On a cloudy day in Los Angeles, California, Darby was standing behind the counter as he was delivering a coffee order to a customer. "Here you go, sir. Have a nice day." Darby said with a polite smile as the customer left the store. After that, he let out a yawn as he leaned over the counter.
"Hey, you're okay?"
He perked up before looking at his partner, who was a seventeen-year old girl with blond hair that had the left bang dyed in pink color and the bottom in light green. "Yeah, I'm just a little bored, don't worry."
The blond-haired girl frowned as she knew he was lying, she even could notice the bags under his eyes. "Come on, Darby. I know you're feeling tired, didn't you have some sleep last night?"
Darby didn't answer as he just looked away.
"Tell you what, you can go home early and get some long rest. I'll take the rest of the shift for you." His partner suggested as she brought his dark hooded jacket to him.
"I-It's okay, I can still work for two more hours." Darby replied, waving his hand with a hesitated look.
"Don't be silly, by the time you'll get all the night to rest, I can guarantee you'll be fully recharged! Now go on!" She insisted before pushing Darby away from the counter
"Alright, alright, you win." Darby laughed as he took off the apron before putting his jacket on. "Thanks Molly, I owe you one."
"You don't have to, see you back at the apartment!" Molly, his roommate, said with a wink.
After getting out of the coffee shop, Darby made his way across the urban city towards his apartment. He still thought that he should repay Molly for her kindness, maybe stopping by the bakery to buy some pastries would be good enough.
As he stood in the corner to wait for the pedestrian crossing light to turn green, he noticed a group of girls across the street heading to the other side. But the moment they passed by, Darby began to notice something familiar to them as he squinted his eyes. In that moment, his breath caught in his throat once he saw their faces he didn't see for a long time.
"Anne? Sasha? Marcy?" Darby muttered until his tone got louder. He was completely stunned to see how grown the girls looked now.
They didn't seem to notice Darby however as they were now crossing the street. At that moment, Darby thought about catching them up before he'd lost sight of them as he crossed to the same direction they're heading hurriedly before the traffic light turned green.
Darby followed the girls from the other side of the street, as much as he wanted to call them, he thought it would be a good idea to see where they're heading and surprise them. Plus he needed a moment to consider if they haven't forgotten about him. It's been six years since he left LA to live with his uncle in Australia, he didn't even get to say goodbye to them, but… that was during the worst time he had. He wasn't sure if they would recognize him, but he's not gonna rule out that possibility.
He came to a halt when he noticed they were standing in front of a small, yet grime and aged building with a sign at the top that says "Thrift Shop". Out of all the places he thought they could go, he was curious to know why they would stop by the thrift shop.
Darby saw Anne going inside and he could spot her through the front window, as Sasha and Marcy remained outside while watching her. Something didn't feel quite right, that's what Darby was thinking right now that he had to hide behind the pole and watch closer.
Anne was seen standing in front of a shelf, but to his shock, she grabbed a music box from top and put it inside her backpack before striding out of the store. Once outside, she, Sasha and Marcy ran away while laughing.
He couldn't believe what he just saw, but he didn't have the time to react as he decided to keep following them, wearing an upset look.
After a few miles, Darby saw the girls going into the park, and just so happened that it's the same park where he and the girls used to go after they got into trouble, and it's something he's not proud of. He followed them inside and after walking around for a short while, he found them sitting on a bench, chatting and laughing.
Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists, he approached them. Since he was standing behind them, they still didn't notice his presence. So he decided to catch them by surprise.
"I guess old habits die hard, isn't it, ladies?" Darby spoke with his Australian accent.
Anne, Sasha and Marcy stopped laughing before turning around and spotted him, clearly he startled them because they thought they were alone.
"Um… Who the hell are you?" Sasha Waybright retorted with a frown before she and the others stood up.
Darby noticed Anne was still holding the box she stole.
"I know it's been a while, but you girls should remember you used to be more than three, six years ago." Darby replied with his normal voice.
"Wait a minute… That voice… That scar…" Anne Boonchuy said, pointing at the small scar running across Darby's lips. After solving the puzzles, Anne finally recognized him. "Darby? Is that you?"
"What?" Sasha with a stunned look before turning back to Darby.
"Oh my God! Is it really you?" Marcy Wu covered her mouth with her hands in shock, her voice was full of shock.
Darby however didn't respond to their reactions, he remained standing with a neutral expression.
"Oh my God! D-Darby! I heard you went to Australia! I never thought we would ever see you again!" Anne exclaimed as she approached Darby with tears welled up in her eyes. She reached her hand towards him, meaning to give him a hug, but Darby stepped back, much to her confusion.
"I wish I could say how happy I am to see you three again." Darby replied, lowering his head as his voice sounded hurt. "But I am not, because I saw you stealing something!" He pointed the box in Anne's hand with her finger.
Anne looked at the box as she realized she was still holding it before she could open. She hid it behind her back while looking away in shame. But before she could explain, Sasha stood between her and Darby
"Whoa, you've been following us? I think the police would like to hear that someone was stalking us!" Sasha threatened while jabbing her finger in his chest.
"Sure, go ahead! Then I'll tell them that I saw all of you stealing that box from a thrift shop. I even saw Anne putting it in her backpack!" Darby answered angrily, slapping Sasha's hand away from him.
"Guys, please! Stop fighting! We cannot let this ruin our reunion like this!" Marcy stepped in and begged, clearly upset that this was supposed to be a happy moment for everyone.
"Stay out of this, Marcy!" Sasha snapped, making Marcy flinch at her outburst.
"I can't believe this… All this time I thought you girls had changed for the better, that someday you would give up on your antics. But here you are! Doing the same bloody thing like you did when we were teenagers!" He shouted as his voice was mixed with sadness and anger. "I know I used to let this happen, but not anymore! Starting now, I'm gonna make things right! Anne, give me the box!"
"What? N-No! I don't wanna go to jail!" Anne said apprehensively as she held the box away from his reach.
"You know what? I think we're done. Come on girls! Let's get out of here." Sasha glared daggers at Darby and turned around, gesturing to Anne and Marcy to follow her.
"No! You're not going anywhere until you give me the box!" Darby then lunged at Anne and tried to pull the box out of Anne's hands, but she held it on tight.
"H-Hey! Stop!" Anne demanded as she pulled the box with all her strength.
"Let her go, you bastard!" Sasha snarled as she swung her arm across his neck and tried to choke him out.
"Darby, stop! Please!" Marcy begged as she tried to pull him away.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to overcome Darby's strength as he refused to let go of the box.
"Knock it off, Darby! We were supposed to be friends! Friends have each other's backs!" Anne shouted with an upset look.
"How can you even say that after you three left me?! You abandoned me!" Darby snapped as he resisted Sasha's chokehold.
His answer seemed to strike Anne as her eyes widened, but before she could answer, her hand gripped around the lid of the box, and then she opened it by accident.
Everyone stopped fighting to look what was inside, but to their surprise, it was empty, yet somehow the inside was glowing with colorful light and before they knew it, the lights started flashing that blinded everyone around.
(Play Music: The Witcher 3 - Kaer Morhen)
Darby let out a gasp as his eyes shot wide open, before noticing that he was in a different place instead in the park.
Noticing that he was still lying in the cot, he sat up while rubbing his eyes with his fingers. As he was becoming fully awake, he realized that everything he saw and felt was a dream, but that was more than just a dream, it was a flashback.
Now he remembered what happened, what were they're fighting before he, Anne, Sasha and Marcy got teleported to a strange world, or as an old salamander called it, Amphibia. It irks him to think that this whole mess was started because of the box, but he couldn't be mad at Anne for opening it because no one ever thought this could happen.
However, he fretted that he would never find his only friends and that the last time he could ever say something to them was cursing them.
He shook out of his thoughts before he looked around and noticed that Filip was not found, probably because he got up early. So he decided to get off the cot as he slipped the sandals on, put on his jacket and then walked out of the room.
Darby barely remembered what was the way to the lounge room, so he had no choice but to wander through the halls of the estate. On his way, he heard some noises that came from the outside.
Darby walked towards the end of the balcony and when he peeked out, he spotted Filip in the cortile with a large field of grass surrounded by a paved trail, only the grass even grew between the pavers.
It looked more than just a cortile however, rather a training yard.
"Hah!" Filip uttered a shout, swinging his training sword while hopping across the protruding poles with agility. He was also dodging the swinging log with studs on it, each time he was jumping on a pole before the log would hit him, he would turn around and strike it with the wooden sword.
Darby was completely impressed to watch the young salamander doing some sort of sword dance. But he wanted to watch closely, so he decided to go downstairs, and once he made it to the cortile, he stepped into the grassfield and approached Filip.
The young salamander twirled around while keeping his foot on the poles, getting closer to the log and launched another attack, but suddenly one of the studs hit his hand and forced him to let go of his sword.
Darby gasped, but before he was about to make a run to help him, Filip twirled around while crouching and caught his sword in a reverse grip, before striking the log below. After that, he did a backflip and landed flawlessly on the poles and twirled his sword in his hand before holding it in a normal grip, as he took a moment to recover his breath.
His focus got interrupted when he heard some clapping before turning his head and to his surprise he saw Darby giving him a standing ovation. "Darby?" He asked as he relaxed his posture.
"That was fully sick, mate!" Darby said as he stopped clapping before approaching Filip. "Sorry if I was interrupting your training."
"Oh, it's okay, I just finished." Filip reassured him before he jumped down with a front flip and landed safely. "Also, good morning. Did you have some good rest?"
"Yeah, I guess. Wasn't the best thing I ever laid on, but it was better than lying on a cold moldy ground." Darby said while stretching his back, cracking some of his bones.
"Oh, tell me about it!" Filip and Darby shared a laugh. "Anyway, all this training made me hungry, wanna have some breakfast?"
"Sure! By the way, where's Gunther and Duncan?" Darby asked as he followed Filip from behind.
"Oh! They wanted me to let you know they went to a nearby town so they could ask around if someone has seen your human friends." Filip said with a smile as they both left the training yard.
"Really?" Darby said, clearly surprised to learn that. Honestly he wasn't expecting the salamanders would start helping him sooner than he anticipated, but that made him feel more happy that Gunther had kept his word.
"Aye, I don't know how long they're gonna be there though, but maybe they'll return this afternoon. So for now let's just wait and relax until they come back." Filip replied nonchalantly.
(End Music)
Once they reached the lounge room, Filip went to the kitchen to prepare the breakfast and after a few minutes, he came back with two bowls full of food before handing one of the bowls to Darby. "Here you go."
Darby looked closer to it and to his relief, it was just scrambled eggs, though the texture had a different color, instead of yellow, it was green. After taking a bite and cautiously tasting it, he hummed in delight before continuing eating.
"Oh, I see you actually like my scrambled eggs with woodlouse bits." Filip said with a smile.
Darby's eyes widened the moment Filip mentioned the last detail, only to close them and took a deep breath, pretending that he didn't hear that as he continued eating the breakfast, what really matters was the taste after all.
"So, I didn't notice before, but aren't you a little too young to swing a sword?" He said while quirking an eyebrow.
"Heh, funny you should mention that. My grandpa and my brother started to teach me when I was eight. I know, I know, it sounds kind of harsh, but don't think less of them, they just want me to learn how to stand up for myself and become a venator. You saw how dangerous it can be outside when you're alone after all." Filip replied while looking at his food thoughtfully.
"What's a venator?" Darby inquired. He knew that was a Latin word, much to his surprise, but he was intrigued to know what that word meant for Filip.
"Oh, that's what we call ourselves in our clan. The House of Wiccanian is a family of beast hunters whose job is to protect our people against monsters inhabiting our world. We develop our abilities in order to stand against wild creatures not only with our swords, but magic as well." Filip explained with a hint of pride in his tone.
"Wow, but wait, are you, your grandpa and your brother the only ones left?" Darby said as he finished eating all the scrambling eggs.
"We used to be more than just the three of us, but grandpa said they had to scatter out across Amphibia so they would cover more ground. But you know, I'm hoping that one of these days I would meet one of them someday so they could share their experiences." Filip answered while looking up at the ceiling with a hopeful smile.
"Was becoming a venator your choice though?" Darby couldn't help but ask, showing a concerned look on his face.
Filip blinked at the human before looking down at the table solemnly. "It wasn't, they didn't even ask me if that's something I wanted. But what I really wanted was to help my family because they always risk their lives to protect the others and each other, even me, and I just couldn't stand by. They're my only family I have left after all." He said with a soft tone.
Despite the straight answer, Darby didn't feel convinced as he still thought Filip doesn't have the age to wield a weapon that is meant to kill. Though on the other hand, he reminded himself that he's still in a different world with a different culture he still remotely doesn't understand.
Suddenly, a knock on the door gained the attention of Darby and Filip.
"Oh, I wonder who that would be? I'll be right back." The young salamander said as he stood up and went to answer the door.
Darby however decided to stand up and follow Filip, though he had to stay behind as he peeked out the corner. He watched Filip opening the door and an inaudible conversation could be heard before noticing someone handed him what appeared to be a scroll, and at that moment, he could see Filip's furrowing his forehead.
Filip thanked whoever handed him the message before he closed the door.
"Who was it?" Darby asked as he approached the salamander.
"A mailman. It seems someone sent a contract." Filip responded with a serious tone as he untied the ribbon on the scroll, unfurled it, and then he read it. "Hmm, it says that they're requesting a venator's assistance for a monster problem in Little Pond town. But my grandpa and my brother are not here…" After a brief moment as Filip grew a frown. "I'll get the sword. I'm going."
"Don't tell me you're gonna hunt a monster by yourself! That's suicidal!" Darby argued in disbelief.
"Maybe you're right, but staying here wouldn't be the venator's way while a village is in danger. My grandpa and my brother would understand that. Besides, you already saw what I am capable of. You don't have to worry about me." Filip responded while giving the human a toothy grin.
He was about to make his way to the armory to get equipped, but Darby stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait! I'll go with you!" Darby said, almost desperately but with a firm tone.
"What? No! There's no way you're gonna get involved in this! You'll get yourself killed!" Filip argued as he turned around.
"Come on, I can be helpful! And who knows, maybe we might get more clues about where my friends could be. I promise I will not get in your way." Darby insisted while holding up a hand to swear.
Filip wanted to be strict with the human, but no more words came out of his mouth when he considered the possibility of gathering information from somewhere else. Furthermore, it might be a bad idea to leave Darby alone in this house when Gunther and Duncan asked him to keep an eye on the stranger while they're gone.
Realizing he had no other choices, he sighed. "Fine, you can come along. But first we need to put something on you to hide yourself. I don't think it would be wise to attract unnecessary attention."
Moments later, the young man and the salamander set out of the estate, while Darby was wearing a cloak that covered his entire body and his face. They made their way to the village, which according to Filip, was not too far from the estate, so there was no need to find transport as they went on foot.
After walking along the riverbank for a few miles, Filip and Darby reached their destination as they crossed a bridge that leads to a small fishing village sitting in the middle of the river, also known as Little Pond.
Darby not only was overwhelmed to see new faces around, but also to find out there's more civilization than he could imagine. While it was not as modern as he was hoping to find, it was a huge relief for him that this world wasn't not as wild after his arduous first days lost in the jungle.
Honestly, if Marcy was with him at this moment, she would be thrilled to see this since this place would remind them of a RPG fantasy videogame they used to play together. He really missed those good times...
"Alright, let's find the folk who sent the message. Just let me do the talking and don't let anyone see your face, okay?." Filip said to Darby quietly as they were walking along the dry wooden planks of the docks.
Darby nodded with his head as he pulled the hood further down over his head.
As the human and the salamander were crossing another bridge, they came across a frog who was sitting on the edge while fishing. Filip decided to approach the fisherman and ask. "Excuse me sir, I'm looking for someone who sent a contract."
The fisherman turned his head with a deadpan look, yet his eyes were shadowed by the brim of his straw hat. "Funny you say that, 'cause that would've been me. I didn't expect you would answer the call sooner the moment I sent that message. You're a venator, right?" He asked with his head tilting to one side.
Darby only gulped as he knew he had to keep his mouth shut, thankfully Filip was here to cover his true identity.
"I am. In your message, you said something about a giant lizard prowling outside the village, isn't it? When did you find out?" Filip inquired as Darby was almost surprised to hear the hint of maturity in his tone.
"About two days ago, after me and my buddies were on our way back here through the grove. Then all of a sudden, that whoreson jumped on us and devoured one of me friends. We bolted out of there before that monster would catch up with us." The fisherman finished telling his story with a melancholy tone.
"I'm sorry to hear that, sir." Filip expressed his sympathy. "Do you know what that giant lizard looked like? Any distinctive traits on that creature I should be aware of?"
The fisherman let out a grumbled sigh. "I don't know, it happened so fast. Though what I can remember when I saw it, it had a frill around its neck, should that mean something to you?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I'll get rid of that creature. We can talk about the fee after that." Filip replied, earning a quizzical look from Darby.
"Of course sonny, if you and your pal can come back alive. Speaking of whom, what's wrong with him? He's been dead quiet during this conversation. Is he also a venator?" The fisherman made a lot of questions as Darby bit his bottom lip to restrain his words, feeling a lot of pressure as if he's being interrogated.
"He's reticent. He doesn't like to show his face around anyone and his tongue got bit off by a beast. But I can assure you he's with me." Filip quickly responded with a convenient lie, though at this moment he was almost sweating with tension since he's not used to lying.
The fisherman tilted his head to the other side quizzically, but then he shrugged and looked back at the water. "Whatever, that's not my business. By the way, the grove is to the north of the village, just follow the path and you won't miss it. I'll let everyone else know about your arrival." The frog then went back on fishing.
Filip gestured Darby to follow him as they walked away from the bridge and on their way out of the village.
"Damn, that was so close. Nice work convincing him my tongue was a bit off." Darby chuckled.
"Heh, thanks, I just made up that excuse right off the top of my head. I didn't think that fella would be suspicious about you." Filip replied, letting out a short laugh to relieve the tension he just had.
"By the way, you mentioned that you and that villager would talk about the fee. You collect coins from other people by killing a monster?" Darby asked as he looked around, cautiously making sure no one else would be noticed by his presence.
"Well yeah, what about it?" Filip responded with genuine confusion.
"I… thought you were some sort of a hero guild or something. You even said you want to help people." Darby said while looking away, trying to hide his disappointed reaction.
Filip blinked before sighing. "Darby, I know you're still new here, but there's a lot of things you need to know about what's going on in Amphibia. Life it's not like out of the fairytales, you know. We're not mercenaries, but we really need the coin to survive, how else are we supposed to feed? And you've seen the state of our home? It used to look so beautiful before I was born, but now it looks nothing but a dump…" He began ranting as he stopped his tracks when they made it out of the village.
Darby was starting to get worried the moment he heard Filip raising his voice. He didn't mean to upset him, but then realized his mistake of reacting negatively about the salamander's role. "Y-You're right, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have judged you like that." He responded with a regretful look.
"It's okay, you just didn't know." Filip replied with a sigh, calming himself down as he realized he was getting louder. "Anyway, let's focus on the contract. The sooner we get it done, the better."
"You know what kind of monster we're dealing with?" Darby replied as he and Filip continued their way as they were now walking along the unpaved road.
"Yes, what the villager described it, it sounds like a Chlamydosaurus." Filip concluded it.
"A Chlamydosaurus?" Darby asked in surprise, clearly he heard that name before.
"Yes, a giant frill-necked bastard. Not the deadliest, but still a dangerous one. It's risky to attack head on, and it would take the three of us to take it down." Filip said with a hint of frustration."
"So how are we supposed to kill that beast?" Darby asked apprehensively.
"I think I have a plan, but what we need is some larvae. Oh, maybe we can find them there." Filip pointed to a bundle of trees as he approached them.
"Um, what do we need them for?" Darby asked with an unsure look as he followed Filip.
"For bait." Filip said with a smile before ripping off a bark, and to his luck, he found plenty of larvas. Darpy cringed once he saw they weren't small, but rather medium-sized that they could fit in his hand. "Come on! Help me get some of them!"
"And we said Australia is the only place full of giant bugs…" Darby only sighed as he decided to give him a hand, trying to not puke as he grabbed each of these grotesque looking bugs.
A few hours later, inside the grove where the monster was last seen, Darby and Filip were standing on top of a thick branch would looking down the ambush spot, where they left a pile of larvas lying in the ground, and they didn't have to worry about them crawling away as these little worms were just squirming.
"Are you sure that will lure the lizard?" Darby asked as he clutched against the trunk, even though he knew how to climb up the trees.
"Trust me, the Chlamydosaurus loves eating larvas just as they love eating frogs." Filip said with a convinced tone, as he looked across the field of shrubs and bushes all over the woods. "Hope the creature didn't leave from this place though. Hold on! Did you hear it?"
Before Darby could reply, he heard the sound of the branches breaking, he then saw some bushes fidgeting before catching a glimpse of an orange skin and a pair of red eyes among the shrubs. The next thing he knew, a giant lizard of the size of a bus came out from hiding and crawled slowly towards the gobbet of larvas.
"Shit! That thing is huge!" Darby said under his breath anxiously.
"Calm down! We can take it down when we both jump on him with our spears." Filip said as he handed a spear to Darby.
At first he grew hesitant about the plan, but knowing there was no other choice left, he followed Filip's lead as he held the shaft of his spear tightly.
The chlamydosaurus drew closer to the ambush spot as the reptile smelled the larvas as it walked around them for some reason. Nevertheless, the creature started to eat them as it was now standing above the tree where Filip and Darby were hiding.
It fell into their trap.
"NOW!" Filip shouted before jumping off with his spear ready.
"FUCK THIS SHIIIIIIIT!" Darby yelled before following the lead.
Both shouted while holding their spears above their heads and landed on top of the lizard's back before stabbing it.
The creature screeched in pain and flailed its whole body wildly as Darby and Filip tried to plunge the spears into the lizard. Even though Darby and FIlip tried their best to hold themselves on, the beast managed to shake them off as they fell to the ground.
Darby grunted in pain as he lifted up to his knees, and when he looked up he froze when the creature was now glaring at them whilst hissing menacingly.
"Dammit, it didn't work! Now what?!" He shouted in panic.
"You stay back! I can deal with this myself!" Filip responded with full resolution in his tone. As he got back up to his feet, he unsheathed his sword and charged towards the giant lizard before Darby could stop him.
The lizard let out a shriek with its frilled-neck spreading out and suddenly spat some sort of poisonous spit. Filip side-stepped while running, dodging the poison before he jumped forward and swung his sword, but the lizard moved aside to avoid the attack and with its pointed teeth bearing, the giant beast tried to crunch Filip.
The salamander rolled over just before the lizard's teeth almost bite him, he then made a gesture with his fingers and suddenly there was a flash of light that blinded the lizard for a moment, yet that gave Filip a chance to attack, and with the the tip of the blade, he managed to leave a cut on its face.
The creature got very angry however and charged the salamander angrily, as the salamander was forced to keep dodging and when he tried to launch another attack, the creature would crawl away.
Meanwhile, Darby could only watch the fight while being impressed how Filip could stand a chance, though he can't help but worry about letting a boy fight against a monster while he can't do anything about it. It was very frustrating that he doesn't know how to do that kind of magic or even have the agility like Filip.
Filip just landed on a crouch after avoiding a lunge from the lizard before it crashed against a tree, noticing that the lizard was stunned, he ran forward with his sword up, ready to deliver a final blow.
Unfortunately, the creature was prepared for that when it spun around and hit the salamander with its tail.
"GAH!" Filip cried out in pain and was sent flying back to a tree, crashing his back against the trunk and felt the air coming out of his lungs.
"FILIP!" Darby shouted with his hand reaching out helplessly. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sword in the air before falling next to him.
Realizing that Filip just lost his weapon, Darby watched the lizard approaching the now unarmed salamander as he was struggling to get back on his feet. Looking back at the sword, Darby knew he had to make a choice, take the sword and save Filip, or just stay there and watch the lizard devouring him.
His hand tried to reach the sword, but at that moment he was starting to grow anxious as his fingers barely touched the hilt.
"Darby! Get out of here!"
Darby snapped out before turning at Filip in shock. "W-What?"
"Run! Save yourself! Tell my grandpa that I'm sorry! That I did my best! Just go!" Filip shouted before resting his back against the trunk, instead of trying to escape when he still had a chance.
Darby couldn't just believe what he's hearing, to think that Filip would be willing to sacrifice himself just to save his life once more. They barely know each other since yesterday, Filip still looked at Darby as if he was a creature from an ancient race, and yet he's trying to save him at the cost of his life.
(Play Music: The Witcher 3 Soundtrack - The Shrieker Contract)
"NO!" Darby shouted before he picked up the sword and charged. At this moment, he didn't know what he was doing right now, he could even feel his anxiety kicking up the moment he grabbed the weapon, but he refused to be responsible for Filip's death.
The lizard was now inching closer to Filip as its mouth opened and ready to devour him, but then suddenly a scream was heard that alarmed the lizard as it whipped its head with a growl. But before the beast realized it, Darby swung the blade and slashed one of its eyes.
Letting out a shriek of pain, the lizard crawled away with blood spewing out of its severed eye.
"What are you doing?!" Filip demanded, completely stunned after witnessing the unexpected outcome.
"I'm saving your bloody ass! That's what I'm doing!" Darby shouted as he took the chance to help Filip get on his feet.
Before Filip could argue, he looked behind Darby before his eyes widened. "Look out!" He pushed Darby and they both fell just before the lizard's teeth clamped around the trunk, biting a chunk of wood off the tree.
Darby and Filip got up quickly and stared at the giant lizard as it was now very pissed.
"Filip, I hope you have a new plan, 'cause I think that thing is glaring at me!" Darby shouted in panic and he was right, the lizard just ignored the salamander and was now focusing on the human.
"Alright, I want you to keep him distracted." Filip put forward another strategy as he pulled out a dagger.
"What?!" Before Darby could protest, Filip already ran off while surrounding the creature. He turned back at the giant lizard before he saw it about to lunge at him, before he leaped to his right and got on his feet hastily. "Aahh! Back off! Back off! I'm warning you!" Feeling the adrenaline kicking in, Darby began to swing his sword wildly at the creature while backing away.
The frilled-neck lizard snarled before it tried to bite his head, but Darby jumped to the other side as he stumbled back. The attack was so aggressive that Darby was forced to keep his distance away from it, but what Darby didn't know was that he was doing exactly as Filip suggested.
As Filip sneaked around the lizard, he leaped up its tail and ran along its back, and while holding the dagger in a reverse grip, he brought it down into its head, making the creature screech in agony as he continued stabbing the skull.
The lizard reared back while shaking his head around violently, but Filip managed to grab on the hand of the dagger to avoid falling, but not for long.
"Darby! Do it now!" Filip yelled, looking at the stunned human.
Darby blinked before looking at his sword and turned back to the giant lizard, at the very moment he was having second thoughts about using the sword, but while Filip kept shouting at him to do it, his fingers wrapped tightly around the handle. Darby gritted his teeth to fight back the anxiety, held the sword to his side and rushed towards the lizard.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Screaming at the top of his lungs, Darby swung the sword and the blade slashed across the lizard's neck.
After that, Darby turned away just when the blood started spraying out of the cut he just made. He watched the lizard gurgling before collapsing to the ground, letting out one last breath as the pool of blood stained the grass.
(End Music)
"Holy shit…" The young man muttered in shock before feeling his legs getting weaker the moment his adrenaline wore off. He fell on his backside as he didn't stop staring at the lifeless eye of the dead creature, mentally hoping that the monster was really dead.
"Darby!" Filip shouted as he jumped off the dead body and ran towards Darby to check on him. "You did it! You killed that creature!" He cheered while laughing.
"I-I'm sorry, I know you said I should have run away… B-But didn't want to leave you to die and… and…" Darby of course was still shaken after this intense experience, many thoughts ran through his mind that for a moment he thought he did something wrong.
Filip understood what's going on with him right now as he placed a hand on Darby's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, you did the right thing. In fact, what you did would make you a good venator."
"Huh?" Filip's word somehow managed to snap him out of his trance as Darby was now taking deep breaths.
"You're okay?" Filip asked while patting his shoulder for comfort.
"Y-Yeah, just… I just can't believe we're still alive." Darby let out a nervous laugh as Filip helped him to stand up.
Filip couldn't help but agree with that as he could relate the first reaction he had when he hunted a monster. "We should head back to the village to bring some good news. But first, we have to bring some kind of proof." He then approached the dead body.
"A what?" Darby blinked.
Filip just pulled the dagger out of the lizard's head and then thrust the dagger into its eye socket, beginning to gouge the remaining eye out.
"Oh God…" Darby cringed at the gruesome sight.
"Trust me, the villagers won't believe we actually killed the monster unless we bring something to prove." Filip answered knowingly before ripping out the lizard's eye out of its socket.
Darby knew he had nothing to argue the logic, one thing that mattered to him right now is getting out of here and going back to the salamander's estate.
(Play Music: The Witcher Soundtrack: Old Manor)
Once they went back to Little Pond, they were greeted by the surprised fisherman who put the contract, since clearly he didn't expect they would come back alive. And with Filip showing the lizard's eye to prove they fulfill their quest, the fisherman handed Darby and Filip with a bag full of one hundred coins the whole village collected as their payment, which they're also called Coppers.
After that, they moved out of the village and headed their way back to Filip's house. On their journey, Darby was feeling so exhausted as looked at the skies as they were now glowing in orange when the sun was close to setting in the horizon.
"Filip, can I ask you something?" Darby asked as he and the salamander were following the riverbank.
"Yeah, sure." Filip said with a tired tone.
"Is this the only thing you do for a living? Killing monsters? Almost risking your life for money?" Darby asked, earning a quizzical reaction from the salamander. "I mean, if you ever have a chance to choose to be something else than just killing monsters?"
"I… haven't thought about that to be honest." Filip answered after a long pause. "Although, my grandpa told me we do have a choice to decide if we want to do something else, but it doesn't change the fact that we're still a venator. Our whole family was born to become one for a good reason."
"To protect the people from monsters?" Darby assumed, earning a nod from the young salamander.
"Yeah, I've seen people grieving for their loved ones who got killed by a monster attack. They don't deserve to suffer that way." Filip added with a grim tone.
"But don't you think there are better ways to help people without risking your life just like you tried to save my life?" Darby expressed his concern, although he was still upset about what Filip did back at the grove.
"Darby, let's be honest, you would do the same thing if you were in my place." Filip stopped his tracks so he could stare at Darby with a frown.
Darby opened his mouth to retort, only to remain silent when he realized it's true.
Filip let out another tired sigh as he continued making his way up the sloped walkway "Look, we can discuss it later, but we should go back to the estate before my grandpa and my older brother will-" He trailed off and stopped his tracks when he spotted his family standing outside the house.
"Shit… We're in so much trouble." Darby said under his breath as he stood next to Filip.
As Darby and Filip met them at the doorstep, Gunther and Duncan approached them while wearing a deep scowl on their faces.
"I suspected you both went somewhere." Gunther said with a stern tone as Filip and Darby looked away, but the elder one had his eyes on his grandson. "Filip, I thought I told you that you should keep an eye on Darby until we come back."
"Let me guess, you guys went on a monster hunting trip?" Duncan asked, making Filip and Darby flinch. "Yep, told you it would happen, grandad."
"Would you care to explain, Filip?" Gunther's eyes flared with anger, thinking that Filip dragged the human to an issue he should have never been involved in to begin with.
"Wait! It's my fault!" Darby suddenly stepped in, refusing to let Filip get scolded while he didn't deserve it. "Filip just got a contract from a villager, but I wanted to tag along with him. Filip tried to warn me that I shouldn't, but I insisted!"
Before he could go on, Filip placed his hand on his shoulder. "Darby, it's okay." He reassured him before turning to Gunther. "It's true, someone requested our assistance and because I was the only one who could answer, I had no choice."
"Is that so? What kind of creature they asked you to kill?" Duncan inquired with a quirked eyebrow.
"A Chlamydosaurus, but I couldn't kill that creature if it wasn't for Darby. In fact, he saved my life." Filip gave Darby a smile of gratitude, which of course surprised the young man.
A few minutes later, after telling the whole story, Gunther and Duncan were now surprised to learn the human risked himself to save Filip. While they were still displeased that they both didn't stay in the house as they were supposed to, they knew they should've been more aware that it wasn't bound to happen. After all, a venator can't just ignore the contract when they receive one.
"I gotta say, Darby. I'm impressed. It was foolish, but very brave of you to save my grandson." Gunther spoke with respect.
"Um, thanks I guess." Darby chuckled awkwardly, clearly not expecting to receive such praise.
"Don't flatter yourself, kid. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky when you encounter something worse than a giant lizard." Duncan said dryly.
"Enough Duncan, what matters is that they're both still alive and we should be glad." Gunther responded sternly before turning back to Darby. "Filip already told you about us, the venators, didn't he?"
"Yes, he told me a little about who you are and what you do." Darby confirmed.
"Good, because you must be aware that even though you'll be sticking with us, we can't promise we'll keep you away from any harm." Gunther replied as his tone became serious that made Darby feel slightly worried. "Like Duncan said, you might encounter creatures that are far more deadlier than the last one you face. So we thought about asking you if you'd like us to train you how to fight."
"H-How to fight?" Darby said with a dumbfounded look.
"It would be wise to take that offer, kid. If you want to survive long enough to find your friends and find a way to go back to your world." Duncan added.
Darby however wasn't feeling too sure about it as he looked down, seemingly absorbing himself in his thoughts that the silence filled the air. Suddenly, he felt a hand patting on his shoulder and he turned to see Filip snapping him out of it.
"Just take your time to think about it, Darby. But for now you don't have to worry too much." Filip said with a calm smile, which somehow helped Darby ease his concern. The young salamander looked back at his grandfather and older brother. "By the way, did you have any luck at Lilypool?"
Gunther hummed with his arms crossed. "We did. While we were asking around for any news, people say they overheard rumors about a strange creature living among the frogs in Frog Valley."
"Wait, you're serious? Then that should mean one of my friends is out there!" Darby suddenly exclaimed with a mixture of shock and hope.
"Don't get your hopes up, Darby." Gunther replied with his hand out. "We can't be too sure about it, but our best bet is to travel to the valley and get more answers, but if we're lucky, we might find one of your friends there as soon as we'll prepare to set out, while in the meantime you should get some rest." After that, Gunther and Duncan went inside the estate.
Darby was about to argue that they should go there right now, but the exhaustion reminded him that he really needed to rest.
"Hey Darby."
The young man perked up before turning towards Filip as he was rubbing the back of his neck.
"I didn't have a chance to say this, but thank you for saving my life back there. Also for taking the blame for me." Filip opened up with a genuine smile on his face.
Darby blinked in surprise, but hearing those words of gratitude was enough for him to return the smile. "Heh, no problem, mate. I thought I deserved to be scolded too."
"Yeah, we both certainly deserved it."
They both shared a laugh together before they entered the house together, little did they know that they just formed a new friendship.
(End Music)
(Play Music: The Witcher 3 Soundtrack: After Storm)
The next morning, after having breakfast, Darby and Filip went outside to meet Gunther and Duncan as everyone was now prepared for the journey awaiting for them.
"Um, are you sure they're too safe to ride?" Darby couldn't help but ask nervously as he pointed at the giant tiger beetles, all three of them with saddles on their backs.
"Of course, you might not see it that way but they're the best kind for long travels. Just don't be so rough with them or they'll crush you." Duncan responded with a laugh, which Darby couldn't help but sweat at that image of him being crushed to death.
"It's gonna take us a whole week to reach the Frog Valley. Good thing we took the right time to take off, it's not too easy to reach there when it's Winter. So while it would take months before that, we shouldn't have any trouble going past the mountains." Gunther said as he was just finished packing his equipment on his beetle. "You have everything you need?"
"Aye, sir!" Filip said with a nod as he was carrying his own backpack.
"Aye." Darby added while he was carrying a bag full of supplies.
"Good, then mount up!" Gunther replied before he got on top of the beetle and held the reins.
As Filip saddled up, he grabbed Darby by his hand and helped him up to get on top of the beetle as the young man settled behind Filip.
Taking a deep breath, Darby took out the picture out of his pocket and stared at the photo of him and his friends one more time. Growing a determined look, he kept the picture back into his pocket before he put on the hood over his head.
"Hya!" Filip whipped the reins and they, along with Gunther and Duncan, rode off the Wiccanian Estate and so Darby and the Wiccaninan family began their journey on their way towards the Frog Valley.
Even though Darby knew he and the girls weren't on good terms right now, he will still gonna find them. And when he does, he's gonna try to make it work. One way or another.
(End Music)
