It wasn’t long after I had closed my eyes that the fur on my skin started to standup. It was the pleasant, familiar feeling of goosebumps. A quick shiver traveled throughout my body as I basked in the moment of having successfully completed my first ever monster subjugation request as an adventurer!

But those pleasant feeling quickly turned to confusion and terror. The fur around my nose was unexpectedly wet. My arms and tail also had the same sensation of tiny droplets of water resting on the surface. However, unlike water, my sensitive nose confirmed this unexpected development was something far worse. Assaulting my nostrils was the stench of blood.

While I was well aware of the vast pools of blood surrounding us from the many defeated goblins. This aroma was distinguishably different. Thick with the smell of iron, I racked my brain to try and identify the source of this smell that I had remembered from so long ago. That’s when it hit me. All of the laughter had come to an abrupt pause, as my mind desperately made the connection as to this uncomfortable smell’s origin.

Human blood.

Freshly spilled.

I slowly opened my eyes, letting out a quick yelp in horror at what was mere inches from my whiskers. A Steel blade, covered in blood, had pierced the person beside my while I was crouched over the hobgoblin’s corpse.

Skewered though the back of the skull, with a blade protruding out through his open mouth, was Jake. The once wonderfully happy, enthusiastic, and unstoppable Jake, was struggling to stay alive from the unexpected trauma. His eyes yearned to scream in pain and suffering, but he was unable to mutter even a sound at the situation.

His tongue was mangled, while his face was a mixture of blood, shock, and anguish. Eyes darted back and forth seemingly trying to find some type of answer as to what had just happened to him. Until shortly after, they rolled back into his head as all expression faded away, as with his life. The murderer, having sensed his victim defeated, remove his sword, and flicked the streams of blood still clinging to the blades surface, off, and onto the forest’s floor.

I was scared, I tried to make a sound, anything, but my body wouldn’t respond. I strained myself to try and scramble back on my feet, when suddenly, a sharp jolt to my chest sent me reeling over in pain and onto my back.

“Aghh, Oopfh.”

The impact forced me to cough up blood as I struggled to catch my breath. Gathering what little strength I could, I managed to lift my head up to stare into the eyes of the perpetrators who put the party into this situation.

Standing overtop of me, casting a menacing and evil shadow, was none other than Bandit and Garrick.

My mind spun around in confusion, like an animal filled with desperation having been caught in a hunter’s trap, it tried and tried to draw some kind of logical conclusion as my brain clawed at every bit of knowledge I had. These were the people who were suppose to help us, why had they turned and murdered their friend?

“NOOOOOO, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO JAKE YOU BASTARDS?!?!”

Drogan yelled with such ferocity at the situation, that even I grew more frightened. I glanced over to witness him recklessly charging towards the two burley men.

As he approached them, Bandit remained still, continuing to hold his lightly blood-soaked blade while Garrick calmly took out his hammer. Intercepting Drogan’s unbalanced charge, Garrick proceeded to smash his hammer between Drogan’s shields, winding him, and knocking him flat onto the ground.

*Gong*Kerthunk*

“GAH”

Drogan screamed in pain as he hit the soil with a heavy thud. Struggling to focus my vision, I could just make out that his once pristine plate body, now had a noticeably large indent in the abdominal region. He must be in a lot of pain. Quick Inari, you have to heal him!

I desperately started gathering mana in my right paw. Reaching towards Drogan, I began saying the incantation for “Heal!” in my mind when.

“Tch, tch, tch, I can’t be having you do any of them fancy spells casting now, can I miss fox?”

Bandit roughly grabbed me by the collar, my robes teared ever so slightly at the sudden, painful force. I lost my focus on the spell from the sudden jerk to my body. The mana particles I had gathered, collapsed inwards on themselves as the energy dispersed and vanished!

“Waaaa, Oomph.”

Next thing I knew, I was thrown violently in the air towards the jagged cliff face. My body quickly collided with the rough rocks sending loose stones flying and fine dust into the air.

*Gak*Cough*

More blood came out of my mouth. Everything hurt. I had never experienced such pain before in all my life! All of the planning I’d do before each potential encounter was to avoid scenarios such as this. Yet all I could do, was lie against the wall’s surface, struggling for each breath as I clutched my chest in pain.

I tried to gather mana to cast “Heal!” on myself, but I couldn’t visualize the words in my head, everything hurt and I couldn’t maintain my focus on my mana, or my vision. I couldn’t form any words, breathing itself was already enough of a chore. I tried a few times, but magic would only gather, then disperse moments later. Everything in front of me was starting to blur.

I was helpless.

As my vision waned, I could still make out the sounds of Garrick and Bandit as they tortured Drogan.

“But… But how did you know about our belongings? *Gah!* Jake… Jake woulda known if you cast an appraisal spell on him! He was really good at detecting that kinda stuff!”

*Smash*Splat*

I heard a hammer come down hard on something. Focusing my eyes, I saw that Garrick had brought his hammer down with such force onto Jake’s head, that it completely shattered and split the skull cleanly open. Brain matter and skull fragments flew into the air, landing all around his lifeless body.

“Pfft, Haha! You see that Bandit? Oi, if I had to say, that was one of the more exciting head smashes I’ve seen in a good while! Geez this brat, I’ve been waiting so long to crush his stupid skulls in!”

Bandit smirked at his friends comment and Drogan’s confusion, then calmly spoke, answering the bewildered defender’s question.

“Why, ya sees Drogan. Wes a smart lot the bunch of us eh? It’s common sense as you said that humans woulda noticed an appraisal cast on em from that tingling feeling we all get ya? However, whats say you would happen if someone gaves you a big ol slap right across the back as the spell was cast, ya?”

“Ahh haha! That’s right boss! Oh, he’s was such a smarts one to figure that all out! A person would be nones the wiser if we timed our spell casting from a distance with the friendly impact from a slap!”

“So, you… You guys knew all the way back at the guild when you—”

*Smash*

“Agghh!”

“Wes sure did boy!”

Garrick slammed his hammer into Drogan again, this time, hitting him with such force that his body was sent flying, landing near me at the cliff’s wall. Then, he proceeded to calmly walk towards his body.

“We knews all about ya party, even some of the equipments yous was carrying! Since wes gonna be taking cares of ya here, we can share a little secrets with ya, can’t we Bandit?”

“Haha, of course Garrick. You sees there Drogan, our friend Slick? Well, he’s one of the best damn thieves I’ve ever worked with! He’s got a fancy little talent, ya see? Slick ol boy, can cast a stronger version of the appraisal spell on our potential targets!

We gets to see a whole bunch of extra informations about our marks, such as some of their inventory holdings, status, and even current party members! It really makes this sorta business easy, ya hear?”

Satisfied with his remarks, Bandit shot his partner a menacing look.

“Garrick, smash em up good ya?”

“Sures thing boss!”

*Slam*Smash*Crash*

In-between each hit on Drogan’s body, Garrick was happily calling out in delight as Drogan screamed in pain from blow after blow.

“Ha! You sees? This is why you don’t wears such low qualities armor. Because---”

*Smash*Shreen*

“Gahck! Ahh!”

“Yous can crush it real good, at the neckline.”

Garrick’s final smash fully crushed Drogan’s armor. His aim was at the collarbone area. Drogan’s armor completely collapsed inwards on itself, with sharp metal quickly assaulting his exposed neck. Flesh teared, as Drogan’s head was jaggedly removed from the body, as if a razor-sharp sword had brutally hacked it off. The rest of his plate armor was in no better condition. The once beautiful, shiny metal, was now rough and riddled with indents. His body was completely crushed and reduced to a fleshy pulp of blood and organs.

Tears formed at my eyes. Everything that was happening before me was horrible! I still couldn’t focus. My head continued pounding from my impact with the cliff, and gathering mana was impossible. I could only watch on as Bandit and Garrick turned their attention towards Kael and Lyra.

“AHHHHHHHH! Stop touching her you filthy bastard and let her go!”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Kael and Lyra had already tried to flee, but were stopped when Slick revealed himself.

During their escape, Slick had stealthily grabbed Lyra from behind, wrapping his arm around her chest. In his hands, he was aggressively fondling her breasts.

“Ahhh!!! Stop touching me you bastard! How dare you assault me like some dirty heathen! Kael, save me you fucking idiot!!! Just shoot him!!!”

“Oh oh! Mans am I jealous of you Kael boy! To play with wonderful things likes these, oh how I would kill for the chance to know her!”

“Stop touching my wife you sicko! Release her now so that we may flee this situation. You are more than welcome to all of Jake’s and Drogan’s pitiful holdings!”

Slick continued to fondle Lyra as he pulled out one of his knives next to her throat. Lyra continued to struggle, but was unable to free herself from the lewd captive.

“Nows nows there Kael boy, we wouldn’t want something to happen to her pretty face nows, would we?”

I could just make out Kael from this distance. His hands were trembling and shaking out of control. He tried to raise his bow to take aim at Slick, but was unable to hold the bow, or arrow steady.

I could sense his emotions and mana overflowing in fear and anger. Bandit and Garrick continued to watch from a distance as they slowly approached the frightened ranger. As they got closer, Kael attempted to shoot an arrow to free Lyra from the clutches of Slick.

“AHHHHHHH!”

Kael shouted, somehow managing to shoot an arrow, but the trajectory was completely off.

*Shoooon*Tink*

“AGGHHH! KAEL YOU FUCKING IDIOT. MY LEG!! YOU HIT MY FUCKING LEG!!!! WHAT KIND OF A RANGER ARE YOU TO HIT YOUR WIFE! YOU CAN’T EVEN SAVE ME WHEN I’M IN DANGER?!?!?”

Lyra mana was completely unstable, I sensed her rage and anger as I continued trying to regain my focus. Kael had somehow managed to fire an arrow, but instead of hitting Slick, the arrow landed in Lyra’s leg, causing her to angrily scream vulgar insults towards him.

“I NEVER SHOULD HAVE MARRIED SUCH A USELESS BASTARD SUCH AS YOURSELF. I ALWAYS HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING IN THIS STUPID FUCKING RELATIONSHIP!! “WORLD, BRING FORTH FIRE TO MY PALMS, FORM IT’S---GLArGle AleK…”

*Schreen*

Lyra’s shouting dissipated, turning into a frothy mixture of uncoherent words. While she was trying to form a fire bolt to free herself from the clutches of her captor, Slick had instead sliced her neck clean open. Blood flew outwards in a bubbly and foamy mixture as Lyra struggled to continue completing her incantation. Then, her head floppily fell to the side. Blood continuing to pour out, dying her robe a new vibrant red as Slick released the now limp carcass, dropping her to the forest’s floor.

“Geez ya stupid bitch! Why’ds ya have to yells so louds in my ears??? Just whens I was startings to enjoys myself too…”

As Slick was releasing the body, he carefully removed one of the rings on her finger. He twirled it around in his hands, examining it’s shine in the mid-day light. Then, he excitedly shouted towards his partners at the discovery he had made about the ring-like object.

Oi, Boss! Yous was right about the lady heres!! She was wearing one em thems fancy pocket storage rings all them fancy nobles have! This will sell for at least 1 golden Solara!

Noticing the situation, I felt Kael immediately try to flee once he saw Lyra had been killed. However, I noticed a new stench had entered my nose. The words “Star Frog Poison” came to my mind as I quickly identified the odor.

“Oi, I didn’t says you could runs away dumbass!”

With a flick of his wrist, Slick skillfully threw a dagger coated in star frog poison towards Kael’s head as he was running away.

*Thunk*

“Ahhh, garglg gaagsgs.”

Kael was hit from behind by the dagger. It had impacted his neck with such force, that it pierced right though, pinning him to the trunk of a nearby tree. Saliva began to foam at the mouth as the toxin rapidly spread throughout his body. If I’m quick, I might be able to save him. Hurry, you have to focus Inari!

I tried to form the words for the spell “Cleanse!” in my mind. I was able to focus enough to collect my mana, but when I looked towards Kael, it was already too late.

Pinned to the tree, was Kael’s body. His skin was no longer a pale white, but instead a sickly purple and toxic green colour. Thick, purply blood oozed down the tree’s trunk as the poison had coagulated and distorted his plasma into a grotesque sight.

I wasn’t fast enough.

The toxin of a Star Frog was an incredibly potent tool in any assassin’s arsenal. My mind flashed back to lectures from Lupin explaining the effects it had on it’s victims. The toxin extract from the frog was so potent, it was usually used by skilled adventurers to assist in taking down dragons! Several vials were enough to render an adult dragon completely paralyzed if it entered the blood stream. However, due to it’s somewhat ease of access, and high potency on smaller targets, thieves and assassins often utilized it in their profession to make murdering their victims that much easier.

“No… Kael…”

I managed to cry out, tears rolling down my face. All around me, everything was falling apart. My vision blurred again and I lost the presence of Slick. I could hear footsteps walking towards me. Undoubtably Bandit and Garrick’s coming to finish me off. I tried to think of something, anything to help me.

I scoured my mind though my list of spells. Hundreds of incantations and their effects whizzed through my mind. Illusion? No, can’t focus enough, enemy would also notice. Images? Not enough time. Heal? Temporary, only enough time for one spell. For the first time, I, the always prepared and calculating Inari, had no solution.

I felt despair wondering what would happen to me. But most of all, I felt failure.

“You’re a failure Inari! You’re so useless! You’ll never become an adventurer like you want!

Those memories surfaced again. My fellow beastkin from the village, berating me for being foolish, wanting to become an adventurer. I thought I was stronger now, that I would prove them wrong, but their tormenting laughter’s played out over and over again in my mind.

I was going to die.

My final thoughts weren’t of my parents warm, loving embrace, or Felice and their cheeky antics, but the horrors and disappointments I had continuously faced during my childhood. My mind broke, completely frozen as I waited for these bandits to finish me off. No one was coming to save me.

I’m so sorry Felice, I should have listened to you and stayed at the Tavern. If… If I only I trusted you when you said I should stay, and Lupine, you’ve always been right with your advice, and yet… I…

“Oi, Miss fox?”

Suddenly, I was brought back to reality from a sharp pain on the top of my head. My ears had been aggressively grabbed and yanked upwards, forcing me onto my knees. I had been grabbed by Bandit, and his intimidating body was towering over me.

“I really has to thanks ya, you know? You joining us on this little expiditions really made the whole thing comes together nicely, ya? Since I’m such a generous fellow and all, I’ll do you a favours and make your death quick and painless. Tis the least I can do.”

“Why--*Cough* Why would you do this? Weren’t they… your friends?”

I managed to mutter my question with a weak voice. If I was going to die, I at least wanted to know why this had all happened.

It wouldn’t change my fate, but I still had to ask him.

Bandit grinned as he threw me back onto the ground into a pool a blood, covering my fur and robes in the sticky, tacky substance.

“Heh, wells, if that’s all you want to know, then of course I would be happy to explain.

Ya see lass? We’ve been killin adventurers in Eldermyst for quite some times now. It’s a simple hustle. First, we posts a request with the guild to have some goblins killed. Then, we watch the adventurer’s looking and accepting the requests. We examine them for their stuffs, and pick our targets that are truly worth while!

Killings goblins is easy stuff, and there ain’t a whole lot of good, safe quests for us E ranks in Solara, you hears? The amount of risk and effort to earn a measly 10 silver just isn’t worths it. So, my boys and I hads the idea, why not just kill the newbie adventurer’s that take on these requests?

Lots of them greenhorns starts theirs adventurers with the good ol help from mama and papa. Most will usually have some sorts of rare, or high-quality gear that’s much better being sold in a store, then helping ems out, trying to make a names for themselves!”

Bandit confidently said all this as he walked towards the hobgoblin’s corpse. Then, he removed the steel-short blade still imbedded in it’s throat. Holding the sword, he admired it’s gleam in the hot, summer light, then continued his monologue.

“Takes this swords here from good ol’ Jakey boy ya? Good quality steel, minor enhancement. Sells about 4 silver Solara for 2nd hand… And that tubby lad over there? His plates unsalvageable, but that rucksack he had? Whys, that’s a “Spatial Storage Bag”, each of those easily can fetch 20 silver if you knows the right buyer!”

I tried to interject, focusing, and coughing between words, I asked him my question.

“So, *Cough* It was for… money? Why would you *Cough, Cough* kill your fellow humans for money?”

The mans face turned to a sour tone, almost as if he couldn’t understand why I would ask such a silly question. Then, with a scowl on his face, he continued.

“Life’s rough miss fox. It’s not easy tryings to survive in Solara. In fact, we’ve been having issues lately doing this job. The knights have started to increase their patrols, and that stupid cat at the Paws & Beans tavern almost figureds out our plans during the last hit! I don’t know what’s their deals was, but I swear theys knew my crew was heathens the moment theys saw us! Almost like theys could see right though me, ya hears?

So this was to be our last job before we left for the Kingdom of Colosseum. Lands much better for a bunch of ruffians like us. After all, yous gonna bes the perfect scapegoat for our assault. It ain’t uncommons for new adventurers to get slayn by goblins, but if we was mentoring em, how could an E rank party possibly explain our incompetence in keepin em safes? Wells, this is what we says ya?”

Then, in a mockingly voice, Bandit verbally played out how the story would be told to the attendants at the Solara Adventurer’s Guild Branch upon their return.

“Oh, poor miss adventurer guild mam! Wes truly, trieds our best! But the kids wanted to have a beastkin joins us! Thens, as we watched the fights from behind, it was too lates and too quick! That dirty beastkins slaughtered the whole party before we could even respond and save em!

So alls we coulds do was kill the vermin ourselves and collect their belongings. Oh, if only we had warned em about how savage and ruthless them beastkins are! Surely things would have been better!”

It was horrible. This wasn’t some spontaneous plan put together from bandit low-life’s, but an elaborate highway murder ploy with the beastkin race as the scapegoat. I could hardly believe my ears as the man continued to ramble on about how he was so happy to have a “dirty, stinkin’ fox” help his plan become a reality.

“And sos’, alls we gots ta do now, is kill ya, and turn in the request. Then, wes head on out to sells the loot and enjoy a nice, cozy life betting at the arena in Colosseum!

So thanks you, Inari, for being such a good, little fox.”

Bandit raised his sword to finish me off, my eyes were blinded by the light as it reflected into my pupils. Everything I had worked to achieve, was about to end right here. But just before the blade made contact, I heard rustling and shouting in the distance.

“Oi, Boss, wes gots a lives one overr ere! I Thinks he saws us takes our marks out.”

The sword stopped, inches away from my snout. Small, droplets of blood landed on my nose and face in the process. Following the sound of Slick’s voice, I looked over to my left to see him holding another human, knife already pressed against the neck.

The man was of average build with medium, brown hair. He wore a fancy noble suit which was covered in dirt, twigs, and blood.

Oh no, please, no more victims!

Surprised by this new development, a burst of energy coursed through me as I began examining the new variable in full.

“Huh? Wells leave em there for now, I’ll deals with em later. His clothes, don’t he look like some rich noble’s brat? He might fetch us a nice price.”

I focused my mana and began incantationless casting while the bandits were distracted. Quickly, I cast appraisal on the captive and hurriedly began disseminating the information. But there was a problem.

Everything was… Blurry? I couldn’t make out the words on his status screen! The sections for name, level, and profession were filled with letters I’d never seen before! The status values were numerical, but only appeared as fuzzy text in the holographic box. For skills, everything was covered by a blurry, vail of shimmering light. I had no idea what I was looking at. Letters twisted, turned, and jumped around as I scoured through the appraisal results for anything. Then, my eyes locked onto one specific area.

In the status debuff section, while I couldn’t read the words, I recognized the symbol present alongside the other mysterious characters.

Poison.

He must have been stabbed by Slick and subsequently inflicted with the same “Star Frog Poison!” that killed Kael!

My eyes darted back to Bandit, the man was still distracted, it wouldn’t be long before his attention returned back to me. Quick Inari, if you’re going to die, then put everything you can into helping save this person! No one else needs to suffer!! I want to hel--- No. I will help them!

With renewed resolve, mana coursed through my paws as I began weaving and combining the particles in the tangible plane to the magical signature of the helpless man. Then, putting all of my strength into this final spell, I shouted in my mind as loud as I could:

“Terra, heed my pleas and purify thy body, disperse the toxins within and make thyself clean, Cleanse!”

Power left me as my spell hurled towards the hostage in Slick’s grasps. My vision grew blurry from the massive amount of MP I had transcribed into this spell. I had discarded efficiency for the pure sake of increased potency!

My hearing faded in and out, alongside my sight. Darkness started creeping in along my peripheral vision. With the last of my strength, I uttered the words I had been meaning to say to this mysterious person.

“Please get away… And survive...”