I feel it’s ridiculous that we should ask for the guilds for help. These rounded eared ‘friends’ show us repeatedly how uncouth mythical creatures can be. To begin with, they are late.
“Sir Lijing, I do not mean to undermine your decision. But these outlanders are rudely late, how can we even trust in them to defeat the danger? Is it there something we cannot do that mythical creatures can?”
He looks at me with a stern face. Immediately I look down, as is for for a soldier like me, under the towns lieutenant. “Su! There is no need to question authority, the commander has decided on a course of action. The outlanders will chase the creature for us, so that we won’t need to.”
“Of course, lieutenant Lijing! I ment no disrespect for you or the captain!”
“There it is, these two must be here to greet us. Russ, hurry up you snail.” a few figures rise into view from afar. Yelling and running with armor and bags of a dirty manner. These must be the outlanders.
“Hush down! ‘Treat your elders with respect’ is a virtue you were never taught, Dustin. ” they scream at each other. When they finally arrive there are five of them standing with me and the lieutenant. What boorish beasts they are, they approach with a “Hello, Hauyu I presume?”
I walk forward as they say that “you boorish humans, You will adress Captain Hauyu with respect when you mention his name. This one you will call grand Liutenant Lijing, he speaks on Captain Hauyus respectable behalf.”
As I finish telling them how to properly behave they all start to chuckle. “Look, kids, were here to do business.” the one upfront tells me. The nerve on him!
“How dare you?! Not only are you late you insult us?” that is when I feel a hand on my shoulder, lieutenant Lijings hand is gripping me… Did I do something wrong? “Su! You are a bad host, be quite immediately.”
“Are we late? I could have sworn it said midday… Is this the wrong day?” the outlander foolishly makes his bas manners apparent.
The Liutenant explains to him “It is customary to arrive at dawn and wait for your appointment when it is with a person of such rank. It must be difficult to live up to expectations in an advanced elven land for you.” Too polite for my tastes, but proves a point.
“I see, well anyway, my name is Russ! Why don’t we talk business. What monsters were there that attacked your Village?”
-----
I am to show them the place and assist them with anything that will lead for the monsters disposal. Although I am not enthusiastic about being close to the humans.
It is this involvement that requires me to be in the meeting room between honorable Captain Hauyu and the table of outlanders.
“The attacks happened around here, at night. The monster avoided patrols for a very long time. “ the Liutenant tells them, pointing at the map.
“And anything the victims told you?”
“The monster works alone.”
“Could just be a bandit.”
“It has wings.”
“Could have led with that.” what? Uncouth outlander!
“hmm… What is that thing on the map? It’s seems to be close to the assaults but you don’t patrol it very much.” Another from their group points to the map, without his his leader's consent.
“The old cemetery, the new one is here though. Not much people visit it anymore.”
The humans look at each other. What are they thinking? “We have a few witnesses for you to talk to. They were waiting from the morning.” as the Liutenant says that I get up to get the first witness.
“No need… We would like to check on something first. They can go home.” what are they thinking?
“You don’t need to hear what the witnesses have to say?” The Liutenant is shocked “Hunters do things a bit differently.” the human called Russ makes sure to remind us of their inferior nature.
-----
I have to join them, and that’s bad enough, but going into a cemetery is all the worse. Why are we even here? What are they looking for? Looting corpses? I will pierce them with my spear if they try anything like that.
“Just as you thought. This place is a mess.” The cemetery is Already looted! The greaves are dug up. Who would do such an awful thing.
“Russ, I’ll go check for prints with Mythos.”
“Erm… Human… Russ… What happened here? Do you know?” I hate asking him, but I must know who or what did such a thing.
“Su, right? Well, it’s probably a berbalang. This was probably where he fed but when food ran out he most likely went for fresher sources.” did they know this from the briefing?
“Russ, we got it, definitely a berbalang, just one, adolescent probably. Strong and cautious.” one of the humans tells his captain.
“Mythos, any advice? Did you hunt one of these?”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“I don’t remember, but I guess he’s hungry, even if he’s careful he must make some mistake. We can use that.”
“Just what I was thinking. Let’s return here later and lay a trap.” Russ is thinking of desecration of this place? No, this is unacceptable.
“Russ! I must-” but before my voice is heard the same one called ‘mythos’ interrupts me.
“Actually, Russ, I had a better idea. If we do it in the woods it’s all the better.”
After thinking for a second Russ replies with “Alright, seems like you have a plan, I’ll trust you. We’ll work out the details back at the inn.”
Preposterous, he talked like that to his superior? He should be scolded. These humans and their flawed sense of respect and honor. It’s almost humiliating just to witness.
“Su, we will meet at the guard station at high noon… And no earlier, just right on time is good enough.” as if I would honor them by arriving before?
Right on time, the sun points above my head. They all arrive on time, with a disproportionate bag on one of them. “Su, there you are. A good noon, isn’t it?” Russ calls out. “We need to reach an area of the woods to lay a trap for the berbalang. You can guide us there, right?”
Of course I can, you fool. “of course I can! It would be no problem for the likes of me.” They smile as I say that. Was that… Could that have been received as kindness by them? I should have used different words. I hope these mythic monsters don’t think I’m being friendly.
-----
“Here, this is closest to what you requested, a small clearing with a good view of if from above, there is a better one a few more minutes from here but you insisted on staying close to the cemetery.”
Russ smiles at me and says “Thanks,”. Don’t thank me, just get rid of the creature and go away.
“Finally, were here!” one proclaims. “Shut up, you didn’t have to carry this huge bag.” another raises his voice at the first. All of this in front of Russ. Rudeness of these animals. “You lost the drinking competition, rules are rules. Besides both of you can’t rest, now the real work begins.” Mythos silences both of them.
Out of the bag they drag a smaller bag, looks heavy and sways like it’s filled with grain, smells like it too. Then a jar with a viscous brown liquid. As they open it I almost puke.
“uhhh what is this disgusting liquid you brought? Will this kill the creature?” I see them all covering their noises but even when I cover mine it’s too strong.
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot you were here. This is carrion extract, smells like death, right? Normally we use it to drive predetors away when we camp but today it’s used to bait it in.”
They dosed the grain bag with the disgusting extract and waited at the view point above. “What now, humans? Just wait?” I ask with a condescending tone that seems to go unnoticed by all of them.
“There’s still plenty of time before the berbalang will arrive, we need to prepare… You did your part, you can return now, we will come back with the creatures remains to prove it’s no longer dangerous.” Russ tells me… Is he being conceited towards me? Did he forget which is the elf and which is the mythical?
“I will stay with you until it is done! Explain to me why you are so early.”
-----
They checked the view a few times. According to them it’s some kind of imp so they can weaken it with something and dip their sword with something else… I’m not sure I got all of it but I did understand why they brought food that doesn’t need to be heated. They were disappointed by the taste just as much as I was. The extracts smell became bearable at least.
“Now, are you finally going to tell me what is the meaning of all of this?” They will not disregard me any longer. These people never learned how to act toward their superiors.
“Sure, just quite down or the trap won’t work.” I’m willing to let Russ’s tone slide, answers are more important for me right now.
“Swords have more edge then spears, we also have arrows-” he foolishly answers the wrong question. “Not that! why are we so early here? everything you do is either disrespectful or suspicious, I have had enough.”
Some of their gazes are piercing but when Russ stands they turn back to their work. The first time I see any sign of diligence out of them.
“I can see you’re upset. Su, listen, we are rehearsed in this. We arrive early, make sure every spot is covered, every angle. If this goes wrong, it would mean at least one person dies. I think it was an elven saying to go to war only after you’ve won, we’re doing just that.”
Russ said all this in a most serene voice. I feel like a child being calmed by his mother. Speechless I look at him, all of his attention is focused on me and what I am about to say… I wish my commander was here to put them in their place instead of me. “I understand, Russ.” I mumble “Continue”.
-----7
I did feel awkward for a long time but finally night time has arrived. All of the mythicals are at the ready. Three are wielding swords two of which are hidden in bushes , the third is guarding a forth man wielding a strange bow contraption. The fifth is meant to pull the traps and ‘control the field’ as they called it. I wanted to fight with the first two but they convinced me to help protect the bow wielder.
As if out of no where a winged silhouette appeared close to the bag of grain, it begins.
As the creature lands and walk to the trap, sniffing his way and hunching with his shoulders, I see the bow wielder slowly aiming his bow. Before the creature walks up to the bag of grain it stops, a long few seconds go by.
clutch sound emerges from the bow and an arrow shoots rapidly, a cry sounds and the wings of the creature spread. “Is it dead?” I ask “No, I missed.” the bow wielder says as he hurries to load another arrow.
“Joul! Genn!” the leader shouts, his voice coming as if from above. As if the same action the two go out of the bushes and stand next to it as well as a web of ropes from the leaves of the trees above fall on the creature. It slices the ropes clean with both hands.
The two swordsmen use this cover to get closer to it without danger, by the time the creature exits it’s stressed state it finds itself with two thirds of his options covered by the men and flees toward the opening, our direction. The bow wielder is not aiming at it, but slightly above. “Dustin” The third swordsman jumps off the hill and toward the creature pushing the sword in a piercing motion but only manages to slice a bit of its leathery wing.
The creature flies higher but the bow wielder was ready for that and shoots the creature as it leaps upwards, with its momentum it continues towards us and right at my feet, kneeling on a knee, one claw gripping the arrow lodged in its shoulder and another extended toward my face.
In such shock my hands drop my spear as I mean to wield it forward for protection. “Mythos! drop the bow!” The leader shouts.
Even before the sentence ends the bow wielder hops on the creatures side with something in hand. A metallic shriek goes out when a claw scratches his helmet. They struggle with the bow wielder above it pushing both jobs into it's face.
After a few moments the creature tires, as if asleep. with an empty bottle lodged in its mouth by the bow wielder pushing it down with both hands. After the creature numbs the bow wielder rolls aside.
“Are you hurt?” One of them rushes over to his comrade. “Yeah, scratched my face and neck, bloody, can’t you see?” The bow wielder says with blood all over his shoulder, and dripping down his face.
“Drink mine, we don’t need it anymore now that the target’s dead.” his friend lets him drink a bottle from his belt and the bleeding stops, the wounds slowly closes off. “I’m going to give Mahvir some hell about this mechanical bow, He built it all wrong.”
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“What is your impression from the outlanders, Su? I personally did not think that they could defeat the monster.”
“Respectable Captain Hauyu, the outlanders are a team of uncultured Mythics, they know nothing of respecting our excellence. But when it comes to monsters they know how to deal with them. It was a commendable decision to call on them.”