When the train of carriages returned, more than halve of the men accompanying it was no where to be seen. While those who remain bore gruesome of wounds, dyeing their clothes with blood. Some were barely alive, some are dead. If there's something they have in common, that's the horrified expressions itched on their pale faces as if they had witness something they're not supposed to see. Traumatizing them to the point every step they take make them slightly shudder in fear.
The cargos seemed untouched by devastation, however, although the carriages was whole. Their sides were painted by splattered blood stains, still fresh and dripping to the ground.
It's evident that they failed to reach their destination, for the terror struck before they could even fully leave the Mine mountain.
One survivor frantically ran towards the cave as soon as they arrive, longing for it's security. However, a guard forcefully grabbed him. Halting his panic sprint, before aggressively questioning.
"Cut out of it, you coward! State what happened, now!"
The survivor frenzied pupil failed to meet the guard demanding gaze. Despite the trauma ravaging his mind, he stabled himself to utter stuttering words.
"It-its real, it's real, it's real. The myth is real, we saw it!"
Irritated, the guard furiously barked in the frightened survivor ear.
"What myth is real!, What did you saw, tell me!!"
That loud shout blasted at his hearing seemed to have sobered the survivor. He fell silent, calming himself as his trembling subsides, his fidgeting eyes regaining focus. After a momentary silence, the man voiced in a heavy tone, bearing all their horror.
"The Blinker."
The guard suddenly stiffened.
***
Hours later.
A blonde kid run through the caverns, his steps echoing alongside metallic clamors the miners made as they tirelessly dig.
When he reach a certain area, he slowed his pace to normal. Look for the mining young man and naturally positioned beside him.
Bringing the tool down, Pert said.
"It's exactly as you said, the beast that attacked the caravan had six legs, black skin and a hunched body. But the single eye... I didn't hear anyone amongst the survivors directly seeing it. So I can't confirm. But, they did mention it being weak, like staggering and tripping down, as if it's drunk. It's was also teleporting constantly at first, but as the fight went on. It's flickering ability seemed to lessen, then, it disappeared."
Picking a crimson mana ore he luckily dug, Zyro indifferently replied.
"Go on"
Pert continue blabbering everything his short investigation had collected outside about the transporting caravan tragedy. No matter how trivial it may be, he shared anything to Zyro.
After hearing all, Zyro thought for sometime with a grim expression.
His fears had came true.
Wether it's wrath towards him, hunger for people, demented seek of pleasure or whatever reason it have. Now, Zyro was certain that it's deliberately targeting the Mine. Killing everyone who tried to scape, forming a deadly cage around the mountain. Still, isn't it too desperate? Enough to disregard exposure just to hinder the entire troops of the caravan from leaving. Ruining it's long build mysteries, by exposing itself for the sake of massacring insignificant workers.
'i must say, that freak is quite intelligent'
Zyro was done pondering over the cheater reason behind it's vile deeds. For the Blinker aim was set in stone, it's previous act had confirmed it. Giving Zyro every evidence he needed.
The Blinker possess sentience equal to that of humans, albeit, twisted. When Zyro, a slave successfully scaped it's trap. It must have figured out that it's secrets was solved and exploited by the slave that it failed to capture, which was the Blinker crucial weakness. Fearing the spread of this information, it resort to one simple solution.
It have to kill the secret bearer - Zyro. Because dead man tell no tales. However, by the time that had already past, the slave could have already shared his knowledge, infecting everyone in the mine of its hidden weakness.
Hence, the swift monster decided wiping-out everyone in the Mine. All that may knew, without allowing anyone to leave and further spread the tale.
So it doesn't matter if it's mysterious visage was known, for those who seen it will die inside the cage it made eventually.
Of course, this was pure speculations.
Sighing, Zyro bitterly grinned.
"I have good news and bad news, what do you wanna hear first?"
Pert was his partner in crime, as well as his assistant. Informing him about their dire predicament was a must.
The kid stop digging, thought, and smile nervously.
"The good one, I'll save the bad for last."
Zyro's grin widened. Making the young aster wince. After all the time they've spent, Pert had been feeling that there's something wrong with Zyro. Sometimes, his actions differ from normal, as if there's some loss screws. But still rational and didn't do any harm. So Pert shrugged it, afraid to touch the fallen knight personal issue.
"Good choice, well, the good news is that we successfully avoided death a few hours ago. And were alive right now."
Pert was clearly disappointed, but quickly pulled himself together to face the bad one.
"Oh, ok. That's really good, I guess... So... What's the bad one, please don't let it be bad."
Zyro lingered, then spoke the terms defining their hopeless state.
"Long story short, we're ducked."
The kid slightly tilted his head, perplexed. Rather than terrified.
"What's duck?"
'Here we go again, forgetting this isn't earth.'
He explained.
"It's some kind of chicken or you could just replace the D with F. You get what I mean."
Realizing what Zyro wanted to imply, Pert was disturbed. Describing their situations with a curse, means bad, really bad.
Zyro stop messing with the kid, and seriously clarify the problem at hand. Informing Pert about his hypothesis about the monster motives and contingency plans. Before summarizing it's negative effects.
"You see, kid. With the Blinker trapping us here and taking us down one by one. If my prediction is correct, the guards shunning wild beast daily are more vulnerable because of their job being exposed outside. Separated into multiple cohorts to cover the Mine surroundings. The Blinker will execute their wandering groups one after another, until no one is left to protect us from envision of hungry beasts. That will do the throughout slaughter inside the Mine. By then, the Blinker will only have to worry about fortunate scapes."
They have moved outside Pert home for the sake of privacy. Pert can't help but put a grim expression after hearing Zyro's feasible hypothesis. Which he can't argue with, or find any crucial faults that might prove him wrong. It's evident Zyro had considered the matter too well. He was even impressed by how far the fallen knight could predict with just meager clues.
"Your kidding, I think that thing is smarter than me." Pert somberly commented.
However, Zyro was not done yet.
"What's worse is that, we're restrained from hunting in the forest from now on. You never knew where that cheater will appear. I'm only sure it's near the Mountain. We're trapped, too. Unless you actually have a miracle in your pocket."
Pert shook his head. There's no more hidden cards in his arsenal, let alone, something that could eliminate the legendary beast.
The world really are full of surprises, days ago, everything was smooth sailing. They successfully visited the wall of fog and returned in one piece. Only to be stopped in the second stage of their plan, hindering them from getting supply's from the vampire village. And now, they're encaged in a prison made of stones that once serves as home. Unable to do anything as they wait for their upcoming death. What's worse, is that they're the only ones aware of the impending storm. While the others remain oblivious.
Loss and confused, without knowing what to do. Pert turn to Zyro. Hopefully, the great fallen knight knew of a way to salvation.
"What do we do now?"
Surprisingly, he actually do have one. At least that what it seems.
Zyro replied shortly, his voice full of confidence.
"Start a fire."
Bewildered, Pert can't help but question Zyro.
"Huh. Why?"
Zyro's next answer made him certain that, the fallen knight definitely has some loss screws in the head.
"Firstly, I'm sick of salty dried meats, I want to it grilled." Said Zyro jokingly.
He paused for a few moments. Then reversed his attitude, Pert had only seen the fallen knight became this serious one time - at the tunnel entrance, when Zyro demandingly send him first because of the Blinker threat.
His voice was full of cold contempt. Bearing a boundless killing intent for a single, powerful beast.
"Secondly... To kill that cheating mustard."