Rusted scales, broken wings, and scarred snout. With destroyed carapace, an obvious limp, and missing his left eye. His kin was little more than a dead Elder walking. Flexing his wing, he carefully edged closer, trying to peer at his kin's broken body without being noticed.
"Can you speak… as well?", His kin weakly asked. A male, based on the voice, with a rumble that came with age, and a rasp that came with the pain. He thought his kin to be of little threat in his current state.
"Yes?", He answered. The tension in the air thinned, and was replaced with uncomfortable silence. The younger Elder would never show pity for his kin, but even he found some remorse for the sorry excuse of an Elder before him. He tiled his head in an oddly human motion, "When did you learn to speak? Why can we speak?"
"I don't know?", He carefully moved to rest against the forest floor. The storm clouds let out another rumble as the pain turned to rage, "I wound up here," he gasped for air, and the drizzle turned to rain, "after escaping hunters," light flashed, temporarily bathing the forest in light, "I can't fly for more than a moment.", He growled with righteous fury, "They tore out my eye! They tore my wings apart! They…"
And with a sudden realization, the storm was quelled. He wheezed, and tried flapping his wings. The rust coating them made a painful wrenching sound as they flexed with the muscles beneath. He turned back to his younger kin, "It doesn't matter… not anymore… what matters is… recovering.", He took a pained step forward, his limp evident from the ditch he was digging with his back leg.
He raised himself to his once usual regal stature with his head held high, wings folded atop his back, and crest in full view. He spoke with the power that could only resonate within their kind, "I need to find ore. Enough ore to reforge my body after shedding this… disgrace. You will help me."
The younger Elder flexed the wings atop his back, and lowered himself in preparation to strike. This new contender was only slightly larger than himself, but potentially held centuries worth in experience. He growled in challenge, "Why are you telling me this? Do you expect me to help a rival? I should cut you down before you can recover at all."
The broken Elder gave what could only be called a smirk. The storm surged with violent lightning strikes, torrents of rain water, and rushing winds. He raised himself to look down on his younger kin, "My body maybe broken, but my spirit is not!", The plant life was ripped from the forest floor. The trees around them tugged and tore at the ground beneath them. The rocks beside his talons tore from beneath him, and shot into the ongoing vortex.
"I cannot match you physically, but the winds are mine to command. Go forth fledgling," he bared his scarred neck, "I will allow you the first strike!"
The vortex grew more violent. The younger Elder's eyes were drawn to the sky, widening in horror as the sky he once called his was enveloped in a raging storm. Creatures similar to the one that lived on his mountain desperately clung to wavering forest trees. Rain filled the forest floor, mud clung to his talons as he sank into the earth. He unfurled his wings, and desperately stuck out against the rusted dragon. Wind sent his wing wide, causing him to strike the empty air.
Letting out a rasping chuckle the Elder summoned the wind into his maw, and shot it forth in a horizontal tornado. Wrenching the younger Elder from the ground, and sent flying into a slowly loosening tree. The collision knocked the tree loose enough for it to be carried off into the dragon made vortex. He scrambled to his claws, and tried to keep himself from being drawn into the windstorm above.
Attempt to escape with a launch failed as his wings were ripped from position, and only served to bury him further into the mud.
"I'll help you!", He called out, "I'll help you find your ore!"
And like that. The winds were quelled, and the storm ended. The suspended life slowly fell with the descending current, and all was quiet. The rain ceased, the wind returned to its normal breeze, and the forest, though ravaged, knew peace once more.
A pained laugh broke the silence as the broken Elder limped over to his shellshocked kin. He stood tall, despite his injury, as he lorded his victory over the younger Elder.
"Well," He gave a mock grin, "where should we start then…", An air of amusement came over him, "Wait, I know…", He leaned down to look into his kin's eyes, "How about a name? For the both of us. I can't call you kin every time I give you an order, after all… I will use the name the humans gave my kind. Kushala has a certain power to it, does it not?"
As he continued to ramble in his aged mania. The younger Elder picked himself up from his disgraceful rut in the ground. He wiped the dirt from his beak, and was startled by Kushala roaring into his face.
"Pick a name, fledgling!", Anger ran across Kushala's tortured features, "Does fledgling sound like such a good name to you? Come now! What shall we call you?"
He stared up into the blue eye of his kin. Intelligence was clear for all to see, but it lacked the one thing he believed he would see, insanity. No, Kushala was simply eccentric, not insane, not senile; no, this elder among Elders lacked any signs madness. He would have been more comfortable with following the orders of a crazed dragon, than an odd one. At least he could escape while he was under some mental illusion, if he were insane. Nodding, he stood taller, practically face to face with Kushala.
"The humans called me Valstrax," he backed away, "should I take that name?
"If that is what you desire. It makes no difference to me; I just don't want to say kin every time I need you to do something.", Kushala clawed at some the rust peeling off his side in disinterest.
"Well… perhaps…", He didn't know what to call himself, "I…"
"I'll call you Pluck.", Kushala interrupted, "Change it when you think of something better, but for now… we should head to that human village… the ones with the walls. They have ore… I think. Should only be a couple days of travel by ground."
-0-
"Why do I have to wear this?", Ace tugged at the collar around his neck.
"It inhibits your ability to use magic.", Wilmarina clamped the next collar around Mia's neck.
"But I can't use magic," He tried loosening the device, "stupid thing chafes… Mind your own funkin business!"
The homeless man staring at him scrambled behind the city wall. They were currently standing at the entrance to one of the major cities of the Order, Lescatie. If the easily climbable walls and antsy guards weren't enough to repel their enemies then nothing could. Ace clicked his tongue at one of the nosier guards. Who then proceeded to unsheathe his sword, trying to hide his trembling from the much shorter felyne.
"Watch your tongue, monster.", One of the veterans brandished his own weapon, "Or we'll cut it out. Count yourself lucky we don't gut you where you stand."
"Nyah, nyah, nyah", Ace mocked, but did reluctantly close his mouth, 'You can barely take one of those hounds. You wouldn't last a second against me.'
Their group, escorted by Wilmarina and the soldiers, made a column. Dawn and Wilmarina in the front, Estrid and Shizuka behind them, with the werecats after them, and the hellhounds, surrounded by the soldiers, taking up the back.
Citizens of the Order watched them pass, but were quick to make themselves scarce at the sight of the mamono. The people hid within their wooden homes, and watched from their refined glass windows. The clink of steel toed boots and Estrid's hoofs against the paved stone drowned out the whispers as they walked by.
Even after all of them, sides Dawn, were cuffed, and the hellhounds tied up. The people still watched them with the same fear they would show any other monster. Mia, not used to the getting the evil eye, crept closer to the palico. Grabbing ahold of his paw, and moving to stand behind him.
"What's wrong?", Ace looked over his shoulder.
"I'm scared," She squeezed his paw, "everyone's staring at us."
"Ignore them," he shook her off, "they can't do anything to us."
She clung to him with more fervor, and whispered, "I'm still scared. Hold my hand!"
"No.", Ace shook her off again. Undeterred Mia jumped onto the palico's back, causing him to stumble forward. Wrapping her arms and legs around him in a piggyback, while making sure to avoid the spikier parts of his armor. Ace righted himself, "What are you doing? Get off."
"No," she nuzzled into his back, "if you won't hold my hand, then I'll hold onto you."
Sighing, Ace scratched at the inhibitor, and tried to shake the werecat from his back to no avail. He only ended up getting her to tighten her hold on him. He turning to Tatsuo, "Aren't you supposed to drag her off at this point?"
Eyeing the people of Lescatie, the chef didn't feel particularly comfortable either. He leaned over and whispered, "I don't think making sudden moves would do us any good. Try to bear with it."
"Gog damnit.", Ace rolled his eyes, and walked up to the hero in front of him, "Hey how far are we from the…"
"Get away from Hero Noscrim, monster!", The same soldier, that reprimanded him earlier, ran to the front, "Get back! NOW!"
The hunter and the hero turned to the enraged soldier. Wilmarina was about to diffuse the situation when Dawn decided that he had enough of him. The group grounded to a halt as the hunter wrenched the man's breastplate to force the man to face him. He leaned in, letting his height and strength do the work for him, "Are we going to have a problem?"
Shocked by the sudden manhandling, the soldier could only stare up at the silver plate visor and glowing eyes of the hunter's helmet. His demeanor crumbled as he felt his knees turn to jelly. He grasped onto the hunter's hand, and tried to remove it in some vain hope he could possibly reverse the situation. The crumpling of metal in the hunter's hand, said otherwise, "No, sir."
Letting go of the man, the hunter turned to Wilmarina, "Answer the question."
Hand on the hilt of her own sword, the hero could only nod, and point to the structure in the distance. Catching herself, she added, "It's up ahead."
Nodding the hunter started walking again, ignoring the eyes baring down on him from all sides. Ace side stepped the Order hero and soldier, and made to follow after his partner. A confused Mia, still attached to his back.
'So, he's strong enough to crumple iron,' Wilmarina observed the soldier's destroyed breastplate, 'that's good to know.'
She was quick to follow after the hunter, and take lead once more. With the party of monsters and soldiers following after. The hunter didn't seem to mind, though the orange werecat was the only one to acknowledge her.
"What's your guys' problem?", He shifted the female's added weight to the side, "I ask one question, and you're all up in arms!"
The soldier from before was about to repeat his mistake, but his older comrade was quick to pull him back. Even as glares were level with the rude werecat. With the addition of other guards joining their column.
"I can't talk to you," She made sure to turn away from the felyne, "not in the city at least. If you have a question, you should ask… the hunter should just ask it for you."
"Gah!", Ace threw his paws into the air, "Fine… Dawn ask her."
Disheveled, the hunter glanced at the hero beside him, "What do your people have against mamono?"
Wilmarina stared up at the hunter, and glanced back at the monsters behind her. The minotaur glared at her, but she seemed glare at everything she set her red eyes on. The fluffy monster shied away from her, and the werecats didn't seem to care. The males at least looked her in the eye, but the female almost recoiled when her gaze passed over her.
"Mamono… monsters are demon spawn," she turned back to the hunter, "their only desire in to devour the souls of humanity, and to trick them into serving them."
The females monsters leveled a stare of disbelief at her, while the males merely gave a quirk of the brow. The hunter's silence only added to the tension. But the burning gaze of the hellhounds only confirmed her belief.
"A part of that," the hunter nodded, "is true."
The inaudible shock from the monsters moved to him, but he continued in his stride. As if he were unaffected by the eyes baring down on him. The minotaur and the fluffy monster almost looked hurt. The males were the only ones unaffected by his words.
"They don't necessarily devour humans," he added, "and the mamono I travel with do not seek to enslave me. Or any other human I've met so far."
And like that, their gazes turned soft. She would have called them relieved if she didn't know better, but what the hunter said bothered her.
"What do you mean?", She asked.
"Mamono have a symbiotic nature to them," he gestured for her to look behind them, "they are not all parasites. Though those hellhounds appear to be more of a predator species."
"And that would make us their prey.", She added.
"I believe so," his covered gaze rested on her, "but I have yet to truly speak with them."
"And why would you do that?", The old veteran made himself known, "If you don't mind my asking?"
The hunter's gaze moved to the man beside him, and the hunter's tone changed from exasperated too respectful. For what reason, she didn't know. She had only met the old man somewhat recently. His name was Drell Augustus, he told her he wasn't from Lescatie and that he had just recently arrived, but with all the crazy things going on, she didn't really have the time to look into him. Though he often spent time with Sasha Fullmoon, and if Sasha trusted him, then so could she.
"No sir, ask as many questions as you'd like," the hunter nodded, "but to answer your first question: If I am to understand the mamono. I must either hunt them, or I must learn from them. I am here to observe the monsters of this world after all."
"Then why are you here?", Drell asked, "Lescatie isn't exactly full of monsters."
The hunter nodded, "Yes, but I am still required under Guild regulation to introduce and notify the governing bodies of our presence in their land. After I speak with your leader, and do some research on the Order itself. I plan to start exploring the continent."
"Do you not fear that the Order would prevent you and your… companions from leaving?", Drell continued.
Wilmarina gave the man a curious look. He was oddly talkative with the hunter, and had yet to say as much as a full sentence after they left for their patrol this morning. She refocused on the road in front of her when he glanced her way, 'He's probably just curious about the people from another world. I have questions to ask the hunter too.'
"I will trust your leader won't do anything rash," the hunter stared up at the pearly gates of the castle entrance, "but I have no intention of staying longer than I have to. We will be leaving with or without their blessing, regardless."
Wilmarina felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of her neck, and anxiously waved for the guards to open the gates. She eyed the Great Sword hanging from the hunter's back with caution. She saw how easily he could swing such a massive weapon. The idea of it being used to on the soldiers and herself was not a comforting train of thought.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that.", She gave him a nervous smile.
Ace took in the interaction from behind Dawn, and made sure to keep an eye on the old man. He readjusted the girl on his back, but decided to make an offer.
"Mia." He whispered.
"Yes?", She pulled herself close to Ace's face.
"I'll hold your hand if you get off my back.", He took the first step into the castle.
"Promise you won't let go.", She squeezed.
"Sure…"
-0-
Estrid never met people from the Order before, but she knew for a fact that they weren't exactly fond of mamono. She tugged at her own collar as the soldiers shuffled away from their group as Dawn stridden right passed them, despite their initial refusal. They quickly brought their weapons to bare when her glare fell on them.
The castle was beautiful, much like the rest of the city. With glistening stonework that made up the flooring, with sun shining through the stained glass. It was as if the Valkyries of the Chief God were judging them as they passed. The only thing that bothered her was the bright red carpet at their feet. Raising her gaze, gave her a full view of the immaculate murals that decorated the castle's ceiling.
Each one depicting a hero of various origins rising up against the Demon Lord and smiting monsters with the Chief God watching over them. All of them depicting monsters from before the rise of the current Demon Lord as the monster were far from anything around today. Her glare rested on the illustration of the original minotaur. An uncomfortable pit formed in her stomach.
"Are you okay?", Shizuka placed a claw on her shoulder.
"I'm fine," she brushed her off, "I just don't want be here."
"Same," Shizuka eyed the hero next to Dawn and whispered, "being near her makes my skin crawl."
"Yeah," Estrid's glare moved to the hero, "she just radiates holy magic," her gaze fell to the girl's red cape, "that cape."
They came to the stop before the throne. The king, the queen, and three other women in armor standing to the side of the king waited for them. Guards surrounded them from all sides, and a number of clergy men off to the side. Shizuka recognized the women that 'fought' with Ace back in Reinhold and the half elf women beside her. What confused her was the child, bearing a staff, reading a book far to large for her to properly carry.
The little girl's eye widened in shock at the sight of the mamono, and quickly moved to grab her staff. Fortunately, for everyone, the half elf prevented her from doing anything, but the sight of a grown women preventing a child, of all people, from attacking them was concerning.
"Kneel.", Wilmarina whispered, and proceeded to do so.
Dawn watched the hero kneel before the king, with her right arm outstretched, and only one of her knees to the floor. He turned to the king, taking notice of the man's curious expression. He got to one knee, and copied Wilmarina's gesture. Ace crossed his arms, still holding Mia's paw, and rolled his eyes, while Tatsuo and Mia pulled him into a kneel beside them. Estrid ignored the call to kneel, and Shizuka did her best to copy them.
As he watched them rise, the King introduced himself, "I am King Castor, I would welcome you to our lands hunter, but you seemed to have brought demon spawn with you."
He was a relatively portly man, at least as portly as Estrid thought he would be, with dark purple hair, and a great royal purple robe. His wife wasn't much different, but had a much better physique, and a bright green dress. If Estrid had to guess, she was probably his cousin.
"You won't have to worry about them," Dawn stood up, "we will be leaving after I visit your library."
"I see," Castor leaned forward, "if that is all. Then leave, we will execute the monsters that attacked you, and we will allow your… monsters to accompany you while you are in the city."
"We actually still need them.", Dawn began.
"And can we at least get these stupid cuffs taken off?!", Ace ran to the front of the group. Dragging the frightened Mia with him.
Castor ignored Ace, "Are you asking me to spare their lives?"
Silent at first, the hunter weighed his options, "Yes…"
Suspicion gleamed in the king's eyes, and he was about to call for the hunter's arrest. When the hunter clarified himself, "We need to know who sent them, and prevent more from coming after us in the future. I ask for their lives, not their freedom."
The familiar woman standing by the guards scoffed, "Doesn't sound like a bad idea, but we can't let those monsters live, hunter."
"Then we won't be turning them over.", Dawn unsheathed his Great Sword.
"Calm yourself hunter!", The king leaned in, "I'm sure we can compromise on this… dilemma of ours. Let us make a deal."
"What do you want?", Dawn, already calm, re-sheathed his weapon.
Castor smirked, "Hero Noscrim sent a message ahead that your people have developed a very interesting item. A horn capable of healing any wound afflicting anyone and everything around it."
"You're talking about Ace's Healing Horn.", He gestured to the palico beside him, "You'll need to ask him about it."
The king's eyes flared in anger, but relented, "Cat!"
Ace smirked, and ignored him. Looking off into empty space and whistling to spite the king. Surprisingly, this act got a laugh from the little girl, and unsurprisingly fury from the king.
Huffing, the king leaned back in annoyance, and snapped his fingers. One of the women beside him, turned and saluted. He pointed to Ace, "Take off the monster's mana inhibitor."
Nodding she moved to stand in front of Ace. She grimaced, and hesitantly unlocked the cuff with a small exertion of Divine Energy. Ace grinned in satisfaction, and gestured to a shaking Mia. The woman turned to the king, who after a moment, nodded. She moved to unlock Mia's cuff as well, but stopped when the werecat started tearing up in fear of the woman. She quickly nudged Mia's cuff, and moved to undo the other mamono's restraints.
"None of us can do magic, you know," Ace snarked, "those things didn't do anything."
Grumbling the king gestured for the woman take her place beside him, and said, "Monster, you will be revealing your Healing Horn's secrets to Mimil Meltie.", He turned to Dawn, "We will keep the villains in the dungeon. Do whatever it is you want with them, but I want a high recommendation of the Order for this Hunter's Guild of yours."
"Fine," Dawn sighed, "where can I find Mimil?"
"Right here!"
Dawn looked down at the voice coming from below to find the child holding the tome. A young girl, no older than twelve, with a bright yellow bow, and a mage's stave under her shoulder. He remained there in silence, before shrugging and turning to leave.
"Wait up!", Mimil ran after him, but found herself incapable of keeping up with the hunter's long strides.
As the rest of the monsters left with the hunter, the king gave out his orders. Calling for every hero to stand before him.
"Noscrim," She saluted, "you will join the hunter, and make Lescatie and the rest of the Order of the Chief God as appealing as possible. Lie if you have to, the Chief God will forgive such transgressions against non-believers. If this Hunter's Guild created such incredible equipment, then they we must form an alliance with them."
She nodded and left to join the hunter's party. Castor's attention turned to the knight captain, "Dascaros, you will organize the soldiers and guards to keep an eye on the hunter's monsters in case they turn feral."
Mersé saluted, and left to give out orders. Castor's gaze fell on Primera, the half elf, "Concerto you will watch the hunter from afar, and follow him wherever he goes. If you are noticed, join Wilmarina in guiding the hunter."
She nodded, but wasn't happy to follow the foreign human around the city. As she left, Castor addressed his daughters, "My children, you three will continue to search for monster in the city. That succubus cannot be the only monster hiding within our walls."
As his children and the clergy men made their leave, his queen finally chose to speak up, "Castor, are you sure we should let that man do as he pleases in our city. What if he's an agent of Druella. You saw that ridiculous sword of his, and he's no hero."
"Don't worry my dear," Castor waved away her concern, "I had our daughters search for demonic taint while the hunter was entering the castle. They said that the hunter was clean, but that there was another monster nearby. They're going to find that wretch before it can do anything."
"As long as I don't find any monsters wandering our halls again.", She shivered, "That horrible creature. I hope she rots."
"Don't worry dear.", He held onto her hand, "It won't happen again."
-0-
"Alright," Drell ushered the hellhounds into their cell, "in you go. Don't make this difficult."
Finding themselves thrown into the surprisingly clean cell. Bonnie, Rachel, and Chloe were forced into separate restraints. They had a single bed, and their cell had reinforced steel bars instead of the standard iron door. To their left they could see another mamono wearing purple cloth and had eastern features, the kunoichi spy laid in her bed motionless.
And to their right were a strange pair of creatures with masks that fully covered their heads. The smaller one had green skin, wore a loincloth that covered his waist, and an acorn shaped mask with a mouth and eye holes. While the slightly taller one wore a coat of straw accompanying his own loincloth, had similar green skin, and had a blue crab shaped mask with only a mouth hole. Both stood about as tall as the male werecats they were fighting mere hours ago.
The, more than likely, other world monsters waved at them. The smaller one accidentally hit the other, causing the larger one to hit him back. They only watched in confusion as the two started fighting the other. Haphazardly punching and kicking each other in their cell, not caring about how childish they were acting.
"Hey, you two," the other guard smacked their cell's door, "cut it out."
The both of them immediately froze, and settled back into their original sitting position. The smaller one apologized, "Cha-cha, sorry. Cha-cha hit friend Kayamba no happen again.", The larger one nodded, "Kayamba did nothing, is Cha-cha fault."
"Whatever," the guard waved to Drell, "make sure to lock their cells with a monster cuff. They won't be able to open it that way."
"Will do," Drell stood there, waiting for the other guard to leave. The old man smirked before turning to them with demonic red eyes, and spoke in a voice they've only heard once before, "Well not everything is going as planned, and you three being here only complicates things further."
"DRUE…", Chloe found her mouth covered by Rachels scarred claws. She calmed after her sister quietly hushed her.
"Please forgive us Lady Druella.", Bonnie bowed.
Drell smiled, and kneeled down beside her, "There's nothing to forgive. The hunter proved to be more... impressive than we already believed him to be. Should count ourselves lucky that he intends to research mamono through interrogation, rather than dissection… Though those new scars of yours might beg to differ."
"Lady Druella, did you take care of our wounds?", Rachel brushed her claws along her arms, feeling the minor indentions from the new scars.
"No," Drell shook his head and locked their cell with the monster cuff, "the male werecat, Ace, did that. Cute little thing, it is a shame he's already married. We have plenty of ocelomeh that could use his company."
"Why are you locking the door?", Chloe clutched at the steel bars.
"I'm in disguise young lady," Drell pressed a finger on the hellhound's button nose, "can't blow my cover by leaving you three with an unlocked cell."
"What can we do to help you?", Bonnie stood up from her bow.
"For now, you three will remain here.", Drell glanced at the direction the other guard left, "Answer whatever questions the hunter asks you, but make sure to leave out anything about the invasion. The kunoichi in the cell next to you is under a sleeping spell after she got caught by the queen a couple nights ago. Press on her heart to wake her when the time comes. I'll be leaving now."
And like that the old man's eyes changed from red to brown, and left them in their cell. The three huddled together on the bed, and used Chloe's cloak as a blanket.
"Cha-cha ask question?", They turned to look at the other worldly creature. To which only Chloe nodded.
"Can Cha-cha and Kayamba leave soon?", He knocked on the gate, "tribe miss Cha-cha and Kayamba, and Cha-cha miss tribe."
"Don't listen, Cha-cha stupid. They let us go soon.", Kayamba leaned back against the bed.
The three sisters stared at Cha-cha and Kayamba, and then to one another. All three of them shared the exact same thought: They're going to be here for a while, weren't they.
AN: And so the Lescatie arc begins. Were gonna be here for a while.
Hope you guys enjoyed.