《Fallen Blood》 Prologue & Ch.1 Cato Pulcha brought upon a peaceful age full of progress and achievements. A golden age, one without war between humans and lupens, and with the two races cooperating with one another. His death brought the end of that. Few saw it coming, and those who didn¡¯t saw war broke out. Trust was broken, and blood was spilt. And like everything that happened in Kavar, it all started and ended with one family: the Pulcha¡¯s.
The city of Tenignum began as an ideal spot to test the physical and mental limits of humans and lupens. To see what races were superior in different areas and what strengths and weaknesses could be learnt from one another. Founded by Everett, and his brother Audrey, after some time, it made more sense to keep the volunteered humans and lupens in one location. This exposure did wonders on both the races. The lupens, who largely saw humans as an inferior race and whose only purpose was to serve their masters. And the humans, who wished to be their own masters. This mentality was almost nonexistent in the city, even compared to Pulcha -the city-, where Cato himself had heavy influence, and were the two races got along. And despite the provocations throughout Kavar, did the peace in Tenignum remain, albiet for a short time. Eventually, there were those who sought out answers on the old age question: ¡°What was the best way to kill a lupen?¡± Answers, many wouldn¡¯t receive. * * * ¡°The lupens here are strictly under my protection. Any attack on them is an attack on me and my family. Is that clear?¡± With Everett out dealing with the masses, the younger twin was forced to deal with the new ¡®Wolf Hunter¡¯s¡¯ that came to town. Personally Audrey gave the name a 1/10 on originality, but it made their purpose very clear. ¡°Yes, very clear Lord Audrey. Can I take that as you will help us?¡± ¡°Well that depends on your answers.¡± He gave a testing smile. ¡°What has sought you out on this revenge path?¡± He pointed to the youngest of the group. A 15 year old boy with blonde hair and greenish eyes, and the most likely to be influenced by any answers given by the rest of the group. ¡°You first.¡± ¡°If I may Lord-¡± ¡°You will get your turn. I am asking the lad first.¡± The man fell silent once again. ¡°Uhm, well. It is not revenge we want, Lord Pulcha. We simply want to protect Kavar from them.¡± ¡°You believe them to be a danger?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Pulcha. I have seen it personally.¡± Audrey leaned back into his chair. ¡°Yes I heard about the bloodshed.¡± While it was happening all over Kavar, there was one particular town that was being heavily talked about. ¡°How did it start?¡± ¡°I do not know, my Lord.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He expected the answer, but was still a tad disappointed. ¡°You should only involve yourself in matters you understand. If you don¡¯t, then there will be others who will use you for their gain. Especially for you, given your age. Did they kill anyone you loved?¡± ¡°Loved? Erm, no. My parents are still alive, but they did kill some of my friends. I wish I could have saved them, but that would have only meant my own death. I couldn¡¯t put my parents through that.¡± ¡°Yet you throw yourself in harm¡¯s way to protect others?¡± ¡°My parents always believed I should never rely on others for protection.¡± ¡°Even a Pulcha?¡± Audrey smirked. ¡°Oh! Well, I don¡¯t think they had your family in mind when they-¡± ¡°Calm down, I was only saying it in jest. Tell me, how do you judge if a lupen is a threat or not?¡± ¡°By their eyes?¡± ¡°Are you asking, or telling?¡± ¡°T-telling.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Right before they¡¯re about to strike, their eyes dilute.¡± ¡°That is them getting angry, but I will give you that point. In our current climate, an angry lupen does often occur a violent lupen, since how most people respond to their shouting. But will you go around killing every lupen you see who¡¯s eyes are diluted?¡± ¡°Well¡­we¡¯re not as fast as them, which means we need to take the first strike.¡± Audrey thought it sounded like something one of his comrades told him. ¡°But¡­no. It¡¯s not the answer I want to give, but I know we¡¯ll only have a target once someone is hurt, or killed.¡± ¡°Hm¡­no, not necessarily.¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes pieced each and every one of the party member¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who told him that?¡± ¡°Me, Lord Audrey.¡± A man with a heavy brown beard quickly revealed his discomfort. ¡°What about you? Friends, family?¡± ¡°Family.¡± ¡°Kids?¡± ¡°My wife. We had no kids.¡± ¡°Do you think they would have killed your children?¡± ¡°Without doubt.¡± Audrey¡¯s attention turned back to the young man. ¡°Your friends that were killed. Were they young?¡± ¡°No, Lord Pulcha. They¡­I don¡¯t think they killed any Mother¡¯s or children.¡± ¡°But did you know they killed women?¡± The bearded man snapped. ¡°...no.¡± ¡°Calm your nerves.¡± Audrey gently said. ¡°He meant nothing by it.¡± ¡°...right, sorry. But the lupens, they have no mercy. Men, woman, children, no one is safe.¡± ¡°How many of you share his feelings?¡± All five, ¡®cept the young boy, nodded. ¡°Not you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe they¡¯d target children, Lord Pulcha.¡± ¡°Forgive him, Lord Audrey.¡± Another one of the men said. ¡°He is still young and naive.¡± ¡°He is right.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± All four of the men said in unison. If not for the serious situation, Audrey would¡¯ve chuckled. ¡°Ylfa despises the blood of children to be spilt. Human or lupen, or any other race.¡± He pointed to the young boy. ¡°That includes you.¡± ¡°But what about the war Lord Cato ended? Children were killed during that period.¡± ¡°The lupens were forced to. Might I remind you it was the village elders who decided to send the children underground to plant those crystals? Why do you think the village elders were crucified where everyone else got a quick death?¡± ¡°Well that¡­that happened?¡± Another said, sharing a shocked look with his peers. Audrey sighed. ¡°You should know the history, especially if you wish to know how to defeat them.¡± ¡°So you won¡¯t train us?¡± ¡°You? No. You are too driven by revenge. Your goal to protect others needs to be stronger if you wish to actually protect. Otherwise, you will just cause even more trouble, and even war.¡± ¡°How would we cause war?¡± The boy asked genuinely. Audrey was about to give the answer when he heard panicked shouting. Shouting of any nature wouldn¡¯t normally scare Audrey, but shouts from his brother was another story. Already he knew something had happened that both of them couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°I will talk to you all later.¡± Just as he said that, Everett burst into the room. ¡°Audrey!¡± He saw the group of assorted men. ¡°Everyone out, now!¡± Everyone got up immediately and left the room. The last thing they heard was Audrey asking them to stay in the living room and to await his return. ¡°What has happened?¡± He knew it was already bad. He got up and planted his hands on his brother¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That lupen cub? It¡¯s been killed.¡± Ch.2 A lupen child had been killed, and while any child¡¯s death was a tragedy, both brothers knew this meant disaster. They talked as they rushed out of the house and into the city centre. ¡°I think you should have stayed.¡± Audrey said to Everett. ¡°Your words would have prevented death.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we hold that much power. With our own people, sure, but with them? A child has been killed, and I don¡¯t think even Cato could¡¯ve prevented a blood bath if that happened in his time.¡± ¡°Blood will be spilt, yes, but it could have been only for those who deserved it.¡± Shockingly, most of the people were unaware of the events that had already transpired. They were going on with their normal lives, buying water and tools for the tough summer ahead. All that saw the two brother¡¯s bow as they walked past. ¡°Seems the lupens have been blocked off for now.¡± Audrey said, seeing how calm everything was. ¡°How were things when you left?¡± ¡°With the lupens? They were grieving. Rage hadn¡¯t hit them yet, and I think it still hasn¡¯t.¡± They would have heard something by now, after all. ¡°Me too. But why?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± They soon found out why. ¡°They¡¯re holed up in their cabin, my Lords.¡± The Head of the Protector¡¯s Guild gave a slight bow. Being a Circle member, he didn¡¯t need to bow like others did, but he did nevertheless. ¡°They haven¡¯t emerged yet.¡± ¡°Any casualties?¡± Everett asked. ¡°None¡­par the cub.¡± ¡°Who is responsible for this?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°They wore hoods, but my men are chasing them as we speak.¡± ¡°They? How many?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Alright. When you get them, send one in. We¡¯ll send a sign to send another.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The cabin was one of the largest buildings in the entire city. Bigger than the brother¡¯s home, it was capable of housing 9 lupens, which was the prior number of the pack. Tens of humans could¡¯ve fit into it, and the only building around that dwarfed it in size was the fortress. The two entered, finding no one in the two living rooms adjacent from one another. ¡°They¡¯ll probably be in the cub¡¯s bedroom.¡± They made their way up to the first, then the second, floor before they ran into the company. ¡°You took your time.¡± A calm but menacing voice came from behind them. Given the situation, a calm voice was more threatening than an angry one. ¡°I could say the same to you, actually.¡± Everett shot a look at his brother, but Audrey gave a reassuring look. ¡°I was sure you would have at least killed those responsible by now.¡± ¡°At least?¡± The lupen said with a darker tone. Their pupils expanded and their canine jaw gave off a slight growl. ¡°You think us common murderers, like your kind?¡± ¡°Several of you, yes. Why haven¡¯t you gone out?¡± Audrey held his eyes towards the lupen¡¯s naturally red ones. While they looked wolfish, it was more accurate to say a wolf had lupen eyes. After a few seconds of silence, the lupen answered. ¡°Mother is distraught, yet she wished to talk to you first.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand why, do you?¡± He huffed and grunted. ¡°No words can undo what has been done¡­consider yourself lucky a lupen is willing to talk at a time like this.¡± ¡°Indeed. Lupens have no need for words, do they?¡± They watched as the brothers walked up the next set of stairs into a corridor full of lupens. Each of them looked at the two, offering no words, but also no intentions of violence towards them. ¡°Let me talk to her first.¡± Everett said. ¡°I doubt she will want your sympathy, Everett.¡± ¡°I know, but it might help.¡± ¡°...fine.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Completely surrounded by the towering race, one of them opened the door, granting them passage into the very sizable bedroom. It could fit a total of 9 king size beds, though no beds could be seen in the room, as the brother¡¯s entered. All they could see was the figure of an 8 and a half foot lupen hunched over, her bloodied tail covering her cub. A veil covered her face, and for a reason no one knew, she was already wearing black clothing. Very rarely did a lupen ever wear black, and it was extremely unlikely she had changed since the death. ¡°Something must have happened before.¡± Audrey thought, sharing a look at Everett. ¡°Pack Mother...¡± Everett paused, giving her a chance to speak. Few knew her actual name, as was customary with the old breed of lupens. Only two broke that custom. ¡°...I¡¯ve been told those who are responsible are being chased at this moment. We¡¯ll bring them to you upon their capture.¡± Again, no response. ¡°Is there anything we-¡± ¡°Killed him in his sleep, they did. Even monsters face their prey head on.¡± She said in non-discernable tone. ¡°I know. They will be punished, I promise.¡± ¡°Yes¡­they must be. You will not have a chance of saving Kavar if you do not.¡± She slowly got up, revealing her true height. Both the brothers were 4¡±5, which was quite tall for humans, but she easily loomed over the two of them combined. Her tail still completely covered what she held in her arms. ¡°I would help, but I fear I and my children would only lash out now. That¡­and Kavar is no longer safe for our kind.¡± ¡°If one man¡¯s death caused all this, was it ever?¡± Audrey said. ¡°You would talk about your own family like that?¡± ¡°I am saying nothing about Cato; he accomplished something great. I am talking more about this country as a whole.¡± ¡°I¡­see, yes. It is a shame Kavar did not hold the same ideals as your family. They just merely followed them.¡± While they talked, Everett was still caught up on what she had said. He interrupted them, wanting a clear answer. ¡°Despite everything¡­you still would¡¯ve wanted to help us?¡± ¡°Yes. I know a few of my children are already gleaming at the prospect of war, which is the same attitude those back home hold, but I never wished for all this bloodshed.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be them we¡¯ll have a hard time with.¡± Audrey said. ¡°Yes, I wish you luck. But saying all that-¡± ¡°Lord Pulcha¡¯s! We¡¯ve got them!¡± A shout come from the bottom of the house.¡± ¡°...with my words said, it does not mean I will not avenge him.¡± Neither of the brothers tried to stop the Mother as she went downstairs. Mere minutes passed before she returned. None of them, even the lupens with their superior hearing, had heard anything. No begging, no fear, not even the sound of a body hitting the ground. ¡°...I will return to Illvac. I think I will be able to get an audience with Ylfa, and I will try to circumnavigate the war talks.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t talk to Ylfa. It¡¯ll be impossible for you to convince her. Talk to Link, her daughter. You will be able to speak to her easily.¡± Audrey said. She nodded. ¡°Personally though, I think war is coming now.¡± ¡°I would not want it too, and shouldn¡¯t the voice of the Mother who¡¯s son¡¯s death led to that war have a sway in things?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a matter of your child¡¯s death. It¡¯s the fact a child of Ylfa was killed by a human. Start and end of it.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± A lupen grunted out. ¡°Alista. She talked a lot about her kind to all of us.¡± ¡°I trust her words more than anyone else¡¯s.¡± The Mother said. ¡°Even Ylfa¡¯s?¡± Audrey said, quickly hating himself for saying such stupidity. Even if wearing a veil, it was clear she was angry. Both the brother¡¯s wondered why she wasn¡¯t as angry about her child¡¯s death as they expected her to be. Perhaps she was still grieving, and perhaps it even helped that she killed the true monsters. Regardless, he apologised for the question. ¡°I will go speak to Link then. As a word of warning, there will be those here in Kavar who believe in an eye for an eye. You understand?¡± ¡°We understand. Slaughter will lead to outrage which will lead to war.¡± Audrey sighed. ¡°All over again.¡± ¡°Yet I know you will show mercy if the opportunity arises. ¡®Tis just how your family is.¡± Both the brothers thought it an odd response, but you¡¯d expect that from a lupen. She went to leave for the doorway again, having to bow slightly down to avoid bumping her ears. ¡°I hope to meet your family again someday. Perhaps your grandchildren?¡± ¡°We may meet again, if we¡¯re lucky.¡± Everett hoped. Audrey however, saw the reality of the situation. ¡°We¡¯ll all be lucky if she meets our children. No such luck for us.¡± ¡°Well, know that I will hear of your deeds.¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Everett joked. ¡°No, just hope.¡± That would be the last words the pack Mother would say to the brothers, or even the Pulcha¡¯s -for a very long time-, but the last words they had heard was her barking a suggestion to her children. Most of the followed here, with one exception. It was that lupen who came into the same room. For lupen standards, they were small, but even the smallest stood toe-to-toe to the tallest humans. For lupen standards, even the weakest lupen could take down several humans with ease. ¡°We can assume you¡¯re not leaving.¡± ¡°Leaving, yes. Just not Kavar.¡± ¡°What do you hope to achieve?¡± ¡°To help. My brothers and sisters will invade this place; perhaps I can talk them out of it.¡± ¡°Not to sound bigheaded, but if we can¡¯t, I doubt you can.¡± Audrey spoke. His words held quite a bit of truth. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll still be happy to have you here. The situation could change where you will be of help.¡± Everett said. ¡°True enough.¡± Audrey agreed with a sigh. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to need men who know how to take down a lupen.¡± Ch.3 ¡°Training humans to kill us will only escalate the situation.¡± Warned the lupen who had yet to give them his name. ¡°Train them up, and they will only need one reason to come swinging for us.¡± ¡°Not if we only train those who wish to protect, not destroy.¡± ¡°Yes. If what you say is true, then we¡¯ll need all the trained hands we can get.¡± Everett said. ¡°And the first on your list is a child?¡± The lupen was clearly against it. ¡°He is no child. To begin, he is 15, and knows where his heart is.¡± ¡°Becoming more common that ain¡¯t it? ¡° Everett added. ¡°15 is still young.¡± ¡°Yes, that we agree on. But in a country where most people only live to 30, and I have no doubt that age is going to go down greatly, 15 is the adult age. Besides, it is not as though we are forcing his hand; we are simply giving him an opportunity.¡± ¡°To throw his life away.¡± ¡°To avenge the lives that were lost, in a way that won¡¯t destroy his soul.¡± ¡°Mind you don¡¯t corrupt it.¡± They grunted. ¡°And why train souls to protect when you already have your fortress.¡± ¡°With no one to protect, even the greatest defences will fall. We need men who can command and not fall to pressure when your kind do attack.¡± ¡°And a 15 year old will not fall to pressure?¡± ¡°Why do you think we will train him?¡± ¡°I still do not see why you are picking him over others.¡± ¡°You will.¡± They continued though the town centre, and made their way back home. ¡°Tell me lupen, I think we must have misunderstood you. You said you were leaving, yet you are here.¡± ¡°You wish for me to leave?¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t what I was getting at. I was just curious as to what you meant by your words.¡± The lupen took some time to respond. So much in fact, they reached the door. Audrey was about to knock, as he knew the adventures were inside, before the lupen spoke. ¡°I will stay if needed, that is why I am still here.¡± The brothers looked at one another. ¡°...oh, right.¡± They both said at once; Audrey continued. ¡°Honestly, we thought you weren¡¯t going to answer.¡± ¡°Good to know though.¡± Everett added. ¡°Yes¡­well, shall we?¡± Audrey knocked on their door, awaiting a response. One of the adventurers -the one with a thick beard- answered the door. They didn¡¯t get a chance to greet the Lords, as Audrey spoke quickly. ¡°Where¡¯s the boy?¡± It was now Audrey realised he didn¡¯t know any of their names. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Jacob. He¡¯s upstairs. Shall I bring him?¡± ¡°No need. We¡¯ll go up.¡± ¡°As you-¡± His tone suddenly changed, though it was still respectful due to it being voiced in front of the Pulcha¡¯s. ¡°May I ask why that is here?¡± Audrey had the sudden urge to respond with ¡®Well it is my house; I may bring who I chose¡¯. He very well would¡¯ve done if Everett hadn¡¯t spoken first. ¡°Our friend here is here to help. No need to have any fear.¡± ¡°No fear, Lord Everett. Just distrust. They¡¯ve shown their true colours weeks ago.¡± ¡°And you humans but mere hours ago.¡± The lupen growled back. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means we¡¯re going upstairs. Come on.¡± Audrey said, going towards the stairs. The lupen did not follow. ¡°What it means is, some refugees, such as yourself, killed one of Mum''s cubs. My brother.¡± ¡°And you think we¡¯re all like that?¡± ¡°No. Just most.¡± ¡°Well you ever think that maybe those who killed it were avenging their own dead child? It¡¯s you lupen¡¯s who say an eye for an eye.¡± ¡°And a tongue for a tongue.¡± If the Pulcha¡¯s words would¡¯ve reached the air in time, perhaps it would have stopped the lupen, though it would¡¯ve been luck if it had. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! From the lupen¡¯s perspective, one second it was complete silence, the next, a loud blood curdling screen. From everyone else¡¯s, the lupen was too fast to track; one minute the bearded man was standing tall on a pillar of anger, the next he was on the ground surrounded by his own blood. ¡°Stay back.¡± Audrey commanded. Everyone that had unsheathed their rusted swords held back, but still eyed the lupen with a bloodied hand. ¡°Will he live?¡± He asked his brother, who was quick to examine the groaning man. ¡°Yeah, it was a clean cut. I¡¯ll get him patched up. You just deal with this.¡± Audrey could tell the group and the lupen were on the verge of attacking each other. Being the main problem, Audrey addressed the lupen first. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not going to say he didn¡¯t deserve that, but I¡¯m sure you know as well as I what will happen if you go around attacking people, just because of spoken words. This is already going to cause problems for us.¡± ¡°Problems? Worse problems than dead children?¡± ¡°With that kind of attitude, even more will die. Calm yourself or leave; I cannot have more reasons for my people to vilify you and your kind.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°You want to stay and help? Or are you just causing trouble?¡± Even amongst the lupens, Audrey was known to be blunt. ¡°¡®Cause this here, isn¡¯t helping.¡± ¡°Was not supposed to¡­but that is not the sort of comment you come out with.¡± ¡°I agree with you, but you can¡¯t lose control like that. Not over words.¡± They nodded, after a moment of deliberating with themselves. ¡°Good, thank you.¡± He looked back down to his brother. ¡°Can you patch up his tongue again?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The man gave a groan. He tried to speak, but no audible words came out. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much more I can do. Don¡¯t worry, you still have some of your tongue left, so you¡¯ll get used to talking again¡­after a few months, maybe.¡± Wanting to get most of the team together by the end of the day, Audrey and Everett, along with the lupen -with some slight opposition by the team- , went up to see Jacob. ¡°I imagine the young one will be even more hateful, being blinded by those around him.¡± ¡°Imagining, then, is all you will be doing.¡± It was to no one¡¯s surprise that Jacob hadn¡¯t heard anything, as he was found in one of the meeting rooms which was completely soundproofed off with a crystal that bounced back waves. ¡°Oh! Lord Audrey, you¡¯re back.¡± His eyes bounced to Evertt next, who he greeted with as much respect. As for the lupen, he showed a bit of fear towards them. The first detail Jacob noticed was their eyes. ¡°Oh¡­did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Audrey wondered for a moment what to tell Jacob first. ¡°There is- was, a pack of lupens here. One of the cubs was killed.¡± ¡°Murdered.¡± The lupen corrected. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s terrible. Who would do such a thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s no one you would know.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was afraid of. Why would someone do that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say. Could be revenge, could be some mentally deranged group who¡¯s fucked up everything for us.¡± ¡°Or fear. A lupen itself is very dangerous, but a lupen that was raised during conflict or war knows how to fight better than their brothers or sisters.¡± ¡°Kavar fears war?¡± The lupen asked. ¡°They might think war is already here. Why do you think we¡¯re having people all over come to us in order to be trained?¡± Audrey said. ¡°Which actually brings me to why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°You want to train me?¡± ¡°He picks up quickly.¡± Everett smiled. ¡°Yes, you and a few others.¡± ¡°Erm, can I ask why?¡± ¡°Why you?¡± Audrey thought he¡¯d agree immediately. ¡°No, erm¡­what will I be doing with my training?¡± The brothers looked at each other, confused for a moment. ¡°Oh, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not going to ask you to go out and hunt any lupens. We need a group who can ensure the safety of my city-¡± ¡°Our city.¡± Everett said, knowing his brother didn¡¯t mean it that way. ¡°Can you really say that when you came running to me?¡± ¡°As one of the leaders, yes, I needed someone to shield me in case of an attack.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re trying to get rid of me, is that it?¡± ¡°Ever since the womb.¡± ¡°Erm-¡± Jacob murmured so quietly, only the lupen heard. ¡°Ha, if you did kill me back in the womb, you¡¯d absorb my bravery. Something in which every leader needs; something you lack.¡± ¡°What bravery do you have? All I see is recklessness.¡± The lupen would have agreed with Everett there if he had actually meant the words. If the lupen did actually voice his agreement, he would have found himself in an actual argument with the brothers. ¡°Do you have time for this bickering?¡± The lupen asked, getting bored. ¡°Right. We¡¯ll leave this for later.¡± Audrey turned to face Jacob. ¡°...right, protecting my city.¡± He ignored the daggers stared by Everett, ¡°Protecting is what you will want to do, correct?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± His eagerness was clear. ¡°You¡¯ll train us?¡± ¡°You, yes. Not your party.¡± Audrey expected him to fight back on that. ¡°Okay, I understand. Can they at least stay? I won¡¯t tell them anything.¡± ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Then they may stay. Just not here. We will provide accommodation and food, in return¡­¡± ¡°They can help out with the farm. We¡¯ll need to stockpile food, and most of them would¡¯ve been farmers.¡± Everett said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good. Thank you.¡± Jacob said sincerely. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to die, especially those in his party. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. You¡¯ll stay here, along with the others.¡± ¡°Others?¡± ¡°Ergo, Gail and Charles. You¡¯ll meet Ergo and Gail today, but Charles¡­well, let me handle that.¡± Ch.4 The three others Audrey referred to was Ergo, the Head Hunter of Tenignum; Gail, who was a sailor and one of the only people who could say they fought a lupen and got away without a scratch; and Charles, a man who¡¯s words could always be trusted to be untrustworthy. As Gail was away on a voyage that was bound to return in the upcoming hours, and Charles was hundreds of miles away in Pulcha, Everett and Jacob went to the Hunter¡¯s Guild first, but even he wasn¡¯t readily available. As it turned out, he had gone to hunt a noxiastrum, a monster that emitted toxic gas which was highly flammable. Oddly enough, it was its meat that made it sought after by hunters. Everett and Jacob went to the nearest location he was last known to be at: the Seven Eyes -seven large pillars that naturally looked like goat pupils-. Tall in size, the noxiastrum¡¯s body was able to wrap itself across 3 of the pillars before it had been killed. ¡°Ah! Lord Everett!¡± Ergo bounced up from sitting on another pillar and landed clean on his feet, producing a clamping sound. His hooves, horns and eyes made it clear he wasn¡¯t human, but few could put a name to his species. ¡°See what I¡¯ve caught for us! With this, we¡¯ll be able to send relief to the nearby villages.¡± ¡°Yes, very good. They¡¯ll need it, especially now without the lupen¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Hm? Has something happened?¡± Everett brought Ergo up to speed. ¡°Ah, I see why you have need of this ¡®taskforce¡¯. But where does this leave with my normal duties as Head Hunter?¡± ¡°As Head Hunter, you not supposed to be out hunting dangerous monsters.¡± ¡°A fair point. Who else is on board? Best to keep the numbers low, or the lupens will think we¡¯re preparing to attack.¡± ¡°Beside you, there¡¯s this young man here; his name is Jacob.¡± ¡°Ah! Nice to meet you, Jacob. Where do you hail from?¡± ¡°Oh, erm.¡± Jacob didn¡¯t expect him to initialise a dialogue with him. ¡°Up north-west. My village didn¡¯t have a name, but it was a few tens of miles away.¡± ¡°You must be wondering what in Omnis I am then?¡± Jacob shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re a capra-vir.¡± Both adults were impressed. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned, even people here don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t tell them?¡± ¡°Nah, keeps them guessing.¡± He said with a smirk. ¡°I can see why you¡¯ve picked him.¡± ¡°It was actually my brother.¡± ¡°Good eye he has. He picked me, after all. Who else is joining us?¡± ¡°Gail.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°And Charles.¡± ¡°Horrible Idea.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Charles?¡± ¡°He¡¯s someone you shouldn¡¯t trust.¡± Ergo responded. ¡°His words, at most.¡± Everett clarified. ¡°You can trust his actions. Besides, Nox would want his skills to be put to use.¡± ¡°I still say it¡¯s a terrible idea, but I¡¯m not the one calling the shots. How are you going to get him over here?¡± ¡°My brother is handling that. While we wait, do you have any men nearby to take the noxiastrum back?¡± ¡°I can drag it back.¡± Everett knew he could, but wanted Jacob to see it himself. Suffice to say, Jacob was amazed. ¡°So he¡¯s the strongest, right?¡± Jacob asked a few minutes later, walking alongside Everett while Ergo dragged the 30ft beast in front of them. ¡°In brute strength, certainly. In speed as well, but I would not call him the most deadly.¡± ¡°Who is then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d personally say Charles. You¡¯ll see why.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! After dropping the corpse of the noxiastrum back to the guild, after dragging it through the town centre where, which to Ergo¡¯s surprise, no one cheered or even glanced at it, the three headed to the docks. ¡°Looks like news has reached everyone.¡± Ergo said. ¡°Yes. Audrey and I will gather everyone in the town centre later to clarify everything.¡± ¡°Are you going to tell them what is going to happen?¡± ¡°Naturally. It will cause a scare at first, but they need to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Charles will disagree with you.¡± Ergo huffed. ¡°Enough about Charles. Let¡¯s go see if Gail has arrived.¡± The docks was as busy as always. Its main import was wheat and vegetables from Pulcha, while it exported anything gathered from monsters, to entire construction kits. Bricks was the city¡¯s biggest export, as Tenignum was near a large clay deposit which was high in quality, and allowed for study bricks to be created. The particular ship that they were waiting for however, was not a commercial ship. The term warship had come from the war, when Illvac had invaded Balvar using massive ships with cannon¡¯s, and was a term that stuck, despite the ships not having seen war. They were in service to the Pulcha¡¯s to hunt and fend off predators from the ocean that might attack commercial ships, or even the docks themselves. Slow but sturdy, crews would find themselves out on the ocean weeks at a time, before coming back to repair. The Noble -the name of ship named after Audrey- was coming back after finishing their analysis on the increase of the whale population. ¡°All things considered, this is good timing.¡± Everett looked at his rusted copper watch, one of few family heirlooms that was older than the Pulcha namesake, and knew, if things had gone right, Gail was bound to dock any hour now. Sure enough, within the hour, the ship came into view. Everett and Ergo had seen it at nearly every opportunity, but it being Jacob¡¯s first time seeing it, it was no surprise he looked at every inch of the 130ft warship. The main colours were that of the Pulcha¡¯s flag: red, pink, and orange. The main colour of the hull and ship was a shade of red -which came naturally from the type of tree used for it¡¯s construction- with lavish details being orange. The flag was pink, which needless to say was a strange decision, but it made it very easy for anyone to tell this ship was The Noble. ¡°How long did it take to create?¡± Jacob asked, his eyes not moving way for even a moment. ¡°Create? Oh, several months. Improve? Years, and years. There was a lot of kinks to iron out, and it being the first ship of its kind, well, we couldn¡¯t exactly take inspiration or advice from others.¡± ¡°It was a lot of trial and error. It is a miracle it didn¡¯t sink.¡± ¡°It technically did. That was an expensive day.¡± ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°Oh, it was before you rose to your position. The hull had been damaged, and it would have sunk if we didn¡¯t use crystals to block the holes.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t use planks?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°No, the pressure was too great.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the same day you assigned a new Captain to the ship?¡± ¡°Coincidentally, yes.¡± Slowly but surely did The Noble come into port, its size being emphasised by its large shadow towering over the nearby buildings and other ships. ¡°Pulcha at the port!¡± Several crew members, as tradition, called out, alerting the Captain and the crew. Most of the crew, who¡¯s responsibilities were now done, rushed to the side, giving cheers and comments you¡¯d expect from sailors who¡¯d returned from a successful voyage. Everett waved at the crew members, keeping an eye out for the Captain, who was still at the helm. Jacob felt out of place. Not once in his life had he seen so much cheering, let alone be involved in it. ¡°Lively lot. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Ergo said, noticing Jacob¡¯s tense body. ¡°Haha.¡± Jacob laughed nervously. He wasn¡¯t sure he would. Soon, the ship docked, and those who was handling the sails and ropes and anchor had gone to the side to greet the Pulcha as well. The Captain only spoke once he left the ship. ¡°How goes it, my Lord?¡± He asked already knowing something had happened. Whether that thing was good or bad, he was unsure as of yet. ¡°Terrible. It¡¯ll make you wish you were still out at sea.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, sounds like I¡¯ll be stretching my legs for once then.¡± ¡°Leave that to me, my friend.¡± Ergo said, clamping his hooves. ¡°We¡¯ll need your hands for this endeavour.¡± ¡°Well as long as your hooves don¡¯t go stomping on my ship, my hands will be available.¡± He joked back. ¡°Ah, no worries there. I¡¯ve never been fond of water. That won¡¯t be an issue, will it Lord Everett?¡± ¡°No, not for you Ergo. I imagine you¡¯ll miss the ocean though, Gail.¡± ¡°Ugh, what is it this time then?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk back home. Need to see if Audrey¡¯s sent that letter yet.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, you aren¡¯t going to be happy either.¡± Ergo said to Gail. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Charles is joining us.¡± ¡°Serious-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Everett ordered. ¡°Heard enough as is.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Gail muttered. Jacob laughed gently at the whole ordeal, causing the Captain to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re an unfamiliar face. You a stowaway?¡± If Jacob knew the meaning, he would¡¯ve gotten nervous. Since he didn¡¯t, he answered immediately. ¡°Oh, no. I was from a village in the area, but after a lupen attack I came here.¡± ¡°A lupen attack? What in Anirrae has happened since I left?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in for a shock.¡± Ch.5 The first time Pulcha had heard what had happened in Tenignum was in the form of a letter. Well, the city of Pulcha would find out by word of mouth days later, but the Pulcha family found out via Audrey¡¯s letter. ¡°Dear, oh dear, this is a disaster.¡± Nox said, having received the letter first. ¡°Alista is not going to take this well.¡± "But that¡¯s for another time", she concluded to herself. The immediate issue was that of getting Charles 300 miles away to Tenignum within days, at most. ¡°Hm, the Sub-Saltu is the way to go. Charles will be able to utilise it well.¡± Getting up from her metallic chair of gothic design, Nox left the library, out into the hallway. Just around the corner of what split off from the long hall, laid some stairs that went up to the next floor, where the aviary room was. In there, was a family of celavis'', a breed of falcon. The newly arrived celavis that had just come from Tenignum rested on a branch upside down, fast asleep. Nox headed to another, one that was fully awake. ¡°Can you get Charles, my lovely?¡± She asked, rubbing the bird¡¯s crest, an act that returned a loving rub. It gave a squawk and flapped its wings, with each gaining more purchase between the thrusts. Just after a few seconds, the gusts of wind were so powerful, it would have knocked books off from the bookshelves if they were in the library, and it did in fact blow all of Nox¡¯s hair back, unwinding it all the way back to the staircase. Within a second, the celavis was gone, and in its place a loud sonic boom. ¡°Ough, I will never get used to that. Atleast Alista wasn¡¯t around to hear that.¡± Nox headed down from the 5th floor of the manor to the ground floor, where the waiting lounge was. It didn¡¯t take long for the celavis to find Charles, and not that much longer for him to arrive. ¡°Lady Noxentia? I was expecting Lord Morgan.¡± A lie, as he knew Morgan wouldn¡¯t return for several months. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s still at sea. I¡¯ll send a celavis once they¡¯ve rested up.¡± She gestured for him to sit opposite her on a chair he would have found greatly uncomfortable. While high in quality, Charles was more used to sitting on barrels, and sleeping on haystacks. ¡°Oh, uh, may I stand?¡± Nox gave a slight chuckle. ¡°I was only offering, no need to worry yourself. And you¡¯ll have your answers soon enough, once you return.¡± ¡°Return?¡± He was visibly interested. ¡°Where are you sending me?¡± ¡°Tenignum. Your assistance is required there. There¡¯s been a great disruption.¡± She explained everything the letter had contained; everything that had happened, including the new group being formed. ¡°Gail and Ergo? They¡­well, you know how they feel about me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but few understand your condition. I¡¯m sure Audrey and Everett will explain it to them in due time; or leave it for them to figure it out. It will not cause any major issues, I assure you.¡± ¡°...and who is Jacob?¡± ¡°I do not know. Audrey failed to give any other details. He¡¯s potentially a victim of all this, though if he is, I doubt he wants revenge.¡± ¡°Why do you think that, Lady Noxentia?¡± ¡°Audrey would not have gotten him involved if he was.¡± She said, confidently. ¡°But you¡¯ll find out more about him when you arrive.¡± Nox crossed her legs, and hunched over them, grinning. ¡°So tell me, when was the last time you ventured to the Sub-Saltu?¡± ¡°There? Er¡­not recently.¡± ¡°Really? I heard a ¡®new¡¯ entrance was uncovered, but it was found the crystal had already been farmed.¡± ¡°Well, hopefully whoever took them knows how to take care of them.¡± ¡°Indeed. I expect to hear of an increase of crystals in the market in the near future.¡± Charles simply nodded. ¡°Well, until then, you¡¯ll have to return down there. I¡¯ll get the details of someone whose soul was trapped down there, and you¡¯ll need to hex them to reach Tenignum.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°That¡¯ll work?¡± ¡°According to our research, yes, it should. Play your cards right, and you might even help them achieve peace.¡± Charles'' eyes perked up at that. ¡°Truly?¡± Nox giggled. ¡°I¡¯ll assume you¡¯ll want to leave as soon as possible. Give me a few hours. It¡¯ll give you time to prepare as well.¡± It did not take Charles even an hour to prepare, which gave him time to think. No matter how he cut it, he couldn¡¯t figure out why the two Lords wanted him to be part of a team that would try to stop a lupen attack, or if it came down to it, protect it. ¡°I¡¯m the worst possible person for this. It¡¯s not exactly like I could hex a lupen mid fight. Nothing goes into their ears when they have blood on their mind.¡± His words were powerful, but his body was small and frail. If he were to take all his clothes off, his bones would be slightly visible underneath his pale skin. Most people couldn¡¯t withstand a hit from a lupen, but Charles would likely die upon a weak punch from one. ¡°And what help would I be if the best did happen? Certainly can¡¯t help there.¡± ¡°You look troubled.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s Ergo and Gail, who don¡¯t trust me in the slightest. Last thing you want when the whole city is on the line is someone you can¡¯t trust.¡± Noxentia slammed the door, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡°Oh, Lady Noxentia!¡± Charles exclaimed, jumping out of his skin. ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°You look troubled.¡± She repeated. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense why they want you there, does it?¡± ¡°...¡± Noxentia took his silence as the truth. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all make sense in due time.¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Do I know the exact reason? No. But I have no issues with you going.¡± ¡°...¡± In response to his silence, Nox offered a gentle smile. ¡°Let me tell you about that lost soul. His name was Lycin, part of a group of adventurers.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell.¡± He said with a straight face. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Noxentia responded suspiciously, playfully of course. ¡°They were the first to uncover the Sub-Saltu. Only one of their group survived, and they¡¯re currently helping me in uncovering its secrets.¡± ¡°Rose? She¡¯s here?¡± Charles thought. ¡°Is she the one who told you hexes work on the souls?¡± ¡°Somewhat. Rose came to me with a theory that I could back up with knowledge. Now, all we need is for it to happen. You¡¯ll be the first to do this, I expect.¡± ¡°Will she be accompanying me?¡± ¡°No, but you might come across her while down there. After all, if you do succeed, we¡¯ll know why.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be able to give us a better idea why, if failure does come to pass.¡± ¡°Right¡­can you explain then how this is going to work?¡± ¡°Casting a hex on a corrupted soul shouldn¡¯t result in a way to warp somewhere far away.¡± He thought, ¡°It¡¯s true that it will result in a large influx of mana which can be used to warp, but how would we direct that all the way to Tenignum?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re questioning how we could warp specifically to Tenignum, instead of just generally warping somewhere. To answer that question, we believe all the Sub-Saltu is connected. Think of it like veins passing through blood, but instead of blood, mana. Hypothetically, enough mana should be generated to reach beneath Tenignum for a crystal to be used.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like a tunnel. Makes sense.¡± ¡°Okay, say I achieve that, -and forgetting the fact this will somehow uncurse the soul for a moment-, how will I dig myself out?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the easy bit.¡± From underneath her librarian robes, Noxentia pulled out a crystal full of energy. ¡°A warp crystal? It¡¯s weak, but should be enough to reach the surface.¡± With enough mana, even a weak crystal can travel far, and alone the Sub-Saltu offered enough.¡± ¡°This is linked to the town centre. You¡¯ll reach, don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s if you don¡¯t manage to reach the cave systems underneath the city. There¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll find yourself there, actually.¡± ¡°Okay¡­now about this corrupted soul.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll figure that out once you find them. There is a way, I assure you.¡± ¡°Mh-hm, well if you say so.¡± ¡°Oh come now, when have I ever given you false hope? Have faith, you¡¯ll set them free, I¡¯m sure.¡± He simply nodded. ¡°Is that everything?¡± ¡°Yes. You may go. By the time you arrive, I¡¯ll have heard back from Morgan.¡± ¡°Actually, there is one more thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...do you hope my curse will be raised by the time I am actually needed?¡± ¡°No, it is not like that.¡± Nox reassured. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, but I think your curse will be a gift here. I know you will doubt that, but you will see. If there¡¯s anyone who can turn your curse into a gift, it¡¯s those two.¡± Ch.6 ¡°Lord Audrey ?¡± Jacob asked nervously. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Erm, I hesitate to say his name,¡± He looked towards Ergo and Gail, who were talking amongst themselves, ¡°but, won¡¯t Charles be joining us before training?¡± ¡°No, Charles already has the skills we want. He¡¯ll, well, he¡¯ll be playing a different role from each of you.¡± From what Jacob had seen of his two companions so far, he imagined his own role would be different from them too. ¡°Each of us will, right?¡± ¡°Oh-ho, you¡¯ve correctly assessed the situation there you have.¡± Everett said with a cheery voice. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly right. Figured out what your role is yet?¡± ¡°...moral support?¡± The lupen gave a grunted laugh. ¡°Or human shield.¡± ¡°He is too small for that.¡± Audrey was joking, but his brother gave him a serious look all the same. ¡°No one is going to be that!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± Gail butted in. ¡°If anyone would make a good shield, it¡¯d be the lupen.¡± ¡°He is not wrong.¡± Audrey said. ¡°Though I do not know how that would affect your standing with your brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°Depends on who I protect.¡± The lupen said, offering no clues on who would fit to be protected. ¡°Well, the kid doesn¡¯t need to fear then.¡± Ergo said. whether he assessed correctly or not hardly if the lupen would protect Jacob hardly mattered; it¡¯s what Ergo believed. The six of them weren¡¯t no longer in Tenignum, but were rather approaching a village a few miles away. The village was the last known sighting of the pack of lupens that had departed before they had gotten into ¡®trouble¡¯. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Ergo asked the lupen. ¡°From what we¡¯ve heard so far, everywhere they go is gaining a curse.¡± Monster attacks had increased significantly to the impacted villages, to the point they were on the threat of destruction. Part of the reason the group had come down was to calm the village and prevent even more discord amongst the populi, but also to find the pack and warn them of their intended, or unintended, actions; this had already caused a discussion amongst the group. The lupen had stayed quiet, until now. ¡°We know that every being fears us in some capacity, moreso for monsters. Before though, the monsters here were quiet.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying they don¡¯t know they¡¯re causing all this?¡± Ergo responded. ¡°If they did, they would help.¡± ¡°Mm, I think so too.¡± Jacob said. ¡°I can¡¯t say. I didn¡¯t know this pack.¡± Gail said. ¡°Though, to be honest, after hearing what happened to their cub, I don¡¯t think they would be as open to help.¡± ¡°There was the fact that some of the lupens had a vendetta against all humans that made me concerned.¡± Audrey voiced. ¡°Do you think they helped, Lord Audrey?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°...the Mother would.¡± Reaching the top of the hills, the unnamed village came into view. For a village to get a name -usually given by a Pulcha-, they need to reach a population cap of 1000, and need to have an inn. The only exception to both of those criterias, was that it exported goods to local villages or towns, but few had the means to protect the goods on the road, let alone themselves. ¡°I should not come down there with you.¡± The lupen said. ¡°I agree.¡± Both Pulcha¡¯s said simultaneously. ¡°Stay out of sight, but close by. Don¡¯t want more monsters to be drawn in.¡± The lupen promptly left. Another 30 minutes of trekking down, and the party arrived in the village of 237 souls. The number was etched onto a chalkboard, which had evidently been recently modified. ¡°200¡­and I want to say 70, something.¡± Ergo voiced. ¡°They¡¯re lucky it wasn¡¯t less.¡± Audrey said. ¡°Monster attacks usually decimate an entire village.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± His brother agreed. Their arrival caused an excitement in the village. Passing by travellers were rare, and stay in villagers even moreso, so for their guests to be two Pulcha¡¯s, well, suffice to say, it was quite the occasion. ¡°Well, this is good in one way.¡± Jacob said to Ergo and Gail. ¡°At least their hopes are up.¡± ¡°I forget, this is your first time seeing this, ain¡¯t it?¡± Gail responded. ¡°I remember seeing it my first time as well.¡± ¡°What went through your head?¡± Ergo asked. ¡°¡®Only a Pulcha can have this effect¡¯ , I thought.¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty much the same for me.¡± While the Pulcha¡¯s expertly handled the croud, the group went off to find the village elders. They were quickly found. ¡°We¡¯re here with Lord Audrey and Lord Everett.¡± Ergo took the lead. ¡°There¡¯s been with some issues with a lupen pack ,we¡¯ve heard? Can you tell us what direction they were going towards?¡± ¡°Yes, south-west.¡± The Village Elder, who was easily in his forties, pointed in the correct direction without need of a compass. Noone doubted if he was wrong or not. ¡°The monsters came from that direction as well.¡± ¡°Are they all dealt with?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°No. One lurks in a cave. I am scared to send more men in.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deal with the monster. We¡¯ll come back once it¡¯s been dealt with. You know what monster it was?¡± ¡°A hirudostrum.¡± With that little nugget of info, the three went off to deal with the monster. ¡°What¡¯s a hirudostrum?¡± Jacob asked once they were out of the village. ¡°You ever seen a leech?¡± Gail asked. ¡°Plenty.¡± ¡°Like those, but human sized.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bit more to that, but that¡¯s the brief notes.¡± Ergo said. ¡°Can you kill them the same as leeches?¡± ¡°Fire doesn¡¯t work; it has a hardened shell that protects it from the elements. Only liquids get through.¡± ¡°So we can drown it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one option, if there¡¯s a lot of liquid nearby. It doesn¡¯t take a lot of alcohol to kill it though.¡± Ergo looked at Gail, who had glasses full on his belt. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯ve got a few that aren¡¯t vintage.¡± The cave was up a hill a mile of the village. To enter, one had to pass through the waterfall that blocked the entrance, but there was a secondary entrance, one made by the monster, that the group lingered at. ¡°So will the alcohol alone kill it, or are we going to burn it?¡± ¡°Alcohol alone will be enough. It''ll be dead within a minute, and it¡¯ll only make our lives harder.¡± ¡°Last thing you want is a fire inside a cave.¡± Gail said. ¡°You¡¯ll choke yourself and everyone else out.¡± ¡°Including the hirudostrum?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we choke it out then, and then throw alcohol on it when it escapes, instead of going in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea actually. Let¡¯s get a fire started.¡± In the next 30 minutes, a fire was started, the cave was filled with smoke, and the worm had escaped in the exit it had made. It died -by technically of drowning- after teaching the bottom of the hill. Only Jacob was surprised how easy it was, as he had previously expected a fight. ¡°You look shocked. Didn¡¯t think it would be that easy?¡± Ergo asked. Jacob nodded his head. ¡°When the Elder said several people had died, I was expecting a hard fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get with the brave and inexperienced. Most people would try to burn the monster, though it looks like this group didn¡¯t even know that.¡± There was a tint of regret in Gail¡¯s voice. ¡°Well, all that matters now is that the village will be safe for a time.¡± ¡°Do you think the Lord Pulcha¡¯s have tracked them down?¡± ¡°Is that what they¡¯ll do?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°Better them than us. The lupens might not take kindly to humans right now.¡± ¡°It is not that.¡± A familiar voice came from above the cave. ¡°It is just that they will listen to them more than you.¡± All three looked up at the same time. ¡°Ah, you. I guess you would know. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Curiosity.¡± ¡°Ah, well, we¡¯re alive, as you see.¡± ¡°Curious on how you would handle it.¡± ¡°How would you have killed it?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°Quickly.¡± ¡°With your claws?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They said, as though the answer was obvious. ¡°Hm, well, we¡¯re heading back to the village now. Will you linger about?¡± ¡°Likely.¡± ¡°Alright, keep an ear out then.¡± ¡°Hang on, why don¡¯t we bring them back.¡± Jacob said, knowing the reason they couldn¡¯t but still wanted to offer a suggestion regardless. ¡°We can give them credit for helping out. Might help calm the tension.¡± ¡°Or elevate it.¡± Ergo said. ¡°I get where you are coming from Jacob, but I can see even more trouble ensuring if we did that.¡± ¡°It could even confuse them.¡± Gail said. ¡°And besides, one lupen fixing an issue an entire pack caused won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°¡®Course it can. It shows not all lupens are looking to cause trouble. Not to say the others caused trouble, but it¡¯ll be harder to convince them of that, won¡¯t it?¡± Gail and Ergo shared a conflicted look between them. It was a risky move, and while both of them believed there could be a chance, without a Pulcha''s presence, it could put all of them at risk of being attacked. ¡°If you won¡¯t take risks, then was there really a point in organising a group?¡± The lupen spoke, still atop the cave. ¡°Our original purpose is to protect, not to bring trouble.¡± ¡°Then why did the Pulcha¡¯s bring me along?¡± ¡°They have their reasons.¡± ¡°They also had their reason then to bring each of you. Did you find any dead bodies in there?¡± They clawed the cave, dropping down easily from the height. ¡°Have a look.¡± ¡°I guess we should take them back.¡± The cave wasn¡¯t nearly as big as expected, and it was more empty than it should have been. ¡°Er, do hirudostrum¡¯s eat their prey?¡± ¡°No, just suck all the blood out. They leave the bones and skins.¡± Even Ergo was perplexed. ¡°Not sure why the Elder lied about sending people.¡± ¡°Worried they appeared as weak.¡± Jacob said. ¡°I¡¯ve overheard it before.¡± ¡°Aye, if only they voiced their weakness. Perhaps none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡± ¡°It would have happened regardless.¡± The lupen said, still at the entrance. ¡°All this was a test. Each of you responded as expected.¡± ¡°Huh? So there wasn¡¯t an attack?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, there was. My family did come through, all that is true, but your assistance here was not required.¡± ¡°Does the village know you¡¯re here?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Still a risk then.¡± ¡°One you should take. Audrey was sure it would work out.¡± ¡°See?¡± Jacob said with a bit of excitement. The two men sighed. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand what you meant by each of us having a reason for being here.¡± Ergo said. ¡°Took you that long.¡± Gail said. ¡°Don¡¯t you two start again. Come on.¡±