Author’s note: Slightly experimental writing style, as the prologue is coming to an end, folks! Next chapter will be Larissa’s POV. Yes, I plan to occasionally switch it up.
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A few minutes passed, ever since Larissa left to get Dylis. Reynald didn’t feel anything: no stomach pain, no indigestion, as he was already used to eating worse food. Even with the amount he ate, it wasn’t enough to satisfy his hunger. He ate more: He began to eat from the corpse, after cooking it rare on the grill. It wasn’t hard to cook on the grill, as he had experience with cooking in campfires already.
After more than half of the corpse’s meat was in Reynald’s stomach. Only then, Larissa walked back inside of the room. “…Dylis said it’s common for you…to…eat…anything…” Larissa said in shock as she stared at the corpse. Only a few seconds later, she recovered from the shock. The shock of witnessing Reynald’s shocking eating speed. “You could’ve at least waited for me, idiot.” She mumbled, before hitting Reynald on the head.
“Sorry, I got caught up.” Reynald replied, rubbing the sore spot on his head. “The meat was tasty, though. I might come over here to use the grill from now on. Better than the campfire, that’s for sure.” He said with a laugh as he was about to take another bite on the rare steak he made…
But moments before he took the bite, Larissa bit the steak piece Reynald held on. “Hmm…you’re not half bad with the grill, considering you never used it. Either way, father is going to get mad when he gets back home.” She added with a small sigh as she crossed her arms deep In thought.
“Why?” Reynald replied as he took another bite on his own meal, ignorant of the issue.
“Simple! The deer is only enough for the two of us, and it’s dangerous to go out hunting during night.” She said, taking another, small bite of the cooked meat, already thinking up on an excuse.
“…What about the great wolf corpse, from yesterday, Larissa? I think that wolf was enough to feed a dozen of people? It can’t be gone from day to night.” He said as he took the last bite on his own meal.
Larissa’s eyes instantly brightened up at Reynald’s words, almost as if it gave all information she needed. “Good idea! It’s probably in the basement, let’s go!” She said, grabbing her friend’s hand and dragging him across the house, downstairs to where the basement was.
She had a small, bad feeling, but shook it off. She just needed to cook the great wolf until nobody could recognize it and then her father wouldn’t even figure out that she entered in a place she wasn’t allowed in: the basement, where Leonard stored the more…powerful relics found in his old adventures. Larissa couldn’t figure out why the wolf corpse was there, but it couldn’t be as dangerous as a book about necromancy. Yet there was a feeling… a feeling in the back of Larissa’s mind, warning her that it was a bad idea.
Soon they arrived in the room where the wolf corpse was stored, currently at the center of a circle made out of symbols. The wolf itself, even when dead, was still just as intimidating. It was hard to pinpoint the unsettling feeling…but it was almost as if the wolf was still alive. Almost as if it could spring to life at any moment. Surrounding the circle, there were purple candles lightning up the room.
“…Are you sure it is a good idea to go over here, Larissa? I’m getting a bad feeling about it…” Yet before Reynald could finish his sentence, Larissa already walked closer to the wolf corpse, stepping inside of the seal. As soon as she set a single foot inside, a black mist came out of the wolf as the candles’ fire suddenly disappeared, almost as if they were blown by a gust of wind.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Only because Larissa had reflexes trained thorough the years that she was able to react to it, instantly jumping back outside. A small part of the black mist managed to touch her leg, before she managed to step back, and the rest of the mist slammed down against the edge of the circle. As soon as the mist attempted to get out of the seal, the circle brightened up, forcing it back inside of the corpse. Only after a few seconds, the candles slowly re-ignited again.
That small ‘surprise’ was more than enough to scare Larissa out of her wits, especially the aftermath of it, as Larissa took deep breaths to recover herself….slowly leaning onto Reynald’s arm. “L-let’s get out of here…bad idea…it was a bad idea to come over…” She said, staring at the great wolf.
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Meanwhile, at the training grounds of the village, where new knights are trained, there were two cloaked figures standing, one facing each other.
“…So? What happened to that meal? Don’t tell me you’ve ate it all already.” A questioning, stern voice said, the bigger of the two men in robes, carrying a two-handed sword on his back. One could feel the pressure exuding from his body, his voice. A man who can shake the mountains itself.
“Don’t joke with me. We both know what that was. Far from edible. Far from something I’d ever wish to touch... that thing is not a beast. That thing is a monster.” In a calm, yet somewhat cold voice, the other man replied. Almost as if he could bring an ice age to this world, his voice contained an incomparable focus, as if his thoughts never strayed from the subject, even for a second. Unlike the former, this one held a bow alongside a quiver.
“Yes. So? You’re going to say all that bullshit about the seal breaking” swordsman said as he reached for his sword handle. “There is no danger. At least, no danger a good sword-slashing can’t deal with.” He said, with a small smirk.
“...No. We’re leaving to the capital, tomorrow morning. The sooner we go, the safer she’ll be.” The archer said, mumbling under his own breath these words as if he regretted his own decision. Yet…it was for the best. For the best of everybody involved, at least in his mind.
“One month. Give me one month before you do anything, one month for all of our hardships together. ” The bulky man said, as if there was no concern on the issue raised in this small meeting. Nay, he knew everything was under his control, at least for now.
“…You better do something good during this time, Asura.” The archer said, as he turned back to leave. Even if he wanted to change the plans, it was hard to talk down the swordsman. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but my child’s future rests on you: you can’t screw up this time.”
Yet...the other man only stood in the training grounds, not leaving yet. Only when he was sure the archer left his earshot, he spoke up, mostly to himself. “I have my own plans… I’m tired of you running wherever that sort of stuff is involved. Nor do I plan for somebody to not achieve their potential.”
A few minutes later, Leonard arrived back at his home...only to see Larissa and Reynald chatting on the couch, casually. “So, I’m glad Arnold is okay!” Larissa said, with a weak laugh.
“Yes, it really scared me as well.” Reynald replied, almost as if the incident from before, involving the great wolf’s corpse, never happened. It was for the best as nobody wanted to get in the bad side of the chief archer. And above all, Reynald wouldn’t be allowed to visit Larissa again, if the truth was discovered.
“…So, where is the dinner?” Leonard said….only to make the two teenagers pale, remembering the issue they wanted to fix earlier.