulled out a small, fist-sized pouch and tossed it to the shield-wielder, who managed to catch it with his left hand. "Tell your companion to mix that with the little fever reliefing herbs. It will increase your vitality enough to make it into Castle Town and heal some internal damage the blight has done." Again, he spoke in that neutral, cold tone of voice.
Naofumi looked the pouch in his hand then back at Gaunter and tried to think of what to say or even ask, but he wasn't able as his uninvited to beat to it.
"This is not charity, mind you. This is a small investment that will bear fruit. Until then, just make it to Castle Town." After saying that, he began clapping his hands slowly as he vanished into the shadows.
With the absence of his uninvited guest, he had taken the opportunity to examine what was inside the little pouch. He saw white lily-like flowers and brought the open pouch to his nose, sniffing it. The scent of the pollen was pleasant enough, but most poisonous plants were just as lovely to sniff before their deadly effects would kick in. Then again, the man did say that he was interested in investing; maybe Raphtalia would know more about this herb. Another unexpected boon he shortly realized was that once she was able to talk about her life before the wave, being a village girl, she often picked herbs for her mother to make medicines. Though she had never been brought into the practice of herbalism, she picked up a few things, even some herbs that were ignored, according to her.
As soon as he had started thinking about her, she appeared shortly after that thought, holding a bundle of roots that looked similar to carrots—just a little more crooked and looking bone white. "I'm back and…" she stopped mid-sentence as she saw the little pouch in her master's hands. She marched over towards him and looked at what was inside. "By the gods! When did you acquire Athelas?" she exclaimed. Almost vibrating with excitement, as she looked at the rare herb that she had only heard of from her mother. It was a very rare and potent herb used only for the most critical injuries and, on occasion, for healing internal damage. It could even amplify other medicines when properly blended.
"Merchants thought to give this to me for my good health on the way to the Capitol," he gave a half-truth, admitting that a merchant did give him this little thing as an investment that was being placed on him with this little act. At least he now knew that this wasn't poisonous.
She switched her focus away from the pouch and then towards her master with a raised eyebrow. "Naofumi, whenever someone gives you some weird-looking herbs and you're unfamiliar with them, let me see them at least before you accept them. That's until you get a guide to herbs and fungi of the region that we're in, possibly from the Adventurers Guild." She slightly lectured him as she grabbed hold of the pouch and made use of the mortar that her master had used to make medicine for her when she was sick, back when she first started as his companion.
He didn't say anything in his defense; he understood her reasoning. He just never thought this little girl, whom he had robbed of her childhood with her accelerated aging, would be so protective of him. No, he understood—really, he did. He just chose not to understand, chose to ignore it for the sake of his morality and his mental belief that she was still too young to have the affections of a man who was ten or more years her senior, age-wise.
The raccoon dog demi-human girl would glance at her master every now and then, seeing him stare off, no doubt deep in thought. She had no inklings or ideas of his inner turmoil or his growing attraction, while her daily attraction to him steadily grew. But at that moment, she was focused on grinding the two herbs together and preparing to make a special broth that would heal her master's health just enough to get to Castle Town.
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A crimson red blade sliced through a thick brush of thorn bushes as the serpentine demi-human glanced at the glass container pointing him and his companion toward the direction they needed to go.
"How long do you think that witch wants us to walk?" Arthur asked as he followed Jake, though his instincts told him to march back to where the witch was and simply blow her brains out to take Keel away from there. Yet he didn't know if bullets would work on her, even with this magical gun he had.
Hacking through a few more bushes, Jake stopped, deactivated his enchanted blade, sheathed it, and looked at the glass container. "I don't know. If the witch desperately wants something, she will not be far from it. Still, far enough that she wouldn't be affected if we somehow came across something that acts as an obstacle," Jake answered. However, his answer wasn't satisfying to him or his companion, as the golden sparks in the glass container continued to hit the side, pointing them in a single direction.
Taking point and changing his pistol into the bladed form, Arthur took the jar that held the glowing dust and began slicing through several more layers of bushes. "You think we could have just killed her instead of doing this wild goose chase?" The Outlaw questioned as he continued hacking away at the brambles and bushes in his path.
The rattlesnake followed behind as Arthur glanced at the curse mark on his hand that he had formed to seal the pact between himself and the witch. "We could have, but in our dying death throes, she could have put a curse on the forest and upon us to never leave, and killed the person that we're trying to save now." He entered the Outlaw's queries as he curled his fingers into a fist, covering up the curse mark before letting his hand hang to the side.
"Well, when all this is said and done, she's going to have a bullet coming straight between her eyes when this is over, you hear me?" Arthur stated as he hacked another bush, revealing a large expanse of space devoid of any vegetation besides brambles growing over an old stone and climbing up a large wall. If one looked down one side and the other, they would see that the wall almost appeared unending, with no entrance beside a large stone archway and a thick layer of fog blocking any view of the opening.
Before the outlaw could take any step toward the fogged archway, Jake had grabbed him by the shoulder. "Before we enter, let's lay down a game plan for the trials that await us," experienced black adventurer stated, looking at the confused expression on the outlaw before his serpentine gaze went to the barrier.
"Trials?" Arthur questioned, glancing at his companion before his focus went back onto the fog barrier.
"Yes, that there is a fog barrier, and they usually appear in the presence of a very powerful being, either a rogue wave monster that has obtained the abilities of a boss, or this is a full natural boss that has accumulated enough power to project a barrier surrounding itself and the environment." Jake explained in a very simplistic way; if there were an archmage in the group, it would be even more technical, as not always do creatures project these fog barriers. Sometimes they occur naturally if enough magical potential in the area has accumulated, or they can be artificially created just to keep people out.
He pulled away from his companion and changed his gun back to its normal form, beginning to check how many bullets he had in it. "So how should we go about this if there is a boss in there?" Arthur spun the cylinder, making that loud clicking sound before twisting the pistol just at the end of his finger before holstering it.
Jake placed his hand underneath his chin and began pacing back and forth as he tried to think of what type of creature would be residing in this area—an area that was stuck in a time bubble of sorts, with possible enemies one could face. Yet he had to narrow it down based on what history the black adventurer had known during the time when the Mad Queen had destroyed the dragon hourglass and caused this temporal phenomenon that plagued the old capital area. "Well, one thing's for sure: we can't go in thinking it's going to be an easy battle, whatever we're going to be facing." He paused for a moment before looking at Arthur's gun. It was probably best for the outlaw save the last few shots for either delivering massive damage to quickly kill the boss or for the last possible moment when the boss was weak enough to deliver a killing blow. Then again, if the boss happened to be a soft, unarmored creature, it would not be outside the realm of possibility to simply end it with a single shot. Either situation would have to be calculated the moment they entered the area that the boss had claimed for itself. "It's best for you to switch your gun back to its bladed form or use the bow on your back. I know for a fact that the bow hero has unlimited arrows; that's at least what the legends say."
Grabbing the bow that was hanging across his body, he experimentally drew back the string and immediately saw a familiar Native American-looking arrow. He then took aim and released the string at a nearby tree, watching as the arrow penetrated the tree. As he pulled the string back, as if he had readied the next arrow, the previous arrow he had released immediately vanished from the tree where it had penetrated. He released the bowstring again, having done this a few times to familiarize himself with how the bow felt. Sure, Arthur would have preferred his revolver or any other weapon he would have had back in the West, but a bow that did not have a limit on arrows was the best alternative he had for his current weapons. It was unfortunate that he couldn't collect the arrows, as that would have made an excellent way to earn quick coin if they managed to get back to Castletown.
"Well, I'm no expert when it comes to the bow, but I think we could do decently against whoever we're facing. However, if it really gets dicey, I'm going to use the last bit of my ammunition—my explosive rounds, that is—to see whether or not I can blow the head off of whatever stands before us and Keel's freedom," Arthur stated, holding the bow at the ready.
Giving a last affirming nod, Jake went ahead and conducted a quick game plan discussion on how to deal with the boss that was beyond the barrier. They decided on a slow approach to examine what they were facing and determine whether it was a static boss or a pattern boss. After this discussion reached its conclusion, the two approached the fog wall.
Arthur was the first to place his hands on the fog wall and pressed himself forward. As he did, he couldn't help but notice that the fog had the same consistency as molasses or something very viscous. As he pushed himself forward, he felt an uncomfortable sensation across his exposed skin, and even the parts that were covered felt as if he had just swum through oil. He pushed himself through the barrier, with Jake soon following after.
Cinematic scene start*
A large field surrounded by a wall, with a single solitary tower at the center, was littered with the remains of soldiers being consumed by the very earth and thorny brambles that dragged them into the ground. A light breeze stirred the small bit of mist through the air. At the center of this place stood a bone-white tower that almost glowed in the dim light of the eternal moon raining down upon it. At the base of the tower, an ancient warrior, not consumed like the others by the earth but covered in brambles, sat in place with their head bent forward.
White fabric fell through the one and only window at the top of the tower, revealing nothing of the interior—just a black, empty void. As the maiden's rag danced within the wind, it softly landed in the open left palm of the warrior seated at the base of the tower.
Fingers began to twitch as the grinding sound of the armored, rusted gauntlets rubbed against one another. The fingers curled around the pure white fabric until their hand was clutching it into a fist. Their head began to rise slowly as bits of dirt and brambles broke and shifted. The warrior reached out with their right hand, grabbed hold of a spear half-buried in the ground, and pulled it out as they slowly raised themselves from the confines of the earth and brambles that tried to pull them back down. They stumbled at first as they tried to move forward, but then regained their bearings and moved more smoothly and fluidly as they took reaffirming steps forward. They then stopped and pointed their spear at the two combatants who had entered their domain.
Cinematic scene ends.*
The Bramble Knight enters…
BTC
Sorry for taking a long time to post this chapter. I had been meaning to post it for some time, but I got distracted with life and became sick. I had COVID, and it's not a fun experience. Plus, I was going through some down periods, but I had to work my way through it. It's all good now; I should be able to deliver at least one chapter per week, but no promises. I also plan to return to my other works that I've been delaying. I want to thank everyone who has been patient with me, and I hope I didn't lose anyone within this wonderful story I have crafted for all of you.
From yours truly,
Fable Master.
Also, what type of scenes would you suggest for the next chapter? Everyone's opinions matter.