"Are you alright, Ashoc? You've been behaving rather weird since we left the carriage. It's as though you're pondering more than you usually do," Taylor inquired, her gaze fixed on our surroundings rather than on me.
"I'm fine. Just something feels off. Did you recognize the driver who brought us here?" I asked, hoping to divert my thoughts from the unease gnawing at me.
"Is that what's troubling you? Of course, I did. He's been our family's coachman all my life," she replied with unwavering certainty in her voice. Perhaps I was simply overanalyzing.
"Just curious. Have you noticed anything unusual about the surroundings?" I probed, aiming to refocus on our mission.
"No, just endless trees as far as I can see. Although, the further we walk in, the fewer signs of wildlife we encounter," she observed, her shoulders lifting in a nonchalant shrug.
"I see. It could mean we're nearing the carnivorous beast we're here to eliminate. Alternatively, it might be another predator we need to be cautious of," I speculated aloud, though Taylor's sarcastic grin grated on my nerves.
"Thank you, O' wise one. How astute of you to notice," Taylor quipped, her tone mockingly reverent as she dropped to one knee in exaggerated deference. "Glad someone finally appreciates my genius," I retorted, but my attempt at levity was cut short by a sudden realization.
"Taylor, stay alert. The scent has disappeared," I warned, my own realization dawning slowly. She cocked her head, confusion briefly clouding her expression before understanding flashed across her face. "You mean—"
"Yeah. Either it was a ploy to frighten us from entering, or..." I hesitated, the implications sinking in.
The forest around us seemed to close in, the foliage thickening as if to conceal unseen dangers lurking within. Every rustle of leaves, every snapping twig, now carried an ominous weight. The air, once filled with the earthy scent of the woods, now hung heavy with an unsettling stillness.
"We should proceed cautiously," Taylor suggested, her voice tinged with a newfound wariness.
I nodded in agreement, silently grateful for her perceptiveness. As we advanced deeper into the forest, the canopy above grew denser, casting deeper shadows that seemed to play tricks on the mind. Each step forward felt like a deliberate plunge into the unknown, our senses heightened to detect any sign of danger.
"We've come too far to turn back now," I murmured more to myself than to Taylor, though she nodded in solemn agreement.
The forest floor beneath our feet was littered with fallen leaves and twigs, the ground soft and damp from recent rains. A distant cry of a bird startled us momentarily, breaking the eerie silence that had settled around us like a shroud.
"We must be getting close," Taylor whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
I nodded, reaching instinctively for the hilt of my blade. The weight of it reassured me, grounding my nerves as we ventured further into the heart of the forest.
Minutes stretched into hours as we pressed onward, our senses straining for any clue that would lead us to our quarry. The fading daylight filtered through the dense foliage above, casting long shadows that seemed to dance with every slight movement of the branches. Time's running out.
"There," Taylor's voice broke the silence again, her tone urgent yet controlled.
Ahead, through a break in the trees, a clearing emerged—a small oasis amidst the wilderness. In its center, the ground was torn and marked with deep gouges, evidence of a recent struggle. It seemed like someone...or something, had attempted to cover these marks. "We've found its trail but it seems that there was an attempt to cover these," I stated quietly, my heart racing with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. If the beast had done this, then its intelligence must be amazing.
Taylor nodded, her gaze steady as she scanned our surroundings for any sign of movement. The stillness of the clearing was unsettling, as if the very air held its breath in anticipation of our next move.
As we approached the disturbed ground cautiously, every rustle of leaves seemed to echo through the clearing like a warning. The air carried a faint metallic tang, the unmistakable scent of blood lingering beneath the forest's usual musk. Though it was incomparably weaker than the scent we'd gotten prior to entering, causing further confusion.
"Ready?" I asked, glancing at Taylor, whose expression mirrored my own determination.
"Ready," she affirmed, her voice steady despite the tension that hung heavy between us.
With one final breath, we followed the trail deeper into the undergrowth, tracking the beast with a mix of caution and determination. The path ahead twisted and turned unpredictably, as if leading us deeper into the creature's territory. With each step, the forest seemed to grow darker, the sounds of wildlife fading into an eerie silence. The air grew heavy with the scent of fear and danger, our senses alert to any sudden movement or sound. "There," Taylor whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ahead, through a thick tangle of underbrush, we caught a glimpse of the beast—a massive creature with gleaming eyes and razor-sharp claws. It prowled the clearing, its movements graceful yet menacing as it searched for its next prey. Every few steps, it would even jump a distance to create a gap in its footsteps.
"I hate to say it, but I think we need to get out of here. When I was under the assumption that it was a strong, mostly unintelligent beast, I was confident in our odds. If the target of our subjugation is intelligent as well as powerful, we might be in over our heads here." She spoke her thoughts, but I lacked any of her sense of caution. If anything, my desire to fight it had only risen. It had to be stronger than that damned lizard.
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Taylor seemed to discern my inner turmoil, her next words laced with concern and urgency. "Ashoc, despite our strength, we must retreat. This mission was originally intended for my father and a team of seasoned guards, all with more battle experience than our combined years of life. The assessment likely underestimated the creature's intelligence, focusing only on its physical prowess. We need to leave."
I hesitated, torn between heeding her advice and the weight of our obligation. We slowly began to head back in the direction we came, until we reached the opening where we first noticed the beast's traces.
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you two to leave so effortlessly," came a chilling voice from behind us. We spun around to find the coachman standing a few meters away, arms folded behind his back. "The Duke's orders are clear: you must engage with the beast at least once before leaving," he continued, his tone now tinged with genuine concern. Yet, despite the apparent sincerity, a wave of nausea washed over me. His words, though seemingly caring, resonated with danger.
"Given the circumstances, merely encountering it could prove fatal. We suspect its current intelligence far surpasses any prior estimates," Taylor countered firmly, her gaze unwavering.
"'I see,' he responded simply, turning away to walk. As he turned I suddenly sensed movement and instinctively pushed Taylor to the ground. 'What the hell, Ashoc?' she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and brushing dirt from her grey combat pants. As she straightened, she noticed the crimson stains on her clothing—a stark contrast against the fabric. Her eyes widened as they darted to my left shoulder, where a dagger protruded. "Are—"
The forest around us seemed to close in, the silence broken only by the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze. The coachman's figure, now distant but not out of sight, betrayed no haste in his stride, a disquieting calm evident in his demeanor despite the urgency of our situation.
"Are you alright?" I cut Taylor off, my concern palpable, fearing another hidden dagger aimed at us. The pain from the wound on my shoulder was intense, but it was overshadowed by a deeper discomfort, like an itch beneath the skin that refused to be relieved. She scoffed at my sudden interruption, her eyes narrowing as they fixed on the coachman. "Was it you?" she demanded, her voice edged with accusation, but the man remained unruffled, exuding an air of unwavering confidence. "I'm not sure what you mean, your ladyship. You saw me walking away with my back turned. Did my arm seem to move?" His tone carried a feigned hurt, accompanied by a mask of innocence.
"Well, no, but—" Taylor began, but I interjected again, my patience wearing thin with this charade. The coachman was clearly not who he appeared to be, and my instincts bristled with unease. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice sharper this time, the urgency clear in my tone. There was something about him that grated on me beyond the obvious.
"What do you mean? I am merely the coachman of Duke Ainsworth's family, tasked with escorting the two of you," he replied smoothly, his innocent smile not reaching his eyes. "I see," I echoed, a chill running down my spine as I made a swift decision.
Without warning, I lunged at him with my double-bladed sword, driven by a primal instinct to confront the threat head-on. "Ashoc?!" Taylor's voice rang out, a mix of shock and disbelief coloring her tone.
The coachman stood unmoving, a facade of fear crossing his face, though his eyes tracked the arc of my blade effortlessly. I aimed a blow at his arm, expecting a defensive reaction or evasion, but instead, the space around his arm seemed to distort and then returned to normal as if my strike had no effect.
Suddenly, a powerful blow struck my jaw, sending me reeling backward to where I had started. "Well done, kid. I don't know how you managed to attack while wielding a dagger coated in anti-mage poison. Your mana should be devouring you from the inside out, but you're holding up surprisingly well. You're valuable. As for the girl, she looks like she'd fetch a handsome price," the coachman declared arrogantly, his attention mostly focused on me and the dagger embedded in my shoulder. The impact of his punch was strange, not just blunt force but something subtly different.
Fed up with the situation, I hissed as I yanked the dagger from my shoulder and drove it forcefully into a nearby tree, severing its malevolent connection.
A micro-twitch flickered across the man's right shoulder, a subtle signal of imminent danger that prompted me to react swiftly, narrowly deflecting another dagger aimed at me. Despite my quick reflexes, the blade still managed to graze my arm, its poisoned edge leaving a burning sensation in its wake. "Impressive, you can even counter that speed," the man remarked with a hint of surprise. "And that scratch should have allowed more poison into your system, yet you stand strong. Could it be that you're immune?"
His momentary lapse in vigilance gave Taylor an opening, and she seized it, launching a rapid barrage of strikes at the man. However, my hopes of seeing him falter were dashed once again by that disorienting spatial warp, rendering Taylor's efforts seemingly futile. "So unwise," he muttered with an annoyed grimace, retaliating with a punch that sent Taylor staggering back, mirroring the impact he had delivered to me moments earlier.
Mindful of Taylor's reaction to the blow, I focused my qi into my eyes, enhancing my perception to catch every detail. It was a close call, but I managed to discern that slight deviation in the trajectory of his fist just before it connected with Taylor. There was something off about his attacks, an irregularity between his action and the reaction it caused.
Shifting my qi focus to my nose, I attempted to enhance my sense of smell, a skill I had yet to fully master. Before I could fully attune myself, another dagger found its mark, embedding itself in my right shoulder. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you," the man quipped with a satisfied smile, casually dismissing the new injury he had inflicted upon me. Ignoring his taunt, I feigned agony while continuing to concentrate on gathering qi, masking my true intentions.
Fortunately, Taylor had regained her footing and engaged the man once more, buying me a precious few seconds. With my qi gathered, I took a deep breath and honed in on the scents around me. About ten meters to the left of where I had driven the first dagger into the tree, a distinct aroma of sulfur mixed with an unfamiliar scent lingered in the air. Without hesitation, I yanked out the second dagger and hurled it toward the densest point of the odor.
To both Taylor's and my surprise, the coachman flinched, even though the dagger I had thrown was nowhere near him. Smirking inwardly, I discarded my pained facade and replaced it with a proud sneer. "Taylor, follow me," I commanded, my voice resolute as I sprinted towards the source of the scent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Taylor reluctantly acquiesce, swiftly joining me in the pursuit.
As we approached the destination, a silverish glimmer caught my eye, prompting me to swiftly raise my blade to deflect the incoming attack. Taylor, ever vigilant, seized the opportunity and slashed towards the point from which the glimmer had originated.
A throaty chuckle emanated from the same direction as our blades met, but before we could press our advantage, an unseen force repelled both of us. "It seems I can drop the act now, especially since there's a fellow demon here," a new, deeper voice proclaimed with hearty amusement. "Sorry about the sadistic act earlier. I was testin' to see if there was an unknown variable lurkin' in the shadows, waitin' to intervene."
"So you knew I was a demon?" I asked, my confusion mounting as I considered the poisoned daggers he had aimed exclusively at me, ignoring Taylor.
"If I didn't before, ya certainly made it clear," he responded. "The only vulnerability to the illusion I was using is a demon's ability to heighten their senses with qi. And then there's the fact that the mana poison didn't affect ya. Lastly, the horns causing slight bulges in that hood of yers, kid."
Damn it... Taylor's aunt should have arrived by now. Where is she?
"Without further ado, let's resume this fight, shall we? After all, I have two targets," he smirked, his demeanor shifting from playful banter to focused intent as he lunged towards us. To make matters worse, a loud howl echoed from the direction that we'd spotted the wolf-like monster.