Chapter 14: Return to Ginger Village

Year X774.

"Alright, you two. Are you ready?"

Claudia stood in the middle of the backyard in her home, a smirk resting on her lips. Her typical long blue hair was tied up in a ponytail, dressed in a simple black tanktop and matching shorts. Off to the side was her husband, Hiroshi Hikari. He was a dark-skinned man with windswept black hair and golden eyes with a stubble on his chin and a friendly expression. Sitting in his arms was a gleeful girl - and her youngest child, Sachi. She possessed much of her physical features, however she took more after her father in regards to her hair and eyes, which was predominantly black with streaks of blue.

"Don't hurt them too bad, now." Hiroshi jested with a grin. "There's only so many beatings their egos can take!"

"Momma will win!" Sachi cheered.

"HEY!" her son, Taruko barked in annoyance, his brow twitching, wielding a boken in his hands.

"Pain is an excellent motivator, as they say." Claudia grinned. "A part of training is breaking down one's confidence and building them back up into a formidable warrior!"

Taruko paled at his mother's words.

"Tsk, those words don't scare me!"

At his side was Lance, wearing a cocky grin on his face. In contrast to Claudia and Taruko, the young boy sported two boken befitting his family's sword style. "I'm definitely gonna win this time!"

Claudia narrowed her eyes. "So you say..."

"Spare my grandson no remorse. He needs this," an older man in his 60s stepped into the backyard, with slicked back grey hair tied into a ponytail and a long beard. His sharp crimson eyes twinkled with amusement.

Claudia smiled. "Ah, Mr. Miyamoto... you have no need to worry. That's exactly what I plan to do."

Lance grimaced. "Even my Gramps is against me. Great."

Taruko puffed. "It's only natural. They're right about one thing, you definitely need work!"

Lance twitched, shooting his rival a glare. "Haah?! You're one to talk!"

"BOYS! Focus." Claudia sharply called out to them, grabbing their attention swiftly. Tapping the ground with her boken, the swordswoman cocked her head to the left. "Same rules as before. If you can land a hit on me, you both win, and we move onto the advanced set of training. Understood?"

"Yes!" both boys nodded fiercely, raising their bokken.

Claudia smirked. "Good. Then come at me!"

The two charged towards the woman with a valiant battle cry.

X-X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Honestly, I can't believe you two..."

Taruko and Lance sat on the porch of a smithing shop, sporting smoking bumps on their heads and several bruises. Both boys had irritated scowls on their faces. Standing in front of them was Maiya, her auburn hair tied into a low ponytail and an apron fastened over her clothes.

The girl huffed and shook her head, smirking. "You couldn't honestly expect to win this time, did you? Ms. Hikari is an utter monster!"

"I would have gotten a hit in if this nutcase hadn't gotten in the way," Lance snorted dismissively, jabbing a thumb in Taruko's direction.

Taruko squawked in shock, shooting Lance an irritated look. "HUH?! Why are you blaming me for getting your butt whooped?! That has nothing to do with me!"

"Oh, yeah?! If you just followed my plan, we would be moving onto the advanced set by now!"

"And your plan was to just charge in and swing wildly like a complete and utter lunatic? Yeah, right. No wonder we haven't beaten her yet."

"Tsk, better than anything YOU can come up with. She's your freaking Mom for crying out loud, how do you not know how to beat her?!"

"Do you even hear yourself? How does that make sense? Just because I'm related to her, somehow I'm supposed to MAGICALLY know all her weaknesses?"

Maiya dully watched on as the two started to bicker. She sighed harshly and pinched the bridge of nose before lashing out and slugging them on the head with her fists.

*CLONK!!

"OW! Maiya, what the heck?!" Taruko groaned, clutching his head in pain. "We've been beaten enough!"

"Damn she-demon..." Lance grumbled.

"For once I'd appreciate it if you two didn't butt heads so much." Maiya snorted. Spinning on her heel, she placed her fists on her hips and chuckled. "You know, if you two stopped fighting for once and actually worked together, you might have a solid chance and beating Ms. Hikari?"

Taruko and Lance exchanged a glance, squinting. "Team up? With this guy? No way."

Maiya sighed. "I tried..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X-X

Year X777, Present Day.

"Nice place you've got for yourself,"

I closed my eyes and pressed my fist against my forehead, trying my best to ignore the throbbing pain in my skull from the sudden wave of memories. With a soft inhale, I placed my hands against the kitchen counter and smiled shakily at Maiya as she looked around curiously. "... thanks."

Of all the things to happen, I didn't expect her to show up at my doorstep. This was all so... I don't even know. I don't know how to feel right now. How did she even find me?

Pip nudged my cheek with her paw, eyeing me with concern. "Are you okay?"

I glanced at her and smiled a bit more genuinely. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Turning to Maiya, I frowned. "How did you know where to find me?"

Pausing, Maiya slowly turned to me and blinked. She fished into her pocket and flashed a familiar latter. "This was sent to the village by a girl named Ditzy. She almost died getting it to us."

My eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

Maiya shook her head. "It wasn't the magic beasts surrounding the mountains, if you're wondering. It was... something else. The reason I came here."

Pip and I exchanged a concerned glance. I looked back at Maiya and nodded. "Tell me what it is, and I'll do what I can to help."

Maiya stared at me in silence, and a smile crossed her lips. "Thank you."

Taking a seat on the couch, she folded her hands over her lap and frowned. "... for the past year and a half, Ginger Village has been under the rule of a dark guild."

My eyes widened and a pit formed in my stomach. No way... you can't be serious...!

"We don't know much about them, or their motives, but we know their name. Crimson Thorn." Maiya clenched her fists tightly. "They've oppressed everyone in the village, using us as slaves to search for something within the caverns. Anyone who opposes them is... disposed of."

"To make matters worse, any attempt at contacting the Magic Council has been made next to impossible. It's hard enough to get in and out of the village and past the borders - really, it's a miracle I made it this far. Ditzy's arrival gave us a chance." she stared directly into my eyes. "I've already asked her to send a message to the council, but I can't wait for them to take action, so that's why I came to you. I need your help, Taruko. To save our home and stop... whatever it is they're planning!"

I broke out into a cold sweat, my eyes continuing to widen in horror. No, no... this... this isn't right. Sachi is there, right...?! Those fuckers...!

"Is... is Sachi okay?" I whispered, the words feeling like ash on my tongue.

Maiya paused, grimacing and looking off to the side. My heart pounded in my chest as she sighed. "...Taruko..." she closed her eyes. "She left the village a year ago to look for you."

I blinked.

"You up and left without so much as a word, what did you expect? For her to sit around and wait? You didn't even send us a letter until now," Maiya frowned at me, and I found myself looking away in shame. "Hell... some of us thought you maybe died out there."

...I technically did...

My gaze fell towards the floor. "... I'm sorry."

I didn't know what else to say. Did I even deserve forgiveness for abandoning my own sister when she needed me most? My friends? There was no excuse. I acted out on a selfish whim, caught up in my own grievances and frustrations, on a mindless quest for power that ultimately led to my temporary demise. Now the only family I have left is out there alone searching for me.

Sachi is out there. Alone.

Because of me.

Inhaling slowly, I stared at her in determination and nodded. "I'll go back with you. I might've left but Ginger Village is still my home. It's not right that I leave you guys to suffer like this."

Relief washed over Maiya's features and she nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Taruko..."

I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Walking out of the kitchen, I turned to Maiya. "You can stay here tonight, I've got a spare blanket and pillow. I'm sorry that I don't have a spare room, though..."

"It's..." she yawned, "... fine, really. I'm already imposing as is."

Nodding, I walked down the hall and made my way towards my bedroom. Padding footsteps alerted me of Pip following after me. She looked up at me with worried eyes.

"Are you really going back?" she whispered.

"... Yeah. I have to do this." I nodded, pushing my closer open and grabbing a blanket and pillow. "Like I said, Ginger Village is my home. Whatever I did before doesn't matter. They need my help."

Pip frowned to herself and fell quiet. I took that as our conversation ending and moved to give Maiya her blanket and pillow.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The morning came swiftly. After some breakfast and more discussion, Maiya and I made our way to the train station to depart for Ginger Village. I'd packed my bags and put on a new outfit for the trip; consisting of a sleeveless black vest with blue trim, blue wristguards, black slacks, and matching colored boots. I adjusted the straps of my bag skittishly, trying to calm my nerves as best I could.

I was about to challenge a dark guild. I knew I'd be facing many in the future, such as Eisenwald and the Oracion Seis, but I didn't expect to face off against one so early in my life. To make matters worse, it was a guild I knew nothing about. I didn't know of their capabilities at all, which made me wary.

"You ready to go?" Maiya asked patiently.

"... Yeah." I nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

I flinched and whirled around in surprise. Erza, Natsu, Gray, Mirajane, and Cana stood before me, all wearing either a neutral expression, smile, or cocky smirk on their faces. They all also happened to be carrying their own bags. I stammered, flapping my gums uselessly as I tried to formulate a response.

"I- wh- what are you guys doing here?!"

"Pip told us what you were gonna do," Gray answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The bunny peeked over from behind the Ice Wizard's leg.

"You thought we were just going to let you run off and fight a dark guild on your own? Fat chance!" Cana scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Yeah! If there's a fight going on, there's no way you're leaving me out!" Natsu cheered, punching his palm with a feral grin.

I blinked owlishly in surprise, glancing at Mira. The goth girl huffed and glanced off to the side. "I already told Lisanna and Elfman. They wanted to come, but I told them no. So here I am."

"...you guys..."

Erza stepped forward and took my hand in a gentle grip, staring at me firmly. "We're a team, remember? You don't have to do this alone."

I felt something nudge my leg and looked down to see Pip nuzzling her cheek against it. My expression softened as I eyed the determination in everyone's eyes. I did it again. I was going to do it again. I was going to leave something behind without thinking to say goodbye, not knowing if I'd come back alive or not.

Internally, I sighed. 'Some things never change...'

On the outside, I smiled and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this, as a team."

I turned to Maiya and gestured to my friends. "You don't mind them tagging along?"

"Not at all!" Maiya smiled, shaking her head. "The more the merrier, as they say. We'll need all the help we can get."

She stepped forward and held out her hand. "My name is Maiya Sengo. An old friend of Taruko's."

Erza was the first to take it. "Erza Scarlet."

Cana waved with a pleasant smile, "Cana Alberonna."

"Natsu Dragneel!" Natsu grinned.

"Mirajane." Mira muttered calmly.

Gray walked up to shake her hand. "Gray Fullbuster."

Maiya blinked at Gray, and her face slowly turned red. She averted her gaze and coughed. "U-Uhm... your..."

Gray blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Cana groaned, palming her face. "Gray! Your CLOTHES!"

"AW, CRAP?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!"

Natsu scoffed. "Dumb stripper."

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Gray snarled, slamming his forehead against Natsu's.

"You heard me! You deaf or somethin'?!" Natsu growled.

"Enough! You're going to cause a scene!" Erza snapped, grabbing the two by the hair and slamming their skulls together, knocking them out cold.

I sweat-dropped. "You're all causing a scene..."

"Typical Erza," Mirajane rolled her eyes.

"Don't you start something now..."

Cana gave Maiya a miserable glance. "I'm so sorry about this."

Maiya laughed, shaking her head as her blush died down. "No, no! It's okay! You're a pretty funny group."

The engines of the train blared loudly and people began to board it. I clenched a fist as Pip hopped onto my shoulder. With a sigh, I turned to the others. "It's time we go."

"Right." everyone nodded in agreement, however, Natsu grimaced uncomfortably as he eyed the transport.

"Do we really have to take the train...? Can't we walk?" Natsu groaned.

"It'll already take a week's travel to get to the borders. Then the rest of the way we have to travel on foot, and brave the dangers of Silver Mountain to get to Ginger Village." Maiya informed firmly, shaking her head. "We can't take too long and leave Lance and the others vulnerable."

Gray smacked Natsu upside the head, earning as an indignant squawk from the pinkette as he casually strolled into the train. "Welp, you heard the lady. Let's go, moron."

"Damn it..."

I chuckled and followed after the two, with the others trailing behind. Taking our seats in the cart, Natsu, Gray, Erza and myself occupied the seats on the right, while Maiya, Mirajane, and Cana occupied the left. The train began to move and Natsu groaned, his face turning a sickly green and his cheeks bulging outwards horrendously as he tried not to upchuck his lunch.

"Hate... these freaking death traps..." Natsu wheezed.

Maiya frowned in concern. "Is... is he okay? What's wrong with him?"

"Motion sickness. All Dragon Slayers are afflicted with it," I informed swiftly, glancing at Natsu with sympathy. "The magic effectively alters the user's physiology to match that of a Dragon's, and since they're the pinnacle of magic beasts, their senses are millions of times sharper than ours. Pack all of that into a human and you get... well, this. When it comes to modes of transportation, anyways."

Cana blinked, humming. "Oh, I didn't know that..."

"Being a Slayer must be rough." Maiya muttered. 'So would he be afflicted with the same weakness...?'

"I still don't understand why a Dragon would teach someone a magic meant to slay them." Mirajane snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Don't make me go into a history lesson," I muttered dryly.

"As usual, you're well informed." Erza smiled at me, before turning to Natsu's groaning form with a frown and clocking him in the stomach.

*WHAM!

"GUGHK-!"

Natsu let out a pitiful squeak as he slumped over, out cold. Erza promptly set his head on her lap and nodded in satisfaction. "There we go. That'll keep him out for a while."

"... I do not envy him." Gray smirked.

"You shouldn't take pleasure in people's suffering, Gray..." I chided with a smirk of my own.

"Yeah, but when it's Flame Brain, it's hilarious."

Turning to Maiya, Erza folded her arms over her breastplate. "So, is there anything else you can tell us about what we might be facing?"

Maiya nodded, frowning. "There are five total members you need to watch out for in Crimson Thorn. The rest are simply followers they'd gathered..."

"Kaiser, the Bomber."

"Eiji, the Hound."

"Orochi, the Whisperer."

"Momiji, the Wraith."

Everyone narrowed their eyes at the titles, however I frowned, squinting. "What about the fifth? You only named four."

"Their leader... they never showed their face. We don't know who they are, but they're followed by their subordinates loyally. I can just... tell that they're dangerous." Maiya's face twisted into a grimace. "Those five... they subjugated our village in a matter of hours. Not even Mr. Miyamoto could fend them off, and he..."

I gulped. Mr. Miyamoto, or rather, Tetsuo Miyamoto was a man of equal skill in the sword with my mother, if my memories served correct. Despite his old age, he was quite powerful... he was also the grandfather of my old friend and rival, Lance Miyamoto. If the members of Crimson Thorn could subdue him, then this was going to be significantly harder than I'd previously thought.

Judging from their titles I could only take a gander at their abilities. This Kaiser guy must've had some kind of explosion magic. Putting Natsu up against him would be the most optimal. As for the others... I had absolutely no idea. And like it or not, my meta-knowledge isn't going to help me here, because all of this NEVER HAPPENED IN THE ORIGINAL SERIES!

"I haven't seen all of their abilities firsthand..." Maiya muttered, "But I've seen Kaiser battle Mr. Miyamoto. He's a skilled swordsman capable of using some king of explosion oriented magic. And Orochi... he's set up a system around the forest that detects anyone trying to enter or leave the village and get through Silver Mountain. Giant snakes made of wood will try to pulverize you."

Her expression darkened. "It was hard enough for me and Ditzy to escape, but the others. But the others managed to help. We would've left sooner for help, but we didn't want to leave the village unprotected. Still, our efforts of liberating everyone has been... less than satisfactory. And we were far weaker then."

We all sat there in silence, absorbing her words. I think the others were finally starting to grasp the situation we were getting ourselves into, judging by Cana's pale face and Gray, Mira, and Erza's serious expression.

Cana shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe we should have told Master Makarov after all..."

"No way. There's no way he'd let us engage against a dark guild at our current level." I shook my head, clenching my fists. "... whether we want to admit it or not, we're likely going to be going into this outclassed."

Grimaces were worn by everyone around me, and I sighed, clasping my hands together. "So we need to come up with a plan of attack. We'll all have to work together and team up to take these guys down, because there's no way we'll beat them one on one."

"So what do we do?" Pip piped up from my lap. Speaking up for the first time since we'd boarded the train.

I pursed my lips. "... when we get there, we'll need to gather intel, first. We're severely lacking in information about the other head honchos. The sooner we have a grasp on their abilities, the better we can work around them."

"And if we don't figure them out in time?" Erza inquired.

I shrugged. "We improvise."

Judging from their looks, that didn't inspire much confidence.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The past week was a blur. We departed from the train a day later and began to travel the road by foot. We were initially going to take a carriage to cut the distance, but Natsu was very adamant about not getting on another method of transportation for a while. Which led us to walking to Silver Mountain. If I had to wager, we were probably a few days away from the mountain. Then it was a matter of traversing the cave system while avoiding the magic beasts.

And with each passing day, bits and pieces of old memories slowly fell into place.

Right now we set up camp in the woods. Whenever we camp out somewhere, we were assigned tasks. Mira and I, being the only ones would actual cooking experience, would take turns as chef for the group. Today was Mira's turn. As the others prepped up the camp, and Mira prepared the food, I set out to get firewood. Gray was accompanying me.

"... so, what are your thoughts on all this?" Gray asked me. I turned to him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... going back to your home after who knows how long just to find out it's been taken over by a dark guild?"

I summoned Stormbreaker into my hand and silently swung it in an arc, cleaving a tree clean off the trunk. I dismissed the axe and caught the tree with a grunt, hauling it over my shoulder. The perks of absurd training was crazy physical conditioning. Carrying these like these practically weighed nothing to me anymore.

"I don't know. I'm mad, I guess?"

Gray's brows furrowed. "You guess?"

"I don't know. I definitely want to kick their asses." I huffed. "And I want to save everyone. I'm just confused... why Ginger Village of all places? It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Maybe there's something special about it?"

"The only special thing about the village was that it was founded by a legendary swordsman and was created in the crater where he did battle with a powerful demon." I shrugged my shoulders, accidentally shifting the tree. "Other than that, it's pretty ordinary..."

Gray went silent for a moment as we made our way back to the camp. "Your Mom was an S-Class Wizard of Fairy Tail. Maybe she made some enemies and they came back for revenge?"

I felt my face twist into a dark expression for a second. "... yeah, well, if it's for something as petty as that, consider them dead."

We breached the clearing and arrived at the camp. Maiya and Erza were setting up the tents, Cana was rearranging her deck, and Natsu...

... was being used to light the fire for the pot Mira was using to cook our dinner.

Maiya noticed Gray and I arrive and perked up with a smile, only to pause and blinked. "Ah - you didn't need to get something so big..."

I tossed the tree into the air and unsheathed my sword with lightning fast precision, slicing through the air and cutting the tree up into small logs. Any leaves and branches fell into a pile as I caught the freshly cut logs and placed them on the ground.

Maiya faltered. "... ah."

Gray snorted, walking past me. "Show off."

I blew a raspberry at him.

"Thanks for the wood." Mira nodded curtly, grabbing a few logs and tossing them under the fire. "Natsu, increase the heat for me a bit."

"Fine..." Natsu grumbled, and expelled more flames from his mouth and into the fire.

While Mira stirred the stew in the pot in focused silence, I took a seat on the grass and grabbed my bag, pulling out several water bottles and tossed them over to Gray. "These got warm, make 'em cool for everyone, would you?"

Gray caught them wordlessly and began to use his magic to make the water cold. Behind me, my tent rustled and Pip hopped out with a yawn. I smiled as she made her way over to me, scratching a spot behind her ears. "Sleep well?"

"Mmhm..." she let out another yawn.

My bunny is so freaking cute.

"That should do it." Erza sighed, wiping some sweat off her brow. She'd discarded her armor pieces for the night and was content with wearing a short-sleeved white blouse, blue skirt, and black leggings.

All our tents were separated by gender. So the girls had one, and the boys had one. Meaning Natsu, Gray, and I were bunking together. The only exception was Pip, who was a clingy little bunny, so she'd be sleeping with us.

"Everyone! Food is ready!"

That grabbed everyone's attention. Soon enough, we all sat around the fire as Mira poured stew into bowls for the each of us. Then we began to eat in silence. Sans Natsu, who scarfed down his food and was quick to dig in for seconds. The atmosphere was calm and tranquil, if a little bit tense. Everyone knew that we were days away from big fight.

It was no surprise we were a bit tense.

"... so," Cana spoke up. "What's Ginger Village like? Y'know? Besides the dark guild." she glanced at me. "You never really mentioned your home... like at all."

Maiya shot me a look. I don't know what type of look it was. It was just... a look.

I swallowed my food and set my bowl in my lap, sighing. "Well, like I told Gray, our village was founded by a swordsman called Miyamoto Musashi over... 400-ish years ago? Old legends said that he fought a powerful demon that terrorized Fiore. The village was built over the battlegrounds after he slayed the demon."

Natsu grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Awesome! He must've been crazy strong! Wish I could've fought 'em..."

Gray scoffed. "Like you could take on someone like that,"

"The hell did you say?!"

"It's very beautiful." Maiya added with a smile. "There's rich forests with the greenest meadows you've ever seen... caves with beautiful ores and vibrant crystals, set near an ocean where the water glitters like stars as the sun rises..."

"Sounds nice," Mira hummed.

Erza nodded. "I'd love to see it."

"We will," I clenched my fist, staring at the fire intently. "We'll be at these Crimson Thorn bastards and send them running with their tails between their legs..." I smiled. "And then you guys can see how breathtaking the village really is."

The others smiled and nodded. After that, we continued to eat in silence until the pot of stew was empty. With everyone full, Mira began to collect the empty bowls. I smiled at the goth girl.

"Thanks for the meal, Mira."

She blinked at me before huffing with a slight smile. "You're all welcome."

"It's about time we all head to bed," Maiya clapped her hands together. "We've got a long road ahead of us tomorrow,"

Murmurs of agreement echoed through the camp. I picked up a groggy Pip and made my way into the tent, yawning into my hand and tucking ourselves into my sleeping bag. My mind wandered back to Ginger Village and that dark guild... Crimson Thorn. How strong truly were they? Would we really be able to defeat them? Or are we too late? How long has Maiya and the others suffered while I was off gallavanting with Fairy Tail? And most of all... Sachi wasn't even there. I didn't know what would be worse. Her being in the village while a tyrannical dark guild had them in a chokehold, or her out there in the world on her own looking for me.

I didn't like either answer. But regardless... I can't lose sleep over it. I need to be well rested for the road and inevitable battle ahead. So I need to get some sleep.

...or try to, anyways...

X-X-X-X-X-X

Drip*Drip*Drip*Drip.

Droplets of water dripped into a puddle, spreading out along a rocky cavern. Dark and damp, the caves were illuminated by torches. Footsteps echoed through the dark, and a tall man stepped through the shadows, giving clarity to his features.

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with tanned skin and spikey gold hair and orange eyes. His torso was bare, revealing intricate red tattoos running along his muscular body. Golden wristguards adorned his arms, followed by baggy black pants and golden greaves, with a tiger fur coat tied around his waist. Strapped to his back was a unique 'sword', if it could even be called a sword, as the blade was shaped more like a cylinder, with a glowing lacrima embedded in the guard of the weapon.

Kaiser passed several villagers, all of which were running ragged, hacking away at rock and ore with worn out pickaxes. He didn't spare them a glance as he walked down the cavern. A pickaxe clattered to the floor and a child fell in front of his feet.

"O-Ow...!" the boy whimpered, staring at the glaring red blisters on his palms from hours of work without rest. A shadow loomed over him and his breath hitched in fright as he locked eyes with Kaiser. "A-Ah..."

Kaiser stared at him coldly. "Move."

The child squeaked and grabbed his fallen pickaxe with a pained grimace, scrambling out of the way and into the arms of his supposed guardian. Kaiser let out a scoffed and continued walking.

He approached a staircase that led deeper into the cave. Walking down the steps, he entered a corridor where more villagers were seen hacking away at the earth. However, four other figures stood alongside them, watching their progress.

One of them was a young man in his teens with messy, dirty black hair tinted blue with tufts of hair poining upwards akin to wolf ears. He had feral looking eyes and his lips stuck in a perpetual frown. He wore a simple black T-shirt and ripped pants, however he didn't wear any shoes. He picked at his teeth with a piece of sharp bone.

Eiji, the Hound.

A young girl sat near him on a crate, only around 14 or 15 years in age. Her hair was dark and unruly, spilling over her shoulders. Her eyes had deep black bags under them, and she wore a dark purple dress with black trim and pink accents, with black stockings and purple boots. She hummed merrily, constantly giggling under her breath and whispering to the air.

Momiji, the Wraith.

Another man stood still, staring impassively at the wall. He was a head shorter than Kaiser, with long, light pink hair and pale skin. His eyes looked like that of a conniving snakes, colored a deep magenta. He had a feminine looking face and donned silky green robes.

Orochi, the Whisperer.

Standing at the head of the group was a short individual with a raggedy black cloak obscuring their features, not giving a single hint to their identity or gender. They turned to meet Kaiser's gaze, glowing red orbs peering into the man's soul with a keen intensity.

The Matriarch hummed, speaking up. "A pleasure for you to join us, Kaiser. And where were you?"

"Forcing these villagers to mine got boring. So I went out to fight some of those beasts that wandered the mountains." Kaiser scoffed. "They were hardly a challenge."

"Must you always act like such a brute?" Orochi sighed. "There is much more to life than battle."

"I wouldn't expect a conniving snake such as yourself to understand the joy of clashing blades with a worthy opponent, Orochi." Kaiser snorted dismissively, folding his arms over his chest.

Orochi rolled his eyes in silence.

"Why waste time fighting when you could be busy eating or sleeping..." Eiji mumbled, tossing the bone he was using to pick his teeth to the side.

"Hehe, you've sure got a one track mind, Eiji~!" Momiji giggled.

"And unlike you, I'm not a lazy bum. I actually like to be productive." Kaiser retorted, squinting at the feral looking bum.

"I'm not lazy, I just conserve my energy for something more important rather than waste it on meangingless crap..." Eiji argued with a tired grumble.

"Lazy bum! Lazy bum~!" Momiji chanted with a demented grin.

Eiji scowled. "Shuddup, Momiji...!"

The Matriarch silently watched the banter before turning to the wall the villagers were picking away at. Orochi followed their gaze and squinted at the wall. "I do not wish to doubt your claims, Matriarch, but are you quite sure what we're looking for is in this pitiful village?"

"It is." The Matriarch said with absolute certainty.

"... and this power is truly as great as you claim?"

"With it, nothing will get in the way of us creating our own perfect world." The Matriarch nodded. "Simply have patience."

Kaiser lazily glanced at his leader, arching a brow. "... Right. And what about that little 'resistance'? Are we going to keep letting those brats run around freely?"

Orochi nodded. "As much I hate to agree with him, Kaiser is right. Wouldn't it be best to get rid of them?"

"They are mere children. Hardly a threat to any of you. They've challenged you all several times and the outcome remains the same." The Matriarch paused, their inflection monotone before speaking up again. "I find their efforts amusing. Leave them be. Their efforts will prove futile in the end."

"... and what about the girl?" Eiji mumbled. "The one that escaped with that delivery chick? What if they bring the Magic Council over here. We've gone through a lot of trouble to prevent word from getting out... why ease up now?"

"Simple. By the time the council catches wind, it will already be too late for them to take action. With this power... not even the council will be able to stand in our way." a delighted hum left the Matriach's lips. "So let them come."

Their eyes shone with menacing light, a malevolent aura shrouding their cloaked body.

"They will die like all the others that got in our way."