Chapter fifteen : night hunters
—–—
A loud yelling echoed from a few meters away, carrying within it a clear tone of anger. No, perhaps it's despair. It was just the echo of an intense conversation taking place in the dark corner of the office.
"Not yet? How haven't you found her ,yet? It has been three days! Three days since her escape! "
" Master, we will find her ! Give us some time. "
" When ? When and where will you find her ?
She will wait for you ? Useless ! Get out, right now ! "
" Yes, sir... "
The warrior leader, Calip, left the room and closed the door behind him.
Clack—
All that remained in the corner of the room was a mysterious man standing next to the large window, holding his hands behind his back and staring outside, but his eyes were out of focus. His mind was far away, lost in conflicting thoughts.
He was Mai's grandfather, a man who hadn't seen a blink of eye since her disappearance and who only had the worst possible outcomes on mind.
His anxiety increased the more he thought, but he was unable to leave his field due to his many responsibilities, and he almost went crazy.
At the same time, Calip was walking slowly and staggering down the corridor, whimpering.
He doesn't hide his hatred for Mai, and expresses his dissatisfaction with the leader's decision regarding one dying girl. He said in a low voice, expressing his anger :
"If I find her, I will teach her a lesson she will never forget."
A moment passed, and suddenly, there was a tall, slender man, his long pink hair flowing in the air behind him. He collided with Calip, who was in no better state than a drunk man, causing his steps to falter for a moment.
Calip's eyes were filled with suppressed anger, prompting him to step forward and vent his frustrations.
However, the man with the pink hair was faster. He easily dodged the first punch, then caught the second with one hand before tripping Calip and throwing him to the ground.
When Calip lifted his head from the ground to yell at whoever had humiliated him, he swallowed his tongue, the words stuck in his throat. Instead, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Before him stood a man of extraordinary beauty, with delicate and elegant features that surpassed even women in allure and grace.
No one would have believed what this man had just done to warriors' leader of a tribe entirely made up of warriors. But Calip did. It wasn't his beauty nor the shock that silenced him, but his position in the tribe as the head's trusted advisor. Although he is way much younger, but he does not lack wisdom and strength.
Calip lowered his head again in deep regret. Meanwhile, the man with pink hair let out a quiet grunt and adjusted his glasses, then continued his way calmly.
Without looking back, he opened the door and entered the room. The chief warmly welcomed him, calling his name, causing the atmosphere in the room to change instantly. The man sat beside the chief, listening intently to every word spoken.
" Arthur, Mai recently ran away from the tribe. I don't know where she went or where she could be right now. Our forest isn't safe for a child like her and what makes it worse is that she hasn't started taking any fighting lessons yet and can't use mana. The warriors have searched everywhere and have found no trace of her. "
The grandfather took out an old paper and spread it out on the table. It was a hand-drawn map that explained the surroundings of the Dark Forest. He only marked a few areas, including the location of the Balingya tribe.
" The Dark Forest is vast and dangerous, and most of its areas are unknown. Mai can't go far. Find her Arthur and bring her back. "
" I am at your service, sir. " the pink-haired man said in a very formal tone, his expression completely neutral.
A satisfied smile spread across the leader's face, and confidence surged through him, now certain that Mai would return soon as Arthur was in charge.
***
Mai was sitting on one of the wooden boxes, her head resting on her arm, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon, where the sky meets the earth.
She felt the weight of her thoughts. ' " I won't go back, I will prove to everyone that I deserve to stay,' I said, but I hadn't even begun to implement it yet..." She thought of the days gone by, when she had done nothing of value except snoop around here and there.
She ate when it was time to eat, and slept when it was time to sleep. There was nothing that differentiated her from the box she was sitting on, no, it was more useful than her, it stored goods and you could sit on it.
She wondered about her decision to walk away from her grandfather, as if she were on the verge of a fateful decision. She hadn't even begun to prove herself as she'd promised. "I have to start now… I have to show them I'm not just a kid in their way."
While she was lost in thought, a tall, bald man walked by, carrying a huge box on his back. He noticed her presence and stared at her for a moment, then stopped his steps and said with a smile, "Mai, do you need anything? Or are you bored?"
This bald man was the same person who found her in the carriage. She had given him angry looks on the first day but quickly changed her mind and discovered that he was a kind person who loved children very much. He was a bit naive but very strong, by the way his name was Ken. Mai smiled involuntarily, realizing that despite his simplicity, he had something that others lacked, the ability to show unconditional care.
Before she could respond, she noticed a group of people gathered in a corner, talking loudly. Unable to bear her curiosity, she immediately rushed towards them, completely forgetting that she was contemplating her decisions. She couldn't hold back her desire to know what was happening, as if curiosity was controlling all her thoughts.
In the middle of the caravan, the merchants were gathered around a map spread out on a wooden box. The map was old, its edges worn, and its lines intertwined as if telling a complex story.
Mai tried to sneak into the circle of merchants to see what they were studying so intently, but her short stature made it difficult. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to stretch her neck as much as she could, to no avail.
"Do you need a chair?" one of the merchants said in a sarcastic voice, eliciting chuckles from those around him.
Mai frowned, but she didn't give in. She took a step forward, then whispered insistently:
"I want to learn too."
Her words caught the attention of one of the women in the caravan, who smiled softly and gently pulled her towards her. She pointed to an empty space at the edge of the circle and began explaining the important points on the map.
"This is our next destination, and this is where we will be staying tonight. Make sure to watch these signs, they indicate dangerous areas."
While the rest of them were busy with their discussions, Mai was lost in the details of the map. She felt a strange feeling, a mixture of curiosity and responsibility. This was not just a journey; it was an adventure that held more than she could have imagined.
The short break is over and the carriages start moving again and it seems that the woman who helped Mai refuses to leave her side, it seems that she has attracted the wrong person's attention.
This woman is named Yuri, she has slightly dark skin that distinguishes her and gray hair that matches her eyes. She has been traveling since she was a little girl with her family which made her interested in Mai who reminds her of her childhood.
Mai was trying with all her might to escape but she couldn't get out of Yuri's suffocating embrace and Yuri definitely noticed that so she pretended to be sad.
"Mai, gasp... gasp... you're so cruel. Let this old woman enjoy regaining her youth."
"What old lady?! You're not even twenty!"
"Oh, did you find out?"
Mai looks at her and frowns while puffing out her little cheeks, causing Yuri to tighten the noose around her.
"Cute, cute, cute! Stay with me for a little while, I'll leave you when I get tired of you."
"What? Am I a puppet—Ah, well, do whatever you want." Mai gives in to Yuri's relentless pressure.
"Yay!"
The carriage was rocking monotonously, the caravan moving slowly down the long road. Mai had spent the day with Yuri, who was rather talkative. "The man who helped you there, the brown-haired one… His name is Ivan," Yuri told her. "He's not very good at fighting, but he's the only talker in this caravan and we need him for the negotiations. Everyone thinks he's bossy, but in reality he's more down-to-earth than he seems, just saying whatever's on his mind without caring. That's weird, right? For a negotiator."
The woman sighed and added cautiously, "As for the angry man who spoiled your mood that day… he is Paul, the representative of your Balingya tribe. He is often stressed and feels like he has to carry heavy burdens on his shoulders. He always sees himself in the role of protector, even if it sometimes hurts himself."
Mai pondered the woman's words as she looked at the two men mentioned, Ivan and Paul. She wondered about their history and role in the caravan, but everything seemed shrouded in mystery.
Muffled laughter and occasional comments filled the air as the sun began to dip towards the horizon, bathing the land in a soft golden light. Evening was fast approaching and it was time to camp and Yuri finally left Mai.
Mai tried to engage in daily activities to prove her worth. She sat by the fire trying to light it, but her faltering attempts brought a smile to one of the merchants, who said to her in a joking tone:
"You have the guts, but the talent... needs a little polishing."
Despite the light comments, some of the looks towards her began to change, becoming more friendly and soft, and carrying some curiosity and recognition.
Everyone sat around the fire in separate groups and Mai was pulled back into Yuri's arms. The group of women were telling fairy tales around the fire, under the moonlight. Then, it was Yuri's turn. She began her speech in a mysterious tone, smiling as she looked at the eager faces around her.
"Hmm? What should I tell you today?" Yuri said with a sly smile, then paused for a moment before adding, "Oh, what about the Night Hunters?"
Some people stopped laughing, and everyone raised their heads. Their eyes were eager to hear the new story.
"Deep in the dark forests, where the sun could not penetrate the dense trees, there lived a strange creature, called the Night Hunter. No one knows what it looks like and it is said that no one has ever survived after seeing it… It is a deadly creature that emerges from the shadows, and has powers beyond anything you could imagine."
Yuri paused for a moment, reaching out towards the fire as if to draw more excitement from it. Everyone listened silently, their eyes fixed on what she would say next.
"The Night Hunters roamed the forests after sunset, searching for their prey in the dark. They could sneak through the trees silently, moved with great speed, and possessed strength beyond any human creature. But they were not just killers, they possessed a mysterious mystery deep within them. The more they sucked the life out of their prey, the stronger they became."
Everyone held their breath for a moment, as Yuri continued speaking. The words flowed out as if she was telling something important.
"But with all this power, there was a curse. Whenever the full moon struck them, they would turn more and more into monsters. They would lose their minds and will, then roam the land in search of more prey, destroying anyone who dared to come near."
Mai stared into the fire, as if she were seeing a horrific scene before her. Curiosity was rising inside her.
"What happened to them?" asked one of the merchants, raising his eyebrow curiously.
Yuri smiled and said in a mysterious tone, "Is their story over? No one knows. It is said that the Night Shadow never dies, but turns into a ghost that dwells in the deep forests. Everyone who survives after being bitten turns into one of them. The group grows, the number of victims increases, and the cycle repeats."
The atmosphere began to become more mysterious and the caravan was intimidated by the idea that this story about beings that could be nearby at any moment was real.
Mai, watching the shadows around the fire, began to wonder if these stories were about something real. But she felt a twinge of confusion inside, between curiosity and a desire to stay away from the mystery surrounding all these stories.
"Do you think those stories are true?" Mai whispered to Yuri, her eyes filled with doubt.
"Who knows?" Yuri replied gently, then laughed lightly. "But, as I said before, isn't it interesting to imagine these things?"
Mai tried to push away the disturbing thoughts that were occupying her mind, but curiosity about the Night Hunters was occupying all her thoughts.
As everyone was getting ready for bed, Mai heard a strange sound coming from among the nearby trees. She whispered in a low voice:
"Did you hear that?"
Everyone stopped moving, and listened. The bushes began to shake, and they heard heavy footsteps approaching. Then it turned into a quickening vibration, as if something heavy was moving between the branches.
The small bushes began to sway violently, and the movement was followed by the gale-force wind that began to rise unnaturally. The trees were howling, their sounds mixing with the rustling of the branches in the night, as if they were trying to push something out of their way.
"Stay where you are!" said one of the merchants, holding up his sword.
Then, in a moment of absolute stillness, everything stopped. Darkness had taken over everything around them, and everyone expected the wind to have disappeared or died away. But in the midst of this bewildering stillness, a shadow began floating in the distance between the trees, everyone expected the worst.