We’ve begun moving again. The sky is blue and the clouds are few! The breeze is beautiful today as it blows through the trees at the mountain’s basin. Mange and I are carrying the supply of meat we captured the night before. Everyone seems to be in good spirits. More particularly, Lilac seems even more so than us as she keeps playfully messing with Mange. Assuming how poorly he spoke of her, you’d guess he’d be frustrated with this, but… he doesn’t appear too upset right now. We find a path leading up the mountain. It’s clearly been walked many times before. I can only assume it’s a merchants path heavily used by the traveling merchants. We continue up the path until we make it to the peak of the slope we’re climbing. As we reach the top, we can see down into the valley. There are several farm plots with houses, stables, and barns across the open land here. I can only guess there isn’t many ways to get through here without stepping foot in a human settlement. The leader stops, looking down towards the farmland. “Well, this is certainly new…”

 

Fivi steps up next to me. “Will we be going around?” The leader shakes his head. “To walk the entire mountain would pose more threat to the monsters here than to walk straight through the human settlement.” Lilac walks between the leader and I. “This way is quite fine! Let us carry on!” Mange steps behind us, watching as Lilac walks alone cheerfully down the hill. He glances at us before walking past us, following her. The leader, Fivi, and I look around to one another. I shrug my shoulders and continue to follow them. The rest of the group soon followed as well.

 

As we walk, I keep in mind that most of the monsters in our group have an incredible distaste for humans. I just hope we can pass through without any trouble from either side. We find ourselves walking down a narrow path between two large plots of wheat. Only the tallest of our group could possibly see where we’re going from here. The children are looking around in amazement. They’ve never seen crops like these before. I guess even this will be a memory that will stay with them for a lifetime. As we approach a crossroad between the crops, Lilac points to the right path. “Let us go this way! My friend will be just at the end of this path!”

 

We stand cautiously for a moment. Mange continues on. “Don’t worry. I think I know who she’s takin’ us to.” While Mange seems comfortable with all this, the rest of us can’t help but feel nervous. We reach the end of the path at a very well built human establishment. It has an additional structure next to it. Perhaps a storage of some kind. We approach nervously since we’re well aware we aren’t currently on friendly soil. Lilac stands in front of us. “Roman! Roman, are you here?!” Lilac shouts out. We begin looking around. Her shout makes us cautious that someone else may see us! An old human male steps from the home. He looks frail. Bald and hunched, wearing spectacles. He doesn’t seem like one who could be of any help here.

 

The old human walks towards us as if nothing is unusual here. “My, my, my! If it isn’t young Lilac! It’s been some time!” Lilac walks over to the old human, embracing them in a tight hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you, Roman!” They release each other. Lilac and Roman release each other. Mange drops the creatures he’s carrying, then walks over to Roman. Roman looks up at Mange, adjusting his spectacles. “Now that’s a very unusual face to see!” Mange chuckles as he bends down, hugging Roman. “Good ta see ya, old man.” Roman pats Mange’s back. “Ha ha ha. Look who’s talking? You’re almost as grey as I am!”

 

Mange stands back up. “Well, ya know how it is fer Heroes. Yer as old as ya feel.” Mange looks around. “I see ya got that retirement farm ya wanted!” Roman smiles. “Oh, yes! It was cheap because of the monsters around here, but it was quite the steal! I couldn’t pass it up!” Roman looks towards the group of us. “Speaking of monsters, I see you’ve quite the group of them! Companions of yours?” Mange smiles as he rushes over to us. “Yes! These’re the kind people who took me in!” He presses the leader, Fivi, and I forward. “The dragon boy here is the leader of th’ group! He doesn’t ‘ave a name yet!” I side-eye the leader. I’m nervous how he’ll react.

 

The leader gives an uncomfortable smile. “Oh, uhhh… nice to meet you, sir.” Roman grabs the leader’s hand. “It’s good to meet you, dragon boy.” As Roman releases the leader’s hand, Mange pushes Fivi forward. “This is Fivi. She jus’ became a Hero. A tamer, like Lilac!” Roman reaches out to her, holding her hand and looking at her scales. “Wow! You have such a beautiful pattern!” Fivi looks at Roman, her face is a little flush. “Oh, um… Thank you…” Mange then pushes me forward. “This one here is a special one ta me. He’s-“ “Laoch the Gold?” Roman cuts Mange off. The leader looks shocked. “Laoch the Gold? How do you know of Laoch?”

 

Roman holds his hand out to his house. “Lilac. Could you please get the news article on my dining table?” Lilac nods as she runs into the house. Shortly after, she runs back out. “Mange! Did you get involved with a merchant named Gibson?!” Mange steps forward with a nervous look. “Why?! What happened?!” Lilac holds up the article. It has a drawn picture of me and a drawing of Gibson in chains. “Turns out Laoch is wanted, and Gibson is in prison for aiding him!” Mange gets frustrated. “That idiot! He shoulda kept ‘is mouth shut! Does it say where Gibson is bein’ ‘eld?!” Lilac looks closely at the article. “It says… he’s being held in Yulemorre to the east of here!”

 

Mange clenches his teeth as he snarls. “It’s that damned church again! I know it is!” The leader steps in. “Hold on! Why would we rush off just to save some human?! This is madness!” Mange grabs the leader, holding him up to his face. Mange’s fur begins to glow with a very sinister red aura. His body expands. His fur becomes sharp, waving as though there is a strong breeze, and turns darker color, as if saturated in blood. His eyes lose color, and his ears seemingly hook like horns. This power looks unbelievable! If he used this on me the other night, I would have died! “I’m not gonna let’em kill a good man! Th’ Church ‘a the Nine kill anyone helpin’ monsters, even their own! I will be savin’ Gibson, with ‘er without ya!”

 

Mange drops the leader. The leader is clearly shaken, finally acknowledging the difference in power between him and Mange. As Mange changes back to normal, he looks back at Roman. “Ya still got any supplies from yer old job?!” Roman looks up at Mange and chuckles. “He he he! Just as hot-headed as I remember! Check in the shed. I’m sure there’s something in there you’ll love to see.” Mange makes his way to the shed, opening the door slowly. He smiles and laughs. “Ya old bastard! You were always th’ best at getting’ yer hands on things!” Mange steps inside the shed.

 

A few minutes go by before Mange steps back out. He’s wearing chest and leg armor made of some kind of bone and steel. Large teeth-like bones protrude from the shoulders, pointing back like wings. The front of the chest, leading down the legs, had rows of spikes that lined up together, as if those two pieces we made to go together. Mange has shin guards with spikes covering them. He’s wearing a crown that merely holds a red gem to his forehead. The whole suit appears doused in blood, but I think that’s just a decorative design. Mange holds a two-handed axe, throwing it over his shoulder.

 

“Ya really managed ta get my armor! I know ya said it b’fore, but I thought you were full of it!” Roman makes his way over to Mange. “You know I was a collector of rare things! As soon as I heard you left, I looked into it, then managed to win it from a guard at the old guild!” Mange kneels down to Roman. “I’m sure ya cheated.” Roman laughs. “You bet I did! I wouldn’t let them have my boy’s armor! Wish I could have gotten your axe, too!” Mange gives Roman a hug once more. “Ya did me good, old man. Yer old axe will be plenty fer this.”

 

Mange stands up and looks back at us. “Alright! I’m gonna be leadin’ this one! Laoch an’ Fivi are a given, but I’ll need two more ta make a full team!” Lilac looks up at Mange. “Hold on! Two?! You’re not taking me?!” Mange grabs Lilac’s shoulders. “Listen… I-I’m still not sure… what I can believe about ya… I want ta believe that ya didn’t do me wrong, but…I jus’ don’t know. What I do know is that you’d be riskin’ a lot more than jus’ yer life if ya join us in Yulemorre.” Mange stands up, looking down at Lilac. “I need ya ta guard the other monsters here until we come back. Promise me ya can do that.” Lilac looks down at the ground like a sad child. She grabs Mange by the chest plate, pulling him down to her level, then kissing him.

 

Almost in a comedic sense, everyone gasps at the same time! A human kissing a monster?! I understood that Mange loved her, but I didn’t know it was “that” kind of love! Mange is clearly shaken by this action as well. His eyes go wide as he freezes up. Lilac delicately backs away from him. “Don’t forget. If you die, your home is me, got it?” Mange stiffly nods his head. He stands back up, clearing his throat. “I-Is there any volunteers fer this?” The Feline steps forward. “I guess I’ve helped before. What’s one more time?” Mange points at the Feline with a smile. “Yes! I like yer spirit! Anyone else?” Everyone else stays silent. Mange looks at the leader. “Guess yer in, dragon boy!” The leader looks at him with a confused look. “Me?! I don’t even like humans! Why would I risk myself like that?!” Mange glares at the leader. “Ya said ya wanna be a Hero? This is yer chance!” The leader looks away. Mange walks towards him. “Heroes don’ just become them. They prove ta the stars that they have what it takes ta protect those that can’t protect themselves. They ain’t gotta be the best killers or the strongest fighters. They just gotta fight fer somethin’ other than themselves!” The leader clenches his teeth and growls. “GrrrRRRAAAHHHH!!! FINE!!! I had only just gotten over this interest, but fine! Let’s just get this over with!”

 

Mange grabs the leader, shaking him with an excited look. “Good on ya, dragon boy! Now, let’s save Gibson!” As we head out, I look back one more time. I’m not entirely sure how the whole “Your home is here” thing goes, but hopefully if I just memorize the place, that’ll be close enough! We’re now on a rescue mission! Mange knows the way, and we have to save Gibson from some church group! This… is shockingly exciting!