Halfway down the crumbling, flimsy excuse of a stairway to the dungeon, stood the three Arrowaltz hunters. They had narrowing eyes and faces, which had seen more than they would’ve liked to. But never anything quite like this. The big hunter in red--on whose back the copper hunting cannon and the slimy black carcass of The Thing hung--wielded a rusty revolver, pointing it at Adria’s forehead. Even though he had taken the weakest weapon in his arsenal, it was still overkill, Adria was certain. A well-timed angry stare could make her join Martin’s kind.

Under any circumstance, she couldn’t let them know that.

Fighting the pain, she stood like she another ten Things would be something to scoff at, and kept up the facade when the hunter in red began speaking.

“Listen, keep your energy and don’t speak anymore, okay? Move over, now.”

Adria kicked the ground.

“I spent all night hunting these filthy creatures,” she growled. “I’m not giving it away like that.”

The hunter in red laughed, nodding at the fellow Arrowaltz.

“You don’t have much of a choice, do you?”

The white coat. He stood by the hunter in red, and whilst the big man spoke, the coat stared intently at Adria. She didn’t even blink at the looks and the threats. She surely wouldn’t budge. The standstill dragged on and heated up the dungeon, and the white coat finally broke his stare: he stepped ahead, pushing the hunter in red back. Adria’s heartbeat picked up. She fought the urge to flinch as the white coat adjusted a pair of round glasses. He fixed his hair. His perfectly kept blonde hair.

“Dear sister of the woods--”

“Say what you will, I’m not giving you my prey! I need help dragging them over to Gothsin, but if you’re not going to help with that, beat it!” Adria snapped. “My family is dead broke as is and if I don’t bring back any coin, my sister… she’ll…”

Adria choked on tears, goosebumps covering her skin. She sounded like The Liar, weaving false tales to diplomats and politicians, speaking of ultimate peace and the greater good for which he committed unspeakable sins. And Adria felt a strange satisfaction, a disruption of her blood’s sorcery. Something happened inside when she told falsities… But what?!

The white coat cleared his throat, eyeing Adria with the look La’Var had when he saw prey approach.

“I’ll start over, dear sister of the woods. I understand what a terrible situation luck has brought you into, but you must understand the rules of the forest. We are far stronger than you. And thus, whatever you say has no meaning as we can simply take your prey,” the white coat spoke. “Of course, I would feel blessed if you walked with us and told us exactly how you got into this strange place.”

Adria growled under her breath and tapped into sorcery in her blood. As she blinked, visions of the cosmos--the abyss--flashed. Within the nothingness, stars made up pictures. Lies. This hadn’t ever happened before and was truly a scary ordeal, certainly a side effect of having The Liar’s blood. Adria tried fighting it, cowering at what was happening inside her. But frustration at the Arrowaltz arrogance vanished all of her woes. And Adria let the lies flow.

“Because life dealt me a bad hand doesn’t mean I am weaker than you,” Adria said. In her grip, the bone dagger shifted into a sword. Her blood-drenched clothes turned to armor. She continued, “You think someone can hunt such a disgustingly quick goblin and a filthy spirit and be weaker than three half-men? Drag these things to Gothsin or beat it, or else you’ll see your head rolling over a campfire.”

As quick as the illusions came on, they disappeared, and Adria held a simple bone dagger once more, lots of the magic in her drained. This quick show of sorcery had the impact she wanted: the white coat took a step back. Good. He savored his life. He could’ve taken another, but he grinned.

“It’s like that? We’ll help you -- you can even stay the night with us at the camp, but… What goblin exactly did you catch?”

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Adria wavered for a moment before revealing La’Var.

Smug smiles tore their way onto the Arrowaltz faces. They broke into fits of laughter.

“La’Var, La’Var, La’Var… I said you’d end up like this one day. No, I was wrong, in fact. Being caught by a human? Oh, that is a far, far worse fate than I could’ve ever imagined…”

“Can we go now?” Adria growled. “I don’t like this place one bit and I’m starving.”

“You’re right -- this is a crooked, decrepit place, where no hunter should step foot in.”

The white coat nodded for the other hunters to subdue La’Var and Martin. As the ropes were tied, Adria winked at La’Var. The hunter goblin was expressionless. Yet through the glimmer in his eyes, she could see the frustration and confusion. Like the Arrowaltz, he had witnessed plenty in his life, yet nothing had prepared him for this.

Trust me. You’ll never look at me the same and you might hate me for the rest of your life, La’Var, but right now you have to trust me if you want to keep your life.

The hunter in red checked La’Var’s bags and pockets and discovered the wyrm meat.

They clambered out of the damp dungeon and made their way up the passage out of The Bowl of Fur and Teeth,.

The white coat led.

He spent half an hour paying close attention to a compass, calculating the trajectory of the sun with a ruler, then scribbling math into a notebook. After getting a result, an odd combination of symbols and numbers Adria hadn’t paid nearly enough attention in lessons to understand, the party changed trajectory. They ended up among flocks of birds, herds of deer and wolves, hunting them all.

At this point, Adria was numb to the killing, but the smells disgusted her and she receded to the back of the group, away from the scents. Even if she dragged, the pain of her injuries worsening with every step made it hard to keep up with the hunters

The white coat appeared by Adria’s side.

“Sister of the woods, I have to apologize. I had terrible manners in that dungeon because… Well, even hunters like me get scared, especially in entrances to the underworld,” he said. He looked clean and had a smooth voice, yet his presence disgusted Adria. “First of all, I forgot to introduce myself and my brothers in the hunt.”

“The Arrowaltz, right? Through the whispers of taverns, I heard of you.”

“Right, reputation speaks better than a thousand words.” The white coat nodded, taking off his black hat. “Then you should know our names at least: I am Rivers, my brother in steel armor is Clay and my brother who loves to feast is Aaron.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Indeed and… Let’s pretend this is our introduction -- I promised, really, I was not myself in that cave.” Rivers’ eyes stuck to the ground. “Do you know there are only a hundred and fifty hunters in Gothsin Forest? The chances of meeting a brother or sister of the woods are spectacularly slim, so small that you’re more likely to meet your ends from the flames of fireworks at a festival. And that’s why I’m astonished that I stumbled upon such a fine young woman.”

Adria fought the urge to roll her eyes and speed away from the hunter.

“And I’m grateful to have met you at the right time,” she said, sticking to character. “I was having a rough hunt. Barely any luck came my way and when it did, I missed every shot. Then I came across that goblin, oddly enough, working hand in hand with that spirit, carrying something.”

“After all these years, La’Var, chained up, is… Ah, a wonder.”

“I knew The King of Dark Alleys would pay well. My family will finally have food on the table.” As Adria weaved this tale, the cosmos flashed in her vision and the Liar’s strange abilities began activating once more. But she didn't need to show her might now. Suppressing them, she continued, “But that absolute bastard put up a nasty fight. I couldn’t do without sorcery.”

“Don’t be frustrated that the hunt drew blood and broke bones -- be glad that you won.” Rivers put a hand on her shoulder. Adria looked away, shutting her eyes. “Be glad, too, that the Arrowaltz came around. You’ll stay with us today, dine well, then tomorrow we shall go around the merchants of Gothsin and visit The King of Dark Alleys: you’ve heard what he’s been up to?”

“There have been whispers in the taverns,” Adria said after a pause. If he understands that I don’t know, he’s going to be wary about telling me this…

“Then what do you think the army will look like? For the great goblin hunt?”

Great goblin hunt? Adria’s eyes widened. Questions flooded her: what, in the name of the Twenty Gods, was a great goblin hunt? When would it happen? Were Gothsin’s townspeople… Going to break through the barrier and attack the inn? She simmered in the worries, knowing she couldn’t unload them all upon Rivers -- he fancied her, but still had a clear mind of doubts.

“I… don’t have a clue,” Adria murmured.

They trekked in silence until the sparks of a campfire began glimmering through the thick cover of trees.

“How come you haven’t asked my name?” Adria said.

“All brothers and sisters of the woods deserve to know the name of the Arrowaltz. But once I learn yours is up to you,” Rivers answered.

They arrived at the camp.