Figments in the Night

Kotone felt bad for the three guilds and the trouble that the new dark guild, Shadow Heart, had caused them. While the Magic Council had practically been asking for what had happened to them, the guilds had just been trying to live their lives and provide a safe place for their members to rest and grow stronger and make friends. It was a fact that Kotone herself was relatively new to realizing. She’d finally departed from her time off she’d taken in order to relax and grow as a person, and as a dragon slayer, roused by a combination of renewed vigor and the need to protect the people she’d been unable to protect while she was at her home in Hosenka. She would keep growing stronger, helping people, and using the money she earned to help further.

“L-look,” the man named Lars continued as Kotone stood and listened to the man plead for her help. She’d only just arrived and told him she was there about his request, “I know I sound crazy, but I really don’t feel right about heading into the Worth Woodsea with my cargo and my hired help when there’s monsters just waiting to pounce!” he declared.

Kotone could practically smell the nervousness on the man. She shook her head, giving him a reassuring, fang-filled grin and a thumbs up. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a dragon slayer, there’s nothing in those woods as scary as me!” she told him confidently. The look on his face was priceless – a mix of surprised to see a dragon slayer and relief that she wasn’t treating him like he was crazy.

“T-thank you, Miss. Well then… welcome to the caravan. What was your name again?”

“My name’s Kotone. I’m the ice dragon slayer. I’m glad to help, Lars.”

The ice dragon slayer was glad to help. That much was true. Her job was to be a hero and keep people safe, after all. A boring little escort mission? Only because she knew her friends at Lamia Scale were too busy for a simple job like this, and the people needed it, and she knew three guilds that could use the money.

It was a quiet trip, other than the nervous jabbering of Lars. Kotone was more than happy to mostly listen. He was talking about monsters following them and how he was sure he’d spot something soon. They’d only just made it to the Worth Woodsea, after all. It hadn’t been nearly long enough to spot all the evil monsters. Kotone had to admit, she thought he was extra paranoid, but she also knew dangerous things lived here, so she didn’t question it. Worst case scenario there was nothing and she would get paid for making the guy feel a little better, right? Ugh, this would have been impossible to the less mature Kotone from only a couple of months back. She would have probably told the guy he was insane and she had better things to do. Kotone herself took the time to marvel at how much she’d changed when she stopped to think about it.

As it started to get dark, Lars began getting more and more freaked out. He kept saying he saw creatures, but Kotone couldn’t smell any, and she kept assuring him things were fine, and that even if they attacked, she was strong enough to keep the caravan safe. It was only marginally helpful. Eventually, he flipped out yet again at some eyes reflecting the light of the torches the caravaneers were carrying. A chunk of ice shot at the evil creature revealed it to be a rabbit. “Seriously, you’ve got to relax,” Kotone told the man with a sigh. Even the new and improved chill Kotone was having a hard time with this guy. She much preferred the jobs where she could go in and taunt the bad guys and punch them into submission….

It wasn’t the quickest job Kotone had ever done for the money, but it couldn’t be helped. Several days of paranoia passed, with Kotone growing more and more irritable as the short man jumped at shadows. Sometimes he seemed to jump at less than that. Eventually, the dragon slayer was riding on top of the Caravan, doing her best not to explode and yell at her client. She was calm. It was just part of the job.

“There! Another sound! Quick before we all die!”

“It was just a tree branch. I saw it from here.”

“But what did it?!”

“Time.”

Yeah, things were going just wonderfully. Kotone flopped down, laying on the top of the wagon’s roof as it moved. In all honesty, it was making her feel a bit sick, which was making her irritable, but it was still better than having the panicking man grab her and try to hide behind her at every opportunity. That was making her far more irritable earlier in the day. At least he couldn’t get up here. Still, she had to concentrate not to start feeling too sick. Transportation wasn’t exactly her forte. She was going to sit up here until they arrived and not move another inch to go investigate anything. She’d wasted enough time. He wasn’t crazy. He was extremely overly paranoid.

“Kotone! Dear lord I- It’s a monster in the trees! I can see it moving! Please! I know you said you weren’t getting off but please, I have a bad feeling about whatever it is moving around over there!” came the long-winded cry of her employer. She didn’t want to get off. She was getting paid though…

“Fine, fine. One more time,” Kotone told the man as she hopped off of the wagon. She stumbled slightly, not realizing just how stubborn she was being. She wasn’t getting back on top of the wagon after all… Stubbornly, she walked up to the area where the man had been pointing and shaking. She couldn’t wait to get away from the smell of fear anyway. From the darkness, a raven took off, nearly bowling over Kotone as she quickly dodged aside to avoid a bird mauling. “Geeze…” the girl grumbled as she walked back. “You’re fine. It was just a bird we’d disturbed, I promise,” she took a deep breath so as not to smack him for being such a baby. He didn’t deserve it even now. She knew not everyone could be brave.

Finally, the group arrived at their destination, and Kotone couldn’t have been happier. Lars apologized profusely, a look of incredible relief on his face to have made it to the settlement alive. Kotone took her money, thanking him as politely as she could, since she was an adult and all, unlike him, and went off to find a place to sleep for the rest of the night. She had a stomach ache and a head ache. It was going to be good to get some actual quiet relaxation.