When the world was young, there was chaos. Untamed forests sprawled over mountains. Vast plains stretched across horizons. Rivers flowed throughout the lands. A great many creatures called it home. From the strongest of animals, to the weakest of fish. From the largests of beasts to the smallest of critters. The world was free of shackles. The strong thrived, the weak survived.
And then the races came. The elves came first, awakening within the untamed forests, falling in love with the wood and the green. Soon came the dwarves, awakening within the mountains, discovering its treasures and its wealth. Then came the orcs, awakening over vast plains, conquering the steppes with horse and club.
Then the humans...
"Mr. Viduri?" A raspy voice snapped me from my thoughts. I looked around, finding myself near the gate of the village. Three beastkin stood before me. Two foxes and a lion.
"Apologies, Mr. Viduri, for disturbing you. But are you feeling well?" The raspy voice belonged to a tall, fierce-looking beastkin. I looked at him closely. He was a bit taller than me. His eyes were a fierce red, a lighter color compared to the dark red fur over his body. He had a sharp mouth with a protruding sabertooth along the edge. His features were that of a predator. Not to mention his equipment as well. Rusty chainmail over crude leather. A belt of quivers and a grappling hook. A scabbard for a shortsword. And a bow hanging on his back.
It was equipment meant for agile strikes, quick repositioning, and climbing.
A deadly loadout.
The other beastkin was shorter, standing about the same height as me. He had blue fur, the same fierce eyes, and almost the same equipment, minus the bow and quivers. This beastkin had a sword, scratched but not dulled. The sharpness gleamed against the afternoon sun.
These two were most likely brothers.
A deadly duo.
"It seems like you were deep in thought." The village chief said. He stood with the hunters, squinting at me as if the light of the sun was too much for his eyes.
He wasn't fooling me. Why act frail?
"It was nothing. So, I'm guessing these are the hunters?"
I entertained the idea of helping them hunt due to two reasons: a chance to hone my skills, and to bring something less depressing to the table for the feast. It was the least I can do for them. A part of me justified this as recompense for the suffering they endured long ago, but how could a small, insignificant act of kindness possibly make up for the untold weight that was their suffering?
But still, it was something. I didn't want to care. I shouldn't even care. But I cared anyway, even if just a little bit. It was hard. Hard for someone like me.
Once a hero.
A hypocrite would be more accurate.
"Indeed. They are the hunters of this village, and our best warriors. Gallant and Valiant." The chief turned to look at the hunters. Gallant was red, Valiant was blue. They seemed like opposites, but the way they presented themselves implied otherwise.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Viduri. my brother and I needed some time to prepare." Gallant explained. So they were indeed brothers.
"It's fine. I don't mind waiting. Besides, it was me who decided to rush ahead." I said.
I walked over to the gate as soon as I accepted. I lacked any weapons or armor but that didn't matter. Or so it wouldn't have if I wasn't hiding my power.
Gallant smiled before pulling the shortsword from its scabbard, "I heard you brought no weapons. Not expecting to fight eh?"
"More or less." I lied.
Valiant raised a brow but kept silent.
"Here's my sword. Short, but deadly." Gallant said as I beheld the shortsword. It wasn't small enough to be a dagger, nor was it long enough to be a sword. It was sharp, thick, and wide. It was more like a gladius, the first blade I ever learned to properly wield.
It brought back... memories.
"...Is it not to your liking?" Gallant asked, noticing my pause.
"Ah. Pardon me. This sword will do. A weapon is a weapon, after all." I said.
The red fox smiled, "A hunter without a weapon soon finds himself the hunted."
"You best get going. The sun is setting soon. The creatures of the forest would soon disappear into the leaves." The chief said as he stepped aside.
"Yes, dear chieftain." The foxes said in unison.
"Let's go." Gallant said. The two brothers dashed through the open gate, leaving a wake of dust as they ran down the dirt path and into the forest. Weren't we supposed to be careful?
"They're an eager lot. Got that from their father." The chief said, fanning away the dust with his hand.
"I'll just catch up." I said with a sigh.
This wasn't going to be the chill exercise I hoped.
As I ran down the dirt path towards the edge of the forest, I couldn't help but notice the focused gaze of the chief. Maybe he thought I wouldn't notice, but his sudden change of attitude towards me had made me suspicious. Feigning weakness, blaming his age. I didn't need to use my keen senses to realize he was weird.
I could use a spell to force him to reveal whatever he was hiding, breaking his mind in the process. But that was extreme. A simple honesty spell wouldn't do the trick either. It would force the victim to answer truthfully yes, but only if they willingly answered in the first place. Forcing someone to answer meant breaking their will, and breaking their will with magic often came with a cost.
A living cost.
This hunt may be a test, or a distraction. It didn't feel right. There was no malice behind his lies, but I did find fear.
A buried, lingering fear.
-
"There she is." Valiant spoke for the first time. He was crouched over a thick branch high above a tall tree.
"Didn't expect to see one this early." Gallant said, perched on another tree.
I, on the other hand, was standing on the ground between them, looking at the creature we found lingering in a small clearing.
"How did you find it?" I asked.
"Smell. Don't you smell it too?" Gallant replied.
I did, but I wasn't expecting something like this.
"Also, sorry for leaving you behind Mr. Viduri. We kinda got distracted as soon as we smelled it."
I shrugged. It wasn't a big deal. They weren't expecting me to catch up to them so soon, or at all. Unfortunately for the brothers, my keen senses followed them. I saw them fly through the trees, using their grapples to cling to branches and throw themselves forward. It was... a unique sight. Though their skills were to be commended, the strength of their ropes was what interested me the most. I needed to get my hands on a bundle.
For now, there was a beast for me to scrutinize.
"What is it?" I asked without looking away from the clearing.
"A Boar Queen." Gallant replied.