Fable - Ask Monsters In The Streets

[Matias]

Matias didn't object to being carried. He was a soldier, and unlike many others he had no qualms about a woman lending him a hand. Particularly when she could outrun him ten to one and still not be tired.

What he did have a problem with was running. "Stop."

He called out.

"Stop stop stop." They were out of the ambush, past the danger. There was no fucking way he was going to abandon their foothold in the city. Nazara had left them behind to collect payment, and payment would be fucking collected.

His alcohol addled mind told him it had to be so, and thus he leaned down and smacked Harlowe hard on the rump. "We got a job to do!"

Matias told her, fully expecting to be tossed into a nearby building.

"I'll be fucked if I let some pissant humans stop me." He was practically shouting. "We're the monsters."

Not them.

 

[Harlowe]

"DID YOU JUST SMACK MY ARSE?!"

It had had the desired effect because Harlowe had been quite intent on ignoring the stupid order to come to a stop in a city where they were outnumbered three to... to a lot. The whole army was here for fuckssake. However, a smacking on the backside brought her to an instant stop. Considering they had been going at a breakneck speed the sudden change in pace was no doubt jarring to the other two before she hurled Matias off her shoulder and threw him on the floor in a fit.

"You're not going to be in any fit state to go attacking humans when I'm done with you," she snarled and aimed a kick towards the tender parts between a mans legs.

 

[Felice]

Felice’s mouth went wide at the sound and sight of Matias’ ass-smack. It would’ve widened further had Harlowe’s abrupt stop not forced it shut.

After that it was hard to keep track of what was happening. The Jotunn was flung off, the vampire moved rapidly, there might’ve been contact… being hauled around on the shoulder of a creature that could likely snap her spine without missing a beat was hectic.

And while, normally, she would’ve tried to break up a fight between her comrades she couldn’t fault Harlowe for her outburst. ”Fuck him up!” She shouted in support over her friend’s shoulder. Felice would’ve done the same if he had gotten handsy with her.

 

[Matias]

Matias let out a small 'oof' as he struck the ground.

Air passed from his lungs, and he could feel his body scrunch slightly against the hard cobbles of the ground. His face scrunched slightly, though no pain really reached him.

He didn't know if it was part of his 'condition', if it was some sort of malfeasance that allowed the agony of injuries to fall away. No matter what it was, he was thankful for it in that moment as Harlowe rushed forward still carrying Felice.

Fingers twitched.

Before her foot could fully land a wash of ice suddenly reached up and encapsulated Harlowe's foot. Like a cocoon it embalmed her leg, stopping the kick as Matias objected. "Stop!"

Matias called.

"We have a job to do!" His voice was a hissing demand.

They had been left behind for a reason. They were soldiers, and he would be fucked six ways from Sunday if he let that slip.

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe gave a snarl as the ice spread up her foot to her upper thigh. Even with her strength balancing on one leg with a person on her shoulder took concentration she just didn't have so she quickly set Felice down and hopped, trying to yank her leg free as she fumed.

"What job?! You killed the Duke and all of his advisors - there's nobody else to negotiate!" when the hopping and yanking on her leg didn't work she slammed a fist down on the ice that held her leg prisoner. A tiny little crack appeared and she punched it again.

"Besides, you heard what they said we were due to get a castle, how the fuck do we make off with a castle?!"

 

[Felice]

A wobble was quickly followed by a stiffening of feet and straightening of legs. Strangely, the trip over here had allowed the hair-demon's stomach to settle a bit more. She still felt like a second round could be somewhere on the horizon but it was just as possible she'd get through the rest of the evening without losing her lunch again.

One minor frown quickly formed an idea as she listened to Matias and Harlowe argue over negotiations and payments. Maybe this was why someone like her was needed in the Regiment after all. No, that wasn't true, but maybe this was one of the ways someone like her could help the more stalwart soldiers.

"It was terrible," she said in a solemn voice, "men leapt from behind tombstones with pikes and holy relics as soon as we arrived. We had to fight for our lives."

Felice's frown had pulled a full flip and a wide grin was showing on her face, "all we were able to recover was this paltry sum of gold the duke had on him."

Her palm opened up to reveal the tiny sack of coin she'd nabbed off the duke's belt when she was in his face. From the weight it felt like enough to buy a loaf of bread and a pint but in Felice's intoxicated mind she thought the effort would at least show the bosses back home they'd done their best.

 

[Matias]

Matias glanced up at the bag of gold, then towards the raging Harlowe.

He wondered if the two girls even knew what they were now. "So?"

The Frost Giant said pointedly. When he had died on the battlefield, when the Abyss had embraced him Matias had come to understand something. He had been a part of a Cortosi Battalion, an army that the Empire and Vel Anir would have struggled to take in equal numbers.

It had been wiped out by a portion of the Regiment.

"We're monsters." He reminded them. "You.'

Matias pointed at Harlowe. "Can rip a man's spine from his back in a split second, and you."

He pointed to Felice.

"Can impale a dozen soldiers with a flick of your head." The Frost Giant didn't feel the need to brag about his own abilities. "We can conquer the whole fucking city a second time if we need to."

That might have been the alcohol talking. "Felice you took a bag of gold, but we can take the fucking castle we want. That cathedral. Whatever."

His teeth snapped together.

"Fuck this place. It's ours. They owe us." So why not take it?

 

[Harlowe]

A third punch turned the ice encasing her leg into a thousand little shards which fell onto the ground in a musical tinkling noise.

"I don't particularly want to stick around in a town that doesn't want us," Harlowe folded her arms under her breasts and frowned down at the frost giant still sprawled on the floor. She would much rather go with Felice's sensible plan of admitting that something had gone wrong and moving on. If the Regiment really wanted that castle then they could come and get it for themselves with all their might.

"Why do the regiment want castles anyway? We don't settle, we don't have homes, that's what they told me when I... woke up," her arms tightened around her a little more. It had been the second hardest thing to accept after the change.

She sighed and glanced to Felice.

"What do you think we should do?"

 

[Felice]

In her old life there were a few simple rules. Keeping a low profile and avoiding risks were high up on the list.

It was true that she was still a young enough monster, and inebriate enough, to forget exactly what she was capable of these days. In fact, Felice was pretty sure she hadn't even gotten close to the limits of what she could do in this body. Briefly she wondered if Harlowe or Matias had ever tested those limits.

The whole city though? "I don't think we could take the whole city by ourselves." Particularly since, at this moment, all Felice wanted to do was take a nap and sleep off the alcohol.

"Maybe the Regiment just wants castles because they're badass," she offered though the look of confusion on her face confirmed she was on the same page as her vampiric friend.

When she was asked for her input on the trio's next course of action she stumbled on her words. "Well uh, I um..." Felice really didn't want to admit that finding a place to hang out and rest was actually at the top of her priority list. "Maybe we could kill a few of the people in the city and if things start to get out of hand we could always bail?"

That was probably the right answer. It probably made her seem pretty tough to the other two.

 

[Matias]

"We don't have to kill everyone." Matias pointed out.

The city had already surrendered, they had just surrendered to...well the man that was now dead and impaled in the middle of a graveyard.

"We just have to kill the people next to the guy whose now in charge." Probably hanging out either inside the nearest mansion or castle. His fingers tightened for a moment, and then he pulled himself up off of the ground. "I don't know why they want castles."

Matias said. "And I don't care."

He spat on the ground, the saliva freezing almost instantly as it touched the cobbles.

"But I fucking refuse to be run out of town by that scum." Matias grimaced. "Felice is right. We just have to kill a few. Say the right words."

His arms crossed. "Then we get what we want."

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe tapped her foot as she thoroughly thought through what both of her teammates had said, whilst also keeping an eye on Matias. If he touched her arse again there wouldn't be any debating their next steps. The giant would be in the body bag she dragged back to the Regiment if he so much as made a move towards her.

Eventually, the vampire sighed and held up her hands.

"Fine," she shook her head. "Fine let's do it - but if it starts to go south we get out of here, okay?" when did she become the voice of reason? When she had been alive she might have been a good and bright soldier but she most certainly preferred to follow rather than lead.

"So, let's go find one of these other people and have a chat. If they haven't holed themselves up with the holy water and icons and flame-throwers already," she rubbed her face.

 

[Felice]

Ah, so that was Matias' actual motivation. Bravado and pride. It wasn't a shock that it was common among soldiers but she didn't realize it was as foolish as the riffraff she'd grown up around. More than once she saw some fool lose a finger or get himself killed over some weird sense of pride.

"If it gets dicey we're gone," Felice agreed. If Matias wanted to stay around and experience a second death that'd be his call. But Felice would make sure that at least Harlowe and herself ran like hell if things went sideways.

Felice bent her head side-to-side, creating an audible crack of her neck, as Harlowe finished speaking. "Maybe one of you should take the lead on the chatting part," she said honestly, "I don't know if I'm as convincing as I usually am." Her chestnut eyes glanced over at the bottle still on the vampire's person. For a second she thought about asking for another swig of the stuff.

 

[Matias]

"I'll take the lead." Matias said through gritted teeth.

In life he had been a hot head. Quick to anger. Fast to call for a duel. Before his eighteenth birthday he had fought ten men and two women, each time for offenses against his family or the name that he carried. Each time he had won.

This was no different.

Matias would be fucked over the hillside if he let this goddamn collection of ponces to run him out of town. They had won this city through the rite of blood, and he wouldn't be screwed out of the reward that they had rightfully won.

Slowly he looked around for the first time, not focusing on the girls but rather on what surrounded them. It appeared Harlowe had brought them to the working quarters.

Most of the buildings were warehouses, factories, and whatever the fuck else was in these sections. "We go to the Cathedral first."

He told the two of them his head still woozy from the Ambrosia. He picked the bottle, bringing it to his lips.

"Burn it." Matias was feeling sour now. "Then we find whoever the fuck is in charge now."

 

[Harlowe]

This was going to go one of two ways; terribly or fucking awfully. She just knew it. Maybe it was that faint tugging that bound her to the contract or maybe it was just common fucking sense, that apparently Matias seemed to lack. The vampire let out an exasperated sigh and looked up at the stars that were beginning to appear from behind the clouds. She sent a silent prayer to any being that might have been looking down on them that they got out of this alive before rolling her shoulders and giving a firm nod.

"Let's go then," she grabbed the bottle before she turned on her heel and began marching back the way she had come. After she took a swing she cast a sidelong glance to Felice and then offered it out. Harlowe supposed the other monster had already cleansed her stomach with the tactical chunder, she might as well enjoy re-filling it.

 

[Felice]

Mention of the cathedral prompted a nervous gulp from Felice. At least if the plan was to burn it down they wouldn’t need to step inside, right? They could just… well… how did you normally burn buildings down? She’d only ever known two arsonists in her lifetime and both of them had given her the creeps.

”How are we going to burn it down?”

The outburst had been louder and more frantic than she intended as she followed behind Matias and Harlowe. Surely they weren’t going to go inside, that wouldn’t make sense. You want to be outside of a burning building and the frost giant must have had some kind of, uh, super lighter equipment or something. Maybe he could make ice so cold that it burned things. That could probably happen, she reasoned.

Without question Felice uncorked the bottle that her vampire friend held out and took a swig. Both to clear her mouth of the rancid taste and to settle her growing nerves.

 

[Matias]

Matias peered around the buildings like a paranoid hawk.

His gaze flickered from alleyway to alleyway, darting quickly as if in search of something to pounce upon. Tongue drifted over his lips for a brief second as Felice asked her question, and then he glanced towards her for a moment.

"We walk into the front door." Harlowe had moved fast. Very fast.

It was likely that the men at the graveyard were either still there or only just getting away to understand what was going on. "Claim the Duke was attacked. Walk into the Cathedral and slaughter every single person in there."

The rest of the Armies entire command staff.

Once that was done chaos would bloom.

Matias had experienced it himself before, the aftermath of such an event. It would be more than enough to get what they wanted.

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe's crimson eyes flickered to Felice for the barest of seconds at the mention of going inside the cathedral before resting a hand on her sword hilt. Her fingers casually stroked up and down the leather strap as she walked, seemingly carefree in comparison to Matias anyway. It was a marked changed from their last mission together but she had learnt a lot since then, knew her abilities far better.

"Maybe one of us should stay outside - to pick up anyone who managed to escape inside," she suggested casually, her tone on the edge of boredom as though it were the usual suggestion a soldier used to strategy would make.

There was still a part of her that was concerned with the idea of killing innocent people. The ones inside might not attack them when they saw them, they might be as confused as the two monsters were about to pretend to be. But the alcohol seemed to dull her humanity to more of a whisper and that was more easily ignored.

 

[Felice]

”Yeah, I definitely think I should stay outside to uh, cover your guys exit,” Felice agreed. She was pretty sure that’s how soldier’s talked and the redhead was exceptionally eager to accept the vampire’s generosity.

Though, to be fair, she understood tactics about as well as she understood the reason the sun rose in the morning. All it’d take was an insistence from Matias and the jig would be up. Felice shuddered at the thought of silver trinkets or holy artifacts touching her flesh. It was unknown to her how badly they’d hurt and she was fine living with that unknown experience for the rest of her reborn life.

She took a second swig of the ambrosia before offering it back, her nerves still in tatters but the alcohol let her ignore them a bit better.

In her flimsy mental state she offered, ”can’t we just go look for the castle?” It was a castle, it couldn’t be that hard to find.

 

[Matias]

Matias was too focused now. Too honed in.

Even if the two girls abandoned him he would have walked through the gates of hell by himself. Those men had tried to kill him, had tried to kill them. No crime had been offered. No broken pact had stood as justification. A small affront, but not one of honor or justice.

Just an accident.

He'd killed the Duke, but it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough. Not until they all learned, not until they all understood and paid. Fingers tightened, and he glanced at Felice. "After."

If he'd not shown his hand before it would have been easy to assume he was a creature of fire, not ice, in that moment.

"First." Matias began as they finally reached the square before the Cathedral. "I'm going to fucking kill them all."

The Frost Giant's voice was ice cold as he stalked up the steps.

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe groaned softly as Matias climbed the stairs like a man possessed.

"Fuck, fuck!" she kicked at a lump of snow. Her track record for getting things done on behalf of the regiment was not going swimmingly well. Could you even get fired from the Regiment? Did they take the contract back? The thought didn't actually upset her though that in itself was probably a cause for concern. With a huff she shoved a hand through her hair.

"Stay out here and if anyone managed to escape, kill them. I'm going to try make sure luggerhead over there doesn't get turned into ice cubes," though, she thought as she took the steps as a jog, that alcohol would probably taste nice on the rocks.

 

[Felice]

In that moment there was a thing that scared Felice more than the cathedral and its name was, 'Matias.' She'd yet to see a person so devoted to carry out mass murder and there was a very huge part of her that hoped she wouldn't see it again.

With her mouth wide open she responded to Harlowe by simply saying, "um, yeah, no problem I'll wait out here." This way she'd avoid both the terrifying Jotunn and the holy relics inside the church.

Honestly, based on his demeanor she doubted anyone would escape from whatever it was that he was planning but if one did she could probably go for a snack. Maybe some food would help sober her up a bit quicker.

Felice stood, arms crossed, at the top of the steps. Her hair pulsed outwards in anticipation of someone, anyone, daring to come up towards the cathedral or rushing out of it. She'd be ready to impale them and hopefully at least appear somewhat useful to her two companions.

 

[Matias]

Matias was a force of nature.

Every step left behind a chunk of ice, every movement was the beginnings of a blizzard. The Cathedral steps seemed to grow colder and colder as he drew up towards the gate. No guards stood there, no one to hold themselves before the gates.

As he approached them his legs raised, kicking against the gates. There was a loud shudder a clang, and then he kicked again. Every strike was like a battering ram, slamming. It thundered, again, again, and then one final time.

There was a loud crack as the wood splintered and broke, the gates falling open.

A dozen figures shifted, all of them suddenly looking towards the now open gates. A few of them put hand to sword, their armor gleaming in the candlelight.

"Who are yo-"​

Matias didn't let him finish. His fingers flicked forward and a spike of ice suddenly formed within the air. It jutted out, impaling through the closest of the guard.

Blood spilled onto the ground, and Matias began a new kind of Frenzy.

 

[Harlowe]

When Harlowe had been human she had loved to paint. There were certain moments in her life that the painting simply came to her in a flash; from how she would compose it, what colours she would use, right down to what she would name it. Since her transformation she hadn't bothered to pick up a paintbrush even though many of the Monsters there had told her it was important to keep up hobbies she enjoyed. She just hadn't had any inspiration.

Until then.

She would have called it the Fury of Winter for it looked like the season itself had gone to war inside the Cathedral. Ice had turned the floor into a hazardous rink and massive shards had erupted outwards to skewer people before they could run. Blood dripped and formed red pools beneath their dangling feet. Harlowe didn't really need to do anything so she leaned against the frosty doorway and folded her arms over her chest to wait.

 

[Felice]

And, suddenly, Felice was alone in the chilly darkness. Both of her arms crossed in an effort to conserve as much heat as possible in the cold air. They surely wouldn't be gone too long, at least she hoped not. Felice may have avoided rushing into that cathedral but just being so close to it made her nerves run wild.

A few tender steps brought her down three of the stairs leading up to the place.

Such a meager distance likely didn't impact anything but it made her feel better at least. Although she could've likely been standing across the street and she still would've heard the commotion that followed. Silence departed in a sudden rush as the sound of ice materializing reverberated off the chapel walls and echoed out into the streets. Screams from those being impaled by Matias reached her ears and she dared a look at the cathedral's doors.

No one came out. She suspected no one would. "Holy shit," she muttered to the dead of night.

 

[Matias]

The White Death.

That was what northerners called a blizzard from which they could not escape. It was a tide of frost, ice, and snow. A storm so great that most either ran or resigned themselves to a fate that was assured by the gods themselves.

La Torren had never seen a storm like that. La Torren had never experienced anything of the sort.

Until tonight.

Nothing was left living inside the Cathedral. From Generals to Priests, it did not matter who they were, what they stood for. Ice impaled them. Frost consumed them. Blood soaked into white snow, a contrasting painting of death the likes of which La Torren had never seen before.

By the time Matias was done there was not a living being left within the building. Even the rats had been frozen into place. When he emerged from a side passage back into the main Hall lines of blue criss-crossed Matias face. His were a sheen of ice, and the scars on his face were the only other color visible.

A smile was painted on his lips, a pleased sigh escaping him. "Well. I feel better."