Chapter 64: The Fox Hunter

Sari: “Trophy?”

Sari looked around the room, the Therian women behind the cells bars, were all exceedingly beautiful, and the jewelry they wore, if not for the cells, she would have believed them to be nobles.

Gideon: “Why yes and you the newest member. Aren’t you just overwhelmed with joy?”

Sari: “But, Kashiro, what you told us?”

Gideon: “I meant every word of what I said.”

Gideon had made yet another deal with Kashiro, they learned that the Lycanian had apparently saved their children and were now on the way to rescue their parents. They had heard of the weapons cache, the Lycanian was rumored to have. Jonathan suggested they make a move to obtain said Cache. However, Gideon was much more interested in the tales of her beauty. The more he heard, the more he wanted her. If Kashiro could lead the Lycanian into a trap, then he would allow for them all to go free.

Gideon: “But you see, I don’t think Kashiro will be coming back.”

Sari: “I don’t understand.”

Gideon: “Well, it turns out, that the Lycanian killed your husband, it was unavoidable, he just couldn’t get away in time.”

Sari: “Nonsense…..how could you know!?”

Sari saw the cynical smile, plastered on Gideon’s face and understood what he meant.

Sari: “No.”

Gideon: “Yes, it is tragic, but if he dies, he can’t keep up his end of the deal, so why should I?”

Sari dropped to her knees and begin to cry while Gideon stood over her, with an expression of peer ecstasy. Nathan watched this all play out, he now got a good idea of this man. Everything from his mannerism to his expression were repulsive, getting off watching people despair. Now he understood the women reaction to this man, there was fear, but more so then that, there was a word that came to mind when seeing him.

Nathan: “*Whisper*Disgusting.”

Gideon: “What?”

Nathan: “(Oh shit.)”

Gideon turn his attention from Sari, making a beeline in Nathan’s direction. Nathan ready himself, only to quickly realize, he wasn’t the target. Gideon hurriedly opened the cell closes to Nathan and jacking up the young girl inside.

Gideon: “I’m sorry……. did you say something?”

Young girl: “N-No!”

*slap*slap*slap*slap*slap*slap*

Gideon begin to assault the girl, slapping her over and over, with a calm face full of confusion.

Gideon: “Strange, I could have sworn trophies don’t talk, how could it say no?”

Woman: “P-Please stop, it wasn’t her.”

Gideon, surprised by the women who occupied the same cell, let the girl fall to the floor and begin slapping the other women, as much as the girl before.

Gideon: “I must be going crazy, this trophy just spoke too, absolutely mindboggling.”

The sound of the slaps echoed throughout the chamber. The other women trying their best to not reacted or suffer the same way. Sari watched in avid horror as the two were assaulted over and over, but after a while, the slapping subsided. Gideon turned to each woman, their faces swollen, but they remained motionless, not so much as a tear, nor a sound pass their lips, this made Gideon smile.

Gideon: “Aha, so I was hearing things, but now look what I’ve gone and done, I’ll have Jonathan buff out these dents later.”

Comparingly different from his handling moments ago, he gently placed the two back in their chairs, before leaving and locking the cell. With that done he turned, back to Sari, a terrified mess on the floor. She had never been so afraid in her life as she was in this moment. Her brains screamed at her, begged her to run, but her legs just would not get a signal.

Gideon: “Sorry about that, sometimes I hear voices coming from the trophies, which we know is impossible.”

Gideon picked Sari up off the floor and lead her over to a vacant cell, tossing her inside. Sari turned back, just as Gideon locked the door behind her.

Gideon: “Now, you stay right there, you’ll have a guest soon enough and then we can begin the engraving process. The engraving will be handled later in my room, it’s actually one of my favorite parts.

Gideon gave Sari a little wink, that sent a shiver down her spine.

Gideon: “Then you will officially become a part of my collection.”

Gideon then turned and walked out of the room, leaving the girls to themselves. Nathan came from behind the barrels and looked around the room, even if it was not definite, the sheer relief on everyone’s faces was all too apparent. Nathan turned towards the two who had been beaten, their swollen faces from being slapped repeatedly, looked awful. Nathan put a hand in through the cell bars and down next to the two.

Nathan: “(Heal!)”

The women were surprised to suddenly be wrapped in a white aura. They were afraid at first, but as their pain subsided and their swollen faces return to normal, the fear went away, leaving only confusion. From nowhere, the wounds healed all by themselves. Nathen didn’t reveal himself, there was no need to, but he had to at least heal them. After all, it was his fault they were beaten.

Nathan turned to find some of the women, staring at him, or more so at the two behind him and their miraculous recovery. He stepped away, no reason to tempt fate and have himself spotted, but as he walked away, one set of eyes seem to follow his movements. He stepped back and forth, and then he was sure, Sari could see him. He was perplexed…..no one’s been able to see him so far, her children couldn’t, so why could she?

Nathan: “(Pry!)”

Sari: “(Huh?)

Name: Sari ????? Level: ??

HP: ???/??? MP: ????/????

Race: ???????

Legacy: Aura Sketch

Ability: ????, Flames of Purification

Ability: Aura Observer

Stats:

STH ??

DEF ??

INT ???

AGI ??

LUCK ??

Sari jumped in surprise, she felt that Nathan had just done something to her, but she wasn’t sure what. There was no malice, but it was still an unpleasant feeling. Soon, the feeling subsided, Sari looking herself over for any problems.

The Lycanian all the bandits have been talking about, had shown up and is no one seemed to notice him. Even after he healed those girls, they were all oblivious.

Nathan was baffled, he could barely read her status screen, even her level was invisible. He didn’t think she was super high leveled, if she was, she could have maybe, taken on that Gideon guy. He should be able to, the only way he could think of that he couldn’t, if she herself were knowingly hiding it. That could be it, after all he couldn’t read Iris’s last name, maybe it was the same thing.

He would have to check later, right now, he needed to get after that man, all he needed was him and he could claim the reward for capturing the bandit leader. Nathan turn to leave, he still had his scent and since he was out of the area where the Echo Crystal is located, he could easily track him.

Sari: “W-Wait!”

Nathan and looked back, Sari was surprised he stopped, she wasn’t sure what to say. Nathan wander why she would call out to him, if she wanted him to let her out, she was out of luck.

Sari: “I’m sorry.”

Nathan was surprised by that, he didn’t expect her to do that. He thought for a moment before taking off, she must be apologizing for agreeing to help capture him. However, from her conversation with Gideon, it appears as though he was planning to kill her husband regardless of the outcome. If that was the case, she must have felt that she needed to apologize for going through with it. Sari watched on as Nathan, disappeared down the hallway.

Sari: “(His aura, could it be?)”

_

_

Gideon was ecstatic; he was soon to have to new trophies to ogle. Both beauties and both rare species, he couldn’t wait. Though, Gideon was wondering what was taking Jonathan so long to return. How long does it take, to capture one Therian girl? His patient was getting the best of him, he would just have to go there himself and speed things along.

Grabbing his sword, he headed for his door when he noticed that it was slightly ajar. He clearly remembered shutting the door. He made no sudden movements, but took a quick look around. Nothing seemed out of place, had he been mistaken? Looking at the door, he noticed a piece of wood had fallen off and was sticking out toward the door frame.

Testing it, he found that the piece of wood, prevented the door from shutting. It must of stop the door from closing earlier, they been using theses caves for years, it was common for a little wear and tear. He knocked the piece of wood away and shut the door behind him as he left.

Nathan stood back from the door as Gideon came out and breathe a sigh of relief, he wasn’t expecting him to be so observant. Nathan had in fact, opened that door to sneak in and it was completely by luck, that the door happened to be damaged.

As he walked by Nathan readied himself, all he had to do was knock him out and he’d have all the evidence he needed.

Just as he was going to strike him, his “Threat Detection” kicked in, but it was too late. His hand collided with an invisible force, which repulsed Nathan’s attack and forcing him bacwards. Nathan quickly recovered, but Gideon was on him. Both drew their swords at the same time.

*clang* clang*clang*

With no introductions needed, the two just begun clashing blades, every strike verberated through the cave. Gideon, brought his sword down putting his wait into his swing, trying to knock the shorter statured Nathan off balance. To his surprise, Nathan not only held his ground, he was able to push right back.

Gideon: “So there was someone here and to my surprise it’s my soon-to-be trophy. Making me use the last of my barrier rings….how did you get in here?”

Nathan: “I walked in, like everyone else.”

Gideon: “I can guarantee, you did no such thing, but if you’re here, then my men are on a fool’s errand. No matter, this way I can discipline you myself, it will be a much more rewarding pay-out taming you directly.”

Gideon smiled that smile again, the hideous smile that brought only one word to mind.

Nathan: “Disgusting.”

Gideon: “That voice……..ah, so that was you back there. That means I dented my trophies for nothing.”

Nathan: “Don’t blame me for your fetish, you fucking pervert. You get off on hurting people, I saw your face when you were hurting those women.

Gideon: “Fetish, don’t mock my love of trophies, as something so vulgar. And those things are not women, they are my wonderful collection, that I work tirelessly to acquire.”

Nathan: “And by acquire, you actually mean, tricked or stole from their families?”

Gideon: Be quiet, do you know how hard I’ve worked? How difficult it is to keep up th maintenance on them, their daily cleanings and polishing, stealing only the finest in jewelry, to adorn them with? Not to mention, the engravings I have to constantly keep up with them or fear it losing its shape of my glory.”

Nathan: “………..What!?”

Gideon: “Yes, every day for my shape, to stay edge into their bodies, I have to constantly, drive my insignia deep into them. Yet every day again and again, it reverts to its original shape. I just can’t understand why they refuse to edge my glory into their bodies, perplexing to say the least.”

Nathan: “You…….do you even hear yourself!?”

Gideon: “*sigh* It seems you don’t understand either, but you will, I think I have both you and Sari at the same time. Although, Sari will take a little more maintenance. Having to clean out anything Kashiro might have left behind will prove bothersome. Hopefully, these days of stress have left her inner walls undisturbed.”

Gideon lunged at Nathan, attempting to stab him. Nathan dropped to the ground, from his low position, Gideon’s chest was wide open to attack. Taking the opportunity gifted to him, Nathan ran his sword vertically down Gideon’s chests.

Gideon: “UGH!”

It was a shallow wound, but blood still trickled down his chest, staining his clothes. Gideon had moved to the side, to avoid major injury, but Nathan wasn’t giving him time to recover and kicked him in his wound.

Gideon: “Gah!”

Gideon smacked into the cave wall, before rolling to the ground. A definite crack, could be heard, when he hit the wall, the sound bringing Nathan back to his senses. Once he saw Gideon sprawled out on the ground, he remembered how he needed him alive. What Gideon said, had angered more than had thought it would.

Gideon wobbled to his feet, the wound had gotten worse from the kick, blood now flowing steadily. He held his side in pain, but he could still move, so wasn’t enough to put his life in danger. Didn’t matter either way though, because Nathan, would make sure to heal him up later.

Gideon: *Cough* You, you fucking mutt, you’ll pay!”

Gideon raised his sword into the air, from that distance It wouldn’t reach, but Nathan’s “Threat Detection”, warned him otherwise.

Nathan: “Woah!?”

Nathan jumped out of the way, as several beams of energy flew at him. Looking to where the attacks had landed, everything the attack struck, had been split in two.

Gideon: “Ugh, well I’m surprised, it been awhile since I’ve been injured and even longer since anyone’s dodge that attack.”

Nathan: “What was that?”

Gideon: “Now why on Leseres, would I tell you that?”

Nathan: “Fine then, (Pry)!”

Gideon: “What this?”

Gideon quickly notice the magic and launched another beam, stopping Nathan ability from working.

Nathan: “Shit!”

Nathan avoided two of the attacks reflexively, the last put a gash in his arm.

Nathan: “Damn!”

Nathan healed the wound, stopping the blood. He only got a glimpse of his status screen, but he got what he needed. “Blade Beam”, basically from its name, he can fire off beams a sharp as blades. More than that, Nathan’s clothes were tweaked with a Chain Mails defense, yet the blade was able to cut through his sleeves. He couldn’t afford a direct hit from that in the wrong spot.

Gideon: “Oh, you can heal as well, that will come in handy, I won’t have to waste as many tomes or hear Jonathan’s complaints. That said, that magic, just now, what exactly we’re you trying to do to me?”

Nathan: “Why on Leseres, would I tell you that?”

Gideon: “You are starting to irritate me.”

Nathan: “If this irritates, you’re gonna be seething, when you see my big surprise. (All jokes aside, this isn’t good).”

This wasn’t going as planned, he wasn’t expecting this to take so long or for him to be so formidable. He looked around, the cave walls were covered in rock and only a few places he could grow plants. He had been setting them up, but it wasn’t enough. He could only hope Gideon’s men, didn’t catch on just yet or it would get a lot tougher.