Vault Hunters (Finished~)

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Two eyes from within the bones flashed magenta, and Wild would suddenly feel her body going stiff, but then it faded away as quickly as it came."Wild?" whispered Vidya's voice in the darkness. "Wild is that you?" a dirty hand with recent scars around her wrist like rope burn marks emerged from beneath the bones. And there was Vidya, looking worse for wear, a little singed, but stubbornly determined and hopeful.

She made a squeaking sound, similar to a mouse that echoed up the pit. It was greeted with another squeaking sound, and a gaunt white face with long black hair peeked out from the edge of the pit above them. "It's not her!" whispered Vidya waving her hand. "Go back to your positions!" The gaunt white face disappeared and there was shuffling, low whispering voices above, then silence.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

At first, Wild was about to panic as her body froze without her consent as she stared back at the glowing red eyes. Then she lets out a sigh of relief as her body relaxed back to normal. Her ears perked up at the familiar voice and she thrilled quietly. Hopping closer to rub her furred ashy cheek on Vidya’s palm in relief. Her red eyes became watery as she gazed at Vidya’s still living and determined eyes.

Oh bless this stubborn woman for staying alive during this whole massacre-!

Though she tilted her head when she heard the squeaks, looking past the tall elf, and narrowed her eyes. Isn’t that- it is! Why is Vidya working with the guy that shot them the dart?? Wild flower huffed, gently sat down despite balancing on a femur with one end tucked in the hip bone like a precarious seesaw, and waited for the elf to explain. Her expression was quite clear and if she couldn’t see, Vidya could hear it in her tone. After she spat out the gold earring onto her tanned hand, of course.

’Rrrrrriiiiiiiilll?’

What is Vidya doing? With gaunt face? And to Wild’s assumption that was made true from the various of voices, there’s more mice within those bones...why?

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

"Wild, oh , Wild!" Vidya whispered, hugging the bunny. "Quick, hide here. We're ambushing, Nuala, though I'm out of spells now. Nightshade." she shook her head. "There are survivors, an ogre named Buddy, that guy who ambushed us, Trosdan, and some kind of wannabe hero guy hiding up there named Dorian." she looked up. "I was supposed to petrify Nuala and then we all would attack her if she ever came this way again, that or just wait for nightfall. She seems to be wanting to get out, and they wanted to just let her leave so we could leave safely, but . . . Wild, I think . . . I think she's an intelligent whatever she is. And she's going to kill a lot of people if she leaves this cave. What happened to you, by the way? Why do you look different?"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

Wild snuggled her in their hug before sitting on the femur as she listened. Then she nodded and released her spell. Small sparks of lightning surrounded her form as she changed back to a rabbit, now being able to talk. “I can change forms.” She smiled, patting the elf’s hands with her paws.

“About Nuala, she’s a demon they summoned. She was a guardian of this land long before but died during a battle and won the war with the polar bear tribe. Against guys with spiky helmets. Trosdan wrote letters to someone and in the letters, he mentioned about summoning Nuala and another demon before her. I woke up on a sacrificial alter, surrounded by dead bodies!” Her red eyes glared at the darkness behind Vidya, silently scolding the one who caused this.

“She’s waiting for nightfall because demons burn under sunlight.” Wild whispered as her gaze softened towards Vidya. “And yes, I know she’s a demon because she’s drinking. Soul. Stone. Tea.”

She stayed quiet and sighed. “Alright...I volunteer as bait.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Vidya stared at her for a moment. "And here I thought you were an ordinary auntie who couldn't fend for herself!" she whispered, amazed. "So, I guess this means we are going to fight her. The others won't like this, let's go back up."

They climbed out of the deep pit quietly, and Vidya crouched towards the body of the fallen ogre, feeling her way in the dark. Now, close to it, Wild could hear its very controlled slow breathing. Something shuffled in the dark behind the ogre. "Trosdan, Buddy, this is my friend, Wild. Change of plans, I think we can actually take on Nuala, as in bring the fight to her instead of waiting for nightfall."

"What?" hissed a male voice from the shuffling thing in the dark. "That's not . . . what we agreed." the voice was croaky and tired.

"Who friend?" rumbled the deep voice of the ogre behind her. "Buuuuuunny, you pretty."

"Shhh." hissed Trosdan. "What makes you think we can take her on? Who are you?" his voice shifted and Wild could tell he was facing her direction.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -
“Volunteered bait“​

”...but I am ordinary- okay.” Wild Flower quietly giggled. “Thank you.” That last statement made Wild raise a furred brow. “I thought you guys were going to ambush? Is that not part of fighting?”

Is she missing something here?

The white rabbit went with Vidya, out of the deep pit and hopped towards the dead ogre- oh. He’s still alive! He’s breathing! That’s good news~ Her ears perked up and even with the long appendages standing upright, she was still smaller than Vidya‘s legs. Barely reaching her knee caps. Then she heard voices. One’s tired. Oh dear. Wild Flower shuffled closer to where she heard the tired voice, taking out the healing herb from the red cloth around her wrist. She giggled from the compliment. “Why thank you. You’re lovely, sweet one— hm?”

There’s a presence in front of her, blocking her way to the tired voice. This one hisses. Wild Flower narrowed her eyes and straightened her back. Ears leaning forward. “I’m the rabbit you dragged from the cages and placed on a sacrificial alter for your demoness. My name is Mrs. Wild Flower. Who are you, rude one?”

She walked around the hissing voice to reach the tired one, offering the healing herb if he wanted it in quiet whispers. Then she immediately stood back up and made her way out of the room. “I just want to live. If you don‘t want to fight, that’s fine too. Go to the main hallway and to your bedroom, wait there until you hear the noises being far. Then run to the entrance. I plan on doing something big enough to crush her and I rather not have young ones be dead on my account. That includes you, Vidya.“

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

"Yeah, but not actively, girl. Only if she happens to come here. She thinks we're dead. We thought of just waiting for night and letting her leave, even though I don't want to. It's just that I'm not strong enough right now because of the darn figgling nighshade." said Vidya.

When they were up, Wild would realize that the tired croaky voice came from the same hissing person. He felt thin and kind of sweaty-oily in the dark. "Your friend already told you, I am Trosdan." said their abductor impatiently. And then he sighed and seemed to be restraining himself. "Yes, I did that. But it's not like you Sanctuarians aren't rude either ---- more than that even. No, take your herbs, I don't --- wait, those are mine!" his hands and long scratchy fingernails scrabbled for the herbs.

"Hey!" whispered Vidya, going in between him and Wild. "Stop, you're making noise!"

There was stillness as they listened for possible approaching clacking of claws on stone. There seemed to be none. Just the drip, drip of water.

"Mrs. Wild," said Trosdan attempting to be civil. "You know of my bedroom? What is your plan? I have notes, I have the spell to put her down written in my bedroom. We must douse her body in aqua fortis or she will rise again."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

Wild Flower patiently waited until the cost is clear to speak, not caring much about Trosdan scratching her paws as he scrambled for his herbs. Then she whispered quietly and steady, but her words struck hard. Her normally light tone became heavy. “That’s funny. I’m not the one who summoned a dead deity, turning her into an angry demon, and have my entire tribe killed within a small span of a day or less.” Then she shook her head. Ears leaning forward and perky. “I’m not even from Sanctuary. I’m from the Northern west parts.”

”Sorry, sonny, but I don’t trust my rude and spiteful kidnappers.” The white rabbit sighed, reaching up to scratch behind her head. “Is what I would say if I had a choice. Sadly, I don’t. I ripped those notes. So I propose that all of you hide in your bedroom-“ she tilted her head towards Trosdan. “And wait there until I lure her down here then you can run up in the surface. I’m planning to cause a cave-in and trapping her here or kill her with sunlight or by squishing her by rocks.”


Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Trosdan had nothing to say to that. Wild had struck a chord in him. Until she said she ripped those notes. His voice turned into a high-pitched whisper shriek. "You. did. what? Oh the Ancients that be. Why? Why did you do that, ignorant fool! And we don't have explosives here!" he groaned, and there was a thump as, by the sound of it, he had leaned back against the wall possibly panicking.

"Anyway." said Vidya pointedly. "I like the sunlight plan. But, Wild, I can't let you do this alone. And hey, Trosdan, what's done is done, could you please get Dorian here?"

There was no answer but he shuffled away.

The ogre behind them grunted. "I no fit in bedroom."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

Her fur bristled. She huffed. “Would you trust your dumb kidnapper and their writings? For all I know, you’d summon a demon for the third time.“ Wild Flower snapped back in a hushed whisper. Having enough from Trosdan, so she focused on the ogre behind them. Her ear twisted back as she pondered.

She’s starting to feel like they have to outright fight Nuala instead of trapping her...

”Then...we fight. The ones who don’t want to fight will stay here. Vidya and I can fight the demon upstairs. I was gonna kick the flimsy wood panels that’s holding the tunnel up, but I guess that’s not possible either.” Wild Flower suggested.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

"Wh-who is this? Why are we going to fight?" said a new nervous voice that sounded posh and was accompanied by the clank of armor. "Hello, my name is Dorian?" he sounded unsure.

"This is my friend Wild." whispered Vidya. The new comer settled next to Wild, while the familiar shuffling of Trosdan settled across all of them. "We're planning to fight Nuala, or use sunlight. Be a distraction while those who don't want to fight stay here."

"What of the bait and we run plan?" croaked Trosdan.

"I-I don't want to fight. I'm sorry, I like the running plan --- who's bait?"

"Me and Wild." said Vidya. "That's okay, we won't make you fight. Can the wooden beams in the tunnel be collapsed?"

"If you pour acid on them yes." said Trosdan. "But we need to save at least one jar to melt the mistre--- Nuala. After she has turned back to dust. She is not like other demons, she will not turn into mist, we raised her from the dust and to the dust she will return."

"I will fight. Will fight for friends." grunted the ogre. There was the sound of something large dragging across the floor and they could feel the warm air and stench of the ogre as he slowly lumbered up. "Can friends help find glasses and forget-me-stick?"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

“Hello, Young Dorian. I’m Wild Flower. Nice to meet you.” She chimed calmly, noticing his skittish tone. Her ear twitching towards the wannabe hero as he sat next to her. Then she stayed quiet, listening to the conversation until the ogre behind them opt to go fight with them. The white rabbit became worried for him, care shone in her red eyes as she nodded. Standing on her hind legs as she craned her neck back before giving up on trying to see where his eyes were—-too tall.

“Of course, sweetie.” Wild said like a tender grandma would to her grandkids. She started to hop around. “Do you remember where you dropped them? Are they in this ...uh...room?”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

"Tros take." mumbled the ogre.

"It's in the pit. Somewhere. We throw whatever we don't need in there." said Trosdan distractedly. "Anyway, so me and Dorian will go to the bedroom. Don't let Buddy out of here until we are in there. He's not exactly quiet and I wouldn't want to be caught sneaking around."

There was more shuffling as Trosdan went away towards the main tunnel. There was a pause and Dorian whispered. "Good luck!" to Vidya and Wild. "Come get the aqua thingy later before you lure Nuala. A-after you lure her, when we hear fighting, that's when we'll bolt. We'll leave the frontgate wide open for you." The clanking of armor approached the ogre.

"Hey, Buddy, don't die okay? I'll be waiting outside."

"Okay, friend." said the ogre slowly. And off the clanking of armor went after Trosdan's shuffling.

As Wild searched, right now in her current state, it was too pitch black for her to see anything.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

As she listened to Trosdan and Dorian’s quiet steps fading, Wild flower sighed. Small sparks trailed around her body. “Vidya, I won’t be able to talk from now on and until after we defeat Nuala.”

So her body changed, growing taller and slimmer until the sparks stopped. Once again, the fox-rabbit hybrid thrilled as she made her way to the pit and look for Buddy’s glasses and weapon.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

"Gotcha." said Vidya. As she watched Wild transform, she wondered who she was and what she did before they met her for her to be so calm in the face of all this carnage and the demon that did it.

Wild found Buddy's glasses very easily. It was rather like a leather cap, huge with the leather strappes goggles attached to it. There was also a spiked club that looked big enough for the ogre, but it was too heavy for Wild to carry up and out of the pit, but Buddy made do with the wrecked door as a makeshift shield and the fallen wooden beam still smoldering with embers. There were other bags and knick-knacks in the pit including: a scroll, a couple of weapons, some discarded tools and some torn bags.

When Wild got out of the pit, Vidya, with the help of Buddy, had collected a couple of darts, a crude looking spear, and some unlit torches.

Buddy said thank you to Wild. Vidya had told him to wait while they go get the aqua fortis and prepare the ambush. He seemed to be able to see in the dark and nodded at her and then patted Wild on the head grunting, "Pretty." His eyes magnified like insects the moment he wore the goggles cap. Now that Wild can see him, he had a bit of an overbite and was actually well dressed with gold trimmings on his iron armor.

When she and Vidya sneaked out to
Trosdan's bedroom she could finally see their faces. Trosdan had that familiar white gaunt face and a crown of brambles on his head, long black hair, and a general tribalistic shabby appearance. Dorian on the other hand was a blonde fellow with a blonde goatee, probably in his early twenties, and looked very out of place with his golden armor bedecked with jewels, though he was missing armored pants and boots so he wore a fur skirt over his pants and a pair of mismatched leather boots. He gave off this vibe of a rich kid who doesn't know anything about the world and relied on his money and equipment to get the job done. He also carried a golden sword with the ruby hilt. It had no scabbard so the blade hung free from his belt. It looked like mercury, a little bit blobby, half-liquid but held together in the general shape of a sword by some sort of enchantment.

Trosdan handed Vidya three jars of aqua fortis, one jar he saved to melt Nuala when they defeated her the jars were enough to weaken one area of the caverns. Trosdan seemed to be able to see in the dark and after he gave the jars he resumed searching the floor for the shredded pieces of paper Wild had discarded and was trying to piece them together.

With a bit of discussion and pantomiming on Wild's end, they weakened the sections the bunny wanted to use to collapse on Nuala, and when all was ready and they had regrouped with Buddy, Vidya looked between the two of them and asked. "Ready?"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

Now being able to see in the dark, Wild found the glasses. Though it looked more like a cap to her. She couldn’t hold back her soft coos when he put them on and everyone knew what she was saying by the way she hopped around him. ‘So pretty~’

He was adorable! That just fueled more of her motherly instinct to protect the young ones, believing they shouldn’t hide underground, be free and happy under the sunlight. Like how young ones should be!

With that in mind, the fox-rabbit hybrid silently hopped behind Vidya, being sneaky as the pair reached Trosdan’s room. She expected the gaunt face and bramble around his head. What she didn’t expect was how ... gold Dorian was wearing. Oh dear. Wild flower figured he was lucky until now, to not be robbed by thieves that would kill him for his golden armor. Still the way he skittered around with a nervous air about him fueled more to her more animalistic side, wanting to protect her young. Yes, that included the misbehaving Trosdan who didn’t know any better. Stuffed within a box that she saved in the back of her mind.

Wild lead them to where she saw the flimsy planks on the cavern walls that lead up to the main hallway from the sacrificial alter. Standing her now longer legs and in her tiny paws as she made a splash motion with a bucket. Then pointed with her paw on the walls and ceilings, indicating the planks by tapping on one. Hearing a bit of dirt crumbling down from somewhere. And so, the young ones splashed the wooden planks and weakened them enough. Perfect.

She can now kick those in...

Once they regrouped with Buddy, Wild nodded firmly before going first, her steps as quiet as a mouse as she made her way to the demon above. Their plan? The old rabbit would somehow lure or chase Nuala down to the main hallway where Buddy and Vidya will block the way to the pit. Hopefully, she’ll run to the sacrificial later room and Wild can kick the planks hard enough for a small cave in. If Wild couldn’t lure Nuala down after hearing a loud growl from the rabbit, then Vidya and Buddy can come up to help fight and Trosdan with Dorian should stay in the bedroom. Until one of them whistles for the coast being clear.

It was quiet at first, hearing the occasional subtle splashes from Nuala dipping soul stones in her tea and walking back and forth anxiously. Wild Flower placed an alluring paw on the floor, slowly revealing herself. Her thrilling turned into a loud and viscous hiss as she opened her mouth wide. Threateningly baring her sharp teeth and pink gums as her snout scrunched up. Rabbit-like ears folded back. Red eyes narrowed as her fur prickled up. Hackles raised high as an old song echoed within her mind. A memory from her haunted past...

’How can we win? Our foe is gigantic,
But deep within, we‘re just as barbaric.
Wielding the blades of Gloria,
we’re made of victory.
Only we dare to bear these wings on our backs.’

Spoiler: Wild’s first move!

Wild is going to use intimidation from dice. So - 1 MP from her. I’ll roll in the OOC and post her stats in my next post.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Whatever Nuala the demoness saw when she turned to Wild, it wasn't the sweet helpless granny the rabbit usually saw reflected in the eyes of strangers she had spoken to in her journey. Nuala saw what others did not see: Who Wild had been before she bumped into her travelling companions, and who Wild could be if she chose to be that rabbit again.

The dog demon dropped its soul tea with a clatter and backed away to the dark corners of the cavern, where empty maroon flesh dwellings and huts of bone lay stinking with corpses, and snarled, sending a whip of blue fire from her crown like a flaming claw towards Wild.

It snarled in many voices, a mix of growling dogs and the shriek of women. "Lat! lat wer le fli! lat hur ushum izish!"

Spoiler: Battle

Nuala (Frightened)
6/6 Hp
8/8 Mp
Toughness: 12
Spell Power: 16
Rolls +2
Special: Whipping area fire attacks

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

It was like Nuala saw a familiar ghost or something. Still, the rabbit payed no mind.

The small beast growled and leaped towards the demoness. Hopping away in time before the blue flames could even scorch her bloodied fur, zigzagging. She hissed in response, obviously not understanding what she was saying in her native tongue, as she jumped to Nuala’s left. Purposely giving her a tiny bit of space to run towards where Wild came from.

Wild Flower opened her mouth wide, teeth glistening from salvia, aiming for her dog-like neck.

Spoiler: Stats

Wild
3/3
2/4 MP
Toughness: 14
Spell Power: 11
Beast aspect on: Advantage to strength rolls. You can carry twice as much, and have +2 to stealth, climb, and travel rolls with a hex speed = 3 on land.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Vidya heard the crashing of wood, bone, ungodly howls and shrieks, and saw flashes of fire reflected on the wet maroon walls at the end of the tunnel. She feared for Wild. She couldn't hear her. The demon was too loud.

And then suddenly the wrecked door crashed forward as the dog demon came hurtling down!

She was being chased by Wild! Vidya thought it would be the other way around. She and Buddy standing among the newly lit braziers behind the barricade stared dumbfounded as Wild, sweet granny Wild, much smaller than the large Nuala was nipping at her heels as the demon dog, whose neck was gushing a blue grey smoke instead of hellmist ran away.

BOOM!

Nuala's crown burst into roaring flames, sending a nova of blistering wind and fire swirling around the tunnel to blast everybody.

Buddy roared as he curled up to protect Vidya, while Vidya, at the last moment threw her spear at Nuala before the demon sharply turned the corner and into the sacrificial chamber.

Katsuya

Spoiler: Battle

Nuala (Frightened)
4/6 Hp
7/8 Mp
Toughness: 12
Spell Power: 16
Rolls +2
Special: Whipping area fire attacks

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

Unrelenting in her pursuit, almost bloodthirsty in her calculating red glare, Wild Flower continued to snap her blue smoking trailing jaws just as Nuala lifted her back paws. Herding her away from the young ones without mercy, making sure she didn’t go into the bedroom, nor towards Vidya and Buddy.

Suddenly, the white blur arched her limber back up and she disappeared. Leaving behind a fading trail of electricity that leads up. The fiery crown bursts out flames, engulfing the floor and walls while the blistering winds slammed broken doors and corpses to any surface that can stop them. However, Wild Flower came shooting down from the ceiling like a meteor, unafraid to take the burst’s after effects. Her fur starting to sizzle, itching her skin underneath. The floor cracked around her tiny form. Glowing red eyes following the demon behind and she smiled confidently.

Something...something familiar emerged within her very being, but she never did this before...Feeling at home (In the back of her mind, she started to freak out as she realized another piece of her past has come back!) as the adrenaline filled her bones to the brim of energy. The air went from hot to humid as her fur started to glow pure white, unforgiving blue sparks surrounded her form. She pushed herself off towards the tunnel behind Nuala-

And hopped off the walls and ceilings like an energetic ping pong ball. Lightning trailed behind her form before fading away. Bouncing around without any rhyme or reason. Hitting the weakened wooden planks hopes to create the cave-in-!

Spoiler: Stats

Wild (burning)
3/2
2/4 MP
Toughness: 14
Spell Power: 11
Beast aspect on: Advantage to strength rolls. You can carry twice as much, and have +2 to stealth, climb, and travel rolls with a hex speed = 3 on land.

 

[Zer0]

- Victory! -​

CRACK! SMASH! THUD! RUUUUUUUUUUMBLE!

Wood splinters and dust flew everywhere within the flaming inferno of barking shrieks, and streaks of ricocheting lightning. The demoness' face was lit up in a what-is-going-on?! expression, before realizing too late that the whole cavern was coming down on them.

"Wild!";"Pretty!" Vidya's and Buddy's voices shouted from far away; and then all was a defeaning avalanche of crushing maroon slabs.

And then there was silence.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

They didn’t see the ray of ricochetting light going out as the tunnel caved nor did anyone hear paws land on the wall behind them. Cracking it from her weight before she slinked down to the floor. Dust going everywhere.

It was silent...until-

“I’m too old for this.” Said a disgruntled bunny who is rubbing her lower back and hip. She waddled over to the worried young ones, sparks faded away. Her fur glowed no more neither does her eyes. Wild flower cleared her throat. “Young Trosdan, Young Dorian. It’s safe now.” She yelled as she sat next to Vidya and Buddy, rubbing her achy feet.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- ? -
"Somewhere within the Archean"​

Vidya, who was trying to quickly light a torch, jumped and dropped it as she turned around; while Buddy happily yelled, "Pretty!" in surprise.

Wild was carefully hugged in the dark. "Wild! Are you alright? That was . . . that was . . ."

"Pretty!" said Buddy, and the rabbit would feel a big pudgy finger patting her gently on the head.

There was a creak of a door and torchlight flooded the main tunnel as Dorian and Trosdan stepped warily out of the bedroom looking at the ceiling. The light of the fire fell upon Vidya anxiously looking the burned bunny over. "Are you three hurt --- hey!" began Dorian.

"Out of the way, out of the way." said Trosdan busily, shoving past him with two jars, and he disappeared into the sacrificial chamber where they heard him moving rubble.

The golden clad youth covered with a bit of dust quickly came over the three and looked at Buddy over. "Big guy, you're burned. But you look scorched," Dorian stared at Wild, "like a hot roast!"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Wild Flower -​

Wild flower hugged Vidya back tightly, wincing at her burns stinging but still, she squeezed. She stretched her neck up to lean into the gentle pats, reaching up with one paw to rub the squishy pad of Buddy’s finger. “I was cool, I know~” The rabbit cooed proudly, her pats and hugs felt comforting like a grandma who is trying to catch their attention to something else and keep them calm. “Never seen an ol’ rabbit like me to move that fast, right?”

”You were pretty brave, Buddy. Vidya. I’m proud of you both.” Then her ears perked up as the door creaked. Her wide red eyes blinked owlishly as the other two young ones stumbled inside. One in a hurry compared to the anxious one. Wild smiled at Dorian, not offended by his words. “I suppose I do look a bit crispy, hm?”

It’s surprising to see the old battle scars on her burned skin and singed ashy fur, with little dots on each side of the many scars. Some of them even reached further up from her feet to her upper thighs, a slash of a sword maybe? “How are you holding up, young Dorian?“

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Trosdan's Hidden Camp -
"Archean's Left Armpit, Sanctuary"
​

"Never!" said Vidya, still amazed. "Heck, I'm younger, but I can't move that fast!" she frowned at the many scars on her burned skin, hidden away all this time under her fur. More questions burned in her mind. "Brave? We did nothing. Just stood here. You were the brave one, Wild. Here, you rest, I'll ask Trosdan for those healing herbs you gave him. She gently patted Wild's dress free of soot, then relit her torch and went over to the sacrificial chamber; Buddy sat down with a big thud next to the bunny, blinking at her with the big eyes and smiling toothily as he continued to pet her head.

"I am perfectly fine thanks to you, Mrs. Wild." said Dorian. He coughed. "Can you walk? Because I can carry you if you like outside, better to have sunshine finally instead of this dreadful awful place."

* * * *​

It turned out that they were atop the shoulder of the Archean, under a padding of the ancient armor of the colossal giant, wedged in between the left arm pit and the north side of one of the mountains under it. Trosdan's clan's little village was hidden with illusion and a great big maroon rock that had been rolled aside. There were signs of fleeing. It seems at least that there were some in his clan that survived, and outside of the main cave they saw an empty pit of sorts that smelled like it held chocobos. There were two chocobos here, a cream mocha one and a grey with speckles of black on the edge of its wings, both their beaks painted white. Trosdan said they can take one if they liked, sort of like an apology that he did not say, but simply implied, and also as a thank you for saving his life.

They were very high up and it was very cold, but Trosdan showed them a secret narrow path of ancient broken stairs like an endless spiral that wound its way down a ravine and to the valley. They were on the northeast side of the Archean's shoulder, and a quick glimpse of the very breathtaking view showed that if Vidya and Wild trekked down to the base of the mountain, they could arrive at the Merchant's road and follow that road to the caravan before sunset.

Trosdan did not go down with them. It seems Wild's words still clung to him and he immediately busied himself with moving the dead, not asking for their help, not saying good-bye. He just wanted to be left alone.

After Vidya applied the healing herbs to Wild in the afternoon sun, Buddy and Dorian waited for them and then asked if they were going to take the offered chocobo as their own. Then they accompanied them down the ravine. Now that Wild could see them properly. Buddy and Dorian had matching armor and it turned out that yes Dorian and Buddy were travelling together. Buddy was apparently his man servant and Dorian was an aspiring adventurer with a to-do list who wrote about his travels and published it. "You may have read some of my works? The Daring Adventures of Dorian Harrington? Dorian Harrington and the Deadly Darkmantle?"

His stories sounded farfetched, though he swore that it really happened, and when he asked if Wild (whom Buddy offered a piggy back ride to on his large shoulders) and Vidya if they were going to Sanctuary and learned that no, they had a caravan, he asked if they could stay with them just for the night as Dorian and Buddy were currently loot-less and could not pay the toll to get inside the bandit fortress.

- Outside Isa's Caravan -
"Southern Border of Sanctuary, Night Time"

Spoiler: Peaceful Night

It was with a huge yell of their names with such relief that Sassy greeted her two abducted companions when they arrived. She had been going out of her mind when she arrived at the caravan after her scouting only to find they weren't there. She had been searching for them everywhere and almost went to Sanctuary to find their friends who could send a message spell to the two.

That night, Vidya recounted her tale to the others when they returned. L was livid someone tried to abduct them and did abduct them and hurt them, and immediately went to Wild to examine her and treat her injuries. She strictly told Wild not to do any house work and to leave it to them, while Vidya cared for the tough bunny. After that incident, Vidya hung around Wild, always asking her if she needed anything and made her as comfortable as possible; Max was still in Sanctuary, though he was told through a message and said he was going to go over to Trosdan's place and then kick his butt tomorrow, though they weren't sure if he was really going to do that; Moss, who was unpacking sacks and barrels of their groceries that could last them a month, was shocked and angry, but relieved Wild saved them.

In fact L and Moss were surprised to learn that it was Wild who defeated the demoness. Just like Vidya they all became curious, but L gave a firm no and to let her rest, which Vidya supported.

And so Moss cooked dinner that night. It was clear out for a nice bonfire, and so with the other's help he set up a roasting pit outside under the stars in their little grove. Dorian and Buddy were welcomed, especially since it was so rare to see an ogre with glasses and so well dressed. Dorian was happy for the attention, and was soon sharing his tales as night came on and an entire elk was being roasted over the fire.

Katsuya