The beast stops its advance, tilting its head to the side, studying the sound, before letting out a blood-curdling roar. Its voice carries across the wilderness, echoing far into the distance, challenging whoever dared disturb its meal. When no answer comes forth, it returns its attention to its intended prey, eying us hungrily for a moment before lunging forth.
Its pounce is cut short. An arrow shoots through the air, impacting its side mid-air, the force of the collision sending it crashing against the nearby tree. Wood splinters and gore explode from the collision point, spraying blood and viscera into the surroundings, drenching the foliage with crimson ichor. The howl of the passing projectile only now reaches my ears. A loud boom shakes the air, followed by a gust of wind that sweeps through the forest.
The twisted, broken body of the monster lies sprawled upon the earth, contorted in unnatural positions. Its innards are spilling forth, leaking from a massive hole where its stomach once used to be, tainting the surrounding landscape with its stench and corruption. Whimpers and mewls of pain escape its parted jaws, accompanied by the gurgles and wheezing of its failing lungs, gasping for air that will never fill them again. Soon, even these pitiful sounds fade away, leaving behind the stillness of death and the quiet of the forest.
Luci and I exchange stunned glances as we stare at each other in bewilderment at the abrupt turn of events. One moment we were facing certain death, with the next, our pursuer slain in an instant. This! This is the strength of a hunter! This is the power we have to obtain! If we don’t want to wind up like that disgusting piece of meat, we need to get strong, fast. Strong enough to protect ourselves, to overcome any challenge life throws at us!
“Oi, you brat! There you are! Finally, found you!” a gruff voice calls out, breaking through my reverie as a stocky man pushes aside the bushes and emerges from the direction where the projectile came from, clad in dark leather armor and a bow hanging loosely from his back. “Glad to see you are still kicking! At least Aelara won’t skin us alive! What, by the Hunt, were you thinking?!”
“Elder Eirian! Oh, thank the Hunt!” A flood of relief washes over me as I see the familiar figure of the veteran hunter. My eyes well up with tears and I struggle to stop them from flowing out as my body is racked with sobs. It takes all my willpower not to collapse from sheer joy and gratitude. “Thank you! You saved us!”
The older elf approaches us with confident, unhurried steps, a scowl on his face as he shakes his head in disapproval. “Now, now! It’s unbecoming of a huntress to bawl like a baby!“ A stern frown creases his brow. “Come here, girl, wipe your eyes, and face me with pride befitting your station!”
His rebuke brings forth a fresh torrent of emotions that threatens to overflow from my chest, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut to stem the tide. My breath catches in my throat and my hands clench into fists at my side. I steady myself, swallowing hard to suppress the lump in my throat. “Yes, Elder.”
His sharp gaze roams over my frame, appraising my state, before he turns his attention to my companion. “And why is there a foreigner here with you?!”. He raises a finger accusingly, pointing straight at Lucienne, his expression filled with anger and distrust.
“She saved my life!” My answer comes without a second thought as I hurriedly step forward, placing myself between the elf and the rabbit girl, shielding her from his accusations. “If not for her help, I wouldn’t be standing here! Without her, the invaders... The invaders! We have to warn the tribe!“
“Invaders? This deep into Silverwood Clusters? Impossible! We would have known if any of the border tribes had been attacked!” He cuts in, dismissing my claims as baseless nonsense. “You must be mistaken, child.”
“I saw them myself, with my very eyes, elder!” I insist on the truth, refusing to back down despite his doubts. “Hundreds of them, marching through our lands, armed for war!”
“Hundreds? Hahaha! What are they hoping to achieve with that tiny force? Even if their aim was Elziheir, our warriors could easily defeat them by themselves, much less with the help of other tribes’ hunters!” The hunter barks a laugh, slapping his belly heartily as he shakes his head. “Next time you try to pull my leg, make sure your story makes sense first! Armed for war? Hahaha! Did they wear heavy plates in the forest?”
Is he right? An army of that size couldn’t possibly pose a threat to any of the great tribes of our region. But even then, those men felt... wrong, somehow. And the way they talked was bizarre, to say the least. If only... No! Something about the whole incident felt extremely sinister to me. Besides the rabbit, that is.
But with a sigh, I resign myself to concede the argument, letting the subject drop for the time being, knowing my word holds little weight with the esteemed elf before me. I will try to convince my parents instead. At least they are more likely to trust me. “You are correct, Elder. Forgive me.”
“Hmmph! Better,” the man huffs with satisfaction at my capitulation before turning his attention to my companion, narrowing his eyes in displeasure. “But back to the original issue: What is this stranger doing here? You say she saved you from those ‘invaders’?”
“Yes. I encountered that army marching through the woods at night and tried to run away, but a group split off from the main host and chased me down.“ A shudder goes through me as the memory replays in my head and causes my heart to race once more. “I fainted on the precipice of death... The next thing I remember is Luci healing my injuries. The only things left of my assailants were pools of blood and the wooden masks they used to wear.”
His countenance immediately changes from casual skepticism to one of alertness as soon as my explanation concludes. “Masks? Are you sure of that? They weren’t anything unusual, were they? Please, recount everything you can recall in detail!” The piercing glare he directs at me causes me to shrink back, intimidated by his sudden intensity. “Leave nothing out!”
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My mind flashes back to that harrowing night as my recollections pour forth in full clarity, rushing through my thoughts in a flurry of images and sounds. Lucienne listens to my tale quietly while the veteran elf frowns and mutters to himself in thought.
“That does it then. Your little excursion ends right now!” A muscular hand grabs me by the nape of my neck, lifting me clean off my feet in one smooth motion before throwing me bodily over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Luci joins me on the other side of his head with a loud yelp as she also gets hauled up with a similar disregard for dignity and decorum.
“What are you doing, you brute?!”
“Elder, please! Put us down!”
We squirm and scream, but our protests are cut off by the whistling winds buffeting our bodies and the pounding of our hearts, the adrenaline flooding our veins in response to the unexpected acceleration as the high-level hunter unleashes his top speed, leaving a trail of dust in our wake. Every step sends a shockwave of tremors through the ground below, like tiny earthquakes vibrating the earth in succession, tearing through the grassy fields, and shredding the soil underneath with the force of its movements.
To anyone unfortunate enough to encounter him, he would appear no different from an avalanche racing towards them: unstoppable, terrifying, destructive. Yet we can only helplessly watch as the world blurs past us with dizzying speed, blending into a myriad of colors that surround and envelop us on all sides, transforming the scenery into an abstract painting. Within minutes, our village walls loom before us and he is forced to slow down lest he crash into it like a catapult boulder.
Once on solid ground, my stomach twists into knots and my chest tightens painfully as I fight to stay upright, struggling to keep myself from doubling over and vomiting everywhere. The nausea intensifies when I spot more than a few fellow elves craning their necks from nearby, witnessing my shameful display, eliciting snickers and mocking glances among them.
“FAELON! ORION!” Eirian’s booming shout echoes throughout the settlement, ringing out clear amidst the clamor and activity of daily life. Every pair of ears within range perk up at the mention of names and heads turn in curiosity toward the source of commotion, drawn to him instinctively. “GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!”
I spot my father’s figure walking towards us with purposeful strides, the look of concern on his face giving way to a smile as he lays eyes on me before switching to puzzlement upon seeing my companion and then back to concern as his gaze locks onto elder’s somber expression. My mother follows closely behind with an angry scowl on her features, glaring daggers at me and ready to chew my ears off. I think I may have preferred facing that monster in the woods after all.
“Thank you for finding her, Eirian. Thank you.” My father sighs with relief, lowering his head respectfully towards the imposing warrior.
“Thank you, Eirian.” My mother repeats, her tone more restrained but no less appreciative, before turning to face me, “I swear to the Hunt, Alice, you will be lucky to leave the tribe ever again after this!”
“There will be time for this later, Aelara. Where is Orion?” The old hunter interrupts her admonishment impatiently, gesturing at her to quiet down.
“Still out, looking for her,” father answers, nodding in the direction of the gates. “Should be back shortly.”
Eirian clicks his tongue in frustration and lets out an audible sigh. “Fine. You, tell your father what you told me, word for word.” He instructs me before adding to my parents, “You better sit down for this one.”
“As for you, we are going back there. You will lead me to the place of battle,” he says to Luci, who is still held hostage in his grip like some kind of prized hunting trophy.
Her ears shoot straight up on her head upon hearing that demand and she sends me a pleading glance, but before I can even respond, they are already a blur of motion vanishing into the distance as the hunter begins another run towards our former hiding place.
----------------------------------------
I’m sitting on the floor, completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, from the past day’s events. The fatigue is catching up to me at long last, as all the fear and excitement that has kept me going during this entire ordeal releases its hold on my body. It’s taking everything I have just to stay awake while my muscles burn and tremble from overexertion, begging for rest.
My father paces back and forth, mumbling under his breath while rubbing his temple. Mother has muttered something about preparations and disappeared somewhere, without even giving me an earful like I deserve. The invaders seem to be a big deal after all, but then why aren’t we sounding the alarm, gathering all the hunters, and preparing to defend the city? Aren’t we in danger of attack?!
An eternity later, or so it seems to me, the gate opens wide as another search party returns, with Orion leading the way. Father approaches the group and starts talking with them in hushed voices, glancing occasionally toward me with a worried look. Something about their conversation upsets him as he frowns and grimaces, growing more frustrated by the second. The priest pales considerably and mouths incantations silently under his breath, making vague gestures toward the skies while mouthing silent prayers to the Hunt.
I frown, unable to make heads or tails of the discussion, yet strangely bothered by the lack of inclusion on my part. Come on! I’m an adult too now, aren’t I? And it was me that found out about those guys, after all! That deserves some recognition! Right? Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?
A few seconds later, it all falls apart as the two men embrace each other and father starts openly sobbing into Orion’s shoulders while the latter pats his back comfortingly. Afterward, my dad approaches me, wrapping his arms around me in a bone-crushing bear hug and refusing to let go even when my lungs threaten to burst. His emotions get the better of him as tears fall from his eyes, wetting my hair while he struggles to speak through his trembling lips.
In my eighteen years of existence, I have never witnessed him cry once. It terrifies me to see him break down so thoroughly before my eyes, cracking my mental barriers like an eggshell smashed against stone, threatening to send me spiraling into an utter panic at any given moment. All my prior complaints disappear, replaced by worry and fear, worming their way into my chest, gnawing at my insides with icy claws.
Eventually, he gathers enough courage to lift his gaze to meet mine and begins talking to me in a shaky, hoarse voice, “Alice, you are going to be alright, I promise.” His lips quiver at the edges as he struggles to maintain a smile. “No matter what happens, we will always love you.”
The sincerity with which he utters those words drives me over the edge and causes my heart to skip a beat when realization dawns upon me—this is farewell. I freeze in place, feeling my muscles tighten and my body go rigid with shock as the implications sink in. No, no, nononoNO!!
“Dad, what is happening?” My voice trembles as I desperately try to hold back tears, anticipating his answer with dread. “Tell me what is it. Please! Is it the invaders?”
He looks at me in silence for a second, biting his lower lip, considering how to reply before answering with a long, defeated sigh. “Alice, you can’t call them invaders anymore.”. With a shake of his head, he averts his gaze from mine, staring into the distance, before continuing in a voice laden with sadness. “They are divine retribution.”