Chapter 56 - Kautegris


    \~Spades P.O. V\~


    The cloak figure ced his palm on the hard rocky surface feeling the coldness seep through his glove


    and to his skin. The motion of the ground felt uneven to the touch then it was on the left side of him.


    "What do you feel Master? Does their presence still linger beneath the earth?" another cloak figure


    spoke from behind his white in mask where the ck eye sockets were the only features carved on.


    The man rose up as his cloak met the ground beneath him. He scanned the surrounding of the cliff


    side, the tall trees that reached to the level of the cliff as their green leaves that only grew in the


    springtime of the years gently flowed with the rhythm of the wind and the small, shaped triangles of the


    mountains were seen in the far distance.


    The man walked towards the edge of the cliff feeling the breeze light against his skin and the fragrance


    of the fresh green forest lightened his lungs at each inhale of the clean air he breathed in yet there was


    something faint and murky lingering within the scent of the forest and it trailed north.


    It didn''t sit right with him.


    "Master?" another cloaked man called out to the superior who stood still, eyeing the far horizon in deep


    thought.


    A huge gust of wind blew towards them pushing their hoods off their heads to reveal their hair.


    The master whose brown oak coloured hair that danced in the wind smirked beneath his mask "It


    seems like our runaway noble is heading to Ventus"


    \~Artemis POV\~


    I trailed through the forest ground without making a single noise as I stepped with the sleeping fox


    tucked tightly within my arms. Stepping over moss covered stones making sure I wouldn''t, I followed


    the sound of the distance stream.


    Demarcus followed beside me. I could hear his soft breathing in my ear and the light stomps he took. I


    stole a side nce over to him and I realised how beautiful Demarcus was under the sun. He had


    dangerous looking horns growing out from the side of his head, there was spiky spines that grew out on


    the back of his head, but they were like hair slicked back and two little horns grew from the end of his


    chin.


    He was a magnificent shade of gold that glowed whenever he went under the sun but what attracted


    me the most was those deadly emerald reptilian-like eyes of his that was focused on what was in front


    of us when he suddenly gave me a side nce. I wasn''t ashamed of staring at him creepily that I didn''t


    bother to turn my gaze away.


    "Is there something matter, Artemis?" he spoke in a soft tone, his emerald eyes now ncing my way.


    "You look very handsome Demarcus" I wanted to stretch my hand out and pat him but couldn''t because


    of Homura in my arms.


    I could tell by his softened eyes he was thankful for thepliment. "Thank you Artemis and you are


    one of the most beautiful human girls I haveid eyes on" Demarcus sounded genuine, but I already


    knew that Demarcus would never lie. Dragons don''t lie, it''s not in their nature to.


    "I appreciate thepliment but this isn''t my body so I can''t take it as my own." This is Diana''s body


    that I took over; she has the right to hear how beautiful she is not me. I felt my gut twist from guilt that I


    was hearing these sincere words from a dragon and not the fake words of her maids.


    However, I wonder if Demarcus would have said the same thing if I was in my original body. Would he


    think I''m beautiful as well?


    A sudden huff of warm air blew down at me startling me out of my thoughts. "I wasn''t talking about


    Diana; I was talking about you"


    I looked at him puzzled ''What is he saying?''.


    We stopped walking and gazed down at me, stretching his hand out and cing the point of his w to


    my chest. "The soul that resides is the most beautiful"


    "Dragons greatest ability is not breathing out fire or the defence of our scales but the ability to see


    through someone''s soul. That''s how we choose our riders" he lowered his hand and started to walk


    again, and my eyes followed behind him.


    ''A beautiful soul, huh. I have nothing of that sort, my soul is nothing, but an empty shell filled with a


    dark fog''


    "Artemis why aren''ting?" I looked over to Demarcus who waited for me toe. "Oh right, I''m


    I dipped my drink bottle in the flowing stream of sparkling water where the sun rays yed on the water


    making it appear to dance. The sound of the water crashing against the and rushing water was the


    melody of the forest.


    Demarcus and Homura lowered their heads to a take a drink of the blue and green tinted water when


    suddenly Homura''s ears perked up and his eyes darted around the forest ground, Demarcus lifted his


    head up like a submarine snorkel and scanned out surrounding.


    By the sudden of action of the two I realised there is another presence nearby. I slowly slid out my


    Kunai while feeling the earth beneath me. There was regr feel of the creatures of the forest when I


    suddenly felt a heavy presence not far from where we stood. It was heavy to the earth and by that I


    indicated that it must be a 3 to 4 metre creature however I wasn''t able to figure out what it was.


    "As I thought" Homura grumbled silently and went back to drinking the water. Demarcus lowered his


    guard down and continued as well.


    I looked to where they were looking and saw nothing, but giant stones covered in vegetation across the


    riverbanks. I titled my head in wonder. ''What did they see?''


    Since Demarcus and Homura aren''t minding it, that means there isn''t any danger. I slid my Kunai back


    in my pouch and proceeded doing what I was doing before when something moved from the corner of


    my eye. I hurriedly span my head around to see what it was, but I still couldn''t see anything except for


    the rocks.


    ''Is it hiding behind the rocks? Or is-"


    "Don''t pay too much attention to it" Homura said interrupting my thoughts. I looked down at him


    confused.


    "It''s a Kautegris" Demarcus stated. "A Kautegris?" I titled my head in wonder.


    "A shy creature of the forest of Viridis" Homura started as he eyed one particr stone that was behind


    a very thin tree.


    I squinted my eyes for a better look, the shape of the stone was like a figure hiding behind a tree.


    Examining the stone more thoroughly I could see two ck holes on the round head of the stone and


    oddly I felt as if it was staring right back at me as if it was alive.


    "That Artemis, is a Kautegris" Demarcus lowered his head to my shoulder level. I nced back at the


    stone figure and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor.


    ''That stone thing is alive!''


    "Kautegris are timid stone beings. Creatures that look like stones from afar but actually giant moving


    rocks" He exined. "Do they attack?" I asked.


    "No. It''s not in their nature to attack. They are harmless beings of the earth with an innocent heart.


    Their hands seem like it will crush anything, but they are actually very gentle with the creatures.


    However, with their innocuous nature they are easy target for humans"


    The Kautegris was hiding behind the thin tree that was obviously exposing it.


    "If I encounter it, would it runaway?" I asked Demarcus. I really wanted to go and check out the


    Kautegris from a closer view.


    "They are slow runners, so they mostly huddle themselves into a rock to hide" Homura answered for


    me which made Demarcus nod his head in agreement.


    "Well since I''m all rested shall we leave" Demarcus said spanned his wings open. My attention was still


    on the shy Kautegris that had his stony fingers around the tree.


    "I''ll be back" I told them as I turned my heel and quietly made my way to the hiding creature, stepping


    over the rocks as I did. "Where are you going now Artemis?" Homura grunted. "I just wanna see the


    Kautegris a bit closer"


    "What''s so special about a Kautegris anyway. They are stupid and na?ve beings no wonder there aren''t


    many of them left" Homura curled himself into a ball to wait for Artemis toe back so they could


    leave the forest and continue on their journey to the humannds again.


    Demarcus paid no mind to the fox below and watched Artemis slowly approach the timid creature.


    The Kautegris was hiding behind the same tree on the other side of the stream. As I got closer his


    figure became more visible to me.


    It''s figure was somewhat simr to a human. It had a giant boulder body with a hunchback, small but


    thick legs, think arms and chubby looking fingers that gripped the tree tightly. It''s face was round and


    the only features he had was two ck blobs for eyes, giant eyebrows that hanged just above its eyes


    and a hollow mouth. All in all, he was a 3-metre giant Gollum that looked like as if someone had pieced


    it together like Frankenstein then it left for the vegetation to grow on.


    I stood on the other side of the small stream, bent down so it would know I''m no threat to it. It''s fully


    ck orbs stared at me, and I did to. It was peaceful fe, with no sign of aggressiveness in its eyes.


    I couldn''t help but smile a little which terrified it and made it hide its face behind the tree.


    ''I wonder what Itami would have said if he was here to witness this mythical creature I had never heard


    of before in my world. Could this be the authors wild imagination of creating creatures in his or hers


    novel?''


    It slowly peeped it''s head out revealing those ck orbs again, it opened its mouth and a low medallic


    rumble tuned out.


    "Wow" I mouthed. ''Maybe I can get to touch it if I show it that I''m just a friend?''


    I search my surroundings for a flower to give it to it. I had thought I would have to get up and search for


    one but saw one beside me. I plucked it out and I heard the same sound from earlier yet this one


    sounded a bit more upsetting.


    The stretched my hand out pinching the stem of the purple flower towards it. The Kautegris was


    hesitant to take the flower from my hand and only kept staring at it.


    "It''s for you" I slowly spoke so it would get startled. "it''s alright I won''t hurt you" I cooed it.


    It looked more frightened and quickly huddled itself, turning into a giant boulder. ''Shit I scared it'' I


    slumped my hand down already mad at myself.


    "How do I get it to trust me?" I mumbled to myself.


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    "Artemis" Homura called out making me turn my attention to him. "Try singing to it"


    I looked back at the boulder that was once a creature a few minutes ago. ''Singing? Maybe but is Diana


    even a good singer? I don''t want to suddenly sing a bunch of croaky notes that would scare''


    I really do want to explore the wildlife in this world before I get home maybe make a few friends like


    Demarcus.


    I took a deep breath and started to hum softly. The melody was a luby mother used to sing me before


    she was killed.


    My gentle humming must have worked because it slowly peeked it''s head out and stared deeply into


    my eyes. I kept on humming without stopping and the Kautegris slowly rose up from its little curled up


    ball,


    The singing had calmed the Kautegris down since it echoed a few of the notes. I stretched my hand out


    with the flower pinched between my fingers for it to keep as a gift yet to my surprise it reached its hand


    out to ept the flower. It''s fingertips were an inch away, so I leaned a little closer but big mistake.


    I identally leaned too far and slipped down to the stream with a yelp. I face palmed the water with a


    loud ssh, soaking my kimono and cloak as well.


    I could hear the cackles of the fox and silent chuckles of Demarcus. "****" I sat up drenched and


    annoyed at myself.


    ''The Kautegris is probably back to being a boulder again due to the shock.''


    Unexpectedly I saw my silver locks of hair that was soaked in water and covering my face suddenly


    rose up. The ck orbs of the Kautegris stared back at me in curiosity as it titled its head and let out


    the same medallic sound.


    I stared in dumbfound yet in awe. The stone Gollum had the same purple flower that I tried to give to it


    in the other hand and it opened it mouth, humming the same luby.


    I was speechless nevertheless overjoy that I had made the Kautegris trust me. It moved the hair away


    from my face before stepping back a bit shyly, the flower still clutched in its hand gently so it wouldn''t


    wrinkle it.


    I subconsciously reached my hand out as if I was going to touch him however the Kautegris did the


    same slowly, his small chubby fingers reaching to touch my long fingers.


    It was hesitant but it''s fingertips touched mines lightly. It was rough and cold but something about it was


    gentle and kind. He hummed the same tune again.


    I wish I could understand it but sadly I think I can only understand animals.


    ''What a beautiful creature you are''