THE HERCULEAN QUEST// Unicomics' Hardcore Quest

Blue Bots, Blue Jays//2

Two immortals walked into the next town, having left the smoldering sky far, far behind them. It was a very small town (Village? Hamlet? He never could remember), with a general store, an inn, a cafe built out of a home, and an apothecary, indicated by a broken sign dangling from a doorway. The air smelled like lavender and old books and tea and history.

Two immortals found a spot to rest on a little hill overlooking the community, and, together, sighed.

The little blue jay that had perched upon Uni's shoulder nestled down, laying in the folded corners of his hoodie as the shapeshifter sat on the grass. Uni brushed his hands through the grass, sighing, and smiling. He'd miss the old town, but it wouldn't be too hard to forget about it. He'd find somewhere else- this place, perhaps. It was small, and he could guess that most people who lived nearby were farmers or scavengers. Quiet people who minded their own business, who were used to being neighbors with oddballs. With those who didn't talk too much, didn't attend festivals, who disappeared for months at a time only to resume their lives like nothing ever happened.

It wasn't often he could find a home like that.

"Daydreaming, again?" Dawn asked. The blue jay had perked its head up, and the words that came out of its beak didn't match its movements. They were both used to it, the ghost had no other choice if he wanted to stay down in the living world. The two had met escaping a hunt, neither of them knew of each other's past before they met.

Uni didn't know why Dawn's soul stayed behind- the ghost never said. He was a wandering spirit that liked the color blue and company.

"I know we just left Hard Landing, friend, but..." he paused. "I kinda don't want to move anymore. Just for a while, I want to stay around. Somewhere quiet, somewhere peaceful. I'm getting tired of running." He shuffled, kicking his legs forward and leaning back on his arms as Dawn hopped onto his shoulder.

Dawn looked at him with little blue jay eyes, black and empty and Uni could tell they were humored. "That doesn't sound half-bad, but..." he hopped down, onto Uni's leg. "I'll see if this place is all that it seems to be." He gave a little chirp, flapped his wings, and flew off.

One immortal sat on a hill, enjoying the breeze and hoped that the feeling in his gut foreshadowed good.

He could use some.

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A werewolf approached the hill, he and the others had left the fire soon after it began.

They already had their joking, blaming each other for the fact that it failed upon purely fictitious claims. It was jovial, light-hearted banter, occupying the hours that it took to find their current home. A long, winding path, through forests, across rivers, and over a mountain, to find someone on the hill overlooking their home.

It wasn't hard to tell if you were one too- someone supernatural sat on the hill. The werewolf volunteered to investigate, to little protest. He laughed about it to himself as he started walking up the hill- who else was there to be the negotiator? Himself, the vampire glued to her sword, or the pyromaniac? He swore that he was the only sane one, although the others would try to deny it.

---

"Hello?"

Uni flinched. Dawn would have teased him, being a daydreamer in the wrong places and at the wrong times, and maybe it was because humans had stupidly dull senses and he was too paranoid to ever be in a form that he wanted to be in, but someone had approached behind him and it would be too awkward to just run.

So he turned his head, and the figure looked too familiar for comfort but he knew he had never seen this person before. Uni stayed silent. He hadn't actually had a conversation with anyone but Dawn for some years that wasn't business or with authorities (and Dawn was hardly the best conversationalist).

Someone else sprinted up the hill, much to the displeasure of the man who was there first. Oh, Uni recognized them now. He had seen them before, in the town, they were the most social people in Hard Landing before the change of leadership- proud vampire, she was. He could smell the werewolf too, now. The werewolf was trying to shoo the vampire away when the third figure came up the hill. A werewolf, a vampire, and a human, confident enough to have attempted a revolt, friends and monsters. At this point, Uni stood up, backing away slowly.

The vampire noticed, whipping her head around to him. Her long red hair- literally red- flew over her face, falling down to reveal a genuinely friendly grin. It almost made it more unnerving- it was a friendly smile, contrary to the one he saw when she threatened the leader of Hard Landing. She pushed past the werewolf, but slowed down when she neared Uni, stopping more than an arm's reach away.

"I saw you at Hard Landing," she said. She stood tall, but not intimidating. Most vampires loved showing off her height, but she was fairly short, barely taller than Uni. He considered changing his human form to be a little taller. Another day.

"I'm sorry. You're one of us, but we were focused on reclaiming the town or whatever, and we didn't consider what would happen you." Uni blinked. The werewolf blinked. The human raised an eyebrow. "Could we make it up to you?"

Uni caught sight of a flash of blue, and waved his hand behind his back. Waving him away. His gut feeling hadn't failed him yet, and he had met this crew before. Once in Hard Landing, and once a long time ago. They were different, of course, but everyone is, after a while.

"Sure? I'm sorry, I don't even know your names," he answered. He straightened himself up, brushing grass off his hoodie. He could Dawn tilt his little bird head, confused. He'd probably fly off and leave Uni to his mistakes, finding him again in however long, to rub it in his face before they found something else to do. They had dealt with each other's antics long enough, knowing to just wait and see what happened.

The blue jay flew off, out of sight, and the three introduced themselves.

"Ashlie," the vampire introduced. "Nick," the werewolf said, tired and exasperated. "I'm Tom. Tommy. Thomas. Don't care, doesn't matter!" his voice was erratic, and his smile was far from the sincere one of Ashlie. It seemed almost permanent and strained. "Good luck, kid. Knowing us, you're gonna need it."

He gave a quick prayer to the land, a mental middle finger to Dawn, and introduced himself.

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me?? get something done?? fake.

Okay, so I've figured out bits of plot, and I'm super excited to write this now. I haven't paid too much attention to season 2, so it's really going to be more from season 1, but still some things from season 2 (werewolf nick, lady of the land, probably mr horse dude).

THANKS TO THE TWO PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED, YOU'RE RAD

-Red/R