Friend of Monsters

Part 12

C- "Well that went better than I had thought," Daki said, sitting against the base of a tree at the edge of the clearing. He set Sam down next to him in case they wanted to stretch their legs.

H- They stagger as they're set down, the bullet in their leg still a persistent aching reminder of their failures. Once they're steady, they let out a long tense breath, releasing the tension held in their back and shoulder.

"Yea.." they say, relieved. "Was worried Mega Karen would make things worse...Kinda glad she's here-" they grimace, "- all things considered."

They pace in a circle for a minute, trying to ease the ache out of their wounds, when that doesn't work, they merely slump down next to him with crossed legs and their head in their hand.

They gaze longingly out at the humanoid monsters scattered about the camp - jealous for them, and wishing oh so badly they could join them. They knew they never would....

"He called you...Ember?" They ask, trying to distract themselves from that yearning ache in their chest.

C- "Mega Karen?" Daki didn't get the reference. "Do you mean Rhyka? She was banished at the same night as me. I suppose they gave her a second chance. Screw her."

He huffed, then glanced down at Sam as they joined beside him. Small humans were smol... easy to eat, hold, or pat. Maybe all three at once. Though he was still comforted and grateful Sam was around. As much as he wouldn't admit it, he did see them as a good friend.

He blinked out of his thoughts upon the question and sighed, glancing toward Iro in the distance as the other monsters conversed together.

"Embyre, my clan growing up. Technically I was banished from it, but I suppose the name stuck." Daki explained.

H- "Clan Embyre, huh...I wonder if Lexie and Oa have a clan..." they think aloud to themselves. "Her dad must have...I wonder what it was..." hmmm.

They blink. "Wait, she was banished the same night? Why?" They ask, baffled.

C- "That Arawn," Daki replied with a dark scowl. "My sister and I had preyed upon the owners of an old farmhouse and spent the night nearby. And then we were visited by a giant trapped in camo and a human Hunter who were working alongside each other for some reason. We caught both of them and tried to eat them, but the camo'd giant slit my throat,"

Daki gestured to a long, gnarly scar along his throat. "They escaped, but my sister and I hunted them down later and took them to our annual Banding to host our revenge... but that fucking human brought the antidote and cured the Arawn. They broke free. Rhyka, my sister and I tried to hunt them down, but Arawn fought back. He killed my sister and cut off Rhyka's bands. We were all banished that night and I've never seen the Arawn again."

H- Mmm farmhouse. They feel a weird twist in their guts as they think about it. They wanted to own a farmhouse one day...Perhaps they still could...Maybe...Probably not. Probably end up as someone's snack, just like those farmers had.

They stare at the scar, brows furrowed in fascination and sympathy. They can't help but find it ironic that now *they're* the human and giant duo. They wondered what the other pairs story had been...A hunter and a giant...strange.

Though, here they were, an Archivist and a giant....Also strange.

Wait...."you eat other giants, too?" They ask, visibly baffled and more concerned by this than the fact he eats people.

C- Daki raised a brow. "He was in camo. It was no different from eating a human. Besides... cannibalism isn't uncommon for giants, though the process is a lot more messy most times. I was just lucky to find him in camo, or... I *thought* I was lucky."