Information

Karv has a minion!

Engrave the Sinuous Crystallite

Karv
Legacy Name: Karv

The Cherry Montre

Age: 8 years, 5 months, 1 week

Born: October 5th, 2017

Adopted: 8 years, 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Adopted: November 3rd, 2017

Statistics

• Level: 10
   
• Strength: 26
   
• Defense: 25
   
• Speed: 25
   
• Health: 25
   
• HP: 25/25
   
• Intelligence: 33
   
• Books Read: 33
• Food Eaten: 0
• Job: Unemployed

Marcus strode into the dimly lit cave, his elongated shadow stretching across the dusty floor as the sound of his boots echoed against the chilly stone walls. He scanned the room, searching for the familiar face he hadn’t seen in weeks. Normally, stepping into this rune-covered cave, with its symbols softly glowing as he moved, would have unsettled him deeply. But today, his anger overtook any unease he may have felt.

The damp, musty air carried the scents of earth and cold stone, mixed with a faint, fetid odor - the lingering stench of something long dead. In the center, a crackling fire pit sent shadows waltzing across the walls, moving in harmony with the subtle hum of energy that grew as his furious aura activated the runes.

Usually, his anger would have jeopardized his safety, but the safeguards in place provided enough protection to shield his emotions from the monster that would have been attracted to them.

His gaze finally settled on Karv, a Cherry Montre, and a mysterious enchantress.

She was seated at a table near the fire, her hood pulled low, hiding her face from view. Her delicate paws moved gracefully over a small white object, creating detailed designs that shimmered briefly before disappearing. It was yet another talisman taking shape.

Marcus strode purposefully towards her, his steps echoing through the room like a solemn drumbeat. Tension clung to him like a heavy cloak.

"Karv," he said, his voice raw and filled with anger. She looked up, her emerald eyes meeting his fiery gaze. "You've got some explaining to do!" he demanded.

Karv's expression remained unwavering, even as she paused her delicate enchantment of the talisman, the etching work unfinished. "Marcus, do you really have to be so noisy?" she said, pulling back her hood to make their conversation a bit more personal. "I can hear you perfectly well if you just speak normally."

Marcus tossed a bag onto the table beside her, his face twisted in a scowl, but he kept his mouth shut.

The Montre let out a weary sigh as she upended the sack, spilling dozens of bloodstained talismans - each one painstakingly carved by her own paws. Her furry brows lifted in surprise as she gingerly picked one up, examining it from every angle.

She looked a bit taken aback and said, "These are the protective charms I handed over to Bravo Team. What on Subeta happened to them?"

Marcus growled, "You tell me."

Karv's fur bristled along her spine as she barked back, "I asked first!" Her voice was charged with heat, reflecting her rising anger. Sensing her escalating emotions, the runes on the walls flared brighter, concealing her growing fury from outside forces.

Marcus' snarl dripped with palpable fury. "You betrayed us. Bravo Team is dead - every last one. The talismans were supposed to protect them."

Karv's eyes narrowed, a mix of disbelief and anger flashing across her face. "Are you really accusing me of being a traitor?" She fixed the accuser with a challenging stare, letting the words linger, making it clear she wasn't going to back down.

Rage burning in his eyes, Marcus slammed his fist onto the table, causing the talismans to jump and clatter. "Your talismans didn’t protect them from that abomination!" he spat, his voice laced with both anger and anguish. "They're dead because of you!"

Karv examined the charred remains of the talismans, her brow furrowed. "These were set with the finest protections money could buy, but just look at them! They’re completely scorched! You can’t ruin my best creations just by facing off against the usual creatures in The Vale!" she exclaimed.

Karv's expression darkened as she continued, "Either the whole team messed up big time, or they encountered something that even I can’t handle. Trust me, there aren’t many beings out there that can do that! Whatever they confronted in The Vale, it must have been a true abomination. There are precious few creatures in this world with that kind of power. What horrors did Bravo Team stumble into?"

The Montre's genuine anger, evident in the brightly glowing runes on the walls, eased Marcus's tension a bit. She wasn't lying, nor did she look guilty. She hadn’t turned on them; in fact, the way she was frantically sifting through the talismans, her face showing shock and horror, indicated that she wasn’t responsible for the team's bloodshed.

Marcus managed to utter the word "Reep" without spitting.

Karv's head snapped up, his piercing green eyes locking onto Marcus. "That's not funny," the Montre said, a grave look on her face. "Don't even joke about that monster returning! The woods are already a nightmare without him prowling about."

His tone was more tired than angry as he gestured once more toward the bloodied, charred talismans. "Does that seem like a joke to you?"

The Montre, having set down the talisman she had been holding, gave Marcus her undivided attention. "Tell me everything," she said. He proceeded to explain the destruction of Bravo team and how young Elena, just fourteen, had bravely stood up to Reep and emerged victorious.

Karv let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. "I wish I had known he had returned. I wish the team had said something. Bravo Team needed more than just talismans to deal with Reep."

"They were meant to be the top-notch option available. So, what went wrong?" Marcus was still feeling frustrated, but his irritation had shifted away from the Montre.

Karv fixed her serious emerald green gaze on Marcus, making it clear that what she was about to say was important. "Marcus, I need you to listen carefully. The protection talismans I sold Bravo Team have limitations. They were designed for standard elemental magics - fire, water, electric, plant, earth, air, dark, and light. Most Vale creatures fall into these categories. However, two types fall outside: Psychic, which includes mental attacks, and Spiritual, which encompasses souls and necromancy."

"Reep is a soul stealer, which is why the talismans failed and young Elena succeeded," the Montre shuddered. "The only defense against Spiritual monsters is a purifying substance, like the oak bat that little girl miraculously found. The only defense against mental magic is mental fortitude and training."

Crossing his arms, Marcus asked, "Why didn't you provide Bravo Team with purifying talismans?"

Karv threw her red paws up in the air, clearly frustrated. "Honestly, I don't have any wood left; that wooden dagger you gave to Elena was the last bit of oak I had. I could have worked with ash, hawthorn, aspen, willow, or yew, but good luck finding any of those trees within miles of the Vale. Somehow none of those will grow here. Elena was incredibly lucky that baseball bats happen to be made out of oak sometimes. Her friends must have bought it far from here. The only alternative would be the silver chain net I gave Bravo Team."

"Reep tore through the silver net as if it were tissue paper," Marcus said, scowling.

The Montre's ears perked up in surprise, then drooped dejectedly. "Well, that's quite disturbing to hear," she murmured. The enchantress fell silent, lost in pensive thought for a moment, and Marcus gave her space to process the information.

After a moment, she shook her head; "I'm afraid I don't know what to tell you, Marcus. I suggest you take a closer look at that net. Silver should have worked; its purifying properties should have been as effective as, if not better than, the oak. I can only work with what I have, and if the chains were only silver-plated or made from a low-quality alloy, that would have weakened their powers. My enchantments are merely a supplement to what high-quality silver should have been able to accomplish"

Clenching his fist, Marcus muttered a curse. Finding out that Bravo Team, a group of nine highly skilled individuals each boasting over ten years of experience, had been taken down simply because someone decided to skimp on the quality of silver was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I'm really sorry, Marcus," the Montre said gently, "but I swear I haven't betrayed you. We've worked together for too long for that." She paused, her eyes clouding with sadness. "I provided them with the best resources I had, given what I knew back then. If I'd known Reep was around, I could have been sure I had the right materials. As it stands..." The Montre's words trailed off and she could only shake her head.

Karv swept the charred, bloodstained talismans into the fire pit. It erupted with a cacophony of popping sounds, reminiscent of popcorn popping all at once. Vibrant sparks leapt and danced as the talismans were completely consumed by the cleansing flames.

"The damage is done, and there's no undoing it or making amends," she said, her expression darkening. "For centuries, the Hunters have guarded the town against the Vale's darkness. This duty has always come with a price, and more often than not, that price is a life cut short. We've been in this together for twenty-five years, and the protection you receive comes at a steep cost, far beyond just a few coins."

A chill swept over Marcus, making him feel as if ice had taken over his entire body. "What cost?" he murmured, barely able to get the words out.

A rough, raspy howl echoed from the tunnels at the rear of the room, sending chills down Marcus' spine and making the hair on his neck stand on end.

With his his hand resting on his gun, Marcus' eyes widened as a monstrous Kumos emerged from the tunnels. The beast was drenched in blood and guts, its fur a tangled mess of drooping spikes and clumps. It was Bleidd, the infamous man-eater of the catacombs, striding in with a sack clamped tightly in her jaws.

"Well, look who decided to show up at just the right moment," Karv said to the Kumos, her tone way too laid-back and friendly for the Hunter's taste.

Bleidd's rumbling growl emanated from deep within her throat, her mismatched eyes intently fixed on the fresh, juicy mortal now sharing her cave. Marcus couldn't help but notice that one of her eyes was a striking blood red while the other was a vivid green, and there was a wildness in them that suggested she wasn't all there. As he took in the unsettling sight, the talisman around his neck and every one tied to his jacket began to radiate a gentle warmth.

Karv, on the other hand, strolled straight over to the creature, who tilted her head down to drop the sack into Karv's eager paws, freeing it from her deadly jaws.

Turning back to the Hunter, she let the sack fall on the table that now separated them. It hit the surface with a gentle thump, and the contents inside shifted with a delicate rattle that caught Marcus's attention. His eyes widened as he recognized the familiar sound of talismans.

With a firm yet compassionate tone, she urged, "Go ahead and open it."

Marcus hesitated,, then with a heavy heart, he slowly untied the leather pouch. He tipped the pouch upside down, and a collection of broken, bloody bones spilled out - chunks roughly the size of the talismans he and his team wore. They were fresh, still bloody, and raw and unfinished, but there was no doubt about what they were. A wave of dread washed over him as he understood that these were meant to protect the team from the terrors lurking in the wilderness.

"You... you used human b-bones?" he stammered, a mix of revulsion and disbelief churning inside.

Karv's voice was flat and unwavering as she stated, "Every man, woman, and child who ever learns magic can manipulate it to cast a fireball, Marcus. That only takes a little bit of focus and a personal pool of mana. But strong, sustained protection magic that lasts months, even years?" Her expression turned solemn and tired. She padded back to her table and sat down, suddenly looking as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. When she continued, her voice was steady, but serious. "The strongest magic usually demands the greatest of sacrifices. The talismans required a foundation of life force to sustain their enchantments; without that power, they would have been mere trinkets."

Trembling, Marcus stared at the bones as the grim implications of Karv's revelations slowly dawned on him. The disturbing connection between the bodies taken to feed Bleidd and the objects distributed by the enchantress to the Hunters made his stomach twist with revulsion.

Barely able to speak, his voice trembling, he whispered, "Whose bones are these?" He already knew the answer, but he needed to hear her confirm it aloud to fully grasp the reality of the situation.

"Who else could it be?" The Montre sounded exasperated. "This town has seen countless deaths, Marcus, Most of them aren't from age or illness."After a brief pause, she continued in a softer tone, "These are the bones of sinners - the victims of Vyces' platoon. People who knew the risks but indulged their selfish desires, separating themselves from the community. The platoon, or Vyces herself, kills them and steals their souls. From there, the Corpse Bearers deliver the bodies to Bleidd. She strips the bones of their flesh, breaks them into workable pieces, and delivers them to me. I enchant them with protection for the community, and for the Hunters. We make do with what we have, Marcus."

Marcus's fingers tightened around the table's edge, knuckles turning white, his horror roiling within him. "This... this is disgusting. Yes, they screwed up. Yes, a monster killed them, but that doesn't make it right to use their remains like tools. Like their lives had no value at all. Can't they at least have the compassion of letting their bodies rest in peace?"

Karv spread her paws and asked, "Is it really more compassionate to stroll into town and ask for volunteers? To encourage people to offer up their sisters, brothers, mothers, and fathers to sacrifice their lives for the good of the town? Would that make it justifiable? Should I instead visit the resting places of those who passed away peacefully and take their remains? Or maybe I should roam the town, taking the family pets - like old lady Morrison's Feli, her only comfort in her old age, or little Timmy's beloved Ruffie?"

The Montre saw the horrified rejection in Marcus' expression and nodded once in satisfaction that her point had been made. "The only resource I have at my disposal, without a reliable supply of wood, is bone, Marcus. I opted for the remains of those who fell victim to Vyces and her platoon because, in the end, their bodies would be put to use for the community in a way that their lives were not."

Leaning back in her chair, Karv spoke with conviction, "I did what needed to be done. You know just as well as I do that nothing comes without a cost in this world. Every spell and enchantment exacts a price - sometimes paid in blood and bone, especially when confronting the dark entities lurking in the Vale of Hungry Shadows. Maybe one day the curse on the Vale will be broken, and we will no longer have to make such hard decisions. Until then, it is our burden to carry."

Marcus gritted his teeth and hissed, "You never mentioned what your talismans are made from."

"You never bothered to ask," Karv countered, "and honestly, if I had spilled the beans earlier, would you have still been on board with it? Would you have let your beloved team tap into the power they required if you knew the full story? Think, Marcus. Reflect on the teams that protected the town before you joined - how many of them are still alive today?"

Marcus grimaced. "None," he admitted, knowing she had a fair point.

Over the past twenty-five years, the team he had joined had dwindled, with none of them living long enough to retire. The previous Hunters had refused to use them - whether out of pride in their skills or suspicion of the magical talismans, it didn't matter now. His current crew had been fresh out of high school, and as the sole survivor left to train a new generation, he had made the talismans mandatory. Truthfully, the thought of Karv's magic had always unsettled Marcus, but the safety of the Hunters had been paramount. He had trusted Karv to make the right choices, even if he hadn’t allowed himself to consider how tough those decisions might be.

His voice sounded strained and desperate as he said, "I could have found another way, if I had known."

Karv's eyes softened, and with a hint of regret, she said, "No, you couldn't have. You wanted results, and those talismans delivered." The Montre sighed and ran her claws through the fur on her head. "You know as well as I do that obtaining more... innocent supplies is extremely difficult. You're aware of the high cost of holy wood and silver. Bravo Team paid dearly because someone failed to confirm the quality of the acquired supplies. We make use of what we have, even if it's distasteful. My magic, along with the assistance of one of the very monsters your team hunts," she gestured at the still looming Bleidd, "kept your life, the lives of Alpha team, and even Bravo Team as safe as possible."

Bleidd's muzzle twisted into a gruesome smile, and she let out a chilling, hyena-like laugh. She ran her tongue over her sharp fangs, and Marcus felt the weight of her gaze, tracking his every movement with an unsettling intensity that sent chills down his spine. The wildness in her mismatched eyes hinted at a brutal control; she had the power to end him or simply retreat into the shadows of the tunnels, and she seemed indifferent to which fate befell him. He knew that if he let his fear and helpless anger take over, Bleidd would not hesitate to react. The warmth of the talismans was the only thing grounding him in that moment.

Marcus felt a wave of despair hit him hard. Though using the slain townspeople's bodies as tools felt distasteful, what other options were there? Venturing outside the town was a ldifficult and expensive endeavor, often stretching over several days or even a week. The supernatural gloom that shrouded the town would not allow its citizens to stray for longer without summoning them back. The Hunter muttered a series of quiet, sorrowful curses under his breath.

Karv picked up the grisly bone fragments and walked over to where a trickle of water spilled from the stone walls into a small pool. With finality, she said, "Innocence is a luxury, Marcus. And as we've seen, it is too costly to keep beyond a certain point." The conversation was clearly over, and arguing further would be a waste of time. "You will have to begin recruiting," she continued. "You have an entirely new Bravo Team to populate, and training them is going to take a lot of time. I will start making more talismans for the new members; they should be ready in a week."

Anger, horror and disgust drained out of Marcus then, and the Hunter stepped out of the cave, leaving the enchantress and her deranged, flesh-eating guardian behind. The cobblestone streets lay abandoned and silent, save for the distant whispering of the wind. His footsteps echoed through the silent town as he made his way to the Hunters' headquarters. The moon hung high, casting a soft glow that lit up the path while throwing shadows that danced ominously in the corners of his vision. Marcus inhaled deeply, attempting to steady the storm of feelings churning within him.

For a quarter-century, the enchantress's talismans had made injuries and deaths among the Hunters rare. Bravo Team's demise proved that the Hunters had become soft and careless. They never thought to check the silver quality in the net; a failing that could have been corrected if they had paid attention after Lori's death. If he really wanted to lay blame, the entire Bravo Team had committed the sin of Sloth; placing too much faith in the talismans and assuming that her magic was all they needed. Worse, they hadn't prepared or tracked the years to anticipate Reep's return. It was sheer dumb luck that the brave, and resourceful Elena had knocked the demon out of commission for another century.

The Vale's dark magic drew in new families even as it consumed the previous inhabitants, leaving them to succumb to the darkness that permeated the place.

Shoulders squared, Marcus strode into the Hunters' headquarters, resolve hardening his spine. He, too, had let his teams slip from peak performance. It was time to correct that error. Never again would they sink so deep into the indolence of Sloth.

Pet Treasure

Stolen Pieces of Bone

Pet Friends