3rd POV
As Cooper, Lucy, and Cana left the village, they followed the contaminated river upstream in search of the cause; the further upstream they went, the darker the river became, until eventually, the previously clear river was now a murky black.
"Ugh, the smell has gotten so much worse." Covering her mouth with a cloth, Lucy glanced at the murky river with a disgusted expression while walking beside Cana, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it smells worse than an outhouse… Man, I wish I had some beer." "Is beer all you think about, Cana?" "If I were drunk, my sense of smell would be a lot worse; it would be perfect for this situation." Rolling her eyes, Lucy was unable to argue against her friend's logic.
While the two casually conversed, Cooper, the one leading them, sported a serious expression befitting of an experienced mage; however, upon paying close attention, his focus didn't seem directed towards the contaminated river, but something else entirely. Just like this, the trio continued to trek alongside the river, entering a vibrant forest full of life.
"Hey, big bro, is everything good? You've been awfully quiet ever since we left the village chief's residence." Gazing at Cooper in concern, Lucy placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward as she glanced upwards, causing him to sigh before shaking his head. "I'm fine… Just thinking about what the chief said." "About the contaminated river?" Cana asked curiously as she glanced at Cooper with a raised eyebrow, only for him to shake his head.
"Do you mean regarding the neighboring village?"
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Flashback
"That's everything we know about the contaminated river; I'm sorry it's not much. The few hunters that went to scout haven't returned even after a week; I fear the worst has happened, and I couldn't dare subject the non-combatant residents to such a dreadful mission." Lowering his head in embarrassment, the village chief was promptly comforted and reassured by Lucy, who confidently patted his shoulder.
"No need to feel sorry, chief. Your decision was honorable and the most logical; besides, we're powerful mages. Even with a lack of information, we'll surely be fine." Confidently smiling, Lucy stood up and pointed to herself, causing the chief to nod while heaving a sigh of relief. "Ha, yes, you're correct, Lucy. What should I feel worried about when the strongest guild in Fiore has taken up my request? Thank you." "If you want to thank us, prepare a barrel of beer once we return!"
"Knock it off, Cana; no alcohol while taking missions." Hitting the top of her head, Cooper stood up while side-eyeing Cana, who rubbed her head with a teary-eyed expression. "Tsk, meanie." Rolling his eyes, Cooper turned around, preparing to leave, prompting Cana and Lucy to follow, only for the Chief to suddenly speak up.
"Excuse me, I know this may be a bit shameless to ask, but once you've completed this mission, could I perhaps hire you again?" Hesitantly standing up, the Chief glanced at the trio just before they exited the room, causing Cooper to furrow his brows.
"No offense, but the reward for this mission is probably everything this village was able to scrounge together. I doubt you'll have any money remaining afterwards." Coming to a halt, Cooper crossed his arms and glanced at the Chief, who was forced to lower his head, unable to refute his claim, only for Lucy to grab his arm. "Oh, c'mon, big bro, we could at least listen to him, don't you think?"
Bewitched by Lucy's adorable smile, Cooper rubbed his head and sighed, unable to refute the request of his cute little sister. "Haa, fine, I'll listen, but I'm not running a charity… Go ahead and speak, Chief." Folding his arms, Cooper, Lucy, and Cana shifted their attention to the Chief, who sighed before quickly explaining.
"A month ago, one of our neighboring villages had been wiped out. The reports from the scouts indicate that a beast horde had destroyed the village, leaving only skeletons of the villagers behind. I don't know if the beast horde is connected to the contaminated river, but if it's not too much to ask, could you observe the nearby forest and the state of the beasts?" "Oh my, a beast horde? Did a powerful monster appear in the for-"
While mid-speech, Cooper cut off Lucy and slammed his hand onto the table with a grim expression. "We accept! Now tell me EVERYTHING you know!" Gulping in fear as Cooper subconsciously released his bloodlust, the Chief quickly nodded.
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Cooper POV
"You seemed a bit agitated when the chief mentioned the neighboring village and the beast horde… Do you have some connection to them, big bro?" Lucy wasn't that strong, but she was rather perceptive; however, I didn't give in to her curiosity and flicked her forward instead, pushing her back. "Focus on our current mission first." "Aye, aye, captain."
Rolling my eyes at her sarcastic response, I shifted my focus to the weary forest that was now devoid of life, causing me to frown as I glanced down at my hand. 'I thought I'd long since rid myself of revenge… Maybe I was just distracting myself.' Whatever the case may be, this was the first time I've gotten a clue to what truly happened all those years ago, and I wouldn't just let it slip through my hands.
Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind for now; although I desired revenge, I wouldn't allow myself to be distracted during a mission with my little siblings. After a few minutes, the remains of skeletons began to litter the reddish dirt, which seemed to be stained with an untold amount of blood; however, ironically enough, this brought back memories from my time in the forest.
"How many creatures died to stain the ground red?" "What bastard is this cruel? How could someone kill so many beasts?" Awkwardly coughing and averting my gaze at Lucy and Cana's remarks, I pretended to remain oblivious as we continued to follow the river upstream while the remains of skeletons only grew.
"It's probably coming from the mountain." Cana pointed at the nearby, and I agreed with her sentiment, as that's where the river seemed to be heading. "Since we're close, be prepared to fight. S-class missions aren't trivial." "Yes, I know, you nearly died on the last one after all." Holding Taurus's key in her hands, Lucy playfully smirked, causing me to growl in annoyance.
Ignoring her teasing remark, I raised my guard as we approached the mountain, stepping through a desert of bones that were so dense we were unable to see the ground beneath them. "Big bro, you can also sense it, right?" Holding a deck of cards in one hand and several in the other, Cana closely observed our surroundings, causing me to lightly nod. "Yes, we're surrounded." "So that's what that unsettling feeling is. But how are we surrounded? I don't see anything."
As if to answer Lucy's question, the numerous bones that littered the floor suddenly began to tremble as they began to float above the ground. "Get ready!" The floating bones started to converge into several hundred different forms, assuming the appearances of various beasts as they encircled us, staring at us with their lifeless wisps for eyes.
"W-What type of magic is this!? Controlling the dead? This feels like Forbidden magic!" Yelled Cana as the three of us stood with our backs facing each other while we stared down at the hundreds of skeletons. "Taurus!" "Moo! It's time to show off before my sexy contractor!"
'Controlling the dead!?' No wonder I felt this was a bit familiar. I've never encountered him, but through my careful investigation of Tartaros, I've learned of a being who controls the dead. 'Fuck! This complicates things! The last thing I want to do is get onto their radar.'
If this mission had some connection with the one who controls death, then we may have to refuse this mission; though, that'll be after we get out of here. 'If the one who controls death is here, then Lucy and Cana are in danger.' I didn't know exactly what that person's status was within Tartaros; was he one of the Nine Demon Gates? Maybe the Guild leader? Or perhaps he was beneath them. Either way, the fact that I had so little information regarding him made him much more dangerous than Torafuzar.
"Lucy, Cana. If I ever tell you to flee, don't hesitate or worry about me; just flee as if your life depends on it. Understand?" My words seemed to scare them a little as they looked at me with concern, which was understandable as they knew nothing of the dangers of Tartaros.
"Eh, what are you talking about, big bro?" "Yeah, is this really that dangerous?" "Stop asking questions and just listen, understand?" Glaring at Cana and Lucy, the two looked at each other before hesitantly nodding, causing me to shift my focus to the enemies in front of us. "Alright, for now, let's deal with these skeletons."