《Monster slayer》 Prologue He had followed the faint smell of blood deep into a dark, wet, musty, cave, walking carefully so as to not make a sound, holding his satchel tight so the elixirs inside would not clank together. He breathed through his mouth providing him with as big a breath as he needed without making a sound. The only sounds that he made came from the slight rustle of his clothes which his precise movement had lessened considerably but still posed a threat to alerting the monster that lived inside. He made his way to the deepest part of the cave without alerting the monster he hunted. He heard something breathing coming from around the corner. He stopped moving and listened to it¡¯s breathing pattern. Inhale for two seconds, hold for three then exhale for two seconds he listens to it¡¯s breathing for an entire two minutes. The monster''s breathing was wet sounding and slightly raspy sounding, not changing the entire time it was asleep. He rounded the corner knowing the monster was asleep, making slow careful long precise steps making sure to not make a sound, as he did he studied the monster as it came into his eyesight. It was a Quex, an agile creature big in frame standing at a meter tall with small arms and covered with a translucent mucus that secretes from slits along their bodies, helps them achieve their speed though their defining trait are their golden backs and extremely sensitive hearing. They¡¯re mostly known as rural creatures that live in damp environments making most caves a perfect place to set up home. They only go out to hunt when they need to, eating wildlife and only at night as the sun''s heat dries up their mucus slowing them down considerably making them relatively easy targets to kill. Though, some eat not out of necessity but fun going out at night and taking sometimes multiple prey back to wherever they made their lair while upping their targets from wildlife to human life. This one, the one he was hunting was one of those. It had killed three of the villagers from the nearby town one of them being a child, another a woman who went for a midnight stroll and the third a man went through the forest to spend the night with a woman that wasn¡¯t his wife, it maimed a fourth, a hunter, which escaped and ran through town screaming at the top of his lungs about a monster, blood from his leg trailing behind him staining the ground a dark red. Causing quite a scene, some people looked in bewilderment as he did and some gathered around him as he stopped in the middle of town amassing a small crowd, the town elder going at a slight jog (his running speed) from his house made way through the crowd shouting for someone to get the doctor, getting right next to the man who was now on the ground asking what had happened. The man on the ground slightly delirious from blood loss gave the monster''s vague description and where he believed he¡¯d been attacked to the town elder. Being in the town tavern during all of it he, a stranger to the town had sat down for a drink only moments earlier heard the screaming man¡¯s run through town, he finished the rest of his drink in one swig slamming his tankard onto the wooden table he was sitting, begrudgingly getting off his stool and making for the man thinking time to go to work. This specific Quex was one meter long, slightly smaller than average frame with less muscle definition than most fully grown Quex, less than five mucus slits, lighter shade of green and small golden back he searched his memories of the Quex from his stay at Plythorn and came to the conclusion it was thirty years old, young for a Quex meaning it would be slower, less sensitive to sound and less battle ready. He crossed the distance in a matter of minutes coming to a halt when he felt he was close enough to use the elixir he had prepared for a range of monsters: a Quex, Sin, and a Sereh, all similar sounding to what the man had described. He opened his leather satchel covered with precipitation from the cave, wetting the tips of his glove, grabbing the small vial thin at the top rounding at the bottom into a small circle, filled with a light bronze coloured liquid and plugged tightly with a cloth. looping the thin leather strip filled with holes spaced at different lengths under a silver square with a metal prong on one end, pulling the leather strip tightly towards him and threading the metal prong through one of the holes in the leather strip letting the prong fall and rest on a small indent on the other side of the metal square then tucked the excess leather under a leather hoop that kept the leather strip that wasn¡¯t held down by the prong from sticking up. Pulling the cloth it came out silently, wet at the end dripping small droplets of the elixir onto the wet stone floor. He lifted the bottle to his lips, the cool glass¡¯s rounded edge pushing into his bottom lip as the strangely warm liquid filled his mouth, the bitter metallic taste of it attacking his tongue''s taste buds as he held it inside. He made sure he only poured half of it in his mouth before removing it from his lips. He then poured the rest of the elixir on the cloth evenly and pulled a sword with an intricate hilt from its black scabbard covered with ancient elvish runes. One hand wrapped around the hilt firmly and the other on the scabbard he slowly pulled it out. The sword''s metal rasped against the scabbard as he pulled it the rest of the way out causing the Quex to stir in it¡¯s sleep he stopped dead making sure the Quex did not wake. He waited for a few seconds before moving again, turned the sword horizontally, his fingers holding the sword facing the cave''s wet stone and the sword tip facing the left of the cave. Using the cloth he rubbed the sword''s steel with the elixir wet cloth making sure to not miss a spot. Like a sponge the sword absorbed the elixir until only a few drops were left on the blade. When he was done he put the still wet cloth in his trousers front pocket and grabbed the sword''s hilt with left hand, both hands now on the hilt and ready to slay the monster.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He walked sideways staying five feet from the monster, crossing his feet every step holding his sword held slightly to the right low by his hip the plow stance, the tip of his sword aiming upward at where Quex¡¯s chest would be if it decided to wake up until he was facing the monster''s golden back. He approached slowly and carefully. He eventually made it to the monster¡¯s back, it¡¯s shiny golden back lay in front of him he readied his sword changing to a different stance. Holding the sword high till the hilt was a few inches away from his temple the sword tip was angled slightly pointing underneath where the Quex¡¯s golden back ended the ox stance; he took another step forward still aiming the sword''s tip just underneath the monster¡¯s golden back. It was one of the most vulnerable spots of the Quex, vulnerable but not very practical unless it was asleep or you had a Peregrine potion or if you were incredibly skilled. It¡¯s where the Quex¡¯s mucus glands were; if you managed to hit that spot it would destroy it¡¯s mucus glands and cause its mucus to dry up, ridding the Quex of its ability of speed. He took another step and prepared to stab where he¡¯d been taught to then took another step. He was just about right where he needed to be when he got careless and kicked a pebble across the floor hitting the Quex. The Quex instantly awoke mucus spewing from it¡¯s slits wetting the Quex even more than it was as it whipped around to face where he stood, brandishing it¡¯s sharp black teeth. He quickly twisted the sword moving his right hand just under the pommel of the sword and his left just beneath the guard. The Quex lurched, coming straight at him reaching his face in seconds when he spat the elixir he kept in his mouth spraying the Quex with the warm light bronze liquid it screeched in pain recoiling away to the right of him. He pivoted his body dodging the Quex as it flew forward, stabbing it in its side as it did leaving a deep slash across the side of its body. It let out another screech of pain as it quickly escaped the sword''s grasp, moving away holding its side. Yuven turned the sword and returned to his stance waiting for the Quex. It came not a few seconds later rushing at his front again he gripped his sword a little harder as it flew straight at him coming just a foot away before turning sharply to his right, following with his eyes he predicted what it was going to do next and as it leapt at him baring it¡¯s black teeth at him and spewing saliva. He stabbed upward hitting it in its chest where its lung would be and pushed with his right hand on the sword¡¯s pommel falling backward with the monster as it screeched the loudest screech yet and thrashed around as it tried to escape his grasp, they hit cave¡¯s floor with a loud thump as the sword penetrated all the way through the Quex it¡¯s thrashing and screeching reaching a new high as it experienced a new terrible pain, keeping his left hand firmly on the swords hilt he grabbed the cloth from his pocket still wet with the elixir, removed the sword and thrusted it straight into the sword¡¯s cut deep leaving the cloth inside as he removed his blue covered forearm and jumped away from the monster. The Quex let out more screeches and thrashed around for a few seconds before it¡¯s screeches turned to silence and it¡¯s thrashing turned to nothing. He leaned his sword on a rock and moved over to the Quex¡¯s lifeless body, his dagger ready and cut out it¡¯s two black teeth and turning it over precisely cut off it¡¯s golden back, rolling it up and placing the teeth in his leather satchel. He took one last quick look at the Quex¡¯s body as he wiped it¡¯s blue blood off his sword and dagger, sheathing them before leaving for the town elders house. He slammed open the door to the town elder¡¯s house. The town elder looked up in surprise sitting behind an oak table worn with time writing something. Looking at the familiar stranger up and down noticing the slightly blue liquid running from the ends of his glove to the end of his forearm and the rolled up frilly gold also slightly wet with blue liquid before realizing what it meant. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually killed it!¡± he exclaimed to the stranger. Which responded by moving up to the town elders desk dripping drops of blue blood from his forearm onto the floor along the way. ¡°There¡¯s no way you killed that monster so fast!¡± He continued. The stranger unrolled the Quex¡¯s golden back, wetting the table¡¯s surface with it¡¯s blue blood, the town elder twisting his face from the rancid smell of it assaulting his nostrils. Then opening his satchel and placing the two black teeth he removed from the Quex beside the Quex¡¯s golden back. ¡°Now. I want my reward.¡± The stranger said. The town elder covered his nostrils with one hand, opening a drawer built into the table and grabbing a dusty thick leather book, placing it away from the golden Quex back and flipping the pages until he came to a page describing the Quex, using the tip of his wrinkled index finger to underline the words looking from the book to the golden Quex back it¡¯s teeth multiple times with an appraising eye. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it. You actually killed a Quex and this fast.¡± he stammered his face filled with disbelief. ¡°Yeah, I did. Now give me my reward.¡± The town elder put the leather covered book back into the drawer he got it from and closed it shut, opening another and grabbing a small leather pouch filled with gold. ¡°Here.¡± He said, tossing it to the stranger. The stranger caught it and pulled the leather strip that tied the pouch closed. Pouring the gold into his hand Yuven counted in his head then placed them back in the pouch and tied it up again. And turned to leave ¡°Thank you.¡± The stranger said, as he opened the door. ¡°Y-your welcome.¡± Yuven heard as he walked out. Walking back to his tied horse he heard the smack of mud and metal clattering together he ignored it and started to mount his horse when he heard the smack of mud and metal clattering stop right behind him. He let out a deep sigh turning around. ¡°Yuven of Clamor!¡± A guard yelled. He studied their outfits. Red and gold. Noverian guards. ¡°The king of Noveria has summoned you. You are to immediately make your way to the city capital of Noveria, Redmor. The King has sent us to make sure you make it there unharmed.¡± Another job for an aristocrat Lifting his head along with his heavy body Yuven sat, his legs wrapped in cool silk bed sheets, the bright orange sun resting on his tired body washing him in a slight warmness. He sat there and thought, thought if he should get up and face the king or maybe if he stayed in bed he could relax, get more sleep, somehow not have to face the king''s summons. A hollow knock came from the door to his room, then a twist of the handle releasing him from his thoughts. And a beautiful female servant wearing an ankle high dress coloured with Nivaria¡¯s favorite, red with stripes of gold running throughout, her arms scrunched with tight linen, her legs covered with the red silk of the dress. wearing red shoes that were like the dress lined with gold stripes. Her blonde silky hair laid behind her reaching her middle back. And her face was something the most skilled artist would have trouble putting on canvas, her full lips were coloured pink, her small rounded eyes were filled with the palest blue he¡¯d seen with her eyebrows tracing along her brow a slight thickness to them and her small straight nose added to the beauty she had. ¡°I am here to escort you to the king¡¯s room.¡± She said, Her voice flowing towards him like that of a cool wind slowly flying past, calm and confident. He reluctantly got up grabbing the silk sheets and tossing them out of his way in one flick of his hand. The cool level marble underneath his feet felt unnatural; he had gotten used to the unleveled earth that he was usually under with plenty of rocks to trip you and shit for you to step on. He walked towards the end of the bed opening a long carved wooden chest depicting a man brandishing his sword to the moon. It opened without a sound revealing a set of clothes, a set of clothes only a rich nobleman would wear. He turned to the servant. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± ¡°Your clothes are being washed and repaired.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you to wash and repair my clothes.¡± He said in a low voice. ¡°When will my sword return to its rightful owner?¡± ¡°When you leave.¡± He gave her an unpleasant look. ¡°Now, please put on the clothes we¡¯ve provided for you.¡± He forcefully grabbed the set of nobleman clothes. It felt soft but some places looked uncomfortable. He tossed half of the clothes onto the bed wrinkling them, and changed into the pair of pants he¡¯d not thrown onto the bed. He tied the last leather strips of the doublet together and walked up to the servant who gave him an appraising look. ¡°I must ask, is it your liking? Not too tight?¡± Tugging the doublets collar he said. ¡°Yeah, not too tight at all.¡± ¡°Good. Now follow me.¡± She said, walking out the door, ignoring his obvious sarcasm. He scratched his neck and followed behind her. She led him down a long hallway leading to a spiral staircase made of smooth stone. The hallway had two doors on each side about the same space apart with guards standing stiff next to them out of the doors way. ¡°No guards for me?¡± Yuven asked jokingly though his monotone voice made it sound more like a serious question. ¡°No need to guard someone who could kill five angry Ackurs with his bare hands, by himself.¡± The servant responded as they climbed the stairs. ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard of me.¡± ¡°Yes, as has the King.¡± Yuven thought about what monster he¡¯d be killing for an aristocrat this time. Maybe a Ulthvor stuck in his wine cellar or maybe a Clikmer eating his cows. They arrived at the end of the stairs that led to another hall like the other one except with more guards and only three doors. She led him down the hall to the door at the end before stopping inches from it and knocking three times. Yuven noted how she knocked for the king and not for him. ¡°Come in.¡± A muffled voice said through the door. The servant wrapped her slender fingers around the doorknob and opened the door in one swift graceful motion. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Inside a fire caged behind an iron screen cracked and spit embers. A large masterfully made wooden desk with a chair on either side sat in front of a large window that let the morning sun in. A tired, graying man who looked to be in his late sixties sat behind the desk hunched over various papers rubbing his forehead before grabbing a quill that rested in a metal holder, dipped it in an open inkwell and quickly wrote something on one of the papers in front of him. ¡°Ahem.¡± Yuven coughed. The tired graying man sighed and without looking up showed him his index finger on his left hand as he finished writing. Yuven made a contempt look and waited. The graying man put the quill back in its holder and gathered all the papers into a neat pile except for the one he wrote on, opened a drawer in the desk and put them inside, closing it. The graying man then looked past Yuven and spoke to the servant. ¡°Take this to the captain of the guard.¡± The servant walked up to the desk, grabbed the paper and left the room heading straight for the captain. The tired graying man then looked at Yuven. ¡°I suspect you¡¯re Yuven of Clamor?¡± ¡°Yes, now what do you want me to kill?¡± ¡°Straight to business I see. Well before that, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to indulge me in a conversation.¡± The graying man pushed the chair back and got up before engaging in a coughing fit, quickly grabbing his handkerchief from his pocket and covering his mouth for a short while. When the coughing lessened into nothing he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket. Yuven noticed a splatter of blood on it. He walked with a slight limp wincing in pain so subtly most people would never even tell. He stood next to the window and looked out at the calm courtyard. ¡°I trust you know who I am?¡± ¡°Yes, King of Noveria, Heworth the third.¡± ¡°Good. Now look at me.¡± The King turned and faced Yuven. ¡°What do I look like to you?¡± Yuven measured up the King. His hair was a fading brown turning gray and short. His face was that of a tired old man''s, his forehead wrinkled, his cheeks starting to sag, the skin under his blue eyes dark bags from nights of restless sleep. He wore a red tunic embellished with gold lines throughout with long wool sleeves patterned like diamonds the trousers were black as the midnight sky his leather boots copied the trousers appearance gleaming from the blazing light of the fire. ¡°You look like a King¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and indeed I am but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re old and in pain. Perhaps from an injury from an old hunt or battle. And there was blood in that cough earlier. You¡¯re sick. If you haven¡¯t been treated already it means it¡¯s a sickness even the best sorcerer can¡¯t heal.¡± ¡°Correct you are, correct you are.¡± He turned his back to Yuven. Staring out the window once again looking at the morning sun pausing before speaking again. ¡°Leachworm. That''s what I have, diagnosed by the court physician.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°I have little time left in this world, one month, That¡¯s all I have.¡± His gaze turned to a bird in the sky circling a mouse in the courtyard of the castle. ¡°Everything I have, all the money, all the power, everything means nothing if I¡¯m not alive to use it.¡± He took a long pause waiting not for an answer or question from the man standing behind him but waiting for the bird he watched to dive and take the mouse. The bird circled once then twice then as if it had lost interest in the mouse it left flying back to wherever it came. ¡°Perhaps your physician made a mistake?¡± ¡°No, I hired the best in the kingdom and I trust him with my life.¡± The king let out a small laugh then twisted his body with his heel and walked to a cabinet with glass planes that showed off an impressive line of different alcohols. He opened it and grabbed a squarish bottle with a thin neck and simple brown label as well as two drinking glasses. He brought it back to his desk, setting the glasses down and unscrewed the cork that contained the cold dark brown liquid with a pop. ¡°Dwarfish whiskey. And Jailtet too. Expensive.¡± ¡°Very.¡± The king responded, filling the glasses till each were half full, then set the bottle to the side within reach if one''s glass were too empty, took one of the glasses and slid the other towards Yuven''s direction. ¡°Take a seat,¡± He said gesturing with his glass to the empty chair on the other side of the desk. ¡°Drink with me.¡± Yuven walked to the chair, slid it back and sat grabbing the cold glass the King offered, raised it with the King and took a swig. He set the glass back onto the desk and let out a refreshed sigh. ¡°War sits on the door of Novaria. A self proclaimed heir to the crown John Linston, a bastard in all rights has managed to trick a great sum of people, my people, to follow him into a sort of crusade to take what is ¡°rightfully¡± his. Usually when this happens we send a platoon or two and scare the self proclaimed heir and their followers they usually end up renouncing their crusade and things go back to normal. But this time they didn''t. Linston and his followers killed each and everyone of my men and gained even more followers.¡± The King took his glass and they both took another swig. ¡°And now he and his followers are running around killing my guards and persuading the rest to join him and succeeding he''s amassed quite the army, about two-thousand that''s two of my villages that have gone over to him. There''s been skirmishes between us ending in multiple victories for us and for him. Moral has been dropping for my men because of my absence from battle. All because of my damn sickness. Imagine how demoralized they¡¯ll be when in a month their King is dead with no heir.¡± ¡°No heir? What about your son?¡± The King let out a small sigh. ¡°I guess it is time we discuss your job. You are to kill my son.¡± A surprised look flashed across Yuven''s face and a silence filled the air. Yuven started to open his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the King. ¡°Before you say anything he is no longer human he''s been afflicted with a curse of some sort and yes I''ve consulted many shaman and others the like before you that have all come to no avail, they all tried and failed to cure him, dying in the process, so I''ve come to the decision to have him killed. I will give you a fair price for your work, four thousand all in your choice of currency. But would ask you for a favor. Try to cure my son if you can, if you end up killing him out of self defense or because you think it impossible then so be it, at least you tried.¡± The King grabbed his glass again as well as Yuven, raised it high and both of them took another swig finishing their drinks. ¡°Now, I''ve got things to do. Ask any questions you have to the servant.¡± He said, waving his hand. The door swung open and the same beautiful servant that had led him here walked through the door and stood waiting for Yuven by the side of it. Yuven slid his chair back, got up and went out the door, the servant leading him back to his room. The monster prince He moved calm and slow through the cold, abandoned wing that the King had sealed off, where his son had turned into the monster he was now. The stone walls were whitened, chipped and broken in some places from sharp claws that had torn at them, his steps along with the metal chains on his hip, echoed through the dark hallways and the torch that guided him through them sputtered and crackled. His leather satchel clinged together quietly with multiple elixirs he¡¯d prepared and the breath he exhaled was quiet and even. As he walked deeper into the hallways a horrid stench pierced his nostrils, a familiar stench to him, rotting corpses. It seemed to be coming from multiple directions in front of him. He continued walking and spotted a dark trail of dried blood coming from the floor. He looked towards its origin; it came from a room with a broken splintered door barely hanging onto its hinges to his right. He walked over and inspected the room. A nasty sight welcomed him. A man had been mangled by the monster prince in the middle of the room, blood splattered the floor and walls, chunks of flesh alongside with his insides were spread throughout the room. He turned away and continued his search. The hallways grew more bloodied the more he made his way deeper into the halls. He made his way around a corner and heard something gnawing and chewing on something. He extinguished his torch and unbuckled his sheath carrying it in one of his hands, the other on the hilt in case the something attacked and walked forwards, towards the sound until he reached the room the sound came from. He stood next to the door and peeked inside. A humanoid creature covered in blisters and boils was hunched over a bloody mess of a body tearing flesh from it and shoving its face at the body coming up with flesh in its mouth. It was the prince, described exactly how the servant had said. He moved back from the door and down the hall, stopping when he couldn¡¯t hear the prince¡¯s sounds of eating anymore and sat down with his back against the wall. He moved his satchel to his front and opened it revealing an assortment of different vials he grabbed three and pulled the corks stuffing the vials out. He put the first to his lips then in one swift motion tilted the vial back letting the elixir inside fill his mouth. Swallowing quickly he put the next one to his lips and repeated then the next and repeated again. He placed the empty vials back inside his satchel. His muscles started to twitch uncontrollably as the elixirs made their way through his body, his breathing quickened, becoming raspy and tense, then stopped completely. The elixir enhanced his strength, speed, and vision to an almost superhuman level. When he regained control of his body seconds later, he was able to see perfectly in the darkness of the halls and his body felt light as if he weighed as much as a feather. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Pushing himself upwards he grabbed his sword and closed his satchel. He then made his way back through the halls where he came. It took him less time now, about as much time as if you took a sip of water. He came to the room where the prince feasted. He grabbed one of the metal chains on his hip and entered. The prince barely had time to react before he was on him pinning him to the ground and grabbing his arms by his wrists in one hand Yuven started to wrap the metal chain. The prince was screaming and thrashing with as much strength as a bull. If Yuven hadn¡¯t drunk the elixirs by now he¡¯d be on the floor writhing in pain as the prince tore him apart limb from limb. He¡¯d almost gotten the chain around the prince''s wrists and tied when the prince thrusted his hips upward and twisted, throwing them sideways and back onto the ground with Yuven under the prince. Yuven wrapped his hands around the chain when the monster prince did his maneuver which kept him, now uptop, at bay. The prince writhed around enraged from the man who attacked him; he dribbled saliva in the man''s face and bit him reaching only a sliver of the distance away. Yuven had his face to the side which managed to keep the prince from biting him while he held his hands and finished tying the chain around his wrists. A blue light flashed from the chains and the prince roared in pain filling the whole wing with a booming echo. Taking the opportunity Yuven thrusted his hips, placed his foot under the prince¡¯s stomach and kicked holding onto the chain until the prince¡¯s body was just at the right angle then let go causing the prince to fly through the air behind him and hit the hard stone wall. The prince let out gasp as his lungs had the air taken out of them. Yuven didn¡¯t waste any time and quickly grabbed the other chain and pounced at the prince, still on the floor but the prince dodged at the last second scurrying away out of the room escaping into the hallways Yuven cursed and ran after him. He heard the sound of the prince''s bare hands and feet hitting the floor as he tried to escape him Yuven followed close behind, catching up quickly. The prince was turning corners and throwing obstacles behind him hoping to slow the man that pursued him down. Yuven jumped and dodged them easily. The prince turned another corner which led to a straight long corridor. Yuven stopped, twirled the chain in his hand. The prince ran straight ignorant of what was about to happen. He let the chain circle one last time and threw it aiming for the prince''s feet. The chain flew through the air trailing from his hand wrapping around the fleeing prince''s foot tripping him. He fell hitting his chin into the wooden floor. Yuven pulled the prince toward him using the chain the prince struggled trying to free himself from the chains that bound him. The prince was close enough now for him to tie the struggling screaming prince. He crouched down putting his knee into the prince''s side which helped lessen the rocking and hip thrusting he was doing and wrapped the chain around his ankles which when fully tied together let out another blue flash of light like the other chain. The prince hollered in pain which was throaty and was bleeding from his chin which had a wooden splinter about the size of a wasp stuck deep. The prince seemed lethargic; his movements were sluggish, less forceful. ¡°Alright lets me and you finish this.¡± Yuven said, carrying the prince by the chains.