As Minoru gazed out onto the rolling landscape before him, step by step carrying him down the hill he found himself on top of, his mind took in as many details as possible. One that caught his notice was the stark difference in climate compared to where he had just been. It was about midday here, wherever he was, and yet it was noticeably warmer than Sendai was around the same time of day– enough so that he had to remove his jacket after a while. Tying it around his waist for now, he continued his trek through the plains. His mind was stalling on trying to figure out exactly where he could be, as the impossibility of his situation was the more irreconcilable issue for him at the moment.
“Was I… teleported? What did those things that grabbed me want– bringing me here?” He thought, one hand to his mouth in contemplation. Perhaps because of all the stimuli he was taking in at the moment, he forgot a crucial detail of his appearance here. “If they really did bring me here, then–” His inner monologue stopped as he felt a rush of worry gripping his heart, immediately looking around before cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Kurogane-san!! Ku-ro-ga-ne-saaaaaan!!!” He called out. If he had been taken here by those limbs, then Hana might be somewhere nearby as well. And yet when he called out, all he was greeted back with was the rustling of grass as the wind whipped it back and forth, and the slight echo of his own voice as it traveled out. He wasn’t going to discount the possibility of her still being nearby– or at least he was going to hold onto that hope– but at the moment it truly seemed as though he was alone out here. The only sign of civilization he could make out in any direction was that huge, walled city off in the distance, sitting atop the horizon.
“If I can make it there, maybe I’ll find her…” He concluded, trying to reassure himself with this possibility. He realized that he might be clinging onto a false hope. If she wasn’t here, then maybe they were brought to completely different areas of the world. Who knew how separated they were at the moment?
He shook his head. No, no he couldn’t have those kinds of thoughts, not right now. This was no time to be getting caught up in his own dark mind, he knew that in an unfamiliar land, wilderness like this was fatal. If he ever wanted to find out whether his ideas might be true, he had to survive first and foremost.
Looking back upon the city, he couldn’t quite tell how far it was, but he was at least certain he could make it there by nightfall. Assured in his short-term objective, he picked up his pace.
----------------------------------------
“Oi Petra, where do you suppose it might be now?” Inquired a soft, boyish voice.
“Well that group of rookies said it went running towards the river, yeah? For all we know it could’ve swam downstream, might be long gone from here now.” Replied the young lady.
“Oh come now, surely if it was aquatic it wouldn’t have gone this far inland. Out here the river’s not even big enough to support many fish, let alone a monster as big as an aurochian!” A simple shrug was all the girl gave in response. “Honestly…” He sighed.
Orange hues painted the sky above as two companions trekked through the plains, leaving the city behind them. The girl, dressed in studded leather and a skirt manufactured like a gambeson, walked with her hands relaxed behind her head. Tall, rounded, fuzzy ears adorned her head, and a thin yet bushy tail hung low from her backside, features denoting her as a seraut. Her hair, long and primarily a reddish-orange with dirty black tips, a color shared by the fur on her tail, waved in the breeze behind her.
The large sword sheathed and slung across her back, almost as long as she was tall, made it clear that she was a voyager, a common profession. Much the same could be said for her companion. Shorter, with lightly pointed ears– a trademark feature of halflings– he was dressed in dark blue robes, the sleeves and pant legs rolled up on account of the weather. In one hand he carried a long, gnarled wooden staff, the top curled and hooked in a shape reminiscent of a finger.
Seeing folk of their occupation out this far from cities was not only not uncommon, but quite expected, their work taking them to the farthest reaches of unclaimed and unexplored territory– although this job wasn’t quite so grand.
“Milo, mind giving me a refresher of what it looked like?”
“Of course. According to our client it was… tall like a male aurochian– about eight feet– quadruped– likely a mammal-type given the description of its fur pelt– and had a long tail covered in spines at the tip, no fur there. They also said it had a hooked claw on either of its front feet, and that the fur on its back looked constantly bristled.”
“As good a memory as ever.” Petra spoke casually, a smile as she looked back at her companion, before turning back around. “Still, sounds like a theriwolf to me.”
“I thought so too, but that comment about spines on its tail is making me doubt otherwise… I don’t think anything matching the description’s been found yet.”
“Who can tell with these things?” She shrugged while shaking her head. “Maybe it’s a new species, eh? Monsters die fast and breed faster, that just means they can pick up new features like that quicker.”
“I’m surprised you remembered our lesson on evolution.”
“Come on, I was listening! I even took notes during the whole thing!”
“More like you copied my notes.”
“They were simply there in my periphery at the time, a smart voyager uses all the tools and information given to them!”
“They usually don’t copy it from others, though…” He added quietly, like a mumble.
“Hey, start preparing that tracking spell, yeah? We’re almost there.” Petra called out, prompting Milo to begin performing a few motions with his staff, pulling a small grimoire from his belt.
The river they were approaching, a large landmark that stretched across the land for miles, was in view. On their end, the ankle height grass extended to the shore, and a small tree stood. On the other bank, however, were tall reeds that stretched taller than most people. Petra drew her sword, preparing to defend herself, just in case.
Crouching down in the earthen bank of the river, Milo waved his hand slowly above the soil, his palm glowing an ethereal, ghostly green.
“Picking anything up?”
“Gimme a moment, I need to focus…”
“Right! Sorry–”
A few moments of sifting through the bank, Milo seemed to notice something, focusing on it, he could gradually make out a shape.
“Ah, here we go.” He said. In a calm motion, he moved the head of his staff closer to the spot. “Hound’s Eye.” He said simply, the green glow brightening before forming into a small, floating wisp which rapidly flew into the ground. From the earth, a green glow rose up, tracing the shape of a large paw print, much larger than Milo’s own hand. Satisfied, he stood up to watch the spell do its work.
“Look alive, Milo…!” Petra suddenly whispered out in a rushed tone as she readied her blade, pointed towards the other side of the river. Whipping his head in the same direction she was watching, he finally saw, and heard, the rustling among the reeds. He stepped back, positioning himself slightly behind Petra, staff and book in hand and glowing once more.
----------------------------------------
With the sun nearing the horizon now, Minoru was thankful that he had been able to make some decent headway towards the castle. He was right in his assumption that he’d likely make it before nightfall, although he still needed to keep up his current, hastened pace. Still, it was better than being lost out in the wilderness at dark because of taking a leisurely pace. He had come across a dense collection of reeds as he came upon the river.
Sifting through the plants, almost like a wall that completely blocked his view ahead of him, he got closer to the sound of rushing water, stepping gradually and deliberately through the brush. As he neared, however, another sound accompanied that of the river that gave him pause, and made him break out into a cold sweat as he froze and strained his ear to take it in. A rustling, one that sounded like it came from a couple people at least, was on the other side.
Admittedly, the possibility of running across other people did cross his mind, but the plains had looked empty in every direction, and it hardly seemed likely that he’d happen across anyone else. Now that he likely had done just that, though, he was getting cold feet. Was he even going to be able to communicate if they came face to face? If they were from around here, how would they react to someone like him suddenly appearing from the wilderness?
His thoughts raced, but he then realized that their rustling had stopped almost as soon as he did. Now he knew for a fact that, whoever they were, they knew he was there, and they were preparing for it. He couldn’t run and end up placing himself further away from the city, but he didn’t know the temperament of the people in this area, wherever it was. Still, in a situation like this they’d likely be able to easily follow him if he ran… maybe making his presence known and showing himself would be the best course of action.
“Nothing for it…”
“Is someone there?” He called out, trying to raise his hands up above the top of the reeds. He could hear some murmuring, before a voice called back.
“Show yourself!”
The forcefulness of the voice spurred him into action, and Minoru slowly made his way forward, stepping through the reeds, looking upon his greeters, a young girl, looking to be about his age, holding and pointing a, frankly, huge sword at him, and a small boy glowing with a green light.
The two of them looked at him, scanning him up and down, before seeming to relax somewhat.
“Who’re you?” The girl asked. Thankfully, it seemed he could understand her with perfect clarity.
“My name’s Takahashi Minoru, I’m from Sendai.” He said, his response instantly gave both of them pause.
“Takahashi…? Strange name.”
“Are you a foreigner? Where is this Sendai you speak of?” The small boy asked, his voice soft yet deeper than Minoru would’ve expected. Maybe he was older than he appeared?
“It’s in Japan.” He said, eliciting yet another perplexed look from the both of them.
“Japan? …Never heard of it. You, Milo?”
“No, never. As far as I know, it doesn’t exist.”
“You… You aren’t joking, are you?” Minoru asked.
“That’s what we should ask you, saying you’re from a fake country and all.”
“H-Hey, hang on, I’m not lying to you! Where are we? What country are we in?”
“Bolian Theocracy, southeast of the continent of Villesia. I’m sure you’ve heard of it before.” Replied the short young man apparently named Milo.
“Bolian–? …Maybe I was right, after all… maybe this is an entirely new world…” Minoru cursed, realizing that one of his previous assumptions about his situation, quite possibly, was correct.
“Hey!” The girl said, stepping forward, her sword still pointing directly at Minoru. “Answer our question: where are you really from?”
“I’m telling you, I’m from Japan! I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but something strange has happened to me. I’m not sure if this is a different world, or a different time, but I was dragged here against my will!”
Milo glanced up at his companion. “Maybe an escapee from Draetan’s slave trade? He said he was brought here against his will. Not to mention he looks Gulian, doesn’t he?”
“No... what kinda trader would dress slaves up in a getup like that? Those clothes are too fancy… they don’t match Gulian style at all, either. In fact, I’ve never seen clothes like that…” The girl mused as she examined Minoru’s get up. “Hey, you don’t think…”
“Hm?”
“...No, it’s nothing… What were you doing here?” She raised her voice yet again.
“I was trying to make it to that city. I found myself back in those hills, I’m just trying to get my bearings straight and find shelter.”
“Any weapons on you?”
“No, but you can search if you want.” He offered, to which the two nodded at each other, gesturing for him to come forward. Minoru stepped through the shallow waters of the river towards them, and allowed the girl to pat him down. She paused on his front and back pockets and reached in, pulling out his phone and wallet.
“What would these be?"
"My wallet and phone. The first's for holding my money and my identification. If you look in one of the pockets on it you'll find my student ID." He said, to which the girl pried into the wallet, looking through it and eventually pulling out said card, gazing upon it with a look of bewilderment on her face.
"What in the world is this language? Milo, you know?" She asked, showing her companion the card, getting a similar look of confusion from him.
"No idea, these characters don't look like any language I've ever seen."
"Ehh–? But you know, like, a ton of languages!"
"I'm fluent in two, and roughly know one more, that’s not really a ‘ton’ in my eyes."
"Whatever, still way more than anyone would need to know."
"Maybe in Villesia, but not everywhere, Petra. As a voyager you really ought to know more than just one language if you ever wanna travel someplace other than Villesia."
"Oh, shut it." She retorted. "Anyways, it's got your picture on it, and the way it's made... I've never seen a card like this, it's all rigid and glossy.”
“That’s called lamination, it helps keep it safe and– Hey, don’t bend it!” He called out, quickly snatching his ID from her hands, looking it over to make sure it wasn’t damaged before sighing. “Well, it’s fine… anyways, you guys are talking with me just fine, and I’ve been speaking Japanese the whole time. Can you really not read it?”
“Eh? Now you’re just trying to mess with me, you’re speaking fluent Villesian!” Petra protested.
“Haah??” He uttered incredulously. “How could I be speaking a language I’ve never even heard of!? Villesia doesn’t exist where I’m from, so Villesian doesn’t either!”
“But you’re speaking it right now!”
"Calm down, both of you!" Interjected Milo. "Clearly there's something odd going on here. Maybe there's a translation spell active on Minoru, allowing us to communicate without a language barrier. It's been done before, after all, it's how you spoke with those traders from Aurea back in Yeols, Petra."
"Oh right… I suppose I jumped the gun there." She didn’t seem entirely bothered, and instead turned her attention to his phone, looking at it quizzically, turning it over in her hand again and again.
“And what’s this… ‘phone’ all about? It looks like a tiny writing tablet.”
“It’s how people where I’m from communicate over long distances. Here–” He held his hand out, to which she dropped it into his hand. Quickly pressing one of the buttons on the side, both Petra and Milo were surprised as it lit up, and as he explained the mechanisms. “Basically, it uses signals from towers we built to connect one phone to another and send audio and video between the two so you can see and hear each other.”
“Oh, so it’s like a Mana Signaler!” Petra declared confidently, a smile forming on her face, seemingly happy to find something familiar on this strange person.
“It’s so small though. How did this ‘Japan’ place manage to fit all the mana needed for signaling in such a device without causing a shortage? Not to mention all the parts and circuitry usually needed for signalers with visual capabilities… Sustained reflection magic would certainly cause a device like this to short, if not explode from being overwhelmed.” Milo asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Mana? Reflection magic?” Minoru asked.
“This device… does run on mana, right?”
“Uhh, well… how do I explain it…” Minoru rubbed his head. He stalled on his words. Mana seemed to be a very fundamental source of power, fueling all of this magic they went on about, he couldn’t imagine what it’d be like for them to hear that he didn’t have access to any of this mana. He imagined it being similar to someone from his time trying to wrap their heads around the implications of living without electricity or– more fundamentally– fire. “Mana doesn’t… exist where I’m from.”
“Eh?” Both Petra and Milo uttered as an immediate reaction. Their reactions made it clear that such an idea was simply unfathomable to them. “No mana!? H-How does that even work!? B-But a signaler has to do all that reflection and projection stuff to do mana signaling! How can you do it without any mana!?”
“Mana signaling isn’t a thing where I’m from, either. What you call mana signaling is something entirely different for us.”
“No way, nuh-uh, there’s no way you could’ve built something like this without mana. Milo, check it for me, you’re more sensitive to mana streams than anyone else, right?”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“I can certainly try. May I see your device for a moment?” The small young man asked, to which Minoru handed his phone over to him. After a few, quiet moments of Milo keeping his eyes shut, his expression turning to one of intense focus as his hand now radiated an ethereal glow once again, sky blue this time. In only a few moments, his brow furrowed in confusion, before he opened his eyes again and looked upon the phone in his hand. “He’s telling the truth. There’s no mana streams in this thing– there’s not even any raw mana, either. I can tell there’s something going on in there, but whatever it is it has nothing to do with magic. From a magical standpoint, this thing is completely hollow. What in the world is this technology…?” He muttered the last words to himself, appearing quite troubled by this revelation.
Minoru watched their troubled expressions for a few moments before speaking up. “Listen, I know this may be hard to believe, but I truly don’t know what this world is. Based on our conversation, the only conclusion I can reach is that I’ve been transported to a world different from my own.” Petra and Milo eyed him cautiously, before Petra straightened her posture, looking him directly into his eye.
“How exactly did this happen?”
“I was taking a walk around my home when I saw an acquaintance of mine. She was grabbed by these… things that looked like arms made of pure, white light. I ran after her and I was grabbed and pulled into the ground by them as well. I couldn’t perceive anything around me and when I woke up… I was here.”
“That does certainly sound like how summoning rituals were carried out in the past. We created large sigils upon a surface and channeled an incredible amount of our mana into it, using it as a catalyst to extend the range of a binding spell, appearing limbs that restrain and drag our summoning target to the sigil.” Milo explained. “Still, that’s quite an archaic method, one that isn’t widespread anymore as summoning rituals have been developed upon greatly since their inception.”
“Uhm… Minoru, I don’t mean to concern you, but there’s something that’s been on my mind ever since this conversation started.” Petra said, gaining Minoru and Milo’s attention. “You see, there’s a prophecy, one that has existed since ancient times in Villesia. It says that when our world– Gaia– is facing a coming cataclysm, heroes from another world will be summoned to protect it.”
“Petra, please, this is no time for trying to bring old tales into the mix.”
“Milo, honestly, you know I can’t help it! I’m Lemurian, we’re all told this prophecy because our homeland was saved by it!”
“Even still, nobody’s ever verified it! Besides, the claims it makes are ridiculous anyways. We know that nobody can generate mana on their own. Even if a hero like this was summoned, they wouldn’t be capable of something like that.”
“W-Well, why don’t you check Minoru? You can analyze a person’s mana streams, right? Why don’t you look his over?”
Milo simply sighed. “If it’ll close this case, then fine. Minoru, I apologize for her behavior, but may I request you allow me to analyze your body for a moment? I promise, I will only take a look at your mana streams, nothing else.”
Minoru felt uncomfortable at the notion, but if this was going to clear some misunderstanding up, then he might as well go along with it. Tentatively, he stood up straight and pushed his chest out somewhat. “I’m not sure if you’ll find anything, but if it’ll help then you may.”
“Thank you, it’ll only take a moment.” Milo remarked, his hand once more glowing an ethereal green as he moved it towards Minoru, hovering it over his belly. Minoru felt a strangely soothing warmth run through him as Milo’s mana seemed to inspect his body. As he said, it only took a few moments before Milo pulled back. “No independent mana generation there. What did I tell you, Petra?” To which he simply got a slightly downtrodden mumble from his companion.
“Although, there is one odd detail.” He continued. “Your mana streams are noticeably pure, as if they have just been opened. Usually they activate within the first few months of life, ready to conduct any mana you may have consumed. They can close back up with lack of use, of course, but that would show up clearly in any routine inspection. With you… it’s as though they’ve never been activated at all…” He mused, leaving the puzzling mystery for later as he continued. “As an aside, I saw lots of strain on your shoulders and lower back. You might want to look into adjusting your posture.”
“Wh–!? You said you weren’t going to look anywhere else!” Minoru protested.
“I can’t help it when this spell relays information to me! Besides, posture is important, I couldn’t let such a vital factor of your health go unmentioned if it’s being strained like this!” The smaller boy responded matter-of-factly.
“Would it kill you not to pry like that, Milo?” Petra chastised him, before sighing and shrugging. “Well, I guess it’s just part of what makes you you. Either way, I have one more important question. What exactly do you plan to do when you get to the city?” She inquired pointedly.
That gave Minoru a bit of pause as he moved his hand to his chin. “I… I don’t know. I was going to try and find a place to stay, but my money definitely won't be any good here…"
"Well, what would you want to do, if you were to get that sorted out?"
A solemn expression formed on his face as he contemplated this question. The reality of his situation– pushed back by the conversation with the two– was beginning to settle in. “I mean…” He rattled out. He was somewhere completely foreign, if not outright alien, a place where he'd have to relearn everything, a place unwelcoming to someone in his position.
"I… want to go home…"
Petra and Milo were clearly affected by the sudden change in tone Minoru showed as they silently waited for him to continue. Minoru wondered briefly if he was going to put a damper on the mood like this…
“Wherever I am… wherever this place is… it’s not my home. I don’t belong here, I can tell that already.” Holding up one of his hands momentarily, he looked down into his palm. “My dad… he’s probably worried sick about me… I might not have many people to come back home to… but I never got to say goodbye to him…” As he spoke, he could feel a tense feeling rising in his chest, the corners of his mouth curling uncontrollably downwards. Thinking of the worry his father must be feeling…
“It hurts… it hurts like hell…”
“But first…” He began, looking up at them. “There’s someone I need to find. She was the first one grabbed by those things that grabbed me. If there’s any possibility that she could be here as well, I want to find her so that the both of us can go back home.” He declared, slowly clearing his mind of the thoughts that tried pushing his emotions to the forefront. “Once I’ve found her, I’ll do whatever it takes to find a way for us to go back home…” He said, looking down at his hand once more as he mumbled to himself.
“I’m sure… that her and her family are both going through a similar heartache right now…”
Silently, Petra and Milo both watched as Minoru seemingly worked through his feelings in response to his own thoughts piling up about the situation at hand. Looking to one another, their unsure, worried expressions communicated a litany of words in only a single glance. Solemnly, they walked forwards, Petra reaching out and placing a hand on Minoru’s shoulder.
“Hey, don’t worry, okay? If you were brought here, clearly there’s a way to get back, yeah? And this friend of yours that you’re looking for, well… the world’s a small place when you get down to it, I’m sure you’ll find her, and you’ll both be able to go home together.” Both Petra and Milo were far more relaxed now than before, giving Minoru comforting smiles from both sides. “We might have just met but, if you don’t mind me suggesting it, why don’t you travel with us for the time being? We can help get you sorted out here.”
“I have no qualms with another set of hands coming with us. Besides, I’m sure you’ll need some people familiar with this world of ours.”
Petra then suddenly lit up. “Hey, you know– this might be a crazy idea, but instead of just traveling with us, why don’t you become a voyager, just like us?”
“H-Hey now, Petra, you know how dangerous it is for people like us who are already trained, much less someone who just had their mana streams opened.”
“Ah, right! Minoru, I’ll let that offer be set aside for now. But seriously, I hope you’ll consider it. Not only does it give you great reasons for traveling the lands, but you can even make money while doing it!”
Milo sighed. “What she isn’t telling you is that there’d be a lot of danger and risk involved. We can fight, we’ve trained and have been taught since we were little, but you’d be diving right into the deep end if you were to become one now.”
“I-I was going to tell him about all that, thank you very much! I’m not so irresponsible that I’d suggest becoming a voyager without properly informing him of the dangers!”
“I was just trying to make sure he knows as soon as possible.”
Minoru couldn’t help but find their banter somewhat enjoyable, and their supportive words helped lift his spirits. He only knew them for a few minutes at this point, but he was confident in saying that they were good people.
“Becoming one of these… ‘voyagers’ does sound quite interesting. I’ll think about it. For now, I think I need some sleep after today.” He interjected.
“R-Right! Of course. We’re staying at a hostel in the city, we’d be happy to have you lodge with us for now. We can hash out some more details in the morning, yeah?” Petra suggested.
“Yes, that does seem like the best course of action. We can talk more once we’re back in the city walls.” Milo added. With that, the agreement was set, and with their spirits lifted the group began their trek back into the city, as twilight was nearing its end.
Suddenly, Petra whipped around, her expression looking quite intense as she stared into the reeds on the other side of the river.
“Petra? Is something the matter?” Milo asked, Minoru following his lead as both of them turned around.
“Milo… just to make sure… Did your tracking spell find anything?”
“My…” Milo began, cutting himself off with a gasp as he quickly whipped his head towards the spot where he had found the paw print on the bank of the river. It still glowed, faintly enough to look ephemeral, but still brightly enough so as to be visible. The glowing trail extended from that paw shape, snaking across the soil and the water’s surface, reaching deep into the reeds.
“Minoru, I suggest you stand back.” Petra said, to which he tentatively took a few steps away from the river, putting both Petra and Milo between it and him as a rustling noise among the reeds grew louder and louder.
The three watched the opposite edge of the river carefully, their eyes tracking whatever was moving amongst the reeds as their tops swayed as they were displaced by its movements. Petra’s ears stood on end and her tail bristled slightly as she unsheathed her sword, pointing it towards the reeds as Milo’s staff and hands shone a bright red. Petra could hear the blood pumping in her ears loud and clear as she watched, her eyes wide open.
This scene continued on for a few moments more, silence as the three sat frozen in their spots, and as the rustling grew closer, until whatever it was could just barely be made out in the gaps of the reeds, just hidden from view.
In the briefest of moments, Petra saw a shining yellow glow from the reeds. She breathed in sharply, planting one of her feet into the ground as she swung her arms back, twisting her upper body.
From the obscuring plants a long, bony appendage appeared, flying out like a flash of light. Pale, it seemed to jitter and its movements looked more like forceful snaps than deliberate attacks. At the end was a large, hooked spike, surrounded by clusters of numerous smaller ones, ready to pierce and tear through flesh as it flew towards Minoru.
In an instant, Petra twisted her body back, putting all of her force into a slash of her blade, the steel slicing through the air until it collided with the appendage, a forceful CLANG! ringing out as the two strikes collided. The appendage recoiled before slinking back into the reeds. Just as quickly as it disappeared, its wielder revealed itself, practically tearing through the plants as it let out a fierce snarl, bounding over the river in a single leap.
It looked like a wolf, both in its face and its body, however the particulars clashed with such a notion. It looked at Petra with four tiny, yellow eyes. Both of its front feet bared enormous, sharp claws that even sliced through the earth just from its steps. Its body was enormous and curved like a dome along its shoulders and back, giving it a bulky, truly monstrous appearance. At the end of its tail, now looking rigid like a club, was a patch completely devoid of its otherwise body-covering gray fur, instead adorned with a terrible stinger and brutal spikes.
The detail that stood out, the one that would worm its way into Minoru’s head later as he gazed upon the beast flying at them through the air, was its expression. Its eyes held no sense of hunger, nor primal instinct. In fact, the emotions they held were unlike that of any animal.
No, what this beast– this monster– held in its expression was nothing short of murderous intent.
Weaving in from her last swing, Petra met the beast’s approach with an upwards slice, the strike stopping as it met with the reaping claws upon its front feet as it dug its hind legs into the ground. Up close, it towered over all three of them, casting Petra in its shadow as it put its strength against her blade, trying to force it down so it could dig into her with its claws.
“Kuh-!” Petra grunted, before letting a toothy grin splay across her face. “Well, looks like our target decided to show itself! Watch and learn, Minoru, this’ll be a good lesson on how a voyager solves their– Ngh– PROBLEMS!!” She said, as a light traveled up her arm and into her hand, flowing into her blade as it became surrounded with a burning light. The monster noticed, and let its weight off the sword, allowing Petra to punctuate her last word with a heavy swing.
Falling back to avoid the strike, the beast was left standing on its hind legs, an awkward position for it as a quadruped. Once again, Petra set herself up for another swing, almost seeming to twirl the sword in her hands to turn it around as she redirected the momentum of her last attack into another, putting her whole body into it once more as the blade reached its target.
Blood spilled like a splash of water as Petra’s sword ripped through the beast’s chest, leaving a deep gash. Although it didn’t seem to be hit anywhere vital, the pain it felt was palpable as it stumbled slightly.
Snarling again, its eyes seemed to burn like yellow flames. With a sharp crack, its tail bent in multiple locations, almost as if its bones were being dislocated. In a flash, it seemed to extend far out from the main body, cutting through the air like the end of a whip as it flew in an arc, homing in on Petra, it dove straight for her from above.
Throwing her weight back, Petra jumped from her spot just as the end of the tail collided with the ground, kicking up dirt and dust in a huge cloud around it as it buried deep into the soil, before slinking back, seemingly reconnecting its bones as it once again became stable and rigid.
“Carve it, Vorpal Wind!” Came Milo’s voice as he spun his staff around in one hand, forcefully thrusting the other, its palm opened to face the monster, forward. Red, glowing light gathered around his palm before jettisoning from his hand, the air seeming to curve around it as it shot out like a bullet– a deep, bassy boom ringing out.
As it came in contact, the projectile seemed to be absorbed by the creature before, in a flash, a series of slashing lights danced through the air, all around the beast, looking as though they were encasing it in a bubble. Mere moments later, blood spewed forth from the beast’s body as cuts formed all around it from the razing wind. Stumbling slightly, its footing unsteady as its wounds burned.
Turning its attention towards the mage, it kicked off the ground, bounding towards him. In reaction, Milo waved his staff in a half circle around him, the motion sending out a stiff breeze as light gray ripples of mana were sent out with him as the epicenter. “The wind’s got you covered, go all in!” He called as he jumped back- dodging a swipe from the beast by just a few millimeters- looking as though he was being lifted from the ground as he jumped multiple feet into the air, many times his own height. He glowed a light silver as he slowly fluttered down to the ground, looking as though a strong wind was stalling his fall.
“Aye aye, sir!” Petra called out jollily as she bounded towards the monster in a single step, looking as though the wind carried her through the air after empowering her leap. Aiming her blade, she sought to drive it right through the monster’s head. Its ears stood to attention, and it quickly ran forward, dodging Petra’s attack. As she landed- her blade rebounding from the ground- its stiff, rigid tail curled back before swinging towards her.
Slamming her square in the chest, Petra’s hands were forced off her blade’s handle as she was knocked away with the mighty hit, knocking her a few feet away. Arm wrapped around her own torso, she struggled and trembled as she tried to pick herself back up, the strike stunning her for a moment. Attempting to finish the job, the monster dug its claws into the dirt, using them as an anchor point to pivot and carry itself into a run back towards Petra.
“Magic Missile!” Called Milo, a sharp, high-pitched noise resounding from the end of his staff as a streak of light blue mana fired out like three darts aimed directly at the creature. The three projectiles struck, two on the monster and one on the ground, kicking up dust as it recoiled, being thrown off its path by the attack.
Bursting out from the dust cloud, the monster bounded over the incapacitated Petra. As it flew overhead, its tail unlinked, attempting to smash into her. Her ears and tail standing straight, she quickly rolled across the ground out of the way, barely dodging- the attack close enough that tremors shocked through the earth nearby. Pulled back from the impact site, the tail linked back together again as Milo continued to fire dart after dart of magic, slowly tracking the creature as it ran around. It was fast and nimble enough- even with its current injuries- to be able to weave in and out of the path of damage they caused.
Dipping its tail downwards, the club-like end dragged through the dirt, kicking up dust and gravel behind it until it then extended and swept through the ground in a wide arc, the resulting dust cloud reaching multiple feet up and enshrouding Milo, who quickly cast a light breeze with a wave of his hand, dispersing the dust around him, the cloud curling to clear his immediate vicinity as he continued to slowly float down, closer to the ground now.
However, with the momentary distraction, the beast had disappeared from view, and Milo looked around for its silhouette among the clouds. Suddenly, his ears twitched, as he heard a creaking sound coming from behind him.
“Milo, the tree!!” Shouted Minoru, causing Milo to whip around and come face to face with the yellow glow of four eyes glistening as they stared back at him. In only a moment, he swung his staff, a dense collection of light green blades of light collecting in front of him, forming a shield of pure force. The wind was blowing strong enough that at the center of the shield it felt like that of a physical object, so much so that the monster appeared to float as it stood upon the barrier of force, snarling and glaring Milo down.
“Ghhk–! Petra!!” Milo called out, just as he heard the cracking noise of the monster’s tail unlinking once more, shooting out to its left side, attempting to strike Milo as it whipped through the air, curling around the barrier. Gritting his teeth, he braced for impact.
In a flash, almost like a streak of light, Petra had launched herself up with Milo’s enshrouding wind, attacking with a downward swing of her blade, crashing it directly into the beast’s back, the heft of her great blade slamming and launching it right back down to the ground. Her movement, forceful enough to perform a front flip, put her right side up once again as she pointed her sword downwards. Swinging his hand to the side, Milo called out “Release!”
Immediately, the silver wind around her dispersed, and she began falling. Still recovering from the strike, which left a large gash along the monster’s spine, its ears could only stand and curl upwards towards Petra, as all of the adrenaline and tension left her mouth in what could only be described as a roar, as the momentum carried her downwards.
The fountain of blood that followed was immediate as the heft of Petra’s blade drove it downwards into the injury on the beast’s back, the blade slicing through its internals as it was driven through its back like a sword placed back into its sheath. Its four eyes, contorted in anger and pain, rolled back into its skull as it quickly perished, all of its weight being slammed into the ground as Petra landed on top of its back.
After a moment she wrenched the sword from its body, a streak of blood following the trail of the blade as it was pulled out, a show of triumph over the beast. Sliding down the beast like it was a small mound of earth, Petra landed on the ground, standing up straight and letting out a relieved sigh.
“Whoo~! That was a good way to get the blood pumping, eh? Y’see that, Minoru? That’s what being a voyager’s all about!” She said, shaking off some of the still wet blood from her, swinging her sword to the side to do the same before sheathing it onto her back once again. “So? Think you wanna give it a try?” She urged in an encouraging tone, approaching him as he stood up.
Milo came in from above as he finally landed from his spell. “What kind of advertising are you trying to pull here? How is that going to convince anyone who isn’t a blood hungry brute like you to take up voyaging?” He inquired, a little incredulously.
“Hey, c’mon Milo, don’t act like you don’t have fun fighting, too!”
“Celestials above, I can’t understand you serauts…” He commented with an eye roll and a shake of his head as he placed his hand on his forehead, brushing his bangs away.
“Hah! You halflings wouldn’t know the first thing about the joy of a good hunt if it bit you on the ass!” She teased back.
“It’s not like I’m completely unfamiliar with it. I grew up with you after all.” He shot back with a little smirk, his frustration seeming to dissipate as quickly as it came on.
Minoru couldn’t help but smile with an amused huff as he watched their exchange. He could feel the long history these two shared together just in how they spoke, it was oddly reminiscent of how he and his dad spoke to one another.
“Here, stand still already.” With a twirl of his staff, it appeared as though he was churning an invisible pool of water above him. His hand shone light blue as he grasped her wrist, the blue light flowing like a river across Petra’s body.
“Hehe, y’see, this is how amazing mana is, Minoru. Betcha couldn’t do something like this where you’re from!” A toothy grin splayed on her face, she showed herself off as her wounds appeared healed, the dirt and scrapes from the preceding scrap having disappeared completely, it seemed.
“Nope, can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like that. Mana’s really something else, huh?”
She gave a small, confident “Heehee~” as she smiled brightly. “Trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet, you should see what some archmages are capable of.” Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart, still somewhat hopped up on adrenaline. She hopped on her feet before stretching to burn away that residual energy “Hooh! Well, we did what we came out here to do, and we’re one member stronger! We should go grab that reward and get settled in. We’re leaving soon anyways, right?”
Milo nodded, though he seemed to be thinking about something. “We should be able to catch a caravan headed for Draetan in a couple weeks. We’ll have time to show Minoru around and figure out how we should spend the reward money. Incidentally…” He stated, grabbing Petra’s attention and turning it towards the– frankly huge– corpse of the beast that had just been slain.
“How are we going to bring this back to the city?”