#ahhh why is it so easy to talk about sh but so embarrassing to talk about my kins ahhhh

[landmine-guy]

Hi hi!!! Do you have any characters you kin or really love?

-💤💖

Hi!! Omg what an exposing question, you've made me a little shy to answer, so props to you, because that doesn't happen much. I very much do, I'm unfortunately a kinnie, and I also have characters that I adore!!! I'll drop the list in the tags ♡︎

[alka-di-kijarr]

Hunters Journey - 006

Disclaimer: This story was originally posted on my deviantArt. It was part of the #smaugust #challenge in 2020. I wanted to share it here for people who like fantasy/adventure stories. My Tumblr shall make it easy to follow the story, and I hope you like it too. English is not my native language, but I try my best. ♥ Enjoy!

Hunters Journey - 006

The next days were filled with preparations, discussions and several meetings, but Nero didn't attend most of them. Still bound to his walking sticks he fell into some kind of resignation. Vaas had got the bad news shortly after the brawl in the dining hall and since that moment he acted oddly. Understandable, but still something Nero was not used to. Not even a bid. A deep sigh escaped the young man's chest, but there was nothing to do about it. Facing an old enemy who had taken so many lives, lives of friends and fellows, was never an easy task. It never should be.  Walking down the corridors of the great hall, Nero decided it was about time to at least visit his friend, regardless the surrounding chaos. Before entering the sleeping corridors, he took a small detour into the kitchen.

"Hey Ma' Myra." "Ahhh, the great hero honours us with his presence!" The older, corpulent lady laughed brightly, the hands resting on her hips. She was one of the individuals in this guild that never seemed breakable. The most hunters only called her Ma' as if she would be the mother of all of them. Thinking about her kind nature and the things she was doing for each and every one here, the title was well-earned. Nero couldn't hide the big smile he got when she was in the room, and so he entered the gigantic kitchen and slowly walked up to her position. Uncountable cooks and servants were whizzing around, preparing everything for the lunchtime. Myra gave some commands, before she gifted Nero her complete attention.

"What is up with ya' young hero? Why the long face?" "Uff, there is so much going on at the moment Ma'. Vaas will leave at dawn tomorrow and I cannot join the squad and be any kind of help, while he needs to face Taurus. It hurts me...somehow." "Ahh, there ya see ya still a youngstah."  She laughed and clapped his back a bit. Nero rose his eyebrows in confusion, but that only made Myra laugh louder.

"Ya' can still chitchat about ya' feelings and ya' worries. That is something all tha' old grey wolfs lose over the time they hunt." The young man looked somewhat embarrassed, as if she wanted to let him look silly, but even before he could say something in his defence, Myra grabbed both his cheeks with her warm hands.

"Don't make that face! Ya' look like a little puppy who got scolded!" Nero felt how his face turned red, while other cooks and servants watched the scene. Myra took her hands down and placed them on his shoulders. Her voice was calm and serious now.

"Never ever let someone take this away from ya', hunter. The fear shall be your companion, but not your inner enemy. Hunters who don't speak about tha' things they had seen get eaten alive by the demons those thoughts create. And there ain't a chance of a 'maybe create'. It is always tha' same story, with tha' same ol' ending."  Myra watched the room around and Nero saw a small grinning before she rose her hands to the air and started laughing. 

"Ya' all, what ya' looking at, hah?! Ya' think that's something to laugh about?  A WEAKNESS?! All of ya Greenhorns can take an example on this hunter! Wannabe fighters ya' all are. Ya' would sh*t ya' knickers if ya' would need to face the creatures, when they are not in captivity! Am I right, Guston?" She looked over to a cook at the end of the room. He was one of those really arrogant people, but the story of his high-pitched scream at the day when a group of small Rockets escaped their cage was legendary and still part of every festival-evening-story-time. Rockets were small creatures with dog-like behaviour, but the appearance of some weird insect-demon mixture. They probably had confused him with a bunch of bones, considering his own body shape. Nero couldn't avoid it and giggled heartily, while Myra looked extremely satisfied. 

"So what now - ya' want some food now for ol' grumpy Vaassy-baassy, or nat?" As if she could have read his mind, Nero smiled and nodded silently. She waddled around the kitchen table, took a few packs of baked goods and a big flask of the best wine they had. Knowing of his condition, she folded a bag that she could tie around his back and shoulders. Nero felt like in the old time when his grandmother prepared him for the way to his first big hunt. Not being able to erase the smile on his face, he told her a goodbye and left the kitchen, heading to the sleeping quarters. 

After visiting Vaas room and not finding him there, Nero took a turn to the outside. There was only one place Vaas would visit, if he was not in his room and trying to get a nap.  The way was long and the young hunter felt the pain in his legs and the healing wounds, but there was no way he would leave his mentor and friend without a talk and some good food. Even if he would have to walk for the rest of the day, following him all around the guild hall! But gladly there would be no need to do so.

"There you are!" Vaas looked up and a small smile covered the old man's face.

"Don't tell me you walked all the way to meet me here? You could have waited until lunch."

"Yes, yes. I know you would not skip any good meal, but I got the opportunity to let us have lunch without the annoyance of other people in the dining room."

"Oh? Now you woke my interest young man!"  Nero grinned and took a place beside Vaas on a wooden bench. The bench was situated in front of an outside cage, inhabiting the Gemini. A fiery hydra with - actually - five heads.

"How are our friends doing?" he asked and reached Vaas some baked goods Myra gave him.  The old man looked pleased and took a big bite, before he answered. 

"They are doing fine. Seth thinks about keeping Gemini." "Oh?" That are some amazing news." Keeping a creature was a big responsibility and also a big economical risk. 

"Yeah. After we freed Gemini last year from this insane brat of a prince, even Seth seems to have sympathy for the hydra. Unbelievable what this spoiled boy was doing to this creature." Nero nodded. Someone could think that capturing and keeping a hydra in captivity would be insanely dangerous, but only if the lives of the servants you use for the creature matter to you. The prince, called Olevon, was the son of king Pralius and queen Nafita. Last year they had got the message of a concerned hunter, or more precisely a spy, that the boy was about to lose control of the hydra. He was teasing them with fear and pain and tried to starve it, so it would adapt to his wishes ....without resistance. The hydra was really young when they found it and decided to bring it to the guilds headquarter. The creature was wounded and the mother dead, but not killed by hunters. 

"Do you think Seth feels  guilty about his decision to give Gemini to Olevon?" Vaas nodded, chewing some baked goods. 

"Yes. Yes, I do. But I understand his decision. He thought bringing them together while both are young would be a good idea to strengthen their bond. But now Gemini is in its puberty and only made awful experiences so far. We will see how this will go." Nero agreed and his view shifted to a young lady that entered the gigantic cage of Gemini. It was Lauriel, a young huntress and medic. She walked straight to Gemini, waving a hand and calling their names.

"She gave all the heads unique names, huh?" "Yup. And I would say all of them love her." "That's good." Both nodded. 

Gemini was laying in the middle of the area, enjoying the sun on their dark scales. The middle head waved his mane to greet Lauriel, and she laughed. While greeting the oldest one first, the other heads already tried to snuggle her. Big bro was not amused and growled deeply, so the other heads made space, but as always the second-born tried to argue. No chance.  It was a real film to watch them and the reason why Vaas liked to be here so much. Lauriel really had a hand for them. 

Both sat there for a bit longer, watching the hydra getting a mane brush and scale care. So shiny.  "You will come back Vaas, promise it."

"I promise it." "Alive. And in one part." Vaas rose his eyebrows, but he smiled. 

"Promised."