"Besides, why should it matter to us?" Ban said, taking a sip from his wooden jug, his gaze lazily drifting across the campfire.
Bel frowned, lowering her staff as she fixed her stare on him. "What are you talking about? You can't just ignore what's happening around us."
Ban shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Look, the magic affecting the animals here—it isn't affecting us or any other intelligent beings on the mountain. If we stay out of it, we won't have any problems." He took another sip, his expression indifferent.
Bel looked at him incredulously, then glanced at the others, as if seeking support. "You really think it won't become our problem eventually? That's pretty naive, don't you think?" There was a slight edge to her voice—a mix of frustration and disbelief. They had only just met, but she'd expected something different from him.
Ban turned his head slightly, giving her a half-smile. "Naive, huh?" He paused. "Listen, princess, I'm here to make sure none of you get yourselves killed. That's the deal, right? And the best way to stay alive is to leave this alone." He put down his jug, casually dismissing her concern.
Orolo, who had been quietly listening, cleared his throat. "Ban might be right about not jumping into danger, but ignoring it entirely? That doesn't sit well with me either. We can't just pretend nothing's happening."
Darian spoke up, his voice hesitant. "I get what you're saying, Ban, but if this keeps escalating... it could come for us, even if we leave it alone. We can't just turn our backs on it."
Ban sighed, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "I'm not saying it's harmless. I just think we're not ready for whatever this is." He glanced at Bel, catching her eye for a moment. "You do what you want, but don't expect me to go rushing into trouble without knowing what we're dealing with."
Bel didn't know Ban well enough to understand his motives, but he had kept them alive so far. Still, it wasn't in her nature to sit idly by. "Fine," she said, her voice tinged with reluctance. "But we should at least keep it in mind. If things get worse, we won't have the luxury of ignoring it."
Ban nodded. "Fair enough."
A tense silence settled over them, each member wrestling with their own uncertainties. None of them had clear answers, but exhaustion demanded they rest—for now.
Even though Ban didn't need sleep, he still enjoyed it, which was why he promptly settled back in his chair, closing his eyes.
Bel, still irritated by Ban's behavior, took off her cloak, folding it to use as a pillow as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The others followed suit, with Orolo choosing to sleep directly on the floor.
Through the crack in the wooden door of the hut, a single black pupil peered inside, watching as they all settled into slumber. It blinked slowly, almost rhythmically, as if savoring the sight of the unsuspecting group. A strange, shifting darkness swirled around the eye, like ink suspended in water, its movements unnatural and silent.
The pupil's gaze moved from one sleeper to the next, lingering briefly on each of them, as if memorizing their faces. The air grew heavier, the shadows near the door thickening, seeming to pulse in sync with the slow, deliberate blinking. A faint whisper, barely audible, drifted through the silence—a sound that could easily be mistaken for the rustling of the wind but carried an unsettling quality that seemed to slither into the hut.
It watched Ban last, its gaze almost thoughtful, as if weighing something in its unseen mind. The darkness surrounding the eye rippled, then it slowly began to retreat, vanishing into the night, leaving behind only the faint echo of a presence—a feeling that something had been there, watching, waiting.
The next day, Bel slowly woke up, yawning as she rubbed her eyes. Blinking the sleep away, she glanced around and noticed Ban was no longer in his chair. A flicker of concern passed through her mind, and she quickly scanned their camp, checking if he had made off with their valuables.
To her relief, everything seemed untouched, still in its place. Just as she was piecing together her thoughts, Orolo's voice broke her reverie.
"Princess, you're awake," Orolo said, a hint of concern in his voice.
Bel looked over, noticing him watching her. "Yeah, but I'm surprised you're awake. Isn't it a bit early for you?" she said, stretching her arms above her head.
Orolo gave her a hesitant smile. "Princess... it's already noon."
"What?" Bel's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Noon? I slept that long?" She was taken aback; clearly, she hadn't fully shaken off the exhaustion from the encounter with the undead creature two days before.
"You did. I tried waking you, but you wouldn't budge. I was getting a bit worried," Orolo admitted, his face lined with concern.
Bel sighed, swinging her legs out from her blanket. "Guess that fight took more out of me than I thought," she said. She gave Orolo a reassuring smile. "But don't worry, I'm fine now."
"Were is the adventurer?"she said as she got up and started stretching, "Oo Ban? He and Toad went out to hunt for food." Orolo said.
"Why? didn't the old man offer us some food yesterday why didn't they just ask-" Before Bel could finish Orolo responded " Princess, Shamans abstain from eating all forms of meat, while we may be use to such a diet as elf's, those two are not."
"Ah I see." She said as she picked up her staff, as it rapidly morphs into a bow as she, "Then how about Darian?" She asked as she walked to the door of the hut.
"I'm not sure, but I do know he woke up not to long before you did." Orolo said walking towards the door aswell.
As Bel stepped outside, two children ran past her, laughing as they played. She couldn't help but smile softly, her thoughts drifting back to her own childhood in the Great Forest.
A voice broke through her reverie. "Reminds me of the two of you," Orolo said from behind her.
"What do you—" Bel began, but Orolo continued, a fondness in his voice. "You and your sister, Princess. I still remember the way you two drove me nearly mad with those pranks you'd pull on me and everyone else in the Great Forest."
Bel chuckled at the memory. "I remember that. And even then, we were still taller than you," she teased, her laughter growing.
Orolo smiled. "Princess, I don't see how that was relevant," he started, but his words trailed off as he noticed Bel's expression change. She seemed lost in thought, her gaze distant.
Orolo's voice softened, his eyes filled with empathy. "We will find her, Princess," he said, trying to comfort her.
"I hope we do," Bel said softly, her eyes still distant. There was a lingering sadness in her expression that Orolo recognized all too well.
He was about to respond when a voice broke their quiet moment. "Sorry to interrupt." The old man from the previous day stood nearby, his smile friendly as he approached them.
Bel turned, shaking off her thoughts. "Oh, good morning," she greeted, her voice warmer now.
The old man nodded, "Good morning. I just wanted to see how you were faring. Your rest was peaceful, I hope?"
"Yes, thank you," Orolo answered, polite but clearly distracted as Darian approached the group.
"Ah, there you are, Darian," Bel said, but Orolo's sharp gaze turned toward him. "Where were you?" Orolo asked bluntly, his tone carrying a hint of suspicion.
Darian looked momentarily caught off guard. "I—I was taking a bath," he stammered, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"A bath?" Orolo repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And where exactly did you find water for that?"
Darian looked down, his cheeks flushing slightly. "There's a spring nearby... I found it while wandering," he mumbled.
The old man cleared his throat, his gentle voice breaking the awkwardness. "Well, now that your friend has returned, would you care to join us for a feast? It's a celebration in honor of the gods of the mountain."
"A feast?" Bel echoed, intrigued.
"Indeed," the old man confirmed. "It's a yearly tradition we hold to express our gratitude. Though I should mention, it's a vegetarian feast, as we offer no meat in our devotion. If that poses a problem—"
Bel shook her head quickly, a smile touching her lips. "No, not at all. We elves are accustomed to such customs, actually. We appreciate nature deeply, and abstaining from meat is quite familiar to us."
The old man smiled at that. "Wonderful. Then please, follow me."
As they began to walk, the villagers greeted them warmly, their smiles wide and their demeanor cheerful. Bel tried to relax, but there was something unsettling beneath the surface, a strange feeling she couldn't shake. She kept glancing at the huts they passed, her eyes wary.
Suddenly, the hair on her arms stood on end, and a chill swept over her. She turned her head, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of a hut with a window slightly ajar. Through the small crack, she saw it—a solitary black eye staring at her.
Her breath caught, and her steps faltered. She blinked, and it was gone, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined it. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the unease gnawing at her.
Orolo, noticing her hesitation, leaned closer. "Princess? Is something wrong?" he asked quietly.
Bel forced a smile. "No, it's nothing. Just... I thought I saw something."
Orolo frowned slightly but nodded. He didn't press her further, though the worry in his eyes remained.
As they reached the large central hut, the old man gestured to the entrance. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. The feast will begin shortly."
The old man's cheerful voice called out again, "Come now, no need to be shy!"
Bel took a deep breath, stepping forward into the hut.
Deep within the forest, far from the village, a blood-red fox darted through the underbrush, its agile body weaving effortlessly around fallen branches and rocks. It ran with such speed that it seemed to leave its own footsteps behind, the faint rustle of leaves drowned by the wind rushing past.
Behind the fox, Ban and Taod pursued, their determined expressions matching the intensity of their chase. The fox was fast—almost unnaturally so—but they were relentless.
Taod squinted, pulling a small knife from his belt. He threw it skillfully, the blade whizzing through the air and landing right in front of the fox. It skidded to a halt, pivoting sharply to change direction, but its path was immediately blocked by Ban, who stood with his fists clenched.
"Gotcha," Ban grinned, his arm swinging down in a powerful arc. He aimed to pin the fox, but it was quicker. The fox leaped at the last second, and Ban's fist struck the earth instead, leaving a small crater in the dirt.
"Persistent little shit," Ban muttered under his breath, looking up just in time to see the fox darting away once more.
Taod, not willing to let their prey escape, extended his long tongue, lashing it toward the fox like a whip. The tip of his tongue grazing the fox's hind leg. The fox let out a sharp yelp, stumbling as a sudden pain surged through its limb.
The poison Taod had infused into his strike began to take effect almost immediately, spreading through the creature's veins. Its movements became erratic, struggling to maintain its speed, but still, the fox refused to give in. It pushed onward, each step more labored than the last.
Taod croaked, his large eyes narrowing as he watched its faltering pace.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the fox erupted as thick tree roots shot up from the soil. They twisted around the fox's body, coiling around its legs and midsection, binding it in place. The fox snarled, struggling to escape, but the roots held firm.
"Got it," Ban called, his hand still pressed against the forest floor. He had channeled his energy into the earth, using elemental magic to command the roots. What had initially seemed like a miss turned out to be a well-laid trap.
The fox let out a defiant growl, its bright red fur bristling as it twisted against its bonds. Ban approached, kneeling down to examine it closely, his expression shifting from triumph to curiosity.
"Hmm, seems like this one's normal," Ban said, inspecting the fox. He couldn't sense anything unusual—its Arc wavelength was typical for an animal of its kind, and there was no trace of foreign magic.
But it wasn't the fox that worried him. It was the roots that had restrained the creature. They appeared almost alive. While it made sense for plants to have their own Arc as living organisms, there was something distinctly different here. The wavelength was off, tainted by foreign magic—similar to what they had seen affecting the other animals on the mountain.
This is bullshit, Ban thought. Calling this magic disgusting would be an understatement—it's barbaric. He sighed, knowing that while it was easy enough to dispel, the idea of interacting with it left a bitter taste in his mouth. With a subtle gesture, he cast a spell to knock the fox unconscious, his expression betraying the faintest hint of irritation.
As Ban picked up the fox, he thought about what the old man had said. A black mist that took over everything it touched—this seemed to fit the bill, though not perfectly. It wasn't instant, and it didn't seem to affect anything intelligent. The magic was weak, as if spread too thin across a wide area. If the mist was here, that meant that whatever destroyed the Sorcerer Kingdom was extending its reach.
That probably explained why none of them had been affected yet, but it didn't mean they were safe. There had to be a conduit somewhere on the mountain—the magic was too concentrated for it not to have a source. Yet, the energy was too scattered to pinpoint, and trying to analyze it left Ban disoriented, making things even harder. The unpredictability of it was the real danger. Ban kept these thoughts to himself; after only two days, he wasn't ready to drag the others into this mess, he barely even knew them, and didn't want to fill them in especially since even he wasn't fully sure of what was happening.
As Ban stood up, slinging the unconscious fox over his shoulder, he let out an irritated sigh. "Just one? Really?" he muttered, clearly frustrated. With the strange magic affecting the animals, eating the meat was too risky.
Before he could continue, Taod suddenly croaked loudly. as the hairs on Bans arms stood on end, it was alerting Ban of danger as something was moving swiftly through the trees toward them. Time seemed to slow as both Ban and Taod instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding an arrow that zipped past them.
Ban whipped around, eyes narrowing as he focused in the direction the arrow had come from. Using his Battle Will, he enhanced his sight and spotted at least three humanoid figures in the distance. Just as he was scanning for more, a barrage of arrows was launched at him. He ducked behind a tree, his mind racing.
Taod, quick to follow, dove for cover as well, but not before hurling a small knife in the direction the arrows came from.
Ban's ears picked up the sound of someone hitting the ground, confirming that Taod's knife had hit its mark. The movement in that direction had momentarily stopped.
Without a word, Ban sprang up and sprinted toward the source of the arrows.
As he ran, Ban drew his blade, his eyes sharpening as he sensed movement in his peripheral vision. He leaped into a clearing, the origin of the arrows, and quickly noticed drops of blood trailing to the left.
"They split up," Ban muttered, just as he deflected an arrow aimed at the back of his head. He glanced behind him, but whoever had shot the arrow had already changed positions.
"Neat trick," Ban said. Even though his senses were heightened to the point that he could feel the distortion in the air around him, he still couldn't detect the attacker's movements.
Ban scanned his surroundings before catching another arrow and crushing it in his left hand. He took the tip of the arrow and threw it back in the direction it came from, but the attacker had already moved again.
Behind a tree, the attacker—covered from head to toe in all black clothing—prepared to fire another arrow but hesitated, realizing Ban was no longer in his original position.
"Where did he go? That's what you're thinking, right?" Ban's voice came from behind the attacker. They quickly spun around, aiming for Ban's head, but he was faster. In one swift motion, Ban slammed the hilt of his blade into the attacker's ribs. They gasped for air, dropping their weapon as the impact knocked the wind out of them.
"So... who are you, exactly?" Ban asked, bending down beside the attacker. Without warning, another arrow shot toward Ban's neck, but he stopped it midair with magic.
"Okay, this is getting annoying," Ban said, irritation clear in his voice. With a casual gesture, he sent the arrow flying back, grazing the attacker's cheek. Startled, they instinctively staggered back, falling from the tree. Quickly recovering, they aimed another arrow at Ban.
"Yeah, because the arrows are really working," Ban mocked as he hurled his sword through the air, narrowly missing the attacker's face. The blade lodged itself in a nearby rock with blinding speed, causing the attacker to falter. Ban used the moment to close the distance between them.
Yanking his sword free from the rock, Ban moved swiftly. As the archer tried to reposition, Ban sliced their bow clean in half, and for good measure, he set the remains ablaze.
"So, are you ready to explain who you are now?" Ban asked, using roots to bind the attacker securely.
"Your eyes... th-they're normal," the attacker stammered.
Ban raised an eyebrow, irritation creeping into his voice. "And? Were they supposed to be abnormal?"
As Ban spoke, a loud crash echoed behind him. He turned to see a large man, dressed similarly to the attackers Ban had just defeated, stumbling into view and writhing in pain. Ban followed the man's path back and spotted Taod emerging from the woods, looking a bit roughed up but otherwise fine.
"You... bastards," the man sputtered, coughing up blood.
"Says the guy who's poisoned," Ban mocked, rising to his feet. He glanced at Taod, who was idly wiping the blood from a cut on his cheek.
"Nice. You aren't too hurt, right?" Ban asked. Taod gave a low croak in response. What was I really expecting? Ban thought.
Ban shifted his gaze back to the wounded man, who seemed to be the leader of the group. "So, who are you?" Ban asked, his tone steady but curious.
The man wheezed, barely able to get his words out. "You filthy shaman... defiling such powerful warriors."
The poison had taken its toll, and the man was already on death's door, he was delirious, "Am flattered, but who are you talking about? There are no shaman here." Ban asked confused by the man's sudden outburst.
"Filthy shaman" The man muttered again, and again, Ban rolled his eyes as he stretched out his hand conjuring light green particles which seemed to be absorbed by the man's body, and almost immediately he jumped unto his feet.
"What is this trickery shaman?" The man said taking a fighting pose, "we aren't shama-" Before Ban could complete his sentence the man attacks, Ban instinctively blocked it with his hand.
"You can't trick me shaman." The man said, "Are you dense or something?" Ban said as he threw a punch in return.