Hunter couldn't sleep for the entire night. It wasn't that he was particularly paranoid, he simply... just didn't feel tired. This was the second day he had gone without a wink of sleep, and he felt absolutely fine. Whenever he pondered the reason for this, the fog would, of course, answer his inquiries. Hunter decided that it was some kind of magic, and left it at that. The fact that he didn't need to sleep wasn't what was at the forefront of his mind as the sun peaked through the trees surrounding the camp.
He'd been contemplating the wrongness he felt upon sighting the twin moons in the night sky. Hunter couldn't explain it, he simply felt as if it were... incorrect. After all, the moon should be a shade of-
Fuzz
Ah right, he had no idea. Hunter faked a yawn as he looked over to Warrior, who's eyes were baggy from lack of sleep. He hadn't slept either, and he returned a yawn of his own. Hunter checked the daylight and decided that it was time to get going. He nudged the still sleeping Wizard in his lap, whos breathing was deep and even. A blanket had been draped over Hunter's shoulder by Warrior, who in turn used the blanket to conceal Wizard beneath the heavy cloth. Only her head was exposed, and she did not awaken at first. Hunter nudged her again, and her eyes fluttered open as she took in a sharp intake of air.
She blinked, furrowing her brow in confusion before looking up at Hunter.
"Morning." Hunter told her.
Wizard didn't reply as her eyes slowly began to close once more. Hunter nudged her again before she could pass back out. Her eyes shot open again, and she narrowed her disapproving gaze on Hunter, a small frown playing at the corners of her lips.
"Come on, we need to pack up camp and figure out what we're doing." Hunter told her.
Wizard drew her lips to a line, but nodded, sitting up in his lap. Hunter then turned his thoughts back to that of the fog. He still got the distinct impression that it was sapient somehow, and actively trying to muddle his memory. He no longer thought of this as an illness of the mind, but a malevolent outside force bent on suppressing his past. He would need to find a way to pierce the infuriating haze and remember himself, though that currently seemed impossible. He would merely need to find a way to catch the fog off guard again as he had done remembering his commander's hair length. Hunter's thoughts were interrupted when Wizard's eyes widened with the realization of where exactly she was sitting, and she all but scrambled out of his lap to a standing position. Hunter had seen beets less red in the face!
Her hat had been laid over her staff next to him, leaving her head bare. As a result, her red hair was frizzy from rubbing up against his leathers. Hunter decided not to tease her for her embarrassment. He then stood to his full height, Wizard only barely coming up to his ribcage. Hunter popped his back as Wizard sputtered something unintelligible, the tall man twisting side to side. He leaned over to pick up the pointy hat from the ground once he finished and dusted it off with a few gentle pats. Dirt then flew in small clouds under the force of his blows until the hat was relatively dirt free. Hunter then placed it atop Wizard's head, which stopped her sputtering. She remained silent and then gripped the sides of her had, pulling it down over her eyes.
Hunter couldn't believe how embarrassed she was. There was nothing wrong with post-battle cuddling, Hunter had-
Fuzz
He looked to Warrior, who stood up on tired feet. The young man looked haggard, the blood from his injury having dried a long time ago. Hunter realized that his own outfit had been almost drenched in blood, but it had dried sometime in the night as well. He looked back to Wizard, looking her up and down with a discerning eye. She had some dried blood on her as well. It most certainly had rubbed off on her from Hunter's outfit.
They would have to find a river and wash the stuff off at some point. Hunter walked past Wizard, coming up to an exhausted Warrior. The young man had strolled over to the tent where Priestess and Fighter resided and reached a hand to unzip the tent flap. He was beaten too it, however, as the tent unzipped from within, and Fighter's tired head poked out, hair messy despite the ponytail. The bags under her eyes matched that of Warriors, and she rubbed at them with a wrist.
"We ready to go?" She asked with a yawn. "Priestess slept fine, somehow."
As if being summoned by her name, Priestess's head popped out of the flap under Fighter's own, her scalp just under Fighter's chin. Her eyes weren't as baggy, but that gaze she gave spoke all it needed too. Priestess was going to be scarred for life, but some scars, Hunter knew, could heal away completely with time.
Or you learn to wear them with pride. Hunter was certain that she wasn't completely far gone, Priestess would recover in time, give it a couple of months, maybe not even that much. What a resilient little thing she was. Hunter faked another yawn as the two girls unzipped the tent the rest of the way, stepping out into the morning sunlight. Hunter gestured for everyone to gather around him, and then he spoke.
"Alright, we're going back to town," Hunter said, pointing a thumb south. "You guys are pretty shaken up. I don't think we should continue."
Warrior frowned through his exhaustion, as did Fighter. Wizard said nothing, and Priestess continued staring off into nothing. That worried Hunter.
"I want to finish the quest." Warrior said. "I need to take my mind off of what happened last night. I know it seems weird, but if I can hack through a goblin or two, I would be better off for it."
Fighter nodded to this, and Hunter frowned in response. She quickly put up a hand to forestall any objections.
"Look, I feel the same way. We only just left town, we can't just go back after day one..." She said. "I feel fine, we can handle this."
Hunter's frowned deepened at that, and Fighter shifted on her feet.
"Priestess certainly doesn't look as if she's ready to go anywhere right now," Hunter began, nodding towards the young healer. "She needs to go home and rest up, same to Wizard."
Wizard shook her head at that.
"I am fine. I was just not expecting... that." She said.
They all knew as to what she referred. Priestess took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a long moment before reopening them. A slight glimmer seemed to shine through the dull gaze she had earlier.
"I can do this." Priestess told Hunter, voice resolute.
He was impressed with them, wanting to continue this quest despite the trauma of yesterday. However, Hunter would have none of it. He was taking the party home, whether they wanted it or not. He shook his head.
"Absolutely not. We're going back to town. Pack up." He said, voice loud and commanding.
That certainly felt familiar. Speaking in that tone of voice urged him to try and remember, though Hunter held off. He wasn't going to attempt digging through his mind, not now. Warrior and Fighter's gaze dropped to the ground in apparent defeat, and Wizard scowled but remained silent. Priestess actually shook her head, glaring Hunter straight in his bespectacled eyes. Strong stuff, this little Priestess.
"No. We should keep going!" Priestess shouted.
Hunter shook his head again, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Definitely not." Was all he said. His tone light as if he were saying no to a child.
And really that wasn't far off from the truth.
Priestess drew her lips to a line, the dullness in her eyes suddenly replaced with a strong determination.
"We need to save those girls Hunter!" Priestess shouted.
Hunter was taken aback by her words. What was that she had said? Save those girls? When were girls involved? Guild Girl certainly hadn't said anything of the sort. At least not that he could remember. It seemed that his bafflement was noticed by the party, for they stared unbelieving at Hunter.
"Do..." Fighter started. "Do you not know that was a part of the quest?"
Hunter shook his head.
"No, I just joined you all, I didn't ask for details beyond what Guild Girl told me. What girls?" Hunter asked.
He couldn't believe that he didn't ask for details. In hindsight, it seemed awfully out of character for him to not find out where he was going or what he was doing. At least it felt that way, he couldn't remember of course.
Wizard looked to the ground, and then back up to Hunter's gaze.
"Goblins can't reproduce on their own." She said, causing Hunter to stiffen. "They have no females... so they have too... they have to steal away human girls to... propagate."
Hunter was grinding his teeth openly, the rage he felt barely contained. His teeth were bared like that of a rabid wolf, and indeed, he wanted to sink his claws into something. He had curled his fingers reflexively, and the party looked unsettled, taking a step back away from him.
Hunter looked north.
"I will go," Hunter told them, his voice nearly feral. "You will leave."
Priestess opened her mouth, but Hunter quickly turned his head to her, freezing the words in her throat.
"A hunter must..." He began.
Fuzz
Hunter blinked, all previous rage suddenly dissipating to be replaced with confusion. What was that about? A hunter must... what? His hands uncurled, and he closed his lips back over his teeth, taking a deep breath.
"I can handle this on my own. I'll save the girls, you'll go home." He told them, trying his best to sound calm.
Priestess frowned and redoubled her efforts.
"No, we're going!" She shouted. "You're not going on your own."
Warrior shot a glance at Priestess, and he clenched his hands into fists when he turned his gaze back upon Hunter.
"Yeah!" Warrior shouted. "We're going, whether you want us too or not!"
Hunter groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he frowned. Wizard and Fighter nodded to everything that the other party members had said. They weren't going to leave, and Hunter wasn't about to use force to make them go. He may have been willing to force them just a moment ago, though what would he do? Smack them on their rear? He wasn't their father, he apparently might not even be that much older than they. Who was Hunter to deny them the opportunity to rescue women in need? He sighed a long, drawn-out sigh.
"Very well," Hunter said. "But none of you will hesitate to do what needs to be done, understand?"
They all nodded, Priestess looking triumphant. The dull look in her eyes was almost completely gone now, most of its brilliant blue color returning. It was much the same for the rest of the party, looking revitalized after the argument. They were all made of sterner stuff after all.
They ate breakfast consisting of hardtack, washing down the unpleasant meal with water. The party upon finishing their meal; then packed up camp, breaking down the small tent and packing it away in Warriors satchel. After that was accomplished, they all relieved themselves behind nearby trees, as they had not done it yesterday after setting up camp. Once that was settled, they went on their way, all agreeing to take a quick bath in a river or lake if they were to come across one.
Hunter really hoped they came across any kind of body of water, he was drenched in sweat and needed a good cleaning.
...
...
...
Goblin slayer continued on the path towards the two other goblin caves, his pace staying brisk. A new adventuring party had come this way according to Guild Girl, looking to slay some goblins. He knew what was in store for them, and this party had a day lead on him. Hopefully, if he hurried up, he'd be able to join them and show them the proper way to dispatch the little beasts. The sun shone furiously overhead through thick leaves, spotting the wide dirt road with a broken shadow. Soon it would begin to set, reducing the temperature and casting the land in the orange tint of dusk. Wagon wheels and dozens of footprints going both directions were set in the earth, some fresh, others not so much.
They were a party of five based on what Guild Girl had told him. Five against a small cave were only decent odds, but apparently, they were going in blind, that pitted the dice against them. Goblins may be a bit more stupid than your average human adult, but a child's intellect was a good comparison to a goblins own mind.
Unfortunately, children could also be crafty, which was how many new adventurers fell to these quests. It was a shame that goblins were not taken more seriously by the guild and its adventurers. If they all banded together in one massive crusade against the little green monsters, they likely could wipe the pests off the planet.
But adventurers didn't work that way.
Goblin slayer stopped his musings when he sighted something glowing blue on the ground ahead. Some kind of magic item? Fallen off a merchants cart on the way to town? It was possible, though not likely. Magic items were usually never sold, but it did happen on occasion, though the price of such items were unaffordable to most. A merchant selling magic items would be sure to keep them safe and concealed. The likelihood of a magic item simply falling off the wagon was very low. However low those odds were, however, that didn't explain the blue glow. As Goblin Slayer drew closer, he saw that it wasn't just one source of light for the blue hue.
Multiple skulls lay in the dirt in a large pile, the tops of them cracked open to expose a light blue burning flame. There was another, larger skull on the left side of the pile, emitting a marginally larger flame. Before Goblin Slayer knew what was happening, he found himself... compelled to move forward.
He attempted to regain control of himself, but his body wouldn't listen. Indeed he could not even control the movement of his eyes, which remained glued to the large skull. It was as if he were a prisoner trapped within his own body. The helplessness enraged him, reminding him of the weak child he had been, and for a moment, he regained control of himself. This did little, however, as all this did was slow his pace. It was as if Goblin Slayer were being urged on by the skull.
He neared it, and crouched down in front of the smiling grin of the skull, and picked it up with both hands. Goblin Slayer's hands then inexplicably began to squeeze the temples of the large skull in an attempt to shatter it. He attempted again to stop, but the force compelling him to act was even more powerful now. With strength he didn't know he had, Goblin Slayer shattered the skull between his hands.
The bell rang loud in his ears, accompanied by the hushed whispers of thousands of voices. He knew that they wanted to share their secrets with him, their infinite knowledge of the world. However, the voices all spoke at once, and he could not distinguish one out of the cacophony of insane words. It was maddening, and for an instant, the world around him became thick with a deep fog that obscured the entire forest around him.
Then the bell began to ring in tandem with the voices, and if Goblin Slayer was correct, it was the same kind of bell he had heard in the guildhall before he departed for these quests. It was gone almost as soon as it began, and Goblin slayer pulled his hands apart, the remaining shards of bone falling to the dirt below. He was shaking, his breath uneven. He didn't want too, but his gaze was drawn to that of the other skulls nearby in the pile.
And he reached a shaky hand for that pile, ignoring the small note that fluttered away in the wind, carried into the depths of the forest.
...
...
...
Hunter felt unsettled. He was not sure why, but he was compelled to look behind him. Something was very wrong, and he wasn't sure exactly what. It could be his imagination, though Hunter knew that was unlikely. He would simply have to be more observant until this quest was completed. The sun was nearing the tree line, about to set into darkness. Soon, they would need to set up camp once more. Today had passed mostly in silence, the group likely still thinking back to the events of yesterday.
Hunter was in the lead of the party, which walked in a v pattern. Priestess and Wizard were in the back of the formation, with Fighter and Warrior just behind Hunter, who was the point of their v. He turned to the path ahead, unquestioned by the party for his constant glances backward. It was likely that they were doing the same thing when Hunter wasn't looking. Everyone was on edge and awaiting another ambush. The forest had thinned considerably through today's walk, the sides of the path were now sparse of trees, giving way to semi-open land.
Hunter sighted something that made him smile for the first time that day and held up a hand to stop the party. He heard Warrior grip the hilt of his sword.
"No it's alright, look over there." Hunter said, pointing a finger to the far right side of the path.
Where he indicated was nearly hidden behind several bushes, but there was a small, babbling brook that could just barely be seen. It was likely that Hunter only saw it because of his overgrown height, which meant that the party wouldn't actually be able to see it. He turned his head to be sure.
Indeed, they looked confused, looking where Hunter indicated, then back to him.
"There is a stream just past those bushes, let's take turns cleaning up. We'll set up camp while the first one of you goes in." Hunter said. "It'll probably be a bit cold, but anything to get rid of this stink yes?"
The party nodded wearily, Hunter remembering that Warrior and Fighter had not slept since the encounter yesterday. Likely they thought he was haggard and exhausted as well, but Hunter didn't feel so. He wasn't sure why he wasn't tired, this would be his third night without sleep assuming he took watch, and his eyelids felt none the heavier. He hoped the party didn't notice, for he wanted to take watch tonight for them all so they would be rested up for tomorrow. They would have to start walking off-road to find that cave, it was likely to be away from this path a fair bit, though it shouldn't take another day to search it out.
Fighter sighed, her shoulders slumping as if a great weight was hoisted upon her shoulders. She raised her head, the bags under her eyes large and nearly black.
"Can I go first?" She asked.
No one took issue with it, and as Fighter cleaned herself in the running stream, the rest of the party began setting up their individual tents. With the exclusion of Hunter of course. This didn't go unnoticed by Warrior, who upon setting up his tent, raised an eyebrow at the much taller man.
"Aren't you tired?" Warrior asked Hunter.
What would be a good lie?
"I've had specialized training, I can go days without rest and function at top performance." He said, surprising himself with how confident he was in saying it.
It was almost as if it weren't even a lie. Warrior shrugged in reply but continued.
"You should sleep too..." Warrior told him, yawning. "We should be alright."
Hunter shook his head, smiling.
"I appreciate your concern, but have no fear, I feel perfectly fine for watch tonight." He told Warrior, flashing a thumbs up.
The young man shrugged again, too tired to argue.
"I'll bathe in the morning..." He said, rubbing his eyes. "I want to sleep now."
Hunter nodded, and bidding goodnight to everyone, Warrior climbed into his tent, zipping the flap shut behind him. Priestess exhaled and sat down near the freshly dug firepit. She then began tossing small branches into the pit willy-nilly, and Hunter sighed, pulling out a belt knife he had bought back in town. He crouched down next to Priestess and held up a hand to stop her.
"Young lady, you can't start a fire without tinder." He told her.
Priestess's eyes widened, and she nodded.
"You know how to make tinder?" He asked her.
She shook her head.
Hunter took a twig out of the firepit and began scraping away the bark with the edge of his knife, the wood coming off soon after like curling string.
"There are many way's to make tinder, but we'll just be doing it this way for tonight."
Hunter offered her the knife hilt first, and she took it hesitantly. Hunter handed her a stick and instructed her how to hold it so she wouldn't accidentally carve off any fingers. Soon after, she began scraping away, making a neat little pile of tinder. The lesson for the day done, Hunter stood and knuckled his back, sighting Wizard finishing up with her tent. She zipped it closed, and exhaled, exhausted with the days walking.
She turned to look at him and quickly turned her gaze away as she noticed him observing her. Hunter had to do his best not to laugh. He should feel guilty for finding the girls crush on him slightly hilarious, but he didn't. Wizard had called him a geezer before he revealed his face, and now she could barely even look at him. Hunter internally shrugged. It was the struggle of being probably handsome; what could he say? That reminded him... he would be taking a look into the water to catch a reflection of his face. Hopefully, it moved slowly enough for him to get a glance at himself.
Back in town, when he had washed off his leathers, he didn't even think to look into the waters. However, upon remembering the canals, he realized that he wouldn't have been able to make anything out anyway, as the water there was flowing too fast. Hopefully, Fighter would finish up soon so he could get a look before the sunset.
Hunter realized that he would have to shake his leathers very hard to get them dry enough to be comfortable in once more. Damp clothing was true misery, and wet leather even worse so. Just imagining the chaffing almost made him grind his teeth. He had been sweaty all day today and yesterday, and the chaffing had nearly driven him to madness. This was the struggle of wearing all leather. Cutting edge style versus non-chaffing peasant clothes. He always seemed to choose style, but maybe one day that would change.
Hmmmmm...
Nah.
When they got back to town, he'd need to buy some oil for his outfit, lest it lose its firmness from all this water absorption. Hunter was happy to see that Fighter was all done and clean, donning her still semi-clean robes. Her hair was wet and out of its ponytail, and she wrung the long black strands out with both hands. Out of the tail, her hair was truly long, likely reaching all the way down to the middle of her back. Hunter would have to explain to her the advantages of short hair, seeing as Fighter's personality would definitely get her into a tavern tussle at some point.
He approached the bushes, indicating that he would be the next one into the bath. Hunter received no objections and walked around the bushes to see the stream hidden just behind them. It was a very narrow flow, barely enough room for him to move once he was submerged. The water was crystal clear, a good sign, he may even be able to drink from it. The flow didn't even move very quickly, allowing him to get a peek at his face. The sun was still just over the treeline, giving him enough light to see easily.
He gazed into the slow-moving stream and gasped. Hunter took a step back, shook his head, and then peeked into the water again. Madness. Pure madness.
He didn't have a reflection.
Hunter's mind spun, trying to figure out why such a thing was possible. Was it his imagination? Was he at the wrong angle? Yes, that must be it, surely. He peeked over a bit more this time, and again, saw nothing. The hair on his neck stood on end. Hunter had to suppress a scream of anger and frustration. He couldn't even see what he damned well looked like!
He kicked at the cattails growing nearby with a boot to ease his frustration, but it helped him none. Hunter knew now for certain that magic was involved. It was suppressing his memories and concealing his own visage from him. He would find a way to break this apparent curse, and he would remember who he was.
He sighed in defeat and began stripping...
Hunter hoped with all the hope he had that he wouldn't find out that he was an amnesiac vampire.
...
...
Goblin Slayer stumbled along the path. Ignoring what the voices commanded him to do. It was a supreme effort on his part. His breathing was ragged, and he knew he was being watched. He was being watched by something he couldn't see. Goblin Slayer grit his teeth and tried to ignore the feeling, continuing on the path.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
His head slumped as he halted his progress, short sword having been drawn hours ago.
"If you kill him, it will stop watching." The voices told him, in a hundred separate tones, male and female.
Kill who...? kill who...? No.
"Kill him! Kill him!" They demanded of him.
Something darted between the trees... it was the thing that was watching him. Goblin Slayer had already tried chasing it, but it was impossible to catch. He couldn't make out anything but a faint outline of its shadowy form. It peeked out from behind one of the trees ahead, staring at him.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
It was watching him.
Goblin Slayer growled, unable to shut out the paranoia. The thing had been following him, just out of sight. The sun had set hours ago, and a deep fog now surrounded him. He saw the silhouettes of horrid monstrosities in the lit fog. It was bright tonight, two full moons illuminating the forms. The creatures dissipated as he drew near to them, giving way to even worse silhouettes. Somehow he knew that the fog creatures weren't the ones watching him. It was the thing that was just out of sight, following him.
Watching him.
It was watchin-
"No!" Goblin Slayer shouted into the fog.
"Kill him and it will stop!" The voices shouted, echoing in his mind.
Thousands of eyes... in the fog, watching him now too, wanting him to do as they commanded.
Goblin Slayer collapsed onto the road, the fog seemingly parting for him in his fall.
...
...
...
Hunter's leathers had dried to the point where he could wear them comfortably. The interior of the suit was fast drying, however, the outer leather was not so quick to dry. Hunter had been sitting in front of the campfire all night so far, keeping watch so his beleaguered party could get some proper rest.
Wizard and Priestess insisted on staying up with him for at least a few hours into the night, and Hunter had no objection. They had been chatting about etiquette and the church that Priestess was a part of. It was a large organization, reaching nearly every corner of the world. At least the civilized parts of it.
Wizard had talked with them about her academy, and how she was top of her class. Her remarkable intellect had allowed her to graduate early, and she took up the life of an adventurer to grow more powerful in her ability. She also had a little brother who, if his grades were good enough, would allow him to graduate early as well. Priestess, on the other hand, wanted to keep people alive on their journeys with healing magics.
They had asked Hunter what drove him to become an adventurer, to which he simply replied.
"I wanted to."
Oddly, this seemed a suitable answer for the both of them. Hunter supposed that not everyone needed a life-changing event or strong ambitions to become an adventurer, but Hunter in truth; had no idea why he had signed up. He thought back to that night he wandered into the guildhall, the night chasing him in...
He had been confused by that. Why would the night be chasing him? He was in the night now, and he felt fine. Hunter then tried to think back to the day before he went into the guildhall, and the fog was there to greet him. Whatever had happened to him was just before he entered the guild, for he had no memory of any time before stepping through that threshold.
The realization unnerved him.
Soon, the two girls bid him goodnight, Wizard's gaze lingering on him a second longer than Priestess's. She had seemed worried for him, likely she thought that he was nearing the point of total exhaustion, not having slept for two days. Once they entered their respective tents, Hunter looked up to the moons in the sky, thinking on how wrong it felt to see them there.
He continued to stare for a long while until perhaps hours had passed. That was when he had heard the footsteps.
There was a shuffling of bare feet on the road, someone walking with a limp in their gait, taking their time. Hunter stood up from his seated position but didn't awaken his party. A traveler at this hour was uncommon, though not impossible. Hunter couldn't see whoever it was as a deep fog had rolled in. It obscured most everything but the two moons shining bright overhead, the pink and green colors piercing through it. Through the fog, they appeared as colorful smears of light.
Hunter approached the source of the footsteps, but if the person heard him they didn't respond. Upon drawing closer, he made out the form of a man a few feet ahead of him, limping towards Hunter. He heard faint mutterings under the man's breath, in a deep, scratchy voice.
Hunter's hands curled into claws, remembering the madmen from yesterday. The steps drew closer, and Hunter tensed further, ready to lash out at the nearest bit of flesh he could see. An old man appeared through the fog.
His feet were indeed bare, rough and calloused as if he hadn't worn a pair of shoes in his life. Baggy brown trousers that reached his ankles dragged some dirt along with them. He wore no shirt, exposing a bony torso and lanky limbs. He was bent at the back as he moved forward, supporting himself on a knotted wooden staff with both hands. If he weren't slouched, the man likely would have stood at an average height. Several white ropy scars lined his skin as if some kind of wild animals or monsters had mauled him with claw and tooth. His face bore deep wrinkles, and Hunter was certain that more hid beneath his long white beard. The facial hair reached his chest, almost matching the wispy white head of hair that flowed down his back untied. His skin was a light tan color, likely the old fellow had been pale at some point, but exposure to the sun had darkened his pigment considerably. A bandage that may have once been white were it not for the dried blood was wrapped around his eyes, and the sight of it made Hunter still.
The old man froze in his tracks but did not cease his muttering. It was somewhat easy to understand what he was saying, despite how quiet he was speaking.
"Don't bite the tongue," The old man said, his scratchy voice seeming to strain with the effort. "Need the tongue... Not the eyes... never the eyes..."
Hunter eased his stance, but not by much.
"Old man," Hunter began, forcing concern into his tone. "You look haggard... would you like to share my fire? Perhaps some water for your journey?"
It seemed foolish to invite what appeared to be an old madman into his camp, but Hunter didn't feel threatened by him. Oddly, Hunter felt at ease seeing the old fellow. He didn't understand why that was. The old man ceased his muttering, and sat up straighter, looking towards Hunter as if he had eyes. His hearing had likely improved due to the lack of vision, allowing him to figure a general location for where Hunter was.
"I... am Unseen... unknown..." The old man said.
The way he said Unseen... it was as if that were his name, his title.
"You are known as Unseen?" Hunter asked, raising a brow.
The old man shook his head with a small rasping chuckle.
"I am not known... I am unknown, as for who I am... I am just Unseen."
Hunter frowned at Unseen.
"Okay Unseen..." Hunter said slowly. "Would you like some water?"
Unseen shook his head.
"I do not... I have to find the eyes. It is my path." Unseen said, a sorrowful frown on his face.
The frown deepened as he looked in the exact direction of Hunter's camp. How did he know it was there? Did Unseen hear the crackling of the fire? What was this about finding 'the eyes'?
"Three in exchange for one... Too late... Too late..." Unseen said, continuing his path.
He stepped around Hunter, giving the tall man wide berth as he continued on.
"You don't want any water? Or safe sleeping for the night?" Hunter asked after Unseen.
The old man didn't reply, continuing his mutterings as he disappeared into the fog. Hunter frowned as the mutterings grew quiet as Unseen walked further away. He decided that Unseen would be taking water with him, whether or not Hunter had to force it into the old man's grasp. He didn't know where Unseen was going, or how long the journey would be, but to go without supplies was simply unacceptable at his age. He pulled his canteen out of one of his satchels, and ran towards Unseen, following the footprints the old man had left in the dirt.
Hunter froze as he saw that the trail of footprints ended abruptly in the middle of the road. He looked ahead, and side to side. The footprints didn't go off the path or forwards... they simply ended. Hunter took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief. Where had Unseen gone? Foul magics were afoot. He turned to head back to camp, and that was when he heard it.
The ringing of a bell followed by the whisperings of hundreds of voices.
Hunter gasped as he gripped his skull with both hands in an attempt to shut out the chorus of whispers, promising him their secrets if he merely listened. He only ended up shutting them in... and almost as soon as it began, the ringing was gone along with the voices, and Hunter's head shot up, looking into the fog towards his camp.
Hunter could see further ahead as if the fog was being repelled from him. The light of the campfire seemed brighter along with the light of the moons, and Hunter gasped as he realized something.
He remembered... his commander...
...
...
...
"You there," The commander shouted, his long black hair flowing in the wind. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing soldier!?"
Hunter shook in place as the much larger man approached him, towering over him with a wide bloodshot gaze. The commander wore a bright red uniform with gold knots tied at his shoulders. Several blue buttons were left undone down his torso, which revealed a white shirt beneath stained with sweat. Red trousers covered his legs, barely reaching his ankles. Sturdy brown leather boots adorned his feet, and they were well worn with use. A broad nose complemented a squarish clean-shaven face with scarred features, adding to the fear Hunter felt. The white scars contrasted against his deeply tanned skin, which was said to be host to even more scars beneath the uniform.
At fifteen, Hunter was understandably terrified of this man. Many were. Commander Sumen had a reputation among the military as a no-nonsense man with a thousand battles worth of experience. If you were to get on his bad side, you'd be cleaning chamberpots for weeks.
Preferably under enemy fire.
Indeed Hunter was more terrified of his commander than the battle that was happening just over the trenches, though not by much.
Sumen and Hunter were surrounded on both sides of the narrow trench by other soldiers. The dirt rolled into the trench in clumps as the troops peaked their rifles over the lip of it to fire blindly, bayonets affixed to the ends of each of them. The air smelled of moist soil and blood.
"You haven't affixed your bayonet! Do it now!" Sumen shouted to be heard over the hail of gunfire.
Hunter looked around for his bayonet, it had fallen somewhere along his sprint into the dirt surely. He had been running for a mile with his company to reinforce this position against the-
Fuzz
Chuden's army was getting chewed up here in the trenches, a deep fog obscuring the enemy from their sights until it was too late. The army had been firing blindly into the fog in hopes that they might slow down the advance of the-
Fuzz
The bayonet could have fallen anywhere, and Hunter stilled as Sumen grabbed the barrel of the younger man's rifle. Sumen then pulled his own bayonet from his belt and quickly affixed it to the under barrel of the rifle.
"They're almost over the trenches boy!" Sumen shouted. "Get ready to stab!"
Hunter shook his head and then nodded to his commander.
"Yes sir!"
...
...
...
Goblin Slayer held his belt knife point first towards his eyes. He had removed his helmet, laying it flat on the ground. He kneeled on the dirt road, the fog closing in all around him... that damned thing watching him. Knowing him. If he just cut out his eyes... it wouldn't see him anymore. Goblin Slayer knew that, but he wasn't sure why that was. A part of him acknowledged that this was madness, but he couldn't stop himself. His grip was steady as he brought the knife closer to his retina. Remove the eyes.
Remove the eyes.
"Kill him!" The voices demanded of him as they and their beast watched him expectantly.
Remove the eyes.
"You will do it now! You will find him!"
Remove the eyes.
"Obey us! You will obey us!"
Then bite off the tongue.
A gnarled calloused hand then reached forth from the fog, gripping his shoulder. In an instant, the voices were gone, and the thing watching him was blinded. How he knew that he couldn't say.
"You have too much of it... no good." A scratchy voice said, a wrinkly face peeking through the fog.
His eyes were concealed by a bloody bandage as if the old man had gouged out his own eyes; much as Goblin Slayer had been about too.
"I found some eyes at last... for him... I will take your eyes...most of them." The old man said in a kindly tone.
Before Goblin Slayer could react, some kind of dark fog could be seen traveling up the old man's arm, wrapping around his head and concealing his face. His grip stiffened on Goblin Slayer's shoulders a moment before loosening. Goblin Slayer blinked, and just like that, the old man was gone from the fog. Goblin Slayer realized that in reality, the fog itself had disappeared, seemingly having taken the stranger with it.
"Two in place of one... So saddening... Oh, woe is me for this sight..." He heard the old man say, his voice seeming to come from nowhere but everywhere at once.
Goblin Slayer shot to his feet, pulling his short sword and scanning his surroundings. He was alone, and the thing was gone. He eased lightly but kept his weapon drawn. Had that old man just saved him from his own terror? Goblin Slayer chided himself for his irrationality, he would never again bring a knife to bear against himself. What had those skulls been? Why did he crush them?
Why did he feel like he knew so much less now?
He shook his head. This had nothing to do with goblins. He donned his helmet, and continued forward into the night, confident that nothing was watching him.
...
...
...
"Commander Sumen..." Hunter said to himself as he sat back down next to his campfire.
Sumen was certainly not a title, Hunter knew that. This meant that Hunter's name couldn't be... well, Hunter. He had written down his title at the guild because he didn't know what his actual name was. Hunter did know what he did for a living, or what he had once done, and went with that.
It felt normal when he wrote it down... so he didn't question it. Now, the war.
Who was it with? His country, Chuden it was called, had been fighting against something horrid. Something concealed by fog, much like the fog surrounding him now. Were the two connected in some way? Was that why he felt as if he were still at war? Hunter would need to ask about Chuden, and see what the news was from there. Maybe he could track down commander Sumen as well?
How would he go about that? Would the people of this land think that Sumen was a title? Hunter shook his head. Maybe he should just buy a map and look for it that way. After that, he could go looking for the commander. Was Hunter still a part of that military? It didn't feel right to think so... and as for his age... Well, he certainly wasn't fifteen anymore, it felt that way.
Hunter gulped.
Sure it felt that way, but how could he know for sure? He shook his head again. He was not a little baby anymore. The party said that he was somewhere between twenty and forty, so he would simply go with twenty-five for now. Hunter frowned.
That didn't feel right either.
Twenty-six?
Felt wrong.
Twenty-eight?
Felt wrong.
Forty?
Felt wrong.
Hunter resisted the urge to punch something. He thought of more ages to apply to himself... but that seemed fruitless. Every number he thought of for his age simply didn't feel right to him. Well, time to decide on an age until he came up with something more correct.
How about...
Hunter frowned. What did this matter?
He decided to quit pondering age and turned his thoughts back to that of the war. Those were guns his fellow soldiers were wielding. He remembered guns now, and very fondly. Just load some bullets in one end, and watch something die as you pulled the trigger. It was much like a magic wand, if that wand was fueled by gunpowder and lead. Hunter furrowed his brow when he realized that not one gun had been seen ever since he wound up like this.
These people used swords, axes, bows, and other such weapons. Why did that seem... primitive to him? They should be using bayonets on the ends of rifles by now, why were they so behind on the times? Hunter frowned when he remembered something about his arsenal, well, more felt. He felt as if most of his weapons had mostly been for melee combat, as opposed to marksmanship.
Yet here he was, fighting with his bare hands. Where were his weapons? A rhetorical question, of course, the fog wouldn't give him anything willingly. Hunter thought about the memories he had regained and realized another tidbit of information about the fog.
Once he had a memory back, the fog could no longer obscure it from him. Hunter needed to find out what triggered their return. That was when Unseen re-entered his thoughts. When the old man disappeared, Hunter had heard a bell accompanied by dozens of voices... was that it? Hunter would have to find Unseen again somehow, he needed more of that bell...
He continued thinking all throughout the night until the sun peaked over the trees once more. Hunter snapped out of his thoughts as the fire died out, realizing he had been staring into the rolling orange flames the entire night. The smoldering embers barely held any hint of the orange flame that had once consumed them. Hunter cracked his neck one way, then the other, and stood up. When one was truly deep in thought, it was hard to escape back to reality before seemingly all time passed.
He cleared his throat.
"Wake up everyone!" Hunter shouted. "Time to get to work, we aren't far now!"
It didn't take much to rouse the party awake, they were soon out of their tents. They all ate breakfast as Warrior took a bath in the stream, and took care of other needs before they started off on the last leg of their journey.
The sun didn't cook them as it had the last two days, it was actually pleasant, though it hadn't reached it's full height before they all went off the trail. Warrior had told Hunter that he should at least take a nap before entering the goblin caves, but Hunter merely replied with 'I'm fine' and they continued. They walked over rough terrain, for the forest was bumpy and littered with several small obstacles. Large clumps of stone and upturned trees seemed to be common in these woods. Birdsong flooded the air, gracing the party's ears with almost harmonic tunes. Hunter allowed himself to enjoy the scenery.
It really felt as if they were on the cusp of a marvelous adventure, at least in that moment. When they found their objective, however, the illusion would disappear. If what Wizard said was true, then they were going to encounter some disgusting things within that cave, and Hunter wasn't certain if this group could handle the stress of it. Hunter then noticed Warrior's shortened blade, now worn at his side as opposed to his back. It was too short for the scabbard now, which still lay strapped to Warrior's back, empty. The broken blade was tied in place by a flimsy waistband.
Hunter was surprised that none of them had taken the time to simply... take things from the madmen's bodies before they had left them. Warrior certainly could use a new weapon now, and perhaps one of those madmen would have had a set of chain mail that would have fit him. Hell, the entire party could do with chain mail, why hadn't they looted the bodies? Hunter almost scoffed at the thought. They had just been traumatized, looting was likely the last thing on any of their minds.
Or maybe it went against their moral compass to loot the dead? Perhaps...
Oh well.
"So," Hunter began. "What's the game plan here?"
The party all stopped their trek, turning to look at him.
"What for the caves?" Warrior asked him, placing a hand on his chin. "We're just gonna run in there and kill em all. Goblins are weak and stupid. Should be easy."
Fighter nodded to Warrior's assessment, slamming a fist into an open palm.
"Like storming a cave of five-year-olds." Fighter said, giggling.
Hunter rolled his eyes, and Wizard sighed. Priestess merely shuffled on her feet, clearly uncomfortable with the metaphor. Hunter shook his head at the two.
"Goblins still know how to use weapons right? You could still get stabbed if they swarmed you." Hunter told them. "We aren't going to simply rush it, know your enemy young Warrior."
Warrior groaned.
"Hunter seriously, I've fought dozens of these things before in my village. Once you see em you'll understand." Warrior told him, as if to an ignorant child.
"Warrior," Hunter said, slight annoyance evident in his tone. "You fought those goblins out in the open right?"
Warrior nodded slowly.
"And where are we going to be fighting them in now?"
Warrior paused, and Wizard groaned with annoyance.
"We're going to a cave, you buffoon," Wizard told him. "Cramped spaces?"
Hunter nodded.
"Exactly, you aren't fighting them in the open now, we're on their home turf. They can hide in the dark and shiv you before you have a chance to say 'berries and cream'." Hunter said, earing a couple of raised eyebrows. "What?" Hunter asked them in response. "I'm right. Also, it's like Wizard said, it'll be cramped. It's a cave, so watch where you're swinging that sword of yours. You may not even need to use it so much. You said they were weak yes? In that case, we should all remember that a good kick to the face is a good tactic against these creatures. If these goblins truly are like five-year-olds, then it should be easy to cave their heads in with a well-placed boot."
Wizard gasped at his words, and Hunter shrugged, looking to the redhead.
"Sorry my dear, but it's true. I have to speak to them in ways they can understand." He said, indicating Fighter and Warrior. Fighter shrugged, and roundhouse kicked a nearby tree, a loud thud easily heard.
Fighter brought her leg back down to the ground, and stood with hands-on-hips, smirking.
"I've got the kicking part down already Hunter." Fighter told him.
"So you do. Your poor shins..." He said, rubbing his own shins with the thought of the collision. Oddly he felt as if he could do far more to that tree with a kick, but he didn't want to act the braggart.
Nobody liked a braggart.
She waved a dismissive hand.
"I've been kicking ironwood tree's my entire life, felt like kicking a pillow just now." She claimed, puffing out her chest.
Fighter was a braggart.
"So you have." Hunter said in a tone meant to praise a small child.
Fighter huffed at him and crossed her arms at him. Hunter chuckled and crossed his own arms.
"Anyway..." He said, finishing his laugh. "We won't be splitting up. We'll be sticking together. The formation will be as follows: Priestess in the center covered by everyone. She's the healer, so we need to keep her safe. She's the only one who can't fight that well on her own. Wizard will also be close to the center," He said, pointing to the redhead. "She may have spells, but in a close-quarters fight, I fear you may not be of much use. Your spells are impressive, however, so you'll support with those spells when I, Fighter, and Warrior need them. Basically, only set something on fire if we can't kill it fast enough or it threatens to reach Priestess." He finished, moving his gaze to Fighter and Warrior. "Us three will cover their flanks so nothing can jump out of the darkness at them, I will be in the lead, with Warrior on my left and Fighter on my right." He said, taking a deep breath. "Is that acceptable to you all?"
Wizard and Priestess nodded immediately, followed by Fighter and Warrior's groans of displeasure.
"We'll be walking along so weird though..." Warrior said, shoulders sagging. "They really aren't that bad to fight, seriously. I'll do it, don't get me wrong, but you're overpreparing."
Hunter rolled his eyes.
"Wah I'm Warrior my sword is small!" He declared in a nasally voice.
Warrior's jaw dropped and he pointed a sharp finger at Hunter.
"Aren't you supposed to be the mature one?" Warrior asked, tone close to a shout.
"I am." Hunter confirmed. "Just showing you how you sound to the rest of us. You know, a little baby person."
Warrior sputtered as he attempted to come up with something else to say, and Fighter laughed loudly, reddening the young man's face further. Surprisingly enough, he heard Priestess and Wizard join in with light giggles. Warrior sagged once more. Hunter grinned.
"Great, now that's done. We'll follow my plan." Hunter declared.
Everyone agreed, Warrior, giving a slow ashamed nod.
"Off we go."
They continued onwards, the pleasantries of the forest not lost on them. It was such a pleasant day, and Hunter was hesitant to leave it behind to deal with these goblins. Unfortunately, it didn't take much longer to locate the cave mouth. A wooden spike banded with twine was lodged into the earth before the cave, a large bird skull sitting atop of it. A red flag depicting some sort of symbol waved lightly in the wind. Upon closer inspection, Hunter saw that the symbol represented that of an eye, with it's lashes looking like the rays of the sun. A thin pupil ran down the center of the 'eye' and Hunter felt unnerved looking at it.
He felt as if this weren't the first time he'd seen this symbol.