The Gift of Fenrir

The Zangu route is a territory of different conflicts and dangers. Different thieves, monsters that managed to damage the minds of the most vulnerable and magical creatures that seemed to coexist and at the same time fight on that road for different reasons. The reason Fenrir took such routes was threefold. Firstly, because it was dangerous, very few pursuers would dare to enter such paths with him. Secondly, Fenrir likes it because he usually gets interesting things from the idiots who are going to attack him and finally, he likes it because he usually gets interesting things from the idiots who are going to attack him. The third reason, most of the time, this kind of road guarantees the swindler several hours of advantages and less travel times depending on the case.

"My stomach hurts. I never imagined my life would encounter pain from just eating."

Kalishar writhed still feeling that horrible burning that made her almost want to vomit until she emptied her bowels again, but since Fenrir and his new friend did not vomit once after ingesting such a horrible concoction, she felt she should do the same. Not as a matter of pride, but because she thought it would look odd if she did so and draw unnecessary attention to herself.

"How odd?" commented Fenrir looking around. "I've passed at least five times in my life along this route, it's not usually this quiet. I can even see birds flying by without trouble or threat."

"Maybe this is our lucky day," said Teodoro.

"I don't think so." He looks more closely and notices nothing. "Something doesn't quite add up, it's either something new threatening the environment or..."

Fenrir stops the vehicle to look at the environment in more detail, he puts his ears on alert to notice even the smallest sound. Kalishar stands up and asks Theodore if he noticed it too. The man didn't understand any of the situation but left it up to both of them.

"I feel something bad is going to happen, but we've come this far. Anyway." He gets out of the carriage. "Whoever it is, he'll make his first move right? Now!"

Fenrir luckily dodges an arrow shot that upon touching a flower this one was beginning to corrode. A bead of sweat and heavy throbbing manifested in the hustler's aura that almost died again. He thanked the heavens thinking that some thief god was watching over him for being such a good devotee.

"You seem to be very lucky sandwich. But believe me I won't fail again."

A terrifying voice echoed in the air so that the few birds still there were dropping dead of fright from a heart attack. Fenrir turned in fear to look at the scene to see the front again, it was a scorpion spider, an unusual magical creature that liked to hunt its prey and settle in areas where there was a good flow of live, juicy food.

"A scorpion spider, even though you're terrifying, I just killed alpha zerbarix before I got here, so. I'm feeling in the mood to let you go out and forage around, let's just pretend we haven't seen either of us."

"He's seriously trying to negotiate with a scorpion spider?" thought Theodore.

"What a waste of time." Kalishar steps down from the carriage. "I don't know what kind of creature it is, but I figured it would be worth it, I guess disappointment is more common here than I imagined."

The girl stretches to prepare for the fight, it wasn't going to take more than a minute, but her stomach rattles back in a negative way from the drink she had taken managing to camouflage her domineering aura to the creature who lets out the biggest laugh at seeing the most pathetic thing of all. Fenrir scolded himself earlier, because of him his companion wouldn't be able to fight to her full potential like she used to.

"Shit, shit. With a route seller, an incapacitated fighter and me with relics locked up and in the carriage, I'll die before I can open the box, looks like I'll have to use my wits to get out of this one safely. Hell, why does this have to happen?"

"Come on Fenrir I know we'll win." He cringes in pain.

"Yes, you can tell we're going to win." He looks at the creature. "If we fight it with your status and without my resources, we will definitely win."

Fenrir looked at the situation and analyzed it again, they had the odds stacked against them. If he could not convince the creature to avoid conflict, this would be the end of him. The creature smiles and comments on Fenrir's silence, the last meal that the monster had gobbled also took pauses to think about how to eliminate it, this gave Fenrir to understand that the creature reasoned very well despite its appearance and realized the way its enemies acted.

"Well, let's start politely. I can tell that nothing escapes you and you manage to find out from me what I think or want to do. It's obvious to me that I'm cornered and fighting back would undoubtedly be my worst mistake."

"No doubt sandwich, I am glad to know that you know your place. Still, I give you a chance to fight for a bit of fun."

"What a waste of a creature, playing with your food. I'd rather finish it quickly." Thought the girl was offended by the scorpion spider.

In Kalishar's eyes, a living thing that played with food was less than scum, unworthy of any consideration or respect from her. He looked at Fenrir with disgust for submitting to this creature, but the fire within him still burned with its unmatched brilliance. He did not understand how someone who seemed to submit before others still maintained his pride, he could tell the fear by the smell, but even so, Fenrir still had his will to fight.

"Listen, I bet a mons... a specimen of your cognitive abilities can understand what I will say next. You know, we are not simply travellers who took the scenic route to travel. We're zerbarix assassins."

"So what? Without legendaries of the Sun, you can at best kill one or two zerbarix in exchange for losing hundreds of yourselves. I'm aware of everything."

"Then you must be aware of what happened to the Ringhood's nest and how we put an end to it."

"I have some knowledge, it seems the group of armed humans abandoned the place and only zerbarix corpses are there. There doesn't seem to be the same essence of the legendaries of the Sun."

"Exactly, that means mere mortals with more than divine right accomplished a feat like no other. Theodore! The bag!"

"Yes." He drops the bag.

Fenrir carefully moves and reveals to the spider zerbarix alpha hearts. The creature is impressed by that particular smell that only an alpha would give off. It had rarely devoured the corpse of a high-powered zerbarix, so it remembered what its organs and scent looked like.

"Now you see, there are more than fifteen hearts here and those alpha, omega or whatever things, they only count three hearts; not to mention that an alpha has a relatively larger heart than the others." He notices the scorpion spider's curious reaction. "How about we forge an alliance?"

"Alliance?!" said Theodore.

"You must be kidding," said Kalishar.

"Have an alliance with my food?!"

"May I ask your name?"

"For what food?"

"Simple, to get to know each other better. " He smiles, "I'll start, I'm Fenrir Balckface, ah. It's nice to meet you ehm..."

"Monarhci the Unstoppable Lady."

"Unstoppable, a worthy title for you." He walks over to pick up the hearts and put it away. "Lady Monarchi."

"Miss, I am still a thousand years old, still a young lady."

"Miss Monarchi, I bet you know the value of friendships, don't you? An ally like you would give me many good things both in terms of power and new knowledge. And I can guarantee you that my friendship will also benefit you more than you can imagine."

"Mmm... I'm interested to ask how food?"

Fenrir smiles as he recognizes those words as a good sign, a con man like him knew that after catching the idiot's interest, he would drop a few questions that if he overcame them, the transaction would go his way.

"Mainly, I'd say I can protect her, but maybe she doesn't need my help to ensure her safety," he said. "He thinks. "For now what can I tell you I can be your ally for territorial battles, with a nest in Ringhood free, I bet your race will want to fight to have that territory, even though it's dead the city still enjoys good resources that you'll be able to exploit."

"Does that include you?"

"Yes, why not. If I prove that you are a powerful alidade and you can make sure that I will. That will be your territory until the end of your days."

"And what else can you offer me?"

"I can leak you vital information from the sun knights. Those corrupt idiots, while posing no threat beyond themselves. I bet even you will find value in everything they do and say."

"He's really a bastard, is he lying to save us or is he planning to play that part?" thought Theodore.

"Why do you keep wasting your bloody time with that bitch! We must eliminate her, you must fight or die, that's the duty!" shouted Kalishar angrily until he started to vomit.

"I don't like that one, I should kill her."

"No! Forgive her, she doesn't know how to use her words well. She was lost in a nest. She didn't even know she was a sun, ha ha ha!"

"You horrible fucking piece of rubbish."

"Awful! Me?!" I was beginning to growl with great annoyance. "I guess I'm not going to have any fun with you guys, I'll go straight to eating them and while I'm at it. I'll be sure to chew them slowly before swallowing it and turning it into my excrement!"

"This stupid girl," Thought Fenrir and Theodore as they looked at Kalishar.

"Momento, please ignore my companion. She is just jealous of your impressionable beauty."

There was a silence as Fenrir swallowed nervously, in all his life he never thought he would use those kinds of words to describe an abominable creature. The silence seemed uncomfortable, it could drive anyone mad. Fenrir looks sweatily and desperately at the creature, who blushes and covers its face with its tongs.

"De... you really think my beauty is impressionable."

"Ah, yes... just because of that my friend is jealous, but what can you say, only a gentleman recognizes a beautiful flower no matter if it comes from a desert (I want to die, what kind of man am I, seducing a monster that would make anyone want to vomit)!

"And you think I'm an idol of beauty and lust?!"

Fenrir looks to Theodore for help, but the latter refuses to take part and signals to the swindler that he alone had gone into that tomb and it was his responsibility alone whether to close it or leave it open. Kalishar didn't understand why the appearance issue, she was so confused that she did nothing."

"Yes... beauty, lust and you might even be an idol to many. If things were different, maybe... maybe I could even seek to be your mate. (Gods, please, strike me down and kill me. It's a good thing Lion isn't here because he'd make fun of me).

"You interested in dating me... No! You can't... I mean, you're just my food... but you're the only one who could see my beauty and said such nice things to me." He blushes even more.