Biter

A Scarlet haired woman in a loose fitting blouse that was covered by a jacket and a flamboyant hat that spelled out piracy crouched in front of the cage that the Beast and Echo sat in.

Echo locked eyes with the woman, and was met with a smile, while the monster appeared unconcerned about the woman’s presence.

“How are you, younger sister?”

Echo sized up the she-pirate who was addressing her with a thorny skepticism before responding, “You locked me in a cage with a monster, lady.”

The Beast snickered during their conversation.

“Well, little miss, d’ya mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Echo sneered at the woman, “for free? Shouldn’t you offer something if you want something?”

“Lass, there’s no need for favors when it comes to friendship,” the pirate said with a smile, “just a small question, pretty please?”

“Lady, you threw me in a cage with a monster!” Echo exploded.

“What could I do to make it better, Lass? a stuffed animal? Sweet treats?”

Echo squinted at the woman, and whispered into the Beast’s ear: “Do we want anything?” She asked.

“I wouldn’t mind getting my arm back,” the Beast mumbled nonchalantly, with a yawn taking over his ability to speak, “maybe a pillow, my neck is killing me.”

“An arm and a pillow!” Echo demanded.

The pirate sighed with a small smile at the girl, and walked up the staircase, leaving the bilge and the captives inside their cell.

Echo got up and dashed for the lock and used the latch of her belt to fiddle with the keyhole.

“What are you doing?” The Beast asked.

“I’m breaking us the stuff outta here.”

“That’s unnecessary.”

Echo looked back at him, somewhat confused.

“Will you swim to shore?”

Echo straightened up from her hunched posture, deliberating the gravelly voice’s statement pertaining to their situation.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I will wait, and then I will leave.”

[Notice: Perspective Shift; Adam Rynard (LV 20)]

Kneeling down in the Lightbringer’s Throne room with his companions, Karri and Nilo, Adam accepted the summons by Queen Vieva Krisia Lightbringer to meet with her husband, the King, Roderick Thornhelm Lightbringer, who sat in an opulent chair while his wife made actual political ventures in the eastern continent of the fey.

“Adam Rynard…” the King spoke with royal airs and lingered in between words, “… you answer the summons as… humanity’s hero… surely you understand the consequences of lying about such an enterprise…”

“Yes, your highness,” Adam said without looking up from his kneeling position.

The king made a swift motion towards his chancellor. He began to speak at him, rather than to him, “bring the thing.”

Soon a small crystal orb was brought in, inside of it sat an Identity Stone, Adam the object.

[God Window Displaying Apparatus]

[Requires: Consent, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 1]

Adam placed his hand on the orb.

[Display “Status Window”]

[Yes] [No]

Sending his mental assent, the orb began to project a large, light blue holographic square that held Adam’s information.

Name: Adam Rynard

Species: Human LV 20

Class: [Little Hero]

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 20

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 20

Wisdom: 20

Charisma: 52

Skills: [Item Box LV 1] [Hero’s Strike LV 3] [Lowest Rank Swordsmanship LV 3] [Identify LV 3] [Refine LV 2]

Traits: (Weapon Mastery ) (Looter)

The King looked at the display, then down at Adam who continued to watch over the young adventurer.

“How old are you?”

“I’ll be seventeen in four months, your highness.”

“You have a choice to make, spend your time out in the dangers of the world with my support, killing violent monsters and reclaiming the legacies of the past, or… you and your company can stay here, and train with the Royal Knights.”

“May I burden you with a question, your highness?”

“Speak.”

“Is it possible for divination to find the location of the Demon King?”

“An (Oracle)?”

“I am ignorant to this world, your highness.”

“We have one who has awakened the trait, they are the royal Soothsayer, and hold the ability to scry into known things… however something that has yet to be born-“

“I… have a request from the God of Humanity, and the God of Order.”

The throne room became a chattering mess of nobility chittering that filled the room, the kind screamed for silence.

“You. Do you speak the truth?”

“Yes, your highness.”

Adam placed his hand on the orb once more, and displayed the contests of his “Quest.”

[Quest: Demon King Subjugation]

[Description: The Gods have gone out of their way to tell you that a new Demon King has been born. Young Hero, please save Staurous from ruin, humanity is counting on you!]

[Objective: Find and Slay “Demon King” (0/1)]

The room fell silent as the entire room gathered around the projected hologram, focusing on the elusive “Quest.”

The chancellor, an ancient senior from the Lightbringer household, spoke, “a true quest… boy, which god bestowed the quest upon thee?”

“The God of Humanity, and The God of Order.”

Murmuring parroting voices theorized throughout the courtroom, displaying and voicing their concerns and blatant bravado concerning the “Little Hero.”

A strange and oppressive force emanated from the king, suddenly silencing all who felt it. Adam's body began to feel heavy, as if the air had turned into lead and began to overwhelm his ability to kneel and breathe properly.

The instant the invisible force stopped leaking from the King, a sharp inhale was taken by Adam and Nilo, while Karri’s composure remained unbroken.

“… we do have an (Oracle) in the Kingdom. I will get the details from you later, but I need to know now; will you train in the capital, or will you go to the Eastern continent of the Fey, Oseas, in search of the Holy Sword?”

Adam deliberated in his mind, taking his time to weigh both scenarios in his head, before the king spoke up while waiting.

“It is extremely dangerous out in the East, plenty of honest and righteous soldiers have died there. It will not be an easy task.”

Adam nodded and smiled at the man, “I will find the Holy Sword in the Fey continent, my lack of training will have to be made up for along the way.”

The king nodded, and motioned his hand to the chancellor while Adam looked over a new Quest.

[Quest: Bigger Stick]

[Description: You have been tasked by the King of the Throne, King Roderick Thornhelm Lightbringer, to help the effort to find the ancient “Holy Sword.” It has been rumored to be in the Eastern Continent: “Oseas”]

[Reward: Choice of Skill or Trait]

“You may stay at the castle during the time of your preparation, I will assign a few butlers to you three, as well as introduce you to someone who may be able to help in your… Quest.”

“Thank You, Your highness.”

Daylight rose the next day, Adam had a “small” guest room with a massive bed that was a queen size at the very least lay in untidy disarray from his sleeping tossing and turning. A balcony deck made of white wood sat perpendicular to the rocky shore, the third floor view from the castle allowed Adam to see the waves slam down as the crystal clear water created foam against the rocks. Grass-filled cliffs lined the walls of the long dip towards the rocky beach on the Lightbringer’s estate, while ships dotted the shoreline right outside of their property’s imaginary line.

A knock came from the door, “Come in,” Adam said.

It was an unknown girl with hair akin to sugar or ivory that made up a short curled haircut that reminded him of a young Marilyn Monroe, while the girl, instead of a small mole at the corner of her mouth, had a black obelisk shaped tattoo that led diagonally up towards her hairline, and disappeared within the beautiful hair, only to lead to her beautiful white dress that she wore.

Adam looked back without moving from his position, leaning against the balustrade that prevented him from falling to his death during his ogling.

“Hello,” Adam said.

“Salutations.” The girl said to him in a strict, dignified manner as if rehearsed.

“My name is Arietta.”

[Perspective Shift; Sebas Aren (LV 1)]

Sebas Aren has been on a pirate ship after a long fifteen day unconscious journey throughout the northern ocean, stranded until captured by an outlaw crew of “Freedom” Pirates. His efforts in escape were all-but completed until suddenly, the pirate crew pillaged a cargo ship belonging to the Federal Navy Escort Command Corps, suddenly given what he can only describe as a “Pet,” a young girl of an infernal bloodline who could talk someone’s ear off. Originally given to him per the request to “scare her good,” in return for his “freedom.” Sebas didn’t have anything to do with the young girl until she started crying, he was forced to move her to the opposite side of the cage before she latched onto his taloned foot and feather filled black pant leg.

About three days after the girl had arrived in his cell, she started talking about nonsensical things, including her grandfather (don’t care) and her dog (really don’t care). She seemed skittish and wanted to escape, but he told her not to bother; as soon as they hit landfall, he would escape.

A fat, disgusting fish was thrown into their cell from a sliding door, the creature was bloated and fanged, raw and disgusting, some gray-skinned deckhand said “eat up beastie, you're worth your weight in gold piece-ies, hehehe.”

Sebas tore into the creature with a disgusting ferocity, that was all but an intended act, until he got past the guts of the creature, and ripped meat with his one good hand and maw.

The man sneered at him as he left Sebas to feed from the slop bucket he dumped into the cell, and as soon as he left, Sebas looked to see if the coast was clear. His claws had grown past their previous peak, and sat as a set of finger-long knives that he used to carve a small slab of edible meat out and tossed it to the girl.

“Eat up pet, they want you hungry.”

“Why are you calling me pet?” Echo asked curiously.

“I thought about calling you Toy, but I don’t plan to play with you or torture you, nor do I plan on raising you… but now I’m feeding you, so you’re my pet.”

“That… doesn’t make sense.”

“Shut up loser, I’ll punch you back for earlier.”

Echo moved her head back and forth, mocking the sassy creature with mouthed words, that he squinted at.

“Or I can take away the meat I graciously gave you?”

“Yes, thank you sir,” Echo said, while holding the meat with her hands, and struggling to bite the flesh without gagging.

Sebas upper lip twitched in disgust, he couldn’t believe the blatant disrespect going on, and turned his attention towards the notice messages he received from flaying the fish.

[Notice: Kill Confirmed, Level 3 Swift Razortooth]

[The Goddess of Mercy Prays for You]

[Notice: Consumption of Successfully Absorbed]

[Monster Core has begun to fill with Magic]

[Monster Core State: Rank 0, Lowest Rank {0.1%}, Inert Affinities]

[ ]

[Nightmare Level 1 -> Level 2]

[Access. 5 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]

Blood leaked from his teeth as his devilish grin cackled lightly between bites of food.

“Oh? Is it a funny joke? I know a super funny joke,” Echo said, making Sebas sigh.

[Perspective Shift; Arietta Lightbringer]

A young adventurer, possibly younger than Sebas… was, but older than the eldest son of the Lightbringer Dynasty sat across the room, staring backwards like a fool.

“My father wants you to know that an (Oracle) will be here today, while I want you to know that I am able to join your adventuring party.”

“Okay.”

She seemed confused for a moment by the sudden and willing acceptance.

“That’s all? You’ll take me with you?”

“Three's a crowd, Four is a Party”