Monster Girl Menagerie – Celestial Archive

I looked up at the moon, the sparse canopy barely hindering my view of the glowing celestial body. I blinked.

The night air was colder than yesterday—a sign that winter drew closer still. Sounds of the insects chirping in the underbrush echoed across the solitary stillness of the forest. The only source of warmth remained the hand entwined with mine.

Athea paused near a particularly thick tree, hands tracing along the bark. I watched on with a curious expression as she ran her fingers about its rough texture, stopping at one section. She turned her head, addressing us, and said, "We are near."

As we began our journey through the dank bushes, Amara asked, "What was the meaning of checking out that tree?"

I too was curious about her actions and eyed the woman intently. She answered, "These lands are ridden with traps, and the safer path has been marked. We are all taught to recognize the signs—lest we become a victim of our own machinations."

Fascinating, I thought, though it does make sense, sort of.

We crossed the path in silence. The sodden grass felt slimy as it was crushed under our boots. My Blood Monarch-aided senses alerted me to the flares of vital energy in the distance. I exchanged a glance with Amara.

Athea's presence was an expected factor that we had been counting on. It was less a protection from the dangers of these lands than proof to lend credence to our story. But in the end, Amara's words proved absolute—that the greatest advantage lay not in our merits but our strength.

I strode forward with rare confidence—birthed from the belief in my own strength. By now, I could make out a raucous blend of noises alongside the faint glimmer in the distance. As we drew near, I finally glimpsed upon a wide open field with pyres lit at intervals. Men and women in grimy, scratched armor milled about.

I caught a wistful look on Athea's face, though she hid it quick. She walked ahead, and we followed behind. Some of the men caught our tread, and their eyes lit up when they glanced at Athea. Soon enough, one of the soot-stained men was rushing to meet us.

"Athea!" He pulled her in a bear hug and patted her back several times. The trio of us paused and watched from some distance. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm fine, Ed," Athea said, pulling herself loose. Though she sounded exasperated, I found a soft smile stretched across her lips. "It's good to see you too."

Ed smiled broadly and patted her shoulders before turning to address us. "And these are?" He asked, his smile giving way to a frown.

"Guilders," Athea replied briskly. "They have come to offer aid and also to search for their friends."

Ed stole a quick, furtive glance at Athea, cleared his throat, and said, "We appreciate any help extended our way. Please allow me to escort you to our captain."

"Please," I gestured, smiling. Somehow the duo had exchanged more than just simple words, and I was admittedly curious. However, considering we had more pressing matters to tend to, that could wait.

As Ed led us through the open field, many of the men had fixated their gazes on our group. Amara's and Tania's appearance certainly warranted such attention, though I didn't appreciate them being ogled. My heart, though sealed, quickened its pace.

I flared Blood Monarch in an effort to distract myself. With my already enhanced perception, I could distinguish between the life auras more easily than before. I could tell Athea was a low-tier C-Rank, while Ed's aura flared a touch brighter. All around the camp, vital auras bloomed in my sensory radar. Tens, and then hundreds.

It was hard to make an accurate guess on the number of soldiers present, though I estimated the number to hover above three hundred. Considering this was but one of the three bases they had established, their forces exceeded five hundred at the very least. A sizable army for a mere barony—even if the majority were E-ranks.

Even among the conflagration of motes crowding my senses, one stood brighter than the others. Though it paled in comparison to Amara's brimming vitality—even falling behind Tania's radiant intensity—I could ascertain without a shred of doubt that this aura belonged to a B-Rank hunter.

Ed led us right toward it.

I laid my eyes on a modest white tent, with two armored men standing guard on either side of the door flaps. They were both D-ranks.

Ed picked up pace, arriving before the guards and pointing toward us while muttering something incoherent. The guard nodded, poked his head inside, and pulled it out. He nodded at Ed, who gestured toward us. The guards grabbed at the edge of the flap and allowed us a view inside.

The interior was more spacious than Ark's tent—the land was covered by a ground cloth instead of being bare. My attention was, though, fixated upon the man sitting behind the desk, with his hands folded and resting upon it. He sat on the chair with a rigid posture, his rugged appearance only serving to enhance the austere attitude.

He eyed us all with a critical eye, focusing on Amara first before shifting to Tania. His gaze lingered on me for minutes longer before he stood up, allowing us a view of his knightly armor, emblazoned with the crest of the Feylance Family—a sword with crystalline vines spiraling around the blade.

"Please come in," he said, his voice softer than I had expected. Amara took a step forward; Tania and I followed suit. Athea was the last to step in, as Ed had decided to remain outside.

"Have a seat," he gestured at the chair, and my lips twitched in annoyance. There was only one chair; how exactly did he expect us to share it? Then a thought struck me, and I smiled broadly.

"Of course," I said, and took the seat. I grasped Amara's hand and pulled her into my lap. To my benefit, the vampire made no effort to resist or even protest, sliding into my embrace with an effortless grace.

I took immense pleasure in seeing the man's facial muscles grow taut at the display. Athea, though, maintained her calm, as though she wasn't surprised at all. On the other hand, I could feel Tania's disquiet. I would have to make it up to her somehow.

"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Aldrin," the man said, his tone devoid of any levity.

"Markus," I said, before introducing Amara and Tania. For some reason, the duo chose not to contribute to our conversation. I wondered what the quirky vampire intended to achieve by acting this way, though my curiosity would have to take a backseat until after I've finished my talk.

"I have been told that you come from the guild?" Aldrin posed, sharing the skepticism that Ark had displayed.

I smiled and said, "I understand the doubt, Sir Aldrin. Our presence does come off as slightly suspicious, but I can assure you that we will be out of your hair once we have wrapped up our business."

"Your friends, right?" he asked.

I nodded.

"There are some guilders present in our camp, though most of them are quite weak," he added, pointedly staring at Amara.

"Yes, well," I said, "strength is hardly a foundation upon which to build a friendship, wouldn't you agree?"

Aldrin made no comment, offering us a silent stare. I was perfectly willing to wait, staring him back in the eye. Leaning forward, I allowed my hands to slide around Amara's waist, the buttons of her coat brushing against my hand.

"I guess," he finally said. "Ed will be waiting outside. He will escort you to your friends."

He might as well have kicked us out, though his dismissal was as good as any. Amara dropped from my lap, taking her arousing warmth with her and leaving me with a burning desire for more. I stood up and adjusted my clothing. "It was a pleasure meeting you," I said, offering a short wave before turning around.

As we left the tent, my gaze drifted to the clear night sky above. Stars dotted the cosmos like splashes of paint on a black canvas, glimmering softly.

I saw Ed sitting atop a boulder, lost in thought as he rubbed his fingers together. I walked over, alerting the man to our presence. He stood up, a smile plastered to his face, and said, "I suppose you wish to meet with your friends at the earliest?"

"That would be wonderful," I affirmed.

"Please follow me," he said, leading us toward another corner of the camp. There was no source of illumination present except the lunar radiance painting the ground a dim white. A few of the tents were lined along the back, squat and rough.

"Most of them are sleeping at the moment," Ed informed. "If you could provide their names, it would save us some trouble."

I readily offered the names of my former teammates and watched as the man darted toward one tent in particular before entering. I decided to wait outside.