In current times, monsters weren't looked upon very well. That was to say anything of mix breed. You were a bounty hunter, running around with only the top notch of the monster hunters. Though you primarily hunted solo, both Caramel Arrow Cookie and Rye Cookie would sometimes join you.
The most common of the monster breed was werewolves. They were the hardest to distinguish, only appearing on full moons, but still the most hunted. You preferred rarer items, though. Hence why you only captured, killed, and sold the rarest of the bunch. Currently on your list was nagas. Their scales made pretty material for guard handles.
You ran a hand through your hair as Rye cookie snorted. A nice, long naga trail was left in the dirt. "I told you they like stayin' in the woods," she cheered, crouching down to test the tracks. "Yeah, yeah."
You grunted and blinked as she brought up the tester, smirking. "It's definitely half human on the top side." You nodded and drew your pocket knife, whittling a piece of wood as you kept walking. "Looks like a big one," she noted, receiving another nod.
"Shhh," you whispered, eyeing the ground. Another slithering sound came from the left, your eyes narrowing. "It's over there," you whispered, putting the pocket knife away. Rye drew her pistols as you unsheathed your sword, eyes gleaming. As you stepped forward, you heard another hiss. Something wet wrapped around your ankle as you turned, meeting eyes with a tall ass snake man.
He hissed and lifted you before snarling, a gunshot ringing out. Blood splattered out of the naga's arm as he hurled you into a tree. Quickly standing up, you saw Rye blast at him from the treeline. You snarled and ran forward, teeth bared as you swung harshly towards his lower torso.
A blue spray hit you in the face. Uhg, naga blood? It was squishy and slimy and smelled like burnt silicone. Gritting your teeth, you drew the blade back as the naga snarled at you. This thing was stronger than it should be, so you decided to use last resort methods. Pulling the sleeping needle from your pocket, you injected the sedative into the flailing tail.
The naga screeched and lashed out with its sharp fingernails but you swiftly evaded and fell down on your knees as the monster swayed. It toppled over, Rye appearing on the other side with a grin. "Nice one, kid!"
You rolled your eyes and brushed off the dirt on your jeans. "Yeah, yeah. This thing is too big to carry back, even if we kill him. Also, I haven't seen a pattern on a tail like this." You traced a finger over the shiny black and purple scale. It had specks of glitter in it, too.
You studied the naga's face. He had... Odd colorings, for sure. Medium purple above his eyes, hair tied back with a violet colored vine. Honestly, for a monster, he was kinda cute. "Maybe we should sell him on the market as a breeder," Rye put in, studying his tail.
"That'd be better for profit too. I ain' ever seen one like this," she concluded, looking up at you through her lashes. Nodding, you took out your cuffs and detached the chain. Setting it onto the monster's neck, you attached the chain and put it onto your mounting spike.
After placing the spike on the ground, you used your magical ability of wind force to push it straight into the earth, the guarded top still out so you could undo it, too. More or less a stake with a chain, built to handle wild beasts. "Head in to town and get Jasmine Tea's help. There's no way I'm going to try and lead this thing back to our city."
Rye nodded and tossed you the water canteen, hopping over a boulder and setting off for town. You slumped against a tree stump, huffing. He wasn't the most feisty creature, but he had decent defense. Your sword, though the wound was bleeding, had barely cut through his chest. Poor thing. Being born an outcast from society and now being sold for trade.
You didn't pay much attention to the thing when it awoke, groggily hissing in your direction. "Shut up," you stated, whittling another stick. The naga grunted and sat up, rubbing the caked blood on it's chest. "What are you going to do with me?" It wondered aloud, your eyes softening.
"Sell you."
