– Day 4 –

To the Capital

Tonight, I have decided not to make camp again and instead press on for the Capital. It’s strange but, this body, it doesn’t seem to require as much rest as my human one did. I mean, I could sleep if I wanted to but it would be total a waste of time since I can see in the dark so travelling at night isn’t an issue for me. 

This wasn’t the main reason for not camping, however.

Every camp on the roadside that I had come upon tonight was primarily filled with humans and animal-like humanoids in chain collars. I had decided to observe each one from a safe distance after recalling what the lady in the clearing had said previously about the town. 

Better safe than sorry after all.

What I saw while observing was cruelty, unimaginable cruelty, directed towards these non-humans. It was clear that anyone wearing one of those collars were slaves and they had no rights at all. 

I witnessed beatings, rape, torture, bloodletting and pit-style fights between slave owners who had seemingly only just met on the road this day past with their prized fighters. It was madness incarnate to behold. Every one of the camps was filled with the very lowest of what humanity has to offer.

After coming to terms with the sights, I kept moving, stopping only to collect the odd flower and plant here and there. After all, I’m not human, and I’d rather avoid a ‘kill or be killed’ situation because I carelessly approached the wrong camp.

Inventory: 29 / 99

– Purple Flower hestis x72 –

– Blue Flower ampist x84 –

– Red Flower alfist x66 –

– Blue Root tealist x71 –

– Red Root geltis x95 –

– Green Weed herist x45 –

– Red Weed urist x36 –

– Taproot x39 –

– Ash Flower x24 –

– Teakish Pollen x19 –

– Eldis Flower x19 –

I’ve gotten a good amount of raw materials to date; I just need the tools to refine and combine them.

The most useful plant collected so far looks to be [Eldis Flower]. Its effects are not any stronger than [Teakish Pollen], but when combined with two parts [Red Weed urist] and three parts [Blue Flower ampist], the result will most likely create an extremely potent fortification tonic for spell power. Based on the materials alone, I would say +40% to +60% increase. 

How long these tonics effects would last, I have no idea at this current stage. I’m looking forward to playing around when I get my hands on the necessary tools–

My attention is suddenly drawn from thought to the road ahead. Another camp is just barely in view, but something feels very wrong here. I can’t tell what but for some reason, I believe it’s dangerous to approach. 

I decided instead to stop and conceal myself here for a moment and observe.

Just as I do, three figures appear from the camp ahead. They look to be animal type humanoids… I think. I can’t exactly see their faces from here though, but the outward shape of their figures lead me to believe this observation is correct. 

One of them is holding a roundish object and a dagger. The other two appear to be talking to each other, but I’m too far away to be able to overhear the conversation–

*Gag*

The realisation that the item the first figure is holding is a human head reaches my brain.

Ah, so they must be bandits.

I have to say, being a vampire, the sight of a served human head shouldn’t really phase me, right? I mean, I’m the scourge of the night, reaper of souls, a blackened heart? 

Yet here I kneel, trying my best not to hurl… 

I guess this means that I was reborn with my humanity intact and that’s why I’m not your typical vampire. Regardless, that’s truly disgusting! What are you planning to do with it? Name it Wilson!?

After about an hour, the bandits finally leave into the forest… The first figure has taken the head with them. Why? I’ll never know. 

It’s strange though, they don't seem to have taken anything else from the camp with them. They appear to have just killed everyone and left… Well, what does it matter, not like it’s my problem and besides, it now leaves me with a dilemma.

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Do I pillage supplies or quickly move on?

I consider myself above thievery, but these people are all dead. They have no more use for their possessions and if I don’t take them, the next person or the knights' garrison that patrol the highway surely will. As it stands, I have no currency for trade or belongings except for what I have gathered to date. No shirt either now I look to my buff chest… This would change all that and massively improve my chances in the capital.

Guess I have my answer then, let’s pillage like the best of them.

I need to get in and out as quickly as possible. Time will be the deciding factor here as this is the highway. The first patrol should be a little before dawn, and I cannot be found amongst those corpses if I want to keep my head.

Of course, let’s not rule out the possibility that all of this is all a trap to lure more people into that killing field…

Deciding the risk is worth the reward, I approach the blood-soaked campsite from the rear, a reasonable distance away from the highway to hide my approach from any remaining figures lurking for another ambush.

As I get closer to the massacre, the fresh haunting heavy smell of irony blood fills my nostrils. 

This was indeed a bloodbath. 

The humans here didn’t even have a chance to fight back. The majority of their weapons are still sheathed laying on the ground beside the corpses. They were butchered, brutally, to put it mildly.

I am barely able to keep the contents of my stomach as I step over a little-served hand. It’s tiny; the owner couldn’t have been more than seven years old. 

To my left, I guess that skinned little girl nailed to the cart over there who happens to be missing a hand is the most likely the owner. 

You can tell she was alive when they did this to her. The blood on her exposed muscles and sinew hasn’t yet congealed. She must have died screaming… 

Beside her lays a headless man, most likely her father. I know it’s the father from the position of the corpse to the skinned girl. He was definitely made to watch this and then beheaded when she finally died of shock. I’m guessing it’s his head that’s now named Wilson..

As I look around the camp, this is just one scene in six. I’m not going to lie; the bloodbath is filling me with barely controllable rage. Innocents have been tortured in genuinely gruesome ways for no purpose except to fulfil the dark desires of those responsible. 

I understand violence to achieve a goal or purpose but this, this has no rhythm or reason. It’s pure evil in it’s purest form. I want to hunt the ones responsible for this scene and show them what genuine terror is!

No, now is not the time for this. Besides, in my current state, I would just end up like her. The ones who did this are strong; that can be the only possible purpose a scene like this, to instil fear of their supposed power. 

Well, it’s had the opposite effect on me, friends. I shall bookmark this for a later date. Every breath you take between now and then is a gift from me. Cherish it fuckers!

...

There’s nothing I can do for these people. For now, I need to get back to the task at hand! I need to move quickly before dawn, and this scene has had me drawing a blank raging stare for a while now. I’ve been here much longer than initially planned already. 

I first need to check the carts and carriages as the good stuff is most likely going to be in here.

There's a number of crates scattered around. Let's see what we have…Wait, can I just?

*blink*

So I can store containers as well? 

Screw it, let’s just grab everything for now and sort it later as it’s faster. I need to prioritise getting out of here without being tied to this bloody massacre. Being found here is not an option.

I’ve collected what I can from the carts being mindful of what I touch so as not to leave evidence of my presence and escaped the scene the same way I entered it. 

I’ll head in tandem with the highway for a while before rejoining it; I need to avoid the road for some time so as not to be spotted or raise suspicion on myself.

I will not forget my promise, consider your goods as payment for my future service to humanity and rest!

Just after dawn breaks, I can see the patrol of knights that I expected on the horizon. I’m a reasonable distance from the scene but better safe than sorry. 

I’ll hide; I’m not human after all and suspicion is quickly cast on strangers and other races in times of crisis… Even if the culprits this time really aren’t human.

As the knights and their horses ride past; I’m able to see them clearly. They’re all wearing heavy looking chain mail with blue cotton-like overalls, displaying a silver dragon crest in varying places. They have closed visor helmets that look to be made of polished steel. 

Their equipment seems to vary between long-swords in the rear of the group and spears to the front. The middle knight looks to be the team leader and is equipped with a bow and short sword. He has a standard attached to his back flying what I assume to be the banner of the Capital or his knights' order. I’m not sure which. 

There are eight knights in total, three long-sword types, one bow, four spears types. It’s unclear from sight alone if any of them know any magic.

After the knight's pass, I rejoin the highway and press on towards the Capital. The Knights will likely conclude that the attackers left into the forest some time ago as they did not pass anyone on the way there. They will most likely send a messenger back to the city to send word of the attack, and to call for more knights to assist. I should hide from the messenger as well to be safe. After that, I should be above suspicion.

20 minutes later, sure enough, I spot one of the knights heading this way. He’s only just come over the ridge so it’s unlikely he’s spotted me yet. Time to hide.

The knight passes me, but I notice something is definitely wrong. He’s swaying on his horse and looks to have an arrow in his back--

Wait!? 

Did all the knights get ambushed? That means they were laying in wait in the forest. Shit, did they see me? They must have. Either they ignored me in the camp, or I was seriously lucky!

The horse lets out a scream before seemingly giving way, throwing the rider forward onto his stomach. 

That certainly looked painful.. The horse seems fine though.

I look around to see if anyone was chasing him. The road seems to be clear… Decision time.