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| - The meeting with Duruhos didn’t last much longer after Sanguis and Sera had been assigned to each other. The hybrids went their separate ways, except for Cindy, who stayed behind. Sanguis noticed that a lot of them gave Sera dark looks on their way out, but she didn’t seem to notice. Maybe she was used to it. “Keep up please, Sanguis,” she called to him now, albeit quietly. He came out of his thoughts and saw her standing several meters in front of him. Quickly, he scampered forward on his new pair of legs to rejoin her. “You’re adapting to your transformation well,” Sera commented, her face still retaining that neutral expression. “It was easy for me to learn how to walk, because my kind already walks on two legs… but it can’t have been the same way for you, because you’re a leviathan.” “Sssss…” he replied. “Am I bothering you?” she asked, ducking her head. “Sorry… I need to learn how to be a better caretaker.” Truthfully, Sanguis didn’t mind her. Sure, she looked weak and kind of appetizing, but he figured that much stronger hybrids wouldn’t like it if he tried anything – and at least she wasn’t annoying, like the Winged Female from earlier, Melody. “A-Anyway,” Sera continued, “I suppose I should introduce myself properly. I’m Sera, and it’s nice to meet you. I hope I can properly help you like Duruhos wants me to… he’s the only one that has faith in me. Everyone else thinks I’m just evil.” Sanguis blinked. That was an odd assumption to make, in his opinion. “I am an Unknown,” she explained, flicking her tail uncomfortably. The long red point on the end gleamed brightly in the sun. “We’re extraordinarily powerful monsters that have existed for many thousands of years. I’m not sure if that means anything to you or not… but because of our power… and our terrible rage… other monsters shun us. They say we’re not supposed to exist…” He watched as the Unknown-girl self-consciously grabbed her wrist and flexed her wings as if she wanted nothing more than to wrap them around herself and hide away from the rest of the world. He said nothing. Even if he could eventually figure out how to speak to her – which he would not, because there was no way he was becoming any more like a Two-Legs than he already was – then what could he say? He had never heard of an Unknown, and he had never experienced such a level of despair as what she had sunk into, so making her feel better was out of the question. Instead, he decided that staying still and not doing anything was a good solution. “I’m sorry for bothering you with my problems,” Sera apologized to him. “I hope Duruhos was right when he said that taking care of you would help me find purpose in my life…” Hesitantly, she extended her hand and reached out to touch Sanguis’ shoulder. He saw the black, claw-like nails coming for him and immediately reacted – fins up, tongue out, throat vibrating, the whole shebang. “Okay, you’re not comfortable with being touched,” she sighed, grabbing her wrist again. “Just one more thing we have in common, I suppose…” Sanguis calmed down and moved closer to her, a question in his burning orange eyes. Weren’t they going somewhere? “I suppose we should get moving,” she told him. “I wanted to ask Sue about something. I always go to her when I need advice… have you met her?” Yes, the name did seem familiar to Sanguis. She was the one he thought of as the Flower Head because of her frilly fins. Sera continued to lead her new charge down the mostly abandoned streets of Loc Lac City, only crossing paths with another hybrids once or twice. After all, there were only so many of them, despite frequent scouting missions across the Great Continent. Whenever they did meet another hybrid, the passersby would always move out of Sera’s way and glare harshly at her. She walked with a sort of confidence that disguised her timid personality, as if she knew perfectly well that others would step aside for her. Her sad eyes always stared directly ahead, completely ignoring their harsh looks. The walk lasted for about ten minutes. Sera slipped into a narrow, tunnel-like passageway that led downwards, beneath the ground. Sanguis followed her with renewed energy, eager to be back in the dark. He stumbled at first on the staircase, expecting a smooth incline instead of a series of steps, but adjusted rapidly and kept his keen night vision on the Unknown-girl’s tail and back. The farther down they walked, the cooler it got, until Sanguis was at last comfortable. The desert heat on the city streets had been almost overwhelming. At last, they emerged in a large chamber dominated by the strange remnants of human habitation. Sanguis did not know this, but he was standing amongst the ruins of Loc Lac’s biggest smithy. In the days of the Human-Monster War, it would have been bright, hot, and busy here as a squad of Wyverians pounded metal and monster scales into weapons and armor for hunters. But now… now it was dark, cool, and deserted. “Sue lives down here to get away from the dryness of the Great Desert,” Sera explained. Although her voice was as soft as always, it echoed in the vast empty space. “The climate here isn’t for her… she prefers the temperate weather of the Misty Peaks where she was born, or so she tells me. She talks about her homeland a lot… I wonder if she sometimes gets homesick.” Greyish hair flopped atop Sanguis’ head as he shook it in disbelief. Although he understood the language, there were so many words that the hybrids used which he did not know the meaning of. ‘Homesick’ was one. He had a feeling it had to do with another emotion he did not understand. A soft sound came from off to the left, and both of them turned to see its source emerge from behind a dusty shelf. Their keen eyes picked out the glint of pink silk, and the light reflected off of bubbles skating over the pavement – yes, it was without a doubt the Elite they were looking for. “Ah, Sera,” Sue smiled, bowing. “I have been expecting you. The Pond told me that Duruhos recommended you as a caretaker, so I knew that you would be here soon with questions for me.” “Sssss…” hissed Sanguis, flicking his tongue out. He could taste the flowery woman’s scent as well as he could see her in the near pitch-darkness. He didn’t know how to describe her odd smell, but he did know that it was very… clean. The Tamamitsune-woman’s fins fluttered when she heard the sound. “So it was the newcomer,” she said, more to herself than Sera. “I must confess, I am most curious as to why Duruhos assigned this mysterious creature to one such as yourself.” “He’s a Baruragaru,” she explained somewhat meekly. “A monster not native to the Great Continent. His name is Sanguis. And… and I’m still not entirely sure why Duruhos asked me first. He said I needed help as much as Sanguis did, but…” A delicate finger with a claw sharper than a fishhook was placed on her lips, quieting her. “Hush, child,” Sue crooned. “I know you come to me when you have questions, and as always, the Pond will hold the answers. Now come, and bring your friend.” She promptly vanished back behind the shelf, leaving nothing but bubbles in her place. “Come with me, Sanguis,” Sera told him, starting forward. “If you have questions, too, then Sue will answer them for you. She’s wonderful…” Her dark outfit blending in perfectly with the shadows, she followed in Sue’s footsteps, not reacting when the bubbles on the floor popped and splattered soap on her leggings. She slipped through the gap between the shelf and the wall, knowing the secret passage was there before she saw it. Sanguis darted after her, easily squeezing through the tight space. The passageway was much narrower than the stairway they had taken to reach the smithy. Sanguis felt right at home, even though he wasn’t as good with small spaces as he used to be. His new human body wasn’t sinuous enough for the job, but he still managed to do so comfortably. Eventually, the downwards-sloping tunnel opened up into a relatively cramped, circular chamber lit by a single lantern that dangled from a hook on the ceiling. Sue was sitting on the floor, with her knees in front and her feet underneath her, at the edge of the circle of light produced by the lantern above. In front of her was a small pool of clear water. “Come, sit with me,” Sue said, looking up from her inspection of the pool. Sera stepped forward and sat down on the opposite side of the pool without hesitation. After a second, Sanguis crept forward and crouched on his hands and knees, dipping his head close to the surface of the water and flicking his tongue out curiously. “This is her Pond,” Sera whispered, prompting him to raise his head to stare blankly at her. “She can see things in it… things like the answers to troublesome questions, or glimpses of the uncertain future.” “Indeed,” the Tamamitsune-woman replied, giving her a nod. “But have I ever told you why that is?” Only silence was her answer. “My kind has always had a special affinity for the water,” she elaborated, casting her eyes back down to the Pond. “We have always guarded the rivers and lakes in the mountainous forests of the Misty Peaks, my kin and I, protecting them from land-dwellers that might mean harm. When they came to drink or bathe, it was out of respect for us that they did so peacefully. And whenever that peace was broken, there was always one of us nearby to drive the troublemakers away. “The humans that lived in the nearby village didn’t think of us as monsters,” Sue went on, “not even during the fiercest years of the Human-Monster War. They continued to respect us, believing us to be water spirits that kept the rivers pure and free of strife. And they were not entirely wrong. After generations of maintaining peace between the water and the land, we developed the ability to communicate with the water, more deeply than simply reading its currents and waves. That is partly why I can see such things in the Pond.” It was difficult to see, but Sera’s eyes each carried a tiny spark of hope that shone past the dark, perpetual shroud of despair. Indeed, Sanguis did not catch it – but Sue, who knew what to look for, did. “Is there another reason?” the Unknown-girl murmured. “Yes,” Sue affirmed. “It is rumored that, long ago, beyond the scope of recorded history, the Great Desert was once part of a vast ocean. After hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of years, this is all that remains of that ancient ocean.” The water spirit again turned her reverent gaze back to the Pond and smiled. “This water has experienced much over its long, long lifetime. Because of this, I can see more vividly into the Pond than I can in any other source of water. The Pond knows more than any river I have ever touched. It is very wise.” As she spoke, Sanguis realized that his head was spinning. Not literally, of course, but he felt overwhelmed by the strange and confusing things that Sue had spoken of. Seeing things in water? Peaceful water spirits? He had never suspected that such a monster existed. Oh, life before the change was so much simpler, he complained to himself. Sera was speaking again. “Please… please help me, Sue. I’ve never been so uncertain about myself. Please ask your Pond for the answers. I… I can’t be a good caretaker without knowing what I can do to improve.” Was this girl dressed in black really that weak? Sanguis wanted to say that he knew for sure, but every time he asked himself that, his mind flashed back to that moment in Duruhos’ residence when her eyes had briefly shone with foreboding crimson light… Sue had her eyes closed and her head dipped, while her fins stood erect and trembled slightly as if caught in a soft breeze. Curled around her legs and waist, her tail didn’t so much as twitch. She was so still that Sanguis thought she might have fallen asleep, if not for her vibrating fins and the slightly tense expression on her face. How does one ‘see’ with their eyes closed? Sanguis wondered, tilting his head in confusion. At last, Sue looked up and faced Sera. “There’s nothing you need to worry about,” she assured the Unknown-girl. “You will become a good caretaker for this boy. You need only follow your instincts.” Once more uncertain, Sera again grabbed her wrist and cast her disappointed gaze down at her lap. “That’s all?” she murmured. “I don’t know… can I really trust myself with this?” Her voice was so full of self-doubt that Sanguis felt something inside of him ache. It was another stab of pity, something he did his best to push out of his mind. “Sera,” Sue said, her voice taking on a sharp edge, “do not question yourself. If the Pond saw nothing wrong, then why do you still look upon yourself with doubt and self-loathing? Being a caretaker is not easy, I admit, but it is far from hard. All it takes is diligence and a little love.” “I don’t really know what that is…” Sera mumbled, her head dropping until her face was hidden in shadow. To Sanguis, this statement was trivial. To Sue, it was an enormous and extremely unpleasant development. Her expression became one of shocked realization. All of a sudden, she had a brand-new, clearer understanding of Sera and the cloud of gloom that surrounded her. She knew what was to be done. She walked to the other side of the Pond, kneeled down next to Sera, and pulled the girl into a warm embrace. The silky fabric of her kimono rustled slightly as her arms wrapped around her, partially hiding her from view. Sera did nothing but lean her head on Sue’s shoulder, her expression like stone. The gesture spoke volumes about how secretly desperate she was for someone to hold onto. Sue felt her heart crack at how pitiful she looked – face neutral but eyes full of pain, her longing for affection made obvious. “Remember when I was your caretaker?” the Tamamitsune-woman whispered, cradling Sera with the same gentleness as she would hold her own unhatched young. “I told you that you weren’t the monster everyone else thinks you are. Demons aren’t as sweet and as thoughtful as you. They don’t want happiness or love, like I know you do.” Sera’s reply was muted and dismal, with a subtle tremble that suggested she was on the verge of tears. “Or maybe they do. Maybe they do want those things, and they’re evil because they know they’ll never have them. Maybe the others are right…” Her voice cut itself off when she felt Sue’s lips tenderly press against her cheek. “You’re not a demon,” she soothed, reaching up to lightly stroke the side of her face. “You’re alone in a world where hybrids are supposed to stick together. You’re a wonderful girl that only needs time and love to realize that.” The Elite kissed her former charge again and pulled her in closer, making sure that, with every gentle stroke of her hand against the smoothness of Sera’s cheek, the love she felt for the damaged Unknown-girl was made crystal-clear. The shock of being on the receiving end of such an affectionate act almost gave Sera a heart attack. All her life, she had been looked upon as a monstrous beast from the pits of Hell – to put it another way, a wyvern to be hated by all. She had never gotten so much as a smile out of any other living thing, not even when she had transformed and been taken in by a community of creatures that resembled her. Apparently, ordinary humans were very kind and friendly to other humans, but that certainly wasn’t what Sera had seen amongst her fellow hybrids. Being turned into beings with higher emotions definitely hadn’t altered their prejudiced hatred of the Unknown. If Sera were asked to describe what her normal emotional state felt like, she would say something to the effect of that it was like being stuck in a shell of stone. She would describe herself as being stoic and numb on the outside, numb from the never-ending effort of keeping her feelings bottled up. Inside said bottle, though, it was a mix of negative emotions that weighed down her spirits and made any sort of motivation difficult. Sera’s emotional cauldron was a toxic solution of sadness, hopelessness, angst, and above all, loneliness. At her very core, fueling the constantly swirling mixture with its burning heat, was rage. All of the anger she had ever felt was buried deep within her so that her negative emotions would act as a buffer to dampen its forever-burning flames. She had built a brittle shell of fear around her anger – the fear of letting it out, and proving that she was everything the others made her out to be. In short, happiness was not something Sera was used to. She had always known that Sue liked her, ever since she had first come to Loc Lac and been placed under the Tamamitune-woman’s care. The Elite, along with Duruhos, had been the first living being to ever show kindness to her. Back then, Sera had been confused and frightened by the way they treated her, not understanding why they weren’t chasing her away or attacking her because of what she was. Truthfully, she still did not understand, even after years had passed. But suddenly, as Sue’s lips came into contact with her skin, Sera’s nerves stretched themselves to their limit. What was she doing? Was something beyond kindness driving the woman to express herself like this? An odd, warm feeling from deep within made her cauldron of negativity bubble and swirl with confusion. It wasn’t her hidden anger trying to break out. She didn’t know what it was, and it scared her. The warmth was then almost instantly swallowed up, having died in the concentrated poisons of Sera’s inner feelings. … But strangely, she thought she might have enjoyed it while it lasted. Sanguis sat patiently off to the side, regarding the two females with interest. They seemed to have forgotten about him for the moment, which was fine. This way he could observe them without them noticing. The older one with the pink fins and tail – Sue – was stranger than he had initially realized. She had this odd, mystical vibe about her that set the Baruragaru on edge. Her strangeness had only grown when she had stared into the water and seemed to have gotten a better understanding of what Sera was asking. Sanguis had no idea how she could apparently gain information from that pool, which definitely wasn’t a living thing that could be observed or tasted. The girl in black with the red spikes – Sera the Unknown – was something else, though. On the outside, she looked and smelled simple enough, but there was this unnerving vibe about her, too. It wasn’t a mysterious, calming kind of aura like Sue’s, Sanguis recollected. No… it was like a dark blanket of menace that churned up Sanguis’ instincts whenever she moved. His inner voices screamed at him that she was dangerous, but the new voices that had appeared with his transformation were saying different things. On one side, Sanguis wanted to flee as far away from her as he could. On the other, stronger side, there was this urge to stay by her side and do what he could to assuage the constant despair that saturated her. It was an alien urge that he couldn’t – that he wouldn’t – understand. The most mysterious thing of all, though, was how Sue and Sera were interacting now. “Sssss…” he hissed, tasting them from afar. Ah yes, he understood a little more now, but not much. He could detect the smell of fear on Sera, which was understandable. When another creature grabbed another like that, it wasn’t good. But he could also tell that Sue, aside from smelling clean and flowery, was calmer than a breeze. She was practically radiating with warmth and comfort, like the warm patches of mud that Sanguis used to love sleeping in. Was this act of wrapping her arms around Sera supposed to put her to rest? He blinked his orange eyes when he witnessed Sue bend her neck and place her mouth on Sera’s head. Now that was perplexing. Something told Sanguis that she wasn’t trying to eat or taste the other girl. Just for a moment, when he next sent his tongue out to probe the air, he felt Sera relax for the smallest of instants. Was that contentment? He wracked his brain for an answer to this strange scenario, even though he knew it was futile. Among his species, mated pairs would twine their necks around each other to express their devotion. Was this a similar thing for humans, even though these two were clearly not mates? Sanguis felt lost, and it was not a nice experience. Ever since Sanguis had woken up to find himself in a body that was not his, his mind had been at war with itself. But never had the turmoil been as fierce as it was now. The side he was familiar with was rapidly losing strength against the new, more curious side. As he watched Sue try to comfort Sera, he asked himself a question. Would it be worth letting his new human instincts win the internal war if he got to survive in this world… and if there was a chance of, maybe, experiencing a moment like the one the pink-clad and dark-clad females were sharing? The door shut with a *click*, and Duruhos turned around to face those he most trusted. “Are preparations ready?” he asked, seriously. The response came as a muffled grunt from the largest of the three. “The airship is fit to fly,” Ray told him. “I picked the smallest and fastest of the bunch. With a good wind, we could reach Port Tanzia in half a day.” A stray spark from Odon’s glowing crest jumped out and lashed Ray’s shoulder with a *snap*. The Gamuto-man’s trunk let out an icy sneeze that showered the twitchy Elite with snowflakes. “Hey!” he snapped, swiping at Ray with his sharp wing claws. “Point that thing somewhere else, you big lump of smelly Kelbi fur!” Wordlessly, Ray leaned to the side to avoid having his heavy clothes torn, then lifted an enormous hand and grabbed the Raizekusu-man by the horn. Duruhos winced as Odon’s cry of pain bounced off the walls and into the open sky. Based purely on Ray’s demeanor, Gamutos were silent and independent fanged beasts that did what they wanted without worry of what other monsters thought. However, they obviously didn’t approve when said monsters met them with violence. “This is precisely what we don’t want the humans to see,” the Rust Duramboros-man sighed wearily. “We want them to think of us as civilized folk that would fit in well with their society – not brutes that are no better off than the creatures we once were.” “Tell that to him!” screeched Odon, who thrashed like a caught insect as Ray bent his head back. A growl came from Cindy, who was sitting in a chair at the back of the room, impatiently dragging her tailblade back and forth over the gritty floor. Any more scraping and the weapon would start glowing with intense heat. “Shut the hell up, Odon,” she snarled, anger radiating from the face behind the mask. “For once use your whiny mouth for something other than nipping us in the backsides.” His addled mind didn’t take the hint. He shrieked shrilly, “Go back to the jungle you sulked in, you old fossil!” “HROOOOOOOOOO!” The deafening trumpeting sound that cut them both off came from Ray. He lowered his trunk and let it twist itself into a comfortable bun on the back of his head. “When you’re both finished,” he huffed, “Duruhos called us to his quarters for a reason.” He got a grateful nod from their leader. Reluctantly, Odon stopped struggling and waited for Ray to let go of him before scampering a safe distance away. Cindy gritted her teeth and visibly relaxed. “I believe it’s high time we take our next step toward peaceful contact with the humans,” Duruhos told them, quietly. “I have already sent a note to the Guild-Master of Port Tanzia, a human settlement on the eastern coast of Moga, requesting a meeting with him. His reply came earlier this morning, and he is expecting us some time in the next two days.” There was silence as the Elites digested that. “You’re certain this is going to work out?” Cindy growled. “The war only ended five years ago. Humans may not be entirely used to thinking of monsters as allies, if you get what I’m saying.” “Not to mention our very existence is more than a little suspicious,” added Ray. “Monsters don’t just become… like us. It would take strong magic to do it. That’s why ordinary monsters are so frightened of us. They can feel the magic that surrounds us.” Duruhos nodded at both of them. “I understand your concerns, but the longer we wait, the more we risk being discovered. Better to let them know of our presence ourselves, at least so they know we’re civilized ahead of time.” He then turned to Odon. “What about you? Remember, we’re all working together on this. Don’t you have your thoughts about this decision too?” The Raizekusu-man cackled. “Duh, of course I do!” he laughed. “You guys usually don’t like it when I do chime in with an opinion.” “Wow,” remarked Cindy. “Odon actually made a valid point.” Unable to stop himself, Duruhos let a small chuckle escape his mouth. He walked methodically over to his desk, his tail dragging heavily behind him with an audible *ssssssshhhh*. Plucking a twig from the cup on his desk, he chewed on it for a few seconds before turning to face the Elites once again. “I wish to take two of you with me,” he said. “Sue has already made it clear that she is remaining in Loc Lac. Odd, seeing as she would be the most comfortable with a visit to the coast.” Immediately, Ray raised his hand. “I shall go.” “I’m not,” Odon griped, shivering his wings and tail. “The thought of the sea just… brr.” “Scared?” sneered Cindy. He shrugged, for once not flying into a rage at the insensitive jab. “Guess that means I’m coming along too,” the Dinovaldo-woman grumbled. “Two of the most sensible Elite gone, leaving Odon and Spark alone to terrorize those who remain.” Sharply, Duruhos reprimanded her, “Odon knows his place, although you do not give him enough credit to admit that. As for Spark, he and Sue are more than able to discipline him if he causes trouble in our absence.” Cindy nodded, contrite. “As well,” Duruhos continued, stroking his goatee, “I wish to bring along Kumono and Atticus. They are good examples of how monsters can change for the better upon transforming.” The three Elite exchanged glances and all nodded thoughtfully. It was a good, well thought-out decision. “Anyone else you’re bringing along?” Ray rumbled. “Yes, as a matter of fact,” replied the Rust Duramboros-man, now scratching behind one of his horns. “I asked him here a short while ago. He should not be more than another minute…” Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Duruhos called to the one on the other side to come in, and a fourth person walked into their midst. He was kind of ordinary-looking for a hybrid, with only a pair of straight tusks and a ridge going down his head and back to distinguish himself for a normal human being. His plain brown shorts and muscle shirt were just as ordinary. However, the Jhen Mohran-boy was probably the most powerful hybrid in Loc Lac City. “Nice seeing you again, Duruhos,” he greeted, looking around the room. “Oh, and you guys too. Haven’t met up with you in a while.” “I trust you are doing well?” Duruhos replied, smiling and bowing to his newest guest. “I’m so glad you could spare some time to accompany myself and my friends to this important meeting in Port Tanzia.” “Hey, I’m happy to help,” the Mohran-boy said. “I’ve been guarding this city for five years – guarding you for a few days shouldn’t be hard. As long as I feed myself. Goodness, I’m starving right now.” He self-consciously rubbed his protruding belly. “Not this tubby Vespoid-head again,” complained Odon, a spasm wracking his armored form as electricity leapt over his wing membranes. “What’s his name again? He’s so useless I don’t even bother remembering!” “MYAAAAGGGRRRR!” roared Cindy. Suddenly, she was on her feet, metallic mask glinting in the sun. “Useless? You, you overgrown Altaroth, are useless. This hybrid is an elder dragon who has been keeping us safe for longer than you’ve been here provoking my temper. The reason we’ve never been discovered by humans yet is this hybrid here. His name, if you must be reminded, is Gulo, and he demands some respect.”
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