(y/n), the sparky little zinogre hybrid everyone knows and loves. A year after defeating Pandora and The Claws Of Dala, everything seemed fine for (y/n) and his friends. However, after receiving an unexpected, urgent message from the new world, it l...
Ruin: well, would you expect anything less from an elder dragon bone yard. This place is crawling with monsters who feast on corpses and rip apart living flesh.
Erma: you're making it worse!
We were all following Ruin to the bottom of The Rotten Vale. The further we went down, the stronger the smell of rotting carcasses got. As we enter an area surrounded by pools of blue acid, Rin spoke up.
Rin: so, Valerie...is there anything we should know about her in advance?
Ruin: not really, she's always been more than a little timid, so my advice, keep your tones calm and don't try attacking her if things don't go our way. She doesn't like people yelling at her and she's the last person I'd ever expect to get into fight, wether that be a fight with a monster...or a hunter.
Rex: so this should be easy...right?
Ruin: yeah, I'd say so. All you guys have to do is stay on the sidelines and let me do the talking.
We stopped and Ruin began looking around.
Ruin: she should be somewhere around here.
I began sniffing the air, but immediately covered my nose.
(Y/n): AH, all I smell is noxious fumes and decaying flesh.
Nara: yeah, the smell of death is too pungent here, looks like we'll have to rely on something other than your sense of smell.
We all began look around for Valerie. After about an hour of search, we came up empty. Given the fact that my main tool for tracking was shot, it was getting to be a lot harder than I thought. That is until I suddenly heard a sharp, high-pitched gasp. My ears perked up as my shot around in the direction it came from. Behind a large boulder I could see a humanoid figure slink further behind it, out of my field of view.
I walked over to the boulder, peeked behind it and saw...nothing. I was a bit confused, until I looked down and saw a set of footprints leading away. I followed them with my eyes and, at the entrance to a small cave, I could see a foot and a tail.
(Y/n): HEY, GUYS...
Everyone turned to me.
(Y/n): I think I found her.
We all entered the cave and saw a massive pile of rotting flesh and bones.
Cody: oh god, I didn't wanna come back in here. It smells worse than the rest of this place
Ruin: well, you want Valerie on your side, don't you?
Cody hesitated for a sec, but he nodded.
Ruin: then put on your big boy pants and get over it.
We all approached the mound of corpses. Upon setting foot on it, Rex seemed to step on something, followed by an audible yelp of pain and a blast of white vapor from underneath the mound. The blast hit Rex in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards.
Rex: IT BURNS!
Ruin: it's just Effluvium, eat a nulberry and you'll be fine.
Right away, Aiko ran over and shoved a nulberry in Rex's mouth.
After that, Ruin walked over to where the blast came from. She knelt down.
Ruin: Valerie, come on out. Everything's alright.
Valerie: R-Ruin?
The soft, delicate voice was followed by a pair of red eyes peering through the mess of bones.
Ruin: yeah, it's me. Now come out of there.
The eyes shifted towards me before slightly retreated further back.
Ruin: Val, it's alright. These guys aren't gonna hurt you.
Valerie: he stepped on my tail.
Rex: GEEZ, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!
Ruin: Val, you know me, you can trust me. These guys are cool.
She peeked her eyes out again.
Val: ...is N-North with you?
Ruin: na, old Snowflake would never listen to me, even if I was carrying him away from a battle.
Ruin held out her hand.
Ruin: come on, it's alright.
After a few seconds of hesitation, a grey hand reached out from Valerie's hiding spot and took Ruins hand.
Ruin: there a good girl.
Ruin began pulling, helping Valerie out from under the pile of bone. Once out, she knelt down with a shy, nervous expression on her face.
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Valerie: what do you need?
Ruin: huh?
Valerie: the only times you every came to see me is whenever you need something. What is it?
Ruin: uh, well...it's not really what I need. It's what these guys need.
Valerie turned to me.
Valerie: you're all hybrids too?
(Y/n): well, not all of us.
I knelt down I front of her.
(Y/n): listen, I need you to tell us what you know about "The Red Queen".
She paused for a few seconds before looking down.
Valerie: s-sorry, but I don't know much about her. We never really interacted, even while we were locked up.
Ruin: I already told you what I know about her, chances are she doesn't know much else.
(Y/n): well, do you know anyone who might know something?
Ruin: ugh...
Ruin covered her face with her hand in what appeared to be distain. Valerie looked up at me.
Valerie: ...North, he has a habit of flying across The New World and observing everything that goes on in it.
Ruin: he's also a total pain in the ass.
Valerie: we've talked a little since the 3 of us separated, he's gotten better.
Ruin: really, does he still talk shit about me?
Valerie stayed silent and looked down again.
(Y/n): so if we're looking for an informant on everything in The New World, he's our best bet.
Ruin: you don't really have any other options, but honestly, I'd rather take a bath in one of those acid pools than talk to him.
(Y/n): well, like you said, we don't really have any other choice. Let's regroup back in Astera, then we can talk about tracking this North guy down.
