Man-Eating Beast

In an old ragged house, Ray stood close to her ill mother laying on a old bed.

"Once I'm back, I'll bring medicine and lots of food."

"Be careful out there, sweetheart…"

"I've be mom, love you."

"I love you too…"

Ray went outside of the house and begins to walk towards the adventurers guild.

Lucky, her house is not far away from the guild and only a couple of blocks.

She got to the doors of the guild and entered.

Ray is a copper ranked adventurer but has no party.

She stored money to build a party but hasn't even found one person to ask and join.

Because of this, the only quest she can take is low valued quest that has only low rewards. One of the downsides of being a shy girl.

She struggles to talk to strangers and people who won't benefit over her party.

She thinks that people only need her of they need something, this is what she learns from a drunkard father of her's.

She looks for a chance to talk to other adventurers but just like every day, she'll get talked over or simply ignored.

As she tries to talk with other adventurers, she overheard Luke and the others talk about making a party and having money over it.

She packed up all of her courage in one, as she knows that this is finally where she can find and make a party.

"I can help you…"

An unsure voice of hers captures the attention of Luke and followed by the others.

"Hmm?"

"I… I am making a party…but I have no members… so…"

Luke saw an opportunity to not spend money and took the offer in an unsure manure.

"Looking for a guild member? I see, may I know your name?"

"I'm… I'm Ray…"

"Ray? I am Luke, this is Toru and this is Cecilia."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Hey there miss."

"Hi…"

"You want us to join your guild party, am I correct?"

"Yes…"

"We are in a pickle in our situation… we accepted your invitation."

Her eyes turn bright as she heard the acceptances of her invitation.

*Pstt* "Luke."

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Cecilia then pulls Luke in the corner and talks about Luke's decision over the offer.

"Hey, how could you trust her so fast?"

"I don't see the problem, is there any?"

"Well yeah, she came out of nowhere and asked us to join her party?"

"Every friend we meet is a stranger at first, it's not wrong to put a little trust on her."

"Luke's got a point here, and look at her, she seems innocent enough to me."

"Even if so, we can't just let's her trust her instantly."

"It's okay to not fully trust her, but even if she's a stranger, we still need to pay a fee to make a guild."

"*Sign*… if so… fine then, but I don't trust her."

"Umm… it's okay of you don't join, I can find someone else to join…"

"No no, we accepted your invitation to this party."

"Are you sure… she looks like she don't want to…"

"No need to worry about her, we'll join you."

At last, after months for search, she finally found a party member.

After that, they went back to the receptionist and fill up and signed the party registration together.

"What will be the name of the guild party?"

"A name?"

"Yes, to fully register, I need a tittle to put on the registration."

"Hmm… Miss Ray, have you thought of the name of our guild?"

"No… it didn't think that I'll get this far…"

"I see… you two, do you have any suggestions?"

"What about Fire Squad, sounds cool eyy?"

"I think… Green house."

"What? Green house? You think this gardening?"

"It's an opinion, dumbwit."

"Saids to the person who came up with Green house!"

"Please stop fighting…"

"Let them be, how about you, do you have any ideas?"

"Yes but… I don't think you'll like it…'

"It's okay, it's only an idea, it won't hurt to try."

"If you say so… how about…Red Tails…"

"Hmm? Any reasons why you came up of such an idea?"

"Mom used to tell me a story about a group called Red Tails… so I thought of that…"

"I see, then we'll go for that."

"Are you sure, I think it's too childish."

"Haha, no, it's not. Think it's a great name."

"What about you two, agreed of calling us Red Tails."

"Yeah, it's better than fucking Green House!"

"Why don't you shut up!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"You're going for the name Red Tails?"

"Yes please, it's only tradition that the leader names the group."

"Congrats, your group is now called Red Tails."

'Finally, I made a group!'

"Your guild party is immature level, work as a group to reach higher levels."

"We will, now what will be our first quest…?"

"Here, since the there is a silver on your party and there's 4 of you ranked, I can offer a better suitable ranked quest."

The receptionist girl then puts a pile of quest on the table and made Ray and Luke decide to choose while the two is still arguing on the background.

"As the leader of our guild, you can take the Honor to choose first."

"Me—Me?! Are you sure?!"

"I trust you make the decision over this, after all, you are the guild leader."

'I didn't know that being a guild leader is this stressful.'

"Umm… how about this?"

She then picks up a picture of a large ogre holding a club.

It said that the reward is 14 gold and 5 silvers with the name on the Ogre of Black Rock forest.

"Hmm… an ogre, we can make a quick work over that. We'll take this then."

"Alright then, the quest accepted, please bring a tooth and a part of it ear for confirmation."

"We'll do."

The receptionist girl then hands a piece of paper that read the location of the beast and the person hiring them.

Luke then turns around and informs the two about the quest but found the two still fighting.

"You two, we have chosen our first quest, let's go."

"Where we heading?"

"We'll talk on the move."

"Okay then."

"Fine."

"Please come back alive and with your limbs still attached on your body, thank you."

They went out of the adventurer's guild and talked while on the move.

"Where are we heading, Mister Luke?"

"Just call me Luke, no need to be formal."

"Okay…"

"We're going to the village of Black Rock, in the letter, it reads that it has been attacking many people and crops along with livestocks."

"Fighting an ogre, this will be my first time fighting big monsters now."

"Really, your unexperienced over killing big monster?"

"Yes… because of my low rank, I can't fight big monster, I understand stand that it's for my own safety… but…"

"But what?"

"My mother has an illness, I need money to by the medicine."

"You'll risk your life to cure your mother's illness?"

"My mother used to be an adventurer… but retired because of a injury."

"What is the injury that laid to her retirement?"

"A serious concoction."

"I see."

"After the concoction healed, she got an illness till this day."

"Hmm…"

While they were walking, on their way was the café, Luke saw this and remembers about Laura.

"Let's stop for a moment, I need to visit someone today, it's only for a moment."

"Where is it?"

"We have a friend in the Love Heart Café to visit, we promise to come on the café today to say hello, you should join in."

"Ah—Okay…"

"You two, let's enter the café for a stop."

They entered the café and was greeted with the maids.

"Welcome—oh, it's you guys."

"Happy to see you again, Laura."

"Hi Laura."

"Yeah, hi."

"Do you want any order?"

"No need, we only visit as a promise, thank you for escorting us to the inn."

"No probs, but the way, Patty has been looking for you."

"Patty?"

"Hello, Sir Luke!"

"Owh, so your name is Patty."

"Yesssss, want to stay and have a drink? I can give you a discount or better yet, for free…"

Cecilia then entered their conversation and cuts everything.

"Excuse me Patty but we have a quest to fulfill, so if you excuse us, we need to get going."

"Ha? You dear to cut our conversation, princess?"

"Yes, now we need to get going."

"Let's stop right there, I'm sorry Patty but we only came to visit, we have a…difficult quest."

"Okay then, make sure to visit some time on the café."

They then went back out and walked straight to the gates.

As they reach the gates, they stopped at the entrance and went to the side of the gate to find a ride.

They found a carriage and its owner, they asked for a ride in which he humbly agree went payment.

They ride at the back of the carriage and starts going to the Black Rock village.

In a hour ride, they stopped in the village gates.

They gave the carriage owner a silver coins and he starts to head back to the kingdom.

"This is the village of Black Rock?"

"It's very…small, some much for having a name Black Rock."

They found themselves standing on a very small village with only houses.

In count, there are only sixty to eighty houses with some has already fallen down.

They walked inside in the village and found people already packing their things to move out.

Children crying and large bag attach on the backs of the horses.

Suddenly, a man notice them and starts running towards them.

"Are you the adventurers?!"

They looked at running towards them as he stops in front of them.

"Are you guys sent here to kill the monsters in the forest?!"

"Yes, we are the adventurers who accepted the quest."

"Thank god–."

The man then suddenly stops talking as he saw a copper rank on necklace of Luke.

"You're just a worthless copper! You can't help us!"

Ray then frowns on the hurtful words of the man.

Ray then enters the scene with the silver plate necklace that capture the eyes of the man.

"Ah… silver rank, at least you have a chance to fight."

"Excuse me sir but we are looking for to the man who gave the quest in the adventurers guild.

"Me, I gave the quest."

"So, it's you who gave the quest."

"I'm not talking to you copper brat."

Toru then entered the conversation but quickly stopped by Luke.

"Who are you callin–."

"Toru, stop. I'm sure you're confuse over the fact I'm a copper rank but I'm here to exterminate the problem, not get insulted."

"What are you going to do ha? Throw rock to the monsters?"

Suddenly, a loud roar then can be heard coming on the forest and scared everyone on the village.

"Their coming, hide!"

"*Sign*… Let's get the over with, find that monster."

"I agree, If we knew that this guy was an asshole…"

They followed the loud roar and head straight to the forest.

When they got there, they already found broken sticks and half split rock and stones.

"It looks like that they are a lot of them, this maybe just been broken by some animal, but a simple animal can't split rocks in half."

"Ready your weapons, I don't think there's only ogres on this forest."

They continued to walk in the forest and stopped because on a fowl stinch.

"Ewh, what is that smell?"

"Smell like rotting rats."

"Not rats…"

Luke then points at large flock of flies with only meters away from them.

They went closer and found a rotting corpse with is clothes torn to pieces.

Some parts are still visible to see, to which the parts are the it's breast that indicates that it's a woman.

"How could someone do something like this?"

"Because that someone is an ogre, you've seen what these creatures can do. Keep your heads up."

"I shall split with you three so we can find these ogres faster, do you think you three are enough to fight off one or two ogres?"

"Even if there's five, I'll kick their asses without breaking a sweat."

"Yeah, I think we can handle ourselves."

"But what about you Luke? You might get hurt… or even worse…"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be careful not to get eaten."

"But–."

"Don't worry Ray, Luke is very strong! Even if his up against giant monsters, they won't put a single scratch on him."

"Yeah, trust on Luke."

"Your giving me too much credit, I'll get going now. If you do find the ogres, better to not fight them and find me instead."

"Okay."

"I'll see you three later."

"Careful."

Luke then starts to walk deeper in the heart of the forest where he found foot prints in which he followed.

As they split ways, the three starts to head forward to the other side where Luke went in search for the killer ogre.

Hours has passed and still they find no traces for the ogre, even with the loud roar they heard, it was still not enough.

"We've been searching for hours now, where is this bastard?"

"Can't you just wait and search for those monsters? If Luke finds out you became ogre food, I'm screwed."

"Over my dead body."

"Over your dead body alright."

As they walk, they heard scrunching sound as if someone is eating.

They heard the noises was close and stayed silent.

They look over the bushes and found three ogres feasting on flesh.

"We should get back and inform Luke."

"Agree, we should fall back for now."

"You heard that Toru? We're going back– where's Toru?"

"RAAAA!!!"

They looked over and found Toru already charging towards the ogres.

"Toru! What the hell are you doing?!"

As Toru shouts at the ogres and the ogre looked at Toru.

The closest ogre reacted slowly and got hit by the massive hammer of Toru.

"Eat that, you Bastard!"

They ogre flew away and the other ogres got furious then grabs their clubs.

*Insert angry ogre noises*

One of the ogres then charges at Toru with it's club.

With his stupidity, he tries to block with the hammer's handle and the clubs hits the hand of Toru and drops the hammer.

"Aah!"

The ogre then tried to finish off Toru and ogre was sliced by Cecilia's blade.

Cecilia's blade cut deep and killed the ogre instantly.

The ogre drops dead and the other ogre left including the blown away ogre.

They went to Toru with his broke hand and Ray then healed Toru's hand.

"From the light of dawn, I hear be blessed by touch of One great being" "Healing"

With a spell casted by Ray, Toru's broken hand begun to heal back to it's original self.

"Ahh… that hurts."

Cecilia then hits the head of Toru.

"What were you think you idiot! You would've gotten yourself killed!"

"We should get back and tell Luke to what happened, we can't let that happen again."

"Yes, let's find Luke and tell him what happened."

"Wait a moment, the ogres are escaping, if we go now, they will be harder to find later on."

"This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't attack!"

"Yeah but, their escaping! We need to finish them off!"

With on a moment to think, Cecilia realizes that finding Luke will take a long time and even more time to track the ogres down.

Cecilia then mead her decision.

"Aggh, Fine! Don't attack recklessly this time."

"But–."

"Let's go before they escape."

They started to run towards to the track's made by the fleeing ogres.

With broken twigs and branches along with deep fresh footsteps.

Finally, with their long chase, they stopped on the cave with more fresh footsteps leading to the entrance of the cave.

"They went here…"

"Let's go in then! We got no time to waste."

"Not so fast, where are going to a rough cave, trying to swing a sword will be a pain… let alone a hammer."

"Then hand to hand combat, it's that simple."

"We should really tell about this before go inside."

"They are already trapped inside, there's no point chasing them, we can tell Luke about this."

"Cecilia, we always rely on Luke."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Listen, imagine how Luke will be so proud to us if we defeat those monsters with only ourselves?"

"…"

"I really don't think this is a good an idea."

"You can cast healing magic, you can back us up really good. What do you say?"

"I can't say I agree…"

"Fine, let's kill them, but let's do it fast and not give them a chance to escape."

"Nice, let's go!"

They started to walk inside the cave, Ray was not sure of the plan at first but she can't just stand outside and wait, so she followed them inside.

They keep on walking till they found a big space on the cave.

The place is covered in bones and blood, not to mention a rotting smell.

As the walk, thy found the ogre with clubs on their hands.

"There!"

"I won't let you escape this time you Bastard!"

Cecilia and Toru suddenly stopped as they found even more ogres in the backs of the two.

Six more ogres appear and with large claymore and bats.

"What that hell?!"

"Why is there so many of them?"

Out of nowhere, the only exit that which they came was suddenly blocked by a even larger ogre.

Most likely standing on sixteen meters tall with a big claymore on his hand.

The giant ogre's weapon was unique towards the other weapons, the weapon is a claymore and it is enchanted with magic.

The monster then swung its claymore towards them with great power.

"Crystal Shield!"

Barely in a nick of time, Ray then struck down her staff on the ground and created a barrier that blocked the attack of the giant ogre.

"Woah, impressive…"

"What the hell! Why Is there a giant fucking ogre here?!"

"We need to come up with a plan sooner before the barrier breaks."

"Right, let's split together and dash to left and you guys to the right."

"How can Ray dash?"

"Just grab her."

"I don't…think I can hold on…much longer…"

"Shit! This was a bad idea!"

"You think?!"

The giant ogre continues to hit along with the ogre, this hit the barrier and Ray is about to collapse from fatigue.

"Hang in there Ray!"

"I…"

Ray then collapsed on the floor and Cecilia grabbed here and dashes far away as the giant swing of the massive ogre barely hits them.

Toru dashes as well along with hitting the other ogre.

Some of the ogre falls on the ground while some left standing.

Meanwhile, Luke tries to find the three and found a dead body of a ogre laying on the ground.

"Didn't I told them not to fight?" *Sign*…

"Lucky the lefts some traces on their way, I guess I have to hurry and find them before they get themselves killed."

They put Ray in a little safe place so that she doesn't get hurt, Toru distracts the giant ogre while Cecilia fights the other left ogres.

Cecilia fought the ogre and killed 3 of them and Toru is about to fall in exhaustion.

"I can't get going like this!"

"Stop bitching and fight! I won't die in a place like this!"

Toru then remembered that his weapon is enchanted and thought of a great idea to use it.

"Shit yeah, these weapons are enchanted."

Toru then smashed the hammer in the ground and a large fissure erupted that burst up wards and went to the giant ogre.

The giant ogre is trapped but only for a moment as its raw strength and size will soon break the fissures.

Toru then sent over to Cecilia and helped her to fight the other fight remaining ogres.

"I forgot you can do that."

"I even forgot I can do that as well."

"I should do something with mine as well."

"Make is quick before we splat."

Toru then fought the other left ogres head one while Cecilia is trying to figure out how does her weapon works.

Cecilia tries to concentrate on her weapon in which she holds on the handle tightly.

"Any moment now!"

"Shut up and let me focus!"

Toru then bushed down his weapon on the ground again and created another fissure that rushed towards the ogres.

"Come on COME ON! Work dammit WORK!"

Suddenly the giant ogres' roars and began to shake the stones on him.

"Better do your shit quick now before we got crashed!"

"I know!"

As Toru is distracted on his conversation on Cecilia, the giant ogre freed its right hand and hurls a large boulder towards the two.

Toru quickly notice this and doge the large stone in which the boulder hits one of the ogre.

He turned around to look at the giant ogre.

He got distracted and one of the ogres bulldoze towards Toru with its shoulders.

Toru was blown away and knocked over and dropped his weapon far from his reach.

"Toru!"

The ogres then went to Toru to try to finish his off and his Toru's stomach as he was trying to get up.

"Ughhh!"

Toru is laying on the ground to the pain and the ogres is about to finish him with its club that's about to hit his head.

Is a desperate rush of emotion, Cecilia blade let out a bright light that made the ogres used its arm to block off the light.

"Woah… what the hell is this?"

"Hughhh raghhh?"

"Hugghh?"

Suddenly a beam of light surges out the blade and went to Toru and Ray.

Slowly, they got up from shrug off the pain like it was nothing and found themselves fully restored.

"Is that the ability of your sword?"

"Seems like it."

The light disappears and turned back to normal.

"Hugggh raahh?"

"Huhgraa daa?"

"Let's kick their asses before they kick ours!"

"Came out right out the mouth of Cecilia, let's give them hell!"

The two fought the ogres while Ray is stood shock to what happened.

To her, it's her first time seeing a glowing blade and a hammer the summons fissures.

Ray get back to her senses as she realizes that it's not the time to ask questions.

Cecilia was caught open and one of the ogres tries to strike on his back and a fire bolt suddenly came out.

They looked at the direction to where the fire bolt came from and found Ray with her hands freshly has fire remnants on the tips on her fingers.

"I'll try to fight as well."

Cecilia nods as she finished off the ogre that tried to attack her.

As the battle presume and with promising victory, the last ogre falls and cheers in victory.

Their celebration was cut shortly as the fissure that trapped the giant ogre collapse and crumbles.

"Shit..."

*Insert louder angry giant ogre noises*

A roar that can be heard reaches the village.

In the forest, Luke heard a loud roar and finally indicates that to where can he find the three.

"That sounded like a… Giant ogre…"

In the cave, they stood with unshakable urge to fight and the giant ogre charges towards them.

Toru then couldn't help it chuckles to the giant ogre as he could easily use the weapon's ability one's more to trap the beast.

"Ha, I can trap you again like last time!"

Toru struck down mighty hammer once more and came out little tiny pebbles.

"What?"

"Come on, do the thing again."

"Okay I'll try again."

He struck down his weapon one's more and still the same results.

"What are you waiting for?! Do that thing!"

"I know! But it's not working!"

"What?!"

Toru keeps on striking the ground with its hammer but it still does the same thing over and over again as the giant ogre rushed close to them.

"Come on, COME ON!"

"Back off!"

The ogre reaches them and struck down it claymore. However, with reaction as fast a true warrior, the claymore barely touched them and blown down the ground.

They we're blown away by the impact and they quickly got up.

"That was close…"

"What the hell is wrong with this hammer?!"

"Forget about it now, focus on the ogre."

"Guys, it's about to attack!"

The ogre lifts up his claymore and struck its claymore down towards Toru.

Be barely dodge it but the shock and the impact hurls blocks of stone that hits Toru and damaged he's body.

He tries to move away as fast as he could but his leg was hurt but the shock way.

As she tries to move, he was kicked to the back by the ogre and flew Toru far away and hits the walls.

"Toru!"

By the scream of both Cecilia and Ray, they caught the attention of the ogre and started to charge towards them.

As the giant ogre runs towards them with its claymore ready to strike down.