With a smile on her face, Yulia made her way to the Fae that now stood up, not a single word was said until Yulia caught her now present friend in a tight hug
"You don't know how happy I am to see you" Fae couldn't but chuckle nervously at the soft voice in her ear while Athena had a warm smile on her face, and after a silent second the two parted away with
Still holding Fae by her arms, Yulia inquired further as she had quite the questions to ask
"I distinctly remember you said you'd be gone for a single day" Fae chuckled and scratched the back of her head, unable to look right at the narrowed eyes she was given
"Not more than two weeks" Yulia then crossed her arms as she tried her best to not smile
"You've got something to say for yourself?" Fae gave the questioner a warm smile and a slow nod
"A lot actually, but I don't think this is the right time" With her smile unwavering, Fae gestured with her head behind Yulia who looked over her shoulder to find both Athena's party and the four knights looking at her attentively
With a sigh, Yulia looked back at Fae
"I'm so close to quitting my job" She told Fae who's laugh softened Yulia's expression
"Well, you stay here, I'll be done quickly and come back to you" Athena smiled at those words while Fae had quite the surprise to give to Yulia
"Actually, I'm joining the hunting party" Her words made Yulia raise an eyebrow before she crossed her arms and looked sternly towards Athena with narrowed eyes and pursed lips that the latter couldn't help but divert her gaze from
"I've already proven that I'm not dead weight, I'll be useful" Fae tried to already convince Yulia, but it seems that the only thing she got from her was a scoff
"That's not what I'm worried about" Yulia looked at Fae for a silent second before she let her cross arms rest down to her sides while her lips parted to let out a worried sigh
"But well, you made compromises for many, It's time to make one myself" With a smile, she beckoned Fae to join her while Athena got up from her seat, the three women headed towards the table that the knights and Athena's party were sitting at
"Alright take a seat you two" Yulia spoke to both Fae and Athena as the latter joined the left side of the table where her party was sat down while Fae herself sat down between Athena and the Knight with the red X on his helmet, she gave him a slow nod that he replied with a friendly wave and it took just that for Fae to assume that it was Claude
"Joining us?" The knight seated next to Claude spoke up with a very deep and raspy voice, his sheer tone made what he said seem like a threat and unfortunately for Fae he directed his words straight to her
"Yes, my name's Fae" She replied to him with brief words and a neutral tone, or at least she tried
"Not much of a strong name" The third Knight spoke and despite the masculine appearance of her armor it was indeed a she
"Nor do you look like a warrior" She continued, resting her clanking arms on the table while her gaze was glued with Fae that took her words as a slight offense
But all it took was Yulia clearing her throat for the staring between the two women to drop, or rather to divert towards the guild master
"We need as much help as we can get, a Chimera isn't your average monster to hunt" Yulia's words brought Fae some much-needed relief as she herself wasn't fond of senseless arguing
"The guild master's right" The final and fourth knight spoke, his voice seemed much younger than the second one
"Safety in numbers" He continued to his partner who rolled her eyes and diverted her gaze away just like a child would
Fae let out a mental sigh at everything, maybe the knights weren't like she was expecting, after all, perhaps Claude was a rare one unfortunately
To her left were the unfriendly tin cans while to her right was an adventurer's party that she wasn't much fond of, Fae felt like maybe she shouldn't have agreed to this after all
"With that aside let us please go back to the topic at hand" With those words Yulia gestured to the second knight, the oldest of his group
"Sir William, if you'd please" And right after she finished the knight brought out a rolled parchment that he spread on the table, a map it seemed
"The chimera was seen two days ago roaming around this part of the forest" She pointed at the area of the forest that was up to the northeast of Freesia
"Chimeras aren't very well known to be migrating monsters, unless it is in a time of war" Yulia lifted her eyes to look to her right, where the knights were seated at
"They're indeed attracted to the scent of bodies" The female knight spoke, Fae took a glance at her and she could see her blue eyes under the shadow her helmet provided
"Perhaps the battle against the green skins we had two weeks ago attracted it?" Athena spoke with her cheek rested on the palm of her hand
"See that's what I thought before I remembered that both Fae and Gunther here" Gesturing to the first and then the second, Yulia continued
"Were the first people to make contact with this Chimera, and that happened days before the battle" Everybody from both sides was attentive to what Yulia had to say
"But well, the reason matters not for now" She looked from the knights back towards the party of adventurers
"For now we'll need to take care of it and for that, we'll be needing a plan" Her eyes then locked with Fae, and just the friendly face she had was enough to make Yulia slightly smile
"First let's talk about the chimera itself if some of you aren't familiar with this type of monster" The same knight, William, brought another parchment and put it over the map as it had the drawing of a huge lion with a goat protruding from it's back and the beast's tail was none but a living snake
"Chimeras are nocturnal predators, mostly preferring to hunt at night and close to their hideout if possible" The guild master continued as her slender finger pointed at the roaring head of the lion
"This is the main body, no matter if you kill the goat or the snake the lion is still the most dangerous" Fae felt like she was back in college but still, she had to keep being attentive because unlike college missing out on notes here wouldn't result in just bad grades
"The goat itself isn't of any danger, but its body is the supply of mana for the lion that draws from it to breathe fire, so be very careful when you see it exhale embers from its maw" Fae nodded to herself while her eyes were fully glued to Yulia, any information she gave of the chimera Fae engraved in her brain
"While the snake itself doesn't have any magic to use, it can protect the chimera's blindspot while also lunge at you just like a spear would, except if you try to block this it'd cost you a few bones" Blocking the huge snake was out of the question for Fae it seems, not like she was planning to
"As for the lion, apart from breathing fire it also likes to pounce and move very erratically so try and expect it and keep your distance" Yulia then looked at the oldest knight
"Sir William here will be our protector against the fire" She gestured towards him with an open hand while he himself gave back a slow and confident nod, and as Fae looked deep into the vision port of his helmet she could see that his eyes were of a grey color
"My shield is engraved with protective runes, it can defend against harm whether it's in the physical or magical form" Yulia, with a thankful smile continued her speech
"But always be on your feet in the fight, the Chimera won't spit fire as much as it will pounce and claw" A silent second dawned on both of the groups before the guild master continued
"As for the offensive part, since the chimera's hide is thick enough to deter deep cuts from regular weapons, the guild will provide a special type of oil that each of us will cover our blades with" She looked around from face to face to make sure each understood her words, Fae could tell that this wasn't the first time Yulia was explaining a plan
"The oil will help the blade cut deep into the chimera, but well" Yulia stopped for a bit to take an inhale
"That won't be enough, that's why Siegfried will be accompanying us" She gestured to the young man in robes with the hood in his head, Fae could recognize him as that one person that healed her with magic after both Fae and Yulia came out of that dungeon
Siegfried had no words to say as he had his eyes glued to Yulia, giving her but a mere slow nod while all eyes were on him
"While our swords will distract the beast, Siegfried will ready a spell strong enough to defeat it" Yulia attracted everybody's attention again
"The chimera is resistant to physical attacks so magic is our only way of effectively combating it" And with those words said, William made eye contact with Siegfried
"You're the heart of the plan young man, I hope you steeled yourself for what is to come" Stern words came out of the knight's mouth as they prompted a nod out of Siegfried
"Yes sir, you can count on me" He replied to the knight with a slight touch of confidence that the knight could but only nod to
"Good, keep that confidence and I will make sure no harm reaches you" Siegfried grew a smile as he gave William an appreciative nod
"Alright then, with the plan done with, does any of you have a question in mind?" Yulia looked around from face to face yet none of them seem to have anything that needed to be clarified
"Great, with that done let's get the introductions started" Yulia straightened her back as she looked around the table
"Let's begin with the knights" And then she gestured with an open hand towards them, the female knight began with a sigh as she was the closest to the guild master
"I am Ser Lucy, I use a longsword and a heater shield as my weapons, magic-wise my knowledge is very limited" She told everybody, Fae chuckled under her breath at the knight calling a shield a weapon, also hoping that she won't have to stay close to the female battle junkie
"Ser Myles, the same arms and magical knowledge as Lucy" The young male knight didn't seem much of a talker to Fae, but she was used to silent knights
"Ser William, I use a great shield engraved with protective runes and a flail, I will be the vanguard of the party for the hunt" As William stopped speaking though, Fae wondered if Claude would at last speak a word, she wouldn't mind hearing his voice after all this time
"And this is my friend, Ser Claude" The knight continued as he gestured to Claude that was seated to his right, Fae rolled her eyes
"He will use a claymore in battle" And that was all the introduction that William gave to the silent knight, Fae's heart skipped a beat as only then she realized that Claude was to her left, which meant that it was her turn now
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"My name's Fae, I'll use a shortsword and magic depending on the situation" She said as she looked towards the knight's side until her gaze fell into Yulia, only then did she grow a smile on her face
"A spellblade? a true novelty to meet one" Lucy spoke to Fae though the latter genuinely had no thought as to whether that was a compliment or sarcasm speaking
"I'm Athena, I'll be using a two-hander" Athena next to Fae gave a brief introduction and a nod
"Gunther, long sword and a round shield" Gunther was the only person that Fae didn't set her eyes on in the introductions, she had no plan to forget or forgive
"Edyn, same as my friend" The tall young man spoke and Fae lifted her eyes again, she remembered the one who spoke and the last one as well
"Siegfried, I'll use both offensive and supportive magic" And with those words the introductions were over, until Yulia spoke
"And I'm Yulia, my weapon will adapt the situation at hand, nice to meet you all" Yulia told the newfound temporary party, and as Fae noticed it was much to the surprise of everybody
"I thought you weren't coming" Lucy spoke up what the rest didn't want to say, Yulia shrugged
"Some factors changed" Her answer was brief but enough to make the female knight scoff and keep her opinion to herself
"With all this done, we'll be meeting in the front gates in around two hours, don't be late, or else the hunt will only be more dangerous" She looked around for any confused expression or any raising question but fortunately found none
"Everything's in order then, see you all later" Those words gave everybody the permission to leave while Yulia's eyes locked with Fae, it was obvious that she wanted to talk to her and Fae wanted nothing more than that
Fae felt a gaze piercing her back as she walked towards Yulia but she tried her best to not turn her head around, only focusing on the woman in front of her
"Some factors changed huh?" She took on a mischievous tone as she aimed her words at Yulia who let out a nervous chuckle
"Come on now don't put me on the spot" Her warm chuckle brought a smile to Fae
"But well, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, come walk with me" She gave her offer to Fae with a heartwarming smile, and the latter couldn't refuse
And so went the two women exiting the guild's building and walking within one of the roads of Freesia, Fae told the tale of her little voyage to the empire of blades while making sure that each detail was spoken, from the very beginning of how they met Ichiya, all the way until she took the ship back to Flora, And Yulia was attentive to each word that came out of Fae's mouth with impression, relief, and happiness being the main emotions that Yulia displayed
"I'm happy for Yuna, I hope she feels better now" Yulia gave Fae a warm smile that she ever so missed, infecting her and pushing the corners of her lips to form one of their own
"I guess that does explain why you took so long to come back" She added on to her friend from another world, who smiled softly and nodded
"It was a fascinating journey, seeing a different culture from Flora and speaking to royalty was very endearing" Fae continued
"But most importantly Yuna's heart is at ease now" Yulia chuckled at the words given to her as she gave her friend tender eyes and a warm smile
"You're quite the friend aren't you?" With her smile turning into a slight smirk Fae wasn't able to hold her tiny chuckle
"I'll gladly take the compliment" She replied to Yulia as the latter responded with a pleased nod
"Right then, I have other questions for you but let's leave them for later" She informed Fae as the two women finally arrived at where they wanted to be next, the Red Lilly inn, and just the sight of it brought a smile to Fae who walked behind the Yulia that opened the door and went inside
Ulfgan raised an eyebrow at the woman who entered before smiling as he recognized her
"Somebody looks happy" He said out loud, before Fae followed inside and gently closed the door behind her
"That explains it" He added on with his smile turning into a grin that Yulia shook her head at with a happy expression that she didn't have the power to hide
Fae saw Yulia head to the counter and she followed right behind, her eyes noticing a few people around the tables of the inn yet none that she knew personally
"Good to see you too" Yulia told her innkeeper friend as she took a seat with Fae doing the same next to the guild master
"Heh, you know its always a pleasure to see you" He answered Yulia to then look at Fae
"And that goes to you too, you left us for quite some time" The mischievous grin he previously had for Yulia quickly turned into a caring smile
"Yeah, a lot of stuff came up unprompted so I had to take more time" Fae replied to him as he gave her a slow nod
"Life can come up with quite the surprises, I just hope the ones you had were pleasant" He spoke with a soft tone to Fae who then smiled at the end of his words
"The time I spent away was very well worth it" Her words gave Ulfgan a relieved expression that she could tell easily by the growth of his smile
"I'm very pleased to hear that lass, can't say I wasn't worried about you after all" Fae chuckled nervously while Yulia smiled and attracted Fae attention again
"Right then, how about you go drop your stuff first and then you can join us" She told, receiving a prompt nod from the woman who then walked away from the two not before a friendly wave that Ulfgan returned politely
Yulia kept her smile on her face and then looked at the surface of the counter, a short silence dawned on the two
"For once I'm glad I was wrong" Ulfgan muttered softly which prompted his friend to let out a sigh before lifting her head to lock eyes
"Told you she wasn't dead" A smile of relief was painted all over Yulia's face, Ulfgan shared the same sentiment as he depicted it with a small smile while he served a tankard for his old friend
"Personally I don't really see her as somebody who'd get that busy all of a sudden" He spoke as he delivered the filled tankard for the woman who expressed her thanks with a slow nod accompanied by a soft smile
"Me neither" Yulia spoke with a quiet tone as she took a sip of the ale
"Do you know anything about Fae except her name?" He asked Yulia who now rested the tankard on the counter to look at Ulfgan in the eyes
"Maybe" Her brief answer made him chuckle
"I'm not asking you to tell me don't worry" He gave her a friendly smile
"I'm just happy she has somebody she trusts" And then a slow nod that infected Yulia with a similar smile
"And did you tell her that you were leaving town to look for her?" He questioned the now laughing Yulia
"Nah, some things are better off unsaid" She then looked down inside her mug seemingly pleased with her reply
"Why not?" Ulfgan shrugged
"I'm sure she'd appreciate the thought" He saw Yulia lift her tankard with a sigh as she took a big gulp, one that she hoped could reply in her place
"I don't want to be a bother for her" Her eyes were still locked on the liquid that was within the now half-filled mug as she rested it on the counter
"If she has important things to do I'd rather Fae not have to think about me worrying about her" She then lifted her eyes to land them on Ulfgan's, her face depicted that she herself wasn't sure about what she just said
"Does that make sense?" She asked with a small smile while the other couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle
"Aye, very much so" His words soothed Yulia and put her confused smile more at ease
"I'm sure she holds you dear as well" What he said prompted her to laugh before downing the ale at once to then put the mug back
"Right then, when Fae comes back tell her that I got some errands" His only reply was a smiling nod
"And well, say Hi to Ysabel for me" And then Ulfgan gave her a wave as she walked away
"Take care of yourself Yulia, be sure to come back" She waved back as she headed to the door, leaving the innkeeper with a smile
....
Seconds thoughts finally dawned on the tired Fae about joining the hunting party as her feet made it quite clear that hours of walking took a toll on them
With a grunt, she sat down on her bed and rested her backpack on her lap, rummaging through it to make sure that if anything would be useful, she had to take it
Her eyes widened in Eureka as she remembered that the Chimera was quite easily blinded by her flashlight, with a smile on her face she grabbed it and put it in her pocket to then continue her search
"Quite brave of you to volunteer in this evening's hunt" No matter how soothing that voice was to hear it still caught Fae off-guard as it made her flinch and look to her left, seeing the white spirit of Yuna leaning back against the wall next to the door, but most importantly with a warm smile on her face that immediately put Fae back at ease
"Hey, nice to see you" Fae said with a caring tone that made Yuna tilt her head gently
"Pleasure to see you too" Keeping her warm smile on her face Yuna crossed her arms
"Getting cold feet about this evening's event huh?" Yuna's question made her blood-sister chuckle nervously
"Are you inside my head or something?" She jokingly asked with a raised eyebrow
"We share the same blood now, Fae" However, Yuna replied to her with anything but a joking tone
"I feel my emotions just as I feel yours" With a hand on her chest and a smile on her face, she carried on
"And I'm certain you can feel mine too" While Yuna spoke, Fae had nothing to give but a gentle smile and soft eyes
"We are one, my soul, and your body" She continued while her friend had quite the giggle
"Quite nice to hear that I have a guardian angel of my own" Fae replied to Yuna with that same unfading smile
"Maybe falling down that pit when I was chased by the chimera wasn't a bad thing after all huh?" She told her ethereal friend who let out a scoff at the words heard
"I for one would never see harm befalling you in a good light" She then softened her smile given to Fae
"But I'm glad that it ended with a silver lining" And then she nodded
"For the both of us" Yuna finished her words while Fae smiled and agreed in a slow nod
"Well it hasn't quite ended, but it will, tonight" She then replied to Yuna who slightly furrowed her eyebrows, her smile still plastered on her face
"And I'll make sure to help you with your beastial quarry, you have my all" Fae appreciated the words and Yuna's offer
"Thank you, having you around me at all times really helps with any fear or doubts I have" Fae was then surprised that the words she said brought a brief chuckle out of the ever so serious and uptight Yuna
"Please Fae, you've crossed the sea for me, it's the least I can do for you" She said
"No matter what life has in for you, I'll always be beside you" She gave Fae a warm smile as she spoke
"Forever and ever" And the other could but smile at the words that she was given, it brought her great comfort to know that even if the whole world was against her, no matter how many waves of time crashed through her, Yuna would still be at her side
Though feeling one way and being able to express it aren't one and the same, Fae could but scratch the back of her hand and laugh nervously
"You're too kind Yuna, thanks" She said to her spirit guardian, who crossed her arms and was pleased enough with the reaction she has gotten
And so Fae continued her preparation helped by Yuna who then started discussing with Fae how they should engage the chimera together if god forbid the need arose
The blade woman was very curious as to how Fae could best utilize her innate power to absorb mana and magic in itself and then use it to her advantage, but there wasn't much time at hand for a lively discussion so they had to make do with experimenting in combat, Fae was uncertain on whether she was properly prepared for what is to come, but she trusted Yuna to protect her
And so it was time for the knights and adventurers to meet together, and Fae didn't plan to be late by any means and she proved it by being a little too early, and that she could realize as when she left the town's gates she could see Gunther and Siegfried in the distance under the shade of a tree
She spotted them and sighed, not very much so willing to go join those two as a conversation with Gunther would probably issue and that was one of the last things she wanted to happen
Her train of thought was immediately shutdown at the touch of a hand on her right shoulder, she raised an eyebrow and could see that it was covered by a metal gauntlet, she turned around to lock eyes with the emerald eyes that brought her some much-needed comfort
"Hey there Claude, nice to see you" He was silent but Fae could clearly tell that he was smiling under his helmet with the little she could see through the two vision ports on the front plate, if anything the forms and engravings that he had all around his plated armor were vividly remembering her of ancient crusader knights from her own world
"You came alone?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow, a question that he nodded to
Fae smile and nodded back
"I did too, tried to come as early as I could" Fae tried to strike a conversation with Claude, intending to do anything but go near Gunther, although a little bit of that same intention was to try and get Claude to say something
Her eyes diverted to what he was holding in his right hand, a quite sizable claymore held from the blade at the base of the crossguard
"That's a nice sword" She said, Claude looked down to his side to take a glance at his own weapon before he looked back at the woman and raised his hand
"Oh" Fae was offered to wield it, with a nervous smile she grabbed the handle with a single reverse grip and as soon as Claude let the sword go it took a dip as the point was planted into the dirt, catching Fae off-guard from its sheer weight
"A-ah, sorry" She said before lifting it with both hands while Claude himself let out a chuckle that immediately attracted Fae's attention back on him, his voice was quite soft for such a strong man
That same man stared at her with curiosity as he put one hand on his waist, prompting Fae to think that if he was expecting her to wield it elegantly he was in for a show
Grabbing the handle with both hands tightly, Fae lifted it with a grunt, it wasn't that hard to lift it once but she couldn't even imagine herself fighting with something so heavy in her hands, let alone having to do swift and fast cuts with this
"You're pretty strong" He gently took the sword from her hands with a scoff while Fae gave him an appreciative nod after a sigh of relief from the burden removed
"Hey there" A familiar voice attracted the duo's attention as they turned behind to see a face that made Fae beam with radiance
"I thought you chickened out" Fae told the approaching Yulia who chuckled and put a hand on her waist after reaching the duo
"Hello to you too" She replied to the now laughing Fae while her gaze turned to meet the knight's
"Claude" She gave him a greeting in the form of a slow nod that he immediately returned
"Well, I brought the oils we'll need in this knapsack" Yulia took off her knapsack that to Fae, looked like a primitive version of her backpack
"Was able to squeeze out a few potions too in case things turn sour" And the duo could indeed see the glass bottles inside as they were presented by Yulia
"That's very thoughtful of you, I'm certain they'll be of huge help" Fae said, hands on her knees as she was bent over while her eyes still admired the shape of the potions and oils inside, and while she wondered how they were made Yulia had a warm smile on her face as she gazed at the woman in front of her who's enthusiasm, cheerfulness and optimism was something that she couldn't get enough of, the more she was around her the more Yulia wanted to be of help
"Where's everybody else though?" Fae moved her eyes from the bag to gaze at the guild master who's sudden eye contact made her flinch
"Ah right, they should be behind me by now" She closed the knapsack and strapped it around her shoulder before gazing at the horizon, it was soon for the sun to set down with its light
Although the rising doubts of the trio Athena showed up alongside the rest of her party and Claude's fellow knights, everybody gathered and set froward for the hunt