The Sword Of Monsters

[GLKnight]

More of a SFW comic concept I've been developing, I decided to start writing a short story that would eventually become the first issue of the actual product. And since it's kind of tied into what we all like, I figured I'd share it on here.

- - - - - - - -

As he walked into the innumerable shithole town that he found himself coming to, Ezel took stock of the people that lived here. Farmers hauling their produce, millers unloading orders from their granary, distillers carrying in their brews inside the local tavern. A thousand simple lives always on the periphery of darkness that shat themselves whenever something went wrong. Nothing but filling their days with work and their nights with worry. Something that goes unnoticed the more you live with it.

But for a hunter like Ezel, it was the recent rumors of a new type of monster that followed in the wake of several deaths that drew his attention. Bodies had been discovered in the nearby forest slashed with a near impeccable precision, creating one clean cut that usually went from neck to groin that emptied out the victims' insides. In all his years of tracking and killing the things that preyed on people, he had never heard of anything that killed in that manner. It didn't help that someone had described the beast as "a gigantic, burly red bastard with black eyes that breathed sulfurous smoke and large fangs that wielded an unusually large sword, with enough might to fell a tree with one blow". He was surprised that his guildmate, Elara, was able say the whole rumor without falling into overexcited cries of joy.  The poor girl couldn't help but sparkle every time she heard rumors of a new beast or being, always sketching out her visions of what they looked like before even getting a glimpse of one.

But right now, what he needed most was to find the source of the rumors. And looking up and down the muddy road, only one building could suffice. Where all stories like this one tend to start: the tavern. And judging by the wagon full of barrels that had stopped beside a somewhat smaller hovel looking place, with a mix of thatch and wooden roofing, he surmised that was where his next stop was.

Stepping up to the the open doorway where tired men were carrying liquid filled containers in and emptied ones out with weary sighs and nearly audible aching backs, the seasoned hunter waited for an opening before silently slipping beneath the coverage and into a somewhat warm building filled with the somewhat comforting bluish glow of spirit lanterns along the walls adding to the orange flames of a hearth on the far side of the building. While not packed full of people, there were a surprising number of people inside. And once his eyes adjusted better to the clash of natural and unnatural lights, he realized why. The place was filled with hunters of all types. Keepers like Elara looking to score a new prize for their zoos and studies. Trappers like him, who were seeking the bounty or the challenge of the unknown. And off in the corner, what looked like a team of Exterminators, whose only job was to cleanse and eradicate all monstrous threats in the name of peace.

"This is going to make things much more difficult..." he thought to himself as he walked up to the tavern master, an older looking gentleman with a bald head and a long grey beard dressed in somewhat better kept clothes than the rest of the town.

"What kin I getcha?" the master asked, already moving to grab a mug as a young man, probably his son or grandson, moved to tap the fresh keg of what had to be ale on the counter.

"A drink sounds good," Ezel said, pulling out two silver coins. "And something warm to eat, as well. And maybe some information."

"You already move in better ways than most," the old man said, eying Ezel warily as he took the coins off the counted. "Will roast chicken suffice? This coin earns it some proper seasoning, after all."

Just nodding his head, Ezel turned to look at the crowd in attendance once more. No one of real note catching his eye as he scanned the crowd. Maybe some stalkers, some gunners, some trap-makers. The typical rank and file of any guild's roster. But then his eye caught something unusual. Sitting by the fireplace was a pretty maiden, maybe in her late teens or slightly older. Her clothes conservative, covering most of her body in a dark blue and white multilayered dress and coat with somewhat flared white cuffs. Her hair was long and white, tied back to highlight a really intense look on her face, punctuated by blue eyes that he could tell were filled with equal parts sadness and anger. And resting beside her lay an ostensibly large object hidden beneath some cloth or canvas. Given how the thing was wrapped, there was nothing else it could be but a weapon of some kind. But there was no way a girl as small and slight as her could use it, right? It had to be almost as big as she was!

"There ya are!" the old man said as he slid a plate of glistening chicken quarters and some bread towards the hunter before grabbing the mug and twisting the valve on the keg's tap. "Now, about that info yer wanting-"

"Who's she?" Ezel asked, pointing at the girl by the fireplace as she slowly sipped her warm drink. The tavern master looked across the crowd and shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. But she pays well and minds her own. Unlike th' rabble that usually comes in."

"Ouch!" Ezel fired back, acting wounded with a chuckle as he reached for his food. "But honestly, we're not all alike, good sir."

"That I know," the tavern master said, moving on to clean the counter a bit. "But yer Hunters' presence means something's wrong. And that means death, like what come to Harven Woods."

The sudden sound of the door being thrown open silenced the crowd as a man covered in blood and wounds crashed into the tavern.

"HELP! PLEASE HELP!"

As he took a few shaky steps into the tavern from the darkening skies, Ezel realized just how grievous the man's wounds were. His strength had already begun to leave him, tipping forward with every footfall. Causing the veteran to rush forward and catch him before the pair slumped to the ground.

"It... came! Harven Woods! M-Monster! It... it-"

As the man slipped into eternal sleep, the light in his eyes blinking out of existence and growing glassy, the entire tavern fell into excitement. Hunters picking up their weapons and running in droves back out into the muddy roads while Ezel and a few others stayed behind. The tavern master telling his assistant to retrieve the local priest and warn him to prepare the local graveyard for an upcoming slew of internments, letting the boy run off as he moved to get his bucket and some cloth.

As Ezel tried to slip from beneath the dead man's body, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Making him turn and look into the face of the maiden by the fire as she kneeled down beside him.

"Don't move," she said, her voice light but commanding. "I need to check the wounds."

Staying still, Ezel was oddly enraptured as the girl's hands glided across the body. Her fingers gently pressing on flesh as she slowly opened up the giant gash down the man's chest and abdomen. Her eyes narrowing as realization came to her.

"What did you find?" Ezel asked, curious about what she knew.

"It's as I figured," she said, slowly standing up. "This is not a sword wound. He was cut clean to a point. But beyond that, whatever pierced him tore him apart savagely. Take a look for yourself."

Gingerly sliding the body off of himself, Ezel shifted onto his knee as he took a look at the wounds himself.

"Someone hand me a lantern for better light!" he called out, getting aid from a woman carrying a tome he had seen her writing in earlier. When she gave him what he asked for, he quickly pulled out one of his leather gloves before sliding his fingers into the wound and opening it up. Revealing the typical pattern of sawed bone resting above a massive gaping wound, ragged and torn around a heart that looked like it had been tattered shortly before the man arrived. Meaning two things.

Firstly, that the man was dead before he even set foot inside the building.

And second, that whatever killed him was not inside the borders of the woods, but had to be-

The sound of someone slamming on the door caused everyone in the tavern to startle, hands going to blades or tomes or flasks. Ezel, however, rushed towards the door. Throwing it open to find another body falling into his arms as a slain hunter collapsed against him before sliding to the floor in a heap. In disbelief, the veteran Trapper rushed outside, witnessing body after body strewn all over the muddy road. Hunter, innocent, beast. Every corpse cut in the same way, whether across their chest or across their back. Even the tavern master's assistant was not spared, clearly killed before all the others.

"The dumb bastard led it back!"

Hearing the sound of a man crying out, Ezel rushed towards the sound, turning around the corner of the tavern in time to see something rushing into the nearby trees as the last of the troupe of Exterminators collapsed face first into the mud. Stopping to check the man's wounds, he flipped him over, causing the man's guts to sloop out. Blood and other fluids mixing with mud to create a fetid pool where he had been felled. Shaking his head in pity, Ezel looked up towards the tree line to see if there were any telltale signs of what could have done this. Uncaring as someone approached him, the bluish light illuminating the band of corpses that lay around him.

"Take one."

Looking up, he stared into the intense eyes of the maiden once more. Carrying two lanterns in one hand as whatever she had wrapped in that giant sheet took both her arms to hold. Realizing that he was trying to scrutinize her, the maiden sighed softly before dropping one of the lanterns his way. Causing Ezel to fumble and panic before catching the spirit lantern.

"I never got your name." He said, standing up with a stretch. Giving her an equally intense stare, trying to break through her defenses.

"Mazia." she told him, slowly walking into the forest.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ezel could do nothing but follow suit as he joined her in the hunt. Stepping into the dark woods, fully committed to the job.

[taoschild]

Hey GL,

Thanks for sharing -- not the normal fare here but a promising start nonetheless. I hope there is more to come

[GLKnight]

Hey GL,

Thanks for sharing -- not the normal fare here but a promising start nonetheless. I hope there is more to come

There will be! And it'll be more of a muscly female monster variety.

[jhunter]

Nice, the comic looks like it will be good if the two are linked. Hope to see more.

[GLKnight]

As the pair traveled into the abyssal din of Harven Woods, Ezel kept his eyes peeled for any possibly movement in the dark beyond the lantern's glow. Staying close behind the doll-like maiden who had chosen to accompany him. As they wandered through the gloom, he couldn't help but notice how easy she made her burden seem. The massive object in her arms appearing to not weigh her down in the slightest, despite her somewhat frail looking physique.

"So what brought you to this region?" he asked, trying to get Mazia to open up to him beyond her stoic responses.

"I go where I am compelled." she told him, curtly remaining on task as they followed the path. Ezel, for his part, couldn't help but feel there was more to her answer.

"Compulsion is one thing," he said, moving ahead of her in a show of bravado so to let her know that he would act as her guard. "But is it of your own volition? Or on the wishes of another?"

"Either answer will suffice." she replied, picking up her pace with almost quiet grace and quickly taking the lead once more. Surprising the veteran hunter with how deftly she seemed to move. He just could not figure this girl out. What is her deal? What is underneath that sheet? And oddest of all, why did he feel like he had seen her before?

As the questions started piling up, he suddenly stopped in the midst of a clearing and noticed something else amiss.

"Why is it so quiet?" he asked aloud, forcing Mazia to stop, as well.

"If you have a weapon," she said, warily lifting her lantern high as she held the large item in her arms closer to herself. "I would recommend you pull it out now."

Not needing to be told twice, Ezel quickly reached behind his back and pulled out what looked to be a spiked baton, the perfect length for his grip and no more as he twirled it in his fingers for good measure.

"That's your weapon?" the white haired maiden asked, taken by how unassuming the hunter's supposed defense item was.

"Don't be fooled," he said confidently as he gleaned into the forest's brush. "I'm a Trapper by trade, madam. And I don't rely on brute force to succeed."

Closing her eyes, Mazia just turned and continued on her way. Ezel frowned as he tried to figure out why this maiden was so strange. Was she naturally this cold to everyone? Was there something about her history that made her shut herself away from all decent interaction? It was so utterly alien to be around her, yet despite their brief time together, he could detect a hint of effort on her part. Maybe she recognized something within him, giving him some form of begrudging respect by joining him out here in these night fallen woods?

"Why haven't you pulled your weapon yet?" he asked, trying to break the ice. Mazia instinctually held the wrapped item in her arms closer to her chest, as if suddenly becoming more protective of it.

"I don't have one." she told him, flatly. Not taking this for her answer, Ezel hurried next to her before taking his baton and tapping it twice. Causing a metallic "ting" to sound with each tap of his weapon.

"Then what's under the sheet?"

"A weapon."

"Then you do have one!"

"I don't."

"Then what's underneath-"

Mazia seized in place, shushing the veteran as she seemed to peer into the darkness ahead. Her look deadly serious as she scrutinized what was just beyond the borders of light from the lanterns.

"There's something up ahead," she warned Ezel. "A large mass. Maybe a carcass of some kind?"

Moving in front of Mazia like a guardian, the veteran hunter placed himself in front of the maiden. Holding his arm out like a barrier, a look of surprise on her face due to his subtly kind actions.

"Stay here." he told her. Not giving her a chance to respond as he crept forward. Holding his lantern high as he pointed his baton ahead of himself. Taking no chances as he took slow and careful steps. The tension reminded him of the Zarvenian Cave Worms he came across back when his career first began. Barely surviving alongside three others from a party of twenty, all of them devoured and torn apart by the burrowing white meshes of teeth and stony sinew. And now, as he cautiously approached the thing in the path, the sounds reaching his ears reminded him of that day.

The wet quiver of flesh and blood, the grinding of bone on bone. The sickening sounds of meat in slow motion. The closer he got, the more Ezel's horror grew as the thing in the path slowly came into view. Its undulating mass of muscle and sinew sat in a wet pile of blood and ooze, twitching atop metallic looking legs reminiscent of a spider's stance. As it slowly turned its stag head towards him, veins and arteries writhing like earthworms in the wet soil after a powerful rainstorm atop its neck, it slowly released a soft mew that slowly crescendo into a stag's cry. Shrill and harsh upon Ezel's ears as it awkwardly turned towards him.

"What in the fuck made this abomination?" he muttered, readying his baton for a fight. But the moment was cut short, as something shook a tree to his right. Both man and monster turning towards the new sound before one more blow struck the tree. The screeching crunch of wood giving way as it toppled over, snapping at the base and swiftly falling towards the creature, too fat and awkward to escape its path. Releasing another hideous cry that was cut short as it was crushed beneath the weight of its oaken doom.

"We have to move," Mazia said, walking out of the gloom that lay behind where the tree once stood, her item still in hand as she moved in front of Ezel. "If there's one of these monstrosities, then there are surely more."

The hunter watched as the girl effortlessly proceeded to jump over the massive fallen tree, seemingly unburdened by the monstrous weapon she refused to reveal. His eyes briefly drifting down towards the still twitching spindles and meat that sat in his path, the most disturbing thing he had seen in all his years somehow merely a nuisance for this girl. As he made his way around the stump, rushing back onto the pathway to keep up with his strange companion, he was still perplexed by the thoughts and questions that constantly came unbidden this night. Every nagging notion and rumination sitting in his head like a poison that he was unable to manage

"Something is off," he thought to himself. "And I'm not sure if it's with this forest... Or her."

[GLKnight]

Giving her a few moments of silence, Ezel held his tongue. Hoping the slight maiden would have the good graces to tell him what was going on with her. But as they wandered through the woods, their feet along the path or the odd subtle creaking of the bronze rings of their lanterns being the only sounds in the whole silent forest, Ezel knew she wouldn't be forthcoming with any hint or information about what had just happened. So, firm in his decision, he stopped where he was.

"You say you have no weapon," he began, causing Mazia to stop, as well. "And yet you fell that tree in two blows. I'm tired of this game, girl. You need to tell me what is going on with you."

"It's best you do not know," Mazia told him, a fire in her bright blue eyes like she had just been challenged. "Otherwise, she will not be pleased."

Ezel's brow furrowed, slight lines of age crossing his forehead at her response.

"She?" he asked, now fully embracing his curiosity. "Is whoever "she" is the one who compels you to carry around a giant sword and not use it?"

Taking a worried step back, Mazia's face gave away the fluster of emotions that exploded from her like a geyser.

"Wh-Wh-WHAT?! Don't be ridiculous! This isn't a sword! It's a- It's a, uh- MIRROR! Yeah! A mirror! That I am... delivering to..."

As she settled down, her voice grew quieter. Mazia knew that he knew what she was fooling no one. Squatting down on her haunches, she placed the covered blade perpendicular to the ground, resting what clearly had to be the hilt on her shoulder.

"It was obvious the whole time, wasn't it?"

Squatting down next to her, Ezel just gave her a fatherly sigh and closed his eyes.

"It's okay to have secrets," he told her. "But you're not alone here. And people will naturally be curious about you. So I wouldn't recommend hiding away from everyone, alright? It will make your duty that much easier to do."

The maiden in blue and white silently sat there, arms wrapped around the weapon tightly. Looking for the right words to say at this moment.

"I... I never got your name, sir."

"Ezel," he said, patting her on the shoulder before standing up and stretching. "Or as I'm usually referred to by those among the guild... Zephyr Ezel."

As Mazia proceeded to stand as well, Ezel's eyes noticed something very peculiar. As she rose, she seemed to have less control over herself than she seemed. Almost as if there was something else at play in her mannerisms. Things weren't adding up for him at all. Her body was too slim to hold something as large as the sword she was carrying in her arms. She seemed to be completely unburdened by the unwieldy thing, which had to weigh far more than the girl if he had to go on proportions alone. The blade was undeniably massive, but she still moved around like she wasn't being brought down by it whatsoever. He wasn't too experienced within anything involving sorcery, but he wouldn't be surprised if she had some enchantment placed on either herself or the weapon.

"Since you told me your name and title," she said, bowing to her companion slightly. "Allow me the courtesy of doing so in kind. My name is Mazia Von He-"

All there was was the rush of wind and the sound of metal on metal, then came the crashing and splintering of wood with the force of a catapult's stone colliding with the bordered walls of the forest around them. And Ezel, too stunned to realize it, found himself staring at where Mazia had been standing before turning towards the sound of collision, dumbly unaware of the large path of destruction that had been created by the maiden's impact. Thrown like a missile at high speeds by something inhuman, now standing along the walls. A giant muscular body, bloated and engorged like a swollen sore, stood near the hole. It forearms blending into monstrously sharp scythes that were where its hands should be. Its bulbous, bug-like eyes bulging out of its skull as blood ran down its cheeks like tears. Its pincer mouth twitching and clicking with a hungry whine as it took stock of what it should do next before looking Ezel's way. Breathing in and out with incensed breaths as it began to stalk, and then charge at the veteran hunter from down the pathway.

"Oh, fuck this!"

Pulling out a second baton from the pouch on his back and beneath his coat, Ezel pointed the first baton behind the monstrosity and with a little bit of pressure, activated the baton's primary function. Firing the embedded spike that was attached to the rope inside the baton's pocket dimensional space at high speeds towards the hole as the creature reared back with both arms, clearly aiming to kill him in one blow. And then, with another squeeze of his hand, held on tight as he was pulled forward just before the creature brought both blades down on where he stood. The trapper escaping death by mere inches as he chose to follow the maiden's unbidden journey into the deeper parts of Harven woods.

[GLKnight]

After a really horrific month and a half (seriously, don't ask), I'm back in a good spot to continue writing again.

And I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I felt this should be the first one I work on again, as it's going to be far shorter than everything else. But don't worry, other things will be continued soon. And I'm also going to start ANOTHER new super short story in October.

But for now, the next installment in the story that's a mix of Claymore and Demon Hunter...

- - - - - - - -

His rhythm was steady as he traversed through the blasted rings that bore through the darkened trees. Fire one rope a relatively short distance, never waiting for the sound of the dart hitting a target and go by the jolt in his hand that came with every impact, press the trigger to reel him in and repeat. Something Ezel had done time and time again, his efficiency and speed earning him the name of "Zephyr". But at this moment, his mind was lost in thought. It was so strange how he had started to bond with Mazia so easily. The poor girl was clearly no fighter, but there was an undeniable strength inside her waifish frame if her pushing that tree over was anything to go off of. Why was she here, though?

There was an oddness to it that nagged at the veteran hunter, a form of coincidence that didn't feel natural. He took the job because something told him to. Was she why? Was this some sort of fate? He didn't know why, but she looked so familiar. He was pretty sure he had seen her somewhere before, but it was like just to grasp the finer details of a painting that lay in the vestal clutches just beyond the furthest touch of light.

This caused a spark of a memory. Just a briefest glimpse of something he had long forgotten. A travel to somewhere, once resplendent and austere but long dilapidated. A painting, maybe? Somewhere within its walls. If only he could spend a minute in quiet contemplation. But his mind was forced to come back into focus as his eyes caught a glint in the trees ahead, followed by the seemingly sly movement of metallic legs and the subtle whine of a beast.

"No, you fucking don't!"

Changing the direction of his arms, Ezel rappelled himself to one side of the trees before firing his next shot. Planting his feet and pushing off in an arc as quickly as possible, letting his full weight act as a pendulum as another abomination leapt from above. Its metal spider legs spread wide in an attack as its squirrel like head screeched out with a furious look that gave way to surprise when Ezel's feet caught it in mid-air and slammed the unholy mass of flesh and metal into another tree. Causing an explosion of gore upon impact, the squirrel headed thing screeched in both surprise and pain before popping like a parasite that had consumed too much blood as viscera fell to the forest floor while Ezel continued his pursuit of Mazia's flight. Now more aware than ever of the abominations that were skittering into view along the path to stop him.

Even in the dim, he could tell their number was great. The squeeing screeches, the tinks and thunks of their metal legs on the trunks and limbs of the trees along the blasted ring, the wet squelches of their corpulent bodies as they oozed blood and other fluids. Ezel realized that if he continued along this path, his journey would be of incredible difficulty, and most likely his very doom. But if there was one thing he could count on, it was the fact that every encounter with these monstrosities so far had shown just how unnecessarily straightforward they were. Simple minded, to put it bluntly. So if they took the direct approach...

"Going up!"

Firing both batons at a large tree limb, Ezel waited for the familiar impact before letting himself swing into an arc. And right as he reached the midway point, he mashed the trigger down, accelerating the baton's emergency function. Launching himself upward as he tucked his legs in while moving at incredible speeds upward. The feeling of leaves and branches brushing against his face and shoulders with astounding velocity as the hunter broke through the canopy of the trees and into the night sky. And it was here, under the clear light of the full moon and the twinkling stars, that he saw the sheer scale of abominations that proliferated among the forest. Blackened metal legs gleaming as they weaved their way into and out of the tree tops along the path. And there, off in the distance, he noticed a large stone mound jutting just above the treeline. An unsettling glow emanating from the moonlight cascading down upon it as a large object in white stood tall atop it. As Ezel felt himself starting to feel the pull back down towards the ground, he realized that object in white had to be the sword that Mazia refused to let go of.

"Oh no..."

Knowing he had to hurry, Ezel took aim into the tree and fired both batons once again. Using his full bodyweight to keep his momentum going as he returned to his usual pattern, this time relying on his fingers to keep the batons within his grip while twirling them in a steady rotation. Ignoring the shrieks and screeching howls of the things in the trees as they continued to leap at him in the darkness, unable to time themselves properly as he swung high to low to high again, cresting through the covering time and again to stay out of their path as much as possible. Until, finally, he broke through to the edge of the path of destruction left in the maiden's wake. Slinging one last time, he let the rope reach as far as it could as he ran along the ground. Only recalling it once he broke into a full sprint to reach the other side of the monolithic mound.

"Mazia!" Ezel cried out, frantically searching for the doll-like waif. "Mazia! Can you hear me?!"

"H-Here..." he heard her say, the maiden's voice sounding weak and struggling. Running around the far bend of the stone, Ezel froze as he looked down upon the poor girl. Her body was mangled, clearly broken from the impact. Her bones were broken, limbs twisted in unnatural and painful ways. In certain spots, her flesh was punctured, blood pouring from her wounds. Her head was gashed open, meat flensed down to the bone, which itself had shown signs of being cut and broken. One of her eyes had swelled, bulging from its socket with a deep crimson color replacing the white. She fought for breath, only coming in short gasps as she struggled to move her legs. All too much resembling a marionette, broken and struggling to move on its own.

"Stay still," Ezel said, sliding as he approached the girl, his hands instinctively going to the bag on his back. "I've got a healer's kit in my bag. Let's get you patched up so I can carry you out of here and-"

Feeling her hand on his arm, Ezel stopped and looked down at it. Her bruised fingers bent at weird angles, somehow completely mutilated yet still having considerable strength within them.

"The... The s-sword," she begged him, tears and blood running down her face. "N-Need th-the sword! C-Can't move... with... without it!"

"We need to get you out of here!" Ezel gruffly told her. "Fuck that sword! We can come back for it!"

"Ezel! Sh-She can HEAL ME! I C-CAN'T WALK WITHOUT IT! I NEED HER!"

With that, Mazia's strength finally gave out. The young girl at last passing out in Ezel's arms.

"She?" the Trapper asked himself, barely having time to think of what his companion meant before the sound of something crashing through the trees spooked him from his thoughts. His eyes turning towards the commotion in time to witness the large mantis-like creature that had thrown Mazia through the forest, a swarm of skittering abominations made up of the denizens of the forest crawling out in waves behind it as its head slowly looked upward towards the top of the mound. Forcing Ezel to seriously consider what these things were truly after.

"They're drawn to the sword!"

A litany of howls and screams accompanied the rush of amalgamated monstrosities that surged towards the pair while the mantis beast leapt at the rocky mound. Arms overhead before swiping downward with both scythed limbs, sending sparks into the air as it began its climb. The trapper knew he had to get to the top of the mound before the beast, but he knew he couldn't leave Mazia unprotected from the skittering hoard. Then inspiration struck.

"If these things are simple beasts," he thought, reaching into his bag once more. "Then they must obey their own urges!"

With a rakish smile, he pulled out one of his batons, along with a small elongated bottle plugged by a simple stopper of rags.

"Forgive me," he muttered, pulling out the stopper with a "thunt". "But this should keep them at bay until I can get back!"

Pouring the contents in a circle around the prone maiden, the smell of spoiled berries and rotted meat wafted up into the air and to his nose as his other hand twisted one of the ends of his baton. And with a click, the dart retracted into the device before being replaced by a simple set of barbs before quickly firing it upward. His aim true as it crested towards a little ledge and landed along its lip, catching itself fast in a little crux. Then, reeling himself upward, gave himself some time to watch from on high as the things scuttled towards Mazia's body before coming to a complete stop the exact distance he had poured the philter out.

"I called it!" he cried out, elation in his eyes as the beasts kept their distance while they ineffectually tried to stab their legs at the maiden but only scraping the dirt. "You're just dumb beasts, aren't you? How do you like the Gerezal Goat pheromones', you disgusting little bastards?!"

With a hearty laugh and the knowledge that Mazia was safe from harm for the time being, the hunter began his race against the mantis beast to retrieve the sword that await them both.

[GLKnight]

As Ezel climbed the large stone mound, Mazia was struggling to regain consciousness. Her limbs felt like like they were weighted with iron plates, strapped to the floor with the chains of pain as her hands tingled with a ferocity she had not felt in years. Weakly trying to move her legs, she realized the phantom sensations midway down them wasn't just an aspect of their twisted visage. She could feel her thighs move, her muscles twitching. But from the knees down, they remained motionless. Forcing out a groan, she looked around with blurry eyes as the abominations kept trying to charge at her before recoiling back. The sickly sweet scent that hovered in the air repelling them with every burst of speed as quickly as they moved. As she lift her head, agonizing slivers shooting along her back and neck, she watched as one of the beasts, a monstrous amalgamation of metal and meat adorned with the head of a local stray that whined in a creaking shrill tone, sniffed down at the ground before releasing a shrieking cry and in a frenzy, started to dig into the dirt before them.

Raising a broken hand adorned with twisted fingers up into the air as if reaching for him, Mazia wearily called out to Ezel. Her voice too weak to carry as the other abominations joined in, scoring the ground to carve out the smell.

"The sword," she begged him. "I need the sword! Hurry, Ezel!"

"Hurry!" Ezel thought to himself, echoing Mazia's silent pleas as he fired tether after tether. Occassionally looking over at his competition on the other side as the giant mantis beast swung its metal scythe arms into the stone, sparks dancing through the air as it scraped and gouged its handholds.

Glancing behind himself, Ezel felt his stomach dropping as those... things dug around Mazia. Dirt flying into the air with animalistic fervency while they scattered the soil that soaked up the goat pheramones. He had to do something, anything to give himself an edge. His eyes went upward, estimating how much distance he had left until he reached the top of the climb.

"Three or four long shots," he said to himself, a plan formulating instantly. "Can't believe I'm about to do this!"

Firing one of his batons, the hunter rocketed himself higher. Barely giving the rope any time to return before firing again and launching himself even further. Then, a shorter third shot, angled so the hooks would catch on a small alcove before pressing the switch on the baton and leaping off into a full swing. Both legs positioned in front as he catapulted toward the other side. The beast pausing to stare at the man while he crashed his full weight into it. The beast's scythe-like arms dislodging from the stone with a screech as it tilted into a freefall.

"Got you, you son of a-"

Ezel's words failed him as he was met with a brief floating sensation before the sudden grip of gravity pulled at him. Unaware that while he had sent it tumbling to the ground, it had also made its own move. His eyes drifting towards the hook shot's rope, cleanly cut by the beast in kind.

"FUCK!!!"

Twisting his body, the older hunter's reflexes were primed. Firing the second baton once more towards the top of the mound and holding on for dear life as he dropped a little ways before finding he hit his mark. The hook snagging along the edge of the sheer drop above and slamming into the cliff face with enough of an impact to rattle the man's eyes and teeth. Ezel shut his eyes, focusing on the pain as he heard the beast hitting the ground with a heavy thud as he concentrated on his breathing. He had slammed into the stone much harder than he expected, driving his knee into it with his full weight. But he knew he was running out of time. So, lazily aiming upward, he fired the flip side of his second baton up, then waited for it to catch on something before quickly reeling himself up to safety. Scrambling over the top and catching his breath before finally getting a good look at the sword Mazia carried.

There, as it just out in the moonlight, standing in stark contrast to the brightly lit forest as the full moon crested overhead, he saw for the first time just how dark the metal was. How it made itself a void against the night sky, despite the fact that it shone with a gleam of a mirror polish. Its handle and hilt ornately wrought, figures falling through what had to be clouds or fire with expressions of utter anguish and despair. The handle itself wrapped in a weird type of leather that he was unable to certify up close due to the way the white sheet wrapped itself over most of it. At the rested a gate like pommel, clearly weighted and with more finely crafted details all along its edges. And along the flat of the blade, he could swear that there were a multitude of faces appearing to silently scream and moan before fading back into the nothingness of the metal. A chill ran through Ezel as he realized just what he was looking at, slowly limping towards the imposing blade.

"It's a demon blade," he muttered, fear working its way into his soul. "She's carrying a damned demon blade!"

Holding his breath, Ezel reached for it in controlled measures. His heart was hammering in his chest as he moved to grab it. But, once his hands were on the hilt, he moved to begin pulling it out of its stony sheath. But the second his hands were laid on it, searing pain tore through him. And with the pain came unbidden visions. Images of war and fire. Images of cleaved winged bodies falling through the air. Images of anger and suffering, of untold numbers of people wailing and crying for forgiveness in a darkness that burned hotter than any fire. Images of a burning manor, high in the mountains that looked extremely familiar to the man. Of a daughter, white hair encircling her head like a halo as she fell into the depths below. Of that same girl, bloodied and broken, reaching for this sword as she implored for help. Of a demonic gate, guarded by a massive being wielding the sword. And a flash of his own memories. A burned out manor, and a painting of a white haired girl he had seen once before.

With a gasp, Ezel was finally able to let go of the sword. An unnaturally cold burning lingering inside his soul as he curled into a little ball, rubbing his chest as the pain slowly subsided. He finally understood what was going on. He had stumbled upon the last of the heretical lineage. The daughter of a family that was once an ally to the Holy Means, but was destroyed when the rumors of its true affiliations came out. Of pacts with demons and unscrupulous methods of gaining both political and military might. A family name that hasn't been spoken of in over fifty years.

"It's impossible," Ezel thought to himself. "If Mazia really IS the last of the Von Helgarde family, that would mean she'd have to be over sixty years old!"

But before the ramifications of this truth could sink in, the sound of metal on stone pulled him out of his thoughts as the mantis abomination finally pulled itself onto the stone mound's plateau and charged at the sword. Ezel, running on pure instinct, dove for the sword, his hands grabbing the handle right before the beast swung both of its arms into the flat of the blade. Stone flying into the air as both man and sword were unceremoniously thrown over the edge. Ezel, for his part, could only scream as he plummeted towards the ground, feeling himself twisting in the air. Arms wrapped around the gigantic sword, fully expecting nothing to stop him.

And he found... nothing?

Opening his eyes, the hunter was shocked to find himself not only still alive, but hovering a foot above the ground. His eyes looking around, fully expecting to have been caught by someone and seeing nothing in his way except for the sword. It didn't take much for Ezel to quickly putting together that it was the sword itself that had saved him.

"Wh-What-?!"

But what he hadn't expected... was the sword itself to speak to him.

"Get off."

Carefully sliding off of it, all he could muster was a "yes, sorry" before the blade flew towards its wielder, spinning furiously as it slammed into the horde of abominations. All of whom had stopped to witness the spectacle of a man falling to his death only to be suddenly facing their own impending doom. The blade tearing through each lump of mass with an explosion of gore, sending fluid and viscera into the air like blood filled cysts. The unknowing creatures screeching in terror before being sent back into oblivion. And then, as if she were just some puppet, Mazia screamed in pain as her arm was forcefully drawn to the sword. Dangling in the air as her broken body swung back and forth.

"Th-Thank you," she groaned. "Now she can take over while I heal."

"She?" Ezel asked. "You mean the sword?"

A low groan rumbled out of Mazia's chest before escalating into a deep and resonant manic laugh. And with a blink of her eyes, they went from a pale crystal blue to a fiery red.

"You don't get it," Mazia's body asked him. "Do you? The sword is called Zarius. And Mazia is my Page!"

An intense heat began to flow through the clearing. With a series of sickening crunch, Mazia's body began to right itself. Limbs snapping back into place, fingers straightening, wounds quickly sealing back into healthy flesh. Then, Ezel noticed the sound of popping stitch work. The slow tearing of cloth. Then his eyes went to her legs, and her lost all words. For while he was looking at her healing, her legs had gotten longer, thicker.

The oncoming changes were becoming more apparent. The crackling of her joints as she slowly became more stretched out. The way she flexed and reflexed her limbs over and over, her body pulsating with growth as her clothes slowly lost against the ensuing transformation. The sleeves of her coat popping open as she pumped her arms, her biceps tearing open with incredible peaks that kept on growing. The buttons of her shirt tearing open as her chest went through a surge of growth, meager breasts swelling quickly into a pair of massive tits atop a powerful chest as they refused to be contained. Her hips audibly popping as her pants tore away around her thighs. Her voice an aria of pure pleasure as she stood upright, her spine lengthening as she lifted her face to the sky. Teeth falling from her mouth as razor sharp fangs forced their way in.

And then, in a brilliant burst of heat and flame, the girl vanished. And in her stead was a hulking nude figure, taller than any man and with a build equal to several at the same time. Her contours and edges outlined in lava flow, coursing through dark and stony skin adorned with flaming hair and halo over a pair of volcanic horns. Standing proudly as she flexed her incredible body, clearly built for war. Her burning eyes staring deeply into Ezel, who after a few seconds of pure awestruck silence, worked up his nerve.

"Wh-Who are you?"

"My name is Gehenna," she told him. "I, who willingly fell, am the Keeper of the Gates. The guardian of the last of the Helgarde family."

The sound of something landing on the ground, shaking it mightily, drew Ezel's attention away. Turning in time to see the mantis abomination barreling past him and towards Gehenna. But she was ready. Lifting her sword, the fallen angel swung at the abomination, metal on metal as it blocked her blow. But it was not a cutting blow she was after, for the creature soon roared in surprise as it was taken off of its feet by sheer might and launched into the stone mound with such force that it broke through. Spiraling into the forest as it broke through the tree line and into the waiting shadows within.

Undeterred by the attack, the giant being planted her sword into the ground before her and returned her gaze to her charge's companion. On the verge of terror at her display of power.

"And as Mazia seems to trust you, I have a favor to ask of you."