Soul Lovers

The strong dilemma of a boy.

In a gloomy cavern. A darkened figure sat, crossed leg on a umbrageous throne as twenty to fifty shadowy figure stood at a distance before the darkened figure where a single dimly lit from the moon above through the only c***k in the gloomy cavern, pervading the only man beneath the c***k, dressed in fancy apparel with a bokdu hat on his head standing, shortly he prostrated, sniffling—He was the official who Dryad, his uncle and the hunters saw running away from the infested havens and the one who told them Hunter Oshoshi was fighting the creepers.

"I'm very sorry... I-I should have done a cleaner job... They... They were... Yes! They were too hard for me to handle... I'm truly sorry... please forgive me... "

"Forgive, you say. You know. When someone does something wrong, we shouldn't forget all the things the offender did right, I'm I right?"

The official bowed his face deeper to the rocky grounds.

"Surely, Sire... I'm grateful... you said just what was about coming out from the filthy mouth of mine... "

"Acceptable. But one thing bothers me."

"W-What... is it, Sire?!"

"I can't find anything you did right for me or for the sect."

"Ack! No-No have done something right, Sire. I-I made it possible-Yes! possible for the experiments to work. I gave accurate reports and I never left one thing unturned. I gave my full life in working under your goals... I--"

"Enough." The darkened figured stood just as the everyone standing in an instant bowed their heads. "Everything you think you've done was nothing but a servant doing his or her given duties."

The official with his head buried to the rocky grounds noticed the darkened figure walking towards him then he shivered, sweating all over then slightly wet himself.

"When I mean right, I meant perfect." the darkened figure stood also right under the dimly lit from the moon above as he revealed himself as... 'Dryad's uncle.' "Tell me once more. How on the world did Hunter Oshoshi died? And you know he will be of a great asset to us, if he joined."

"I... He saw... me, on my way in allowing the creepers inside the havens, he then asked what was going on... I couldn't answer because I was so scared... Hunter Oshoshi on seeing the creepers I allowed in, he saved me before anything else... That's all. I'm saying the truth. I swear on godmother Mimosa's name!"

"Tsk. You're forgetting one thing. you're forgetting the fact that a stab wound was found on his chest!" Dryad's uncle yelled, "You killed him! But anyways." He turned walking back to his umbrageous throne, "things like this was never part of the sect's plans. The throne was taken away from me by my mother, the Queen and was given to my younger brother who alone doesn't know how to lead but stupidly fights the King of Humanes over some japes arguments. Is that how to lead the denizens of the Forest Nymphs? This is solely why this sect was created to make everything right and when I mean right, everything should be perfectly placed in order." He sat on his umbrageous throne with a sigh.

"What's your final decision, my King." A female hunter asked as she walked under the dimly lit through the c***k above. She was also one of the four hunters with him when fighting the biggest creeper within the haven.

"We'll hasten all preparation to Project Liberation."

She faced the whimpering and shivering official on the ground.

"Should we start with him?"

"No. He still has one or two purposes in the sect. Let's start with my dear, little nephew. Bring me Frankenstein. Tell him everything is ready."

The female hunter bowed her head as she spoke; "All hail, the true king of the Forest Nymphs!"

"All hail, the true king of the Forest Nymphs!" Everyone in the gloomy cavern recited including the frightened official with a sniffed.

.

.

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Many moments back at the bounty hunter region beneath the caved hole caused by Peirce's immeasurable power, Node continued to glare at Pierce from a distance while on his back against the wall he crashed earlier. Being surprised at the percolated unlucky fugitive with an unexplainable phenomenal glowing abilities that could in any way mutilates his surroundings.

Is this really Peirce? What has the scientist guy done to him? Has he been replicated by any means of initiation? Node rhetorically questioned himself.

Peirce maintained as he watched Sniffia’s bleeding body laying dead on the ground. His mind immediately flashed back to every scenes of Vanilla who she'd believed in Pierce’s long achievements and yet, she died in his arms. How unlucky he thought he was.

Why does everyone's plans work in me? And the plans I had for myself never works. Grandma? Sniffia? Tears filled his eyes as he walked straight to Sniffia.

Then he heard clankings coming from his right.

“Back!..” Node yelled.

“D-do not come any closer!” He threatened stretching forth a broken rod from the lab material while still resting against the wall unable to stand.

“Node...” Peirce called.

“I… I don’t know you anymore! Who-who are you exactly?! What are you exactly?!” Node asked with a little spark of courage coming out from his words. Pierce couldn’t walk any closer as he was ordered to. With guilt, he thought as he stared at the ground.

Is there any possibility that he knows about Vanilla’s death…? He looked at Node's hands shaking without reasons. Moreover, I couldn’t blame him less. What am I exactly? What has that guy done to me? He thought then looked at the spot he was pierced through but to his amazement it was completely healed leaving only the scar that was there ever since he noticed the scar was on his body many years ago. He sighed sadly then glanced at Node eyes.

“Do you really want me out of the way, away from everyone?” Pierce asked as a tear dropped from his eye. He’d never think of Node as a friend but since he loved Sniffia, a friend of hers is a friend of his. “Out of your life and hers?”

Node exhaled, staggeringly stood up and dropped the rod on the shattered grounds as it clinged on a rock piece.

“It’s not just me that really wanted you out of my life. Everyone in the village does. The truth is, you were like a curse to us and at first, I really didn’t see that until the elders and our parents from the village persuaded we children to. Every moment I looked at you, I really wanted to see that curse, to understand what it meant; that unluckiness in you but instead, I saw a total different omen coming from you. Just like… just like an aroma of a delicious meal. You were just too good to be true and I still don’t want to believe that.” He said focusing on Sniffia’s body then looked at Peirce.

“Could you prove me wrong, Pierce?” He asked and concluded. “Nevermind. We can’t promise that to each other… What was lumping us together… sadly she is gone.” He shoved his black hair back then put his hand on his face as he stared at Peirce. “There is one thing that kept bothering me ever since I found my self caged at the hands of the beasts… where is Vanilla?”

Peirce’s body immediately shivered as he shut his eyes and slightly clenched his teeth. Node watches as he did so.

“… As I suspected—"

Suddenly, Node and Peirce felt a strong atmosphere within the passage way of the underground as a windflaw blew in to their side pushing in dusts, smoke and debris particles. While above the underground where Dante and Gage stood, they noticed an impact wind explosion, destroying part of the bounty collector’s shop as burning boulders of debris and tiles were tossed around.

“That must be our call.” Dante said, looking at the scene. Gage focused back at the giant hole made by Peirce then looked away.

That would be for later. He thought and matched along with the two red caped royal guards as their capes sways to the bounty collector’s home.

“Achoo- I believe someone’s talking about me.” Dante said, as he glanced back at Gage while walking into the burning Bounty collector’s shop.

-

At the bounty’s collector shop, The fat-male Aurorae swung his hammer directly at Jared. He dodged it, boosting off with his gust power just as the gale of the hammer destroyed another part of the building roofs which smashed the wall wide opened.

“Come on, Butterfly. Stay put!” The bounty collector urged, turned and smashed another wall by his left Jared dodged it once more while causing a continuous impact destruction from one wall to another, deep into buildings to another, dividing the grounds and a river afar which alerted everyone within the city.

Node and Peirce took full awareness of the impact as everywhere shook.

“Cough… cough… cough… We need to get out of here.” Node said and hurryingly looked back to Sniffia’s body. His eyes expanded. “Wait... a second. Where is she… where is Sniffia?!”

Pierce cleaving the dusts that was in front of him looked at that same position where Sniffia was too, he immediately got confused.

“Huh?” Peirce glared at Frankenstein still smashed on the wall, thinking he might have done something but to his amazement Frankenstein was still motionless in the wall.

Node followed his eyes to Frankenstein on the wall.

“D-do you think he is the one?... “ He anxiously questioned. Unanticipatedly, someone or something passed Node's side before he could reacted. That thing or someone had reached Peirce and… and... it hugged Peirce?!

The sound of two pulsating hearts beating irregularly, hence the emotions which caused it.

“I’m so sorry… “ the voice softly brittle, “I’m so helpless… I should never… “

Peirce slowly raised his hand on the person’s blond hair. Node blinked in the process he staggered then stumblingly sat on the destroyed floor.

“Great, that’s great to see… two rocking chairs. Back together, Foxy.”

Sniffia broke the hug then slightly turned to Node just as she glanced at him surprisingly without her little venomous eyes but with smiles that absolutely crushed the heart of Nodes’.

“Is good you kept your word, Node.” She said then walked up to him, stretched her hand, Node looked at her hand then at where she was mutilated he didn’t see anything but three holes on her fur vest revealing her pale skin even a scar was not seen. Without asking further questions, Node grabbed her hand as he was lifted up effortlessly. Then he turned.

“Then let’s get going. We’ve people who are waiting for us at the village.” He said leading the way, Sniffia looked at Peirce with a smile then noticed he wasn’t smiling back or ignoring Node’s as he just stood still staring at the ground.

Sniffia put on a serious face as she stopped then Node did also without turning back;

“Why aren’t you coming?!” Node interrogated.

“Please, leave without me. I have nothing else to do with you or others in the village.” Peirce said in a pitiful manner.

Sniffia gasped.

“You think so?!” Node asked. “Look. You’re our savior and I’m not asking for a favor to come back. Without you we aren't leaving this place and I know Sniffia is thinking the same thing.” Node scratched his head. "Ugh. As the youth leader and a friend. Leaving without you is never an option."

Immediately, Pierce’s eyes widened. Sniffia just looked at him without saying a word. Peirce could remembered how pleased Vanilla was to him when he shows her few of his inventions and his grandmother’s smile anytime he was with her. He made himself realized that he has a purpose and a fulfillment so he might be acknowledged, in short the two standing in front of him as been considered as his friends. Pierce squeezed his fist. Sniffia walked up to him then gently held his hand.

“You’re never alone.” Sniffia said with a smile then she looked at her body. “Well. I don’t know what happened whether the fact I’m a beast from the only survivor of the Silver maned beast or something else, anyways I healed.”

“Come on, now. Let’s go.” Node said. Peirce nodded as they both walked towards Node.

_

Boom! Another devastating smash from the bounty collector’s hammer to the ground as boulders of rocks arose at about 4 feet high. While Lazarus continued to observe the scene, a massive boulder twice the size of the remaining boulders flew directly at him. Without moving away, his hand illuminated then flinched as the massive boulder shattered into tiny rocks before one tossed his eye.

“Ouch.” He whispered.

The bounty collector stood in between the cratered hole he caused, resting his hammer on his shoulder.

Where is he? He asked himself looking all over for Jared then faced Lazarus as the glowing man scratched his eye helplessly.

“Hey, you. As your insect friend given up already?!” He asked.

Lazarus blinked. “Uhm… no?” He said then pointed to where Jared was.

The bounty collector looked back, his eyes widened.

“Huh?”

It was Jared, standing between a shattered store room holding a big barrel of water just as he gobbed them deep into his throat. He dropped the empty barrel on the ground, cleaned his mouth and exhaled.

“He told you he was thirsty.” Lazarus reminded with a shrugged shoulders.

“I don’t care.” The bounty collector said, held his hammer tight by its handle, charged directly at Jared as the ground he walked on cratered and swiftly sped to Jared swinging his hammer directly to his head.

“Now, I have your time.” Jared altered then Immediately, he jacked the bounty collector at his tummy. Later, gust of wind combined together forming a pressure boost for Jared fist causing the bounty collector’s fat to rumble through his tummy up to his chubby cheeks as the impact pushed him back, whizzing pass Lazarus, bounced on the ground and landed far in a bar house in the process everyone from the bar ran out.

"Game on." Lazarus smirked, "Ouch my second eye!"