A hatefully familiar stench rips me out of the murk of oblivion, dragging me kicking and screaming straight into a realm of pain. And by the Hunt, it hurts! IT HURTS! It hurts so bad! Make it stop!
A slimy, slippery, putrid monstrosity forces its way into my mouth as I open it in a scream of agony, sliding down my throat as a firm hand holding my jaw shut blocks its only other exit. It writhes within my esophagus and squirms down to my stomach with reckless abandon, as if alive and conscious of its intentions, eager to fulfill the dreadful task assigned to it by the creator. Only when it settles in my belly does the palm relinquish its hold on me, allowing my lungs to eagerly breathe in the fresh air.
Tears flow freely from my eyes while I wheeze in shuddering breaths. Each one an additional source of torture to my body as they travel down my cheeks, aggravating the countless scrapes and scratches marking my skin. Every twitch, every motion, no matter how slight, causes a wave of suffering to crash into me, battering the edges of my sanity with a storm of unending torment.
What happened to me? Where am I? Who did this to me? My memory is blurry, my recollections distorted and warped by the fog of trauma engulfing my thoughts. How did I end up in this nightmare? Why does it hurt so... No, wait, huh? Why is the pain gone? I snap my eyes wide open as the haze lifts, my vision focusing on the face of my tormentor leaning above me. His amber irises sparkle in the moonlight, regarding me with amusement, a tiny smirk playing on his lips just asking for—
No, calm down Alice. You will not send a fireball at your brother’s stupid mug, tempting as that might be. Deep breaths.
Okay, everything is fine, no need to panic. Let’s take stock of my situation. My whole body feels numb and if I had to guess, whatever he force-fed me is the reason behind it. Good news, though, that salve has eased the agony plaguing me previously. I should probably stop ignoring him too, since he has been talking at me for a while now. Or I think he did. Not like I heard anything.
Actually... I still can’t make out what he is saying. No, not a single sound reaches me. When I strain my senses as much as I possibly can, there is some form of white noise tickling my eardrums, but nothing comprehensible. My hands return bloodied when I wipe my ears with them, hoping to clean out whatever might have obstructed my hearing. Panicked, I shoot him a pleading look and his lips come to a halt at once, while he shakes his head at me in frustration before pointing somewhere behind me. With great difficulty, I turn my head to follow the gesture and immediately wish I hadn’t.
Among the corpses of the three howlers lay the motionless figures of our companions, sprawled upon the grass like discarded playthings abandoned by an uncaring child. Legs twisted in unnatural angles, arms bent backward at gruesome contortions, skin painted red with blood oozing out of numerous gashes marring their battered bodies. Are they still alive?
But amid the carnage reigning over this site of desolation, none can compare in horror to the sight of my mother in the distance, facing off against what I am only able to describe as the darkness come to life. An inky black creature that, even under the silver glow of the full moon, refuses to yield any of its details, as if it rejects the existence of light entirely.
And yet, the more I focus on it, the more it resembles a colossal, hulking wolf, towering over her like a mountain looms over the hillside, its massive form bristling with fury and ready to strike. The image distorts, changes, and morphs before my eyes with each moment that passes, only to return to its previous incarnation as if to mock me for even trying to perceive what I am not worthy of seeing. The beast ripples, shifts, and emanates waves of hunger and malice so potent, that they sear my very soul to the core of my existence.
It takes all my willpower to not fall to my knees in worship in front of this divine messenger sent down upon us mortals, to not prostrate myself before it and present my insignificant life as a sacrifice. Oh, the sweet temptation of forgiveness if only I submit and offer my body, mind, and soul in surrender! My lord has given us this chance to atone for our sins! It would be so easy to accept, to welcome the loving embrace of repentance and redemption. I crave to be enveloped by its majestic claws. For them to descend on me and end this painful existence.
No! In defiance, my clenched fists strike the dirt as I push myself upright, glaring at the monster with indignation and fury. I will not roll over and die on your whim! You have brought us enough suffering already, damn you!
Something slimy lands on my palm and as I look down, I know what I have to do. The world spins around me as I rise to my feet; the night swirling before my eyes like paint thrown against the canvas of existence. A jolt of nausea rushes through me and I can feel bile threatening to rush up my throat, but I choke it back with gritted teeth as I step forward and steady myself. This is no time for weakness! This is no time for despair!
Forcing myself to avert my gaze from the battle of titans in front of me, I stumble toward the nearest fallen figure, hoping against hope it isn‘t already too late. Although I don’t feel the pain, there is a stiffness in my joints that makes moving my arms and legs difficult. When the numbing salve eventually wears off, I’m gonna be in for a world of hurt, ain’t I?
Still, I make it to my destination and peer down at the battered, unconscious form of my friend. Slumping to the ground next to her, I search for any signs of breathing. A gentlest of breezes caresses my hand, so faint it threatens to cease at any moment, but it is there all the same — she is alive!
With great care, I maneuver my arms under Aria and pull her up into my lap, doing my best to avoid aggravating her wounds, though it proves near impossible as every nook and cranny of her skin is covered in bloody scratches. When her eyes flutter open ever so briefly to look up at me, I almost drop her in surprise, but manage to maintain my hold despite the unexpected reaction. She stares through me, unable to focus on any object for more than a briefest of moments before they close once more and her head lolls back into my elbow.
Oh no, you don’t. There will be none of this dying on me, not on my watch. Come on, unseal your lips and let it in already. Don’t fight it! Stop trying to vomit it out! It will make you better, damn it! Argh, why is this so hard?! Okay, this won’t work. I have to give up on the peaceful approach and resort to the most basic of tactics. With one hand prying Aria’s mouth open, I use the other to push the slippery medicine down her throat, sending it into her stomach by force.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Now comes the worst part — the waiting. One... two... three... How long until it works? Four... five... six... Was I too late? Did I administer it incorrectly? Seven... eight... nine... What have I done wrong? Ten... eleven... twelve... Is she even alive anymore? I can’t feel her breath. Thirteen... fourteen... fifteen... Please don’t do this to me. Sixteen... seventeen... eighteen... Just breathe. Nineteen... twe— She coughs violently, covering my face with a disgusting mixture of bile, saliva, and bits of slime from that horrid concoction. Ugh, yuck... On the bright side, you’re still with me, pal.
Her body shudders in my arms while her lungs struggle for oxygen as her breathing regains its rhythm, becoming less frantic with each passing moment. She stirs restlessly while grimaces of pain spread across her face while the pain-killer gradually kicks in. Ever so slowly, the tension in her muscles vanishes as her features relax once more before her eyelids fly open in one sudden motion as her azure irises lock onto me. A myriad of emotions passes through them like a whirlwind as they pierce through me, seeking answers to all her unspoken questions.
I offer her a reassuring smile, attempting to project confidence and stability, despite the abyss of despair looming over me and threatening to swallow me whole the moment I dare take my mind off the task at hand. But now is not the time for weakness. There will be plenty of it once the crisis has been averted.
As much as I hate to leave her side, she is no longer in mortal danger, and every second I waste on idling risks jeopardizing the lives of those who cannot hold out as long. After getting up and helping, forcing really, Aria to her feet as well, I search for Nael amid the battlefield, while she seems to be going through an inner crisis of her own.
The reason for it becomes apparent as soon as my gaze passes over the scene of devastation behind us, where our guardians keep the monstrous entity at bay. What was previously an ordinary patch of the forest has been torn to shreds, crushed, and utterly ravaged in the wake of the ongoing confrontation.
Gargantuan, centuries-old trees have been reduced to mulch scattered among splintered remains of their once proud frames; the earth ripped apart under the brutal assault of colossal paws, filling the air with an overwhelming stench of rotting vegetation which I mistook for the foul smell of the salve earlier.
The fight itself is a blur of movement and confusion as the participants flash in and out of existence, sparks of light streaking through the gloom as metal meets the claws, the only evidence of the dance being enacted on this stage of annihilation. Only the figure of Elder Rani appears occasionally between us and the spectacle to summon more walls of roots and vines, working to prevent the combat from spilling over to our location.
Seeing her father in the midst of a deadly skirmish seems to snap Aria out of her stupor, and with a glance my way and a curt nod, she confirms she is still with me. Our movements are clumsy and we are unsteady on our feet, but we don’t have a choice as we wobble over to Nael, who is tending to Eumelia. The younger twin appears to be in much worse shape than her sister, arms twisted and bent at an odd angle, blood seeping from several deep cuts all over her body.
He glances at us with obvious relief clear in his expression as he motions toward the medical satchel lying beside him. Needing no prompting, I rummage through it to produce additional glob of the disgusting slime, before shuffling off to find another patient, while Aria stays by his side, helping him with the treatment of her sister.
My mood takes a sharp dive into the negative as soon as I approach the next unfortunate victim. Compared to this one, the twins were downright lucky. Eurander’s head is twisted backward at a grotesque angle as he stares into the abyss with blank, unseeing eyes. We were never the best of friends, but it doesn’t change how gut-wrenching this discovery is to me. If I could at least stop and have a proper goodbye, ask our Lord to guide his soul to the hunting plains in the afterlife... But I’m not able to spare even that much time. Every wasted second may condemn more of the people here to share the same fate.
As I stumble toward yet another casualty of this calamity, mouthing a silent prayer to the First Hunter for Eurander, I can’t help but wonder — would our God even let us enter Its holy grounds? Is death enough to cleanse us of our sins, or is it doomed to be judged a failure because the fault is mine to begin with, and not my peers’? Will they never get the chance to cross over to the land beyond, so long as I live?
This latest corpse is barely recognizable under the layers of dirt, mud, dried blood coating the purple skin and shattered bones protruding from the ribcage. Only the telltale golden strands of hair poking through the filth, so rare among us high elves, allow me to determine the identity of the deceased. Siar’s lifeless sapphire eyes stare into the skies above as a pool of crimson spreads from the gaping wound in his throat, but they reflect nothing but the endless emptiness of oblivion. “May your soul find solace in the eternal hunt, my friend...“ I mutter as I walk away.
Next to the body of one of the howlers, I finally discover someone who can still benefit from my assistance. I kneel by Kuleigh‘s side to inspect the extent of damage to his condition and almost scream in outrage when my analysis comes to its conclusion. Nothing! NOTHING AT ALL! That bastard always had more luck than brains and even now, he appears unscathed by this calamity. No, calm down. A helper is precisely what I need at present.
Putting a drop of the disgusting slug paste under his nose is all the effort it takes to rouse him from unconsciousness. He blinks with bleary eyes, trying to figure out what exactly is happening. Contrary to his nearly pristine appearance, it seems that he, too, wasn’t spared from the deafening howl that caused this chaos. Literally deafening actually, as neither he nor I have any semblance of hearing whatsoever. This makes explaining our plan of action difficult, but with enough pantomime, even that oaf manages to grasp the concept of what he needs to do.
With a partner capable of running, the search for living members of our expedition becomes much simpler as Kuleigh shoulders most of the weight. Of the five remaining elves that set off from Elziheir together with us, only two of them survived, and even those are in rough shape. While Enril’s injuries appear mostly superficial and non-threatening, Alder’s legs are broken, resulting in our only scout becoming incapacitated for the immediate future.
Out of our group of twelve who were forced to flee from our ancestral home, five have already perished tonight. Nearly half dead without our enemy needing a direct attack, just the announcement of the engagement was sufficient to break us. For how long can we keep going? What are we even supposed to do now?
My mother, Elder Rani, and Mica are still nothing more than a blur of movement to our eyes while they attempt to protect the rest of us with their lives on the line. Despite this, one thing is certain — they are being pushed back, inch by inch, while the eldritch creature presses its position with relentless assaults. Any mistakes on their part may lead to death for everyone else here. We can’t just stand and wait to die.
I look at Nael and see the understanding in his eyes. He knows what needs to be done. We honor the sacred tradition of our clan, exactly as our mother explained. There will be no useless heroic sacrifices here. This is the Hunt and we are the prey. And the prey runs!
Together, we assemble everyone on their feet, doing our best to ignore the injuries, while Kuleigh rushes around, gathering our packs and whatever other belongings might be of use to us. A final check on our gear to ensure that we have everything we require goes by in a whirlwind of activity. Yes, it’s all here!
Except... Oh, how could I… Lucienne!!!