Take#1, Chapter 7: The Xenos' Hidden Village
"Here we are, finally! Let this nightmare end quickly!" Hashana thought that his nightmare would end if he fulfilled its objective. He was wrong. He was so very wrong. This nightmarish reality will continue to be his world, probably.
"This's the 20th floor hidden village, huh?" Henryk remembers his walking-spoiler saying something about one of the crystals on the walls here, like breaking it would open some path. 'I hate you, thank you'
"Fey, my dear, from here on out, you shouldn't talk. I want to see what they would do if they thought of you as a simple monster"
"Fey's a good girl. Fey can do that" Fey's ever bright personality was sure to ease the xenos to it, especially since she is one of them.
"Now, we will saddle you" 'I wanna die. My girl shouldn't let anyone ride her back, no one! The only reason I went with this is her clear desire to give me a ride. Otherwise, I would've discarded the idea. Saying the idea out loud was a grave mistake'
"PIE!" Fey was moving around like a happy horse would. It alleviated some of Henryk's guilt-ridden thoughts.
Henryk eyed the crystals.
"BREAK ALL CRYSTALS! I HEARD THAT SOME TALKING MONSTERS ARE HIDING BEHIND ONE!" He shouted with all his might. He hoped the xenos inside would hear him and get ready.
*CRACK* A crystal was broken.
"Tsk. IT WASN'T THE ONE! NEXT!"
*CRACK* Another.
"NOT THIS EITHER! BREAK THE LAST ONE!"
*CRACK* Fey broke the last of the large crystals.
"Finally, a path to my talking money" Henryk formed a very twisted and crooked smile. He wanted to give them the worst image possible. 'How would they react?'
Henryk entered the tunnel with a torch in his right hand while holding Fey's rein in his left.
Abruptly, his torch was snatched by a bluish-green blur.
'Ray the siren, huh? According to Ganesha, she's the only one with this color among the current flying xenos'
"Leave, and we will leave you alive. Proceed further and die by our hands" A multitude of voices sounded from all around him, except for the path he took to arrive here.
They were giving him a chance to escape with his life. They normally did not talk. But since he already knew, they discarded the thought.
"You are telling me to leave riches behind? Impossible! I will capture and sell every last one of you! My living money!" Henryk was too absorbed in his act, he did not notice the crazed smile on his face. It was turning more genuine by the second.
"You are hopeless. DIE!" A few tremors headed his way.
'Now, it's time to act scared' "Huh?! YOU HAD THIS MANY LOWER FLOORS' MONSTERS IN YOUR RANKS?! I GIVE UPPPPPP!!" Henryk steered Fey towards the exit.
The xenos followed him to the entrance of their hidden village, but they never shortened the distance. They kept at a distance that would leave him hope of escaping.
Henryk pulled the reins gently to tell Fey to stop. 'I should go into self-reflection after this' "You pass, Ray. This was all an elaborate test from me"
"What do you mean? And how did you know my name?" Ray stepped into the light, her purple eyes glaring holes into him.
"My name's Henryk Williams. I was informed of your existence by Ganesha. He requested me to help you. So, I came to test your attitude. If you showed any signs of not being good of nature, I would have refused to help" Henryk got on his feet and removed the saddle from Fey's back.
"GIVE FEY'S SADDLE BACK, PAPA!" Fey got all worked up demanding Henryk put the saddle on her back again. She left him no room to argue, as she laid down with him underneath her weight.
The xenos' eyes widened in welcomed surprise. They were starting to form a better opinion of him already. Why, one of their kin sees him as family. 'She called him "Papa"?!' Some xenos already wanted to swarm the duo. A group hug, some may call it, to welcome a new member.
"Dear, I don't think you should allow anyone to ride your back, nor put a saddle on it" Henryk barely said that with a weak voice. His breath was cut by Fey's weight.
"Ehhem. I think there is some explaining to do?" Ray coughed into her wing to attract Henryk's attention.
"Before that, is it disgraceful for a four-legged xenos to let someone ride on their back?" If it was okay by xenos standards, he would reluctantly allow it.
"It's fiiiine" A slightly masculine voice rang out. The tone made it seem as if the guy was too relaxed, carefree might be a better word to describe him.
'Another hippogriff. Then it's fine by hippogriff standards, at least' Henryk relented. "Dear, I will give you your saddle back"
"Fey loves papa!" Fey threw the rest of her body at poor Henryk, who was now completely suffocated. He still managed to pet her head through the lack of breath.
"Little one, how about you go play with Cliff over there? I have something to talk to your papa about" Fey had stars in her innocent eyes for two reasons. One was that she found someone who looked like her, a hippogriff, as her papa called her new body. The other reason was-
"Then Fey will leave the rest to papa! Fey wants to return to a mama added to Fey's family! He-he-he" Her papa's mischievous angel ran towards Cliff, giggling at her papa's red face. He understood what she meant.
"Oh my. What a mischievous little girl you have there" Ray's face was more composed, only her cheeks were a little pink at the thought of being romantically involved with someone.
'Would I find such person in this life?' She wanted to fly under the sun and to be held by someone she loves. She longed for the day she had both things accomplished.
"Yeah, she can be a little daredevil, and I know where that trait came from" Henryk sighed.
"Back to our topic. What did Ganesha ask your help with?"
"I will be helping in bringing you closer to the sun" All xenos in earshot stood rigid.
'He will bring us near the surface?' They looked at him with eyes that were hopeful. If Ganesha sent him, then there was substance in him. He can do something to help.
"How so?" Ray remained calm, externally. She is one of the xenos' leaders. She has the responsibility to keep a calm appearance to be able to lead them with efficiency.
"The plan was to ease them using Fey. Our excuse was that she is too tame and adorable, which she is. With enough time, I could go as far as to introduce all of you as my tamed monsters, of which all somehow became xenos"
"You... could make our kind out of normal monsters?! That is simply an outrageous claim!" Ray, and the other xenos, were taken aback by the news. Their race was going to gain members just by him taming monsters?
"Fey was not even a monster at the beginning. She was just your everyday eagle. My taming skill turned her into a monster, then a xenos. The same happened to four kobolds and a minotaur"
"Where are they right now?" Ray narrowed her eyes at him. He needs to prove his claims.
'Crap! I shouldn't have mentioned Taurus. I dug this hole for myself. At least I can call Ouros and the others here' "How much time are you willing to wait?"
"Why?"
"The kobolds are still hunting somewhere above. It will take them at least a few hours if they went full speed"
"They... Can they look at the sun every day?" One xenos voiced his jealousy. Some of his kin already experienced the sun. When was the rest's turn coming?
"They can. Your turn will come someday too. Just wait"
"What about the minotaur? You said you tamed one. Where is that one now?" Ray was getting suspicious of him.
"Well, let's say I made a mistake while taming that one. I said something that made him go on a rampage, killing and devouring every non-intelligent monster he finds. He could be anywhere right now, and I don't think I can call him here, either. If you saw a minotaur that looks too menacing and with fur that seems to always be drenched in fresh blood, then that's Taurus, the minotaur I tamed" Henryk had the decency to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.
'Ouros, Mont, Blanc and Noland, come to my current location' He sensed a positive response from all four of them. They started moving towards him.
'Taurus, come to my current location' He ordered Taurus separately. Taurus also responded positively, although he took his time to reply.
"As we wait, I want to ask you something" Ray was curious.
"Go ahead" Henryk did not think a lot before giving her the green light.
"Why did you keep your eyes closed since I stepped into view?"
"... Well, you are wearing practically nothing, Ray" There was a pause before he answered her.
"It feels stuffy otherwise. Wearing only this makes me feel free. Is there a problem?"
"No, not really. It's just that I don't want to look at a woman's naked body if she isn't my wife, or at least my lover. You see, a race of the surface, called amazoness, are all women who normally wear scandalously revealing clothes. What I do with my opinion? I simply look elsewhere or close my eyes outright if I can. I didn't want to allow myself to lust after a woman who isn't my wife. That proved lethal, or emotionally lethal, for one too many a person for me not to be wary"
"How noble"
"You don't need to be poking fun at me for it. Anyway, are Lyd and Gros on missions right now? What about Four?"
"I am surprised you know"
"How about I let you hear music while we wait?"
"You can? That would be most welcome!" Ray was hooked.
"The one you will hear today is called 'A hero's wish'" Henryk loved that one. It was a soundtrack that played when Bell fought the red minotaur. It was so fitting that it left a mark on him.
(Line Break)
After an hour of hearing "A hero's Wish" and variations of it, the kobold squad arrived.
"ARF!" "ARF!" "ARF!" "ARF!" Four kobolds entered the xenos village. The xenos were not weary because they wore clothes and light armor that protected their hearts and magic stones. Only xenos did that.
"Our time's up" Henryk deactivated his skill. "How are you doing there, Ouros? How about the rest of you?" They acted like a group of big dogs. They swarmed him and started asking for some pats. He gave them daily. Blanc was the only one who showed a little hesitation when it came to asking for pats.
"Your words are true! These kobolds are truly our kin!"
""OOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"" The xenos issued a celebratory cry.
"Welcome to our village. You will always have a place here" Ray welcomed the four of them.
"So, let me introduce them to you. The one in the front is Ouros, he is like a leader of the pack. Standing behind him, from the left, they are Mont, Blanc and Noland respectively" He turned his closed eyes towards Ray. "The four of you, this is Ray. She is one of the leaders of the xenos who live here"
Ouros stepped forward and stretched his hand in a greeting. "With pleasure" Ray replied as she shook limbs with him ('1). They agreed to cooperate with and respect each other.
"MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A charging bull came inside the hidden village.
"LOWER YOUR VOICE, TAURUS!" Taurus's roar nearly cost Henryk his ears.
Most of the weaker xenos retreated in fear. The appearance of this one looked too menacing, what with all the gore that painted the rest of his body a bloody red, and the somehow-still-materialized monster guts that were stuck in his fur.
"This's Taurus. He may seem like a b-" "RIP. AND. TEAR!"
"Dammit! Taurus! You fool! You scared them further now!"
"R-" "Stop!" This one was a clear order.
"Why?"
"Talk normally. If you still want to go ripping and tearing, then I will just tell you a few things and let you go. Do you agree with that?" Taurus nodded.
"Fine. You see, eating magic stones is beneficial to you. One of my skills makes it replace excellia for a fake falna that will require my blood once you are going to the next level" Henryk then turned to Ray. "Do you have any empty containers? Preferably ones that could be securely closed"
"Yes, we have them" She called for one of the other xenos to bring them a few.
"First, listen to summoning orders like the one that brought you here. It means I need you for something. Next, if and when I tell you "Drip blood", it means that you should drop one drop of my blood onto your back. I can raise your strength much more than usual with that. Say, the blood dried, then you can mix a clot with just enough water to liquify it again. There's also the fact that I will monitor your growth and direct it. Once I tell you to go to a floor, then, and only then, are you allowed to go there. For now, you can go down until the twentieth floor, no further" Eina's naggy lessons came in handy here.
"The dungeon loves swarming its targets with armies of monsters. You don't want to die too early" Henryk already viewed Taurus's fake falna and deduced that his level and skills were appropriate for the floors he was allowed to go to. Floors down to the twentieth could be soloed by a level two adventurer with Taurus's skills.
For a monster with skills like those of Taurus and the ability to heal injuries by devouring the magic stones of his enemies, that made him capable of clearing the floors with relative ease. He can heal mid combat and remain on the battlefield for longer.
"True. I want to continue killing monsters in any brutal way possible" Taurus expressed his concerning thoughts. Thankfully, his focus is non-intelligent monsters for now.
'I don't know. Maybe telling him this now will save us trouble later' "Lastly, if you encounter a xenos down there, leave them alive" Henryk cut himself on the palm to fill the container with his blood.
"Acknowledged. Anything else?"
"No, you can go" Henryk said as he handed Taurus the container. It was a simple wooden jar.
"RIP AND TEAR!" Taurus issued a battle cry and went back to his mission.
"He is... intense" Ray sweat dropped at Taurus's dedication. "Would he be alright?"
"Don't worry. He may as well kill level three monsters as he is now" Henryk invested all of Taurus's magic stones into his strength parameter.
(Line Break)
Name: Taurus
Variant: Bloody Menace
Level: 2
STR: H128
END: I0
DEX: I0
AGI: I0
MAG: I0
Abnormal Resistance H
Magic:
None.
Skills:
Xenos:
As a xenos, this monster can think and, under certain conditions, talk like a surface dweller. The holder of this skill is stronger than normal.
Humanification:
Allows you to take the shape of a bull. ('2)
Sacrificial Strength:
By sacrificing half the excellia gained in your agility basic ability, you can gain more excellia in both strength and endurance basic abilities. An adjustment is also made so that the actual worth of the two basic abilities is more than the numbers displayed.
Glory of Gore:
The more of your enemies' gore is spilled on your body, the more your basic abilities shine.
Brutal Hands:
If you are trying to rip something apart, using only your bare hands, your STR gets an adjustment of x2, stacks multiplicatively with other buffs.
Ability Absorption:
You can acquire a monster's ability by eating its magic stone.
('3)
(Line Break)
"He should be able to solo the middle floors all by himself" Henryk stoically said. "Now that I think about it, can we sleep here?" Losing all that blood made him feel tired. He has already wrapped bandages around his wounded hand.
"Just find a spot that fits you. Goodnight, Henryk" Ray flew away, leaving him to relax.
"FEY! IT'S TIME TO SLEEP!" Henryk called Fey back.
She flew from god-knows-where and landed in front of him. "Fey wants to sleep with papa" She reverted to her true size.
"Whoah! Beautiful!" Henryk muttered involuntarily. Fey was now 3 meters at the shoulder and 3.24 meters from shoulder to tail.
Fey was ecstatic after hearing her papa's words. She laid her horse half in a way he could lean on it.
(AN: Think of how a lion lays down while raising his head)
After that, she snuggled him further in by wrapping him under her wing and surrounded by her neck.
"This's blissfully warm" Henryk was feeling the effects of her skill full force this time. Being soothed to sleep is a blessing he appreciated. "Sweet dreams, my daughter" He kissed her above the eyes, the place where it should be her forehead.
"Sweet dreams, papa" Fey did not sleep, but deviously thought of something mischievous again. Her papa was a heavy sleeper when he was in a safe environment. He has a hard time waking up whenever he is sleeping peacefully. Not even the mighty sun could wake him up in that state. Even if she pealed as strong as she could, he would at most flip to the other side.
(Line Break)
'Different feath... No, not that. I actually feel a humanoid body being enveloped in Fey's feathers with me' Henryk ceased moving. The other person was most likely still sleeping.
He was intrigued. Why would Fey have another person in her feathers? 'Oh! This must be Ray. My little daredevil may be playing a prank to bring me closer to her 'new mama', or who she wants her new mama to be anyway'
'I've convinced myself up to now that they're just some fictional characters. But, feeling this nervous being in proximity to Ray, my body acknowledges her being a woman. I can't ignore the fact that this's my new reality anymore. I may hurt someone's feelings doing that. I need to start by trying to see others for who they are, not just some character with a set thought process. They can and will change their beliefs since they're alive. Now, I should break out of my awkwardness around women' Henryk finally decided to confront reality for what it is.
"Have you woken up? Open your eyes" Rays voice told him enough about her being awake.
"What?" He did open his eyes, still, he tried avoiding looking at her body. 'I'm mesmerized. This neatly arranged color combination of her feathers and her purple eyes. Her facial features that're too beautiful but feel within reach. I may fail at not desiring her. I may fail particularly because of the feel of her feathers' Henryk has developed an attraction to feathers. The better-quality feathers attract him.
"Are you done admiring me?" Ray smiled at him.
"..." Henryk averted his eyes. "Well....."
"Can you release my hip? I have things to do in the morning"
"Ooh" Henryk did not know what to say. 'How long have I been holding her like that?! This's so embarrassing. We only knew each other for a day, and I went and held her like if we were already a thing'
"You can stay however long you want" Ray said her piece and went to attend to her duties.
"Papa, can Fey play with Cliff again?" Fey wanted some more play time.
Henryk thought about it for a moment and reached a conclusion. He could let Fey play for some more time while he thinks of what to do later. "You can"
"Fey loves papa!" She licked his face and went to play.
"This daughter of mine. I can't even tell her to stop this licking. Why did it have to be her way to show affection?"
*THUD* Out of nowhere, a bound individual was thrown in front of him.
"Ummm, are you okay? Are you even a xenos?" 'Is he Gros? Or just some other gargoyle?'
"Stay away from me, surface dweller" The unknown individual growled at him with distrustful eyes.
"Well, that answers that. But why are you bound with rope?"
"It doesn't concern you" The gargoyle huffed and turned away.
Henryk raised an eyebrow at him then ultimately decided to leave the gargoyle there.
"Good morning, Henryk" A chummy red lizardman greeted Henryk.
"Lyd, I guess? Good morning. Why's he like that?"
"You see, Gros doesn't trust surface dwellers in general. When he saw you sleeping while hugging Ray and laying your back across another xenos, he wanted to force them away from you. It was fun seeing Ray glare at him then order for him to be bound. The new kobolds gladly did it" Lyd explained the situation while he was snickering at Gros. "Is that hippogriff, Fey, really your daughter?" He asked with a cheerful voice.
"Yes, she is. I raised her from when she hatched from that egg seven years ago. She was just a normal harpy eagle chick, a ball of young, fuzzy feathers. I raised her as my family, and I'm glad to see her express herself happily among you here" Lyd was observing Henryk's facial expression.
"That's a father's face. I welcome you here, friend. Hey, what do you say about me calling you Hen-chi?" Lyd offered a handshake.
"Wha?! No, that's cringe. It's like calling me a chicken. You can call me Henry, if you are insistent on a nickname" Henryk rejected the nickname Lyd wanted to use. Even if Japanese sounds cool sometimes in his opinion, being called that sounded wrong for Henryk. Henryk accepted the clawed handshake. He successfully avoided the sharp claws.
"Say, Lyd"
"What do you want to know Henry?"
"What should I do to ensnare Ray's heart?"
"Hoh?!" Lyd heard some welcome surprise over this. Someone will finally actively try that.
"Fey wants her as her mama, and I need to overcome my nervousness around women. Doing both at the same time while gaining another family member, I welcome that"
Gros opposed that thought process. "HOW DARE YOU?! DAMNED SURFACE DWELLER!" He was clobbered and dragged away by Ouros and the others.
They did not concern themselves with the fact that he was estimated to be level five in strength. They did not appreciate someone insulting their master.
Gros had to accept it if he did not want to get ganged. The lineup consisted of Ray, Lyd and Four ('4). Those were the real problems. He would have retaliated long ago if not for those three.
"Good job, boys. You can continue, if you want"
"EVERYONE, LISTEN HERE! HENRY WANTS RAY'S HEART! HE WANTS HER TO BE IN LOVE WITH HIM!" Lyd went and announced the news to the entire village's populace. Some of them rejoiced.
"Did you have to do that?!" Henryk was flushed. He tried to stop Lyd, but that proved impossible with Lyd's superior strength.
"You could have her heart if you treated her well. Let her listen to new music every now and then and hold her close to you when you are at an important moment in your life, share those moments with her. That ought to do it"
"Thanks. I will try my best" Henryk calmed down a bit.
"And that starts by letting me to the surface" Ray's sudden intervention startled Henryk a little. "But I want to know why you chose me. Of course, it is not solely because of your daughter, right?"
"You scared me there. How are you so stealthy?"
"I learned how to be. Now, can you tell me?"
"Okay, I will tell you why. So, you remember when I said that I don't want to lust after a woman who isn't my wife?"
"Yes? And?"
"You sleeping in my arms and telling me to open my eyes to look at you got me to want to keep you for myself. Oh, and the feeling I get from your feathers and your beautiful singing voice. Those also got me. I wanted to have you for myself, all so I don't see you being taken by another. Pretty selfish, am I?"
"It is natural to feel like that if you found someone you like" Lyd got a stare that gave him goosebumps. "What Lyd said is true. And don't concern yourself with how someone might be more handsome. What I want is not appearances. I want a man who is worth forming a relationship with"
"Then I will get you to stick to my side until I get used to your presence. Can I do that?"
"That is why I have been preparing another person to replace me when I go outside the dungeon with you. Your words made it easy to predict this outcome" Ray smiled.
"Then, bring me a siren's magic stone. As I said before, I can take you to the surface as long as I apply my taming skill to you"
"Would I be stripped off my mind?" Ray was still doubtful of his skill. She wanted to stay away from it if possible.
"You can see that Fey's willful even though my skill's applied to her. Wasn't she the one that suggested you lay in my arms?"
"That is true"
"She can totally ignore orders if she so desired. This skill just makes it more likely for you to accept my orders. But if you have a reason, my orders will no longer have an effect on you"
Hearing Henryk's argument, she agreed to his suggestion. "Does it have to be a siren's magic stone?" She wanted to avoid eating another siren's magic stone.
"Can be another type. There's a downside in that a skill I have evolves the monsters I tame. The requirements they have to eat a magic stone of the same monster they were"
"We can assure you. It only affected our outer appearance, nothing more" A serious and deep voice added to their conversation. When they looked at the xenos, it was Ouros who was talking.
"Here's another proof that my skill wouldn't harm you" Henryk pointed at Ouros as he took his words as legitimacy for his claim. As for why he was not surprised by Ouros talking, he expected it. That was especially true when Taurus talked immediately after being tamed.
Ray finally had nothing to worry about. She went flying out to bring the magic stone, as they did not have it in the village at the moment.
"While Ray goes to bring the stuff, I have a question for you. Will you really help us go to the surface? To be accepted by the people there?" Lyd had hope. They were talking with Ray while Henryk was sleeping. They knew why he was here then. 'How did Henry sleep through all that ruckus back then, though?'
"It will take a while to achieve that feat. Getting people used to some monster or two someone tamed is easy. Getting them used to a small army is not. With the participation of Ray, a siren that only spawns from floors 25-26, the process will be sped up. Maybe by next year, you will see the sun even if I didn't use my skill on you. Don't get your hopes high on that, though. I may also be unable to do it quickly"
"Gros, would you at least greet him properly?" Lyd was kneeling on Gros's side, poking him with a claw.
"Not yet! That one he calls his daughter may be a facade to his true intentions!" Gros still did not believe a word coming out of Henryk's mouth.
After some chatting and arm wrestling, which Henryk lost on every attempt, Ray was back.
"Here it is" She carried the magic stone in her foot. She had no hands to hold it with. "I want to confirm things with you one last time"
"Go ahead" Henryk was still flushing a little at the thought of starting the spring of his life.
"I want you to leave me with my freedom intact"
"That's up to my skill. It proved more than once that it leaves a monster's freedom intact. Ouros talked on his own there"
"Promise me that you will allow my kin to also see the sun one day"
"I promise that I will accomplish that or die trying. I already promised that to Sir Ganesha"
"I want you to let me hear the music I favor and to introduce me to new ones whenever you can"
"I will do that"
"I want you to share your important moments with me, as lovers tend to do that"
"I will do that too"
"Then I accept your skill's effects"
"Be prepared. When Fey took her first magic stone, it hurt her to the point she writhed on the ground. The point in that is that a being that wasn't a monster has become one. In Ouros's case, he was already a monster, so he didn't experience the same pain, if at all. I don't know how my skill might identify a xenos. I don't know how your transformation might affect your body, and if it might hurt you or not. Be prepared for that"
"If it is just some pain that will allow me to go to the surface permanently without lasting effects to my body, then I will take the risk" Ray swallowed the magic stone handed back to her by Henryk. 'If it is for my kin, taking this gamble may be worth it. As for being his lover, I will be using him until he proves himself worthy of the relationship. I will be truly his if he proves himself'
"I feel like something is trying to change my body, and that I can reject it"
"That is master's skill. On a normal monster, their mind is weak, their will nearly nonexistent. They are going to be overwhelmed by the skill and be forced to change, to acquire a stronger mind, to acquire a firmer will. A xenos already has a mind and a strong enough will to resist. Accept the change" Ouros explained it from his perspective as someone who experienced the effects of the skill.
He still clearly remembers the experience. Being freed from the dungeon's control, it was worth swearing his loyalty to Henryk, who treated them with more respect than they expected him to.
Ray accepted the change. She started to feel the itch and pain of new feathers being added to her body, but she forced herself to stay silent.
Long, thin feathers with the same color scheme as the ones on her hips started sprouting from around the spine, growing around the body horizontally and angled downward, all the way to interlock at the front.
Some other similarly colored feathers also grew from between the ones on her back to cover the spine in a similar manner. More feathers grew from her shoulders down the small exposure the other feathers did not cover. Lastly, similar ones grew out of the back of her neck in the same manner as the other feathers to protect her neck.
The feathers sprouting around the spine, growing to the front or not, were not sticking out in an unpleasant way. They were arranged smoothly and beautifully. A pair of purple stones that looked like magic stones appeared on her neck and solar plexus.
The armor-like long feathers unfurled into a cloak around her shoulder and back, revealing the smaller feathers that grew underneath them. All the smaller feathers were colored yellow with blue tips like the rest.
"Lyd?"
"Yes?"
"You heard of Freya's rumors? The ones describing her appearance?"
"From the adventurers we make contact with regularly. What about it?"
"Ray just destroyed her. I've seen Freya before. And let me tell you, she just lost her place among the three best looking women on my list"
Henryk was mesmerized even more than before. Her brand-new appearance shattered any chance for any other woman to be of romantic attention to him.
"Henry, bud, calm down. Your face became redder than my scales" Lyd became worried for his new friend. Ray seems to have become a heart stopping problem in his life.
"I am glad you fancy my new appearance" A moment after the transformation was done, Ray's countenance returned to normal.
"If you allow me, I will view your abilities"
"I will appreciate it if you tell me" 'Maybe there was an ability I did not know about. And this feeling of becoming stronger, some new ability may have appeared'
"Roger that"
(Line Break)
Name: Ray
Variant: Mystical Feathers
Level: 6
STR: I0
END: I0
DEX: I0
AGI: I0
MAG: I0
Abnormal Resistance G
Hunter G
Magic Resistance H:
Mystical Feathers D:
This is a variant-specific development ability. Your feathers are impenetrable and nearly indestructible. This ability's rank is proportionate to your level, the maximum rank being S at level ten.
Mystical Body D:
This is a variant-specific development ability. Your feathers made your body resistant towards both physical and magical attacks. This ability's rank is proportionate to your level, the maximum rank being S at level ten.
Magic:
Mystical Feathers:
A magic spell that enchants your feather arrows to ignore all physical might in favor of piercing the opponent's soul directly. Enchants two feathers in each wing. The damage the feather arrows do depends on your magic basic ability.
Chant:
You who are mystical, you who are beyond understanding. All that lurks in the unknown, all that is ethereal. Take my feathers and pierce the souls of my enemies.
(Line Break)
"And that was the magic. Now, we move to the skil-..." Henryk was narrating the description of Ray's status as he read it.
"Why did you stop?"
(Line Break)
Skills:
Till death do us apart:
Once you have the least amount of feelings towards someone and they enter a relationship with you, only death will separate you. Neither your partner nor you could have feelings for someone else anymore, under any circumstances.
(Line Break)
"Umm, Ray? Do you happen to have feelings for anyone? Any feelings at all? It doesn't matter how miniscule they are" Henryk was pale.
"I started getting interested in you. Not romantic yet, but some interest is there. Why?" Henryk's willingness to help them, and the fact that Ganesha trusted him with the knowledge of their existence helped. Not helping her fulfill her dreams, but outright fulfilling some of them for her, that was the trigger for some interest. Knowing him personally would give her the knowledge she needs about him to decide if he was the one.
"There's this skill that reads, "Once you have the least amount of feelings towards someone and they enter a relationship with you, only death will separate you. Neither your partner nor you could have feelings for someone else anymore, under any circumstances". I hope it isn't forcing you" He looked at her with hurt eyes.
"Not at all. I do not feel forced right now. That is especially since I was not planning on letting go from the start" She smiled at him reassuringly. It calmed him down.
"There're three skills that remain" After taking a breath in and letting it out, he told her the rest of them.
(Line Break)
Feather Arrows:
You can throw deceptively sharp and arrow-like feathers from your wings. The speed of a feather's flight depends on the user's agility basic ability.
Mystical Feathers Armor:
Armor made from feathers that grew around the spine. It can be unfurled at will. Once in danger, the armor deploys itself to protect you.
Fake Magic Stones:
The magic stones studded in your mystical feathers armor are fakes that would not kill you upon being destroyed. If your enemy managed to destroy only one, a strong magic explosion pushes them away. No matter how strong, your enemy will be pushed away.
If both fake magic stones were broken, your level and development abilities temporarily go up a rank. You can replace the broken one/s with any random magic stone/s.
The duration of the boost in rank is one second for every ten points in your magic basic ability. Rank ups increase the duration by what is worth two hundred and one points in your magic basic ability.
(Line Break)
"Wait a minute! When did you sit on my lap?" Ray sneaked her way into his lap without him noticing.
"Do you remember? I can move stealthily. I need to stick to you as much as possible, no? All to get you used to my presence" She laid her head and back on him.
Henryk hesitantly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "True that" His face begged to differ.
"Papa, has Ray become Fey's ma...ma?...!" Fey trotted towards them after she finished playing with Cliff, who was left exhausted, somehow.
"No! Fey, stop! I know what you want to do! Just stop! It's embarrassing!"
"MAMA!" Fey charged them into the ground. She was trying her best at a hug. The attempt resulted in Ray being sandwiched between her and Henryk, while Henryk was crushed to the ground. He still somehow petted her head.
"Fufufufu. Such a close family. I am fortunate to be a part of it now" Ray was not bothered in the least by what is happening.
"Can... we... call you father?" A new voice asked. He was hesitant at first, but he gathered enough courage to ask his question. Henryk did not know it was Noland because Fey's feathers obstructed his vision.
"You... can" That was all Henryk could wheeze out, being out of breath because of Fey's crushing weight. That was not the only one, mind you. The four kobolds joined the hug, crushing him down further. Good thing the falna made him tougher.
After more than half a day of forgetting Hashana outside, alone and unable to sleep, his torment continued for a few more hours. Scratch that. It actually worsened when he saw Henryk hugging Ray, who was wearing a cloak that went past her feet, while riding on Fey's back.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone