Kyle shuffled through a bush, collecting the greyish berries within, squashing them onto a flat rock nearby before taking the light blue paste and dying his hair, ears and tail with it.

“I don’t know, I don’t know if anyone other than the first wave of players made it here. If we were the only ones…I’m alone here, wherever I am.” He spoke to himself, rising away to look into a frozen stream he had found.

Looking himself over, “The berry-paste is keeping my hair back, plus the change of colour, let’s hope nobody notices the smell.” He mused, smelling a mild grassy scent to himself.

Taking hold of a rock he had sharpened, Kyle looked over his clothing. Thick leather and fur pants with a long-sleeved dark grey shirt, and a dirty-white overcoat of leather with fur endings. “The cold doesn’t bother me much so, doing this should be fine.” He mused, taking the rock to his sleeves and cutting both short.

Opening one of the sleeves up, he wrapped it over his head, using the other as a bandage to tighten it, hiding his ears which he held flat over his head.

Kyle then moved to the coat, cutting open the sleeves entirely, then slashing its length to half. He wrapped the top part of what used to be a coat around his waist whilst also willing his tail to do the same underneath.

Afterward, he began cutting off some of the longer hairs within the furry parts of his spawned clothing. Thankful he was not sent here naked, Kyle began tying up a make-shift string with the furs. Taking the last piece of the coat, a good length of his entire waistline and half the height of his chest.

Kyle struggled but managed to cut open two holes at either ending, the top right and top left. Using, and losing due to breaking, many a branch to make holes in this make-shift half-vest. Kyle then put on the vest and used the strings to tie it over his chest. Wishing he had buttons available, or maybe a zipper, perhaps a damn needle.

Still, he was thankful for his many acquired odd skills, as he turned back to the frozen stream to gaze at the blurry reflection of his final product.

“Silly, dirty, but nothing like I looked before. So it does its job.”

Grabbing some full palms of snow, Kyle dabbed his clothing in it and some dirt. “Background…background…Family of hunters, looking to make a life here. Where I come from?...Hmm, there’s a mountain range on the map but, beyond the mountains sounds too far-fetched for a solo traveler…” Groaning as he spanned through his memory of this world thus far, Kyle strained his mind to remember.

“Falling…Big wall, Walled city, forest, snowfield…A lake, frozen over? And…a village.” Remembering what he saw throughout his hectic fall, Kyle had a great memory for details.

He sighed, “I doubt I can hide my character name so,” he cleared his throat and faced the forest ahead. “Greetings…No, too formal, Hello? Do they even know hello? No technology…No, no, too modern. Hi! Fuck that…Hm, no greeting? Yeah, overly outdoorsy.” Clearing his throat all over again and allowing himself to slouch a bit, “Kyllix, you city guard? Yeah?” Nodding to himself, he made mental notes whilst putting himself into the character he had just invented.

Should I avoid the guard? No, be too shifty to ask about the town and not head straight to the guards. Plus, if they haven’t changed, those two are very bored.

Turned away from the stream, Kyle began making his way back to the town, fixing up his demeaner, expression and adjusting to walking with a tail around his legs.

Taking several minutes to reach the town’s gate, where before it still stood the black obelisk over a platform Kyle now knew to be a spawn-point. And in the span of the past half-hour, it seemed as things had spiraled from bad to worse.

A whole squad of guards encircled the spawn-point, blocking off citizens from the people who lay trapped within the encirclement.

More players died.

Kyle figured, watching and listening in as several players tried to reason with the guards to let them out, as two-by-three, a whole different contingent of guards came taking them away.

Some idiot probably attacked the guards to let himself out, where are they taking them though?

Avoiding the crowd of townsfolk, Kyle wandered over to the highest-ranking officer he could spy amongst the town's guard.

The man quickly looked him over, noticing his approach. “What is it now?” The guard asked.

Sensing the annoyance in his tone, more keenly than the overall confusion and frustration that filled his surroundings, “What be happening ‘ere?”

“Nothing we cannot handle, move on please.” The guard told him before turning away to continue grouching and waiting.

What is he waiting for? Hm, his armour design is different but not that off the rest. Low-rank officer waiting for a higher-up? Or orders?

Deciding not to bother the man further, Kyle moved around the encirclement, curiously gazing over the wall of guards and shields to catch glances at the players, trying to see if he could recognise anyone. He did not, and as he began approaching the guards he gave the odd sight one last glance before turning fully to the guards standing at attention by the open gates.

“Odd day, eh?” Kyle mused, and the guard chuckled.

“Yea, odd one you can say.” He huffed, “Returning?” the guard then asked.

He thinks I’m a citizen, phew…good disguise. But…

“Nah, no. New around these parts, looking for odd-jobs, hailing from over the forest and the lake.” Kyle responded, fearing the guard would ask for proof of living within the town.

“Hm, day’s getting stranger then. We never get incomings from Carn, usually the opposite. Why’d you leave the workforce?” The guard’s eyes narrowed and Kyle knew he’d messed up.

Shit, workforce?

Keeping up the façade fully, “Work was too much for me, bit off more than I could chew you could say. Got no one to look after or stay with either, so I packed up and made way here, should of just stayed I guess. Bunch of bandits caught me alone in the forest.”

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At the mention of bandits the guard’s expression lit up, “Any identifying remarks or appearances from your assailants?”

Ah, hit a sore spot.

“Bastards acted like they own the forest, had to ditch my belongings to outrun them. Used to the woods, getting away with no load wasn’t too hard but, there goes everything…” Kyle grumbled.

“Hm, nothing that stood out from them?” The guard asked again.

A notorious gang of bandits, perfect.

“Dunno, like what?” Kyle mused with a raised brow.

The guard sighed, “Specifically? Any mention of the Dusk Blade, or Dark Elves, anyone presumed to look like a dark elf?”

“No…nothing of the sort?” Kyle said, not wanting to be related to those words, but fully burning them into his memory for later use. “Was about six of ‘em, not quite scraggly beggars but, not really mercenary looking either.”

“Hm, you got lucky then.” The guard grumbled, “The town’s underworld has been in shambles lately, borders set between the town guard and the…underbelly, have recently been stepped over. You most probably wandered into a band gone rogue.”

“What makes ye say so?” Kyle asked.

“You’d be dead otherwise, any banditry that occurs outside the town’s walls, all they leave behind is corpses. Plus, only six bandits? Targeting a sole man and failing to catch you? Yeah, doesn’t sound like the usual reports we get.” The guard explained.

Faking a worried expression, Kyle briefly gazed off into the forest.

“Makes you wish you stayed in Carn eh?” The guard chuckled.

Kyle nodded as he slowly returned to facing the guard, “Yeah, ye can say that.”

Sensing relief from the guard and no further sensation of distrust and wariness, Kyle figured he’d dig for more. “On that, any suggestions ye can give a newcomer on where to look for job openings and the such around town?”

“Well, actually, gates are on lockdown at the moment until the debacle out there is resolved.” The guard then said, gesturing at the encirclement. “But once that’s dealt with, look for the general store. They sell anything and everything, and it’s where adventurers pick up jobs we the guard dispatch or others in need do.”

“Hm,” Glancing back at the scene, “What is happening there anyway?”

“No clue, mid-day came and that platform of stone there was just…there. People then began appearing over it, short flashes of light and they’re also just…there.” The guard mused, “Weirdest thing is, no one recognises anybody that appeared, and anyone that appears is just…bonkers. One woman even attacked the boys keeping the peace, trying to make an escape for it. Right now? We’re just filling whatever jail space we have and hope we don’t run out until we’ve figured it all out. No word from the higher-ups tho, no word from Eslet either.”

Eslet, the main policing building? A group? A citadel?

“Sounds rough,” Kyle mused, “Well I’ll keep on keeping on I guess, wander about the woods and see what I can catch. Ain’t gonna wander too far mind you!” He then exclaimed jokingly.

“Watch yourself out there, we don’t patrol the woods.” The guard warned as Kyle turned to leave, then hearing a chuckle coming from nearby both he and the guard turned to its source.

Startling the both of them, not even Kyle had noticed the man sitting right beside the gate, only a few feet from the guard he had just approached. A disheveled appearance with mostly hidden features under dirty, snow-ridden thick cloths, the man stood up and began walking off.

Kyle met the man’s gaze briefly, a smirk and a wink coming his way before the man turned off to the forest.

“Fucking Reg.” The other guard nearby grumbled, “Don’t you mind him, crazy old weirdo that hangs about.”

“The boys have a bet going that he’s got a hut hidden out there somewhere, no one’s found it just yet though.” The first guard mused.

“Oh? Well tracking just happens to be my uh, speciality.” Kyle lied, returning to the guards. “How about letting a young hunter into this bet of yours? I’ll bet ya he don’t have a hut, and track him about to see what he’s actually onto around the woods. How’s that sound?”

The second guard grunted in amusement as the first responded, “Well, just happens the both of us here bet he does got a hut, so you make it sound mighty interesting a bet.”

“How’ll we know what ye say is the truth though?” The second guard then mused.

“You all guards no? I’ll give ye evidence, lead ye to the hut if I find it and I’ll get a small share ye decide. If I don’t find it, no evidence needed cause it won’t exist, that itself is evidence so I get what the winning bet entails.” Kyle explained.

“Sounds like you win either way, hunter.” The second said with a raised brow.

“Well ain’t I doing the hard labour?” Kyle responded with a smirk.

The first guard then laughed, “Ah you’ll fit right in here, fine you got a job, settle this bet for us back at the garrison and we’ll meet your terms boy.”

Nodding to the guards, Kyle turned away and with a quickened pace moved on after old crazy Reg.

Even if I lose him, coin made is coin made, they won’t know. Hehe.

Kyle thought as he followed after the trudged-through snow, the beggar having made an obvious path into the forest.

Yet, having made it a few minutes into the woods, Reg was no where to be seen and the path in the snow suddenly ended.

A pile of rocks lay about, seemingly dropped off exactly where the path ended.

He…weighed himself down? Wh-Shit.

Kyle then realised he had fucked up, reaching down for two of the rocks, he began glancing about the woods which surrounded him. Fully on guard.

I was lured out.

He realised, as a chuckle then came from the trees. Following the voice, Kyle’s gaze fell upon a branch a dozen feet above.

There Reg lay crouching over a thick branch, a wide grin as narrowed eyes gazed down at Kyle.

“Crafty, calculative, smart, but not smart enough for ol Reg here, aren’t ya?” Reg mused, rising up and suddenly stepping off the branch, a rope hanging behind him which he used to soften his fall. Holding onto the rope, it straightened before he touched the ground, allowing him to only drop a few feet.

“I’ve been watching you kid.” Reg said, pulling on the rope and twisting it, making the grapplehook unhinge from the branch and fall taking the rope back up and then around the branch, pulling it all to the ground by Reg’s feet.

Kneeling down and starting to gather his rope, “Strange, the things happening today, but to recognise and watch the strange is my job.” He said, rising then with the rope over his shoulder, Reg met Kyle’s wary eyes. “Fine story you told the watch, a complete lie but, a fine lie.”

Still on guard, “If you had lured me out here to kill me, or rob me, I wouldn’t be seeing you right now but instead a bunch of hooligans.” Fully dropping the façade, “Why did you lure me out here?” Kyle asked as he focused on this strange individual.

Reg [Hidden] [Hidden] [Hidden]

Fuck

Reg’s grin widened, “Straight to the point eh? Figured ye as one of those who like to talk longer. But it does right by me, to the point it is.” He said, lowering his hood. “My employers, be looking into this strange happening out there. Ye be one of the people who appeared from it, and the only one of three that escaped the watch’s hands so…” Opening his arms wide, “Ye can see why they’d be interested. More so, since from the information we’ve garnered and saw, that when you people die you…Simply reappear there, on that rounded stone.”

Employers…

“I don’t mean to be rude but, who the fuck are you, and who are these employers of yours?” Kyle asked.

“Well, that rightly be my own question as well.” Reg asked with a chuckle, “But since I am the one asking, I’d say it’s fair I announce me self first. Not but a simple recruiter, Reg as you already know, I work for the overall faction that is the underworld of this island kingdom. I be guessing you want a name for that faction eh? It’s more of a tree and, I serve many a branch. But currently the one mostly interested in you specifically, calls herself Dusk Blade.”

Well, I was looking for them but, it seems that they’ve found me.

“I’ve said plenty, I’d say it’s yer turn to speak up, no?” Reg asked.

Relaxing, Kyle raising both arms aside, and dropped the stones.

“Trust me that much already?” Reg mused.

“As you said, you could kill me, but I’d just respawn.” Kyle responded. “I know your name, I know the name of who you work for. Usually, that’s all I need to know to find a person.” Sighing, Kyle’s expression relaxed but, his eyes remained transfixed on reading each and every movement Reg made. “I am Kyllix, and I am a hunter, of sorts. And, I am part of a faction myself, one that sells their swords for the highest bidder.”

“Mercenaries eh?” Reg said with a raised brow, “And what might be the name of this guild of yours?”

Kyle smiled widely at his question, taking a step back he placed his left hand over his chest. “We, are wolves under the blood moon.” Raising his right arm to the side, Kyle bowed his head politely.

“We are the Blood Pack, and if you have coin, you have our claws too.”