Boogeymen of the fei

”Fauns.”

The word was spat like a curse word from the lips of the woman. Faun were not something new to her; they were plentiful in Ofraria, nothing better than nuisances destroying buildings and herding away their animals. Damn uncivilized bastards.They cared little about the outside world, deciding instead to hide away in their forest homes, doting upon the myriad fauna and flora they deem as their protectors. Pathetic. To think these creatures were found so far from her homeland. Perhaps magic wasn’t as lacking in the modern world as she thought. A wind kicked up, brushing the ashen blond tresses off her shoulder. This southerly wind carried with it many scents she could detect; wood, water, the faint signs of a campfire far away. But more importantly, there was conflict in the air, the scent of blood and sweat and … something else. Something very familiar.

The wind twisted and turned among itself, scattering her hair like ink across her face. A hand came up to tuck her hair behind her ear, and in that moment she froze; there was something near, something big and hairy and … Amalia wrinkled her nose. By the shadows, it smelled like wet dog! She was almost tempted to pinch her nose to get rid of the horrid stench, but … that would be a distraction with a monster facing her down. She would not give it any chance to get advantage of her. Which was easier said than done, considering she had absolutely no idea where the beast was!

She could smell it, it’s stench to her enhanced senses as obvious as a gunshot wound. Slowly, with infinite care she rotated on the spot, eyes strained to find what, exactly, was near. It was likely a ways away, it’s scent ebbing and flowing with the wind and the currents. It was hard to pinpoint, but underneath it’s stench and the background noises of the forest was the unmistakable scent of magic and goat. Fauns again. It was thought with reluctance and resignation. Those creatures may be despicable and frustrating, but they were still innocent, and a part of the magical world. She would do what she had to to help them, even if it meant slaying them herself. Better to destroy their corpse than let it fall in the hand of some human hunter. Like Haru.

Her silent blade was drawn, black fire dancing along the ebony blade. With this came her shield, Iris, glistening in the mid-morning sun as if coated in a layer of dew. Yoshindo was held at a soft ready position, the curved blade perpendicular to the ground. The scent had seem to come out of nowhere, appearing as suddenly and instantly as spring flowers. Caution was the name of the name. One wrong move and it could attack, attempt to rip her limb from limb, and she couldn’t have that, she liked her limbs … blue eyes peered through the shadows of the trees to discern the threat of the oncoming creature.

Rumours had flowed of creatures, half goat and half man, attacking travelers off the highway and robbed them. They were completely unsubstantiated, of course, most of the reports coming from truckers who were half-starved from fright and alcohol. No law enforcement would take their stories seriously, so of course Haru had her investigate. That was the only reason she was here, and honestly she wasn’t feeling too homely towards that pink haired bastard. This was supposed to be an easy mission, not a blasted fight. Had she known that, she would have come with more than just Yoshindo. She’d have to cope with what she had, however.

”Beast, whatever you are. If you possess intelligence, come out of the shadows and fight me as an equal.” Her voice rang out through the forest and was accompanied by a twirl of her blade. No noise, even to the most keen of hearing, could be heard from the dark sword. It was like silence made corporeal.

Erum had intense combat instincts, the kind that could be easily triggered by someone simply calling him out to fight. His past training however took precedent and stopped any hasty aggressive response for the time being. The woman standing there so boldly calling him out was a fascinating development to this hunt, one he would not simply let pass by. She was quite the attractive dainty thing by human standards Erum thought to himself, she stood strong enough but looked small to his eyes. Erum considered sneaking around behind her and taking her by surprise but he was more curious at this point than battle hungry. The one thing that gave him pause was when she mentioned goat men, could she mean the fauns? Was this a woman familiar with the fey and arcane? If so then she as well might be some kind of mage and striking her a mistake, the mage guilds do not look kindly on such acts against their kin. If her knowledge wasn't clear enough she was magically endowed then certainly the dark swirls of flame on her blade and a shield suddenly appearing was proof.



Rather than completely give himself away Erum decides to change into his human form first then slowly emerges from the bushes with a sword in hand though lowered not threateningly. He meets the woman's gaze from a safe distance and sizes her up, she certainly seemed calm and unshaken by the presence of the still rather tall and formidable Erum. She looked as though she was spring loaded and ready to cross blades right away, normally Erum would love to have a good brawl with someone worthy. In a deep Dutch accented voice Erum addresses her.



"What pray tell is a young woman doing in these woods so armed? You should go home little girl, the woods here are quite dangerous and I'd hate to see such a pretty corpse."



Just then Jyllianacca contacts Erum.



"Erum why am I detecting another being near you? It's not fey but it's something pretty strong and pretty dark. Over."



"We've got a lost little girl here, might be some kinda mage see if the guild has any agents out here. She might be a warlock. Over."



"affirmative Big Jaw. Over and out."

And here it was, the creature that had apparently hunted these creatures. And, surprise surprise, he was arrogant. Anger flashed through her hairs, reflected in the tight grip of the blade and the very slight scuff of her greaves on the dirt. To the people that knew her, this was a danger sign, as obvious as a bull lowering it’s horns. Effortlessly, flawlessly she spun the blade, the black weapon quickly blurring with the movement. Despite the intense movement of the blade, there was no sound from it; not from the clink of her gauntlet, not from the wind whistling past, not from anything. Just as suddenly, she stopped, the blade coming to a rest with the tip in her hand. The way she handled the blade spoke of someone who was as familiar with the blade as she was with her limbs.

”Little girl?”

Her voice was venom and fire, repeating the derogatory words with outrage. How dare he?! It is not like this is private property; to question her presence here, and then insist she was in the wrong here? Her grip tightened, knuckles turning white against the silver wire hilt. A slight breeze sprung up, blowing the hair from her pretty features, currently contorted into equal parts rage and disdain. Oh, this maggot was going to pay, one way or another. Slowly, each step taken with purpose, she began to approach, her sword covering most of her torso and sword aloft in a pattern similar to ancient Roman infantry.

”You maggot.”

Then with a burst of speed no human was capable of achieving, but still nowhere near her full capacity, she darted forward, shield held aloft like a battering ram. It would certainly hurt if he got hit, but it wouldn’t be fight ending ...

"What the shit?! UGH!"

Erum barely had time to utter those words and brace himself before the woman slammed her shield into him with a surprising amount of force. It was by no means enough to knock the large sturdy warrior off his feet but it had pushed him back a few feet before he caught his footing. The slam itself was jarring enough that he was dazed for a second or two. The amount of pure physical strength this small human woman was using made Erum regret changing to his human form. His combat instincts at that point would not be held in check. If this woman wanted to throw down then Erum would oblige, no doubt taking out some frustration for his semi successful hunt. At this point even if she was one of the mage guilds lackeys he's have a little fun bruising and knocking her around before sending her back to them. The mage guilds and the F.E.I. often having a rivalry similar to the F.B.I. and local authorities. If she was some other kind of agent or just a random traveler Erum would just have to deal with that paperwork because it didn't look like this woman wanted to chit chat either.

"Heh so you've certainly got the strength to back up your talk woman. I did not expect to come here finding an opponent, but none the less I will show you the error of your aggression!"

"Erum the guild has no mages in your location, I don't know who this person is but I suggest you disengage. I'm getting really weird readings, whoever it is might be more than you can handle."

"I can handle this, it's been while since I've gotten a decent fight. This could be fun. Big jaw out."

"ERUM WAI!..."

Erum manages to just push her assault off of him and back a few feet so he can draw his blade. He takes the massive handgun and tosses it to the side. His face now bearing a peculiar smile almost stretching past where a normal human mouth should, somewhere between a smile and snarl of an angry beast. He stretches out and takes a combat stance before he charges at her, he leaps up high and comes down for the slash.

A brief sense of satisfaction filled her as she connected solidly with this man. His curse was like music to her ears; from experience, she knew it would daze him, open him up to further attacks. But experience also taught her danger, and caution. The magic was plain as day in him, twisting around his form like the currents of a river. His powers must be tremendous, but also unknown, and due to that she pulled back, sliding back on the balls of her feet, tracing her steps she had already taken for her initial attack. Rush of the attack subsiding, a dull ache spread from her fingertips down to her shoulder. This guy was a hell of a lot more durable than he looked. The smirk returned. Maybe this would be fun.

A gun was procured, and for a split second Amalia was met with crushing disappointment. Here she thought she met another honorable warrior, willing to meet his foes face to face rather than hide behind the barrel of a gun! Her disappointment, however, was met in turn with a rather unexpected action; the gun was tossed away. Her eyes followed the action, resting for a brief moment on the firearm halfway hidden in the grass surrounding a tree. And slowly, a smirk almost to equal his spread across her face. Inhuman, yes, but in a different way; inhumanly confident, as if the battle was already won and he just didn’t know it yet.

His words almost caused her to roll her eyes, a somewhat childish motion she’d picked up from Haru in the last few months working for him. Typical threats, it was nothing more than she expected. She’d do the same given the situation. Taunting a foe was the easiest way to make them mad, and angry enemies make mistakes. No, that didn’t draw her attention. What did were the extra words said, the notion that maybe they were being monitored, that he had friends waiting somewhere. Her smirk widened infinitesimally. Despite the lack of injury, already the bloodlust was obvious in her eyes, silvery grey eyes like clouds shining with a manic light. Slowly herself, she let Iris, her shield, slide down her arm until she was gripping it with one hand. A flick of her wrist sent the shield flying at him just as he was winding up, the whistle of wind the only indication it was coming. It blurred through the air, almost unerringly accurate, aimed at his torso. If he moved, which Amalia fully expected, it would instead sheer straight through the tree behind him, lodging itself firmly into the wood of the second tree.

”Shut up and kill me already.”

Her blade was held at the ready, the dim black glow and red runic symbols glowing. Time almost seemed to slow down as she stared at her opponent, eyes ready, waiting, the only thing breaking the silence the slow creak of the tree as it began to fall. She did not once let her focus fade, both hand gripped on the curved grip of Yoshindo. If there was any movement coming, she would sense it. What kind, however, is the difficult part. He would have been forced to move, his previous action interrupted by the throwing of her shield, or risk ending the fight now. The proverbial ball was in his court now. Only the Gods could know what would happen next.

"Well there's no sense in this facade."



Erum let's out an echoing howl that reverberated through the woods. On either side of Amalia two ethereal blue wolves appeared through a gust of frosty wind and snow, they shoot Amalia a quick snarl before running forward and leaping on Erum. They burst into a bright flash of light and vanish just as quick as they came. Erum is now back in his wolf form towering over the woman with the same toothy grin. In his hands the large blade looks like a shorts sword he could swing with greater ease. His fur and skin were thick like a natural armor, his hands bore claws that could cleave rhino hide and his teeth were large, sharp and gleaming.



"Let's begin."



Erum charges forward right at Amalia going for the direct approach. For a large best Erum was a talented swordsman, he was in Amalia's face in what seemed like a second crossing blades with her. As he is blade locked with her he reaches up with his left hand and comes down with a hard swipe of his claw.



The two escaping fauns manage to escape and reach some thicket, they take cover and try to catch their breath.



"I told you we'd get in trouble for this, now they have Bairrut."



"This isn't my fault, I'm just trying to keep us alive. Mom said do whatever we have to and that's what we're doing. Dont worry we'll... We'll find a way to get her back from those jerks."



"The F.E.I. are always bothering Fauns, it's not fair!"



"Shhh Melenya..."



The young faun listens for any sounds.



"They might be out there... Those things."



The two young fauns fall quiet, not just listening but as if some evil had just gripped their minds and hearts. Both of there gazes went on for miles as they looked into their minds seeing what can only be described as horrors beyond the void of real. They curled up and held each other now too frightened and still too tired to move on, soon they would use their forest step powers and begone from this place. Somewhere nearby but still far away enough not to detect the Fauns a stout looking Hob Goblin in western style garb sat on a log speaking to a familiar female voice on a small device in his ear. He fiddled with and spun around a pristine looking six shooter. His voice was quite gruff and southern, he spoke in very short words.



"Hm... combat?"



"Yes combat, get your greasy orc lookin butt to Erum. This could be real trouble and he's being very... Well Erum about it."



"... Dumb pup, moving to last known location. Red shoe out."



He hops to his feet and gives the air a big whiff.



"... Fauns are near, priority is Erum.... But."



He stops and remains perfectly still as if trying to reason what was the best choice, go after the young fauns or seeing to Erum.

”So. Not the typical beast, then?”

Amalia was a woman of few words, only speaking when she felt the situation required it. And this situation required commenting on. At first she thought the blue magical wolves were going to attack her, but as they surrounded Erum her entire approach to the fight changed. Magic. She had felt in him, of course, you cannot hide something like that from an Ofrarian. She did not realize it had such a physical manifestation, nor was she under any delusions that this creature would be an easy fight. She was a little miffed he referred to their scuffle so far as a facade.

It wasn’t even that much.

His approach was, of course, predictable. What else to expect from a glorified monster? Almost lazily her blade rose to meet his; not edge on edge, however. A blade like hers would shatter with that much. Her wrist twisted so as to lock his blade with the elegant guard. This had the effect of bringing their faces nearly together. This close, she could see herself in his eyes, her hair just lightly tousled in the wind. A smirk grew on her face. She had to admit, it was charming, his eyes reflecting her back so perfectly. It was a good look for him. There wasn’t much time to focus on her appearance, however. The Big Bad Wolf wasn’t as predictable as she had first thought.

”Hellsfire!”

She cursed under her breath, Yoshindo sliding back from him in panic. His arm was swinging at her arm, and if it hit, this battle would be over before it even began. A mix of panic and anger crossed her face as the claws whistled just pass her arm, instead careening into her breasts. Sharp though his claws may be, they couldn’t fully rip through Ofrarian steel. Her armor, however, couldn’t fully protect her. It did have several fundamental flaws, by design. One of these is a large exposed section just over her midsection, designed to allow blood to touch her skin … but also leaves her skin bare. It was these the claws tore, shredding through her soft skin like butter. It wasn’t permanent damage, but still Amalia was mad. And then, as the blood began to soak into her skin, a beautiful dichotomy of red and white, she began to laugh.

”You fool.” Her voice was … different. More wild, unrestrained. ”You tremendous, bloody idiot.”

From her skin - no, deeper, someplace deep within her soul - a black aura creeped from her, streaked with red. Her eyes, too, had changed, black veins crossing the whites and even the grey coloration. Her muscles strained under the armor, as if they were growing, and as she dug her feet into the ground, in preparation for her attack, it cracked and broke under the force. A low growling laugh was constant under her breath, each breath accompanied by a short swipe of her sword, like the tail of a scorpion. Just as her eyes locked onto Erum once again, the blood still freely flowing down her chest, she was off.


And she was fast! Faster even than her previous actions had suggested. Each step resulted in an explosion of dirt and earth underneath her as she closed the distance between them. Lightning fast, her blade swung down at him, aiming to cleave him head to toe. The force behind it would be quite shocking, like being hit with a freight train. This didn’t come without its own sacrifices; sweat beaded her head, and already pain occasionally twinged from her right hand, a result of wielding this sword for such a length of time. It was manageable, she could deal it. Another two minutes and this poor puppy would be dead.

Erum smirked at the remarks the woman made calling him a fool.



"Now who's talking too much?"



As he finished his cheeky taunt he saw something start to change in the woman, maybe he should have been less hasty to boast. Before his eyes some dark spell gave her new form and seemingly new strength. The woman turned into something more dare he think "wild", but of course all this could be a show for intimidation. Intimidation was something Erum was more than familiar with given his appearance and children's tales. He made a flourish with his blade and stood ready for her should she come at him, after all it was his turn to see her on offence now. Erum could barely keep up with her dash, it came from nowhere like a speed demon. Erum barely had enough time to put his blade up to meet hers, he could not block the strike fully with the force this woman came down with and her blade deflected to Erums chest. She cut a large and deep wound into Erums chest spraying out a good amount of blood on her face as he reels back gasping in pain. He nearly drops his sword as he braces against a tree mouth gaping.



"... Hmhmhm HAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA! YES! MORE!"



The intense pain surging through Erums body though a bit crippling makes him feel truly alive, he starts to lose all sense of humanity as his pupils constrict and he growls deeply. His only thought now is to fight and tear and rip, to bleed and cause bleeding. He rushes forward and slices at Amalia a number of times trying to connect and using all his strength.



Cut to horrified fleeing Hob Goblin firing rounds behind him as he runs. breaking past branches with his face as if not even concerned for the cuts he's getting. From deep in the darkness comes a gurgling hissing noise that echoes against the trees, every time it happens the Hob Goblin seems to flinch and back away running more. He reloads his revolvers as he moves and in the gleam of the moons light other injuries can be seen, these ones were not causes by any branches or brush. Out of his ears streams blood as if he had sustained some internal injury, though there are no marks to indicate any blunt force.



"Cradle this is Red shoe we've got trouble."



The Hob Goblin says in a low tone.



"This is cradle, what's the situation?"



"Situation black, call in sup..."



The device in the Hob Goblins ear heats up and burns him before he pulls it out and it explodes on the ground. In his frantic flailing around he stopped for a moment catching sight of a horrid sight. The two young fauns stood side by side in a small clearing eyeing him directly. At first they looked normal but after a second of looking at the Hob Goblin they both start moving and shifting. Their arms and legs bend and break in unnatural ways forming into a crab like position. Their skin has turned from a deep tan to a faded listless grey and looks covered in slime. Their mouths open and stretch beyond what the flesh will allow and rips it, from the giant mouth comes out what look like snakes. The body is certainly serpent like though slimy and dark green, they have no eyes and their mouths are beak like. They rush and slither to the Hob Goblin as he continues to flee still heading towards Erum.

The bloodlust quickened her, her breath rushing out of her body in quick bursts. It was powerful, yes, but also a weakness, and as her eyes focused on this creature she could only think of one thing; how good he would look impaled on her blade. A razor of a smile slid across her face, showing just the glimpse of pure white teeth. Slowly, careful not to cut her, she slid her tongue across the blackened blade, the sweet tangy taste of his blood rushing through her. She groaned; it was almost sexual, the feeling of the the power coursing through her, and when her eyes opened there was a crazed madness behind them. The sword clenched tighter in her hands and, all decorum forgotten, she rushed forward.

Erum let out a loud grunt as the woman collodided with him, every swing of her blade seemed to be faster and more furious than the last. He could keep up at first but that didn't last long, her blade knocked his back and she got three cuts on Erum in his thigh, chest and arm. Erum let out a loud roar in pain as he clenched his open wounds. This was new for Erum encountering such an enemy he could feel the rage and power radiate off her, this was a dire situation but he couldn't help but feel his spirit rise. Fighting was the life and death of his people since ancient times, he had spilled her blood and would be guaranteed a place among the Einherjar. The battle went on as Erum began to slow down from blood loss, he could take a lot before succumbing but this fight looked like there was a clear better swordsman, his breathing became heavy and his vision dulled. The look on her face was something of a warrior and a demon, she wanted to end him Erum felt. Or was she just teasing him and having fun this whole time? Did he even have a chance after she changed? Erum managed to hit her once or twice but hadn't penetrated the armor, the force he came down with though must have caused some blunt pain. She came at Erum again seeming a bit worn herself but still plenty strong, Erum deflected and dodged some swings but took a shield hit to the face making him drop his sword. The next few moments were rather odd, Erum felt a slight chill run up his spine. He looked down to see the woman looking him dead in his eyes with smirk which confused him for a second. A sudden river of pain ran through his stomach as the woman pulled out her blade slowly from Erum's stomach. The blood flowed from him as he realized what was happening... It was over, here in the silence of the forest.
Erum's shocked expression held for a bit until he shut his eyes then opened them again looking down at the woman with no more hostility, he even smiled slightly.



"Huh... Not what I expected... But not a terrible place to die in I suppose."



He chokes on a blood and spits it aside.



"Warrior... What is your name? Where do you hail from? I should like to know the name of the one who... Rgh!... Slew me."



The Hob Goblin Gharum made great strides in his fleeing from the creatures, he seemingly becomes faster and stronger as his anxiety rises. He can now smell Erum in the distance and makes a rush towards him with his guns drawn. He's still a little ways away but closing fast, are the creatures perusing him.

Her dark blade sunk deep into the gut of her opponent; pleasure ran through her, deeper and more intense than any sexual feeling. The blade pulling out of his flesh was akin to the feeling of a man thrusting deep inside her and a shiverable pleasure spread throughout her body, even as a smirk spread across her face. It was a look of near madness, the smirk someone wears when they’ve started to embrace insanity. The pulled free with a sound like a plunger pulled free from a sink and her smirk only intensified. The blade glistened with his blood. Slowly, her tongue trailed across the smooth metal, her lips and tongue stained red by his ether.

This was pathetic. The fight barely lasted long enough to whet her steel. With the hem of her skirt, she cleaned her blade, though her brilliant blue eyes kept focus on the dying wolf-man. Last words, was it? Slowly the bloodlust started to fade, leaving her drained, and with a pounding headache. Gods. For a brief moment, she considered pressing a finger to her temple to stall the pounding, but that would be bad form in front of a dying enemy. Instead, she turned to him, eyes showing respect, but not mercy. It was a fair fight, and he lost. Still, he fought a good fight. Least she could was give her name.

”... the name is Amalia, wolfman. Amalia Ashenberry, of Ofraria. Your wound is deep, and accursed. I can end your life now and forestall hours of suffering, if you wish?”

"... Yes, I think this is as good an end as I am owed for my deeds. I am Erum of the Wallenstein clan, farewell Amalia Ashenberry. Finish i.... huh?"



As Erum is about to end the combat and let the last blow strike a rustling comes from the bushes. It grows louder every second coming closer, there can also be heard some strange squishing sound along with grunting. From out of the bushes running like hell itself was on his heels comes Gharum. He stops before the sight of Amalia with her blood drenched blade and Erum bleeding out profusely. It doesn't take a genius to put two and tow together as for a second Gharum looks at Amalia like he wanted to fight. A Hob goblin was a nasty opponent with a fierce temper and strength when pressed. The look he gave her only lasted a fleeting second before his faced turned back to fear turning quickly at the rustlingbehind him. He turns and back up towards Erum and Amalia no longer concerned with the danger she represented and far more focused on the creatures coming. He pointed his gun at the bushes from one point to another waiting for something to jump out.



"Gh... rgh! Gharum? What?... Gharum where are the children?"



"C... Coming, Erum. Situation black. You get out of here if you can."



Erum held his wound as he fell against a tree holding on to it, his face turned almost pale even visible through his fur.



"The Mind flayers are here?"



"They got the fauns."



Erum looks at Amalia then back to the bushes struggling with every breath. He could feel the life slipping away from him with every breath and gush of blood. It was different now though, he couldn't die here and now. Not that he had much say in the matter nor did he want to rob the young shield maiden of her rightfully deserved kill. But if the flayers got to his body it would mean horrible things for him, his family and the F.E.I. league. They would pry the information from his corpse and use the husk as a weapon. If only he had the strength to fight he'd use his abilities, but maybe there was one last thing he could do before the darkness overtook his vision. Erum let out a loud echoing howl that echoed deep into the woods, a gust of bone chilling wind swept over the three people there as rifts in the ether opened around them like bright blue portals of light. From them emerge five wolves the size of a Hippo, they look at both Gharum and Amalia with a passive snarl and walk to the edge of the bushes standing and ready for a fight. One passes by Erum nuzzling his head a bit, but Erum has no response as his eyes are glazed over and he is still.

He was dying, she realized, with all the honor and dignity that could be afforded a warrior. Respect for him rose. The conversation between him and the goblin creature didn’t register with her, she was too tired to care about their monsters. However … if these things wished to interrupt the death of an honored warrior, they would have to get through her. Tired she may be, drained of energy and magic, but she would not allow these “Mental Flayers” to interrupt this sacred death. Softly, she picked up his blade, having fallen from his numb fingers as it fell, and followed the astral wolves to placed it in his hand. Her grey eyes looked at him with sympathy, but not pity, for he was dying the best death one could hope for.

”A soldier should never die with his weapon in the dirt. Stay strong, Erum.”

She stood slowly then, one hand rising to rip off the torn cloth, leaving her only in the scantily-clad metal coverings. Really, it barely left anything to the imagination. But torn cloth would only get in her way. It is her, and her wits, and her skill against a monster. Her blade aws drawn again, the glowing black sword eager to taste the blood of those it is forced against. She’d need to be as agile as possible for this. Her fierce stare burned into the forest, waiting for anything to come charging out, as monsters are wont to do. In the meantime …

”Goblin creature. What ‘tis a Mind Flayer? Powerful creature, yes?”