Monster Girls Book 1: A Tale of Tails!

Chapter 173: Take the Initiative

"Move it, cat!" One of the soldiers barked loudly, shoving KuliKuli forward. She stumbled and fell over when her sister spun around and caught her in time. Both cat girls were being escorted into a small carriage. Their wrists and ankles were cuffed and chain-linked together, led by a heavily armored soldier with a thick helmet and vent-like visor that completely covered his head. The girls knew at a glance that he was covered in metal plating as protection, meaning he would likely be present inside this cage. 

"Easy," Perdilius warned them, overseeing them with his religious novel in hand. His fingers drummed along the black leather cover, gazing at the carriage that would follow closely behind. 

Mesa approached him, standing by his side. She held her hands together in front of her, smiling and sneaking a glance at Perdilius while subtly rocking back and forth. "And you're sure you want to bring the silly Hunter with you, daddy?"

Perdilius snorted, casting shade over her from their height difference. "The Hunter is misguided, but he has come this far."

"Exactly, he's come this far. What if he's waiting until now to retaliate and free his spawn?"

"It would be a foolish course of action to take. His best chance has long since passed. In a matter of hours, we'll arrive at Faehorn City. I leave the responsibility of retrieving that cat onto you and your brother Raz. That won't be a problem, will it?" He stood tall, facing forward as his eyes peaked below to glare at her. 

Mesa shook her head, her yellow curls swaying and bouncing above her shoulders. "Nope!"

"I hear that you have plans with their mother." He turned to her, speaking in a stern voice. "Bringing the Hunter with me would soften the blow. During our travels, he's hardly been a few paces away from her. Initially under the pretense of protection, but it is plain to see that certain affection remains between them." 

Mesa turned to him. "So, you see I'm right to be skeptical!" 

"Tone." He warned her, watching from his peripheral vision as she calmed herself. 

"Forgive me, dad. Erm, Father."

"Do as you wish with the mother, within the right terms. You know the boundaries we don't cross." 

"No-no, no need to worry. She'll prove to be very useful!" She stuttered, inching closer to him when he turned around to look down on her. 

Perdilius leaned forward, his eyes squinting as his voice deepened. "I may not be nearby, but the Gods are always watching. Do not make the same mistake as before. We've sacrificed so much to have made it this far, I'm counting on you now more than ever." 

In a move that shocked her, he held out his book as an offering, giving it a light shake. Carefully, she reached out and lifted the cover, revealing the shining ruby hidden inside. Its red light reflecting off her eyes as she held the stone in her hands. 

"I leave to you the three beasts. They helped us track the three siblings before, and so they will help you find this one now. Use them and the mother as you see fit." 

"I-" She choked, squeezing the stone and taking a step back. Her lips quivered before nodding ecstatically. "Yes, dad. I-I'll make you p-proud, I swear!" 

His tightened lips loosened up as he leaned back and stood upright, reaching out with his hand. She jumped before calming down with relief when she felt him pat her head and tussle her hair. 

"You've great potential in you, Mesa. You have amazing talent with a great future ahead."

Mesa nodded, raising her head to see him through tearful eyes. "Thanks, daddy. I'll be good, you wait and see."

"A good daughter is an obedient one, one who honors their father and their mother. Do not fail me, Mesa." He praised her one final time before strolling by, ordering the others to finalize preparations. Mesa held a hand over her heart, beaming with pride before walking away in child-like skips. Raz had finished inspecting the carriages, noticing Perdilius approaching before signaling with a raised thumb. 

"All seems ready, Father." 

"Good. I expect you both to coordinate well. You're both gifted spell casters, gifted with abilities beyond mine." 

"What of the Valley of Death?" 

"You heard from your sister. So long as the Valley remains complacent and the Raven satisfied, then the plan remains. The eclipse passes in three weeks, Raz. I need that beast returned as soon as possible. We cannot afford any further delays." 

"What of the Rangers? They tried to ambush us at the Mountain Pass. And they've taken the south fort-"

He raised his hand to cut him off. "I've spoken with the chief earlier. His reports tell me that the rangers are hardly a threat to us. It's the other creatures that prove more harmful, lousy beasts."

"The Nekomata? Or the slime?" 

"All the same to my ears." He scoffed, his face scrunched in disgust as the two of them strolled up toward the front carriage. "Filthy, disgusting, retched, perverted things. They rot the very land they walk on, their empty minds filled with food or sex to guide them."

"Foul." Raz commented as Perdilius climbed inside, slamming the carriage door behind. He leaned out the window section to look back at Raz. 

"I'll see to it that your accessories are delivered to you as soon as I arrive. Mesa is the hand, but you are the blade. Your gift trumps a thousand men and leaves spell-casters filled with envy. Utilize every advantage you have."

"Even at the loss of our men, despite their faith?" He questioned, "Is it not our responsibility to watch over and protect them from the beasts?" 

Perdilius paused, looking forward as the rear gate began to lift. He breathed in through his nose, his hand dragging down his face as he settled on a response. 

"Sacrifices must be made for the right cause. Everything else is fodder." He stated calmly. 

Raz watched as the carriages began to move forward, slowly leaving their camp before the gate was lifted once more.

"A-And you're sure this will hold well against arrows?" Felix nervously asked, his arms spread wide as a pair of maids worked together to fasten the elvish leather gear onto him. He pointed at another Ranger dressed in curved bark wood crafted onto his chest-piece as he plucked and tested the string of his longbow. "What about him? He's good wood on his, won't I need that too?" 

Alma clicked her tongue as she walked up to him, reaching out and adjusted the shoulder straps to fit the gear on tight. "Frontline fighters are equipped with thick armor to protect against projectiles. Most of us prefer lighter gear like yours. Recall that we utilize our range and surroundings as our shield. They cannot strike us if they can't see us."

Just then, Nyitzcha snuck past a few legs before presenting a modified arrow to the mother elf. "'Ere ya go. I tinkered wit' dem stick ye lot fancy an' added a surprise at the tip. A good shot o' dis will blow dem boys away." 

Alma lifted the arrow with delicacy, admiring the round arrowhead. "A good use for your antics."

"Yea, don't mention it." She snorted, walking up to Felix and feeling his leather gear. "Heh, ye look like dem tree huggin' pricks." 

"Easy on the insults." He urged, laughing it off. He padded down the brown leather and stretched around, getting a feel for how it adjusted for his movement. "Hm, somewhat comfortable. I feel it, but it's not heavy or restraining." 

"Probs why dey call it light armor." The dwarf commented, rolling her eyes and handing him a small pouch. "Brought ye some healing herbs. If ye get hurt, grind d'ese up to a paste an' rub dem 'round yer wound." 

"Thank you. You won't be coming then?" 

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Nah. Red head says dis be a sneaky beaky type shit, nut de fun kind I tend to search fer. Go un, 'ave yer fun. When ye need sumun' to brin' sum fireworks dat give de big boom, I be waitin'. Sides, I got Janette to keeps me company." 

He smiled and nodded. She gave him one last pat before leaving, passing by Reta as she pulled back the longbow she was given. Spi'Reto kept watch, using his own longbow to demonstrate. 

"See, you want to pull this back and straighten your arms like this. Breathe in tight, suck in your chest like so. It helps to steady your aim and draw back as much strength as you can, then release-"

"I know how to use a bow." She calmly stated, turning the bow around before passing it to him. "Do you have them in smaller size?" 

"Smaller?" He blinked. 

"Yes, a shortbow would suffice." As he headed out, she turned her attention to Felix before walking up to him through the group of Rangers. "I see you are nervous." 

"Nervous? N-nah," He coughed, fumbling with his bow. "Just never used these things before. Or a dagger. Knives and I don't get along." 

She held out her hand, waiting patiently for him. He blinked before slowly reaching out and caressing it, only for her to pull his hand close as she slid her fingers along his shoulder, feeling his scar. 

"Your wound is healing well," She remarked, looking him in the eye. "Calm yourself, Felix. I will be by your side." 

"Th-Thanks, ahem." He cleared his throat in an attempt to save face. "Y-You're no stranger to these types of things, huh?"

"Nor are you. Janette told me of your fight at the burning house. You showed bravery staying behind." 

"Some bravery. I could barely throw a punch, and it got my arm stabbed."

"But we have trained since then, so you know more now. Just remember, your first battle is in here." She instructed him, tapping his forehead. "Erase those thoughts from your head, only then will you be ready to fight." 

"We are ready." Alma returned, accompanied by her son as he passed a shortbow to Reta. She held it with a raised brow, skeptical at first, before nodding back to him. 

A moment later, the back door of the hut was opened, exposing the Rangers to the outdoors. One by one, they jumped off the ledge and onto a vine, swinging forward and landing atop a large tree branch. The tree branch had a built-in wooden platform to make the landing easier whilst they waited for the others. 

When it was his turn, Felix glanced over the ledge and swallowed. "Gods, what's wrong with moving in the ground level instead?"

"They would expect that, and doing so risks exposing ourselves to bottom-feeding pests." One Ranger responded, taking his turn and swinging across the vine. 

Spi'Reto noticed his uneasiness and patting him in the back. "Hey, c'mon! Just don't even think about it. When you grab the vine, don't hesitate to swing onto the platform as soon as you can. Linger around long enough and you'll lose your momentum and eventually you're strength. Besides, I saw you before when you were hopping from one tree to the other." 

"Was I doing it well?" 

The young elf snickered, trying to hide his grin. "As well as the children do, perhaps. You'll do better, here! On three." 

Felix breathed in and parted his legs, bracing himself for a sprint while eyeing the vine ahead. 

"One." The elf counted, licking his lips. "Two. Three!" 

He exhaled and kicked himself forward just as his foot felt the edge of the hut before flying outward. He dove forward with outstretched hands, catching the vine and clinging onto it with all his strength. As he swung across, he saw the platform draw near and waited until it was closest. As he released, his heart skipped a beat upon realizing that he mistimed the jump!

Felix kicked out and flailed his hands around, managing to grasp the platform with his hands in time. The other Rangers laughed and reached in, helping him back up before patting his back and celebrating his attempt. Reta proved to handle this better, swinging smoothly and landing atop the platform. 

Alma was the last to join in, just as Felix gazed out and realized the rest of this journey meant walking across trees. He held his breath, spotting an eerie black shape at the far end across the forest, miles away. 

"Is that the tower?" He asked, seeing Spi'Reto nod back. Something else caught his sight, he could see the numerous buildings of the city surrounding the tower, but at the far right was something eroding or... rotting away. It was more difficult to see, the best he could describe it was a large section covered in a black substance with green ashes evaporating from its surface. It was like a green flame, whatever that thing was looked unnatural. 

"What's... that?" He pointed toward it. 

Suddenly, the Rangers looked at him with pained expressions, neither had the heart to respond. Even Spi'Reto's cheerfulness slipped away at the mention of it. 

Alma stepped in, reminding him of the objective with the map in hand. She double-checked where the nearest campsite was before tucking the map into her pocket. "Come, let's go."