The stench of blood and vomit invaded my senses. A river of red liquid raced along the moss-covered ground as I stood terrified by the scene before me.
My breath caught in my throat as I tried not to puke at the sight. I wanted to look away, to tear my eyes away from this savagery, but I could not. My body refused to budge no matter how badly I wanted to.
Bodies and limbs were scattered all across the meadow, the forest soil soaking the blood before it could even disperse, forming a crimson pool in the middle that ran through the centre of the glade, giving way to the atrocities that lay ahead.
Our guide heaved at the sight, turning and tilting against a massive willow tree, his eyes wet.
'' He probably caught a glimpse of someone he knew amongst the carnage,'' I concluded, wanting nothing more than to run away from this scene.
Nothing in my life could ever prepare me for what I was about to see today.
Lying in a pool of blood in the centre of the clearing, was a woman bound and impaled on a wooden spear. A big gash was ceremoniously visible from her chest to her belly, with her organs evenly spilt on the ground.
Her eyes were gouged and her heart removed and judging from the signs of struggle around her wrists, while being alive nonetheless, before eventually setting her chest on fire.
'' It reminds me of some primitive form of rune-forging,'' Nathan sighed, realizing that this wasn't just your run-off-the-mill case.
''Her skin was flayed and then cut into symmetrical pieces, and according to the organs they removed, primarily the heart, they were trying to find the correct sequence to the techniques needed for their success,'' Nathan hypothesized.
The rustling foliage accompanied by an eerie orchestra of tweaking trees,
signalled that the sky, having adopted a pitch-black cloud as its cloak, was about to unleash on us a barrage of an evidence-erasing downpour.
''It was Northmill'' I suddenly blurted out, pointing at the military-issued spear they used to impale the poor woman.
''The last words Eric said was Northmill,'' I continued, wanting to get some reaction from Nathan, mainly so I could distract myself from the gory scenes in front of me.
''It was indeed them,'' Nathan apologetically said, knowing he had to share what he and his previous Lord, Julius, held as a well-kept secret.
''Last couple of months the Barony of Northmill has been consistently renting some of our lands, primarily this part of the forest near the borders, for hunting elemental beasts. Their reasoning was for hunting wild boars that kept encroaching their farms, but we always knew the truth. We received plenty of reports regarding their activity in our forest from the local hunters but sadly we needed the coin.''
Nathan paused for a minute, making sure the guide was out of earshot before resuming.
''We didn't have the means to hunt them ourselves. If a conflict between them and us were to arise, it would be catastrophic for our fief, so we just pretended we didn't know. We believed they required some magical meat or something so we didn't pursue the matter. They paid too generously for us to care.''
A sudden rustling, followed by a zipping sound of an arrow loosed towards its prey, bringing with it the sweet embrace of death, jolted me wide awake as the fear of dying for a second time loomed closer once again.
Everything transpired too swiftly for me to make sense. Having low talent regarding magic, the actual Ciaphas spent his life idling around in his mansion, not even bothering to work out or even learn some fighting stances. This now resulted in my lack of reaction, dooming me to stare like a deer caught in the headlights, awaiting my death like a fool.
Then, my vision suddenly changed.
Our guide suddenly released a guttural breath in unison with the solid impact of an archer's arrow on his neck, trying to comprehend what just happened.
As for me? Well, I was sent flying from one of the kicks Nathan used to push me out of the arrow's way, throwing me straight towards some boulders, now shattered from my impact.
Trying to get up but failing, barely feeling my back from the not-so-gentle collision, I tried to put my rear against one of the smashed boulders, leaning my head against a mossy bark I utilised as a pillow.
I closed my eyes, trying to let my stream of consciousness take hold, and drifted into infinity.