Diego was sleeping in the tower—a tower near the guild that doesn't actually belong to it. Kisa and the boy Nacht live there too.
Nacht: "…huh?"
He got up, wearing a black T-shirt and sleep pants. Then he put on his usual clothes: black suit, gentleman's hat, and of course his staff.
Nacht: "All right, then…"
He left the room.
Nacht: "Now this is what I call a quiet morning."
(Whoaaaaaaaaa!)
Nacht: "Hmm?"
He watched Diego tumble down the stairs.
Nacht: "Ugh!"
(Crash!)
He ended up toppling with him.
(Crash!) (Bam!) (Crash!)
Diego: "Ow…"
Nacht: "You little… brat!"
Diego: "I'm sorry—are you okay?!"
Nacht: "I was okay, until you had to disturb me. Seriously."
The door next to them opened.
Kisa: "Hello… are you two all right?"
It was Kisa, still in her pajamas.
Diego: "Ugh."
Nacht: "Ugh…"
(Wooooow!)
Kisa: "Hmm?"
Nacht and Diego (in unison): "How cute."
Kisa: "Huh? Oh—that reminds me. Nacht, you're already dressed. Do you have a job?"
Nacht: "Indeed I do. A stone-type Vinka showed up."
Diego: "Wait a second—there are stone Vinka? I thought they were only animal-like."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "That's not right, Diego…"
Class time with Kisa—hooray!
Kisa: "So… there are the Vinka we call Animal Vinka—they're similar to animals, but most look different, with altered traits. For example, a 'wolf' Vinka doesn't have to look like a wolf at all. The one I hunted once had no neck; its head was set straight on its torso, plus several extra mouths. Not very wolf-like, right?Then there are Nature Vinka—like the one Nacht mentioned—made of stone, not animals. There are also tree Vinka, water Vinka, slime Vinka… those are Nature Vinka.Finally, Object Vinka—they're formed from objects, thrown or broken things: metal, wood, whatever's been ruined. Make sense now, Diego?"
Diego: "Yes, ma'am—Teacher."
Kisa: "Great!"
Nacht: "(sweats) Where did she even get that teacher outfit…? Anyway, I'm heading out."
Kisa: "Wait, Nacht."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "Can I come with you?"
Nacht: "Ugh… Kisa… I'd rather work alone."
Kisa: "…Please?"
Her sad, sweet face was so adorable it felt like an arrow pierced his heart.
(Thunk—arrow!)
Nacht (thinking): "Ahhh… she's too cute…"Nacht (aloud): "Fine."
Diego: "What about me?"
(The air goes dark; irritated face.)
Nacht: "Hah? Did I hear that right? You're not coming—not over my dead body!"
Kisa: "But Diego's actually strong. He can help us."
Nacht: "Huh? …"
Kisa: "I want him to come."
Nacht: "…All right. Then he may come."
Kisa: "Good—then I'll go get changed."
She hummed and headed into her room.Nacht stared, a goofy grin creeping in.
Nacht: "Hahaha—"
Diego: "Hey…"
Nacht: "Ugh—(cough!)"
Diego: "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Nacht: "Huh? Uh… uh… of course not—(cough)—Nacht von Zephyr thinks only of darkness…"
Diego: "(sweating) …Right."
Once they were ready, they set out.
Diego: "We're walking the whole way?"
Nacht: "No need. In the Grimmel… we can—It isn't far."
Kisa: "Hey, Diego."
Diego: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "You know… Nacht is probably the coolest when it comes to abilities."
Diego: "Really?"
Kisa: "See his sword?"
Diego: "Yeah."
Kisa: "When he draws it, a black aura pours out—and when his Märchen appears… you'll see. It's cool."
Diego: "What rank is he?"
Kisa: "D. He's new too—been here five months."
Nacht von Zephyr, age 16, height 156 cm. Ability: Darkness. Rank D (still new). Loves: Kisa (the cute girl), spicy food. Hates: sweets, vegetables, newbies, and frankly most guild members. Very quiet type. Black suit, black gentleman's hat, dark hair and eyes.
Diego: "And you?"
Kisa: "Also Rank D."
Kisa—female, 153 cm. Loves sweets, animals, fighting, fruit, showers. Hates spicy food. Usually wears a shoulder-bare brown or white top (sometimes black, rarely). Hat is brown. Often uses suspenders with trousers. Traits: beauty marks on neck and chest, small scar on nose; deep dark rings around the eyes; pupils like a poltergeist's. Short hair with black bands on both sides; a poltergeist earring; hair is shorter in front and reaches the nape in back. Rank D.
Kisa: "Hehe."
Diego: "How much do you need to rank up?"
Kisa: "Hmm… good question. I don't know."
Nacht: "Depends how many you've slain—the Vinka, of course. You should know: we hunters get paid per Vinka we kill. An E-rank Vinka brings about 500 to 600 Grims."
Diego: "Oh… that's not little."
Kisa: "Hehe… I thought so too, but you can't even rent an apartment with that—and you can barely buy meat."
Diego: "Seriously? How much does meat cost?"
Kisa: "Hmm…"
She put a hand under her chin.
Kisa: "No idea… Nacht?"
Nacht: "1,000 Grims."
Diego: "That much?!"
Kisa: "Then there's salt—the most expensive of all. I think 500 grams costs 2,500 Grims."
Diego: "Whaaat!"
Quick info… In the middle ages, salt was more important—and pricier—than diamonds. Sellers made huge sums. Wild to think you can buy it now for a few euros anywhere. Back then, a "salt coin" in trade was worth a lot—roughly like 10 euros in our time. That's how vital it was.
Diego: "Ugh… brutal. So for 500 grams you need to kill six Vinka."
Nacht: "One too many, idiot. Can't you count? Not surprising for a village kid."
Diego: "Huh? Anyone hearing you would think you're rich."
Kisa: "Pssst… Diego, Nacht's from the Zephyr family. They were rich."
Diego: "Were?"
Kisa: "Poor Nacht—his family was cursed by a witch. They're all gone."
Diego: "Ugh…"
Kisa: "Nacht and I have known each other a while, hehe. So I know this. Don't hold his attitude against him—he's a good guy. He was the first to be kind to me… or rather, to actually talk to me."
Diego: "Got it."
Kisa: "Hehe…"
About thirty minutes later, they reached the city.
Diego: "Woooooow—is that the city?!"
It was huge, built into two mountain faces with a deep valley between. Airships floated in the sky. An unbelievable sight.
Diego: "Wooooow."
Kisa: "Hehe… Diego reacts like a kid. That's cute."
Nacht: "Hmm."
They entered the city.
Diego: "Wow…"
Kisa: "Hmm."
Nacht: "Hahh."
Diego looked down into the valley.
Diego: "What's in that valley?"
Nacht: "Something you don't want to know."
Diego: "Huh?"
Nacht: "Perfect timing. Look—over there…"
He pointed. Four guards had two prisoners, bound, standing at the edge.
Diego: "What are they going to do?"
They put them in a cage that slowly descended. Then it began.
Nacht: "Hmm."
Kisa: "Oh dear."
Eyes opened in the depths… then a mass of tentacles that snatched the prisoners.
(Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!)(Splatter!)
Diego: "Ugh… ugh…"
Kisa: "Mmm."
They couldn't see much, but the sounds were clear—bones torn, flesh ripped.
Diego: "What… the hell? Why would they do that?"
Nacht: "Because they're criminals."
Diego: "Even so… even if they killed people…"
Nacht: "…You misunderstand. Not only major crimes are punished here. Even stealing bread… gets punished."
Diego: "Ugh… For something that small?"
Nacht: "Not exactly. Thieves lose parts—a hand, an arm, a foot, an eye—and those are thrown to the valley monster. The worse the crime, the harsher the sentence."
Diego: "Ghhh…"
Diego was furious at what he'd witnessed.
Nacht: "Whatever. Let's rent a wagon."
They entered a wagon shop.
Nacht: "Morning."
Shopkeeper: "Morning… What can I… hmm, hunters, eh?"
He'd recognized it at a glance. Bald, long beard, very short—likely a dwarf.
Nacht: "We need a wagon."
Shopkeeper: "That'll be 1,000 Grims."
Nacht dropped a sack on the counter. The dwarf counted it.
Shopkeeper: "Hahaha… okay, okay—sorry for how I acted. Thought you were broke. Right…"
He showed them the wagons—wooden, pulled by big, cute creatures that looked like red pandas with wings.
Kisa: "Wow, they're adorable."
Nacht: "Hmm…"
Kisa: "Nacht, Nacht—can we please take that one? It's so red and goes 'weee!'"
Nacht: "Oh… gladly."
Kisa: "Hehe—yes! Thanks, Nacht. I'll give you an apple for it."
Nacht (thinking): "I don't want an apple… (a cheek peck would be better, at least)."
Diego noticed and got a mischievous idea.
Diego: "Hey, Kisa—I think he'd prefer a little thank-you on the cheek."
Kisa: "A cheek kiss?"
Diego: "Yeah. Quick one."
Kisa: "Oh… okay."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "Nacht…"
Nacht: "Yes—huh!"
She cupped his cheek and gave him a quick peck.(Soft peck.)
Nacht: "Huh! Wh-what… are you crazy?"
Kisa: "Huh? Sorry… Diego said you'd like it more."
Nacht: "Grr…"
He shot Diego a look; Diego grinned.
Nacht: "Don't take advantage of Kisa's innocence!"
Diego: "Hehe…"
Kisa: "Um… can we get back to the main topic? We should probably go."
They climbed into the wagon and set off.
Kisa: "Hehe…"
Diego: "Wow… how cool…"
The mountains, the sea, the vast peaks—an amazing view. Animals and birds everywhere.
Diego: "Wooooow."
He reacted like a kid.
Kisa: "Mmm… Diego… could you not hold me so tightly when you grab on? Girls don't like that."
Diego: "Oh—sorry."
Kisa: "It's okay, hehe. You're really cute when you get excited."
Nacht: "Hmm. The stone Vinka is nearby. Reports say it's rarely active, but when it wakes, it can be a disaster. It's close to the city."
Kisa: "But… isn't it unfair to kill something that hasn't done anything yet?"
Diego: "Mhm."
Nacht: "We're hunters. That's why we became hunters."
Diego: "Hmm."
Kisa: "Hmm."
Nacht: "I think we're here."
They landed. A great forest—the Black Forest still.
Diego: "Ugh… so… where's the monster?"
Nacht: "Good question."
Diego: "Wait—you don't know either?"
Nacht: "Of course not. It's a mountain giant of stone. It can hide under the rocks. Or did you expect it to stand around like a statue?"
Kisa: "I thought we'd find it asleep."
Nacht: "(sweats) That actually makes sense. The stone Vinka's been sleeping for over a hundred years. The nearby village makes sure it stays undisturbed. No one knows exactly what it looks like—or if it's even a Vinka and not just a giant."
Diego: "So… it might not be a Vinka?"
Nacht: "Exactly. There are ordinary supernatural beings too. Anyway, the job says the stone Vinka starts moving around evening. We don't have to kill it—just check whether it's still asleep. We can't kill it, especially if we don't even know it's a Vinka."
Diego thought for a moment.
Nacht: "You're wondering how to tell a normal supernatural from a Vinka."
Diego: "Huh—how did you know…?"
Nacht: "Because you're wearing your 'confused' face."
Diego: "(sweats) This guy's such a jerk…"
Nacht: "Supernatural beings are like us—living folk. And they get attacked by Vinka, too. There are elves, dwarves, giants who are Vinka hunters as well."
Diego: "Aha… So how do we make sure we can control the stone Vinka?"
Nacht: "Simple. We camp here and observe. Let's sleep in the trees."
Diego: "Why trees?"
Nacht: "So we won't disturb it."
So they climbed a tree. Kisa and Nacht settled on the same branch.
Nacht: "(Mmm!)"
Kisa: "Thanks, Nacht. Hehe…"
Nacht: "Anytime."
Diego: "Hey—why am I stuck at the far end of the branch?"
Nacht: "Because I don't care about you. I only care that Kisa doesn't get hurt."
Kisa dozed off on his shoulder. Nacht sat and drifted off too, while Diego was tied off at the end of the branch—still able to sleep. The red-panda mount napped beneath the tree.
Kisa: "Haaah…"
Nacht: "…hmm…"
(Hrrrrrrrrrrrr…!)
Nacht: "Huh?"
He looked around.
Nacht: "Hey… Ichabod… did you hear that?"
Ichabod: "Yep… I did."
Nacht: "But where's it coming from…?"
Suddenly the ground began to move.
Nacht: "Ghh… hey, you two—wake up."
Kisa: "…Huh!"
Diego: "Hmm? What is it?"
Kisa: "Uh—"
Nacht: "Shhh… don't you feel it?"
The ground shifted with a grinding rumble.
Diego: "But I don't see anything."
Kisa: "Same."
Nacht: "…Hmm… Ugh… Of course you don't. Look around."
They looked—and realized that even though they were "on the ground," they were moving.
Diego: "Huh?"
Kisa: "…Hmm?"
Nacht: "We're… standing on the stone Vinka."
Diego: "Huh?!"
Kisa: "Huh!"
(Heeeeeeeeee…)
Nacht: "Shhh…"
He covered their mouths.
Nacht: "Okay… seriously—keep it down."
Diego: "What do we do now?"
Nacht: "Good question, newbie…"
Kisa: "Hmm."
Diego: "Hmm."
Nacht: "It is a Vinka—I can feel its aura…"
And then it started to run.
Diego: "Hey—hey—what's happening?!"
(Thud!) (Thud!) (Thud!)
Nacht: "Ugh!"
It charged toward the village.
Nacht: "But why… hmm… Ah—newbie."
Diego: "Yeah?"
Nacht: "Where's your axe—the one you had?"
Diego: "Oh… I stuck it in the ground. See—"
He pointed downward.
Nacht: "Idiot! The 'ground' is the stone Vinka. No wonder it got angry and woke up!"
Diego: "Ugh… but it's made of stone—"
Nacht: "Damn it… what now… Looks like I have no choice. Ichabod… and Crane… I need you."
Crane: "Mhm."
Ichabod: "Aye."
He pulled out his book: Grimm: Ichabod Crane.
He leapt high and began to transform.
Nacht: "Ghhhh… ghhhh…"
He turned into a fearsome figure: faceless save for two dark eyes; no mouth, no nose; a massive sword whose tip shaped a horse's head; stitches running across where a head should be.
Nacht: "Dark Rider…!"
The stone Vinka halted.
Nacht: "Hmm."
He readied his sword.
Nacht: "Dark Breath… Horse's Howl!"
The attack formed a giant horse's head and crashed into the stone monster—barely fazing it.
Nacht: "Tsss… Dark Hands!"
Hands burst from his back.
They swept aside counterblows and debris.
Diego: "Aaaaaaaah!"
Kisa: "Aaaaaaagh!"
They clung to the tree.
Nacht: "Hmm."
Using the hands, he climbed, dodging, searching for the core.
Nacht: "Hmm… I see. Its core is… the nape."
He raised his sword.
Nacht: "Night Breath… Raven Feather!"
The strike carved through the "eyes" on its neck.
(Splach!)
Green fluid gushed out.
Diego: "Whoaaa—we're falling!"
Kisa: "Oh no!"
They tumbled through the air.
Diego: "Woooooooo!"
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Kisa: "Aaaaaaah!"
Black raven wings unfurled from Nacht's back. He caught Kisa in his arms.
Nacht: "Got you."
Kisa: "Oh… thank you."
He used the momentum to land safely.
Kisa: "Thanks—you saved me."
Nacht: "Hehe."
Diego: "Aaaaaaargh!"
(Thud!)
He hit the ground headfirst; it stuck. He pulled himself free.
Diego: "You jerk… trying to kill me?!"
Nacht: "Quit whining and stop annoying me."
Diego: "You caught Kisa."
Nacht: "She's a girl. You want someone like her to get hurt?"
Kisa: "Oh… Nacht…"
He set her down.
Diego: "Hah… so that was under us the whole time."
Nacht: "Yeah…"
(Boop!)
Suddenly his head popped off and rolled onto Diego.
Diego: "Wh—whoaaaaaaaa—your head!"
He flung it; Kisa caught it.
Kisa: "Calm down, Diego. That always happens when he transforms. It's part of the Märchen."
Diego: "Hah… hah… man—I thought I was holding his actual head. How long does it last?"
Nacht: "About two hours. Kisa, could you carry it till then?"
Kisa: "Gladly."
Nacht: "Thanks."
Diego: "Hahhh."