A Whole New Adventure (Octopath Traveler 2 Reader Insert)

Welcome to Beasting Village

You struggled to open your eyes as it felt you'd fallen out of bed. Lightly shaking your head to remove the dizzy feeling, you finally convinced your eyes to open. As you opened them, you quickly noticed you were face to face with a girl who seemed rather young. "Woah!" You said as you jumped and tried to leap back, only to be met with hard stone. "Hey, hey! Easy there." The young girl said as she held up her hands. It was a little hard for you to calm down, especially when you saw a white lion with golden bands on its front paws and tail standing next to the girl. The lion then sighed and spoke to the girl, "Ochette. Meet me on the western hill with this human to discuss in private. We can talk while we eat." Your mind was reeling in confusion as the girl apparently named Ochette nodded.

The lion walked away, and you took a sigh of relief that your life was now no longer in clear immediate danger. "Oh, don't worry about Master Juvah. He's our protector." Ochette said as she outstretched a hand to you. You then took a moment to look at the girl and could clearly see two cat-like ears on her head and a tail swishing back and forth behind her. Cautiously, you took the girls hand as she lifted you up with surprising strength. "You must be hungry. Here, have some jerky, freshly prepared." She said as she held out a huge stick of meat, the smell floating off of it, creating a delicious aroma. You took it and took a bite of it, not wanting to agitate the girl by refusing, and it tasted like heaven.

"Good, right? My Name's Ochette. And this is Akalā." The girl said as a red and white fox walked up next to her, dropping your backpack next to your feet. "Oh! Uh. Thanks." You said as you took your bag and placed it on your back. "It's great you're up and walking, so let's go. We don't want to keep Master Juvah waiting." Ochette said as she then began to walk away, with you quickly following. As the three of you made your way through a village among the trees, you looked about, seeing various people like Ochette looking at you with slight fear in their eyes as some even hid when you looked to them. "Um..." You began as you looked to Ochette, "I've got several questions here. Why are they all looking at me?"

"Oh, there hasn't been a human this far into beastling territory much before, so they're simply not used to seeing humans often." Ochette said as you finally stepped off of wooden platforms and onto grassy land. You then spotted the lion from earlier sitting by a large cliff looking over the ocean. Ochette walked up to the lion and said, "Hi Master Juvah, we're here."

Master Juvah turned and spoke to the two of you, "Greetings Ochette. Thank you for meeting me here. Now, about them." He turned to you as you grew nervous and held up your hands, "Who are you? And how did you get here?"

You scratched the back of your head as you thought back to as much as you could remember before waking up, but strangely, you could only remember your own name. "I-I'm (Your/Name). As for how I got here, I have no clue. Where even am I?" You told the two. "You are on Toto'haha. An Island in Solistia. And this is Beasting Village." Master Juvah said as he then thankfully took some meat that Ochette offered him, "For now. Rest, and we'll talk."

The group sat down as you sat a little farther away, to not interrupt the conversation Ochette was having with Master Juvah. "Tasty stuff, huh? Especially the leaner bits." Ochette said as she took another bite of the jerky she had. Master Juvah responded, "Yes. Meat hunted by an apprentice always has a special savor to it. And today's quarry was a king iguana, I gather. You are a true hunter, Ochette. Your bow preserves the forest's balance." Ochette giggled as she responded, "Heh heh... I do my best. I'm getting pretty good at this, right? Not just hunting, but also talking. I didn't spend all those years copying your example for nothing!"

The fox named Akalā then made various noises that you couldn't understand as you opened your backpack to see what was inside, only to be met with your new sketchbook and phone. Checking it, you didn't get any service, naturally. But you put it away in favor of your sketchbook as you began to draw the trio in front of you as they continued. "Ha!" Master Juvah chuckled as he began again, "Ten years since the two of you met, is it?" Ochette then got up and walked to the cliff edge, saying, "I still remember the one I didn't choose that day... I looked all over, but never did find them."

Master Juvah then got up as he said, "Put that out of your mind. What happened that day was fate." Ochette then walked over to Akalā and scratched his chin as she said, "Anyway, I gave Akalā enough love for both of them." Master Juvah then chuckled once more as he said, "Heh... Good to hear. I have ruled as Warden of the Isle for many years now. But I will die one day. Just like the creature that gave us this meat. When that day comes, Ochette, the island will become your burden to bear.

Ochette appeared to go into deep thought as you closed your sketchbook and put it away before standing up yourself. "I don't know, Master Juvah... That sounds kind of ...heavy. A hunter has to travel light." She said as her and Akalā then walked to the adjacent cliff side, "I'd rather keep going out every day to hunt up some good eating." Master Juvah then muttered something you couldn't hear before speaking again, "Tell me, have you noticed the change in the forest?" Ochette nodded as she responded, "It's like the whole forest is...afraid." The two of them were interrupted as another beastling ran up from behind and yelled, "Warden! Warden!" Scaring the life out of you as you turned and jumped back, tripping on your own feet and falling on your rear.

The beastling then stepped to the side as four humans wearing different clothing compared to you came up, one of them looking more regal then the rest. The woman walked up as she said, "Forgive my people for what they did. I came to offer this by way of apology." She then stepped aside as two of the other humans walked up and set down a large pile of meat in front of the group. As Juvah spoke, you nervously backed up to Ochette's side, "I did not think you had such humility in you. It makes me uneasy, if I am honest. State your true business, Cohazeh."

The woman named Cohazeh said with a sly grin on her face, "Of course. You are beasts, after all. You have a nose for these things." For some odd reason, that one line made you clentch your fists as she continued, "a young girl from our village wandered into the Tombs of the Wardenbeasts. Danger stalks those ruins. Humans who enter are never seen again. But this is not the case for you who were on this island... before." She then took a few steps forward as she said, "Will you enter the ruins and find our lost girl? If you bring her back, I am sure we can reconsider the question of our land." Both you and Ochette were in silence as Juvah spoke up, "Do you take me for a fool? Those ruins are crawling with monsters. Our kind has no guarantee of return from them, either. You ask us to risk our lives for a human!"

You skunked back a bit more out of unease and shame.

"That girl had her fate, as do we all. Accept it and return to your home." Juvah said as the group remained silent before. "I'll go." Ochette said as she stood forward, taking both you and Juvah off guard. "Ochette!? What are you saying?" Juvah said as he stepped forward to confront Ochette, who spoke back, "Remember what you told me, Master Juvah? "When it matters most, be true to your heart, not your eyes or your nose." Juvah stuttered as he spoke again, "But... You know how dangerous the ruins are. And this is a human child. In time, she will repay your kindness with hate."

Ochette stood forward as she spoke, "Human, beast... That's not important now. I think... this is one of those moments that matter most." You rubbed your arm in comfort as she continued, "And my heart tells me to save that girl." Juvah thought deeply before he agreed, "Very well. Go."

Cohazeh then stepped forward also as she said in a rather dry tone, "I am in your debt, beastling." Ochette crossed her arms as she said, "My name is Ochette."  She then ran off before stopping to say, "Oh, and leave that meat here."

Juvah muttered something else as you quickly ran up to Ochette and asked, "I-Is it okay if I join you, Ochette?" The beastling giggled as she nodded and motioned for you to follow her, "Come on (Y/n). Come on Akalā."

The group of you three then made your way through the Beasting Village once more and up a nearby hill towards the Tomb of the Wardenbeasts. Ready for adventure.