Reincarnated in Star Vs The Forces of Evil

Monster Hunt - Part 2: Journey

Aster and Ivory were standing on a platform in front of a bunch of soldiers. Lightning & Thunder were the only soldiers to actually volunteer for this mission.

They weren't actually named Lightning & Thunder, they were just nicknames. Aster had never asked for their real names. They were stronger than the average royal guard thanks to Aster's training during the farming quest.

Thunder was bold, aggressive, and willing to take risks. While Lightning was kind, caring, and protective towards those in need. They might've joined for different reasons, but they were incredibly tight knit.

The other soldiers wore regular iron & leather armor with standard weapons, which was vastly different in comparison to Lightning & Thunder's gold armor and weapons. They also seemed less than thrilled to be here...

Aster stood tall, using magic to amplify his voice as he spoke.

"My brave soldiers, it is time to take up arms and fight for our kingdom. We stand before an imposing and menacing monster, one of which has never been slain before. But do not be afraid! Mewni has faced worse. We've been through multiple monster wars, faced famine and plague. And we are still here! Fighting! Remember your loyalty and devotion to the kingdom, remember why you became a soldier! Not be a pawn, but to protect those you love! Today we fight, so our people can live a better tomorrow!" - A

He said with as much energy as he could muster. There was silence...

Until someone began to clap.

And then another, and another.

Until all the soldiers were clapping. They didn't expect Aster to be able to deliver such an energizing speech. In fact, they didn't expect much at all from him.

But maybe, just maybe...he could bring them all a better life.
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With the soldiers on board, they had two out of the three tasks cleared before the fight. The third was actually getting to the lair. And, well...

The Forest of Certain Death didn't get its name because it was full of bunnies and butterflies...

They formed a caravan of carriages to take the main group as well as the soldiers there. The main carriage was the largest so the group could continue to strategize.

"Alright. Janna, Ivory. I'll need both of you to help us locate the Hydra's home." - A

"How do we do that?" - M

"Well, it mostly comes down to what kind of reptile it's closest to. A majority of them live in dry places, like caves. But some of them have adapted to live in bodies of water, but still come to the the shore when laying eggs." - Ivory

"Do you guys have a map?" - J

Aster nodded as he pulled one out. His mom had given it to him. It was a very rough map of the terrain

"Hm..." - J

The two girls outlined the three most likely spots for it to live. A swamp, cave, and lake.

"All of these are bad spots for a fight. A swamp makes it hard to move around. A cave is cramped and dark. And if it's a lake, we have to hope we can lure the hydra out of the water." - J

"I could try to work around some of these with magic, but it'll be tough...and that's without considering the fact we'll encounter other monsters on our way there." - A

"Couldn't you try to carry us over the forest?" - M

"With a group of this size? No way. Plus, flying monsters exist." - A

"I think we should go for the cave. A fire breathing hydra wouldn't make sense for a swamp or lake." - J

She said. They'd filled her in on the stuff they knew for sure about the hydra.

"Hm...well, it's not too far from the lake. So it could work..." - M

"And it's close to where the hydra sightings have been." - I

"Then the caves it is." - A
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The carriages had finally reached the borders of the forest. It already looked pretty ominous. The soldiers were all getting their equipment and gear since they couldn't take the carriages into the forest. The pathways were too rough and had roots and rocks on them.

They would leave a few soldiers here to protect the carriages. While they couldn't do much against a strong monster, they would at least be able to ward off the weaker ones.

As they entered the forest, they were almost immediately surrounded by a thick fog. They had to send a small scouting squad up ahead to make sure the path was safe. The squad included both Lightning & Thunder to ensure they wouldn't die immediately if they were attacked. On the way there, Janna brought up a question.

"I'm still confused. Why are you guys only targeting the hydra now?" - J

"It's been attacking it sees. MewMans don't usually come here, but they do sometimes travel along the border for trade. With the hydra interfering, it's getting harder to deliver and receive goods." - A

"So it's territorial?" - J

"Territorial animals would protect their territory for as long as they were there. They wouldn't just suddenly start guarding it." - Ivory

"Then what changed? Why is it suddenly attacking now?" - M

"Hm...it can't be MewMans...they wouldn't have the courage to even enter the forest." - A

"What about other monsters?" - J

Marco, Ivory, and Aster all got quiet. They...didn't know. Aster was slowly accepting that not all monsters were horrible monstrosities. But monsters fighting monsters? It wasn't exactly something common. Especially among sentient monsters.

"It's probably a rogue demon from the Underworld or something. They could be trying to profit from it somehow, and ended up pissing it off." - A

"There's demons here too?" - J

Aster sighed.
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They finally made it through the fog and reached an area full of strange plants. Aster immediately told all the soldiers to stay in formation and not touch anything.

But Janna...well, she wasn't exactly the type to listen to orders. So she just began collecting whatever she could. She said it was because it could either be useful later on, or because she was simply curious.

They watched a small creature try to eat one of said plants and it immediately died. Aster pulled the map out and labeled this area as 'poison flower garden'.

After passing through it, the scouts up ahead ended up stepping in quicksand. Aster had to use Levitato multiple times to pull them all out. And that wasn't very easy.

The few monsters they did encounter were dealt with pretty quickly by either Lightning & Thunder, or Marco. They did end up fighting some kind of monster group though, who ended up running away halfway through the fight. The ones that stayed fought very hard but were ultimately sent to Mewni's prison.

Janna insisted they loot their little camp and called dibs on a perfectly oval shaped rock. Everything else was distributed among the soldiers as an extra layer of protection. And shortly after, they finally reached the entrance to the cave.

Time for them to meet the Hydra...