Chapter Text
Another group of hunters. Another group of monsters was hunting innocent hybrids for their features. Or to sell them off to some rich people who wouldn’t care less about what happens to them.
Mane has been stalking this specific group for days now, running quietly through the bushes. In a small clearing, the hunters set up a small camp. There were dirty tents around the outskirts of the clearing surrounding cages of different sizes. Some of the cages were empty, but some had different types of hybrids.
Mane checked his inventory. He had enough golden apples for a battle against these hunters. It would be best to do it at nightfall when some of them would be asleep. So he waited.
While he waited, Mane watched the camp, specifically the hybrids in the center. One of the hunters came muttering by his hiding spot, “Stupid hybrids. Most won’t even go for a good price, they just cause more trouble than they're worth.”
Of course, all they’re thinking about is how much the hybrids will go for.
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At sunset, some of the hunters came around to all of the cages, dropping a small piece of bread in each, kicking some to wake the hybrids who were sleeping up.
“Eat up, ya animals”, one of the hunters said. “Can’t have you dying before we sell you off.” The hunters around him laugh, their voices echoing through the clearing. Mane’s lion tail flicked in annoyance. How dare they call these people animals? Who the hell do they think they are? Some of the hybrids were shaking in their cages
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Nightfall could ot come soon enough. Mane was so ready to kill these hunters. Guards had been posted around the outskirts of the clearing while the other hunters went to sleep in their tents. Mane snuck up to one of the guards, stabbing him in the stomach with his sword. He got a better look at the guard's face. It was the same one that was calling the hybrids animals.
The guard let out a cry of pain as he slipped off the blade and fell to the ground in a heap. The other guards, alerted by the cry the guard let out, came running to where Mane was. Well, this will be a fun fight.
One of the guards came charging on his left. Mane quickly put his shield up to block the incoming attack before quickly disarming him and stabbing him in the stomach. The guard fell weakly to the ground with a small cry of pain. Damn, these guys really don’t know how to fight very well. Without pausing, Mane quickly moved onto the next guard who was charging at him. More guards started running over to Mane, some who looked like they had just woken up, judging by the fact that their armor was hardly put on and they were stumbling a little. Mane made quick work of a couple of the guards who were charging at him.
Genuinely, do the hunters even train their hires before sending them off? Like, imagine being beaten by a 15-year-old lion hybrid.
More guards started attacking Mane, these ones were a little bit better than the ones that Mane had already killed. One of the guards slices at his arm, a thin scratch already leaking blood.
Wow, one of them managed to land a hit on him. Maybe they aren’t completely useless after all.
Mane slashed at the one who had landed a hit on him, blade meeting the spot of flesh that isn’t covered by armor. The guard fell to the ground, but he wasn’t quite dead yet. The guards to either side of Mane started attacking him. Mane blocked one of their attacks with his shield while fending off the other one. The blood was really running down his arm now. While still blocking the other guard with his shield, Mane quickly disarmed the other one before slicing him across the neck. The one that he was still blocking (somehow) managed to get by his shield and tried to slice at his neck, but Mane quickly dodged and parried the sword.
Mane heard the guard from before, who had managed to slice his arm, was getting up behind him. Mane quickly turned around and slashed at the guard's neck, killing him before he could try to attack Mane. One final guard was left. Mane made the last death quick by stabbing him in the throat. Blood pooled from his neck, and he started to choke on his own blood.
Mane looked at the scene around him. Around twelve bodies were scattered around the edge of the clearing, blood still bubbling out of some of them. He picked up a sword from one of the bodies. Sharpness 1. Damn, they don’t train these chungies, and then they give them shit swords. That’s rough.
He starts rifling through the bodies, trying to find the key to the cages. Of course, it was in the annoying guy's pocket, the one who was calling the hybrids animals. He picks up the keys and starts heading to the center of the clearing. There were about 3 or 4 cages, so he walked up to the one closest to him. Inside, there was a moth hybrid who was shaking in the corner of the cage, trying to get as far from him as possible.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m letting you guys out,” Mane said, trying to calm her down. He unlocks the cage, opens the door, and moves onto the next cage. Inside was a wolf hybrid who went running off as soon as the cage was opened.
The next cage had a deer hybrid with orange hair. She timidly walked out of the cage when the door was opened and joined up with the moth hybrid before walking off into the woods.
The final cage had two kids in it. Why are they kidnapping kids now? They’re actually sick bastards. Mane quickly unlocked the cage and opened the door.
One of the kids had bright purple hair with purple horns to go with it. Purple dragon wings sagged behind him, and his purple eyes looked like they had given up. A golden crown with a purple gemstone in the middle sat on his head. How the hunters didn’t steal it from him, Mane had no clue.
When the other kid in the cage saw Mane, he immediately went in front of the purple kid, almost protectively. The other kid also had horns on his head, but the horns were red instead of purple, and a small tiger tail was wrapped around his leg. There were also small tiger ears positioned on the top of his head, and red wings, similar to the purple kids, sprouted from his back, drooping a little.
“Relax, kid, I’m here to get you guys out,” Mane said.
“Who are you?” the red kid said suspiciously, red and orange eyes narrowing in on Mane.
“I’m the guy who just killed all of those hunters and is about to let you guys out so you can return to your families, or whatever.” Mane pointed behind him.
“Our parents are dead,” the purple kid piped up bluntly from behind the red kid.
Oh damn. What is Mane going to do with these kids now?
“Umm, well, do you want to come with me then, because I don’t really know what else to do with you guys,” Mane said hesitantly. The red kid looked over at the purple kid hesitantly.
“Sure,” the purple kid said. “My name’s Wemmbu, by the way. And this is Flame, he’s a little grumpy sometimes.”
“No, I’m not!” the red kid, Flame, shouts.
Both of the kids climbed out of the cage that was way too small for both of them. Mane starts walking in the direction of his treehouse, Flame and Wemmbu trailing behind him. The sun was already rising. Damn, did it really take all night to free the hybrids?
Mane kept walking as Wemmbu and Flame were messing around him.