“So, finally up and about again?” a voice hollered underneath him.

Today Nic had been around in the nearby woods as the librarian did want to know how many and what kind of trees were growing in them. He did not explicitely explain why he wanted it but the pay was more than fair, so Nic wasn’t about to say no. Not that many others would have really been that patient to do this kind of work to begin with. And the most important thing was that the old guy didn’t just nilly willy cut his pay for whatever reason.

“As you can see. But, my friend, swear on your honor now to never again bring me to Eisenhuth, for whatever reason.”

“But...”

“Do you even have the slightest inkling what I had to live through? What horrible illusions and horrors I had to experience? No? Thought so,” Nic scoffed sarcastically. “Just to be clear: Should I ever be injured like that again I would prefer to die before getting treated by that old geezer again.”

Ivan sighed. “Fine, fine, I swear.”

“Thank you. Now tell me, how awful does it truly look?” Nic inquired while his hand pointed to his marred face.

Ivan crooked his head, thoughtfully scratching his chin.

“Well, healed for the most part?”

What else should he say? The scar was still a bit of an angry red color but was healing nicely besides that. Given time it would fade to a pale line. The eye itself was another thing altogether though. The lid itself was still there but even on it you could see a clear scar. But the iris and pupil were uncanny to look at. They turned rather cloudy upon the injury but if you watched closely you were reminded of a turbulent sky. That it was still bloodshot was another thing altogether and the surrounding area was visibly inflamed as well. It looked horrible.

His friend looked a bit grim but still not very fright or horror inspiring in his own opinion. Though abhorrence might be a thing. Still, Ivan wasn’t about to tell that as Nic would have received that even worse than poorly.

Maybe that was a sign they should leave. With the freak accident Nic was regarded with suspicion, but well, it was a small village and with Nic not having been born there? Rumors were already flying around and it instead of just plainly ignoring him the subtle malice was new. Ivan was pretty sure there were just some nonsensical superstitions floating around and as neither the druid nor others with more influence (and brain, let’s just be honest) weren’t always around...

“See ya, don’t get smited by tree!” he hollered before going back to his traps. Some meat on the table would be nice after all.

Nic just waved a bit and got back to his own work.

Ivan on the other hand wasn’t quite sure but he was reluctantly leaving his friend alone. It might have just been his imagination though, shrugging he went away. As if something that strange would be happening again.

Meanwhile, Nic was busily noting and categorizing as fast as he was able to write. He had been doing this since dawn and wanted to get done soon. He had a few days to make up for. Though many did try to hide the newly awoken disgust the trying fell a bit short as soon as specific persons were out of the picture. When he had been a child he had been living with an uncle who had had his roots in the village originally. His parents had been merchants or some such, but one day did not return form a journey, presumably dead. He wasn’t that bothered as he had been a baby at that time and his uncle had lost his wife. No, no, she didn’t die, but well, it was a bit complicated and let’s just say they did not exactly match each other all that well and leave it at that.

Back then he had come with said uncle who had wanted to come home for a while but well, as he had been a bit older he fell ill after finally arriving in the village. When Nic was about eight or nine years old his uncle had croaked it and he was left with his hut. Or house, whatever. But as he was an outsider he had never been that well received from the start. Plus, there was that thing about being a bit too smart or having skills that others deemed not quite necessary. Suffice to say he was an odd duck, though his uncle wasn’t that much better besides having been borne there. He had left in his youth and came back with a foster child. Huzzah? Yeah, not so much. Didn’t help that he was the kid of a former wife’s sister – and yes, he had been called that to his face a few times.

So besides that he was now not only an outsider but weird on top of it. But as his uncle had taken responsibility for him he had been tolerated though there was a lot of gnashing teeth involved. Just fulfilling a role in the village, mayhap taking over for the old librarian as though far and few between a few adventurers turned up looking for information. He was smart, people would grudgingly give him that – and nobody else was interested either way. If they could even read that is. Or follow the druid some day far in the future as he was wise and not all that gullible. Heck, even replacing Eisenhuth was an option, he’d do a better job blind, deaf and immobile. But now?

That was the expectation of the folk around here. Sounds a bit superficial? Yeah, sure, but who would be able to say otherwise? There were just a few who could and as soon as those were out of the picture it wouldn’t matter one lick what had been said before. The village was simple, the people used to a specific way of life and even that old librarian was still viewed as a bit of an outsider, and he had been living there for decades.

So Nic wouldn’t be having much of a choice either way. He would have to leave as soon as humanly possible, hence he didn’t hesitate one moment to pick up the task the librarian had. It paid well enough to last him a bit if he was frugal with it and in the next village he could see what odd jobs there were. He now had a very valid and urgent reason to pack up and haphazardly do a runner. Sure, he had been planning to eventually leave but well, as humans are creatures of habit he had found reason after reason to do that at a later date. Maybe the whole fiasco was at least good for something in the end.

Time went by and before he knew it sundown was upon him. But, and Nic was incredibly proud of himself for it, he was finished. No going out again tomorrow or the day after, so he grinned broadly and smirked at the trees. Not that they were even bothered in the slightest bit. Parchments filled with tiny letters, ink well empty and his hands were stained, so he went about going back.

If he just had called it quits earlier and completed the thing on the next day.

Just after a few minutes it had gotten dark enough, so Nic was barely able to see the path and he had not thought to bring a torch or the like. So, he traipsed about while the night grew darker and darker and internally he got a bit weirded out. Naturally he could find his way around the woods he was just a wee bit slower than usual. And the creepy sounds did not frighten him, not at all. And mark his words, he did not wince as he heard a strange cracking not too far away from his right side. Nope. And did not swallow dryly either.

The growl he heard did get him running though. From the corners of his eyes, he noticed something following and it was probably faster than him. Also, he noticed more than one silhouette and his heart jumped about in his mouth. Great, not only one thing but a number of thingies. And on top of it he now had a name to put to the thingies, getting him a bit panicky. Normally – or at least what books usually all described – those thingies were after furry and bigger prey. Well, the wolfs around here were as well, at least in daytime and left humans generally be. When it got dark the story was a bit of another thing. Either stay at home or carry a blasted torch with you and don’t wander there alone. Especially if you did not want to get the treatment sheep⁹ usually received, which was quite violent and bloody. Nic remembered that very accurately in moments while hopefully running towards the village as fast as he could. Though it was noticed already, he wasn’t the overly fit type so it went as well as one might imagine.

As is the universal law Nics foot got caught on a protruding thick root and he took a nosedive accompanied by a dull umph. Slightly dizzy his mind did a quick check upon his situation and well, he was about as good as dead. How he should get away now was a bit of a mystery to him. He got up regardless, around him he could hear paws scraping and grumbling.

“Nice wolfies,” he started, his voice shaky and high-pitched, “veeery nice wolfies. You don’t want to eat me, right? I’m practically all skin and bones.”

And angry bellow followed, he heard a clicking snap, not at all unexpected, but one could hope, right? Nic turned around and turned white as a ghost, he was surrounded on all sides. So, that was it, wasn’t it? But not without a fight, oh no. He grabbed the next best piece of wood he could lift and span around wildly, feigning hits with it.

“So, what’s up?! Come on, I dare you!”

To clarify one thing: Getting angry isn’t much of help here, but more of a grasping at straws or the last straw available. Just as Nic had done his proclamation he paused and thought he was seeing a weak strange sparkling not unlike lightning for but a moment. Though before he could focus the first wolf came straight at him.

Ivan ran like the wind, incessantly cursing and grouching. As Nic hadn’t turned up by dawn he had checked whether his friend had gone home first just to find an empty hut. He asked a few people but the answer was about the same wherever he went – no, he was last seen leaving in the morning. Nobody had seen him since nor talked to him. So, his vague feeling was turning out to be accurate.

He was quite sure that Nic had the feeling he had to catch up after being out for so long and had been out and about longer than he should. That the old codger Eisenhuth had cut his pay again that much was another thing that contemplated heavily, he was quite sure. And probably his friend had forgotten how soon it started to get dark this time in the year as soon as dawn set in. Plus, knowing him he didn’t bring any kind of torch or even a lamp or the like. Which all translated to Ivan having to hurry the fuck up.

He stood still for a moment, trying to pick up any kind of sounds that might give him a hint, holding his torch as far away as he could, ignoring the crackling. Wait, there, that might be a voice. And something crackling, not that far away. He hand clenched the grip of his hunting knife, though it was unusually long for one. Those who did not know it might mistake it for a very short sword at times instead. Nic wouldn’t be croaking it anytime soon if Ivan could help it. Nope, he wasn’t allowed to, full stop.

The growling got louder, Ivan picked up the pace.

A piercing yell reached his ears. Damnit, faster! Ivan sprinted as fast as he could, skipping over an overturned mossy tree that had made the old way up to the mountains impassable years ago. Not far beyond it he could see Nic, surrounded by a number of wolves, trying to keep them at bay with a thick branch. Trying being keyword here, as the wolf that jumped at him closed his flews around the makeshift club and bit it through with a loud crack one go. The wood splintered without much resistance, it had surely been rotten. Some smaller members of the pack did a runner with Ivans loud entrance, but the four biggest remained. One of them had a go at Nic and sank his fangs into his friend’s shoulder.

Another turned to Ivan, menacingly growling and snarling but falling back with Ivan waving the torch in it’s direction. He hurried to Nic who was dragged by the wolf. Just in that moment his friend got his hand to the animal’s eyes and pressed a finger into it. Howling it let go and trotted off, shaking it's head. Sadly there was another one that was about to get to Nics throat but Ivan was still a bit too far away.

Oh no, you don’t!

All of a sudden an inky blackness swallowed him whole that even seemed to devour the light of his torch in its entirety. He could hear creepy munching sounds, pta pta pta, a distinct ripping, like from especially thick and wet cloth. Followed by a cracking krwiek it made his hairs stand up, a distinct sound that breaking bones give off, it was so piercing he was thinking for a moment he felt his own bones tremble. Ivan couldn’t see a thing, no shadows, no silhouettes, nothing. Just when he was about to break down the whole thing was over.

Blinking he looked around, turning green at the sight. “Now I wish that blackness would be back...”

With what he was seeing one might agree. All wolves except one were scattered around them, quite literally. Nic was covered in blood and shredded fur, probably with some fleshy bits and other things Ivan did neither want to imagine nor determine. Groaning his friend turned to the side, unhurt besides the initial bite. Ivan scratched his head, in the background he could still hear the rattling breath of the left wolf that had not been in that blackness’ reach fully. Sighing he turned around and went to the suffering creature. He knelt down, lifted its head and made a clean cut to it’s throat. A last yip, limps twitching weakly and then it was over.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

In the background he heard Nic gasping and that he lost the contents of his stomach not very long afterwards. Well, if one saw this carnage Ivan could understand it. He got up and noticed his friend was at least on all fours, though still heaving. He probably should take a look at that bite though.

“You fine? Let me see that shoulder,” he asked calmly.

Quickly glancing at the wound he was a bit irritated but ignored that for a moment. He pulled Nic to his feet and started leading his dazed friend a bit further away. Ivan might not know what exactly had happened, but he had a feeling it might have something to do with Nic’s eye. How? Well, naive he might be but nonetheless he had a good eye for details. And as dark as it was he noticed that eye slightly glowing and Nic was still surrounded by an aura similar to that darkness from before. It might have been his imagination at first, but with the torch light it became more pronounced.

He found some soft soil and stuck the torch in it, getting Nic to sit down nearby. Ivan carefully touched the shoulder but started frowning rather soon. He was about to take a look at the other one, but as the robe was ripped just there he blinked. The thing was too big either way so he just slightly pushed the cloth aside and it slipped of easily. Astonished he poked the thin scars, looking years old. Yeah, the wolf had bitten down there. But nothing of a fresh injury to see.

“Well, good news – you are all healed up. The bad news, well, I think you might have an inkling already,” he put his thoughts together.

Nic looked at him, resigned. Yeah, he was pretty sure what that meant.

Ivan clapped his shoulder in encouragement. Smirking he queried, “Well, let’s get packing, shall we?”

Instead of directly doing a runner they went home and Nic got cleaned up as well as he could and changed his clothes. The robe itself would probably just be thrown away, even if he could clean it that would take too long. And time was of essence now. So after cleaning they checked in with the librarian who took his parchment, gave him his pay and didn’t ask too many questions, thank small mercies.

After that they parted ways for a moment, as Ivan just had some stuff he did still need and Nic had to pack himself anyway. Finally back in the hut he got a fire going with a bit of help from the Flame Sprite. Sighing he threw together his meager belongings. Everything he owned was fitting in a bag and a few small pouches on his belt he always had with him. A few things for bandaging wounds, a small knife, a few herbs to call the Flame Sprite and for healing, that was about all.

Despite knowing better he cleaned his robe as best as he could. He had never gotten around to getting a spare one and it was about the last present his uncle had given him, so well. He patched it up at the shoulder, having had to learn that young as the rest of the village besides a few was very much of the opinion he should not bother them more than he absolutely had to. So he had picked up a variety of skills, as the teaching was done in a way that he either learned fast or was left to fend for himself. Blasted sentimentality. Blasted idiots. Smallminded fools, the lot of them.

Sighing his hand ran through his hair. He had no clear idea where to go or how to plan further from here. Sure, he had known he would be leaving this place somewhen in the future but not like this. In his imagination he had been a few years older and had saved up a bit more money, for once. On the other hand, he had expected to have a more accurate map by then as well. Grimacing he took out an old parchment that had seen better days. The ink on it was faded, but still readable.

It was a map he had borrowed from the library – for an indefinite period of time, of course. Not that anyone would miss it anytime soon. The thing was old, an heirloom from the old geezer’s grandfather or great-grandfather even. Maybe a hundred years or something like that, so it would not be all that accurate to begin with. At least he had a rough direction though one was out from the start and that was that path north into the mountains. There had been a street once but as it had not been maintained it fell into disrepair and if there was any sign of it left it was a path, if at all. Even goat herder did not venture there much anymore, the risks had grown too big. Wind and weather had destroyed much of the original thing and then there had been a few rockslides over the years.

There may have been a city across the mountains but if he wanted to learn magic it would be of no great interest to him. It was part of a theocracy and well, besides holy magic they weren’t big fans of other kinds, be it elemental or others.

So, either to the east and then south, following the coastline, which lead to an archipelago of some kind or to the west where there was supposed to be a small settlement of magicians. At least there had been a note of that in the map.

South was out as well, according to some travelers months ago it had turned into a recruitment ground for the kingdom and anybody younger than twenty who could hold a sword at the right end was taken to the guards and enticed into joining. The village itself was just too small to be of interest to them and well, if you were honest there weren’t that many young people around here anyway.

“Oh well, I’m sure we’ll end up somewhere useful.”

With that he finished up packing. His robe hung near the fire, the heat should help it dry. As Ivan still wasn’t there he just lay down to relax a bit. Heck, no few days passed and another near death experience under his belt. Those he could really do without. Closing his eyes he was lulled to a light slumber to the crackling in the background without even noticing.

After a while he was roused in a very rude way, if not to say in a very brutal one. It consisted of him getting roused to landing on the floor with an audible thunk as Ivan usually threw him out of his bed. In a very literal way. No, really, his friend had taken to picking him up and just letting go, what led to what he by now called umph-moments. If he was loudly complaining about it, he didn’t have to worry about neighbors much. His hut was a bit on the off side of the village and well, nobody was near enough to hear him complain.

Disoriented he sat up, seeing stars for a moment. The same as usual. How usual? Well, let’s phrase it like that – Nic was about unrousable the normal way, so he usually had that waking moment accompanied by beforementioned umph and gasped for air with his back tingling. Though this time something was different.

“What the heck Ivan?! It’s dark and I can’t see a thing!”

“I am aware,” Ivan noted dryly. “But I think we should be gone very soon or be ready to be lynched in flames.”

“That’s called going down in –“ paling Nic stopped himself. “Wait, wait, lynching?! Why?!”

“Oh right, you can’t have heard. That thing with the wolves, well someone saw us and well... Let’s just say my father gave me this bag filled with coins and recommended me we should avoid that storm in the mug.”

Disbelieving Nic stared. There was a whole lot of information Ivan was leaving out. “And why we both, if you please?”

“Oh that. Well, clearly you’re a demon incarnate about to go on a rampage, but as I have always been nice to you I have shown my true colors as your loyal little minion who has always been in the know and now we’ll rain hell on this place if left alive. All the while feasting on their pitiful souls and blood.”

Ivan recanted the story in such a cheerful way that Nic was doubting his sanity. And he wasn’t even sure whether he meant his friend’s or his own. His friend seemed to be awfully amused as if it was all a big joke even with his own head in the noose alongside Nic’s. But well, nothing to it then. Grumbling he got up, taking his still slightly soggy robe and put it on. Hopefully he didn’t end up with a cold on top of it, that would just be the timing for it.

“So we are leaving now, because...”

He motioned his hand in a rolling way, hoping Ivan would get the hint.

“Well, so that we are gone when the others return.”

Nic groaned. He suspected that this thing would end in one of two ways and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to ask. But as it involved Ivan and his hairbrained schemes he was better off being prepared. That had been a hard learned lesson over the years.

“What did you do now?” he implored with growing dread.

“Well, the angry mob is on his way to the east, being led by my father.”

Right, the first part was fine. Though the problem that followed now would be the one which would one day give him a stomach ulcer, he just knew it.

“But,” see, that was the thing, “sadly another part of it broke off and blocked the way south because the may have heard something.”

Great. He had intended originally to just leave south and turn to the west after a day or two. As heading directly to the west led right though the hunting grounds of not only a few packs of wolves and other dangerous predators, but also was leading through a moor and had a bit of a longer travel time before even reaching the next paved paths. About a week, if they were even there anymore to begin with that is. His original plan would have led through the southern territory which was easier to travel in and less dangerous. And that week took into account that you had horses, not even mentioning passing there by foot. Plus, Nic couldn’t even ride. Sure, put him on the four-legged nightmares, him hanging on in terror while someone else led the thing was about all he was able to.

“But I was able to get two horses!” was not what Nic wanted to hear.

The darkness was lurking and staring. Yes, there he was, the new master.

The new protégé.

There was much he would have to learn. There have been better.

But many, many worse as well.

Broadly grinning razor-sharp canines glinted in wavering black. There was no light, whatever for. Three glowing eyes gazed out of it, soft metallic giggling could be heard. A moment of surprise followed by light whispering.

He has forgotten it.

Within the blink of an eye flowing darkness engulfed the blade that had been unnoticed until now. A soundless poof and every sign of it was gone.

I’ll bring it to him.

More brassy screeching. Soon, soon, soon. It wouldn’t be long now.

Now Nic had about enough. His ass was numb and hurt at the same time, his arms were cramping and he didn’t know how, but the effing nag was trying to eat his hair again! And still they had five days of travel before themselves before reaching any kind of settlement, if there even was one. The last one they had to make a huge detour around as Nic’s horse had bolted because a fox cup had suddenly appeared yipping. Until they had gotten the stupid thing to calm down and gotten back some idiots from the village had already arrived there, so hence the detour. And yes, it had been a long one.

On top of that the map proved about as useful as Nic had feared. Where there should be villages or towns were ruins where strange fog was blocking even sight of the ruins and which also didn’t leave with the sun shining on it. They stopped for a break a bit further away but had to cut that short when Ivan had to slay a blasted skeleton which was more stumbling than walking in their direction. The sounds coming from those ruins were foreboding and creepy, so someone else was free to explore the why behind it.

At least they had found a little settlement of a few houses that consisted of pile dwellings that were also separately fenced. They could even rest up in a barn with the horses for paying a small obolus. Though the extra fences and strange way around them was a bit curious to Nic, but there probably was a reason for that. On top of that he was much too tired to really wonder what was up with that and just wanted to sleep.

If he had known what was lurking in the blasted moor he’d have taken the extra time and gone around the blasted thing in the first place. But well, as it was they had been in a hurry and well, he was to blame as well as he had left the decision in that moment to Ivan. Which in hindsight hadn’t been that much of a smart move but it was done by now anyway.

_________

9The shepherd was a smart one. He had two herds, one bred specifically to just offer enough food to feed the wolves so they left the others be. They even tasted better, as the wolves just about ignored the other completely. Coincidentally the shepherd was the only one who could run around in the woods at any time he so desired.