Underneath the crimson rays of the moon, were mountains of corpses; their blood, organs, and limbs stained the once green earth, a crimson red. Once, a beautiful landsite became the burial place of carnage.
Amidst this grotesque sight, a party of four stood - Across from them was a red-skinned giant, six arms. Gashes, and cuts littered its flesh, yet, an invigorated glint glowed from its dull pupils. Every arm was larger than a human's torso, Comparatively, its weapons, blades of many shapes were just as large.
"LUCIAN! WE CANNOT BEAT THAT MONSTER! WE HAVE TO LEAVE!"
A tall, bulky man screamed. He tentatively looked down at his once shining armor; it was sickening, an urge to vomit snaked its way up his throat.
However, he raised his head, warm saliva entered his mouth; his pupils shrank, such a desolate place would make any veteran want to tear their eyes out.
"WE ARE NOT LEAVING! WE ARE NOT RUNNING!"
But, the young man who kneeled not far from him roared. Grimacing with each word, every breath tore at his throat; his lungs expanded, turning into a fierce fire, resulting in him coughing. His body was at its limit, both hands weakly gripped the hilt of his blade.
"Lucian… Please…. Even if we stay here…. Everything will be destroyed - We will die here!"
"And SO WHAT?! What if we stay here, what if we RETREAT?!"Lucian yelled. Every vocal cord strained, and were ready to snap. "We have to stay! WE have to defeat that demon!"
He exclaimed, raising his head, and bore a hole with his eyes into the demon ahead of him. Desolation was wrought by this creature, savoring every moment. It was proud of its actions, holding its back straight and mighty.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T DEFEAT HIM?! DO YOU EVEN COMPREHEND THAT? THAT MONSTER DID ALL OF THIS!"
"I know that! BUT I WOULD RATHER DI-"
Their argument was halted. A cackle rang out, causing their eardrums to rhythmically shake with their shivering bodies. It felt as if buckets of ice had streamed down their spins; Lucian's eyes widened, they were filled with dread, replacing the once confident flame.
"Oh, ho… How amusing~ You, one, that was so confident - Brave, and so, so full of life can still find the will to fight? Even though that "Bravado" was gone?! You yearn for a death wish, don't you… Even if it may transfer to your companions?"
It sneered, its deep and hoarse voice froze those who stood - Bringing the two demi-humans down to their knees. Its forked tongue licked its lips, and a ferocious glint flashed in its eyes. One arm had reeled back, singing a sadistic hymn, as the same arm shot out like a whip.
Faster than the eye can see, an arc flew out. Shaped as a crescent moon, however, it was completely red.
"LUCIAN! GET-"
Lucian had no chance to think - Steadfastly, he got to his feet, and feebly raised his cracked blade.
CLANG!
Metal screeched throughout the battlefield; sparks flew in every direction.
"The…"
He could only mouth, "what…" His blade had shattered. Only his eyes widened, watching the scraps of metal fly everywhere. A cold feeling glided through his gut. Instantly, his weight shifted, he had been split in two, sliding to the ground a millisecond later.
There was no pain; no agony; just a cold feeling, accompanying the weakening of his body. Each nanosecond, it weakened. In mere seconds, his hearing buzzed.
"LUCIAN! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
One of his companions - A white haired foxgirl let out an agonizing scream, scrambling just above him. Crystals of ice slid down her pale cheeks.
"STAY WITH ME! PLEASE! LUCIAN! YOU HAVE TO!"
Her voice began to wane, suddenly breaking as her screams started to tear into her vocal cords.
Lucian could only manage a stare; her tears caused a knife to dig into his heart. He weakly lifted his arm, clutching her cheeks, he felt an urge to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Fei."
He mouthed, his airways started to fill with an iron taste; his consciousness was starting to drift, blood was filling his lungs. Contrarily, he gently smiled whilst tightening his grip on her cheek.
"L-Lu…Cian…?"
Fei muttered his name; feeling the warmth of his hand disappearing, it turned as cold as ice. Her pupils quivered; She had never felt something this cold.
'Get out… Of here! And please live on!'
"Lu- Luci- Lucian?" NO! No, no no no! Don't close your eyes!"
"Haru! Take Fei, get out of here! I'll try to buy you two some time!"
"Are you sure?"
Another demi-human answered the man's calls. Her voice was androgynous, but her shrouded features, were that of a woman. She looked towards the first man for confirmation.
"Yes."
"Fei, we need to get away from here… Now!"
She turned to Fei, and ordered, grabbing her arm and trying to pull. Fei stayed firm, not budging from her spot.
"We need to leave now!"
"I AM NOT LEAVING HIM!"
At that very moment, everything turned dark. Her shouts, gone; The cold feeling of death that embraced his body disappeared in the next moment, nothingness overcame him. He felt weightless, free from any stress, and pain.
Regardless of his situation, a voice broke through.
"Lucian…. Lucian… Wake up…"
It beckoned, cracking the abyss around him. Furthermore, an audible sigh came out; a freezing sensation that pressed against his cheek caused him to bolt straight up.
"WHA?!"
He roared at the top of his lungs. There was no battlefield, nor a hulking demon. He was now in his and Fei's bed. Reflexively, he twisted his spine, and stared at the culprit of his frigid wake up call. The same white haired foxgirl sat there; her lips were twisted into a worried frown.
"W-Why the heck did you do that?!"
He frantically questioned, rubbing the cold part of his cheek.
Just by his sudden reaction, her hand was pulled close to her chest. At the tip of her index finger, a floating orb of light sat. After it had disappeared, he asked her again in a calmer tone.
This time her ears fluttered, then flattened. It looked as if she was afraid of the consequences.
"Y-You… You- were moving around… And muttering in your- Your sleep…" She replied, her ocean blues that withheld a tinge of purple lowered; she stared at their bedding. "B-But… I'm sorry… I t-thought you were having a bad dream."
At her explanation, Lucian sighed. He pinched the ridge of his nose with a shake of his head.
"It's fine! It's fine! I don't even remember what I was dreaming about."
To appease her worries, he tried to recall his dream. One attempt, he entered his mind. Nothing was found, he tried a second time, once again nothing. Third, there was just specks of dust, truly, he had forgotten.
"It was just a dream, there's nothing to worry about."
Lastly, he waved her worries away, warmly smiling to ease her heart.
"Mm…"
Fei let out, eventually guiding her eyes to the bedroom door. In which, he followed in her tracks. Rays of sunshine illuminated their tiny bedroom; just enough to fit their mediocre bed, in addition to a closet that fit itself just left of the door. They could only afford to rent their tiny little home, it only had one bedroom.
Thanks to Fei's stubbornness, they slept in the same bed. Although, that was a routine for their entire life - Being in lower class was a common theme for them.
"Oh… Right!"
Lucian exclaimed after staring at the rays. Fei jumped at his sudden words, clutching her heart whilst giving him a weird look.
"W-What-"
"We should get ready, I'll meet you outside!"
He told her, practically jumping off their bed. Next, sprinting to their wardrobe. Ever since they were young, a dream had entered their hearts.
It started off small, watching people in extravagant armor, wielding weapons as they walked down the roads; this had lit a spark. Over the course of a few events in their lives, it had sparked further; furthermore, it gifted them freedom.
It was an enticing occupation, one filled with so much danger and enjoyment.
For a few moments, he had rummaged through their closet; yanking out a simple grey shirt and pants. He flashed Fei with a grin, waving, as he dashed out the room.
Quickly changing, he then sprinted out the front door. Uniquely, the cold morning air had no effect as it struck his skin. It could not extinguish his excitement, never stopping his legs from moving. He kept pacing in a circle, grinning ear to ear.
After his hundredth circle, Fei walked out the front door. Her outfit change was adorable in his eyes; Head to toe, she wore a blue dress, covering her arms and collarbone with a long sleeved shirt.
"Are you ready?"
"Y-Yes…"
Upon her confirmation, they set off. Lucian was in the lead, Fei staying a few paces behind them. As usual, there were countless stares directed at them. Disgust; hatred; and pity were jabbing at them. Half of them directed towards the former, yet, he showed no signs of being bothered.
Over the fifteen years they lived together, his skin became calloused. Nearly everyone in their home kingdom despised the sights of demi-humans. To such an extreme, it was common to hear assaults in an alleyway.
"Just ignore them, okay?"
He whispered into her ear, now they stood shoulder to shoulder. Expectedly, she bobbed her head up and down. A nod, which he smiled at. Deep down, it was impossible for her to ignore them. Each whisper of the stalls they passed by, dug into her skin.
"And it looks like we're here already."
In front of them, an incredibly old build stood. It could only be described as decrepit; the windows they peered inside were covered with sheets, and the glass was yellowed. Just above its splintered door was a sign.
[Open]
Above its open sign, was another sign. Depicting an anvil being struck by a hammer, it was a blacksmith shop. A staple shop for adventurers to run into, they could buy equipment here.
"C'mon… Don't be nervous, okay?"
Lucian said, turning to look at her. Of course, she was immensely nervous, her lips were quivering. The two furry ears adorned to her scalp were shaking limply. In his peripheral vision, her tail was perpendicular to the floor.
"A-Alright…"
It took a brief pause for her to respond. Moreover, an urge to pat her head took over his hand, but he retracted it immediately.
Lucian gripped the handles, two pickaxe heads. He pushed them open, and a booming voice resounded from the front counter.
"AY! Welcome to my shop!"
The stout man who ran the counter yelled. He was cheery, but gruff. Countless miscellaneous items and weapons littered his counter. One of his huge arms was raised to the sky, waving at them.
"Oh- Its- Ahem! If ya need any help, come and talk with me, alright?"
"Thanks! We will!"
Lucian returned his wave.
'Thankfully he caught himself.'
He thought as his smile became stiff. He thanked the stars once more, Fei's gaze was lingering elsewhere.
Her eyes were attached to the countless mannequins standing to their right; they wore different outfits - plate armor; leather armor; wizardry robes, a standard array for a newbie adventurer. Swerving to their left, their main purpose was weapons.
Swords; greatswords; daggers, hidden amongst them were bows. This sea of weapons caused Fei to stumble in awe, her mouth slid open. It became unhinged further as Lucian's arm took over her sight, his index finger pointed there.
"Let's go check what he has over there."
Lucian suggested to her; his expression turned mysterious, causing her to feel an odd air.
Contrary to her suspicions, she agreed, turning into a lost puppy following its owner. She watched him creep along the array of weapons, "seemingly" looking at the weapons. Moreover, something ate at her, was he looking for something specific?
Randomly, he pushed two weapons apart. Fei froze, her eyebrow twitching as he pulled out a staff. Pale as her skin, it was carved from a birch tree, its handle similar to an individual with scoliosis; melded to its tip was a cloudy crystal.
That's so pretty…
Her mind instantly became mesmerized. Conversely, she was dismayed. Staffs were exceedingly rare, as this was her first time seeing one. It slid to shock once Lucian's hands raised it to the sky.
"L-L-Luciaan! We can't buy this!"
She cried out upon his smug look. Fei launched herself onto his arm, an attempt to pull it down; unfortunately, her physical condition was not attuned to strength. A failure, but she latched onto his arm.
As for him, he turned his body, dragging her along a trip on his arm.
"Fei, we're buying this."
"S-Stop! I don't need it! I can-"
"Hey boss! How much would this cost?"
Lucian inquired, in an echoing voice. He presented the staff higher in the air, nearly dangling Fei off the ground. Since she was not willing to give up, she stood on the tips of her toes to hold his arm.
"Lucian- Lucian! I don't need it!"
"Ah? That ol' thing? You can buy it for… Fifty copper."
"Perfect, we'll take it!"
"Lucian… I- I don't need it! I can just…"
Fei's voice turned quiet, witnessing his expression.
Of course… He won't listen..
From this point, he would never listen.
"Now… It's time to find my weapon."
Lucian clenched his hands around the staff. Perfectly into their budget! In total, they brought seventy copper. Of course, after this shopping spree, it would leave them next to nothing; however, deep in his heart, it was worth it.
"Lucian… I, I don't need it… I can-"
Lucian's mind instantly switched, scanning the wall of weapons, quickly spotting a dull looking dagger. It was made out of iron, and it was something easily produceable.
"That's fine…"
He strolled to the counter, and sat their weapons down.
"Can we purchase these?"
"Mhm, that dagger will cast ya… Ten copper, that staff ya already know."
Sixty copper, he fished in the small draw-string sack he kept. He pulled out six medium sized copper coins - Their size correlated to their worth. Medium sized coins, perfectly sat on a thumb, their worth, ten copper each. Any larger, one hundred, smaller just a singular copper.
The shopkeeper scrutinized each coin, squinting at it and flipping it over a couple times.
"Alright, they're all yers kid, pleasure doing business with you."
He and Lucian locked hands.
"Pleasure- Woah!"
A second later, Lucian's body was yanked forward. Minutes of intense whispers and threats entered his ear, afterwards he was released with a heavy shove.
"Now, get yer asses outta here!"
Quickly, Lucian grabbed their newly bought equipment, escorting Fei out the door hurriedly.
What the heck did he do?! T-That-
From a jollyful guy to yelling then kicking him out, did Lucian do something to him? Fei wondered, only to be brought out of her stupor by a staff appearing in her vision.
"Take it… Here…"Lucian stretched his arm, dangling the staff with two fingers. His face was drenched in sweat. 'I hope she did not hear what was said…'
"T-Thank you… But, but I don't… I don't need it."
The handle was incredibly soft, just touching it allowed warmth to enter her heart.
"I can… I can just use my magic, I don't… Need it."
"Fei, I could tell you wanted it. And once we work with other people, you'll need that, so you can hide "that" part of you."
"Al-Alright…"
On the outside, Fei looked disheartened; even so, he could see the slight wag of her tail, and the hidden smile underneath her grimace. With the joy she felt mimicking his own, they marched to the adventurers' guild.
Halfway there, Fei stumbled over nothing. Lucian, bemused by this, teased her, leaving a rosey color across her cheek, whilst her lips turned to a pout. It quickly dispersed when they stood affront of the adventurers' guild.
It was an extravagant building, with high walls stretching far over the buildings around it. Next to the doors were clear windows, allowing them to watch inside, seeing tens - nearly a hundred people sitting around circular tables. Flower pots sat below, allowing pedestrians to get a whiff and lift up their moods.
Two large overbearing doors separated them from the inside; the wood was smooth to the touch, it had a glossy texture, well maintained and befitting the high status of the guild.
Lucian squeezed the handles. As he did so, Fei felt something squeeze her own heart, the harder his hands gripped, her heart began to ache.
I'm going to hold him back… I've always done that… He- He sacrificed everything.
From protecting her on the streets, working just enough to pay for the majority of their appliances and home. She barely could contribute, only one place hired her - But her pathetically conditioned body disallowed her to work for long. They were too far gone, he used their savings.
He'll… He'll just…
As her mind began to darken, as well as the area around her to blacken - Lucian swung the doors open. It screeched, interrupting all the conversations inside, and her thoughts. He ignored the glares with a grin, stepping forward confidently. His companion, someone he held so dearly, wobbled by his side.