Edanine, Late morning
“Sorry he is currently busy in meeting and has asked to not be disturbed although you can wait here in the reception.” said the receptionist
Bill who was a hunk of a man was looking out of the window with a pensive look
“Sir?!”
“Uh yes, don’t worry I will come back later just tell mister Davidovich that a person named Bill Rutherford was waiting for him. He will understand” bill took a piece of paper and wrote the address of the hotel where he was staying and gave it to the receptionist. Walking out of the office he uttered “What a waste of fine time it is” as he put tobacco in his mouth and started chewing. He was irritated partly because he wanted to be done with this yesterday night but the train ran late so he had to wait till morning and now it’s almost afternoon and he still wasn’t able to talk with Davidovich.
Navigating through the big city he passed in front a band of kids, with dirty blackened and ragged clothes if you could call them clothes but they were really little more than rags. The metal scrappers in their hands made it clear that they were Climbing boys it was a pity he thought, the luckier ones often got jobs picking berries in a farm or being a cutter in a canning factory. However, what intrigued him the most was that they were Laughing, kids six-year-olds who had been robbed of their childhood were laughing, while he who had been running spy rings for half his age wasn’t or rather he couldn’t.
Perhaps it was because the children didn’t know any better about their condition but wasn’t he the same? Isn’t he working for an organization from which he has only met handful of people, of which one was dead and most he hadn’t seen in years. Maybe the real reason, he thought was that he was just delusional, still believing that he was working for a better future when in reality he was just a cog in a machine which like all other machines would discard it the moment he became it had happened before and it would likely happen again. But had it always been like this?
Arriving Infront of the hotel in which he was staying he saw a stall selling newspaper and books. It came to his mind that he hadn’t read one today so he bought a newspaper but something else in the store also caught his attention a book titled “Little Buckner’s paradise”
“This is a new one, isn’t it?” he asked the shop keep
“Yes, published just a couple months ago I recon”
“Very well then”
After buying the book and the newspaper he went inside the hotel straight to his room.
Early evening
Ferusberg, railway station
“Now, where are we?” he said as he embarked on the platform
Alan had finally arrived to his destination. The industrial city of Ferusberg was the symbol of industrialization in the north with its big factories, busy streets and soaring real estate value. It was a stark contrast to Lefora which had only a little less than half its population but he liked it that way.
Getting off the platform, he knew there was telegraph service available at this station which he used to send a message to the hotel informing them about his arrival who then redirected it to Mr Williamson. Soon after that went outside to look for a cab and the sheer traffic was what struck him as brand new, it wasn’t the first time he had been here but still it felt a completely different place than before.
Apparently, there was another new thing that struck him as brand new
“So, what you mean is this ‘cable car’ runs on a loop of continuous cables beneath the street? Amazing when did they put up such a thing?”
“Just last year. This is the first one in the whole state”
“And a lot better than the horse drawn wagons too” Alan acknowledged
“Say where are you heading to”
“The Grand Paradiso hotel, I believe that’s the name”
“It’s not very far from the stop, I will tell you the way when we get their ”
“Very well”
Sitting inside the cable car he took off his backpack and made sure everything was still there, getting pickpocketed was rare but not unheard off he thought.
“Is it always so crowdy these days?” he asked the conductor
“Well, it sure has been for a couple of years, this day is a slower one actually”
“Really?”
“If you don’t mind me asking… you don’t look like a businessman to me mister”
“I specialize in big game hunting, stuff like tigers, bears, gators, crocs etc mainly those that kill humans”
“Well that explains the thing on your back” conductor said pointing towards the rifle he was carrying “to be honest it was making me a little nervous”
“Oh, please don’t mind it”
After arriving at his stop, the conductor gave him rough directions to the hotel, on the way he visited a public library and the Marston tower 12 story tall the third tallest building in the city infront of the sunflower avenue too bad he needed he didn’t have that much time for sightseeing.
After 15 more minutes of walking, he was at the main entrance of the hotel. From outside it looked real fancy atleast by his standards
“Excuse me, where would the reception be?” he asked a concierge who pointed him towards the left
When he entered the reception, the crowdedness was apparent.
“Excuse me, can you tell me in which room is mister Karl Williamson staying at”
“Please wait a minute”
The room was on the fourth floor, and the corridor was full of people going back and forth. Arriving at the room he knocked thrice and a middle-aged man the same hight as his came out his chin strip beard and moustache gave him a look of an aristocrat not that of someone from academia as he was hoping.
“Mister Karl?”
“Yes, and Mister woodman I believe? Nice to meet you please come inside” professor said as he shook his hand
Inside Alan saw two more men both young adults one who gave him the look of a curious stranger the other he saw, was reading a newspaper who was also slightly taller.
“Well, students meet mister woodman he will act as our guide on our journey, he is a professional hunter and an expert survivalist, he has also collaborated with the royal academy countless times. Mr woodman these two are my students”
“Well, nice to meet you two, I am sure you may have heard a thing or two about me”
“Of Couse, you recently hunted a tiger in the forest near Benzfield?” the taller one spoke first
“Well I wouldn’t exactly say near….. wait, how did you know that?”
“It’s in the northern gazette on the 2nd page” the taller one said as he handed him the paper
The column also had one of those brand-new halftone images with him posing infront of the tiger’s carcass, under it was written “Prolific regional hunter ends yearlong terror of the wild and with it its monstrous killing spree after seventy-four victims” that’s odd I don’t remember contacting any newspaper
it took him only 2 more seconds to realize who was responsible for this advertisement
“Phillip you will never learn, will you?” he thought to himself as he returned the newspaper
“Is it true that you killed it with just a knife?” the shorter one asked
“What? No, I mean I did use it put it down but the poison did much of the work”
“Leaving that aside I think you two should introduce yourself” the Prof said
“Oh, excuse me my name is Alexander Bennington” he said with a voice filled with enthusiasm
“Myself Harry Fritz”
“let’s discuss the route forward shall we”
After a handshake Alan opened his backpack and procured a map on the table to discuss their route going forward
image [https://imgur.com/KcleCZe.jpg]
“The town of Crynce which is around 20 kilometers south west is where we have to go next as it is the easiest way to reach the valley by which we can completely bypass the marshland and head straight for the crimson peak. After that we have to head down and cross the tributary feeding into the lake and if we are lucky reach the lake Tuga in Three days.”
As he was explaining the details Mr Karl came up with tea and Alan didn’t mind having some after traveling for so long
“Oh, and I forgot to ask, what is the purpose of your journey? It doesn’t look like you are doing any land survey considering you are only three”
“Its basic exploration, nothing too extreme we would probably be done in a day or two”
“I guess we can leave by tomorrow early morning then. I recommend getting as much sleep as possible and keep an eye on your stuff” standing up he said again “also by any chance did you brought any type of fire arm with you?”
Both students looked at each other and collectively denied
“I have one, actually,” said the professor
The two students bore the expression of surprise on hearing that
“Can I have a look at it”
“Yeah sure”
Karl went to his luggage and pulled out a holstered revolver
“Sir, we didn’t know you carried guns around with yourself”
“Well, I didn’t say I don’t either”
“I am asking just to be aware of it I don’t mind if you carry it” said Alan although he didn’t like others waving guns around his vicinity unprofessionally. It was another reason why he hunted alone.
“it’s a Raymond Model 58, a friend of mine gave it to me 5 years ago or so” he handed the six-shooter to Alan
“I see was your friend from Gumrak by any chance?”
“How did you know?”
“Just a guess. It’s crazy popular over there. The Gumrak border legion also uses it I found it the hard way when they almost mistook me for a runaway bandit. If I remember correctly, they have some newer versions too that fire metal cartridges. When was the last time you used it?”
The question was followed by a moment of silence
“uummmm, probably a year or two ago? I mean there isn’t much shooting at the academy, Haha” it didn’t take much to understand he was a total amateur
“Anyway, you can keep it professor but please avoid drawing it unless you are certain of using it” Alan really wanted to tell him to not carry it around but felt it would dishearten him too much
“I see”
“Mr woodman, what kind of weapon do you use?” asked Alexander curiously
“Usually, firearms but sometimes bow and arrows here and there maybe spears to catch fish sometimes a bowie works too although I am not too picky with what I use”
“So where will you be staying?”
“I will be looking for a guest house or something”
“We wouldn’t mind if you sleep here the place is big enough”
“well, if its okey with you then..”
Afternoon, same day
“What is the meaning of this!”
“Meaning of what”
“Why have been avoiding me?”
“I don’t quite grasp what you mean by that”
“Oh! I think What you don’t grasp is the severity of the situation. In fact, it should have been YOU!” pointing a finger at him “who should have contacted me and not the other way around”
“Relax bill I am a busy man; you know this whole ‘traveling businessman’ thing isn’t easy but a cover is a cover”
Yeah “cover”, my ass, if you hadn’t poked your nose with the operations we wouldn’t been sitting here right now “Anyway, I hope you realize that there is a possibility of information breach at a scale which we cannot ignore. We have lost 2 men from RH[right hand] division Hence, I am changing the administrative code from ‘apostle’ to ‘Nomad’”
“But ‘he’ didn’t get captured, did he?”
“Conner did get caught and there is a risk he heard something although I had one of my men take care of that”
“Then what is the problem?”
“What do you mean? It was your idea. you gave him the go ahead for that suicide mission without my permission. I hope you remember that we agreed on some sort of ‘division of labour’ where operations both clandestine and open were under me despite that you green lit this madness that took considerable resources with little to no gains”
“Bill you are forgetting to see the big picture”
“Well perhaps you can help me see it”
“The objective as Kimberly himself stated was to threaten the mayor and the Hawk simultaneously which we have accomplished. That was the official agenda remember?”
“It’s debatable if that is what actually happened for all we know the police might double down on us, it’s not easy to build a spy ring let alone maintain it, was it really that important?”
“Before I answer that, tell me why do you think that Kimberly even proposed this plan, if it was suicidal? He should have known that raiding a town guarded by a contingent of special division is plain suicide”
He is right even for how ruthless and overconfident he was, that was out of the question “unless…. he didn’t know”
“Ha!”
“But why! If We had the information that the police had been reinforced then why didn’t you share it?”
“You Already know the answer to that old man, don’t you”
Davidovich despite his annoyingly smug nature was right in his own twisted way. Kimberley and Connor had become more dangerous than useful simply because they were smart and couldn’t be controlled and in this business there are only two type of individuals that concern you, those who you can control and the potential threats.
“Still, high command wouldn’t take losing crucial assets like that too lightly” especially the ones they recruited
“Don’t worry about that, it’s my department isn’t it. Listen Bill, we didn’t ask for Kimberley or anyone for that matter it was high command who imposed him on us sooner or later he would have become a big liability for us and besides…… we didn’t kill him the police did”
Davidovich was more laid back on his chair now
“Now Keeping that aside, tell me, anything new from the inside?” he asked
“Nothing except that our initial assessment seems to be correct the feds are indeed planning something big in the north but nothing too solid for now I will prepare a detailed report for the ‘Harbinger’ later” Harbinger was a code name which referred to the head office from which orders were issued
“Now let’s deal with next agenda”
Bill took out a file folder Labelled “fort bismuth R-708” and handed it over to Davidovich
“The progress with Hephaestus is slow mainly due to non-cooperation however we have been able to get some information regardless”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore they are shipping it somewhere else it will no longer be our headache”
“When did that happen?”
“Last night” Davidovich gave him the official order
“Very well, I am ordering the Setang bay folks to fort bismuth to secure it”
“I have heard about them, they have quite the reputation…. To say the least”
“I don’t care much about that as long as they get the job done”
“When would that be?”
“tomorrow”
Late after midnight
Alan was asleep on floor until the sound of something falling to the floor woke him up
“Whose there?”
“Oh! Sorry for that it was just my hammer, I was cleaning it”
“you didn’t sleep?”
“I did but then I remembered I hadn’t looked after my equipment in a while”
“You sure maintain your stuff regularly don’t you professor”
“well of course I do, it’s the tool of my trade after all”
“That model 58 was very well maintained especially for someone who hasn’t used it in years”
“You can tell?”
“of course I can”
“Say, I am sure you know about the ghouls”
“of course I do”
“What do you know about them?”
“They are hostile but they lack persistence if you see one just run in the opposite direction as fast as you can and pray that it’s not chasing you. It also depends on what ‘form’ is the ghoul in as they are shape shifters they take the shape of the first animal they see after formation, which most of the time is the most common animal in the area, as far as I know there are not many places in the union where you can find them and most of them are islands in the western sea”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“what are chances that we may encounter one”
“Very low, even in the areas where they are found they are rare few and far between its not to say the fact they are there in on itself discourages tourists from going there”
The next morning
Everyone woke up early Alan had slept early the previous day and so did the rest, they had breakfast of eggs and bacon in the dining area and soon left after checking their bags for the last time.
The morning was busy as all others in this city apparently and finding a cab wasn’t easy but they did manage to get an omnibus some how
“Crynce? That’s far but I can take you there though I would charge ‘accordingly’”
“Yeah whatever, let’s go everyone put you stuff in” professor called out
“How soon would we get there?” asked harry
“Around noon, maybe sooner”
“How big is that town compared to others”
“it’s not that big, a few thousand people live there and barely any tourists come around the fall so we should have places for lunch”
Around 12 pm
“Everyone, we are here. Check your stuff again just in case”
“Well finally”
“Thank you for the ride mister ted, it rarely goes so smooth”
“Thank you too mister woodman for your patronage, and good luck on your journey”
Inside the lodge they quickly checked in and according to plan packed up only the necessary items and food for 3 days but no more. Alan unlike the others carried no bedroll
After setting down they went for lunch in a restaurant attached directly to the back of the lodge. One could feel the wilderness getting near here and the weather made Alan worry because it looked as if it might rain which would not be good.
“Alright let’s hurry up, everyone”
After the lunch they checked their bags for the last time with supplies and everything Alan knew their was no such thing as too much preparation
“let’s keep moving everyone”
“I know I should have asked this sooner but is the area around grand caldera completely uninhabited?”
“No, there are several scattered villages around the lake”
“Village, as in tribal ones?”
“Hah, you will not find tribal villages on this side of the Kuliya river most villages around there will be small, two or three hundred people at most”
“Really? Too bad I wanted to see them. I have read all about them but never saw them myself. The infamous nomadic tribes with warriors wearing war bonnets” harry kept rambling on regardless of anyone listening or not but Alan was nothing if not a good listener
“Nomadic culture has been in decline for the last half century what remains of it has been driven west where immigration has started only a decade or two ago”
“Have you met any of them?”
“I do time to time, they are very hospitable people but their was that one time I rain into a group of raiders….. now that I think about it I too have a war bonnet”
“Really How?”
“A gift from long ago”
20 kilometers ahead of them a group of 4 men on a horse cart were making their way across the valley their mission was a simple transportation gig however they hadn’t been told what must be something that justifies that fat pay Gregory thought.
“How much long chief” asked claymore
“My stomach hurts, we better eat something good after this” mac growled
“Shut your trap, it’s because of you our last job went south and on top of that we didn’t even get paid!” peter yelled
“Oh really? Tell me again whose idea was it to ‘intimidate’ them by lighting up the damn wagon. It was full of ammunition for God’s sake!”
“Be glad I saved your ass on time” Boone remarked
“Quit it you two. Its no-good blaming each other, you are not making this situation any more bearable perhaps keep your eyes and ears open. I know the job is shady but a job is a job and we will do it like we always do”
“Do we really not know what is the pickup”
“No, I only got 2 things from the employer the advance payment of two thousand UM and an envelope with some sort of seal along with a letter with a really weird address”
The cart came to an abrupt stop due to a log blocking their path. Mac who was almost half asleep almost fell down.
“Watch it, man”
“Looks like today isn’t our day”
“c’mon don’t act like it’s all bad everyone! Remember, it gets bad before it gets good. We stay honest to our work and ourselves that’s all that really matters” chief tried to cheer everyone up albeit in vain
“Yeah yeah, whatever”
The four of them quickly got off and hauled away the log to clear the way
Around 7 pm
“Think we should rest now, it will be dark soon” after thinking he spoke again “Harry, please set up that tent along with professor. Alexander, you come with me for gathering fire wood”
“That’s fine with me”
Alan pulled out his axe from his bag and removed the sleeve from his rifle.
“Will any type of wood do?”
“yeah, Just go for the trees that have already fallen, will save us a lot of trouble”
“This one looks good”
Alan immediately stacks the wood against a rock and cuts it down “in an environment like this living without an axe is extremely difficult”
“I think the word ‘surviving’ would be more appropriate here. We have walked for 6 hours now and no sign of this valley”
“to bad that is still a few hours away but don’t worry we are not behind schedule” “say if you don’t mind want to go have a look around here, while we are at it”
“Fine with me”
“Follow me”
“You see those plants growing on the lakeside over there?”
“Come here, these are lilies, they are extremely common here” “at their base there are these little tubers, that are edible.” He said as he cut off a piece and gave one to Alex
“Try it”
“it’s bitter” he spitted it out immediately
“I see, it will be better after we boil it”
After gathering firewood, they both went back to the camp just about when harry and professor got done with the tent, it wasn’t big and there was barely enough space for 3 people. Alan made his own shelter
“Let’s get a fire going, shall we”
Alan using a piece of flint and some bark he collected on the Way lit a fire directly infront of the tent and
“I think it might rain tomorrow or even tonight if we are unlucky enough”
“I assume it would get cold”
“Oh, trust me it will!”
After having dinner everyone except Alan went to sleep, however his work had only begun. For starters he fed the fire with a big log so that it would burn throughout the night and arranged some rocks infront of it as to reflect the heat inside the tent. After that he packed all the food and left overs into a single bag and hung it over a tree branch some distance away from the camp. It was a simple method to keep bears away especially in this area.
To keep a watch, he climbed up on a tree high enough that no bear might interrupt him and sat calmly on the branch he took the rifle from his back and held it almost like cuddling it. He only had ten cartridges with him and even that was more than what he usually carried while hunting.
Just like that without realizing he fell asleep until a few hours later when the noise of a bear woke him up. It was just below him
“its hungry alright”
After a while it started feeding on berries from the tree and Alan decided not to bother it although he did keep his eyes open.
Morning
“I am already missing a proper bed”
Alexander woke up the earliest and found no trace of their guide anywhere, naturally he started looking around the camp but was unsuccessful. After some 20 minutes he returned to the camp and stood beside a tree again thinking to himself where could he have gone?
“He did say something about keeping watch but where is he now?”
Suddenly a hand reached to his shoulder from behind which startled the life out of him
“Fuck! You scared me there”
“What are you doing here?” Harry asked
“I am looking for Mr woodman”
“Then you should look above your head”
“What do you m….. Oh”
Alexander saw him sleeping on the branch directly above his head
“I think we should wake him up”
“I suppose so”
Both of them yelled his name as loud as they could just because the branch was too high. The loud noise woke Alan up immediately with a shock hard enough that he lost his balance and fell. Luckily, he had tied one of his legs with the branch which prevented him from falling towards the ground. None the less it was a funny scene for the two of them standing below.
“Hah, that was some good sleep” Alan said as he swinged himself back on the branch and climbed down to meet the two.
“Good morning, Mr woodman”
Yeah as ‘good’ as it gets around here “Good morning you two. I hope the bears didn’t spoke you too much.”
“Bears?”
“Yeah Bears. Two of them at that, a couple hours past midnight, I think. It looked like they were looking for food and left after eating some berries”
“Where were they?”
“Right here” He gestured beneath their feet
“Wait aren’t they dangerous?!”
“Not usually, unless they are grizzlies otherwise the black ones usually just leave you alone if you don’t bother them. By the way where is mister Karl?”
“He was still sleeping the last time I saw him”
Suddenly out of nowhere Alan heard a noise in the distance, immediately realizing what it was he acted quick
“Crap, both of you follow me and keep your voices low”
The two followed him around to the same lake where they were last night, he ordered the two to behind the bushes.
“You see that? Now THAT is something you should be scared off”
“It looks like a…… moose?”
“A female moose, more than 400 kilos trust me you really wouldn’t want that chasing after you and yes I am speaking from experience”
“I would like to hear that one in detail”
“Sorry, no time for that I am afraid. If you see a female, it’s likely that males too are nearby hence we should move quickly”
When they got back to the camp Karl had already woken up and after being told that they were moving again he convinced them to wait until they had some sort of breakfast. They had some stew along with the berries they had collected last night and some snails although the taste was little more than tolerable at best.
A few hours later
The Setang Bay company was also on its way, they had woken up late and tired after almost getting lost the night before.
“What do you think Preston would be doing right now?” Mac asked already knowing what the answer was
“Skirt chasing” said Peter
“No shit”
“I mean its him we are talking about that’s what he does most of the time”
“Heh, I wish I could get paid for skirt chasing”
“By the way chief, did he told you anything about the client?”
“No, just that they wish to remain anonymous and that his sources tell him to not poke our noses around too much” that meant a lot but Chief didn’t say not wanting to raise the tension around the job any more than there was
“so what do you think? What can this cargo possibly be?”
“The client is not someone regular that is for sure and the whole secrecy around it could mean anything from simple nervousness to political implications”
“And what if it’s some other 4th party” 4th party meant foreign state actors of any kind from diplomats to spies to even religious missionaries
“You know we don’t deal with 4th parties; Preston would have declined right away”
“I see”
Late evening
“Its definitely going to rain tonight”
“Well, it’s about time we camp anyway”
“Just make sure to set it up somewhere high, if it rains the last thing, you want is your shelter being right in the way of a flash flood”
“don’t worry about it” the professor assured him
Allan took alexander with him to get some fire wood
“You see this” he pointed to the log of wood “It’s called birch bark, If you cover you shelter with this it would stop much of the rain so let’s take some of it”
“Mr woodman I don’t want to sound like an unreasonable prick…. but is there any way we can get meat”
Hearing his words Alan came to a sudden stop
“Meat you say?”
“yes….”
“of course we can”
“HOW?!”
“Easy we will make a trap a figure 4 deadfall to be exact”
“What is that and how do you make that?”
“We will use it to catch squirrel it’s so easy anyone can make it” he said with a hand gesture to follow him
“What we need is a big rock and a stick about the thickness of your thumb”
After finding the suitable materials he then sharpened the stick from one end and cut it off at about 8 centimetres, then he cut off a longer piece of stick and carved a notch at one end of it and another notch on the final piece of stick to make the horizontal trigger
“It’s as simple as it gets in trapping just a rock and 3 pieces of sticks”
He then placed the vertical stick beneath the rock with the angled stick supporting it and finally the trigger stick holding both together
“it’s important to make sure you don’t injure your hand while setting this up”
He demonstrated it by touching the horizontal stick slightly and the rock fell off
“Now we just need set up a number of these”
“How accurate are these?”
“Accurate enough, don’t worry I used to catch mice with this all the time with this back when I was a kid”
After setting up the traps they went back to camp and for Alex the night couldn’t have gone faster but for Mr hunter his fear came true, and it rained but not very much
The next day
“Only 3?! But we had set up like a dozen of these!” Alex exclaimed
“Looks like the rain did a number on them”
“Even in my wildest dreams I cannot conceive such a bad fortune” he said with a disheartened expression
“Still, it’s better than nothing atleast it will supplement the peas and beans”
Disappointed they went back to the camp for breakfast. The professor who was preparing the breakfast asked Alan to show everyone the way of dressing a squirrel.
“So pay attention it’s not that hard” he said as he pulled out his 12 inch bowie knife[he carried two of those]
“First let’s cut its front feet off then make a deep cut at the base of its tail and pull the whole skin off right…. Over its head” he explained right as he did it infront of them and needless to say the scene disturbed the city folk who had never seen a corpse handled so roughly
“Make sure to dust off all that hair sticking on you hand while doing it, now cut their back legs off, pull out feet and cut of the head after doing that all that is left is to gut it out” that part was easier said then done
“Now professor you just have to quarter it up and we are done”
The other two squirrels were prepared by harry and Alex each under his guidance of course to make sure they don’t hurt themselves. That said after the breakfast was over they were on the move again.
A few hours later
The mental fatigue was setting in after the two days of travel especially for the two who were not used to it, to be constantly on the move. It wasn’t easy to walk for hours on end when the only thing you see is trees, dirt and a pond here and there
“Say Mr woodman you must have had a lot of adventures in your career why not share a tale or two with us city folk?” suggested the professor
Both of them nodded in agreement after all there was nothing better to do. Succumbing to peer pressure Alan agreed
“I see well don’t complain if you find it boring so, long ago maybe 5 years or so I was far out west in the Lucent River delta hunting a saltwater crocodile that had up to that point killed 40 people in just a single year. I remember taking shelter in a village called ‘Potsangbang’ which was almost cut off from the outer world as Over thousands of miles there was nothing but mangrove and I had little experience with crocs as I mainly hunted mammals and wyverns but the situation had been urgent and no other trapper was up for it. They all feared it, called it the wrath of their gods, said something had angered them and by the time I arrived the situation had gotten so worse that no one dared to step outside their homes unless absolutely necessary. I figured the croc had gotten around this complex network of waterways and started using it to his advantage by changing routes or shuffling through villages. I knew once the rainy season started it would become impossible to get him so I quickly got to work and over 2 weeks I tracked it down that was the hard part or so I thought. Then I did the worst mistake someone in my profession could make” he paused before speaking again
“I got comfortable, after setting up the bait almost convinced that I would get him after that I just waited, I waited for hours but it never came soon after I got news that a women had been attacked right near the village. I ran as fast as I could trying to maybe close in before it disappeared again but when I reached the site of the incident it was gone but thanks to the blood trail, I quickly tracked it then I made my second mistake. I panicked and got too far I should have waited until next day and on top of that it started raining but ……. I thought maybe….. maybe I could at least get a body part or even a bone for cremation purposes and that kept distracting me until I realized that the crocodile was right across the mudflat and in that moment, I drew my messenger gun and loaded two one ounce slug rounds just as I cautiously approached him and for some reason I slipped and fell right in the middle of all that mud, it was then I noticed something was wrong” he stood up and stretched his arms
“I wasn’t able to kill him that day but you know what? when I went back to check on trap I had laid the bait was gone and then it hit me”
“What happened after that?”
“Well…. Let’s just say there never really was only a single croc in Potsangbang I wonder what would have happened had I not slipped that day”
Harry looking over to Alex quietly whispered “You get that story of his?”
He replied “I didn’t get jack, it sounded a lot awkward if you ask me”
Evening
The Setang bay company was nearing their destination, they were behind schedule by half a day hence sightseeing wasn’t an option and almost everyone was doubting that anyone even lives this deep in the forest.
“Are we there yet”
“Almost, the good thing is that we are on the right track, I know this because we just passed the peak of lily the highest point around here”
“I saw the map and if I am not wrong their should be a river right about a few kilometres ahead”
“Eh, we don’t have to cross it I think”
“shhhhhh, you heard that?”
“Heard what?”
“Everyone stays sharp, it’s probably an animal”
“Take this” Claymore handed him a double barrel shotgun as everyone pulled out their own respective arms although nobody planned on firing unless absolutely necessary. chief still loaded 2 shells just in case.
“Mac, Peter, Boone take care of the ride, claymore follow me” he ordered as they both got of the wagon and made way into the nearby bushes only to find nothing claymore on the other hand told him to wait where he was as he went ahead to check on the next tree line. He went a bit too far.
“Still nothing”
“FUCK!” BANG BANG
Claymore didn’t waste a second and quickly ran back to Chief cgwho as he found out was fine, except he was on the ground sweating like he had seen a ghost.
“What happened?”
“That thing! It looked a bear”
“What looked like a bear?”
“I don’t know! a bear looked like a bear”
“What?!”
“Go see for yourself, it ran off into that direction”
“I think it’s a ghoul”
“What”
“It’s a type of black sludge that can shape shift, it is generally hostile to anything living. They say it takes the form of any living thing it observes for long enough, after dying it vaporizes for the most part”
“This is the first time I am hearing about something like that”
“I have only heard stories but never saw one for myself maybe they are more common here. I thought they only existed on some remote islands in the western sea”
“Whatever let’s just stop for now we have gone far enough and I don’t want any more surprises, we will continue tomorrow”
Morning
“A wagon?” the kid
Curiously he went up close to see if someone was inside and it turned out there were a few men sleeping, likely from the city although the closest town from his village was 2 and a half days away on foot and tourist barely came, it had rained last night too.
“it’s covered in canvas but” he said as he tried to look inside the wagon
“Gross, it smells like alcohol in here”
“What smells like alcohol kid?”
A hand reached to the kid’s shoulder which freaked him out causing him to hit the ground running. Looking behind he saw Gregory who had just come back after taking a leak and was pointing towards him
“Hey kid come here I am not going to hurt you…. See me and my friends are travellers of sorts and at the moment kind of lost perhaps you could maybe guide us to the nearest village”
15 minutes later
“You sure this is the place?”
Nods
“I see looks quite a big village you have some sort of market or a shop here?” he lied about the village being big
“There is one up that way” the kid pointed uphill
The chief of Setang bay promised himself that the next time uphill will be on the journey home. By the time he reached the top he was huffing and puffing still conjuring energy to walk up to the shopkeeper who he found out was bald.
“You sell tobacco? I fancy a sweet blend, if possible ofc”
“you tourist folk?”
“Sort off, looking for a man named Booth, you know someone with that name?”
“That name sounds a little familiar, anything specific?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, just a letter from his father”
“May I see it?”
“He will be available tonight after sunset, until then I can show you place where can put your stuff” “How many are you?”
“4 more”
Afternoon
“My God that was some serious uphill, my legs are almost giving up”
“Where is Alex anyway”
“he was too exited he left us behind in the dust, a while ago”
“very well, hope he hasn’t gone too far ahead, what if he gets lost” professor said worryingly
"i wouldn't worry too much about that" Alan had tagged him a long while ago using his magic and knew that he was ahead of them he had actually tagged everyone
After walking for some time harry was leading the two seniors behind him as he kept an eye out for Alex who after hearing that they were close crimson peak went ahead of everyone in earnest.
“I see a silhouette in the distance…… I think that’s him” said harry as he ran towards him. He called him as he placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder, all the while he wondered why the man was standing like a statue as if hypnotized.
“Hey, for what are you standing there fo….”
image [https://imgur.com/2juGFC0.jpg]
Tired from the long uphill walk harry settles down on the ground feeling like a leaf falling from the tree. He says no more word, asks no more questions just kept looking as far as his eyes enabled him.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Alex asked gazing towards the sky
He waited but no reply came yet the answer was as clear and crystal as the water of the lake infront of him. They were then joined by both Alan and professor and a decision was made to take some rest before they move again after all they were ahead of their schedule.
Midnight
“This feels odd, we were supposed to wait until sunset but it has been way past that”
“Patience claymore”
“You are way too calm about this situation chief, you realize we are 2 days away from the nearest town, with no back up or anything in this small shady village”
“And what can we do about that fact?”
“….”
“I say we just wait it out no reason worrying about something we can do nothing about”
“Yeah right……, I am going outside its smells like fish in here how are these 3 able to sleep”
Claymore stood up and went outside the shed for some fresh air as it was midnight the surrounding had gotten pitch black and the only source of light was the oil lamp hanging by the door this place, he figured was likely used to store fish. A sudden noise of someone running came from behind the shed which caught his attention, he quickly checked but found nothing and returned back thinking he was lacking sleep.
“Who is that?!” he saw someone approaching in the distance covered in blanket with a lamp in one hand and a kettle in the other.
“Hey!”
“The shopkeeper huh what is he doing here?”
The man had his hand up the one with which he was holding a kettle gesturing him to come here
“Get a couple chairs too!”
Claymore did as he said and procured a pair of chairs from the shed as they both sat down for a cup of tea
“Your chief doesn’t like tea?”
“He is trying to sleep”
“Say…. How is Ferusberg these days?”
“The traffic has been getting way worse the rest is pretty much the same”
“And what about the low land district”
“Except the water logged streets and sewage puddles, its fine”
“hah! So they still haven’t fixed the sewage problem”
Silence followed for a while as both drank their respective cups in the peace and quite of the night, Claymore wondered when was last he had been a place this quite, whenever it was times like these had become a lot rarer after he joined the Setang bay so making the most out of them is the wisest thing to do too bad he wasn’t that kind of person.
“Say… isn’t this Booth fella kind of late, he was supposed to arrive by sunset wasn’t he”
“indeed he was supposed to, I was wondering about that myself actually. I believe it has something to do with the fact that the letter was from his father instead of his mother”
“What? He doesn’t like his old man or something”
“Ah! Never mind just tell your chief that Mr booth will be available by the morrow”
The shopkeeper stood up took the pair of empty glass and went away
Southwest bank of lake Tuga
“looking on the bright side….. at least no rain tonight” Alan was laying inside his makeshift shelter trying to sleep but couldn’t for some reason. The lack of ghouls even when they were this close to the lake was stinging him as something wrong but nothing too serious maybe they had just been lucky.
Their provisions had mostly run out but he wasn’t too concerned about that after all they were near a lake and could fish anytime they wanted, it was also a constant source of drinkable water throughout history civilizations have started around sources of water and men like Alan had come across this fact countless times. Still the place was giving him an odd feeling as if unnatural and artificial, he tried to ignore it but wasn’t able to sleep one way or another. Finally, he stood up and went for a stroll down hill not knowing why but not everything needs a proper reason does it?
It took him 10 minutes of downhill track to reach the banks of the lake and for the most part this specific area was full of smooth rocks and stones, anyone walking without paying attention could easily slip and fall of one of these and break a bone or two, carefully he took seat on a big one
The dim half moon and what little light that wad coming of it was reflecting off the lake distinguishing itself in this pitch-black surrounding. Moments like these where he could just sit down and think made Alan reflect on his past actions, recall things more clearly and analyse them for what they were. He was a man who did what he did best when he was alone or at least he thought that way but despite being alone for much of the time he wasn’t lonesome. In his almost 27 years of life, he had made friends and met people he holds great respect for and had moments he could never forget.
For some reason when looking at this lake he couldn’t help but recall the story from a novel he had read years ago, the main plot in it revolved around a lake similar to the one infront of him which is described as a bridge connecting the world of dead to that of the living, from which souls would arise from beneath the water looking almost indistinguishable from the living. Just when he was trying to remember more, the water’s surface started to bubble immediately alerting him about something beneath it.
He jumped up to his feat, his right hand went directly for the shoulder strap holster as he activated his night vision ability. The coming seconds which felt like minutes saw him backing up to a safer distance. Slowly a figure started to rise from the water till it was completely out and hanging freely in the air. He immediately identified the figure as that of an old man.
He didn’t show it on his face but he was absolutely in awe of what was happening. The man was giving off a high NP[Natural potential] many times that of his own, he could tell due to being able to use magic himself. The floating figure hanging in the air moved forward at a slow pace until it was on the ground before dropping unconscious.
“Still breathing but at this rate he will not survive the night” he said as he checked on the unconscious man. Alan estimated his age around 60 and by the looks of it he hasn’t been eating enough. What a man…. To have his own magic carry him out of water while being unconscious he is undoubtably a grandmaster level wizard.
Alan still had a dozen questions ranging from what hell he is doing here in the middle of the night to who he was but those can wait for now he knew what he had to do.