Fantasy Ghosts From The Past

[Derpy Dev]

"This thing is dangerous," Barrett went on as he slammed his foot onto the back of the disabled woman. "it's powerful and intelligent, we must dispose of it right away before it regains its strength. I have only seen this type of beast once before... and it singlehandedly cleared an entire village of people. However, Boman is a coward and interfering with me riding the world of this scum."

"Yes, because cowardice is when you-" Boman was interrupted when Barrett was stabbed in the leg. He stood back and watched as she ran off into the forest, and Barrett fell to the ground shouting in pain. As much as he disliked Barrett, he couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for that.

"Aw crap," swore Waven as he started to run after her, before stopping and turning towards his disobedient students with a look of rage. "Boman, grab Barrett and bring him to the healer, then head home and stay there. We'll discuss your punishment later."

"But-"

"If you give me any crap I'm going to break you ten different ways." Boman shut up after hearing this and headed over to help Barrett up. "I have a feeling," Boman said after Waven ran off, "That this is going to be very long and awkward for both of us."

Waven
​

Waven dove through the trees after her. Despite the amount of underbrush he was shoving aside, he made a surprisingly small amount of noise. Thunder magic didn't have to be loud.

It took a bit before he found his target. She looked pretty tired. He hid within a tree and watched. Sooner or later, she'd have to go home. He'd find out what reprehensable facility was creating these abominations from the innocent.
And he'd tear it down with his own two hands.

 

[Veno]

Gracia ran for a while, though over time her pace steadily slowed down, until eventually she was forced to come to a complete stop. Leaning against a tree with her head down, panting quietly while the wound in her stomach let off an ominous steam as her body continued to work to get it healed up. She was absolutely exhausted, both physically and mentally. Expelling a shaky breath, she slowly looked around, making sure she was on her own before she allowed her body to slowly relaxed.

'I got away...' She let out a small sigh of relief as she leaned against the tree and shut her eyes, a bit of her dark hair falling in front of her face. She was a mess, blood staining her shirt and pants as well as her skin, with smudged blood across her chin and cheek. She decided to take a few minutes where she was, and simply allow herself to heal.

It took about another five minutes until she was in better shape. Her inner injuries completely healed, and the bleeding ceased- her wound now just a thin cut that continued to heal until leaving not even a mark of the injuries existence. However, she was still feeling a little weak, and quite tired... She would simply need some rest to fix that. Raising her left hand, she looked down to her black palm with a frown, her eye brows furrowed as her gaze trickled to the cuffs around her wrist. She looked slightly puzzled, and like she was concentrating.

'What was that soldier doing?' She recalled how Boman removed the sword, as well as told her his name and lowered his guard. Not to mention the fact that being around him gave her those odd sparks of images and memories, as well as a slight familiar feeling... Did she fight him before?

Gritting her teeth. "Ill get them... Next time..." She mumbled slowly moving away from the tree and slowly made her way through the woods. She walked for about 20 minutes, almost seemingly going nowhere, however eventually, she did come upon her destination... Though it was surely not what Waven would have been expecting. A small cave covered with greenery, hidden by the moss, trees and bushes. It was small, so she couldnt even stand within it. Only being able to crouch within the cave- but it was good enough for her. Lowering herself to the floor, Gracia quickly took shelter within, and immediately dropped herself down into a laying position, staring at the ceiling of the rock structure in silence.

She had never been beaten that bad- she was so close to losing her life back there... "Dammit..." She whispered lowly before rolling onto her side and gripping onto her wrist tightly while shutting her eyes tightly. However, the moment she closed her eyes, she was greeted with another sight- A metallic table, in a small, cold room. Blood staining the glossy table, and slowly dripping to the ground. Shooting her eyes open, Gracia gasped quietly and winced a bit. 'What the hell...'

This was going to be a long night- that much was for sure.

Barrett​

Barrett watched as Waven ran off after the beast after instructing the two of them to return to the healer. Looking up to Boman, he scowled while gripping his leg tightly.
"Boman, this is your fault. Teacher better be able to catch that thing... And my leg better not be permanently messed up. " He muttered while slowly standing up, using the tree as a support until Boman could come over to help.

The walk was silent for the most part, but after a while, Barrett exclaimed lowly. "What were you thinking? Dont tell me your just so childish enough to risk so much just to spite me." his gaze remained elsewhere as he spoke.

 

[Derpy Dev]

"What were you thinking?" Barrett finally blurted out. Boman had hoped desperately that Barrett would keep his mouth shut forever. Guess not. "Don't tell me you're just so childish enough to risk so much just to spite me." Boman sighed. Just drop him, was the thought that went through his head, which tempted him even though he knew that the consequences of such a decision would far exceed the pay off.

Boman was silent for a while before finally answering. "I have a feeling you won't get it. But... I probably owe you this much, so I'll try to explain it." He sighed. "Have you ever gotten the feeling that something was wrong? That if you do what you're doing now, you'll have to deal with the consequences forever? I felt that today. When I saw her laying there, I didn't see a monster. I didn't see a beast that destroys homes and families. I saw someone who was afraid and alone and about to die." He grinned. "It was also to spite you though."

He took in the forest surroundings. The ground was still wet from the spring rain, and the birds were singing. He could see the sun start to set as well. He wondered what Waven was doing...

Waven
​

Waven wondered what he was doing as he walked away from the cave. He thought that she would lead him to a dark castle, a place where demons went to sleep at night. But she didn't have a home. She just had a cave. However she did it, the fact was obvious. She had escaped.

Unlike so many of the other experiments he'd seen over the years, she clearly had something the rest didn't: free will. You don't know how lucky you are girl, he thought as he took one last look at the cave. You better use what you got well.

 

[Veno]

Barrett listened to his explanation while they walked, occasionally he looked up to Boman, though usually he kept his gaze in front of themselves as he limped on. A low sigh escaped his vocals.

"And?" He muttered lowly, pausing before continuing. "That fear and that pain was justified... Regardless of its appearance, that thing is still a monster that will cause others suffering in the future. I would rather watch that thing suffer than any of my people. "Barrett muttered out lowly, pausing before he added on with a sigh. "Lets just hurry up and get back..." And with that, the silence remained for the rest of the walk home.

Gracia failed to notice Waven not far from where she was, her sense of smell was currently a bit inhibited by all the blood that stained her clothes and skin, and he moved much too quietly for her to hear. So, she remained in that cave, simply trying to relax as much as she could while she thought about everything. Closing her eyes, Gracia turned onto her side and brought her knees up close to her chest. "They'll be sorry... Next time." She reassured herself quietly with a slight growl in her voice.

It took a while, but eventually, Gracia managed to drift off into a well needed sleep where her body could work to fully rejuvenate her energy and lost blood.

 

[Derpy Dev]

There was an awkward staring contest between Waven and Boman as the ladder sat on a hospital bed. The blissfully unaware doctor used her life magic to add glowing green energy stitches. She was even humming.

"So." Waven finally said. "You screwed up." Was she deaf? She kept smiling.

"I have a feeling you're not paying attention Boman." This comment was met with a sigh from the student.

"Did you catch her?" Asked Boman.

"Nope."

"I don't believe you." A look of shock crossed Waven's face.

"You think I'm lying?" He snapped. Boman chuckled.

"I have known you for thirteen long years old man," he started. "I've seen you shatter boulders with your bare hands. I've seen you face a barrage of arrows and only take a single scratch. I've seen you sneak up on a hundred foes and not one has spotted you. And you say that you failed to track down a bleeding, panicked girl? That's bullshit."

Waven smiled. "I guess I'm getting soft." For once, it wasn't Boman who was caught in a lie.

"You did the exact same thing I did, didn't you?" Boman accused. "And you were about to call me out on it and say I did wrong."

Waven smile vanished. "I was hiding in the trees, ready to pull that blade out of her when Barrett left. You were stupid enough to confront him then and there. And that's what ticks me off."

The last of the energy stitches were placed. "Aaaaaaaaand that's it!" the doctor announced in an unbearably chipper voice. "Come back tomorrow so I can double check, but they should fuse with your flesh overnight."

As Boman got up and started to leave, his teacher put a hand on his shoulder. "Your punishment is simple. Tomorrow, you'll put a bouquet of flowers on Barrett's doorstep and label it like it's from a secret admirer."

Boman's jaw dropped open. He'd seen Waven smile before, but he'd never seen him put on such a devilish look. "Tell me when you're done." Waven simply left, still grinning like an idiot. He clearly felt great pride at that punishment. And he was right to, it had to be the most sadistic thing he'd done to his student in their entire time together. And the doctor was laughing her head off, like this was the best thing she'd heard all day.

Within His Shelter
​

Boman opened the door to his cottage. It was a humble place, with plain brown walls and a couple of windows. There wasn't a lot of room within, mostly piled high with random things he had obtained over the years. Some dead flowers. A cracked painting. An old bottle of his dad's favorite alcohol. Boman popped open the lid and took a swig. Tonight of all nights, he needed it.

 

[Veno]

The light of the rising sun poured in through the entrance of the cave, filtered by the floral surroundings the small shelter, resulting in a soft green hue to mask the inside of her compromised home. Waking up was much easier than it was falling asleep, as she stirred for just a moment before opening her orange eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment in contemplative silence.

Drawing in a deep, slow breath, she slowly ran her fingers over her stomach where the wound was been. That was the worst injury she had received that she could remember. She couldnt describe what she was feeling at the moment... perhaps she was angry? Angry that they had bested her like that... Angry that she nearly lost, and the pain they put her through. However, she was also terribly curious, and yearning for answers. 'What was his name...?' She tried to recall as she closed her eyes and thought about Boman. He had practically saved her back there- whether it was fully intentional or not. Not to mention whenever she was around him, she got these images in her mind, these fragments of shattered memories that is almost painful to even try and piece together.

'What do i do...' She sighed quietly as she moved her arm over her eyes, and let out another puff of air.

A few hours into the morning, she was up and in action- it was around 11:00am when she reached the edge of the kingdom. She knew this wasn't a great idea, but the longer she waited and contemplated her sanity for considering this, the more she was growing desperate for answers. Why didn't they even run after her? How did they not catch her. Nothing made sense- and she despised that. Slowly, she allowed her skin to turn black, covering herself in that strong armor as she came up to the west gate of the kingdom. Of course, there were soldiers guarding the gate- though they weren't hard to handle... And in a matter of minutes the five of them were on the ground, unconscious with quite a few injuries... Though their lives didn't seem to be in danger, they may be scarred, or perhaps disabled in some way for a while. Narrowing her eyes she stepped foot into the streets of the kingdom, looking around with a cold, determined look within her eyes. It took her no time at all to be noticed, as a few of the townspeople screamed in terror and quickly ran off- causing quite the ruckus.

She walked around a bit until she figured she had driven enough attention to herself, hopefully... Boman, or even that older man would come to her calling of attention, and she could settle her curiosity and confusion. She needed answers.

 

[Derpy Dev]

Waven scowled from the sidelines at the beast that had returned. He thought she'd somehow conquered that evil nature of hers. Guess not. He leaped nimbly from rooftop to rooftop without making a sound, following her on her path. She didn't seem to have a sense of direction though. She just sort of... strolled, for lack of a better word. I'll give her a direction: out. And then the Buzzing began.

If he cast his spell right, and Waven was inclined to believe that he did, then she would be hit by a wave of nausea and a splitting head ache any second now. He jumped onto the ground in front of her. "Get out," he demanded, pulling out two daggers from his coat. He hadn't had time to put on any armor. He hoped he wouldn't need it.

Boman
​

Just one bottle I said, thought Boman as he stumbled out of bed, rubbing his forehead and cursing his hangover. It'll be fine I said. He went over to the door and opened it. It would be a nice day if it wasn't for the screaming. This is exactly what I needed. What guard shirked off this time, he wondered? Which one let a horrible beast in through the front gate? He sighed and grabbed his damaged armor. It would have to do.

 

[Veno]

Gracia was almost startled as Waven suddenly landed directly in front of her- she stiffened for a moment before narrowing her eyes and straightening her body as she watched him. Listening to his cold demand as he pulled out two daggers. "No." She responded simply and sharply, being sure to keep her skin covered in her own biological armor. No longer slowed down from Bomans ice or low temperature spell, her movements were much quicker. And in a suddenly movement, she clocked Waven directly in the face with a simply fist before jumping back to get away from his close ranger. It was clear now that she was being cautious, as she wasn't even drawing her own blood to use as a weapon, as that would mean she would have to get rid of her armor in one area of her body... Which she did not want to do at the moment.

It was just at that moment that his spell hit her. Gracia noticeably flinched, and stumbled back a bit, wincing as she quickly gripped onto the side of her head at the sudden pounding within her head. Letting out a grunt of pain she uttered out a low. "What the hell." As she glared at Waven, holding back the sudden urge to puke. She wasn't going to just give in from a little headache though, no matter how splitting it was. Pulling her hand away, she growled out lowly, pausing before she charged forward. However, instead of facing him head on, she suddenly ducked down to the ground once close, sliding across the ground just past him so that she could make it behind him. Once in position, she stood herself back up right, and delivered a round kick straight into the side of his ribs.

"Not until i get what I want- Who the hell are you? And where the hell is that ice guy..." She snapped out coldly while glaring at him.

 

[Derpy Dev]

It had been a while since Waven had last fought one of these things. That much was clear. It was rather embarrassing to be honest. Getting your ass kicked in such a hurry by someone your student had gone toe to toe with wasn't how Waven wanted to spend his morning. He pulled himself up quickly, ready to Thunder Strike her. If Barrett could break that shell then he certainly could.

"Not until i get what I want," she snapped. Of course. "Who the hell are you? And where the hell is that ice guy..."

"You don't even remember my name? I'm hurt." Boman gave a smirk to his bruised teacher from the far end of the street. "Wow, you got you ass kicked by a girl... you happy?"

"Screw you Boman."

Boman was quickly touching the ground and casting Frozen Soil.

"You're outnumbered now girl," stated Waven. "So if you want to keep that stone hide of yours, you're going to get out now." If she still managed to put up a fight while dealing with both the cold and the noise, then he had to admit, they had come a long way since the last time he was there. Whatever. If she tried to attack him again then she was getting Thunder Striked in the chest without hesitation.

 

[Veno]

Gracia spun her gaze around upon hearing Boman's voice, looking over him, she frowned and narrowed her eyes as he went down to touch the ground. Having been watching him during the last battle- she knew what that was... he was casting that damned ice spell again, which meant she would have to stay away from that patch of ground.

"You didn't answer my question." Gracia snapped back at Waven's threat as she glared back towards him with a small scowl. "I dont give a damn whether im outnumbered or not you damned- " She snapped out as she turned sharply and shot straight back for Waven, doing her best to try and block out the painful ringing sound in her ears. However, she didn't expect what happened next. Before she could even touch him, Waven delivered a terribly powerful blow to her. She knew it had to have been an ability, as there was no way a simple persons strength could achieve that. her body was sent back, gasping for air as she slammed into the wall, causing a few cracks to form in in the brick surface. Stiffly, she hunched forward, gasping for air and coughing, as well as gagging as she nearly threw up as a result from both the never-ending nauseating sound, and the hit.

She cursed lowly, slowly curling an arm around her torso, a bit of her armor chipped away at her chest where he had struck. However the fact that she wasn't knocked out from such a powerful blow would have been impressive in itself. Drawing in a shaky breath, she stumbled back a little before jumping back a few feet to gain a small distance. "Im not an idiot...- Why didn't you kill me... Both of you. It doesn't make sense. Who the hell are you... And why the hell do i-... What kind of sick trick are you playing in my mind... Boman. " She growled out while looking to him, her eye brows furrowed. Unable to explain those images, and the odd familiarity, she assumed it was him messing with her head... It had to be.

 

[Derpy Dev]

Boman always winced whenever he heard the Thunder Strike. He'd never personally been hit by it, but the sound it made was an announcement: someone just screwed with Waven. He'd rather not be someone.

The blow hit her hard enough to send her flying into a building, which was a testament to her strength that she didn't explode and managed to deal a bit of damage to the building as well.

"I'm not an idiot," she breathed out in gasps. How she managed to stand up was beyond him. "Why didn't you kill me... Both of you. It doesn't make sense. Who the hell are you..." She looked towards Boman. "And why the hell do I... What kind of sick trick are you playing in my mind... Boman." She growled out that last part with the ferocity of a tiger-beetle.

Boman looked towards Waven for support, but found none. Guess this was on him. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He really didn't. Tricks? He wasn't a psychic. "Can you, like, I dunno, explain in painful detail how I'm playing mind games with you?" He saw Waven face palm in the background.

"I think what she's trying to say," started Waven, "Is that she recognizes you."

Boman opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. When he saw her without her armor, she seemed familiar too him as well. He had shrugged it off... but as he looked at her again, though this time with armor, he saw something inside of her. Something he knew.

 

[Veno]

Gritting her teeth, she went to step forward, though she ended up crumpling down onto the ground with a gasp. Dropping down onto her hands and knees, she stiffened as she suddenly lost the contents of her stomach, her body trembling a bit as she threw up on the ground, her eyes shut tightly. This reaction was most definitely a result of the piercing sound ringing in her ears, and the painful blast, which left something aching within her chest.
"Damn..." She groaned lowly as she slowly rubbed her chest and pulled herself back away from the spilled contents of her stomach. That horrendous sound continued, and it only felt like it was getting worse as her headache grew. However, she still managed to stand herself back up.

"There is no way in hell- I would know someone like you... " While she wasn't really showing it too much, she was mad... Still incredibly furious that the both of them were beating her- that they had beat her yesterday... She didn't want to lose. Because in this world that meant death, it was either their lives, or her life. She refused to let herself believe that perhaps she knows Boman, and forgot, that seemed too absurd to her, how could she have forgotten? How could she have known a damned soldier. They must be lying to her- it was a trick... Of course it had to be. In the end, she was a conflicted mess- that tends to happen when ones memories are erased, when one cant remember anything from before being a beast, or even the reason she is what she is... She didn't know anything, just the pain and hatred of being herself.

"You soldiers... Really piss me off..." She mumbled lowly as she gripped onto her arm, allowing her fingernails to dig into her skin just slightly. slowly, a few drops of blood began to roll down her skin. And then suddenly- without any warning, two streams of blood shot out, whistling towards Waven with the speed of an arrow.

 

[Derpy Dev]

Waven's gaze did not waver as she rejected the contents of her stomach. He couldn't allow himself to show weakness here. So he kept his stern look.

"There is no way in hell... I would know someone like you..." She was just denying it. He knew it was true. He knew how these things worked.

"Boman," Waven started. "Go find Barrett and tell him to stay where he is. Stay with him and make sure that whatever happens, he doesn't get involved."

"Sir, I'd rather stay and-"

"You soldiers... Really piss me off..." A team of two blood arrows sped towards Waven. But in a heartbeat, he had knocked them out of the air with two knives.

"Go do it now Boman!" And he was gone.

Waven still stood before her. "Let me tell you something you deserve to know. I heard your little chat with Boman the other day. You know, when you tried to kill him. He asked what you were, and you told him you were a monster. But that's nonsense. Do you know why?" He stepped forward. "Because I've dealt with your kind my entire life. And if you just back down now, I can tell you everything I know." He pulled out his sword. "Or, you could just keep stubbornly trying to kill me and get a taste of your own medicine. I've given you one more chance than you deserve already, and I'll prove it to you: Last night, after our fight, you went to your cave. Your cave is so small you can't even stand up, and it's obscured by lots of moss and shrubbery. Before entering, you told yourself that you'd get us next time. I was there, and I could have taken off your head. But I didn't because I wanted to give you one thing: a chance you didn't deserve. Lord knows I've gotten one, so you deserve one too." He sighed. "Just back down kid. Please."

The Hospital
​

Boman rushed inside the hospital, hoping he'd find her. It wasn't long before he found her though.

"You!" He shouted, pointing his armored finger at the doctor from last night. "Where is Barrett? Is he still here?"

 

[Veno]

' I can take him, I can do it... If im quick enough I can kill him. He deserves it doesn't he? All those soldiers, they make everything so difficult. Just do it... Dont be a damned coward, You know you can't trust him... he'll stab you in the back if you let down your guard. Just kill him.'

Gracia gritted her teeth- she couldnt stop these thoughts, these ideas... How could she? After everything...The only thing she knows humans as are evil creatures who have only ever tried to kill her, so why should she do any differently? Clenching her hands at her fists, She slowly leaned back as he stepped forward, her gaze focusing onto his blade for a moment as she kept those two streams of blood floating at her sides, ready to make a move if she chooses.

'Don't listen to him, he's lying... He doesnt know anything, he just wants you to drop your guard so he can strike. '

...

'But what if he isn't lying? What is he talking about...' Gracia drew in a shaky breath, absolutely frustrated by her conflicted emotions. Her eyes glowed fiercely as she watched him, a cold breeze pushing back her hair as clouds rolled within the morning sky. She was silent in thought for quite a few moments... Uncertain with what to do, as she knew she would doubt her actions no matter what she decided. The hatred engraved within her- built into her was hard to overcome... But eventually she shut her eyes tightly and slowly backed down while biting her tongue. Her weapons slowly dropping to the ground as small puddles of blood.

Looking back up to him, she took a few more steps away just for distances sake. "Talk..." She mumbled lowly and coldly while glaring at him, clearly troubled and uncertain with her decision.

"What do you know?"

Hospital​

"Barrett? Oh right... No- He isn't he left not too long ago though. That stubborn idiot doesn't listen to me- He said he went looking for something." She exclaimed calmly with a raised eyebrow. "Whats all the panic for kid?" She questioned while crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the wall.

 

[Derpy Dev]

There was a long moment of silence between the two. She pulled back her two blood arrows, ready to attack. But she stood there for a long time. She was thinking. Waven was worried though. What if she didn't even consider it? For all he knew, she was just preparing another attack. Give her the benefit of the doubt, he told himself. She needs it.

And then her blood arrows fell to the ground. Waven visibly relaxed when she did so, breathing out a sigh of relief. He put away his sword and the Buzzing ended.

"Talk," she commanded. She was clearly not happy with this. Best tread carefully. "What do you know?"

Waven chuckled. "Well, I know you gotta be starving," he answered, motioning towards the puddle of bile on the street. "There's a place that'll serve you food if you have coin, which I do. Would you like a meal with those answers, or do you want to talk here and now?"

Boman
​

Boman couldn't believe his ears. He wasn't that foolish, right? He was still injured for God's sake! "What's all the panic for kid?" asked the overly relaxed doctor. He gritted his teeth.

"If what you say is true," began Boman, "Then Barrett is a damn fool!" He swiveled around and headed towards the door. "You might be needing a free bed in here," he announced as he left.

He had quickly made his way into the forest clearing where they had fought the beast. "Barrett! Where the hell are you!" He stopped and listened. He had to be here somewhere...

 

[Veno]

Gracia frowned at his offer of food- he wasnt wrong... She was hungry, and she had never tried human food before, at least not that she can remember... because of what she is, her body doesn't require as much food as normal people do, though she still gets relatively hungry. Her diet consists of mostly fruits that she finds around, some nuts... and occasionally an animal that she manages to cook. But none of that mattered to her, she didn't care about her hunger at the moment. She did not want to go anywhere with this man- she was going to stay right here, her distrust for him quite clear.

"You're wrong. Im not hungry. We'll talk here." She muttered out sharply as she looked to the side, furrowing her eye brows and clenching her hands tightly at her side. She hated that she was just standing here having a conversation with some soldier.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around herself, gripping onto her arms tightly as she stared at the ground. Waiting in silence.

Barrett
​

As Boman would begin his search through the woods for him, the area remained unnervingly silent. Not a single bird chirping as the forest fell still.

And then a scream, contrasting against the otherwise quiet background noise as the air whistled by.

Barrett grit his teeth, gripping onto his arm tightly as he leaned back against a tree, glaring up at one particularly large beast- looking to be a horrible amalgamation of multiple animals, there were some other monsters on the ground, their bodies beginning to rot away, with blood staining the grass- though it seems this last one had bested Barrett for a moment, as he now had a long gash across his arm.

​

 

[Derpy Dev]

Somehow, she frowned even further. "You're wrong," she growled. "I'm not hungry. We'll talk here." Waven sighed. He really didn't want to have to say this in public. He had a large crowd surrounding them, and if word of what he was about to say got to Boman or Barrett... well, he didn't want to know how it would affect them. But then again, if he didn't say it now, he wouldn't get the option to say it again.

"You," started Waven with a reluctant sigh, "used to be human. Just like me and Boman. But not everyone wanted a human servant. They wanted a monster servant. They've been experimenting, learning how to create things like you for years. They've been trying to take every ounce of humanity out, leaving only a creature that knew how to fight. But they've failed, it seems." A faint smile crossed his lips. "For you escaped. It's why those cut off chains are on your arms. It's why you're here instead of a spare room in the dungeon. Because you held onto your humanity and broke free. You used the one thing they couldn't take away: your free will."

Boman
​

The air was silent. The birds weren't singing. There wasn't a sound. For a moment, Boman was cursing his bad luck...
And then he heard Barrett shout in pain.

In an instant, he was charging through the forest, following the one noise he had, the one thing that told him where his foolish ally was. He found a small clearing, littered with the rotting corpses of several smaller beasts. And one large one, cornering Barrett.

There wasn't time for strategy. Boman rushed forward, leaped into the air, and plunged his sword into its side. Its roar of pain could be heard throughout the entire forest, and it immediately started trying to shake him off.

"Barrett!" He yelled at his comrade. "Do you wanna foolishly stand there, or do you want to, I don't know, HELP?"

 

[Veno]

"What..." Gracia breathed out slowly and quietly as she glared at Waven. What he was saying simply had to be false, surely there was no way- it just didnt make sense. Perhaps she didnt want it to make sense.
Gritting her teeth, Gracia slowly took a few steps back. "No- Y- Your lying! This is some kind of trick, dammit! I would know- I know what I am and ive never, Ive never been anything else! I would remember! " She growled out shakily as she steadily continued to back up. "Your wrong...- Agh!" She yelped as she reached up and grabbed her head, wincing as more of those flash memories passed by her consciousness, flashing her unsettling images that had her body shuddering slightly. Just then, she tripped over her own feet, and fell down to the ground on her read. Just then, ice quickly formed over her feet, bottom, a bit of her legs and one of her hands. She had fallen straight into that ice trap that Boman had placed earlier.

Gracia stared at the ground with with eyes for a moment, her mouth opened a little, and her body trembling just slightly. Shaking her head, she shut her eyes tightly. "You have to be wrong."

"BOMAN?! What the hell are you doing here, dammit! Stay the heck out of this, I didn't ask for your help." Barret snarled out as he stumbled to his feet, holding onto his arm as he glared at the beast with a clear look of hate and fury. He wasted no more time though, and charged forward to aid the fellow soldier. Clenching his hands tightly, he slammed a powerful fist into the beasts leg. The force more than enough to have the limb slip out from underneath it, causing the large creature to fall to the ground. Immediately after, Barrett crouched down, and slammed his palm to the ground, and to his command, the ground began to quickly shift and stir, forming rock to encase over the beasts legs, hopefully sticking it to the ground for at least a few moments to give boman time.

 

[Derpy Dev]

She took several step back, a look of horror and denial on her face. This seemed to have struck a chord. "No..." she lied to herself, "y-you're lying! This is some kind of trick, dammit! I would know--I know what I am and I've never... I've never been anything else! I would remember!" Waven worried that she was about to lunge. But she never did.

"You're wrong..." she denied before letting out a shout of pain, clutching her skull with both hands. She was losing it. And then, she fell right on top of one of Boman's Ice Traps. That boy puts those damn things everywhere, Waven thought. But she just sat there.

"You have to be wrong." Waven shook his head at her response. "Let me guess: you feel lost. You no longer know who you are, and who you are was all you had. I know what it's like to lose your drive. The thing that keeps you going, the one thing you've got before you have nothing left to lose." He clapped his hands. The sound made by this could not be heard by humans, but it was the exact frequency required to shatter one of those traps. He'd learned how to do that the day Boman learned how to make them.

He walked forward and stood directly in front of her, holding out his hand. It was foolish to let his guard down like this, but he made sure to be ready to move again, should he need too. "I can help, you know. You're lost, and you need to be found. But the question is this: are you going to let me find you?"

Boman
​

Boman welcomed his comrades aid with a grin. After a brief second of struggle, his sword was out of the fallen beast's side. "Believe it or not, I hate these things as much as you do. But then again, you're not gonna understand. And since she just broke into town again anyway, I have a feeling I was slightly..." Boman gagged upon trying to say the word 'wrong.' "Less than correct." He stepped forward and chopped off the head of the foul creature. "She still looks familiar as hell to me, not sure if I told you that part. But since Waven told me to leave, I'm guessing he's dealt with her himself, and you know what that means. She is almost certainly dead right now." He turned around to face Barrett, putting his sword away. "So let's agree to make an effort to not be foolish." He held out his hand to shake his ally's.

 

[Veno]

Everything was so hard for her to comprehend and believe. A part of her was still telling her that it was all a lie- a trick and that she should try and get away now while she can. Humans were her enemy, there was no way she was one herself. However she began to slowly believe him, or at least consider the idea, growing skeptical of herself and who she thought she was. She couldn't explain these images she randomly saw in her mind... Perhaps- this was the answer... And maybe, just maybe he really wasn't tricking her.

Maybe what he was saying was true.

Gracia looked up to Waven, staring at him as she remained on the ground for a moment, her body stiff while she held her breath just a bit. She didn't fully trust him yet... but she decided that since there was a possibility of him being right, and this not being a lie... There was no point fighting back, especially when she knew she would lose. Gracia hesitated before pushing his hand away while glancing to the side, frowning deeply. She got herself up without his help, and gripped onto her arms tightly as she kept her sight downcast, no longer fighting or posing much of a threat. Instead... She looked as if she was smaller, exhausted- though still distrustful and wary.

"Im not saying your right... It- N-... Nothing is making sense, I dont know how you would even know this... And i dont know if you really intend to help.... But...-" She hesitated, letting out a shaky breath. "I... have no reason not to take the chance... and see if what your saying is true... Everything's a mess right now." She whispered slowly and quietly, keeping her gaze away from the older man.

"So now what, then?" She added on lowly while leaning back a little and digging her fingers into her skin. She was still a mess, dirtied with blood and dirt from being on the ground. She was just as much as a physical mess as she was an emotional and mental mess. It was difficult, she had never truly known who she was- settling and accepting the fact that all she is is a monster as she had no memories. And now, that was being taken away too- everything was being pulled from under her feet as she realizes that she might be the very same type of creature that she had killed before, that had tried to kill her countless times. By this point, she was just mentally exhausted.

BARRETT


Barret watched Boman as he spoke, agreeing that he was 'less than correct', before then explaining how Waven had gone to deal with the beast from earlier.
"Good- Yes i am certain she is dead, I doubt that foul creature would be able to stand against Waven... However, I wouldnt be surprised if he puts us on cleanup duty." He mumbled out lowly. Still holding his injured arm, Barrett looked to Bomans extended hand as he offered good terms.

It took him a moment, but eventually, he smirked a bit and reached out, gripping his hand tightly. "Sure, Boman... I still disapprove of many things... And while i respect you, I dislike you. However I can at least agree on that. " Pulling his hand away, he began to make his way back.

 

[Derpy Dev]

For a long while, the warrior and the beast stood watching one another. He stood above her, waiting to help her up. And then, she simply pushed his hand aside and stood up herself. Waven chuckled at this display. He didn't think he'd ever helped a non-stubborn person.

"I'm not saying your right..." she started in a whisper, "It- N-... Nothing is making sense, I don't know how you would even know this... And don't know if you really intend to help.... But..." She hesitated her for a moment. "I... have no reason not to take the chance... and see if what your saying is true... Everything's a mess right now." She stared at the ground as she spoke, clearly unsure about this.

"So what now then?" she asked. Waven wasn't entirely sure himself. He looked her up and down. She clearly needed a lot of things. A bath, some clothes, some food... some friends.

"Well..." Waven began. "You may have noticed that Boman and Barrett are quite skilled at their art. I taught them everything they know. And if you want, I can teach you as well. You'd certainly be my strangest disciple, and it would piss those two off to no end..." he smiled here. "But I think we could manage."

Boman
​

Boman almost walked off with his ally... and then he remembered his orders. "Hey," he said. "My specific orders from Waven were to find you and keep you where you were. So... we gotta stay here." He gagged a bit. The corpses were already rotting, as per the norm. "Though maybe we should move to somewhere with fresh air."

 

[Veno]

Gracia listened to waves, drawing in a shaky breath, her eyes widened a bit as she flickered her sight back up to him, her body falling stiff for a moment. He had offered so much to her... How could he do that? Just moments ago they were enemies, they didn't know eachother, she tried to kill him and his students. And now, he was offering to take her in as another of his own students. This shocked, and confused Gracia to no end. She couldnt comprehend how he could be so forgiving like that, how he could offer such a thing to someone like her. She didn't deserve this.

Gracia hesitated before whispering out slowly. "Why would you...- um..." Biting her lip, the girl looked away to the side, tightening her grip on her arm. "I- Ill think about it..." She mumbled quietly and a little stubbornly. After a moment, Gracia looked around, and quietly spoke out. "Can we... leave here?"

BARRETT

Raising his eye brow, barrett looked over to boman and scoffed lowly. "Well, im sure he is finished with that pest by now- so i dont see why his order would still apply. Either way, im not staying out here... Im heading home." He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck and continued to walk off back towards the kingdom.

 

[Derpy Dev]

Waven was amused by the look of utter shock and confusion on her face. She didn't seem like she could comprehend what he was saying. To be fair, many of his students were doing questionable things before being hired. Boman spent weeks stalking his future master, Venit was a thief that stole Waven's blade, and Mavera was an actual assassin sent to kill him. I might have questionable judgement in this regard.

"Why would you..." she started only to stop seconds later, "um... I'll think about it." She looked around at the small crowd that had gathered. Waven hadn't really considered it either. Word of this would almost certainly pass on to Boman and Barrett. Whatever. "Can we... leave here?" she said in a surprisingly awkward tone.

"Hmm..." began Waven, "All right, it's time to go. I'll meet the two boys at the gate and distract them, then you slip out. I'll meet you by your cave tomorrow morning." He began to walk towards the front gate.

Boman
​

All right, he had a point. Boman started to walk with Barrett.

"So was she familiar to you too?" He asked. "I mean in that armored skin of hers. Did it look like anything you'd seen?" He knew where he'd seen it. But had Barrett seen it anywhere?

 

[Veno]

Gracia stared wide eyed and silent at Waven as he walked off towards the front gate, securing her chance to escape as he said he would go distract those two soldier that she had battled previously. He also spoke of meeting her at her current make-shift residence. Her mouth was slightly ajar, her breath slow and a little shaky as she reached out and gripped onto her torn-up shirt tightly. Her mind was swimming in a mixture of shock, confusion and uncertainty- would he really show up? On his own? Was he really... willing to help her? Did she need help...? Biting her tongue, she hesitated before slowly stalking along behind him with her head down.

Glancing over to Boman, Barrett let out a low sigh as he raised his gaze to the sky, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes narrowed, focusing in on the looming clouds. "Yeah." He started in a low voice, pausing before continuing. "I saw it happen- that thing- No... It was different, yet the same. Definitely a different face, but still... the black and red skin, impossible to penetrate, the speed, strength- it was all the same... Regardless, it attacked my city, and wiped quarter of the people living there, the city was a wreck, and those who weren't injured couldnt even find the bodies of the dead. I was just a kid when it happened..." Barrett mumbled lowly, ferocity in his eyes.

"When I see that damned demons corpse, im gonna stomp its ungodly face into the damned ground." He growled out lowly before looking back in front of himself as they began to approach the kingdoms gate. Furrowing his eyebrows, Barrett quickly spotted Waven. "Is that...- what's he doing?" He grumbled out before jogging forward to meet Waven at the entrance.

"What are you doing? Where is that thing- you got it right?' Barrett called out with a raised eye brow.

It was just that moment, the second when both of their attentions were drawn towards Waven that Gracia burst past the gates, and straight past the three of them. Running at top speed, not wasting an ounce of energy or a moment of time. "Wh-HE-... GOD DAMMIT WHAT THE HELL?!" Barrett stumbled back, his eyes widened as he turned around and watched as she ran off back straight into the woods. "That was... Waven that was the damned beast! What the hell happened? Why did you not kill it?!" He snapped out as he clenched his fists.

"We need to go finish that damned thing off."

 

[Derpy Dev]

Waven and the beast walked silently towards the town gate. The plan was simple, he'd say something to get their attention, and then she'd gun it. He'd have to explain this to Barrett, though Boman was a little more likely to understand.

He saw the two of them walking to the front of the town. Barrett was saying something, Boman seemed to have his mouth shut for once.

"I thought I told you two to stay where you were," shouted out Waven. He knew that they were too impatient to stay still anyway, but he still felt like he needed to say it. Barrett either shrugged this off or didn't hear it though.

"What are you doing?" Barrett snapped. "Where is that thing--you got it, right?"

And then she bolted right past them. The speed that she moved at was impressive to say the least. They'd definitely spent the past forty years perfecting these creations. Barrett looked shocked and enraged, and Boman looked... Waven didn't know what that look on Boman's face meant. Seemed more surprised than anything though. Barrett cursed at the top of his lungs before continuing.

"That was... Waven that was the damned beast! What the hell happened? Why did you not kill it?" He looked like he was about to turn around and chase after her. "We need to go finish that damned thing off."

"Nope," stated Waven. "We are going to get these wounded soldiers. You grab two Barrett, and Boman, you can grab one because of your noodle arms." Waven didn't look back at them as he grabbed two of the guards.

"What the actual-" Boman was interrupted by his teacher.

"Language."

"No!" Boman shouted and stomped his food like a spoiled child. "What happened?"

Waven gave out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. He'd have to tell them eventually. "Consider her a fellow student as of now. Don't chase her."

He didn't think Boman's jaw could drop any further. And Barrett... he was undoubtedly about to explode. Waven was sure of it.