Yet despite all this, deep within the thick of these woods lay a ma.s.sive temple-like structure. Flags dangle off it"s windows, showing the symbol of a red leaf with a knife through it. From this ominous building"s entrance, a group of men in black cloaks can be seen entering. Inside was a great hall with a round table, full of men in black cloaks. The visitors sat at the table, as the man in the very center spoke up.

"Has the woman been captured?" Asked the man in a soft spoken yet chilling tone.

"No master, the group we dispatched have failed." Replied one of the messengers.

"Are they dead?" Asked the man again, completely unfazed by the failure of his agents.

"Yes, master, mangled and shredded beyond recognition." Answered another one of the messengers, "Signs of a Griffin attack was found on the scene, along with the carriage Lady Franciska fled on. Sadly, with no trace of blood, we theorize that she escaped."

"From the likes of a Griffin? Wasn"t she just a 16 year old girl? Are you seriously suggesting that a 16 year old human brat managed to escape the clutches of this forest"s apex predator?" Asked the master, his tone getting a tad louder, but not enough to suggest anger.

"Of course not! Instead, we suggest that she perhaps had... outside help." Explained the messenger.

"Explain?"

"Sir, words are going around that a new powerful adventurer had emerged seemingly out of nowhere. His background is unknown, but from what we have gathered, he made a name for himself by slaying a Griffin." Explained a woman next to the master.

"So you are suggesting that this adventurer was the reason the woman got away?" Asked the master, his voice once again lowering.

"That is our theory, yes." Said the messenger.

Hearing this, the master let out a light chuckle.

"Interesting, a mere human was able to slay a Griffin alone. Even if it were an [Top-Species] like a Giant or Dragonkin, it would still be an impressive feat, yet a Griffin was done in from a borderline [Sub-Species] human. If this story were true, then this man has truly peaked by interest."

"What do we do about our target?" Asked the woman sitting next to him.

"Don"t bother with her." The master replied with a voice devoid of concern, "Anyone within the borders of [Cyntrum] will always be within [Dagger]"s grasp. Even if she reaches her final destination, our blades will be no further away from her neck. Now, we just need to make sure the blade enters without interference."

Getting up from his seat, the master walked towards the a lever behind his chair, as a trap door opened when he pulled it, revealing a saber imbedded with red and green gems.

"It"s been a while since we have hunted a worthwhile prey. I hope this Griffin slayer doesn"t dissapoint me." He said, as more and more figures emerged from the dark halls, following him, "It"s about time we remind this kingdom who the dominant race is."

Meanwhile, back at the Tavern, the customers cheered for Kaito, impressed by his courage as he downed his entire plate of [Fortress Fish]. Some of the adventuring groups even approached him, wanting him in their party.

"You"re a tough guy, Kaito." Said a group of generic rpg party looking individuals, "Just what we need to complete our group! Whad"ya say? We"ll give you 40% of the reward if you help us with this Ogre we need to slay."

"Come on, look at the guy! He may be tough sure, but with those clothes, he must be a beggar! He doesn"t even have as much as a knife on him, how broke can he be?!" Exclaimed another group, "You guys would have to spent entire bags of silver to get him fully armed! We have the money for that, join us!"

"Everyone, everyone, I keep telling you guys, I"m fine on my own." Said Kaito, trying to push away the overwhelming attention he attracted.

"Well, so much for laying low." Thought Kaito, "At least it"s only the adventurers who are all over me."

"My stars!" Exclaimed a nearby merchant, "I recognize those clothes! Yeah you! You"re the guy who killed the Griffin we sold this morning!"

"He did what!?" Almost the entire tavern exclaimed.

"Oh c.r.a.p." Thought Kaito, as now the entire Tavern were surrounding the table.

"You killed a Griffin!? Now you HAVE to join our party! We know where to find the best jobs, we"ll make you rich! Come on, join us!!"

"No way! Such skills would be wasted on you rookies! Our group"s been in this business for over 20 years! Join us! We have the experience!"

"What"s the point of wasting your time as an adventurer! h.e.l.lo, by the way, my name is Malric, and I am looking for recruit for the Royal Army, we"ll give you an immediate promotion if you join us!"

As more and more people surrounded Kaito, Franciska and Vincent slowly slipped away from the crowd to the empty seat next to their original, eatingt their meal in peace.

"This Kaito fellow is quite the attention sponge." Commented Vincent, "Are you sure we should stick around him?"

"If he is strong enough to slay a Griffin, I doubt anyone who wants a fight would want to come within even 10 feet of him, so I think it"s best to keep him." Replied Franciska, "He"ll be a useful bodyguard."

Vincent gave Franciska a look of concern.

"Lady Franciska, I am afraid that the outside world simply doesn"t operate like so." Said Vincent in a regretful tone.

"What do you mean, Vincent?" Asked Franciska, taking a bite of her [c.o.c.katrice] Steak.

Suddenly, a huge, Bull-headed behemoth of a man came pushing through the crowd, glaring down on Kaito with bright red eyes.

"This pipsqueak killed a Griffin? Don"t give me that c.r.a.p! If this scrawny half pint can kill one of those four-legged, oversized chickens, then I could kill a Dragon, no, an Ancient t.i.tan!" Grunted the bull-headed brute.

Suddenly, everyone else in the Tavern backed up in fear, except for Kaito, who was too scared to even move.

"Say, punk, you really think you"re tough s.h.i.t, don"t you?" Asked the man, poking Kaito"s chest his index which was almost as big as Kaito entire hand.

"W-Well, i-it"s not like I did it unarmed." Kaito tried to reason.

"Oh, so you"re not denying it? You acknowledge that you killed that Griffin? Well then, tough guy, If you"re really that strong, then you should have no problem..."

Suddenly, the man raised his ma.s.sive hammer-like arm.

"Blocking my fist!"

A panicked Kaito shrieked as he fell back on his chair, while the man"s fist smashed through his table like it with made out of popsicle sticks. However, in doing so, it also sent the plate of stinging strong [Fortress Fish] flying into the man"s face, as it"s white hot juices seeped into the brute"s eyes.

"MOOOOOO!!! MY EYES!!! BURNING!!!" The man cried out as he charged out of the tavern in pain.

While that happened, Kaito received a helping hand from another lady, one with extremely feathery arms who"s azure tint matched her long silky hair.

"I"m sorry about our friend." Said the lady, "Bovir"s just very insecure about his strength. You know most [Taurens], it"s only natural for their kind to try to establish themselves as the strongest."

"I-It"s not a problem." Replied Kaito, his legs still jelly from that near death experience.

"My name"s Wendi." Introducing the lady, "And those two other there are [Vulcan] and [Hans]."

Looking over her shoulder, Kaito saw another chick with extremely colorful feathers growing on her arms and another cow head, this one a lot more docile looking.

"Yeah yeah, I"m know what you"re thinking, "What is a pair of [Harpies] doing with a gang of [Taurens]?" Said Wendi.

"Actually, I"m more interested in... well, you." Said Kaito, examining her with great curiosity.

"Woah woah woah, calm down there lovebird!" Said Wendi, her face blushing, "I"m not trying to be rude but I"m not really interested in human relations."

"Oh my G.o.d, that came out wrong, I"m sorry, I was just very curious about your species!" Explained Kaito, waving his hands around in panic, "I... uh... I"ve never seen a Harpy up close before."

"O-Oh... well, I guess some humans do live an entire lifetime without seeing an [Upper-Specie], so it makes sense." Replied Wendi, "Is there... anything you"d like to know about us?"

"Mostly your physiology." Said Kaito, grabbing her arm and examining it like a curious child who just met Mickey Mouse in person, "I mean, can you actually fly with these feathers?"

Wendi however was struggling to get a word out, as her face was turning bright red.

"And your legs! They are actual bird legs! how fascinating!" Said Kaito, once again entranced by another completely mundane thing by that world"s standards, "And what about your diet? Do you eat worms and insects or does human food do?"

"Kaito."

"What about your lifespan?"

"Kaito!"

"Huh?"

Turning around, Kaito noticed Franciska and Vincent standing behind them with crossed arms.

"You"ve pretty much just touched 4 different sensitive areas on a [Harpy]." Said Franciska.

Kaito, snapping out of his frenzy, looked back to see Wendi, her face red and her blushing out of control.

"Oh my G.o.d, I"m so sorry! I got carried away because I"ve never seen a [Harpy] in my life and touched you in places where I shouldn"t have I am so sorry!" Kaito rapidly apologized, rapidly bowing.

However, looking back up, he saw Wendi, her body shaking estatically as she grabbed him by the wrist.

"No, it"s fine, keep it up..." Said Wendi, drooling as hearts formed in her pupils.

Bovir"s physique and att.i.tude suddenly popped back into Kaito"s mind. Looking back to what Wendi said to him earlier, it seems as though Harpies and Taurens don"t usually pair up. Seeing how eager Wendi was to continue, A dreadful realization hit Kaito: the girl had a thing for forceful men.

"Come on! Aren"t you curious about us Harpies? I can show you so much more! Our cup size, how we mate!" Wendi kept on approaching him.

"We"re going!" Franciska cut off, grabbing a stuttery Kaito by the back collar of his tank top and dragging him off with impressive strength.

"Buzzkill." Pouted Wendi, as she turned to Vulcan and Hans, "Come on, let"s go find Bovir."

"Coming!" Replied two, finishing their drinks in one gulp.

Meanwhile, in a dark alleyway, Bovirn managed to finally recover from getting that rancid juice in his eyes, as he slammed the wall of a nearby building in anger, leaving a crater.

"That d.a.m.n human! Next time we meet, I"ll crush him!" Bovirn grunted, "Thinks he"s so tough just because he killed a Griffin."

"A Griffin? How interesting." Said a voice behind him.

Turning around, Bovir noticed a man in a black cloak, standing at the entrance and only exit of the alley. While his vision was still a tad watery, he was able to make out the ears pointing out of the cloak.

"An elf? What do you tree huggers want?" Asked Bovir.

"Just some information on the man." Said the elf, "Do you know where he lives?"

"Why should I tell you? You"re after his autograph or something?" Threatened Bovir, "Either way it doesn"t moo-tter! As soon as I get this burning feeling out of my eyes, I"m going to pound him into cow pat!"

"Not gonna answer? What a shame." Sighed the elf, as he pulled out a tuff of gra.s.s from his cloak, "And what if I gave you some juicy wheat gra.s.s?"

Suddenly, the Tauren punched the wall again, with much more anger than before.

"Are you mocking me!?" Bovirn exclaimed, "What do you think I am, a cow!?"

"A logical guess." Replied the elf, "Or perhaps you"re more a hay kind of person."

The Tauren"s muscles flexed and pulsated, as the beast a.s.sumed a charging stance.

"Don"t compare us Taurens to your livestock, elf!" Bovir grunted, charging at the elf with blinding speed, "Us Taurens eat meat!!"

Bovir"s fist sank through the elf"s cloak, as it made a thundering crash onto the cobblestone pavement, leaving cracks in a 4 feet radius as the ground itself sunk a little.

However, the Tauren didn"t feel his fist make contact with any kind of flesh, as suddenly, he felt a light gust of wind blow past him. Next thing he knew, cuts appeared all over his arm and the elf seemingly materialized in front of his eyes.

Falling back in shock, Bovir leaned against a wall, as his left horn was sliced off as well. The elf, unfazed, walked up to the downed Tauren, revealing a saber embedded with red and green gems.

"I"ll say you this again nicely." Said the elf, "Where is the human?"

"I-I don"t know!" Bovir shrieked in fear, "Moo-st travelers stay in inns at Harvirn! [The Bella]"s the closest inn to this tavern, go there!"

Satisfied with the answer, the elf took his blade away from Bovir, before vanishing like a gust of wind.

Back with Franciska, Vincent and Kaito, the group were making their way back to the inn, with Kaito walking up front while Vincent and Franciska chatted in the back.

"You see what I mean, Lady Franciska? With such a big name by our side, we will always be at the center of attention wherever we go if we tag Kaito along." Said Vincent, "If we are to complete out mission, then we mustn"t bring so much attention to ourselves."

"Then who will help us once they find out we are being hunted by [Dagger]? We are lucky that this man"s clueless and thought those a.s.sa.s.sins he killed were mere bandits. You saw what happened to the last adventurer that agreed to help us! Those a.s.sa.s.sins tore him to shreds! As far as I"m concerned, as long as we have him, we are safe!" Retorted Franciska.

"We have already made it to [Harvirn], Lady Franciska. With the gold we received from the Griffin, we can easily pay for a fast enough ride to reach [Auru] in 3 days! Harvirn is such a large town that even [Dagger], who is notorious for being one of the kingdom"s most deadly a.s.sa.s.sin guilds, would have a hard time tracking us. If we lay low and hitch the right ride, then we can avoid exposing ourselves by taking the long road and risk another encounter with them!" Vincent attempted to reason, "But with Kaito around, laying low will be impossible!"

Franciska let out a sigh, as he looked forward to see Kaito, petting a [Mountain-gator] with the glistening eyes of a child.

"I"m just not certain that this man can make it on his own." Said Franciska, "He is strong, but clueless! I"ve never seen anyone who have met so little race before. It"s like our whole world"s alien to him."

Vincent turned to Franciska, letting out a warm smile.

"You"ve always had a soft spot for the lives of others, Franciska." Thought Vincent, as he looked down at his pouch, "So don"t worry, I will make sure we make it to [Auru] and deliver the message."

However, once they"ve reached their inn, Vincent"s face took a worried shift.

"Vincent, is everything alright?" Asked Franciska.

Vincent quickly walked up to Kaito, who was about to open the door.

"Kaito." Vincent said sternly, "I want you to take Lady Franciska and wait for me."

"Excuse me?" Asked Kaito.

"Please." Said Vincent, sweat running down his forehead.

Confused, Kaito backed away from the door slowly. Vincent on the other hand looked at the windows of the common room. The lights were off. The sun had almost fully set and most other buildings would have had their lights on, especially inns. But oddly, their inns lights were off.

In any normal circ.u.mstances, Vincent would also have run with Franciska. However, he knew that Kaito"s stuff were still inside. If there really were a.s.sa.s.sins inside the inn, Kaito wouldn"t be able to fight them off without them.

He turned back to Kaito for one last time.

"Once you receive your bags, take Lady Franciska and run." Said Vincent.

"Wait what?"

Suddenly, Vincent dashed into the inn, as the sound of shattered gla.s.s and struggling followed.

"Vincent!" Franciska exclaimed, attempting to run into the inn.

"Wait!" Kaito quickly grabbed her around the waist, preventing her from running forward. If those sounds he heard were correct, someone was after them.

From where they stood outside, they can heard the sounds of struggle and of blades clashing, with Vincent"s pain filled grunts becoming more and more prominent. Suddenly, a scream erupted from the inn, Vincent"s scream.

"Let me go! Please! Vincent"s still in there!" Franciska pleaded, struggling to break free from Kaito"s grasp. The soldier couldn"t believe he was actually struggling to hold back this 16 year old girl.

Suddenly, the screaming died down. Panic and despair filled Franciska"s eyes, as Kaito understood what this meant.

However, before he could take off running, two of his hip pouches came flying out the window. Catching them mid air, Kaito was able to retrieve his handgun, 3 clips of ammo, some smoke grenades, and his infrared goggles.

"Thank you, Vincent!" Kaito thought, as he clutched onto Franciska, running the opposite way.

However, As soon as he took two steps forward, a throwing knife flew in, landing two feet in front of him. Looking up, Kaito"s eyes widened in shock, as a dozen black figures were perched on the roofs of surrounding buildings, glaring down at them like hawks.

With only the light coming from the street lamps, Kaito could only make out the long ears sticking out of the cloaks of their a.s.sailants. Suddenly, from behind, one black figure approached them head on, brandishing a blood covered saber embedded with green and red gems.

"You must be Kaito, the Griffin Slayer." Said the elf.

"And who might you be!?" Asked Kaito, pointing at the elf with his gun.

The elf let out a light chuckle.

"We are [Dagger], we have no individual name. Just call me the master." Said the elf, "And you are a human who has peaked our interest."