The flickeries soon ceased in emitting their romantic glow. Each had already found their mate and each pair had settled down to somewhere far away. The ripples and tiny waves in the shallow river water turned calmer and calmer as soon as Juste stopped his motion. The surrounding area became dimmer and silent. If one listened closely, only the hissing sound coming from the tree was evident. But Juste and Chastine were still too engrossed with each other to even notice that lone bothersome sound. Only their breathing were palpable within their earshot. The slithering viper drew closer and closer towards them, carefully sliding its way so as not to be noticed. It made its stance to ready itself to bite Juste’s arm. *Hiss!* Juste had quick reflexes, but he wasn’t able to dodge the hungry snake in time. Still, the young fellhound was spared from being injected with a potent enough venom to let him have a cruel death. It was all because of Maxill’s speedy response to save them fr
The rays of the sun suddenly went dark above them as the giant foliage hovered over them with much ravenousness.It started drooling acid from its carnivorous mouth filled with thorns as teeth.Its aubergine-colored head was quite large for its slender body and it was the part that was blocking the sky’s view of Juste, Chastine, and Maxill.Chastine was quite scared and shocked as she tilted her head up and stared at the rabid eater plant. Her jaw fully dropped and her were eyes fully wide open. She tried to scream but not even a single weak tone was heard from her widely gaping mouth.She had no idea that the simple ingredients in the poetic list would turn out as dangerous and threatening as this.*Kksshh kksshh!*The uncommonly enormous rabid plant eater let out a sound similar to a snake’s, but it was much coarser that it sounded like a screech.Juste, Chastine, and Maxill covered their ears.After the screeching sound it made, it was readying itself to go its way to grab any one
Juste, Chastine, and Maxill couldn’t be prouder of themselves for getting the first ingredient of the Remedium.No doubt, the root was crimson colored, from the tips to the base. Even its insides were bloody red.They went to a nearby small village where the three species are welcomed: freedom to eat, sleep, and trade.Juste, Chastine, and Maxill quickly headed to that small town’s apothecary. The hospitable assistant lent them the things that they needed to prepare the root for storing and keep it from getting moldy.Juste prepared the root by drying them out in a dry oven, then after drying, patiently grinding it with mortar and pestle. Just as the fellhound meticulously processed the red root of the rabid eater plant, Chastine and Maxill were trying to figure out their next target plant for the ingredient in the Remedium serum for Juste.“It says crown of thorns…” Maxill was rubbing his chin, pondering what specific thorny plant was the poem referring to.“Ugh, there are so many t
“Agree,” Maxill retorted to Juste. He was determined to help the fellhound anyway he can.“I’ll go north. I know my way around there.” The handsome bloodhunt had a confident smile upon him that was hard to let down.Maxill continued, “Chastine, you go with Juste. Knowing that he’s quite sensitive to the plant, he needs to have a companion to handle the southern thorny wolfbane. Capiche?”“Yeah, got it.” Chastine was also serious and determined to help Juste as seen on her expressive face.Maxill butted in further into their conversation, gesturing his hand in the air while explaining himself, “Well, y’know, besides me disrupting your smooching sessions, it’ll be better for the two of you to team up. Well, just sayin’…”“Maxill!" Juste and Chastine cried in unison as their cheeks turned red when they remembered the bloodhunt witnessing their love making session by the river.The teasing bloodhunt grinned broadly, baring the set of his sharp canines in the process. “Anyway, south is wh
Maxill was quite swift on his arrival to the north of Dianium. The herb codex indicated that the northern thorny wolfbane was along the outskirts of the Dianium, just between their country’s jurisdiction and the uncharted frost beyond. In that boundary, the terrain was filled with tall and cone-bearing trees, and the climate in that region was indeed bone chilling and thin aired. But these were no match for the powerful bloodhunt. Maxill was breezing through the cold winds like it wasn’t even cool season. He was still flapping his ominous pair of wings with elegance and effortlessness. The sound of swaying branches was heard. Maxill perched on one of the lower branches and began to scour the ground with his supersonic senses. As he turned human and was in a sitting position along the high branch, he closed his eyes and activated his sound wave detection to search for the herb. The northern thorny wolfbane is one tricky plant to acquire, both in location and in physical attribut
Everything was not going well with Juste, Chastine, and Maxill.The bloodhunt did acquire what he had planned in getting from the north, but it costed him his peace and composure.He even accidentally killed one of his own, even if he only wanted to beat the h*ck out of Dreon.Not that he cared about the snoopy bloodeye, but he realized that he wasn’t able to control his strength and went overboard just because he was led by his feelings.Meanwhile, Juste and Chastine have had some bad encounter with none other than Juste’s current nemesis, Scion, the army commander of their clan.Not only did Scion burnt each southern thorny wolfbane he could find around the region, he also decided to revisit the pair and take the diary of Juste’s mother to burn it before his very eyes.Among the three, Juste was clearly the most devastated. He was starting to feel that their quest was all for naught.Without any substantial guide to continue their mission, Juste was thinking how they would be
“You think this is gonna work on him?” Juste asked Maxill, thinking if they would be able to be successful in their plan. “Trust me, I’ve memorized the whole guide.” Juste was quite surprised at what his bloodhunt friend just said. His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised up. “Woah, you did?” “Yes. And I bet on my 75 years of life that it’ll work on him.” “What the—you’re 75 years old?!” Maxill added, “And forget about what Scion said. He’s just toying with your head.” He also bothered to comment on Juste’s astonishment regarding his age, “look at me, Juste. For us bloodhunts, age is just a number. I could pass as a teenager just like you. Heck, I’m even young by vampire standards.” “Ugh, well, I just thought you’re around 40 years old, heh.” Juste’s nose showed wrinkles and lines as he smiled in an awkward way out of disbelief and amusement. Maxill couldn’t help but wonder, “…are you flattering me, or insulting me?” “Don’t worry, it’s a compliment.” Juste snickered at what
Juste remembered one his mother’s greatest work.Being a herbalist herself, he never would imagine the vastness of Saraise Isaacs' scientific accomplishments if he didn’t look for the ingredients of the Remedium.Her mother’s discovery and breeding experiments landed her a place in scientific books.He started to feel enthusiastic and excited about getting the next ingredient.Saraisium ordinem, also known as ice rose, is a succulent plant that had been specifically bred for the very purpose of making the Remedium.It was fed with a special liquid while being exposed to the sun, and then nipped and attached to a base plant.Repeating this technique many times, Juste’s mother was able mutate a special component in the plant which was one of the ingredients needed in turning a human to a fellhound, and vice versa.Maxill spread the map again on a flat surface to know where to look for the ice rose.According to the codex, the ice rose is endemic to the Ham Desert.Maxill starte
“Bunny, can we talk?” Maxill approached Bunny along the open deck of her airship.Bunny closed her eyes and heavily sighed. “What now, Maxill?”Maxill wanted to say sorry, but he wasn’t sure if it was the appropriate word to tell her. He’s not apologetic of his identity, and yet he felt he needed to tell her otherwise.“… I’ll make it up to you tonight.”Bunny scoffed. “Maxill, no, I get it. You don’t like me. Wait, let me reiterate—you don’t like girls.”Maxill was rare to speak out his feelings. Feelings of disgust and apprehension, yes, but his sincere feelings, rare. He finds it hard to do so. Still, he really tried hard, just to comfort Bunny in her disappointment. “But as an acquaintance, I kind of like you.” The sulking pilot was a bit surprised. “…you do?”“Yeah. You’ve been supportive and understanding, at least to me. I have my toxic traits, but you still put up with me for, like what, 2 years? You saved my butt too many times, too.”He added, “And for a pilot, you’
“So what’s your plan, Chastine? And why are you suddenly so snobbish with our pilot?” Juste asked his girlfriend with utmost curiosity in his eyes.Chastine wished to tell her beloved about it, but it might spoil all the fun. She merely winked at Juste and said, “sorry, can’t blurt it out to you. But you will know soon…” “Besides, even though I already halved the cost of our flight, I still think she’s charging us way more than the standard rate.”“Money’s not an issue, Chas, as long as I’m around.”“It’s not about that, Juste. We should be practical with money matters. And why are you calling me ‘Chas’ suddenly? Only Maxill calls me by that name.”“Heh, it sounds cute enough, and there’s this feeling of closeness to it.”“It’s fine by me, but Maxill might get a little bit jelly about it.”“Oh, yeah, about Maxill, how did you convince him to agree with your plan? After all, I can see our pilot to be head over heels about him.” Juste sneered. He was quite amused how his girlfri
SWEET-16 is considered an armored flight vehicle by national standards. It has a thin metal alloy for its exterior, and thick fabric panels for its interior. There are offensive and defensive mechanisms attached to the aircraft like the plasmic EMP barrier (for repelling thunders and sun flares), bomb assemblies and small firearm mounts.SWEET-16 stands for Sky Wings Embedding Etherial Technology, with the number as the successful prototype count of the said flight vehicle. It runs on Etherial fuel, an easily melted mineral deposit harvested under the sands of Ham Desert.Bunny Lang was the chief designer for the SWEET-16 project. But because of its high-cost and maintenance, the aircraft was scrapped off by witborn military.She overhauled the last prototype to make it stealthy, and was had finished upgrading it when Maxill and his friends popped out of nowhere.Bunny welcomed them inside the aircraft’s cabin. Inside, there was a small round table with four chairs around it. Th
Juste remembered one his mother’s greatest work.Being a herbalist herself, he never would imagine the vastness of Saraise Isaacs' scientific accomplishments if he didn’t look for the ingredients of the Remedium.Her mother’s discovery and breeding experiments landed her a place in scientific books.He started to feel enthusiastic and excited about getting the next ingredient.Saraisium ordinem, also known as ice rose, is a succulent plant that had been specifically bred for the very purpose of making the Remedium.It was fed with a special liquid while being exposed to the sun, and then nipped and attached to a base plant.Repeating this technique many times, Juste’s mother was able mutate a special component in the plant which was one of the ingredients needed in turning a human to a fellhound, and vice versa.Maxill spread the map again on a flat surface to know where to look for the ice rose.According to the codex, the ice rose is endemic to the Ham Desert.Maxill starte
“You think this is gonna work on him?” Juste asked Maxill, thinking if they would be able to be successful in their plan. “Trust me, I’ve memorized the whole guide.” Juste was quite surprised at what his bloodhunt friend just said. His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised up. “Woah, you did?” “Yes. And I bet on my 75 years of life that it’ll work on him.” “What the—you’re 75 years old?!” Maxill added, “And forget about what Scion said. He’s just toying with your head.” He also bothered to comment on Juste’s astonishment regarding his age, “look at me, Juste. For us bloodhunts, age is just a number. I could pass as a teenager just like you. Heck, I’m even young by vampire standards.” “Ugh, well, I just thought you’re around 40 years old, heh.” Juste’s nose showed wrinkles and lines as he smiled in an awkward way out of disbelief and amusement. Maxill couldn’t help but wonder, “…are you flattering me, or insulting me?” “Don’t worry, it’s a compliment.” Juste snickered at what
Everything was not going well with Juste, Chastine, and Maxill.The bloodhunt did acquire what he had planned in getting from the north, but it costed him his peace and composure.He even accidentally killed one of his own, even if he only wanted to beat the h*ck out of Dreon.Not that he cared about the snoopy bloodeye, but he realized that he wasn’t able to control his strength and went overboard just because he was led by his feelings.Meanwhile, Juste and Chastine have had some bad encounter with none other than Juste’s current nemesis, Scion, the army commander of their clan.Not only did Scion burnt each southern thorny wolfbane he could find around the region, he also decided to revisit the pair and take the diary of Juste’s mother to burn it before his very eyes.Among the three, Juste was clearly the most devastated. He was starting to feel that their quest was all for naught.Without any substantial guide to continue their mission, Juste was thinking how they would be
Maxill was quite swift on his arrival to the north of Dianium. The herb codex indicated that the northern thorny wolfbane was along the outskirts of the Dianium, just between their country’s jurisdiction and the uncharted frost beyond. In that boundary, the terrain was filled with tall and cone-bearing trees, and the climate in that region was indeed bone chilling and thin aired. But these were no match for the powerful bloodhunt. Maxill was breezing through the cold winds like it wasn’t even cool season. He was still flapping his ominous pair of wings with elegance and effortlessness. The sound of swaying branches was heard. Maxill perched on one of the lower branches and began to scour the ground with his supersonic senses. As he turned human and was in a sitting position along the high branch, he closed his eyes and activated his sound wave detection to search for the herb. The northern thorny wolfbane is one tricky plant to acquire, both in location and in physical attribut
“Agree,” Maxill retorted to Juste. He was determined to help the fellhound anyway he can.“I’ll go north. I know my way around there.” The handsome bloodhunt had a confident smile upon him that was hard to let down.Maxill continued, “Chastine, you go with Juste. Knowing that he’s quite sensitive to the plant, he needs to have a companion to handle the southern thorny wolfbane. Capiche?”“Yeah, got it.” Chastine was also serious and determined to help Juste as seen on her expressive face.Maxill butted in further into their conversation, gesturing his hand in the air while explaining himself, “Well, y’know, besides me disrupting your smooching sessions, it’ll be better for the two of you to team up. Well, just sayin’…”“Maxill!" Juste and Chastine cried in unison as their cheeks turned red when they remembered the bloodhunt witnessing their love making session by the river.The teasing bloodhunt grinned broadly, baring the set of his sharp canines in the process. “Anyway, south is wh
Juste, Chastine, and Maxill couldn’t be prouder of themselves for getting the first ingredient of the Remedium.No doubt, the root was crimson colored, from the tips to the base. Even its insides were bloody red.They went to a nearby small village where the three species are welcomed: freedom to eat, sleep, and trade.Juste, Chastine, and Maxill quickly headed to that small town’s apothecary. The hospitable assistant lent them the things that they needed to prepare the root for storing and keep it from getting moldy.Juste prepared the root by drying them out in a dry oven, then after drying, patiently grinding it with mortar and pestle. Just as the fellhound meticulously processed the red root of the rabid eater plant, Chastine and Maxill were trying to figure out their next target plant for the ingredient in the Remedium serum for Juste.“It says crown of thorns…” Maxill was rubbing his chin, pondering what specific thorny plant was the poem referring to.“Ugh, there are so many t