Edited by: tommyjl7

In the city, a little to the west from the capital of Neira, inside an inn section of small adventurer guild branch, sat a woman in her early 30’s, who with a loud sound put a depleted mug of beer on the table. Everyone around cheered happily. She just defeated another fool who decided to challenge her in the drinking contest. They cheered because they knew what was coming next.

Her opponent, barely standing still, handed her a small bag filled with coins. She would toss it to the barmaid and yell:

- “Drinks for everyone!”

These words were met with an even greater enthusiasm of the crowd. Using the havoc, the woman would sneak away from the mass of drunk adventurers and move toward the table which was occupied by her party.

- “Another one bites the dust, Eleanore?” a little girl with huge witch-hat asked

- “That was hardly a challenge, though I liked his attitude. He had the fire in his eyes. Maybe I will date him later? He looks cute.”

The woman, Eleanore, answered sitting next to her. Her team, the Amazons, as the name dictates was made only of females. Eleanore –a tall and muscular woman with very bright hair was the vanguard.

The little girl – you could guess by her robe and hat – T’yama – was a magic caster. She used to be a part of nomadic tribes from the desert to the south, but as they don’t have as “high” of an opinion there about magic-casters… or women, she had to run away looking for a better life. Her petite body, tanned skin, and jet-black hair made her very popular in northern kingdoms, this is why she would often cover her face with a mask. She wanted to be recognized by her abilities, not body.

The girl sitting in a corner was their scout. Margaret. A daughter of village hunter. Very cheerful and boyish in behavior. Her always-cheerful-green eyes made her gather new friends at the speed of light, she was just a great companion, she could listen, she could talk. She was the best person to have during nights with a campfire burning in the forest. The stories she told during such nights were some of the best experiences that Eleanore had in her life.

The last member, someone they joyfully called “Capitan” despite not being part of any military group, was coming their way right now – Sabina. Daughter of a merchant. Very proud and confident person, yet humble at the same time. Many would mistake her for a female-knight of noble blood. She cared for the rest of her team, treating them as sisters. The rest of the team would respond loving her twice as strong.

- “Hey, boss! Got something good, I guess?” Eleanore said seeing her coming with a smile plastered from one ear to another

- “Easy money, girls, merchants traveling close to Omega Forest noticed some strange monster and want us to investigate it. They are scared as hell, so they offered to pay a ridiculous amount of silvers!... I had to brawl with a few other team-leaders to get this, I will later have to apologize to them for those broken jaws… but…”

She slammed piece of paper – the request – on the table board.

- “90 SILV…” Vanguard would yell, so the captain quickly covered her mouth with palm “… I am sorry… but, 90 silver coins?!”

A single silver coin could let them sleep and eat for 10 days. This quest would give each of them 22.5 silver coins.

- “… where is the catch?” T’yala as always considered things thoroughly

- “That’s it. There is none. The beast was supposed to be very big and very ugly. Merchant saw it as it was feasting on the corpse of Omega Bee at the verge of the forest…”

- “If it attacked Omega Bee it will most likely be dead already …” Margaret noticed carefully

- “Exactly. All we have to do is to walk over to Omega Forest a little and report back that whatever was there is already gone, either moved away or got killed by bees. There is no risk at all! If we won’t hinder Bees there is no predator in the forest! Well, except those nasty spiders, but they wouldn’t bother attacking anything that is not a bee, so…”

- “Sabina, you are a bloody genius!” Eleanore hugged her tightly while picking her off the ground.

- “Put me down! Put me down! Ouch-ouch-ouch! Stupid goat! You will break me in half!” defenseless girl would kick the air trying to regain balance

- “Ha-ha! Sorry! I just can’t contain my affection to you!”

- “Yeeah. Suuure. Anyway, I wasn’t the only one that noticed it, this is why I had to hit a few faces… we have to hurry, it is a first come first serve kind of request. I stole it from the board so the rest of leaders have no idea what the details are, yet if they would wake up and...”

- “SABINA! YOU DAUGHTER OF A HOMELESS SHEEP! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU WENCH?!”

Few angry voices could be heard from the stairs.

- “Run, girls! Run!”

At hearing the order, the Amazons jumped away from the table and giggling ran to the store on the other side of the city. They wanted to quickly buy some supplies and move out as soon as possible. In the end, Omega Forest was very close, bit more than a day by foot.

Few hours later they were already walking by a small road in the direction of the “easy bounty”. The roads here were safe, no trading routes nearby meant no bandits, and because of forest filled with bigger-than human bees barely any monster decided to live in the nearest vicinity. Oh, there were plenty of creatures living almost in symbiosis with bees, but they were as docile as the colossal insects. Here, adventurers were needed only to periodically help with field-infesting insects destroying crops or to help with a wild, mad animal that every now and then would emerge and bother farmers. It was a newbie-adventurer paradise.

Margaret was singing loudly a marching-scout song cheering up the mood of the rest of the company, Eleanore was going on the front line with her hands crossed behind her head as she chewed on blade of grass, T’yala was struggling to walk and read a book pouting now and then that they should have rented a cart and Sabina was gazing over her “sisters” pleased. They had been adventurers for almost two years. They had C rank for over two months, yet because of peaceful vicinity they didn’t have a possibility to truly test their skills.

The Capitan was wondering if they should fill the papers and ask for promotion and relocation to the capital. Home to the greatest adventurers and much harder quests. She could also see and talk with a woman whose strength inspired her to establish the Amazons – legendary Gisele Redwing. With strong resolve, she inhaled and called the rest of the team.

- “Girls. I want to ask you for opinion…” her team stopped “… after this quest… would you want to follow me into the capital?”

Margaret smiled at the witch girl stretching her hand. With a groan, the ex-nomad passed her a small bag filled with coins.

- “Girls?” Sabina tilted her head to the side

- “Oh, don’t mind me, we were just betting when you would ask us to do so.” Scout grinned even more “… I will follow you even into barracks full of horny soldiers!” redhead smiled

- “I would rather not to follow you there… but as long as it is somewhere fun, I will gladly follow!” Eleanore smiled bashfully

- “Whatever.” T’yala answered. As for her, it was more than enthusiastic

- “It is decided then! Capital! We are coming for you!” Merchant daughter pointed her sword in the sky. Rest of the girl followed with just as cheerful scream. Well, except T’yala. She just snorted.

Following day – edge of the forest.

It was said that the buzzing of the thousands of bees living in Omega forest could be heard from miles away, yet right now, the team of Amazons despite setting their feet inside of it still couldn’t hear a single sound. They were far too inexperienced to recognize this deadly sign. Even T’yala, though thanks to her affinity with life forces felt a shiver running down her spine, she mistook it as the effect of the wind blowing from the north.

They stepped inside and begin scouting the forest, and only after 30 or so minutes they realized. The forest was dead. No, not the plants, they were still growing, yet the flowers, especially those gigantic ones started losing their colors. As they kept walking deeper and deeper they found the first corpse. Or corpses. Or something that could be called only as a graveyard, or a shambles. Dozens, no, hundreds of half-eaten bodies in all shapes and colors. Some looked as if they were bitten in half by some monstrous jaws, some were in a dulled cocoons as if spider already preyed on it. Stripped to the bones or still coated in large amounts of flesh. After next inspection, they found out that it was not a mindless carnage, but a storeroom. A huge clearing was separated into three zones. First was filled with nothing but skeletons, second – with bodies half-eaten, as if you have finished your dinner and couldn’t eat your dessert right away, so you left it on a table to come back for it later. The last one was filled with dozen of cocoons hanging off the tree. Creatures inside it were still alive, sometimes they tired moving, yet drunk with venom they had barely strength to move one of the limbs.

And then Sabina felt a movement. Above them.

- “Girls. Whatever would happen, do not move.” She whispered. She felt her heart pounding like a drum. She thought that her whole chest was vibrating because of it.

From the highest branches of the wood, a colossal creature lowered itself. It looked like all the horrors of the world, like abomination patched up from several different bodies. Yet, Sabina chose wisely ordering rest of the girls standing still. It was an advice given to her by some older adventurer.

Didn’t you want to help your brother?! Sabina asked. For her, leaving comrades behind was a sin beyond understanding. He would later look at her with those dull, empty eyes. Eyes of someone that suffer a misery she couldn’t comprehend.

She hadn’t. He would later open a bestiary book and show her a picture. Next to it, there was a size comparison of the beast and a human. She had no more question. Two adventurers could never battle such a creature.

And now it was here. Spidero-insecto-something. With its head area almost completely covered in insectoid eyes. she kept repeating to herself. And then she noticed another thing.

Attached to the body of the beast were hundreds of tiny silky strings. She tracked those lines with her eyes. The other end would be attached to the bushes, trees… the beast was relying on the sense of vibration. Each time someone would push it, it would instantly learn it’s localization.

And the red-haired scout was literally standing on it. She noticed it too, she saw the beast pulling string with its leg and she felt it pulsating under her leg. She turned her head toward her companion, tears were coming off her eyes. She knew.

The beast started approaching, it raised its front limbs taking attack stance. This is when Margaret turned around and started running away.

- “Margaret! NO!”

Yet she didn’t listen. All of the monster’s eyes focused instantly on running figure, and in next moment it leaped on her. At first, Sabina was wondering if they could outrun the creature, seeing it now she lost every bit of hope.

The monster grabbed girl with by the leg and started dragging back, it already started sprouting the silk in order to turn her into another sack of lunch.

- “We have to help her!” Eleanore yelled bringing her two-handed sword off her back.

She didn’t understand. They CAN’T help her. It is impossible! They were like ants battling typhoon! Yet she charged, she swung her sword.

Once again a glimpse of hope shined in Sabina’s heart, just to die again. She thought that if they would manage to hurt the creature, then they could also kill it, but colossal blade only slid off the chitin carapace. Yet it drew the attention of the creature. Feeling threatened, it turned in place and cut in scissor-manner with its frontal limbs.

A cut was clean, the head of a girl rolled about three meters away from the body.

T’yala looked at her, despite her tanned body, she looked pale. She took a small, slow step back. Then she showed her opposite direction with her head.

Sabina understood. They were supposed to slowly start going in different ways. This way at least one of them could save their life.

The beast just finished turning the cheerful-green-eyed girl into a cocoon. After it was done, it turned around and started feasting on the flesh of the vanguard. It was damaged so it was only a matter of time before it would start rotting. The beast knew it and decided to start its dinner earlier. Yet after a first bite, it froze, as if admiring the new taste, new sensation. Sabina knew that human had just become its new delicacy.

She made a step back. A little twig snapped under her feet. Beast turned around instantly, facing her and raising its frontal limbs. T’yala used the opportunity when the beast wasn’t looking in her direction and started walking away. Yet she grabbed a little stone off the ground.

T’yala was moving further and further away as the spider was approaching Sabina, and when it was three or four meters away, she tossed the stone on the other side of the clearing. Beast jumped in direction of the stone digging into the ground with its legs. But the creature, despite being an animal, was not stupid. Even more, it clearly was intelligent. Instantly it understood that it was baited away, it hissed in wrath and shot the silk like a fountain in all direction.

The silk covered everything around The trees, the bushes and T’yala. Sabina miraculously avoided being covered in silk thanks to the sudden blow of wind that cast threads off her direction. Fluke. Luck. Nothing more.

The beast lowered itself down on all eight legs, it was ready to jump any moment. It just waited for a move of the string. It could wait. It had all the time in the world. Spiders could live without eating for weeks, even months of years. They could wait in their trap without a single move as long as they wanted. Human’s body would start being exhausted after a few hours of standing still. Without being able to move one’s leg, the blood would stop circulating causing cramps and pain. Eventually, T’yala would have to move.

Witch’s lower lip started trembling as she was sobbing quietly. She looked in direction of Sabina. Her captain was looking in every possible direction in order to find something – anything, to help her last sister.

When their eyes finally met, she just slightly shook her head from side to side. She was crying. With a gesture of her head she told her beloved friend to run in the opposite direction, then she turned away and started running.

One leap. With a single leap monster covered over 20 meters of difference between it and T’yala. Her screams echoed across the forest. Normally, this sound would cause all the birds to leave the branches and fly in the air, but there were no birds in this forest. Not anymore.

Hours and days later the beast would completely digest the bodies of girls. Of human – the apex predators. It would reach the final link that separated itself from perfection – an ideal mind. Flawless self-awareness, partial memories of the girls… and something more.

It cast aside its monstrous body, slowly, yet steadily, he was reducing the number of limbs, dropped the chitin exoskeleton and fur.

It stood naked in the middle of the clearing. It had a tanned body, joyful green eyes, and blonde hair. Despite a very girly appearance, it was a male. At first glance, it could be mistaken for some rare beast-kin. The monstrosity opened its lips and checked new teeth with tongue. They were no longer sharp, venomous needles, they were bit dulled but quite beautiful.

- “I…a-m, a ki-me-re… I… m a ch-me-ke… I am a ki-me-ra… I am a chimera… Chimera. Chimera…” it was trying its newly grown vocal chords.

- “Chimera…” it said again. Yet the knowledge that it recently gained was telling him, that such a name, despite being the truth, could cause a havoc. It was no good.

Chimera. Chim. Era. Kim-Era. Erio Kim?

- “I am a Erio Kim. Nice to meet you. My name is Erio, pleased to meet you. My name is Erio. I look forward to working with you.

Like every apex predator, the beast was trying out its new hunting methods before using them in an actual hunt.

- “Hello, I am Erio, Zariel’s little brother. Have you heard about him? I have to meet him! It is very urgent! Please! Mister! Do you know where he is?”

He asked the air clasping his hands together in almost begging manner. Good. This would be sufficient. Now he knows.

He is a chimera. He lives to eat. There is something, someone, named Zariel. This name existed in his head even as he was nothing more than an animal. He knows he has to meet him. He has no idea why. He just has to. It is as if his whole existence was made for this single purpose. He called him brother. Was the Zariel his brother though? Maybe he was a father? Or a creator? Or… does it matter? The only thing that matters is that whenever he said that name aloud he felt this wonderful warmness in his belly slowly raising to the heart and filling the whole chest.

He quickly “scanned” memories of the girls trying to understand what this feeling is, they used to feel it on daily basis. He found a single world.

Love.

The next day. Adventurers guild

Sabina opened the doors to the inn and walked inside.

- “Here you are, you goat!...” one of the adventurers that Sabina stole the request from called her truly angry “… I hope that you will share these free money you sto…”

Then he noticed her condition. Dirty clothing, sweat and tears covering face, exhaustion seen on her whole body. She was running the whole day for adrenaline didn’t let her to stop, now her whole body was shaking.

- “Sabina, where is the rest of your t…”

But the man was not allowed to finish. Sabina dropped on her knees, grabbed her head and screamed at the top of her lungs. A scream of terror, of pain and misery. Then it cut off abruptly as she collapsed.