Dalton's Copse encompassed a part of the Eastern Forest that spanned at least ten full acres of land. It was easy enough to know when one entered it. While much of the Eastern Forest was densely packed with pines and oaks that fought to stand above each other, Dalton's Copse was occupied solely by sparse willow trees. The weeping branches hung low, and these willows maintained a special property. They managed to live long, miserable lives despite the lack of any nearby water sources. There was much more space to maneuver within the Copse if an adventurer weren't too averse to be evading into the sap covered whips of the trees around them.
Adventurers would be wise to tread carefully around the Copse, and it was the job of The Eastern Outpost Registrar's Office to inform them of this. For the willows were not the only thing that haunted Dalton's Copse. There were also great serpents that patrolled the grounds for intruders into their home. The scaly snakes slithered their way along the short grass, their amber eyes scanning for any unusual movements. With a body as thick as a grown man and three times as long, they had a long history of preying upon the unwary traveler. They were considered a two-star monster by The Registrar's Office due to very potent venom in their fangs and the durability of their thick green hides.
The willows were the key to safety in traversing the Copse. For reasons only known to the beasts themselves, the snakes feared the willows. They avoided the whip like leaves at any costs, hesitant to even move their lumbering bodies near the trees. If there were no other choice but to travel through Dalton's Copse, The Registrar's Office advises that one moves carefully but quickly from one tree to the next until the adventurer made it out of the Copse.
Unfortunately, neither Teague nor Noah had received any warning about the Copse. So, when they came across one of the great serpents, the two ignorant boys decided that they should try and fight their way past it. Noah hit the patrolling snake along the side with his new spell, Flare Burst. A little ball of red light floated slowly from his hand to the side of the monster. On impact, the ball of light exploded loudly. The wild flames scorched the side of the creature, peeling away a layer of scales and drawing out its black blood.
Flare Burst. A spell that sets up a ball of magic. Upon impact, the ball explodes and deals fire damage in an area around it.
The great serpent let out a screeching noise as the spell hit it. Its body curved around to face the two boys. Noah was left with his jaw hanging open as the serpent started to rise. The upper half of its long body was with the snake's head several feet above them. It looked down at them, its big amber eyes unblinking as it studied them.
"Oh shit," Teague muttered under his breath. Noah was still petrified at the sight of the largest creature he had ever seen. Thoughts of how he was likely going to be eaten whole by the gargantuan serpent swam through his mind. It was made even worse when the snake did the only thing that could make it appear even more bizarre.
It spoke.
"That wasssss very rude," the snake said in a slow, soft, cool voice. Its forked tongue shot out from between its lip as the s sound left it. Each opening of the mouth showed off a bit more of the snake's fangs.
"It can talk," Teague said, shaking as sweat started to form on its brow. "A fucking monster can talk."
"Yesssss, I can sssspeak." Its head turned to face Teague directly, its eyelids closing slightly to help it look angrier. Not that it really needed to. "And I'd appressshiate it if you'd watch your tongue, eassssterner."
"Yessir," Teague replied quickly, really hoping the serpent wouldn't take his tone as mocking in some way.
"Sorry about blasting you," Noah said. He was filled with immediate regret alongside his fear as the snake quickly whipped its head to face him. Noah's hand shot to draw his sword, but the snake lowering its head to face the fae at eye level froze him in place again.
"It'sssssss fine," the snake replied, its tongue popping out as it spoke. The forked end of the pink organ stopped barely an inch away from Noah's face. "Barely even hurt." The snake started twisting its tail end around, showing Noah another surprising sight. The spot that he had blasted earlier still had the remnants of scorch marks, but the open wound he had left was gone. Not a trace remained of the spell's impact.
"What are you?" Noah asked. It was the best conversation he could come up with as fear and shock ran through his body and mind.
"I'm a ssssserpent, though I would think that obvioussss," it replied. Thankfully, it had pulled its head back up above them, and a sound that could only barely resemble a chuckle rumbled out of the serpent's mouth. "Jussssst asss you are a fae, and your comrade is an eassssterner."
"Pardon my friend," Teague interjected. "He's a bit frightened of you, as am I."
"I undersssstand. Adventurersssss do tend to fear usssss." The snake's body was starting to move slowly back and forth, growing a bit irritated with staying so still.
"I really am sorry I blasted you," Noah repeated, hoping that anything he would say would placate the serpent and keep him out of its stomach.
"We're used to monsters trying to kill us," Teague continued after gesturing as calmly as possible for Noah to just shut the hell up. "You seem much nicer, Miss-?"
"Ka," the snake responded. "MIsssster Ka."
Noah simply looked up at the monster quizzically. Not only could the great beast speak their language, but it also had the capability to use inflection and emphasis beyond its normal cool tone. Oh, and it had a name. Not that it was too surprising to Noah that it had a name.
Everyone has a name even if you don't know it, ya idjit!
Unsure of where in his mind that strange phrase had come from, Noah continued to watch Ka waver hypnotically back and forth.
"You know my name," Ka continued. "What are yourssssss'?"
"Teague."
"No-Noah."
"Are you scared of me, Missssstersssss Teague and Noah?"
"Y-y-yes," Noah managed to stammer out, trying to break his sight away from the gentle sways of Ka.
"I'm equally terrified," Teague answered. That cool tone may have fooled Noah, but Ka could easily spot the soft tremors all along the Brawler's body.
"Let me sssssssoothe your worriesssssss," Ka assured them. "I have no dessssssire to eat you. I jussssssstttt had lunch, you ssssee. A trio of much lessssssss attentive fellowsssss."
"That is-," Noah began, thinking desperately of the right words to say to the monster that just admitted to killing three people.
"Reassuring," Teague finished for him. "Would that be the screams we heard earlier?"
Oh yeah, Noah thought. The entire reason they had been dashing madly through the woods only minutes before. The reason that they had ended up in the strange place surrounded by eerie looking trees. The reason that they were currently standing face to face with a large, talking snake named Ka. The cries of terror and pain had torn through the forest earlier and had come to a sudden stop. That was the reason that the two of them charged head first into potential danger.
"I'm much too quick and ssssstealthy," Ka answered, lowering his body to the ground again. Noah let out a deep breath since the soft swaying had finally come to an end. "My prey didn't make a ssssssound. What you had heard came from deeper in our home."
"How much deeper?" Teague asked, brushing off Ka's admission to murder with little effort.
"Forty more treessssss that way isssss a little grove." Ka's tail lifted, and Noah watched as it pointed further down the corridor of willows they had been traveling along earlier. "Travelerssss like yoursssself are fighting down there. We sssssssnakesssssss prefer to keep out of the warssssss between your kind."
"Will you let us go help out?" Noah asked, his hand back to resting on the pommel of his sword.
"Of coursssssssse," Ka hissed out. "It wassssss very nice to meet you, Noah and Teague. Hopefully the next time we meet, I won't be sssssssstarved."
"Likewise," Teague said, bowing his head.
"I really, really do apologize for blasting you," Noah said yet again as he did a quick bow of his own.
"Sssstick to the willowssssss, travelersssssss."
Ka made his strange chuckling noise again. He focused his big yellow eyes forward and quickly slithered back down the willow corridor where Noah and Teague had come from. The snake apparently had a real joking side to it because the path it took went right between the two boys. Ka really wanted to show off how fast it could've killed them by darting past them at the maximum speed, the wind whipping against Noah face as the serpent flew across the ground.
"That may have been the single weirdest thing that has ever happened to me," Teague said once Ka had turned along another path and left their sight.
"Weird isn't how I would describe it," Noah replied, still trembling in place a little. "Piss your pants terrifying is a bit better for that."
"You ever heard a monster talk before?"
"A couple times." Noah clearly remembered the time Utuk had spoken to him for a great length of time. There had also been some shouts from the kobold down in the tunnels as well. Neither of them really matched the articulation that Ka the great serpent possessed. "That was something else though."
"Think he's lying about the screaming?"
Noah hadn't really thought about that. He realized how quickly they had rushed into this bizarre part of the forest. They had done so without a second thought, either. Ka was definitely a clever snake, far wiser than any of the simple monsters that Noah had come across before. The serpent could've easily been lying to them about the earlier screams not being the people he had eaten. There may not have been a battle waiting for the adventurers forty trees down the path. There could be some of Ka's kin, and they may not be as reserved as their talkative relative.
"I think we should head back," Noah said. It was their safest option, or at least the one with the least likelihood that they would get eaten.
"Sounds like your best idea yet, good sir." Teague held out the hand with his bracer on it. A look of great concentration was on his face. Noah, having recognized what he was doing from the time that he was in the underground lake with Isdiel, waited patiently for the small Gate to appear.
There was no Gate, though. The two boys stood there for almost a minute, waiting and waiting for the air to shimmer and the wisp of smoke to snake (swim, Noah thought, trying to keep thoughts of serpents out of his mind) through the Gate. There was simply nothing. Teague stopped keeping his arm out, raising his wrist to his face to examine the bracer closely.
"Dammit," Teague grumbled, lowering his wrist once he was done with his examination. "I was afraid of this."
"What's going on," Noah asked as the fear of being stuck deep in the Copse with no easy way out rippled through his mind.
"Ka wasn't lying, it seems. There's a definitely a fight going on nearby."
"Why the hell would anybody fight here?" The mental image entered Noah's mind of huge serpents surrounding a pair of dueling swordsman, peacefully spectating and waiting for their chance to tear the two of them apart.
"There's a long list of reasons," Teague's face was growing grim, and Noah wasn't sure whether it was the result of their escape plan being thwarted or the thought of the battle was likely still raging down the path. "My best guess is that one of those people fighting is a Hunter." Noah hadn't even opened his mouth before Teague quickly answered the question that was on his mind. "They're adventurers that hunt down other adventurers."
"Why?"
"Money and equipment usually. Can't really hold onto your stuff if you're dead."
Noah grimaced at the concept. He had only been killing monsters so far. He couldn't imagine taking the life of another person like himself. Especially for something as simple as the things they had on them.
"Anyway," Teague continued when he noticed Noah's discomfort. "Hunters usually carry a tool with them called a Latch. It stops anyone from opening a Gate anywhere near them."
There was little need for questioning on that matter. Despite the thought of this Hunter stuff bothered Noah, he could easily understand why someone would want to keep Gates around them closed.
It would cut off escapes.
"What's the plan, then?" Noah asked.
"I see a couple of options," Teague answered. "We can either find the Hunter and ask him very nicely to turn off the Latch." Noah was curious how many hits with Teague's staff would occur during the future polite conversation. "Or we try and walk back out the way we came."
The two of them turned around to look back down the path. A shiver ran up Noah's spine when he saw a large snake coiled up in a tall stack, its pair of amber eyes staring at them longingly. The smile it cracked and the deliberately slow licking of its absent lips gave it away though.
"Ka, will you let us go back that way?" Teague yelled down to their serpent "friend." Ka simply shook his large head in response, continuing to glare longingly at the afternoon snack it was letting go.
"Looks like we're going forward," Noah grumbled, turning around and leading the way for the adventurers down the path.
--
The distance of "Forty Trees" was a mysterious distance that felt almost endless. Noah's original gauge of the distance was actually along the lines of twenty of the willows, considering that the trees stood across from each other perfectly along the walls of their long woodland corridor. The first thing that made the trek longer than first believed was that "Forty Trees" meant forty trees on one side of the pathway. The other matter was the ever-lengthening distance between the willows as the path went along. The space between Willow 11 and Willow 12 was about ten paces, but the space between Willow 12 and Willow 13 was almost forty paces.
Teague's speed suddenly picked up around Willow 30, and Noah found himself struggling to match the sprint. He did, however, see what had caused Teague to break away. Teague was kneeling beside something that Noah couldn't quite make out at first. As he drew closer though, the sight shocked him.
It was the first time Noah had ever seen the corpse of another person, and the sight of it caused an uncomfortable lump to rise in his throat. He kept his distance from the body that laid face down in the grass. The first thing that hit Noah was a strong burnt smell that emanated from the horrid wound on the corpse's side. Black scorch marks lined the gaping hole that laid there, the insides having slowly leaked out. The left leg was gone, replaced with a tattered, darkened stump that no longer bled. The shape of the upper body told Noah that this was the remains of a young lady, and the only relief he had was that Teague had decided not to turn it over. It wasn't out of concern for the weakness of his seri friend's heart. Teague wouldn't have been able to turn the woman over even if he wished to.
Three thin, silvery knives were driven into the woman's body, pinning her down to the ground. One through the middle of her back, one in her remaining leg, and the last one had wedged itself into the back of a head with blue hair and cat ears. The blade of each seemed long judging by how they had pierced through her corpse and into the ground. Their handles had black strips of leather wrapped around the wooden grips. Scrawled hastily onto the leather in white writing was a circular rune of sorts. Noah's closest guess to what the rune resembled was a small sun with rays digging into it.
Though Noah had been doing his best to avoid the body before, he felt himself drawn to the knife in the back of the head. The way the silver just seemed to glimmer softly in the afternoon light drew him closer. And there was just something about that rune. It didn't look like the weird sun to Noah anymore. The rays that burrowed into the core of the lopsided circle hypnotized him as he followed them around and around.
It's an eye, Noah thought as he reached his hand out to the blade. If I could just touch it.
"Don't," Teague said as slapped Noah's hand hard. The grip the weapon seemed to have on the fae vanished. Upon realizing just how close he had gotten to the body, Noah let out a little shout before stumbling backwards away from it.
"You okay?" Teague asked, getting back to his feet and helping Noah up.
"Yeah," Noah lied. "Just a little shook up. First time seeing something like this." There was no need for him to tell Teague how frightened he really was. The Brawler's face appeared dour as he glanced from Noah to the body and back again. There was already enough on Teague's mind without Noah adding his discomfort to it.
"Looks like we're on the right path." Teague managed to completely avoid looking at the corpse as he stared down the corridor of trees.
"I hope whoever this Hunter guy is, he lets us out of here without any hassle," Noah stated, fighting his hardest to make a little smirk show up on his face. "For his sake."
"Why's that?"
"Because I'm gonna kick his ass otherwise."
Teague flashed a smirk of his own. Good, Noah thought. Keep calm Teague. I really, really need you to keep calm. There was a soft breeze that blew through the Copse. The long whips of the willows brushed and shuffled against each other in the gentle wind, but there was one more important thing about the wind that blew past the two boys and the body.
It carried the scent of charred flesh back where they had come from.
"Let's move a bit faster," Teague said as he began walking at a brisk pace along the corridor of trees with Noah moving alongside him. "And keep your eyes peeled. Detect Foe doesn't work on Hunters."
Noah nodded quietly (having almost forgotten about the rudimentary skill) as they continued down the path. There was a question on his mind, one that seemed to push back all the fear from wandering through the Copse. It was this question that had set into his mind and stopped Noah from thinking all about the fact they were likely running right into fearsome combat with this Hunter.
"Why'd you stop me back there?" Noah asked, unable to resist his curiosity any longer.
"Hmm?" Teague muttered. His eyes were entirely focused on the path ahead of them.
"From grabbing the knife. Why'd you stop me?"
"Oh." The Brawler simply shrugged. "I figured the Hunter probably rigged a trap on the body in case her comrades came back for her."
"Comrades?"
"We heard different screams earlier. There's more than one person that was attacked."
Noah was impressed with Teague's insight, as well as feeling a bit foolish for not having picked up on such an obvious detail.
"If I had to guess, the Hunter probably ambushed this group and they panicked," Teague continued. "More likely than not, he's clearly higher leveled than whoever he was targeting. They freaked out and ran for it. That girl was probably the straggler of the group."
There was an audible gulp from the innocent fae. Everything this Hunter seemed to do was peak efficiency, even if the tactics were relatively basic. Somehow, he could imagine himself doing such a thing against a pack of monsters. Then the thought of doing the same to a group of unwary travelers popped into Noah's mind, and he gulped again.
"Sorry if this kind of stuff scares you," Teague mentioned quickly, tinges of concern starting to sprinkle themselves on his serious look. "If Rapide were here, he'd probably have a better idea of how to handle all this."
"This idea is the best we got," Noah replied, doing his damndest to believe every word he just said. "Our only other option was to try and get back on foot, and that means dealing with Ka or some other snake."
"Doesn't change the fact he'd have a good plan." There seemed to be a hint of contempt in Teague's voice, but Noah had missed it entirely. "Rapide always has the right ideas. Been like that since we met, as far as I can remember."
They had passed Willow 32 when Teague said that, and another question had shot forward into Noah's mind. "How much do you remember?"
"Only as much as Izzy had given me," Teague answered. He looked at Noah with a bit of a frown. "Don't get your hopes up with that. She can only-."
"She already told me," Noah replied. The memories that Isdiel could share were her own, and the two of them only knew each other since their first meeting a few days ago.
"Not a bad idea on her part." Noah shot Teague a quick glare. The fae's memories were the last thing that needed to plague them at the time. The expansive mystery of who Noah had once been was a complicated matter that send their minds wandering on a far-off adventure. They needed to remain focused on the task that was in front of them.
"As far as specifics of what I remember, though, it's pretty basic shit," Teague continued, speaking as nonchalantly as someone who had not just chosen to bring up a sensitive subject. "All of us had belonged to some guild that I can't remember the name of. We were all really good friends, too."
The two of them had reached Willow 40. They had come face to face with a wall of even more willows. The trees remained packed together as close they could manage. The branches above had started twining themselves together, while the hanging whips created a curtain that was impossible to see through. Looking both ways down the wall of weeping trees, Noah could see that the wall started to curve inward slightly, and his imagination told him that the willows would've formed a nice circle around whatever was hidden between them.
"That Ka is full of shit," Teague stated.
"Clearing my ass," Noah continued, pushing one of his hands against the edge of the willow curtain. The leaves were dry and brittle, still blowing ever so carefully in the breeze.
"Is there someone out there?" a voice called from behind the willow wall. Leaves deeper within the tree started to crackle and shift, and Teague assumed his ready stance with his staff. Noah followed suit and drew his sword, pointing it right at the spot in the leaves where the rustling was building up.
"Hold your weapons," the voice said again. The rustling built up until suddenly a man stepped out of the willow wall. He was a bald man about their height wearing a simple looking iron armor top and a short sword sheathed at his side.
"Don't lower your sword yet, Noah," Teague said, holding the tip of his staff up to the stranger's neck. Noah copied, the end of his blade a few inches away from the man's throat. "Could be a trick."
"I mean no harm," the man replied with fear in his eyes. "We're fellow adventurers."
"We?" Noah said, glancing behind the man at the willow wall. He was scanning the leaves for signs of any more arrivals.
"My party is in the grove past here." His speech got faster as Teague's staff brushed against his chin. "Do either of you have any healing magic?"
Noah was about to tell him no, but Teague started nodding slowly and lowering his weapon. "It's really simple stuff though."
"The wound isn't that bad," the man said once Noah also lowered his sword. He reached back and pulled the whip curtain open for the two young adventurers. "She got all the venom out, but she's still stuck sitting around."
"Lead the way," Teague ordered. The man nodded vigorously before turning into the leaves. Teague followed close behind, and Noah after the two of them.
"So, what's your name, old man?" Noah asked as he pushed more of the dry whips aside. They would occasionally bounce back against his exposed arms, a brief sting from the tendrils each time they returned to their proper place.
"Louis," he replied from somewhere out of Noah's limited visible range.
"What were you and your party doing all the way out here?" Teague asked, using his staff to push more of the whips out the way.
"Our leader put us up to this stupid idea," Louis answered, sounding quite upset with the one he called "leader."
"Was it a job or something like that?"
"Yeah. We were supposed to recover some skins and some fangs from some of those serpents out there. You guys run into them?"
"We came across one," Noah answered. The thought of Ka made him shudder a bit within the willows.
"Lucky y'all. We came across a pack of five of those fuckers."
"Was it you guys who were screaming earlier?" Teague asked.
"That was me and my partner. We're just mercenaries you see. I didn't think we would be getting dragged into some kind of war with a madman."
"Madman?" Noah found himself asking.
"We're here."
The trio were freed from the willow wall and stepped into a flowery grove. Pure white lilies obscured the short grass below them. Their blooms practically shined in contrast to the dull willows that walled in the location. The circular grove slowly inclined towards the center where a tree rested. It was likely the most beautiful tree any of those present had ever seen. The pitch-black bark covered the trunk and branches. All along the stretching limbs of this strange tree were short, rounded leaves that appeared to be almost painted white. They carried the afternoon sun beautifully, absorbing enough of it to live while at the same time reflecting it on all the surroundings.
"Found some people," Louis called out to the grove, breaking Noah out of his trance. The bald man walked off ahead of them, plopping down to sit atop some of the lilies. It wasn't long before seeing who Louis had been talking to.
Sitting alongside the tree in the center were two others. One was an elf woman in armor of her own. While Louis's armor had been crudely crafted out of cheap looking armor, her steel chest plate was clearly made by a master to fit her body perfectly. Noah didn't recognize her at first from the cloth draped across her eyes, but he did quickly recognize the person beside her. It was a young dark-haired elf boy. He may have been wearing different clothes than he had been earlier, and he also seemed to be missing his left arm when he had definitely had one when they had last met.
"It's you!" Teague shouted, pointing at the elf boy that had taunted them outside the outpost. The boy simply looked up at them, his face lacking any of the joyful confidence and playful nature that he had before. Whatever had taken his arm away from him had changed the boy. His face looked red, and Noah could spot some tears running down his cheeks.
"What are you losers doing here?" the boy barked back at them, soft chokes in his voice.
Noah and Teague started approaching the tree in the center. Meanwhile, Louis was busy lighting a cigarette and struggling heavily with his own lighter. As they got closer, Noah could see the smaller trials that the two elves had gone through. Any exposed skin had traces of dirt and grime from the Copse on them. The woman's armor had taken some damage, as apparent by the dents in it and the fact that one of her shoulder pads looked to be ripped in half. Besides the absence of one of his arms, the boy looked battered. There were bruises on his remaining arm, and a long cut on each cheek.
"Are you the one who's hurt?" Teague asked the woman as he and Noah once they were only a step away from the other two.
"It's her leg," the boy said for her. "Snakebite."
"Snakebites look like the least of your problems," Noah joked, pointing to the empty sleeve on the boy's side.
"Fuck you," the elf boy spat. There was a swift slap, and the boy lowered his head as the elder woman retracted her hand back to her side.
"Lord Jesse, please," the woman said. She had a gentle voice, very (motherly) mature. "I know you're in pain, but you shouldn't use such surly language."
"What do you know?" the boy known as Lord Jesse shouted loud enough to make both Noah and Teague recoil. He then brought his legs up so that he could hide his face against his knees. It didn't muffle any of his cries though. "I just lost everything."
"Excuse me miss," Teague whispered to the woman. "I'll have to pull the leg of your pants up, so I can get to the wound."
"Thank you, sir," the woman replied, lifting her leg a bit. Teague carefully rolled up the pants leg, but when Noah looked up to the blond elf's face she didn't wince at all. Even when the nervous Brawler's hand brushed past the small puncture wound. It looked like it had been cleaned recently, but there were still red marks creeping away from the wound. Teague's hand covered the wound, and there was a soft hum as a light green magic flowed slowly from his palm to the elf's skin.
Detox. A miracle that can be used to treat basic infections and poisons.
"Noah," Teague called. "Come here."
Noah complied, crouching down beside his friend. His eyes were still glued to the healing magic he was watching take place.
"Find out what happened from the kid," Teague whispered so quietly that Noah could barely hear him. Once he realized what his friend was asking from him though, Noah turned to Teague and gave him a look that could only be saying one thing.
Why me?
"Just do it, you big baby," Teague continued before going back to focusing on the treatment he was doing. Noah groaned quietly as he could manage, walking over to the other side of Jesse and taking a seat at the elf boy's side.
"What happened?" Noah asked, purposely using as little tact as possible.
"You're really bad at this," Jesse answered, soft sobs emanating from his hidden face.
"It's my first time doing this." The urge to groan was great. Noah didn't know that he would ever have to comfort a horribly maimed kid who had previously been rude to him. There was no training he could've done to prepare him for such a circumstance.
"You two should just leave." Jesse picked his head up from its hiding place against his knees. His face was even redder, and the tears were smeared all over his young face. "This is guild business. None of your concern."
"We found your other friend," Teague said, finally finishing his treatment and pulling the woman's pants back into place. The older elf gave her leg a few bends, though once she was satisfied that the treatment was sufficient, she just laid it on the ground and let it rest.
"We were ambushed," the woman explained. She held her hand out to Teague and he took it. There was a small smile on Teague's face as the two of them shook hands, leaving Noah a bit curious as to what the sudden change in look was all about. "I'm Sooth by the way. Squire."
"Teague the Brawler."
"Noah." The two elves looked at him, and Noah quickly corrected his error. "I'm a Slate."
Sooth turned her head to Jesse, waiting for him to take his turn introducing himself. The elf boy just frowned at his comrade, bit his lip a few times, and finally muttered a weak, "Novice."
"Like Master Jesse said," Sooth continued. "It's likely business to do with our guild." There was that word again. Guild. Noah wasn't sure exactly what they were talking about, but decided now wasn't the time to sate his curiosity.
"Sounds like my guess was close, Noah," Teague interjected. There was a look of curiosity from Sooth, or at least as best as one could determine behind the cloth on her eyes. "I figured you guys were being attacked by a Hunter. Seems I was just a little off."
"Glad to see you're not both seris," Jesse mumbled. This time it was Noah who gave him a swift slap on the back of his head. The boy turned to him, ready to let another curse fly at the fae. Noah gave a knowing look from Jesse to Sooth, and the elf boy went back to pouting while his crying slowed.
"He's very powerful, so I'm surprised he came to for us of all groups," Sooth continued with her tale. "Kyla and myself are usually enough to handle the standard soldiers from other guilds. This one, however. He's definitely one of the elites."
"He slaughtered us," Jesse added. He pointed to where his other arm should've been. "Did that before we could even see him. Took Kyla's leg, too." The tears kicked up a notch as he brought up his fallen comrade. "Bastard made her suffer. He was laughing while it happened, too. And I couldn't do anything. I just froze up. She hates me now. I know it. I know she hates me now."
The boy could no longer hold back his tears, and he burst into uncontrollable crying. Sooth immediately took hold of him, pulling Jesse close and petting his hair as he sobbed loudly. Noah and Teague went back and forth between looking to each other and looking at the pair of elves.
This is what loss is, Noah thought. The next thoughts came uncontrollably, despite his earlier protests to thinking about the matter. I was probably like that before. There's no way I hadn't lost someone. I cried just like he did, I bet.
"Jesse, right?" Teague said, crouching down so that he would be eye level with the elf boy once he turned to face him, choking back a set of harsh sobs. "I can't imagine what you're going through. But I can promise you something. She doesn't hate you."
"You don't know that!" Jesse whined. "You don't know anything about her!"
"I know what hate is," Teague corrected, a warmer look on his face than Noah had seen since they left the mole clearing behind. "And I would bet she doesn't hate you. What she wants from you is to be strong. She wants you to keep living on."
"It's just like I said, young Master," Sooth said, still idly petting his hair. "Kyla didn't have it in her to hate. What we need to do now is get back home where you'll be safe."
A breeze blew through the grove. Unlike the one Noah had felt earlier in Dalton's Copse, this breeze started to slowly pick up. The lilies began bending to the will of the wind. Louis, who had been enjoying his smoking as best as he could, suddenly got to his feet and drew his sword. Noah matched his behavior, climbing to his feet and standing beside Teague. The Brawler put his arm up to hold Noah back.
"Is this him?" Teague asked.
"It's him, alright," Jesse spat out. "He's theatrical, but don't let it fool you. He's strong."
"Teague," Noah said as the wind picked up more, blowing the white leaves off the tree above them. "When we get out of here, you owe me some drinks."
"I'll get the first two rounds," Teague replied.
The wind turned violent, catching all of them by surprise as it blew past them. The petals on many of the lilies broke free from their flowers. They danced in lazy circles as the wind roared through the grove. Noah felt a chill cover his whole body, but he stood steady alongside Teague. The Brawler was starting to twirl his staff to the side, the weapon a blur as the handheld cyclone picked up speed.
"Where are you, bastard!" Louis yelled out to the skies. "I'll kill you! You took Maureen from me! I'll fucking kill you! You hear me? I'll fucking ki-."
Louis's battle cries were cut off. His body dropped to its knees first before falling back to the ground. His head had flown several yards away by the force of the blow that tore it free. His assailant causally stepped over the body, having spontaneously appeared in the grove.
The mysterious man looked like some creature out of a bedtime story made to scare children. The black cloak he wore appeared to be more apt to fit something about ten times as big. The tails of it flowed long beside and behind him, forming a sea of cloth around him. The feet were covered, making it at first appear to only be an illusion as he floated along the ground. When Noah saw that none of the lilies behind him appeared stomped on, he realized that this oddity was indeed gliding above the flowers. A hood covered his head, but tufts of thick gray hair poked out along the sides.
Down the front of his cloak were masks. A line of ten clay masks ran down each side of the front of his cloak. Each mask was similar in that one half of the ovular shape was red, and the other half was white. The difference between all of them was the simple expressions on their frozen faces. There was one with an exaggerated smile across from one cheek to the other, and another had a low hanging frown. Each mask replaced the normal feelings a person could have, but Noah was most drawn to the mask the man wore upon his own face. There was no mouth on it at all. Just a pair of eye slits that he could see through. Within those openings, a set of silvery eyes stared out at the remaining adventurers.
"They weren't kidding about the theatrics," Teague said. The monster-man's head turned to face the Brawler, ending the small smirk he made at his own joke.
"You two aren't involved," the stranger responded. His voice was distorted slightly by the mask in front of him, but the cold, unfeeling tone couldn't be erased. "This is guild business."
"You're a murderer," Noah said. He felt if he didn't speak, he would remain frozen in his apprehension of the strange presence before them.
"A conclusion based on minimal facts." The stranger started gliding closer, but Teague was not hesitating. The Brawler immediately threw out two Ice Thorns in a row. The cloaked being made no effort to dodge. Why should he? The spells simply passed through him like he wasn't even there.
"You really are an elite aren't you?" Teague said.
Noah didn't listen though. He was too busy throwing out three Flare Bursts one after the other. It may have exhausted a great deal of MP based on the splitting headache that Noah suffered because of them. but he didn't care. That man was dangerous. He didn't know why he knew it, probably better than anybody around him did. Noah wanted the stranger gone, though, no matter what he had to do.
Again there was no effort to dodge. The new set of spells did manage to draw movement from the stranger though. He darted an arm out from beneath his cloak, one that was covered in a gray sleeve with a black leather glove on the hand. At a speed too fast for Noah to follow properly, the stranger literally swatted away the floating red orbs of light and sending all three behind him. They exploded violently just as they had the first time Noah used the spell, but the force of the blast didn't bother the stranger one bit.
"Who are you two?" the stranger asked.
"Somebody who isn't too fond of letting people die around them," Noah answered. It sounded cool, even if it was far from a honest description of himself.
"I'm Teague," Teague answered. "He's Noah. Who the fuck are you?"
"My name is Shanaroo," the stranger answered. "I'm not just some murderer either."
"Yes, you are!" Jesse yelled from behind them.
"Silence, child!" Shanaroo hissed. There was definitely anger in his normally toneless voice as he spoke, but it was effective. There was a soft whimper from the elf boy, followed by quiet. "Anyway, you two really should just walk away. I'm feeling merciful."
"A merciful man doesn't do what you did," Teague said, stepping closer to Shanaroo.
Keep back, Noah wanted to say, but his fear of the stranger kept him from moving. Shanaroo's mere presence was enough to seal his lips.
"You made her suffer," Teague growled.
"She wouldn't give up her friends," Shanaroo responded matter-of-factly. "Her honor forced her to experience terrible pain. I don't think it was worth it at all, considering that I found them."
"Hunters like you make me sick."
"Hunters like me make fools like you dead." There was a rustle along the front of his cloak, and Teague leaped far back. Shanaroo's gloved hand reappeared, this time holding one of the silver knives that Noah had seen earlier on the woman's corpse. It twirled slowly, hypnotically, between his fingers. "You'd do well to behave like your friend there, Teague. He clearly doesn't want to be here."
"I'm not scared of you!" Noah shouted.
A whistle filled the air for a moment followed by a soft thud.
There was a loud crashing noise unlike anything Noah had ever heard before.
The world around Noah had turned white.
There was pain. Horrible burning pain all over the body. There were no screams though.
Then there was silence.
Finally, there was black.
Death Limit has been reached on Jobs: Kill Feral Moles, Retrieve Great Serpent Materials
The following adventurers perished:
Jesse the Novice (Level 23)
Sooth the Squire (Level 21)
Teague the Brawler (Level 13)
Noah the Slate (Level 10)