Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Monster Girl Saga	By : GenocideHeart Category: +M through R > Monster Girl Quest Views: 113525 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 16
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Girl Quest, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
(A/N: Well, it's been years since I actually wrote anything. Time to see if I lost my touch or not.
This here is a Monster Girl Quest fanfic, which I plan to take places. It starts a bit before the game proper, and directs Luka towards a different path in life.
And of course, plenty of monster girls await down the road...
Anyway, enjoy. Thanks to toraneko from TFF for proofreading. This fic would suck without you, man.)

CHAPTER 1

Everything must have a beginning and an end.

“Mother! I found one!”

Luka's voice echoed through the forest near Ilias Village as he straightened up and waved at a nearby woman, holding a peculiar herb in hand.

The purple-haired, blue-eyed boy, nearing his thirteenth birthday, was fairly unassuming and plain-looking. Slightly short and thin for his age and with somewhat pale skin, he was nonetheless in good shape, but nothing anyone would call amazing. Still, he was nimble on his feet – always a useful skill to have in a world where sometimes a quick escape was the best choice in dangerous situations.

The woman he'd called out for looked up and waved back with a smile. Unlike Luka, whose hair was cut short, her own hair was waist-long, and black-colored rather than Luka's unusual purple. She looked to be in her late thirties, but still looked very attractive, with a pleasantly slender figure and a delicately sculpted face. The only oddity was her rather pale skin tone, even more so than her son.

Her eyes, however, gave an impression of strength. This was a woman who could make difficult decisions in moments of need – one that could be relied on.

As Luka trotted near her, she smiled at the boy. She was pleased with how well he'd grown up, even if his short stature and thin build worried her a little. Secretly, she harbored high hopes for his future, seeing his kind demeanor and willingness to help those in need, even though the village they lived in had never truly accepted them.

As she put away the seasoning herbs Luka had collected – ingredients for a vegetable stew only she knew the recipe for – she suddenly looked up, feeling unease. The forest, which had previously been filled with the noises of animal life, had gone quiet. Alerted, she pulled a confused Luka near her as she scanned the surroundings.

A monster...?, she thought, then rectified herself. No... monsters would never cause the forest to grow so quiet, unless it's extremely ferocious ones, and if it was one of those, I'd be feeling it by now. Then it must be humans... perhaps...

Her thoughts were interrupted, and her fears confirmed, by deranged chuckling coming from several directions. From the underbrush, several armed, disheveled men walked out, cackling and leering at the woman.

“Well, boys, look at what we have here,” one whom by his mannerism appeared to be the leader chortled. “A lovely young lady all alone in the forest... surely, good men as we are, we should keep her company, so that nothing nasty happens to her. Am I right?”

The woman's eyes narrowed as she quickly looked around for an escape route. Between her being unarmed and Luka being there, fleeing was the only reasonable choice, as she was fairly sure if she put up resistance the boy would've paid for it. She purposely refused to consider what might happen should they fail to flee.

“Now, now,” the leader chided her mockingly as the men closed in on them, having noticed her eyes dart. “Why would you be acting as if you want to run away? You wouldn't mean to say you dislike our company, now would you?”

As the woman tensed up, Luka suddenly broke free of her grip and moved in front of her, widening his arms in a walling position and glaring at the bandits. The group – seven of them, the woman could count now – stopped, looking at him in surprise, and then they began to laugh maniacally.

“What's with this brat?” one cackled. “ He thinks he's some knight hero out of a fairy tale?”

“Hahaha, look at those shrimp arms,” another added. “Careful, kid, you might break something waving them around.”

Luka remained steadfast, though obviously frightened. Glaring at the last one to speak, he raised his chin defiantly.

“Leave my mother alone! You're obviously bad guys!” he spat out, shifting to better block the vagrants' way. The leader looked at him with a half-amused, half-annoyed expression on his face.

“What, leave your precious mommy alone? But it'd be such a waste. Besides,” he snorted derisively, “if we refuse, then what? Are you gonna bleed on us until we give up and become good or something?”

“...actually, that's not such a terrible idea. At least, the part about someone bleeding and the lot of you reforming...” a new voice rang out from behind the bandits, causing them to whip around and face its owner. From the same underbrush they'd popped out of, a new figure shuffled out, tiredly propping itself on a large sheathed blade.

The newcomer was a woman – tall, blonde-haired, with aqua-green eyes, full and inviting lips and fair skin that almost looked as it it possessed a slight glow, giving her an ethereal air. She was wearing a beautifully crafted steel armor with golden ornaments focused on the chest, back, arm-guard, knees and shoulder protectors.

The armor covered her upper torso and abdomen, legs below mid-thigh and arms from the elbow onward, although, being somewhat tight-fitting, it emphasized her generous bosom in a way ordinary armor never would. Idly, Luka wondered how such a form-fitting armor could possibly be forged – would it not be hard to take the correct measurements to make sure it flawlessly fits?

A red cloth hung from her waist, concealing her most private parts from view, but a glimpse of white satin revealed she apparently was not concerned about privacy enough to wear anything but underwear below the red fabric. Similar fine white satin on her thighs revealed she wore thigh-high, sheer socks under the metal boots. A mantle made of the same red fabric hung loosely from her shoulder pads.

The figure apparently carried two swords. At least, Luka supposed the large cloth lump shaped like a sword slung across her hunched back was a sword. There was not much he could say about that one.

Her other blade, on the other hand, he got a good look at as she straightened herself and drew it with a low hissing sound. It was a finely-crafted longsword whose edge looked pristine and incredibly sharp, the hilt decorated with a single, deep green lapis gem where it met the blade. The sword's handle was exaggeratedly long – Luka realized at this point that it was not a longsword, but rather a bastard sword, able to be used with one or two hands indifferently, from what he had been told by travelers who visited Ilias' temple to become heroes.

As the woman drew her sword, the bandits instinctively took a step back, unnerved. They were clearly not used to dealing with someone who actually carried weapons. At that point, the woman leaned on a nearby tree, as if greatly tired, and dropped the sword's sheath to the ground with a sigh. Emboldened by this, the thief leader took one step forward, raising his weapon.

“Come on, boys! Look at this silly broad,” he incited his companions. “She can't even stand straight under all that silly-looking armor of hers! Let's be nice and relieve her of it – and everything under it, shall we? Harhar--”

The leader's laughter was cut off by a soft thump at his right side. Confused, he looked down, and saw his weapon lying on the forest's floor – with his hand still gripping it. As realization slowly dawned in him, a burning pain made itself felt in his wrist, and he looked up to see the stump where his hand had once been bubble and crackle – as if something extremely sharp and hot had cut through his limb.

For her own part, the armored woman – whom Luka had just barely been able to see attack, merely perceiving a flash as she raised her sword, swung and lowered it – scoffed.

“I am sure you have better things to concern yourself with right now than violating an unknown woman in the middle of a forest,” she coldly stated, leveling a pitiless gaze at the vagrant as he sank to his knees, clutching the stump his hand had once grown from and choking on his tears. “Like, for instance, finding a new, honest way to earn your living now that your sword arm is no longer viable for causing pain and grief to defenseless people. As for the rest of you...”

Her gaze shifted from the maimed man before her to his companions behind him, and to the last, they took a step back, alarmed. With a disdainful snort, she shook her head to get her hair, which had so far partially obstructed her eyes, out of the way.

As she did so, both Luka and his mother noticed her unusually pointed ears. Luka did not make the connection, but his mother instantly realized at that point – the woman before her, the skill she'd displayed, her otherworldly glow and unusual ears – she was not a human!

“...it has been brought to my attention that you have caused a great deal of pain to the locals,” the woman – the monster – continued, her tone still cold and dispassionate. “Thus, I decided to take a detour and visit you all, to remind you that crime does not pay in the end, and those who sin shall be punished. Now...”

She raised her sword, pointing it at the thieves. Luka's eyes widened – was this woman one of the 'Heroes' his mother kept telling him stories about, the ones sworn to protect the weak and punish evil?

“...you have two choices, as I see it. Drop your arms, surrender quietly and turn yourself in to the nearest garrison so that appropriate punishment may be delivered, or...”

With a panicked shout, three of the remaining bandits charged her. She frowned, displeased.

“...or, you can make things hard on yourselves and not be whole when I turn you in by force,” she hissed as her sword flashed. Another severed arm joined the first on the forest floor as a sizzling noise was heard, and Luka realized her sword grew white-hot whenever she lashed out.

The arm's owner collapsed with a strangled cry, causing the other two to stumble in hesitation. The woman stepped in with surprising speed for someone who had looked so tired moments before, and two more cries rang out in rapid succession, accompanied by nasty cracking sounds, as she kicked the second man's left knee out from under him, bending it at an unnatural angle, and backfisted the third, breaking his nose and sending him sprawling to the forest floor, unconscious.

By now a fourth thief had attempted to join the fray. The mysterious warrior merely lashed out once, and the man dropped his sword and raised his hands to the side of his head with a pained shout, clutching the smoking wound where his left ear used to be.

Seeing this, the remaining two thieves dropped their weapons in haste and loudly declared their surrender. The armored female regarded them coolly for a few seconds, then nodded and deftly juggled the sword's sheath from the ground in her free hand with the tip of her blade, sheathing it. She then leaned on the tree again as she motioned to Luka's mother, pointing at the two bandits that had surrendered.

Luka's mother picked up immediately on what she was saying, and quickly gathered several strong forest vines, tying up all the bandits quickly and efficiently. Through it all, none dared move, as the warrior-woman watched them with a look that made it very clear what would happen should they try anything foolish.

After tying the bandits up, Luka was sent back to the village to fetch the soldiers, and his mother was left alone with the strange nonhuman woman. For a time, there was silence as the two regarded each other, the armored monster with mild curiosity, the human with an undecipherable expression. Finally, the latter broke the quiet.

“...you're a monster, aren't you?” she asked in a neutral tone. The other woman tilted her head, her curiosity now piqued.

“You are correct... I am a monster,” she confirmed, watching her for reactions. “Although, once I was a human, much like you. Would it be too much to assume you are familiar with Bound Monsters?”

“Ah... so you're the spirit of a human who was tethered to this world by regret,” Luka's mother answered, thoughtfully gazing at the monster-woman. “...so what was it you regretted so strongly that it kept you from eternal rest?”

“My, aren't you curious. I don't even know your name, or that boy's, and yet you ask such private questions,” the swordswoman replied, a delicate eyebrow raised in irony. “Wouldn't it be common courtesy to at least introduce yourself before questioning your savior?”

“...”

For a bit, the human woman looked at the inhuman fencer, then she nodded politely.

“You are correct, of course. I am Liese, from Ilias Village nearby. The boy from before was my son, Luka. My husband and I moved in some years ago, shortly after Luka was born. My husband died a few years back, and I have been raising Luka alone since then.”

The monster regarded Liese curiously for a few seconds, then nodded.

“My condolences for your loss,” she replied, then quizzically added, “But on the other hand, I must admit that your current behavior towards me is puzzling. Should you not be scared? I am, after all, a monster – one of the creatures your Goddess denounces as unambiguously evil and deserving of extermination...”

“I know better than to passively accept anything anyone tells me,” was the reply. “While I do want to believe in Ilias' fundamental benevolence, I have reason to think some of her teachings are... less than savory, shall we say, and aside from that, I prefer to judge others based on their actions, rather than how someone else tells me I should judge them.”

The monster blinked, then started chuckling.

“I must congratulate you, then. You display more common sense than most of your kind do,” she said approvingly, then grew wistful. “I will be the first to admit that quite a few monsters genuinely are dangerous, but violence and bigotry unfortunately are abundant on both sides.”

“Would you consider yourself a dangerous monster, too?” Liese asked, curious. The other woman nodded.

“If you know anything about my kind, then you know we are dangerous by our own nature,” she stated. “I was fortunate enough to be kept in this world by a positive desire: I wished for nothing more than to protect the weak and defenseless, and bring retribution to those who would betray justice. But even so, regardless of how pure my intentions are, I am, in the end, a monster.”

“I see...” Liese nodded, thoughtful. Internally, she had decided she liked this monster-woman. There was an air about her that made her feel like she could entrust her life to her in a heartbeat with no worry, and Liese had long ago learned to listen to her instinct when it tried to tell her something.

“Ah, but I have not returned the favor and introduced myself yet,” the fencer added. Pushing herself off the tree – and looking very tired as she did so, Liese idly noted – she made a small bow.

“I am Thermidor, the wanderer. I go wherever my feet lead me, and correct any injustice I run into. Should you find yourself once again harassed by evil, call me. I will gladly assist... you...”

As she finished talking, the monster swordswoman wobbled and dropped to one knee. Alarmed, Liese ran up to her and attempted to help her up, only to be gently but firmly pushed back.

“Don't concern yourself with me – I am just dying,” she stated bitterly as she got up on shaky feet and leaned on the tree again. Liese blinked, then paled.

“Dying...?! Are you wounded? How can you speak so casually of--”

“Don't shout, please,” Thermidor interrupted her. “I would like to hear your town's soldiers coming so I can leave before they appear. You are being hospitable enough, but I doubt they will be likewise.”

“You're right... but still!” Liese protested. “How can you talk about death so casually?”

“I died once already, remember?” Thermidor chuckled. “Besides, it is largely my fault – I haven't... fed... in nearly a year.”

“You haven't--” Liese started, then stopped, realized what Thermidor meant and blushed. “Um... right, your kind needs semen, right?”

“Not quite,” she was corrected. “We need lifeforce – which is present in large quantities in vital fluids. Semen and blood, being the beginning and essence of life respectively, are the fluids that contain the most of it, so for monsters like me, the fastest way to feed is to either have sex with a man, or drink someone's blood. I... find both ideas equally unacceptable.”

“...why?”

Thermidor stared at Liese with a puzzled expression, not sure whether the other woman was serious or not. Deciding she was, in fact, serious, she shrugged and answered honestly.

“Drinking blood is distasteful and unsettling for reasons you can easily guess yourself. I am a monster, but I'm not a bloodthirsty beast,” she explained. “And sex... would kill my mate, most likely.”

“Oh, right,” Liese chimed in, remembering the details. “Bound Monsters are undead types, and as such, they have a powerful energy drain effect which is most intense during sex, right?”

“Right,” Thermidor nodded. “Contact in general is harmless, because we all have a modicum of control over our draining power, but that control goes right out the window when we have sex. It's not guaranteed that the man will die, of course... but the feeling of having one's energy drained is pleasant to them, and most monsters give in to instinct while having sex, so often neither side stops in time, and most of us end up sucking our partner dry, killing him.”

“...has it happened to you?”

“Yes,” she replied, her expression darkening, “and I will regret it forever.”

“...I see.”

The discussion was interrupted by a rustling of leaves nearby, and Luka popped up, running towards them. Thermidor pushed herself off the tree again and began to move away. Noticing that, Liese ran up to her and stopped her.

“Where do you think you're going?” she inquired in a severe tone. The monster shrugged.

“Anywhere but here? Don't worry, I am no danger to anyone in this area,” she replied. “I'd rather die than harm the innocent for the sake of food.”

“You know, you could have used those thieves...” Liese suggested, a little confused. Thermidor's expression hardened like stone and her eyes lit up angrily.

“Absolutely not! I shall allow no wretched criminal to soil me, even if it kills me,” she growled. “There are standards even a monster must adhere to. That is my belief.”

As she tried to move away again, Luka caught up with them. Looking curiously up at the warrior, he told them about the village – they were currently organizing a small group and should be there in fifteen more minutes, at most. Liese ruffled her son's hair affectionately, congratulating him on a job well done. Luka smiled happily, then looked at Thermidor again.

“Hey, big sister, are you staying here?” he asked. Thermidor raised an eyebrow.

“Why would you ask, boy?” she asked in return. “But to answer your question, I will camp somewhere nearby for a short while, to regain some strength, and then I will be on my way. Speaking of which, do you know of any cave or secluded space I could stay in?”

“Ah, there's the abandoned old house to the east,” Luka said. “I go play there all the time--”

“I thought I told you to stay away from that rickety old ruin, Luka?” Liese interrupted him in a dangerous tone. Luka's sheepish look was all the answer she needed and she threw up her hands in exasperation. “Kids nowadays, they never listen to adults!”

“When ever have they listened? I would bet you or I weren't all that different when we were his age,” Thermidor helpfully chimed in, earning a glare. Chuckling, she nodded at Luka. “I think I will check this ruin out. Thank you, boy. Well then...”

As she prepared to leave, Luka ran up and grabbed her hand. Taken aback, Thermidor looked at him, unmoving. Luka looked up at her, hesitated for a moment, and then assumed a determined expression.

“Hey, big sister... you know awesome monster moves, don't you? Teach me, then!”

For a few seconds, silence stretched as Liese and Thermidor looked at Luka with utter surprise. Then, the monster-woman freed her hand and scratched her cheek thoughtfully.

“...hasn't your mother taught you that eavesdropping is rude?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “More importantly, if you know I am a monster, why are you asking me? I could eat you. Or worse. And besides, wouldn't it make more sense to ask a human to teach you?”

“But you won't eat me or worse!” Luka stated with the absolute certainty that only youth can have. “And you were awesome back there. Shhh, shhh, you beat them all in seconds! And also... nobody in the village takes me seriously, and the few people traveling here who do teach me are laughed at, so I dunno how good the stuff they teach me actually is... no one does cool stuff like you, either...”

“...you've been learning how to fight?!” Liese raised her voice again. “Is there anything else you haven't told me that I should know?”

“Ah... ehehehe... but you always tell me that I shouldn't go out on my own, or bad people will hurt me because I can't defend myself...” Luka said sheepishly as he scratched his head, then perked up. “So I'm learning how to do that! And if big sister teaches me, then I'm sure next time bad guys like those try to attack us, I can defend you! You always say you hope I will be a Hero, and isn't that what Heroes do? Protect others from bad guys doing bad things?”

At those words, Thermidor turned around fully and regarded the boy before her with her full attention, her interest piqued. These days, not many truly understood what the meaning of 'being a Hero' was, yet this immature young boy showed more understanding of the essence of a Hero than anyone else she'd ever met. Perhaps... perhaps, at long last, she'd found the person who would carry on her will.

As she watched the boy and his mother argue back and forth, she reached a decision.

“All right. I will teach you,” she raised her voice, so that both would hear her above their squabbling. Liese gaped, open-mouthed, while Luka turned around instantly, eyes shining. Thermidor quickly raised an admonishing finger before him.

“But! I expect you to do exactly what I say,” she continued. “And, I won't teach you how to kill. If at all possible, you should avoid killing, unless the opponent before you is an evil that leaves no choice, and if that is the case, then you will know what to do yourself.”

“U-um, okay,” Luka replied, intimidated by the intensity of the monster's gaze. Thermidor paused for a few seconds to make sure her words sank in deep, then continued.

“Also, this is subject to your mother's approval. If she feels I am leading you astray, lessons will cease at once, and I will leave without further waiting. Understood?”

“Ehhh? Buuuut--”

“Understood?” Thermidor repeated in a louder tone, eyes narrowing. Luka snapped upright.

“Yes, ma'am!”

“Very well, then,” she nodded. “I will be taking up residence in the old ruin, as agreed. I will be expecting you every morning, after breakfast. Come light, you might throw up if you eat too much before practice.” That elicited a gulp from Luka, and a wolfish grin from Thermidor. “What, you thought this would be easy? By the time I am through with you, you will either thank me wholeheartedly or curse my name with all your strength, boy...”

To the side, Liese couldn't help but smile. Her son and this monster seemed to get along well, and she had a gut feeling that, having glimpsed a bit of Thermidor's inner self, she could safely entrust Luka to the swordmistress, in spite of her dangerous nature. And admittedly, knowing how to defend himself would be important, as would learning how to get along with monsters. Her husband's mistake should not be carried on by her son.

Looking on at a boy and a monster chattering animatedly, Liese strangely felt as if something had changed slightly.

And the change rippled across the world.
- 1
- 2
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Monster Girl Saga