Getting down the mountain was in fact not easier than getting up. Thirty minutes later, and almost falling off cliffs twice, I’ve made it to the bottom with only minor scrapes and bumps. I check on my shoulder, still gnarled but getting better. Only problem is the bleeding stopped, well might be a problem. I don’t know the exact point a wound like this goes from heal-able to permanent injury. I know with Alex's leg it was pretty quick but that was also because I did a patch job on it that was basically half assed so we could get moving. I’ve only got about seven hundred mana on me currently, so I want to save up some more before trying to finish off the healing process. In the meantime, I have to decide where I want to go next. I don’t think stopping here is a good idea, all they have to do is cross over the top of the mountain in that fancy airship of theirs and they could be up my ass again. I’m probably going to follow this valley for a little while, but left or right is the question. Eh, screw it, left it is.
This forest is just as quaint as the last one, birds chirping and flying about, the sounds of various animals off moving about, the sounds of some animal screaming bloody murder as it gets torn to shreds in the distance. You know, regular magical forest stuff. I wish I knew what direction I’ve been going in. I remember someone saying something about east, but I don’t know if that is accurate or not. That was before and now I’ve turned left so now maybe north, or north east? Knowing my luck I’m currently heading south west, oh well, better than having the maxed out murder goons chasing me.
Then as if to confirm my thoughts, the sound of a large explosion echoes over the mountain top behind me. I guess they decided to start blasting the place once they couldn't find a corpse. Hopefully they don’t decide to check over here as well. I plan to be long gone by the time they do anyway.
My stroll through the forest is peaceful as it could possibly be for the next hour. Finally my mana is high enough that I think I can finish fixing my shoulder in one go, if not then get extremely close. I wander off track for a little bit looking for a good place to hold up while I heal. It’s going to take a lot of my concentration so I definitely don’t want to be sitting out in the open with my ass hanging out while doing it. After a few minutes of searching I find a nice group of trees that are close together, creating a nice little area that is partially shielded from the rest of the forest. I’ll do my work here, probably the best I’ll find unless I want to look for the rest of the day. I sit down against the tree, and then the mental exhaustion all hits me at once. I guess one of the nice things about this body is that it's not physically tired easily. But mentally I'm drained, all the shit that's happened today is finally catching up with me. I close my eyes and concentrate on healing my shoulder, as much as I can with the weight of impending doom weighing down on my mind. To say I got lucky is an understatement, that stupid lizard should have turned me into paste about a thousand times back there. After a little over a minute I run out of Mana, but my shoulder seems to be mostly fixed, I can actually somewhat move it again. I think there's some permanent damage there because I didn't do it all-in-one run. But honestly I'm just happy to have some semblance of a working arm, I can fix the rest later.
I lay my head back against the tree and let out a huff. But before I can start my own musings up in my head again I feel… something. It doesn't feel like I'm being watched, nor does it feel like there's something ominously dangerous nearby, like what I felt with lizard man. It's like a muted presence, and as quickly as I felt that it was gone. A bit freaked out, I stand up and quickly look around, that was definitely something, but I can't hear or see anything nearby. It could be hiding, but everything feels too normal again. I decided to keep my guard up, and start walking again. Except now I'm keeping a closer eye on my surroundings. After a minute nothing seems to happen, everything seems fine, the birds are still chirping, screaming in the distance of something getting eaten. Despite that something just feels wrong. I'm starting to question whether I actually felt that or not, when a stick snaps off to my left. I whip my head around and laser focus on where the sound came from, behind a nearby tree. Maybe I'm not crazy after all, but I sure as hell don't want to fight anything in my current condition. My left arm may be working but not very well, and I don't think it would be able to hold up if a monster chowed down on it. After what feels like an hour of nothing happening ,I decide to approach the tree and check behind it. Slowly and as quietly as I can I make my way over till I'm right on top of the tree. Then I carefully peer around the other side. There is nothing, except for a broken stick on the ground.
Great, now I feel like one of those Skyrim NPCs, must have been the wind. Except for I don't have an arrow sticking out of my forehead, and hopefully won't get one. I carefully scan my surroundings again just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Everything still seems as normal, nothing is visibly disturbed and I don't hear anything. I keep my guard up and continue walking along. After a few minutes of everything seeming normal I start to relax again. Then I hear it, the tiniest little noise, covered by the sounds of the forest, but undoubtedly there.
"Tehe"
I stop, the moment I heard it the sound seemingly disappeared. Was that a laugh? Something's definitely wrong, first times a one off, second times a coincidence, third time something is definitely fucking with me. I pick up my pace and keep my guard up, making sure to carefully scan my surroundings for any hint of trouble. At first there's nothing, then a flash of movement across my peripheral vision. A black blur shoots from one tree to another, and seemingly disappears behind the second tree. I'm sufficiently freaked by this point and having none of it, so I turn and break into a run. Then I hear it once again, that little laugh, louder this time and undoubtedly close. I look off to my left and see another blur flashed between two trees, but failed to reappear after the second one. Then I hear noises off to my right the sounds of something stomping as if it's running along next to me. I look over and there's nothing, just the trees whizzing by. Wonderful, it's probably faster than me too! So much for outrunning it, hopefully it's speed based and doesn't have much strength.
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Fuck this, I didn't come this far just become some stupid monsters lunch because I'm injured. I throw on the brakes and stop as fast as I can, then look around in the area where I last heard movement. There's nothing there, but I didn't expect there to be. I turn around and watch the other direction, but again there's nothing there. The only noise present is a light breeze rustling the leaves. Then the laughing starts. Round and round it spins slowly, getting louder and moving faster with each rotation around me. Until suddenly it stops, and an eerie silence overtakes the forest.
For a few moments nothing happens, then something slaps me on my ass and laughs. I spin around flailing my one good arm in shock and surprise. That wasn't an attack, that was just a literal spanking, what the fuck! I quickly realized that what ever just did that isn't there anymore. OK I'm a bit concerned and disgusted, like what the hell? Of course this thing decides to attack me when I'm out of mana, but sexually harass me? Is half the shit in this world perverted or something?
"That slap was your cue to giddy up and run, you know like a squakler." The voice from the laughter says off to my close left.
I immediately swing, but find nothing but air where the sound came from.
"Aw come on, you were so much fun to play with up until a moment ago." The voice says from seemingly nowhere in particular.
I stay silent, and scan my surroundings. No sign or trace of anything aside from forest in my surroundings, come on there has to be something. Stuff can't just disappear without any indication, then again magic is a thing here. I grit my teeth and keep myself moving, ready to dodge or attack when the need arises.
"Hmm, so you want to stay and play like that? OK, but don't say I didn't warn you." The voice says in a cheery tone.
Before I can react something slashes me deep across my cheek from the side. I flinch and stagger back from the unexpected blow. Before I can recover a second strike comes in from behind and runs down the entirety of my right leg, biting deep and to the bone. Instantly it started to burn, worse than simply getting stabbed, a debilitating burn that brings me to my knees. The pain, the fucking pain is unbearable!
Health: 260/650 (784)
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Poison: ?
That took most of my health in one swing, what the fuck!? This clearly isn’t some two bit monster, but what the….. Oh god, she’s from the hunters isn’t she?! She must have followed me over the mountain! God damn it, no wonder they weren’t chasing me! And that burn, she fucking poisoned me too!
I try to stand back up but the pain is too much and I end up collapsing back to the ground. This is bad, very bad, fuck me I’m gonna die. Not like this, I don’t want to die here. I start trying to crawl away, but my pathetic attempts don’t get very far before a black boot stomps down on my hand hard, causing me to scream.
Pheobe (????)
Pensively I look up, in front of me is a woman in all black garb, the only defining features I can make out of her figure are cat ears and a tail.
“Unlike that idiot of an adventurer I’m going to just get this over with, since you have a penchant for escaping. Maybe I’ll go stab him once I’m done here.”
She reaches down and yanks me up by my hair, I try to pull free but I’m powerless versus her strength. She pulls me up and puts a dagger to my throat.
“Any last words before you meet the great nine?”
"Please no, I don't wan ghuu!" I pleaded as she slit my throat.
My throat burns with the same pain as my leg and then some. I feel a warm liquid run down my throat and into my lungs as I drown on my own blood, gasping and rasping for air all the while. The world starts to spin as I hit the ground.
"Boring! And cliche, and to think you were fun at the beginning."
As I lay there choking on my own blood while what feels like a thousand sun's burn away my throat, my life flashes before my eyes. Fuck this world, fuck this gender bent bullshit, and fuck these people!
"Fugk hou, fakg gus world ang fuk guuh gengur beng buuhhgggg." My distorted words taper off into a gargle as blood continues to pour into my lungs.
No mana, no health, no means of resistance, the grim reality finally sinks in as a sort of dark peace.
Health: 30/650 (784)
With one last gurgled attempt for air my world goes black, and my concessions fades away.