They make their way outside of the den of thieves. Kaito takes a deep breath. "Once again in the road. Wonder what i'll see today." He wonders.
"Well there shouldn't be anything too interesting out here." Rika says.
After a few hours they see a gigantic flying creature flying around in the air. Kaito looks so happy to see it. Rika looking at him funny. "Why're you happy to see it?!" She shouts at him
The monster has a beautiful jade colored hide with white trims around it. It looks to be some wyvern type..
"It might be friendly!" Kaito says.
The monster is staring at the three of them licking it's lips. "It's not friendly." Dante says. The beast launches a jade blast from it's mouth that misses but it disintegrated a mountain in the distance.
The trio stood surprised for a moment before quickly running away. "I'm too young to die!" Rika shouts.
Kaito is laughing happily as he evades blasts from the beast. Rika looks at him like he's crazy. "Does Kaito always operate like this?!" She asks Dante. Dante sadly nods. "Sadly yes!" He yells.
Dante trips so Kaito goes and jumps in front of him.
The beast for some reason stops chasing them. They never even saw the attack but the Wyvern is sliced in two.
They see the silhouette of a person walking towards them. "Thank you so much sir we thought we were done f-for." Rika says but she stops in her tracks.
Dante and Rika were both terrified. The person who saved them was an orc.
Tips: Orcs are a warrior species known for hunting humans. They are born extremely powerful so it is heavily advised that if you see one run away. But if it sees you. Pray.
Kaito eyes shine. "Woah this guy has green skin, and he's huge!" Kaito says happily. "Don't be happy. That's one of the most brutal warriors alive!" Dante shakes.
The orc walks up to them his towering figure blocking out the sun. "No need to worry, humans. You may call me Malachi. I have no interest in hunting ones as weak as yourselves as you pose me no challenge." He says bluntly.
Kaito seems offended. "Weak?!"
Dante taps him. "You're a D rank remember." Dante reminds him. "Oh right." Kaito says backing down.
Unlike most orc warriors Malachi saw no reason to attack weaker humans. He enjoyed battle as did all orcs. An effortless battle was nothing more then a waste for him.
He walks away from them and then he boorishly tears into the monster eating it. "Hunting this one, it ran." He said in his orcish tongue.
Kaito walks over to the monster Malachi looking at him. "If you intend to steal. I'll kill." Malachi says. Kaito shakes his head. "No I can cook it for you, since you saved us." Kaito says. The orc stands up once again towering over Kaito. "Hmm." He lets out a grunt.
Kaito cooks up the meat for them all to enjoy. Rika takes a bite first and she flinches a bit. "This taste amazing!" It had been the first time she enjoyed Kaito's cooking she had no idea it'd taste this good.
Dante silently enjoys it. Terrified of their orc partner. Malachi grunts satisfied as he destroys the entire meal.
He then looks at Kaito for a long time. Kaito keeps staring back at him. Malachi noticed Kaito doesn't fear him so he leans in and he peers into his soul. He as a warrior can see other warriors. "You child, will blossom into a great warrior." Malachi says.
"Thanks...?" Kaito thinks.
Malachi walks away and then he seems to be grabbing a tree. He yanks the entire tree from the root out of the ground and then throws it at Kaito.
The trio screams before Kaito uses his new dagger and slices it in two. Malachi grunts satisfied again. To the others it didn't mean much but a random attack. But Malachi could see the finer details in Kaito's strike. It was clean and he perfectly sliced the tree in two.
Kaito looks at him angrily. "Hey what's your problem! Do you want a beating!?" Kaito yells at him and Rika and Dante's heart drops. "Rest in peace Kaito." Rika says. Dante shakes her. "Don't say that!"
Malachi laughs. "Not yet." He walks to Kaito and he kicks his hand and rubs it in Kaito's head.
Kaito sticks his tongue out disgusted. "What's wrong with this green guy!" Kaito questions.
Dante shakes. "He just marked you!" Dante says. Kaito looks confused, still grossed out. "What's that mean?" He asks. "It's how they mark future targets. With their spit it means your his territory so if another orc touches you it's a challenge to him." Dante explains.
Kaito scoffs. "I'm not his territory. Malachi laughs. "It's respect, to be looked at in such a way, i'll be looking for a challenge when you're stronger." Malachi says.
Malachi takes the rest of the beast and begins walking away. "Hey leave some of that!" Kaito yells at him and Dante grabs him. "We got lucky he's a nice one, stop egging him on!" Dante yells.
Kaito sighs, "I can't believe we let him get away with all the food." He says sadly. "Theres no reason to worry, Trays is only a day away. And you know he let us live so there's that." She says.
"We should just camp here, save some energy and we make it to trays by noon tomorrow." Dante says. The other two agreeing.
They set up camp and since they have some time to sleep they talk for a while.
"So Kaito what did you grow up like, I mean the way you fight you must've been taught?" Rika asks.
Kaito smiles. "I grew up fighting, my dad used to train us and my brother is still the best fighter I've ever seen." Kaito explains.
Dante nods. "Right but you're not even scared. That also come from where you grew up?" Dante questions.
Kaito seems a lil off from the question.
He explains times when he was super young only around five Sun would get him trapped in caves or ravines.
"No matter how much I cried or called for him he'd never come help, I had to stop crying and find my way out by myself." Kaito says. Remembering his father's harsh teaching.
Dante questions. "And hunting?" He asks.
Kaito messes with the fire. "Well honestly I really don't like ending things lives. So if i'm hunting i'll try to take it out quickly, before it realizes it's in danger so it's last moment Is doing something it enjoys. If i startle it I'd let it live since I don't want it to pass in fear." Kaito explains.
Rika nods. "That's heavy." She says. Dante agrees. "I never thought about it like that, I've never ended something else's life." He says.
Kaito nods. "It's not easy. My mom had to force me to eat food, because I didn't want to have to take life away to make mines last, so I still don't take peoples lives." Kaito explains.
Dante looks at Rika. "You've been an adventurer for awhile right? Have you ever, you know killed anyone?" Dante asks her.
Rika thinks. "No, I haven't, I more sneak around and just steal." Rika says.
Rika then smiles a bit. "Kaito you're a lot more of a sweetheart then I thought you'd be, you fight like a total badass but you're a softie." She says and they laugh.
Dante looks up at the stars. "We should get some rest, since there's three of us now we can do lookouts in shifts." He says.
Rika yawns. "Well i'm a delicate little lady, so I shouldn't be watching," she says.
Kaito and Dante look before laughing a bit. "What's so funny!?" She questions. "Yeah well if you're delicate then i'm a strong adventurer!" Dante sarcastically says.
Kaito snickers. "Yeah and I have white hair!" He says attempting to join in on the joke. They both look at him. "You do have white hair."
"I know" Kaito responds and they laugh at him.
"How can you make me watch I need my eight hours!" Rika shouts. Dante just shrugs in response.
"Today we should let Kaito sleep since he's still injured." Dante says.
Rika pouts. "Fine."
Dante nods. "You can have the first shift then so you can sleep through the night." Dante says.
He's also doing this as a precaution so if the night stalker comes back he'll have enough energy to easily stay awake. He'd like to avoid it all together since he doesn't want Rika having to deal with it.
In the night as they sleep Rika pouts. "I always get out in situations like this." She whines. "Watch the night trickster we'll take next shift we promise!" She annoyingly says.
When she would travel with others they would make her watch the whole night. Never actually swapping shifts and she'd go without sleep for the day!
As she rants knowing they were tricking her Dante comes out of the tent. "Alright Rika, it's my turn to watch you can sleep." Dante says surprisingly.
Rika is confused. "Huh, we're swapping?" She asks. Dante raises an eyebrow. "What're you confused about, we literally talked about this." He says.
Rika appreciates he didn't lie to her and she goes into a separate tent and she gets her sleep. Leaving Dante to watch.
And shortly after they awake they arrive in Trays.