Chapter Text
A white bow stood proudly on top of Teto’s head, its tails quickly disappearing into the tangles of her hair.
Her arming sword cut through the misty morning air as she worked through her practice drills. She had spied on enough city guards-in-training to be pretty sure she knew what she was doing. Besides, it wasn’t like she needed to build up any muscles, she only had to get the motions down.
Those motions were a little bit harder with Rei hanging on her back. It had taken a lot of debate to convince Gumi to disconnect her for a bit; eventually the tinker had agreed that if Rei insisted on experimenting with her magic it would be better if she didn’t take the wagon down with her.
“Let’s see if you can focus it on a specific body part.” Teto suggested, “Maybe start with my off-hand? You’re supposed to use this thing with a shield.”
Rei agreed and Teto could feel the cool sensation spread across her right hand; the feeling was easier to notice now that she knew what she was looking for. It was a little bit strange that casting didn’t seem to have a corresponding sound in Rei’s body; everything else the construct did had one.
Whir-tick, “How did I do?”
Teto flexed her fingers, they were slightly stiffer but not enough to hinder movement, like wearing a tight glove. “Pretty good, I think.” She wiped her blade around in a tight arc and brought it down on her own open palm with a clang.
Rei let out a single high-pitched note, “Be careful, Kasane Teto!”
“I’ve got to test the hardness somehow!” Teto laughed, “That wouldn’t have done any real damage to me anyway.”
It was at that point that a stump next to them exploded in a flash of green light.
As Teto dove for cover behind a large rock she took a quick glance back to the wagon. She could still see it through the ever thickening trees of the forest. Going back now would be a royally bad idea, she would have to trust that Gumi and the rest would know to hunker down when they heard the blast.
“That was a warning shot,” a woman’s voice called out, young but full of confidence. “Let her go, beast.”
“You’ve have the wrong idea!” Rei called out.
“Don’t try and trick me, you reek of wicked magic.”
Teto risked peeking around the rock and spotted a girl, she couldn’t have even been twenty, standing in the crook of a large tree a ways away. She was wearing traditional hunting clothes and was welding a strange bow lined with bulbous growths. Her long green hair was so dark it could have been black, and some kind of lime green creature perched on her shoulder.
She pulled back the bowstring and a bolt of blinding energy formed in it, pointed directly at Teto’s head.
She ducked back just as the arrow flew by; the ground shook when it landed. “This is bad, Rei. I don’t think we have anything for a ranged fight.”
“Can we close the distance, somehow?”
“It would be tough, she’s in the trees. Do you think your magic can take a hit from her?”
Their hiding place shuddered as an arrow struck it directly, “I don’t know, but we can’t risk it.”
Teto closed her eyes and took a breath. These shots were obviously powerful, but they weren’t coming out terribly fast. It must take a decent amount of time to prepare each arrow.
She opened her eyes and pulled herself into a sprinter’s crouch. “Keep the spell going on my hand and hold on tight; I have an idea.”
Whir-tick. “Right.” Teto could feel the construct shift slightly on her back. She adjusted her grip on her sword and poured all of her focus into her hearing.
The thwip of the bowstring was her starting signal. She dashed out and the rock shattered behind her.
As she ran she flicked her right wrist. Her hand unspooled like a ribbon; shifting into a long glistening red tendril tipped with a grasping claw. With the same motion she swung her arm skyward, launching the tendril into the canopy.
As soon as the claw connected with a branch, Teto leapt and willed the appendage to shrink. With a grunt of effort, the pair swung forward and upward; directly to their attacker.
The gambit had worked, the hunter wasn’t ready with another shot and was forced to retreat. She jumped to another tree with incredible agility. “And the veil drops! Still want to tell me you’re not a monster?”
“Don’t listen to her,” Teto whispered, already swinging to the next tree, “we just need to stay on top of them.” With each movement she was herding the hunter toward the road, where the trees were thinner.
Despite that, Teto still gasped when the girl flipped backwards into the open air above the path; a fall from this height could easily be fatal. The creature with her, now clinging to her upper arm, glowed with light and a massive vine burst from the ground, rising up to meet her. She landed on her back in an unfolding leaf; facing Teto and Rei; bow already drawn; arrow already formed.
Teto had to abort her swing to dodge; she released her claw and fell, the arrow blasting through the air where she had just been. She collided with a tree and was able wrap her arms around the trunk and stay there. They were right next to the vine but much lower than they were before.
“Rei!” Teto called, “Harden my feet.”
“Done. Go for it, Kasane Teto!”
Teto grew a set of spikes out of the bottom of her feet, through the soles of her boots and into the tree. Shouting a battle cry, she ran up and around the trunk; spikes biting into the wood, one hand clutching her sword, the other holding Rei’s arms to her chest. She could only keep her balance for a few steps, just enough to bring her even with the top of the vine.
She launched herself outward, pouncing on her stunned opponent. Their combined weight was too much for the vine, it snapped at its base with a crack. As the plant toppled all four combatants screamed, Rei’s single note sounding out bright and clear.
When the dust settled Teto was on her feet, sword at the supine archer’s throat. Rei had managed to grab the creature with one hand. It looked a bit like a green and white ferret with lumpy over-sized ears and a tail that curled in on itself. It was currently trying, fruitlessly, to claw and bite the construct’s fingers.
“Let’s have a chat, little miss monster hunter.” Teto said grimly, “You owe me a new pair of boots.”
Tohoku Zunko was not expecting a warm meal to be waiting for her when her captors brought her to their camp. Yet here was a plain bowl of porridge, given freely.
She didn’t dare eat until Zundamon had a change to smell it and confirm it wasn’t poisoned. It tasted simple and hardy.
As far as monster camps went, this one was pretty swanky. The horseless wagon was a sure sign they were from a city, probably the capital, and a pair of robots, in distinct states of disrepair, were loitering about.
The one she had been trying to save made three total. Did all city folk travel with so many? And did they all keep them is such bad condition?
The robot that had given her the food waved hesitantly. Zunko glared back. Nobody had bound her, but the beast had taken her family’s bow. She couldn’t leave without it.
A hushed argument was audible from the other side of the wagon. Zunko couldn’t make out any words, but one of the voices definitely belonged to the monster.
After a moment a woman stepped out, a human woman. Was she a victim or some kind of conjurer? She approached with a nervous expression, bordering on pained. “Hiya s...sport. How ya holding up?”
Zunko regarded the woman blankly. “I’m not a child.”
“’course you aren't” the woman sighed. She shook her head, “Look, I think we all got off on the wrong foot; let’s just start again.” She stuck out her hand. “Hello! My name is Gumi, I’m a tinker by trade and this is my wagon.”
Zunko shook the offered hand and answered with mock sincerity.”It’s a pleasure, Tinker Gumi. I’m Tohoku Zunko. You are traveling with a monster.”
“I know Teto can have … an air about her-”
“She grew a tentacle.”
“-but she always means well!”
“If you know what she is, I have to assume you are complicit.”
“Complicit in what?” She was clearly getting frustrated now, “Maybe she isn’t human, what does it matter?”
“It’s not about being human, she’s dangerous.”
“She wasn’t the one leaving craters.”
“Overwhelming force is the only strategy that works against monsters.”
“Even when they have a hostage?”
Zunko studied the ground. She didn't have an answer.
Gumi spoke gently, “You couldn’t have known, but that construct, Rei, is in a pretty precarious situation. If Teto had put her down, if she had let you play hero, Rei could have been seriously hurt. Your actions forced them into a corner.”
“…that’s awfully convenient.”
“It’s the truth. You were trying to help, but you inserted yourself into a situation before you took the time to understand what was going on.”
“When a hunter hesitates, people die.” Zunko spoke with more force than she intended. She could feel moisture forming in the corners of her eyes; it was infuriating.
Gumi was quiet for a long moment. “Where are your parents, Zunko?”
“Gone.”
“Are you alone?” The tinker asked carefully.
“I have two sisters back at the village; one of them’s ‘an adult’ if that’s what you’re worried about.” An indignant paw stamped on her lap and she felt the ghost of a smile. “Zundamon’s family too.” She scratched the fairy behind one of their ears.
The purple robot head suddenly spoke, “What would you do if somebody put your family in danger?”
“I…” She paused, “I probably wouldn’t give that person breakfast.”