Private Tales Mission to Matriculate

[Kikwi]

Isabeau's voice flooded into his ears once again. The sweet, soothing music served to quiet his pounding heart just a little. He knew, immediately, that she had no desire to lead him into danger, and he felt in that moment that he could trust her with anything.

His chest puffed up, he had been quite brave, hadn't he? He had come this far into the savannah, he had helped a wounded man with his injuries, and now he would face a terrible monster.

Yes... if she believed then he would, too. He was no chick, he was smart, he was brave. He could do this. He would help his friends, because that was the right thing to do.

He reached out and took a couple of Isabeau's fingers in his tiny scaled hand. "Ok." he whispered. He put on as confident an expression as he could, and walked alongside her.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis smirked at least the two of them were determined to go through with this. "Don't worry you two," Willis said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to neither of you."

It was supposed to be a Monster Hunter's duty to protect the innocent. Of course given merc like nature of the job, people use anything at their disposal to complete the job collateral damage be damned. Admittedly Willis never paid attention too much about what a monster hunter is supposed to be. He's just in it for the big (if sometimes inconsistent.) pay. Even the Grandmasters know that the nobody follows the Monster Hunter's Code of Conduct.

Still Willis has his own code that he follows. His code of morals, It's always best to trust your own instincts. Society is just too damn contradictory on vows and what's honorable. Obey the laws, Obey your boss, protect the weak unless they're the enemy, fight Monsters but what if the person giving you the contract is the true monster? So much shit..... Something Willis wished he didn't have to deal but here it is. Captain Davis told him "that a man must always have a code lest he be a monster!" and so Willis has his own code.

"I'll protect both of you," Willis said pointing at some ruins. "Guide Kikwi there Isabeau," he said. "I can have cover and ambush the Djinn."

 

[Isabeau]

She gave a reassuring smile again to now she had more of in sight into whom this Kikwi was, and gently scooping him up in her arms. She leaned forward and whispered.

“Hope you don’t mind; it’ll be easier this way.” She arched a brow as she has no clue where that is, as she honestly can’t see him pointing. She again knelt her down to Kikwi and whispered.

“Could you help guide me to where he wants me too go?” She made sure that Kikwi was comfortable in her arms. Issy didn’t want Willis feeling foolish by forgetting she’s blind. He was on a roll after all, she’d simply nod her head toward Willis and began to move toward whatever area, Kikwi guided her towards, hopefully this plan worked as, she was very concerned about Gabby.

“So, how long have you been adventuring?” She asked making small talk, as obviously the creature that they hunted had ears and could easily listen if it wanted too.

 

[Kikwi]

Kikwi felt great comfort in the woman’s arms. He was naturally trusting (naively so), but something about her manner made him feel completely at ease. It was not just her voice, but her actions. She did not make any movement that could be considered aggressive, she did not presume to touch or move him without his implied permission. He had no way of knowing that her companion was a horse, of course, but if he had it would have made much more sense. Animal interactions required a similar approach.

Comfortable in her arms, Kikwi felt a little bit better about being led towards an all-powerful monster slaver. He held on to her should with one hand and turned his head around to see in front of them.

He whispered to her: “The ruins are in front of us, turn a little bit to the right… there! Now walk forwards.”

The night was quiet, barely a breeze to rustle the grass. Kikwi was glad to talk about his adventure. The only thing he liked better than hearing stories was telling them.

“I have been travelling for three weeks and four days,” he said quietly. “It was easy at first, I know the woods by my home and there was plenty of food and water. But these flat grasses don’t have any fruit or nuts, and there hasn’t been any water for a couple of days.” He closed his eyes for a moment. He had been rather foolish to set out into the unknown by himself.

But now he had made new friends, and everything was going to be ok! He opened his eyes again, now with renewed conviction. Sure, he literally being carried as an offering to a djinn, but Willis would kill the monster, and Isabeau would protect him. And he would get to see a djinn, so that was pretty neat.

“Keep going, we’re almost there,” he said. “Were you on an adventure, too, before…” he looked down at the golden collar and did not finish his thought.

 

[ZafiraJade]

It was so like her to pick up work that she wasn't supposed to do.

So like her to push herself in areas where her expertise may or may not need it.

And despite her grumbling, despite her protests, Zafira knew she wouldn't have it any other way.

The truth was, she loved the adventure. Craved it. Enjoyed the thrill of a dangerous situation, the way it set her blood pumping and adrenaline running. She loved every bit of it, even the uncertain parts, especially the part where she met the supposed villain.

Every adventure needed a villain. Plus, Zafira liked confronting the villain. It was always so fun to see the surprise on their faces.

It was the only explanation as to why she was in the Aberresai Savannah. A fortune teller, one of her teachers at the college, had told her very vaguely of a man who would be in dire need of help. Already, the fortune tellers words were vague, but Zafira lit up at the prospect of leaving the stuffy, yet absolutely gorgeous school. It's not that she hated it there - it's just that there was so much of the world and so little time to explore every inch of it.

Except Zafira regretted taking this little expedition right here. She'd been walking for hours and the sun seemed less like a hot ball of light and more like a blur of one. Every step was taken with aching effort, so much so that when she saw the figures of a man, she could barely believe it. Draining the last sip of her water, Zafira started towards the man, knowing very well that the man would think her mad if she asked just to join for the hell of it.

Not that he'd say no. Most rarely did when she told them of her rare healing abilities.

 

[Isabeau]

Issy’s eyes though didn’t look directly at the little creature in her arms, but she did tilt her head down and the sympathetic kindness shown through and the warmth that roared inside this woman. She carefully stroked the creatures wing or what she thought would be a shoulder.

She was grateful that the Kikwi was there to help her, as moved gracefully through sand and grass. The idea that if you had told her yesterday morning that she would be kidnapped by a creature that honestly from what was told a nasty thing, she’d never have believed it.

Oh, well, it will end right, she’ll be rescued, and all will be right in the world. The thought was a good hope, right?

The worry she decided best to hide from the creature within her arms and welcomed the distraction of the conversation.

“I believe I have some water and nuts back in my cart, I believe I have too many to eat and Gabby hates nuts.” Her smile deepened.

“Actually, not really, I am an herbalist and I was on my way to sell some items and visit some family.” She stated.

The thought now her family would start to get concerned she hadn’t showed up put a knot in her stomach, but her sister would understand, wouldn’t she?

“You are a brave soul, I admire you.” Replied to distract from the guilt growing inside her.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis Reede remained hidden behind the ruins while he waited he gazed upon the symbols that were embedded on to one of the broken pillars. Willis recognized them as the language of the Sand Elves, though they share the same language as the Kalti: Nomads who live in the Savannah Wasteland there is a hint of the sing song tone of the Elven Language in there. Though the Sand Elves were mostly nomadic, the did build strongholds around the Savannah. They were built to shield the travelers from sandstorms and Wryms who like to attack isolated prey.

From his recollection, Willis remembered the Sand Elves were locked in a bloody war against the Dwarves during the Age of Wonders. A Dwarven King desired to expand his Kingdom to the desert due to its mines being flush with rare minerals and according to legend, a temperature that is hot enough to create his ancient anvil said to forge magical weapons without need of an enchantment. While the Dwarves had the technology to crush the Sand Elves, the Elves had the Desert on their side. They were used to the heat while the Mountain dwelling dwarves succumbed to heat stroke.

The war lasted for hundreds of years with major casualties on both sides. However the Dwarven King managed to build a mini Kingdom for himself which was lost to legend. Many treasure hunters drove themselves insane trying to locate the Kingdom and the College of Elbion had many a failed expedition to find the Kingdom. Though Willis would love to find this lost Kingdom, he will not travel through this fucking heat unless he gets paid extra.

A gust of wind was gathering near Isabeau and Kikwi's location, grains of sand began swirling around forming some mini tornado of sorts. The winds began to pick up violently, "was it a sandstorm?" Willis said to himself however a bright light accompany by a rumbling sounds of thunder put aside those thoughts.

The Djinn materialized before Isabeau and Kikwi, Willis' eyes adjusted to the bright light as he saw the creature get closer to them. It was a lesser Djinn tiers below a regular Djinn and not as clever as one. However it holds the power of an advanced mage and is not one to be trifled with. "Ah!" the Djinn said in its distorted voice. "You have bought a slave before me! You have done well my servant! Bring the Kenku to me! I have always wanted to own one as a pet! You will receive your companion in due time. Once you fetch me more slaves! Now give me the Kenku and go!"

Willis unsheathed his Cutlass sighing. "It's showtime," he said.

 

[Kikwi]

Isabeau's voice was a great comfort to Kikwi as they walked towards almost certain doom. He liked listening to her, and he liked how her eyes didn't look exactly where she spoke. He couldn't say why he liked it, it was just different. He liked different. Different was interesting, different brought up questions that he didn't realize he had.

His small stomach growled at the thought of the food that Isabeau had brought with her, and he would have to remember to ask for some if and when they found her cart. She seemed like a kind soul, she probably wouldn't mind sharing.

The mention of family brought a fleeting sadness to Kikwi. He missed his family, he missed his village. He was eager to be out on his own, but there were so many things he had not thought of. Safety, warmth, company.

He perked up. He couldn't start thinking like that so soon! He had those things here, too! Willis was his safety, and Isabeau's arms were warm and cozy. And at the mention of him being brave, his chest felt very large indeed.

"You will see your family soon," he assured her in a bright but quiet voice. "We're going to free you."

A rush of wind and a bright light put a stop to their conversation, and Kikwi started, his feathers puffing out dramatically and giving him the appearance of a rather messy mop.

The Djinn was frightening, and its booming voice reverberated throughout Kikwi's tiny body. He gulped, trying to muster his courage as best he could. His head swiveled around to look for Willis, but it was difficult to see past the glow of the Djinn.

"I am here," he said, a bit too loudly. "Um, I'm coming over now. Right now." He hoped that Willis would catch on to his very clever and very secret signal.

 

[Isabeau]

Issy held the Owl close to her and smiled at his kind words, but before she could answer the storm had began to dance around her and her friend.

She did her best to shield her feathered friend from the sand that pelted their skin and sting her eyes. Issy, would close them to protect them, but remained still as a voice called to them once more.

It was the evil creature and she tilted her head to the side and shook her head.

"That wasn't the deal, I bring a slave and you give me back Gabby." She gestured.

"I am not giving you Kikwi, until you hand over Gabby." She gestured holding her friend even more closely to her.

Issy was giving Willis enough to time capture the creature.

 

[Smiling One]

The first thing Willis was taught as a Monster Hunter was to be prepared. That meant studying the Monster you intend to slay, know its strengths and weaknesses and defeating a Monster will just be like cutting a cake. If that Cake was made out of spikes and is trying to kill you, Djinns are a difficult creature to defeat even the lowest levels are insanely tough to take down. If there was one weakness that they had was that Djinns are susceptible to Anti-Magic bombs.

They were prominently used by Templars during their crusades against practitioners of the Dark Arts. Monster Hunters employ anti magic bombs as well especially against who rely heavily on magic. The young man only made three of them though, they were expensive to make and Willis didn't have a lot of coin on him. His payout will more than make up difference. Taking out a anti-magic bomb from his little black bag, Willis began to arm the bomb as he heard the Djinn's tone become angrier.

"I have altered the deal girl!" The Djinn roared glancing at her gold collar. "You best know who your master is! Now do what the Kenku said and bring him to me!"

"Why don't you try this on for size you damn snowglobe!"

The Djinn turned its head to see who said that only to be greeted by a grenade smashing into its spherical shape exploding on impact. The Djinn roared in pain shouting in an ancient language Willis did not understand but assumed to be ancient Elven. The storm clouds surrounding the elemental creature flickered and then dissipated leaving the Djinn dazed and confused.

"I got a 30 second window before the effects run out," Willis thought how long it takes for the anti magic to work depends on the target hit. For many the effect can last for hours but for powerful magic users such as the Djinn, it can less than a minute. Willis needed to work fast.

"Isabeau! Kikwi!" Willis shouted. "Get out of the way!" The young man charged towards the Djinn striking it with a vertical slash. A flash light was shown and the creature roared in pain as a crack was shown on its sphere.

"Your master send his regards!" Willis smirked preparing for another strike before he got hit by a knock out blast from Djinn.

"It seems that I have a new slave to shackle," the Djinn growled attempting to charge up its magic.

"I'm no slave Djinn!" Willis did a kip-up while grabbing his Cutlass and prepared to face the creature.

 

[Kikwi]

Everything happened very quickly and very noisily. Isabeau tried to bargain with the creature, but it appeared to have no interest in honoring its previous deal. A small voice in the back of his mind piped in with doubts. Maybe she really is going to give you to him. That was the plan all along. No, that couldn't be true. Isabeau wouldn't do that, she wouldn't lie like that. Kikwi had only just met the woman and had no real reason to trust her, but he did. He felt a strong, inexplicable bond towards her and he needed to believe she was trustworthy.

A bright flash of light and a cry of surprise from the monster. Willis lept forwards and managed to get a hit on the djinn before being knocked away.

Kikwi wanted to help. He wouldn't be much use in a fight, and he didn't know anything about this monster... but he was a quick learner, and his eyes soaked in as many details as he could. The orb, the winds.

The bomb had knocked out the small storm surrounding the monster, and only then had Willis attacked. The storm must act as a form of defense, like a shell of sorts. If it came back, how would they remove it again? Perhaps if they baited the djinn to attack... would it need to lower the defenses? Even creatures with the strongest defenses would be vulnerable when attacking.

"Issy, put me down, please," he said in her ear, just loud enough so that only she could hear. He was going to help if he could.

 

[Isabeau]

Before Issy could even answer, the loud explosion shook her knocking her and her feathered friend back knocking her on her back, but she made sure to hold on to the little creature and protect him the best she could. She as never going to give him to the evil creature, though she wondered where shew as going to find Gabby.


She heard the hell of telling them to back away and she then heard her friend and tilted her head.

"Are you sure, I think maybe for now the best way to help is to stay out of the way, if you go and help, you might be once again used against him, perhaps we should do as asked and just listen and watch from a good distance?" She stated as she got up rubbing her ears a little, as there was a low ringing in them but it didn't stop her from moving back a bit.

She'd let her friend go, if he truly wanted to help, he was his own bird and could do as he pleased, but she would offer some advice.

 

[Smiling One]

"20 seconds left...…."

Willis rushed towards the Djinn taking out an explosive throwing from his black bag and hurling it towards the creature. The small weapon collided with the Djinn's barrier instantly exploding. The Djinn roared in pain while dust began to form around the ruins obscuring Willis' vision. Never the less, the young man saw the faint white glow of the Djinn growing brighter he was getting closer.

"15 seconds...…"

Willis raised his Cutlass the dark grey blade cut through the grands of sand caused by the brief sandstorm formed by the explosion. Willis placed all of his strength on this strike, the Cutlass made contact on the barrier of the Djinn again forming another crack. Djinn gave a pained as he went up narrowly avoiding the second hit from Willis' assail.

More cracks were forming around the Djinn's barrier it was ready to break. One more hit should do it and the Djinn will be left defenseless. "10 seconds....." Willis noticed the Djinn becoming angry, desperate It's spherical body flailing about. "Why do you hound me?!" he said.

"Your master wants you dead!" Willis went on top of a broken pillar in preparation for an attack. "So why don't you do me a favor and die so I can take Isabeau and Kikwi home?"

"That mage is not my master!" The Djinn bellowed, dark clouds were forming over the creature. The hot desert started to become chilly.

"Oh shit not good," Willis muttered to himself. "5 seconds," grabbing a rock Willis attempted to throw it at the creature but it was disintegrated midway to the Djinn.

"Now you've done it!" The Djinn began to summon icicles around it and threw them towards Willis who dodged and ducked.

"Fuck!" Willis growled. "Now this shit gets a lot harder!"

 

[Kikwi]

"Yes, I am sure," Kikwi said, putting on the bravest voice he could muster, although it still wavered and cracked.

As soon as his little feet touched the ground, Kikwi moved through the grass as silently as he could. His tiny stature was an advantage here, as the Djinn seemed quite distracted by Willis' attacks. Unfortunately, this also meant that it was pinning him down with attacks of its own.

Wind, ice, those seemed to be the djinn's weapons of choice. Kikwi did not know much about magical creatures, and had never even heard of a djinn before this trip, but he did his best to work out a plan. If it was made of cold, perhaps it would dislike heat.

The grass was very dry, and it did not take long for Kikwi to find two suitable stones. Standing behind the djinn, he chipped the rocks together again and again. Come on...

Small sparks spurted from them each time they collided, and after a time one caught. Kikwi did his best to shelter the flame from the Djinn's howling winds while it built, but the dry grass was eager fuel, and soon the winds served only to fan the flames.

Confident in his work, Kikwi ran a few paces away and called out. "HEY!! BIG UGLY DJINN! OVER HERE!" He ducked low in the grass, some twenty feet from the blaze. While his voice wasn't exactly coming from the fire, he was confident that the monster's gaze would immediately be caught by the steadily growing inferno.

Kikwi hoped beyond hope that this would give Willis the window he needed to finish the job.