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Pagras




"So no, I won't be reconsidering my contract with Iskah."
Vanessa


The Incubus Knight was taken aback by Vanessa's angered response, completely caught surprised by the Dark Mage's unexpected commitment to the sanctity of the word. He could only stand there, wide-eyed, as Vanessa unloaded unto him. When she was finished, the flustered and embarrassed Incubus Knight cleared his throat before replying. "...I have indeed gravely insulted you with my brazen assumptions, Madam Vanessa. For that, I sincerely offer my deepest apologies."

"I suppose you are one of those weird Dark Mages then." The knight chuckled softly. "Iskah is very lucky to have someone as devoted as you... and very unlucky for me." He then sighed in defeat, lamenting that Vanessa was not open to negotiation regarding her partnership with Iskah. "Looks like I'm gonna have to shake you and Iskah off the hard way. May the best party win, eh?"

"Just be warned, you and Iskah's antics might land the two of you in trouble. That and, the royal capital isn't safe all the time so you two may get hurt. Badly." The Incubus Knight said. "I'll do my best to protect both of you, of course, but I can't be vigilant all of the time." Looking back to Iskah who was still playing with the children, he released another sigh. "Well, I've taken too much of your time. Time for me to go. See you around, Dark Mage!"

The Incubus Knight then hopped back and clutched an oval, dark blue pendant he wore on a necklace. Strong winds blew around him and a blue light surrounded him. The lights grew very bright before quickly fading out, but the Incubus Knight was no longer there. Iskah was finally free of the children after the latter's caretaker called them all inside. She attempted to catch Aun before he could teleport but to no avail.

Iskah could only plant her face on her reptilian palm at the development. "...I see Aun, at least, could spare some time for you. What did you two talk about?" Despite what it looked, Iskah trusted Vanessa and her question was of genuine curiosity.
Komatsu Bay

BREAKTHROUGH



"Ayu, are you sure about this? This may have...unfavorable outcomes down the line if we're not careful..."
Shizuka Kannazuki


Ayu smirked before replying, still looking at the awed crowd. "I think they liked it."

She then turned to face Shizuka who carried the unconscious, barely-alive Na'kratz. "We'll keep a closer eye on this guy then, since we lost the previous one. And no idea on who Serek'uar is, but the Sapphire Princes of Varjo are the most powerful spellcasters in the Varjan hierarchy. This Serek'uar must be a special one then, to be leading an entire armada. I... don't look forward to the day when we have to face him."

"And Lord Hideo is just in Kaneda Castle? That's... pretty close honestly. That's just at the border between Onrai and Saikoten." Ayu was genuinely surprised at the information. "I wonder why they hold him there..."

"But I know I made Queen Titania proud today! When Alice hears about this, she'll probably say like: 'Oh my!' And...other...royal things. But I can't wait until she comes back!"
Liliana


Ayu chuckled at Liliana's outburst of pride. "Indeed. Madam Liliana was quite incredible in the field. The Varjans didn't know what hit them."

A familiar, short and rotund figure then approached the gathered taskforce. "You did it, yokai! You did it!" Shizuka the swindler merchant congratulated. "I knew you could pull something like this off. Never doubted for a second!"

Ayu frowned at the merchant. "You tried betting money against them!"

"Ahhh, but that bet never went through, did it? Which means I didn't hold true to it." Shizuka the merchant tried to excuse himself.

Before anyone could respond, an orange light peeked from the horizon. Ayu and the other Shizuka had to cover their eyes for a second before beholding the morning sun. The night was over and the rain had stopped, the thick clouds have scattered to make way for a beautiful view of the dawn. Morning light shone brightly on the liberated port, which made Ayu chuckle at the coincidence.

She made no remarks on it as she addressed the taskforce. "Again, you did a good job here today, taskforce. I will be contacting Lady Kyouko as soon as possible so she can get her fleet here before the Varjans even think of retaking Komatsu Bay." Ayu started. "You should bring the news of Lord Oja to his son immediately. That said, you guys look battered so I won't oppose to any of you taking some time to rest and recuperate. I will stay here to greet Lady Kyouko's fleet and help the people get back to their feet somewhat."

"Lots of bodies to clean up too." The merchant Shizuka complained immediately.



Terauchi Temple


~ @AzureKnight (HIN & ATS), @Enkryption (ALI & CRL), @The Irish Tree (EUL), @Rezod92 ~


"It went well. Varjans had captured her, but we freed her and received some useful information. But, we still need to verify the validity of it. ...E-Excuse me, Lord Takeshi. I'm running low on fuel,"
Eula 039


Eula took off before Takeshi could respond. A moment of awkward silence passed before a concerned Takeshi spoke up. "I'll check in on Alice and see what Revuel is talking about. I'll see you all later. Do let me know if anything new comes up." And with that, the young lord also left.

---
~ @AzureKnight (HIN & ATS) ~


Watching Takeshi leave, Revuel was left with the Hangai sisters. "...I do not oppose entering relationships even in the middle of war, but taking to the bed to consummate them is a tad bit too far." The ex-Warlock complained, unaware of Atsuha's relationship with Skarsneek. "I suppose monsters can't help it. Some monsters even take to battle just to find a mate." His glowing eyes fell to the sisters whose appearances reminded he was before monsters. "...No offense."

"It is also puzzling to me that Takeshi shows great concern for the Sir Alice. Are they the best of friends or something? Maybe something more?" Revuel wondered to the Hangai sisters.

---
~ @Enkryption (ALI & CRL), @The Irish Tree (EUL), @Rezod92 ~


Eula had reached the stunned Carroll first before Takeshi, who arrived shortly after. "Oh, funny running into you again, Eula. Enjoying Shizuyaman rice, I see." The young lord remarked at the rice ball in the Automaton's hands. "And hello to you too, Carroll. Is Alice awake? I just want to ask--"

Takeshi, along with Eula and Carroll, all bore witness to the... compromising position that Kerry and Alice were assuming. The young lord gulped at the sight...

"..."

An arm each wrapped around Eula's and Carroll's necks, friendly headlocks courtesy of Takeshi. "Well, well, well! It seems our esteemed friends over here are quite busy! Why don't we leave them be for now and talk to them later?" The young lord suggested, attempting to drag the Automaton and the Cursed Sword away. "Really sorry, you two! Just pretend we never showed up, okay?" Takeshi apologized to Kerry and Alice as he tried to turn around with the two other monsters.








~~ TAKESHI'S JOURNEY ~~




~~ TAKAMORI TALES ~~




~~ SORAE TALES ~~




~~ TALES OF SHIZUYAMA ~~










~~ LEGENDARY TALES ~~


Pagras




"Oh, right. I suppose you can call me Vanessa, Incubus Knight. Or Nessa, if you prefer."
Vanessa


"A pleasure to meet you then, Madam Vanessa." The knight replied, unable or seemingly unable to read Vanessa's frustration.

As the orphanage children continued to play and harass Iskah, The Incubus Knight watched the Lizardman begin to entertain some requests to begin getting the orphans off of her. "Iskah... isn't a Lizardman, you know?" The knight started. "Once a moonless night arrives, she'll show her true form. Well, if you find her in that time." Vanessa would know that monsters with those traits were known as Doppelgangers, monsters born from the unrequited feelings of human men.

"Unless you're one of those weird Dark Mages, I doubt you're helping Iskah out of the kindness of your heart." The knight continued, still watching Iskah play round with the children. "She must have promised you something in return. Money? Naaahhh, you don't look like you're strapped for cash. Gathering ingredients in a dangerous location then? A willing volunteer for an experiment?" The Incubus Knight got pretty close for his guesses.

He then shifted his gaze towards Vanessa, a grin on his face. "If I offer you double and more of what she promised, will you, perhaps... reconsider your contract with Iskah?"
Pagras




Iskah lit up at Vanessa's reply, and nodded with determination. The two monsters then made their way to Aun's position at the edge of town.

The Dark Mage and the Lizardman arrive at their location. Iskah's eyes widened when she saw Aun casually leaning beside the entrance of a building. The building in question appeared to be a sizeable but simple manor of sorts, made of white stone. Two-stories high, windows close to each other indicated this was likely a boarding house or orphanage. Twin doors above a couple of steps served as the entrance, the Incubus Knight being the only soul so far to be seen.

"Aun!" Iskah drew her sword once more. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"Aw, but what about the children?"

Iskah blinked in confusion. "What children?"

Aun then quickly knocked on the double doors to the building. "Hey, kids! The Lizardman is here!"

A few moments passed before a horde of human children poured out of the building and surrounded Iskah. "Ah! Hey, wait!" The Lizardman was forced to sheath her sword as she tried to address the kids who bombarded her with questions and invitations. "Wait, wait! I really can't--!" The flustered Iskah tried gaining control of the situation, but to no avail. Some of the kids began touching and patting her reptilian tail, completely mesmerized by the monstrous appendage. "H-Hey, that tickles!"

Iskah was completely occupied by the orphans, leaving the Incubus Knight free to stride over to Vanessa and strike up a conversation. "Hey, Madam Dark Mage. Are you free to talk?" He waved with a cheeky smile. "I'm not gonna do anything untoward, so long as you aren't. I just wanna ask some questions."

"I'm the Incubus Knight, by the way. You can call me Inky for short, like how the other knights call me." The knight then made a formal bow at Vanessa. "I can kiss the back of your hand if you'd like."
Pagras




"But you just leave finding your hubbie to me, alright? Just like when I fetched you earlier, my little minions will come and let us know once they've found him again."
Vanessa


"Alright. I'll leave that to you." Iskah nodded. "And yeah, I lost Rie. You're also right that it is kind of weird that Miss Rie is very carefree about her goods. Very uncharacteristic for a Gyoubu Danuki. Maybe she trusts the Ortusians that much? Also uncharacteristic for her kind too, though..."

"We should probably look for her later. But we both agree that it's not our fault if something gets stolen off of her cart, okay?" Iskah chuckled. Not even a second after, Vanessa's summons detected Aun's energy signature. He was at the edge of Pagras in the direction of the kingdom's capital, seemingly getting ready to skip town to escape the monsters hounding him. Vanessa and Iskah could definitely catch up to him, even if he hitched on a horse and started riding away.

The lizard monster noticed that the Dark Mage felt something. "What's wrong, Vanessa? Have you sensed Aun already?"
Komatsu Bay

BREAKTHROUGH



"Give it to 'im Whimsy! Please!"
Liliana


Another wave of magma spewed forth from Liliana's magical sword. The Varjan Elite was, indeed, stopped dead in his tracks as the molten rock washed over him and instantly encased him solid.

With that Varjan defeated, the warrior Fairy turned her attention to the remaining stragglers. A few Warriors and Brigands left, all of whom still had courage to try their lucks against Liliana and Ayu. They approached with axes and swords drawn, but something happened that caught all parties' attentions.

“Na’Kratz is dead! Your leader is dead!"
Skarsneek


The remaining Varjans beheld the helm that Skarsneek raised, and immediately believed the male Goblin's words. They all dropped their weapons and scrambled away as fast as they possibly could, screaming and sobbing as they vacated the fortress town. They did not even spare their fallen a single glance and soon, all the Varjans who could leave did so.

Ayu patrolled a few of the streets and saw no more signs of the Varjans. At least, any who was still awake. Their occupation of this town was undoubtedly over. The spymaster could barely contain a laugh. "We... we did it! We did it! The Varjans are gone! We did it, taskforce! We've liberated Komatsu Bay! The Varjans are all gone!" She yelled at her yokai allies as she rejoined them.

Her echoing shouts did not go unheard. The Shizuyamans that had the unfortunate fate of living in the brief Varjan occupation began emerging from their homes. They were beaten and battered, covered in wounds and bandages. But there was light in their eyes, hope born from Ayu's yells. The Shizuyamans of Komatsu Bay all gathered around the taskforce over at the manor, whispering and wondering if what they were seeing was true.

"Did they... defeat all these Varjans?"
"I... I think they did."
"Unbelievable... These are not normal yokai."

"These are not your average yokai." Ayu addressed the crowd, striding to them and motioning at the taskforce members. "They are the Taskforce! A mighty band of powerful yokai, here to destroy the Varjans! Sunder their armors! Shatter their weapons! Sink their ships with a flick of their hands!" Ayu entranced the peasants with quite the showmanship, hyping up the taskforce.

Ayu's tone and confidence in her tall myths inspired even more hope from the crowd. They whispered to each other for a moment before all bowing at the taskforce in full gratitude. Ayu had a satisfied smirk as she stood beside the liberators of Komatsu Bay.



Shizuyama Wilderness


~ @Restalaan (GRI) ~


“Here, Gringor has a joke. Dead funny joke.”
Gringor


"Really? Can't wait to hear it~"

The mercenary stood his ground as Gringor approached, tossing away the crossbow and putting his hands on the hilts of the swords strapped to his waist. Gringor could almost see the smile hiding behind the mercenary's mask. Whoever this warrior that Varjo hired, he was not afraid of the male High Orc or his axe. Gringor will need to watch out for any tricks up the merc's black sleeves.



Terauchi Temple


~ @AzureKnight (HIN & ATS), @Enkryption (ALI & CRL), @The Irish Tree (EUL) ~


Takeshi was left in the dust at the entrance to the temple grounds when the Hangai sisters went after someone who blinked past the arriving group. The young lord could not be completely certain, but he could swear it was Alice whom the sisters chased. Takeshi wanted to follow, but the yokai were too fast and his horse was nowhere nearby. He could only sigh as the yokai taskforce seemingly troubled themselves with each other again.

Shortly after the Hangai sisters left, Takeshi would see that Eula has returned. "Oh. Hey, Eula. How was your search with Sorae? Did you get that girl Kana back?" He greeted the Automaton. "I just arrived here myself along with Kikyo and the Hangai sisters plus some prisoners we freed. But, uhh, I think I saw Alice leave in a hurry and the sisters went after them sooo... there's that. Kikyo and the prisoners have already went inside."

Before any of them could speak more, the spellcaster Revuel Arvida approached out of his armor and wearing only crimson robes. "Ah, Lord Takeshi. I'm glad you've returned safely. Greetings to you too, Madam Eula." Revuel nodded at the Automaton. "May I have you privately, milord? I have news for you regarding the Sir--"

But Revuel was interrupted when the Hangai sisters returned with Carroll and an unconscious Alice. "Ah, the Sir Alice. Thought of the devil, it seems. I have some words for-- Oh, he's knocked out."

"Uhh, why do you refer to Alice as if she's a guy?" Takeshi asked.

"Because that is the truth of it, milord." Revuel answered. "For you see, Sir Alice and Madam Kerry has... made love to each other recently." The spellcaster revealed, but decided not to go into the important details. That would be up to Kerry or Alice. "They are, by all accounts, a couple."

"Two women loving each other does not necessarily mean 'husband and wife'." Takeshi frowned as he pointed out.

Revuel spent a moment forming his words. "Well... Sir Alice possesses the male organ so I went with that conclusion."

Takeshi's frown disappeared and raised an eyebrow. "And you know this... how?"

Now, the spellcaster was at a loss for words and decided to pass the ball. "I... think it would be best if Sir Alice explained it to you himself. As soon as he wakes up, of course."

---



The warm waters of Shizuyama's hot springs never fail to relax the nerves and ease pains. As the Hornet soaked in them, she would overhear two peasant women passing by.

"...You know who drove away the attackers of this temple?"
"Yes, it's the yokai taskforce... led by the Island Lord's son."
"Wait! The Oja who survived Sanjo Beach... is young Lord Takeshi?"
"The one who defeated the Frozen Ridge Bandits when he was sixteen."
"My brothers couldn't stop talking about it... Then there's hope for us."








~~ TAKESHI'S JOURNEY ~~




~~ TAKAMORI TALES ~~




~~ SORAE TALES ~~




~~ TALES OF SHIZUYAMA ~~










~~ LEGENDARY TALES ~~


D R A M A T I S
P E R S O N A E


Monster Girls
  • Iskah - A seemingly average Lizardman who has set her sights on a carpenter-turned-warrior named Aun, now known as the Incubus Knight of the Lot Order. Serious, loyal and diligent.
  • Rie - A Gyoubu Danuki looking to make easy money peddling monster-created products in the untapped market that is Ortus. Sarcastic, helpful and kind.


Ortusians
  • The Incubus Knight (a.k.a. Aun) - After training deep in the monster realms and becoming an Incubus (essentially, a human with increased attributes), he pledged his service to the Lot Knights of Ortus after his heart was broken. Playful, kind and depressed.
Pagras




"Stone Grip."
Vanessa


The Incubus Knight raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of Vanessa beside him, who casted a spell at him with her staff. "Oh. So we're really doing this, aren't we?" He smirked.

When the earthen arms jutted out of the cobblestone streets to grab at him, the Incubus Knight slammed his bardiche at the ground and used it as a pole to vault over the arms that Vanessa summoned. Another wave of arms sprouted from the ground and came at him, only these were made of ice. The Incubus Knight simply went faster and braced himself, crashing into the arms. The speed combined with his Incubus physiology shattered the ice quite handily, and Aun continued on his way.

"Sorry about this, Madam Dark Mage!" With Vanessa keeping up with him, the Incubus Knight suddenly shoved the shaft of his bardiche in the Dark Mage's path. Vanessa didn't have time to react and she ended up tripping. Perhaps she was still quick enough to stop herself from tumbling across the cobblestone but regardless, the Incubus Knight managed to shake her off and the Dark Mage could only watch him disappear around a corner.

Iskah finally managed to catch up and immediately helped Vanessa up. "You alright?" She asked the Dark Mage before looking to Aun's direction. "Damn it! We've lost him again..."
Pagras




"So, do you still think we're bold when we hear that one of these invisible walls that's blocked an entire piece of our world off from our kind has been broken and taken down? A whole new land, with sights we've never seen and people we've never met, suddenly opens up before us and we can go there, without fear of torches, pitchforks or burning stakes."
Vanessa


The Incubus Knight chuckled. Albeit, sadly. "You act like we don't get chased with torches and pitchforks by visiting the wrong places either." He replied. "The Ortusians know this kind of persecution just as well as you do, Madam Dark Mage. The humans of this kingdom and the humans of The Order never saw each other eye-to-eye, even before Ortus broke off. Did you know that?"

After embarking on the wagon and Vanessa conjured the winged summon with a message, the Incubus Knight's eyes seemed to have seen and watched the translucent summon take off in search of Iskah and guide the Lizardman back to this location. Despite that, however, he simply faced Vanessa and flashed her an amused smile but said nothing about it and continued on as if he never noticed.

"An most curious phenomenon indeed... As a scholar and student of magic, I'm very curious."
Vanessa


The knight laughed heartedly at the distraction-question. "Heh, you're not the only one curious, Madam Dark Mage." If he knew this was something to simply occupy him, he did not show it and played completely along. "I was a carpenter once in a small monster-friendly town near Ortus called Falkran. Some... things happened and I found myself training to become a warrior deep in the Emerald Demon Realms. The time I spent there and the thickness of Demon Energy turned me into an Incubus by the time I returned to Falkran." He relayed his story quite honestly. "I joined the Lot Knights not long after to... protect those I love from The Order." The last part seemed he was hesitant to share.

Moments after the Incubus Knight parked the wagon at a suitable place, someone has been pushing through the bustling crowds on the way to Vanessa and the knight. "Aun!" Iskah cried as she emerged from in-between two people. "There you are!" Her eyes sparkled at the sight of her beloved, which then turned serious. "As a proud warrior of the Lizardman race, I demand that you duel me in a contest between arms!" She pointed a claw at the Incubus Knight.

"Ahhh, so that's who you're working for." The Incubus Knight said to Vanessa while still looking at Iskah. "Oh, but I am just a simple knight who can barely fight. Why would you ever challenge someone like that? Should you not seek stronger men?" Aun tried to 'reason' with Iskah.

"You lie! I know your combat prowess! You're one of the strongest knights in the Lot Order, right up there with The Fighting Knight!" Iskah retorted. "Now draw your bardiche and face me!"

"I'll see you around, Madam Dark Mage." Aun bid farewell to Vanessa before quickly hopping off the wagon and jogging off. "Help, help! A Lizardman's harassing me!" His calls for help were insincere and the town guards who arrived to see the commotion simply shook their heads and resumed their patrols.

Iskah immediately went after him. "Hey, hey! Come back here! You're not escaping me again!"
Pagras




"Besides... I... Don't really know to handle a... Um... Well... Horse."
Vanessa


"A Dark Mage who can't handle a horse?" The Incubus Knight raised an eyebrow, skeptical of Vanessa's words. But then shrugged in acceptance. "Well, I suppose Dark Mages don't really use horses to get around. Being able to teleport anywhere and all."

The knight climbed the wagon and sat beside Vanessa, the thickness of his Spirit Energy outright invading the Dark Mage's senses. He took the reins and the horses began trotting to a less crowded space in the street. "So, what takes you to Pagras? On your way to the capital, I assume?" The Incubus Knight decided to start some small talk. "You monsters sure are bold, aren't you? The moment you guys found out that we don't enforce the 'no monsters even if we're no longer part of The Order' rule, monsters frolic all over Ortusian territory as if they were welcome."

"I say, it's been a real pain for an Incubus like me. Me and my companions in the Lot Knights have been tinkering with spells that hid my Spirit Energy so as not to rile up the monsters near me. We tried masking, scrambling and all sorts of stuff." That probably explained why neither Iskah nor Rie could pinpoint this guy. "Anyway, I'm glad you didn't immediately try to court or flirt with me despite being an Incubus. Are you married, by any chance?"
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