I watched the road with great interest, crouching down to see what came before. This part, far from cities and their carts, has aged well. Even so, they could not escape the realities of life. Cracks, holes, and the like dot its length. Some parts had plants sneaking in, reclaiming their birthright. For all man’s efforts, Nature laughs. I thought while glancing at the others. Their hiding spots were impeccable, invisible to the untrained eye. I grasped the small amulet we’ve been given for this mission, taking comfort from its warmth. It was supposed to protect us from magical sight, as well as confer some minor blessings.
My gaze then turned to my bow, small and light. I gave the string a light pluck, and it shuddered without a sound. Another enchantment, of course, among others. There was no doubt that the others had their own gear enchanted as well. The Diplomat works fast. Having us look for Hosea Zai, of all people. If he’s alive and not dead as the rumors say. Thoughts of reanimation come to mind, but I shook them off. Even in the Order, no one takes such claims. Most were either hoaxes, puppetry, illusion, a trap, or a very good lie.
Someone is coming. Frederick notified me. Armed. Ex-soldier. Recommend caution.
Everyone stay where you are. We’re not bandits. I changed my stance and made ready to move at a moment’s notice. Which direction are they coming from?
East. I can see them better now. It’s a man. A strangled gasp escaped Frederick. It’s Mathis Moreau!
Fear seeped into my thoughts, but only for a moment. Everyone, stay calm. We’re not here to pick a fight. Don’t make a move and let him pass. Murmurs of agreement came through the mental link. I watched the road like a hawk, focusing only on the coming figure. Doubt crept and made me wonder if Frederick had seen wrong. I readied an arrow, hands ready to nock and shoot without thinking. It was then that the figure stopped.
DON’T MOVE, DON’T MOVE, DON’T MOVE. I screamed at the sudden scrambling of feet and arms I felt through the groups’ shared sensations. DON’T FUCKING MOVE, KARL. HE’S HASN’T NOTICED US YET. HE HASN’T NOTICED US YET! My group’s nervousness abated at my heated words, but even I couldn’t suppress my own tension. While it was true that at the moment, we had the advantage of numbers, our foe had another. My eyes rested on it, the tip glowing with terrible and awesome arcane power. If the East couldn’t cow the Skypiercer with its armies, the chances my small group could be laughable.
He looks different. I thought. I mean, yeah, of course, he’s older now. But he’s also so thin.
“ …’re close. They passed through here.” I managed to overhear Mathis Moreau speaking as he passed close to my spot. “Gods, I should’ve taken those magic tracking lessons more. The trail is getting cold. And my head is pounding for some reason.” I raised an eyebrow at what I heard. He’s looking for someone. Could it be Hosea Zai? It’s worth a try, but I’ve got to ask the others first. I sent a tentative ask to everyone and received a unanimous rejection. The reasons I got were varied, but most were of the kind that made it clear they were fine hiding things out. A part of me agreed, but a nagging feeling in my gut made me waver. I’m not afraid of death. You’d be stupid to do so in this line of work. Be it by causing death, seeing death, avoiding death, or the hundreds of other things I’ve seen; it’s not for everyone. Part of surviving for this long is knowing when to take the risks. Right now, I’m feeling quite like the risk-taker.
I slung my bow and focused my mind on the series of actions I’d do. I practiced them over and over, taking into account all the ways things could go wrong. Mathis Moreau could spot me while I moved and give chase. I could land too close and get my head pierced for my trouble. Approaching from behind was as stupid a course of action as any, but it could work as a distraction. But still, if I was to make an attempt on this foe’s life, I’d call for backup. All the troops this side of the Simbar Line arrayed into several bait formations. Archers, of course, spread out and hidden. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The far more difficult task at hand still had to be done. After considering, I opted for the tried-and-true. I started approaching head-on, relaxed, and without hostile intent.
Kard, you’re in charge now. Wish me luck. I said out of the blue the others. Not wanting the barrage of questions they’ll lay on me, I cut the link from my side. I let out a sigh of relief as my mind was private once more, ready to now focus on what’s important. I slid down a foot or two, leaping and catching the next branch with my feet. Without pause, I continued to weave from tree-to-tree, as silent as a stalking owl. Mathis Moreau occasionally looked up to the trees, but I paid him no heed. Once I felt it was far enough, I slowed down by catching a branch. I then slid down the tree’s side, finishing with a roll to stop fully. I brushed off some leaves that got stuck on my person, then made my way to the road. I unslung my bow and thought, This is a really stupid idea.
I chose to wait in the middle of the road, bow at my right hand, and my left close to my quiver. Soon, I found myself noticing movements in the trees that were all too familiar. They must’ve panicked, the poor things. I chuckled at the state of things. But, it felt like it was something to do. This was fate, I’m sure of it. As I thought that, the figure I was waiting for appeared in the distance. He walked at neither a slow or fast pace; a fitting speed for Death, I suppose. Not that I’m eager to die yet. I still got to find a really nice guy or gal to settle down with first. Have a lot of amazing sex. I frowned at the last point of my supposedly noble goals. Maybe not too much sex. I’ve got to have my alone time too. Maybe we could schedule it in advance?
I stopped my musings when I noticed that Mathis Moreau had stopped. We were still quite a ways apart, so it was impressive that he could see me this far out. I squinted to see if the spear behind him had been removed. It was not. Sensing that my partner wasn’t going to come closer, I decided to put a foot forward. And another and another, until we were close enough to see each other’s faces. From this angle and this near, I could see that my earlier assessment was half-right and half-wrong. Mathis Moreau had indeed aged, and not in a graceful way. His beard and hair were rough and gray, with patches of white streaks. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Something was staining his lips, and he had a limp. And yet, he was terrifying. His muscles were taut and twined in a way that reminded me of rope corded from dragon tendons. His posture, even as unassuming as it seemed, was a soldier’s through and through.
“Who are you?” Mathis Moreau spoke first, snapping me from my self-induced fear trip. “Are you the one following me?”
So he hasn’t found the others. I thought while thinking of something to say. Introductions first, Ai. No need to make it complicated.
“I’m Zen,” I said with ease. “I’m a hunter from Solo Village.”
“Solo Village.” Mathis Moreau raised an eyebrow. “You’re a long way from home. I thought your range only extended as far South as the Mulit Hills.”
“I … don’t hunt for my village anymore. I got exiled.” I smiled with that bitter truth slipped in. “I’d rather not say any more than that.”
“A fair request. But I do have more questions for you if you don’t mind me asking?” Mathis Moreau relaxed a bit and took a step forward. “I’m looking for someone called Knight. An adventurer, last going through this way. Did you meet him?” It was both what I wanted to hear and what I didn’t expect to hear. So Knight’s still kicking. Lucky bastard, giving Zai the slip. Or he’s killed them? I shook my head at the thought. It’s not impossible, but let’s not go there first. The last thing I want to say to the Diplomat is that I didn’t get her Hosea Zai because he ‘might’ be dead. I’ve got to confirm it one way or another. I looked up and saw Mathis Moreau waiting for my reply.
“No, I didn’t see anyone named Knight going this way. In fact, I haven’t met anyone at all. This part of the road’s always emptier than a dullard’s thoughts.” This was true to an extent. The portal we used enabled us to bypass the major settlements. We were jarred a bit when we found that the other end has somehow moved to somewhere else. We almost walked right off a cliff. A funny situation when thoughts are idle, but it was anything but that when it happened to us.
"My turn," I said, trying my best to look at ease. “Have you met a newcomer while at Chance Village? A man, standing about my height plus a middle finger, and a creepy smile.” Mathis Moreau’s shoulders sunk when he heard my answer. I almost felt sorry for him, since it’s clear that whatever was going on between him and Knight, it was personal. Wait, did Mathis Moreau had a child? I can’t remember. I should ask the rest. I was about to reconnect my link when I remembered that it was a trivial thing. Not worth the possible trouble and distraction in this kind of situation.
“I don’t know. What’s his name?” Mathis Moreau asked with a tired voice.
“Hosea Zai,” I said.
Mathis Moreau perked upon hearing me, his eyes wide with frightening intensity. Without words, he advanced on me and I couldn’t do anything. No, it was more like my feet was rooted to the ground. He took his spear off his back and held it in one hand. The tip had no glow, with its surface instead of warping from the power. The air itself seemed fragile around the spear, like a spider’s web about to be broken by a child. He stopped short of another step from me.
“I met him. A snake if I’ve ever seen one. I was glad to be rid of him and his prisoner.” His eyes seemed to view the past before coming back. “And you’re looking for him, aren’t you? I can see we have a common goal then.” My eyes darted to just above Mathis Moreau’s head, to where I hope the others were watching. A smaller, slimmer hope remained that they were preparing a way to escape with me, instead of without. But that was pushing things.
“Yes. I am. I tracked him down to this road, which ends at Chance Village. Is that right?” I watched Mathis Moreau’s face for a change, better or worse. “Given that, I decided to wait for him to come to me. Pressing business. I’m sure he would’ve understood the weight of his burdens.” The spear switched hands, and my heart skipped a beat. “If you think you can help me on this end, I’ll be more than happy to compensate you handsomely.” I rested a hand on my coin pouch.
Mathis Moreau considered me with a look neither convinced nor skeptical. He took a step back, and I took one as well. The pressure lifted somewhat, I re-did my mental link to the others. Shouts and curses and the like filled my mind but tempered to simple one-off messages. From these snippets, I was relieved to find that they hadn’t abandoned me. They weren’t exactly close enough for a rescue either, so I was still on my own. I gave them the information I’ve gotten so far, as well as my plan. While Mathis Moreau thought things over, I moved on to the next stage.
"I have to ask, though, good sir.” I began talking, “What brings Mathis Moreau out of his retirement in Chance Village?” I muted the complaints of my team and pressed on. “You’re a famous hero around here. The stories people tell about you, I almost can’t believe them. Spearing ten people with one thrust?” Mathis Moreau stayed stoic, which was expected, but his grip tightened. “You don’t have to be suspicious, sir. I’m not here to interrupt your peaceful life. I only want to help you get that life back.”
“And what would be the cost of that? A favor for a favor? Isn’t that how it always starts?” Mathis Moreau spat at the ground. “I am done fighting for other people’s fights.” He raised his spear and leveled it towards my chest. “Leave. This will be the only mercy I give you.” Sweat trickled down as I tried to keep calm. Fear-laden as I was, my gut feeling insisted that Mathis Moreau had to be persuaded to help us. My mind tried to piece together something, anything at all to say. It was at that moment that I happened to catch sight of something. A necklace with a ring strung on it. Feeling like I was onto something, I glanced at Mathis Moreau’s hands. The left was at his side and impossible to make out, but his right one. I felt like dancing when I saw an identical ring, worn on the thumb.
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“I would not ask you of that, Mathis Moreau!” I raised my voice, making it seem like I was outraged. “Not when you’ve suffered so much already. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you.” I rummaged inside one of my pockets and brought up a random ring. “This belonged to my childhood friend. He nicked it from a noble and wanted to use the money to run away from his parents. But the noble found out and-” I paused for dramatic effect, blinking my eyes a fair bit to get them. “I never saw him again. Only this ring is all I have left to remember him.” I dropped my head and clenched the random ring in anguish.
“Helping me find Hosea Zai is the favor I’m asking of you, sir. I have a feeling that doing so would also help you get your child back. Isn’t that a favor for a favor?” Silence reigned as Mathis Moreau seemed the most unfeeling yet I’ve seen of him. The last part I mentioned was a straight gamble for me. It was true that stories of his exploits are spread far and wide around here. Variations exist of where he either speared eight, ten, or a hundred men at once. But to know that a legend settled down, got married, and had a child? That his wife would end up dead? No, I didn’t have a clue to how much spoken was true. It was an insane move made in a situation that never had to be.
And yet, it paid off.
“ … -ne.”
“What?” I leaned in a bit to hear Mathis Moreau better.
“You have one chance to find Hosea Zai. But only if you find my daughter first. Understand?” His spear-tip somehow looked much, much closer than it was. I gulped as I tried not to imagine it piercing me.
“Well, it could be that-”
“Agree or there’s no deal. Good luck finding him in this forest.” Mathis Moreau retracted his arm and put the spear at rest. He was about to turn around, which was good, but also bad. I’ve gotta be firmer, stand my ground. So what if he’s a legend? I’m one of the Order, the most powerful organization of three lands.
“I’d say, good luck finding your daughter as well.” I shot back, smiling as Mathis Moreau turned his head. “You say you won’t find our man, but the same applies to you,” I told the others to come down behind me, which was met with protest. I insisted, with a few threats of my own. The wind picked up and soon several shadows landed behind me. Frederick, Kard, and my bargaining chip, Telara. Mathis Moreau didn’t even flinch when they appeared, which confirmed a suspicion of mine. I gestured at Telara to come forward. Reluctantly, she did, keeping her hands close to her daggers.
“My friend here can track anyone, from any distance.” I began explaining. “It’s a gift of hers. Doesn’t matter if they’re in another realm or hidden by magic. She can find them.” Telara’s eyes grew wide with horror as I gave away her secret. “These forests, so choke-full of monsters, must have some that can hide from mundane eyes.” Mathis Moreau looked at Telara, then at me. I avoided his gaze so as not to lose my nerve. “You might have picked a thing or two from your time in the army, sir. But you’re no tracker. You know it, I know it, and they know it.” I swept my hand through the air in a grand gesture.
“You talk a lot.” Mathis Moreau said what could not have been further than the truth. “Are any of your words worth the breath spent to make them?”
“They’re worth the spittle, at least. You have to give me that.” Despite her feelings, Telara chuckled and I smiled a bit wider. “But words are not enough, indeed. We’ve talked long enough, and it is time for action. My dear Owi, would you kindly start doing your thing and track this good sir’s lost daughter?” I looked straight at Telara, who still hadn’t registered her fake name. A helpful snap of a metaphorical finger from Frederick brought her into focus.
“Yes. I’ll do that, Zen.” Telara said my fake name with a bit more emphasis than needed. “But I’ll first need something personal that belongs to her. Something she holds dear.” I turned to look at Mathis Moreau, who seemed conflicted for the first time since we met. With reluctance, he put his spear away for a moment, rummaging inside a small sack resting above his heart. He brought out a wooden toy, crudely carved to resemble a person. A tuft of hair was tied to the toy’s head, with its color the same as Mathis Moreau’s own. He looked at the toy, then at Telara, then to his wife’s ring. I looked away to give him a bit of privacy and caught Kard from the corner of my eye.
The man named Kard was a simple man. He liked women, he liked cards, and he liked fruit juice. That last one extended to mixtures of fruit juices, no matter how vile. It’s baffling and horrifying sometimes. The stuff of nightmares. As I paid him a visit in our shared mental network, he was drinking a purplish-black juice mix. I decided not to ask him what fruits he used. I sat down on a chair that was free and we went right down to business.
“There’s trouble ahead,” Kard said, picking bits of fruit off his teeth. “And I’m not talking about spear-guy and this forest.”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry I got you-wait, what other problems are there right now?” I snapped myself some flavored snow and went to town. “How do you even know if what you know is real?”
“It took a while. I’ll tell you all about it once we’re finished here.” I frowned at the obvious implications of his words. “No, look, it’s fine. I left extensive notes, hidden in plain sight. If the worse comes to bear-”
“Stop it.” I snatched the fruit juice mix from his hand and threw it away. “People say they’re fine and they end up dead. They say they’re happy, and their life becomes a tragedy. Let’s not tempt fate here and stick to the mission.”
“Of course, I’ll do my part, ‘Zen’. But the Diplomat, or rather, Sinta, is no more in control of things than we are. When the time comes, loyalty to the Order could prove fatal.” I took a step back, aghast at Kard’s behavior. Is this how he is? A conspiracy fanatic? I don’t even know why I wanted to talk to him now. But as I said it, the reason came bright as day. What if ghosts are around and want to do something for us? I considered it foolish at first glance, but it seemed less so upon later ones. This forest did claim a lot of lives over the year. Some bodies might have splintered their soul due to regrets and the like.
“Kard, can you set up a ward around us, against ghosts?” I asked him in a not-so-subtle segue away from his previous tangent.
“Why? We’re nowhere near a burial ground.” He replied another juice mix now in his hand, colored two shades of orange.
“Please do it. If there’s nothing and I’m being paranoid, I’ll open up a tab for you at the Sextant.”
“Another one?” Kard asked, incredulous at my generosity. “Alright, you’re on. Oh, and get off my head. Telara’s about to announce something.” I did and blinked to find Telara and Mathis Moreau looking at me. I coughed and gave a slight nod.
“I have good news and uncertain news. The good news is that I can track your daughter, sir.” Telara smiled as she gave the wooden toy back to Mathis Moreau. “She’s somewhere in this forest. The uncertain news now is that where she actually is in the forest isn’t clear. The trail keeps moving around.”
“That can happen?” Frederick asked. “And here I was hoping we could go find her and Hosea Zai in one go.”
“It can.” Telara answered, “But it never deviates from the real path for too long. How long it takes to show the real path though, I don’t know. This is something new for me.”
Good misdirection there, Telara. I yawned as I processed Telara’s explanations. We can have more time searching for Hosea Zai. And who knows, maybe I’d get to see one of the forest’s famous monsters. I smiled a bit at my little jab towards the heavens. Right at this point, Kard had come up and tapped me on the right shoulder. I tried to speak to him mentally, but he refused. With few options, I turned a bit sideways to talk to him. Kard’s face had become paler, which seemed impossible given how already pale he was.
What? Did you find anything? I asked. His reply was a shared sight-feed, for all to see. Curious, I slipped in and saw with his eyes. His sight was no better than mine, but it did see something I didn’t. All around us was what seemed to be a gray mist. A closer look though, revealed it to be a wriggling mass of spectral faces. They were everywhere. Some hung from branches, others phasing through tree trunks. Most though were content to float in the air. I quietly left the feed and retreated to the safety of ignorance, but there was no turning back. I looked at Telara, then at Frederick. Telara was hugging herself, sweating, and looking like a step away from flying apart. Frederick had a more nuanced, classic approach to fear. He did his damned best to look unmoved, but the shaking in his right foot was unmistakable.
“What’s happening?” Mathis Moreau spoke up, bringing his spear out again. “Why are you nervous?”
“It’s … ” I paused, trying to think of a tactful way of breaking the news. ” We have company. Dead ones.”
“ ... You kidding me?” Mathis Moreau took a stance and gripped his spear with both hands. “Well, what are we waiting for? Ready yourselves and bring them into the light already.” His casual demeanor broke some of the fear the ghost horde’s presence brought into me. I knocked on the shared mental link and the others responded. Mathis Moreau’s attitude inspired them as well, and Kard caught on to what to do. He knelt down and began drawing a ward around himself. Telara, Frederick, and I prepared our weapons. Simple prayers, written cantrips, and discount ashes of saints. Mathis Moreau remained where he was, eyeing us with a dispassionate stare.
“Kard, are you ready yet?” Telara said, sprinkling ashes on her armor. “I don’t like invisible bastards groping me in broad daylight.”
“I second that.” I chimed in, rubbing in my own ashes into my gear. “But I’m more nervous that we’re not being attacked already.”
“I’m glad they aren’t.” Frederick tightened his braces and powdered his face with some gray powder. “I don’t fancy dying to some dead bastards.”
“As you should be.” Mathis Moreau, apparently bored of waiting, began stretching. “I met an Undead Caller once. She raised up all the dead in the town I was in. Not a pretty sight, seeing your friends come at you with half a stomach hanging out.” I stared at him with a mix of awe and exasperation. On one hand, it was cool to hear a story from a living legend. But on the other hand, it was not a confidence booster to hear the horrors of war. I glanced at Kard to see if he was done, and he looked back, a small smile on his face.
I snapped my finger and the others got the message. We placed ourselves around Kard, weapons out, and ready for the coming horde. Mathis Moreau stood apart, but he had no openings as well. I tried to check through the shared mental link but was promptly kicked out without much fuss. With that, I nocked an arrow to my bow and waited.
Sight is coming in about … now. Kard said just as I blinked and saw a different world. The gray mist I saw was now gray smoke, crowding out any vision of the forest beyond. They’ve even gone to the treetops, only avoiding hemming us in completely due to the sun being up. What small, slim hope I held at making it free somehow vanished. But instead of despair, I felt relief. At least I don’t have to report back to the Diplomat now. She can go and persuade some other fool to take on this stupid job. Maybe the fool will be Dennis, and I’ll be able to move on and go to hell.
“Your feet are a bit off.” Mathis Moreau suddenly spoke, “If you’re gonna make the last stand with a bow, give yourself some more legroom. Your arrows will thank you.” I looked down at my feet and noticed that they were too near to one another. I adjusted them as suggested, and gave an appreciative nod to Mathis Moreau.
“Got any sage advice for surviving this last stand?” I said, half-joking.
“Don’t die?” Mathis Moreau replied with half-humor. “Also, use weapons that don’t run out. I know you have a dagger or two on you. Why don’t you use that?”
“I’m a lot better with a bow,” I confessed. “Maybe you’ll get to see someone survive a last stand with a bow this time.”
“Maybe I will.” Mathis Moreau scratched his chin. “It would make for a fine story to tell around.”
“It is done,” Kard announced, rising up on unsteady legs. “It should hold. I hope.”
I saw the circle and the patterns Kard drew under him. They were glowing, with visible tendrils going from Kard into the ground. I then looked out, to where I knew an invisible field separated us from the outside. Wards upon wards, layered as thinly as Kard could make it. Despite this, I didn’t relax a bit. A dam made in haste, to hold back a coming tide, is doomed in the end. I looked at the arrow I nocked and wondered if I should nock another and another. Put my entire quiver into a single shot, fueled by despair and hope. A crazy thought, born of a situation I never dreamed I could be in. And yet here I was, wide awake and wishing reality wasn’t so cruel.