Capítulo 4: The rewards to the new enemy
In the middle of the square of Lescatie where the statue of the chief goddess used to stand, at the moment there is only a crater of demolished buildings. Citizens begin to approach what used to be their homes, some crying at losing something they've lived their whole lives and others frustrated that they'll have to renovate everything from scratch.
James Albert and Merse Dascaros are the ones leading the efforts to calm the population, orders are directed to several soldiers, each with a task.
James - Soldier! How's the boy? -
Soldier 1 - He was taken to your mansion captain, they are already treating his injuries - With reverence he stands at the ready.
James: "Okay, that's one less problem now." Remembering how the young man looked when he fainted, the veteran guard was stunned by his injuries. Broken bones and with several punctures on his skin, what looked like a liter of blood lost on his clothes and probably other internal injuries, but he still managed to move and fight once more with the monster.
Merse - Yup James, looks like you're going to have a full plate for the next few days - Leaning her halberd against the supporting floor, Merse starts to see all the people going through the wreckage and taking what they can - Well, I guess my men should be happy to help with the repairs. Oh, I was just about to forget, when that kid wakes up, let me know, I'd like to know who he is - Heading towards her barracks, Merse waves goodbye to James.
James -Hmm - Confirming, the man looks back at the wreckage and more specifically at the body of the dead monster. "For something like this to attack in the middle of Lescatie" With apprehension and fear, James ponders what this means for the future "With all my years of experience on the battlefield and commanding, I can only think that hard times are coming for humanity".
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In the middle of one of the city's alleys, away from all the recent confusion, a hooded figure sits crouched behind a remnant of a pillar sticking out of one of the buildings.
Melanie " It's been a while since he went there. Should I go after him? - Shivering a little thinking the worst, Melanie tries to get rid of these thoughts " No, no, no. He told me to stay here quietly that he would return, I just have to wait " Looking at the sky that begins to darken, the Kobold waits anxiously and with a little doubt in her heart " Maybe he abandoned me, I wouldn't blame him, I would only hinder him " Hugging her knees a little harder, some tears begin to form.
Melanie - No! He wouldn't do this, I'm sure he'll be back soon - Shaking her head from side to side, she tries to deny these negative thoughts. Even with her words, doubts still remain, and without saying anything she decides to go to sleep for a while waiting for her master.
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A young man now finds himself in a completely black space, an infinite place without walls or ceiling, a maddening vastness covers him completely. In the midst of this space, his body floats aimlessly like a sea of darkness.
Jonathan " Holy shit this is really boring.... Can't you move on to the important part of the dream, I've been here for about 10 minutes... And?! Oops, wait a minute, I see something".
In fact, a new figure appears on the scene, like a white dot on a black screen, it draws all his attention. An ephemeral light illuminates its form.
An androgynous being with blond hair and pale skin, Greek style clothes covering her body completely but still leaving room for her curves to show, her blond hair is wavy and goes to the beginning of her back, her neck has a necklace of flowers held by a golden frame. Lirios are tied to her arms and legs, which are delicate and soft, a being as feminine as masculine that makes Jonathan doubt his heterosexuality.
Jonathan - No homo - Unwittingly he lets it slip.
The nameless figure's eyes open, blue as the purest ocean and deep with wisdom lost to millennia. His full lips are moisturized by his tongue and with the opening of his mouth, anxiously Jonathan puts 120% attention on the words about to be spoken, without any doubt it will be something important and revealing, he needs to remember them for sure. With full focus he leans into the black space to get closer and closer to the figure.??????? - ahh - With an inhale the figure starts to move its mouth and
- MUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH - The sound of a cow echoes throughout the place. The angelic face of the being is replaced by a milk cow, those white ones with black spots.
Jonathan - AAAHHH!!! - With a jump, Jonathan wakes up and throws up the sheets of the bed he is in, his heart racing in his chest, the jumpscare that his own mind nailed him was effective. The scream he gave at least wasn't too much of a fag.
Jonathan - Ah... never... ah... more... ah I have... ah... pity... to eat meat - Controlling his breathing he runs a hand over his face and takes notice of his surroundings.
He finds himself in a luxurious room, treated wood and furniture with extreme detail, next to the bed he was sleeping there is a red desk with three drawers with metal details and a glass of water on top of it. Near the door of the room is an ornate red armchair with cozy cushions.
! Door Opening!
A grown man enters the room and it takes him a second to notice that its occupant is awake. Jonathan senses that the man is familiar, even without the armor he looks like one of the soldiers he saw fighting the monster.
James - Great! You're awake boy, did you get all the rest you needed? - With a jovial tone, the captain greets the young man who is still in bed but fully awake now. The man is now in formal clothes, without any armor or weapons, but his aura of authority still remains around him, but much calmer than on the battlefield.
Jonathan begins to remember a bit more of the battle, before he attacked the minotaur as soon as he arrived, he saw a soldier coming at him, but stopped when he announced himself.
Jonathan - Wait, you were there, weren't you?
James - Kuku, yes young man, my battalion and I were there when the minotaur was born and we tried to stop it from causing any more destruction, with unspectacular results - He looks a little grim as he recalls how normal soldiers had no chance against the monster - But then you arrived and everything turned our way, and for that I thank you - Gratefully the captain bows his head slightly forward in respect.
Jonathan - Ah, well, I only saw that monster after I saw the people running away and went to take a look, even though I was aware of how dangerous it was - Jonathan begins to examine his body seeing that his wounds have already recovered and are covered in clean white bands - My body is direct proof of that -James - Yeah kid, I won't mince words, what you did went beyond courage and into the territory of stupidity, just because you succeeded doesn't erase that fact - Adopting a posture of a teacher giving a lesson, James looks seriously at the boy, until a gentler look and a smile enter his expression - Even so, I would have lost good soldiers without your interference, and for that I am indebted to you - Getting serious now, he takes a more rigid posture.
James - I don't think you know, but at the moment Lescatie is relatively unprotected at the moment, heroes like Wilmarina, Primera and Mimil, along with their battalions are out of the order's territories on crusades to conquer barbarian territories, so there are only a few fighting heroes left in the city to defend it - He informs the situation of the city at the moment, it is not uncommon for heroes to leave for missions or leave the city for a few days to hunt reports of monsters in the order's territory, but something seems to have taken almost all of Lescatie's strongest fighters out. "What bothers me is the amount of nobles who are absent on the day of the attack. Some of them are scheduled to return only in a few weeks, only the king and his advisors remained of nobles in the city "
A little surprised, Jonathan didn't think he would receive thanks like this. Even though he went to kill the minotaur not to save the soldiers, but because it's what a protagonist would do, he feels good knowing he helped. Normally the situation wouldn't have gotten to that point of Lescatie was with her fighters, but him arriving the same day it did is very lucky.
Jonathan - Oh, by the way, how long was I out - Remembering something very important, he throws his legs off the bed and sits on the edge.
James - Humph! 3 days straight, what impresses me is that with the injuries you had it would normally take months of rest before you could move, but they all healed by the end of the second day - Really impressed with the boy's regenerative capacity, which is on a higher level even than the heroes of the order. - By the way, how are you feeling, any pain or fatigue?
Jonathan - No, I feel fine actually, just a bit hungry - Running his hand over his stomach, he notices that it has shrunk a bit. Probably the stress put on his body by the fight and the recovery must have spent a high amount of energy.
James - I see, I'll get one of the maids to bring you a full dinner - As he reaches the door and is about to leave he asks - Besides that, do you need anything else?
Jonathan thinks for a moment, he does not wish to abuse the gratitude he is receiving but at the moment it is an emergency.
Jonathan - I need a house or apartment, preferably in the quieter part of town, and money for a family of 4 to live comfortably for a few months - Asking for everything at once, Jonathan hopes with his fingers crossed that such a request is not too much. From what he's observed the man in front of him is important and resourceful, but he's anxious because he doesn't want to be wrong.
James " Yeah, he doesn't look like a hero of the order, usually they're either completely selfless or try to hide their true intentions, but this guy has said straight up what he wants, good to know he's straight up like that " Turning to face the boy better he analyzes him to see any more details about.
James - Well, I'm the one who offered so I can't complain, by the way, such things are simple for me. I have a place that I use as a meeting place with my soldiers to drink, but it should be easy to find another place for us. Money won't be a problem either, we didn't find any documents with you and only a pittance of money, so I bet you need those things - The strangest thing about him not having any documents, is that not only do they not know his identity, but neither does he have those mysterious powers he used in battle.
Jonathan - Besides you don't need much else, after I eat I'm going to take a walk around the city, I don't feel tired or in pain so a little exercise will do me good -
Jonathan: "Besides, I don't want to leave her alone any longer, I hope she hid well and no one found her, with that monster attack people must be panicking, I don't want to imagine what they would do to a mamono." The thought of Melanie in danger because of her own weakness makes Jonathan's heart clench with something bad.James - Are you sure? Don't you wish for a few more days of rest, you almost died and went through horrible injuries - When the captain of the guard asked the boy to be taken to his mansion, he took a look at his condition, and being honest he had never seen someone with his body so destroyed, even in his war days, he never saw someone alive broken like that, and from his experience, young soldiers who meet monsters need days to recover, both physically and mentally.
Jonathan - Yeah, I don't know why I'm lying there any longer, and anyway I didn't die so it doesn't matter how badly I got hurt, but I admit it was uncomfortable - With total disinterest, he puts aside the fact that he almost died.
James-He, okay then! I'll make you an extra and give you the key to the place and the right address after you eat, the money you can get tomorrow, but right now just think about resting - Trying to change the subject, he does not let go of the discomfort he felt when he saw the young man show indifference to his situation - Oh, and I was about to forget, Merce Dascaros the woman who helped you in the fight wants to see you as soon as possible, the king of Lescatie must also be interested in the boy who saved the city, so tomorrow I'll come and get you to meet them both. I don't think I have to point this out, but it would be in your best interest not to leave the city." The last part of his speech came with a slightly threatening tone, enough to set the warning.
James " At least this way, we can keep him in town without using hostilities, and with Merse interested in him I doubt he'd be able to get away in case something was suspected " Concluding, James closes the door and goes to get what he promised.
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??????? - It seems the Flesh Cube test was a success sir - A harsh, thick voice speaks to a hooded figure.
The place where these two beings are is humid and hot, the natural stone walls that pass are illuminated by crystals that shine in a blue hue, a humid and very spacious natural cave, by the diameter of it, a large carriage could pass through it without problems. On the ceiling more of the luminous stones glow, but the way they come out of the ceiling forming stalactites is intimidating how sharp they are. A few puddles of some liquid are trodden in by the footsteps of the two walking.
The figure walking further back is rather short, reaching the belly of the other hooded one, apart from a hunchback that is covered by a cloak, he has a kind of scepter that helps him walk. The being's face is wrinkled and gray with signs of high old age, his pointed nose sits above his mouth full of sharp teeth. Instead of the normal pair of eyes, he has only one eye in the middle of his forehead, a yellow iris seems to glow in the darkness of the cave, and his eyelids are almost closed because of the wrinkles on his forehead and bald head. His almost atrophied muscles drag him along with their leader. On one of his hands, ten rings of distinct colors and appearances are set between the 5 fingers he has, as wrinkled as the rest of his body and ending in long, unkempt nails.
??????? - I'd say yes, he even exceeded my expectations with how fast he took to mature. But make no mistake Hermes, this advancement only starts the beginning of my rise, even though it is a quick way to create soldiers, they are still imperfect, but anyway, good job - The dark elf that was seen in Lescatie says to the hunchbacked figure a step behind. A smile of satisfaction appears on his face.
Hermes - Yes my lord, some flaws in their creation process leave them a little 'flawed'. Still following him, they stop for a second, in what seems to be a dead end, after the hunchback passes his hand in the air, a mirage seems to ripple in the air, like a mist the stone wall dissipates.In front of them, a chamber inside the cave corridor opens up, an intense miasma hangs in the air right at the entrance, and entering the place the scenery is repulsive, something really from the nightmares of a maniac. The walls are covered in a kind of cloak of flesh, pulsating red and moist, the flesh seems to be alive and moving irrationally. Around the walls protrusions like bubbles pop out, they seem to have a thinner layer of flesh, almost making them transparent.
The dark elf approaches one of these bubbles, his evil grin becomes satisfied his footsteps make a sickening sound as he stomps on the floor of the place. As he gets closer he admires it as if he were admiring an artwork he produced after months of effort. He runs his hand over the thin surface of it, and by focusing his vision he can see what is inside. At first glance it appears to be just a young, pregnant woman, but with no apparent injuries, but as he gets closer he can see that her limbs are being absorbed into the wall, leaving only her head, torso and belly showing, her arms and legs are covered by the fleshy substance that covers the rest of the chamber. Her hair floats in a kind of liquid inside the bubble, a tentacle of flesh starting from the bottom of the chamber she is in enters her mouth and covers a good part of her face, at the moment she is unconscious, but the man in front of her intends to change that.
A pulse of energy emanates from within the bubble, and then the woman inside wakes up. In panic, her eyes open wide and she begins to try to move, unsuccessfully as her limbs remain trapped in the wall by the flesh, an overwhelming fear takes over her, her attempts become frantic and air bubbles begin to come out of the tube in her mouth.
To her greatest fear, something begins to glow straight from her belly, like a bio-luminescent animal, a chemical light comes out from inside her belly, it begins to expand, like a balloon that is filling up, the walls of her stomach stretch and veins begin to pop out, a face of immeasurable pain appears on the woman, her eyes look everywhere looking for help, no help can help her at the moment but her fear is inhibiting any logical thought. Soon, everything comes to a peak.
Her face of pain contorts, her eyes roll back in her skull, spasms happen all over her body, and her belly continues to inflate, as in one last breath, her belly bursts along with the bubble that was inside.
The elf moved away at the right time so as not to be drenched by the fluid that spilled entirely on the floor, viscera and something like placenta lie at his feet, the woman's body remains suspended, but with her torso burst, her last seconds of life are of complete agony. The man who made all this possible uses 5 seconds to observe the woman's body, inexpressive with the brutal act, his eyes are directed to the ground.
He bends down, right at the tip of his feet appears the object he was looking for when coming to this stinking and filthy place, his gloved fingers hold a small red and pulsating cube, as he rises and brings the object to his eyes. A faint glow appears on one of the faces of the cube, when you turn it over the face shows a figure of a lion being strangled by a snake with wings, one of the wildest and most uncontrollable monsters is in the palm of your hand.
??????? - With this the world will remember the true face of monsters! The name of the true demon lord will bring fear to all the territories of humanity, Typhon will be the one who had freed himself from the chains imposed by the ancient gods - His proclamation echoes throughout the cave, turning around, the lights coming from the stones on the ceiling begin to ascend, a sinister glow takes over, and in it one observes rows and rows of bubbles containing pregnant human women, some still awake and struggling with everything while the flesh that surrounds the walls violates their bodies and discharges a malignant energy inside them.
Typhon - Hermes! Tell me how soon the new breeding method will be ready? - Turning to your servant? Counselor? Friend? Whatever it is, Hermes is quick to see his master's calculated smile.
Hermes - 3 - no! 5 months sir, with the resources we have it will take 5 months for the first batch of soldiers, but I promise you that once we start, the process will be much faster - With an enthusiasm comparable to Typhon, the hunchback gives an estimate for his preparations.Typhon - Good! In 5 months we will begin our invasion plans, until then, we will conserve our forces and cultivate more and more Flesh Cubes - Going deeper into the cave, the leader of the monsters lets his smile fall and his expression becomes frightening " And then, that shrew will pay for the mockery she made of our dreams, Master Tartars " His ruby eyes shine with an inhuman determination and conviction.
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~ 5 hours later, in the streets of Lescatie ~
The city's sky is illuminated by the moon and stars, its streets are by streetlamps with magical stones providing their artificial light. While some places are closed for the day, some are just starting up, and bar owners and inns stand at the doors of their establishments advertising their wares.
Jonathan - Arf, arf, arf, arf, come on! Arf, do you remember where you are Jonathan - Panting from running from James' mansion to the city center, the boy starts looking around trying to remember the path he took a few days ago.
Turning a corner, he begins to retrace the steps he took when he arrived in the city, and the path he took with her still hidden begins to appear better in his memory.
Jonathan " Damn it, damn it, damn it! She must be alone now, alone and hungry or cold, I don't believe it! Dumb, dumb, dumb" With an angry face, Jonathan turns down a familiar street and recognizes in an instant the alley from where Melanie and he began their tour of Lescatie.
Jonathan - ha, ha, ha ..... Melanie ! Melanie, where are you?" Arriving at the alley he ordered the kobold to return to, Jonathan begins to call out to her with a little tremulousness in his voice, as if he is afraid of not getting an answer.
Jonathan " Please be, Please be okay, Please be - " His thoughts can't beep anything else, a very strong kind of guilt squeezes him inside.
Melanie - M-mistress-e-e ? - Quietly, Jonathan hears a weak female voice almost whisper his name.
Jonathan - Melanie, you're glad to find her, but his happiness is short-lived when he sees her condition.
The cloth they used to hide her in the city is almost a rag, with tears and water stains covering it. Still clutched and covered with it, Melanie looks almost the same, her fur that was once fluffy, shiny and soft, is now dirty and a shade darker than normal, and is all messy as if someone had brushed her to make her look like a homeless person. A black smudge of dirt is apparent on her face. As she focuses her eyes on the figure that has appeared, they gain a little more sparkle. A little happiness appears on her face, but soon an expression of regret and guilt takes over.
Melanie - Hic, hic, hic - Small cries come out of her, a little snot falls from her nose but she doesn't even pay attention to wiping it off, a huge happiness takes over her seeing her master coming back for her, but also other feelings making her cry. Her feet begin to move to get up, but her weakness leaves her wobbly.
Jonathan - Hey, hey, hey, hey, you don't have to get up, let me help you - Kneeling down and getting closer to the Kobold, he is surprised when she jumps into his arms and grabs him with a desperate but fragile strength - calm down, I'm back, I'm not going anywhere e-
Melanie - Hic, hic, sorry, hic, sorry, master I didn't ,hic, I stayed all the time here in the alley like you said, hic, when, hic, I got hungry or thirsty but I asked the people passing by for some, hic, they sometimes gave money and you can't eat money so I, hic, hic, disobeyed and left the alley to buy food, hic, sorry, sorry master, hic - Ashamed for not even being able to wait properly for Jonathan, for having to disobey an order he made to protect her and for even beginning to doubt that he would really come back, Melanie lowers her head, with her little dog ears also lowering.
Jonathan " .... " The only way to describe how he feels would be like a shit, a wimp, an idiot. A phantom ache of guilt sinks into his heart, he thinks about crying but knows he doesn't deserve to, he bites his lip in anger at himself for leaving the girl alone for 3 whole days, while he slept in the soft and recovered, she was left out here, cold, hungry, thirsty and alone. He had sent her into hiding and her trusting him 100%, could have ended up dead. He had gone towards danger without thinking that now he has a companion, he didn't even ask her opinion about his actions. "Thinking back on it now, I never stopped to think about what she thought, I just went along bringing her with me without worrying about her well-being and opinion, and look where I almost got her, KGHuuuu" With his thoughts still wrapped up he takes one more look at Melanie's eyes.In a way that leaves him amazed, she still looks at him with trust and admiration, things like longing and tiredness also come out of her eyes, but anger, hatred, frustration and betrayal do not take even a drop of her gaze. Even after all this she still trusts Jonathan.
Jonathan decides at this moment something, leaving her alone and sending her back to the alley seemed like a good idea at the time, but he didn't think what would happen if he got hurt or worse, killed, leaving her alone inside an order territory. His selfishness and quest for glory blinded him and he didn't think properly about the consequences, he can't go on like this, whether he wanted to or not he brought her here without confirming 100% that she wished to enter Lescatie. The responsibility to help her and take care of her became his as soon as he made her enter the city. He is not alone in this, from now on he must decide together with her what they will have to do.
Melanie - Hic, hic, huh?!, master?, why you? - Surprised, she feels a very strong heat enveloping her body, without giving her another second to continue to self deprecate, Jonathan put his arms over her, and hugged her tightly, pulling the body of the two closer to each other. Melanie, smells Jonathan's distinctive scent, a touch of cantaloupe, with sweat and his natural masculine scent. Her sadness and shame give way to a feeling of comfort and happiness, she can still feel the negative emotions in the corner of her heart, even if it embarrasses her a little she did feel a little anger and anxiety waiting for him, but he came back and promised to take care of her, it shows that she was right to choose him.
Jonathan - Don't say anything else ok. Come on, I'm going to take you somewhere safe and with food, and with water, and with a bed, and with a bathroom, and with company, okay?". - Letting her soften in his embrace, he puts his hand under her thighs and lifts her up. With her in his arms like a princess, with a redness on her face but a simple smile on her face, he looks at the address of the place he received and leaves there with his companion. - "And tomorrow, when you're rested, we'll talk about what we're going to do from now on, okay?". - Looking at her, Jonathan squeezes a little harder, without making her uncomfortable, just giving her more affection on his part.
With a cloth still covering her face, and being held by her hero, Melanie lets her eyes rest and entrusts her body to Jonathan. A smile appears on her face because in that moment she knew she was safe.
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