8 Chapter #008 - The Finaling March

"Here, take it!" I grunted to the lanky figure as I hand over a small bag of gold coins. "And never join the bandits' kid, they are bad people."

"Yes, sir. Will do sir. But, sir..." Pleading in guilt, he gave me a look with his damn puppy eyes that made me feel a little shrivelled. The girls looking at me curiously as I solve this measly problem, they wondered what I will do with him.

Sighing, I look and made a normal natural smile. "Listen, kid, if you want to make good money, join the Adventuring Academy and if you prefer learning Magical Arts, go to the Monster Girl Magic Center at the north of here. Though, only available for monster girls, humans can have exceptions."

"But, sir. I don't have much money to pay for entry nor equipment. Sucks to say sire, but I don't think I can even learn magic."

A little embarrassed for telling the truth about his pathetic self, I shrug my shoulders as I covered my one eyes as I activated the chip and calculate probabilities.

"Right, from here. Head to the Monster Girl Center I told you about and walk to one of the guards, when they ask who you are, tell them Madam Aviandra wants some coffee, alright? She will get the message and the guards too."

"Alright, sir. If you say so. I am sorry everyone for what happened, I have given enough portions of the antidote the slave-master kept for the drugs, I will now take my leave."

As he squeaked his way with an apologetic bow, he waves to the freed slaves, me and my misfit crew who send his goodbye in return.

Turning back, I sighed as I felt a pat on my back. It was the Dryad Queen who felt satisfied and was a little in gratitude for helping her clean up her once filthy forest. Reacting to the touch with a stiff jolt, I turn to her and the girls and smile gleefully. "Right, so what about the lasses and the other monsters?"

"I suppose, we could send them back to their original areas or homes." Princess Fusui guesses as she noticed a few villagers making widened eyes and a look of dissatisfaction."What's the matter? Don't you want to get home and see your loved ones or family?"

One of the slaves shaking no, she limps forward as she rubs her wounded wrist which blistered in rashes and lacerations. "No, not like this..." She muttered softly.

"We can't go back after what happened to us. I am pretty sure our family would hate how we are and how we look now. The villagers will then humiliate us and then probably kick us out. If you please, take us in, Miss Knight." As the strong slave spoke the truth to the princess, Fusui's ears in return twitched as she goes deep into thought.

"Hmm, I suppose so. Since The Monsters are free to roam around but the villagers don't mind these beasts or even want to return home, I suppose..." Thinking hard, she made a rough idea that could work. "I got an idea... How about let these people take over the village nearby the Greenvale Forest?"

"Sounds like a good plan but wouldn't the other villagers return once they found out their village is cleared and freed from the trouble?" I ponder as I look back to the Dryad Queen, smiling at her as she brings her head up and looks deep into my eyes closed. "Queen...?"

"No, that won't work..." The dryad replies as she immediately smiles and swerves to the windy breeze of the forest. "My people still don't want to forgive them. But these, bandits slaves may have it if they will so."

"I was about to say that the villagers may still fear the dragon still existing but oh well, that works too." I nod as I now to the Dryad. "So miss, care to tell me your real name again?"

"Have you forgotten it so soon? Mr Conundrum." As she chuckles softly, she then walks her way to the slaves and guides them through the forest pathway.

As I and my crew followed her, I felt a sudden wipe of an odd scent nearby her circle. Was it an aphrodisiac poison again or was it something else?

A little curious, I excused myself from the people as I ventured into her area. Feeling a breeze of wind wiping my face, a sound of cracks and a strange wooden branch left off floating brown particles similar to pollen.

Holding my breath, I neared it to take an inspection as I inspect the strange tree that grew hugely before me. ("What is this? Is it trying to communicate with me or something?")

As I ask a strange question, A sound of soft murmurs could be heard from between the innards of the tree as a loud crunch could be heard, listening through an old bark that was hollowed out beside the tree, I squatted down and peeked through it.

"...?" Looking closely, I see nothing but darkness, only the sounds of strange crunches and thrushes. Taking a short inhale of air, I then went fuck it and crouched to a crawl and head into the bark.

Step by step I took as I went deeper into the darkness that slowly surrounded me.

As I felt colder by the second, I then managed to tumbles into a basement of sorts which had leaves, twigs and also strange wooden contraptions made of pure untouched tree roots and branches which sprouted about.

Hearing a murder again, I followed the sound as I tip-toed myself towards the area. A strange shuffle of feet and the sound of shackles, could it be the girl the queen was talking about?

As I neared the person, I lit up my lighter and near it to the figure as I noticed a small animal the size of my fist which was feasting on some fruits slowly as its green wings covered in tiny leaves fluttered about. The dragon, I found it!

Yet, why didn't it mind my presence? Was it already aware of my coming or was it deaf? Even Though I questioned this, I turned to my head to see the main culprit of all the ruckus.

The figure, however, was not completely human. Though she had blond hair that was braided and a small muddy yet clean white blouse, she was covered to the brim with branches and strange protruding which grew over her skin and somehow became her skin.

As she slowly tried to reach her neck towards the food, she opens her mouth as her tears fell from her one remaining eyelid as the other was slowly covered up by the wood.

"Ahh....ah..." She moaned as she was being controlled by this sort of parasite that grew on her.

It glowed red and was beating like a heart. Pulsating crimson blood pumps, it connected itself between each important vital organ and covered up most of the host's body in strange wooden growths.

As it slowly covered up half of the girl's body, she was somehow controlled by the parasite to work on its own accord. Hunger is its sustenance just like a human.

It needs to feast so it could produce energy and more growth for strange pollen to release.

Though unactivated and rather safe at first, once activated during a certain season of weather, it can infect and spread throughout the forest, and infect human, animals and even beasts.

"Hello there..." I whispered, being kind of my presence towards the dragon and the parasite.

As they both looked towards me, they made a bland look as they watched something that I had on. A pendant that hung around my neck, understanding what it meant, the dragon rose from its rest and flapped its green vine wings onto my left shoulder as it growled into my ear something.

I wish I could have understood it, but unfortunately, I couldn't as I was human. "I am sorry, I don't speak drake, sire."

The little dragon nodding slowly as it blinked twice, it looks towards the turning lass and barked at it.

The parasite turning towards me, controlled the lass and forces the girl to smile. "The dragon says...how are you." In short controlled syllabuses, the parasite releases an exhalation of words that are a little out of tune.

"Ahh, thanks. I am fine, thank you." As I slowly reached a hand towards the dragon in usual normal response towards small animals, a pat.

Nearing my hand and rubbing its scaly skin, it felt rough yet had a smooth outcome which filled its edgy and thick skin.

It somehow didn't get aggressive as if it was a passive friendly dragon. It whimpered excitingly as it twists its hand left and right in return.

"So what are your names, Mine is Ryuu." Being a little friendly, I made close eye contact with the parasite as it made an interesting gaze towards my rather friendly human nature.

"I don't have a....name..." the parasite replies as it looks at its human hands. "She says... her name is Marianne."

"She? You mean the human you have taken over?" I asked as I made a curious look.

Nodding, she then points her finger to the dragon as she opens her mouth slowly. "The dragon is called Ari' Natura."

"Ari' Natura... that's a tough name to pronounce. Is Natura only alright?" I asked with a nervous smile. As I sniffed the rough pollen which tickled my nostrils, I coughed softly as I see my saliva excreting some strange red liquid. Blood, spilling out. Like acid in contact with skin, it burns. It reeks of a soured smell as it gives out a painful ache.

Rubbing my nose with my free palm, I inspect closely as my nose has a small slit of a cut that occurred from the fight yesterday. The wound partially healed as the blood clogged and grew grainy sand-like powder.

Rubbing its head on my cheek, the drake then barked once more as I notice the parasite smiling at me, with a sense of suffering in the host's body as if crying for help in her deeply sane self while she fought the uninvited visitor.

Making a check-up with my glasses, I read off her body bio-file which made up most of her bods vitals and her current senses that the parasite has hold of. "Assecula..." I muttered as I point my finger back to the parasite.

"Asse...cula?" The parasite breaths out as it drooled blood from the host's body. As it reeked a disgusting smell of berries and also iron, the rotten teeth and the young like feeble body of the host made a strange interlocking movement as it slowly stood up with a strange wobbling slump.

"That's your name...Assecula, The Parasite. Befitting as such." As I muttered as I look to the dragon which watched my every movement. "You...we leave now, I will take the girl. Let the queen know."

As the dragon barked and whimpered, it hopped off my shoulder as it uses it as a launchpad and started flapping its leaf-like wings, flapping every second as a thumping sound could be heard echoing throughout the area.

A shuffle of metal could be heard behind me as I notice Marianne aka Assecula being still in confinement by the iron cask of shackles that held her down with its heavyweight. As it made a grieving mutter as its zombie-like movement tried to overcome its weakness, I sigh and lift my bat towards her as the red-eyed parasite looks back at me with mild emotionless eyes that bled slowly.

"...." It stared as it watched the metallic blunt weapon hit hardly the side of her chain shackles with a strange hand-made sharp axe which was welded to this bat-like weapon. Breaking her loose with the sense of temporary relief and freedom, the parasite then limps slowly to me as I turn back and walk away, crawling away through the darkness.

...

As the monster girl crew assisted the freed slaves now officially turned villagers, they prepared as much as they could to clean up the vinery and overgrown ferns that took over the semi-abandoned village. Making as much of a pathway and breaking off the old wood that was infested with termites, they then renovated the many buildings they could with the strength that they slowly gained through the sheer will of happiness and the lack of the weakening drug that lingered through their veins.

As they slowly smiled with laughter and glee, the alliance between the monster girls and the humans now turned neighbours became happy as their lingering scent of fresh flowers and morning dew attracted a few passersby from another village who were curiously surprised yet a little cautious when watching the next species interact with each other.

The Black Witch who was getting rest on top of a heavy tree branch that showcased its immense strength pulls down her overly-large and dark mage hat as she smokes her pipe of strange black leaves which burns into a grey and red amber when exhaled. As she hums a harmonising rhythm from the top, the others at the bottom continued their work to assist the newly-moved female villagers as they welcomed the new guests to take a break from their hard work of forestry or mining.

"Hey, I just realised, where is Ryuu?" Princess Fusui brought up as she shuffles on her chainmail and iron armour as she sips on her deer-skin flask of fresh streaming water. Looking at the person opposite of her as she sat on a log turned bench, her ears flicked about as she got used to the heavy and clunky sounds her armour made with every strange manoeuvre.

The person at the opposite shrugging, she pokes the napping fox-girl beside her who was daydreaming after her alcohol-induced addiction trauma. "Oi, do you know where Ryuu?" She asked in a kind yet a loud way to give off some attention-seeking.

"Huh? Who...Ryuu?" The now awakened Yoko asked as she rubs her dilated eyes with her nimble finger. Yawning openly with her widened and sharp fangs, she then smiles with her fully-formed lips as she adjusted her scantily clad robes.

"Ugh...Ryuu. The guy who decided to invite us to his adventuring party, you know, the person that gave you a home and built for you a drinking parlour, hello.... you home?" Princess Fusui teased the alcoholic fox-girl as she pokes her fangs out with a snarling grin.

"Ohh, Ryuu! Ugh, if I remember... he strolled off to the Dryad's home..." She yawns once more as she stretches her thin and flexible arms and adjusts her many tails to act as comfy pillows. "Something about... visiting the girl or something..."

The dryad queen who passed by and drops off a stack of firewood for the villagers use her magic to form a few new decorations and furniture before sitting beside the Leaf Wolf Princess and her other so-called partners. "What are you speaking of? I am a little curious as the trees speak such rumours too."

"Oh, hello Your Majesty of the Woods. We were wondering where the man went. My partner here says he went to your place of the resident to pick up some girl you captured." The Yoko replies before trying to sip her flask which has gone empty, Poking her tongue out to get a little lick of alcohol which barely made a drop, she closes the cap again as she sighs and makes it disappear within her magic's capabilities.

"Yes, that is correct. Within one's contract of helping me to teach my now future guard of the tree-men, I allowed him to pick the girl out and take him along your journey." The dryad explained as she notices Kisuen's strange sad behaviour and summons up a strange flask from behind her back as it contained what seemed to be red wine brewed in long-ageing methods.

Handing it over without a word towards the Yoko, she smiled in glee in return as she snatches it and takes a short exasperated gulp of it with a satisfactory squeak.

The Princess who once again felt the odd behaviour of Kisuen's addiction a nuisance once again, sniffled her nose as she facepalms herself with her metallic gauntlet, only to injure her nose with a short clang and a headache in return.

Hearing a sound of footsteps behind her, her ears turned towards its direction as a shadow overpowered her feelings from behind her back. A sense of familiarity as her tails wagged from side to side subtly.

"We shall make a move now Queen," My voice confidently let out as a fluttering little beast and a wooden branched lass stood between me as we introduced ourselves once again. "Thank you for taking care of us and hope your forest will one day grow into a much bigger and more lovely region."

As I blurted those words, Nia and The Black Witch hopped off their hair-raising resting place as they landed softly behind me, ready to take a leave, they waited for the Wolf Princess and The Fox-Girl who were resting by lazily.

"I suppose that is what you want after all you did for me and my forest, I thank you for doing your best and I suppose I greet you a lovely journey, only I wish I could follow for your journey but as the last living Dryad of this region, I can only do my duty to take charge of the forest and guard its many hoarders to come." The dryad explained as she bows towards me with a gentle and slow movement.

As she showcased her rather perverse body that lacked any form of physical coverings, I had no choice but to ignore such feeble temporary reliefs as I bowed and gave my greetings in return before smiling back.

Waving away to her and the newly-made village of old, the motley crew and I headed our way to the true west-side that was the opposite of this forest. To hide its true appearance of its rather sandy and dune-like area which lacked any nature nor flora that laid about vigorously such as Greenvale, you are next, I whispered under my breath as I smiled slyly.

Crunching up the image that I kept in my pockets, I held the ever-increasing weight of hands by my shoulders-side, as I followed my way towards the area.

Looking at my watch as it made blue glowing ticks for and clicks for every second counting, I sigh softly as I look forward to the next place of interest.