We walked for a time beyond my knowledge, not that I particularly cared. The guide book I held had absorbed all my attention as I walked amongst the towering silver trees, their size still blocking out most of the sun above. My new companions continued their stroll on either side. Thric felt like a moving mountain, every step sending a shiver through the earth. Yet he said nothing as we traveled, though the way his head pivoted steadily as we moved signaled to me that he was far from inattentive.
Hera on the other hand continued to set the pace as we moved. She was almost unrelenting in her march, and I had a feeling the pace should have been more brutal than it was. Yet I barely noticed it as I continued my rapid reading as I felt like we marched for hours. Topic after topic, term after term, words and symbols all. Every subject both expanded my horizon, while at the same time giving me a hundred new things to chase at the same time.
Even more interesting, was the small tidbits I found on myself. The sections were small, mostly footnotes. But the fact that they existed at all, and the tales they told. I could have investigated further for hours.
So it was almost a disappointment when we arrived at our destination.
Not having an idea what this lodge would be like, I was quite surprised to see that it was… nice. Taking a moment to gaze, I observed it was made out of the same wood as the silver trees that continued towering around us. It was two stories tall and seemed large enough to comfortably hold several individuals for a long period of time. Yet at the same time it seemed… old. Vines and moss covered the building giving it a sense of neglect. Like nature was trying to take back what belonged to it. This was further reinforced to me by the way that nothing seemed to live here at all. I saw no light, and heard no sound from the building. It was dead in every way I could imagine.
Hera on the other hand didn't even take a first look at it as she walked up its decrepit porch. She did turn to me when she reached its door though, and without sound or gesture I was told to follow. I took a few steps forward before halting, taking my own look back at Thric who had stopped following us a good fifty steps ago or so. He had made himself comfortable among the emerald earth, and while he had been facing away from the lodge he promptly turned to me, as if sensing my gaze.
“Though you have much to discuss, the outcome affects me not. So go, I will keep watch and listen from here.” Thric rumbled out. Not really sure how to respond to that, I didn't and walked over to Hera. The floor boards made no sound as I glided over them and to my savior. She held the door to the lodge open, and as I walked up to it there was a feeling of… importance. Of significance. The recollection of my own existence was painfully short so far, yet I could already tell that what was to come from inside this place would decide my future.
Yet I walked through it all the same, never once pausing in my steps. As Hera followed me through it, there was a… sense that I had yet again made the right decision in my actions, even as I was left floundering as to why. I did stop after passing the threshold though, both to let Hera lead us to our destination, and to marvel at the lodge’s inside.
The foyer was large, a good twenty by thirty-five feet with a sizable set of stairs only a good ten feet away. It led upwards before splitting like a branch both left and right to the second floor above. The floor we stood in was both fairly sparse and quite dirty. It had obviously seen a lot of coming and going from its previous inhabitants, mud and dirt staining the floorboards from constant tread.
Yet how long ago that was I couldn't tell. I quickly put that all behind me though as I noticed that, to my right was a small table with a single burning candle and a tiny cup with something steaming within. More importantly, next to the table was a comfortable looking chair which was currently being occupied by someone new. Someone who seemed to be waiting for us, not that they were making their presence known.
His legs were comfortably crossed over each other as they read a large book that covered his face, so I couldn't see much there. Yet the rest of the individual was fully on display as they continued their reading. Looking upon the individual, the word conjured before me for their appearance was "casual". His brown pants were bare except for the large amount of pockets they bore, and they held no discernible weapon. The light green shirt they had featured a single tan stripe along the chest, and nothing more. The light blue, and cozy looking jacket they sported was also quite spartan. Yet it seemed older than the rest of the clothes they wore, on account of the small rips and tears I could see from here. On the other hand, it was also the cleanest piece they wore, looking immaculate compared to the rest of their getup.
I stared at them for a moment, not entirely sure on what to do. Yet when that moment passed, he unexpectedly gave a soft grunt as he put something within the book, probably to mark his spot as they then set it on the table next to them. He took his time standing up from their spot, doing a series of stretches after they did. Now with his face exposed, I could see that their brown hair ended past their ears all around. This included his eyes, making it impossible to see them. The rest of their fairly young face was clean, bearing nothing of note.
They acknowledged me soon after with a friendly tilt of the head, and it was then that I realized my first assessment of them was slightly off. For around their waste was a single sheathed knife that they had hidden well. Still unsure on what to do, I finally turned to Hera. She gingerly walked over to the stranger after a brief pause. As she made her way over to the boy, or perhaps man, he turned and gave her a friendly, if not familiar smile. When Hera reached him, she put a single hand on his shoulder before turning to face me. It was obvious then that these two were more than acquaintances, but what they were exactly was impossible to say.
“Cynthia, this here is a member of the organization I work for, and a good friend beyond that. Wander, please be kind to her. She’s going through a lot.” At that the person before me, Wander, tilted his head slightly in confusion at Hera, but refocused back to me after Hera whispered something to him.
“Kind to her huh? With how beautiful the sight before me is, I may be the one needing help soon.” His voice was light, yet firm, and he delivered his line with a grin somewhere between friendly and impudent. I was at a loss to say the least, having even less of an idea on what to say then when I entered. Thankfully I wasn't left to flounder for long, as the friendly hand that had been holding their shoulder a moment ago swiftly slapped them across the back of the head. The force nearly sent them to the floor, yet the… individual before me, quickly righted themselves with just a single foot in an impressive display of balance.
Perhaps more strangely, they still bore that impish smile as they fully rightened themselves, though Here’s expression seemed somewhat more annoyed than before. As if pretending that moment had not just happened at all, he stashed his hands in their jackets pockets before giving me what I could only assume was an exaggerated wink.
“Nice tah meet yah pal.” They greeted more formally, their friendly expression only deepening with the act. Realizing that now I had to finally say something, I decided to just go with the flow. So, taking a single step forward and giving a slight bow at this “Wander”, I gave him my response.
“You're ok, right? Cause I can only assume a fall from heaven would hurt a bit.” It was without a doubt the stupidest thing I'd said so far, not that that was saying much. Yet seeing this person's smile brighten even more, I couldn't say that it wasn't a stupid kind of fun. The brief exchange made me grin as well, and if nothing else it helped to put me at a sense of ease. I felt my muscles relax in a way I couldn't remember in my brief period of memory. It was… relaxing. Disarming.
“Oh, I like her.” Wander commented, earning what sounded like an almost defeated sigh from Hera. Yet even she was sporting a grin of her own now, so I figured this sort of exchange wasn't foreign to her.
“Oh yes, I'm sure you two will get along just fine. But that's not why we're here.” Hera stated a bit more seriously. I nodded a bit tentatively, unsure on how we would progress from here. But Wander’s grin did not bulge at all. He merely nodded and gestured to the other side of the foray, where he led the way after grabbing his book and drink.
There was a door in front of us, and a hallway to its left. He led us down the hall to another door, where upon entering we found ourselves in a large trophy room that doubled as a lounge. It was comfortable looking, full of fancy chairs and other luxury items of the like. On the other hand, the stuffed heads of various things that littered the room were… uncanny. I didn't recognize a single one, a fact that did little to settle my nerves as we moved about the room.
“Now then Wander, as I told you before I left, I went to fetch our promising recruit.” Hera began as we finished settling in. Wander said nothing, merely nodding while taking a sip from his drink.
“I have both succeeded and failed in this endeavor.” The statement didn't seem to diminish his mood, though only slightly as he tilted his head in a “continue” sort of way.
“I have acquired her,” Hera continued while nodding my way, “Alas it seems we were beaten here by another. She defended herself valiantly, but whoever it was that had gotten here first was no mere mortal. As you can see, I managed to save her life. But her memory, her soul, paid the price.” Hera finished with a sigh. At that Wander turned his head to me, though the movement was lazy. He stared at me then, and being unable to see his eyes made me all the more nervous when he finally spoke.
“How bad?” Was the casual remark he gave while taking another sip of his drink.
“It's… complicated? She hasn't fully reset at least, muscle movement seems to be fine, and she can still understand us. Though with that being said, I have noticed that she seems to be missing several words from her dictionary.” Hera elaborated. Wander took his time before replying again.
“Well, for what it's worth I'm truly sorry to hear that.” Wander said while gesturing to me before turning back to Hera.
“So, are we taking her to an Asclepieia?” Wander voiced, sounding almost bored in the reply.
“Wander, she has a hole in her soul that I cannot heal.” Hera responded, sounding almost insulted at whatever Wander had suggested.
“Then what are you proposing?” He questioned back, still sounding unengaged in the conversation to my immense… confusion? Frustration? What was going on?
“That the original plan remains unchanged.” Hera proposed, and at that I had something to say.
“Wait hold on,” I interjected as both turned to me, “The original plan? You want me to… to become a recruit? I don't even know who I am. Or anything that's going on. I mean, I don't even know anything about your organization” I responded, perhaps a bit more passionately then I meant to.
“Agreed,” Wander added while turning to Hera, “She'd never get a go ahead from any of the others, let alone three-quarters of them. I included.” He finished with a shrug. Hera only smiled at that.
“I'd agree, but if you remember correctly from when we originally set off to acquire Cynthia I had proposed an extended tour of the realm?” At that Wander groaned and sunk deep into his chair while Hera continued her smile. Much to my own confusion.
“A tour?” I repeated back to Hera, who again nodded.
“But of course. The original idea was to get you reacquainted with the world around us, but with how things are now, what better way to refill your lost memory than to visit the places where it was filled up to begin with?” I was inarticulate for a moment, which was probably for the best. The longer I thought about it, the more the idea seemed not only logical. But also… tantalizing.
“So you still want to recruit her then? Does she even know who we are?” Wander vexingly asked.
“The Arch-Lords” I answered instantly, though as Wanders gaze remained I felt hesitation return into my being.
“And…?” Wander drawled out after taking another sip, and at that I had no answers. I started to wring my hands together in embarrassment when I couldn't find any words to say.
“Didn't read that far huh?” Hera chirped up when I voiced nothing.
“I was actually waiting to ask you about that. It seemed like something to ask you about personally…” I mumbled. Hera shrugged at the words, not looking entirely surprised.
“Well, there's no time like the present. In essence where a guild, a conquers paradigm to be more precise, of mercenaries.” I gave Hera my best, “I'm still confused” look, which she thankfully understood as she began to explain, though not before laying an elbow on the chair's arm and resting her head on her fist.
“A mercenary is a person, or persons, for hire. For instance, I work under my flag alone. Wander on the other hand, has his own forces that he commands.” That was quite interesting to learn, not that Wander seemed to care. He was still moping, and very much not looking like someone who could lead a force. Hera continued on after a pause.
“While a mercenary can be hired to do pretty much anything, we specifically sell our services to the major powers that be. Which we will be visiting on our tour.” Hera continued on after a thought. “A guild on the other hand, is just a name for a group of unifying mercenaries and or individuals. Like us.” Hera finished with a pointed look at Wander, who just continued to look very unprofessional.
"And what's a conquers paradigm?"
"A term used to specify what your guild excels in. There are many different types of paradigms out there in the world, and I'm sure you'll meet most of them before things are said and done." She said with a yawn at the end.
“And you want me to join you.” I slowly, very carefully, asked Hera.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Well, yes.” She answered back with a slight tilt of her head, like my question was the most confusing thing id said so far.
“But… I'm not a fighter.” I responded. Yet Hera’s head only tilted further at my remark.
“Are you not?” Hera casually replied back. I balked at that response at first, but then…
“Oh no you don't.” Wander suddenly replied before sitting up in his seat and looking at Hera.
“There is a reason we don't train people Hera. And I'm not going to spend the next who knows how many years babysitting a crippled girl on the off chance she suddenly knows how to hold a sword. No offense.” He stated, turning to me at the last remark, and while I WAS a little offended at the statement, I couldn't dispute it either. Yet, Hera just continued to smile.
“My dear friend, you're jumping to conclusions. After all, If she was as you described her then I would agree with you. Yet we have yet to see if she IS as you describe.”
“You haven't tested that yet?” Wander replied with a huff.
“Well, considering I knew you weren't going anywhere with her until you tested her yourself, I thought it efficient to wait until we met back up with you to begin.” Wander said nothing at that, instead turning to me with a look on his face. It said, “Well?”.
“...If nothing else, I believe it's what Cynthia wanted to do.” I replied after some thought. And I believed it was true. Cynthia was a warrior of some skill according to Hera. But did any of it remain in me? “What would this tour entail exactly?” I inquired a moment after.
“Well, considering the duties the paradigm takes up we often perform patrols around the realm in order to… lighten the load shall we say. You see, normally these "tours" as we like to call them are located around our designated areas, and involve dealing with anything from roaming marauders and bandits, to divine engines.” I wanted to interject at that, but she powered through before I could. “But for new recruits, we sometimes propose extended tours if the recruit in question has a very little knowledge of the world in general, or if their skill is not yet up to par. Since, as Wander already hinted, the tour can take years to complete, we don't do it very often as it involves traveling around the plane itself instead of just an area of it.” Hera finished her explanation with a slight sigh.
“It's both a large time sink, and a heavy investment.” Wander added on with a shrug. “If you start it, you will finish it. We can't afford for you to not. So I'll say again Cynthia, is this what you want?
"What other option do I have?" I replied inquisitively, truly wondering what my options really were.
"We find you a home. A place you can relax, where you can live, and we're you can heal." Wander emphasized towards Hera. But she was already disagreeing, the slight shake of her head giving the impression that she wished otherwise.
"Perhaps you may find a home. A place you can relax, and enjoy what life you have. But you will never heal. Your memories are gone, and they are not returning." Though her veil hid her gaze, I could still feel it, feel its intensity as it hardened against my own. "And any memories you do gain will be from the pages of a book. The world itself will forever be beyond your reach. Is that the life you wish to live? Is that what you truly want?" She finished, though her gaze still remained as sharp as before.
Such a decision to make! But while I knew I did not have long to decide… I found that as I weighed one decision over the other, only one held weight at all.
"I don't know much…" I began a bit hesitant, but a quick glance at my audience and I knew that any hesitation would not be allowed. So I steeled my voice, and hardened my soul. "I remember so little. I am unsure of my skills. Of really anything. But I can say with absolute certainty that I would rather face down all the evils of the world, then quietly let them pass over me." I gave my best "What else can I do? '' shrug before continuing.
"That's what Cynthia would have wanted." I finished. The others continued their inquisitive stares, each pair of eyes digging into my wounded spirit for their answers. Hera found hers first, for the smile that bloomed on her face was radiant, though nowhere near as bright as her first. Still, I felt even more proud of my answer as I gazed at it. Wander was soon to follow, though his change was one of annoyed stoicism to resignation. His groan was followed by his response.
"So be it." Was his reply.
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We left the lodge soon after, moving back outside into the forest, and down where Thric continued his vigil. As we passed him, I gave him a small pat to the arm, which he responded to with an amused sounding puff. I half expected Wander to say something about Thirc, or to him if nothing else. He barely spared him a nod, one which Thric didn't bother returning. We only traveled another fifty feet away from where Thric was before stopping, though the way the two mercenaries looked at me had me confused as to what I was supposed to be doing. A grunt from Wander, along with a jab from his head to my left, quickly answered that.
It was a target range. Easy to tell with the multitude of targets set up both on the ground and on simple tripods, as well as on the trees around us. Yet even as this solved one question, I was left with another. Why?
“Hera informed me that you were exceptional with the bow.” Wander clarified after a moment of me staring at the targets.
“I was?” I asked back in surprise. Wander instead chose to slowly turn to Hera, his face a statue of disappointment, yet once again Hera just chuckled in response.
“Perhaps, my dear Cynthia, you would remember your old strength better if you grasped your bow.” At that she reached into one of her pockets and, impossibly, pulled from it a bow made from the same silver wood that towered around us. The bow was… a self-bow I believed, for it was made out of a single material- minus the string of course… which it lacked completely. It was also large, easily a little under my own size. As I carefully grabbed hold of the weapon, which weighed almost nothing, I noticed further that it was slim, straight-limbed and only slightly reflexed in the middle. Taking it fully in my left hand, I held it in a way that I could draw if need be. The motion felt… smooth. Practiced. If only I had…
“You have everything you need Cynthia. There is no need to practice.” Hera called out to the side, to my slight confusion. I had no arrows, no ammunition, there wasn't even a string on the bow! right? And yet…
Though I held no arrow, and though there was no string, I pulled back my arm in the motion of a full draw. As I made the motion of drawing an arrow, slowly one appeared as if it had always been there, though it felt like there was nothing here at all. Now fully drawn the arrow, now completed, was long yet also the perfect size for the bow. Its tip was no standard arrow head though, being quite elongated. A heavy arrow, for a heavy longbow. The only other noticeable mark on the arrow was the slight glow it gave off. Though I barely noticed it, for the moment it appeared I let it fly. It struck the farthest target straight in its center, a target held by a stand, but it was not done. It then proceeded to throw the target back into the tree it was stationed in front of, pinning it like a tack.
A moment of silence followed, though only briefly. Light clapping followed after as well.
“Well my dear Cynthia, that was quite the-'' Hera began to say, though I heard none of it. Having struck my target, a feeling blossomed in my chest, and one I was strangely determined to keep. So I took one breath in, and in the moment of exhalation I drew back the next arrow and released. But not once, for by the time I had fully loosed my breath, every target in the range had been struck through its center with the same force as my first draw.
Silence followed again, but not for long as I fully turned to Wander, a grand feeling of elation, and perhaps some smugness, flowing through me at my success. Wander kept his silence, yet I felt like I was being scrutinized in far greater detail than our first meeting. I'm not sure how long the silence lasted, only that I was still smiling brightly when Wander broke it.
“Half circle turn to your left, seven steps off the ground and two thousand feet in. Strike it.” Wander commanded. For a moment I blinked owlishly at the order, but after taking a moment to think about it I slowly took a stance. I was unsure of what I was doing, but with how right it felt I decided to let instinct take over. The stance was low, and I would be unable to move effectively while in it. Yet that was no concern at the moment. What was was the amount of draw strength I could gain out of it. And how much more power It could add.
Without even turning at first to sight down my quarry, I followed the instructions to the letter. The arrow I loosened caused the air to boom as wind buffeted the area. So great was the arrow shot that it shattered the sound around us and everything along its path. Upon its destination I spotted a moment before impact, sighting down the lone target as if it was only a few feet in front of me.
A feat that surprised me, for the path to the target was a narrow one, only wide enough for an arrow when you accounted for how close the tree’s enclosed upon it. And just as I could see the target with ease, so did I witness the impact of the arrow, which struck my quarry dead center with such force that it pierced and shattered it. And perhaps… through the tree it was sat upon? Leaving the strange stance I had taken, I turned back to my observers. Hera said nothing, but Wander…
“*Sigh* It would have been so much easier if you had missed.” He grumbled, though the smile he wore made the remark feel good natured.
“Perhaps,” Hera remarked with a sly grin, like the outcome was never in doubt. “But she didn't.”
“I guess not.” Wander commented before looking out into the forest beyond. “Still, A good aim will only get you so far. You can defend yourself, but can you survive by yourself?”
“What does that mean?” I questioned, as Wanders' smile morphed into something more… predatory.
“There’s game in these woods. Creatures that can quickly turn the hunter into the hunted. And other… things that should be well left alone. You want my approval? Then you and I will enter these woods. Alone.” Wander emphasized towards Hera, who seemed… displeased at the idea, though voiced nothing. “You will hunt, and you will survive. At least until I'm satisfied.” Wander finished. The idea alone felt a little tiring. But I could understand the logic. And I needed his approval, to be trusted so that I could learn what I could not remember.
“Fine, when do we begin?” I asked with a bit of a sigh.
“Now.” He responded back, his head gesturing to a nearby tree. I was confused for a moment, though the tracks I spotted nearby clued me in.
“You want to start now?” I questioned again, though he only shrugged at it.
“We're all very busy people Cynthia. I really don't wish to be rude, but we,” Wander emphasized again towards Hera, who merely gave a huff at the gesture, “do not have the time to be babysitting someone who cannot take care of themselves for when the occasion arrives. The world is a dangerous place, and I'll remind you that the point of our group is to jump into that danger. You want in? Show us you're more a resource than a burden.
The remark stung quite a bit all things considered, yet I couldn't be mad at it either. There seemed to be a lot riding on me, not that I understood any of it. On the other hand, hearing Wander talk about proving myself. On being a resource, rather than a burden. It made me want to prove him right. And, perhaps even more importantly, I wanted to see if I could do it at all. I was being challenged, and I wanted to rise to it.
I believed that's what Cynthia would do, anyways.
----------------------------------------
Without much sound or fanfare, we began our hunt. I led at the front, following the tracks when I could, and chasing other clues when they disappeared. But I never lost the trail. Wander followed a way’s behind me, far enough that he never got in the way, but close enough that he could still follow. Minutes turned into hours as the trail continued on. Deeper and deeper into the silver growth we traveled. I wasn't sure what we were hunting either. Seemed like a… deer? But it didn't feel exactly right either…
*Snap*
The snapping sound froze me as it echoed across the area. I stopped, and with a speed I didn't know I possessed I vanished behind the nearest tree. The snapping branch had come from somewhere, yet I could not see where. There were no bushes, no foliage, no vines. Nothing but the emerald grass, and the towering silver trees-.
The trees!
I looked out from my hiding tree and gazed upwards. With wide eyes I watched as spiders of unacceptable size, nearly the size of Thric in fact, walked amongst the canopy. Indeed, I quickly noticed that the comparison to Thric wasn't that far off, for they had a strange draconic body, hybrid legs, and a face that mixed the worst parts of both. Looking closely, I believed there to be three of the things climbing above, but as I watched further, stuck in some sort of horrified trance, I saw more. It seemed that the monstrosity could change the color of its scaled, hairy body to blend in with its surroundings, for more seemed to blink in and out amongst the light touched canopy.
I fingered the grip of my bow nervously, stuck between striking a first decisive blow, and simply letting these things go on about their business. My indecisiveness was an answer unto itself, for the creatures disappeared soon afterward. I tentatively left my hiding spot, looking upwards all the while at the trail the things had left. Though there were broken branches, they were few and far between to my surprise. What wasn't sparse were the webs. Those nightmare spawn had left trails upon trails of the stuff, weaving together the emerald canopy into a highway of pale string.
“Well-” The sound, sudden as it was close, had me spinning and raising my bow. An arrow already conjured and ready to fly, “You seem on edge.” Wander cheekily spoke with an amused smile ghosting his lips. I was tempted to let the arrow fly, but I got the strange feeling that it wouldn't hit even if I did.
“What the hell were those things?” I whispered to him while looking at the canopy above again, my bow lowered but the arrow still conjured, unsure if we were as alone as we seemed to be. Though his amusement remained, he answered seriously as well.
“Devastation Vermin. Invaders from a world beyond… well, accidental invaders but that's just semantics I suppose.” He finished with a shrug, and while I was tempted to question him more on the subject, I instead took a breath and centered myself.
“...Are they predators, or prey?” I questioned. Wander tilted his head back slightly, his amusement morphing into one of… challenge?
“This is your hunt Cynthia. You tell me.” I swallowed hard at that, and thought. Though his eyes were hidden, I could feel Wander’s gaze studying me. My job was to hunt, and these creatures had presented an opportunity to do so. Yet… the thought of hunting them… filled me with a feeling I could not explain.
“...They are nothing.” I replied after a long time, turning and beginning my hunt again, though it was only a coincidence that the original trail took us away from the vermin. “Unworthy of our time.” I thought, even as the feeling of the Wanders gaze never left. Never diminished.
The hunt continued for some time after the encounter, though I didn't bother trying to keep track of it. Not with the canopy above blocking any clear sight of the sun. Yet it mattered little, for I had regained the trail I set out after. I slowed the pace though, to keep an eye and ear out for any more… unexpected company.
But we ran into nothing more. At least, nothing unexpected. For after what felt like hours more of tracking, of following the smallest signs of life and trails of my prey, I found them. As the silver trees loosened their hold over the sky, if only just a little, there sat my prey at the edge of a lake. The lake itself was fairly identical to the one I had stopped at earlier, though noticeably smaller. But that was a secondary detail. It was the creature I was hunting that held my gaze.
It was a deer, at least in shape. Its long, almost squirrel-like tail and massive antlers gave way to the creature being of some other species. It was drinking from the lake, facing away from me. Though I doubted it would have seen me even if it was looking in my direction. I was still about four hundred feet away when I spotted it between the cracks of the forest, and immediately made myself as small and inconspicuous as possible. It didn't seem to suspect anything. It merely continued its drink.
I thumbed the grip of my bow nervously. If this was my prey, then my next course of action was obvious. But… was it? Something was telling me this wasn't right but…
But then I caught Wander out of the corner of my eye, hiding behind a tree like mine. From his angle, he was invisible to the creature I was hunting, only just visible to me.
And he offered nothing to me.
There was no helpful or encouraging nod. Nor was there a rebuff. There was just… judgment. I don't know why that realization spurred me into action. Only that I was moving when it did.
In a single practiced motion, one I had never done yet done a million times, I peeked behind the tree, made the motion of drawing an arrow and then released it. The deer, which had just finished its drink, dropped instantly when the arrow met its heart. It was… anticlimactic, the way it just dropped. But I made my way over to it all the same. As I approached, I watched as its blood trickled into the lake, and when I stood over its body, I saw that its face was flatter than a deer's.
Almost human in fact.
I wondered what this all meant. Of what came next. I meant to inquire with Wander, to ask just that. But then on the other side of the lake, the direction from which the creature was looking before its demise, it suddenly glowed with the intensity of a star.
And from the center of this second sun, its source it would seem, I could barely make out the form of a creature.
It strode forward, close to the lake… then onto it. Walking on top of the body of water like how I strode upon the land. As it made its way towards us, I could just begin to make out its full shape. It was like the deer whose corpse I stood before. But so much more.
Its fur was blue, so light it was almost white. Its tail, long yet bushy, seemed groomed and well kept. Its antlers, as large as its already huge body, swept back and forth in beautiful loops. And its wings, easily giving the creature a forty-five foot wingspan, invoked awe with their large, grandiose feathers.
Around it was a corona of light, from which ushered forth the eye piercing light. But I couldn't look away. This creature was too beautiful to disrespect it in such a way. So I watched in pain as it approached. Closer and closer it did. Until it stood before me.
And my kill.
I dropped my bow in fear. And in terror I dropped to my knees. I offered my silence, my tears, as a prayer for my sin. I don't know if it was accepted. Or if it even knew I existed to begin with. But all the same, I watched as it slowly stooped low. Its forehead just briefly brushing the body of the one I had killed.
And then, the dead slowly stirred.
No, it jolted! It stood awake and well! with no sign that it had ever died to begin with, it tested its new lease on life. I would have been speechless, if I hadn't already been so. The not-deer thing turned to look at me for a moment. Its humanoid-like face staring into mine before bounding off into the forest. And the creature before me? This… god? Its own humanoid face spared me a single look as it turned and left across the lake from whence it came.
I don't know how long I kneeled there at the lakes edge, or how long I quietly whimpered there. How long I stared at the lingering blood from the dead now living. It was only when I heard footprints behind me that I bothered to look elsewhere. It was Wander.
And he looked the same.
No encouragement. No dismissal. Just judgment.
“...did I pass?” I choked out. He took his time with his answer. Time he used to further stare into me. To judge me. His answer came with a nod.
“Yes.” He replied with a smile, offering me a hand in the process. I took it, though I nearly pulled him down to me in the process. With only a single foot he managed to rebalance himself, and hauled us both to our feet. I gave a shaky smile at that, the experience from before beginning to fade, though only just slightly.
“...what was that?” I questioned in fear, not sure if I wanted to know.
“A Guardian. A predator, in your case.” He stated with a smirk, then tilted his head slightly. “And, if you continue down this path, one day it may be your prey.” That statement alone nearly stilled my heart even more than my encounter with the Guardian! But…
“If it's what Cynthia would do. What she hoped to achieve.” I answered back to him. All sense of terror and fear crushed and stored away as I looked at where his eyes would be.
“So be it.”