I don’t know if it’s due to our grumbling stomachs or the fresh smell of death in the morning but we leave the forest as fast as our restless bodies can carry us. We retrace back to the crossroads and follow the other road as far as it takes us.

Not an hour later, the trees begin clearing out. The constant hanging dread of being hunted blows away like a leaf in the wind. The sun, which had been looked at from under the cover of trees, hugs us in its warmth counteracting the freezing breeze. We bask in its rays for a little while longer.

The situation hasn’t gotten any better but leaving the forest seems enlightening. When we first hit the edge of the forest, Aisha looked as if she wanted to take off the path so she could get out even faster. In fact, she might have done so if she was alone…

If only we all had the luxury.

It doesn’t take long until we stumble across a decently sized village. The group immediately perks upon seeing it, but I blow out a huff of air instead.

These things need to be looked at closely and with a more skeptical eye. Something this close to the forest is sure to have been attacked by now. Suffered some casualties at least.

However. the group’s excitement and my disbelief grows as we draw nearer. I study each person within view like a hawk eyeing its prey. People, not monsters wearing the skins of murdered villagers, live here.

“I’m so glad,” Elis moans, “I thought we’d have to walk for hours or even days to get somewhere. Now we can all sleep cozily in a place with a bed and put something in our stomachs.”

“If we have any money that is,” Iris comments.

I feel around my waist for my pouch but come up empty handed. The rest of the group also checks for their coins.

“Um,” Kat lifts hers up, “I only have a few coppers.”

Istruan rummages around his, counting them one by one. “I have two silvers and ten coppers from the uh, quest we completed. This won’t be enough for a group of our size, though.”

I wait for any other announcements of money but it seems like that’s all we have. Iris, Elis, and Blue Hair all left theirs in the wagon. Axel was visiting his father when he saw us in trouble and joined in a hurry.

I secretly bash myself for not storing any money in my bracers. If worse comes to worse, then I have a few knives I can sell. Optimistically, that won’t happen.

Underwhelmed by the low amount of funds we carry between all of us, we scour the markets of the village in search of the cheapest foods. The issue of a place to stay hasn’t been solved yet, however, the stomach takes priority in the morning. Especially after a full day of running without a bite.

After looking at most of the shops we could find, we choose to eat a few fruits. It’s a weak supplement for all the work yesterday but it’s the only thing we have enough money for. Each person receives their own apple along with a couple of berries. The idea of buying a few potatoes came up but we wanted a silver for a room.

I turn to the person we bought our food from, “Is there a place we can stay at tonight? We’re a bit low on money so we need the cheapest place around. It doesn’t matter how bad it is just as long as we can get a room for at least a silver.”

The man thinks for a moment, “I’m sorry but we don’t have anything like that around here anymore.”

Anymore? “What do you mean?”

“We had a few inns but they lost business after adventurers started dying and avoiding the forest,” the man glances away, “We look fine don’t we?”

“What do you mean,” I ask as I look around.

“Our village, we seem perfectly fine, right? Well, we are, in a sense,” he points into the distance, “You see those buildings over there? Those were where the inns used to be. Most are closed temporarily.”

Temporarily. So some are still open?

“Thank you.”

“No problem. I don’t know how much those will cost you but that’s one place to look. Don’t go too far past that, or you’ll see some things you don’t want to see.”

I erase his words from my mind. As I walk back to the group. They’ve all finished eating by now. I lead them toward the inns.

Things we don’t want to see? There are lots of things like that. But if it might bother us like it seems to bother him, then it’s best if we follow his advice and avoid it.

Villagers on the streets gaze at us as if we’re some rare animals parading around. Some shrink back, whispering among themselves as if we’re the bringers of ill omens. Istruan’s party sometimes turns to those people, most likely not being used to whispers about them.

Iris talks with Blue Hair, the only person in the group to stare at the ground, while Elis twists and turns her head like a dog upon hearing distant noises. Axel exaggerates his walking, taking long strides and leaning back as if his upper body is a counterweight for his legs. Aisha doesn’t seem bothered by the attention at all, merrily going on her way while licking her lips.

We check each inn, at first, only running across closed ones. It’s not until we head in deeper that we find a few still open and in good condition. We go from open inn to open inn in search of the cheapest one.

To our horror, we can’t afford a single room in most of them. Despite their dwindling numbers in travelers, the prices sit at just a couple of coppers beyond our reach even with a discounted price. When we ask for a bigger discount, the owners simply shake their heads. However, we do find two places with just cheap enough rooms for rent.

I sigh, sitting down at a table as Istruan talks with the owner.

The monster epidemic has gone on for just a little bit over a month by now. And all these inns already look to be on their last legs and yet, the prices are still the same as in the Green City. It’s all crazy. We’ll only be able to stay here for a night at the most and we won’t even have something to eat in the morning.

I need to look for a job. There aren’t any guilds established in this village so if I’m going to go that route, I have to ask around for odd jobs. Or maybe the village elder will have something for me to do.

I propose the idea to Axel. He thinks on it for a moment.

“What kind of jobs are there to do in the winter?”

I rest my head on my hand, “That’s not important. If he has one then we’ll just have to do it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Axel says, “Will it just be the two of us going to ask?”

“It’s better this way. Istruan and the others will set things up while we go and earn some money.”

“Why me?”

“Because I know you better,” I answer. “You should be flattered I’m picking you.”

“Uh huh. Thanks, Rai.”

“No problem. Istruan,” I call him over, “Axel and I are going to see if we can find any quick jobs. We’ll be back later.”

“Hold on,” Kat jogs up to us, “I’ll come with.”

Axel looks to me, and I nod. “Okay,” I say.

The three of us make our way to the elder’s house after asking a few directions. We spot him sitting on a bench watching the children play. Despite his age, he’s fairly large, most likely made strong from the life of a farmer or house builder.

“Hello,” Kat says, “Do you happen to have any jobs for a couple of people like us, Elder?”

The man slowly looks up, examining us once he does. “What kind of people,” he asks.

“Adventurers,” Kat answers, “If anything’s missing or things like that, then we can help.”

The elder’s expression softens, “You’re all quite young aren’t you? I do have a job, alas, I would not extend it to those with so much time ahead of them. No no no.”

“Please sir,” Kat begs, “We need the money. We won’t be able to eat without it.”

He sighs and rubs his chin, “Such young ones,” he mutters. “A job, do you truly need one? I warn you, I have sent more than one brave party on the quest. None have returned. Will you be willing to risk your lives?”

“That’s what adventurers do,” I answer.

Nodding, he points to the forest, “There exists a beast that emits flames from its body and walks as large as a bear. It has spines the size of arms and legs and can run faster than any horse. We call it Vormar. The one who feasts. That monster must be slain before it descends upon us once again.”

The three of us glance at each other.

We know it was what we encountered last night.

“I don’t see much damage,” I respond. “In fact, this village looks much better off than most I’ve seen.”

“We are,” he says with a tinge of guilt, “I have seen our sister villages attacked by monsters from the forest yet here we stand, safe as the trees in the forest. But, look just further ahead and you shall find ruin. For reasons unknown, those monsters do not attack us. Whether it be out of goodwill, guilt, or simply storage for later, I do not care. However, that fiery beast, it comes whenever it wants and takes whatever it wants.”

“We ran into it last night,” I tell him.

The elder bolts upright, “You did? You survived?”

“It fell into the river after I helped the ice melt underneath it.”

“Ah, quite impressive. Unfortunately, I believe the beast still lives,” He slouches again. “Our first encounter with the monster was by the river. Tis not far from where we stand. The men who saw it were fishing when it suddenly attacked them.”

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“How many survived,” Axel asks.

“Two. There were seven of them,” the elder continues, “The men base their survival on a stroke of luck, dumb chance they claim. The monster, as it mauled the other fishermen, let its fire flare as it stood atop of the hole they created. Eventually, the ice cracked and the beast fell. It attacked the village three days after.”

“We’ll take the job,” I say.

Axel and Kat turn to me with looks of horror, Axel less so than Kat.

Kat leans in close and whispers, “What are you thinking?”

“Right, I should ask the pay first,” I joke. “What’s the reward?”

“Fifty-four silvers,” the elder says. “That’s the least I can give you for the job. I know only a little of adventuring pay, however, I believe that should be a reasonable amount. If you want more, I would not argue.”

“Fifty-four…”

The dumbstruck look on their faces tells me they’re considering it. It is a hefty sum. We’d be set for a long time with that amount. If we relate this to quest rewards, It’d be between A and B. Of course, that’s before all this crazy monster business.

“We’ll accept,” I answer.

“Hold, Hold on!”

Kat tries to stop me but it’s no use. I ignore her as she tries to reason with me.

“You don’t have to come along,” I tell her, “Axel and I can handle it.”

Probably.

Kat switches her target to Axel, however, he doesn’t budge either. Eventually, she kneels down, hugs her legs and puts her head down. Axel and I exchange a few quick glances.

“We need the-”

“I’m coming along,” she says.

“What?”

“I said I’m going with you guys. I’d feel bad if I just let you two walk off to your deaths. At least this way I won’t feel as bad.”

“Gee,” Axel says, “Thanks.”

“Three is better than one,” I say. “Hopefully…”

------------------------------

“Hey, can I talk to you privately,” Axel asks as he pulls me to the side.

Kat nods and wanders off a little more into the forest.

As soon as she’s out of earshot, Axel says, “Rai, maybe we don’t actually need to take on this job,” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold coin. It’s the very same coin we had examined in Aurora City after finding a lost pet.

My eyes widen, “How come you didn’t tell us you had this earlier?”

“Rai, you were with me that day. This coin isn’t a standard gold coin. I know you were a bit out of it that day, especially after what happened with Ellar but we can’t just spend this thing any way we want to.”

“Of course, but this would have been a nice thing to let us know. Anyway, it doesn’t change a thing. Just like you said, we can’t just spend that gold coin so easily. It’ll raise some questions since we hardly look like any important people.”

I tell Axel to put the coin away, “We’ll take down the bear and live off the reward for the time being.”

“Are you sure about this? From what happened yesterday and that story, it’ll be tougher than taking down some random monster. Yeah sure, we can save the coin for later but what’s the use when we might be dead before we use it?”

“You worry too much,” I tell him, “Besides, the moment I accepted Mr. Bellard’s request to help Iris and her friends, I knew I’d be put in tough spots. I was always going to be in them whether or not I agreed to help. It just changed the ‘what kind’ and ‘how many’.”

“Rai…”

“Plus, it’s not like we can leave the people of the village to fend for themselves. We’re adventurers. I’m not the most positive person in our little group, but even I know where we should stand when it comes to the duty of a registered adventurer.”

“Right,” he says, “Since they stripped us of our hard earned ranks and all. The world isn’t very fair but that’s why we’re here in the first place.”

“Exactly,” I say with a nod.

Kat waves at us, and we wave back, finally done with our conversation.

“What’d you talk about?”

“There’s a reason why Axel wanted to speak privately,” I answer.

“Oh, sorry. It's out of habit to ask. Istruan and Marcus would usually leave me out of conversations.”

“No, it’s fine,” Axel responds, “Just trying to see if I could change old boss's’ mind here but no can do. We’ll be having some bear to eat tonight.”

“Ah,” the thought never occurred to me but the beast would also solve our food troubles if we find a way to carry it, of course. I won’t be as stingy with using my bracers this time. Hopefully, they don’t start smelling like blood after this.

Axel rubs his chin, “So where do we start?”

Kat raises her hand, “Maybe we’ll be able to look for its flames? I mean, it has to emit some sort of light with all that fire around it. The sun won’t be up for many more hours so we can use that as a way of tracking it.”

Nice train of thought but, “We’ll also want to avoid nighttime on this one.”

They nod in agreement.

“I’ll start by getting a quick view of the area then,” I say as I walk toward the nearest tree.

“No need Rai. I’ve got this little guy,” Axel summons his spirit and sends it up into the sky. He covers his eyes and tells Kat and me what he sees. “Trees and trees. But you already know that. There are more of those little weird four-legged(?) monsters running around. You know, the ones that look like foxes or something. Oh, hold on. There are also a few goblins running after them.”

Goblins? This might be a good place to start…

“Axel, where are the goblins?”

“Hmm? They’re this way,” he says as he points to his left. “Why?”

“Open your eyes Axel. We’re going after them.”

With any luck, the monster will be drawn to them. Hopefully, like this morning but we’ll be there instead to get a drop on it while it’s distracted.

The three of us follow the goblins at a distance. Axel and Kat aren’t as quick nor skilled at moving quickly and quietly but the goblins are too distracted to notice. Kat, however, silently curses at herself whenever she makes a small blunder.

I don’t know if she knows it yet but she’s very mindful of the goblins… I can’t exactly be happy she’s the one who came with us but there’s no going back now.

The goblins chase the mutated fox monsters deeper and deeper into the forest, dragging us away from any established trails. They follow the prints in the snow while slowly fanning their hunting party out into an arc.

One goblin riding on a boar charges forward once they entrap the fox monsters against a wall of rocks. The boar mauls one of them with its mighty tusks while the others flee, abandoning their injured and dying friend.

Spread out and waiting, as soon as one of the fox monsters pass by, the goblins jump on them. Some using spears and rocks, others simply jumping on them and sinking in their sharp teeth. The hunt ends in mere seconds.

Kat, who was watching the whole thing unfold, releases a shaky breath and rests against the tree too horrified to see any more. She catches her breath while Axel sends his spirit up into the skies again.

“See anything,” I whisper.

“No, not at the moment-”

“GRAH!”

Screams echo from the goblins. I slide a knife into my hand and peek out from around the tree.

One fox monster turns the tide standing on top of a goblin and biting down into its arm. The goblin wails in pain bashing the fox monster’s head with its fist. The others quickly kill their prey and close in on the sole survivor.

“Shut up,” one of the goblins hisses. “Demon hears.”

The injured goblin doesn’t react to his friend’s warning and continues to scream. They pull off the fox monster and kill it with their spears. One holding a staff leans over the hurt hunter and starts wrapping the goblin's arm in herbs.

The hunting party laughs at their friend, chattering in a non human language.

“Shh!”

One suddenly silences the group with a quick hush and hand gesture but the goblin undergoing treatment moans and groans. They ignore the groans and expand the circle for better coverage of area.

A minute passes without so much as a sound before the goblins feel relaxed enough to let their guards drop.

Kat lets out another one of her shaky breaths.

“GRAH!” one of the goblins shouts, pointing us out.

As I’m about to fling my knife and lodge it into its throat, something eclipses the sun. It lands on the ground just seconds later crushing a couple of goblins and sending particles of snow everywhere.

The little green monsters turn their attention to the beast, swinging their spears and throwing rocks. Arrows also fly toward the beast but bounce off its thick fur serving only to anger it.

Vormar spins around, shaking off the goblins around it and swipes at the goblin with the staff, batting the healer into a tree. It swipes again with its enormous claws and rends the flesh from another one.

They soon realize that they can’t take the beast on and start a full-fledged retreat but it’s far too late. It wastes no time in killing them as it separates their bodies from their heads, crushes their legs, and bites off half their torsos at a time.

It’s all over in less than a moment.

None of us three could even react.

Vormar turns to us, its next meal.