BREAKOUT ARC:
Fenrir, Daunt
━─━────༺༻────━─━
Before the Attack:
As the Knights cheered for the perceived victory of the Five Angels against the initial pack of wolves, the three shadows under the canopy silently observed the scene. G6 smiled with cold amusement, watching the soldiers fool themselves with premature celebration.
"Is it truly finished?" Zen asked, anxiety still tight in his chest.
"Listen," G6 instructed, ignoring the question. "Attack those wolves directly in their heart. The spell's core is centered there."
"What do you mean, are they...?" Zen started.
"No. The longer they respawn, the stronger they become," G6 explained quickly.
So... she was not just enjoying the spectacle but studying the mechanism, Zen realized.
"Ensure your faces are well hidden by your hoods," she commanded. "Do not use your affinity, Zero."
"I understand," Zen replied.
"Three minutes," G6 declared. "You have only three minutes to dispatch the remainder."
"Therefore, every attack must be precise, in a single strike," Edmund summarized.
"Yes," G6 confirmed. "We will wait for them to be utterly swallowed by confusion and primal fear, and finish the job before they can recover."
The two men nodded, readying their hidden swords. G6 drew her two twin sword-daggers from her personal vault, waiting for the inevitable respawn.
"If I give a signal, retreat immediately into the forest and stay high," G6 added. "Now, let us wait for the finale..." G6's smirk was sharp and predatory.
"Are you certain you are serving a person, and not an evil deity?" Zen whispered to Edmund.
"Either way, I am simply proud of my master," Edmund replied, his loyalty absolute.
Zen slowly shook his head. The three waited in grim silence for the wolves to revive. As the Knights began to relax, G6 started the countdown.
"Twelve," G6 murmured. "Excluding the Alpha. That one is mine."
"The heart, correct?" Zen confirmed.
"Yes. If anything unusual shows up, collect it. Do not leave a single trace behind," G6 ordered.
The two continued to nod, absorbing every command. Then, ten minutes later, the wolves began to respawn.
"Goodness, behold the ominous aura finally showing its true form," Edmund breathed.
"It is exponentially stronger than before," Zen agreed.
G6 did not speak a word, though the wolves were already moving. She did not give the command until the Alpha charged directly toward Lieutenant Libert.
Reaper's Ascent. Speed 1s.
Before Zen and Edmund could even register the movement, they saw their Captain flash past them, landing the deadly stab directly into the wolf's heart.
Zen's and Edmund's hearts began to race again; she had moved without warning. When G6 raised her hand—the signal—they immediately vaulted off the branch. The moment they landed, they attacked the rest of the pack like ravenous predators.
They did not know if it was G6's presence, but they felt a strange, intoxicating feeling surging from their stomachs to their chests—a mix of thirst, hunger, and primal excitement.
G6 stood watching them, a faint smile gracing her lips. It seems making them watch and wait paid off, she thought.
"They are the suspicious subjects we were talking about," a voice from below hissed.
G6's face instantly turned grim. Looks like some pest spotted our entry earlier.
She then saw the Alpha turn and retreat back into the depths of the forest. That stupid mutt.
She whistled—a sharp, clear sound—signaling the two to fall back.
G6 immediately chased after the Alpha.
Speed 0.1s.
Just like that, she vanished, leaving only a trace of disturbed sand on the ground. Zen and Edmund immediately ran after her, activating their own speed skills.
"AFTER THEM!" Captain Kepler's roar echoed behind them.
—<><><>—
When the darkness of the forest swallowed them, G6 immediately ascended above the pursuing knights, hopping among the high branches, relentlessly chasing the Alpha. Shortly after, Zen and Edmund were already behind her, keeping pace.
"We are being pursued," Zen whispered, his voice low, but G6's Whisper of Gale was already on the job, conveying the information clearly.
"Those useless Knights," G6 spat.
When they were far enough away from the village to be safe from immediate retaliation, G6 abruptly halted. "We will stop here for a while," she said.
The two halted and scanned the area. "It is fortunate we concealed our horses earlier," Edmund commented.
G6 used her Perception skill to scan the forest below. Far from their position, she could clearly sense Libert, Cortez, and Thonson clumsily attempting to track them.
"Looks like the three Angels are trying to go home to heaven early," G6 quipped.
Zen and Edmund exchanged a look of alarm. "Captain—"
"Fret not," G6 interrupted. "I am indeed in a foul mood, as I lost my prey because of them. But I do not desire trouble with the Royal Guard tonight." She then settled onto the branch, crossing her legs and leaning her head against the trunk of the massive tree. "Wake me up if they are gone."
"Is she serious right now?" Zen whispered to Edmund, disbelief heavy in his tone.
"Do not provoke her," Edmund warned, ever the loyalist. "She might be sleeping to deliberately avoid the impulse to finish those three."
"Wow. I concede to your understanding," Zen remarked dryly.
Meanwhile, on the ground…
"Have you seen where they vanished?" Cortez demanded.
"Not at all," Liberta admitted, frustration evident in his voice. "What in the blazes are they? Tsk. They moved too fast."
"Whisper of Gale," Thonson cast a sensory spell, hoping to catch the slightest sound of their movements.
"Well?" Cortez prompted impatiently.
Thonson shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. "None. They are remarkably skilled at evasion."
"We should have pursued them earlier when we first spotted them entering the forest," Liberta lamented.
"Perhaps they are adventurers, and those wolves were simply their contracted task," Thonson suggested.
"That could be true. They left no traces of those beasts. They collected every single strange marble," Liberta confirmed.
"We must return. With these anomalous wolves, it is not prudent to keep wandering deeper into the woods," Cortez said, resorting to tactical rationality.
"They are too good at slipping away. There are no traces of footprints on the ground whatsoever," Liberta noted, scanning the soil.
"What if they never touched the ground?" Thonson suggested, tilting his head up toward the towering canopy.
"Impossible. Look at the height. Are you mad?" Liberta scoffed.
"Enough. We report to the Captain that we lost them," Cortez decided, his tone final.
The three knights turned back, their pursuit abandoned.
—<><>—
"Hmm. They are disappointingly mundane," Zen commented from above.
"Agreed. It feels like we've been performing for an unappreciative audience," Edmund sighed.
"Were those really the knights being sent to the border?" G6's voice cut in; she hadn't appeared to be listening.
"It seems the Silver and Diamond Squads are already deployed ahead. The ones in the village were likely Bronze-rank reserves," Zen explained.
"Then why were the 'Angels' there?"
"Perhaps as a response unit for unexpected incidents? They have a reputation for… protective diligence toward their men."
"Whatever. They're tedious." G6 stood. "Now. Let's find the foolish mutt that dared run from me." She was already a moving shadow.
"It seems rest is a foreign concept to our Captain," Zen muttered, following with Edmund close behind.
Minutes later, the oppressive aura returned. G6 surged toward it.
In a small clearing, they found the Alpha standing guard before the mouth of a cave.
"A cave again?" G6 mused, the hobgoblin den fresh in her memory.
"It appears to be guarding something within," Edmund noted.
"Stand back."
G6's twin blades gleamed in the weak light. She moved—a blur, a sigh of wind. In the next heartbeat, the Alpha's severed head was rolling across the moss.
"She has a… distinctive method," Zen whispered, the memory of the bandit's fate resurfacing.
"The Captain only requires one strike," Edmund stated, as if commenting on the weather.
G6 kicked the headless body onto its back and plunged her blade into its heart. It dissolved like the others, leaving behind a marble larger and darker than the rest—a clot of blood-red crystal.
The two men dropped from the trees to join her.
"What were those things?" Zen asked, approaching.
"Hmm. I'd thought the head might make a fitting gift for that insolent receptionist," G6 said, a clear reference to Liam.
The trio turned their attention to the cave, recalling the wolf's protective stance.
"Strange. The ominous aura is gone here," G6 noted.
"Let's go in."
"Wait." Zen produced a magelight lantern from his dimensional vault.
With Zen leading, they moved into the cavern's throat, alert and silent. Deeper in, a soft glow emanated from around a corner. They approached cautiously and stopped, struck silent by the sight.
The light came from clusters of natural crystals, illuminating a magnificent mythical creature lying in a state of deep, pained repose.
"Is that a different kind of wolf?" G6 asked.
"N-no…" Zen breathed, awe stripping his voice bare.
"I never thought to see one in this lifetime," Edmund murmured, equally transfixed.
"So? What is it?"
"It is a Fenrir, Captain!" Zen said, his scholarly enthusiasm breaking through. "But what is it doing in a place like this?"
"It appears to be in a recuperative slumber," Edmund observed.
"Should we kill it?" G6 asked.
The simultaneous, sharp hisses from her two companions were answer enough. "No! It's a divine beast, favored by the heavens themselves!" Zen insisted.
"Whoa. Okay, nerd," G6 conceded, remembering his Nocturne heritage. "Let's leave, then." Her interest had evaporated.
"Agreed. We must not disturb it," Edmund said. Zen nodded fervently.
As they turned to leave, a low groan resonated through the cave, followed by words that seemed to form in the air itself.
"You… the chosen one."
They froze, looking at one another.
"Did you say something, Captain?" Zen asked.
"No."
They looked at Edmund. "Not I."
They took another step.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"
Without turning, they shared another glance. "I will end it if it speaks again," G6 stated flatly.
"What did you just say?!"
They turned. The Fenrir was now awake and seated, its majestic form revealed—fur of pristine white with grey accents, wreathed in a gentle arch of blue, spectral flame.
"I didn't know dogs could talk," G6 said, her tone pure provocation.
"How dare a mere human call me a dog!" it roared, the cave trembling slightly.
"It truly does speak…" Zen marveled.
"Incredible," Edmund breathed.
"You three. Did you kill my underlings?"
"No, we didn't," G6 replied instantly.
"Do not lie! I saw you dispatch them with ease."
"Then why ask a question you know the answer to?" G6
"Haha! You are interesting, human. I am actually grateful. You see, I am weakened. I lost control, causing them to go berserk." G6 offered no reply.
"We beg your forgiveness for disturbing your rest. We shall take our leave," Edmund said with a bow.
"No. I want that one." The Fenrir's gaze was fixed on G6.
"You want me to end your suffering?" G6 asked with cold malice.
"How dare you! Will you cease with these murderous thoughts? I only lost my divine mana while attempting to cleanse the forest further North. When I did, I could not recover it, as the mana from nature suddenly vanished. In desperation, I traveled and ended up here just a week ago. I am slowly recovering my mana, but I ended up losing control over those pups."
"You bore me." But G6's mind was working. A corrupted forest, vanishing natural mana… Oak Village. She glanced at Edmund, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
"You are disrespectful. But I can tell—you are a chosen one."
"What are you, a fortune teller?" G6 scoffed.
"Ha! I sense a mythical power within you. You cannot hide it from me. Your soul… reeks of blood." he Fenrir stated, likely referring to G6's innate Cryomancy affinity.
G6's demeanor shifted, a lethal seriousness settling over her. My soul reeks of blood? "What do you want?"
"Take me as your familiar." The Fenrir looked unbearably smug.
"Why would I?"
"Because I am the Great Fenrir. The one and only."
"Wow. He's full of himself," Zen murmured.
"We're leaving." G6 turned away.
"I can help you learn to master it!" the Fenrir pleaded.
G6 paused, studying him for a long moment. "You are unusually desperate for a 'divine' being."
The Fenrir glanced away, its pride momentarily faltering. "I wish to aid the chosen one."
"What, precisely, do you want from me?"
"I feel a vast reservoir of mana within you. Not only that, you can draw and collect mana from nature at will." It waited, but G6 remained silent, a statue of patience. "We would be of mutual benefit. I can wield all elemental magics. And once bound by contract, our souls are linked for life."
"Captain, mythical creatures are solitary. They see humans as beneath them. For it to offer this… it is serious," Zen advised quietly.
"Precisely! You should be grateful, chosen one!"
"He could resolve some of our loopholes," Edmund whispered to G6, referring specifically to the demonic script problem.
"Hmm." G6 weighed the offer. "I am unconvinced. I can acquire what I need without assistance." A cold smirk played on her lips.
"Even if you can get rid of the obstacle every time you go beyond the norm?" the Fenrir projected into her mind telepathically. "I am referring to your body, which keeps failing in the presence of your prowess, human."
"How would it work?"
"When our souls are bound by a contract, we can generally borrow each other's prowess. But in ours, I can only share your enormous mana that currently hinders your body to progress. You, however, will gain access to both my mana and my full spectrum of magic," the Fenrir explained.
G6 fell silent, arms crossed, one finger tapping a slow rhythm against her bicep.
"Do not worry, Captain. If a familiar breaks the contract, the forfeit is its life," Zen provided.
"Explain the procedure," G6 commanded the beast.
It sat up straighter, pleased. "Come closer, human."
G6 stepped forward.
"What is your name?"
"Reise. Reise Worthon."
The Fenrir lowered its great head until its forehead touched hers. A soft, divine light enveloped them. "I, Fenrir, blessed by the All-Seers, pledge my life to serve you until death part us."
All-Seers. G6's eyes narrowed behind her shades.
The Fenrir's form shimmered. "I knew it! I feel a little bit lighter. Now, give me a name, Reise."
"Whitey?"
"Captain…" Zen whispered, pained.
"Big Dog?"
"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!"
"You named Kira just fine, Captain," Edmund reminded her.
"Kira was my first pet."
"You imply I am a pet? Do not be absurd, human!"
"Then, how about Daunt? It derives from 'dauntless,' meaning fearless. You have been rather informal with me, showing no fear for your life," G6 said, her smile turning into the creepy, intimidating one.
"I cannot believe she's threatening a divine beast," Zen muttered. Edmund simply shook his head.
The Fenrir felt the light, murderous pressure in her words and broke into a cold sweat. "W-well… the meaning is acceptable. Say, 'I, your master, name you Daunt.'"
"I, your master, name you Daunt."
A mark bloomed on the Fenrir's forehead—a chain of intricate black rose. It glowed once, fiercely, and vanished.
G6's eyes widened behind her lenses, but her composure remained absolute. The others couldn't know what that symbol meant to her.
"Shall we depart, Reise?" Daunt asked.
"You see, we are not some random adventurers here. We reside at the Palace," G6 informed him casually.
"What?! I sensed noble blood, but the palace?!"
"Regret it? Too late. I have too many questions to let you go now." Her tone was low, promising dire consequences for betrayal.
"N-not at all… hehe."
"Do not fret about concealing me. I can reside within your mark."
My tattoo? G6 thought.
"Whatever. We'll discuss the details later. Move." G6 turned and began walking out.
"Very well. Be thankful, for you are now bound to the one and only, the Great Fenrir, Daunt!"
"I must say, he is remarkably self-aggrandizing for a divine being," Zen murmured as they followed.
"It makes one wonder if they are all like this," Edmund murmured back.
Now accompanied by a powerful, pompous, and mysterious new ally whose divine connection hints at larger forces at play. G6 has gained a formidable asset, but the bond and the symbol suggest a destiny far more entangled and ominous than she has yet revealed.
-To be continued...-