[General POV]
[Minutes ago before the women and children freedom]
Two men hiding in the bushes are witnessing everything at the camp with their comrades getting slaughtered by those creatures, most getting hit by lightning and become charred corpses, others ripped to shreds and some are nothing but food.
"This, this has to be a trick, there's no way our group is dying against that woman."
The burly man said to the other man name Rok as they see everything at the camp, their leader who is the strongest among them lost his life by the woman decapitating him.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but it's no illusion because after seeing what she did, i finally know who it is."
"Who the hell is she?"
Rok glance at the burly man and looks back at the woman summoning a giant snake, then begins to speak.
"That woman is a powerful mercenary who possess great physical strength, speed and durability and use some unknown magic that can summoned beast from her shadow and her name is Diana.
I remember hearing stories from people in towns we visit of how she takes any high bounties from different guilds that needed a group to do it, but she does it like it was nothing."
The burly man eyes widened as he listens.
"Wait a minute.. are you saying that's the famous mercenary who has a big reputation and her name is the shadow mercenary.
Why would she be here of all places?"
"I think it has something to do with the boss bounty, like how the other mercenaries attack us during are travel but ended up killed. Maybe our boss bounty caught the attention of her."
The burly man was somehow glad that their boss has sent them out to find the hunting group who are dead, or else they would be brutally killed by her if the two them stayed at camp.
-------------
After seeing her killed their gang and freeing the women and children in the cage.
He saw the female warrior putting their leaders head in a sack and she immediately sinks to her shadow.
"It's best we leave now and continue travel to town for shelter."
The burly man looked at Fok and speaks.
"Are you telling we have to retreat after that woman is gone?
No, we are not going to town without any payment we work so hard to get those women and children from that raid."
The Burly man comes out of the bushes, takes out his sword and march towards the women and children.
Rok tells him to stop, but it was already too late as the burly man pointed his sword at them and shout to get back in the cage.
*SHNK*
"Graaaahhhh!!"
The burly man's hand he use to point his sword at them got torn apart blood spraying. as he is clutching his missing right hand in pain and to slow down the blooding, he thought if the mercenary is back but he doesn't know where she is.
*munch munch munch munch*
The burly bandit heard like a chewing noise close to him and noticed the women and children are looking in horror.
He looks down to see a white rabbit with red eyes chewing on something in it's mouth, as he looks closer there was a finger, his finger.
*SHNK*
"GAAAHHH!" His foot was ripped apart from him and it was 2 more of the same white rabbit with red eyes and they are eating his foot.
More rabbits appear around him 25 of them, their red eyes glow as they look at the burly bandit bleeding. They hop closer and the burly man tries to crawl away fast as possible, but it's no use as they reach him and start bitting him.
"AAHHHHH!"
The burly man wailing in pain as the rabbit are eating through his flesh.
"ROOKKKK HEELP ME! GRAAAHHH"
The burly man called out Rok's name for help but he said this.
"Fuck that! You deal with your own mess!"
"RROOKK!!"
He run away not wanting to die by man eating rabbits like his comrade did.
*MUNCH*
"AAAHHHHHH!!"
A rabbit has went inside his stomach and another rabbit bites his crotch.
"RAAHHHGFFJ!"
The women hold on the crying children to cover their eyes from this gruesome sight, even if they covered their ears they can still hear the burly man wailing in pain.
....
What feels like a eternity the burly man screams has faded into silence they see the white rabbits their mouths covered in blood looking at them, it looks like their red eyes are gazing into their soul.
Few seconds went by and the rabbits melted into black liquid substance to the ground, revealing the burly man corpse, all whats left is his bones, small pieces of flesh and a massive puddle of blood beneath him.
"Who was that?"
A little boy speak to the woman holding him, she was frozen of what just happened, but when the woman heard him she speaks.
"I don't know dear, but whoever it is that person defeated those bandits and free us is not human."
She said as her and the rest begin to leave with the horses and carts of items to go back to their village.
----------------------------------------
[2 days later]
(3rd POV)
[Here is the image for the guild]
In the guild many people such as adventures, mercenaries and bounty hunters are here to take a job of capturing or killing the target and they will receive their reward.
Many of them were looking at the bounty posters of wanted people trying to choose, others chatting to each other and laughing of their journey and some are in line getting their reward after doing their job.
"2,000 crowns for capturing those thieves stealing books of medical herbs and try to sell them double the price ,a job well done again you two."
The guild receptionist give a bag of coins to two men, a tan, athletically built man with medium-length hazel hair.
He has a goatee that seemingly goes up to his sideburns and a heavily scarred man with a muscular physique. He has his hair pulled back in a bun. He has a freckled visage and a slit on his right eyebrow. His eyes are dark brown, and his hair is dyed to a brown-red ombre.
[Image here for those two]
"No problem sweetheart, it took us time and somd hard work to catch these criminals."
The man with a goatee said as him and the man next to him turn around and walk away with the bag of coins.
The man with scars on his body whispers to the man with a goatee
"Did you have to lie about the hard work part Evios, because we found them drunk at a bar, knocked them out and tied them up while we were gathering Intel in town."
"Come on Folki, isn't the same damn thing, sure we did found them while gathering information of the bandits current whereabouts to our partner that paid us to do this dangerous job.
But we need to make sure that they don't know it was us and we have to keep ourselves hidden from any body because we don't even know someone in this building is part of that group we are gathering information or else they'll come for our fucking lives."
The man with scars nods, understand Evios reasoning because they don't know if there's someone from a corrupt organization is inside the guild listening everything that involves them and send it to that organization to be prepared or prevent it.
"Look on the bright side Folki, we got our selves 2,000 crowns from luck and once our partner has arrived a tavern where she wants us to meet, we will get our share of the bounty she got and show this special item we were told to get our hands on ."
Evios slightly punches his arm with a smile as he looks at the bag attached to Folki's waist.
As they were walking, the door open and comes out was a tall bald bulky man with red skin and pointy ears carrying a big hammer.
"Well, well, looks I have finally found you two little shits!"
""Fuck..""
Everyone look to see a oglodi has entered the guild and wondering what connections does he have for these two men?
"Hey there pal, whats with the angry look?"
"Don't fucking pretend to be concerned about my angry look and think I don't know shit of what you two did!"
The oglodi shouted at them gripping the handle of his hammer tight, the two men Folki and Evios glance at each other with nervous expressions knowing they are caught.
"Do you really think you can get away of it after you two had sex with my wife so she can give you the location of where i put my scroll and stealing my treasure!
And i know you two also work for the one who killed my Brother and comrades, i will spare you two if you give me back my stuff and tell me where that person is so i can kill her to avenge my family and comrades."
Evios with a irritated look steps forward a bit and speaks.
"Sorry to say this buddy but we will not giving your shit back. Besides that brother and comrades of yours are assholes, they done terrible things and they bloody well deserve it."
By the looks it he is very mad as they can see his eyes are bloodshot with rage looking at them wanting to kill them immediately.
As tension between them are getting high, Folki and Evios are gripping their own weapons ready for any action the oglodi will do.
But the tension between them was interrupted by the heavy wooden doors of the guild hall creaked open, casting long shadows across the wooden floor as a woman walks inside.
Her presence drew the attention of everyone in the room not saying anything. Her armor, gleamed in the sun light, and a thick leather sack hung from her hand, the knotted fabric bulging with the unmistakable weight of a severed head blood dripping down on the wooden floor and everyone can smell it's strong stength.
While she is walking to pass the three of them, she look at the two men Evios and Folki in a defensive position infront of the Oglodi who turn his head around to look at her with a bag.
Evios knowing her look takes out a ring in his pouch and puts it on his finger, he then touch Folki's shoulder and the both of them vanished in front of everyone's sight.
Some pointed out the two of them disappeared, but the rest doesn't care about that, including the oglodi.
"Back already Diana" Elara asked, her voice barely hiding her surprise.
The woman with dark armor the guild receptionist calls her name Diana simply nodded, setting the sack on the counter with a heavy thud. She untied the knot and pulled back the leather, revealing the head of the orc bandit leader. His face was frozen in a twisted snarl, tusks cracked, his lifeless eyes wide and glazed. Even in death, the orc looked vicious—a grim trophy from a brutal battle.
"That's him, alright," she murmured, unable to keep the hint of excitement from her voice. "The northern villages will rest easier knowing he's gone. The bounty was set at 10,000 crowns for him."
Diana didn't reply; her expression remained calm as she waited for Elara to process the payment.
She could feel dozens of stares around her, some respectful, others tinged with envy or malice. Mercenaries who took on guild bounties were a competitive lot, and Diana's success rate left many with grudging admiration—or jealousy.
Ever since she worked as a mercenary at age 15, her reputation grew because of taking difficult bounties that needed an entire group for the job. some factions around the world try to recruit her for their own gains but she refuses their offer, knowing they want her power for themselves.
Diana quietly standing, her gaze fixed on the front counter. The guild receptionist, went into another room to drop the head there and get 10,000 crowns ready in a bag.
Whispers rippled through the room, mercenaries and adventurers exchanging glances, some confuse and others with respect as some knew who she is.
But the people's whispers were stop by the oglodi angry shouts
"It was you! You're that bitch who killed my brother and comrades!"
When the oglodi saw the severed head of an ork, recognizing it was his brother which means the person he was looking for is right in front of him.
Diana turn her head and looked at the angry oglodi.
"Sorry to say this but does it look like I care, because the last time I checked they killed many people in a village and were traveling to the black market with women and children to sell them. your so called brother and comrades are bastards, they don't even deserve to live of what they've done."
The oglodi looks offended of what she said to them.
"HRRGG DIE!"
He charged towards her ready to swing his hammer for the kill, but failed to notice she already made her first move.
SHHNK!
The sound of a person's bones and flesh being pierced by a blade or something sharp can be heared.
"You're too slow."
Everyone in the guild looked petrified when their eyes looks up seeing oglodi that charged in for an attack on diana, is now dangling in the air by a massive black spike with purple like cracks on it that stabbed through his adobmen.
"I'll be taking that hammer of yours, maybe use it for emergencies or sell it for a good price."
The shadow underneath it expanded to giant circle and the hammer sinks to the shadow.
"F,,hucc k y-."
Before the oglodi speaks more, spike appears out of his body and head, killing him instantly.
The giant black spike along with his dead body has sink to the shadow, all whats left was small splashes of blood on the floor.
The guild receptionist returned just as she finished, clutching a heavy pouch of crowns. He looked from her to the fallen mercenaries and back again, a smile on her face . "Your reward, Diana." extending the pouch with her hands.
Diana took it calmly, her expression as neutral though a faint smirk played at the corner of her lips. "Thank you," she replied, slipping the pouch into her shadow before leaving a folded piece of paper to her.
She turned and walked out of the guild hall without looking back, leaving behind only the stunned silence.
The guild receptionist opens the folded piece of paper to see, she smiles and puts it in her pocket.
------------------------
(5 hours later)
The tavern buzzed with people chatter and the clinking their mugs,
Diana pushed through the door. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit room until they landed on two familiar figures at a corner table. Folki, the towering, shirtless warrior with braids, gave her a smile and waved her over. His companion, the ever-shrewd and lean Evios, offered her a casual nod as he leaned back in his chair.
"Good to see you again, Diana" Folki says, greeting her
"Folki, Evios," Diana greeted with a rare smile as she joined them at the table. "It's good that you didn't bump into another dangerous situation that require me to help you out again ."
Evios leaned forward, his blue eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of a job well done. "You don't know how refreshing it is to see a familiar face—especially one that's not out to kill us. Gathering intel from corrupt places to find people with big bounties isn't exactly the safest line of work."
"Yet you two make it look easy." Diana quipped, reaching into her shadow. She placed a small bag of coins on the table with a metallic clink. "Your share of the bounty. Half of the ten thousand crowns, as promised."
Folki smiles as he pulled the bag toward him, his massive hands practically swallowing it. Evios retrieved a scroll from the satchel and slid it across the table toward her.
"This," Evios said, tapping the edge of the parchment, "is the Pathseeker Scroll you told us about, that it's imbued with tracking magic. It can mark and trace paths taken by a specific person or object within this scroll. Perfect for locating someone or something that doesn't want to be found. It's why we've been able to send you such accurate leads on the bandits and the Ogre with 10,000 crowns."
[Image here]
Diana smiles, she took out a leather bag and put it on the table, she opens the bag revealing 2 black bracers.
[Image here]
She put on one of the black Bracers and it glow faintly in the dim light, its sleek design adapting to her slender forearm., sizing itself to fit the wearer perfectly.
"Impressive, isn't it?" she said, flexing her fingers to demonstrate the Bracers snug fit. "These two are called voidbracers, they can store everything from food, weapons and tressure. Makes carrying spoils much less of a hassle and don't need carriage while traveling."
She takes off the black bracer and it changed back to its size.
The 2 men grabbed each of the bracers, they golw purple as it changes it's size to fit their forearm size as they wear it .
Folki raised his Mug high, his voice loud. "To good partnerships!"
Evios smirked and followed suit, raising his drink. "And to keeping our heads attached to our necks."
Diana laughed softly, clinking her mugs against theirs. The steaming plates of roasted meat and fresh bread have arrived to the table.
The whole afternoon everyone in the Tavern are drinking beer, eat food and laugh together.
Evios and Folki surrounded by women and telling them stories of their adventures, while Diana is with the guild receptionist has came to the tavern after reading the folded piece of paper after her work.
They went inside one of the Tavern's inns that was book by Diana so her and the female receptionist will have their own fun.
....
(Night)
To the soft glow of the moon light streaming through the worn curtains of the tavern room. Diana awake looking up at the ceiling but some warmth beside her reminded her she wasn't alone. Turning her head, she saw the guild receptionist, lying peacefully beside her sleeping, her blonde hair splayed across the pillow, They were both uncovered, the faint night chill brushing against their skin.
Diana reached out, her calloused fingers brushing against her cheek. She leaned in, her lips just a whisper away from—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The faint yet deliberate sound of marching interrupted it, Diana groans that this loud sound ruin her moment. The rhythmic stomps grew louder, closer, until they stopped abruptly outside the tavern. The air grew heavy with unease.
Diana sighed, pulling herself away from the woman. "Always something," she muttered, throwing her bare legs over the side of the bed and reaching for her clothes and gear. She dressed to her dark armor and strapping her weapons to her sides. She glanced at guild receptionist one last time, still sleeping from their fun night, and left the room.
Stepping out of the room, she saw Evios and Folki emerging from their respective quarters, Folki is in his underwear scratched his head yawning as behind were 5 women on a big bed were awake from this noise
"What's all the noise?" Evios wearing pants but has hickeys on his body grumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Outside, a group of a hundred bandits stood in organized formation, their weapons glinting in the moon light . They were an unruly but dangerous lot, clad in mismatched armor, some leather and others full metal armor. At their center was a tall, imposing figure, a leader of the group, who exuded an air of cruel confidence. Behind them, scattered among the ranks, were twelve robed rogue sorcerers.
"Looks like all of them found out we were working for you and hired some sorcerers to find us."
Evios said looking through the window.
Diana narrowed her eyes to the bandits and sinks into the shadow and appears outside in front of the tavern her boots now crunching against the dirt path. The leader stepped forward, his men parting to let him through. He was a brutish man with a scarred face and an air of smug triumph.
"Well, well," he sneered, his voice carrying over the silent tension. "Diana, the so-called shadow mercenary thinks she can dismantle our operations without consequence. We're here to end your career. This time, we're ready."
Diana tilted her head."You brought all of your party just for little old me? I'm flattered."
The leader's confidence wavered, just for a moment, at her unnervingly calm demeanor. "Don't mock us.You won't leave here without paying the price after brutally killing our squad and brother's in your sick pleasure.
they were trying to sell some nobodys from a village that is not connected to big businesses from another town, we are going to make sure that we will make you suffer and wish you were dead."
Diana scoffs of the leader's words, saying she brutally killed them for her pleasure, she will show them. Diana raised her hand making a sign and murmurs.
"Emerge from darkness blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."
Upon saying those words, a dark, almost liquid-like matter drips down from the sky forming a outer barrier wall in the shape of a half-sphere in a 50 meter radius.
"What the fuck is this!?"
The leader and the others were confused and scared of what's happening, he ordered the sorcerers to use their magic to destroy it.
But when they unleash their spells, it didn't work not even a single crack on it
This doesn't end there, as a burst of energy emerged from Diana's body, causing all of their bodies to freeze from this dark aura, her hands forming a quick, intricate sign. "Rabbit" but she chants words that others from a afar can't hear.
*"Through shadow's warren, a path is torn,
From fleeting prey, a predator is born.
Rabbit's grace, with demon's hunger,
Bound as one beneath the blood-red night."
From behind her, a shadowy figure materialized—a towering like creature, its form beginning to shift and grow. Pink markings appears on it's chest glowing, its limbs elongating unnaturally, its eyes glowing with a sinister red hue.
"Hollow steps and unseen flight,
Now blaze with crimson, a deadly light.
Escape and fury, claw and flame,
Two as one, none shall tame."
The creature's transformation was grotesque, its body morphing into something far more monstrous.
"By pact of shadow, by blood unbound,
Rise now, Rabbit Escape in your unholy and crowned Form!"
Her chanting has finished and the creature behind her finally formed from the shadows, it resembled a bunny but in demon form its towering figure of 4 meters tall giving out an aura of malevolence.
[Image here]
The rogue sorcerers and bandits murmured among themselves, fear creeping into their voices as a monstrous rabbit stood tall. Then, to their horror, it began to multiply. One became two, then four, then eight, until twenty identical demonic Rabbits around before them, their claw like hands and teeth bared.
Diana looks at the bandits, her neutral face now turn into a sadistic smirk. "Still feel prepared?" she taunted seeing their faces of fear, confusion and anger makes her love it.
The leader stepped back involuntarily, his bravado cracking. The sorcerers behind him exchanged uneasy glances, their confidence shaken by the creatures' ominous presence.
The twenty demon bunnies crouched, their muscles tensing as they prepared to spring into action by her command. The bandits' bravado faltered, their fear palpable as they faced the nightmare she had had summoned.
Diana's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light and raised her hands. "Let's see how long can you last with my adorable rabbits."
End
__________________________
Hello everyone, sorry for the late chapter, my only excuse of it is....Life.
Anyway, I'm currently working on another chapter, hopefully this doesn't take long.