ã€ŠThe Vacuous Strangerã€‹


 .1 The Stranger came from the sky

    This forest, which was once brimming with life, now fills one¡¯s nose with the stenches of death. It is still within the protective barrier, but father wouldn¡¯t be please to hear that the twins have been out here in the wild. One lash, two perhaps, or maybe even three. It doesn¡¯t matter, father could never bring himself to put any strength behind his swings, mother on the other hand, that would hurt. But the twins continue to prance about, so what if some raiders¡¯ shaman cursed the place with his dark magic? This forest has always been and will continue to be their playground!

    Hoping over a fallen tree, covered in gunk, the twins feel like weeping for their secret corner of the world destroyed, perverted. They wonder if that was how everyone felt a century ago, when the world was forever transformed by that unknown cataclysm brought forth by the mages of old.

    ¡°Those stupid raiders!¡± The boy, younger of the two, throws a rock at a tree. It pierces through the bark to reveal the inside, all rotted away.

    The twins rush away, fearing that the tree would fall down onto their little form. Hiding behind a mouldy boulder, they poke their heads up, clear blues eyes surveying the area. Their hands hovering above the dirty surface.

    ¡°Phew¡± The twins both breathed out signs of relief. They aren¡¯t going to be crushed today. It¡¯s not like the hollow tree could even do any harm. What a shame, it was once a mighty oak, now reduced to nothing by vile curses.

    ¡°Looks!¡± The little boy pulls on his sibling sleeve.

    From above, they could spot something freefalling. It must be a bird to get that high, a very human looking bird. Or maybe it is just a simple human.

    The person, donning a brown duster with a strange looking wide-brim hat, falls through the barrier but the left arm is stuck behind. Pulled down by a supernatural force, the hand is ripped opened as two small items slides out along the barrier dome. This mysterious person pummels down with breakneck speed, as if they have a tryst with the empty ground.

    In a futile effort, the fallen person throws out a lasso to catch a branch with perfect precision. But the part, while looking so strong and tough, snaps emptily. The Stranger slams at the ground with a thundering thud, unmoving, definitely dead.

    ¡°Is that person dead?¡± Asked the younger twin. The girl hops over near the impact point only to be taken aback by quite a sign.

    People, raiders line the outside of the barrier, there are seven of them in total. Their tattered attires are now adorned with pieces of sparkling steel armours. Those are only for show, however, as they barely cover the lowlifes¡¯ body.

    ¡°Get back! Get back now! You can¡¯t come any further¡± The girl backs off, her brother is coming up from behind her.

    In this shattered world, raiders are a common sight, especially in unpopulated areas. Fuelled by a primal desire to live, they would raid villages and settlements, committing heinous crimes without a second thought. Each significant gang tend to have a quirk, a tradition they call it. This particular group belong to the Fisherman, forged along the uninhabitable shores muddied with the unknowns.

    The seven raiders put up their hands, touching the barrier, fear in their eyes. But why, what do they have to be afraid of, this protection spell is harmless.

    One of them, with crab legs jam into his chin like a beard, pulls something from behind his back. It is one of his two spears, the Fisherman¡¯s main weapon. But this one has strange rune lining all over. It isn¡¯t the one the twins saw on their father¡¯s magical artefacts.

    The raider jams the spear into the barrier and with a dry noise, the weapon breaks apart. Black sludge with strange pale bits of the sea pour out of it, crab-chin recoils back screeching like a maiden, trying not to touch the vile contents of his spear. The little bits, small strange looking creatures screech out a deep and unknown call before simply dropping down.

    Everyone looks on, but the strange beings are simply dead. ¡°Come on, do something¡±, one of them said, contemplating whether to poke these things. Nothing continues to happen, Crab-chin just makes a fool of himself. Sensing that, the others yell threats at the twins, covering for their friend.

    Soon, cracks soon appear along the barrier and a small chunk is broken off.

    ¡°Thank Scy¡¯lla¡± Crab-chin said, his eyes lighting up ¡°It seem we will have fresh meats tonight, my fellows y¡¯llas¡±

    ¡°Good, I am getting tired of seafoods, they keep on messing with my digestive system. Unless it¡¯s clams, I like clams¡± Another chimed in, half of the skin on his face was replaced by old fish scales. Raiders are not known to be able to communicate coherently. But this particularly band is unnecessary well-spoken.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°NO¡±

    The twins yell out. How could this be, their father¡¯s barrier is supposed to be impenetrable. How could these lowlifes break it open like that? What kind of foul magic did they use?

    Now isn¡¯t the time to think about that, however. The twins try to run but there is no escape from the raiders. One of the Fisherman¡¯s signature item is a large malformed fish hook, which they use with great effect to capture their preys. One of them, fish-face, demonstrate that skill beautifully, the line flies true. Only one is enough, the other sibling won¡¯t leave their flesh and blood behind easily, plenty of time for them to catch up.

    Fortunately, a rock has tripped the boy, knocking him to the ground narrowly dodging the hook and certain doom.

    But it is no coincident. No, that rock was flung by the smashed Stranger, quite some wrist strength there. The raider nearby draws out his spear bellowing out longest war cry ¡°Dies thing that should be dead!¡±. The Stranger draws a metallic item and from it comes a thunderous noise like the storm god slamming his door angrily. The raider face is blasted off, he hops back and drops dead, ¡°O the humanity¡±, those were his last words.

    Jumping to their feet, the Stranger is still mangled, left arm a wreck, half of their face got pushed into the other side. A normal person is definitely dead by now.

    Grunting, the Stranger left arm somehow snaps back into place sloppily, the hand is still all messed up. The raiders draw out their spears and hook but the Stranger is faster. Slamming their left-hand bone on a metal part jutting out of the strange weapon, right finger presses rapidly on a trigger. Five bursts of flame shot out roaring, the carnage follows right after.

    Four of the raiders are hit, all in vital points, they die instantly. Fish-face, however, swings his hook just in time to divert the final shot, which takes a chunk of the empty husk of a tree nearby. The attack is followed right up by crab-chin, which throws a spear that pierces right through the Stranger throat, now they are definitely dead. As a final note, the damaged hollow tree collapses upon the person fallen form.

    The twins try to run away during the mayhem, but fish-face has jumped on them. He is quite adept at multi-tasking. The raider grabs the brother, spear pressed on the child¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Every step you take, I will give him a cut¡± He said with a wide grimace. The little girl couldn¡¯t move, she stands there shivering at what await.

    Meanwhile, crab-chin approaches the fallen tree to retrieve his spear and to check on the Stranger¡¯s weapons. His sharp eyes noticed that every time the thing spitted fire, a cylinder in the middle was moved by about the sixth of the diameter. So it can be used six times, or could the thing just spins again and again. Nevertheless, he is curious about the weapon.

    He approaches the target, dry leaves crush beneath his footstep. The dry tree burst open into pieces, from it comes the Stranger, their back toward crab-chin.

    ¡®How could this be!¡¯ The raider is stunned by what is going on in front of him. Despite their savagery, the lowlifes of the world, especially those in a gang, are quite well verse in anatomy. How to kill their targets most efficiently or neutralise them without damaging the meat too much, then the special torture without killing. There are plenty of reasons why such a knowledge is useful, and they all have plenty of practice on ¡®willing¡¯ specimen.

    Even if this wound doesn¡¯t kill the target, it should shatter the spine, cutting the connection between the head and the body. This doesn¡¯t make sense, his experience as a practitioner of magic from a time long past told him so. ¡®Oh wait¡¯, crab-chin finally realises the futility of applying common sense to this situation.

    Before the raider could muster any effort, the Stranger jumps back at him. The spear, still through the throat pierces its owner straight at the heart.

    Pulling their neck out, the Stranger throws their lasso at fish-face, spear already in hand. The older twin, however, tackles the raider leg, knocking him of balance. Before he can deliver a brutal in retaliation, the rope is already around his neck.

    The Stranger tries to swing the lasso around a tree to hang the raider but the tough looking branch just snaps.

    Sensing an opening, fish-face escapes from his bound, picks up his spear and bellows.

    ¡°FOR MY FRIENDS, I WILL CUT YOU UP IN PIECES AND OFFER THEM TO SCY¡¯LLA¡± Immortal or not, he will have his vengeance. He will eat this person, piece by piece by piece and he will enjoy every bite.

    Fish-face leaps at the enemy, knowing that they can¡¯t escape with those busted legs that could barely stand. But with that move, the raider has sealed his demise.

    The Stranger pulls the spear out of crab-chin body and flings it at his still alive comrade.

    ¡°THIS IS CHILD PLAY!¡±

    Screaming from the top of his lungs, fish-face reaches out to grab the incoming spear. Even while mid-air, this is still a simple matter. But at the last moment, something tugs at his leg. The Stranger already has their lasso around his limb. With one slight pull, the raider misses his grab and the spear, accessorised with crab legs, runs through his throat.

    The twins watch over the Stranger, holding onto one another. Will this person be their friend or foe, they are too scared to run. The two would pray if they know any of the gods once thought to protect this land.

    The Stranger looks up and what greets the twins is rather¡­ pleasant.

    Face no longer smashed up, in front of them is a young ginger woman with short wavy hair and light freckles. But most curiously are what lie in her two head sockets, something there are lacking, something essential. These deep black eyes have no irises.

    The Stranger tips her hat ¡°Howdy¡± She greets them.

    Her head continues to tilt downward more and more until she falls over face first into the ground. Among the crunchy sounds of dry leaves hide one of broken nose. The twins watch the Stranger continues to lie there. They wait, then wait for some more then a bit more of waiting but nothing happens.

    The older twin takes a spear from one of the dead raiders to poke at the mysterious woman, he could see that her duster is quite thick. Meanwhile, the younger decides to take a closer look, but not too close. She notices the Stranger¡¯s stranger weapon has fallen out of her side holster. A foreign item indeed, on the long metallic tube the little girl could make out a carving, CLAYTON. Is it the Stranger¡¯s name she wonders?

    Her brother is back and so the little girl retreats back to his side. Using the spear, they poke at the woman but there is no response.

    ¡°Is she dead?¡± The twins wondered in unison.

 .2 It comes from the depth!

    More than a century ago, when the kingdoms still stood tall, a scholar proved The Dream Theorem. It states that every time a person loses their consciousness, either willingly or not, they would dream. A revolution The Dream Theorem was. Before, mages had a way of telling dreams but sometimes there were gaps, indicating that a sleeping person¡¯s mind was still. That scholar would provide what now known as the Dresel test, what that meant lost to time, perhaps it was his name?

    This new Dresel test replaced the antiquated the old dream catching method and soon became standardised. But along with it, questions were raised about the nature of dreams. Were we simply playing imaginary scenarios influenced by our own mind or something so much more mystical. Perhaps dreams were a connection to a realm unknown, beyond understanding. Thus, the mind would make up images to make sense of the incomprehensible.

    But this Stranger has seemingly transcended the ago old Theorem, still remembered after the great cataclysm. Mordia Castellanos scratched his puzzling head. How could this be! According to the Dresel test, the Stranger doesn¡¯t dream. Her mind lies empty yet her body continues to function.

    Opening her eyelid, Mordia inspects the iris-less eye. This strange mutation, plus the dreamless state must be because of the Runelands, new phenomenon in this new world.

    ¡°Maybe some eyedrops would be nice, it¡¯s getting really dry here¡± The Stranger suddenly spoke, her voice clear as the morning dew.

    ¡°Sorry¡± Mordia bounces back ¡°Sorry for that¡± He bows his head.

    ¡°Woah, I didn¡¯t expect such a strong reaction¡± The Stranger get up and yawn, stretching her arms ¡°I was just kidding, you can stop apologising now¡±

    Looking over herself, she is wearing a sleeping gown of sort, made out of comfortable cloth. Such a lovely touch, how long has it been since her skin has such a luxury. The Stranger can¡¯t really remember. Stretching some more, she notices that a small detail is missing. Or to be more precise, her right leg is gone from the knee down.

    ¡°Your body cannibalised itself to fuel your regeneration somehow¡± Mordia offers his educated guess.

    Wiggling the stumped leg around, the Stranger starts to find this amusing ¡°I really need to start dieting¡± In the background, Mordia starts to mouth off about dieting to this complete stranger. An odd fellow, but he seems sincere. Still, in her experience this is the most dangerous kind out there in the wasteland, the Stranger takes note.

    She looks around to find her gear folded and laid out neatly on a nearby table. Everything seems to be accounted for. Her weapon, one she called a revolver, can also be found there. The Stranger hopes that the courteous host hasn¡¯t washed the bullets as well.

    ¡°So you have been taking care of me, thanks for that¡± The Stranger interrupted the man¡¯s lecture ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Me? I am Mordia Castellanos, a pleasure to be of help¡± He answered ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a name per se¡± She replied ¡°Can I have some privacy, I would like to change back¡±

    Nodding his head, Mordia heads out. ¡°I will tell my wife to prepare food for you¡± He said before closing the door.

    Looking around, the Stranger could tell that no one is watching. Hopping on one foot, she reaches the table and starts to change, but not before pinching herself. The process of regeneration is a tiring one, but it has its perk. Mainly in the new skin patches, which feels like a new-born, soft to the touch. Maybe having her face smashed in by the fall wasn¡¯t too bad, her cracked lips are now like new, healthy and lustrous.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t too bad, not bad at all¡±

    On the table are seven bullets in total, at least none is missing. But just as she had feared, four of them had been through the wash. Only three shots remaining.

    Technically, she could make more bullets, the tips are already here. Gazing down at her missing leg, the Stranger has to make a choice. Sighing, she chooses to overload herself to regenerate the missing limb instead. Gunpowder will have to wait.

    The Stranger¡¯s attire consists of plain white shirt and trousers, the legs are supplemented by leather protection. Then comes the thick vest then finally the duster and a wide-brimmed hat. Throwing the duster over her shoulder, the Stranger picks up her gears, which aren¡¯t much since most were exhausted in her last venture. Only the revolver, lasso and tomahawk remain plus three bullets. Just these for what to come, only three days left till the century ends.

    Making her way out, the Stranger is greeted by the smell of roasted ham. In the small living room, the twins are bringing out the folded table along with a tower of wooden dishes. All the walls are littered with items, from hanging utensils to dry clothes to strange magical trinkets, one of them is lighting up the place.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Come down here and sit down with us¡± The woman of the family comes out of the kitchen. Unlike her baby-face husband and angelic looking children, the mother is quite rugged with a scar running through her lips.

    The pot she is holding has a small piece of ham, the source of the smell. The rest is some sort of brown sludge with unidentified vegetables.

    ¡°Quite a cosy abode you have here¡± The Stranger commented ¡°Thank you for taking me in¡±

    ¡°Oh I am the one who should say thank, you saved my children from the Fisherman after all. Those rascals, keep on playing near the barrier border¡± She smiled brightly, an expression rare among those who lives on the waste ¡°I¡¯m Claudia, introduces yourself kids¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Alessio¡± The boy said ¡°I¡¯m Alessia¡± The girl said. The two clutch their buttocks as mother glares their way. She wasn¡¯t pleased about the twins¡¯ expedition.

    Sitting down around the small table, everyone receives a portion of the goop equally. The piece of ham, while normally divided for two for the kids, is now split again for their guest. The Stranger accepts the offer, she needs energy, now more than ever.

    This is the most delicious meal she ever has.

    After the modest feast, the children are sent away to play with their friends. The Stranger sits and strikes a conversation.

    ¡°That sign over there that says ¡®Castellanos¡¯, what¡¯s the story behind it?¡±

    Claudia answers, looking at the old sign fondly ¡°That was the sign of my family caravan, we ran a supply line from Kalreach all the way here to the woodland¡± She turns to her husband and giggles ¡°That was until I met him and decides to settle down¡±

    Morida looks up in confusion, he was tinkering with something and didn¡¯t pay any attention. His wife turns back to the guest and asks casually, but her eyes were filled with caution. Caravans are the raiders favourite treat. To survive such a long supply line, this woman is someone forged by the wasteland through and through.

    ¡°So Stranger, where are you and what brought you here?¡±

    Leaning back at the creaky chair, the woman answers ¡°Me, nowhere, I just wander around and end up here, that¡¯s all¡±

    Normally, Claudia would push for more answers, but this person saved her children, so she decides to let it slide, for now. It is the Stranger turns to ask questions. Looking outside of the window, she could see a small settlement, surrounded by a strong wooden wall.

    ¡°You are a mage, right? Mordia¡±

    ¡°Eh, what are you talking about? I¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± The man laughs nervously. The knife on the counter is now in Claudia¡¯s hand.

    ¡°So mages aren¡¯t welcome here, don¡¯t worry my lips are sealed tight¡± The Stranger put a finger over her mouth ¡°Is that why the raiders are still here, this place doesn¡¯t look to be worth the effort¡±

    ¡°Yes, this group of Fisherman is from a ruined academy. They want my charger to be able to use magic¡± He bites his lips ¡°If they get their hands on it, I don¡¯t want to imagine¡­¡±

    ¡°Yet they managed to break a part of your barrier, I presume it¡¯s your¡±

    Mordia sighs ¡°It¡¯s because of the artefacts they bring, gifted by the deity of the deep Scy¡¯lla, they said. There is no such thing, they must have stolen those items from magic academies. Using them to poison our land¡±

    Then why only now could they break through the barrier, the Stranger wonders. Is that just a rare artefact that they didn¡¯t want to waste? By now, the barrier should have recovered. But the fate of this settlement is uncertain.

    Why is she wondering about that now¡­ The clock within is ticking, only three days till the end of the century. She needs to retrieve the special bullet and the stone before then.

    Maybe those are now in the possession of the raiders. That would be neat.

    ¡°Thanks for your hospitality, take this as a token of my thanks¡±

    The Stranger gives the man several gold coin. It is time for her to leave. Mordia wants to know what she intends to do but Claudia stops him from asking.

    Walking through the small settlement, all heads turn to look at the Stranger. Such strange clothing and that vibrant red hair. The kids are more interest in the spur on her boot. As she reaches the exit, Alessio and Alessia stop by. Unlike the other children their ages, the two are seemingly untainted by the waste, their skin silky smooth, their eyes clear as the sky.

    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± The twins pout. Living in this place can only be described as boring, especially after their playground has been reduced to such state.

    ¡°I have something I have to do. Maybe I will visit you two afterward¡± The Stranger gives them a pat on the head each.

    Despite witnessing such a gruesome scene with the Fisherman, they could still be so carefree. Such dangerous innocence is one to be feared.

    The sounds of murmuring can be heard when the scout runs to open the door in a panic. The two guards sent to check on the barrier have returned, more like one and a half. One of them is clutching his fellow man, his brother who is missing from the waist down. Guts and intestines dangle low, scrapping the ground, leaving behind a trail of crimson blood.

    ¡°The wolf¡­ I tried¡­ I tried to save him but¡­¡±

    The twins stand watch, mouth agape, they are soon pulled away by their father. Claudia is also here, holding a machete and wearing thick leather armour.

    ¡°Everyone stands back, quarantine those two!¡±

    The Stranger yelled out, her normally clear voice turned into a deep grunt. She could spot tiny organisms in the trail of blood. Behind them soon comes a shadow of something monstrous. The ¡®wolf¡¯ that the guard talked about.

    Bigger than a bear, the thing has been transformed by something unknown. It is part covered with part fish scale part carapace, all smashed together. Its head is lopsided, filled with jagged rocks sticking out, bleeding profusely. This handiwork the Stranger recognises. The wound didn¡¯t kill it, that¡¯s mean the host isn¡¯t located in the brain. She needs to find it.

    ¡®Wait¡¯ Why is she thinking about this. Three days, only three days left and the location of the bullet and the stone still an enigma. She doesn¡¯t have time to help these people.

    The monster howl comes from the depth, gargling like water filled its lungs.

    ¡°Someone goes and gets the Blind Order!¡± The Stranger gives the order.

    ¡°I can, I am the fastest runner here¡± One of the youth volunteers, brave lad ¡°But they are quite far from here¡­ And that thing, I don¡¯t know how fast it is¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will hold it back for you and buy time¡± The Stranger reassures the youth and turns to the rest ¡°Close the door and reinforce the wall with everything you have!¡±

    No one here knows who this person is, but they shuffle to follow her directions anyway.

    The brave youth runs away and the creature lunges at him. It is held back by something, a lasso tied to its leg. Turning back, the Stranger approaches holding up her tomahawk.

    ¡°Damn, you are too ugly to live¡±

 .3 The quick and the blind

    The monster roars, its cheek rips apart as the jaw hangs low. So this is the bite that took a man in half. Wasting no time, it jumps as the Stranger. The clash is simply visceral, blood coloured the ground red. They meet at the clearing between the settlement and the forest.

    Dodging at the last moment, the Stranger slams the axe straights at his head. Deliberately avoiding the carapace on its head, the tomahawk digs deep. The skull is brittle, already cracked from all the moss that has grown all over. It wasn¡¯t a fatal blow, despite the monster brain now turned to mush.

    ¡°Guess it all empty in here, eh¡± The woman quipped.

    Throwing the Stranger off, the beast stumbles as she throws the lasso and pulls on its back leg. But what can her merge strength do against this thing.

    Pulling its weight forward, the monster ignores the lasso and bites at the woman. The teeth are jaggy but with vile concoction coating, it pierces through the leather duster and vest easily. But only the tips could penetrate the target.

    The Stranger has pulled the tomahawk out of the creature head and jams it inside its mouth.

    ¡°Eat this!¡±

    Not like it matters, the monster simply smashes her onto the ground. The teeth run along the woman body, ripping shallows open bloody lines. Pulling the tomahawk out, the Stranger replies by delivering a devastating blow onto both of the monster¡¯s legs. Despite the clear gaping wounds, it shows no sign of weakening.

    This isn¡¯t an ideal situation, facing cursed creatures like this is not new to the Stranger. But without any supply, she could only throw herself to deal as much as possible. Her regeneration superior, the Stranger needs to grind the monster down before it could do the same. Immortality wouldn¡¯t matter if you are torn apart and scattered all over the place.

    ¡°So troublesome¡± If only she has her many knives and bombs or maybe even a few artefacts.

    The beast pounces at the fallen woman but she just hops back onto her feet and throws her lasso behind its legs again. How could this be, the thing couldn¡¯t believe how could the woman still move. Even the unknown voice of the depth within its mine doesn¡¯t sense anything from her. Nevertheless, it will keep on assaulting until she stops moving. The monster stops its jump and leaps to the side dodging the lasso then continues the onslaught. This move wouldn¡¯t work again.

    The wide brim lifts up, however, to reveal a confident smile. Pulling the lasso back, the Stranger swings it around, along with it a rock of considerable size. Mid-air, the monster couldn¡¯t avoid the massive blow to its mouth. With a crippling cracking sound, jagged teeth fall down, drenched in blood and murky green mucus from the depth.

    Roaring again, the monster shoots out octopus tentacles, hoping to ensnare its target. The Stranger isn¡¯t caught of guard and slides of two of the limbs. But her leg is caught and the woman is slammed against a tree, untouched from the curse, still standing strong. The leather protection absorbs most of the force. However, the pieces of bark dig deep within the teeth wound on her back.

    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch, this better not causes an infection¡± The Stranger grins painfully ¡°Who am I kidding here¡±

    The fight moves to the forest.

    The settlement all on their wall, watching the fight with bated breath. Such a monster, would their wall even hold it back. The uncertainly is unsettling, dread falls over the relatively peaceful place.

    ¡°We need to do something!¡± One said.

    ¡°She needs help¡± Another chimed in ¡°We can¡¯t let her deal with that thing by herself¡±

    They ran their mouth, but none of them could step up to volunteer. The mayor also said something brave, but he is now nowhere to be found. What could they do against such a monster. Well there is one who can and he is certainly going to try.

    Mordia Castellanos runs back into his house, having left the charger there. He needs to help the Stranger, the man couldn¡¯t bare seeing her get mauled like that. A swift strike to the head, however, and the mage falls to the ground, unconscious.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you do this¡± Claudia stands over her husband.

    She knows what he can¡¯t do, the man is powerful no doubt. His spells might even be strong even to destroy the monster. But the fight is too far away, he would have to venture out. One thing her experience has told her, if Mordia steps out there, he wouldn¡¯t survive long enough to even use his magic. No, she would have to make the situation more favourable.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Stepping outside, she takes up the command, something she should have done. ¡°Everyone gathers your knives and anything with a pointy end, then plant them right behind the wall¡± Turning to the what¡¯s left of the guard, only one is left, alive and sane ¡°And you, go gather as many ropes as you can¡±

    They will set their trap, they will slow down the prey. She needs to show them how to navigate, how to set up barricades, how to funnel the monster. Only then will Mordia¡¯s magic be effective. But all of this will require precious time. One that a lone woman is buying them.

    Their fate now firm in the hand of a stranger.

    In the forest, the beast hops from one tree to another. Such frightening speed and precision, its mobility unparallel. But where does this instinct come from? Wolf isn¡¯t known for this kind of movement. And so are creatures from the deep, submerge under the bottomless sea. Or perhaps the insight offered by the depth simply transcend such a mundane aspect. It speaks in a strange language, incomprehensible yet every word is filled with infinite knowledge. A name rings out, from the deepest depth, that endless void.

    [Scy¡¯lla]

    The wolf is a proud creature, even in this harsh time it still holds its head high.

    So when the depth called out to it, the wolf resisted its temptation of knowledge. It fought a valiant but losing battle, keeping what was left of its merge pride. But it was all shattered by this ¡®human¡¯. The wolf had his teeth smashed in, its legs nearly chopped off, but none of that truly damaged its pride. No, the beast is crushed because it still couldn¡¯t take down this prey after so long.

    Surrendering to the whisper, the monster transforms into something unrecognisable, its former glorious self, forgotten. The howl is now drowned out by the sound of gargling from the depth. From its wounds sprout more tentacles and eyes with stretched irises opening all over. Wrapping its many limbs around the branches, the monster moves through the forest, determined to consume this ¡®human¡¯.

    ¡°Gosh, can¡¯t believe you can look worse¡±

    The Stranger swings her lasso around the branches to navigate. The rope is also stretched in front of the monster in hope of slowing it down. As the two collide, the lasso is pushed deep within the skin, running along as if the beast¡¯s inside is a soft mush. It passes through without slowing down a single bit.

    ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± The Stranger sighs but still keep a smile on her face.

    There is no way to get out of this, the beast slides along the branches, unstoppable. Or at least that what she thought. Tripping a trap hidden within the leaves, steel dusts explode and covered the monster. It burns through the scales, the carapaces, but the monster still pounces forward, undeterred.

    Its speed affected, the Stranger dodges the attack. The monster collides into the oak, splinters dig inside its wounds, only to be consumed.

    But where does that trap come from? The Stranger scans the area to spot more, hidden in the oddest of place. These placements aren¡¯t for birds nor critters, no, the creatures cursed by the unknown defies nature. Their movements impossible to predict, there are more thoughts to the traps than what a mere look could tell. That plus the signature steel dusts.

    It¡¯s the Blind Order.

    On the nearby oak, the bark moves out to reveal a man in disguise. Drawing his shinning sword coated in a dark substance, he slices the creature¡¯s head off. Knowing it won¡¯t go down like that, the man shoves a dust bomb within its gaping wound.

    A muffled explosion is followed up by pained gargled. The monster somehow survives but the man has already back away, hiding within the trees and leaves, throwing his sword away.

    ¡®Such discipline¡¯ The Stranger thought to herself.

    To know that the beast wouldn¡¯t go down after getting its head chopped off, to be prepared when even the bomb failed. Knowing that the blood and gunk on his sword could compromise his position, he discarded that weapon without a single thought. This man must be a veteran, a strange sight since those in the Blind Order has a tendency to die young.

    The monster couldn¡¯t track this new face, this isn¡¯t a prey but a predator. The cloak lined with Blind steel, makes him undetectable even to the enlightened beast.

    From the shadow, the Blind bursts out again, slashing the monster with a steel knife then drops it to the ground. He retreats again only to strike out again, picking up his sword for a deep cut. Again and again and again, he continues to slide chunks of the monster.

    Born and trained to fight monstrosities of the unknown, blinded to their temptations.

    The beast falls, its many tentacles fail to even touch this shadowy figure. Lying to the ground, its scales peeled off. The creature finds it senses assaulted by the damp forest. The depth retreats to reveal the lone wolf, the last of its pack. Breathing the fresh air, it lets out a final howl of release.

    The proud wolf dies, its mind washed away, no longer molested by the depth.

    From the shadow, the man comes out pulling down the hood of his cloak. Underneath is an aged face but his hair and beard still faded black.

    Something is wrong, the veteran doesn¡¯t like it. None of the mutations fall of the wolf, the tentacles seemingly disappear. This beast isn¡¯t the true monster, no it¡¯s simply a host. The true form likely inside its belly. He will need to gut the wolf before it gets reanimated, an unpleasant task. One of his many students died doing something similar, as the young Blind was dragged inside a horse belly by an unseen monstrosity.

    Even after the horse was spread all over the dissection table, the young Blind was nowhere to be found.

    Kneeling down, the man pulls out the knife, his other hand placed firmly on the sword. Before he could cut the wolf opens, the beast opens its eyes and pounces at him.

    Ready, the man cuts it open with one swift slash, but from the cut, something springs out. A malformed crow flies straight to the air, out of his reach. This is the true host of the depth, if it gets away, then the curse could once again spread. He throws out the steel knife, but the monster easily escapes the projectile.

    Flying into the free air to spread its horror elsewhere, or at least that is what supposed to happen.

    BANG.

    The shot rings true, tearing the monster to shred once and for all. On a branch, the mangled Stranger lies, swinging her leg. She could now lean back and relax, but this tattered body will need more than that. And here she is supposed to be in a hurry. But leaving the town to its demise isn¡¯t her style. Three days left? Make it two.

    ¡°Oops, I did it again¡± The Stranger sighs with a smirk, tipping her hat down.

 .4 Once upon a time

    ¡°It seems like I will be bothering you guys again¡±

    The Stranger kicks open the Castellanos¡¯s household to find the man of the family, out cold, his children poking him with a stick. Looking around, she can see a sack he was definitely going to take with him, around it is several magical artefacts and the charger. The man wanted to help, even if it placed him in harms¡¯ way.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed, all these years¡± The Stranger mutters.

    ¡°What did you say, miss?¡± Alessio couldn¡¯t catch that, his sister remains quiet.

    ¡°Nothing, you kids continue to look after your father, he seems really tired¡±

    ¡°No, mom just knocked him out¡± Alessia said as if it was the most natural thing.

    ¡°Does she do that often?¡±

    The twins think, ¡®hmmmmm¡¯, they look at each and nod in unison.

    ¡®You had found a great partner there¡¯, the Stranger thinks to herself. Turning around, she finds herself facing with a steel blade. The Blind man stands there, coldly, gazing into her eyes. How old is he? 40? 50? Quite an achievement, especially for a hunter of beasts.

    ¡°Your license, now¡± He said coldly.

    The Stranger is going to crack a joke or two but decides against it. This man will cut her down for it. Make sense, facing the unknowns long enough and one learns to not take any chances. She pulls out the Diver license from her pocket. The man puts the sword away, but his eyes are still filled with caution.

    ¡°What is that?¡± The twins asked.

    ¡°Ah, this thing, it shows that I am someone who tend to wander into strange places¡± The Stranger leans down ¡°Like Runelands for example, well, mostly Runelands¡±

    Alessio seems to be deep in thought, trying to remember something. His sister proves to be the model student this time ¡°Is it the dangerous areas that keep appearing out of nowhere¡±

    ¡°Kind of¡± The Stranger gives her a pat and the girl lights up with a sense of accomplishment.

    With no rhythm or reason, these Runelands appear throughout the world, sometimes they stay, sometimes they move like a deadly fog. Mutating everything within, the Runelands churn out monstrosities, those that the Knight of Matah and the Blind Order vow to destroy. The source of the Runeland tends to be something or someone with a strange rune, hence the name. The Divers are those who delve into the Runelands mostly to find Rune-touch artefacts or to destroy the sources.

    All Divers suffer from mutations and have the same end. They all lose their minds and get cut down by the Blind Order.

    With eyes like the Stranger, either she is a Diver or a monstrosity that must be purged. But even this Blind veteran couldn¡¯t see through the forgery. The woman should really drop the forger a few gold coins next time she drops by.

    ¡°Excuse me, but what business do you have with my household¡±

    The Blind man turns around to see a woman, a mother with scarred lips holding onto a machete. She is no stranger to drawing blood and hesitation had left her years ago now.

    ¡°Quit your tone, Claudia!¡± The mayor appears out of nowhere from behind her ¡°Can¡¯t you see he is a hunter from the Blind Order!¡±

    They are easy to spot, the first generation that is. All of them have a scar on their forehead, filled with metal. This ritual renders the Blind Order unable to use magic of any kind asides from charged artefacts. But it also makes them immune to whatever lurk within the Runesland, the unknown deities that plague the world.

    Completely ignoring the mayor, the hunter approaches Claudia ¡°Did the monster get anyone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, one, his brother was with him¡± The housewife answered ¡°They are both quarantine in the guard barrack¡±

    ¡°Good, do they leave behind any blood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a trail, but no one has approached it¡± Claudia continued, behind her the mayor is trying to say something ¡°Inside the blood are strange creatures, my children recognise them¡±

    When the raiders broke the barrier with their spear, the same creatures spilled out of the broken weapon. But those seemed to be more mature than these parasites, now all dried up and dead. Nevertheless, the hunter will have to burn them all, starting with the dead man.

    ¡°Take me to the guard barrack¡± He said coldly.

    Jumping in front of Claudia, the mayor chimed in ¡°And I will take you there, this way sir¡±

    This hunter is no doubt a high ranker among the Blind Order, someone worth appealing to. Before they leave, the two are stopped by a question.

    ¡°I sent a young lad to ask you guys for help, where is he?¡± The Stranger leans at the door, her hat tips down.

    ¡°Yesterday a knight arrived at an Order barrack, on death¡¯s door. He talked of raiders welding stranger artefacts and so I came here¡± The hunter answered ¡°And no, I didn¡¯t encounter anyone on the way here¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, we will send out a search party for him¡± The mayor jumped in.

    ¡°No¡± The Stranger, the Blind hunter and Claudia all replied instantly.

    ¡°Oh¡­ ok then¡­¡± The mayor seemed unaffected ¡°Anyway, this way sir hunter, this way¡±

    ¡°That young man, your son. He is a thousand time the man that you are¡± Claudia grunted, he gave up easier than she had expected.

    ¡°Does it matter¡± The mayor glared at her ¡°I¡¯m the one still standing here¡±

    ¡°I guess not¡± The woman turns away, she needs to attend to her husband.

    Entering the house, Claudia is relief to see he is still where she left him. Telling the children to wash up, she lifts his head onto her lap. Stroking his hair, the wife wonders if she used too much force. But well, it was his fault, always so ready to charge into danger like that.

    It certainly brought her back to the day they met.

    ___

    Mages tend to be locked in their tower, their interactions to the outside world kept to a minimum. But sometimes, the students are let out to town, meeting the people that their magic will serve. Although it is mostly to keep them from going insane from the isolation, there are enough precedents already.

    It was a sunny day that the teenage Mordia got to breath the fresh air again in years. Strolling down the street with his roommate Bruno, the two had to hold back from spending all of their allowance at once. Last time they spent everything at once to buy a shoddily craft statue. It still made for nice decoration in their room devoid of anything else. The duos were quite popular thanks to that even.

    This time, maybe they would get some candies or even some hot food.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go buy that sugar thing that Mark bought last time¡± Bruno suggested, couldn¡¯t hold back his saliva from drooling.

    ¡°Nah, let¡¯s get something better!¡± On the corner of his eyes, Morida could spot a building filled with people ¡°Why don¡¯t we check out this ¡®tavern¡¯ thing!¡±

    His friend agreed wholeheartedly. Entering the place, it was filled to the brim with people, dining and drinking. A dining area was no strange sight but the two were overwhelmed by the atmosphere of this ¡®tavern¡¯. It was drilled inside their heads that the wasteland outside was filled with nothing but misery, but in here, people were enjoying themselves, drinking to forget their dismal lives. Even those who were depressed had more energy to them than any hall in the academy.

    ¡°This place is amazing¡± Bruno commented.

    The people noticed the two mage-in-trainings, but they looked away and continued on with their businesses. Magic users were a sore sight for them. But the two mages, oblivious of the malice toward them, ventured in.

    For some reason, no one wanted the two to sit nearby. Mordia and Bruno walked around with the chairs, until they found a table with only one person, a girl with hood.

    ¡°Can we sit here?¡± Mordia asked.

    ¡°Whatever¡± The girl said, looking up.

    Her face shook the mages. She was only around their age and yet the difference between them was bigger than any canyon. Unlike the girls at the academy, this stranger was unkempt. Her hair a mess, tied by a rubber band, the lips all cracked with a scar running to her chin. But this girl was different from the rest of the townsfolks as well. Her eyes were weary, they were older than any academy¡¯s professors, more experience than anyone in this town.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name¡± Mordia asked nervously.

    ¡°Claudia¡± The girl answered then sighed before continuing ¡°Castellanos¡±

    Sitting down, Bruno tried to ask her all sort of questions. The girl simply brushed them off but that didn¡¯t deter the young mage. Meanwhile, Mordia simply looked at her with curious eyes. The barrage of questions were stopped by a very angry tavern keeper.

    ¡°Stop bothering her¡± He grunted menacingly.

    ¡°But why¡± Bruno completely missed all of the threatening body language aimed at him. He didn¡¯t understand, the girl didn¡¯t ask him to stop herself.

    ¡°You people wouldn¡¯t understand¡± The tavern keeper sneered ¡°Anyone, what are you two having. If nothing that get out of my establishment¡±

    The two mages ordered water and sat there. It was so strange, their water was always crystal clear. But here, the liquid in the two cups had a brown tint to it. Downing the content in one gulp, the two looked at each other.

    ¡°Wah, they have flavour water out here!¡±

    As the mages were fawning over the dirty water, the girl stood up. It was time for her to leave for one last ride. The tavern keeper noticed her trying to sneak out.

    ¡°Hey, where are you going!¡± He asked worryingly.

    ¡°To finish the caravan line to the woodland¡± She answered.

    ¡°How! Everyone is dead, you are the only left!¡± The tavern keeper tried to stop this madness. Under unprecedented heavy assault by the whole of the Fisherman, the venerable Castellanos caravan was down to one girl left. Her parents, her uncles, her aunts, her brothers and sisters, her cousins and nieces, all gone. The rest of the people in the tavern joined in to stop her from this suicide trip.

    ¡°Yes, everyone is dead and what, they gave their lives so the cargos could reach here unscathed¡± Claudia pulled her hood down ¡°I am here, the Castellanos caravan is still here and we never fail to deliver¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let you do this to yourself¡±

    The people started to surround Claudia, they would restrain her. How hard could it be, she was just one girl. They were wrong.

    After giving some of the men purple eyes, the girl drew her machete ¡°I won¡¯t let any of you stop me¡±

    ¡°You brat!¡±

    The air turned sour, the people were still going to tie her up. But now, their intention wasn¡¯t one of altruism anymore. The tavern keeper had to break up the crowd.

    ¡°There, there, let¡¯s just stop all this and let the girl go¡±

    As he approached Claudia, however, the man immediately grabbed at her machete. More came in to help him but they were all blown away by a shockwave. The mage Mordia stepped in, unable to sit still. Even he knew what she was trying to do was stupid. But that fire in her eyes, one that he had never seen before. The young mage didn¡¯t want something like that to go out.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you stop her!¡± He declared. Bruno was surprised, he didn¡¯t know the mild-mannered Mordia could raise his voice like that.

    ¡°Do you want to help that girl kills herself!¡± The tavern keeper said ¡°You mages know no¡­¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t die¡± Mordia cut him off ¡°Because I will go with her¡±

    The whole tavern was uncharacteristically quiet. They didn¡¯t want to go against a mage. The gears turning, they returned to doing whatever. All hint of worry gone without a trace. Mordia certainly didn¡¯t expect such a heel turn.

    Bruno came over to his friend side.

    ¡°So you are leaving, huh. The professors would be furious¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to stop me¡± Mordia was surprised. He worried that this place had rubbed off his friend. But of course, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Nah, I know that look of yours, no one could stop you¡± Bruno felt rather jealous, he could never be that passionate about anything. Such a strange thought, that Mordia and that Claudia girl would have something in common ¡°Anyway, shouldn¡¯t you go, she is nearly gone now¡±

    ¡°EH!¡±

    Mordia turned around to find no one behind him. It took him a while to catch up to the girl. How did she move so fast, so mysterious, a special wasteland technique perhaps? He asked if he could come along and the girl didn¡¯t object.

    Claudia was surprised by that choice herself, he didn¡¯t this mage to tag along. That was why she wanted to cut him off. This was the Castellanos caravan, ran only by the Castellanos.

    And yet, when he asked with those bright eyes, she couldn¡¯t turn him down. Claudia sighed, to think she would spend the rest of her life with a mage, during the last ride for the Castellanos caravan as well. That thought proved to be correct, although the girl grossly underestimated their time together.

 .5 Crumbling down

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t hold it in anymore! Scy¡¯lla, please heed my word!¡±

    Where did it all go so so wrong?

    ¡°Run! Ru¡­ dag y¡¯uel iz K¡¯os!¡±

    The raider makes his way through the forest, the dark night swallowed him whole. The last vestige of his world crumbled into nothingness. Touching his face, he can feel the skull, half exposed to the air. And yet, there is no pain. How is he still alive even? The raider wants to end it all but he can¡¯t, his friends risked their lives so he could go on.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡±

    Falling to his knees, the raider weeps, surprised that he could still shed tears. Clutching his spear, the man apologises to everyone he has known, it is time he joins them.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my child?¡±

    A gentle voice calls out from the dark. The raider looks up to see a man in black suit with tab collar and a white strip on his neck. A priest, but not an ordinary one.

    ¡°Get back!¡±

    Grabbing his spear, the raider points at the stranger in horror. A third of the priest face is heavily burned, with black rock and glass shards jutting out. From the side of his mouth running down, twisting around his neck is a long black barb wire, going through the man chest and around his left arm. A part of the priest cheek is also ripped off, exposing the row of teeth within.

    ¡°I thought you wanted to die. And yet here you are, trying to protect yourself¡± Despite the gruesome accessories, the priest voice is one most kind. Like a fresh spring to the tired soul ¡°It seems like there are plenty of life left within you, do not waste it¡±

    This isn¡¯t something caused by magic or a Runeland mutation. No, it reminds the raider of his friend who took the burden of the Scy¡¯lla artefacts upon himself. It turned the person into something horrific from the deep and drilled into his mind to whisper words, runes from the sea deity.

    This priest is also an acolyte, but of what deity? The raider no not the name but he can feel what it represents, pain.

    ¡°If you value then stand up and fight¡± The priest said gently, yet the urgency in his tone was not lost.

    From behind the bush exits a malformed figure. The raider could barely recognise one of his friends, now a monstrosity. The creature is a human with head enlarged, throughout its body are holes as big as a fist. There is nothing inside those holes, but an infinite darkness.

    Just like Mark.

    He volunteered to bear the weight of communing with Scy¡¯lla, the raider could only watch as his friend continued to mutate. First his eyes rolled of to be replaced by bulging fish eyes. The scales and carapaces started to cover his body, tentacles sprouting randomly, painfully. Despite Mark¡¯s best effort, slight mutations started to manifest in some of the others. Those affected decided to use that cursed spear and now they are all dead, killed by a stranger with crimson hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    The raider said, thrusting his spear into his old friend¡¯s body. But the wound couldn¡¯t slow down the monster which lunged at him. Something flies into the thing¡¯s eye, a glass shard. One small piece soon blossoms, exploding like a blooming flower. The monster jumps back, half of its face covered by glass shards, gleaming in the dark night.

    Despite the severity of the wound, the monster shrug it off.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do to harm him¡± The priest said ¡°But I know someone who can, we must go¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to run anymore¡± He feels weak.

    The raider looks at his ¡®friend¡¯. The monster walks toward him then stop, from its many holes, countless eyes open, gazing at the man. Yet he is still fine, as if this thing recognises him. But not for long, the raider stabs the monster rapidly ¡°AHHHHHH¡± He screams out, those eyes, he couldn¡¯t recognise any of them.

    Kicking the monster away, the raider turns and runs, the priest still there waiting for them.

    Another glass shard is thrown at the thing¡¯s leg, tearing it apart. The monster could still pursue them. No matter where they go, even if all of its eyes are blotted out, it could still see the preys, forever and ever.

    The raider and the priest only stop when they have gained a considerable distance.

    ¡°Now we need to find help, I¡¯m sure he is around here¡±

    The raider doubts that, they are still in the forest in the cursed section. The trees around all hollow, no life could exist in this place. This is also where seven of his friends died to the mysterious stranger.

    ¡°Quite a dire situation we are in¡± The priest said, his calm tone contrasted the content of his saying ¡°May I ask what happened and how many of them are there? But before that, I¡¯m Father Walker. How should I could you?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    The raider looks down ¡°By my name, Bruno is fine.¡± His mind casts back to when it all go from wrong to worse ¡°There was this woman who came from the sky. She dropped something, a steel capsule and a stone ring¡­ I brought it back to our time then it all, turned to hell¡±

    The capsule seemed normal but there was something wrong about the stone ring. But it wasn¡¯t a feeling of dread but of forlorn instead. Unknown of what to do, they gave it to Mark, who was the most in tune with Scy¡¯lla, perhaps he could identify it. Despite the horrible mutation, the deity of the depth would provide its acolyte with protection against the unknown.

    They were wrong.

    As Mark gazed through the stone ring, his screeched was from the depth. He called out his deity name, but it was no use. The man was possessed by something greater. His eyes, all the tentacles fell off to reveal gaping holes.

    Bruno was there, he was the one to give Mark the stone ring.

    It was a mistake; the raiders were safe because they weren¡¯t enlightened enough. ¡°Run¡± Mark pleaded to his friend. But Bruno didn¡¯t listen, he tried to help and his eyes were drawn to one of the many holes filled with darkness. No, it wasn¡¯t the void, but something forlorn, it was the cosmos itself, gazing back at him.

    It was a million stars exploding violently, their light flaring brightly before being snuffed forever. It was the endless nothing, stretches of darkness furthered than even the sight of the most eagle-eyed. It was strange foreign beings far away, on another world with different suns and moons. It was the infinity and also nothingness.

    It was magnificent.

    But his appreciation was cut short as Mark knocked him out of the way. Bruno then noticed half of his face, already drawn inside the unknown cosmos. His skin, his blood, his meat wasn¡¯t torn off, no they just simply cease to exist in this realm of human comprehension.

    Horrified, Bruno ran away but the rest of his friends, enthralled by the infinite, flock over like moth to the flame.

    ¡°There were more than thirty of us, thirty-four to be precise. I think all of them are possessed now¡± The raider reaches up touch his skull, his face missing feels most natural.

    They search for this ¡®someone¡¯ that could help them. The priest simply said, you will know when you see him. Going through the cursed wood, Bruno has plenty of time to see the destruction that he and his friends had brought. A once mighty oak, now hollow, its everything lost forever.

    But they didn¡¯t have any choice. The order was clear, they were to retrieve the charger.

    Suddenly, from behind the mist, a sound of crushed leaves could be heard. Something is coming, but it isn¡¯t a human. No, the sound indicates that this thing is so much heavier. The outline behind the mist is something unnatural. The sound of breathing is coarse and threatening.

    Then, it comes out, a beast on all four with a some sort of leather seating on its back. This thing seems so familiar, Bruno has seen it before.

    ¡°It¡¯s a horse¡± The priest said ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t get to go out much¡±

    Oh right, the raider has heard of this animal, used mostly by knights on the plains. Bruno had caught sight of them once or twice.

    ¡°How could this horse help us!¡±

    The raider asked, just as their pursuer burst out from a hollow tree right behind him. He could narrowly dodge the swipe, a feat of pure luck.

    Father Walker shoots out the barb wire from his hand, piercing the monster in its leg. From around the wound, barb wires burst out wrapping around the limb. The priest pulls the monster toward him. Seeing the monstrosity, the horse is startled but ready to attack.

    But before the animal has the chance to, the monster many eyes glow and shoot out ethereal beams of light toward the priest. He still stands strong but one of the beam hit the barb wire, cutting the monster free.

    It¡¯s escaping, it is afraid of the horse. But why.

    They are saved by this animal. Bruno wants to breath a sigh of relief but he couldn¡¯t. Seeing the monster twisted pain still pains him. He knew that man, that boy. They grew up together, studied together, lived together, grew up together. In their dim lives the young mages only had one another.

    And now, all of his friends are gone, replaced by monsters.

    The raider can feel a swirl of emotions inside, pain, sadness, regret, anguish, anger, fear, curious. They all bubble up then¡­ there was nothing. Bruno hunches down, his mind completely cleanse, the raider knows what to do, what he must do.

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±

    Screaming out, he jumps at the running monster. Gabbing it spells death for him, coming in contact with the eyes he would no doubt be drawn in by their gaze. Becoming one with the cosmos. The raider, the friend grabs the barb wire, his hand burning up from the pain. The pricking pain intensifies then blossom as more wires sprout like flowers around his arms.

    Gritting the teeth, Bruno pulls the monster back.

    Resisting, it shoots the beams of light, puncturing the man. It hurts, it burns, it is excruciating, but Bruno still holds strong.

    He swings the monster back where the horse is waiting. The animal kicks the thing with its front hooves covered in black horseshoes. The blow takes the monster¡¯s head off, but it is still alive, groaning. The horse still isn¡¯t done, it tramples upon the thing again and again and again. Until finally, all sign of life leaves the monster.

    The raider looks on the person lying on the ground. It is his friend covered in holes but still very much his friend, now lifeless but free.

    ¡®I promise¡¯ Bruno vowed to himself ¡®I will see to it that you all find rest¡¯

    He somehow survived this fight. None of the beams hit vital spots and they are too small to cause much damage. The barb wire has also stopped drawing blood, it wants him to live, to feel pain. That¡¯s a price he is willing to accept. But first, he needs to find a way to do that. Turning to the priest, the man asks.

    ¡°How does this horse manage to kill this¡­ thing?¡±

    ¡°Well¡± The priest scratches his head ¡°The horseshoes are black but it is forged out of a special kind of steel, made to kill these sort of thing¡±

    Bruno had heard about this. The most prominent groups to use this are the Blind Order with their secret forging techniques and the Diver. Some of the knights are also outfitted with such steel but it isn¡¯t their job to battle monstrosities of the unknowns.

    The horse, meanwhile, has moved away from the two.

    ¡°Why is it going away from us?¡± Asked Bruno.

    ¡°Well¡­ how do I say it. It isn¡¯t my horse¡± The priest answers nonchalantly ¡°But be careful, someone has looted it. And I am sure that person is still here, watching us, bidding her time¡±

    ¡®She¡¯, it seems like Father Walker has an idea of who is it. Bruno minds cast to the woman falling from the sky. Is it her? He wonders. The most important question is, is ¡®she¡¯ a friendly or not or if ¡®she¡¯ is still a human.

    Under the rusted leaves, a pair of eyes are watching with the crossbow ready. Grinning, the Smiling Hunter waits for the perfect moment to strike.

 .6 Those that follow that crimson hair Stranger

    From beneath the ground, a bolt shoots out straight at Bruno. He dodges it just in time only to find another coming from a completely different direction. The raider training kicks in and the man also manages to avoid this second attack. But at that very moment, the leaves and the ground burst open as someone with grey cloak jumps out shooting a crossbow at him.

    It is the end, having nowhere to go, Bruno reaches out, trying to grab the bolt coming for his head. He fails, and the steel tip stops right in front of his eye. The barb wires around his arms tangle with the bolt, stopping it.

    ¡°Tch, quite some luck you have there¡±

    The attacker is covered from head to toe in a camouflage grey cloak, blending perfectly in the drab background. A one-eye goggle in her right eye, the glass shrouded in darkness. She holds a custom-made crossbow, covered in grey leaves.

    ¡°Is this all, Siobhan?¡± The priest asked, still remains calm.

    ¡°Of course not, Father. I am just waiting for my target, that¡¯s all¡±

    A person mode and expression can be deduced from their tone. Bruno can tell that this woman is grinning, her voice mischievous.

    Coming up toward him, the Smiling Hunter asks slowly in the most condescending tone possible, still grinning ¡°Can. You. Give. Me. Back. My. Bolt. It¡¯s the pointy thing, pretty please, Mr. Raider? Or else I would have to kill you¡±

    ¡°Here you go¡± Bruno ignores her attitude. The man inspects the tip before giving it back. Even though it was dyed to reduce visibility, that piece is made by Blind steel. Then the camouflage cloak and all the traps strewn about. Is this woman part of the Blind Order, a field hunter? But she isn¡¯t here for him and his friend or else she would strike earlier.

    If so, what could she be possibly be hunting here?

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Raider. People call me the Smiling Hunter Siobhan because I am always so happy!¡± The woman introduces herself and makes a heart with her hands ¡°Can you stand still for bit. I need to memorise your face¡±

    ¡°What for¡± Bruno backs up, cold sweats running down behind his neck.

    ¡°So I can remember to hunt you later¡±

    She said with such a playful tone, but the man can tell that this person is not joking. The Smiling Hunter sounds joyful, too much so when she made that announcement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten about you yet, Father!¡± Siobhan turns to the priest.

    He smiles gently, his voice still warms the soul ¡°I will be sure to receive you properly then. But for now, can you put your traps away?¡±

    ¡°No no no, don¡¯t be mistaken, they aren¡¯t for you and Mr. Raider¡± She shakes her head.

    ¡°I know who you are after and we both know you aren¡¯t going to succeed anyway¡± His voice still filled with warmth and yet the content is filled with contempt ¡°This is a crucial time, for the next two days she must not be obstructed. Leave it be, Siobhan¡±

    The Smiling Hunter tilts her head in contemplation then suddenly draws the crossbow points straight the priest ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, I know you also want her! You want to defile her!¡±

    ¡°Defile? No, I simply want to show her the wondrous sight that I have seen¡± Smiling, the black rocks embedded on his head seemingly pulsates. The raider collapses to the ground, the barb wires suddenly react. It emits an unbearable pain, one beyond comprehension. Fortunately, the reaction stops before he could see what is past the suffering. On the other side, the deity awaits patiently.

    Father Walker continues ¡°If you know me well and I am sure a hunter you must be knowledgeable about your prey. Then you must know that I don¡¯t lie, Ms. Siobhan. For two days, she must not be touched nor hindered in any way¡± He smiles but the fa?ade is see-through, a sadistic monster lies just beneath ¡°After that, well, it will be hunting season¡±

    ¡°Huh, I have forgotten what a crazy fucker you are, ¡®Father¡¯ Walker¡± Siobhan backs off.

    ¡°This is imperative, dangerous, even for her¡± The priest hunches forward to be nearer to the Smiling Hunter ¡°She might die¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, nothing can kill her! If anything can, then it will be me!¡±

    Bruno hides himself behind a hollow tree. This woman is deranged, no, both of them are. Her voice, while still cheery is cracking. He doesn¡¯t want to be there, the first living thing in her sight right now.

    ¡°Then maybe you could help, I¡¯m sure she would appreciate you for it¡± The priest whispered ¡°She will love you¡±

    The Smiling Hunter backs off and giggles, it starts out innocent enough but is soon distorted.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Father Walker, you are one crafty bastard¡± The laughter is cut off in an instant, like a singing canary, snuffed out ¡°So, what do I have to hunt?¡±

    Needless to say, Bruno is disturbed by this union. But he doesn¡¯t complain, this crazed Blind could be his only change to put all of his friends out of their miseries. While the thought of them dying to this lunatic angers him, a death is still a death.

    Looking at the horse, Bruno wonders if it belongs to the woman those two are talking about.

    ___

    The settlement is buzzing with the arrival of the Blind hunter and the mysterious Stranger. The former because of his age. How old is he? In his fifties or maybe even sixties? How could one live for that long especially as a hunter!

    Outside the guard barrack, a young woman waiting for news of her husband.

    Only the hunter exits, he strikes a match and lights up the fuel already poured at the building. The isolated barrack goes up in flame, lighting up the dark night. The young woman grapes.

    ¡°Where is my husband, he isn¡¯t hurt, he is fine¡±

    She goes after the old hunter, begging for his attention, for answer. The man turns back, his face devoid of emotion.

    ¡°He is already cursed¡±

    Trying to help his brother, the man came in contact with the blood tainted by the depth. Still normal, he started to hear whispering from something called Scy¡¯lla. The voice, his life brought to an end by the hunter¡¯s steel. He continues to scorch the trail of cursed blood leading into town. The widow, meanwhile, weeps.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡±

    Looking from afar, Mordia commented, guilt weighted heavy on him.

    ¡°What nonsense are you on about?¡± His wife turns him around, looking into the man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Those raiders, they are here for the charger, my charger¡± Mordia looks down in shame.

    ¡°You are such a fool¡±

    Claudia hugs her husband, he is truly too kind for his own good. She started to regret letting him be this way. Their lives were peaceful until now, but this is an apocalyptic wasteland, misery will find its way. Her heart aches when she thinks of her children, they resemble their father to a fault. After this all blow over, she would have to toughen all up.

    ¡®After this all blow over¡¯, for some reason, those words rung so ominous in her mind.

    Their tender moment is interrupted by their neighbour, the town tailor. He also maintains the guards¡¯ equipment and was tasked with fixing the Stranger¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t make it as good as before, but this is all I could do¡± He said, grudge in his voice.

    Why is that though? Claudia wonders, the air in the settlement has been hostile but she doesn¡¯t understand why. This isn¡¯t frustration of their position, nor a hatred for the force besieging them. Where does this anger come from and what is it aimed at?

    Mordia takes the clothes and brings it in.

    After a while, a familiar jingle could be heard with every sound of footsteps. It¡¯s the spur on the Stranger boot. All geared and healed up, she is ready to set out.

    ¡°Thanks for your hospitality, sir and ma¡¯am¡± The woman said, tipping her hat to the other two little ones ¡°And you both¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then¡± Mordia said, still looking rather disappointed.

    There was an argument last night, the mage wanted to go and helped wiped out Scy¡¯lla¡¯s influence. Claudia, of course, didn¡¯t want him to go. But Mordia didn¡¯t budge, he was still the same as that boy she met in the tavern all those time ago. But it was the Stranger stepping then did the argument stopped.

    ¡°You are not Mordia, no, you are Mordia Castellanos. Dying ain¡¯t no way for a family man¡± She said ¡°Stay and protect your place, your home, don¡¯t let the Pale Rider take ¡®em away¡±

    Custom making some artefacts for the Stranger was all he could do. Mordia would accompany the two till the edge of the barrier. Then, after opening a passage and closing it, his job is done. Oh, he pained himself over the decisions, but the man understood what was important.

    While Claudia may not exactly be happy that it was a stranger¡¯s words that keeps her husband home, she is satisfied.

    Outside the door, the old hunter is already there waiting for them. The Stranger waves at him, something has put a smile on her but what remains a mystery. After some reluctance, the old hunter hands her his steel knife.

    ¡°I will be back soon¡± Mordia said, kissing his children on the heads then one more on his wife¡¯s lips.

    It is just a trip to the barrier, but Claudia couldn¡¯t help but feel like his words are ominous. She pushes him away before his lips could touch hers ¡°I will wait until you return¡± the wife said. Look who is the one making things seem ominous now, Claudia wants to sigh.

    With that, the three make their way out of the settlement.

    People with their windows opened, gazing out curiously. They gather somewhere inconspicuous, together whispering.

    ¡°Good riddance¡± Those words were muttered in hatred.

    The widow looks on, her eyes lock on that crimson hair harlot. It is all her fault, only after she came her, falling from the sky did misfortune before them. That demonic red hair, those iris-less eyes. But most all, skin like a new-born, as white as Death¡¯s mistress. It is she that heralds the misery.

    A place like this has ears everywhere, especially in situation as dire as this.

    ¡°The Pale Rider¡± They whispered ¡°Does she mean herself¡­¡±

    But most frustrating is that they need her. A place like this, even under the leadership of the last of the Castellanos caravan couldn¡¯t hope to survive the unknown.

    The mayor¡¯s son also sacrificed his life to call for help. In the end, all that came for them was an old man. Bet that he was going to fall apart any time soon.

    Such words don¡¯t escape Mordia¡¯s ears and definitely his two temporary companion. But they still remain unmoved. The old hunter still has that blank yet sharp look in his eyes while the Stranger is still smiling gently.

    ¡°I hope you enjoy your time here in out humble settlement¡± The mayor is here at the gate.

    ¡°I certainly did¡± The Stranger tips her hat while the old hunter remains quiet.

    Sitting in the living room with her children, Claudia is certainly restless. She brushes Alessio hair why he brushes his little sister hair. Next time it will be the other way around, they like to rotate like that.

    ¡°Do you think she will return?¡± Alessia asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so¡± Claudia answered ¡°Why do ask that?¡±

    ¡°We like her, she seems like a nice person¡± Alessio said ¡°We want to learn to fight like her, to protect mom and dad against the filthy raiders¡± Alessia continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mommy will teach you plenty. I promise¡±

    Claudia smiles, her children are growing up. She continues to brush their hair, humming to herself. The woman finds it¡¯s lucky that their lucky resemble their father, silky blond and not one as washed up as their mother.

    By the time the sun appears on the horizon, the door opens and Mordia is again by his family.

 .7 Marsh of the dead

    The Knight, a symbol best left behind as the world moved on. It used to have different meaning, trained nobles waging wars on horseback. As a new order followed the apocalypse, such a title should be forgotten. But out of the warmth of the familiarity, this word, this title was once again brought up. Donning the armours and wielding weapons of old, they patrol the waste, establishing order.

    Now the largest military might in the wasteland, the Knight is the protector of the people. Their presence isn¡¯t always welcome, however.

    But they are still the only ones who care.

    Outside the barrier of the woodland settlement is a different sight. The forest is now a marsh, the ground sunken, dragged down by water from the depth with mist so thick one couldn¡¯t see their feet. Just last night, the place was still like any other forest with only a part hollowed by the raider curse. But in just less than an hour, less than a minute, maybe in just a moment, the entire landscape has been altered.

    ¡°This level of terraforming, it¡¯s like what happens to the Runelands¡± The old hunter commented ¡°Yet this is different¡±

    Despite having never seen anything like this, the man isn¡¯t surprised. The most valuable lessons his age teaches him is to expect the unexpected. The unknown is called that for a reason. Their power seemingly infinite, these deities can cause anything to happen.

    ¡°Heads up, something is close¡± The Stranger warned, the brim covers her eyes.

    Scanning the area, the old hunter couldn¡¯t see anything. Those iris-less eyes must have some sort of special properties, or maybe she uses something else completely.

    Continuing on, the two finds oversized shadows, wandering aimlessly. They are searching for something that they miss dearly. Coming in closer the old hunter needs to identify these creatures and exterminates them if necessary. The metal filling on his forehead remains inert, at least these things aren¡¯t contagious by their mere presence.

    Hiding in a sunken bush, the old hunter could catch sight of one of them up close.

    A bloated corpse, walking without a purpose. Submerged in water from the depth for days, this pathetic being¡¯s skin is coloured a dark sickly skin. The face covered up by disgusting bile and bloated cheeks, clothing possible all gone from the bloated mass. Nothing human remained saved for the pendant around its necks.

    On it is the Knight¡¯s insignia, a reminder of the creature glorious former self.

    ¡®These must be the ones responsible to defend the forest, all killed by the raiders¡¯ curse¡¯ The old hunter theorised ¡®But something is not right here, Knight¡¯s pendant is prized among the bandits, they wouldn¡¯t leave them behind like this¡¯

    Concluding that whatever the creatures seek, he doesn¡¯t have it, the old hunter stands up. As predicted, the shells of men continue to lumber on aimlessly, ignoring him. The Stranger, meanwhile, has already waded further in.

    Catching up, the man asks ¡°You knew they are not hostiles¡± Even before him.

    ¡°Just a guess¡± The Stranger replies.

    The two walks past the group, some can be seen clutching their swords and shields behind the thick mist. The old hunter notes down the bloated corpses locations and descriptions, he will return to exterminate them later. There is a more urgent matter to attend to, at least according to the Stranger.

    ¡°It¡¯s time you tell me, what are you exactly¡± The man asked.

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean, I am just a Diver like many others¡± The Stranger answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, your mutations, I can tell they are not caused by the unknowns¡± The old hunter continued ¡°Those whisper in the same tune as the deities that change them¡± A gentle voice, getting louder until it cannot be ignored. It consumes the Diver¡¯s mind, ushering them toward a final transformation, a new childhood. What will they grow into? The old hunter doesn¡¯t know because it is his job, the Blind job to cut down all those ¡®children¡¯.

    ¡°And here I thought you Blind cannot hear the whispering¡± The Stranger tilts her head down, still smiling.

    ¡°I am in this business for long enough to tell whether something is whispering or not. And I can tell that you can¡¯t hear anything either¡± The old hunter looks straight at the Stranger. In this mist, her pale skin and crimson hair resembles a spectre, with blood dripping from its head. A story of old, passed along the caravans around the settlements.

    ¡°If you want an answer, then I guess I will have to give you one. I am the future that is not meant to be¡± The Stranger puts a finger on her lips ¡°But don¡¯t tell anyone, it¡¯s embarrassing¡±

    The old hunter can tell, to his own capability, that it wasn¡¯t a lie. But was the answer a vague one or more literal, he couldn¡¯t tell. But of course, in this world of the unknowns, his ages, his experiences, none of them mean much. For now, he is satisfied by that answer, but the man still has another question.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What is it that we are looking for, this ¡®greater threat¡¯ that you spoke off¡±

    Before the Stranger, they both notice a change in the air. At that moment, as the whispering decrees, all the bloated corpses turn to them and shuffles forward. Nothing has changed with them, the two knows that they aren¡¯t the reason. Correct enough, the dead simply lumbers past them.

    ¡°Their target might be a human¡± The old hunter has his sword drawn. With creatures like this, camouflage isn¡¯t necessary ¡°You coming?¡±

    ¡°Might as well, it will just be a slight detour¡± The Stranger follows with two bullets loaded.

    Not far away is a young wastelander, who is surrounded before he could realise it due to the mist. ¡®Something is not right¡¯ The old hunter readies to fight. Why is this youth not running away from the sight of such abominations? A sword is in his hand, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to fight either.

    Sadness, tears streaming out of the youth¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Father¡­ so this is where you are¡±

    He could recognise it anywhere, that shield. It belongs a noble man, a righteous warrior, now reduced to a bloated shambling corpse.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    The youth hears someone calling to him and in a split second, his father malformed head rolls to the ground. An easy cut, the bone, the meat, everything in the deceased Knight have now merged into one mushy mess. The old hunter can see from the head, tentacle buds start to appear. Before he can act on that information, the Stranger walks past him.

    The woman stops in front of the youth, stomping on the head, crushing it under her foot.

    ¡°What are you doing, future Knight? Mind lending me a hand¡±

    A shield in one of her hand, the other reaching down, taking the pendant from the gunk that was once a head. She hands it to the youth whom accepts the gifts and stands up.

    ¡°The source of the mutation is in the head¡± The old hunter said looking at the mess, the buds had already fizzled out.

    Another bloated corpse attack, swinging its sword out of habit straight at the Stranger. She doesn¡¯t mover, however, simply standing there with a confident smile. The youth runs up and blocks the blow. He swipes back, easily severing the creature¡¯s hand. The sensation is alien, like running through a mouldy bread filled with maggot.

    Turning back like lighting, the Stranger throws her lasso, ripping the creature¡¯s shield out of its hand. Swinging it around sending the item crashing straight into the bloated head, smashing it to bits. The lumbering being falls over, nearly crushing the youth.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, young Knight?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Michael Mc¡­ just Michael¡± He said, breathing heavily looking at the Stranger handiwork ¡°What is your name?¡±

    Dashing forward, the woman grabs him and jumps to the side just to avoid being grabbed by a bloated corpse. Missing its target, the thing makes a hissing sound, the mouth, covered by flabs of rotten meat, opens spilling tendrils all over. Inside are rows and rows of teeth, going all the way down its body.

    The corpse¡¯s display of strength is cut short when the old hunter slides its head into piece.

    The others move in, tendrils shooting out. Michael moves in to block the attacks. Tendrils wrapping over the shield, he tries to cut them all but is dragged forward.

    From behind, a shield is flung by the lasso, splitting a corpse¡¯s head in half. The youth breaks free and hears the Stranger whispers behind ¡°Brace yourself¡± She jumps over him, stepping on his shield, launching herself forward through the air. The woman lands on one of the corpses, stomping its head opens. Drawing the revolver, she flips back, slamming the handle on another one, mush and gunk with tendrils bit fly spill out like a fountain.

    The two hulking body collapse into the shallow water, dissolving.

    The Stranger stands on one of them in the middle of the pack. The mist around her seemingly goes away, green mess drips from the tree and branches nearby. And yet, somehow, the woman remains untouched, even her boots are still sparkling, the spur gleaming.

    ¡®How?¡¯ The old hunter thought to himself ¡®She did get dirty earlier, fighting the wolf¡¯

    Now isn¡¯t the time for that, however, the man dashes slicing and dicing his way through the horde. From another direction, more of the bloated corpses arrive. But they aren¡¯t former Knight, must be from a missing caravan.

    Not like that matter now.

    The steel blade moves through the cursed dead like air. One of the creatures standing behind a tree, shoots tendrils around the balk toward the man. But the old hunter simply turns around, with a monstrous swing, cutting both its head and the tree apart. Wood splinters and bark pieces spraying through the air, the plant collapses crushing several other creatures.

    With their heads intact, they mutate further to compensate for the loss of their missing body. But the process is crushed short underneath the Stranger¡¯s boots.

    ¡°What the!¡± Michael couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. These two are out of this world.

    But he couldn¡¯t lag behind either, ¡®a Knight¡¯, that was what the woman called him.

    ¡°Die you monsters!¡± The youth screams out, jumping over the body of his father. Ducking under a corpse¡¯s swing, he chops of its leg. The thing is sent tumbling down, water splatters all over. Hopping on the bloated body, Michael smashes its head in rapidly, until nothing is moving anymore. Standing up, he mutters to himself ¡°I¡­ I did it, father¡± A drop of tear running down his cheek.

    Wiping it away, he is ready to take on the cursed dead.

    ¡°Such sloppy movements¡± The trainer in the old hunter spoke out.

    ¡°At least he has the spirit¡± The Stranger commented, a tint of sadness in her smile, knowing what will come next.

    The rest of the corpses continue to lumber forward to their prey, a human. But behind, something else is coming, making their heads turn. This also catches the attention of the trio.

    A raider, but of course it isn¡¯t as simple as that. The man is covered by pitch black holes, all over his body, his face replaced by a big round void. Only now revealed as the mist dispersed, how long has he been here no one know. The raider remains unmoved like a statue. The more Michael looks into a hole, the more a feeling budding within him, forlorn.

    The youth then notice that the marsh water doesn¡¯t reach the raider feet.

    As his eyes are still fixated on the legs, one of them suddenly moves, taking a step. As the foot touch the ground, it sends out a wave, enveloping them all.

    Then the world turns dark.

    Everything is covered by the void, but the youth could see in the darkness, stars like glimmers shinning. Behind, he can see that the shadows cast by the trees, him and everything else are painted white.

    The bloated corpses moan out as they are seemingly consumed by the darkness, disappearing without a trace. The white shadows they cast retreat away into nothingness.

    The raider is also shrouded in the dark, but the holes are now replaced by wide opened eyes, red as blood. They all turn to look at the three, is that curiosities in them, or hunger the youth could not tell. But he knows for sure they need to escape before being consumed by the darkness like the bloated corpses.

    ¡°Seem like we have quite an audience here¡± The Stranger steps up ¡°Better perform to our heart content¡±

 .8 Death of the Stranger

    What is this supposed to be? A forest what else. And yet everything is now dyed by the night sky. Michael looks at the stars shinning on his skin, the dark has never been inviting. He can feel himself taken in, to be one with the starry sky. It¡¯s a welcome feeling especially now has invaded his mind, something sad, something forlorn.

    ¡°Keep your eyes on the prize, Sir Knight!¡± A voice pierced through the muddle mind.

    From behind, the Stranger gives him a nudge. Michael realises his face is dripping down, merging with his own hands. Ripping himself free, the youth is inch away from being consumed whole. Looking up, he can see their enemy still standing still, the eyes moving erratically gazing all over.

    ¡°I presume this is the greater threat you talked about¡± The old hunter asked. Looking at the Stranger who nods at him.

    The man readies himself, an unfamiliar feeling of unease niggling him. The anomalies of the new world are caused by the mysterious deities. Despite their incomprehensible power, it is possible to identify their aspects, what they represent, names whispered by cursed beings. Scy¡¯lla of the ocean depth, avatar of pain and suffering Azu, shadow over the far freezing north Shotep, Ondoro¡¯toth underneath the endless western desert and many more, some with names still unknown.

    But the deity of the cosmos, that is unheard of. And for it to manifest in the territory of another entity, Scy¡¯lla. Is this a power play? Do they even have the concept of place? Is this deity always here or is it a new face, unleashing its horror on this world?

    Whatever the answers, it is the old hunter¡¯s job to cut down this monstrosity.

    Dashing forward, he raises his sword, also coated by the cosmos.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Michael chases after only to find yourself colliding with a tree. When everything is shrouded by the night, he could barely make out the shape of the surrounding. The youth is amazed to see the old man, making his way through the thick wood like nothing.

    The frozen creature suddenly moves to seemingly dodge the blade. But instead, the steel sword easily connects with the target.

    ¡°This is!¡± The old hunter realises that the thing did in fact dodged. But it only moved so the blade would meet with the skin shrouded by the cosmos, not one of its many eyes. Suddenly, the weapon is dragged into the creature by an unknown force, fuelled by curiosity. Drawing back the blade, the old hunter slashes straight at one of the eyes.

    The steel digs into the creature and warm red blood spurts out, staining the night. The injured eye disconnects from the body as the creature leaps out of the blow.

    Around them, eyes open on the ground, on the rocks, on the trees and the branches and even all over Michael. The Stranger and the old hunter are unaffected, however, but now the creature has seemingly blended into the surrounding.

    ¡°It wants me¡­ just like those corpses!¡± The youth reaches the epiphany.

    Not a bad guess, unlike his other two companions, he is the only one who can hear the whispers. The deities worm their way into the untainted mind, corrupting it with knowledge.

    ¡°Whatever this threat is¡­¡± The old hunter looks at his sword, the top part missing ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, it must be exterminated to the root¡±

    The cosmos infused skin has swallowed a part of the steel blade. Such a feat thought impossible before. Made by the Blind Order in their war against the deities, the weapon can not be affected by any of their nebulous power. But that doesn¡¯t mean the hunter or the weapon itself can¡¯t be damaged by conventional method. Many of them have fallen, cut, eaten, crushed, burned, drowned, a hunter living past twenty is considered a veteran.

    But this new deity can seemingly consume anything, even Blind steel. There is something else unaffected by their power, one under influenced of another deity. And yet, this thing could swallow all of the bloated corpses.

    That means both him and the Stranger are in mortal danger.

    ¡°I presume you have reached the same plan as me¡± The old hunter said.

    ¡°I wonder, we will see¡± The Stranger replied.

    The eyes around them start to blink, disappearing into the night only to reappear later somewhere else. Or have they switched places, there is nothing to tell one eye apart from another. The creature must be using this to mask its movement, moving along with the blinks. But that also means that it needs to hide, that it can be exterminated.

    ¡°What is it, this plan you are talking about!¡±

    Michael asks the two, he is out of his depth. But none of them answers, the old hunter simply makes his way back to them slowly. The silence is killing him, what is he supposed to do, no one is saying anything. Is he just the tasty bait that they are dangling over this monster?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    The youth pinches his wrist only the find his fingers merging with the hand instead. Ripping them out, he realises some of his fingers have already fused together. He can¡¯t seem to get them apart. The youth starts to panic, he is just a boy looking for his father who didn¡¯t return home. Now, here he is being slowly digested by a cosmic horror. That feeling of sadness and forlorn return to him.

    A pair of hands grab onto his own. The rough feeling of the leather shoots through his brain, still present through the darkness, they belong to the Stranger. She simply splits his fingers apart again, one by one.

    ¡°Here we go¡± Even when shrouded by the night sky, Michael could still see her smile.

    The youth is overflown with a feeling of respite¡­ only for it to all turn into dread. Something is making its way through him, like it is a part of his body. He tried to open his mouth, to warn the Stranger, but it is too late.

    ¡°Watch out, it¡¯s coming!¡± He wants to say.

    The monster leaps out of the youth body before he could mutter a single word. The Stranger dodges but it is no use. With its hand, the creature swipe at her face. The lower half of the woman head along with part of her neck, gone without a trace. Blood spurt out as the Stranger collapses to the floor, unmoving. Cleaning itself of the red fluid with its consuming power, the creature merges the surrounding once again.

    ¡°NOOOOOO¡± The youth kneels next to the unmoving woman.

    He wants to get closer but refrains from doing so. What if his skin would consume her as well, Michael can¡¯t risk that.

    ¡°What a woman¡± The old hunter commented. He has noticed it, the moment she is attack, only some of the eyes of the creature are looking at her. This monster has been mutated by the deity but it hasn¡¯t truly transcended. No, it is still needed here in this mortal realm and that detail shows that the monster still uses its eyes as a way to perceive. But not all of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡± The youth laments ¡°Now you will also die and it will digest me whole¡±

    ¡°Digest? What do you mean, boy?¡± That choice of word intrigued the old hunter.

    ¡°How can you still ask that, you are going to die anytime soon¡± Michael looks at the man to find him still calm ¡°It¡¯s coming for you¡­ it¡¯s over¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The old hunter draws his blade stabbing at an eye and from it bloods flows out. A direct hit, but before the monster could escape the man plunges his blade closer.

    A crack starts to appear and spreads all over the darkness. The night world collapses in an instant and at the old hunter¡¯s blade is a monster, one of its eyes pierced. Screeching a forlorn down, the creature drops dead. What was once a marsh is now drained of water, only the wood remains. Sunlight going through the branch, banishing the darkness.

    ¡°But how?¡± Michael looks on in disbelief.

    The realisation that the creature still sees with its eyes and not all of them are used for that was vital. The Stranger must have realised that when it lunges at her. As her hand reached up to clutch her fatal wound, she flicked one of her fingers. A tiny droplet of blood was sent straight onto the iris of one of the unused eyes. When the creature cleans itself, it couldn¡¯t spot the tiny drop, blending in with the black eye.

    But the old hunter is looking out for it, knowing the Stranger wouldn¡¯t let herself be attacked like that. The plan in his mind involves marking the monster with something, possible blood. Spotting that red tint, he strikes the horrible cosmic being down.

    But what if it has noticed the drop? That is simply luck, nothing is certain when fighting these unknown horrors. And once again, the old hunter survives.

    ¡°You want to know how, it¡¯s just chance¡± The man said ¡°And she has given us that chance¡±

    Michael looks at the unmoving woman, her once beautiful face now missing quite a chunk, drenched with the same crimson that colours her hair. A mystery from nowhere, she saved him. Seems so impossibly reliable, her words alone were enough to give him the strength to fight back against the darkness.

    ¡°We must bury her¡± The youth said.

    ¡°No¡± The old hunter doesn¡¯t fancy that idea, however.

    ¡°But she deserves a proper burial¡± Michael looks down, he couldn¡¯t give his father once. Now his body forever gone, consumed by the cosmos.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we must leave, no animals are in this wood anymore to bother this body¡± The old hunter kneels down next to the youth. He removes the Stranger hat and place it over her face ¡°The monsters wouldn¡¯t care either, unless you continue to loiter here, drawing their attention¡± He looks straight at the youth¡¯s eyes ¡°We will return later, if we are alive¡±

    Blood stained the ground, reaching the youth¡¯s boots. Michael sighs, grabbing his face then takes in a deep breath. The once rancid marsh air now cleanses by the cosmos.

    ¡°Are you going to the source of this?¡± The youth asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my job¡± The old hunter answered.

    The two makes their way out of this dreaded place. Sunlight reaching through, warming the wood, this area has never seen more welcomed. But hiding the fa?ade, horrors of the cosmos still roam. They simply consume everything in their way, even if it belongs to the depth, to Scy¡¯lla.

    ¡°Earlier, you talked about being digested, describe that feeling for me¡± The old hunter asked.

    The youth bites his lips, everything returns to him like a flood. He has to pinch his wrist and breath a sigh of relief when everything is normal, when he could feel the slight pain.

    ¡°That darkness, the night was so vast. I couldn¡¯t help but feel lost, alone all by myself¡± Michael explained ¡°I can see that every star feels the same, their lights could be seen but they are all alone. Even that monster feels strangely forlorn, just like me. We all exist under the cosmos and yet we are apart, alone¡±

    Remembering what happened next still bring a chill down his spine. He looks at his palm, sweating profusely.

    ¡°Then I heard a voice calling out for me, it promises I could be one with the cosmos. And when everything is one, no one would be lonely anymore. That voice, it was so terribly convincing. I could feel it absorbing me slowly, it makes me feels like I am being digested. But the most horrifying thing is that, I wanted that to happen¡± Closing his hand into a fist, Michael steels himself ¡°But then she calls to me, just at the moment when the temptation is the greatest. She saved me¡±

    ¡°Is there anything about that voice, a name?¡± The old hunter asked.

    ¡°No, nothing, it was all about me and that forlorn feeling¡± Michael replied.

    The two continues but without their guide, they will have to wander aimlessly until stumbling onto something. But luckily, the old hunter and the youth aren¡¯t the only living beings here. In this very forest, three other also wander, two of those are looking for the pale rider with crimson hair.

 .9 Kin of madness

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Bruno opens his eyes after what seems like a deep slumber. The last thing he remembers was being surrounded by his old friends, filled with holes. Then the eyes started to open then there was only darkness. Overwhelming, how could a mortal match such forlorn power.

    The man stares at his hands, he can still remember that feeling, to be swallowed by the cosmos. It felt good.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you are safe¡± Behind him the priest stood, assuring the man.

    Looking around, Bruno could see the Smiling Hunter pulling bolts out of his deceased friends. He could hear her giggling merrily with every bloody pull. ¡°Told ya I could hunt everything¡± She said.

    Oh right, they were attacked, but now everything is alright.

    ¡°Rest in peace¡±

    Bruno mumbled, looking at the corpses of his friends strewing about. The holes in their body are no longer filled with the cosmos but simply nothing. Blood and their insides all spill out, making a mess. If he has time, the man would dig a grave for every single one of them.

    ¡°Worry not for the dead¡± The priest put his hand on Bruno shoulder ¡°You should think about the living, about yourself¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to think¡± The man mumbled.

    Next to them is the barrier protecting the woodland settlement, more specifically, inside the barrier. Bruno couldn¡¯t remember how he even got in, the man only remembered running away from the raiders before meeting with the priest. Now that he mentions it.

    ¡°How¡­ did you two even enter the barrier?¡±

    ¡°Oh, enlightened beings like me and your friends now can just brute forced through it¡± The priest answered.

    That word, ¡®enlightened¡¯ is sometimes used to describe those affected by the deities. Their power above any form of magic, their own existent goes against the rule of nature. That¡¯s why some scholars would say they have ¡®transcended¡¯, or ¡®enlightened¡¯ to a higher form of knowledge, of understanding.

    ¡°I am sure you have learnt this in school but us Blinds are unaffected by this¡­ thing, dearie¡± The Smiling Hunter said mockingly, of course she sounded amused.

    ¡®So she is a Blind after all¡¯ Bruno finally confirmed that suspicion. People with metal poured into their head, unable to use any sort of magic. But it also makes them immune to all thing arcane, even influence of the mysterious deities.

    There is only one question left.

    ¡°Then what about me, I don¡¯t really remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh dearie, that¡¯s¡­¡± The Smiling Hunter somehow makes her way to him, her face right close to his. The man can feel the cold glass of the google in his eye even ¡°Because you are also ¡®enlightened¡¯. Don¡¯t worry though¡­ I will remember to kill you after all this¡±

    Raising her finger, Siobhan flicks his nose before retreating. The man recoils back from the threat, she is serious. He will die and Bruno can¡¯t think of a way to change his fate. But he doesn¡¯t mind, if ¡®after all this¡¯ means all of his friends will find rest, then the man would love to join them. This world isn¡¯t worth living in.

    The Smiling Hunter gathers the corpses of the cosmos-touched, there are five of them in total.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this deity before, is this the threat you talked about, Father Walker? One that can somehow¡­ end her¡± She asked.

    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t know about this until recently, while following her¡± The priest answered ¡°She told me herself, whatever it is, this thing can kill her. Of course, I can¡¯t let that happen, especially I show her the true way to enlightenment¡± He smiles, but there is something off, something evil, the priest usual gentleness is nowhere to be seen. The black stone embedded on his head glows a slight tint of red.

    The three continues on their course outside of the barrier to the raider base camp. Bruno looks back to find the horse continues to stay put, not listening to any of them. That thing also somehow passed through this barrier.

    ¡°This woman that you two keeps on talking about¡­ who is she¡± Bruno finally mustered the courage to ask them.

    The two lunatics turn around, the priest can be seen with a wide grin on his mouth. And while he can¡¯t see the face of the Smiling Hunter, the man is sure her smile is no less unsettling. ¡°What do you want to know about, Mr. Raider?¡± Siobhan said, giggling.

    ¡°Maybe you can start with her name?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°We would if we know¡± The priest said ¡°I have laid eyes, absorbed the most forbidden of knowledges, but that woman¡¯s name continues to escape me¡±

    ¡°Not like it matters, you will know when you see her, she is one of a kind, truly special¡± The Smiling Hunter bends back at Bruno, fawning over this stranger ¡°So resilient, I have pumped her full of bolts, strangled her, decapitated her, electrocuted her, drowned her, melted her with chemicals. Yet, that crimson harlot came back every time and stole my heart. I just want to fall into her arms then cut her apart, burry those pieces, maybe even consume them¡­ Ah, there are so many ways left I want to try¡±

    Bruno pushes Siobhan away, who is currently drowning herself with fantasies. This person is not affected by any deity, yet her mind is as damaged as those who do. The man feels disturbed, dirty to catch a glimpse of such depravity. But the Smiling Hunter isn¡¯t the only one here obsessed with that crimson woman.

    ¡°Such an untainted mind, so¡­ unaffected by the world¡± Father Walker also added in ¡°I just want to show her pain and suffering, the true path to enlightenment. I want to see her transcend, reaching a level of agony that no other, even me, can even perceive¡±

    The man regrets ever bringing this topic up. Although he can¡¯t deny wanting to see this person, his mind swirling with possibilities. What could this ¡®woman¡¯ be, does she even look like human.

    Their journey to the raider base camp is rather uneventful. Before everything was shrouded in darkness, Bruno could remember gazing out of the barrier to see everything covered by a thick mist. But now, no horrible monstrosities of the depth could be seen. No, this is just an ordinary forest in an ordinary sunny day, albeit without any wildlife.

    ¡°It seems like this cosmos deity has driven Scy¡¯lla influence out¡± Bruno commented.

    ¡°Nah, I can still smell it, that salty ocean smell¡± Father Walker sniffs ¡°It¡¯s not too far from here actually¡±

    ¡°A survivor? Oh no, it would be a shame if something horrible is to happen¡± Siobhan said.

    Deciding on a detour, the three finds a cave which used to belong to an unfortunate bear. Upon entering the place, Bruno¡¯s nose is assaulted by the overwhelming smell of the depth. It is such a vivid sensation. The man feels as if he is being pulled down to the bottom of the ocean. He could see strange malformed creatures, some with monstrous jaw, some flopping around without a single bone in their bodies, a monster with a bright natural light swimming.

    Bruno opens his mouth to scream only to find the water entering his mouth. The man opens his mouth before he could actually drown. It was just a vision, but that sight feels more real than this world he is living in.

    Because that is the truth.

    Further in they find a corpse of a bear, bloated with water. Its stomach already burst open to reveal an orb of liquid floating within.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it!¡± Father Walker realised the nature of the thing too late.

    The man finds himself flung backward, but what collides with his back isn¡¯t cold hard rock but the embrace of the ocean. Bruno opens his eyes in a hallway with a faint light at the end illuminating the way. The stone walls around him, the ground and even the roof are all decorated with swirling spiral patterns. Turning back, the man can only see darkness, the only way to continue is forward to the light.

    ¡®This place is amazing¡¯ Those words, a memory.

    After some walking, Bruno can see the end, a spiral podium with a bloodied knife in it. The weapon¡¯s handle is wrapped in plain cloth, but the blade also has swirling pattern all over, resembling an eye, beckoning him forward.

    ¡®So you are leaving, huh. The professors would be furious¡¯ A time long past.

    The man continues to walk, soon realising that he is hunching slightly, the ceiling lower than he thought. The more Bruno moves forward, the lower he has to be, a hunch soon turns into kneeling then before he knows it, the man is on his belly crawling toward the item. He is so close but not enough, the hallway is twisted at the end like a spiral. Yet Bruno continues to move forward.

    ¡®That¡¯s strange?¡±

    The man wonders since when does his body swirl like this. Come to think of it, he can¡¯t seem to remember what a normal body is supposed to look like. Oh right, [it¡¯s a spiral shape].

    A sharp pain rings out, shocking Bruno to the core, dragging him both figuratively and physically out of this spiral nightmare, straight into another one. It¡¯s the barb wire on his arms, pulling him back into the darkness behind.

    Falling to his back, Bruno finds himself in the spacious main chamber of a temple made of stone. But the architecture is all over the place. There are walkways strewing about, going into the ground, into each other, spiralling out into the ceiling.

    But more pressing is the thing next to him.

    A man covered in growth of black stones oozing red. Wait no, those aren¡¯t stone but dry blood. Glass shards grows out like a flower between the cracked surface.

    ¡°That was close, you were nearly swallowed by the depth¡± The creature said, it spoke with a familiar voice.

    ¡°Father Walker¡­ is that you¡± Bruno asked.

    ¡°Yes¡± The priest answered ¡°I am curious in how you perceive me, but this is not the time for that. We need to hurry up¡±

    The spiral stones break open as someone is flung past, flipping, the Smiling Hunter lands on her feet. How she did that, Bruno can¡¯t tell, it reminds him of the cat back at the academy. What comes after her, however, makes his heart sinks to the ground.

    ¡°No¡­ Marisa¡± The man grasps in horror.

    It is one of his friends, but she is all malnourished, her stomach is bloated and cut opened, dried blood stained her body. From her womb is a humanoid creature, growing out, assimilating the woman into it. Covered in pale scales of spiral pattern, its eyes bulge out, blinking curiously. The thing reaches out with its elongated arms, fins sticking out, it tries to grab Siobhan, but she dodges that easily.

    Most horrifying, however, is that Marisa is still¡­ alive. Bruno can see that she is still conscious, absorbing every terrifying moment. His friend is like a tumour, a meat lump sticking out of her own child. She is dragged along, forced to experience every living waking moment.

    [Bru¡­no, is¡­ t¡­hat yo¡­u?] She groaned painfully.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Marisa¡­ Just hang on¡± He reaches out but is held back by the priest. He looks at Bruno, shaking his head, his gentle gaze pierce through the black stones. The man understands, there is nothing he can do to help her. Biting his lips, the man turns to someone who can, the Smiling Hunter ¡°Please, kill it, kill them all!¡±

    ¡°My pleasure!¡± Siobhan grins, she draws two gleaming steel blades. The old school is still the best. The woman can feel the adrenaline rush, excitement filled every fibre of her being. This is what she trains for, this is what she lives for.

    This will be a good hunt.

 .10 Those who continue to live

    Those deities from another realm, the implication of their very existent is daunting. Are there yet another realm out there, filled with unknown horrors. Or more possibly, many more innocent worlds, ripe to be enlightened like what happened here. A century ago, the world was thriving on a rise from a magical golden age. Mass developments of artefacts were available, providing more and more mages with the tools necessary to realise their visions. But those ¡®visions¡¯, are nothing but horrifying.

    To be a mage means searching for knowledge, to a scholar. In an effort of betterment, the magically adepts continued to push the limit of what possible. The destructiveness of their spells could send shiver down on side.

    But the more they learnt, the bigger the scale they could see on.

    Their powers could reach thousands, maybe even more, the mages couldn¡¯t see the individuals anymore. Is that the true progression of power, of knowledge? If so, then the deities are truly the end of evolution.

    The end arrived when the scholars of the world learnt of a realm of pure knowledge and comprehension. In their desire for understanding, mages around the world opened peek-holes through to that mysterious realm, all around the world at once. Those behind the veil gaze back and they world and all of its mighty civilisations, poof, gone without a trace.

    To be graced by mere representations of their visages was enough to cause madness on a scale unimaginably massive. Their knowledge impossible to comprehend, people, animals, plants, every living being distorted themselves, mutated just to better receive the deities¡¯ message. The ground zeros, the castles, the cities where those mages once lived are even worse. Not many returned from there, none could remain sane.

    In their mad rambling, tales of terrible monstrosities could be heard, causing madness on mere sight. But most curiously are the architectures, buildings made out of cold mindless stone also bended according to the deities. They morphed into impossible structures, but when the madness had taken over, suddenly those made so much more sense.

    Bruno has heard of the tales, a cautionary story for mages of the new world and a reminder why the world will despise them.

    ¡°This place, is it one of those kingdoms of old¡­ or another realm altogether¡± He wondered out loud.

    ¡°Is there even a difference between the two¡± The priest replied.

    In front of them is a battle, but Bruno couldn¡¯t stay connected to it. The Smiling Hunter versus the monster from the depth, not an even fight at all. The creature is fast and strong, moves in a manner not natural for such a humanoid shape. From its wounds sprout out vicious tentacles, capable of tearing a man apart. And yet, this battle is one-sided, tipped to the Smiling Hunter side with all of her human glory.

    Zipping pasts the vicious barrages of tentacles and claws, Siobhan systematically tears the monster apart with her blade. A cut to the knee to bring it down, then running up, stabbing the thing in both of its eyes. She jumps off before the inevitable could even touch her.

    ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Bruno couldn¡¯t believe his eyes ¡°Is this normal for a Blind?¡± He is human, she is human, yet what is this impossible gulf between them. The creature screeches as one its arm is completely ripped off, red blood dripping. Attached to it, Marisa also creams out in pain.

    ¡°Oh no, not at all, I have faced against many and I can tell you. The number of Blinds who could perform like this? They can be counted on one hand¡± Father Walker offered his insight ¡°It¡¯s easy to recognise them, they tend to be older than most¡±

    Age, an insignificant number in the waste, but not for a Blind. Dedicated their lives to fighting the unknowns, their age means the years they spent surviving. And after so many encounters, after so many monstrosities that far surpass human capabilities, they evolve. Their pasts forgotten, their whole existences revolve around extermination.

    But there is also another reason why they could fight with such monstrosities.

    ¡°These deities, Scy¡¯lla and others, they seem all so¡­ impossibly above. And yet, how come their creations even bleed?¡± Bruno wondered. The monster in front is humanoid, that much is recognisable, its blood is also red. It screams out after every cut, a twisting shrill, this¡­ spawn of the incomprehensible seems so¡­ mortal.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because of their nature¡± Father Walker answered ¡°What do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°Impossible to comprehend?¡± The man replied ignorant.

    The answer is simple but terrifying, it fills Bruno with a looming dread.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s kindness, the deities are a helpful kind¡± The priest said ¡°We once thirsted for knowledge and that was exactly, they gave us. They listened to our prayer, our wishes, our desires and replied dutifully. This child is a new-born, I can send it, born as a way for us to communicate. We are supposed to understand it, it is supposed to bleed red¡±

    Bruno gazes at the monster, the supposed baby, all battered and apart. It wheezes painfully, struggling for air. It doesn¡¯t understand what is happening, just moments it first opened its eyes to see the world for the first time. It wanders around in childlike curiosity, only to be hurt, to be torn apart. The Smiling Hunter looks over, disappointed from the challenge, she had expected something more.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    With the last of its strength, the monster lashes out. Siobhan simply dodges the claw swipes then proceed to cut the helpless creature again and again and again and again, all the while giggling like a young girl. How unbefitting of someone her age, yet the woman doesn¡¯t care.

    The monster screams fill the air, the shrill replaced with something more human. Bruno can¡¯t help but feel sick in the stomach. A part of him wants to stop this torture but then his eyes meet with Marisa¡¯, then his resolve strengthens. The priest watches on in disapproval, this child is not a spawn of his deity, Azu. But it is still just a new-born, struggling for life. At least before it dies, the baby would get to feel pain, a true delight.

    Finally, the suffering is over. The monster took its last breath and perishes.

    There is only one prey to hunt, Siobhan raises her blood over the monster¡¯s mother.

    ¡°STOP¡± Bruno dashes forward only to be kicked away by a back turn, he crawls up ¡°Gah¡­ I can¡¯t let you hurt her, my friend¡­ stop¡±

    ¡°And why should I¡± The Smiling Hunter look over her back ¡°Why don¡¯t you see your ¡®friend¡¯ here¡±

    Bruno stands up, clutching his chest. Looking up, what he sees is his friend, Marisa, weeping. Clutching the body of the monster, she weeps for her child. Words come out of her mouth, but they are impossible to comprehend. The sound of her crying is also indecipherable, foreign. But Bruno can fully understand the meaning behind, it¡¯s sadness.

    Marisa lets out an inhuman shrill as the steel blade stabs through her head. She collapses on her baby, all wrung out.

    At that moment, the world around them seemingly collapses. The temple without its people, a home without life, the spiral world around them simply disappears.

    Letting out a grasp, Bruno opens his eyes, back in the waste.

    ¡°We need to continue moving¡± Father Walker, back to normal pulls the man up gently.

    And so, the three leaves the cave, their detour comes to a close. On their way, Bruno looks down at a puddle, from the still surface, he can see his reflection. His exposed skull is forever changed, spiral pattern runs all over it, going deeper inside. The man sighs and runs up to the Smiling Hunter, there is something he wants, he needs to say.

    ¡°What is it, Mr. Raider?¡± She looks back and asks mockingly.

    Facing the woman, Bruno recoils back a bit, overwhelmed, he still speaks up his mind ¡°I just want to say¡­ you are really amazing, and thank you, for granting them death¡± He isn¡¯t strong enough, both physically and mentally to carry that task. Oh, how convenient for him to find an executioner, oh how is he still alive even.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, it¡¯s ma¡¯ job¡± She completely brushes the man¡¯s sentiment away. ¡®Thank you¡¯, now that something she has heard countless times. Those words have lost their meaning, their weight.

    ¡°How do you do it?¡± Bruno suddenly asked, he didn¡¯t even know why ¡°How can you keep on going?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, because of this of course¡± Siobhan turns back and pulls up her mask slightly. Underneath, a part of her mouth is stripped to the bone, with meat and skin stitching on. But that isn¡¯t what she wants to show. No, what underneath that mask is a smile and on the other side of the horror show is¡­ wrinkles.

    The old woman pulls the mask back down.

    ¡°I met that crimson harlot, she continues to live and yet she continues to smile. She helped me realise, every moment that I am alive is a miracle. So, either I could be miserable and threw it all away or I could smile. That I can be happy for every single breath I take, every step I take, every beat of my heart¡± Siobhan answered with a sincerity so foreign coming from her, it¡¯s almost incomprehensible ¡°That¡¯s how I am able to keep on going, by enjoying every moment of my life¡±

    Her tone soon returns to normal, that joking mocking voice ¡°Well, if you want to know how I can keep on going walking, then it¡¯s because of these boots¡± Lowering her voice, she whispers ¡°They are really comfortable!¡±

    Needless to say, Bruno is surprised, he didn¡¯t expect to receive an actual answer from her. It reminds him of something his teacher used to say, ¡®Old people, there aren¡¯t many of them out there, but those who do sure love passing down what they had learnt. And when they speak you listen, Bruno, we mages always strive to learn more, to reach an understanding¡¯. Although hearing her talking about her boots do reminds the man of something.

    He looks at his bare foot to find his soles long gone. His meat and tendon exposed, hardened from exposure with spiral pattern all over. Whatever, at least it doesn¡¯t hurt now.

    Bruno continues walking, every step he takes stained with the blood of his friends. Mark, who sacrificed himself to the deity so he could live. For them, he will continue walking. Looking at Siobhan back, Bruno makes a silent resolution, after this is over, he will continue to live, he won¡¯t let her kill him¡­ That¡¯s easier said then done, the man sighs.

    Next to him, Bruno can see the priest looking disappointed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The man asked nervously.

    ¡°If you have question about life, you can ask me you know¡± Father Walker answered ¡°That¡¯s what a priest supposed to do¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Bruno wondered about that. From the books, he knew a form of power known as the church used to exist, but it collapsed along with the old world. Priests were those who serve under that system, there are paintings of them remained, but the profession is no more. ¡°So the church still exists somewhere right? You are a priest after all¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Father Walker replied ¡°I am not a priest of the church, not anymore, that was a century ago already. I am now a devout follower of pain¡±

    ¡°Wait! Are you saying you are over a hundred-year-old!¡± Bruno wants to believe that the priest is jesting, but something within him knows that isn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Yes, Azu gave me eternal life so I can continue on living in pain¡± The priest said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even kill yourself?¡± The man is now curious.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, I just need to run into a Blind barrack and it¡¯s all done for me¡± Father Walker, laughing out loud. Siobhan also turns back, taunting him with her crossbow. The man simply ignores the bolt flying past him ¡°I am alive because I choose to be alive¡±

    ¡°So, do you enjoy the pain?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, if that¡¯s the case then it isn¡¯t pain anymore, it¡¯s a fetish¡± Father Walker replied immediately with utmost seriousness ¡°No, when Azu dawned on our church bringing inhuman suffering, everyone died from shock. But not me, I realised that¡­ only in pain do we truly exist, that we can be our true self. And I have continued to walk this world, hoping to pass down that teaching to other. Now that, is what a priest does¡±

    ¡®There is certainly all kind¡¯ Bruno thought to himself, all the while distancing himself with Father Walker in case he suddenly decides to preach. The man wonders, if he survives whatever is going on, what kind of person would he be. If he survives, now that¡¯s a tall order.

 .11 Reunion

    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Michael asked. The situation seems simple at first sight, raiders attacked a settlement, Knights were sent to stop them, they were wiped out by horrible monstrosities. Then it was the turn of the Blind, here to exterminate the enemies of man. But there was also the Stranger and that creature of the cosmos.

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know myself, but that woman was on a mission¡± The old hunter answered ¡°But if I have to guess¡­ Another deity is invading our us and this is ground zero. This world is enough of a mess, we don¡¯t need another greedy bastard grabbing another piece of the pie¡±

    They continue to the forest when the two encounters¡­ two pairs of footsteps! Do these belong to the raiders, more monstrosities or something else. The old hunter inspects the track then suddenly signals Michael to stand still.

    ¡°Stay here and do not move¡±

    The man said then put on his camouflage cloak, this one coloured like dirt and leaves. With that, he disappears into the bushes. The youth then notices that his companion doesn¡¯t leave behind footprints at all.

    Standing around doing nothing in this forest infested with monsters, unnerving is the least of what Michael is feeling right now. The youth puts up his shield, sword readies to fight back.

    Five minutes, then ten, fifteen minutes go by. Heart beating fast, soon the youth could no longer keep track of the time. The leaves rustle in the wind, letting a ray of sunlight through, shinning straight at his eyes. Michael recoils back, swinging his sword around. The youth trips and falls to the ground. The sound of crushed leaves under startles him even more.

    Michael opens his eyes to find someone is looking at him, but it is all blurry.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t come here¡±

    The youth yelled out, pointing his sword at the figure. When his eyes finally refocus, the man in the distance is still there. It¡¯s¡­ a monster! A raider but a part of his skull is shown, on it spiral pattern covered the surface. Both of his arms are wrapped with barb wires to the elbow. What kind of monster is this! Not one from the depth nor the cosmos.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I won¡¯t hurt you¡± The creature said in fluent human tongue.

    When he was young, Michael was told all sorts of stories about monsters. He isn¡¯t going to be fool by this. The youth stands up to find the creature raising its spear and throws it. Michael tries to raise his shield but he couldn¡¯t make it in time.

    The weapon flies past his face and pierces through something behind. A fleshy sound can be heard along with a mournful groan. Michael turns around to find a creature of the cosmos.

    It was a direct hit, but this is a normal spear, incapable of harming the monster. Overwhelmed by fear, the youth freezes as death approach. Then from behind, a steel bolt flies past and hit the monster in one of its many holes. The thing screech a forlorn sound then collapses to the ground, dead.

    A hand grabs on his shoulder, Michael is pulled back the first creature.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± It said.

    From the bushes come three more, another bolt immediately takes care of one of them. The other two step up, the moment their feet touch the ground, this place would be covered by the night once again!

    But fortunately, that doesn¡¯t come to pass.

    The old hunter appears from seemingly nowhere. With vicious force and lighting speed, he slashes the monsters apart before they could take a single step. Such inhuman agility far surpasses that of a human and maybe even some monsters. Is this the result of the Blind notorious training or something else, honed through years of existence?Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The raider also has his mouth agape, stunned by such a display of power. From behind him, Michael can see someone walk pasts, covered in cloth with only a one-eyed google.

    ¡°Looks who is still kickin¡¯ around¡± The figure spoke up, a female voice.

    ¡°I should be the one to say that¡± The old hunter replied.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t ya just go and die already, I want to win that bet already¡± She said.

    ¡°I am afraid to disappoint, but I don¡¯t have any intention of doing so¡±

    The two long-time friends bump their fists, signalling a familiar air of respect. That¡¯s when the old hunter notices someone, or something. He raised his sword toward the target. This isn¡¯t a monster but someone with his mind intact but addled, an acolyte of the unknown.

    ¡°He is fine¡± The woman lowers her follow sword ¡°For now¡±

    The acolyte bows to great them ¡°I am Father Walker, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you two¡± He looks at the old hunter ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your exploits, the oldest Blind, you are quite a legend, sir¡±

    The old hunter brushes that remark off. Title, fame, they don¡¯t mean anything to him anymore, such frivolous things don¡¯t help against monsters. He inspects the raider who is somehow still hasn¡¯t fallen to any influence yet despite his physical form degrading. Slight mutations like this are common, especially in the Divers.

    The youth, however, has a concern about this raider. This man in front him is one of the people who killed his father. They are an evil that must be purged. Blind handles the monsters of the world, it¡¯s a Knight duty to handle the monsters among us.

    But this isn¡¯t the time for that, there are other matters to attend to. But after this is all over, Michael vows not to let that evil walks free.

    ¡°I presume you are here to deal with this cosmos threat?¡± Father Walker asked.

    ¡°Yes, but we are rather lost right now¡± The old hunter replied, turning to Siobhan ¡°We did have a guide, the woman you always talk about¡±

    The Smiling Hunter lights up in an instant ¡°You met her! Where are her now!¡±

    ¡°That¡± Michael heart sank thinking about what happened ¡°She died, killed by one of those thing¡± He looks at the monster corpses lying around. The youth turns back to see a one-eyed google right in front of him. When did she get this close? How come he didn¡¯t notice anything at all?

    ¡°Is that supposed to be a joke?¡± The Smiling Hunter said, her voice devoid of joy ¡°That¡¯s strange, I don¡¯t find it funny¡±

    The youth, who has only turned fourteen this year, has been through a lot. Facing all those monsters, even the corpse of his dead father reanimated. And yet, nothing could compare to the fear for his life in this moment, faced with the crazed hunter. There is no question about it, this woman in front of him¡­ WILL. CUT. HIM. DOWN. Michael has to choose his next words very carefully.

    ¡°She did say this might actually be her end¡± Father Walker chimed in. Bruno can see that something wrong with the priest. His usual air of gentleness is gone, replaced by¡­ nothing. Father Walker seems almost soulless, his eyes unfocused, the black stone embedded in him glow dully.

    ¡°By this thing?¡± Siobhan turns back, kicking one of the corpses ¡°With that weapon, she is invincible!¡± No one can respond to that, the only person who can deny the boy¡¯s claim is remaining silent. The Smiling Hunter also knows very well that this weapon that woman wields has limited charges. Her horse is where most of them are stored.

    Bruno is surprised by this reaction from his temporary companion. Frustration or anger that her mark has been killed by something else is what he expected. But this is denial, followed by pure unfiltered sadness.

    This is the reaction of losing a loved one, not a prey. Bruno wonders if it is just him, projecting his own loss. That or maybe Siobhan isn¡¯t as mad as she seems.

    That thought is soon thrown out as the Smiling Hunter draws her crossbow and lets a bolt loose. It flies through the air to be caught by a hand in white glove. Bruno looks at the figure at awe. Cladded in leather duster with a strange looking hat, the woman steps out into the light, her crimson hair fluttering in the wind.

    A smile on her face, the Stranger seems almost out of this world. The brim of the hat lifts up to reveal her iris-less eyes, certainly unsettling.

    ¡°You are still alive!¡± Michael exclaimed in joy, so she didn¡¯t die because of him after all.

    ¡°Nice to see you still holding on, Sir Knight¡± She said to him then turn to Siobhan, handing the bolt over ¡°And this, I believe is yours¡±

    In the back, colour has returned to Father Walker who simply breathes a sigh of relief. Bruno looks at the woman, so this is the person he has heard so much about. She turns to him, tipping her hat to say hi.

    There is something to her smile, is it unhinged, is it sultry, is it joyful? Bruno can¡¯t tell, but it is definitely mysterious.

    The reunion doesn¡¯t last, however, as the Stranger suddenly falls forward. Siobhan and Father Walker are already to catch her, however. Michael also tried but he was easily pushed away. In the sky, the sun is setting bleaching the horizon with an ominous red, signalling a long night ahead.

 .12 Revelation

    Something must be lost for something to be gained. That¡¯s the normal rule of the world, equivalent exchange, of course that is thrown out of the window with the deities. But for the Stranger it still applies to a certain degree. While she can come back from any condition, hastened regeneration without proper material intake is more than just taxing.

    When she opens her eyes again, night has fallen and there Michael is, trying to take care of her. Bruno also comes with some fresh water, a commodity with Scy¡¯lla influence still lingers. The youth refuses to let him near, however and takes the bowl himself.

    ¡®Still so childish¡¯, Bruno wonders what a kid like that is doing here. Nevertheless, he leaves without saying anything. Gazing back, he can see the woman lying there. She was the one to kill seven of his friends. They were affected by the deity of the depth but it wasn¡¯t too late. But now, none remains to make that journey of recovery. Strangely, Bruno doesn¡¯t seem to mind her at all. There is a feeling of relief when he thinks back about their death.

    Is it because the raider¡¯s training is fading away? Ever since being inducted, they underwent rigorous regiments, learning the spear, being forced fed human flesh. But now, after having time to himself, memories of who he once was started to come back.

    They were all too far gone, including him. Could he make his way back? The man doubts it.

    ¡°Ah, you are awake!¡± The youth exclaimed. Bruno turns back, anxious of what he will feel, seeing straight at her.

    ¡°No I¡¯m not¡± The Stranger replied.

    ¡°Yes you are!¡±

    ¡°I guess I am awake then¡± The woman sits up ¡°Thank you for taking care of me¡± She pats the youth in the head then turns to Bruno ¡°And you too¡±

    There is such confidence in her voice, her smile and yet it isn¡¯t arrogant. Bruno sighs with a smile, he wonders when will the others will be back from their patrol. The man makes his way to get some food for the waking woman but is interrupted by Michael. Backing off, he lets the youth to deliver the goods.

    Leaving to stand guard, Bruno meets up with Father Walker.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The priest asked ¡°Why are you here¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not welcomed in there, what about here?¡± The man answered.

    He is given a nod, an approval to stay. He sits there silently, stomach grumbling, the youth didn¡¯t give him any of the food. Doesn¡¯t matter, he will chew on some rations later.

    ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡± The priest wondered.

    ¡°Does it matter, a deity is invading our world, what I am thinking is insignificant¡±

    ¡°Not for me¡± Father Walker said ¡°It¡¯s a priest job to hear and calm the people¡¯s heart¡±

    That¡¯s certainly rich, coming from an acolyte. Bruno wonders if this is a ploy to get inside his head, to manipulate him into taking the path of pain. The man realises he don¡¯t care about that at all.

    ¡°This past day, trying to survive¡­ I¡¯ve forgotten that I am supposed to be a raider, this is my, our first mission¡± Bruno said ¡°But the way that kid looks at me, guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a raider?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I had a choice, none of us did¡± The man can remember that fateful day as clear as day, when everything crumbled ¡°We were all mages in training. But then, a new headmaster was elected then¡­¡±

    Someone wasn¡¯t particularly happy about that, someone else wanted that position. But he couldn¡¯t challenge the decision and so he concocted a plan. The ambitious man would have the headmaster eliminated through another mean, like an angry mob for example. Without a charger, a mage is just like any ordinary human.

    Bruno sighed and continued.

    ¡°We were betrayed, the townsfolk stormed the place and there were no chargers around to protect ourselves. The plan was to get rid of one person, but the mob was impossible to contain¡± The imaged of torches and pitchforks still burn in his mind ¡°All of us were dragged out, the senior mages all slaughtered. Then us trainees were strung up, crucified and left there in the sun while they decided on what to do with us¡±

    All of them were raised in the wall of the academy, safe and well taken care of. None of the young ones could survive the harsh torture. Bruno could see it, the horror in the townsfolks¡¯ eyes as they realised what they had done, the bodies of children mounting. They decided to bury it all, ended all witnesses and lived on in shame. But that wasn¡¯t to pass.

    ¡°Fortunate, or maybe unfortunately, the rest were saved¡± Not by Knights in shinning armour but something else ¡°The Fisherman, without the barrier they stormed the town and took over the place. They gave us a choice, to join them or die¡­ None of us choose the later, we were na?ve, we wanted to live. But maybe we should have just chosen to end it then and there¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    They were forced fed the flesh of the still alive townsfolks and were ordered to execute the survivors. None of them hesitated, including Bruno, they loved it! To inflict pains on those people that abused them, that tried to murder them. Afterward, some continued to relish the killing, some showed remorse but there was no way back.

    They were all Fisherman, servants of Scy¡¯lla.

    ¡°You said earlier that you didn¡¯t have a choice, but now, I see one¡± Father Walker said ¡°There is no such a thing as a sinful existent, nothing is wrong with wanting to live. In this world it is so easy to die, especially for an ideal or a cause¡± The priest can still remember a history long lost, the Holy Wars, those who died for what they believed in. It is so easy to die, not having to deal with the fallout.

    Bruno can¡¯t tell if the priest is trying to make him feel better or not. Nevertheless, he decides to start doing something, maybe filling his empty stomach. Now that the Stranger is up, they will set out soon. There is something Bruno needs to do before then.

    As he chews on the piece of Blind ration, the others return as well.

    ¡°How are you feeling now~¡± Siobhan is all over the Stranger, fawning over her. Something she had wanted to do but was restricted by the need to kill ¡°Let me feed you, say ah¡±

    The old hunter sits down, watching the scene. It doesn¡¯t concern a monstrosity that needs to be put down, so he doesn¡¯t mind what his co-worker up to in her free time. Her obsession isn¡¯t his problem, although he doesn¡¯t exactly find anything is wrong with the fellow veteran.

    Finishing his ration, Bruno tells the story that should have been told. One that he wants to forget, of his friend Mark and the stone ring.

    ¡°There are many layers to the deities¡¯ influence. Some are easy to spot, horrible mutations, miasma in the air. But most are unseen to the normal eyes, much by a vacuous mind. That ring, you can think of it as a keyhole, it shows the Truth of the world through its many layers. Does it show all? I don¡¯t know¡± The Stranger said putting on her hat ¡°But gazing through it means seeing the deities for what they are, eldritch gods¡±

    Being so powerful and incomprehensible a mere look was enough to drive Mark insane. Even being under the influence of Scy¡¯lla didn¡¯t stop his transformation. It reminds Bruno of what he saw in the spiral temple. That creature covered in black stones, was that Father Walker¡¯s true form as an acolyte.

    ¡°There are things the magical muted like me cannot see. And if I can¡¯t see it, I can¡¯t shoot it¡± The Stranger points her finger at Bruno ¡°Bang!¡± She continues ¡°But you who was trained to be a mage should be sensitive to its, and yet, here you are still standing with us¡±

    Was that a neutral comment or actually a compliment. Bruno doesn¡¯t know and neither does the youth who is staring dagger at him.

    He looks at the two Blind, also magically muted, they won¡¯t be to see this mysterious influence or even be affected by this. Bruno wondered if the Siobhan saw the same sight as him back at the spiral temple.

    ¡°The sky today is certainly starry¡±

    Father Walker suddenly commented, his voice filled with caution. He squints his eyes still gazing upward. Bruno looks up to find nothing is wrong.

    ¡°You are aware that there are layers to this world, knowing is a part of understanding¡± The Stranger walks up next to him.

    And as an acolyte, he is more attuned that most. Hearing those words finally clears the mist within his mind. The priest can see through the veil, laid his eyes on the children of the cosmos. [Ib] He whispered, a description not of the human tongue. But it can still be understood to a certain degree.

    It is Bruno¡¯s turn to see them. Hulking creatures tall as the hills, their body covered in the night, the stars sparkle creating an enchanting sight. But their shape is most uncomfortable, resemble the human baby, walking on both legs. Finally let loose, the creatures wander the forest with child-like curiosity, leaving nothing behind. Emerging from the raider¡¯s camp, they pace slowly but menacingly, their footsteps light as day. But it leaves behind a toxic reminder.

    ¡°Runesland!¡± Father Walker exclaimed ¡°Everywhere they tread become Runesland!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to cut this close¡± The Stranger said, turning to the youth while pointing into the wood ¡°Mr. Knight, I have a very important mission for you. Please run this way, you will encounter a settlement. Tell them to evacuate in that direction, immediately, do not bring any belonging. Tell them it¡¯s order from the Blind¡± She turns to the two hunters with a smile ¡°You guys don¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Siobhan answered enthusiastically for both of them.

    Just like that, Michael is sent away with nothing on him. He is even asked to leave his sword and shield behind. The youth displays reluctant, ¡°Please¡± the Stranger speaks, and he complies dutifully.

    She then turns to Bruno ¡°You can also leave too, if you want to¡±

    The man points at his exposed patch of skull with spiral pattern ¡°I am already mutated like those Divers, this won¡¯t be a problem¡± Besides, he has to see to it, the death of his friends.

    Father Walker still seem disturbed, Bruno is sure his sight is far more detailed and vivid. What do those monstrosities look like in the priest¡¯s eyes? Would it be their truest form or just a layer? The man guess is correct, but Father Walker is bothered by something else.

    ¡°This feeling, it can¡¯t be right?¡± He said, his eyes looking around ¡°No, it can¡¯t be right!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, you lunatic bastard?¡± The Smiling Hunter asked.

    ¡°You all know how Runeslands are created¡± Runes etched upon an item, whether alive or not, exerting its influence on the world ¡°We have been wrong all this time¡± The priest said ¡°No, they start out as gateways, then from there the deities plant their knowledge, their runes! This feeling, it¡¯s the same as that day when the world felt. It¡¯s the feeling I had a moment before Azu dawned on me!¡±

    Father Walker pauses and looks down, he whispers with bated breath ¡°It¡¯s the cosmos¡±

    It¡¯s the cosmos that reached out a century ago, it¡¯s the cosmos that created the Runelands. The other deities only hear and respond through the door that the cosmos opens. This deity that is seemingly invading this world, it has always been here, it has always been the only one here.

    ¡°We need to move¡± The old hunter said. The revelation is significant, but it doesn¡¯t change one bit what has to be done. All monstrosities, whatever they are, wherever or whenever they come from, they must all be purged.

    The priest has also regained his composure continues on. Bruno follows behind him, wondering what will it be like, entering a Runeland.

    The Stranger walks along them. This has taken way more time than she had expected, only less than one day remains. She can tell and so have everyone, by now the sun should have risen right now. This is the beginning of the long dark.

    The woman wonders if they are so powerful, could or more like would the deity decided to bend fate itself. Helping the settlement with their plight, encountering and protecting Michael. She knew it would cost her time, but she did it anyway. Were those events placed there by the cosmos? Is the end of this journey predetermined?

    ¡°Whatever¡± The Stranger answered those questions vacuously. She continues on with a smile on her face and two bullets in the chamber.

 .13 A fools calling

    The end of the century is approaching, but for most, there isn¡¯t much significance in celebrating it. It¡¯s just another day, another year, life will continue like normal. Or that is what it¡¯s supposed to be. Today, the sun refuses to rise, the starry sky continues to loom with more bright dots adorning it. It¡¯s a magnificent sight yet terrifying at the same time.

    The unknown looms over the world and along with it the Runelands spread. Along with them are monstrosities, alien to the most veteran of Blind hunters.

    Many continues to sleep, memories of their pasts returning in droves. Some of them already forgotten. A man dreams of the day a long long time ago, when he was still innocent. Of the day he freed a monster¡­

    ___

    It was a day like any other in the academy, the young mage was bored, like always. But then, something happened, a strange guest from a faraway land, the others said. The boy was curious, he must see this person.

    The staff area was locked off but he snuck in anyway. The boy tried his best to go to the guest quarter but failed to. There were too many people, even the seniors were curious of the Stranger. Apparently, he came from the far West, the land of endless deserts stretching as far as the eyes could see.

    The boy came close to reaching the window but had to give up in the end. He could hear the Stranger pacing around in the room, a strange ding sound like a bell, repeating with every other step. Maybe he could know more of this Stranger from the other staffs.

    And so, the young mage suck to the faculty office and luckily, this person was quite a topic.

    He learnt of the Stranger identity.

    The man was Clayton Black of the 22<sup>nd</sup> Company of the Desert Ranger. ¡°What is a Ranger?¡± One of the staffs asked and the question was answered. In the far West, to cross the desert is a long and arduous journey under the blazing sun. Armoured Knights couldn¡¯t exist, their equipment too cumbersome and a heat trap for such an environment. Then one man, known as the Owl, created the Desert Ranger, the West peacekeeping force. Wearing light leather gears and wielding weapons that spit out thunder, the group assumed the function of both the Knight and the Blind for the region.

    ¡°But then, what business brought Clayton Black of the 22<sup>nd</sup> Company here?¡±

    ¡°Clayton Black, the last of the 22<sup>nd</sup> Company¡±

    That was how the man referred to himself. Him and his company were chasing something unnatural, different. Something that was foreign to this world and even the Runeslands. In their pursuit, the creature had killed them one by one, until only Clayton Black remained.

    ¡°What happened to it? That monster?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he finally captured it! That¡¯s why he is here¡±

    Transporting it back to the West was too much of a journey for one man with this creature in tow. Clayton Black wanted the thing studied by the scholars of this land to research and find a way to end it once and for all.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s exciting!¡±

    Needless to say, the researchers were all excited for this occasion. They talked about what they would do, how they would cut the monster apart, maybe with some electric shock and many more gruesome experiments all in great details.

    Feeling sick in the stomach, the boy stopped listening in and continued to wander the restricted area.

    He wanted to get out, it was about time. But then, the natural curiosity of an intellectual compelled him otherwise. This strange monster wouldn¡¯t be there for long, the boy wanted to take a peak. And so, he made his way to an obscured wing of the castle. There wasn¡¯t anyone around, the time for research was soon to come.

    What would the thing look like? The young mage was filled with images of his own wildest imagination. A giant lizard with wings? Or maybe like those fishes that he sometimes heard about? The possibility was endless.

    He opened the door to where the monster was kept.

    Inside a chamber was a glass cage reinforced by the strongest magic this side of the world had to offer. The boy could see the monster sat in the middle and he couldn¡¯t contain his surprise.

    ¡°A guest¡± The creature turned back and looked at him, a smile on its face.

    It wasn¡¯t a giant lizard nor something from the sea, not it as just a pale woman with crimson hair. She sat there with her knees up, covering her unclothed body. Her eyes had no irises, their depth drew the young mage in.

    ¡°You should turn back¡± The ¡®monster¡¯ spoke softly ¡°What are you doing here anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to see what you are like¡± The boy answered truthfully.

    ¡°Well, I am here, what do you want to see¡±

    The ¡®monster¡¯ stood up and the boy immediately turned away, he covered his eyes. After realising why, the ¡®monster¡¯ giggled and sat back down.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Aw, aren¡¯t you a cute one¡± It said ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s alright to turn back now¡±

    The boy turned around but with his hands still over his eyes. He peaked a bit to find that the ¡®monster¡¯ had covered itself with its¡¯ knee again. The young mage was confused, he could tell this wasn¡¯t a normal human. The eyes were a dead giveaway, but no one in the waste had skin this pale, at least, that was what he thought.

    And yet, this ¡®monster¡¯ felt like a person to him.

    Their meeting had to stop here as he could hear the sound of footsteps. After barely escaping by hiding in a closet, the boy returned to his dome. Around him, his fellow students were still talking about the Stranger that arrived into the academy. One of them managed to get a glimpse of him said he had a wide-brim hat and a star attached to his boot.

    The day continued like normal, they had food then went to sleep. The young mage had his eyes opened wide. What the researchers were talking still fresh in his mind. They would cut the monster up and that would be the least of it.

    ¡®It¡¯s not right¡¯ He thought to himself.

    The day after, the young mage went through the same grind. Breakfast then to attend the class then more class and some more classes, after lunch was the same, classes after classes. Finally, the students were let free to have time for themselves before dinner.

    Using this time, the boy snuck into the staff¡¯s quarter again. Tracing his way from yesterday, he arrived at the chamber with the ¡®monster¡¯ again.

    It was still sitting there but there were cuts running all over its body. The room were filled with instrument, knifes and scalpels of all size. Electrical prods could also be found with many more items that he couldn¡¯t name.

    ¡°Do you like to go where you aren¡¯t allowed¡­ or do you want to see me again¡± The ¡®monster¡¯ said still with a smile on its face.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The young mage asked nervously.

    ¡°Of course, I am, are you worried about me? That¡¯s sweet¡± The monster giggled.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The boy breathed in and readied himself ¡°I¡¯m going to break you out of here¡±

    This seemed to surprise the ¡®monster¡¯, it didn¡¯t expect such a¡­ decision.

    ¡°You are certainly easy to charm¡­ I am a ¡®monster¡¯ you know¡± It said.

    ¡°No I am not charmed, I just can¡¯t sit still knowing someone or something is in pain¡± The boy said with conviction.

    His mind was already made up and there was nothing that could change it. He immediately worked on deactivating the magical reinforcement. The ¡®monster¡¯ watched in amazement, it couldn¡¯t believe someone like this existed.

    ¡°You will get into trouble, you know¡± It said.

    The young mage ignored the ¡®monster¡¯ as he was too focused in this particular artefact. An advance design but the maker didn¡¯t think anyone would tamper with it so there was no security. Eventually he managed to turn off the magical reinforcement. Now to deal with the glass. It was put over telekinetically, without a charger, he wasn¡¯t going to do that.

    He took a look at the table, on it were equipment used for the many experiments. The boy grabbed the table and with the best of his strength flung it. The thing crashed through the glass cage, luckily the whole thing didn¡¯t fall down.

    From within the ¡®monster¡¯ walked out, the boy hastily covered his eyes.

    ¡°Thank you¡± He gave him a kiss on the forehead ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Mordia¡± The boy¡¯s face reddened as he could feel her close ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ___

    Mordia Castellanos wakes up from a long sleep. The spot next to him is empty, his wife already up, keeping watch over the town¡¯s perimeter. The man can¡¯t seem to remember the dream he just had, a strange phenomenon for him. Mordia feels like he had forgotten something but can¡¯t seem to remember it. Probably nothing important.

    Outside it is still dark, he must have woken up early. Mordia takes a peak inside the children room to find them still sound asleep. He grabs the charger, a gauntlet like device and hides it under his sleeve. Then, grabbing some food already prepared, the man heads out.

    Outside, the people are worried and panicking, but why he wonders. His wife is watching over the barricade nervously, she is waiting for something.

    Mordia tries to sneak up on her and suddenly asks ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you awake¡± She answered, too sharp to not notice him ¡°The sun should be out some time before already. And yet, it¡¯s still night¡± Claudia gazes up ¡°The sky is also unnaturally starry¡±

    That would explain the panic. Mordia is worried about the barrier, he had already shrunken it but it¡¯s not possible to watch the perimeter from here.

    ¡°I will go and check on the barrier¡± He said.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, I will go with you¡± Claudia answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Nah, they need you here¡± This settlement has always been peaceful and so when this disaster is upon them, Claudia is the only one with enough experience to lead the place ¡°Besides, I have this¡± Mordia secretly shows her his charger.

    ¡°Ten minutes¡± She said then gave him a kiss ¡°Then I will go look for you myself¡±

    The mage makes his way outside and wanders the perimeter of the barrier. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem, only a bit left to see. As he approaches the end, Morida can spot something, or someone lying outside back against a tree, a raider.

    Is he dead? The mage wondered.

    He decides to get closer, to get a closer look. The raider is still conscious, but he is hurt badly. Mordia nearly walks outside to help when a thought appears in his mind ¡®It¡¯s a trap¡¯.

    ¡°Mor¡­dia?¡± The raider spoke weakly.

    That voice, the mage recognises it ¡°David! Oh no¡± He rushes outside to tend to his old friend from the academy.

    ¡°So¡­ you are the¡­ mage in the wood¡± The raider tried to speak ¡°You idiot¡­ what if this is a trap¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Mordia asked.

    ¡°No¡­ but it could be¡± David answered.

    The mage tries to check on the wound only to be horrified by what he finds. His friend¡¯s back is gone, flesh dripping out along with his insides. This wound is fatal. Mordia doesn¡¯t even understand how his friend is still alive. Taking a closer look, he can see strange spiral pattern running along the ribs.

    ¡°I tried¡­ to run away¡­ with her¡± David said, coughing out blood ¡°But¡­ there¡­ were too many of¡­ them¡±

    ¡°Hang on, don¡¯t say anything¡± Mordia said that but he doesn¡¯t know what could be done.

    ¡°They got¡­ Marissa, please, you must¡­ save her. She is¡­ bearing¡­ our child¡±

    With those words, a burden is lifted from the dying man. David lets go of the unknown, his life fades away for good.

    Morida sits next to the corpse of his friend, wondering what had happened. Why is he and Marissa here instead of the academy? What were they running from? Is she also a raider?

    The mage can still remember that girl, Marissa, she was so bright unlike the rest of them. He stands up and decides on what to do. The man will honour his friend last wish. He will rescue Marissa and her child.

    There is only thing holding him back, his family. Mordia thinks about leaving now but he can¡¯t do that. Claudia needs to know. She will try to stop him but he will go no matter what. The man knows that she won¡¯t be able to follow, leaving the children behind. It¡¯s selfish of him but Mordia is a man who can¡¯t and won¡¯t turn down a cry for help, especially from an old friend.

    He is just that big of a fool.

 .14 End of the line

    Upon entering the realm of the cosmos, Bruno can see the colours drained from the world, leaving behind only light and dark. The shadows are impossibly dark and yet within countless stars shine. Every patch of darkness is a sight most magnificent, from one casted by the mighty oak to the shadow under every step. There was no light in the sky yet they can still see around.

    ¡°The shadows¡­ They are glowing¡±

    Bruno commented, noticing the stars shinning. But if that is the case, then what creates these shadows to begin with. He traces them to a point in the sky, and from it, something appears.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    A sight Father Walker can also witness. A piece that has been missing in the night sky, so familiar to all. The moon.

    The man holds onto the barb wire tightly, the pain shoots up to his brain. It helps him to remember he is here, that Bruno exists. If not, he would have fallen into the shadows upon first entering as it is the fate of the weak-willed.

    The countless stars, the countless lights whisper to Bruno. Every one of them a soul that sank into the darkness. And in this night, even more appear to adorn the night.

    As the group continues to the end of their journey, the scenery of the forest soon fades away. They finds themselves in a home so lived in yet so empty.

    ¡°Are we entering the realm of the deity?¡± Bruno asked.

    Only one has the answer to his question ¡°No, this is the place that has sunk into the cosmos¡± Father Walker said, a hint of sadness in his voice ¡°Pieces of the world taken as the deity¡¯s influence becomes greater¡±

    Lands swallowed by the Runesland, dragged into one. Along with them are people, living beings transformed together into stars united under the night yet so forlorn. They all exist in the cosmos, their light reaching each other but their distance impossible to cross. To be alone and together at the same time, a paradoxical yet calming existence.

    The man doesn¡¯t recognise the items in this place. The rugs are intricate, the clothes hanging nearby are soft to the touch. On the table are five dishes all filled with the most delicious treats. In the corner of the room is a small box containing trash with a white seal on top.

    On the roof, the moon can also be seen in a patch of the night.

    The priest approaches the box, he continues solemnly.

    ¡°This contains the baggage of the year soon to pass, ready to be tossed out¡± He looks at the hanging rack ¡°This family is ready to celebrate the new year¡±

    Bruno then understands, this belongs to a more civilised age, a world long past. The man looks at the priest, wondering what is going on in the mind of someone who had lived in that time. But there isn¡¯t enough time for that, the old hunter continues to move on without saying a single thing.

    The group exits the room, the Stranger turns behind, tipping her hat in goodbye. In the roof five stars can be seen shining slightly brighter than others.

    They pass through a village of the new world, desolate and depressing, followed up by a bathhouse with architecture most inspired. A long ember within Bruno, long thought gone, lights up again. The curiosity of the scholar, of that once mage in training.

    As they walk past the town packed with buildings and the street smooth as silk, he could only watch in awe. The man wants to bother the priest, to ask about this world but he decides not to. For Father Walker, this place is more than wondrous, it was home once. He had walked this street, ate these foods, lived in those cosy dwelling. It¡¯s best to move on in silence.

    But as the group finds themselves inside a majestic castle. Once bustling with servants and knights and nobles, the place is now desolate. The candles the magelights had all gone out, only the stars remain to light up this empty monument.

    Up above, the moon is still there, always present throughout their journey. Bruno can feel calm gazing at this familiar present among the sea of oddities. He wonders if the Blind hunters and the strangers can also see this moon. If they will even feel the same as him. Probably not, Bruno sighs, he has been becoming sentimental.

    The silence is suddenly broken as a sound rings out, echoing in the great hall. A call from the distant past.

    [Who¡¯s there!]

    A bellowing voice wakes the night, it is followed up by a resounding war cry. The group is stopped by a line of eight Knights in intricate armours. The plates shine bright showing their quality and the credence of the wearers. Their shields are ornate with tales of their valour carved on, to show their might.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°That level of craftsmanship is not possible!¡± Bruno exclaimed.

    ¡°Not for this era¡± Father Walker answered solemnly ¡°They are the Royal Guard, predating the fall of man¡±

    From the behind the line comes the Commander with a phoenix adorning his helm [More monstrosity] Even behind the covers the sound of gritted teeth can be heard [Go forward men! For our kingdom! For the monarch! For God! This heresy must be purged]

    The Knights of old draw their swords, which had drawn so much from cosmos they are stained by the night. The Commander himself brandishes a mighty hammer with his inhuman strength. With the power of the night, a hit from their weapons can spell doom to anyone. Perhaps but the Stranger. But didn¡¯t she once tell Father Walker that the cosmos could end her for good? Was that a lie?

    They charge forward but their advance is stopped dead by smoke bombs thrown by the hunters. Then from the blind, they strike, the steel sword of the old hunter runs through the slit in the helmet. A Knight falls to his knees slumming down, resting for good. Another is fell by a shot to the throat, the chainmail underneath couldn¡¯t stop the steel bolt.

    ¡°DO NOT FEAR THEM, THOSE RAISED FIGHTING MAN¡±

    The call was sudden. The old hunter, always so calm and speaks with the lowest volume, bellows out. Perhaps he sees something in the Knights of old, something that is also a part of him. That has carried him through life to such an age.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed¡± Siobhan commented with a giggle.

    And so, the two groups clash, Blind steel against the construct of old. All except Father Walker who stands there watching the mighty heroes. He had grown up on tales of their valour. A time he had thought long forgotten yet returning so vividly. It tugs in his heart, the pain of a world loss is unbearable.

    Yes, this is also pain, the instrument of the great Azu.

    Perhaps in their time, the Royal Guard was the mightiest of the heroes. But they ranked among the known, along their fellow kind.

    But they are now facing against the creations of the new world, one forged from slaying monstrosities that could not be comprehend. The old hunter weaves among the stained blades, untouched and vicious. One by one he falls the champions of old with ease.

    [DIE!] The voice of the Commander thunders out.

    One of the Knight charges against Bruno but he dodges the blow. The man tries to attack but his spear couldn¡¯t find any point of entry. With a might shield bash, Bruno is knocked off from his feet. An attack of that magnitude would kill a mere human instantly, crushing their bones like crackers. And yet, the Knight couldn¡¯t believe it to see the man stands up once again. Forever changed by the spiral, Bruno is no long a mere human.

    But even with the ¡®blessing¡¯ of Scy¡¯lla, he is still no match for this champion of man.

    It dawns on Bruno, this is just the first hurdle. But he is not suited to complete this journey. Behind the threatening figure of the Knights the man can see the old and Smiling hunters, back to back, they fend off against their attackers with ease. The great Commander himself swings his hammer in vain for it could not touch the Stranger. With her modest frame she steers the mighty weapon with her lasso, the sound of spur lighting her every step.

    [I shall end you, monster!] The Knight decrees.

    He swings his sword at Bruno, who could only narrowly dodge the slash. But now he is stuck, without room to avoid the follow up.

    But that final blow never comes, as a blade through the neck smoother the Knight for good. He falls down and behind him stands the Smiling Hunter. ¡°Maybe you should have this¡± She said, throwing Bruno a steel knife.

    The battle comes to an end as the Commander is toppled by the Stranger. A stab through the eye slit and he stops struggling. The mighty Royal Guard had seen many triumphs, but this is their end, and no one shall remember their names or sing songs of their deeds.

    Throughout the short skirmish, Father Walker knells and he prays, whispering words that hasn¡¯t escaped his lips ever since the end of the world. May the Knights rest with their people in the Eternal Garden.

    But even in their ends, the Knights refuse to let go of their arms. Their grips like iron and so are their wills, unbreakable.

    ¡°The cosmos couldn¡¯t take them in. But it has eroded their minds¡± The priest stands up.

    ¡°Ya sure about continuing?¡± The Smiling Hunter asked mockingly.

    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t sit still again¡± Father Walker replied ¡°The time for prayer is over¡±

    The group continues their journey again. The old hunter brushes away the encounter out of his mind, not caring about the vestige of the past snuffed out by his hands. They walk on, all except one.

    The Stranger turns back to face him ¡°So you have made your choice¡± She said.

    ¡°Yes¡± Bruno admitted, his head hung low.

    ¡°Live¡± She told him ¡°It¡¯s never wrong to want to live¡±

    Those were the words that Father Walker also once told him. Bruno understands that him stopping now isn¡¯t a surprise for them. It¡¯s not a sin to exist.

    ¡°Please! Kill them all, I beg you¡± The man yelled out.

    Everyone moves on but the Stranger who turns back to him. With a smile on her face the woman answers ¡°I will¡±. Tipping her hat, he bids him farewell.

    And so, there Bruno stands, unmoving. He can¡¯t move on but his conscience doesn¡¯t allow him to return. The man made a promise to see to it that his friends will all die. But here he is, breaking that own vow.

    Why does it hurt, this time? Bruno had broken many vows before.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get married when we are older¡± He once spoke with Marissa so long ago. But after the day of their inductions into the Fisherman he hadn¡¯t conversed with her since.

    Then there was the time he spent with his dear friend, his roommate Mordia ¡°When we graduate, let¡¯s go outside, together. We can ask Mark and Marissa as to go with us as well!¡±

    ¡°I will take you to that tavern thing next time we can go out¡± He said with David. That day never came for them.

    So many vows, all broken the day his life changed for good. Was it when Mordia decided to leave or when they were all crucified and left to dry? Bruno can¡¯t even tell anymore. Ever since he discarded the mage in training, he hadn¡¯t made a promise since. He is supposed to be a killer of man, a cannibal, a Fisherman. Yet here he is thinking about none of those things.

    Bruno wants to cry but no tears could come out. His eyes had been dry since the day he decided to become a raider.

 .15 Guardians of the cosmos

    The group exits the great hall to find themselves in a part of the wasteland, on top of the mountain. But in the dark, something shudders, its movement warps the world itself. Soon, the icy top morphs into an abandoned hamlet. With dark water reaching their knees, the darkness running between their legs.

    ¡°Something has noticed us¡± Father Walker warned ¡°Is it the cosmos or something else lurking within?¡±

    The answer soon presents itself, the doors to the many wooden house and huts burst opened. From within come the creatures of the depth. Humanoid fishlike beings with green translucent skin, underneath the pattern of spiral can be seen. Their grubby hands clutching nets and harpoons.

    They glow in the dark, these creatures don¡¯t belong to the cosmos.

    ¡°Scy¡¯lla¡± The old hunter grunted, drawing his sword.

    These are just grunting easy enough to dispatch, are they only here to serve as time wasters. Or are these creature of the deep just a herald for something else?

    From the night, thunder shakes the world. The first to react is the Stranger, who drags Father Walker out of the way. Something collides with the priest shoulder, black blood spilt out from the small wound.

    The Smiling Hunter can recognise this injury, that sound. An instrument similar to one that the Stranger uses. But this one is quite different, there was only one shot and from a long distance. A different design.

    Father Walker tries to stand up, but the wound is spreading rapidly. It is a steel bullet, deadly for an acolyte like him.

    Smelling blood, the mer-people approach the group. The old hunter notices even in the darkness, he can barely spot a spiral ripple. It follows the monsters before disappearing.

    ¡°Be careful, they are just a distraction!¡± He warned the others.

    But none of them could predict what happen next.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    [You shall all be cleansed by the flame]

    From the dark, a whisper could be heard, silent but impossible to miss. It is followed up by an explosion of flame red as blood, lighting up this monochrome world. A being, a person crashes through a wooden wall opposite of the fish people.

    Wearing a leather duster reminiscent of the hunter, his eyes are covered by black bandages, his head bare. Most remarkable is the man¡¯s right arm, missing below the elbow, it is replaced by a mechanical contraption, spewing pure red fire. His other arm brandishes another weapon with two short barrels.

    [I can smell your scent, let Darius Black sends you to hell where you belong!]

    The man wades through the water, one of his leg a metal blade made of steel.

    ¡°The shot came from someone else¡± The Stranger said. A sniper is a rare breed even among the illusive Desert Ranger. Such a shooter couldn¡¯t be let free ¡°I will go after him¡±

    She leaves behind her trusty revolver ¡°If it gets dicey, just hand him this¡± And with that, the Stranger disappears into the darkness.

    The other threes ready to stand their ground, focusing on the blind Ranger, the main threat. Then, in the water something catches the eyes of the old hunter, the spiral ripple. It¡¯s too late to do something about that.

    The Smiling Hunter is dragged down into the depth to pay for her sin.

    Their purpose as bait finished, the creatures are left to their fate. And that is simply¡­ slaughter. From behind emerge two shadows, in an instant they cleave the horde into shreds. Covered in light leather armours.

    The twin Eifreet and Francois, the Blind most distinguished trainers. Always seen together, they went missing in action years ago. The old hunter can recognise them instantly, from the time when he was just a young boy, joining the Order. The cosmos has preserved those two well but their minds are also gone like the Royal Guard of old.

    ¡°And to think I once thought you two were old¡±

    The young boy is now doubled the trainers in years. He broke their record and now he still holds it. One year older, he snatches that from the Smiling Hunter, every year she would bet for his death, but the record is still out of her reach.

    Will that be sealed in stone?

    Siobhan doesn¡¯t think so, she opens her eyes to find herself in the twisted temple. Submerged in water in front of her is an empty basin, connected to the outside worlds.

    ¡°So what grant me this honour¡± The Smiling Hunter said to the figure at the end.

    A lonely throne with a lonely king. A creature covered in scale, wearing armour made out of chitin with spiral pattern. Putting on an eyeless helmet with a crown of reef, the acolyte of Scy¡¯lla picks up a giant curved blade. Towering over two adults, the king, the last of his kind stands to exact revenge for a deceased brood-to-be.

    ___

    Alone Bruno is, unaware of the battles at the end of the world. He shall waits here for the news, if it will ever come that is.

    The man is unaware of a shadow, stalking him, ready to strike.

 .16 Heroes end - Automaton

    The hunt was a success, the enemies of man were eradicated. But at what cost? The people of Riven prayed as their hero, their protector wrestled with death itself in the operating room. But in this new world, medical knowledge was non-existent, to save the gunslinger from these injuries, impossible. The little boy stood outside, wondering if his father would ever open his eyes again. He waited, clutching his own revolver, the carving of his name scratched the boy¡¯s palm.

    His mother was different, she was a person of action. In this moment of life and death, she left her husband¡¯s side. The young woman went to the heretical doctor, one who tried to deny God, Dr. Frankenstein.

    ¡°Please¡± She bowed to him ¡°Save my husband, the people need him¡±

    The heretic agreed. The doctors were flabbergasted to see him entering the operation room. All of them backed off, however, they despite the heretic but all knew he was unmatched.

    Dr. Frankenstein proved his superiority. Every cut was perfection, all with blistering speed. He opened the patient up fixing his insides as easy as one cleaning the chamber of their revolver. No one could help because no one could come close to his speed.

    The city of Riven rejoiced as the news broke, their protector would live. Red and blue flares were fired, the signal was passed throughout the endless sand scape.

    That day, the whole West rumbled as the Desert Ranger all fired a shot in the sky. Their leader survived the battle with monsters and death. The young boy also participated. Normally, the recoil of the revolver would shatter the wrist of a kid his kid. But the boy was different, he was son of a hero and this was his gun, he carved his name on it himself.

    But there were two people who didn¡¯t share this festive mode. The young wife of the gunslinger and the hero himself.

    He opened his eyes and saw his beloved sitting by his side. ¡°Theresa¡± He called out, reaching for her hand but he couldn¡¯t. The hero could only see a bandaged stump where his arm once stood. Horrified, he tried to throw off the blanket but couldn¡¯t muster the strength to do so. But the man could feel his body with pieces missing all over.

    The hero was now reduced to nothingness.

    ¡°Why did you save me¡± He asked his young wife ¡°If I die then, I would die a hero¡±

    ¡°The people need you, the Desert Ranger needs you¡± The woman answered ¡°Live on, not as their protector or commander but a symbol¡± She could never say the truth, ¡®live for me¡¯, those words never came out of her mouth. It wasn¡¯t enough, her husband was withering in front of her eyes. The young wife sighed, she wanted this revelation to come at a more festive time ¡°Live for our child¡± She placed her hand on her stomach, a new life was budding.

    And so, the hero decided to live. But he was simply a shadow of his former self.

    No one but his family was allowed to see him. It was a battle of the ages, the man needed his rest, that was the excuse.

    The hero sat in the courtyard, watching his son practicing the family art, quickdraw. The boy pulled the revolver with frightening speed and landed the shot square in the target.

    ¡°Faster¡± His mother was unsatisfied.

    Looking at the stump on his arm, the hero sighed. The boy was already faster than him, the blood of the founder wasn¡¯t in him. He was only allowed to lead the Desert Ranger because his wife, the true heir, was too young. And so, the hero discarded his family name and took on her own. But even though he was a formidable gunslinger, he was no match for her.

    ¡°This is how it should be done¡±

    The woman stepped in to demonstrate. In less than a blink of an eye, the shot already reached its target. Such speed, the hero couldn¡¯t even see her movement. Was she faster than the founder, he wondered. The only person who could come close to her now was Dr. Frankenstein, not the hero himself.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ He told himself.

    And so, the hero bided his family farewell. ¡°You will lead them, the Desert Ranger, out people¡± He told his wife, it was natural, it was always her place, he was simply a placeholder.

    Then at the dead of the night, the hero struggled with his wheelchair, all by himself. Such effort, just for the simple task of moving¡­ But he finally reached his destination, the place that housed the heretic. Dr. Frankenstein wasn¡¯t surprised about the visit.

    ¡°You want your test subject, here he is¡± The hero said ¡°I want to fight again¡±

    It was simple task for Dr. Frankenstein. After all, he still had that nefarious concoction, the substance that could defy god. With it, fixing up the hero was a simple task. But he decided not to, giving the hero such a power would only bite him later on. Besides, the doctor was researching another way to transcend. It considered forbidden by the old world, but this was the wasteland now.

    Automaton, the art of creating machines, complex items that could function without magic.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure to help you¡± Dr. Frankenstein with a smirk on his face. There was no need to hide it, both of them knew, the hero was dealing with the devil.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The wheelchair was left behind as the ¡®hero¡¯ left for the waste in the cover of the dark. He couldn¡¯t face his family, his people anymore. The record said that the hero left on an urgent mission, one that only he could face, an eternal crusade.

    No one would see him ever again, Darius Black disappeared into the night.

    ___

    The dark is banished by the searing flame, cleansing everything in its way. Father Walker, in his weakened state could barely avoid it by crashing through a nearby window. This isn¡¯t a normal flame, the priest could tell, this is capable of burning an acolyte like him. But the wood that made up this place is drenched, unable to catch fire.

    It doesn¡¯t stop the machine, however. With his double barrels gun, he blasts the wall open with countless destructive pellets. A few go through the wood and easily lodge in the priest¡¯s thigh. Running away is no longer an option.

    His only other hope, the old hunter, is also occupied.

    Can he hold onto his life long enough? Or would he have to¡­ kill. In all of his existent, Father Walker has never ended a person¡¯s life himself. The man is a devout follower of saving lives instead, either through pain or something else, preferably the later.

    [Burn]

    The machine whispers blasting his flamethrower. Father Walker strikes back, wrapping his barb wire around the weapon pulling it to the side. The flame barely missing him. The wire goes further, trying to penetrate the flesh, but it could find nothing.

    ¡°What is this!¡± The priest had never encountered a being like this before.

    Not stopping, the machine points the gun at his target and fires the remaining shell.

    Father Walker raises his arms to block the shot. From within, black stones sprout out, piercing through his skin. The stones absorb most of the pellets, shattering in pieces. Some still hit, sending the priest flying back, colliding at a wall.

    The barrels open as two shells are ejected along with a stream of smoke.

    After following the Stranger, Father Walker could tell the machine is reloading. His barb wire won¡¯t be able to stop it in time. Most of his abilities propagate through flesh, with a being made out of cold metal, they are useless.

    ¡®If she is to have my power, what would she do¡­¡±

    The priest asks himself. He bites a piece of his tongue off and spit it at the gun. The chunk of flesh is torn apart by glass shards and spread out, each piece carrying a shard within. They all explode with a shower of glass. It doesn¡¯t hurt the machine but the some of the pieces manage to enter the barrels. They propagate, blocking them to prevent a reload.

    Some of them manage to pierce through the glove, revealing flesh underneath. But the glass couldn¡¯t spread far, the human hand is cut off by mechanical wiring. They still make the machine drops his gun.

    [Stop struggling, monster!]

    The machine pulls his flamethrower back, with barb wire still attached to it. Father Walker is dragged closer, his wire too long, he won¡¯t be able to pull it enough to divert the next gust of fire.

    A do or die moment, the priest springs into action. With his injured legs, he leaps at the machine. Black stones sprouting from his fist, he punches his enemy straight in the face.

    He made a grave mistake.

    The hit tears the skin apart, revealing a metal inside. And now, Father Walker is in close range of a warrior. The machine slams his skull into the priest¡¯s own, black stones shattering against metal, then tackles him with the flamethrower arm.

    The muzzle points straight the target¡¯s face, signalling a cacophony of flame. Father Walker jams his arm into the weapon, black stones sprouting as the fire spread out causing a massive explosion. The small hut is blown apart along with the barb wire connecting the two.

    Father Walker tumbles into the dark water, welcoming for his horribly burnt self. His right arm is now blackened from the flame, raising it, the priest realises he could no longer sprout barb wire or anything else from it. And yet, he can still move the limb. It is the same with other burnt spots, the acolyte power couldn¡¯t be manifest.

    This flame has truly cleansed him.

    ¡°God¡­ is this your will¡±

    When the world ends, Father Walker had accepted the pain as his gospel. Faced with the deities, his belief strengthens. It was God that sent these beings to test humankind, blinded and hungry for power and knowledge.

    He had endured God¡¯s trial, every moment of his continuing existent is marked with pain. But the priest held on, recruiting others to his belief.

    Is this his reward¡­ to finally be free of the suffering?

    This flame that is so foreign will baptise him. He will die, but not before being cleansed of sin, he will die a human. Father Walker accepts his fate.

    The metal leg of the machine pierces through his chest. The priest looks up to the messenger looming over him. The flamethrower, still functional, is pointed straight down.

    Father Walker closes his eyes and he can see light.

    Turning back one last time, he can see a shadow in the dark. It¡¯s hard to make out the silhouette, but he could recognise that crimson hair anywhere. It¡¯s the Stranger walking away further and further away from the light.

    In this waste, he would continue to spread the words of God through a new mean of pain. But then, the priest encountered someone special, someone so vacuous he couldn¡¯t get through. He had followed her ever since, hoping to finally open her eyes.

    Is he going to pass one, leaving her in the dark, oblivious to God¡¯s embrace?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but I¡¯ve made a promise¡±

    Walker points the gun that she left with him up, a final struggle. But before he could pull the trigger, the machine grabs it easily and yanks it out of his hand. The man waits for the end, but it doesn¡¯t come.

    Even though his hand is torn by glass, the machine could still feel the carving on that gun.

    [Clayton¡­ is that you, my son!]

    Inside his empty mind, a memory starts to surface. It threatens to bring back Darius Black, but the dark has blocked it out. The machine remains an empty shell. His conscious is not returning but the inner has brought enough time.

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±

    With unmatched resolve, Walker drags his body to the side, the machine¡¯s leg cutting his body up. He stands up, grabbing the unfired shells on the machine belt. The flamethrower arm moves up but it is too late.

    With the remaining hand covered in black stones, Walker thrusts the shells into the machine¡¯s face. The metallic teeth is burst open. Stabbing the bottom of a shell with his finger, the man slides it with another one, both infested with black stones. It creates a spark that ignites the gunpowder, the shells all explode violently, the countless pellets shred the machine¡¯s head.

    Darius Black falls into the water, dead, Walker manages to catch the Stranger¡¯s gun.

    Then, he raises the hand that was blown up with the machine¡¯s head. From what remains, black stones and glass shards sprout out. With them, he scratches the burns of his other arm of. His cleansed arm is a mess, but when the last of the charred flesh is scrapped off, blood spurts out. Along with it, black stones and glass shards and barb wire spring out once again.

    The man had rejected God¡¯s will, but he does it to continue to spread God¡¯s words.

    Walker knows he no longer has the right to, but he still prays anyway. Whether anyone heard his prayer or not, the man doesn¡¯t care. Walker will continue to follow that crimson woman, he will enlighten her or die trying.

 .17 The lone champion of the depth

    It has always been foolish to think that human as the only beings with sentient thought. There existed many worlds out there, populated by other humans or other strange being. There is one thing that tie them all together, the ability to progress. But if that¡¯s the case, how come nothing has crossed from another world to another.

    Is it because no world has ever come that far¡­ or couldn¡¯t.

    None of that can bother the Smiling Hunter, who has a prey in her sight. A king? A champion? The last of his kind.

    ¡°You are the same as that thing¡±

    The woman can see the similarity between her opponent and the creature at the spiral temple. In his lonely eternal rule, the champion wished for a kin. The deity listened and replied, another of his kind was brought to this world, but nothing could stop the new-born from being cut down.

    The champion leaps into the air, slimming his sword into the ground. The weapon is dull from time, but it still creates a shockwave enough to send the Smiling Hunter flying. The woman flips mid-air to land on her feet but before she could touch the ground, the champion is already there, the swing of his weapon threatens to crush every bone in her body.

    As the sword flies to her, the Smiling Hunter grabs the weapon and lifts herself above it. Then she stabs her own blade straight into the gap underneath the champion¡¯s helmet. The steel couldn¡¯t pierce through his cursed skin.

    His body in position, the champion shoulder bashes his opponent. The direct hit is marked by sounds of cracking bones.

    The Smiling Hunter is sent tumbling through a wall. She could barely breath as the blow had made a mess of her ribcage. Removing the cloth covering her mouth, the woman pukes out hot red blood. Her legs trembling, she could barely stand straight, much less fighting. It¡¯s not like she can beat him in tip top condition either. The champion is stronger, faster, tougher and is a more capable fighter.

    ¡°Heh¡­ heh¡­HAH HAH HAH¡± The Smiling Hunter laughed out loud. Every sound escaping from her mouth is excruciating but she continues to laugh andyway.

    The champion, without any hesitation, slams his sword onto the broken figure. At the last moment, the Smiling Hunter rolls out of the blow, leaving something behind. A bomb which explodes into a cloud of smoke. With a swing of his weapon, the champion disperses the smoke with ease, only to find that his ¡®prey¡¯ has disappeared.

    From behind one of the many pillars decorating the spiral temple, there the Smiling Hunter clings with a pick.

    Stronger? Faster? Tougher? It doesn¡¯t matter, it is the job of a Blind to fight threats that far outstrips their own capabilities. As a hunter, she will lurk in the dark. If the monster can see in the night, then covers are her friend. But some can use sound, echolocation, with those she will lurk with her cloak, blending in the environment. Thermal vision can be annoying, but nothing a little of mud can¡¯t fix. Monsters that can read thought, her pure unfiltered instinct is enough to overwhelm them. Recognising the target ability to observe and disappear accordingly is a skill of every accomplished hunter. And Siobhan, the Smiling Hunter, she is all the way up there in the hall of fame.

    ¡®Make no mistake, you are my prey¡¯

    Jumping from one pillar to another, grabbing onto them silently, the Smiling Hunter observes her target. Her ribs screaming out in pain, but she cherishes that sensation. It helps her to remember that she still exists.

    ___

    It was a long time ago when the Smiling Hunter was simply a hunter like any other. She joined the Order as a ghost, having lost everything. Monsters had taken away everything she ever known like many others. But she didn¡¯t want revenge, that thought never crossed the girl¡¯s mind. Faced with the unknown, such a basic human¡¯s feeling couldn¡¯t remain.

    She was like the many recruits that dotted the rank of the Blind Order. Those that wanted revenge, those that had nowhere to go and ghosts like her.

    There were also the na?ves, fighting for the people or for some noble causes. They didn¡¯t last long, their ideology broken in the face of overwhelming horrors or they simply died. Well, all but maybe one, a young bright eyes boy. But no one cared, he would join the rank of the na?ve, he wouldn¡¯t survive.

    The trainings were harsh and many couldn¡¯t make it, dropping out or perishing to be forgotten. Nevertheless, the girl made it and was assigned her first mission.

    Even with all the preparation, the death rate of Blind recruits first outing was staggering.

    It was a normal village with a monster hiding within the populace. Or not. It was a trap, set by fate. Everyone was already turned, the friendly faces turned into monstrosities from nightmare. The Blind and travellers passing by were slaughtered. Even the instructor was killed, his steel blade couldn¡¯t stop the countless pitchforks.

    The girl was dragged away, her gears stripped away, she was to join the monsters¡¯ parade, becoming one with them. She had nothing left in this world and yet in that moment, when she saw what was about to come, the girl screamed out.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Help me!¡±

    A cry like many others, destined to be unheard. But a miracle happened, someone had heard her call. A traveller stopping by this cursed town had survived.

    Covered in a grey cloak, the traveller drew out a long unknown. The sound of thunder rocking the world, the monster holding onto the girl was decapitated. The traveller cranked the handle and let out shot after shot, ejecting shell after shell. Then, quiet fell upon the village once again, but not for long.

    The traveller took the trembling and vulnerable girl into their arms. She was carried into a building with all windows barred up. The traveller set her down and reloaded the rifle, one shell at a time. They gave the girl their grey cloak to cover her exposed self.

    ¡°The rest will be swarming us soon¡± The traveller said.

    The girl was surprised to find who is underneath that cover. A woman wearing white shirt with patterns on the chest. Most striking were her crimson hair and iris-less eyes. The woman handed her the rifle.

    ¡°You know how to use this right?¡± She asked.

    The girl nodded, remembering how the traveller wielded the weapon.

    ¡°Clever girl¡± The woman said, patting her head ¡°Just point this at the door and fire at anyone who isn¡¯t me. I will be back soon¡±

    And so, the Blind hunter stayed covering underneath the grey cloak. Her adrenaline running dry, she fell asleep. When her eyes opened again, the traveller was by her side, sitting. The door to the building was wide-opened, rays of sunshine coming in.

    Many Blind hunter had turned mad in their hunts. The girl could have been one of them, what happened here in this village was more than traumatising. But the traveller had kept her sane with her smile. It wasn¡¯t a smile of kindness or sympathy, not it¡¯s the traveller ever mystery smile. But it was enough to keep the girl tethered in through this ordeal.

    Life could be long, one traumatising didn¡¯t have to be the end the end. One just needed to be reminded of their own humanity, perhaps with a smile?

    The girl had kept that grey cloak and smile with her ever since, always.

    ___

    It doesn¡¯t take long for the champion to realise what is going on. With great strength, he starts to smash down the many pillars. The temple quakes in awe of the champion but continues to stand, the pillars are only for decorative purpose.

    But even then, the Smiling Hunter is nowhere to be found.

    The many vantage points lost, the woman sneaks around the rubble. She needs find out her prey¡¯s weak spot. Nothing can be spotted asides from the obvious slit for however many eyes this thing has. But such an accomplished warrior would be well aware of this. Aiming for his head might be the most thing to do.

    No, she will need to carve out a weakness by herself. A hunter has a tool for just that, it doesn¡¯t see much use but, in the situations that it is needed, it makes the difference in life and death. A stake with reinforced tip and explosive within, made to drill through anything.

    But this tool can only be used once and she had been a long supply-depleting journey already, this is her only shot.

    ¡®Piece of cake¡¯

    The way the champion moves is similar to a human. A scholar would wonder whether if it used to be human or vice versa, two races with similar ancestry perhaps. But for a hunter, all that matter is that the bone structure of the champion resembles a human. From the way his body is twisted, the woman can see the spine is the same, so what about the nerves?

    Now that is something, she can only make an educated guess about. But there is nothing guarantee in this world infested by the unknown. The Smiling Hunter must make a choice, if she is wrong then that¡¯s that.

    The problem is to get close without being pulverised first.

    She runs from one cover, showing herself just enough for the champion to notice. Instead of coming to her, the champion goes to cut her off instead. He had realised that if the woman had eluded him till now, this must be a trap. While there¡¯s nothing she could do to hurt him, hubris is a common pitfall.

    The Smiling Hunter finds the champion already in front of her, having read her movement.

    ¡°Gotcha¡±

    The champion steps on a Blind trap. She already knows that he wouldn¡¯t chase behind. An experienced warrior would always try to cut off their opponent.

    The trap explodes, sending steel dust all over. It doesn¡¯t cause a dent but the Smiling Hunter escapes in the confusion, but not before leaving a dust bomb behind. As the thing detonates, she fires a bolt from a cover, then quickly relocate to fire another one, both aimed at the eye slit. The champion dodges them easily but the dust refuses to settle and from behind the cloud, bolt after bolt pelts at him.

    Utter chaos, enough to mess with a person mind. But the champion is no ordinary being. He had survived countless battles, the same that reduced his kingdom to nothingness. Chaos had moulded him, the champion can tell exactly where the bolts are coming from and soon, where will they come next.

    But even as the champion knows where his target will be even before she even thinks of it, he holds his ground. There is only one reason for this meaningless chaos. She had found a weak spot and a confusion this magnitude is easy to strike.

    From the start, the hunter has always been a prey.

    Then from behind the dust cloud, the Smiling Hunter pounces at his head. The champion ducks forward to prevent an attack to his eyes. He digs his feet into the ground, which crumbles with his strength, the champion stands up, slamming at the helmet at his opponent.

    The woman simply flips over his head to reach her true target, her pick digs into the helmet.

    If the champion dodges by spinning his head, with her anchor, the hunter could still follow and strike at her target. Even if he slams back into her, the woman is ready to brace herself. Whatever he does, this stake will find its way at his neck and it does. A small explosion pushes the drill bit forward, digging through the armour and skin.

    For the first time in eons, the champion is hurt.

    But the stake couldn¡¯t make it through enough to cause any real damage.

    The Smiling Hunter kicks off the helmet to escape but it isn¡¯t enough. With his frightening speed, the champion turns in an instant, swing his blade at her. The woman tries to vault over the weapon mid-air again. But the blade changes its direction straight up, a feat of strength unheard of. Even with his dull weapon, the force alone is enough to tear the woman in half.

    But something drags her back from the mortal blow.

    ¡°You really love to make a dramatic entrance¡± The Smiling Hunter smirked, her grey cloak missing.

    ¡°Me, not at all¡±

    A person emerges from the well, his garb covered in ashes. A bloodied arm is covered with barb wire, dragging the woman back.

    The champion is of course aware of the well, the gateway outside. But that woman wouldn¡¯t be able to use it and it is not possible for the acolyte of pain to find her. Then he notices something, the grey cloak held back by a boulder, part of it going through the well. An item dropping through the well can reach anywhere. But wrapped inside a cloak is an item that the Smiling Hunter had borrowed, a piece of black stone.

    Followed behind Walker emerges another man, unscathed except for a bloodied sword. The old hunter, fresh of a hunt, is ready for another.

 .18 Protectors of man

    Hard times create heroes. In the line of defending mankind against the incomprehensible scourge, few are more famous than Eifreet and Francois Lavelle. The siblings that defined an era of Blind Order. No longer were hunters sent out in drove in hope of taking down a monster. Every single fighter was trained and equipped to fight threats far greater than them.

    The frontline against invasions from the unknown, the siblings had grown bitter and cynical. They frowned upon those who could be considered as na?ve. To live in this business, one needs a reason, a drive powerful enough, something personal.

    Time and time again they were proven right. Those who fought for a higher cause, for reasons that weren¡¯t selfish, they never made it. Facing with the unknowns, disillusion set in quickly, that or they just turned crazy, realising the futility of their effort. The siblings believed that only selfishness could carry one forward.

    ¡°Hah hah hah¡±

    And so, they laughed mockingly at one new recruit. He was a bit older, harder to train and more na?ve for most. Wanted to become a knight in the first place, he decided to train as a hunter instead. His reason? To protect the weak.

    ¡°You won¡¯t last a year¡± Said Eifreet ¡°We will get to see it for ourselves¡± Francois mocked.

    A year passed then another and another and another. The recruit, then an official hunter, was still as na?ve. The sibling, however, went on a mission and was never seen again.

    Until now.

    The fight between the three hunters quickly moved to the roofs of the fishing hamlet. All experts as trap, the murky water could hide many devious contraptions. But the twin had already predicted such an outcome. The wooden tiles were littered with bombs and the like.

    And yet, their opponent didn¡¯t step on any of those. Even in the dark could see, predict where all the traps were. Eifreet and Francois wrote the book of hunter, but he had perfected it.

    As he encroached closer and closer, they repelled him with bolts and bombs. But the man wasn¡¯t deterred, he pressed on. A down and dirty fight it was then, no problem. They were accomplished fighter and it was a two on one.

    [Why do you fight?] Eifreet asked.

    Without any hesitation, their opponent gave them the same answer he would years ago.

    ¡°To protect the weak¡± The na?ve hunter replied.

    [You still haven¡¯t learnt] Francois mocked [We will have to fix that]

    The fight wasn¡¯t even close at all. The twin was simply decimated, it was a slaughter, an execution. But for the old hunter, it was just a hunt like any others. Old comrades turning mad weren¡¯t a new occurrence and they also needed to be cut down.

    Did he have any thought about ending his old teachers, of course.

    But it wasn¡¯t a time to be thinking about such a thing. The old hunter continued focusing on the hunt. And now, he is to face against the strongest prey of all.

    A champion of the depth.

    This is a definition of an uneven battle. The champion can pulverise the old hunter with a single strike, but the man is used to dealing with a stacked hand. The fight starts out just as lopsided, the old hunter has to retreat back constantly, he can¡¯t afford to take single hit.

    Pushing toward the well, Walker and the Smiling Hunter move out of the way.

    Of course, the champion has his eyes on those two as well. Tracking three targets isn¡¯t a feat he would consider to be particularly difficult. But for now, those two is not planning anything, yet.

    The old hunter finally decides to move in. Ducking under the dull blade by just a smidge, he circles around the champion, his target the back of the head.

    His opponents turn with great speed along with a wide swing, but the old hunter sticks to the back like a shadow. Then, with an accuracy of an eagle, the steel blade is directed to the drilled hole, only to be retracted at the last moment. The champion slams his entire body backward, the old hunter manages to evade to the side at the moment. His dodge is nearly caught by a swing of the sword, but he kicks the weapon to propel himself even further.

    Before his feet could touch the ground, the champion is already on him. Mustering all of his strength, the old hunter manages to redirect the dull blade slightly with his own.

    The champion continues his onslaught with swings after swings. Knowing that his arms can¡¯t deflect another attack, the old hunter tries to make distance to no avail.

    Walker watches on in awe, how many close calls were there. And yet, the old hunter continues to flirt with death but how long could he last. The man couldn¡¯t do anything, his barb wire would do nothing to stop the champion while hindering the other side. He casts his eyes on the Smiling Hunter, who has kneeled down to rest, her injuries quite severe.

    She also observes the fight with bated breathes, partly due to her broken ribs.

    The woman puts her trust in the Stranger, so mysterious and a force of nature, she can be counted on to exist. Siobhan could continue with her life, knowing that the Stranger still lives and that helps to anchor her in this crazy world.

    But she never feels the same way about her college here. Even though he has survived more than most, he is still a human and he feels very much like so.

    Dodging the champion¡¯s barrage of attacks, his movements are incredible but not inhuman. Even after all this time, the old hunter could still continue with that na?ve will of his. But at any moment, like most out there in the waste, he could just drop dead. It doesn¡¯t matter that he has eluded death till now, one mistake, one stroke of bad luck is all it takes.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    That¡¯s a human fate.

    But this is not that time. The champion closes in, his opponent could no longer back out in time for the next attack. But as he raises his sword, a sharp foreign feeling spreads throughout his body. What is this? So familiar yet so strange.

    A warm liquid is escaping from his neck, is this feeling¡­ pain?

    A bolt has gone through the drill hole straight into the champion¡¯s neck. But how, the Smiling Hunter couldn¡¯t have shot it from her angle.

    As he falls to his knee, the champion could see it. Under the rubble, hidden in the dark is a crossbow already sets up. The Smiling Hunter had put down that trap before her fight, but seeing that its trajectory is set, there wasn¡¯t much she could do. No, it was the old hunter who lures him to this spot and fights here, his back exposed to the crossbow.

    Then, the Smiling Hunter waits where she kneels, with a string in her hand for the perfect moment. Waiting for when the champion neck is at the exact spot.

    ¡°You make a fine bait indeed¡± Remarked the Siobhan, patting the old hunter on the shoulder.

    The champion could only watch as the victors turn away from him. Dropping the sword, perhaps this is the chance for him to finally fall. His wish of meeting another of his kind, unfulfilled. Insides his mind is a wealth of knowledge, thousands and thousands of years of histories, preserved in him. The cultures, the lives, the deeds of his people. In the end, he couldn¡¯t pass it down.

    With a final grunt, the champion picks up the sword and throws it at his attacker, the one who killed his last hope. The Smiling Hunter dodges the attempt easily, sneering at his last futile effort. This hopelessness that the champion must be feeling right now is one that has plagued mankind for a century.

    Siobhan can¡¯t help but smirk at the struggle, ¡®talk about karma¡¯.

    Breathing his last breath, the champion collapses, his crown rolls onto the floor. The Smiling Hunter simply crushes it under her foot without a single care. In this fight, his chance of winning from the beginning has always been null.

    ¡®I am the hunter, you are the prey¡¯

    The three escapes through the portal to find the hamlet crumbling. Dragged here by the champion¡¯s will, the place soon shifts and morphs into something else. A rather cosy kitchen.

    ___

    Bruno sighs, he has been doing that a lot. Waiting is simply an excruciating experience, the man even hopes that a monster or two would come his way. His wish comes true in that instant as something of note happens. He can hear a noise coming from a nearby bush. Is it a monster, an animal or a person who wanders here?

    It doesn¡¯t matter, Bruno decides to investigate anyway. With one hand he holds onto his steel knife, the other the Fisherman¡¯s spear.

    Surrounded by a monochrome world, the man¡¯s vision is quite limited. It could easily be fooled by a monster of the cosmos. And yet, his heart is beating like normal, the worst that man could ever face maybe hiding in there, but Bruno doesn¡¯t feel any pressure at all. With the spear, he splits the bush apart to find¡­ nothing.

    Bruno lets out another sigh and he is then consumed by something violent.

    It starts as an explosion, then the place is covered by a white dust that covers all of his vision. This is a Blind bomb! Is it another hunter, or someone else?

    The man is tackled by a person brandishing a shield. Choking from the steel dust, he is knocked down quite easily. Nevertheless, Bruno manages to kick his attacker away quite easily. Whoever that is isn¡¯t particularly strong physically.

    The attacker swings a sword which Bruno blocks with his spear. The dust also settles to reveal¡­ Michael.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Bruno called out. Is the boy now affected a higher power? One thing is sure, there is not enough time for him to go to the settlement and back.

    ¡°Doing the right thing¡± Michael answered clearly ¡°I could just leave and hope the darkness would do its job, but I can¡¯t. I will kill you myself!¡±

    There is nothing wrong with the boy, at least not that Bruno can tell. He easily pushes his attacker away, but Michael is relentless. None of his untrained attacks could reach Bruno, however, but it doesn¡¯t stop the boy from swinging away.

    ¡°You raider scum! You killed my father¡± Michael grits his teeth ¡°You probably don¡¯t even remember, he was a knight, a protector of the weak!¡±

    Of course Bruno remembers, the group assigned to protect the settlement was wiped out. He was there, he was fighting against them, he even plunged his spear into one of the man. They were noble knights, trying to protect the people, but he killed them without a single though.

    But now? All those memories come back crashing down to him. Bruno doesn¡¯t even know why or how his apathy returns. Perhaps it¡¯s just a temporary tryst and he would soon return to the bloodthirsty raider that the Fisherman had trained. But now is not that time. Now, what would Bruno do?

    Be a coward.

    He has wanted to die but again and again he fought back against the darkness, resisting. But dying, being the target of vengeance for a noble knight. Perhaps this is what he is looking for. His opponent is still a youth with a long life ahead filled with possibilities, it is right for him to live.

    Michael continues to strike like a hungry beast while Bruno decides to accept his fate.

    But once again the man survives, the boy is dragged back by a mysterious force. This is not a work of the unknown but something Bruno is very acquainted of. It¡¯s magic.

    A mage, charger in hand, drags the boy back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but killing is not the answer¡± The mage said ¡°Especially against someone who is not fighting back¡±

    How could this be, after so long¡­ Bruno stands, a whirlwind of feeling within him. His home destroyed, all of his friends, his companions also gone with the cosmos. All but one. The person he thought to have been swallowed by the cruel wasteland, now right there in front of him, still the same.

    ¡°Mordia¡­¡±

    But fate, or maybe an unknown eldritch has another plan, their reunion is cut short violently. Blood gushes out as Michael stabs the mage without any hesitation.

    ¡°You dare get in my way!¡± The boy said coldly.

    Those damn raiders and now a mage? It doesn¡¯t matter, Michael won¡¯t let anyone stand in his way of vengeance. How dare them took his target away from him. That man¡­ that despicable man, the one who masqueraded as a saint. The pain that he had inflicted upon Michael and mother. The woman couldn¡¯t take it, she tried to run away and was murdered, an ¡®unfortunate accident¡¯ it was called. Behind the boy¡¯s shirt are countless scars still, the mark of that ¡®man¡¯.

    Michael had tracked the bastard all the way to the wild, where he could be murder without arousing any suspicion. But those raiders got there first, his target was stolen from him. But all will be right here.

    After he kills the raider the boy will apply to be knight. To be one to protect the weak especially from monster in human form. He will grow up and maybe¡­ he will meet her again. The woman with crimson hair. From some reason, Michael knows that she will be the same as the first time they met. Perhaps he could¡­

    The boy thought is cut short and so is his life full of possibilities. A spear goes straight through his throat, tearing his arteries opened. Michael tumbles to the ground, gurgling, puking out blood. He clutches his throat, but nothing could do. The flame of vengeance has been extinguished and there is nothing awaiting him but the cold uncaring abyss. He opens his mouth, but no words could come out.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die¡¯ No one could hear his cries.

    Bruno is already by his friend side, wrapping the horrible wound.

    ¡°No no no, answer me, Mordia. You can¡¯t die!¡±

    There is nothing, his friend is in shock, but he is still breathing. There is still hope!... Hope? In this shattered world, is there such a thing. In his mind an image appears, of a person, a paradox, a mystery, otherworldly, the Stranger.

    She is his last hope! Bruno is not sure how but this ember is all that he has.

    Taking his friend on his back, the man ventures into deeper into the dark world. He passes by the corpse of Michael without a single care. The thought of retrieving the spear is nowhere in his mind. Clutching the steel knife, Bruno soon encounters monster of many disciplines. The depth, the cosmos, the dessert, pain and many more. This night, they all come out on a parade.

    Many simply pass by the man but not all of them, others are interested in this prey, the first of many in their visit to this realm.

    ¡°You can try but none of you will stop me!¡± Bruno declared with great resolve, a fire lighting up within ¡°I won¡¯t let you die here, my friend¡±

 .19 Tombstone

    Near the end of his career, the invention of scope revolutionised the gunslinging trade. A new breed soon emerged, the sharpshooter, capable of hitting tremendous distance. Despite that, he chose not to use a scope, the reflection on the glass surface can compromise his position. Besides, it¡¯s not like the Owl needs such a crutch.

    Vision in the monochrome world is hampered but he is already used to it. Spotting a slight change between two leaves of a bush, he fires then immediately relocates.

    The Stranger could barely avoid the shot. It leaves a hole in the duster, a proof of such frightening accuracy. This is a fight that she, who has no firearm in her current possession, can not afford to take head on.

    It¡¯s not like she gets to dictate the flow of this engagement. Despite being vastly more equipped, the Owl hasn¡¯t shown himself yet. This woman has survived four shots sent her way. No one had ever managed to live past two. Not only that, but she has been getting closer and closer, pushing onto his position.

    The Owl slowly makes his way down from the hill next to the hamlet, an area overgrown with tall grass. The Stranger is close, silently wading through the water. They are close to one another, although exactly how, none of them know.

    The first to notice the other is the Owl who notice the slightest hint of ripple in the water surface. Throwing a dynamite over the corner, he shoots it with the revolver.

    An explosion of fire and fury to signal the fight to come.

    A lasso from seemingly nowhere up above wraps around the revolver. That ripple was just a bait, created by poking the water very slightly.

    In less than a blink of an eye, the Owl draws out his second revolver. Ambidextrous, both of his hands are equally nimble and precise. In this split second, a decision must be made. He could either shoot at where he thinks the woman is at, or the shot could be directed at the lasso instead. With any other opponent, the former would be a clear choice. But not now, not here, not against this person.

    She could get close to him without a scratch. Something that no other can claim to do, from the most fearsome of raiders to a distinguished gunslinger. A feat even the worst monsters of the endless desert couldn¡¯t achieve.

    The Owl fires at the lasso with the purpose of cutting it. The bullet goes through easily, but it leaves a single strand of rope behind. The lasso then suddenly shudders as if there is life within. It refuses to be torn apart, the hemp reforms, like a wound closing itself. The Owl drops the revolver, surrendering it before disappearing into the tall grass.

    The Stranger checks on her new weapon, there are only five bullets loaded.

    She wanders through the tall grass until reaching a clearing. A ominous place above the water, graves jutting out of the ground with no rhyme or rhythm. The tombstones are twisted like the inhabitants of this place, like thousands of tortured souls struggling. They fill the cemetery like a maze of the damned.

    Through a tombstone full of holes, the Stranger meets with the Owl. He stands there, looking back with his eyes covered by round sunglasses.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honour to meet you, Wyatt Black¡± She said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in long time¡± The man answered.

    Even in his time, people known him as the Owl, the first of the Black family and the Founder of the Desert Ranger. They sang song about his exploits over the campfire, told his stories to their children as they were tucked into their beds. But the name they said, the name they chanted was the Owl.

    ¡°You a Ranger?¡± The man asked.

    ¡°Yes sir, Miriam Earp of the 22<sup>nd</sup> Company¡± The woman replied.

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    It seems like the Ranger is still doing fine without him, especially if they train someone like this. The founding thing wasn¡¯t his type of gig, but he was the only one who could. The fastest hand in the West, a responsible leader, those two don¡¯t go together. And thus, he walked away when the Desert Ranger was at its peak, good to see they are still holding up.

    But that¡¯s not why he is here.

    Drawing his revolver, the man fires through a hole on the tombstone. The Stranger dodges the bullet shooting back in an instant. Wyatt avoids the shot, satisfied, he disappears once again in the maze of tombstones. Her speed is something to be astounded, maybe as fast as him.

    The Owl can¡¯t hold back a grin, finally, a challenge.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ___

    The West is a land shaped by legends and those that could only called extraordinary.

    The shooting at the Oxhill ranch was a seminar event in shaping the West, but not many still remember that story. The family that once resided there was a rare sight in the wasteland, a bastion of happiness. The father was an upstanding man. A person worthy of respect, but not for his fighting prowess but as a paragon of virtue.

    But there were whispering of his dark secret. He was a twin, they said, but God made a mistake. All the goodness between them were given to him, while his brother inherited the evilness of two. A ghost that one, a pale demon with red hair, hair white as snow while his skin was almost see-through.

    That was just a rumour, however, no one knew where it came from and none had laid eyes on the pale demon.

    The father was an upstanding person, his ranch providing for the town of Riven in their time of trials. Dissatisfied with the state of the desert settlements, constantly being raided, he created the Minuteman. Brave volunteers that would appear in a minute upon being summoned, they were the protector of the people.

    A gambler, a farmer, a former outlaw, none of that matter, if you have a gun and the good heart, the Minuteman wanted you.

    The campaign was a success, the raider tribes of the Western desert were routed and dispersed. A monumental success, all thanks to the father. It¡¯s human nature to be selfish, to only to look out for themselves. But the father was different, not only was he without fault, his charisma was a rare talent. His speech of a brighter future had spurred many to action to join the Minuteman, even raiders betrayed their tribes to join his vision.

    But the world is a cruel place. It only lets good things happen, so it could yank it out underneath the people¡¯s feet.

    The remaining raiders formed an alliance and they had a plan. To end the father once for all. They wanted it to be discreet, an assassination. But that was doomed to fail, no one was going to betray the leader of the Minuteman. The killers they sent all failed or worse, turned against them. Driven to the brink of extinction, they launched an assault on the Oxhill ranch.

    It was a success, the father, after an extended shootout was finally fell. The raider took over the ranch as their new base.

    The people of Riven wept and so did the wasteland. And what of the father¡¯s family? They survived as he had scarified himself for them. The man managed to say goodbye to them, but it wasn¡¯t all. He also told his wife that someone would come and when that person arrived, she would pass on his last words.

    The night of the funeral, a stranger rode into town. His white hair and pale skin were a sight indeed. The dogs stopped barking and cowered, the flies avoided him. He was unmoving, some weren¡¯t sure if this was not a corpse or not. That wasn¡¯t the case as the man interrupted the ceremony with only a few words.

    ¡°Anyone who wants to, meet me outside the ranch before sunrise¡±

    With only that, he rode off. Needless to say, the people were angry, to crash into the father¡¯s funeral like that. No one joined him, that was until the widow told them to, the father spoke of this person.

    And so, a small posse of five gunmen was formed. An inadequate force against what maybe a base filled with raiders. But they rode off anyway. Those men and women would all return in one piece, all in a state of shock. All because of a sight they witness.

    Without waiting for anyone, the pale demon would wade into the Oxhill ranch with a bag by his side, filled with revolvers. In an instant, six of the raiders were shot down before even realising what had happened, of the doom that had befell them. Dropping his weapon for another one, the pale demon dropped six more before they could pick up their rifles.

    The raiders, horrified, tried to fight back. But their effort was like a mere pebble thrown at a hurricane, futile.

    The man was like a storm, a plague, he was death itself. His expression unchanged, his eyes hidden by the sunglasses, the man killed like it was nothing to him. To him, firing a gun was as simple as breathing. Rain falls, birds fly, fishes swim and the demon kills.

    When he was done, the Oxhill ranch was devoid of any life.

    The pale demon returned to Riven and stood over his brother¡¯s grave. He tipped his hat to say and then proceeded to leave. That day, the sun refused to shine, hiding behind the cloud so not to gaze upon the pale demon. The people Riven all returned to their home and bolted their doors and windows shut. The street was deserted as he rode off slowly.

    But one decided to stop the pale demon, the widow, standing in front of his horse.

    The man continued to ride ignoring her. The people yelled at her to get out before she got trampled. And yet, the woman stood her ground and the pale demon stopped in his track.

    ¡°What is it?¡± His cracked lips opened, the man asked.

    ¡°I need to tell you something¡± The widow answered ¡°My husband last words, he wanted you to hear it¡±

    She stopped to bite her lips. Simply mentioning her lost love was a painful thing. The pale demon patiently waited for those words. Then finally, after regaining her composure, the widow spoke.

    ¡°This world is beautiful¡­ don¡¯t give up on us¡±

    The pale demon remained silent, his head hung low. No one could tell what was going on in his mind but that day, the man decided to stay. The town of Riven had a new sheriff and the Minuteman had a new leader. Under his leadership, they became something else, a new organisation. Not only did they fought off the raiders but other threats plaguing the Western desert, the eldritch that loomed over.

    The Desert Ranger protected the people of Riven and the whole West. They are mankind last line of defence against the world.

    That moniker, ¡®the pale demon¡¯ was soon forgotten for something different. Another stranger also moved in, one Dr. Frankenstein. A traveller, he told stories of the world, of the places he visited. In one of his journeys into a snowy forest, a presence always observing. From that story, a new name was used to call the ¡®pale demon¡¯. Not his real name, oh no, legends were not remembered for what they truly were, that didn¡¯t matter.

    The Owl watched over his brother¡¯s people, family and legacy.

    Then one gloomy day, like that time at the father¡¯s funeral when the sun hid away, the Owl simple left. His legend would soon eclipse his own brother, but was it truly his life? The widow would marry him but was she his wife, was the Black his family?

    The man disappeared as sudden as his appearance. Even now people still remembered him, however, the Owl, the Founder, the Black, the leader of the Desert Ranger.

    And yet, his name was forgotten, but it¡¯s not like that is something important¡­

 .20 And the light shineth in darkness

    ¡°This world is beautiful, don¡¯t give up on us¡± Said Miriam Earp, those were her last words.

    ___

    The Stranger shoots through three different gaps between the gravestones, it hits Wyatt straight at his shoulder. The man smiles, so this is what being shot is like. For someone, a human to land a hit on him. The pain stings but he doesn¡¯t mind it at all, adrenaline serves as an adequate painkiller.

    Creeping through the cemetery silently, he won¡¯t let this go unanswered. He fires and immediately moves. The bullet flies pass the gravestone and catches the Stranger mid-dodge right at the left shin, tearing the tendon apart. Another shot comes right after from a different direction, this time catching her in the stomach.

    The two are separated once again, losing track of one another.

    With their speed, every encounter will result in a hit. It all depends on whoever finds the other first. Although the Stranger has an advantage seeing that she is somewhat immortal.

    ¡°It still hurts¡± The woman commented, trying to stop the bleeding.

    Her shin will be fine, after some time being bandaged it will regenerate. The stomach is a different matter, however. The bullet remains inside and worse, it broke, the fragments embedded in her guts, causing serious internal damages. This can¡¯t be solved with a simple bandage job but that is all she could do now.

    Even though she will live, sustaining too much punishment might mean her demise later on. She will need her everything to go face a face with a deity herself.

    The chase continues as the two races through the maze, revolver ready. Even though they can¡¯t know it, they can feel it within, they are getting close to one another. A wide smile on Wyatt¡¯s face, one that no one in Riven or the whole West had never seen. But his excitement is denied at the final moment. The pale demon? Allowed to be happy? Ridiculous.

    The world shattered, shuddered as the end of its final sovereign.

    From the cracks, the cosmos bridge is opened for all. Monsters stream out in drove, many from this realm themselves, most from different worlds. They pass through the two gunslingers, their eyes on the bigger price.

    For these monsters, nothing is more delicious than an untainted mind, so ready to be ¡®enlightened¡¯.

    Well, not all of them are seeking innocence, one and only one is after something more peculiar. A vacuous mind perhaps. The sound of siren shifts the whole of the crumbling cemetery into another dimension. The ground breaks open in chunks, they are then stretched, distorted and mashed together once again. A new twisted landscape emerges, unrecognisable if not for the many even more warped tombstones.

    The sound of siren starts to become louder and louder before stopping altogether.

    With complete silence, a creature emerges from the crack, one born of a certain heretical wish. It looks like a woman, a farmhand, one once known as Miriam Earp. The only difference is the face, missing. In place of that is a blinding light, focused like a search light.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the form you are taking this time¡­¡± The Stranger commented upon seeing that form. This thing has been after her since the beginning, she sometimes killed but most of the time, avoiding it proved to be more prudent, especially in this situation.

    But for it to take on that form.

    ¡°Guess I will have to put you down this time¡± She said coldly, the smile disappeared from her face unconsciously.

    The Stranger fires at the creature, the bullet takes a chunk of its neck. From the crack, light pours out. The thing turns around, trying to shine on its target but to no avail. The Stranger is already hidden behind a gravestone.

    In the endless desert, this creature is so much more menacing. But in this area so abundant with covers, it¡¯s a trivial road bump.

    Relocating she fires another shot, another part of the creature is broken off, light leaking out.

    She only has one more shot, but it is enough to finish this thing off. The Stranger would have to worry about what comes next. Will she have to face with Wyatt Black without a firearm? Seeing that she won¡¯t be able to steal his arms again, that would be the case. The woman needs to think of a strategy now.

    But first, to turn down the light.

    The Stranger once again fires at the creature and¡­ misses. She misses, but how? The cemetery was broken then joined again, but it wasn¡¯t just the physical ground that suffered. No, the dimension itself was torn apart. And even though it was reattached rather fittingly, some parts didn¡¯t fit quite well.

    Pockets of twisted dimension linger, and the Stranger has just fired into one of them.

    Her position compromises, the woman relocates immediately from the safety of her cover. Yet, somehow, light dawns on her location. The creature¡¯s light reflects of a pocket dimension. This has been a trap from the beginning, one that transcend human understanding.Stolen story; please report.

    In an instant, the creature is in front of the Stranger. The woman reaches for a knife but her arms are grabbed by the creature¡¯s owns.

    The deities are benevolent if a wish could reach them, it will be fulfilled without fail.

    ¡°Dear God, I know I had made it my life goal to mock you. But I am willing to renounce my way, I only ask of you one thing¡± Doctor Frankenstein prayed, a man who made his own fortune, this was his first and only wish ¡°Please end the monster that I have unleased upon this world¡±

    Locking the Stranger down, the creature shines its¡¯ light straight into her face.

    What had gone wrong there? For her to be caught like this, how could it be. Was it the work of the cosmos? Was it because she wasn¡¯t focusing? Was it because the creature had finally evolved enough to catch her? Was it fate?

    All of the above are true. It was true this twisted dimension is made favouring the creature since the Stranger couldn¡¯t see the pockets. But she had been through worse, it was also the truth that she had her guard down. What about the creature itself, it took this form deliberately to take her off balance.

    None of that matter as the strength leaves the Stranger, her very self is being consumed.

    ¡°People called you the pale rider¡± Miriam giggled ¡°I expected you to be¡­ whiter¡­¡±

    The first to be eaten is her memories, what makes her truly immortal. Her life is filled with holes, they keep getting bigger and bigger. Soon she will truly be a shell, an immortal shell but still an empty one regardless. Then what happens next is not the creature of light¡¯s business, it will have already fulfilled the wish. Perhaps her body will be consumed whole by the cosmos, there would no regeneration if there is nothing to regenerate.

    The Stranger stops struggling and accepts her fate. There is no fighting back, at least she will reunite with Miriam again, inside the creature¡¯s belly.

    The light weakens, however, as more is leaked out. The creature recoils back as its back is being cut open. It lets the Stranger go as she tumbles to the ground. Her body impossibly malnourishes, the woman could barely move. It¡¯s not like she can right now, anyway. All of her memories, all of them, enough to fill several people, come back all at once.

    Her mind casts back to that day, shortly before the light took something from her forever.

    ¡°You are leaving soon, I can tell¡± Commented Miriam out of the blue, patting her sleeping daughter¡¯s head ¡°This home will always be opened for you to return. You are not alone, never forget that¡±

    Mustering all of her strength, the Stranger tries to stand up. She can see a familiar friend, her revolver by her legs, still loaded with two bullets. Grunting, the woman raises the gun and fires at the creature, the recoils snaps her arm. She is knocked back onto the ground.

    It is a direct hit, with a final siren call, the creature explodes in a shower of light. One day, it will return but not today, not now.

    The Stranger crawls at her saviour, the one to come to her rescue.

    ¡°I could have won¡­¡± Siobhan coughed ¡°If not for this¡± She clutched her chest, the part broken by the champion.

    The hunter was shone upon by the creature¡¯s light. She was protected by the steel which shield her inside, her mind but it wasn¡¯t enough. Siobhan lies on the ground, all of her items, except the steel bolt tips and sword, all gone. Her skin is also taken, she is once again left exposed. It was pure agony to be flayed alive but now the pain is all gone. All that is left is nothingness and it is so cold.

    The shivering stops as she is wrapped by something, a duster. Siobhan looks up the person she has chased after all her life.

    ¡°You look thinner than I remember, quite a diet there¡± She said weakly ¡°Come on, that was a joke, you are supposed to laugh at it. Come on, smile for me¡±

    The Stranger complies and laughs for the dying woman. She looks at herself which is only skin on bones. She doesn¡¯t have enough to regenerate in time for the final fight. But Siobhan has an idea, she always does, a hunter is always crafty.

    ¡°Come on, there are plenty to eat for a monster like you, it¡¯s a treat, I promise you. One of a kind¡± The Smiling Hunter smiles for the last time.

    ¡°Guess I will dig in then¡±

    The Stranger points the gun at Siobhan¡¯s head and pulls the trigger.

    ___

    Through one of the cracks, the Strange steps out. She fixes her white shirt up, it¡¯s a bit tight now actually. Looking around, the woman finds herself in a set of stairs. Walking up, she opens a hatch to emerge onto a crumbled castle.

    In the corner is a Walker, resting with the bottom part of his body, missing.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± The Stranger asked with a smile on her face.

    ¡°We found the host of the cosmos, I got hit¡± The man answered ¡°The hunter has gone after him¡­ Hm, I don¡¯t think anything can stop that guy¡±

    He will be fine here, as an acolyte, if there is no steel around. None of the monsters would bother him either. Walker doesn¡¯t intend to just sit still, however.

    ¡°The cosmos really doesn¡¯t want you to reach its acolyte¡± He said.

    ¡°I wonder why¡± The Stranger said, giggling gently.

    The man can see the deity¡¯s influence somewhat. He has confirmed it, that the cosmos is actively hindering her progress. And yet, she is still here somehow. Either the Stranger is a match to the deity or the force invading belongs to something else, a powerful acolyte from another dimension perhaps.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can provide a safe passage, just for you¡± Walker said ¡°It¡¯s simple, the cosmos is connected to everything, including Azu. All I need to do is wish it¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to finally start doing that?¡± The Stranger asked.

    ¡°Well, there is a first time for everything¡±

    As he finishes speaking, blood spills out from the ground, forming a circle. It then turns solid, a portal made of black stone. The wish isn¡¯t without repercussion, however, it compromises Walker¡¯s position to what¡¯s behind the veil. And with the cosmos around them, reaching out is a simple task.

    The man still has something left, an item he took from the host of the cosmos.

    ¡°I managed to get this¡±

    He throws to the Stranger the item which is the bullet. Too bad he couldn¡¯t get the stone circle, her real objective. But it¡¯s never that easy anyway. Walker can feel something reaching out to him, ready to fully enlighten the acolyte. He still has something to ask though.

    ¡°Hey, why did you decide to do this in the first place, this¡­ this quest?¡±

    The Stranger pauses for thought before answering ¡°Because this world is beautiful¡± She answered but then laughed it off ¡°Just kidding, I just feel like it¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    Walker smiles bitterly, in the end he couldn¡¯t finish his own journey. From the shadow, a being of black stones reaches out. The man is dragged away into an unknown realm, perhaps when the cosmos ever returns, he will be among the monsters invading. Or maybe not.

    Still with a smile on her face, the Stranger prepares to step through the portal. But there is one last encounter before she takes the plunge.

 .21 In hell Ill be in good company

    The Stranger, before entering the black stone portal, is stopped by a man, bruised and battered, hanging by death¡¯s door. It is Bruno, who has fought his way here, spurred by a powerful emotion. Kneeling in front of the woman, he lays his friend down and begs.

    ¡°Please, help him¡±

    The woman recognises that face instantly, what is he doing here? Never mind, she can kind of guess the reason. He could never sit still when others are in need. And this is the reward that he received, an unceremonious death. But she knows that he would be happy to know that his old friend still cares so much still. The Stranger puts her hand on Bruno¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late¡± She said ¡°Bring him back to his family, they should have evacuated the forest by now¡±

    ¡°No¡± A realisation dawned on Bruno. The youth never returned to warn the settlement, the place where Mordia lived ¡°You say he has a family?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a wife and a twin¡± Judging from his reaction, she can tell what is going on.

    Bruno looks down at the body of his friend, once again someone had sacrificed their lives for him to live. Him, just another raider. Gritting his teeth, the man takes the charger, Mordia would want him to use it.

    ¡°I¡­ there is somewhere I need to go¡±

    ¡°Take this¡± The Stranger throws at him something, the item that resembles a bullet ¡°It¡¯s a whistle, blow it when you exit this realm¡±

    The man nods and leaves with fiery determination. He takes the body with him, Mordia deserves to rest somewhere proper.

    The Stranger watches over him with a smile. One of Walker last effort, to take the whistle from the host proved its worth immediately. Is it fate or a machination of a deity? It doesn¡¯t matter, trying to comprehend their motives is a lost cause anyway. The lowly people just have to struggle with the hand they have been dealt.

    She steps through and is taken to the end of the world.

    Meanwhile, Bruno, still carrying his friend, races through the darkness. In his way are countless monsters that he simply runs past. Others, he cut down without a second thought. They so much easier, those that can¡¯t be comprehend are also impossible to empathise. The man had done much worse, he had killed a young boy, who still had a journey in front of him. A future filled with possibilities snuffed out in an instant.

    The man is sure of it, tonight he will die and hell is waiting for him.

    Outside the dark night is the familiar forest, now seems so alien. The man opens the top of the whistle and blows into it. A small squeaky sound comes out, calling to something.

    And it calls back to him. Galloping noise is getting closer and closer. Soon, the horse with steel hooves is in front of him. Bruno had seen it not too long ago but now, it feels like a century has passed. The animal is cautious toward the stranger, but he has the whistle, guess it is alright.

    Bruno takes a deep breath and hops onto the animal. Contrary to his expectation, he isn¡¯t immediately thrown off. The man rides off through the forest to where he is needed.

    ___

    They come from the forest, a parade of monsters. The barricade of the settlement is breached in an instant as eldritch creatures flood the place. Many try to run only to be consumed as they climb outside of the barricade. A few brave souls try to push them back through the breach to no avail. Without steel, they are easily overwhelmed.

    But they buy enough time for the people to return and barricade their own home. All except one, the mayor walks the street. His son, the last of his family is already gone, now the last he has, his very own place is being swallowed by the dark.

    The man turns around to see people, his people struggling to escape.

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±

    Letting out a war cry, the mayor picks up a sword and charges into the horde only to be smite in an instant. Like those who have fallen, they infect his mind with knowledge, the mayor stabs himself before being turned. Disappointed, the monster discards the lifeless corpse and move to other alive targets.

    ¡°It seems like I have misjudged you¡± Claudia Castellanos commented.

    She turns to her children, telling them to go into the basement.

    ¡°Be quiet¡± She said ¡°Look after each other for mommy¡±

    The twin nods. Not understanding the full scope of the situation, they are not afraid. Nevertheless, they are sensitive enough to feel worry. They wonder where father is but decide not to ask. It will alright, the twin tells themselves, this is like storm. After it is all over, mother will open the hatch. Father will already be waiting and life will continue as normal.

    Inside the basement it is so dark, they could hear the ruckus above. Despite their best effort, the twin couldn¡¯t decipher what is happening. There is a huge crash which is then followed up by an eerie silence.

    The children wait and wait for what seem like an eternity to their excited minds. Holding each other hands tightly, they wait for their mother, but nothing is coming.

    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Alessia asked.

    ¡°I think so¡± Alessio answered.

    The two turns to each other but they can¡¯t see anything in the dark. The wait is unbearable, but they refuse to come out, when everything is over. Mother will fetch them.

    Suddenly, a creaking sound could be heard as the hatch is opened.

    The dim glow of fire lights up the basement as Claudia looks on her children. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here¡± She said, reaching down for them.

    Alessia is the first to climb up with her brother right behind. Mother breathes a sigh of relief to see the two. ¡°Everything is over now¡± She patted her daughter head as the son gets out of the dark basement.

    The girl is soon showered by blood as a blade pierces through mother.

    ¡°Get away from them!¡±

    Claudia Castellanos, battered with an eye missing yells at the imposter. The ¡®mother¡¯, who was so gentle a moment ago, turns her head completely without moving her body. The head opens up to reveal a row of teeth lining the inside which is filled with eyes.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡± Alessia breathing is becoming shallow, the girl always has trouble with that.

    Alessio drags his sister away from the monster¡¯s crutch, it is not focusing on them at the moment. No, the twin with untainted minds are the ultimate reward, to be savour. And the monster would prefer there not be any interference.

    It lunges at Claudia, pushing her down. The gaping head tries to clamp down on her own but the woman stabs it with a machete. Kicking the monster away, she reaches for an axe in the corner and smashes it down on the creature¡¯s head. Hit after hit after hit, Claudia chops without any hesitation. The ground and her dress all stained red as the children watch in horror.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    All her effort is for naught, however, as this is just a normal axe. Without steel, the monsters can never be slain. The thing shoots its tail piercing her in the stomach. It stabs her again and again and again then throws the woman out of the door.

    The scenery outside is revealed to the twin. The settlement they had grown up in is no longer there, it is now infested with monsters. They break into the building and drag the inhabitants out for the real treasures, the children. The deities send them as envoys, as messengers, as missionaries, as teachers. They have many sights to show indeed, so much to teach the untainted mind.

    The once quaint corner of the wasteland is turned into hell itself. But after the monsters are done, the people will see the world for what it really is. They will join into pray for the deities. The children of this place will lead the next horde as they dawn on the next world.

    This is the cycle that has perpetuated the universes ever since the starts of time. No, even before that.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ mommy¡± Alessia calls for her mother but there is no reply. The children don¡¯t care about wisdom for knowledge. They just want the warmth of their parents, something that is denied from them in the most violent of manner. The monster that slew Claudia once again morphs into her, the dress still stained red with blood.

    ¡°Mommy¡¯s here¡± It said gently ¡°Come here dear¡±

    Alessio holds his sister tight, trying to keep her away from the monster. He tries to be still, hoping that somehow the creature wouldn¡¯t see them. Of course, such a childish attempt doesn¡¯t work in the slightest.

    Claudia Castellanos is not down for good, however. She jumps on the monster and stabs it with a knife. Her strength already extinguished, the blade could barely the skin. The creature simply shrugs her off. Around the building, the other monsters also converge. The windows are covered with various eyes, gazing inside.

    At the door, their neighbours and playmates appear one by one. ¡°Come join us¡± They all said, the children walk toward the twin, asking them to go ¡°Play with us!¡± They said, looking like their normal everyday self.

    Outside, the conglomerate of monsters soon forms a cyclone, a storm with the settlement as its eyes. The land is slowly spirited away, only the two human children left before the transcendence.

    ¡°No, no, no, no¡±

    The kids start to cry, they call to their mother and their father. They cry out for help and from the dark, someone answers. The distance sound of galloping is followed up by a yell.

    ¡°Get away from them!¡±

    A horse with steel hooves charged through the storm. Someone jumps off it into the middle of the horde, the charger on his arm glows, charged with mana. A shockwave shoots out, blasting the horrible beings away. The monster with open head tries to stab the man with its tail but fail. He cuts it down with a steel knife with great prejudice.

    Among the monsters, he can see those with tentacles and spiral patterns, acolytes of Scy¡¯lla. It reminds him of his fellow friends and poor Marissa.

    ¡°You bastard, I WILL KILL YOU ALL¡±

    A row of spikes penetrates the man, sending him back. Several straight through the heads and yet Bruno still stands. The monsters pounce on the man only to be stopped by a magical barrier. But how, such a creation would be easily broken. Then they notice on the surface is a spiral pattern. The same can also be seen slowly appearing on the man¡¯s skin.

    Drawing power from the unknown with desire and pure force of will, Bruno engages with the horde. He slays many of them in an instant. The old citizens of the settlement are cut down easily, their evolving form still fragile.

    The monsters also strike back, they cut off his limbs, but new ones grow to replace it. Every wound they inflict would heal instantly, but that is without a price. The replacement is filled with the spiral, slowly, the human known as Bruno is stripped of. He hasn¡¯t realised it, his bloodlust unleased. The more he slays, the more he endures, the more he ascends.

    The children look out in horror.

    The person who came to their rescue was no more. He is now covered in scales with spiral pattern, his movements becoming more erratic.

    ¡°DIE DIE DIE!¡±

    Blood fills his eyes, Bruno could see nothing but red. In the endless stream, the man could see a light shining, it calls to him, promising salvation. All he has to do is to grab that light.

    Enticed, Bruno reaches out for the light only to be interrupted as his arms explode in pain. The barb wire surrounding them move violently, cutting him up, inflicting as much pain as possible. The man suddenly realises, he hasn¡¯t felt that for a while now.

    Opening his eyes, Bruno can see that he is reaching for the twin, shivering in fear. He is now among the monsters.

    But from the dark, a voice called out to him, it summoned pain upon the man. Agony is a human sensation, it brought Bruno back to his sense. The man also realises something a tad bit too late. Walker had infected him with the barb wire, his power to inflict pain but not the black stone, the medium of Azu.

    The voice is soon silenced as Walker is smothered by the darkness. The barb wire falls off, having inflicting pain one last time.

    [doN¡¯T wOrry¡± Bruno said, his crackling voice returning to normal ¡°I will protect you!¡±

    The scales that have covered him shatter and fall off. Underneath is the man called Bruno, human but also vulnerable and he is now surrounded by monsters.

    He can still fight and as long as he continues to resonate to Scy¡¯lla, he won¡¯t be put down. But now, there is nothing to drag him back if he goes too far. And the monsters are all too eager to push him over the edge.

    The horse races through the horde, stopping in front of him. It needs to go, but not before dropping behind something.

    The body of Morida Castellanos slides off and lands next to his wife. But it isn¡¯t all, the animal nudges Bruno to take a case it is carrying resembling a coffin, a final gift. Having not enough time to think, the man takes the case and the horse gallops away into the dark. He is now left behind for good, no other help would arrive again.

    ¡°Back off¡± Bruno swings the case at the encroaching monster. Scy¡¯lla influence no longer affecting his magic, the barrier is broken easily.

    The lock is broken opened and the case bursts open, the man grabs it in time. Opening it, the man is greeted with a construction made of steel. Not a sword, no, it belongs to the Stranger after all. But it isn¡¯t a mere revolver or rifle either.

    A lumbering device with an open chamber, inside the case is also a slide of bullets that seems to fit in. Loading the weapon, Bruno holds up the thing, bearing its weight on his arms.

    A box loaded with gears and bullets, operated with a handle. From it extends six-barrels all oiled up, ready to unleased death. Weighting more than an adult, such a weapon is not meant to be operated by a mere man. But Bruno is more, using power granted by Scy¡¯lla, he holds it up with one hand. The other, he cranks the handle.

    The barrels spin up and the mechanical beast spring up to life. The sounds of gear creaking and turning signalling the chaos that is soon to come.

    All hell breaks loose as the weapon spits out a torrent of thunders. The spark lights a beacon along with the storm of steel bullets. The monsters charge forward only to be torn apart by the weapon.

    Realising that Bruno could barely control the beast, the creature tries to surround him. But they underestimated the man¡¯s burning resolve. He turns the weapon around, decimating them with a hail of destruction. A weapon created by a heretic to oppose God, the gun pushes back the horde, wielded by a single man.

    The sound of thunders wake up a dying Claudia, who is still barely clinging onto life. She could barely see nor hear, her body rigid and moving. The woman turns her head to the side and sees a familiar silhouette.

    ¡°Ah¡­ you idiot¡±

    She reaches out weakly to grab his hand. Claudia isn¡¯t sure if it is her dying imagination or not, but the woman can feel him holding onto hers. The woman takes her last breath and passes away, having lived a life worth living in this wasteland. Claudia has one last wish, however, that her children will get to taste the happiness that she got to experience.

    Whether anyone could hear that wish or not is a different matter. But today is the end of a century when the cosmos bridges this world with another. Perhaps out there, a deity could hear her last wish?

    Around them are monsters falling like leaves, cut down by manmade fury.

    But everything has to come to an end, that¡¯s the fate of mortals. Soon the bullets run dry and the machine once again returns to a life of silence. Bruno cranks the handle and the barrels still spin but nothing could come out.

    Around him the horde remains, and the man can¡¯t tell if there are less monsters out there or not. Nevertheless, he isn¡¯t going to give up now.

    He had taken and taken as a raider, ended a budding life. And yet, fate decides that he will continue to live with the lives of others. First were the people of the town that had crucified him and his friends, then the knights sent to stop them. The next to fall was Mark then finally a life he thought was long gone, Mordia and also Michael.

    Now, Bruno will sacrifice his life for another, two others to be precise. That is his decision, how he spends the life that fate has given him. And even without Walker¡¯s guidance, he won¡¯t fall into the depth ever again.

    Clutching his steel knife, Bruno continues the fight till the bitter end.

    In their home, the twin hugs each other. The thunder is over but the sound of fighting remains. Out there, a human is still struggling.

    ¡°It will be alright¡± Alessio assures his sister with something he doesn¡¯t believe himself.

    ¡°Is it?¡± Alessia had her doubt.

    ¡°Of course, I promise you it will be alright¡± He said ¡°When did I ever lie to you¡±

    ¡°You did take my pudding and blame it on Dad¡± The girl reminded her brother.

    The children hold onto one another, their minds exhausted, the two falls asleep. Outside, the storm still rages on, patiently waiting for the last mortals to be extinguished.

 .22 Champion of man

    Tonight, is a night of festivity, of the parade. But the monsters that leave their realms to join in the fun were cut down by a steel blade. The old hunter presses on through the darkness, slaying everything that gets in his way. His aim is true, every slash is fatal for the horrible monstrosity. They are the preys, they are the hunted. The man continues to make his way up the wide infinite stair to the cosmos.

    ¡°You are not who I am expecting¡±

    The old hunter encounters a figure so pale like a walking corpse, yet he is very much alive. Wyatt Black, still human, stands far above facing with his fellow man. He wants to see the pale rider, the Stranger with crimson hair, but this is quite a pleasant surprise.

    Without warning, he draws his rifle and fires. The bullet pierces through the air, going through countless monster before reaching its target.

    The old hunter currently running up the stair doesn¡¯t stop a second. He jumps and spins his body, the bullet barely scrapes his back. Not slowing down, the man runs up, carving out a bloody path made by monsters.

    Wyatt shoots, the handle is cranked to load another bullet which is also fired instantly. The first is aimed to the old hunter¡¯s left side at his heart. To dodge it in time he would need to move to the other side and there the other bullet is aimed. Just as predicted, the old hunter avoids to the right but not before stepping on a monster, jumping over the second shot.

    His opponent stuck in mid-air, this is the perfect chance. Wyatt fires another bullet.

    The old hunter, however, has already predicted that outcome. He stabs down into a monster flesh and propels himself to the side, landing on the ground and dodging the shot. All without slowing down to any minor degree.

    Emptying his rifle, Wyatt lets out a barrage of bullets surround his opponent. But the old hunter isn¡¯t going to hamper his progress. The man stabs a monster and sweeps it through the barrage, the bullets piercing through the creature¡¯s flesh, their trajectories altered. None of them could land on their target.

    ¡°Now this is a pleasant surprise¡±

    Wyatt Black was the first person ever to climb the stairway to heaven. There he encounters a power beyond all comprehension. Mankind has bested the monsters, but not the deities that created them. Behind the veil of the cosmos lies eldritch Gods. Just a glimpse, hearing a whisper or even being around their presence can cause madness. Eyes opening on ones own brain, it¡¯s impossible to face with such beings.

    But Wyatt Black had survived with his mind intact and he had climbed the stairway to heaven. Faced with hardship and eldritch power, mankind has evolved, it had produced him. Even though he knows that a human can¡¯t ever hope to against the deities, inside, the man continues to hope. Perhaps, one day, a person who has evolved beyond his own comprehension would arrive to end the horror once and for all.

    Heh, one of them anyway. There are many deities and the stairway only connected to one.

    And so, Wyatt Black the Owl serves as the gatekeeper, a trial for the brave. Here he stands vigilant repealing any attempt to traverse the stairway to heaven. The cosmos preserving him, he had pushed back against countless brave souls.

    There were people like the old hunter, wielding steel swords, a pair of siblings. But their blades couldn¡¯t match his guns. Even his own people tried to climb the stair. A man married to the Black¡¯s family, turned machine, his augmentations were formidable. But it was not enough to surpass the Owl. An army had tried once, even a proud band of Knights of old, also stuck in this realm tried to confront the deity.

    But Wyatt Black had bested them all. All of them were crushed, their minds lost, and they wandered the realm as mindless killing machine. Good, even more trials. Soon enough, no one could even the stairway to begin with.

    Until now that is.

    Not bothering to reload his rifle, the old hunter is now close enough. Wyatt Black places his hands above his holster, this is the final trials from the fastest hand in the West. The draw of the revolver is an instant, right when the old hunter is cutting down a monster on his path. This is the end¡­

    No, the old hunter adjusts his blade, deflecting the shot with his steel. Such a feat is possible? Truly, the person he is waiting for is here, a man whose skill transcend the Owl¡¯s understanding. Wyatt casts his mind to the crimson hair Stranger, he wants to meet her again, to face off against the woman. The man believed she was the one. Wyatt just couldn¡¯t believe that this day, there is another who could pass his trial.

    Slamming the hammer, Wyatt Black unleased the last five shots.

    The old hunter swings his sword, deflecting four of them and dodging the last. This is not the end yet, the Owl draws his other revolver with the same inhuman speed. The old hunter, finally in range, cleaves down at his target.

    Human blood stained the stairway to heaven.

    ___

    The emissary for the cosmos sits atop of the stairway. A humanoid being that is frail and small, its defining feature is its head with face replaced by an eye. With it, the creature can commune and witness the deity¡¯s knowledge. The thing fidgets with a curious item, one that allows it to see the cosmos to begin with, a stone ring. Now that it has transcend with brain lined with eyes, the ring is no longer needed. It¡¯s a strange item still.

    The creature was a human once, he was called Mark. But now, it can¡¯t remember any of its insignificant life before transcendence. The forlorn thing curls up, it¡¯s so lonely up here, but soon it will be among the stars, becoming one with the cosmos.

    A sound is approaching, however, of footsteps going up the stairway to heaven.

    Will it be a friend? A fellow forlorn? The creature turns around to see the old hunter with sword stained with red.

    [Aiu l¡¯e Mak?] The creature asked.

    It¡¯s question is met with a swift strike, the emissary is cut down. As it falls into the ground, the creature doesn¡¯t understand what has happened. The concept of death has already escaped its mind. As it is fading away, the thing can see the cosmos as the soul is brought up to join the star.

    Oh, so that man was a friend after all, here to help it transcend. Now a part of the night sky, it is bother forlorn and yet, he is not exactly being lonely.

    The old hunter looks down at the corpse of the emissary. He wonders if this is one of Bruno¡¯s friends. The man asked for all of them to be killed. Maybe they have all perished or not, the old hunter cannot tell.

    He picks up the stone ring, the object that the Stranger has been searching for.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    [It allows even the vacuous to see the deity]

    A voice! The old hunter turns around to see Walker¡­ no, Father Walker. No trace of the burns he had sustained, is this an illusion? He is also cleaned from he pain, no barb wire or glass in sight. All except for a single horn of made of black stone.

    [You can see me just by picking it up] The priest said.

    Whether or not it is the same person he knows doesn¡¯t matter for the old hunter. If this is the real one then that means Walker had also transcended and is no longer an ally. But if there is something the old hunter knows for sure, an acolyte never lies.

    ¡°So she needs this to see the deity?¡± He asked.

    [Yes, and it also works for you] Father Walker answered [But unlike her, your mind is susceptible to the eldritch still, I would advise against it]

    ¡°What is she exactly?¡±

    The priest seems to think to himself for a bit, or perhaps he is communing with something higher. Nevertheless, he soon returns to reply [I¡­ didn¡¯t know, back when I could still be ¡®human¡¯. Now? I still don¡¯t know. But I can tell that she is from your world, born or created in the wasteland]

    An immortal being that is not susceptible to the deities. The old hunter whether she is a human that has evolved to that point. Or is she was born that way, a different species masquerade as man, a monster.

    The old hunter doesn¡¯t care about that, there is only one question he needs answer.

    ¡°The deities, can they be slain by this¡± He holds up the steel blade.

    [Yes] Father Walker answered without any hesitation.

    ¡°I see¡± The old hunter turns away, thinking.

    [You are not curious why?] The priest wondered. There is no reply, he shrugs and continues anyway, a revelation [This steel use by the Blind and the Desert Ranger, they have the same source. It is harvested from another deity altogether]

    ¡°And?¡± The old hunter said, unimpressed by this startling reveal.

    [You don¡¯t seem surprise¡­ can¡¯t say that doesn¡¯t surprise me myself]

    ¡°If it can kill my target I don¡¯t care where it comes from¡± The old hunter concluded ¡°As long as I can protect those weaker than me¡±

    After all this time, the years he had spent walking this cruel wasteland. In that time, he had faced with horrible monstrosities both from the beyond or inherent in mankind itself. But none of that could weaken his resolve, one that he decided on when he first joined the Blind.

    Father Walker couldn¡¯t believe such a person could exist. But he could say the same for the Owl or Bruno, who somehow is still surviving. Even him is something unheard of. An acolyte surviving for so long without transcending, he himself was a miracle.

    ¡°My scar won¡¯t protect me of I use this right?¡± He meant the steel implant on every Blind¡¯s forehead to shut out the eldritch.

    [Correct, it simply protect you from seeing in the first place] Father Walker answered [But this ring can bypass that, your bare mind will have to handle it]

    The priest waits for that question, for the old hunter to ask if he can handle it. But it never comes, there is only one choice for such a man. Father Walker can¡¯t help but feel a pang od sadness, the world is soon to lose a great person to the eldritch. For the short live it has anyway. But deep down, something with Father Walker still believes, he is a man of faith after all.

    The old hunter has climbed the stairway and bested the only others who could achieve such a feat. He even managed it at the end of this final century as well, when the veil is the weakest and monsters flood to this realm.

    Raising the stone ring, the old hunter looks through and he can see the cosmos with its eye close, sleeping, waiting.

    The steel on his forehead is destroyed, knowledge floods the man¡¯s brain, enlightening him. Father Walker watches on and he prays that the man can persevere.

    [Godspeed]

    The old hunter finds himself dragged up in a stream of knowledge, trying to penetrate his mind. He tries to shut them out but some leak in, about the nature of his world. The truth is laid bare to him.

    That this is not the first century that has passed since the end of the world. No, the world is stuck in a pseudo cycle. That every hundred years, the stairway to heaven is opened and the cosmos acolytes are sent to grace this world. Those innocence babies that the old hunter saw played around in this realm.

    They run around, spreading the Runesland, more gateway for the Eldritch.

    Then the people¡¯s memories are altered, once again they believe the world has just fallen. Another century and another one pass by and the Runesland continue to spread, slowly engulfing the world. That this is the final cycle, after this everything will be completely covered.

    And what is the Runesland but a way to soften our realm. To make it more appetizing, easier to digest. It is the cosmos¡¯ saliva and when everything is coated it shall dawn on the world and gulps it down in one go. Just like that, this realm is assimilated by the cosmos, just like countless worlds and stars before it. Because mankind is alone, they yearn for knowledge to see that they are not.

    The cosmos is here to grant that wish, to make sure we are not alone. Inside its belly are countless others and all the knowledge of the world. It¡¯s unity, it¡¯s true peac¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡±

    The old hunter fights back, cleansing his mind with pure force of will. There is a reason why every century we are forced to forget, and he knows why.

    ¡°You are afraid, that we would evolve on our own!¡±

    That the time spent facing with horror will equipped mankind enough to deny this ascension. But even with the cosmos¡¯ interference, it is in man¡¯s nature to evolve. The pale demon was born and he breached all the way up the stairway to heaven. Then the Blind, their effort was like a drop of water against the tide of monsters. But they continued to trudge on, pioneered like Eifreet and Francois revolutionized the way the Blind fought.

    And the old hunter is the result of that evolution, a result of a collective effort. Not just from his genetic makeup, stronger and faster but in experience.

    Drawing his sword, the old hunter cleaves through the stream of knowledge.

    He continues to soldier on, eons of civilisations flash in front of his eyes. The memories of empires rise and falls and forgotten. They try to fill his vision, but the old hunter cut through them all. But the knowledge, they pick him apart like vulture, setting him on fire. They try to knock him down but he stands up every again and again.

    They soon appear as monstrosities beyond understanding, as faces he is familiar with. The Smiling Hunter is there to face him, along with Eifreet and Francois and the Owl and countless others, even Father Walker himself. All are here except the Stranger.

    These aren¡¯t mere imitations either, no, they are the same beings reflected by the cosmos.

    But none of them couldn¡¯t stop the old hunter. He trudges past the storm of bullets and arrows, he fights past the sea of blades. The man walks a bloody path through the champions of mankind and then, those from another worlds.

    This path, this hardship has backfired spectacularly. It would be more than enough to wash away anyone. But with the hunter, it pushes him even more, the man evolves even further but his will still keeps him human.

    When the hunter finally comes face to face with the cosmos, he is left with nothing but a steel sword and his bare self.

    Weakened, the old hunter forces out the rest of strength to swing the weapon, to end this threat once and for all. A final hunt to protect the weak.

    But the cosmos simply opens its eye. The human is overwhelmed with the eldritch.

    [No no no¡­ no] Father Walker watched as the old hunter is turned in front of him.

    In the end, the man is still just that, a man. His mind could not hope to match with the eldritch, with the Old God. The old hunter is now consumed, turning into an emissary, an acolyte. But he is different from the peaceful Mark. No, he will become something different, violent and forceful. The old hunter will be a plague to the world he swore to protect.

    Faced with that, the man mutters a single final word ¡°No¡±

    Tearing from the stream, the old hunter hunts his last prey. The man plunges the blade straight into his body. As red hot blood stained the ground, the old hunter collapses to the ground. The tendrils of knowledge leave his mind alone. He will die a man.

    Father Walker catches the fallen corpse. [He did it, he actually did it] In the end, the hunter had defeated the eldritch incomprehensible influence. He couldn¡¯t slay the deity itself but his death as human is a victory to mankind.

    Why exactly was he overwhelmed? Was it because his mind has been shielded by another deity? That doesn¡¯t matter, he had won.

    This has opened a new path, a new future. Just like the old hunter was to the Owl. One day, the world will produce someone that can surpass him. Perhaps then, the threat from the deities will be ended for good.

    But the world doesn¡¯t have enough time for that, this is already the final cycle.

    Father Walker takes peace in knowing that human isn¡¯t the only one fighting this front. That someone is walking the stairway to heaven this very moment. She will prevail, she will buy humanity enough time to mature. The priest can¡¯t tell if that would actually happen or not but he believes so. That¡¯s his job after all and it is also his duty to lay the dead to rest.

    [Rest in peace]

    He whispered to the fallen hunter. The cosmos reaches out to take the corpse but it remains untouched. Is it out respect? Can the deity even have emotion similar to us or something different. It doesn¡¯t matter, Father Walker knows that the old hunter will be preserve here in the cosmos.

    No it will be more than that, he will be a temple, a monument to the champion of man.

 .23 The Vacuous Stranger

    Stepping out of the black stone portal, the Stranger finds herself on the stairway to heaven. It sure doesn¡¯t look that way. The once white steps are now all stained red with monsters¡¯ blood. Corpses litter the place, even trudging through them is quite a task. The woman can guess what happened here or more like, who came through here.

    And yet, the cosmos is still encroaching. Is he still fighting up there or has the old hunter failed already? Whatever the case, he has come far for a mere human.

    But he wasn¡¯t the only one. The Stranger meets with another, sitting on the stepped. The Owl was nearly cut in half by the steel blade, but he survived. His wound is all wrapped up, but he won¡¯t live for much longer, he shouldn¡¯t be living this very moment. But the man is waiting for something and so he refuses to fall into the abyss.

    ¡°Took you long enough¡± Wyatt Black said to the Stranger.

    ¡°I had a detour, to see an old friend¡± She answered, tipping her hat low to hide the eyes.

    ¡°You have anything left in there?¡± The man asked, looking at her revolver.

    ¡°No, unfortunately¡±

    If he decides to shoot back, there is nothing she could do but take the shot. But not like it will matter, the Stranger will survive no matter how many shots, steel or not. With her belly¡¯s full, any wound he is capable of inflicting is not enough. This is not a fight nor a duel, if he chooses the gun, it will be a massacre.

    For the Owl, there is only one way. The man draws his revolver but points it at the sky. He opens the cylinder and catches the bullets falling onto his palm. Wyatt proceeds to load in exactly one bullet and throws one at the Stranger.

    ¡°I would love to give you the full course, but this is all I can do now¡± He said painfully, clutching his wound ¡°Heh, don¡¯t expect this to slow me down one bit though¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to¡± The Stranger loads the bullet into her gun.

    This might just be a road bump for the woman, but she doesn¡¯t take it that way. There¡¯s more on the table, more important than her life and his. After all, what value does such a thing have to an immortal or someone who is willing to die.

    Putting their revolvers back into the holster, the two gunslingers wait for some sort of sign.

    Who draws first? Who shoots first? Who is faster? That is impossible to see for a mere bystander. Both shots hit at the same time and only one falls to untrained eyes. But among the two, there is only one victor.

    The Stranger walks over to the lifeless corpse of Wyatt Black. His bullet is lodged in her heart but that doesn¡¯t matter.

    On his face is a smile, the man dies, having lived a satisfying life. When he walked this world, the Owl had created the Desert Ranger. The man single-handedly revolutionised the art of gunslinging. The eternal protector of the West, they called him. But not one moment was he satisfied around ¡®his¡¯ people, ¡®his¡¯ family. All of that was simply his brother¡¯s legacy. The man was a wanderer, Riven was never his home, nowhere was.

    But now, this very day. Not only did he meet one but two who brought him such happiness. The pale demon, the pale gunslinger, the fastest hand in the West lies in the stairwell to heaven among a sea of corpses.

    The Stranger takes the bullet pouch by his belt, Wyatt Black¡¯s legacy.

    As she moves on, the woman muses about what happened. That man was in many ways similar to her. Even though he was in the end, a mere human, it never felt that way. His pale skin, his skill that might as well made him immortal, to the West the man was a legend, a deity. And now, facing with the man in the flesh, she could tell the stories were all true.

    Perhaps one day, she will meet someone who could match her. Is someone like that is currently existing out there? God-defying Doctor Frankenstein seems like a best choice as he actually has a mean to end her? Theresa Black, descendent of the Owl? Even the old hunter, if he is still alive. Or maybe, such a person hasn¡¯t existed yet. But just like her and the old hunter were to the Owl, every legend has its end. One day, someone could truly provide her with a challenge and killing her off for good.

    That sounds like a perfect ending.

    But the Stranger will have to survive what is to come. The cosmos is more than enough to swipe her existent away. There is no regeneration is there is nothing to regenerate.

    ¡°Seems like I have more reason to stay alive now¡± The Stranger told herself.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    As she approaches the end, the darkness itself shudders. From around, the stars come crashing down, unleashing the acolytes of the cosmos. But like the man who came before, they were helpless against the Stranger. She fans the hammer, dropping six of them dead in an instant.

    Swinging opens the cylinder, the woman loads six more before the dropped shells could even touch the ground. The acolytes simply don¡¯t stand any chance.

    But the deity should have known it already with its eldritch wisdom. Is this desperate act are the acolytes¡¯ own doing or is the force swallowing this world even a deity at all, or just an especially powerful acolyte?

    Reaching the end of the stairway to heaven, the Stranger could find¡­ nothing. Up here, there is no longer any star shining, only pure darkness. The invading force has been awakened and left their realm already. An item stands out in the emptiness, however, a simple stone ring.

    ¡°You sure have caused a lot of troubles, little guy¡±

    The Stranger picks up the item and leaves. As she walks down the stair, the woman is once assaulted by a legion of monsters and the like. The revolver fires true, cutting a bloody path through them. When the bullets run out the Stranger draws a steel black that once belonged to the Smiling Hunter. With it, she cleaves through the horde.

    This journey back is seemingly endless and so are the monsters. But the Stranger simply continues trudging on, cutting them into pieces. They all bleed in this monochrome world, painting it red.

    Finally, the Stranger steps back into the forest once again, near the end of the final century.

    There she is greeted by a familiar face. ¡°Good to see you here, boy¡± The woman said, patting her horse. The animal recoils back, its face scrunch up smelling all the gores. ¡°And here I thought you should have gotten used to this already¡±

    After some convincing and a lot of promises, the horse finally allows the Stranger to mount it. She, of course, notices her case missing. A shame really, hopefully she won¡¯t need it for the fight to come.

    From afar, the Stranger can see the storm threatening to lift the woodland settlement away. But it is still there, meaning that someone is still fighting.

    ¡°Guess I can¡¯t use this here¡±

    Putting the stone ring into her pocket, the Stranger races away. Looking to it now will let something terrible through, the settlement wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. On the way, she can see the body Michael, still with a spear through his throat. The woman can guess what had happened. She could see a darkness in his eyes but hoped that maybe he would put the people over his desire for vengeance, as a knight should.

    Passing through the gloomy forest, the Stranger finally reaches a clearing.

    Outside is a greenfield going as far as the eyes can see, dotted with hills and forests. Nearby the woman can see on the road an abandoned caravan, the people already spirited away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, boy¡±

    She continues to ride on, loading the revolver with special bullets saved for this occasion. They were made to kill her, a mockery of life and God, but those are capable of so much more. Perhaps slaying a deity is one of them.

    Finally, the horse comes to a halt, this should enough. In the middle of nowhere, she could look through the ring without affecting anyone.

    Jumping down, she tells the animal ¡°You can go now, whatever you wanted¡±

    But the thing just wheezes in contempt and refuses to comply with that order. The Stranger smiles, guess she won¡¯t be alone for this final stretch.

    In the plain, everything seems so peaceful especially after the hell she had waded through. The wind is blowing strong, ruffling her crimson hair. The Stranger shivers slightly in the cold without her duster. The woman can her voices carried by the wind, figments of her mind? Looking up, she can see the those who have lost among the star.

    Those that she has gotten so used to, Siobhan and Walker, now no longer around. Once, their presences were so natural that it was like rain falls. Without the two, the Stranger can¡¯t help but feel a pang of forlorn.

    The old hunter and Wyatt Black, exceptional humans that she had the chance to cross path with. The former in such a random fashion, for someone like that to be in the area just as the right time. Too bad she never got the chance to test herself against him.

    Then there are those that she regrets, Michael to be the most recent, consumed by vengeance. Miriam and Mordia, they were both too good for this world. The former had spurred her on this journey in the first place. For an immortal, the end of the world doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal, but a release. And there was Clayton Black, a bright gunslinger with a glorious future awaiting him. But alas, him and his company were sent to die against the pale rider herself.

    She doesn¡¯t see that raider, yet. He is still out there somewhere, struggling.

    ¡°Hm, is this your idea of trying to stop me?¡± The Stranger spoke to the deity.

    Those who died are now one with the cosmos, with heaven. Is she going to tear it down, what will happen to them? To those that the woman herself had lost.

    ¡°Sorry, but this¡­ is the land of the living¡±

    Placing the stone ring in front of her eyes, the Stranger gazes up toward the night sky. The countless stars are shinning blindly, covering the sky in their hungry light. On them are eyes watching this realm with childlike curiosity. All of them hungry looking at their treat.

    The moon is oppressively gigantic, as a form, a representation of the cosmos. It dwarfs every other star in size, coming closer and closer. Or is it getting bigger and bigger, swelled up with the worlds, the lives it had consumed.

    On it are countless eyes, staring unfocused into the distance. Then at once at the end of the century, they all close. The moon, for a moment, look like its usual self. That doesn¡¯t last long as something opens like an eye but there is seemingly nothing in it. But if one looks closer, one could the see the cosmos within.

    That universe reaches out from the eye like a tongue, hungrily wrapping itself around the world. Around, the stars all blink in excitement, filling the sky with their garish colours.

    With its tongue of the cosmos, the moon drags the world toward like a round candy, intending to swallow everything whole. Along with it the lives that used to exist, the life that are currently living and the lives that are to come. All will be consumed in one gulp by the hungry cosmos.

    Then this world will be like many other, united, no longer lonely.

    ¡°Not on my watch¡±

    The Stranger raises her revolver straight into the sky, into the hungry moon and fires.

 .24 An ordinary world

    When the group finally reaches the forest is also when the long night is finally over. In the horizon, the sun rises, showering the world with a warmth almost forgotten. The Knights gaze up in amazement while the two Blind hunters among them remain focused.

    ¡°Keep your eyes on the prize¡±

    A patrol missing near a woodland settlement, the Knights were sent out to investigate. Along the way, they ran into a young man called Tyler at death¡¯s door. He came from their destination and was attacked by monster, but with the healer¡¯s magic, the brave soul was saved. He spoke of a raider group that was besieging his settlement and that monsters were appearing.

    Hearing of that news, the Knights took Tyler to a Blind barrack and recruited the two hunters available. Even though he had just been through hell and back, Tyler volunteered to return. His father and everyone were waiting for him.

    They are finally here, at the forest after marching through what seemed like an endless night.

    ¡°What if we are too late¡± A young recruited said worryingly and looked at the Blind hunters, they insisted the group moved at a snail pace.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s that¡± A hunter replied coldly.

    ¡°How could you say that!¡± The recruited snapped back. Is the rumour perhaps true? That the steel implant on their head drained the Blind of human emotions. She is stopped by the Knight Captain.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to help if we are all wiped out by monsters¡±

    He understands her frustration, working with the cryptic hunters can be infuriating. But the man was also experienced enough to know that their normal swords are useless against monsters.

    ¡°We are nearly the¡­¡± Tyler said but he was cut off by a terrible sight.

    Monsters of the unknown surround the woodland settlement. The Knights immediately move into a protective formation with shields out. Tyler is dragged back to be protected. A Blind hunter immediately readies her blade, the other prepares to bolt out of here. Fighting back against these many monsters are impossible, everyone here would die so he could send the message back to the barrack.

    But nothing happens. ¡°They are all dead¡± A hunter said in amazement ¡°But how!¡±

    ¡°This is all too strange¡± Her friend chimed in.

    There are all sorts of mutations here, many of them with black stones, other marred with spiral and more. Normally only a certain kind of mutation would appear in one area. There have been cases of mixing but to this degree is unheard of.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s her, that Diver, who did this¡± Tyler chimed in, thinking about crimson hair woman..

    ¡°No, it¡¯s must be the old master¡± The other hunter concluded. They heard he was passing by this area to teach a nearby Blind encampment. But can one man does all this, even someone as renowned as him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move in¡± The Knight Captain ordered ¡°But be on your guard and protect the civilian at all cost!¡± He personally looks after Tyler himself.

    As they move in, the group encounter even more dead monsters. Their corpses so numerous it is impossible to continue. A few Knights are on cleaning duty, moving the dead bodies to the side. Next to them, the Blind hunters have their steel blades ready. They soon uncover a normal human, dead with a sword through his own chest, it¡¯s the mayor.

    ¡°No, father!¡± Tyler rushes forward but is held back by the Knight Captain.

    Then comes the corpses of the people from the settlement, all turned into monsters. The young man could barely recognise them, his neighbours his people. Nevertheless, he holds back his tears, trying not to cause trouble for the Knights.

    ¡®This kid!¡¯ The Knight Captain can¡¯t help but be amazed.

    Next to him, a Scribe is noting down all those who die, Tyler helps out in pain.

    They then encounter a clearing with two bodies holding each other hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mordia and Claudia Castellanos¡± Tyler told the Scribe. The young man is glad that there are others who get to die human. As least these two are together in the end.

    Next to the clearing are an incredible number of dead monsters. The mounds are so packed with corpses that it is next to impossible for the Knights to clear. ¡®Who could have done this?¡¯ The hunters wondered in amazement, the rumour of them having no emotion is of course, blatantly false.

    Their question is soon answer as soon as the group breaks through.

    The house of the Castellanos remains, clear of monsters. In front of it is one lone man still stands with a steel knife in hand, unmoving.

    ¡°A Diver?¡± The Scribe asked, such mutations could only belong to one of them.

    The door suddenly swings opened. The Knights immediately have their shields up, the Blind hunters steel blades gleaming. But from the building, only two ordinary children come out.

    ¡°Tyler?¡± They saw their neighbour.

    ¡°Alessia, Alessio!¡± The young man ran at them. The three holds onto each other, crying. They have lost too much. After another sweep, it is concluded that the two siblings are the only survivors. All three of them will be relocated to another place. They will be taken care of well, the Knight Captain will make sure of that himself. ¡®These kids deserve something to live a good life¡¯ He told himself.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± The hunter asked, they wanted to know who this man was that stood against the horde all by himself. There is no answer, however, as the twin has no idea.

    Suddenly, the group is startled by a cracking sound.

    The sunlight is burning away the corpses, they soon turn into ashes then dusts. The settlement is cleansed and it is so empty. With most of the inhabitants already gone, this hollow place will be abandoned. Maybe one day a caravan will settle here but that is unlikely. History will steer them away.

    Everything turns to dust, except for one man.

    Bruno opens his eyes slowly, trying to adopt to sunlight once again. He is still¡­ alive. After all that had happened, he had survived the end of the world.

    But why? Why him? There are so many more deserving souls that should live. After all of their sacrifice, after he himself decided to sacrifice his life. He is still alive. Around him are Knights but they aren¡¯t hostile.

    Oh right, the Fisherman decorations on his hair are gone as his skin was stripped out. His spear is also gone, the man now looks like a Diver. And the twin? They also live. The man feels like he has finally done something good, having achieved his final goal.

    The group is leaving the settlement and Bruno is of course, brought along. Then he will have a chance at a new life, to begin again. It all seems like just a dream.

    The man then notices a piece of bard wire stuck on his pants. Just tiny bit but is enough to inflict pain. If this is all just a dream, then to wake up, all he needs to do is to hold onto this tightly. Bruno looks at the twin, still grieving but alive.

    The man takes the piece into his hand and tightens his grip.